Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh and I don't intend to put some snappy comment right here every single time. It gets annoying.
Chapter Nine: To Defeat A God
Whispers in the winds, thoughts of death, voices in the darkness, an end to all things. Once long ago, in a time after the first humans began to think and act for themselves, there came a guardian. The essence of destruction that before time began had swept across the Universe, destroying everything, was now sealed by its power and the power of the gods. But even the gods could not keep such a powerful force totally contained, and so its power began to leak out of its prison. It was not a rush of power, but a mere trickle, so little that it wasn't noticed for the first few millennia. It wasn't noticed until an Egyptian stumbled upon that power in defense of his life.
Desperate to find safety from bandits the traveler had flung out his arms and screamed out a prayer for destruction to fall upon the bandits. And so it did. A dark fog enveloped them all, and from within it came a monster, this monster had no shape at first, but after slaughtering the bandits it turned to the one who had summoned it, and took on the shape that the traveler desired. It became the first of the monsters to be found.
Word of the travelers discovery did not escape notice, and soon the Pharaoh had his greatest sorcerers working to solve the mystery of this dark place...this Shadow Realm where the monsters were. But their efforts backfired, for the more the realm's power was drawn upon, the more souls it devoured, the more powerful it became. Soon enough the monsters were roaming free, and it seemed that nothing could be done, for whenever one of the monsters killed someone, the Shadow Realm grew.
Knowing that not even the combined powers of all those who held even the slightest command over magic could turn the tide the Pharaoh chose to beseech the gods for an answer to their plight. In response to the Pharaoh's prayers and the prayers of the rest of the people of Egypt the gods devised a way to weaken the Shadow Realm, and keep the monsters of it from roaming the world.
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Memory lost within an overwhelming void, memory unattainable, mysteries that would remain unsolved. Unless he succeeded he gaining the Millennium Puzzle, and to do that he would have to defeat Yugi Motou, the King of Games himself. Dalin was utterly focused on the task at hand, the task of making certain that he would win his way to a duel with Yugi, he had no other choice.
His focus however, was interrupted as someone burst into his room. Instantly he jerked to his feet and extended his right arm towards the door, an act that wasn't his own choice. He had simply reacted, and his first reaction was to get his ringed hand into play. His aggressive stance ended when he realized who it was, the man was Rishid, face bare and apparently injured. "Rishid? What are you doing here? And what happened to you?"
Rishid groaned and collapsed onto one of the chairs shortly after closing the door. Upon close inspection Dalin discovered that his injuries were caused by some kind of impact...it seemed like he had struck by something quite hard. "My defeat rather upset Master Malik. He used his magic to hurl me across the room causing the injuries you see, but before he could finish me off he heard a call from elsewhere on the ship, some sort of magic. I do not know what distracted him, but it allowed me to escape."
"Malik did this to you? But why, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do such a thing." It didn't make any sense at all, how could Malik, the person who had saved him and nursed him to health, be cruel enough to try and kill their loyal ally? Was Rishid lying, or was he telling the truth? If so, what would that mean about the things Dalin had been told?
"Mas...no...Malik is not who you believe him to be. You see within the person you believe yourself to know is a dangerously unstable spirit, a terrible thing of evil created out of Malik's own inner rage. The spirit killed his parents and now seeks to gain vast powers, and have revenge upon the person he believes ruined everything for him, the Pharaoh."
Yes...that would make sense. He had previously detected conflicting emotions, and something dangerous within Malik, but he had foolishly believed that the danger he sensed was merely Malik dealing with the power of an item liked the Millennium Rod. If Malik was truly possessed by a spirit of such a deadly nature, then it was Malik who was his enemy, and not Yugi Motou at all. "You have to tell me something Rishid, my memories, can I really have them restored only by getting the Millennium Puzzle and the three god cards, or is there another way?"
Rishid closed his eyes for a moment as if contemplating something, and when he opened his eyes they had a new resolve to them. He had changed in a few brief seconds from Malik's loyal follower, to a free man. "The truth is that Malik himself used the Millennium Rod to hide away your true identity and powers from yourself, your memories cannot come without revealing who you are. If Malik were defeated, or you lifted his hold on you in some other way, then perhaps your memories can return."
So he had a new goal in mind. He could defeat Malik, or he could defeat Yugi. The question was which deserved it more, Malik for his betrayal and his actions, or Yugi for the Pharaoh within's actions in the past? Clenching his fists Dalin rose and pocketed his deck, he let he rode out his anger, and let the calm follow. "Do you know who I am Rishid? Is there anything about me that you know and can tell me?"
Rishid rose as well and reached into his own pocket and pulled out his deck. "Listen to me Dalin, Malik must be stopped, but I fear that he is no longer alone in his plotting. Despite the evil that he has become, Malik would know better then to mess with forces that are as dangerous as you are, something or someone is manipulating him, and I ask that you defeat him and stop whatever is happening. If Malik succeeds and if you should die, then all life may cease to exist."
"I understand."
"Will duelists seven and fourteen please report to the Stratos Dueling Arena for the third match of the finals. Your duel begins in exactly five minutes."
Dalin strode to the door, locking eyes briefly with Rishid, and stepped outside, ready to do his part and defeat Malik. It was not merely for him, it was now for a far greater purpose that he would duel and win. "Dalin...take these two cards, cards that Malik himself gave me, and use them to bring victory. And use this knowledge...you are the Devourer, that is all that I know."
Dalin nodded and slipped the two cards into his deck in honor of a new ally. He made his way to the dueling arena with a new found purpose, and a little bit closer to unlocking the secrets of his identity. If Malik had referred to him as the Devourer, then it had to have something to do with Egypt, as all that Malik delved into did. "I will claim victory, and to do so I must defeat Malik...and Ra."
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Mere minutes later the two duelists stood on opposite sides of the Stratos dueling arena, watching each other...and waiting. It was to begin soon, a duel that would determine who lived and who died. Each of them fully understood that in every way that was possible the other was their enemy, and an enemies are meant to be destroyed. Malik feared and hated what Dalin was for reasons that were his own, and Dalin despised Malik for his deception and for the cruelty he had displayed. Now they would have a chance to determine who deserved to exist.
"Malik Ishtar...Are you prepared to be judged?" The dark spirit turned to him and grinned maliciously, licking his lips in a sickening manner. This Malik, Yami Malik it could be said, was a depraved lunatic who had to be finished as soon as possible.
"We shall see who judges whom in this duel soon enough. Tell me Dalin, are you willing to accept a Shadow Game? Are you willing to risk absolutely everything to recover your lost memories? After all, for all you know you're better off without an identity."
The two duelists thrust their arms out and activated their duel disks. "I will accept any challenge, and I will be victorious. And you should know that I'm not one to make idle threats, so I'll leave it at this. You won't simply lose, you'll die."
The purple fog rose and blanketed the top of the blimp, enveloping them in darkness. This was the earthly representation of the Shadow Realm. Within the Shadow Realm the monsters were real, and the loser would be worse off then simply being out of the tournament, however lost would suffer Penalty Game.
"Ready Malik? I start us off by summon Atom Firefly(100/200) in attack mode and then I'll set two cards face on the field." His mechanical insect took its place in front of him and trained its beady eyes on Malik, ready to strike when ordered.
