Hey, nice seeing you again, crea-sei here.
Hope you guys will enjoy the chapter! :D
As usual, notes and precisions at the end of the chapter.
King of Games
{ chapter one: god puzzle }
"I want… a friend, a best friend, who wouldn't betray me, no matter what."
[ file 11 ]
Yuugi woke up to see another screen in front of his face.
A quest has been created.
[Quest Alert]
Ushio's Bullying: Protect Yourself!
Ushio wants to bully you, and extort you money.
Show him what you've got!
Time limit: 1 week.
Completion award: 3000 EXP. ¥200,000.
Increased closeness with Jounouchi Katsuya.
Completion failure: Removed ¥200,000.
Decreased closeness with Jounouchi Katsuya.
Decreased reputation with School.
Y/N
Yuugi sighed, and tried to hide his face in his pillow. He didn't want to do this. He just wanted to play games… (But this is a game, a treacherous, little voice at the back of his head retorted.) He sighed again, and resigned himself to his fate. "Alright. Yes." He pushed the button, and got up, getting ready for his day.
Yuugi was playing Swords and Barrels – a game about sticking swords in a barrel, like in a magic show – when one of his classmate called his name. "Yuugi-chan! Do you want to play basketball with us?" It was Ayumi – the 'cutest,' as she was called. She was smiling down at him gently, her cheeks looking redder than usual.
Yuugi thought about it, before offering a small smile. "I'm fine… Every team I join just loses anyway..."
The girl seemed disappointed, but nodded, returning to her friends.
Soon enough, Yuugi was alone in the room. He put his Sword and Barrel back in his bag, and instead took his Puzzle. It was almost complete. "The one who solves me shall gain the powers and knowledge of darkness," Yuugi muttered aloud.
He heard a door slide open, and turned to look at it. Honda and Jounouchi, two students, walked in. Their gaze met, and, reassured that there was no immediate danger, Yuugi turned back to his Puzzle.
As soon as he did though, a hand passed before his eyes and took his Puzzle violently. Yuugi yelped in surprise, and got up, trying to get his Puzzle back.
Honda laughed, "Yuugi, what are you doing in here alone?! It's way too dark and gloomy!" He looked at the Puzzle. "Hey… This must be your treasure!"
Yuugi frowned worriedly. He didn't what would happen if the Puzzle was stolen or broken. "Please, give it back.
They both sent him a surprised look – maybe because he was still relatively calm – and exchanged gaze. Honda then grinned and threw the Puzzle at Jounouchi.
"Honda-kun… Jounouchi-kun… Please give it back," he demanded again, but they didn't listen.
"Since you're acting like a girl about it," Yuugi frowned, not liking the comparison – girls weren't that different; even he knew that, "this must be pretty valuable." Jounouchi's serious face morphed into a grin. "I'll teach you how to act like a man!" Yuugi frowned in puzzlement, wondering where that came from. "Look! I'll give back the box, if you try with all your might to get it!"
Yuugi held back a sigh: what was he talking about? "Jounouchi-kun, please give it back," he said calmly, holding out his hand.
Jounouchi continued to stare at him resolutely.
Yuugi didn't understand why he even cared. "What do you mean by 'trying all my might?'"
Jounouchi's grin widened. "Fight back!" Honda nodded, smirking.
Yuugi frowned: he didn't want to fight. "I hate fighting, and violence in general," he explained simply. He held out his hand again. "Anyway, give it back."
"Not a chance!" Honda looked down at him, probably trying to look and sound menacing – but Yuugi had seen zombies, had almost been eaten by zombies, and had killed zombies; this kind of stuff didn't really scare him anymore.
Jounouchi looked at the box more closely. "So what's in the box, anyway? Only one way to find out!" Jounouchi popped the box open, and Yuugi tried not to let his panic show. After a few seconds, Jounouchi closed the box – and, was Yuugi imagining it, or did he have a piece of the Puzzle in his hand? – and let out a weak sound of disappointment. "Whaat… That's dumb. Here, Honda." He threw the box at Honda.
A hand caught the box before it could reach Honda.
Yuugi blinked in surprise, not having seen Anzu enter – and yet, he had heard Jounouchi and Honda. He smiled in relief, glad that his Puzzle was in good hands now.
