Ranma, Master of the Cards

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2, Yugi-oh and the Slayers belong to their respective
creators but I'm using them anyway, so there!

< >: Thoughts

Ranma-chan: Ranma as a girl (Ranko)

Ranma-Yami: Ranma when he is merged with Yami


Chapter One

Opening Moves


"Hey! Give that back!"
"No way! You ate the last three!"

"So? A girl needs her nourishment!"

"Well so does a mercenary swordsman!"

Zelgadis and Amelia had large sweatdrops on the backs of their heads as they
watched Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev engage in yet another battle for the
last leg of beef. After that business with the monster Darkstar, the
adventurers had gone their separate ways for a time and had recently crossed
paths again. Amelia was currently on a mission to have a treaty signed
between Sailoon and a neighboring kingdom, and Zelgadis was still looking
for a way to return to his human form. As for Lina and Gourry, they had been
roaming about the countryside, doing what they did best; eat, steal from
bandits to buy food to eat, take any odd job to eat, look for a new sword
for Gourry so he could make money to eat, look for new magic while looking
for something to eat, eat, eat and... eat.

Currently, Gourry had been using a regular sword, but he was still searching
for something to replace the Sword Of Light, his family's treasured
heirloom.

As the red-haired sorceress and the blonde swordsman continued to battle it
out for the last morsel of their dinner, a new face was seen entering the
inn. He was about average height and had black hair with a small pigtail. He
was dressed simply in a red, short-sleeved, silk shirt, black pants and
shoes. Slung over one shoulder was a heavy backpack. Hanging from a string
on his neck was a strange-looking, upside-down pyramid that had an eye
engraved into it. He also had a belt that had a odd-looking leather case
attached to one side. He appeared to be a simple traveler, but something
about him made him stand out in the crowds of people. Perhaps it was his
eyes, which were a striking gray-blue, or it could be because he was easily
carrying a pack that looked like it weighed more than two hundred pounds.

"Who's that?" Amelia asked as she and Zelgadis watched the stranger walk
toward an empty table near the back.

"Looks like a ordinary traveler to me." The Chimera man replied, as he
became interested in the object which hung from the stranger's neck. He had
never seen such a pendant before. He could sense the ancient and very potent
magic within it, despite the spell that was making it seem worthless to
those not trained in the mystic arts.

----------

Ranma set his pack down and sat in the chair. He then gestured to a waiter
while picking up a menu. When the waiter came to his table, he indicated
with his index finger at his order.

"I'll have one of everything."

The waiter's eyes widened at the order. That was enough food to feed thirty
people!

"Uh, sir?"

"Don't worry." Ranma said with an off-handed wave. "I can pay." He reached
into his pack and brought out some gold coins. "There's going to be a big
tip if I get good food and service."

That was all the incentive the server needed, as he nodded while taking the
menu and rushed off to fill out Ranma's order.

----------

"Whoa! Look at him go!" Amelia remarked as she and her companions watched
the newcomer chow down. The amount of food he was devouring made Lina and
Gourry's previous meal look like a light snack.

"He eats more than Lina and Gourry combined." Zelgadis said.

Even though they were full, watching Ranma eat was making Lina and Gourry
feel hungry again.

----------

Ranma stifled a belch after polishing off his last plate. He watched as the
inn's servers take away the empty dishes. The head waiter then presented him
with the bill.

"That will be one hundred silver coins, please."
"How much is that in gold?" Ranma asked.

"About fifty coins."

"How much for a room for the night?"
"Uh, five gold coins sir."

"No problem." Ranma shrugged as he took out a small pouch from his pack and
handed it to him. "That should be more than enough to cover the meal and a
room for the night. You can divvy out the rest between the waiters for their
tips."

The head waiter looked into the leather pouch and his eyes widened at the
sight of so many gold coins. He gave his customer a polite bow and said,
"Your room shall be made ready for you sir." He then left with a bit of glee
in his step.

