Stepping over the unconscious imposter, Yugi walked onto the platform and picked up the deck on the table. "Is this Seto Kaiba's deck?"
"Kaiba can't even take care of his own deck?" Jounouchi quipped as he approached.
"A duelist's deck is equivalent to their life. I believe Kaiba, who values dueling above all else, wouldn't lose his deck so easily." Yugi analyzed with a serious expression.
"So, even though this spirit of Kaiba is a fake, the real Kaiba's fate is still unknown?" Anzu and Honda also gathered around.
"No, Kaiba wouldn't be defeated so easily." Hoshino began to analyze, "As the president of Kaiba Corporation, rising from a street kid to his current position, Kaiba's meticulous person. He must be facing some unsolvable problem, which is why he hasn't appeared yet. But he will definitely come here eventually."
Hoshino glanced at Mokuba in the audience to back up her certainty that Kaiba would return.
"For now, we'll keep Kaiba's deck safe." Yugi planned, putting Kaiba's deck in his pocket. "I'll return it to him personally next time I see him."
"Hey, where's Mokuba?" Hoshino looked around from the platform but couldn't see Mokuba anywhere on the vast grassland. "Could it be…?"
After confirming multiple times, Hoshino was sure of her guess. "Mokuba is missing!"
"Damn it, even that man in black is gone." Jounouchi jumped off the platform in frustration. "He must have taken Mokuba."
"Let's split up and search." Agreeing with Yugi's suggestion, everyone scattered.
**.....**
**At dusk**
"Did you find him?" Judging by Yugi's expression, he hadn't had any luck.
Everyone else had similar expressions, bringing no good news.
"Damn it, we can't find him anywhere." Jounouchi punched a nearby tree in frustration.
"He must have been taken to Pegasus's castle." Looking at the castle bathed in the sunset, Yugi muttered.
"We have to find a way to save Mokuba, or Pegasus will use the Millennium Eye to steal his soul." Anzu shivered at the thought of Yugi's grandfather's fate.
"I couldn't find him either." Hoshino, who returned a bit later, was bent over, panting heavily. After almost nonstop dueling all day and searching for Mokuba, she was near her limit. Except for the grilled fish Yuta had given her in the morning, she hadn't had anything to eat or drink all day.
Seeing Hoshino's weakened state, everyone felt sympathy.
"It's getting late. Continuing the search would be too dangerous. We need to find a place to rest." Jounouchi, concerned about the exhausted Hoshino, suggested.
"Jounouchi is right. The forest is too dangerous at night. If we get lost, we're done for." Supporting Hoshino, Anzu agreed with Jounouchi's suggestion.
"Is there any water? I'm so thirsty." Hoshino, leaning on Anzu, finally managed to speak. Going without food for a day might be bearable, but not drinking water for a day was excruciating.
"Shh, I think I hear water flowing." Yugi closed his eyes, quietly sensing the environment.
Everyone fell silent at Yugi's words, afraid of disturbing him. Finding a stream or other water source and resting nearby would solve their immediate crisis.
"This way, follow me." Confirming the direction, Yugi gestured and led the group.
Hearing there was water to drink, Hoshino, who had been on the verge of collapse, regained some energy and followed Yugi with Anzu's help.
After about a minute's walk, they spotted a clear stream dyed red by the sunset.
"It's water, thank goodness!" Finding a water source before dark, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yugi, you're our savior." Honda patted Yugi's back hard in praise.
Hoshino cupped her hands and drank the water. Three days ago, she never would have imagined she'd be so moved just to have a drink of water.
"Gulp, gulp, gulp~" Drinking the stream water from her hands, Hoshino felt reborn. "So good, I've never had such delicious water."
"It's really good." Anzu praised after taking a sip.
"Revived!" Jounouchi wiped his mouth and shouted.
Water truly is essential for humans. The four, who had been worried moments ago, now looked content.
"Grrr~" A mysterious cute sound came from Hoshino's stomach, drawing everyone's attention. Hoshino blushed as red as the sunset behind her.
When one need is met, another arises. After quenching their thirst, their hunger became more pronounced.
Seeing Hoshino bow her head in embarrassment, everyone couldn't help but laugh.
"We haven't eaten all day, and we're all hungry." Anzu patted Hoshino's head to comfort her.
"But it's almost dark. Where will we find food?" Jounouchi asked.
Yugi stroked his chin thoughtfully. "We could find mushrooms in the forest, but we can't identify which are edible, and we don't have a fire source. Eating raw mushrooms isn't an option."
"A fire source." Honda's expression darkened. "As it gets darker, we need fire not only to cook food but also to provide warmth and light, and to ward off wild animals."
"Wild animals?!" Hearing Honda, Hoshino clung tightly to Anzu. "Are there really wild animals in this forest? We didn't see any during the day."
"Some animals are nocturnal hunters," Jounouchi added.
"Hey, don't scare Hoshino!" Anzu petted the trembling Hoshino. "Don't be scared. There can't be wild animals on this artificial island."
"Haha, true." Jounouchi laughed and struck a boxer's pose. "Even if there are, I'll protect you, Hoshino."
Just as Jounouchi finished speaking, the bushes behind them rustled, and mysterious lights slowly approached from the forest's depths.
"C-could it be wild animals? I heard their eyes glow at night." Hoshino clung to Anzu tighter, her fear making her stammer.
"What kind of monster do you think can scare the great Jounouchi?" Jounouchi picked up a stick and waved it confidently, not wanting to lose face in front of Hoshino.
As the lights came closer, everyone gulped nervously.
"Rustle…" With the sound of rustling leaves, a young boy with snow-white hair and a delicate face emerged from the forest, holding a flashlight.
"Bakura?!"