Wolfie: I don't own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh. All I own is Yuki and all changes I make to the plot in order to add her into the events of the canon show. Now please read, review, and I hope you like the book so far.
Chapter 22: The Light at the End of the Tunnel
"Huh? What's going on?" Yugi asked sleepily as the female scream had woken him up.
"That voice! Sounded like Mai. Come on!" Joey urged as he started rushing towards the source of the scream.
"C'mon little bro, Mai might be in trouble." Yuki explained to her tiered brother as she picked him up and rushed after Joey and the rest of her friends.
"Oh." Yugi mumbled as he yawned slightly and slowly began to wake up as his sister carried him.
No matter how fast any of them had ran they still got there just when a defeated looking Mai was coming down from her dueling platform. Beside her stool a cruel extremely tall trench coat and bandanna wearing male with two huge dueling gauntlets on his hands. The man, who called himself Panik, ended up interrupting Mai's explanation of an eliminator to a confused Yuki. Doing so by holding up her arm by force to show off her dueling glove, showing off its lack of star chips that it had before she went on her walk. Panik then proceeded to gloat and literally push Mai around, which is something that Joey didn't take kindly to. Honestly if it weren't for the fact that Tristan and Bakura held him back he may have gotten into a fist fight he can't win.
"You creep! Move it! There's no excuse for pushing a girl." Joey said, even though Mai annoys him he wasn't going to sit by and let her get pushed and belittled.
"Calm down, Joey. I know how you feel, but that guy's more than twice your size." Bakura said in an attempt to reason with Joey but said blonde was not listening.
"I can take him." Joey insisted as he stared at Panik fiercely with gritted teeth.
"No, fisticuffs isn't the answer, Joey. Violence won't help the situation." Yuki said causing her friends and brother to look at her as she hangs her head slightly. "Trust me, I've dealt with alota bullies over the years, and sadly there's only one way to deal with them." She said as she started walking towards Panik, her head still hung slightly.
"Big sis?" Yugi asked in confusion and concern as he watched her, having been put down when Yuki stopped running.
"What do you mean?" Joey asked also confused as Tristan and Bakers stopped holding him back as they continued to watch Yuki.
"You got to stand up to assholes like them! And in this situation, there's only one way to do it." Yuki said as her Millennium Puzzle glowed and pulsates as she transforms into Yami Yuki again.
"But, Yuki-." Mai started to protest, not wanting to be some charity case.
"Well, creepy mc'ugly face, let's see ya try your intimidation tactics on me. I'm not one who's easily scared, especially when I'm defending my friends, so let's duel!" Yami Yuki said, basically challenging Panik to scare her which he did not like at all.
"You twerp, I'll eliminate you from the tournament just like I did her! Tell her how I trounced you!" Panik ordered as he once again held up Mai's arm against her will to show off her lack of star chips.
"Please, Yuki." Mai pleaded, not wanting someone to also get eliminated from the tournament for trying to avenge her.
"Get your hands off her, Panik! If you're looking for someone to bully, try and bully me." Yami Yuki challenged yet again as Panik chuckled with a demented grin on his face. "Because playtime is over, and it's time to duel!" She declared as that was certainly enough to make Panik agree.
With her mind made up Yami Yuki handed over her bag to Yugi and got up on the blue dueling platform. Her arms crossed and a cold look on her face as she looked across the field at Panik. Who, now that he knows her name both because of Mai and Joey, was talking about how there's a bounty out for her defeat. The big burly eliminator also wondering if he could get extra cash for causing her bodily harm. This didn't faze Yami Yuki as she simply told Panik he may need to find a new line of work after she's done with him. However he revealed he already had enough money and was now just in it for the thrill of breaking duelists. Then he actually had the audacity to call her a weak duelist when he's only heard about her and has never even met her till now. Once again hough Yami Yuki was not fazed by the likes of Panik the eliminator or his seemingly empty threats.
"I won't be intimidated or bullied by someone like you, Panik. I play this game with my heart- I have people I am fighting for, that's why I'll always be victorious against your type of people." Yami Yuki said as her heterochromic eyes narrowed in fierce determination as she looked at Panik.
"You've never faced my type before. When I'm in a match with someone, there's alot more to it than sheer dueling strategy." Panik stated as there seemed to be a double meaning to what he was saying to Yami Yuki.
