That's a bit too much reality in my fantasy manga for me, thanks.
In case you don't remember, the chapter is reminding us that Yami has an even 2000 life points, reduced and surpassed by a smug asshole!Bakura's 2450 points. After a panel reminding us what's out on the field at this point, asshole!Bakura conversationally states that it's his turn again, while planning to lay down another terrifying card. Don't get too high off your own ectoplasm, kid. He plays his terrifying card face down and ends his turn, saying that Yami will still go down even if he twiddles his thumbs. Well, I thought you were all into playing more spooky ghost cards, and now you're just going to sit on your hands? What a wash.
Yami isn't too comfortable with this boring development, though, sweating nervously. Asshole!Bakura reminds Yami that it's his turn with a creepy grin, as you do. Meanwhile, Jonouchi is shouting from the observation pit the most obvious shit ever - that if Yami doesn't figure out how to deal with Necrofear, he's done for. Anzu too feels the need to remind us that the tables have turned on Yami. I have eyes too, you know, but that's for the double redundancy. Anzu continues in this vein by worrying about where the doll's spirit is, because of its ability to turn an attack back on Yami instead of his target. Still, Jonouchi is far more concerned about the fact that doing nothing isn't an option either, because in three turns, the duel is done regardless.
Honda seems to be the only one willing to say that Yami is going to turn this thing back in his favor without a doomsday prediction. It seems more like an affirmation or mantra than an active belief, but he says it. Yami is a bit preoccupied by the letters looming in front of him to be much encouraged by this, though. Asshole!Bakura is utterly convinced that his secret weapon would not be destroyed, so he's the only one who seems to be relaxed.
Yami finally states himself that it's his turn, and asshole!Bakura giggles in response. A visual representation of the doll's spirit weaving itself around and between Yami's monsters, looking for a new host as asshole!Bakura is aware, knowing it's the DMG that's possessed again. It's not clear if he can just see the random act of the spirit, or if he's directing it to DMG, but regardless, the fact that Yami can't see this is making asshole!Bakura giggle again.
Examining the backs of the monsters in front of him, Yami wonders where the doll's ghost has hidden itself this time. He looks between all of the holograms and decides it can't be Kuriboh, because asshole!Bakura is well aware that it's not for attacking enemies. That leaves DMG and Gamma as potential hosts, and Yami can only attack with one due to the Dark Door card. Yami considers not attacking at all and just passing his turn while he contemplates his hand, but he quickly discounts the idea. He doesn't have many turns left, after all.
So, declaring that he's not going to run just because it's risky to attack, Yami decides to take a gamble. He commands Gamma to attack, but the moment he does, asshole!Bakura reveals his face down card to be a trap; Dark Spirit of Silence. Yami is understandably freaked and shouts in disbelief, before asshole!Bakura explains that his trap turns the attack command to another monster. Three guesses as to which THAT'S going to be. Asshole!Bakura tells his new ghost to possess Gamma now, and we're well on our way to filming a new installment of the "Exorcist" series, friends!
Gamma appears to short out when the spirit leaps into him, and Yami expresses some confusion that his monster has been silenced. His panic is obvious when he realizes that the attack command will be inherited by DMG. It strikes an attack pose in accordance with this fact, as asshole!Bakura admits that the attack will never get to him because DMG is the one possessed by his other ghostie.
Jonouchi and Anzu call out to Yami, with Jonouchi grinding his teeth over how perfect asshole!Bakura's strategy is. It seems to him that there's no chance of winning. As if in response, asshole!Bakura draws attention to the fact that the third letter in DEATH has appeared above the spirit board by throwing out his arm beneath it like a showman. Yami clenches his jaw over having just two turns left.
Kaiba's expression has gone from that tentative approval to downright shock. He wonders who asshole!Bakura even IS to create such a terrifying combo, sealing Yami's every move. He's sure that the "death" will occur if the next couple of turns keep going like this. Obvious statement is obvious, but Kaiba is prepared to join Honda in the ranks of the faithful, when he decides (with way more confidence) that Yami can turn the tide again. He knows Yami won't just give up because the odds are bad. He's got a fairly recent memory to draw on for evidence, too.
The next panel shows a glaring Yami, who is no longer sweating. That we can see, anyway. It's cold up there on top of the blimp, though, so I don't know if that means anything. A giggly asshole!Bakura is trying to convince Yami that it's over, though, because his strategy has no flaws, even though I can think of a pretty obvious one right off the top of my head (*coughresurrectingnecrofearsoitcan'toperatethespiritboardandalsothedoll'sspirithastogobackwhereitcamefromcough*). Of course, I have no idea if that's where this is GOING, but the point is, the plan isn't fool proof, and maybe I should start calling this kid IDIOT!Bakura.
