[STORY] F4-Programmer (Season 1: Duelist Kingdom) : #013

Episode 13: Evil Spirit of the Ring (Morphing Jar's Trap: Flame Swordsman's Narrow Escape)

Bakura and Yami Yugi face off in the Shadow Realm over the Millennium Puzzle. Yami asks why Bakura has taken them to the Shadow Realm, and Dark Bakura replies that Bakura is no longer there. (Japanese Yami Bakura says, "Bakura? I'm not Bakura.") Yami asks him who he is, and Dark Bakura says, "I am a thief and a stealer of souls." (Japanese Yami asks Yami Bakura what he intends to do, and Yami Bakura replies that Yami should know.) He says he's done terrible things in his quest to possess the Millennium Items. Whosoever wields all seven will possess power unimaginable. Before he's done, Dark Bakura says Yami's Millennium Puzzle will be his. (Japanese Yami Bakura says if Yami wins, he'll release the souls, but if he wins, he'll take possession of the Millennium Puzzle.) Yami clutches the Puzzle, saying that's not going to happen. So they kneel before their playing mats, and the duel begins.

Yami Yugi goes first, summoning Tristan's favorite card, the Cyber Commander (Commander) (750 DEF) in defense. But when the monster appears on the field, it's Tristan in the Cyber Commander's gear. Tristan thinks he's dreaming, and freaks out when he sees the giant Yugi looming over him. Yugi realizes that Bakura has used the Millennium Ring to capture Tristan's soul in his card.

Dark Bakura chuckles, asking Yugi who his little friend is. He looks pretty tough, but can he deal with Bakura's card? Dark Bakura plays White Magical Hat (White Thief) (1000 ATK) and attacks. Tristan looks on in horror as Dark Bakura's monster attacks, thinking he must still be dreaming. Yami calls out, No! as Tristan's destroyed. Dark Bakura says Tristan's soul was trapped within the card when it was defeated, and Yami demands to know where Tristan is. He's gone to the graveyard, Dark Bakura says. (Japanese Yami Bakura says that if Commander's soul is caught by the Shinigami [god of death] while he's in the graveyard, Honda's body will die.) Yami says it can't be—Tristan can't be gone! Tristan's soulless body still lies on the ground behind him. But Cyber Commander Tristan is walking through a graveyard, wondering how he got there. He remembers being attacked, and the next thing he knows, he's wandering around this graveyard. Then he kneels before a tombstone and wipes the dust off it, to find that his name is carved on it. (The name on the tombstone is changed in the English version. The Japanese tombstone reads "Honda Hiroto.")

But this can't be! Tristan cries out.

Yami gives Dark Bakura a fierce look, but Dark Bakura only laughs, telling Yami that when you duel in the Shadow Realm, the stakes are always higher. Yami made a sloppy move, and his friend paid for it. Which of his friends will he sacrifice next? (Japanese Yami Bakura says Yami has discovered the truth, but the Dark Game won't end. He asks Yugi what he will do.)

Yugi contemplates his next move. He'd avoid using the cards with his friends' souls trapped in them if he could, but to save them, he has to win, and he only has one card in his hand that can beat White Magical Hat. So he summons Joey's favorite card, Flame Swordsman (1800 ATK), and now Joey appears on the field with sword and helmet, wearing the Flame Swordsman's clothes. He turns to ask Yugi what gives, and screams at the sight of Giant Yugi, thinking he's finally cracked. But Yami explains that Joey's become the Flame Swordsman, and Yami must win the duel to restore him to normal. But if Joey's defeated in battle, he'll go to the card graveyard just like Tristan did. In order to win the duel, restore everyone back to their bodies and get them all out of the Shadow Realm, Yami says he's going to need Joey's help. Joey says if Yugi wants his help, he's got it. He figures he's lost his mind, but he's going to go with it. (Japanese Jounouchi says it's just a dream, but he'll show Yugi his true colors.)

