Chapter 310
As the Duel ended, before Croquet, the judge, could even announce the outcome, the Shadow Game's punishment arrived as scheduled. If only justice could be so timely.
A sound like shattering glass suddenly echoed. Marik, who had just been in agony, violently pulled the (Millennium Rod) that was plunged into his chest. Although blood flowed incessantly from the wound on his chest, he paid it no mind, raising the (Millennium Rod) over his head: "You're not the only one who possesses two souls at once, Nameless Pharaoh!"
"You probably don't know, do you, Pharaoh? There are two souls named 'Marik'!"
"As the cost of me losing this Duel, I'll let my Surface Personality take my place and be devoured by the darkness! Consider it recompense for using this body for so long! Thank you so much, my other cowardly self!"
The Eye of Udjat at the tip of the (Millennium Rod) in Marik's hand lit up. In the light, Yugi was astonished to see another Marik within! Marik, using the loss of this Duel, had actively stripped Normal Marik from his own body, intending to completely seize sole control of the body for himself!
Logically speaking, the Shadow Game—which, to put it nicely, upholds fairness and justice, or to put it bluntly, is simply rigid—couldn't actually allow "using others as one's substitute."
In a Shadow Game, the basis for the rules' designation isn't physical appearance, but the soul's "True Name." Just like Yugi Muto and Yami Yugi, although they share the same body, they are fundamentally two different people in terms of soul. If Yami Yugi were to lose in a Shadow Game, Yugi Muto couldn't be used as a substitute.
Of course, Shadow Game cards with special rules like (The Seal of Orichalcos) and Phantom Gate are outside the scope of conventional thinking. The former allows any soul to be a substitute and can even be revoked, while the latter can even forcibly abduct others for a "Set (Monster in Defense Position)."
However, Marik was a genuine exception. Yugi and Yami Yugi are different souls manifested as a dual personality, but both Dark Marik and Normal Marik, who was stripped from his body, are "Marik" himself.
Even strict laws occasionally have loopholes found, and the Shadow Game's rules only recognized "Marik." As for whether the one devoured by the darkness was Dark Marik, who made the contract, or Normal Marik, who was ignorant of the current situation, it wouldn't care.
His mouth stretched back to his ears. Marik's grotesque expression made his entire face appear stretched from exerting too much force, and veins bulged on his tensed face. Truly worthy of being the original King of Facial Expressions.
"Urgh, ahhh!" Normal Marik, completely unaware of the current situation and whose memory was still stuck before the Battle City Top 8 was decided, let out a muffled cry of agony. His entire soul form was enveloped by darkness, as if being flushed down a toilet and swept into the infinite darkness.
"Ha, this is truly exhilarating, this feeling of having my body completely under my control." Watching the black hole that appeared mid-air mercilessly devour Normal Marik's soul, which had temporarily resided on the tip of the (Millennium Rod), Dark Marik laughed loudly, even spreading his arms wide.
Whether it was his facial expression or his joyful actions, Marik acted as if he had just won the Duel. He arrogantly looked towards Yugi, revealing a sinister grin: "Thank you so much, Nameless Pharaoh. Indeed, there's no such thing as partial freedom; either you're completely free or not at all. Now that I have no burdens, I am completely free!"
As he spoke, his expression turned somewhat grim: "This time, I'll temporarily hand over (Slifer the Sky Dragon) to you, but I'll soon take it back!"
Although he was quite resistant internally, Kaiba's card gambling rules were also integrated into this Shadow Game. Marik had no choice but to throw the (Slifer the Sky Dragon) card, which was on his field and not in his Deck, towards Yugi, who caught it.
After leaving a harsh remark, Marik left the Sky Duel Arena without looking back or lingering outside the airship, walking straight into the airship's cabin.
"That guy sure slipped away fast." Chumley watched Marik's figure disappear, then let out a cold snort. Turning his head, he noticed Ishizu's absent-minded expression.
"Marik, he..." Although neither Normal Marik nor Dark Marik were truly good people, and both had committed many unforgivable acts, he was still her younger brother. Witnessing firsthand Normal Marik being betrayed and abandoned by his dark personality, then falling into darkness, Ishizu felt quite depressed.
Chumley saw the reason for Ishizu's low spirits, but instead of comforting her, he revealed a smile: "Don't be so sad yet, Ishizu. Haven't you noticed something since just now?"
"Hmm?"
Ishizu turned her head to look at Chumley with some doubt.
Chumley raised his hand and tapped his chest. It wasn't until Chumley pointed it out that Ishizu realized the (Millennium Ring) that had always hung on his chest was actually gone?!
Just then, amidst Croquet's announcement, Yugi returned to the audience seating. As he walked towards Chumley, he reached into his clothing and pulled out Chumley's missing (Millennium Ring).