"Meaning what exactly?" Yami Yuki asked with a raised eyebrow, wondering what Panik was hinting at.
"Panik's ruthless, Yuki. He had me totally terrified!" Mai called out, obviously still shaken up after what went down in her duel with Panik.
"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 dueling 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! Ha ha ha ha!" Panik exclaimed with a laugh, overconfident just like most of the people who have gone up against Yami Yuki during this tournament.
"Now I see how you operate, Panik- sneaking up on innocent and unsuspecting duelists because you don't have the balls to challenge them face-to-face!" Yami Yuki deduced as that didn't seem to sit well with Panik at all.
"Watch your mouth, you insolent cur!" Panik snapped as he wasn't going to have some 16, almost 17, year old brat insult him like that.
"Real duelists duel with honor and respect, not the underhanded cowardly ways of a poacher." Yami Yuki said, continuing to piss Panik off with every word she says as he growls through gritted teeth. "And to prove it, I'm wagering all of my star chips in order to win back Mai's." She stated as she held up her dueling glove to show off all her own star chips.
"It's a deal. If you win, I'll give you all 8 of her star chips. The bet makes no difference to me." Panik said as he held up his own dueling glove with its double rows of star chips, once again having a double meaning to what he's saying.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Yami Yuki asked as these double meanings were both confusing her and pissing her off.
"What I mean, little Yuki, is that when you duel against Panik, you're putting much more than just your measly star chips on the line- much more! Ha ha ha!" Panik exclaimed with a cackle as he pressed a hidden button on his dueling dashboard, causing robot arms to come out and clamp anklets on Yami Yuki. Holding her in place on the platform as flame throwers came out on her side of the field and shot streams of fire at her!
"Wha? Aah!" Yami Yuki yelled as she had to lean out of the way of each stream of fire in order to protect herself.
"Yuki!" Tea called out in worry as none of them could see Yami Yuki past the streams of fire.
"Big sis!" Yugi called out as well, also very worried for his sister as he held onto her bag.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Panik laughed at Yami Yuki's predicament as said female glared at him.
"Yuki!" Tea called out again, wanting to get some kind of answer from her friend.
"We gotta get her outta there!" Joey exclaimed since he didn't want the girl that he thought of as a sister getting burned alive.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! What's the matter, Yuki, hmm? Can't take the heat? Well, get used to it, because you're strapped in for the long haul." Panik explained tauntingly as he pointed at Yami Yuki, who was more concerned with not getting burnt than listening to him.
"Turn it off, Panik!" Joey shouted as there was no way this was going to be a fair or safe duel.
"Panik used those on me, too." Mai uttered shakily as she stared wide eyed at the all too familiar flames.
"Stay strong, Yuki." Bakura muttered as he looked at the flames that are around where Yami Yuki is as she groaned at the heat before the flames finally stopped.
"I can see the fear growing in your eyes, Yuki. I can hear you quaking in your boots! You're beginning to realize the nightmare you stepped into! I do believe you are beginning to panic!" Panik exclaimed as he started laughing like a maniac yet again at what he had said.
"Get a life, you psycho!" Tea snapped since she didn't think that this was funny at all.
"Forget this guy, Yu. This wasn't part of the job description." Joey said since none of them expected to be dueling against a psychopath at night when they came to this tournament.
"Yeah, no joke. Come on, let's get you down Yuki, what do you say?" Tristan offered but was promptly ignored as Yami Yuki actually smiled!
"You done blowing smoke, Panik?" Yami Yuki asked curiously as she continues to smile as everyone gasps.
"Yuki!" Tea hissed out in warning since Panik is one button push away from burning her.
"Big sis be careful!" Yugi warned as he doesn't want to lose his big sister, in fact he didn't think he'd be able to handle it if that happened.
"What's she think she's doing?" Joey asked as he was wondering what was running through Yami Yuki's head right now.
"Honestly it'll take alot more than cheap pyrotechnics and idle threats to make me lose my cool." Yami Yuki said as she was still smiling, showing that she is undeterred despite what had just happened.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! The last time someone had the nerve to talk to me like that, I broke them in half! Now, lets duel!" Panik growled out as they both put their decks down on the deck space as the duel officially started.
