Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Do You Dream of Me? ❯ Chapter 51

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh.

 

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“Let's get on with the game!” The three players faced each other across the table.

 

“So, spirits, from now on you'll throw the dice and control the entire adventuring team.”

 

Seto smiled slightly. He wasn't the spirit but this other Bakura didn't need to know that, now did he?

 

“But if the player characters' hit points reach 0, your friends' souls and bodies will die!”

 

“I can't die looking like this!” Tristan moaned.

 

“Let's all believe in Yami, guys!” Anzu exhorted them.

 

The outcome of this game will be decided by the dice… I need to put a stop to Bakura's technique of rolling criticals…

 

Yugi laughed. You're being very… you, Yami. Thinking about the details of the game when something so weird has happened. All of us are in dolls.

 

“It's a new round! The battle continues!” Bakura announced. “Although Zorc lost his hand when his guard was down he actually looks almost uninjured! You could even say things have gotten worse for the adventurers…” The hand twitched.

 

“Oh no! Look at Zorc's hand!”

 

“It's mutating!” Two monsters sprouted out of it.

 

“Any piece of flesh cut from my body transforms into a monster under my command!” Zorc taunted them.

 

Yugi's new monster ally told them Zorc was the source of all darkness and would keep spawning monsters until they killed him.

 

Zorc left. “Are you running away, Zorc? Fight us here!” Yugi yelled.

 

“I have a special place prepared for our duel together! Make your way to my castle while the fires of hatred still burn in your heart! If you can, that is!”

 

“Zorc takes flight and disappears towards the castle,” Bakura read from the game script.

 

Inside, the real Bakura struggled more. The castle… not good! He knew how this would go!

 

Jou yelled insults after Zorc while Yugi, Yami and Seth discussed the situation. Except for Yami and Seth still playing, everything had gone according to Bakura's plan. He was a dangerous game master!

 

And when Bakura rolls the dice, he always gets a critical!

 

We can do that too. Don't worry, Yugi.

 

“Diabolist! It's your turn to attack!”

 

Seth readied his staff.

 

“Now, Kaiba! Roll the dice! But don't forget, if you roll a fumble, the character dies!”

 

“I know.” Contempt. Seto rolled. The dice clacked against each other, spinning.

 

A 00 Super Critical! The best possible roll! “Hellfire summons! The monster is vaporized!”

 

“Heh.” Seto chuckled under his breath, meeting Bakura's startled gaze unflinchingly.

 

Jou yelled for Bakura to hurry up. Bakura recovered himself and returned to the game. “Beast tamer! It's your turn!”

 

“I'm capturing you!” He pointed at the remaining monster. He would need as many allies as possible before they entered the castle. Who knew what awaited them there?

 

Both Bakuras did.

 

“Beast tamer hand power!”

 

“Until a few minutes ago, the Zorc Arm Dragon was a part of Zorc! The potential to brainwash him is a very low 10%!”

 

I believe in you, Yami!

 

At first the red 10s die stopped at 8… but then the other die, which was still spinning, hit it and started it spinning again. Bakura grimaced.

 

If cheating with dice is part of this game, if the game master himself does it… then there's no reason not to use the Double Hit technique!

 

02!

 

“That means I brainwash him! Magic training hands, come forth!”

 

The monster made a surprised sound as the hands wrapped around it: then a cute version was revealed and flew over to Yugi, swearing to serve the new master.

 

I can't believe Yugi knows the Double Hit trick, the thief swore.

 

Go Yugi! Bakura knew that trick, he'd had to watch out for it when he played games.

 

“So that jerk Bakura was cheating?” Jou asked Yami about the dice.

 

Yami explained the Double Hit trick. “Too bad for you, Bakura! Your cheating won't work against me!”

 

“Okay! From on, this is how we roll the dice. We let the dice slide off our hands like this. Spinning is prohibited!”

 

“I'll agree to that.” Yami nodded, Seto as well.

