Chapter 39
"What's the deal, doc?" Tristan said as we all gathered around Joey, who was in the infirmary wired up to multiple machines. My heart was in my throat as I watched him. Marik was still distant in my mind.
"His brain is functioning normally," said the doctor, "and his heart rate is fine."
"He doesn't look fine!" Tea said. "He hasn't moved or spoken In twenty minutes!"
"Joey!" Serenity wailed. "Please! You gotta open your eyes!"
"It's so strange," the doctor said with a frown. "Joey's brain activity is quite high. However, he's not conscious at all. To be honest, I've never seen anything like this before."
"Joey's will is very strong," Ishizu said as she entered the room. "His mind must be fighting off the shadows." She gently placed her hands on Serenity's shoulders. "It's alright, Serenity."
"I just want my brother back," Serenity whimpered.
"I understand. Both of our brothers must now battle the darkness."
"They'll both win," I said softly even as the sadness in the room threatened to consume me. Ishizu gave me a small nod. Suddenly, Mokuba burst into the room.
"Mokuba!" Tea cried. "When are we moving Joey to a real hospital?"
Mokuba looked down at the ground, feeling guilty. "I've got bad news. I don't think we're gonna move Joey anywhere right now, guys. Those orders came from Seto."
"You've got to be kidding!" Tristan exclaimed.
"He says our own doctors are good enough."
"I don't believe this!"
"A doctor won't help," I said softly, though I knew no one would listen. They still did not understand the deep magic at play. "Medical science cannot fix this." Only Yugi seemed to nod in understanding.
"Besides, our engines are damaged," Mokuba continued, "and we can't move. It happened when we just barely escaped that explosion on the way to Kaiba Corp Island. The ship made it here, but now our engines are down. I'm not supposed to tell anyone."
Tristan was not happy about this, and neither were the others. "So, we're stuck here?" he said.
Mokuba gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about a thing! I'll radio headquarters and make sure they send over a helicopter right away, guys!"
"Mokuba, thank you," Yugi said kindly.
"Yeah, you've done everything you could," I said with a small smile, giving him a gentle pack on the back.
"Just promise me you won't tell Seto," Mokuba said.
"Our lips are sealed, dude," said Duke. Mokuba nodded and ran out of the room.
"Please hang in there, Joey," Serenity said softly.
It's my fault this happened to Joey! Yugi wailed inside his head. I should have faced Marik! In spirit form, he fell to his knees, crying on the bed.
No, Yugi, Yami said.
I knew that duel was too dangerous, and I should have stopped it! Now it's too late!
Joey made his own choices, I said gently. You couldn't have stopped the duel without violating his will, and he would have never forgiven you for that. He was willing to take this risk.
Sighing, Yami walked out into the hallway. Yugi and I followed. Marik is pure evil! Yugi continued, falling to his hands and knees, sobbing. First he got Mai, then Bakura, now this! It's not fair! Maybe we should stop fighting. It just seems to make things worse. I can't take anymore.
Yami switched off his duel disk. I can't fight anymore either. I failed a promise to a friend. All I have left is my hatred for Marik. He punched the wall. But after that, what do I have left?
The sorrow from Yugi and anger from Yami was almost enough to overwhelm me. Still, I held onto what was true and kept a firm resolve. I understand what you guys are saying, I said softly. What you said about Marik is true - this Marik, at least. The person in control of Marik's body was created from the real Marik's hatred and pain. He is pure evil because of that. Unlike every other person in the world, he doesn't act for any reason other than evil himself. All he wants is chaos. You have every right to hate him.
But you still shouldn't. You should move past your anger and hatred for your sakes, not his. If such anger is what created Dark Marik in the first place, then you do not want to take even a step in that direction. You must prove you are different from him by not acting as he would. I know you're both far better people than that. You can choose goodness and light no matter how much it hurts. But if you need strength to get through it, I'll give you all of mine.
Yami gazed at me, his expression softening. You're right, Samia. Thank you. I am honored to have you by my side.
I - I understand, Yugi said in a shaking voice. It's just so hard to go on...
Wait, Yugi. We've come too far. I know this is hard for you, Yugi. Marik is the toughest foe we've ever faced. But if we walk away now, then he wins!
Yugi stood up and wiped his eyes. True. Joey never gave up, and neither can we. We have to finish what we started no matter what. Marik's madness has to stop now! He's caused way too much damage already, and I'm not gonna lose another friend. I won't give up if you don't, Joey. Keep fighting the shadows!
