Zypher: Hi all and welcome to another (long awaited) chapter to YnG. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you enjoy this one cause guess what? It's lemon time!
Warning: What I just mentioned above. Don't like then why the heck are you reading this story.
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Yami no Game: Dark Saga
Chapter 15
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"You're a smart lad, Kaiba-boy but you know what stakes I play for, don't you?" Kaiba was silent and Pegasus continued to speak. "In this game, the loser loses everything...the thing that is most precious to them. In other words, you lose your own soul." Pegasus concluded, pulling out another card titled Soul Prison with jail bars printed on the picture. 'This was the card I saving for you, Kaiba-boy. Now follow in the footsteps of your brother...'
"Penalty Game! Mind Card!" he spoke and a rush of power went towards Kaiba, hitting him straight in the chest and expelling his soul, taking it back to the card before the other could utter a word. "No! Kaiba!" Yugi cried from the balcony. Kaiba's picture appeared on the card once the transfer was complete and Pegasus chuckled softly. 'You poor siblings. You are so close and yet so far from each other. Now you wander through the dark for all eternity, Kaiba. Never to see your brother again...' Both brothers, eyes devoid of emotion and body devoid of a soul were removed from the walkways, Mokuba one way and Kaiba the other. "This isn't right. Kaiba's soul is sealed within a card..." Myrrh whispered. "Yes. He risked his life just for one goal and yet he was still blinded to the powers Pegasus held. We can't forgive him for what he causes...taking things precious from others. I'm positive that he will be dealt with soon." Keara murmured and Yugi nodded. 'Yami, we need you and I'll help in whatever way I can to bring you back.' In the room, the Big Five applauded Pegasus' work. "Well done, Pegasus. Kaiba is finally taken care of and Ruby is only a pushover to get rid of. Now all you need to do is defeat Yami and you will become the new owner of Kaiba Corporation." Pegasus turned to look to them and smirked. 'Don't worry, Big Five. No one who ever lived has defeated me.' He turned to where Yugi stood. 'Even Yami and his power are powerless against my Sennen Eye!' He felt a wave of power and turned to see Aqua's eyes narrowed. "Don't get cocky, Pegasus. None of us will forgive you for this." he snarled and Pegasus chuckled softly. "Oh, Aqua-boy," Aqua snorted at this. "I'm so glad you care about other's wellbeing! But you'll just have to bring out our dear, real fourth finalist and win the semi-finals to earn the right to fight me!"
"We all know that! Get ready cause none of us will be satisfied until Yami destroys you once and for all!" Aqua snapped. Pegasus only nodded before announcing that the semi-finals half of the tournament will be held tomorrow morning in the arena below. "Remember, out of the four finalists here, only one of you will have the honor to face me." The guard that was still there reached into his pocket and pulled out two cards. "Duelists! To enter the finals with Pegasus, you will need the special cards which were sent to you with your invitation! Even if you do win, without these cards you are deemed disqualified! Is that clear?" Yugi pulled out the card they chose to hold, Yami giving it to him for safe keeping, and sighed softly. Keith glanced over to them as well. Being an illegal participant, he went in not knowing that he needed those cards to be able to go through the semi-final matches. 'I didn't know they had anything like that given out to the competition! Shit...this isn't good. If I don't get one of those cards, I'll be disqualified. I'll just have to find a way to get one.' Keith thought. Pegasus gave a wave as he and the other two guards that were still there left. "Well then, my fair duelists, I'll see you back here tomorrow!" They watched him go before Mai smiled and looked to Jou and Yugi. "All right then, from here on out, we're enemies! The time for friendship is over!" she spoke. "Good luck you two and Yugi, I hope that Yami will be ready for tomorrow." she finished as she walked out. Yugi looked over the card, remembering what happened to Kaiba and wondered the same for the person that uses the Honor of the King's Left to battle with Pegasus. 'I bet a lot that it is and Pegasus will hold these cards in the end with the loser's soul trapped in the card as a mark of his status as the Duelist King!'
"For Yami, we have to make it to the final round, Jou!" Yugi spoke, looking to the other. "I know!" he replied before looking down. "But there's one problem...we would end up fightin' if we get to the semi-final match." He felt a tap on his arm and Jou looked up to Aqua. "I'm sure that wouldn't be the case…" he began, the sleight of hand making the Honor of the King's Right appear in his hand and Jou blinked as he patted his pockets for the card that was there only moments ago. Aqua chuckled before holding it up to him. "Pegasus surely knows of the bond we hold and he has a bigger goal in mind. As long as you win against whoever you are placed against, we will fight just as hard. You will get that money for your sister's eyes. We will make sure that doesn't slip through your fingers at this crucial time." Jou looked to the card before taking it back, smiling softly. "Thanks, Aqua." He nodded before looking down to Yugi and the other card in hand. 'And we'll take the risk with this card and challenge Pegasus to get Yugi's jii-chan back.' Croquet coughed softly, catching their attention. "Excuse me but if you will all follow me. A dinner party has been arranged for you all. Step this way, please." Jou grinned at the mention of food. "Great! I'm starving!"
Croquet led the way down the stairs, walking a ways before coming to a set of large doubles door that were open. They walked inside and both Jou and Honda were nearly drooling at the site of the large dinner table piled with food. "Wow! Look at that spread! I guess I'll let Pegasus feed me tonight before ya whip his foreigner butt!" Jou commented. "Please, take your seats." Croquet spoke. Mai look up when she heard Jou's voice and smiled, waving to them. "Hi, everyone! Glad to see you made it for dinner!" she greeted happily. They walked in quietly, except for the fact that Jou and Honda immediately took their seats and would've stuffed their faces if Kaiser didn't follow and was threatening to hit them upside the head hard. Aqua looked up before inhaled sharply when he saw a familiar face upon one of the portraits in the room. "What's wrong, Aqua?" Yugi asked before following his gaze and gasped. 'That portrait...it's Shadi!'
"Now, what's a portrait of him doing in here?" Myrrh questioned. Ryou looked up to the picture as well before looking down to Yugi. "Shadi? Who's that?" he asked. "He possesses a Sennen item. I can tell you that." Aqua whispered and Ryou's eyes widened while Bakura listened on in interest. 'A Sennen item!' Ryou thought and knew that if Bakura heard, he would have another on his list to catch. "Yes. Do you see that ankh around his neck? That's the Sennen Ankh. It has the power to enter someone's mind and control them to do his bidding." Aqua explained. Myrrh shivered at the thought before looking to the other portrait. "Hey, I wonder who that woman is. She's very pretty, though." Myrrh hummed. "These two portraits were done by Pegasus-sama himself but don't expect him to tell you a thing about them cause he doesn't like talking about them." Croquet spoke. Aqua took a glance to them again before they all went to sit down at the table, Croquet directing Jou and Yugi to a seat where the championship finalists sat. "Looks like Keith-san isn't joining us tonight. Oh well..." Croquet spoke before looking to the others. "On behalf of Pegasus-sama, I'm so glad you could all make it this far! Let's all celebrate the final half of the tournament tomorrow!"
