Rise of Destiny
Chapter 8
The Dimension Point
The Pharoah Atem and Honda Hiroto walked beside eachother.
"Yugi?" Honda said tentatively. "You allright, man?"
Yugi did not respond.
FLASHBACK
Atem: Ugh...I cannot do anything except activate my last face down card...Activate Trap Card: Mirror of Self!
The Mirror of Self activates, and Atem is thrown back, landing on his back in the grass. Yugi disappears, leaving only Atem.
Atem: No! What happened?
Garuda: Laughs You fool! You actually played that card? The Dimension Lord created it specifically to ruin your Duelling strategy. It separates you, the Pharoah, and the boy you share a body with, Yugi Mutou. Now, you won't be able to communicate with your other half!
/FLASHBACK
Aibou...what have I done to you? Trapped...with no way out and without communication...why...oh, god...why...? Atem asked himself furiously. In his duel with the lackluster Garuda, he had foolishly activated the Mirror of Self trap card, sealing the barrier between Yugi and Atem, and trapping the younger boy inside the Puzzle.
"Honda," Atem started.
"Yeah?"
"The Dimension Point is straight ahead..."
Jounouchi Katsuya was rushing toward the Dimension Point with fury in his eyes.
Damn...how could I have been out for so long? Yugi and Kaiba might've already beaten the Dimension Lord, and what have I been doing? Laying unconscious on the ground. That'll look real nice for the recordbooks.
FLASHBACK
Gavon: Laughs sadistically. Despair from the Dark, attack him again and wipe out his Life Points!
Right before the attack collides, Jounouchi's fists appear to glow a dark, angry red...
Jounouchi: AAAAGH!
Jounouchi/0 Gavon/4000
He falls to the floor, unconscious. Time Wizard disappears from his Soul Cards.
/FLASHBACK
What was more humiliating was that I was defeated by Gavon. And now, that puts me in 3rd place, right behind Yugi and Kaiba. I have to save Shizuka at any cost, and I can't do it if I'm always one step behind! Jounouchi thought angrily.
He came to a valley. He could see four huge towers in the distance.
"This must be it. There's no other sign of civilization at all out here." Jounouchi muttered. With a cry of "Shizuka!", he ran down the hill and toward the Dimension Point.
Seto Kaiba was flying in his aircraft carrier, the Battle Ship.
"Mokuba...I will save you. I'm already close enough, and all I have to do is land, and I'll find you. I will defeat this so-called Dimension Lord and all of his cloaked freaks." Kaiba told himself.
He thought back to his duel with Kazumi.
FLASHBACK
Kaiba: Not so fast. I activate two cards: First, my Ring of Destruction, to destroy your Dark Fortress Whale and inflict 2100 Life Point damage to both of us!
Kazumi: But that would mean that you lose the duel!
Kaiba: No. I activate Barrel Behind the Door, switching the damage I received straight to your Life Points!
Kazumi: No! I can't lose!
Kaiba: Looks like you just did.
/FLASHBACK
"Get ready, Dimension Lord," Kaiba muttered as he landed. "You've messed with me, and there's going to be hell to pay..."
Atem and Honda stood at the gate to the Dimension Point. It was a large clearing, with four tall towers. One was a metallic silver. One appeared to be made of dirt and mud. The third looked like a huge, cyndrilical aquarium. Fish were swimming happily in clear blue glass. The last one was tall and elegant, looking like a Greek monolith.
"Well, which one should we try first?" Honda asked. Before Atem could answer, a voice sounded from behind them.
"Yugi!" Jounouchi shouted.
"Jounouchi?" Atem asked hesitantly.
"Did you win any duels?" Jounouchi asked eagerly.
"I tied once," Atem replied. "And I won my second duel."
"Cool." Jounouchi said with a grin.
"However, it did not feel like a win." Atem said darkly.
"What d'you mean?" Jounouchi asked, looking puzzled.
