Seto Kaiba vs. L
This was a waste of Seto Kaiba's time. Whoever this "L" was, he didn't even have an Egyptian God Card. Seto would just have to make this quick so he could get on with his tournament. They took their places on opposite sides of the arena, elevated above Domino City atop the Kaiba Corp blimp for all to see his overwhelming victory. The wind whipped his coat around him and made his opponent's hair even wilder than it was before. His opponent almost looked like he was going to collapse from the elements alone.
"What's the matter? Too cold?" Seto taunted. "If you can't take it then you don't belong here."
His opponent only cackled. "Are you prepared to lose it all, Kaiba-boy?"
"You're the one who's going to lose!"
"Brave talk for someone whose fate is already sealed. We'll see if your confidence can stand up to the horrifying power of the Shadow Realm!"
Seto couldn't believe that at his own tournament he had been put up against the crazy person. "Enough of this nonsense! I don't care about your mind tricks, just duel!"
For all his big talk, L's hand faltered over his duel disk. "What would you do with the unstoppable power of the Millennium Items?" he asked, clearly stalling for time.
"I don't believe in fairy tales." No real duelist would have to resort to this nonsense. Seto was looking forward to wiping that stupid smirk off of his face.
"Maybe losing your soul will change your mind! Not that it made much of a difference the first time." He let out another wild cackle.
It was time Seto put an end to this charade and crushed this waste of his time once and for all.
"Show yourself, Obelisk the Tormentor!"
It emerged in a giant column of light, towering over the arena.
All it took was one attack from the God Card, and his opponent collapsed. Pathetic.
Winner: Seto Kaiba
Seto Kaiba turned and walked away from his defeated, unconscious opponent. The Millennium Ring was Light's for the taking.
"Kaiba, wait!" Taro Matsui - or Touta Matsuda, as he insisted upon calling himself - had rushed forward as soon as the dust had cleared, to the side of his unconscious accomplice - who went by the uncreative monogram, L. "We need to land this blimp now and get him to a hospital!"
It was a nice try, but they weren't going to get away that easily, Light would make sure of that.
However, Kaiba took care of it first, without even turning back. "That's impossible. We can't make an unscheduled stop for anything. You have 30 minutes to prepare yourselves, and then the next duel will begin."
Then he stepped onto his private elevator, and descended without another word, even as Muto and his friends joined in shouting at him to "Have a heart!"
Light even provided a "How could you?" for good measure.
They all crowded around Matsui and his accomplice to help take him back to his room on the blimp, inadvertently ensuring that they did not slip away with the Ring. Light was content to remain near the back with Marik Ishtar - still under the guise of Namu - keeping an eye on the Ring from afar.
"What is his deal?" Joey Wheeler asked as they escorted Matsui to the other elevator.
Matsui faltered, so ill-prepared that he didn't even have an alibi.
"Well, I hope he's okay," Taylor said, before Matsui was forced to come up with something.
"Yes, it's quite unfortunate," Ishtar said as they all crowded onto the elevator. His acting had been acceptable when they had planned out what he was going to say, but now his voice was stilted; apparently improvisation was beyond him.
Light came to his rescue and put in, "It goes to show just how powerful those Egyptian God Cards are. We'll have to be careful when we go up against them!" He shot Ishtar a conspiratory glance and earned a quick smug smile in return.
It was all going to plan, not that these fools were clever enough to ruin it. All he had to fear was the inept interference of bumbling stupidity, and that was easy enough to turn in his favor.
"And you'll have to get through me first!" Wheeler exclaimed.
"That shouldn't be too hard." Taylor hit Wheeler on the head in what passed for a friendly gesture - Seto Kaiba was right to call them monkeys.
"I did manage to beat you in the Duelist Kingdom finals," Light admitted with a little embarrassed laugh. He did not mention that it had been an easy feat, which would have been even easier without the interference of the Millennium Puzzle.
"I hope you'll be alright, Namu," Tea Gardner said. "I'm still amazed you made it to the finals after just a few tips from Joey."
"I got lucky, I guess," Ishtar said. His tone was still awkward.
Ishtar was quickly becoming a liability. "You're a better duelist than you give yourself credit for," Light insisted. "I think you just needed the confidence boost of meeting someone like Joey Wheeler."