"All right, let's eat!" Jou cheered as they started to eat, the blonde male gobbling down whatever he could grab until Kaiser slapped his head, asking for etiquette. Yugi looked over to Honda who was surprisingly quiet. "What's wrong, Honda-kun?" Yugi asked softly. "Yugi...I want to ask you...can you save the Kaiba brothers?" Myrrh and Jou looked to him curiously. "Why do you want him to do that?" Jou asked. "I know you might still think of the things they did to us before but still, I owe him my life and I know you do too, Aqua. He saved both our lives at Death-T and it will be payback to help them both." Honda explained. "He is right. I do owe my life to him." Aqua added. Jou snorted angrily. "Kaiba got what he deserved! I don't mind Mokuba since he can be a sweet kid...maybe...but there's no need to help Kaiba!" he said and Ruby looked down when he heard him. Kaiser looked over to him wistfully before whacking Jou over the head again. "Jou! You're fighting to help our sister regain her eyesight! Don't you realize that's almost the same goal that Kaiba aimed for to an extent?" Kaiser snapped. "Yeah. You know how I had a nephew..." Aqua shuddered at the thought of him. "He's a total brat and a weirdo but if his life's in danger, I'll protect him. I don't care what I would have to do to assure he's safe." Honda spoke. "I never heard of Death-T or what Kaiba has done to you guys before." Ryou spoke. "Diamond or I never even heard of Kaiba or Ruby-san before this island. From what I've seen so far, Kaiba is a little arrogant and selfish. But if he would put everything on the line to save his brother, I don't think he's all that bad. And Ruby is like the opposite of Kaiba but he'll probably do the same to help…" Ryou said. Jou slammed a fist on the table. "Ryou! Ya don't know what he's really like! I respect Ruby cause he's so much nicer! Makes me wonder how he got himself into a family with 'em."
"Sorry! Sorry!" Ryou apologized, waving a hand towards the angered male. As the other start to mumble something about the older Kaiba loving him and there being no chance in you know where that he'll ever admit liking the other, Aqua started to speak once more. "Anyway," Aqua began, looking away from Jou and back to Honda. "Their souls were sealed inside a card by Pegasus' magic. If there's some way I can break the seal, I can save them but if their soulless bodies are confined somewhere else, it might take longer to set them free." Honda nodded. 'I'll take care of that. You just worry about saving their souls.' he thought and Aqua nodded, hearing the thought. "Sheesh! Do whatever ya want! Just don't count me in!" Jou mumbled as he took another bite of his soup but before he had another, something floated up and he squawked in terror. "What the hell is this?!" he shouted. Mai yelped as she bit down onto one that was in her soup. "Ugh! I got one too!" she wailed as she took it from her mouth. "Eww! It's an eyeball!" Myrrh squeaked. Yugi grimaced as he picked up one in his spoon. One of the large portraits in the room flickered before Pegasus showed up on the monitor. "Hello everyone! How do you like my favorite soup–?" he questioned and Aqua growled. "I knew it! It was poison! People always say it isn't but it is!" Jou shouted. "Thanks for the meal, ya jerk!"
"Oh, that! That's part of tonight's main dish!" Pegasus said gleefully. "The heart pounding tournament bingo game!" he teased. "Bingo game? What's that?" Aqua asked, ears folded back to show his anger. "All the participants in the championship tournament should have been given a replica Sennen Eye!" he started, whispering that he didn't see the other finalist but it didn't matter. "A replica..." Jou whispered then shivered. "Now, crack it open and see what's inside!"
"Better not be anything dangerous." Aqua hissed as Yugi opened the eye and took out the slip of paper. Jou and Mai did the same and looked at it. "Mine says D on it." Jou spoke. "And mine says B." Mai responded. On Yugi's was the letter A. "Now then, time to announce the order of the duels for tomorrow." Pegasus spoke before the screen switched, showing them a grid that had the letters paired together. "Good! I get ta fight Keith tomorrow!" Jou said, clenching a fist. "I've been waitin' for this fight!"
"So, I get to fight Yugi. Hopefully it will be Yami instead." Mai hummed, looking over to the younger teen. "Well, that's it! The soup never lies! I look forward to the duels tomorrow! See you all then!" he spoke once more before the screen turned off and returned to the portrait that was there. After the choosing of the pairs for the duels tomorrow, everyone went back to eating. "Yugi, that replica Sennen Eye, can I have it?" Ryou asked and he nodded as he snapped it back together before handing it to the other item holder. Soon, Croquet told them that it was time to head to their rooms they stood, following him to their rooms. "Yugi, if you can, I want to battle Yami tomorrow. Do whatever you can to bring him back." Mai told him and he nodded. They walked down a hallway with door on each side and Mai took the first one, saying goodnight to them before entering inside. Ruby watched as the group dispersed into their rooms and sighed a little as he went to find one for himself. Kaiser spotted him and ran over. "Hey, can I…have a sec?" Ruby blinked before nodding. "Sure if you wish." he murmured as he found a room for himself and went inside with Kaiser following behind him. "Looks like those two will get along quite well." Aqua murmured, laughing softly and Yugi nodded. They walked further, none of them aware of Keith hiding around the corner, and stopped, Jou taking the next room. "Well, Yugi. If ya can, I hope ta see Yami ready to duel tomorrow too but if not, let's get those honors together!" Jou said. "See ya all tomorrow." With that said, the blonde entered his room. "Night, Jou-kun!" Myrrh said before looking to Yugi. "Good night, Yugi. You too, Aqua." she bidden. "I hope Yami will feel better soon."
"I hope so too." Yugi whispered as she entered her room and they took the last one. Yugi smiled at the interior and went to sit down on the bed. "At least we finally get a nice bed to sleep in." Yugi hummed, looking to Aqua who came to sit next to him. "Now, I just need to get to Yami. Knowing him, he might've locked himself pretty far away into the Puzzle so I'll need your help, Aqua." He nodded and disappeared into the confines of the Puzzle, Yugi right behind him. Once they were within the hall that separated their soul room from Yugi's, Aqua opened the door. "This may take some time. I can feel his guilt permeating the space. It will be hard to pinpoint where he is." Aqua spoke. "Then we need to try hard to find him. I can't take him being this way forever." Yugi whispered as he and Aqua started walking through the large labyrinth of their mind. They didn't know how long they walked but soon, they heard the muffled sounds of self-depreciation from the other. They looked around, trying to find a door or entrance that would lead them to him. "I don't see anything but it sounds likes he right around here." Yugi whispered. "I think I have an idea." Aqua pressed an ear against the wall, listening closely, moving down the wall with his ear held close.
Yugi watched him quietly, hoping that he would find something out soon and smiled when Aqua nodded to him. "I know exactly what he did. He camouflaged an opening that leads to where he is and all is takes is the sleight of hand to get in." he murmured, tapping against certain bricks and soon, the door was revealed and Yugi thanked him as he ran inside. "I'll leave you two alone." he whispered, smiling before leaving the Puzzle and back outside. After Aqua was gone, Yugi turned and felt his heart breaking at the sight that he had to witness. There, sitting on a small yet comfortable looking bed, was Yami. He was curled up, demon form out but wings absent from his form. There was a hardly a sound from the form on the bed, not even moving once to his entry. Yugi frowned at the sight. He had seen Yami hitting a low a few times but this was past rock bottom even for him. 'Poor Yami. He's so rattled for letting himself almost fall back to his old ways by this.' Yugi thought as he stepped in quietly, closing the door behind him. Yami looked up finally, eyes rimmed red as he heard the sound of the door closing. "Yugi...why did you come? I don't want you to see me like this." he whispered.
"I came because I want you back out in the real world. I don't want you to hole yourself up in the puzzle for what you did. I know it was a life or death situation in that duel and you wanted to win as you helped me so much. Kaiba took it a step too far and sadly, he had suffered for his consequences so now we have to save him." he spoke as he watched him. "But...if Mai never came with those extra star chips, you would have never got into the castle and your grandfather's soul would've been lost within that portable video. I couldn't have that burdening my soul. You freed me, Yugi, and you became my important person. I couldn't wish for anything more after that day and when you declared your feelings to Aqua and I after we had left you out of fear of your power with the puzzle in hand. I would do anything you wish and now, it was to save your grandfather. And I can't even do that." he whispered before burying his face back into the tear soaked pillow. "You can and you will. I'll be there for you. You can do this. I know you can. I want you to be the strong demon that I fell for." Yugi whispered as he walked over to the bed and removed the hands that obscured Yami's face from him. "And I will do what I can to bring him back." Yami sniffed again before sitting up, the shadows of his demon form shedding away as he looked to Yugi, seeing the love, trust and care for him that shine within the depths of those amethyst pools. Another tear coursed down his face and Yugi wiped it away. "Here, let me show you just how much I love you. You're sorry for what happened but you can't take that to mind yet. Let me help you..." he whispered as he brought the demon into sweet kiss.