----------

"Wow. He's loaded!" Lina remarked. She had caught sight of the amount of
money Ranma had given to the waiter.

"Indeed." Zelgadis agreed. "But I have a feeling that this person isn't
interested in money that much."
"What do you mean, Mr. Zelgadis?" Amelia asked.

"Didn't you notice how easily he gave all that gold away? Half the amount in
that bag would have been more than enough to cover what he ate and the room.
No, I'd say that he might be after something more important than gold. Oh
well. It's not really any of our business."

----------

Later that night...

Ranma lay on his bed while deep in thought. The full moon sent a shaft of
light through his room's window as he contemplated what he was going to do.

<Wow. I can't believe that it's been four weeks since I came to this world
of magic. I'll never forget that day after I got this Millennium Puzzle. My
life sure changed after that...>

----------

Flashback...

"Hold on a minute!" Ranma's dream self said as he conversed with a
near-mirror image of himself. "What's going on here? What do you mean that
you're me?"
Yami nodded as he replied. "In a manner of speaking, I am the OTHER you. I
am your confidence, your drive to win and your determination. However, I am
also the spirit of a pharaoh of Egypt long ago. My name back then was Yami."

"Huh?"
"I shall explain. Long ago, during the times of Ancient Egypt, the pharaohs
played a game that was almost exactly like what people call Duel Monsters
today. However, it was played with real monsters and powerful magic. The
magic was so strong that it threatened to destroy the world. These games
were played in the place that we are here now, the Shadow Realm. These were
the Shadow Games. However, in order to protect the world and the rest of
existence, a brave pharaoh sealed away the power of the Shadow Games in
seven Millennium Items."

Ranma looked down at the pendant he was wearing. "You mean...?"
Yami nodded. "Yes Ranma, your Millennium Puzzle is one of them. After five
thousand years, the Millennium Items became scattered across the Shadow
Realm and eventually returned to the physical plane of existence. However,
they did not all return to Earth. Six of those items became drawn to a world
with even greater mystical energies than Earth, while the seventh landed
back in Egypt."

"So you're saying that my puzzle... was the item that landed in Egypt?"

"Correct. The transition between the Shadow Realm and Earth caused it to be
broken up into pieces. The magic within those pieces would have remained
dormant for all time. However, the other Millennium Items had become active
and must now be in the possession of those who wish to command their power.
Now whoever has a Millennium Item will seek out the others. Should all seven
Millennium Items be once again collected, then all of existence will be
doomed as the Shadow Games will restart."

"That's a really nice story, but what's all this got to do with me?"
"It has everything to do with you." Yami said. "When that pharaoh sealed
away the power of the Shadow Games, he had also cast a spell to lock his
soul into the Millennium Puzzle after he died, to keep eternal vigilance and
prevent the reemergence of the Shadow Games."
"Wait a second! You're saying that his soul is within the puzzle? Then that
would mean...?"

"Yes, Ranma. I was that pharaoh, and I have chosen you to be my avatar."

"Why me?"

"You were the one who was able to solve the Millennium Puzzle. The magic
within the puzzle was able to synchronize with you, allowing you to put it
together and awaken my spirit. With my guidance, you were able to win
against those other people. Duel Monsters was very similar to the Shadow
Games, so I was able to inform you on the rules and the best strategies.
Games and puzzles are my specialty and I had played many during my lifetime.
That poker game was simply a variation on another game that I had played as
well. My skills and your talents will be quite a formidable combination as
we search for the other Millennium Items."
"Hold on a minute! What makes you think that I would just go off on some
harebrained quest?! Why would I even consider it? I've had enough trouble
with magic as it is!"
Yami nodded as he replied. "Ah yes. That Jusenkyo Curse can be very
annoying. Well, perhaps you might be more eager if you knew what you could
do when you retrieve all seven items?"
"Like what?"
"The power within the Millennium Items, once collected, can make virtually
any desire come true... including the fact that they can neutralize the
magic of Jusenkyo."

