Yami no Game: Dark Saga
Chapter 44
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As Malik continued on his way, he saw the cresting buildings of the city of Domino and furthermore, the chance to take down Yami by any means necessary with the targets he found. 'You may have Osiris now...but with the power of my Sennen Rod I will turn your friend into my pawn...' He stopped before the city limits and grinned as Topaz landed beside him. Looking down to the side, his prepared duel disk complete with a deck made strictly by his own hands laid in wait to be used. Malik smirked as he looked to the deck in question, the power that came from it the sign of the last god to enter into Battle City. 'The god of death, the great sun dragon Ra sleeps here. With it I shall reclaim what is rightfully mine to own.' From a distance, right where the others stood, Ryou shivered a little before holding his head. Diamond looked to him and frowned a little. "You ok?" she murmured. The whited haired boy nodded slowly to reassure her while the others had stepped ahead. "You're doing quite well for yourself, Jounouchi. I'm proud of you." Sugoroku spoke. "Yeah, I got me four puzzle cards and took out so many strong duelists! Seto was nuts to keep me outta the tournament! I can handle myself just fine!" he said proudly before looking to the skyline. "I haven't seen Yami since we split up at the clock tower but I'm sure he's doing good too...and soon we'll fight! I can't go losin' now until I make that battle a reality." Ryou chuckled softly as he caught up with them. "You know what's interesting, you got all these rare cards like Jinzo and Insect Queen but they're so weird and gross looking to some people. I kinda wish I had them for my deck."
"Wait...you're duelin' too?!" Jou exclaimed. "Not in the tournament but I have a deck of my own. An occult themed deck." Ryou replied as he pulled the deck from his pocket. Jou could feel the chill seeping into his spine at the thought of what creepy monsters rests in his deck. After dealing with someone like Kozuka before, he rather stay away from the unknown. "I'll keep ta myself then..." he whispered as he tried to creep away. "Don't be afraid, Jou!" Ryou reassured with a laugh. As they stood there, they were unaware they were being watched, at least all that were human in the group. After some time they began to move but Jou was getting bummed that no one came to challenge him yet. "Man where is everybody?! I need a fight! A good one!" he near screamed before snapping his fingers. "Right! I can use the duelist search sensor." he hummed, pressing a button on the disk and Kaiser blinked. "Duelist search sensor?"
"Yep! This little baby will find me the next closest active duelist in my vicinity!" After a moment, the sensor went off, the screen where his life point counter was pointed in the direction of the next available duelist. "Yeah! Next target at 12 o'clock!" They nodded and were quick to follow but didn't notice that Ryou and Diamond had stayed behind. "Heh heh...sleep princess. I do believe we have something to attend to..." Crimson whispered, slowly materializing as hands brushed over her face before covering her eyes. "We do indeed, Crimson. I sense it too...the power of a new item." Bakura spoke as he did the same with Ryou. Both were left unconscious in their arms and sent peacefully into their respective soul rooms as the demons took their place. "Ah...my first legal walk into the real world with my new body and no Yami in sight. Perfect." Bakura whispered with a smirk before pulling out the Sennen Ring. The item began to react before pointing in the direction they had to go. "Come. We have an item to claim." Crimson nodded and the two began to walk, the space around them returning to normal as no one noticed that the two had been magicked to slumber by the two demons that posed as mortals before the crowd of unsuspecting prey to the minds of the two that roam their midst.
