Chaos Effect

Author's Note: The following containers descriptions that might be too intense for some readers. Discretion is advised.

'Throw the duel, Yugi.'

That was the thought that kept going through Solomon Muto's head. What he so desperately wanted to scream to his grandson. Throw the duel.

He had led a long life, filled with many adventures. He had seen things so extraordinary that he knew few would believe them. He'd seen the glitter of gold within tombs lost for thousands of years. Explored jungle trails that had claimed other invaders so that their bones mingled with the overgrowth. Found species in the frozen wastes of the far North that scientists still believed were merely myth. He heard the songs of lost tribes and fled from cults that had avoided detection for centuries.

All of this he had written down in five volumes, his grand memoir. Yugi would be an old man himself when they were finally allowed to be released, for they contained knowledge and secrets so dangerous that he'd left direct instruction with his lawyers that they only be printed when every last person mentioned in them had died, so that no one could be hurt by the truths he revealed. And even then they would change the world, when finally told.

He had led a long life… and he was okay with that life coming to an end here if it meant saving Joey's sister.

'The poor girl doesn't deserve this,' he thought to himself as he glanced at Serenity, who was still sucking back tears, her bandages becoming damp from her crying. 'She just got her life back and now this monster Marik is trying to take it away?' Solomon growled at that. 'Let me die. I've lived a good life. She hasn't.' Yes, he would worry about Yugi… with his son dead and his daughter in law needing to travel for work he was the only one to care for Yugi. But he knew that there were others that would see to his grandson. Yugi would gain access to his vaults so he'd be financial set and with people like Edwin he'd have protection until he could reach adulthood. His friends would care for him, help ease the loneliness. As mad as it sounded he even trusted Pegasus and Kaiba to help in their own ways.

Let Solomon die here.

But… he couldn't say those words.

Because the Rare Hunters Marik was controlling had warned him if he said a word to interfere in the duel then both he and Serenity would perish.

"You must be so proud of yourself," he growled at the sole Rare Hunter that hadn't been taken over by Marik. He didn't know why the tall man with the ritualistic scars on his face had been deemed important enough not to have his mind taken over by mad man. There was something about him… something that allowed him to remain free. And that meant he was the target for Solomon's rage.

"I serve Master Marik," the tall man said.

"You enslave yourself to him," Solomon snapped. "For all his talk about how he was forced into servitude by the Pharaoh he doesn't mind putting the exact same chains on all the rest of you."

"We serve him willingly."

Solomon laughed. "You actually believe that when he is mind controlling everyone else you came with?"

That caused the tall man to grimace. "They came to us… but their actions… sometimes Master Marik needs to take a firmer hand."

"One of the best ways to keep slaves in line is to show kindness to a single one." Solomon shot the tall man a dark look. "Not what they deserve… but just enough to get them to begin depending on their master. To want more praise and kindness. Until they mentally twist themselves so that their master's goals are now their own without even realizing it."

"You know nothing of my relationship with Master Marik," the tall man said. He never lost his cool… never yelled or snarled. He kept the same firm voice; not quite monotone but enough to make clear that he was in control of his emotions. It was a pity… in another life Solomon might have actually liked the poor deluded fool. "I was sworn by one I cared for greatly to protect him. I swore on her deathbed."

"She cared about Marik."

"She did."

"She sounds like a good woman."

"She was."

"Would she be proud of you making that girl over there cry?" Solomon nodded towards Serenity who was trying to get control of herself. "I saw you bring her here… she trusted you."

"I-"

Solomon cut him off. "She is a blind CHILD and you led her to be slaughtered. Do you think that good woman would be standing at your side with a smile while that girl cried in terror, not even able to see what was happening around her?"

"She… she won't be hurt," the tall man said, reluctantly. "This is all staged."

Solomon blinked at that.

"Master Marik will not kill either of you. Both of you are innocents. We merely wish to punish the Pharaoh."

"…you actually believe that, don't you? You think everyone but the Pharaoh is walking away from this." Solomon shook his head. "Oh… you poor man."

The tall Rare Hunter stared at him before walking away.

But… Solomon saw he couldn't stop glancing towards Serenity.

