Tear Jerker / Dueling Trigger Finger

Warning: Spoilers Off applies to moments pages. Read at your own risk.

Battle City Arc

• Chapter 15:
  • Celeste confronts Chiaki about her reputation of how she's made her opponents lose their passion for gaming/dueling upon being defeated by her. When Hajime tries to defend her, Chiaki sadly confesses that what Celeste has been saying is true.
• Chapter 28:
  • Watching Chiaki continue to get up and duel against Yami Bakura's shadow game despite her injuries qualifies when it isn't being out and out Nightmare Fuel. If it were not for the illusions of her friends encouraging her to stand back up and fight, the whole chapter would have been a Downer Ending.
  • As Chiaki lies down on the ground, seemingly lost all the will to fight back while the shadows prepare to take her; we take a glimpse of her past with her parents. At first, everything is all sweet and heartwarming where we see how Chiaki's passion for gaming developed, but as the years go by this has caused her parents to neglect her to only play with another, thus making them no better than the other opponents Chiaki has defeated.
    • You thought things would get better with the introduction of Duel Monsters? Not one bit, over time Chiaki became better than her parents in Duel Monsters as much as any other game that at one point she overhears her parents admitting that they don't have fun playing with her anymore now that she's surpassed them. This revelation breaks the poor girl's heart so badly that she locks herself inside her room to cry herself to sleep.
    • Even after getting her Hope's Peak academy acceptance letter, her parents still continued ignoring her making Chiaki believe that they didn't care for her anymore, prompting her to essentially run away from them hoping their lives would be better without her in it.
    • By the end of these flashbacks, Chiaki starts doubting herself and wondering that if her gaming can hurt so many people; then does she still deserve to enjoy games herself?
• Chapter 34:
  • Just seeing everyone grieving over the comatose Sonia at the medical wing, especially her classmates. Special mentions go to Gundham who is left an utter emotional wreck that it jeopardizes his focus during his duel with Mai, and to Mikan who despite her talent - feels utterly helpless when it comes to trying to wake Sonia up.
• Chapter 37:
  • Watching Kaiba hesitate to attack Chiaki directly with Obelisk will make your lip quiver like you wouldn't believe. Since, despite the fact that he will never admit it, Kaiba has finally made a friend in Chiaki, and he doesn't want to see her get hurt.

Virtual World Arc

• Chapter 42:
  • [Hajime duels The Stern Mystic, a representative of the Steering Committee, for his freedom from the Kamukura Project...and loses. Not from cheating, not from bad luck, just from being outplayed. And making it even worse is that he comes within a hair of winning. Watching him go from confidence to desperate denial to cold horror is heartbreaking. And the cherry on top is the last scene, where his mind is ripped out of his body and sent to the Steering Committee, with the implicit statement they're going to start lobotomizing him early.
• Chapter 47:
  • Everything about the details behind Miho's death and how it affected her and Tristan.
• Chapter 48:
  • Makoto's reaction when Noah petrifies Komaru before his eyes. Considering the promise he made to his parents and how he's been constantly worrying about her safety throughout the Virtual World arc, the very idea that he failed on his promise will make your heartache.
• Chapter 49:
  • Chiaki reaches Hajime, opens the pod, and comes face to face with Izuru. After hearing him say that he's 62% integrated and telling them to leave so he can finish, she begins sobbing because Hajime is gone. That's sad enough, but what's even worse is when she starts blaming herself, wailing that her talent drove him away like it did everyone else.
• Chapter 50:
  • Nagito sadly laughs that all he's good for is being a stepping stone when he sacrifices his deck master to save Chiaki in the duel with Izuru. Even worse is that he doesn't even acknowledge that he did do good in the duel by getting first blood. He just sees his failures.
  • Chiaki realizes she's about to lose. She begins crying, but instead of being sad that she's going to lose, as Izuru thinks, she's sad that she can't save Hajime. Cue Chiaki throwing herself at Izuru, hugging him, and begging through the tears to let her save him. He does, which turns what is otherwise a plainly tear-jerking moment into a heartwarming one too.
  • Izuru wondering what's going to happen to him as he Disappears into Light. As he points out, he didn't ask to be created and got to be alive for less than an hour before being kicked out of Hajime's body. He might die, might get stuck in the virtual world, who knows? And unlike in canon, where he finds the unknown interesting, he can't help finding it frightening. Even Chiaki, who wanted Hajime back, is sad for him.

