He froze in fear.
The last Kul'Elna resident still alive, and his mother had given him away at that moment.
The guards were surprised to see him. They had checked every house and were sure nobody was left behind.
Their commander was more than surprised, he was furious. The alloy had already been poured into the mold. The escapee had been spotted very late in the ritual. They had to sacrifice him NOW, before it was too late.
The guards rushed up the stairs to grab him. By the time the child snapped back to reality, they were quite close. He turned around, trying to make his way to the exit, but his legs trembled in fear and he was too sluggish to run.
One of the men grabbed his arm before he could make it out and dragged his writhing form down to the altar.
They took him over to their leader who examined him thoroughly. Bakura looked up at him, trying his best to hold in his tears. He had never seen the man before, but he had heard stories from other villagers who travelled to the capitol. There was no mistaking it, this distinguished looking man before him had to be the Pharaoh.
"How could you let one escape? Throw him in the cauldron, quickly!" the Pharaoh ordered, seeming quite flustered.
"Why…why are you doing this?" the boy stammered, trying to at least get an explanation out of him before he was disposed of.
The man glared at him with disgust like he was dealing with an inferior being.
"I have no explanations to give to a lowlife like you. Be thankful that your pitiful existence is finally being put to good use to protect this nation from its enemies."
Anger welled within the child. He struggled in vain to free himself from the guard's stranglehold. He didn't want to escape anymore. He wanted this man dead, regardless of how that came to be.
Just as the guard raised the crimson-stained sword above his head, there was a loud rumble that shook the very foundation of the temple. Everyone stared at the ceiling, unsure of what to do if it were to collapse on top of them. The Pharaoh started chanting some unintelligible verses from a thick papyrus book he was holding, as if he was trying to prevent something from happening.
The chanting turned louder and more frantic the stronger the shakes became. Everyone stared at him, not understanding what was going on.
Then it happened.
Even though they were given so many warning, it was still unexpected. The giant black arm rose from the stone slab like a living shadow and grabbed the closest person there. It dragged the screaming man into the object, smashing him against it until his head cracked open.
The blood seemed to empower the creature, the arm lengthening to reach out for those away from its source. It grabbed guard after guard, tearing them apart and delighting itself in their fleshy remains. It seemed to spawn from the golden artifacts, pulling itself out more and more as blood dripped on top of the slab. Soon enough, a head emerged as well, a most demonic and twisted beast, its sword-like teeth calling for nourishment.
The men dropped their useless weapons and tried to run for their lives, but to no avail. One swing of the giant hand and all of them were thrown to the floor and a dark claw raked them towards the gaping maw. The Pharaoh continued chanting fervently, trying to tame the creature.
Bakura dragged himself up the stairs as fast as possible.
The Pharaoh turned towards him and pointed accusingly.
"This is all YOUR fault! Because of you, the ritual wasn't completed! Zork will curse you for all eternity!" he yelled as the boy reached the top of the stairs.
He turned around to see the hand grab the Pharaoh as well, pulling him in. He exited the underground lair as the man grabbed the still hot golden eye from the slot and jammed it in place of his own. He never stopped reading from the book throughout it all.
Bakura made it out before the place collapsed on top of itself. He ran towards a hiding place, never looking back. He never noticed that the creature never made it outside, or that the man's chants of magic sealing were successful.
But the ghosts did. They whisked away from the remains of the temple, from the slab that encased their melted bodies, their forms becoming crude, twisted, indistinguishable humanoid ghouls that floated away towards the boy, begging him to avenge them through constant unintelligible wailing.
The vengeful ghosts of his people that haunted him knew everything.
And they made sure to guide him back to that dreadful place when he was ready.
"Hello, miss Bakura?"
"…"
Oh, no, oh no…
"…."
I couldn't say a word.
"Umm, hello...I think we got disconnected. Yugi here, Bakura's classmate…is he home?"
"..."
Please take the hint.
"Hello? I think there's a problem on your end of the phone, it keeps dropping. Is everything ok?"
I glanced over my shoulder nervously. The phone was in the living room. Was that far enough out of earshot from the bedroom?
"Oh, hi Yugi...yea...it's pretty bad"
"Hello? Can you please speak up? I can barely hear you…is Bakura there? Can I talk to him? He hasn't been to school lately and we were all pretty worried"
It's already been a week. A week with no results and a lot of headaches. I hadn't even contacted anyone at Domino High because I was afraid my 'guest' would listen in on me. And going there in person would be even worse. I was really in a no-win situation.
"Umm, you see…Ryou's really sick. He's in bed right now, he can't come to the phone. Sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
"Really? That sounds terrible. We'll be over after school to see him and bring him his homework"
"No! No! Um...it's really contagious. It's better if you don't" I insisted.
