Yami no Game: Dark Saga
Chapter 50
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Yami's lips curled in a vicious snarl. Jounouchi was deeply trapped in Malik's web of control and no amount of yelling would snap him out of it. Breaking the force that controlled him wasn't a viable option either as he didn't want to risk any adverse effects in doing so, especially if Malik's will is so deeply tied that even a thought could cease the life permanently out of Jounouchi's eyes. A fist clenched so tight, a bit of blood dripped from it as Yami tried once more to get through to the blonde. He reminded the teen of their promise, to fight in the finals of Battle City. Jounouchi wanted to be a true duelist to prove himself not only to Yami but to his Red-Eyes who still waited for him to return back to her proper home. This wasn't the duel Yami waited for, this was an insult to that promise that Malik dared force onto them for his twisted gain. "Know that such honorable words have touched me deeply, Jou-kun...I worked harder than I ever could through the trials that laid themselves before me because I wanted to keep that promise to you...this isn't how I envisioned that match going. So please...break free of his spell!"
Alas, the call was ignored as Jounouchi turned from him, motioning where they would duel. So, the conviction to obey was strong. /Yami.../ Yugi whispered from within, the demon slowly stepping after him until the sound of Malik's voice spoke. "You try so hard to break through my spells but this one is locked tight within my control. And he isn't the only one." Turning, he spotted Kaiser not far from them but the one to harbor the voice was from Myrrh. How, the demon thought in horror, how did he gain all of them?! He was sure of it, Keara would've never let such a thing happen under her watch...but she also spoke that certain events are the ones she cannot intervene in, even if she desired to. Matters of the Sennen Items was one she was bound to. She can guide but all had to be found by his own hand. 'Shit...that means this was something she couldn't stop even if she wanted to.' he thought as Malik spoke again. "The chains of friendship bound you rather tight, hasn't it, demon king? To know that three lives rest in your hands and all it takes is a thought to make them expire so easily. But that would be too easy so instead, you have two chances to keep to your duel." As he spoke, both had pulled out a single pill and held them up.
Yami could feel the air around him collapse as Malik began once more, Kaiser moving towards the pier after Jounouchi, and told him that both of them held a quick dissolving poison capsule. If he disobeys once, Myrrh will suffer. Twice, Kaiser will suffer. If he so much as disobeys three times, then Jounouchi will fall. "Now do you see. I have you under my thumb as it should've been but to claim what I want, I have to earn it through this duel." As Yami reached the pier prepped for their match, Kaiser knelt down to pick up something before turning to the demon, revealing two handcuffs in his hands.
Moving towards Yami, who nearly resisted until he remembered who the first would be to go if he did, he took his wrist and slapped the cuff over his wrist before letting go, motioning with his head of where he is to stand. Yami looked to the other side of the pier before stepping to the spot, Kaiser fixing the cuff onto Jounouchi's wrist as well before he stood off to the side. Cerise eyes followed the chain up, seeing that it was attached to an anchor that hung above the open water in between them, a box sitting above it that was rigged with dynamite. A timer was on the front of the box, set for fifteen seconds, such which was explained by Malik.
He spoke to Yami of the duel's regulations. They were handcuffed to a 600-pound anchor set to drop into the water, dragging whoever was still attached to it to the bottom of the ocean to never be seen again as they succumb to their watery grave. The first to hit zero life points will be the unlucky soul while the other is free to go with the box at their feet rigged to the other's life points. Of course, Malik expected defiance from the demon and made sure another failsafe was prepared in the manner of the anchor itself. The fifteen second timer was just one thing but another timer was also set on the explosives, set to go off after forty minutes should the demon dare to drag it out for that long in hopes to shatter the control he had over the blonde. "I wanted to be sure this was quick and painless for you but to make my day and save your friend, you're more than welcome to die right here. I know you know how to put a demon like yourself down as you're not as immortal as everyone thinks." Malik teased with a short cackle.
/Stop it...stop it!/ Yugi sobbed, held tight to Aqua's chest as every insipid word from Malik was heard. Seto growled as he felt Mokuba tug on his sleeve again, pleading with his brother to stop the duel. This was going too far, too far even for him. He wanted to see what answer Yami had planned to show but putting Katsuya at this kind of risk was where he drew the line. "Stop them, nii-sama!" Mokuba cried, not wanting to see anyone die. "I got this. I won't stay quiet on this any longer!" The moment that Mokuba released his sleeve to let his brother move forward did he leave himself open for the two Ghouls that awaited for a slack in guard. Mokuba cried out, horrified, as he was grasped by one of them minions, causing Seto to turn his head.
