Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 260 Red Spirit

Well I feel personally attacked. Over the past two weeks, I've been flooded with what seems like an endless stream of questions, and there's been so little time to contemplate them, let alone answer them. They just keep coming too, giving me anxiety, headaches, neck and back pain, and what I'm pretty sure are the humble beginnings of an ulcer. All this culminates in a spirit that feels raw red and bruised in places, not to mention roasted on a slowly turning spit. I wish there was a salve to apply directly to the burns, but I think I'll have to figure out how to put out the damn FLAMES first.

Call me crazy, but I feel like dragons will NOT help.

Nor Kaiba's dorky laugh, while he reiterates that when Lord of Dragons plays his special flute, all Kaiba's dragons are summoned at once. Or, at least the other two of the specific kind that is relevant to this duel, because I'm pretty sure Kaiba has dragons for days. Kaiba insists that there's no way Yami can win against three Blue Eyes White Dragons, and immediately amends his statement to reference the one time Yami very well could have when he says that a miracle can't happen twice. Because that's when we cease to call it a miracle and start really examining our notions of possibility. 

Yami growls, taking stock of his Dark Magician and Beta the Magnet Warrior, at 2500 and 1600 points respectively. He has to acknowledge that he really has no way to defend against three dragons with two weaker monsters, and starts to question if this is all over for him, sweating. Kaiba manically demands that Yami brace himself while carving the Kaiba name into his memories as the name of the true winner. Do you get it? Like, like the tablet in the museum? Get it??

Kaiba yells for his dragons to triple attack, and they all three charge up those orbs of energy in their yawning maws at once, even though I'm not sure why they would be allowed to do that when they're still three separate monsters? I don't know, I'm sure there's a rule somewhere that says that's fine and dandy. Yami makes a nauseated noise and closes his eyes in resignation... until he perceives someone demanding that he not lose. His eyes snap back open. 

I swear, this boy is slowly formulating the first human hive mind. 

Jonouchi's appropriated consciousness and image gives him something of a long stare before asking if Yami didn't always used to tell him that there's always a chance as long as you've got cards in your hand. Yami seems to suddenly remember that he does indeed have cards in his hand, because he's been playing this game the WHOLE TIME. Amazing. He looks down at them while Jonouchi encourages him never to give up, because that's not what a true duelist does. Yami's a bit too distracted to really be paying attention, because he's in disbelief over something that he just didn't see before. Or maybe it's the weird wisps of smoke issuing from the cards in his hand for some reason. 

Those dragons are still charging their dragon lasers, by the way, and Kaiba yells at Yami that it's hopeless, trying to get him to just go quietly into that good night, led by the column of light burst stream from all three of his Blue Eyes. He must have noticed that Yami was starting to look a little lively again, because he looks pretty surprised in the next panel. 

Make that "utterly flabbergasted". And the both of us. 

What's even MORE surprising? Yami has an explanation that MAKES SENSE. He reminds Kaiba that NO dragon can resist the call of the dragon flute, not just Kaiba's dragons specifically, so the dragon(s) in Yami's hand were brought out too. With a triumphant fist curled out in front of him, Yami announces the Red-Eyes Black Dragon as the soul card Jonouchi gave him. Kaiba hangs his head and growls over not realizing that this card was still with Yami after Yuugi used it in the duel against Jonouchi on the docks. Did... did Kaiba just imply that he should have remembered that little detail? 

I'm just FLOORED.

Kaiba does something a bit more predictable when he thrusts out a hand and says he'll destroy Jonouchi's spirit along with Yami then. There was probably a part of him just looking for an excuse. At long last, all three of his crooners fire their burst stream tunes at Yami, who glares and grits his teeth, presumably bracing himself. Kaiba declares the first target to be the Dark Magician, like the shots haven't already been fired. Odd that they seem to pause for him to vomit nonsense about their order and trajectory. And for Yami to consider the fact that using Magic Formula will just tie the points of Dark Magician with Blue Eyes White Dragon and they'll both get destroyed. 

So he goes with another face down card instead.

As the Burst Stream takes its sweet time heading for the Dark Magician and its mystery cylinders, Yami explains that they can only be used by a spell-caster, and allows him to redirect the incoming attack to one of Kaiba's monsters. The blast goes in one cylinder, and at the direction of the grimacing Dark Magician with his staff, shoots back out of the other aimed at the enemy, as Yami commands. It's headed straight for a Blue Eyes, probz Sinatra, but Kaiba looks rather relaxed about it, thinking that this is a nice try, but that won't work on his dragon. 

But Yami chuckles that he knows what Kaiba is thinking; he's convinced that as long as the dragon lord is out and about, his dragons are immune to magical attacks. While Kaiba gives him a whithering glare, at least judging by what I can see of the extreme close-up on one of his eyes, Yami points and vows to take care of this little problem. The rebound shot actually lands right in Lord of D.'s chest, Yami crowing that this is a direct hit on his target like he's playing Battleship or something. The Lord of Dragons is incinerated with virtual fire.

Hunching and groaning, Kaiba looks pretty pissed. He recovers quickly, though, yelling that it's no matter, because he's still got two other dragons that can blast Yami good. Their attacks are still streaming from their yawning jaws, and I feel kind of bad for them. That must be exhausting. One of those blasts heads toward Red-Eyes per Kaiba's instructions, and the comic emphasizes the 600-point disadvantage it has. But Yami is pretty convinced that Jonouchi's spirit can't be broken. Maybe because Yami can immediately claim that Kaiba has fallen into his trap when he waves an arm and reveals Spellbinding Circle. 

The alchemical seal forms around the offending Blue Eyes White Dragon, because now that the dragon lord is gone, it can be trapped, as Yami explains. Its now unable to attack, and its points go down by 700 to boot. This prompts another growl of frustration from Kaiba, of course. That frustration is likely greatly increased by the fact that we just skip over his last dragon poised to attack - Yami just commands his Red-Eyes to attack without letting the third Blue Eyes to do its thing. Is this a side-effect of Spellbinding Circle that isn't listed on the card or something? Or does it affect both remaining dragons on the... no, no Yami just said that it was just the one dragon. Well, poop. 

We'll ignore that for the moment, because a panel of the real Jonouchi slouching off of Honda's side is immediately followed by the Red-Eyes practically unhinging its jaw like a snake to grow a massive fireball in its mouth. 

Hunched, Kaiba cringes behind a raised arm as his dragon is immolated beside him. He grumbles in disbelief that Michael Buble lost to a mere ghost. Meanwhile, Yami thanks Jonouchi's spirit still hanging out in the background, for giving him strength in that moment of self-doubt. Spirit!Jonouchi smiles at him, encourages Yami to go get 'im, and turns to disappear into the black background. Yami promises that he'll do just that with a determined expression. 