"If it's so dumb," Anzu began, setting an icy glare on the two boys, "give it back to Yuugi!" The two cried her name in surprise, horror appearing on their faces. "Picking on weaker people!" Yuugi winced, not really liking how she called him weak. "You guys are the dumb ones! Now, beat it!"
"Damn you, nosy woman!"
"This isn't over! We'll remember you!"
The two dashed out, and Yuugi weakly held out a hand to stop them.
"Wait!" he called weakly. He still wasn't sure whether Jounouchi had taken a piece or not. They didn't stop.
Anzu handed him back his Puzzle. "Well, here it is. Your precious item." She smiled gently at him.
"Thank you, Anzu!" he smiled back, grateful. "But wow, that was great! One word from you, and they ran!" The two ended up talking, like they were friends (they probably were; Yuugi wasn't sure, maybe Anzu just pitied him). Yuugi showed her his treasure, careful not to let her know about the spirit stuck inside.
It didn't really concern her, anyway.
"You're Yuugi-kun… Right?"
Yuugi stopped and turned around. He looked up at the name above the student's head, and paled.
[The Bully]
[Ushio Tetsu]
[Hall Monitor]
Lv9
HP: 450/450 MP: 350/350
"Um, yes?" he asked after a moment of silence.
Ushio regarded him with cold, calculating eyes. Yuugi kept himself from narrowing his eyes.
"I'm Ushio, from the morals committee. I'd like to ask you some questions…" Ushio smiled. "Have you been picked on by anyone on your class?"
Yuugi wasn't fooled.
He pointed to himself, as if surprised. "Me? No, I haven't," he replied calmly. He was about to continue on his way back home, when Ushio's voice interrupted him again.
"Hold on! For the good of the school, answer me! I'm going to investigate this!" Ushio violently grabbed Yuugi's shoulders. "Heh, relax, Yuugi-kun! From now on, consider me your paid bodyguard!" Ushio seemed really excited.
Yuugi backed away – Ushio seemed surprised that Yuugi was able to free himself from his grip that easily. "I really don't need that," he continued calmly, suddenly very grateful for his Gamer's body and Gamer's mind skills. "Thanks anyway. Bye." He turned around, and walked away, trying to stay calm.
This wasn't good.
When Yuugi finally got back home, it was in the evening. He had been 'stuck' in an ID for more than an hour, and had leveled up again. He was tired, sore, and felt like he would die at any moment. He just wanted to go to sleep.
"I'm home!' he called, as he opened the door to the game shop.
A voice calling his name interrupted him, "Yuugi!"
It was Anzu.
Yuugi smiled. "Hi, Anzu!"
"Heh, it's been a while since I came over to play," she explained simply.
Yuugi let her in.
"Welcome!" Yuugi's grandpa greeted.
Anzu suddenly screamed in fright; Yuugi flinched in surprise, instinctively muttering 'inventory' under his breath to get his baseball bat – luckily, no one noticed.
"Ah, it's Anzu-chan! That's cruel, seeing my face and then screaming..." His grandpa rubbed the top of his head in puzzlement (?).
Anzu stared at his grandpa for a moment, before lowering herself to Yuugi's height. "Just a second, Yuugi! A while ago, you said that he gave you a memento!" At the same time, she smiled pleasantly at his grandpa. "H-hello!"
Yuugi's eyes cleared in understanding. "Oh… I meant that it will someday be a memento," he explained sheepishly.
His grandpa, gave a small cry of protest. "You're already killing me…!" His grandpa then took a more serious look. "Anyway, Anzu, it's been a while since I saw you here… You've grown… Especially your chest! You just keep getting bigger!"
Yuugi sweat-dropped, and decided to ignore it.
He smiled, and began climbing the stairs to his room. "Anzu, I'm taking the Puzzle to my room. Grandpa, can you make tea?"
"Hey, Yuugi..." his grandpa interrupted – Yuugi was seriously done with people interrupting him. "Didn't you give up on the puzzle?"
Yuugi sighed. "Who said anything about that..." he muttered. He turned around to face his grandpa. "Of course not. I won't give up, and I will keep trying until I manage to solve it," he managed to keep his voice calm and resolute.
Something shone in his grandpa's eyes.
Still, he continued. "It takes a very intellectual person to put together that Millennium Puzzle! It's impossible for you. That thing has a varied history..." his grandpa trailed off, probably trying to demoralize him
"History?" Anzu questioned, looking uneasy.
