Episode 21: Break Through all the Rounds
It took roughly an hour for the limo to drive the group to their destination. They could see the large building where many children and their parents gathered around. The cheering indicated how ecstatic the crowd was as they were heading inside. The building itself had walls of glass, but thick ones so people from the outside couldn't see in. Above the rotating doors where the entrance was, the words 'KAIBA LAND' were spelt out in big, bold purple letters. Yugi rolled the window down so he could get a better look, just as a female voice could be heard from the tower itself. "Thank you for attending the grand opening of Kaiba Land Beta today. The opening ceremony will begin at precisely ten sharp. Make sure that those who wish to see the event will take their seats on the first floor of the Game Tower." She instructed.
Game Tower? It must have been the main attraction to this place. Chances are, it was also something Kaiba had planned as part of this challenge he wanted Yugi and his friends to attend to. The limo parked itself at the back of the building, where a few men in suits were waiting for them. Once the doors opened, the high schoolers were escorted out and followed the two guards towards the back door. The moment they walked through, they were greeted by fancy hallways that resembled the manor of Seto's home itself. This must have been a special area away from the Game Tower and attractions.
"Master Kaiba wants you all to be at the first level of the Game Tower by ten. However, until then you can see your grandfather." The blue-haired guard explained as he adjusted his glasses, hiding his eyes as he led the younger people through the corridors. "Sugaroku Mutou is currently staying in one of the hotel rooms."
That helped to calm Yugi down, as it meant that they hadn't hurt his guardian. Hopefully his grandpa was holding up. "Hotel rooms?" Miho repeated, confused by what he meant.
"Kaiba Land Beta is this large building that has four wings and a tower in the very center. The south wing consists of living quarters which makes up a dining room and bedrooms. It's for families that wish to stay overnight or spend multiple days at the park." The other guard with brown hair elaborated. So that explained the decor of this place, they must be in the south wing. They turned a corner and saw an elevator at the end of the wall. Once they approached it, the blue guard pressed the button and the doors opened. Everyone crammed inside, then headed a few floors up until there was a ding. When the shutters opened, the group of six and the two guards walked out and looked at the hallway they were in. Electronic doors were on either side of the wall, with the same color paint as the one in the corridor down below.
They had to pass seven doors before one of the men grabbed a card and walked over to the door on the left. He pressed it up to a panel as the light turned from red to green. The door automatically slid open to reveal the bedrooms this hotel section had. It seemed standard, but was gorgeous in design. There were two queen sized beds with satin sheets and many pillows against the headboard. A large TV was against the opposite wall of the beds, with a mini fridge on either side of the large dresser resting below the screen. There was a patio window that showed off a grand view of the city, yet remained decently sized. There, sitting on one of the beds was Sugaroku Mutou, who was staring out the large window. The moment Yugi saw him, he rushed in and hurried over to his grandfather.
Sugaroku turned to see his grandson coming over. "Yugi!" He gasped, reaching to hug him tightly.
"Thank goodness… you're okay Grandpa!" Yugi sighed in relief.
The others came over, all were happy to see he was not only unharmed, but seemed to be comfortable. Once they were all inside, the two suited guards closed the door and waited in the hallway, to give them some privacy. "What happened to ya, Gramps?" Jounouchi asked.
The older guy sighed. "I was just tending to the shop yesterday, when these large men in business attire came in. Apparently they wanted me to come with them here, to Kaiba Land Beta and wait for you. Said that it was mandatory that I was here for your challenge tomorrow. I tried to get out of it, but they practically shoved me into the car. They didn't harm me, but when they brought me up here, I had so many questions that they did not answer."
"You must have been so scared." Anzu noted.
"I was more scared for your sake…" Suagroku looked over at Yugi. "Are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?"
Yugi shook his head, still happy that his grandfather was here before him and was unharmed. "I'm fine… they were pretty civilized all things considered. Though the only way we'll probably get out here is to win against this challenge that Kaiba has set up." Remembering that made him nervous once again, as he didn't know what the CEO had in store for him or his friends. Still, he didn't want to worry everyone, so he had to keep his lips closed.
Jounouchi stepped forward with a confident smile. "And we are here to help him out however we can!"
The Mutou's checked the five friends behind Yugi, seeing how supportive and confident they were. Even though Yugi was still against them helping him out and putting them in danger, he hoped their support would motivate him to get them out of this mess. Honda stepped over to Sugaroku. "Do you have any idea what we are in for?" He asked the old man.
He shrugged. "Like I said, I barely got any answers when I got here. But…" He reached into his pockets. "They did tell me one thing! Before they brought me into the car, they said that they wanted me to give you your Duel Monsters Deck before you would begin this challenge." He finally managed to get the stack of cards in his hand to give to his grandson.
"Grandpa…" Yugi held the deck, looking the cards over.
"Listen to me, Yugi. This deck is one you have worked hard on. I also added in a few extra cards to help balance it out." Sugraoku began as he was giving his advice to his grandson. "I don't know what Seto Kaiba has in store, but if you trust in the cards, your friends and yourself, I am sure you will be the victor. Whatever you do, don't doubt yourself! You have to stay strong and clear your head if you are going to win." It was all up to him now. As much pressure as Yugi had on him, he knew there was no turning back. He would have to rely on his own confidence and friends to ensure their win.
The doors soon opened again, as the guards looked inside. "Yugi Mutou and friends, please follow us to the Game Tower."
"Looks like we have to go now…" Cosmo realized, as it was time.
Sugaroku looked at everyone once more, nodding and giving them a smile. "I'll be watching you from here. Be careful, and good luck out there."
Yugi grinned at his guardian, as did everyone else. They were escorted out of the hotel room and walked through a couple more hallways where the lavished and decorative hallways were soon replaced with metallic rails and long stairwells. The six made it to a large pillar, with five large spaces in between the levels around the floors. The metal sporting the signature KC for Kaiba Corporations.
"Woah!" Miho awed as she held onto the railing while looking up at the structure.
Honda looked up as well. "So, this is the game tower?" He questioned.
"Indeed. This tower represents five different types of games. One floor for each game, like levels of sorts." The guard explained. "I'm not supposed to tell you what kind of games you will face each level, but at the very top is Seto Kaiba. He wishes to be the one to challenge you, Yugi Mutou, to Duel Monsters. Hence why we asked your grandfather to get you your Duel Monsters Deck." Hearing this made Yugi look down at his pants pockets, where he stored the cards. So that meant they had to go through four other levels before reaching Kaiba, which was the finish line. "Over here, please." The guards escorted them to another elevator. Once inside, they rode it down a few levels for a few minutes before the doors opened to reveal a large room with a raised up pedestal for everyone to step on. "This is where you will start. Stand over on that pedestal and wait. Master Kaiba will soon explain the challenge."
Hearing that, they were forced to do so. Yugi was the first to head off the elevator and step up on the platform. The others soon followed, as it was mostly dark aside from a dimly blue light above them. There didn't appear to be anything in the room, still they stood together as the challenge was drawing near. Cosmo noticed Yugi's form quaking, sensing that he was not truly prepared. "Are you nervous?" She asked as she walked over to him.
Yugi looked to her, seeing the concern in her eyes. He wanted to lie, to tell her he was okay and he could handle whatever would be thrown at them. But no matter how much he wanted to force it, he just couldn't bring himself to. "A lot… actually…" He admitted.
