Yami no Game: Dark Saga
Chapter 40
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"So, did you see them anywhere?" A voice questioned as the group met up by the clock tower. "No, they weren't over there either." Ryou spoke as he stepped up to where the rest stood. "Man, they move fast." Diamond hummed, crossing her arms. "And the city's pretty big so it might take a while to find them." Myrrh added. She then looked to Ryou. "So, what took you so long?" she asked. "Oh him, he was up all night writing up a storyline for his next tabletop role-play. He fell asleep but somehow it was finished the next morning." Diamond explained. "Yeah...and I was only halfway done with it before I fell asleep." Ryou murmured. Myrrh gave a nod then a light sigh. "And Honda apparently went on a trip." she muttered and looked down. 'Why does it seem were all starting to drift apart now?' she wondered before feeling a hand placed on her shoulder and looked up to Keara. "Don't worry, Myrrh, we'll find them, you'll see. I'm sure both Yami and Jou are doing fine." she assured and Myrrh smiled, nodding. "Of course. I wouldn't doubt them to get out of the game just yet. They're too strong for that." she replied before looking to the others. "Let's keep looking!" They nodded before Ryou's eyes drifted and spotted a crowd gathering. "Hmm, wonder what's up with them?"
Where the crowd was gathered, they were standing around a bench where a person stood. He was decked out in very little but what he wore made him look like the typical goth. Eyes stared blankly at nothing and people began to mutter about how he hadn't moved from the spot since yesterday neither had he drank or ate anything since then. The others walked up to take a look as well and Ryou smiled. "Well look at that, a mime!" he said exuberantly. Once Myrrh caught on to what the people said, she blinked. "Wow, he's been here a whole day with no food or water nor did he sleep. He's a pretty serious mime to go that long." she murmured. "Makes ya wonder what's he's thinking." Sugoroku added. Diamond stepped up and waved a hand in front of his face and got no response. "Excuse me, mime?" she questioned and still got no response from him. 'He's like a doll, lifeless but there's a hint of something deep within him.' she thought before stepping back. "Well he isn't a duelist so let's get back to searching." she spoke and they nodded. Sugoroku looked to the clock and hummed.
"It's getting close to noon. I'm starting to get a bit hungry."
"Wait, hunger...I know where Jou is now!" Myrrh said with glee.
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At the Beef Buster restaurant, the chef placed two extra-large bowls of his special before Jou and Kaiser. "There you are, extra sauce and extra-large!" he said and Jou grinned. "Thanks! This looks so good already!" he cheered as he began stuffing his face with the long awaited meal even though his duel disk was smacking the neighbor in the face as he ate. The chef spotted the disk and chuckled. "You're one of those "duelists" playing cards around town, huh?" he questioned and Jou nodded. "Yes indeed! Can't draw good cards without a full belly!" he commented. "Even us warriors need a break!"
"Well then let me bless you with good eats and good luck! Here, have some pickles on the house!"
"Sweet! You're the best!"
The businessman sitting next to him finally got irritated as he was knocked once more by Jou's duel disk and glared at him. "Hey, kid! Will you remove that thing already?!" he groused and Jou glanced to him and then his duel disk. "What are you, nuts?! This duel disk is like part of my arm! If ya don't like it, then chop off my arm!" he growled, making the other flinch. "Now, now, kid. We don't want to disturb the others." The chef murmured and Jou pouted before nodding. "Alright." he murmured before removing the disk. "I'll forgive ya cause the chef gave me free pickles with my beef bowl." Jou set the disk down behind him, catching the eye of a smaller kid further down the line. He stood and started walking for it, acting as if he was about to leave the shop. Kaiser glanced at him, seeing his stiff posture as he walked and his eyes narrowed. Before he could react however, the kid bolted, snatching up Jou's duel disk in the process.
"Hey, you little snot! Get back here!" Kaiser called as he stood and jerked Jou from his seat. "We got a runner!"
"Hey, you two haven't paid just yet!" The chef yelled. Jou muttered a faint curse before pulling out two 500 yen pieces and slapped them on the counter before running out with Kaiser right behind him. "Get back here!" Jou roared as they chased the kid down. From across the street, Myrrh spotted them and gasped. "Jou! Kaiser!" she cried but it went on deaf ears as they focused more on the thief. Kaiser flapped his wings and dove up into the air before landing before the kid and grabbed him by his shoulders before he could try to weave around him.
"Busted."