"What?! Are you serious?!" Ranma became very interested at this point.

"Yes. You will also gain a few other substantial talents as well. I promise
that once all seven Millennium Items are collected, you will finally be free
of the curse and gain skills unimagined. Then I shall seal away the power of
the Shadow Games, forever. So, will you help me?"

Yami then extended a hand and made a deck of cards appear. Ranma looked
closer and saw that it was the same deck that Daisuke had given to him. The
cards then glowed with an eerie light. When they stopped glowing, Yami
placed the deck into Ranma's hands.

Ranma looked through the deck and noticed that nearly all of their pictures
had changed.

"Huh? What's this?"

"That is a new deck." Yami replied. "It possesses far more powerful monster
and magic cards. It will come in handy."

"I don't get it. How can a new deck of cards help?"
"You will see."

----------

End of flashback...

It hadn't taken Ranma long to agree to help Yami. After retrieving his
backpack, his physical body, as well as his consciousness were instantly
transported through the Shadow Realm to appear in Lina Inverse's world.
Since then, he had been having many adventures as he began his search for
the other Millennium Items. Yami had assured to him that he would be
returned to Earth at the exact same moment he left, every time he found a
Millennium Item, so that no one would notice his disappearances.

Ranma shrugged as he decided to get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be
another day as he was going to continue the search for the six remaining
Millennium Items. As he closed his eyes and let himself into slumber, the
Millennium Puzzle glowed. As he had done before, his consciousness traveled
to the Shadow Realm. The transition was so subtle, that even the mystical
senses of Zelgadis, Lina and Amelia missed it, despite the fact that their
rooms were only a few dozen feet away from Ranma's. They continued to sleep.

----------

The Shadow Realm...

"It's been a month since we started looking for those Millennium Items, but
we haven't found anything." Ranma commented. "Are you sure they're here?"

"I am certain." Yami assured. "The items had ripped openings in the Shadow
Realm leading to this world. I am certain that they are here. If we were to
find the Millennium Ring, then that will lead us to the others. In any case,
I thought you were enjoying the trip? After all, in this world, you don't
have all the problems of your life on Earth."

Ranma gave his doppelganger a lopsided smile. "You got me there. I don't
have Ryoga, Mousse or Kuno attacking me for some stupid reason, Shampoo and
that old Ghoul aren't trying to trick me, Kodachi isn't trying to drug or
poison me, and I don't have Akane with her temper, mallet or God-awful
cooking. This place is great for martial arts training and learning how to
do magic has been interesting." Ranma held up a hand with the palm facing
up. A small dot of light appeared above it, which slowly expanded into a
basketball-size sphere of flames. He had recently mastered a few offensive
and defensive spells after meeting a few mages on his travels. Then there
were some 'other' skills that Yami had granted to his avatar, including that
'special' deck he had given to him.

"Well, we'll keep searching. I have a feeling that we will find a Millennium
Item soon."
"And you will return me back to Earth at the same time I left it?"

"Yes. Each time that we find an item, I will place it in the Shadow Realm
for safekeeping, while sending you back to Earth to rest and live your
normal life. We should only need six trips to retrieve the Millennium
Items."
"Why can't we just make one trip, and collect all the items?"

"That won't do. If a Millennium Item is in your possession for a long period
of time, then you will become tempted by the dark energies within it. Only
the Millennium Puzzle will not corrupt you because of its link to my soul.
That is why they must be placed back in the Shadow Realm for safekeeping
until I am able to permanently seal them away. I can only do so when all the
Millennium Items are in the Shadow Realm. Furthermore, once you physically
reenter the Shadow Realm, then you will not be able to return to that
magical realm until it comes into alignment with the Shadow Realm and Earth,
which occurs every thirty days or so. With the Shadow Realm, the past,
present and future are relatively all the same, so it is no problem for me
to send you down the time stream and synchronize with Earth or that magical
world. I can place you at any given point in their time streams, up to a
maximum of one thousand years."
"Cool!"

