Skin Chapter 103, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

Sundown

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't in pain.

In fact, even admitting he was in pain would be putting it pretty damn lightly, if he said so himself. He didn't see what had clawed at his leg, or what had 'eaten' it and the bone inside. The fact was he thought with a mental and broken laugh, he didn't think he'd be able to.

But if he was right... And Jonouchi's face was any sign...

Then what he couldn't see was quite likely better for him any ways.

'It's okay,' he'd told them, barely able to speak through the pain that was searing in the absence of his right knee. He could feel all his toes, he could feel his hip, but anything between and there was simply nothing outside a blinding pain along the edges. 'It's okay,' he'd shouted to cover his own screams, 'Just keep fighting..! We have to save Malik..!' They had to... Above anything they had to! Because if they were to buckle now then what point was there in all they'd done? What point in there was promising the others a won battle, the defeat of the one before them, of the one who would and hadn't hesitated to kill and attack them? They knew that it would be hard; they'd have been fools to think it wouldn't, so what other choice did they have?

Shadows were swarming the edges of what should have been bleeding wounds. In the hollows of each end of his leg he could see the now cleanly 'cut' bone, the somehow smoothly torn and unbloodied muscle beneath resembling a cut round of steak almost. The veins, the arteries... If he valued his stomach, he decided, he would look to the field and ignore both the sight of the shadows that were dancing on the edges of his legs and the pain that was searing through it. This was a shadow game after all. There was no time to pay attention to things like this.

If his other self lost, so did he. If he lost, so did his other self.

If the 'other Malik' lost, so did the real one, and they needed to find a way around this. They needed to find a way to break 'their' Malik free... No matter what, he told himself, they would find Malik's 'light' in this battle; they would find and reclaim the thing that would grant him control over his body and this darker half. As the 'other' Malik had told them just now; they were chosen by the items. And for now, that choice was made so he could give his partner the strength to fight on. With that in mind, he could do nothing but force the pained look off of his face as his other self nodded. 'Have faith in me,' he shouted, lightning cracking across the tower and the sky both as he called out to those watching. 'I won't lose!'

No matter what.

He wasn't the only one aware of what this match meant, and of what was happening after all. Anzu, who had now recovered from earlier shock was staring up in intense worry, unable to see the duel but knowing from scattered memories what likely occurred. Jonouchi was watching with a mix of worry, determination, and horror both, having been given the 'gift' of being able to see all that now took place on the field. 'Anything goes' he had told them. And that was exactly how a Shadow Game operated. If the mind could possibly comprehend the pain and the sight then it could happen. If their mind could imagine the possibilities of injury and fear, it happened. And this sky that hovered above them now...

Somehow, he knew that if they lost... This sky would never go away. That it would always be dark, wherever they looked.

For now however, there was nothing they could do. After all...

It was still 'his' turn. "Hnhnhnhnhn..." It was still 'that' Malik's turn, and the 'demon' had only just begun with his strike. "The card which just injured you has a special power you know," he sneered, chuckling darkly from across the pair as Yugi shuddered. Though the battle had returned to a holographic state after Kaiba's defeat it seemed that the cards nonetheless held a stony appearance he noticed. That the 'cards' were floating tablets, with the monsters standing upon the ground rather than in the air. It was this sort of card that the vampiric leech now sat before, tentacles writhing in wait as its master spoke. A special power... Something other than a 'Quick Attack' effect then? The boy watched and listened as their opponent explained, discarding a card of sorts while the monster entered defense mode. In the command that had yet to come the leech was sapped back into its card, the stone moving into a 'dormant' state of sorts. Smoke wrapped around hovering stone, a carving etching across the surface... It was strange, Yugi thought to himself. By now, his other self would have said something within his mind, commenting on all that went on and what they could do next.

But with what was happening now, and with the stress of the field, there was nothing to say. Or maybe he'd missed it... Maybe he had said something, and he'd just missed it.

It hurt enough for that to happen after all.

...But their opponent hadn't finished yet.

"I put the Vampiric Leech in defense mode," 'Malik' called out, still smiling maliciously as smoke and shadows drifted over the ground. "Following that I play one face down card," he announced clearly, the flat and hovering 'card' resembling a stone just as much as the card beside it. "Turn end." Turn end... Alright then, he thought to himself with a wince. Just a defense mode monster and a possible trap to deal with. But that discarded card...

Could it be, he asked himself. That it was Ra that was discarded? Yugi bit his lip as he turned down somewhat, the look on his other half's face revealing similar suspicions as his other continued to stare across the field. If that was the case... If that card was really waiting in there, sitting within the grave... Then they were vulnerable to whatever attack Ra had inflicted last match upon Jonouchi.

But was that really all they had to fear? From below on the arena, Kaiba's eyes had narrowed with suspicion, as though she'd known something they didn't.

And to strengthen this unease, Jonouchi's had widened with a knowledge that he could not share. A knowledge that, if used to change whatever he'd seen, would simply bring the same misfortune it had last time. A knowledge that beat down on his conscience more than anything else he'd likely ever seen. That much he could be certain of, Yugi told himself. As to how bad his 'visions' were there was no way of knowing but nonetheless whatever Jonouchi had seen had the blond looking to the field in guilt with grinding teeth. No worry though, he decided in the end, flashing the blond a weak but reassuring smile. Nothing to worry about..! After all...

They'd be fighting with the impression that it was Ra in there regardless! "My turn," his other half announced. "Draw!" Again Yugi noted, it was the card exchange. It'd been appearing a lot lately...

Ahhh, but if they'd only had the first turn... Then they could have been rid of Ra altogether..!

Nonetheless there was little they could do about that, with no other choice than to press on. To keep going and face whatever challenge might arise as a result. "I summon this monster," his other half cried, the card he'd played now swinging upward in a tablet of stone. "The Queen's Knight!" And from holographic light the red-armored woman stepped forth, blade in hand and blond hair whipping back in the wind as her summoner continued with his orders. "Attack the leech," he commanded, the monster charging the stone across from her with a cry. "QUEEN'S SABRE CRUSH!"

The sound of clattering stone met their ears as the blade connected, a high-pitched scream following shortly after. The leech's image drained from the stone and it clattered to the ground in pieces... And as the Queen returned to her side of the field dust flew through the air, 'Malik' merely cracking his neck from across them. "Keh... Too bad for you with the leech in defense mode," he snorted, the stones gradually fading as their Queen leered back in response. Yes... 'Too bad' he thought with a grimace, but it was better this than nothing.

They weren't done, after all. "Now then," his other self decided, moving another pair of cards to the disk as the tablets appeared. "I'll play two face down cards and end my turn!" Two face down cards? Now what were those ones, he wondered dimly? He couldn't see his partner's hand, and for some reason it felt almost as though his link to him was strained, as though there was a block there. The boy's eyes grew shadowed at the thought before he opted to push it from mind and instead look across the field. 'My turn,' 'Malik' had announced just now, Yugi giving a slight shudder as their opponent continued to make a show of just how inhuman he was. 'I draw.' For a moment, the Egyptian's eyes were narrowed to the point where they seemed closed.

And then suddenly they were wide enough that he wasn't sure even the body was human any more. "Khnhnhn... HEHEHEHEHE..! HAHAHAHAHA!" Shit. "I drew... A nice card," he laughed, swiping another from his hand as the two before him paled and swallowed. "Before I play this," he continued with an almost taunting tone, "I'll summon another monster," the Egyptian announced. "Juragedo!"

Again a stone-hologram appeared to the field, a mix of Jonouchi's eyes and his own coming into play amid the shadows around them. As a tablet carved forth the image of a monster with eyes at the side of a mouth-less face, acidic smoke filling the ridges as claws slowly pierced the veil of stone. The twisted and mutated monster with nothing but its two legs to call arms snarled as it clawed free the stone, and from across it the Queen's Knight visibly tensed. Juragedo was more powerful than she was- and so, even as she raised her blade to block... 'Obliterate the Queen's Knight,' he heard 'Malik' roar, the demon charging forward in a flash of light that he found himself unable to completely see.

"OFF WITH HER HEAD!" His other self didn't feel much pain from that attack, thankfully. As their opponent had ordered after all, the monster's attack struck the head, with its claws passing through the Queen's neck cleanly before her body toppled to the side. All his other self felt was a brief sting around his throat where the 'blades' struck; there was nothing more.

"Gh..." That wasn't the case for him though. "NGGGH..!" In fact, he thought he could hear screams as the Red Queen dissolved into dust. "Ngh-!" The boy bit his tongue until blood was leaking into his mouth, but despite his attempts to hold back the scream he could not help but shout once he caught sight of himself. Once he caught sight of his partner looking upward, eyes widening in silent horror. Once he caught sight of the shadows misting around his leg...

As his left shin vanished.

As his left elbow was ripped away, steadily and quickly by unseen shadows and- "Ghhh..." And... "GNN... GHHHHAAAAAAGGGHHHH!" And he couldn't help but scream as bits and pieces were ripped away, the only relief coming when the top layers of skin had been torn back by the darkness so that the captors could move to more tender layers. And though all that his partner could see was his body dissolving into smoke and ash he still reacted as he would have if he could see.

"A-AIBOU!" His other self stiffened and stared, unable to move and unable to do more than cry out in fear. "AIBOU!" Gh...

Calm your mind he told himself, still biting his tongue as his head fell limp against his chest. Shuddering breaths sent shivers through his body, and for a moment he let his eyes close over in still ringing pain. Calm yourself, calm yourself he repeated in his mind, he's fighting for you! And more importantly Yugi thought, a few more shuddering breaths wracking his form. If he showed weakness... "Gh..." Then it was all over. "I'm fine," he told his partner, slowly looking up to stare across the field. "Trust me, I'm still fine! Don't worry about me," he pressed, swallowing back the still numbing sense of pain over his arm and legs, "Just watch out for that spell card he's about to use!" That card...

He'd made it obvious what he was going to do after all! And as his other self stiffened once more their opponent grinned, holding the card to the field before placing it on the his disk to reveal another stone tablet. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Wise words of warning," he hissed, the stone carving its image in a matter of seconds. "But they won't do you any good..! Yugi," he cackled, the face glowing fiercely as its summoner drew a card. "This is the card that will kill you! LEFT ARM OFFERING... Sending my entire hand to the grave to pick one card from my deck... And the card I want," he continued, grinning madly as his opponents shared a look of fear and unease. "The card I play now is..." Too obvious, Yugi thought with a slight smirk.

Now!

Right before he placed the card..! "MONSTER REBO-"

"ACTIVATE TRAP! EXCHANGE," the other Yugi snarled, holding his hand out for 'Malik' to see. "Pick a card from my hand, any card you like," he spat, the Egyptian's eyes narrowing to mere slits as his grin faded to a dull scowl. "But I'm taking your monster reborn..!" And with that, Ra was locked from the field completely. Cheers were erupting at the side just now, with wide grins and shouts that he could scarcely hear through the shadows. Looking to another point on the tower below however Kaiba's expression was still thick with suspicion, her eyes narrowed as if to say 'it can't possibly be that easy...'

No... Probably not, he thought almost bitterly.

But as 'Malik' ended his turn there was not time to think about it. It was their turn again... And as his other half looked at the card they'd drawn Yugi had to smile despite the pain he was in. The look on his face told him everything after all, and so did the stone that was already rising to sit above the ground. Heh. This card...

With this card they were even closer to saving Malik; that much was for certain. "I summon the King's Knight," the 'other' Yugi announced, a tablet similar to that of the fallen Queen's now smoking as orange armor made its way forth to reveal the King. "And then, I play the Monster Reborn," he continued as a second tablet appeared, "Bringing back the Queen's Knight... And when the King and Queen are on the field," he went on, eyes narrowing dangerously as the gaze was mirrored by the monsters at his side. "I think you know what happens..." Stone was rising between the two cards just now, far before them on the field. In reality as well a card was released from the deck, his other half setting it on the duel disk with a short nod as the gold armored warrior began to appear from its stone. "We'll see who summons the Gods first," 'Yugi' snarled, the third knight stepping forward. "The Jack's Knight arises..!"

"Hnhnhahahah... We'll just see who 'wins'," 'Malik' sneered. There were more cheers from the side... More shouts, more cries to fight and win. If he listened carefully however, it was more than simply a cheer that was surrounding them now. They were talking about possible moves themselves it seemed, about possible strategies to use and to counter. 'Malik still has some face down cards,' he could hear Anzu mutter, the woman still breathing heavily from her earlier panic. That was true though, Yugi though. And with that in mind...

'Malik' currently had one card in his hand, the one he'd taken from Exchange, and that was 'De-Fusion'. There were no 'quick play' spells to worry about... Merely traps, namely the one that likely lay before them on the field. And there was no worry on 'Malik's face; if anything he realized with a shudder the Egyptian was smirking rather maliciously, and the longer they waited to move the larger it grew.

