Spirit Redemption Attack (Part 2)

DIMENSION: MANGA (The One That Saves the Day)

"All he needs is a 4500 card to take you out," Atem warned him. "He's pulled that out many times. His deck is made to have the strongest attack levels."

"But then, Shizuka will bring down the rest of the house," Jounouchi insisted. "If the math doesn't go card by card and the overall numbering, it'll be over 12,000. We can take it on." He sighed. "We have to try." He looked over toward everyone and started to walk to Shizuka. "Sis, take care of Mana for me. I can't risk her in my grasp."

Shizuka held her. Kaiba glanced over.

"Don't even think about saying use her as a monster for the best win," Jounouchi warned Kaiba. "I know you, that's exactly what you're thinking."

Kaiba scoffed. "The living card she gave you. When you summon Black Magician, can he hold that card?"

Jounouchi was confused, but not Atem.

"Yes! Jounouchi it is worth a shot," Atem insisted. "When you call for him, give him the Red Eyes Black Dragon. It's power might be able to be used in the fight too."

"If so that's 6500. It'll improve my chances." Jounouchi understood it. He held his card closely. "This is our only shot then. We don't know when Set is going to use the overblown card, or if Zorc has one in his deck just waiting to be used too."

///Yuugi: If we don't act now Honda, Miho, and Grandpa are done for.///

///Atem: That may be true, but the enemy figuring out Hanasake and Mai's locations would give us time to form another plan. If Hanasake is at the school too, the barrier would be stronger. Maybe the injured man was just a ploy?///

///Yuugi: I want to end this. Everything that's happened. Everyone we've lost. How Zorc plays with Anzu. I can't do this anymore, I want it to end! We need to end this.///

///Atem: I understand, Yuugi. We will seal Zorc's fate.///

Zorc just shook his head. "Here, let's go to the ground to see what this is going to do."

"I summon the Black Magician!" Jounouchi yelled. When it arrived, he held out his Red Eyes Black Dragon. "Hold this, Pal."

Black Magician seemed to understand why. He held the card tightly.

"The greediness of using living cards," Zorc said. "I thought the heroes knew when to take the right steps to victory?" He held up his card. It was the same card Set wanted to make the deal with. "What a waste, but I can't let the fun end here."

"No, Jounouchi!" Atem and Yuugi both yelled it at the same time. Shizuka yelled in horror and Kaiba watched.

Jounouchi didn't even get a chance for final words as he evaporated away like the Black Magician. Just like cards, done with their turn. The Red Eyes Black Dragon card floated to the ground, but burned away before it hit the ground.

Shizuka screamed, "summon me!"

Kaiba stayed silent. Yuugi fell to his knees, having trouble seeing what he had seen. Through all the challenges, even the hardest, Jounouchi survived all of them. From getting the impossible money from Pegasus for Shizuka, to helping to get the cards.

He'd come close, but he'd never . . .

"Summon me, summon me!" Shizuka insisted to Kaiba. She beat on his shoulder. "Summon me!"

Kaiba still didn't say anything.

Zorc didn't look happy himself. "That was my best card I had to waste."

"Summon me," Shizuka repeated again. "Summon me, summon me, summon me! Please!" She shook his sleeve. "Please."

Kaiba still didn't say anything.

"It's a waste," Bakura spoke. "It's 100,000 life points."

"The card is only good for one turn and it's burning!" Shizuka insisted.

"Hm?" Kaiba looked at the card. "One turn damage." He glanced toward Zorc. "Still, it's not enough."

"I won't know if I don't try!" Shizuka insisted.

"You do know, which is why I'm not trying!" Kaiba yelled back at her. "Do you think your brother wants you to burn your energy on a barrier that won't fall? Even if you had just enough, it'd be risky, look at what you are carrying."

Shizuka shuddered. "I can't-"

"You can feel her, smell her, and you willingly took her. Your brother gave her to you to protect her. This game and it's rules, there is still treachery within it." He glared at her. "You are controlled by me for a reason, I am not going to ever play you at the wrong time without calculating all possibilities."

Mana cried and Shizuka started to rock her. They both cried, but Shizuka tried to be quieter. "Sorry. I'm sorry." It wasn't clear who she'd been saying it to.

"By the way, Jounouchi was in charge of watching over Mai," Zorc said. "While it doesn't mean that Mai's ship is sunk, it does mean that a lost player is a lost barrier."

"Which is why everyone was assigned to help, but didn't actually have to if their target was in peril," Bakura said. "I hope these are the last surprises in the game to learn."

"No, there's still two secrets," Set revealed. "I think you'll figure them out soon, on Atem's turn."

Atem however, was not moving quickly. He stood up. The puzzle glowed on him, but he didn't make a move. "Jounouchi."

Jounouchi.

