This chapter is dedicated to Theodore Simson, who regrettably passed away during the writing of this tale. A good man, respected philanthropist, and my great-Uncle.
Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: the Arcane Chronicles: Nat cornered Hikari, who revealed that CyberV might not be as innocent as he seems. As Ramesus accepted the shadow power of the stolen Scepter of the Balance, he entrusted Jimbo to force Jay into a duel, in hopes of drawing out any Shadow Power within CyberV. As the duel raged, Ramesus was confronted by Mokuba. Jay rallied to defeat Jimbo, unaware that as he and the others left, the true trap was just about to be sprung...
"Do you really think I have the Scepter?" asked Ramesus blandly as he sat in his chair. "I mean, even if I did, why would I be stupid enough to keep it here?"
"Are you?" asked Mokuba. "The Shadow Power can make people crazy, and I would know."
"Yes... I suppose you would know." Ramesus chuckled. "I mean, I heard about how Pegasus sealed your soul into a card. That had to be utterly maddening."
Mokuba blanched. Almost no one knew about that. It had been a nightmarish experience that still gave him the chills whenever he thought about it.
"Oh, and the time you nearly got turned into one of Marik's meat-puppets like Joey Wheeler and Tea Gardner. Now THERE'S a traumitizing experience." Ramesus leaned forward, enjoying the reactions of the younger Kaiba sibling.
"You DO have the power..." muttered Mokuba, chilled to the bone. "You have to stop now, Ramesus, before it's too late!"
"But I'm just starting," said Ramesus. "I mean, I don't have the Scepter on me, but that wouldn't stop me from stealing souls..." He chuckled. "Not that Noah or the Big Five needed anything fancy like that, now did they? And Dartz... Well, he was WAY more powerful with the Seal of Oricalcos in his possession..."
Mokuba couldn't believe this. Ramesus knew things that virtually no one did. That was impossible. Was it some kind of telepathy? Hypnosis? With an Item, the possibilities were endless.
"Ramesus, LISTEN TO ME. The way you're using the Item, it's gonna destroy you! What you're doing? Bakura, Marik, Pegasus... They all tried it, and it nearly killed them! For your own sake... For EVERYONE'S SAKE... Give it back!"
Ramesus leaned back, relaxed now. "No, I think not. Granted, my control of it is still limited, but I'll learn how to master it eventually. And in the meantime, I'm curious to see just how far things can go. But I won't abuse it. Don't worry about that... At least, as long as you stay out of my way..."
Mokuba stared at him, trying to see if there was anything still decent in Ramesus. He couldn't tell. "This isn't over. I WILL find a way to stop you."
"I'm sure you'll try. But like I said, I won't be abusing it anytime soon. Now if you don't mind, I have things to attend to." He turned his chair away and dismissed Mokuba with a wave of his hand. Unable to think of anything else to try, and fully wary of what the Item could do, Mokuba found himself forced to comply. Once he was gone, Ramesus chuckled. "Besides, it's not like I need Shadow Power to play a Shadow GAME..."
And on his monitor, he watched as Jimbo dragged an unconscious CyberV away...
Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles
Episode 4: A Fiery Shadow Game! I Believe in You, Duel Spirits!
Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall, e-hero-what, cyal8er
"Is it ready?" asked Jimbo as he watched Poison work.
"Perfection takes time," said the school's other resident spellcasting master. "And I only do perfection. The warehouse is wired, and the receiver are rigged. I even set up a monitor so the newbie can watch the show."
"Neat..." said Jimbo.
"Yes. Neat." Poison sighed. What an IDIOT. "You sure you didn't fry his brain with that stupid stun gun?" He looked over at CyberV, still unconscious, now tied to a chair that was bolted to the floor. He looked around at the abandoned school warehouse they'd chosen for the Shadow Game.
"Yeah. I mean, I'm not stupid. I knew what I was doing."
'Yeah, right...' thought Poison, but said nothing aloud. "Just make sure you do the job RIGHT this time."
"Oh, I will..." He chuckled. "His little friend won't know what hit him... And neither will this jerk."
"Then all that remains," said Poison, "is to make sure Jay takes the bait."
