Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Game Master! ❯ Phunbaba: A PHUN name to say, and easy to kill ( Chapter 18 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Death Note, Castlevania, or Final Fantasy. Takahashi owns Yu-Gi-Oh, and he definitely does not approve of Ryou flying. SquareSoft owns Final Fantasy, and they believe in airships. Ohba owns Death Note, and he wouldn't be surprised if Mello abducted one. Konami doesn't even believe in planes.

 

Sith flew long and hard the entire night, and as a pale, gray light broke over the horizon, she was more than happy to see that land was not too far away. Her wings throbbed; it had gotten very cold as the night dragged on, and only her constant movement kept them from freezing. As the land came closer and closer, Sith dipped her wings to descend slowly. She had to be careful so Ryou didn't fall. In the entire night, he had stirred only once, and so Sith was forced to keep constant watch over him. Considering how tired she was, and the fact that she'd nearly been thrown off of the Vector high cliffs, as well as nearly blasted with the Light, she didn't particularly like this job. But she did it without complaining. At least, not much of it.

 

Finally, finally, the ground was underneath her. Sith finally slowed and dropped to the dirt, her wings giving out in the very end. Laying Ryou, she panted heavily and glanced back to see her new wings already drooping and dripping with dew. She had pushed them too far. Already, she felt them freeze with the morning cold.

 

“Will they be okay?” Ryou asked her, sitting up as he saw her trying to dry them. She looked up at him, and then she frowned. How long had the bastard been awake!?

 

“I think they'll be fine,” she replied, and then stood, “But I don't even know where we are now. You didn't happen to have looked at a map before you were thrown here, did you?” Ryou laughed. To even ask that just amused him. He didn't know where she'd even kept her old maps or anything. Besides, she had said the world was corrupted. A map wouldn't do any good.

 

“Where's the best place to head?” he asked, looking around as he added, “Maybe if we go where it used to be…”

 

“You're assuming the towns still stand,” Sith said seriously, and Ryou looked at her again, “Ryou, that Light has the ability to rip apart an entire world in one blow. The fact that we're even alive is a miracle right now. We'll be lucky if we find any form of civilization.” Ryou didn't appreciate Sith's negativity. She didn't fly out all that way just to say there wasn't much hope. Then again, he didn't fully understand the destructive force behind the light. Sith had a history here, and slowly, it was awakening as time went on. She knew about it, and his guess is, she knew a lot.

 

“What can we do?” he asked her, trying not to sound too frustrated with their circumstances. Luckily, the answer wasn't as bleak as before.

 

“If we use the gaming variant of this world, there are a few things we could try,” Sith explained, and her tone seemed to have hope in it, “The problem is that this is actually a world, not a game, like when we first entered. If we had Aeon with us, he'd know what should be done, but I guess I could take a crack at his job for a bit.” Ryou didn't like the sound of that. But she wasn't actually answering his question, so he figured he might as well go along with it. She took out Aeon's watch and opened the container. Ryou heard a soft ticking as she looked at it.

 

“Sith, I don't think…”

 

“Events are progressing as they should,” she said, “So in terms of time issues, there aren't any. That's good. All that's left is to see what she's done with the Light.” She closed the watch and put it back in her pocket, turning to Ryou, “I don't remember much about the game anymore, not with memories of this world returning to me, but I can remember some aspects. From the looks of it, there are two roads for us to take; one east and one west.” That information wasn't too helpful right then, unfortunately. There was still the problem of knowing where each one led.

 

“So you're asking me to choose the most promising,” Ryou guessed, but Sith shook her head, crossing her arms.

 

“I'm asking you to bear with me on this,” she replied sternly, “It's not every day that a game is based upon an actual world.” That didn't make much sense to Ryou, but he didn't feel like questioning it right then. Sith needed help. In the end, they both agreed to go east. Not for any reason in particular, but simply because it was the direction they happened to be facing. Considering their past strategies, Ryou felt that that kind of reasoning wasn't the best place to make decisions from. But screw strategy. They were in a corrupted world, for God's sake.

 

The path wasn't too taxing on either of them. The ocean surrounded them on both sides, and the Light seemed to have demolished any mountains or ditches in their way. And while that made the land dull and featureless, Sith had to admit that it made crossing incredibly simple. She only needed to be careful of falling off the sides, and that was something any moron could accomplish.

