Author's Note:

This is Chapter 20 of "The Kingdom [Be]Comes."

I'm not going to say much about this chapter other that it continues right from the previous one. So Yusei vs. the villain of the story continues. It's dark and I think more depressing than last chapter.

So read on and tell me what you think!

Once again, I'd like to thank everyone for your reviews – signed or anonymous – and all your questions and favourites. I love you guys...

Thank you for reading,

NineInchNailed.

"But I do nothing upon myself, and yet I am my own executioner."

~John Donne

After being thrown by the materialized effect damage, Yusei scrambled back up to his feet, feeling dull pain in his joints.

"Did that hurt?" Mahdi's voice taunted him.

Yusei met the amused black eyes of his enemy with quiet loathing. On the inside he felt such monstrous anger that he had to constrain himself from trembling. "Are you done?" he asked, steadying his balance.

Mahdi seemed abruptly surprised. "Um…yes," he said.

[Mahdi]

[End of Turn One: Bowganian (Lvl.3) ATK1300/DEF1000 in Defence Mode; 2 Face down Cards; 2 Cards in hand; LP4000]

Yusei looked down to the glowing mark of the Crimson Dragon on his forearm and then fixed his gaze on Aki's still lifeless form. Wake up, he thought, Aki, you have to wake up. He knew then that this duel was going to be brutal - Mahdi would try to torture them both, probably to death. It didn't matter what Mahdi told him earlier on or what he promised...it was obvious that him and Aki were now treading in dangerous waters.

"So…" Mahdi started, "Don't you have some questions for me?"

"It's my turn," Yusei announced and drew a card.

[Yusei Fudo]

[Beginning of Turn One: 0 Monsters; 0 Cards on Field; 6 Cards in hand; LP3000]

"You are Set," Yusei said. It was not a question.

Mahdi brightened with a proud smile. "The one and only," he introduced himself, "I have to admit, however, that I'm not a true God, per-say, but rather I'm a reincarnation of Set. A figure of him...or his existence in the Human Realm."

Yusei turned his attention to the Equip Magic card he just drew. "And you created the Sutekh Sacrificō seal to-"

"To find you, yes," Mahdi continued from his question, obviously eager to tell more, "I put obvious clues into it to lead you to me. The name of the seal, for one. It should have told you exactly who you were dealing with…and it did!"

Yusei slowly raised his eyes back to his enemy. "Why?" he asked, "What is it that you want with me?"

Mahdi's smile changed from pride to that of joy. "You have the Egyptian God card in your possession. The Sky Dragon of Osiris."

"As have others before me," Yusei replied, "What should that tell me?"

"Yes, but they have owned them for very specific reasons," Mahdi said, "They're the cards that contain the power of the Gods within them, Fudo Yusei. So this card chose you and gave you its power…can you guess why?"

Yusei couldn't answer him, having been wondering this same question ever since the Sky Dragon branded him. At the same time it was Yugi Mutou who passed the card to him…so Yusei didn't quite understand what kind of a 'choice' the card itself somehow could have had in this matter.

Mahdi looked borderline ecstatic now, smiling and revealing his even white teeth. "I had a search," he said, "I had a list of people consistently involved in suspicious or supernatural events. I further narrowed that down to the people I couldn't peer into…"

Peering into? What does that mean? Yusei tried to figure out but decided not to disrupt: after all, Mahdi seemed more than excited to tell him everything. Yusei discreetly tuned his attention to Aki again. Aki, you need to try waking up now, he thought, Please come to. He needed her support. And he needed to see her be conscious and not the ashen lifeless form she was now. And she needed to hear what Mahdi had to say as well.

"…the day the Sky Dragon of Osiris took flight for the first time since Mutou Yugi I knew it was a sign!" Mahdi eagerly went on, "I knew that somebody had been sent after me but I needed to find them first before they would come after me-"

"You are mad," Yusei interrupted. It was no longer just a small aspect of what Mahdi was saying – all of it didn't make sense now and he could no longer just stand and listen. "I would never have even known about you if you hadn't started killing people... if you hadn't apparently begun searching for me."

Mahdi sighed with evident impatience. "What nonsense!" he exclaimed, "Why don't you understand that this was destined to happen, Fudo Yusei? That – if I didn't find you first – you would have come after me? And then, if you found me, I wouldn't have had the lead! This was destiny but I just managed to find you first!"

Yusei was staring at Mahdi in silence as it suddenly and clearly dawned on him: Mahdi was insane. He was completely and unquestionably mentally disturbed. Even if he was a reincarnation of an angry Egyptian deity and if everything he was saying was true...it didn't make him any less sick. He was dangerous, psychotic and obsessed. And there could be absolutely no reasoning done with him.

"I summon Speed Warrior in Attack mode," Yusei said, forcing himself not to dwell on his realization and to begin progressing the duel. A level 2 monster appeared – that in a shape of an android – and its attack was at 900 points and defence at 300 points.