His grandpa gave a dark smile. "The Millennium Puzzle was found in the early 1900's. An English archeologist team took it from the burial tomb of a pharaoh! Afterward, everyone involved died mysteriously… And they say the last one was screaming… something about a Shadow Game..."
A skill has been created through a special act.
[Shadow Game (Active) Lv1 EXP: 0,0%]
Allows the user to create a Shadow Game.
Shadow Games are used to judge people.
Yuugi tried not to let the panic he was feeling show on his face. He didn't want to play Shadow Games, he didn't want to judge people.
He didn't have that right.
Yuugi yawned, hiding his mouth behind his palm. He had stayed up late, working on the Puzzle desperately. He wanted to solve it, he wanted to help the Nameless Pharaoh. Why couldn't he do it?
Ushio entered the classroom, and Yuugi stopped himself from tensing in surprise. "Yuugi-kun!" he called. "Would you come with me for a minute?"
Yuugi frowned worriedly, wondering if Ushio had already done something.
"Ushio-san, what did you want to show me?" Yuugi asked, as they were walking to the back of the school.
"Heh," Ushio laughed. "Just follow me. I'm sure you'll like this..." Yuugi frowned, and then gasped in surprise and horror. "Heh, check it out, Yuugi-kun!"
Jounouchi and Honda were there, bruised and bloody. Their HP points were below the middle, and Honda's was beeping in alarm. Yuugi took a few seconds to stare, before he turned his gaze toward Ushio, already guessing that he had been the one to do it – at least, that explained the 'increased closeness with Jounouchi' he received in case he completed the quest.
"Yuugi-kun, I told you..." Ushio began, looking almost proud of himself. "Consider me your bodyguard! It's my duty to punish these guys! They're just bullies!"
A surge of red, deep anger rose in Yuugi's chest, and he was ready to scream at Ushio, to blame him and only him for all of this. It disappeared as soon as it came though, and only a dull, faded feeling of wariness stayed.
Yuugi continued to stare at Ushio calmly for a moment. He then crouched next to Jounouchi and Honda, examining their wounds. He still didn't have any way to heal people (except sleep and food, but he didn't think it worked the same for other people), so he couldn't help.
"Are you alright, Jounouchi-kun?" He turned his gaze toward Honda. "Honda-kun?" but it was useless, he had already passed out.
Jounouchi regarded him with cold, but almost understanding, eyes. "Yuugi… I knew you were behind this..."
Yuugi let out a horrified gasp. "I'm not!" he protested. "Why would I ask for this?!"
Jounouchi didn't answer, looking troubled.
A hand grabbed Yuugi's shoulder, and tried to push him out of the way, but Yuugi didn't bulge, and instead chose to glare at Ushio.
Ushio growled. "Move, Yuugi! I'm not done punishing them!" He tried to push him again, but didn't succeed.
Yuugi shifted so that he was completely protecting Jounouchi and Honda from Ushio, and stood his ground, still glaring coldly.
"Oh, really? Yuugi, why are you protecting these jerks? This is your chance to get revenge! Hit them! Kick them!"
"I can't do that to my friends!"
Behind him, Jounouchi jolted.
"Most people hate hose that bully them. You're a pretty nice guy, calling those punks your friends… What a masochist..." he muttered. "Well, alright. By the way, Yuugi-kun, I'll take my payment now! My bodyguard fee… ¥200,000!"
Yuugi gasped in surprise, but didn't falter in his protective stance.
Ushio laughed cruelly. "For 200,000, you can hit them as much as you like… You won't be distracted this way. But who said that it'd be cheap..."
Yuugi stayed silent.
"Well? Maybe you're unsatisfied because I didn't hit them enough..."
"You've done more than enough," Yuugi said, calm and cold.
Ushio seemed to finally falter under his cold gaze, and seemed uncertain (and maybe fearful) for a moment. "Fine, have it your way." He began to leave. "Until tomorrow, when you bring my money! Remember, 200,000!" he threw over his shoulder.
Yuugi waited until he was truly gone to relax. He turned to Jounouchi and Honda. Honda was still unconscious, but Jounouchi seemed to be lucid.
"Jounouchi-kun," he called softly, worriedly inspecting their HP bars. "Do you think you can walk?" Jounouchi's eyes seemed dazed, but his health bar was slowly regaining its points. "I can carry only one of you, so..."