Yami leaned against the wall with one arm. Marik's path of destruction is so unpredictable. What's next? It's so unclear. Suddenly, he looked around with wide eyes. Joey, was that you? Guess not. It must have just been wishful thinking. He placed his hand in his pocket when something in it began to glow. What's this? He pulled out a gold necklace. Yugi, Samia! The Millennium Necklace!
Oh yeah! It's ours now! Ishizu said she didn't need it anymore!
Yami clutched the necklace tightly. This necklace has the power to show me events before they happen! But last time Ishizu used it to predict the future, it was wrong! So, can I trust what it shows me?
The future is not set in stone, I said. It can be whatever you want to make of it. The Millennium Necklace will show you one possibility. To know what is possible may be worth it to use it.
Yami nodded. If I concentrate, the Millennium Necklace should show me the future. You touch it too, Samia. Maybe you can see it as well.
Okay. I took a deep breath and touched the Millennium Necklace. I suddenly felt a surge of magic from it. Then the scene around us changed. We were in Domino City, and Joey and Yami were facing each other in the street with their duel disks.
It's me and Joey!
"Hey, Yug," Joey said in the vision," now that that's all over with, let's duel, pal!"
"You're on!" said the vision Yami. Then the vision faded.
Could that have been a vision of the future? Yami asked. Maybe the Millennium Necklace is telling me Joey's gonna be okay! But who knows if it's right?
It will be right if you work hard and don't give up, I said. So, we've got to keep fighting.
Yami nodded. He gave me a small smile. Let's do it together. He took my hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. I smiled back at him.
"Attention, duelists!" Roland said over the loudspeaker. "Please report to the top floor of the tower for the next duel of the semifinals. Yugi Muto will face off against Mr. Kaiba. The winner will continue on to the final round."
I guess it's time to go, I said.
I've got to believe what the necklace predicted, Yami said. Soon, all of this insanity will be over, and joey will be alright. I just have to get past Kaiba so I can defeat Marik and end this!
Yami and I returned to the infirmary to check on Joey. "How is he?" Yami asked.
"He's pretty much the same, Yugi," said Tristan. "But knowing Joey, he's doing whatever it takes to wake up!"
"Then he'll need this." Yami picked up Joey's duel disk.
"His duel disk?"
Yami slipped the duel disk on Joey's arm. "He'd want it close by."
"Good point."
"For what?" said Serenity.
"His toughest fight yet. Look after him. I shall return from this duel as soon as I can." Yami headed out into the hallway, and I followed him.
"Yugi!" Tea called, scrambling after us. "Yugi, wait up!" Yami and I stopped and looked back at her. I could feel her distress and see it in her eyes. "So, you're actually gonna go ahead with this duel up there? Did you forget how many people have gotten hurt In the tournament so far? Please, Yugi! Enough's enough. I can't stand the thought of losing you, too. Just end it! It's not worth all this suffering. This tournament's been nothing but bad news."
"Tea..." I murmured, gazing at her with sympathy. I understood her pain, but there was no place to go but ahead.
"I know," Yami said softly. "But if I walk away now, that means everyone suffered for nothing. And I've got to have faith in the visions of the Millennium Necklace. It showed me a future I want to make true. Everything's gonna be back to normal soon. I just have to win this tournament first, and I'll start by defeating Kaiba."
"You have to have faith in him. He knows what he's doing."
"Tea, remember when I told you what Samia and I learned on our trip to the Domino Museum where we met Ishizu? About my destiny?"
"Yes!" Tea said. "You said you found out that you were a pharaoh in ancient Egypt, and that now you need to save the world again from some evil thingy, like you did five thousand years ago!"
"Now then, if what Ishizu told us about these stone carvings is really true..."
"Yeah?"
"Then I need to win a duel monsters tournament in order to save the world from destruction. It's my destiny. Tea!" Yami looked at her with determination. "Do you now understand why backing out of the tournament is not an option?"
Tea frowned, uncertain. "Yeah but..."
"No 'buts,' Tea! The reason I joined the Battle City tournament was to fulfill Ishizu's prophesy and stop this great evil from endangering mankind. And when Joey found out, he vowed to help me no matter how tough the fight. And that's why I must press on. Otherwise, not only would I be giving up on Joey, I'd be giving up on the entire world! So, you stay here, and I'll deal with Kaiba!"
Tea finally calmed down and nodded. "Yeah! Crush him!"
Yami gave her a small smile. "I will. There's too much at stake to lose."
"We're right here!"
"Good." Yami turned around.