"It's like you don't care, Fudo Yusei," Mahdi commented with what sounded like scorn and almost as if…hurt. He was no longer smiling.

That remark further affirmed to Yusei that Mahdi seemed to be craving his approval and attention, for whatever obscene reason. Perhaps the best way to go about this while situation would be to keep a certain detachment. Yusei took another quick look at a time: thirty five minutes before Jack and others would be on their way here.

"Either way the Sky Dragon tipped me off," Mahdi apparently decided to keep talking even though Yusei didn't exactly prompt him. "I couldn't find any whereabouts of the previous Millennium Item owners and so I knew that it wasn't that Pharaoh this time. It had to have been someone else. So I sent out messengers to Team Ragnarok and, since I was near you Signers, I went after all of you personally."

Millennium Item owners? Yusei wondered, Who are these people? And Team Ragnarok…why? Is it because he couldn't "peer" into them for some reason? Is it because all of us are protected by some outside forces?

"And then I thought that I couldn't have been any luckier," Mahdi smiled at him with gentleness that Yusei found rather disturbing. "Because the first one I've come after was Hogan Crow...and he had the power of Osiris in his possession!" Mahdi sighed at that point, "Even though it was just a clever diversion I understood then that it was you who was sent after me. Not just any bearer…but you!"

"What does that mean?" Yusei questioned, hoping to finally hear the straightforward truth, "What is it that you think you know about me?"

Mahdi opened his arms almost as if anticipating a hug. "You and I are the same, Fudo Yusei. You are exactly the same as me!" he announced cheerfully.

Yusei shook his head, feeling angered by that absurd statement. "I am nothing like you," he retorted.

Mahdi's expression softened and he looked almost as if he was exhibiting sympathy. "As I am the reincarnation of an Egyptian God…so are you, Fudo Yusei," he said softly, "You are the reincarnation of Osiris."

Everything suddenly became almost as if in slow-motion. It was all suddenly…incomprehensible. Yusei involuntarily stumbled and looked to the floor, numbly feeling like the whole world had just crashed down on him. The impact of Mahdi's words held an equivalent to what he felt when he first saw what was behind Z-ONE's mask.

"I imagine it must be kind of hard to take," Mahdi commented lightly but his voice wasn't enough to bring Yusei out of his shock. He had nothing he could say, unable to even comprehend that something like this could be possible. How…could it?

"And deep inside you must know it's the truth," Mahdi's voice continued haunting him, "Don't you just feel it to be true? Isn't it just something you've always suspected and are now relieved to hear?"

"I…" Yusei fixed his gaze on Aki. Right now she was the only thing that seemed tangible, something real. She was the light that could bring him out of this darkness. Aki, I need you! he thought anxiously and suddenly his Crimson Dragon birthmark lit up with higher intensity. At that same moment the red Signer mark lit up on Aki's arm and she murmured softly, stirring as she began regaining consciousness.

"AKI!" Yusei called desperately while Mahdi transferred his own acidic stare to her. "Oh, look who decided to grace us with her presence," he remarked with discontent, obviously more pleased to have a one-on-one discussion.

Aki's eyes slowly flickered open and revealed to her the blur that was reality. "What…" she tried to mumble but found that her lips were adhered shut by tape. Blinking rapidly to clear away the haze, Aki tried to move her limbs but her whole body was bound up and immobile. What's going on, where am I? she thought, feeling completely disoriented and unable to remember what had happened or what was happening now. She was only overwhelmed with lingering headache. And then, abruptly, she heard a breathtakingly familiar voice calling her and, as she dazedly looked in its direction, she saw Yusei. He seemed…so far away from her…he was standing with an active duel disk...there was a colossal red barrier all around them. Was he…duelling her? Why he was so rumpled...? Did she use her powers on him…somehow?

"Yusei…" she muffled into the adhesive tape and then flinched, feeling a chill running down her spine. The vision of him made her realize what was going on. As if to further reaffirm her nightmare come to life, Mahdi's face appeared in her field of vision.

"Welcome back," Mahdi greeted her and Aki flinched again, her eyes frantically searching for her lover. Yusei was alone…why was he alone? Where were others? Was he duelling Mahdi? Did Mahdi hurt him in any way?

"Step away from her!" Yusei shouted at Madhi, "You've got me here so why do you need her? If I'm what you want then let her go!"

"Because this isn't just about you and I, Osiris," Mahdi answered, trying out Yusei's new nickname for good measure. He seemed to like it because seconds later he was nodding approvingly. "Because this concerns her too."

Aki realized that she awoke in a middle of a conversation. What had Mahdi told Yusei...and how much? She wondered if Yusei had already been able to guess who Mahdi might have been...because this was something she thought about and the pieces seemed to fit the puzzle.