Jounouchi closed his eyes for a brief moment, before he got up, almost falling as he did. Yuugi helped him regain his balance, watching him worriedly.
"Yeah," he choked out. Yuugi nodded, and crouched down to take Honda. He held him at his shoulder, unable to carry him otherwise because of his poor height. "Let's go," Jounouchi decided after a moment.
Yuugi frowned worriedly, but didn't say anything.
[ file 12 ]
"Status."
Name: Yuugi Mutou
Class: The Gamer
Title: Yuugi-chan
Level: Lv8
HP: 400/400
MP: 300/300
STR: 12
VIT: 15
DEX: 13
INT: 20
WIS: 13
LUK: 8
POINT: 05
MONEY: ¥626
"So I don't have enough money," Yuugi muttered. "Oh right, I should probably use those points..." He sighed, not feeling up to thinking about it, and put 2 points in INT, 2 in DEX, and 1 in STR. He closed the status. "I need 200,000… Where would I get that much…?"
Absently, he grabbed the Puzzle, and began solving it.
"If I don't pay, he'll probably beat me up next time we meet… Or he could attack Jounouchi-kun and Honda-kun again..." He sighed.
"Ah!" he yelped in surprise, when it finally registered that he was working on the Puzzle. "Why am I working on the Puzzle now…?" He sighed. "Oh well, it would be one less problem..." He concentrated on the Puzzle. Suddenly, it was much easier to solve it. His mind was clear – even more so than before; maybe it was because of his increased INT?
"I… I did it…?!" There was one missing piece; just one more piece, and the Nameless Pharaoh would be freed. "Just one more piece, and it's finished!" he exclaimed, and reached for the last, final piece.
Only… it wasn't there.
"The last piece is gone! Gone..." He got up, and searched around, desperate. He couldn't— the Nameless Pharaoh hadn't been freed yet— and, if Yuugi had lost the last piece— it was all his fault! "...Wait," he suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Didn't Jounouchi-kun take one…?" Yuugi dropped back on his chair. "Then, maybe, there's a chance that he still has it." Yuugi prayed for it.
As Yuugi was contemplating his unluckiness – considering focusing on the LUK stat from now on – and praying that Jounouchi hadn't thrown the last piece away, his grandpa entered the room. "Hoho, amazing! The Puzzle is finished!"
Yuugi turned to look at him, not even trying to force a smile. "No… I… It's possible… that I may never be able to finish the Puzzle." It broke his heart to say that (and, thinking about the Nameless Pharaoh, who was still waiting, who was still trapped, who was still suffering), but there wasn't any other way to put it. He had failed.
"Hoho, I wonder… Yuugi… You've worked on this Millennium Puzzle for eight years, putting your hopes and dreams into it… You should have more faith!" His grandpa presented him his fist. "If you do, your wish will definitely come true!" His curled fist opened, to reveal the last piece.
"G-grandpa… Thank you!" Overjoyed, Yuugi jumped in his grandpa's arms, hugging him. He had the last piece! He could free the Nameless Pharaoh! His eyes were watering, and he wiped away the moisture with a shaky hand.
"Yuugi… I'm not the one who found it..." his grandpa revealed with a smile. "A while ago, one of your friends arrived at the shop… He asked to give that to you! His clothes were wet, maybe from being out in the rain..." Yuugi didn't have to wonder who it was. It was obvious Jounouchi had come to give him back the piece.
You have received ¥ 200,000.
Yuugi blinked in surprise, but let it go, guessing that it was something he would never understand, or maybe a reward for 'finding' the last piece.
"Goodnight, Yuugi!"
"Thanks, grandpa… Goodnight!" The door closed behind his grandpa, and Yuugi turned back to his Puzzle. At last, the Millennium Puzzle would be completed, and the Nameless Pharaoh freed!
Feeling his heart beat loudly, Yuugi placed the last piece. Immediately, a light came from the center of the eye. Yuugi could feel magic swirl around him, trying to penetrate his body through his own mana reserve.
[Spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh] tried to possess you!
[Gamer's Mind]'s immunity to psychological status effects countered it!
ER_ROR_!
PHA_RA_OHNE_EDPO_SSES_S_IN_G
There was a moment of tense silence, as Yuugi nervously waited for something to happen.
[Gamer's Mind] had an unexpected effect on [Spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh].
Aftereffects unknown for now.
