Yugi had come to and was now back in control of his body. Jounouchi had carried Mai back to her room where he laid her on her bed. She had not regained back her consciousness after her duel with Marik.

"Mai..." Jounouchi whispered.

Akia held her friend's hand in her own, "Mai-san, I promise... I will bring you back."

Isono had announced that the semi-finals and finals were to be held at a different location, therefore, they had to wait before being able to rescue Mai. That night, Akia stayed with Mai even after everyone else had gone back to their rooms to sleep.

"Mai-san, if I hadn't lied to you... Maybe you would've trusted me more and stepped away from that duel. Then you wouldn't have ended up like this," the red-eyed girl said with a choked voice, stifling her sobs.

After a while, Akia wiped her tears and decided to finally go back to her room. On her way, however, the last person she wanted to see stepped in her way.

"Marik..." She muttered.

"You sound so stuffy, my dear," he chuckled, "did you spend the night crying over your lost friend?"

Akia clenched her fists, trying to hold back her anger. She took a deep breath and continued on her way, not wanting to be provoked any further by him. Marik wouldn't have it, however, so he grabbed her by her upper arm and yanked her to face him.

"Ah! Let me go!" Akia yelped in pain. He was grabbing her so strongly that she knew it'd leave a mark.

"This destiny we share, I want nothing to do with it," Marik whispered menacingly, "I want to destroy you... Ah!"

A sharp pain coursed through his body as he said that, just like the first time when he had stated that he wanted to kill her. Marik did not let go of her however, opting to drag her back to his room instead.

"What are you doing?!" Akia tried to resist, but he was way too strong for her to even make him stumble.

When they got to his room, Marik flung Akia forward, causing her to lose her balance and fall on the ground. He then closed his door and locked it.

"Now... We won't be interrupted." Marik said as he turned to her. He then dragged her off the ground forcefully by her arm and threw her on his bed.

Fearing the worst, Akia's body started shaking. What he did next, however, was completely different from what she had expected. Marik just went and sat on the bed, looking down at her with a blank stare.

"I'm not even amused by your fear anymore," the Egyptian young man muttered in a displeased tone, "the more I hurt you, the less I want to do it. Even though you threaten my very being, I feel drawn towards your pathetic existence."

Akia slowly sat up on the bed, not wanting to provoke him. When she did, he held her face in his had and pulled it towards him, mere inches away from his.

"Not particularly attractive, either," Marik mumbled, "but my body is getting this strange warmth when I'm around you. It must be my dominant personality's residual humanity."

His warm breath was making Akia blush unwillingly, feeling light-headed from the closeness. She knew that she was unmistakably having a fatal attraction to Marik. She should hate him for what he did, and she did hate him for it. She hated his evil personality. But she did not hate his real personality. Akia liked everything about the real Marik and that included his body. Right now, it was his body that was being controlled by his dark personality. All she wanted in that moment was to be in his arms. She wanted him to come back. Thinking of Marik, Akia's tears flowed uncontrollably.

Marik, seeing her cry, felt something tug at his heart. He hated feeling this way. He had cast aside everything and only lived to destroy everything around him. She was penetrating his hatred and anger towards the world, and that meant that he would disappear if he let himself be swept away by her.

"Marik... Please come back," Akia kept crying, "come back to me."

"I am the real Marik, now," the man chuckled, pushing aside what he had been feeling towards her. He then licked her tears off one of her cheeks, "your tears taste so sweet. Your despair is like honey on my tongue. Cry. Beg. Grovel before me."

Suddenly, there was banging on the door. Marik let go of her face, leaving her sitting there on his bed in tears. When he opened the door, he was met with a punch to the face.

"Ugh...!" Marik groaned. "Tch. You came for her, I guess?"

"Akia!" A voice that she recognized all too well called out to her, but she didn't feel like it was her saving grace. On the contrary, it was yet another threat that she needed to deal with.

"Bakura..." Akia sighed, not knowing what else to do. She then took out her Millennium Scale from her backpack, to protect herself from all of them as she planned to get out. When she did hold it however, she heard another voice that she also recognized, but that filled her with a whole myriad of emotions.

"Akia...!" The voice was calling from within Bakura's soul.

"Marik... It's really you, isn't it?" Akia called out as she ran to the apparition of the one she had so longed for. Before she could reach him, the dark Marik held her back, hugging her tightly from behind, smirking at both Bakura and his other personality.

"Let her go!" The Spirit of the Ring said menacingly.

The one holding Akia then moved his hand up to her neck and placed it there, causing her to freeze in fear.

"Hahaha, her little neck is so small and fragile, it feels like I can break it if I squeeze just a little," the evil Marik laughed.

"Akia! Use your Millennium Scale on me!" The real Marik yelled out to her.

"No... I can't... Then you'd disappear..." Akia sobbed at the thought, "I can't live without you...!"

Hearing her say that, the real Marik couldn't help but feel remorse at all the pain and suffering he had put her through.

The Spirit of the Ring frowned. She had never showed this much emotion towards him and he couldn't help but feel jealous at the display of affection. He then used his Millennium Ring to immobilize Marik who had not brandished his Millennium Rod to protect himself.

"Hmph... Well played..." The dark Marik mumbled.

Bakura then went up to him and released Akia from his grip, pulling her behind him.

"Marik! I challenge you to a duel," the Spirit of the Ring stated, "where I will take your Millennium Rod, and your god card. And you will be out of Akia's life forever."

The dark personality chuckled, "I accept."

The Spirit of the Ring then turned around and dragged Akia along, bringing her in front of her room.

"Stay in your room," he ordered.

Akia frowned, "don't treat me like a child, I can do what I want to do."

"Is that why I found you in another man's room? You think you can just sleep around and I'd be okay with it-?" Before Bakura could continue berating her, he felt a sharp sting on his cheek. Akia had just slapped him.

"How dare you talk to me that way," she said in a low menacing voice. "You don't even know what happened and you act like I belong to you or something? Since when? I've never been yours and never will be. The second I realized how much you hurt Ryou, I've lost all potential of having any sort of feelings for you."

Marik was watching the scene unfold, not knowing how to react to what was happening.

"Besides," Akia continued, "the only one for me in this world is Marik. I'm not confused about this anymore."

"Akia..." The piece of Marik in Bakura's consciousness uttered, feeling overjoyed with her confession.

The Spirit of the Ring scowled, "heh, who said anything about feelings or love. I only want to possess you, whether you want it or not. I will deal with you after this match." He then whispered menacingly close to her ear, "I will be the only one left standing and I will come for you."

Marik looked at her worriedly but she gave him a reassuring gaze.

"Marik. Whatever happens, I will get you back," Akia said with determination.

"Thank you, Akia... And I'm sorry... for everything," Marik expressed his remorse.

Bakura scoffed one last time before going on his way to duel Marik's evil personality.