"I'll summon Dark Jelloid and activate its effect to reduce your monsters attack by 800, and~what the?" Malik watched his monster tumble into the depths below, into some pitfall that he hadn't seen.
"My Trap Hole card destroys your monster."
"Alright, I set two cards face down and end my turn."
"Allow me to introduce you to one of my rarest and deadliest monster. A monster that will strengthen me every turn. Ami, the White Mage(1200/0) in attack mode. I now shift Atom Firefly into defense, and set one more card. Next I'll activate Stealing Goblin, who will rob you of 500 life points and place them on me!" A fat goblin made its way out of the card pushing a car in front of it and trudged over to Malik. With a quick grab of his hand he snatched something from Malik and ran back to Dalin, depositing it in his hands.
"That's hardly any real damage. Hardly a productive turn was it? All you managed to do was summon one pathetic monster. I thought the money you used while in Egypt would have allowed you to find better cards then that mage and the insect, but it appears I was mistaken. Hahaahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Dalin laughed and gestured once more at his opponent. The white-clothed, pink-haired mage mimicked him. "We'll see how pathetic it is come next turn. End turn."
(DLP: 4000) "Curse of Pain redirects all damage I receive this turn from anything other then battle, so you're the one who takes the damage. You see! You don't stand a chance against me!"
Dalin smirked and gestured for Malik to make his move. The spiky haired Yami Malik snapped a card off the top of his deck and began to laugh. "I'll summon Lord Poision(1500/1000) in attack mode! I'll attack your mage!"
Malik's monster rushed across the field to strike down his monster only to run headlong into a spear of some sort. "Your attack triggers my Enchanted Javelin, which increases my life points by its attack strength. Next I'll activate Shift, changing the target of your attack to Atom Firefly!" (DLP: 5500)
Lord Poison swerved away from the mage and struck down the mechanical bug, shattering it into thousands of components. (MLP: 3000) Once more Dalin grinned. "I forgot to say that when Atom Firefly is destroyed while face-up, it deals one thousand damage to the player that destroyed it.
Malik sneered and squeezed the Millennium Rod tightly in his hand, his knuckles white from his furious grip. "I end my turn."
"Good, now I will show you exactly why my White Mage is so deadly. When I said it would strengthen me, I was serious. During my standby phase Ami increases my life points by 400 times the number of monsters on my field. (DLP: 5900)."
Ami smiled and waved her wand at him, sending glowing light into his outstretched arms. He smiled and nodded thanks to her.
Yami Malik snarled and put a hand to his chest. He didn't understand it, so soon into the duel and already he was nearly three thousand life points behind! "You will pay!"
Dalin grinned and slid his next card into a magic slot. "I'll set one card face down and summon Venus, the Angel of Creation(1600/0) in attack mode." A golden angel with long flowing blond hair rose up on the field, her arms crossed over her chest and wings spread as wide as they could go. Hovering around here were three iridescent balls.
"Next I'll activate her effect by paying 1500 life points to special summon all three of my Holy Shine Spheres(500/500). I also switch Ami into defense." The spheres floating around Venus suddenly careened away until they each rested beside her in a row, filling up his monster zones. The glow they let out completely illuminated the field, even at night. (DLP: 4400)
Malik knew that a few hundred life points wouldn't make a difference, as long as Dalin didn't target his monsters he'd easily be able to summon Ra, and then the duel would be his. "I draw and then~" Malik gasped as a bolt of light shot out of Dalin's face down card and struck him in the chest.
"I activated my Solar Ray which deals you six hundred damage for every light type monster on my field. Which means that you receive three thousand damage." (MLP: 1500)
Malik grimaced and activated his face down card, saving him from losing the duel right then and there. "My Damage Reducer cuts the damage dealt to me during this turn by half, keeping me safe for now. Next I'll summon Revival Jam in attack mode and set a card face down behind him. Revival Jam and Lord Poison will destroy two of those pesky spheres!"
Malik set one card and the two monsters attacked two of the spheres, crushing them with ease. The turn then came back to Dalin. He snapped a card off his deck and grinned, throwing the card down onto the field even as once again Ami using her magic to raise his life points. (DLP: 5600) "I summon Mercury the Angel of Wisdom(0/1700) in defense mode and have Venus attack your Lord Poison!"
A blue skinned and blue winged angel now took its place next to Venus. He hefted a stone tablet under one arm and rubbed his chin in reflection with the other. On the sidelines Tea was practically having a fit, the angel monsters Dalin was summon were really awesome!
Yami Malik's eyes widened in delight as he activated his face down card, and in a rush of motion the Revival Jam through itself in the way of the beam of light that Venus unleashed against Lord Poison. (MLP: 1400) "My face down card Jam Defender allows my Revival Jam to block all of your attacks. Next Revival Jam will reform!"
Malik began to laugh with evil glee as the shattered plasma monster oozed together and returned to its former spot on the field, once again whole. Dalin didn't respond, all he did was give Malik a cold stare. "I end my turn."
Malik slipped the top card off his deck and sneered as he slapped it onto the field. "I summon Makyura the Destructor(1600/1200) in attack mode! However since none of my monsters can match your defense monster or attack I think I'll leave it at that, after I set a card that is." A purple clad monster with various spikes all over its body appeared beside Malik's two other monsters, standing tall and deadly.
"Very well Malik. I'll draw, and then Mercury's special effect activates. Since I had no cards in my hand at the end of your turn, I get to draw a card during my standby phase, meaning I get two cards effectively. And remember, I get even more life points this turn thanks to Ami. (DLP: 7200) I set Prominence Dragon(1500/1000) in defense mode, and set one card face down on the field. Go ahead and show me what you can do, show me the power of a god."
Before Malik could do anything, the fiery serpentine dragon that Dalin had just summoned blew a fireball at him, catching him in the chest and knocking him backwards. (MLP: 900) "Oh, and by the way, at the end of each of my turns Prominence Dragon deals five hundred damage to my opponent."
Malik pulled free his next card and immediately slammed it down on his duel disc. "You ask and so you shall receive! I sacrifice Lord Poison, Makyura, and Revival Jam for the Winged Divine Dragon of Ra(4600/2700). I also equip it with Fairy Meteor Crush."
A massive storm picked up, shoving both duelists backwards. As lightning bolts crashed down around them the massive sphere of Ra appeared on the field. Dalin remained silent as Malik chanted the hiretic required to take Ra out of its sphere form and reveal its true form. It took under a minute for Malik to complete the chant, and allow Ra to open into its massive golden form.
Kaiba was astonished at Ra's appearance, and instantly sent Mokuba to find out exactly what Ra could do. He had to know, he had to have that card. Nothing else mattered except this card, its power was just to good to be true!
As Ra stared down at Dalin's tiny form, things began to look grim. It was enough to make Malik laugh with joy. "This will be perfect! The Devourer annihilated by one of the gods! Your destiny has been ended Sumatin, and mine is about to begin. God Breath Cannon!"
A beam of golden energy burst forth from the god's beak, and lanced towards Prominence Dragon, blasting it out of existence. Seemingly in retaliation Dalin's face down card flipped up and shot a jet of fire at Malik, scorching him once again. (MLP: 400, DLP: 3600) "Backfire deals five hundred damage to you whenever one of my fire main type monsters is destroyed. Your doing my work for me."
