A/N: I am sooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry for how long it took me to update this fanfiction!
Jay: Why did it take you so long again?
A/N: I've had masses of homework to do and I'm also making scripts for movies along with getting some props ready.
Lucy: More than that, surely. -_-
A/N: Well, that and I was watching loads of GX videos and there's the fact that I have extra psychology classes on a Wednesday which is hindering me from updating. Also, this has been on my school computer for a few months now and I kept prognosticating with this chapter.
Lucy: Okay!
Jay: LyraKoto doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
A/N: I only own my OCs such as Lucy, James and Nicky or any cards in bold
Lucy: Please review if you'd like to!
Chapter 10- Panik Attack
(James POV)
We had just heard a scream coming from near the middle of the forest. "That voice...! Sounded like Mai. Come on!" Joey shouted and we continued running. We eventually reached a duel arena, Mai was stood at the blue end, and at the other end there was a tall duellist in black with what appeared to be a red hat on, he had long black hair and tan skin, and was dressed in all black.
We rushed into the clearing to see Mai step down from the duelling platform as the man came up from behind her.
"Mai! Are you okay?" Yugi asked.
"Did we miss something?" I queried.
"You're too late!" She shouted as we stopped about ten feet from her.
"Too late for what?" Lucy asked.
"This sideshow freak givin' you a hard time?!" Our blonde friend queried, looking ready to punch the guy.
"That's right, just like Pegasus pays me to do— root out all the duelling filth on this island and dispose of it!" He spoke disgustingly.
"Doesn't that make you a garbage man?" I joked.
"This is no joke! Panik's one of the island's Eliminators, and if you don't get outta here he's gonna do to you what he did to me!" Mai cried.
"Eliminator? What's that, Mai?" Tristan asked
Panik roughly grabbed Mai's right arm, wrenching her shoulder, and holding up her duelling glove. "Look! This is what she means right here! Check out her duellist's glove— not a star chip left!"
"...But that would mean she's been disqualified." Téa winced.
"You're out, Mai?" Yugi asked.
"I am. It all happened so fast! The way Panik duels, I just... lost it." The blonde sadly spoke.
"This isn't right." Lulu was solemn right now with the rest of us.
"Hah! She was one of my easiest victims yet! Hahahahahahahahah!" Panik chuckled, lowering Mai's arm and using it to push her toward them; she cried out and staggered a few feet across the clearing.
"You creep!" Joey attempted to run at Panik; but Bakura, Tristan and I restrained him.
"Move it! There's no excuse for pushin' a girl!" He struggled/
"Calm down, Joey, I know how you feel but that guy's more than twice your size!" The white haired boy protested.
"I can take 'im!" The blond persisted.
Yugi then stepped forward, head bowed. "No, Joey, fists aren't the answer." He blankly stated as we stopped restraining Joey. "Violence won't solve anything. I've dealt with a lot of bullies in my life, and I'm afraid there's only one way to deal with them." Yugi walked further up to Panik.
"Whaddaya mean?" Tristan and Joe queried.
"I think I know." I whispered.
"You have to stand up to them!" Yugi boldly stated as the eye on his millennium puzzle glowed and our spikey haired friend glared at his next opponent.
"But Yugi—" Mai worried.
"Now— let's see you try your intimidation tactics against me, Panik. I don't scare easy, especially when I'm standing up for my friends! So let's duel!"
Panik grabbed Mai by the arm again. "You twerp! I'll eliminate you from the tournament just like I did her! Tell him how I trounced you!"
"Please, Yugi...!" The lady in purple begged Yugi to stop what he was about to do.
"Let her go, Panik! If you're looking to bully someone— try bullying me! Playtime is now over, Panik— it's time to duel!" Yugi pointed at the man twice the size of Joey and then walked over to and stood on the blue side of the duelling platform.
"Alright, Yugi, no problem! Show Panik here how we deal with thugs like him!" Joey cheered.
"Yugi, huh? Must be my lucky day! Pegasus has promised a generous bounty to the Eliminator who defeats you! I wonder- think he'd throw in some extra cash for inflicting bodily harm? Not that I wouldn't do it for free!" Panik laughed.
"Huh. You'd better start thinking of other ways to make money, Panik, because after I get done with you, not only will you be out some star chips but you'll be out of a job!" Our spikey-haired friend threatened.
"Who said I was an Eliminator just for the money, Yugi? I've made enough cash to have retired long ago, but I won't quit, because there's no better thrill than breaking weak duellists like you! So get ready, Yugi— I'm about to take you into a world of hurt!" His opponent explained.
"I won't be bullied by the likes of you, Panik! I play with my heart; that's why I'll always win against your type!" Yug smirked.
"You've never faced my type before. When I'm in a match with someone, there's a lot more to it than sheer duelling strategy."
