Sneakpeak: - Ennead: For Those We Love: Chapter 4

“Stupid bimbo.” Haga grumbled as he rolled the dice and failed, yet again, to get the right number. His last seven rolls had been the same.

Glancing over at Yugi only irritated him further. She seemed to be having all the luck. Once again she was fitting a piece of her statue into place, the second bulbous eye slipping into place easily, leaving just two legs left to insert into the antlike carapace.

He was sure she had to be cheating. That her calm facade was a mask, hiding a smug smirk as she fiddled her rolls in order to cheat him out of victory. No one’s luck was as good as she was trying to make out hers was.

She glanced over at him, waiting for him to take his turn so she could cheat and put one of the last legs in. He just knew it. Anger bubbled away in side him as he picked his die up. She had no right to test him, to judge him.

Yes, she was technically World Champion at his game but that was only down to sheer dumb luck. She would never have defeated Kaiba if it had not been for the fact she had drawn Exodia out of her deck. Now the cards were his. If he couldn’t have them, no one could. Especially not some jumped up rookie duelist. They were wasted on her.

“Finally.” He grouched as he rolled a one, allowing him to add a leg to his almost limbless statue, anger roiling away under the surface as Yugi turned away to take her own turn.

He considered his options. He was not going to win. That much was becoming obvious. She would have to have an insanely bad run of luck to lose now. She was just too far ahead.

But there was something he could do to stop her winning. Their statues and the parts that went with them were colour coded. His green and hers purple. If he stole one of her leg pieces, she couldn’t finish her statue.

He picked up one of the purple legs, grimacing as he tried to work out how such a wimpy looking girl could lift such heavy parts with such ease. He didn’t think to wonder why the purple leg felt like it weighed a ton as he staggered over to his statue and slid the leg into place.

Out of nowhere a wind started up, pushing him away from the now mismatched statue, making him stumble backwards and trip over one of the eye pieces belonging to his statue, hitting the floor with a yelp.

“Well, that was predictable.” Yugi scowled at him as he rubbed his rear, moving away from her statue and stalking towards him, darkness flaring up around her like flames. “Though I did expect it would happen earlier.”

Haga’s smart-alec comment died in his throat as he stared up at her. This wasn’t the Yugi he had talked to earlier. The innocent looking girl with wide, purple eyes, from earlier was gone. Instead this was a vengeful teenager with sharp red eyes and a scowl, who seemed to control the darkness around them like it was an extension of her.

“You cheated Haga.” She informed him, “And for that you will pay.”

“I...I...” Haga stammered, his hand slipping into the pocket where he had stowed the Exodia cards, “He...Here!” He offered them, “You can have them...”

“It’s a little late for that, Haga.” She snapped at him, glowering, “If you had played by the rules, that would have been enough. Now, however...”

Haga started trembling, fear and anger mingling, as he pulled his hand back and stared up at her. The flames that surrounded her were as cold as ice and as they licked around his feet he could feel his toes going numb.

She was a sorceress, there was no other explanation for it. That was how she had been cheating. She had been using her magic to rig the game!

Anger overtook him as the chill continued up his legs and he realised that he had never stood a chance. That she was stood there, looking down on him, judging him.

How dare she? How dare she?!

Well he could get one last shot in before she cast whatever horrible spell she was planning to cast.

“You think you’re so great.” Haga snarled, getting to his feet, “You’re just like everyone else, a lying, cheating cow.” He glowered at her, “You think you’re above everyone else? Just because you can make people see things and create things from nothing?” His expression shifted, to one of a vicious smirk, “Well say goodbye to Exodia.”

He had just enough time to tear the stack of cards in half before the Shadows swarmed him.

Sneakpeak: Clanverse: Shadow Treaty Chapter 14

“You’re going to be careful, right?” Serenity worried at her older brother as she helped her mentor assemble a small kit of essential potions that would be useful if something went wrong, which she was assuming it would.

“I’m always careful.” Joey’s reply earned him a frustrated sigh from his sister as she added another blood replenishing potion to the bag and went looking for another pain reliever.

“I think what your sister means, Wheeler-san,” Akata informed Joey with a small smirk, “is we would quite like it if your group didn’t put themselves in comas or nearly killed themselves this time please. It’s quite bad for our reputation if our patients keep coming back in such a short space of time.”

