Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 264 The Entrusted Card

As long as it isn't entrusted to me. I have a credit card specifically for use in small purchases like gas and lunches so that we can build good credit, but I literally never use it. It just sits in my wallet because I hate the very CONCEPT of a credit card. I have the money to pay for things immediately, but instead I should pretend I don't, create this illusion of debt, and then pay it off immediately before it can incur interest? And this is supposed to give financial institutions the impression I'm good with money? Instead of me just, you know, not buying things I can't afford?

I swear, sometimes I think about the mechanics of capitalism's debt-based linear economy and I'm floored. We live in a more bizarro world than any universe that revolves around trading cards. 

Aaaaand now I feel like I'm back at college listening to boring slam poetry for an hour. 

Ishizu tells Kaiba to look at the carving, even though he's not standing in front of it at the moment. Does she think they're back in the museum for some reason, or that Kaiba has a photographic memory? She asks if he sees the priest facing the pharaoh on it, and before Kaiba can tell her that he doesn't because it's not HERE, she identifies that priest as the one who wrote the eulogy above in the stone - the Pert Kertu, or the "Death Prayer" for a friend. 

Kaiba hangs his head in silence for a moment, then starts to chuckle. He looks back at her with all amusement gone from his face, though, asking her what she's trying to say. Kaiba insists he really has no interest in whatever's written on a 3,000-year-old relic. Ishizu argues that the god cards guided him to start Battle City, and to put an end to those battles on this very tower on his very own Alcatraz. I have to agree with Kaiba; she's not making a lot of sense, so I can't really parse what she's trying to say here. She keeps rambling about Kaiba's battle with the pharaoh's spirit, until he growls and yells at her that he's heard just about enough about that damn pharaoh. Instead of shutting up about it, though, Ishizu placidly tells Kaiba to face his heart, because this duel tower he's built IS the place where souls meet. He growls at her again, but he's starting to look a little nervous too. Ishizu says that this is a "sanctuary" of battle built by his spirit. Not sure how those words really fit together, but hey, she's the one who grew up underground in a creepy cult, not me. I'm sure it means SOMETHING.

Scoffing, Kaiba sweeps his arm over Mokuba's head, who looks shocked as his brother brags he's about to sink this so-called sanctuary to the bottom of the ocean. Kaiba then turns to Mokuba and shouts that he's had enough yet again, and commands him to activate the detonator in the underground facility and set the timer for two hours. When Mokuba pauses, hanging his head sadly, Seto yells that he said to do it, disingenuously asking what the balls is the matter. 

Mokuba pouts, then...

What's this? A suggestion to stop the cycle of violence? Seto looks absolutely shocked by Mokuba's outburst. Mokuba, meanwhile, has gone back to hanging his head, explaining that while he did hate Yami/Yuugi and Co at first, they fought hard for him on Pegasus's island like he was their friend. Trying to stop Mokuba's sniffles and sobs, Seto tenderly tells Mokuba not to worry, that he'll leave the airship for them. But he all but recoils when Mokuba looks up at him again with angry tears, demanding a promise that once this cursed tower blows up, Seto will forget about their grudge once and for all. Mokuba says he wants Seto to go back to the way he was before they ever met their stepfather, to which Seto responds with wide eyes and sweat. He turns away from his brother, who is back to hanging his head, considering the word "hatred", wondering if he'll be able to let it go even when he destroys the tower. 

Ishizu interjects at this awkward point to remind Kaiba that Yami and other!Marik's duel will begin shortly. Both Kaibas look around at her, as though they had forgotten she was there, which honestly wouldn't surprise me. Kaiba is now thinking Yami's name. 

Back on the top of the tower:

Ugh, kid, you are NEVER going to be Pinhead, please stop trying. You're embarrassing yourself. 

