A/N: Okay, where were we…? Oh right, big thing heading for Sesoko. Let's goooooooooo!

Chapter Ten: Sushi and the Serpent

Atemu and Yuugi were inside the house with Kaiba, Mokuba and the ever-royal couple of Jhaedizel when they heard Ricky barking upstairs. Outside, the Empyrean hummed deeply, readying for takeoff.

Upstairs, Kyoushi looked out the house abruptly, and Kisobi took another hard sniff. "Something's mixing with the salt spray," she said, "and it's getting stronger."

"Kisobi, come here," her mother had nervously commanded, and she eagerly back away from the window, straight into her mother's arms. They embraced tightly, and the father kissed the top of her head. "Be a good girl, and listen to Tazue. They'll protect you from here."

"Why can't you come with me?"

"We'd want to, but we can't," Mrs Ragasshiru answered. "We have to stay and take care of Ricky and the Kaibas, but we'll talk to you as often as we can, okay?"

"Yes, mum." Kyoushi pulled her sister away. "I'll get her down." She began leading Kisobi to the stairs.

"Be strong!" their father called.

From downstairs, everybody had heard Kisobi's response of "Yes, Daddy!" as Kyoushi led her down, holding the girl by hand, followed by Ricky, who took longer.

The older sister had practically shoved Kisobi into Atemu and Yuugi's arms as they reached the bottom, and pushed the three together out of the house.

The rain had returned, and on their left was the Okinawan mainland stretching outward from their left. The rest was a large mass of sea, and a wave was charging towards the island—towards them.

The brothers were only able to take one small glance when the man in green came running past them, to La Madame and Driam. "Something's tracking us. Your Highnesses have to board immediately."

"And not a minute to lose," answered La Madame. She turned to the boys. "Take her and go!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" They ran to the edge of the isle, where Tata waited with her boat. "Oi! Get your asses over here!" she hollered.

"Alright, alright," groaned Yuugi, and pulled his yami towards the boat. Behind them was the captain who'd fetched them, and Kisobi with La Madame, and the king.

One by one, they boarded the boat, and Tata revved the engine, and sped like mad for the Empyrean. Behind them, the wave shrank and slowed down, but no halt. The boarders turned, and watched as the wave shifted direction—their direction.

Now, on Atemu's part, what he saw La Madame do was risky, maybe even crazy for a woman like her. She picked up her skirts, and stepped onto the ledge of the bow, with only her husband's hand to stabilize her balance. Now, I'm aware I have forgotten to describe her to you. You must've imagined that she was prim and conceited enough to keep her face neat and tidy. Not in her case.

Narrow golden eyes gleamed through long and straight chestnut hair, and what made it even untidier was that her bangs had not been trimmed to actually clear her face, but to practically conceal it.

With the insane speed that Tata was maintaining, her hair had struck violently against the sweeping winds, and the bangs had revealed an oval face with a long nose, slightly rounded at the tip; a strong jawline, and a sharp chin. This face she leaned forward, stretching out a thin, graceful neck, trying to get a good look at the creature from a distance.

"What do you see?" Driam asked behind her. Now, Driam had dark, flimsy hair; same with his eyes, with just a small hint of red in them. He had a slightly muscular build, in contrast to his lanky wife. Effectively, he was about a foot shorter than her.

La Madame didn't answer immediately. Her eyes were fixed on the approaching wave that had been reduced to a lump. In a while, she cocked her head a little to her right. "…Yukiasobi, what do you smell?"

Kisobi closed her eyes, lowered her head, and pondered for a moment. "Hmm…I know that I know the smell…" she muttered, "where did I recognize it…" Another moment and her head jerked. "I smell sushi!"

"Be more specific," Ruben said. He had been sitting beside her, gripping her wrist. "What kind of sushi?"

"Squid!"

Driam and the captain exchanged looks, and Tata began to drive faster. "Oh, great!" she shouted, "Just great!"

"…What's coming after us?" Yuugi asked nervously.

"Remember the rumor in Funka Bay?" Tata asked. "The thing that was living there's heading this way!"