"(Millennium Ring)?"
Under Ishizu's gaze, Chumley took the (Millennium Ring) from Yugi. Yugi then said: "The choices Marik made were completely foreseen by you, Chumley. Both engaging in a life-threatening Shadow Game, and using his other self as a scapegoat after losing the Duel."
"There's an idiom called 'substituting the plum for the peach.' Dark Marik has already pulled off 'the cuckoo occupying the magpie's nest,' so letting his other personality go to its death isn't impossible for him." Chumley didn't mention that in the original timeline, Marik even openly displayed Yugi Muto's and Normal Marik's two souls for a Shadow Game. "That six-year-old's mind is just too easy to guess.""
""For freedom, he mercilessly tried every way to have Odion killed. What's removing Normal Marik's personality, who might try to seize back sole control of the body just as he had seized power, in comparison?""
As he spoke, Chumley put the (Millennium Ring) back on his chest, gently tapping the Eye of Udjat in its center with his finger. A faint golden light flowed over it.
Yugi had a complicated expression looking at the (Millennium Ring). Ishizu had already educated him about the Three Millennium Items of Good and the Three Millennium Items of Evil among the (Millennium Items). But now it seemed, although Ishizu had claimed the (Millennium Ring) was even more evil and the darkest of the (Millennium Items), surpassing the (Millennium Eye) and (Millennium Rod), indeed, an item's nature ultimately depends on its owner.
As for Ishizu's prophecy that "the users of the Three Millennium Items of Evil would successively oppose the Nameless Pharaoh's soul wandering the world," he didn't take it to heart.
""Marik trying to eliminate Yugi with a Shadow Game, he's on the first layer. Yugi counter-killed Marik, Yugi is on the second layer. Marik using the Shadow Game to strip away the other personality, he is on the third layer. But unfortunately, I'm in the stratosphere.""
To a certain extent, the owner of the (Millennium Items) possesses a certain degree of first turn priority within the Shadow Game's rules. After all, the "Shadow Game" that has been used to this day belongs to the Egyptians. In that Shadow Game just now, the (Millennium Puzzle) and (Millennium Rod) faced off, giving Yugi and Marik fair Duel conditions, while the (Millennium Ring) Chumley handed over to Yugi when he stepped onto the Duel Field quietly made a few insignificant adjustments within the Shadow Game.
If it were to exempt someone from punishment or affect the fairness of the Duel, even if Chumley stacked all seven (Millennium Items) together, it would be difficult for them to be of much use. However, merely making a small alteration to the final punishment was still very easy. The soul of Normal Marik, which should have been banished to the infinitely deep darkness, is now stored within the (Millennium Ring) on Chumley's chest.
Ishizu cast a concerned glance at the (Millennium Ring) on Chumley's chest, just about to say something more, when a cold voice forced its way into their conversation: "Let's put an end to these boring and utterly childish metaphysical discussions."
The speaker was Kaiba, who had walked over to Yugi and Chumley with a calm expression. Beside him were Croquet, who had come down from the Judge's Stand, and Mokuba, who had put away his laptop.
""First, congratulations to you, Yugi, for successfully obtaining a God Card." Kaiba, taking advantage of his exaggerated, un-high-schooler-like height, looked down at Yugi, who, despite being in Yami Yugi's state, still had regrettable height. "But to call it congratulations, it's simply what's to be expected. If you had stopped at the hands of such fodder monsters, you wouldn't be worthy of my regard, Yugi.""
""Kaiba, your words are as annoying as ever." Joey, following Kaiba, also walked over. After snapping at Kaiba, with whom he always clashed, he showed Yugi a brilliant smile: "That was amazing, Yugi! That Combo just now was truly incredible.""
""Hmph, just an amateur. Just making it to the Top 4, and you're already feeling quite relaxed?""
Seeing Joey's relaxed state, Kaiba coldly sneered back, then finally said what he wanted to say: "Now that the Top 4 has been decided, without further delay, let's start deciding the order of the next Duels. You're not tired from that Duel just now, are you, Yugi?"
""But President, according to the original schedule, the Duels to determine the Top 4 order should be four hours from now. The event has just begun to warm up—" Croquet was just about to remind Kaiba when Mokuba, standing nearby, quickly kicked his shin, making him wince and promptly shut up."
Looking at Kaiba, whose expression was calm, even somewhat indifferent, but whose mouth unconsciously curved into a smirk, the precocious Mokuba helplessly rubbed his forehead and muttered to himself: "Isn't it obvious? After just watching Yugi's Duel, Big Brother's duel addiction has flared up again."
""Wait 4 hours? Be careful Big Brother doesn't fire you for wasting oxygen by breathing, Croquet.""
(end of chapter)