Author's Note:
This is Chapter 21 of "The Kingdom [Be]Comes".
So it has been almost two months since I last updated…and I apologize. This wasn't an easy chapter to write with everything happening and I wanted to reveal so much that I realized that it wasn't doable about half way through. So I had to start all over again. It was also close to exam period and everything was due at the same time and I was really struggling.
But finally it's here and it's quite long. It's still kind of depressing and dark but there is now a light at the end of the tunnel.
I hope you like this chapter and that you haven't given up on this story. In case you no longer remember what this story was about: it's about card games. I hope that clears up any confusion…
As always, thank you so much for reading and for all of your amazing reviews and questions. They make me so happy :)
Enjoy reading!
NineInchNailed.
PS: Also, Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's unfortunately ended but it was an amazing ride. I will truly miss these series which I found to be on par and, in some ways, better than the original. And the unforgettable characters of 5D's are sure to live on in the fans' hearts. We will fondly remember them and creatively expand on the fantastic universe with any artistic medium: be it parodies, music videos, art, music, or fanfictions :)
And I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone but the Aki and Yusei ending made me both happy and sad. I'm sure those who have seen it know what I mean.
Goodbye Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's and thank you for everything!
"I assess the power of a will by how much resistance, pain, torture it endures and knows how to turn to its advantage."
~Friedrich Nietzsche
Yusei couldn't breathe.
Sharp paralyzing pain spread all across his midsection. Fighting to stay conscious he gasped for air but it was as if he was in oxygen-less atmosphere. "Aki," Yusei tried to speak but words didn't come out. He tried again, wheezed against a slimy knot in his throat, and then with immense struggle managed to draw in a deep shuddering breath.
A cough erupted from him, forcing viscous fluid into his mouth. Yusei collapsed on the ground, squeezing his eyes shut as with each struggling cough his diaphragm contracted, magnifying pain into pure agony.
Mahdi gloomily observed the scene before he let out a heavy sigh. "I end my turn."
[Mahdi]
[End of Turn Three: La Magra (Lvl.9) ATK3000/DEF3000 in Attack mode; Familiar Knight (Lvl.3) ATK200 (Equipped with Shooting Star Bow)/DEF1400 in Attack mode; 0 Facedown cards; 0 Cards in hand; LP1850]
Mahdi walked over to comatose Aki and peeled the adhesive tape from her mouth. "No more sleeping," he said as he gently tapped her face until she stirred.
At first Aki couldn't understand what was happening. She was completely disoriented and felt like her brain had been scrambled. But then slowly it all started coming back. She blinked rapidly and Mahdi's face finally came into focus. He was staring at her and his expression was a disturbing mix of amusement and sadness.
"Good morning," he greeted cheerfully.
Aki flinched, remembering. Yusei…where is Yusei…she tried to move her head and look over Mahdi's shoulder as he was completely blocking her field of vision. She remembered that Yusei had to receive direct damage and that she was forced to materialize it again. She hoped he was okay and that she didn't end up hurting him too much.
"I'm giving you a permission to talk now," Mahdi said and Aki realized that her lips were free. She instantly opened her mouth to shower him with the foulest of things when he suddenly moved out of her way.
What Aki saw then was the most horrible thing she had ever laid her eyes on.
Yusei was lying face down on the ground in the pool of his own blood. He wasn't moving.
Aki paled. For a few moments she was paralyzed with horror. And then she let out a heartwrenching scream, feeling like her soul had just been ripped out. "YUSEI, NO!" she cried hysterically, writhing against her binds, "Yusei, no! No! Oh god, oh god, oh my god-"
Mahdi smacked his hand over her mouth to quiet her but she continued screaming against his vile flesh, twisting as inconsolable sobs convulsed through her body.
"Maybe I removed the tape too soon," Mahdi remarked coldly, "Aren't you proud of what you've done? It's all your fault." With that he turned, grabbed the roll of sticky tape that he used on her, and began walking towards the bleeding Signer.
Yusei slowly opened his eyes and panted as his vision swam: perspective stretched as if someone was playing with a focus on an old camera. He watched as dark liquid gradually spread out on the ground. It seemed to be coming from underneath him. It looked like motor oil. It was funny…why was he lying in motor oil? I must have slipped and fell, Yusei reasoned, I must be more careful next time…
And then he heard screaming. It was from far away…so far away…but then it became louder. And louder. Yusei's faded eyes widened as he suddenly recognized that voice. Aki!
The duel wasn't over.
Time was running out.
He had to stand up.
Yusei tried to move his limbs but his whole body felt heavy and sluggish. Get up, he thought, gritting his teeth, Get up! His hands formed into fists and, busting his knuckles under his weight, he began pushing himself up. His muscles tensed and Yusei gasped when his stomach burst with throbbing pain the likes of which he hazily seemed to recall. He tried getting his legs under him but managed to make it only to his knees. When his eyes finally adjusted and colour resolved, Yusei scanned about himself and realized that the growing puddle around him wasn't motor oil. It was blood. His blood. And it was everywhere.
"Yusei!" Aki screamed. Tears streamed down her face. He wasn't dead, he was still alive…thank heavens he was still alive…but he was terribly injured. Aki shook with anguish. She…did this to him.
Yusei turned his head in the direction of Aki's voice but he could only see an indistinct red shape. That was when the truth finally seized him: Mahdi stabbed him. He chose a monster that, with Aki's materialization, could inflict such physical damage versus attacks that only knocked him down. With a shaking hand Yusei wiped at his mouth, noticing that he also coughed up some blood and that it was what prevented him from breathing earlier. The salty copper flavour of it was the only thing he could taste now. Yusei looked down and with shock caught the sight of the torn flesh on the right side of his abdomen. The blood was gashing out and he quickly applied pressure on the wound with his gloved hands. He then remembered that the sword appeared to have gone through…and touched his lower back, finding the exit wound.
"What are we going to do now, Osiris?" Mahdi's chilling low voice startled him and Yusei looked up to see a shadow standing over him. Yusei had to focus his eyes against the blur before he could see the white-haired man.
Mahdi crouched and his black eyes traveled to the injury he had created. "You made me do this," he sighed, "You wouldn't listen to me and now you're dying and we can't continue our duel."
"Go t-" Yusei tried to say. He was alarmed when he heard the sound of his voice. It was so strange and feeble…it was as if it wasn't his own. Yusei swallowed and attempted again. "Go to hell," he finally managed. He never normally said petty things like this but he couldn't think straight. He was at his ends.
"Here," Mahdi said gently and brought out the roll of sticky tape, "You can bind your wounds with this. It'll keep the blood in, bacteria out, and buy you some time before we get you to the hospital."
Yusei blinked through the haze and gaped at his enemy. He was floating in and out of foggy consciousness, delirious with pain, and still found this to be unbelievable. He now had to chase away his newly formed and bizarre image of Mahdi as a batterer being apologetic for his abuse, a typical symptom of contrition which usually involved victim blaming. The whole situation just kept getting more and more psychotic.
Aki, meanwhile, forcefully calmed herself. Being hysterical would do nothing to help Yusei and would only hinder any attempts. She fervently began thinking of what to do. If Mahdi had left the knife behind…but no, he carried it with him at all times. She tried finding a sharp edge on the arm rest so she could loosen the ropes, but there was no use. There were still her powers, however, but she felt frightened of their potential after what she did to Yusei. But I was able to heal once, she remembered the one time some good came of them, I have to try it again. But…how? It happened during hers and Crow's duel with Sherry on the Arc Cradle but it was entirely accidental and inexplicable. It were also really minor wounds. Restraining her tears, Aki concentrated on Yusei's crippled figure, pleading for him to get better and for his injuries to go away. Somehow…please, she agonized, Somehow…anyhow!
Mahdi ripped off a large portion of the adhesive tape. "Here, I'll help you," he softly suggested to Yusei and leaned towards him.
"Don't…touch me," Yusei hissed and, gathering the remains of his rapidly deteriorating strength, smacked his hand away.
Mahdi froze and regarded him with scorn. "I'm just trying to help," he defended himself, "Don't you understand? I-" he suddenly stopped talking and fixated his gaze on the Signer's neck. "…What's this?"
Yusei followed Mahdi's stare but was unable to piece things together. He shut his eyes and held them closed for a long moment. The fog in his head was becoming worse…Yusei involuntarily wondered if he could lay his head down and go to sleep. Just a nap…for a few short minutes…
"This…" Mahdi whispered in bewilderment, "Why do you have this?" He reached and flicked his fingers against the Eye of Horus pendant. It was Aki's birthday present. It's an ancient symbol of protection…and since you usually find yourself in trouble I thought this would be something useful, Aki's voice suddenly swam out in Yusei's head.