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"Huh? The aquarium? There's someone in here?" Jou questioned and Kaiser crossed his arms. "I think we're about to see another familiar face in here too..." he hummed softly but Jou paid no mind as he ran for the ticket booth, demanding Sugoroku if he had the money to pay for the entrance fee. Myrrh looked around, worried. "We lost Ryou and Diamond...oh man..." she whimpered before glancing to Kaiser and Keara who were already following Jou to the aquarium. 'They'll be fine...those creepy demons are gone. Yami made sure of it so they can't possibly return...' she thought, moving up to grasp the heart pendant she continued to wear before joining the others at the gate. The Rare Hunter continued to watch him, Malik looking through his eyes and hummed. 'The aquarium, hmm? They are sure to be there for some time. Keep an eye on them until I get there.' Malik revved the motorbike and nodded to Topaz before taking off much to the disdain of the people he nearly hit in the process as Topaz took for the air to follow after him. In another part of town deep in an alleyway, a duelist laid unconscious, Bakura rooting through his deck while Crimson held the duel disk in hand. "Ugh, nothing but junk. This won't help me at all to improve what my prince has done so far." he growled, tossing the cards. After taking the disk to slip onto his arm, he glanced up and into the crowd with narrowed eyes. 'I wonder what new item comes here now...'
When Sugoroku paid for their entry fee, they stepped inside and went down the hall to the killer while show where indeed a familiar face rested. Kaiser will admit to one thing, he would never imagine Sapphire to have the grace he did as he leapt out from the killer whale tank in a flourish alongside the whale itself before said whale moved over to Kajiki who laughed heartily. "No way, it's him! Ryota Kajiki!" Jou gasped in wonder. Hearing his name, he turned back and grinned when he saw the familiar faces. "Jounouchi! Hey there!" he greeted, waving as the other ran to the ocean duelist. "Been so long! How have you been?" Jou questioned, gripping the other's hand in a man's greeting as Kajiki grinned. "We haven't seen ya since Duelist Kingdom and now here you are in Battle City!"
"You bet!" Myrrh stepped up next. "So why are you here in the aquarium? All the duels are supposed to be on the streets of Domino." Kajiki laughed before turning back to the tank. "Well we've never been to an aquarium before! I never seen such a huge fish tank before! I could fry up that fish real good and Sapphire is having the time of his life!" The group blanched at the mistaken concept of what the aquarium's purpose was really for to the ocean duelist. "Uhm, Kajiki, people come here to see the fish, not eat them." Myrrh whispered. "Huh? They pay to see fish? Sounds weird! Just bring 'em to the sea and I'll show them all the fish they want!" Jou rubbed the back of his head before getting a determined face. "As much as I'd like ta catch up with an old flame, I didn't come here for the fish! I came here ta duel!" Kajiki blinked before laughing a bit. "You can't handle the terrors of my sea deck!" Jou bristled and was ready to bark when he felt a trickle of water land on his head from Sapphire and sputtered. "Oi!" Sapphire chuckled as he rested on the rim of the tank. "That means he accepts. So give the good people a show. I can only do so much here." The seafaring partner commented with a laugh. "I'm still secretly wondering how security let you in there..." Kaiser muttered, scratching the back of his head. The audience muttered a little since a good few didn't know of Battle City therefore didn't know what the two were up to aside from mistaking it for an opening act for the whale show. "So we each own four puzzle cards from the looks of it so why don't we do a nice wager of two cards? That way the winner here will be able to advance to the finals!"
"Fine by me!" The two got ready and with the mighty vault of the whale from the water, Sapphire riding on the tip of its mouth, he grinned. "Duel start!" he called before diving back down into the water with the whale behind him. "Good luck!" Myrrh called as they took seats in the crowd. Jou watched Kajiki from his spot, knowing well of Kajiki's tricks with the monsters he runs from when he dueled Yami back at Duelist Kingdom. Kajiki also watched Jou with a critical gaze. 'I hear you had gotten pretty far in Duelist Kingdom by sheer luck. Let's see if that will help you here.'