"Yes... cool. For now, it is time for you to rest."

Ranma nodded as his astral form disappeared and returned to his physical
body.

----------

The next day...

Lina and her group were on their way out of the town when Amelia spotted
Ranma doing the same. As he approached the edge of the urban area, his path
was blocked by a band of ruffians who had taken a fancy to his pack and the
pendant on his neck.

----------

"Well now, what do we have here?" One of the thugs sneered as he and his
cohorts blocked

"Looks to me like we have us a new pigeon." Another thug said as he
brandished a club.

"Hand over the pack, that fancy necklace and all the money you have!" The
first thug demanded as he and his group prepared to assault their intended
victim.

Ranma simply assessed the situation and shrugged. <Hmmm... seven guys...
three with clubs... two with knives... two with swords. No martial arts
skills. They probably rely on brute force, intimidation and strength of
numbers. Not even a decent warm-up!>

----------

"Let me go, Mr. Zelgadis!" Amelia cried out. "It is the duty of a champion
of justice to aid the weak and helpless, and see evil being punished!"

The stone-faced swordsman and sorcerer shook his head while holding back his
impetuous friend. "I don't think he needs our help. I have a feeling that
those bandits are in for a surprise." He had noted that Ranma showed no fear
at all, despite the odds that were against him. This could prove
interesting.

----------

Ranma casually unslung his heavy pack off his shoulder, appearing to his
would-be robbers that he was yielding to their demands.

The lead bandit smiled. "Heh. Good choice pal. Now hand over... ooooff!"

Moving faster than what was considered humanly possible by the standards of
this world, Ranma tossed his pack high into the air and thrust out with his
right leg, catching the leader hard in the gut, making him double over. A
karate chop to the back of the neck laid him low.

In a heartbeat, Ranma then charged and leapt into a double-reverse spin
kick, knocking out two more of his assailants. The remaining four began
running up to him with weapons raised high, but the pigtailed martial artist
dodged their wild swings and stabs, then countered with several hard hits to
their faces. Two more bandits were rendered unconscious. Ducking under a
vicious slash of a sword, Ranma countered with a strike to the chin, using
the heel of his right hand. This caused the second-last robber to stumble
backward into his companion. They both went sprawling to the ground and that
was when Ranma simply took a few steps back and stood in a neutral stance
with his arms crossed over his chest.

The two men angrily got back to their feet and were about to attack, when
Ranma simply raised a hand and pointed up with the index finger. They looked
up and...

WHOMP!

Ranma's pack came crashing down on their heads and sent them into dreamland.

"Pathetic." Ranma commented as he picked up his belongings and continued on
his way.

----------

"See? I told you." Zelgadis said as the rest of his companions gazed in awe
at the stranger.

"Wow. That was... cool!" Amelia breathed out.

"Not bad." Lina remarked.

"Not bad?" Gourry exclaimed. "He took out seven armed men with no weapons!
Well, if you count that pack as a weapon, then I guess..."

"C'mon!" Lina said as she began going after Ranma. She could tell that this
person may hold some very interesting secrets and was worth looking into
more. After all, a guy with so much gold on had to be someone special,
right?

"Wait up, Lina!" Gourry said as he and the others began following after her.

----------

As Ranma neared the edge of the town, he suddenly heard a loud commotion as
mobs of people began running in terror in his direction. Then a huge roar
was heard, causing him to look up. A large, dark shadow darkened the sky
above and something huge came down.

As the people screamed and ran for their lives, Ranma rushed over to hide
behind a building. While peering around a corner, his eyes widened as he saw
a gigantic back dragon with leathery wings land in the center of the town.
Riding on its back was some middle-aged man with a white beard, wearing
outlandish robes and holding an ornate staff capped with a large red
crystal. However, what he had wearing around his neck was what caught
Ranma's attention the most. It appeared to be a large ring with a metal
triangle inside. It had a large eye engraved in its center and several metal
points hanging on the circle's outer rim. Seeing that it looked very similar
to the images that Yami had shown him in the Shadow Realm, Ranma could come
to only one conclusion.