"I think I speak for everyone when I say we all feel the same as you." She told Yugi. "It's okay to be scared. Honestly, I would be slightly worried if you weren't. My sister always told me that too much confidence can make you cocky, and that cockiness could be your downfall."
Yugi slightly chuckled at that. "Kind of wish she was here. Maybe she could help us with these games."
Cosmo laughed with him. "Honestly, she isn't really a fan of them. But she has always had her hands full, so maybe she never got to fully enjoy them like you do."
Yugi believed that was fair. At least that made him somewhat better. He looked at everyone else to see how they were doing. Jounouchi smiled over at his buddy. "Don't worry, Yugi. Leave this to us, we can handle whatever is thrown our way."
"We're your friends after all, and as long as we are with you, we have nothing to fear." Honda added.
Anzu nodded. "You aren't losing anytime soon, Yugi. We'll make sure of it."
Miho nodded with a grin of her own. Yugi looked at his friends, grateful for how supportive they were. He was certain he couldn't lose now so long as his friends were behind him. "Grandpa… I'm going to win!" He declared, for that was a promise he would keep to the end.
The lights in the room soon filled up, making it brighter as everyone looked to see a large monitor above them. The screen was fuzzy for a moment until an image of Kaiba appeared, smiling at them kindly like a friend. "Welcome everyone, I am glad you could all make it." Despite the kindness in his voice, they all knew this was orchestrated to humiliate Yugi. At least he was somewhat modest, though a few believed it was just an act.
"Kaiba…" Yugi whispered to himself.
Jounouchi raised a fist up at the screen as he glared. "Ya bastard, if you think you can harm us in this challenge of yours, then I'll repay you back three times the damage!"
Seto merely mused at the blond one's threat. "I assure you, no one is going to be harmed in this. These are games after all. If you win, you win. If you lose, then you will have to start from the beginning. And the challenges are fairly simple when you get down to it."
"And what is it that you are having us do?" Yugi asked.
"Well, it is only fair that you know the rules before you begin the challenge." Seto stated. "You are going to go through what I call Ultimate G.A.M.E."
"Ultimate G.A.M.E?" Anzu repeated.
"Gaming accelerated method experience." Seto elaborated. "Here in the Game Tower, there are five different levels. On each level there is a different format of a game. In order to win, you will need to pass each and every level, including the top one. During the start of each stage, I will explain the game of the level when you arrive. Oh, and one more thing. If anyone is unable to pass the level either by being stuck or getting knocked out, then they are unable to move forward and will have to be removed from the Tower, and watch from the sides."
So in other words if anyone was unable to make it through the next level, they could not go with them. This would also include Yugi, but since Kaiba set this all up for him he knew that the high schooler wouldn't go down that easily. They would have to be careful and stick together, using their combined skills to get through this. "Now then, Ultimate G.A.M.E will officially begin." Seto declared as the screen went black. Everyone felt the platform beneath their feet being lifted up, as the lights around them got closer to their faces. They had to shield their eyes, trying to protect their pupils from the brightness. Once they were adjusted to the flashing, they could hear hundreds and thousands of people cheering and screaming. They were surrounded by a crowd, staring at them as they were on a stage like they were the main attraction to a show.
"Thank you for waiting, everyone." The female announcer spoke through the speakers. "Now for the opening event of Kaiba Land Beta, these six contestants will begin the challenge of Ultimate G.A.M.E!" This caused the stadium to be excited. The group looked at each other, realizing that this was all staged to seem like they were volunteers to try out this challenge. "Now then, you six may head over to the Tower Elevator to begin the first round." The announcer ordered kindly. They looked over to see a large metal door opening up within the walls of the mechanic building. Not wanting to waste any time, they headed through the opening and into the shaft. Once they were inside, the doors closed and it began to take them to their destination.
"I can't believe this is all staged." Honda was bewildered by the notion.
Jounouchi grunted. "This is not only a game, but a show to him!"
"I didn't think we were the grand opening for this ceremony. Kind of embarrassing." Cosmo admitted as she looked down with a flushed face.
The blond of the group raised a fist in the air. "Come on, let's win this for Yugi!" Everyone nodded, as they were going to give it their all.
Seto was watching the group in the monitor room, checking over all the screens to make sure they were progressing smoothly. He was anxious to have his rematch with Yugi, but knew that he had to be patient. Mokuba was by his side, as the two watched together. "Looks like they're starting." The younger Kaiba brother smiled.
"This Tower will put Yugi to the test to showcase how well he can handle the different types of games his way. They are made to be warm ups so when the time comes to go against me, I will be able to crush him and finally move past our previous duel."
Mokuba looked over at his older brother. "Hey, don't forget me. He has to get past my challenge before he gets to you."
Seto looked down at his sibling and chuckled with amusement. "Of course. Just don't take him lightly, especially when he shows 'that' face." He warned. Mokuba nodded, as he was already aware of what Seto was referring to. Still, that didn't mean he was afraid. The two would only watch until they reached the fourth level of the tower, then it would be their turn.
The pedestal the group was previously on began to rise up, revealing a bunch of screens that produced live feed of the group in the elevator. The audience was excited to see what kind of games the group would play and how they would win. Amongst the crowd, a certain blue-haired young man could be spotted, staring up at the monitors with concern and confusion. 'What was it that drew me here? Why did I come to this place?' He asked himself mentally, only to find his answer as he looked at the shortest boy within the group of six on the screen. 'No, I know why I am here… Yugi. Whatever happens, make it out alive.' Bakura prayed, as his hand unconsciously clung to the pendant around his neck, which was now over his shirt instead of it being hidden behind the fabric.
The lift the high schoolers were on came to an abrupt stop. Yugi and the gang looked ahead as the elevator opened, only to reveal a large metal door that had big red letters in bold, reading out: 'G.A.M.E ONE'. "Looks like this is the entrance to the first game." Jounouchi noted as they walked out of the shaft and headed towards the door. The moment they were right in front of the barrier, it began to open on its own to reveal a pitch black room.
"It's really dark…" Miho shuddered. They could hardly see inside, as they were anxious to know what they had to do. Once everyone was inside, a bright red bulb illuminated the room, flashing as loud sirens were ringing. Miho and Anzu screamed as they held onto each other while the sounds kept blaring out.
"Emergency! Emergency! Enemy is attacking the space station! The upper level is being destroyed! Emergency! Emergency!" Space station? Enemy? Yugi was the most confused out of everyone as he didn't understand what any of this meant. It wasn't until the flashing ceased and the room was crimson, did the sirens stop and the robotic voice speaking before began to elaborate. "Welcome players to level one of Ultimate G.A.M.E. In this scenario, you are a crew in space defending your station from foreign invaders who have attacked and infiltrated the area. They have started to tear apart your station and are tasked to kill anyone on it." The voice explained. Miho and Anzu were unnerved, while the others could only listen for more information. "In order to win, you will need to defeat them with your weapons. Please acquire them along with your protective vests on the wall."