-Lemon ahead. No other warnings follow this one so you better think twice before reading cause I'm not going to hear it from anyone about it if they can't read warnings when they're written.-
Desperate for some sort of comfort after all the time he spent wallowing in his own pain, Yami returned the kiss with fierce abandon, arms wrapped around the smaller body of his young host. Yugi knew that Yami needed comfort and he was glad to give it in whatever way possible. After breaking the kiss for a breath of air, Yugi ran thin fingers through the unruly mop of tri-colored hair upon Yami's head which gained a purr from the distraught demon. "Just relax, Yami. I'll do everything for you this time. I will give you the comfort that you desire and the love that we will share tonight will be the sweetest you will ever feel." Yugi whispered, still running a hand through his hair before bringing his hand down to caress the tear-stained cheek lightly. Yami rubbed against the caressing hand, tears still falling from time to time but ceased after another kiss from his gentle host. Yugi brought his hands over Yami's shoulders and massaged them lightly, gaining another purr from him. He continued the gentle ministrations until he felt that the tense muscles finally loosen. With care, he lied Yami down upon the bed and moved to rest upon the demon's waist, running a finger down his cheek again before working on removing his shirt. Yami raised himself up, making the removal of the shirt much easier for the younger teen. After the shirt was discarded, he started placing soft, sweet kisses upon the expanse of Yami's chest, bringing soft moans from him, cerise eyes closed in content. "I love you so much, Yugi. You treat me so well and forgive me for things that no other would." Yami whispered.
"I know. That's why I'm your trusting host and lover. No matter what it is, as long as you come out and tell me, I will still be there for you and love you. I won't make the same terrible mistake I did before that caused you to leave me. It was such a burden, as if my soul was torn in two. Without the gentle darkness that you two brought to me, I felt so incomplete." Yugi replied in a breathy whisper as he placed a soft kiss upon Yami's stomach. He gave a deep murr, his actions showing how relaxed he was and Yugi moved on to the next step. He unbuttoned the pants that Yami wore and with care, slipped a hand within the tight confines that held the object of his desires. The pulsating flesh was warm to the touch and Yami gave a soft groan as Yugi gripped the turgid flesh in his small hands. Beads of precum gathered on the tip and he gently ran a thumb over the sensitive head, getting another pleasant response from the demon. Yugi gave the sensitive pleasure center of their growing passion a few short strokes before letting go, not wanting to have the other release earlier than he intended. Yami panted, slick tongue lolling from the partially open mouth. His chest heaved with each breath as his heart pounded within his ribcage. Claws dug into the fabric of the sheets that covered the bed. "Please," The overstimulated being of darkness beneath him whispered. "Give me more of your wonderful love. I want more."
"And you will get what you wish soon enough. Just hold on a little while longer." Yami gave a small nod before letting his tail come into play, having the tip slip under Yugi's shirt and gently caress his stomach, rigid scales leaving a tingling feeling upon satin soft skin. Yugi gave a small moan of his own from the action and as a reward, he gave the other another kiss before letting Yami's tail tug off his shirt and fling it to the floor upon the growing pile. With his tail still making curving trails upon his chest and stomach, Yugi moved off to the side and slid off the pants that hindered him. Yami stopped his gentle ministrations as the pants came off and once tossed to the floor, his tail came back to curl and settle around Yugi's waist. "I...I need you, my sweet one." he whispered, hazed cerise boring into darkened amethyst. "You will have me soon enough. First, I need to prepare you. Ok?" Yami nodded lethargically, giving a small squeeze of his tail about Yugi's waist. Yami reached out a hand and in it appeared a jar of sandalwood oil which he handed to Yugi as the younger thanked him for the gesture. "This may feel a little uncomfortable but I'm sure you can handle it." Yugi whispered as he dipped three fingers into the warm oil and placed the jar to the side. Yami nodded and relaxed even more, moaning as Yugi slipped one finger within him. He gently started preparing the other, deftly adding the second and third finger to stretch and relax the tight muscle. His movements ceased when Yami's tail wrapped around his arm. "I'm prepared enough. Please, let me have you...All of you."
Yugi only nodded, removing the fingers and took the jar again to prepare himself. After he was coated to his liking, he placed the jar on the side table and looked down to Yami, eyes shining with love. He leaned down to kiss Yami as he slipped inside of him, bringing a pleased moan from the demon, tail squeezing slightly around Yugi's waist. Knowing that Yami was ready and waiting, he started to gently thrust within the tight passage of his demon lover, pace gentle and Yami's response were soft moans that expressed the deep, carnal pleasure he felt with his darling partner of his soul taking the initiative and granting him the deep, satisfied pleasure of intimacy. Yugi kept the slow and sweet pace, letting his demon partner feel every bit of friction as his body moved within him. Yami continued to give the soft sounds of emotions brought upon by the sweet act they were consummating. Their link overflowed with lust, desire, need and love for the other as Yugi continued to keep the steady pace. Yami bucked up slightly, wanting more from the young light but Yugi only stroked his side lightly. "Not today, my dear darkness. I want this to be gentle and sweet. No more, no less. I want to make love to you that is so pure and so loving that it will rid you of all insecurities you held. Ok? If you give me a chance like this again, I'll do as you wish."
"I will always give you a chance like this. All you have to do is ask me and I'll grant that wish just like you granted our wish for freedom. Now please, let me feel heaven, my sweet." Yami gasped and Yugi nodded. "As you wish, my dark lover." Still keeping the slow pace, Yugi shifted angles and the tightening of Yami's tail about his waist indicated he found exactly what he was looking for. Keeping the pace, even with Yami's tail gripping at his waist to bring him in with more force to hit the bundle of nerves resting deep within the tight channel, the smaller leaned down again to kiss the sweet lips of his dark half. Yami returned it with fierce abandon, tongues twined together and bringing a deep euphoria to the pleasure that consumed them. Grips tightened as their mouths fought for dominance and within five minutes, both arched together in an explosion of completion, Yami giving a long and loud roar as he released his load upon their stomachs and sheets. Yugi tensed as his release crashed down on him, filling Yami with his essence.
-End of lemon. Hoped you have enjoyed it. I just love writing these soft paced lemons. They seem so easy to me. Thank you tavi454 for the creative idea. I just love it so much and would've never thought of it if I didn't read it by someone like you-
He pulled out after a moment to regain his bearings as Yami's tail fell lax, hitting the bed with a soft thump on the silken sheets wet with sweat and other fluids. "That was wonderful, my sweet. You were so wonderful and I loved every minute of our intimacy." Yami purred, pulling Yugi up to lay beside him. "I'm glad you did. Do you feel a little better now?" Yugi asked, rubbing lightly at the light red ring around his waist where Yami's tail was. It didn't leave anything harmful, just a slight sore. He nodded, eyes closed with content and some tears coursing down his face from how happy he felt. "Then come on back outside. You need to rest and be ready for the semi-finals tomorrow. I know you can make it through to save my grandfather and the Kaiba brothers. I'll be there with you every step of the way." he spoke and Yami nodded. They both got up after another extended moment of rest, cleaning up and pulled on their clothes before appearing outside of the puzzle. Aqua was asleep on the small divan that was in the room, covered with a thin sheet from the bed. Yugi and Yami curled up together in the bed and soon asleep, exhausted from their late night activities.