The rest of them caught up and after Jou reclaimed his duel disk, they sat the kid down to figure out the problem. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again, promise..." he muttered as Jou slipped the disk back onto his arm. "Why'd ya steal it then?" Jou demanded. "I was mad!" The boy hissed, clenching his fists tight. "I was in the tournament too but my first match was against this really tough duelist. He smoked me in my duel then took my cards and duel disk." he explained. 'Damn, what the hell...' Jou thought, surprised someone would do such a thing and knew for a fact it wasn't the work of the Ghouls. They only hunted down rare cards, not an entire deck. "So, you wanted to use Jou's duel disk to challenge him again?" Keara questioned and he nodded. "Yeah, I was going to give it back to him as soon as I got my own back."
'Something fishy is going on here...he's supposed to be a tournament-ranked duelist...?' Sugoroku thought as he listened to the boy's story. "Well I admire yer determination but that would never work! Every deck is made by the soul of the guy who made it. That's the only person that can bring out the power of the deck. Besides, even if ya tried to use mine, ya wouldn't have won anyway! But today's yer lucky day cause now that you've met me...I'll fight the guy that took ya stuff in yer place!"
"Are you sure about this, Jou? We don't need you losing any good cards in the long run." Kaiser murmured from his spot. "Yeah, wouldn't it be a good idea to at least get a glimpse of this guy's strength beforehand?" Ryou added. "Doesn't matter! Anyone who steals cards from a weaker player is on my shit list cause I hate guys like that!" Jou snapped with a growl. "I'm taking him on with everythin' I got!"
"T-then you'll beat him for me?!"
"Yeah!"
"Great! I'll go find him right now and point him your way! Wait here!" The boy said happily as he stood and ran off in search of the duelist that took his things. They watched him go before Sugoroku looked to Jou. "Jounouchi, check your deck. I fear that he could've tampered with something." he murmured. "Oh c'mon! Do ya really think a guy like him would go to such lengths ta trick me?" Jou questioned. "He does bring up a valuable point, though." Kaiser muttered. "Oh come on! Have a little faith in people!" he groused as he looked to them. "If ya can't trust someone, what's the point in trustin' anythin'...?"
"A good point, Jou..." Keara murmured although she was with the others about the kid tampering with his deck for the upcoming duel. "See, I have trust in my future. I will continue ta battle all odds an' win duels throughout the course of Battle City until I'm up there with Yami. When that happens, then I'll duel him! Whether I win or lose that match, at least I can hold my head up high and call myself an able duelist to match up against anyone! If I can carve out that future for myself..."
"Then you can feel like you can show her a future too, right bro?" Kaiser finished and smiled. "Oh...you mean Shizuka?" Myrrh questioned and he nodded. "How is she anyway? How is she doing after her surgery?" Diamond asked. "She still can't see..."
"What?! But you said the operation was a success though!" Ryou gasped in worry. "I know, there weren't any complications or anything. She's recovering at the hospital near my mother's place...but she hasn't chalked up the courage to remove the bandage." Jou murmured and everyone went quiet. 'So he entered the tournament for his sister. How noble.' Keara thought with a soft smile. "If I can win this thing, I'm gonna go see here an' show her the face of a champion an' a guy who won his future!" Jou said happily as he looked back to them, making them smile. 'And with it, a little prize called courage...'
"Oh yeah, I only told you guys and Honda...but don't tell Yami or Yugi the reason behind me entering the tournament until after our duel, alright?" Jou said and they nodded. "And you know, speaking of which, where is Honda?" Kaiser asked. "We don't know. He was supposed to come but he went on a trip..." Myrrh replied and Jou growled when it clicked. "That rat!"
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In a nearby alleyway, the boy entered inside, finding the person he was looking for and grinned. They talked for a moment and the other duelist smirked. "It was hard. I followed them for an hour or so but the stubborn ass wouldn't take off his duel disk." The boy muttered. "But did you do as I asked?"
"Of course! When I stole his duel disk, I stuck in two of the cards you gave me into his deck. That moron fell for it easily!" The familiar laugh echoed through the alley before the duelist looked up, revealing Haga as the mysterious duelist. 'Now Jounouchi will die! My parasites will destroy his deck from within!' he thought with glee. The boy shifted a bit before looking to Haga. "Um...Haga...could you give me that rare card you promised me?" he asked. "Oh yeah..." Haga reached into his pocket and pulled out a card before handing it over to the kid. The kid took it eagerly before taking a look at it and gaped. "What is this?! This is Pillroach! Nothing but a common! I have one already!" The kid exclaimed. "Oh yeah...then eat this!" he hissed, pulling out a can of bug spray and let it loose on the kid, making him cry out in pain as he tried to rid of the burning sensation. "You said Jounouchi was waiting for me at the square? I'll head there right away." he said before walking off. 'First I'll beat Jounouchi into the ground and with his defeat, it will call out Yami then I'll challenge him! I will crush him and make him pay tenfold for my humiliation at Duelist Kingdom with my super insect deck!' Haga thought as he reached the square and Jou looked up.
