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Fanfic Chapter 181: Shadow Duel Pt 1: Proving Grounds

Joey: Serenity was awesome. Not only was she able to come back from being clobbered by that Mask of Atonement, but she was able to take charge of the duel with her Familiar-Possessed monsters and Fire Art trap card. Man, those are some sweet cards. We kicked butt but those slime balls were ready to take us with them. But then all these little black blobby things showed up and dog-piled on them. Finally, we were able to join up with Yugi and Harold. Serenity has grown as a Duelist, but I don't want anybody, not even her, caught up in another Shadow Game if I can help it.


"I think we're almost approaching Panik's fortress," Yugi reported.

"Judging by all those tentacle monsters, I'd say that's a big affirmative, buddy," Joey added. The 'tentacle monsters' Joey was referring to looked like the same one they faced when they first came to the Shadow Realm. Wingweaver and Red-Eyes Black Dragon launched aerial assaults while the others charged forward. The guardian monsters cleared a path for the humans.

"Heads up people and monsters," Harold called. "We have something new to deal with!"

"Oh man, I hate Skeletons," Joey said.

"Buster Blader, get them!" Yugi commanded. The giant warrior leapt up and came down on two of the Skeleton monsters. It then used its sword to make mincemeat out of the rest.

"Panik's not pulling any punches," Joey commented.

"He sees you as a real threat now," Edina said as she used her magic to blast away a skeleton. "He will use all of the Shadow Realm's power at his disposal and that will weaken the barrier between all the worlds more."

"But where is his fortress?" Serenity asked. "I don't see it."

"All I see are these freaky monsters," Joey added.

Yugi looked up, "I think I found it." The others followed Yugi's glance and saw a giant castle in the sky.

"Boy, does that bring back memories," Joey said.

"I'll say, this is the same castle he used in his duels against me and Mai."

"Not to mention it looks like the same castle that the Big-5 used to hold Kaiba and Mokuba."

"So are we going to just stand here and talk about it all day or are we going up there?" Harold asked. The humans and Edina climbed onto Red-Eyes Black Dragon's back. Buster Blader held onto Red-Eyes' leg while Wingweaver picked up Queen of Autumn Leaves. The two flying Duel Monsters carried their passengers up to the castle. At the very bottom of the center of the castle was a port hole that allowed Red-Eyes and Wingweaver to enter. They found themselves in a dark cavern. The walls were curved and trimmed with bone. There was no lighting so the glow from Wingweaver's body had to illuminate the room.

"Well this is a whole lot of nothing," Joey said.

"Where would Tea be?" Yugi wondered.

"Probably with Panik in the throne room," Harold said.

"Which is where?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."


"A warrior, a dragon, and three women," Panik said to the view screen image of Yugi and the others, a barely conscious Tea behind him. "You certainly have an over-optimistic view of the situation if those are your weapons. But if think you can just come in here with them and demand her back, think again. If you want to get up here, you'll have to work for it!" His eyes glowed and his hands sparkled with lightning.


A screech echoed through the room. A hatch slid open and giant skeleton monster carrying a mallet descended.

"That's Inferno Hammer (1)," Yugi realized. "A Duel Monster!"

"Then that means we can trash it. Get it, Red-Eyes!" Red-Eyes launched a fireball at Inferno Hammer but Inferno Hammer knocked it away.

"Inferno Hammer has the same number of attack points as Red-Eyes Black Dragon," Yugi explained.

"Then let me give it a whirl," Harold said. "Wingweaver, let's go!"

"I'll help," Serenity said as Queen of Autumn Leaves formed a long wooden spear.

"Thanks, Serenity," Harold said as Wingweaver energized the spear and threw it at Inferno Hammer destroying it.

"Just keep setting them up, Panik, we'll keep knocking them down," Joey said just before a tentacle monster formed blocking the port hole they came in. "Kaiba's right, I should really learn to watch my big mouth."

"I'm really beginning to miss reality right now," Harold said.

"Stand strong, everyone," Yugi said. "We can win this. Buster Blader!"

"Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

"Wingweaver!"

"Queen of Autumn Leaves!"

"Attack!" The humans commanded. The guardian monsters attacked and destroyed it.

"Let's get out of here," Joey said. Red-Eyes blasted a hole in the ceiling and everyone ascended up a shaft. They found themselves in a spinning dome-like room. "Now what?"

The room stopped spinning. Holes opened up in the wall and energy blasts began coming out of it. Everyone tried to dodge them but they were literally everywhere.


"Yes, keep firing until there's nothing left!" Panik cried.