"So you're saying you're not just holding her hostage to coerce me into duelling you?" Yusei asked.

"Of course not," Mahdi shook his head, "Why would I need her if you and I were going to be duelling this evening anyway? No, it's definitely more interesting than that, Osiris. You see, your girlfriend is also alike to you and I. What a coincidence, don't you think?"

"What?" Yusei's eyes widened.

I'm alike to what? Aki was wondering with anxiety, What's happening? She tried voicing her questions but all that came out was an incomprehensible murmur.

"Oh yes!" Mahdi cackled, "The three of us are having a nice reunion! The three of the Ennead, together at last! She," he turned and pointed straight at Aki, "She is the reincarnation of the Goddess Isis. I assume no introductions are necessary."

Yusei and Aki were now staring at each other, shocked to the bone.

"Yes! Not only did you, Osiris, come after me..." Mahdi resumed laughing with glee, "But you brought your girlfriend with you to the Human Realm! How sweet...it's like the two of you can't keep away from each other. Well, personally I find it kind of revolting."

Osiris and Isis...the Ancient Egyptian Gods? Aki's thoughts were racing, Is he saying that Yusei and I are somehow reincarnated as them? How can it be? They're just mythological deities...they're not real! It doesn't make any sense!

Yusei, meanwhile, rationalized a different conclusion. A conclusion that did not deal with truths, lies or probabilities...all of these were irrelevant to him. It echoed his realization about the true character of Mahdi and discounted his supposed divine status or powers.

"In fact, you know what's funny?" Mahdi went on with his happy ramble and sighed dreamily, "If she had never come after me I would never have figured out who you were! You can thank her for everything that's happening to the two of you right now!"

Yusei's eyes darted to Aki and she quivered with shame and guilt, quickly looking away from him. Oh god, Yusei...I'm so sorry, she thought, But it's true...I've made a grave mistake.

"Aki," Yusei called out to her but she was too embarrassed to meet his eyes. "Aki, none of this is your fault."

Mahdi's smile slowly vanished.

"You did nothing wrong," Yusei told her gently and, with that, Aki gathered the courage to look at him. Her eyes began watering. "It was all him," Yusei transferred a deadly glare to Mahdi, "And I will save you from him. It doesn't matter what he-"

"Fate has brought you here, Osiris," Mahdi interrupted their intimate conversation. A deep frown coloured his features. "No...both of you," he awarded Aki with a quick look, "What I tell you is something both of you have always subconsciously known. This is all fate and you must feel it to be true."

Aki averted her eyes from Mahdi's piercing stare while Yusei turned his attention to their enemy. "I feel nothing, Mahdi," he said firmly and his eyes narrowed.

Mahdi's face hardened and there was not a trace of amusement or content remaining. "You're in denial," he said slowly, "You have come to me to get the answers you've been looking for all your life. That's why you're here. You could do nothing to resist it!"

"No. No, Mahdi, I came here for her," Yusei gestured at Aki, "And for her only."

Mahdi bared his teeth with anger while Aki shook her head, tearfully thinking, Yusei…you've come to risk your life...for me? How can you do such a thing? Why?

At that Yusei activated a Magic card, carrying on with a duel. "I play Junk Barrage and equip it to my Speed Warrior!" he ordered while a cannon appeared over Speed Warrior's shoulders.

"Are you…denying that fate has brought you here?" Mahdi asked quietly.

"Speed Warrior's attack doubles during the first turn it is summoned. So its attack is 1800 points," Yusei ignored his question and pointed to the cybernetic eye monster on Mahdi's field, "Speed Warrior, destroy his Bowganian!"

"Don't you dare…" Mahdi suddenly threatened and one of his hidden cards flipped up, "Don't you even dare deny what I have told you, Osiris! Continuous Trap card open: Fearful Earthbound. Each time your monster attacks you receive 500 points of damage."

Yusei felt a freezing wave of shock sweep over him and quickly looked at Aki, wide-eyed.

"Yusei…?" Aki mumbled into the tape, reading his panic and suddenly feeling frightened. She didn't understand why he suddenly looked at her like that. This was a look impossibly rare to Yusei...it was almost foreign.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Mahdi questioned Yusei, "It means you get real damage again thanks to her," he said and pointed to Aki.

Aki winced. What's going on? She thought with alarm, Why would Yusei receive real damage because of…me? She quickly looked about herself – or at least much as she could with her binds constraining her – and saw that there were still some strange wires attached to her. Did they have something to do with it?

"The three of us are playing a fun game, Izayoi Aki," Mahdi decided to address her now and Aki stared at him, "This is how it works: you will materialize each duel damage I inflict on him. I told you I knew how your psychic powers worked, didn't I?"

Aki whimpered and began thrashing wildly in her binds. She suddenly understood what it was that Mahdi meant when he said that she'd help him kill Yusei.