 

No cheating from now on. Unless he cheats again, to counter him.

 

“Bakura! Next time you cheat, you should turn into a miniature too!”

 

“On with the game!” Please. He was the dark master here, he made the rules. “After taking care of Zorc's servants, the adventurers continue onward to the gates of Zorc Castle!”

 

“Let's go, guys!”

 

Yugi's first monster warned them of traps in the castle.

 

“Okay! We'll be careful, Poki!” Yugi assured it.

 

“No matter what's waiting, we have Yami on our side!”

 

“He's a friend we can trust.”

 

Bakura snorted. The gate of the castle opened. “Now at last the adventurers' goal lies before them. The drawbridge lowers, making a path into the castle.”

 

“Awright, let's go!”

 

The castle unfolded into a new field. “You've come to the last stage of your quest! Somewhere in this castle waits Zorc! Can the group of heroes find him and slay the demon?” Ha!

 

Please… Ryou kept struggling. He thought, maybe…

 

Jou yelled insults, for Zorc to come out and fight.

 

They all went into a suspicious tower… it was a trap! A spiked ceiling crashed down on the lead figures, all except Seth, who had stayed behind.

 

Bakura regarded Yami over his folded hands. “The adventurers have fallen into a trap… but don't worry! Instant death traps are the tool of an amateur game master! A good game master prolongs the torture as long as possible! I'll give you a chance to save them, Yugi! I know the breaking point of my lead figures. They can hold out for just a little longer! You have three turns! In other words, in three rolls of the dice, Yugi! If you fail, your friends die!” Laughter.

 

There were a top and a bottom for a column, with a pair of half circles on each. “This is the puzzle. To save your friends, you must create the column to support the ceiling. However, to do that you must roll a certain number on the dice!”

 

Yami tried to think. A certain number?

 

Jou yelled for him to roll a critical.

 

04!

 

“Too bad! You did roll a critical, but I said you needed a certain number! Here's a hint, you have to roll doubles!”

 

The carving on the column must be the key…

 

You need numbers with half-circles on the top and bottom, Seto says, Seth relayed. 0, 3, 6, and 9.

 

So you need a pair of those numbers! That's it! Thank him for me.

 

He says you are welcome. If you lose, it will be hard for us to win, after all.

 

Seto smiled slightly at Yami across the table.

 

The spikes slammed down harder on the captive figures. “Ow!”

 

“That reminds me…” Bakura pressed a few keys on his computer. “It's time for a monster encounter roll to see if Zorc appears. There's a 30% chance that he shows up.”

 

Yami's eyes widened.

 

“Judgment roll!” Bakura let the dice fall off his hand as they had agreed. “28! The worst possible number for the adventurers! Zorc emerges from the castle!” Ha!

 

The trapped figures gazed in horror.

 

“You fell straight into my trap! Foolish children! Prepare yourselves! I'll cut you to shreds while the trap holds your corpses in place!” Zorc gloated.

 

Jou cursed him out while Yami cursed. He had to save them fast. 13! No!

 

“Zorc attacks. Since his target can't move, his success rate is 95%! 41! Not the best number but it's a good start for a slow and painful death!”

 

“Take this!” Zorc slashed them.

 

Yugi and Joey were in front. Yugi's HP dropped to 13 and Joey's to 15.

 

No! Ma… Yugi!

 

“It's the Diabolist's move.” Not that it would do them any good.

 

Seto rolled. 17. “Demon Dragon Summon!”

 

Zorc roared in pain, but laughed it off.

 

This was their last roll! Everyone believes in you, Yami!

 

33! They waited with bated breath. Was this a correct number?

 

Yes! The pillar appeared.

 

“You found the solution but in that same instant, Zorc gets another attack!” Bakura rolled. So close! Still, victory will be mine!

 

Go Yugi! Yugis!

 

“12! Zorc strikes the adventurers!”

 

“I'll slice through all of you! Tower, pillar and figures all at once! Demon Hand Blade!” The tower crashed to the tabletop. Zorc laughed. “Dead at last!”

