Arrival of a God
While Jonouchi was busy facing his own horrors in the form of drastically over-the-edge visions of duel monster fights, Yugi was more or less getting over his own. True, unlike his friend's last two duels his latest match hadn't been filled with the blood and gore of his monsters... Nor had he spent the last half-hour or so staring at his right arm with barely hidden horror and disgust as those around him pondered his sanity.
But barely saving a clearly insane opponent from loosing both of his legs to a giant saw blade only to be told, through some disembodied voice speaking through that opponent, that the man would commit suicide once he woke up was just a little disconcerting. Along with the situation that led to that incident in the first place, with the store-front 'Ghoul hideaway', the basement of pile upon pile of stage magic equipment...
The leg-braces with automatic locks and life-point controlled buzz-saws... (Now that was just sick.)
So really, besides the fact that Malik had also decided to share another fact with himself and his 'other', it was not the best start to the after noon. Though he had to admit, the amount of information that Malik had 'seen fit' to give him though a warped and accented version of 'Pandora's voice was...
A lot, to tell the truth. More than enough to have him silent as he attempted to wrap his head around it while wiping the blood from Pandora's bleeding legs from his hands. Tomb guardian... That was what Malik claimed to be, from what he could tell. Guardian's of the 'Nameless Pharaoh'. He'd heard something similar from his other self when he thought back, in a story from long before he was aware of the spirit. When he was telling him about 'Shaadi'... The man from Egypt who carried both the scales and the 'key'. But while Shaadi had long since vanished back to wherever he came from, Malik's threat was constant and present, and not something to take lightly. Particularly since, unlike Shaadi, his own reasons were not to 'protect' or test the Pharaoh... No...
Malik had been fairly clear about what he wanted to do to his 'other self'. But while Malik's words had carried with them the threat of death, they'd also told him another thing, one incredibly important thing that had his mouth clamped shut for the moment as he left Pandora's store.
The reason why his other self had entered this tournament. The reason why he'd even considered entering the tournament...
Memories... Gathering the cards and the Millennium Items, thereby unlocking the 'Pharaoh's memories. That was who he was, wasn't he? The 'other him'. And to find out just what kind of person he was, he would need those cards, wouldn't he? ...According to Malik, two of them were in this city now Yugi thought, walking down the street in silence. One, 'Obelisk', was in Kaiba's hands... Something that had likely happened soon after Jonouchi's 'bodyguard night' when he thought about it. And as for the other, it was in the hands of the one Malik called the 'Silent Doll'... The man with 'Osiris'...
But just what did he mean by 'Doll' he wondered, swallowing nervously as he moved to take a more 'lonely' route along a small canal. Why had Malik specifically said 'Beware of the Silent Doll'..? "I don't understand," he found himself muttering with narrowed eyes. "I just don't...
"Then we'll just have to wait," his other said with a frown, hovering beside him with crossed arms. The boy turned, blinking as his partner stared off at the side. "If our enemies plan to hide," the spirit stated calmly, "Then we'll have to wait for them to come to us; it's much quicker than searching the entire city," he added, staring into the canal at the side as he said this.
What..! Yugi paled, shaking his head. But he couldn't- He couldn't..! "N-No!" The spirit turned, watching as his 'lighter' half frowned and continued. "I can't just wait for them to attack us! The Ghouls want to kill you," he shouted, ignoring the odd looks a few passersby were giving him as he spoke to what was to them 'thin air'. "For all we know, they're plotting something right now!" Yugi swallowed as his other half merely continued to stare, sighing as he bowed his head. "Other me... I know what you're trying to find here in this tournament," the boy stated calmly, scowl lightening as he looked up and beyond the bridge above them. "And I can't just stand by and watch them ruin that... Your memories... They're worth so much," he continued, "And I knew, from the start that there had to be something else you were fighting for in this tournament! Something more than rare cards, or maybe a chance to fight Kaiba-san-"
The spirit flushed, coughing somewhat as he looked back at the boy incredulously. "N- Why would that be a reason!" ...Why was the reason such a big deal..?
Yugi gave his partner a somewhat flat stare, frowning as he ignored the flustering to give him a straight answer. "...If it weren't for the fact that I know better Other Me, I could interpret all of your conversations with Kaiba-san as an attempt to flirt..."
That particular line got an even stranger reaction, his other self continuing to cough and run into an uncharacteristically flustered state. "Bu- But that's not!" Well with the way he was reacting..!
The boy shook his head, unable to keep a smile off his face. "I know," he said with a short laugh, "I'm just saying; it's obvious that you enjoy dueling her... But as much as I know that," Yugi continued seriously, stopping to stand by the canal beneath the bridge, "These memories are more important right? For that reason, I want to help you," he insisted, his other self staring at the boy oddly as he continued. "We'll fight together... After all," Yugi said with an honest smile, "Getting your memories back is my job too, right?"
Again the spirit stared, mouth hanging slightly open before he spoke. "Y... Your 'job'," he asked, shaking his head as the path around them began to grow silent.
Yugi nodded, a somewhat sad smile on his face as he held his puzzle close. "It took me years to complete this puzzle," he said quietly, closing his eyes as he remembered those times. Eight years of constant attempts to piece one part to another, only for it to end up in just as many pieces as he'd started really... "And eventually, after I did, I finally met you. And even before then," the boy continued, referring to the bit of time from before Kaiba's 'Death-T' event, "You were there... You gave me courage when I was weak, and you helped me to find friends... Just like in my wish," he added with a smile, turning to his other-self. "'A true friend'... Someone who won't let me down, someone who I won't let down... And now," he continued, smile widening as he looked back at the canal for a moment, "I have lots of friends... Jonouchi, Anzu... Honda, Otogi, Bakura, Kaiba-san and Mokuba... And you," he added, the smile widening even more as it was mirrored by his other's usual smirk.
"Heh..." The spirit appeared to cross his legs from where he stood in mid-air, shaking his head. "You made that wish come true on your own," he said with a smile, turning to Yugi as his 'lighter' half again looked back at the canal. "I can't take the credit for that..."
"Maybe not," the boy said quietly, looking back at his puzzle with a slight shrug, "But I still think you did..." There was silence in response, his other-self merely turning away in silence. A 'pharaoh'... "...There's a part of me that wants it to always be like this," he continued, rubbing the puzzle in his hands. "You and me, inside my heart and soul, like we are now... But maybe that's because I'm too dependent on you... Maybe," Yugi muttered, almost guiltily, " Maybe I've been trapping you here, with me... Using your strength to protect me and my friends..." He fell quiet for a moment, the gaze of his other self burning the back of his neck somewhat before he turned back with a swallow. "But you know... I can't do that forever," the boy stated seriously, giving a single nod. "So now it's my turn to do something for you... My turn to grant you a wish," he continued, gripping the chain of his puzzle tightly. "I'll help you get back your memories, Other Me... No matter what!"