"An electric shock will pass through you, you'll make it real and, with each time this happens, I'll increase the voltage," Mahdi began grinning again and glanced to Yusei, "Last time it was 30 volts. This time it will be 60. You don't want to make it to 450…trust me."

"MAHDI!" Yusei was so furious his scream echoed throughout the whole warehouse and could easily be heard from outside, "Mahdi, stop this!" Unable to help himself Yusei made steps towards them. Mahdi noticed his advance and sighed, once again bringing out his knife and lightly running his thumb over the sharp blade.

Yusei stopped dead in his tracks, panicking, while Mahdi said, "Let's continue this."

At that very instant Aki felt like something exploded inside her head. It was a blinding pain and she let out a scream, feeling her whole body helplessly twisting, but it was less than a second before she lost her consciousness.

"Aki!" Yusei screamed and shielded his face when a dark blast smashed into him and threw him through the air. He hit the ground with hard impact but quickly began getting back to his feet despite pain surging throughout his body. His Life Points went down to 2500.

"I'm having a lot of fun, are you?" Mahdi asked with an amused smirk.

Yusei looked at Aki's now unconscious figure again and clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. Had he not been wearing gloves he would have easily drawn blood. It suddenly dawned to him that he no longer even cared about anything Mahdi had told him – none of it was even remotely important to him anymore. Ever since this whole arc had begun he wanted nothing more than to get to the bottom of this: to find out the secrets of the Sky Dragon, the reasons behind sacrificial duels, and their mysterious enemy… but it just no longer mattered. Yusei had never believed in heaven or hell but today he knew that there was hell on Earth. Hell was seeing the person you love most being hurt...and being unable to do anything for the fear of losing her. Hell was watching her entire body convulse as she was being tortured. Yusei knew that for as long as he lived that he would never forget witnessing that. And he vowed to never let it happen to her again. Nothing else simply mattered. In the end, she was who he would give up everything for.

"Speed Warrior destroys Bowganian," he commanded and watched as Speed Warrior returned to his side of the field after obliterating Mahdi's monster into pieces.

"I don't care, it was in Defence mode," Mahdi shrugged.

"My Equip magic activates," Yusei announced, "When a monster equipped with Junk Barrage destroys your monster, it inflicts damage equal to half of the destroyed monster's attack points."

"What?" Mahdi was taken aback by the turnaround.

"That means you get 650 points of damage, Mahdi," Yusei informed and Mahdi looked angry as 650 Life Points peacefully drained from his 4000, leaving him at 3350 now. Yusei honestly regretted that he didn't have the power to inflict actual pain on him.

"Are you done?" Mahdi was the one to ask this question now, through clenched teeth.

"At the end of Battle Phase, Speed Warrior's attack returns to normal. And so I will set two cards face down and end my turn," Yusei finished and two hidden cards appeared.

[Yusei Fudo]

[End of Turn One: Speed Warrior (Lvl.2) ATK900/DEF300 in Attack Mode; 2 Face down Cards; 2 Cards in hand; LP2500]

"Don't upset me, Osiris," Mahdi warned him.

"My name is Yusei," Yusei coldly corrected him.

For a second it looked like Mahdi was about to go ballistic but he suppressed his anger and, with a more neutral expression, drew his card.

[Mahdi]

[Beginning of Turn Two: 0 Monsters of field; "Fearful Earthbound" Continuous Trap card on the field/ 1 Face down Card; 3 Cards in hand; LP3350]

"I'm Summoning Dark Effigy in Attack mode," Mahdi said and a Level 4 monster – in a form of a cube-like geometric shape – appeared. Its attack points were 1500 and its defence points were zero. "If I want to Tribute Summon a Dark monster I can treat Dark Effigy as two tributes," Mahdi raised his eyes to him, "Since one of La Magra's special effects is that it's of every attribute – including Dark – it means I can use this."

Yusei said nothing. He was expecting something like this.

"I Tribute Dark Effigy to Summon La Magra," Mahdi announced and activated a black monster card on his duel disk.

The ground began shaking, signifying the monster's appearance, and Yusei worriedly looked up to the fragile ceiling of the warehouse. He hoped that it wouldn't fall in and crush them all to their deaths.

The moving ground brought Aki to her senses and, groaning, she blinked her eyes open. Another few seconds of disorientation and she remembered what was going on and why she seemed to be going through fainting spells. Any electricity sent through her head instantly knocked her out although not without brief pain.

Yusei noticed Aki coming to and watched her worriedly, almost completely oblivious to the appearance of Mahdi's ace monster.

A gigantic fluid form of La Magra emerged. Its constantly fluctuating essence varied between a black smoke, a bloody waterfall and an indiscernible solid shape. It hissed and sighed forebodingly and its attack and defense were both at 3000 points.