Panik: 2,000 Yuki: 2,000
"Fight time." Joey breathed out as now all they can do is sit by and watch the duel.
'Yuki's good, but she's never faced an eliminator before. Once Panik gets inside her head it's all over!' Mai thought as she watched Yami Yuki and panik both draw their starting hands for the duel.
"Seeing how the blaze of my fire didn't phase you, let's turn down the lights." Panik said as he placed a card face up in defense mode on the field. "My Castle of Dark Illusions will turn this duel into your darkest hour, Yuki. 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!" He exclaimed as a floating stone castle appeared and its 920 attack and 1930 defense rose to 1,196 and 2,509.
"Cute, but I'm not afraid of the dark, Panik." Yami Yuki said as a veil of darkness began to cover Panik's side of the field.
"You would be if you only knew the fearsome nightmare within its shade! The blanket of shadows cast over my entire side of the field making it impossible for you to see the creatures I summon but leaves your entire side exposed and vulnerable to my attacks." Panik explained as his entire side became pitch black and then the screen showing his cards on Yami Yuki's dashboard turned black to! "Unnerving, isn't it, Yuki, how the darkness preys on your fears, on your mind until you're too scared to think, too terrified to fight!" He continued with a sinister laugh as the only thing anyone could see was part of the castle floating high above the darkness.
"Don't listen, Yuki! This is exactly how he threw me off my game!" Mai warned but it was a little too late for that since Panik had already played the card.
"Now you tell us?" Joey asked as him and Tea looked at Mai as it was a bit annoying that she was telling them things too late.
"Maybe try warning Yuki before Panik plays a move he used against you. My sister's not a mind reader." Yugi said as he gave Mai a slightly annoyed look because her fear was making her wait to say anything till it's too late.
"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 blocked the field power from the ground below. Only the night grants bonuses here." Panik said as he stared at Yami Yuki through the veil of darkness that hid him and any of his future monsters from view.
'Without knowing what's hidden in those shadows, I'll have to be careful, nor can I risk an attack. I'll just have to play it safe and go on the defensive for now.' Yami Yuki thought as she as she placed a card face up in defense mode on the field. "Celtic Guardian, in defense mode!" She said as her elven swordsman appeared on the field in a defense position with only 1,400 attack and 1,200 defense points.
"Not a very bright idea." Panik said as he placed a monster on the field in attack mode that was unknown to everyone but him.
'Damnit, I can't see the monster he just played.' Yami Yuki thought in annoyance as her heterochromic eyes squinted so she could attempt to see the monster.
"Ha ha ha ha! Attack! Dark Grasp of Fury!" Panik exclaimed as all Yami Yuki could see was a pair of glowing red eyes as the monster, still shrouded in darkness, rushed forward and attacked. Pulling a struggling Celtic Guardian into the darkness with it before destroying him. "Our first victim of the night." He said happily despite the fact that his opponent didn't lose any life points because of the attack.
"Yuki." Tea said softly, it wasn't even 5 minutes into the duel and already her friend has lost a monster.
"That's cheap. How do you defend against what you can't see?" Joey asked because this didn't seem like a very fair field power bonus.
"Jerk! Why don't you come out of the shadows and fight like a man!" Yugi shouted in annoyance at the fact that Panik was basically cheating.
"Yeah, or defeat a monster you can't find." Bakura added as he also didn't think that this was a very fair set up for a duel.
"Hmm. Anybody got a flashlight?" Tristan asked as if having one on hand would actually help the current situation.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Even your friends have lost hope for you." Panik taunted with his usual crazed smile still on his face.
'I have to find some way to get his monsters out of the shadows. But the only way I can think of doing that is destroying his Castle of Dark Illusions, and with its defense points at 2,500, the only card I can think of that's in my deck with a high enough attack power to even scratch it, let alone take it down is my Blue Eyes White Dragon.' Yami Yuki thought whilst looking down at the remaining cards in her hand with a thoughtful frown. 'And that's somewhere in my deck, and at this rate I may barely have a chance to draw it. Fuck, now I'm starting to see why they call him Panik! This duel just started, and already I'm scrambling for a plan!' She thought with a frown as she was starting to get really frustrated with herself right now.