Jonouchi openly disagrees with asshole!Bakura now, shouting at Yami that this ISN'T over, because they still have to face each other in the final round, like they promised. Yami remains stuck in his own head, though, begging himself to think, because there has to be a way out of this.
And it doesn't take long for it to lift either, because the very next panel shows Yami's re-examination of his hand and a new look at a card there that gives his pessimism pause. He decides there IS a way, and proceeds to pull the card from his hand, along with another. He plays both cards face down, ending his turn.
Scoffing, asshole!Bakura assures Yami that even if he manages to stop the completion of the word DEATH, it doesn't mean he won't die. Keep your opinions to yourself, asshole. Yami declares that he's NOT going to die, and that he's going to prevail no matter what, because he believes in the possibilities of the next turn. Anyone else think that is a sweet-ass inspirational quote? I'mma put that shit on my Mastodon account.
Of course, asshole!Bakura has to be contrary, laughing that there are no possibilities, don't be dumb. Also, it's his turn. However, after a short outward contemplation of Yami's near-death state, asshole!Bakura decides he wants to see the terror on Yami's face and ends his turn? For some reason? Is this about building suspense? Because you're playing a game, dude, not a drama. Leave the writing of this story to your author, and don't try to DIY it, okay? You're only going to look stupid.
Face overshadowed by pure intensity as he strikes a pose, Yami reveals one of his face down cards, Monster Recall. Asshole!Bakura is in disbelief over the name, but it ain't Monster REBORN, that's different. No, this one returns all of Yami's monsters to his hand, as he explains. He waves his hand over his hand, as though having picked back up his cards from the Duel Disk by magic, and who knows, maybe he has.
Now that the monsters are gone, Yami presumes the doll's spirit is wandering aimlessly on his side of the duel, though he can't see it. We're given a view of the looping ghost-streak swimming over the field, though. Yami then reshuffles his cards and draws five. He's summoned a monster in attack that he was "lucky" enough to draw from the reshuffled deck again - Kuriboh. Wait, did he say it's in ATTACK? Yes, indeed he did. Asshole!Bakura looks uncomfortable with this, while Yami explains further that this will cause the doll's spirit to use Kuriboh as a host by default, sporting a little smirk. Accordingly, the spirit bolts for the little creature, flying right into Kuriboh's face.
Then, Yami comments on how the Dark Spirit of Silence will make Kuriboh attack asshole!Bakura's side of the field. Its skeleton avatar pops out of its card to coax Kuriboh into doing just that, but this is where the pattern is broken.
Yami apologizes to the destroyed Kuriboh, because who can stand destroying that widdle face? Asshole!Bakura groans in disappointment, before reminding Yami in an effort to take back the shifted tone of the match that the letter "T" has risen over the field now, meaning Yami only has one turn left. A cocky Yami points at asshole!Bakura, stating that he said before that he only NEEDS one turn to defeat this combo.
You didn't say that, Yami. Stop making shit up.
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? This one was surprisingly fast-paced, at only 17 pages rather than the usual 20. Reduced by a whole three, there wasn't a lot of room for the usual fluff, even if it did contain a little bit of it from the bystanders to the duel. It flowed well, though, so my suspicions that there are missing pages from this one are a bit lessened, though it's clear the translation wasn't produced with too much care. Granted, this translation isn't as bad as some we've seen here on the blog, but it's still quite rough, and I can't be 100% sure that pages weren't left out in haste or carelessness.
If I can be reasonably certain that this is the whole chapter, though, I think it was a good move on KT's part, and hope the rest of the chapters are reduced in size too. A writer should rarely indulge their fluff, because it takes away from the flow of their action scenes, breaking them up. What little there was did just that, since we had to keep going over to see the reactions of the side characters who weren't contributing in any way. Yami wasn't even responding to encouragement, which would have been SOMETHING. He was too distracted, and therefore the peanut gallery's input wasn't having any effect.
It's due in part to having too large a cast having nothing to do while the main is engaged. This is a problem I've mentioned Inuyasha has as well - everyone else standing around commenting while one guy does all the things. At least RT can manipulate the plot a little to mitigate this effect to some degree, giving some of her characters stuff to do that's interesting as well. Unfortunately, locked into a tournament format where all the characters not fighting are going to be watching the fighting, KT has less freedom here. Still, I think it's best if he cuts down on getting the perspective of the side characters as much as possible. If they have nothing to really contribute to the narrative, it's not productive, and just a LITTLE annoying.
And maybe come up with some relevant titles? This one doesn't really fit the content, although maybe that's just the translation...
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