To say that the first breath he took once back in the ocean nearly caused his body to convulse was an understatement, but it had settled back into rhythm after a few seconds that allowed him to realize the predicament he was in. The tentacle wrapped around his tail prevented any movement and there was another that had risen to wrap tightly around his upper abdomen, effectively pinning both of his arms. His eyes widened when he caught sight of the wicked grin that was upon the sorcerer's face and snarled when they came to a stop upon the ocean floor, the skeletal fingers of the banned practitioner raking through his hair to grab a fistful. "Worry not, little prince of nothing, it's not you I'm after." Atem bit back a growl as his head was forced backward roughly so that their eyes could meet and found himself looking up into a pair of dark onyx that reminded him of the deepest bowels of the ocean floor. Now that they were out of the dark murky waters, the Siren King's full appearance was now visible; tentacles blacker than the ink of a squid that were covered in scars, tanned skin so dark that towards the lower half of his torso it was near impossible to distinguish where the mess of tentacles started, even the hair that had appeared luminescent now was a shocking white that it promised to blind if one stared at it for too long. "There's a much bigger fish that I have my eyes on."
"Enough!" Amethyst found the lavender that were Yugi's and then rose to meet the imperial violets that were their mighty grandfather's, King Solomon, who blocked the path that the sorcerer was about to take. The king's eyes smoldered when he spotted his eldest grandson's captivity and demanded that he be released at once, earning a laugh. "I suggest you let him go before my mood sours any more, Bakura, we both know of what occurred the last time your ego got the best of you."
The sneer never wavered, if anything it grew victorious, as the contract that had signed materialized before his face, showcasing Atem's signature alongside his own. "Out of the way, old man, he's mine now. We made a deal, legally and completely unbreakable even for the mighty king of the seven seas!" Bakura rolled it back up with a flick of his wrist, his tongue flicking out to brush the paper's seal before using it to force Atem's head to the side. A snap of his fingers caused the scroll to surround him, enclosing him within a sphere of shadows and the gold began to dissipate from the captured merman's tail, his agony filled screams causing his grandfather and sibling distress.
The tail of the merfolk held more than just a means of identity and tracing of bloodline, they housed the essential life force and hidden power that each was born with. Take that away and they would lose their sense of being, causing them to undergo devolution that left them as normal fish were. Yugi felt as though his own life was being sucked out as he watched helplessly and would have moved to intervene if it weren't for Bakura's sudden outstretched hand that halted the screams.
"Of course, I've always been one with eyes always out for a good bargain." His eyes pierced the younger prince, one of his minions appearing behind Yugi and wrapping him tightly within their own constricting grip. "Allow me to introduce me newest associate, you may recognize him actually!"
"M-Marik?!" Yugi's eyes widened as the younger brother to Lady Ishizu expertly forced him downward and into the sand. The siblings had always been such close friends to the royal family so they too had mourned when news came that he had been lost during a siren raid. "We thought-" His words choked as the hold on him was increased.
Bakura's head fell back with a laugh. "Why would I kill such an easily manipulative puppet? He was so hot headed and pompous that I felt that his talents would be better suited among my own forces." A snap of his fingers earned the blind merman to tilted his head, his hold shifting so that the other prince was locked within a near strangle hold. "Perhaps I could be persuaded to exchange my newly acquired assets for something more."
Lavender shone brightly with admiration and deep rooted fear. "What about the kingdom?! You can't just abandon them after all of this time, so many depend on you to lead them and keep them safe!"
Amethyst, on the other hand, shone with understanding but also guilt. "If you do as he says, grandfather, I will never be capable of forgiving myself when he unleashes unknown horrors upon both land and sea. Nothing and no one will be able to stop him if you do this!"
King Solomon's shoulders rose and fell in a sigh. Even a king such as himself faced situations such as this, weighing the fate of the few against those of the many, but even he did not hesitate to use his triton to remove Atem's name in place of his own. "All of this is truly my fault," his weathered eyes met amethyst then lavender. "If I had been more understanding and open then none of this would have happened. I believe and love you both more than I could ever express."
A maniacal laugh overtook the unified cries of the princes when the sphere of shadows surrounded their king.