Disclaimer: You know the drill.

Talking = thoughts/Chant

*Talking* = Yami-Host

Chap. 2: The Coming of Malevolence

"And I'll attack you with the Dark Magician, and that's game!"

"God damn it! Why can't I win?"

Once again, Yugi Mouto had just clobbered Joey Wheeler and a more recent friend, one Yuseke Urameshi, in two duels apiece.

"I have to admit you're both doing a lot better than usual. Those Spirit monsters nearly destroyed me, Yuseke!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks for letting me have 'em."

"No trouble at all. Hey Joey, any news on Serenity and Mai?" Serenity, Joey's little sister, had fractured her left arm and leg in a driving accident. Mai Valentine, a duelist they had befriended in Duelist Kingdom, was much worse off: almost a week after recovering from having her mind trapped in the Shadow Realm by Yami Marik during Battle City, she had gotten a severe concussion and five broken ribs, having been mugged by a gang of lowlifes while vacationing in New York

"They're doing great, Yug. Serenity's got the feeling back in her hand; the doc says she'll be back on her feet before da week's out. And I just talked to Mai's doctor; she just got outta the coma she was in for the past month!"

Thank God for that! Before long, life will be back to normal...or at least, as normal as it usually is around here!

Yugi had no idea that life in general was about to take a very nasty turn...

Domino City was an interesting place, containing huge businesses, a powerful seaport, enormous tenements...and a small card shop in the downtown neighborhood. It was in this game shop that Yugi Mouto, world champion duelist, lived with his grandfather, former archaeologist Solomon Mouto. They had lived in Domino ever since Yugi's parents had met a mysterious end while on a business trip to Vladivostok; the only evidence of foul play had been what appeared to be a vast, elaborate hexagram carved into each of their backs. Although a serious wound, it would not have been enough to kill them, and there were no other signs of a murder weapon, nor were there any apparent suspects. At any rate, Yugi's grandpa took custody of his grandchild, retired from his hectic life as a historical investigator, and started a life as a card shop owner.

It was this miniscule building that was the entire focus of one man's attention; that is, if you could call him a man.

Hiei had known for some time that the power to control the universe was sealed in an ancient tomb, sealed deep within the walls of the legendary Valley of the Kings. Unfortunately, the only way to unlock this power was to obtain the Millennium Items, seven edifices of an ancient sorcery used only by the Pharaoh of Egypt. There were only two ways to obtain one of these items: you were either destined to wield one, or you won it in a Shadow Game.

It was by this method that Hiei had obtained the Millennium Ankh, Scales, Ring, and Eye.

Since his Jagen Eye, which he had obtained long before he knew of the Millennium Items, was of the same enchantment as the Items, it had enabled Hiei to battle for the Items he desired. Once he obtained the Millennium Ring and Eye, it had been relatively easy to gain control of the Scales and Ankh from Shadi.

Yet even four of the Items were not enough to release or even control the magic in the Valley of the Kings.

If I am going to be able to control the Shadow energy sealed in that overgrown graveyard, I'll need the power of the Pharaoh himself in order to proceed with my plan. This tournament that I heard Seebach talking about will be more than enough to draw the Millennium Rod out into the open, but I have a feeling that the Puzzle and Tauk will be much easier.

That fool Yugi couldn't possibly be destined to wield the power of both the Puzzle and the Tauk. It is obvious that somewhere along the line that destiny made an enormous blunder. But since he does possess the Items, by some mad twist of the universe, I will have to defeat him in a Shadow Game. And since both Yusuke and that cur Wheeler have an unusual attachment to Mouto, I will have to...hinder them.

Hiei knew quite well that if Yugi was not supported by his motley band of cronies, things would be a hell of a lot easier, and since Mouto possessed the Saint Dragon, the incarnation of Osiris, or as they called it, "Slifer the Sky Dragon", he would need all the help he could get if he was to defeat the King of Games.

Well, Mouto, you may know the power of two Millennium Items, but you cannot comprehend the strength of an Item empowered with the energies of the Spirit World!

And with that, Hiei began the chant that would start the Shadow Game:

"Force of Darkness, hear my cry, release thy power to mortal lands. Set free the strength of Dark to fly, and envelop the world in your bitter hands. I call your power to this world, a place where I remove thy helm, and so I summon you unfurled, and call upon THE SHADOW REALM!"

Yugi was just about to close the shop when his Yami opened the mind link.

*Yugi?*

*What is it, Yami? I'm about to close up.*

*Something's not right. I sense an evil the likes of which we have never faced before.*

Yugi sighed, almost as if he was bored out of his mind. *I wouldn't worry too much about it, Yami. After the evils we faced before, this one shouldn't be too hard to deal with.*

The ex-Pharaoh, who now lived within Yugi's Millennium Puzzle, was not so comforted.