Atem moved enough to look at his top five cards. ///Atem: Two secrets left to know. None of these cards are very high. Fine for Duel Monsters, not in a game where the average attack is 4000.///

///Yuugi: We still have the puzzle. I bet it gives some advantage to us. Two more secrets. We need to figure them out, and win this game!///

Maybe a card replacement? "Is there some kind of card replacement if you didn't use yours? Jounouchi was my living card, but I didn't use him."

"One secret left," Set answered. "There are no replacements. All the sacrifices in the game go to limbo before the end of the game for final sentencing. You still have your card, it's just changed. It's not living, it's a a spirit card."

///Yuugi: Why does my heart feel nothing better about that?///

They would play Jounouchi's spirit as the card in the same way. "His life points were 1600. If he has no life, is it still the same?" ///Atem: Sorry I must ask that Yuugi.///

///Yuugi: I know, Atem.///

"A spirit's worth is depending. I don't know the answer to your question," Set said honestly. "It's whatever his spirit was worth overall."

///Yuugi: Jounouchi had a lot of spirit. At least 1600, right?///

///Atem: They are going to make us play this one blind. If he is worth a decent amount, Kaiba can call on Shizuka if need be. It would wipe out the barrier, now that the absurd card that should never have been created is gone.///

///Yuugi: If it isn't, Kaiba won't play her. He doesn't get reckless with cards, or her. It'll be the last time to see him until the game is won. Which we will do.///

///Atem: With more confidence, Yuugi. It is what must be done. We will win! Our friends will not be in limbo for long./// One final move. "I summon the spirit card, Jounouchi!"

There was a swirl of wind in front of the glove. Jounouchi was no longer dressed in his regular dueling clothes. He appeared younger, like he was sixteen again. His shirt was white with blue sleeves, one of his favorites he used to wear at that age. His shoes had been trendy during his younger ages, before they were all worn out.

He glanced toward Zorc. There were no words he said to anyone, unlike Jounouchi. But? He then looked toward Atem and Yuugi, giving them a quick thumbs up, before spreading his legs and arms apart, like he was going to make a grand move.

Not a word was uttered as the Black Magician appeared before him. Jounouchi went back to his usual slack position and just smiled lightly toward Shizuka and Mana. The Black Magician's magic was more of a yellower color than before.

"Shizuka, I'll be back for Mana, listen to Kaiba, I love all my friends, and this one is for all the marbles 'cause I gotta go after this one!" Jounouchi finally spoke and it was quick. "Black Magician, Spirit Redemption's Attack!"

They were transported back to Earth as the Black Magician soared over Egypt, aiming for the souls of the long gone friends of the Pharoah. They each bowed toward the Black Magician from the safety of a barrier as the skies darkened. Thunder struck the Black Magician's scepter, making it go from yellow to a glowing white.

When it struck, everyone braced themselves.

Jounouchi's spirit power was high. Not only did the barrier get conquered, but one by one, the battleship's were snuffed out.

"That's cheating!" Zorc complained, "he never should have known about that!"

"That Bes as referee only," Set warned Zorc. "To make sure we couldn't cheat, someone must have told him the rule when he passed on."

"It's still a god, it still counts as cheating," Zorc said to Set.

"Not if the god spoke first through a non-player who hasn't been able to enter the field," Set reminded him.

"Ryou Bakura," Bakura said out loud. "I haven't been able to feel him. He wasn't allowed into the game. I figured he was being kept safe until afterwards."

"Damn it!" Zorc stomped his foot like Anzu when she got angry. "Fine then. I'll leave, but before I go?" Zorc looked toward Yuugi and Atem. "It's no lie. This is the last time you'll hear them, only I know the split. You have won everything, except the ones you once loved. Now, to complete my word."

Zorc paused. There was a different look to the eyes. Something that wasn't Anzu's either. They looked toward Atem, and bowed. "I will do my best." There were no words, but a noticeable tremble, as Zorc faded away like Jounouchi once did.

///Atem: Masika. We will get you away from him too./// Although, Atem didn't know what she meant by her last words. They hadn't been helpful for the game, and she didn't seem the type to waste time on frivolity. ///Atem: I will do my best? What did she mean by that?///

///Yuugi: I don't know, Atem, I'm just glad Zorc is out of here.///

"Jounouchi?" Shizuka called to him.

He just chuckled, winked, and with a light "Later, Guys," disappeared.

"It looks like we had an even better card in the end, Set," Atem goaded him.

"Yes, you figured out the last hidden thing in the game. Nice way to talk about your friend though," Set criticized him with some anger.

"I know Jounouchi. He would have wanted me to say that to your face," Atem announced. Then, it turned into a bright smile.

Yuugi laughed. "Yes he would have! He wiped the floor with all of you. Jounouchi always had an endless amount of spirit."