Wheeler grinned, his unearned confidence further inflated by the compliment. It was too easy.
As they all piled off the elevator, Light hung back with Ishtar, still in view of Matsui and the ring, and switched from one pretense to another, as he said in a hushed voice, "It would be a mere token next to the power of the Pharaoh, but I think I may be able to acquire the Millennium Ring for you without much difficulty. The Millennium Items do rightfully belong to the Pharaoh, after all."
Ishtar considered the proposition for a moment. Finally, his greed and pride won over, and he assented, "Yes, you are right, but if it proves too difficult, do not waste your time. Remember, our true aim is the Egyptian God Cards."
Light had no need for some useless cards, but they served well in distracting Ishtar from the true value of the Millennium Items.
They quickly caught up to the rest and followed them into L's quarters. The unconscious criminal was deposited on the bed, the Millennium Ring lying on his chest for all to see. Light could see Bakura already eyeing it nervously - it was foreseeable that Light might, at some point, see fit to return the Ring to Bakura, but he preferred to take it for himself now that the opportunity had presented itself. He just needed to get everyone else out of the way.
"We have to get Kaiba to land this thing!" Matsui was saying.
Light spoke up, "You all go. I can stay and watch him."
"I knew we could count on you, Light!" Wheeler exclaimed.
"Better you than me," Tristan put in, "that Ring still gives me the creeps. At least you've got the Puzzle in case he gets back up."
Matsui, however, hesitated - he knew Light was on to him. "That's very kind of you, but I should probably stay with him. We shouldn't all go and bother Kaiba anyway."
That was fine with Light; that way he would be able to keep an eye on Matsui and maybe solve two problems with the same stone. "I'll stay with you, then."
"Oh, okay," Matsui still sounded uncertain, but he knew he couldn't argue too much.
As the others streamed out of the room, Light took the Millennium Puzzle out of his bag and put it around his neck. He let it take control, though Light was truly the one pulling the strings.
This is your chance. Take the Ring. It is not safe with these criminals.
Light approached the bed.
"Wait, what are you-" Matsui began, but he was too late.
Light's hand reached out to take the Ring.
For an instant, Light felt a third presence in his mind, as though all of the festering rot that poisoned the world had been concentrated into a single soul. And then, with a blinding flash, he was thrown back from the Ring.
Its vessel rose to its feet, smirking at Light as though it had not been unconscious and vulnerable just moments before. "You seek the power of my Millennium Ring?"
"It is not safe in the hands of a criminal," the spirit of the puzzle replied. On this occasion, it knew enough to align itself with Light's aims.
The Ring laughed. "A Shadow Game it is; my Ring for your Puzzle. Let's see which of us has earned the right to wield the power of the Millennium Items!"
"Wait! There's no need to be hasty!" Matsui tried to intervene.
However, the spirit of the Ring quelled him with a single glare.
"Fine, but this is just about you, leave L out of it!"
"When he so generously volunteered as my vessel? I would be remiss not to let him have all the fun!"
Light's assumption had been correct; they must have tried to claim the power of the Millennium Ring for themselves, only to find that they'd bitten off more than they could chew. It served them right.
"Let us duel. Then I will deal with your vessel," the puzzle replied.
"You're getting ahead of yourself, Pharaoh! First you'd have to get through me!"
Despite Light's insistence, they all took the elevator up to the arena on top of the blimp.
All of the contestants and their entourages, as well as Kaiba's employees, were gone, leaving only Light and the puzzle, the Ring and its vessel, and Taro Matsui. Matsui remained below as Light and the Ring stepped onto the arena. It rose into the air, overlooking the blimp and the twinkling lights of Domino City below. The cold wind raged around them, but it would be nothing compared to the loser's fate.
"So, which are you," the Ring asked mockingly as they drew their hands, "is Light Yagami still fighting for control, or do I have the Pharaoh's sole attention?"
"Nothing will distract me from defeating you, evil spirit of the Millennium Ring!"
The Ring laughed once more - Light was looking forward to silencing its incessant laughter. "Good, evil, it's all relative isn't it?" He slowly filled his side of the arena with facedowns - all trap cards.
"No, there are crimes which cannot go unpunished. And I will begin with you!"