"Take care of him, Samia."
I smiled at her reassuringly. "I will." I followed after Yami.
"I know you can win this, Yugi!"
Yami was silent as the elevator lifted us to the top of the blimp. Kaiba waited, his eyes cold. I stood on the side while Yami took his place on the field. The platforms rose into place.
"So you've come, Yugi," said Kaiba.
"Kaiba..." Yami said.
"The time to settle this has finally come. Your usual annoying peanut gallery isn't with you this time, I see. Wheeler's coffin must be pretty heavy."
Yami glowered at him. "Joey is still fighting! That's what I believe!"
"You're free to believe whatever you wish, but he was facing Marik. He fought that duel to the bitter end and even forced him to pull out his Egyptian god card. As a duelist, he must be very proud. He can at least pass over without any regrets."
"Kaiba! Both I and Joey are still looking for that answer!"
"There is no 'answer' for the fallen. Only shame... And despair..."
"That's not true! You can hang your head low in defeat... Or you can stand back up and continue searching for the future! You can continue down the road of battle until you find it, and there you'll find the answer. 'What is a True Duelist?' Joey is still fighting to find that answer!"
"Humph, how ridiculous! Listen, there's only one true victor. The one who piles up the corpses of the defeated will be able to grasp the glory shining in heaven! The one who was chosen by the three god cards! Yugi, I will defeat you and gain the title of 'Duel King!'"
"And now the second match of the Semi-Finals!" Roland announced. "The duel between Seto Kaiba and Yugi Mutuo will now begin!"
I took a deep breath. "This is it."
This will be interesting, Marik said in my mind.
Where have you been? I asked.
In your mind, of course.
I know that, but... I paused. Never mind. If he needed time to himself, I would not deny him it. As long as he was still there.
"Let's go, Yugi!" Kaiba said. "My Obelisk... ...or your Slifer! This is now a battle of gods! For a battle to determine the ultimate duelists, this site is too drab. Therefore, I have prepared a battle stage worthy of our fated Duel. Solid Vision System, activate!"
"Just what...?" Yami said in confusion as the scenery around us changed. We were now in a virtual coliseum with a huge crowd.
"The battle for the title of 'Duel King'... will be held on the stage of... Sky Duel Colosseum!"
"Kaiba! Kaiba! Kaiba! Kaiba!" the fake crowd cheered.
He's as dramatic as always, Marik muttered.
He does know how to put on a show, I agreed.
"Yugi!" said Kaiba. "After countless conflicts... we will fight the decisive battle in the name of fate! Like the ancient Roman gladiators who fought with their lives for pride and freedom. Now, draw your cards, your sword, from your deck!"
The duel began. I watched everything carefully. The two seemed to be evenly matched at first. Then I felt a surge of confidence from Kaiba. This could not be good... I silently tried to send Yami some of my strength.
"I'll activate a magic card from my hand on this turn!" said Kaiba. "Soul Exchange!"
"Soul Exchange...!" Yami said.
"Soul Exchange makes it so the monsters on your field become my servants. So, I choose to sacrifice them! I'll then sacrifice them along with the X-Head Cannon I control, totaling three tributes!"
"You won't do it that easily, Kaiba! Reverse card, open! Change of Heart!"
Kaiba recoiled in surprise. "What?!"
"Thanks to the Magic Sanctuary you played, I'm also permitted to use its continuous effect that allows me to play magic cards during my opponent's turns. Now your X-Head Cannon becomes my servant for one turn. Kaiba! I won't let you summon Obelisk that easily!"
Kaiba's confidence returned, and he smiled. "So, you saw through me? I would say that's expected of you... ...but you were naïve, Yugi! Reverse card, open! Enemy Controller!"
"What!?"
"By entering the right command, this card allows me to control one of the monsters on your field! I pay 1000 of my life points. Left! Right! A! B! Using this command, I can once again control X-Head Cannon as my third sacrifice. Now I have three sacrifices!"
Yami's eyes narrowed. "Kaiba...!"
"Come forth... Obelisk!"
"Oh no you don't!" Yami activated another card. "Lightforce Sword! My Lightforce Sword will keep your god card out of commission for three turns. It will stay sealed away on the field! Don't get too hasty now... The game's barely gotten started, Kaiba."
Kaiba was mad, but he quickly recovered and smiled. "Seems you managed to stop an instant kill... but your imminent defeat has not changed!"
This is getting interesting, said Marik.
I agree, I said.
