Yugi stepped forward, his face set. "Yes." Ryou Bakura… I'll win this for you.
Bakura grinned. "I think I'll go first. I draw my hand." He scanned his cards thoughtfully.
"I think I'll… Yes. I Summon my Maha Vailo on Defense Mode!" The black sorceress appeared on the field, arms crossed in front of her chest.
"I'll Set a few cards –" Two face-down cards appeared in his Spell Zones –"And equip my Maha Vailo with Mage Power." Maha Vailo began to glow with a white aura as Mage Power took effect. "Increasing her attack and defense by 1000 points due to her special ability." He waved a hand at Yugi. "Your turn."
Yugi drew his hand. All spell and Traps but my Maha Vailo. And, no equips, so I can't activate her effect… "I set four cards –" Four facedown cards appeared in Yugis Spell Zones –"And Summon Maha Vailo in Defense Mode!"
Bakura looked impressed. "It seems great minds do think alike, after all. I think you can do better than this, Yugi. Shall we make it more fun, to really put the pressure on?"
Yugi looked at Bakura warily. "How..?"
"Well, for a start…" The Millennium Ring began to shine a brilliant gold as a purple fog settled over the rooftop…

Kisara stood with her eyes shut, watching the world through the Eye of the Amulet that Bakura had slung around his neck. "No… Idiot! Who does he think he is!?"
She turned round, and saw that the Pharaoh was awake. "Help me. Bakura and your host are duelling, and Bakura is attempting to take it to the Realm of Shadows. That'll mess everything up…"

The Millennium Amulet began to shine gold, too. Bakura grinned. "It's about time you helped me. I was beginning to feel lonesome…"
But the fog, instead of strengthening, began to fade.
"WHAT!?" Bakura raged. You're supposed to be helping me, witch! Not hampering me!"
He took off the Amulet, snapping the chain, and hurled it to the ground. "You can stay there. For the rest of the night, if you want. I don't care."
He turned back to Yugi. "It seems our fun has been interrupted. However, there is a proposition I wish to make to you before we continue. When I win, You will give me the Millennium Puzzle. If you win, I will restore the Pharaoh to his rightful place, and also… I'll throw in something else. A mystery gift."
"Mystery gift?"
"It's a mystery. Heh. Shall we continue? I draw!"
Bakura looked at his cards, and sneered. "I Summon the Portraits Secret in defense mode!" A large portrait frame appeared on the field, two red eyes opening within. I need to destroy his monsters so he doesn't use them as tribute fodder… "And then… I activate Rageiki! The target – your dark sorceress!"
A bolt of blue lightning erupted from the heavens and struck Yugis Maha Vailo, destroying it in a flash of blue sparks. "Then – you are going to love this – I activate A Legendary Ocean, forcing this field underwater!"
The duel field flooded with an ocean that seemed almost real. "Then – Scroll of bewitchment, on my Maha Vailo to change its Attribute to Water and – I've not finished yet – Demotion and Opti-camouflage Armour!"
Yugi watched wide-eyed as the Maha Vailos attack points counted up to 7250.
"You can't beat it now, Yugi! Prepare to feel the attack of a lifetime! You might as well hand over your Puzzle right now! Hahaha! Maha Vailo! Attack!"
Yugi cringed as the dark sorceress let out an enormous bolt of black energy – Then he laughed. "Bakura! You forgot my face-down cards!"
"What!?"
"Face-down card! Activate! Magic Cylinder!" Two cylinders embossed with the question-mark symbol appeared on the field.
Bakura backed up. "No!"
"Yes!" The cylinders twisted, one absorbing and the other reflecting the attack of Maha Vailo – straight back at Bakura.
His coat swished round his ankles as he futilely attempted to avoid the attack. It was useless – his life point counter counted down to 750 anyway.
"Bugger!"
"Wait, Bakura! I haven't finished! My second face-down! Activate! Enchanted Javelin!"
Yugis Life Points increased to 15250.
"Double bugger!"
"And, my third face-down! Activate! Mirror Force!"
An enormous mirror appeared upon the field, reflecting the last of Maha Vailos attack and destroying it.
"Grah! My monster! Well, I end my turn. If you aren't going to spring another trap on me from nowhere."
"No. I draw!" Yugi looked at his card. Magicians Circle! That's perfect!
"I activate Magicians Circle! Each of us can Special Summon a Spellcaster monster from our decks to the field!"
Bakura took out his deck and shuffled through it, pulling out the only other Spellcaster in his deck – the White Magical Hat. He slapped it onto his Duel Disk, waiting for what would come next.
"Face-down card! Activate! Bottomless Trap Hole!"
Bakura slapped his hand to his forehead. "Please. Your traps are so predictable that they're boring. Play something else."
The White Magical Hat fell into a deep hole. Bakura removed it from his duel disk and tucked it into his jacket pocket. "So what, you removed my monster from play. Perhaps it's good for my strategy."
Yugi flushed. "I special summon the Dark Magician Girl!"
Bakura laughed condescendingly. "That was not what I expected. Why not your Dark Magician?"
"Um… Because the Dark Magician Girl is best for my strategy. Yeah."
"So you didn't want to just look at her?"
Yugi blanched. "No!"
"Keep telling yourself that. Your move!"