 

But with simplicity came the complication of curiosity. Mainly, with Ryou's curiosity, did it become apparent. In the ensuing silence of their journey, his mind pointed out the many problems that rose all around them, in this barren land, and it took no time for him to be unable to keep any of them in. For Sith, who wanted to focus on finding out where the others had gone and where Falnika was, this was an annoyance she couldn't tolerate. Not when it would've been easier for Ryou to keep quiet. But he was only human, and he was barely eighteen.

 

“And I just don't understand. Did she kill the monsters as well as everyone else, or are we just lucky?” he asked, not even knowing Sith had tuned him out in favor of her own thoughts, “Sith, how powerful is that Light?”

 

“Powerful enough for me to be afraid of it,” she mumbled unhappily, as they rounded a soft curve that went northward. Ryou stopped and stared for a minute. She sounded cold, and it hurt.

 

“Are you angry with me?” he asked her, and this time she stopped and turned around. And she sighed. Sometimes, it wasn't worth getting angry with your own friends, no matter how annoying they were. She shook her head.

 

“No, not with you,” Sith answered truthfully, “Truth is, Ryou, I think I'm getting too damn old.” With that, she walked toward a rock and sat down. He went to join her. “I don't know how old I am, but it's old enough. Chasing these Mystics down is becoming a bit too tiring now, and if it weren't for Aeon, I'd call it quits and let Bahamut handle it this time.” Ryou patted her back, trying to figure out what it was she was trying to say to him. He knew it held some importance, though, and so he'd do his best to support her.

 

“This time?” he repeated, and tried to find a question that didn't sound stupid, “Has he handled them before?”

 

“Not Rath and her bunch,” Sith replied quietly, and looked down at the ground, “But he employs me to stop her from her conquest, her constant need to destroy us all.”

 

“Why?” he asked, eyes widening, “Why employ you? Aren't you the most powerful Esper alive?” Sith actually laughed. That was flattering, but compared to Bahamut, to Odin, even to Fenrir, she still had some ways to go.

 

“It's punishment,” she replied, and at this, Ryou couldn't hide his astonishment. Punishment! But what for? When he asked her, she said, “For what I've done so long ago.” The memory was painful, for she had closed her eyes and tears began to fall. Ryou couldn't stand it. He stood.

 

“You can't even remember what happened. That isn't fair,” he said to her furiously, “Can't we plead to him? Doesn't he know?”

 

“Esper law is a constant, Ryou. It is much more severe than human law,” Sith explained gently, “He knows. And that is precisely why it's my job. Because I was directly involved with the ending of our kind.” Ryou still didn't like it. But when he explained that to Sith, she waved it off and continued on. And he watched, wishing she could only remember what had truly happened.

 

The remainder of their journey was quiet; Sith wasn't in the mood to share anything more about herself, and Ryou was content to let her be that way. He had a lot to digest as it was. Sith was slowly coming to terms with herself, and while Rath was pushing it to be that way, he also understood Mello was to thank for it. But was it really for the best? With the last bit of information Sith handed him, it seemed almost cruel to reawaken her own memories. It happened so long ago, anyway. Why should she be held accountable for something that, for all intense and purposes, might not have even been entirely her fault?

 

But Ryou knew nothing about Esper politics, so there wasn't much he could do to help her on that problem. But on this one, he was more than willing to be present for. And not only for Sith's sake; he also had scores to settle with Rath, and he had a feeling Aeon and Mello had as well. Mello's was obvious: it was all for Sith's sake. But Aeon's had to be much deeper than that. Maybe if he really did stop fighting Mello, they might actually help Sith out for once. Maybe that was Mello's point.

 

If Ryou was going to accept that, he'd have to find everyone else, first. And as they finally came over a high crest, they saw a small town toward the northeast. It gave Ryou hope. Even if no one they knew was there, it meant Falnika hadn't yet succeeded in decimating this world. The more time they had, the better. Sith turned to Ryou and they nodded to each other, jumping or climbing down the crest to the plains that swept up to the town's gates.

 

From then on, the trek was simple. They went in a direct line, and when they reached the gates, Ryou was pleasantly surprised to see that the town was bustling with people going about their daily lives. Children were tending to gardens, trying to revive some of the ruined foliage from the world's magnificent transformation, and the shopkeepers held their wares outdoors, shouting their prices and insults to fellow businesses. The women, of course, were walking through the streets, talking about news from the south and west. Ryou could hardly contain his excitement. They might actually find something here!

