Loki's Eyes

"I still don't get what you were thinking," said Joey, as we were walking together several hours later. "How long were you teaching her to duel, anyway? And you're letting her go off on some adventure to God-knows-where while in some weird daze?"

"Didn't you do the exact same thing in Duelist Kingdom? And with all due respect, you still seem kinda dazed."

"Can't argue with that logic," joked Téa.

"Hey, that was different!" snapped Joey. "I had to join the tournament to get the money needed for Shizuka's operation."

"You wanted to help her," I summarized. "So, let her help you. I won't pretend I know what she plans to accomplish with her journey, but I'm sure she has all of our interests at heart. Don't take it away from her."

"I guess you're right, but I'm still worried. …Hey, there are the two numbskulls now!" It was true. They were sitting together on the sidewalk, rubbing their heads.

"It looks like they just got their souls back," I observed. "They may be jerks, but we need to be gentle with-" Before I finished, Joey and Tristan were shaking them down. "Release them at once! Stop being so careless!"

Once they were let down, Yugi asked, "What happened to you guys yesterday?"

"We were challenged to a duel by some bearded man," answered Rex. "He squashed Weevil like a cockroach."

Weevil angrily smacked Rex upside the head. "You held me back! Besides, with that weird card he played, we didn't stand a chance. It was the Seal of…something."

"The Seal of Orichalcos?" offered Yugi.

"Hey, that's right!" snarled Rex. "Are you Gurimo's partners?"

Joey put him in a headlock. "Hey! Yugi's the one who got your souls back!"

"That's right," I agreed. "So, start showing some respect. Yesterday, you were ranting something about the end of the world, right?"

As Joey let Rex go, Weevil crossed his arms and thought for a moment. "…No, I don't remember that. Hey, can we see those God Cards?"

"They were stolen," answered Yugi.

"No worries," assured Joey. "We'll win them back, one-two-three! Let's go." As we headed off he called back, "Let us know if you see three suspicious-looking biker punks."

"Ok!" Rex and Weevil called back.

As we walked, Tristan muttered, "Let's sum up: first, things got freaky at the museum, then monsters started appearing around the world, and now a gang of bikers are stealing people's souls with a Duel Monsters card!"

"You're right," said Téa. "All these things probably have something to do with one another."

Joey groaned. "Why do these weird things always happen to us?"

I smirked. "Suddenly, my theory about Millennium Items attracting trouble seems more realistic."

Suddenly, we heard a girl yell out, "Darling!" We turned, and I saw Rebecca Hawkins running towards us. Then she flung herself onto Yugi, hugging him tightly.

"Um…hi?" greeted Yugi, clearly feeling very confused.

"Uh, Yugi?" asked Téa. "Do you have any idea who she is?"

"Aw, have you forgotten?" she asked. "Well, here's a hint." She let go of Yugi and pulled out a card I never saw. It seemed to be a promotional card called Ties of Friendship. "You gave it to me, remember, Yugi?"

"Rebecca?"

"It's that brat!" exclaimed Joey. "…But she looks different. Did she get a haircut?"

"No," said Tristan. "She traded her teddy bear for glasses."

Rebecca proudly smirked. "I graduated, so I don't need a teddy any more. Besides, I have a boyfriend!" Then she squeezed Yugi's arm tightly.

"She's really grown up fast!" admired Joey. "It's an American thing."

I crossed my arms and smiled. "They make such a cute little couple. Very little." Keeping that playful thought to myself I said, "Rebecca, I haven't seen you since I kicked you out of the Battle City tournament."

She looked up at me for a brief second. "Oh, yeah! You're Siege, right?"

"That's the name I gave you, but it's actually Loki. I fulfilled my promise and kicked Kaiba's ass. And I did it with a one-turn kill." I grinned. "Oh, how he must hate me."

"Anyway, my Grandpa wants to see you all." And so she led us back to the Domino museum, where an old man waited for us by the stone tablet, along with Solomon Moto. He was much taller than Solomon, and seemed to be a few years younger.

He turned when he heard our approach. "Ah, Yugi! Just the man I needed to see. I have a theory that all of these monster sightings have something to do with the Nameless Pharaoh."

I raised my eyebrow. "You know of the other Yugi?"

"Indeed." Indicating the tablet he said, "These carvings confirm what he's suspected all along; that Yugi shares a bond with a 5000-year-old Pharaoh! I spent the latter part of my career studying Duel Monsters, and learned that it started as more than a game."

