Chapter 2: Harsh Battle! Yami no Game!

In a desert land, some men were digging. Finally, they found what they were looking for. Inside a room was a small gold box. The Professor yelled, "Amazing! No thief has plundered this place yet."

One of the men yelled, "Professor! That over there..."

The Professor started to walk to it. "This box is... If I become numb and faint, then it's a sign of a Yami No Game." The professor clutches his neck and collapses, just as he was about to touch the box.

Hus men ran to him. "Professor! Professor! Please hang in there!"

The Professor weakly reaches for the box. "This is the Curse of Puzzle! "

At Domino High, the bell was ringing and students were running outside. "It's break time!"

"Let's play some basketball!"

"Let's wait for the girls."

In the classroom Yugi and Sofia, with guitar in its case next to her, was sitting at Yugi's desk, building a house of cards. "Hey, guys!" The House of Cards collapses. "Don't just play by yourself. Why don't you play basketball with us?"

Yugi asked, "Yeah...but what if the team I join loses?"

Sofia said, "And I suck at sports."

The student says, "That's true too." He exits the classroom. "Okay, well, I'm off."

The 2 gathered up the cards. Yugi thought, 'I wish I could play a game with everyone, other than Sofia, once in a while. And I brought so many games to school in my bag.'

Sofia asked, "Since he's gone, why not get it out?"

Yugi smiled, "Right! Today I'm going to solve it! The treasure I always carry around!" Yugi places the box with the Puzzle onto his desk. "Though my treasure is inside this box, it's an absolute secret. It's a puzzle. The treasure inside this box. Though you can see it, it's something never seen before. Well then, let's take a look!" Yugi started to opens the box. "The answer is..." But the box was snatched out of Yugi's hands by Joey. "Joey!"

Sofia asked, "What do you want now?"

Joey asked, "Yugi, what are you looking at, all by yourself? "Can see but never seen..." Looking at things that don't make sense."

Yugi tries to reach for it but Joey held it high. "Please return it! Return it..."

Joey throws the box up in the air, hops over a desk, and catches it. "If you break it, you'll get a broken skull."

Joey said, "Yes. Always going on about how precious this box is... You know, Yugi, you're acting that way and having Zamora protecting you. It just doesn't bear well, and I can't leave it like that. I'll guide you on how to be a man. Yeah, that's it! You want to get this box back, right? Then come at me with all your force!"

Yugi yelled, "But I hate fighting and violence!"

Joey plugged, "You don't have any guts but you sure have a loud voice."

Sofia yelled, "Give him back the box!"

They heard Tristan. "That's right. Stop it, Joey."

Joey started to tease him. "Oh, something you want? Tristan Taylor, Student President of the first-year students wants to fulfil his duty as a soldier of comfort, and become the janitor."

Tristan yelled, "Not a janitor, a beautification member!"

Joey mumbled, "Your voice is loud too."

Tristan started to gloat "Yes. As you said, I'm now Student President. And from this position, I have become a great person. I was intended to be the Master Brain."

Joey ignored Tristan's speech, and bends down to Yugi's and Sofia's level. "By the way, what's in the box?"

Yugi said, "It's okay if you look, but don't tell anyone, because it's really valuable."

Sofia said, "And I'm not kidding about the skull thing. My guitar is heavy and hard."

Tristan was still talking in the background while Joey peeks inside the box. "Listen to people when they are speaking!"

Joey asked, "What the? Boring thing..."

Tea snatches the box out of Joey hands as she's walking into the classroom. Joey and Tristan saw her. "Gardner!"

Yugi smiled, "Téa!"

Sofia said, "Bout time you showed up." 'Though not looking forward to the later seasons of you.' She thought.

Téa said, "If it's boring, then give it back right away! Bullying those weaker than you makes you look boring. Much more boring."

Joey yelled, "I'm not bullying the weak! I'm telling Yuugi to act like a ma-..."

Téa yelled, "Quiet!"