"Huh? Meaning?" Yugi frowned.
"Panik's ruthless, Yugi! He had me totally terrified!" Mai winced.
"Hahahahaha, that's right, and she's not the first, either! We Eliminators have built our career on stalking weak players like her, and strong-arming them into duelling us! You see, when you're as good as I am, you learn to appreciate the hunt as much as the duel itself! And now I'm gonna take you down just like I did Mai! Huhuhahaha!" The tall man laughed and took his place opposite Yugi on the duel arena.
"Hmph. I see how you work, Panik; sneaking up on unsuspecting duellists because you haven't the courage to challenge them face-to-face!" The main duellist of our group clarified.
"Watch your mouth, you insolent cur!" The eliminator threatened.
"True duellists fight with honour and respect, not the underhanded tactics of a poacher!"
"Rrrgh...!" Panik growled.
"And to prove it, I wager all the star chips I have to win back Mai's!"
"It's a deal! If you win I'll give you all eight of her star chips! The bet makes no difference to me!"
"What do you mean?" Our friend questioned.
"What I mean, little Yugi, is that when you duel against Panik, you're putting much more than just your measly star chips on the line! Much more!" As the bully spoke, he pressed a button on his arena console and leg shackles slid out of panels hidden in Yugi's arena platform which fastened around his ankles. Yugi looked down, surprised, and attempted to struggle. Next, two rotating flamethrower barrels appeared from the corners of Yugi's side of the arena, and began shooting fire at his head. Yugi dodged the first one, then the other, and shielded his face from the fire.
"Yugi!" We all called out in worry to our friend.
"We have to get him outta there!" I decided.
"Hahahahahahahaha! What's the matter, Yugi? Hmm? Can't take the heat? Well get used to it, because you're strapped in for the long haul!" Panik laughed menacingly.
"Turn it off, Panik!" Joey ordered.
"Panik used those on me, too..." Mai whispered.
"Stay strong, Yugi..." Bakura told our friend on the platform, just before the flamethrowers shut off. Yugi looked around and stood up straight again, glaring at Panik.
"I can see the fear growing in your eyes, Yugi! I can hear you quaking in your boots! You're beginning to realize the nightmare you've stepped into! I do believe, you're beginning to panic! Huhuhuhuhuhuh!" The darker duellist chuckled.
"Get a life, you psycho!" Téa ordered.
"Forget this guy, Yug! This wasn't part of the job description!" Lulu yelled.
"Yeah, no joke! Come on! Let's getcha down from there, Yugi, whaddaya say?" T asked.
"Are you finished blowing smoke, Panik?" Yugi questioned, we all gasped at how brave he was being.
"Yugi...!" Téa called out.
"What does he think he's doin'?" Joey asked.
"It will take much more than cheap pyrotechnics to make me lose my cool." Yugi smirked.
"Hahahahahaha! The last time someone had the nerve to talk to me like that, I broke them in half! Now let's duel!"
Panik Life Points- 2000
Yugi Life Points- 2000
"Fight time..." I whispered.
"Seeing how the blaze of my fire didn't faze you, let's turn down the lights. My Castle of Dark Illusions will turn this duel into your darkest hour, Yugi! Its magic shrouds the field with a veil of shadows; and the Castle itself is extra-fortified, thanks to the field power bonus I get from playing it at night!" Panik played the said monster and a dark cloud materialised around his side of the field.
"I'm not afraid of the dark, Panik!" Yugi told his opponent as he stood alone against a sea of darkness.
(Yugi POV)
"Heheheheh! You would be if you only knew, the fearsome nightmares within its shade! The blanket of shadows cast over my entire side of the field make it impossible for you to see the creatures I've summoned, but leaves your entire side exposed, and vulnerable to my attacks! Unnerving, isn't it, Yugi! How the darkness preys on your fears, on your mind, until you're too scared to think, too terrified to fight! Huhuhuhuhahahaha!" The giant laughed.
"Don't listen, Yugi! This is exactly how he threw me off my game!" Mai shouted.
"Now ya tell us?" Joey questioned. I then began to grow nervous as I could only see Panik's eyes glinting in the darkness.
"And if you think you can storm my Castle with the help of a field power bonus of your own, think again! Because just as my shadows block the light from above, they block the field power from the ground below! Only the night grants bonuses here!" He explained.
'Without any idea what's waiting for me in those shadows, I can't risk an attack! I'll just have to play it safe for now.' I thought. "Celtic Guardian, defence mode!" I placed the card on the field.
"Not a very bright idea!" Panik told me as he placed a card on the console that only he could see.
'I can't see what monster he played!' I worried.
"Huhuhuhuh, attack! Dark Grasp of Fury!" Panik's monster's red eyes loomed towards Celtic Guardian, and surrounded by a cloud of shadows, it lunges out of the darkness, tackling Celtic Guardian, and, as we all watched with horror as the thing in the shadows dragged Celtic Guardian into the dark, until he disappeared, struggling, from view. "Our first victim of the night!" My opponent laughed.