"Yugi is gone. The walls of the Puzzle have been sealed. Yugi is trapped inside. We cannot communicate."
"Gee, and I thought I had it bad." Jounouchi said. "I lost my duel. I've only got 2 Soul Cards left."
Honda clutched his head, and swore under his breath. "Arg, this is so freakin' crazy! Nothing is going right!"
"I know." Jounouchi said, looking down.
Suddenly, a loud, low hum was heard in the distance. The three boys could see the Battle Ship land in the distance. A side door opened, and Seto Kaiba stepped out, his famous white trench-coat billowing in the wind. He walked toward the group.
"Kaiba!" Jounouchi shouted. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Out of my way, bonkotsu." Kaiba dismissed him. "I don't know or care why you're here, but I'm on a mission. So get out of my way while you have the chance."
Jounouchi was poised to attack Kaiba, but Atem pushed him aside and faced Kaiba.
"Kaiba. What are you doing here?"
"None of your business, Yugi." Kaiba said coldly. "But if you must know, my little brother was taken by a gang of cloaked cretins."
"That confirms my thoughts." Atem said. "They're obviously after the best Duel Monsters players for some reason."
"Well then," Jounouchi started vehemently. "I say we go in there and get back our loved ones! We should strike while we're ahead!"
"No, bonkotsu," Kaiba said, shaking his head. "We can't be rash about this."
"And why not, Kaiba?" Jounouchi asked, irked.
"Because," Kaiba started. "We're on their turf. If they want to change the rules, they can. They can do whatever they want to us or our friends and loved ones here. Go ahead an act rashly, bonkotsu. I'll laugh when you die because of it."
Jounouchi swore under his breath. Kaiba walked toward the gate, opened it, and walked in without even acknowledging Atem, Honda, or Jounouchi. The three friends walked in after him.
IN AUROS' TOWER
Yugi, Kaiba, Jounouchi, and Honda walked in. They had picked the central tower, as it was most likely their designation. The room they entered was a large, circular, metallic room. There were three TV screens high up on the wall. A balcony was very close to the ceiling.
As they walked in, they saw many guards, all hooded in black robes. The guards did not move as the four entered.
Strange... Atem thought to himself. The guards didn't care that we just walked in. Is this a trap?
A tall man with long dark hair walked out onto a balcony above them. He wore a blue trench coat, buttoned up at the chest, black pants, black boots, and a Duel Disk on his arm.
"Yugi Mutou. Seto Kaiba. Jounouchi Katsuya." The man said with a slight British accent. "I see you have arrived with your souls intact. Good."
"Alright!" Jounouchi screamed. "I bet you're the one they call the Dimension Lord, right?"
Auros chuckled. "Yes. My name is Bartholomew Auros."
"Then," Jounouchi said, with malice in his eyes. "Tell me where my sister is."
"In time." Auros said shortly. "But first, each one of you will duel one of my Executioners, with the stakes being your souls. These are the Destined Duels, and the loser will lose their soul."
"What makes you think we're going to play your little game?" Atem queried.
"Because, Pharoah, the Executioner you face holds your friend. And that goes for Kaiba and Jounouchi as well. You can leave now, if you'd like. The souls of your friends and family will make up for yours."
Kaiba scowled. Jounouchi grimaced.
"Fine." Kaiba said. "We'll duel your little pals."
"Good." Auros said, grinning like a cat that just ate a mouse. "Now, you see the three doors there?"
The three warriors nodded.
"Each one will be lit up with a picture of who is supposed to go beyond that door." He snapped his fingers. A TV set above the first door flickered on. It bore Jounouchi's face. The second bore Yugi's face. The third bore Kaiba's.
"Jounouchi Katsuya, step up, walk through the door, and hope for luck! It's time for you to duel!" Auros shouted.
Jounouchi walked forward to his door, which opened automatically. He walked in...
To Be Continued
NEXT: Grudge Match part 1