Yusei pried his eyes open to see the image of Mahdi's surprised face.
"Why?" the Signer asked.
Mahdi's mouth opened and he just gaped at him, abruptly ecstatic. "This explains it!"
Before Yusei could form a sentence, in a swift movement Mahdi suddenly reached out and grabbed his throat in a tight grip. Instantly Yusei retaliated by swinging a fist at his ribs but he missed: not only did Mahdi's long limbs give him a far reach but Yusei's strength was diminishing so quickly that the action alone left him breathless and even more lightheaded.
"STOP IT, LET HIM GO!" Aki cried out, desperately trying to break free from her binds. Heal! Heal! Why is nothing happening? Why isn't it working?
Mahdi completely ignored her. "It's your eyes," he told Yusei as he attentively studied him within his reach, "They're a give-away. They reveal exactly who you are. I've been looking for you far and wide. I've done so much to find you. And even when you've come to me by yourself and pranced right in front of me, I still didn't see you… And now I finally know why."
"Psychotic episodes…tend to impair judgment," Yusei offered his explanation while his eyes scanned the area about him. Maybe he could find a piece of metal or some rock to hit this psychopath with instead.
Mahdi grinned wide and suddenly leaned forward and close. Obscenely close. That was when Yusei realized in panic, He's going to kiss me.
But he didn't. Instead Mahdi chuckled at his reaction and, looking over him up-close, whispered, "No…it's the Eye of Horus. You've been wearing it all this time and it hid you from me. And I probably would never have found you had your girlfriend not have fucked up."
Yusei attempted to push Mahdi away and threw punches at him. But even though his enemy looked almost like a skeleton it was like hitting a brick wall. And, if anything, that seemed to entertain the white-haired man even more. Ultimately, Yusei settled on returning his hands to put the necessary pressure to his injury and turning his head away as far as Mahdi's hold permitted him. He felt disgusted by the proximity. "Keep Aki…out of this…" Yusei answered, taking ragged breaths, and feeling completely drained.
"So noble and selfless," Mahdi responded and closed his eyes, leaning to his ear. As he inhaled deeply Yusei realized that he was actually sniffing him. "I'm so…drawn to you, Osiris," he whispered, "Opposites attract. You and I are the perfect example of this. I've never felt this way about…anything before."
Hairs stood in the back of Yusei's neck. He felt revulsion in every fibre of his being. "Let go of me," he demanded, with effort conveying his voice as steady and clear, "You sicken me. I want nothing…to do with you."
Mahdi sighed and drew back. As the cobalt blue eyes met the black, Mahdi scowled and suddenly began squeezing Yusei's throat. He was shockingly strong for his scrawny-looking frame. "I'm trying to give meaning to your life. And, frankly, I'm more than tired of you denying me."
Yusei's face contorted with pain and black spots started swimming in front of his eyes. Don't lose consciousness, don't…you can't, he kept telling himself.
"How can you do this?" Mahdi asked while nonchalantly strangling him with one hand, and his tone was almost pleading, "And why? Why?"
Yusei wasn't capable of answering, only struggling to breathe and to keep himself from passing out.
"Mahdi, stop it! Please, let him go!" Aki begged, "Stop hurting him!" If only she could break free, if only she could restore Yusei's health, if only she could turn back time and make it so none of this had happened... But there was a way. Instead of trying to heal Yusei, she could have been trying to materialize a monster outside of a duel. Maybe she could make Familiar Knight attack Mahdi. If there is no good left in me, Aki rationalized, then I have to use my malevolent power and try making the good out of it.
"I'm not hurting him," Mahdi finally acknowledged her, "He's hurting himself. He's being stubborn." He then turned his head to her without loosening his inhuman grip and noticed the psychic duelist's expression. "What? What, are you going to try materializing a monster to attack me? What, you think I haven't thought of that? That I forgot you can do that?"
Aki winced at his deduction but was forced herself to remain calm. He could be lying. I can't let this chance pass. I have to help Yusei! She hurriedly tuned her attention to Familiar Knight and concentrated, ordering the monster to materialize and to attack Mahdi.
Mahdi sighed and observed her with a tired expression.
A millisecond passed before another electrical charge hit her and Aki cried out. This time the pain was cosmic and it felt like her head had been split open. Her body convulsed until it couldn't tolerate another assault and she blacked out. And Yusei could barely even register what was happening to her, only convinced that this was it. It was the end. He was going to suffocate now and the last thing he'd see would be those loathsome black eyes, and last thing he'd hear would be Aki's terrified screaming. There was nothing worse than this.
"Negative reinforcement!" Mahdi exclaimed, "I punish you both if you don't do as I ask. How hard is it to understand? Why is nobody listening to me?" He faced Yusei and, after a long moment of deliberation, released him and stood up to his feet.
Yusei fell forward to the ground and, keeping his weight on his hands, began coughing violently.
Mahdi watched him with disappointment clearly reflected on his features. "I didn't want to hurt you," he said, "But you've left me with no choice. And if you want to ease yours and hers suffering then maybe you should listen to what I have to say."
Yusei couldn't respond. Each cough was a spasm and caused such indescribable pain that he stopped moving altogether and could barely take in a single breath. At this point there was only darkness and Mahdi's words were only incomprehensible sounds.
Mahdi studied the blood spreading on the ground and shook his head. "You have ten minutes left, Osiris. At most," he estimated, "I have something to discuss with you and then, pending your decision, I'll get you to the hospital. If you waste my time or don't agree to my conditions then you'll die. Simple enough?"
Coughing finally seized torturing him and shallow breaths began getting into his lungs. With pain lulling him into complete oblivion, Yusei forced himself to drift out of brief unconsciousness. Come back…he thought, Come back. Still gasping for air, he numbly became aware of sensations returning to his body. He felt like he was floating. His head was spinning intensely. He had to keep his eyes closed to prevent nausea from welling up in him and making him gag. The agony of that action would be too much to handle. This…happened to you before…Yusei thought dazedly, Similar…to fight against…Dark Signer Kiryu.
"Here, do yourself a favour," Mahdi said and threw a roll of adhesive tape at Yusei's face, "Bind yourself and try to stay awake. And listen to me very carefully."
You've felt this pain before…after duel with Kiryu…Yusei's inner voice surfaced once more, Now you can…resist it… he slowly opened his eyes and compelled himself not to close them again. Because with every time he'd close his eyes there was a bigger chance of him never opening them again. Time is running out. He slowly began trying to get up again. Pain is only in your head. Your mind is the best painkiller, he gathered all of his remaining strength with which he pushed himself up and succeeded on sitting up on his knees.
Mahdi observed him with pity before turning and casually beginning to walk back to his side of the field. "Let me first tell you about the Eye of Horus you're so miraculously wearing," he started, "It is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection. Its patron was Horus and he protected the people of Egypt from Set."
The sickening taste of copper returned and Yusei wiped at the blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. Then cradling one arm across the open wound, he clutched to the sticky tape Mahdi so graciously gave him, and tried analyzing the situation. What's the worst case scenario, he was trying to determine, That the damage is to my liver. But it's possible that the blade missed it and just went through…what is the probability of that…? But that didn't matter because he was still bleeding out and he had to act fast: by that point his shirt was soaked through and sticking to him. He lifted it and with increasingly shaking hands bandaged the tape all around his midsection. Additionally, he began taking in very slow, controlled and deep breaths instead of instinctual shallow ones in order not to hyperventilate. Hyperventilation only caused panic and thus rapid blood flow, something he had to avoid.
Mahdi went on, "Horus was an offspring of Isis and Osiris, by the way. He dedicated his whole life to avenging his father's...yours...death." With that he let out a laugh.
For some reason the only thing that lingered in Yusei's mind from Mahdi's story was the sentimentality behind the Eye of Horus. Aki's gift made me invisible to him, Yusei faintly touched the pendant he wore around his neck since his 20th birthday, She protected me. And then, feeling the outline of the Eye of Horus under his fingers, Yusei suddenly felt like the light came on in his head. He felt wide awake. It was almost as if feeling something so tangible and symbolic, something that connected him to Aki, empowered him. This is tolerable compared to Kyriu's duel, Yusei reasoned, At least this time I wasn't thrown off the D-Wheel at over 100 kilometres an hour. And the circumstances were so different: this time his fear was for Aki, not of Kiryu or, respectively, Mahdi.
