"No…" Anzu was the first to gasp, as she saw the red light cover Ryou Bakura's body completely.
Isis covered her mouth, shaking her head in disbelief. She trembled, almost falling backwards into Malik's waiting arms. Rishid moved to steady her as well, lowering his head in respect for the boy would soon be deceased. At any other time, he would pray in Osiris' name, that the boy could safely find his way to the Hall of Ma'at. But there was no need for that now. He was already there.
"It can't be." Honda whispered under his breath.
"Did he just…" Jonouchi gasped, not wanting to finish his thoughts.
"He… he lost…" Yugi finished, his voice quivering as much as his small body. He leaned into the stone slab to keep his balance. "He lost…"
Honda felt for a pulse. For the moment he was still alive, but each heartbeat waited longer than the last.
"Isis?" Anzu looked up. "What… what's going to happen?"
The former wielder of the millennium tauk shared worried glances with both of her brothers.
"The ritual does not dictate specifics…" she whispered. "All I know is that he who breaks the barrier between this life and the next, and is discovered, will be severely punished."
"As for a challenge between a mortal and a god, we can only assume the worst." Rishid added. "If there were any terms made, they would be fulfilled."
"You mean, he's gonna' die?" Jonouchi finally asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
Malik nodded sadly, without saying a word.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Yugi shouted, spinning around quickly. "We followed the pharaoh into the world of memory, right? We can… We can follow Ryou into the world of the dead!"
"Yeah!" the other three shouted in unison, wondering why no one had thought of that before now.
"If being with the pharaoh taught me one thing, it's that there's always a way to win a game, just when the going gets tough! If he were here, he'd go! And I'll do the same."
"We're with you, Yugi." Jonouchi quickly stepped up behind his friend.
"Me too." Honda added.
"And me." Anzu replied as well.
Isis, however, only hung her head and raised her hands, stopping them from rushing forward.
"I am sorry…" Isis whispered weakly. "But you cannot do that."
"Why not?"
"Only one person can enter this realm at a time. Until Ryou either returns or dies… no one else can enter the land of the dead through the portal created by the millennium stone…"
"Then… there's nothing we can do?" Yugi didn't want to believe it. None of them wanted to believe it.
"As I said before… it is in fate's hands now." She sighed, regretfully. "Perhaps fate will show mercy…"
Everyone in the underground sanctuary nodded, although it didn't seem very likely.
"Remember, my friends…" Isis smiled a little, and held up the necklace that Jonouchi had found in Ryou's pocket. "He still has the heart scarab. And with it, his soul may still be protected from death…"
"That's right…" Yugi whispered. "He can still pull through this. Ryou… can still pull through this."