 

“Settle down, kid,” Sith chuckled, seeing how pink Ryou's cheeks were becoming, “We're here to get information, not to go sight-seeing.” The scolding did dishearten Ryou a bit, but not enough to still express his joy. For once, hope actually seemed in their reach. To hell with Sith if he was going to let it go that easily.

 

“Can we at least stop at the bar and get a drink?” he asked her, and she rose a brow, “I'm parched!”

 

“Are you even old enough to drink?” she countered, and Ryou's mouth dropped. She drank all the time, and most of those times she became adequately intoxicated, too! And when he argued that, she actually caved and said they could get one drink, but nothing more. She didn't want to clean up any vomit he'd make.

 

The bar was on the southeastern section of the city, and it was the biggest establishment Ryou had seen in the town. Perhaps that was because it also held the inn, but the size - which took up an entire block, no less! - was intimidating to him. He shivered a bit as Sith came up, looking up as she scanned the building.

 

“Ready to go in?” she asked, noticing he seemed shaken enough. He nodded, and she patted his back, leading him inside. He instantly regretted his request for the drink. The bar reeked of alcohol, sweat, and vomit, and the few dim, dirty lights that were on only added to it. Sith wrinkled her nose with disdain as a particularly burly man in a green helmet stumbled past, and Ryou was almost sure he saw her draw her blade.

 

“You want to leave,” he said, but to his amazement, Sith shook her head. She took his arm and brought him toward the back, where it was only minimally quieter. They sat at a table in the corner. Sith looked around to make sure they were alone.

 

“We're in trouble,” she whispered, “Look at their uniforms, Ryou.” Ryou turned, and on Sith's words, only enough to see in his peripheral vision. But he saw the uniforms, on every patron in the bar. And now he understood her concern. He recognized them, though green now, as the uniforms Kefka's men had worn.

 

“The Empire!” he hissed, and turned back to Sith, “Why is Kefka here!?”

 

“Not Kefka,” she whispered back, “Falnika, no doubt. I guess Mello is alive if she's posting men here. He's the only one insane enough to draw out this many troops in so short a time.” Ryou blinked, realizing that Mello may have put them in grave danger with whatever stunt he did pull. Sith shook her head, and with a sigh, said, “Mello, what in hell have you done?”

 

“Think you could take them out?” he asked, and when she stared, he said, “I'll help!” Another guard came lumbering down, distracted with a keg of what smelled like stale whisky. Sith waited for him to pass.

 

“I doubt it. I could probably kill them, but the result would be another ambush like in Figaro,” she replied, and cursed angrily, “If it comes to a damned fight, I'm quite sure we might actually lose.” Ryou could see why. They were outnumbered, two against thirty or forty at least. And there wasn't much room for Sith to run, should she engage in close combat. Ryou, at least, had the advantage of climbing onto the eaves and picking them off with his gun.

 

“We should run,” he whispered, but again, she shook her head.

 

“Not without knowing what happened,” she said sternly. Ryou looked around again. That wasn't an easy thing to accomplish. If they simply started asking questions, someone would start wondering why. And Sith wasn't exactly forgettable. By now, anyone in Falnika's control must know about her distinct characteristics.

 

“Tell me you have a plan,” he said. Sith almost laughed. That'd have to take time, and they didn't have that.

 

“I could see if my father's power ingrained itself in me,” she replied, and Ryou quickly found he didn't want to know what her father was, if he wasn't an Esper like herself. But Sith had no plan! This was almost ironic. Cruelly ironic.

 

“Sith!” he hissed angrily, but Sith's glare told him he'd better shut up. She lowered her head and narrowed her eyes.

 

“We're surrounded by guards and you're asking me to dive right in and do what needs to be done, regardless of the danger, Ryou,” she pointed out blandly, and he flushed, “Even by Esper standards, that's a stupid thing to do. Forgive me for not coming up with everything for once.” Ryou didn't like the pointed accusation, but Sith had a bit of a point. He sighed. Sometimes, she was too difficult.

 

“So then, what do we do about them?” he asked her. Sith hummed, knowing that, in a bar, the primary thing was to get drunk as all hell. She could work with that, but she needed a disguise. Even while drunk, everyone knew what Espers looked like, and she wasn't exactly trying to hide her wings or tail.

 

“I'll need a disguise,” she said ominously. But if anything, that only managed to scare Ryou more.