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It was midnight at the castle and everyone was peacefully asleep. All but one. Honda snuck out from his room and looked about the dark halls. 'Ok, no guards. So good so far.' he thought. 'Now, I know Mokuba and Kaiba are held prisoner in here somewhere. I owe it to Mokuba to save them.' After that thought, he was off to look for the prison or dungeon that could surely be in the castle, especially with its style. In the dining room, Bakura was standing there, glad to have taken control while Ryou was asleep. He was gazing up at the picture of Shadi and smirked. 'And to think, I thought I would never see his face here. Obviously Pegasus was fated to meet him during his lifetime.' Bakura thought before glancing behind him, hearing someone walk in. Crimson's eyes glittered in the dark room and Bakura turned fully to him. "So, any lowly guards to feast on in this dump?" Crimson smirked. "Tons of them just ripe for the plucking. Let's get going. We do this quick enough; we can put Ryou and Diamond back in bed before they wake up and realize they're in their soul room."
Bakura nodded in agreement and like shadows, they disappeared into the darkness. They could've easily hunted for Pegasus but rather save that kill when the time is right.
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Dashing through the halls silently, Honda continued to search for a way that would lead to the possible holding area of the Kaiba brothers. Not far from him, around another corner, was Keith who woken up just to find someone to steal one of the honor cards from. And he had the perfect target in mind. The thief took a glance around the corner to make sure no guards were walking by and was shocked to see Honda roaming about. 'Why is he running around the castle this late at night?!' he thought before smirking. 'Not that I'm one to be talking about sneaking around.' Honda stopped at another corner and took a glance around the corner, seeing two guards standing at an open entrance leading down. 'That must be the place if those guards are guarding it.' he thought. "Who's there?!" One shouted and Honda quickly brought his head back, thinking that they saw him. Honda took another glance when he heard exactly who was there. "Don't mind us. We're just heading back to our rooms." Diamond spoke. "Fine then. Get out of here, you two!" The other replied. "My pleasure." she hissed as they walked off and yelped when they were grabbed and jerked around the corner. Ryou's eyes flashed angrily as he turned to see it was only Honda and resumed mimicking his voice like Ryou's. "What are you doing up so late, Honda?" Bakura questioned quietly. "I should be asking you the same thing but in any case, I'm trying to rescue the Kaiba brothers." he replied. "Oh." Honda looked to the guards and then back to the other two. "You know, can you do me a huge favor." Bakura snorted. 'Like I would do favors for you.' he thought with a hiss before nodding. "What is it?"
"Distract the guards for me again. I need to get down those stairs but not with them around to see me." Bakura shrugged and turned from Honda, licking his fangs at the easy meal. "Sure, we'll lead them away." he muttered and Honda thanked him as they both left from the corner again. "Hey, what are you doing here again?!" The first guard shouted. "We need your help. We saw something in another hallway that I think you two need to see." The guards mumbled to one another before following Bakura and Crimson and with them gone, Honda headed down the stairs. When Bakura, Crimson and the guards reached an empty hallway, the guards looked around before huffing. "There's nothing down here. We're on nothing but a wild goose chase."
"Oh...really?" Bakura whispered and before they could even get a scream out, they were both tackled and devoured without a sound.
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Descending the stairs, Honda looked around and saw he was exactly where he wanted to be. Cells lined the wall and he ran through the narrow corridor and soon spotted Mokuba within one of them. "Mokuba! Wake up!" The brunet called but didn't get a response from the younger. 'He didn't even look at me. Did he really get his soul taken like Pegasus said?' he wondered then froze when he felt the barrel of a gun near his head. "Well, well. I don't believe I invited a rat down here..." A guard spoke and Honda gulped, raising his hands in defeat.
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Soft footsteps were heard as Keith started making his way towards Jou's room, ready to nab the card he needed to keep himself in the tournament and get rid of Jou all the same. He stopped at a door and smirked. 'This should be his room. I just need one of those cards to keep me in the game. Without them, I won't be able to win that prize money.' He gave a smirk as he slowly opened the door. 'But they don't call me Bandit Keith for nothing. I always get my way no matter what's necessary to do so.' The older blonde slipped into the partially open door, seeing that Jou was out cold and his smirk widened. 'Damn, he looks like a moron when he's asleep.' Keith walked past the sleeping teen's bed and picked up his jacket, digging through the pockets until he claimed what he was looking for. "Got it." he whispered before he tossed the jacket back and was on his way to leaving out the room. "I said I'd beat ya, ya jerk!" Jou cried out making Keith freeze, thinking that he was awake. He turned back to the bed to see that Jou was still asleep, a small grin on his face. 'Little bastard talks in his sleep. Little fucker couldn't be any louder, can he?' Keith thought venomously before he quickly made his departure, shutting the door behind him. "Well, at least I'm done here..." he muttered as he stuffed the card in his pocket. Keith was about to leave when he heard another door open and stood, with his back to the other as he waited to see what happens next. "Jou? Is that you?" Yugi whispered, rubbing at his eyes lightly. "I thought I heard some voices...are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Keith mumbled, trying to imitate Jou's voice and hope that it will convince Yugi enough so he could make his getaway. Yugi yawned before nodding. "Alright. Good night then." he whispered as he went back into his room and closed the door. Keith gave a sigh before smirking. 'That was a little too close but he took the bait.' His luck ran out when the door slammed opened again and a fully awake Yugi stared at him. "Wait, you're not Jou!" he cried and Keith snarled angrily. Yugi's eyes narrowed as he stared at him. "What are you doing in front of his room?"
"Keep your trap shut, you little brat!" Keith snapped as he grabbed him, punching him hard in the cheek and caused him to stumble into the nearby wall. The commotion woke Yami and seeing Yugi wasn't in bed, got up and started for the door. Yugi winced as he stood and Keith looked to him incredulously. "You're still standing?!" Keith hissed before grabbing him again. "If you don't get back into bed right now, I'll make sure that you won't duel tomorrow, you little brat!" he hissed, readying his fist for another attack but screamed as he felt sharp teeth dig into his arm. He looked down to see demonic cerise glaring into his own, the large shadowed beast growling viciously. "What the fuck! Who are you?!" Keith hissed before wincing as Yami's teeth dug deeper. "Let me go and he'll let you go..." Yugi whispered as Keith was quick to drop him. Yami let him go and hissed angrily. "Leave now and if I ever see you around this hall again tonight, you won't be around to duel tomorrow." Keith backed away, holding the heavily bleeding arm before dashing off down the hall. "Jou can make him pay tomorrow." Yugi whispered before wincing, touching the spot that started to bruise from Keith's punch earlier. Yami looked to him and murred softly as he walked over to him, lifting the smaller into his arms. Myrrh poked her head out the room, hearing all the commotion and gasped when she saw the condition Yugi was in. "What happened?" she asked. "Keith happened." Yami hissed in reply as his features began to shed away. "I'll take care of this. You go back to bed." She nodded and bid him goodnight before leaving back into her room. Yami turned back to theirs and walked inside, placing Yugi on the bed, raising a hand up to place over the bruise. It began to fade till all that was left was pale skin and a slight buzz from the pain that was there earlier. "Yami, what do you think Keith was doing in front of Jou's room?"
"I don't know but he surely came at the wrong time and place." Yami replied before nuzzling Yugi lightly. "You're ok now, right?" Yugi nodded. "Let's get some more sleep now. You have a big duel tomorrow that Mai is looking forward to." Yami nodded and they slipped back into bed, letting his demon form shed away, before falling asleep once more.
0
-4:30 a.m.-
In the dungeons, Honda was grumbling to himself, stuck inside a cell after the guard caught him earlier. "This is pathetic!" he moaned to himself, shifting on the uncomfortable floor. The guard from earlier was watching him, oblivious to the danger behind him. A claw reached out from the shadows and he gasped as it took hold of his head, bringing him in. "Help! Help me!" The guard screamed and Honda looked up with horror as the guard was dragged off. The guard screamed bloody murder til he choked, going silent as the brunet scampered farther into the cell when the figure appeared from the shadows. "Need a hand, Hiroto~?" Bakura whispered as he revealed himself, holding the ring of keys with the hand of the guard still attached. He grinned, teeth bloody, and Honda gulped a bit.