"Oh ok…-sic-"
A jerk of the receptor and I heard a new voice on the other end take over.
"–sic-It's fine, I already had da flu, chicken pox an' small pox an' I'm pretty sure I can't catch it anyway!"
There was a saying…how did it go? 'Stupid people can't get sick'
"No, it's fine really, you don't have to come, umm…"
I stammered so much. They had to have caught on that I was making it all up. I felt ill, like I was catching that imaginary flu myself.
"Jounouchi here! –sic- and Honda! –sic- you guys, stop it, you're being rude! –sic- Anzu, give that back!"
It sounded like a struggle broke out at the other end. Was everyone there?
"-sic- hello, sorry for that. So, umm, back on topic…" the original caller managed to get back to me.
"I'm sorry, Yugi, maybe some other time. Thank you for your concern. I'll call you when he gets better, ok?"
I don't know what he wanted to tell me past this point since I hung up as quickly as possible.
I sighed deeply as if I had just passed a difficult test.
"You shouldn't lie to people like that, you know"
I jumped as I heard the voice coming from behind me.
"Who were you whispering to over here?" he crossed his arms defiantly at me as he leaned against the door frame.
I hoped I didn't sweat in real life as much as I did internally. Could he sense my nervousness, like a predator? A short chuckle seemed to confirm my fears.
"Nobody…just some of Ryou's friends…"
That was as far as I was willing to go with the truth on this subject.
"Well then, invite them over. I'd love to meet them" he smiled at me, faking a friendly tone.
Exactly what I wanted to avoid these past few days.
"No, I don't think that's a good idea"
"Why not? The room in the back is supposed to be a game room, right?" he raised his thumb towards the room that was supposed to be locked "-that's perfect! You might have noticed, but I'm rather fond of games myself. I think I could keep your brother's friends out of your hair for a while"
His snarky tone reminded me of that guardian at the park that defied him over a week ago. Even to this day, I don't know what's become of him. Was he still alive anymore?
I swallowed hard as the color drained from my face.
"Please don't...Ryou would be very upset if you hurt them" I tried to bargain with him.
He raised an eyebrow at me as if my argument was beyond worthless but didn't continue this discussion.
He was strangely silent for a few moments before walking towards the front entrance.
"Alright. We should get going" he stated flatly, grabbing his shoes.
It felt strange. He hadn't been motivated at all these past few days. The first two days he was adamant on seizing those items and getting out of here. Now it was like he was trying to bide for time. I wondered what made him give up so quickly. Did something change his mind the day I was kidnapped? We had been running around in circles, as if intentionally avoiding going to places the items might be in. Was he trying to fail the mission?
He had made a promise to save Ryou though…
"You shouldn't scowl so much, you'll get wrinkles"
I stuck my tongue out at him defiantly.
"Don't act like that, we reached our destination"
"How do you plan on finding the items at an amusement park?" I complained as we dodged the throng of people passing by.
I shouldn't have told him what the place behind the large wall and huge entrance line was. I should've just convinced him to keep going and stick to the schedule. I should've returned the tickets he stole from that couple up in front. I should have scolded him for procrastinating yet again when my brother could be in serious danger right now.
But I didn't.
And now I was stuck here, running around Kaibaland with this weirdo.
"The bigger the crowd, the bigger the chance of one of the items being here" he shook his cotton candy stick at me. At some point, it got stuck in my bangs but he yanked it out and kept eating nonchalantly, hair and all.
I groaned loudly.
He said that, but he was loitering about as usual. I rubbed my sore scalp as I thought about our predicament. Did he actually enjoy this place, even if he didn't want to admit it?
We went from ride to ride, not once taking out the ring to check on it. We really were just sightseeing.
"Smile!" he nudged me to look at the camera as he took a picture with me. Ever since he learned what cameras were, he had been taking mugshots every chance he got. He probably collected them and stared at them every night in bed like the narcissist that he was.
By lunchtime I was getting tired of being around him. He was having a good time, I'm sure, but I wasn't.
I've wanted to come to Kaibaland with Ryou ever since it first opened 3 years ago. I realized I rarely got to do anything fun with my little brother since he was such a massive shut-in. I really hoped I could convince him to change his mind one day. I tried very hard to get in on his hobbies and understand him better. Maybe, I thought, I could convince him to come out of his shell and have some real fun for once. Enjoy the real world with me.
I intentionally turned down all my friends who wanted to come here because I was saving it for the two of us.
And now here I was, breaking my 3 year long commitment. I felt bad, like I was betraying my brother, even though he himself didn't care about it. But I cared. It was my own ambition to be here with him, eating junk food, playing carnival games, riding the roller coasters and taking pictures together.
I was doing all of these things right now, so I should've been happy. But it wasn't with Ryou. It was with a complete stranger that I couldn't stand. A terrible person I would've ran away from if it wasn't for the promise he made. Therefore, I was unhappy, despite the atmosphere.
