Chapter Ten

Jounouchi was the first to react. He lunged forward, caught Kaiba up by the collar, and shook him with the ferocity of a terrier with a rat. "You called them!" He hissed, "You brought these cannibals on our heads!"

A self-satisfied smirk twisted the priest's lips, and without a touch, drove a bolt of raw power into Jounouchi's unprotected gut that brought the warrior to his knees. As Jounouchi crouched, fighting waves of nausea – by Ra's balls, he would not retch at the feet of this bastard – Kaiba towered over him.

Over all of them. Honda stood to his back, out of sight. His fingers clenched on the hilt of his sword, preparing to draw it out while he stared, transfixed by those tempting shoulder blades…if he could just…

"Do not presume to touch me," Kaiba warned over his shoulder, fixing Honda with one dangerous blue eye. "I can easily drop you, just as I did your comrade."

Then he turned back to Yami, one lean arm raised to point accusingly toward the pharaoh gone rigid with rage at the apex of the royal dais.

"I called them, yes! To keep your whelps busy defending the palace, while you have no option but to duel me alone." He leered, "Face me, pharaoh, and prove to me that you are no murderer…that you need no chanters, no souls but your own to bend the Saint-Dragon to your bidding. Unless…you truly are a murdering coward…" Now he spun in a whirl of white and blue, to face the cowering audience, and a seething Honda.

"I formally challenged the pharaoh to a game of Duel Monsters! And by the gods, I will reclaim my innocence and show you all what a bloodthirsty coward holds your throne!"

And I formally challenge you to let me kick your ass, Honda snarled inwardly as he leveled a ferocious glare on the arrogant priest. The urgency was increasing…they had only minutes before every able-bodied man had to be out on the walls, defending the palace. They had to decide now. Yami had to make his choice now.

"No…" Jounouchi protested quietly from the floor. Kaiba's head snapped to the side to focus narrowed eyes on the fallen warrior. Teeth gritted against the pain, the soldier wavered unsteadily to his feet, one arm cradling his tender midsection as though to keep the whole of it from falling to the floor. "No. Don't accept his challenge!"

Honda caught his breath. Yami, unmoved, stared icily at Jounouchi. The warrior continued unchecked, moving step by staggering step to Honda's side, who willingly bore him up and offered the support of a shoulder until he could find his own feet again.

"Don't…don't do this," Jounouchi gasped, "He's not worth it…"

There was an unspoken statement that hung in the air beneath the other's breathless bravado. You can't handle the Saint-Dragon on your own, my beloved, no matter how much you posture. You know it, and I know it. And if it kills you…what are we fighting for…?

Honda gazed up at Yami with the same conviction in his eyes. Time was slipping away from them…soon enough he and Jounouchi would have to be with the rest of the house guard…the cries of dying men beyond the room were testament enough to that fact.

Yami, in turn, gazed down at them.

Precious seconds passed, the time stretching from the two pairs of tortured eyes to Yami's unreadable expression.

Yami lidded gorgeous, suddenly pain-filled violet eyes.

He nodded for Kaiba to follow him to the dueling arena, deep in the underground belly of the holy temple of the Sun God.

"NO!"

Honda tried desperately to control the shock of resonance that echoed out of the future at the sound of that heart-wrenching sob of denial, and clung to Jounouchi as he flung himself after the pharaoh and the priest's retreating backs. He knew that sound…he'd heard it before…

Otogi.

The sound of Otogi's voice as the dark ponytailed teenager had been forced to watch Honda dance with death before…helpless to do a thing save bear witness to his own stupidity.

He clenched Jounouchi's arms in a steel-vise grip, and turned the other soldier away. "We have a war to fight! If the rogues reach the palace, it won't matter what happens down there!"

For another few ticking precious seconds, there was no sound but the harsh rasp of Jounouchi's breath against his shoulder. That, too, quieted, and Jounouchi looked up.

His eyes were cold with hate.

"Let's kick some ass, trainee."

Despite himself, a feral smile crossed Honda's lips, and together, they dashed out to the walls.

Back in the cold world of reality, Otogi was the only body left in Honda's hospital room. The doctors were amazed at the support shown by the unconscious boy's friends…there were always at least one or two by his bedside until visiting hours ended. At last, Yuugi and Anzu coaxed Jounouchi into taking a well-deserved rest – but only after Otogi promised to watch him until the blond teenager could come back.

Like Honda's going to go anywhere until then?

And like I'd be able to do anything else.

His mouth quirked. Oh, hell, no sense in denying it, after all.

With a stealthy glance toward the viewing glass to be sure that nobody was watching, his hand crept out and threaded through the unresponsive strength of Honda's fingers. Even if he never did so again, at least he could do so now and not worry about what his friend would have to say about it.

From the corner of his eye, he caught movement across Honda's features, and his gaze flashed up to scan the other boy's face eagerly for any signs of waking.

But no. The tall brunet's face was a mask of peace again, though replacing the thin-lipped reflexive frown was the phantom of a smile.

Otogi returned the expression, and squeezed the flaccid fingers wrapped with his own.

Treacherous smile.

If only he could have seen the venom behind it.