Chapter 16
"Marik's godly combo"
Out in Battle City, Joey was still beaming with pride over his victory over Weevil. "Who's the man? Thanks to Weevil, I'm only two locator cards away from the finals!" he said. "That was some seriously impressive dueling back there." Spike admitted. "I'll say. You sent that cheat running out of Battle City like a roach from a spray can." Tristan added. "Thanks, Tristan. I guess I was the star of the show today, wasn't I? From what I heard from Rarity, the crowd dug me as they watched, I crushed Weevil. What a duel, huh? Plus I got that termite's rarest card; the Insect Queen!" Joey responded before looking at one of his prized from his most recent victory.
"And you absolutely deserve it, Joseph. Think about it; you outsmarted two of the top ranked Duelists in the country, one of them being an ex-Regional Champion and both of them turned out to be cheaters." Rarity stated. "But here's a question, why do I attract the cheaters?" Joey asked. "Consider it as good practice, Joey. Dueling and defeating Espa Roba and Weevil prepared you for anything. You're on your way to becoming an experienced Duelist like Yugi, Kaiba and even myself." Sol responded.
"Yeah. So watch out, Yugi! I'm on my way to the top!" Joey declared. 'Speaking of Yugi, I hope he's safe, wherever he is.' Tea thought. "Alright, guys. We better get back to finding Yugi, and another challenge for Joey." Tristan suggested. "Well, you all enjoy yourselves. Me and Spikey better get back on patrol before our break." Rarity said. "K. See ya!" Joey said as they all went separate ways. 'Boy, do my friends rock! I never coulda gotten this far without their support. I just wish Yugi would've seen me squash Weevil right out of the tournament.' he thought.
As the group pondered as to where Yugi could possibly be, little did they know that a Rare Hunter controlled by Marik was watching them from nearby. 'Follow them, my hunter. We'll need them all soon.' he said telepathically with an evil laugh. Out on the sea, Marik was on a boat bound for Domino City, and for the Battle City tournament. "The time has come for my arrival. Everything seems to be in place, but before I step foot in Battle City, I have one more task to complete. And then, if all goes as planned, the power of the Nameless Pharaoh will be mine!" he said as his servant, Odion, approached.
"Master Marik. Is it time? The quiet one waits." he asked. "Yes, I shall control his mind and eliminate Yugi once and for all. And then, I'll take that Puzzle." Marik responded with another evil laugh. Back in Domino Plaza, some spectators were looking at the mime, who had stood there, stiff as a statue, for three hours while they were trying to get his attention. 'Awaken, my mind slave.' Marik said, telepathically, prompting the mime to reach into his bag, pull out and put on a Duel Disk. 'Now locate Yugi Muto.' Marik ordered before the mime started running. 'I'll use one of my two Egyptian God Cards to devastate him!' Marik declared, telepathically, before laughing madly.
Elsewhere, near the highway, Yugi was talking to Yami about what Marik was after. "Marik keeps saying he's after the power of the Nameless Pharaoh, but you are the Nameless Pharaoh. If you really had all this power inside of you, don't you think we would've known about it?" he asked. "I guess you must still have it if you saved the world 5,000 years ago, but what happened?" he added. "It's all still unclear." Yami responded.
"Well, we know that Marik's family has been protecting your tomb for years and for some reason he got this crazy idea that he deserved to be the pharaoh instead of you. But I'll do everything I can to make sure that he doesn't." Yugi stated, boldly. "As long as he can't defeat us in a duel, he can't take the Millennium Puzzle or your hidden powers. Destiny brought this puzzle to me, and even though I didn't know it when I first put it together, I was meant to have it, and now you and I are bonded forever. And no matter what, I'm going to help you save the world, just like you did in the past." he continued as he remembered the day he put the Millennium Puzzle together for the first time and bonded with Yami.
"You may have done it alone 5,000 years ago, but now you've got me by your side. And not only that, but we've also got our friends behind us. And with this sort of support, you'll never lose." he continued. "Thank you, Yugi. Your friendship means a great deal to me." Yami responded. "I know that together we'll learn about your past and stop Marik's plan. I just hope that I'm strong enough to hold my own." Yugi said. "You've already proven your strength, Yugi. Your courage and determination are as great as I've ever seen. I've said it before; you have the heart, of a pharaoh." Yami pointed out before sensing something.
"I sense a darkness approaching." he said before Yugi took a look around. "I don't see anything. Or anyone." Yugi said. "Show yourself!" he called out before Marik's mind slave mime made his appearance. "Yugi!" he called. "Who are you?" Yugi asked. Prepare to duel, and lose your Puzzle!" the mime answered.