"I'll start with placing a face down to the field and summon Swordsman of Landstar in defense!" Jou began. Kajiki gave a nod as the other ended his turn. 'So he set a covered card. Better not rush this then...' Kajiki thought as he drew for the turn, covering a card of his own. "I bring out Flying Fish in defense mode!" Jou grinned as he watched the fish appear on the field. "Ya really think fish will be able to handle against my super strong warriors?! Ya got another thing comin'!" he called as he drew. "So let me show ya! I sacrifice my swordsman ta bring out Giltia!" But when the monster appeared onto the field, it groaned in pain before the effects of the forgotten Parasite Paracide took over when Jou had drawn the card and overlooked it. Kaiser slapped a hand to his forehead. "God damn it, bro..." Jou simpered as his warrior suffered such a ghastly mistake. 'Aw hell...I forgot to take that thing out after Haga's duel!'
"This is your super strong warrior? Didn't think they would become so gross looking!" Kajiki commented. "But enough of that! The sight would make me hurl a little and I've seen worse fish that lurks at the very bottom of the sea. Torrential Tribute activate!" he called as the trap appeared to the field, sending a heavy deluge towards Jou's monsters and destroyed them all. 'This is too easy...'
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Outside, Malik rolled to a stop before the aquarium where two Rare Hunters awaited outside. "We have been waiting. The one you seek is inside." One spoke softly and Topaz landed. "Good work." he said as Malik kicked the stand down and dismounted the bike with a grin. 'Soon, you will become my pawn, Jounouchi. Anyone who touches the Sennen Rod will be under my control.' Before he could head inside, a presence stepped up behind him and Malik gasped when he felt the sheer demonic power coming from it, thinking that Yami had arrived sooner than he thought. But as he turned, it wasn't who he expected but another. 'Another demon...? It can't be.' Bakura grinned, baring sharp teeth. "So you're the one with the Sennen item..." he murmured as he stepped closer. "Now be a good boy and hand it over. I don't mind a good bloodshed but I do want to keep a low profile here."
"Oh? And who are you, exactly?"
"I can be your worst nightmare if you get in my way..." Bakura hissed, raising a hand to show the claws that definitely meant business if Malik refused to cooperate. Malik grunted in annoyance as he looked down and lavender hues widened. 'He has a Sennen item! That would explain the aura. How much does he know...?' Knowing this may just prove beneficial depending on how the negotiations are handled, Malik decided to see to what the other needed. "You two, keep an eye on Jounouchi. I have some business to take care off. Come along, Topaz." he spoke as he stepped over to Bakura. "Since this chat will be speaking of the Sennen items, we should talk in private." Bakura gave a huff but nodded as the three left, Crimson watching from above before following after them. Coming to Domino Pier, they faced off. Malik crossed his arms as he looked to the demon before him. "So, what is it you want exactly?" he questioned. "As I said before, I want your item. If you hand it over with no fuss then I'll let you leave unharmed. But don't test me. I won't hesitate to make use of my new form with you just as I had with the stupid people that fell before." Bakura replied.
"Well I surely can't be killed but I do want to know...why are you collecting them?"
"For power. A hidden temple in Egypt has the tablet of the royals' memories. Placing all eight of the items in the tablet will open the door to darkness. To whoever opens it will gain the evil power that comes from it. For us demons, that's pretty much a useful energy well." Bakura explained with a snicker. Malik's eyes narrowed at this. For him to know of such made him curious as it was a well-guarded secret to the Tomb Guardians alone. But Malik also knew that what Bakura spoke of was only half of the puzzle. "It's obvious you know a bit as you are an ancient demon but the items aren't the only things you need. There's more to open the door to darkness." Malik insisted. 'The truth to everything you seek is inscribed on my back. My life was given to guard such secrets...now it doesn't matter to me.' Watching the other two demons, Malik gave a slight tilt of the head. "Considering what you are...you must know of Yami and Aqua? The demon kings." A growl escaped from Bakura at the mention of the names. "And if I do?" Malik gave a chuckle. So it was confirmed that the two also have a deep-seated hatred for the two demon spirits that came from the puzzle. "Tell me, what is your names? I don't care much for the items as I have a grander goal in mind." Malik whispered. A brow arched before Bakura gave a small grin. "Bakura and that's Crimson." he replied, pointing to Crimson when he was mentioned. "I see, then it would be safe to tell you then that the only reason I'm here is for Yami and Aqua's lives. Once I claim those in the midst of Battle City, the Sennen Rod will be a hunk of metal to me. But I still have some use for it so let's make a deal. You help me and I'll give this to you when I achieve my goal." Bakura hummed, crossing his arms. It was a decent deal, and it would be gaining quite a few things. To see those bastards dead as well as gaining one, maybe even two, Sennen items.