"What's the matter," 'Malik' taunted, eyes wide and almost blind with insanity as his body twitched in anticipation. "Go ahead," he cackled, "Attack me, ATTACK ME! KAHAHAHAHAH!" Attack... It would be almost foolish not to do so and yet that was the case with the opposite as well. There was no other choice. 'Turn end,' he eventually heard his other half call out. And with those words Malik's grin shrank back into its usual demonic smirk, eyes narrowed in patient mirth regarding what he knew would happen. They'd avoided this death after all. Now there was the 'next' one. And the look on his face... Yugi suppressed another shudder, holding his gaze on the field. As their opponent drew his next card the Egyptian's grin grew, the blond running his tongue along the card's edge while his opponents held back the previous evening's supper. Disgusting... There were not other words for it but that... "Hnhnhnhn..." Hihhhhhhh... "Yugi... You don't have a God in your hand right now, do you," he 'asked', the boy narrowing his eyes in response. "Well," the Egyptian chuckled, "It's rather pathetic, waiting each turn for you to draw one. And if the card you draw is Osiris, then the cards in your hand will be so minimal it would be nothing more than a joke!" True... But what was he up to? "Here," 'Malik' hissed, slipping the card onto the duel disk as its respective 'tablet' appeared atop the field. "I'll give you a gift, a card that helps us both! Card of Sanctity!" E-Eh..! "Give thanks to my God for his blessings as you replenish your hand, Yugi! HnhnhaHAHA!" Gh...

What was going on..? Drawing until they had six cards in hand... Just what was Malik up to? Despite momentary suspicion however they could not deny the advantage this would give them. A smirk came over both of their faces, and as the cards were drawn their opponent continued his move. One monster in defense, one card face down, stone tablets sitting in the air and revealing nothing...

And he was done. It was their turn. "Draw," the 'other' Yugi announced, now holding seven cards in his hand. The storm above them had intensified the moment Osiris came into their grasp; lightning struck the sides of the tower to charge it with electricity, with thunder roaring overhead like a subway through a tunnel. And as he brought the card to the field he could almost hear Jonouchi's chanted and subconscious words on the air, merging with the winds around him. Hear the wail of storm clouds as clouds furled, hear the pounding of wings beating the air as the knights before them crumbled into sand, blowing back behind them on storming winds while roars slowly sounded through the sky... "Noble cards," 'Yugi' announced, placing the card on his disk, "Become my sacrifice... I SUMMON THE DRAGON OF THE SKIES," he announced, hands held outward in gesture as his voice was overpowered by wind. "THE GOD OF LIFE AND DEATH ITSELF... I SUMMON... OSIRIS!"

"RRAAAAAAAOOOOOOOO!" 'At last', he thought Malik was saying under the snarls. 'At last'...

God was summoned. "And so we FACE your FINAL challenge, LITTLE KING..." The double mouths of the dragon never moved from where they hovered above and behind him, and yet despite this he felt no need to turn back while the god spoke. "So," Osiris rumbled, the endless coils of his form spiraling the tower. "Do you find yourself READY?" Ready? What other answer could they possibly have for that?

"Of course," the other Yugi muttered, still looking toward the field.

"Of course," he himself answered. Shouts were filling the air with cheers and cries to attack, and Osiris continued to leer at the opponent before them. To anyone watching it would be obvious who the winner was... Osiris' power would end Malik's life quickly, no doubt about that.

Something told him however, that things were not quite as they seemed. Not in the least. "Are you ready," his other half spat to their opponent, fist clenched as white hot flames began to gather in the maw of the God behind them. "Get him, OSIRIS! LIGHTNING STORM," they both roared, the fires blasting forward to strike the 'monster' down. "THIS IS IT!"

And still their opponent laughed. "Khehehehehe..." And laughed. "Hehehahaha..." And laughed... "HAHAHAHAHA!" What..?

"Gh- You DARE laugh in the face of GOD," Osiris spat, wings smacking the air down and against them as he snarled. The question had an almost obvious answer.

Dare he? Hah!

He dared alright. "The time is right," 'Malik' cackled, trap swinging upward as the fires Osiris released were somehow diverted by its nearly insignificant appearance. "I'll show you Ra's POWER! Activate TRAP," he roared, hands held out in a clawed gesture to the field. "REVIVAL OF THE DARK..! Allowing me to use one spell from your grave yard," the Egyptian howled, eyes little more than pin pricks, "Namely the MONSTER REBORN... Now... WATCH," he hissed, pulling his hands back as shadows whirled around him and smoke rose to the air. "Watch... Great God over all he travels," 'Malik' began, voice lowering to a dark and sinister tone, "Who creates all he sees, whose eye is the warrior Sehkmet, whose knowledge is unsurpassed," he went on, gaze lowered to the ground as the smoke continued to furl. "...Who sails on the evening barge of a million years," the Egyptian hissed, "Who is accompanied by Command, Perception, and Magic, whose Father is Nun, who passes life and death each day... Who battles with the dark serpent alongside the God of Storms," 'Malik' continued to chant, his grin growing wide despite words that were being mirrored from the field at the side against all the self control his friend held. "I ask that you arise to my side," he 'sang', raising his head to the sky and scarcely holding back his laughter, "That you illuminate my path with your LIGHT... I ask that you guide me in the form of the great bennu bird," he continued, both of his opponents tensing as fires began to rise around the Egyptian, as the tablet from his activated trap began to grind itself into dust only now. As a toothed beak formed from the fires, wings wide-spread and flickering in the air as they surrounded the tower... "I ask... That you accept this tribute of my very soul and eradicate all those before me... That you cleanse the souls of those who oppose me," 'Malik' cried with cackled laughter, "And shield me from all harm in these moments... I ask...!"

"And once AGAIN," he could hear God cry, Osiris releasing a second blast of flames despite himself as the threat before them howled with sadistic glee, "You are ANSWERED!" Ra... The fires sent forth did nothing but merge with the flames of the God's body, low snarls greeting the air in response. Ra... Ra...

"Ra," Yugi found himself whispering in fear, the field falling silent as the great and inflamed deity stared his opponent down. The 'king' of the Gods had risen before them...

Which made this next move 'all or nothing' for survival. "Hnhnhnhahaha... HAHAHAHHAHAHA! For the turn he arises the Great God Ra is IMMORTAL," 'Malik' roared, the grin growing to match the gleam in his eyes as he looked upon them across the field. "No attack will pass, no monster will stand before him... I'LL BURN YOU TO CINDERS ALONG WITH YOUR GOD," he snarled, Ra pulling flames into its mouth with those very words. No power could surpass it... No power could defend against it, and the fiery phoenix was staring them down with gleaming red eyes...

"WE have MUCH to DISCUSS, LITTLE KING," Ra rumbled, turning its head toward Osiris momentarily as the dragon seemed to shrink under the gaze, actually pulling back slightly beneath the better of the two. "I SEE you have OVERCOME the CHALLENGES of my COUSINS... NOT an EASY task," the 'dragon' noted, "I ASSURE you... HOWEVER," he continued, rising still further into the air as the God at their side of the battle hissed warningly, "DO NOT EXPECT MY CHALLENGE TO BE SO SWIFTLY OVERCOME!" Don't... H-Hah...

As if they ever had..!

There was no need to even mention Osiris' special ability at this moment Yugi realized coldly, both he and his other half swallowing under the pressure inflicted with Ra's words. The 'second blast' which appeared with summoned monsters was that very force of thunderous power that was released without intention, meant to weaken those beneath him.

And only those beneath him, Yugi thought as he shuddered. There was no questioning this after all; for some reason both he and his other self simply knew that to attempt such an attack on Ra would only end in failure, and there was no reason to question the specifics. And now... "Now," 'Malik' sneered, flexing a hand as he closed his eyes over. "It is my turn to attack... With the sacrifice of 1000 lifepoints I now burn both you and your dragon... And it isn't as though the darkness won't appreciate this offering," he laughed, gesturing to the hostage at the side as the hanging spirit failed to give even a twitch in response. "He can't even scream after all," he sneered, the true Malik's head simply hanging limp as his arm dissolved from the wrist up with no reaction. "And now... Great God RA," the Egyptian cackled, looking up to the god above him as it took to the skies. "TAKE THE FORM OF THE PHOENIX AND LET YOUR FLAMES CONSUME THIS LESSER BEING BEFORE YOU!"

"KEEEEERRRRR!"

"Gh-!" Here it came..! The fires pulled back against Ra's form, gathering heat and intensity as they formed a thick 'sphere' within his throat. This was it... This was it..!

"THE FIRST OF THE CHALLENGES," Ra announced, releasing the fires so that all Yugi could see was yellow and gold as he and his other were completely surrounded. "FACE the POWER of the RISING SON, LITTLE KING!" Gh...!

"G-... HHAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!"

"HRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Even without the loss of lifepoints the pain of Ra's flames was near unbearable. The heat seemed to sear their clothing right into their skin, sending stinging burns across all their body... "Let me PROTECT you," Osiris was saying amid the roar of fire, lowering a great and red-scaled hand downward. "As ALL I can DO LITTLE KING, let ME protect YOU!" A massive, clawed hand now covered them both... Hid them within the monster's grip, roasting them alive despite all the protection he tried to offer. Coating them in sweat as they closed their eyes and waited for the pain to pass...

"Ghhhh... GKKK..." The scales were slowly eroding into dust from around them, and the monster was crumbling into ashes... Amid cries to stand and cries to move on they could still hear Malik cackling, demanding their suffering, demanding their pain...

"Hnhnhnhnhn... That's enough now," the Egyptian decided with a sneer, evidently glad that they could both still 'stand' and fight after such an attack. "I need you alive until the end after all... And so Ra returns to the grave," he continued, the rush of flames that filled the field and air seemingly absorbed by the duel disk with the storm following behind it. "And Monster Reborn returns to the grave," he continued lowly, the card somehow having appeared on his disk in the entire mess. Alright... So it was there again, he thought to himself. But...

"Aibou," his other self rasped, turning to his partner as he chocked. "Are you alright..? Are you... Are you okay..?"

The boy bit his lip, looking over his partner's still steaming form before nodding. He was no worse than he after all. No worse... "I'm fine... Worry about yourself," he continued in protest, ignoring the slight burns he had over his body. This wasn't the real one anyways... His pain didn't matter right now, just his other self's! "We need to focus on the duel," he continued, looking back to the field. "We just lost our God card... Unless we get Monster Reborn there's only one left, and even then the card only lasts one turn..."

His 'other' nodded in agreement, only to tense as their opponent chuckled from across them. "Hnhnhnhnhn... What," he sneered humerously, gesturing to the field as he clicked one of the dueldisk's buttons. "You think that's it..?" It... It wasn't..? ...Oh no, Yugi realized, blood draining from his face as the two looked forward. Oh no. There was no way he had that card- "HAHAHAHAHA!" He did. "BEHOLD," 'Malik' snarled, tablet rising as its carved image glared forward with a blinding light. "My face down card, the Zombie's Jewel! Bringing Monster Reborn back into my hand," he sneered, his eyes narrowing in expectant menace, "And allowing me to special summon Ra all over again," he continued lowly. Again... They were going to face the monster again... "Of course," Malik was saying as Yugi stared blankly across the field with fear, "It's not quite over... The fine print of Zombie's Jewel allows you to draw one card," he chuckled, both boys looking at the deck and swallowing. "So lets see how long that keeps you alive..." One card...

Their entire fate depended on that card then, and... And...

A sudden wave of calm washed over them as they grabbed at the deck, if only for a short instant. Even though they had no monster to defend themselves. Even though the threat of Ra hung over them like a mantle, and though Jonouchi had already begun to clutch his head again as the others worriedly asked about whatever he saw, and what now had him turning back to the field with an expression of absolute horror...

They did not get an answer from him this time. "Yugi... Since your time is going to be cut rather... Short," 'Malik' chuckled, reaching beneath his shirt for something as the others glared and snarled in response, "How about I show you something interesting... Haven't you noticed after all," he continued, slight 'jingling' coming over the air as he fished whatever it was he was grabbing for out. "That one of your friends is missing..?"

Gold met their vision as the Egyptian dropped what had been hanging around his neck on old and worn cord, five dangling prongs clacking against each other in the wind. This item... "The Millennium Ring," Yugi hissed with shock, his other half merely staring in shock as the other Malik sneered. "Then..." Then when Bakura had vanished...

"You bastard," Honda snarled from the side, those on the arena acutely aware that there was one amid the usually noisy crowd keeping their voice down. "So Bakura's disappearance really is your fault then..!" They'd suspected of course... But when there had been no body, when there had been no blood...

In the end, there was only one reason why Bakura could possibly be gone... Wasn't there? More chuckling came over the air, followed by low growls from all who disagreed with the actions that had now taken place. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Really... This ring is merely a 'spoils of war'," 'Malik' laughed, fingering the ring in a manner just as disturbing as anything else he'd held in those hands. "As for its previous owner," he continued, a mocking sigh escaping him as he shrugged, "I would imagine he's completely consumed by darkness right now... Khehehehehe..." Bakura...

So then, both body and soul were trapped, locked in wherever they were disappearing to now...

And as per the usual, 'Malik' still laughed. "Hahahahaha... HAHAHAHAHA!" Stop laughing, both boys thought to themselves, almost visualizing the other Bakura vanishing as the 'sacrifices' of the duels were. Stop laughing, they almost hissed aloud, the image of their 'friend' snarling under the flames of Ra coming to mind, the rest of the event remaining as unseen as it had been atop the arena during the night prior. Stop..! "JUST WATCH," 'Malik' roared, cackling cut short only to speak. "I'll show you the same power that sent Bakura to HELL!" Gh... Hell was it..?

Not this time..! Mark his words, not THIS time! "Other me," Yugi found himself saying, gritting his teeth as he fixed a steady glare toward their opponent. "We can't let him get away with this..." With what he did to Mai, Ryuzaki, Jonouchi... To Bakura, and everyone else..! To even Malik himself..!

They couldn't... And they could never forgive him, for what he'd done..! And this card that had given them that wave of calm...

They knew just what it was! "I set a card face down," they both called out, not even looking at the card's face as they closed their eyes and smiled despite the situation. "TURN END!"