"Marik!" Yugi shouted. "Yes. And soon, you and the entire world will be calling me pharaoh!" the mime responded before laughing. "Meet my mind slave; Strings the quiet one. And thanks to the power of my Millennium Rod, he shall defeat you." he continued, revealing to Yugi that Marik was the one pulling Strings', well, strings.
"Coward!" Yugi shouted. "We'll meet soon enough, Yugi. Until then, why should I waste my time when I can duel you through my mind puppets? Battling with the power of my Millennium Rod is no different from you using your Puzzle to duel." Marik responded as Yami took over, ready to duel. "That's not true. You force your servants to do your dirty work my taking control of their minds against their will! I duel with respect and honor." the pharaoh rebutted. "And I will do what is necessary to claim that puzzle." Strings stated.
"To do that, you'll have to defeat me, Marik and break the Heart of the Cards. And I can assure you that, won't happen." Yami said boldly. 'We'll just see how you fare against an Egyptian God Card.' Marik thought. "You call yourself a pharaoh? You don't even know how to use your power. So destiny has chosen me to take the power of the Nameless Pharaoh away from you, and then destroy you." Strings said.
"That ancient power is not yours to take, Marik." Yami calmly responded. "Now, Marik! It's time to duel!" he declared. Meanwhile, at Domino Museum, Ishizu was looking at the tablet of Yami's ancient duel against Kaiba's ancestor. "The wheels of fate are now in motion. Now Marik faces Yami, and although my brother follows the path of evil, he can be saved. There is good inside him. But in order for his good side to shine at long last, my brother must fail to obtain the power of the Nameless Pharaoh." she said.
Outside the museum, Yami Bakura's Millennium Ring led him to the steps. "So, my ring leads me to the museum. It senses another Millennium Item inside. Continue to show me the way to it, my ring. And soon, all seven will belong to me." he said before proceeding to enter. Right then and there, Ishizu sensed his presence. "I sense something, evil, approaching." she said. 'The mystical Millennium energies are growing stronger. I must be getting closer to the source.' Yami Bakura thought as he walked through the halls of the museum.
'Yes, the Millennium Item I seek is in here.' he continued before the pointers suddenly stopped. "What's this? The force is gone?" he pondered before seeing the tablet of Yami's ancient duel. "The pharaoh's tablets are here. It's been quite a long time since I laid my eyes on these stone carvings, but I'm sure once I obtain the seven Millennium Items, I can unlock the shadow magic they depict." he said, unaware that Ishizu was listening in.
"This spirit has some knowledge of the ancient scriptures, but doesn't know all. For my brother, seeks a power far more dangerous." she said as she remembered the last time she confronted her brother, Marik. "You cannot stop me." he threatened, pointing the Millennium Rod right at her. "You'd use your own Millennium Rod on your own family, Marik?" Ishizu asked. "If you continue to stand in my way, sister, then yes, you leave me no choice." Marik responded before using his rod to blind her.
"The pharaoh's power isn't yours!" Ishizu declared before finding that he made his escape as the flashback ended. 'Only my brother's failure can save him. He must not succeed, or the entire world will be in jeopardy. The true pharaoh is the only one who can stop him.' she thought as she made her way out of the museum.
Meanwhile, Marik was nearing Domino City. 'Once I am victorious, the Millennium Puzzle will be around my neck at last! Then I can focus on stripping Kaiba of the third Egyptian God Card. Once I possess all three, I'll combine their strength! And in accordance with the ancient scriptures, I'll drain the power of the Nameless Pharaoh himself!' Marik thought as he continued on his way to the city. "Nothing can stop me! Battle City and the world will tremble before my feet!" he declared.
"Your plan will never work, Marik." Yami said to his opponent. "I'm afraid it already has. I've drawn you into a duel you can't possibly win. It'll soon be all over for you, Pharaoh." Strings responded. "Alright, Marik. No more talk!" Yami declared as he set his deck into his Duel Disk and launched the hologram projectors, as did Strings. "Prepare to be destroyed by the power of my Egyptian God Card!" Strings stated as both players' life points set to 4000. "I've heard enough!" Yami bellowed. And so, with a confident 'Let's duel!' from both players, the game began.
"You and your mind slave will never win my puzzle, Marik!" Yami declared. "I disagree." Strings responded upon drawing. "So first, I set one card face down. And next I'll play this monster in attack mode! Meet, Humanoid Slime!" he continued as his liquid chrome monster appeared. "This is the beginning of the end for you, pharaoh. So make your move and prepare to lose everything!" he concluded. "YOU will fail!" Yami retorted before drawing. 'Since he played a really weak monster, I bet he wants me to attack it. Then he'll use his facedown to destroy my monster. Well, there's no way I'll let him do that.' Yugi thought.