Everyone just watches him while he giggles to himself, Yami and Jonouchi regarding him with serious glares, because as much as I joke the guy is not THAT scary, it's only because I'M on the safe side of the screen and haven't gotten one of those brain-eating shadow games from him. Other!Marik notices that Jonouchi is still alive and murmurs that he's made of some strong stuff. Rather than barking back at him, Jonouchi addresses Yami instead, warning him despite his foreknowledge that Marik's split personality is bad news. He's a freak who likes torturing his opponents, after all. Jonouchi reminds Yami to watch out, because other!Marik will do ANYTHING to hurt him. 

Oh thank goodness! I was beginning to think I was the only one who remembered the poor woman!

A placid Yami recites Mai's name in his head, but Jonouchi is doubled over, fists curled up in dramatic anguish, lamenting that if he were stronger he might have been able to save her. He yells a curse while Honda stands in the background, emotionless and expressionless, assuring him that it's alright. Yeah, fine Honda, it's all well and good that you're SAYING the right things, but could you look like you give a shit for half a second? Jonouchi turns to Yami and begs him to beat other!Marik and save Mai, yet another promise Yami accepts. How many of those things has he actually fulfilled, anyway? I didn't think to keep track, but maybe I should have...

Yami begins a lovely little soliloquy about how in this here Battle City, he's still trying to become a True Duelist (TM) himself, and he'll have broken his promise to everyone if he lets a friend die. And also, he will have let a friend die, which I feel should have a bigger weight than a broken promise, personally. Yami acknowledges that Jonouchi found the light by finding his courage, and he himself must now find the light in this battle of darkness. A shame Yami has to hand his "darkness" motif off to other!Marik in this duel. Doesn't seem fair. He looks okay with it, though, declaring (aloud or internally is unclear) that he's going defeat the evil mind that dwells within Marik.

Just like you did Kaiba? Because, uh....

Other!Marik chuckles, thinking Yami must be sure he's going to win with his two god cards, but he's got NEWS for Yami:

News that is old and uninteresting. 

Moar Cards Guy has reappeared out of nowhere to raise his arm and declare that the Battle City finals begin now, as is his sole purpose in this comic. Yami has at this point shrugged out of his jacket and is in the process of fastening it around his neck like an awkward cape again while he walks back to the platform. Jonouchi addresses him, saying that the finals are only a passing point for the two of them, and Yami agrees with a twist and nod. Awkward translation aside, I think there's going to be MORE Battle City than I bargained for, and this is devastating to me.

The Kaiba brothers and Ishizu still stand in the industrial corridor, which we can now see has a big convex glowing wall at the other end of it. I don't know what to make of the environment here, but it looks cool, so I'm fine with it. A beep sounds, and Moar Cards Guy is seen standing over a big red button with shattered glass surrounding it, and a timer directly below reading 2:00. He speaks into a headset, letting the elder Kaiba know that the detonator has been activated and set for two hours as ordered. Was he not just standing at the top of the tower signalling the start of the final duel in the tournament? Where is this bomb room so Moar Cards Guy could get there so fast?? I suppose I don't see his face, or his mustache, so this could be a completely different guy, but dude has the exact same haircut, if that's the case...

Anyway, Kaiba speaks into his collar his approval. Mokuba asks in a panic if the others are going to be okay, and Seto assures him that two hours should be PLENTY of time for them to escape. Normally, he might be right, but he's either failing to factor in the card game starting above that will likely take a while if precedent is anything to go by, or he's deliberately ignoring that probability. Stating that the outcome of the final duel is obvious, Seto tells his little brother to come along as he starts walking away from it again. 

Kaiba says there's only ONE way to stop this hidden power, and that's a key card, which he has. The key card into the cabin on his private plane out of here, no doubt. If there's one thing I've learned from Kaiba, it's that the only way to win is not to play. 

