Yugi vs. Dark Marik
Yugi Mutou vs. Marik Ishtar is the finals of the Battle City Arc. Yugi and Dark Marik face off in the finals of Battle City Tournament. The duel will decide the ruler of the God Cards and the key to unlocking the secrets shrouding the nameless pharaoh from 3 thousand years ago.
Prologue[]
Yugi Mutou, after defeating Seto Kaiba, goes to the finals to face the shadow of Marik Ishtar. Yugi learns that Jonouchi has woken up and thanks his friends, who supported him all the way. He promises Jonouchi to save Mai in his place. Before the finals, Kaiba, in addition to "The Giant God Soldier of Obelisk", gives Yugi another card to use against Dark Marik's "The Winged God Dragon of Ra". With his life on the line, Dark Yugi faces the shadows, carrying on the support of his friends and rivals, and the hope to get one step closer to solving the mystery behind the Millennium Puzzle.
Duel[]
Before the duel starts, Dark Marik starts the Shadow Game. He shows Mai's situation to Dark Yugi and explains that her fate depends on their duel. He also reveals that the real Yugi is also part of this duel, as Yugi was shown retrained by the shadows behind Dark Yugi. Dark Marik starts his turn by summoning "Vampiric Leech" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 500/DEF 1200) in Attack Position and attacks Dark Yugi directly. Dark Yugi feels the attack like it was real (4000 -> 3500 Life Points). At the same time, part of Yugi was eaten by the shadows. Dark Marik also shows his sacrifice, the real Marik and explains that whoever reaches their Life Point to 0, both the player and their sacrifice will be consumed fully by the shadows. He secretly withhold that even if his other self is devoured, he still will remain. Yugi reassures Dark Yugi that he will be fine and that he will support him in this duel. Dark Marik discards one card to switch "Vampiric Leech" to Defense Position (DEF 1200). He chooses "The Winged God Dragon of Ra" and starts to wait until he gets "Monster Reborn" next turn. Dark Yugi has caught on that Dark Marik has discarded the God card. Dark Marik sets a card face-down and ends his turn.
Dark Yugi's turn. He draws "Exchange". He thinks about using it, but decides not to due to the possibility of Dark Marik already discarding "The Winged God Dragon of Ra". He summons 'Queen's Knight" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 1500/DEF 1600) in Attack Position instead. Dark Marik thinks it's too late for Dark Yugi to prepare summoning a God. Dark Yugi destroys "Vampiric Leech" (DEF 1200) with "Queen's Knight" (ATK 1500). He then sets two cards face-down and ends his turn.
Dark Marik's turn. He shows to Dark Yugi that he just drew the card he wanted. He first summons "Juragedo" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 1700/DEF 1300) in Attack Mode. He commands it (ATK 1700) to attack "Queen's Knight" (ATK 1500), inflicting damage to Dark Yugi (3500 -> 3300 Life Points). Dark Yugi is concerned about Yugi, but Yugi tells him to focus on the Spell Card Dark Marik is about to use. Dark Marik plays Spell Card "Left Arm Offering". He discards all his hand to get "Monster Reborn". Just then, Dark Yugi activates his set Spell Card, "Exchange". Dark Yugi took Dark Marik's "Monster Reborn", while Dark Marik took one of Dark Yugi's cards. Dark Marik ends his turn.
It's back to Dark Yugi. He plays "King's Knight" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 1600/DEF 1400) in Attack Position. He then plays "Monster Reborn" to summon "Queens Knight" (ATK 1500) back from the grave. With the two knights on the field, Dark Yugi then Special Summons from his deck "Jack Knight" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 1800/DEF 1200) in Attack Position. Dark Yugi challenges Dark Marik who will summon a God first. Dark Marik is not worried, as he already saw that Dark Yugi does not have a God card. He threw a challenge back to Dark Yugi to attack him, but Dark Yugi ends his turn, being wary of Dark Marik's face-down card. Dark Marik compliments his intuition.
Dark Marik draws his card. He tells Dark Yugi how pathetic it is for the latter to wait for a God card. As a gift of sorts, Dark Marik activates his Spell Card "Cards of Sanctity". Both of them draws from their deck to get hold 6 cards in their hands. Dark Yugi tells he'll regret this. He drew "The Sky Dragon of Osiris". Dark Marik switches "Juragedo" to Defense (DEF 1300) and sets a card face-down to end his turn.