HE'S ALIVE!! Time to bust out the champagne! 

More reason to celebrate: turns out the third Blue Eyes White Dragon wasn't forgotten after all. Kaiba narrates its long-overdue attack, and the explosive effect it has on Beta the Magnet Warrior. He wears a satisfied smirk, even though he has to admit that Red-Eyes showing up kind of interferes with his plan. But he's confident it won't stop him from winning, since it's an unshakeable law... somehow. No one tell this spaz-boy that his unshakeable law has already been violated several times over by this point. 

Yami notes that there are still two more Blue Eyes White Dragons roaring at him, but he also seems pretty determined now.

Get it, son!

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The best in a long time, I feel. Perhaps even the best ever so far. The action is paced really well, and I think there's a good balance of dialog to stuff that's actually happening. There's phenomenal emotional payoffs, because Jonouchi's presence being there to encourage Yami is so very EARNED. Because Yami is genuinely struggling to find a way to defeat Kaiba and it's not just a fake-out to make him seem impossibly and cheaply clever, Jonouchi's unsinkable spirit was really needed in that moment. And it certainly delivered - Jonouchi's advice here is so reminiscent of Yami's to him at so many points before this. It feels like we've come full circle, and Jonouchi is finally able to reciprocate the same kind of strength and support Yami has offered him before. Him waking up right after this drives home that he was literally there with Yami in spirit, and maybe that was the best place for him to be, fighting right up there beside him. Shame he didn't get to rest a little, since that duel with other!Marik was a doozy.

My only criticism for this chapter is just the weird interjected attack by Red-Eyes after the Spellbinding Circle is used. I don't know if I'm forgetting a prior instance or rule which allows an attack right after the card is played, or if this was just a weird inconsistency, but it threw me for a loop. I make fun of the constant reminders of what cards do in this story, but in this case, I would have appreciated it, because sometimes when a card is a little more complicated in its effects, I get a bit confused about what is happening.

Otherwise, this chapter is GREAT, it's pretty much everything that I want and expect from Yu-Gi-Oh, all the way down. And the best part of it is how straightforward all of it is. I'm really surprised that a chapter I'm rapidly coming to consider one of the best there is requires so little analysis from me. 

*Shrug* Oh well.

Inuyasha Manga: 201 Naraku's Scent

That raises a strange question: what IS Naraku's scent? It's referenced quite a bit throughout the story, but none of our characters with enhanced youkai senses of smell have ever hinted at what it might resemble. I get that it can be difficult to describe sensations like that, and I can't imagine how the task might be complicated by the fact that a dog-man might pick up on hints of scent that a regular man couldn't, but usually one can at least give a general idea. Is it maybe earthy? A kind of sickening sweet type of smell? Perhaps it's kind of sour, since Naraku took the form he uses most off a perpetually ill dude. Then again, if that were the case, I think we'd see a lot more of Inuyasha wrinkling his nose and complaining about the nasty scent he always has to follow.

Creepy as it may seem to speculate on the intricacies of a fictional shape-shifter's scent, these are the kinds of sensory details that add to the depth of a world and make even the unreal parts of it seem real, or at least plausible. Just give me a little Fleming Effect in here, RT, that's all I ask. 

Maybe a better idea of what sensing a jewel shard is like?

She depicts instead a couple of shouts at Kouga to wait up and pleading to take a break, whined by the panting and wheezing Two-Tone and Mohawk wolves. I can't really complain, since that does hit pretty close to my actual experience with distance running, but it also feels like somewhat personal attack after my cold open. I'm sure it's just my imagination. Two-Tone complains that his body can't take this level of cardio, and Mohawk points out that the numerous wolves are pretty beat too, heaving with the effort of keeping up with Kouga. 

... Why not? Seriously, has this guy ever wondered why he seems to have to chase a CASTLE like it's a deer darting through the forest and run the damn thing down to catch up to it? Then again, this is a guy who claims to rely on an intuition that failed to warn him when he was given a fake Shikon shard to put in his arm and when he found Inuyasha covered in the blood of his fellow wolves in quite the convenient scenario. Boy is THICK, and not as the young folk say.

Indeed, Two-Tone has to reveal his assumption that Kouga has just been running around at random this whole time, and Kouga very clumsily avoids actually addressing this by stating that he smells a suspicious scent. He's convinced that Naraku's castle is nearby, wearing a snarl as he recalls the friends he saw lying bloodied and lifeless at the castle, vowing silently to avenge them. 

We are once again eased into a new scene with disembodied speech bubbles against a backdrop of sky, one asking Inuyasha what's wrong and if he wasn't indicating another direction before, and the other, presumably from Inuyasha, telling the querent to shut it. 

Shippou suggests that it has nothing to do with how distracting everyone is being, and more to do with how his sense of smell might be waning a bit, given it's the first of the month. Kagome makes a little noise of epiphany, but Sango seems to have forgotten what that means. Miroku clarifies that it's the new moon, when Inuyasha loses his youkai powers and takes a fully human form. Kagome recommends that Inuyasha not push himself today, but Inuyasha snaps that she has to be kidding, considering they've come so close. 

Kagome begins to protest, but is distracted by the sight of a dust-devil heading in their direction. Fast. Miroku and Sango twist around to look curiously on too, instead of trying to get the fuck out of the way like I might have done - I really HATE getting dust in my eyes. No, they casually watch Kouga appear out of the center of the small storm, skidding to a stop on bent and angled legs. 

 

And he managed it without running back and forth aimlessly and exhausting his companions. Go figure. 

Inuyasha scoffs, pushing himself off the ground slowly at first, and then lunging while yanking Tessaiga halfway from its sheath and he declares he'll waste the wimpy wolf. Kouga gives him an exasperated look while Kagome tells him to sit, and he's planted in the dirt face-first again. Inuyasha fetal faceplant is ignored as Miroku casually asks Kouga if he's managed to track Naraku's castle. Kouga says he has, indicating his nose with his thumb. Though he doesn't know why, Kouga suggests  Naraku is letting his stink leak out when it hasn't before. Sango begins state her thoughts on what this means with a critical expression, but Miroku finishes her sentence by declaring that the barrier has slackened. For fuck's sake, Miroku, can you let anyone else talk for half a second? Can you BE any more of a misogynistic prick?

While Kouga turns back to where he last saw Kagome and reaches for her hands, he tells her not to worry, because he's going to waste Naraku. 

Did I say this boy was thick? I don't know if that word is sufficient to describe the level of density required to mistake a pair of hands several times smaller and stubbier than your love interest's for hers. They might not have a term that's accurate, come to think of it.