"You!"
"So, we meet again!" Haga said with a nasty grin and the other glared at him. 'Insector Haga, former all-Japan Duel Monsters champion. Should've known he was going to be here.' he thought. "Let's do this."
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At the Yonezato Station, Honda was cursing a storm. "Where the heck are we?! It's farther out in the sticks than I thought!" Honda grumbled while not far behind, Otogi and Jade were following. "We can't make it back before dark, that's for sure..." Otogi murmured. Honda glanced back to the two with a soft glare. "For someone who just happened to be going the same direction as me, you followed a pretty long way." Honda muttered. "Oh well...um...shut up and let's keep going! Where's that map..." Jade hissed. Eventually, the group of three found their way to Yonezato Hospital and inside, a nurse told Shizuka that she had some visitors. The smaller girl looked up in surprise.
"Mom?"
"So, you must be, Shizuka." Honda greeted, smiling softly. "Your brother's in the middle of a fight to show you the future. I'm here to bring you to him."
Shizuka gasped once more but she could feel happiness swell in her heart. 'Katsuya...!'
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"Jou! Don't give this guy the honor of fighting you! He tried to throw the Exodia cards in the ocean at Duelist Kingdom!" Myrrh said with a huff. Haga laughed as he looked to Myrrh. "Well thank you! I'm glad to see such a cute girl remember me!" he said and she shivered in disgust. "Eww...I don't need that image in my head." she growled. But Jou ignored the plea as he watched Haga. "There's only one reason yer here and that isn't to catch some wayward flies...isn't that right, ya little freak?" Jou demanded and Haga grinned. "So you are smarter under that blonde head of yours! Let's duel right here and now unless you're gonna run away like a little whimpering dog!"
"I don't run!" Jou growled as he readied his duel disk and Haga grinned. 'So, I heard you gotten pretty far in Duelist Kingdom. But you're up against me now and your skill is about as effective as a locust's fart. First I'll smash you and rid you out of this tournament then I'll go after that demon and claim his head!' Haga thought to himself. "You're really gonna fight him, Jou?" Ryou asked. "Ya bet I am! Karma's a bitch and I'm going to show him the ferocity of messing with a guy who hates people that steals other's cards!" he said as he looked back to Ryou and Haga only chuckled again. 'That idiot really did fall for that sob story! I've already planted my parasites into your deck now! Think of it as a nice parting gift for when you lose against me!'
"Bring it on, Haga!"
Haga laughed and Keara bristled just a little. "That kid's up to something, I can feel it." she murmured. "Good. I'm not the only one." Diamond muttered as they stepped back to watch the duel. At the same time, Honda was working to convince Shizuka to come along with them. "Shizuka, there's a big card game tournament going on back in your old neighborhood in Domino. Your brother is there right now giving it his all. He's fighting to give you the courage you need to overcome the obstacle that you can't pass right now." he said and Shizuka lowered her head. 'He's fighting...for me?'
"Wait, wait, hold on a second. When you win a game, you feel a sense of accomplishment, right? I can understand how Jou-kun feels a little bit stronger with each victory he achieves but how does this apply to his sister? If she wants to summon up some courage, she has to do that herself. Am I right?" Otogi explained and the other only glared at him. "You don't get it, do you? Sometimes people have to help out one another! And you can get courage from other people, you know!"
"And that's exactly what we came here to find out." Jade murmured as he watched Honda. Shizuka still kept her head lowered before she spoke. "No, Honda...Ryuuji-san is right. Only I can make the option to be brave...but I'm afraid to take off these bandages cause I fear if I do, I won't see a thing and I'll never see my siblings' faces ever again. When I think of that...I..." She let them finish her thought and Honda frowned while Otogi felt a little guilty for giving her that train of thought. Honda decided to sling the pack he carried with him and started pulling out a few things. "Shizuka, I didn't know whether you had some spare clothes so I brought you some of my sister's hand-me-downs! I don't know if they would look good on you but..." Jade coughed and Honda stopped his ramblings before looking to the younger. "Shizuka...let's go see your siblings! You don't have to take of the bandages if you don't want to so we'll be your eyes during this trip." Honda said as he watched her. "I just want to say one more thing. I said Jou is fighting for you, if you're there, you will give him some courage too to help him blaze through the competition." he said and she whimpered just barely before biting her lip.
"Let's get going. The train will be here soon." Otogi murmured.