Yuugi frowned in puzzlement.
[Spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh] needs to access your mind to materialize.
Do you want to let him access your mind?
Y/N
"What." Yuugi's voice shook, and he stared at the window for a long moment. Hesitantly, he touched the yes button.
[Spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh] tries to possess you.
Do you want to let him possess you?
Y/N
"No way." Yuugi immediately clicked on no.
[Spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh] tries to reach into your memories.
[Spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh] wants to understand you.
Do you let him access?
Y/N
Yuugi hesitated again, but, finally, touched the yes button.
[Spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh] is materializing.
Effectively, a vague silhouette was appearing at Yuugi's side. He took a step back in surprise, and watched as the silhouette became more defined warily. The person… looked like Yuugi. He wasn't exactly the same – he had a darker tan, his eyes were less 'innocent-looking,' and he looked taller; his hair was different too – but they looked alike. They could easily pass off as family, twins even.
But the stranger, the spirit, was radiating magic with every breath (false, useless breaths, he guessed; the dead didn't need to breathe, did they?). Shadows seemed to stretch and hug his form, hiding him from the moon's dim light.
"Hello?" Yuugi called, as the stranger continued to stare at him. "Are you alright?"
"You..." His voice was graver than Yuugi's too. He looked lost, and his voice was filled with confusion. There also was an underlying of… madness (?) in the depths of his eyes; but almost as fast as it came, it faded. "Am I…? If I'm not you…" he looked truly lost. He continued to stare at Yuugi, as if he couldn't believe he was seeing him. "...Then who am I?" Yuugi frowned worriedly, not really knowing what to say.
After a moment, as the stranger looked at his own hands in puzzlement, Yuugi whispered, "Observe." The spirit's (?) gaze snapped to him, obviously startled.
[Spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh]
[?]
[Other Self]
Other Information: LOCKED
Yuugi stared at the screen, disheartened at the lack of information. "I'm sorry… I don't know your name," he answered softly, carefully watching the obvious pain on the spirit's face.
The spirit opened his mouth a few times, but closed it each time. Finally, he managed to choke out, "What is this?" while pointing at the still floating screen.
Yuugi gasped in surprise, tensing slightly. "You… You can see it?" Finally, a relieved smile formed on his face – now, he had the certitude he wasn't completely insane; unless the spirit also was a trick of his mind, which, now that he thought about it, was entirely possible. "Err, yes, i-it's a window that tells me information about you… err, like a video game..."
The spirit nodded, blinking rapidly.
Yuugi wondered how he could know what a video game was, but guessed it came from having access to his memories. Talking about memories... "But, don't you already know that? I thought you had access to my memories?"
The spirit seemed embarrassed for a moment, and he nodded. He suddenly staggered on his feet, and fell backward, on Yuugi's bed. He looked ill. "Yes, I do. I tried not to look into it too much… in order not to invade your privacy..." he choked out.
Yuugi nodded in acceptance, a worried frown appearing on his face.
Quest completed!
[Main Quest Alert]
Saving the Pharaoh: Solve the Millennium Puzzle!
Help! The Nameless Pharaoh has been stuck in this Puzzle for an eternity! He has already lost his memories!
Quick, help him out of there by resolving the Puzzle!
You received 10000 EXP.
Increased closeness with your Other Half .
Your level went up by 1.
You level went up by 1.
A quest has been created.
[Main Quest Alert]
Helping the Pharaoh: Find out what the Pharaoh's name is!
The Nameless Pharaoh has forgotten his name.
Help him remember!
Time limit: Your life.
Completion award: ?
Completion failure: None.
Y/N
The spirit looked at the screens curiously, while Yuugi tried not to fidget, quickly accepting the quest. This was awkward, and he didn't know what to do.
"Err… Do you… Want something? Do you need anything?" The spirit shook his head silently. There was a long moment of silence. "Do you want us to find a name? Err, I mean, until we find out your real name..." The spirit's gaze fell on him, and his eyes softened visibly. He nodded. "Do you have any idea?"
There was a moment of silence, and the spirit's eyes found Yuugi's. "I… Yami." Yuugi blinked in surprise, not having expected a name like that, but smiled, easily accepting it.
"Alright then. Nice to meet you, Yami."
Status Updated!
[Spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh]
[Yami Yuugi]
[Other Self]
Other Information: LOCKED
Yuugi frowned in puzzlement at the screen. "But he only said Yami," he argued helplessly. Yami got up, and went at his side, looking at the screen.
"Actually," he began, his voice sounding much more... cheerful (?) now. "That's what I meant." He looked at Yuugi, and offered a soft, if awkward, smile. "I'm your shadow."
[ file 13 ]
"This isn't a good idea, Yami."
"Do you want him to hurt our— I mean, your friends again?"
Yuugi sighed, fingering his (their?) Puzzle. "No, but it doesn't mean I want to hurt Ushio."
Yami sent him a weird look, frowning, as if he couldn't understand how Yuugi could say that. He opened his mouth to argue, but Yuugi cut him off.
"I'm sure there's another way. Yami… I will try to… change him, in my own way, and, if it doesn't work, then we'll do it your way, alright?"
Yami looked ready to argue, but, finally, nodded. "Then, what is your 'own way' of judging him?" Yami deliberately insisted on the word. He looked like a ghost, floating around Yuugi like that. Sure, he was a spirit, but it didn't mean he had to act like one… (Yuugi frowned at his own thoughts, and shook his head to shake them out.)
"Um..." He thought back to Ushio's behavior. "Well, Ushio is greedy, and is ready to act violent to have money. So, I guess, the best would be to teach him that money isn't the most important. It would be nice to know what pushes him to act like that." Yuugi nodded to himself. "Now, as to how to do that…" he trailed off, sighing, and looking at the school's clock.
Yami had convinced him to call Ushio, saying something about judgment, or maybe justice. He had also talked about Shadow Games, but Yuugi refused to do anything of the like. So, right now, they were waiting for Ushio to come. And they still didn't have a plan. Yuugi had spent at least one hour convincing Yami not to use Shadow Games.
"You don't know how to do it?" Yami raised an eyebrow, still floating around him. It looked as if he was laying down… but in the middle of air.
Yuugi sighed, shaking his head. "No, I don't. But I'm sure I read something about curing greed..." Yuugi trailed off again. Yes, he was sure he had heard something about it… Oh. "Hey, Yami. Do you think you would be able to make illusions? Or to show the past and future?"
Yami looked at him oddly. "Shadow Games can show illusions. I'm not really sure about the past and future thing though..." There was a moment of silence, as Yuugi wondered what he could possibly do. "...Why do you ask?"
"Oh, err, I was thinking about doing something like, err, A Christmas Carol… Do you know anything about it?"
Yami shook his head, and Yuugi guessed that he really hadn't looked far into his memories.
"It's a story about a man, Scrooge, who is extremely greedy. One Christmas, some spirits come to see him. First, one of his old friend, a greedy man, comes to warn him, and says that he shouldn't be greedy. Then, three other spirits come. One shows him his past, one shows him his present, and one shows him his future. At the end, Scrooge sees that he won't be happy with just money, and decides that from now on, he will share his money, and not be a greedy man."
Yami nodded, straightening. It looked like he was standing up now, instead of laying down. "But money allows you to buy games," he argued. "Isn't that a good thing?"
Yuugi hesitated, not knowing how to answer. "I guess… but that's not what I'm talking about. Money is important to survive in today's society, sure, but it doesn't mean that it's the most important thing in life, and it certainly doesn't mean that you can hurt other people to gain money." Yami nodded, apparently understanding what he was trying to convey. Yuugi turned back to the problem at hand. "Maybe I could do something with my mana..." he whispered.
Yami feigned sitting next to him – even though he was just floating above the bench. "Mana? You are able to cast spells?" he asked in obvious astonishment.
Yuugi nodded, smiling. "Yeah. I only have one or two spells right now, so..." he trailed off, sighing. "Maybe I should think about theory first, and then try to do it," he muttered to himself, thinking about how he could create illusions. Could mana affect the brain? Could it manipulate humans' basic senses? He only needed a basic illusion, so only sight and hearing were needed.
Yuugi raised his hand, and concentrated some of his mana there. He thought about an illusion, and—
A skill has been created through a special act.
A skill to manipulate the basic senses, [Illusion], has been created.
[Illusion (Active) Lv1 EXP: 0,0%]
Make the target imagine things that aren't.
90% chance working on targets with level lower than you.
40% chance working on targets with level higher than you.
Level 1: Only sight and hearing are affected.