The student's eyes turned towards a wall, which was covered by glass. It slid down, revealing what it contained: armor vests that looked more like a weighted crop top with shoulder pads and a red glass on the heart area in the shape of a triangle. They also grabbed some guns that appeared out of a sci-fi movie, resembling toy blasters. "The Cyber Vests have a red light on them, to represent the player's health. Should that spot get hit with the laser blaster, your armor will grow heavy and the player will be unable to move. However, that weak spot is also on the invader's, as they have them on their armor."
"Oh! It's just like laser tag!" Cosmo realized. "We have to hit the guns right on the red spot to defeat the team."
Jounouchi helped Honda get the vest on while the brunet did the same for the blond. "Sounds like a simple enough premise." Jounouchi stated.
"In which case, this level requires stealth and aiming accuracy." Yugi noted.
"That means Honda and I got this in the bag!" Jounouchi grinned with confidence. "Shooting games are one of my extra-specialties!"
"It's the stealth part you seem to lack though." Honda commented.
Once the girls got their vests on, Miho looked at herself. "These are actually pretty stylish and light!"
"But didn't they say they would become heavy if we get shot in our weak point?" Anzu questioned.
"Then we better keep our guard up." Yugi advised. Just because this was the first level, didn't mean it would be that easy.
"Sensors indicate that there are three enemies in total. They are currently up ahead near the bridge." The robotic voice explained.
"You hear that?" Cosmo smiled with hope. "There's only three of them!"
"That means we have the advantage in numbers." Anzu added.
"Yeah, but they're employees of Kaiba, so that means they must have some skill to make up for it." Jounouchi declared.
"That's a good point…" Honda agreed, wondering how talented these enemies were.
"Please stand in front of the door. You will be transported to the Bridge in a few moments." The group headed to where the voice told them, with their suits on and weapons in hands, they were ready. Still, they had to stick together and be careful. The doors opened slowly, revealing a large room that had many walls scattered around, like a maze. On the other side of the room, another door was opening to reveal three characters that wore the same outfits and had identical weapons. They also had on alien costumes with pink heads and big, bulgy eyes. They immediately hid behind the closest barrier they could find, fanning out as the announcement spoke through the speakers. "It's time to start level one of Ultimate G.A.M.E. The only way to win is for the space cadets to protect their station and take out the aliens." The crowd cheered as they watched the show that was about to unfold. As this was their entertainment, but for the high schoolers, it was like life or death.
Jounouchi and Honda were out on the edge of the wall they took up, looking past the corners to try and find out where the 'aliens' were. They couldn't find them, as the six were sticking together. The blond turned back to the group as they needed a plan. "Hey, how long are we just going to stand here and do nothing?"
"Idiot! If we move too carelessly, we will be easy targets for them!" Honda stated.
"Honda is right." Yugi agreed. "We need to wait for the enemy to move. That way, we can wait for them to come our way and attack them."
"But we don't know how strong they really are. Do you really think we can win?" Anzu questioned as she held her blaster to her chest.
"Miho doesn't like this either." She yawned and complained while sitting against the wall.
"But if we stay here any longer, we'll be sitting ducks." Cosmo stated. "And if they surround us…"
Hearing this made Jounouchi slightly irritated as he gripped onto his blaster. "This slow strategy is taking way too long! What if we lose points for wasting time? A man should be taking charge and see what is going on!" The blond climbed up the wall, getting to the top.
"You idiot!" Honda shouted.
"Jounouchi!" Yugi watched as the blond made it to the top, and began to jump from one platform to another while keeping his eyes peeled.
"I won't be sitting around anymore! Let's go!" Jounouchi jumped around, searching for any of those aliens that he could take out. After he hopped around for a bit, he spotted the top of a pink head. "Found one! It's mine!" He pointed his blaster and started to shoot at the alien, pressing the trigger. The head ducked down, only to come back up in front of the blond. They aimed their blaster at the health plate, shooting at it which caused the dull glass to become bright. Jounouchi felt the armor growing heavy, which made it difficult for him to move. Before he knew it, he fell to the floor and was holding his side.
"Jounouchi!" Honda cried as he and a few of the others ran out to check on him. Honda kept his blaster ready in case the others were around.
Cosmo knelt by his side and tried to sit him against the wall. "Are you okay?"
The blond groaned as he looked up. "I… can hardly get up. This armor feels heavier all of a sudden."
"Can you move?" She asked him.
"Barely." Jounouchi answered Cosmo.
"At least this challenge isn't as dangerous…" Anzu noted.
"Going in won't do any good… we need a strategy and fast!" Yugi proclaimed.
"We can't see or hear them… they're too good at stealth…" Honda commented. He was getting frustrated as the other five were desperately trying to figure out a way to pass this level without any more casualties. They looked around the room, trying to stay alert and keep an eye out for any of the 'aliens'. While they were scanning the field, the green-haired girl noticed something up in one of the corners of the ceiling.
"Guys, look!" She pointed over to where she was looking, while everyone else turned to see a large mirror that showed off a huge portion of the room. Within the reflective glass, they could see themselves in there and even the intruders that were hunting them.
"That mirror… You can see a quarter of the arena…" Honda noted.
"Now that you mention it, as I was hopping along the platforms, I noticed that every corner has one." Jounouchi added.
"I don't think the 'aliens' notice them… they're keeping their focus on the ground." Yugi realized.
"That means we can use the mirrors to our advantage!" Anzu declared. "We'll have to think of a plan so we don't get hit like Jounouchi."
"What's the strategy?" Miho asked as everyone huddled closer together.
"We can use the mirrors to help us locate where they are and get the jump on them. But as long as they keep moving around, it will be hard to keep up with them." Yugi stated. "We have to somehow keep them in a certain spot and distract them long enough for us to sneak up on them and shoot them."
Anzu hummed. "But what do we distract them with? There isn't anything on this field that we can use to get their attention.
Honda looked to the ground as he was the only one that could say it. "One of us will have to act as bait.
"Bait?!" Miho repeated. "You mean we will need someone to go out there to be shot at?" She shuddered at the thought.
"It's the only way to get their attention." Anzu declared. "But it has to be someone that can move around fast so they have a slim chance of getting hit." Everyone looked at one another, wondering who would be willing to take the title if it meant advancing them to the next level. It wouldn't be easy, but if their plan worked it would pay off in the long run.
The three invaders were scouting around, trying to find where the cadets were so they could take them out. They felt they were clever enough to trap the high schoolers, as their blasters were held high to shoot whatever they saw. Suddenly, they heard footsteps above them coming from the top of the many walls making the maze this room was. All three of the 'aliens' turned upwards, one in a different corner of the room as they saw a periwinkle haired girl up on the top of the barriers, waving her arms around. "Hey Alien freaks! Come and shoot me if you can!" Miho called to them.
The invaders held up their blasters and pressed the triggers, attempting to shoot at the girl. Miho did her best to dodge the attacks, surprising not just them, but herself as she was able to evade their lasers with her speed. As she was gaining their attention, their weak spots were unguarded while Yugi, Honda and Anzu used the mirrors in the corner of the rooms to locate where they were. They used the mirrors to maneuver the quickest path towards them, while Miho was getting scared of getting blasted at, so she started to fire her blaster as the lasers went in any direction. The 'aliens' ducked down as they were scared to be shot, but at least Miho was doing better at her job than what the others gave her credit for. While the invaders were distracted with trying to either take Miho down or avoid her frantic assassination, the three jumped out and shot their blasters right on the weak point. One hit. Two hits. Three hits. All three of the enemies got their light turned on, making their armor heavy as they fell one by one.
