Yami no Game: Death's Awakening Chapter 12: Shadi's Challenge, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

Zypher: Just loving the reviews as always. Thanks for them all and here's the next chapter for you.

Yami no Game: Death Awakening

Chapter 12

It was two months after the mishap with Imori and the Dragon Cards but everything was alright now. Yugi smiled as he rode on the Tu Long's back to school, being introduced to the dragons when Aqua came back after ridding the game to somewhere where it couldn't be found. /We are here, Yugi-kun./ The dragon spoke and he nodded. He knelt and Yugi climbed off of his back. "Are you going to head back home now?" he asked. /Yes, but I shall be here after school to pick you and your friends up if you wish to spend time with them./ Tu Long spoke and Yugi nodded. "Alright, see you then." Yugi said and Tu Long nodded before leaving. Yugi entered the school courtyard and met up with his friends, also seeing Zella there as well. "Hey Yugi, look at this." Jounouchi said, holding a newspaper out to him. Yugi took the paper and looked at it.

"Hey, there's an Ancient Egypt exhibit opening up." he said in awe. /Maybe we should see about going. It sounds interesting./ Yami suggested and he nodded mentally. "Would you guys like to come with Yami, Aqua and I? Yami says it may be interesting to go there." Yugi questioned, looking to them. "Sure, why not." Zella answered before turning to Jounouchi and Honda who nodded as well. "Alright then, to the museum after school it is." he said with a smile before they all headed inside for class.

At the airport, a man was walking off the plane and through the airport. In his hands was a golden scale with a wadjet eye on the top. He was making his way towards the museum, the reason unknown to others but himself.

After school ended, Yugi met up with the others at the door of the school. "Ready to go?" Yugi asked and they nodded. "Ok then. We'll wait for Tu Long and he'll take us there." Soon, they heard him coming and once he was there, his friends awed by the sight, they climbed onto his back and he was off towards the museum.

Once they got there, the saw Yugi's grandfather standing outside. They hopped off Tu Long's back and walked over to him. "Jii-chan, what are you doing here?" Yugi asked. "My friend, Prof. Yoshimori, said he was coming to meet me here. Let's wait a bit longer and you can all meet him as well." Sugoroku replied as they stood with him and talking with one another until they heard someone call Sugoroku's name. Prof. Yoshimori ran over to them and stopped, catching his breath before smiling. "It's been a while, Sugoroku! It's good to see you again." he greeted. "It's good to see you as well, old friend." Sugoroku replied. He then looked to Yugi and his friends. "Yugi, everyone, this is my friend, Prof. Yoshimori." he said. "Wow! You're the guy that found the pharaoh's tomb!" Jounouchi exclaimed. "Yes I am." Yoshimori spoke. Soon another, more robust, man came over to them. "And who's this?" Zella asked. "This is Prof. Kanekura, curator of the museum and provided the grant for the excavation. He's sponsoring the exhibit." Yoshimori introduced.

"Welcome to my museum!" he said happily, the group greeting him as well. Yami watched him with a sharp eye, having a feeling that this man was up to more than he let on. Kanekura walked over to Yoshimori and whispered something into his ear and he nodded. He turned to Sugoroku as Kanekura stood by his side. "Sugoroku, you told me that your grandson completed the Sennen Puzzle, right?" Yoshimori asked. Yugi gasped and looked to Yami and Aqua. 'Do they know? What if they make jii-chan remember something about the curse and try to blame them because of their mysterious arrival.' he thought. "Yes, he has." Sugoroku said, waving Yugi over. He walked over quietly, still worried that they may reveal something that will put Yami and Aqua in danger. Kanekura smiled with glee as he took hold of the puzzle, the negative results to anyone who dared to touch it without Yugi's consent suppressed at the demon's will. 'No reason to make the situation worse for aibou. He's already worried about one of them telling his grandfather about the curse which we deliberately made sure he forgotten to keep things as they are.' Yami thought.

"This is wonderful! Such an important piece of pharaonic history and it hangs around your neck!" he said, eyes shining. He turned to Yugi, still holding the puzzle. "Yugi, I beg of you! People must see this wonderful artifact! Let me display it at the show!" Kanekura begged. "I don't know..." Yugi murmured. /Yugi, you shouldn't. There's something off about this Kanekura person./ Aqua whispered through the link. /I know but I want to at least make him happy. I'll make sure nothing happens to the puzzle. Just keep your protective wards down to avoid harm./ Yugi told them and they nodded mentally. "Well, I'll let you borrow it but only for one day." Yugi spoke and Kanekura nodded. "Oh sure! One day is plenty!" he agreed before walking off with a smirk on his face. 'Yes, one day is good enough.' he thought.

After that chat at the front of the museum, they all headed in, looking at the Egyptian exhibit with interest. Yami and Aqua learned a lot from the things the archaeologists gathered and was glad there wasn't much about the demonic spirits that floated about the puzzle. Yugi walked over to a tablet that showed the ceremony for the afterlife. Yami came up beside him and looked as well. "This is the ceremony of the afterlife." Yami spoke and Yugi looked up to him. "What's that?" he asked, curious. "The ceremony of the afterlife is a ceremony where your heart is weighed on a scale by a feather. If you are filled with sin, your heart will drop. If it's heavier than the feather, your soul is fed to Ammit." Yami explained. Yugi nodded as he backed away from the tablet to follow his friends. As he walked with them, he saw an Egyptian man standing in front of a mummy that was in a glass case. He waked over to him quietly and saw he was crying. "Why are you crying, sir?" he asked softly.

The man looked down to his quietly before speaking. "These tears are not mine. These tears belong to him, this shriveled form that was once a man. A Pharaoh. Even in his eternal sleep, the cries of his soul become tears and they flow through me, coming down my cheeks." The man told him. Yugi looked to him and then to the mummy. Soon, he saw the scales in his hands but didn't get a chance to get a good look at them before the man walked away.