"Nii-sama!" The cool edge of a blade touched the boy's cheek, making him whimper as the ghoul spoke to Seto, telling him that he was to stay in place and observe unless he wanted to risk everyone there. Ruby would never forgive him if he allowed Kaiser to die and he wouldn't forgive himself if he let Katsuya, Myrrh or Mokuba die too. "You bastard..." The brunet growled, forced into being a spectator and knew that Ruby would be the same once he arrived. He didn't know where he was currently but knowing that Kaiser would be wherever Katsuya was and surely called on by Mokuba of the location before getting to him, it won't take him long to see the hell that was set up before him.
The brunet can only hope that he can calm the redhead down before he did anything rash. "Oh, and before we begin, I know you hold Osiris on you and I wouldn't want to get myself wet chasing after your dead carcass to get the card back." Yami snapped his jaw as he took the belt that held the card within but it wasn't the only one that rested inside. He could feel her calling for her master, wanting to fight alongside him to snap him out of this control. She knew the energy that radiated from him was wrong, foul. It was not the duelist she remembers and she wanted to be the one to see such fixed. /You are in quite a predicament, demon king...what will you do?/ The strong voice of Osiris spoke. 'I will fight. It is my right not just as duelist but a friend. Jou-kun doesn't deserve this madness and I will sacrifice myself if it means he is back to normal.' he thought, taking the Red-Eyes from the box to set into his deck before pushing the belt to the side. Malik grinned darkly, fingers gripping hard around the item. /You know what to do, my little doll...kill the demon king! Do not fail me or you will suffer!/
The smallest nod left Jounouchi as the two shuffled their decks and once set, the duel of death began. The first turn belongs to Yami but he couldn't think to make a starting move. It was still too surreal of the predicament he was in. All the factors around him has limited him in what he could do. Not even Aqua should he appear could assist in any way. Malik made sure any retaliation was met with a sacrifice. The demon knew that for what he was, this would mean nothing to him if it was other victims but these victims were friends, people near and dear to his small love. People he had vowed to protect and once again failed in doing so to allow this to go as it has.
A sharp hiss left him before he finally made the first move when urged to get on with it by the blonde, setting Berfomet in defense before ending his turn. "My my, is that all you have for me? Not much of a fight if you refuse to do so. But no matter, that will only make this hurt more." Jounouchi spat as he drew his card before taking one from his hand. "I use the spell card Raigeki!" A bolt struck from above, destroying Berfomet with ease though the use of the card didn't just startle Yami but Seto as well. He had a banned list prepared and the top rule on the list was to omit cards that dealt direct damage to both player and monster. Even if Katsuya snuck into the tournament under his nose, he would never use such cards in his deck.
He would never stoop so low which left the brunet to understand that his deck had been tampered with. 'How dare he ruin Katsuya's deck...' Seto thought venomously. With Berfomet out the way, Jounouchi was allowed to summon Alligator Sword and as commanded, he leapt in for the attack, causing direct damage that had Yami gritting his teeth in pain as his life fell to 2500. It was no shadow game but the pain of the monster's attack hit home. He didn't want to do this...none of them do. But they were forced to play the game and harm the king. Each monster cried out for their master back, that they didn't want to fight someone with a goal that was meant to take a life.
The pleas hurt his head and his heart but he had to stand strong. Even if Malik told him he cannot break his control, Yami won't give up. With Jounouchi's turn over, Yami took his, drawing a card before setting Big Shield Guardna out in defense. With such a heavy wall, it would take time for Jounouchi to get through while he planned on what he had to do next. Jounouchi sneered to the sight of another wall but that wall was nothing to him. Making his move, he looked Yami dead in the eye before grinning, bringing up a card to show to him that made his eyes widen. "That's a nice wall but he wasn't built to block a fireball! Go Hinotama!" Spell activated, fire rained from above, one striking the demon who gave a mighty roar of pain, the flames so hot even for holograms that he felt he could be scorched physically if they were any more real. "You will die, Yami! I'll make sure of it!" Jounouchi cackled as the demon staggered on his feet.
This isn't the duel he wanted with the blonde. This was wrong, ever so wrong. But he was lost, completely under Malik's spell. Darkened eyes glanced up to the male that called himself Jounouchi. No matter what, Yami will find the fire, the true fire in his heart, and light it up once more. To stand above the control Malik has set on him and free him. The demon will do whatever it takes to do so with the remaining 1900 life points he had left. Seto could only glance back to see parts of the duel. He refused to take his eyes off the ghoul that held Mokuba at knife point. With his attention split, it was hard to even make a step towards stopping this duel and wished Ruby were there to help in some way that wouldn't trigger a chain reaction. If he could knock out the ghouls that stood before him, it would handle one problem among many. Yami breathed slowly before taking his turn and drew his next card. The will to fight was in him but he didn't know exactly how to proceed.
"Stop wasting time and put something out! Stalling will get you nowhere!"
