"Still stubborn, I see." A moment of silence. "You are the Eighth Key, and you will tell us your name. My associate is very... creative in his ways to retrieve the information he wants."
Bakura's derailed grin was enough to make anyone feel sick to his stomach. Jounouchi ignored the pain he was feeling and stepped in front of the Pharaoh.
"You won't get his name," he said, "and you won't be resurrected! This world is not yours!"
"Look at your miserable group of soldiers," Zorc continued, voice sickly suave. "The Tomb Keepers are about to fall over from destroying the robot minions. The Pharaoh is too exhausted and beaten to summon the last of his Gods and not even his pathetic light half can help him. His Priest is running out of magic and against the wall there is another deplorable group of weak bystanders: the Priestess, the original Bakura and Set's younger brother... I see that Set has removed himself from play. Interesting. But even he cannot do a thing to stop us."
Jounouchi looked over his shoulder. Zorc was right. Everyone except for Marik was close to exhaustion; he clung to his Item, the Sennen Rod, and destroyed one robot after another, but his movements slowed down, his chest heaving and his maniacal laughter came in pants and gasps. Jounouchi didn't know what to do next. It couldn't end this way.
"Bakura," Zorc commanded, "let us deal them one more blow."
The thief grinned again and tapped at the black device he was holding.
Yuugi pressed himself against the Pharaoh. "What do you need?" he asked, desperately. "What do you need to stop this? Is it your name? I..."
The whirring sound didn't bode well. Out of habit, Jounouchi's hand went to his gun again. Maybe he could stop whatever it was with a few bullets... he had damaged some of the robots before, hadn't he? But he wasn't prepared for what he saw next. A large red eye lit up above the metal door the previous waves of robots had come through and to his horror, Jounouchi realized that it was another robot, humongous, detaching itself from the wall and its protruding, spider-like mechanical legs searched for foothold on the floor.
Malik all but clung to Marik. "We can't..." he said, wheezing. "We're done for!" Marik growled, but his pose wasn't as confident and strong as before. The huge robot set itself motion and turned around to face the group. Bakura looked at it with disdain; Jounouchi figured that the Ancient Egyptian disliked modern technology just as much as the Pharaoh, but the thief had found a way to work it to his advantage. Diabound moved to the side, sucking in its chest as the giant robot passed. Even the look on the semi-God was one of great anger. Clunky, the massive robot took a few steps forward, lifted up one of its arms and struck Marik, sending both Ishtars rolling over the floor as they were clinging to each other. Ishizu cried out and ran over to her brothers. The robot picked up the Sennen Rod that Marik had dropped and returned it into the stone slab.
"Finally!" Bakura didn't bother to hide his annoyance. He pressed more buttons on the tablet and the robot lifted up its arms again, snapping them like crab pincers. Mahaado pulled at the Pharaoh.
"He's going to separate us," the magician-priest spoke, fear in his voice. "Pharaoh! We have to move!"
"Mahaado-san," Yuugi urged him, "what is it that he needs? What can I do?"
"Pray to all your gods," Mahaado said dramatically and called his Magus back, but as soon as his kaa monster turned around, the robot swatted at the Magus as if it was an annoying fly and backhanded it casually. The monster fell to the floor and Mahaado doubled over in pain, groaning as he clutched at his chest. Jounouchi was at his wit's end. Magic didn't help, Gods didn't help, bullets didn't help and those big claws were coming directly at them. Mahaado was right: they were going to get separated, divided into human sacrifices to resurrect Zorc and the Pharaoh and Yuugi to be tortured for the Eighth Key... his name.
Jounouchi turned his head around. "Yuugi! Tell the Pharaoh his name! We have to seal this monster away!"
"No! Do not say it out loud!" Mahaado didn't allow the Pharaoh to speak. "As long as Zorc does not have his own body yet, we do not need the Pharaoh's name to seal him away!"
"How do we do that?" Jounouchi asked. "We're running out of time!"
"If only we could call forth the Sun of God Dragon," Mahaado sighed. "All of this has taken a severe toll on my Pharaoh. He has no power left to do so."
"How can we give him power to call that Sun thing?" Jounouchi imposed. "Hurry!"
"It's a Summon," Yuugi said. "It's a God, Jounouchi. We just can't... there's nothing left we can do!"
"Fuck no!" Jounouchi was ready to beat the robot with his bare hands when it suddenly halted, one of the pincers at a mere millimeters distance from the group. A deadly silence followed. Bakura stared in disbelief at the robot, whose red eye died down.
