Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.37 Part 2/3 (Confrontation Between Father and Son)

It was difficult to come up for a title for this post, I'm not sure if I'm happy with the title I have given, since is about two important events that somehow differentiates from one another, yet connected.


Plot Summary:

After Yugi defeated Yami Bakura shadow spy successfully, there is some discussion about this between Yami Bakura and Dark Yugi, since Yugi and the gang are close in completing their quest, Yami Bakura desperately activates the third and last time he can use his special ability of controlling time and is "Natural Catastrophe", the gang starts to hurry up and determined in not leaving until they find Dark Yugi's true name... from their perspective looks like they might have not survived, Dark Yugi's fight keeps going against Yami Bakura as Pharaoh against Zorc, while this fight happens, Dark Akhenaden weakens priest Seto by attacking directly his spirit Ka and then kidnap his son...he teleports himself and priest Seto close to the palace, almost about to fall apart, priest Seto becomes worried about someone's safety, Kisara and goes to check on her and tries to get her to escape far away and confront Dark Akhenaden, priest Seto fights Dark Akhenaden to help Kisara escape, during their fight, they hold a important conversation and reveal, Dark Akhenaden attempts to force priest Seto into king (pharaoh) by giving him a god being the white dragon by killing Kisara and the other side of the fight, vizier Siamun summons Exodia with the Millennium Key from the already fallen priest Shada.



Key Points:

 

After Yami Bakura shadow spy being defeated by Yugi, he disappeared but the Yami Bakura took a strong blow, we have to remember the shadow spy is still a piece of soul of Yami Bakura that has been "banished" to the shadows (it's similar to hocruxes in Harry Potter lore), so of course he takes a huge blow and affects him a lot, it seems to have been a piercing one and seem to hurt quite badly in the heart...

 

As expected from Dark Yugi, he is good at catching changes of expressions and reading emotions of his opponents and enemies and quickly came to the right conclusion of his friends coming close to find his true name (he can do even of his friends, he knows the bit of a crush Anzu has on him, he could tell Yugi when he was being secretive that nowadays he already has good guess what Yugi is thinking about his situation as being pharaoh soul and Yugi himself as vessel, regarding priest Seto and the Ka-Hunt, he is very sharp).

Regarding Yami Bakura perspective on taking a strong blow for feeling a piece of his soul defeated by Yugi...

"I can't believe the shadow I sent into this world was defeated...! And by that mere vessel...!!"

Okay, this is getting me really annoyed with antagonists thinking because Yugi is the vessel of pharaoh soul, they think he is immediately inferior to Dark Yugi (except Otogi Ryuji), if he was truly inferior to Dark Yugi, then he wouldn't be able to solve and chosen by the millennium puzzle in the first place!! Obviously is on the same level and even a little bit better!! It makes me feel so angry for them not taking notice of something so obvious!!😡

Wow, Yami Bakura can be so arrogant too, by referring to Yugi as "mere vessel" who defeated his shadow, well if he wishes to go by that kind of conceited logic and as being Zorc himself, then the "mere vessel" defeated Yami Bakura's "mere shadow, mere piece of soul".😒



If you wish to continue reading this post, click "read more" below:

 

This is when their conversation gets really interesting, Yami Bakura says:

"The Pharaoh's lost name is tied to a secret even you don't know..."

He might giving a small piece of info while omitting it's importance, but is futile since Dark Yugi says the following...

"Let me guess...it's the key of winning this game..."

It's amusing the way he says it, there is bit of tone of cynicism, by now is pretty much obvious to him and is implying to Yami Bakura that he already knows this much for awhile now and no point in trying to omit it...Yami Bakura has also an interesting and important response:

"Oh Yes! I'll be in trouble if you learn it...I've had advantage so far, but that might just turn the tables. In fact, this shadow game is nothing less than a fight for your true name! After 3000 years, the millennium puzzle has led us to this last battle just for that purpose!!"

The way Yami Bakura says "oh YES!", seems to suggest that he sees Dark Yugi caught pretty quickly.

Dark Yugi questions if this last battle was a fated one led by the millennium puzzle, with the conclusion of Yami Bakura is Zorc, Yami Bakura isn't wrong, even without Yami Bakura interference, in the end Dark Yugi would have to defeat Zorc in the world of memory with a different method, because he couldn't seal himself and Zorc again since they are already sealed plus he couldn't seal his name again since he doesn't know, so this battle was inevitable one way or another but when it started?

 

Since he is seeing Dark Yugi has figure out much what is going on in general, Yami Bakura seeing that is pointless as if thinking "I might as well explain the whole situation since he got the general idea" kind of response and goes by a long explanation but an important one...