"Do you like it, Osiris?" Mahdi questioned while looking at La Magra lovingly, "It's mine. I made it. It's the container of my powers."

"That isn't my name, Mahdi," Yusei retorted, ignoring his enemy's obvious pleas for approval.

Anger registered on Mahdi's face again. "You're afraid of what this name means to you," he decided, "It's easier for you to deny it than face the truth."

"That name means nothing to me," Yusei said, "It's not who I am."

Mahdi's fury was more than evident but still he rationally ordered, "La Magra attack his Speed Warrior."

Yusei instantly opened a trap card. "I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" he proclaimed, "I can negate your attack and then set this card face-down again." There was absolutely nothing in his plans for allowing any more attacks – it would mean hurting Aki and Yusei wouldn't let anything like that happen again. At the same time he knew it wasn't going to be easy because he figured that Mahdi's deck was a Burn deck – loaded with damaging Magic and Trap cards that inflicted direct damage. La Magra seemed to be his only real attacking monster.

Mahdi growled. "I end my turn," he spat.

[Mahdi]

[End of Turn Two: La Magra (Lvl.9) ATK3000/DEF3000 in Attack mode; "Fearful Earthbound" Continuous Trap card on the field/ 1 Face down Card; 1 Card in hand; LP3350]

"Aki," Yusei called, not caring that she couldn't make a coherent reply to him or that Mahdi could listen in.

Aki, who was worriedly inspecting La Magra, quickly gazed at Yusei and found his determined blue eyes locked on her.

"Are you...okay?" he asked her, feeling anguished.

Aki tried to smile as she nodded, not wanting to worry him. But are you okay, Yusei? she thought, grief-stricken as she looked over him. He seemed even more-so rumpled now and there was a bleeding cut on his forehead that he seemed to be oblivious to.

Yusei shook his head at her response, closing his eyes in pain. "Aki, I won't let him hurt you anymore," he swore to her from the bottom of his heart. He hoped to do everything in his power to keep this promise.

Burning tears streamed down Aki's face and she shook her head as well, wishing she could speak out to him. Yusei, my love... she was crying inconsolably, Don't you understand? I'm hurting you! How could he be so protective of her? So forgiving?

"This is so romantic," Mahdi made a crooked smile as he observed the two of them, "Too bad you won't be able to do much, Osiris."

Yusei gritted his teeth. "It's my turn!" he declared and drew a card.

[Yusei Fudo]

[Beginning of Turn Two: Speed Warrior (Lvl.2) ATK900/DEF300 in Attack Mode; 2 Face down Cards; 3 Cards in hand; LP2500]

"I will play my Magic card, Release Restraint Wave," Yusei said and gestured to his Speed Warrior equipped with Junk Barrage, "I can destroy my Equip Magic card in order to destroy all Magic and Trap cards you control, Mahdi."

"If you think you can get rid of my Continuous Trap this easily you're mistaken," Mahdi said and activated his face down card, "I activate my Counter Trap card, Dark Bribe! I can negate the activation and effect of your Magic card and destroy it."

Yusei stood unhinged as Mahdi's effect destroyed his Release Restraint Wave. Thankfully, the duel effects only materialized with Life Points' impacting damage. At the same time Yusei got exactly what he wanted as a result – he saw that there was no Discord to keep him from Synchro Summoning.

"Since I'm so nice you get to draw one card as a result of Dark Bribe," Mahdi informed him with a casual shrug, "That is, I'm giving you an advantage to summon your Egyptian God card against me, Osiris."

Yusei drew a card.

"That Egyptian God card is a representation of your divine power," Mahdi decided to share and smiled sweetly, "Since La Magra is mine, the Sky Dragon is yours, Osiris. I'm honoured that you'd use it against me. Although, I have to say, you're pretty shallow for putting your own name on the card!"

Yusei nonchalantly added the newly drawn card to his hand. A plan was forming in his head and he knew what to do.

Mahdi pursed his lips. "Do you know who you are to me?" he questioned impatiently, "The mythology behind our destiny? Osiris was…and always will be Set's greatest opponent. Do you know what this means?"

Aki was watching Yusei with bewilderment. He seemed so calm and focused now, somehow completely unaffected by anything Mahdi was saying. How?

"I activate my Magic card, Cards of Consonance," Yusei said, ignoring his opponent, "By sending one monster from my hand to the Graveyard I get to draw 2 cards." He discarded Bolt Hedgehog – a small Level 2 monster with 800 attack and defence points – and then continued after drawing two cards, "And then I summon Hyper Synchron in attack mode." A Level 4 Tuner machine-monster appeared with 1600 attack points and 800 defence points. "When there is a face-up Tuner monster on my side of the field, Bolt Hedgehog can be Special Summoned from my Graveyard. Bolt Hedgehog, return," he went on and Bolt Hedgehog appeared next to Speed Warrior and Hyper Synchron.

