Original Yu-Gi-Oh Series

Parallel

Chapter 076

Originally Written: Sunday, May 8, 2022 544PM to 627PM

. . . . .

Far in the distance, Duke laid on the ground on his back. Joey didn't know what Duke did, nor how he managed to do it, but he paid dearly for the action. Zorc grabbed a chunk of floating rubble and threw it in Yami's direction to stop him. The rubble circled around Yami, and like a boomerang shot into Duke. Joey knew the man wasn't alright, as he was buried underneath it, but he lifted an arm and performed a thumbs up anyway when Yami looked back at him. Joey was more than certain that quite a few bones were crushed, and Seto wouldn't let go of him to help.

Many of the pieces of stone Zorc-Amane levitated into the air had frozen in place. Zorc-Amane wasn't frozen, but was slowed down by Yami's magic. After Zorc had thrown the chunk of rubble at Duke, he froze completely. The Dark Magicians hovered around Duke, shielding him from anything dangerous.

Yami ran and climbed up the staircase of steps he fashioned. Obelisk the Tormentor appeared first, grabbing Zorc-Amane's slowly moving clawed hand. Slifer the Sky Dragon appeared next, wrapping around its body, and battling the dragon creature also circled around Zorc-Amane's frame. The Winged Dragon of Ra hovered over the trio seemingly waiting.

Yami eventually reached the closest step to Zorc-Amane, which was right in line with the monster's gaze. He lifted the puzzle from around his neck, and held it above his head. From this distance, Joey couldn't hear him, but whatever he said, caused the three Egyptian Gods to merge into a single entity, and so Joey had to ask.

"What's he doing?" Joey murmured. He felt Seto in his head, forcing a calm on him he didn't want to experience.

"Summoning the Goddess Holactie, the Creator of Light." Seto responded.

"Why?"

Though Shadi was just a wandering spirit, he dropped to his knees. Many of the Duel Monsters working alongside Joey and Seto dropped in prayer or worship.

Holactie was nowhere near as large as Zorc-Amane, but she glowed as much as Zorc-Amane was shrouded in darkness. Her voice carried a long way as she spoke and held a hand out as though to caress Yami's hair. "Hello my child."

A moment of silence as Yami spoke, and then Holactie replied. "You are not a valid player in the game you are thinking of, my child. What do you offer me to invoke Writ Right?"

"Writ Right? What's that?" Joey asked, dread filling his stomach.

'Writ Right is a time-space based spell that allows one to restart any Shadow Game of their choice.' Shadi answered, 'It is a powerful spell that comes at great cost.'

"Any Shadow Game?"

"Currently, Yami could go back 5000 years to the past and restart the Shadow Game Zorc initiated that took control of Priest Seth's father and started this whole mess." Seto replied with a sense of casualness. "He wouldn't though, because that would change all of us enough to be considered killing us, including Amane and Bakura, by way of changing the timeline."

"What does Amane gotta do wit this?" Joey frowned.

"Remember Pharaoh's duel with Ryou in the Battle City Finals? The promise he made? When I was reading his mind, I got a glimpse of his soul from the Millennium Key. I learned that Yugi didn't make the promise, and initially didn't agree with it, so he acted accordingly when he dragged Amane into his Shadow Game. Ryou and Solomon talked to him and convinced him to change his mind. Yami made the promise, and so he is making his move."

"I get Bakura, but Amane? Promise or no promise, he's gonna try to save her?" Joey blinked in disbelief. "After all she's done?" He shook his head.

'Honestly Mage Joey, between our Pharaoh and Yugi, our Pharaoh is the kinder one between the two.' Shadi spoke as though it were obvious.

Joey frowned, "What's the conditions of this spell?"

'One, the caster must have allied with all three Egyptian Gods in order to summon Holactie, as she is the only one strongest enough to perform such a feat. Two, the caster cannot be a player in the shadow game they choose. Three, the caster must sacrifice something of great enough importance that Holactie agrees to do so.' Shadi bowed his head, 'With those three conditions, only a Pharaoh could perform this spell.'

"Your soul, my child? You give your life for this?" Holactie asked. "You've already done so once before. Knowing this, you willingly do so again?"

"Why aren't you doing it then?" Joey barely saw the spikes of Yami's hair bob up and down as he nodded. He looked at Seto in a calm that was starting to frustrate him. "Ain't you a Pharaoh too, kinda?"

"In the time I learned how to, Zorc would have killed us." Seto lowered his head. "Including Yami."

"Could I have learned it?" His heart raced in his chest.

"I think you are technically a player in the shadow game he is going to choose, so it wouldn't have worked for you. Even if you weren't, it's too far of a stretch getting the Egyptian Gods to listen to you. I'm sorry."

"Let me try." Joey tried to walk forward. Seto stopped him. "Let me try. You heard her. He sacrificed himself already. Why does he gotta do it again?"

'Because that is what he chose.' Shadi stood and looked at Joey. 'And out of respect for our Pharaoh, we should trust and support him in this decision.'

Joey stared at Shadi like he was nuts. Tears filled his eyes.

"Very well, my child." Holactie raised her arms as if offering a gift to the planet itself. The Millennium Items all floated up and hovered in the space between her hands. "I invoke Writ Right, on behalf of Pharaoh Atem, at the cost of his soul. His very existence shall be stricken from the universe."

Joey dropped to his knees, taking Seto with him. A bright blinding light filled the area, engulfing Domino City in white.

. . . . .

A/N: Yes, Atem could have just killed Zorc right then and there as in canon. He's too kind for this version of the world it seems.

"Writ" in this sense is used as the Old English non-legal definition, "That which is written". "Right" in this sense is used as "one's right as a Pharaoh". In that sense, it could be considered more like a "Writ of Right", which is defined as "a writ granted as a matter of right." I think I got that right. It's been over four years since I thought of the name of the spell and didn't write my notes down, so I had to look it up all over again.

The cost is so large because Atem is a part Demi-God part mortal, demanding that a Goddess do something extravagant for him. I think of this as the equivalent of an eight year old child demanding (not asking for) an $1000 toy or something from their parents. Makes it less sad in my mind.