Mahdi stopped on his side of the field and turned to his wounded opponent with a sweet smile. "This is no longer within range of plausible coincidence," he said, "Whether you like it or not, this is your destiny and it's been saturated in everything in your life. Especially you know what else? The Eye of Horus also represents power. Royal power, to be exact. Egyptians wore this symbol so they could be awarded with royal power from the deities."
"Any 'royal power' you speak of..." Yusei started, guessing that it was a take on his title as the current King of Games, "Was not given to me. I fought for it." His voice was clear and firm, no longer just a faint impression. He directed his attention to his now bloodstained deck of cards and caught a sight of the still glowing Crimson Dragon mark on his forearm.
Mahdi shrugged. "Because of who you are the scales were tipped in your favour," he answered, "You were given possibilities denied to others. Couldn't be just your luck, could it? You were always pretty special, no? Things happened to you that never happened to others. And why? Because it was the will of the gods."
"I agree."
Mahdi blinked and stared at Yusei with surprise.
"I agree, it couldn't be just luck," Yusei said, looking up from the red birthmark, "Because it was never luck. Every miracle that happened…it happened because of the bonds between my friends and I."
Mahdi pressed his palms against his temples, almost as if to prevent his head from exploding. "Not…again…" he mumbled, "STOP THAT. Don't make me hurt you again!"
Yusei's clenched his teeth. He's had about enough of being threatened by this unbalanced freak. He still had strength left. He could still fight. Concentrating, he began struggling to his feet. He only had twenty minutes remaining from Jack's offer. And then Mahdi gave him ten minutes…but because he temporarily stopped the blood flow, Yusei rounded that number to Jack's. He hoped that Mahdi's estimation was true rather than gracious. But now he had to finish this duel in under twenty minutes to save Aki. Because after twenty minutes…it would be all over.
At that time Aki came to her senses and whimpered from the horrific headache that blinded her. It never went away now. She was being drained so much that, with each time, it felt like a part of her soul was skinned.
Breathing heavily Yusei managed to stand up and, as the world swirled around him, he swayed but planted his feet firmly to maintain his balance. Fighting off nausea, he focused his eyes on Mahdi and noticed that Aki regained her consciousness. "Aki!" he called out to her and was relieved that his voice completely stopped sounding like mush.
Mahdi regarded the red-haired Signer for a few seconds, "Did you like that? That was 300 Volts. Seems like a steep jump from 100 but you needed to be taught a lesson. So you want to try your tricks again? If you do I'll double the 300 and if you're not a vegetable after…then it'll be a miracle. But hey, all of you believe in miracles so who knows, maybe your friendship will save you!" With that he laughed and turned to mock Yusei's beliefs and noticed only then that he was standing up. Not very steadily but standing nonetheless. Mahdi frowned and worriedly asked, "WHAT are you doing?"
But Aki couldn't bring herself to listen to Mahdi. Instead, she couldn't peel her eyes off Yusei. Her eyes filled with tears as she took in his image. He was slouched and shaking, his face was pale, and blood…it stained his clothing like a horrible Rorschach blot… there was a trail of it where he stood and moved…and there were red smudges on his forehead and next to his lips. "Yusei…dear god…"
Yusei tried to smile. "Aki, it's…nothing, I'm okay," he tried to comfort her, "And…are you?"
"No, he's not okay," Mahdi interrupted their conversation, "Unless he trusts me he's going to die in a couple of minutes."
Aki's eyes widened and there was nothing she could do now to stop the tears from escaping. A couple of minutes…in a couple of minutes Yusei is going to die…he's going to die…she was thinking over and over again with distress. And she couldn't do anything to save him.
"Aki, don't listen-"
"No, do listen to me," Mahdi growled, "This is very important. I'm sure the two of you know mine and Osiris' famous story. Just a reminder: once upon a time, Osiris was a wise and powerful king like no other, and a bringer of civilizations. But then something happened and he mostly became identified as the god of Death and Afterlife. That something was Set killing Osiris because he wanted what he had," Mahdi gave Yusei a long look and smiled slowly, "So eons ago, I killed and dismembered you."
Yusei was certain that Mahdi was saying this to intimidate him but it wasn't going to work.
"So as you can see history is repeating itself," Mahdi remarked and gestured at him to make a point, "You and I are destined to fight. And, as you remember from the story, I get to kill you. Boohoo, how sad."
It's a colourful story, Yusei thought, But even if that did happen before doesn't mean it's happening again. He sure as hell wasn't going to throw in the towel and die just because it happened in some legend. He refrained from commenting.
When he didn't hear any responses Mahdi went on, "So here is the main reason you're here, Osiris. This is a reason I tried to find you. The reason why I created the seal, La Magra, killed a few people along the way, and kidnapped your girlfriend: I want us to strike a deal."
"What makes you think," Yusei began, "That I'd want to make any deal with a lunatic like you?"
"How about your death?" Mahdi suggested, "Is that an incentive enough for you?"
Aki flinched and bit down on her bottom lip to prevent herself from wailing outloud at Mahdi's horrible prediction.
Death, Yusei repeated in his head for good measure. For some reason that didn't faze him as much as the idea of being unable to finish the duel and leaving Aki in the hands of a murderous psychopath. Am I not afraid to die…? And then, despite the fact that he was trying to resist it for so long, Yusei closed his eyes. The painless and soothing sensation of floating began clouding his mind again. He never wanted that sensation to end.
"What happened between us millenniums ago is happening again," Mahdi said, "We are fighting and, as you can see, I am winning. You're going to die unless you and I make a deal."
Mahdi's voice came to him like an echo and Yusei pried his eyes open. He had to stop submitting to exhaustion. "What...deal...?" he asked, focusing his vision on his vile opponent.
Mahdi relaxed. His expression softened and he was pleased with the fact that his opponent finally seemed interested in him. "You and I need to agree on mutualism," he answered, "We can stabilize the Great Balance without one eliminating the other. We can escape this fight."
"So…after everything you've done…" Yusei began with disbelief and with sublime dark amusement, "You want a truce?"
Mahdi narrowed his eyes. "Every single thing I've done…I've done it for this purpose," he said, "I was the one that triggered your awakening, Osiris."
Yusei's eyes widened. His inheritance of Sky Dragon...him being branded with the mark of Osiris…all this was Mahdi's doing? It couldn't be. What was Yugi Mutou's role in this then? What was going on?
Mahdi noticed the look that came upon his face and smirked. "So I take it you got your God card around the same time I started the sacrificial duels? That's because the evil of them skewed the Balance: which I did on purpose of course. When the scales tipped, you were awakened."
"But why now?" Yusei asked, needing to put together a timeline, "Why did you start all of this now? Why not years ago? Why not later?"
"Mmm?" Mahdi hummed, "Because I didn't know who I really was until quite recently. Two years ago, to be exact. And then all this preparation and La Magra…it took time. The city was in Chaos as it was with the Dark Signers and Z-ONE battles. And it's been peaceful for the past 7 months. Striking now was a good time."
Yusei knew that there was no way it was just a coincidence. He long before established that there was a relation between the God card and the sacrificial duels but the fact that it all just happened on the day of his 20th birthday? Mahdi either wasn't telling them something on purpose or he himself was oblivious to the fact. For a countless time Yusei thought how necessary it was to find Yugi Mutou. "Then what happened two years ago?" he asked, "How did you awaken then? Who awakened you?"
Mahdi's gaze held him for a long moment before his smirk took on an enigmatic quality. "I think you could say…that I had some help."
Yusei frowned.
"You think you're the only one who had help in this?" Mahdi continued beaming at him, "You might have had your own card already made but I had some advantages as well. It's only fair, don't you think?"
"Help?" Aki hesitantly intervened into their conversation, "Advantages? Is that how you seem to know everything, Mahdi? Is that why you know all of this and yet we don't?"
Mahdi turned to looked upon her and Aki steadily held his gaze. "Basically," he agreed, "I would have figured it all out eventually just as you would have: since childhood I had suspected…things. But the process was quickened. I was given a crash course on this. And now I'm giving both of you one."
"Who was it?" Yusei demanded, not liking this abrupt ambiguousness, "Does it have something to do with that Free Duellists' Association you're with?"
"That doesn't matter," Mahdi avoided the question suddenly. It was very unlike him, considering he craved to tell them everything. "What matters to me is that it's you, Osiris, standing in front of me and no one else. It could have been anyone else. Hell…it could have been the Pharaoh again." Whether he was aware of it or not, his last words came out with certain bitterness.
