"Unless you really wish to just sit here and look at each other forever, Ishtar, I'll make the opening move."

Ex: 4000 Marik: 4000

"Go right ahead Ex."

"Good, now I'll set one card facedown, and set this monster in defense position."

"My turn!" Marik reached into his deck and pulled out a card. "I play Seeker of Gods Fire! (1800/1500) Seeker attack his facedown monster!"

"Bad move. My Mystic Elf easily blocks your move. (800/2000) Not to mention taken a dent in your life points!" Marik frowned as his counter clicked away his life points.

Ex: 4000 Marik 3800

"I end my turn by placing two cards face down."

"Even without your God I expected better." Ex drew a card and frowned. "That is strange."

"Not drawing the right cards?"

"No I just hate winning so quickly." Ex smiled and put the card in his hand. "I can't do anything so I'll pass."

"Wrong move! I now sacrifice Seeker of Gods Fire in order to summon Pharaoh's Loyal Guard! (2100/1700) Attack him now!"

"I think you made the wrong move. I activate Mirror force!"

"Don't take me for a fool." The Loyal Guard monster took a swing of its sword hitting the mirror force and shattering through it like it was nothing. Mystic Elf was cut into and burst in smoke.

"What was that?"

"The Pharaoh's Loyal Guard can't be destroyed by Trap cards. Also any other card with "Pharaoh" in the title, besides the Loyal Guard, cannot be killed by any card as long as the Loyal Guard is on the field. With that in mind I'll activate my facedown card! Resurrection of the kings! By sacrificing one card in my hand I can summon a card with Pharaoh in the title. So I summon Pharaoh's Goddess (1100/1800) I think she wants a taste of your life points!"

"Bastard…"

Ex: 2900 Marik: 3800

"Not like my life points matter Marik! I still have Exodia to look forward to." Ex drew another card. "I'll activate Pot Of Greed. I think you know what that does." Ex drew two cards. "Now I'll activate Graceful Charity." Ex drew three cards and discarded two. Ex toyed with his cards. "Hmmm 7 cards. No Exodia yet. But I do have this." Ex put three cards face down. "That's it."

'Well Ex either doesn't know how to play those 4 cards, or there pieces of Exodia. I have to beat him quickly.'

"Its your turn Ishtar."

"I know. I'll attack with Pharaoh's Loyal Guard!"

"Boring. I'll activate this trap."

"Traps don't affect my cards!"

"True. But they do affect you! Now go Dark ambush! It ends your battle phase instantly."

"Damn, I'll end my turn" Ex drew a card.

"Ill set this monster in defense position. But to be nice, I'll warn you that it's a Skelangel."

'Why would he tell me that? Unless he is just drawing more time. Of course. If I don't attack that monster he gets a free draw. If I do he gets a free draw.' Marik smiled. 'But of course there is another way.'

"First I'll activate Final Flame!" Ex shielded himself as 1000 life points ticked away.

Ex: 1900 Marik: 3800

"Then I'll attack with Loyal Guard!"

"Thank you for victory!" Ex pointed to the card that was destroyed to show a Sangan. "That allows me to draw my final piece of Exodia!"

"Not so fast. My pharaoh's goddess may have something to say about that!" The Goddess lit up with a blue light and the Sangan card flipped on the field and entered the graveyard.

"What's this…?"

"You should brush up on your duel monster card knowledge…"

"O no I forgot! The pharaoh's goddess card can block any effect on the field in exchange for being destroyed… But it's still on the field how?"

"Come on put it together. The Pharaoh's Loyal Guard wouldn't have that…"

"Damn! His effect! The Goddess can't be destroyed!"

"Exactly! So now she can put yet another dent in your life points!" The Goddess glowed again, this time red and a magic bolt hit Ex in the chest.

"Err!"

Ex: 800 Marik: 3800

"I'm not done activate face down card! Meet shadow's burial! This card makes all of your cards in your hand sent to the graveyard for 1500 life points."

Ex: 800 Marik: 2300

"That would normally be true Ishtar, but my face down card Revival of the hand thinks otherwise." Ex laughed and held on to his cards. "Now its over Ishtar. I have a feeling that this is the last piece of Exodia." Ex drew from his deck and smiled. "Good enough, I'll set this card in defense position and end my turn."

'I have to win now. I have a bad feeling about the next turn. He might draw it…'

"Its over Ex!" Marik put his fingers on the top of his deck.

'What is that thing Yugi and his friends believe in? Heart of the cards? Please guide me now…' Marik sighed and drew his card.

"Perfect! I know sacrifice both of my weaker monsters to form The Last of the Edgen Race! (2900/00) This cards ability allows me to eliminate a card on the field upon summoning."

"Then meet Skelangel!"

'No! He can't draw it here!'

"Can you feel it Ishtar? The whole fate of your soul resting on the draw of one card?"

"Fate will not allow me to lose!"

"My fate is to crush you!" Ex drew a card and held it up high facing away from both of them. "You can surrender now and I will not take your soul."

"Never." The room darkened and Marik looked at the card to see strikes of light hit it twice.

'Is fate working for me? The ancient forces of Egypt at work?'

"Meet your fate!" Ex turned the card over to show… a Labyrinth wall. "Wh… what? It can't be! My next card was Exodia! I know it was, I marked my cards!"

"You cheated?" Ex looked up in surprise.

"N.. No. That's not what I meant!"

"You are no better then that scum Strings when I sent him out to beat Yugi. You must be destroyed."

"Wait! I'll free your friend! Just let me go!" Marik swung his arm to the side in a threatening fashion.

"ENOUGH!" Marik's voice was cold and vengeful. Ex backed up in fear, but ran into the Exodia slab behind him.

"N..no, Wait!"

"No waiting. Go the Last of the Edgen Race, attack his life points directly." The monk-like sage swung his hand at Ex and blasted him. Ex's eyes went white and his body lost the motion of life. He hit his knees and fell face forward into the floor. The shadow realm that Marik had secretly created around them vanished, taking Ex's soul with it.

"What happened?" Marik's eyes opened in shock and he turned around. Joey was standing there rubbing his head. Marik fumbled into his duel pouch and found the card that used to have Joey on it. It was now blank.

"Joey, are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm good. Did… I lose?"

"Yeah but that's OK, I had your back." Joey glanced over to Ex and frowned.

"He… the shadow realm?" Joey shook his head. "We'll that's the penalty for losing a duel like that. It was his own fault." Marik nodded.

"We have to get moving Joey. He already activated this temple. We should go help the others."

"Yeah! Lets go!" Joey raced off into the darkness and scratched his head.

"Um how we going to get out of here." Marik pointed upward to a tunnel above them.

"We climb." Marik pointed to a old ladder built into the wall.

"Darn. I always hated climbing, ever since we had to do it in gym class." Marik smiled and urged him to go up. As he climbed Marik turned to look at Ex. And shuddered in fear at how close he was to releasing his hatred and pain again.