Chao- (plucking pedals off of flower) (saying sing-songy) Readers were excited to see a Shadow Game in chapter 19. Will they be ready for this upcoming scene? What shall await a teen who is the child of a magical girl and knight? What does destiny say? What does this author want to convey?
Warning: Chapter contains dialogue of emotional abuse and physical torture.
"Talking."
"Thinking."
/Yami and Yugi's mind link./
Chapter 25: Opening the Wound Part II
Yugi clutched his bag tightly. His final toss would determine if he won or not. He knew the consequences of losing, but he was compelled to be victorious. He loosened his constrain around the bag. He reeled his arm behind him bit by bit, preparing it for one last throw.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be back for you soon."
Due to his great concentration of discerning the rotation of the painting, he failed to notice the chain on him lifting up slightly. He moved his arm forward, impending to let loose the bag. Releasing it for his closing round, he was at once yanked off his feet and landed unto to the ground by a hard force.
The bag he propelled strayed, missing the hole and slamming into the painting.
The artwork ceased rotating as the game had ended.
Yugi unlocked his eyes to see what took place. He gasped finding his uncle holding the chain. He at once yelled, "What are you doing?!"
Joey and Tea became shocked from the act.
"You have lost the game," Kichiro smirked, walking closer to his nephew. His hand loosely held the chain as his fingers strode over the hardware. His rough hand held a little bit of metal right before the choker placed on the teen's neck.
"Wha?" Yugi questioned. He at once spat, "You're the one who pulled me!"
"And? You missed your final bag, so the game is over."
"No! That's an unjust interference!"
"Don't worry, Yugi. We'll be playing another game."
"Huh?"
"We are playing a game, a game of Cat and Mouse."
"Yugi!" Joey and Tea shouted. They at once rushed to their buddy, but the magical barrier blocked them. They banged on the wall and cried out his name. The girl slammed her fist as the blonde bashed his shoulder against the invisible barricade.
"They are becoming a nuisance." Kichiro remarked annoyed. "Kids."
A great shockwave took control of the room.
Joey and Tea were lifted into the air and thrown backwards. Their backs collided against the brick wall. With their eyes shut, they slid to the ground.
"Guys!" Yugi cried out painfully. He watched as they remained motionless. In his anger he punched the ground. He clamped his eyes and sobbed as sorrow took control of rage; he never wanted his uncle to harm his friends. "I'm so sorry, guys."
Kichiro, ignoring his nephew's snuffles, pulled out a sphere connected to a thin, gold chain. He taunted, "Do you recognize this, brat? It's the same charm you had visited once, that is until your parents ruined everything."
Yugi gazed at the pendant. He gasped, identifying it. He tried to fight his way to freedom. He struggled, but his uncle and his magic were stronger. He was shoved to the ground, landing on his back, and a powerful hand tore open his shirt. Winds from his struggle blew across his bare chest.
"No!" Yugi shouted, knowing what was about to initiate. He subconsciously cried out the people who had saved him previously, "Mom! Dad!"
A maniacal laugher filled the room.
Yami was powerless. The Puzzle remained inside the barrier, but it was not worn by the chosen teen. All he could do was watch feebly as the man slipped the pendant down. He bellowed in great distress, "Yugi!"
Yugi's eyes widened as his entire body froze when the bottom of the circular pendant docked on his skin. The harsh sensation stunned his entire form, yielding his body from moving. Slowly, the glass ball connected to the gold chain sunk into his chest. The teen compressed his eyes in agony. He acted his best in fighting the oncoming pain, grunting, curling and thrashing his body. His enemy held him down in a tight lock, gingerly releasing the thin chain further and further inside, like he was only fishing, until he was only holding the very end between his finger and thumb; he didn't want to drop the magical necklace fully inside. Once the charmed object was centered, he grasped it as the magic stimulated.
Yugi cried out at the familiar, deep burn sensation spreading inside. He bore through the process before in his youth against his uncle and by those who wielded the Items. He knew magic was removing his soul from his form. His heart throbbed as he forced his mind to keep from scattering. With the spellbound jewelry nearly all the way in, he no longer focused on his weakened limbs; he concentrated on his entire soul. His previous experience earned through Shadow Games kept him stable.
"Ah, I see you can actually form a little strength since the last time." Kichiro remarked slightly impressed. "It's too bad that your so called friends wasted their time cheering for a nobody. But you can rest knowing them and your mother will be safe—safe from an insignificant brat like you."