"Not so fast, Pharaoh." The Ring flipped over a trap card that sheared away a thousand of Light's lifepoints. "In this world, you and your vessel are seen as nothing more than common criminals - if my host is correct. Who's to say that I'm not the one bringing you to justice?"
"How dare you?"
Light discreetly put down a trap card before the puzzle called a reckless attack with a weak monster.
"You never learn, do you, Pharaoh?" The Ring turned over another trap card.
However, before it had the chance to activate, Light's trap sprung, turning it back upon its holder.
"You may have some new underhanded tricks after all, but it's not enough!" He tried to flip over another trap card, but it was only a monster that could do nothing to stop Light's trap
"Why the look of surprise?" the puzzle retorted.
"When I'm done with you, I will deal with my vessel. But first your demise!" the Ring cackled.
Interesting. It seemed that the Ring's vessel was fighting back, trying to undermine the spirit with surprising subtlety. Light could turn that to his advantage.
First he tested the waters. All it took was a nudge and the puzzle was none the wiser as it declared, "Show me your most powerful cards! Even they will not be able to defeat me!"
"My traps will spell out your demise!" The spirit of the Ring didn't seem to notice its fingers tapping against its duel disk; three for trap and one for spell - with six cards in his hand, that meant he also had two monsters.
The puzzle had somehow managed to draw a hand of primarily worthless monsters, but there was one trap with which Light could give the Ring its just desserts. He had added it to counter the foolish duelists who preferred a frontal attack, but with sway over the Ring's vessel, it might be of use after all.
"You are a coward, hiding behind traps and spells, afraid to attack outright!" the puzzle taunted at Light's prompting. However, he was too late to stop the puzzle from launching another attack, which only by chance managed to eke through.
"Are you truly as foolish as you seem?" The Ring set another card face down - only time would tell if its vessel had truly understood Light's instruction.
But it seemed that the Ring's vessel may have been more intelligent than Light had initially given him credit for, if he had truly meant to ask whether it was the puzzle who was the brains behind their communication, or if the puzzle was as foolish as it appeared and Light was the true mastermind.
Light was careful not to give any indication either way; the puzzle replied, "You are the fool for trading your soul for such cursed power!"
The Ring cackled. "Do not delude yourself, Pharaoh, its your curse as much as mine! But one village of thieves was not enough for you, was it?"
"What are you talking about?" The puzzle seemed to understand what the Ring was referring to no more than Light did.
Light would have presumed that the Ring's vessel had gotten ahead of itself and the result had ended up muddled, but the Ring pursued it. "Slipped your mind, Pharaoh? Maybe some time in the Shadow Realm will refresh your memory!" It put down another face down card and ended its turn.
Do not attack, Light warned the puzzle.
Why? What are you playing at? the puzzle demanded.
I have not forgotten our true purpose.
"Enough of this nonsense! If you are so confident, why do you not attack?" The puzzle played another monster, but held back on attacking, and Light discretely played his trap face down.
"If you are so eager, why don't you attack and find out?" The Ring put another card face down and again did not seem to notice its other hand tapping against its duel disk.
It's time.
Before the puzzle had the chance to begin its turn, Light flipped over his trap card; Just Desserts.
The Ring laughed even as his lifepoints began to drain away. "Look again, Pharaoh! I only have one monster on the field, and I have a trap of my own that will keep me from losing even 500 lifepoints."
He flipped over the card, only to reveal another monster.
"What is this?" He tried another facedown only to find yet another monster, and another. "You have been conspiring with my vessel!"
The Ring's lifepoints dropped to zero.
Finish him!
"Is this true?" the puzzle demanded. "Did you contrive our victory through dishonest means?"
It is no matter. They have gotten what they deserve. Now you must send them to the Shadow Realm as they deserve and take the Millennium Ring, as is your right.
Light pulled back his hand as the puzzle did to vanquish criminals' souls.
"No!" Matsui shouted from below.
Do you not remember what horrible things the spirit of the Millennium Ring has done? Will you allow him to spread more evil, to steal more souls, or will you finish him now when you have the chance?
"I do this for the world and for Yugi and his friends!"
Light could feel the spirit of the puzzle taking hold of the spirit of the Ring in his hand, and then, finally, with a forceful shove, he severed it from its host and sent it to the Shadow Realm where it belonged.