Eyes glanced to him before looking back to his hand before making his move. He covered a card before sending Kuriboh out in attack and ended his turn, confusing the blonde. Kuriboh in attack? What was he possibly thinking in making such a move? Does he really want to die so quickly that he refused to play him seriously? A growl left the controlled blonde before he took his turn. Well if that's what he wished, who was he to ignore such an invite. "If you think this is me rolling over to die, think again. I won't die and neither will you." Yami whispered, making Jounouchi looked up before he bit back that someone will die and no amount of strengths he tried to push onto him will make that change. Card drawn, the blonde sent Alligator Sword in for the attack but before the sword could hit the furball, a seal appeared around his waist, trapping him in place as Yami flipped over Spellbinding Circle. The monster growled slightly but deep down, it was for the best. He rather have been stopped than to bring any more harm to Yami.
Jounouchi huffed but smirked. So he couldn't destroy one measly monster, it didn't matter to him as the monsters weren't his focus but the demon behind them. "My turn isn't over. After all, the monsters mean nothing when I'm trying to drain away your life." Jounouchi whispered before taking another card from his hand. "Do me a favor...and die!" Casting Hinotama again, the fire rained onto Yami once more, the demon crying out as he took another 600 points. Chest heaving with gritted teeth, Yami glanced towards Jounouchi once more. The fire was nothing to him but seeing that his duelist's heart had been corrupted so much to take on the will of Malik's hatred into killing him. The demon asked him again, does he not care for the pain he is causing, not just to himself but his monsters but his question was met once more with violent belief. Jounouchi under command just wanted to see him dead. Yami lowered his head and Yugi couldn't bear to see no more.
It took so much to gain any sense of defeat from Yami but the teen knew, to fight a friend was a grave sin. Yami couldn't allow instinct to take root here, to let the demon see Jounouchi as prey to be crushed. That is a part of him he put behind him except to dire consequences and all he wished to do is to bring Jounouchi back from this hell. "Aqua...I have something to do. I can't let Yami deal with this any longer." Yugi whispered as he pulled himself from his arms. "Yugi...what do you plan to do?" But the teen didn't respond, leaving his soul room and once the door was closed on the other did he contact Yami.
/Yami...it hurts me so much to see you suffer this.../ Yami let out a soft breath as he nodded. It took everything to keep the pain from the smaller but he knew he couldn't keep everything hidden from him. Intangible arms came around his waist from behind as Yugi pressed his forehead to his back, just between his wings. He whispered to the demon that Jounouchi meant as much to him as he did to Yami. Even if their start was rough for the behavior the demons held before, the blonde never lost that protective streak in him. He had stood beside Yugi, understood the love he held for the demons and even risked himself in the fire that nearly took them both.
/You know...even though the myths had played the puzzle as a dark item that gave an even darker curse, there was one that stood out to me. That the Sennen Puzzle could grant a wish. A wish I dreamed about was to have a friend. And I gained that and so much more. It's here now that I wish to prove that. To remind him of the friendship we have built in time and to protect you as is my duty as the host./ Yami was silent as the words rang through his soul before he nodded. If this is what Yugi chose to do, he will obey. As the shift in possession was made, Yami caressed Yugi's cheek softly, promising to take over if his life was at serious risk. Yugi nodded, smiling softly as he took his principle to heart. As the darkness abated and the light took over, Seto could only watch as the features that had once been on Yami shift. Black turned into white seamlessly, fragmented into light and airy pieces like feathers before they were gone on the wind as before Jounouchi stood Yugi.
"I'm your opponent now, Jou-kun!" Malik was stunned. The vessel took over for the demon?! What made him leave the safety of the soul to take over?! This wasn't what he wanted! He had to kill the demon kill to satisfy his grudge. "No! You're not supposed to be out here! Bring him back out!" Jounouchi demanded harshly but Yugi shook his head. "I hate seeing my lover in pain for decisions he can't control. You have done enough and he deserves the rest. Now it's my turn to protect him. Both of them." Within, Yami was settled on the bed within the light's soul room, eyes closed as Aqua settled beside him on the floor. Both put their trust into Yugi now to bring out the heart buried deep. The card was there, all he had to do was bring it out.
"She cries out for her master. Hopefully that will be enough." Yami murmured softly, projecting the words to Yugi who nodded. He knew what he had to do and he will do whatever it takes to bring her out. Malik was livid and Topaz could see it. The duel was going so well until Yugi decided to play martyr. Fine, if he wished to be in the kings' place, then he will crush him just the same. Without the host, the kings, even with a body, cannot live. That is the unknown rule they abide to from the puzzle. Yugi took his turn, drawing his card and there in the draw is who they needed to call upon, as if summoned to do her part to help her master. Yugi smiled to her loyalty before looking back to Jounouchi.
'I will awaken your heart, Jou-kun. Even if it kills me.'