Human World.
A helicopter flew through the sky, heading toward a distant island.
Inside were four familiar faces.
Yugi sat quietly, looking out the window.
Joey was looking around the helicopter with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
Kaiba sat across from them, arms crossed, looking as unimpressed as ever.
And beside them was another passenger.
Albion.
Or, more accurately, Thomas.
His Human World body looked like an ordinary young boy, completely different from his Dragon World appearance. The disguise had worked perfectly for years, allowing him to move around the Human World without revealing his true nature.
Albion looked out the window.
'So this is happening again.'
He had returned to the Human World for a reason.
Duelist Kingdom.
Pegasus had invited him.
And considering what had happened the first time around, Albion wasn't about to ignore the invitation.
The events leading up to Duelist Kingdom had been slightly different in this world.
Mostly because of him.
Albion still remembered the first time he had met Yugi and Kaiba.
He had been a little kid at the time, simply trying to understand the Human World.
Instead, he had somehow managed to push the two of them into becoming friends.
Well...
"Friends" might have been a generous word.
They were rivals.
Very competitive rivals.
But they actually talked to each other now.
Albion looked toward Yugi and Kaiba.
'Yeah. I definitely caused that.'
Joey suddenly looked toward him.
"Hey, Thomas."
Albion turned.
"Yeah?"
"You've been staring out that window for like ten minutes."
Albion shrugged.
"Just thinking."
Joey grinned.
"About Duelist Kingdom?"
"Partly."
Yugi smiled.
"I'm actually looking forward to it."
Kaiba scoffed.
"I'm not."
Joey looked at him.
"You're the one who brought us here."
Kaiba frowned.
"I came because Pegasus has something I want."
Albion looked at Kaiba.
'Yep. Still Kaiba.'
The helicopter continued toward the island.
Albion leaned back in his seat.
He had already lived through 16 years in the Monster World.
He had trained with some of the strongest beings in that world.
He had become a mage, a swordsman and a Dragon Prince.
And yet, somehow, he was back in the Human World, sitting in a helicopter with Yugi, Kaiba and Joey on their way to Duelist Kingdom.
Albion smiled.
'Let's see how different this Duelist Kingdom is going to be.'
Albion leaned back in his seat, looking out at the ocean below.
As the helicopter continued toward Duelist Kingdom, he started thinking about what he remembered from the original events.
If there was one word he could use to describe Duelist Kingdom, it was:
Chaos.
The rules of Duelist Kingdom were famously different from the modern game. Players started with 2000 Life Points, could Normal Summon monsters of any Level without Tributes, and only one monster could attack each turn.
Albion remembered some of the ridiculous things that happened.
Yugi summoning a Level 7 monster without Tributes.
Yugi attacking on his first turn.
Monsters somehow interacting with the actual terrain.
And then there was the Moon.
Albion remembered Yugi's duel against Mako.
Mako's monsters were using the ocean terrain to their advantage. Yugi eventually used Full Moon, which affected the battlefield, before having Giant Soldier of Stone destroy the Moon and drain the water from the field.
Albion stared through the helicopter window.
'That entire duel was insane.'
He shook his head.
But there was one major difference this time.
The Human World's Duel Monsters game had advanced considerably since Albion's childhood.
The cards weren't operating under Duelist Kingdom's completely improvised rules anymore.
That actually made Albion feel better.
Because now, if Yugi did something completely ridiculous...
There was a decent chance he actually had a card that legally allowed him to do it.
Albion looked toward Yugi.
'So if he destroys the Moon this time, I don't have to sit there wondering how the hell that was allowed.'
He paused.
'Although knowing Yugi, he'll probably find another way to break the laws of physics.'
Joey suddenly looked over.
"Thomas, why are you smiling?"
Albion looked at him.
"Nothing."
Kaiba glanced over.
"He's probably thinking about something stupid."
Yugi laughed.
"Maybe."
Albion looked back out the window.
'Yeah.'
He smiled.
'Duelist Kingdom.'
'Let's see how much chaos happens this time.'
The helicopter eventually landed on Duelist Kingdom.
After disembarking, Albion, Yugi, Kaiba and Joey made their way toward the main building, where Pegasus was waiting to welcome the contestants.
A large crowd of Duelists had gathered.
Some were experienced professionals. Others were amateurs hoping to make a name for themselves. And a few had very personal reasons for accepting Pegasus's invitation.
Albion was one of them.
Well, technically, he was here because he wanted to investigate something in the Human World.
But he couldn't exactly ignore the tournament.
Especially when he remembered what had happened in the original Duelist Kingdom.
Pegasus appeared before the assembled Duelists, smiling as he began his welcoming speech.
"Welcome, my dear Duelists, to the magnificent Duelist Kingdom!"
The crowd applauded.
Albion listened with a relatively neutral expression.