Kagome has gone to kneel next to Inuyasha as he drags his sorry ass back out of dirt, telling her not to stop him because he wants to settle this little rivalry his and Kouga's this very minute. She holds onto his arm to both steady and restrain him, insisting that he should stop this nonsense. Kouga suddenly adopts a look of confusion, making a questioning noise, and asks what's up with Inuyasha. He squats in front of him and sniffs rapidly, saying that Inuyasha's normal irritating dog smell is gone. Kouga asks if Inuyasha went for a cleansing swim, but Inuyasha can only "urk" in response, Kagome staring at Kouga with wide eyes. I'm not surprised they're not prepared to tell Kouga a damn thing. The information would probably ricochet off the inside of his empty skull and back out his big mouth.

Luckily, Kouga is distracted by Inuyasha's suspicious lack of dog smell by his slower companions and their trailing wolves waving and calling to him as they approach between the trees. Mohawk pants with relief that they've finally caught up, but Kouga lets out an almost disappointed "oh". He turns quickly to salute to Kagome, claiming not to have time for this shit, and wishing her farewell. While he kicks up another dust storm, Two-Tone reaches out impotently, stuttering at Kouga's retreating back to wait a second. He only just seems to realize Kagome and company are there as they continued their marathon run past them, Mohawk greeting Kagome tiredly as well. She says hello, but they have even less time to chat than Kouga. 

Sango asks Miroku if they should go after the wolves, but Miroku says it's best they remain inactive tonight. Inuyasha is on his feet again in no time, spitting in protest that the wolves will get ahead of them, but Miroku snaps back at him to calm his excited ass down. He says Kouga is one thing, but asks Inuyasha if he really wants to expose his vulnerable human form to Naraku, and this seems to shut him right up, sweatdropping something fierce. Miroku reminds him that if the day of the month he loses his powers is found out, Inuyasha will be in danger, even more so if it's Naraku who finds it out. Inuyasha hangs his head and stews in his surliness, wondering why this has to happen NOW of all times. 

In a cloud of marbled poisonous atmosphere, a mansion sits quiet and full of skeletons slumped along the hallways. Kagura walks between them, speechless a moment.

Sheesh, did these guys die just because no one wanted to crack a window? As a matter of fact, Kagura actually confirms that all the human retainers brought there with the castle were poisoned by the miasma of the barrier. They really got the raw end of that deal, didn't they? 

Kagura turns to find creepy little Kanna lurking behind her, mirror glowing. Kagura demands to know the meaning of Kanna sneaking up on her, but trails off when she takes a closer look at that mirror to see the fuzzy image of Kouga and his pack of wolves wading through some waist-high grass. She vaguely recalls his name, and that he's the leader of the wolf-youkai, wondering if he's actually gotten close to the castle. She also starts wondering if this is a coincidence, or if there's something more to it. After thinking on it a moment, Kagura kneels in front of Kanna, asking if Naraku knows about this. Kanna says she doesn't know, because that jerk isn't even here. Kagura hums thoughtfully, realizing that Naraku DOES just kind of disappear periodically. Kanna addresses Kagura as she turns to leave, fan rested on her shoulder. She promises to kill Kouga, reasoning that she shouldn't have to wait for Naraku's order to defend the home front. 

Outside, Kouga is cursing as he stalks around the swirling barrier, insisting the castle is definitely in this direction. Two-Tone and Mohawk seem to have caught up to him at last while he's slowed to a walk, and the former questions the fact that they can't see anything. Mohawk makes a surprised sound at the sky, and draws Kouga's attention to a big, dark, WRIGGLING cloud high up in the air. Out of the center of this descending cloud, a single crescent gust shoots out and Kouga has to leap out of its way. When Kouga stands back at his full height, he finds Kagura crouched in front of him, just landed from her jump out of her demon-cloud. She smarms that it's been a while, and Kouga displays a glare of rage he can't begin to articulate. 

Mohawk and Two-Tone gape, the latter asking what the deal is with the skeletons. Kagura scoffs, saying they're countless guards from the castle in a nice little payoff from her note of the dead retainers a couple of pages ago.

Too bad the setup was awkward and entirely too cognizant of the audience. 

Oh well. Kouga has found his tongue again, correctly identifying Kagura and her wind powers, claiming there hasn't been a single day when he's forgotten her face, and not in a flattering way. Because she's responsible for the deaths of his friends and allies, he charges her, telling her to prepare to die and promising to pay her back for their previous fight. Kagura flips open her fan, sharing the same sentiment. She acknowledges her failure to get the Shikon shards in his legs before, but she'll take them for sure this time. 

Especially considering this guy demonstrated multiple times during this chapter alone that he's none too bright. No doubt there's little he can do that's NOT easily countered. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? On the one hand, I'm very disappointed in Kouga writing so far, and I wasn't quite able to articulate it until now; the "intuition" that he's supposed to rely upon for survival is incredibly inconsistent. He hasn't shown up a lot in the story yet, and there are more times than not when that character trait just... doesn't manifest. This is another instance of that, since MOHAWK was the one who had to warn Kouga that Kagura's demonic cloud was approaching. The close call with Kagura's wind blade shouldn't have been nearly as close as it was, but if it wasn't, then there wouldn't be as much tension in the scene. This is a major problem with Kouga's characteristics as RT has set them up - I love the idea of a guy using intuition to skirt around danger, given that's traditionally a feminine trait and it kind of sets the trope on its head. Yet, Kouga wouldn't get into the massive messes that he got into the last time he showed up at this castle, and this one, if RT were to utilize this trait. She has to actively IGNORE Kouga's characterization in order to get him into tense, desperate situations, and that's not a good sign for the possibility of character development later on when he's basically made to be Inuyasha 2.0 in recklessness and overexuberence. 

On the other hand, the subtlety of Kagura's dissatisfaction with her life is done well here. She didn't need to outright TELL us that she's cooped up because Naraku forbids her to leave; it's in how she whines that this place is stuffy, how she mentions the retainers and guards were locked in the castle as well to their very demise, how she finds an excuse to leave the castle and justifies why she shouldn't need permission from the absent Naraku. It paints a picture that not only shows her as a prisoner under house arrest, but also that she's a bit more willful than perhaps Naraku is prepared to deal with. Naraku, by proxy, is implied to be tightly controlling everyone in his proximity, from which a number of extrapolations about the level of caution and even fear there can be drawn. It's a very well-executed bit of writing, if not a tad awkward in the part where RT set up our skeleton fodder for Kagura to use. 