"You know, we should've come here sooner, I actually like this place!" he chuckled at me, nudging me as if to worsen my misery.
We passed by a large gathering crowd before the center stage of the park. There had to be an event or something important going on for people to come here like this. A giant panel lit up above the stage, the text scrolling across it in giant kanji.
"What do we have here?" he asked me to read it for him.
"I...think it's about a game." I squinted my eyes as I followed it. I remember my brother telling me about it before. What was it called?
"Oh? A game? You have my attention" he smiled and lifted his head to get a better view.
As if on cue, a voice boomed into the mic, drawing chants from enthusiastic supporters.
I shifted my position to try to get a better look through the crowd in front of me as a middle schooler in a business suit walked onstage. This boy…I think I saw him on TV before...
"Hello and good day to everyone who gathered for this event! As you all heard before, today is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of you aspiring duelists! For one day only, the winner of the "Duel Monsters" Domino City September Tournament held today will get a chance to play against the reigning champion, the CEO of Kaibacorp and sponsor of this event! Everyone who signed up by mail this past month, come on up and show us what you got!" the kid gestured enthusiastically.
Ah, right, this kid was part of the company, wasn't he?
A lot of children and quite a few adults headed towards the registration booth. I never knew how popular this game was.
I remember a talk show host commenting that this game was invented by some eccentric American billionare, but ever since Kaibacorp took over marketing for it, it exploded in popularity all over Japan. To the fans, someone like Kaiba must've been an idol. I turned to Bakura who seemed completely disappointed by the display. Guess this wasn't what he was hoping for.
"To promote the unveiling of the new virtual reality Duel Disks, here is a word from the genius mind himself, Kaibaaaa Seto!" the kid pointed behind him with the mic as smoke and lights turned towards the lifting curtain. A good part of the game's popularity owed to the bombastic and exaggerated promotional stunts they pulled to get it into the public's eye and today was no exception.
For me, it was my first time taking part in such an event and I had to admit that if I had any kind of interest in card games, I'd probably be as excited as everyone else here.
The crowd cheered as a tall young man in a flowing white trench coat walked on stage and picked up the mic from the much shorter boy before him. He turned towards us with an air of authority that seemed to emulate an emperor addressing his underlings.
"As you all know, Kaibacorp has recently gained the rights of organizing official Duel Monsters tournaments. As such, we're looking for upcoming pros to sponsor on the international game circuit. However, anyone who wants to become a part of this has to impress ME first. Today is the day one of you onlookers surpasses their status as a nobody! I will take on the winner of this monthly tournament and see if they're worthy of my time and tutelage. You'd best give it your all, or go home in shame!"
Chants and raves. I didn't even see this guy's sketch a single expression on his face as he spoke. Stone cold and judgmental. He seemed like the type of person that communicated through an interface or in writing and avoided all human contact. A person fixated on his own goals that only sees people as means to achieve his goals.
I turned to my left to make a joke about it but felt a shiver run down my spine. Bakura was staring at him intensely, his aura as cold as ice.
The owner of the Rod...
Why did he have to run into one of them here, of all places? And the Pharaoh's right hand man, at that.
His good mood was gone in an instant.
He pushed people out of his way and walked onstage, disrupting the event. Guards instantly ran in front of him to force him to back down.
"I want to challenge you" he stated as one of the guards grabbed his wrist and tried to pull him away.
The young CEO raised his eyebrow at him and crossed his arms in a dismissive way.
"Did you register for the tournament?"
"We both know this tournament is a complete farce, High Priest. This display doesn't matter, YOU are all that matters" Bakura smirked at him as another guard tried to help his colleague with the guy.
The crowd fell silent as they stared in disbelief at him. I wanted to bury my head in the sand until this whole situation resolved itself.
"Get out of my sight" Kaiba gestured for the guards to throw him off the platform, never breaking composure. I wondered if this was a common occurrence for him.
"What's the matter, Set? Afraid you might lose?"
"Listen up, weirdo! Nobody addresses my brother by first name status! Be respectful towards your superiors!" the small boy walked between them and swatted at him like he was trying to slap some sense into him.
"You haven't answered my question yet, Set" he ignored the boy as a push to his chest by a guard created some distance between them.
Kaiba let out a low chuckle, unassisted by any facial expression, as if he wanted to prove even his amusement was superficial.
"You have a lot of guts to talk to me like that, but nothing to show for it. You're not worthy of my time"
Bakura looked truly unhinged as he struggled to look him in the eye with two burly men holding him in a headlock.
"That's too bad, really. You seem like the kind of person who wanted to be the best. Why are you standing in a king's shadow then?"
Who was he talking about?