"Three thousand years ago, the battle with the great evil god ended when the pharaoh sealed his soul into the millennium puzzle...when the puzzle was broken apart, the pharaoh's soul and memories were broken with it...and his true name was lost forever."

Everything he is saying here is true (except with one thing he is ignorant of that before the puzzle was solved he still had his memories) and is connected as Dark Yugi implies with a "but" and Yami Bakura continues...

"Right... your «partner»! Someone appeared who could rebuild the puzzle..."

The explanation still continues, but I think is important to pause for this quote, as explained in the mentioned quote above this one, since his soul was "broken" with his memories and name, Yugi rebuilding the puzzle reseted Dark Yugi's consciousness and his memories plus his name were stored in his subconscious, which explains why Dark Yugi didn't remembered anything when the puzzle was completed, all he knew is that he could exist through Yugi when Yugi wore or touched the Puzzle.

I find it curious how Yami Bakura is amused and emphasising "Right...your «partner»!" to Dark Yugi, since he had his shadow spy eavesdropping the conversation between Yugi and Dark Yugi since he implemented the parasite mind in the puzzle, he knows Dark Yugi calls Yugi as partner, he is aware the bond Dark Yugi and Yugi is very strong, even a little stronger than with his friends and suggests that deep down thinks it was misjudgment on his part about Yugi's strength but he won't ever admit it since he is pretty vain to claim Zorc as the great evil god...

Yami Bakura continues his explanation:

"Now the millennium puzzle is like a movie projector streaming forth the memories it's guarded all these years! It replays the past by shinning the light of memories onto my Ancient Egypt Diorama...!"

Now in this part we have the confirmation as what I constantly mentioned about what was going on, the world of memory from the millennium puzzle had merged with the game world that Yami Bakura created in the diorama...in other words, the gang and everything is shown in the diorama is still from the world of memory inside the millennium puzzle that is in suspension between them, this might also mean Yami Bakura and Dark Yugi can change perspectives between on the table and inside the game world simultaneously, where evidences of such possibility, as we go along...

After he activates his third and last time of his special ability to control time, this time is "natural catastrophe" (1st was time reversal, 2nd time to froze time)... 

 

It's interesting that this time around starts from a certain point as is visible above, from the looks of the panels above, it started on the entrance of the royal tomb and now catching up to the gang, luckily Yugi and the others were already at the other side of the bridge and about to enter the corridor where it takes to Dark Yugi's name, they do have time and when this scene ends, they are about to enter the room where is the pharaoh lost name...it's a quick paced scene, it's nerve wracking...

 

This time how he calls to them is a little different, previously was "partner" to Yugi as always while the others aren't the names but as quicker response, "everybody", but you know he could have included Yugi"partner" in "everybody", but he didn't, he does take a bit of priority on Yugi, since he sees his responsibility to protect his host and being whom is closest to him.

Here how Yami Bakura phrasing this is to pay close attention...

"By now, they're buried along with the tomb! And at the same time you've lost the vessel for your soul to return to!"

He is right if Yugi and the gang die, Dark Yugi can't go back to Yugi's body, since for him to be able to control his body, Yugi needs to touch the puzzle or wearing the puzzle, since is not the case here with the millennnium puzzle on suspension above the diorama, but how he phrased it, Yami Bakura doesn't have his shadow spy anymore to confirm it, so he is just confident they didn't survived based on his ruthless determination overlooking the other side of the party, also we have to remember, even though is a shadow game, their physical bodies aren't there to suffer the damage, they are ghosts and strange characters, they are more inside the world of memory being projected than inside the game world itself, I think Dark Yugi despite being sick worried for their safety with the "No...!" however his expression says is holding to hope they mightt have reached and survived in time as much as he can.

Yami Bakura's thought after saying to Dark Yugi he won't know his lost name...

"And the irony is...I already know your true name! My shadow spy found it before his final battle with Yugi...But I'll never tell you! You can just die!"

I guessed as much, when he said that his "thief soul could sense it", of course, he did already checked out, after all he half lies and half tells the truth 😑, since is also the key to gain his shadow powers back and the key to victory to his enemy as well, obviously he wouldn't ever tell him, another thing, Yami Bakura is a bit wrong, Dark Yugi can't die since he is a soul of someone who is already dead 3000 years ago, idiot, but he would be sealed forever inside the millennium puzzle if the gang didn't survived.

From the readers perspective, the true bystanders kinda know the gang reached on time...

