The Village of Lost Souls
It was true that after Mystery returned to the palace, she demanded for her friends to join her husband in the village of Kul Elna. But in a situation like this, patience was not a luxury she could afford. Sitting in her grand chair, she spent her time fidgeting with worry. Even after being advised many times by Shimon to rest, she could not bring herself to. She admitted she was tired, but she couldn't keep still. Joseph even tried bringing her lunch so she could build back her strength. That was one thing she brought herself to do. She was able to feed and clean her child, now she needed to take care of herself. So she asked for her lunch to be brought to her. She wanted to stay close to her child. They were both safe in the palace, but the eerie silence was still disturbing. It's one thing for an infant to rest easy after a good meal and a necessary cleaning, but it's hard for a new mother to relax. How can she after all that had been going on in these short days?
Mystery still couldn't bring herself to settle down after eating her fill. She knew that being active after a meal would give her a stomachache, but she couldn't stand not knowing what was going on. For all Mystery knew, for everybody to be gone this long meant that a Shadow Game was in play. And knowing Bakura and Max, those two were toying with their foes. She knew that her husband was strong and brave, but without Millennia's power to see him through, he didn't stand a chance now that Bakura and Max were stronger. Part of her was telling her to believe that the Great Goddess would watch over and protect her friends, but another part of her was telling her to go to the outskirts and help everybody on her own.
Shimon saw how restless the queen was and began trying to talk some sense into her once again. "I understand that you're worried about everybody, but you have to believe in the Great Goddess."
"I have been trying to tell myself the same thing. But I fear that they may all need me. Already so many people have been lost to the darkness. I cannot bear losing someone else dear to me," she says, now looking down at Emily.
Shimon had a feeling he knew what the queen was about to consider. "I feel your pain, Queen Mystery, but didn't you learn anything last night? Risking the life of your own child to stop your enemy and save your loved ones is something only a fool would do. And right now, you can't afford to be a fool."
Mystery was taught to respect her elders. Being queen didn't mean having to argue with someone who was older than her and once her teacher. But as much as she tried to consider Shimon's words, she had to argue that she couldn't help how she felt. Neither could the rest of her friends, which was why they carried out their tasks no matter how many times they were persuaded not to endanger themselves. That made her think about Mahad and what he did. But after thinking about last night and how she almost lost her daughter, she decided she wasn't going to do the same thing again. Mystery wanted to keep her daughter close to her so she could protect her, but she couldn't fight at the same time without guaranteeing her safety.
Considering the words of her husband's advisor in silence, Mystery finally calms down. "I just cannot stop thinking about Bakura and Max. I have to defeat them." But once again, she finds herself in doubt. "But I know not if I actually can. But the more I hold back, the more they will continue to hurt the people I love."
"Queen Mystery, what are you thinking about after hearing yourself say that?" questioned Shimon. As she asks him what he means, he explains to her, "You want to do something, but you lack the confidence and will. Your heart is strong, but not your will. Why do you think you were told by your husband to return to the palace? Yes, to keep you and your child safe, but that's not the only reason. He saw how weak you were inside trying to fight your battles. We need to build back your strength and spirit. Until then, you must stay in the palace and not get yourself involved in any more battles."
Mystery understood what Shimon was saying, but that would all be easier said than done. Still, she had to admit there was nothing she could do now except keep herself and her child safe. At the same time, all she could do was pray and trust.
Riding on Hydreigon and accompanied by Dusknoir, Aknadin finally came to the ruins of Kul Elna not to join the others in battle, but regretfully, to face the past he left behind in the village. The old man had promised himself many times that he would not return to this dreadful place, but he knew one day that he would have to. Walking through the streets, Aknadin felt the presence of the spirits of the villagers. The dark spirits of this village are angry, he thought. They blame me for what happened here all those years ago when they were captured in order to forge the Millennium Items. But I did what was necessary and I stand by that decision.
Startled by the spirits as some of them came into view, Aknadin fell back and cowered. Seeing that his master was in danger, Hydreigon attacked with his Dark Pulse. Shada saw what was going on and rushed to Aknadin's aid. "Master Aknadin, are you all right? You shouldn't be walking these streets alone."
"Tell me, where are the others?"
"They have all gone to the underground shrine to help the pharaoh," Shada answered. "Their Magical Creatures are helping to fight off the spirits." Then his Millennium Key begins reacting to a strange presence. Sensing that it's strong, Shada decides to investigate it. He walks inside a house that had not been completely destroyed and begins descending down the stairs. When Shada makes it to the last step, he finds that the energy is strongest in the room he was led down to. Raising his Millennium Key to illuminate his surroundings, he's amazed at what he just found. "Can it be? The tablet of Bakura's Diabound?"
"Everything makes sense to me now," said Aknadin.
Shada turns around and asks him, "What do you mean by that?"
"Diabound must have been created by the spirits of this village," he explained. "It was born out of their rage and sealed in stone down here."
"So if we destroy this tablet, Bakura's beast will be no more," said Shada. He raises his left arm to summon a Shadow Creature, but before the summoning is complete, Aknadin attacks Shada from behind with a stone. "No, Aknadin," Shada groaned. "How could you?"
The old man drops the stone and takes the Millennium Key. "You gave me no choice, Shada. I refuse to let anyone stand in the way of my son's destiny."
The duel in the underground shrine remained at a standstill as the royal team tried thinking of a way to penetrate the Spirit Shield and attack Diabound and the Angel of Death. But after using what strength their monsters had to fight, attacking was pointless. Seeing that, Bakura decided to be the one to attack. The cobra part of Diabound attacked and destroyed the Mystical Elf; weakening Isis. Seto took this chance to try and attack again now that Diabound came out to strike, but the Spirit Shield still protected the beast.