Dark Yugi's turn. With seven cards in his hands, he sacrifices all his monsters, "Queen's Knight", "Jack's Knight" and "King's Knight" to summon "The Sky Dragon of Osiris" (☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆, ATK 6000/DEF 6000) in Attack Mode. He goes on to attack but Dark Marik responded with activating his set Trap Card "Revival of the Dark". It lets him use the "Monster Reborn" in Yugi's Graveyard. He Special Summons "The Winged God Dragon of Ra" (☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆, ATK ????/DEF ????) in Phoenix Mode and commands it to block Osiris' attack. Dark Marik let out a loud laugh. Dark Yugi is surprised that Osiris' attack has no effect. He then turns to Osiris' second effect. Since "The Winged God Dragon of Ra" is just summoned, Osiris once again attacks it using its Second Mouth. However, it is still ineffective. Dark Marik then counterattacks. He pays 1000 Life Points, which also disintegrate parts of Marik (4000 -> 3000 Life Points), to let Ra incinerate Osiris. Dark Yugi feels Ra's flames. He checks on Yugi if he's okay. After the battle, Ra returns to Dark Marik's Graveyard. As the "Monster Reborn" returns to Dark Yugi's Graveyard, Dark Marik then activates his set Trap Card "Zombie Jewel", which lets him retrieve the "Monster Reborn". "Zombie Jewel" lets Yugi draw one card; Dark Marik urges Dark Yugi to draw as his last saving grace before facing Ra next turn. Before Dark Yugi draws, Dark Marik reveals the "Millennium Ring" he won after dueling Bakura. He recounts how he sent dark Bakura to the darkness using "The Winged God Dragon of Ra"; the same God card that will defeat Yugi next turn. Dark Yugi is enraged on what Dark Marik has done. As he was about to draw, he thinks about the card that Kaiba has given him and bets it all on his last card. He draws a card with his eyes closed and sets it without looking. The referee Isono calls out Dark Yugi for doing an illegal move, but Kaiba tells him to let it go.
Dark Marik draws in his turn. He activates his Spell Card "Monster Reborn" to call "The Winged God Dragon of Ra" (ATK 0/DEF 0) from the Graveyard in Attack Position. He then activates Ra's ability; he pays all but 1 Life Points (3000 -> 1 Life Point) to increase Ra's ATK (ATK 2999). It was shown that Dark Marik is being fused with the God card, to Dark Yugi's surprise. Dark Marik then sacrifices "Juragedo" to absorb its ATK (ATK 1700) and increases Ra's ATK further (ATK 4699). He attacks Dark Yugi directly, but Dark Yugi responded by playing his face-down Spell Card "Devil's Sanctuary". It was the card he set without looking. Dark Yugi notes how he felt Kaiba's soul when he touched the card. Dark Marik notices something appearing on the field and wonders what it is. A metal doll reflecting Dark Marik's remains appears. The "Devil's Sanctuary" summons one Metal Devil, which Dark Yugi explains reflects the opponent and use their Life Points as its ATK. If it is attacked, the opponent takes the damage taken from the battle instead. Dark Marik wants Ra to stop the attack, but it's too late. Dark Yugi tells him that when the Metal Devil is destroyed, Dark Marik will lose. Ra's blaze hits the Metal Devil. However, after the attack, Dark Marik is still standing (4700 Life Points) and the Metal Devil (ATK 1) is still there, to Dark Yugi's surprise. Dark Marik activated the Spell Card he got from Dark Yugi's "Exchange", "De-Fusion", which splitted him and the God card. As he got Ra's ATK as his Life Points, Ra's ATK becomes 0, cancelling the attack. He points out that Marik also got his body back to normal as well. After "The Winged God Dragon of Ra" and "Monster Reborn" returns to his Graveyard, Dark Marik sets a card face-down to end his turn.
Before he draws, Dark Yugi pays 1000 Life Points to maintain the Metal Devil on his field (3300 -> 2300 Life Points). Dark Marik notes how useless it is to keep the Metal Devil, but Dark Yugi has plans for it. He knows that Metal Devil can be used to defeat a God and to summon a God. He activates his set card, "Multiply". It triples the number of Metal Devil on the field. Dark Marik has caught on to his plan. Dark Yugi sacrifices all of the Metal Devils to summon "The Giant God Soldier of Obelisk" (☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆, ATK 4000/DEF 4000) in Attack Position. He declares a direct attak on Dark Marik, dealing huge damage to his Life Points (4700 -> 700 Life Points). Dark Marik crouches in pain, but signs of uneasiness can still be seen on Dark Yugi's face. As Dark Marik stands up, he points out that Marik is also getting his punishment, as his body disintegrates to the shadows. He then notes the irony of how Marik will die at the hands of a Pharaoh, whose secret he spent his whole life protecting. Dark Yugi faces the dilemma of letting Marik get killed. Yugi ponders a way to defeat only the Dark Marik. Dark Marik tells Yugi he will repay the pain that he received. He activates his face-down Trap Card "Metal Reflect Slime". He acknowledge that Traps do not work on Gods, but this trap triggers when he lose Life Points. The "Metal Reflect Slime", summoned in Defense Position, copies the "The Giant God Soldier of Obelisk" and gets 3/4 of its DEF (DEF 3000). Dark Marik calls it "God Slime". Dark Yugi ends his turn by setting a card face-down.