Atemu watched as the hikari's widened in sheer terror. "You mean—" La Madame got down before the boat titled steeply to one side, and the two brothers were prompted to face the side of the boat, and the ocean. And underneath the ocean, amidst all the rain was a red tentacle. A gigantic, red tentacle.

"Akkorokamui!" Yuugi cried. "Akkorokamui's real!"

"Of course it's real," La Madame muttered as the speedboat leveled. However, the water rose high in the boat, and still, the rain went on. "Why shouldn't it be?"

"The hell it's here?!" Tata exclaimed, and growled in rage. "Okay, that's it! Everyone, hold on! Lyria, give me the signal to go full speed ahead!"

La Madame opened her arms, and Driam pulled everyone to her. Meanwhile, as Ruben removed her fur cloak, when a red tentacle rose out of the water and tilted the boat again and he lost his balance. "Goddamit, hurry up!" Tata yelled over the loud hum of the creature.

"…Akkorokamui, the giant squid," muttered Kisobi. Atemu turned to her with interest. "The monster haunting Funka Bay, near Hokkaido."

Ruben stood up again, and fastened one end the fur cloak on the tallest post inward of the boat, the other around the queen's waist. Then he took his place alongside Driam, Kisobi and the boys. "We're ready," he said.

"Full speed ahead," La Madame ordered, and Tata promptly obeyed, ushering the boat to zoom as fast as she could. The woman looked back, but the creature was still very close. "We have to shake it, but not kill it."

"We'll fry it later!" Tata swerved as they approached the Empyrean, the hatch wide open for entry. What was bad though…"Zue! Can't you wait for another 5 seconds?!"

For the airship was slowly lifting itself off the sea. At this, Tata almost went mad with rage and forced the speedboat give her very all. About a yard from the airship, she let go of the wheel and shut down the engine before catching a rope thrown by her brother, and tied it to one of the banisters. This kept the sea vehicle from going off course, and it lifted into the air, and out of the water.

It tilted very steeply, of course, with seawater and rainwater mixed together pouring in torrents off the vehicle, lightening it by a tad. None had fallen, though, because of the fact that Tata was in front of a door, and the cloak around La Madame's waist.

Akkorokamui, however, didn't seem to take any chances. He flung a tentacle out of the surface, and wrapped it around the boat, pulling it back with the rest of the airship.

Yuugi yelped at the sudden jerk, and Kisobi had clung tighter to Driam. "We could use a little help down here," the king called to the hatch of the Empyrean. In response, Zue scurried swiftly down the rope, in a new outfit, and grabbed the waistband that he was wearing, wrapped one end round his leg, and the other around La Madame's arm. Effectively, he dangled in the air, only by the grip of the queen's palm.

Atemu couldn't see what Zue had did to Akkorokamui, but whatever it was, it resulted in a loud roar, and the squid's tentacle slid off the vehicle.

It took one more shake before everything calmed for a while, and as Zue carefully unhooked his leg, Ruben let go of the huddle. "We have to pull the boat in before he strikes again." He then motioned the twins to go up first before he followed.

Yuugi and Atemu expected La Madame to say something against Ruben, but she only nodded, and tightened the coat round herself. "We have to get higher before the beast appears again," she said. "Keep your hold."

Never having faced an aquatic foe before, the boys flung themselves on her upon impulse, afraid to let go and become Akkorokamui's appetizer. One arm held them back, whilst the other—with Zue's waistband still one—she held to Driam. "Tie this to the balustrade."

Kisobi, whose clothes began to soak, had to let go of the king, and Yuugi brought her in to huddle with them. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and as her hands touched his arm, and he could feel it trembling. The turn of events had left her confused and scared. "It'll be okay," he promised her once again. "We'll be alright. Tata and Zue are going to pull us up before that mean ol' squid gets us."

"I don't wanna fall," she replied, "I don't wanna be eaten by Akkorokamui. I wanna go home!"

La Madame began to walk upward, very carefully, to the banister, and clasped it firmly. It was about as high as they could go.