Then Miho walks in. She was Tristan's crush. "Miho-chan!"

Téa said, "Sorry, I wasn't talking to you, Miho."

Miho said, "Oh, I was so surprised. The cafeteria line is so long. I still haven't had anything for lunch."

Tristan yelled, "Huh?! That's not good! I'll get you something right away!"

Joey took the opportunity. "Wait, I'll come too!"

Both boys run off down the hallway. Téa muttered, "Sheesh...those guys."

With the boys, Joey and Tristan were walking down a hallway. Joey said, "Dammit, she pisses me off."

Tristan said, "Don't say bad things about Miho-chan."

Joey asked, "Who's talking about Nosaka Miho? I'm talking about Gardner. Téa Gardner. Dammit. Who's bullying the weak?"

The guys bump into someone in the hall. It was a very tall hall monitor Ushio. "You two. What was that about bullying?"

Joey glared at the guy. "Nothing at all. Mi-.."

Tristan clamps Joey's mouth shut. "Nothing at all. Really!"

Ushio said, "Bullying isn't good, bullying isn't..." Ushio walks away.

Tristan said, "Yes, we understand."

Ushio said, "Oh yes, make sure the school's common areas are cleaned well."

Tristan said, "Yes." Ushio smirked and walks away. "Gone, eh?" He removes his hand from Joey's mouth.

Joey finally caught his breath. "Damn you, that hurt!"

Tristan said, "Idiot...do you know who that was? It was Ushio. He enforces all the school's regulations. A really strong person."

Joey doesn't seem bothered. "I wonder about that. Unless you don't put those kind of people to the test, you'll never know for sure."

Tristan yelled, "Don't talk crap!"

Back in the classroom, Yugi, Sofia, and Anzu, were there. Yugi said, "Truly amazing. They were pretty shocked by what Téa said."

Sofia said, "Yeah cause they know not to piss her off."

Téa said "Those kind of people get worse if you keep quiet. Yugi. stand up for yourself, and let them have it once in a while. Don't let Sofia do all the work."

Yugi said, "But Joey isn't such a bad person..."

Téa said, "It's because you say things like that. That's why you get made fun of. Anyway, what's this?" She mentions the box.

Yugi said, "Oh, right! I haven't shown this to Téa yet... If you keep it a secret, I'll show it to you."

Téa said, "Yeah, I will, so show me, show me!" Yugi opens the box. Inside lies a puzzle, not completed. "It's pretty!" She picks up a piece. "Is this some sort of artwork? Though it's in pieces."

Sofia said, "It's a puzzle."

Yugi said, "I haven't completed it yet, so I don't know what it looks like. In other words, something you see, but you haven't seen before."

Téa said, "I see."

Yugi said, "Since my family owns a game store, we have games from many countries. I found this in a corner of the shop's interior, hidden under the dust. It's supposed to be a strange puzzle discovered in the ruins of Egypt."

Téa asked, "Egypt, eh?"

Yugi said, "Look! The front of this box has this strange thing drawn on it, right? According to my interpretation, what's written here is - "The person who solves this puzzle can ask me to fulfill one wish." Then he stated to laugh. "Or so it seems! I may have been a little too dramatic... Aren't you making fun of me? With those eyes?"

Téa giggled. "No, that's not true. So, what is it, this wish?"

Sofia said, "Good luck with that I've been trying to get it out of him all day."

Yugi said, "Right so no, no! This is a definite, definite, definite secret, okay?"

Back with the boys, Joey uncurls his first and shows Tristan a piece of the puzzle. Tristan asked, "What's that?"

Joey replied, "I just snatched it from Yugi. I just saw it for a moment, but it definitely looked like a puzzle. Meaning if even one piece if missing, his treasure stops being a treasure."

Honda said bluntly, "Joey, you've always been a hopeless fellow. But you really are hopeless... Why don't you try to lighten up?"