Yugi drew. "Dark Magician Girl! Destroy his Portraits Secret!"
Bakura winced as the Dark Magician Girl blasted his portrait with love hearts. "And that's your turn over, is it?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. Your move!"
Bakura looked at the cards in his hand. Weak monsters… None of these would do any good in a fight with the Dark Magician Girl. However, this card…
"I Set a card and play Headless Knight in defense mode to protect my Life Points."
Yugi raised an eyebrow. "But that won't stand up to Dark Magician Girl…"
"I don't mean it to. I have a better strategy in mind. Destroy my monster at your peril, Yugi."
Yugi was confused. "You're bluffing!"
"Oh, but I'm not."
Yugi sighed. If the Pharaoh were here, what would he do?
Destroy it.
Pharaoh!?
Yugi gambled. "Dark Magician Girl! Destroy his monster!"
Bakura grinned. "Thank you, Yugi. You destroyed my monster. All according to plan."
Yugi shook his head. "Too late for regrets. I end my turn."
Bakura grinned. "Well done, Yugi. All going along with my superior strategy... As for my turn, I Summon the Souls of Forgotten in Defense Mode and end my turn."
Yugi drew. I've got him beat… I just need to keep this up! He looked at his card. Yes! Sages stone! Just what I needed!
Yugi looked at Bakura, who was smirking evilly. "Going to move, or are you going to stand there all day gaping at me? Hurry up!"
Yugi smiled. "I activate Sages Stone!"
Bakura, surprised, stepped back. "Not that card!"
"Yes! Sages Stone allows me to Summon a Dark Magician if I also have Dark Magician Girl on the field!"
The Sages Stone appeared on the field, glowing faintly. Dark Magician Girl tapped it with her staff, and it disappeared, the Dark Magician appearing in its place.
The Dark Magician and the Dark Magician Girl nodded at each other. Bah. Kaiba spends too much on Duel Monster interaction simulations, Bakura thought venomously.
Yugi smiled. "Dark Magician Girl, destroy his monster!"
"Thank you." Bakura grinned, disarming Yugi slightly.
Yugi shook his head. "Dark Magician! My most faithful and loyal monster, attack Bakura directly! End this!"
"Heh heh heh."
The Dark Magician aimed his staff at Bakura, preparing to unleash a burst of Dark Magic.
"Face-down Trap Card! Activate! Negate Attack!"
Yugi blanched. "No!"
"Yes! You have no choice now other to end your turn!"
Yugi sighed again. "You're right… I end my turn." I wonder what he's going to do with all those monsters?
"Heh heh… Thank you." Bakura drew. "Now, I remove from play my three monsters – The Portraits Secret, Headless Knight, and Souls of Forgotten – Monsters you kindly destroyed, Yugi -" The three monsters momentarily appeared on the field as faded ghosts, then were sucked into the sky as holographic clouds began to form – "To Summon my favourite monster, Dark Necrofear!"
The clouds began to swirl as the three Monster spirits formed into a column of darkness that struck the ground and opened revealing the she-demon, Dark Necrofear.
"Are you trembling yet, Yugi?"
"Never! Your demon has less attack points!"
"Are you so sure? Then, I'll Summon a monster that'll have you quaking in your boots!" He held out an imperious hand. "Face-down card! Activate! Return from the different Dimension!"
The card flipped up. "All I have to do is tribute half of my meagre Life Points in order to Special Summon the three Fiend Monsters I removed from play earlier."
He pulled them from his pocket, slapping them down onto his Duel Disk with a flourish.