Tea moaned and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry but she could barely make out what was happening on Panik's screen. "Yu… gi?"


Yugi leapt out of the way of an energy blast but didn't see another one coming his way.

Buster Blader leapt into the beam's path. The beam went right through Buster Blader's armor and grazed Yugi in the side. Yugi fell to the opposite side.


Tea's eyes shot open. "Yugi!"

Panik turned and saw her. "Oh, you're awake. Good, now you can give me more of your energy!" He gripped Tea by the front of her shirt and sent dark lightning coursing through her once again. "That's right, give me all your pain give me your screams of agony!"

Tea screamed.


Yugi had a brief mental flash of Tea screaming in pain. He shot up. "Tea, I won't give up, not until I know you're safe!"

Buster Blader seemed to have gotten its second wind. It dragged its sword along the edge causing miniature explosions as it came upon a hole. Queen of Autumn Leaves surrounded everyone in a humungous tree with branches extending all the way around. The tree started spinning around and finished the job Buster Blader started. Queen of Autumn Leaves decommissioned her tree and the others gathered around Yugi and Buster Blader. Both were panting heavily. "I think if this was a duel," Harold said. "Buster Blader would've lost some serious attack points and Yugi some serious life points."

"This nut job's playing for keeps," Joey said. "Serenity, head back to the previous chamber and wait for us."

"How, the hatch closed up."

"Nuts." A small slit opened up on the other side of them. "I think Panik's been watching too much television." Everyone ran through the slit though it was a tight squeeze for the larger monsters.


"I need to absorb all of this girl's energy," Panik was saying. "Only then will I be strong enough to…" Panik's ranting was interrupted as a piece of the wall burst open.

"Heeeerrrree's Johnny," Harold joked as they all ran through.

"You got through all my traps and minions."

"That's right, Panik, and we're not leaving here until you release Tea and all those whom you've recruited into your alliance of evil."

"Fool, you've already done that!"

"What?"

"In the real world, if you lose a Shadow Duel, you get sent to the Shadow Realm, but if you lose a Shadow Duel in the Shadow Realm, you get sent back to the real world."

"So Arkana and all those other guys are back on Earth?"

"Yes, but the good news is because you did, they no longer have access to the Shadow Realm's power, meaning it's now all mine!" Panik's body emitted dark lightning which struck everyone.

Tea struggled to remain conscious. "No… please… don't hurt them…" But her voice was so soft that nobody noticed.

"Yugi, this looks dangerous," Yami commented. "I'm taking over."

"No, I can handle it. Guardian monsters, attack!" The monsters charged forward.

"Fools." Panik sent a shockwave out which forced the monsters back. "I now have the full Shadow Realm at my command!"

"Yugi, I'm taking over," Yami said again.

"No, I can handle it."

"Yugi, this is no time to be a hero."

"Buster Blader, move around and attack from the side," Yugi instructed. Buster Blader followed Yugi's instructions.

"A grave mistake," Panik said. "Shadow Energy Bolt!" A blast from Panik's hand made Buster Blader lose its sword. "Shadow Petrification!" His shadow sent out a pool of blackness which slithered its way on the floor and up Buster Blader turning it to stone. "Shadow Energy Bolt!" Another blast blew a hole right through Buster Blader.

"Buster Blader!" Yugi gasped.

"He's been turned to stone," Joey said. "I don't recall Panik having those types of powers at Duelist Kingdom."

"It's like he's become one with the Shadow Realm," Harold said.

"Thanks, Obi-Wan, could you tell us something helpful?"

"I will when I think of something."

"This is what awaits all of you! Shadow Petrification!" The black pool started to ooze towards the kids.

"Joey, get your dragon into the air," Harold instructed. "Wingweaver, fly!"

"Up and at 'em, Red-Eyes," Joey ordered.

"Nobody can escape my petrification spell," Panik said as more black ooze slithered up the wall behind him and onto the ceiling. It launched from the ceiling and covered Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Wingweaver turning them to stone and sending them crashing to the ground, shattering into pieces.

"Our monsters been stoned," Joey complained.

"And trashed," Serenity added.

"And we're next," Harold said. He tried using his Armlet but it didn't activate. "What's the deal, my Armlet's not working." Is it because of Panik or does it only work on Earth?

"Do not worry, my friends," Edina said. "I shall protect you." Her light extended to the ooze. The ooze fell back a little but then trekked forward turning the Mystical Elf to stone as did Queen of Autumn Leaves.

"No, not Edina," Serenity cried. She felt something at her feet and saw that the ooze was already slithering up her leg. She screamed.