"He means the Shadow Games," I realized.

"As more monsters were collected, the sorcerers' powers grew stronger until the shadow magic spun out of control and threatened to destroy all life on earth. But one man was able to turn the darkness to light: the great Pharaoh whose power Yugi carries. But that was a long time ago, and you're probably wondering how it's connected to present events. I recently joined a research project to discover Atlantis."

"Oh, right!" exclaimed Téa. "I saw it on the news!"

"Is it real, Professor?" I asked. "Is there really an Atlantis?"

"I may indeed have discovered Atlantis, a world that existed long before ancient Egypt. But what puzzled me most were the carvings I saw there." He pulled out a few photographs and handed them to us.

"Oh!" said Yugi. "They look like Duel Monsters!"

"Correct. These monsters didn't originate 5000 years ago in Egypt, but 10,000 years ago in Atlantis!"

"This is incredible!" shouted Grandpa. "Your discovery could completely rewrite history!"

"Perhaps, but there's still quite I bit I don't know."

"I wonder," muttered Yugi as he flipped though the pictures, "if the recent crisis of monsters appearing is a sign of the end of the world. Could that be what Weevil meant yesterday?"

"The stone tablets of 10,000 years ago, Egypt 5000 years ago, and the current crisis; it can't be a coincidence."

"Oh, come on!" snapped Tristan. "Duel Monsters is a game created by Pegasus! Someone must be playing a trick with the Duel Disks."

"You heard Kaiba," I argued. "He said his system wasn't responsible."

"So then, you're going to tell me that the monsters are real?"

"They are real," I snarled. "Believe what you will, but I sensed those beasts were quite real."

"It's true," confirmed Hawkins. "The monsters can be seen in the ancient carvings. I believe that many rituals, magic and spells throughout history are evidence of humanity's desire to invoke monsters from another world."

Tristan just laughed. "Give me a break!" Rebecca angrily kicked him in the shin. "OW!"

"Pegasus created Duel Monsters after seeing the ancient stone carvings!" snapped Rebecca.

Hawkins shrugged. "It's alright. I'm no stranger to ridicule, and it is a bit farfetched."

"But it's true!"

"I believe you," said Joey. "After all the weird things we've been through, I'll believe anything!"

I nodded in agreement. "The power of the God Cards is certainly quite real; Shadow Game or not, a hit by any of them is fatal, and that's ignoring the damage to lifepoints. And now, we know it's not just the chosen duelists that can control a God Card."

"The Duel Monster's world…" murmured Yugi.

Rebecca nodded. "Some hypotheses state that in different space and time exist other worlds, like the Duel Monster's world."

Tristan raised his eyebrow. "Those are pretty big words coming from such a little kid."

Rebecca kicked him again. "I'm not a little kid, I'm a college student!"

Hawkins chuckled. "She's quite gifted."

"Oh, I'm just your average child genius: G-E-N-I-U-S."

"Great," muttered Joey. "Can you spell 'obnoxious'?"

"HEY!"

"Rebecca!" snapped Hawkins. "That's not the behavior of a college student." Clearing his throat, he continued. "When Egyptian sorcerers conjured these monsters 5000 years ago, the Pharaoh was there to save mankind from destruction. Now that Pharaoh has been reborn in Yugi, which could mean that mankind needs his help again."

"Doma's three swordsmen said the same thing," stated Yugi.

I nodded. "'When the forbidden door is opened, the light of Orichalcos will punish this filthy world'."

"I think I may have a clue, though." Yugi reached into his pocket and pulled out the green stone. "Professor, have you seen anything like it?"

Hawkins looked very surprised. "It looks very similar to something I found on my expedition. May I take it back to my lab?"

"Sure." For some reason, as the green stone exchanged hands, I felt strange. You know the feeling of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth? I felt that all over my body. "You ok, Loki?"

I realized then that I was making a strange face. "…Yeah, I'm well enough," I lied.

We headed outside, and Solomon hailed a taxi. Once one pulled up he said, "I'll take Arthur and Rebecca to the airport."

Rebecca gave Yugi a peck on the cheek and said, "Goodbye, darling!" A few seconds later, they drove off.

"It's strange," said Yugi. "I can't believe all this happened to the other me."

