Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Dueling ❯ The Duelist's Den ( Chapter 2 )

Dark Dueling

By FlikFreak

 

Chapter Two: The Duelist's Den

 

~*~

It's been countless years…I've felt myself pass through many hands. Now, I once again await in a dark place, though this one much less silent. The stench of death isn't nearly as terrible here; it doesn't even exist. Many people come and go throughout the day and night - usually the night - in battles not unlike the ones I once partook in.

 

I cannot remain here in the dark forever. I must find someone suitable of being my host, if only for a short amount of time. I don't care for this excluded lifestyle any more; I want to be free! Perhaps this place is my answer…

 

~*~

 

For something called a “den,” it sure was enormous. The mere entrance of the place was an enormous hall, the concrete walls decorated with crude yet well-done etchings of several Duel Monsters that Yugi recognized. Further down the hall, he could see several hallways dividing into different routes, each of them marked with odd eye-like patterns on the separating walls. The lighting was dim in this place, but Yugi didn't mind; he could see well enough.

 

And for some reason, he felt like he was being watched.

 

“Unbelievable,” Jounouchi managed to breathe. “It's like an underground stadium for dueling!”

 

Yugi nodded. “Yeah…it's amazing.” Something doesn't feel quite right…oh, well.

 

The two went forward eagerly. There were a good number of enormous arenas, each surrounded by chain-link fences, all held up by several pillars. Something that huge could have been used for high school basketball rather than dog fights, Yugi pondered. As he looked closer, he noted that the arenas he could see were all empty. Before he could ascertain as to why, he noticed all of the people in the building headed in one direction. “What's going on?” he asked a nearby person.

 

The girl grinned. “They're having an announcement on today's quick-match. The rules are supposedly the typical ones for Duel Monsters, but the winner of the match gets a great prize!”

 

Yugi, eyes wide in excitement, headed into the crowd with Jounouchi in hot pursuit. They passed by several of the arenas they had seen before, along with a number of much smaller ones, before finally arriving at a much more open space. It seemed to be the main entrance to the Duelist's Den; there were a few booths near the sides with shops - some selling cards, other selling refreshments - as well as the restrooms, a hallway leading to a few rooms (probably for staff and other such things), and several benches scattered about. Near one of the far walls was a podium set up on a few steps, the podium itself now surrounded by anxious and chattering duelists. Or are they duelists? I don't see any of them wearing Duel Disks…

 

Stepping up onto the platform was a strange man in a creamy white robe, a hood concealing his face. He held up his hands briefly and the crowd silenced to a whisper. Yugi shrank back a bit nervously, whispering to a nearby spectator. “Who's that?” he asked.

 

The person gladly answered. “Everyone calls him Boss; no one knows his real name. He's the one that created this place. Word has it he's a pro duelist.”

 

The man spread his arms in a kind gesture. “Welcome, my friends, to the Duelist's Den!” He called out with a light and kind voice that betrayed the mysterious aura around him. “I'm glad you all came to this special announcement. As you all know, the Autumn Tournament will be held next week from Monday to Wednesday. Today, we will be holding a celebratory event in honor of several new members joining today.”

 

New members? Yugi wondered. I guess word traveled around fast about us. He cast a quick glance to Jounouchi, whose eyes were filled with suspicion.

 

The strange cloaked man continued his speech. “All shops will be giving away select booster packets for free today, and all arenas will be open to all duelists of all levels. To our newest members, please meet with me in room 7 as soon as possible. That is all for now; everyone have fun!” With that, the man left.

 

There was an enormous cheer from the crowd as groups of people flocked to the stores for free cards. Yugi and Jounouchi exchanged glances and headed toward the nearby hallway.

 

The rooms were all labeled with numbers, and it wasn't long before the two reached room seven. As they entered, they found the cloaked man standing before them, arms crossed calmly, hood still pulled over his eyes. The room itself was still dark, like the rest of the Den, but this room was slightly darker. The man wasted no time in introducing himself. “I heard from one of our external resources that you would arrive,” he said, the tone in his voice much less welcoming than it had been in the foyer. “Can you verify this?”