Dalin smirked and snapped a card off his deck, barely pausing to look at it as he drew a second card. (DLP: 5200) "I'll simply end my turn at that."
Malik couldn't help but laugh at his opponent's stupidity. He had been doing so well too! "First I sacrifice Ami the White Mage and your Holy Shine Soul for Lava Golem(3000/2500), he's under your control, but each of your standbye phases you'll lose one thousand life points. Now Ra will destroy the Angel of Creation!"
First a massive beast made of pure Lava reared up on Dalin's side, and next Ra's blast destroyed the Angel of Creation. Now Dalin was down to two monsters, and in his next turn he'd lose life points. Things were looking grim.
"Now the time has come for me to end Ra. I summon Pot of Greed Guardian(1200/1300) in defense mode, and activate its special ability. By discarding a Pot of Greed from my hand I can draw three cards, which I will raising my hand to four cards."
A muscular green man with a head identical to the card Pot of Greed materialized and laughed hysterically at Malik for no apparent reason. (DLP: 4200) "Now I can play Greedy Sacrifice, which lets me sacrifice one monster on the field, Mercury in this case, to increase one monster's attack strength by the chosen stat of the monster I sacrifice. So during this turn Lava Golem reaches 4700 attack strength!"
As Mercury disappeared from the field, Lava Golem grew by several feet in each dimension, making it nearly as massive as Ra. "Lava Golem, attack and destroy Ra!" The massive lava monster swung one huge fist and clobbered Ra, sending it careening backwards and destroying it. (MLP: 300)
"I'll set one card, and end my turn. I could finish you now, but I prefer to make you suffer."
Malik's laugh was as evil as ever, and it worried everyone but Dalin. It was obvious he had something planned, but it didn't particularly matter. "I summon a second Revival Jam in defense mode and end my turn. Soon you'll be suffering."
"All pointless talk Malik. There can only be one victor, and you know all to well that I will be that victor, otherwise why point me at your enemy and present yourself as a friend? You know I will beat you, so you tried to make me defeat your enemies for you."
"Believe what you like."
"I trust what I believe. I place Aztec Statue(300/2000) in defense mode and end my turn." Dalin's next monster was essentially a stone wall with hands and a face, not particularly impressive.
"Fool. The end has come for you. I now have the necessary combo to not only defeat you, but kill you in the process. I summon Melkid the Four-Faced beast and sacrifice it and Revival Jam for Masked Beast Des Guardian(3300/2500)) and I send it to attack that statue!"
The beast took a swing at the statue and clawed right through it. Dalin simply shrugged and drew his next card, ignoring Malik's insane laughter. The guy seriously needed to relax or something.
(DLP: 3200) "I summon Atomic Firefly(100/200) and equip it with Camaflouge Armor, which lets a level one monster attack directly. Atomic Firefly attacks!" The machine buzzed across the field and zapped Malik with electricity, making him grimace in pain as his life points dropped. (MLP: 200)
"I dare you to attack, because if you do not only will you destroy my monster and my life points, but you'll also lose 1000 life points, knocking yourself out of the duel along with me. Are you willing to risk that?"
Malik began to laugh hysterically as he drew his next card, something that obviously made him quite happy. "The end has now come for you, I have a way to finish this duel without risking losing myself. I play Monster Reborn to revive Ra(0000/0000) from the cemetery!"
Dalin quirked his eyebrow as Ra appeared next to Des Guardias, towering over the now puny monster. "And now you sacrifice Des Guardias to raise Ra's attack strength?"
"Exactly! (Ra: 3300/2500) Now I equip him with Megamorph to double his attack strength! (Ra: 6600) Next comes one of his other abilities, I can pay any amount of life points to increase Ra's attack or defense by that amount, so I do so reducing my life points by 199 to further raise his attack. (Ra: 6799, MLP: 1) Now Ra has more then enough attack points to destroy the Lava Golem and all of your life points! Attack and end this duel with God Breath Cannon!"
With a single bolt of its incredible energies the Lava Golem was no more, and so was Dalin. Or at least he should have been. "How are you still standing? That attack should have finished you!"
Dalin laughed and shook his head, pointing at the card he had face down on the field. "You should pay more attention to your opponents cards, because they might have a habit of using them to defy your destiny, and even defy time itself. I activate Time Machine, which returns my monster to the field as it was at the beginning of the turn, and I take no damage to my life points."
A large room rose from the ground, and when it opened the Lava Golem stepped up, ready to fight. At that same moment Ra faded away. "You shouldn't have committed everything into one strike with Ra, not without making sure there was absolutely no way I could defend myself. Now Ra is gone and you have nothing to defend yourself with."
"No, this can't be happening!"
"Now your own technique will be the death of you Malik. As you remember Ra can be used by anyway who can speak the ancient tongue, which I can! Now I activate Monster Reborn to raise The Winged Divine Dragon of Ra to the field in attack!"
Malik stared in horror at his own monster, staring down at him with hatred in its eyes. "How can this be? I was destined to win!" (DLP: 2200)
(A/N: Que wicked Final Fantasy/Opera music that is played when a god card is summoned) "Destiny has a way of changing, especially when people like me are involved. I sacrifice Atom Firefly and Lava Golem to raise Ra's attack points. (Ra: 3100) Of course in accordance with your combo I'll sacrifice all but one of my life points to raise Ra's attack by an even greater amount. (Ra: 5299, DLP: 1) Now Ra can attack you directly and utterly destroy you with its God Breath Cannon!"
Everything seemed to slow down as the mighty god opened its mouth to unleash its awesome power. A power that, used like this, could easily kill the person being attacked. Yugi understood all of this, and he understood that even Malik didn't deserve to die. In a flash of light he transformed into his alter ego, Yami Yugi. "Sumatin! Stop this right now, even Malik doesn't deserve this!"
Dalin's eyes flashed with a silver light as he turned to Yami Yugi. "Don't be stupid little Pharaoh. This is exactly what he deserves, and he was willing to risk his life in a Shadow Game. This is his punishment for what he has done, and unless you want to take his place then I suggest you be quiet!"
"That's exactly what I'll do. I will take his place in a Shadow Game!" Gasps of shock can be heard from the spectators at Yugi's announcement, at least from those who know about Shadow Games. Yami Yugi wasn't simply doing it to save Malik, he was doing it because something about Sumatin intrigued him. Something had just changed in this man, and Yami needed to know what.
"Very well little Pharaoh. We shall commence our own Shadow Game, and it will be like none you have ever played before!"
"Let the Shadow Game Begin!"
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The first thing that Yami noticed was the golden object in front of him. The second was that the object was massive set of scales. He reached out to touch it and was shocked to discover that it was solid to the touch. It was as real as he was! "What is this? What game are we playing Sumatin?"
"So eager to play Pharaoh? You shouldn't be since this is not a contest of skill or luck, but a contest to measure the challenger. I'd tell you to prepare yourself, but there isn't any way to prepare oneself for a challenge such as this." Yami stumbled back in shock as Sumatin rose up from the shadows below the scale. The sudden appearance was not what had frightened Yami however, it was the shape of the man's shadow. It most definitely wasn't human.
