Yami: Last time we managed to escape Minkabh's prison of a palace. Now that I know my name and have my powers, I need to face Minkabh in one final game of the gods' choosing! LET'S GO!

Chapter 15 Duel Monsters Chess part 1

Yami motioned for everyone to stand. Shadi approached him with reverence to his power. "Pharaoh, I am your humble servant. Tell us what you will, and it shall be done."

Yami smiled. "Shadi, I am grateful for everything you have already done for me. I must ask one final favor, though."

"Name it!"

"Help me defeat Minkabh once and for all!" This request was directed at the congregation, and not Shadi alone. Many heads turned to each other. The monsters roared their support.

"Do you know how," asked Yugi, still standing at his brother's side.

"Horus himself spoke to me, and it seems that I have pleased the gods with my recent actions protecting mortals and monsters alike. But some, particularly Set and Anubis, still hold bitter feelings against me for misusing the Items for personal vendettas. I am clearly Minkabh's better in power, but in order to prevent a war among the gods, I must defeat Minkabh utterly in a Shadow Game so that they may pass judgment over us both."

'Lessons learned through Greek experience,' thought Keiko. [3]

"What the Hell does it take to please them," yelled Kaiba angrily. "We've nearly killed ourselves saving the world - not to mention our own lives - and they still aren't satisfied!"

Yami nodded. "I agree with your frustration, Kaiba, but I cannot risk cursing us all over again. I must agree to their terms, not those I wish. Minkabh will meet with me and the six other Millennium Item holders."

Karim and Isis stepped forward and bowed. "We are ready to serve you," they said in unison.

Kaiba folded his arms imperiously. "I suppose you need my help yet again?" He knew the answer already and mostly said it in jest. 'This is a troublesome habit.'

"That is four of us," said Shadi.

Yami spotted Bakura trying to run for the nearby mountains. He waved a finger, and Bakura lifted off of the ground, flew over everyone's heads, and landed at Yami's feet. The King of Thieves clutched onto his Ring. "Listen, Ou-sama! I deserve a bit of a reward for saving your ass back there! I need the Ring to stay in this world, so-"

"You do not anymore," said Yami. "Ryou has his own body. You get to keep yours."

Bakura blinked. "I... What?"

"You are alive again, tomb robber." He added, "And unless Mahado has any objections, you are the Millennium Ring's keeper now." [4]

Dark Magician shook his head. -I gave my life and humanity to be your protector, Pharaoh.-

"Do you accept this offer, King of Thieves?"

Bakura was so shocked at this fortunate turn of events, that he was speechless. He took a moment to recover before finally responding, "As long as I don't have to be a model citizen like your other flunkies, then yeah, I'll help you kick that old raisin's ass!"

"That's five," said Shadi. "We still need one more for the Eye."

"Akunadean is not here," said Isis. "As far as I'm aware, he had no apprentice for the Eye."

"But the true successor is here," said Yami. "Otherwise I would not have been resurrected."

For some reason, Yugi straitened up. A strange, sort of giddy look came across his face, which broke into a huge grin. He looked as though he'd just been let in on an inside joke. "Hey, Yami…"

{Forget it, Yugi. You would be an excellent priest, but the Eye is the last Item I would want to burden you.}

Yugi was in such a good mood, he momentarily ignored Yami's patronizing. {Yami, Akunadean did name his successor for the Millennium Eye! Don't you remember? He appointed him after I died on the Nile!}

Yami stared at Yugi for a moment, and then remembered for himself the identity of the new Item holder. {Learn from your past and listen to your brother!}

"Is something the matter, Pharaoh," asked Shadi.

Yami cleared his throat. "My brother just reminded me of the Eye's true owner."

Kaiba snorted. "And who is that?"

Yugi ran over to where his friends were gathered, well away from the council being held in the celestial light. The mortals felt very out of place in these important proceedings and wanted to allow those with known past lives to figure things out. Yugi's sudden approach and excitement seemed strange amidst the atmosphere of impending war. "Jonouchi-kun!"

The group parted away from Jonouchi, who cocked his head to one side in confusion. "Eh? What's up?"

"Jonouchi-kun, you're the new holder of the Millennium Eye!"

He blinked. "What? The Eye?" He took the Eye out of his pocket.

"The spell to restore Yami's memories wouldn't have worked without all six Item holders! That proves it wants you as its keeper!"