I got the feeling he was just taking a stab in the dark, but the narrowing of Kaiba's eyes and slight scrunching of his face probably confirmed that he had hit the jackpot.
A security guard walked up to the CEO and whispered something in his ear. From what I can tell, he identified Bakura from the news story last week, though Kaiba seemed completely disinterested in the reveal and kept his attention firmly on the words the thief had said to him.
"Do you want to stand in mine as well?" Bakura continued with confidence, knowing he had him in the bag.
"Get him out of here" the little boy insisted.
"I have no idea what you're talking about" Kaiba tried to dismiss the accusation.
"Tell me Set, did it sting when he beat you at your own game? Did it tarnish your pride knowing you will never measure up to him?"
"I don't know who you are and where you got that information from, but NEVER mention him in my presence again" Kaiba growled in a low tone.
"So, you did accept your loss. Your only defense left is avoiding conflict, knowing you can only sink further if you do."
"Shut your mouth, dog! I never back down from a challenge!" Kaiba retorted, his voice getting louder. The mask was cracking.
A confident smirk. "Prove it then."
"Very well, I'll humiliate you publicly, just as you're asking for"
A wave of confusion and complete silence from the crowd as the young man gestured for the guards to release the thief and let him stay. The guards reluctantly did as commanded. Bakura straightened the wrinkles of his shirt as he walked next to the genius developer, the sly smile never leaving his lips.
"But Seto, what about the tournament?" the boy next to him asked before the competitors themselves did.
"It's fine, Mokuba. The contest still be postponed for later. This is a matter of principle" Kaiba reassured him.
He fell for it. Bakura got just what he wanted. Again.
He pointed at the taller man in a grandiose display of excitement.
"Very well. Let's make a spectacle out of it."
Kaiba walked over to the crowd and turned the mic back on.
"It appears I have been challenged by a non-believer. I will provide him with a winner-takes-all demo match on this stage. We will be using the newest dueling gear that will be made available to purchase next month."
Cheers and applause from the crowd. So this was all scripted!
The look of worry on the Mokuba's face next to them seemed to tell a different story.
Kaiba gestured for the electronics crew to set up the equipment and leave the stage.
"You can use any deck you want. I'll crush you regardless" he huffed in his opponents face.
"Deck, eh? I was expecting something different" Bakura sighed in a genuine expression of disappointment. Card games were less than what he was hoping to get out of him.
"Don't tell me you don't even have a deck" the little boy stared at him in disbelief.
Kaiba seemed completely unfazed by this reveal and snapped his fingers at the boy.
"Provide him with one"
The boy did as instructed and ran behind the stage to bring a large aluminum suitcase. He opened it in front of the thief. Cards were lined up on many rows inside of it, resting on velvet padding like poker chips.
"This case contains every card in existence with the exception of my personal picks. Make your deck and follow me to the game area." Kaiba explained as he left, handing the mic to his younger brother.
"Listen up, worm. You have a lot of nerve challenging my big brother, so you better think of something good if you don't want to humiliate yourself right now. Pick a good variety of cards and spells that complement each other. You do know how to play, right?"
Bakura was just going through the contents of the case, staring at the pictures with intent and completely ignoring the little chatterbox next to him. He stopped upon reaching a certain card and flashed a wicked grin.
"Of course. I found exactly what I need" he answered absently as he took his prize and left.
"You can't play with a deck of only 1 card!" Mokuba yelled after him but he dismissed him.
"Who's playing?" Bakura threw him a wicked look through the corner of his eye as he walked towards the game area.
Said area consisted of a large stage with two open towers on each side facing the field. I had never seen a duel stage before and I heard it launched a short time ago to great success due to its advanced virtual reality simulators. Many of them were supposedly in production for arcades and amusement parks all over the world.
"Alright everyone, give it a hand for the president of Kaibacorp and enjoy the exhibition match of the tournament!" the boy yelled into the mic, trying his best to adapt to the situation.
I couldn't hear what was going on back there, but I was getting nervous. This was going to go badly, I knew it. We were in front of a huge crowd in a live, televised event. If he was going to harm anyone, we would be providing all the evidence needed for our own indictment.
I prayed that he had a solid plan for this.
They walked alongside each other towards the game area, neither of them looking each other in the eye. Side by side, it was a lot more obvious just how tall the young executive was, though his frame was leaner. He was obviously more of a bookworm than an athlete.
Kaiba narrowed his eyes at him. Bakura seemed very confident in his odds, going about completely casually, still staring at the card he picked out.
Did he not build himself a deck?
"This had better not be a waste of my time" Kaiba hissed, crossing his arms in frustration as he climbed the stairs to the top of the platform of the left side of the field.
"Trust me, High Priest, this will be a thrill for the both of us" the thief snickered from the opposite side.
A pair of spotlights turned on above the two players and the focus shifted towards the stage.