"Congratulations, Space Cadets! You managed to defeat all of the Aliens! You have won the first game!" The robotic voice declared, as the opponents started to take off their suits and armor. Now that the game was over, the special vests lost any kind of function, so Jounouchi didn't feel weighed down anymore.
"Does this mean it's over?" Jounouchi asked as he sat up with Cosmo by his side.
"For the first round at least…" Cosmo reassured him. The four came back towards the blond and the green-haired one, stripping off their armor and tossing their guns.
"You did amazing, Miho! You managed to distract them long enough for us to get the jump on them." Anzu praised her.
"It was scary, but I'm glad it worked out in the end." Miho was relieved.
"Well done, challengers. You have managed to complete the first level of Ultimate G.A.M.E. by defeating the aliens aboard the hijacked space station. Now, you may move on to the next level." The female voice told the group. The high schoolers, now stripped of their weapons and vests, headed to the other side of the room and found the elevator for them to take to the next section. The crowd that was watching them was thrilled at their performance, but it was only the beginning.
Once the six were inside the lift again, they managed to catch their breath before they would reach the second floor. "Man, that game sucked…" Jounouchi complained as he stretched out his shoulders.
"You're just salty because you weren't able to get one of them." Anzu pointed out.
"What matters is we managed to overcome that challenge." Honda stated.
"Yeah… that wasn't as bad as it could have been." Cosmo admitted.
"True…" Yugi agreed. "But that was only the first level. It will probably get even harder from here on out." That meant they had to keep their focus, as Yugi held his fists close to his chest. Everyone else understood, as they would do their best to mentally prepare for the next challenge that was up ahead.
Once the elevator stopped, the lift opened up to reveal another large metal door that said G.A.M.E TWO written on it. Like before, they headed out of the shaft and walked up to the entrance, as it slowly opened to reveal another pitch black room. They waited as they all entered, wondering what this challenge would be. Soon, the lights came on to reveal a large stage that had a decorated podium with a huge board behind it. There was a grand table across from the board with a red button in the center.
"What is this?" Anzu asked as she and the others walked over to the stage, examining the props to try and determine what this game would have them do.
Jounouchi noticed the set up, and the wheels in his brain turned as it was all too familiar to him. "This looks like…" He trailed off, distracted as the more lights illuminated the room to make it brighter.
The six could only turn to the center of the stage where a man appeared, with shining black eyes and sleek-back hair that matched. He wore a light velvet colored tux and dress pants, supporting a teal bow tie on his white, ruffled dress shirt. "Welcome! Welcome fellow challengers of the Ultimate G.A.M.E. Tower!"
The blond gasped as he pointed at the man. "T-That's him! That's the announcer from the 'Game De Get Show'!" Jounouchi declared. When Yugi looked at him, he realized his friend was right. But why was he here? Was he supposed to be the one to help with this challenge?
"Greetings everyone, I know this is a surprise, but I have been hired by the Kaiba Corporation to be the one to deliver the challenge of G.A.M.E. TWO." The Announcer explained in his cordless microphone. "Welcome to the second level of the G.A.M.E Tower. In the last level, you had to be physical and sneaky to clear the first round, so here we will focus more on your book smart abilities. This level is called the Riddle Room!"
"Riddle Room?" Everyone spoke in unison as they were all confused.
"The rules are simple. In order to pass, you have to get five riddles correctly in a row. But if you mess up, you will have to start all over." The Announcer explained. "I will give you a riddle which will show on the board." He gestured towards the screen. "You will have five minutes to talk with one another and guess the correct answer. To do that, press the button in the center and say your answer. Remember, once you press the button and speak, that will be your final answer. So make sure you are certain on what to say before you press."
"So in other words, this game involves us trying to figure out what the correct reply is to the question." Honda noted.
"At least it's better than laser tag." Anzu admitted.
"Expect we don't know what the riddles will be until he tells us." Cosmo pointed out.
The Announcer heard her complaint, so he reassured the young girl. "Not to worry, if you get stumped on a riddle, you can ask me for a hint. However, you only get one hint per riddle."
"That sounds fair to me." Jounouchi couldn't complain.
"We only need to answer five correctly in order to pass." Miho reminded them.
"But if we get one wrong, we have to answer them all over again." Yugi pointed out.
"We'll just have to make sure we don't get any wrong." Anzu declared. "We will have to think things over carefully and agree on an answer before we say it." That meant they would all have to cooperate and work together to come up with a singular answer for these questions.
"Brain games aren't my strongest suit though…" Yugi admitted, though he was good in terms of strategies, that only worked with battle games.
"There's also different types of riddles we have to be aware of. Math riddles, history riddles or brain teasers." Cosmo stated. "Still, if we work together we should have a clear shot of passing this floor."
Everyone was in agreement, as the six of them stepped up to the table before their eyes met the Announcer. Once they were all situated, the Announcer began to speak into his microphone. "Alright, remember! You all need to answer five riddles in a row in order to pass. If you fail once, you will have to start the challenge all over." He reminded them. "Now then, first riddle!" He gestured to the board behind him as it began to light up, displaying the words onto the screen. "What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three at night?" He asked the riddle, as the question came into full view. "You have five minutes to answer. If you do not have one by that time, it will be declared wrong. Good luck!" A countdown of that time appeared on the screen above the riddle, counting the seconds.
"A creature that can walk on so many legs at a time?" Jounouchi repeated. "And at different times of the day…"
"Whatever it is, it must have some sort of technique and reasoning to walk on so many legs at a time." Honda added.
"But walking on a few legs at a certain time… that seems kind of weird." Anzu admitted.
Yugi was in deep thought. He never heard of any animal alive or dead that could walk on so many legs at a time. "Maybe it's a mythical creature? Something that existed in legends?" Yugi wondered.
"I've never heard of a creature that has that many legs." Miho admitted.
"Doesn't sound like anything I'm familiar with either…" Anzu added.
Cosmo hummed as she thought it over, tapping her chin. "Actually… this riddle sounds familiar." Everyone turned towards the green-haired girl as she tried to explain. "I've heard this one before…and it wasn't an animal that's the answer."
"Are you sure?" Honda asked, wanting to make sure she actually knew the answer before she would say anything.
"I want to ask for the hint so I know for certain. Can I?" Cosmo asked. Everyone looked at one another, wondering if they should use the hint for this riddle. A few were hesitant, but others figured it would help her be more confident in the answer. After all, this was their first riddle, so it wasn't as if they would lose anything if they got it wrong. Once everyone nodded to give her permission, Cosmo spoke up. "Could we have a hint to this riddle?"
The Announcer hummed. "Very well. Your hint is this: One of the legs is artificial."
That made everyone else even more baffled. "Artificial leg?" Jounouchi questioned.
"Does he mean a prosthetic?" Anzu questioned.
"What kind of creature would have an artificial leg?" Honda wondered.
Even though everyone seemed just as confused, Cosmo's eyes gleamed as it proved her theory. "I know this one!" Everyone turned to her. "The answer is man!"
"Man?" Yugi questioned, perplexed.
