Chapter 2: Revelations
After the award ceremony was over, Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Tea all returned to the preparation room in the backstage area. It was an area lined with couches, tables, chairs, and TV monitors so other contestants who were either eliminated or waiting for their next match could sit back, relax and watch the tournament. Tea had been looking very disturbed since she saw the business card. She sat down on a couch and pulled it out again. Once again her eyes fixed on the words "The Saints."
"Hey, Tea what's wrong?" Joey said to her.
"Yeah, what is it?" Yugi added.
Tea finally looked up and addressed the gang.
"This card, I recognize it. I recognize that name. 'The Saints.' Guys this is huge!"
Tristan's interest was picking up "You mean you know that guy Horus."
Tea sighed; she then began to explain to her friends about Horus and The Saints.
"I don't know all the details, but I've heard about these three guys who call themselves 'The Saints.' That guy Horus is the most well-known member of the group. They are expert duelists who treat Duel Monsters as a discipline, kind of like martial arts of some kind. They like to create decks using unusual cards so that no one knows how to defeat them."
"So are these Saint guys' creeps or something?" Joey interrupted
Tea continued "No, they aren't. Actually they enjoy dueling with honor above all else. They also like to help out anyone who wished to become a good duelist, and protect those who are pushed around. Hence their name 'The Saints.'
"Hmmmmmmm, so who are they then?" Yugi wondered?
"Well no one knows who they really are" Tea began. "They remain very secretive about their existence. There are three of them. The only names anyone knows for them are Horus, Maximus, and Shinobi. They only come out from time to time to issue challenges to champions like you and Kaiba. They usually give that same talk about, 'You call yourself a champion, well play me and let's see how good you really are." I've heard stories about them making even former World Champions break down and cry. Horus seems to appear more often than the other two but where Horus is, Maximus and Shinobi are never far behind."
"Is there anything else Tea?" Joey asked.
"That's about all I know about these guys" Tea replied.
"Well then, it looks like Kaiba and I have been issued that challenge of The Saints." Yugi said. "I don't know about him, but I plan to go to this place Game Sanctuary tomorrow and face Horus one-on-one.
"Well I'm coming with ya Yug! For a duel like this you'll need all the support you can get." Joey proclaimed
"I'm with you all the way." Tristan said
"Me too!" Tea said.
And with that the four companions slapped each other high fives and proceeded to the arena exit.
The next day, Seto Kaiba attended a press conference about the World Championships. As expected the reporters were more interested in Horus than in Kaiba's victory
"Mr. Kaiba are you going to face Horus?" one reporter asked.
"I am the new World Champion, and I am not going to let some upstart in a trench coat and sunglasses ruin my victory. Yes! I am going to duel Horus. And I will beat him like the puppy dog he is. Nobody disrespects me, NOBODY!!!! This interview is over!!"
Kaiba began to get up from the table he was seated at. All of a sudden there was a click and everything went black. Then a voice that sounded like Horus began to speak.
"Kaiba, Kaiba, Kaiba, This is a P-Coat, not a trench coat! Get it right."
Horus had been watching the conference on a television from Game Sanctuary. When everything went black, he had just turned it off. Just then Maximus and Shinobi walked up to the front desk where Horus was sitting on a stool near a cash register watching TV. Maximus was a short thin man with glasses on. He was dressed in black jogging pants with a long-sleeved blue sweatshirt on. Overtop of the sweatshirt he had a black T-shirt on. He had brown hair and brown eyes and his skin was clear colored. Shinobi was much taller than Maximus, about a foot taller to be exact. He had silver hair and eyes that looked gray like steel when you looked deep enough into them, otherwise they just looked hazel. He wore a black T-shirt with jeans. His skin had yellow tones; one looking at him would think he was at least part Japanese.
"The preparations are complete. Now all we have to do is wait for them to arrive," Maximus said.
"Excellent!!!" Horus replied. "I think this will be our biggest humbling yet, Seto Kaiba, the so-called World Champion, defeated as he had never been before. If this doesn't shut him up then nothing will."
Shinobi looked at his wristwatch, and then looked over at Horus
"Well its 6:30, they should be here within the next 30 minutes. You know, watch Seto bring his little cheerleader brother here today. Watch him be even more traumatized that Seto is. After all the little brat is like a blind little sheep 'Bahh-Bahh' and Seto is his Shepherd."
