Blackshadow340: thanks! Here's the duel, so I hope you enjoy~ And hey, everything's possible when talking about Spirits~

Neo Infinity: Thank you~ I don't know if this chapter came faster then the last one, but check the authors note at the end, to get a general idea of when the next one is going to come out

Black48: I like it when they interact as well, since it gives me a whole lot of opportunity to play around~ And the Festival will...definitely be something, I can tell you that~

Kurotora: Glad you liked the chapter~ and yes, in this story, Spirits can get horny...or in 'heat'~

Atem95: Uh..I didn't quite understand what you tried to say about a harem, but I can tell you that DMG won't fuse with Shin, and both her and Alexis are Shin's love interests, and eventual partners. It's a polygamous relationship, but it's too small to actually be considered a 'harem'. Love triangle, at most. Sorry if I understood it wrong, but your review was a little confusing

shadic: Thanks~ Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy~

Decoy Dragon: Updated~

Ghost1986: Thank you~ I hope you enjoy this new chapter as well~

So with those reviews out of the way, let's move on to the new chapter~

Chapter 8: Dangers of the Shadow Games Pt. 3

"Asuka!" Shin exclaimed worriedly, as Asuka's scream resounded through the hallways. Immediately, he bolted down the hall, where the scream seemed to come from.

"Shin, wait for us!" Judai exclaimed, as the three ran after Shin.

As he was running, Shin noticed a flight of stairs at the end of the hallway, leading downstairs into a large room. He completely ignored the stairs, opting to just jump over the railing instead.

Landing on the wooden floor below, Shin used his flashlight to look around. Around him, he saw a bunch of objects, varying in size, covered with white sheets. However, something else caught his eye, a little further away.

As he went over, Judai and the other two appeared at the top of the stairs, panting a bit. Looking down, they noticed Shin picking something up. Quickly making their way downstairs, the three made their way to Shin, and glanced at the card Shin was holding.

"That card..." Judai mumbled, looking at the card.

"It's Etoile Cyber!" Sho exclaimed, having a better look at the card in Shin's hand.

"Asuka's card..." said boy's expression darkened, his eyes flaring red for a moment. Looking down, he noticed marks on the floor.

"It looks like something was dragged down that hallway" Hayato remarked, looking at the trail that led down a dark hallway to their left. Shin promptly stood up, and began running down the hallway, with the other three following suit.

After a while of running through a tunnel of sorts, the four boys ended up inside a large cave, with mysterious patterns littering the floor.

"Where the hell are we…?" Judai looked around the room, as Sho stuck close to him, shivering a bit.

"This place is even more scary than the Abandoned Dorm..." he mumbled scared.

While Judai, Sho and Hayato were looking around, Shin's eyes immediately caught sight of what they were looking.

"Asuka!" he exclaimed, alerting the other three, who shone their flashlight in the direction Shin was looking.

There, they saw Asuka inside a demonic looking coffin, unconscious. Of course, Shin immediately ran toward her, but was quickly stopped in his tracks as mist began surrounding him.

"Shin look out!" Judai called, as a tall figure appeared from the mist, making Shin jump back.

Looking closely, the boys saw a tall man, dressed in a black coat, wearing a mask and a black fedora. He also wore Duel coat, eerily similar to the one Chronos wore.

"I've already placed her soul in the darkness" the man said, making Shin's eye open a little wide. "I welcome you, Judai Yuki." Judai was surprised that the man knew him, however before he could say anything, Shin stepped forward.

"Who the hell are you, and what have you done to Asuka?!" he shouted angrily, as the man seemed surprised at the unknown appearance. However, he answered regardless.

"My name is Titan, the Dark Duelist" he announced, tipping his fedora a bit. "However, that is of no concern to you. My business is with Judai Yuki"

"Me?" Judai asked confused, before he quickly shook his head. "Nevermind that! Tell us what you've done to Asuka!" he demanded, as Titan released a dark laugh.

"Her soul is currently trapped inside the darkness. But fret not, for you will join her shortly" he said.

"Stop messing around and tell us what you did to her!" Shin exclaimed, beginning to get fed up with Titan.

"I'm not 'messing around'. As the Dark Duelist, I have control over the Games of Darkness" he said, making Shin even more angry, while Sho and Hayato actually seemed to believe him.

"Don't be stupid! The Games of Darkness aren't real!" Judai declared, being the only one among the boys that didn't believe in the Games.

"Trust me boy...you'll believe soon enough" Titan chuckled. "This is a forbidden realm that none may enter. And since you've broken that oath, I will be the one to deliver your punishments." as he finished speaking, the mist surrounding them began spreading even further.

"So you're the one who's responsible for the missing students…!" Judai surmised to himself, as Hayato began rummaging through his backpack. "Just give Asuka back to us!" he shouted, amusing Titan.

"I will...on the condition you beat me in this dark game, Judai Yuki" he smirked.

"Fine then, bring it on!" Judai declared, as Hayato handed him a Duel Disk. However, as he was about to activate it, Shin raised his hand to stop him.

"No..." Shin started, his hair shadowing his eyes "This guy is mine…!" he declared, taking his own Duel Disk out.

"I told you already. My business is with Judai Yuki. This has nothing to do with you boy" Titan said simply, making Shin grit his teeth a bit.

"Nothing to do with me…?" he asked in a low tone, something that Judai and Sho recognized. "No no...You made the mistake of kidnapping and endangering one of my close friends. Because of that, you won't be dealing with Judai...You will answer to me!" Shin declared, raising his head to show his scowling expression, his icy blue eyes flaring red again.

"Hm." Titan simply scoffed "So be it then. If you want to be fed to the darkness first, then I shall oblige you. But don't regret it boy!" he declared, activating his Duel Disk which looked like a bat wing.

Shin followed the example, and activated his own Duel Disk, preparing to insert his main deck in it. However, he remembered Dark Magician's words, and decided to place it back in it's holster, making his friends raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Shin-kun?" Sho asked confused, as Shin reached for his secondary deck.

'Is that...' Judai thought, remembering a glimpse he caught during Shin's duel against Manjoume's goons. It was the holster Shin got his deck from.

"I'll make sure you pay for kidnapping Asuka" Shin declared, inserting his secondary deck into his Duel Disk.

"The only one who will pay, will be you boy, once you lose this duel. And the only price to be paid in a dark game, is one's soul!" Titan said, inserting his own deck into his Duel Coat.

"Enough talk!" Shin exclaimed, as the two readied their Duel Disk's.

""DUEL""

Titan: 4000 LP

Shin: 4000 LP

"You three step aside and and keep eye on Asuka. This won't take long" Shin declared, as he and Titan drew their cards.

"I'll leave this one to you then" Judai nodded his head, before the three stepped away from the duel field.

"Be careful Shin-kun!" Sho warned, having an eerie feeling about the duel. And the abandoned dorm in general.

"Don't worry Sho. I got this" Shin nodded his head once, before turning to Titan. "You can have the first move."

"Then don't mind if I do. I draw!" Titan drew his card, before analyzing his six cards. "I'll start things off by summoning Infernalqueen Archfiend, in ATK mode!" he declared, placing the card in one of the slots on the duel blade.

And as he did that, a demonic creature wearing a red robe, with hooks for arms appeared, releasing a horrible roar.

Infernalqueen Archfiend -LV4- (900/1500)

"A fiend deck…?" Shin mumbled to himself, remembering possible cards that Titan could have in his deck.

