Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 211

=Notes=


 * In this episode, we finally have the instance of "three Bakuras running around" lampooned in the Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series - Episode 040. Indeed, the Bakura count is as follows:
 * Ryo Bakura, unconscious in the real world where the Tablet of Lost Memories is stored.
 * Yami Bakura, currently playing a game vs. Yami Yugi in the Shadow Realm.
 * Thief King Bakura, the "pawn" of Yami Bakura during his Shadow Realm game.
 * However, the "pawn" Bakura (Thief King Bakura) was eliminated from the "game" just before Yami Bakura made his appearance. Thus in fairness to LittleKuriboh, there are only two Bakuras "running around". :)

=Summary=

Yugi Muto's Search for the Pharaoh's Real Name

 * Yugi & his friends have finally made it back to the Royal Palace. The palace doors are still closed. This time however, Yugi's mission is clear to him: he and his friends have been sent back to the World of his memories to find the Pharaoh's real name. He pleads the Pharaoh's spirit to let them him.
 * As Yugi attempts to pass his hand through the door... it works! The Royal Palace is now open to them!
 * Yugi, Joey, Téa and Bobasa enter the palace: they decide to separate and meet back in 1 hour for better searching efficiency.
 * Tristan follows soon after, however something's amiss! Tristan appears "evil" and snickers as he passes through the Palace doors? Could Bakura have done something to him?
 * Later on, the friends realize that conducting a search while "immaterial" is no easy task:
 * Téa has found the palace library, but she is having trouble making "contact" with the papyrus parchments.
 * Bobasa however, has no problems and is stuffing himself full of food in the royal kitchens.
 * "Evil" Tristan is also actively conducting his search.

The Defeat of Thief King Bakura & Aknadin's Treachery Revealed

 * Back at Kul Elna, the final attack of "Dark Magician"/Mahad struck down "Diabound". Thief King Bakura collapses down the stairs leading up to the Millennium Stone.
 * Bakura drags himself to the Tablet, and inserts the Millennium Items he's accumulated so far: the Millennium Puzzle, the Millennium Scale, and the Millennium Ring.
 * The Pharaoh orders him to return the items! However, another voice echoes through the room and says: "Those items will stay right where they are!". It's Aknadin! And he's holding the Millennium Key!
 * At this point, Bakura starts glowing in a sinister pink light, which then separates from his body. He seems confused and does not understand where he is? Was as an evil spirit possessing him?
 * Soon after, Bakura's body starts to disintegrate. A voice echoes: "I was just using that fool as my pawn! (...) It's time you learnt the true nature of this Shadow Game ". As the shadows take Bakura's body (it turns into sand and disappears), Shada appears at the doorstep and yells "You... must...stop... him!".
 * Aknadin's treachery is revealed in front of everyone! Shada tries to stop him, but Aknadin pushes him away and then casts an immobility spell on the group, freezing everyone in time!
 * This allows Aknadin to retrieve every single one of the Millennium Items, which he then proceeds to insert inside the Millennium Stone, including his Millennium Eye (which he removes from his eye socket right then and there)!
 * The Pharaoh is asking himself how can this be? Thief King Bakura was defeated, he saw it with his own eyes? So if the Shadow Game should be over, how can he still be hearing Bakura's voice? Unless...
 * Unless this whole thing was precisely just that: A GAME!!!
 * At this point, Yami Yugi "wakes up" and sees Yami Bakura sitting across him in front of a large table. On the table, there seems to be a playing field: it's the ancient land of Egypt from the Pharaoh's past!! This is a Shadow RPG, Dungeons and Dragons-style, and Yugi and Bakura are the Game Masters!!!!