"Play any monster card you like. The creatures within my veil of shadows will consume them all!" Panik said as he liked to think that Yami Yuki was already losing hope of winning this duel.
"Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress in defense mode." Yami Yuki said as she put the card in play as the blue dragon appeared on the field in defense mode.
"Ha ha ha. This defensive maneuvering may keep your life points safe from one monster, Yuki... but not two! Ha ha ha ha!" Panik explained with a cackle as he put a new monster in play that was unknown to all but him as it growled.
'Hate to admit it, but he's actually right. Only defending won't help me win this duel.' Yami Yuki thought with gritted teeth as all she could see in the darkness was two pairs of glowing eyes.
"Ha ha ha! You're terrified, aren't you, Yuki? Admit it! All your courage has been devoured by my shadowy fog! Ha ha ha ha! Yes. All that's left is a trembling little duelist, powerless to defend herself." Panik taunted yet again as Yami Yuki had a poker face on to hide just how frustrated she was starting to be.
"Will this guy ever shut up and stop laughing?" Yugi asked with a frown as they couldn't even se Panik from where their standing but he received no answer.
"How's Yuki supposed to take this guy out, Mai?" Tea asked, hoping that maybe the other female would have some kind of helpful answer.
"if I was able to figure that out, we wouldn't be in this situation." Mai said, being as unhelpful as ever as she couldn't tear her eyes away from the dueling field.
'There's really gotta be some kind of way to at least get rid of that veil of shadows hiding panik's part of the field. However it's coming directly from his Castle of Dark Illusions, and right now that thing's practically impregnable!' Yami Yuki thought as there was no way she'd be able to take out the castle. 'Hold the phone! I might not be able to destroy Panik's castle, but maybe I could attack the darkness itself?' She wondered as her eyes narrowed, it was worth a shot at least and if it doesn't work it may at least show her what the monsters are. "Guardian of the Fortress, take to the skies! Fireball Attack!" Yami Yuki ordered as her dragon took flight and launched a fireball at the darkness, it didn't do damage but it showed her what the monsters looked like. "Yes, his monsters!" She celebrated as the flames died out and the darkness hid the monsters once again.
"Ha ha ha ha! So you saw my creatures. But I doubt it gives you the foresight to see what's coming next." Panik said as Yami Yuki's dragon lands and growls at the monsters that were once again hidden in the shadows. "Dark Grasp of Fury!" He exclaimed as the darkness enveloped the blue dragon, it roaring as it's destroyed. "Lights out for your Guardian of the Fortress." Panik said and since the dragon had been switched to attack mode, 394 points were deducted from Yami Yuki's life points.
Panik: 2,000 Yuki: 1,606
"My creatures hungrily eye your remaining life points, Yuki. 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 explained and now that he depleted some of Yami Yuki's life points so it's only a matter of time before he depletes the rest as well.
'Man, down is right. My life points are down, way down, whilst Panik's remain intact. His shadowy figures have taken down two of my monsters already while I still can't even see what I'm fighting. Not to mentioned this creeps got me outmaneuvered and overpowered, but I am still gonna try and find a way to knock that big bully down a peg or five!' Yami Yuki though as she still wasn't going to give up, not when she knows thee has to be a way to beat Panik.
"The night has eyes, Yuki. Ha ha ha ha ha! And all of them are on you!" Panik stated still taking sadistic pleasure in what is happening to Yami Yuki.
'As long as that Castle of Dark Illusions covers his side of the field with that shadow, neither me or my monsters will be able to see any of his monsters. Panicking will only make things worse though. So I gotta just keep him from seeing me sweat.' Yami Yuki thought as her eyes narrowed yet again, she wasn't going to give Panik the satisfaction of seeing her squirm.
"Keep struggling, Yuki! Bullying's so much more fun when you resist!" Panik shouted as seeing Yami Yuki squirm and beg for mercy would just make this moment perfect.
"Tough talk, coming from someone who's been attacking whilst hiding in the safety of the darkness!" Yami Yuki remarked if only to just get Panik to shut up even for only a few minutes so she could think properly.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Panik laughed as he pressed the hidden button on his dueling dashboard again.
"Yuki, look out!" Tea called out as one of the flamethrowers started up again, shooting fire at Yami Yuki.
"Yuki!" Yugi shouted in worry for his sister as the fire died down again, showing that Yami Yuki had leaned out of the way of the fire again.
