Chapter Six: Challenge

"I accept your challenge!"

Lapis turned with her Pharaoh in her arms to face the man she detested with her whole heart. "You shall face me on the battlefield and there you will meet defeat."

"What? What is this, Yami?" Kaiba stood shock-still as he digested Lapis' words. "Can you not fight your own battles?"

"Never fix your mouth to speak to my love again," retorted Lapis. Her patience with the tall brash braggart had finally worn thin. "Now, do you understand that I shall be your opponent?"

"Yes," Kaiba said slowly. "I…I just did not realize that you were familiar with the cards."

"Oh, this duel won't be played with cards. You can keep your Blue Eyes White Dragons in your pocket. I have heard from very reliable sources that you have a rather well equipped weapons room and that you even fancy yourself a weapons master. I am curious to know how good of a master you believe yourself to be. I suggest your….challenge take place there."

"W-what?" Kaiba could not believe his ears. How did she know about his martial arts training and the masters he had flown in to teach him different styles of fighting and weaponry? "What sources do you have?"

Lapis grinned. "If you knew that, I'd have to kill you." There was a devilish glint in those green depths and Kaiba was convinced she was going to kill him anyway.

"Fine," he consented. "We'll do this your way, my fighting flower, but be assured that when I win, you will become devoted to me and be part of my service forever."

"Lapis, no!" Yami gripped her tighter, trying to keep his femi with him. "I can't let you do this."

"And I can not allow him to do this again," stated the young girl as she turned confident eyes towards her love. "We can escape this place, escape it easily, but who knows how long before this snake tries something else? I could not bear having you taken away from me again." She touched his face gently as he drew her close. "Don't worry," she whispered. "I will save you."

Yami felt useless. How could he just let Lapis enter into a duel of any kind with Kaiba? But he knew that no matter how hard he tried, Lapis was going to do everything in her power to keep him safe…even if it risked the chance of being forced into Kaiba's service forever. They followed Kaiba, Yami reluctantly, down to a large spacious room where weapons of every shape and size imaginable hung on the walls and a sunken fighting arena lay in the middle. Kama hung dangerously next to chigirki, the 2 foot long stick with a chain attached, the spiked ball dangling. Nunchakus and shuriken kept company with Grecian and Norse styled swords, flails, Scottish dirks and thin rapiers. Kaiba strolled to one side of the arena, flinging his cape to the ground as he took his time in selecting his first attack piece. Lapis and Yami went to the opposite side where Lapis made sure Yami was comfortable before taking her place inside the lowered floor. Kaiba finally chose his weapon, a long bo wrapped in the middle with black silk. He twirled it expertly in his slim hands as he took his fighting stance. He grinned at the seething woman across from him, her sai at her sides.

"Ready?"

"Just say when."

They didn't waste time, just flew on an unspoken command. Meeting with a sharp clang as metal met wood, Lapis glared at her enemy before spitting in his face. Kaiba was roundly disgusted and brought the long shaft of hard wood down and up to trip her. Her feet went flying, but deftly Lapis leaned back, propping herself on her hands and caught Kaiba on the chin with a spike-heeled boot. Flipping back and out of reach before he could regain his senses, she flew at him again, leaping up to kick him soundly in the chest. Kaiba went back, but managed to throw his bo in a well-aimed projected line towards her. Lapis saw it at the last possible second and leaned to the side to avoid it before it caught her in the face. Turning back to Kaiba, she was startled by his speed as he ran at her, kneeling to sweep one long leg under her feet, trying to get her to the floor. He succeeded and she hit the floor hard.

"Now I have you," he crowed triumphantly as he came over her.

"Not now," she growled as she slashed upward with one sai, catching his shirt and forcing him away. "Not ever."

He jumped back in apparent fright, but then smirked and chuckled. "Oh, Lapis, I know you would never hurt me. You know how well I will take care of you once you belong to me."

"Look again."

Kaiba looked over at her, confused, then down at his chest. A thin red line appeared as he stood still in disbelief before it dawned on him that Lapis…had cut him. She had done him actual harm. She flipped herself up onto her feet, ready for another round. "Get your weapon," she hissed, pointing one sai at him. "Get a weapon. Get something so I can take you down honorably."

This was beyond Kaiba's comprehension. How could Lapis actually draw blood, his blood? This was unbelievable, unthinkable. Was she truly that dedicated to that weed of a man, Yami? How could this be? He had nothing, Kaiba had everything. He was the one with the wealth, the power, the respect garnered from hard work and skill at dueling. What did Yami have that he didn't to make Lapis love him, commit herself to him? What was missing? Kaiba was perfect in every way. Wasn't he? Wasn't he? Anger infused through him like liquid lava as he stared at the young woman posed defensively before him, the woman who made him question his very being.

"How dare you touch me," he snarled as he ran towards the wall of weapons, determined to teach the young girl a lesson, one that she would never forget. "I am Kaiba! Seto Kaiba! And I have everything! I have money!" Rushing towards her with a bisento in hand, a Japanese pole weapon with a thick curved blade upon a long wooden pole, longer than the bo and twice as dangerous. He began swinging in Lapis' direction without really seeing her as a target as he raved. His rage was getting the best of him thus causing his fighting skills to weaken. "I have money!," he shouted again as he brought the bisento down on her head. She dodged quickly in bewilderment at what caused him to be so angry so suddenly. The blade crashed to the floor and Kaiba immediately lifted it to strike again. "I have power! More than you can imagine!" Again and again, he brought the pole down upon her, chasing her around the floor as Lapis did her best to avoid his bad aims. However, Kaiba didn't seem to notice that he wasn't hitting anything besides the floor. "I have it all!," Kaiba continued to rant. "I have it all! He has nothing! He is nothing! Nothing, do you hear?"