'Here we go again.'
He glanced toward Yugi.
The reason Yugi had come to the island was simple.
He wanted to save his grandfather, Sugoroku Mutou, whose soul Pegasus had stolen.
And unfortunately, Albion was partially responsible.
Flashback
Yugi opened a small box while Albion stood beside him.
Inside was a videotape.
Yugi picked it up.
"A tape?"
Albion stared at it.
His expression immediately changed.
"Don't open it. Break it."
Yugi blinked.
"What?"
"Break the tape, Yugi."
Albion pointed at it with the urgency of someone who had just recognized a bomb.
"Trust me. Whatever's on that thing isn't worth watching."
Unfortunately, Yugi had already started examining it.
End of flashback.
Albion rubbed his forehead.
'Should have taken it from him.'
He had recognized the trap, but recognizing a problem and actually preventing it were two different things.
And now Yugi was here to rescue his grandfather.
'Sorry, Grandpa Mutou.'
Albion glanced toward Kaiba.
Seto had his own reason for coming.
Mokuba.
Pegasus had challenged Kaiba, and the Blue-Eyes Duelist had accepted because he wanted to rescue his younger brother from Pegasus's plans.
Albion still wasn't entirely sure how Pegasus had managed to become such a menace in this universe.
'Seriously, what is wrong with this guy?'
Then there was Joey.
Joey had entered the tournament to win the prize money for his sister, Serenity's, eye operation.
The funny thing was that Kaiba could probably have paid for the operation without noticing the difference in his bank account.
But Joey didn't want to ask him.
Albion understood why.
Joey wanted to earn the money himself. He wanted to help his sister through his own efforts, rather than depend on someone else's wealth.
Albion respected that.
Still, he couldn't help thinking about it.
'Three people. Three different reasons. And all of them somehow connected to Pegasus.'
He looked toward the stage again.
Pegasus continued his speech, smiling at the crowd as though he were the most harmless man in the world.
Albion narrowed his eyes slightly.
'And I'm here because I want to figure out what's going on with this world's Duel Monsters.'
He folded his arms.
'Well, that and making sure these idiots don't accidentally destroy the island.'
He paused.
'Actually, considering Yugi's history with the Moon, I should probably include the surrounding ocean.'
Albion sighed.
Duelist Kingdom had only just begun.
And he already had a bad feeling about it.
The first matches of Duelist Kingdom began, and the contestants scattered across the island to find opponents.
Albion eventually found Yugi's first duel.
His opponent was Weevil Underwood, the young Duelist known for his Insect Deck.
Albion stood among the spectators, watching the duel unfold.
So far, everything was going as he remembered.
Weevil's insects were giving Yugi trouble, but Yugi kept fighting. He drew cards, considered his options, and refused to give up.
Albion folded his arms.
'Come on, Yugi. You have five cards left.'
The duel continued.
Then Yugi reached for his deck.
He drew his final card.
For a moment, he stared at it.
Then his expression changed.
"With this last piece, I have everything!"
Albion smirked.
'There.'
Yugi raised his cards.
"I summon Exodia!"
The crowd erupted in shock as the five pieces of Exodia appeared together.
Exodia the Forbidden One.
The unstoppable monster materialized before Weevil, its immense power overwhelming the battlefield.
Weevil stared in disbelief.
"WHAT?!"
Yugi clenched his fist.
"Exodia, obliterate!"
The attack swept across the field, ending the duel.
Albion couldn't help smiling.
'It worked.'
He had changed one small detail before the tournament even began.
In the original timeline, Yugi and Kaiba had traveled to Duelist Kingdom by ship. During that journey, Yugi encountered Weevil, who later threw Yugi's Exodia cards overboard.
But this time, Albion had convinced Yugi to travel with him and Kaiba by helicopter.
No ship.
No encounter with Weevil before the tournament.
And, most importantly, no goodbye to Exodia.
Albion watched Yugi celebrate his victory.
'Sometimes, changing history doesn't require defeating a villain or rewriting the laws of the universe.'
He glanced toward Weevil, who still looked like his brain had stopped working.
'Sometimes, you just need to make sure the little jerk never gets the chance to throw your friend's cards into the ocean.'
Albion chuckled.
Duelist Kingdom had barely started, and already one of its most infamous moments had been erased.
He wondered how many other events would change now that he was here.
Then he looked at Yugi.
'Although, knowing this island, I'm sure we'll find plenty of new problems.'
Albion walked up to Weevil, who was still staring at the spot where Exodia had appeared.
"You lost."
Weevil snapped his head toward him. "I KNOW THAT!"
"Good. Just making sure."
Joey snorted behind them. Yugi gave him a slightly disapproving look, but even he struggled to hide his smile.