"With Infernalqueen on the field, I can raise the ATK of one 'Archfiend' monster on my field by 1000 points" Titan explained, as Sho and Hayato opened their eyes wide.

"But that means…!"

Infernalqueen Archfiend released another roar, before a red aura enveloped it, raising it's ATK.

Infernalqueen Archfiend 900 → 1900

"Archfiend decks truly are wonderful" Titan said proudly, before Judai quipped from the sidelines.

"As wonderful as they are, Archfiend monster require LP to be paid, in order to keep them on the field. That's a big weakness" he grinned, thinking Titan was unaware of the fact. However, it was Shin that spoke up.

"There are ways to avoid that effect Judai" Shin explained, having memorized some cards belonging to the Archfiend archetype. "Nowadays, no deck has flaws that cannot be avoided in some ways."

"Your friend is right, Judai Yuki" Titan said, taking another card from his hand "I activate a Spell!" he slid the card into the Field Spell slot.

As the card activated, a bright light blinded the students for a moment. As they opened their eyes, they saw that the duel field had changed.

They were now inside a coliseum pit of sorts, surrounded by many skeletons, skull, as well as various bones. The duel field itself was now fenced by bony spikes, coming from the ground, while the middle was a fiery pit.

"W-What is this place?" Sho stuttered, clinging to his big bro. Judai himself was clueless, while Hayato was on the same boat.

"For now, you can call it the first circle of hell" Titan smirked.

"Also known as, the Field Spell card 'Pandemonium'." Shin quipped, breaking Titans attempt of intimidation. "As long as the card is in play, players don't have to pay LP to maintain 'Archfiends' on the field." he explained.

"Hm. You really are knowledgeable..." Titan mumbled "But yes, I am now exempt from paying LP to keep my Archfiend monster on the field. And in addition, everytime one of my Archfiend monsters is destroyed by means other than battle, I am allowed to add another 'Archfiend' with a lower level, from my deck to my hand."

"Are you done?" Shin asked blankly, making Titan frown under his mask.

"Yes. It's your turn boy."

Titan: 4000LP

Shin: 4000LP

(Infernalqueen Archfiend 1900 → 900)

"Don't worry Asuka-chan. We'll be out of here by the time you come to.." Shin mumbled, glancing at Asuka's unconscious form. However, Titan noticed this too, and chuckled darkly.

"Oh? Is that girl distracting you?" snapping his fingers, the duel field started to shake "Then allow me to remove her for you." raising his hand, the coffin Asuka was in suddenly closed, before a bunch on bony spikes wrapped themselves around it, dragging it into the ground.

"Asuka!" Shin exclaimed, opening his eyes wide as the coffin disappeared from sight. "You bastard!" he shouted, scowling at Titan. His eyes flared red once again.

"That's cheating!" Hayato exclaimed, with Sho and Judai joining in.

"Coward!" Judai shouted, glaring at Titan.

"Yeah, leave Asuka-san out of this!" Sho exclaimed, making Titan look at them.

"Say whatever you wish, but this is how the Games of Darkness are played" Titan said simply. "Or do you wish to be removed as well?" he exclaimed, making Sho and Hayato take a step back.

"Your fight is with me!" Shin declared, as a gust of wind suddenly blew through the cave, taking Titan by surprise. "Everything will be fine you three." he assured his friends, focusing back on the duel.

"I draw!" drawing his card, Shin glanced at his current hand, forming a starting strategy. "First, I'll summon Luster Dragon, in ATK mode!" he announced, as the purple dragon materialized and roared.

Luster Dragon -LV4- (1900/1400)

"I activate Infernalqueen's effect!" Titan announced, as Infernalqueen gained 1000 ATK once again.

"Huh?!" Sho exclaimed surprised. "Didn't he already do that during his own turn? How is it working during Shin-kun's?"

"Infernalqueen grants 1000 ATK until the End Phase. Because of it, the effect can be activated during each Standby Phase, including your friends." Titan explained, as his monster roared again.

"Don't think that matching their ATK will stop me" Shin scoffed, confusing Titan.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Luster Dragon attack Infernalqueen Archfiend!" he declared, as the dragon charged up a fireball in it's mouth.

Titan's monster retaliated by conjuring up a ball of dark fire, which it send toward Luster Dragon. The dragon did the same, resulting in the two monsters getting destroyed by each others attack.

"That was your plan to get rid of my monster? It seems you're a bit rash, boy" Titan casually remarked, with Shin paying it no mind.

"I now activate, Different Dimension Capsule!" he announced, inserting the card into the Duel Disk's magic card slot.

"Different Dimension Capsule?" Judai wondered, having never seen the card before.

"Different Dimension Capsule allows the user to ban a card from their deck for two turns, after which they add it to their hand" Hayato explained as simple as he could, making Judai nod his head in understanding.

"Two turns seems a little long though" he remarked, focusing back on the duel.

"Using Different Dimension Capsule, I ban one card from my deck for two turns" he stated, tapping once on the screen of his duel disk, before a card got ejected from his deck. "And on my second Standby Phase, I add this card to my hand." he slid the card in a special compartment on the opposite side of his deck.

"I set one card and end my turn" Shin said, inserting another card in the designated slot, which then appeared face down on his side of the field.

"Then it's my turn again. Draw!" Titan said, as his Duel Coat ejected another card in his hand. "You may have destroyed one of my monsters, but you left yourself open in the process. And that was a grave mistake! I summon, Shadowknight Archfiend!" he exclaimed, as the monster materialized on the field.

Shadowknight Archfiend -LV4- (2000/1600)

"But I'm afraid it doesn't end here, for I activate the Spell card, Double Summon!" he announced, inserting the card in the slot.

"With this, I am allowed another Normal Summon. And I use it to summon, Terrorking Archfiend!" he declared, slamming the card of his duel blade.

Terrorking Archfiend -LV4- (2000/1500)

"Now way! Both of those monster have 2000 ATK!" Sho exclaimed worriedly.

"And Shin doesn't have any monsters! He'll lose if he doesn't stop Titan!" Hayato added, both of them worried for Shin.

"Stop worrying guys. Shin's definitely got this!" Judai turned to the two, attempting to calm them down. Then, he turned back to Shin "Hang in there Shin!"

"You certainly have supportive friends" Titan remarked. "Too bad it won't help. Terrorking Archfiend, attack him directly!" he declared, as Terrorking raised it's sword high.

"Not happening!" Shin exclaimed, pressing a button under his Duel Disk's screen.

Right after the button was pressed, a horrible roar echoed through the cave, causing everyone bar Shin to cover their ears. It also made Terrorking stop dead in it's tracks.

"What the hell was that?!" Titan exclaimed, after the roar stopped. He then noticed Terrorking wasn't moving. "Terrorking, I told you to attack!"

"I'm afraid your Battle Phase is over." Titan turned back to Shin surprised. It was then that his set card raised up. "I activated my face down card, Threatening Roar. It prevents your monster from attacking, and ends your Battle Phase right after" he explained, making Titan grit his teeth a bit.

"I thought it seemed a little too easy. I set one card and end my turn!" he declared, his face down card appearing in front of him.

Titan: 4000 LP

Shin: 4000 LP

"Then it's my turn again. I draw!"

Different Dimension Capsule x1

Adding the card to his hand, Shin grinned. However, it wasn't his usual grin. This one had a hint a maliciousness in it.