~MC~MC~MC~

'We've managed to protect our lifepoints but we need to be ready,' Yugi thought. 'Joey isn't like how he was at the start of Duelist Kingdom… he's gotten so strong when it comes to dueling. He understands how to set up traps and bring out powerful monsters.'

The Spirit of the Puzzle nodded mentally. 'We also know that his Red-Eyes fusion monsters have effects that can do damage to our lifepoints. And he won't be able to keep throwing out his weakest monsters to power them. We need to keep finding ways to keep this duel utterly balanced, to ensure that we give ourselves and our friends time to figure out how to get out of Marik's trap.'

Out loud the Pharaoh said, "And now I will set in defense mode my Dimensional Conjurer." The monster was an odd one, looking like an Egyptian mage who was trapped and restrained in some kind of mystical straight jacket and irons. "This card allows me to add the spell card Magical Dimension to my hand. I will now set this card on the field-" he did just that, "-before attacking your Red-Eyes Wyvern! Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!"

Joey shielded himself as the dragon was shattered by the blast from the mage.

"Ha!" Marik taunted through one of his Rare Hunters. "You keep trying to stall but you all you do is show your loved ones how little you care about them." The Rare Hunter turned towards Solomon. "Does it not bother you that your grandson is trapped, a prisoner in his own body, while the Pharaoh gambles with your life in the vain attempt to find some way to save you both?" He then turned towards Serenity, moving in close, causing her to jump when he began to speak. "Your brother doesn't seem to care that much about you…"

"When this is done," Tristan said coldly from the sidelines, "I'm going to find a way to make you eat your own teeth, you coward."

Marik's puppet merely looked up at Tristan and scoffed. "Fool… I will stain the ground with your blood if you come near me. All your boasts and claims for vengeance… you are infants mewling because you didn't get your bottle in time. You do not know suffering, do not know grief!" He grabbed Serenity's chin and jerked her head up, causing her to scream in pain. "It is time you learned your place! I am the one in control here, not you!"

"And that's the thing about control," Kaiba said darkly, "the moment you relax for even a moment… you find yourself without it."

"…hmmpf," Marik said, shoving Serenity away, causing her to fall, slamming her down onto the ground and making no move to right her. "It is your move, Joey Wheeler! And you best hurry before the clock winds out."

Joey, who had been watching everything with a cold glare, nodded but his lips twitched with the threats he so desperately wanted to send flying towards Marik for his actions. Instead he merely drew his next card. "Okay… I use Monster Reborn to bring back my Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact." The meteor dragon that he'd used for his larger fusion appeared in the sky, streaking down and slamming into the ground. "But he won't be staying for long. Because I can tribute him to summon the Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon to the field."

The dragon that appeared was far larger and bulkier than the last Red-Eyes Metal Dragon Joey had summoned, back in Duelist Kingdom. That had been Red-Eyes with a Metamorph applied to it. This one was twice as big, far bulkier, and its metallic sheen gleamed in the light of the slowly lowering sun as it let out a defiant roar. "And with his effect I can summon my Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my graveyard to the field." The Red-Eyes let out a roar as it rose from the ground, standing right next to Joey's metal monster. "And now I'll have my monsters attack! Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, attack Yugi's Dark Magician with Mercury Fire Blast!" The dragon roared and launched a ball of molten metal at the Dark Magician, the mage unable to protect himself as he shattered. "And now I'll have my Red-Eyes Black Dragon attack your Dimensional Conjurer-"

"Not so fast, Joey!" the Pharaoh declared. "I activate my downface card, the Quickplay Spell Magical Dimension!" A coffin that looked similar to the Conjurer appeared on the field. "With this card I can destroy one spellcaster on my side of the field and one monster on your side of the field to summon a new mage to take their place. So my Conjurer steps into the sacred coffin…" the monster did so and the coffin glowed, the rays striking the Darkness Metal Dragon and causing it to shatter, "…and out comes my Dark Magician of Chaos!"

Yugi and the Pharaoh had been startled when they'd received their new Dark Magician deck to discover that Pegasus had included a more powerful version of the magician that had defeated him at Duelist Kingdom. He didn't know if it had been made before that moment, originally a way to taunt him, or after, as a way to ask for forgiveness. All the two knew was that the monster was powerful and a fine addition to their deck.

