WHEN MEMORIES WOULD NEVER BE ENOUGH
Chapter Twenty – The Duel Bound in Revenge and Brotherhood
The vengeful and restless spirits of Kuru Eruna flew all over the chamber, as if they were all there to distract Atemu and Set and to cheer on Bakura and Akunadin. The cousins did their best to keep their focus on the Shadow Duel - ignoring such distractions such as the spirits brushing against them, the thief's taunting against the Pharaoh, and the elderly priest's persuasion for his son to stop.
The duel progressed with no one making headway, since one team counteracted the other's strategy. By this time, each player had at least half his life force dwindle down - not only from the respective damage sustained but also due to the length of the duel.
"Do you see these ghosts hovering around us? One way or another, respected Pharaoh, they will make you pay for your father's sins!" Bakura then ordered Diabound to attack one of Atemu's three monsters.
As the monster was destroyed, the Pharaoh's life force dwindled down. Even though his vision momentarily faded from weakness and exhaustion, Atemu retorted, "My father would never do to that to his people!" Looking at the two monsters on his side of the field, he then said, "I tribute my two monsters to summon the Dark Magician!"
A vortex appeared from the chamber floor - swallowing the two monsters and allowing the Dark Magician - Mahado's ka - to emerge in their place.
Upon his loyal mage's appearance, the Pharaoh felt comfort and strength from seeing Mahado once again. Set, on the other hand, was amazed at his deceased colleague's mystical rebirth as a duel monster. Nonetheless, amethyst and azure eyes focused on the new monster as they respectively thanked the gods. They need every help that they could get to tip the scales back in their favor.
The thief's eyes glinted upon seeing Mahado's new form. "If you are so certain of your father's innocence, then why do you not ask your own servant? He will tell you the truth! Although I killed him, his death was your entire fault. I am taking a life for every single one that your father claimed at Kuru Eruna. However, your blood alone will suffice!"
Set pointed at his opponents with his Millennium Rod, as he glared at the platinum-haired young man with piercing azure eyes. "You are not only a thief, but you are also a blasphemer and a liar! If your entire village comprised of thieves and scoundrels, then the king did a great service to Egypt by wiping their existence off the face of this world!"
Even though Akunadin heard all of this, his better nature did not strike his conscience anymore. He already fell too deep within the darkness of his soul to either react or regret. The cold expression reflected in his eyes and smirk said it all, and Zork's corruption had already set deep in his heart. He then ordered his monster to attack Set - therefore causing the young man's life force to go down to a mere twenty-five percent.
As to Atemu, he closed his eyes and gauged the thief's words. He seethed inside, as he recalled how Bakura desecrated his father's mummy. Even though he knew that the thief was cruel and crude in his ways, part of him somehow believed that there was a deep-rooted reason for Bakura to go through such great lengths for vengeance. His heart remained unsettled as he looked at the Dark Magician and asked, "Is it true, Mahado?"
After a long period of somber silence, the Dark Magician glanced behind him and told the amethyst-eyed young man, "There is some truth to his words, Master. The former Pharaoh gave your Uncle Akunadin the permission to forge the Millennium Items. However, your Uncle did not inform the Pharaoh that the price was the blood of ninety-nine people. Kuru Eruna might have been a town where thieves and scoundrels lived, but innocent men, women, and children died during the massacre. Out of all the seven Items, the Ring bore most of the darkness and hatred caused by those deaths. Once I took possession of the Ring, I felt the evil locked within it. In the wrong hands, that evil would consume that person."
"This could not be!" said a stunned Atemu. With a mixture of shock, sadness, disbelief, and anger, he slightly bowed his head to regain an ounce of strength and composure.
Set - tense, angry, and distraught - approached his disheartened cousin. He rested his hands on his cousin's back - his firm hand hoping to give the young king the strength to accept the facts and move on.
After all, they were still in the middle of a duel and they were on the losing end.