"The riddle talks about a creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and three at night." She recapped the riddle before giving her explanation. "When we're born, we start to crawl before we can walk, so technically we are using four legs to get around. The morning is supposed to represent childhood in life. Then the afternoon is more for kids and teens, as by that time we know how to walk on two legs. At night, which is late adulthood, we still walk on two legs, but at times we need extra support. Which is where the cane comes in. The cane is the artificial leg!"
The others were impressed by her explanation. It sounded so logical and the more they thought it over, it seemed to have been the answer. "Go for it, Cosmo!" Yugi declared, as he believed in her.
"You have thirty seconds left! Have you gotten your answer?" The Announcer asked as he watched the time counting down on the board.
The green haired girl stepped forward, pressing the buzzer to get his attention. "The answer to the riddle… is man!"
Everyone waited for the reveal. The gang, the crowd, even Seto and Mokuba were curious if she got the answer correct. The Announcer looked over at the board as the timer was no longer there. A few words slowly began to appear on the screen, spelling out the answer: Man. "That is correct! What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and three at night! The answer is man! You have answered one of the five riddles!"
Miho went over to Cosmo and hugged her tightly while giggling. "You did it Cosmo! You solved it!"
"I can't believe you were able to figure it out so quickly." Jounouchi was just as impressed.
"Well, one of my sister's friends had a riddle book for a while since she likes brain teasers. I ended up reading some of them, but that one was the riddle I always remembered the most. I guess it's because the answer seemed really simple to me and easy to remember." Cosmo admitted.
Despite the small win, they still had a long way to go. "We still need to solve four more riddles in a row before we can pass." Yugi reminded the group.
"Really hope you know the answer to these next riddles." Honda told Cosmo.
"I can't promise anything until I know what they are." She told the brunet.
The Announcer was in the spotlight once more. "Alright, the next riddle is a math related one!"
"Math?!" Miho gasped. "Now we have to do number riddles?!"
Anzu however, didn't seem too nervous. "Don't worry, I'm an ace when it comes to mathematics!" She assured everyone.
The screen started to display numbers in a particular order: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, 42, 56, and the last digit was a question mark. "To solve this riddle, you must guess what the next number in the sequence is going to be. You have one hint and five minutes, starting now!" The Announcer declared, making the timer appear in the upper right corner of the board so everyone could see how much time was left.
"So we need to figure out what the next number is?" Jounouchi questioned as he looked up at the sequence.
Anzu scanned the numbers as she rubbed her chin. "There has to be some sort of pattern, either by adding or multiplying since the numbers always increase."
"So we just need to figure out the pattern, then use that to solve for the missing number." Yugi realized.
"Okay… they have to be increasing by a certain number…" Honda noted.
"Is there any pen or paper we can use?" Anzu asked the Announcer.
"The table has some markers you can use to write on. The surface is a special white board, so feel free to use it." He explained. Anzu and the others hurried over to the table, then she picked up a black marker and drew the numbers in the order.
"Alright… They all end in an even number, so that means that they are being increased by an even number…" Anzu muttered as her eyes were focused on the pattern. "The best way to figure out the sequence is to see how to get these numbers." The group let Anzu experiment, as this was her time to shine. She tested what numbers could be added to get the others in the sequence. First, she wrote down what numbers were added together with two to get her six. Four was the one that fit, but when she added four to the second number in the sequence, it came up as ten, not twelve. "Okay… so four doesn't work on the second number…" She notes to herself. Anzu kept attempting to figure out what to add to get from six to twelve, which was to add six. So far, she knew that to get from two to six, you had to add four. Then to get from six to twelve, you had to add six. There had to be a pattern somewhere…
"Anzu, I don't want to rush you, but we have less than two minutes now to answer!" Jounouchi urged her as he was starting to shake while looking at the countdown.
The brunette was slightly annoyed at the blond, as if she didn't have enough pressure on her plate. Still, she remained focused as she looked over the sequence to decode the pattern. "Let's see… add four to the first one… then for the second it's six… to get to twenty from twelve you add eight… Four… Six… Eight… then that means…" She started to scribble more on the table as she began to notice the pattern. That determined look in her eye showed how serious she was. Everyone else watched from behind as they were shaking and jittery. Jounouchi kept his honey-brown eyes on the timer as it was counting down the seconds. Honda tapped his foot in an attempt to keep calm, but even his patience was growing thinner with each minute that passed. Miho, Cosmo and Yugi cheered Anzu on but still gave their friend the space she needed.
"You have thirty seconds left…" The Announcer declared.
Jounouchi wailed in agony as he watched the bright flashing numbers on the timer turn from yellow to red, indicating their impending call. "Come on Anzu, hurry up!"
"Please tell us you got it…" Honda begged as his body began to shake while his nerves were anxious.
"Anzu…" Yugi looked up at her, as he was just as worried as everyone else. The brunette grew a smile, as her confidence was back. Her hand reached up and pressed the button, while everyone picked up their ears to hear what she would say. It was all up to her now.
"The next number in the sequence is 76!" She declared. The gang held their breaths, eyes slowly shifting towards the board as the numbers disappeared to make room for the answer. It began to materialize on the screen, and once it was into full view did the Announcer speak into the microphone.
"That is correct! The eighth number in the sequence is 76!" He declared.
Jounouchi and Honda let the air they were holding in be released, causing them to crash to the ground as they had just barely cut it with the answer. "That was close…" The blond gasped.
"We really gotta stop answering at the last second." Honda agreed.
Miho and Cosmo ran over to Anzu, hugging and praising her. "You did it Anzu!" Miho squealed.
"You were amazing!" Cosmo grinned.
The brunette blushed while patting their backs, still smiling with pride. "How did you figure it out?" Yugi asked.
"Well, I noticed that the sequence was being added by even numbers. But none of them followed a certain pattern at first." Anzu explained. "I figured out that the even number sequence added up two more than the last number. For example, to get six from two, you add four. Then to get to twelve from six, you had to add six. I realized right away that the addition increases by two every time you get a new number in the list. By the time I was at 56, I realized that to get the mystery number, I had to add that with sixteen, which was 72."
"Woah! That's really impressive!" Yugi awed as he stared up at her.
"Now we just need to solve three more riddles and we can clear this floor!" Cosmo declared.
At this point, Honda and Jounouchi had managed to regain their composers and stand back up on their feet, rejoining the group. "Alright… let's see what the third riddle is!" The blond declared, ready for the next question.
The Announcer held the microphone close to his lips as he raised a finger in the air, indicating it was time for the next question. "Alright! Two riddles down! Now onto riddle number three!" He declared, pointing to the board. The group looked up to see what would be projected onto the screen. There were some words that appeared, but they were not in a language that the group recognized right away.
"Huh?" Miho blinked as she saw the wording on the screen. "Why are the words in a different text?"
"That's not Kanji writing…" Jounouchi noted.
Cosmo stared at the words, before realizing what they were. "They're written in English!"
"English!?" Honda repeated. "Why would the riddle be written in this language?"
The Announcer interrupted their thoughts as he began to speak. "Allow me to read you the riddle. What is in seasons, seconds, centuries and minutes, but not in decades, years or days?" The Announcer asked the question, and the timer for five minutes began once more.
"Eh?!" The group were confused, as they not only didn't understand the riddle, they also didn't get why it was written in English to begin with. They were too baffled by the language the words were in to really process the question.