 

Jounouchi nodded. “Yeah. We asked Ryou Bakura if he knew anything.”

 

“I see,” the man replied, his voice low. “And what purpose brings you here?”

 

Both Yugi and Jounouchi blinked. “Sir…?”

 

The man leaned over his desk slightly, bracing himself with two strong arms. “The Duelist's Den is not just a place for fun and games,” he said darkly. “Many people come here for a common reason: some to train, others to fulfill some sort of goal. You, too, must have a reason.”

 

There was an odd silence as the two thought. Yugi didn't want to anger this man, but he had the feeling he was patient, and gave an odd look to Jounouchi, whom just shrugged. “I didn't really come for my own purpose,” the blonde said. “My friend was the one that was interested. I'm just here for support.”

 

“Really?” the man said, a soft smile appearing on what they could see of his visage. “Very well. You may go, Jounouchi.”

 

Jounouchi yelped quietly. “Wha…how did you know my name?”

 

The man simply nodded. “It is of no importance. You are dismissed.”

 

It was a kind yet stern statement, and Jounouchi didn't seem to want to anger this person. With a polite bow, he left, and the man faced Yugi with a serious gesture. “And what would your purpose be, young man?”

 

Yugi thought very briefly and shrugged. “I just want to duel again.”

 

“You want to duel again?” the man repeated. “Have you been forbidden from it?”

 

“Not really,” Yugi replied, giving a sorrowful sigh. “I love to duel more than anything, but whenever I challenge people at school…they just don't want to play anymore. I've kind of lost my motivation, I guess. When I heard a rumor about the Duelist's Den, I thought maybe it would be a place where I could get back my fighting spirit, so to speak. I just want to have that back…”

 

The man stood upright, lightly rubbing his chin with one finger in an oddly ponderous position. Yugi looked at the ground shamefully, but the moment he did he heard the man take a few steps toward his bookshelf and looked up. “You should feel no shame in your reason to come here,” the man told him. “What you seek is to regain something precious. Whether or not you will be able to find it here is your decision alone, guided only by your own actions.”

 

The message was a bit cryptic, but Yugi nodded anyway. It was easy enough to get the gist of, but aside from that he couldn't help but feel as though this man was hiding something. The man approached a small set of heavy-duty shelves nearby - the kind he recognized from old car workshops, usually for holding tools - and looked over it quickly. Yugi recognized a few books and several Duel Monsters cards in protective card sleeves placed on careful display, as well as an old Duel Disk placed near them. What caught his eye, however, was a small box placed near the top. The man examined it carefully and pulled it from its resting place, gingerly dusting it off as though the slightest rough movement would cause it to burst into fragments. The box itself had to have been made of pure, solid gold, and was decorated with hieroglyphics and a strange eye design similar to the ones on the walls outside. The man carefully dusted it off and set it on his desk. “Yugi Mutou,” he muttered. His voice may have been quiet, but it seemed to echo louder than even the mightiest roar a lion could make.

 

“Yes, sir?”

 

The man seemed to disregard him for a moment before looking up. “Of the many people that have come here to seek something, your reason is one of the meekest I have encountered.” He pushed the box toward Yugi. “Inside this box supposedly lies an incredible power, but this power is split into pieces. Only when united is that strength true. If you can solve this puzzle before the tournament ends, you will be rewarded.”

 

Yugi blinked a few times before tentatively reaching towards it, then pausing. The man nodded, and Yugi picked it up. As he began to open the lid, however, the man placed a hand on it, keeping it shut. “Do not open it here,” the man said. “And do not show it to anyone until you have managed to complete it…if you can by the deadline.” He stood and turned around. Yugi gave the back of the man's hood an odd look; this person couldn't have been old with a voice like that, but the wisdom that he spoke was incredible. As Yugi almost spoke again, the man turned part-way to him and nodded. “I'd place that deep in my backpack if I were you. You are dismissed.”

 

After a short hesitation, Yugi stuffed the golden box deep into his backpack and bowed politely. “Thank you, sir.” With that, he exited, quietly closing the door behind him.

 

Once the door was firmly shut, the man smirked, eyes narrowing malevolently. “Good luck, Yugi…you'll need it.”