"Finally… we made it."
Yuto let out a long breath, feeling as though his bones were about to rattle apart from the endless jolting of the soft-yet-sturdy Niwatori's back.
"That really was a mountain that killed the horse before it reached the hill…" he muttered, climbing off the giant bird's plush back on hands and knees until his feet finally touched solid ground again.
Mokuba, however, was nothing like him!
He practically launched himself off like a cannonball, tumbled to a stop, and immediately fixed his eyes on the temple's shadowed entrance. Without a moment's hesitation, he dashed straight in!
"Hey! Mokuba! Wait!"
Yugi shouted after him, worried he might run into danger in the unfamiliar temple, and hurried in pursuit.
Joey and Mai quickly dismounted as well, while Yuto took the rear. Together, the group followed Mokuba into the mysterious Giant Rock Temple.
Yet what awaited them inside was a rude shock!
The grand stone pillars, solemn statues, and jewel-inlaid murals they'd imagined were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the interior opened into a twisting, damp natural cavern that spiraled downward into darkness.
Cold, humid air thick with the scent of moss and decay pressed against their faces. Drops of water fell rhythmically from the walls, their echoes amplifying the cavern's eerie stillness. The faint light leaking from some unseen source barely outlined the jagged rocks that resembled lurking beasts.
"Wh–What the heck is this?!" Joey looked around in disbelief, his voice echoing off the narrow walls. "Why does the inside of a temple look like this creepy cave?! It's gloomy as hell! There's zero sacred vibe here!"
"Who knows," Mai replied, frowning slightly. "Maybe the builder had… unusual taste? Or it's been eroded for a thousand years? Complaining won't help. We're already here, so we might as well push on." She glanced sideways at him. "Or what, Joey—you scared?"
"Me? Scared? No way! Let's go!"
Their bickering echoed down the tunnel as they continued.
Yuto followed quietly at the rear, paying little attention to the environment or the arguing. Instead, he used the walk to check over the effects of his newly obtained cards.
Ahead, Yugi and Mokuba took point, scanning their surroundings cautiously. The tunnel wound deeper and deeper, the footing slick, though there seemed to be only one path forward.
After what felt like ages, the space beneath their feet widened, and they emerged into a larger cavern. At the far end stood a massive door embedded into the rock.
"This must be it!" Joey cracked his knuckles, stepped forward, and braced his shoulder against the heavy slab. "Hee—yah!"
With a grating screech of metal against stone, the huge door slowly creaked open.
What lay beyond froze them all in place.
It wasn't a grand hall or a prison chamber, but towering walls of rough gray stone blocks forming a colossal labyrinth that stretched as far as the eye could see. The narrow corridors wound through the shadows like the gullet of a waiting beast.
"…Huh?" Joey blinked, lips twitching at the sight. "Of course. A maze. Classic."
Yuto, last to enter, sighed and put away his cards, rubbing his forehead. "First the cave, now a maze… Don't tell me the Paradox Brothers are gonna pop out around the next corner."
"Could it be…" Yugi murmured, his voice unusually sharp as he stared into the darkness beyond the door, "that this entire game world is modeled after our experiences on Duelist Kingdom Island?"
"Yeah, that's it!" Joey exclaimed, his energy reignited. "Then there's gotta be an exit up ahead! Just like before!" He clenched his fists, ready to charge forward again.
Yuto opened his mouth, intending to add something—
"Ahhhhh!!"
A piercing scream shattered the silence, stabbing out from deep within the maze like an icy needle!
"!!!"
Yugi whipped around toward the sound, his eyes wide. "That voice—someone's in here!"
"Who cares who it is?! They're in trouble!" Joey shouted, already sprinting forward before anyone could stop him.
"Joey, wait! It's dangerous!" Yugi yelled, yet it was too late.
"That idiot Joey!" Mai stomped her foot, glaring at the dark passage where he'd vanished, her expression sour—and tinged with something else. "Always running off when there's a girl screaming… when there's a real beauty standing right here."
Grumbling aside, she wasn't far behind. With a flick of her hair, she darted into the maze after him.
Abruptly then, before Yuto, Yugi, and Mokuba could follow—
Rumble… rumble… RUMBLE!!!
A deep, metallic grinding sound shook the cavern behind them—the sound of heavy treads crushing stone!
All three spun around in alarm.
From the darkness of the tunnel they'd entered through, an enormous armored vehicle emerged, its thick plating glinting dully under the dim light. It tore through the cave like a monster of steel!
Recognition hit instantly.
"[Labyrinth Tank]?!" Yugi gasped, face draining of color.
"What are you standing around for?!" Yuto barked, grabbing Yugi by the collar and yanking him forward. "RUN!!"
Mokuba screamed and bolted after them as the deafening roar of treads closed in.
The three stumbled and scrambled their way into the maze.
"Yuto! Yugi! Mokuba! What happened?!" Joey's voice called from ahead—he and Mai had just regrouped at the next junction.
"Behind us—[Labyrinth Tank]!" Mokuba panted, pointing back toward the entrance.
Even as he spoke, the thunder of treads was upon them.
And then—they heard the same rumble echoing from the passages ahead!
Out of the shadowed corridors rolled two more [Labyrinth Tank]s, their cannons glinting with deadly light.
Three in total—one from behind, two from the front—completely sealing off their escape!
"Damn it! In these narrow tunnels, my Mobile Suits can't move properly!" Yuto cursed, pressing his back against the cold wall, sweat trickling down his temple. He turned to Yugi. "Yugi! Use your [Dark Magician]!"
Yugi's face paled further. He bit his lip and shook his head. "I can't! I already used [Dark Magician] back in the town when we fought those guards… I can't summon him again!"
A heavy silence fell.
Trapped between three mechanical beasts of steel, the five of them could feel despair closing in from all sides.
...
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