Joey yawned. "Well, it's been an exhausting day. It's about time I headed home. Later, guys!"

As he, Tristan and Téa walked off, I heard Téa say, "After that story, it's going to be nightmare central for me!"

Yugi just stood there, looking around. "What's up?" I asked.

"I could've sworn…did you hear a girl calling for help?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Not that I'm aware of." I closed my eyes to get a feel of the energy around me. "…I don't sense anyone nearby. Are you sure you weren't just hearing things?"

"I guess…" He was silent for a moment before saying, "If you want, you can sleep over at my house."

"It'd be a pleasure."

000000000
Shizuka's Eyes

Once we landed, I studied my compass again. I looked to the direction it pointed. "It's the Great Wall of China. I hoped that when I came here, it would be on vacation. But it seems as though what I'm looking for is there."

Once I left the hangar, I took a rickshaw to the Great Wall. I preferred it to a taxi since it reduced air pollution. I wished Loki was there with me, sitting beside me. I actually had several reasons for that. Firstly, I liked being close to him. But more importantly, I was a little scared to be on my own.

"You aren't truly alone." I looked around, surprised. I had no idea where that voice came from. "Don't be afraid. I'm speaking to you through my spare deck. It's a trick I picked up from Darius Lynch."

"…Loki?"

"That's right. You can't see me, nor can I see you. But I want you to know that I'm always by your side as long as you hold onto it."

"Don't you trust me to act on my own?"

"If I didn't, I would've gone with you. It's important to get yourself into a little trouble, so long as you can learn from it. Just think of me if you need me, ok?"

"…Ok." A second later, I felt his presence leave. "Thanks. You really made me feel better. I'm not scared anymore."

About five minutes later, we arrived. I paid the man and walked through one of the doors. Following my compass, I was led to a chamber in the heart of the Great Wall. But someone was already there, standing with his back to me. "Who are you?" I asked the man. He turned and faced me when he heard my voice. "Are you…?"

"How about you introduce yourself first?" he asked in a soft, sharp tone. He actually sounded like an older Mokuba Kaiba. In fact, if Mokuba was my age, he'd probably look like the man before me; the man's dark brown hair was almost the same length as Mokuba's, if not a little longer. He was dressed strangely; he wore ragged clothes like a peasant in the middle ages, but also had on some chain mail like a knight.

"I am…Shizuka Wheeler," I answered. "Um…do you know…Kaiba?"

"Kaiba, you say?" He grinned and closed his eyes. "That rings a bell. My name is Daisuke. Are you working for Dartz?"

"Are you?" I challenged.

He opened his eyes and rubbed his chin in contemplation, as if he didn't know the answer himself. "What if I told you I was? Would it affect your answer?"

"…No, it wouldn't! I'm not with Dartz. In fact, I'm here to stop him."

"You're a very honest person." He took a short step towards me and said, "But if I'm working for Dartz, and you're fighting against him, then that makes us enemies."

"But we don't have to fight! Just walk away; there's no need for any of us to get hurt."

"They say a chain is only as strong as the weakest link," he said. "I must test your strength." A flash of light later, a weird Duel Disk appeared on Daisuke's arm. It wasn't like the one Gurimo used; this one was colored magenta, and looked like a tiny shield.

I had no idea whether this guy was a friend or enemy, but something inside me told me not to refuse his challenge. I think it was Loki's teachings that did that. "Alright, Daisuke, I'll take you on!"

"I'm very glad to hear it," replied Daisuke. "Let's duel."

4000/4000

"Ladies first," I said. "I'll set two cards facedown, and summon Sonic Duck (1700/700) in attack mode! Make your move."

"My turn. I activate Future Fusion! It lets me send from my hand and deck to the graveyard fusion material monsters. Then they fuse together after two turns. I'm sending four machines to the graveyard, one of which is Cyber Dragon. Then I'll set a monster, and use the spell card, Magic Reflector! It places a counter on my Future Fusion, which will protect it from destruction once. Now, I end my turn."

"I summon Raging Flame Sprite (100/200), and activate my Gravity Bind! It prevents all monsters level four or higher from attacking. Also, I activate my Solemn Wishes, which increases my lifepoints by 500 each turn. Flame Sprite, attack him directly!"

4000/3900

My monster then grew bigger. "My monster's effect lets it attack directly, even if there are monsters on the field. Plus, each time it does, it gains 1000 attack points."