'It can't be? Could that be the demon that rests within Ryou? Why would he help me...?' Honda thought as Bakura unlocked the door to his cell. After he was free, they both left out the cell, grabbing Mokuba along the way and headed back upstairs just as dawn broke and the next round of the final tournament started with the first battle being Yami against Mai.
0
Yugi woke up before Yami and rubbed at his cheek lightly, the injury still stinging a bit before he stood to get ready. 'Finally, the last leg of the tournament and only two duels to go through before reaching Pegasus. Hopefully Yami can make it through Mai.' After he was dressed, he woke up Aqua then Yami and let them get ready. While they were doing so, he brought out the 8mm player and turned it on, revealing his grandfather's facade. "We're finally here, jii-chan. Yami will defeat Pegasus and bring your soul back to where it belongs." Yugi whispered and Sugoroku smiled. "That's wonderful news. But I want you to remember this, there are three people in the duelist world that the god of duelists never smiles upon. Cheaters who would do anything to win..."
'Like Keith...' Yugi thought to himself bitterly. "Cowards who fear defeat and the arrogant that drowns in the power they believe to have. A true duelist never loses sight of their confidence or honor. Sometimes, even self-esteem becomes pride and that could be your downfall. Repeat these words to Yami as you are the one that balances his heart. If he tries to be overconfident, he will lose that sense of justice he has. If that happens, you must jump in to help." he explained and Yugi nodded. "I understand." Yami and Aqua stepped out of the room along with the others, Keara glancing to them. "Ready to go, guys?" Keara asked and they nodded. "Then let's go to the arena!" Jou called and they were all on their way to the arena where they will be analyzed by Pegasus as they dueled. Yugi looked up to Yami and took hold of his hand. "Whatever you do, Yami, don't lost confidence but don't overdo it, ok?" Yami nodded.
'I need to remember why I've joined this tournament. To save Yugi's grandfather as well as the Kaiba brothers who got themselves caught in Pegasus' twisted game and lost their souls. No matter what, I cannot lose.' he thought as they reached the door where Croquet was waiting for them. "Duelists of the championship tournament, we have been waiting for you. Please, enter the room. Other guests may take the stairs to the second level to watch." Croquet spoke and they bid them good luck as they left Jou and Yami to walk through the doors to the second level. "You know what, I just thought of something. Where are Diamond, Honda and Ryou?" Kaiser asked. "I don't know. You don't think they both left to go find Mokuba or Kaiba on their own, do you?" Myrrh added. "Chances are they did. I told Honda if he could find their bodies, I could break the spell that Pegasus used to seal their souls and return them back to their bodies. I believed if I tried without the bodies in close range, it wouldn't work." Aqua responded. They nodded and once they reached the second floor, they looked down to the arena where the four finalists waited. Mai turned when she heard them entered and smiled to see that Yami was back. "Good morning, boys." she greeted before facing Yami. "Glad to see you back. I was looking forward to this duel ever since you helped me back in the forest. I hope you have your A game cause I'm not going to go easy on you."
"Neither will I." Yami spoke, knowing that he had to try and end the duel quickly. 'If I'm to reach Pegasus, I can't dawdle.' Keith glared at Yami, a strip of cloth coming from one of the bed sheets in his room wrapped around the bite mark Yami gave to him last night. 'Damn him. So Kozuka wasn't kidding when he said that kid was a demon.' he thought before turning to Jou who was giving him a heated glare. "I can't wait til our duel! I'm going to make sure ya pay for trappin' us in that cave!" Jou hissed and Keith chuckled. 'Yeah, kid. Bellow all you want but you'll be disqualified before you even place your deck on the table. I have your qualification card so the prize money will be mine.' They looked up as they heard Pegasus enter and Yami's eyes narrowed. 'You fiend…I'll make sure to deal with you quickly.' he thought growling deep in his throat. "Welcome, proud duelists! This is the final stage of the tournament that you have worked your way to!" Pegasus spoke as he looked down to them all with a smile. "The one who survives will be given the prize of the champions! Please, let me give you a preview of what awaits the one who wins!" The two suits that were with him reached for a chest that rested behind the chair where Pegasus would sit and brought it out to the front. Opening it revealed the chest brimming with gems, gold coins and pearls. "A prize of $200,000!" Mai's eyes glittered as she looked at the plentiful bounty while Jou tried to count off how much the money was worth in yen. 'With that much, I can save Shizuka from her blindness and still have some left over.' he thought, smiling that he still had a chance to help his sister. "Hold it right there! You don't get this prize just by defeating the other three finalists! You'll have to defeat Pegasus-sama as well before you can claim the prize money and title of Duelist King!" Pegasus chuckled quietly to himself. "I wonder who will defeat me. I'm eagerly waiting to see who will reach the top~" he spoke.
Yami knew that with the Sennen Eye in his possession, the others didn't stand a chance. He was the only hope for anything. He had three lives on the line and he knew that if he didn't reach Pegasus, then they were doomed for eternity. But the demon also thought about Jou and the fact he needed that prize money to save his sister. 'Then we'll both just have to win. He'll get the prize money and I'll free Kaiba, Mokuba and Sugoroku.' He turned his gaze back to Pegasus. 'I'm coming for you and I'll make sure that you pay!' Croquet walked in and stood before the four finalists, a screen appearing above the table that show the tournament battles. "The first round of the tournament will be Yami vs. Kujaku Mai." Yami pulled out the deck from his pocket and went to sit down, Mai doing the same. "Before you start the duel, show me the card proving your right to duel." Croquet spoke and Yami showed him the Honor of the King's Left while Mai showed the Honor of the King's Right. "Very good. Then proceed." he affirmed before moving out of the way. Keith and Jou left to head up to the second level as the duel started. Mai looked to Yami quietly. "Yami...it was my dream to fight you on this island and no I finally have that chance." she spoke but noticed that his gaze wasn't even trained on her. She saw the tense shoulders. 'Now the question is will I get the duel I'm looking for? You are the ideal duelist that everyone would want a chance at fighting. You look as if fighting me is nothing compared to the challenge awaiting you if you win against me to fight Pegasus. But you should know, this game won't seem so easy if you're not focused on your opponent.'
"Are you ready, Yami?"
"Yes, I am! Let's start!" They drew their five cards and Yami smirked to Mai. "You aren't going to use your aroma-tactics again?" he questioned. "Nope. This time, I don't need any tricks." Mai replied. 'No tricks are needed this time. You know them so well. All I need are my eyes to defeat you. With the way you are now, you're no match for me.' She drew another card and picked one from her hand. "I'll start and I'll send out Harpie Lady in attack!" she said, sending out the flying monster onto the field. "Hey! That's the same starting card she used on me! She can't expect for Yami ta fall for the same tricks?" Jou admonished from above. "Indeed, Jounouchi. I know that, that's why I'm not done yet. I place one card face down then I end my turn." she finished, giving the turn to Yami. 'So, she has a face down. There are many possibilities but I have Gaia, one of my best cards, now. So he can take out her Harpie even with a power-up.' Yami thought as he sent out said card. "I send out Gaia the Fierce Knight!" he called as the horseman appeared on the field, Gaia's horse rearing up with a whinny. "Attack her Harpie Lady." The monster surged forward, double lances ready to pierce her monster. Mai smirked, seeing that Yami already fallen for her trap. "I activate a trap card! Mirror Wall!" Yami's eyes widened as he heard the name of the card. 'Mirror Wall?!' he thought as a wall that revealed the reflection of Gaia appeared on the mirror, leaving his monster to pierce his own reflection. "New to this one, aren't you? The let me explain. Mirror Wall is a trap card that brings up a mirror of your monster, blocking your attack from my own. But that's not all it does. Because of your monster attacking himself, it causes him to halve his own attack points." she explained and Yami gasped as Gaia's attack decreased down to 1150. "Now, it's my turn. I'll play the equip spell card, Cyber Bondage on my Harpie and have her attack Gaia the Fierce Knight." she spoke as the armor appeared on Harpie Lady before she made her attack, slashing Gaia to ribbons.