Yami set a card face down and ended his turn. I tensed when I sensed the presence of someone else. It was Dark Marik. His eyes caught mine, but, thankfully, he stayed on the other side of the blimp. The real Marik was tense inside my mind.
Kaiba played Y-Dragon Head in attack mode. He fused it with his X-Head Cannon to create XY-Dragon Cannon. Once he summoned his Z monster and combined it with the others, he would have a powerful monster. Plus, he would be able to sacrifice all three to summon Obelisk. He proceeded to destroy Yami's Alpha the Magnet Warrior.
Kaiba played the magic card Lullaby of Obedience, allowing him to take a powerful monster from Yami's deck and add it to his hand. Of course, he chose Slifer the Sky Dragon. I bit my lip nervously. This was not looking good.
"Do you understand now, Yugi?" Kaiba said haughtily. "The gods only obey me!"
"We'll see about that," Yami said. I felt a sudden surge of confidence from him. "You must have been thinking the same thing I was..."
"What?"
"The moment Obelisk was freed from his seal, I was planning to activate this face down card. Reverse card, open! Exchange!"
"Exchange?!" Kaiba was horrified. "The Hand Exchange magic card?!"
"Alright, Kaiba! Time for you to return the Slifer card to me!" Kaiba grumbled but gave Yami the card. "You choose one as well." Kaiba took a card. "Thank you, Kaiba! Slifer is in my hands!" Kaiba was fuming.
Yes! I said. Things are going well!
It would seem so, said Marik.
"Thank you, Kaiba," Yami said. "My Egyptian god card was buried deep in my deck until your magic card brought it out. And now Slifer the Sky Dragon is in my hand waiting to be summoned to the field so it can destroy you!"
If he can summon it.
He'll figure something out. I was sure of it.
Yami summoned Big Shield Gardna in defense and set a card face down. Kaiba also set a card face down. Then he summoned Z-Metal Tank and combined it with his XY-Dragon Cannon to form XYZ-Dragon Cannon. The monster attacked Big Shield Gardna, destroying it.
"That's one monster down and one to go!" Kaiba taunted. "Then I can sacrifice my Dragon Cannon to unleash the fury of my Egyptian god card!"
"Thank you," Yami said with a smirk. "Destroying one of my defensive monsters is exactly what I was hoping you would do, Kaiba."
Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "Why's that?"
"Because you allowed me to play this. Behold! I reveal my face down card, Soul Rope Trap! At a cost of 1,000 of my life points, this card allows me to summon any four-star monster directly to the field whenever one of my creatures is destroyed. And I choose King's Lnight! Observe, Kaiba. Now I have both King's and Queen's Knight!"
Kaiba was horrified. "It's not possible! Both cards!"
"That's right, which means I can now summon Jack's Knight to the field!"
"Then you'll have monsters!"
"I see you're paying attention, Kaiba. I'll soon have exactly what I need to summon my Egyptian god card. Jack's Knight, come forth! Thanks to you, I now have monsters to sacrifice!"
Kaiba recoiled in shock. "You can't play your Egyptian god card before I play mine! I've been in control of this duel from the start!"
"Not anymore! And now... I sacrifice all of my monsters. Be gone now! And next... I summon my Egyptian god card, Slifer the Sky Dragon!
"Slifer the Sky Dragon!"
"Stare into the face of defeat, Kaiba!"
I felt chilled as the giant dragon appeared on the field. Its magic was so immense that I was almost shaking. Are you going to be alright? Marik asked softly.
I-I'll be fine. I can manage it. I had to stay here and see the duel through... for Yami.
"I'm not impressed, Yugi," Kaiba said.
"And why not?" said Yami. "I managed to summon one of Duel Monsters' most powerful creatures!"
"That may be, but it does have its weaknesses. For instance, Slifer the Sky Dragon's attack points are equal to 1,000 times the number of cards you're holding in your hand, Yugi, and I count three - giving your Egyptian god card only 3,000 points!"
"That's right, which makes it attack points stronger than your XYZ-Dragon Cannon! So, I can eliminate your Cannon right now, leaving you without a single monster and preventing you from summoning your god card."
"If you're so sure, then attack! Don't you realize you're going to lose whether you attack me or not, Yugi?" Yami hesitated, clearly conflicted. "What's wrong, Yugi? Is the pressure getting to you? I told you, It doesn't matter if you attack me or not! Either way, I've got you beat... Thanks to my face down card. So, go ahead and make you move!"
No matter what happens, you've got this, I told Yami through our mind link.
I sensed Yami's appreciation. "Slifer, attack his monster now!" he ordered.