"Yugi..." Téa whispered.
"That's cheap!" My best friend commented.
"How do you defend against what you can't see?!" Lucy asked.
"Yeah— or defeat a monster you can't find." Bakura added.
"Anybody got a flashlight?" James kidded, but he too was worried.
"Hahahahahahaha! Even your friends have lost hope for you!"
'I need to get his monsters out of those shadows. But the only way I can do that is by destroying his Castle of Dark Illusions, and with its defence points set at twenty-five-hundred, no card in my deck has an attack power high enough to scratch it, let alone destroy it! Boy, I'm beginning to understand why they call him Panik; the game just started, and I'm already flustered!'
"Play any monster card you like. The creatures within my veil of shadows will consume them all!" The man chuckled.
"Winged Dragon and Guardian of the Fortress, in defence mode." I announced as the blue dragon covered itself with its wings.
"Hahahahaha. This defensive manoeuvring may keep your life points safe from one monster, Yugi, but not two! Hahahahahaha!" Another pair of eyes appeared in the darkness, these ones however were a light blue.
'I hate to admit it, but he's right. Defending alone won't win this duel for me.' I despaired.
"Heheheheheh. You're terrified, aren't you, Yugi! Admit it! All your courage has been devoured by my shadowy fog! Huhuhuhuhuhuhuhuh! Yes! All that's left is a trembling little duellist, powerless to defend himself!"
"So how's Yugi supposed to take this guy out, Mai?" Téa questioned the blonde.
"If I was able to figure that out, we wouldn't be in this situation." She answered.
'There's got to be some way to neutralize Panik's veil of shadows! But it's generated by his Castle of Dark Illusions, and that thing's virtually impregnable! Wait a minute... I may not be able to attack Panik's Castle, but what if I attack the darkness itself? "Guardian of the Fortress, take flight! Fireball attack!" I commanded, Winged Dragon let loose a few fireballs into the shadowy mist. when they struck, they briefly illuminated the monsters: a green and yellow creature with claws, big teeth, and red wings; and a yellow and grey thing with mandibles and an exoskeleton. I could finally see them! "His monsters!" The fire faded, and they returned to the shadows.
"Hahahahah! So you saw my creatures. But I doubt it gives you the foresight to see what's coming next! Dark Grasp of Fury!" My opponent ordered.
I clenched my teeth as Winged Dragon, too, was consumed by the shadows.
"Lights out for your Guardian of the Fortress!"
Panik Life Points- 2000
Yugi Life Points- 1606
"My creatures hungrily eye your remaining life-points, Yugi; and I'll see to it that they feed again quite soon! Has it sunk in yet, wimp? Standing up to a bully leaves you nowhere to go but down!" Panik snickered.
'Down' is right; my life-points are way down; while Panik's haven't even been touched! His shadows have destroyed two of my best monsters, while I still can't see what I'm up against! He's got me outmanoeuvred and overpowered; but I'm still gonna find a way to put that big bully in his place!'
"The night has eyes, Yugi. Hahahahaha— and all of them are on you!"
'As long as Panik's Castle of Dark Illusions shrouds his side of the field with that shadow, it's impossible for me to see any of his monsters. But panicking about it will only make things worse- so I gotta do my best not to let him see me sweat!' I thought, sweat beginning to drop from my cheek.
"Keep struggling, Yugi! Bullying's so much more fun when you resist!" The eliminator coerced.
"Tough talk, Panik, coming from someone who makes all their attacks while hiding in the safety of shadows!" The tall, dark man reached foe the flamethrower button and laughed."
(James POV)
Flames started to erupt from Yugi's side of the duel platform. "Yugi, look out!" We all warned. Our spikey-haired friend managed to dodged the flamethrower, and after a moment it subsided.
"You okay, pal?" Joey and I asked.
(Yugi POV)
"You uppity little cretin! Perhaps you should think twice before you insult someone who can scorch you with the touch of a button, huh? You're afraid, Yugi; you're lost and alone in the dark, and I'm the big bad bogeyman, about to leap out and give you the scare of your life!" My opponent threatened, but I just laughed. "Huh?! If you could see what I have in store for you, you wouldn't be laughing!"
"But that's why I'm laughing. Because I can see. Right through you."
"What?! What are you talking about, you little runt!"
"You are the bogeyman, Panik, scaring children into being afraid of the dark; until they realize the dark is nothing to be afraid of. Like you." I smirked. "Once a person conjures up the confidence not to be fearful of the unknown, they've disarmed the only weapon the dark has!"
"You wish it was that simple you little—
"But it is that simple! I have the card to prove it." I interrupted him mid-sentence, Panik was trying to rattle me but it wouldn't work no matter how hard he tried.