"I know you are all confused, so to save you time I'll just give you the hint for this riddle right away." The Announcer offered. "The hint is: The language of the text is how to find the answer." The Announcer explained.
"He's just giving us the clue without letting us ask for it?" Jounouchi blinked.
"At this rate, we could use all the help we can get." Honda admitted.
"But what does it mean?" Miho asked as she could only stare at the board, trying to read the words, though did not fully grasp English itself.
Despite being stumped, Yugi had to rally everyone. They managed to solve the first two riddles together, they couldn't stray off course now. "We have to think it over." Yugi declared. "We know that the nouns themselves are to represent time, which is what they have in common. But we need to figure out what separates the first four from the final three."
"Maybe it's something to do with what they hold in terms of time? Like the sun or moon?" Honda suggested. "You can only see the sun in days, but not in seasons?"
"I don't think it has anything to do with time." Cosmo pointed out. Everyone looked over at her, as she kept pondering the riddle.
"What do you mean?" Anzu asked, pressing her for more details.
"Think about what Yugi said. The main similarity each one has is that they represent time. There's no way to really differentiate time except by those terms. I don't think there is a difference between them in retrospect of time itself." Cosmo explained.
Everyone listened to her, as they absorbed her points. Anzu nodded as she agreed. "That means it must be something else."
"But what could the first four have that the others lack?" Honda questioned.
Yugi looked back up at the board, staring at the words that weren't written in his native language. He knew English fairly well to the point he could read it without much difficulty. So despite it being in another written language, he knew what the words were. The Announcer mentioned that the language the text was written in was the clue itself. But what did writing the words in English have to do with the answer? Unless… "Cosmo, you know English as well, right?" Yugi asked.
Cosmo jumped as her name was called, but she nodded to his question. "Yes, it's the first language I learned, with Japanese being the third." She answered.
"What are you thinking, Yugi?" Jounouchi asked.
The shortest of the boys looked back up at the screen where the riddle was written. That gut feeling in him increased as he kept his eyes locked on the words. "If it's written in English and that's the hint… that must mean the answer is in the wording itself!"
Cosmo gasped as she smiled. "I get it now! It must be written in English because there is something in the letters that separate the terms!"
Yugi nodded as he confirmed her theory. If it had been written in the usual Kanji, it probably wouldn't have worked with the riddle. Now the question was… what did some of the words lack in terms of letters? Both he and Cosmo looked up at the riddle as the two tried to figure it out. They began by spelling out each world carefully with the English alphabet. Yugi and Cosmo hummed as they repeatedly spelt out each and every word in that language, while the timer ticked as everyone waited while watching the two, hoping they could figure it out before the clock struck zero.
After checking the spelling of each word, Yugi began to notice the pattern which made his eyes wide. "Do you see it, Yugi?" Cosmo asked him.
The boy nodded, running up to the button and pressed it as he spoke up. "The answer is the letter N!" He stated with certainty. Everyone else looked up at the board as it cleared away the timer and the riddle, revealing the answer. Upon the screen, there was a capital N for everyone to gaze upon.
"That is correct! You've solved the riddle!" The Announcer declared with glee.
"Alright! Way to go!" Honda cheered.
Jounouchi smiled over at the two. "How did you know that was the answer?"
"It was like the Announcer stated: The clue itself was how the words were written." Cosmo started to explain. "The riddle was written in English, which meant that you had to say the words in English to find out what separated the words seasons, seconds, centuries and minutes from decades, years and days."
"We ended up spelling out each word in English one letter at a time, then it clicked! Seasons, seconds, centuries and minutes all have the letter N in them when written in English, but decades, years and days don't." Yugi finished.
"So that was the answer!" Miho gasped, understanding the concept.
"That explains why they had to write the riddle in that language, since it wouldn't have worked if the words were written in Kanji…" Anzu realized.
The Announcer kept up his smile as he looked at the six contestants. "Congratulations, you have managed to correctly answer three questions! If you can answer two more in a row, you will be able to move up to G.A.M.E THREE!"
"Come on, guys, we're almost there!" Jounouchi urged them as they were on a roll.
"Bring on the next question! We'll answer it!" Miho declared.
The Announcer pointed back to the board, where the next riddle manifested onto the screen for the group to see. This time it was written in their native language. "Alrighty then, time for the fourth riddle! What has six faces but does not wear makeup and 21 eyes but can not see?" He asked. "You have five minutes and one hint remaining!" He declared, starting the timer as the group talked amongst themselves.
"Six faces and doesn't wear makeup…" Jounouchi repeated.
"And has 21 eyes but can't see?" Miho questioned.
"Well, we can definitely rule out anything living since there is no one that has that many faces or eyes." Anzu declared.
"I've never seen any type of plant with those kinds of features, so I am at a loss myself." Cosmo admitted.
Honda sighed as he rubbed his head. "I've never heard of anything with those kinds of traits either."
Yugi hummed as he rubbed his chin, thinking about what the Announcer said and came up with his own conclusion. "I don't think he means actual faces… it could also be some sort of surface. And the eyes probably aren't really eyeballs, just something to represent them. Like holes or dots."
Anzu nodded, believing that to be a logical conclusion. "Make sense if those eyes can't see to begin with. And if it is an actual surface and not a real face, there would be no reason for it to wear makeup."
Jounouchi still seemed stumped as the riddle was messing with his brain. "But, that could just about be anything."
"Maybe we should ask for the hint to see if we can limit our options?" Cosmo suggested.
The gang looked at one another, pondering if they should. They didn't see any reason not to use the hint, and they were so close to finishing this level, they couldn't suffer a loss now. With all of them nodding in agreement, Yugi stepped forward. "We'd like to use our hint." He spoke to the Announcer.
"Very well, your hint is this: The object that is described in the riddle is a piece commonly used in certain games." He explained.
Hearing that made Yugi's eyes go wide. "A game piece?"
"So it's an item used in games…" Honda repeated.
"Well, it narrows it somewhat. But what kind of piece would he be describing?" Jounouchi wondered. They were all perplexed as none of them knew too much about game mechanics. While the hint did help to limit what they could come up with, they were not confident enough in the answer. In the end, everyone turned towards Yugi which made him nervous as all eyes were on him.
"W-why are you guys looking at me?" He questioned.
"Well, you are a game fanatic." Honda stated. "We'd figured you would know about stuff like this."
"Right! If there's anyone that can figure it out, it would be you!" Miho declared.
This put a lot of pressure on Yugi as he felt their eyes digging into him. While it is true he played many variations of games and was familiar with pretty much different types of pieces, he wasn't sure if he could be the one to come up with the answer in such a short time. If he got it wrong, then they would have to start the challenge all over again, and they couldn't afford that with how many riddles they managed to answer already.
"You got this, Yugi!" Anzu reassured him. "Just think carefully, and weigh all the options."
"Yeah, talk through it with us." Jounouchi added. "I've played some games at your place, so I have a bit of some knowledge. Like playing cards! Maybe he means that?"
Yugi thought about it, only to shake his head. "There's only two sides on a card and none of them have a total of 21 of anything on either side." Jounouchi sighed as that idea was discarded, but at least it helped reduce the list.
"What about chips? Like in poker?" Miho suggested.
"Those also have two sides, plus they aren't used as pieces and just used for prizes." Yugi explained.
