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Fanfic Chapter 106: Demigod Pt 4: Rage of Ra.
Episode Basis: Awakening of Evil Pt 4
Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Odion's Mystical Beast of Seklet literally devoured Joey's three rare monsters. It was disgusting to watch, even more horrifying for Joey since it was his monsters. Serenity wanted to run away but Joey called her back telling her that just as she drew strength for him, so did he drew strength from her. Odion secretly envied the relationship between the Wheeler siblings for his childhood wasn't happy, living as a servant to the Ishtar family. Suddenly Joey made two startling declarations: one was that he would win this duel even with no monsters and only 200 life points, and the other was that his opponent wasn't the real Marik. Crazy, yes, but perhaps true as well. With his cover in danger of being blown, Marik ordered Odion to unleash the fake Egyptian God Card that Odion put inside the Temple of the Kings. But Odion was afraid of unleashing such power. Can Odion control the fake God Card or will Joey's predictions come true?
"Master, the God Card is too dangerous for me to play," Odion protested.
"But this is your chance, Odion, your chance to prove that you're worthy to join the Tombkeepers' Clan and become a part of our family!" Becoming part of the Tombkeepers Clan was one of Odion's dreams, and now it would come true. But if the same thing happened to him that happened to the other Rare Hunters who used the fake God Card… Odion shivered.
"Why isn't Marik attacking Joey?" Tea asked.
"I don't know," Yami-Yugi said. "But I have a bad feeling about it."
Odion removed his fake Millennium Rod, "So you don't think I'm Marik, do you? Well I'll prove that you're wrong… by playing my Egyptian God Card!"
The spectators gasped.
Finally, Kaiba thought. I get to see Marik's God Card for myself.
Odion pointed the Millennium Rod, "I call upon the Temple of the Kings' final power! I offer my Mystical Beast and half my life points to you!"
(J: 200)
(O: 200)
"So you can release that which is trapped in the sacred ark… Winged Dragon of Ra, come forth!" The lid burst open and light poured from the ark. The light formed a strange metallic griffin with a crystal on its forehead.
Even Kaiba had to awe at it.
"Thanks to Temple of the Kings, Ra has absorbed the attack points of my Mystical Beast!"
(WDR: 5825)
Tea turned to Yami-Yugi. "If that thing hits Joey, he could fall into a coma just like Bakura!"
"I know, Tea, but there's nothing we can do. Even if Kaiba didn't stop us from interrupting the duel, the attack has already been declared."
"Come and get me, hot shot," Joey dared.
"Well done, Odion, you made our family proud."
"Thank you, Master Marik."
I should thank Wheeler for being my guinea pig, Kaiba thought. Now I can see Marik's Egyptian God Card at work without getting my hands dirty.
"Ra, attack him directly!"
But nothing happened, the Winged Dragon of Ra just floated there.
At the same time, the Millennium Puzzle, Harold's Armlet, and the real Millennium Rod started to react. "What's this?" Marik wondered.
"Hey guys, something freaky's happening to my Armlet," Harold said.
"My puzzle too," Yami-Yugi added.
Shadi's Millennium Key also reacted. "It's as I feared," he said. "I warned Pegasus long ago that duplicating the God Cards would anger the real Egyptian Gods, now it seems that one of those fake cards has been played. This means that whoever is in proximity is doomed."
"What are you waiting for, Ra, obey my commands and attack Joey Wheeler!" Odion ordered but still Ra did nothing.
This has happened before, Marik thought as he reflected on the practice duel with the Rare Hunters. Whenever a fake Egyptian God Card was played, both players suffer the wraith of the real God! I thought that it was because the Rare Hunters were weak. I thought Odion would be able to control it, was I wrong?
Storm clouds began gathering and lightning began raining down on the blimp.
"Hey, what's with this storm?" Joey asked as he barely dodged being hit by a lightning bolt.
"Stand close, everyone," Yami-Yugi instructed. "Harold, can your Armlet protect us?"