"Bakura! What is going on?" Zorc's voice filled the room.
Jounouchi needed a moment to process this new development, until it dawned to him. "Ha! In your face, stupid God of Darkness!" he roared. "Kaiba just cut off your electricity, you assholes!"
"He did it! My brother did it!" Mokuba cheered. "He found the command center and shut it down!"
Bakura was ready to murder everyone with the look of pure hatred in his eyes.
"Bakura," Zorc repeated, "do something!"
Everyone could figure out in less than a second what Bakura was going to do. He didn't shout a command. He didn't boast. He didn't grin. He simply made a movement with his arm and Diabound straightened itself to its full height. It raised its claw-like hands and held them apart, calling a massive energy ball into existence, crackling with destructive power.
"I don't wanna die," Jounouchi said, not realizing he said it out loud. He had hoped that Kaiba would seize control over the robots instead of shutting them down, so they could fight against Bakura and Diabound. But even so, what exactly could they do against this monster..? It was all over. They had run out of options, except for summoning the third God and it didn't look like that was going to happen anytime soon.
Yuugi grabbed the Pharaoh's hand. "Please, mou hitori no boku," he said. "You can do this. Summon the third God! Take my energy, take everything you need!"
"I cannot, aibou," the Pharaoh said, but he didn't withdraw his hand. "I already took more than I was allowed to. I am sorry. We will fight to the end. Mahaado, take him to safety..."
"Oh no you don't," Yuugi said. "We're not going to go through this again! The first time I allowed you to take that decision for me, but now, you don't!"
"Mahaado," was all that the Pharaoh said, and the magician-priest reached for Yuugi.
He shook his head, angrily. "I said no, Atemu!"
In a split second, Jounouchi saw both the Pharaoh's and Mahaado's mouth fall open in bewildered shock. The next second, everything went to hell. The stone slab exploded, scattering the Items everywhere, unleashing the build-up energy. A dark, ominous cloud formed behind Diabound, about to launch its attack. At the same time, a blinding light surrounded the Pharaoh, as both Yuugi and Mahaado held onto him tightly. Everyone shielded their eyes. Jounouchi stood in front of Yuugi, Mahaado and the Pharaoh. The Ishtars were all huddled together, along with Bakura Ryou and Mokuba - Kaiba hadn't returned yet, and he was probably safer wherever he was. Bakura laughed out loud. Diabound's attack was aimed straight at them. Jounouchi braced himself. If this was his moment to die, then he was content to die along with his friends. He didn't realize he was holding his breath, waiting for the inevitable. But the blow was never delivered. The light dissipated and Jounouchi looked up. A golden... sphere hovered in the air. It somehow shielded them, and it had impressed Diabound enough to withhold his destructive attack - the monster looked at the sphere suspiciously, while the dark mass behind him increased in volume. Bakura cackled, but suddenly hiss maniacal laughter dissolved into a loud, horrified wailing.
"Help me! Help me!" The thief cried out, swaying back and forth. He brought up his hands, staring at his fingers in disbelief as his skin changed, in color and texture. Jounouchi didn't understand what was going on. Bakura's cries became even louder as realization settled in when the first grains dropped to the floor: he was turning into sand. It literally seeped away from his body, taking his body with it to the floor, and the look on his face was one of despair and fear. Yuugi even took a step forward, but Mahaado grabbed him at the shoulder and pulled him back.
"No," he said sternly. "He is beyond help."
Jounouchi drew his conclusions. The big sphere had to be the third God somehow, but it didn't show itself yet. When calling out the Pharaoh's name, Zorc's resurrection had been set into motion and the Dark God used Bakura to create his own body instead of original victims he had in mind. With a gurgling sound and a last cry for help, Bakura was reduced to a pile of sand, his red cloak the last reminder that he had actually existed. Diabound didn't utter a sound as it disappeared, swallowed by the dark cloud. It started to take shape, forming and molding itself into a... monster. It became quickly obvious that the Dark God wasn't human and didn't care for a human-looking exterior; Jounouchi took a couple of steps back, almost bumping into Yuugi. Mahaado strengthened his grip on the Pharaoh. Chuckling, which sounded like a rolling thunder, Zorc manifested itself as a gigantic tall monster-god-being, with massive fangs and razor sharp teeth for a mouth, bat-like wings, glowing red eyes and demonic, curved horns on each side of his head. Towering over the entire group, Zorc was apparently not impressed with the golden sphere hanging between them and he didn't attempt to remove it.
