Evil Love

Traps and Torture

"We're finally about to enter Castle Zorc!", Joey told everybody, "Are you ready?!"

"Be careful!", Poki warned the group, "There are traps set for you in Zorc Castle! Poki!"

"Okay!", Yugi told the little guy, "We'll be careful, Poki!"

"This place gives me the creeps," Vicki said, nodding, "But at least I know that you guys are behind me all the way."

"No matter what's waiting, we have Yugi on our side!", Joey told her, "He's a friend we can trust!"

Ku Ku Ku...It's easy to say you can do it, Bakura thought, Yugi, now is the time to test your gaming skills.

"Now at last the adventurers' goal lies before them!", he narrated, "The drawbridge lowers, making a path into the castle!"

"Alright," Joey yells, "Let's go!"

"The adventurers enter Zorc's area," Bakura continued, "The castle field opens!"

"Wh-what the?!", Vicki exclaimed, "The castle is a diorama too!"

"You've come to the last stage of your quest," Bakura explained, "Somewhere in the castle waits Zorc! Can the group of heroes find him...and slay the demon?"

"Hey, Zorc! Where are you hiding?", Joey called, "You limp dork monster! Come out and fight us!"

"Huh?", Tristan said, "That tower looks suspicious!"

"Okay," Joey said, "Let's go in!"

"Hold on," Yugi told them, "I wonder what this pedestal is...? Those marks..."

No...that mark is suspicious!", Yami thought, "It must have some meaning. It looks like the upper part of the pedestal is missing. Hm...This is a trap!"

"Wait, everyone!", Yami told the group, "Don't go in the tower!"

"Huh?", Yugi told him, "But we're already here."

You fell for it, Bakura thought.

"Get ready, my dear," he told Vittoria, "You're going to love this part."

"Ah-ha-ha-ha!", Vittoria cackled, "Yes!"

"The ceiling is falling!", Yugi cried.

"Yikes!", Vicki cried, "Spikes!"

"No!", Yami yelled.

"The adventurers have fallen into a trap," Bakura explained, "But don't worry! Instant death traps are the tool of amateur game masters. A good game master prolongs the torture as long as possible. I'll give you a chance to save them, Yugi."

"We're gonna be smushed!", Vicki cried.

"Everyone!", Yami yelled.

"Ouch!", Joey said, "This ceiling isn't just heavy, it's got spikes in it!"

"We can't move!", Tristan cried.

"Bakura and Vittoria!", Yami snapped, "You player-killing scumbags!"

"Aha-ha-ha!", Vittoria said with a flourish, "What Yugi? Can't take it anymore!"

"I know the breaking point of my lead figures. They can hold out for just a little longer," Bakura explained, "You have three turns. In other words, three rolls of the dice, Yugi. If you fail, your friends die! Ku Ku Ku!"

"This is the puzzle!", he continued, "To save your friends, you must create the column to support the ceiling. However, to do that you must roll a certain number on the dice."

A certain number?, Yami thought, The roll of the dice causes the pillar to appear. What's the puzzle?

"C'mon! Roll a critical!", Joey yelled, "Yugi!"

I don't have time to think, Yami thought, Everyone's lives are riding on this!

"Yes!", Yami cried, "A critical!"

"You did it!", The group yelled.

"Too bad! You did roll a critical, but I said you needed a certain number," Bakura explained, "Here's a hint: you have to roll doubles."

Getting a critical is not enough, Yami thought, I have to get doubles! That carving must be the key!

"Yugi!", Yami cried.

I have to get the right answer fast, he thought, Everyone's lives are on the line.

"That reminds me. It's time for a monster encounter. Roll to see if the Dark Witch appears, Vittoria," Bakura told her, "There's a thirty percent chance that she shows up!"

If the Dark Witch shows up now!, Yami thought, They're dead for sure!

"Twenty-eight!", Vittoria exclaimed, "Aha-ha-haaa!"

"The worst possible number for the adventurers!", Bakura explained, "The Dark Witch emerges from the castle."

"What!", Yugi cried.

"No!", Yami yelled.

"You fell for Zorc's trap, I see! Dumb kids!", the Dark Witch told them, "Plea, bitches, plea! I shall enjoy seeing your torture up close and personal."

"So you're that torturous yami!", Yugi cried, "You're hikari is scared half to death right now!"

"An unexpected addition to my plan. That autistic little fool fell for it, and now all of you are paying the price. Aha-ha-ha!"

"D-Dammit! That's low!", Joey yelled as the Dark Witch was visualizing them impaled on the spikes, "Bringing a handicapped kid into this. Are you listening?"

This is bad, Yami thought, Not only are they about to be crushed, they're defenseless against the Dark Witch's attack.

No good, he thought, rolling a thirteen.

Crud, Joey thought, Can't hold out much longer...

"The Dark Witch attacks," Bakura narrated, "Since her target can't move, her success rate is ninety-five percent"

"Not the best number," Vittoria said, rolling a forty-one, "But it's a good start to your slow and painful death at my very hand."

She used her magic to use some of the spikes to slash across their midsections.

C'mon Yugi...you have one last chance, Joey thought, Roll the dice! Even with spikes in our heads, we believe in you!

Guys, Yami thought, Now I get it! I've figured out the puzzle of the carving! The carving is a pair of numbers with the middle part missing. The numbers on the carving are 0-3-6-8-9. The other numbers, 1-2-4-5-7, won't work! Dice, don't let our faith be for nothing! This is our last chance! Let the correct number appear!

Is that it? Is that the correct number?, he thought, rolling a sixty-six, Please!

Can't...keep it up...anymore!, Joey thought.

The pillar appeared with the number 99 on it.

The pillar appeared, Yami thought, That was the correct number!

"Wh-what?!," Bakura exclaimed, "But I was sure he rolled a 66!"

"The Light Fairy used her magic to make the pillar appear."

"In that same instant, Zorc appears, with another attack," Bakura narrated, rolling a twelve, "Zorc strikes the adventurers!"

"I'll slice through all of you," Zorc declared, "Tower, pillar, and figures all at once! Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Haa! Dead at last!"

"You forget! The player characters have much higher speed," Yami told Bakura, "Once the puzzle was solved, they succeeded in escaping!"

"That means we're all alive and well and behind your back!", Joey yelled.

"By taking Zorc's back," Yami told Bakura, "the adventurers get a surprise attack! Bakura, I'll show you the power that we have as a team!"

"Are you ready, Zorc?", Joey said, "There's plenty more where that came from!"