"I'll also set one card face down. And then I'll summon a monster known as Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts in attack mode!" Yami said as he made his move and Gazelle appeared. "A stronger beast than yours." he concluded. "Yes, your monster is almost twice as strong as mine, but don't be so confident that Gazelle will prevail. It takes more than strength to win a duel." Strings said. "I'm well aware of that." Yami responded. "Then you won't be surprised, when my Humanoid Slime annihilates your monster." Strings continued. "I'd like to see you try that, Marik." Yami said with a grin before Strings drew. "Very well. I summon, Worm Drake!" the mind-controlled mime said before his monster, a level four, Earth attribute Reptile with 1400 attack points and 1500 defense points, appeared.
"Now watch what happens when I activate this magic card. Time for Polymerization! I'll use it to fuse Humanoid Slime and Worm Drake together into a diabolical new monster!" he continued as his two monsters fused. "Behold my new weapon, Humanoid Worm Drake! Its 2200 attack points are more than enough to destroy Gazelle, as well as a portion of your life points." he declared.
"According to the Battle City rules, when you fuse two monsters together, you must wait one turn before you can attack. So you've left yourself wide open, Marik." Yami stated. "That's of no concern to me. Rules are meant to be manipulated, and my facedown will take care of that task for me. It appears I've outsmarted you, pharaoh." Strings retorted. "Let's see." Yami dared. "Just as you wish. I reveal my facedown, the Quick Attack magic card!" Strings responded. "Now you CAN attack with your fusion monster!" Yami said in shock.
"Very perceptive. Quick Attack allows a fusion monster to attack on the same turn it was summoned. It's a card that Industrial Illusions made specifically for this tournament. You underestimated me as a Duelist. And for that, you must pay the price, so watch as I destroy your monster and move one step closer to relieving you of your Millennium Puzzle forever! I'm afraid you're no match for me, pharaoh. Now watch as my Humanoid Worm attacks!" Strings stated. "Destroy his Gazelle, my beast!" he commanded, but Yami smirked as the monster charged. "Hold on, Marik!" he shouted as he activated a facedown of his own.
"I activate De-Fusion, turning your one monster into two again." he continued as the Worm Drake and Humanoid Slime reappeared. "So you knew my plan from the start!?" Strings said in surprise. "Yes, as soon as you played a monster as weak as Humanoid Slime in attack mode, I knew then and there that you were luring me to attack it, Marik." Yami explained. "And I thought you fell for it." Strings said. "That's exactly what I wanted you to think, but it was really I who was luring you into using your hidden magic card so that I could reverse it." Yami added.
"I was hoping for a far more challenging duel from you, but you've only disappointed me." he concluded. "This duel's far from over." Marik said from his boat. "You'll never win my Millennium Puzzle if you continue to duel like that." Yami stated. "It seems you're as smart as they say you are. But that last turn was only a test. I will not be denied my victory or your puzzle." Marik declared. "You will if you keep making amateur moves." Yami retorted. "You shall witness my true skills in due time. And then once I defeat you, I'll become pharaoh and banish you to the Shadow Realm! The relentless power of my Egyptian God card will deliver me your puzzle and assure your destruction! Prepare to face a force the likes of which you've never seen!" Marik stated.
"Your puzzle and power will soon be mine." Strings said as he ended his turn. "Only, if you win." Yami pointed out before drawing. 'Buster Blader's too powerful to waste on his weaker monsters, but I'm sure it'll come in handy when he plays something more powerful, so I'll hold it till the time is right.' Yugi thought. "I'll go ahead and dispose of your weak monsters. I play Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!" Yami declared before Beta appeared. "Destroy his Worm Drake, now!" he commanded before the Worm Drake was blown away with one electrical blast, lowering Strings' life points to 3700. "And now, Gazelle, attack and destroy his Humanoid Slime with your Claw of Destruction!" he commanded before the chrome creature was obliterated, lowering Strings' life points to 3000.
"The difference between the attack strengths of both monsters means you lose 1000 life points. Now, Marik, you have no monsters left to protect you." he concluded. "Very impressive dueling. But I'm just testing out your strengths and probing for weaknesses so that I can ultimately destroy you and take away all that you possess! It's time for round two, and this duel is about to get interesting. Are you ready?" Strings said before drawing.
"The card I now hold is unlike any you have seen before. It's a creature that simply cannot be destroyed." he stated. "It's a shapeless being made completely of plasma with no solid mass, making it utterly indestructible, and the perfect defense against enemy attack." Marik explained. "So prepare to witness, Revival Jam, in defense mode!" Strings declared before the plasmatic being, a level four, Water attribute, aqua/effect monster with 1500 attack points and 500 defense points, appeared. "Just try to attack. You will fail, I tell you." he added.
"It looks weak to me, Marik." Yami stated. "Looks weak, does it? Well, take a look at this." Strings responded before playing a magic card. "It's my Jam Breeding Machine! And it begins the countdown to your destruction!" he declared as it appeared. Soon, the machine whirred to life. "Wondering what it does? Think of it as a monster-creating machine, breathing life into a new plasma creature every turn. And this machine will continue to provide me with more and more plasma beasts called Slime Tokens." he explained.