"Y... You..." The 'other' Yugi stared, before shaking his head with a smirk. "I see..." He nodded, the smirk shifting to a more calm smile. "...Thank you, Aibou."
"Heh..." He nodded, letting go of the puzzle as he started walking down the side of the canal with his partner again. "No problem..." The two shared calm smiles for a moment, before freezing in place as a sudden chill ran down their spine. Even the warm summer heat seemed to drain from the area as they stopped, their expressions falling as the chill increased. "...This feeling..." Yugi turned as the sound of footsteps came from behind them, watching as a young man skidded down the side of the canal wall at breakneck speed before charging toward them. "S-Someone's coming..!"
The other Yugi as well turned, eyes widening as the man continued to run. "But who..."
The man before them skidded to a stop, eyes wide and unblinking as his bones cracked with each movement. Skeleton-thin he stood, pants hanging off his shoulders by loose suspenders and straps that were about as tight as the oversized jeans he wore. A duel disk with a loaded deck sat just as loosely upon his wrist, already primed for battle as he held it forward with a 'clack'. As he did so however, not a word was spoken, not a sound made as he breathed at an even and almost mechanized pace... The bald man merely stared, body clearly suffering from a fatigue that was being easily ignored. "...Who are you," Yugi whispered, swallowing as he stepped back from the imposing looking figure. "Who-"
"Aibou," his other self muttered stiffly, eyes wide as he looked at the man across from him. The spirit shook somewhat, growing tense as he stared forward with unblinking eyes. "Look..!" Both boys swallowed as they stared at the man's forehead, watching as the light clearly illuminated bulging, 'eye-shaped' veins between where eyebrows had once been. From a distance, it had been difficult to see... But looking now, the shape of the 'Eye of Wdjat' was impossible to miss. This person...
This was... "R... Rare Hunter," Yugi whispered, face growing pale as he stared at the near ghost-like figure.
Without warning the man tilted his head, cracking it back into place as his mouth opened to speak in a frightening lack of emotion or relaxation. "That's right 'Vessel'," the familiar patterns Malik used stated, voice again formed by the host's throat rather than his own. Vessel... That was what Malik had been calling him since their last 'meeting'... A 'vessel' for the spirit in the puzzle... "This is my Doll," Malik said with a likely unseen grin, "My Silent Doll... You remember my warning don't you," he asked, 'opponent' swallowing as the 'doll' in question held his duel disk forward. "I told you to watch out... To 'beware'," he continued with an almost 'hannibal' like tone, "Because this is the one whose power mimics mine. I might not be in this city," Malik continued through the doll, the expression sitting in the same wide-eyed 'blank slate' that it was since they first spotted it, "But that doesn't mean I won't fight you... After all," Malik 'asked' smoothly, "What more worthy an opponent for the thousands years old spirit of the Puzzle than the God Osiris, Lord of the Dead?" G...Gh... The boy drew back somewhat with those words, swallowing under the nonexistent stare that he was receiving from the 'voice'. "But you know," Malik said with a 'sigh', "This fight is a bit of an important matter for me," he drawled, emotions blocked by the stoniness of the host he used to speak. "So if the 'Vessel' could please stand down for now..." Stand d- What..!
Yugi looked to the side at his other self, watching as the spirit narrowed his eyes in anger. "...This is fate," he muttered stiffly, arms crossed as he moved to take control of the body for the moment. "I can't avoid this one..."
...No... He supposed not... But even so... "Be careful," he warned, swallowing as his partner continued to stare at their opponent. "If he has a God card, this won't be easy..!" The spirit merely nodded, before seemingly merging with his lighter half's body in a flash.
And with a sudden blast of 'wind' and vertigo on the part of both there was a switch, the body grabbing their duel disk and setting it into position with narrowed eyes as the jacket was pulled off their arms. "Don't worry," the 'other' Yugi muttered, again in control of the body as he gripped the jacket in his hand. "I will defeat God if need be..."
"...Alright then," the lighter, now 'ghostly' form Yugi muttered from the side, fading into the puzzle to allow his partner privacy. His voice faded to little more than a whisper as he took his place within the puzzle, worry evident even without the visual expression cue. "Good luck..."
The jacket was tossed to the side of the canal walkway as 'Yugi' stared across the field, listening as Malik's elated chuckling filled the air. "At last, at last you come out..!" Tch... 'at last'? The only reason he wasn't 'there' last time was because his 'lighter half' had wanted to spare Pandora from the death that he quite deserved... ...Not that it did Pandora any good he thought bitterly, glaring at the 'source' of the reasoning. "I've waited years for this," Malik was continuing with a laugh, his doll showing no change in emotion otherwise. "Many, many years..."
Yugi merely stared at the 'doll', scoffing as the pale, skeleton-thin man stood motionless. 'Many years'...? It looked as though this 'doll' had been doing the same quite frankly. "Hn!" The teen shook his head, staring at his 'opponent' in distaste. "Your 'doll' has seen better days 'Malik'... Not the most dignified bearer for a God card," he continued, crossing his arms as the wind blew past the 'duelists'.
There was the sound of a sigh on the air, the owner of the voice likely shaking his head. "No... I suppose not," Malik drawled, tone clearly showing how little he cared about the matter. "But he's certainly useful..." Useful, Yugi thought with a frown, narrowing his eyes as his 'opponent' went on. "This 'doll' was a serial killer in his country," he explained darkly, "A young man who slaughtered his parents and siblings in a single night without warning, captured on scene with literally blood soaked arms," Malik stated with an unseen smirk, his opponent staring with narrowed eyes as a slight prickling feeling of unease developed. "Out of the guilt and madness this drove him into," he continued 'plainly, "He locked his very consciousness from his body, forcing himself into a comatose state. Not a shred of emotion or feeling remains in this 'man'... If you could call such an empty vessel a 'man'," he added with a laugh, the voice greatly contrasting the emotionless face his opponent was staring at. "But for myself, the master of the mind, there is no better weapon..." So then besides brainwashing other people... "After all, it isn't as though he can argue any more..." Besides admittedly forcing people into his own bidding...
He had effectively denied this man the 'peace' of death, the sole escape that he likely had after actions that so clearly rendered him insane? Yugi's lips curled back in distaste, gritting his teeth as he glared at the 'doll' ahead of him. Even from a distance he could see scars on the man's body... Markings from a self-induced maddness that had slowly degenerated into complete vegetation... "So brainwashing isn't the only thing you do then," he spat, narrowing his eyes as he stared across the field. "You sicken me Malik..." And there were no other words for it!