“I’ll try but I can’t make any promises.” Joey replied with a grimace. “If the English play nicely while we’re over there it won’t be an issue. I mean between our Japanese Ministry babysitters, I mean bodyguards, we should be fine, but...”

“Your fine and my fine are two different things.” Serenity complained, shoving another two pain relievers in the bag along with an antidote or two for various potions and poisons, “There, that should be everything.”

“Are you going to be alright here on your own?” Joey worried at her, noting the stress on her features and wondering when she had last slept properly.

“I’m not the one who’s walking into danger again.” Serenity retorted, before letting out a yawn and looking embarrassed, “Sorry, I had a really early start and it’s been hell trying to sort out the medical reports the Japanese Ministry sent over. None of them seem completely accurate and half of them are incomplete.”

“Anything we should be worried about?” Joey worried, wondering if there was something the medical team, which consisted of Healer Akata, Dr. Hoshigawa, Serenity and a group of newly graduated medical students of both schools of healing, had not told them yet.

“No, no.” Akata reassured him, having been pleased when the Speaker for Magical Japan had assigned the Shadow-Touched of Duellist Kingdom a few more healers to make up for the increased numbers. “The paperwork was just rushed. I don’t think their healers wanted to deal with them for too long.”

“If you’re sure...” Joey worried.

“Positive.” Serenity nodded, smiling at her brother though she didn’t really feel like doing so, “Worry about yourself.”

“Don’t worry, it’s gunna be a cake walk.” Joey grinned, trying to reassure his sister, “Besides even if it’s not, Yami’s still ticked off at the English Ministry and there’s nothing more dangerous than a ticked off Yami. We’ll be fine.”

“Just promise me you’re not going to do anything crazy.” Serenity stared at her brother, watching him like a hawk.

“Besides going to visit the English Ministry?” Joey asked with a cheeky smile.

“Joey...” Serenity’s tone turned to one of warning, not appreciating his jokes right now.

“I promise sis, I’m coming back. Alive.” He swore, turning serious. “And I’m bringing Yugi, Harry and Hermione back with me.”

“Good.” Serenity looked relieved. Joey didn’t break promises he made to her. “When are you leaving?”

“Not that long now.” Joey shrugged, “Yugi’s just finishing something with the refugees and then we’ll be off.”

“I’ll see you down there.” 

Sneakpeak: Ennead: For Those We Love Chapter 2

They weren’t the only ones who were early, there were plenty of Duellists waiting for the boat alongside them. Yugi recognised some of them. Near the front of the queue she could see Insector Haga and Dinosaur Ryuzaki bickering about something. Further back was Kaijiki Ryota, the ocean based Duellist who only really seemed to be interested in big tournaments where there were large amounts of prize money at stake.

The only other female Duellist there spotted her and left her place in the queue to come and talk to her. Jou, who had been babbling in his nervousness about getting caught out and sent away, went silent as the tall, well built and beautiful blonde young woman joined them.

“Mutou Yugi?” Kujaku asked, looking Yugi over.

“T...that’s right.” Yugi nodded, bowing quickly to the woman who had inspired her, currently short, professional Duelling career.

“My name’s Kujaku Mai.” Mai returned the bow briefly, blanking Jou as he tried to introduce himself, “I was hoping you would be here.”

“Oh?” Yugi asked, unable to help but be surprised as she hadn’t thought Kujaku would even know who she was.

“When someone beats the World Champion, I make it my business to find out more about them.” Mai chuckled at her, “Especially when it’s a girl. Of course we’re still in the minority, as you can see.” Mai gestured around to the crowd, “But I’ve noticed there are more girls interested thanks to you. I’m almost jealous.”

“You are?” Yugi asked, confused.

“I’ve been trying to get other women interested in the game for years.” Mai nodded, “We’re smarter than guys after all.”

“Hey!” One of the male Duellists nearby who weren’t entranced by Mai’s appearance protested.

“I...”

“I look forward to seeing you in the finals, Yugi.” Mai cut off what Yugi was going to say as the queue started moving, shooting towards the front of the line where a couple of guys moved to let her back into the place she had abandoned much more willingly than they would have done for anyone else.

Yugi started moving with the line, shaking her head in amusement when she realised Jou hadn’t moved from where he’d been stood when Mai had left.

“Hey Jou, Earth to Jou.” She chuckled, waving a hand in his face, “Line’s moving. Come on.”

“Wha?” Jou did a double take and looked around, before sheepishly following her.