 

Within fifteen minutes, Sith had her disguise. She had to beat up a barwench to obtain it, but in her mind, it was something she had to do, not what she wanted. Still, it was convincing. Ryou himself couldn't believe she pulled it off. He also couldn't believe how good she managed to look, too, but knew damn well that if he said that, he'd get half his face sliced off for it. Still, damn it, Mello was a lucky bastard! Ryou forced himself to ignore that thought. Work first, jealousy later.

 

“Be careful out there, Sith,” he replied, helping tie the bow that kept her dress from slipping off. Unfortunately, the dress was designed to be revealing, and Sith wouldn't stand for it. Ryou had to scour the women's bathroom for anything that could hold it up, but they did manage. Toilet paper, sadly, wouldn't hold for more than twenty minutes. Sith could only hope that she could get what she needed in that time.

 

“No need to remind me of that, kid,” she said unhappily, and left the bathroom, with Ryou following just a few minutes after. He stayed to the back and watched, loading his gun in case it got too ugly. But Sith seemed fine for the moment. She went toward a particularly crowded table where a high-ranking official sat. Personally, Ryou felt that was foolish, but maybe Sith had a reason for this.

 

“HEY!” one of the guards called, whistling as Sith passed, “Wench, one round of your finest! And bring some alcohol, too!” This earned a roar of laughter from the guard's buddies, and though Ryou could feel Sith wanting to rip him apart, she smiled sweetly and obliged by going to the table.

 

“O' course, me lord!” she cried in what Ryou assumed was another learned accent, “But first I has a matter to attend to, an' it'd be rude to ignore it.” Ryou twitched, wondering what the hell she was trying to accomplish with her maneuver. The guard didn't suspect a thing.

 

“Sweetheart, the only matter ye ought to have is with us,” the high-ranking man said, and yanked on a chain, “Except for this runt here. Ye don't need to worry yerself over him.” Sith looked down to where the chain ended. And her mouth dropped. Those sons of bitches had Matt with them! He looked up, expecting to see some dirty, rumpled whore before him. And instead, his eyes locked with Sith's. And unlike Sith, he couldn't keep his emotion in.

 

“Sith!?” he exclaimed, and realized too late that addressing her was a mistake. The laughter fell immediately, and Sith felt all eyes on her. She scrambled from the table, knocking into the one behind her. But they saw, all of them, her face. Her sword was in her hand immediately. Matt blew up her plan. The guards all stood, and the high-ranked officer glowered, taking out his mace.

 

“Sith Winchester herself. What a damn gift for us indeed,” the officer spat, “And to think I almost bedded with you!”

 

“As though I'd let a waif like you even touch me!” Sith shot back, “Now release Matt or I'll cut that head off. On what ground do you have for even abducting him!?” Ryou saw now what was going on. As everyone else was distracted, sneaking up to get a better seat took no effort. The officer laughed.

 

“Grounds? My, you have fallen behind, old woman. These were orders from our superior,” he told her. This seemed to strike Sith, for she stepped back. But she was far from defeated, not with simple words.

 

“Then your corpse in my bag will send Falnika a clear message,” she growled, and grinned, “Any last words, human?”

 

“It's not Falnika!” Matt cried out, “It's Rath!” He got a good slap in the face for that, and Sith was on the offender immediately. She drove her sword right through the man's back, and he barely squeaked a scream before Sith sliced upwards, gutting him. She landed inches from the officer, and aimed her sword directly for the man's throat.

 

“So then, she's coming directly for me, eh?” Sith concluded, and laughed, “How utterly generous for a murderer.” The officer wasn't moved by her guts. Just as she was in a position to stab him, he could also crush her skull with his heavily ironed, spiked mace. He yanked Matt's chain again, nearly choking the smaller man.

 

“Keep up the insults, ye ugly whore, and we kill yer friend here,” he said. Now Ryou reacted. He aimed, and shot a blast of plasma. And while he didn't hit the officer, he hit the guard in front of him, and the poor soul fell over, killed instantly. It was enough of a distraction for Sith to cut Matt's chain cleanly. She just barely parried the heavy mace, and the force of it brought her down.

 

Matt's reaction was much more satisfying. He grabbed the officer's arms and spun him, bringing his knee up hard. He heard a satisfying crack and then a scream, and let the body fall, not caring what it was he broke. Sith spun and killed the oncoming guards, and saw Ryou shooting his way to them. With three able fighters, now, the guards realized that Sith wasn't powerless at all, and they backed away, forming a nice path to escape from. But Sith wasn't going to run. She feigned it as she ran with Matt and Ryou, but at the last second, she turned, and Ryou saw her wings burst out of the dress and glow red. And he ran away even faster as she held up her hand.

