Ah, this.
Although Erina had an impression of the "old man" Jaden often spoke of, this was their first formal meeting. She had prepared herself.
She had considered various scenarios.
She had thought about what to do if Old Man Yuki didn't like her. She had also prepared answers for certain questions.
However-
She hadn't expected the scene in front of her.
"It's been a while, Jaden... and you must be Nakiri Erina. I've heard about you. Jaden might seem fine most of the time, but he does have a mischievous streak. I'm relieved to know you're with him."
Yugi spoke with a smile, his tone gentle and unforced.
Erina instinctively looked at Jaden beside her.
Hmm.
Jaden looked even more surprised than she was.
In fact-
"G-Old man... you look like this..."
Jaden had never been this shocked before.
Not when facing Super Tyrannosaurus. Not when facing the God of Man. Not even when facing the King of Gods, Zeus.
But the scene before him now truly stunned him.
Because-
The Yugi standing in front of him and Erina looked to be only about twenty years old.
And because Jaden had merged with Jack Hanma's data before they separated, he clearly remembered Yugi's aura. Combined with the fact that Yugi's current appearance wasn't much different from his manga counterpart-
That meant one thing.
If the person in front of him wasn't Atem, then it could only be Old Man Yuki.
But-
Old Man Yuki had raised him for over a decade.
And before they parted, he had still been an old man.
Yet now-
"You're curious about why I look so young, aren't you?"
Yugi burst into laughter when he saw both Jaden and Erina nod at the same time.
"Jaden, didn't I tell you before? I was once known as the King of Games. Turning young again isn't something worth being surprised about."
Old Man Yuki's personality was very different from his portrayal in the first season of the manga.
But this was the version Jaden was most familiar with.
It was precisely this familiar tone that pulled Jaden out of his shock.
Seeing Old Man Yuki like this, he laughed along with him.
"You're right... if it's the King of Games, then this really isn't surprising."
No, no, no...
Erina watched Jaden accept it just like that, and she couldn't help shaking her head inwardly.
She knew Jaden wouldn't mistake the person.
But knowing was one thing. Accepting it was another.
Especially when the explanation sounded like complete nonsense.
"Stop playing around, Yugi."
An authoritative voice came from inside the KaibaCorp Building.
As the doors opened, Kaiba stepped out and walked to Yugi's side.
He glanced at Yugi, frowning.
"No matter how many times I see you like this, I still can't get used to it. I didn't even feel this uncomfortable when you were your old self."
After saying that, Kaiba turned his gaze toward Jaden and Erina.
"The main reason he was able to regain his youth is because of a technology developed by our company. If you're interested, you can look into it yourself. It's not some kind of miracle."
After speaking, Kaiba's eyes lingered on Jaden for a long moment.
But it didn't feel like he was only looking at Jaden.
It felt as if he was observing something deeper.
After a long pause, he nodded.
"As expected. You really are not ordinary to be noticed by him."
Leaving those words behind, Kaiba turned and walked back into the building without another glance.
Yugi's expression gradually returned to calm.
"Jaden, Erina, follow us."
He spoke slowly, deliberately.
"I'll take you to meet another old friend of mine. The one who sent you to me back then."
He paused briefly.
"Anyway, let's not dwell on that for now. There are other things we need to discuss. It would be best if you were mentally prepared."
Hearing this, Erina looked toward Jaden.
Jaden, having read the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga, already had a vague idea of what Yugi was referring to.
When he noticed Erina's gaze, he immediately reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Don't worry. Old man won't harm us."
He said it casually.
Then, without hesitation, he pulled Erina along and followed them inside.
Jaden already had a guess about the "old friend" Yugi mentioned.
Judging from Kaiba's attitude, it clearly wasn't Jounouchi.
Which meant-
It was very likely the Pharaoh.
Atem had temporarily manifested in the human world by possessing the body of a KaibaCorp employee.
At this moment, he was seated at the head of an enormous round table on the top floor of the KaibaCorp Building.
His hands were crossed.
He waited in silence for his partner and Kaiba to bring that child in.
Atem couldn't use much power while remaining in the human world.
Even so, as Jaden drew closer, Atem could clearly sense his presence.
-It seems he hasn't awakened yet.
Atem reached this conclusion calmly.
He wasn't anxious.
Compared to worrying about those complicated matters, his priority was figuring out how to explain everything simply and ensure the child could accept it.
The remaining Duel Spirits in this world were extremely few.
Which meant the child must have grown up without the presence of powerful Duel Spirits.
To make someone like him quickly accept concepts such as Duel Spirits, the Afterlife, and other matters-
At that thought, Atem's eyes brightened slightly.
Golden light outlined the enormous round table in front of him.
In an instant, a miniature Duel Field formed across its surface.
"Words alone won't be enough."
He spoke softly.
"I need to be prepared for a Duel."
With that thought, Atem reached toward an empty space beside him.
A golden pendant shaped like a key appeared in his hand.
"The power of the Millennium Items is the most intuitive way to demonstrate things to humans, isn't it?"
Finally-
Behind Atem, two figures flickered into existence.
A man and a woman.
One tall. One short.
Both held staves.
Both were dressed in mage robes.
Their silhouettes flashed past and vanished just as quickly.
"If the child has awakened even slightly, he should be able to see you."
With his preparations complete, Atem smiled faintly.
Then-
Noisy footsteps came from outside the door.
Yugi's voice sounded first.
"Jaden, just like I told you earlier. Even if you don't believe it, things like Duel Spirits, Shadow Games, and Millennium Items truly exist in this world."
Then came Jaden's reply.
"I believe you. Why wouldn't I? Old man, you wouldn't lie to me. If you say it, then it must be true."
Hearing those words, Atem's expression didn't change.
But his eyebrows twitched.
In the next instant, all of his preparations dispersed into golden light as the door was pushed open.
When Yugi and Kaiba led Jaden and Erina inside, Atem cleared his throat.
He adjusted his tone, making it sound calm and composed.
"Cough."
"Long time no see."
He paused slightly.
"Or perhaps... nice to meet you for the first time, Jaden."