Its vessel collapsed to the ground.
As the clouds cleared, Light urged the puzzle forward, across the arena. He reached out his hand, and took the Ring from around the criminal's neck. Though the spirit had been vanquished, he could still feel darkness lurking within, dormant, but present. He slipped the Ring into his bag.
Matsui rushed forward to his fallen accomplice's side.
"Are you prepared to face the same fate?" the puzzle challenged.
"What? No! Please, he didn't do anything wrong, it was just the Ring!" Matsui made a pitiful attempt to bargain with the puzzle. "L, come on, wake up!"
"You must face retribution for your crimes!"
"What crimes?"
However, before the puzzle had the chance to challenge Matsui to a Shadow Game, the elevators to the top of the blimp opened and contestants and spectators began to stream out.
"There they are!" one of Muto's hoard of friends exclaimed.
"Please step off the arena so that the next duel in the Battle City tournament may commence," one of Kaiba's employees said.
With a show of force Light took off the puzzle and shoved it into his backpack. He let his legs wobble a little as he regained full control. He blinked a few times, as though blinking into awareness.
"Where… What happened?" he said, sounding a little dazed.
He allowed Kaiba's employees to usher him off the arena, into the gallery below, and Matsui followed, carrying his accomplice. Muto's friends crowded around, while Yugi Muto himself stepped onto the arena, where Light had been standing minutes before, opposite Odion, who had disguised himself as Marik Ishtar - but the Millennium Rod which he held was only a replica.
Now that Light had claimed the Millennium Ring, it was time to solidify his sway over the holder of the Millennium Rod; the real Marik Ishtar. Ishtar was watching him warily from the edge of the crowd. Light quickly met his eyes and smiled to reassure him that they were still on the same side. Ishtar smirked back, but he seemed less affected than before, his attention torn between Light and the duel that was just beginning.
Before he could return to Ishtar, Light just had to take care of a little damage control. He hastily bent over the fallen criminal for a closer look and asked, "Did it happen again?"
Unfortunately, the man's eyes fluttered open, and he gave them all a wide-eyed stare.
"Thank goodness you're alright!" Matsui exclaimed. More cautiously, he asked, "L?"
The man only stared, but Matsui seemed undiscouraged.
"Oi, Kaiba! Could you hold off the tournament for just a minute, we've got a man down over here!" Wheeler shouted.
"I told you, we don't stop for anything. Let the duel begin!" Kaiba said.
"It's alright." Maybe Matsui had finally realized he wasn't going to escape that easily. "We just need to get him to his room."
"Kaiba said he'd send his medical staff," Taylor said, "but when we got back to the room, you were all gone. What happened?"
Matsui turned to Light. "Do you know what happened there?"
It was a nice try, but not good enough. "I don't know," Light answered with some apprehension. "The Millennium Puzzle must have taken control. The last thing I remember was putting it to stop the Millennium Ring. I don't know if I even was the one that decided to take it out."
"Well, I guess I've got to thank you for rescuing L from the Ring's control." Matsui glanced at his accomplice, sitting curled up against the wall, his eyes still open wide. "But I don't suppose you know what that was at the end. For a moment I thought you - or the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle - were going to vanquish me to the Shadow Realm too!" Matsui gave an uncomfortable laugh, hardly aware that the danger had only temporarily passed.
However, for the time being, Light feigned ignorance. "I- I don't know."
Matsui hesitated with another glance at his accomplice - he seemed to defer to him, as though he had been foolish enough to let the Millennium Ring possess his boss. "Could I have the Ring back now? You've seen how dangerous it can be; it's not safe in anyone's hands. I can make sure it gets locked away where no one will get to it."
"What do you mean? Did the puzzle take it?"
Matsui nodded. "Could we have it back? We could also take the puzzle off your hands. It seems pretty dangerous too."
"I don't mean to be rude, but it doesn't seem like the Ring was very safe with you."
Matsui gave an awkward laugh in embarrassment. "Yeah, that didn't quite go to plan, but now that we know the extent of its power we can keep it locked away where no one will use it. I don't know if the others told you, but I'm with the police. We can handle it for you kids."
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Light insisted, keeping his voice level and not at all accusatory.