"I guess that means that counters and coins are out of the question as well…" Honda added.
"What about a dial?" Anzu suggested. "Those spinning wheels you use sometimes to tell you where to go in some games or keep track?"
Yugi thought about that, as it didn't seem as far-fetched. "That one does sound like a logical answer…"
"Then it's that one, right?" Cosmo asked, hoping that they had the answer they needed.
"But…" Yugi began. "Dials only have one surface to use during games. And they usually don't have any holes or eyes, just numbers or colors. So that one doesn't seem like the best answer either."
Anzu gasped, appearing to have given up as she hung her head down in confusion. "I really thought we had it that time…"
Everyone else was still baffled as there was less than two minutes left for them to give the answer. Otherwise, they forfeit this round and have to start the match all over again. The blond of the group started to get furious as his hands balled into fists. "Damn these trivias! At this point we may as well be gambling with our lives just to get the answer!"
Yugi winced at how upset his friend was, though he couldn't blame him. They were so close to passing this level, but it was clear the answer they needed wasn't going to roll right into their lap. Wait… roll… gambling… Yugi's brain turned as those words came into his mind, making his eyes go wide from Jounouchi's sentence. "Gambling… rolling… six surfaces and twenty-one eyes…" He muttered to himself, which caused everyone else to turn to him. Did he figure it out? Did Yugi manage to get the answer? The shortest of the guys felt a smile grow on his face. "I've got it!" He declared, heading over to the buzzer and ringing it with fifty seconds left to spare. "The answer to the riddle is dice!"
All eyes went back to the screen, as the riddle and timer slowly wiped away to be replaced with an image of a white square with black dots. "That is correct!" The Announcer declared, praising Yugi.
The other five cheered as Yugi managed to solve yet another riddle. "Alright, Yugi!" Jounouchi went over to hold his friend, giving him a headlock and ruffling his hair.
"You did it, Yugi!" Miho praised him.
"But how did you figure it out?" Honda had to ask.
Once Yugi got out of the headlock, he looked up at everyone and chuckled. "It was when Jounouchi talked about gambling a moment ago. I remembered that Grandpa would sometimes go to casinos back in his early days. The most common game in those places required dice to play. The more I thought back on that, the more it made sense. Dice can have many different sides, but the most common ones are the simple six-sided cubes. Each side also has a certain number of dots to represent how many surfaces that die has. Add up all of those dots on the six sides and you get twenty-one in total."
"That's amazing!" Cosmo commented as her eyes shone. "Only you could have managed to get the answer that was game related."
Yugi blushed at the praises. "Well, it was Jounouchi who helped me realize the answer. He deserves just as much credit."
"Oh?" Honda grinned as he looked over at the blond. "Way to finally be of use to us at this level, Jounouchi." He teased him.
"I didn't see you giving Yugi any of the answers!" The blond pointed out.
"Now we just have to answer one more riddle and we can progress to the next floor!" Cosmo remarked. Everyone else regained their excitement, as they were practically near the end of this level.
"Congratulations on making it this far on your first try!" The Announcer stated with pride. "However, you still need to answer one more riddle correctly before you can exit this floor."
"Bring it on! We'll answer anything you throw our way!" Jounouchi declared with confidence.
"Let's get to it!" Honda agreed as he was just as excited.
The Announcer made the next, and hopefully, final riddle be written on the screen for everyone to see. "Now then, the fifth riddle: The more there is, the less you see. I cover the room until you open the door. I'm seen at night, but rarely in the day. What am I?" He asked the group. "Remember, you have one hint and five minutes remaining." The timer began, counting down.
"The more there is, the less you see…" Cosmo repeated. "So it must be something that obstructs vision!"
"It covers the room until you open the door…" Anzu added. "Which is common at night but not in the day."
"It feels like the answer should be simple, but it feels like we're missing something." Yugi admitted.
"Well, we know it obstructs vision, it can cover a room and it is mostly present during the night." Honda recapped.
"But it doesn't really give us too much to go on…" Miho sighed as she seemed clueless.
"The answer should be obvious… but what are we missing?" Cosmo questioned.
"Maybe we should ask for the hint just to be safe?" Anzu suggested.
"I think we could use it." Jounouchi agreed.
Yugi nodded, since it couldn't hurt them to get the clue right now if it meant solving this riddle faster. "Could we ask for our hint?" He requested.
The Announcer smiled as he spoke into his microphone. "Very well, here is your hint: I am a type of fear that is often used to scare children. However, I am not as scary as some may believe, but in my shadows I can hide many nightmares."
Jounouchi seemed annoyed once again. "That makes the answer even more vague."
"A type of fear? Like a phobia?" Miho wondered.
"So it must be something that connects to those clues!" Anzu realized. "What kind of fear would radiate from those situations?"
"Maybe a fear of loneliness?" Cosmo suggested. "Being in such an enclosed room can do that to a person."
"True… but that doesn't explain the 'less you see' aspect." Anzu pointed out.
"Maybe it's a fear of the night!" Miho guessed. "You can hardly see outside during that time unless you have a light."
The brunette rubbed her chin. "Maybe…" It didn't sound right though.
"But the night time wouldn't really cover up a room, right?" Jounouchi questioned.
"Yeah, you can't just bring the night into a room." Honda agreed.
"Three minutes left!" The Announcer declared into his microphone. The group winced as the time limit was getting smaller.
"We've got to hurry and figure out the answer!" Jounouchi begged, becoming more anxious as they were nearly halfway out of time.
Yugi was doing all he could to try and solve this riddle. The answer should be something obvious, but it wasn't coming to him. Was he overthinking it? Was he missing something? 'Think back to all of the clues…' He told himself mentally, envisioning himself all alone so he could focus. He closed his eyes, recapping everything that they were told to try and find the pattern. 'The more there is, the less you see. I cover the room until you open the door. I'm seen at night but rarely in the day… I am a type of fear that is often used to scare children. I am not as scary as some may believe, but in my shadows I can hide many nightmares…' Yugi kept his mind focused, doing his best to figure out the clues. 'Less you see if there's more… seen at night… a type of fear… shadows… nightmares…' He repeated over and over again. It was there, the answer had to be in those clues. The high schooler held onto his Millennium Puzzle, squeezing it as tightly as he could for both comfort and luck. He needed all the help he could get to solve this final riddle.
'Grandpa… everyone… they all are counting on me. I need to be there for them. I have to figure out this answer. I won't leave us all in the dark… in the dark… the dark…' That one word stuck with him the most. Dark… darkness. Why was it ringing out to him like a bell? It was as if someone in the back of his mind kept calling out that word for him to hear. Though the more he thought about it, the more the dark had in common with… Yugi's eyes lit up as he opened them. "I've got it!" He declared.
Everyone turned to him, as he rushed to the buzzer and pressed it before shouting his answer. "The darkness! The answer is darkness!" This was it, the moment at hand. If they got the answer correct, they could leave this level and move on to the third round. But if it would be wrong, they would have to start all over again. The eyes slowly turned to the screen, watching the riddle disappear along with the timer. Before long, the answer materialized as the high schooler's hearts stopped for the final verdict.
"That is correct!" The Announcer declared. "The answer is darkness!"
The others cheered their heads off, while Yugi had a small smile upon his face. "Way to go, Yugi!" Miho beamed.