At the display where Yugi's Sennen Puzzle was displayed, Kanekura was talking with another man. "This relic is worth a lot of money and if you're willing to have it, I'm sure we can negotiate about it." Kanekura murmured. "I'm sure we can. I'll meet you in your office later." The man replied before walking off. 'Soon, I'll be rich and it's all thanks to that kid solving such a legendary piece of history.' he thought before he spotted them coming his way. Yugi ran over to the display where the puzzle hung and smiled widely. "It's looks so cool there! Like it belongs here in the museum." Jounouchi commented as they walked over. "Yeah but Yami and Aqua probably wouldn't want that. The puzzle is special to them and trusts me to keep it safe." Yugi said. "Why don't we get a picture of us with the puzzle in display?" Zella suggested and they agreed. Sugoroku smiled as he watched them gathered in front of the display, grinning widely as their picture was taken by him.

From afar, Kanekura watched. "That puzzle will make me a bundle. Of course, I might have to share some of my fortune to Yugi to keep his mouth shut so he won't be whining about it being gone." he muttered to himself before heading back to his office to wait for the buyer. Yami watched the man and growled before he decided it may be best to go back into the puzzle, their time to stay out dwindling as the puzzle was beginning its pull with Yugi's absence. Aqua watched him go and followed, no one asking Yugi about where they went, mostly speculating they wandered off to see other exhibits.

As it was getting close to closing time, they all left out happy. "Oh, I wish I could go to Egypt one day." Zella said in awe once they were done with examining the exhibit. Sugoroku turned to Yoshimori with a smile. "Thank you, Yoshimori, for inviting us to the show."

"My pleasure! If you ever want to see more, just come by the lab at the university." he said before he started walking off. "But for now, I must be getting back there myself so I'll see you all soon." He waved to them and they returned the gesture. "So, what are we going to do now?" Jounouchi questioned. "Well, I have to get back to tend to the shop." Sugoroku spoke. "And I'm going to wait here for Prof. Kanekura to bring me the puzzle." Yugi quipped. "Alright then, guess we'll head home too. See you in school tomorrow, Yugi!" Honda called as they walked off.

"See you guys later!" Yugi called before he went to sit on the steps of the museum.

Inside, Kanekura looked at the puzzle with greed, eagerly waiting for the buyer to come. "My investment funded this little expedition and soon, this puzzle will make me more." he whispered. The man he talked with earlier came up to the door and knocked, unaware of whom was behind him. "Kanekura-san..." he started but was soon knocked out by the mysterious figure but Kanekura never heard. "Ah, there he is now! Come in!" he called and the door opened, revealing someone else. "Who are you? You're not the one I wanted to see!" The man didn't say anything, only stared at him before speaking. "My bloodline has guarded the tombs for three thousand years. I am a servant of Anubis himself." The man spoke and Kanekura gasped.

"A-A-Anubis! The Egyptian god of Death?!" he cried. "Yes. Because of your greed, you have defiled another tomb within the Valley of the Kings. You have trespassed into the territory of the gods and for that, you will be trialed." The man spoke once more. Kanekura was stunned then realized something. "Oh! You must be from the Egyptian government! I promise you, I don't sell antiques on the black market!" he claimed, hoping that will make him leave. But he didn't, only stepped forward towards his desk and placed the scales he held on it. "You know the scene of the final judgment from the 125th chapter of what you people call the Book of the Dead. These are the Scales of Truth." he spoke once more and Kanekura gasped, remembering the myth easily.

'But this has to be a joke. This can't be true. All of this isn't true!' he thought but saw the man wasn't fooling around. "We will now begin the game, a yami no game." The man whispered. 'A game?!' he thought frantically. The man pulled a feather from his turban and held it in front of Kanekura's face. "On this side of the scale I place the feather of Ma'at. As you can see, the scales are balanced. I will now ask you several questions. If you don't tell the truth, the scales will tip with the weight of your crimes. If your side of the scales ever touches the ground, the penalty of death awaits," he said and Kanekura gasped once more, seeing that everything this man saying sounded like it will truly happen. "Now here is your first question. A young girl falls into a deep well. You are the only one to see it happen. However, at your feet lies her gold ring that could fetch a pretty penny at a pawn shop. What would you do?" he asked. "I would save her! I would save the little girl!" Kanekura cried but saw the scales tip. "But-but I'm telling the truth!" he exclaimed. "Next question." The man spoke and Kanekura gulped in fear.

Back outside, Yugi looked to his watch, seeing it was getting close to five and Kanekura hasn't arrived to give him the puzzle. "Maybe there are still some people looking at it. Better go ahead and get it myself before I worry Yami and Aqua more. They probably went back inside while we were there." he said as he got up and headed back into the museum.

Kanekura watched as the scales tipped again. "I'm not lying!" he cried. "How is that plate sinking if nothing is weighing it down?!" he questioned loudly. "What is a penalty game anyway?!"

"Very well...since you want to know so much. I'll tell you about the penalty game. It awaits within the puzzle." he whispered and Kanekura looked to the puzzle fearfully. Dark shadows engulfed it and soon the entire room. Glowing crimson and cerise eyes glared at him as they revealed it to be Yami and Aqua although it was nothing but an illusion. They growled as they walked to either side of him, fangs gleaming hungrily. Each took a hold of his arms and he shivered in fear. "These are the demonic spirits that rests within the puzzle. As I can see, it has been solved so they have been released. That will not do for they should have never been released in the first place for the power they carry. Since they are, I will tell you the history of them. They hunger for souls and flesh to bring forth a body for themselves and they issue yami no games such as I have with you. If you lose, they will take payment with your vitality. They are ravenous beasts and only the one who completed the puzzle can calm their ire. But you dare try to sell this artifact which will only make them angry and will come after you." he explained and Kanekura gulped as he looked to them.