Yusei and Aki exchanged a quick look, both connecting that random slip with the story of Atem and Yugi Mutou.
"But it wasn't. It was you. You. You who were always my cosmic and archetypical antithesis," Mahdi smiled. "Now, you obviously weren't born yesterday nor did you fall out of the sky two weeks ago – that's because for as long as I'd live in this Realm, so would you, Osiris. You're here in a chance that I ever threw off the Balance. You're my opposite that exists as a safety net. If I never did too much evil and threw off the cosmic Balance then you'd have remained a sleeper. But, naturally, I woke you up on purpose: now I want us to make a deal so both of us can outwit this stupid existential crap."
"Why do you want to make this deal?" Yusei asked, "You're winning now. Why do you care? You could kill me now and get rid of me." It wasn't as if it he was about to lie down and take it but this was a question of value.
Aki felt her heart sink listening to those words. "Yusei…" she whispered.
"Because I don't want you to die," Mahdi responded gently, "I like you. I…really like you."
What, it doesn't go beyond his apparent crush on me? Yusei wondered. He shivered from revulsion. And then when the shivering didn't stop, he realized just how freezing it was. He was drenched in cold sweat. He was growing weaker faster than he hoped.
"I like you…but that's not all there is to it," Mahdi looked away, "If I kill you then others will come after you – the Balance is already skewed for Evil so more Good will be sent to strike it back to 50:50. There would always be others. And if you somehow get rid of me then others will come after me. The fight will never be over. You will never get the peace that our deal could provide."
"You're trying to trick the universal order, Set?" Yusei inquired.
"I'm trying to create a perfect world for you and I!" Mahdi interrupted and opened his arms as if anticipating a hug, "Where there is no surge of evil or good. Where everything is in perfect balance, where you and I perfectly coexist! Where for every evil deed I do you do a good one. Imagine: no more wars or cataclysmic events in this city. No more massive economy-draining restorations. For as long as you and I are in this together, there will be…equality. There will not be too much evil or too much good. There will be perfect mutualism! And I want this deal to be with you, my perfect antithesis, and not anyone else."
Yusei studied his opponent. With each moment that passed he appeared creepier and more and more psychotic. His eyes were wide, his mouth was agape, he flung his skeletal arms around with excitement, and even his hair was in disarray after all the nervous clutching and twitching. If Yusei didn't feel such loathing for this dangerous monster he might have felt pangs of fright. "And how do you think that would work?" he asked.
Mahdi looked so happy. "I stop the sacrificial duels immediately, of course," he instantly replied, obviously having thought this through, "No more deaths for this cause. I give you and the city the months necessary to recover. And after, we work together in maintaining a perfect balance of both good and evil. You and I…the perfect companions…"
Yusei looked away. The idea of cooperating with a madman who possessed some discreet sexual urges for him was definitely not something he'd ever think of doing. While Mahdi's idea did hold some very basic and simplistic value – that of preventing mass-scale catastrophes – Yusei didn't think that it was possible. After all, Mahdi was pure and unsaturated evil and he had to be stopped. He could not be reasoned with or cooperated with.
Yusei touched his hand to his forehead, trying to bring himself out of the fog that began spreading before his eyes, and suddenly swayed. He hurriedly stabilized himself and, numbing his panic, checked the time. Thirteen minutes left. This discussion took up way too much precious time.
At that point Mahdi dug a mobile phone out of his pockets and waved it at him. "Is that agreement?" he asked, "Not much time left. If you say yes, I break the seal and call the ambulance immediately. The damn thing turned out to be a no reception zone."
"Yusei…" Aki whispered. Her heart bled as she watched him. He was noticeably becoming worse and she didn't know how he managed to keep standing. She thought that he needed to agree to Mahdi's deal. It was a terrible condition and there were probably hidden catches but it didn't matter now. He needed immediate medical attention.
Yusei fixed his fading eyes on Aki and found himself contemplating a possible settlement. "What about her? I agree to the deal and you let her go…correct?"
Aki winced and shook her head. "Yusei, don't!" she called out to him. She tried to smile and to sooth him, "Don't worry about me, please. You're the one that needs help. I…it doesn't matter."
Yusei heard her but now he concentrated only on Mahdi.
Mahdi was silent for a long moment. Every single second that was wasted felt to Yusei like eternity. He fought to keep his eyes open.
"Yes, I promised I'd let her go," Mahdi finally said, "But...I won't. Not for awhile."
Aki's eyes widened but she instantly suppressed her fear. "Yusei, it's fine-"
That brought Yusei out of his stupor like a flash of lightning. "What do you want with her?" he asked.
"She and her power intrigue me," Mahdi answered, "And I think I'll keep her as a guarantee of you honouring our agreement. You will get her back should you do everything we decide on."
"Then it's no deal," Yusei said, blinking away the daze, "The duel…continues."
Mahdi's face hardened. "What's that?"
Aki gasped and could no longer take it. "Yusei, no!" she screamed to him, "Don't! Don't worry about me, I'll be fine! Please, you have to get to the hospital!"
"Yes, Yusei, stop," Mahdi mimicked her, "Maybe you should listen to your girlfriend. If you want to survive, that is. I've killed you once before, didn't I? Hint. Hint."
Yusei's locked his determined gaze on Aki. "Aki, I'm going to win this duel and you and I will leave together," he promised to her, "I'm not going anywhere without you. That's final."
"You're not thinking, Osiris," Mahdi remarked.
"I draw a card..." Yusei declared as he pulled a card out of his bloodstained deck.
[Yusei Fudo]
[Beginning of Turn Three: Stardust Dragon (Lvl.8) ATK3300/DEF2000 in Attack Mode; 1 Face down Card; 2 Cards in hand; LP2300]
"Yusei, no…" Aki shook her head while inconsolable tears stung her eyes, "No…no…no…" How could he do this? How could he put her before himself after what she did to him?
"Even if you win – which is impossible – what makes you think I'll let the two of you go now?" Mahdi asked with amusement.
"Because after I'm done you will be in no condition to argue otherwise," Yusei answered simply. He was trying not to hear Aki's tormented moans but they still painfully ingrained themselves in his heart. How could you not understand why I'm doing this? he thought.
Mahdi scowled. And then, with a mix of sadness and anger reflecting in his voice, he said, "So you have chosen…death."
"No, I have chosen to fight," Yusei deflected while studying his two cards. The situation wasn't looking too well. He had to lose Stardust Dragon right now due to Hyper Synchron's effect. But he could turn it to his advantage.
Mahdi made a crooked smile. "Fight…? You can't fight. You're bleeding like a stuck pig. I'm surprised you're conscious. I'm impressed, actually."
"I activate my Magic card, Advance Draw," Yusei ignored him and gestured to Stardust, "I can release my one Level 8 monster to draw 2 cards."
"It won't save you," Mahdi commented.
Yusei watched with regret at Stardust Dragon disappeared but he promised himself that he would bring it back. He drew the additional cards and saw that he still didn't have a monster to defend himself with. But instead of beginning to worry he raised his eyes to Mahdi and suddenly got an idea.
"I place one card face down and end my turn," he calmly announced.
[Yusei Fudo]
[End of Turn Three: 0 Monsters; 2 Face down Cards; 2 Cards in hand; LP2300]
Yusei's decision brought Aki out of her crying mess and she gasped. "Yusei…!" Why didn't he play a monster to stand against Mahdi's two? Why didn't he attack him? Especially since Mahdi had no trap cards set?
Mahdi frowned. "What are you trying to pull?"
Yusei offered him a small smile which required inhuman effort on his behalf.
"Do you think you can just get by with no monsters?" Mahdi questioned with anger, "Are you treating this as a joke?"
Yusei said nothing.
"Then let it be," Mahdi looked away, "I draw a card."
[Mahdi]
[Beginning of Turn Four: La Magra (Lvl.9) ATK3000/DEF3000 in Attack mode; Familiar Knight (Lvl.3) ATK200 (Equipped with Shooting Star Bow)/DEF1400 in Attack mode; 0 Facedown cards; 1 Card in hand; LP1850]
Mahdi studied his newly drawn card with a frown. Then he smirked and looked at Yusei. "Maybe I should take my time with my turns," he said, "I need to assess my strategy and whatnot. I'm in no hurry whatsoever!"
"It doesn't matter," Yusei answered.
"What?" Mahdi raised his eyebrows.
"It doesn't matter," Yusei firmly repeated, "Because this duel will still end…with your defeat."