Dark Marik's turn. He doesn't have any cards that will fetch "Monster Reborn" back to his hands, so he decides to keep the "God Slime" to defend him until he gets another chance to revive Ra. He then tells Dark Yugi that his deck is based on "Immortality"; to bring back God over and over again. He points to the "God Slime" as an example. He summons "Revival Jam" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 1500/DEF 500) in Defense Position. Dark Yugi recognized the monster back when he fought Marik the first time. Dark Marik sets a card face-down and ends his turn.
Dark Yugi starts his turn. He summons "Big Shield Gardna" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 100/DEF 2600) in Defense Position. He then goes to attack the "God Slime" (DEF 3000) with "The Giant God Soldier of Obelisk" (ATK 4000), but Dark Marik activates his set card, "Fusion". Obelisk destroyed "God Slime", only to be regenerated. Dark Yugi is surprised. Dark Marik fused "God Slime" with "Revival Jam"; an "Immortal God Slime (DEF 3000)". Dark Yugi ends his turn.
Dark Marik's turn. Dark Yugi realizes that Dark Marik is using "Immortal God Slime" to wait for a card that will resurrect Ra; in such case, Obelisk will be done for. He starts to think of ways to rid of "Immortal God Slime" and inflict damage to Dark Marik. Dark Marik tells Dark Yugi there is nothing that can be done. He plays a card face-down and summons "Bowganian" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 300/DEF 1000). He explains that "Bowganian" inflicts damage to an opponent at the end of the opponent's turn. He ends his turn.
Dark Yugi starts another turn. He sets a card face-down and sacrifices "Big Shield Gardna" to summon "Dark Magician Girl" (☆☆☆☆☆☆, ATK 2000/DEF 1700) in Attack Position. He decides to attack "Bowganian" (DEF 1000) and destroy it before it can even attack, but Dark Marik activates his Permanent Trap Card "Jam Defender". The "Immortal God Slime" blocks the attack and inflicts damage to Dark Yugi (2300 -> 1300 Life Points). "Jam Defender" forces "Immortal God Slime" to block all of Dark Yugi's attacks; with "Immortal God Slime's" immortality, Dark Marik's defense has become impenetrable. Before Dark Yugi ends his turn, "Bowganian" inflicts damage to Dark Yugi (1300 -> 1000 Life Points), further disintegrating Yugi's body to the shadows. Dark Marik brags how the Gods, even the Pharaoh, bows to him due to their fear of death.
With the burden at stake for Dark Yugi in this duel, Marik, through Anzu, tells Dark Yugi that he is prepared to die as long as his shadow is defeated. He confesses that he swore revenge against the nameless Pharaoh for killing his father, but later learned that it was his dark side's deed. Dark Marik tells him that it's all too late now and all Marik can do now is to bring his guilt with him to the grave. Marik tells his dark side that he will take him with him and tells Yugi that this is his last test as a Pharaoh.
Dark Marik starts his turn confident that Dark Yugi cannot defeat him. He activates his Spell Card "Magical Stone Excavation"; he discards 2 cards to retrieve "Monster Reborn". Dark Marik brags that the next turn, Ra will rise again. Dark Yugi worries how he can hurt Dark Marik; aside from "Immortal God Slime", his real concern is the other Marik, who was going to die when Dark Marik lose. Dark Marik sets a card face-down and summons "Swallowtail Spike Lizard" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 1900/DEF 1700) in Defense Position. "Swallowtail Spike Lizard" gives 1000 Life Points to Dark Marik (700 -> 1700 Life Points). He ends his turn. Dark Marik plans to strip Dark Yugi off of his God Card to destroy the latter's chance of winning against him.
Dark Yugi's turn. Yugi tells Dark Yugi that there has to be a way to defeat Dark Marik without killing the real persona. He begins to extrapolate that their chance might come when Dark Marik is fused with Ra; if they defeat Ra that time, they might defeat him. Dark Yugi finds an idea and thanks his other self. He plays a card face-down. He also summons "Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 1500/DEF 1200) in Defense Position and ends his turn. "Bowganian" then attacks Dark Yugi directly (1000 -> 700 Life Points). Yugi continues to disintegrate, to Dark Yugi's worry, but Yugi tells him to defeat Marik's evil heart. Dark Yugi promise that he wouldn't let him die.