"Time to start paying up" he looked back at Titan, who unknowingly took a tiny step back. "I summon Red Eyes B. Chick!" he announced, placing the card on the energy blade.

In front of Shin, an egg appeared, making everyone else raise an eyebrow. And soon, the egg cracked, the top part raising to reveal a tiny baby dragon with red eyes and black scales. It roared cutely, before releasing a tiny flame.

Red Eyes B. Chick -LV1- (800/500)

Seeing the monster, Shin's friends sweatdropped, while Titan openly laughed.

"Ahaha, that's how you're going to make me pay? Laughable!" he declared, as the baby dragon roared angrily, for being laughed at. However the roar was still nothing more than a squeak.

"You won't be laughing for long" Shin's grin grew, as he took out another card from his hand, before the egg became surrounded by flames, taking everyone by surprise.

"I activate Red Eyes B. Chick's special effect! By sacrificing it" he started, as the baby dragon became consumed by flames, which then turned into a pillar of red flames. "I can now Special Summon it's mature counterpart! Rise up, Red Eyes Black Dragon!" he declared, slamming the card on the energy blade.

The pillar intensified, before two red eyes appeared in the flames. And a second later, the pillar dissolved, as the giant black scaled dragon emerged, and roared strongly.

Red Eyes B. Dragon -LV7- (2400/2000)

"Time to feel the pain" Shin smirked, as Red Eyes began charging up a fireball in it's mouth. "Red Eyes, attack Shadowknight Archfiend! Inferno Fire Blast!" he commanded, as the dragon reared it's head back, before launching the fireball straight at Titan's monster, shattering it into pixels.

Titan: 4000 – 3600 LP

After Red Eyes's attack, Shin expected something to happen to Titan, due to him losing LP. However, he was surprised when the smoke cleared, and Titan didn't seem to have any sort of injury whatsoever.

"You certainly have a strong monster boy, but I can assure you it won't be there for long" he declared calmly, making Shin's eyes open a little wider.

'What the hell...he looks completely fine!' Shin frowned 'He said this is going to be a Game of Darkness?' glancing at his Millennium Item, Shin noticed no glow, or anything to indicate his Medallion was resonating with anything. He then looked back at Titan, eyes narrowed. 'I smell a bunch of bullshit…!'

"I end my turn!" he declared, as Red Eyes stationed itself behind him.

"Not before I activate this! Call of the Haunted!" Titan declared, as smoke began rising from the spot Shadowknight was previously. "With this, I'm allowed to resurrect one of my fallen monsters. And I choose Infernalqueen Archfiend!"

From the smoke, Infernalqueen materialized with a roar, making Sho and Hayato worry again.

Infernalqueen Archfiend -LV4- (900/1500)

"Oh no, it's the thing that can raise Titan's monsters ATK!" the short boy exclaimed, drawing a line between Titan's two monsters.

"Yeah, and with it he can raise Terrorking's ATK to 3000! Red Eyes is screwed" Hayato voiced Sho's thought out loud. Judai simply watched on, keeping his faith in Shin's abilities.

"Hm! Now it's my turn again. I draw!" Titan stated, drawing his card strongly.

Titan: 3600 LP

Shin: 4000 LP

"First, I activate Infernalqueen's effect!". He stated, as a purple miasma began enveloping Terrorking. "With it, I raise Terrorking's ATK by 1000 points!"

Terrorking Archfiend 2000 → 3000

"Now, I summon Vilepawn Archfiend, in ATK mode!" he declared, as the fiend monster rose up on his side of the field, next to Infernalqueen. "It's time to learn why the dark games shouldn't be taken lightly! Terrorking Archfiend, attack Red Eyes! Internal Organ Explosion!"

Terrorking opened it's torso, where a bunch of giant insect flew out from, heading straight for Red Eyes. It didn't take long until Red Eyes was completely swarmed by the bugs, exploding into pixels soon after. And as it did, the insect attacked Shin, making him stumble backwards a bit.

Shin: 4000 – 3400 LP

"Now, Infernalqueen and Vilepawn! Attack that boy directly!" hearing Titans command, the two monster lunged at Shin, slashing with the claw and sword respectively, sending him on his back.

Shin: 3400 – 1300 LP

"Shin-kun!" Sho shouted worriedly, seeing Shin lose so many LP in a single turn.

"Hang in there Shin!" Judai tried to encourage his downed friend, who was currently picking himself up.

"Guh…!" Shin grit his teeth, as he stood back up. Looking back at Titan, he saw him reach into his coat.

"Feel the effects of the dark games..." Titans voice began to echo in Shin's mind, as he pulled out a yellow, pyramid shaped object, raising it in front of Shin. The boy's eyes opening in recognition of the familiar item.

"The Millennium Puzzle…?!" he mumbled, before the object emitted a bright light.

"Disappear. Let your body gradually disappear, as your life points decline..." he spoke calmly, before the glow disappeared.

"Shin-kun, your body!" Shin heard Sho exclaim. Opening his eyes, Shin looked down at himself, only to see that most of his torso and legs were gone.

"What…!" he exclaimed, as Titan laughed.

"I told you boy...We're playing a Game of Darkness. In this duel, you'll pay with your own being, not your LP" he chuckled darkly. However, they soon heard another chuckle, coming from Shin. "Have the dark games driven you mad already boy?" he asked, raising an eyebrow under his mask.

"Heheheh..." Shin chuckled, as his hair covered his eyes. "I certainly haven't gone mad yet. What's funny, is that you think this little trick of yours actually works on me. It's laughable~" Shin grinned, looking back at Titan. The man himself took a step back, taken completely by surprise.

"Trick? I assure you, all of this is real" he said calmly, trying to keep up the act. "The dark mist envelops you. The dark mist envelops all of you" he stated, as the shadowy mist began surrounding all those present. "That's right, isn't it hard to breathe?" he asked, as Sho, Hayato and Judai grasped their necks.

"I-It's suddenly really hard to breathe..!" Judai exclaimed, as his friends dropped to one knee. However, Shin remained completely fine, shocking Titan.

"Really intriguing mist you got there~" he smirked, making Titan grit his teeth in frustration.

"Why aren't you struggling to breathe? The dark games affect all!" he exclaimed, but Shin just waved him off.

"All those who actually listen to those commands you give" he shrugged, making a bead of sweat roll on Titan's cheek. Hearing this, Judai and his fellow Slifer opened their eyes a little wider, unconsciously beginning to breathe easier.

"Grr..I-I end my turn!" he declared, stuttering a bit.

Titan: 3600 LP

Shin: 3400 LP

"Then it's my turn again. Time to break this charade of yours!" he declared, making Titan gulp. "I draw!" following his draw, the gust of wind returned, immediately dissipating the black mist surrounding them, shocking Titan.

Different Dimension Capsule x2

"First, since this is my second Standby Phase, Different Dimension Capsule's effect activates!" he announced, as the card he banned two turns ago got ejected from the special slot. "Now, I activate the card I drew! Pot of Greed!" he announced, as the smirking jar appeared, producing two cards for Shin. "This is the beginning of the end! I play, Monster Reborn!" he declared, as the familiar pillar of fire lit up behind him.

"Be revived, Red Eyes B. Dragon!" he declared, as Jonouchi's Ace appeared behind Shin.

Red Eyes B. Dragon -LV7- (2400/2000)

"However, this Red Eyes won't be here for long" true to the word, Red Eyes suddenly became enveloped in black flames.

