Chapter Four- Shadow Duel

-Bakura-

Ah, I love the smell of the Shadow Realm in the evening. Just as much as I love torturing these pathetic fools from dawn until dusk. I grinned as I watched the Kaiba brothers faint first from the pressure of the air.

Wonderful.

Yugi's pathetic friends fell next, but not before giving me looks that could kill.

Please. Who do you think invented that look?

The Ishtars, plus Odion, were able to stand the change in the room and decided to charge me.

Pathetic.

I used the power of the ring to throw them back to the walls. Marik was the only one who was able to move after the impact. At this point I remembered that Yugi wasn't in this room at the time.

Best give him an invitation to my party. Wouldn't want it to go down in history that I was unfair to my opponents.

...Too late for that.

I shoved Marik against the bathroom door; giving Yugi my invite and getting Marik out of my hair. The small boy stumbled into the hall, which was when I first noticed that he didn't have the puzzle. He was looking around; obviously he hadn't seen me yet.

Well now what. I've got him here, but no puzzle. But I need him to be alive for me to use the puzzle, so no wrath. Maybe I could just torture him until he agreed to give me the puzzle if I let him go get it.

"Where is it?" My voice was deep with anger at the tiny boy in front of me.

He looked up to where my voice came from, "Wh-who said that?"

I walked up to him before kneeling down to see his face and held his chin in my hand. "Your worst nightmare." The look of fear in his face was satisfying enough to me, but I still wanted something from him and the desire would not be quenched by merely fear. "Now, tell me where the puzzle is, while I am still asking you politely."

"I-I don't have it here. Ju-just let me go, please?"

"Please. You don't beg an angry thief. You obey them when they're still considering letting you live."

"But... I don't..."

I sighed, "Clearly I am getting nowhere this way so we'll play things your way. We duel. I win and you give me the millennium items. You win and," I sighed here again, "I'll give back your friends souls and I won't bother you again."

Yugi looked like he'd faint and he did. Hell, if that's not a sign of submission, then I don't know what is. "Heh, guess I win."

"Guess again," challenged a new voice.

Ugh, come on. I practically get what I want and then some upstart has to come in. "If I'm going to fight someone, I usually like to see their face, so lets see yours."

A solitary figure emerged from the fogged room, and I almost fell over laughing. Of all the opponents I could fight for the right to the millennium items I get the easiest. My 'partner'. Ryou.

-Ryou-

"If I'm going to fight someone, I usually like to see their face, so lets see yours."

Okay before anyone says how stupid I am, let me save them the trouble: this has got to be the most stupid thing I've ever done, aside from putting the ring back on after Tristan threw it away. Let no one ever say that I was smart because this proves it wrong.

When I stepped forward, the look on my yami's face was like Christmas coming early. Though I couldn't blame him, out of all the opponents he could have fought, I had to be the weakest. Well except for Mokuba, but Kaiba wouldn't let him fight anyway.

"Heh, yes. I really love this kind of fight. Surely Ryou you haven't forgotten that you don't have a spare deck." He chuckled happily.

"Of- of course I do." I lied.

((Don't lie like that, yadonushi.))

I looked down, dismayed. It was true. The only deck that I had was the one Bakura had in his grimy hands. I didn't think I needed another one. I doubt that even Yugi has a spare...

Yugi. I bet he still has his deck with him even if Yami isn't here. I saw the belt that he would store his deck in during Battle City. Without explaining my actions, I knelt down to my pint-sized friend and retrieved his deck.

"Relying on others? That's not what I taught you."

I looked up, rebelliously, "Yes, well, I haven't exactly been agreeing with what you've been 'teaching' me."

Bakura looked slightly taken-aback; I had never spoken back to him when he was beating me or stealing the items. ((Rather surprising, Ryou.))

((No one's more surprised than me, believe me.))

Bakura grunted, "So lets work out the details here..."

"You already settled that," I smiled. Hey if I was going to lose my mind, I may as well go out with a bang. "I just want your assurance that when I win, you give back everyone and don't bother me again."

Bakura cocked an eyebrow before his mouth returned to the normal sneer, "You have the word of a thief."

((Yeah, that really helps.))

-Normal-

Bakura growled. His weak partner never spoke back to him; at least not recently. Must be from hanging around these resistant fools so much. I'll have to 'discipline' him when this is through. The yami pointed to the table at the center of the room, "We duel there." His better half only nodded a reply. After his brazen demand to duel, there wasn't much left in Ryou except fear.

They both took the decks they'd be using and began to shuffle them, Ryou clumsily and Bakura with a vengence. He had lost all care in regards to fairness and was now out for widespread revenge. Even if it meant fighting his 'vessel', just so long as someone felt his wrath.

The twin albinos set their decks down at the same time, drawing five cards. Ryou couldn't help but think that his yami had yet another advantage over himself. I've never dueled with these cards! I haven't really seen Yugi duel before, just the snipets that Bakura let me see. I don't really know what strategies to use.

