Original Yu-Gi-Oh Series
Parallel
Chapter 056
Originally Written: Thursday, April 28, 2022 1022AM to 1059AM
. . . . .
Zorc watched Yugi's soul. It hovered around Yugi's fallen body, which was carelessly dropped next to Ryou Bakura's. Solomon's body was hidden under the rubble. Yugi danced, fully aware that Zorc could see him. He looked at Zorc as he finished his next routine, and ran his fingers over his lips like he was pulling a zipper.
Zorc stood up, with a smirk on his lips. "Well played, Yugi Moto. We still have four days however."
Yugi gave him the middle finger. Zorc ignored the action and walked out of where the front door of the game shop used to be. A Machine King duel monster followed him. Its heavy steps shook the ground and scared the emergency personnel who watched, unable to do anything.
Zorc found Amane precious hours later, in the basement of the Kaiba Mansion. Seto hung from chains in a cell. Amane stood in the cell, dark blue hair flying behind her as she showered Seto with blast after blast of shadow magic. Her attacks harmlessly bounced off the shield surrounding him.
She growled, "What do you want, Zorc?"
Seto looked at her with aware ice blue eyes and a neutral expression. He was an unnatural iceberg that grew larger and stronger the more water that surrounded it.
"He's not speaking either." Zorc folded his arms behind his head. "The child?"
"I can't touch Mokuba. He's shielding him too." Amane screeched in Seto's face. "You're annoying!"
"I wonder what is driving you?" Seto looked at her, unshaken. "Do you even know what you're asking for? Looking for?"
Amane sent another blast of shadowy darkness at him in response. "Get me my puzzle!"
Zorc watched the energy bounce off harmlessly. He knew Seto Kaiba had nothing to worry about. Amane was stronger than Bakura of the ring, but much weaker than Seto. She stayed away from Ryou because she knew he was stronger than her.
Zorc turned around, and walked away, thinking. "By saying yes, Amane allowed Yugi to initiate the shadow game. If the initiator of a Shadow Game is unable to keep up with the Shadow Game, the other side automatically wins, and the Shadows will take the initiator. Yugi Moto is dead as planned. The game should end."
Another day passed with no progress. Yet the chill remained. The Shadow Game continued. Three days left. Zorc returned to the Kaiba Mansion with Yami Marik and the Millennium Rod. Seto and Yami Marik shared a look that neither Zorc or Amane could read. Zorc let them be. Killing Yami Marik wouldn't help her, and she couldn't kill Seto to begin with. Amane held the Millennium Rod in her grasp. It shined brightly.
Seto's mind remained a fortress. Amane splashed in the moat as arrows rained down around her, and a crocodile showed up on her nine.
Amane gasped and blinked with bleary eyes as the world came back into focus. "...He mind crushed him."
"I told you Pharaoh did." Yami Marik replied.
"You never said what a mind crush did!" Amane snapped. Her dress fluttered as she swirled around to look at him. "All my progress breaking him is gone!"
"Yes I did." Yami Marik folded his arms. "A mind crush shatters the mind and soul."
Zorc agreed. He remembered hearing Yami Marik explain before he headed off to Battle City. Yami Marik believed that was how the Pharaoh managed to turn so many people into his vassals for so many generations.
"Why is he put back together then!?" Amane looked at him in confusion. Amane froze as though listening to a voice in her head. Zorc was certain she was. Her eyes went blank, before a small portion of her hair seemed to shift.
Amane threw the Millennium Rod back to Yami Marik. Yami Marik caught it with a raised eyebrow.
"She wants me to fix this." Amane rolled her eyes. Amane looked at Zorc. "Have you found Joseph Wheeler yet?"
Zorc remained passive. Arms folded behind his back.
"Wheeler?" Yami Marik asked in confusion. "What does he have to do with this, Thief?" He looked at Seto.
Seto looked back at him with a blank look, but Yami Marik saw a level of understanding behind those ice blue eyes.
"Have you found him yet?" Thief King Bakura ignored Yami Marik. "I know you can see and have been speaking to Yugi Moto's soul. I'd rather you not play with me. Neither of us will like the outcome."
Zorc's eyes shifted to look away. "He is traveling by motorcycle. He recently made a gas refill at a station on the outskirts of Domino City. He checked out from the Hotel he was staying at after receiving a call from Arkana, telling him to keep moving. He's heavily armed, and has taken out a few of the duel monsters trailing him with bullets alone."
"Your army can bring him back here." Bakura walked away, his arms folded. The fact his host was wearing a dress didn't seem to bother him, for he walked with the air of a princess who knew how to fend for herself.
Yami Marik followed him, lost and confused. "There's not enough time. It'll take more than three days to go get him, fight him and bring him back."
Bakura ignored him.
A/N: Bakura upset Amane by telling her that 'mind crushing' someone with a strong enough will doesn't stop them from being able to put themselves back together again. No matter the version, Seto Kaiba is certainly strong enough.