"Very well Sumatin. Tell me the rules of this game and we shall begin." Sumatin smirked and reached into his pocket, pulling free a small white feather. Casually he tossed it into the air, where it fluttered briefly before coming to rest on one side of the scale.
"This is the Feather of Ma'at, Goddess of Truth and Justice. The rules are simple, you will have to back up your words by judging Malik. If you succeed in proving him to be lighter then the feather he will be allowed to live. Should he prove to be heavier, then his soul will be mine to consume!"
Yami felt rage bubble up in his heart, rage at Sumatin for casting such a burden upon him. Who did this man think he was to balance a person's soul on something so trite as a set of scales. "I can't judge him, I hardly know a thing about him."
Dalin sneered and motioned briefly with his hand towards the scales. Malik vanished only to be replaced by Seto Kaiba. "Very well then. If you won't judge Malik, then perhaps you'll be willing to judge Seto Kaiba. If he is found guilty then Malik will die, if he is found innocent then you shall get your wish."
Yami snarled and moved forwards to confront Dalin, his puzzle glowing on his chest and the Eye of Ra glowing brightly upon his forehead. He was beginning to grow irritated. "Understand this Sumatin, people are not toys! They are not pawns in whatever twisted game you intend on playing! So let Seto Kaiba go and let the person who is judged be me!"
"I was hoping you'd say that. Now my Pharaoh, the judgement begins now, and soon you may find yourself as a meal for the Devourer of Souls!" Yami gasped as he found himself standing on one the side of the scale opposite the feather and to his horror he was already outweighing Ma'at's feather!
"Within your mind lie the secrets of how dangerous you truly are. Remember this Yami, you chose your own Shadow Games to play, and you toyed with the lives of those mortals just as I now toy with the lives of these mortals."
"What are you talking about Sumatin? I haven't toyed with anyone!" Yami let out a sudden gasp as the air in front of him flickered, revealing a massive ogre of a boy in a school uniform holding a knife in his hand quivering over a stack of money. Across from him sat Yami, a sadistic grin on his face.
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"Welcome to the Shadow Games, Ushio," Yami explained with a dark chuckle. "You cannot hide your true nature here. It's your own greed that will decide your fate, not I! Do you sacrifice your left hand to take the money, or do you lose the game?"
Ushio snickered. "I've got a better idea!" He swung the knife at Yami's chest, but the ancient spirit leapt up and over the boy's thrust, landing safely behind him.
"Just as I suspected! You weren't able to follow the rules after all!" he said, his hair twisting about in a sudden breeze to reveal a flickering eye that matched the one on the pyramid he wore. "How dare you trespass in my soul, Ushio! How dare you hurt my friends and try to steal my money!!"
Casting his left hand out in front of him, fingers spread wide apart, Yami happily pronounced his sentence. "Penalty game! Greed, the illusion of avarice!"
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Dalin laughed violently as Yami's side tipped violently downwards, easily outweighing the minimal weight of the feather. "Now you see Yami! You are not as innocent as you would have others believe. This is not even the worst of your actions! Here you toyed with this man's life, though justly in my opinion, but at other times there was no justice in your actions!"
"Lets get this Shadow Game over with Sumatin, so I can prove that I'm not like you are!" Dalin's laughter merely angered the Pharaoh even further, making him wish he could end this charade and attack his opponent.
"You care nothing for human life little Pharaoh, for as Pharaoh in Egypt you were considered to be a god! I understand the effects of such a thing on the morals of all mortals. What is the phrase? Absolute power corrupts absolutely? You prove my point true by being callous towards the lives of others!"
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Yami stood across from Seto Kaiba on a section of Pegasus' castle on Duelist Kingdom. In between them was the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon looking sickly with only two heads remaining, hundreds of Kuriboh, and Celtic Guardian. It was now Kaiba's turn.
"I draw, however since I can't do anything this turn I'm going to have to make a different sort of play to win this duel. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to defeat you and enter that castle."
Kaiba stepped backwards and onto the ledge overlooking a sheer drop to the rocks hundreds of feet below, a fall from such a place would surely kill him. "If you attack me, and drop my life points down to zero, I'll jump and end my life. Then the guilt of my death would be on your conscious. Are you willing to accept that Yugi, or will you surrender now?"
Yami snarled and drew his next card. Not even bothering to look at it he cast his hand out, pointing at the Ultimate Dragon. "I've also got someone counting on me so I must make it into Pegasus' castle! I will call your bluff and finish you off once and for all. Celtic Guardian, attack his Ultimate Dragon!"
Kaiba sneered and shifted backwards slightly, so that his feet were halfway off the edge of the castle. "You've just killed me Yugi, I hope you feel happy knowing that your rival is dead at your hands."
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Once more the scales tilted inexorably downwards, leaving little room between Yami's side and the ground. Dalin shook his head, saddened by this. "You truly are pathetic Pharaoh. Sacrificing Kaiba's life for such a reason? If your Hikari hadn't seized a moment of control at the last second then Kaiba would surely have jumped and his death would be on your hands. I'm fairly certain that these actions prove your guilt, I see no reason to continue this Shadow Game."
"Wait a moment Sumatin, this game can't be over yet! I haven't even had a chance to defend myself! What about the rules you told me about?" Dalin's cruel laughter rang endlessly through the void of the Shadow Realm, piercing into Yami's very soul. There was something unearthly about it.
"Perhaps you misunderstood Pharaoh. This was never a traditional Shadow Game. It was the judgement passed down by Osiris, Lord of the Dead. All those judged guilty upon the scales would have their souls cast to the Devourer, never to feel the pleasure of paradise! You who are so proved guilty have no right to possess the God of Osiris! I will take great pleasure in relieving you of it when we duel."
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A burst of golden energy erupted from Ra's opened beak and washed over his body, twisting about it in a malevolent vortex of chaotic energies. Malik's cry of agony cut to the bone and only two people there got true satisfaction from it. Malik had deserved to be beaten yes, and sent to a mental asylum, but he hadn't deserved this.
The cry of agony seemed to stretch for ages as the energies of the god card swirled about Malik, tearing at him, burning his very essence. It took only a few seconds for Ra's attack to incinerate Malik's body, seconds that seemed like hours to everyone. When it was over, nothing remained but ashes.
Dalin extended his right hand, displaying the four-fingered ring upon it, and for the first time Yami recognized exactly what circled his fingers. It was the God of Osiris, biting down on his own tail. "Here me mortals! The Servant of Osiris has struck down the guilty one and carried out his duty by devouring the guilty one's soul. Fear for yourselves for if you should prove to be as guilty as this one was then your soul may well feed the devourer's unsatiable hunger. Ammut has spoken!"
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Author's Notes: I know there are a lot of cards many of you didn't recognize, that is because they are from the newest set in japan, Sanctuary of the Sky. Malik and Dalin each played a card of my creation. Dalin used Greedy Sacrifice and Malik used Damage Reducer. My cards! No stealing! However if you ask nicely I'll give you permission to use them, though they aren't all that impressive over all.
Next Time: The Next Few Duels of the finals commence, starting with Kensai's first duel in the finals against Mai Valentine. Can his warrior's defeat her harpies, or is he doomed from the start? Also Autumn steps up to the plate and soon reveals two secrets, the spirits that reside within her, and the awesome power her deck is capable of...