Kaiba took out a coin out of his pocket and showed it to the camera.
"We'll toss a coin to decide who goes first"
"We don't need it. I'll start the game" Bakura declared, interrupting him.
The CEO seemed taken aback but adjusted quickly.
"Very well. It doesn't matter what you do. First turn is always useless anyway."
"On the contrary, it'll be the turn that decides the way we play"
Kaiba seemed intrigued by it. What strategy did his opponent have in mind?
"What are you going to put on the line for the sake of victory, Set?"
"Name your prize." he responded coolly.
"Your life." The thief proposed.
A low chuckle.
"Alright, if this is what you want. Very well, let's make it a battle to the end!" the young CEO gestured for the effects to turn on and the field flickered to life as gigantic projections sprung forth from the machinery installed on the side of the towers.
The thief returned the smirk as he placed his only card on the display table.
"As I stated, its my turn. I use it to call upon my Ka, Diabound!" he stated as the giant illusion manifested itself on the field. The white naga creature roared to life as it slithered next to its master, both its human and snake heads turning to stare down its enemy with intent, waiting for a command.
Bakura smiled as he gently pet the scales of the monster before him, the snake half responding with an affectionate rub against him as if it were a pet.
"Welcome back, my loyal companion." he said before shifting his head towards the field "With this, I am done for now."
Kaiba frowned in disappointment.
"This isn't a play style. A lone, weak monster with no spells and traps to back it up? You here to make a mockery of me?"
"I already stated, this is the kind of game we're going to play. Choose your spirit creature, High Priest, and fight me!"
"I don't know what you're thinking, but there's only one creature I would use against a wimp like you." Kaiba responded taking out a summoning spell card.
"Is he going to play it?" a child from the crowd asked enthusiastically, waiting for it. Everyone there knew what that card was.
"My pride as a duelist is embodied by this very monster: the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Kaiba roared as he called forth the beast to widespread cheers. This was the moment they were waiting for.
To say that Kaiba loved this creature was an understatement. It was more than just his favorite card or the mascot of Kaibacorp; it was an obsession. Everything he worked on was done in an effort to bring his vision of this dragon to life.
All the attendants of Kaibaland had learned to love the creature as well. The animatronics, the rides, the props, the shows…the Blue Eyes White Dragon was the centerpiece of it all. There was no Kaiba without this monster and it was the rallying point of the entire crowd.
The chants of the crowd only helped fuel Bakura's determination as he started clapping with the crowd.
"Beautiful! Splendid! You have acquired her Ka, I see"
Kaiba narrowed his eyes at this. This peasant had been speaking in nothing but riddles the entire time. Not only did he misspell his name, call him a 'Priest', disrespect him by playing a weak card, now he was accusing him of stealing his most precious card? Unforgivable.
"Is this your choice, then? Is this the creature that represents your heart?" the thief insisted.
"If you're asking if it's the most important card to me, then the answer is obvious"
"Very well, then, show me how far you're willing to go for its sake" Bakura beckoned him to attack.
"I'll wipe out your pitiful creature in one move. Blue eyes, use Infinite Burst Stream!"
The dragon roared as it charged a large blue beam at the chimera.
Bakura laughed as the attack fizzled out against it.
"You can't kill my Diabound quite so easily" the thief pointed out. "But I'm afraid your dragon takes back the mirror damage"
"I know this monster's effect, you don't have to explain-" Kaiba replied bitterly "-I'm not letting you kill my Blue Eyes with a cheap shot like that" he spat as he used a Mirror Shield to negate the damage.
The thief let out a low chuckle that turned louder and louder as he seemed quite amused by the situation.
"Good work. Hold on to that monster as tightly as you can. Your life depends on it, after all" he warned his adversary as the ring around his neck glowed golden.
"Uh-oh, it looks like it's going to rain…" the little boy on stage turned his vision to the darkening sky.
Kaiba frowned as ominous clouds gathering around the stage. No storm could appear this fast and center down only on them. It was a cheap parlor trick used to distract him. He wasn't fazed in the slightest by any of this.
"I'm not worried about my monster. You, on the other hand, have already used your only card. When I summon my next monster, you won't be able to use the same effect to save you twice"
"That won't be necessary." Bakura replied with a grin, ending his turn. "Like I said, the rules of this match have already been set. Play it well"
Kaiba slowly drew a card, never taking his eyes off of him. He'd never played a duel against a guy like him before. Something felt familiar about his aura though. An aura of otherworldly power, a golden hue that made him seem beyond human. It was the same as...his…
Yugi…
Kaiba grit his teeth. He wasn't going to lose again. He wasn't going to give his opponent any leeway. He was going to end it on his second turn, and that was that.
"Very well, I summon Minotaurus and use it as sacrifice to bypass your monster. It's over." Kaiba stated confidently, placing the card on top of his duel table.