"Last question, did you defiled the territory of the gods and sold their treasures to fatten your pockets?" he asked. "Stop! Please stop! I'll give you anything! Name how much and it's yours!" Kanekura wailed, begging as a last resort. The scales tipped and the plate where his heart lied hit the table. "Your soul holds no truth. There is nothing but greed. Therefore, you will have to pay the punishment." he said and Yami hissed as he held his claws by his mouth. Kanekura screamed as he saw his soul being pulled away from him. Soon his eyes went dull as he slumped in his seat. The two illusions disappeared with his soul and the man picked up the puzzle. "Your soul decayed with money and greed which beasts such as them live to feast on. Once they find out truly, they will come back to feed on your flesh." He murmured before he left out, looking down to the puzzle. 'But I want to know, who would complete the puzzle after three thousand years when it was supposed to be sealed away in Egypt...'

Yugi sighed as he walked through the museum still. "Geez! This museum is like a maze!" he groaned in frustration. "The puzzle wasn't in the display case so Kanekura-san must have it. I hope Yami and Aqua don't worry about where I am." he hummed then saw the odd man from before walking towards him. 'I wonder but he probably doesn't know where he is. But I should just ask in case.' Yugi thought as he walked over to him. He stopped and looked down to him. "Excuse me, did you happen to see Kanekura-san? He promised to return my puzzle. It's shaped like an upside-down pyramid." Yugi inquired causing the man to gasp lightly. 'Impossible! Not this boy!' he thought. 'If he solved the puzzle then he would've been granted the powers of death itself and that's dangerous for any mere human. I have to make sure!' He pulled out an item from the folds of his clothing. 'I'll use the Sennen Ankh to look into the room of his soul.' The man concentrated with the power of the ankh and soon, he was inside the mental hallway that separated Yugi's soul room from Yami and Aqua's.

He gasped as he looked at both rooms. 'This boy has two rooms!' he thought as he walked up to them and investigated the open door. "This one is filled with toys and games. No traces of the darkness wrought from the demons." he whispered before turning to the other door. He walked over and it started to open by itself as if noticing his presence. Behind the door stood Yami and Aqua in all their demonic glory. "So, a person dares enter our shared soul room? Now, do you dare to enter our room? If you do, a game awaits you." Yami whispered, eyes narrowed. "Come on and enter. This is where we'll play." he hissed and the man wasn't about to turn down the challenge. He walked in and they smirked. 'I have visited many soul rooms before. They may have different decoration and furnishings but it's always one room. But this child, he contains two and one is where the demonic spirits thrive. What is this room to him, so dark and cold...' he thought before looking to the two.

"We don't know what power you use to enter aibou's mind but you better start explaining why you're here." The man looked to them before laughing softly. "To you, you must think I am an unwanted guest. Answering that is the least I can do for you." he told them. "I have come here to seek the powers of the Sennen Puzzle." he said and Yami's eyes widened. "So, you know of the existence of the puzzle, do you? That must mean you know who we are, do you not?" he questioned. "Yes, and I know also that the Sennen Puzzle is one of the sacred Sennen Items. The story of the Sennen Items, especially this one has been passed down from Ancient Egypt three thousand years ago in the Valley of the Kings.

"They were made to punish thieves who would defile the territory of the gods as so stated in the pert em hru (1)." he said. "So, you came here with a Sennen item?" Aqua questioned. "Yes, with the power of the Sennen Ankh. This ankh opens the door to one's soul room. In the room of a soul one can learn everything about that person. Who they are, who they love, what they like, what they fear even what they do not know themselves. And the other I possess is the Sennen Scales. They weigh the sins of a person on trial." he said. "But even I don't know the power of the puzzle. Only know they housed you two. I don't know what power is bestowed upon the one that completes it because it has never been solved for so many millennia." he continued. "So, in order to find out, you enter aibou's soul..." Yami whispered. "If I can enter a person's 'room' I can see what kind of power they possess. That is what I have come to find. If that power is what I need, I will draw it into my bloodline." Aqua snorted and glared at him. "So be it. The rules of the game are simple. The power you speak of does rest within this room however we won't let you see it that easily." Aqua said.

"What do I have to do then?" The man questioned. "Somewhere in our soul is our true room. If you can find it, you'll find the power you seek." Aqua continued and the man chuckled. "Did I forget to mention my other power? When I enter the room of a person's soul, I redecorate and control that person at will. I could even destroy their personality." he spoke and their eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare." Yami hissed, worried that he might try to threaten Yugi's personality. "Don't worry, I won't destroy his personality but I will accept your challenge. I will find the true room of your soul." he said in determination. They laughed softly and Yami glanced back at him. "Don't think it will be easy. This is much more dangerous than you think for minds broken overtime." he said and the room lightened up to show a labyrinth of staircases and rooms. The man gasped as he looked around. 'There room is truly a labyrinth of the soul.' he thought.

"Game start." They whispered and were soon gone, leaving him alone. He looked around once more, in awe at the many doors that covered the room. "So many doors and yet only one contains the secret of the puzzle." he said to himself. He made his way to one door and opened it. He stepped inside but quickly backed out of the room as a large stone cylinder slammed down onto the ground where he once stood. Eyes wide, he looked towards the other doors that could hold just deadly traps. He heard laughter and looked up to see Aqua hovering overhead. "What's wrong? Do you want to give up so easily?" he questioned. "At this rate, you might find yourself in trouble and we won't help you out of it." he added before he started to fade away again. "We'll be waiting in the true room...if you can find it." he murmured before he was completely out of sight.