"Maybe he got lost exploring the Evil Duelists section," suggested Ashes as she and Jay roamed the halls, heading towards their respective dorms. "Or he could have lost track of time. I mean, LazyMan's pretty hot and bothered over that missing Scepter."
"Maybe," said Jay, "But I dunno. I can't help but feel like something's wrong. I mean, first Jimbo jumps Tapkar, then gets me to duel him... I still can't figure out what he was trying to accomplish."
"And then our favorite Otaku Geek never shows up in the dining hall. Huh, come to think of it, I don't remember seeing Nat or that other girl either."
"I just have a bad feeling about this. It's been a really nasty first day..."
"You're worried because it's been a bad day?"
"No, I'm worried because we left CyberV alone with JIMBO."
"Like that idiot could actually do anything."
They turned a corner as they reached the divide between the boys and girls dorms. Ashes turned the same direction as Jay, not finished talking to him.
"It doesn't take a smart man to do something dangerous. I mean, he was willing to hurt a friend of mine just to duel me. I'm worried he might try it again."
"You're paranoid."
"Yeah. But they ARE out to get us."
"Good point... Hey, isn't this your dormroom?" They stopped in front of Jay's room. Laying at the door was a good sized package.
"Yeah, it is. Wonder what this is." He picked up a card from atop the package. "Warehouse 3. Tell no one." He looked up, exchanging a confused look with Ashes.
"Open it!" she said, now worried.
Jay knelt down and pulled at the black ribbon holding the box shut. As he did, the box collapsed outwards... Revealing a familiar black and white Duel Disk.
"What's it mean?" asked Ashes, getting a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"It means that our bad day just got a lot worse." Jay crushed the note in his fist, picked up the Disk, and ran the opposite direction. Ashes followed. Once they were out of sight, Carly came out from inside an unclaimed dormroom and hit a number on her cellphone's speeddial. Someone picked up immediately.
"They're on their way." She hung up and chuckled. It was so GOOD to be so bad.
"Wake up!" CyberV heard a voice in the distance, but did not stir. Dazed, he was only starting to come out of unconsciousness. "Wake up!" He heard the voice again, but was rewarded only with brief painful memories of being electrocuted.
The huge roar, however, jolted him to full consciousness.
"GAH!" He would have fallen out of his seat if he hadn't been tied to it... And if the chair wasn't bolted to the floor. He looked around quickly, seeing that he was in some kind of warehouse, decorated only with a large screen showing what was directly outside. His only company were Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes Black Dragon, who looked at him, concerned.
"Nice work, big guy," said Rocket Warrior. CyberV could have sworn he heard the Dragon chuckle. "Geez, he nailed you bad..."
"Where am I?"
"Some campus storage area," said Rocket Warrior. "That jerk Jimbo zapped you and got some help dragging you here. Neither of us could do anything but watch... I HATE being intangible..." He gripped his sword tightly.
"How do I get out of here? I mean, I know I was thinking like Jimmy Kudo, but I REALLY don't wanna go all the way with the homage."
"Errr... No clue..." Rocket Warrior looked completely flustered.
"Ah," said a voice that permeated the room, "You're awake. Good."
The voice was coming from everywhere and slightly tinny. Obviously, the owner wasn't around and was using a broadcasting system. "Isn't kidnaping a little extreme for a card game?"
"Oh, this isn't kidnaping. This is a SHADOW GAME." The owner of the voice chuckled. "You see, Jimbo was so sad when Jay thrashed him so, that he wanted a rematch. I'm just making sure it's more interesting."
That didn't make sense. "You mean to tell me you went through all of this just to get Jay to duel Jimbo?"
"Pretty much."
'He's lying,' realized CyberV. 'This is too elaborate for a simple grudge match. If all he wanted was a duel, he could have challenged Jay at any time. No, grabbing me, the monitor...' He looked at his wrist. 'And my missing Duel Disk. They definitely want a Shadow Game. The other duel was just a setup for this one. But I still don't know why!'
"If you say so, but if you want a shadow game, shouldn't I be the one dueling?"
"Oh no. Prizes should never duel on their own behalf. Besides, I went through so much trouble so you could watch the match..."
"Wonderful."
"Just sit back and relax, my so-called Warrior. YOUR job is just to sit back, relax, enjoy the show... and to pray that you SURVIVE."