In an instant more there was yet another round of chuckling, the pair opening their eyes to stare across the field. "Cowards..." ..Hn! "Both of you, cowards," 'Malik' sneered, not catching the momentary shock that became a grin on Jonouchi's face to the side. "You don't even have the guts to look your defeat in the face," he spat, shaking his head in rage. Oh... Did they now..?

"Hn!" The 'other' Yugi merely snorted, ignoring sounds of shock and sputtered protests of 'illegal face downs' as he looked across the field. Kaiba certainly hadn't complained; the shock on her face had been replaced with an expression that said 'go ahead', and they would do just that. "It's your turn Malik..."

Silence briefly met the air in response, their opponent nonetheless snorting as he drew his next card. "KEH! Alright then," he sneered, a grin soon re-appearing on his face. "Regardless of what your choice is it's my turn... And as surely as the sun rises, your END is NIGH! I play Monster Reborn," 'Malik' called, hands outstretched as God again began to appear in the air, brilliant armor coming forth. "BEHOLD! THE SUN DRAGON RA," he crowed, as gold metal seared into existence and lined itself with fire behind the tower. "AND NOW... With this POWER granted by Ancient Scriptures," he sneered, "LET THE SUN MEET ITS MID-DAY POINT AND SEAR YOU WITH ALL THE HEAT OF THE DESERT..." Second challenge, he found himself telling himself. Second challenge...

But what he heard next did not only come from across him on the field. And for the most part, the chanting was the same, but near the end it altered yet again. "I ask of you, the Great God Ra," they were muttering, Jonouchi only given away by the movement of his lips as he gripped his head. As the others attempted to snap him from his stupor, worriedly attempting to shake him out by the shoulder. The chanting went on. "I ask... That you come to my aid and take my power... That you take my life," they whispered, "All that I have and use it to empower your own... TO FUEL YOUR FLAMES," 'Malik' roared, his body slowly vanishing from the field to appear far above a top Ra's beak, "TO COAT YOUR ENEMY COMPLETELY IN YOUR WRATH..."

"And WE SHALL," the monster announced, beak opening wide as its summoner howled with laughter. Attack power was now at two thousand, nine hundred, and ninety nine.

Malik now had one life point left, and nothing more.

And at the side of the field beneath Ra's massive claws as their opponent stood flaming before them, there was little more than an eye for the real Malik to call his own, a tiny closed eye that was trapped in endless and searing pain.

"I'M NOT DONE," 'Malik' roared with a laugh, his opponents shocked stiff as the fires continued to bathe and blind the field around them. "NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST... I sacrifice the monsters on my field," the Egyptian continued, pillars of fire erupting for each one before becoming swallowed by the god on the field. "ABSORBING their attack... Now we're stronger than ever before," he hissed. "And now... YOU STAND NO CHANCE..! HnhnHAHAHA!"

"Are you PREPARED," Ra snarled with those words, all shouts from the sidelines drowned out beneath the God's voice. The monster lowered his head expectantly, beak clacking as flames grew within his mouth. "Are you READY LITTLE KING, for the NEXT STEP?" The next step...

They'd passed the 'Sunset'. And technically, they'd even passed sunrise. Now, moving toward the center...

The 'Mid-Day Sun'. "Brace yourself," 'Malik' hissed, grinning manically while his opponents looked up toward him. "I'LL BOIL YOUR BLOOD INTO STEAM! ATTACK, RA!"

Now. The fires were released and began to blossom forward like some strange growing flower at high speed. Now, Yugi thought to himself with a swallow, a few of the sparks already striking their side of the field from above.

Now!

"Reveal Trap," his other half announced almost calmly, the gaping beak that hovered before them clacking shut with a snap with the same click sound of the duel-disk's release button. "DEVIL'S SANCTUARY!"

The field fell into a hush with the words and at his feet a blackened series of runes and patterns began to appear. The ceremonial circle, encompassing almost half of his field from where it sat centered before him. Smoke arose from the center, writhing, taking form... This was the card that Kaiba had entrusted to them he told himself, a metaloid spirit seeming to take form. This was the card that she'd put her power in. And it was with this card, that they would win..!

Ra's 'second' power, Seto thought to herself as she watched the duel, was likely the most frightening power that Ra held. The 'one turn kill'... The ability to pawn off any number of lifepoints to add to the God's power for one move and one only.

And in addition, or so it seemed, the ability to add the power of any monster sacrificed to its own was included among this- making it possible to continue with the strike even without sufficient lifepoints. It was a power that nothing could stop...

Save one card.

When Yugi had set that card on the field without looking, she'd found herself almost amused despite the situation. Could it possibly have been that card? The chances were minimal after all; impossible, the very reason why the chances of a win were so low! And yet it seemed that he truly had done the impossible. At the moment he needed it most, the Devil's Sanctuary had been played.

So now, as the runes glittered across the field and the metal 'token' took its place in the center she could do nothing but stare in shock as she thought back to her words earlier on. Earlier in the duel, when she had seen this battle shaping up to the worst case scenario. When she'd held her gaze on the field and asked the woman beside her-

"You used your so called 'magic' to see what cards I would play, didn't you?"

Ishizu had jumped somewhat, but after a slight pause nodded. "I did," she responded simply, the first of the pair never moving to turn from the field.

"And I can assume you did the same with Malik, correct," Seto had asked, her arms crossed to match the narrowed gaze she held.

Another pause, and another nod. "...I did."

There was a short span of silence following this, and finally it was Seto who continued the conversation. "Malik has a card that brings spells out from the graveyard, doesn't he?"

For some reason, despite knowing there was an inevitable loss on the field before her, Ishizu's answer gave her a sudden chill. "He does." That was all she needed to hear. Malik had already put his ultimate strategy into play after all. He'd discarded Ra, and he'd gotten the Monster Reborn within reach. And after first pulling it out from Yugi's grave...

He now had a card to do the same from his own, allowing him another shot at victory. The 'One Turn Kill'... The deadly strategy that would be unavoidable, the strategy that spelled Bakura's end the night prior. Any amount of power was possible... All it would take was his life points and the sacrifice of his monsters and he would easily overpower any foe before him. And that single spell...

It was an attack that could be stopped by one card and only one, a fact that reduced any chance of a successful match to little more than one in five, but if there was anyone who could have pulled off the attack...

Of course, she thought almost bitterly, it would be 'him'. Of course it would be her 'rival', the one who had defeated her again, and again, and again... And as the Devil's Sanctuary took effect over the field she didn't bother herself with the sudden, slightly realistic tone filling the arena. The single 'eye' that appeared on the token's face rather than simply a perfect reflection of the opponent. The thunder that constantly rumbled through the air, the breathing coming from each monster summoned, causing gales of wind in the case of the now destroyed 'Osiris'... The fires that lapped the sides of the tower that she stood upon...

She didn't feel quite as 'distracted' by the appearance of Gods now she noted, arms crossed as she looked at the field in apparent indifference. Before she'd found herself briefly unable to focus (much to her distaste)... But now it seemed that if anything their summoning was constantly pulling her attention to the side, with each series of chants an peals of thunder bringing a new string of what should have been gibberish from Katsuya's mouth.

'I ask of the God of death,' he began for Osiris, his hands either clenched around his arms or on his head. And in the case of Ra, the God of Sun. With a new string of words and 'song' for alternate forms, with his mouth moving almost against his will if the glazed appearance of his eyes was any sign.

But that was ridiculous, she told herself immediately after. Completely ridiculous, and so she tore her gaze away from the blond and brought it back to the field. It didn't matter. After all; it wasn't real. None of this was.

She just wished that wasn't her only defense. That the monsters above could be attributed to mere hallucination, that the intensity of power and emotion on the air could be attributed to illusion, to excitement, to anything. Anything other than 'magic' and all the other nonsense these people attributed it to.

Yet in the end she was left staring in silence, eyes widening briefly as the Sanctuary came into place. As the small metal token misted into appearance, hide gleaming beneath the blazing fires of Ra. 'Nee-sama,' she thought she heard her brother ask from the side. 'Was that your card? The one you gave him..?' She gave no answer, merely gripping her arms and biting her tongue.

Precognition wasn't possible she told herself. 'Fate' was not something that could be 'seen', and it was, in that regard, completely nonexistent. There was no such thing as 'fate', so much as there was mere luck and chance...

And more importantly there was no such thing as magic and monsters, regardless of the fact that 'Malik' had vanished from the field, now joined with Ra itself as he stared down the Devil's Sanctuary. Regardless of the fact that he cackled from stories above them now, arms spread wide as the fires released from 'God's form struck the ground... As they streaked toward the monster who had taken his lifepoints as its own power, toward the monster whose life was tied not to Yugi's but to the opponent's own, unable to be called off and unable to stop...

Only for the use of 'her' power to be completely shattered. Only for her to watch as the key to defeating the one turn kill was made completely useless, the fires reaching the edges of the metal devil that now represented Malik's remaining lifepoints only to stop in place and lash out in a whirlwind focused only upon its owner. Smoke filled the air and all eyes widened as Ra began to fade... As the fires died down until finally vanishing completely, with Yugi's current opponent reappearing with a leering grin. His lifepoints were a total of 4700, with his field cleared of all monsters...

And in the very center of the arena lay one lone metal devil on the field.

'De-Fusion' was not meant to work in the way Malik had used it. Activating it at the last moment, pulling his lifepoints and himself free from Ra's body... Sending Ra back to the grave and granting himself all of the life from its power as a result. "Tch..." Cheap... How disgustingly cheap she thought with a low growl, the Egyptian on the field still cackling at the turn in events. Ra had returned to the grave and the monster reborn had as well, but there was still one more shot at that card now.

And once he did that the metal devil would be useless. Completely useless... ...Unless, she thought to herself, eyes narrowing in thought. Unless... "...My turn," 'Yugi' hissed almost under his breath, his opponent setting one last card face down as the hologram shimmered into existence. "I'll pay 1000 lifepoints to maintain the Devil's place on the field and draw," he announced, opponent cackling in response.

"One attack point... That's all you have for your defense," the Egyptian howled. "You sacrifice 1000 of your lifepoints for this?" Hn! As if he would have been so stupid!

...No, Seto thought to herself, a smirk coming across her face despite all 'appearances' left to hold. No... Devil's sanctuary had another use in this match, a back up plan..! And if the look on her rival's face was any sign, if the sacrifice of his life was any sign...

Then he would indeed cause some damage. "HERE I GO," Yugi roared, Seto's teeth grinding despite attempts to remain calm and wait for what occurred. "First, I activate my face down card," he called out, the card swinging upward as his 'metal devil' writhed about the field and 'screamed'. "Multiply! Giving me two more copies of the Devil Token," the boy announced. The metalloid creature proceeded to do just that in response, arms splitting from its form before growing into two separate copies to float at its sides. And next... "Next," Yugi continued, those watching growing almost pale in anticipation and shock both as a storm again began to brew in the darkened sky, "Sacrificing the three Metal Devils," he roared, voice mirrored by the storm above, "THE GOD OF STORM AND CHAOS... I SUMMON THE STONE SOLDIER OF THE OBELISK!"

Shouts erupted in an instant and her eyes were drawn upward, ignorant to the faintly chanted words from Jonouchi on the side. From the 'sand' on the field and the dust in the air the almost demonic God formed, stone wings spread wide and fists clenched tight. And with necrotized flesh beneath bone-like armor the demon snarled, knuckles cracking in anticipation. "I SHALL ANSWER YOUR CALLS LITTLE KING," he announced, Seto's eyes growing even wider as his words came through the air. "And, more IMPORTANTLY," the God continued, his voice easily overpowering an order to attack, "WE SHALL WIN! GO..!

GOD HAND CRUSHER," both he and Yugi snarled, the 'obelisk' pulling a fist back before slamming it as hard as possible into their opponent's chest. The Egyptian had no time to even realize what was happening, a chocked cry cutting through the air at the volume of little more than a mouse.

They could still, however, hear it. "GLLL-K!"

"A direct hit," Yugi announced confidently, cards flying through the air along with blood as Malik slowly and painfully began to pull himself up. "Be glad you still have 'life points'," he continued bitterly. "As I doubt you would still live otherwise..." Tch... He was alive that was true, Seto growled in the back of her mind, but just barely. There were only 700 points left after all... The next attack would destroy him easily.

And yet as he stumbled to his feet, wiping blood from his face, there was nothing but a grin meeting their vision from the side of the field. A leering and demonic grin, made all the more haunting as the Egyptian licked his hand free of what blood he'd smeared off his face. Most of those on the side were cheering, that was true.

But the look on Malik's face...

And the words he muttered...

"Itain," he whispered under his breath, chuckling as he spoke. "Itain...! It hurts, it hurts, it HURTS! HnhnHAHAHAHAHA! So much PAIN Yugi," he cackled, those watching left to do nothing but pull back in disgust. "I didn't even know you were capable, but don't you remember," he continued, howling in his mirth. "This PAIN means nothing to me... BUT NOT TO HIM!" To him? The woman's eyes narrowed at the words, and for a brief moment she almost heard pained breathing on the air. A whimpering scream, answered by a look of shocked horror and realization as her rival looked toward where Malik gestured.