The man continued his trek, trying each door he came across but none contained the two spirits. 'Which door could it be? Their soul is tightly closed off to strangers and because of it, they seek to confuse me and make me quit their game. But I can't for I have to learn the secrets of the puzzle!' he thought as he came by one more door and opened it, sighing in relief as he found the two spirits sitting upon a bed conjured out of shadows. He walked inside, unaware of the trap that awaited him. "If I was you, I'd watch your step." Before he could react to Yami's warning, the stone floor beneath him cracked and fell apart but he was able to grab onto the edge before he could fall into the abyss below. 'If I fall into the darkness, I'll be lost in this soul forever!' he thought frantically and soon heard footsteps coming closer. Aqua gazed down at him, a feral smirk on his lips. "Should I push you in or help you up? So many choices." he muttered, his claws gripping his hand before he heard someone call his name and he turned to see Yugi's spirit standing there. /Aqua, don't let him fall. Please./ The spirit whispered. He growled in warning and Yugi only gazed at him still. The spirit walked over and wrapped his arms around his head, stroking his snout and that elicited a purr from him before looking down to Shadi, removing his grip from his hand and lowering his tail down to him.

He looked to him warily. "Don't worry, my tail isn't a trap." he said, taking a glance at him from the corner of his eye. Shadi nodded as he gripped it and Aqua pulled him out of the hole. "I would never imagine you to save me in such a predicament. I am in your debt." Shadi whispered. "I only saved you so your presence wouldn't be here if you fell. Even though it's Yugi's spirit, he doesn't want to see you die. I do not enjoy your hobby of peeking into other's souls, especially our master's. You best leave now."

"So, I have lost this game of yours?" he questioned. "No, it has only begun but we won't play it in here." Yami spoke as he got up and they were soon back at the start of the game, the door behind the man and Yugi's spirit gone from their side. Said man sighed before nodding. "Yes, you are right. For my life I will not endanger the little one from within. Farewell for now." he spoke and left out the room. There was a bright flash of light and the man knelt on the ground while Yugi stared at him. "Are you alright?" he asked, hoping for a response. 'I entered his soul to test him but it was I who was tested.' he thought. "Are you alright? You look so pale. For a while, you had your eyes closed and stopped moving." he said, kneeling down beside him. "I am fine now." he spoke softly as he stood then looked to Yugi. "You are a very strange child." He then pulled out the puzzle. "Before I forget, I do believe this belongs to you." he said, holding out the puzzle to him. "Oh! Thank you!" Yugi gasped happily as he took the puzzle for him and placed it back around his neck. "No need to thank me. I am already in your debt."

A contented purr came from Yami as he felt Yugi's pure energy surround the puzzle once more. "Really? Debt? Did I do something for you cause I don't remember." Yugi asked. "It was the other you and his friend. The two demons that rests within you." he said. "Yami and Aqua? How do you know about them and why do you call them demons? They're not demons." The man only sighed lightly. "Never mind, you will find out soon. Tell me, what your name is?" he asked. "It's Yugi. Motou Yugi." he told him with a small smile. 'Two sides exist in this boy and for some reason, he has not realized the truth of their person.' He closed his eyes. 'When he learns about that, the true power of the Sennen Puzzle will be revealed and awakened! I must take apart the puzzle but that will be a hard task without the demons noticing themselves and this boy, Yugi, seems protective of the puzzle...he may be the key that will help me.' He then looked back to him.

"My name is Shadi. Whatever you do, do not try to learn more of Yami and Aqua. If you do, something dangerous will be granted to you that you may not be able to control." he whispered before leaving, having one other that he needed to put on trial.

Back home, Yugi looked at the puzzle, thinking about what Shadi told him. 'He told me to not learn more about Yami and Aqua or else I would be in danger. In danger of what?' he thought and sighed. 'What secrets could you be hiding from me?' he thought as he looked to the puzzle and the resting spirits inside. "Yugi! This is terrible! Come look at this!" Sugoroku called to his grandson, coming into the room. "What's wrong?" he asked as he got out of the chair he was sitting in and followed him downstairs as Yami and Aqua appeared and followed behind him. "The news reported that Kanekura-san, the curator of the museum, was found dead in his office. They say the cause of death was a heart attack induced by shock but the coroner said that there were some leads that left it unable to be called a natural death." Sugoroku explained as they show a picture of the dead museum owner. Yami narrowed his eyes, having a feeling that this was the one called Shadi's work. 'And even I won't say there was anything wrong about his work. He dares use his greed to try and sell the puzzle. If he succeeded, the world would've been engulfed in flames if we weren't returned back to Yugi.' he thought.

"This is sad that this happened to someone we only met today." he continued then looked to Yugi. "But that's not all I'm worried about. Prof. Yoshimori was also involved in that excavation. If the curse of the Pharaoh's tomb is true then he may be next." he said and Yugi gasped. "But of course, Yoshimori is the last person to believe in curses but it must be hard on him that one of the people he worked with is dead. So I'm heading over to the university to cheer him up a bit." Sugoroku said as he got up to get ready. "Can I come too, jii-chan?" Yugi asked and he nodded. They put their coats and shoes on and we on their way to the university. On their way there, they came across Jounouchi, Zella and Honda. "Hi, we just heard the news about Kanekura." Honda said. "And to think, we just met him." Zella murmured. "We decided to come over to meet with you guys and head over to the university to cheer him up. He just might know the details of this case." Jounouchi said. "Then shall we go together then?" Sugoroku asked. "Zella, Honda, Jou...I really think you shouldn't go. I just have this feeling." Yugi spoke up, looking to them. "Don't worry about us, Yugi. We're worried about Yoshimori too since he did show us around the museum." Zella said.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry for sounding so freaked out." Yugi mumbled.

At the university in the archeology lab, Yoshimori sat at his desk, mourning over the death of his friend. 'Impossible, there's no such thing as a curse.' he thought as he went through images of their discovery of the tomb then the image of Kanekura's dead form. He groaned and held a hand to his head. He heard a clatter and looked behind him. "I must be hearing things." he said before sighing. "So much has happened today. At least Motou is coming with his grandson. I never needed a friend more than now." he whispered to himself. He was unaware that Shadi appeared behind him. He glanced down to him, the scales in his hand. 'Criminal that has defiled the Valley of the King and territory of the gods by Anubis' will I shall put you on trial. But first, I will unlock the room of your soul with the power of the Sennen Ankh. By gods will, I will find some shred of guilt in your soul.' Shadi thought as he entered his mind. The first thing he sees is shelves cluttered with books about archeology and artifacts excavated from ruins. 'His heart is cluttered with his obsession with the past.' he thought and saw something in the corner of the room and went to pick it up.