More chuckling filled the air with that statement however, the 'doll' shaking with each breath as his mouth moved with an almost audible clack. "Hnhnhnhnhnh... Oh do I now," he 'asked' with a likely smirk, opponent's scowl deepening even more in response. "The human mind is so much more fragile than the body don't you know? You've toyed with it yourself," the voice continued in evident humor, "With interesting results I might add..." Gh- Yugi's jaw clenched at the accurate accusation, visions of the various 'penalties' he'd inflicted coming to mind. From hallucinatory horrors to soul-imprisoning acts of power... But they had all been within reason he told himself, all of them... This... This was different, this had no purpose, this- "People, all people," Malik stated calmly, "Are influenced by what they see. Whether they read it, experience it... From those actions, people can do many things, with incredible results... They can create entire personalities, separate each other from their very selves... Or they'll come to believe that they hear God," he continued on with a cold chuckle, "Acting on what are merely hints and suggestions that were planted prior..." So the mind was 'strange'... He knew this. There were reasons, after all, for Mokuba's initial questioning on his 'presence', the questions of the others as to his origin... Anzu had assumed, for the most part, that he was simply a fragment of Yugi, the 'light' one... Mokuba as well had wondered, if not briefly, whether or not they were technically 'the same'.
And of course, in the end, both were wrong. Everyone was wrong really... But just what purpose did those topics have now..?
"The imagination," his 'opponent' muttered, chuckling filling the air. "Hnhnhnhn... It'll devour you from the inside out," he stated with an eerily humoured tone before continuing on. "You see my power is far more than 'brainwashing', far more..." ...More than brainwashing? And just what sort of logic was that... "With my overwhelming charisma and dominance combining with a person's thoughts, it's easy to show them their image of 'God'," Malik explained, his unseen smirk more likely than not widening into a sneering grin. "And when God speaks," he continued darkly, "It's impossible not to listen... Such is the work of the Millennium Rod. A domination of all thoughts, senses and memories, played with to my bidding..."
In other words, brainwashing, with a glorified definition of complete and total domination the teen thought with a low growl. "Tch..."
"This 'doll'... This 'killing machine'," Malik said with a rather 'off-hand' tone, likely grinning from wherever he was located, "When I win this duel, believe me... It will kill you... It's simply his 'program', his 'instinct' if you will," the voice explained, quite likely revelling in the steady chill his opponent was now suffering from as a result. "No matter where you run, no matter where you hide," he said with an invisible, cheshire's grin, "This doll will pursue you tirelessly, day and night both... You can run as far as you want," Malik announced 'proudly', the soulless eyes of his doll staring blankly forward, "But he will never stop... Never sleep... Until the blood from your cold dead corpse is on his hands," he finished with a chuckle, a cold breeze swiftly moving through the area as a result."Khnhnhnhnhnhnh..."
Yugi swallowed as the laughter floated through the air in a faded tone, narrowing his eyes as he thought over the words. Life or death was it? ...Well... If that was the case... "You might be able to catch me," he said darkly, a threatening smirk coming on his face as the wind around them increased in ferocity, "But do you honestly think that you can beat me," he asked, the smirk widening into a dark and menacing grin.
Silence hovered through the air, before laughter came from the doll once more in contrast to its expression. "Khahahaha... HAHAHAHAHA! But of course I can, Yugi! I'll kill you," he shouted with a loud and roaring cackle, "And then after taking 'Kaiba Seto's own card I'll do the same to him... And with the three cards in my grasp I will take the title of 'King', freed from your shadow and curse of thousands of years..."
Well... He was certainly bitter about this... Yugi grit his teeth, watching as the deck in the slot of the disk shuffled itself before settling to a stop. So not just him then... Kaiba as well. Well... While he doubted Kaiba would be unable to dispose of the scum before him with ease, he wasn't about to let it get to that point. "Hn!" He could not lose... He would not lose! He would regain his lost memories and prove 'Malik' wrong! "Then start the duel," he shouted, narrowing his eyes as both he and his opponent drew their hand of cards. "LET'S GO!"
"Hnhnhnhnhn... Very well! I draw first," Malik shouted loudly, the doll doing as commanded with stiff moments as it added a card to the hand. Only a brief moment more and the 'doll' was taking another card from the six he held, blank eyes not once moving from their opponent. "Are you ready," he taunted, setting the card on the field robotically. "I play one card face down... And then," he continued, the face down card in question appearing to the field in a flash of light, "Humanoid Slime," the voice shouted, "Attack mode!" Attack mode..? The teen frowned, watching as the card appeared on the field as the metallic, gooey beast materialized from the light before it."End turn!"
But with a monster as weak as that, Yugi thought with narrowed eyes, looking over the stats of the card before him... He narrowed his eyes further, frowning as he drew his next card. Well obviously this was setting up for a trap... Attack the monster, get a nasty surprise he thought with a growl, glaring somewhat at the card in question. But if he couldn't attack this turn, he could always set a trap for a trap, he thought with a nod, setting the card on the field and watching as the enormous version of the card 'flashed' onto the field. "I play one card face down," he shouted as the card appeared, before taking a second card and setting it on the disk. "And then, I play Gazelle in attack mode," the teen called out, watching as the great holographic 'lion' appeared to the field with a roar. The monster's card hovered behind the beast, both the monster and its card sitting a foot or so off the ground. Gazelle however did not appear to stand as though in 'mid-air' this time however, instead taking a 'seat' as it looked across the field. "My turn is over!"
Hnn... Was it just him he wondered with a frown, or were the 'holograms' a little more realistic than before..? Gazelle always had his own personality, but he was never this 'detailed'... ...Whatever, he told himself. Likely nothing... "Hnnn..." The teen stared as his opponent took his own turn, still staring blankly across the field and hiding whatever emotions the 'controller' held. "No attack," Malik questioned, his opponent merely narrowing his eyes in response. "You're awfully cautious... Or should I even say 'cowardly'," he added, Yugi merely holding his glare as the voice chuckled darkly. Bastard... "Hnhnhnhnhn... You won't be able to beat me like that," the voice 'observed', his opponent continuing to grit his teeth as Malik muttered on, "But at least you won't die before seeing the glory that is Osiris with your own eyes... Perhaps you can offer him a prayer of safe journey's in the afterlife," he added, Yugi merely continuing to respond with a silent glare in regards to the veiled threat. "Now," Malik continued with a cackle, his doll drawing a card before taking another from his hand in an unseen sleight-of-hand. "I summon Worm Drake!" The holographic card appeared to the field instantly, long and almost reptilian 'worm' appearing in front of it. "And in addition to that," the voice shouted, the holographic 'worm' writhing in its spot as its doll set another card, "Polymerization! Fusing them both into the Humanoid Drake," he announced loudly, the cards on the field vanishing as Polymerization's spiral swam from the newly arrived card, light coating the Worm Drake into a metalloid serpent with wings and arms both.