"Hold on," interrupted Honda. "Are you saying that... Jonouchi's a priest now?" He, Anzu, Ryou, Mokuba, and Jonouchi were envisioning Jonouchi in a Shinto priest outfit, holding the Eye to his face, sticking out his tongue.

Yugi scratched the back of his head. "Well, we can't have an official ceremony, but it just means that he can use the powers of the Eye to defeat Minkabh once and for all!"

"Why Jou," asked Anzu.

"Back in the past, I had a best friend named Jabari who was a nomad appointed to be the next Item holder. I think Jonouchi is his reincarnation!"

Jonouchi, who had been very quiet, stared at nothing in deep thought. "Those visions of the Shen in the mural..."

"I gave you the Shen to hide from my brother before I died. You put it there yourself!"

"The nomad in Shukura's scrolls..."

"You left clues to find the Shen in the future, when it was necessary to be used!"

"You gotta be kidding," exclaimed Kaiba back with the council. "That idiot is supposed to control magic too?"

Isis watched Jonouchi, who looked as stupefied as Kaiba. "He certainly has the heart and courage."

Keiko poked Kaiba's back. "Are you forgetting, Se-chan, that he saved me from that Fissure trap?"

"Or that he withstood a direct blast from Ra in Battle City," pointed out Shadi.

"Wasn't he also a legendary knight against Dartz," asked Karim.

Kaiba was not convinced. "Listen carefully; no one can have enhanced mental abilities without first have normal mental abilities!" He glared at Jonouchi. "So what if he's brave? Courage has nothing to do with talent! And this bonkotsu has none!" [1]

"Courage has everything to do with this," said Keiko, fists on his hips. "And that will be tested when he receives his full powers."

Jonouchi took a step forward. Kaiba's argument only increased Jonouchi's will, in order to prove him wrong. "What do I have to do?"

"Gouge out your own eye."

He paled. "Huh!?"

Bakura shrugged. "I could never use the Item because Ryou didn't like the thought of losing his own eye for my gain. And it's the only way to have the full power. We'll need the Mind Scan to see Minkabh's strategies during a game, right?"

Honda's face twitched. "H-his own eye?"

Shadi looked down. "I handled Pegasus' myself, but only because I doubted the Eye would accept him. Perhaps that would be more humane-"

Shadi had no time to finish. In one swift motion, Jonouchi pulled out his belt and bit down on it hard. Then, in front of everybody, Jonouchi shoved the Millennium Item into his left eye. Blood spurted from between his fingers. His knees buckled from the pain, but the proud teenager refused to scream.

Anzu shrieked. "JONOUCHI," exclaimed Honda. Some of the priests flinched. Mrs. Moto, who had just woken up, fainted again in Grandpa's arms. Yugi grabbed Jonouchi's shoulder to steady him. "Jonouchi-kun!"

Panting hard, Jonouchi looked up at Kaiba with his remaining eye. Savage triumph clearly displayed on his face. "Who's a bonkotsu, asshole!"

Yami knelt down and placed his right hand on Jonouchi's eye. The same soothing, healing warmth flowed through his fingers, and the blood disappeared. "Thank you, Jonouchi-kun."

"Hey," he said with a goofy grin, "if ya can't poke your eye out for a friend, who can ya?"

"Spare me," grumbled Kaiba.

A portal to the Shadow Realm opened up in the center of the group. Yami stood up to walk through, but was held back. Nazo held onto his arm, her eyes in shadow. Yami waved the others to go inside without him. "I'll catch up."

Shadi gave a bow and lead Kaiba, Isis, Karim, Bakura, and Jonouchi into the purple and black portal.

"Nazo-sa," whispered Yami gently.

Nazo's violet eyes shone with suppressed tears. "Let me come with you!"

"What?"

"Minkabh has made the last two years of my life a living Hell, and I have no memories beyond that thanks to him! I deserve to have a hand in his destruction! Or at least let me be there by your side!"

Yami gave her a small, sad smile. "I wish you could follow me…" He gently took her hand and kissed it. "But you know my main concern is the well-being of those I love. Without the Bracelet, you cannot call forth a monster to protect you, nor to fight." He caressed her cheek lightly. "Dearest one, I promise you, once this game is through, Minkabh will be justly punished for your sufferings."

She held his hand to her cheek for a moment. "I have faith in you, Yami-sa."

Yami gave her and the others a nod before entering into the Shadow Realm. All the while, no one notices the streams of darkness leaking from the portal and into the shadows of nine other people. Once the pharaoh had passed through, these nine people stiffened, and were dragged through as well.