Yusei now had three monsters on his side of the field and two cards in his hand.

"You are my antithesis," Mahdi answered his own question. He appeared irked that Yusei wasn't drooling for his every word. "It means that you and I are destined to fight each other. Always. You're the Ying to my Yang. We are the opposites and we balance each other out. And now…" he gestured at the three monsters, "You will show me your true power, Osiris."

Yusei slowly raised his eyes to him. "Do you want to know what I think, Mahdi?" he asked. It was time to give him a piece of his mind.

"Please, you can call me Set interchangeably with Mahdi if you'd like, Osiris," Mahdi smiled sweetly at him, pleased that he was finally being paid attention to.

Yusei drew in a deep breath. "I think that you're a sadistic madman," he began.

Mahdi's smile became saturated with pride. "Charmed," he said.

"No," Yusei said, "I don't care if you had a reason to kill people, Mahdi. I don't care if you're some pissed off God of Chaos, if you were looking for some company, or if you have some warped utilitarian philosophy."

The happy smile slowly began vanishing from Mahdi's face.

Aki's eyes widened as she listened.

"No, Mahdi, I really don't care what your morality is or what you were trying to achieve," Yusei went on, narrowing his eyes with cold determination, "It does not change the fact that you're an obsessed, sexually frustrated psychopath who's a danger to himself and to everyone around him. And I will do everything I can to put you out of your misery."

Aki gasped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing – how could Yusei be so brave as to tell something like this to their armed enemy's face?

Mahdi stood completely dumbfounded . "Um...what?" he finally managed, obviously shocked and unsuspecting of something like this either.

"You're a disturbed individual and a stalker with visions of grandeur and narcissism," Yusei said, "And I will destroy you."

This was nothing like Yusei's general moral philosophy. Aki understood what his state of mind must have been at this point – he probably saw no redemption for Mahdi. He saw no good and no twisted sense of morality that could be turned around. Mahdi was not somebody who could be saved or convinced of the wrong of his ways. They were dealing with pure evil and not even a speck of light could change the infinite darkness. And now, when Mahdi wanted to hear praises, adoration and be thanked for what he'd told them, Yusei was basically saying nothing other than Fuck you.

Mahdi was silent for a long moment before his features suddenly twisted ugly with rage. "Are you saying that you're denying the truth of your existence?" he questioned, his voice breaking as he was apparently losing it, "That…YOU'RE DENYING WHO YOU ARE?"

"I have the free will to believe in anything I choose to believe," Yusei answered, "I have the freedom to make any decision and any choice."

"There is no choice, this is destiny!" Mahdi suddenly screamed, now borderline hysterical, "You can't run away from what is meant to be! YOU CAN'T JUST UNCHOOSE WHAT YOU ARE."

"That's exactly what I'm doing," Yusei said.

"What?" Mahdi continued screaming as he grabbed the sides of his head in agitation, "You choose to believe in the ridiculousness of the Signers? Of being a vessel for that ridiculous Crimson Dragon-god-whatever-the-fuck-it-is? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You think that's what's more plausible, that that's what you are?"

"My Signer bond connects me with my friends, the people I care about and the people that are my life," Yusei replied and took a quick glance at Aki. Aki caught it and felt her heart yanking in her chest, unable to understand what this meant. "But this, this supposed destiny," Yusei emphasized and turned back to Mahdi, frowning, "Connects me to you and I want none of it. I don't care if what you say is the ultimate truth. It matters not. I have nothing in common with you, Mahdi, and I want nothing to do with you. Ever."

Mahdi was silent now. His usual sickly-pasty face was red. Aside from anger and agitation he looked almost…hurt. "But," he finally spoke up and his voice was quiet and filled with hesitation, "But…you're my antithesis. You…you're the only one there is for me."

Yusei suddenly thought back to what Mokuba Kaiba once told them. He told them that his older brother, Seto Kaiba, was Yugi Mutou's or Atem's antithesis. That they were equals…opposites…greatest rivals and that, in a metaphysical sense, they couldn't exist without one another. Yusei abruptly understood the ultimate archetypes that seemed to transcend time.

He shook his head. "Believe what you wish but my antithesis is and always will be my best friend and rival Jack Atlas," Yusei answered. As he spoke those words he understood how true they were and how there would be nothing to change them. "There will never be anyone else, Mahdi, and I actually feel bad for you," he concluded and narrowed his eyes, "You are pitiful."

Mahdi was staring at him in silence. Despair was evident on his face. He was actually shaken. Hurt.

Yusei looked down at the cards in his hand. "My Signer bond will lead me to victory," he said and activated the silver Synchro card on the duel disk. He then looked back to Aki with gentleness. "And it…will set us free," he promised her.

There is nothing that could destroy our connection, Aki thought and nodded to him, Yusei…I believe in you.

