At first, Yugi was speechless.
The blistering burns inflicted on the fierce knight, the broken horn of Summoned Skull, the injuries of all the other monsters paled in comparison to the those suffered by Dark Magician.
His armor and wand were stacked neatly against the side of the cot, no longer hiding the abuse his body had been put through. His blood-soaked tunic revealed the locations of the deepest gashes. Some of them were even still bleeding. His exposed skin was battered and bruised. Limp purple hair did little to hide the stark discoloration. His right arm hung in a sling, strapped across his chest to keep his dislocated shoulder from moving. His ribs were bound tightly, evidence that he fought the last few battles while already seriously injured. And that, as Yugi quickly discerned, was only the beginning.
Fluttering eyes were his only movements as Dark Magician drifted in and out of a restless sleep. His breaths came in ragged gasps, a pained expression covering his face with each agonizing wheeze. He seemed so fragile, so weak, nothing like the card that he so proudly played with for all those tournaments.
"… Dark Magician…" he finally whispered, glancing back at Dark Magician Girl.
"This is… what the duels have done to Master…" she wiped the tears from her flushed cheeks.
"… but…" Yugi tried to speak, but couldn't find his words. He knew the Dark Magician was his favorite card. It was his trump card. He and the pharaoh often relied on the Dark Magician to win the match. He may not have been the strongest monster in Yugi's deck, but he was certainly the best. In fact, the bond between his yami and that card seemed so strong, it was if the pharaoh willed it into his hand at the beginning of almost every duel.
This painful sight, as Yugi was finally learning, was the result of that bond and that ironclad will.
Weakly, Dark Magician coughed. A trail of blood dribbled down his chin, onto the already bloodstained cot. The spellcaster made no motion to wipe it away, and Yugi wondered if he even had the strength to do so.
"He's getting worse, I'm afraid." Mystic Elf whispered behind the pair. Yugi jumped at the sound of her voice.
"No…" Dark Magician Girl gasped.
"Worse?"
Mystic Elf nodded sorrowfully.
"But… Dark Magician Girl said you heal other monsters. Can't you heal him too?" Yugi glanced between Mystic Elf and his prized Dark Magician.
"I have tried my best. But his wounds are so great. The duels are so intense. And he is summoned so often. I have tried my best, but my best spells cannot withstand the constant battles."
"Please, Mystic Elf… don't say that…"
"I pray that fate falls in his favor, just this once. That the Lord does not summon him to the duel." She whispered, her hands clasping weakly behind her back. "It is certain. He cannot survive another duel. He may not even survive the day…"
Dark Magician Girl just buried her face in her hands.
"You mean he'd…" Yugi gasped, his legs growing weak underneath him.
"He'd be removed from play… forever…" Mystic Elf answered the strange visitor, lowering her gaze to the floor. Dark Magician groaned weakly. Whether it was a reaction to his own inevitable death or merely a spasm of pain, no one could be sure.
"… Oh God…" Yugi swayed, barely able to stay on his own feet. "When the pha… I mean, your Lord won the last duel… using Dark Magician and the Catapult Turtle…"
He couldn't finish. It was too difficult. Dark Magician Girl only nodded.
"Please… I don't want to see Master die…"
Yugi nodded blankly in return. It was also the last thing he wanted to see.