There it was... The material cards vanished in an instant to make way for the combined form's own holographic portrait, the monster shimmering to an almost blinding extent in the light. 2200 attack points... Obviously more than his 'Gazelle'. But he needn't worry just yet, Yugi reminded himself with a swallow, it couldn't attack-
"Do you recall my face down card," Malik 'asked' idly, his opponent staring past the glowing, holographic monster to the card on the field. Yes... That was the card... "The one that you likely thought was a trap? It wasn't." It wasn'- Damn. "Flip the card," he shouted, the card in question swinging upwards at the Doll's swift movement as its image became clear. "Quick Attack!" The card vanished from the field as its name was shouted, Yugi narrowing his eyes. Tch... Allow one fusion monster to attack on the same turn it's summoned... And if that was the case... "Hnhnhnhn... Unlike you, I don't fear my opponent's cards," Malik drawled, his host holding its same emotionless vigil as he spoke. "I'm not the type of duelist who plays it safe, never attacking unless he's sure of the upper hand... Unlike you," he shouted with a cackle, "Who's so cowardly they're afraid of a single face down card..!" Gh... Then the trap... "Slime Drake," Malik ordered, the beaked serpent charging toward his monster, "Attack!" Then...
Hnhnhnhnhn... He'd fallen for the trap. "Heh... You think so," he shouted, tapping the corresponding 'spell/trap' button to activate the card. "Malik... I knew from the moment you played 'Humanoid Slime' that you would use it to make a fusion monster! After all... You'd be able to gain a powerful monster without wasting a turn, and all in all," he continued, smirking as the card he'd activated swung upward on the field, "What better material monster than the slime?"
"You..." The voice sputtered somewhat, as though choking on his words. "You knew I would polymerize-"
"Of course," he said with a grin, ignoring the sudden silence his opponent took. "And now... 'De-Fusion'," the teen shouted, watching as the card 'shocked' the monster back into its materials before vanishing from the field. The two material 'cards' again appeared on the field, taking the place of their original summon before the source of the spell vanished in a flash. "And since you're still attacking," he muttered, pointing his monster forward as the beast stood with a nod. "Gazelle," Yugi ordered, the monster growling as the material monsters hovered on the field, "Destroy the slime!"
Instantly the beast reacted, slashing through the slime monster as it charged forward.A blast of wind buffeted the mind-controlled doll as his points went down, the worm drake left as the only monster on his side of the field while Malik growled. "Rggg..."
Hnhnhnhnhn... "Well Malik," he asked, still smirking as it came to his turn. "I'm sure you've already planned your next move... But keep in mind," the teen continued with a grin as he drew his card, "That I've planned the one after it..."
"Hnhnhnhnhn..." Yugi frowned somewhat as chuckling filled the air, growing steadily louder despite the lack of movement from the doll. ...He... Hadn't expected laughter as a reaction... "Hnhnhahaha... So you predicted that," Malik stated with a chuckle, likely grinning despite the hit to his lifepoints. "Well... You're making this quite enjoyable Yugi..." Tch... Enjoyable..! How was this..!
...Well... He supposed he himself could have some satisfaction from beating him at least... "Hn! Your moves are too weak to even touch my lifepoints Malik... I doubt this will last much longer," he added calmly, looking over his hand for a brief moment.
More laughter filled the air in response to this, distracting him from his move. Yugi narrowed his eyes as the disembodied voice chuckling echoed on the wind, the source taking a few moments to calm himself before speaking. "Please," he muttered with an invisible sneer, "I was just testing the waters on that turn... I cast a pebble into the seas to see how big a ripple it would make, to measure your skills as a duelist..."
Tch... "If you cast a pebble into the seas you won't even get a ripple," he shouted incredulously, only to grit his teeth as Malik cut him off.
"Now now," he drawled 'impatiently', "Let me finish..." Tch... Since he would likely keep interrupting until he did, he mind as well... "If a duelist is a vessel, a container," Malik explained shortly, "Then the strategies and abilities of that vessel are the water that fills it... The water takes the shape of the container," he continued, "Filling it, but if there isn't enough you can see right through it to the bottom... And as such, see through the strategies to your own advantage..." And just what was he trying to say by that..? More chuckling filled the air, Yugi grinding his teeth in aggravation. "The rumors don't lie," Malik said plainly, likely smirking yet again as he 'looked' at his opponent's expression. "You have quite the talent Yugi... A duelist with 'depth'," he continued, the doll's blank eyes far betraying the tone. "But with the stone I have, the stone called 'Osiris', I will crush your vessel... Keep that in mind, Yugi..." 'Crush' him?
Tch... He wouldn't let him..! "Gh... Continue the duel," the teen shouted, looking back at his hand with a short growl. "It's my turn!" Yugi looked at the card he'd drawn moments before, grabbing the one beside it as he ran a few ideas through his head. Buster Blader... The seven-star, warrior monster. He could summon him next turn then he decided, setting the card in his hand on the field. But for now... "I summon Beta, the Magnet Warrior," he shouted, watching as a large version of the card appeared with the hologram of his monster. The monster gave a curt nod as it took a fighting stance, hovering in the air with narrowed, beady eyes.
...Strange...
The teen narrowed his eyes briefly, looking at the monster as the strong wind from before continued to pick up. The holograms didn't reflect light before... And yet Beta's metal armor was gleaming almost blindingly in the sun, much like actual metal. This wasn't happening before... So why would they now? Again he shook it off, turning his attentions to the duel. ...Whatever. He had no time for this... "Battle phase," he announced, pointing the monsters forward. With a growl the less powerful of the two charged forward, Beta right behind the beast as it tore through Malik's worm. "Gazelle destroys the Worm Drake," he announced, before Beta continued forward to strike the 'Doll' directly. Again the vicious wind passed his opponent's doll, not a single movement given at the steady drop in life points that he'd suffered. "Turn end," Yugi shouted, bracing himself against the rapidly increasing pressure of wind. There... No more monsters left on the field, and an already made strike to Malik's life points directly... He had the upper hand..!
...And yet Malik's voice, like the doll, did not appear to care, the doll in question merely drawing a card as his 'controller' spoke. "My turn..." Shit. No change in tone, not even in the slightest... "Yugi," Malik muttered, the teen in question swallowing back a feeling of unease. "I likened strategy to water earlier didn't I," he asked, opponent narrowing his eyes at the analogy. "I think I'll show you that strategy now... After all," the voice announced clearly, "At times, water can become a shapeless shield, protecting against anything... And at others it can become a sword, to pierce the opponent's heart... This monster wields that power," he announced, setting a card on the field as its holographic counterpart rose into place. "I summon the Revival Jam, in defense mode!" Revival Jam... Another slime monster? Yugi frowned as the largely formless slime appeared above the ground, only to swallow as his opponent continued with his move. "And now that the monster is on the field," Malik stated as he placed a second card, the spell card appearing on the field as he spoke, "It's time to turn on my Jam Breeding Machine!" W-What..! The machine in question arose immediately, a large domed mass of metal spewing smoke and steam of all sorts. A small spout sat on the top of the device, dripping with some kind of goo...