'And here is a picture of his family, covered in dust. Neglected because of his obsession and he chose now to regret it. But it's too late now.' he thought once more before looking around. 'And the darkness of the room is proof of the anxiety and fear he feels. The curator's death must be the cause of it.' He soon saw a spark of light beside him. "In the darkness is a glimmer of hope. I see, he is waiting for his friends that calms his heart and give him hope." he said and then concentrated. 'Who is he awaiting?' he wondered and soon saw forms appear and became clear, showing Sugoroku, Yugi and his friends. 'Ah, so he returns...'

"Here we are." Sugoroku said as they arrived at the university. "The lights aren't on." Zella said. They walked in and Jounouchi shivered. "Man, I hate schools at night." he grumbled as they continued walking towards the archeology lab. "Let's put on a big smile for him. That should help cheer him up!" Jounouchi said, losing all thoughts of being at the school at night, and they nodded. "Yeah! Remember, don't mention the museum at all." Yugi said before they entered the room. "Hey there!" Jounouchi said. "Prof. Yoshimori! We're here!" They all called as they came into the room. "Sorry we're late, professor." Sugoroku greeted. He turned to look at them, he eyes dull but a big, creepy smile graced his face. "Thank you for coming!" he said with a scratchy voice. "Come in!" he said. "Hope we're not interrupting anything." Zella murmured.

"I've been waiting for you!" he replied, laughing softly. "Hey, he looks pretty happy." Honda murmured. "Yeah." Yugi agreed. Yami appeared beside him and examined Yoshimori. /Yugi, I have a bad feeling about this./ Yami whispered. /Don't worry. Yoshimori-san is fine./ Yugi replied and Yami only nodded, still watching him. "Prof., we brought somethin' fer ya! Ya know, as thank for showin' us 'round the museum!" Jounouchi said and covered his mouth, Zella just about ready to slap him. "Jou?! You weren't supposed to mention anything about the museum!" She hissed. "Sorry!" Jounouchi cried. "Oh yes, oh yes, the museum." he said, laughing still. "Somebody killed him! Somebody killed Kanekura!" he wailed. With that, they all started to wonder if something was wrong. "Prof. Yoshimori, is something wrong?" Sugoroku asked. "There's nothing wrong...I was just waiting...waiting for you, young Yugi." Yoshimori claimed, reaching out towards him and wrapped his hands around his neck, choking him.

He gasped, struggling for breath and the others reacted, trying to pry him away from the younger teen. "What's wrong with ya?!" Jounouchi cried out as he tried to pull him away. Yami roared in anger and came from the shadows, tackling both the man and his master much to the others' surprise at his appearance. Prying his grip from Yugi's neck, he brought him close. Yugi gripped his shirt, gasping for breath and Yami stroked his back. "Are you alright, little one?" he questioned and he nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." Yugi whispered as Yami stood up and helped him up as well. "Sorry for my puppet's behavior." A voice spoke and Yami growled as he looked to the shadows and saw Shadi appear. "Shadi!" Yugi called in surprise and his friends looked to him. "Ya know this guy?!" Jounouchi exclaimed. "Kind of. I met him at the museum when I went to get the puzzle. What do you want here?"

"To break their will down. I must seal the puzzle away before the power is released and the only way is to threaten your life or the life of your friends." Shadi spoke as Yoshimori got back up and went for Jou, grabbing him around his neck and they tried once again to pry his grip off. "No! Stop it!" Yugi cried. Yami hissed. "Let him go!" he growled. "Go on, show him your true form. He deserves to know and once he learns, he'll take apart the puzzle and seal it away from prying eyes." Shadi said. "No! I will never take the puzzle apart!" Yugi said.

"Then watch as your friend suffers."

'He must've done something. He must've brainwashed Prof. Yoshimori and turned him into a killer!' Yugi thought. Shadi watched as they tried valiantly to free Jounouchi. 'I planned to leave this country as soon as I punished those that dare to defile the territory of the gods...but then I, with my own eyes, met the demonic spirits of the myth. Since that time, the feeling of defeat smolders within my heart. I can't leave this country with those embers still burning.' he thought. 'I will meet them again and when I do, I will see their power with my own eyes...to do that I will have to push them as far as possible.' Yami saw that nothing was working and knew he probably needed to use his own demon strength. 'I'm sorry.' he thought as clutching his fist tightly, he landed a hard punch to Yoshimori's chin, making him lose his grip on Jounouchi and threw him back far enough to hit the wall. He lost a few teeth from the hit and Jounouchi gasped for air greedily. "That was close...any longer and I would've been a goner." Jounouchi wheezed.

"You did it, Yami! You knocked him out!" Yugi cheered. "Yes, but not for long." he whispered and turned to him. "Yugi, you must leave. Shadi is aiming for you. He's trying to get to us and he knows you are the one that can break our will. Go now! Take the others with you!" Yugi nodded as he, his grandfather and his friends ran out the room. Yoshimori got back up shakily and looked to him, laughing still. Yami hissed as he shifted into his demon form. Shadi watched the ordeal. 'Seems the professor isn't enough. I need to get the boy. I need to get Yugi.' Shadi thought and disappeared from room while Yami was grappling with the professor.

The others ran through the school before Yugi stopped them. "I have to go back, Yami might be hurt." he said. "You can't, Yugi! I don't know what that guy is up to but he's going to put us all in danger!" Zella spoke. "Then split up. If the professor is running around, it's best we keep him from finding any of us. I need to go find Yami." he said as he started making his way back towards the archeology room. Yami was still grappling Yoshimori but realized Shadi wasn't in the room. He growled and threw him through the doorway and disappeared in the shadows in hopes to find Yugi.