Daisuke smiled. "That's a very interesting monster."

"Sonic Duck, attack his monster!" Daisuke's Drillroid (1600/1600) was destroyed, and he was defenseless. "I end my turn."

"It seems as though you have some very potent level three monsters," he said. "I may not be able to stop your direct attacks, but I can stop everything else! I'll set another monster and end my turn."

4500/3900

"In that case, I summon Queen's Double (350/300)! Flame Sprite, attack him directly!"

4500/2800

"My new monster can also attack directly," I pointed out. "Go, Queen's double!"

4500/2450

"And lastly, Sonic Duck attacks your monster!" The duck destroyed the Cannon Soldier (1400/1300). "Since my Raging Flame Sprite gains 1000 attack points each time it attacks directly, it's up to 2100. Next turn, you're finished."

Daisuke grinned. "It's time. It's been two turns since I played Future Fusion, which means it activates now! Fuse, my precious machines! Form into…Chimeratech Overdragon (?/?)!" A second later, a gigantic robotic dragon with four heads appeared on the field. "When it appears on the field, all other cards on my field are destroyed. However, thanks to the counter on Future Fusion, it actually survives. My monster's here to stay!"

I shivered. "What a beast!"

"It's even more impressive than it looks. It's created by fusing Cyber Dragon with any number of machine monsters. Its attack and defense points are determined by how many monsters were fused to create this monster: 800 for each one!"

"That's 3200 points total!"

"And that's not all. This monster can attack a monster for each monster used for its fusion. Since I used four monsters, it can attack four times."

"But," I argued, "your monster is at level nine, meaning it can't attack because of my Gravity Bind."

"True. However, one of the monsters I sent to the graveyard is Jinzo (2400/1500), which works wonders against trap cards. I use Silent Doom, letting me bring it to the field in defense mode. And that negates your trap!"

I felt extremely cold. "But, I-"

"Sorry, but you're finished. Chimeratech Overdragon, destroy his Queen's double!"

1650/2450

"Next, your duck is destroyed!"

150/2450

"And lastly, I annihilate your Raging Flame Sprite and your lifepoints!"

0/2450

I sank to my knees, completely stunned. "I…I lost." "I've never been so overpowered before. Even Loki never beat me that badly."

I reprimanded myself, knowing exactly what Loki would say in this situation: "Butch up, Shizuka. I need you to help me save the world, and you're no use to me if you fall to pieces when you lose."

He would've said that more harshly than he meant it. That's how I found the strength to stand up and say, "Good game."

Daisuke laughed and applauded. "Bravo, Shizuka-san. Had you stopped my Future Fusion card before it activated, I would've surely lost. Yes…the chain is quite strong; you're clearly the one chosen to unlock Legend of Heart. I'll join you."

I raised my eyebrow. "What are you talking about? You said-"

"Wrong. If you think hard enough, you'll realize I never said I served Dartz."

I thought about it. "It's true. He only asked 'What if I told you I was', and 'if I worked for Dartz', but at no point did he actually say he was against me." Out loud I said, "If you're not working with Dartz, then what's up with that odd Duel Disk of yours?"

"It's true that the thing on my arm can serve as a Duel Disk, but its true purpose is much more significant." He removed his cards and handed me the device. "It's the crest of the Legendary Knights. It holds the key to returning the dragons to their human forms."

"This can release the warriors? How do I use it?"

"As it is right now, it can only serve as a Duel Disk. To release the warriors, we must find the sword of each one. Then, we place the weapons on the crest, and then Legend of Heart becomes unsealed."

"But there aren't any places on the crest to hold the swords."

Daisuke shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. At least be grateful for what I do know."

"But how do you know all this?" I asked. "Who exactly are you?"

"I am Daisuke, the squire of the legendary Sir Critias!" he replied with unmasked pride. "Dark Magician Girl called my spirit to this plane so I could guide you to the legendary weapons."

"That explains his resemblance to the brothers Kaiba." I nodded and said, "In that case, lead on. Where is the first weapon?"

"The first is in a hidden altar under Beijing. It's the Sword of Justice, once held by Timaeus." He turned and walked down a passage. Without facing me he exclaimed, "Hurry, time is wasting."

Now, I wasn't entirely sure I could trust that guy. However, my compass told me to follow him, so I decided the right thing to do was to at least follow him until I came up with a better idea.