So this was... "A slime machine..!"
More chuckling filled the air, the doll remaining just as motionless as before while Malik explained. "Correct... This device produces one slime each turn," he said calmly, the machine smoking and steaming from where it hovered in the air. "Of course," the voice stated with an audible 'shrug', "As long as its on the field, I can't normal summon any monsters..." No, but he could tribute summon as soon as it was self-destroyed now couldn't he..! And given what he'd heard, the teen thought with a swallow, the God Cards were likely too powerful for even the standard 'two monster' sacrifice... Which meant Malik was going to keep summoning slimes until he had enough for Osiris..!
A cold shudder ran down his spine with that thought, the teen swallowing as he stared at the field. The 'ultimate' monster... And for all he knew he realized coldly, it was already in his hand... Yugi again swallowed back the wash of unease, gritting his teeth as he looked across the field. He'd have to kill Malik's lifepoints before he could play it... Knock him out of the tournament first, beat him quickly... "It's my turn," he shouted, drawing a card to add to his hand without a glance before taking the Buster Blader and setting it on the dueldisk. "I sacrifice my two monsters to summon the Dragon Slayer," he announced, wind picking up with a sudden jump in speed and force, "Buster Blader!" The two monsters on the field vanished into pillars of light, cards removed from the disk and field both as the summoned monster took its place. The swordsman held his broadsword tightly in hand as he stood above the ground, Yugi sending the tributed monsters to the grave. And with that in mind... "Attack the Revival Jam," he ordered, the blader giving a curt nod. "HAKAI-KEN ISSEN!" The monster charged forward with his blade, cutting through the goo in a flash of near blinding light. Droplets scattered through the air, the teen grinning as his monster returned to its position. "Yes!" With that 'jam' gone the spell would be destroyed... "I stopped your jam!"
"Hnhnhnhnhn... Is that so," Malik asked calmly, his opponent's expression falling. ...What...
The scattered drops hadn't vanished from the field he realized coldly, nor had its card. Instead, the scattered drops of slime reformed, catching and sticking to each other as they built up the metallic blob once again, one by one until they formed the same 'shapeless' creature that Malik had called 'Jam'. "It... Revived..."
...Revival jam. REVIVE, how did he miss that? "Hnhnhnhn... This is the regenerative power of the Revival Jam," Malik announced with a laugh, opponent's eyes wide with shock and inner self-beration both. "No matter what you do," the voice continued proudly, "It will not die... You mind as well attack a pool of water! Hnhnhahahahaha..." Gh... Damn... Damn, damn, damn it! "I warned you didn't," Malik 'asked', still chuckling. "Shapeless, and invincible," he muttered plainly, almost smugly as he laughed, "This is my shield... And as long as the Jam remains," he continued, "Your monster's can't even touch me..." Not good... NOT good at all, the teen across from the doll thought tensely. "Now back to me," the unseen opponent continued, his doll drawing a card and adding it to his hand in silence. "First," he said calmly, "The Jam Breeding Machine activates... Bringing out the first slime token," Malik announced, Yugi merely biting his lip as the tiny token came to the field from the machine's spout. He'd need to attack the slime first then... At least he could whittle him down th- "The slimes created by this machine are weak," Malik drawled with a 'shrug', likely shaking his head from wherever he was located. "Only 500 attack points, and unable to defend..." And there was more to this. Damn it... He'd already long prepared for this, hadn't he. "Hnhnhnhn... Well... If you were to attack me through them, you'd do a lot of damage! So... In order to prevent that," the voice continued, setting another card on the field to reveal its holographic counterpart, "I'll play the spell card Nightmare Steel Cage, ending my turn!" What! In a flash a cage surrounded the teen and his monster both, Yugi looking through the domed and spiked bars with wide eyes as his opponent laughed. T-This... The teen drew a card, glancing at it only briefly before wincing and looking back at the cage around him. He couldn't do anything..! This was...
"Hnhnhnhnhn... That cage is strong," Malik stated plainly, " Strong enough for a solid barrier that will last for three turns, from both sides..." Three..! The blood drained from his face at that, expression saying all that was on his mind as his opponent continued. "You can guess what that means, can't you Yugi..? I can't attack," the voice stated as the cage 'dug' into the ground, "But I can build up my forces as you stand before me... The second Slime appears," he said plainly, Yugi swallowing as the tiny goo ball appeared to the field. His turn then... Provided he could do anything... "By next turn I'll have all I need... Hnhehehehe..." All he needed..!
"Ghh..." Yugi's eyes widened with realization as he stared through the small holes in the cage, colour draining from his face. The card was already in his hand... Osiris was already in his hand..! Malik was going to summon Osiris and he couldn't do anything..!
"How does it feel in there Yugi..." How did it- The teen's jaw clenched tightly, a low growl forming as his opponent taunted him. "Locked away, imprisoned in that steel cage... Do you feel... Humiliation," Malik asked, passing the time that Yugi's turn would have taken, "Despair, sorrow..?" Get it over with god damn it... He'd drawn his card, and he couldn't do anything..! But as Malik continued, he couldn't help but be unable to hide all of his uneasiness. "It's how I've felt my entire LIFE," Malik growled angrily, tone taking a dark turn from its usual charismatic calm as the doll stared blankly forward. "The fate of a tomb guardian! And with your DEATH Yugi, I will be freed from that fate..." The voice trailed off somewhat with those words, his opponent again unable to make a move with what he held in his hands. "Hnhnhahahha... And look at that," Malik shouted, the machine beside him spitting out another slime as Yugi cursed. Again... Again, he'd been unable to do anything.. "I have three slimes..." Four monsters on the field by that logic... "Which means it's time for me to destroy the breeding machine," Malik continued, Yugi swallowing as the doll moved the spell into the graveyard and the machine vanished from sight, "And sacrifice the tokens I have on the field! Don't look away Yugi," the voice roared, his opponent growing paler and paler as the three slimes vanished from the field only for the sky to darken. In the slime's place a single card had appeared, text too faint to read from his position. Even so, he wasn't trying at the moment, merely turning to the skies with wide eyes. What was this..! The weather itself was changing now, storming in reaction to a summon? Just moments before the sun had shone brightly, despite the battering winds... But now... "Watch," Malik said calmly, the doll making still no movements as it stood erectly on the field. "This... Is Osiris."