Also sensing her need for assurance, Atemu began to speak: "We're not going to let the squid get you. Nor would we let anything else get you. You have a man's word, Kisobi; we'll protect you all the way." He took her hand and gripped it tight, remembering how sharp her active senses were. "Memorize it."

The girl felt it for a while, and gripped it tight as another roar came from below. "It's back?"

"It's surfacing," Driam said. The brothers looked past La Madame's body, and watched as Akkorokamui's big, inflated body rose out of the water. He was red all over, with large sclerae and dark, almond eyes. The top his head ended in a soft flare and six tentacles reached for his target once more.

The boat began to move upward, as Ruben and the twins began reeling in the rope. But the tentacles were much too fast, and had easily caught the vehicle, trying to tug it back down.

Kisobi gave a scream as she felt herself slide against La Madame's wet dress. Atemu held on to her hand, and watched themselves at the brink of survival and demise. Then he closed his eyes, and clung for his life…

A rise in temperature, and a roar from Akkorokamui. The Yuugi-ou opened his eyes in hope, and saw—very clearly, despite the rain—Dartz in midair. He wasn't alone, either. With him was Jounouchi's Flame Swordsman, most likely the one who had struck the squid.

The King of Atlantis walked towards the boat, and looked at the ex-pharaoh's hand, the one holding Kisobi's. "Bring her to me, Pharaoh," he said.

"What do you need from Kisobi?" Atemu hissed out the question he'd asked Doma. "What's her worth?"

"Within the girl is the power to destroy the world," Dartz answered. "Much more powerful now as it had continued to nurture itself for millennia."

"Destroy the world?" Atemu looked at Kisobi in disbelief. She was still crying a bit. "How in the world will she do it, Dartz?" he asked more gently. "I just couldn't understand how she can be able to kill people."

"It is hard to understand," Dartz answered in agreement, "but please, I ask you to be willing to carry the burden. Take her to Atlantis, before her rage overwhelms her."

"Rage?"

"I'm very sorry I can't tell you anymore than this, but I believe that telling everything will overwhelm you even more than it will do the girl." He closed his eyes, and gave a bow. "I ask you as a king: please bring her to me in good health."

Atemu hesitated, and once more, glanced at Kisobi. She was choking back her sobs into the queen's stomach. It had almost reminded him of the truth of his own father, when he cried against his body. "Of course she has to be protected," he said, "but I'm not sure if I could make any promises."

"This is the first time I heard you doubt." A smirk played along Dartz's lips. "You're afraid you couldn't protect her."

"No, I'm not!" the pharaoh denied.

"Then why don't you see for yourself?"

Atemu's eyes widened as he turned around. He was the only one standing…alive, at least. La Madame's upper half was sliced clean, with the fur coat still around her bloody waist. The hand he held ended on the sinews, while the rest of Kisobi's body lay sprawled against the bow, blood staining her white dress, and all that was left of her eyes was sclera.

And Yuugi. Poor Yuugi. His corpse lay on its stomach on the stairs, but above his shirt collar was nothing but gore.

The pharaoh was on the brink of a heart attack when a cold, feminine voice crept up his neck: "You're next."

It didn't take long to finds out that it was the nightmarish girl who spoke, but when he faced her, she shoved Yuugi's bloody, disfigured face right up to his nose. Atemu screamed, and stumbled off the boat.

Still holding the mutilated arm, he fell, and the lower he went, the more vivid the horror was. Her legs straddled the head of the Orichalcos God, which she was riding, and held Yuugi's decapitated head by the scalp. This she threw at him, along with Kisobi's corpse.

"Give my regards to the Atlanteans!" she called right before he hit the ocean.

Yuugi caught Atemu's body as it jerked from the bed. And in his eyes, he saw madness. "It was a nightmare," he whispered, "everything's okay."

It took a while before he understood what he said, but when Atemu did realize it, he immediately threw his arms around the hikari, and savored the living warmth he held against himself. "She killed you," he gasped. "She killed you in my dream!"

He found himself once again in La Madame's cabin, where he was placed earlier that morning, and on the chair was the queen herself, smoking silently.