CyberV's eyes narrowed. He'd expected as much. Ramesus wasn't wasting any time. "So, what do I call you?"
"Who? Me? I'm just your host for these proceedings, and I prefer, for now, to remain a mystery. As for when the duel starts... Well, your friends are on their way, and should arrive momentarily. Enjoy the show..."
CyberV pulled at his bonds, but the ropes didn't budge. He was well and truly stuck, his Duel Spirits watching helplessly, unable to interfere.
"The note said to go to warehouse three!" said Jay as he and Ashes finally reached the edge of the school grounds. Before them lay the key to any successful dueling school... the warehouses where all the replacement and spare cards were stored. Any duelist worth their salt knew that the cards were easy to damage on accident, especially when shuffling and dueling. When that happened, a student could fill out a request form, include the damaged card, and if one was available, a replacement would be provided. But the note said that for now, the third one was empty, awaiting new shipments... And that CyberV was inside, and in need of their help.
An obvious trap, but what else could they do? There wasn't time to get school security, and even if they did, there was every chance that the Evil Duelists might retaliate. No, the only way to handle this situation was on their own.
"THERE IT IS!" shouted Ashes as they rushed past several others. She grimaced as she saw who was waiting for them. "Oh, not AGAIN..."
Jimbo smirked. "We meet again." His disk was already in play mode.
"Where is he?" asked Jay in a voice that would make most think twice.
"He's inside," said Jimbo. "But your business is with ME. You see, if you don't agree to the duel, you'll never see him again. And this time, it's a Shadow Game for REAL."
"He's bluffing," said Ashes.
"Am I? Try it. Go ahead. I'll enjoy watching you identify the remains... If there's enough left to identify."
Ashes started for the door, but stopped. Much as she wanted to put an end to this insanity, she couldn't risk it.
"Good call. Now it's time for round two, Jay. Prepare to get burned!"
Jay switched his Duel Disk to play mode. "Shut up and duel. I've got a friend to save."
"Then by all means. Try to save him."
Jay LP: 8000
Jimbo LP: 8000
"I'll start this off," said Jay, "with UFO TURTLE! ATTACK MODE!" The monster appeared.
UFO Turtle: 1400/1200
"I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A card appeared on the field. 'But how is THIS anymore of a shadow game than the LAST duel?'
Jimbo drew. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your facedown card!" A massive storm appeared, shattering Jay's spell.
"NO!"
"So, you were gonna use Bottomless Trap Hole, huh? Too bad. Your only protection's gone, and I'm laying down one of my own." A card appeared on the field. "And now I summon Gaia Soul the Combustible Collective!" A flaming monster appeared.
Gaia Soul: 2000/0000
"Oh, fighting fire with fire, huh?" snickered Jay. "Too bad his special ability dictates that he'll be gone at the end of your turn!"
"Oh, I know," said Jimbo. "I just wanted to show you why this is a shadow game. GAIA SOUL, DESTROY UFO TURTLE WITH BURNING SPIRIT!" Gaia Soul released a ghostly flame that enveloped and incinerated UFO Turtle.
Jay LP: 7400
Jimbo LP: 8000
That was when the warehouse blew up. Or a small section of it anyway.
CyberV turned his head as he heard the explosion, just in time to see tendrils of flame erupt in the distance.
"What the?!"
"Do you approve? I know you must love dramatic eruptions, given your unfortunate taste in entertainment."
"Cute. Mind cluing me in?"
"THIS is the shadow game, friend," said the voice. "Every time one of them loses life points, another bomb goes off. Enough go, the warehouse goes, and with you IN IT."
CyberV couldn't believe this. "So Jay has to end the duel quickly, while Jimbo can take all the time he wants, dragging it out point by point!"
"Exactly! Now THIS is exciting!"
He pulled at his bonds again, to no avail. 'Come on Jay. Don't mess around. You can win, but can you do it fast enough?'
"You gotta be kidding me... THAT'S the Shadow Game?!" Jay had just gotten the same explanation from Jimbo. "That's crazy!"
"That's the rule. Now if you forfeit, it goes up immediately. So keep playing."
"I will, because a friend is counting on me! When you destroyed UFO Turtle, you activated his special ability, which allows me to summon from my deck a pyro type with 1500 or fewer attack points! And I choose Solar Flare Dragon!" Jay's signature dragon appeared.