But it was too late for when Yugi got back to the room, Shadi appeared behind him and took control of his mind, using his Marionette Design magic to turn him into a puppet, a doll with no voice or memories.

Jounouchi and Sugoroku ran through a hall, losing Honda and Zella a while back. "We should go back fer Yugi! He might be in danger!" Jounouchi exclaimed. "I'm sure Yami will protect him. We need to see if we can snap Yoshimori out of that trance!" Sugoroku replied and they soon saw him, walking shakily towards him. Sugoroku stepped up towards him. "Yoshimori, can't you remember me? I'm your friend." he urged, Yoshimori continuing to walk towards him. He stopped though when he got close and they thought he got through to him but Jounouchi gasped when Yoshimori punched him and he crashed into a nearby bookcase. "Gramps!" he called but he was alright, just knocked out from the blow.

He looked back towards Yoshimori who was walking towards him. 'This guy is insane! It might only be a matter of time before he finds Zella and Honda or Yami and Yugi. I need to lead him away.' he thought then taunted him, catching his attention and ran off, the older man following behind him.

Yami sniffed around, trying to find any sign of Yugi. He contacted Aqua and he was too looking for Yugi. 'If I don't hurry and find him, Shadi will capture him.' Yami thought with worry. "It's too late for that." A voice spoke and Yami snarled as he turned towards Shadi who held Yugi in his grip. "No!" he roared and would've attacked if Shadi didn't raise the ankh higher. "One more step and I'll destroy his mind." he said and the demon stood back, claws clenching tight. "What do you want with him?" Yami hissed.

"I need him. He's the only thing that will break your will and grant me the chance to see your power. Your strength was one but what other powers do you hold? That is what I want to know." he said. Yami snarled but knew he couldn't do anything with Yugi in his hands and under his control.

Jounouchi continued to run through the halls, Yoshimori still on his tail. Around the next corner, Zella and Honda were running towards him. They heard him scream and stopped, seeing him run by with Yoshimori behind him. "Oh no! How could he have gotten up from that blow Yami gave him?!" Honda exclaimed. "I don't know but we need to help him!" Zella cried as they ran behind them. She stopped and picked up a fire extinguisher, getting an idea. She used her speed as a cat to get past them and hid at the next corner. "Jou! Get ready to duck when I tell you!" she called and he nodded. Once he got close to where she could hear him, she got ready. "Duck!" Jounouchi did so, dropping to the floor as she came from behind the corner, spraying Yoshimori with the foam and then slamming him in the face with the butt of the extinguisher. He fell back and she sighed. Jounouchi sighed as well and stood back up. "Thanks fer the help. I thought my legs were gonna fall off if I kept runnin'." he panted. "Where's Motou-san?" she asked. "When he found me and him, he tried to get through ta him but he knocked him out before I decided to lead him away before he could hurt him more." Jounouchi said.

Honda walked over to them, checking back to make sure he wasn't getting up. "So what are we going to do? Jii-chan is knocked out, Yugi's gone and who knows what happened to Yami." Honda mumbled. "Well, we need ta find Yugi and Yami. They might get hurt by whoever that guy was." Jounouchi said then sputtered as he saw Yoshimori getting back up. Zella wondered what was wrong with him and yowled, jumping into his arms. "How does he get back up from all these blows?!" Zella screeched, her tail fluffing up in fear. "I don't know but I'm not sticking around to find out!" Jounouchi shouted as he ran off with her in his arms, Honda following behind before he could get caught. Yoshimori followed behind them, more teeth missing from the latest blow to his face.

Yami continued to stay still, watching Shadi's every move. "These will be the words to set you off..." he started, taking one of Yugi's bangs into his hands. "If I ordered him to die, he will die." he said and that did the trick. Yami's eyes went unfocused and he stopped growled, only whimpered like a hurt puppy. "No, don't kill him. Don't kill aibou..." he whispered. "What do you want?"

"Like I said before, to see more of your power. It is time for the second stage of our game to begin. Call the other here now." Shadi said and he nodded, calling Aqua through their private mental link. He appeared through the shadows, ready to attack being seeing the position Yugi was in, knew he couldn't do much. "Good, now that you're both are here, we can finish our battle...in a yami no game." Shadi whispered. Seeing as Yami can't speak now, Aqua glared at him. "Seeing that the shoe's on the other foot, we'll accept." Aqua answered. "Good idea cause you know if you don't, he will remain a doll forever." Shadi said. "Our game will begin in 10 minutes on the roof. Everything I will need is right here in this room." Shadi took a glance to the clock then looked back to the demons before him.

"When the clock strikes eight, I'll be waiting on the roof." Shadi spoke and they nodded before leaving out the room. 'Why is he so determined to not only learn our power but take us away from Yugi? Does he think we'll abuse the powers of death we contain now that we have our bodies back or does he want to use them for his own purpose?' Aqua thought then looked to the puzzle. 'It pulses quietly, knowing Yugi-dono is in danger so we will keep form longer to ensure the chosen one's safety. But either way, there's one thing I know Shadi and that you are our enemy now. We must win this game. Not only for our sake but for Yugi's as well.' he thought as the clock chimed eight and they both disappeared through the shadows and onto the roof.

When they got there, they were in for a shock. Yami snapped out of the quiet daze he was in and gasped. "Yugi!" he cried, seeing he was only standing on a board held up by four ropes tied to a pole that was by his side. Connected to four of those strings were four small statues. Another, much larger one hung above them and they were connected to the ankh. "Time to begin our game...The Trial of the Mind." he said, gazing at them. "Yugi!" he called once more and glared at him. "Shadi! How dare you put him in danger like this?! You're not using him in our game!" Yami hissed. "I am Yami. If you two lose this game, it will mean his death and when the puzzle shatters along with his fall, you two will be sealed back in the puzzle." Shadi said and they knew he couldn't let him do that. "Before I explain the rules, I want to say one thing, about the Sennen Puzzle." he said, looking to them still. "I do not know how he got his hands on the puzzle and actually had the gall to free you two, especially when the puzzle wasn't located for three thousand years. Did you decided to choose him to be the one to release you? Or do you think it seem to be a coincidence?" he started, walking off slightly.