"And say...if I don't agree?"
"Then you won't leave here alive. I wouldn't boast on killing ancient demons if I didn't know the secret to do so." Malik retorted as he watched him. "You have five minutes." Bakura snorted before glancing back to Crimson. Malik watched the two intently, already planning for either answer.
Yes or no...he could definitely make use of some demons for his plan to flow even better.
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Cheers from the crowd floated through the air as the whale and Sapphire made another grand leapt out of the tank while the field in front continued with the duel between Jou and Kajiki. The few teens that knew they were duelists were already criticizing Jou's methods so far. On the top of the seating, the two Rare Hunters had stepped in and located Jou in the middle of said duel. "We have located Jounouchi. We are now watching him until orders from Lord Malik on the next move." One whispered. Jou growled as his monsters were wiped from the field. "Have you improved at all, Jou?! I would expect better from you but you fight like the krill of duelists just barely scraping by!"
"Jounouchi! Calm yourself!" Keara called from the sidelines before giving a sigh. "I know you can do this...you have big things ahead of you." she murmured. 'Although I doubt the weight of my own words with all this ancient power in one place.' Kajiki chuckled before drawing a card. "My turn." With the one monster on his field, Jou knew that Kajiki could easily plan to sacrifice for something stronger but as long as he had Chasm of Spikes at the ready, he had nothing to worry about for a direct attack. Kajiki had plotted this as well for the face down on Jou's side but he wouldn't allow it to deter him. Not when there was so much at stake with this one duel. "Here I come without a moment's notice! Flying Fish direct attack!" The fish hissed before shooting forward. 'Sweet, he fell for it!'
"Trap activate! Chasm of Spikes!" Jou called as the trap revealed itself and the pit appeared before him. But to his horror, the fish sailed right over it like it was nothing. "How do you expect to use a pit trap on a flying monster?!"
"Aw shit!"
"Torpedo Charge!" The Flying Fish made its attack, ramming hard into Jou and bowling him over as his life points decreased to 3200. The monster returned to Kajiki's side and the ocean duelist gave a sigh as he placed a card onto the field before giving a glare as he ended his turn. "I'm quite disappointed at you so far, Jou! I thought you gotten serious for the game but this is child's play! I hate taking on people that aren't serious of this game we play!" he commented. "Whenever I fight, I give it my all. That's how I show respect to my opponents. This is the same when I fish as well! No matter how small the prey, I reel it in with all my might! If I don't, one day the big one will reel me in and swallow me whole..." The truth of his words hit him hard and he looked down. Kajiki was right, he wasn't fighting with his all like he should be. Even now, after beating Roba and Haga, Jou still felt as if he was trailing from Yami's successes with the impossible turned possible. If he didn't make a change to that now, then he himself won't be able to change. Kajiki swept a thumb across his nose before speaking up once more. "I still can't go out to sea right now for I have no boat thus why I need the prize money from this tournament! I have a dream to make come true but even if it takes me a while, the sea will wait for me. It is waiting for the day we come to battle!" With a nod, Jou grinned. "I know how that feels! Just like you, I have somebody to fight as well and I can't do that if I don't fight with everythin' I got! So here I go!" he said as he drew his card. "Show me what you got then, Jounouchi!" Kajiki urged. Jou looked to the card he drew and had a feeling he could make good use of it. "Alright I play Alligator Sword in attack and set two cards face down." Feeling the fighting spirit, Kajiki approved and commended him. This is what he was waiting for and he was glad Jou had straightened himself out before this duel became a charity walk. He wouldn't have that and wouldn't let him live it down either.