Yuugi smiled. "I did it!" he cheered. He released the mana in his hand.
Yami stared at him in obvious surprise, and then hummed. "This ability sure is convenient."
Yuugi nodded, still smiling.
Yami sent him a look, and his eyes softened. His lips formed a smile. "Alright. Do your thing. But, if it doesn't work, Ushio will have to play a Shadow Game."
Ushio Tetsu stood at the school's entrance. "I can't believe it..." he muttered. "That Yuugi guy called me and said to come here… Weird!" He looked around. "Well, I'm at the school, at midnight… huh..." He turned around, but here, he was alone.
Suddenly, everything became eerily silent. The sky's dark color seemed to have transformed into a deep red. Tetsu frowned in puzzlement. He… probably wasn't drugged. He didn't go into these kind of things – money could be used in better ways, anyway.
"Yuugi!" he called, but no one answered. He was alone. "Damn," he muttered, "he tricked me." He really shouldn't have trusted this guy – but he had seemed so weak. Even if he had stood up to Tetsu, with a calm face, and a confident voice – no one had actually ever done that, not to him.
He turned to leave, and found himself face to face with a strange, ghostly pale version of one of his lackey, Kimura.
Tetsu paled, and took a step back. It wasn't really Kimura that frightened him – no, Kimura had always been nothing else but a lackey – but, Kimura had died three years ago, in a car accident; the idiot hadn't paid attention, and had traversed the pedestrian crossing without looking out for cars first. Tetsu was absolutely sure Kimura was dead; he had been there, had watched the blood leave his lackey's veins, and had been there in the hospital when the doctors announced his death.
Kimura, apparently not caring about the chains obstructing his movements, lifted a hand, and pointed his index at Tetsu. "You," he announced fatally, voice cold and calm, "will be haunted by Three Spirits."
Ushio Tetsu paled.
"I WILL BECOME A BETTER PERSON!"
Yuugi blinked, and turned to where the voice was coming from. When nothing else came, he turned back to Yami, and smiled. "See? I told you he could change."
Quest completed!
[Quest Alert]
Ushio's Bullying : Protect Yourself!
Ushio wants to bully you, and extort you money.
Show him what you've got!
You received 3000 EXP.
You were able to keep your ¥ 200,000.
Increased closeness with Jounouchi Katsuya.
You managed to 'cure' Ushio's sickness without harming him!
Bonus Reward:
You received 1000 EXP.
You received ¥50,000.
Increased closeness with Ushio Tetsu.
You managed to help both Jounouchi and Honda!
Bonus Reward:
Increased closeness with Jounouchi Katsuya.
Increased closeness with Honda Hiroto.
Your bond with Jounouchi Katsuya has changed.
You are now friends!
Your bond with Honda Hiroto has changed!
You are now friends!
Your level went up by 1.
Yami grumbled, hiding a smile. "Yeah. You were right." Still, just to keep his pride intact, he added, "I still think a Shadow Game would have helped."
"Yami!"
[ file 14 ]
"Aibou?"
Yuugi moaned, and rolled over, trying to hide from the cold hand shaking him.
A laugh. "Aibou, you need to wake up."
Yuugi rolled over again, but found that it was useless, wherever he went, the cold hand and smooth voice followed him. Finally, Yuugi found enough courage open his eyes and face the (horrible) brightness of the room.
He blinked, and found himself face to face with Yami.
"Ah!" he yelped in surprise, almost falling out of his bed in his haste to get away. Yami chuckled, and stopped him from falling. "Yami, did you really have to scare me like that?" Yuugi whined, after his heart calmed.
Yami laughed again, his eyes softening. "You're a heavy sleeper, aren't you?" he asked rhetorically.
Yuugi sighed, smiling. He got up, and, as he was reaching the door, turned back to face Yami, a troubled look on his face.
Worry filled Yami's mind, but, for some reason, he was able to remain calm. "Is there something wrong, Aibou?"
Yuugi shook his head. "No, that's not it… it's just..." He sighed. "When I went to bed last night, I thought that… that, maybe, when I woke up, you wouldn't be there..."
Yami frowned, floating over to his partner, who met his gaze. "I've been trying to solve the Puzzle for a long time, so… it just feels… strange to finally solve it."
"How long?" Yuugi sent him a confused look, so Yami precised, "How long have you been trying to solve it?"
"Oh, um," he blushed, suddenly avoiding his eyes, "s-something like… e-eight years…?"