"You're…Synchro Summoning?" Mahdi questioned dazedly. His voice was almost inaudible.

"I'm tuning my Level 2 Speed Warrior, to my Level 4 Hyper Synchron and to my Level 2 Bolt Hedgehog," Yusei said and – feeling empowered by Aki and the confirmation of his bond with his friends – began chanting for his loyal Stardust to appear. "Clustering hopes will become a new shining star. Become the path its light shines upon. Synchro Summon! Take flight, Stardust Dragon!"

His signature silver dragon appeared and now shined on his side of the field. Its Level was 8 and its attack points were 2500 and defence points at 2000.

"That's not all," Yusei insisted and activated a new Magic card from his hand, "Remove Trap allows me to destroy one face-up Trap card on the field. I choose your Continuous Trap card, Fearful Earthbound, Mahdi!" There was no way he was going to let this Trap keep plunging at his and Aki's Life Points whenever he'd attack.

Mahdi was saying nothing and just observed what was going on before him in some sort of haze. He only had La Magra monster on his field now and no hidden cards.

"When Hyper Synchron is used as a Synchro material of a dragon-type monster, the Synchro monster gains 800 Attack points," Yusei announced and Stardust Dragon roared as its attack went up to 3300. It was stronger than La Magra now.

He did it! Aki thought with elation, Yusei is going to defeat that monster using Stardust!

"Stardust Dragon, attack La Magra," Yusei commanded and the monster went in for attack, "Shooting Sonic!"

"Stop," Mahdi suddenly interrupted, "I activate La Magra's special effect."

Yusei was taken aback. What special effect? he thought with bewilderment.

Oh no, Aki thought, remembering her own duel with Mahdi, Since this La Magra is the original it has some hidden effects. But more than two? What is the third one?

"Once per turn, by paying 1500 Life Points, I can end the Battle Phase," Mahdi said bitterly and his Life Points depleted to 1850.

Yusei was shocked by the sudden turn of events but retained his composure. "Then…I end my turn," he concluded.

[Yusei Fudo]

[End of Turn Two: Stardust Dragon (Lvl.8) ATK3300/DEF2000 in Attack Mode; 2 Face down Cards; 1 Card in hand; LP2500]

"I gave La Magra three special effects," Mahdi decided to explain. He still seemed kind of stupefied, almost as if under influence. Yusei thought it was a welcome change from his usual creepy-happy vibe.

"One, I gave it all the flexibility of attributes, simplifying its Summoning condition," Mahdi went on, "Two, with its destruction it allows me to activate a Magic card from my hand or Graveyard...my favourite effect, really. And three..." he frowned, "As you've just witnessed, it depletes my Life Points but it is a necessary effect."

"I'm surprised with the legitimacy of those," Yusei remarked.

"If I could I would have bestowed it with infinite attack points. Or allowed it the ability to give me thousands of Life Points each turn, among hundreds of other effects," Mahdi responded, "But I couldn't. The Great Balance exists in all things...even such as these."

"What a pity," Yusei answered somewhat uncaringly, still keeping his detached demeanour.

"It's the existential way of the universe, Osiris," Mahdi said, now apparently unbothered by the fact that Yusei didn't seem to care, "Not all power is boundless – there are always limits and constraints to give both sides equal chances."

"So you allocate equal chances to both of us since, according to you, we're the opposites," Yusei summarized.

Mahdi was surprisingly calm now. "As I've already said it's the way of existence. The Great Balance assigns that there has to be an equal amount of evil and good...the Ying and the Yang...thesis and antithesis, of any opposing forces," he said, "Whenever the Balance is off the scale there is a surge of one of the opposites to strike it back into equality. Which is why you're here, Osiris: you're here to stop me because, following my awakening, I've tipped off the scales with what I've been doing."

It still didn't quite explain why Aki – if she really was a reincarnation – was here if it was just the matter of two opposites. But Yusei decided not to pursue this, figuring it would come up sooner or later. "Whether or not that is the truth does not matter," he said instead, "But you also believe in the end result. According to you I have to tip the scales back. That comes with your defeat."

Mahdi glanced at his hand of cards. "Yes…my defeat," he repeated strangely and drew a card.

[Mahdi]

[Beginning of Turn Three: La Magra (Lvl.9) ATK3000/DEF3000 in Attack mode; 0 Cards on Field; 2 Cards in hand; LP1850]

"I play a Magic card, Allure of the Darkness," Mahdi said, "I get to draw 2 cards and then remove from play one Dark monster from my hand. So I draw."

He drew two additional cards and took a look at them. "Lucky me drew two of these monsters," he announced, "So I'm sending one to the Graveyard and then I'm summoning a Familiar Knight in Attack mode." A Level 3 Dark warrior-monster appeared in full knight attire. It even held a shield and a sword. Its attack points were at 1200 and defence points at 1400.