Ryou's hand- Gamma the Magnet Warrior, Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts, Dark Magician Girl, Spellbinding Circle, Swords of Revealing Light.

Bakura's hand- Destiny Board, Dark Necrofear, Spirit Message 'L', The Portrait's Secret, The Earl of Demise.

The dark chuckled, "The first move is mine," he draws, "Hm. I summon The Portrait's Secret... in attack mode! I end my turn. I sure hope I'm not too hard on you yet. There's much more to come!" He finished with a smirk.

Ryou gulped. He knew it probably wouldn't take much to be too hard on him. But Yugi used these cards; maybe some of his luck would rub off on Ryou. "M-my turn," he tried (and failed) to sound confident as he drew. I should probably attack now. I most likely won't get that chance later. "I summon Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts. Now attack his monster! please." Gazelle's claws ripped through the canvas as a chunk of Bakura's life- points were torn to shreds too.

"Attack the Portrait's Secret!" Gazelle was summoned and destroyed the fiend monster with ease.

Bakura didn't look as happy, he looked like the usual arrogant person he was when he was fighting Yami. More accurately, when he was losing against Yami.

What was that? thought Ryou. Am I losing it? I mean, maybe I'd like Bakura to be worried and fear me, or at least fake it so I have some confidence. Ryou shook his head to clear it. He needed to be focused for this. No wishful thinking. "My turn is over."

Bakura kept an evil grin plastered on his face as he drew his next card. "HAHAHAHA! Just what I needed!" Ryou jumped as his darker half played his next card, "It's Shallow Grave. With this magic card, each duelist may summon one monster from their graveyard in defense mode. Hence, The Portrait's Secret is revived."

He chuckled deeply, before continuing. "But that is not all! For now I sacrifice this monster to summon a stronger one in its place; rise up, Earl of Demise!" The creepy portrait was replaced by an even creepier duke. "Now Earl of Demise attack! Wipe out his pathetic excuse for a monster. He-he, I end my turn."

Ryou shook with fright. It didn't matter what he did, it still wasn't enough for his yami. Maybe he should just quit now. He'd done enough already, hadn't he? I doubt anyone expected me to challenge Bakura, especially last one turn, right?

((So you're just going to give up and leave 'them' hanging, huh?))

Bakura's voice rang through Ryou's head. His friends. He couldn't leave them here. And... they wouldn't leave him.

((Not a chance.))

Ryou drew. Beta the Magnet Warrior. What to do, what to do, what to... ah! "I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!"

"Math not your best subject?" Ryou drew a breath; had he messed up? "I understand. A lot of pressure. Tell you what; you're weak and pathetic so, I'll help. You can change the position of your monster if you want, I'm in a generous mood."

Ryou thought. I'm so worthless that I have to depend on my yami to get me out of things. HE doesn't think I'm worth enough to duel him without help. "No. After all, you've always taught me to depend on me and me alone."

"Cocky."

"Not really," Ryou said, "I wasn't finished with my turn yet. Now I activate the magic card, Swords of Revealing Light. That will hold you off for..."

Bakura interjected, "three turns. Yes I know what the damn card does. You just got three extra turns before your inevitable defeat."

The better half smiled, "Now I end my turn."

Bakura drew his next card. Ugh. I'm sick of waiting. Best go to plan 'B'. "I sacrifice my Earl of Demise for the Dark Ruler."

"Is that the best you can do?" coaxed his other.

The dark shrugged, "At the moment. I end my turn."

Ryou drew the next card. Alpha the Magnet Warrior. That looks familiar. Hey! The three magnet warriors! Aren't they able to fuse together for a really strong monster? "I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior in attack mode! That's all." He finished unceremoniously.

Bakura drew his card, "I pass. There's nothing I can do."

"Nice of you to finally admit that." Ryou drew. No luck. I should probably summon that last monster that's needed for fusion. "I summon the Magnet Warrior Gamma. End Turn."

Bakura groaned, "We're getting nowhere with you making the moves; my turn." He drew. "HAHAHA! Just the card I wanted! I summon the Winged Minion!" A little eyeball with blue wings appeared before quickly disappearing.

"What? What happened?"

Bakura laughed, "You don't know what your own cards do. The winged minion is sacrificed to the graveyard in exchange for increasing one monster's attack and defense by 700." Bakura continued chuckling, "But that's not all. I now sacrifice the three monsters in my graveyard to summon the monster known as Dark Necrofear. I also set one card face down." A fiendish monster appeared next to a face down duel monster's card. "Now I'm done. And your swords of revealing light have expired as well."

Ryou took a deep breathe. There was no way he could draw what card he needed now. It was just not possible that he could get the card he needed.

"Help."

Ryou turned to see that Joey had said that. His friends. He still couldn't abandon them. He had to fight for them. He had to believe in the Heart of the Cards.