Kaiba smirked. "Not so fast, Yugi! Take a good look at my face down card!" The card flipped over.
Yami was surprised. "That's not life shaver! But what is it?"
"It's called Inter-Dimensional Matter Transporter. Just watch what it can do!" Kaiba laughed. His Cannon suddenly disappeared from the field.
"What happened to your cannon, Kaiba? Tell me!"
"Ha ha ha! My trap card was able to take it out of play for one turn!"
Yami chuckled. "Very clever. It looks like your plan to save your monster from my attack worked! Well, I've also got a plan, So I'll play this face down. Now, go ahead and make your move, if you dare!" He smirked. "What's wrong, Kaiba? Did I confuse you?"
He intentionally weakened Slifer, Marik said. What's he up to?
"Well, what are you waiting for?" said Yami as the fake crowd cheered. "It sounds like your adoring fans are eagerly waiting for you to make a decision, Kaiba! Slifer is weaker than your monster now."
"What's your point?" said Kaiba.
"I'm wide open. You can attack me with your Cannon, right, Kaiba? Unless... You're afraid to attack!"
"Ha! Your scare tactics won't work 'cause I know what I have to do. The time has come, and your time's up. Your Lightforce Sword is no longer in effect, so my Egyptian god card is free now! I think you know what's next. Now, I sacrifice my XYZ-Dragon Cannon... So I can summon this! Come forth now, Obelisk the Tormentor! Use your infinite power to bring me victory! It's over, Yugi!" Kaiba laughed.
This is it... Marik muttered. Are you sure you'll be alright?
My whole body shakes as Obelisk appears. The magic I feel from two Egyptian gods is almost too much to bear. I - I don't know...
Samia, Yami said suddenly, let me help you.
Suddenly, I felt strength flowing through me from him, and I was able to withstand the pressure. I smiled at him in relief. Thanks.
"Yugi, the Egyptian gods are about to clash," Kaiba said. "But only one monster will remain standing. Now it's time to find out which one!" He laughed. "Your Egyptian god card is no match for mine, Yugi."
"We'll see about that, Kaiba. Your Obelisk may be more powerful than my Slifer right now, but that can all change."
"Please, Yugi. Once your monster crosses paths with the mighty fist of Obelisk the Tormentor, it's history."
What do you think? I asked Marik.
Kaiba would seem to have the advantage, Marik said, but no Egyptian god can be counted out so easily. Whatever happens, this will be interesting.
Yeah... I wished I could do more to help Yami, but it took all my strength to remain there.
"It's time for me to send Slifer the Sky Dragon to the graveyard, Yugi," said Kaiba. "Last I checked, you were only holding two cards, which means Slifer only has 2,000 attack points - half of what Obelisk has. Your so-called Egyptian god card is powerless against mine."
"You seem to have overlooked Slifer the Sky Dragon's special ability," said Yami. "Now, watch as my Egyptian god card weakens yours with the incredible power of its second mouth. Slifer, activate your special ability now!" Slifer attacked Obelisk with its second mouth, lowering its attack points by 2,000. "Next time, you'll think twice about summoning a monster in Slifer's presence."
Kaiba recoiled, and I winced. "Aah!"
"Now, what was that you were saying about your Egyptian god card being stronger than mine? Take a close look, Kaiba. Our monsters are even now."
Kaiba quickly recovered. "Too bad your monster's effect is only temporary, Yugi. Once this turn is over, Obelisk will have all of his power back."
"Perhaps, but I've still prevented you from attacking me this turn, Kaiba."
Kaiba growled. "Stalling for time is a sign of weakness, Yugi. You're obviously desperate. Now, it's my move, so stand back." He set two card face down and ended his turn.
Yami drew a card. Then he activated his face down card, Pot of Greed, allowing him to draw two more cards, raising Slifer's attack points to 5,000. Then he attacked Obelisk. Kaiba activated his face down card, Command Silencer. It sent out a sound wave to prevent Slifer from hearing Yami's attack order, preventing it from attacking. Yami set two cards face down and ended his turn.
Kaiba drew a card, but Yami activated a face down card, Card Destruction. This forced both of them to discard their hands and draw the same number of cards from their decks. Then he activated another card, Disgraceful Charity. This allowed them to take back into their hands the cards they discarded. Slifer now had 6,000 attack points.
"Impressive move, Yugi," said Kaiba. "But you'll have to do better than that to defeat me, because that little stunt you just pulled with your face down cards helped me out as well by giving me just the cards I needed to win this duel."