Matsui showed him a badge. It looked real, but Light knew better than that.
"I'm sorry, that could be a forgery. As you said, the Millennium Items are too dangerous and powerful to just give them away. I'll just hold onto them until we land, you know they can't go anywhere until then, and then we can deliver them to my father directly - he's the chief of the National Police Agency."
Matsui hesitated - Light had him. "Kaiba has to have a safe somewhere on this blimp."
"You trust Seto Kaiba with the Millennium Items?" Light asked, incredulous. Kaiba was watching the duel begin with intense interest, unaware of everything else around him.
"Maybe not… But you're still under the power of the Millennium Puzzle."
"And your friend is under the power of the Millennium Ring," Light countered.
Matsui glanced at his accomplice again, still sitting on the floor, watching them with wide eyes.
"Excuse me, Mr. Mokuba told us someone was in need of medical attention." It was one of Kaiba's employees, just in time to save Light from arguing in endless circles.
Light excused himself to join Ishtar to watch the match while Matsui was preoccupied with getting his accomplice medical attention - not that it would matter when Light had finished with them.
"It's coming together perfectly," Light murmured as he took his place next to Ishtar, "I have the Ring and soon the Egyptian God Cards will be yours."
"Do not count our victories too quickly, there's still Kaiba in our way," Ishtar replied. "We must show him the meaning of true power!"
"Against us, he doesn't have a chance."
Ishtar grinned back.
However, as the duel went on, Ishtar's eager excitement turned manic as his frustration with his loyal servant, Odion, grew. Any distrust of Odion was to Light's advantage, but Ishtar's usefulness diminished the more emotional he became - he had already largely failed to make use of his innocent charade.
The final straw fell when Yugi Muto faced Odion, whose defeat appeared to be increasingly imminent, and declared, "I don't think you're really who you say you are. This has been a difficult duel, you're a really good duelist, but there haven't been any tricks, like all of Marik's death traps, some of his Rare Hunters even cheated. I don't think you're really Marik."
Ishtar's eyes widened in rage borne of panic. "Destroy him! Use the Egyptian God Card!" he muttered.
"You shouldn't spout such nonsense, Mr. Muto," Odion said, brandishing a replica of the Millennium Rod.
"I don't think it's nonsense," Muto insisted.
"I am Marik" - Odion hesitated, a war seemed to wage within him - "and I will now play my Egyptian God Card to prove it! Come forth, great dragon, and reveal your awesome strength in the name of the next Pharaoh, King Marik!"
"Yes!" Ishtar hissed, his eyes still wild.
The stone chest on the stairs of the holographic Temple of the Kings that loomed behind Odion on the dueling arena slowly opened to reveal the Winged Dragon of Ra card. It burst into a column of light that shot up into the sky. His opponent nearly tumbled backward in the shockwave that followed. The wind picked up into a fearsome gale that whipped around the duelists and spectators alike, even the clouds above circled around the column of light.
"Show yourself, my beast!" Odion cried, raising his Millennium Rod to the heavens.
A golden dragon that glowed with the fire of the sun emerged from the clouds. It dwarfed the Temple of the Kings and radiated more power than any hologram should have been capable of. It let loose an echoing roar.
It was hardly a god, but in this arena, its power was undeniable.
"Dragon of Ra! Attack his life points directly!"
However, the attack never came.
Odion truly was a fool who did not know how to wield his own weapon.
Ashes rose from the hologram. Clouds circled and lightning flashed down and danced across the arena. Muto's friends began to shout for him to run, but he remained frozen to the spot, apparently too afraid to move and Odion seemed to be faring little better, staring uselessly up at the sky.
A single bolt of lightning lashed down and struck Odion, knocking him to the ground and shattering his fake Millennium Rod. Ishtar stepped forward as though possessed.
The Winged Dragon of Ra vanished. The lightning stopped and the clouds began to disperse.
Odion struggled to his knees, but his strength was gone. He fell back to the ground. Muto rushed to his fallen opponent's side, always playing the epitome of virtue. However, Odion's failure was complete.
Next to Light, Ishtar gripped his head and let out a cry of agony, "Odion!"
All eyes turned to him. It was only a matter of time before Ishtar's true identity was revealed. Light would have to act quickly.