Solar Flare Dragon: 1500/1000
"And when there's another pyro out, he'll become immune to attack. But for now, it's enough that at the end of each of my turns, you'll lose 500 life points."
"Yeah, dragging it out and letting MORE explosions go off. You must hate him too."
Jay growled. "I'll show YOU hate! I'll remove UFO Turtle from my graveyard to special summon Inferno!" Inferno appeared, a fiery beast.
Inferno: 1100/1900
"And I'll end my turn," said Jimbo, letting Gaia Soul burn out of existence. "So I can activate my trap card! BACKFIRE!" His card raised. "When a pyro type is destroyed on my side of the field, you take 500 damage! And that means..."
"ANOTHER EXPLOSION!" exclaimed Jay
Jay LP: 6900
Jimbo LP: 8000
A small fireball erupted atop the warehouse.
"It's only a matter of time, isn't it?" asked Jimbo. "CyberV'll be a Cyber SPLAT."
"Don't let him distract you," said Ashes. "You can beat him if you focus! And he DID just make a major mistake!"
'She's right!' realized Jay. 'He's wide open to an attack! But if I attack him, there's gonna be another explosion... What do I do?!'
"Quite the dilemma, isn't it?" asked Poison, the voice on the other end of the speaker. He was enjoying watching the rookies squirm, but he really didn't know what Ramesus expected to happen. Still, he had his role to play, and he intended to play it to the hilt. "The longer he fights, the more danger you're in, but if he DOESN'T fight, you're finished anyway."
"He'll find a way to win," said CyberV, with more confidence than he actually felt. He was sweating, agitated.
"Perfect," said Ramesus as he stepped into the control room. "I see things are progressing nicely."
"Just like you wanted," said Poison. "But he's not that interesting... Maybe if you'd let me include electric shocks for variety..."
"Maybe next time," said Ramesus. "Besides, things are about to heat up back in the duel. Let's watch, and see how much of your handiwork will get to be displayed."
Rocket Warrior couldn't believe this. The entire situation was insane. "Jay has to attack, right?"
"Yes," said CyberV. "He has to. There's no choice." He looked up to see that the ceiling was already cracking where the second explosion had occurred. And the smell of smoke was coming in the distance. If the warehouse wasn't already on fire, it soon would be.
"My turn!" said Jay as he drew. 'But attacking might make things worse! NO! I can't think like that. I just have to hit him hard, fast, and smart, and hope it's enough!'
He looked at his hand, and a plan formed. "All right, I summon another Solar Flare Dragon!" A twin to the first appeared.
Solar Flare Dragon 2: 1500/1000
"I'll put Inferno in defense mode. That way, even if it's destroyed, I won't lose life points and that means one less explosion." Inferno changed positions, crouching.
"We'll see," said Jimbo, grinning now, enjoying watching as Jay performed under pressure.
"And now, BOTH my Dragons will attack you directly!" The Dragons surged forward, striking Jimbo with heat rays in tandem. "And by attacking together, they only bring out one explosion instead of two!"
"AAAAAAAAA!!!!" Jimbo gasped as he was nailed by the attacks.
Jay LP: 6900
Jimbo LP: 5000
"And I'll end my turn!" The Dragons fired again at Jimbo.
Jay LP: 6900
Jimbo LP: 4000
Two explosions rocked the warehouse, one on the side of the building, and one internally.
"Oh no..." muttered CyberV as he coughed, the smoke getting heavier. As he strained to see through the smoke, he could see that the last explosion had seriously damaged a support beam. Even now, it groaned with the strain of maintaining it's load. If it gave, the entire building would come down.
Inside, he felt something starting to stir. "This can't be happening!"
"Nice move," said Jimbo. "I think that last one got a support beam. I'm surprised it's still standing."
"WHAT?!" Ashes and Jay both exclaimed.
"Yep. Your lucky day. Congrats. But your luck's about to run out." Jimbo drew and grinned. "I play the spell card Lightning Vortex! By discarding one card from my hand, I can destroy all the face-up monsters on your side of the field." The card appeared on the field, and lightning struck the Solar Flare Dragons and Inferno. They erupted into pixels and vanished completely.
"MY DRAGONS!" exclaimed Jay.