Yugi had known members of his family have been placed into danger because of his vocation. His concentration from struggling weakened.
"Will Mom ever be in danger because of me?"
He found himself growing weary. His body became colder. His cries lowered as his voice faded away. He was surrounded only by darkness as the gold chain inside him was watchfully pulled out by a confident man wearing a sinister smile. The gold chain wrapped around his fingers as he discreetly reeled out, like a line on a fishing pole.
"I'm so sorry… everyone…"
One last breathe escaped through Yugi, and his entire body stopped moving.
Kichiro grinned staring at the clear pendant now a solid gold color. The necklace glowed brightly unlike before; it had performed its job. He slowly rose himself up, lifting himself, the relic, and the lifeless body. His eyes swapped to the inert teen.
"Finally, after all this time, his soul is now sealed away."
Taking the stationary body, he carelessly tossed the adolescent away, as though he was only a rag doll. He didn't care the boy landed near the discarded pyramid he loathed. With his hand now free, he held his magical charm in his hands. He disbursed the barrier no longer needing it. About to walk away with victory, he stopped, noticing an unfamiliar cloudy mist surrounding him.
"What's going on!?" he shouted confused, faltering with the new darkness. "The brat's soul has been locked away! What type of magic is this!?"
He searched for an exit, but none existed. All items around him vanished as a realm of black mixed with purple, blue, and red formed, spreading rapidly, covering every single inch. He was trapped in a world of darkness.
"You're not heading anywhere." ordered a chilling voice.
Startled, the man tensely turned around. He gasped seeing the body of the fallen teen slowly moving to his feet. Bit by bit, he lifted one leg to stand. He placed one hand on his standing knee, rising himself prudently. In his palm gripping tightly was an upside down pyramid.
"How… how can this be!?" Kichiro yelled shocked. "The brat should be gone!"
The adolescent that the man believed to be Yugi stood up all the way. He swiftly bypassed his disorientation. The chain and choker around his neck crumbled. He lifted his head and divulged a very narrow pair of violet eyes steaming with great animosity and enmity.
"Who are you?" Kichiro asked surprised. He firmly believed his nephew was locked away.
"I'm Yugi." the spirit answered bluntly yet coolly, tossing his pendant up and down into the air while keeping the other in his pocket. "At least, a part of him, anyway."
"What do you want?"
"To play a game."
"I don't need to; I've already completed what I've come for."
"You don't have a choice."
Kichiro scoped the strange teen. He spotted in the center of his forehead a third eye glowing brightly in gold. He gazed around and noticed how much darkness surrounded him, drawing closer to him, focusing on the wayward found in his heart.
"The Shadows are hungry," the spirit informed coldly, continuing his motion with the Puzzle, "hungry for another wicked and corrupted soul, such as yourself."
"What are talking about?"
"You have stolen my light, my other half, my friend. And for that, you will play a game."
"I already said I have no need."
"If you walk out now, you automatically forfeit, and your soul shall be torn to shreds in torment for all eternity."
"And what power grants you to do this?" Kichiro questioned. "I sense you are something different from that brat or even Haru."
"I have a responsibility to keep," Yami answered directly, ignoring his magic and giving his duty. "I have one to the world and one to my friend, the one you now possess."
"This brat?" Kichiro questioned. He laughed, "This nobody has no power over anyone!"
Growing choleric, Yami closed his eyes.
"I had promised Yugi to not challenge you to a Shadow Game. But such a promise must be placed aside now that he is taken off course from his destiny. His life. If you feel you have already won, then playing a simple game shall not be an issue."
Kichiro inspected his enemy. He noticed how disparate the eyes appeared; they were filled with far more confidence than the boy he knew. The voice was also deeper, soaking with backbone. His posture was also poised, even for an adolescent. The man looked around once more. He knew he was trapped. He couldn't escape unless he abided by the new rules.
He asked coldly, "You say I must play a game? Am I to play that one game even that paltry brat could win?"
Yami's eyes constricted in rage. He had enough of the insults, the terrible words that scarred his partner's innocent heart.
"He has a name!" he shouted with full trust. "It's Yugi! And he wins his games because he harnesses his skills properly while maintaining his pure heart!"
Kichiro picked up the strong power exuding from the Puzzle. He didn't know if his own powers could compare against an ancient item from Egypt. He remained still.