Joey asked, "By the way, weren't you going to buy a lunch?" Tristan looks at him in question but then panics.

Miho was still waiting. "I'm so hungry."

Tristan started to run as fast as he can. "I haven't gone!"

Joey looks at the puzzle piece, before tossing it into the river. 'What treasure? Always acting like a child! Yuugi, you moron. That's what makes me sick.'

After school, Ushio was training the Hall Monitors. "Alright! We, in order to protect the regulations, exert!"

The Hall Monitors repeated as they punched, "Exertion! Exertion! Exertion!"

Ushio yelled, "First. In order to protect justice, we fight!"

The Hall monitors repeat as they kick, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Yugi and Sofia were standing off to the side. 'Ah! The Disciplinary Group. They look pretty good. Better dodge them.'

Sofia muttered, "They're like mini-Nazis."

They started to walk away, but Ushio stops them. "Just hold on there, you. You're Muto Yugi, right?"

Yugi replied, "Yes."

Ushio said, "Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you. Aren't you being bullied by people in your class?"

Yugi asked, "Huh? I don't think that's true."

Sofia said, "If we had known we would've taken care of it."

Ushio said, "Just wait. It's because you are a nice person, that you answer in such a manner. I have investigated, and came to this conclusion. But you can rest peacefully, Yugi. From this day forward, I, Ushio, will take the responsibility of being your bodyguard."

Yugi said, "But I truthfully don't have that kind of trouble, so... Please excuse us." He grabs Sofia's hand as they ran off. 'What's up with that strange guy?' He thought.

Ushio smirked as he saw the 2 leave. 'Yugi.. With me, Ushio, behind you, your school life will become a bright one.'

At the Kame-Game Shop, Yugi and Sofia arrived home. "We're home!" Yugi saw Téa already there. "Téa!"

Téa smiled and said, "It's been a while since I came over to play."

Grandpa Muto said, "You're both late."

Sofia said, "We're home now gramps."

Grandpa said, "But speaking of which, Téa. It's been a while since the last time I saw you. You've become quite big, especially your bra. It looks to be about 80 cm around."

Téa thought while looking at him weird, 'What's wrong with this old man?'

Grandpa said, "On a different note, Yugi. I heard from Téa that you still haven't given up on that puzzle."

Sofia said, "He works on it all night. Had to tell him to close the door since the light goes into my room."

Yugi nudged her. "Who's going to give up?" he asked.

Grandpa said, "That puzzle is for a person with intellect. It's impossible for you. Plus, there are many stories surrounding it."

Téa asked, "Stories?"

Grandpa looked at her making Téa scared and Sofia said, "Here we go."

Grandpa said, "The Millennium Puzzle was found by an archaeological team taught by Dr. Stein in a tomb with the symbols of an Iris. Soon, after obtaining the puzzle, the members of the expedition all mysteriously started dying. And the last one to die named it this before dying. Yami-no-Game..."

Téa grew scared. "Yugi, this puzzle seems dangerous somehow."

Sofia said, "Got my attention."

Yugi pulled out the box. "I wonder what the Yami-no-Game is. I'm interested."

Grandpa pointed to the engraving on the box. "Look. This symbol engraved on the box... "The one who wields me will have the power of the Wisdom of Darkness." That is it's meaning."

Yugi smiled. "So that means. That's right! Wishes will be fulfilled! I can't wait! I'm definitely going to complete it!"

Grandpa said, "Actually, just give it back! I have a buyer for it!"

Yugi yelled, "I was only able to look at it in school! Forget it!"

That night Yugi and Sofia were working together trying to solve the puzzle. "This isn't right!"

Sofia thought, 'Damn it. They made it so easy on the show.'

Outside the doorway was Grandpa looking in. 'They're still working on it. They've been at it for eight hours, and still hasn't given up. Truly, my grandson. But whoever completes that puzzle will have to take on the Yami-no-Game. What kind of severe consequences could there be? It might be good to let him complete it.'