 

“Vrebrenfreug!” she yelled, and all Ryou felt in the next instance was the incredible blast of energy that came from Sith's spell. The building was up in flames before he could even turn to see the damage, but the spell was so intense, that even the sky was lit with a haze of red. And with a blinding explosion, Sith flew out of the building, nearly colliding with Matt, who stood watching the entire scene with an intensity Ryou could never have imagined. His eyes practically glowed from the fire, glassy and dark underneath his red goggles. To him, the fire was amazing. Beautiful… and of course, all he could do was watch it unfold.

 

“Mail!” Sith called, and Matt snapped out of his trance and turned to her. She was perfectly fine, though her dress was a little burned at the edges and she was trying hopelessly to hold it up before it fell down. He nodded.

 

“Nice shot there, Sith,” he commented, and grinned, “How goes the memories? They working well?”

 

“Tell us what you know, Matt. I'll answer you when we're not about to die,” Sith grumbled. Ryou glanced at them both. Matt, of course, was smiling like an idiot. Sith, however, looked particularly uncomfortable. Matt struck a chord, obviously. But he simply shrugged it away. If he did, he didn't seem to care much.

  

“All I know is that Falnika is using every villain in this world to find you,” Matt told her, and his voice went lower, “But Rath is using Falnika to unleash that Light of yours.” Unfortunately, Sith already knew all of this. She looked down, knowing that Rath actually succeeded in both parts. With such a ruckus in the bar, everyone would know she had been there by tomorrow. They'd just have to leave, then.

 

“And to think that such power hadn't yet killed you all off!” came a booming voice from behind, and all three of them turned. In the daylight, stood a creature that Sith could only accurately describe as ugly. He was easily twice her height, thrice her weight, and could probably kill her if he tried hard enough. With the head of a giant bull and the body of an ogre, dark green in coloring, he was a monster that Ryou neither wanted to fight or converse with. But for the moment, the foul beast seemed more intent on bantering than skewering Sith with the spear he wielded.

 

“I'm not one to die easily,” Sith spat, eyes narrowed, “Now step aside, beast, before I cook you as I've cooked those troops.” Ryou thought she was being a bit too gutsy, but he had to give her credit. She was good at taking risks. The beast laughed hysterically.

 

“You think you can defeat me, the great Phunbaba!?” he roared, and laughed again, “Such thoughts! But no, I have strict orders to kill you, all of you, until no one of the Nesce kingdom stands. That includes your beloved little gunman and your time-keeping friend.” Sith's eyes widened. That meant…

 

“Mello and Aeon are alive!?” she whispered, and then said, “Tell me where they are! Now!” Phunbaba laughed again, and if he could, Ryou was sure he'd sneer at her. He shook his massive head, drool spraying as a result.

 

“I credit you for your courage, Sith Winchester! But courage will not save you from your grave!” the beast bellowed, “I will eat those guts of yours until you're not but a memory!” As he spoke, Phunbaba caused a tremor in the ground, and a thick, green gas started to spread all over the city. Ryou gagged as he smelled it, and quickly held his breath. Whatever that sick creature just did, it might just kill everyone in the city.

 

“Did that son of a bitch seriously fart!?” Matt coughed, covering his face to avoid the gas. Sith plugged her nose and shook her head. Of all the insulting attacks to use, that was the most offensive. He might as well have just taken a crap and left them to clean it.

 

“Falnika must be desperate to rely on him,” she commented, and looked at Matt sideways, “Want to try a combination?”

 

“Think it'd work?” Matt asked her, and Ryou noted how hopeful he sounded. Sith almost laughed, except that the gas might've killed her if she did.

 

“Better than magic, for a start,” she replied, “The only problem is his fat lard of an ass and stomach. It might recover faster than we can crack it!” Matt wasn't the least bit fazed with that obstacle. His eyes glinted as he took something out of his pocket.

 

“Then it'll be mighty good practice for when I go to kick Kira's ass!” he exclaimed. Sith didn't comment, but she didn't need to. Whatever Matt had been to Sith, they had a close bond. They knew how to attack and when to do it, and as Matt threw whatever he held in his pocket, Sith took her sword and spun around with it, creating a miniature whirlwind. And she threw that whirlwind right into Phunbaba, just as Matt's bomb exploded. The result was another beautiful pillar of fire that reached up into the sky, piercing the heavens. But was it enough?