Yami and Minkabh appeared alone in the Shadow Realm. Up close, Yami could see Minkabh's tattoos glowing a soft green against his olive skin. The neon green eyes looked out through the shadows like a lion. "Why did you bring me here, Boy Pharaoh?"

"You and I are to play a game of the gods' choosing," Yami explained. "If we were to fight at our full strength, even one on one, we would destroy the world."

"So instead, we face each other in the Shadow Realm and destroy it?"

Yami paused. "I do no know their intentions, but I'm sure they will be revealed soon." His eyes shifted over the vast surface. 'Where are my priests? They arrived before me. They should be nearby.'

Within seconds, a puff of smoke appeared between them. Both Yami and Minkabh prepared to strike, but did not out of sheer confusion over the creature that literally popped out from the cloud. He was a fat man, no higher than Yami's shoulder, with bowlegs, long arms, a bushy beard, and wearing a panther skin. His oddly shaped head took up about a third of his body mass. If not for his Egyptian crown, Yami would have taken him for some very random spirit passing by. "Yo-oo!" the thing said, greeting the pharaoh. His pinprick eyes swirled around.

Yami sweat-dropped. "Uh… Yo!"

One of the spirit's googol eyes turned fully, so that his pupil faced the back of his head, toward the startled Minkabh. "Oh good! You are both here! The game can begin!" The being cheered and stuck out his very long tongue.

Minkabh gawked at it. "Boy pharaoh, what have your gods sent us?"

The creature floated behind Minkabh's shoulder. "We are not 'what'!" He peeked around Minkabh's other shoulder. "We are 'who'! We are Bes!" [2]

Yami dropped to his knee and bowed. "L-lord Bes! My liege! I am sorry I did not know you!"

Bes pulled Yami up with both hands. "No no, my loyal Atem! You and us may be equals soon! No bowing! We arrived in a non-threatening form so as not to frighten you!"

Yami smirked. "With all due respects, I believe you have scared Minkabh out of his wits!" This was true to some extent, as Minkabh trembled and curled his lip at the very sight of such an odd god.

Bes shrugged. "Ah, well. Pity for him, as we shall be your referee in this Shadow Game." He cleared his throat and spoke to both combatants. "Warriors," he announced in a serious voice, "you are about to play a game reserved for the gods! Such a game shall test your abilities in all areas of combat, as it has qualities from many types of games."

"Lord Bes," asked Yami. "I was told that my priests-"

Bes waved a hand at Yami indignantly. "No interruptions! So impatient!" He continued his speech. "The prizes are as follows: If Pharaoh Atem, son of Pharaoh Aknamukanon wins the game, he is granted ascension to the higher plains and will become official over-seer of the Shadow Realm. If Lord Minkabh wins, he is granted full disclosure of Anubis' army to enslave the world as we know it. The winner may deal with the loser as he sees fit."

"Go on," urged Minkabh, suddenly liking the dwarf more.

"The gods have determined your respective skills and handicaps, so you are each allowed one advisor to remain at your side during your game. Lord Minkabh, as the challenger, you may select yours first."

"Anyone I have previously worked with?"

"That is the rule."

"Then I choose Kaiba Gozoburo!" The form of Gozoburo, tall and foreboding, materialized beside Minkabh.

"And you, Atem?"

Yami frowned. 'Of all people for him to choose! He knows very well that I'm going to pick Kaiba! I just hope they can keep from killing each other long enough to finish the game!' "I choose Kaiba Seto!" Kaiba materialized beside Yami.

The young CEO blinked in confusion. "What? Yugi, where are we?" He noticed Gozoburo and snarled. "And how did he get here?"

Gozoburo's mustache turned as he smirked. "Is something wrong, Seto? Surely you're not intimidated already?"

Kaiba returned the smirk. "Far from it! It'll be my pleasure sending you back to Hell where you belong!"

Bes applauded. "This is going to be a fine game indeed! Preparation Phase Two!" A variety of Duel Monster cards appeared in front of each team, facing towards them. "You are to choose a total of sixteen cards to help you in the game. Be wary, you may use each card only once, but are allowed up to three of the same card."

Minkabh looked over the cards. "They're all magic and trap cards…"

"Is the game Duel Monsters," asked Gozoburo.

Bes' cheeks puffed out. "No interruptions!"

"But how can we choose magic cards if we do not know what monsters we have," reasoned Yami.

