-XXIII-

Atemu and Jou gripped at the bars of the cell as they watched Honda pull up a ring of twenty keys. "Do you know which one it is?" Jou whimpered.

"Of course I do. It's this one." He held up a random key and smiled as he stuck it in the keyhole and gave it a small twist… then another… and in the other direction… "I was just testing you. It's this one." Honda said

"Alright that's enough! Hurry up, man!" Jou shouted about ten keys in. "Yugi is in trouble." Just then the sound of footsteps could be heard. "Oh great, now there are more guards coming."

"No, they are here." Atemu pointed toward then end of the hall at ten guards with swords and spears. "Atemu reached out and took the ring of keys from Honda and shoved the last key into the hold and pushed the door open.

"Nice work, man." Jou smiled "any bright ideas?"

"Yes, Run!" Honda said and ran through the halls with the Atemu and Jou. The guards were right behind them and closing in fast. Atemu glanced down at the ground and smirked before coming to a halt and turning around. "What are you doing?"

Atemu said nothing and looked at the guards as they stopped too, wondering why he had stopped. "Don't you know you are about to die, boy?" a guard spoke.

"I don't think so." He smirked and stepped to the side on a cobblestone with a picture of the millennium eye in the center. Atemu smiled when the floor beneath them split open causing the guards to fall into a deep hole of purple smoke and disappear into nothingness.

Jou and Honda blinked, "what was that?"

"Just a little trap set here incase prisoners tried to escape." Atemu smirked. "Let's go. Yugi is waiting."

-XXIV-

Yugi looked around as Solomon went on with his speech, where was the prince? Why hadn't he shown up yet? It was almost too late. Yugi blinked when Seth nudged him. Solomon was standing above him with the crown in his hands and slowly lowered it toward his head, "…and so it is with great honor and privilege that a crown you…"

Yugi wiggled and ducked under the crown and slipped away, "Stop!" the crowned gasped and looked on at Yugi in fear. "Since I am the prince, you all have to obey me. So listen to what I tell you. Akunadin is a traitor! He is trying to take over!"

Akunadin smirked, "of course he would say that! That boy is really an imposter!" suddenly guards swarmed Yugi with swords pointed at him.

"But I am not!" Atemu's strong voice rang out through the room. Akunadin looked up to see Atemu standing on the shoulder of a statue of Horus. Atemu slid down the arm and off into the air where he landed on the red carpet before Yugi. "I am the real prince." Yugi smiled and jumped for joy.

Seth watched them and shook his head, "I knew it all along."

"I knew you would come. I just knew you would." Yugi smiled and hugged him tightly.

"Y-Your highness, I can explain."

"Very well, explain." He glared and watched as Akunadin took a bow. "Well!?"

"Well, it is quiet the story." He smirked as he drew a short dagger from his shoe. Yugi winced when he saw the gleam of the silver edge. "Allow me to cut to the heart of the matter." He said as he flung the dagger toward him. Yugi jumped from his seat and shoved Atemu out of the way letting the dagger dig into his chest with such force that it was completely sheathed inside him.

"YUGI!" the boy's screamed and lunged to catch him before he fell back. "Yugi." Jou looked down into Yugi's eyes, "you are so stupid."

Yugi opened his mouth to speak but blood dripped down the corners of his mouth and Jou held up a hand to keep him quiet. "Don't talk, little buddy."

Atemu looked at Yugi in horror and felt a pain deep down in his gut; he didn't even feel this bad when his father had passed. No time to be sad, Atemu turned his gaze toward Akunadin. "You will pay for that."

"Leave him to me!" Seth said.

"NO! I will handle this." Atemu walked toward him and glared. "Let's play a game."

"Your highness, this is hardly the time…"

"Don't, Seth, he knows what he's doing." Isis said softly.

"A game?" Akunadin smirked as he stood tall before Atemu.

"That's right, and the winner shall become the Pharaoh."