He walks away as Yugi went to sleep. Sofia smiled and put the kid to bed as she kept working on it. Sofia asked, "How the fuck did you solved this the first time?" She went into her bag and pulled out her iPod and smiled. "There just got to be clues here." She put in her ear buds and went to work.

The next day at Domino High Ushio pulled Yugi and Sofia to the side. "Yugi, could I have a word with you?"

Yugi asked, "What is it that you want to how me, Ushio?"

Ushio said, "Well, just come with me."

They enter an alley, where a bunch of guys have beaten up Tristan and Joey. "Ouch."

Sofia and Yugi couldn't believe what they were seeing. Sofia started to run to them but was hold back by the other Hall Monitors.

Yugi ran to them. "Joey, Tristan!"

Ushio asked, "How's that, Yugi?"

Yugi asked, "What the..."

Ushio said, "It's like I said, Yuugi-kun. I am your bodyguard. That's why I punished those bullies."

Yugi yelled, "No way! Ushio-san, this is too cruel! Are you alright, Joey, Tristan?"

Joey said, "You...Yugi, are you satisfied?"

Yugi said, "You're wrong! You think I would ask for something so cruel?"

Ushio pushed Yugi out of the way. "Move it, Yugi! The punishment is not yet finished."

Ushio kicks Joey, and Yugi runs in front of them, with his arms spread out. "Stop! No more!"

Ushio said, "Oh my, Yugi. Are you covering for them? You're a pretty strange fellow. This is your chance to get revenge for all your hatred on them. Hit them! Kick them!"

Yugi yelled, "There is no way I can do that to my friends!"

Joey asked, "Friends?"

Ushio said, "You're a pretty happy-go-lucky fellow. Friends, you say? They are the two who were bullying you and took your puzzle."

Yugi said, "That wasn't bullying. Joey did that to make me more of a man."

Ushio said, "You're indeed a strange fellow. Well, fine. Now then, Yugi. It's time for you to pay me. Bodyguard charge, ¥200,000. [¥200,000 is around 1600 US dollars.]"

Yugi yelled, "¥200,000?!"

Sofia yelled, "Are you crazy?! No one has that amount of money."

Ushio said, "If you know what's best for you, you shut your mouth or do you want me to hurt you with the guitar so you won't wake up again?" Sofia glared at him as she shuts her mouth.

Back in Yugi's room, later that day the 2 were fiddling with the puzzle while Yugi was beside himself.

Yugi asked, "What do I do? He said ¥200,000. There's no way I can pay so much, is there? What to do, what to do?" He asked Sofia. "Can you help me out?"

Sofia said, "If I do then NCIS will be on my ass if they found out. I'm considered the black sheep of the military family, their words not mine."

Yugi looked at his hands tht held the almost finished puzzle. "What's wrong with me? At such a time I'm working on the puzzle. It's not the right time for that. But it's like I always knew how to. What's this? I'm feeling so awful, but slowly, slowly, the puzzle is falling into place." He started to put things together easily. Sofia just hands him the pieces. "There! Great! Maybe! Maybe! Yes! It's done! Now if I place the last piece, it will be complete!" He reaches into the box, however, it's empty. "Huh? The last piece...This can't be!"

Sofia looked at the box. "Oh no."

At the bay, Joey and Tristan were walking near the place where the last piece lies under water. Joey said, "That's why I said it. No telling what that kind of guy will do."

Tristan saked, "Isn't that what I said?"

Joey said, "Is that so. Does it really matter who said it?" He looks at the water and thought back of what Yugi said. 'There is no way I can do that to my friends!

Tristan asked, "Anyway, as a Beautification Member...Are you listening?" He turns around and saw Joey Jumping into the river. "Hey...HEY!"

Meanwhile Yugi and Sofia were running to the school again. Yugi said, "If I don't get that piece, I can't complete the puzzle, and then my wish won't be fulfilled! Please, be at school!"

