Atop the Chariot of the Dead
Panic was something that was probably on everyone's mind at the moment, if not something that was looming in the near distance. Even those outside the room were likely experiencing the fear-filled emotion now that Honda was scrambling over the ship's halls, and for the moment it was taking a few seconds for the rest of the group to 're-boot' so to speak.
Or at least that was how he felt right now. "Alrigh'," he muttered under his breath, almost choking on his words as he breathed. "Th'... Th' ring 's gone... An'... An'..." And he couldn't think of anything else for the moment, his brain was still fried from the duel he watched.
Shizuka coughed from the side, watching as a majority of the others gained the typical 'pre-panic' palor to nearly match Bakura's own skin-tone. "Maybe it was torn off by the wind," she asked somewhat quietly, the others turning. For the most part, she was likely the only one not in a panic, with Ryuzaki (and likely 'Namu') taking the noted exceptions. As Shizuka continued however, a flash appeared in Anzu's eyes, the woman almost appearing to frown as the girl spoke. "The rope holding it seemed rather frail," she explained somewhat nervously, shrugging slightly as the others turned to her completely. "So there's a good chance it was ripped off..."
Hoh... That actually made sense... "Whether it is or isn't this isn't good," Mokuba muttered in response, swallowing nervously. The group turned as the boy brought up the point, watching as he folded his hands over themselves. "I need to tell nii-sama about this, and quick," he muttered shortly, "Before this gets out of hand..."
"I'll go look up on the arena for the ring while you do that," Otogi said with a swallow, running out of the room as the others agreed on this. He briefly grabbed the edge of the door, pointing back at the others with a steady frown. "One of you might want to explain this to Ryuzaki in case he finds it," he continued, "Before we end up with some unfortunate case of soul-theft and mind control."
"Ah..!" The others blinked, Shizuka hurriedly bowing her head in a nod. Regardless of the known powers of the ring the idea was worrisome after all, and brought up more than enough of an excuse to leave. "Of course," she said quickly, heading out behind Otogi. "Keichi! Keichi," her fading voice shouted through the hall, "There's something I need to..."
Shizuka's voice slowly crawled out of audible range, leaving Anzu and the remaining two boys to stand in silence. Two people looking for the ring, two people with 'Namu', and Mokuba had also taken off... "...Someone needs to help explain what's going on to Kaiba-san," Yugi decided after a moment, turning to look at Katsuya with a worried frown.
Like what Mokuba had said then... Of course, Mokuba knew about as much about the ring as they did so... Yea. The blond nodded, looking back at Anzu briefly before answering. He didn't really want to leave the one likely under 'Malik's' control in the same room as Bakura right now... Heck for all he knew Anzu already had the ring, and was just going to put it back. But all the same, what proof did he have?. "Righ'... 'M pretty sure S- ...Kaiba's room," he corrected with a fairly agitated wince, "'s jus' upstairs, le's go..."
Yugi also nodded, turning to Anzu for a moment with the same slight frown. "Anzu," he asked, "Are you coming?"
"Ah..." The woman smiled somewhat oddly, shaking her head. "No," she decided, the blond giving a deep shudder as it was laced over with that of the Millennium Rod. "I don't think so- I'm going to stay here," Anzu continued, "Just in case Bakura wakes up again." Or 'something' he thought, again swallowing as the woman's eyes clouded with gold. No proof, he told himself as he shook his head, no proof!
Yugi's voice pulled him from his thoughts, the boy holding his puzzle somewhat as he nodded yet again. "Right... Will we see you for the next match then," he asked somewhat hopefuly, Katsuya waiting by the door with a somewhat wry frown in place as the woman shrugged.
"Maybe... I'll let you know alright," she told him, taking a seat in the chair that had been left by the bed.
And yet again Yugi nodded, before moving to follow his friend out the door. "Right. I'll see you later then," he responded, the door shutting behind him. For a moment they were left in silence, the trio staring at the door in response to the speed it had shut. Now how had it done that...
"...Did something seem 'off' about Anzu to you," the other Yugi asked with a frown, the boy's lighter half and Yugi both turning to face the spirit as they moved toward the stairs.
Oh... So it wasn't just him then? As the lighter Yugi merely shrugged Katsuya had to bite his lip, frowning somewhat. For the moment, she hadn't done anything but... "...It did feel like she w's tryin' t' boot us outta th' room," the blond muttered suspiciously, pausing at the stair doors before shaking it off with another 'flash' against his mind. Aha- They weren't late... "...Oi! Mokuba," he abruptly shouted, the teens exiting the stair case to see the boy turn toward them.
"Eh? You guys came too," he asked, currently standing next to his sister's door as the stairs closed behind his friend.
"Just us," Yugi responded with a short nod, expression severe. Mokuba seemed to sigh in slight relief at that, before jumping at the boy's next question. "Is Kaiba-san busy?"
The boy merely shrugged, turning toward the door and looking at the lock on its side. "Normally I'd be worried and say 'yes'," he answered as he crossed his arms, "But this is kind of important and-" He cut off as Katsuya moved toward him, adjusting his shoulder and turning toward the door.
"Well we better get in there," Katsuya decided seriously, moving past Mokuba to punt the door with his foot. "OIII! OII," he shouted loudly, echoing bangs coming through the hall as the others plugged their ears and winced. "SE-"
"Katsuya-nii..." Mokuba sighed, rubbing his forehead as the blond beside him corrected himself.
That was the point right? There was nothing else he was upset about.. "Eh... Kaiba! Kaiba open up," he called from the top of his lungs, "Yer brother needs t' tell y' somethin'!" More hammering hit the air, Yugi shaking his head as his friend continued to shout. "C'mon! There's pro'lly like five minutes till th' next duel an' it's importan', so hurry up an'-"
The blond's foot was abruptly stopped by the other Yugi's ghost, the normal one shaking his head as 'Other Yugi' pushed the leg back down. "Jonouchi-kun," he said with a nervous laugh, "I'm pretty sure that if Kaiba-san could hear you, she'd have done something by now..."
"That's right," Mokuba said somewhat dryly, pulling a card from his pocket and moving toward the lock. "The doors are sound proof."
Whaaaat? Katsuya winced, rubbing his foot. "Great... Y' couldn't 've told me tha' b'fore I kicked th' thing," he asked dryly, pain throbing through the small and likely cracked bones as he bit his lip.
The boy again shrugged, sliding the card through as a tiny light appeared on the side. "Eh... I figured you'd guess when she didn't come right away," he said with a smirk, the blond beside him growling under his breath.
Oi oi oi, what was that supposed to mean... "Mokuba..."
A rather smug smirk was his response, Mokuba chuckling under his breath. "Any ways," the boy said, tapping in a code as a number pad appeared beneath the card lock, "Here we go, try not to bug nee-sama, and-"
-fwssst-
"Uh..."
The boys each stared as the door hissed open, a few of them growing rather red. "O-Oops," Katsuya coughed weakly, Yugi holding silent beside him as Mokuba laughed.
"N-Nee-sama," he said nervously, rubbing his head. "Ahahaha..."
"...I suppose the part of me that didn't believe myself on this has learned better by now," the other Yugi muttered between coughs and laughs.
Yea, because if it wasn't some elaborate ruse to break his brain before it sure as hell wasn't now. Seto looked up from where she'd been latching on the belts for her boots and pants, shirt hanging over the side of a nearby chair as she stared. Despite the half-dressed state of things there wasn't actually much embarrassing about this; she'd already tied up the binding after all, and was quite clearly on the last of the 'leg-belts'. Pausing was pretty much required in this situation though, and the shock on Seto's face was very quickly twisted into a frown. "What the hell are you doing..?"
"Ahhh..." Mokuba coughed again, bowing his head as Katsuya laughed.
"Tha'... Tha's a good question," he said fairly nervously, "I-"
"Shut the DOOR," came an agravated shout, the shirt viciously grabbed from the chair.
Hurried nods were the boys response, clicking sounding from the side. "Sorry nee-sama, won't happen again!" The door quickly closed over as Mokuba pressed the number-pad at the side, the others trading glances after the resulting silence.
"H...Haha... Hahaha... Well," the blond muttered with a cough, shaking his head. "Tha' was.. Weird..."
More silence sat over the air, a few nods coming in response before Yugi looked up at his friend. "Jonouchi-kun," he whispered somewhat blankly, "You're beet red..." He was? Damn it.
"Haven't you seen her naked before though," the other Yugi asked, his partner palming his head and stiffling the resulting laugh.
"That... That isn't the point other me..."
"Hahhhh..." Mokuba sighed, shaking his head before jumping as the door opened. "Ah- Nee-sama..!"
Th woman nodded somewhat in response, looking down at the boy and appearing to ignore the presence of the others. "Mokuba," the woman responded calmly, arms crossed. "So what is so important that you brought along these two to beat the door down?"
"Beat th- I thought she couldn' hear us," Katsuya hissed, Yugi shrugging as Mokuba explained.