Aki took in a sharp intake of air. And then, despite her stomach-churning worry for Yusei, she actually realized that she believed in that prediction. She could only hope that it could happen as soon as possible.
Mahdi's eyes narrowed and he was no longer smiling. "You're bluffing," he determined, "You have nothing that could help you."
"Go on with your turn and find out," Yusei encouraged.
Mahdi hesitated.
Aki suddenly realized what Yusei was doing. Mahdi enjoyed a perception of control and liked having everything straightforward and predictable. But Yusei was going outside of his usual pattern right now and playing with him. She imagined that this could potentially freak out Mahdi a little.
"I…" Mahdi looked at the card in his hand, "I activate my own Magic card, Card of Demise. It lets me draw cards until I have 5 in my hand."
"Trap card open," Yusei activated one of his own face down cards, "Insightful Cards of Reversal. When you add cards to your hand outside of the Draw Phase…I get to draw cards equal to the number of cards in your hand."
"Hmm…" Mahdi observed him carefully.
Yusei drew in a deep breath and found that he couldn't fill his lungs completely. He had to draw in another short breath immediately and knew that he could no longer do much to keep himself from hyperventilating. And that severely amplified his dizziness and nausea. With a shaking hand Yusei drew the five cards to his hand. He had seven now. And as he looked at his new hand he felt a chill down his spine. The world had stopped.
He drew the Sky Dragon of Osiris.
As he studied the twisting and snarling Divine beast, Yusei almost laughed although he wouldn't permit himself the agony of it.
He didn't draw the means of bringing back Stardust Dragon. Or the means of bringing out Saviour Star Dragon. Oh no. Here he was, trying to prove that the only fate that mattered to him was the one connecting him with his friends…and he drew a monster that explicitly connected him to Mahdi. Yusei might have been delusional from pain but he still found this to be the most hilarious yet cruel twist of fate. He unfortunately never seized to believe that everything happened for a reason. This couldn't mean just nothing, right?
"Did you draw something you like?" Mahdi's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
Yusei answered nothing and just patiently met Mahdi's black eyes. He might have been feeling despaired but he wouldn't permit Mahdi to see a drop of it.
Mahdi waited for an answer and when he didn't get one he sighed. "Okay, let it be your way. I summon Makyura the Destructor in Attack Mode." A Level 4 monster with claws on its arms appeared. Its attack was at 1600 and defense at 1200.
Aki recognized the monster from her own duel with Mahdi. If destroyed it allowed Mahdi to activate a Magic card from his hand. Her heart clenched. She hoped he wouldn't pick one so horrible as either Meteor Flare or Hinotama. There was a chance that if she materialized them…then Yusei wouldn't be able to survive the deadly effects. Just imagining him being hit by a fireball horrified her. "Yusei, be careful with this monster," she pleaded.
Mahdi shot a look at her.
"Aki…it's okay," Yusei nodded to her, "I know this one's effect." Nonetheless, he felt a light touch of warmth in his otherwise bleak and ice-cold condition.
Mahdi studied him with a frown, as if trying to figure him out. He seemed not to know what he wanted to do even though he had three monsters in attack mode. "You have only one face down card remaining," he uttered an obvious observation.
"Your math is impressive," Yusei commented.
Mahdi glared at him with anger. He obviously did not like that tone of voice. "I have three monsters, Osiris," he said, "I could attack you directly with just La Magra and I would win. You don't seem to realize what you've gotten yourself into."
"Go for it," was Yusei's rebuttal.
"You can't have a trap that'd protect you from all my monsters!" Mahdi went on, his voice taking on some subtle hysterical notes, "There is no way! You're bluffing."
"Then attack me," Yusei said quite uncaringly.
Mahdi pursed his lips.
Aki worriedly looked from Mahdi to Yusei. She hoped that regardless of everything Yusei had a way of protecting himself.
Yusei felt his knees beginning to shake and directed his eyes to the ground, summoning any last of his strength to maintain his balance. Hurry up… he thought mentally. He was gasping for each breath now although he tried to do it in long intervals.
Nine minutes left.
"I…I place a card face down…and end my turn," Mahdi said quietly.
[Mahdi]
[End of Turn Four: La Magra (Lvl.9) ATK3000/DEF3000 in Attack mode; Familiar Knight (Lvl.3) ATK200 (Equipped with Shooting Star Bow)/DEF1400 in Attack mode; Makyura the Destructor (Lvl.4) ATK1600/DEF1200 in Attack mode; 1 Face down card; 3 Cards in hand; LP1850]
Aki's eyes widened. Mahdi passed…on his turn? He was afraid of what…Yusei had?
"I bet that wasn't in your plans, Osiris," Mahdi said.
On the contrary…you did exactly what I wanted, Yusei thought and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "It's my turn," he meditatively placed his bloody hand on the deck. Stardust Dragon…he thought, Give me something that could bring you back. He slowly drew a card from his deck and then automatically discarded two cards from his hand. By rules of the duel, the duelists were only allowed 6 cards in one hand at the beginning of their turn. Quite unfortunately.
[Yusei Fudo]
[Beginning of Turn Four: 0 Monsters; 1 Face down Card; 6 Cards in hand; LP2300]
Yusei felt like he had been hit with a blunt object.
He drew Card of Last Will, the trap card Jack gave him. The card that was tailored for Sky Dragon.
Why is this happening…Yusei didn't know what to do now. He could play weak monsters and wait to bring out Stardust…but he didn't have the luxury of time. Or…he could relent and summon Sky Dragon. But how could he? He wasn't lying earlier when he told Mahdi that he wanted nothing to do with him. That the destiny with Signers was what mattered to him. He did not want this destiny. He didn't want this connection to Mahdi. It wasn't what mattered…but why was everything showing him otherwise? Was he just wrong?
"So…you're going into overdrive," Mahdi said. He wiggled his cell phone. "Just one word and the duel is over. I have ambulance on speed dial, just so you know. You can still survive this."
Yusei felt hopelessness eloping him and had to fix his eyes on Aki. She was like the light at the end of this tunnel. She was the one that could help him through his despair. She could keep him in check.
"I…summon Junk Synchron in defence mode," Yusei announced, returning to the duel. He just had to do what he could now. One of his signature Tuner monsters made an appearance. It was a small cartoonish yellow robot, Level 3, and its attack was at 1300 and defence at 500.
"Junk Synchron special effect activates," Yusei continued, "When..." He suddenly paused. Again, he wiped away the cold perspiration from his forehead with his sleeve. "When…" he repeated weakly and squeezed his eyes shut. He…felt abruptly confused and couldn't remember what exactly he was trying to do. Especially with a combo he's done countless times before.
"Yusei…" Aki whispered, tears clouding her vision again. Again, she writhed against her binds, desperately trying to free herself.
"You were saying?" Mahdi urged him on while twirling the mobile phone between his spider-like white fingers.
Behind his eyelids Yusei once again felt the return of that wonderful airless sensation. Never before did he want to lie down and give in to sleep as much as now. But no. He couldn't. The addicting painless sensation was all in his head and he had to come back into harsh reality. Yusei forced his eyes open, rapidly blinking against the blur, and focused his vision on Junk Synchron. He knew this. It was simple. "When Junk Synchron is Summoned, it can special Summon one Level 2 or lower monster from the Graveyard. So I bring back…Speed Warrior," the card appeared out of the Graveyard and Yusei was about to play it when Mahdi interrupted with a chuckle.
"I won't let you waste my time with yet another Synchro combo. I activate Black Horn of Heaven!" he opened a trap card, "I can negate a Special Summon of one of your monsters and destroy it. So…put that card back into the Graveyard."
"Then I activate my own trap, Angel Lift," Yusei said and flipped up his trap, "I can Select one Level 2 or lower monster from my Graveyard and Summon it in attack mode." With that he played his faithful Speed Warrior whose attack was at 900 points and defence at 300 points.
Mahdi sighed wearily.
"And then, when there is a Tuner monster on my side of the field, I can Special Summon Bolt Hedgehog from my Graveyard," Yusei continued and a small Level 2 hamster appeared in defence mode, its attack and defence both at 800.
"Seven…?" Mahdi suddenly asked.
"What?" Yusei asked slowly. Voices carried to him more and more muffled and he couldn't catch on as quickly. He narrowed his eyes against Mahdi's increasingly blurry figure.
"The total level of these monsters is seven," Mahdi explained and smiled slowly, "Aww, you're spoiling me. You're not summoning that awful screeching dragon this time! No more bonds and friends talk I take?"
"Don't make…assumptions," Yusei managed. Mahdi was kind of correct but he wouldn't let him have the satisfaction.