Ushio saw them and stopped them. "Yo, Yugi!"

Yugi stood back. "Ushio!"

Ushio asked, "Did you bring the bodyguard charge? That's a good boy."

Yugi said, "You've got it wrong. I just came for something I forgot. I'm sure I forgot it at school. Also, it's impossible for me..."

Ushio asked, "Is that so? Looks like you need a major lesson."

Sofia said, "You leave Yugi alone. He has done nothing to you-" She knocked to the ground by Ushio.

"Bout time you shut up bitch."

Back to Joey, who manages to find the last piece of the puzzle on the bottom of the river. "Alright! I found it!"

Tristan throws him a towel. "As a Beautification Member, I can't leave things that are dirty as they are. But replace that towel with a new one, okay?"

Joey yelled, "What was that? You damn miser!"

Tristan looks aside, to see Ushio leading Yugi away. "That guy!"

In an alley Ushio kicks Yugi in the back, and Yugi falls. "That's all for today. Tomorrow, I'll show you a real lesson."

Joey and Tristan run up to see what's going on. Joey yelled, "Hey!"

Ushio saw them. "What's this? It's the bully group."

Joey kneels in front of Yugi. "Yugi! Hey! Hang in there."

Yugi said weakly, "I really want to finish the puzzle."

Joey places the last piece into Yugi's hand. Tristan said, "Ushio. Until today, I respected you. But this."

Joey yelled, "You won't get off for free!"

Ushio asked, "Do you think you could ever defeat me?" Joey and Tristan started to charge at Ushio to fight him.

Yugi thought as he weakly tries to get up, 'I asked the puzzle for a wish. I want true friends. No matter the situation, I won't betray them, or be betrayed.'

As Yugi's thinking that, Ushio was beating up Joey and Tristan. Ushio said, "Those who go against me become like this. Remember that." He walks away.

Yugi looks at the 2 and saw they were out cold. "Joey! Tristan! No good. I can't stand up. At this time, I..." Yugi realizes he had the missing puzzle piece in his hand. "This is..." Yugi places the last piece it. The puzzle lights up, a shadow on the wall behind Yugi emerges, and grows, a glowing third eye appearing on the shadow's forehead. A beam of light, a gust of wind, Yugi's body becomes possessed by the spirit of the puzzle.

The possessed Yugi got up and started to walked to where Ushio was but heard a voice, "Yami-kun!" He turned around and saw Sofia hold her stomach from the knock out and smiled at him. She took off the guitar pick from her choker and flick it to him. He caught it with ease. "For good luck. Kick his fucking ass."

He smiled at her. "You're not joining me?"

"If you don't have a spare change of pants it's hell no. I'm no fan of height, illusion or not." She replied.

Yami said, "Your lost. You'll be missing a great show."

Sofia smiled. "Oh I can tell what's going to happen." Once Yami left, she pulled out her iPod. "Now let the games begin."

Meanwhile Ushio felt the wind around him. "Come. Let's play a game."

Ushio find himself on the side of a sloped building, with a rope around him that is tied to a pole on top of the building. "Huh? What is this?" He looked up and saw Yami standing, leaning on the pole. "Damn you, Yugi!"

Yami said, "Yo! Ushio. What you want is here."

Ushio asked, "What? You mean the money? So, you brought it, eh? Then you didn't need to have been put into that situation. Come, hand it over quickly!"

Yami said, "Giving it so easily is boring."

Ushio asked, "What was that?"

Yami asked, "How about playing a game with me?"

Ushio asked, "Game?"

Yami said, "Also, it's not a normal game. It's a Yami-no-Game."

Ushio said, "Sounds interesting. I haven't lost, no matter what game! I'll take you on!"

Yami said, "That's just like Ushio. With that..." Yami jumps down the sloped building. He has a rope around his waist as well. As he jumps, he spreads a deck of regular cards on the slope. "The rules are simple. We take turns drawing cards. You can only climb up the number indicated on the card, while the other person lowers the same amount. The fastest one making it to the top can obtain the prize."