"Time to really get this game going!" Kajiki spoke as he drew his next card. "I use my Flying Fish as bait to bring out the Amphibian Beast in attack mode." The fish was sacrificed, leaving a bigger and stronger fishman in its place. "What makes this monster so special is that it can attack on land and sea." Raising a hand, Kajiki pointed to the Amphibian Beast's next target. "Go and destroy the Alligator Sword!" The beast roared before shooting forward and Jou chuckled. "Nice try but no dice! Activating trap, Fairy Box!" A box appeared and Alligator Sword dove inside, stopping the beast in its tracks. "What the?!" Soon enough, the warrior began to resemble that of a whack-a-mole game as he poked his head from one of the six holes, challenging for the other monster to try striking it. "Let's see if you can hit Alligator Sword now!" Jou teased but that only left Kajiki to chuckle. "Maybe not...but how about we take this underwater. I activate Umi!" Soon, their dueling space filled with water and Fairy Box sunk underwater, leaving the bubbles from Alligator Sword to reveal its location. "There! Even for a gator, he can't survive for long underwater! Now go hunt!" The beast shot forward, ready to attack the hole where Alligator Sword rested but Jou laughed. "You still haven't got me yet! I play Skull Dice!"
'Huh?!'
The devil pawn appeared onto the field, red die in hand before allowing it to drop. "Thanks to this handy little number, I can decrease yer monster's attack." Jou explained as the die rolled before landing on 4, knocking the Amphibian Beast's attack to 600. "With that, it's more than enough for Alligator Sword to make his move! Retaliate!" Alligator Sword shot up from the Fairy Box, sword drawn as the Amphibian Beast tried to swing but was soon destroyed by the difference in their attack, knocking Kajiki's life points to 3100. "Not bad! So you can put up a decent fight! Good!" Kajiki commended. "We're almost equal in life points so don't think I'm out just yet!" Jou retorted. While Kajiki had commended Jou for defeating one of his monsters, he has yet to see the true terror that rests in his deck. Jou was his prey and any decent fisherman knew how to draw in their catches. With Umi on the field, his home turf was already set and Jou was trapped in the net of his sure win strategy, Sea Stealth II. Interested by the duel, the audience began to watch them closer while one bratty child was still complaining about wanting to see an actual killer whale show. With nothing on Kajiki's side of the field, he was open for attack. "Now's your chance!" Myrrh called as Jou made his draw. But when he didn't immediately attack, she became concerned. "Why isn't he attacking?" she questioned softly. "Because Alligator Sword is a beast-warrior. Warriors and beast-warriors are unable to swim so they can't leave the island where Jou is." Sugoroku answered "They can't? Then how are they going to attack?"
"I'm sure Jou has figured out something." Keara stated as Jou nodded to the strategy he had in mind. "Alright! I got this! I play Baby Dragon to the field then use Polymerization to create the Alligator Sword Dragon!" Baby Dragon swooped down and Alligator Sword leapt onto his back before the two took to the air with a new attack of 1700. "Now that he's not limited to the ground, he can take ya out! Go, Glide Sword!" Baby Dragon chirped as he flew over the ocean and directly for Kajiki, Alligator Sword raising his blade before swinging down, the hit making its connection and bringing Kajiki down to a dangerous low of 1400 life points. "Not so tough now, are ya?!" Kajiki growled as he looked over the expanse of his ocean field, remembering a time when he was on these raging waters, only a young child as he watched his father fish. Scarred from many battles with the ocean, he was still strong, raw with power as he speared a giant marlin straight out of the water. No line. No net. Just himself and his spear. That day was forever ingrained in Kajiki's soul and that very memory will be the fuel that will bring about his next move and into his next strategy. "My turn now! I draw and set two cards face down!" he called as the two appeared onto the field but the raging waters of Umi left them hidden from Jou. "I end my turn now." Jou cursed when the rough waves kept him from seeing the cards Kajiki had set. Were they spells? Traps? A monster in combination of the former? It was a tough choice but he couldn't afford to play cautious now. "Alright, time to step up." he murmured as he drew his card. As Jou continued to watch the field, he remembered how this played out before when Yami fought him. Because of Kajiki's love for fish and other water monsters, they can hide underwater where they can't be touched. With Umi on the board, all his monsters have that same access to the sea stealth method. If anything fought on land, it would be taken under before they could react.