<It's the Millennium Ring!>

Just as he was about to rush out to try and claim it, a shout was heard.

----------

"FIREBALL!"

A large globe of energy shot out from one side and impacted heavily against
the right side of the dragon's head. However, the beast casually shrugged
off the blast and was about to retaliate with a searing blast from its mouth
when its master motioned for it to stand down.

The wizard looked over in the direction of where the attack had come from
and saw a group of strangers poised to attack. Apparently, three of them
were magic users and one was a swordsman. However, it was the red-haired
girl out front that held his interest.

"Who dares to attack the great wizard Remele?"

"I dare!" Lina replied. "The name's Lina Inverse, sorceress extraordinaire!
I'm certain that you've heard of me."

The wizard cocked his head in thought, then nodded. "Ah yes, the infamous
Bandit Killer and Dragon Spooker."

Lina winced. She really hated that label. However, she quickly recovered and
said, "Why are you attacking these people?"

Remele replied with scorn. "These people are mine to do with as I please.
They had failed to bring me this month's tribute, and therefore, they will
have to be punished."

A person came out from the cowering crowds, apparently he was the mayor.
"Please, oh great wizard! Our crops were poor this season and we have been
having some trouble raising your tribute. If you could just give us some
more time..."
"Silence! You shall be made an example to this town!" Remele made a gesture
with his free hand and the Millennium Ring glowed with an unnerving light.

----------

"What is that thing, Miss Lina?" Amelia asked.

"I... don't know. I've never seen a magical artifact like that before." Lina
then addressed to her Chimera friend. "How about you, Zel?"

Zelgadis shook his head. "I've never seen it before either."

At that moment, a scream was heard as the mayor suddenly stiffened, then
fell to the ground.

Amelia rushed over to where he lay and placed a hand over his chest. She
then began invoking a white magic spell.

"Recovery!"

"Don't bother." Remele said as he held up a small white sphere of light.
"Your healing spell will not work on a body with no soul."

"What?" Amelia gasped.

Remele held up the sphere, which hovered above his palm. "The power of my
mystic ring has taken his soul from his body. All I have to do is crush it,
and he will be lost forever."

"How dare you! I, Amelia of Sailoon, the Champion of Justice shall defeat
you!"

"Amelia of Sailoon eh? Well, I would say that Sailoon's ruler will pay
handsomely to get his daughter's soul back." Remele's Millennium Ring glowed
again as Amelia prepared to launch an attack.

"Amelia! Watch out!" Lina cried out.

Too late. Before she could launch a spell, the Millennium Ring took a hold
of her essence and violently yanked it from her mortal shell. Like the town
mayor, her body stiffened before collapsing.

"Amelia!" Zelgadis cried out as he felt his anger building up within him.
However, as he and the others stepped forward to attack, they stopped cold
as they saw a second white globe appear beside the first in Remele's hand.

"I wouldn't take another step if I were you." The wizard taunted. "If you
value your friend and the mayor's souls, then you will stand down."

----------

Ranma had seen enough, and so had Yami. Setting his pack off to one side, he
placed a hand on the carrying case that was strapped to his belt and gave it
a squeeze before crying out.

"IT'S TIME TO DUEL!"

The Millennium Puzzle became alive with light as Yami's essence was called
forth and merged with Ranma's. His hair became more unruly as his eyes took
on a new confidence.

At that moment, the Millennium Ring also began glowing as one of its points
began moving and directed its end toward where Ranma was.

"What's this?" Remele asked. After finding the Millennium Ring months ago,
the wizard had been feeling a kind of pull from it, as if it was leading him
to more power. He then looked in the direction that it was indicating and
saw a person step out from behind a building. On his neck was an artifact
with the same eye symbol on it.

