"W-Where...?" The brunette's eyes started opening slowly, wondering why she was lying down on a bed.
"Anzu!" Honda exclaimed. His friend was finally awake.
Anzu sat up and started asking Honda about what was happening and why she was there with him. He explained everything to her, telling her about how she was possessed by Marik and telling her about the ongoing duel.
"We have to go cheer Akia-chan on!" She said while quickly getting up.
"You sure you're feeling better?" Honda asked her.
"Yes! Let's go!" Anzu started dragging him out.
While running out, they bumped into Ishizu who was helping Rishid walk out of the blimp.
"Ishizu-san!" Anzu called out. "Rishid-san is awake?!"
"Ah, Anzu-san, Honda-san! I'm glad to see you are well, Anzu-san," Ishizu said. "Please, will you help me? We need to get Rishid up there before Marik is lost!"
"Let me support him," Honda put Rishid's arm around his shoulder to help him walk. "You going to be alright, man?"
"Yes, thank you," Rishid said weakly. "Let's hurry. Marik-sama and Akia-san are going to be in grave danger if we don't stop his evil personality..."
They quickly headed towards the arena, not wanting to waste any more time.
Marik's evil personality was laughing uncontrollably, thinking that he had finally gotten rid of Akia. Just as Isono was about to announce him the winner, Akia shakily started getting up.
"I'm... not done... yet..." She breathed.
"Akia!" Yugi, Jounouchi, Otogi, and Marik's dominant personality exclaimed.
Marik's evil personality frowned. The red-eyed girl panted as she stood there, but there was renewed strength lighting up her eyes. Her past self was also awake, although more than half of her was swallowed up by the darkness. She did not seem afraid, however.
"I'll start my turn. Draw!" Akia drew her next card with determination. Seeing what it was, she smiled. "Well, fate seems to be finally on my side. I'll use one of my facedown cards, Ancient Rules, to summon a level five or higher normal monster without the need of a tribute. Come out! Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000)!"
"Red Eyes!" Jounouchi yelled out in excitement as the majestic dragon materialized.
Akia's past self smiled at the view of her Ka, her spirit monster.
"What do you hope to accomplish with your puny monster?" Marik's evil personality chuckled.
Akia didn't answer him and opted to proceed with her turn. "I'll set one card facedown. I'll also activate Dimensional Fissure. Any monster that is sent to the graveyard will now be removed from play instead. Turn end."
"Wait, what is she doing? She's leaving her monster wide open for an attack!" Otogi exclaimed in disbelief.
"And no traps or spells or effects work on Ra!" Jounouchi added.
"I'm sure she's got a plan..." Yugi reasoned, mainly trying to convince himself.
"Hahahaha, have you finally lost it?" Marik's evil personality laughed. "Did you hit your head during last attack? I'll finish you off this turn! Draw! Winged Dragon of Ra! Attack her puny dragon! God Blaze Cannon!"
Akia smirked. "Trap card, activate!"
"Trap?!" Jounouchi, Otogi, and Yugi exclaimed.
"You're kidding? Traps don't work against god!" The dark Marik mocked her.
"This trap doesn't target your god card. Universal Adapter, activate! This card allows me to choose a monster that you control. The attack of all other monsters currently on the field become equal to that monster's attack, until the end of this turn. I'll choose the only monster you have on your side of the field: Winged Dragon of Ra!"
The evil Marik's eyes widened as Akia's Red Eyes Black Dragon's attack matched his god card.
"Yeah!" Otogi exclaimed.
"Go, Akia!" Jounouchi cheered.
"She probably included that card in her deck on purpose for this duel! Once the attack resolves, both monsters will be removed from play!" Yugi happily stated.
"I won't let that happen!" Marik's distorted personality yelled out. "Winged Dragon of Ra! Enter Phoenix Mode!"
"Huh?!" Jounouchi and Otogi interjected.
"Phoenix Mode?" Yugi inquired.
Akia clenched her teeth, not knowing exactly how Phoenix Mode worked. She had only seen it once during Bakura's duel, but she didn't know if there was more to it.
"Akia! The moment is getting close!" Her past self informed her. When the attack resolved, both monsters were still standing. The Winged Dragon of Ra was now in Phoenix mode, its entire body engulfed in flames. Its attack and defence were both down to 0, but no damage was dealt to Marik.
"What is this...?!" Akia questioned.
"When god first enters Phoenix Mode, it is impervious to attacks and no damage is dealt to me for this turn," Marik's evil personality chuckled. "Now, I will fuse with god and destroy you as soon as my next turn comes! I will pay all but 1 of my Life Points to become one with god!"