"And Inferno, too," chuckled Jimbo. "You're wide open."
"Guess again. I remove one of my dragons from the graveyard to resummon Inferno to the field!" Inferno reignited in a flash of fire.
Inferno: 1100/1900
"I figured you'd do that. I'll place one card facedown." A card appeared. "And now I'll resurrect Gaia Soul the Combustible Collective using Premature Burial!" Premature Burial appeared.
Jay LP: 6900
Jimbo LP: 3200
"And guess what? It costs me 800 life points! And that means..." Another explosion rocked the warehouse roof, even as Gaia Soul reappeared.
Gaia Soul: 2000/0
"NOW DESTROY INFERNO!" Gaia Soul surged forward, nailing Inferno and absorbing it into itself.
Jay LP: 6500
Jimbo LP: 3200
Another explosion, this time on the opposite side of the warehouse.
"And I end my turn, which means Gaia Soul's gone, and Backfire reactivates!" Flames surged up, licking at Jay.
Jay LP: 6000
Jimbo LP: 3200
Another eruption inside the warehouse.
"STOP IT!" yelled Ashes. "THIS IS SICK!"
"Yeah," said Jimbo. "Ain't it cool?"
CyberV was starting to have trouble seeing. The last explosion inside had been on the ground, and had kicked up a lost of debris and dust. He was coughing more too, the dust in the air contaminating it. The back of the warehouse was definitely on fire now, and between the damage to the walls and the support beam, the building couldn't last much longer.
"Got... Gotta get outta here..."
Even as he pulled at the bonds, Red-Eyes looked at the screen, unable to help. Rocket Warrior had taken to uselessly slashing at the ropes with his immaterial sword.
"This is bad! REALLY BAD!" He slashed again. Nothing. "If you go, we go too! Our cards'll burn up!"
"Your (cough) concern for my well being is heartwarming (cough)."
"Shut up and keep pulling!"
Red-Eyes just growled.
"That's enough!" yelled Jay. "I remove another dragon to resummon Inferno!" Inferno reappeared.
Inferno: 1100/1900
"And now I summon Hand of Nephthys!" She appeared, but vanished along with Inferno. "And I use her special ability to summon Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!" The ground erupted in flames as the Phoenix rose from the ashes and took to the skies.
Sacred Phoenix: 2400/1600
"And I activate," said Jimbo, "Call of the Haunted!" The card rose up. "And it costs... Another 800 life points!"
Jay LP: 6000
Jimbo LP: 2400
Another explosion. Inside.
"Gaia Soul's back again!" Gaia Soul reappeared.
Gaia Soul: 2000/0
"But not for long! GO WITH FLAMING WING!" The Phoenix flapped it's wings, and fireballs nailed Gaia Soul, destroying it.
Jay LP: 6000
Jimbo LP: 2000
Another explosion on the side.
"And Backfire nails YOU!" Flames licked at Jay again.
Jay LP: 5500
Jimbo LP: 2000
Yet another explosion on the roof.
Jimbo chuckled. "He's probably dead by now. Bet he looks like a roast pig if anything's even left. Anyway, I place two cards facedown, and that's all."
The cards appeared.
'No monsters. He wants me to attack him so he'll lose more life points and make more explosions. But what else CAN I do?!'
"I draw!"
"And that activates my trap card!" Jimbo laughed. "COMPULSORY EVACUATION DEVICE!" A massive machine appeared on the field between the duelists. "This trap takes one monster on the field and returns it to the owner's hand. And I choose your Phoenix!" The Device opened wide, and tendrils lashed out, ensnaring the Sacred Phoenix, which struggled uselessly against it as it was pulled inside.
"PHOENIX! NO!"
"YES."
The tendrils pulled the Phoenix in completely and the Device shut tight. Gears began moving, and before the disbelieving eyes of Jay and Ashes, the Phoenix was launched straight into orbit, it's card reappearing in Jay's hand.
"Birdie goes bye-bye."
"Maybe, but I'm not finished yet! I remove another monster from my graveyard to bring back Inferno!" Inferno reappeared.
Inferno: 1100/1900
"And that activates my other trap card," chuckled Jimbo. "TORRENTIAL TRIBUTE!" Water burst from the card as it rose, clearing the field of all monsters. "All gone."