"Ah... Nee-sama... It's about that ring I told you about, the one Bakura has," he clarified with a swallow, "It's disappeared from his neck and-"
Mokuba cut off as he caught the look on his sister's face, the woman currently narrowing her eyes in distaste. "Just what I need," she muttered after a moment, "More bullshit..." Mokuba appeared to shrink back somewhat at that, the others pulling slight faces.
"This is serious," Yugi protested quietly, looking up at the much taller woman. "If the ring is missing, then it's possible that the spirit within could be acting through someone else..."
"That 'r Malik's got it," Katsuya added, mentally wondering if the ring possessing a separate person would even be possible. He supposed he was able to talk to the other Yugi while wearing the puzzle but...
Wasn't that an 'I get weird flashes and powers' kind of deal? Seto shook her head, a scowl still clearly on her face as she responded. "I'm already finding it difficult enough to deal with the nature of these items," she growled somewhat dangerously. "Just what do you expect me to do about it," the woman added, looking at Yugi with narrowed eyes.
The boy blinked, before turning away with a frown. "Right now all we can do is search the airship for it," he admitted. "Honda and Otogi are already looking and-"
"I'm sure your cheerleaders will do fine with that," she responded plainly, before coating her voice over with its usual disguise and turning to look at the PA system. "Now then, given the time," she muttered under her breath, I would say that-"
-Attention-, Isono's voice called out, the others turning somewhat as he continued. -All remaining semi-finalists must report to the dining hall for the declaration of the second match.-
The others stared at the PA system briefly, Seto merely walking past the group to open the stairway door. "Just on time," she muttered clearly, and with that the group made their way downstairs.
The shower was nice, to say the least. The warm water had been more than a relief after standing in cold winds with wet binding after all, and while the binding itself had been spread out to dry she had been making sure the doors were locked before getting in. Had she not been on a schedule, and a tight one at that, she would have likely spent a little more time in the shower really. As it was thought, she had just enough time to wash salt and grime off herself before moving to get dressed lest she be called down before she was ready. There were only twenty minutes between matches after all; and about fifteen of those minutes had already been spent.
Getting interrupted while getting dressed was not something she had expected to say the least however. True, she had been momentarily distracted by Jonouchi's faint shouts from outside the door, and had in fact found herself rolling her eyes before continuing with her clothes, but she'd have thought that Mokuba would know to wait. Particularly since she wasn't answering
Given the context of what they were talking about however, she could see the reason for haste. Bakura was someone she only knew in passing after all; but even if the ring wasn't something her mind could percieve as a threat despite all logic, Bakura's sudden switch in personality and actions were enough to put her on edge. As she had told the boys however, what did they expect her to do about it? Bakura was unconcious, strapped to a bed, and under the eyes of a watchful camera. The ring in the meantime had probably flown off in the winds on the airship, lost to the waters below as the airship traveled. There was no telling where it would be now...
And yet as Isono bowed in greeting at the 'dining hall's entrance before allowing her past into the again darkened room, she couldn't help but feel that this was far from over. Far far from over, despite what she would want. "Is the eighth duelist still not here," she heard one of the guards whisper incredulously, Seto's eyes narrowing further as Kyouko gave a frowning nod.
"That's right... I went down again," the former maid was muttering, "But she insisted that she wouldn't be dueling. She seemed worried about something though, as though whatever was coming next was a worrying subject..." The eighth duelist was a woman..? More importantly, how could she be so sure she wasn't in any matches yet?
Seto had little time to ponder this, the sound of the Blue-Eyes 'bingo machine' as Mokuba had called it pulling her attention. Two bubbles entered the dragon's maw as the last time, each one popping out to the left or right before its mouth closed over for the remaining four bubbles to bounce around aimlessly. "The match-up has been decided," Isono announced, holding the bubbles out for a moment as the slightly less full room turned to face him. "First, duelist number '2'," he announced clearly, the orb handed to one of the guards, "Jonouchi Katsuya!"
At this Katsuya merely stood with crossed arms, an odd and wry expression on his face. Weird... She'd have thought he'd be jumping for joy right now, so what was his problem? Again there was little time to think this over, the blond's eyes having turned toward the cloaked man at the side as further announcements came through the air.
"Next," Isono announced to the room, "Duelist number 6, 'Ishtar Malik!" Malik-
'Malik's reaction was to merely turn from the room with those words, cloak billowing behind him as most of the others stared with narrowed eyes. The wielder of the Millennium Rod was likely heading for the arena at that moment for the battle; something that Jonouchi would be doing soon enough. 'Malik'... So he would be against Malik then... But 'Ishtar' was Ishizu's last name wasn't it? So just what did that mean then she wondered, before watching as Jonouchi's own frown deepened.
It looked as though the blond's luck had come to an end then she told herself, listening dully as Isono ordered the competitors to the arena. The 'cheerleading squad' was more or less following right behind the blond while they moved down the hall and into the lift, the elevator cramped and stuffed after it returned from carrying Malik up to the arena. Strange coincidences... To think that the blond 'mutt' would be facing off against the most powerful of the Gods, the Sun dragon 'Ra' right off the bat in the tournament, right after the hellish match at the pier.
Now that she thought about it, perhaps his inevitable defeat would prove useful. Seto's eyes narrowed just slightly as the lift doors closed over, arms crossed as the device moved upward. When Jonouchi lost, not only would he be out of the tournament as she'd hoped, but if he held against Ra for even one turn, who knew what he would expose. Like an experimental 'white mouse'... With a hundred percent decrease in the fatality rate that came with the job. It might have been a bit late to worry about the moron's safety... But even being somewhat late was better than not at all wasn't it?
Wind met the faces of those in the lift as the doors hissed open, the people slowly pouring out from the elevator to take their places. Before the last of the group left however, the woman found herself snatching the blond's arm to hiss something in his ear, Jonouchi turning with wide and somewhat confused eyes as she hurriedly shared the message. "When you see 'Ra'," she whispered darkly, "Expose all you can before it blows you from the field, understand?"
"Blows me from th'- O-Oi," the blond spat, only just realizing what the woman said as his arm was released. "What makes you think I'm gonna lose!"
There was no answer for Jonouchi however, as Seto merely walked over to her 'stage' to stand by her brother before anyone noticed the prolonged 'tolerance' in the lift. She'd said what she'd wanted to say. If the idiot wouldn't listen, then his stubbornness would at least prove handy when it came to struggling against Ra's might.
She knew that much about him after all.
The wind on the Airship was just as vicious as it had been during the last duel, if not more it seemed. The battering winds were almost slicing into the blond's bare arms as he stood across from the supposed 'Malik', and he was more than regretting the 'death' of his jacket. Thinking back on it later, the jacket wouldn't have really done much though; it wasn't exactly a wind breaker after all. Well, on the bright side he told himself, at least the decks shuffled themselves.
Though when it came to drawing a hand, he'd hate to see what the winds did then, given how many times he'd blown hair out of his face. Still... This man... The cloaked figure appeared completely unaffected by the winds around them, standing tall and strong across the field with crossed arms. "So yer 'Malik'," the blond shouted across the field, the ghoul's only response being to pull down his hood. Dark tanned skin came into view, along with a side-lock ponytail and a bizarre scar that spanned across the entire left side of his face. He had his arms at his side and he stared forward in silence, his opponent shaking his head with narrowed eyes. Yea... Like hell he was. The man was continuing to hold silence even now after all, moving to hold up the 'rod' Malik in question was known for with a blank gaze. The golden object stared out just as blankly as its owner, Katsuya narrowing his eyes as it gleamed dully in the moonlight. This item...
This wasn't real. The item didn't 'shine' like the others, didn't radiate the same amount of power. It wasn't real'; it was merely fake. Mutterings came from the side as Katsuya grit his teeth, the blond recognising each one. Mai had come up from her room to watch, and Namu had of course come along as well. Yugi, Honda, Otogi... Everyone else was right there, save one person.
Anzu. The blond turned his glancing eye away from the sidelines, his duel disk clacking into place as Isono prepared to announce the matches. "Tch..." 'Malik' was still holding up the false rod, an object that was, despite its false image, brining up enough bad memories to set him on edge. "Point tha' thing somewhere else," he shouted somewhat angrily, eyes not moving from the device as he scowled. "It won' do y' any good."
Again, there was no answer, save for the rod to be placed firmly at the cloaked man's side, 'Malik' again crossing his arms. The cheers from the side were dulled into a roar that was blocked by the winds as each moved to hold their disks forward, a grim stare on his opponent's face and a suspicious scowl on his own. This couldn't be him- it just couldn't! So why was he pretending to be Malik he wondered, narrowing his eyes further while his opponent continued to stare blankly. What reason did he possibly have? A sudden flash came to mind, the blond unblinking as wind seared past. One... Two... Numbers came to mind, a tally counting down in his head. Three... Four...
"Oi," the blond shouted again, Isono raising his hand from the side to start the match. "You wanna know something? Fifteen turns." 'Malik' appeared to narrow his eyes briefly at the statement, staring confusedly in response. He'd say it again then... "Fifteen turns," Katsuya continued plainly, "And I'll win this match."