"You ok, pal?" Joey asked as this was the second time that Yami Yuki has almost been burnt by fire but was ignored by said female.
"You uppity little cretin! Perhaps you should think twice about insulting someone who can scorch you with the touch of a button, huh?! You're afraid, Yuki! You're lost and alone in the dark, and I'm the big, bad Bogeyman, about to leap out and give you the care of your life!" Panik exclaimed but instead of having Yami Yuki cowering and shaking like he wanted her to be she actually smirked and chuckled! "If you could see what I have in store for you, you wouldn't be laughing!" He basically threatened, wanting to wipe that smirk off of the heterochromic eyes girls face.
"But don't you see? That's why I'm laughing... Cause I can in fact see... right through you, Panik." Yami Yuki said simply as once again her answer didn't sit well with Panik at all.
"What? What are you talking about? You little runt!" Panik hissed out in anger and annoyance both at what she said and at how calm she is right now.
"You are the big bad Bogeyman, scaring innocent children into being afraid of the dark... Until they all realize that the dark is nothing to be scared of... Just like you're nothing to be scared of." Yami Yuki said, continuing to smile as she knew how people like him liked to believe that they are feared.
"Huh?!" Panik hummed in shock as his eyes widened at what Yami Yuki had said to him.
"Once someone gains the confidence to not be fearful of things that are unknown, then they've disarmed the only weapon that the dark has." Yami Yuki explained as this was how she saw things in regards to a fear of the dark.
"You wish it was that simple, you-." Panik started to say with the intent of threatening Yami Yuki.
"Oh but it is that simple! And I have the card that'll prove it." Yami Yuki said effectively cutting off Panik and causing him to flinch back in shock.
"What card?" Panik asked in confusion as there was no way Yami Yuki had a card that would be able to stop him.
"A card that'll expose you, and shine a little light on that veil of darkness that you and your monsters hide behind." Yami Yuki said whilst holding up a card, the back still facing Panik so he doesn't know what the card is.
"What's that?" Panik asked, honestly a bit nervous that Yami Yuki actually might be telling the truth about that card.
"Oh, it's just a little somethin' that will teach you a hard lesson in broad daylight." Yami Yuki stated as she moved her hand to hold the card face down, still not letting Panik see the card.
'What's my sister up to?' Yugi wondered as he watched his sister with a frown on his face.
"Hey, Mai, why would Yuki tell Panik her strategy?" Tea asked in confusion, after all she's never known her friend to do something like this.
"It's Panik. Same thing happened to me. You start making amateur mistakes." Mai said as she assumed that that was the reason why Yami Yuki revealed her strategy to Panik.
"I don't know, Mai. She doesn't look like she's panicking." Bakura uttered as he looked at Yami Yuki who's smile had become a confident smirk.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! You almost had me there. But we both know that card's nothing but a big, fat bluff! Prove me wrong, Yuki. Go ahead. Let's see you give me my tough lesson! Ha ha ha!" Panik challenged with a laugh as he still didn't believe that Yami Yuki was telling the truth about that card she held.
"Ha ha. Pray Tell why should I show you my card? Especially after you've gone to such lengths to keep your cards hidden in the dark?" Yami Yuki asked as she was hinting at something that Panik didn't pick up on.
"I think you're stalling." Panik stated with a slightly dumbfounded look on his face.
"Aw, you don't trust me, Panik? Whether you believe it or not, not all of us duelists lie through our teeth like you do." Yami Yuki spoke causing Panik to growl in anger at what she had just said. "And to prove it, I'll show you that this card isn't a bluff. After all, I wouldn't want you to think that I'm some kind of liar." She said as she held up the card yet again, still not letting him see what the card is though.
"Show me!" Panik ordered since it was high time Yami Yuki stopped talking and put her money where her mouth is.
"Ignore him big sis!" Yugi yelled since his sister doesn't need to do anything that Panik tells her to.
"Yeah, you don't need to prove anything to that slime, Yuki!" Tristan said as he also agreed with Yugi on the fact that Yami Yuki doesn't need to do anything Panik says.
"You ready, creepy mc'ugly face? Even if you're not, here it is. Swords of Revealing Light!" Yami Yuki exclaimed as she showed Panik the card, it's picture depicting three glowing swords.