"Black dragon with eyes of red. Cover your scales in the darkness of death, and overwhelm your enemies with the strength of your fallen comrades! Arise! Level 9, Red Eyes Darkness Dragon!"

From the black flames, a different version of Red Eyes appeared. It had strange, plate-like wings, red lines outlining it's body, which was much sharper and had multiple prolonged spikes. Landing behind Shin, the dragon released a powerful roar, which shook the cave.

Red Eyes Darkness Dragon -LV9- (2400/2000)

"Holy cow! Look at that monster!" Hayato exclaimed, looking in awe at Shin's new monster.

"Shin-kun really has some strong monsters.." Sho mumbled, while Judai just grinned, excited at the thought he would one day get to face that monster.

"Red Eyes Darkness Dragon's second effect activates!" Shin announced, as his Graveyard began emitting a black miasma, which was being absorbed by Red Eyes. "For every Dragon-type monster in my Graveyard, Red Eyes gains an additional 300 ATK" he explained, making Titan take a step back.

Red Eyes Darkness Dragon 2400 → 3000

"I activate Infernal Queen's effect to raise Terrorking's ATK by 1000 points!" Titan declared, as Terrorking's ATK raised to 3000 again. "Now your monster can't destroy Terrorking!"

"I won't need to" he said simply, making Titan gulp again. "Since all of my summons so far were Special Summons, I get to Normal Summon another monster." taking another card from his hand. "I summon, Masked Dragon in ATK mode!" he declared, as the dragon materialized next to Red Eyes.

Masked Dragon -LV4- (1400/1000)

"Time to battle! Masked Dragon, attack Vilepawn Archfiend!" he commanded, as the dragon launched a fireball toward Titan's monster, destroying it.

Titan: 3600 → 3400 LP

"Now, time for the real deal! Red Eyes Darkness Dragon, attack Infernalqueen!"

The dragon obeyed without question, and reared it's head back, igniting a massive fireball, before launching it toward Infernalqueen. Since Titan's monster was leagues under Red Eyes, it stood no chance and was destroyed immediately.

"Gah-!" the blast was so strong, it actually continued after destroying Infernalqueen. And it hit Titan square in the chest, sending him flying backwards.

Titan: 3400 → 1300 LP

While Shin grinned, his friends were left mouth agape.

'Just like on the first day...' Judai thought, remembering how Manjoume's goons were also sent flying, using the same deck. And as he remembered it, he came to a conclusion 'Shin is not to be trifled with when he's using Red Eyes'

'Shin-kun is scary again!' Sho whined in his mind, remembering how Shin got when he was angry during their first night on the island.

"Guhh.." Titan groaned, standing back up. "W-What the hell was that..?" he said shakily, looking back at Shin.

"What's wrong? Don't like the real feel of the dark games?" Shin grinned, as his eyes flared red, along with his medallion beginning to glow.

"The real feel…?" Titan asked, his voice cracking "Don't be ridiculous! I'm the only one who can control the dark games! I'm the owner of this Millennium-!" he tried to present his pendant again, before it was struck by a card, cracking the object right in the middle.

"Millennium Item?" Shin asked amused, having been the one who embedded the card in Titan's fake Puzzle. "The real Millennium Puzzle would be made of solid gold. Not something a mere card can shatter. Like your little mist for example" he gestured around them, where the mist that was covering the field previously disappeared. His missing body parts also appeared once again.

"Huh? Shin-kun's body is back!" Sho remarked, with Hayato perking up.

"It easy to breathe again too!"

"Kuh-!" Titan grit his teeth in frustration, while Shin kept grinning. Sho's expression then turned confused.

"But, how did Shin-kun make everything return to normal?" he asked his Big Bro, who grinned.

"I think I have an idea. It was all an illusion wasn't it Shin?" he called out to his friend, who faced them with his usual childish smile.

"Yup! This guys was probably a hypnotist before, so he had all of hypnotized with his pendant, to make this 'dark game' appear real!" he declared, before looking back Titan.

"Now that your little 'dark game' is over, let's end the actual duel as well" he took one card, and inserted it into his duel disk. "I set one card and end my turn."

Titan: 1300 LP

Shin: 1300 LP

"Grr...I was prepared to face Judai Yuki...I wasn't told anything about this kid!" Titan grumbled to himself, stepping back. "Since my tricks aren't working, continuing this duel would be pointless!" he announced, before throwing the pendant down, where it created a small explosion that covered the field in smoke.

"A smoke bomb?" Shin opened his eyes wide in surprise "Don't think you can run away punk!" he shouted, running trough the smoke to catch Titan, who was walking away. However, as Shin was running, the serpent heads that were in the cave began to light up.

*GLOW*

Suddenly, a giant eye lit up on the duel field, stopping Shin dead in his tracks.

"What?!" he exclaimed. Almost immediately, his Millennium Item began glowing brightly, making him open his eyes wide. "This is-!" looking back at Titan, both duelist were taken by surprise, as the ground began to shake.

"Shin, get away from there!" Judai exclaimed worried, preparing to run over to his friend, Sho and Hayato in tow.

"DON'T!" Shin shouted, effectively stopping the three. "Stay there! This isn't just a game anymore!" he shouted, as black smoke began whirling around the two duelists, the arena shaking heavily. Soon the duel field was completely covered by the smoke.

"Shin!" he shouted, after seeing Shin disappear within the smoke. He prepared to run inside after Shin, before the smoke began releasing lighting, which almost hit him.

"Big Bro look out!" Sho called, as Judai was forced to jump back, in order to avoid the lighting. Looking forward, the three saw a giant purple ball, in the middle of the field, lightning bolts keeping anyone from trying to enter.

"What is that?" Judai mumbled, standing back up.

"That must be it! The Games of Darkness!" Hayato exclaimed, taking a step back.

"Games of Darkness…?" Judai asked, looking back at the purple ball, beginning to genuinely wonder whether the Games were actually real or not.

Inside the sphere, Titan was looking around confused.

"W-What's going on?" he asked. He then noticed a golden glow next to him. Looking over, Titan noticed Shin a little further away, a worried expression on his face.

"This is the real Darkness.." he said, looking over at Titan "This has become a real dark game..!" he admitted.

"R-Real Game of Darkness? It can't be! Those were merely stories!" Titan exclaimed. Before Shin could speak however, the two heard noises coming from above them.

Looking up, they saw dozens of little slime balls falling down around them. And they soon began swarming Titan, who was unable to do anything.

"W-what the hell is this?! S-Someone, please help me!" he cried out, getting completely overwhelmed by the creatures.

Shin took a step forward, but his advance was quickly halted, as the tiny creatures began forming around him as well. Stepping back, he was quickly made aware of the fact that there he was completely surrounded, no escape route whatsoever,

Before any of the creatures could attack Shin however, a roar resounded from his deck, before Red Eyes appeared next to it's master, followed by Horus the Black Flame Dragon and Kuriboh, who began warding off the creatures.

"So they're scared of Duel Monsters huh?" Shin mumbled, before hearing noises coming from behind him. Looking back, he saw Titan getting swarmed by the slimes, before they started entering his body, rendering him standing motionless.

"O-Oi! Are you alright?" Shin called, hoping the worst didn't happen. Unfortunately, things don't go nice in the darkness.