But there was nothing there, despite the look of horror on Yugi's face. "No," he whispered, only for his voice to be drowned out by laughter. "No-"

"Hnhnhnhnhn... HE'S the one who really feels the pain," Malik snarled, still grinning as both Yugi and Katsuya tensed in rage. "HE'S the one whose body is being devoured by shadows, slowly disappearing to be left with nothing... Such a poor fool," he hissed, shaking his head. "A poor pathetic tomb guardian whose entire life has been nothing but an insurance policy for a dead man's memories... If not for the fact that I was already laughing," the Egyptian chuckled, "I'd laugh at the sheer irony at it all! Your hatred, the hatred of the Pharaoh he's spent his life living for... FUELING the destruction of his very SOUL! And now I'm going to devour yours," he continued lowly, licking his lips with shadowed eyes. "I'll swallow your spirit whole and I'll leave nothing left... I'm going to repay you for this pain," Malik hissed, fingers twitching above his dueldisk, "And I'll return it two-fold, with this very card... I activate this trap," the blond announced, Seto cursing under her breath at the obvious pitfall Yugi had run into. "Take a good look... METAL REFLECT SLIME," he announced, the grin on his face widening. "Creating an exact duplicate of your monster... A living wall with a defense equal to three fourths your own..! MEET THE MONSTER YOU CREATED," Malik cackled, mercury-like metal rising and shifting with his words. "A copy of Obelisk itself, the GOD SLIME!"

The last thing he could remember before he was pulled from Anzu's body was a clawing sensation. The feeling of dark, twisted and unwanted fingers pulling at his form, at a form that didn't exist. As though his soul itself was being stabbed time and time again by a thousand hooked knives and until he conceded to the pain they would continue...

And despite all the loathing he felt for this feeling he could not resist its power in the end, unable to even give more than a cry of shock as a sudden sense of vertigo overcame him. As cold wind whipped past his body, and as the constant scratch and wail of shadows crawled over his skin after being pulled back in the way one would a fish on a line. As all his energy was torn from his grasp, all of it spent clawing at Anzu's mind, pulling for any form of a hold, any way to possibly stay put...

Anything, but going back to IT he cried in his mind, only for it to suddenly go blank.

Everything else following that moment... Was nothing but a daze. He could remember an intense pain eating away at his body. A series of shrieks as something, or somethings tore at his suspended form, ripping muscle from bone and bone from body. His legs were gone, his arms were gone, his hands, chest, neck, face..!

Naught but an eye had remained on that field, yet in an instant it was all returned. He was still weak of course. Despite the strength of the sudden intake of air that came with the return of his body he felt as though he were at death's door. But as he swallowed back a wave of nonexistent bile and fear the blond shuddered, shivering breaths meeting with the shadows on the wind as his eyes opened a fraction. He hadn't felt this way for so long, he thought bitterly, unable to so much as move his little finger through the pain. So long... Not since he was young, since he was maybe twelve... No, a little older he decided, eyes closing once more. Thirteen. When...

When his father died...

When he killed his father he corrected, when this thing...

They'd all lied for him he realized, unable to even cry despite the need to. All of them, they'd all lied. And Rishid, even after all that his father did to him... After all that he did to him..! "...R... shid..."

No one could hear him speak. He'd have in surprised if they even saw his lips move.

They certainly didn't when his body filled with pain again, when the shadows began to eat him away. When he tried to scream but found himself unable, when the fragments of himself that were lost to darkness began to drift into oblivion. When something white grabbed at him...

And suddenly the pain was gone. "This way," he heard someone mutter, a light push and pull easing him through the darkness as his vision strained. "I can only give you so long you fool, so hurry..!"

He only had one eye in the end. One eye closed to the field and the other slowly opening to shadows and light as he caught a glimpse of the spirit now reaching toward him. But as he looked at the faceless ghost that somehow repelled the shadows, the thing that somehow cast away the things that devoured him he had to bow what was remaining of his head in relief... And simply let that ghost take what had been banished from the game to wherever this spirit intended.

When he opened his left eye, body left without the other, without legs from the knees down and scraps of everything else, he found himself nearly blinded by the contrasting light through the windows. Raising an arm to shield his eyes he soon found himself lowering it in shock- He was in one of the airship rooms. Bakura's, he was sure. But if this was Bakura's room...

Then that would mean... "Ten minutes," he thought he heard the white ghost whisper as it faded into the air behind him. "I can only give you ten minutes." Alright. Ten minutes then. He wouldn't question the 'hows' and 'whys' of him being here then, at least for now.

Malik swallowed as he walked toward the bed in the room, a stool from where the doctor had often sat still clearly illuminated by the light from the window. By the blinding afternoon light which so violently contrasted the storm he'd been pulled from, a light that was only marred by the shadows surrounding the tower outside. He wasn't looking at the tower though- just the room. Rishid's dueldisk sat on the table at the side. The two chairs the room came with were scattered in the room from whoever had last sat in them, but in the end the stool was just fine.

Rishid was still sleeping. He found himself wondering if it was his fault. If it was the Gods' way of saying it was 'his turn'. "...Rishid," he called out quietly, sitting on the stool as his eye dimmed. Ten minutes, the ghost had told him. He didn't know how long he'd been staring at the bed, and how long his fragmented and ghosting form had sat there. "...Rishid, can you hear me..?" Even if he could, how could he answer he thought bitterly. Rishid was effectively comatose right now, in a state only Gods could spare him from. And while the doctors said only a day or so would be needed to recover...

The Gods were not so merciless.

But he didn't want him to suffer either. He didn't want anyone else to feel this pain, let alone him... So even if he couldn't hear him now... He had to at least say that, right?

Right? "...Rishid," he eventually said, not bothering to pay attention to the almost flickering form he held for the moment. "...I'll be going into the dark soon. The 'other realm'. ...I'm going to die," he added simply, shifting in his seat. "But before I do... Rishid, I need you to realize this... I need to tell you this, before it's too late alright?" There was no answer of course; he'd hardly expected one. Even so, being able to at least say this before he was gone left him with a bit of relief.

So he continued. "...Rishid..." The blond sighed, bowing his head as he bit his lip. "I disobeyed the law of my forefathers... And I did a terrible thing. Eternal darkness and eternal pain isn't nearly enough to punish me for what I've done." For what he did to his family, for what he fooled himself into accusing an ancient spirit and king of... And for all the terror and destruction he wrought as a result.

The body that lay before him merely continued to breathe in response to the words, and so the spirit went on. "...Rishid... When I went through the ritual of the tomb guardians you endured the same pain I did. You made a choice to live with me in darkness, sharing my sin and my destiny. But you don't have to anymore, understand," he whispered, gripping his arm tight and staring at the carvings his friend and brother had inflicted upon himself. No more... No more would he need...

"I don't know where you're wandering right now," Malik whispered, eyes dimming. "Whether you have been locked in darkness or if you only sleep, but know that there is no need for you to wake up to suffering anymore. When you wake up," he continued, somehow unable to choke or cry despite the flurry of emotions running through his mind, "When you wake up, be it in life or in death there will be people waiting for you. So I want you... To head toward the light this time, not the shadows... Understand," he asked. One minute left, his mind told him. One minute... He had to leave, but first just this last thought... These last words... "Rishid... ...For all you've done for me," he wept. "...Thank you..." Three seconds. Two. One.

Zero.

And the pressuring feeling and the absence of a body struck him once more, leaving him as naught but a single closed eye floating in pain on the field of shadows with scraps of his limbs.

It was only with bitter satisfaction really, that he could smirk at the sight of the 'other Malik' being thrown across the field by Obelisk's fist. That he could watch the cloak he wore briefly conform over the demon's knuckles before catching its victim on the ground. The fact was, just seconds after the fist collided the feeling was ruined by another damn 'flash'.

As if his 'ability' wasn't already a pain in the ass, he thought with a growl- now it was making fun of him too. He'd already had a hell of a time with the 'summoning chants'; Anzu had thankfully been able to explain those away as another 'locked memory' or whatever, making her somehow more informed on his ability than he was but... Either way, the words he spouted were gaining leery stares and wary glances.

Not that those lasted long. After all... In the end, what happened on the field took priority for the moment. And for the moment, what happened on the field wasn't involving screaming ghosts tearing flesh and bone from sacrificial souls, nor did it involve weak smiles and reassurances of safety and false calm. Malik...

He'd thought he heard him whisper something, before Obelisk's attack. But as the Egyptian was reduced to disembodied limb fragments and a single eye there was no way for him to tell, no visual sign and no way of hearing what he had said. Instead he found himself biting his tongue and watching as, for the second time thanks to precognitive pain in the ass abilities, a wall of reflective and mercuric slime rose around 'Malik' to form a cheap 'idol' copy of Obelisk.

To say that the God wasn't pleased by this would be an understatement needless to say. "You... DARE," he hissed, literally shaking as he stood and towered above the copy with his face. The metalloid being seemed to merely turn upward, giving no other reaction than to stare as its 'original' shook with rage. "You DARE to STEAL the face of the GODS!"

"Gh..." If the 'other Yugi' had his own words he wasn't sharing them, but it was evident that he felt similarly ticked about the now arisen challenge. He didn't even know if his friend had heard Obelisk's words... But regardless of 'yes' or 'no', there was not much he could do. He'd made his attack; now he had a move to finish. "I set a card face down," he'd said in the end, the blank tablet coming up just past his head. "End turn!"

And now it was Malik's. And in four turns he thought to himself as numbers again filled his mind, they'd know exactly who won this match. No more... No less. "Mine then," their opponent hissed, chuckling under his breath at whatever unknown plan he had. "Yugi," he sneered, shifting cards around in his hand. "Have you noticed a trend in my deck so far," he 'asked', those watching merely glaring at the Egyptian with bitten tongues. "The theme of 'immortality' so prevalent in my cards? My deck has the power to bring God back time and time again until my enemy is defeated," 'Malik' announced as the storm continued to rumble ahead, "And the God Slime is no different! I now summon this," he shouted, tablet rising from the ground with the card. "Revival Jam, defense mode! Following that," the Egyptian continued, an aqueous glob of white 'water' seeming to stick along the edges of its summoned tablet, "I'll play a face down card, and end my turn!"

Yugi's turn. There was a look in his eyes that said he'd recognized this monster, along with its effects. 'Revival' was certainly accurate from what he could tell actually... But for now, there was no need to target the jam.

Or was there? "Shit," he muttered under his breath again, Otogi grinding his teeth from the side.

"Please tell me," he said quietly, their friend summoning a monster to his defense before continuing his move, "You didn't just see another pitfall."

There was no answer, a snarling growl and Yugi's shout cutting him short as Obelisk pulled an enraged fist back. "HHHHAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"ATTACK THE GOD SLIME," their friend roared. "GOD HAND CRUSH-"

"Reveal face down card," 'Malik' stated coolly. Obelisk's fist tore through the impostor before it, the tablet beneath the fist crumbling into dust. However... Rather than dissolve as it should, the ooze began to reform- globules of watery liquid gathered through the air, joining piece by piece and within seconds the duplicate face of Obelisk stood before them again. The formerly blank tablet beneath it crumbled into dust to join with the beast and as the 'God Slime' stretched and cracked its neck those watching stiffened and stared with baited breaths. "Polymerization!" Poly...

Fuck. "He fused the God Slime with the Revival Jam," Honda repeated incredulously, shaking his head. "That- How can he-"

"They're both slime monsters," Shizuka whispered, her own disbelieving smile cracking as she shook her head. "Of course he can fuse them! And with Revival Jam's ability that leaves him with... With..!"

The girl clutched the railing behind her, her brother finishing the sentence. "A r'generatin' steel wall," Katsuya hissed. "'Immortal God Slime'..!"

"EXACTLY," 'Malik' cackled, eyes briefly glancing over those in the crowd. Oh... So he'd heard him then? Good for him, Katsuya thought darkly. Good for fucking him. "KhuhuHAHAHAHA! An unstoppable force with an impenetrable defense... Good luck reaching me now 'King'," he taunted, wide eyes slowly narrowing in a calmer form of his mirth. "Though I suppose that in the end, it's still your turn..!"

"Gh... Not any more," his opponent growled bitterly. With little else to do after all, what other option did he have? He crossed his arms and jerked his head across the field in gesture, jaw clenched in obvious tension. "I end my turn; it's yours now..." Tch. Bastard...

Bastard..! "Fuck... Not good," Honda hissed, eyes glued to the field like everyone elses'. "So long as that thing's there Yugi's not even going to scratch this guy..."

"There has to be some other way," the teen beside him muttered, fist clenched to the point where Katsuya idly wondered if the die grasped in it would be crushed. A few seconds later and his mind told him it wasn't and that Otogi had just now slipped it into his pocket. "Someway," he repeated quietly. "Someway..."

Briefly the crowd looked toward Anzu, expressions filled with a desperate hope only for the woman to shake her head. "Malik... ...Our Malik," she continued, turning away awkwardly as she rubbed her head in focus. "He never came up with this strategy... The 'slimes' were only to be used in an 'Osiris' deck," she continued softly, "He never thought of an 'immortal God slime'..." No... No he didn't.

That one was all 'evil Malik' on that one. And even though Yugi had an entire head and chest on him in terms of survival, hands and feet hanging disembodied on the air, it was looking more and more like they were on death's door, waiting for it to open wide and swallow them whole. And now...

'Malik's grin, though unchanged, somehow seemed more haunting than it already was. Three turns left. He just hoped to hell the winner was the one they were rooting for. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Trying to think of a way out," the Egyptian hissed, shaking his head in amusement as his opponent seemed to bow his head in thought. "Don't bother Yugi... All you can do is wait for Darkness to consume you, there's no point in doing otherwise you know..! So are you ready now," he called out, grin widening. "I first play a card face down... And then summon Bowganian in defense mode," 'Malik' continued, the tablet rising from the ground to remain in its dormant state. "And so long as he's here I can whittle your life down bit by bit..." By 300 points, his mind corrected... 300 points each turn, in Yugi's end-phase.