'No! She was able to take out my main card!' he thought in shock as his life points decreased to 1350 and Mai gave a chuckle. "When she wears Cyber Bondage, Harpie Lady is stronger than ever! Add that with the cutting powers of Mirror Wall and your monsters are surely not a match!" she spoke. "Looks like you underestimated me, Yami. You fell for my trap too easily." Yami growled a little before he took his turn, drawing the Summoned Skull. 'Good, the Summoned Skull can easily overpower the Harpie Lady's 1800 attack.' Mai caught the glimmer in his eyes and smirked. 'Seems you drew a good card, Yami. Then go ahead and play it...my trap is still waiting in the wings for your next attack.'
"I play one card face down then I summoned the Skull Demon! Attack the Harpie with Demon Lightning!" he called and as the demon appeared, ready to attack, Mai laughed. "Reactivate trap card! Mirror Wall!" she said, flipping over the card once more. 'Again? Is it another trap or...!' he thought as Summoned Skull attacked his own reflection once again, causing his attack to be cut down to 1250. 'Then it must be true...her Mirror Wall is a permanent trap!'
"By the look on your face, I'm guessing you figured it out. My Mirror Wall trap card is a permanent trap and there's no way how you can get around it!" Yami snorted lightly. "Normally, I deal with trap cards that disappear after one turn. But there are some exceptions..." he spoke. "I see you at least know about them. As you can see, Mirror Wall is one of the rarest kinds and hard to find. As long as I have this card on the board, the wall will appear over and over again...every time you declare an attack!"
'If that's true, then his monsters are useless!' Yugi thought as they watched from the balcony. "There's something wrong. The way he duels is not the same. It's as if he's trying to rush through things without thinking." Kaiser murmured. "I know. He must still be burdened with what happened that he wants to be done dueling and be alone." Myrrh added then looked to Yugi. "Isn't there something you can do? He can't go on like this." Yugi only nodded, agreeing with her last statement but he doesn't know what he could do. He tried his best to help him last night. 'But I guess I only got rid of the problem from his mind, not from his heart.' he thought. 'What can I do? I'm supposed to protect you and Aqua from burden but such a life changing event seems impossible to correct now.' Aqua felt the emotion from his side of the link and quietly walked over, purring softly as he nudged his cheek and Yugi turned to him, his face showing his emotions. Aqua brought him into his arms and Yugi clenched his shirt with tiny fists as he buried his face into his chest. Aqua frowned as he looked down to him and then back to the duel. 'Yami, you're stronger than this. The last thing we want to do is become a demon like Bakura and Crimson but you can't let that get in the way of why we were given this chance again.'
"This is such a letdown...I was hoping to fight you at top skill, Yami, but this is what you give me. From the moment you sat down to duel me, I could see the invisible pressure squeezing the life from you. When true duelists come to fight, there's an aura of battle but as I sit here with you, there's only irritation and guilt." she started, watching him. He stayed silent and he knew that if his tail was showing, it would be twitching with that same irritation. "Let me guess...you're thinking about fighting Pegasus and the dismal look in your eyes coming from the risk of you losing against him. Am I right?" she questioned, surprising him and the others watching, all but Pegasus who sat there with a grim smile on his face. "So I'm not even worth your full attention if you don't even give me a response." She tsked to herself lightly. "You thought you had this duel won as soon as you sat down...but you're distracted with the thought of Pegasus watching us!" she spoke. Yugi looked up when he heard this and then to Yami to see his reaction. /He's looks tense, Aqua. Not because of what happened with the duel between him and Kaiba, but from the thought of losing to Pegasus./ Yugi spoke. /It sure does. And it's possible that only you can do something to ease that. But you may not have to if Mai is trying to do so herself./ Aqua replied. Yami's heart was pounding. He knew that Mai was right. He could feel Pegasus prying into his mind, scrutinizing him closely compared to the others. Pegasus smirked, eyes boring a hole right through Yami. 'Yami-boy...the little lady is correct. I can see your mind and you have no chance of beating me!' Yami snarled angrily before sending a glare to Mai, pupils becoming slits. "Say what you want after you beat me!" he growled. "Let's get on with this duel!"
/Yami! Don't lose your cool! We don't want a repeat of what happened before!/ Yugi cried through the mind link and he instantly relaxed but his eyes were still as they were. "Oh? Now you're trying to intimidate me? You should know that aggressive men are weak. All that anger that you possess is nothing but a bluff! To hide the weakness that you're truly feeling!" Mai continued, causing Yami to growl more. /Relax!/ Yugi ordered, knowing he needed to keep Yami calm so as to not reveal his demon form. "Don't listen ta her, Yami! She's just tryin' ta provoke ya! Howl if you're a man!" Jou shouted and Myrrh placed a hand over his mouth. "Shut it!" she hissed before looking back to Mai. 'But to me, it doesn't seem as if she's trying to provoke him, but to get his mind off of Pegasus and get into the duel.' Myrrh thought. Aqua listened closely before nodding his agreement. Mai smiled, seeing that she got through to him. 'Looks like you've started to wake up. Now we can really fight the duel I was waiting for. Forget about Pegasus right now. Let me see the eyes that shows you would murder the enemy in front of you with your cards.' she thought. "Here I go, Yami! The real fight starts right now!" she called. "Bring it on!" he replied, eyes gleaming with the will to fight this duel. "She did it. She got through to Yami." Aqua spoke and Yugi looked up to him. "How?" Aqua smiled as he looked down to him. "With the same tactic Yami uses. To get into your mind with words. A lesson not everyone learns through us easily." Yugi looked down in amazement then smiled. 'Thank you, Mai.'
"My turn." she spoke, drawing her card and looked to the field. 'Let's see, I clearly have the Skull Demon done with but I can't risk it with that face down card on the field. It could be a trap that could affect me.' she contemplated before making her move. "Instead of attacking, I'll use this card. Harpie's Feather Duster!" Yami tched to himself as he lifted the card to show her what it was. "It was Spellbinding Circle. If you had attacked me, this would've activated and snared your Harpie. You took a good read." he hummed, placing the card into the graveyard. "I'm a cautious player, Yami. You should follow that example." she spoke as Yami started his turn. Since he knew he couldn't attack as long as Mirror Wall was on the field, he switched the Skull Demon into defense and sent out Feral Imp in defense mode as well. "Back to me. I play another equipment card on my Harpie! Electro-Whip!" The Harpie Lady gave a screech, the weapon appearing in her claws and Yami hissed. 'She's powering up her Harpie while using that Mirror Wall as a shield. She's definitely improved since the battle she had with Jou.'
"Prey on the Feral Imp. Punish it with your whip!" As commanded, the Harpie Lady whipped the Feral Imp right off the field but luckily, it was in defense so he didn't lose any life points. "Watch out, Yami! She's gonna use that card ta multiply her Harpie sooner or later!" Jou shouted from the sidelines. "I play Saiga!" Yami spoke, sending out the monster in defense mode. "My turn again." Mai spoke, drawing her card. 'With this, my Harpie combo is only 70 percent complete. It may not be at full power but it will be enough to defeat you, Yami.' she thought. "Here I go, Yami. This is the Harpies' ultimate servant. Meet the Harpie's Pet Dragon!" The dragon gave a roar as it appeared on the field, the chain connected to its collar now in the Harpie Lady's claw. "This cute little dragon is the well-trained pet of the harpies. Now why don't I show you its power up front! Go, Dragon! Kill the Skull Demon with Saint Fire Giga!" Mai called and the dragon roared, gathering a huge ball of fire in its mouth before letting it loose right towards the Skull Demon, destroying it with ease. Once the smoke cleared, Mai caught Yami's eye. "Yami, you lost sight of something this entire time. It's something you can show...but can't see." she spoke and Yami noticed it was his own riddle. "Until you can find that answer, there's no way you can defeat me."