"Shintarou Akami" Titan spoke in an eerie voice, his eyes turning red, making Shin take a step back, eyes widening at the mention of his full name. "You have finally fallen into my realm...It's time you pay up for what you did, monster" he said, taking a step toward Shin.

*SHINE*

However, Titan stopped in his tracks, as Shin's Medallion glowed brightly, before a sudden pressure weighed heavily on his shoulders. Raising his head, Shin revealed his gleaming red eyes, signaling that his dark self took over.

"The only 'monster' here is you...And you will stay here as repentance for what you did!" he stated, as Titan took a step back.

"Humpf! The Game of Darkness has already been initiated. No one will be able to leave or enter until this duel is over. We'll let the shadows be the judge here.." Titan got his duel disk ready again, as the field appeared once again.

"Then so be it" Yami Shin declared, as his own monsters returned on the field.

Titan: 1300 LP

Shin: 1300 LP

"It is now my turn. I draw" Titan declared, drawing his next card. "I activate the Spell, Pot of Greed" he drew his two cards, before inserting another card in the Magic slot. "And next I play Allure of Darkness, to draw two new cards, at the cost of one monster in my hand." he discarded one card, before drawing two new cards from his deck.

"Now, I sacrifice Terrorking Archfiend, to summon Skull Archfiend of Lightning!" he declared, as Terrorking shattered into pixels, before becoming a ball, which then opened up into a very similar version of the Summoned Skull.

Skull Archfiend of Lightning -LV6- (2500/1200)

"Next, I activate the Spell, Axe of Despair, to give my monster an additional 1000 ATK points" he stated, as a demonic looking axe appeared in the monsters hand, raising it's ATK.

Skull Archfiend of Lightning 2500 → 3500

"I'm afraid this is the end for you, Shintarou Akami. Skull Archfiend of Lightning, attack his Masked Dragon, and throw his soul into the darkness as well!" Titan commanded, as his monster covered it's axe with lightning, before throwing it toward Masked Dragon.

"Not so fast!" he declared, revealing his face down. "I active the Trap, Shift! Now your attack target shifts to Red Eyes Darkness Dragon!" he exclaimed, as the axe suddenly switched trajectories, and embedded itself into Red Eyes's chest, bursting it into pixels.

However, as this was a real Game of Darkness, Yami Shin was suddenly electrocuted, as his LP dropped.

Shin: 1300 – 800 LP

"Guh..!" he gritted his teeth, dropping on one knee. Fortunately, he was strong enough to brush it off mere moments later.

"That concludes my turn" Titan stated, as Shin stood back up.

"Then I draw!" he drew his card, followed by the gust of wind. Looking at his card, Yami Shin came up with the winning strategy.

"First, I activate Card of Sanctity! Now we both draw card until we're holding six cards, so start drawing" he announced, as both drew five extra cards. "Time to end this! I activate, Lightning Vortex!" he announced, as lightning began raining down. However, it stopped before it reached Skull Archfiend.

"Since Skull Archfiend of Lightning is my only monster, your Spell only targets it. And now, my monsters effect activates!" he announced, as six balls suddenly appeared from the fiery pit in the middle of the duel field. "If I roll a 1, 3 or a six, your Spell is negated and destroyed. Now, roll the dice!"

The Nr. 1 ball lit up in flames, before the flame started moving in a circular motion from one ball to the other. It kept going for a few moments, before slowly beginning to come to a halt.

5

3

2

(6)

"It looks like the odds don't fancy you either. Since I rolled a six, your spell card is negated and destroyed!" he shouted, as Lightning Vortex caught fire, bursting into pixels.

"Humpf. It makes little difference. This game is decided either way. I activate, Future Fusion!" he declared, as the card raised up. "I send a second Red Eyes Black Dragon, and Summoned Skull from my deck to my Graveyard. And now, I chain the Spell card, Dragon's Mirror!"

In front of Shin, a giant mirror appeared. Looking in it, Titan noticed a giant black figure with red eyes.

"By banishing Red Eyes and Summoned Skull from my Graveyard, I can bring out an Archfiend of my own!" he declared, as the mirror lit up.

"Black dragon with eyes of red. Venture into the darkness of the underworld, and return with new power! Show the demons who their true king is! Appear before me! Level 9, Black Skull Dragon!"

The mirror glowed brightly, before shattering as darkness emerged from it. Inside that darkness, a pair of gleaming red eyes opened, before a large dragon my armor made of black bones, and red eyes, emerged. Landing behind it's master, it released a powerful roar.

B. Skull Dragon -LV9- (3000/2500)

"And now, I activate Megamorph!" he declared, as B. Skull Dragon grew twice in size, releasing an ear deafening roar.

B. Skull Dragon 3000 → 6000

Titan quickly looked at his hand, however there was nothing to help him. And Yami Shin noticed it too. "My luck doesn't affect my odds, but it certainly affects your draws" he smirked, making Titan take a step back.

"Time to end this! Black Skull Dragon, attack Skull Archfiend and end this duel!" Yami Shin ordered, as B. Skull Dragon reared it's head back and charged an enormous black fireball. "Hellfire Blast!"

The dragon shot the fireball toward Skull Archfiend, quickly annihilating the monster, and sending Titan flying backward, once again.

Titan: 1300 – 0 LP

WINNER: Shin!

As the holograms disappeared, Titan was left in a steaming heap. Groaning, be raised his body.

"C-Curse you…!" 'Titan' coughed, as the spirit possessing him began loosing control. Yami Shin narrowed his eyes.

"You already did...nine years ago, when you murdered her in cold blood, because of your own delusions!" he spat, glaring at 'Titan' "You're the reason I'm like this...and you will continue to suffer because of it…!" he declared coldly, as Titan's body began steaming some more, the spirit loosing most of it's control.

"I-If only she wasn't t-there to try and stop me...If o-only you hadn't been born...a c-cursed child..!" 'Titan' spat, before the spirit possessing him lost all control, and vanished back into the darkness.

"I didn't choose to be born like with this...And she had no fault in it either..." for a second, his eyes switched back to full heterochromia, before a single tear rolled down his cheek.

However, his eyes immediately flared back to crimson red, as Titan began coughing again. Quickly wiping his tear away, Yami Shin assumed his stone cold expression, and watched as Titan stood back up, and looked around confused.

"W-What happened…?" he asked, before noticing Shin, staring blankly at him.

"You lost a Game of Darkness" he answered monotonously. "And now you will pay the price" he stated coldly, as the slime monster began swarming Titan again.

"N-No! This can't be! You're telling me the Games of Darkness are actually real?!" he exclaimed, being brought down by the creatures. "Please boy! Save me! Please don't let them take me!" he desperately called out to Yami Shin, who simply turned back, and began walking away, the slime monsters clearing a path for him.

"You played around with powers beyond your control. You angered the spirits lingering in this dorm, and now you will pay the price" Yami Shin explained, making all hope leave Titan's being. "You reap what you sow" he spat coldly, as his medallion glowed brightly, the purple sphere surrounding them beginning to dissipate.

"No, please! I beg of you! Help me-aargh!" he called one last time for help, though it was cut off as the tiny creatures completely covered him, letting the darkness devour him.

On the outside, Judai and the other two noticed the lightning beginning to recede, as well as the actual sphere itself. And calmly making his way towards them was Shin, completely unharmed.

"Shin!" Judai called, hurrying to check on his friend. "Are you alright? You gave us quite the scare there!" he laughed, as Yami Shin's expression softened a bit, to not give himself out.