*I'm serious, Yugi; whatever is causing this evil is not only in possession of a Millennium Item, but also knows a power we have never seen before.*

*Alright, Yami, I'll keep an eye on...WHAT WAS THAT?!?*

The entire house had gone pitch-black, and only after finding a flashlight did Yugi resume his mind link conversation.

*Yami, something's not right; I just sensed whatever being you detected! He's downstairs, I can feel it!!*

*Yugi, whatever it is, it just sent the entire house to the Shadow Realm! I need to take over!*

*Alright, Yami! I just hope you can handle it!*

The multicolor hair youth splayed his hands outward as his puzzle began to glow with an incomprehensible light as he allowed his darker half to take over

"YUGIOH!"

In a fraction of a second, the innocent Yugi was replaced by a tall, dark being: King Yami, former ruler of Egypt, and the entity of Yugi's Millennium Puzzle.

Hiei stood in the center of the shop area. Everything is going according to plan. These new cards from his grandpa's stockpile will make my victory all the sweeter. Ah, here comes the Pharaoh now.

My Puzzle senses that the dark forces that activated this magic are in the shop itself. If he is here for a shadow game, he probably looted the card shop's storage room.

The spirit of the Puzzle stepped into the card shop area. All the lights had been blown out, so if he was to find his opposition, he would need to use his own powers.

At this point, a glowing Eye of Horus had appeared upon Yami's forehead. Using this glowing indication of shadow power, Yami bathed the entire store front in a flare of luminosity equal to that of the noon sun.

Upon looking at the terrifying scene, he immediately wished he had left the room in the blackness of the Shadow Realm.

The entire store was in a state of chaos. Shelves were strewn in every direction imaginable, whole boxes of cards had been torn open, and there was the faint taste of blood in the air.

"Yusuke? Joey? Where are you? What happened?"

"ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN THAT, PHARAOH!!!"

Yami turned in the general direction of the voice that had sounded, and in the process found what had happened to his two friends.

Yusuke and Joey were locked in stockades and chained to one of the walls. From the looks of it, they were comatose, their eyes completely glazed over...and were bleeding. More specifically, they were bleeding from the Druid runes that translated into "The Accursed" that were carved into their foreheads.

"Don't worry, your highness. They are perfectly safe...physically, that is. You, on the other hand, will be soon just another soul damned to an eternity in the Shadow Realm. AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

The cackling laugh echoed throughout the store, a laugh of such evil and wickedness that it sent shivers down Yami's spine.

"Who are you? Show yourself!"

"Very well, King Yami. Normally, I do not allow people to look upon my face. But let me assure you, I'll be the last living thing you ever see."

A figure was appearing out of the shadows. His was a short stature, a bit shorter than Yugi in his non-Yami form. He was dressed in a dark blue shirt with black pants and a dark red ceremonial cloak, with a white headband upon his forehead that seemed to clash with the dark hair reminiscent of a flaming pillar, with the exception of a snow-white starburst near the bottom of the pillar.

Yet these clothes, frightening as they were, had nothing on his face.

One portion of his face seemed relatively normal, with the exclusion of a long, white scar near his left eye. The other side, however, was much different.

An enormous tattoo spanned the entire right side of his face. It depicted huge expanses of wasteland, drenched in blood. As it proceed upward, the scenery was increasingly engulfed in black flame, and hideous demons tortured many a poor wretch. At the very top, atop a black throne wreathed in gold, was this demon, wielding a jagged sword and a cat-o'-nine tails.

Yet it was his eyes that bothered Yami the most. Yugi and Yami both had warm, accommodating violet eyes, although Yami's were more often cold, calculating, and ruthless. This person's eyes, however, were black and lifeless, like looking into black holes that absorbed and destroyed anything at all that were unfortunate enough to be trapped into their vortex. Yet they did reflect several things: the eyes were cruel and sadistic, as if this person had an obsession for making people suffer.

Clearly, this was not someone to cross.

"Oh, dear, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hiei, ruler of demons and soon to be ruler of existence!"

"What do you want here, Hiei, and what have you done to my friends?"

"Oh, it's quite simple, really, Yami. I will release your friends and return them and this dump of a house to the Mortal Realm, if you can beat me in a duel with Kaiba Corp's duel disk. But if you lose this shadow game, your friends die, and I shall gain your Millennium Puzzle!"

"In that case, I have just one thing to say to you, Hiei."

"How ironic, I was about to say the same thing."

Both placed their decks into the duel disks and activated them, then exclaimed simultaneously:

"LET'S DUEL!"

Like the new format? If so, let me know!