 

The answer was, they hadn't. Phunbaba still stood amidst the pillar of flame, his bulk absorbing most of the damage. But he wouldn't be for long. For in that moment, Ryou understood what his role in the battle was. He took aim with his plasma gun, and charged it to the best his abilities could muster. He just had to hope basic physics and science applied, even in another world. And within those split seconds of thought, he released the ballistic.

 

The bullet ripped right through the overgrown beast, shredding skin and sinew alike, and as Ryou had hoped, the bullet began to erupt as soon as it was exposed to Matt's fiery round. Match that with Sith's whirlwind… and the ensuing blast was brilliant. For the long moment, the entire world went silent, and the bursts of light rivaled the fatal Light of Judgment in every aspect. Matt shielded his eyes, and Ryou ducked to avoid the spray of gravel and brick as the eruption tore through the crumbled bar behind Phunbaba. But Sith stared into the bright light, and watched as the city around her crumbled into complete and utter chaos…

 

“Did we get him?” Matt asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. She became aware that the world hadn't actually ended, that she had lived through the blast. And she looked around. Surely, they must have. Then she saw the beast, still standing, leaning on his spear. Only patches of his green hide remained clinging to his bones, and very few of his muscles were left, making him look skeletal in the firelight. His eye - one had managed to fall out during the assault - focused on Sith in particular.

 

“Don't think… you've… won… Sith… ran… der…” he growled, but his voice was growing deeper and slower with each passing moment as he dragged himself forward, “You… have seen… your… last…”

 

“Put a cork in it and die!” Matt cried, and yelped when Phunbaba threw his spear. The hulking creature fell as a result, but the spear missed its mark, implanting itself in the nearby tree. And leaving whatever remained of Phunbaba completely defenseless. His muscles couldn't possibly harm Sith, not now. Nor did she give him that chance. She took out Zealacht again.

 

“I've seen more than enough of you,” she said firmly, and Ryou saw her eyes flash red for a second, “X-Borgen!” Ryou's eyes widened. That was a forbidden spell! Why had Sith used it again!? Nonetheless, it worked. A vortex of black opened underneath Phunbaba, but he didn't even scream as it sucked him in. He went in silently, and the spell swallowed him whole before dissipating again. And that was that.

 

“Sith…” Ryou began, but Sith was in no mood to talk. She turned away.

 

“Ryou, do you still hold my outfit?” she asked, and he nodded. He tossed her his bag, and she took it, going into the smoldering ruins. Five minutes later, she returned and said, “We leave, now.” There was no room to question, no option for debate. They were leaving, or they were going to die, and neither Matt nor Ryou had a reason to stay in the city.

 

“So… just where do we head, Sith?” Matt asked, as they walked down the silent street, leaving the smoldering fire behind them. Only when they were safely away, and sure they were alone, did Sith reply.

 

“Thamasa,” she said grimly, and Ryou felt a pang of darkness to the air as she said it, “Far to the south, no less, but we'll be safe from the Empire and Rath once we're there.”

 

“South?” Ryou repeated, and frowned, “Sith, not that I don't trust you, but how will we get there? Can you actually carry us?” Sith shook her head. Truth was, it took most of her strength to carry Ryou. Add Matt, and she might not be able to fly period. But there were other ways: The world had literally changed from the light, and that included the `Serpent of the World,' too.

 

“The Serpent Trench honeycombs throughout this entire world, and it's shifted enough for us to take the current,” she told them both, stopping and squinting in the distance, “Baron Falls, the easiest way to enter that trench, is most likely split from the shift in the world, and there are other mountains this trench spills through. It should be easy to get there.” That was all well and good, but Ryou remembered specifically saying he didn't want to swim.

 

But in the end, he caved in and let Sith go on with her plan. Matt was entirely on her side, and no amount of reason would persuade both of them. But as they continued do south, toward the hills they had originally come from, Ryou turned back and looked toward the city. Phunbaba said that Mello and Aeon were alive, and that must've meant Yugi and Malik were, too. But… was there a chance Matt wasn't the only one held hostage? Time would only tell. He suddenly wished Aeon was with them.

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

With only herself to help her, Sith set out with Ryou for the city of Mobliz to find out what had happened. And fatefully, she was reunited with Matt. As they attempted to flee, Phunbaba, a demon with a grudge against Sith, appears and tells her she will be killed. With only the faint hope of their friends' health, can Ryou, Matt, and Sith find the others and defeat Falnika? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!