Shaman King mix?

‘Yugi!’

Yami’s warning gave Yugi just enough time to jump back and narrowly avoid the incoming attack. “Who’s there?” The hikari demanded.

A dark chuckle made Yugi take a step back. Yami nudged at his mind, wanting control, but held back from seizing it when Yugi sent the mental equivalent of a head shake. “Where’s your guardian ghost, Shaman?” The teenager who stepped out of the darkness asked.

“I’m not a…” Yugi yelped and ducked under a second attack, “Shaman.”

“You have to be.” His attacker disagreed, taking another swipe at Yugi. “I saw you integrate with your guardian ghost earlier.”

“Integrate?” Yugi wondered as he willingly relinquished control to the Pharaoh who was just itching to make the man attacking his hikari pay.

‘We can work it out later.’ The Pharaoh promised as he darted out of reach of the attacker’s weapon. The spirit considered their attacker carefully. “What do you want?” He demanded, further irritated when the man smirked.

“Instantaneous integration.” He looked impressed, “You’d make a valuable addition to my team. And with the Shaman Tournament coming up, I need every strong spirit I can get. Now, abandon your host, or I will kill him to take control of you.”

‘Stay in your Soul Room, Yugi.’ Yami growled. “I won’t let you harm my partner. Nor will I ever bend to another’s will.”

“You’ll have no choice once your host is dead.”

“If Yugi dies, the Puzzle will shatter and I will return to the darkness.” Yami snorted, carefully scanning the area for something he could use to defend them, “Yugi is the only one who will ever be able to work with me.”

“If your wimpy host could complete the Puzzle and it’s the Puzzle that holds your spirit,” Their attacker raised his blade again, causing Yami to tense up, waiting for the coming attack, “Then I’ll complete it once I kill him!” The sword lashed out but Yami was faster, ducking under the attack, rolling and grabbing a pipe from the side of the road, bringing it up and round in time to stop a swing that had been meant for Yugi’s neck.

“I. Won’t. Let. You. Kill. Yugi.” Yami bit out as he strained against the blade. For such a small guy, their attacker had a lot of upper body strength and Yugi, for all his magical strength, did not.

Magic.

Yami lashed out with his magic, blasting the guy into a wall, mentally cursing himself for not thinking of it sooner.

“I’m impressed.” The guy smirked as he picked himself up. “I didn’t see that coming.”

“I challenge you.” Yami said, changing tactics, calling the Shadows, which danced around him and his opposition, waiting to play, though only the most sensitive could sense them at the level Yami had summoned them. “To a game of my choice. If I win, you’ll leave and never come back. If I lose, I will go with you willingly.”

“Yami, no!”

‘Have faith, Yugi, I won’t lose.’

“A game?” The man looked around, eyes sharp, as if he could sense the magic swirling around them as clearly as Yami could. “That’s all it would take?”

“One simple game.”

“I doubt anything involving the darkness around us could be classed as simple, but go on.”

‘He can sense the Shadows…’ The attitude Yami presented to his opponent wasn’t the same as the tone of his mental voice, as he pulled a pair of dice out of his back pocket. “A game of luck.” He tossed a die to his opponent. “All you have to do is roll higher than me three times out of five and you win. The only other rule is that neither player can attack the other while the game is in play.”

“That’s it? You’re risking everything on the roll of the dice?” The guy looked shocked.

“Scared?” Yami taunted.

“You. Wish.” The guy snapped.

“Then I’ll roll.” Yami rolled his die, which landed on a three. “Your go.”

There was a soft growl before the guy rolled his die, which was swiftly followed by a smirk as it landed on a four. “One down.”

“There are many more rounds yet.” Yami snorted, ill- amused by the guy’s arrogance. He could feel Yugi’s support at the back of his mind as he rolled again. “Let’s see you beat a four.”

“Easily.” The guy’s words didn’t match the roll of his die, which landed on a three. “Oh well, there are three more rounds…”

He was less confident after the next round, when he failed to beat Yami’s roll a second time.

“Last chance.” Yami smirked, already sensing the shift in the magic as his opponent made up his mind about something. The Pharaoh rolled his die.

A five.

The attacker dropped his die and darted across the field, sword in hand, striking out in an assault intended to run Yugi through. Yami shifted just in time, turning the killing strike into a stab that, while not fatal, was still serious.

The guy came in for a second attack as the Pharaoh hissed in pain and his hand went to the wound, applying pressure, shutting the link between him and his hikari off to prevent both the pain seeping through and Yugi from seeing what was about to happen.

The Shadows rose, knocking the guy off of his feet.

“Not only did you break the rules,” The Pharaoh’s tone was dark, angry, terrifying, “But your roll wasn’t enough to beat mine. You lose and for your cheating I call on a Penalty Game.”

“A what?” The guy scrambled backwards, away from the pissed off King.

Yami raised the hand that wasn’t stemming the blood flow, “Mind Crush.”

The guy collapsed and the Shadows vanished.

“Yugi!”

Yami sank to his knees, gasping in pain as, at Tea’s call, the focus that had held him through the Shadow Game broke.

“Yuge!” Joey and Tea darted down the alley.

“Shit Yuge, what happened?” Joey asked, wincing in appreciation when he saw the blood seeping through Yami’s fingers and quickly working out what he could use to help as Tea pulled out her mobile.

“He attacked me.” Yami replied unsteadily, feeling woozy. “Won’t be doing that again.”

There was a vicious satisfaction to the Pharaoh’s tone that made Joey cringe inwardly. On the one hand, anyone who hurt Yugi deserved whatever they got, on the other Yami had a real mean streak (and that was putting it nicely) whenever Yugi got hurt.

“Was it the Puzzle again?” Joey asked quietly as Tea gave the ambulance directions.

“I… no…” Yugi, who had slipped back into control the moment Yami had reopened the link, cringed when he made the mistake of moving. “No. It wasn’t the Puzzle. At least, not at first.”

“What do you mean?” Joey asked.

‘Yugi!’ Yami’s voice rang in his head, ‘There’s another one!’

Yugi struggled to his feet, looking around. “Where? Yami, where?”

“Yuge?” Joey asked.

‘Let me…’ Yami didn’t have to finish his sentence as Yugi stepped aside, giving the Pharaoh control. “Who’s out there?” Yami challenged, looking around, dizzy but not willing to let someone else get the drop on them.

“Easy, spirit.” Someone in Native American clothes stepped out of the darkness at the other end, “I mean no harm to your host.”

Joey stepped between Yami and the guy, “You with that guy?” Joey indicated the male on the floor.

“I was supposed to test him for the tournament. But it appears that will no longer be necessary.” The new guy didn’t sound too unhappy about that.

“Test?” Joey asked.

Whatever the Indian was about to say was lost in the sound of sirens, the arrival of which made the teens look over their shoulder and by the time they looked back, the Indian was gone and so was the body of the attacker.

“Where’d he go?” Joey yelped.

They didn’t have time to answer as the ambulance crew took charge.

Then there was no time for questions at all.