"Well, as you can see I'm just fine. Don't know about that guy though" he stated, looking back at the purple sphere.

However, the sphere suddenly began releasing more lightning bolts, before shrinking in size, a sudden vacuum beginning to pull the boys in.

"Get down!" Yami Shin exclaimed, as the three took a step back and dropped to the ground. He was about to follow the example, before he heard something fall on the ground. Looking over, he saw the coffin Asuka was in, being pulled into the sphere.

His eyes immediately turned back to icy blue, as Shin regained sense of his surroundings. Looking over, he quickly hurried toward Asuka, and kept the coffin in place, so they wouldn't lose her to the shadows.

Fortunately, the black hole didn't last for more than a few moments, before it collapsed on itself, disappearing altogether. Standing back up, Judai clapped his hands.

"Wow, that guy certainly has some nice special effects!" he cheered, looking at the confetti that was released with the disappearance of the sphere. Shin, was left sweatdropping at the clueless Judai, ultimately shaking his head, deciding it to be better if they thought it was all just a big illusion.

"Say, am I the only who heard roaring coming from inside that sphere after Shin and Shady Guy disappeared in it?" Hayato asked, making the three glance at him.

"Now that I think about, I think I heard something like that as well.." Judai mumbled, before remembering something else "Hey Shin, where is that shady guy?"

"I don't know" Shin admitted, looking where the sphere was "But what I do know, is that he's gone."

"Well, that duel was just a big illusion right from the beginning" Sho said, before yawning. "I'm tired...we should go back Big Bro"

"You're right, we should definitely hit the sack" Judai agreed, yawning as well. But then he opened his eyes wide. "Wait, is Asuka okay?" he exclaimed, looking in the coffin.

Following suit, the boys looked down at Asuka, peacefully asleep in the coffin, unharmed in any way, shape or form. Sighing in relief, Shin turned to Judai.

"We can't leave her here" turning around, he crouched, and pointed at his back. Getting the message, Judai and Hayato managed to get Asuka out of the coffin, and placed her on Shin's back, where he adjusted her position, so he was giving her a piggyback ride. All the while Sho looked on, jealous because Shin got to feel Asuka's...assets, on his back.

"Alright, let's head back before we tempt fate and run into the Ethics Committee" Shin said, as the four, Asuka being carried by Shin, made their way out of the dorm.

After the four left, Chronos appeared in the Abandoned Dorm, looking around with a flashlight.

"That dropout boy should be beaten black and blue by now" he grinned, entering a large room. "Nothing in here. That means he must have lost!" he cheered, before noticing something on the ground. Picking it up, he began reading it out lout.

"Receipt for Chronos de Medici… Hmm, I haven't paid him yet. I'll have to keep this, just in case." and with that, he began making his way back.

Walking through the forest, Shin and his friends noticed the sun beginning to rise.

"Oh shoot! We have to return before the others wake up!" Judai exclaimed, snapping his fellow Slifer to attention. He then turned to Shin. "Can you take Asuka back all on your own?" he asked, not wanting to leave his friend all alone. Shin simply chuckled.

"I'll be just fine, don't worry. The Yellow dorm is just across from the Girls Dorm, so I would've had to carry her there one way or another" he smiled, before gesturing for them to go ahead. "You guys hurry up and get to your dorm now. You don't want to raise suspicion as to where you were all night right?"

"Well you're right" Judai mumbled, nodding his head. "But what about you? Won't people question you about it?"

"I know Seto Kaiba" he smirked, effectively shutting down any doubt. Sweatdropping, Judai laughed awkwardly, before pulling something from his pocket.

"Look, I picked this up on our way out" he said, showing Shin the picture of Fubuki Tenjoin, Asuka's brother. "I felt kinda bad after she told us he went missing, so I hoped this would at least cheer her up a bit." Shin let go of one of Asuka's legs, and grabbed the picture, before placing it in his own pocket.

"That's really considerate. Maybe there is some hope left for you" he chuckled, adjusting Asuka's position again. Judai shrugged his shoulders a bit.

"Well, we gotta get going, so if you're really sure you don't need help.." he raised an eyebrow, making Shin nod his head, signaling he was fine "Then we'll see you later. C'mon guys!" he said, before running ahead, followed by Sho and Hayato, who wasn't that keen on running.

Shaking his head in amusement, Shin kept walking at his own pace, enjoying the fresh air, not really minding the 'Asuka backpack' that he had.

After walking for a bit, Shin managed to exit the forest safely, locating himself around the yellow dorm, which was pretty convenient. As he was walking, he felt Asuka begin to stir awake.

"Mmhh..." she mumbled something, before burying her face into the crook of Shin's neck, making him chuckle a bit. He felt her breath on his neck, before feeling her tighten her hold on him, as if he was her prized possession.

'Well, at least she's comfy' he thought, a smile forming on his face.

As he kept walking, he ended up on the cliffside, where he and Asuka watched the sunrise yesterday. With rays of sun hitting her face, Asuka began opening her eyes.

"Nngh...Where am I?" she mumbled raising her head to look around. And as she did, she came face to face with Shin, a blush lighting up on her face, due to the close proximity.

"Sleep well?" the boy grinned, making Asuka tilt her head.

"Sleep…?" she wondered, before it came back to her, making her eyes open wide "The guy from before-!"

"-Is gone" Shin calmly cut her off "The guy who kidnapped you is gone, Asuka-chan. I made sure of that" he explained, his smile still present. "But more importantly, did he do anything to you?" he asked seriously, slightly surprising Asuka at the seriousness in his voice.

"No, I don't think so" she shook her head, making Shin raise an eyebrow.

"You think so?"

"Well, the last thing I remember is waking up in that coffin, before he used his weird pendant on me, and then blank." nodding his head, Shin released a relieved breath.

"So he focused on his entrance… That's good"

"What even happened after I blacked out?" Asuka wondered, as Shin looked back in front of him, seeing their dorms in the distance.

"Well, first of all, that guy placed you in that creepy looking coffin, so that's one thing" Shin explained "Then, once we busted in there, he made this 'grand' entrance, trying to make himself look 'mystical' or something" feeling Asuka nod her head, he continued "Then he challenged Judai to a 'Game of Darkness, which was just a hoax."

"Game of Darkness?" Asuka tilted her head in confusion.

"The thing Daitokuji often rambles about. You know, Ancient Egypt, real monsters, loser loses his soul. That kinda thing" Shin explained, Asuka nodding her head in understanding.

"And it was all fake?" Shin nodded his head. "And what happened then?"

"I exposed the guy, he tried to leave, some other things went down, we finished the duel and then he made a really impressive exit" he said, omitting the fact that an actual Game of Darkness occurred.

"That's it?" Asuka asked, receiving a nod from Shin.

"Yup. After the guy split, we decided to do the same before the Ethics Committee found us" Shin said, as the two neared the dorms.

"And where are the other three?" she asked, looking around.

"They had to hurry back, so they wouldn't raise suspicion as to where they were all night." Shin explained, before looking at Asuka with a grin. "Say, how do you like the piggyback ride?"

"Huh?" Asuka wondered, before realizing where she was. She also promptly blushed, due to the amount of involuntary...touching that was happening. And Shin realized it too, as he felt Asuka subconsciously try to close her legs, which only resulted in her squeezing his waist.

"Ah! Asuka-chan stop, that tickles!" Shin exclaimed, feeling Asuka's legs press against his sides, where he was quite ticklish.