Turn end, he heard following that. He hadn't been paying much attention; from the side of the 'monster' that Yugi now fought, he'd thought he saw what was left of the real Malik move. That his eye, however small, had begun to open. And yet...

In the end it was just a trick of the light he told himself, and from across their opponent Yugi made his move. In the end, it was closed over, looking just as weak as it had from the start. "My turn," Yugi announced, drawing his next card. "I'll also play a card face down," the boy began, blank faced tablet rising up to his side immediately. The stone beside it began to rumble with the motion, and as its summoner switched cards the rumbling increased. "Next... I offer the Big Shield Guardna as sacrifice," Yugi cried, "And summon the Dark Magician Girl!"

The image on the defense monster's tablet washed completely clean as the sacrifice was made, smoke seeping into the air from its surface as it re-carved itself. Intricate runes and seals wove their way over the surface- the lines gleamed with light, and soon enough a young woman's shout pierced the air, the young mage pulling free of the stone with her staff in hand as she turned to give her summoner a polite nod. "Let's do this," she shouted determinedly, pumping a fist into the air and taking a stance. Hah... Right..!

Though if Yugi had heard that, his only reaction had been to continue on as though nothing happened. Bowganian had to go if they wanted to keep their lifepoints intact after all. So with that in mind, the next course of action was only obvious. "Dark Magician Girl," Yugi ordered, the young woman spinning her staff in hand with a smirk. "Attack Bowganian!"

"Got it! BLACK BURNING," she responded, staff pointed forward as the flames at the end appeared. "GO!" The fires blossomed forward and for a brief moment his grin had returned. As usual it seemed...

'Brief' didn't cut it, when precognition got involved. And as fires continued to blaze forward without any sign of stopping he had to wince. "Hnhnhnhnhn..." He hated being right. "Not so fast," 'Malik' countered, the blank tablet at his side crumbling into dust within moments. "REVEAL TRAP! JAM DEFENDER!" Katsuya and Anzu both ground their teeth at the shout, all others hissing as the God Slime brought a mighty fist down to block the attack.

"W-What..." The Dark Magician Girl tensed, backing away with wide eyes before growing red. "Gh... Of all the cheap tricks..! You-" Fires blasted back from the monster's fist, its attacker's shouts cut short with a scream. "GHHAAAHH!" Covering the field completely the screams filled the air, and while the damage to the Magician's own form was minimal, the same could not be said for the others as burns began to appear across their bodies.

"GH-... Nghh..." The 'physical' one was resisting the urge to grab at his arms, the unprotected skin growing red with irritation.

"GHHHAAAHHGGG... AAHHG..." The original on the other hand was still biting his lip, and though the fires passed through him Katsuya could only take staring at half destroyed pieces of his friend's form so long.

Particularly when the shadows and screams had returned once more. "Aibou," the 'other' Yugi cried, turning upward as the fires died into smoke. What was left of his chest was being ripped to shreds before the eyes of those who could see, and though the boy did his best to scream it was taking all Katsuya had not to make himself sick from the sight. As his rips were literally snapped back into shadows, his organs shredded until there was nothing left... As the others, unaware of this sight, merely screamed for their friend to 'hang on'... ...Couldn't they see..?

That he was already proving himself so much stronger than them..! That his suffering, all his suffering would have killed anyone else in his place, that all of this was... Was...

The screams had now died down.

And the monster before them continued to laugh."Hnhnhnhnhahaha! Annoyed," Malik chuckled, narrowing his eyes as the ball of slime that was God's copy hurriedly began to repair from the implosion that had occurred upon impact with the Dark Magician Girl's flames. "I would imagine so," the 'monster' continued. "Caught in an endless cycle of death and re-growth... You can't possibly reach me after all," he sneered, again running his tongue along his teeth. "It's almost de-ja vu, isn't it? Just like our last match... The Jam Defender can't die, nor can my monsters... It looks to me as though your 'God' is the inferior one now..!"

Again the crowd and competitors tensed, Yugi and the Magician Girl even hazarding a look back toward Obelisk in response. His reaction... Was possibly more fearful than if he had shouted in rage. All he was doing was standing in the shadows of the realm, eyes narrowed to haunting slits as he crossed his arms and waited. Waited for when he would destroy the scum before him, for when he would receive his comeuppance...

This wasn't the end though. Not when the tablet at 'Malik's side now glowed with power, a smoking spiral appearing at its center with the sound of a cranking crossbow. "Done your turn," 'Malik' 'asked', laughter dying to the sound of hissing and clicking on the air. "Don't forget Bowganian's power now..." Gh-!

An arrow shot from the tablet across them, and with a start the stricken duelist clutched his chest. "GH-" The arrow vanished from sight... And somehow, Yugi remained on his feet. "Nggh... A-aaah..." Right through the lung- the arrow that had shot forward was a clean and precise hit with the hole visible to him from between his friend's fingers and though the wound had begun to repair already, it nonetheless left Yugi gasping for air as he stumbled.

"O... Other me," the lighter one shouted, ignoring the fact that there was little more of him left than his head, hands and feet as screaming shades ripped and pulled at the remains of his body. "Other me," he cried out, "Are you-"

"I'm fine," Yugi choked out, pulling himself upward with still rasping breaths. "I'm fine, I-"

"Bowing before your slayer now," their opponent sneered, his grin widening as he was faced with a rage filled stare. All faces continued to twist in rage as the Egyptian spoke, their opponent neither acknowledging or caring about the reaction."The Pharaoh, the Gods... It matters not who you are," 'Malik' cackled, "All things bow before ME... All things fear their DEATH, and I am the one who BRINGS IT! KHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA! HAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHA!"

"Gh... This monster..."

Katsuya shook where he stood, nodding as Anzu continued to hold her jacket close and mutter curses under her breath. Now that he thought about it... If anyone knew what kind of monster this guy was, it was probably the one who'd gotten a thick dose of Malik's own memories, scary as the thought was. Tch... This monster... "Bastard," the blond hissed, narrowing his eyes further. "There's only so much time left, an' with that slime there..." He froze, tensing as a sudden whisper came over the air. That sound... "...Hey... ...Anyone hear tha'," he muttered, turning to the others in confusion. That sound...

Someone was whispering. "Hear what," Otogi asked with a slight frown, the others more or less mirroring the expression. The group attempted to listen for something, before giving up and shrugging it off. "...It's probably just you," he decided. "You said the monsters spoke didn't you?"

Well... "Yea," he supposed, "But this isn'..." He shook his head, only for his frown to deepen as he looked back to the field. "It's jus' a whisper from nowhere, all faint an'-"

"...Malik," Anzu whispered, the others turning as her eyes grew dim. The woman looked up toward the field, grip on her jacket tightening as 'life' slowly came back into her words and eyes. "That voice," she choked out, shaking somewhat as tears began to develop in reaction to whatever it was she now heard. "...It... It's..."

Malik. "Yu... Gi..." Malik's eye was open, if only a little. And his voice was as soft as the wind, "Y... Yu... Yugi..."

"He's callin' for..." He was calling for Yugi but Yugi couldn't hear. All he could hear was- "Gh!"

Katsuya stumbled back as Anzu quickly pushed forward, coming near the arena with wide eyes as the winds whipped hair into and off her face. "Yu... Yugi," she shouted, the boy turning with a slight frown. "Yugi, I need you to listen..! What I'm about to say... These are Malik's words, alright," Anzu cried, looking up with a pained and despaired face. "Just listen... Alright?" Ah-

"Malik's words," Honda repeated, shaking himself as the woman continued to hold back tears. "Anzu, what-"

"Don't hold back..." The teen was cut off as Anzu bit her lip, before repeating the words with all the knowledge that they came from a dying man. "Don't... Don't hold back Yugi!" "Crush him..." "Crush this 'thing'... The 'evil heart' that we brought here," she continued, still shaking where she stood. "Keep going..." Keep going... But rather than repeating the words the woman bowed her head, tensing up completely. "I... … I..."

"Anzu," Otogi whispered, hesitantly reaching out toward the woman. "You said... 'We'," he said with an uneasy swallow. "Anzu... Are you al-" The teen was held back as Katsuya brought out an arm, the others falling silent and continuing to listen. Whether Anzu was completely there or not wasn't the issue... Right now...

She was crying. And for Anzu to cry, at least like this, was as rare as the sight of Yugi's rage. "We swore," she wept, holding her hand as memories that weren't hers played with her words and thoughts, "We swore after he died, after our father died, to avenge his death. By killing you... That was why the ghouls were formed, that was why we chased you... But we didn't know," the woman choked, shaking her head as she attempted to clear it enough to set the memories and emotions straight. "Malik... He didn't know the truth, he didn't know what killed him... That this THING," she roared, turning on Malik's 'other half' with rage. "The thing that killed... That killed his father," Anzu forced out, slowly setting the memories in their proper place while her eyes took a feral tone. "That his murderer was sharing his body the entire time..!"

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." The 'monster's smirk widened in response to the snarls, arms crossed in mild amusement. "Oh... Me," the 'other' Malik chuckled in response. "Really... Your determination is impressive mister 'main personality'," the Egyptian chuckled, "But you should have realized this before your body became mine... You can take your guilt to the grave," he continued darkly, turning toward the scraps of his lighter self with a sneer. "I'm not going anywhere..."

"That's what you think," the shade hissed in response, somehow able to speak even with only the top left half of his head remaining. "I'm going to take you with me... No matter what," he snarled, eye widening with an unmatched fury. "No matter what..! I..."

"Malik," an additional voice whispered, Ishizu walking over from the side. Both the shard on the field and Anzu turned, the latter turning away with dull eyes as she again pushed foreign memories back to a separate place in her mind.

"...Ishizu," she said quietly, fingers digging into her arm as she turned further away. "...I'm... ...We're sorry... Above anything," she whispered as she shook her head, "Malik is..." A comforting hand was placed on the girl's shoulder, Ishizu shaking her head.

"It's alright," the woman told her, looking close to tears herself as her 'sister' turned. "Go on..."

Anzu nodded, swallowing back another wave of unease. "I... He wants to know... Why you never said anything," she forced out, shaking her head. "Why you didn't tell him who killed your father," she cried, "Why you didn't tell him that it was him... Ishizu," the woman continued, taking a deep breath. "You knew, didn't you? That this was ou-... That this was his fate," she corrected through her tears, "The family's fate... For Yugi and Malik to fight... The tauk told you didn't you? After you took it?"

"No... No," Ishizu shouted in protest. "That wasn't it at all! Malik..." She looked back to the field, before turning to Anzu and continuing. "Even if you were obsessed with revenge... Even if you wanted nothing more than to kill the one we were to protect," she whispered honestly, "I wanted you to live more than anything! That was the only fate I wanted for you, the only thing I want for you now, and-"

"I'm not strong enough," Anzu wheezed, hands moving to her shoulders as she shuddered. "Okht... To keep that dark side away forever... It's impossible. He..." She tensed, shivering becoming an obvious shake while tears continued to stream down her face. "He says... He won't let it happen again," she wept, the voice that she heard little more than a faint whisper to Katsuya. "That he'll put an end to his entire existence... That... No matter what..."

"Malik... Malik no," Ishizu cried, turning to the field in horror and realization both. "No, you can't- MALIK!"

"YUGI," Anzu screamed, looking toward the boy with tearfilled eyes, face red with despair and fury both. "I know... I know you can defeat his dark side! This is... This is your final test, alright," she screamed. "So no matter what, for Malik's sake... I..."

"Nmnn-..! Malik..!" For his sake...

"...Kill me."

In the back of his mind... He thought someone woke up...

The fact that Anzu was crying was already enough to freeze him in his thoughts. More than enough in fact, to take the attentions of both himself and his lighter half, both of them watching as Ishizu held her head in grief, as Jonouchi and the others attempted to somehow help Anzu to stop her tears, to stop the final words Malik had left her.

The words that Malik's dark half was now spitting upon with laughter and taunts amid screaming shadows and roaring winds. "You," he laughed, "Defeat me?" He turned to the sacrifice at his side, still sneering as the shard returned the gaze. "Your wishes are hopeless... And the time before your death is feeling all too long for me! SO, Yugi," the Egyptian snarled. "Let's continue this duel! It's my turn after all..! So lets see what I've drawn..!" The card he'd drawn was already in his hands of course; it was his expression that had him on edge however, the grin that 'this' Malik could use to flawlessly hide his intent.

The moment the 'tablet' swung up into the air, that intent was well revealed, with the grin growing to again inhuman width. "Sffh-! That card..!"

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Recognize it," 'Malik' laughed, the card's face wiping clean as another was sent out from the Egyptian's grave. "Spell card 'Magical Stone Excavation'..! Bringing back the Monster Reborn," he continued, his opponent stiffening further. Monster Reborn... One turn left, Malik seemed to chuckle across from them, licking his lips in anticipation. One turn... And then it would be all over "Death's door is now before you," he chuckled, eyes widening further in their madness. The card was still in his hand, waved around in a constant taunt... "Take a good look," he cackled, "Soon enough you'll be pushed inside..! HNHNHAHAHAHAH!" Gh...

Death lay before them, and before the ones they wanted to save... And yet through all this his partner was still the one pushing forward. "Other me," Yugi whispered, his darker half steeling his resolve. "There has to be a way to save Malik... There has to be..!" Of course... Of course there did!