I jest, of course. It's Devil's Sanctuary, the description of which is conveniently blank, by the way. But Kaiba says even WITH this card, Yami's chances only rise to 20%. Dude, have you SEEN what that guy can do with 20%? That's pretty much a guarantee he'll win by this stage. Ishizu remains quiet, looking a little crestfallen. Kaiba looks over his shoulder at her, saying she entered Battle City to save her brother, trying to defeat him with occult toys because she wanted to defeat his evil side with her own hands. Is... is this commiseration with another person who wanted to save a little brother held captive by a maniac? 

Nah, Kaiba just cackles at her and says that what little hope she has is in the hands of Yami now. Dickhead. Or, is he? Ishizu says evenly that she's prepared for the possibility that her brother cannot be saved, and if that's the case, all she has to do is stay on the island. Kaiba twists to actually look at her, finding that she's hanging her head, outright depression written all over her face. He trails in a question of how she can stay on the island, and then it hits him what she's saying: if Marik can't be saved, she's willing to sink with the island. 

Kaiba, dude, you have the opportunity here to genuinely connect with another human being because of your parallel experiences. Don't blow this, PLEASE.

HALLE-FUCKING-LUJAH!!!!

I AM SO PROUD OF THIS BOY, I CAN'T EVEN!!!

Ishizu calls Kaiba's name as he enters the elevator again, turning to hit the button, and Mokuba runs to join him. The elevator starts to rise again, amidst loudspeaker announcements warning listeners that the self-destruct sequence has been activated and to evacuate immediately. Kaiba is lost in his own thoughts, though, asking himself what Yami said and immediately recalling that Yami claimed he had won through the power of friendship. He pulls out the card he's sure is the only one that can win the fight and resolves, if friendship really is the key, to entrust it to Yami.

The elevator doors open to Yami and other!Marik facing each other on the raised platform, though it doesn't appear they've busted out the monsters yet. Kaiba wonders if Yami can perform a miracle as Yami turns to him in mild shock. They stare each other down for a moment so Kaiba can raise the card to his cheek dramatically, telling himself there's no such thing as miracles, nor the power of friendship.

Oh, my dear sweet boy, I think you are COUNTING on Yami proving you wrong here. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I think I made my excitement about Kaiba's breakthrough very clear above, but just to elaborate, I really am just so stoked. This kid who has spent almost the whole story up to this point refusing to relate to others on a personal level FINALLY finding a connection with someone else and having an immediate empathetic reaction to it was so cathartic. This was such a long time coming, and though he tries to amp up his skepticism on that last page, he's actually putting some hope and trust in Yami by giving him that card, which is HUGE. At the very least he wants to give Yami a better chance at winning for Ishizu's sake, but that's still some immense headway he's made in actually giving a shit what happens to someone else. All because he drew a parallel between himself and someone else, realized he had a pain in common with her, on the tail end of his newest defeat. Kaiba JUST got finished stamping his feet and insisting that he didn't need anyone, that friendship is bullshit, only to get hit right in the face with an intense interpersonal connection right out of the gate that completely overrode the hatred that he was questioning his ability to forget a moment before.

And can we talk about how smoothly this happened too? The writing just fell into place with how closely Kaiba's and Ishizu's experiences matched each other. This is one of those times in a story when you genuinely didn't expect a parallel to be drawn between characters who seemed to not have a single thing shared between them. It truly comes across as a revelation for Kaiba, because it hits the audience just as hard, that not matter how different these people are, there can be a fundamental understanding between them. It drives Kaiba forward in a way that both losing to and beating Yami could never have done and gave him a reason to put his faith in someone else in one fell swoop. This was a masterful flow of narrative, and KT deserves congratulations for it. 

Not so much for the awkward parts in the middle of the chapter, though, unfortunately. Yami, Jonouchi and other!Marik didn't provide us with any new tension or revelations, just more of the same talk of promises, reiteration of other!Marik's nature, and Ra's superpower. Especially in light of Kaiba's incredible breakthrough, it all came across as very stale. 

But, it's not actively BAD, so I'll take it.