Shadow RPG: Yami Bakura's Twisted "Ultimate Shadow Game"

 * Bakura then explains everything:
 * Yami Bakura: "Leave it to you to sleep through the most important game of your life Pharaoh. (...) We're in the Shadow Realm of course, sitting before the playing field. After all I promised you a Shadow Game didn't I? (...) The field is the world of ancient Egypt, the pawns are the people of your past."
 * Yami Yugi: "Are you saying that everything we do affects the events of the past? Are you??? Just when I think you can't sink any lower you prove me wrong Bakura. Manipulating the lives of others just so you can play out some twisted game?!"
 * Yami Bakura: "Not some game, the game. And as soon as I resurrect Zorc from the Millenium Stone, the final stage of this game will begin".
 * Yami Yugi: "Wait, so if I don't defeat Zorc that means I lose the game?"
 * Yami Bakura: "You'll lose much more than that. (...) Like those meddling twits you call friends. They entered a world where they didn't belong, so when the playing field disappears they'll be trapped in the shadows. You'll never see them again!"


 * Then, Yami Bakura reveals that Yugi's "pawns" in the game are frozen in time thanks to Bakura's Hourglass Token. As the Game Master, Bakura has three of them and this particular one freezes time for every character in the game except for Bakura's.
 * Bakura then shows Yami Yugi the other Hourglass Token he used in Ep.207, when he reversed the "Sands of Time".
 * All the characters in the "game" are frozen in time by the effect of Yami Bakura's Hourglass Token, except of course his own characters Aknadin and "evil" Tristan. For some reason however, Bobasa is unaffacted by time-freezing spell.

Aknadin's Transformation: "Shadow Magus"!

 * Back at Kul Elna, Aknadin has just resurrected the spirit of dark Lord Zorc Necrophades.
 * Aknadin: "Master Zorc hear me! I now offer you the 7 treasures!"
 * Zorc: "So, the mortal responsible for creating the Millennium Items has returned! Now denounce your allegiance to Egypt and pledge your loyalty to me. Do this, and everything you desire shall be yours."
 * Aknadin: "My only wish is for a new Pharaoh to be named. He shall be my own beloved son, Seto!"
 * Priest Seto: (thinking) "No! This cannot be true! Master Aknadin is my father?!"
 * Zorc: "Very well. Your transformation from Sacred Guardian to Lord of Darkness is now complete"
 * Yami Bakura's "Aknadin" game-piece has just doubled in strength: it's been transformed to "Shadow Magus".


 * Yami Bakura then reveals he has found a way to bring back Zorc without the Eigth Key (the Pharaoh's real name): by using his third Hourglass Token. When the last grain of sand falls to the bottom, Zorc shall be reborn!
 * Meanwhile in the Royal Palace, "evil" Tristan is walking through a room where all past Pharaohs are depicted on the walls. Each one has a tablet listing their name, except the tablet for our very own Yugi-look-a-like Pharaoh is completely blank!
 * Back at Kul Elna, Aknadin/"Shadow Magus" is revealing the story of his past to Priest Seto and the other Guardians (still frozen in time by the effect of Yami Bakura's hourglss). He tells them of how he was the younger brother to King Aknamkanon, and thus should anything happen to the current Pharaoh Priest Seto would automatically inherit the throne.
 * Shimon Muran wonders how Aknadin, after all these years of loyalty, would turn on his own family. He thinks Bakura must have preyed upon the hidden jealousy Aknadin always felt of his brother, and the incredible guilt he must have harbored after giving up his family.

Hassan, the Master Item

 * Saying these words, Aknadin/"Shadow Magus" casts a spell to banish the Pharaoh to the darkness forever, however a mysterious entity shining with light enters to deflect the attack: it is Hassan (the mysterious figure the Pharaoh encountered in Ep.208), protector of the Pharaohs.!
 * It turns out Yami Yugi actually "played" Hassan in the game, using a special token.
 * Hassan deflects the attack upwards, out of the "board game" playing field. As the spell hits the Shadow Realm "ceiling", it is separated into different rays and destroys Yami Bakura's time-freezing hourglass. Yami Yugi's characters are thus freed.
 * However, Yami Bakura reveals that attached to each character's DiaDhank is a sensor which measures their life energy. Yugi's characters are almost close to zero, while Aknadin/"Shadow Magus" is at maximum! In addition, Bakura's third Hourglass still stands and once its time is up, Zorc will be Summoned! Can Yami Yugi stop him on time?