Battle City Finals

• Chapter 53:
  • At the start of the chapter, we get a brief glimpse into Gundham's childhood where it is revealed that not only did his father walk out on him and his mother, but his fellow peers also shunned and mocked him for spending most of his time with animals.
  • Throughout the rest of the flashback, just when it seems like Gundham has managed to find some happiness via his talent being able to connect with others, said happiness becomes short-lived and is taken away from as time goes on.
    • First off he helps assure the girl her cat wasn't sick and was simply pregnant (with him even adopting one of the kittens). Three months after that, said girl tells him that it is for the better that they stop associating with one another due to his eccentricity. Said event leads to Gundham in his own words "learning the cruelty of humankind."
    • Three years later, we see him being in charge of an "Animal Care Club" and he actually manages to obtain seven members to join him. However as time went on, said members started leaving the club due to other commitments leaving Gundham all along once again.
    • During his earlier days at Hope's Peak Academy, after a lukewarm reception from the rest of his classmates leads him to believe that he would once again spend the next three years all alone; he is approached by Sonia who expresses her desire to make friends with her classmates regardless of her title and status. In response to this, Gundham coldly tells her not to associate with the likes of him and not to deceive him with her deceptions. It's just so heartbreaking to see that after so many rejections over the years, Gundham's conditioned himself to accept that nobody would ever want to associate themselves with him, thankfully this scene reaches heartwarming territory immediately afterwards.
• Chapter 56:
  • As Yugi and Kaiba's duel intensifies; Kaiba's increasing obsession to prove his superiority over Yugi spurns Chiaki to worry that Kaiba may return to his previous self - the kind who did anything to be on top no matter how amoral his actions were, no matter who he hurt along the way. Seeing how deep Kaiba's rivalry with Yugi also reminds her heavily of how many of the opponents she defeated in gaming have undergone darker paths all in their desire to defeat her. Once again it makes the young gamer muse and wonder why is it that for many people: Winning was everything.
  • After his loss against Yugi, Kaiba absolutely snaps as he pulls what is essentially a tantrum at his office even as Chiaki tries to check up on him basically crossing the Despair Event Horizon as he soon believes he has nothing to live for. Considering how he is in canon, seeing someone like Kaiba break down like this is still a sad sight to see even if it IS well...Kaiba.
• Chapter 61:
  • If you're a fan of the Ishtar siblings—or even if you aren't—what befalls them is bound to make you cry. On the brink of starting a new life, they are instead kidnapped by Junko; Ishizu is tortured into becoming a Remnant, Odion is killed, and Marik is mentally broken so that his Superpowered Evil Side takes over again.