"Not quite. SOLAR FLARE DRAGON!" Another dragon appeared as Jay placed the card on the field.
Solar Flare Dragon 3: 1500/1000
"I'll end my turn, and that nails you again."
Light struck Jimbo.
"Just what I wanted you to do."
Jay LP: 6000
Jimbo LP: 1500
Another eruption on the left side of the building. As they watched, horrified, cracks continued to grow on all sides of the building.
The smoke was thick now, and breathing was going to be an issue really soon.
"Got... Got to... get out..."
"Ummm... If this keeps up, he's gonna die before you get to see what you want," said Poison.
"Oh, I doubt it. I have faith that he'll find what he needs to survive."
"And if he doesn't?"
"Then he doesn't."
"What's with all the booms?" asked Nat as she looked out of a window.
"Someone's probably having an unauthorized duel," said Hikari. "Bet it's that lousy thief."
"Now hold on, that's not-"
Hikari cut her off. "I don't want to hear it. But right now, I want to see what's going on out there. Don't you?"
Nat nodded. "Then let's go.
"Jay," said Ashes, "I'm gonna risk it."
"Go," said Jay. "But hurry! The entire place is about to come down!"
Ashes made a break for the warehouse.
"No you don't," said Jimbo. "I summon Blazing Inpachi in attack mode!" The flaming monster appeared.
Blazing Inpachi: 1850/0
"And your monster's toast! ATTACK NOW, with Ancient Fire!" Inpachi surged forward, absorbing the Solar Flare Dragon with it's own flames.
Jay LP: 5650
Jimbo LP: 1500
Ashes was almost to the door, when an explosion erupted right in front of her.
"ASHES!" exclaimed Jay outside, and CyberV within. CyberV felt something surge forth, unaware that his forehead was beginning to glow. Glow with the symbol of the Millennium Items. The Wdjat.
'I'm dead!' she thought as the fireball came at her, unaware that her deck was suddenly glowing. She braced herself to be incinerated, but suddenly, a girl appeared between her and the flames, shielding her. While Ashes was still knocked off her feet, she wasn't seriously harmed.
"What?!" Stunned, she looked up to see that, much to her horror, the only entrance was now rubble. There was no way in. And standing between her and the fire was the Raging Flame Sprite.
"That was a close one," said the Sprite. "Another second and I'd've lost you!"
"But... But..."
"It's all right, Ashes. "I'm your Duel Spirit. We're bonded, you and I. Always have been, always will be. I sensed that you needed me, and I came."
"How..."
"How isn't important," said the Sprite. "You can't help the Warrior. You have to stay back for your own sake!"
"But CyberV-"
"Will make it through. Trust me."
"It's happening," said Ramesus, gleefully watching the display.
"Where's that glow coming from?" asked Poison.
"The shadow power. He's tapping into it at last. Now it's time to see just how much he has."
"I remove my last Solar Flare Dragon to bring Inferno back again!" Jay, livid now, glared at Jimbo. "You are a sick, sick puppy you demented freak! You're DEAD!" Inferno reappeared. "You could have killed Ashes, and you don't even care! You may have already killed CyberV, and you don't care! You're a monster, and monsters need to be slain!"
Inferno: 1100/1900
"THIS guy again? Come ON! BORING!"
"SHUT UP! GREN MAJU DA EIZA! RISE!" Another fire monster appeared. "He gains 400 attack for every monster I removed from play!"
Gren Maju da Eiza: 2000/2000
"First I destroy your Inpachi. Then YOU." Gren surged forward, crushing Inpachi.
Jay LP: 5650
Jimbo LP: 1150
"You lost your temper. Tsk tsk." Jimbo chuckled. "And now we BOTH lose life points thanks to Backfire! That's two more explosions!"
Jay LP: 5100
Jimbo LP: 1150
He was right. Both explosions, this time, were inside the crumbling warehouse. If CyberV wasn't already dead, he soon would be.
"Woah..." muttered Rocket Warrior as he saw the Wdjat. "Haven't seen THAT for a while." He felt different too. Red-Eyes nodded, indicating he felt the same mystical energy. Rocket Warrior couldn't help but remember the first time he had felt such an energy... It had been when Marik had made Joey Wheeler a mind slave and forced him into battle with Yugi Mutou. But that meant...