"Namu!" he exclaimed, and then whispered, "Marik, are you alright?"
He went ignored. At this rate, it would have been easier to take Ishtar's Millennium Rod and use it himself, but he was not foolish enough to risk it in full view of all the others as they eagerly crowded around. No, he could handle this, it just required a little finesse, which the boy lacked, but Light had in spades.
"I think Namu's being controlled by the real Marik!" Light said to the others. Then he leaned in and softly spoke again, "Marik, what's wrong?"
"I think that is the real Marik," Wheeler said.
"He even has the same rod that the other guy had," Gardner put in.
"He can't be," Light insisted, as though in denial. "Come on, Namu, snap yourself out of it!"
"It's too late," Ishtar hissed. He sounded like he was in pain.
"You're Marik, admit it!" Muto said, stepping down from the arena.
Before Light could protest, Ishtar pushed him aside and faced the others with a jeer. "Yes, it's true, I am indeed the real Marik, you fools! Now, at last, I can finish the job my pathetic servants couldn't!"
For an instant, a golden eye glowed on his forehead and his face contorted in pain and rage.
When he continued, his voice had taken on an unnatural quality. "When I'm through with all of you, Light, your puzzle, and the power of the Egyptian Gods will soon be where they belong!"
Then, he gave a shout of pain and recoiled once more.
It seemed the Millennium Rod contained a spirit after all, which was now warring with Ishtar for control. Light took on a guise of shock as Ishtar let out a howl of agony.
When the sound had faded into the night, Ishtar righted himself with a sinister chuckle. He looked even wilder than before, with a glowing eye set in the middle of his forehead. The spirit had won.
Joey Wheeler vs. Marik Ishtar
"I hope you brought a parachute 'cause I'm blasting you right off this blimp!" Joey Wheeler shouted as the duel began.
"Good luck!" Marik jeered, his voice still weird and echoey.
"I don't need your luck!"
It wasn't an easy duel from the start, but Joey had faced tougher opponents in his struggle to get to the Battle City finals, and he wasn't about to lose to this creep! Sure, his field was empty and Marik had taken his Swordsman of Landstar, but Joey was unscathed, while Marik was down to nearly half his lifepoints.
"Lucky shot! I'm gonna show the world why you don't mess with Joey Wheeler!
"I was just thinking the same," Marik replied with a sinister smirk.
"I'm gonna wipe that smirk off your face!"
But before Joey could draw, Yugi shouted from below, "Wait, Joey, something's not right!"
"What're you talking about Yug?"
"I think Marik is planning something!"
"How astute," Marik said. "Now listen to me, foolish boy. I'm afraid that practice time is over, so I'd like to take this match to the true home of duel monsters - the Shadow Realm!"
"Marik, end this now!" Yugi shouted from below, as the dueling arena was consumed by a dark haze, but to no avail.
"Joey, it's too dangerous, you have to surrender!"
"Surrender? You're talking nonsense!"
"And in any case, it's too late for that now," Marik taunted.
"Don't worry Yug, I've got this. I can't just throw away everything I've worked for, everything I've learned" Joey could feel the cards he'd won from each duelist he defeated calling out to him from within his deck, cheering him on. "I've got to prove that I can do this on my own, without anybody's help, not even yours."
He summoned Jinzo, Legendary Fisherman, and Insect Queen, each a hard-won victory over a powerful duelist in their own right.
But as Marik destroyed each of them in turn, he forgot why they had carried any value to begin with. They faded from his mind until it was as though the whole tournament had never occured at all.
And then, Marik began to eat away at his lifepoints, gnawing at deeper memories; the friends he had made at Duelist Kingdom, like Mai, Light, and Bakura, and then Tea, Tristan, Serenity, and even Yugi faded from his mind, until he was alone in the shadows.
The only things that existed were him and his opponent. Still, the duel went on. He stumbled through turn after turn, unsure why he was still playing. Some faint memory pushed him forward. People were shouting, but he didn't know why.
Finally, Marik summoned the Winged Dragon of Ra.
It's over.
Someone he did not know jumped between him and the beast as it let loose a fiery blast, like a meteor headed straight for him.
"Yugi!" he cried out as the blast made impact.
He felt the heat first, and then the shockwave sent him flying into the banister.