"We're about to find out," Harold said and raised his arm to the sky. The archaic symbols came off the Armlet and began spinning around the kids. Harold decided to include the Kaiba Brothers as an afterthought. The lightning bolts bounced off of the Armlet's shield.
"Joey, get off of there and join us in the shield," Yami-Yugi instructed.
"I would if I could, Yug," Joey said as he narrowly avoided another lightning bolt.
"Big Brother," Serenity called.
Odion lowered his head in remorse, "It appears that I am not worthy of controlling the God Card… or be part of your family. Forgive me, Master Marik." A lightning bolt struck him dead on. The fake Millennium Rod shattered.
"Yugi, the Rod's a fake!"
"Then this isn't Marik," Yami-Yugi realized.
What has Marik done?
Joey started to go over to see if Odion was all right, not caring if he got disqualified in the process. But he was surrounded in a cage of lightning bolts and was finally struck by one.
"JOEY!" Everyone cried. Serenity pounded on the shield before slumping to her knees, sobbing.
Tristan grabbed Roland by the collar, "Listen, you big dumb oaf, you have to let us get up there to help him!"
"I… I can't," Roland stuttered. "Th… the duel is still going on."
"This storm isn't part of Kaiba Corp.'s Dueling Disks," Kaiba said scientifically. "It's a freak of nature."
"What do I do, sir?" Roland asked Kaiba.
"Since both Duelists have the same number of life points, the first one to stand within five minutes will be declared the winner. If neither of them stands within five minutes, they both will be disqualified."
"Joey, you have to get up," Tea called.
"Get up, man," Tristan threw in.
"Please, Big Brother, you have to get up!"
"Uh… Yugi, my arm's getting a little tired," Harold complained. The symbols were starting to fade. "And this lightning storm, freak of nature or not, isn't getting any weaker."
"Yami, let's use the power of the Millennium Puzzle, if it really is the most powerful of the Millennium Items, then it should provide enough power to keep Harold's shield up, and maybe even revive Joey."
"Good idea, Yugi." Yami-Yugi held up the Millennium Puzzle, closed his eyes, and concentrated. The eye symbol on the puzzle's centerpiece started to glow and the same image appeared on Yami-Yugi's forehead. The symbols started to glow brightly and spin more rapidly. A golden ring appeared around the Duelists, a ring that, if seen from above, looked like the Egyptian eye symbol of the Millennium Items with Yugi's puzzle being the pupil.
Odion struggled to his feet. For a moment, it looked like Roland would declare Odion the winner, but then Odion collapsed again and the race was still on.
This is bad. Odion was the only one who could keep the ever growing evil inside Marik in check. But now that Odion is near death, the evil will use this opportunity to grow stronger and maybe even overpower Marik's good side, and there's nothing I, nor my Millennium Item can do to stop it. It is fate.
Joey snapped awake as he felt something hit against his forehead. It was a die. Joey looked up to see Duke Devlin jiggling some of his dice. Tea, Tristan, and Bakura were with him. "Sleeping on the job again, Joey?" Duke joked.
"Sorry, guys, I must've zonked out for a sec."
"No surprise there," Harold said walking up with Yugi. "You've forgotten again, didn't you?"
"Huh, forgot what?"
"Today's the most important duel of your life, Joey," Yugi said. "The Finals, remember?"
"Do you have your deck prepared?" Bakura asked.
"Sure do, check out the lineup." Joey started to get up but tripped over his own feet. Joey, his desk, and his backpack full of cards spilled out. "That was graceful," he moaned.
Someone behind Joey picked up one of his cards. "Man, if this is what you got for a lineup, I'm afraid you wouldn't even last in the Junior Division." Joey turned and saw Amara helping to pick up his fallen cards.
"Hey, I spent over a month preparing that deck!" Joey protested
"No sweat, Joey, we can help you improve your deck," Yugi said.
"Thanks, guys, I don't know what I would do without you."
"You'd probably flounder anyway," Kaiba cracked walking by. "Which is perfect for a worm like you."
"No one asked you, wise guy," Joey said growling.