Yuugi pulled his brother's head downward against his chest, and crossed his own arms across his scalp. "Everything's okay now, Atemu. We all boarded safely on the ship, and Kisobi's sleeping in her room. We're on our way to the other world."

Atemu kept holding onto Yuugi. After the events of Orichalcos and the Ceremonial Battle, he can't bear losing his friends again—most especially if their fate was to be decapitated by a lunatic woman. And as he calmed, he has once again realized that he still couldn't remember her face.

"You better join the others," La Madame finally spoke. "We'll be cruising our way into Jhaedizel. And if I deduce correctly…" she paused to inhale and puff smoke, "we'll be reaching Phantsma soon. You have to be inside the ship before we enter it."

"Phantsma?" Atemu asked.

"The sky-route that will take us to Jhaedizel," the woman answered. "Think of it as outer space: it is devoid of reality instead of oxygen, and in the place of stars, you will see illusions. But in both atmospheres, it is very dangerous to be out in the open."

"You should see what's up there, Atemu!" said Yuugi, and the boy pulled on his hand. "Everybody's waiting for you!"

The pharaoh nodded, and got up from bed, and had met La Madame's eyes before he left the room. "One more thing," she said, "it'd be safer if you called me Lyria from this point onward. To show you're not strangers to us."

"Thanks!" said Yuugi. "C'mon, let's go before we reach Phantsma!"

The hikari led him to the elevator, and Atemu was surprised he didn't ask anything about the dream, as he had promised. At any rate, he didn't want to make Yuugi think he was breaking it. "I dreamed that the girl was riding on the Orichalcos God."

Yuugi faced him, interested. The other continued. "She killed you, La Mad—Lyria, and Kisobi. And when I tipped off the boat, she said to give her regards to the Atlanteans." He gulped, and exhaled sharply. "I saw her so vividly, but I still couldn't remember her as soon as I woke up. I'm afraid that she'll really come and kill me in my sleep."

Yuugi stared awhile, smiled, and finally embraced Atemu. "None of us will let that happen," he said. "You just came back. We're not gonna let you leave us again and suffer on your own."

The pharaoh felt relieved that Yuugi felt the same way he did. Neither of them could stand losing the other, even if they did have each other for the shortest time. Once again, he was grateful that Yuugi was alive in his arms. Where can I be without you?

They let go and reached the deck, and wind promptly blew against their faces. Outside was a deck nothing but heavy grey clouds and rain all around it. Their friends were leaning safely against the railway circling the floor, looking down to Earth below.

It was Anzu who'd caught sight of the brothers first. "Atemu!" she cried, and rushed to embrace him. "You're finally awake…"

The pharaoh smiled, and returned the hug. "I'm okay."

"Second time you fainted." Jounouchi approached them with a goofy look on his face. "That chick's really out to get you."

"Not in public!" Atemu hissed.

"It's okay," Honda came over with Otogi and Shizuka. "We know. Look, the king said that it'll only be just a dream, no matter how real it seems."

"He said the girl can never really kill you," added Shizuka, "but we still have to be careful."

Yuugi, who was silent, simply looked around. "Where's Bakura?"

"Must be making out with Tata or something," Otogi shrugged.

"They're not together, are they?" asked Anzu.

"Lots of people say they are. But I also heard that they have yet to go all the way." He sniggered with Honda at this.

"You guys are disgusting," Anzu rolled her eyes, and turned you Yuugi Atemu, and Jounouchi. "What do you say we feed them to Phantsma?"

"You're kidding, right?" Honda's eyes widened in disbelief. "Come on, you knew we were only joking didn't you?"

"It ain't a joke," answered Jounouchi, rather dully. "I heard the rumors too. Guys are giving up on Tata since she began talking with Bakura."

Atemu then remembered his last date with Anzu: Tata said something about settling the score with Bakura; that they argued. "Let's not get our hopes up," he finally suggested. "Anyway, it's just a rumor."

"We shouldn't get our hopes to low either," said Shizuka. "I think Tata and Bakura look really good together."