Bes folded his apish arms. "This is part of luck and strategy combined. Choose only the magic cards that suit you and the monsters you know best."

"Sounds simple enough," said Kaiba, selecting Monster Reborn and Flute of Summon Dragon.

Yami selected cards of his own. "You seem awfully calm about this, Kaiba."

"I figure its best to get this over with soon and not ask questions until its necessary. Besides, I'm the only one he isn't pissed off at!"

"Point taken."

They selected their cards. Bes waved his hand, and a platform appeared beneath them and carried them to separate ends of a large arena, probably about the size of Pegasus' Duelist Kingdom finals platform. The center was clear for the moment, and in place of a Duel Monster table top at each podium were checkered game boards of sixty-four black and white squares. Set on the squares were eight black pawns, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and a king and queen. Holograms of the white pieces were opposite them. To the right was a place to stack the magic cards and another stack of blank Duel Monster cards. In the center was a small screen for electronic calculations.

Yami and Kaiba did not know what to think. Bes floated above the center ring. "Welcome to Duel Monster Chess!"

Kaiba couldn't stop himself. "You're kidding, right?"

Gozoburo scanned the tokens and set-up. "I've never heard of such a thing!"

Bess shook his massive head. "We invented this game especially for you! It is a combination RPG, card game, and board game, all while staying in the normal rules of combat. Each token represents a Duel Monster, and can only be moved around the board according to their respective rank. But once two monsters are on the same square, it switches to a one-on-one battle. The winner captures the monster that loses. Phases of DM battle still apply, as do special affects and skills. Each battle is considered one 'turn' for that monster.

"Mental communication is allowed, but only with your comrade. When a monster is captured, their 'king' feels the affect. This may lower concentration in future plays. Magic and trap cards may be used, but only once. Then they are removed from play permanently. Monsters are not revealed until battle, and then are kept track of on your respective boards.

"The object of the game is to defeat the respective kings, regardless of status or health. Any questions?"

"Yeah," said Kaiba, his face unusually bright. "May I market this?"

"KAIBA!" Yami could not believe his partner had his mind on his company at a time like this!

Kaiba was looking at the set-up in complete fascination. "As a game aficionado yourself, you must also find this to be a brilliant game! Only experts would really appreciate this. It would also force chess back into popularity."

"Kaiba, please concentrate on this match, if you don't mind! I need your skills; I have never played chess before!"

This revelation brought Kaiba back. "You?! Never?!"

"I know how, but-"

"The so-called King of Games has not played such a basic game?"

An annoyance vein popped in Yami's forehead. "Give me a break! I have spent most of my time living in a gold puzzle and do not come out at my leisure. I know how to play it, of course, but I am going to rely on your experience."

"Don't rely on him too much," Bes warned. He pointed to Yami's queen-side knight. "Because once that piece is taken off the board, you lose your advisor, too."

"Why?"

"Play the game to find out." He gave Yami an encouraging smile. "I hope you win! My wife and I have a bet on the outcome!"

"Can we get on with this," grumbled Minkabh.

"Right!" Bes dropped his hand. "GAME START!"

Minkabh moved one of his pawns forward two spaces.

Yami put his hand over a pawn and paused. "What is it," Kaiba asked.

"Nothing," he said. "I thought I heard something." He moved the pawn in front of his king two spaces.

Minkabh moved the same pawn one space.

Yami moved another pawn one space.

Minkabh moved the same pawn one more space.

Yami was in range to strike, but thought against it. It could be a trap of some sort.

"He may be diverting your pawn away from protecting your king," said Kaiba, "or he is interested in seeing a Duel Monster Battle. I suggest moving either of the knights toward the king. Since normal rules of capture do not apply, that pawn may still have a chance."

Yami moved his king-side knight up two, right one. "What bothers me is that Horus promised I'd have the priests to back me up, and all I have is you."

"You'd prefer the mutt over a chess champion?"

Minkabh moved his king-side knight.

"I'd prefer not having a bad feeling about this game. It's a Shadow Game, so lives are at stake!" Yami moved his queen pawn one space forward. "And how is this RPG? Characters and situations must be involved for a game to be considered 'role playing.'"

Just then, Minkabh moved in to attack Yami's pawn.

The area in the center showed a hologram of a dark forest. Walking in the trees, back towards Yami and Kaiba, was a small magician wearing a blue and white tunic, dark blue helmet, and carrying a large sword. The screen at Yami's podium read, "Silent Swordsman, Level 0. 4/1000/1000."