Orichalcos Arc

• Chapter 62:
  • The beginning of the Orichalcos arc, and things are already looking dull for our heroes. And it only gets worse from there.
  • Poor Mahiru has it hard: Not only is she still recovering from the trauma of being stuck in the Shadow Realm AND the idea of how much Sonia and Gundham suffered while they were there, but she also has to bear with the fact that her friend Sato had just lost her soul to the Orichalcos courtesy of Natsumi. And to top it all off, the chapter ends with her losing her soul to Hiyoko, who had just finished claiming the souls of her relatives. And when you factor in the timeline: All of this just happened within a month.
• Chapter 63:
  • Chiaki's heartbroken reaction to Nagito's Face–Heel Turn. After spending the previous arc hanging around with him, and feeling like he was becoming more and more of a genuine friend to her and the others; seeing him digress back to his old self makes her feel like she failed him as their class rep and as a friend.
  • The ending of the chapter: As if she hadn't suffered enough already in the story and even prior to that, after Chiaki loses to Nagito; Hajime arrives a little too late as he watches his girlfriend lose her soul. Chiaki can only mutter softly to Hajime right before the light leaves her eyes. Honestly, just the sight of Chiaki in such a state is heartbreaking enough.
  • Then there is Nagito's reaction to all of this: In spite of his Face–Heel Turn, he never really wanted to defeat Chiaki and take her soul as he genuinely believed he was trying to uplift her to becoming something greater, even willing to wager his own soul into doing so. All of this results in him lashing out at Hajime, and you cannot help but feel for Nagito at that moment.
• Chapter 64:
  • Just everything about Sonia's predicament: She is so utterly traumatized by her time in the Shadow Real after her loss to Marik, that she's basically become a Shell-Shocked Veteran as far as dueling is concerned, not having picked up a Duel Disk since her rescue. Somebody give the poor girl a hug.
    • As if this was bad enough, there is the feeling of hopelessness her classmates feel about her situation because no matter what they do, they too are unable to help Sonia. Is it any wonder Gundham pulled his Face–Heel Turn when Dartz presented him with the option to help her?
  • Akane's heartbroken reaction upon seeing Nekomaru losing his soul. Even as Nekomaru tries reassuring her that he will be all right, all Akane can do is panic and cry for him not to leave her. It's even sadder when you consider how this exchange is almost identical to the one in canon when Nekomaru took a hit for Akane against Monokuma which left him in a fatal state.
• Chapter 65:
  • Ibuki's departure from the arc is just heartbreaking to read. When she realizes she's about to lose her soul to the Orichalcos she comes down with a case of O.O.C. Is Serious Business and tells Joey to take care of the band for her, all while telling him she had lots of fun being his friend. She then caps it off by Waxing Lyrical to a Kamelot song and telling Joey that he's warm as her soul is finally taken. That sound you hear is the sound of your heart cracking before it shatters in agony. Even if Status Quo Is God and we know it's going to be fixed by the end of the arc, this moment still hits heavy for a lot of people.
  • After Fuyuhiko loses his soul to the Orichalcos during his and Peko's duel against Gurimo and realizes she has no way to defeat Gurimo, Peko can only feel helpless as Gurimo finishes her off to join her young master.
• Chapter 68:
  • It seems like the emotional train refuses to stop for Sonia - who upon reuniting with her long-lost older brother Rafael, hears from him that he is not coming back with her and also reveals that he is working for Dartz. That's already two men Sonia holds dear who have sided with her enemies as if Sonia doesn't already have enough on her mind with her mental trauma.
• Chapter 73:
  • Rebecca's loss to Nagito, causing her to lose her soul in the process. Say what you will about Rebecca (pre or post-Character Development), but the feeling of being unable to save your grandfather and help your crush is really disheartening.
  • Yami in the midst of the Orichalcos' temptation and his competitive streak getting the better of him, activates the Seal of Orichalcos and somehow this fic makes that event sadder than it is in canon. Because unlike in canon: Tea is actually present to see him under the Orichalcos' influence which reminds her of how the Pharoah used to act during the earlier events of the manga continuity.
  • Yami's reaction to Yugi sacrificing his soul in place of his is definitely this, as per canon.
• Chapter 78
  • Despite spending the majority of her page-time being a Bratty Half-Pint Jerkass, Hiyoko pleading for mercy as she loses her soul following her defeat to Yukizome really serves to show what a frightened child she really is. Made worse when her supposed "father figure" Dartz appears before her - all to tell her she has served her purpose and can now take pride in being offered to the Great Leviathan. Even Yukizome and the rest of Class 77-B cannot help but pity Hiyoko and be horrified by her fate.
• Chapter 79
  • While some of it may have been his fault due to his poor decisions, you cannot help but feel for Rafael as he gets subjected to a massive Hannibal Lecture by Junko herself where she proceeds to emotionally and mentally torture him by analyzing his entire character and story like an open book all as part of her ploy to break him down that eventually, all Rafael can do is figuratively scream for her to stop.
    • And to top it all off: Thanks to Junko's manipulations and deceitful tactics, she was able to successfully paint Rafael as the villain and her as the "innocent tragic victim" in the eyes of everyone else. And as Junko planned, you can briefly see everyone (including even Sonia to some extent) pre-emptively judging Rafael in a negative manner all while Rafael tries telling them the truth about Junko's true nature - a truth nobody believes him in.
  • Right before Junko finishes Rafael off, Rafael takes this moment to apologize to Sonia for everything, knowing full well that he screwed up his one chance of making things right when it was in front of him this whole time.
• Chapter 81:
  • Nagito's backstory, as per canon.
• Chapter 85. Amidst the majority of heartwarming wrap-ups and conclusions to an otherwise dark arc, there are still some sad moments:
  • Both Nagito and Gundham feel ashamed of their Face-Heel Turns and as a result, do not join in on the festivities with the rest of their classmates requiring Hajime and Chiaki, and Sonia and Kazuichi to console them respectively.
  • Hiyoko being disowned by her family. If you are familiar with Japanese culture and the emphasis they have on family: This makes her predicament completely awful. No matter what she did in this arc, it is hard to not feel sympathy when Chisa spills to her the bad news.
  • To say absolutely nothing about Rafael's fate. Much like the Ishtar siblings before him, Rafael was all set on a road of rediscovery/redemption as he returns to Novoselic... only to be abducted by Junko who has not forgotten their session back during the battle against Dartz as she plans to make him another remnant.

Canada Nationals

• Chapter 88:
  • For a character death is seen as merely an off-mention side note, considering the character in question: Rex's reaction to Weevil's death really does drive the point home that no matter what kind of person Weevil was, he still had friends and loved ones who were utterly devastated by his death.
  • In a flashback, Rex is seen trying to garner money to support Weevil's family however due to him and Weevil falling from grace in the eyes of the public, nobody bothers to bat an eye much less donate even a single yen to his cause.

Despair Arc Part 1

• The interactions between Yugi and Tea during chapters 97 and 98 are pretty painful.

Kaiba Corp Grand Prix

• Even if you don't care about Zigfried, Leon's reaction to his death is extremely heartwrenching to some.
• Téa, who'd staked her hopes on Joey to win the tournament - and, in her eyes, prove that non-ultimates (like her) could actually stand alongside Ultimates (like Yugi) - really doesn't take it well when Chiaki manages to beat him. Junko intentionally salting the wound doesn't help.
• Chapter 133: Class 77-B gets back from the Grand Prix to discover Ryota Mitarai dead from malnourishment. It's a painful whiplash from the happy conclusion of the tournament.

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