And while there was a part of him that doubted this, the rest was being so reassured by his lighter half that he simply couldn't be bothered to acknowledge that doubt he held. This was his last chance, all or nothing. One last gamble... "Let's do this," he said under his breath, his partner nodding. One last turn...

One last turn, and if they screwed this up Hell's gates would open for them all. As long as the God Slime was there, they couldn't harm Malik. That, however, did not matter. The real Malik... 'Their' Malik...

They would not let him die..! No matter what! "Hnhnhnhnhn... I play a card face down," 'Malik' was stating from across from them, the hovering stone sending small trails of dust to the ground as it rose up from the field. "Following that I summon the swallowtail spike lizard 'Granadora' in defense mode," he sneered, the double mouthed being snarling from the crouched appearance it appeared within, "Giving me 1000 life points! END TURN!"

From across them, a small bit of Malik's arms had returned... The 'poison' that Granadora had released wrapped itself around 'Malik's dueldisk and with it the faint screams he'd heard around them grudgingly returned what they had stolen. That wasn't enough to wake him however, to shake him from the stupor that he had again fallen into. It wasn't nearly enough. "My... Turn," he grit out, shaking on the spot and willing himself to do no more than that lest he reveal more unease to his opponent. Those below were holding their breaths... They knew the risks, they knew that his attack would spell Malik's end... But there had to be another way. There had to be...

'Why are you hesitating,' he thought he heard someone whisper, the boy briefly looking up only for his partner to shake his head. It wasn't him... So then who...

Both pairs of eyes turned across the field, looking toward the single eye that Malik held. It was open. Wide open, with its iris turned directly toward them as it twitched and shivered in confusion. This... "...Malik," Yugi questioned. Could he...

'Why are you hesitating,' the Egyptian whispered, both boys unable to respond as tears began to run down the disembodied cheek. 'I tried to kill you... I tried to kill your friends, and I almost succeeded,' he cried, the eye again shaking as though a head were following. 'No matter what I've done since then... What I did in that other world... Nothing can make up for what I did to you! So how... Why..! WHY ARE YOU HESITATING,' he screamed faintly, eye squeezing shut as he cried. 'Why..?'

Why? Because he wasn't their enemy he wanted to shout out, only to find his tongue unable to move to do so. Because despite what he thought, he'd made it clear just what side he was on, and they wouldn't force him to lose the chance to build that slim trust developing. Not any more. Not now...

But how did they save someone tied to the one they had to kill, no matter what? How... "...Good question," Yugi muttered, biting his lip as he gleaned the question from his partner's thoughts. "If we attack there won't even be an 'eye-' Ah!" ...Ah? The boy turned, his partner looking down with a set and determined frown. "Other me," he began, swallowing back growing unease once more as he spoke. "Maybe there is a way..! Listen... When 'Dark Malik' uses Ra's third ability... When he sacrifices all of his lifepoints to Ra," he continued, "He merges with it doesn't he?" Ah... That was right, but what did that have to do with- "Even 'God' is a monster in a battle like this," Yugi continued, turning back to face their opponent. "Which means that for a moment, 'Dark Malik' becomes a monster doesn't he? And if he can use something like 'de-fusion' on himself... Then what else might work against him?" Ah..? Spells and traps? Well... Besides that...

The other Yugi slowly turned back to the arena, realization dawning upon him as he stared across the field. There would be one life point left once 'Malik' formed his 'One Turn Kill'. Just one; but if 'Dark Malik' was destroyed and sent to the grave with Ra... And 'their' Malik was left in his place... "That's it," he muttered under his breath, drawing his card. "That's it..!" There was still a way..! There was still a chance to win, still a chance to save him..! "Aibou... Thank you," he called out, glancing at his card only briefly as he set it on the duel disk. "We won't fail in this battle..! I set a card face down," the boy announced, tablet hovering in place with the familiar carving of what he knew he'd set. "Next, I summon Gazelle, King of the Mythical beasts in defense mode," he called out amid the summoned monster's growl, "And end my-"

"AH-AH-AHHH..." The creaking sound of a loading crossbow took his attention, Yugi stiffening as their opponent again caught his attention. Gh... Shit! "Not so fast," 'Malik' sneered, a wide grin across his face. "Did you forget what this one does on your turn end?" Well...

Almost, he liked to think. That wouldn't spare him though.

"BOWGANIAN," his opponent roared, the tablet before them glowing fiercely as the one-eyed crossbow warrior took aim with his gun. "RELEASE THE BOLT!"

-ff-t-

"NGH- GH-HHAAAH!" The steel arrow struck exactly where it had the time before, with his hand reaching for where the bolt would sit as it faded into dust. Beside his heart, and through his left lung, leaving him to grab at a briefly bleeding wound in pain. The sensation however was thrown off quite quickly, when he remembered what would come next. "N... Aibou," he whispered, turning to the side with wide eyes. The shadows were eating at him again... And far off in the distance he could hear wailing and wordless screams, the wisps of darkness seeming to develop claws as they attacked. "A-AIBOU..!"

"Gh... Don't worry about me, 'Other Me,'" his partner whispered, forcing a brave smile on his face even as fragments of it were destroyed. His right eye was gone, seemingly pulled out from existence by a great and monstrous hand. His body now was gone save his hands and feet... Along with disembodied shards of his hair, of his cheek, of everything... Nonetheless, he continued to hold the smile. "You can do it," he forced out, the honest words somewhat marred by his own pain. "...Other Me... Defeat Malik's evil half... Alright..?" His eyes were closing over now... He'd spent too much energy, and even before the game ended he was close to the end. No...

No... "Aibou..." Don't close those eyes, he wanted to shout. Don't close them... Don't..! "AIBOU, DON'T GO," he cried, almost backing away in horror. There was no answer save for the shadowed wind blowing through his partner's hair, the boy's eye closed in 'slumber'. No... NO..! "Hang in there," he choked, shaking his head. "Hang in there, partner... I won't let you die..!" Nor would he let Malik die, he told himself. Nor would Malik...

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Almost gone," his opponent sneered, knuckles cracking as he drew his next card. "And this is it now..! This is my last turn, along with your DEATH... The Darkness is my ally until the very end," he howled, teeth bared with all the ferocity of a monster. "And with this card I'll crush you for sure! Are you ready," 'Malik' 'asked', his opponent swallowing as the sound of his heart-beat came through his ears. "With one single sweep of Ra's wings I'll FINISH YOU! REVEAL FACE DOWN CARD," he began as smoke slowly swam across the air. "MONSTER REBORN... SUMMONING THE IMMORTAL PHOENIX, THE GOD OF THE SUN... RA," he commanded, fires erupting from the very ground as Ra again appeared before them in the sky. The flames rose skyward... Shifting changing, forming wings and claws, narrowed eyes and a toothed beak... "BURN HIS GOD TO ASHES," Malik roared, howling with laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAHH!" God... The God phoenix now rose before him and as it sent out a piercing cry of rage the God behind him clenched his fists in preperation.

"The FINAL CHALLENGE is now HERE," Obelisk snarled, bracing himself as Ra wordlessly made his attack. "Are you READY, LITTLE KING?" Ready?

What choice did he have? Nonetheless, he nodded. "I am," he answered, those at the sides not bothering to question whom he currently spoke to. "FACE DOWN REVEAL," the boy announced, ignoring cries of futility and uselessness from the 'monster' across him. The storm above grew more in ferocity... Red hot fires seared behind him, yet rather than the blue-armored God, Ra's flames instead struck red scales and blackened claws, a double jawed mouth opening to snarl threateningly at the god before it. "Recognize THIS card," he roared, his opponent's expression falling like a stone at the sight before him. "THE MONSTER REBORN... Bringing back Osiris in defense mode, and taking your attack..! I might have lost him as a result," the boy continued lowly, ashen remains of God again falling to the ground following pained snarls while the dying fires faded to smoke, "But with the sacrifice of God's 'shield' I still have my sword... Ra returns to the grave now," he continued, eyes wide with rage to match Ra's spitting growls. "So what now?"

"What now," 'Malik' repeated, laughter grating the air as the fires sank back into his graveyard. The laughter grew harsher as his grin took an even more maddening tone despite the assumed impossibility. "Why... I'm going to use this card... And I'm going to kill you," he told him, twirling the slip of card about in his fingers. Hah...

Of course. Sweat ran down the side of his face, Yugi swallowing as he forced himself not to react. Malik's battle phase was over... Ordinarily he'd be telling himself he was in the clear, that there was nothing else to worry about, but if he had one card, just one...

"So sorry Yugi," Malik sneered, setting the card on the field as a wave of darkness furled behind the Egyptian. "But my turn isn't quite over yet... I play one last spell," he continued sinisterly, "Surprise attack from the darkness..! And with THAT," he laughed, eyes widening further, "I BEGIN THE SECOND BATTLE PHASE... GREAT AND POWERFUL GOD RA, ARISE," 'Malk' roared, the action mirrored by the yet unseen God as golden flames began to break through the shadows before them. "Great God of all he travels," he chanted, the golden sphere that was 'Ra' seeming to roll into the air before them as it took the form of the sun, "Who creates all he sees, whose eye is the warrior Sehkmet, whose knowledge is unsurpassed, who sails on the evening barge of a million years, who is accompanied by Command, Perception, and Magic," the Egyptian continued, arms outspread as they began to mist and smoke into the air with the fires around him. The wings of Ra had begun to click and unfold from the 'sun', claws extending forward and flaming red eyes opening to an almost glassy appearance. "Whose Father is Nun, who passes life and death each day... Who battles with the dark serpent along side the God of Storms," he 'commanded, legs already vanished from sight as he continued to stare at his victims insanely, "I ask of you, the Great God Ra, that you come to my aid and take my power... That you take my life, all that I have and use it to empower your own... TO FUEL YOUR FLAMES," he roared with the last of his being, the enormous griffin already standing behind the tower with a flaming mouth. "TO COAT YOUR ENEMY COMPLETELY IN YOUR WRATH..."

"AND SO WE SHALL," they chorused, Ra's beak breaking open with a loud and piercing eagle's cry as the final joints of wings and limbs unfolded. "DO YOU SEE," 'Malik' roared from atop Ra's brow, the dragon's eyes shadowed by a black film as he laughed. "I have become ONE with GOD," he howled. The Egyptian's body seemed to smoke with the same flames as the being he merged with, his cloak furling in smoke and fire both as he laughed. "NOTHING WILL STOP ME NOW," he roared, voice thundering with all the force of the very storm around them. "NOTHING! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA!" A single eye was all that remained on the field of the 'monster's original form, and in a similar fashion it was all that remained of Malik's true half. It was now or never he told himself.

Now or never, his partner was shouting, now or never, the others were shouting in the backs of their minds. Either now, or never again would they live to see the sun rise without the aid of this great golden being. Ra was merged with 'Malik'. For this moment and this moment only, it would be the dark side that was vulnerable to attack rather than the 'light'. So with that in mind...!

With that in mind..!

Eyes wide with madness looked down from above, 'Malik's smoking form grinning hysterically as he cackled. "Yugi... Once I sacrifice all these monsters Ra's attack power will rise to 6899," he taunted, arms folded over as he sneered at his 'victim'. "A power FAR beyond YOUR God... BRACE YOURSELF," he warned, preparing to strike as Ra did the same. "FOR THIS IS THE END..!"

Hn! "We'll see about that," he countered, crossing his arms as the enormous form of 'God' towered above him.

"Gh... WHAT," the self-proclaimed God roared, Yugi's smirk growing wider.

Hehehehehe... "I've been waiting for this," he said simply, tapping the side of the duel disk as he spoke. "For the moment your evil 'heart' manifests in the form of a beast, rendering it vulnerable to MY attack... ACTIVATE FACE DOWN CARD," the boy announced, tablet swinging upward as it crumbled into dust. As the sands flung forward, kicking up a whirlwind storm in their wake. "SOUL TAKER!"

"Sou- You... YOU PLAN ON SACRIFICING ME," 'Malik' snarled incredulously, pulling back in apparent fear as he shook his head. "YOU PLAN TO KILL ME, ALONG WITH RA," he thundered, the shadows themselves converging around him in his rage. Heh.

Of course not. Not yet. "Spells and traps work only one turn against Gods," he stated plainly, one target already in mind and already being sucked away into the raging winds as they moved forward. "You should know exactly what I'm targeting..!" And if not then it would only be his fear that clouded his judgement- To sacrifice 'Ra' would be insane after all, he already knew that much! And for that reason, even as the winged God beat the air and shadows with its wings, even as they clouded the monster from sight, the cyclone seemingly pulling it upward...

Cheers were coming from all sides, but the fact was he wasn't aiming for Ra. So while 1000 life points were being added to Malik's own and to his growing attack power as a result, he had to smirk. "Sacrifice ME," 'Malik' taunted, 'storming' forward as he broke free of the vortex that had been pulling all on the field upward. Rage filled Ra's eyes and the Egyptian continued to cackle, arms outstretched in his apparent superiority. "Fool... FOOL," he roared, thunder clapping with the words. "That card is NOTHING compared to ME! HAHAHAHHAHA!" Lightning continued to strike the tower with each laugh, and those at the side bit their lips as 'Malik' continued his attack. "NOW," he thundered, "Prepare yourself for the KNIFE, YUGI! KnhnHAHAHAHAHA-!"

"Heh!" Silence suddenly came over the air, the only other sound being that of the storm and his own voice. "Who said I ever intended to attack you," he stated clearly, the laughter cutting short. 'Malik' looked down upon the comparatively miniscule duelist and the boy continued, smirk growing wider. "Sacrifice God," Yugi 'asked'. "There was no telling me that would work..! Take a look at your monsters," he continued, eyes narrowing with a feeling of mirth he'd been unable to experience through most of the duel. "Is someone missing..?"