"But that is wrong, the Sennen Puzzle chose him! It knew he could be the only one to quell the demon within you two! After three thousand years, it finally had found someone that it believes to be the rightful owner..." Shadi continued. "My bloodline too has been chosen to wield the powers of the Sennen Items..." he said before Aqua cut him off. "We heard enough. Don't you dare think we can consider ourselves as allies! Just shut up and start the game! Tell us the rules!" he roared, stepping forward. "Don't be afraid to learn the truth." Shadi whispered. They looked to him warily. "Somewhere in your heart, you two are afraid of your power. You fear that your power may consume your master and take him away from you. You fear for him to learn about your demonic side and scare him away. You fear yourselves." he continued on. "No! It's not true!" Yami hissed. "But it is! The proof lies before you! The weakness of your hearts!" he said and soon, one of the statues started to crack and soon shattered. Yami's eyes widened. "Yugi, no!" he yelled. 'The statue...it broke on its own!'

"Did you not realize the game has already started? Your master is standing on the Bridge of Life. It is supported by four ropes attached to four ushebti. Those ushebti were buried with the pharaohs—their names meaning "those who answer". But these particular ushebti are the reflections of your hearts. Yami! When either of you shows weakness of the heart, the ushebti will respond and break one by one and when they all fall, so will your master. And as you can see, there are three left. Can you keep them whole between both of you?" he questioned. "But let me tell you how you can win. The four ropes holding the Bridge of Life are strung through the ring of the Sennen Ankh. The Sennen Ankh itself is supported by an ushebti that reflects my own heart. In other words, if you can break my will, the ankh will travel down the rope and into his hand. Anyone that had their mind redecorated has to touch the ankh to return back to normal. His life will be saved and I will lose." Shadi explained.

They nodded and Shadi smirked. "Let the game begin." he said. Yami was starting to worry. 'Our hearts are being weighed against aibou's life. This is truly a trial of the mind and if something happens to him, it will be our fault.' Yami thought before he started to see wisps of mist surround them. 'What tricks are you going to use? What are you going to use to test our heart?' he thought. 'Let's go, demons, stage one.' Shadi thought as the ground beneath them started to crack and hands sprung up through the cracks in the ground. They grabbed them, causing them to gasp, trying to get away. More hands appeared from the ground and dragged rotting corpses with them. They moaned and groaned as they crawled over to them, engulfing their bodies one by one. "Demons! This is the first stage of your hearts' weighing! Now answer my riddle! "What creeps on the ground and clings to the pillars?" Answer and you'll know what surround you." They looked down to the corpses trying to think. 'Creeps on the ground and cling to the pillars! What could it be?!' Yami thought frantically, not noticing the ushebti cracking with his worry.

Shadi watched from afar, seeing them trapped in the illusion. 'You're trapped. If you continue to show weakness, you will drown in the illusion and all your ushebti will shatter!' Shadi thought. 'You two should know, in yami no games, those with weak hearts and weak souls always lose. This is how all your victims feel when you bring them in your games. The only way to defeat the illusion is to hold strong to your heart and answer my question. Find the true nature of the illusion!' Yami and Aqua continued to struggle, Yami hissing in anger. 'That which creeps in the ground and clings to the pillars. This is an illusion Shadi put in our minds. But even though it's nothing but an illusion, we can't escape. Is this the weakness of our hearts?' he thought and then remembered what Shadi told them. '"Answer my riddle", that's what he told us.' he thought then closed his eyes in concentration.

'If I solve the riddle, the illusion will disappear. Don't rush, just think. Think of his question and remember...that which creeps on the ground and clings to the pillars. What creeps on the ground is the corpses and what they cling on is us. If I think of this the other way around...a pillar standing and coming off the ground...clinging to it...I have it.' Yami thought, eyes snapping open. "Then answer to your riddle is our shadows!" Yami called and the corpses disappeared. Shadi smirked as he looked to them. "So, you manage to clear the first stage. But that was just testing you. The next stage is even harder! Can you keep up for Yugi's life!" Shadi said as the next challenge was given to them. The ground started to split apart and they stepped back. 'What challenge is he giving us this time?' Aqua thought as a pair of glowing eyes glared up at them.

Back inside, Jounouchi, with Zella in his arms, and Honda were still running from Yoshimori. "When will this guy give up?!" They all yelled.

From the ground, a large monster appeared and held them in both its claws. Before them stood nine squares. "This is your next challenge. Under these squares reflects you. But you can't flip them over. Can you guess what it is? What holds you back?" he asked. "You each have a guess." he continued. They looked to the squares in fear. 'A reflection of us. We're demons and what normally hold us back is Yugi. But that would be too easy. There has to be something else.' Yami thought and looked to Aqua. "Have any ideas?" he questioned. "Not that I know of. He knows that we wouldn't say demons since were already such and it would be too easy for the answer to be Yugi. There's has to be something else, something we haven't thought of." Aqua murmured. The monster's grip tightened and they winced in pain. The ushebti started to crack more.

