Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist - Duel 158

Darkness Awakens! is the 158th chapter of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist manga and the 217th chapter of Yu-Gi-Oh! in the Japanese version.

With Rishid falling comatose, Marik's dark side emerges, while the outcome of the Duel is still to be decided.

Summary
Marik hunches over in pain, clutching his head. Rishid, his eyes barely open, begs Marik not to awaken that side of himself, and he slumps to the ground, whispering "no..." Marik's body glows as the top layer of his hair spikes up, and he lowers his arms with a neutral expression on his face, the Eye of Wdjat glowing on his forehead.

Rishid sees Ishtar and the younger Marik, both clad in the garb of the Ghouls. Ishtar comments that Rishid failed to command God. He never had the blood of their clan. The two figures walk away.

In Jonouchi's dreams, he hears his voice. Anzu yells at him to wake up, while Honda tells Jonouchi to get up. Bakura, Otogi, and Yugi are also standing above Jonouchi, all in school uniform as Jonouchi snoozes at his desk. He sleepily asks if it's time for his paper route, to Anzu's confusion, and Honda yells that he's been sleeping since fifth period. He tells Jonouchi to stop sleep talking. School's already over. Yugi asks Jonouchi if he forgot what day it is. Today's the day of the Duel Monsters tournament at Domnio Toysaurus. Jonouchi freaks, remembering as he digs in his bag. Anzu snidely comments that he's been talking about being the best Duelist in town. Jonouchi brings out his Deck and shows the group his Duel Disk, stating that he didn't forget. Honda sweatdrops, asking if Jonouchi has anything in his schoolbag besides his lunch and collectable card game gear. Jonouchi angrily retorts that a real Duelist travels light. Right on cue, he sees Kaiba, also in uniform with his own Duel Disk and his briefcase, who smirks, calling Jonouchi a scrub Duelist. Jonouchi lunges after Kaiba, but Yugi manages to hold him back. Jonouchi thinks that he'll beat Kaiba one of these days. His friends tell him they don't have much time, startling Jonouchi and causing him to drop his cards. Jonouchi quickly starts picking them up, and his friends share looks of embaressment, with Anzu calling him a klutz. They all pitch in, and Jonouchi checks his Deck to make sure that's all of them. His friends tell him to hurry up, and Jonouchi agrees; he'll be right there. He rises from his desk, getting to his feet as his friends smile...

...Jonouchi stands on his feet atop the Duel field, looking at the still comatose Rishid. Honda and Dark Yugi cheer, and Mai observes that Jonouchi's back on his feet, while Shizuka calls out her brother's name. Dark Yugi tells Jonouchi that he did it, and Jonouchi looks over at everyone in confusion (not noticing Marik's change in appearance). He asks them why they aren't at Domino Toysaurus, and Mai calls Jonouchi a moron - he was talking in his sleep. Jonouchi wonders what happened, and he looks over at Rishid, wondering why he's on the ground. Then he remembers - when Rishid Summoned "Ra," it was like an explosion. They both got attacked. Isono then interrupts; the Duel is over. The winner is Katsuya Jonouchi. Jonouchi's friends cheer the shocked Duelist on. Kaiba isn't happy that Jonouchi won, thinking that it's a disgrace, but he wonders why "Ra" didn't materialize. Instead, both players were struck down as if a raging storm stirred the heavens. He wonders if the God card could have been a fake.

Jonouchi dashes over to Rishid, telling him to wake up. Rishid is roused, and he tells Jonouchi that he is proud to have fought against Jonouchi. Jonouchi replies in kind, as his friends rush up. Jonouchi tells Rishid to hang in there; he's not Marik, is he? Who is Rishid? Rishid replies that he is a shadow. He begs Yugi to stop "that man's other," but falls unconscious before he can complete the sentence. Dark Yugi is floored, and Jonouchi begs Rishid to hang in there, but to no avail. He sadly thinks that Rishid wouldn't brainwash anybody, and he furiously yells, asking the real Marik where he is, the real Marik who made Rishid fight in his place. He and Dark Yugi looks over at "Namu," and "Namu" replies that Rishid is Marik, or at least Marik's shadow. But the one who casts that shadow is him.

Dark Yugi observes that "Namu" is Marik. Jonouchi is furious, and he yells that Marik is dead meat. Kaiba observes that this is Marik, the possesor of "Ra." Marik speaks slowly, claiming that he no longer needs a shadow. When Rishid is around, Marik is hidden. Compared to him, the other Marik is a child. That's why he can never finish a Duel properly. As he speaks, a faint image of his face begins to distort the rigth side of his head. Dark Yugi realises in shock that he's talking to another Marik, a split personality. The Dark Marik admits that if he had to mention one obvious difference, Marik is afraid of the dark. But Dark Marik loves it. He chuckles darkly, and states that a shadow is just a shadow. Rishid may have lost, but now there's one thing Dark Marik's sure of. Only those who are connected to a Millennium Item can control the God cards.

Kaiba butts in, calling the theory rubbish. He has no interest in their Millennium nonsense, but the God card "Obelisk obeys him. Dark Marik chuckles softly. So Kaiba says, comments Dark Marik. But perhaps his memories also stretch back 1000 years. Kaiba is surprised by the statement, but not as much as Dark Yugi, who wonders if the figure on the mural could be Kaiba. Dark Marik states that he's sure they'll find out soon enough. He turns and begins to leave, laughing to himself. As the blimps flies through the air, Ishizu thinks that finally, Marik's dark side has awakened. No-one can change the course of their destiny. They are headed to a future of despair, the last flickering light has been lost. Dark Marik contines to walk away, and an image of his face stretches out from the left side. The Eye of Wdjat glows on Dark Yugi's forehead in response as Dark Marik thinks that the Millennium Battle has finally begun. They are headed for the true darkness, and none of the can turn back.

And as he says this, the image of "Ra's" massive head appears in the sky, revealing its unobscured, beak-like jaws and the feather-like structures on its head.

Featured Duels: Katsuya Jonouchi vs. Rishid
 Turn 28: Rishid  Jonouchi rises to his feet before Rishid does, disqualifying Rishid from the tournament.

Production history
Darkness Awakens! is the 158th chapter of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist. In the Japanese manga it is the 217th chapter of Yu-Gi-Oh!. It was first printed in Japanese in the V Jump magazine. It was reprinted in volume 25 of the Japanese graphic novels and volume 18 of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist graphic novels in English.