"Mai! That's the question I asked ya in our duel! Have ya even found that answer yet?!" Jou shouted. "Yes, I do remember, Jounouchi. I came up with my own answer." she replied. Jou snorted. "Then I'll answer in place of Yami! It's friendship of course! The fiery spirit of friends and havin' 'em back ya up with you need 'em!" Mai chuckled before giving a curt no. "W-What d'you say!" Jou growled before Kaiser whapped him in the back of the head. "Will you stop trying to be something you're not?!" Mai chuckled softly as he watched him. 'Jounouchi...you taught me the answer. You should know what it is. How do you think an amateur card player like you survived Duelist Kingdom? Tell me that...and you'll have your answer.'
"Your move, Yami!" she called. 'Though the man I'm fighting probably won't guess it so soon.' Yami drew a card, seeing it was the Black Magician. 'The pet dragon has 2300 attack. It could fall easily to my Black Magician if it wasn't for the trap card on the field.' he contemplated. 'So in that case, a trap for a trap.' He placed Mirror Force face down on the field before sending out Black Magician in defense. "And I'm done."
"My turn again." Mai whispered as she drew a card and smiled. 'With this, my combo will be 80 percent complete. Yami...it's useless to set a trap for me for I will always be one trap ahead of you.'
"For my next card, I play Shadow of Eyes!" she spoke. Seeing Yami's bewildered look, she told him to look at the field for the card's effect. "My magician! He went out of defense and into attack!"
"That's right! Shadow of Eyes lures an enemy into battle. The Harpie's battle pheromones stimulate a foe's fighting instinct so high that it can't be avoided. So the Black Magician instinctively attacks the Harpie Lady! And you know what happens!" she explained as the Black Magician readied for his attack which triggered Mirror Wall and he attacked himself with his own Black Magic attack, causing him to halve his own attack down to 1250. "And now, I'll play this card again. Harpie's Feather Duster! I simply don't like that card so I'm destroying it." Yami watched as his Mirror Force was destroyed. "Now, pet dragon! Attack once more! Saint Fire Giga!" With another blast of fire, the Black Magician was destroyed. Yami's life points decreased down to 300 and Yami was starting to worry. 'I can't lose here. If I do, it's all over for the Kaiba brothers and Yugi's grandfather.'
"So, Yami, what do you think of my Harpie combo now?"
'Wonderful! Her Harpie deck has no weaknesses. On the other hand, poor Yami has doubt creeping into his heart. I can see the color of defeat staining his soul now.' Pegasus thought as he continued to watch the duel with interest. "Yami, what's going on now?!" Jou called. "It seems like Mai become a million times stronger than with she fought you, Jou." Myrrh whispered. "I can't believe this. I was just lucky when I beat her the first time." Jou spoke. "That wasn't luck, Jounouchi. Back when I fought you, I was actually fighting as hard as I could. If you want to know the truth, when you beat me, even with my tricks, I was devastated. I went into denial after that duel and I tried to turn me eyes away from the fact that I lost. And when I confronted my real self, I understood the meaning of those words." she explained. Her explanation finally made Yami realize exactly what he lost. 'She's right, in that duel with Kaiba I lost my mind and succumbed to my demon urges. He was willingly going to kill himself if I attacked and as a demon, I fell for the bribe. My conscious mind knew that I couldn't lose...I was afraid to lose. But I wasn't the only one.' He gazed up to Yugi who watched him. 'He was afraid that I would kill Kaiba but still held up strong and did something no other would do and that's to stop a demon before he could kill. His strength made up for the weakness that I felt that day...which is the answer to the riddle!' he turned back to Mai who was patiently waiting for him to start his turn. "Mai," he whispered. "I'm proud that I got to fight you today. Now, the real fight begins here and now!" She chuckled, glad that Yami got back into the game but he was a little late. "I'm glad to hear that but even you can't turn this situation around." she spoke. "We'll see about that! My go!" Yugi turned up to Aqua with a smile. "I'm glad we finally got him back but what if he doesn't draw a card that could help him turn this duel around?" Aqua chuckled. "That's where you come in." he whispered and Yugi wondered what he meant when he felt a mild surge run through him and he found himself in the depths of the puzzle.
/Project yourself beside Yami. Make the draw with him that will bring out the card needed to help him./ Aqua's voice spoke and Yugi nodded as he brought his spirit from the puzzle to stand next to Yami. Yami turned to him when he felt his presence near and smiled. Yami placed a hand over the deck to draw the card and Yugi did the same, smiling to him as they picked up the card. "My card is Brain Control!" he announced and Mai gasped. 'Not Brain Control!' she thought with worry. "I'm guessing you know the effect of this card. And if you do then I shall go ahead and use this card for its purpose." he spoke, placing the card onto the field. "I'll take over your Harpie's Pet Dragon!" The dragon roared as it shifted to Yami's side of the field, roaring at the Harpie Lady which caused her to reel back from her own pet under someone else's control. Mai was shocked as well but only smiled. "I'm sorry. You may have control of the dragon but he is still the Harpie Lady's faithful servant. He'll never attack his own master, even if he's brain washed."
"I know. But I'm not attacking your Harpie." His words threw Mai for a loop and pondered what he was planning to do. "Now, I play this card face down and send out Catapult Turtle!" he called, the mechanized turtle appearing on the field. "Now, I strap your dragon onto the turtle and prepare it for the launch."
"No!" she shouted, knowing what he was planning to do once he sent out Catapult Turtle. 'With its ability to destroy walls and fortresses...!'
"And right on cue, the Mirror Wall appears. Ready for Launch, Catapult Turtle." The monster angled the launching pad loaded with Harpie's Pet Dragon towards the wall. Yami gave the signal to launch and the Catapult Turtle shot the pet dragon towards the wall which shattered it and also destroyed her dragon. Her Mirror Wall card fazed from the field and she realized that it wasn't only her trap card that he destroyed. "I hope you realize that when you use Catapult Turtle to fire a monster, half of the monster's attack points come out of the life points of its owner..."
"What? But I–" she started but Yami raised a hand. "In other words, half of the Harpie's Pet Dragon original 2300 attack comes from your life points!" Mai was stunned as her life points decreased down the 850. She then smiled, praising Yami for the combo he came up with just in the nick of time. "Yeah! Yami can still make a comeback!" Jou cheered. "Looks like he has his spirit back. The thing he lost greatly due to Seto's trickery." Ruby whispered softly. Kaiser looked to him fondly before placing a hand over his. "How could someone so kind not end up like Kaiba?" Kaiser questioned. "Guess I'm just the more reasonable one of our family." Ruby replied, smiling down to him. Up on his little platform, Pegasus watched still, eyes never wavering from Yami and each move he made. 'Some kind of change had appeared...' he thought as he continued to watch. 'Resolve is a fickle thing and both you and Yugi made me realize that. Now that resolve shall be tested.' Yami thought quietly to himself, the spirit of Yugi's self still by his side and monitoring his every move.
"My turn!" Mai spoke, drawing a card then looked to the field. 'I could attack him since his turtle's left in attack mode, then he'll lose.' Her eyes fell to the face down card on his field. 'But that face down card worries me and I don't have any more Harpie's Feather Dusters in hand. So what should I do? Attack or not attack?' she wondered before looking to Yami, his eyes showing no signs of what the card could be, which irked her even more and made her suspicions rise. His eyes pierced into her own, tempting her into attacking and possibly falling for his hidden trap. "Well, I won't attack, not on this round. Instead, I'll play this card. Elegant Egotist! Bring out the Harpie Lady Sisters!" she said as the magic did its work, bringing out the three Harpie sisters. "Are you ready, Yami? On my next turn, you'll have to face the harem of hell!" Mai said as she passed the turn to Yami who didn't look phased at all by the happenings of her turn. He smirked and said the words that shocked her. "I would've lost if you attacked me that turn, Mai." he spoke after drawing his card. "My face down was really," He flipped over the card, revealing it to be Monster Recovery. 'So, it wasn't a trap after all! And I fell for it!' Mai thought as Yami brought back his monsters and refreshed his hand. 'But even so, on my next turn, no matter what you send out, it's no match for my harpies and I'll defeat you then.'