"What card?!" Panik grimaced.
"A card that'll expose you; and lift up that veil of shadows you cower behind!" I grinned.
"What's that?!"
"It's just a little something that'll teach you a tough lesson in broad daylight!" I revealed.
"Hahahahahaha! You almost had me there; but we both know that card's nothing but a big fat bluff! Prove me wrong, Yugi, go ahead! Let's see you give me my tough lesson! Hahahahaha!" He chuckled.
"Hahahahaha, why should I show you my card after you've gone to such lengths to keep yours in the dark?"
"I think you're stalling." The eliminator blinked.
"You don't trust me, Panik? Believe it or not, not all duellists are lying dogs like you! And to prove it, I'll show you; after all, I wouldn't want you thinking I was some kind of liar."
"Show me!" He ordered.
"Ready, Panik? Here it is- the Swords of Revealing Light!" I complied.
"Huh?! Revealing light...?"
"The blinding magic of the "Swords of Revealing Light" not only stops all enemy monsters from attacking for three full turns, but it bathes the entire field in a light so luminous, that even your lurking shadow creatures will be exposed! Soon, Panik, the monsters in your dark empire will have nowhere to hide! But rather than play it now, I'll take a page from your book, and let you worry about when and how I'll use it, just like you do with the monsters you hide in the dark. You're going down in five turns. Five turns, Panik- then my monsters will finish you off! Curse of Dragon! Defensive mode!" The yellow dragon appeared and curled its tail up so that the tip was near its head. "And of course... the card that will make you see the light!" I placed a card face-down in order to taunt the opponent. "Your five turns start now, Panik; it's your move." My opponent just stood there however, hesitating. "What's the matter, Panik? Has bullying lost its thrill?
"I'll teach you about loss, just you wait!" He drew the top card from his deck. "I must say, it was quite a daring move to illuminate me with the presence of that card, little Yugi! But it was a critical mistake to leave it on the field completely exposed!" Pegasus' eliminator giggled. In truth though, I was the one that should have been laughing, and I was. I never flinched once, and didn't smile to give myself or my plan away.
"If you thought idle cards were safe from attacks, you're dead wrong! Reaper of the Cards!"
"The Reaper?!" I gasped.
"When the Reaper is summoned, all magic cards hear the ghostly toll of doom! He'll be sending your Revealing Light card to the discard graveyard, leaving you defenceless! Reaper, attack!"
The Grim Reaper floated menacingly over to my side of the field, bringing its scythe down on my face-down. Joey gasps, and Téa looks away, unable to watch. The scythe descends further...)
"Your fate belongs to me now, Yugi!"
My poker face was perfect!
"Call of the Graveyard!" Panik bellowed out the name of his monster's ability. Once the reaper's scythe reached my face-down however, it stopped. My friends and Mai gasped from the thick tension in the air. "Heheheheh-huh?! What's going on?" The tip of the scythe was a mere inch away from my card, and a warning message flashed on the field, signalling that Panik should be worrying. "It can't finish its attack! It should've destroyed your card! The "Swords of Revealing Light"!"
"I said my "Swords of Revealing Light" is the card that would illuminate your monsters; I never said it was the one I placed on the field, you just assumed that." I explained.
"But if that's not—"
"The card I placed on the field was a different card. The "Spellbinding Circle", a trap card." I revealed, and the reaper became encircled within the ancient power of my trap.
"A trap- caaaaard!" Panik panicked.
"Yes, a trap card that ensnares your Reaper, stopping him dead in his tracks. Encircling him in a magical prison!" The Reaper was trapped in a magical circle with a seal inside it made of overlapping triangle patterns. It struggled, but could barely move an inch. I looked down at it calmly. "In Duel Monsters one must be wary of the Reaper of the Cards, and its ability to send magic cards to the discard pile. I figured that you probably had one stalking around in your deck somewhere. But now that he's frozen, unable to damage my deck, I'm free to lay whatever magic cards I want on the field."
"How dare you! You fooled me!" The giant bellowed.
"Hmph! You fooled yourself, Panik! And wasted quite a powerful card, too. But now that the coast is clear... I'll really lay my Swords of Revealing Light!" I looked at my card and then placed it on the field, Panik was gritting his teeth in utter fury. "And a second magic card— both, facedown."
"Face-down?! Why?!" Panik questioned.
"Now what's up?" Lucy and Jay asked
"I don't know... but I bet we're going to find out soon enough." Bakura guessed.
"So what? You captured my Reaper— but he's only one of my powerful monsters! The ones that remain will destroy you!" My opponent threatened.
"Getting nervous, Panik?" I confidently asked, and the addressed duellist only growled. "I may have yet to launch an effective attack against you and your night creatures, but that will all change very soon." I warned.