Yami frowned briefly, but smoothed his expression as soon as Yuugi found the courage to look at him again. He smiled, trying to express his gratitude. "Thank you, Yuugi."
Immediately, two strange, blue-ish, transparent windows appeared in front of Yuugi. Yami wasn't able to read what was written on them, as he was on the other side (and, to be honest, he still wasn't really good at Japanese, even though he had spent the night working on it), but he could see how it made Yuugi blush. He would have floated over to read what it said, but Yuugi rapidly closed the windows, cheeks still red.
"U-um, I'm going to dress up, so, um, you can wait here!" Yuugi dashed out of the room.
Yami sighed, and feigned laying down on the bed.
"Yo, Yuugi..."
Yuugi stopped walking, Yami stopping along him (he was looking around wildly, probably trying to learn more about the world around him), and turned around. It was Jounouchi, still looking all beaten up, with bandages and bruises all over him. "Ah, Jounouchi-kun!" he exclaimed in surprise, and smiled. "How are your injuries?"
"I feel fine!" Jounouchi smirked confidently. "Speaking of which… hey, Yuugi, I also brought a treasure!" Yuugi guessed he was talking about the Puzzle. "Want to see it?"
Yuugi nodded, still smiling, and wondered what kind if treasure Jounouchi would have.
Jounouchi laughed. "Sorry… My treasure is in plain view, but you can't see it; so I can't show it to you!" Jounouchi smiled at him. (Yuugi wondered if he had found that enigma himself.) Jounouchi's smile widened, seeing that Yuugi didn't have any answer. "It's friendship! Yuugi and Jounouchi are visible… but our friendship is invisible!"
There was a beat of silence, as Yuugi processed what Jounouchi had just said.
Yami waved a hand in front of his face, and Yuugi was forced to blink. Tears (moisture! just moisture!) sprang to his eyes, and he nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!" He could see, from the corner of his eye, that Yami was smiling.
Jounouchi suddenly blushed, yelled "Well, come on, we've gotta get to class!" and ran away, inadvertently losing one shoe.
Yuugi caught it, grinning, and ran after his (his!) friend, Yami following him closely.
[ 00 ]
"I want… I want a friend, a best friend. Someone who will never betray me, someone I would never betray. Someone who will stick with me. I want..." Yuugi trailed off, blinking away tears that shouldn't be. He couldn't cry.
He still had the Puzzle. The Puzzle would grant his wish, the Puzzle would help him make a friend, a dear friend. The Puzzle would be there, and the Puzzle would help him.
But first, he needed to solve it.
(No whisper, no dream, no voice told him that his wish was granted, and the room remained blissfully silent.)
[ ERROR ]
( was written before the actual meeting with Yami Yuugi )
[Spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh]
[Yami Yuugi]
[Other Self]
Other Information: LOCKED
WARNING
May try to posses you.
"What," Yuugi pronounced, like he often did nowadays. He ignored the questioning look Yami sent him. "What. No. But, anyway, I have immunity to psychologi—"
By thinking through logically and ration ally, your WIS went up by 1 .
"...I— No."
"...Aibou...? Are you alright...?"
(1) ...Is this OOC? I think so. I know that Yami is OOC, but that's normal, since, in this fic, he isn't insane right now (explanation may be given, one day). I don't know about Yuugi though… Sigh. And, as I said before, I'm sorry about their meeting. I really, really couldn't figure out how to put it. Oh, and, also, even though Yami appears relatively calm here, he's internally freaking out.
(2) Yes! Have you seen the word counter?! I'm so happy! In two chapters only, we made it to 10,00 words! I thought that this chapter would barely make 3,000 words, but then, I arrived at Yuugi and Yami's meeting, and it kinda just 'blew up' and everything went 'crazy.' Wow. And to say that this chapter was supposed to be posted the day after the prologue's publication. Wow. (My fingers feel like they're bleeding (I rewrote the chapter three times)...)
(3) Um, I changed the Cover two times. So, some of you may have seen my (horrible) drawing of Yuugi. I didn't really intend to put it as a Cover. I don't really know why the Cover is a drawing of the Puzzle either. It just… kinda happened. I wanted to draw the Puzzle, so I did. And I didn't have any other (decent) drawing of Yu-Gi-Oh! around, so… yeah. I kinda like it, actually.