 

“You forget,” Yami advised him calmly, “That the players have much higher speed! Once the puzzle was solved they succeeded in escaping!

 

“That means we're alive and well behind your back!” Joey the swordsman taunted Zorc.

 

“By taking Zorc's back, the adventurers get a surprise attack! Dice roll!”

 

“Urk…” Bakura anxiously watched the dice fall.

 

15! Joey slashed. “Are you ready, Zorc? There's plenty more where that came from!”

 

Bakura seemed off balance, having lost the initiative. Yami took the opportunity to examine himself. He felt well. Surprisingly well. Where was the creeping cold of the Items, now that Yugi wasn't in his body? True, they were linked and unlike when Yugi was in the soul-eating jar Yami could still feel the light and warmth, but still.

 

They were fighting another Item-bearer. Something felt off, his well-honed gamer's instincts told him there was more going on than met the eye.

 

Bakura wasn't too worried. “On this turn, the adventurers snuck up behind Zorc. Therefore, they get extra attacks. Got it? Roll the dice!” He didn't want this to take up any more time than it had to.

 

“All right!”

 

“Let me kill him!” Hiroto asked. “Bakura, we agreed to play this game because we thought you were our friend! But not only did you betray us, you turned us into this! I'll never forgive you in a million year! I'll put a hole in your brain, Zorc!”

 

It's not my fault! The real Bakura wanted to plead, but it sort of was… He hadn't stopped it. He wouldn't let it go on, however!

 

“Hear that, Bakura? My hand channels their anger into these dice! Dice roll!” 09!

 

Another critical? Impossible! Bakura stared.

 

“Thunder Grenade!”

 

Anzu got to attack to. 13! “Apprentice Death Blast!”

 

“And now the final blow!” 08! “Critical!”

 

“Beast Attack!” Yugi's two monsters proved their loyalty to their new master.

 

How can he keep rolling criticals?! He's not doing anything special with his hands…

 

It was the spirits of the adventurers. Even though Seth hadn't snuck behind, it was his turn so Seto rolled a 22 and he hit.

 

But when the smoke cleared, Zorc stood unscathed. “What? After all those attacks Zorc hasn't taken any real damage?”

 

Bakura laughed. “Fools! You are still apprentices, Level 1 adventurers! You don't have enough experience to defeat Zorc!”

 

“But, but that's… even after all those critical hits!”

 

“Then there isn't any way for us to win!” Yugi was outraged! This was an unfair game!

 

“Are you calling me unfair? Cowardly perhaps? As the `Dark Master' I made everything in this game world! I am the rules, I am the monsters, I am the god!”

 

Yami, Seth, and Seto glared. This game was rigged so we couldn't win from the start!

 

Which was unfair. Wrong. So, by the nature of game magic, they still had a chance, if they had faith and found it.

 

“Now, continue the battle! You can at least act out your deaths gracefully!” Bakura reached in a case filled with lead figures with souls, Yami could tell, sealed in them, and took out a pair of dice.

 

Dice that also contained souls. We haven't stopped his cheating…

 

00! “Super Critical! Zorc Black Magic! Dark Catastrophe!” The explosion sent all of the adventurers flying!”

 

No! We needed more time! Yami grimaced.

 

Bakura laughed. “Zorc's magical attack has the power to kill characters with more than 50 hit points in an instant! All of the player characters are dead…” The lead figurines lay there, not moving. To prolong the agony, Bakura went on, “Well, it's probably pointless, but I'll calculate each character's status on the computer. There are so many variables in this game, it's safest to let the computer crunch all the data.” He typed away.

 

Once they were officially dead, their bodies would die, which would leave the spirits helpless. He would be able to take possession of two Items in one fell swoop, and be closer to having them all and unsealing Zorc then he ever had been… why did he…

 

He would destroy the spirit of the Puzzle and this other spirit! He hated them!