"Ridiculous; what are you talking about?" The tall man laughed.
"You know what I'm talking about! I made you a promise that in five turns I would teach you a lesson that you would never forget, and I intend to make good." I reminded him, holding up four fingers. "You only have four turns left, Panik; four more turns, before I drag you from your shadows and show you up for the bully that you truly are!"
"You dolt— have you forgotten whom you face here?!" Panik struck a butoon on his console forcefully, jets of flames shot into the air either side of me. "I am Panik— the Eliminator!" The light of the fire was menacingly casting shadows on me face.
"Is that supposed to scare me, or are you running scared?" I replied fearlessly.
"Rrrgh..." The opponent's eyes twitched with fury
"Yugi's playing with fire; I sure hope he knows what he's doing!" Téa trusted.
"Yeah— this Panik nut-job is playin' for keeps." And Joey certainly wasn't kidding when he said that.
"Oh, yeah. Panik enjoys breaking people down. Making them sweat, watching them squirm, for him... duelling is just an excuse to practice his cruelty!" The blonde lady added.
"You can't stall forever. Sooner or later you'll have to make your move." I mentioned.
Panik was shaking with fury as he drew his next card. He didn't know how to deal with being talked back to. "Siilennce...!" He screamed, looking at the card, liking what he had drawn. "Hahahahahahahahahahaha! This beast will win the entire match for me! King of Yamimakai! But don't take my word for it..." The opponent's new monster appeared, briefly visible before being cloaked by darkness. "Powered up with the field power bonus that all my monsters get from the night, my King of Yamimakai is far more powerful than your pitiful creature! King of Yamimakai, destroy his Curse of Dragon!" Yamimaki attacked, black lightning sparking between his claws "Electroshock attack!" Panik declared, his monster launching a sparking black ball of lightning which was sent toward my side of the field. I only laughed as it began to dissipate. "What?! It's veering away! Instead of destroying Yugi's Curse of Dragon, it's attacking my Reaper of the Cards!" And with that, the Reaper of the Cards was vanquished.
"Hmm! Your Reaper of the Cards is destroyed!"
"All right! Panik messed up!" My friends all cheered.
"Nooo! My life-points! Curse you, and your Spellbinding Circle! Its light drew in my energy blast, and destroyed my precious monster!"
"They don't do well, when they dare step out of the darkness! Now let's bring all of your monsters into the light!" I smirked. "I dispel all your darkness, with the Swords of Revealing Light!" The projectors at each corner of the field shoots a beam of light to the centre, creating a blinding flash above the field. Slowly the shadowy mist created by Panik's Castle of Dark Illusions evaporated...
"Stop! Stop it! I can't stand the light!" Panik begged. The beams of light solidified into glowing swords, floating in the air, trapping Panik's monsters as effectively as prison bars, in full view.
"Your monsters are revealed!"
"Hah! No one keeps Yugi in the dark!" T laughed as the screen on my console that shows his opponent's side of the field was no longer shrouded by darkness.
"Even Panik's cards are revealed now!" Téa called.
"No more hiding, Panik! Your darkness will shield you no longer. Three turns left, and then you're finished. I didn't use the Swords just to illuminate your monsters. It also causes all of your monsters on the field to be frozen for three turns, starting right now. That means, you can't make any attack while I implement my strategy." There were a few minutes of silence. "You're stalling, Panik. Afraid to draw your next card?"
"Huh? Heheheheheheh... and this is the card to do it! Yugi— you can forget your foolish delusion of defeating me in just three turns! I've drawn a Chaos Shield card!"
"Oh, no; that effects all the monsters on the field. It puts them all in defense mode and raises their defense points!" James pointed out.
"You're thinking too small, you fool! Or don't you realize that I can combine my Chaos Shield with my Castle of Dark Illusions!"
"This is bad!" Lucy and Mai both shouted.
"With this combination, I can project a defensive shield over my entire area!" A shimmering barrier descends from the Castle of Dark Illusions like a translucent curtain.
"Now Yugi can't get anywhere near his monsters!" Jay explained.
"What's that mean?" Téa queried.
"Panik's untouchable while Yugi's a sitting duck!" Mai explained.
"Hah! As long as the Chaos Shield is in place, your monsters can't touch me! Do you still think you can defeat me in three turns, you impudent shrimp! Admit defeat now! You can see how the Chaos Shield raises the defense points of my monsters!"
'He's right. That shield protects against any possible attacks, even from my strongest monsters.' I contemplated. Panik only laughed.
"Mmm... I hate to say it... but Yugi really doesn't stand a chance. Breaking duellists is what Panik does for a living. Panik is brutal, ruthless, everything the ultimate duellist needs to be."
"Mai, you've become so cynical about Duel Monsters. And you don't understand Yugi at all, really. There's much more to him than meets the eye." James explained to the young blonde.