Chapter Nine: To Defeat A God
Whispers in the winds, thoughts of death, voices in the darkness, an end to all things. Once long ago, in a time after the first humans began to think and act for themselves, there came a guardian. The essence of destruction that before time began had swept across the Universe, destroying everything, was now sealed by its power and the power of the gods. But even the gods could not keep such a powerful force totally contained, and so its power began to leak out of its prison. It was not a rush of power, but a mere trickle, so little that it wasn't noticed for the first few millennia. It wasn't noticed until an Egyptian stumbled upon that power in defense of his life.
Desperate to find safety from bandits the traveler had flung out his arms and screamed out a prayer for destruction to fall upon the bandits. And so it did. A dark fog enveloped them all, and from within it came a monster, this monster had no shape at first, but after slaughtering the bandits it turned to the one who had summoned it, and took on the shape that the traveler desired. It became the first of the monsters to be found.
Word of the travelers discovery did not escape notice, and soon the Pharaoh had his greatest sorcerers working to solve the mystery of this dark place...this Shadow Realm where the monsters were. But their efforts backfired, for the more the realm's power was drawn upon, the more souls it devoured, the more powerful it became. Soon enough the monsters were roaming free, and it seemed that nothing could be done, for whenever one of the monsters killed someone, the Shadow Realm grew.
Knowing that not even the combined powers of all those who held even the slightest command over magic could turn the tide the Pharaoh chose to beseech the gods for an answer to their plight. In response to the Pharaoh's prayers and the prayers of the rest of the people of Egypt the gods devised a way to weaken the Shadow Realm, and keep the monsters of it from roaming the world.
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Memory lost within an overwhelming void, memory unattainable, mysteries that would remain unsolved. Unless he succeeded he gaining the Millennium Puzzle, and to do that he would have to defeat Yugi Motou, the King of Games himself. Dalin was utterly focused on the task at hand, the task of making certain that he would win his way to a duel with Yugi, he had no other choice.
His focus however, was interrupted as someone burst into his room. Instantly he jerked to his feet and extended his right arm towards the door, an act that wasn't his own choice. He had simply reacted, and his first reaction was to get his ringed hand into play. His aggressive stance ended when he realized who it was, the man was Rishid, face bare and apparently injured. "Rishid? What are you doing here? And what happened to you?"
Rishid groaned and collapsed onto one of the chairs shortly after closing the door. Upon close inspection Dalin discovered that his injuries were caused by some kind of impact...it seemed like he had struck by something quite hard. "My defeat rather upset Master Malik. He used his magic to hurl me across the room causing the injuries you see, but before he could finish me off he heard a call from elsewhere on the ship, some sort of magic. I do not know what distracted him, but it allowed me to escape."
"Malik did this to you? But why, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do such a thing." It didn't make any sense at all, how could Malik, the person who had saved him and nursed him to health, be cruel enough to try and kill their loyal ally? Was Rishid lying, or was he telling the truth? If so, what would that mean about the things Dalin had been told?
"Mas...no...Malik is not who you believe him to be. You see within the person you believe yourself to know is a dangerously unstable spirit, a terrible thing of evil created out of Malik's own inner rage. The spirit killed his parents and now seeks to gain vast powers, and have revenge upon the person he believes ruined everything for him, the Pharaoh."
Yes...that would make sense. He had previously detected conflicting emotions, and something dangerous within Malik, but he had foolishly believed that the danger he sensed was merely Malik dealing with the power of an item liked the Millennium Rod. If Malik was truly possessed by a spirit of such a deadly nature, then it was Malik who was his enemy, and not Yugi Motou at all. "You have to tell me something Rishid, my memories, can I really have them restored only by getting the Millennium Puzzle and the three god cards, or is there another way?"
Rishid closed his eyes for a moment as if contemplating something, and when he opened his eyes they had a new resolve to them. He had changed in a few brief seconds from Malik's loyal follower, to a free man. "The truth is that Malik himself used the Millennium Rod to hide away your true identity and powers from yourself, your memories cannot come without revealing who you are. If Malik were defeated, or you lifted his hold on you in some other way, then perhaps your memories can return."
So he had a new goal in mind. He could defeat Malik, or he could defeat Yugi. The question was which deserved it more, Malik for his betrayal and his actions, or Yugi for the Pharaoh within's actions in the past? Clenching his fists Dalin rose and pocketed his deck, he let he rode out his anger, and let the calm follow. "Do you know who I am Rishid? Is there anything about me that you know and can tell me?"
Rishid rose as well and reached into his own pocket and pulled out his deck. "Listen to me Dalin, Malik must be stopped, but I fear that he is no longer alone in his plotting. Despite the evil that he has become, Malik would know better then to mess with forces that are as dangerous as you are, something or someone is manipulating him, and I ask that you defeat him and stop whatever is happening. If Malik succeeds and if you should die, then all life may cease to exist."
"I understand."
"Will duelists seven and fourteen please report to the Stratos Dueling Arena for the third match of the finals. Your duel begins in exactly five minutes."
Dalin strode to the door, locking eyes briefly with Rishid, and stepped outside, ready to do his part and defeat Malik. It was not merely for him, it was now for a far greater purpose that he would duel and win. "Dalin...take these two cards, cards that Malik himself gave me, and use them to bring victory. And use this knowledge...you are the Devourer, that is all that I know."
Dalin nodded and slipped the two cards into his deck in honor of a new ally. He made his way to the dueling arena with a new found purpose, and a little bit closer to unlocking the secrets of his identity. If Malik had referred to him as the Devourer, then it had to have something to do with Egypt, as all that Malik delved into did. "I will claim victory, and to do so I must defeat Malik...and Ra."
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Mere minutes later the two duelists stood on opposite sides of the Stratos dueling arena, watching each other...and waiting. It was to begin soon, a duel that would determine who lived and who died. Each of them fully understood that in every way that was possible the other was their enemy, and an enemies are meant to be destroyed. Malik feared and hated what Dalin was for reasons that were his own, and Dalin despised Malik for his deception and for the cruelty he had displayed. Now they would have a chance to determine who deserved to exist.
"Malik Ishtar...Are you prepared to be judged?" The dark spirit turned to him and grinned maliciously, licking his lips in a sickening manner. This Malik, Yami Malik it could be said, was a depraved lunatic who had to be finished as soon as possible.
"We shall see who judges whom in this duel soon enough. Tell me Dalin, are you willing to accept a Shadow Game? Are you willing to risk absolutely everything to recover your lost memories? After all, for all you know you're better off without an identity."
The two duelists thrust their arms out and activated their duel disks. "I will accept any challenge, and I will be victorious. And you should know that I'm not one to make idle threats, so I'll leave it at this. You won't simply lose, you'll die."
The purple fog rose and blanketed the top of the blimp, enveloping them in darkness. This was the earthly representation of the Shadow Realm. Within the Shadow Realm the monsters were real, and the loser would be worse off then simply being out of the tournament, however lost would suffer Penalty Game.
"Ready Malik? I start us off by summon Atom Firefly(100/200) in attack mode and then I'll set two cards face on the field." His mechanical insect took its place in front of him and trained its beady eyes on Malik, ready to strike when ordered.