The thief chuckled as the creature digitized on the field, only to fizzle out instantly and disappear. The lights started to flicker continuously before going on a complete blackout. The public panicked as the playing field was engulfed by complete darkness.
"Turn on the backup generator!" Mokuba ordered but it was in vein. No light could shine past the front stage and no camera could film the duel anymore. It was like they were pulled out of our reality.
"Just like…that one time…" the boy remembered, a lump forming in his throat. Will his brother survive this one? He was powerless to help anymore.
"I'm afraid you can't do that" Bakura shook a finger at his opponent. "You already picked your monster, as did I. Didn't I already say it? This is the rule. We fight until one of them dies. And do be careful, the master of said monster will die along with it, so do your best to survive" he warned him, running a hand along the beast's serpent neck.
"Also-" he added, "-there's no need for a table and illusionary field. You can summon your cards right out of your hand."
"You turned this into a real duel…" Kaiba muttered in a low voice.
"Impressed?"
"Can't say it's the first time I've seen this. Though, I didn't expect to see it again so soon" the young man admitted, bitter memories coming back to him.
"Oh?" He had piqued the thief's curiosity. He had played a Shadow Game before? It means someone beat him to the punch. Hopefully this other opponent didn't take the Millennium Item from him already.
"Regardless, even if I can't summon any other monster, your monster is still far weaker than mine. All you're doing is stalling the game. If I can still play spells, I'll eventually force it off the field and then you lose automatically" Kaiba scoffed at him.
To prove his point, he attacked the monster again. The snake hybrid hid itself in the shadows, only to be bound between a trio of bright swords of light.
"I hate to use one of his cards, but in this case, Swords of Revealing Light will just ensure my victory quicker" the CEO explained. "Your life points won't last for 3 turns against a monster of 3000 damage. Might as well concede the game right now"
"You still don't get it, do you?" Bakura smiled calmly. "This isn't the kind of game you think it is"
"I don't know what you're referring to, but you can chit-chat all you want by yourself once you're off the podium. Blue-Eyes, destroy his pathetic monster!"
A loud screech rang out as the serpent fizzled into oblivion, the beam piercing through it like a piece of cloth. Bakura fell to his knees, a trickle of blood rushing out of his mouth and down his chin as his life points fell by more than half.
"Now you're fully exposed. One more turn and I win" Kaiba teased him as he ended his attack, his tone still as cold and unimpressed as ever.
"I've had worse" the thief chuckled as he wiped his face clean. He had no cards left to play and gestured for Kaiba to take the next turn as well.
"I'm sorry I'm not living up to your expectations. I'll try to make the last turn painful enough to be memorable" the CEO shot back as he gestured for the dragon to attack again.
"Tell me…do you love her?" the thief said in a low tone, his eyes covered up by his fringe as he tried to compose himself.
Kaiba lowered his hand and frowned at him.
"I don't understand what you mean"
"That white slave girl from the market. You control her Ka. Did she give her life for you?"
"You're talking nonsense. I don't know anyone by that description"
"You have her dragon"
"This card has always been mine. Nobody else has the right to own it! I worked for years making this technology to create a perfect replica of this dragon!"
"What for?"
The young CEO fell silent. What for indeed? Why did he need to go to such great lengths to see this particular creature in flesh and blood? He didn't know why he did any of this, he just knew that…he needed to see it. He needed to bring it to life somehow, free it from its cardboard prison. It felt like…he was saving someone.
"She's not coming back, regardless of what you do" Bakura forced himself to make eye contact as he raised to his feet warily.
There was a low sigh of confused emotion coming from his adversary as he turned his gaze away from him.
"It doesn't matter why I do this for, all that matters right now is that I get rid of you as soon as possible!" He didn't declare the attack anymore, he just turned his head in a gesture that his beast understood as a finishing move.
The light pierced through the clouds around the arena as the energy blast enveloped the thief completely.
"Game over. Now, get lost." Kaiba growled as he crossed his arms defiantly. This had been a very short and disappointing match. His opponent talked big but had nothing to show for it. He wasn't worth his time and effort.
"Actually, this is just the beginning" came the voice behind the darkness.
The thief still stood, albeit shakily, smoke raising into the air as burn marks adorned his entire body. He smirked ever so defiantly, as if he was the one who had the game advantage.
"Blue-eyes did over your entire remaining life points worth of damage, you lost the game" Kaiba explained to him, trying to get him to understand the rules.
"We're not playing for life points, though" Bakura steadied his feet as a huge clawed hand materialized in front of him protectively as his monster morphed bit by bit into existence again, the dark fog engulfing the arena yet again, thicker and deeper than ever before.