 

One can wonder how priest Seto is able to recognise Akhenaden like this, probably by the voice, millennium eye and saw with his own eyes Akhenaden becoming the high priest of shadows but he is in huge shock then himself asks Akhenaden why he betrayed them, he didn't answer, instead Akhenaden started to think...

"Seto...I saw that look on your face once before...but you probably don't remember...When you saw me the first time after I fused with the millennium eye...You started shaking like you had seen a monster...You were afraid of me...But I am not a monster...I am your father!"

That's cute, in fact bit disturbing, it seems the moment he saw his son reacting like that to him, he stopped trying and giving space and bit by bit, he would learn about the eye and accept it, in a sense priest Seto when was young wasn't really wrong since priest Seto has a sharp intuition, it would mean when he was kid and saw his father like that must felt that his father must have done something really bad, Akhenaden is a father but I don't censore in being seen as monster from a result of committing massive murder for sacrifices to gain power, he is both to me, a mess up father and brother plus a monster.

 

I still find impressive priest Seto's loyalty to the pharaoh, he is willing to stand against someone he looked up to and wanted to be the heir and saw Akhenaden as a father figure, Dark Akhenaden is conceitedly thinking now he gained shadow power and no one can stop him...

Dark Akhenaden is definitely more powerful than priest Seto but he is definitely wrong in what he is saying to his son, priest Seto...

"Seto...the pain you feel will show the path you must take!! Let your illusions of «justice» be destroyed along with your spirit Ka!"

It's true his ideas are bit black and white and pragmatic method, but they're not really illusions and was Akhenaden who taught him, justice isn't a illusion or inexistent, justice in nature is a method to control "good" and "evil" and represents as moral compass of an individual and society, but as we have seen it can become corrupted and out of control depending on the individual and also the chaotic nature of "good" and "evil" being one and the same but it doesn't mean justice can't be applied in it's nature, by respecting boundaries and not crossing the line in morality or not get involved in either and to be impartial, in other words, to keep balance within us, but not everyone can make it work...Akhenaden is one of those who can't.

For anyone who doesn't know, priest Shada has given the last of his strength with an heroic death in protecting the pharaoh, I do feel sad because priest Shada did gave his all to protect the pharaoh not just to take responsibilities about the Ka-Hunt that he regrets of following and feels guilty about, but also he is a pure hearted person from how he applies himself regarding his remorse, mistakes and responsibilities, he becomes even more dedicated.
To make it more curious, priest Shada predecessor, vizier Siamun is determined in protecting the kingdom and the pharaoh, he was also the former king right hand (and whom I suspect to maybe be his grandfather on Dark Yugi's mother side), if only Akhenaden followed his example, so he takes the millennium Key to summon his Ka, Exodia, a very powerful card as we know, so is interesting that vizier Siamun Ka is  Exodia but is considered as demon god...hmmm, it usually means of a level of thief Bakura's Ka and type...we call him Exodia The Forbiden One, I'm going with crazy theories again.

 

After priest Seto being quite weakened and still injured from his fight with thief Bakura and Dark Akhenaden thinking he will give him power and then teleport his son somewhere with him...that's kinda twisted when is obvious that he weakened his son so he could teleport them somewhere else, so priest Seto couldn't escape even if he wanted to, that's kidnapping, it's disturbing.

I'm not gonna quote what he says to priest Seto because is so generic villain, that I won't trouble myself 😑, but priest Seto first reaction and going somewhere while the palace is falling and Dark Akhenaden being able to read his mind very naturally with least effort, if we remember Akhenaden had to put effort in using and Pegasus had put effort as well...the readers know as well without even revealing priest Seto thought...

 

It's interesting and more annoying on Dark Akhenaden part, priest Seto is thinking and worried about Kisara as a person while Dark Akhenaden...when priest Seto starts running to check on her, Dark Akhenaden says he can't do anything and priest Seto as shown grows more worried and Dark Akhenaden says why himself thinks priest Seto can't do anything about it...:

"That girl will soon die...then that great power will become yours!!"

He doesn't even refer her by name (even though is implied not being her real name but still, he could mentioned her by how she is called as at least) but the girl and sees as an object with her death to give power to priest Seto and implying to priest Seto as well, that's insanely rude, disrespectful and despicable.

 

After Dark Akhenaden referring to Kisara being a great power inside her, priest Seto seemed to have almost forgotten about it...which means he came to have a soft spot on her as person.

The reveal of Dark Akhenaden to priest Seto being his father is very "star wars" style and continues with other reveals...:

"The old Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen was my older brother...Do you know what this means, Seto? Royal blood flows in your veins."