"Oh I'm sorry," Mahdi continued smiling at him, "I was just trying to rush this being that your time has already ran out. You're running on adrenaline and you'll break any second. But I'm so generous…I'm still giving you a chance to reconsider. Just say yes."
"Yusei…please…" Aki said, "It's okay…" Please say yes, she thought, Stop it, don't worry about me! Please…or you're going to die!
Looking at his cards, Yusei realized that he no longer knew what to do. He didn't wish to summon the Sky Dragon of Osiris. He didn't want to believe that there was no other way. That there was no freedom of will. That his wholehearted insistence that the only destiny that mattered being the one you made – the one he made with his friends – was wrong.
Yusei checked the time and with regret decided that he could stall for a few minutes. Maybe he could find out more from Mahdi, find out a loophole that permitted him to summon the Sky Dragon without submitting to his opponent. Because…one way or another…when the time would be close to running out, he knew that he'd submit and play the God card rather than leave Aki at the mercy of this psychopath. "If you have…any chance of convincing me to take your deal…" he began, "Then you have to tell me more."
Aki gasped and felt a surge of relief wash over her. Was Yusei finally reconsidering his stance? Did he finally decide what was more important?
Mahdi's confident smile became saturated with uncertainty. "Tell you more…? Do you actually mean that?"
"If the three of us are truly Egyptian gods," Yusei started, summoning remaining rationality that wasn't clouded with pain, "Then shouldn't we have…some abilities? Is our power only confined to the cards?"
"In Hinduism, there is a concept of 'avatar' – a deliberate descent of a deity to a Human Realm, or an incarnation or manifestation. That's what we are," Mahdi explained, "And because of that we are not all-powerful omnipotent gods in this realm. We have flaws. Weaknesses. And only very limited and select 'special' abilities."
"Which are all confined to cards?" Yusei repeated the question. He was trying to find out why Mahdi and him had specialized identity cards and Aki didn't. Or why his was given to him and Mahdi's was self-made.
"No, not quite," Mahdi answered, "All Egyptian Gods represent certain ideals. Some of ideals representative of me are chaos, darkness, destruction… Those are in everything I am. It's in my actions, in my personality..."
"Some ideals, not all?" Yusei asked and this time his voice came out slurred. He realized it and it panicked him. He had to finish the duel…he had to do it soon. But why…why weren't the bonds with his friends strong this time? Why wasn't it enough?
"Yes, because we are only incarnations. We are human now. For one, traditionally Set also represents desert and storms…but I can't exactly personify that in this time and environment, can I?" Mahdi smiled and opened his arms, imitating an embrace.
"Convenient," Yusei commented, deciding to keep his responses short in order to hide his deteriorating state. Come on…tell me something inconsistent…
"Sometimes," Mahdi's smile faded a little, "Now, what did Osiris represent to ancient Egyptians? Wisdom, kinship, generosity, royalty… I'm not sure about wisdom since you've done some pretty stupid things so far. Also with kinship...you're a freaking orphan, so no. But I do hear you're pretty generous. And royalty since you're the ruling King of Games. What else? Osiris of course represented immortality and death. It's funny because you're on a verge of death now and if you die you'll just have a highway ticket back to the Celestial Realm. So checkpoint for immortality too." With that he laughed at his own analysis.
Yusei thought about how that seemed to present his life in a pretty consistent manner but nonetheless…it was still just basics. He wasn't a caricature. And it still explained nothing of Sky Dragon of Osiris. That mysterious dragon didn't seem like a representation of anything relating to him or to the virtues Mahdi painted of him. He hoped that perhaps it wasn't meant to be his after all, maybe there was a mistake and it branded him for no reason.
Aki watched Yusei and pleaded in her mind for him to hurry and to make that decision.
"Now you," Mahdi suddenly addressed Aki, turning to look at her, and she flinched, "Isis represented an ideal partner...which, sorry to say, you're not based on what you've done to Yusei," he snickered, "And also motherhood...but unless you managed to get knocked up already I don't think this applies to you either."
Aki had to turn away from his glare, feeling her stomach churn.
"But Isis' other domains were loyalty, nature and…" Mahdi smiled widely at her, "Magic. Hmm."
"Magic?" Aki repeated in a trance and her eyes widened. She was…a Black Rose Witch, possessor of awful but special powers. And nature? Her deck was always plant-based.
"Then Atum…" Mahdi smiled bitterly as he suddenly changed topics to somebody completely unrelated, "He's the almighty creator God. He had started the whole cycle. He is the first and the original. He was the one who thought of and conceptualized the Great Balance. Personally, I think he just got tired of doing all the work and decided to sit back and watch the world resolve itself without his help. He's such an egotistical douchebag. He came incarnated here a few times too but I'm sure he mostly did it for adventures and kicks and giggles. He didn't like me and what? He locked me up in a cage for millenniums while everybody else could come and go as they pleased. I finally got out..." he stared off vacantly into space.
The two Signers exchanged a perplexed look. Why did he mention somebody so obscure and who didn't really have to do with anything?
Yusei swallowed before attempting to speak. "What about…La Magra?" he asked, with effort articulating every word.
Mahdi blinked slowly. "What do you mean?"
"Aside from darkness…" Yusei nodded to Mahdi's ace monster, "How does it…relate to you?"
Mahdi glanced at the monster. "It's simple really," he finally spoke up, "For one, it does represent chaos. It creates chaos. But it has a very personal value to it rather than divine. I have a severe case of anemia, you see. Not a godly aspect in any way, of course. I have a significantly less than normal quantity of red blood cells. Why? Because…by making La Magra I ended up pouring myself into it. It sucked me dry. It is my strength and power in every way. After I made it I was in a coma for a month and diagnosed with ineffective hematopoiesis, meaning that my body simply no longer produces enough blood for me. All because I made it."
That's sick and twisted, Yusei thought. Perhaps the fact that – if it was truly his destiny – Sky Dragon already existed outside of him and drained a little of his blood per use was something to be grateful for.
And Aki thought how it explained why Mahdi was so sickly pale and why the few times he touched her it felt like touching ice.
Mahdi went on when neither of them commented. "So now, aside from daily iron supplements I have to take if I want to survive I have to undergo regular and painful blood transfusions. So that," he gestured at La Magra, "That is a perversion of what I am in this Realm. Humans are pathetic and weak sheep…and this body, this shell, is as sick and feeble as it gets. I hate how this incarnation turned out," he turned away with a disgusted expression on his face, "It's not fair but I just couldn't let myself be locked up in there any longer. And Atum let you two breeze by but, as always, spit on me."
Breeze by, Yusei thought, Perhaps. Taking in the powers of Sky Dragon wasn't very fun for him either but Mahdi's case truly made it seem like a walk in the park.
"So La Magra requires blood sacrifices to manifest and to appear," Mahdi continued explaining, "The seal is the only way with which it could appear. It sucks the blood of others in excess as a constant reminder of what I need but can never have by myself. It makes me boil with hatred and envy."
"Why would you do such a thing to yourself?" Aki asked quietly, once again intervening in the discussion that largely left her out, "Why did you even have to make it? Why not just…be."
"Why?" Mahdi questioned, "Because if you don't have the power to show you have none. And now…to become stronger you have to face your weakness and only then will you be able to overcome it. You have to take power of your own fear and pain. La Magra might have ultimately signed my early death certificate but from now on I will never be in the background. I will always be remembered. And I am proud of what I've done. In a way, by making it I have overcome my weakness and I have become stronger. And power is what matters. By doing this I brought myself closer to the real me, the one that's not this pathetic human shell." With that he looked at his sickly pale arms.
Yusei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead again, feeling faint. So that might have explained Mahdi…as a masochist and a power-hungry narcissist. But that explained nothing of how the Sky Dragon related to him. Which of his 'godly' ideals was it a representation of or which of his personal qualities? It couldn't possibly relate to him…he had nothing in common with it. In addition to all that he inherited it, so how did the card-marker even know that it could be associated with him? He wrapped both of his arms around his midsection now and slouched even more to ease the pain.
"Wait," Aki hesitantly spoke up, "But…but earlier you said that my psychic power was the result of-" she stopped and quickly glanced at Yusei. She couldn't mention Momentum. "-result of that…mutation? That it's scientifically based… Then how can it also be related to me being an incarnation? And how does this explain other psychic duellists? I'm not the only one."
Yusei's glazed over eyes locked on Aki's blurry red shape. Without knowing it, she seemed to follow from his train of thoughts. She was also trying to figure out if there was a loophole in this logic. If there was a possibility for mistakes or for chance.