"I want to see them..." Shizuka whispered. 'Please! I want to see onii-chan and Kaiser-nii again!'
"Good answer. Now like dice boy said, we don't have much time before the next train arrives. Nurse, can you grab her things?" Honda asked as he looked to the nurse that was in the room with them. Seeing them being so helpful, a tear sipped from behind the bandages and the three smiled before helping her to get ready.
'You better wait for us! You big dummy!'
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The two shuffled their decks before placing them into the duel disk. "Why don't we make this fun? Let's make this a double wager! Two puzzle cards and one rare card." Haga suggested and Jou nodded. "Fine by me." Jou agreed. 'Both of my puzzle cards...if I lose to him then I'm out...'
"Duel!"
"Jou! Don't you dare let down your guard! You lose and I'm going to smack you!" Kaiser called. "Why is it that you have to hit me when I do something wrong!" Jou snapped as he looked to him. "Knock some sense into you, that's why!" he retorted and Jou huffed before turning back to focus on the duel as they drew their hands. Sugoroku watched as the duel began but was mainly thinking about Haga's strategy and why he would go to such lengths to challenge Jou. 'He's known for using an insect based deck. There's hundreds of different strategies that could be done with it...what would his be?'
"I'm going to go first! Ya ready?" Jou called as he picked out his first card. "I summon Panther Warrior in attack mode!" he said as the feline warrior appeared on the field. "There, a super strong card that your bugs can't take down so easily!" Haga chuckled softly as he drew his card. "I'll play one face down then bring out Skull-Mark Ladybug in defense!" he said as the card appeared on the field along with the insect monster. "Always bugs with you! Is that all you're gonna bring out?! That's nothing!" Jou gloated. 'Keep it up, soon you'll see the terror of my deck soon enough!' Haga thought as he ended his turn. "My go! I bring out Little Winguard in attack!" he said as the tiny warrior appeared. 'Hmm, two level fours. Must be planning to bring out a stronger monster next turn.' Haga thought. "Now time to kick some keester! Go Panther Warrior! Attack that bug!" Panther Warrior leapt in and easily slashed the bug into ribbon but instead of fretting over the loss, Haga cackled. "Thanks, Jounouchi! That gives me an extra 500 life points!" Haga cheered and Jou growled. 'Damn him! Should've read the small print.' Jou thought angrily and Sugoroku watched the duel intensely. 'Four star insects may not have much attack but they can hold deadly abilities to bring out nastier combos. Be careful, Jounouchi!'
"Now, take this! Pinch Hopper in defense!" Haga ordered as the grasshopper monster appeared onto the field. "Now, be my guest and destroy it! I won't mind at all!" he hummed, trying to bait the other duelist. Jou growled at the taunt before looking to his hand. 'I could easily sacrifice my two monsters and bring out a higher level one. And I have Jinzo in my hand already and using him will negate Haga from using traps which can be useful.'
"I draw!" he said as he drew a card and blinked when he saw what it was. 'Parasite Paracide! I never had this card in my deck!' he thought in horror but seeing that shock on his face made Haga grin. 'Ah ha! Looks like he drew my little gift to him and he can't stop it from being played!' Haga thought. Jou growled as he was forced to summon the card per its printing and when the card appeared on the field, it didn't take long before it infected his two monsters, changing them both into grotesque creatures with the parasite using them as its hosts. 'What the hell is going on?!' After the transformation was completed, Panther Warrior and Little Winguard were now transformed into partial insects, groaning terribly at the infection.
"Well you look surprised but no matter, you have Parasite Paracide on the field and with it there, all the monsters you play will be infected with flesh eating worms!" Haga spoke and Jou gasped in horror. "Why would Jou put a card like that into his deck?" Ryou questioned. "He never did! I've watched him build that deck and he would never put any sort of insect card in there...unless..." Kaiser muttered and growled. Jou caught on to what he meant and growled as well. 'That kid from before...it was an act and I fell for it!' he thought as he glared at the insect duelist across the field. "You ass! How can ya do this to my deck?!" he sneered. "Realized a little too late there, Jounouchi, but a truly brilliant strategist thinks before the duel begins of how to demolish his opponent. My deck utilizes the ultimate power of insects! I can make them do whatever I want and with your monsters infected with parasites, they're considered insects too, understand yet? There's no way how you can win against me now!" Haga explained before laughed and Jou flinched at the fate his deck is going through now and it's all thanks to Haga deciding to slip in something that would infect his entire game long before making eye contact.
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Zypher: And that's that. I don't have much to say here except hoped you enjoyed and I'll see you soon with another chapter.