"I'll summon Dark Jelloid and activate its effect to reduce your monsters attack by 800, and~what the?" Malik watched his monster tumble into the depths below, into some pitfall that he hadn't seen.
"My Trap Hole card destroys your monster."
"Alright, I set two cards face down and end my turn."
"Allow me to introduce you to one of my rarest and deadliest monster. A monster that will strengthen me every turn. Ami, the White Mage(1200/0) in attack mode. I now shift Atom Firefly into defense, and set one more card. Next I'll activate Stealing Goblin, who will rob you of 500 life points and place them on me!" A fat goblin made its way out of the card pushing a car in front of it and trudged over to Malik. With a quick grab of his hand he snatched something from Malik and ran back to Dalin, depositing it in his hands.
"That's hardly any real damage. Hardly a productive turn was it? All you managed to do was summon one pathetic monster. I thought the money you used while in Egypt would have allowed you to find better cards then that mage and the insect, but it appears I was mistaken. Hahaahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Dalin laughed and gestured once more at his opponent. The white-clothed, pink-haired mage mimicked him. "We'll see how pathetic it is come next turn. End turn."
(DLP: 4000) "Curse of Pain redirects all damage I receive this turn from anything other then battle, so you're the one who takes the damage. You see! You don't stand a chance against me!"
Dalin smirked and gestured for Malik to make his move. The spiky haired Yami Malik snapped a card off the top of his deck and began to laugh. "I'll summon Lord Poision(1500/1000) in attack mode! I'll attack your mage!"
Malik's monster rushed across the field to strike down his monster only to run headlong into a spear of some sort. "Your attack triggers my Enchanted Javelin, which increases my life points by its attack strength. Next I'll activate Shift, changing the target of your attack to Atom Firefly!" (DLP: 5500)
Lord Poison swerved away from the mage and struck down the mechanical bug, shattering it into thousands of components. (MLP: 3000) Once more Dalin grinned. "I forgot to say that when Atom Firefly is destroyed while face-up, it deals one thousand damage to the player that destroyed it.
Malik sneered and squeezed the Millennium Rod tightly in his hand, his knuckles white from his furious grip. "I end my turn."
"Good, now I will show you exactly why my White Mage is so deadly. When I said it would strengthen me, I was serious. During my standby phase Ami increases my life points by 400 times the number of monsters on my field. (DLP: 5900)."
Ami smiled and waved her wand at him, sending glowing light into his outstretched arms. He smiled and nodded thanks to her.
Yami Malik snarled and put a hand to his chest. He didn't understand it, so soon into the duel and already he was nearly three thousand life points behind! "You will pay!"
Dalin grinned and slid his next card into a magic slot. "I'll set one card face down and summon Venus, the Angel of Creation(1600/0) in attack mode." A golden angel with long flowing blond hair rose up on the field, her arms crossed over her chest and wings spread as wide as they could go. Hovering around here were three iridescent balls.
"Next I'll activate her effect by paying 1500 life points to special summon all three of my Holy Shine Spheres(500/500). I also switch Ami into defense." The spheres floating around Venus suddenly careened away until they each rested beside her in a row, filling up his monster zones. The glow they let out completely illuminated the field, even at night. (DLP: 4400)
Malik knew that a few hundred life points wouldn't make a difference, as long as Dalin didn't target his monsters he'd easily be able to summon Ra, and then the duel would be his. "I draw and then~" Malik gasped as a bolt of light shot out of Dalin's face down card and struck him in the chest.
"I activated my Solar Ray which deals you six hundred damage for every light type monster on my field. Which means that you receive three thousand damage." (MLP: 1500)
Malik grimaced and activated his face down card, saving him from losing the duel right then and there. "My Damage Reducer cuts the damage dealt to me during this turn by half, keeping me safe for now. Next I'll summon Revival Jam in attack mode and set a card face down behind him. Revival Jam and Lord Poison will destroy two of those pesky spheres!"
Malik set one card and the two monsters attacked two of the spheres, crushing them with ease. The turn then came back to Dalin. He snapped a card off his deck and grinned, throwing the card down onto the field even as once again Ami using her magic to raise his life points. (DLP: 5600) "I summon Mercury the Angel of Wisdom(0/1700) in defense mode and have Venus attack your Lord Poison!"
A blue skinned and blue winged angel now took its place next to Venus. He hefted a stone tablet under one arm and rubbed his chin in reflection with the other. On the sidelines Tea was practically having a fit, the angel monsters Dalin was summon were really awesome!
Yami Malik's eyes widened in delight as he activated his face down card, and in a rush of motion the Revival Jam through itself in the way of the beam of light that Venus unleashed against Lord Poison. (MLP: 1400) "My face down card Jam Defender allows my Revival Jam to block all of your attacks. Next Revival Jam will reform!"
Malik began to laugh with evil glee as the shattered plasma monster oozed together and returned to its former spot on the field, once again whole. Dalin didn't respond, all he did was give Malik a cold stare. "I end my turn."
Malik slipped the top card off his deck and sneered as he slapped it onto the field. "I summon Makyura the Destructor(1600/1200) in attack mode! However since none of my monsters can match your defense monster or attack I think I'll leave it at that, after I set a card that is." A purple clad monster with various spikes all over its body appeared beside Malik's two other monsters, standing tall and deadly.
"Very well Malik. I'll draw, and then Mercury's special effect activates. Since I had no cards in my hand at the end of your turn, I get to draw a card during my standby phase, meaning I get two cards effectively. And remember, I get even more life points this turn thanks to Ami. (DLP: 7200) I set Prominence Dragon(1500/1000) in defense mode, and set one card face down on the field. Go ahead and show me what you can do, show me the power of a god."
Before Malik could do anything, the fiery serpentine dragon that Dalin had just summoned blew a fireball at him, catching him in the chest and knocking him backwards. (MLP: 900) "Oh, and by the way, at the end of each of my turns Prominence Dragon deals five hundred damage to my opponent."
Malik pulled free his next card and immediately slammed it down on his duel disc. "You ask and so you shall receive! I sacrifice Lord Poison, Makyura, and Revival Jam for the Winged Divine Dragon of Ra(4600/2700). I also equip it with Fairy Meteor Crush."
A massive storm picked up, shoving both duelists backwards. As lightning bolts crashed down around them the massive sphere of Ra appeared on the field. Dalin remained silent as Malik chanted the hiretic required to take Ra out of its sphere form and reveal its true form. It took under a minute for Malik to complete the chant, and allow Ra to open into its massive golden form.
Kaiba was astonished at Ra's appearance, and instantly sent Mokuba to find out exactly what Ra could do. He had to know, he had to have that card. Nothing else mattered except this card, its power was just to good to be true!
As Ra stared down at Dalin's tiny form, things began to look grim. It was enough to make Malik laugh with joy. "This will be perfect! The Devourer annihilated by one of the gods! Your destiny has been ended Sumatin, and mine is about to begin. God Breath Cannon!"
A beam of golden energy burst forth from the god's beak, and lanced towards Prominence Dragon, blasting it out of existence. Seemingly in retaliation Dalin's face down card flipped up and shot a jet of fire at Malik, scorching him once again. (MLP: 400, DLP: 3600) "Backfire deals five hundred damage to you whenever one of my fire main type monsters is destroyed. Your doing my work for me."