"The game is simple." Yami imparted, understanding he had the attention of his enemy. "We each start with ten points. On each individual turn we'll have three cards in front of us. We shall only see the back side. We must select the card that contains a monster. If we choose the card that is a monster, we win that round and keep our points. However, if we choose a magic card, we lose one point. Trap cards are a deduction of two points. Keep in mind that if we select a trap card, we shall experience a shock most unpleasant."
The Shadows snatched Kichiro's jewelry away from his hands. The relic in controlled by darkness hung like a display in a museum far from the pair.
"What's going on!?" Kichiro yelled, curling one hand into a fist.
"If we are lucky in our shuffle and we uncover a fusion monster or a ritual monster, we earn two points. We can also earn a point if we find an effect monster." Yami continued to explain. "Whoever maintains the most points after ten rounds wins. If you win, your necklace will return to you. If you lose, you will play a penalty game, a suiting punishment for your crime."
The man with red hair glared at Yami.
Yami stood his ground, wanting nothing more but his friend to return. He allowed the same shadows to remove the idiosyncratic pyramid from him and hung it in a similar manner. He longed for that same pendant to be placed only on Yugi.
"The two of us will need to wager something." he elucidated. "You shall wager what you have trapped Yugi's soul in, and I shall wager the Puzzle, a very powerful item. Whoever loses will have himself taken away forever."
He was confident in his idea. Because the teen's empty body had not expired, it was now occupied by only his soul. But on the off chance he did lose, he didn't want to live in a world without his best friend.
"Tell me something." the man called, curious to know about the person who took an interest in someone he viewed as no one. "Why does this brat mean so much to you? Why are you risking so much for him?"
"The answer is simple." Yami replied confidently. "He is my friend."
Kichiro discounted the remark and scoffed. "What cards are we to play? A traditional deck? Or one with that game even that brat could win? He probably cheats. There's no way a nobody like him could win against all those people, even the creator of it."
Yami glared at Kichiro with the greatest hate that had ever pulsed within him.
"Our cards shall not be formed from any previous decks; they will be chosen from the truth and values we hold in our hearts. That is the test given by the Shadows."
"Then let the games begin." Kichiro stated, his arrogance flowing through the cliché line.
"Very well." Yami agreed. "I shall start."
Yami: 10
Kichiro: 10
Three large cards popped out. Each one held a gold border, a red background, and a black oval in the center. Yami studied his set carefully. He must choose which one carried the monster. Pointing to his left, all three cards flashed around. The card on the left was an effect monster, Kuriboh. Despite being a special card, no player could go above ten points.
"Even though I had set the battle field, I must act careful."
Because a player must choose one card out of a pack of three, any number of mysterious combinations could form. A player may have luck with a two-out-of-three chance of choosing correctly, or he could have the odds stacked against him. The game was fair in distributing at least one monster per round.
"Your turn." Yami directed.
The same routine occurred with Kichiro. Despite his hateful demeanor, he was still talented in games. He chose the card on the left as well. The card turned out to be a monster, Wall Shadow. The two opponents looked at each other with the first round completed. He was safe for this turn.
Yami: 10
Kichiro: 10
"He may have chosen a monster, but it's one that reflects his nefarious soul." Yami noted.
In his next turn, he uncovered King's Knight.
Kichiro came up with Deepsea Warrior.
Yami: 10
Kichiro: 10
Yami chose Gazelle the King of Mystical Beasts.
Kichiro selected The Dark Door, a magic card, resulting in him in relinquishing one point.
"Shit," he grunted in anger, remembering the rules.
Yami: 10
Kichiro: 9
Yami took note of what ensued. He knew he had just an equal chance of selecting a card that could wane his own points.
As the cards popped up in front of him, he heard his enemy annotated out loud, "Why are we playing a game in the first place? I sense some great power in that pyramid you wear. Surely you could have created something better."
"I don't see a better way of handling this situation." Yami answered. "You challenged Yugi to a game, so I only see this option in fair game. Keep in mind, though, that cheating will have greater consequences in this place than before."
"You, that brat, Hiroshi, even Haru… It was always pretty strange seeing Haru into games," Kichiro mused. "I don't know what she saw in Hiroshi other than the cliché of being her knight. What exactly runs in that Muto gene when it comes to games? Perhaps you all see them as nothing more but an excuse to gamble and have adults act like kids."