"Jay, Yugi can win this, right?" Joe asked.
"Ugh. Man, I wish I could tell you! But after the way Panik beat Mai, I got no idea what Yugi's chances are." The addressed duellist clarified.
"Uuugh, give up! Admit defeat! I'm going to crack you like an egg!"
"You'd like me to crack, wouldn't you, Panik; because it's worked for you before. Winning through intimidation, not through skill."
"You mock my skill?! My skill is what's defeating you!"
"Don't be so sure."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Hmph! You think you're winning, that your tactics are taking me by surprise. But I saw your strategy the minute I saw what kind of man you are." I had perceived Panik's true persona from the start, and he knew it.
"You're talking nonsense!"
"I knew you would use Chaos Shield. Cowardly bullies like you always try to hide behind something."
"Shut up! I'm in no way a coward and I never try to hide behind anything!" Panik added.
"Your whole strategy is nothing but hiding and cowering."
"Uuuuuuugggghhhhh..." My opposition growled as he opened a control panel on his console and dialled the flamethrowers up to maximum. "You dare to call me a coward?!" The flamethrower on my left aimed directly at me, as did the one on the right. "You. Insignificant. Little. Worm!" Panik raised his fist, ready to slam it down. "No one talks to me that way! I am Panik, the Eliminator!" Panik smashed his fist on the button and each flamethrower let loose a jet of flames. The spectators gasp. I leant back slightly, never even turning my head, and the flames shot right past. Panik was leaning over his console, winded from his outburst.
"Are you finished?! Or are you going to continue to hide behind your bluster and battlements, like a big coward?" My tone was impatient at Panik's outburst; despite the danger, I still provoked him, ash and embers floating past my face from the breeze.
"Rrrrrrrgggggghhhh...!"
"The truth hurts, doesn't it, Panik? Facing up to your true self is usually more than bullies like you can bear, so you hide in the shadows."
"You will taunt me no longer!"
"Yugi, he's dangerous! You've just gotta stop stirring him up!" Téa told me.
"Don't interfere." Mai stopped her. "Yugi's just using Panik's own tactics against him. It's psyche-out warfare." Lucy and the boys looked at Joey, who was nodding in agreement.
"I will burn you to a cinder!" The giant warned.
"That would prove you're a coward! If you're not afraid, then you should stop hiding and play this game with honor— Or I will rip your pathetic fearsome façade away!" I continued to apply pressure.
"You bluff!"
"There's only one way you'll know for sure; play out this game." I ordered, wanting the match to continue so I could prove to everyone how cowardly Panik really was. "After all, we'll know— in two turns."
"Can you last? Just two turns! Do you have the courage?
"Do I have the courage! Rrrghhh, Panik fears no duellist! I will crush your spirit, and wipe out your life-points!" Panik growled, almost having a breakdown.
"Boy, Yugi really shook Panik up. Psychology is half the game." Mai pointed out.
"And now, it's my turn..." I drew my card. "And my card is Gaia, the Fierce Knight!"
"Idiot! Do you really think a monster with attack power that weak can break through my Chaos Shield?!"
"Maybe not by himself, but I also have a magic card. Read it and weep!" I flipped my face-down.
"Polymerization?!"
"And with this card... I combine them to create, Gaia the Dragon Champion!" My two creatures fused together, creating one of the monsters I had used to defeat Weevil with. "Now, my combo creature's attack power is raised to twenty-six-hundred!"
"The Dragon Champion...?!"
"My turn's over; but you're finished as well." I announced, as Panik went to draw.
"Hm! Ah, perfect! Metal Guardian in defense mode! He will further shield my creatures, and the field power bonus raises his defense power to twenty-seven ninety-five! With him on guard, any attack against my monsters is totally impossible!" He explained.
"Hmph. It figures; you're cowering again."
"Insolent dog!" Panik named me.
"Your strategy is nothing but putting up defences. You're showing how weak you are!"
"Silence! In the next turn the Swords of Light will be extinguished! Then I'll hit you with everything at once!" The dark giant called.
"It'll be too late. I've already led you deep into my trap." I revealed.
"What?!"
(James POV.)
We continued to watch Yugi aggravate Panik. Even though they were still conversing, the tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife.
"The stronger you make your defences, the more you lock yourself into defeat." Our spikey-haired friend continued to talk to and stress his opponent.
"That's a joke! You're nothing but talk!" The tyrant bully spoke back.
"The time for talk is over." Yugi held up a finger. "That was your last turn. Hah! The end is now!" He revealed a card from his hand. I recognised it to be the monster card Catapult Turtle. "Catapult Turtle!" Gaia the Dragon Champion then flew out of the way to allow Catapult Turtle to take to the field. It was a massive metal turtle with a launching rail mounted on its back. "Slow and steady wins the duel, Panik, for I can use the Turtle's catapult to launch my Dragon Champion, and shatter your defences!"