Dark Marik draws his card. Looking at his last card, he was overjoyed that until the end, darkness fights by his side. He tells Dark Yugi how the later will burn under Ra's Wings. He activates his face-down card, "Monster Reborn", resurrecting Ra from the grave. After chanting the incantations, Dark Marik pays 1000 Life Points to burn Obelisk using "Phoenix Mode" (1700 -> 700 Life Points). Dark Yugi activates his face-down card in response. Dark Marik brags that nothing will save Obelisk, but inside the flames, it was not Obelisk, but Osiris, who took the attack. Dark Yugi shows his Spell Card "Monster Reborn" to shield against the Phoenix's attack using Osiris. He escapes Ra's wrath as it returns to the Graveyard, but Dark Marik tells him that it is his last moment when he plays his last card. Dark Yugi wonders what Dark Marik has left to play now that the Battle Phase is over, but the latter activates his Spell Card "Surprise Attack from the Darkness". It gives Ra a chance to attack again this turn.
As Ra returns to the field in "Sphere Mode", Dark Marik chants the last incantation, fusing himself with the God Card in its "Battle Form" (700 -> 1 Life Point); Ra's ATK rose to 699. Meanwhile, as Dark Marik joins with Ra, Yugi grabs this opportunity to commence his plan. By sacrificing his monsters, Dark Marik notes that he can defeat Dark Yugi now with one shot, but Dark Yugi tells him he was waiting for this moment. He activates his set Spell Card "Soul Taker", noting that Magic effect works on God for a turn. Dark Marik is surprised that Dark Yugi is going to sacrifice Ra along with him. A twister surrounds Ra and tries to absorb it inside the void, but the God forces its way out. Dark Marik lectures Dark Yugi that he cannot be sacrificed; Dark Yugi is the sacrifice and will die in this duel. Dark Yugi shows a smirk. Dark Marik demands what's funny, and Dark Yugi corrects him that it is not Ra that he was going to sacrifice; it's the "Immortal God Slime". He notes that the twister that was taking Ra was not from "Soul Taker" but from the aftereffect of "Surprise Attack from the Darkness". By taking both "Revival Jam" and "Metal Reflect Slime" through "Immortal God Slime", he explains that he will activate Obelisk's ability. Dark Marik's got 1000 Life Points (1 -> 1001 Life Points). Sacrificing the monsters, Obelisk's ATK becomes ∞, to Dark Marik's shock. Dark Yugi declares an attack, but Dark Marik demands a moment, as he sacrifice all his new Life Points and monsters to Ra (ATK 4899) (Dark Marik: 1001 -> 1 Life Point). Obelisk's attack reaches Ra, but it just bounces off, unscathing Ra. Dark Yugi is surprised. Dark Marik explains that due to their hierarchy, Ra is unaffected by other God's abilities. He launches a counterattack and declares that he wins. However, Dark Yugi tells him to have a second thought with that. He activates "Dimension Magic", sacrificing Obelisk and Gazelle. Obelisk evades Ra's attack, but Dark Marik questions what now that Dark Yugi does not have a God. Dark Yugi argues that he have friends and comrades instead who guides him along his journey. From inside the "Dimension Magic" case, "Dark Magician" (☆☆☆☆☆☆☆, ATK 2500/DEF 2100) appears to the field. Dark Yugi explains that since "Dark Magician" and "Dark Magician Girl" are on the field, they both can destroy one monster on the field; the target which is Ra. On the verge of defeat, Dark Marik threatens that if Ra died and he was left with 1 Life Point, his main personality will die as a result.
Dark Yugi is shocked by the revelation. Dark Marik explains that if Marik takes damage, his ego will be broken too much to recover. Yugi asks Dark Yugi to abandon what they are about to do and think of another plan. Just then, Rishid appears on the duel arena. Dark Marik is amused that Rishid is still alive, but tells that it's too late to try and push him back to Marik's sub-consciousness. Rishid begins to tell that their tragedy was brought by their fate as tomb guardians; it is what created the evil heart inside Marik. He knows that Marik is prepared to die to pay for his sins, but he argues that despite being led to darkness, Marik should continue living as a human being. Dark Marik tells him to shut up as Marik begins to regain his will to live. Rishid continues that there is no light in death, but only in life. With his one point of Life, Marik takes control of a piece of Dark Marik and tells Dark Yugi to attack Ra. Marik's new found resolve has cleared away his guilt and doubts. Dark Yugi is surprised about Marik's actions, but believes in him and goes to destroy Ra using the combined powers of "Dark Magician" and "Dark Magician Girl".