----------

Ranma-Yami glared at the wizard who held two innocent souls in his hand. If
there was one thing that Yami and Ranma agreed upon, it was that they hated
when the weak are threatened by the mighty. With sure steps, he walked
toward his adversary with no fear. Then the Millennium Puzzle glowed which
caused a third eye to temporarily appear in the center of his forehead. He
made a sweeping gesture with an arm, which caused the two globes to vanish
from sight.

"What?!" Remele gasped then looked down at the fallen bodies of Amelia and
the mayor. They suddenly got up as both people found themselves once again
in their own bodies.

"H-How did you do that?! Who are you?!" Remele demanded.

Ranma-Yami gave his opponent a glare as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"The power of the Millennium Ring can pull souls out of people's bodies, but
my Millennium Puzzle can easily put them back! I am... Ranma, the Game
King."

"Game King? I have never heard of you." The wizard then looked down at his
own Millennium Item. "Millennium Ring, eh? I've always wondered what this
was. It has a power that is unheard of in this world. So... there are more
like it? Very well then, I shall take your artifact as well!"

"You want my Millennium Puzzle?" The Game King reached to the case that was
on his belt. He then held out his deck of cards. "Then you shall have to
DUEL me for it!"

The wizard began laughing. "And you think you can defeat me with some simple
card tricks?"

"It's no trick, and it's not that simple. Let's duel!"

With these words, a line of light appeared and began forming a huge circle
around the two and the dragon. The crowds of people could only watch in
fascination as the two prepared to do battle.

"What is this?" Remele demanded.

Ranma-Yami was casually shuffling his deck as he answered. "I have set up
our playing field. Nothing can get in or out of the barrier, which will
ensure that no one will be able to interfere with out duel. Now..."
Ranma-Yami then finished shuffling. "It's your move."

----------

"Amelia. Are you all right?" Zelgadis asked as he helped his companion to
her feet.

"I... think so. What happened?" The girl then saw the confrontation between
Ranma-Yami and Remele. "What's going on, Miss Lina?"
Lina could only shake her head, as she and everyone else were spellbound at
the sight that was unfolding in front of them.

----------

"Ha! Do you really think that deck of cards will be able to stand up to my
dragon and my magic?" Remele sneered.

"I shall let these cards speak for me." Ranma-Yami said as he tossed a pair
of cards out in front of him. One card landed face down, while the other
landed face up, showing a picture of some beast.

"Then I shall let my dragon speak for me! ATTACK!"

The black dragon opened its mouth and let loose with a gout of flames that
would have reduced the Game King to a cinder. However, the card that was
face down suddenly glowed, then shot straight up into the air. The flames
were suddenly absorbed into the card, which then became a huge pane of
glass.

"What is this?!"

Ranma-Yami smiled. "That was my Trap Card, the Mirror Force!"

"Mirror Force? Trap Card? I have never heard of these spells!"

----------

"I've never heard of those spells either!" Lina exclaimed.

----------

"The Mirror Force reflects your dragon's attack right back at it!" The Game
King proclaimed.

The pane of glass shattered as the energy contained within it was redirected
back at the dragon. The beast roared in agony as it was hit hard by its own
attack, but it was able to survive.

Ranma-Yami smiled as he gestured to his other card. "Your dragon is strong,
but let us see if it can face up against my creature. TAKE FLIGHT, CURSE OF
DRAGON!"

The card that was face-up, suddenly came to life and let loose with a light
that instantly formed into what appeared to be a bony skeleton of a flying
lizard.

The Game King then threw up another card. "And I shall combine it with this
Magic Card! NOW ATTACK WITH BLAZING LAND MAGIC!"

The Curse of Dragon let off a roar as it spouted out mystical flames that
scorched the ground and caused even more damage to Remele's dragon. The
wizard had to set up his own barrier to protect himself, but his pet was
finished. The dragon let off a final roar before disappearing in a pile of
ash.