"I think I'm going to enjoy this," said Minkabh.

Something rustled in the trees. The swordsman stopped and looked around. A large, muscle-bound, blue demon with tattered bat wings and sharp claws jumped down. Yami instantly recognized the face. "Ushio?"

"Didn't he go to our school?"

Yami had no time to reply before the swordsman yelped in fear and dodged the demon's attack. His face was now exposed for Kaiba and Yami to see. "YUGI!"

The monster turned out to be Yugi all right; there was no mistaking those eyes and bangs. But it was a much younger version. Judging by his height and voice, Silent Swordsman Yugi was about seven or eight years old. The child looked around wildly. "Mou hitori no boku? Kaiba-kun?"

Yami resisted the urge to jump into the action. "Aibou!"

"Where are you," he cried as he dodged another attack and dropped his sword. "What's going on?"

"I am really going to enjoy this," exclaimed Minkabh happily.

Silent Swordsman Yugi hid behind a tree. "Yami, help me! I'm scared!"

Yami looked at the screen to see what Ushio was. (Winged Minion. 2/700/700.) "Yugi, you have to fight it yourself!"

"Are you kidding?"

Yami bit his lower lip hard. "Yugi, it's an RPG game. You are Silent Swordsman, and he's Winged Minion. You're stronger than him! Attack him before he can damage you!"

Silent Swordsman Yugi took a deep breath, then dove out, grabbed his sword, jumped up, and took a swing. The giant sword cut Ushio in half. But instead of disappearing in shattered bits, he slid off the lower half of his body. The upper half landed with a plop. Blood drained from the upper half, while the lower half stood in its place.

Minkabh held his stomach in apparent pain, but chuckled.

"O-siris," muttered Yami.

"Real combat is much sweeter than simple magic," said Minkabh directed at Yami. "Ironic that your brother should taste first blood!"

A ghost floated from the mouth of the monster bully and dove into the blank card deck. With a shaking hand, Yami picked up the top card. Ushio stared back at him, wide-eyed and screaming.

Yugi straightened up. As he did, he seemed to grow a few inches. The screen recorded the change. (Silent Swordsman, Level 1. 4/1500/1500) He turned, now looking about ten. There was so much sorrow and pain carried in those amethyst eyes. He looked up into the sky, unable to see Yami or anyone else for comfort or explanation. "Good luck with your game," he said shakily. Both figures disappeared.

Yami looked back at the card, then to Kaiba. "Do you think…?"

Kaiba stared so hard at the pieces that his blue eyes could have melted each one. "Must be."

Minkabh cackled. "What a fitting game to play! Now you control real troops, real lives, and real flesh! No magic, just simple carnage! Your loyal subjects were always willing to risk their lives for you. Are you willing to risk theirs?"

"Shut up," Kaiba snapped.

Gozoburo grinned. "Your turn, Seto. Who knows who the next victim might be? Perhaps your little brother!"

"Fine!" Kaiba moved the pawn on Yugi's left one space.

Minkabh moved one of his pawns forward.

"Pharaoh," warned Bes. "Your advisor cannot play the game for you."

Yami stared at the board. Each token was a life. Each token was a life he decided whether they live or die. But he had to continue. He had to win this game with as few deaths as possible! He moved the knight in play near Yugi's token.

Minkabh moved his knight within striking distance of Yami's knight.

Yami passed over his knight, not wanting to force another one of his friends into battle, until he heard Jonouchi's voice. {Send me out, Yami!}

{Jonouchi-kun!}

{I'll be fine, I promise!}

To Kaiba's surprise, Yami took the knight and sent it against the opposing knight.

The field turned into a clearing in the forest. The opponent was a Summoned Skull (6/2500/2000) with the unmistakable face of Hirutani. The massive, skeletal build took nothing from the former thug Jonouchi had once hung around with. Hirutani looked around. "I can smell ya," he shouted. "Come out and fight!"

'So the one who attacks has the advantage of surprise,' noted Kaiba.

There was a howl, and Red Eyes Black Dragon (7/2400/2000) swooped from the sky and burned the Summoned Skull alive. It all happened so fast, Hirutani had no time to scream. His ghost entered the second card of Yami's blank deck.

Red Eyes landed momentarily, and they all saw Jonouchi's new look. He was riding Red Eyes, wearing a red suit of armor and black headband. His bangs now covered his Millennium Eye, but Yami still sensed he had it. And to Yami's further amazement, Jonouchi looked right at him!