"Serenity!" Joey reached out to her but couldn't reach her and he couldn't take a step forward because his legs were already petrified. Serenity was forced to lean back as the ooze extended up the rest of her body and turned her to stone. "No, not Serenity, not…" That was the last word he uttered before the petrification overwhelmed him too.

"Joey." Harold looked at Yugi and shot him an apologetic look. The ooze overtook him too.

Yugi watched in horror as his friends were turned to stone statues. The ooze started to come towards him. He took a step back.

"The ooze can smell fear," Panik said. "And you are like a buffet for it." The ooze leapt up and completely engulfed Yugi.

"No, Yugi!" Tea's tears were falling full-force from her cheeks. "How could you… HOW COULD YOU?"

"How could I? The answer is simple, my dear, because I can. But I am not done yet."

"What else can you do?"

"Break Yugi Moto apart piece by piece… literally!"

"No, you can't!"

"Watch me." And he started to approach the petrified Yugi Moto, knocking over and shattering the statue of Queen of Autumn Leaves in the process..


"Yugi… Yugi!" Yugi moaned and opened his eyes to find himself in the corridor between his own soul room and Yami's. And speaking of Yami, the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle was standing over him. "Thank goodness you're all right."

Yugi looked around lazily. "I'm inside the Millennium Puzzle, but how?"

"I was able to draw you in it before the petrification overwhelmed you."

"Thanks, Yami." Yami helped Yugi to a sitting position up against the wall of his soul room. "I really screwed up big time, huh?"

"I think we underestimated Panik's power. Yugi, can I ask you something?" Yami asked as sat down besides his contemporary counterpart.

"Sure."

"Why didn't you let me take control back there? I could've protected you, protected the others."

"Well…" Yugi was silent. "I wanted to prove to Tea that I could protect her because… she has always protected me."


Long before I first put together the Millennium Puzzle, I was meek and uncertain about myself. The only one who showed any confidence in me was Tea. She stuck by me even at the times I wasn't exactly the model person. When Joey and Tristan started using me as a target, she struck back at them for me. I was grateful but at the same time ashamed because… she made it so easy to defend one self. I wanted to feel that strength too. But… no matter how hard I tried I couldn't muster up the courage that she exhibited.

"When Panik first kidnapped her, I saw my chance to show her that I could be strong and brave just like she was." He cast a side-glance at Yami. "I guess that sounded pretty selfish, huh?"

"Yugi, nothing's wrong with wanting to show others that you're brave. But the Shadow Realm is, in my opinion, not good proving grounds. If you truly want to prove yourself then continue doing what you've already been doing, being Tea's friend. If you show her how strong your friendship with her is, she'll know how you really feel."

"I guess I can do that."

Yami stood. "Yugi, let's join forces."

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"Up to now, we've been exchanging minds whenever we dueled. It's been this way ever since our duel with Pegasus. I think we should join our minds."

"You mean how we used to do."

"Exactly, together we can overcome Panik's spell and save everyone!"

"All right, let's do it." Yugi and Yami put their hands together.

"We call upon the Millennium Puzzle," they said together.


"What is this?" Tea looked up at Panik's question. He was staring at Yugi. "What is going on?" Tea looked closely and saw what had Panik so spooked.

The Millennium Puzzle, a faint glow was coming from the cracks around it.

The Millennium Puzzle started cracking. All of a sudden, a fierce energy burst from it. It swirled around the room. The humans and Edina were de-petrified.

"We're free," Joey said.

"But how?" Serenity asked.

"Yugi," Harold simply said.

Yami-Yugi stepped from the calming energy vortex, Duel Disk at the ready.

"You… you're still here?" Panik growled.

"You haven't changed at all, Panik," Yami-Yugi said. "You're still picking on those weaker than your self."

"And you're still the uppity little cretin from before. But I'll show you who your superior is!" He shot dark tendrils from the wall at Yami-Yugi. The Millennium Puzzle glowed and the tendrils dissipated around him.

"I can control shadow power too," Yami-Yugi informed Panik. "Face it, Panik, if you really want to prove you're better than me, you're going to have to out-duel me."

"Fine," Panik decided. He formed a Duel Disk out of thin air. "I will duel and I will defeat you!"

"Wrong, Panik, it is I who will defeat you and when I do, you'll free Tea and cease your evil ways. Or I'll give you a penalty game far worse than what you went through before! So let's duel!"


To Be Continued

Duel Monster Database

(1)
Name: Inferno Hammer
Level: 6
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
ATK: 2400
DEF: 0