Then he looks across the playing field and sees the Giant Bakura. Now he knows he's nuts! He's six inches tall, wearing a dress, about to fight his giant friend. (Japanese Jounouchi says, Bakura's the enemy? It's a very confusing dream.) Yami tells him that's not really Bakura, but an evil spirit from the Millennium Ring who's taken over. Joey has no idea what Yami's talking about, so he just attacks, destroying White Magical Hat. Dark Bakura's life points go down to 1200. (The shot of Yami Bakura clutching his chest in pain as his life points go down is changed in the US version to show Bakura frowning.)

Pretty pleased with himself, Joey asks Yami, now what? Yami says, now it's Bakura's turn.

Telling Yugi his Swordsman won't be so lucky this time, Dark Bakura plays a monster face-down. Yami suspects something, but before he can stop him, Joey's gone in for the attack. He destroys the monster, but it turns out to be Morphing Jar (Metamol Pot) (600 DEF). Horrified, Joey asks if he screwed up, and Yami explains that now both players must send all the cards in their hands to the graveyard. They're just lucky that Téa's card wasn't in Yugi's hand. Joey drops to his knees to apologize for jumping the gun, and Yami discards his hand and draws a new one. He sees that he's drawn Dark Magician—his own favorite card. But is it also his soul card? What will happen when he plays it?

Saying that with a new hand comes a new perspective, Dark Bakura sets another monster face-down in defense, and sets a magic or trap card. New dangers surround every turn, he adds. Yami can't figure out what Bakura's up to, but he has no choice but to risk playing Dark Magician. And sure enough, it's little Yugi on the field, drowning in the Dark Magician's robes. Then Yami plays Reborn the Monster (Resurrection of the Dead in the Japanese, real card name Monster Reborn) to bring Tristan back from the graveyard.

Tristan's surprised to see Yugi and Joey on the field with him, and asks if they're dreaming this, too. Joey says it's not a dream, it's just him going insane. Yugi looks up at Yami, saying that a second ago, he was up there. Tristan says, if Yugi's down here, who's that up there? Yugi says he doesn't know, and Yami asks, doesn't he? Yugi says he has noticed that sometimes when he duels, it feels as though someone is guiding him. Yami nods, and Yugi continues that sometimes it's as if he can hear a strong voice calling out to him from the Millennium Puzzle. (The words "DUEL FIELD" have been removed from the dueling mat in the US version.)

Tristan and Joey react in surprise, but Yugi reassures them that even though he's not sure what it's about, he's pretty sure they can trust the other Yugi, whoever he is. (Japanese Yugi tells Yami, "Now's not the time to keep secrets," and when Yami agrees, he tells his friends about the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, and the "other me" living inside him. He apologizes for not telling his friends before, but Jounouchi says he doesn't mind, Yugi is still Yugi, and still his friend.) Joey says that if the big guy's okay with Yugi, he's okay with him, and Tristan agrees.

Yugi wonders, now what? Tristan thinks maybe they should try to find Téa, and Yugi says she must still be in the deck. Joey says they should try to win this thing before her card gets played, and Yugi agrees.

Joey's about to attack, when Yugi stops him, saying that since he was just played, he has to move. (Japanese Yugi says it's his turn.) Dark Magician Yugi attacks—and it's another Morphing Jar. Dark Bakura laughs, saying they'll have to send all the cards in their hands to the graveyard again. He and Yami discard their hands, and Yugi apologizes to Yami. Joey tells him it's okay—he did the same thing.

This time, to his dismay, Yami draws the Magician of Faith. Dark Bakura taunts Yami, saying he wonders if Téa's immortal soul is trapped in her card. Maybe Yami should play it and find out. (Japanese Yami Bakura asks if Yami drew any good cards, and Yami notes to himself that a player is allowed to have up to three of the same card in his deck, so Bakura could have one more Morphing Jar.) Bakura sets another monster face-down, telling Yami that he doesn't know what card it is, so he might be putting Téa in danger. (Japanese Yami Bakura says he'll set one card. Yami wonders if it's Metamol Pot.) Then he activates his trap card, Just Desserts, inflicting 500 points of damage to Yami's life points for each monster he has on the field. Since Yami has three cards on the field, he loses 1500 life points, bringing him down to 500. Yami grabs his chest in pain, as Dark Bakura tells him he'll feel like every point was ripped from his beating heart.