The sacred guardians knew that they were working together to take down Bakura and Max, but not in the right way. Karim decided that he had to combine his strength with Seto's, merging Duos and Curse of Dragon to form Duos Dragon. The Dark Magician decided to join forces with his friends as well, tripling their strength. But as impressive as their efforts seemed, the only way to know for sure which was strongest was to engage in battle. Diabound's Heilego Shock Wave combined with the Angel of Death's Spiral Wave to overpower Duos Dragon's Dragon Flame. The fight seemed like a stalemate as the attacks stopped once they collided, but with the spirits of Kul Elna, the Dragon was losing.
To protect himself from being engulfed, Duos Dragon held up his Aura Sword. But the mighty blade wasn't capable of withstanding the enemy's attacks. Karim saw that Seto was struggling as he was trying to withstand the attacks. He also saw that Diabound and the Angel weren't letting up. This gave him an idea; to take this chance to penetrate the Spirit Shield. Duos Dragon launched his Flame Burst attack towards the Shield to penetrate it.
When Bakura and Max took notice of what was going on, they agreed that they couldn't let their opponents get through. To stop the Dragon's attack, Bakura raised his arm to summon a small Shadow Creature that looked like an eye with wings. The monster stared at Duos Dragon and shot a laser at it. Feeling the Dragon's pain, Karim fell and lost his grip on the Millennium Scale. Jirachi tries to get the Scale, but not before the cobra part of Diabound takes it and gives it to Bakura. Now that it was in the hands of the enemy, the royal team no longer possessed the power of monster fusion; thus dividing Duos Dragon back into his two creations.
Bakura and Max both cackled, finding themselves to be invincible. "Finally, after nearly two decades of hiding in the darkness, the villagers of Kul Elna will get their revenge!"
Atem had enough. He didn't want Bakura and Max to cause any more pain and suffering or continue to overwhelm his friends with their limitless power. "Spare my friends," he groaned. "Take me."
"No, Pharaoh," Mana begged. The others tried to tell him to stop, but Atem paid no attention. He weakly walked towards Bakura and Max.
The thieves were amused. They knew right away that the king wasn't putting on an act and really was about to surrender. "Well, it seems the mighty pharaoh has come to his senses," said Max.
"Pharaoh, what are you doing?" asked Seto.
Without facing his friends, he tells them, "When my father decreed the creation of the Millennium Items, evil spirits needed to be captured in order to complete the spell."
"And now they want revenge," Seto added, realizing the truth behind the matter.
Atem nods and adds, "These dark spirits blame my father for trapping them here and they want me to pay the price. So I shall allow my spirit to join them and this grudge shall finally be laid to rest once and for all."
"Well, you heard the pharaoh, it's time for vengeance," cried Bakura. The evil spirits of the villagers made their way inside Atem and began attacking him from within. Feeling cold and numb, Atem felt like his spirit was being engulfed and consumed. But he also felt a protective warmth inside.
Confused and wondering what's going on, everyone hears a familiar voice. "Spirits of Kul Elna, it is not my son you want. It is me."
Jirachi gasps and wonders, "Is that truly him?" Seeing the spirit of the former pharaoh, Jirachi finds his assumption to be correct. Everyone else looks in amazement.
"Oh, no," gasped Max. "He's protecting his son." That wasn't the only thing happening. As the former king drew the evil spirits towards him, Diabound and the Angel of Death had been drained of the additional energy they received.
Now that the spirits of the villagers had been taken in, they were finally able to leave the mortal realm. Sadly, King Aknamkanon would be joining them in the Realm of Shadows where the evil spirits belonged. Bakura and Max kept demanding for their fellow spirits to return, but nothing happened. This was enough for the spirits to finally leave in peace. Their revenge didn't meet the satisfaction they hoped for, but they were still able to take on the man who caused them their suffering. So they peacefully left the battlefield and went to the Realm of Shadows in hopes of joining their Dark Lord.
After losing their power, Bakura and Max couldn't believe that they were on the brink of defeat. With so much on the line for them and other pieces of business they had to consider, the thieves didn't want to take their chances. So they withdrew their monsters and decided to end the battle. It wasn't necessarily a forfeit and the royals knew just as much.
"This is not over, Pharaoh," warned Bakura. "The Battle of the Gods will come to an end. Your empire will crumble and Millennia's power will fall into our hands."
"Not if you and Max keep running from battle and luring us into traps," said Atem. "If you keep doing this to me and my friends, then I can assure you that Cobalt's wishes will never be fulfilled. In the name of the Great Goddess Millennia, the land of Egypt shall once again know peace."
"Never," Max and Bakura growled and began placing the Millennium Items in the Stone.
"That's enough," demanded Atem. "Now return those Items to me."
"Those Items stay where they are," said a voice. Everyone turns around and sees Aknadin in the stairwell. "You see, Phraraoh, I am responsible for the creation of the Millennium Items and I will decide their fate. I decide that they shall return to their resting place."
Atem and his friends couldn't believe what they just heard. What also shocked them was seeing the Millenium Key in his hand. But before they think about asking what's going on, they all face their front again and look at Bakura and Max. The two thieves chuckle as dark clouds surround them and they disappear from everybody's sight. Refocusing their attention on Aknadin, they see Shada weakly coming down the stairs. "Pharaoh, you must stop him," he groaned.