There were more mutterings from the side that couldn't be heard over the winds. Dulled cheers and shouts amid wide eyed stares and the occasional incredulous frown in the corner of his eyes. As Isono's hand came down however, a single shout rang across the field, Katsuya's opponent paying the words no mind. "DUEL!"
"I'm first," Katsuya announced, drawing his cards. Okay one, two- "Nyh!" A rough wind suddenly seared against the papers, each one flying out of his hand.
"J-Jonouchi-kun," he could hear Yugi shouting, the world appearing to slow down as he turned to hurriedly grab at them in a panic.
"J-JONOUCHI!" Worse than when he'd dove into the seas he briefly entered a panic, snatching at the cards. Hand, hand... Where was the third- Ack! "Th' other one..!"
Teeth clamped down on the last one as it fluttered past his face, Katsuya giving a sigh of relief as a brief and English 'nice catch!' came over the air amid the rolling eyes around it. H-Hah... That would have been Shizuka. Nice catch was right though, if he didn't watch himself more he'd be all over the place... Literaly when it came to the cards! The blond steeled himself despite this fact, pulling the cards back into his hand and swallowing as he drew the last few. Alright... The others had all done fine hadn't they? Well... Yugi and Bakura had at least, he couldn't exactly compare anything else. Besides that though, he'd made it this far right? He might not have Red-Eyes with him he thought to himself, glancing at the dragon on the side, but he'd win any ways! Hell... If he won he realized with a swallow, turning back from Red-eyes, that would mean...
That would mean dick all, this wasn't Malik he reminded himself. A mental string of curses came through his head, Katsuya shaking himself. Damn it. And here he'd been playing with the idea of God Cards, ahhhhh... The blond grabbed one of the cards he'd snatched from the air, the somewhat bitten one slipped onto the duel disk as a tablet arose from the ground. Familiar stone lines etched away into the rock, and as smoke escaped from the carved stone a familiar and metal coated warrior stepped out. The monster cracked his neck as he walked forward, shaking itself somewhat and looking toward its summoner with narrowed eyes. "You BIT me!"
"Oh c'mon," he hissed under his breath, "It ain't like I had a choice... I summon Gearfried in attack mode," the blond announced as he cut the topic short, his monster rolling its eyes at the defense. "End turn!"
'Malik' merely grabbed three cards from his hand, setting the first as distant rumbling hit the air. Gearfried looked up from where he'd decided to stand with crossed arms, tilting his head somewhat as his opponent continued. "I play the card 'Temple of the Kings'," the man across from them announced, pillars breaking from the ground with the words. Steps arose from behind the duelist, entering into a building that gained its support from pillars embedded into the ground of the airship as torches appeared to line the walls. Murals painted themselves into existence, and as Malik explained the cards purpose (activate traps when they were summoned it seemed) and set two more trap cards, he almost didn't hear him.
Almost. The blank tablets meeting the air before what would normally be an incredible sight of a temple on an airship managed to jar him from any spacing out he'd almost done. "Gh... Nothin' but traps," Katsuya growled under his breath, grinding his teeth. Nothing but two blank tablets flanking the temple sides, shouts of encouragement coming from the side. 'Attack him,' Honda was shouting from the side, before being told off by the others. He had the monster, attack! But the traps were staring him right in the face, as though taunting him, reminding him what happened every other time he disregarded the unspoken rule. Don't attack a trap card... Or else. It would either be a bluff, which was great, or a trap that would explode right in his face. And given that this guy only had traps... Although... The blond calmed himself as it came to his turn, drawing setting another card on the field as a tablet appeared. He wasn't afraid... And he certainly wasn't allowing anyone else to think otherwise! Smoke again filled the air and recently etched carvings, a small wing-decorated warrior appearing on its form. From the side the Little Winguard stepped forward, sword in hand as it gave his summoner as salute. He'd build his force... And then use Giant Trunade to clear the field he told himself, monsters remaining silent for the moment. That would work... It had to work! "I summon th' Little Winguard," the blond shouted, gesturing somewhat to his monsters with a nod. "End turn!"
"I set two cards face down and end my turn," 'Malik' responded, another two blank tablets taking the sides as he drew and set the cards.
Gh... Damn it..! The blank stone gleamed in the dull moonlight above, Katsuya's fists clenching as he stared the stones down. More traps! The blond grit his teeth as he drew his next card, setting it on the field and shaking himself off with a low growl. It would all be over in a moment he told himself, just a- ...Well he couldn't say that actually he reminded himself, it hadn't been fifteen turns. Even so... The table beside him completed its etchings, thick steaming 'smoke' rising from the ground to melt over the tablet as a monster was summoned. "Th' Hayabusa Knight," Katsuya announced, the falcon headed warrior stepping from his smoking tablet to leer at his opponent with steely eyes. "Attack mode! An' then," he continued as the next card was placed to reveal the hurricane tablet, the blank stone slowly carving out a spiral and face, "Giant Trunad-" Wait... A sudden flash shot through his mind, the blond turning his attentions from his opponent to the tablets on his field. Wait.
What. The tablet abruptly crumbled to dust, as its carving came into completion, the rock collapsing to the ground in what was almost a wave as the monsters stared. "What the-"
"Activate trap," 'Malik' stated plainly, "'Judgement of Anubis'!" The first of his tablets hurriedly carved out the image of a 'dog' of sorts, before ginding into dust to rise high above the temple behind him. Jowls formed from the clouds themselves, red eyes facing forward from a black jackal's skull as the beast snarled at them. A wicked howl met the air, and as the clouds in the air blocked out the moon to leer at him the blond felt himself pale. Anubis... Wasn't that the God of...
Death? Or was it something to do with death, one of those- Without warning the Little Winguard gave a scream, Hayabusa abruptly bursting into dust with his tablet. There had been no warning, and he Winguard was quick to follow after that fact, the piles of dust falling to the field. Just seconds later and Gearfried was doing the same, the resulting dust pulled into Anubis' form as the hound appeared to inhale. Oh shit... Ohhhh shit... As Anubis snorted at the boy before him, it appeared that it was the calm before the storm... 'Malik' was explaining the card's effect, but Anubis... The dust hovered through the air around him, swirling angrily as the monster spoke. "You who would lay a hand on the guardians of the honored dead," he snarled, smoking and cloud-built teeth bared to the blond below. "Consider this a warning lest you try again!"
With a violent wave of dust the blond found himself ducking, arms in front of his face as he turned away and squinted. Anubis sent the dust of his monsters forward in a flurried rage, the anger of both it and the monsters themselves appearing to converge on the spot. The dirt and stone cut at his skin, small cuts forming as he slowly looked back and squinted through the clouds. From each monster's death his mind told him, half its attack had been taken from his life points... In one move, he'd been decimated, dragged far behind his opponent with little chance of come back.
And yet there were still twelve moves left, a fact that he knew couldn't be wrong in any way. "Gh..." Shouts of encouragement and questioning both came from the side as he stood, the dust clearing from the field... And again, on 'Malik's turn...
"I set two cards and end my turn," 'Malik' stated, a tablet arising to replace his first as yet another arose at the side. Five traps... Five blank stone tablets flanking the stairs as the final fifth one stood tall and behind him in the center of the temple. A 'full house' so to speak.
He couldn't just attack though damn it! He couldn't just risk the traps again, not after what happened last time! The blond drew his card, teeth grinding horribly as he looked it over instead of relying on his bizarre and unexplainable ability. Okay... Time to try this again he supposed, swallowing somewhat nervously as he set the card and grabbed another. "I summon th' Alligator Sword," he shouted as the tablet appeared, the armored, Chinese gator stepping forward to look back through the smoke that heralded its existence. And since he couldn't attack for the moment... "I also set a card face down," the blond decided, a blank tablet appearing to his side as he crossed his arms. "End turn!"
"Hey..." Katsuya turned somewhat, blinking as the Alligator gave a slight wave. "You feel like yourself again, Katsuya-jun?" Oh yea, he'd been meaning to ask what that 'jun' thing was about...
There was no time for that now though, was there. A nod was the alligator's response for the moment, both quickly looking back across the field as 'Malik' made his next move with crossed arms. "I pass," he said plainly, Katsuya narrowing his eyes at the near immediate response.
"Tch... 'F course," he muttered darkly, looking at the hand full of spells that he had for the moment. "With a full field 'f trap cards why wouldn' ye..." He drew another card, crossing his arms after adding yet another spell to his hand. "Pass," he shouted, face growing somewhat red. He hated traps, hate hate hated traps...
"Pass," 'Malik' repeated, groans coming from the side. He hated this even more though damn it!
"This is getting ridiculous," Gator moaned, rubbing his head as Katsuya set another monster card to the field. "But if we attack we- ...Hey," the monster shouted incredulously, watching as the tablet that appeared again began to smoke and steam while carving itself. "What are you doin' man?"
Continuing as planned before he threw himself off the airship. At least that was what he was telling himself now. "I summon th' Rocket Warrior," Katsuya called out, the checker-board armored figure stepping out with mute grunts and cheers. "An' he attacks," he continued loudly, despite the numerous double and 'spit-take's from the side and the field itself.