"Shin-kun put me down! This is embarrassing!" she exclaimed, pushing Shin's upper body down, in an attempt to make his release her. The boy chuckling all the while, since she was still pressing her legs against his side.

"Ahah, I-I will, just st-ahah-p tickling me, ahahah~!" he laughed, trying to stop Asuka from squirming, thus stopping her from tickling him. However, that backfired a bit, as he ended up pressing her lower body closer to his own.

"Put me down already..-kya!" she exclaimed, before stumbling out of Shin's grasp, landing on the ground. However, her heel ended up landing on a rock, which slid from under it, taking Asuka's foot with it.

*crack*

And thus, the two teens heard a cracking sound come from Asuka's ankle.

"Fate sure is weird huh…?" Shin chuckled awkwardly, giving Asuka a piggyback ride once again.

The two were now heading toward the nurses office, as Asuka's impatience landed her with a twisted ankle. The girl herself having a not-so-amused expression on her face.

"This is all your fault, Shin-kun..." she mumbled, pouting cutely.

"Eh? How is this my fault?" he exclaimed, looking back at Asuka. The girl herself simply tightened her hold around him.

"...It just is" she buried her face deeper into the crook of his neck, making the boy sweatdrop, before shaking his head.

'Stop trying to understand women Shin...it's impossible' he chuckled in his own mind, as the two neared Emi's office.

Reaching the door, Shin glanced at Asuka, who raise her hand and knocked twice. And sure enough, the busty nurse opened the door.

"Ah, Asuka-san and Shin-kun! A good morning to you" Emi greeted, her friendly smile present on her face. She then noticed how Shin was carrying Asuka, and tilted her head to the side. "Did something happen?"

""High heels"" Shin and Asuka answered at the same time, making them turn to look at each other, only to look away right after, both blushing.

While still confused, Emi glanced down at Asuka's feet, noting how her left one seemed a little red and swollen. Taking a wild guess, she looked back at the teens.

"Did Asuka-san twist her ankle?" seeing both of them node their heads, she released a short breath, before motioning for them to come in.

Stepping inside, Emi closed the door behind the two, and pointed at one of the beds. Conveniently, the same one Shin was on two days ago.

"Shin-kun, could you please put Asuka-san on that bed over there? I'll go and get some bandages while you do that" she said, heading over to the cabinet in the corner.

"Right away" Shin walked over, turned around and lowered Asuka on the bed. He then sat himself on one of the chairs that were around, as Emi came back with a compression bandage and some medical tape.

"Alright, let's get done" she said, taking Asuka's left boot off.

First, she located the painful spot, which was just above her ankle. Then, she wrapped the compression around her ankle, and asked Asuka to hold it for a moment, while she got the medical tape ready. Once she was done, Emi secured the compression with the tape, and stood back up.

"Alright, I think that should be about it" she concluded, going over to the fridge, and getting a little ice pack out, which she then gave to Asuka.

"The sprain doesn't seem all that serious. Grade 1, so some tenderness and swelling. Give it two days, and you should be just fine" Emi said, writing something in her notepad, before pointing at the ice pack. "That's not necessary, but if you feel the need to use it, keep it on your ankle for around 15 minutes every 2-3 hours. Take the day off and let your ankle rest. If you can't comfortably put weight on that ankle by Monday, be sure to drop by so I can look at it again, alright?"

"Understood. Thank you for the help" Asuka bowed her head, making Emi giggle a bit, while shaking her hand,

"No reason to thank me, Asuka-san. I'm more than happy to help~" she smiled, before glancing at Shin, who was patiently waiting on the stool in the corner. "Shin-kun, if you don't mind, could you please bring Asuka-san back to her room?"

"Sure, it's no problem." Shin stood up, and went over to the bed.

After Asuka got on, still embarrassed, she thanked Emi once again, before the pair left the nurses office, heading toward the Girls Dorm.

Having left the academy building, the two were currently walking around the lake, with neither teen saying anything. And that silence, somehow made a little blush appear on their faces, due to...proximity. Sighing, Asuka broke the silence.

"Thanks for helping me Shin-kun" she mumbled, keeping her head on his shoulder.

"Uh, no problem Asuka-chan. That's what friends are for right?" he grinned.

"Yeah...friends" she mumbled, her blush darkening a bit. The two then descended back into silence. "I just remembered" Shin raised his head, breaking the silence.

"Remember what?" Asuka inquired, as Shin looked back at her.

"While we were on our way out of the Abandoned Dorm, Judai picked up something you might want. If you can, reach into my back pocket and grab the picture" he instructed.

Leaning back, Asuka reached her hand down, searching for the back pocket in Shin's jeans. Fortunately, she found it with no trouble, so no random feel was copped. And then she reached into said pocket and grabbed for the apparent picture.

"Ah!" Shin shrieked, feeling a hand grab his butt cheek. "I told you to grab the picture, not my ass!" he exclaimed, looking back at Asuka.

"I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked, quickly reaching into the other pocket, and taking the picture out. "You didn't tell me which pocket it was in!" she exclaimed, her face beet red.

"Fair point, but if you didn't feel the picture in the first pocket, why did you still grab" he exclaimed, a dark blush present on his face as well. Asuka didn't say anything, instead she buried her red face in the crook of Shin's neck, too embarrassed to look at him.

Sighing, Shin got rid of his blush, nudging Asuka a bit, causing her to look up.

"Does that picture seem familiar?" he asked, gesturing toward the picture in Asuka's hand.

The girl remembered the picture frame in her hand, and brought it close to her face. And upon inspecting it, her eyes widened in surprise.

"My brother!" she exclaimed, making Shin gain a little grin.

"Thought so. We saw that picture hung on the wall inside the Abandoned Dorm when we entered. Judai felt bad after you told him about your missing brother, so he grabbed that when we left, and told me to give it to you. Hope you're not mad at him anymore."

"No, I'm not mad" Asuka said, a little smile on her face. "So that Dorm really does have some sort of connection to Fubuki..." she mumbled, staring at the picture.

"Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't..." Shin mumbled, getting Asuka's attention. "Maybe there's more to that Dorm, than meets the eye. But that means that it's too dangerous to go on our own anymore" he said, thinking back on the actual Game of Darkness that was initiated during his duel with Titan.

"Are you suggesting we should stop?" Asuka asked, looking back at Shin, who shook his head.

"No. From now on, I want you to let me know whenever you go to the Abandoned Dorm, so I can come with you" he said, making Asuka raise an eyebrow.

"I'm not a little child. I can take care of myself just fine-"

"This is not about whether you can take care of yourself or not!" Shin exclaimed, taking Asuka by surprise, who closed her mouth immediately. "It doesn't matter how skilled you are. A single mistake is all it takes, for things to go south" he explained seriously, as his left eye turned red for a second, before reverting back to icy blue. "You are someone I care about, Asuka-chan. And I don't want what happened last night to happen again"

Hearing Shin say she was someone he cared about, made Asuka's heart skip a beat. Even she didn't know why. It just did.

Leaning her face back on his shoulder, Asuka nodded her head, a little blush on her face.

"Fine" she mumbled, unknowingly tightening her hold on Shin. "I'll send you a message whenever I want to go investigating, that sound good?" Shin nodded his head, satisfied.

After that, it only took a couple more minutes, before the two reached the mansion in which the Obelisk girls resided. Going over to the door, Shin crouched down a bit, as Asuka opened the door.