He is mad, thought Lapis. Completely mad. And besides that, he is completely dangerous. He keeps this up and who knows what he'll do. Lapis could see the murderous glint in his eyes, crazed and wide, and thought furiously as to how to keep her Pharaoh safe. Her eyes flickered over to where Yami sat, horrified at Kaiba's sudden frenzied lack of sanity. Suddenly she was knocked off her feet as Kaiba swooped down with the bisento, cutting a deep wound in her arm.

"Ah!," she cried out as she hit the floor and tumbled, losing her grip on both sai. On her knees, she tried to take quick stock of her injury before the nutcase realized she was weaponless. It didn't take long. Even in a red haze, Kaiba understood she was, at least, momentarily defenseless and with a loud battle cry, ran to give the final blow. Unexpectedly Lapis jumped up to meet him, catching the handle in her hands as he brought it down. The pain from her wound was excruciating and she was feeling weak from the loss of blood and all the running around the arena, but she did not let go. For him……Mother, give me strength!, she silently begged as Kaiba bore down harder. Just one kick. Bending one knee, she leaned back, bringing both Kaiba and his weapon towards her, and calling upon her goddess, shot the other leg up through the handle, splintering wood and sending Kaiba off-kilter. He wobbled and fell, his madness slowing down his thinking. Spear tip in hand, Lapis thought fast. Glancing up at the wall, she saw a way out of this insanity. A pair of tessen, folding fans with an iron frame, lay side by side, unforgotten on the floor. No wonder, she thought, dashing over. Tessen are a female ninja's weapon. I just need one. Just one. The roar behind her let her know that Kaiba was on the move again. Make that both. Just before she could reach, she was tackled from behind by Kaiba, the both of them rolling on the floor away from the tessen. They came to a stop with him on top of her, grinning like a jackal.

"Ha! Got you!," he pronounced joyfully, his eyes wide with glee. "You belong to me!"

"Kaiba!" Yami was on his feet, ready to grab whatever he could to clobber the boy, but was suddenly stopped by a look from Lapis. Wait, my love, it said. Wait. Her glass green eyes shifted back to Kaiba and went soft, yielding.

"Why, Kaiba, I never knew." Her voice was soft, flirtatious.

Kaiba's eyes went puzzled. "Knew? Knew what? What?"

"How strong you were." Rolling suddenly, she put him under her. "Oh? Was I wrong? Aren't you the strong man who will take me away?"

Kaiba smiled and rolled. Lapis was on bottom now. "Of course I'm strong. Of course I will take care of you."

Roll. Kaiba was on bottom. "Don't play with me, Kaiba." She looked him with a hurt expression. "I need a strong man. How strong can you be if you're on the floor?"

Roll. "Who's on the floor now?"

Roll. "You. I need a real man, Kaiba. Show me your strength."

Roll. "I'm a real man, I'm all real, all man."

Roll. "Really? I don't see it."

Roll. "Ha!" Kaiba laughed in triumph as Lapis squirmed under him. "See? I am a man, all man, real man. Now, a reward. Come, my fighting flower. Kiss me."

Lapis sighed in defeat. "As you wish." Yami looked on in shock as Kaiba lowered his head, let go of Lapis' wrists and pushed his lips against hers. Lapis took his face in her hands, pressing harder as she rolled back on top. Pulling away, she smiled as Kaiba lay back in a gaze, eyes closed, a smile playing upon his own lips. Opening his blue eyes, he stared up at Lapis, a heavy tessen in her hands. She grinned.

"Here's your real reward, sir Kaiba."

Bam! Striking him against the side of his head, Kaiba went out like a light. Lapis quickly moved away from him, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Ugh!," she grunted and spit. Staring at the prone figure on the floor, seeing that it was finally over, she simply gave into her exhaustion and fell to the floor. Yami was at her side in an instant.

"Femi? Femi? Speak to me."

"I'm alright, my Pharaoh. Just tired." She smiled. "I'm sorry about that. I had to think of something."

"I forgive you, femi. I know you would protect me at any cost, but let me protect you too. I couldn't bear it if any harm to come to you."

"Nor I to you." She looked at him with much love in her eyes, Yami could have drowned and not have cared. "Come," she said. "We are finally leaving this place."

Arriving home, it was dark. Lapis immediately began turning on lights and settling her Pharaoh down so he could rest. Tending to his wounds, the two talked, not about Kaiba or their ordeal, but about each other. Yami, with the memories fresh in his mind and heart of the pain of being away from Lapis, wanted to know everything there was to know about the girl.

"No more old history," he said. "Just about you."

They laughed as they shared stories, embarrassing moments, hair-raising experiences and simply enjoyed each other's company.

"I can't believe we have to go back to school after all of this," sighed Yami as they lay outside in the hammock, his head in her lap.

A mischievous glint came to those emerald depths as she smiled. "Should my Pharaoh say so, we don't have to."

He smiled back, catching her meaning. "Then as your Pharaoh, I command that we stay here tomorrow."

"As my Pharaoh says."

Looking deep into one another's eyes, Yami reached up gently, cupping her cheek in his hand. "As your Pharaoh," he said softly, voice receding to a whisper. "I command that you kiss me."

She leaned in closer, not quite touching his lips. "As my Pharaoh says." Quietly, gently, lightly, they came together, never to be apart again.