Dalin smirked and snapped a card off his deck, barely pausing to look at it as he drew a second card. (DLP: 5200) "I'll simply end my turn at that."
Malik couldn't help but laugh at his opponent's stupidity. He had been doing so well too! "First I sacrifice Ami the White Mage and your Holy Shine Soul for Lava Golem(3000/2500), he's under your control, but each of your standbye phases you'll lose one thousand life points. Now Ra will destroy the Angel of Creation!"
First a massive beast made of pure Lava reared up on Dalin's side, and next Ra's blast destroyed the Angel of Creation. Now Dalin was down to two monsters, and in his next turn he'd lose life points. Things were looking grim.
"Now the time has come for me to end Ra. I summon Pot of Greed Guardian(1200/1300) in defense mode, and activate its special ability. By discarding a Pot of Greed from my hand I can draw three cards, which I will raising my hand to four cards."
A muscular green man with a head identical to the card Pot of Greed materialized and laughed hysterically at Malik for no apparent reason. (DLP: 4200) "Now I can play Greedy Sacrifice, which lets me sacrifice one monster on the field, Mercury in this case, to increase one monster's attack strength by the chosen stat of the monster I sacrifice. So during this turn Lava Golem reaches 4700 attack strength!"
As Mercury disappeared from the field, Lava Golem grew by several feet in each dimension, making it nearly as massive as Ra. "Lava Golem, attack and destroy Ra!" The massive lava monster swung one huge fist and clobbered Ra, sending it careening backwards and destroying it. (MLP: 300)
"I'll set one card, and end my turn. I could finish you now, but I prefer to make you suffer."
Malik's laugh was as evil as ever, and it worried everyone but Dalin. It was obvious he had something planned, but it didn't particularly matter. "I summon a second Revival Jam in defense mode and end my turn. Soon you'll be suffering."
"All pointless talk Malik. There can only be one victor, and you know all to well that I will be that victor, otherwise why point me at your enemy and present yourself as a friend? You know I will beat you, so you tried to make me defeat your enemies for you."
"Believe what you like."
"I trust what I believe. I place Aztec Statue(300/2000) in defense mode and end my turn." Dalin's next monster was essentially a stone wall with hands and a face, not particularly impressive.
"Fool. The end has come for you. I now have the necessary combo to not only defeat you, but kill you in the process. I summon Melkid the Four-Faced beast and sacrifice it and Revival Jam for Masked Beast Des Guardian(3300/2500)) and I send it to attack that statue!"
The beast took a swing at the statue and clawed right through it. Dalin simply shrugged and drew his next card, ignoring Malik's insane laughter. The guy seriously needed to relax or something.
(DLP: 3200) "I summon Atomic Firefly(100/200) and equip it with Camaflouge Armor, which lets a level one monster attack directly. Atomic Firefly attacks!" The machine buzzed across the field and zapped Malik with electricity, making him grimace in pain as his life points dropped. (MLP: 200)
"I dare you to attack, because if you do not only will you destroy my monster and my life points, but you'll also lose 1000 life points, knocking yourself out of the duel along with me. Are you willing to risk that?"
Malik began to laugh hysterically as he drew his next card, something that obviously made him quite happy. "The end has now come for you, I have a way to finish this duel without risking losing myself. I play Monster Reborn to revive Ra(0000/0000) from the cemetery!"
Dalin quirked his eyebrow as Ra appeared next to Des Guardias, towering over the now puny monster. "And now you sacrifice Des Guardias to raise Ra's attack strength?"
"Exactly! (Ra: 3300/2500) Now I equip him with Megamorph to double his attack strength! (Ra: 6600) Next comes one of his other abilities, I can pay any amount of life points to increase Ra's attack or defense by that amount, so I do so reducing my life points by 199 to further raise his attack. (Ra: 6799, MLP: 1) Now Ra has more then enough attack points to destroy the Lava Golem and all of your life points! Attack and end this duel with God Breath Cannon!"
With a single bolt of its incredible energies the Lava Golem was no more, and so was Dalin. Or at least he should have been. "How are you still standing? That attack should have finished you!"
Dalin laughed and shook his head, pointing at the card he had face down on the field. "You should pay more attention to your opponents cards, because they might have a habit of using them to defy your destiny, and even defy time itself. I activate Time Machine, which returns my monster to the field as it was at the beginning of the turn, and I take no damage to my life points."
A large room rose from the ground, and when it opened the Lava Golem stepped up, ready to fight. At that same moment Ra faded away. "You shouldn't have committed everything into one strike with Ra, not without making sure there was absolutely no way I could defend myself. Now Ra is gone and you have nothing to defend yourself with."
"No, this can't be happening!"
"Now your own technique will be the death of you Malik. As you remember Ra can be used by anyway who can speak the ancient tongue, which I can! Now I activate Monster Reborn to raise The Winged Divine Dragon of Ra to the field in attack!"
Malik stared in horror at his own monster, staring down at him with hatred in its eyes. "How can this be? I was destined to win!" (DLP: 2200)
(A/N: Que wicked Final Fantasy/Opera music that is played when a god card is summoned) "Destiny has a way of changing, especially when people like me are involved. I sacrifice Atom Firefly and Lava Golem to raise Ra's attack points. (Ra: 3100) Of course in accordance with your combo I'll sacrifice all but one of my life points to raise Ra's attack by an even greater amount. (Ra: 5299, DLP: 1) Now Ra can attack you directly and utterly destroy you with its God Breath Cannon!"
Everything seemed to slow down as the mighty god opened its mouth to unleash its awesome power. A power that, used like this, could easily kill the person being attacked. Yugi understood all of this, and he understood that even Malik didn't deserve to die. In a flash of light he transformed into his alter ego, Yami Yugi. "Sumatin! Stop this right now, even Malik doesn't deserve this!"
Dalin's eyes flashed with a silver light as he turned to Yami Yugi. "Don't be stupid little Pharaoh. This is exactly what he deserves, and he was willing to risk his life in a Shadow Game. This is his punishment for what he has done, and unless you want to take his place then I suggest you be quiet!"
"That's exactly what I'll do. I will take his place in a Shadow Game!" Gasps of shock can be heard from the spectators at Yugi's announcement, at least from those who know about Shadow Games. Yami Yugi wasn't simply doing it to save Malik, he was doing it because something about Sumatin intrigued him. Something had just changed in this man, and Yami needed to know what.
"Very well little Pharaoh. We shall commence our own Shadow Game, and it will be like none you have ever played before!"
"Let the Shadow Game Begin!"
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The first thing that Yami noticed was the golden object in front of him. The second was that the object was massive set of scales. He reached out to touch it and was shocked to discover that it was solid to the touch. It was as real as he was! "What is this? What game are we playing Sumatin?"
"So eager to play Pharaoh? You shouldn't be since this is not a contest of skill or luck, but a contest to measure the challenger. I'd tell you to prepare yourself, but there isn't any way to prepare oneself for a challenge such as this." Yami stumbled back in shock as Sumatin rose up from the shadows below the scale. The sudden appearance was not what had frightened Yami however, it was the shape of the man's shadow. It most definitely wasn't human.