Also a tad awkward: I thought the dangly beads at the sides of Kagura's head were earrings, but they just look like they're threaded on some thin locks of hair in the final panel up there? I'll have to keep an eye on that and see if it changes, because I really could have SWORN otherwise...

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 259 Deck of Glass!

Sounds like a companion piece to one of those infinity pools, looking out over spectacular landscapes from the edge of expensive spas/resorts built on overhanging cliffs. If you built a glass deck around one of those suckers, you could get a truly surreal experience of walking on air before taking a dip in the sky pool. I say "you" because I wouldn't have the guts to enjoy such a thing. I'm not scared of heights in most situations, but everyone has their limits, and I think I would be terribly disturbed at looking down and seeing myself hovering precariously above a lush cliffside. 

Unless we're talking about a different kind of deck. Boy, would THAT be embarrassing. 

Yami's Dark Magician seems to be glaring hardcore down at Kaiba with its razor thin soul patch looking thing (or maybe its some sort of tattoo or paint like the eyeliner extending beyond his actual eyes? I'm genuinely confused by this feature). Kaiba looks back with nervous shock that the magician confronting his Blue Eyes is creates the same dynamic he saw in his totally not-real vision. He recalls said vision, watching his and Yami's ancient Egyptian counterparts making combative gestures at one another while their spectral monsters issue from the slabs of stone behind them. It just happened a few minutes ago for him, so I should hope he remembers it. 

Yami is thinking a little further back, though. He considers the scene carved on the stone he saw in the museum at the beginning of the arc, certain now that it was the memory of a battle that happened long ago. He's sure that if this battle is another piece in the puzzle of memories he's trying to put together (subtle KT, real subtle), then he HAS to defeat Kaiba to remember what he's forgotten. He pulls another card from his hand and shouts his turn isn't done yet. Kaiba glowers at him as he slaps it on his Duel Disk face down, knowing that the Dark Magician can't beat the 3000-point Blue Eyes White Dragon alone. He now has two face down cards, one of which is Magic Formula, to increase a wizard's attack points by 500 to only tie it with Kaiba's dragon. He resigns himself to waiting until Kaiba strikes as his only chance, and ends his turn. 

This is when Kaiba seems confident enough to say that Yami saw that vision too. Because that apparently wasn't crystal clear before this moment. He then starts to lecture Yami on the "truth" of the vision they both witnessed; they both remembered the image of the carving of the king on the tablet they saw in the heat of battle. That's all. What's a little mutual hallucination between enemies, right? Kaiba insists that this was just an illusion from subliminal suggestion. Gracious, MY suggestion that it was a prank pulled by some tech working on the machinery before you all landed on landfill island is a better explanation than that nonsense. 

Kaiba laughs obnoxiously, as if there's any other way for him to laugh, at the notion of Yami being a pharaoh from 3000 years in the past. 

"I'm FREE, because I refuse to acknowledge the cage!"

Yami actually looks affronted there for a moment as Kaiba continues, ranting that there is no light for those shackled to the past, and blah blah blah, something about when Yami turned his back to him, he chose the path of useless nostalgia and defeat? Shit, now I feel attacked just doing this blog as a semi-nostalgic fan. Fuck you, Kaiba. 

He finally decides to take his turn and draws a card, looks at it, then plays it - it's Card of Demise, which allows Kaiba to draw until he has five cards, but he has to discard whatever cards he has in his hand in five turns. Not a bad deal, and it seems to make Yami nervous as a hand-improver. Kaiba reiterates what the card does as he draws more cards, just in case anyone who didn't bother to read the text on the card wanted to know what was going on. You know, someone like me, traditionally.

Kaiba plays a card face down, then evaluates Yami's two face down cards on the opposite side of the platform. He figures one of them has to be a card that increases the Dark Magician's attack. About time this kid used his brains and stopped relying on us assuming he HAD them. He gets real specific with the other card, predicting it to be the Spellbinding Circle trap activated by a potential attack from the Blue Eyes White Dragon. As Yami stares at him in stoic silence, Kaiba continues to chastise him mentally, because he simply CANNOT stop talking, even to himself. He insists that this being their 3rd duel, and his maybe second year obsessing over Yami, he's thoroughly familiar with Yami's strategies by now. He can see through them as though Yami's deck were made of glass. 

He said it, he said the thing! Exciting.

And now, he pulls a card from his hand and thrusts it out at Yami, announcing it's a monster and he's going to summon it. Yami's eyes widen in shock, or at least that's what I assume from the extreme close-up.

I'm sorry, I'm so sorry if I can't take advantage of the unfortunate implications of shortening this poor monster's name, but there are just too many possibilities. I don't even know where to START.

With that, Kaiba believes he's going to take Yami out with one blow on the next turn. Apologies if I don't think you would be satisfied with just ONE, Kaiba, since no man really is. 

Anyway, Kaiba ends his turn, and Yami begins his a bit of a sweaty mess. He's really worried that Kaiba knows his strategy, and it turns out that he WAS actually planning on activating Spellbinding Circle when Kaiba's dragon attacked his magician. If he had done so in conjunction with strengthening the Dark Magician with the spellbook, he would have beaten him, but now the dragon lord over there threw off that whole plan. Yami wonders what he's going to do now, drawing a card with his best confident posturing. 

Kaiba smiles, assuming Yami thinks he's ahead of him, but very sure that he's several steps ahead of even that. He's real attached to the "glass deck" metaphor, thinking he sees the cracks in it. Be sure to keep that fancy resin away from him so he can't repair them, then. Yami looks genuinely unsure for a moment before he summons Beta the Magnet Warrior in defense. Kaiba sarcastically wonders what's next; if Yami is going to attack his D. Lord with the Dark Magician, and sure enough, after Yami lets out a little growl of frustration, he calls for his Dark Magician to attack the dragon lord. As the magician lunges for the dragon lord, Kaiba's manic expression returns, unable to contain his excitement that Yami fell for his trick. He reveals his face down card to be Magical Trick Mirror to play any spell card from Yami's graveyard. 

Yami is shocked to the core that Kaiba laid a trap; what is he, GOOD at this game now?? Kaiba says that he's activating Monster Reborn from Yami's graveyard, which both he AND the Dark Magician have to gape at Kaiba about. The mirror card on Kaiba's side transforms into Monster Reborn, and Kaiba chuckles darkly, drawing out his announcement of what that lucky monster is that gets a second chance to... show up for this shitshow, I guess. At least Yami appears to be waiting with bated breath. 

Oh, that's a big OOPS. Dark Magician shoots a ball of black magic at Obelisk, and at a 1500-point difference, that's going to be an expensive mistake for Yami. Obelisk holds up a giant beefy arm to deflect the attack, and for some reason Yami is yelling at his magician that its own magic will be shot back at him. No, he's not educating the AUDIENCE this time, but his own MONSTER what lives INSIDE THE GAME and thus should automatically react in accordance with the rules. That is... a weird flex, but okay.