Soon right after she spoke, a silence came to them; a certain eeriness. And around them, they could swear they saw colorful lines of mist, but they didn't dare admit it to each other.

The elevator gave a ding behind them, and the doors revealed Zue. Up close, his clothes were blue and leathery, with a raised collar, and torn sleeves. "We're getting close," he said. "Everyone, get inside!"

"Does Phantsma have colored lines that trace all around you?" asked Yuugi.

"Not even close. Phantsma's an entire universe filled with color; it's very confusing to navigate it at a first glance. Now, move."

Zue ushered everyone into the elevator before hitting the Cockpit button. Apparently, Otogi just had to ask. "Hey kid, has Bakura kissed your sister yet?"

The redhead blinked. "Kiss? I don't know."

"Does she like Bakura?" Anzu came in.

"I don't know," Zue answered again. "In fact, I don't mind if she does or doesn't."

"Does Bakura like Tata?" asked Yuugi.

"I still don't know." He turned around. "Look, I know you're trying not to be nosy, but I think we have matters more important than my sister's love life. Driam was considerate enough to let you all stay, so please do your part."

Ding. The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. The boy-twin held them open until everybody had entered, and joined them practically gaping dumb at the windshield.

Beyond it was a total swirl of color; all-different hues slid past each other like water and oil when left on a surface.

It is, of course, Phantsma. And it is very dizzying to the eyes.

Zue crept behind the gang. "Like it?"

Shizuka shook her head. "No."

"Good. We'll drift through it easy, and whatever you do, don't let Phantsma in."

"What do you mean 'don't let Phantsma in'?" asked Atemu.

"No opening any airways, or going to the deck," La Madame approached them. "Otherwise, Phantsma will work its magic in the ship."

"What kinda magic?" Otogi's voice trembled.

"Illusions of all kinds. It has no limit to what fantasies it can create: people, objects, even past memories and visions of the future."

"Memories and destinies aren't fantasies," objected Atemu.

"In Phantsma's case, anything that has passed and will soon pass is called fantasy, for you cannot live your past again—if otherwise, it will be altered—and you can do nothing of the future but wait for it to occur." She gave a sigh at the confused faces. "Apparently, people think of their past and future much more often than the present—excluding the case of academics."

Jounouchi growled, and clutched his head. "I still don't get it!" he said annoyingly.

"It means," Tata had come to them as Zue took her place at the controls. She wore the same thing as her brother's. "As long as you ain't in a classroom, Phantsma can play with anything in your head!" To emphasize her point, she gave Jounouchi a hit on the head. "Duel Monsters players don't know anything else other than Duel Monsters!"

"Given patience and encouragement, they'll survive," said La Madame. "Given intolerance and criticism, they'll die on the long run. Which is why it's yours and Zue's job to take care of them."

"Yeah, yeah," Tata muttered, and then scoffed. "Whatever." She turned around for a moment, and they all watched as her head perked up. "Has anyone seen Bakura?"

He backed away as she stepped forward, and soon he found himself against the wall. In the dark, she had no identifiable figure.The girl reached out her pale hand and caressed his face, and he felt the coldness against his cheek.

"How nice of you to let me in," she whispered, "now, I wouldn't have to kill you so soon."

Bakura gulped, and tried to avoid the girl's touch, but she had placed the other round his waist. He clenched his teeth together and closed his eyes. "But will have to kill you one day. I'll kill you all one by one…and end everything."

"Kisobi?" a voice was heard outside the cabin. Next, there was a knock. "Are you awake, sweetheart? Kisobi?"

The girl glanced at the door, and gave a low growl. Then she hastily returned to Bakura, and covered a hand over his mouth.

"Kisobi, I'm coming in," the door opened, and Driam entered.

Kisobi was still asleep, and there was no one else in the room. "Odd; I certainly heard voices in here…"

A/N: Da creeps! Da creeps! Just who is the unknown girl trying to mess Atemu's (and our) heads? Tell me if she's getting on your nerves!

Also, from here on forward, we'll address La Madame as Lyria…okay? Further, ask questions in the review…I'll use them in a QnA I'll make after this story's finished!