"Wait, a monster is holding us now...maybe it's a monster that's holding us back." Aqua whispered before turning to Shadi. "That's what it is! A monster is holding us back!" he called and the monster behind them disappeared as the tiles flipped over to reveal just that. They growled as they looked to him. "That was low." Yami hissed. "Well, at least you know. That's why the puzzle shouldn't have been completed. You two are monsters and just for one goal do you feed on the flesh and souls of others." Shadi said. "But it's a better reason than whatever you are thinking of right now!" Yami snarled, baring his fangs. Shadi's ushebti started to crack a little because of their defiance to say he was right. "No matter. This is your final challenge. If you fail this, all your ushebti will break and he will fall." Shadi said as the ground collapsed around them and wisps of smoke came around them before forming into the one thing that can easily give the game to Shadi. "No, not this...not him." Yami whispered as the spiritual form of Yugi appeared in front of them. "Yes, your young master. You have shown me that this was the only weakness that you two have. If anything happens to him, you would die. Now let's just see when your worse fear is brought to the test." Shadi murmured as the spirit version of Yugi walked over and took the puzzle from Yami's neck.

/"This dreaded thing was the bane of my existence. You two came into my lives and yet never told me that you were demons. How can I trust you?"/ he spoke as he walked to the edge, holding the puzzle over the edge. Another ushebti broke and Yami gasped. "No! Please, don't do it, aibou! I'm sorry!" Yami cried, falling to his knees. "Yami! Don't listen to him! Remember, this is a game and Shadi is trying to show the weakness in our hearts! He knows that its focus highly upon what Yugi can do to us!" Aqua snapped and he looked to him before nodding. He got back up again and Yugi glared at them. /"So, you still won't tell me why you lied to me? Fine, how about we play a game using the puzzle. We'll roll it and if it lands on the side with the Eye of Horus, you'll have to take two spaces towards the edge."/ he said and they nodded, steeling themselves. Shadi watched with fear, his ushebti cracking more in response. 'They will actually risk their lives in this illusion. It can't be possible! I have learned that their master was their innermost fear! What are they up to?' he wondered. Yugi rolled the puzzle like a die and it landed on the Eye of Horus side.

They took two steps and he picked up the puzzle, handing it to them. "No, we're not risking your life, real or spiritual." Aqua murmured and Yugi nodded as he rolled it again. It landed on the same side and they took two more steps obediently. They continued on like this until they were a step away from the edge. Yami turned to look at Yugi who was silent, a tight grip on the puzzle. "Are you going to roll again?" Yugi nodded and was about to but stopped. The hand shook before a soft whimper left the illusion. /"No, I can't. Whether you're demons or not. You're still my friends...my..."/ he whispered and soon, the illusion disappeared, the puzzle dropping to the ground. 'No! They broke free!' Shadi thought in shock, his own ushebti falling apart. With that, the key slid down the rope and into Yugi's hand. He woke up finally but because of the initial dizziness, he pitched forward. "Yugi!" Yami cried, flaring out his wings and was about go after but saw that the board was being held up and with a little nudge, Yugi was able to fall backwards instead. He groaned softly and looked around. "What happened?" he questioned. Yami and Aqua rid themselves of their demons forms and ran over to the gate.

"Be careful, aibou!" Yami called and Yugi saw the only thing supporting him was a board. "Help me!" he cried, looking to them. "Don't worry, Yugi! I got ya!" Jounouchi called as he held the board from underneath. "Hurry! Climb over the gate, Yugi!" Yugi nodded as he crawled over the board. Yoshimori, though, poked his head out from the window and grabbed his legs, trying to push him off the side. "Hey, get off!" he growled, trying to shake him off while Honda and Zella tried to pull him away. Yami climbed up the gate, holding his hand out to Yugi who grabbed it and he pulled him up. "Jou! Let go of the board!" Yami called once Yugi was safely on the other side. He did so and the board swung down, hitting Yoshimori and since the ankh was still on it, it returned him back to normal before sliding off the board. With him not holding his legs, he almost fell forward but Aqua grabbed him and pulled him over the gates as well. Both Zella and Honda fell back after Yoshimori let go. "Well, that was fun." Zella muttered as they landed on the floor with the unconscious Yoshimori on top of them.

Below them, Shadi raised his hand up to grab the Sennen Ankh as it fell and soon walked off. 'I never saw such a compelling mind. We will meet again Yugi and hopefully by that time, your trust in the demons will be stronger. You are indeed the chosen one...the one to find the truth in the puzzle.' he thought. From another rooftop, a red dragon watched. She shook her head lightly. 'You and your games, Shadi. It's a miracle they didn't lose their master for that last one. I can see they're devoted to him and don't want to lose him in any way. Hopefully they aren't too late in telling him their secret. Silence for so long can lead to unwanted problems.' she thought before she flew off, promising to come see them again.

Outside, the others met with each other, Jounouchi holding Sugoroku's unconscious form. "That was scary but at least we're all safe." Zella said and they nodded. "Yugi, you best head back home with your grandfather. We have something else to do." Yami spoke. "Really? I was hoping we can all walk back together. I thought I almost lost you two." Yugi whispered. "You shouldn't worry about us. It was you who we almost lost. Head back home and we'll be there soon." Aqua said as he and Yami walked off.

They watched them go before Yugi decided to follow him. "You guys take my jii-chan home. Lock the door behind you when you leave. I'm going to see what's up." he whispered and ran off behind them. They watched him go before they started making their way towards Yugi's home.

When they got to the morgue, they slipped out with Kanekura's body and dragged it towards the park, unaware that Yugi was watching with wide eyes. 'What are they doing with Kanekura-san's body?' he thought. "This wretched man almost sold off the puzzle. I'm glad Shadi killed him." Yami hissed as they shifted into their demons forms and started to feast, still unaware of their young master watching.

Zypher: -wipes forehead- My, this was an extremely long chapter. Sorry for the extremely long wait. Since the votes were even for whether you want the manga or anime version, I thought about combining them together and I'm glad I did cause I couldn't find my issue 8 of Shonen Jump. Almost went crazy when I realized I didn't have it but it all still came out pretty well. Anyways, hoped you enjoyed and will be waiting for the next. See you soon.

(1) - This means "Coming Forth by Day." This was the original title to the Book of the Dead.