"What!"
"What!"
"Figures," a slightly more muted voice muttered, Katsuya tensing up with a jolt. Oi oi oi, what was that he heard from behind him? The blond grit his teeth, merely watching as the monster tore across the field for one of the tablets to crumble into dust before it.
"Activate trap," Malik was saying among the incredulous sighs, Katsuya pushing back the words of the crowd to focus on the match. "Eye of Wdjat! Your monster's attack rebounds on your own," he explained, the almost hypnotic eye appearing on the rocket's brow as it turned toward the Alligator.
The gator appeared to freeze asthe monster shifted into 'rocket' form, blasting off from the ground to charge forward. "Oh hell-"
Heh. One down four to go. "Act'vate th' Fairy Box," Katsuya responded, the Alligator Sword safely protected from attack as the 'whack-a-mole' box appeared around him. The Alligator's sword easily avoided the strike from Rocket Warrior, the monster blasting into an empty hole as the Gator stared blankly from a separate one. The blond grinned as the rocket returned to his side of the field, each monster just as untouched as when summoned to the field. "Heheheheheh... Not so easy when I've got my own trap eh," he asked, a grin on his face. "Soon as I clear you out 'f traps, you'll be wide open... I'm gonna win this easy!"
"So you say," his opponent stated calmly. The man's expression was largely emotionless, reactionless in regards to the boasts of his opponent. "Yet you've activated another of my traps... And this one," he continued, Katsuya abruptly growing pale, "Is no mere 'spell'." Carved etchings began to appear on the first tablet at the side, the etchings becoming mirrored in the remaining two that followed up the stairs. "The trap-monster 'Embodiment of Apophis' activates," the man shouted, one of the tablets filling itself with thick and noxious looking smoke. With the body of a snake the monster appeared, hissing as a humanoid torso and head slumped forward with a blade. Blackened and violet scales shimmered in the moonlight, and as the humanoid half held its blade high the snake's neck and head that errupted from its back bared long and poisonous fangs at its foe. "I have three of these on the field," 'Malik' was saying, the two other tablets revealing similar monsters as wicked blades gleamed before them, "So you had best be re-thinking your earlier boasts..." Gh... These... These traps...
Trap... Monsters? MONSTERS, he shouted in his mind, swallowing as the snakes hissed before him.
He hate, hate, hated..! Damn it he growled to himself, how could he fall right into this guy's trap? ...Again? Seriously, after all that, he was facing... Alright... Alright the blond told himself with a swallow, he had to calm down... He still had a chance here after all, a decent enough chance no matter how small... He just needed to think. "Alligator Sword goes int' d'fense mode," Katsuya decided with a swallow, the Fairy Box and monster both vanishing as the later was sealed into his tablet. The carving faced the field almost dully as he grabbed his next card, swallowing before continuing on. Now then. Next was... "I'll also place one card face down," he announced, the blank tablet arising at his side as Katsuya paled. Scapegoat was in there... It would help him at least long enough to get around these trap monsters by gathering tribute monsters, or so he'd hope... If he was lucky there wasn't a card preventing that on the field. And now... "End turn!"
It didn't take a genius to know what would happen next. 'The Embodiments of Apophis attack,' he heard over the field, each of the twisted naga-like beasts hissing in response. But as the Scapegoats prepared to activate, so did another of 'Malik's cards. 'And in addition,' the blond heard faintly as his opponent struck, 'I discard one card to activate Magic Jammer.' His opponent seemed to only mutter these words as the trap at his side carved out, the stone crumbling into dust before flying across to coat the scapegoat's tablet. With the field now free of obstacles, the scapegoat's stone slowly crumbling in on itself the Embodiments continued to drive forward, their opponent biting his lip as he witnessed their strike. The first one charged the rocket warrior, blade cutting the semi-robotic beast in two as pieces of scrap fell to the ground. The Rocket Warrior was mute, but it was plain to see just how much terror was to be had when the violet monster was the last thing he saw. The second sliced at the defense mode tablet however, stone and dust flying back at him in the wind as he was forced to duck and shield his eyes. And finally, as the dust cleared he could feel a small pin-prick of pain...
"Little 'ancient'," he heard the hissing monster mutter, a blade held against his forehead so closely that a drop of blood now ran down his face. Katsuya swallowed as his head was slowly brought back to attention, the sword turning just slightly as the tiny cut on his brow grew. "Conssssssider this warning of what is yet to come..." Warning warning warning, they were all 'warning' him, but what was so special about-
"Sfff! Ghn-!" The blond bit back a shout, grabbing at his arm as needle like fangs bore into his flesh and pulled out. The Embodiment's snake head had struck quickly, the target having been distracted by the words of its human head. Whatever venom was in the monster's teeth stopped the bleeding despite the wound now being an ugly blue-black beneath the shirt, thankfully enough. But it was that same venom that was now putting spots in his vision, and as the snakes returned to their side he found himself at his knees. "Ngh..." His breathing was becoming difficult... The wind was feeling more intense... "Poison..." He probably should have been thankful that the words were lost to the winds; but as he attempted to move his shaking arm toward his deck, it seemed he was giving off a different idea.
Though in hindsight, if his head wasn't stuffed with poison and dust, he'd probably have tried to forfeit too the remaining nineteen hundred points on his cleared field . "Jonouchi," Mai shouted from the side, arms crossed. The blond only barely managed to turn his head, pale and clammy skin likely attributed to the wind. Her face was twisted into a stern frown, arms crossed as she looked up to the field. "Just what happened to 'fifteen turns'?" Katsuya didn't answer for a moment, instead glancing back to the field. Well... That was true, there were still at least seven turns left... So he supposed the poison couldn't kill him just yet but... "You have a fight to win," the woman at the sides continued angrily, "Don't just toss your chances away by forfeiting like a coward!" He wasn't-
"Hey," a second voice called out, Ryuzaki cupping his hands as he glared. "The only reason I'm watching you is because I figure you'll actually get a shot at the finals," the boy shouted angrily. "So get on your feet, moron!"
Ryuzaki was quickly answered with a low growl from the side, the others jumping at what likely seemed to be fairly uncharacteristic rage. "Keichi... That is my brother you're talking about!"
"Ehhh..." The boy was silenced fairly quickly to say the least, though his friend took a few steps forward to look up at where her brother had begun to collapse.
"Nihan..." Shizuka had more to say..? The girl had a calm and reassuring smile on her face, Ryuzaki's jacket hanging limply on her shoulders as she spoke. "Before I pulled my bandages off I had to walk around blind," she began with a swallow, "With nothing but darkness around all the time. But even though I couldn't see or hear you," the girl continued almost proudly, "Just knowing that you worried about me gave me the courage to take them off. Nihan... You gave me a light to look forward too," Shizuka announced, her expression brightening as her brother stared. "A light in the darkness! So give me another one, right now in this darkness you see here!" Shi... Shizuka...
Ryuzaki turned to look incredulously at his friend, head tilted somewhat as he stared. "...A light in the darkness?"
"Keichi," the girl growled, "I-am-warning-you..."
A light in the darkness... Even his opponent seemed to be moved by those words. He'd be a pretty big failure of a brother if he didn't respond to them. Katsuya's vision swam as he pulled himself to his feet, faint cheers and shouts meeting his ears as he stood. Numb... His arm had gone somewhat numb, and he could feel stares on his back and side. For the moment, the snake-bite was hidden by his t-shirt sleeve, but just barely. If anyone looked under that sleeve, he'd have a hell of a time explaining. For the moment however, he brought his hand back down from his shoulder to stare across the field with his hand at his side. A light... In the darkness... Ryuzaki had a point, it was corny but... It still had meaning. "I have a question," Katsuya's opponent asked, the blond weakly raising his head to stare across the field challengingly. "This tournament," the man continued with somewhat narrowed eyes, "Why did you enter?"
"To keep a promise," he answered immediately, the response coming smooth and quickly as 'Malik' stared. To keep an important promise that he wouldn't give up on... No matter what. This man across from him... What was his real name he wondered to himself, eyes narrowing further as he stared. Who was this guy..? Even if he hadn't seen Malik's face, he'd seen his build and height. The 'real' Malik was shorter, and much more slim. This wasn't that man though, not him... He didn't even act like him, the voice and mannerisims were completely wrong. So what was his name..? He found himself shaking the questions from mind, instead, staring across the field as flashes of the earlier matches of the day came to mind. This man... Was a 'duellist'. "I've met lots 'f people in th's tournament who wanted t' know th' answer to tha' question," Katsuya found himself muttering, wind battering against his numbed arm. "An' I gave 'm all th' same answer. I'm gonna keep tha' promise," the blond continued with a shout, "I can't lose here!" He could hear the other Yugi from the side, in his ghost-like form... Shouting out that same riddle he knew so well, the 'friendship' riddle...
"...If you're a duelist," 'Malik' asked plainly, again pulling Katsuya from his thoughts, "Shouldn't you know when a turn around is impossible?"
