I'm really fond of the moment you have captured here. Because Duel monsters is a game, I often think that people take for granted what it can represent when they're not looking at human characters with backgrounds.

The Dark Magician isn't meaningful simply because he used to be Mahaad, or is a form based on him. Games with these kinds of mechanics remind us, subtly, that good things just be lost to gain better ones, and what we shed still has value in the act of the shedding itself. The fact that you balance the deeper meaning side by side with the steps of the game convey the parallels really well without much room for misinterpreting.

Great job! And good luck in the contest!

Dude! Awesome work! XD It's so cool to see a story about actual duel monsters in the sea of Puzzle and Thiefshipping. Thanks so much for writing!
Peace out! Bunny~

woah, good story. was the duel with Yami VS Pegasus? because it sounds like it.