Yami growled at the slander that was aimed at an entire family. Looking at the necklace that glowed eerily, he felt his blood ready to steam out of him. The darkness grew inside him once more; he now had the opportunity to destroy the man who had brought such harm to his light and family.
He pointed to the card on the right. His eyes expanded traumatized seeing a trap card, Mirror Wall. The card took form, and a large wall of glass appeared. Yami saw himself in the crystal reflection. A case of lightening shot down from above. Enacting its own effect, the trap reflected the attack to the one who elected it.
Yami cried out in pain as lightening thrashed his body, shocking him fully. He lost his vision. He plummeted to the ground on his stomach. He couldn't move. The jolt was great but so was the absence of his friend. He felt cold. He felt similar to when he and Yugi battled Naoki, and even though Yugi was knocked out for that period, he was still present. Now he was gone entirely.
"Yugi…"
Yami greatly missed his other half. Yugi had greatly committed himself in preparing himself to face his abuser in order to save his mother. He recalled how the shy teen found his valor to stand up to a gang on his own and handling himself after the train had crashed. He also played a game the wicked man had created.
"Do you trust me?"
The spirit knew that Yugi did not want to face his uncle, but his desire to save his mother and the world demonstrated his strength, courage that he wanted to display for the longest time.
Congregating his forte, Yami rose to his feet.
Yami: 8
Kichiro: 9
"I can see there's plenty of spirit in you," Kichiro remarked. "All part of gaming pride."
"No," Yami replied. "I am playing for a friend."
"A friend?" Kichiro echoed, hinting resentment. "How can a friend who was easily sealed away stand by you now? Friendship means nothing when you have power!"
He pointed to the center. The card revealed to be Spellbinding Circle. As a result in a player choosing a trap card, a gold circle with odd blue symbols appeared. It rose itself above him.
"What's going on?!" he shouted surprised.
The circle dropped down and sent a shock to the vile villain. He screamed in agony. His own cries echoed in an area he once found pleasure in. He landed on one knee and breathed heavily for recovery.
Yami: 8
Kichiro: 7
Yami spotted what took place. He had endured the same pain and reflected how his turn had carried out. He studied the three cards in front of him. He lifted one hand, but that hand trembled. He then saw the cards fading away, his chance to save his partner vanishing. He gasped in fear.
"Becoming a little frighten from our own creation, are we?" Kichiro smirked, struggling to rise back to his feet. "Perhaps that little brat isn't worth fighting for after all. After all, who is fighting for him now? Some sort of strange spirit who couldn't move on to the next life?"
"Yugi is loved by others!" Yami shouted, curling one hand into a fist. "Despite what you believe, he has caring parents, a patient grandfather, a set of loyal friends, and me! I won't give up! I will save him!"
His faith and love for a friend rewarded him. The card spun around, revealing Dark Magician Girl.
Yami stared bewildered as the monster manifested; something the others did not.
The female wizard placed her hands in front of her chest. She smiled with encouragement, "Don't give up, my pharaoh."
Granted a point, Yami stayed silent and nodded as she vanished.
Yami: 9
Kichiro: 7
Kichiro disregarded the uncanny sight and picked out Chain Energy, another magic card. He swore under his breath once more; there were only five more rounds left before the end.
Yami: 9
Kichiro: 6
Glad to have received some encouragement from the monsters themselves, Yami became relieved seeing Magician of Black Chaos despite him not being approved for anything above ten points. He recalled Yugi's brave sacrifice he gave in order to save his grandpa at Duelist Kingdom.
Yami: 10
Kichiro: 6
"Yugi, throughout the course of our time as teammates, you have demonstrated your own courage. I will never surrender. I shall defeat your uncle and save your soul."
To be continued…
Chao- Even though Yami is winning, how will he live with himself knowing he broke his promise?
YChao- Easy, he was doing something to protect Yugi. But why have Yami play an abnormal Shadow Game? Why not Duel Monsters?
Chao- Because Chao was lazy. Besides, isn't this Shadow Game torturous enough? It's not like Kichiro would actually play that game, either.
YChao- True; Kichiro is the villain hated by all. Just look at these reviews! And at least there's some Yami torture in this as well. But what about the epic duel you promised?
Chao- Relax, it's coming.
YChao- But Yami is facing the main villain; therefore, the story should almost be over… Unless…
Chao- It's coming!