Impossible? "Heh! Even if I 'should'," he spat with narrowed eyes, "It doesn' mean I surrender... I'm still standin'," Katsuya growled viciously. "An' I'm fightin' 'till my last breath!" And that was all that mattered! Impossible... He didn't know the meaning! "It's my turn," he shouted with renewed strength, drawing his next card. "I'll play two cards face down, an' summon th' Swordsman 'f Landstar in d'fense mode," he announced, the tablet carving itself out before sitting dormant. The shield across the stone shimmered just dully in the light, the two new cards sitting blankly at its sides.
Katsuya's opponent stared across the field, nonetheless returning to his near mute form of play as he deemed the blond a 'non-threat'. "The embodiments attack," he stated plainly, arms crossed as he waited for the defense. The snakes charged forward as the blond activated the stone's magic, face tight with severity and determination.
"Act'vate th' spell 'Foolish Burial'," he shouted, "Sendin' a card int' yer grave yard. An' after tha'," the blond announced, the first tablet reduced to dust on the wind as a familiar cloaked 'boy' charged from the next one's stone, "Graverobber!" The little robber did not charge the field as he normally did, instead holding his hands and 'tugging' at the dust on the air as the Emboidments froze. "I'm pullin' tha' card outta th' grave... And th' card I picked an' put there," he continued loudly, the dust on the air forming an immense tablet at his side, "Was this! Psycho Shocker!" Thunder clapped in the air as the card was set on the field, the tall and robed android's figure cutting itself from stone as the rest of his field cleared. Smoke filled the tablet in almost a pillar like formation, the Psycho Shocker stepping forward from the stone to leer at the field with crossed arms. With a single wave of the android's hand the Embodiments of Apophis were destroyed, the traps rendered useless in the monster's sight. And in addition to the Psycho Shocker... He also had a few other cards in his hand. A smirk came over his face as 'Malik' scowled, the blond drawing his next card and setting it on the field. "Heh... An' b'fore it's done, I summon th' Battle Warrior in attack mode," he called out, yet another, smaller tablet appearing at the side as he did so. Blue smoke poured through the quick to appear carving, a futuristically armed man stepping out in angered silence. "Plus, I move Lan'star int' attack mode! An' now tha' yer traps are useless," the blond continued viciously, the swordsman at his side spinning his blade with a nod, "They all attack d'rectly! GO!"
It was strange, seeing 'Malik' speak through the resulting explosion to say the least. As the two smaller monsters set their fists and blades through the man's form, Psycho Shocker released a blast of energy that cloaked his side of the field in electricity completely. Lanstar's blade should have cut through his torso, Battle Warrior's fists should have left internal wounds to his stomach, Psycho Shocker's should have thrown him against the temple... And yet he supposed he should have been used to it really, after all he'd seen through this game. 'Malik' merely stood through the attacks, just as everyone else had after all, the man narrowing his eyes as the explosion slowly cleared. "I must congratulate you," he said clearly, Katsuya narrowing his eyes in response. "Even a weak man will struggle to claim his honor after all... And that attack was an incredible turn around." It was, wasn't it? But coming from the guy pretending to be 'Malik'...
Well. If he hadn't figured him out before... "...'Malik' wouldn' say that," he stated plainly, watching his opponents eyes narrow with suspicion. Plain and simple.
'Malik' however, seemed to realize that pressing that subject would be a bad idea, instead drawing his next card. "Hn... It's my turn again," the man responded, setting a card on the field. Rather than stone arising from the ground however, blinding lights tore from the air, resembling a series of stars in the sky. The 'stars' grew larger however, and soon enough each one was falling forward to embed themselves in the field, the light forming a series of blades that stood a few stories above both of them. "I play the swords of revealing light," 'Malik' announced clearly, arms crossed as he frowned. "I will not lose here!"
The swords... Katsuya narrowed his eyes momentarily, nonetheless drawing his next card as the field was illuminated to near blinding proportions. Alright... So he couldn't attack. He could still build an army, and so long as the Psycho Shocker stood there, the traps would be useless. He had nothing to fear... He just had to keep chugging forward! "Battle Warrior 's sacrificed t' summon th' Legendary Swordsman," he announced with a shout, the monster erupting with his tablet in a torrent of water as his card was replaced with another. The stone washed blank before carving its new image, the rush of water splashing to the ground as a tanned and heavily scarred man adjusted the grip on his spear to look around.
"A battle above the skies," the replacement questioned, his whale tucked safely away in the tablet's stone as he appeared to Katsuya's side. The man appeared to be staring with awe, as though in disbelief as his summoner laughed quietly under his breath.
"An' th' seas," the blond muttered with a smirk, gaining a rather blank stare for a brief moment before a roaring laugh erupted through the field, unheard to all but himself.
"Hahaha! The words of a true fisherman," the fisherman boasted, his summoner shaking his head. "Let's finish this battle with all we have!" Hear hear! But...
He didn't fish damn it... Ahhh whatever. A sudden cold chill came over the air, a feeling of dread and death overpowering the field as the blond's cheer was pulled away. Katsuya turned toward where 'Malik' had drawn his card, the man staring at it with horror filled eyes as the feeling intensified. Dead... Dead, dead, dead... The skies had darkened and the winds had fallen flat, as though the very life of the duel had been sucked from the air. The card in 'Malik's hand was so clearly not a card but why, and how... How could a 'fake card' instil this feeling? "This next card," 'Malik' announced, swallowing as he looked forward, "Will be your undoing." Hesitation was evident in the man's eyes, clear enough that those around had fallen silent as they stared with questioning gazes. And yet 'Malik' went through with his actions anyways, setting a card on the disk and not once looking away from his opponent. "I seal a card within the ark of the temple," he said plainly, the ark in question appearing to 'shudder' as its former gold sheen faded to a dull and haunted glow. "And end my turn."
A 'sealed' card... Katsuya swallowed, nonetheless relieved as the feeling of death more or less vanished from the field. His turn again... And there was no way he'd have been able to fight through that after all. The blond drew his next card, setting it on the field without looking as another was released from the disk-system in response. "I play Monster Reborn," he announced as the tablet's green light flooded the field, "Bringin' Alligator Sword back! An' usin' it an' th' Swordsman 'f Lan'star," he continued clearly, the Alligator only just jumping from his tablet as smoke filled the field. "I summon this!" Please don't hate him, please don't hate him... The sacrifices seemed to be fine with it, they were both giving him confident nods and thumbs up but... "Th' Insect Queen!" Please don't hate him.
The tablet arose behind him as the monsters before them were pulled by webbed strings into their stones, the tablets crumbling to dust under the pressure of the cocoons. The image of the fierce queen arose on the stone behind him, deep and powerful hissing erupting in his ears as the dust of the sacrifices formed the smoke that pulled the Queen into existence. "I see you wish to fight, little imago..." Yes... Yes that would be good he thought with a swallow, paling as the monster curled around him semi-protectively. Clawed and armored limbs clacked and crunched as they folded onto the ground around him, Psycho Shocker and the Fisherman both staring rather blankly as the Queen 'smiled'. The blond shuddered violently as it nuzzled the side of his face, a snake-like tongue rasping the edges of the wound that Apophis' embodiments granted. "But you should not fight injured... Be healed child," the Queen went on, the blond before her closing his eyes and biting his lip. "I will fight with you..." Okay... Okay that was great, just stop licking him and-
Uhhhh... Wait, healed? A sudden feeling of relief spread over his arm, the blond lightly tapping the wound as his eyes widened. Healed... His arm had- The wound was gone!
"My turn," 'Malik' abruptly shouted, ripping the blond from his thoughts as the Insect Queen reared to watch the field. "First," the man announced, "The 'Seal of Selket', followed by 'Cup of the Sealed Soul'..." Two more spells..? Wait, what were these? "By sending the Seal to the grave," 'Malik' explained to his opponent, the blond narrowing his eyes, "I summon to you a monster of God-like proportions, with a power that far surpasses your own..." Aw hell that couldn't be... "The Mythical Beast," 'Malik' roared through the air, a large goblet arising from the two stone tablets to release a shadowed liquid orb, "'Selket', the Scorpion!" S-Selket..? How ironic, his stupid flash thing was telling him it was the God of poison and healing, that was- That was just mean.
And awwwww shit, this thing was looking more like a demon than a goddess. Hissing met the air, the Insect Queen spitting threateningly as a shadowed seal appeared in the orb above the goblet. The seal, an image of a scorpion, broke into pieces as the goblet as well crumbled, claws piercing the skin-like orb before breaking through. Large and bulbous eyes met the field as wings and a series of six additional hand-bearing legs came forward, immense and toothy mouth opening wide as a schreech pierced its opponent's ears. The blackened scorpion bore the eye of Wdjat across its back, and above it on its tail a dangerous and poison-dripping barb pointed toward him. The clawed arms were long enough that they reached over the crowd to cling to the railings of the air-ship's arena, clawed fore-limbs clacking threateningly as its wings beat the ground. But it was far from the end...