000000000
Shizuka's Eyes

Daisuke led me to a secret passage that led into a complex maze under Beijing. As we walked he said, "The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty himself once guarded the Sword of Justice. When he rebuilt the Great Wall of China, he also created this maze that led to a chamber directly beneath the palace, which was inaccessible by any other means."

"And that's where the Sword of Justice is?" I asked.

"That's right. The beauty of this maze is that it's so hopelessly complex, the only way to know the right path is if you traveled it before."

"How exactly do you know that this is the right path?" I inquired.

He turned and winked. "Who do you think gave old Ming the idea in the first place? I know this maze like the back of my hand."

"You were around for the Ming Dynasty? Just how old are you?"

"About ten thousand years, give or take," he casually answered.

I don't know. If I never met Loki, I might not have believed in magic; I would've been bound by the rules of mortals about what is and isn't real, and that everything has a scientific explanation. Then, after the Nigel Garza thing, my beliefs changed again. Now I know for a fact that the impossible is simply improbable if you have either faith or magic. And when you have both magic and faith, the improbable can be accomplished as easily as a blink.

Which is why in response I simply said, "But I'll bet the bars still don't serve you."

"You'd better believe it." We walked for about another hour until we reached a set of huge doors. "These doors have a special lock. They can only be opened when you read the text off the two other swords."

I raised my eyebrow. "To open the door, we need the text written on the other swords?"

"Yes, as I just said."

"And those swords are hidden elsewhere in the world?"

"Correct."

"And they're behind doors exactly like this one?"

"On the nose."

I rubbed my temples. "So to reiterate, in order to open this door, we need swords hidden behind locked doors that can only be opened with the sword locked behind this door?"

"In a nutshell."

I smiled and nodded. "I see." Then I slapped Daisuke across the face. "STOP JERKING ME AROUND!"

Daisuke held his cheek and smiled. "Before you kill me, let me explain the plan. Shizuka-san, as a descendant of Sir Hermos, you have the inscription deeply hidden somewhere in that pretty little head of yours. And as the squire of Sir Critias, I've seen his blade enough times to know the inscription by heart."

Feeling a lot calmer, I took a deep breath and asked, "But how can I remember?"

Daisuke turned to the door and said, "'With this sword of Wisdom, I shall teach the ignorant the value of righteousness, and slay those who would still resist it.'"

As the door started to glow, something came to me; it was like seeing an old friend after five years of separation. I walked to the door, and with a loud clear voice I stated, "'With this Sword of Renewal, I shall take ashes of the vanquished and help build a better world.'" I guess Daisuke's words sparked something in me.

After a moment, the door vanished. And in that room, lying on a pedestal was the Sword of Justice. I walked over and examined it closely, without touching it. "I've never seen such craftsmanship. It's beautiful." Along with dueling, Loki also got me interested in swords.

"I had no idea you were a connoisseur of swords. …You want to hang onto it for me?"

"You really want me to carry this?"

"I see no harm in it. I don't like using two swords; in my opinion, anyone who needs two swords to beat someone doesn't deserve to win."

I grinned. "If that's how you feel, who am I to argue?" I picked up the sword and placed it in the green sheath that lay next to it. "Weird. I feel stronger just by holding it."

"Of course," said Daisuke. "That sword holds the will of Timaeus. He wants you to use that sword to help destroy the Orichalcos. But first, you must pass his test."

As if in response to his statement, a beam of light shot out of the sword and took shape. I was almost thought he was the pharaoh, but there were several differences. The spirit that stood before me was slightly taller and wearing green armor. Also, he had a scar over his right eye. I felt strange seeing the scar, since I wore my hair over the same eye.

"Are you Timaeus?" I asked.

"That's correct," he replied. The voice was also similar to the other Yugi's, except it was much lower-pitched. "If you consider yourself worthy of the Sword of Justice, then prove it by defeating me in a duel." As he spoke, a crest appeared on his arm, similar to the one Daisuke held.

"Ok," I said as I slipped Loki's deck into my Duel Disk. "Great. I just got through losing to Daisuke, and now I have to fight against Yugi's ancestor. I'll probably be defeated very quickly." Out loud I said, "Let's get it on."

4000/4000

"I'll go first, if you don't mind. I summon Amazoness Swordswoman (1500/1600), and set one card facedown. Show me what you've got."