Yami himself is surrounded in dark bolts of electricity and he curls in on himself in pain as his life points drop to 1500. Meanwhile, Kaiba commands the monster he calls a god but treats like a slave to return to the underworld. Then he yuks it up about how Yami has to see now that his weakness lies in being stuck in stupid illusions. Yami grits his teeth and sweats in response, then plays a card face down to complete his turn. Kaiba puts on his most ultra-serious expression to tell Yami that resistance is useless, and he will be crushed on this turn. 

But no-chill-boy just can't help himself. Ultra-serious just ain't who he is, baby.

Yeah man, that sure is how TIME works. 

Yami is currently asking himself the deep questions, wondering just what his lost memories ARE. He's starting to consider that Kaiba might be right; that he might in fact just be wallowing in the past. Or, at least his longing to KNOW about it, if we wanna get technical. But Yami comes to the conclusion that he can't move forward until he knows the answer, to where he came from I presume. He's not super specific about which question he's trying to answer here, but... context, I guess. Yami decides he CAN'T lose here, and that he can see the light shining beyond this duel if he wins. He must grasp that light. 

Kaiba declares his turn and draws a card, smiling in his certainty that this is the final turn. Hand outstretched, he plays Flute of Dragon Summoning, and no points to Yami for being nervous about this magical instrument. Kaiba is in the process of picking MORE cards out of his hand while he says that when the dragon lord plays the flute, all his dragons hear it and obey. 

With the Sinatras and Buble all back together again? 

... Yeah, probably. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I very much enjoy the rare moment when Yami experiences doubt and struggles, so this one struck a chord with me. The fact that he's having to confront issues on multiple levels here is all the better. It's not just that the pendulum has swung back the other way, and Yami has lost all the advantages he seemed to have before, because that happens in most duels. What makes this unique is that Yami started this chapter in the height of spirits after having gotten strong confirmation that he's on the right track to regain more memories. The ending to the chapter really knocks him back on his ass, and demonstrates that, even though he's most of the way to his goal, he's not home free. This is not going to be easy - he still has to earn every bit of what he wants. At long last, he's facing real challenges, so the victory can be satisfying!

The other level of struggle here is how Yami needs to confront how, in a small way, Kaiba isn't exactly wrong. Yes, he takes his focus on the future too far, wrongly believing that if he simply ignores the past, then he's free of it. But he's not mistaken in his assertion that dwelling and being obsessed with the past just holds one back from exploring one's future. The trick, for the both of them it seems, will be to strike that balance of the classic journey; knowing where you came from so you can know where you're going. We've already seen how Kaiba's total rejection of the past creates wild and erratic thrashing on his part in an effort to reject reflections of the past, despite how everything he creates never fails to resemble the formative moments on which they are based. Now Yami is confronted with a sudden obsession with associating the current moment with a prior image, marveling at and clinging to the resemblance between now and the small kernel of past he's been able to grasp, to the point that he's neglected to even think about the future. He was so seduced by his fate that he failed to actually PLAN for a victory for a second, expecting destiny to just kind of... take care of the whole thing for him. Clearly he needs to get his head out of that memory and into the duel in order to win; he needs to work for this, as discussed in the previous paragraph. 

Something else I thought was interesting was how Yami talked directly to the Dark Magician like it was a teammate rather than regarding it as a monster in the game. Of course, Yami has always seen his monsters as more than tools to use in the game, that much has never been unclear. But I don't think I've ever seen him actually TALK to the monsters before like that. Then again, my memory has been shown to be quite spotty, and this IS the 259th chapter I've covered on this series...

One thing is for sure: the Dark Magician was listening to Yami, and looking distressed by the prospect of following through on its attack. The implications here are... many, but there will be time to explore those later.

Inuyasha Manga: 200 Broken Dream

Isn't THAT a fucking mood for 2020? I had so many plans for this year. We just moved to the place that we've always wanted to live back in October, and I was going to start earnestly building a life and growing roots. During the past four years, I've felt I was in transition, a weird liminal time in which I couldn't really feel at home, and I was looking forward to that ending. It was my ultimate dream to settle into a space that felt permanent and comfortable.

But wouldn't you know, 2020 crashed through the door, punched me in the face, and told me I wasn't allowed to be comfortable. Something about how I'll quarantine in constitutionally compromised America and like it? I don't know, it was real rude. I suppose I should feel lucky not to have a broken nose in addition to my broken dreams, to be honest.

Satsuki isn't just weighing on Shippou's mind by the looks of things. Kagome sadly stares into space reminding the audience herself that Satsuki believes in her fake Shikon fragment to bring her dead brother back home. Girl has some hardcore delusions, and they're about to bite her in the ass.

The next page reveals that the hill Satsuki was heading down in the previous chapter was the river bank, and her house in LITERALLY situated under the bridge. This girl is an actual troll. All she needs are riddles. Inside, she sits next to her "brother", laying on a mat at the back of the hut, asking if he's planning on getting better soon. He gives a noncommittal affirmative while Shippou stands speechless in the center of the room. Satsuki's "brother" gushes about how long she's suffered, and how he'll make her happy from now on, to which Satsuki responds with a hearty agreement, but Shippou remains rigid and disturbed, stuttering Satsuki's name. He tells her to come over to him.

Satsuki's "brother" identifies Shippou as part of the group staying at the headman's place, the friendly little grin he's been wearing this who time starting to look super creepy, despite not changing at all. Shippou insists that Satsuki come across the room quickly, but she addresses him with confusion as her "brother" sits up and wraps a restraining arm around her, keeping up his incessant smile. He politely asks Shippou to bring him the Shikon shards from the other members of his group, but Shippou isn't buying it. He launches himself at Satsuki's "brother", demanding he let her go.

Oooh, that must have stung. Satsuki asks her "brother" what he's doing in a panic, pulling out her fake fragment and offering it to him if he really wants one so badly. He plucks it from her fingers, looking at it with what now looks like a frozen smile at this point, and asks if she doesn't get this yet. As he describes the stone as rubbish and of no use at all, he drops it on the ground and slams his fist down on it, shattering it. Satsuki gapes in shock at the pieces, and Shippou lifts his bruised face out of the dirt just in time to see the "brother's" fist raising rigidly off the stone's remains as he stands.

