Destined to be Yours

Chapter 51: Confrontation

Marik's ship had finally arrived at the Domino Port. He wasn't in a very good mood considering how one of his pawns had lost the Sky Dragon of Osiris to the pharaoh. He had sent so many of his minions at him, but none succeeded. After the one that Akia had defeated, he had sent Pandora to rival the pharaoh with his Black Magician. To his dismay, that had also failed. Now he sent after both Yugi and Kaiba two opponents: Mask of Light and Mask of Darkness. They were to challenge them to a tag duel. He didn't have much hope for them, but they were enough to buy him some time for his plan to work out.

He chuckled to himself. This wasn't over. It was only the beginning. "Yugi, you will suffer greatly when I turn your friend into my puppet."

He then got onto his motorcycle and rode off down the streets of Domino city. After turning into an alleyway, someone jumped in front of him, forcing him to drift his motorcycle away to avoid him in time. Marik, quite pissed off at the unwanted stranger, got off his motorcycle and removed his helmet. He then pulled out his Millennium Rod. "Who are you?"

The stranger then revealed his own Millennium Item. Marik then realized that this was the guy that was getting way too close to Akia for his liking.

"The Millennium Ring," the Egyptian teen noticed.

Bakura, taken over by the spirit of the ring, grinned. "Give me your Millennium Item. I'll erase anyone who interferes with my plans."

"I see. You're collecting the Millennium Items. Why?" Marik inquired.

"Isn't it obvious? In a secret Egyptian temple, I'll place the seven items in the Tablet of the Pharaoh's Memories to open the door of shadows. I'll acquire the evil power that was sealed away," the Spirit of the Ring replied.

"Only the gravekeepers know about this... So how does he know?" Marik thought to himself. "But he doesn't know that the seven millennium items aren't enough to open the door of shadows. That secret is carved on my back."

"My name is Marik."

At the mention of his name, Bakura frowned. "I had a hunch that that was him. So this is the guy Akia can't stop thinking about. Seeing him like this just makes my blood boil."

"I'm Bakura."

"I have no interest in the Millennium Items, Bakura. I only care about killing the nameless pharaoh. After killing him, this Millennium Rod is a piece of junk to me," Marik replied.

"This guy...." Bakura scowled internally.

"I have a proposition," the tanned teen suggested, "if you help me defeat Yugi, I'll let you have this after it's over."

"A proposition? I told you to give me the Millennium Item," the Spirit of the Ring ordered.

Marik chuckled. "I have my own reasons. I can't let you have this until I finish Yugi."

"Then let's fight with our shadow powers. Millennium Rod versus Millennium Ring," Yami Bakura challenged.

The Egyptian grinned. "Let's do it."

They both held up their Millennium Items. That was when Bakura had a better idea. "Forget it." Bakura then let go of his ring.

"What's wrong?" Marik inquired.

"I know I won't lose to you, but we share a common interest. Right?" The Ring's inhabitant stated.

"You made a wise decision."

"If you want Yugi, it's quicker if you go after his friends instead. I'm waiting for my chance."

"That's what I'm planning to do with the power of my Millennium Rod."

"But their bond is strong. You won't break it easily. That's why having Bakura to host me is useful."

"A host? How interesting."

"I can use him." Both of them thought.

"One more thing," the Spirit of the Ring added.

"Hm?" Marik raised an eyebrow in wonder.

"Do you remember a girl named Akia?"

Marik got caught off guard at the mention of her name. "Why does that concern you?"

 "So you do remember her. After all those years... Let's cut right to the chase. You're after Yugi, right? That means that you don't care if she ends up hating you for hurting her dear twin brother. Right?" Bakura's grin got wider as he saw Marik's face distort into a frown.

"I have nothing to do with her anymore. She's merely a memory from the past." As he said that, Marik felt his heart squeeze uncomfortably, as if something within him was begging him not to say such things.

"Good. I'll take that as a vow not to interfere between me and her."

Marik's eyes turned ice cold. "You and her?"

"Huh? Why do you ask? I thought she was just a memory to you."

The tanned young man exhaled to calm himself. "Whatever it is, I won't interfere."

"Then we have ourselves a deal," the one possessing Bakura agreed to the terms.

Akia had been walking around for quite some time, trying to find Yugi and her friends. She then started hearing people talk about how there was an epic duel going on in the local aquarium. Curious about it, she went to the aquarium and heard quite a commotion coming from the inside.

"That sounds like the end of the duel..." Indeed, just as she suspected, the duel was over when she walked in. "Jounouchi!" She yelled out his name. He was the one who was duelling and ended up winning.

"Akia! Did you see that?" He waved at her. She joined up with him and noticed that Honda, Anzu, and her grandfather were all there.

"Akia-chan! How's your progress?" Anzu asked her friend.

"I have six puzzle cards, which means I already qualify." Akia answered. She then looked at the one who was defeated by Jounouchi. It was a well-built guy with spiky black hair with a bluish hue.

"Oh yeah, you two never actually met," Honda noticed.

Jounouchi then introduced them to each other, "so uh, this is Kajiki Ryota."

"Oh yeah, the one that Yugi duelled and told me about back in Duelist Kingdom," Akia replied with a friendly smile.

"That's me! And you are?" Kajiki inquired.

"Mutou Akia, Yugi's twin sister," the red-eyed girl answered.

"You're the Queen of Games, aren't you?! So Yugi's twin is just as good as he is I see."

After getting to know each other briefly, they said their farewells to Kajiki and went on their way out.