{Yami, keep your hand near my token!} He disappeared.

Yami did as he was told. {Jonouchi-kun! You can hear me, too?}

{We're only supposed to hear you while we battle, or when you are close by. None of us can hear each other, but I can sense Yugi's pain. He looks so upset!}

{You can see them?}

Jonouchi chuckled. {You bet! Thanks to this Millennium Eye, I can see everyone on our side of the field!}

{How about theirs,} asked Kaiba. He heard Jou through Yami's mind.

{No. It's all a blur. I don't think I've mastered this thing yet.}

{Jonouchi-kun, tell us who is who! Please!}

{Okay. Here goes! Starting with the pawns right to left, ya got Grandpa dressed as the Mysterious Guard, then Malik as Lizard Soldier, Mokuba is Lord of D., and Keiko… uh, two Keikos, are Gemini Elf. Then there's Yugi as Silent Swordsman, Anzu as Maha Vailo, Honda as Cyber Commander, and Ryou as Lady of Faith.

{Queen-side rook is Karim as Guardian Grarl, followed by the knight Kaiba riding Blue Eyes, the black panel bishop is Isis as Serpentine Princess, and Nazo as St. Joan in the Queen's space. I… I know it's you, Yami, in the king's spot, but I don't recognize your monster. Looks powerful, though! Anyway, Shadi is the white panel bishop as Glover Man, I'm riding Red Eyes, then it's Bakura as Diabound as king-side rook.}

{I take it that you know how to play chess,} commented Kaiba.

There was an embarrassed pause. {My mom taught me when I was a kid.}

{Heh! Even the mutt has more experience than you, Pharaoh!}

Yami moved one of the bishops. {You're enjoying this far too much, Kaiba.}

The game continued slowly. Yami tried to avoid conflicts with the higher-level tokens, particularly against his pawns. He had no strategy to speak of but get close to the king. Gozoburo's expert tactics made this impossible without conflict. Kaiba, annoyed with Yami's concern over his friends' lives instead of the game, had to make sure the pharaoh did not fall into any traps. He tried to move the queen to intercept a bishop threatening one of the black rooks, but Yami moved the rook before he had the chance. Nazo was the last person he wanted to suffer in this battle!

Their first loss was devastating. One of the white pawns made it all the way down the board. Yami had to try and stop it with Sugoroku's pawn. Even if he lost, Kaiba's knight would intercept it before it reached the edge.

The hologram board depicted a castle entrance. Mysterious Guard Grandpa (3/800/1200), dressing in blue and white robes from his days as Shimon, disappeared into the shadows of the tall doors as a Dark Rabbit (4/1100/1500) with white ears and one eye came into view. The single eye had no shine or color, as if it had been hypnotized. It didn't seem to understand where it was or why it was there.

Sugoroku jumped out, set down his staff, and chanted a spell. The rabbit was pushed by energy against the wall. The screen showed the number of attack points drop from 1100 to 300. The rabbit lay perfectly still, as if knocked out. Sugoroku walked closer to see if it survived.

"Jiichan," Yami yelled. "Get away from there!"

Too late. Dark Rabbit pounced on the old man, crushing his body with its powerful legs. It jumped twice more, reducing the old man's life points down to zero. The sickening crunch of bone echoed in the arena. Sugoroku cried out in agony. "Y… Yu…" His body relaxed. Blood trickled from his mouth. Their last image of the old man was Dark Rabbit kicking the body to its side. The spirit flew from his mouth to Minkabh's stack of cards.

"I never liked him," said Minkabh looking at the card. "Shimon was far too nosy."

{Yami!} came Yugi's concerned voice inside Yami's head. {What happened? Why'd you scream?}

Yami covered his mouth, forcing himself not to cry out or be sick. How was he supposed to tell Yugi what happened? And what could he say to soften the blow{I can't do this! I can't continue this fight! I can't force my friends to possibly die!}

"Pegasus."

Kaiba's eyes were on the Dark Rabbit token on the board. "That was Pegasus' monster; it must have Pegasus' soul."

"That can't be," argued Yami. "Pegasus made a lot of bad choices, but he's essentially good! Keiko's out there, too! He wouldn't join forces with Minkabh!"