The chimera had changed. It had become larger and more reptilian, its human facial features less distinguishable underneath its now green-tinted hide. Its long snake lower half wrapped around Bakura as a makeshift meat shield.
"Do you get it now? We're playing with our Ka's. This isn't an illusion, it's real life. Our lifelines are given shape as the creature that best represents our deepest selves. We fight until one of our Ka's is depleted and the owner dies."
Kaiba stared at the giant before him in shocked silence, then had a sudden shift in mood. A creepy smile worked its way onto his usual cold face, giving into a wicked grin accompanied by a bout of hearty laughter.
"Wonderful! You have no idea the gift you've given me! This is exactly what I've been looking for!" Kaiba stated, composing himself as he called the dragon over to his side, stroking its hide as a tingle of deep satisfaction coursed from his fingertips throughout his entire body. This felt magnificent. "Oh, I hope your creature's made to last, I want this duel to go on for as long as possible!"
"I'm glad I'm finally entertaining you, High Priest." Bakura swept a hand in the air, gesturing for him to go another round. "Let's make this the best duel of our lives!"
The game had been going on for quite some time. I had no idea what was going on inside their bubble, but I hoped deep down that Bakura had a good plan to go by. His adversary wasn't some random gambler this time, but one of the best in his field. It was an uphill battle to duel him.
At the same time, I was afraid of what would happen if he did win.
Kaiba was a rich and influential person and if he passed out as a result of this duel, or worse, it'd wind up on camera once the spell wears off. What was going to happen to Bakura? Would he get arrested for murder?
What if the authorities get their hands on the Millennium Ring and figure out how to use it?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized Bakura had made a huge mistake to challenge this guy to a public fight.
What did he even want from him? He didn't have any of items we needed, for sure.
The snake creature wasn't going down. No, if anything, it was getting stronger. Every attack seemed to enrage it more, every time it got obliterated, it came back bigger and more deformed than before, until it was nigh unrecognizable. It had become a full snake beast, its humanoid half replaced by a twisted, snarling, reptilian nightmare.
"This stalemate can't go on forever" Kaiba crossed his arms, unimpressed "Your monster may not be taking any damage, but you are" he pointed out at the exhausted thief.
It was obvious from the start that they were linked with their monster, but the young CEO found it odd that his opponent wasn't retaliating at all. It was commendable that he could still stand with the amount of damage he had taken, but it was quite boring to be this one-sided.
What was his strategy? Unless…
"I agree. It's about time I ended this" Bakura smirked "To tell you the truth, I'm quite reluctant to do so. In this timeline, I can't summon my Ka outside of this pocket dimension. I fear it'll be a while before I get to savor a kill with him again."
"I see, so this was your goal. You've intentionally drawn my attacks in order to power up your monster to match my own-" the CEO mused.
"How very observant of you" Bakura complimented him.
"-however, Blue-Eyes is unbeatable. No matter how many times you upgrade your creature, my dragon will just put it back in its place."
"Are you sure of that? We are evenly matched at this point, an attack would destroy your monster as well. Yours cannot regenerate" the thief urged him to reconsider.
"You said we can still play spells and traps. And I have been drawing cards every turn so far. I have all I need to win in my hand." Kaiba said, revealing his traps.
"First, I remove your monster from play for one turn. Second, I double my monster's attack. I will now attack you directly and end my turn. I will continue this cycle until you yourself cannot stand anymore. Your creature is irrelevant to this fight anymore"
"You have a very narrow-minded view of this duel, Set. You need to expand your perception of your world."
"I know fully well how to win my fights, you cur. I will take these as your last words" Kaiba insisted, pointing for Blue Eyes to blow him up. With the devil snake out of the way, there was nothing he could do to defend himself.
Kaiba smirked victoriously. But it was short lived.
The beam deflected off its target like it hit a stone wall, flowing to the sides and dissipating into thin air.
What's going on? He didn't have any spells active…
"As you can see, I cannot die. Not until THEY accept it" Bakura chuckled, the ghosts woven into a tightly-nit barrier around him, absorbing the brunt of the attack.
This is the first time that Kaiba noticed these creatures. Why couldn't he see them before?
Thinking back on it, they had been there from the beginning. He had felt the chill in the air, he had seen the winds shift and flow as if it was alive and he had heard a low sorrowful cry, as if it begged for release. He had dismissed it all, just as he dismissed all supernatural occurrences he's ever lived through as fakes.
Yes, the reason he couldn't see them before is because he didn't believe in them.
Did he believe now?
"Expand your perception, is it?" he repeated the thief's earlier words as realization came to him. He had not been fighting just this one man, but an entire throng of creatures. He didn't need any other cards, he had a full army to sacrifice at his disposal.
"Ah, so you finally see. High Priest, you shouldn't be this surprised. We've been through this before. Granted, I never got to kill you that time, but now that you're trapped in here with me, I can fix that"
"Who are you?" Kaiba frowned at him. He kept speaking like he knew him, yet it was the first time they met.