"Huh? Revealing light?" Panik asked as he doesn't think he's ever seen or heard of a card like that.
"The blinding magic of these swords not only will stop all enemy monsters from attacking for 3 whole turns, but it bathes the whole field in a light so luminous that even your lurking creatures of the night will be exposed!" Yami Yuki explained but she did not put the card into play just yet despite showing it to him. "Soon, Panik, very soon your monsters hidden away in your dark empire will have nowhere to hide. But I won't play it now, instead I'll take a page from your book. By letting you worry about when and how I'll use it against you. Just like you do with the monsters you have hidden in the dark." She continued to explain as Panik honestly began to sweat from how nervous he began to feel. "You'll be going down in 5 turns. 5 turns and only 5 turns, Panik! then my monsters will finish you and your monsters off!" Yami Yuki exclaimed as she set a card down on the field that wasn't Swords of Revealing life. "Curse of Dragon, in defense mode! And last but not least, the card that will make you see the light." She said as her dragon appeared on the field as she set another card face down on the field. "The countdown for your 5 turns starts right now, Panik. It's your move." Yami Yuki warned as Panik has no idea if that face down card is actually the Swords of Revealing Light or not.
'Grrr! She's taunting me! That must be the Swords of Revealing Light!' Panik thought as that had to be what the card was given the fact that she hinted at it.
"What's wrong, Panik? Has bullying people lost its thrill?" Yami Yuki asked curiously and almost tauntingly as she still smirked at Panik.
"I'll teach you about loss- just you wait!" Panik snapped threateningly as his eyes narrowed into a glare.
"Hey you can't threaten my sister like that!" Yugi yelled and if it weren't for Bakura holding him back the younger Muto sibling would've tried to climb up on the dueling field. "Lemme go man! He can't talk to my big sister like that!" He continued to shout whilst struggling against the albino males hold as he's ignored by the two duelists.
"Hey, Mai, why is Yuki keeping that card out if she's not going to pay it yet?" Tea questioned, hoping that the female in question would have the answers that she needs.
"Uh... I hate to say it, guys, but it's not a good sign." Mai said after a few seconds of thinking, causing Yugi to stop struggling as Bakura let him go as they look at her.
"Huh?" Tea asked in confusion whilst also not wanting to believe what Mai is saying.
"I was able to keep it together for about this long, too, butr after a while, Panik has a way of getting to you and making you slip up." Mai said as she was still thinking that things were getting to Yami Yuki and that she was starting to make mistakes.
"Not my pal. She knows what she's doing." Joey said as he wasn't even going to considered that Yami Yuki was slipping up.
"Yeah my sister would never let a creep like him get to her!" Yugi said agreeing whole heartedly with Joey about how Yami Yuki knows what she's doing.
"I sure hope so." Bakura stated as he was worried that Yami Yuki in fact was losing her cool.
"She does." Tristan argued, also agreeing with Joey as well as with Yugi.
"Listen, I know Yuki's good, but fighting Panik isn't about being good. It's about keeping a level head while you're lost in the dark or being attacked by fire. Yuki's gonna need guts to win this duel, not skill." Mai said with a frown on her painted red lips as she still thought so little of Yami Yuki.
"Guts, huh? Well, she's got heart." Tea said as she smiled, feeling like heart gets someone alot farther than guts ever will.
"You got that right." Tristan agreed as him, Joey, and Yugi smiled at what Tea had said.
"Yes, but she did just leave her best card out, fully vulnerable. You don't make those kinds of mistakes unless you're nervous. And Panik's not one to let a mistake like that go unpunished." Bakura explained whilst still watching Yami Yuki closely, worried that both him and Mai are right as Panik draws a new card from his deck.
"C'mon, make your move, Panik." Yami Yuki said as Panik smiled after looking at the card he just drew.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! I must say... It was quite a daring move to illuminate me with the presence of that card, little Yuki. But it was a critical mistake to leave it on the field completely exposed!" Panik shouted with crazy eyes to go along with his crazed grin as he was still kinda sweating from his momentary bout of nervousness. "If you thought idle cards were safe from attacks, you were dead wrong! Reaper of the Cards!" He exclaimed as he put the reaper into play as it appeared on the field with a moan.