"I always knew that your name would be found in light again, Pharaoh," Zorc said, his voice low and gravely. A rumbling laughter followed. "It was a smart idea to remove all the references from your tomb, but you underestimated your light half's dedication. How sweet."
"Aibou," the Pharaoh said, without any reproach in his voice. Yuugi was on the verge of tears.
"I'm so sorry, mou hitori no boku..."
"It is all right." He straightened himself and his hand slipped away from Yuugi's. Mahaado silently let go of him and the Pharaoh stepped forward. Jounouchi moved away to allow him to pass. This was something between Zorc and Atemu. It was weird to think of the Pharaoh as Atemu, but a name was a name... yet his name was so important.
"You will go no further than this, Zorc," Atemu said, confident despite looking disheveled. "I will seal you again. My name is known - and I will use it against you!"
"Think again, Pharaoh. You are too weak to even summon your god completely. Your name is known now, but it is too late. You are all going to die. This world will be plunged into darkness!" Zorc put his right foot forward, casually trampling Bakura's coat, the entire floor shaking from the Dark God's massive weight. Jounouchi decided to stall for time; if anything, he could give Atemu the chance to gather more energy to unveil the third god.
"Don't you even care about what happened?" He asked out loud, earning Zorc's attention. He pointed at the red coat. "You killed your partner, and now you want to kill even more?"
"You know what I am," Zorc answered calmly. "There is no distinction in the darkness. Bakura lived out his usefulness. The fool thought we would return to Egypt!"
As if Yuugi had guessed Jounouchi's intention, he spoke up as well. "He was in tremendous pain when you killed him," he said. "You have no compassion. You have no heart."
"So?" Zorc was unfazed. "I am the Darkness. I am shadows and despair!"
"There's a small light in even the darkest darkness," Yuugi said. "Marik rejoined the Tomb Keepers. Bakura wanted to return to Egypt. Don't you see, Zorc? For everything you claim about hate and anger in your beloved darkness, there's hope and love in the light!"
"Impressive." Zorc even sounded like he was in awe. "You have obtained yourself a strong light half, Pharaoh. Perhaps I have underestimated you. Do not worry," his eyes fixated on Yuugi, "there is no light in me, none whatsoever. I do not feel such pitiful emotions like hope or love. The Darkness will rule, and I am the Darkness!"
"Your lack of compassion and love will be your undoing," Atemu said, just as Mahaado's Magus of Fantasy Illusion draped the Sennen Puzzle around his neck. He cupped it, and the stylized eye on the front immediately glowed intensely. "Listen to me, mighty Sun of God Dragon! Show yourself, Winged Dragon of Ra!"
Zorc hissed. The golden sphere responded to Atemu's command. Jounouchi thought he had seen it all, with those crazy Ancient Egyptians and their magic and weird stuff, but this took the cake. A monster emerged from the sphere, a giant bird-beast with wings, and enveloped in such a golden light that Zorc growled and grunted, taking a step back. Still, he wasn't showing any fear, just annoyance. The Winged Dragon opened its beak and let out a roar that shook the very sky; the entire basement and the building were shaking.
"Pharaoh," Zorc spoke, "you forget that I am a God as well! I have powers of my own, as well as the powers of Diabound. I will defeat your God and turn him against you!"
"You will not." Atemu looked over his shoulder. Ishizu caught his gaze, nodded and pushed Malik and Marik forward. Malik a little hesitant and Marik completely focused on the God, they joined Atemu's side.
"Pathetic humans," Zorc snorted. "You cannot protect them. It is too late, and you know it!"
Jounouchi noticed Mahaado's uneasiness. What was bothering the magician-priest?
"You will never understand what it means to rule," Atemu said, holding his Puzzle up higher. "You think that all it takes is to sit on your throne in darkness and do whatever you please. Who are you going to rule, Zorc, when you have discarded all of these 'pathetic humans'? A ruler is a man of honor, a man of great wisdom, a man of tremendous strength. You lack each and every trait for a just ruler. You will return to the darkness - not as a ruler, but as a prisoner!"
He started chanting. Malik and Marik joined him, voices shrill at first, but increasing in strength and volume as the chant progressed. Zorc snorted.
"Fools! Too late!"
"My name... is Atemu!" the Pharaoh cried out and Mahaado's "No! NO, Pharaoh!" got lost as the Winged Dragon transformed itself once again. Domino City was lit with the power of the God, who spread its wings and turned into a golden Phoenix, burning out the darkness.
"Holy fuck of the fuck," Jounouchi said, his mouth agape.