"Missi-"

'God slime,' someone at the side of the field whispered, the remaining drops of slime pulled from a now vanishing vortex of sand before a roar of cheers broke through the air. 'The God Slime is GONE,' they roared, 'It's..!'

"Hehehehehe... With one card," Yugi chuckled, "I lay claim to the two monsters making it... Revival Jam and Reflect Slime both..!" At those very words the globs of slime that had been ripped from the sands split in two, each shooting toward the God behind him. The 'Jam' toward the left, ghostly face twisted in fear- and the slime to the right, with nothing but a reflection to show its evident horror. "You can thank your own cards for the 'visual effect' of apparently sacrificing you," Yugi continued, watching shock continued to develop over his opponent's face, "But I'll be sacrificing these two to activate Obelisk's greatest ability," he thundered, the God behind him cracking his knuckles as he took the two slime-beings in his grip.

"Hn..! Face your PUNISHMENT, 'young ones'," Obelisk hissed from behind, crushing the two monsters as they both writhed in fear. The ooze squeezed out between his fingers, seeping between the armor with a slight wail as he pulled both fists back for the final strike. "SOUL ENERGY MAX," he announced, 'eyes' wide as he gathered his power. "THIS IS THE FINAL STRIKE..!" Indeed..!

"Prepare yourself, you who would dare to call yourself 'MALIK'... These are YOUR last moments on earth! AN ATTACK OF INFINITE POWER," he snarled, pointing the God forward with a shout. "NOW! GOD HAND IMPACT..!"

"RRRRR-OOOOOOOOHHHHHH-!"

"NOT SO FAST," 'Malik' snarled, the God he'd taken control of bathing itself in flames as the fist rushed forward. "I sacrifice my MONSTERS, BOWGANIAN and GRANDORA first," the demon announced, each one vanishing into pillars of flame to join with the dragon's body. He now held an attack power of '4899' then, he thought to himself. But...

Why would he bother? "It doesn't matter," Honda snarled from the side, initially joined by Jonouchi before the blond abruptly paled and fell silent. "Obelisk has infinite power," the teen shouted, "That's nothing compared to it!" And yet Jonouchi looked as though it was exactly the opposite...

"Oh REALLY," the Egyptian chuckled, still grinning as clawed hands rose with his own to take Obelisk's fist in their grip. "We'll SEE about THAT... Aaaaaa... HRAAHHH!"

"GH-"

-crack-

No... "Impossible," Yugi whispered, watching as Ra pulled at the fist he now gripped in his hand. As blood poured to the ground in a single torrential downpour, 'Obelisk' giving a loud and howling cry as his hand was torn from the wrist, as he was forced to pull it back and actually moan in agonized pain... "Impossible..!"

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Even GODS know their BETTERS," the demon above them sneered. "And of all THREE Gods, RA is highest in RANK... The powers of SUTEKH, and of the OBELISK are USELESS against ME! So TRY AGAIN," he howled, the 'dragon' pulling back to develop a blast of flames in its mouth to counter. "The ATTACK CONTINUES... And this time you can DIE, you pathetic, dried MUMMY! GOD BLAZE CANNON," 'Malik' snarled, eyes growing still wider. "I WIN..!" Shit...

Shit... Shit! Not yet! This was his fight now wasn't it..? His challenge?

Then he would not fail- and as the 'Gods' had said, he would face it without their aid! "Face down reveal," Yugi hurriedly countered, the tablet swinging up even as Obelisk attempted to shield him from Ra's flames with the bleeding stump that was his wrist. "DIMENSION MAGIC! I sacrifice two monsters... Gazelle," he began, the horned lion crumbling into sand in an instant as a cage of sorts appeared before them, "And Obelisk..!" And now...

"You have done WELL, LITTLE KING," Obelisk moaned, slowly collapsing into dust and sand as Ra's flames faded with him. His melting face looked down upon the boy as he briefly turned his head upward, the dust flying forward to form what his trap had summoned forth. "For the FINAL step... I leave your CHALLENGE to YOU," he whispered, before finally falling completely to the ground and shadows.

The final step... Alright then he told himself, biting his lip. Smoke filled the air around them now... Above him he doubted even Ra and 'Malik' would be able to see him, let along the coffin-like device that now hung suspended in the 'cage'. "What was the POINT," 'Malik' taunted, shaking his head, voice somewhat faded amid the smoke that surrounded him now. "What was the POINT, if it means your last GOD is DEAD?"

"No one said that I needed GODS to win this fight," he countered, narrowing his eyes. "I have my friends... Trusted partners who fight alongside me through all my duels, all my matches..." Friends that would help him win this challenge now, rather than relying upon divine intervention. "Take a look now," he continued, the Dark Magician Girl floating through the hole in the coffin as its magic activated in full. "Standing alongside each other, the highest level Magician and his apprentice..! I summon the Dark Magician," Yugi announced, the sides splitting open as their former prisoner stepped through. And looking at him now as the coffin crumbled to dust in his wake...

"We will not fail you," the Magician said curtly, taking a calm and confident battle stance before turning a narrowed glare to their opponents. "Trust me, my king. We will not fail." Indeed...

And though he couldn't say he knew how this monster saw him as king, as cheers continued to fill the air around him so did his own voice. "The tables have now turned," he snarled, looking up at the 'god' staring them down. "When the master and apprentice join arms they can destroy any one monster... And there's only ONE monster before me right now, 'MALIK'... SO-!"

So why was 'Malik' laughing again?

"Gh... Hnhnhnhn... HnhnHAHAHA!" Why... Why..? "You can't POSSIBLY think... To kill US," the monster 'laughed', seeming almost panicked from where he stood upon his golden 'throne'. "If you do this... There's only ONE life point remaining! You'll KILL him," he cackled, shaking his head. "You'll leave him in such a BROKEN state that I will take CONTROL FOREVER..! And do you think I'm LYING," 'Malik continued, eyes widening further as he caught the fear filled reaction he received in response. Those below traded confused looks at the suggestion, and in horror their eyes were soon drawn back. "Do you THINK it's worth the RISK? Hnhnhn... Hnhnhnhnhn... HAHAHAHAHAAAA! TRY IT," he taunted through his laughs, "I DARE you..! HAHAHAHAHA!" Gh..

No... No..! "Malik," his other half whispered, shaking what was left of his head. With one point left... Did that really mean there wouldn't be enough of him there..? "No," Yugi repeated, "We can't do this..." The boy forced back a panicked cry biting his lip and again attempting to think of a plan. "He doesn't have enough will left to hold on," he whispered hopelessly, "We need another plan..! We need... We need-"

"MALIK," a single, pained voice roared, the shard of eye that hovered before them opening in shock. They'd almost forgotten that the real Malik was right there before them... But then again, in a similar manner they'd almost forgotten about the one shouting just now. All eyes turned to the stair-well entrance, the source of the voice stumbling forward with rasping breaths. "Hah... hah... MALIK," he repeated, the eye turning toward the voice, Yugi growing stiff as the last of the smoke cleared from the field. This person...

"Rishid," Ishizu shouted, hesitating as she watched the man stumble yet again. "R... Rishid..!"

He was alive. "Hah... Hahhh..." He was alive, unharmed, and he'd come...

He'd come, for his 'brother'. "Keh... So YOU'RE still alive," 'Malik' sneered, arms crossed from where he stood in flames atop Ra's head. "You probably came here the moment you WOKE UP too," he chuckled, only for his smirk to die into a snarling scowl. "Too late though," he hissed. "I'm FAR too strong for you to push ME away... My weak side is even more fragile than BEFORE," the 'monster' went on, "He doesn't even have strength to SPEAK... Nor the strength to even LIVE... Your VILE carving won't save HIS sorry hide... You're just wasting your time... Hnhnhnhnhn..."

Rishid merely continued to stare in silence at those words, attempting to catch his breath while the wind scratched at his face. It was strange... Though most eyes were drawn to the field, where Malik's body stood, Rishid's gaze was turned directly toward the 'eye' that remained of his good half. And though the shard turned away, likely out of fear and possibly embarrassment and guilt, the Egyptian spoke to it. "Malik," he called out clearly, wind blowing the single lock of hair he had back in the air. "The cruel fate of the tomb guardians... This fate is what brought tragedy upon us, brought the hate and resentment which formed this evil heart within you... And you're about to throw yourself into darkness... And into despair," he continued, the darker half of the ghost narrowing his eyes from above. And the words sounded almost accusing with that tone, pitied and confused.

Enough that the darkness above them even felt threatened somehow. "Shut up," he hissed coldly, only for Rishid to continue on. "Shut..."

"Malik," he called out, raising his voice. His fists clenched and he stood up straighter, renewing his strength to speak- "No matter what, you MUST KEEP LIVING," Rishid cried. "UNDERSTAND?"

"Shut UP," 'Malik' countered, "SHUT UP..!"

"Even if your path leads into DARKNESS," the Egyptian shouted. "Even then... That is not just the fate of tomb guardians," he announced, "It is the fate of ALL humans..!"

"Nngggh... SHUT UP," 'Malik' thundered, face seeming to stretch and rage as the Egyptian gripped and clawed at the hole formed by his missing 'one life point'. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" What...

"What's going on," Yugi whispered, shaking his head. The 'God' was even flailing with its master's pain... Clawing at its skull, beating its wings against the air... "He's acting strange... What's going on..?" Malik...

The other Yugi frowned, eyes shifting from 'Malik', to the eye, to Rishid, back to Malik... "He's fighting," he found himself muttering, eyes widening as the eye he saw now appeared to look to his brother with renewed strength. "He's fighting, he-"

"MALIK," Rishid cried out, "It's not through death that people enter Light... There is only Light in LIFE... The trick to finding it," he continued, holding out a hand as though waiting for his brother and friend to shout with him,. "The secret to reaching that light.."

'Is pushing past the darkness first,' they thought they heard someone 'whisper'. And all at once an earsplitting cry filled the air, Malik's body jerking violently and pulling at his hair. "HHRAAAAAAAAHHHH! URAAAAAAAHHHHHH! HOW," he wailed, unable to even touch his right eye as he shuddered and screamed, the patch seemingly filling in with light. "HOW CAN YOU- GLK- RHHAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"YUGI," the real Malik called out, his single eye looking forward from the body that had formed atop Ra. The boy's both stared with horror as complete calm washed over the right side of 'Malik's face, the real one staring out at them with adamant determination. "STRIKE ME DOWN, NOW!" That...

'Malik,' those at the side shouted in shock, despite the inability to see. 'Malik, it's the 'real' one..! It's-'

"Stop that," 'Malik' begged, pulling at his skin as he wept. His nails were becoming bloodied, and identical scrapes were appearing on Ra's face as they pulled and pulled and pulled... "Stop that, STOP THAT STOP THAT.. YOU CAN'T..!"

"This is where I get my answer," Malik continued to bite out, again cutting his darker half off in his shouts as the clawing briefly froze. "Am I evil? ...Am I a monster..? This is the moment of truth," he cried out, tears still falling from that single eye as Yugi stared. "GIVE ME YOUR ANSWER, YUGI..!"

A monster..? Evil..?

Well he was neither of course, but simply saying that just wouldn't cut it now would it? "Alright," he answered, nodding his head. He would put all his faith in him then. In that one point of life... "HERE I GO MALIK," Yugi announced, pointing a hand forward as both magicians beside him did the same. "Dark Magicians combine your power... AND ATTACK," he roared, runes and black flames growing from the tips of both staves as 'Malik' continued to scream. The fires spread, and grew in one single black sphere, before four voices came through the air in unison-

"BLACK BURNING MAGIC..!"

And in the resulting crossfire of flames and thunder, of shadows and light nothing but thick smoke filled the air. 'Malik's form vanished from the top of Ra's being, and just briefly as he looked upward he could see its eyes regain the glow they had lost in battle... The fearfilled expression 'Malik' held was lost to fires and the shadows were encompassed completely in a drowning white light from the 'sun'.

"You have done WELL, young KING," Ra cheered, wings spread wide as they bathed the arena in a warm and healing glow to contrast formerly rage filled flames. "Let the SHADOWS return from whence they CAME," he continued, the darkness and the screams doing just that as his partner took a sudden intake of breath with repaired lungs, "And let FATE decide the REST... You have EARNED my POWER," he said clearly, bowing his head in respect. "But for NOW...

Rest, young Pharaoh, for this is only the BEGINNING..." The beginning?

And in the blink of an eye, all sound was returned to the field.

"GHHHRAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! !"

Screams were filling the air, as much as black flames and shadowed smoke.

"Malik..!"

Those at the side were calling out in worry, worry for the 'real' Malik, worry for what would happen if they failed.

"MALIK!"

Those that weren't screaming were shouting in shock, be it in response to the teen taking control at the last moment to assure them of his own fate or in response to the attack's violent explosion now filling the air with dust.

"RHHAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

And still the screams continued. And still they filled the air. Until finally... While their vision was blurred by smoke, a single shadow began to stand. And as those on the side stared there was only one thing they could think and pray for. That the attack succeeded... That the battle was over... And that the one standing there...

Was Malik. 'Their' Malik. The 'good' Malik. The real Malik. And as the others shouted toward the field, Katsuya could do nothing but grin, the expression slowly coming over his face as the answer came to mind. Sometimes...