"Explain," said Yami.
"Thanks to you, I was able to draw this magic card - Thirst for Compensation. It lets me summon monsters from my hand directly to the field. Observe! I play Sword of Soul and Blade Knight." The monsters appeared on the field. Yami did not seem worried.
"You're wasting your time. Those monsters are too weak to survive. Slifer automatically strikes every monster you summon. Now, Slifer, attack!"
"I'm afraid that won't work. I activate Card Guard."
"No!"
"Yes, now I can discard one card from my hand, which means Card Guard protects them both."
"I'm not impressed. They're still too weak to be useful."
"That's what you think. Yugi, have you forgotten that Obelisk has a special ability as well? And just as soon as I activate it, you're finished."
"Just try it."
"Very well. But you'll regret those words. I sacrifice my two monsters to trigger the special ability of my Egyptian god card. Are you aware of what happens now? Allow me to explain, you fool. These two sacrifices allow Obelisk to storm the field, dealing 4,000 points of damage to everything in its path." Obelisk roared. "And when I say everything, Yugi, that includes your life points. So, prepare to be wiped out."
Yami was shocked. "This can't be!"
Kaiba smirked. "Yes, it can!"
"Way to go, Seto!" Mokuba cheered.
"No!" I cried.
"Obelisk the Tormentor, deplete his life points right now," Kaiba commanded. "Obelisk, destroy Yugi and bring me victory." Obelisk roared again.
"Hold on!" said Yami. "My wall of Kuribohs will protect me."
"Nothing can stop the wrath of Obelisk." There was a blinding light as Obelisk attacked. I clenched my teeth and was nearly blown back. Still, I held me ground. "Yugi. Finally, Yugi lost to me!"
Yami chuckled. "Oh, really?" The light faded, and Yami was left standing.
Kaiba was shocked. "Yugi? But how?"
"What's wrong, Kaiba? Were you expecting me to go somewhere? Don't you know that discarding Kuriboh from my hand protects my life points?" Yami smiled. "Kuriboh, I would have lost this duel without you."
"Way to go, Kuriboh!" I said happily.
"You mock me?" Kaiba said angrily. "How dare you defy the might of Obelisk with that puny Kuriboh! This is not over, Yugi."
"It will be soon enough," Yami said calmly.
Kaiba set a card face down and ended his turn. Yami drew a card and then attacked Obelisk with Slifer. Kaiba stopped the attack with the trap card, Power Balance, which forced Yami to discard half the cards in his hand while Kaiba could draw the same number of cards. He then ordered Obelisk to counterattack.
Yami played the magic card, Necromancy. Four monsters were randomly summoned from Kaiba's graveyard in defense position. Each time one of the monsters was destroyed, the attack points of the rest of his monsters would be reduced by 600 points. Slifer's special ability was activated, and each of the monsters was destroyed. Obelisk's attack points were not 1600.
Then Obelisk's attack points rose to 2600 because of the special ability of one of Kaiba's destroyed monster. Now stronger than Slifer, he continued to attack. But the attack left both monsters unharmed. Yami had discarded Electromagnetic Turtle, allowing Slifer to end the battle. Yami set a card face down and ended his turn.
This is insane, I said to Marik. They're evenly matched.
For now, Marik agreed.
"All right, Yugi," said Kaiba. "My move! You ready? Now, then, you only have one card in your hand. That means Slifer's attack points are 1,000 . So, let's see you escape now. It's time to show the world that I'm superior to you. Go, Obelisk! Annihilate his Slifer with your Fist of Fate."
"Guess again!" said Yami. "Reveal the magic card - Spell Textbook! Now, I must discard every card in my hand. And in exchange, I can draw one new card. I can then play the card immediately, but only if I draw a magic card."
Kaiba was still confident. "Now that Slifer's attack points are zero, you'll lose the duel. Obelisk, wipe out his life points!"
Yami set down a card. "I activate this magic card!"
"What's that?"
"Card of Sanctity! It requires both of us to draw until each one of us is holding six cards."
Kaiba was shocked. "Oh, no! That means his Egyptian god card increases in strength!"
Yami smirked. "That's right. And now Slifer has 6,000 attack points. You're about to lose this duel, Kaiba!"
"Hold on. I activate my final trap card - Life Shaver! It shaves 2,000 attack points off your Egyptian god card." Suddenly, the two Egyptian gods collided, creating a bright right. "What's going on? Kaiba Corp holograms aren't supposed to do this!"
"It's magic!" I shouted.