"Shinobi," Maximus, began "That's just wrong. That's cruel, that's vile, and oh I love it!!"
"Yes" Horus said while nodding his head in approval. "All right, I'm going to head downstairs, when they get here, bring them down."
"You got it" Shinobi replied.
Horus then got off his stool, and proceeded for a large black door. He pulled out a key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, turned the key and pulled open the door and disappeared into the darkness within locking the door behind him.
No long after that a long black limousine pulled up to the front doors of Game Sanctuary. When it had stopped the rear door opened and out stepped Seto and Mokuba Kaiba. Seto had all black like he normally does with his white Kaiba Corp. Jacket with the tails that floated above the ground as if it defied gravity. Mokuba had on plain red shirt, with a brown leather jacket and a pair of khaki pants.
"Keep the motor running, this won't take long." Kaiba told the driver.
He and Mokuba walked up the front stairway towards the doors. Now Game Sanctuary was a small red brick church that had been closed down some time ago and converted into a game shop. The main counter and cash register were located right in the front lobby near the front doors. The pews were ripped up and replaced with rows of games and collectables. In the back where the altar had once been were rows of tables lined with chairs for game play of all sorts. Most noticeable wee the large signs hung in front near the main counter, and in the back in the game area that said in big, bold letters "NO PLAYING FOR CARDS!!!!" The Sacristy where the priests waited and prepared prior to Mass had been converted into an employee only area.
As the Kaiba brothers walked up to the front door, another car pulled up next to the limousine. This was not a limo but rather a blue sedan. Out of the car stepped, Yugi, Joey, Tea and Tristan. Joey had driven the car. He wore jeans, with his white T-shirt with gray stripe across the torso. Tea wore a light blue button-down shirt with black shorts down to about her thighs. She was also wearing long white stockings and the shoes she normally wears to school. Tristan had on a pair of black dress pants and a white T-shirt. Yugi was wearing a sleeveless black shirt and his blue dress pants.
"See guys I told you I could find the place," Joey said to everyone
"Well it does help to have one of these things handy" Tea retorted holding up a map in Joey's face. "Remember, I was the one who knew about this place."
"OK guys, enough! Let's go, Kaiba's already here so come on," Yugi shouted.
The four companions went up to the front doors themselves. The Kaiba brothers entered the building and were greeted by Shinobi.
"Welcome, I am Shinobi. Today is a day neither of you will soon forget, for…"
Seto interrupted "Save it! Where is Horus?"
"Relax. He's downstairs waiting for you, follow me." Shinobi answered
"Good. The sooner I duel Horus, the sooner I can beat him and get on with my life." The arrogant as always Seto said."
Shinobi led Seto and Mokuba to the black door that Horus entered into earlier. As he was about to unlock it with his key, Yugi and his friends entered the building as well.
"Well, I see you geeks couldn't resist coming to see the World Champion defeat his first challenger." Came Seto's greeting. "I hate to disappoint you Yugi but when I get done with this Horus character, there won't be enough left of him for you to mop up. So just go home now."
Yugi and his friends were greeted at the door by Maximus.
"Welcome to Game Sanctuary, I am Maximus, one it's keepers. The man standing over by the Kaiba brothers is my associate Shinobi. We have been waiting for you Yugi Moto. And you brought your friends as well. Well they are certainly welcome with you, so enter. Horus is downstairs waiting, but he said he wants to face Mr. Kaiba first. All of you are free to watch the duel if you'd wish.
"Sure, I'd like to see if Horus is as good as he claims." Yugi said.
"Very well. Shinobi, are we all set?" Maximus asked.
"We're ready to go, just lock the front doors and we'll go down."
Maximus pulled out a small key and placed it into the lock on the front door. He turned his key and pulled firmly on the door to make sure it was locked. When he confirmed the door was locked he turned and nodded and Shinobi proceeded to place his key into the lock of the black door and turn it. The door opened and a rush of cool air greeted everyone. Tea and Mokuba began to shiver slightly. Everyone then proceeded down a flight of stairs into the basement of the Church. The sight they saw shocked them. There was a new state of the art dueling platform, large public address speakers, cameras, computers, and seats along the sides for spectators. As the group approached, they could see Horus standing at his place on the dueling platform. When he looked out at the approaching group he quickly descended the platform and walked over to greet the Kaiba brothers.
"What's going on, Seto??"