Destined to be Yours

Chapter 74: Engulfed in the Sacred Flames

Akia ran up to the top of the blimp, hoping to still find Marik and Bakura alive and well. As she feared, when she reached the dueling ring, it was enveloped by a layer of darkness.

"Of course," Akia sighed, feeling the panic rise up within her. She took out her Millennium Scale from her backpack and used it to penetrate the darkness. The eye of Anubis lit up on her forehead and she transported herself inside the realm of the dark game that Marik and Bakura were partaking in.

Sensing a breach, both players looked towards the direction of the intrusion.

"Akia! I thought I told you to stay put!" The Spirit of the Ring reprimanded her.

The girl looked in his direction, noticing that most of his body was gone. She looked around and saw creatures of darkness floating around.

"They are eating his soul and body," the soft voice informed her.

"So... the more Life Points they lose, the more the creatures drag them into the darkness," Akia mumbled.

"Hey! Akia! Are you listening? Keep disobeying me and I won't be as lenient as I've been," the one possessing Bakura warned her.

"Stop talking to her like this! Who do you think you are?!" The fragment of the real Marik that was within Bakura's soul rebuked.

"Before you came along, she belonged to me! Don't think you can just waltz in and claim her," the Spirit of the Ring spat.

"I'm not claiming anyone! Akia's free to do what she wants to do! She's not anyone's possession!" The real Marik yelled back.

Marik's words warmed Akia's heart. More than anything she wanted him to come back and she knew that this duel was only going to make things worse, no matter the outcome.

"Trouble in paradise, I see," Marik's evil personality chuckled. "All of it over this girl. Then again, I do get the appeal. Once both of you are out of my way, she'll be at my mercy."

"In your dreams, you lunatic!" The Spirit of the Ring insulted the young Egyptian man.
Akia, at this point, couldn't care less about what they were saying. She just knew that this all needed to end.

"Please, everyone, stop this duel!" Akia yelled out.

"Why would you want it to stop? Are you worried I won't win?" The Ring's inhabitant inquired.

"If you win, then Marik will disappear. Both his dark personality and his real personality," the red-eyed girl started explaining, "but if Marik wins, then Ryou will be lost in the darkness along with a fragment of the real Marik. I don't want to lose anyone anymore. Please, don't go through with this...!"

"Akia..." The real Marik called out to her, "if I'm not defeated, more people will get hurt. Even if it means me disappearing, it's for the best..."

"No it's not!" Akia interrupted him, "have you ever thought about how I'd feel if you were gone? I finally found you again and now you're saying that it's better off if you just disappeared forever? I can't accept that... I won't accept it! I will go to the end of the world, to the innermost depths of darkness and I will drag you out of it!"

"Akia...!" The real Marik called out with a shaking voice, "I wish I had realized this earlier... All I want is to be with you! I don't want to disappear!"

"Hahaha quite the display you two have there," Marik's evil personality laughed, "it's too late to stop this, however. I'm about to end this in one turn."

Everyone's focus was brought back to the game.

"Playtime is over," the dark Marik continued, "I'm about to send you both to the World of Darkness! I activate the magic card from my hand, Resurrection of the Dead. Of course the one I will bring back to the field is the Winged Dragon of Ra!"