It was nice to get spoilers, if only sometimes. The smoke was clearing from the field just now, along with the shadows of the game and the bonds that held Yugi in place. His body had returned, gaps of flesh and bone filling in despite the lack of lifepoints... And breathing haggardly as he struggled to stand it was none other than 'their Malik' that looked forward with a weak and fatigued expression, hair matted where it fell down over his shoulders and on the cloak he wore. The battle was 'won'. Even with one life point left after all...

This was the 'last turn'. They'd won. "Hah... Hah..."

"Is his dark side gone," Honda was asking, those beside him waiting with baited breath. "Is it... Him..?"

Yes. It was. Not that he was saying anything for the moment, Katsuya thought with a grin, the others soon enough finding out themselves as the Egyptian before them stood. He was too busy looking at the 'other' Malik's face. Well...

His 'piece' of face at least. Ra didn't have time to heal the damned after all. "Yugi," Malik said clearly, pulling the cloak from his shoulders and tossing it to the side where it blew off in the wind. "Our duel isn't over yet... I still have one point left," he continued almost blankly, bringing his hand back to his side. That was right, he thought plainly. Just one point...

And didn't the 'other' Malik look a little surprised about that. "Wh... What is this," he hissed, eye widening and turning down toward his former 'sacrifice' in rage. "How did you... What did he DO, how did I become..-" Ragged breathing met the air and the eye continued to shake, his former 'host' ignoring him. "Master... Master, listen to me, listen," he begged, Katsuya raising an eyebrow at the tone. At the sickeningly sweet tone, the begging the-

This voice...

This was the same damn voice the Millennium Rod had adopted as its own, like how the Tauk sounded like Ishizu, and how the Eye had held the same tones as Pegasus. He'd been listening to the 'other Malik's voice the entire time. Son of a...

"Master," the other Malik cried out, still begging and crying as his end drew nearer. "We... We're the same right," he asked, quaking in his fear. "You and I, we're the same! I've... I've always thought of us as friends you know, just... Sharing the same body! You can be the main personality again," he cried, crazed laughter ringing through the air as a small flame with an eye moved to sit on Malik's shoulder. "If we have one life point, there's always a chance we can win right? Right!" It was pathetic, Katsuya thought to himself. Absolutely pathetic...

They'd been afraid of this thing?

The tooth-covered eye seemed to roll in the fires it sat within, before turning away from its former 'vocal sibling' in disgust."Pffffft. As if," the flame on Malik's shoulder snorted, Katsuya idly noting the change in voice that the Rod's form had taken. "You can deal with it yourself, this is your problem now- My time is over," it continued, sounding decidedly calmer now that it sounded like the 'real' Malik.

The 'other Malik' seemed to tense with rage at the continued ignorance to his 'existence', shaking and quivering as his time continued to come closer and closer to its end. "You... KILL HIM," he screamed pathetically, continuing to wail as he faded a little more. "It was because of him that you wasted your life in a dark cave! Get REVENGE," he demanded bitterly, "For yourself, for your ancestors..! YOU-"

"Hn. I created you," Malik stated coldly, not even bothering to spare his darker half a glance. Though the words were in none other than the ancient Egyptian language Katsuya could hear them clearly, even as they resulted in confused stares from most of the others. "The dark side created by my hate and my suffering... You can't control me any more; understand," he ordered, the eye in the air continuing to widen in shock.

"W... WHAT..!"

"You heard me," he continued, still not looking back. "I'm going to destroy you, with my own hands."

"You... … You LIE," the shade screamed, the remains of his face contorting with rage. He was still smoking away, stretching from himself as though trying anything to break free of its bonds. "You LIE! YOU LIE! You'd simply kill us both," he screeched, "You.. YOU..!"

"I won't die," Malik countered flatly. "The crimes I've committed will never be forgiven... But I will live," he continued, straightening himself and switching to the Japanese language as those across from him stared. "I will live," Malik told both them and his other 'half', "Bearing my guilt like the carvings on my back... Until the day that I find that light. So... Yugi," he called out, his opponent blinking. "No... Spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh," he shouted, expression calm. "Our duel is done. You have my thanks for saving me," he continued, the shard of darkness at his side still twitching and muttering pitifully under its breath. 'No,' the shard was screaming. 'No you can't, you're not, don't..! Don't..!' "Thank you."

DON'T!

'I forfeit.'

With a single hand, the disk was clicked off. Lifepoints dropped to zero and a faded scream hit the air, nothing but dust streaking from the edges of the eye in the air. "Begone, my dark self," Malik said stonily, never raising his voice as he held a hand over his deck. "I renounce you... My body is mine to control... And mine alone!"

'No... NO, I-'

"Bye-bye,~" the Millennium Rod chuckled.

'GGHHRAAAAAAAAAA... GHHHAAHHHH..!' Screams...

Screams... And then...

…

Wind.

The shadows cleared above, and before anyone could react there was only the sound of wind...

And soon after, one single shout pierced the air. 'The Battle City Finals are now OVER,' Isono announced, his voice seemingly shattering a series of chains that had hung over the crowd atop the tower. 'The winner is... MUTOU YUGI..!'

As to what any one said next, that was anyone's guess really; it was hard to hear after all, when over half a dozen people were shouting cheers through the air. But regardless of what happened, it didn't matter any more.

The battle was over. And all that was left now...

Was to pick up the pieces left behind.

AN: It's almost OVER! Well, this arc at least. But WUOOAAAAAHHH! Intense duel..! And the last one for... Well, a short bit. Can't say a 'while' compared to the fanfic's standard, but it won't be for a few chapters. The next arc comes rather quickly after all, though after that it's allll fun stuff and breaks from dueling! Not quite the super chapter I expected, but that's again... Malik's dialogue.

He just does not shut up, both of them!

This chapter as a whole was... Very hard to type, to say the least. Deciding who would have revealed thoughts during the duel, deciding how to deal with Malik's lines... I knew what Anzu would do after all, but I never never expected it to end up so emotional.

In the end however, I rather like how much emotion went into it. It reflects how desperate the situation really is; the fact is, the duel is all or nothing, 'now or never', and there was a lot of stress and danger in that match. To write it like 'any other duel'... Well.

I don't think that would be possible!

In other news, Contest is still taking entries guys! Create a new summary, in 255 characters or less, for the fanfic! So far we have three entrants, but four entries; that's right guys! One of the contestants has two entries. However, to keep the playing field balanced, I'm making sure all of you know that multiple entries is acceptable. Lord knows I can never quite decide on what to pick for these things..!. Entries will be accepted until July 1st, so keep them coming!

Music notes below as usual, but no art today... I'm actually rushing to create a portfolio at the moment, and sadly, sketch sheets and flat colour fan-art references just don't cut it for that.

If enough people ask, I might link you the 'makeshift portfolio' when it's complete though.

Moving along now..!

Anonymous Review Responses

You guys are all amazing, you know that?

As a matter of fact Taffy yes, yes it is. And sorry about not coming online lately..! Lots of stuff going on, mostly the portfolio issue...

I'll come on! ..Eventually. And hang on, I thought you were on chapter ten or something...

Hey there Imadork! Glad you liked the chapter! And you know me... Explanations are good, but I can never give away all the details at once. As for the next chapter, here you go..! More importantly, I've got your summary entry ready and saved on this computer!

Enjoy the chapter!

Hey there MaggieMay! If you thought THAT was intense, check out this one..! And the NEXT one for that matter; the finale of an arc is always a roller coaster of fun and note taking I'll have you know.

Not really sure how we can get this hug in without it ending badly, but I'm sure we can find... Some way... Hehehehehe... (Not too soon though, otherwise it really WILL end like you predicted.) She really does need a life ring or something for the moment though.

Any ways, I've got your entries carefully logged away in a file, and until then, keep your creativity flowing, that fae idea sounds interesting!

Have fun with the chapter now~

Does the above count as 'cursing' Iona?

Glad the chapter was entertaining! Writing Kaiba in these situations is difficult, but in the end it's fun as hell so... When people tell me that I've done a good job, it really makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Even if I just finished writing a convoluted mess of emotions, ohohohoh...

Well, hopefully there was enough 'take that' before dear 'Melvin' vanished off for good! Until next time...

Enjoy the chapter, everyone!

Usagi's Manga & Japan Guide/Corner

The section that's still wondering how something made of hate and rage can have a begging side. Oh well!

Sunset, obviously, is keeping in place with the rest of the 'sun' related chapters thus far. Sunrise being one of course...

Regardless though, 'Sunset' refers more or less to the 'end' of Ra's challenges. And thank GOD! That thing was putting everyone through a ringer!

Hey! Yugi, what are you doing stealing Kaiba's thoughts?

Well, the minds we get to peek into change quite a lot in the initial chapter of the duel, and it would be rather silly to switch around like that at the start of a super chapter, or at least one of this length.

No no, really, he says 'off with her head'! And the best part is, the Queen's Knight comes from a 'poker' themed series, and is dressed in red! THANK YOU ALICE.

In the original, Malik holds the card in his mouth for a moment. But he's still talking. This would completely ruin the mood I find, as all you'd hear is 'mmgn mmph mmn', and that's not scary at all. His thing with tongues is far creepier.

(Of course, I'm actually quite put off by tongues so it's all a matter of preference I suppose.)

Fun fact; when Malik says he'll play a monster in defense mode... The card you see is Juragedo. Weird... (Maybe he was just switching positions..?)

Why didn't anyone really question Jonouchi on all his chanting? Well he kinda tried to keep his voice down. He's still got to explain it, but even so. Helps that Anzu's there with her stolen Malik memories... (Which she's avoided questioning from due to the sheer trauma involved in obtaining them.)

Hey hey hey! For the first time freaking EVER (not counting when Yugi summons Osiris AGAINST her), Kaiba doesn't have an insane face in regards to the Gods appearance. In fact, she's quite stony it looks like.

Originally, Yami Yugi was quite confident that he'd get through with 'Thunder Force'. This is rather silly when you think about it, as Yami Malik just finished telling him Ra couldn't be harmed in his 'one turn-phoenix mode'. In fact, Thunder Force quite literally does nothing but give him another gloat point, which just wastes page space.

In the original, the chant is divided; there's the half Y-Malik uses to summon Ra, and the half he uses to attack. Since I used both, Ra is simply given orders to attack this time around... At least until the next Monster Reborn run.

If you haven't guessed, Jonouchi just caught a flash of Yami Bakura's duel. He's also connecting a few dots.

As should you. AS. SHOULD. YOUUUUUUUUU...

Speaking of the face-down card that Isono didn't visibly whine about this time around, the reason it's such a big deal is because it could have been a monster. Which would mean Yugi put a monster in the spell slot.

Which isn't how the duel disk works, you know?

Ordinarily, those at the side were all 'wait, traps don't affect Gods!' Cue Malik explaining that 'the trap activates when [he] loses life points'. D'OH.

Sheesh, that white ghost is everywhere isn't he? Though if you think about where the decks are being held, and the fact that the monsters technically live in the same place that Yami and Yami Malik are currently fighting in, it makes a bit of sense that it was able to buy the real one some time.

I actually had this take on the 'Malik speaks through Anzu' scene planned for quite a while believe it or not, but now that we're there I find a lot more emotion than originally intended went in. There's a lot of parallels here after all; Anzu's own real father is almost dead because of the 'real' Malik, and after all, who was she sharing her head with for so long in the Noa arc before she found out? Now, the tables are turned, and combined with the fact that these memories are still bouncing around her head, it's easy for her to be swept up in them.

Originally, Malik tells everyone (through Anzu) that it's a shadow game; and that he's one of the sacrifices on the field. However, since Jonouchi mentioned the sacrifices much much earlier, that would be silly. And besides that, Anzu's speaking on her own terms now... And right now she's kind of a mess.

So's Ishizu, which is another difference from the manga. But the fact is, her brother is about to DIE. So... She's probably a mess.

Yugi's actual line is 'prepare yourself 'Malik'... Or whatever your name is'. I made it sound a little less like an insult and more like a threat.

As a matter of fact yes, the Millennium Rod was using the voice of the 'other Malik'. Makes him even creepier when you think about it, but nonetheless. The way the 'voices' work is that they latch onto either the holder... Or the dominant holder in general. Normally 'dominance' isn't an issue; an item belongs only to one person after all, and those with spirits tied to them don't have a personification. But Malik is a special case...

Also, as crazy and sadistic as the Rod is (it's really not its fault, that item has been through a lot more than just the canon stuff in this fanfic), it's calmed down quite a lot now; like it said after all... It's over now, so what better to do than have a nap? (If it can be called that...)

Musical Notes

Not much, but I took to listening to the songs 'Hope' and 'Despair'. Originally, they're both by Hatsune Miku, but I was listening to the covers that Piko did, along with the fused cover (Aptly titled... 'Hope and Despair') covered by the same person. The two versions sound a little differently though... Which is interesting to say the least.

Nonetheless...

Hope and Despair! Quite fitting for the above wouldn't you say?

Interesting timing I had by the way, but during the Malik-ghost scene I had Piko's cover of 'Desire' by 'Megurine Luka' playing. (I was listening to a lot of Piko during this chapter if you hadn't guessed.)

Also 'Lunatic Tears' is an oddly fitting song for this chapter. I suppose that makes sense though, in hindsight. (It's one of the songs in 11eyes...) Yet another song I was listening to was Heavenly Blue.

Which doesn't sound as heavenly as it sounds by the way, but that's beside the point.

That's all I can do for now; I'll be trying my best to keep to the weekly schedule, but as with this one it might take a bit longer until I have my portfolio done. Well...

Until then, enjoy the chapter!