He could hardly move, not even to check on the person who saved him. He did not hear Marik's approach over the ringing in his ears. He only saw the tips of Marik's shoes in front of his face and felt his soul being torn from his body.
They're better off without me.
Winner: Marik Ishtar
Light Yagami vs. Mai Valentine
"I'm sorry for what happened to Joey," Light said as they each drew their first hand. "I understand if you're not up for dueling right now and would rather stay by his side."
"If you think I'm going to back down, guess again!" Valentine played the first of many winged warrior women and put another card face down.
Her stubbornness would be her downfall. Light drew as well and played two cards face down.
"You don't seem too concerned about the people you call your friends," Valentine called him out. "You were more worried about Marik than about anyone else."
If only she had stayed out of Light's way. He explained with just a hint of indignation, "Of course I was worried; I thought Namu was our friend too. It's still hard to believe who he really was. But I'll make it up to all of you by defeating him with my Millennium Puzzle. Don't worry, Mai" - he put on his most charming smile - "I'll make everything right for you."
"You'll have to get past me first!" She launched an attack on Light's life points.
He flipped over a trap card, but she played a counter trap of her own and the attack went through, but the duel was only just beginning.
"And I'm fine," she said, "it's Joey and Yugi you should be helping."
"Don't you see, Mai, I want to help everyone!" Her obstinate suspicion was becoming tiresome.
"Yeah, right. Just quit your yapping and duel!"
Before he could take his turn, Light made his arm begin to shake. "Oh no!"
"What is it now?"
"I think it's happening again - it's the puzzle! Mai, be careful!"
"If you think I'm about to give up-"
With stiff, shaky movements, Light began to take the puzzle out of his bag.
However, before he had it around his neck, the spirit of the puzzle declared, This is your duel. I will not aid you in intimidating an innocent bystander or in cheating your way to victory.
How dare you?
I am not your servant to aid in your underhanded machinations.
With that, the spirit of the puzzle fled inside the golden artifact, where Light could not reach it. He did not need it anyway, his point had been proven well enough as it was.
With a show of effort, he shoved the puzzle back in his bag and let out a breath of relief.
Valentine rolled her eyes.
Winner: Mai Valentine
The tournament was only a distraction. Light's true goal was the Millennium Items, and he had already acquired the Millennium Ring, so now all that remained was to liberate Ishtar of his Millennium Rod and finally claim the power that would enable him to make the world anew.
He had just briefly stopped in his own quarters when he suddenly felt another presence in the room, though he had locked the door behind him and didn't hear anyone else attempt to enter. Light turned around to see a middle-eastern man in a turban and plain white robes, with large, golden hoop earrings, and a large golden key hanging around his neck. There was something familiar about him and something distinctly off in a way that Light couldn't place.
"Excuse me, I think you have the wrong room," Light said.
"I am Shadi," the man explained with a strong accent. "I am here because there has been a disturbance. You have interfered with the destiny of the Millennium Items. Who are you who possesses the Millennium Puzzle, the Millennium Eye, and now the Millennium Ring?"
Shadi did not wait for an answer. He held out the key that hung around his neck and put it up to Light's forehead. Light had just begun to wonder if this was some absurd joke when he found that he was frozen in place, unable to step back or even turn away.
Shadi turned the key and Light's room vanished from around them and he found himself suspended in an expanse of scouring white light that illuminated all imperfections and rot and burned them away until everything was pure and clean. Light alone was illuminated in a brilliant glow.
From a distant vantage point, Light could see Shadi struggling across the expanse toward a giant golden pyramid that was slowly eroding under the harsh glare. Step by step, Shadi strained against a nonexistent wind, shielding his face from the light's inescapable power. At last, Shadi reached the door of the pyramid and went inside. Light did not know for how long he stayed alone in that unchanging bright expanse. Time did not wear upon him.
Suddenly, the key turned again against his forehead, and he was suddenly back in his quarters on the blimp, facing the turbaned man. Shadi seemed worn, his face twisted into an expression of horror.
"You are not the rightful vessel of the Millennium Puzzle!" Shadi's voice shook with dire urgency.
Light's smile turned cold. "If you want the puzzle, you will have to duel me for it. Let's play a Shadow Game, your Millennium Items against mine" - Shadi could hide nothing in Light's soul; Light could feel that he possessed two; the Key and Scale.
