Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!

Sweet jumpin' chilli bean! (Uber-props to who can say where that one's from.)

Songfic chapter to AC/DC's "Back in Black." Bolded italics are song lyrics. However, due to the site's policy on sonfics, I have had to remove these lyrics.

"You should be dead!" he exclaimed.

"Fool!" said Arrathir "You can't kill death itself! I still have one lifepoint! Now it's my turn!" he added, drawing Living Death.

Such an appropriate card for my return.

"I play Living Death!" he announced "This card exchanges the creatures we have in play with those in our graveyards. All creatures in my graveyard, yours has no creatures, come back to play!"

Everyone gasped as Arrathir's creatures emerged from the graveyard to battle once more. Soulless One, Twisted Abomination, Undead Warchief, Carrion Feeder…All of Arrathir's undead legions raised from the grave.

"Pitiful mortal!" sneered Yami Marik "My God is immune to your card!"

"True," said Arrathir "But try stopping them all!"

"Attack!" With a blood-curdling war cry, Arrathir's creatures charged at Yami Marik. Even Anubis looked powerless against the wave of undead. Suddenly, a blinding light appeared on Yami Marik's side of the field. The zombies shielded their eyes and fell to the ground, writhing in pain before dissolving into dust.

"You fell for my trap card," said Yami Marik "Mirror Force! Now you're wide open, and this time, Anubis will destroy you for good!"

Arrathir showed no sign of surprise. Instead, he smirked.

"What is it?" taunted Yami Marik "Don't you realize I am now going to crush you once and for all?"

"I have learned much for Yugi," said Arrathir "He is a great duellists, and the most important thing I have learned from him is, no matter the circumstance, always act like you have the upper hand."

"What are you talking about?" shouted Yami Marik "You've lost!"

"Second, always keep your cool! That's important too. If you are calm, you can think more lucidly. Finally," he added, beginning to charge his mana "Keep your trump card until the end! Since you are nothing but a meddlesome spirit, I can deal with you easily! CONSUME SPIRIT! DIE, SCUM!"

Yami Marik screamed as a green fog burst from his mouth and flowed into Arrathir's hand.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" he yelled, writing in pain "I…CANNOT…LOOSE!…NOT…AGAIN!" With a final shudder, Yami Marik fell silent and his lifeless body dropped to the floor. Arrathir closed his hand and the green fog that was inside disappeared. Yami Marik's lifepoints dropped to zero.

YAMI MARIK: 0
ARRATHIR: 2

"Arrathir is the winner of the last round of the Semi-Finals," said Judge Komo over the tumultuous applause.

Arrathir was bout to step down when Yami Marik got up, groaning.

"Again?" Arrathir growled, "I'll have to finish you off by hand this time!" Arrathir left the duelling arena and ran around to Yami Marik's side. He grabbed his by the collar when Yugi appeared.

"Arrathir, stop!" he said "It's the real Marik!"

It was true. Where Yami Marik had been now stood Marik Ishtar. Slightly smaller then his yami, he also looked less psychotic.

"Arrathir," he said "I am in your debt. Thank-you for banishing my darkness." He pulled Anubis out of his deck and handed the card to Arrathir.

"Yeah, you're welcome," said Arrathir, snatching the card away, "It's you and me now, Yugi!"

"The finals will take place in half an hour," said Judge Komo "The finalists of the Second Battle City Duel Monsters Tournament are Yugi Mutou and Arrathir."

You're next, Pharaoh!

As soon as Arrathir left the arena, Khell accosted him.

"Arrathir, what happened?" he asked, "That attack was more then enough to kill you. How did you survive?"

"I don't know. I guess I just got lucky."

"No," said Khell "You died, Arrathir. I felt your mana go out. You're hiding something."

Arrathir didn't answer.

"There's something different about you as well. That spell you cast, Living Death. I have never seen the likes of it. There's more: your personal is different. You seemed determined to kill your opponent. You seem darker, more evil. What is going on?"

"What do you care?" snapped Arrathir "I don't need this bullshit. I've got to focus on beating Yami!"

Khell grabbed Arrathir by the arm. "You are not Arrathir! The real Arrathir would never have said something like that!"

Arrathir smirked, "Took you long enough to figure it out, Khellendros."

"Who are you?"

"An ancient power," said Arrathir "I have returned to achieve my goal: To rule the Multiverse. The pharaoh's power will aid me in my task."

"What have you done to Arrathir?"

"The weakling? Nothing. I simply took over his body."

"Arrathir!' said Khell "Forgive me!" He swung his staff at his friend's head, aiming to knock him out.

With inhuman speed, Arrathir caught the butt of the staff, wrenched it out of Khell's hands, and snapped it in half as if it had been a twig. He grabbed Khell by the throat and lifted the mage in the air.

"Foolish Mortal!" he sneered, "Did you really think you could stop me?"

Khell's feet kicked the air as he struggled, "Stop," he pleaded.

"You should not have interfered. I may have spared you, now you will die!"

Khell tried to summon a creature to defend himself, but he was too weak. He clawed at Arrathir's hand, trying to loosed it, but he was caught in an iron grip.

"Arrathir, please. You have to fight it!" gasped Khell. He was beginning to see stars. He felt strangely at peace and suddenly was no longer struggling in Arrathir's grasp. Khell's body went limp and Arrathir unceremoniously dropped him to the floor.

Now to hide the body.

Arrathir picked up the body and dragged it to a closet. Opening the door, he dumped his former friend's body inside and closed the door, sealing it shut by melting the latch with his mana.

Perfect. By the time he is found, it will be too late to stop me.

Meanwhile, Yugi was in the duellist prep room, going over his deck. Yami was sitting next to him in spirit form.

"Yami," Yugi asked "What do you think happened during that last duel? Arrathir should have lost. How did he survive?"

"I don't know, aibou," said the spirit "But I do know this: Arrathir is different. I can't put my finger on it, but his aura is changed."

"You're just paranoid, Yami."

"Be careful. That boy has a great power that has not been released. It could be dangerous," said Yami.

Just then, Arrathir entered the prep room.

"Well, this is it," said Yugi.

"Yep, this is where I prove once and for all that Magic: The Gathering is superior to Duel Monsters," joked Arrathir.

Yugi laughed as Yami took over.

"Arrathir," said Yami "No matter who wins, I will be glad to have known you. You are an honourable duellists who trusts in the Heart of the Cards," he put out his hand "May the best duellist win!"

Just then, a voice came over the P.A., "Could the finalists please report to the duelling arena?"

Arrathir shook Yami's hand.

"Let's give it all we've got," he said.

"We'll give them a duel to remember," said Yami.

Exactly, but not in the way you are thinking.

The two finalists left for the elevators, which quickly took them up to the duelling arena. They entered the arena to tumultuous applause.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Judge Komo "Here they are, you Battle City finalists, Yugi Mutou and Arrathir!"

Arrathir and Yami took their positions; life metres clocked up to 10, 000, and each duellist drew their seven-card hand.

"LET'S DUEL!"

To be continued…