It had been days since the evil force calling itself Bakura had manifested in the sacred tomb of the previous Pharaoh, Akhenamkhanen. How was really unknown, no one had the time to ask for an explanation to exactly how the Thief had done it before all chaos had broken out inside the palace.
No one really had time to care, either.
With the entire priesthood injured, an incredible loss of guards and all manor of damage to the main halls from the attack it was hard to wrap anyone's head around what had happened that fateful morning the late Pharaoh and his son had had an unsightly reunion. But despite all that, Mahado couldn't back down.
Even the cries of the young Magi's apprentice weren't enough to dissuade the Young Priest from attempting to fill out his new plan for redemption. It was his job to protect the tombs of the royal family and he had failed. But he wasn't going to a second time, and he would bet his life for that redemption.
With his love for the Pharaoh, the Kingdom, and his men a new flame burst alive within his heart, a flame that would not allow him to lose.
Tick, jingle, tick, jingle, tick, jingle, tick...
The wooden souls in his shoes slid and echoed over the hard limestone tiles of the current Pharaoh's tomb as the Priest paced nervously back and forth, the gold bangles hanging from the ring colliding with the rest of the gold piece as his nervous fingers fiddled with it, waiting for a time that seemed like it wouldn't come. He was beginning to think this Bakura creature was a figment of his imagination.
The sound of another wooden heel sliding across the floor behind Mahado startled him, the tails of his head dress doing an amusing wave in the forced wind from the turn as he settled with a surprised look staring over at the large statue of the previous Pharaoh to his right. The room too dimly lit to see anything, but as he tried to inch closer to check, the echo to a quick and constant clack of a wooden torch scaling the sides of the limestone blocks in the hallway sounded off, the clacks coming from every small crease it hit on the way and leaving small burnt embers and ash smudged on the side as a blur of red found itself in the room. His left arm wove up and released the torch, sending a stream of fire through the air and landing on the thin pathway to the tomb, rolling almost to the edge but not dropping off just yet.
"Awww I heard there was a surprised party being held for me? No one else bothered to show? How rude! Well.. between you and me that Pharaoh guy was a bit of a jerk anyway, got my sleeve all wrinkly from that push." Bakura said as he picked off a bit of fuzz from the heavy wool coat and then smooth it out with his hand.
"Bakura…!" Was all the Priest could muster as he swung back around again, heavily hoping it was just his paranoia manifesting in the corner behind the statue and not an ambush. But it couldn't be one, could it? He had them sweep this room first…
A small startled gasp escaped the mouth of the apprentice, and her mouth covered it as she squeezed tighter against the back of the limestone statue. If she could merge with the stone she would have at this point, she couldn't let her master see her before the ambush! He would throw her out.
But as Bakura drew in closer her fear began to take over, before she was determined, now that it was time, she was afraid it wouldn't work. Her small muscular legs jittering at the sound of the conversation between the thief and her master. Could this even be done?
"Let me guess, Akhenamkhanen's body isn't in this tomb…?" Bakura seemed unphased at the accusation, his voice uncaring as if he'd known this was going to happen all along despite it being a secret.
"Correct! By my order the former Pharaoh's body was reburied elsewhere, this is -your- tomb Bakura!" Mahado replied, with strength in his booming voice and stature.
Though the stature didn't phase the thief either. A deep chuckle came from his stomach, though his chest and echoed out of the his poorly kept mouth. "You're getting too far ahead of yourself, I didn't come here for that old bag of bones, I came here for the millennium item around your neck! And just as i thought you were stupid enough to come here by yourself, perfect." Bakura cackled again and threw his finger forward, pointing threatening at the Priest across from him. "Tell me are the other's set up all nice and neat for me to take down one at a time or was this all your own bright idea?"
Mahado's face grimaced softly but he tried his best to keep that disgust left behind his eyes and not let the arrogance of the man before him phase him. "It's no use Bakura, this will be your final resting place. Even if you steal the Millennium Ring, you cannot leave this place!"
"HA! Do you know who I am?" The thief exclaimed in retaliation. "I showed you how weak you were the last time we fought, and that was with MORE items. What do you expect to do to me by yourself."
"There is great power within these millennium items and without innocent bystanders around I can unleash my full power in here! You are untrained, your will simply feeding off the fear of others! You will not stop me Bakura! With the strength that my loyalty to the kingdom and my friendship gives me, you have no chance in here today!"