Tristan asks Big Yugi if he's okay, and Yami says yes, but one more attack like that, and it's all over!

Yami decides Téa's card isn't safe in his hand, and plays it face-down to hide her. Téa peers out from under the card, spots the gang and asks what's up. Joey, Yugi, and Tristan rush to hide her, and she tells them it's a little early for Halloween. (Japanese Anzu thinks they're playing a role-playing game.) Then she notices she's holding Magician of Faith's wand. Joey tries to explain, telling her that Bakura and Yugi are big dueling giants, fighting for their souls. But she says Yugi's right here. Yugi says the big guy's not really him, but not really not him, which doesn't really help Téa. Then Yugi says it has something to do with the Millennium Items he and Bakura have. It's some kind of magic. Téa says, then she's not crazy, and Yugi says, not unless they're all going crazy.

Joey tells her to think of it this way. There are two Yugis—the cool one up there, and the puny one down here. Yugi falls down in exasperation, then throws a fit, saying that's not how it works at all! Joey tries to calm him down, telling him it's just a joke, but Yugi says he has the powers of the Dark Magician. He'll show them who's puny. He attacks Bakura's monster, as Yami calls out to him to wait. But it's too late, and Dark Bakura's monster is destroyed. The gang congralute Yugi, but then his body is shocked by electricity, and he goes numb. Dark Bakura's monster was the Electric Lizard (800 DEF). He laughs, saying that attacking the Electric Lizard results in some rather shocking feedback, which Yugi won't soon forget.

Yami sets a trap card and ends his turn. Tristan and Joey try to push Téa down under her card, but Dark Bakura tells them not to bother—he can see her perfectly well. Now he has all four of them right where he wants them—right on the field, where they're easy prey for his Man-Eater Bug (600 DEF), which he plays face down. Joey asks Yugi what that card does. Still twitching from Electric Lizard's effect, Yugi explains that it can destroy one monster on the field when it's flipped face up. Tristan says he really doesn't want to go back to the graveyard. Joey tells him not to worry, they'll destroy the bug before Bakura plays it. But Yugi says that won't work. The moment they attack, the card will activate. There's only one way out of this, and they're standing on it—Yami's trap card. But it also requires the sacrifice of a monster. Either way, one of them will be destroyed.

Tristan says he'll go. The Man-Eater Bug will take one of them out no matter what they do, and at least this way, he'll take it out, too. But Joey whacks him in the gut with his sword hilt, telling him that he just got back from the graveyard. Joey makes the attack himself, running over to the card and holding his sword over it. The Man-Eater Bug rears up with Joey on its back, and Joey hangs on for dear life, pleading with Yugi to use the trap and sacrifice him, so that none of his friends will be hurt. Yami nods, and activates his trap card, Horn of Heaven, sacrificing the Flame Swordsman to destroy the Man-Eater Bug. (The words "Magic & Trap Card" have been removed from the dueling mat in the US version, as well as the words "Monster Card" on the monster card zones.)

As the gang watch in horror, Joey disappears. Tristan turns away, saying that his best buddy's gone.

Dark Bakura tells him not to worry—he'll soon be joining Joey in the graveyard. They can spend an eternity together.

Joey finds himself in the graveyard. He says it's pretty creepy, but they got Tristan back, so maybe.... Then he sees the Reaper of Cards coming after him.

Dark Bakura says he hopes Yami has no illusions about rescuing Joey back from the graveyard—Yami's already used Reborn the Monster, the only way to get him back. Soon the Reaper of Cards will claim his soul forever. (This sequence is changed in the US version. In the Japanese, it shows a pan of Yugi, Honda, and Anzu looking off to the side, and there's no dialog.)

Téa says poor Joey sacrificed himself, and in the graveyard, Joey runs from the Reaper of the Cards. But then he trips on a rock, and the Reaper of the Cards looms over him.