"Do not give me this line, High Priest. I am not this insignificant that you can forget me. No matter, I'll make sure you remember me this time"
The ghosts flew off of his body, glowing in bright energy.
"It's my turn now." Bakura continued "and my monster returns" he pointed out as the very action occurred.
"It does not matter. Its attack is still lower than my monster"
"I disagree. These creatures represent my Ka, as does yours. In consequence, they are all linked together. The power of the attack you did will be transferred to Diabound. Each spirit gives it a power up, meaning it grows by 99 hits!"
As if understanding the command, the ghosts flew into the chimera, becoming absorbed into its body. The creature let out a painful howl as it became enraged by the power it received.
"It's time I fought back." Bakura smirked at him "I will unleash all the attacks I have not used so far in one turn, at the power level that I am now"
"Wait, you can't do this! This isn't a Duel Monsters rule!" Kaiba retorted, taken aback.
"This isn't a Duel Monsters game, either. I thought you knew this by now." The thief gave him a condescending look. "You should've used your Millennium Rod against me. You would've won the duel by now if you did"
"Rod?" Kaiba asked, confused.
"I'm not just fighting you just for the thrill of killing you, High Priest. That is the prize I seek from you." the thief explained.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have such a thing! And I am not a High Priest! Stop roleplaying with me! I am Kaiba Seto, the CEO of KaibaCorp and you will address me with the respect I am owed!" he barked back, his fists balled by his sides. "Wake up to reality, you insane bastard!"
This wasn't the High Priest. He had been wrong.
Kaiba snorted loudly as he prepared to take the brunt of the attack.
Monsters, ghosts, Ka, alternate universes. Garbage! How could he even fall for such obvious tricks from a charlatan like that? None of this was real! The only thing that is real is cold, hard science. He will beat this cheap trickster and prove he was right once and for all!
Wake up…
Bakura stared down at his hands.
This new Shada had said the same thing. Wake up from what?
Diabound charged his attack from the snake mouth at the end of its tail until it engulfed the dragon in electricity.
He suddenly felt weak, as if he had used up all the adrenaline in his body and was crashing down. His monster felt it too, its attack faltering.
Something was wrong with him. Something he hadn't been aware of until now.
He clutched his head, trying to remember. He felt a stinging pain, like a barrier in his mind wouldn't let him through. Something or someone else was in there.
The attack missed.
Bakura lifted his gaze to see his monster dissolving into ribbons.
"Diabound!" he called for it as the creature faded away.
He couldn't concentrate anymore. Whatever was going on in his head made him unable to continue this duel.
"I guess you're forfeiting this game. But I'm not. Blue Eyes White Dragon, use Infinite Burst stream!" Kaiba retorted, the dragon blowing away the dazed thief.
The clouds of the spell dissipated before he could disintegrate to pieces and he flew into the stage wall as they materialized back into the real world.
Did…did Bakura lose?
I never thought it possible. He had played his adversaries so well until now, the sight before me was hard to accept.
But here he was, battered and bruised, lying on his side at the far end of the stage, curled up into a ball on the ground like roadkill.
It took Kaiba a moment to register that they were back in the real world. But it only confirmed his hypothesis. It had all been an illusion. The dragon, too, was gone, but the thrill of the kill felt very real. Kaiba grinned to himself, a sadistic grin that few ever saw. This had been far more satisfactory than he had expected.
"Seto! You're back!" Mokuba smiled, running up to him. He was so happy to see him in one piece.
Cheers erupted from the crowd as they saw their hero on stage victorious.
"You should expect no less from me" Kaiba correct him, then slowly walked up to his adversary, crouching over to his level to stare him in the eye.
"You. I want to know the secret to that illusion technique you used on me" he told him as deadpan as usual. If he could incorporate this into his 3D projection technology, he could achieve a level of realism unlike any before.
Bakura didn't respond. His eyes were bloodshot and darting all over the place.
He dragged himself to his feet using a curtain, holding the side of his face with his other hand as if it was about to fall off.
His vision was blurry. He saw lights flash before him, dashing from one side to the other brightly. Hazy, like a memory. One that never happened to him. Then something clicked for just a moment. His tense body relaxed and a strange wave of relief washed over him.
"Answer me!" Kaiba demanded louder.
The thief finally noticed him by his side and chuckled at him with a weak expression.
"Hello...Kaiba" he said in a soft tone of acknowledgement as he got off the stage and limped up to me.
The savant fumed, calling for him to come back and respect his end of the bargain multiple times as we slowly walked out of earshot.
"Let's go home" he told me as I grabbed his shoulder, trying my best to keep him steady as his legs gave way multiple times on the way to the bus stop.