"I rest my case," spat Thief Bakura, as he stared into Atemu's and Set's eyes with such hatred and defiance. "You curse me for speaking ill about the former Pharaoh, but I curse you for your deeds and judgments! Although we lived in Kuru Eruna, my parents were peace-loving and principled people. A good amount of the villagers made their living from stealing, but they did so to put food on the table. They were pushed to do what their conscience could not bear to provide for their families. Instead of empathizing and helping the poor and hungry, your father ordered their death. He condemned every single victim as a thief and a scoundrel without a fair trial. Your father made them thieves by not listening to their pains. When he was not contented in forcing them to swallow their principles, he then turned them into spirits so that he could reap more power! Is that what you call the actions of a good man and king?"
Set - with his hand still on Atemu's back for consolation - looked at his father to see whether the accusations were all true. Upon seeing that cold look in the elderly man's eyes, he seethed in anger and turned to the thief. "The country was in a state of war, and poverty was all over the land - not just Kuru Eruna. High Priest Akunadin ordered the massacre and not the former Pharaoh! If there is someone that should pay for all of this, it should be the High Priest and not the Pharaoh!" He then ordered his spirit ka Dious to attack Akunadin.
The elderly high priest's life force dwindled down to twenty-five percent as well.
"How could you, Uncle?" asked Atemu as he lifted his head and gazed into Akunadin's eyes. His amethyst eyes glistened from tears and his fists clenched in anger. "My father would not order such a cruel act! Why did you order them killed? Why did you not tell my father what it took to create the Millennium Items?"
This time, Akunadin's now-red eyes glimmered. His malevolence and hatred for the former Pharaoh oozed in his voice. "My brother was weak! He did not have a backbone to do what must be done, and he would have said no if I told him that the Items required blood. If it were not for my sacrifices, the Hyskos would have easily usurped the Egyptian throne from him! You, on the other hand, are an ingrate! Instead of thanking me for my sacrifices, you preach to me as if you knew better!"
With his customary scowl, Atemu retorted, "Thank you, Uncle? You have your men butcher men, women, and children! How in Ra's name could I thank you, or be happy with the results of such brutality?"
The azure-eyed high priest shuddered from hearing his father's blinded rationale. His blood froze, as he mused, "Like father, like son... He ordered the massacre of Kuru Eruna, while I imprisoned many scoundrels and leached them out of their ka for the good of the throne. Just as he did with the former Pharaoh, I hid my ka experiments from him. He ignored the bonds of brothers, whereas I disregarded our deep friendship. My real father and I are no different, since we use people as a means to an end..."
Akunadin then launched a magic card that took away half of Atemu and Set's remaining life points - leaving each of the young men with ten percent life force.
The scales of the duels tipped more into his and Bakura's favor.
Set and Atemu - both weakened from the attacks and the counters against them - looked at each other. This moment brought back memories of the countless nights that they donned their disguises, snuck outside the palace, roamed the outskirts of town, and dueled underground. Aside from competing individually, they also have dueled as a team. They dueled for fun, and they dueled for higher stakes - namely the Shadow Games.
Aside from Xandra - who they still did not remember at this time due to her spell - and Mana, no one else knew about their nightly exploits. Duel after duel, they reigned victorious. As a team, they were formidable. As individuals, they each earned the title Prince of Games. However, they never faced against each other in the dueling arena for the Shadow Games sent the loser into the Shadow Realm.
As the two cousins exchanged meaningful glances, only one thought came into their minds - they need to win the duel. Otherwise, their souls would be sucked into the Shadow Realm forever. If that happened, then Egypt and the civilized world - as they knew it - would be no more.
End of Chapter Twenty
Author's Notes
Yu-Gi-Oh is the copyrighted property of Kazuki Takahashi. Emrys / Xandra, Hyperion, the Orichalchos Medallion, the Mages' Council, and this fanfic are the author's property.
This fanfiction was written for entertainment purposes only, thereby releasing the author from all liabilities.