"Is that so? DIABOUND!" Bakura had no more patience and was not enjoying this banter as much as he had hoped, he liked to mock and tease and destroy, and when all it did was make Mahado reply with more strength, he felt he needed to up the intimidation to get him to surrender. The large muscled beast with the snake bottom appeared out of the shadows above the man, it's design heavily changing since the first time they saw the beast in the palace.
"It-it can't be! It's changed?!"
"Yes, each time my hatred grows… Diabound grows stronger! Isn't that just wonderful?" Bakura cackled loudly.
"Fine, I'll channel my heka as well.. come forth, Magician of illusions!" Mahado refrained from any cocky motions in his facial features or stature, he did not wish to mock Bakura or try to intimidate him, only to destroy him once and for all.
"I see your baby magician has grown up," Bakura chuckled deeply. "But it's still no match for my Diabound."
"Think again Bakura!" Mahado replied. "I had to hold back before, but now with my full power and the magic of millenium ring to aid me you have no chance here! It's different from last time!"
"We'll see about that," Bakura chuckled again, the vibrations of his low chuckle seemed to static through the air and send chills up Mahado's arms, causing them to goose bump.
Mahado was surprised at the effect that a simple laugh seemed to have on his being but he had no time to be scared, he had to shake that ungodly uncomfortable feeling of whether or not he was going to get through this alive. There was no turning back now, and a lack in faith in himself would only hinder his victory. "I will not lose!"
"Ha! My diabound only grows stronger with every pitiful move you make! Your attitude sickens me! Back down before it's too late! Might as well just give me the ring now! I promise that you'll die a little quicker if you let me have it first," Bakura gave his best deal , while being honest that he was still not keen on letting the priest leave alive. "Regardless you and your puny Ka can rest forever in this crypt!"
"Even if you manage to defeat me, you'll still be trapped within this tomb as well! As we speak the workman have buried the entrance underneath tons of stone! You have no way out!" Mahado replied.
"Haha then I can guarantee this! I'll kill you, take your ring, and then get the hell out of here!"
"M-Master…!" Mana whispered hard as she watched behind the statue, her fear causing her to shake more, but she took a deep breath and puffed up her chest, trying to gather enough courage.
The two finally engaged in battle, Bakura's Diabound sending a slew of poisonous and heavy attacks that the agile Magician was able to dodge for the most part. Bakura kept taking rather sizable hits, seemingly hurt greatly over and over and surprised by the agility of Mahado's Ka. It was an act however, as Mahado siphoned his magic into his Magician of Illusion for a final attack, it appeared that both Diabound and Bakura had disappeared before the smoke had receded, but a dark shadow reappeared and inched it's foot to the side, a click, and then a thunderous rumble from a shift in the ceiling.
"N-... The axe traps!" Mahado's eyes widened in fear at his miscalculation, he had completely forgotten about those traps as this tomb had not been of his own design!
"Isn't it ironic…." Bakura chuckled, that same low chuckle could shake the earth if he wanted to. Mahado managed to dodge a few of the swinging axes the first go around as Bakura spoke, finding a safe spot for now. "Once I rob a tomb, just once, I remember ALL the traps from the first time." The thief laughed, his cackle echoing through the large halls as he appeared on the axe in front of Mahado, holding on with ease and swinging back and forth with it.
'H-how did he get up there?' Mahado thought to himself as he looked up surprised, he -thought- he… saw how he jumped, but he couldn't have. 'it's as if he just… ' A blade almost hit him again as he was surprised and he held his arm up! 'I can't move or I'll be cut to pieces, if Diabound attacks now I-'
"Magician of Illusions! Attack Bakura!"
"I don't THINK so!" Bakura cut off the attack and grinned, adjusting his head to stare at the ceiling where Diabound stuck halfway through.
Mahado looked up, surprise again catching him. "In the ceiling?"
"Diabound, kill them both!"
"MASTER!"
A beam of light came out of the corner of the room and hit Diabound in the face, blinding the monster temporarily as it descended towards Mahado. Mana and her Ka, the Dark Magician girl came barreling out of the same location. The Apprentice standing at the edge, and the Ka grabbing hold of Mahado quickly under the arms, trying to avoid the Axes was hard, and they slammed into the wall, nearly falling into the pit together. But the Ka did her best to keep him up despite the unbalance.