"I call off my attack!" Joey said quickly, his Red-Eyes Black Dragon halting just before it rammed into the more powerful monster. "And I end my turn." (Yugi-3100)

"Then-"

"But," Joey said, cutting his friend off, "because I only special summoned monsters this turn, and not normal summoned, I can activate my Red-Eyes Wyvern's effect, which allows me to banish it from my graveyard in order to summon back to the field my Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!" The giant metallic drake appeared once more, roaring out a challenge to one and all.

"And I get to add a spell card to my hand thanks to my Dark Magician of Chaos' effect," the Pharaoh said. "And now I activate once more my Eternal Soul trap card, allowing me to resurrect the Dark Magician and banish your Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!" The dragon once more disappeared, though it would be harder for Joey to bring it back this time. "And now I attack your Red-Eyes Black Dragon with my Dark Magician and my Dark Magician of Chaos attacks directly!"

'Pharaoh, wait!' Yugi cried out but it was too late and the attacks went through, the Red-Eyes Black Dragon sent to the card graveyard once more while Joey cried out as the Dark Magician of Chaos struck at him directly. (Joey-1100)

Above Serenity cables broke off, causing the massive shipping container to sway dangerously, a pendulum ticking down her doom as their friends cried out in horror.

'I…' the Pharaoh thought in terror, staring at the container and then back at the field. 'I didn't…' Out loud he said, "Joey, I'm so sorry… I forgot what was at stake and-"

"Did you?" one of Marik's puppets taunted. "Did you truly forget? Or did little Yugi beg you to save his grandpa? Did he ask you to kill that girl because he could not stand the thought of losing his grandfather and he thought that Joey here doesn't matter? That his desires are nothing." He paused, staring right at Joey with a sinister little smirk. "Or did it even matter what your friend Yugi wanted? Did his lust for battle, to dominate all his opponents, cloud his vision and cause him to lash out and attack you? The Pharaoh is the one who has always craved war but does not care about how must suffer."

"Oh, keep on blabberin', ya mook!" Joey snapped as he drew his next card. "I don't know how many times we have ta tell ya it but we aren't gonna begin goin' at each other! The only one to blame for all this is YOU! You're the one that dragged my sister and Mr. Muto into this mess! And I promise I am gonna make ya regret ya ever did that the moment I get out of this mess!" Joey looked over his hand. "And now it's my turn."

"Joey…" the Pharaoh whispered.

"I start by activating the spell card Red-Eyes Whirlwind." The spell, which depicted a Red-Eyes Black Dragon flapping its wings, causing a massive cyclone to form, appeared on Joey's side of the field. "This card allows me to send one Red-Eyes monster from my deck to the graveyard ta destroy all the Spells and Trap Cards ya have on the field, Yugi. So that means I get rid of your Dark Magic Circle as well as your Eternal Soul!"

"Oh no!" the Pharaoh exclaimed.

"Yeah, that is gonna ruin your combo but- wait, wha?" Joey watched on, clearly stunned, as the Dark Magician and the Dark Magician of Chaos cried out before they began to glow… and their bodies rapidly began to turn to crumbling stone. "Hey, what the heck?"

"When," the Pharaoh began only to pause, gathering himself as his monsters turned completely to stone. He took a breath. "When Eternal Soul is destroyed it destroys all the monsters on my side of the field; that is the cost of using it."

"Aw man," Joey said softly. "Yug, I didn't know…"

"Its fine, Joey. It was a good move. It merely… it startled me." He wiped his brow with the back of his hand. "This duel… every move is…"

"I get it man, I do." Joey looked up at the clock and grit his teeth; they had to keep duelin'. "I didn't mean to do it, man."

"I know Joey. Just continue on with this duel. It's all we can do."

"Indeed!" Marik declared. "This is all you can-"

"Oh just shut up already," Joey's friend, the new one he'd come with, snapped. "They are dancing to your little tune already! Why do you need to keep twisting the knife? Are you that in need to feel like a big man that you have to demand even more pain and embarrassment from them? Just let'em duel."