"Huh, the Reaper?" Yami Yuki questioned as her eyes narrowed slightly at the fact that Panik played that card.
"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 defenseless! Reaper, attack!" Panik ordered as the Reaper flew towards Yami Yuki's face down card, intending to slice it with it's scythe.
"Yuki!" Tea, Joey, and Yugi all shouted in worry as the Reaper got closer and closer to the face down card.
"But that card was Yuki's only chance!" Mai exclaimed also very worried as the Reaper moaned whilst approaching the card, trying to slice it with its scythe.
"Oh!" Tea yelped as she looked away, not wanting to watch Yami Yuki's only chance of winning get destroyed.
"Your fate belongs to me now, Yuki! Call of the Graveyard!" Panik exclaimed as the Reaper's scythe came down on the face down card, but nothing happened as everyone gasps in confusion.
"Ha ha ha ha ha... huh? What's going on?" Panik asked as he saw that the Reaper's scythe had stopped before it hit the face down as "warning" flashed on his dashboards screen. "It can't finish its attack." He said as he leaned down in order to look at his dashboard screen in confused shock.
"Mm... Huh?" Tea asked in confusion as she also noticed that the Reaper couldn't finish its attack.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Yami Yuki laughed as she knew something that no one else seemed to know.
"It should have destroyed your card, the Swords of Revealing Light!" Panik exclaimed not understanding why his Reaper's attack didn't get finished.
"Now now, I said my Swords of Revealing Light is the card that would bathe your monsters in an illuminating light. I never said it was the card that I had put on the field. You just happened to assume that that was the card I had played." Yami Yuki said as panik soon realized that he had made a mistake about the face down card.
"But if that's not-." Panik started to say as there couldn't be any other kind of card that Yami Yuki could've had that would be useful.
"The card I played on the field was a different card. A trap card- the Spellbinding Circle." Yami Yuki explained as she picked the card up from the field and showed him the picture on it.
"A trap... card!" Panik whimpered in shock as he stared wide eyed at the card that Yami Yuki now held.
"Yes, a trap card. One that snares your Reaper, stopping him dead in his tracks, ensnaring him in a magical prison." Yami Yuki revealed as a glowing magic circle seal appeared around the Reaper, trapping it. "In Duel Monsters, all duelists must be cautious of the Reaper of the Cards and its ability to destroy magic cards and send them to the Graveyard. I had a feeling you probably had a Reaper stalking around somewhere in your deck. However, now that he's trapped, unable to do damage to my deck, I'm free to play whatever magic cards that I want to." She said as the Reaper struggled and squirmed whilst trapped inside the Spellbinding Circle.
"Great thinking!" Tea praised with a smile, glad that once again Mai was wrong about Yami Yuki.
"Yay Yuki!" Yugi cheered as he waved around his Yuki banner that he had once again pulled out from... somewhere.
"Way to put one over him, Yu!" Joey praised as well with a grin, also glad that once again Mai was wrong.
"What is it with this kid? I can't even keep up with her here on the sidelines." Mai grumbled in aw as she really couldn't believe that Yami Yuki was still holding her own against Panik.
"She's doing good, but it's not over yet." Bakura said as this caused Mai to look at him when he spoke.
"How dare you! You fooled me!" Panik yelled with unbridled rage at the fact that he fell for a trick like that.
"I fooled you? Actually, you fooled yourself, Panik, and wasted what may have been one of your most powerful cards, too. Now that the coast is clear though... I'll actually play my Swords of Revealing Light card!" Yami Yuki said as she pulled said card from her hand and placed it on the field as Panik yelled in protest. "And a second magic card... both of 'em face down." She said as she placed them both on the field on either side of her face down Spellbinding Circle.
"Face down? Why?" Panik questioned as he started to get nervous yet again about the Swords of Revealing Light.
"Now what's up?" Joey asked since he also wanted to know what's going on right now just like Panik does.
"I don't know, but I bet we're going to find out soon enough." Bakura explained since he had a feeling it wouldn't take long before Yami Yuki uses those two magic cards.
"So what. You capture my Reaper. But he's only one of my powerful monsters. The ones that remain will destroy you!" Panik exclaimed with a grin as he was thinking about one of his most powerful monsters that he has in his deck.