Satsuki's "brother" hunches to keep his arm securely around her throat while she looks up at him in horror. He drops the politeness, but not the little smile, when he warns that little runt Shippou that he'll break Satsuki's neck if he doesn't get those fucking Shikon shards. Satsuki struggles in his headlock, asking who the hell this dude is, and he chuckles, maintaining his lie that he's her brother of course. What a piece of shit. Shippou lunges again, demanding that the youkai show its true form, and shoots tendrils of foxfire in Satsuki's "brother's" face.

Did you already forget that she was questioning your identity not FIVE panels ago? Miroku's paper charm didn't JUST leave a bit of a scar, I see.

It's official. Those fucking things cause brain damage.

Shippou literally calls the actual lizard-person an asshole (Inuminati confirmed), and shouts that he won't forgive him, throwing another tiny fistful of fox magic at the imposter. It takes the form of a giant snake with its jaws opened wide, about to chomp down on the lizard-man's head, who flinches away in alarm. While he's bowled over by great serpent, Shippou grabs Satsuki's arm and urges her to be quick, pulling her toward the doorway. She stutters agreement, but looks back at the imposter getting mauled by the snake over her shoulder. 

Back in the hut, the lizard-man is rolling an thrashing on the ground, though the giant snake seems to have disappeared in wisps of fox-smoke and leaves. When he notices this, he also notices that there's one of those little wooden jointed toy snakes that's clattered to the ground. Multiple veins pop on his lizard head and he draws out an angry exclamation. He rushes out after the fleeing Shippou and Satsuki, catching up with scary speed, likely because he's taken out an extra pair of limbs and is working all six of them as he warns them that they won't get away. Both Shippou and Satsuki look over their shoulders at the pursuing threat, and the former curses that the lizard-man has already noticed his trick. He pulls out what looks to be a little spindly wooden horse, claiming that this is its moment, to become an impressive stallion no doubt. Shippou turns to Satsuki, tells that her to escape ahead of him, and she stutters back that she couldn't possibly do that. 

Well... that's significantly less impressive than the cool snake he produced a couple of minutes ago. Maybe he spent a majority of his baby fox magic on his serpent illusion. 

Yeah. We'll say that. 

Satsuki calls back to him as the hobbyhorse carries her off into the distance, but Shippou is too busy dodging a strike from the lizard-man's stretchy lizard-tongue to notice. 

... Because apparently he figures he can just use Shippou as a hostage to get the Shikon shards from his friends instead. I feel like the lizard-man might be severely underestimating the kid who totally owned him with a snake illusion just a few moments ago. Must be that brain damage again.

Shippou spits back that the lizard-man should have just targeted HIM in the first place, yelling that he won't forgive him for deliberately trampling all over Satsuki's feelings. The lizard-man's neck inflates, and he blithely says that Shippou's baby anger is amusing to him, asking if he's going to try to fight. Shippou lunges with an enthusiastic affirmative, and is immediately greeted with a giant lizard-loogie from the lizard-man's chuckling throat - digestive fluid, he explains, though I'm not sure HOW through his mouthful of the nasty stuff. 

Tumbling out of the way, Shippou narrowly avoids the loogie, which splatters on a rock that was behind him instead. The rock dissolves all the way through. 

Damn, this little bastard has EXPLOSIVES? I'd be running for the hills if Shippou came at me with that shit. Of course, beating ME in a fight is admittedly a low bar to clear...

 

And the lizard man doesn't appear to have any trouble stepping over it. He just kinda looks at all the mini explosions happening around his feet with the barest of interest. While he's (somewhat) distracted by that, Shippou declares the time is now, and flies at the lizard-man, clamping his little jaws on wrinkles of skin on his neck. This at least seems to get his attention, inspiring some mild shock. The lizard-man narrows his lizard-eyes and calls Shippou a bastard, demanding he cut that shit out, before smacking him so hard as to send him flying into some nearby tall grass. He disappears in there somewhere, so the lizard-man approaches the patch of grass, menacingly chuckling that playtime is over. 

 

But instead of finding Shippou huddled and hurt on the ground, he's greeted with a glaring Inuyasha walking out of the tall grass, prompting a confused noise from the lizard-man. Mistaking Inuyasha for Shippou, he asks if he hasn't learned his lesson that transforming into something weird doesn't work. Inuyasha, of course, asks if this piece of garbage is picking a fight with him, and typically does not wait for an explanation or response. 

 

I've found the perfect reaction panel. I fucking did it. It's so versatile. I'm going to plaster the entire internet with this now, BRB.

 

The lizard-man squeaks that Inuyasha is REAL, then shrinks down to a regular-sized lizard wriggling on the ground. It's not really clear if Inuyasha's punch just undid some sort of transformation for this thing or if it just shrunk to make it easier to run away, but I'm guessing it's the latter. It doesn't work, though, because he isn't fast enough to avoid the blunt end of Miroku's staff pinning him to the ground through his back. Miroku kneels down and examines the creature, and identifies him as the youkai he exorcised from the headman's house the day before. Welcome to the party, guys, glad you're all caught up. 

 

Bruised and battered, Shippou groans upon awaking from being knocked unconscious, and likely has a pretty bad concussion. He looks up to see Inuyasha, stuttering his name in confusion, and Inuyasha greets him like they just came across each other in the grocery store. He says that it seems Shippou really gave it his best, before Kagome and Satsuki invade the grass and kneel next to him, followed by a leisurely strolling Sango. Kagome pushes him upright as Satsuki calls his name with tears in her eyes asking if he got the youkai. Shippou hangs his head and begins to admit that it wasn't him, but Inuyasha. 

 

Positively saccharine. 

 

Shippou stares speechless up at Inuyasha while Satsuki thanks him for his bravery. Miroku gives us the run-down of how the lizard-man couldn't beat the dream team, so he targeted Satsuki instead, because apparently I can't be trusted to glean that for myself. Shippou is still moping that Satsuki had such a bad time because he got involved with her, so he turns to her and apologizes. She pauses a moment, then says she's decided to stay with the village headman after all. Tears well up in her eyes again as she admits that she knew the whole time that her brother wasn't coming back. I'm not going to use the "sedate me" gif again, but... those vibes. 

Satsuki puts on a big fake smile, but I believe that she's being entirely honest when she thanks Shippou and says she's glad she met him. I think I'm getting diabetes, someone stop the river of sugar flowing directly into my EYES. Shippou silently bids her happiness, thinking about how he's also lost his parents, but he can keep going since he's not alone. 

Then this:

Thanks for cutting me off the sweetness pipeline, RT. Could have done it less abruptly, but...

So what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm beginning to see a pattern in how much better RT seems to write relatively low-stakes short stories, as opposed to high-stakes longer ones. This is the second chapter in a two-chapter arc, Satsuki is not someone we are particularly well-acquainted with, and the consequences for failing to protect her are very low for Shippou. The villain in this one is such a weakling that you never feel like he's a real threat, and are certain that Inuyasha's group can easily take care of him.