For as the monster hissed its warning, sound undescribable in any way, the box it guarded again began to emanate the dangerous feeling of cold it had before. The already dulled glow seemed to fade even further, and the box itself seemed to be more stony than even the temple around it. "I am getting ahead of myself," 'Malik' was saying as this feeling filled the air, a few blades of light vanishing from sight as they had been throughout the duel after their arrival. "For as powerful as Selket is, she is nothing compared to that which has been sealed in the temple behind me... Namely the great God of the Sun, the Dragon 'Ra'!" R... R...
RA?
But it couldn't be... Besides the fact that this wasn't Malik, it just couldn't..! 'Ra' was a life-bringer his mind told him, the blond again ignoring the 'origin' of the knowledge he knew he shouldn't have had. Ra was the 'sun', 'life', the 'creator', it didn't bring the stentch of death with it! Not even when it was causing it! Yet as Selket continued to hiss before him, Katsuya found himself swallowing a wave of fear, the presence in the box still sending shivers down his spine. Not much time left now... The monster before him was more powerful than anything in his deck, and if he didn't draw any of his usual 'stat-control' cards he'd be screwed. His monsters would slowly be picked off and he'd be left defenseless. And this feeling...
This dread and fear, a fear far surpassing any he'd felt before, even comparing the feeling to that of what had happened under the Millennium Rod. It was a feeling that seemed to simply have no reason for existence, no fuel other than of fear itself. It was a feeling that was numbing all of his senses, leaving only wide and unblinking eyes to stare at the monster before him. 'Selket is a ritual summoned beast,' he could hear his opponent mutter, the words barely blurring in with that of the crowd. 'She cannot attack this turn...' And while the last of the swords would vanish this turn, 'allowing' him to counter attack...
Despite him drawing a card, he couldn't help but be paralyzed in fear. All he could do was move the monster's cards into defense, eyes shivering as they looked over the monster. "All monsters enter defense mode," he rasped, staring into Selket's large and inhuman eyes as he swallowed. The monsters on his field however didn't move into their stone, merely looking down at the blond with worried eyes.
"Little imago," the Quen hissed, lowering her head to a protective position. "We will be your shield... Have no fear..." Gh... Hn...
Easy for her to say damn it! "...Pass," Katsuya barely forced out, choking on the single word as Selket screeched. The demon before him acted immediately, with her master's words barely piercing the sound of his rushing blood in his ears. Worried mutterings came from the side as the blond stared, the monster rushing past him to strike at the first of the beings on the field.
"Selket's effect activates," 'Malik' was saying through the curtain of white noise, "When she destroys a monster, she may devour it to absorb half its attack." And as those on the side grew pale with the knowledge, Katsuya found himself growing even more so. It was not because of Selket's increase in power however, nor was it the sheer unmoving terror locking him in place. For while his friends merely saw jaws close over the Psycho Shocker he could see the saliva drip from the beast's mouth, hear the grunting screams from the monster as it was lifted by its torso and head before being swallowed whole. He could hear the crunching bones as the monster was swallowed and crushed by the strong muscles of the esophagus, and he was forced to watch as Selket's body began to shift... Two sets of its eight legs snapped and folded at the sides, the bottom two extending into legs. The demon's wings moved somewhat up the monster's body as it reared, resembling some twisted, bipedal monster from beyond the gates of hell. And as the monster gave a ferocious roar Katsuya couldn't tear his eyes away, staring at the immense winged demon before him.
It changed... It even changed in reaction to the things it had swallowed... And it was his turn again. Another card was drawn, another card that would do him no good, and another card to add into his hand. "...Pass," he muttered in a barely audible tone as he shook, the Insect Queen huddling around the blond while Selket approached. Its size was enough to take even the towering Queen from the field, the insect's body snatched from behind by enormous clawed pinchers as Selket opened her wide and seemingly jawless mouth. The Queen however, was eaten from back to front; and as the blond stared up with horror, eyes welling with tears in the fear that held his jaw shut he could hear and see the insect speak before her head disappeared beyond rows of teeth.
"Turn away, little imago... Turn away," she said through the slices that each tooth created on her skin, "And avenge this loss..." Scared... Scared, he was scared damn it, there was nothing he could do in the face of this! And no matter what, all he could do was watch as 'Selket' appeared to become more humanoid in form, blackened scales conforming to a woman's figure from the torso as it stared forward with bug-like eyes, size seemingly increasing to create the illusion of a smaller 'mouth' despite its enormous size.
Why was this feeling..? Another card drawn... Another useless draw. Another card added to his hand as he seemingly moved on autopilot. "Pass," he whispered with a choke, closing his eyes with a wince as the Legendary Fisherman was tossed to the air with a shout by Selket's tail. And as the man fell into her gaping maw, mouth so large that he never even touched the sides of the throat, the scales peeled back. And within seconds a bizzare mix of woman and arachnid was standing tall above the field, tanned skin gracing the air where scales no longer sat, gold and flaming eyes now human in shape as they stared downward. This was Selket. This was the monster's power, and this was the power that was dwarfed by what was in that 'ark'. This... This was a 'god' whose power, unlike the 'top three' was available to more than one... And this monster...
Could now speak. "Are you afraid... Boy?" This thing... Selket's grin was wide and almost psychotic in appearance, clawed arms and wings stretching from her back as humanoid ones sat at her sides. "Do you fear my power... BOY?"
"I can't watch this any more," Shizuka was muttering, holding her head from the side as her brother's hearing abruptly returned. "I can't... I'm feeling sick," she choked, worry begining to fill the blond on the arena, "I..."
Suddenly that feeling of dread and fear was gone, replaced completely by that same worry and by the will he'd had at the start of the match. "...Shizuka," he muttered somewhat weakly, his sister looking up with worried eyes. The blond found himself swallowing as he looked to the woman, shaking his head despite the enormous monster standing before him. "Don'... Don' go Shizuka... I know... I know I'm on my las' legs," he continued quietly, "But until th' very end, ev'n if I lose..." Katsuya paused, shaking himself as he raised his voice to a more audible level. Light... "You found yer light, righ'," he asked, Shizuka swallowing in response as she stared. "Well t' me," he went on with a weak smile, "Yer my light... Until th' very end, I need yah... So please," the blond whispered, his sister still staring up in silence, "Until then..."
Stay by his side... He didn't like this feeling of dread in his stomach, stay by his side... Because so long as he thought about his friends and family rather than the beast before him, he might stand a chance against the fear and horror growing before him. "Why do you still fight," 'Malik' asked from across the field, voice barely escaping the merged shouts of encouragement from the side. "You are as you said, on your last legs... And the 'fifteen turns' you boasted of are nearly at their end," the man continued, narrowing his eyes. "So... Why don't you surrender?"
Katsuya drew his next card, closing his eyes momentarily as he winced. Nothing. He had nothing... Another card he couldn't use, another spell he couldn't bring up for a defense. But even so. "B'cause I'd be a piss-poor duelist if I ran jus' b'cause I was losin'," the blond stated plainly, hand lowering to his side. "I face my battles t' the end," he continued, swallowing as 'Selket' stared from above before moving on, "No matter what happens... Tha's how I play. Make your move," he said almost coldly, narrowing his eyes as his teeth ground together. "Because no matter what, I'll know I wasn' fightin' 'Malik'... An' I think I c'n take this loss with a pretty clear head if I keep that in mind." At this, 'Malik' again frowned, the blond across from him continuing with a darkened smirk. "It's weird," he muttered, having a feeling he knew the reason behind initial thoughts on 'Malik's appearance, "I had this feelin' from b'fore we even got on this ship... That it wasn' you; that y' weren' who y' said y' were. Maybe tha's why my head's been clearer than normal," he continued as the smirk briefly grew into a grin, "I'm abou' ready t' toss th' real 'Malik' off th' side 'f this ship!" However, that would probably get him tossed off as well... Eh. "B'fore I lose," Katsuya continued on, the smirk losing its dark tone as he spoke, "I want y' t' know... On th's las' turn, I didn' know who'd win 'r lose. Jus' that it'd end... An' even with tha'," he added with a cheery tone, ignoring the still growing wave of fear, "This was one 'f th' best matches I've ever had. I don' know what kinda reason you've got f'r pr'tendin' t' be Malik... But you're nothin' like tha' bastard," he said coldly, the smirk dying as he held his arms out in challenge. "Yer a 'real duelist'... So make yer move."
There was no answer however. Instead, albeit only briefly, the man's eyes appeared clouded. They faded out in a manner almost similar to when Yugi spoke to his other half, the man's tanned skin appearing to pale with whatever words he received. As his eyes regained focus however he pulled out the false-rod, holding it forward and speaking with an ease that far betrayed the sudden paleness he'd developed. "Only the 'real' Malik wields the Millennium Rod," he said clearly, the staff barely shining under the windless and clouded sky. "Yet you doubt my identity?"
Yes. He did. "...That ain't th' Millennium Rod."