"Very well. I call forth the Blade Knight (1600/1000)!"

I frowned when I noticed something strange about his monster. "That monster is holding the Sword of Justice!"

"Precisely. Each monster I summon will automatically be equipped with my Sword of Justice."

"And what exactly does it do?"

"It gives my monster the power of any spell in my deck, and I choose Goblin Thief. I destroy your monster with Blade Knight!"

3500/4400

"What's this?" I asked. "What's with the lifepoint exchange?"

"The Sword of Justice held by Blade Knight activates Goblin Thief's effect whenever it's involved in battle. That means you lose 500 lifepoints, and I gain 500 lifepoints."

"Very clever. It's my move, and I summon Newdoria (1200/800). Then I strengthen it with Riryoku. Newdoria, destroy his monster!"

3000/3700

I growled. "I hate that stupid Goblin Thief. Alright, I end my turn."

"As you wish. I summon the Celtic Guardian (1400/1200)!" Surprise, it also held the Sword of Justice. "The Sword of Justice absorbs the power of Premature Burial. Now, it destroys your Newdoria!"

2800/3700

"You triggered the effect of my Newdoria," I said. "Now, it also takes out your monster as well." Celtic Guardian disappeared, but reappeared a second later.

2800/2900

"Because his Sword of Justice is enhanced with Premature Burial, I can bring him back by paying 800 lifepoints when he's destroyed," explained Timaeus.

"Curse you," I said. "Still, you haven't beaten me yet. My move! I summon Luster Dragon (1900/1600) and attack your monster!" Celtic Guardian was destroyed, but he came back.

2800/1600

"Suddenly your monster's effect becomes your weakness," I said. "If I destroy it one more time, you won't be able to revive it again."

"We'll see. I sacrifice my monster to summon Luminous Soldier (2100/1400). Then my monster comes back."

2800/800

"Next, I'll fuse the Sword of Justice in Luminous Soldier's hands with Soul of the Pure. Now, whenever it battles, I gain 800 lifepoints. I destroy your Luster Dragon!"

2600/1600

"Then, I attack directly with Celtic Guardian!"

I winked. "Showtime. I reveal my Sakuretsu Armor, which automatically destroys your attacking monster." Naturally, Celtic Guardian reappeared.

2600/800

Timaeus raised his eyebrow. "You waited until now to activate your facedown card?"

"That's right. Now, your monster is quite vulnerable to attack. And when I launch it, it'll leave a mark, not unlike the one on your face."

Timaeus instinctively reached for his scar. Then he lowered his hand and said, "Well done. Make your next move."

"I will. I summon Fusilier Dragon (2800/2000)! Since I didn't tribute to bring it out, its points are cut in half. But it hardly matters since I'm equipping it with Ax of Despair, giving it more than enough points to wipe you out. Destroy his Celtic Guardian with nitro breath!"

2600/0

"You did it!" Daisuke cheered.

"I did? …What would Loki say in a case like this?" I turned and gave thumbs up with a wink. "Did you have any doubts?"

"Well done," said Timaeus. "I trust you'll take good care of the Sword of Justice." With that, he disappeared, leaving his crest behind him. A second later, it too faded away.

I hooked the sheathed blade on my belt and said, "Excellent. Now, let's get out of here."

000000000
Shizuka's eyes

"How far away are the other swords?" I asked as we roamed the labyrinth corridors.

"Even I don't know the answer to that," Daisuke answered. "They could all be in China, or they could be halfway across the world. The only reason I knew where this sword was is because I've been here first."

"It seems strange that you knew to meet me here. How did you figure it out?"

"I didn't. Dark Magician Girl called me straight to the spot you found me. She gave me my instructions, telling me to stay put and wait for the chosen ones. I knew it was you because she told me you'd be wearing that compass."

I put his hand over my compass. "And the duel was for…?"

"No real reason," he admitted. "I just wanted to make sure that Dark Magician Girl didn't make a mistake in choosing you. No offense."

"None taken. Actually, I wondered the same thing." I looked at Loki's deck, which was still snug in my Duel Disk. "I really care for Loki, but as a duelist, I don't want to rely on him forever; I don't think either of us wants that." "…Maybe that's why I was chosen for this quest. Perhaps I'm meant to learn some self-reliance."

Daisuke raised his eyebrow. "Shizuka, you're zoning out."