Panik started to panic.
"Catapult launch raises Gaia, the Dragon Champion's attack power all the way up— to 3200! You weren't expecting that, were you." Yugi smiled as Gaia settled onto the launching rail, and the catapult aimed upward.
"My monsters' defense power is still much too strong for you. Ha! Protected as they are by the Chaos Shield, you still can't touch them! You can only watch helplessly as they prepare to assault you next turn! Hahahahah!" The tall man began to bellow.
"Who said anything about attacking your monsters? What I'm attacking is— the Castle!" Yug announced.
"You fool! My Castle is still unassailable! Its walls are still invincible to any of your attacks! So I won't take any damage at all!" Panik mentioned.
However, the reckless look on Yugi's face came through as he sets his sights on the Castle, clearly planning to test the assumption we both had. "We'll see about that! Turtle, catapult-launch my Dragon Champion!"
The dragon was pushed up the rail, picking up speed. It flew off the end of the rail, straight for the Castle of Dark Illusions. Curse of Dragon shrieked, Gaia then raised one of his twin lances and aimed straight for the tower; both seemed to become a meteor as they collided head-on with the centre of the Castle with an explosion. We all shielded our eyes, groaning; the point of impact shining as bright as the sun.
Yugi watches silently, awaiting the outcome of his play as the light began to fade away
Panik Life-Points- 2000
Yugi Life-Points- 1606— 300
"Whoa, Yugi flushed a lotta points with that manoeuver!" Tristan noticed.
"Ahh! He sacrificed his Dragon Champion!" Joey panicked.
"That's an awfully big loss, both in monsters and life-points." Bakura mentioned.
"Right! And if this attack doesn't bring down that Castle, then next turn Panik will wipe out the rest a' Yugi's life-points!" Lucy explained.
"I hope this works." Bakura wished as Mai watched tensely.
"It will…" I whispered, only Lucy noticing what I had said. I smiled at her.
"I can't see a thing... wait..." Téa paused as the dust began to clear, and the ring of turrets around the Castle cracked off; the rest is still there.
"No! It's still floating!" Lucy gasped.
Panik laughed a deep and terrorising laugh.
"The castle survived!"
"Fool! For all your threats, my Castle is still unharmed! Your worthless attack simply knocked its flotation ring off! And now that your attack has failed, I'll eliminate you once and for all!" Panik pointed his finger at Yugi, who despite the situation, knew what he was doing. "Hahahahahahah! It's been five turns and I'm still standing, Yugi! My monsters are still contained and protected within the Chaos Shield. When this turn is over, the paralyzing effects of your Swords of Revealing Light will vanish! Then on my turn I'll attack you will all of my monsters, and wipe you out forever!" The giant revealed
"Mmm. There is no 'next turn' for you. This duel has already ended." Yugi smiled.
"It's not over!" Panik mentioned.
"Doesn't it seem strange to you that a castle that's lost its flotation ring is somehow still floating?"I asked.
"Huh...?" He looked at me, then back to Yugi.
"What if the Swords of Revealing Light had locked in place not only your monsters, but your castle as well! Then, what would happen next?" The Swords flickered in place, ominously hinting at what would happen.
"It... can't be...!" He gulped.
"Can it...?" Mai queried, wondering if what she believed was coming true.
"Right now, the only thing holding up your castle are the Swords of Revealing Light and when this turn ends, each and every Sword will vanish."
"Wha...! That means...!"
"It's over! And now your world's about to come tumbling down!" Our friend announced.
"Waaaah! No! No one defeats Panik!"
Yugi raised a thumb, then turned it down towards his feet. "My turn... is over." The Swords of Revealing Light vanished; and the Castle began falling— straight down.
"Run, monsters! Get out of the way!" Panik ordered his creatures.
"It's no good; the Chaos Shield is preventing them from running anywhere. You've trapped them all inside." I informed him.
"Whaaa!" He screamed, His doomed monsters clawing against the Chaos Shield, as the rock spikes on the underside of the Castle slowly descended, crushing them.
As the Castle crashed to the ground, it shrouds the whole field in dust.
Panik Life-Points – 2000 – 0
Yugi Life-Points – 300
"Uuuuuggggghhhhhh...!" He screamed.
"He won!" The girls both cheered.
"An' Panik's not takin' it well!" Joe smiled.
"I'll say— Panik's having a panic attack!" I announced.
"Nobody— beats Panik—! Nobody!" Yugi's opponent growled, looking over at Yugi and standing tall. Suddenly, he raised his fist and shouted; at this point he was losing it entirely. "I may not have defeated you, Yugi! But I can still eliminate you!" He brought down the fist and smashed the flamethrower control.