"Just ignore that clown, Joey." Joey turned and his eyes bugged out. It was Mai and Serenity. "You'll show them all in the tournament."
"Yeah… you're right, Mai," Joey said. "Hey guys, look… I know I do some stupid things and you guys are great in tolerating me for it… I don't deserve friends like you."
"Maybe you don't," Amara said. "But you have them anyway."
"Remember, we're always here to back you up," Duke said.
"That puts you one up on Kaiba," Harold commented.
"Here you go, Big Brother," Serenity said. She handed him his deck, but this time it was glowing. "I just know you'll do your best out there."
"With you guys cheering me on, I have nothing to worry about," Joey said as he got up… or at least tried to get up. "Hey, I'm stuck! Uh… guys, could… uh…"
"That's what friends are for." Nine hands were extended to him. Joey reached out and took two: Yugi's and Mai's. There was a flash of bright light behind them as Joey's field of vision blurred.
When Joey's eyes came back into focus, he was on the dueling platform on board Kaiba's blimp. He was standing.
"All right, Joey!" The gang cheered.
"Huh… what happened?" Joey asked groggily. The lightning storm had subsided and Harold and Yami-Yugi had let down their shield.
"Joey, don't you remember?" Tea asked. "You've been fighting in the finals."
"How dare you scare your sister like that… and us too," Mai added.
"The winner of this duel is Joey Wheeler!" Roland declared.
Looks like Wheeler's dumb luck saved him again, Kaiba thought. But what caused the Egyptian God Card to disobey him like that? It couldn't have been a glitch in the Duel Disk, I designed it myself. It's supposed to project a card… unless that card wasn't a card at all! It was a fake, so Wheeler was right. I guess there's a first time for everything.
"You did it, Joey!" Tristan cried. He jumped onto the platform and started to run to put an arm around the shoulder of the winner but Joey was already moving towards Odion, who was lying on the ground, barely conscious.
"I am sorry for deceiving you, Mister Wheeler," Odion apologized. "It was truly an honor dueling you."
"Same here, but who are you anyway?" Joey asked.
"My name is Odion, I am… a servant of the real Marik." He pointed to the real Marik who was clutching his head in pain while holding the real Millennium Rod.
"Oh man, something really freaky's happening to this guy," Amara said as she backed up.
"Namu?" Tea asked.
"The charade is over," Yami-Yugi declared as Harold aimed his Armlet. "Reveal your true identity, villain!"
"It was so easy to convince you fools that I was a friend," Marik said in a semi-maniacal laughing tone. "Yes, I am the real Marik."
"So it's you who possesses the third Egyptian God Card," Kaiba identified.
"A little slow on the upswing, Kaiba, now I can finish what my pathetic servant started." As he spoke, his voice took on a more sinister tone.
"I was afraid of this," Odion said with his last ounce of strength. "Beware the great evil hidden within Marik, I am no longer able to contain it." And with those words, he passed out.
The others watched as Marik struggled. "No… I won't… be… contained…" There was a flash of light and Marik's hair stood straight up, the Millennium emblem appeared on his forehead. "At last I'm free!" The dark version of Marik, Yami-Marik, announced. "And now we'll do things my way!"
"What the heck are you?" Harold asked.
"I am the true Marik, and I'll finish the job my weaker self started, namely seizing control of the Egyptian God Cards and your Millennium Puzzle!"
"You'll never get my puzzle or God Card," Yami-Yugi said acidly.
"My worthless servant's failure proved once and for all that only a select few can control an Egyptian God Card, those with substantial ties to the ancient scripture!" Yami-Marik glanced at Kaiba. "Although I'm bewildered as to why Kaiba's one of them."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kaiba demanded to know. "I can control Obelisk because I am a Master Duelist!"
"Perhaps, or perhaps it's something deeper, something that lies… within." Yami-Marik raised his Millennium Rod into the air. "No longer will this be a simple card game tournament, but a true Shadow Game where the winner will receive eternal torment forever!"
The End