And yet, Satsuki was given so much dimension and character in the previous chapter that you can't help but be invested in her situation. It's also a situation that a lot of girls/women can relate to on a personal level; strangers impersonating family or friends for nefarious purposes. Her desperation to believe in a comfortable fiction is pretty universal too. Her confused and yet longing look over her shoulder as she's fleeing the youkai who took advantage of her fantasy of having her brother back is utterly heartbreaking because it's so relatable; you can see her very dreams being crushed as she watches that quartz crystal shatter, hence the title, I'm sure. It's all so palpable in its feels. 

Shippou's heroism in this chapter is top-notch too. Despite being too obvious about how disturbed and scared he is, he does try earnestly to get Satsuki to get away from the imposter without blurting that it's not her brother. He puts getting her safely away from her captor before fighting, and when he gets to the fighting part, he puts everything and the kitchen sink into it, though his small size and inferior strength puts him at a disadvantage. Even Inuyasha has to be impressed with his effort.

Finally, Inuyasha giving Shippou the credit for taking the imposter out at the end so he could look good to Satsuki: that's such a big brother move, I can't even. The way that this chapter managed to develop the relationship between Inuyasha and Shippou in a significant way with such a scant action is an immeasurable success. Its practically surgical in its precision. 

 

It's a shame that RT kind of seems to lose her vision in the larger stories she attempts to tell. Her talent lies in personal and interpersonal stories, and trying to cover bigger, high-consequence plot-lines kind of makes stuff like this - everyday relationships and their intricacies - get lost in the enormity of it all. 

But I'm getting ahead of myself, of course.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 258 The Servants Surpass God

What servants? Are we talking about Yami and Kaiba? The broody amnesiac who skipped school and joined a tournament to have some past-life visions of life as a king? The child billionaire who THREW said tournament for another chance to high-key defeat his rival and self-aggrandize for a couple of days? Who are these snot-nosed brats serving? The gods they summoned to fight each other and take each other out for their own personal benefit, bickering the entire time?

Man, the more I summarize this whole situation, the more I think those god cards just had a conference while they were locked in combat and decided they would rather commit mutual suicide by spectacular virtual explosion than spend one more moment with these mercurial little bastards.

Since this panel isn't exactly... informative to anyone who might just come across it while browsing in a Barnes and Noble, Yami launches into an abridged (heh) explanation of what has got he and his opponent so breathless - the powers of two gods clashing in a brilliant explosion of light, inside which he saw a vision of a king commanding a Dark Magician and a priest controlling a white dragon. He's convinced it had to be the battle from 3000 years before, depicted on the stone tablet Ishizu showed him at the beginning of the arc. He further clarifies that it's the battle he fought when he was alive.

Because the implication that our protagonist is already dead is totally not going to confuse newcomers all the more. Everybody gets it now. It's all so completely transparent.

While Yami gives the audience a vague explanation of why he and Kaiba are just standing there, Kaiba is NOT taking the previous chapter well. He wonders if he's gone mad, and starts rationalizing that what he saw was just a realistic illusion. To be fair, that isn't a terrible conclusion to come to when your business is literally creating realistic illusions. Instead of leaving it at that, though, Kaiba just starts INSISTING that magic and the occult aren't real, and there must be a logical explanation. Dude, you just came up with one. You're SURROUNDED with machinery that can create super convincing holograms. You could just assume someone who worked on the tower's visual holograms was pulling an elaborate prank. That's probably what I would think.

But Kaiba just can't help but question the falsehood in the king facing the priest, the strength of his presence...

Having feels about what you saw doesn't necessarily mean that it wasn't still an illusion, but yeah, okay. We'll go with that.

Yami thinks at Kaiba that he understands now; this duel spanning 3000 years is their fate. Fate's a funny thing isn't it? It was Titanic's fate to sink, it was fate that Cesar crossed the Rubicon, and it's these two brats' fate to play a card game after 3000 years of fuming unresolved rivalry. At last, they stand upright in preparation to resume their super important fate-duel. Yami states that it's back to square one with their gods god, and Kaiba scoffs.

Below the platform, other!Marik is still glaring at the Millennium Rod clutched in his fist. He considers it and Yami's puzzle, and wonders what those boys up top saw if these items have their memories sealed inside of them. Good to know the little creep doesn't get to peek in on private memories inside these things. Seems real mad about it too, and I'm oddly satisfied by his frustration. Maybe it's just refreshing to see him not being a smug shit.

Jonouchi has been fully assimilated. He is part of the collective now.

Yami reiterates that he's certain now, claiming that his current duel with Kaiba will open the first "door", to these goals of his, if I had to guess. Which I do. Kaiba declares that he doesn't give a shit about illusions of the past or whatever, and all he cares about is defeating Yami right here and now. Clearly he's decided that the "presence" he noticed earlier doesn't actually count as evidence of anything. What a rational boy. He says his future is to be the king of duelists.

Kaiba asks Yami if he's ready, then reminds us all that it's still his turn regardless of his god being gone, because he didn't state that his turn had ended. This is a good thing, because I had TOTALLY forgotten. Don't know how this kid who has spent the last chapter having intense hallucinations managed to remember, but I'll take his word for it.

Look man, just because you managed to avoid your god monster blowing up in your face by summoning Frank Sinatra and attacking with it doesn't necessarily mean it's the more powerful card.

Yami announces it's his turn now that he's been informed that His Aspiring-Royal-Highness's has ended. Insert eyeroll here. He draws a card, glances at it, and notes that he hasn't drawn one key card yet as he puts the new one in his hand. Looking at Kaiba's side of the platform, he observes that there aren't any monsters over there, but Kaiba DOES have a face down card. Yami wonders if his attack will go through.

At the moment Yami summons a great winged, horned beast called "Baphomet" (it resembles the gnostic/pagan idol a LITTLE, but the updated design is a little uninspired), Kaiba chuckles and throws out his arm to reveal his trap, "Clone Reproduction". Yami is in alarmed disbelief that Kaiba managed to clone his monster, and an identical twin of Baphomet appears on Kaiba's side of the platform. Kaiba explains that if Yami attacks, the clones will just end up killing one another, being equal in stats, after all. Yami growls, putting his original Baphomet in defense.

But he puts a card face down on his Duel Disk before ending his turn. Kaiba is in full smug-mode again, patronizingly saying that he supposes Yami made a wise move there. But he announces he's going to sacrifice the clone of Baphomet this turn, giving Yami a sinister chuckle, and another glance at his Blue Eyes card in hand. Yami doesn't need a look at that card himself; it's pretty obvious which monster Kaiba will be working to summon now that both their gods are in their respective graves. He doesn't NEED main character privilege in order to deduce that much.