"And he isn't the first King of Games and nor am I the first villain," was Mahdi reply, "These things are not completely exclusive."
Not…completely…exclusive…Yusei gazed down at the Sky Dragon. Maybe that's what it is… he thought in a pained stupor, This doesn't rule my life…this isn't all I am. Maybe this is just…a stage…a separate destiny that needs to be completed.
"Doesn't it mean that there is nothing extraordinary about us?" Aki asked, not knowing that Yusei was thinking the same thing, "There is nothing…that warrants us being different. Maybe…maybe you're wrong."
Mahdi glanced at her with such anger that Aki felt fear. Yusei was who he was obsessed with. She hoped that he wouldn't hurt him just to get back at her.
"Another one in denial of her destiny, I see," Mahdi commented, uttering every word with poison.
"You said the reason this is all happening is because you wanted to make a deal with Yusei," Aki quickly answered, "Because you're the thesis and the antithesis. Then what does it make me? What is this destiny you claim of me now? What is your explanation for me being here?" She thought that maybe Yusei was right to deny this all along. There were some inconsistencies and it made it seem at times that Mahdi was grasping for the vague too much.
Yusei raised his eyes to Aki. She was…exactly correct. And she let him contain some of his strength by basically reading his mind and speaking out on his behalf.
Mahdi narrowed his eyes and was silent for a long moment. "I have to admit that you're a bit of an enigma to me, Izayoi Aki," he finally spoke up, "It's part of the reason why I'd like to keep you with me for awhile. …For scientific purposes, of course."
Aki almost gagged. "So you have no idea about me?" she asked, "You admit that you could be wrong?"
"I'm not wrong!" Mahdi suddenly snapped. "I know it's you. I recognize you! So I'm thinking that rather than having a separate destiny you're here to support him. I think that you're supposed to be his safety net," he finally said.
"What…?" Aki asked hesitantly, not quite understanding what he meant.
Mahdi thought for another moment before speaking up, slowly and not very enthusiastically. "What happened millenniums ago is that after Osiris' death Isis managed to save him," he said, "With her help he resurrected. And Egyptians hailed him the king of Afterlife and bestowed him with the highest of their virtues."
"So what you're saying is that you didn't actually manage to kill Osiris?" Aki interrupted, suddenly feeling empowered, "That he came back stronger than ever? That you failed?"
Mahdi clenched his teeth with fury but then suddenly relaxed. Then he smiled. "Okay, you win, Izayoi Aki," he said cheerfully, "It's true. It doesn't matter what happens because he'll still win. Even if he doesn't agree to my deal and dies, it won't matter! He'll just come back!"
Aki winced at his sarcasm-saturated proposition.
"What was I thinking…" Mahdi hummed, "In fact, you know what? Let's just wait for another half hour. Once he's dead you can work your magic to bring him back to life."
Half hour…Yusei thought and gave in to closing his eyes to stop the room from swimming, If only. It was a miracle he kept himself standing. No, not anymore.
His legs gave out and Yusei sunk on one knee. Taking in short ragged breaths, he fought the urge to lie down. Just to lie down…to sleep…just for a few minutes…or…maybe forever. He found himself analyzing that conclusion and understood that he didn't really care.
Aki noticed Yusei falling and screamed with worry, "Yusei!"
Mahdi turned and saw what happened. "Yes, that!" He exclaimed excitedly and pointed at the Signer's wounded form, looking at Aki with a victorious expression, "That, right there! Any second now and you can bring him back to life! Work your resurrection super powers, Izayoi Aki. I can't wait to see them!"
Aki's frightened scream and his Signer mark beginning to burn into his arm brought Yusei out of his melancholic thoughts. Don't, he thought to the Crimson Dragon, I still have…some time… I can still win this…don't call others to get here prematurely. With his plea the Signer mark stopped aching but just continued glowing with the dread of evil.
"Stop that…" Aki whispered while actually weeping now, "Stop that, Mahdi! Why are you doing this? He's going to die!" Inside she felt like she was suffocating. If Yusei were to die now she didn't know how she could possibly go on living with herself. After all, her powers did this to him. They were destructive and brought pain to anyone and anything. A single instance when she was able to heal was only a fluke. And here she was watching Yusei on a verge of his death and she could do nothing to help him. She was rotten. She was a monster.
"Oh, that's right, you don't," Mahdi sneered, ignoring Yusei completely now, "You were supposed to be his safety net and protect him from things like this but you ended up being his undoing."
"STOP THAT!" Aki screamed hysterically.
Summoning the last drops of his strength Yusei pried his eyes open and slowly shook his head to clear away the fog. "Aki…don't…listen to him…" he panted, trying to reach her. His hand clutched the duel cards. He had to continue and summon the Sky Dragon. There was no longer any time left. But it was okay, he decided. Finding out that this monster and this destiny weren't completely in control of his life gave him some peace. He just had to relent…and finish this.
Aki shut her eyes and sobbed freely.
"Aki…" Yusei tried to say but it came out as nothing more than an exhalation. Stop listening to him…it's not your fault…he's only trying to poison you. But she wasn't listening. She already shut her heart.
"That's right," Mahdi continued mocking, having gotten completely winded up, "You don't have the power to bring him back. The power you got in this incarnation is the power that kills him instead. Pretty ironic, actually. I like this twist of fate. It's hilarious."
Why this…why is this curse upon me? Why do I always have to hurt the ones I love? Why do I have to hurt Yusei, the only man that accepted me regardless of these vile powers? What did he do to deserve this punishment? Why does he have to be punished for being with me? Aki wanted to curl into a ball. If only she could take Yusei's place. If she could die to save him she would in a heartbeat. For one thousandth time she pleaded for him to heal…but as if. As if she could do something as pure and good like that.
"Enough…" Yusei whispered breathlessly.
Three minutes.
"Mmm?" Mahdi turned to look at him, "You said something? Sorry, you're going to have to speak up."
"I said…enough!" Yusei repeated with all the strength he could master and glared at Mahdi.
Use it as a means of protecting what you believe in, Yugi Mutou's words suddenly swam out in his head. In a daze, Yusei questioningly looked at the red God card in his hand.
"Oooh," Mahdi laughed at him, "What are you going to threaten me with now?"
…And the ones you love.
Yusei's faded eyes widened. That was it!
Feebly gesturing at his side of the duelling field, he began, "I…tribute my three monsters to…"
Mahdi took a small step back, startled. And then he beamed with excitement and shouted "Yes! Yes!"
"To Summon…a God," Yusei shakily placed the card on the duel disk and left a bloody smudge, "Take flight…Sky Dragon of Osiris…"
Mahdi was borderline squealing with glee now. It was quite unsettling.
Meanwhile, the sky above rambled with ear-shattering thunder. Strokes of lightning flashed outside and the windows of the warehouse trembled. The weakly held-up ceiling began creaking before there was a horrible sound as sheets of metal began breaking away, trying to make way for a colossal monster.
"Hey, watch it!" Mahdi suddenly exclaimed with worry, "You're breaking my place!"
Yusei slowly looked up at the dark storm clouds peaking through the holed roof and noticed the materializing gigantic tail of the Sky Dragon. I need your help…he thought in a haze and closed his eyes, Help me. Lend me your strength.
Please don't hurt him anymore, Aki begged as she looked to the dragon. Because every time Yusei summoned this beast it ended up hurting him.
Help me finish this…Yusei thought to the monster, feeling like he was falling and hopelessly fighting to stay conscious, And then I'll set you free.
That was when everything suddenly changed.
Yusei felt like a rush of wind passed through him. He found himself unconsciously drawing in a deep breath, something he had been unable to do for awhile now. But this time the air freely filled his lungs. Not a stab of pain with the motion. Yusei exhaled with relief and slowly opened his eyes. His previously rapid, scattering and dizzying heart slowed down and stabilized. And now, with each steady beat of his heart he felt power pumping through his veins. Unbelievable power…and he felt like he could do anything. No, he knew he could do anything. There was no pain, no nausea, no light-headedness, no exhaustion, nothing. He felt more alert than he ever did.
With astonishment he looked at the Sky Dragon of Osiris and then, with complete ease and new-found strength, effortlessly got up to his feet and stood up straight.
The ground trembled as the roof crumbled completely but not a piece of debris hit the three participants or any of the computer equipment because they were safely sealed in the vacuum that was the Sutekh Sacrificō seal. For once some good came of Mahdi's torturous methods. The now roofless warehouse of Shinjuku East could not be classified as anything else but ruins. After the Sky Dragon finished making its appearance there was simply no longer a comprehensible structure left in the building. The early but slightly gray morning sky illuminated them.