Minkabh cackled. "You have learned nothing, have you Boy Pharaoh?" His stare hardened. "Good and Evil are relative terms in battle. War sees nothing but bloodshed and death, so why bother to question? All that matters is power and dominance." He waved his hand over the board. "My pawns are those who borrowed power from the dark side, but never actually joined me. They are exactly what they have always been: Insignificant lumps of flesh I control to achieve my own goals." Minkabh shifted a bishop. "Your move."

Yami stared at the square where Grandpa Moto fell for a moment. He looked up to Bes. "My lord, tell me what will happen to the souls of the fallen?"

"How thick are you," laughed Gozoburo. "That doesn't matter right now! You're only hurting yourself by obsessing over such foolish sentiments."

"I must know," Yami insisted.

Bes nodded. "The winner decides their fate also. If you win, you may resurrect those who die here."

"But do they still feel the pain?"

"Of course. This is war."

Kaiba stared at the board. He had two options: Attack Pegasus himself or send the neighboring pawn to attack. Unfortunately, that pawn was Keiko Crawford, his fiancée and Pegasus' daughter. Although it would be smarter to allow a pawn take out a weakened pawn, he took his own and placed it to battle Pegasus.

The castle scene appeared once again. This time, Kaiba found himself riding atop Blue Eyes White Dragon, which flew from behind the walls. He wore the same as Jonouchi, only wearing blue instead of red. He still carried the Millennium Rod.

Blue Eye could easily attack without the Dark Rabbit's knowledge. Kaiba was about to call the attack, but had a moment's hesitation. He envisioned Keiko on the sidelines, watching her lover attack her father. He could almost taste the salty tears in those large, beautiful, blue-green eyes. She was still nearby. What if she heard or even saw the fiery death of her father? There was no hope for Pegasus anyway. He was Minkabh's pawn. But still…

Kaiba held up his Millennium Rod. "CLEANSING LIGHT!"

A shower of light emitted from the Rod. One landed on Dark Rabbit Pegasus. The single eye blinked twice and turned amber. "Wh-What's this," he asked in English.

Blue Eyes flew lower to the ground. "Pegasus," called Kaiba.

Dark Rabbit Pegasus backed away. "K-Kaiba Boy!"

"Listen Pegasus. I hate you for the Hell you put my little brother and me through in Duelist Kingdom. If this were a real fight, I'd kill you immediately like the coward you are!" He paused. "But someone else, someone important to both of us, doesn't love a man who would stab his opponents in the back. So I'm giving you this chance to die as yourself, not a stupid puppet of evil. Do you understand?"

Dark Rabbit Pegasus nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Kaiba Boy."

"Prepare yourself!" Blue Eyes soared upward and powered up a blast. Dark Rabbit Pegasus stood up to his full height, and died the instant the blow touched.

Gozoburo shook his head as the ghost entered the Pharaoh's deck. "All you did was waste your breath and our time, Seto."

"Chess is one game where time can only help one's own strategy," Kaiba countered. He turned to Yami. "Yugi – no – Pharaoh Atem, there is a balance between sentimental strategy and agressive attacks. You'd best find it in order to win the game." He glared at Minkabh and Gozoburo. "Neither of them will show us mercy. We must fight back with everything we have!"

Yami smiled. "Your right Kaiba." He looked at the board. /'/I need to set aside my concerns over their safety, and I must trust in my friends' abilities. Even if they lose the individual battles, my mind should be focused on winning the war. Jichan won't have died in vain/'/

'A good lesson learned, Atem-kun,' thought Bes as Yami finally put his Queen into play. 'The real game begins now!'

1 "bonkotsu" – means "mediocrity." Kaiba gave Jonouchi this nickname in episode 186, after Yugi's magic card "Bonkotsu no Ichi" or "Natural Mediocrity." He's basically saying that Jou is ordinary, nothing special about him at all.
2 Bes – Egyptian god of luck and games. He was most known for protection against bad spirits and delivering children with his wife, Teweret.
3 "Greek experience" – Keiko is referring to the Trojan War. Due to a problem with mortals and divided loyalties, the Greek gods participated in the ten-year war.
4 Cut dialogue – This is too short to include in the Special Features chapter; I was originally going to have Keiko cheer, saying, "Yeah! Bakura-kun is the 'bearer of the Ring!'" I decided not to add it, since even readers would groan at such a lame joke!

Yugi: The battle rages on as more and more black pawns are taken out with the white! Who will make it to the end? And will Yami's mystery monster be strong enough to face Minkabh? We'll see!