"Your plan's obvious; you're going to produce plasma monsters until you have enough to sacrifice and summon your Egyptian God Monster." Yami said as he put two and two together. "Very impressive, pharaoh. Too bad you can't stop me. Once my Breeding Machin creates three Slime Tokens, I will be able to summon the monster that will bring about your ultimate destruction, my Egyptian God Monster and then your Millennium Puzzle will belong to me forever!" Strings stated.
"Sorry, Marik, but as long as have faith in the Heart of the Cards, your plan will never succeed. So prepare to lose!" Yami retorted before drawing and looking at his hand. 'Buster Blader. Now's the perfect time to summon him. I need to wipe out Marik's life points before his Breeding Machine creates three more monsters.' Yugi thought. "And now I'll sacrifice both monsters I have on the field, to summon this creature in attack mode, my all-powerful Buster Blader!" Yami said before both of his current monsters were gone, and in their place, appeared a level seven, Earth attribute warrior/effect monster with 2600 attack points and 2300 defense points.
"My expert swordsman has the power to wipe out your Revival Jam and more than half of your life points!" he added. "Your monster's attack power is quite impressive, pharaoh, but still useless against my Revival Jam." Strings stated. "We'll see. Now, my sword-wielding monster, destroy his Revival Jam!" Yami responded. In no time, the blob was seemingly no more.
"Your monster's been splattered!" he declared. "Has it?" Strings asked before the creature reformed itself, to Yami's shock. "It can't be! It's, reforming!" said the former king. "You're surprised? I told you my Revival Jam employed the perfect defense. Even the most powerful sword can't destroy my plasma monster. It'll always reform itself." Strings stated. "So I can't destroy it?" Yami asked. "Correct. You can attack, but it won't work. So Revival Jam will protect my life points while my Breeding Machine creates monsters for my ultimate sacrifice!" Strings responded.
'If that's the case, then I need to find another way to wipe out his life points, and fast!' Yugi thought. "Your dueling days are almost over. Soon, my Breeding Machine will have created enough monsters to sacrifice. Then comes your worst nightmare, my Egyptian God Card! Here's the first." Strings stated before drawing. "I activate my Jam Breeding Machine!" he added. Soon, the machine created a level one, Water attribute Aqua monster with 500 attack and defense points.
"There's Slime Token number 1! I'll also set one card face down to end the turn there. Only two turns left. Then, you'll meet your doom!" he continued. "Soon, that puzzle's mine." Marik said, confidently. "I may not be able to stop your Breeding Machine, but your plan has one tragic flaw, Marik. You said you need to sacrifice three Slime Tokens to summon your one Egyptian God Monster. But what happens, if I destroy them first? You see, your Slime Tokens are defenseless against the superior attack power of my Buster Blader. I can take them out with no resistance, and more importantly, each time Buster Blader destroys one of your Slime Tokens, you'll lose over 2100 life points because they're so feeble. So according to my calculations, in two turns, you'll be defeated!" Yami stated, thinking he found the Achille's heel in Marik's plan.
"Now, Buster Blader, attack his Slime Token!" he commanded. "Or don't! I reveal my facedown! The continuous trap card known as Jam Defender!" Strings retorted as the card activated. In moments, the Revival Jam leapt in and took the blow meant for the Slime Token. "That can't be! Revival Jam shielded your monster!" Yami shouted in shock. "Exactly, and as long as Revival Jam stays in defense mode, the Jam Defender trap forces it to absorb all of your attacks! Which means every one of your attacks will be blocked!" Strings concurred as the Revival Jam reformed itself.
"You see, I knew you would attack my Slime Tokens in a desperate attempt to stop me from summoning my Egyptian God Monster, so I'm protecting them with an indestructible force! The end is near!" he continued. "Now, another means to sacrifice." Marik said before Strings drew, which instantly activated the Breeding Machine again. "Meet Slime Token number 2!" Strings declared as the creature appeared. "I've got to stop this." Yami said with a growl.
"I'm afraid there's only one turn left, pharaoh. Then I'll summon my Egyptian God Monster to destroy you! But just to be safe, I think I'll play this magic card, Nightmare's Steelcage, to make sure you can't attack me for the next two turns, not that you'll be around that long." Strings pointed out as fire burst out of the ground around Yami and took the form of said cage before it solidified and surrounded Yami's side of the field, trapping him and his Buster Blader.
"Now all you can do it watch as I summon the most powerful force you've ever seen to annihilate you!" the mime shouted. 'Soon, the Millennium Puzzle and the pharaoh's power will be mine, forever!' Marik thought with a triumphant laugh.