"Oh man..."
Red-Eyes just growled.
"Feeling the heat?" asked Poison. "Burn baby burn!"
Jay looked at his hand for the first time in the turn. 'Oh man! I drew THAT?! I could have prevented that last explosion if I hadn't been so angry! I gotta put a stop to this now!' Calming himself forcefully, Jay placed one card into his Duel Disk.
"MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON!" It appeared. "Kiss Backfire goodbye, because this magic card destroys one spell or trap on the field!" Water surged forth, washing away Backfire.
"Too bad you didn't think about that earlier," said Jimbo. "What? Did I make you..." He faked a gasp. "MAD? What a shame."
"Inferno! DIRECT ATTACK!" Inferno blazed forward, frying Jimbo, who laughed as the flames enveloped him.
Jay LP: 5100
Jimbo LP: 50
Another explosion on the roof. Now the crumbling of the warehouse was audible. It was barely standing up now. One more explosion, and that would be it.
"Let me help him!" said Ashes.
"I can't," said the Sprite. "He's in good hands."
"Come on, man... Stay with us..." Rocket Warrior saw the sheer fury in CyberV's eyes, and felt the heat.
He FELT the heat.
"Slash at the ropes again," said CyberV.
"But I-"
"I believe in you, Rocket Warrior. You can do this. WE can do this."
Rocket Warrior could feel the mystical energy fully now. CyberV was tapping into something insanely dangerous.
"All right... I'll try." He raised his sword.
"ROCKET SLASH!" yelled CyberV as the sword came down, his forehead glowing bright as a star. He wasn't surprised when the ropes fell away, slashed apart by the attack. Unsteadily, he raised to his feet, free and still trapped, but Rocket Warrior could no longer feel the heat. He was immaterial again, and helpless to finish the job.
"You... Did good." said CyberV to the Duel Spirit. "Whatever that was... Took a lot out of me... But we're not out of here yet..." He looked up at Red-Eyes. "Now... It's YOUR turn."
Red-Eyes nodded and prepared itself.
"WOAH. Where'd the monster appear from?!"
"Magic," said Ramesus. "Now come along. Our work isn't finished just yet." Ramesus turned and left. Shrugging, Poison followed, pausing only momentarily to add "This concludes our broadcast," into the microphone.
"I'll place one monster facedown," said Jimbo. "Not like I need to worry. Far as I'm concerned, I've won this shadow game. Your friend is cooked hamburger by now. Losing the duel means NOTHING."
"You murdering psychopath! You're gonna pay for what you've done! And I'll start with the Swords of Revealing Light!" Light swords appeared all around Jimbo and his card, revealing it to be Charcoal Inpachi.
Charcoal Inpachi: 100/2100
"This duel's over, and you'd better pray you were wrong about my friend. I sacrifice both my monsters to resummon Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"
Gren Maju da Eiza and Inferno vanished, as the Phoenix again rose from the ground.
Sacred Phoenix: 2400/1600
"And Inferno's back too!" Jay removed Gren from the graveyard, and Inferno reappeared.
Inferno: 1100/1900
"Phoenix, nail this sicko's monster!" Sacred Phoenix unleashed fireballs, and Charcoal Inpachi was barbequed.
"It's been fun..." said Jimbo with a grin.
"INFERNO, FINISH IT!" Inferno flashed forward, burning Jimbo.
Jimbo LP: 0
One final explosion rocked the warehouse. It was coming down NOW.
Inside, CyberV saw the ceiling beginning to cave in.
"IT'S NOW OR NEVER! I BELIEVE IN YOU, RED-EYES! ATTACK THE ENTRANCE WITH INFERNO FIRE BLAST!" Red-Eyes felt the power surging and let loose with it's fireball attack.
Outside, Raging Flame Sprite turned suddenly.
"GET AWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE!" she yelled at Ashes, who wisely complied just in time to see a massive fireball shatter the rubble blocking the entrance. As the smoke cleared, she heard someone coughing despite the overwhelming sounds of the entire building falling apart. As the dust settled, she saw, of all things, a wiped out CyberV stagging out of the hole in the wall. Covered in dust and soot, but undeniably alive.
And pissed.
"They did it..." he said softly.