When Diabound's vision returned, Mahado was gone. Unable to recalculate quickly enough, and too caught off guard to activate any abilities, the large monster collided with the four dangerous axes that were almost Mahado's grave. The beast roared and screamed, writhing in pain, it's cries so loud it rumbled the earth above and around them. The closer villages losing pottery to small earthquake from the distance, the guards outside suddenly somewhat hopeful, but also worried for the Priest.
Diabound slowly dissipated into a black, thick sand that melted into a molten liquid that landed on the platform in the middle of the axes, and slide off into the depths below them.
Bakura's own screams and cries were heard as his Ka was torn to shreds. As this all took place, Mahado called out to his own Magician to come and help carry him to safety, setting him safely beside Mana at the opposite edge of the entrance. He looked quickly to see Bakura, but he was….
"Gone…!" Mahado whispered in surprise, where had he vanished to? "Diabound, Diabound has been defeated! Bakura should not be able to use his abilities any longer wh-... where has he?"
"Somethings wrong with him master." Mana shook her head. "Something funny, I can't… I can't put my finger on it but I knew, I knew he wasn't normal!"
"Mana!" Mahado's eyes widened and he looked to her, still in shock of Bakura's disappearance but also in shock of her being here. There was too much to focus on and on top of it the numbness left over from the acceptance that he was going to die there, only to be plucked back from the brink and standing without a hair out of place. "What are you doing here? Why would you risk your-"
"Life? Why would you risk yours master? The same.. the same reason you would! I know you wanna make up for whatever you feel bad for and you wanna keep the kingdom safe, but WE still need you and I-!" Mana cut herself off and gave a deep sigh as she looked down with a small blush to the floor. "I… still need you. I'm not ready to take the ring yet Master…"
"Mana…" Mahado looked sadly to the girl, how could he be disappointed in her when she made such a good point, but he turned his attention again to the entrance where Bakura was, where he had disappeared off the axe as well, and then to the pit. He didn't understand. A sigh escaped his on lips. "I don't know if this means Bakura is dead or.. or not, but regardless it looks like they're going to have to find another magi to train quick… I wish I had told you I was trapping myself in here…" he said honestly, feeling a large dose of regret in his heart.
"I'm not as dumb as I look, don't you worry master! I had Sageru help me open up one of the old maintenance entrances! We've got a smooooth walk out of here in no time, just follow me!" she laughed happily with a wave of her hand, turning on her heels to leave.
"My you are… full of surprises today Mana," His face seemed to fall from that permanent look of shock though to a small look of relief, his shoulders falling from their tense stature though not entirely, but just slightly. "Should we not wait to see if Bakura has been truly defeated?"
Mana stopped for a moment and looked back, hugging her hands to her chest tightly and looking at the black residue left by Diabound. "... I dunno Master, I don't think we're strong enough to fight it alone if he comes back."
"..." Mahado wanted to believe that he could be, he wanted to believe he was winning in that fight. But with the amount of dirty tricks that Theif had already pulled? Perhaps he had made a mistake coming here alone after all. And the thought of that mistake weighed heavy in his heart. "Perhaps you're right, a regroup would be best… I was foolish to think-"
"Heeey I'm always the one making mistakes, you're allowed to be imperfect too! Just know I'm never going to let you live this down!" Mana chimed.
"Is that so?" Mahado laughed softly as followed the girl a she began her strut towards the secret exit again, her lightheartedness rather welcome in this time of stress.
"That's riiiiight! And I'm going to make sure you live a looooong time so I can tease you about it for eternity!"
The sound of both of their laughter echoed through the halls and the tunnels as they exited, emerging in an old empty camp site from where the tomb had been built. A humble and trustworthy guard named Sageru, waiting for them. It wasn't long before they found more stationed guards, who were surprised to see them coming from such a direction all by themselves, as their order had been to dig them up in a few days.
Though they were confused to Mana's presence, they rejoiced to see Mahado alive. They rejoiced as well at the accomplished defeat of the evil Bakura. Though as much Mahado liked to see the moral up, there was still a terrible feeling of dread in his gut. Feeling as if he was lying to claim that Bakura was dead, but didn't know what to say otherwise. He only hoped that it was just as impossible for him to have survived as he thought, and immediately gathered his horse a few of his men to return to the palace with the news for the King.