An earth-shaking roar came through the air, Yugi resisting the urge to plug his ears in response. Storm clouds were darkening above and around them as thunder pealed through the air, the sound barely hidden by the snarls of whatever beast had been summoned. Lightening struck the ground near where they stood, and from the illumination of the sparks came the shadow of an enormous serpent coming through the air, flying toward the field as it soared among the clouds. This... He knew each monster had a soul, was its own being in its own right but this...
This was no hologram, he realized quickly, a feeling of dread filling him completely as an even louder snarl pierced the air. "GROAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOO!" He could hear the roar clearly... And as the monster 'swam' forward, double mouths blasting hot breath in his face as it came through the clouds, Yugi stared in a mixture of sheer horror and awe both. He could feel its breath, see its scales... See the glimmer of light in the beast's eyes as lightening struck from the sides.
Hah... Haaaah... This... "Osiris..." This was...
Osiris... "Come forth OSIRIS," Malik ordered with an echoing shout, mad cackling filling the air to join the roars and thunder peals. "Show this FOOL the power that will bring his end! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" The dragon reared with this shout, bottom mouth hanging open as it let loose another roar and coiled above and around its summoner.
"GREAAAAAAAAAAOAOOOOOOOOOO!" He couldn't move, he realized quickly, watching as the storm continued to converge around the seemingly endless dragon that was 'Osiris'. It wasn't the cage either... He could feel the power radiating off this monster, hear the sounds of every one of its limbs moving as the beast towered over him, easily matching the size of a sky-scraper if not surpassing it. This... This was...
Real. The teen swallowed, staring forward as he subconsciously drew a card to begin his turn. He had... Had to move... He had to win, for Yugi, for Jonouchi, for Kaiba, for everyone... "How," he found himself muttering, staring forward with unblinking eyes. "How will I..." The world, the ground, the water at the side, it was literally shaking with each movement as this 'God' hovered in the air..! To say that it wasn't a 'God' would be impossible, false, it would... "How..."
"How do you beat it," Malik asked smugly, quite safe from the god in wherever his location was, "You don't," he said rather bluntly, quite enjoying the fear running through his opponent's body. "You can't! Every duelist is powerless against Osiris' infinite attack power, and you Yugi, are no exception!" In... Infinite..! That was impossible, it couldn't possibly have- "For each card in my hand," Malik explained clearly, "Osiris gains attack and defensive power... 1000 points for one card," he continued, the doll gesturing to his hand. "Right now, my doll has three... Making three thousand attack points and three thousand defense points..." Three thousand...
Numbers ran through the teen's head with those words, Yugi staring through the bars of the cage. One card per thousand, it would be 4000 on the next turn after Malik drew his card. Five on the turn after that, then six thousand, and so forth... Yugi swallowed, attempting to calm himself despite this fact. He still had a chance though... That meant that Osiris' limit would be 7000 points, same as the limit for the hand of c-
"I know what you're thinking Yugi," Malik muttered, his opponent tensing up yet again with those words. "But I said INFINITE power... And I have a card in my hand that will allow me to do just that," he said with a dark chuckle, the laughter continuing as Yugi narrowed his eyes. "Moreover, Osiris has another ability... But it's still your turn, isn't it," he continued, the image of a smirk coming to mind with the tone as he changed the subject. "And once that's over," Malik stated with an 'audible' grin, "The Nightmare Steel Cage will vanish, leaving you vulnerable to God's might... So make your move Yugi," the voice 'ordered' with a laugh. "It'll be one of your last ones..."
Make a move... It was his turn, his turn..! ...Osiris was a dragon the teen told himself, looking toward the monster with a swallow. That much was clear... But Buster Blader gained 500 attack points for each dragon on the field, so he had a small chance... If Malik drew another card, his chance would vanish quickly however, so he needed to act, and fast... There would only be one card that could prevent that though, just one, thanks to his inability to attack this turn... If he...
If he hadn't drawn that card he thought with a shudder, if it wasn't in his hand... "What's wrong Yugi," Malik 'asked' with a likely sneer, pulling his opponent's attention from his hand of cards. "Has the terror paralyzed you to the point where you can't look at your hand? You might not be able to attack from within that cage," he continued with a chuckle, ignoring the growing fear and anger in his opponent's eyes, "But you can still summon a monster, or set a 'trap'... You can at least pretend not to give up, can't you," he asked, laughter filling the air as it was joined by Osiris' low growls. Give up! The teen grit his teeth, growling under his breath as his hand clenched. Gh... His cards... "Hnhnhnhnhn... To watch you squirm like this in that cage," Malik hissed, voice seemingly bouncing about on the storms winds. "Futilely trying to defend yourself... This is something I enjoy!" Gghhhh... Yes he would wouldn't he...
But he couldn't... No... No, he could not lose! He had to think... Malik had Osiris, Revival Jam, and once face down card the teen told himself, looking over the field... He, however, had in his hand one monster, a number of spells... And... "Ah..." He looked over his hand, nodding to himself as he steadied his panic. And this... Alright, he told himself, taking a deep breath as he continued to calm down. The next turn would decide the match! Yugi grabbed three cards from his hand, hurriedly setting them into their proper slots on the disk as holographic counterparts appeared on the field. "First," he shouted clearly, watching as two 'cards' appeared with their backs to the air before him, "I'll play two cards face down!" The cards shimmered somewhat in the dim light that made its way through the clouds above, the waver in his voice barely hidden as he continued with his move. "Next... I play Kuriboh in defense mode," the teen announced, the furry 'ball' giving an echoing 'kurii' as it was summoned beside him in the cage. Just like the others, there was so much detail and light... He shook himself, turning forward as he prepared for his next move. Not the time! "And my turn is over!" Alright...
Yugi swallowed, heart rate jumping as the 'cage' began to fade. Now or never..! "And now... The steel cage vanishes," Malik said with a low chuckle, his opponent taking a step back as the bars continued to vanish. All or nothing..! "This cage that's protected you until now..."
Hah... Hah... Osiris was growling low from where he hovered, lowering his head to face the boy with hot stinging breaths. Right in front of him... With a skull and face that was easily many times his size, the monster was right in front of him, so close that if he held out a hand he could touch the beast... And it would not take much effort to do just that. He was right there... Right... There... Osiris continued to growl as it floated before him, before finally raising its head as its summoner continued to speak, evidently more inclined to let the 'doll' call his attacks for now.
"Now it's MY turn," he announced clearly, drawing his card and moving to add it to his hand. "Osiris' power is now 4000 points in total... So here I go! OSIRIS, ATTA-"
"Reveal spell," Yugi shouted abruptly, barely catching the move as it tied into his opponent's draw phase. The doll across him showed no emotion, but even so the reaction was easy to envision.
"W... What..!"