"Sorry. Let's get out of here." We finally emerged after an hour. Once we made it back to the plane, I used my Compass and atlases to find the next sword. "The next sword is in Stonehenge, England." I frowned. "No way."

Daisuke smiled and nodded. "Way."

"The secret of Stonehenge is that one of the swords is hidden there?"

"I imagine it's the Sword of Renewal, once wielded by Sir Hermos."

"My ancestor? It's going to be weird to meet a ten thousand year old relative."

"You have doubts that you can defeat Hermos?"

"I did at first," I admitted. "I didn't do so well against the apprentice of a legendary warrior, so you can understand if I wasn't sure I could beat an actual Legendary Warrior. I guess sometimes the older generations aren't so wise. No offense."

"None taken," he replied, showing a few teeth in his grin. "You should probably tell the pilot to take us to Stonehenge."

"Captain, our next stop is Stonehenge, England." Something about Daisuke's smile scared me. I felt better once we were in the air; if I didn't like Daisuke, I could ask Captain Lieder to push him out of the plane.

On the way, he sat me down and explained the full situation. "When the mysterious and mystical stone known as the Orichalcos rained down upon the ancient kingdom of Atlantis 10,000 years ago, its power of manipulation turned man into beast, and tainted the mind of the kingdom's ruler, Dartz. He wanted to let the Orichalcos God descend, destroy all of the corrupt humans, and create a new world. He was granted the power to carry out the task, letting him summon creatures that existed to gather souls in order to bring forth the great beast, known as the Great Leviathan."

"That's the creature I saw in the realm of monsters, isn't it?" I asked.

"It's the very same. To protect the world, Dartz's father and daughter called forth the legendary warriors. Then they opened a portal to the realm of monsters and the battle of Atlantis began. Neither side won. Atlantis sunk beneath the waves, the Leviathan lost its power and disappeared, and the path to the realm of monsters was sealed."

"And now Dartz wants to start the fun all over again, confident that the legendary warriors won't get in his way," I guessed.

"Indeed. He seeks to revive the Great Leviathan, through the power of human souls collected through the power of the Orichalcos, which he infused into Duel Monster cards to create the card known as the 'Seal of Orichalcos'. It unleashes the dark energy of the player who is playing it. The Orichalcos itself can control almost all of the duelist's physical functions as it affects the way duelists think of their friends and families. Because of its power, many duelists lose one way or another, including their own soul."

"How horrible!" I exclaimed. "Whoever plays the card, ultimately loses no matter how much they win."

He nodded in agreement. "Catch 22."

I stood up, taking a deep breath. "I must stop Dartz, before the world is destroyed."

Daisuke sighed. "So damn campy."

I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Normally, Loki's in charge of the speeches."

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Shizuka's Eyes

It wasn't quite bedtime, but I didn't care. My body was on Japan time, and it was 11:00 there, and I was sleepy. I pulled out a cot and collapsed on the bed.

In my dream, strangely enough, I was in Domino at midnight. I looked up and shivered. "The Leviathan!" I still only saw its eye in the sky, and several monsters were being drawn towards it.

Looking around, I saw Yugi and the others. I quickly ran over to them. "Guys!" I shouted. However, none of them noticed me. I guessed that they weren't dreaming along with me, and I was watching some sort of vision.

No…I was seeing what was actually happening at midnight in Domino!

Suddenly, an energy blast erupted from the Leviathan's eye. Téa, Joey, and Tristan ran for cover, but Yugi and Loki just stood there. Yugi's Duel Disk glowed, and he instinctively drew a card. He raised his card in the air and shouted, "I summon Timaeus!"

I watched, amazed as the real Timaeus appeared before him, albeit in his dragon form. The dragon countered the Leviathan's attack, sending a burst of flame right back. A second later, the eye shattered like glass. Then, Timaeus flew back into the card.

Loki staggered back in admiration. "That was incredible! I've never seen such power!"

The Dark Magician Girl appeared and said to them, and possibly to me as well, "You've only just begun. The great beast is still weak, so he retreated for the moment, but many monsters remain imprisoned on the other side. It will return again and his power will grow. He must be stopped before he is fully restored!" And then she vanished in a sparkle of pink light.

I looked at the faces of Loki and Yugi, and I could tell we all had a mutual understanding of what this meant.

Time was running out.

End Chapter