"I can't say I'm happy about you destroying my lab," Mahdi remarked with bitterness. But then his gaze lingered on the colossal snaking form of Sky Dragon which now heavily hung right behind its owner and he began smiling. "But…this is it! You and I! You're finally showing me your true power, Osiris!"
Aki was staring at Yusei's abruptly confident posture with shock. He didn't seem to be in any pain whatsoever. What did just happen? Did he…get healed somehow?
Yusei felt a strange sensation in his bicep but it was no longer the burning and stabbing pain. It actually felt warm and soothing. He pulled his jacket down from his left shoulder and saw the barbed mark of the Sky Dragon glowing light blue.
Blue…? He thought of nowhere and turned to look at the monstrous red beast next to him. For some reason Yusei knew that if he were to reach out that he would feel flesh. The monster was as real as him and it didn't need the effect of Aki's powers.
The dragon opened its cavernous double mouth and growled at him but it wasn't in any way threatening. On the contrary, it was almost as if it was acknowledging him. A countless electrical current sparked along the dragon's length and for the first time Yusei actually seriously acknowledged it as significant part of the monster's make-up. Electricity…? he thought with certain wonder.
"Well, go on! Attack me!" Mahdi was yelling at him ecstatically.
Yusei closed his eyes. He was never too fond of electricity, the dislike which mostly stemmed from its favourable use by the Neo-Domino Security. Whenever there was any opportunity they gladly used tazers against any Satellite residents. And Yusei got especially extra personal with it during his time in prison where they used it against him as a form of torture. And now…now the same thing was basically happening to Aki.
The comforting glow of the Sky Dragon mark spread and enveloped his figure in a radiant azure aura as Yusei suddenly understood.
He understood the relation.
He understood everything.
It was so simple, so obvious.
His eyes opened and locked Aki in their cobalt-blue reflection. Help me save her, he thought to the Sky Dragon, Can you short-circuit the machines?
The divine dragon let out a stream of hot breath and additional electric currents flashed all across its form. Mahdi's advanced computer equipment slash torture device began trembling with error messages popping up on every screen. There were some unhealthy electric sparks going off and Aki looked about herself worriedly. But then she caught a glance of Yusei's serene face and understood that there was nothing to be afraid of. Nonetheless, it was all absurdly confusing.
"Yusei…" Aki mumbled while staring at his suddenly healthy build and at some strange blue glow surrounding him. "Yusei, what's…happening?"
"Have to admit, you look all nice and fancy," Mahdi commented, noticeably perplexed by what just happened as well, "But I'm not sure what the point is though…" He didn't notice what was going on with the technology behind him, simply mesmerized by his opponent.
Yusei studied Aki silently and then his eyes moved to look at Mahdi.
The time was up.
"Well, doesn't matter. You've accepted your destiny…" Mahdi sighed dreamily, "Thank you…thank you."
"I'm holding four cards," Yusei said and brought up the fan of cards in his hand, "That means the Sky Dragon of Osiris has 4000 attack and defence points."
The Sky Dragon raised its head and let out a shattering roar.
Mahdi just laughed with glee, "So are you going to attack La Magra? It would still leave me with some Life Points. Or my weakest monster? But that would be quite cowardly of you to do… no?"
"I am finishing this," was Yusei's response and he gestured at Familiar Knight, "Sky Dragon, obliterate his monster." He did not care to waste any more time. And besides, it didn't matter. He knew that Mahdi was going to use La Magra's effect and buy himself another turn.
Mahdi sighed. "I'm disappointed," he mumbled. And then as the Sky Dragon opened its mouth and began forming an electric charge, he nodded to his ace monster, "But I will not lose. La Magra special effect activates! Once per turn, by paying 1500 Life Points, I can end the Battle Phase."
As Mahdi's Life Points deteriorated down to the low 350, Yusei calmly remarked, "You can't hide, Mahdi. I am finishing this. You only have one turn left now. Use it wisely."
Mahdi's smile depleted a little and his brows furrowed into a slight frown. "You're threatening me, really? I don't think you know what you're up against yet, Osiris!"
"One turn," Yusei repeated.
Mahdi's eyes narrowed. "We will see."
Yusei regarded the Card of Last Will in his hand. It was all so clear to him. This destiny. This power. The reason he inherited it. Everything. And you, Jack…thank you, he thought, For everything. "I place one card face down and end my turn," he declared and, as the hidden card appeared, the Sky Dragon's stats decreased. Its attack and defence were both at 3000 now.
[Yusei Fudo]
[End of Turn Four: Sky Dragon of Osiris (Lvl.10) ATK3000/DEF3000 in Attack mode; 1 Face down Card; 3 Cards in hand; LP2300]
Aki gasped. "Yusei!" Why would he sacrifice the Sky Dragon's power? Was the effect of that face down card so much more important?
"How foolish," Mahdi shook his head and drew his own card, "My turn!"
[Mahdi]
[Beginning of Turn Five: La Magra (Lvl.9) ATK3000/DEF3000 in Attack mode; Familiar Knight (Lvl.3) ATK200 (Equipped with Shooting Star Bow)/DEF1400 in Attack mode; Makyura the Destructor (Lvl.4) ATK1600/DEF1200 in Attack mode; 0 Face down cards; 4 Cards in hand; LP350]
Mahdi took a look at his newly drawn card and his lips slowly curled into a smirk. "Did you ever encounter Drain Leach in any of the sacrificial duels?"
"A Magic card you tailored for La Magra," Yusei nodded, "I did."
"Yes, an Equipment Magic card," Mahdi clarified, "I wanted a little something extra to give La Magra that I couldn't add as its special effect. Basically it adds all my lost Life Points to the monster's attack. That would make its attack 6650."
Aki looked to Yusei with worry. Over 6000 attack points? Her gaze dropped at the single face down card on his field. What was it? And did it have the power to turn it all around if it came to that?
Yusei stood unwavering and said nothing. Even though the power of the Sky Dragon intensely fuelled his adrenaline he was completely tranquil.
"But…luckily for you I didn't draw Drain Leach," Mahdi went on, not really fazed with his silences, "Or…unluckily, rather. I drew something else. Something better."
Yusei wasn't really listening to Mahdi's delusional threats. At that point he fixed his eyes on Aki. After this is over, I hope there will be enough time left…he thought, For me to tell you the truth.
Aki caught Yusei looking at her and stared back. She still didn't understand what had happened…but the fact that he seemed completely alright now was the only thing that mattered. Her gaze softened. Maybe…maybe this meant that it was almost over. And that he was out of danger and that his promise was right: they were going to leave this battlefield together. That it would be all okay…
"I'll show you, Osiris," Mahdi continued talking, not realizing that he was basically in his own world, "First, I play De-Spell. It lets me destroy one Magic card on the field. I choose Shooting Star Bow to return Familiar Knight's original Attack Points." Familiar Knight's attack raised back to 1200.
I won't need much, Aki, Yusei thought, Just enough to tell you how I feel.
"You should be honoured!" Mahdi exclaimed, "Honoured that I am willing to go to such great extents to impress you.. And, well, since you've refused me…to destroy you." With that he pointed at the three monsters on his side of the field, "I will show you a power only a select few have had the honour of facing. I Tribute La Magra, Familiar Knight and Makyura the Destructor to show you the power the likes of which is unrivalled!" With that he activated a yellow card on his duel disk.
The impossibly bright sun beams suddenly shot through the storm clouds and blinded the three. Through his folded arms, Yusei looked up at the source and saw what looked like the sun itself beginning to descend.
Mahdi began laughing maniacally, raising his arms to the sky. "Now feel the power of a superior God! The most powerful God in all of existence! And the God who decided to lent me his power. Come forth, the Winged Dragon of Ra!"
So I hope you like this cliffhanger.
I know it's "wtf" but not to worry, this will eventually be explained!
And I'm sincerely sorry for not updating for so long and I'm hoping to return to habit of updating within 1-2 weeks.
So now: will Yusei be able to finish the duel before the other Signers get there? What will happen of Mahdi? Who was it that helped Mahdi and what's going on with the Free Duelists' Association? What's the deal with Mahdi having Yugi's best card for some reason, wtf? Will we find out explicitly what Yusei understood and how he came to that conclusion? And what the hell are other Signers doing while all of this is happening?
Stay tuned and you (might) find out!