Yugi swallowed as the spell card swung upward, a holographic blade appearing to pierce through his opponent's hand as he spoke. "Lightforce Sword! I'm using it to take one of your cards from play," he continued, the Doll showing no reaction to the loss even as Malik shouted in rage. A seemingly useless card appeared to the field, before disintegrating from sight.
"Rgggg... End turn," Malik shouted in response, clearly aggravated by the hurried defense. "You've saved yourself this time..."
Yes... But this turn would also end it! However... The teen frowned, swallowing as he looked at the card that sat 'behind' Osiris, watching as it stood in its upright, 'natural' position. ...But why... Why was Osiris still in attack mode, if Malik knew that attacking would be dangerous... Yugi narrowed his eyes, nonetheless drawing his next card before pointing his own monster forward. He couldn't think of that! "My turn! Buster Blader attacks," he shouted, watching as the monster charged toward Osiris. "And with that-"
"'With that'," Malik 'asked', his opponent paling as the 'doll' suddenly activated the face down card from the field. "Were you saying something? Hnhnhnhn..."
Yugi continued to pale as the Buster Blader's sword stuck Revival Jam, eyes wide as both monsters returned to their side of the field. Revival Jam quickly reformed, the activated trap card clearly visible to the teen. "The... The Revival Jam..!"
"Khnhnhnhnhn... That's right!" Shit..! "You activated my continuous trap, 'Jam Defender'... What was my shield is also Osiris'! No matter how many times you attack," Malik shouted with a laugh, "This shield will be there! More over," he continued, Yugi's turn passing over as the teen swallowed in anxiety, "For my turn I'm activating another spell... Card of Safe Return!" The hand increase card..! The teen paled even further as the card appeared on the field, largely hidden by the coil's of Osiris' enormous form. "For every time Revival Jam is destroyed," the voice explained, "I draw three cards..." And the doll was doing just that, adding the cards to his hand just as Revival Jam wobbled back to its position in the field. "And since I now have five cards in my hand," Malik said with a dark chuckle, pointing his dragon forward with an unseen sneer, "You can say good bye to your Buster Blader!" Gh...!
No... Shit..! Osiris' great maw opened wide, wider than it already was as a ball of flames developed above him. In a blast of fire and light the swordsman was destroyed, Yugi ducking behind his arm as the wave of heat blew past him. The hologram served as a paper thin shield when it came to heat to say the least... And while his lifepoints were more or less still intact, his arms were most certainly not ready to agree with the thought. "Gh... Hng..."
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Do you still think you can defeat GOD," Malik shouted over the blaze, his opponent squinting in an attempt to see past the flames. "Do you still hope to resist your FATE?" Gh... Ghg...
The heat... This heat... The teen took thick, rasping breaths as the air quickly dried, the crackling flames drowning out the sounds of the storm. Even so, the flames were clearly not 'normal' in any way... Already they were vanishing, leaving nothing but clean cement and air in its wake. Yugi's eyes widened as the fires began to clear however, watching as Osiris held his head high above him. Hidden in the flames he'd come close, both mouths closed tightly as it snorted from above. This monster... "...So... THIS is the one who would be called KING," a low voice rumbled, Yugi's eyes widening as the dragon's lower mouth opened to speak. This... That couldn't be... Talking... The dragon was... Talking... The teen swallowed, backing up somewhat as sweat ran down his brow. "Hn! Well then," Osiris 'muttered', the term only loosely fitting his words given the volume of the 'God's voice. "Do you find yourself WORTHY of my power, 'LITTLE KING'..? Or are you a KING in NAME only," he asked with an almost questioning roar, "With his POWER lost to the very fabrics of TIME..?"
The dragon... Osiris... Yugi took loud, panicked breaths as he looked at the monster before him, watching it rear back to its position with a loud roar. To ask him these things... To even speak at all..! This monster, this 'God', staring him down, radiating power as it did...
This was... "G..Ghk..."
For the first time in a long time...
He was scared.
Across the district of Domino, many varied reactions were given to the quickly developing storm. Some, store owners and 'normals', people with nothing or little to do with the tournament for the most part, headed inside, safe from the harsh winds that were developing from the east end of the district. Others, mostly duelists who hadn't yet been disqualified from the ongoing 'brawl' that spread across the city, briefly paused in whatever matches they were having to look toward the storm with frowns... Before shaking off a growing feeling of cold dread to continue on their way. Even far in the distance, on a train that was as of then, still on its way toward the west of the country, a few passengers could feel a change in the air...
As for those still within the city, there were very few exceptions to the above. One was a young girl whose search through the city was unfettered by the sudden increase in wind and cold, merely wrapping a poncho around her arms and continuing forward with stubborn (albeit silent) perseverance. Another was a young woman who was now regretting the fact that her outfit had formerly matched with the weather of the summer seasons, and had now begun an unfortunately 'long' trek back to the train station parking lot for her jacket... Another exception, somewhere in the middle of the city's 'down town' square was a small group of friends, two non-duelists and one competitor ,briefly pausing in the search for another fight to shudder and look at the sky...
With the blond of the group turning with wide eyes toward one of the bridges north of their location, expression revealing far more shock than a sudden storm would normally bring as low rumblings met his ears...
But far out on the other end of the city, the only reaction that Seto Kaiba gave to the storm developing in the distance was a slightly narrowed stare, while her brother paid no attention to the storm at all. "Odd," she was muttering, watching as the clouds appeared to converge in a single concentrated spot. It was as though for no real reason the clouds had been attracted to one area above the city, leaving the rest of the sky clear... "The weather called for clear skies..." And while it wasn't too cloudy where she was, those clouds were definitely along the coastline...
...This could cause problems with the finals...
-bzz. bzzzzz.-
Hnn? Her radio..? The woman raised an eyebrow as the small device pinned to her jacket buzzed, staring at the logo-shaped radio before tapping the side to answer it. "What is it," she said plainly, knowing just how few a number of people knew about the radio in question. Whoever was calling through this probably had a damn good reason...
And if they didn't, they wouldn't enjoy things when she got back... "Kaiba-sama," the voice of the 'search team's supervisor stated, Seto crossing her arms as the man spoke. "We've located one of the two God Cards; the computer scans reveal the name 'Osiris'... It's near 350, in Block E." The god cards! More importantly though, the set location and name..! The woman's eyebrows raised immediately, Mokuba looking up at the woman oddly as the supervisor continued. "We've also identified the duelist facing its owner," he stated, coughing somewhat as the Kaiba siblings both listened carefully, "The duelist that the Rare Hunter is fighting is Mutou Yugi, and-" Yugi! Yugi was fighting Osiris?
...It really figured actually... "That's enough," Seto said 'calmly', mentally keeping her breathing under control. Really, really figured... "Continue searching for the third card," she stated plainly, unable to keep a rising feeling of energy from coming up. With that said and done she clicked the radio off, turning as her brother looked up.