"You did it, Yugi!" Cosmo complimented. "You gave us our fifth riddle!"
"How did you figure it out?" Anzu wondered.
"It took a bit more thinking, but when I realized how focused on the pattern itself I was, it made the answer pass over me. All I could think about was being in the dark, and that was when it clicked." He started to explain. "The darker a room is, the less you can see. It can cover up a room until you open a door to let some light in. Darkness can only appear at night since it covers the sky, and many kids are scared of it because of what they believe lurks in its shadows. The mention of shadow in that riddle should have been a dead giveaway, but I overlooked it until I put the pieces together." His eyes glanced down at his Puzzle, staring into the eye carved on the very front, a slight wave of pleasantness washed over him. "It was like someone had helped me to realize the answer…" He said the last line more to himself, as he stared at his artifact around his neck, knowing for certain it was the true reason they passed.
"Congratulations!" The Announcer smiled at the contestants. "You managed to correctly answer five riddles in a row! Which means you all have passed G.A.M.E TWO!"
"Ya hear that?!" Jounouchi grinned as he held his fists in the air. "That means we can move on!"
"We're making great progress at least." Cosmo commented. Yugi nodded, as they were getting closer to the top. It was stressful and the work wasn't easy, but they were nearly halfway there.
"Now then, head on over to the elevator and take a few minutes to breathe! You'll need it for the next challenge." The Announcer showed off the other end of the room where the door slid open to reveal the lift to take them up a floor. The six wasted no time heading over to cram into the box. Once the doors closed, they felt themselves being ascended to the third floor.
"Man, that last level really melted my brain." Miho sighed as she leaned against the wall.
"What matters is we managed to make it out." Honda stated. "And we're on our way to the third level!"
"Which means we only have three more floors to go and then we win!" Anzu declared.
Yugi could see how enthusiastic they all were, not that he blamed them. They did manage to get past the first two levels without any major complications. Still, he didn't want to become too cocky, since there was no telling what the next three floors of this Ultimate G.A.M.E had in store for them. Yugi reached into his pocket and took out the deck of Duel Monsters that his Grandfather gave to him before they went to this Tower. Yugi knew he would be facing Kaiba at the top, but he would be more than ready when that happened. 'Wait for me, Grandpa. I'll be there soon.' Yugi promised.
Seto and Mokuba had watched over the gang as they went through the first two floors of the G.A.M.E Tower. Mokuba was surprised at how they were able to clear the stages with only a little bit of a struggle. Seto, on the other hand, was impressed with how far they managed to make it. "Looks like they will be heading to the third level of the Tower." The older brother pointed out.
"They're making faster progress than I thought." Mokuba admitted.
"I did warn you to not underestimate Yugi. He still hasn't brought out his other face, which astonishes me." Seto hummed, keeping his eyes on the timid, smaller Yugi in the elevator. That was not the 'Yugi' he wanted to face, it was the other one that he'd hoped would face him when they make it to the fifth level. The older Kaiba stood up from his chair as he looked down to his brother with a smile. "We better get started in setting up our levels."
Mokuba raised a brow. "You think they'll be able to pass the third floor? You know what that one is."
"If they could handle the first two in a breeze, then an escape room will be no match for them." Seto assured his brother. "Besides, after the third floor, you will be facing Yugi. Make sure you go all in, but don't be too cocky."
Mokuba gave a devilish grin. "Leave it to me! Yugi won't know what hit him! I'll give him a punishment game so hellish, he'll regret the day he ever crossed our paths!"
Seto chuckled at his siblings' threat. "You and your punishments… sometimes I wonder which one of us is truly the cruelest." He mocked as the brothers began to walk out of the room so they could prepare for their levels. "Still, if anything happens, remember the fail safe." Mokuba nodded, as they left the monitor room,
Yugi and the others felt the elevator shift a bit, indicating that they were at their next level. Yugi breathed as he looked ahead, seeing the door read G.A.M.E THREE in big, bold letters. "Here we go…"
"So, what do they got for us this time?" Jounouchi wondered, as they approached the doors just as they slowly began to open.
"Whatever it is, we can handle it!" Anzu reassured everyone. "So long as we stick together!"
"Yeah!" Miho agreed.
"That's right!" Honda gave a thumbs up.
Everyone walked inside the new room which was once again pitch black. They waited for the lights to turn on, which didn't take long. Once they could see, they took in their surroundings. The room was a large one, no props or other people around. The only noticeable thing was the floor, which appeared to have a chess-like pattern with black and white squares. "What is this place?" Miho wondered, looking around the area in awe.
"There's… nothing and no one here…" Honda scratched his head in utter confusion.
"Uh… what are we supposed to do?" Jounouchi wondered.
Cosmo looked down to the ground. "Maybe the floor is our clue? It seems to be the only thing decorated here."
"It looks like a chess board pattern." Yugi noted as he stared at the floor with her.
"So… we have to play chess?" Anzu questioned.
"How are we supposed to play if we don't have any pieces?" Jounouchi asked her.
Miho tried to interject. "Maybe we're supposed to be the pieces?"
"If so, we would need ten other players to make a full set." Yugi pointed out.
Honda was about to speak, but his eyes caught something in the corner. "Hey look!" He pointed over to a square on the floor, which was neither white nor black, but red. "That one's a different color!"
"It… turned red?" Cosmo seemed puzzled as she leaned in closer.
"Oh! Maybe that's the clue we need!" Jounouchi suggested as he slapped his hands together.
"But… What does it mean?" Miho wondered.
Cosmo kept leaning closer towards the crimson square, trying to get a better look in the hopes it would tell them what to do for this level. Yugi watched her, as he wanted to solve this puzzle. He was caught off guard as the tile began to flash, making the others slightly nervous as they didn't know what it meant. Yugi was going to ask about it, until his ears picked up a faint sound. He turned his head up to the ceiling, as something started to fall down. "Cosmo, look out!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the spot. At that moment, a large, thick colorless block slammed down onto where the red square was. The other four jumped, shocked to have seen it appear. Cosmo lost her breath as she looked at the block that was as tall as Yugi. "Are you okay?" He asked her.
Cosmo looked back over at him, as he still held her arm tightly. She nodded, trying to regain her breath. "Y-yeah… that was close." She held her chest as it felt like her heart stopped beating.
"Welcome challenger, to level three of Ultimate G.A.M.E!" That female voice called to them from the ceiling. "In this level, you will need to think fast in order to get out. For this is an escape room simulation!"
"Escape room!?" All six gasped from that term.
Meanwhile, the crowd was excited as they were watching the players beginning level three of the Tower. "Now the players are about to begin the third challenge of Ultimate G.A.M.E. Will they be able to make it out of the room, or be trapped and halt their progression?"
The crowd was ecstatic as they watched with anticipation for how this challenge would go. They wanted to see how the players would fare in this new setting. Bakura watched as his eyes wavered, worried for his new friends as it seemed this floor would be an unforgiving one. Part of him wished he could have been there to help them out, but all he could do was be on the sidelines. Unbeknownst to him, while he was staring at the screen, his necklace began to glow. "Come on Yugi… everyone… you have to make it." He begged under his breath, clutching onto his pendant. "Get out of there or you will be crushed by the blocks!"