"This is impossible!" Remele's screamed as he dispelled the flames around
him. "How are you doing this?!"
Ranma-Yami shrugged as he said, "It's your move." He prepared another card.
Hovering high above them, the Curse of Dragon was poised ready to attack.

Remele thrust out his hand and let loose with a huge Fireball at his
opponent's monster. However, that was when Ranma-Yami threw out another
card, which landed face down. Just as the Fireball was about to hit, the
card activated. The Curse Of Dragon screamed as the attack hit home, causing
it to disintegrate.

"Ha ha! So much for your monster!" Remele sneered.

Ranma-Yami smirked. "Well, now you've done it."

"Done what?"

"Activated the new Trap Card that I put into play. Spell-Binding Circle!"

At that moment, the card flipped up and formed a pentagram within a circle,
at the wizard's feet. Remele screamed as he found himself being drained of
his power. His body went into a series of seizures as he felt the magic
being drawn out of him.

"You may be a powerful wizard." Ranma-Yami admitted. "However, once drained
of your power, you are no match for MY sorcerer!" He drew out the final
card. "COME FORTH, DARK MAGICIAN!"

The card instantly summoned forth one of the strongest magic cards in Duel
Monsters. The figure was seven feet in height, wore purple sorcerer robes,
and carried a staff. Remele could do nothing but wait for defeat.

"DARK MAGIC ATTACK!"
The Dark Magician let loose with a ball of black energy from his staff which
blasted hard into Remele. The sorcerer screamed as he felt more agony
coursing through his body. Then the magic effects of the Spell-Binding
Circle ended. The wizard slumped down, his body now charred and beaten.

Ranma-Yami nodded as he tensed up. "I have won."

"It's... not over!" Remele gasped as he struggled to his feet and tried to
summon up the power to attack. However, it was useless with his body beaten
and drained.

"Oh, it IS over, Remele." Ranma-Yami declared. "You have lost this duel. For
all the crimes that you had committed against the people of this town, I
hereby consign you to... OBLIVION!"
With that he thrust out his right hand with palm facing out. His Millennium
Puzzle glowed as the third eye once again appeared on his forehead. The
effects were devastating as Remele's form suddenly turned gray before
shattering into pieces like glass. His essence was then sent to the Shadow
Realm for all eternity, leaving no traces of him. All that was left was the
Millennium Ring, which lay on the ground.

The circle which marked the playing field vanished as Ranma-Yami held out
his deck of cards. The cards that he had used in the duel disappeared and
reappeared in the deck, their task completed. As he walked over to the
Millennium Ring and picked it up, his puzzle glowed again and Ranma-Yami
became Ranma once more.

"Hold it right there!"

Ranma turned to see Lina and her friends rushing up to him. However, with
the Millennium Ring in his hands, he saw no reason to stick around. He ran
over to where he had left his pack, then bounded up thirty feet toward a
nearby rooftop. However, in mid-leap, his form vanished without a trace.

----------

"Where did he go?!" Lina exclaimed as she looked about for any trace of
Ranma.

"He just disappeared." Amelia said as she and the others continued to look
for the savior of the town.

Lina had that same look in her eyes as she did when she saw the Sword of
Light. "I'VE GOT TO HAVE THOSE CARDS!"

----------

Nearby, a certain monster was also interested at what had just transpired.
As he stood on the branch of a tree, Xellos nodded. "Most interesting. It's
been a long time since I saw a Shadow Game."

----------

 

In the Shadow Realm...

"Well here we are, Yami." Ranma said as he handed the Millennium Ring to his
counterpart.

"Yes." Yami nodded. "Five more to go."

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Well, how do you like it? I figured that since the cards do work in the
Shadow Realm, then using them in Lina Inverse's World would also work. Now,
this was only to pass the time as I try to think of new ideas for my other
stories, so don't expect any frequent updates.