Marik's puppet turned and glared at him. "Perhaps I should show you the power I wield, so you understand just who is in control here…"

"I'm gonna move, if ya care!" Joey called out. Marik's Rare Hunters all turned to stare at him and Joey tapped his graveyard. "And the card I sent to my graveyard was another Wyvern, which means I can now banish it from my graveyard to bring back my Red-Eyes Black Dragon, ending my turn."

The Pharaoh looked over at the state of the field. 'Joey has one of his most powerful monsters back on the field and we have nothing.'

'We've been in tight situations before,' Yugi reminded him.

'Yes but this situation…' the Pharaoh shook his head before drawing his next card. "I activate Magician's Salvation, which allows me to set one spell or trap that lists the Dark Magician in its text from my deck on the field. And with that I end my turn."

Serenity let out a whimper as the wind picked up, causing the container to groan as it swung above her.

Joey sucked in a breath at the sound of his sister's distress. "Yugi… Mr. Muto… I'm sorry, I really am. But…" He shut his eyes, balling his hands up into fists. "But I have to try and save my sister."

"Joey, just give us a bit more time-" the Pharaoh began but Joey shook his head.

"I can't man… not anymore. She's in pain… I can't keep her like that. She might die from terror before we get out of this duel. I… I can't risk that." He drew his next card. "Red-Eyes Black Dragon… attack-" He grit his teeth in frustration before slamming his hand against his thigh, "-attack The Pharaoh directly."

The Red-Eyes Black Dragon roared and fired off a ball of burning energy, which hurtled towards the Pharaoh rapidly.

"I'm sorry, Yug," Joey whispered.

"Activate my downface: another Eternal Soul!"

The trap card flipped up and with it came the Dark Magician.

"Red-Eyes, halt your attack!"

Joey pressed his hands against his knees and panted.

"Joey, I know you are desperate… I am too," the Pharaoh said. "But we must keep trying-"

"I can wait," Joey admitted. "But… but Serenity can't." Joey slowly stood back up. "I activate Red-Eyes Fusion, allowing me to send the Summoned Skull in my hand and my Red-Eyes Black Dragon to the graveyard in order to fusion summon my Archfiend Black Skull Dragon."

The muscular, bulky fiend appeared on the field, hissing as it glared at the Pharaoh. But Joey couldn't smile as he saw the powerful fusion appeared… because he had just summoned the monster that represented him and his best friend to the field… and next turn he'd use it to destroy him.

~MC~MC~MC~

"I hate this," Mokuba whispered as he stared at the Archfiend Black Skull Dragon. "This isn't how duels should be."

Seto didn't say a word. There was no point to. Because Mokuba was right. This wasn't how duels were supposed to go.

'Wheeler and Yugi can't go all out. They can't challenge each other. They are constantly hesitating, holding back. Marik had made a mockery of Duel Monsters and for that I am going to use every power available to me to punish him for bring this blasphemy to MY tournament!'

"I set one card face down and shift my Dark Magician to defense mode," Yugi said.

Joey drew his next card and went silent.

"No…" Seto whispered.

"Seto?"

"Look at his face, Mokuba," Seto told his brother, nodding towards Joey. "He drew something… he's going to end the duel."

"No!" Mokuba cried out but Seto gripped his shoulder and forced him to turn towards Seto's body, pressing his brother face into his chest. Because they both knew what would come when Joey made his next move.

"I… Mr. Muto…"

"It's okay, Joey," Mr. Muto said softly. "It's okay. Do it."

Joey, tears in his eyes, cried out, "I activate Inferno Fire Blast!"

Seto's mind raced. 'Because Wheeler summoned his Archfiend Black Skull Dragon with Red-Eyes Fusion that means that he turned that monster into a Red-Eyes Black Dragon. And Inferno Fire Blast takes the attack of a Red-Eyes and sends it right at another duelist's lifepoints.' He took a breath. 'Wheeler's going to do it. He's going to defeat Yugi!'

The spell card flashed before a MASSIVE burning Inferno Fire Blast appeared on the field, hovering for a moment before it rocketed towards Yugi's side of the field. It bypassed his Dark Magician, racing towards the King of Games and his lifepoints.

"ACTIVATE MY TRAP CARD!" Yugi roared. "DARK MAGIC GIFT!"

The Dark Magician glowed as the Inferno Fire Blast struck.

Cables snapped.