"N-Nii-sama," he asked, watching as his sister grabbed her briefcase from the side. "Does this mean..."
An almost wicked smirk came on her face, Seto turning toward the east with widening eyes. The second God Card..! "Call Matsuda," she said quickly, her brother hurriedly nodding as he pulled out his phone. "We're done walking for now..." And given that her cars were the only 'traffic' exceptions for 'security' reasons, they would be at 'Block E' in no time at all...
Without another word from her brother the call was made, a fierce wind continuing to blow around the pair as Seto's smirk fell to a determined 'mask' of seriousness. So... Yugi was fighting against Osiris was he..?
Well... He'd better not give the scum a loss then.
AN: Can you tell she's excited? This duel is another two chapter one, but you can blame Malik for that- he can't keep his mouth shut!
His sexy, effeminate m- ...Erm. ...Right, back to business. (Seriously though, SO MUCH TALKING!)
Poll Results are still Unchanged; check back in Chapter 66 for the results so far.
And you've probably guessed just how little I have to say during this chapter by now... This tends to happen with 'half-way points'.
Before we go though, a reviewer brought to my attention that I had the ages for Sen and Haga wrong; I wrote '15' instead of '14' above Sen, and, well... Given the whole 'twin' thing, that's obviously wrong. So keep that in mind!
Anonymous Review Responses
A very good thing… As for surprised, you shouldn't be Iona.
And yes! One of the sisters! No dark times are linked to her though, so no spoilers for you! And ooh yes, when those guys get back…
Strings… 'Doll'… Whatever you call him, I had fun typing out Malik's interactions (or lack thereof) through that creeper. And OH YES. Kaiba's almost maniacalgrins, hihhhhh… (I'm definitely keeping those by the way.)
You're definitely right to say that Malik takes the cake when his second personality kicks in… Hihhhhh…
In any case, enjoy the chapter!
Hey there Randomprojects! And not a problem; the language deal was bugging me as well really. As for reactions, you'll see them soon… Ish? It's not until after the Jonouchi VS Yugi duel, so we have a few more fights to see.
Let the guessing begin indeed! I won't tell you which point is right for the sake of spoilers, but one of them hit the head on the nail!
Nice one Death-Dimension! I actually did a bit of looking into that myself; 'Leviathan' is actually hebrew for Whale, which is what the Leviathan is often depicted as. Besides being seen as a great monster in Jewish lore, it's also compared to and seen as the 'Hellmouth'. A lot of comparisons of impossibility are made that are linked to the Leviathan, and the beast is mentioned no fewer than six times… The book of Job describes him in detail to, so expect that.
I do like your points here though… As for the Insect Queen, you will see those antics soon enough! Enjoy the chapter!
Usagi's Manga & Japan Guide/Corner
The section that's feeling as empty as Yugi feels scared right now. Hnn...
Today's chapter? A little obvious wouldn't you say?
On a completely non-chapter related note, you know how Malik and 'Yami Malik' have different shirts? How it seems that the second one came from nowhere? It didn't; in the manga, Malik had the black shirt beneath his midriff-revealing, sleeveless hooded jacket the entire time. 'Yami Malik' simply tossed the jacket to the side basically.
Can you tell I'm a guilty 'prideshipper'? All in all, I don't really take sides, but you can't deny the fact that those two enjoy fighting far too much than can be safe. Though as a quick quick point here, Yugi is actually right; his 'darker' half doesn't have those kinds of feelings for Kaiba!
...At least not anymore...
When looking at lines like 'Someone's coming', it's important to realize he's not so much saying something to late as he is noting that the 'someone' is heading right toward them rather than to pass them by.
Which is scary as hell when it's the 'doll', at top speed.
'Hannibal tone'? Referring to Hannibal Lector from the Silence of the Lambs of course... I don't know, Malik's constant talking here just had me thinking of a Hannibal lecture...
I didn't change it, but does anyone wonder how Yugi was able to pull off that jacket with the duel disk on his wrist..? It's all a little weird...
Is Yugi getting Jonouchi's ability of duel-realities? No. But Yugi's always been extremely close to the monsters in his deck, and there are going to be other monsters whose 'power' is just too much to pass as 'holographic'… Thereby breaking the barrier between reality and magic. (You know, the one that no longer exists for poor Jonouchi.)
Things like the Gods. They do that. It does help that as the spirit of the puzzle, Yugi is slightly more intone to the 'other realms' as the monsters call it. (I call it that because GX screwed with my head when it came to the world of Duel Monsters. It screwed with my head A LOT.)
Alright, you know you're watching the abridged series too much when Malik's voice is his abridged one the ENTIRE TIME. (It's just… So memorable..! Not to mention mood killing.) In other news, originally, Yugi only destroyed the Worm; he didn't attack directly. But since Malik doesn't take a single hit to his lifepoints after that, and it would be silly for Yugi to not take advantage of the opportunity, the attack was made in this chapter...
Which means that Malik obviously had a lot less life points when he put his Osiris-Strategy into play.
'Hakai Ken Issen', the attack above, translates directly into the following; 'Disruption (With Hakai meaning either that, or 'destruction', and in the case of computers, 'crash') Sword (From 'Ken') 'Flash' (Issen means either this, or 'brandish'... At least in this case. With different kanji, it means 1000.)'. So... The attack is roughly 'Disruption Sword Flash, or some variant thereof.
Lets face it; things sound cooler in Japanese guys.
Hey, giant red dragon God starts talking to you? YOU'RE SCARED. Even if you're Yugi. And more importantly (Since Osiris didn't talk until right near the end), GIANT BUILDING SIZED DRAGON AFFECTS WEATHER AND ENVIROMENT AROUND YOU... You're really scared.
Kinda helps that a big chunk of 'Yami-Yugi's unconscious memory revolves around actively recognizing certain names as big-damn-gods. You know... Like Osiris! God of the Afterlife, the Dead...
Yeaaaaaaaa...
Now in the actual game, what happened in the anime and manga wouldn't work; basically, Osiris' attacked a monster more powerful than it after Yugi activated his trap, and then for some reason, Buster Blader attacked Revival Jam. I fixed it though… Hehehehe...
By the way, Jonouchi heard all those roars. He didn't hear Osiris speak, but he sure as heck heard him roar!
A majority of Japan, believe it or not, doesn't tend to use street names in their addresses. Oh sure, the streets have names! They just don't mention them in the address most of the time. The 'block E' that the supervisor mentioned is just using the grid system Kaiba's satellite is using to keep track of everything.
Why isn't Mokuba using the slate to call? Because he was essentially 'web-cam chatting' when they did that. There's no actual phone in there!
In any case, that's all for now... Coming up next time, the conclusion to the YugiVS'Strings' duel! ...Along with other things...