Albion ignored Weevil's protests and picked up his Deck. He flicked through the cards, inspecting the strategy that had just lost to Exodia.
Then he stopped at one particular monster.
"Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth."
He held the card up for Weevil to see.
"Three thousand five hundred ATK in the modern card pool, but even with that much power, the summoning condition is ridiculous. You need to equip Petit Moth with Cocoon of Evolution and wait until your sixth turn before you can Tribute it to summon this thing."
Albion looked Weevil dead in the eyes.
"Your opponent could win the duel before this thing ever hits the field. And if they don't, you still have to hope they haven't destroyed Petit Moth or removed the Cocoon. You're investing too many turns into one monster."
Weevil's expression twisted. "But it's the ultimate form of my Great Moth! It's supposed to be the strongest!"
"Being the strongest doesn't matter if you can't summon it."
"Grrr!"
Albion shrugged and tossed him another card.
"Here. Use this."
Weevil caught it on instinct.
His eyes dropped to the card's name.
Ultimate Great Insect.
"What's this supposed to be?" he muttered.
He read the card's effect. His eyes widened a little as he reached the bottom.
"Three thousand ATK… can't be destroyed by battle… and during the Battle Phase, if there's a face-up card in a Field Zone, I can destroy all the monsters my opponent controls?"
He stared at the card.
Then at Albion.
"Where did you get this?!"
"Does it matter?"
"OF COURSE IT MATTERS!"
"It's a card. You put it in your Deck. You summon it. You win duels with it. That's generally how this game works."
Joey burst out laughing.
"Ha! The little bug guy's getting a lesson in Deck building from a dude who didn't even duel!"
"I'm not little!" Weevil shouted.
"Didn't say you were little. I said the bug guy was!"
"YOU'RE THE BUG GUY!"
"I'm the guy who watched you lose!"
"JOEY," Yugi sighed.
Albion turned the card over in his fingers, then handed it back to Weevil properly.
"Look, I'm not saying you should throw away your entire strategy. Your Insect Deck has potential. But you need to stop treating one monster like it's the answer to every problem."
Weevil gripped the card tightly.
Albion continued, "Ultimate Great Insect gives you a much more practical boss monster. You can Fusion Summon it using a Level 8 Insect and a Level 7 Insect, or use its alternate summoning method if you have an equipped Insect with at least 2000 DEF. And that battle protection makes it difficult to remove through ordinary attacks."
He tapped the card.
"And that field-wide destruction effect? That's your way of turning a losing Battle Phase around. Just remember that it requires a face-up card in a Field Zone. Build your Deck so you're not depending on that effect every single time."
Weevil looked down at his Deck again.
For the first time since losing, he wasn't looking at it like it had betrayed him.
He was thinking.
'A better boss monster… a more reliable strategy…'
Then his eyes narrowed.
"Wait a minute. Why are you helping me?!"
Albion blinked.
"Because your Deck has problems?"
"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LAUGH AT ME! I'M YOUR OPPONENT!"
"We weren't dueling."
"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"
"Then I don't know what your point is."
Joey nearly doubled over.
Yugi covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking.
Kaiba, who had been watching the entire exchange with folded arms, finally spoke.
"Pathetic. The insect has just discovered that having a powerful monster doesn't automatically make him a competent Duelist."
Weevil rounded on him. "Oh, shut up, Kaiba!"
Kaiba smirked. "At least you can recognize a winning strategy when someone hands it to you."
"YOU TOO?!"
Albion returned his attention to Yugi.
"Come on. We should get moving. The tournament's only just started."
Yugi nodded, then glanced back at Weevil.
"Good luck with your Deck, Weevil."
Weevil looked as if he couldn't decide whether to be insulted or grateful.
"I'm going to beat you next time, Yugi!"
Yugi smiled. "Then I'll be ready."
As the group walked away, Albion heard Weevil muttering to himself about Insect monsters, Fusion Summoning, and how he was going to make everyone regret laughing at him.
Albion smiled.
'Well, that's one problem solved.'
Then he paused.
'Actually, I might have just made Weevil more dangerous.'
He glanced back at the furious Duelist clutching his new card.
'…Oh, well. Future Yugi's problem.'
Kaiba looked sideways at Albion.
"You do realize you just gave a tournament contestant a better strategy."
"Yep."
"And you don't care?"
"Not particularly."
Kaiba scoffed. "You are either remarkably confident or remarkably stupid."
"Those aren't mutually exclusive."
Joey laughed again.
Yugi shook his head, smiling as they continued toward the next part of the island.
Albion, meanwhile, couldn't help wondering what other changes his presence would cause.
He had already saved Yugi's Exodia cards from being thrown into the ocean. Now he'd improved Weevil's Deck.
At this rate, Duelist Kingdom was going to be very different from the story he remembered.
And somehow, he suspected that was only the beginning.