Yusei was analyzing what Mahdi's strategy would be. He figured that he would somehow increase the strength of La Magra and have it destroy Stardust before using his Familiar Knight to direct attack. But Yusei had no plan of letting that happen: aside from Scrap-Iron Scarecrow trap that could block any attack, he had Synchro Striker Unit trap - it would become an Equip card to Stardust and give it additional 1000 Attack points. Unless Mahdi's plan included adding extra 1300 points to La Magra after getting around Scrap-Iron Scarecrow then no damage would happen.

"And then I will play my Magic card – Shooting Star Bow," Mahdi said, "I can equip it to a monster and then, by decreasing the attack of the equipped monster by 1000 points, the monster can attack your Life Points directly."

Yusei frowned but remained calm. Synchro Striker Unit couldn't protect him in this case but he still had Scrap-Iron Scarecrow which could stop any attack. At the same time this wasn't very good news – La Magra equipped with Shooting Star Bow could potentially impact 2000 points of direct damage. Also…the Magic card Mahdi was using for his purposes sounded almost like a perversion of Yusei's own monster, Shooting Star Dragon, and it disgusted him.

"So I will equip Shooting Star Bow to…" Mahdi paused, thinking for a long moment about something that seemed an obvious choice, "To…Familiar Knight."

"What?" Yusei gasped. Why Familiar Knight? Did it have some hidden special effect? Why not a stronger monster to inflict more damage?

Aki was worried as she observed the duel, remembering the way Mahdi mind-tricked her as well. He never did anything simply or without a reason. There was obviously some advantage for him to enable a direct attack for Familiar Knight and not La Magra. Aki could only hope that Yusei would be able to deflect any attack that may come.

Yusei noticed Aki's concerned expression and it further added to his own alarm but he forced himself to remain composed.

"Shooting Star Bow equips to Familiar Knight and decreases its attack points to 200," Mahdi observed as the monster's stats dramatically changed, "And now it will attack you directly, Osiris…and you know what the means," he sighed, "She gets 100 volts this time."

"No," Yusei quickly disrupted before the Familiar Knight could go for attack and electrocute Aki, "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow activates! Once per turn I can negate your monster's attack-"

"What, you think I forgot about that?" Mahdi smiled lightly, "I play my Quick-play Magic card – Mystical Space Typhoon. I can destroy one Magic or Trap card on the field so naturally I destroy Scrap-Iron Scarecrow. Familiar Knight, attack him directly!"

As bits of Solid Vision flew past him with Scrap-Iron Scarecrow's destruction Yusei flinched, feeling tendrils of panic ripping into his very soul. Stardust…he could use Stardust's effect to destroy the magic card. But that'd require losing Stardust until the end of the turn and being wide open for a direct attack from La Magra. There was no way around it. It had to happen.

"Aki, I'm so sorry," he said, feeling as if a knife was twisting deep inside of him. He had let her down. He was allowing her to be hurt and he was powerless to stop it. "Aki, I'm…so sorry…" he whispered, guilty and heartbroken.

Aki tried to convey her acceptance and to sooth him through her eyes, No…no, Yusei, you did nothing wrong. Please, don't worry about me…I'm hurting you too. At that same millisecond the electric charge hit her. She screamed and her body was in a spasm. There was an unbearable strike of headache and the one second it lasted felt to her like a lifetime. And then everything went blank.

"Aki? Aki?" Yusei stretched his arm to her almost as if he could reach her. A piece of him was dying. He had to clench his eyes shut from horror and to do everything in his power to halt a flow of tears. He couldn't see the Familiar Knight charging at him with its weapon drawn…and he couldn't bring himself to care about it.

And then something suddenly happened.

The pain was so immediate and so fierce that Yusei was incapable of registering it at first. His eyes snapped open and his next breath was a sharp intake and his throat suddenly clogged up. What happened…was it happening to him?

He saw the sinister Familiar Knight standing obscenely close to him. The monster was real. It materialized…and it attacked him…directly.

Eyes wide, Yusei dazedly looked down and saw the handle of the sword sticking out of his stomach. But…where is…the blade… he wondered numbly.

The materialized Solid Vision of the Familiar Knight flickered and the monster rapidly pulled out its blood-stained sword. The swift movement swayed Yusei and brought him such severe agony that his vision turned red.

The monster retreated to Mahdi's side of the field. Mahdi, meanwhile, was saying something to him...something unintelligible...his voice didn't carry...everything seemed so far away...so impossibly far away...

Yusei crumbled to his knees, shakily embracing his bleeding abdomen, while everything before his eyes began dissolving into darkness.

Yeah...I feel really bad for both Aki and Yusei. Won't say anything more, it kind of depresses me.

Three more chapters until the end of Part I!

I hope you keep reading this story!