"NO!" exclaimed Jimbo. "You're supposed to be dead!"
Jay couldn't believe it. How on earth did CyberV get out of there? Not that it mattered, but-
"You did good," said CyberV to Jay. "But right now... I've got unfinished business with this psychopath."
Jimbo scoffed. "Yeah, right. You can barely even stand up right now. Whatcha gonna do? COUGH on me?"
"You said... that this was a shadow game... And when there's a shadow game, the loser plays... a PENALTY GAME. You lost, Jimbo... And now you're going to pay... for trespassing upon our souls." He pointed a finger at Jimbo as the Wdjat on his forehead flared up one last time. "PENALTY GAME! DEVOURING FLAMES!"
Before the unbelieving eyes of Jay, Ashes, and especially Jimbo, Inferno grinned and looked at Jimbo, before once more rushing forward, opening it's mouth wide, and SWALLOWING him.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!" screamed Jimbo, feeling the flames as they scorched him. "IT BURNS! IT BURNS! OH GOD! OH GOD! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE!"
The holograms and flames faded, but Jimbo's pain remained, as he imagined himself ablaze in the belly of a flame monster. The wdjat vanished, and CyberV started to collapse, Jay catching him just in time.
"WOAH! What did you just do?!"
"I... don't know..." CyberV was obviously in no shape to even try and explain what a penalty game was, or how he knew about them.
"We'd better get him to the infirmary," said Ashes, who suddenly realized that the Sprite had vanished.
"Yeah," said Jay. "Come on, man... We've got you."
Ashes moved to help, pausing briefly to look at the writhing Jimbo. "What about him?"
"Yeah," said Jay, with burning anger welling up. "What about him?"
Letting the question lie unanswered, they walked away. Once they were gone, Poison and Ramesus stepped from the shadows.
"Magic is real... You were right..." Poison couldn't believe it. It was all true.
"Yes. Excuse me." He walked over to Jimbo, his forehead glowing with a wdjat. "Get up and stop embarrassing yourself." Suddenly, Jimbo's pain was gone, and, unsteadily, he realized he wasn't burning. Slowly, he stood up, shaking his head.
"Did I do okay?"
"You were PERFECT," said Ramesus. "CyberV has tapped into the shadow power, and done even more than I would have thought possible without actually having the Scepter in his possession. He may actually be a THREAT."
Ramesus chuckled. Poison just watched the burning rubble of the warehouse, making a note to keep the other thing he'd done a secret. In his pocket laid a single piece of paper. What none but he knew was that, once Jimbo had left the warehouse, he had taken the opportunity to copy down every card in CyberV's second deck. He wasn't sure what he'd do with it just yet, but he knew it was bound to come in handy.
For now, however, he was content to watch the rubble burn.
As they staggered back towards the main campus, they saw a friendly face coming to greet them.
"OH MY GOD!" exclaimed Nat. "What happened?!"
"Shadow game," said Ashes. "That psychotic Jimbo tried to kill him."
"Oh man..."
"Where've you been?" asked Jay. "We coulda used you back there."
"She was with me," said Hikari as she emerged from behind a bush. "I see he made it out alive. Pity. I thought shadow games culled the weak and corrupt."
CyberV, exhausted, couldn't help but get irate with her. "What... is your PROBLEM!?!? Ever since I first saw you, you've wanted to bash my skull in! WHY!?"
"He doesn't know." Hikari couldn't believe it. "He doesn't know! You IDIOT! DON'T YOU GET IT?!"
"Get... what?"
"The Rocket Warrior and Red-Eyes Black Dragon belong to me! They're my legacy! My birthright!"
Slowly, dawning realization crossed CyberV's face. Jay and Ashes were stunned as well.
"No way..." muttered Ashes.
"She couldn't be..." said Jay, astonished despite all he'd seen tonight.
"YOU IDIOT!" yelled Hikari one last time. "MY NAME IS HIKARI WHEELER! JOEY WHEELER IS MY FATHER, AND I WANT THOSE CARDS BACK NOW!"
And as the two Spirits reappeared on either side of Hikari, CyberV couldn't help but imagine a spectral image of Joey Wheeler hanging over them all...
NEXT TIME: Daughter of the Ally! Hikari Wheeler, heir to the Legacy!