'But Alligator Sword Dragon can fly! I have nothing to worry about! They can evade it no problem!'
"Awright! Let's get started! Alligator Sword Dragon, let's fly! Cross the sea and attack Kajiki!" Baby Dragon gave the mightiest little squeak of a roar before taking to the air and flew for Kajiki, Alligator Sword readying himself yet again. "Ya don't have enough life points ta last another turn! I got this in the bag!" Kajiki's lips curled into a smirk. "Or so you think...I reveal my trap! Tornado Wall!" Before the fused monster could get any closer, a wall of vicious waterspouts had rose up from the depths of Umi, causing Baby Dragon to squeal as he back-winged before he could be caught up in the wall. "No! Now I can't get ta him by land, sea or air! Fuck!" Jou exclaimed as Kajiki laughed from the other side. "And to make matters worse for you, this trap is permanent! Now even your flying monsters can't touch me!" Jou growled as Alligator Sword Dragon came to flutter back at his side but before Jou ended his turn, he realized a crucial detail as the Tornado Wall began to ebb. 'Wait a tic...when Tornado Wall went up, it took seawater up with it and there were no monsters revealed while the water was low...' he thought. "So it was a bluff, making me think that he was gonna use that Sea Stealth strategy again..." he mumbled "Damn it! It's your turn then!" Kajiki smirked, knowing full well what the other was thinking and it was a shame to. That Jou just couldn't see the monster that lied right before him. "I'll set a card face down and that's it." he said after his draw, the card appearing on the field but again, the raging tides kept the card hidden from Jou's sight. 'Shit...did he hide a monster now?! Guess there's only one way to find out this time!' Jou drew his card before giving a nod to Alligator Sword Dragon. "Let's try it again! Go for an attack, guys!"
"Have you learned nothing?! You can't touch me as long as my trap is ready!" Kajiki called as Tornado Wall activated once more, towering waterspouts covering Kajiki's side of the field but again, while the water level was low, nothing had appeared. "There isn't anything there!"
"Or so you think!" Before the flying duo knew what was coming, they were impaled by a multitude of spears, causing Jou to cry out in horror at the attack that came from thin air, taking down the dragon and knocking Jou down to 2850. "W-what the hell?! I didn't see anythin'!" The blonde cried out as he looked over the field and indeed, nothing was around or visible for an attack to be made. Once more, Tornado Wall ebbed away, leaving a satisfied Kajiki on the other side as he watched Jou's hysterics. 'This is the invisible predator of the ocean. This is my newborn strategy…Sea Stealth II.'
"Shit...shit, shit, shit..." Jou cursed now that Kajiki's true plan was coming forth. He had no way to reach his life points thanks to Tornado Wall and now it was confirmed he had a monster but nothing was on the field even when the tides were low. Jou just couldn't figure out what to do from there on. How can he fight something he can't even see? He cursed again before taking his turn. "I play Little Winguard in defense and sit this one out for now." he spoke, the small warrior appearing onto the field, shield raised in defense. "Good, then it's back to me." Kajiki replied, drawing his card. Silence reigned over the ocean field, Jou waiting with bated breath for anything, any sign of something that was in the water. With a slight tilt of the head from Kajiki, once more spears had launched themselves from the air, hitting their target and Little Winguard was down. 'And again! Something killed my monster but the ocean is completely still! What the hell is this?!' Jou thought. "So, Jou...think the ocean is not so tough anymore?" Kajiki questioned. "This is the true terror of the sea! To be unaware of the unknown until it's too late!" he cackled and Jou grunted a bit in annoyance. This strategy was troubling, that was for sure, but even invisible, there were monsters on the field and eventually, there will be a way to drag them out. But Jou knew the problem is just how he can accomplish such. None of his monsters were fitting to be anglers so that was out of the question. He just needed to wrack his brain of how to get them from their hiding spot if it isn't the ocean.