Téa starts to cry, saying Joey can't be gone. But her tears activate Magician of Faith's special effect (Oops, the US version shows Téa standing on the Dark Magician's card, with its seven stars, and attack and defense of 2500 and 2100. The Japanese card is reversed, but it does show the Magican of Faith's name and stats.)

which allows Yami to retrieve one magic card from the graveyard, and naturally, he chooses Reborn the Monster, and revives Joey, just in time to save him from the Reaper of Cards. The gang surround Joey happily, and he says, all right!

Grumpily, Dark Bakura tells Yami he's wasting his time and his turn rescuing these foolish mortals. But Yami says his friends are never a waste of time, and tells Bakura to make his move. Dark Bakura says this is the play that will end the match and win him the Millennium Puzzle. (Japanese Yami Bakura says they'll all be trapped in the graveyard, but Yami says the friendship of the four of them creates a miracle. Yami Bakura scoffs at friendship, saying he'll show them that friendship won't last long.) He summons Lady of Faith (High Priestess) (1100 ATK) in attack mode, and then holds up Change of Heart. Yugi says, that's the real Bakura's favorite card. Dark Bakura says he can use it to turn Yugi against his comrades. Yugi says he refuses, but Dark Bakura says he won't have a choice. Change of Heart allows him to control any one of the opponent's monsters, and he chooses Yugi. Yami tells Bakura to leave Yugi out of this, but Dark Bakura asks, why should he? By destroying Yugi, he'll defeat Yami as well. (Japanese Yami tells Yami Bakura he's cruel and evil. Yami Bakura says, Yami can say whatever he wants, but his friendship will end in this moment, and they'll all die in despair.) He plays the card, and the light of its magic force shines on Yugi.

But, standing on the Change of Heart card is the real Bakura. His soul was sealed in his favorite card, too. He tells Yugi he wants to help, but they must act quickly. He takes control of Lady of Faith instead, urging Yugi to attack him and win the duel. Yugi says he can't—he'd be sending Bakura to the graveyard. But Bakura says he doesn't care—it's better than be enslaved by an evil spirit. He tells Yugi to do it, while Dark Bakura furiously tells him to be quiet.

Yami has a better idea. If the power of the Millennium Ring can pull people's souls from their body's, maybe the Millennium Puzzle can put them back. He restores Bakura's soul to his body, sealing evil Bakura in the card. (Hmm... if he could use the Millennium Puzzle to restore people's souls to their bodies all along....) Then he tells Yugi to attack, and Yugi destroys Dark Bakura, sending him to the graveyard, where the Reaper of Cards comes to reap him.

Back in the real world and restored to their bodies, Yugi asks Bakura if he's okay, and Bakura says thanks to Yugi. Then Yugi asks where he got the Millennium Ring. Bakura says his father picked it up on one of his trips, and told him it's from ancient Egypt. Bakura's father was shopping in a merchant bazaar when the Millennium Ring caught his eye. The man who sold it to him said it had something to do with Duel Monsters, but Bakura says that never made any sense to him, since the card game is new and the Ring is clearly ancient. When Bakura's father got back, he gave it to Bakura, saying he thought Bakura was destined to have it. (Japanese Bakura says his father is an archeologist who travels around the world. His father bought the Millennium Ring in Egypt, along with a card. In the Japanese, the card the dealer shows Bakura's father has an ATK and DEF of 666. This has been changed to 1000 for US audiences.)

Meanwhile, Joey, Téa, and Tristan are finally waking up. Tristan says he just dreamt that Bakura went totally mental, and Joey agrees, saying that's the last time he snoozes with cards under his pillow. (Japanese Honda says he had a bad dream, and Jounouchi says he dreamed of a terrible Bakura.) Then Bakura shows up, asking if they slept well. Joey and Tristan leap into each other's arms in fear, then freak out, saying "Hands off!" and "You grabbed me!" (Japanese Honda says, "What?" and Jounouchi tells Bakura not to scare them.) They fly apart, while Yugi, Téa, and Bakura laugh.

Téa says she dreamed they were dressed as Duel Monsters, and there were two Yugis. (Japanese Anzu says she thought there were two Yugis. Was it really a dream?) Yugi and Bakura don't know what to say.

Then they hear a scream, and rush off to find out what's going on.