The ship appeared to fall silent with the flat tone Katsuya used, even Selket standing stock still with narrowed eyes. There had been no hesitation, not even slightly... And if the blond had bothered to look to the crowd rather than holding his steady glare he'd have seen fear and rage both flash through one of the spectator's eyes. "You still doubt me," the man muttered, eyes appearing to shift off to the crowd at the side. A look of apparent submission came over him with that glance, and turning back to his opponent he bowed his head. "I see... In that case," he shouted clearly, "Using the power of Selket, of the three monsters absorbed... Along with a tribute of half my lifepoints," the man continued on through the windless air, "I will offer the ultimate proof! I break the seal of the Ark," he announced with a roar, Selket slowly burning and rotting away with a mourning scream. "AND I SUMMON GOD!" Fires filled the air as Selket's skin and scales peeled away into black dust mixed with blood and bone. Above the pillar of 'solid' shadow, clouds converging into an almost hurricane like spiral but despite the formations the wind continued to remain absent from the air. No storm could be heard, no thunder hit the skies as faded and almost 'black' lightening pierced and singed the air, and as Katsuya stared forward with terrified eyes the lid of the ark merely crumbled into piles of locusts before scattering into the skies. 'Not-Malik' was talking right now. So was everyone else as they stared at what was likely to them an incredible summoning, their words absorbed completely by the thick and mantled silence created by the insects that swarmed the air. 'God' had been summoned, that much was evident by the form escaping the 'Ark'.
But if this was God, it wasn't happy. The clouds above swirled viciously, locusts swarming as the temple and ark both fell apart. More insects arose to the air, clouding into place above the airship and from them God's face began to form. An enormous, eagle-like face, with eyes burning as red as the hottest points of the sun, and thunder sounding through an otherwise muted sky. "You..." Katsuya swallowed as he broke into a sweat, the 'black' sun roaring with rage as it hovered in place, the monster's face and skull clearly as large if not larger than that of Osiris'.
"Who DARES... WHO DARES to create a FALSE image with my NAME," the God snarled, voice reverberating through the sky with enough force to shake the people below. "Who DARES to toss back all HONOR for such ACTIONS? Such FOOLS who DARE to STAND before ME! Mere MORTALS," Ra spat, "SPECS of LIFE! And you think a FALSE tribute will win you FAVOR? That a FALSE IMAGE will summon ME to your AID?" A piercing, eagle-like screech hit the air, those below unable to hear the words of 'God' as they sood before it.
Katsuya swallowed as the 'black' God stared down to the field, 'Not-Malik' now holding the Rod forward. "Don' do it," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head as 'Ra' continued to snarl and screech from above. "Y'll kill yerself," he shouted, ignoring the obvious confusion from those on the sides, "Don'-"
"Attack," the man was shouting, the others on the field watching with baited breaths to see the result of the order. "ATTACK!"
"Hohoho... And the MORTAL still believes he has my CONTROL," the monster 'laughed', toothed beak opening with a rumble as still more thunder cracked through the air. "Then let me OPEN your EYES, and the EYES of OTHERS!" Open the eyes-
Oh hell, it could do that? It could make everyone see... What he was..? "You idiot... That ain't Ra," he found himself shouting, gasps coming from the side as they slowly watched what was a holographic beast dye itself black in their eyes. "I already told yah I knew y' weren' Malik," he continued with an almost desperate tone, the man before him looking back up at Ra with shock. "Why did y' have t' be so..."
'Ra is turning black,' the crowd muttered, expressions filled with fear and confusion both. 'It's not real, but how...'
How? Because it was real... "You wish for an ATTACK," Ra raged from above, "Then SO BE IT! This is a mere TASTE of MY POWER!" Thunder pealed across the deck, Katsuya turning up to look at Ra with a swallow. His opponent knew he had no control... He knew he was a dead man, and he had his head bowed, lightning striking the field itself as it singed and blackened the thankfully grounded metal. And as a single strike ran through the man's form, his head was still bowed in apology and shame.
But as the man fell to the ground before him he felt words come to mind again, passing his lips outside his control at the volume of a mere whisper that was blocked by the thunder around him. "Great God of all he travels, who creates all he sees, whose eye is the warrior Sehkmet, whose knowledge is unsurpassed-"
"We have an ANCIENT among us," Ra boasted, the locusts appearing to grin from his form as Katsuya was pulled from his daze and back into reality. Maybe it was the surrounding buzz, or perhaps shock had rendered them deaf, but no one could hear Katsuya as he stepped forward and swallowed, nor could they hear the words that Ra held from their ears. "A RARE sight... And yet YOUR ties are not of ROYAL blood," the dragon continued seriously, mouth barely open as he spoke. "YOU are yet MORTAL, however GIFTED... YOU are not yet FORGIVEN for your ACTIONS!"
Forgiven..? For his 'actions'? "An' those are," he found himself asking, looking up with slightly narrowed eyes despite the terror filling him right now.
"Hn!" Despite the retort Ra appeared more amused than angered, though his voice held the same incredulous tone it had from his summoning. "YOU have POWER," the God announced with a sneer, "And yet YOU hold it BACK from all you KNOW, from even the young KING, from HE WHO WILL FINISH WHAT WAS BEGUN. You DOUBT the GIFT you have been GIVEN," the dragon continued with a fearsome shout, "And you QUAKE in the sight of what can easily be DEFEATED!"
"Selket," the blond questioned, the locusts buzzing in rage at what was apparently far from the correct answer.
"WRONG," the God thundered, voice accented by strong peals of booming claps in the sky as lightning continued to fire at the ground. "You who BEARS the BLOOD OF ANCIENTS... ACCEPT this TEST," he commanded with rage, "And LEARN from your TRIALS before even THINKING of FACING the likes of MYSELF... We WILL meet AGAIN," Ra roared, the locusts filling the air as thunder struck the ground, Katsuya staring in fear as the dragon's visage melted back into the swarm. "Believe me when I say, we will MEET again!" Sound all at once returned as the insects flew around, shouts filling the air before blinding light filled his eyes...
Before pain filled the every fiber of his being, with the scent of singed hair and cloth hitting his nostrils. "Gnh... NGH... GHAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
A voice... He could hear...
"Cha...bar..."
And following the light, the pain, and the voice... There was nothing but darkness.
AN: Oooohhh god, before I even begin on this chapter, I cannot even begin to apologize. A lot of things happened the weekend after I posted, and looking back, I really should have just put a note on my profile as soon as I realized what was happening. First off, the Mac I share was moved, so I can't use it any more. All of my planning notes are in there, but more importantly, all of my mangai chapters are there. Since no one's in a hurry to move them from the computer, I have to ad-lib from the screen-site... Ick.
In any case, this means I'm sharing my fiancee's laptop. Unlike with the Mac however, he actually uses the computer. Also, since we're both job-hunting, we're both home all day, which means he's using it for important things. Which means considerably less time to type; I have about two hours in the morning each day, and then it's his again unless I check my e-mail. He's not to fond of fanfiction see... (Which is probably why he hasn't move my files.) ...Any ways.
On the bright side, this means piles of art for you, piles of time for me to draw/work on 3D (which is what he kinda wanted me to be working on, but the Mac doesn't run most of the good 3D programs unless they're sculptors. Which are shit for modeling the base model.)... There's no 3-D for you yet but give me time...
Any ways, point is, instead of the promised one week it turned into two, and I really need to apologize. Worse, this is probably how long it will take until I have my own computer again, something I can't pin a date to at all. Gifts of art and typing just don't make up for that kind of thing.
For now though, the gist is basically that there'll be lots of art... But updates will be slow. Until then, enjoy the latest chapter, and hang tight while I get the next one set up!
Anonymous Review Responses
We have quite a few today!
First off, hello Lady Septima! As you can see from above, I am already taken. Oh well.
I'm glad that you love the fanfic, but a note on voices; it actually wouldn't be as much strain as you think. Do ventriloquists sound all broken when they speak normally? Nope. Obviously Kaiba doesn't have a high, 'Japanese-standard' voice, but if she drops the disguise, she's quite audibly a woman.
Of course, her male voice will always be Tsuda Kenjirou in my mind, hehehehe...
Thanks for the suggestions though!
And he probably is Iona... He probably is. Oh dear.
As for the 'hows' of the airship, the speed is never given, so it's likely not moving too quickly. Also, they're not actually that high in the air; the air doesn't start getting 'mountain-y' or illness inducing until around 3500 meters, and 1000 meters is the lowest height a mountain will be officially considered a 'mountain' if the slope is greater than five degrees.
In otherwords, they're at a distance lower than the mountain I often ski on in BC; Mount Washington, which is 1590 meters tall.
And hahaha! Cynical Gamer, Skin has an entire trope page!
Thank you for the compliment though- it is incredibly uplifting to find tropes dedicated to the fanfic dotted around the site.
And ohhhh yes... Murphy will definitely be stepping in. Perhaps not now, but soon enough... As for if Seto will believe it, we'll have to see. I think you'll be nicely surprised by her reaction.
Again, I thank you for the compliments. They really do mean a lot! On the research, what can I say; I'm a detail-whore.
And hehehe, you think its weird now? Lets just say Bakura's had his suspicions for a while...