Yami drew a new hand and examined the cards, seeing that none could defeat her harpies. "I hope you remember, Yami, my harpies' Shadow of Eyes pheromones still affects the field so your monsters will be forced to attack and their triangle attacks deals 2700 points of damage. You lost!" she spoke and Yugi looked to him with worry. /She can't be right, can she?/ he asked softly. /No. I will figure a way out of this, Yugi. I'm not going to fail you./ he responded as he looked to the field in thought. Yugi looked to the field as well before realizing something. /Wait! I have an idea. Shadow of Eyes puts a monster into attack mode, right? But what if it only affected male monsters? The harpies are females so that has to be it!/ Yugi spoke and Yami nodded in agreement. /You have a point there. So I still have a chance if what you say is right./ He gave a mental smile to the little hikari. /I love you so much, little one./ Yugi gave a smile in return as he played the only card that would handle itself against the harpies' seduction. "I'll play this card in defense!" he called and Mai laughed.
"It's over! Your monster will only be forced to attack!" she said but gasped when she saw what he played. It was Mystical Elf. "So I was right. The harpies' pheromones only work on male monsters. Not the females. So she stays in defense since she's not affected by Shadow of Eyes." Yami explained before ending his turn. "You're slick, Yami, but it will all end soon." she harped as she drew her card. "First, I'll play this! Monster Reborn!" She played the card and he snarled lightly, knowing what she planned to bring back. The Harpie's Pet Dragon came back with a roar and a new attack of 2900 due to three harpies being on the field now with its return. "And now, my harpies will attack with Triangle Ecstasy Spark!" The three harpies each gathered an energy orb in hand that soon connected together with a strand of energy from each before unleashing the blast that formed into an X that destroyed the Mystical Elf with its power. "It's your last turn now! You don't have another trick up your sleeve that will save you this time!" Mai spoke. Yami knew she was right and can only hope in the card resting on the top of his deck. Yugi wrapped his arms around his, hoping that whatever card that was at the top will be the one that would end the duel. /I put all my hope into this card and I'm sure that Mokuba, Jii-chan, even Kaiba is putting their hope into this card too./ Yugi said and Yami nodded as he reached out and drew the card. "Swords of Revealing Light!" he called as the glowing swords of pure light appeared on her field, freezing her monsters in place for the next three turns. 'I can't believe it! He drew that card...just when he needed it!'
"Yeah! He's still hangin' on! You can win, Yami!" Jou called from the sidelines. "You still show a futile gesture for survival. Fine, let's see what you can do in three turns." she said. 'The only way how I can win this now is to bring out the legendary Black Luster Soldier. That's the only way how I can win this.' he thought as he sent out Kuriboh. Mai stared at the monster for a moment before she started to snicker. "He's so wimpy! He's affected by Shadow of Eyes and ready to attack! He should know he can't stand a chance against them!"
"Mai, out of thousands of cards, I believe in this. It may not have much attack but it's capable of things no other monster can do." he said before ending his turn. Mai only snorted, drawing a card before ending her turn as well. He drew a card before looking to his hand. 'Nothing here will help bring out the Black Luster Soldier. What I need the most is the key card, the ritual to summon it.' Mai watched him carefully, trying to figure out what he was planning but his eyes kept the secret well-guarded. 'Well, whatever it could be, I'm sure it won't be able to stop me.'
"I play Monster Reborn and bring back Gaia the Fierce Knight." he said and the horseman appeared back onto the field. Everyone was still trying to figure out what he was trying to do but only Pegasus, who continued to observe the duel, knew that he was trying to bring out the Black Luster Soldier. 'But the question is, can he draw the key card before the swords disappear.' Mai took her turn and drew a card, seeing it was another Harpie. With another harpie, her dragon will be up to 3200 and she knew that no monster would be able to stand up to it. Not even Kaiba's Blue-Eyes. "Your turn, Yami! Your swords last for only one more turn. If you can succeed with anything now, you're doomed!" she said, giving the turn to him. He eyed his deck, knowing that if he didn't draw the key card now, then he would lose the duel and the last chance to saving Yugi's grandfather and the Kaiba brothers' souls. 'This is my last chance, will there be a light of victory or a dark pit leading to defeat?'
'Did he do it? Did he get the card he needed?' Pegasus wondered. "I'll play one card face down then place Griffor in attack mode. I end my turn." he said, placing the monster onto the field. Mai only chuckled, her mind wondering why he played another low level monster but didn't dwell on it forever since she was one step closer to winning the duel. "The swords vanished finally, leaving me open for attack. This is it, Yami! Now show me what you did with the three extra turns you'd given yourself!" Mai spoke, itching to play the fourth Harpie and increasing her dragon's attack to a point that no monster can beat. "What I did is gathered the pieces for victory." he spoke. "I reveal the face down card! Black Luster Ritual! Now let the ritual begin!" he called as two urns appeared on the field. "I offer two servants for sacrifice! Kuriboh and Griffor! One soul to Light and one soul to Darkness! Between them do the gates of Chaos open. Now Gaia, charge into the gate and suffuse its power with you, turning you into the ultimate warrior!" he declared and Gaia's horse gave a whinny before charging forward into the vortex that opened up and soon, the warrior appeared onto the field, emanating a great power.
"I bring to you, Black Luster Soldier!"
Mai looked at the monster, near feeling the great power it had, surpassing her own dragon with a mere 100 points. "Now, Black Luster Soldier! Attack with Chaos Blade!" Yami called and the warrior raised his sword up high before sending a mighty slash towards the Harpie's Pet Dragon, destroying it while the harpies flew out of the way. "Your dragon is dead!" Mai and the harpies watched as the dragon was sliced clean in half before disappearing from the field, Mai's life points decreasing to 750. Pegasus watched Mai closely and saw that the flames of battle were leaving her mind, showing him that the duel was finally over. 'If only I had the chance to send out this harpie, I would have won, even if he brought the Black Luster Soldier onto the field. With 3000 attack, my harpies surely can't defeat it.' She gave a small sigh before smiling. 'Yami, you have won this duel but next time, I'll be victor.'
/Yami, look.../ Yugi whispered, pointing to Mai's hand and he looked down, seeing it rest over her deck, a gesture of surrender. /She gave up./
"I don't want to see my harpies hurt. You won, Yami. Even with the struggles you went through, you still came out on top." Mai said, looking to him. Yami nodded before smiling. "Mai, thank you for your help. You made me realize what I was missing." he whispered and she nodded. He sent a small glance over to Yugi. /And I thank you as well, my sweet lover./ Yugi smiled to him before his corporeal form disappeared from beside him and appeared back beside Aqua once more. Aqua smiled down to him as Yami was declared the winner by Croquet. "Yami...there are two ways of losing. A loss where everything ends for you and a loss which is only another step on the road of victory. I will become strong from this loss and I'll grab the dream waiting at the end of that road!" He nodded and they both shook hands, the flames of battle between the two now becoming embers.
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Zypher: And there, an extremely long chapter for an extremely long wait. Hoped you all enjoyed and sadly, I won't be placing in a Duel Monster story for this chapter but there is a possible one for next chapter. Any who, hope you enjoyed the read and I'll get the next one up a little sooner than this. Next up, Jou vs. Keith! Hope you'll be waiting!