That was when it clicked in Akia's brain. Fusion!
The Winged Dragon of Ra's attack went up to 4949, and all that was left of Marik's dominant personality was his left eye. His evil personality was split in two, most of him fused at the god card's head, and only his left eye and arm were left standing in front of Akia.
"Turn end." Marik said ominously.
"Marik!" a voice called out from behind Yugi and the others. Everyone's attention turned to the voice to find it belonging to Ishizu.
"Sister...!" Marik's dominant personality weakly called out.
Behind her came Anzu and Honda, who was helping Rishid walk there.
"Marik-sama! Don't give up!" Rishid said to him.
"Rishid!" Marik exclaimed.
His evil half frowned. "What is he doing here...?!"
"Akia, did you figure out what to do?" The red-eyed girl's past self asked.
Akia nodded. She grabbed her Millennium Scale and addressed Marik's dominant personality.
"Marik! Listen to Rishid! You can overcome this!"
"Akia... No... I'm weak... This all happened because I'm so weak. You got hurt because of me.
This is all hopeless," he sighed in defeat.
"No, Marik-sama! You are strong. You're one of the strongest most kind-hearted people I know! You're the only one who can take back control!" Rishid encouraged him.
"Marik! I will help you! You just need to be willing!" Akia exclaimed, pointing her Millennium Scale at her opponent. "And then, we can finally be together!"
Hearing everyone's encouragement and seeing Rishid safe again rekindled Marik's fighting spirit.
"I... I won't let you do as you please anymore!" He yelled out to his dark personality. On cue, Akia used her Millennium Scale to fuse both of Marik's personalities together. This was only possible right now because his dark personality had essentially become a monster by fusing with the Phoenix god.
"Ah! You fool! Get off!" The evil personality that was fused with the god card clutched the side of his face that had stayed below and was not fused. Marik's dominant personality then took partial control and talked to Akia. "Akia, I've got him...! Finish him off!"
"Marik! A-Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you..." Akia stuttered from the pressure and stress.
"Trust me...!" He struggled to get the words out, but he seemed more sure than he'd ever been since his evil personality took over.
Akia nodded and drew her next card. "I'll activate my set trap card, Return from a Different Dimension! By paying half of my Life Points, I can special summon as many of my removed from play monsters as possible for this turn only!"
Akia's Life Points dropped to 900. She summoned back to her field Chaos Magician (2300/2000), D.D. Warrior Lady (1500/1600), Kycoo the Destroyer (1800/700), and Banisher of the Radiance (1600/0). Along with her Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000), she had a total of five monsters on her side of the field.
"That's a whole lot of monsters!" Honda exclaimed.
"But they're still not stronger than the Winged Dragon of Ra!" Jounouchi interjected.
"I'm sure she's got something planned, especially that these monsters will be banished once more by the end of her turn," Yugi added.
"It's time to end this!" Akia declared. "I sacrifice every single one of my monsters to special summon my very own legendary monster! Come out, Legendary Maju Garzett (?/0)!"
Akia's Life Points went up to 3400 because of all the monsters that had been sacrificed and banished as a result. Her monster's attack jumps all the way up to 9700, making everyone gasp in surprise.
"What is this attack power?! What is this monster?!" Otogi exclaimed.
"It's a special monster that can only be special summoned by sacrificing all of the monsters that the player controls. In exchange, it gains attack equal to all of the sacrificed monsters' attack added together," Yugi explained. "To think that she'd use it with Return from a Different Dimension! That's a very powerful combo!"
"Legendary Maju Garzett! Attack the Winged Dragon of Ra! Demonic Black Lightning!" Akia gave the order. As her monster attacked, Marik's evil personality yelled out in pain. When the smoke from the attack started dissipating, the Winged Dragon of Ra had disappeared and all that was left was Marik's silhouette, standing there.
"M-Marik...?" Akia called out tentatively, not sure which personality it was.
The smoke completely gone now, Akia could finally see who it really was. The look in his eyes alone was enough for her to know that it was the real Marik who had finally taken back control of his body. He was panting and beads of sweat were showing up on his forehead. The red-eyed girl felt as though she was about to cry from happiness and relief. She wanted so badly to just run to him and hug him, but the duel was still not over.
Since Ra was in Phoenix mode, Marik did not suffer any damage to his Life Points, and still had the 1 Life Point left.
"Marik!" Ishizu called out happily, also recognizing that it was really her brother.
"Marik's expression changed..." Honda noticed.