"It is not my place to take the Millennium Puzzle." Somehow Shadi dared defy Light even after experiencing the full force of his soul. "It is up to its rightful owner to win it from you."
And then, before Light could protest, Shadi vanished as though he had never been there at all.
Light took the Millennium Ring out of his bag. He still felt a distant malevolent presence, but no spirit endeavored to take over his mind. He held it out, seeking the other Millennium Items as the spirit within had done; if Shadi was still on Kaiba's blimp, it should have been able to detect him, and if not then it would lead him to the other Millennium Items that he sought.
Light discretely stepped out into the empty corridor. However, he quickly put the Ring away when he heard footsteps approaching. It was Tea Gardner, surprisingly separated from the rest of Muto's entourage. At the sight of him, she hurried closer, her movements unusually stiff.
"Light," she called out to him, but her voice and affect were flat. "I, Marik, am controlling her. I am not the one in control of my body, but I still have some power over the Millennium Rod. Come and help me reclaim my body!"
So, some vestige of Ishtar remained, and it appeared Light's efforts had paid off after all.
"Where is your body?" Light asked, though he did not bother to add any warmth to his voice - Ishtar was as good as gone.
"Come, I'll show you, before it's too late!" Gardner grabbed Light by the hand and led him through the halls to Odion's room.
The door slid open and Light strode inside to find Ishtar bent over the unconscious Odion. In his hand was the Millennium Rod, which he wielded like a dagger, poised to kill.
"Stop! I command you!" Gardner ordered, as though he still held any sway.
Ishtar looked up and turned to face Light and the girl under his soul's control, only momentarily distracted. His hair nearly formed a mountain range on top of his head, only barely parting over his forehead to allow a glowing eye to shine through.
"I challenge you to a Shadow Game," Light declared, "your Millennium Rod for my Millennium Puzzle."
Ishtar cackled. "My Millennium Rod can easily overpower your pitiful Millennium Puzzle!"
Ishtar raised the Millennium Rod and Light was thrown back against the wall with a painful thud.
"No!" Gardner cried in the same flat voice.
"I told you that you were no match for me. I'll finish you off once I take care of Odion." Ishtar turned away - underestimating Light would be his demise.
Light struggled under the Rod's constricting power to reach into his bag and take out the Millennium Ring and Puzzle. Immediately, they began to glow and the Rod's power faded.
It was Light's turn to laugh.
"You won't be rid of us that easily!" Gardner chimed in. "This is my destiny, not yours!"
Ishtar again turned to face them. "If you insist, then I'll deal with you first and then put an end to Odion."
He raised the Rod again and Light readied for another blow, but instead, this time a beam of yellow light burst from the eye in the center, aimed at Light. However, before it could reach him, twin beams of red and blue burst from the puzzle and Ring to meet it, their combined power overwhelming the Rod's weak yellow glow.
"Neither of you are worthy of the power of the Millennium Items," Light proclaimed at long last. "I will take your Millennium Rod and seal you both away in the Shadow Realm where you belong."
Ishtar cackled.
"Light, what is the meaning of this?" Gardner exclaimed. "You were to rule at my side!"
"Don't make me laugh."
"How could you?"
Finish them!
The blue beam grew stronger, but the red began to thin.
Destroy them!
However, it was at that all important moment that the foolish, weak puzzle made its insubordinate intentions known. I refuse. You claim to care for the world, but your soul is empty. You seek only power.
We will cleanse the world of all evil and we will be the god of a new, better world!
Still, the puzzle persisted, Yet you ally yourself with darkness, in Marik and in the Ring, so long as it is of use to you, and have no compassion for those you claim to help.
I do what must be done to make the world anew!
I fear the world that you would create. The red beam thinned to a narrow thread and faded away as the spirit of the puzzle retreated until Light could no longer feel its presence.
It didn't matter, Light had no need for weakness. He concentrated all his strength into the Millennium Ring.
But it was not enough. Ishtar's golden light pushed back the blue of the Ring, until, with a final burst and wild cackle, Light was consumed by a burning like the flames of the Winged Dragon of Ra, and then he vanished into nothingness.
The last thing he heard was Gardner cry, "Light!"
The world is rotten.