Yugi and Wheeler's friends cried out.

The container… did not fall.

"Dark… Dark Magic Gift allows me to send one Dark Magician to the graveyard to increase my lifepoints by half its current attack," Yugi managed to get out as the smoke cleared from Joey's blast. "And because of your spell card you can't attack this turn." (Yugi-1150)

Mokuba pushed away from Seto, face wet. "Seto…"

"I know Mokuba," Seto said, jaw clenched hard. "I wish there was something I could do."

"But you will do nothing," the tall Rare Hunter said, walking over. "If you interfere you will cost both of them their lives."

"No… if we interfere YOU will have cost them both their lives," Seto snapped at him.

"…you're right."

The man reached out and slipped a small remote into Seto's hand.

"That is the jammer," he whispered. "Turn it off… call for help. STOP this." He turned and walked away without another word.

"Seto?" Mokuba whispered as Seto forced him to turn away from the duel again.

"Act like you're crying," Seto said, never looking down at him.

Mokuba waited a moment before nodding and pulling out his phone.

Seto… focused on the duel.

It was all he could do.

~MC~MC~MC~

The Pharaoh looked down at his hand before taking a slow breath. He could hear Yugi crying out in his head…. Utterly panicked and fearful, desperately trying to figure out how they could get out of this. He was unable to focus anymore on the duel, lost in his fear and trauma.

It was leaving the Pharaoh feeling like someone kept tightening the strings on a violin, making them tighter and tighter, stretching them thinner, the strings taunt but not snapping but that made things worse as the wait FOR them to snap.

He held up a card. "I… activate Monster Reborn… bringing back to my side of the field your Red-Eyes Black Dragon while Eternal Soul brings forth my Dark Magician." He watched as the two monsters appeared and felt grief well inside of him. "Joey… this is not how I wanted this monster to appear. I wanted to show you it, my own representation of our friendship." He shut his eyes, struggling to hold back his tears.

'Pharaoh…' Yugi whispered.

'There… there is no way out of this Yugi. I am sorry.' Out loud he declared, "I activate Secrets of Dark Magic to fuse your Red-Eyes and my Dark Magician to summon forth The Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon."

The two monsters transformed into pure magic, flowing towards the ritual urns that the Pharaoh had once used to summon The Magician of Black Chaos. Their energy forms joined with the flames, causing them to explode into the sky, which darkened in response as a gate of dark spells and sorcery formed. And from that gate stepped the ultimate form of the Dark Magician.

The mage's skin had turned a pale blue, eyes burning with a red as deep as blood. His armor had been formed from the body of the Red-Eyes black Dragon, with its head making his cuirass while its wings flared out now on the Dark Magician's back. The tail of the dragon hung behind the Pharaoh's mage and its claws had been turned into its pauldrons. The Dark Magician's staff had become an executioner's blade, with a massive metal head that was wider than the Dark Dragoon's body. Red and black energy crackled along his hands as he raised his weapon, crimson lightning striking around them.

"Yes…" one of Marik's Rare Hunter puppets cackled.

"The… Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon… can select one monster on your side of the field and destroy it, then do damage to your lifepoints… equal to its attack."

"…no," Joey whispered, falling to his knees, tears in his eyes. "Yug… please…"

The Pharaoh grimaced, turning his head away.

"Do it, Pharaoh!" Marik's puppet commanded. "Do it or time will run out and you will cost little Yugi his grandfather!"

"Yugi!" Tristan and Duke shouted.

"I…" the Pharaoh began.

"DO IT!" Marik made his Rare Hunters roar.

"I… Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon…"

"Yug, don't-" Joey pleaded.

"I…"

And then… a new voice roared out.

"MARIK!"

All turned.

Edwin… had come at last.

~MC~MC~MC~

I stared in horror at the sight before me. This… this was so much worse than what I had expected.

'I did this,' I thought with growing dread. 'My meddling… my altering canon… it led to this.' I looked at Solomon and Serenity who were trapped under the containers, Joey and the Pharaoh forced to duel, the others reduced to spectators to this ghoulish event… and knew that it was my fault. I had changed events and forced Marik to become far more extreme.

And it was up to me… to stop him.