"Very well Sumatin. Tell me the rules of this game and we shall begin." Sumatin smirked and reached into his pocket, pulling free a small white feather. Casually he tossed it into the air, where it fluttered briefly before coming to rest on one side of the scale.
"This is the Feather of Ma'at, Goddess of Truth and Justice. The rules are simple, you will have to back up your words by judging Malik. If you succeed in proving him to be lighter then the feather he will be allowed to live. Should he prove to be heavier, then his soul will be mine to consume!"
Yami felt rage bubble up in his heart, rage at Sumatin for casting such a burden upon him. Who did this man think he was to balance a person's soul on something so trite as a set of scales. "I can't judge him, I hardly know a thing about him."
Dalin sneered and motioned briefly with his hand towards the scales. Malik vanished only to be replaced by Seto Kaiba. "Very well then. If you won't judge Malik, then perhaps you'll be willing to judge Seto Kaiba. If he is found guilty then Malik will die, if he is found innocent then you shall get your wish."
Yami snarled and moved forwards to confront Dalin, his puzzle glowing on his chest and the Eye of Ra glowing brightly upon his forehead. He was beginning to grow irritated. "Understand this Sumatin, people are not toys! They are not pawns in whatever twisted game you intend on playing! So let Seto Kaiba go and let the person who is judged be me!"
"I was hoping you'd say that. Now my Pharaoh, the judgement begins now, and soon you may find yourself as a meal for the Devourer of Souls!" Yami gasped as he found himself standing on one the side of the scale opposite the feather and to his horror he was already outweighing Ma'at's feather!
"Within your mind lie the secrets of how dangerous you truly are. Remember this Yami, you chose your own Shadow Games to play, and you toyed with the lives of those mortals just as I now toy with the lives of these mortals."
"What are you talking about Sumatin? I haven't toyed with anyone!" Yami let out a sudden gasp as the air in front of him flickered, revealing a massive ogre of a boy in a school uniform holding a knife in his hand quivering over a stack of money. Across from him sat Yami, a sadistic grin on his face.
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"Welcome to the Shadow Games, Ushio," Yami explained with a dark chuckle. "You cannot hide your true nature here. It's your own greed that will decide your fate, not I! Do you sacrifice your left hand to take the money, or do you lose the game?"
Ushio snickered. "I've got a better idea!" He swung the knife at Yami's chest, but the ancient spirit leapt up and over the boy's thrust, landing safely behind him.
"Just as I suspected! You weren't able to follow the rules after all!" he said, his hair twisting about in a sudden breeze to reveal a flickering eye that matched the one on the pyramid he wore. "How dare you trespass in my soul, Ushio! How dare you hurt my friends and try to steal my money!!"
Casting his left hand out in front of him, fingers spread wide apart, Yami happily pronounced his sentence. "Penalty game! Greed, the illusion of avarice!"
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Dalin laughed violently as Yami's side tipped violently downwards, easily outweighing the minimal weight of the feather. "Now you see Yami! You are not as innocent as you would have others believe. This is not even the worst of your actions! Here you toyed with this man's life, though justly in my opinion, but at other times there was no justice in your actions!"
"Lets get this Shadow Game over with Sumatin, so I can prove that I'm not like you are!" Dalin's laughter merely angered the Pharaoh even further, making him wish he could end this charade and attack his opponent.
"You care nothing for human life little Pharaoh, for as Pharaoh in Egypt you were considered to be a god! I understand the effects of such a thing on the morals of all mortals. What is the phrase? Absolute power corrupts absolutely? You prove my point true by being callous towards the lives of others!"
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Yami stood across from Seto Kaiba on a section of Pegasus' castle on Duelist Kingdom. In between them was the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon looking sickly with only two heads remaining, hundreds of Kuriboh, and Celtic Guardian. It was now Kaiba's turn.
"I draw, however since I can't do anything this turn I'm going to have to make a different sort of play to win this duel. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to defeat you and enter that castle."
Kaiba stepped backwards and onto the ledge overlooking a sheer drop to the rocks hundreds of feet below, a fall from such a place would surely kill him. "If you attack me, and drop my life points down to zero, I'll jump and end my life. Then the guilt of my death would be on your conscious. Are you willing to accept that Yugi, or will you surrender now?"
Yami snarled and drew his next card. Not even bothering to look at it he cast his hand out, pointing at the Ultimate Dragon. "I've also got someone counting on me so I must make it into Pegasus' castle! I will call your bluff and finish you off once and for all. Celtic Guardian, attack his Ultimate Dragon!"
Kaiba sneered and shifted backwards slightly, so that his feet were halfway off the edge of the castle. "You've just killed me Yugi, I hope you feel happy knowing that your rival is dead at your hands."
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Once more the scales tilted inexorably downwards, leaving little room between Yami's side and the ground. Dalin shook his head, saddened by this. "You truly are pathetic Pharaoh. Sacrificing Kaiba's life for such a reason? If your Hikari hadn't seized a moment of control at the last second then Kaiba would surely have jumped and his death would be on your hands. I'm fairly certain that these actions prove your guilt, I see no reason to continue this Shadow Game."
"Wait a moment Sumatin, this game can't be over yet! I haven't even had a chance to defend myself! What about the rules you told me about?" Dalin's cruel laughter rang endlessly through the void of the Shadow Realm, piercing into Yami's very soul. There was something unearthly about it.
"Perhaps you misunderstood Pharaoh. This was never a traditional Shadow Game. It was the judgement passed down by Osiris, Lord of the Dead. All those judged guilty upon the scales would have their souls cast to the Devourer, never to feel the pleasure of paradise! You who are so proved guilty have no right to possess the God of Osiris! I will take great pleasure in relieving you of it when we duel."
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A burst of golden energy erupted from Ra's opened beak and washed over his body, twisting about it in a malevolent vortex of chaotic energies. Malik's cry of agony cut to the bone and only two people there got true satisfaction from it. Malik had deserved to be beaten yes, and sent to a mental asylum, but he hadn't deserved this.
The cry of agony seemed to stretch for ages as the energies of the god card swirled about Malik, tearing at him, burning his very essence. It took only a few seconds for Ra's attack to incinerate Malik's body, seconds that seemed like hours to everyone. When it was over, nothing remained but ashes.
Dalin extended his right hand, displaying the four-fingered ring upon it, and for the first time Yami recognized exactly what circled his fingers. It was the God of Osiris, biting down on his own tail. "Here me mortals! The Servant of Osiris has struck down the guilty one and carried out his duty by devouring the guilty one's soul. Fear for yourselves for if you should prove to be as guilty as this one was then your soul may well feed the devourer's unsatiable hunger. Ammut has spoken!"
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Author's Notes: I know there are a lot of cards many of you didn't recognize, that is because they are from the newest set in japan, Sanctuary of the Sky. Malik and Dalin each played a card of my creation. Dalin used Greedy Sacrifice and Malik used Damage Reducer. My cards! No stealing! However if you ask nicely I'll give you permission to use them, though they aren't all that impressive over all.
Next Time: The Next Few Duels of the finals commence, starting with Kensai's first duel in the finals against Mai Valentine. Can his warrior's defeat her harpies, or is he doomed from the start? Also Autumn steps up to the plate and soon reveals two secrets, the spirits that reside within her, and the awesome power her deck is capable of...