"My turn again and with it, I'll add more cards onto the field!" Kajiki commented, more cards appearing but still unreadable. Kajiki was pleased. He had this match in the bag. Jou was paralyzed in fear that his monsters can't be stopped and now, he had the proper bait to bring out the best monster he had to reveal. When it was Jou's turn, he could only ruffle his hair out of exasperation. "Arghhh! This is too much for me! But I'm not givin' in yet! I draw and play Rocket Warrior in defense along with a face down!" he said as the card and monster appeared onto the field. "Seems like you are carefully prepared. But no longer! It's time to bring out my ultimate beast!" As Kajiki drew his card, he pulled another from his hand. "Now, I use my two monsters as bait to call upon my ultimate sea creature!" The fisherman called, slapping the card onto the disk. The water began to churn and ripple as something began to rise up from the depths of the sea. Jou stepped back slightly as the large mass grew closer and closer before it finally broke the surface with a loud bellow, revealing a huge, horned whale with a military fortress upon its back.
"Meet Fortress Whale! The harbinger of your end!"
Jou gulped as he faced down the titanic beast holding a vicious attack of 2350 and knew he was screwed now. 'You're finished, Jounouchi!' Kajiki thought victoriously.
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While Malik counted down the minutes, Bakura and Crimson were having their own private conversation through their own link as well as their eyes. Eventually, Malik looked up which caused them to turn back to him. "Your time is up. Now let's see what verdict you wish to give me. You can join me now...or you can die." he concluded. "So what's your choice?" Bakura glanced back to Crimson and the other shrugged. /He could prove useful. With his knowledge, he'd know plenty more on how to open the door to darkness. We can make use of him much more than he could of us./ Crimson spoke. /Indeed you are right, brother. But I also have my skepticisms. As a person who knows well of manipulation, I do question his. I know how to make this work but all the same I don't want my prince hurt.../ Crimson nodded in agreement before looking to Malik as he stepped forward. "I do believe we can come to an agreement. As one who uses the prominent force of manipulation, if you plan to hurt Yami, you must deal a crucial blow with the use of his friends. After all..." he spoke, lifting the shining crystal heart that Diamond wore. "These hearts don't lie." Malik scoffed just a little but chuckled lowly. "I've already had arrangements made with Yami's friends, that's why I have the Sennen Rod with me." Malik replied. "That can help, yes, but their bond is strong as Crimson speaks. And there are other magic users in their merry band. Even their vessel as you'd say is beginning to show some faint signs..." Bakura explained carefully as he walked closer. "But we are quite good at lying...and I think I have a ploy that will benefit you if you know how to play the good Samaritan."
"Oh?"
"Yes...the use of my precious prince I will allow so you can get close to them...but should any more happen that what will here..." Bakura began as an arm shot forward, pointed claws a hair's breadth from Malik's face, close to his eye even, but the male didn't flinch. "I will gouge those pretty little eyes out and leave your corpse for your Rare Hunters to find. Understood?" Malik smirked. "Very." Bakura nodded as he stepped back, allowing his magic to flow out before Ryou's body began to materialize into his arms. Said boy whimpered in his slumber before tucking himself into Bakura's chest. The demon smirked as he lowered his head down to Ryou's ear. "Hush now, sweet prince, my little yadonushi...a pawn you will be for now but you are always under my watchful eye..." The dark being whispered as he raised a claw.
The sound of something piercing flesh was silenced by the murder of crows conveniently in place that took off with deafening caws as the dark deal was made upon the pier.