I stepped away from Renard, Yuri, and Mai; I could feel their terror and disbelief at what they were seeing but couldn't focus on that. No… I had to shove them all aside and focus on Marik and his hunters. The way he had arranged the pier had created a corridor of shipping containers that funneled everyone towards the pier. There was no way but forward. And at once I knew what I had to do…

"You're not alone/There's no doubt/Your gift/Isn't futile to be"

Troy began to play… to comfort me in my darkest moment.

"Edwin Chaos… too little too late," one Rare Hunter said. "You can not-"

I grit my teeth, knowing Serenity and Solomon had no time for his proclamations.

"I CHALLENGE YOU TO A SHADOW GAME!"

At once a pulse of energy ripped through the air, making everyone freeze up. The already darkened sky seemed to grow all the more black and from the waters of Domino Harbor the black miasma of the Shadow Realm rose up around us, covering the entire area in its infinite darkness.

"By rights and rules of ancients who created these items-" I let the Millennium Key appear from my chest, knowing my eyes had gone black and gold, "-I challenge you to a Shadow Game. And this challenge supersedes all over contests. So this duel between the Pharaoh and Joey Wheeler… is suspended!" I thrust out my hand and the Shadow Magic responded, stopping the clocks and locking the containers in place.

I stepped forward.

"If we'll be united/We're stronger together/We always have the high hope/Not all for one but one for all"

"You have learned much, Edwin," one Rare Hunter said, stepping towards me. Good… that was one. A few more to go.

"I have," I admitted. "I am a fast learner."

"And far more willing to embrace the power of the Millennium Items than the other holders." Another Rare Hunter moved towards me. "It is a shame you did not stand with me."

"The Devil was cast from Heaven for refusing to submit. You think I would ever bow to you?"

Marik's other Rare Hunters, save for Odion and two in the cranes holding the containers up, moved into the corridor. "You have made the challenge… speak your terms."

"My single champion… against all your Rare Hunters. The winner claims the lives of Serenity Wheeler and Solomon Muto, to do with as they so choose."

The Rare Hunters stopped and I could tell Marik was considering his options. "Very well," he finally said. "Odion-"

"Not him," I said quickly. "Odion is not a part of this."

"And why would you refuse me my greatest warrior?"

"Because in exchange I will put my life up on the table."

One of the Rare Hunters laughed. "You were never walking out of here alive anyway… but yes. Yes, I do believe that will work out well." He narrowed his eyes. "Or… perhaps I will not allow you to die, Edwin. I will chain your soul in the Shadow Realm and force you to watch as I slaughter everyone you love. You will hear them curse your name as I torture them and know that you failed each and every one of them! That is what awaits you for standing in my way!"

"Do you agree to my terms?"

"…I do," Marik said.

"Don't worry 'bout a thing/We'll reach out to you/Even if it's a harder way/It's plain to see the reason why/Oh, that's all because of the mighty heart"

I let out a sigh and slowly knelt down.

There was no going back.

"These are your champions?" I asked.

"They are… these are the Champions of House Ishtar. Now name yours. Renard Volpe? Yuri Gardner? Or even yourself? Who is your champion?"

I shut my eyes.

"Remember it's just natural that we'll be there if you need help"

"I name…" I swallowed, "…as the Champion of House Chaos…"

"Yes?"

I raised my hand up.

"Far across the distance, rest assured that our faith just won't die"

"…Fire."

~MC~MC~MC~

Mai watched as Edwin bent down, not understanding what he was doing.

And then he jammed his palm into the ground and realized the truth.

He was the Guardian Devil.

And he brought hell with him.

"You know we have to sacrifice ourselves"

Every shipping container glowed with the magic of the Millennium Key before their doors swung open… and from them spewed flames.

At once Marik's Rare Hunters began to scream as they were caught in the inferno, crying out in agony. No… not crying out. The sounds that came from their throats were far more guttural and animalistic to be considered 'cries'. They flung their bodies about mindlessly, unable to process what was happening due to every nerve in their bodies flaring with torturous pain. High pitch shrieks filled the air as they tried to find some way out of the trap Edwin had set but there was no where to go. Edwin had turned every shipping container around them into a portal to a blast furnace and was now unleashing some of the hottest fires on Earth upon Marik's puppets.