Stepping inside, the first things Shin saw, was a bunch of Obelisk Girls, hanging around in the hallway. And their eyes opened wide, upon seeing Shin give Asuka a piggyback ride.

However, before any of those girls could rush the poor boy, two girls that Asuka knew, appeared before Shin.

"What do you think you're doing with Asuka-san?" Junko asked, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. While sweatdropping, Shin heard Asuka sigh.

"I, uhh...I'm helping Asuka-chan?" Shin answered, a little awkwardly, before Momoe suddenly leaned right in his face. The action made Shin instinctively lean back, making Asuka yelp a bit in surprise.

"And what kind of 'helping', involves you holding Asuka-san as if you plan on stealing her from us!" she exclaimed, making Shin take a step back, his sweatdrop becoming bigger.

"The kind of help one would need for a sprained ankle, Momoe" Asuka sighed, raising her bandaged foot for her two friends to see. The two looked closely at the bandages, before taking a step back, scratching the back of their heads.

""Oh, right~"" the two giggled awkwardly, a sweatdrop appearing on their face.

"I swear, you two are so rash sometimes" Asuka shook her head a bit, before looking back. "Shin-kun is a good friend, and I don't want you two to pick on him like you do with most other boys" she said, making her friends nod. She then poked Shin's cheek, pleasantly surprised at how soft it was. "Let's get going Shin-kun" she said, releasing a yawn.

"Still tired after last night, eh?" Shin chuckled, as the two passed Junko and Momoe, who almost immediately got blushes on their faces.

"Of course I'm tired. That was too much action for a girl like me" she replied, making Momoe and Junko's blushes darken.

"Well, that was quite a lot of action for me as well, since I did all the heavy lifting~" he chuckled, making Junko and Momoe turn beet red. Shin and Asuka were only talking about the incident with Titan, however Asuka's friends understood something completely different.

"Yes, yes, men do the heavy lifting" Asuka giggled "Maybe next time you should let me take the lead~"

"Maybe~"

As the two teens disappeared up the stairs, Junko and Momoe were left staring at each other in silence, faces red as tomatoes.

"A-Asuka-san did..." Momoe began

"..a-and she did it w-with Shin..." Junko finished, as the two girls kept staring at each other.

Curiously enough, they were the only girls left in the hallway. All of the other girls must've cleared out, when seeing that Shin was only carrying Asuka because she sprained her ankle.

"No!" Junko exclaimed, shaking her head to get rid of the blush. "Asuka-san couldn't have done...that, with someone like Shin! We need to make sure he's worthy before something like that can happen!" she declared, as Momoe tilted her head to the side.

"Do we even know for sure they're together?" she wondered, snapping Junko out of her phase momentarily.

"W-Well...no" she admitted "But do you know what that means?" she looked at her friend, whose face lit up in recognition.

""We're going to have to start following them in the future!"" they both stated, nodding their heads.

Walking through the hallway on the third floor, Shin was nearing Asuka's room, making idle chat with the girl on his back.

"Those are the friends you told me about?" he asked, as Asuka sighed a bit.

"Junko and Momoe. They were the first to jump to conclusions, when the girls started talking about the two of us on the beach, so I don't really know why acted like that just now" Asuka said, as Shin reached her room.

Since the trip was over, Shin placed Asuka back on the ground, letting her hold onto him for support until she got her balance. Taking out her key, she unlocked the door to her room, before turning back to Shin.

"I hope they didn't scare you, Shin-kun. They're good girls most of the time, but they act before they think sometimes" she apologized awkwardly, as Shin chuckled.

"Don't worry, I've seen weirder~" he subconsciously thought back on a young, blonde haired girl he knew, that used to fawn over Yugi, annoying another one of his female friends in the process.

"Well, thank you again, for helping me get here, Shin-kun" Asuka gave a little smile, getting another one of Shin's own in return.

"Always glad to help, Asuka-chan!" he grinned his usual childish grin "And I trust the ride back here wasn't as 'embarrassing' anymore?" he asked, making Asuka blush.

"W-Well, I didn't really have a choice this time..." she mumbled "B-But that was just because I wasn't used to people carrying me like that! T-Things could have happened..."

"Things? What kind of things?" Shin inquired amused, knowing full well what she was talking about. The girls blush darkened.

"W-Well...i-it could've...t-t-touch..." she stuttered, unable to go any further than that. And it only took another moment, before she suddenly exploded. "Why do I even need to tell you this?! Shin-baka!"

*SLAM*

Staring at the closed door, Shin sweatdropped.

'Thank God she didn't take out the fan...' he sighed relieved, taking a step back.

Deciding to leave Asuka alone for now, Shin swiftly made his way out of the Girls Dorm, before anything else happen. Stepping outside, he took a deep breath.

'A whole lot happened today...tonight...yesterday?' he wondered confused, before shaking his head. 'Nevermind, things happened. Let's leave it at that'

And with that thought, he began on his way toward his own dorm. And after last nights events, he was glad to be able to kick back and relax for a while.

Blissfully unaware, of the fact that things were starting to move. And that the breather he wished for wouldn't really come for a while yet…

And that's a wrap~

Phew. Kicking things right off with some action!

To be honest, Shin actually facing Titan, was decided via coin toss. I had originally planned to keep the original duel between Titan and Judai, with Shin only joining in when it became a real Shadow Game. But, the coin wanted Shin to be the one to take this duel~

So, this was the last part of 'The Dangers of The Games of Darkness' mini arc-thingy. But, the action doesn't stop here.

Shin still has two more Duels in front of him. One of which will be...quite important, for him and two of his friends (wink wink). This duel will be all original, so I hope you guys will enjoy it~

I hope you guys enjoyed this original duel as well, for that matter~

And some other things happened in this chapter. Some things relating to Shin's backstory~

But, all in all, the majority of this chapter was Shin vs Titan. The next two chapters will be pretty much the same, in that regard. They will focus mostly on Shin's duel. However, with that in mind, I have a little question.

You all know what happens next. Judai and Sho have to face Para and Dox. The question is:

-Should I write out that duel, or should I fill that gap with some more backstory related things?

Leave your answer in the reviews, or the final choice will be left to Mr. Coin again.

But yeah, I think that was about it for this chapter. Action, and some comedic relief. Same will go for the next two chapters, so I hope you look forward to that. And on that note~

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as always, tell me what you thought of it in the reviews, and I'll see you in the next chapter~

Oh yeah, quick P.S!

I think I have a schedule for my stories now. And it goes like this.

This story, should definitely be updated every two weeks or so. If two weeks passed, and no update, then I either have had no time to work on it, or I simply could get it done in time, cuz' writers block or whatever. So, either that, or I'm dead.

My other stories may be updated every week, depending on my writing mood/ schedule/ creativity and support.

Example:

-Black Feathers Chap 4 is in the making since before Halloween, but I couldn't get it done, and then lost interest. That interest suddenly returned to me last week, and so it's almost done.

-Remnant Reaper, is pretty much in the same boat, except that no one is really showing interest in it, so I don't really have all that much motivation to work on it right now.

-The pokemon story, has plenty of material for me to work with, and I can always get in the mood to write for it, so that may very well be the one that will be updated next.

Not really related to this story, but I just wanted to throw it out there, so you guys can get an idea of what to expect, and when.

But yeah, that was really it for now. Bye~