The three monsters appeared on the field in Defense Mode.
"Hahaha! I Tribute them again to Special Summon my ultimate monster! Say hello to the Lord of Phantasms, Raviel!"
Yugi gasped as the shadows grew and surrounded Bakura, leaving his side of the field in pitch black. Then two points of deep red appeared in the black, and the shadows were whipped away to reveal the most fearsome creature Yugi had ever seen. It was a deep blue, and purple, with horns that reminded Yugi slightly of Bakuras hair. He grinned slightly at the picture.
Bakura frowned. "You won't be grinning soon, Yugi! Reveal face-down Spell Card! Dark Hole!"
Yugi gasped. "No! My magicians!"
A dark hole of infinite black appeared upon the field, facing Yugis Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl. They turned away, but were destroyed.
"But, your monster is destroyed, too!"
"Wrong again, Yugi! Activate my last face-down card - White Hole! Now only your monsters are destoyed! Hahaha! You didn't see that coming, did you!? Now! Dark Necrofear! Attack him directly! Dark cross-slice!"
The Dark Demon unsheathed her black blades and X-sliced directly at Yugi, causing him 2200LP of damage.
"But I still have more than you, Bakura!"
"Not for long! Demigod Raviel, accept my offering!"
Raviel picked up Dark Necrofear and crushed her, transferring her Attack Points to his.
"Now! I equip my ultimate monster with the card known as Megamorph!"
Raviel roared as a purple aura surrounded him, as his Attack Points doubled.
"Lord of Phantasms! Attack him directly!"
The Lord of Phantasms held out its hands, creating a ball of black light that sparked with purple lightning.
"Lightning fist!"
Raviel punched hard at Yugi, the ball of lightning crackling as he held it. Yugi fell over backwards as the force of the attack shook him to his core.
He lay there as his Life Point Counter decreased to 650.
"Get up."
Yugi looked up at Bakura.
"We haven't finished yet, Yugi. Get up and duel like a man."
Yugi got to his feet, wincing. He'd jarred his arm painfully as he had fallen over. It's hopeless… I don't have a card in my Deck that can defeat his monster.
Chin up, Yugi.
Yugi looked closer at the duelling field. Two Bakuras…?
The translucent, glowing Ryou Bakura raised his hand in a thumbs-up. It'll be alright.
"Now, I activate Emergency Provisions, discarding the useless Megamorph to increase my Life Points by one thousand. Your move. And, savour it. It will be your last…"
Yugi looked again at Bakura, but Ryou had vanished. "I will come through! I believe in the bond of friendship I have with Ryou Bakura!"
"Your pathetic belief brings tears to my eyes. Heh heh."
His hand hovered over his Deck, and he felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead. Heart of the Cards, Don't fail me now!
He drew, and waited a second before looking at the card.
Change of Heart!?!? Bakuras Soul card!
Yugi looked across the field, and smiled. Thank you, Bakura.
"I play Change of Heart!"
Bakura almost fell over, he was so surprised. "WHAT!?!"
"You heard me! For one turn, I can take control of your monster!"
Bakura broke into a sweat, eyes wide. "No!"
"Yes! Raviel! Attack Bakura directly! Lightning Fist!"
Bakura staggered back as his own monster turned on him, punching him with dark lightning. Bakura really did fall, this time.
"You lost, Bakura! Bring back the Pharaoh to the Puzzle!"

(AN: What will happen next? Will Bakura return the Pharaoh? Will Yugi forgive Bakura?

Find out after you click the button at the bottom of the page. You know you want to…)