"Whatever they may say/It's plain to see the reason why"

Mai could only watch as their bodies charred and blistered, skin turning red and then black, cracking and drying out. Eye burst from the heat and their cries became nothing by soundless flapping of jaws as their vocal chords shriveled in their throats. They finally began to collapse but still Edwin kept his head down, hand pressed to the ground, Shadow Realm magic racing along the pier and to the shipping containers.

"Oh, that's all because of the mighty heart/Remember it's just natural that/We'll be there if you need help"

And then the two Rare Hunters in the cranes moved to open their doors.

Edwin flung up his hands, magic blasting from his palms just as the Rare Hunters turned the handles and then they were screaming too, fire swirling into the cabins of the cranes, roasting them alive. The machines began to melt, caving in on the screaming bodies, entombing them within the molten steel.

Still… Edwin poured on the flames.

"Far across the distance/Rest assured that our faith just won't die"

Mai ran forward, feeling the heat against her skin, but she forced herself onward, moving towards Edwin and grabbing him by the shoulders, giving him a hard shake as he stared with sightless eyes, shadow magic pouring off him.

"Edwin!" she pleaded. "You can stop now!"

He blinked, looking at her with glassy eyes, the black and gold fading away to reveal his blurry blue-gray irises. Slowly, almost painfully, he moved to turn his head back towards the corridor, the doors slamming shut on the containers.

"Don't look," she pleaded with him but it was too late and Edwin stared at what he had done.

Mai fell to her knees, cradling his head against her as he opened his mouth and let out a wail of agonized torment.

~MC~MC~MC~

Odion could hear Marik screaming.

He didn't know just how much he had felt from Edwin's attack but knew that the backlash hadn't spared him. He'd been tied to the Rare Hunters and thus their pain had been his, even if not on a physical level.

But that didn't matter. The Shadow Game had been won by Edwin… but as the magic disappated the counter began again.

With a roar he rushed forward, racing towards Serenity, hearing the cables snap and break. With a great lunge he flung himself at her, wrapping her up in his arms as he twisted in the air, landing hard on his back, grabbing her along with him.

"NOW PHARAOH!" he shouted once he and Serenity had skidded clear.

The Pharaoh snapped out of his shock. "Dark Dragoon destroy the Archfiend Black Skull Dragon!"

The Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon swung his blade at Joey's monster, destroying it and taking the last of his life points… and sending the shipping container crashing down right where Serenity had been.

'He… he lied to me,' Odion thought. 'I… I had hoped even now that everyone was wrong. That he was truly not seeking to hurt anyone. But… Master Marik lied. He was going to kill them. Mas-' Odion stopped himself. 'Marik lied to me.'

"Serenity!" Joey called out and Odion slowly let go of the girl, remaining on his back as Joey raced over, grabbing his sister and hugging her tight. "I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry sis."

"It's okay, Joey…" Serenity said with a warbling sniff. "I'm okay…" she reached up for her bandages.

"What are ya doin'? Ya can't-"

"I want… I need to see you Joey," she whispered and after a moment Joey nodded and helped Serenity unwind the bandages wrapped around her head. She blinked and squinted in the light but finally she looked right at Joey and smiled. "Hi big brother."

Joey shut his eyes, tears leaking down his cheeks, as he drew her in for a hug.

Yugi Muto, for it was clear it was him and not the Pharaoh, walked over, his arm wrapped around his grandfather's shoulders, looking utterly worn out. The rest of the duelists' friends came over as well and Odion slowly got to his knees, unable to meet their eyes.

"He told me… no one would be hurt. I believed him." Odion pressed his forehead against the ground. "I submit myself to the judgment of the Pharaoh. Take my life as payment for the crimes I committed against you all."

But none of them said a word and finally Odion worked up the nerve to look up and found them not looking at him but at Edwin Chaos; his friends were gathered around him, hugging him as he rocked back and forth, fingers threaded in his hair, eyes wide and unseeing, the charred remains of the Rare Hunters before him. Tears were rolling down his face and he was hyperventilating, his entire form shaking violently as Mai tried to calm him.

"There…" Yugi began, swallowing, "there has been enough death for one day."

They had survived.

But they hadn't come out of the duel unscathed.