Ushio said, "Okay, got it. I'll go first." He picked up a card. "10 of Diamonds! How do you like that, Yuugi? I'm going to save myself. One, two three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."

Yami picks up a card. "This one is a Jack."

Ushio yelled, "What?" Yami climbs up, Ushio picks up a card. "2 of Spades. How's that, soon I'll pass you."

Yami said, "That's not true. Queen of Spades."

Ushio asked, "What was that? 3 of Diamonds!"

"9 of Hearts."

"6 of Clubs!"

"Jack of Spades."

Soon the game was close to the end. Yami was almost at the top, Ushio is hanging off the sloped building. "What's wrong, Ushio? Nothing left in you? With one step, I'm at the top."

Ushio said, "Shut up. If I get the right card, the tables will turn." He pulls a card. It's a Joker! "Joker?"

Yami asked, "Isn't it a shame, Ushio-san? The Joker is the end of the line. My turn."

Ushio asked, "What was that? Don't kid around with me! You planned this from the start, didn't you?"

Yami picks up a card. "Ace of Diamonds. I win."

Ushio yelled, "I won't forgive you!" Ushio starts climbing up the building.

Yami asked, "Are you breaking the rules? Doing such a thing will result in very bad consequences."

Ushio yelled, "Shut up!"

He swings a punch at Yami, which Yami dodges. "Just like I though, you couldn't obey the rules."

Ushio rips Yami's rope, and Yami starts falling off the roof. "I did it! What's this? This isn't money!" It turns out it was just a deck of cards.

A gold eye appeared on Yami's forehead as he said, "The door to the darkness has opened."

Ushio was confused. "What the...?"

Ushio slips, and falls off the roof. Yami didn't fall because he got his puzzle caught into the side of the building. "The Yami-no-Game exposes a person's true nature. You are lost in the darkness of your own desires."

Ushio continues falling. "What the…? It's fine. It's not like I will really die." Suddenly, some beasts shoot out of the water and open their jaws. Ushio screams.

Sofia waited at the side of the building for Yami. Sofia saw him as Yami gave Sofia back the guitar pick. "How did you know when I appeared?"

Sofia put it back on her choker and said, "Sorry but that's my own secret." The 2 left to go home.

When it was over back on Domino School grounds, the next day. "It's Ushio-san!"

"Ushio-san! What's wrong?"

"Mommy…I'm scared!" Ushio was curled up in fetal position, crying, surrounded by students.

"What's wrong? Hang in there!"

A few hours later in the shoe room a group of girls were talking. "Did you hear? Ushio, right? He experienced a great shock."

"I wonder what it could be? Such a guy could..."

But enough about that. Yugi and Sofia were walking down the hall. "You are really giddy about completing the puzzle huh Yugi?" asked Sofia.

Yugi said, "After 8 years of course."

Sofia asked, "You're not going to go all Gollum on me, are you?"

Yugi said, "Shut up."

Soon they passed Joey. "Yo, guys!"

Yugi said, "Joey! Good Morning!"

Sofia asked, "What's up?"

Joey said, "I also got a treasure, after looking at yours. Want to see it? Too bad. My treasure is special. Can be seen, but not seen. So, I can't show it to you." 'What's wrong with me today?'

Yugi pondered on the riddle. "You can see it, but you can't see it?"

Joey answered, "It's friendship."

Yugi and Sofia asked, "What?"

Joey asked, "Even though you and me are friends, friendship can't be seen, right?"

Yugi nods, and blushes. Sofia muttered, "About time."

Joey thought. 'What's wrong with me today, talking about such embarrassing things constantly?' "So now then...Class is about to start!"

A blushing Joey runs off, leaving his shoe behind. Yugi got the shoe and ran to him. "Joey! You left your shoe behind!"

Sofia followed the 2 down the hall. "1 down 26 and a movie to go."