Hello Kakamashi7. First off, I'm glad you like the fanfic, and an I hope that by the time you get to this chapter you'll still be enjoying this! (Given that you reviewed chapter 22... And 24. And 30.)
Also, I must now draw certain characters in Spirited Away garb, and I BLAME YOU. (Love that movie...)
Now, in regards to your next most recent review, I filtered through the voices that Maka's VA's (both for the CDs (Junko Takeuchi) and normal (Chiaki Omigawa)) did. Didn't find anything from the voices of Chiaki, but here's something you'll love.
Junko voiced Mokuba. Not to menion many many other young males, including a certain orange-garbed Ninja. She's fairly well known for it to say the least. She does however do a few female voices, though not many. Those are 'Yue Konishi' (Ask Dr. Rin), 'Rika Minami' (That one's a big one actually; Highschool of the Dead), Rin Natsuki (Yes Pretty Cure 5), and 'Rainbow Mika' (Street Fighter Alpha 3. Which isn't the best resource for a voice.) I can still safely say that it's possible one of her female roles would suit Seto's own 'girl voice'.
Mostly because Rika and Yue both have fairly mature voices, with Rika taking first and Yue taking along for points in 'calm'.
Also, I can't get a hold of Rin. (But that's okay, she sounds kinda Naruto-ish.)
Annnnd onto the next review... (-looks over picture-) Oh. Whoops. Looks like you caught me on that, hehehehe.
In any case, I hope all of you enjoy the fanfic, the chapter above, and the chapters yet to come!
Usagi's Manga & Japan Guide/Corner
The section that's bowing its head in shaaaaaaaaaaame... Because it's so empty today!
Today's title refers to Ra's 'journey', which takes place in a chariot or boat depending. He is born and killed each day, driving through the sky (AKA his mom) in the daylight hours, and the underworld in the evening. His evening trip is in a boat guarded by Set, and you can see the links to death given the night/underworld fun going on in the myth.
Shizuka's note is partially to clear space, and partially as another 'canon' point. In the manga, when everyone left to hear the next match up, Anzu stayed behind with Bakura. However, the ring was also known to be in Anzu's possession at that time... In the anime, it was decidedly more creepy as a result.
In the anime, events happened both differently and, in the case of the fanfic, in a different order. Everyone goes to disturb Kaiba about Bakura for one, which was prevented this time around by the doctors doing what doctors do, and in addition, Honda and Otogi already took off to look for the ring. Shizuka in the meantime is talking to Ryuzaki.
As for what those two boys are doing, it's largely arguing over who Shizuka likes more, along with how to curb her 'affections' away from Ryuzaki. And if you think it's silly now, wait until the Noa arc... Noa wanted eight people then, and he'll get eight people now after all, which means that Ryuzaki will not be part of that arc!
And it also means that Shizuka's going to have a fair amount of face-palming fun.
Of course, this means less shouting going on when it comes to the scene with Kaiba, and a lot less arguing. Rather than bickering about turning around and then sending doctors, doctors have already been sent, and more importantly, Kaiba just sapped away the remaining free time by taking a shower.
Showers do that.
Most of the dialogue here is from the Japanese Anime; as mentioned above, my only resource is a screen cap site for the moment, so I have to adlib a fair bit. Thankfully, Rishid was largely silent in the original.
During the first wave of passes, Kaiba explains to a groaning Mokuba that Jonouchi will crack and attack long before Rishid does. I can very easily imagine an 'I told you so' following that scene during the fanfic. A difference you'll find here though is that Jonouchi is brought to his knees by poison rather than a slipping resolve.
These people switch between zeal and depression so quickly, I swear... I suppose its only human...
Graverobber is only supposed to work on spells and traps; this still happened though, in the anime and manga both I believe.
Originally, Shizuka was sick of watching by the time the Insect Queen was devoured. But 'third-times a charm', and you can just hear the frailty of the tone used with that third 'pass'.
Yes, there are still things that Jonouchi can see when it comes to the Gods that the others can't. And speaking of the Gods, there's a LOT of lore in the Ra chant (the chant being admittedly made up using various myths surrounding the God)... And much more to come in Mai VS Malik, when the chant has to be uttered in full.
Sehkmet by the way is a lion-headed Goddess of War, whereas Selket is a Goddess of poisonous stings/bites and healing who appears either as a woman with a scorpion on her head, or simply as a scorpion. Also, Apophis is another name for Apep.
And now... For the art!
Fanart and My Art Section
Remove the spaces for your link, okay?
Spoilers ho!
Spoiler: Mirrors - http : / / i5. photobucket. com/ albums/ y153/ natasha_unos_1/ YGO% 20Fanfic% 20-% 20Skin/ Image7. jpg - This was another poster sketch from earlier; it's not so much a spoiler as a concept that probably runs through heads as you read all this happened with crossdressing Kaiba, what would have happened with just-plain-female Kaiba? ...Also, I can't draw ears. Mrrrrrrn...
SPOILER-Concept: Past and Present - http : / / i5. photobucket. com/ albums/ y153/ natasha_unos_1/ YGO% 20 Fanfic% 20-% 20Skin/ Image4. jpg - http : / / i5. photobucket. com/ albums/ y153/ natasha_unos_1/ YGO% 20Fanfic% 20-% 20Skin/ Image5. jpg - Unless you want to spoil a LOT of things, DO NOT CLICK THESE. There are two links, one for the 'past', as you can see, and one for the present. And if you look carefully not only will spoilers jump out like flames, they will also break your brain. So if you do click, and you have questions, be very vague when you ask, or at least send me an e-mail/PM... It'll keep the people who want a surprise in the dark.
Costume: More Pokemon - http : / / i5. photobucket. com/ albums/ y153/ natasha_unos_1/ YGO% 20Fanfic% 20-% 20Skin/ Image6. jpg - Lets go to Johto! OKAY. In otherwords, that's Sen (Haga's OC sister) running around the back in the girl's outfit from Pokemon Crystal. In the front lines however we have Mokuba and Rebecca playing the roles of main-character and best friend (Rebecca got Maril as that is what your 'friend' has in the HeartGold/SoulSilver games), with Noa (Adult!Noa) playing the rival. Why is Noa adult Noa? Because I couldn't picture normal Noa as the rival, hurp-derp. Noa's got Bayleef, and Mokuba has Ferralligator by the way. (Sen got Cyndaquil.) ...It just struck me how much Mokuba looks like Ryuzaki in that picture... Whoops.
Costume: STOP PLAYING POKEMON - http : / / i5. photobucket. com/ albums/ y153/ natasha_unos_1/ YGO% 20Fanfic% 20-% 20Skin/ Image. jpg - Title has nothing to do with image~ Mostly. I need to stop playing, but given how close to the Black-White release we are... Any ways, pulled out Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky, got silly, and named the main character 'Kaiba' and the partner 'Yugi'. Despite the fact that Jonouchi would work much better. It's still fem!Kaiba I doodled though (hence the comic below), both as the eevee (whose personality quiz result matches Jonouchi if anything)... On hind legs... Annnnd as a gijinka eevee. YAYYYY... Okay I'll stop now. (It IS fun to compare characters to the pokemon though... Akhnadin becomes Dusknoir, Pegasus becomes Wigglytuff... And if you haven't played this game, you will be completely BRAIN DEAD now.)
Comic: It's Gone Too Far - http : / / i5. photobucket. com/ albums/ y153/ natasha_unos_1/ YGO% 20Fanfic% 20-% 20Skin/ Image2. jpg - In which the Kaiba in my head kindly reminds me that he's male and not female.
Concept: The Leviathan - http : / / i5. photobucket. com/ albums/ y153/ natasha_unos_1/ YGO% 20Fanfic% 20-% 20Skin/ Image3. jpg - I don't know which is scarier; the size this thing was in the anime, or the fact that it looks like a Gou'ald with EYES. HIhhhhhhh...
And as a final treat...
Costume-Concept: If Things Were Even More Different - http : / / i5. photobucket. com/ albums/ y153/ natasha_unos_1/ YGO% 20Fanfic% 20-% 20Skin/ CCI27022011_ 00000. jpg - In which I show you what almost happened for this fanfic. Who knows if it would be as serious, but there wouldn't be crossdressing, Jonouchi would pass as a guy thanks to male uniforms, Yugi and Anzu would swap genders, Kaiba would still be male, and the pharaoh would still be a guy. Which would bring the best conversation on trans and two-spirited people the world will ever see. Maybe I'll drabble this... Anyways, the main 'bind point' of this wouldn't have been the crossdressing secret so much as Kaiba simply being somewhat in shock after realzing that Jonouchi is a girl in the boy's uniform, and not just a really slim boy. (Jonouchi obviously wouldn't crossdress. She'd just be ignored by Kaiba, who could care less about Jou's private life.)
And how would Jou get in Kaiba's house this time around? Simple actually. Kaiba walks in on Jou. (In other words, its out of obligation, but far different than what I went with.)
Can you imagine how weird this would have been? There would have been so much more gender-swapping... Not to mention the awkward-ing there'd be concerning Yugi. ALL THE TIME.
In any case, that's all for now. Enjoy the chapter!