"Is his dark personality gone?" Jounouchi asked.
"Akia... I still have one life point left. We're still not finished here." Marik said to his opponent while taking off his cape. Behind him, the eye of his evil personality appeared where he was earlier.
"What the hell...?!" Marik's dark half yelled out.
"Marik's dark personality and his dominant personality switched places! Now he's the sacrifice!" Yugi observed.
"This can't be! There's no way my half-dead dominant half had enough will power to overtake me and take over the body!" The evil Marik shouted. "Stop joking! I've become a sacrifice just because of one point?! Hey! Dominant Half! I've always thought of us as friends sharing the same body! There's still a chance we can win this duel even with just one point! We need to win this so that we can kill Yugi next! It's because of him that you have suffered the terrible fate of the Tomb Guardians! Get revenge for you and your ancestors!"
Marik frowned and glanced at his evil half. "You are the dark side that I created as a result of that fate to deal with my suffering. You can no longer control my subconscious!"
"What...?!" His evil half retorted.
"The crimes that I have committed will never be cleared. But I will live on bearing my guilt like these carvings on my back," Marik said. He then glanced at his sister and Rishid, then looked up at Aki, giving her a small smile. "And I'd like to chase the light of hope once again amidst the darkness of my destiny. Akia... I don't know how to thank you for rescuing me in this Duel." He then glanced back at his dark half. ""I will destroy you with my own hands!"
"You don't mean...! Stop...!" The evil personality yelled and begged, but Marik ignored his pleas.
The young Egyptian man started bringing his hand up to his duel disk. "The terrible fate of the Ishtar clan lasting 3000 years... The tragedy caused by me shutting myself in darkness. I must put an end to it myself. All with my hands! This will at least be some atonement for the sins I've committed."
"Stop...!" The dark half begged more, but it all fell on deaf ears.
"This will be the first step into the light!" Marik said, his hand now placed above his duel disk, signifying a surrender.
"Surrender!" Yugi exclaimed. "This automatically drops his Life Points to 0!"
"Marik..." Akia whispered his name, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
"Surrender?! Impossible...!" Marik's evil personality struggled to get out the words as he started disappearing.
"Begone! My dark self!" Marik yelled out.
As the evil personality disappeared into the darkness, only his screams remained were heard before the darkness dissipated. Marik then used his Millennium Rod to free everyone that had fallen victim to him and his dark personality.
Akia's past self appeared fully next to her, only seen by her. "Akia, thank you for trusting me and saving Marik."
"Where will you be going now?" Akia asked.
"I will go back to where I belong, now that I have been freed from the darkness. I'm sure I'll see you again when you go and seek the truth," the girl's past self smiled and disappeared.
Akia then looked back across the field and saw Marik standing there, smiling at her.
"Due to Marik Ishtar surrendering, the winner of the second semi-finals match is Mutou Akia!" Isono announced. As soon as he was done, both Akia and Marik couldn't hold back anymore and they ran towards each other, the young Egyptian man lifting her up by the waist, hugging her tightly and twirling around from the intense happiness he was feeling.
"Marik!" Akia called his name in between sobs.
"Akia!" He whispered her name, feeling like his heart was about to explode out of his chest.
When he put her down, he held her face in his hands and blinked away some tears that were threatening to come out. "I... I can't believe this is happening right now. Am I really allowed to be this happy after all the horrible things I did?"
"Don't you dare," Akia sniffled. "Don't you dare leave me again by making up some other excuse. I won't let you!"
Marik wiped away her tears with his fingers. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of happiness and love for this girl who was crying for his sake.
"I won't ever leave you anymore," Marik rested his forehead on hers and whispered.
"Well this is sweet and all, but uh, I'll have to interrupt you guys for a second," Jounouchi walked up to them. Marik let go of Akia's face, but held her close to him by her waist, not wanting to ever let her go again.
"Are you going to release the people that were harmed by your evil side?" The blond young man asked.
"Yes, I have released them all, so they should be waking up by now," Marik informed Jounouchi. "I'm so ashamed of what was done and I'm really sorry about it all..."
"So Mai is okay?! I'm going to go check!" Jounouchi interrupted in his excitement and left the tower running.
"I want to check up on Mai-san too! And Ryou!" Akia exclaimed and got out of Marik's embrace, dragging him by the hand along with her. Everyone else followed back to the blimp to check up on their friends.
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This duel was the most challenging duel for me to write like... ever... I'm so happy it's done! And I'm so happy I got to this point in the story with Marik and Akia finally together!! It's been a long ride, but we've made it everyone!