BTW! THIS IS DEDICATED TO DURBA SAMANTA! SHE PWNZ!N SHE GETS DRACO MALFOY, WANNABEES!


The domed spires of the palace rose commandingly in the silky night sky.

Bakura bared his fangs with pleasure.

"It's time we made our presence known!" Bakura hissed. "Let this signal the start of the Ultimate Shadow Game!"


High Priest Akunadin turned to High Priest Seto.

"Now, invoke the power of the Millennium Scimitar to bar the beast of shadows!" he cried.

Priest Seto raised the scimitar to the monstrous creature. A blast of white light erupted from the scimitar and hurtled toward the beast. Surrounded by the energies of the Millennium Scimitar, the monster was locked within an enormous stone tablet, its outline etched in the stone.

He turned to the Pharaoh, leering triumph faintly decked with gleaming triumph, "His Ka has been extracted. If you fancy, we may execute this vile insect."

Suddenly Akunadin's eyes widened; his countenance unreadable.

"No Seto!" he calls almost protectively.

Suddenly his voice resumes its usual condescension.

"No; the evil of his heart has been expelled. It is the obligation of the Six Sacred Guardians to let him free," he scolded.

"Release this man!" he decreed to the sentinels.

Displeased with Priest Akunadin's integrity, he spun on Priest Mahad.

"Palace security is your responsibility, Mahad," he scowled contemptuously. "How could this trivial criminal penetrate the Royal Guard?"

"You're right," Mahad agreed solemnly.

He knelt before the Pharaoh's throne in a remorseful bow.

"Assent my sincerest apologies Pharaoh; as the Millenium Ring has been behaving strangely as of late," he spoke, ashamed. "Sensing any illicit deeds is difficult. I beseech your permission to increase the defense of the Palace and secure the city."

"With pleasure," Pharaoh Atem consented cheerily. The court stared at him strangely.

Priest Akunadin peered at the silent court.

"Now what sort of celebration is this? Where are the drummers? Yes, you there; pick up the music again. Carry on with the--"

"Wait, Priest Akunadin…," Priestess Isis murmured mysteriously, looking down at her iluminating necklace.

Priest Seto tensed irritably. Priestess Isis' enigma was at times too much.

"I--I-- The Millennium Necklace detects an evil force!" she proclaimed. "It prowls just before the Palace gates, and wields magnificent spiritual energy!


A troupe of hooded figures hovered menacingly at the Palace's entrance.

"Halt! Who goes there?" The captain of the Palace sentries demanded. Supporting him, the garrison brandished their lances ominously.

The cloaked foreigners continued their advance.

"Identify yourself!" cried the captain angrily.

"Fools!" the man hissed. "Step aside if you value your souls!"

He reined his horse sharply and the stallion vaulted over the baffled heads of the guard, a gilded sarcophagus soaring behind.

A young man of the sentinels gasped.

"That's--"

He had no time to finish his sentence. One of the thieves had hacked his shoulder with a machete, producing the desire affect. He collapsed onto the ground, groping for his spear.

"Ikkram!" Another sentry shouted anxiously.

"Pay attention to the intruders! We'll take care of him later!" barked Dawud, the Captain of the Royal Guard.

"Sound the alarm!" he roared.


The Millennium Ring glowed fervidly.

Mahad's furtive eyes widened.

"We stand in the presence of utter hatred…pure evil," he breathed.

The court watched as yet another of the Palace guards fell unconscious to the floor.

Bakura stepped over him and entered the throne room.

"I'm quite offended! Someone didn't include me in the guest list!" he exclaimed.

"Bakura!" growled Atem fiercely, leaping off the throne.

The petrified entertainers scattered along with the guests.

"What do you want?" spat the Pharaoh.

Bakura chuckled menacingly.

"Oh, I believe you know what I came for…"


In a glorious beam of light, the monsters' attacks reverberate in a violent explosion as the two beasts tumble back toward their masters.

Shada gasped.

Impossible! They are equals! Bakura compares with the power of an Egyptian God!

Pharaoh Atem uncurled and picked himself off the floor.

"Obelisk…" he groaned expectantly, recalling the creature to his Diadiankh.

Kneeling upon his knee, Bakura panted, grinning.

"Diabound!" he hissed. "To me!"

The vile beast returned willingly to its owner.

Trembling, Bakura slowly stood up.

If I hadn't obtained the power of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes, Obelisk would have exterminated Diabound! I best take my leave…for now…. The thief thought wickedly.

"We'll finish this later," he assured the Pharaoh. Turning to Mahad, he smirked, "Don't grow too fond of the Millenium Ring. At one point of time, it belonged to me."

Mahad snarled, as Isis tried soothingly to restrain him.

The thief turned and dashed out of the Palace.