"Yugi!" We all called out for our friend.
Both of the side flamethrowers went nuts, and in addition there was a whole line of them behind Yugi's podium, completely surrounding him, his feet still cuffed to the platform.
"He's trapped by the fire, and he can't escape!" Joey gasped.
"We'll see who's the coward now!" Panik menacingly growled, two more flamethrowers appearing on the front of Panik's podium, shooting fire straight at Yugi. "Fire!" The Millennium Puzzle then began to glow, as brightly as the flames, and a small, glittering eye showed up on Yugi's forehead. Yugi hasn't so much as flinched, hasn't so much as blinked; he faced down the firestorm utterly without fear.
"Yugi's going to be fried to a crisp!" I panicked. For a split second, the fire seemed to smash against an invisible wall about a foot away from Yugi.
"Yugi!" Téa called out for our friend.
"Jump out of the way!" Bakura called out as more flamethrowers kicked in, forcing us all to jump back or be scorched and obscuring Yugi from view. Lucy was paralysed with fear, but I managed to dive over to her in time to protect her. The entire arena had become a towering cyclone of fire.
(Yugi POV.)
In the centre of the cyclone, I was still standing across from Panik, atop opposite podia. "You... survived...! How can this be?! It's impossible!" Panik slowly said.
"My Millennium Puzzle protects me from your cowardly assault." I enlightened him. The towering duellist started to back up, and hit the safety bar at the back of the pillar. "But nothing will protect you from... OBLIVION!" I yelled, extending a hand, and exerting some sort of power. Panik shattered as though made of two-dimensional glass. He shouted once in agony. The flames around the field then finally dissipated. The night was once again peaceful and quiet. My duelling podium lowers me to the ground, and I walked over to my friends. The arena showing only a few scorch marks.
"Yugi, you were incredible!" Téa congratulated me on my victory.
"Your Millennium Puzzle has more power than we thought." Tristan realised.
"Not only did it protect Yugi, but it also saved all of us from the flames too!" My best friend explained.
I walked past my buddies, all of them standing aside for me— I approached Mai, who had stayed back.
"Yugi... I don't know what to say..." The duellist paused.
"Here. These star chips are yours." I offered her the handful of star chips; the full eight she had lost to Panik. She looked down at them, uneasy.
"Uh..." She hesitated.
"They're yours. Take them." I extended my hand to her further.
"Go on." Téa furthered.
"I'm sorry, but I can't accept them. I fight my own battles!" Mai declined.
"Mai, Yugi duelled for you. He risked his life for you in that duel." Lucy told the blonde.
"I-I know, but..."
Joey then laughed and walked over to the two of us.) "There's no point in arguin'; she's way too thick-headed. Heh...!" He laughed, grabbing the star chips out of my hand. "But, if she'd rather be booted off the island— I'll take 'em!" He grinned and laughed in Mai's face.
"Rrrrgh, you think me losing all my star chips is funny, Joey Wheeler?!" She growled.
"Heheh, I thought ya didn't want 'em, Mai." He laughed.
Mai reaches for them and Joey tauntingly held them out of reach, laughing even more than before. "Ugh! Give 'em back!" She jumped.
Joey then slapped the star chips into the hand she raised to grab them away from him, in a high-five. "Of course you can have 'em. They're yours."
The blonde woman looked at the star chips in her hand, completely mystified. "Uh... really, Joey...?"
"Didn't you learn anything from this duel? You can't always keep your defences up, 'cause they'll just get between you, an' the other people who're tryin' to be your friends. So can't ya let your shield down? Just this... one time?" Joey asked with a smile as Mai finally smiled. "Ha! I'm such a sensitiiiiive guy!"
Tristan smiled and turned to leave. "Haha, yeah— when you're not being a pain."
"Which is most of the time..." Téa furthered and we all laughed.
"Ah, my adorin' fans!" Joey sighed as we all began to walk away.
"Yugi, wait!" Mai called out to us. "I'll repay you for what you did today. You're the one who won these, so far as I'm concerned I still owe you. More... than I've ever owed anyone. And when we finally do face each other in a duel, it'll be an honourable one!"
"Sounds good." Téa smiled.
"Yes; an honourable one." I answered solemnly, but when we turned away and keeps walking, I smiled proudly. "That's a duel I'd look forward to, Mai."
A/N: Again, I'm incredibly sorry for how late this was. The whole chapter was on my school computer and I had to use my free lessons to write the thing up. I also forgot to mention that for this fanfiction, I am using scripts from a website called "Mykland" where a very kind person has written scripts for some of the Yu-Gi-Oh! episodes (they are missing a lot of episodes, but I should be able to create scripts for those myself.) I don't know when the next chapter will be up. It depends on how long it is- hopefully not too long. I hope you enjoyed, and if you want to, you can submit a review, thanks,
LyraKoto