Yami also knows the Blue Eyes White Dragon needs two sacrifices to summon it since it has eight stars and all, so Kaiba shouldn't be able to summon it on this turn if he has it in his hand. No doubt that "if" is pretty superfluous at this point, regardless of the fact that Yami doesn't have the sneak peek at Kaiba's hand like we do. Yami wonders if he'll be able to draw his key card before Kaiba does, but when Kaiba declares his turn and draws a new card, he looks beyond it at Yami with the smuggest of smug little grins. Seriously, he looks like he's practiced this one in the mirror a LOT.

He tells Yami, MAGNANIMOUSLY, that he's already got a Blue Eyes White Dragon in his hand, and reiterates the assumption Yami made that he won't be able to actually play the card this turn. But he slaps down a spell card that allows him to summon his dragon right now, with the usual amount of dramatic flourish and gesture, hand outstretched as if to physically stop Yami's train of reasoning in its tracks. The spell card is "Cost Down", which is exactly what it says on the tin, art showing two swords piercing two stars on a card in the picture. Card-ception. Yami is in disbelief as Kaiba explains that this card lowers the level of a monster card by two stars for one turn, which prompts the shocked Yami to trot out the step-by-step conclusion that Blue Eyes White Dragon will only be SIX stars now, and can be summoned with just one sacrifice.

Boy, it's awfully convenient that Kaiba has a card that specifically circumvents his "Super Expert Mode" tournament rule that we're all just expected to forget wasn't actually a thing in previous iterations of the game.

Anyway, a slightly manic Kaiba tells Yami to take a good look, because it's not an illusion, but the ultimate monster he's about to bring out.

And when he says "not an illusion", he really means "an illusion that I control and expect, given the parameters in which I have programmed it."

Kaiba cuts right to the chase, commanding Frank Sinatra to attack and burn Baphomet to ash with it Burst Stream of Destruction. The Blue Eyes White Dragon charges up and fires with extreme prejudice on Baphomet, which is vaporized so fast that the rest of the blast streams past Yami and cracks the fake coliseum wall behind him, where all of Kaiba's fake fans are still seated watching this weird match. As the digital smoke clears, Kaiba laughs and claims that, starting from this turn, all of Yami's monsters with less than 3000 attack points are going to burn. He even adds a little note that he's going to destroy Yami's mind along with them, though I'm not sure if it was an out-loud attempt at intimidation or a genuine inner promise. Either way, since he doesn't have a Millennium Item, I find that little threat rather LESS scary than he may have meant. Kaiba ends his turn, yielding the field to Yami's move.

Yami claims his turn, with some hesitation, considering he's being stared down and roared at by a giant virtual dragon. He looks down at his Duel Disk where his deck is nestled with utter dread, sweating hardcore. He knows that whether his memories will be returned to him or forever be lost in darkness depends on this one turn.

Oh come on man, it ALWAYS comes down to one turn. Just draw the damn card already.

At last! The card that breaks EVERYTHING! This is what we've been waiting for, folks!

Yami asserts that Kaiba saw that vision of the duel first depicted on the 3000-year-old tablet too, and Kaiba gives him a mildly surprised look as though he WASN'T just raving about illusions he wasn't going to pay attention to earlier. Yami continues by stating that it doesn't matter who that pharaoh or priest were, but their spirit as duelists which was what was actually carved there. Instead of protesting that no illusions are real except for his, Kaiba remains quiet in his stoic surprise. Yami says that those duelist spirits have been passed on to the two of them, insisting that it wasn't an illusion, I'm assuming silently, because otherwise, Kaiba would be crowing. Instead, he just keeps glaring.

Yami activates the game-breaker, calling forth the soul of the magician sleeping in his graveyard. Kaiba shows some more genuine shock here at the mention of whose soul Yami is summoning. With a triumphant "TA-DA" the classic Dark Magician appears at Yami's prompt to rise from his grave, arms crossed and floating with a stern expression like he's actually here to settle an argument between these two bratty kids. And, I suppose, in a sense he is.

Kaiba stares at the magician in shock, realizing at last that the card Yami lost with that Life-Shaver play must have been this one. Then he notes the wider scene.

Why do I get the nagging, persistent feeling that the conclusion to this duel WON'T actually be the end of this?

Yeah, that'll do it.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It feels like a return to Yami and Kaiba's fundamental characters and their divergence in how they view the world. When they come out the other side of the same strange experience, we get a good look at how each of them interprets it based on their outlook. Yami is immediately validated and knows he's on the right track, as we saw at the end of the last chapter too. Kaiba, on the other hand, is disturbed and tries to dismiss the vision right away, denying its reality and insisting that it doesn't matter. Though he insists that the occult and such don't exist, that's just an excuse for swift dismissal. What really gives him pause is the palpable presence and spirit of the vision's inhabitants. If his sense that these people have desires and motivations like his is this strong, it's a lot harder to deny their reality.

Kaiba's complicated relationship with his past is nothing new; he's always been one to deny its relevance, while at the same time making it a centerpiece of his motivations. building a tower atop an island of trash that represents the ashes of his step-father's empire is a prime example of that. Here, he gets to gaze into that paradox uncomfortably close, because he relates to these ancient counterparts at the core of his being, but he has an impulse to flee from that feeling - to uncouple himself from something he can't change so he can work toward something he can. But because he refuses to understand his history, even ancient history, with Yami, he seems doomed to repeat it, literally. He appears poised in this chapter to once again abjectly refuse to acknowledge his failure to address old (really old) problems.

Luckily, Yami seems to have learned to speak a little of Kaiba's language. I think his declaration that it doesn't actually matter who these dead old Egyptians were and focusing on the part that Kaiba obviously identified with was clever. Saying that they had just inherited the fighting spirits of their ancient counterparts doesn't require Kaiba to accept that the people in the vision are literally them, or even that the vision was necessarily "real" for lack of a better term. It just requires that Kaiba recognize the rivalry as very similar to the one he has with Yami now, and that things are playing out in much the same way, even if it's coincidentally. The figurative way this statement can be taken leaves Kaiba enough room to consider it without being too hung-up on the actual contents of the vision.

Whether or not he'll do that is up in the air. It's not like these visions he's had have given him a lot to work on anyway, so the only thing he can really do regarding examining this ancient grudge is marvel at how similar everything looks in the current incarnation. He's still perfectly capable of examining why he's so pissy about Yami in THIS lifetime, though, and extrapolating from there.