The nerve of him, Akhenaden is from royal blood being the youngest brother of the former king and youngest son of the precessor pharaoh of his brother, my problem is how he refers his brother, for starters is how he refers brother as "old pharaoh" when himself is as old, ugh and then revealing he was his brother to mean to priest Seto he has royal blood (using the reveal being younger brother of the former king to confirm his royal status), he thinks by working for Zorc and having Zorc's powers to kill his nephew to make his son a king, king of shadows and behind his own desires to be king/pharaoh, he is so messed up to an extremely irritating degree.

As for priest Seto, it's a deep shock for him but he probably started to remember from back then when he saw Akhenaden with Millennium Eye for the first time and everything started connecting and understand his situation as whole, being the nephew of the former king and cousin first degree of the current pharaoh with both being grandsons of the predecessor of the former king.

 

Dark Akhenaden continues:

"The pharaoh's fate is to ours as light is to shadow...but now that the shadow power has awakened. The world will enter a new age! Join me! Kill the pharaoh and rule this world!"

He is confident that the pharaoh will die and represents the light and the ones being the shadow will rise above him such himself, Zorc and inviting priest Seto to be part of it and become king mixed with generic villain phrase about shadow power and new age, blah blah.
To me the most interesting part is priest Seto reaction in the details of his expression, looking closely is not of temptation but shocked at the suggestion of killing the pharaoh he has been serving, he is loyal and have faith in, being his cousin and Akhenaden asking to kill his nephew and of course worried about Kisara.

Priest Seto as we see in these panels, it's from shock and worry about Dark Akhenaden suggestion and Kisara's safety to deep disappointment and hurt into what Akhenaden has become...looking from his perspective and particular posts, in how as he grow up saw himself as an orphan, implying his mother eventually died, he look up to priest Akhenaden like a father, meaning that family bonds are important to him, he is protective and loyal to the pharaoh, now discovering the person he look up to all this time has become part of the shadows and being his father and the current pharaoh being his cousin, both being family members, one is an enemy being part of the shadows and the other of whom side he is on, undecided between killing the enemy in front of him being his father or follow the suggestion of his father in killing his other family member being the pharaoh and first degree cousin, so he is in conflict due to familial values.

Regarding Kisara, he also feels regret for ever thinking of extracting the god from her and now obviously in love with her, as Akhenaden could read his feelings that implying if he becomes the resident of her soul, Kisara would become his, again Akhenaden treating her as an object and property to take over, urgh, you can tell priest Seto doesn't want to kill her and neither the pharaoh.

 

Just what he says after is enough evidence:

"Even...if you were my father...I would never sell my soul to the darkness!"

You can sense his disappoinment in his words towards Akhenaden and determined he won't follow Dark Akhenaden's suggestion for his loyalty to the pharaoh plus being his cousin who goes more in line with his beliefs in "Justice" with his faith in the pharaoh and for Kisara to live.

After going to Kisara's chamber to rescue her and they have a small talk as they are about to leave the entrance...Kisara asks if is about the monster inside her then he looks back at her, his eyes are "soulful" with deep compassion and says to her...

"No...This catastrophe was caused by humans seduced by evil and darkness...this was done by monsters called «man»..."

I agree with him for most part, it's true the ones who participated in the creation of millennium items were seduced by the millennium tome and their own greed, it shows his growth and development from since he was introduced, he was once a person who had thirst for power but since he have met Kisara and the lecture from the pharaoh from their battle and seen the true form of her and not losing faith in the pharaoh in being alive, becoming better at teamwork and valuing it more, he matured really fast, despite acknowledging humans can be carried away by darkness but knows some don't but the mention of "man" in singular might  refer on how his father, priest Akhenaden knowing he created the millennium items was the catalyst of these chains of events.
The funny thing is nowadays we can relate with the current state we live in...the climate change, global warning among other worldwide problems (economics and politics).

 

He continues saying to Kisara:

"Don't worry...what lives inside you isn't a monster..."

He does mean a lot of things, even now after seeing Mahado fused with his Ka, he understands her case much better with more clarity probably came to similar conclusions as I did, he knows for a fact the white dragon did saved her, he also suspects she is some sort of deity and similar how a pharaoh is viewed as living embodiment of god plus the white dragon shielded him and saved his life and knows the white dragon not for it's power but being Kisara, also as obvious as he is in love with her, he is being very selfless asking her to leave and escape to a distant land, far away from this battle, Kisara moved and grateful by his gesture and by her expression to be worried about his safety.

 

Priest Seto ready himself to fight Dark Akhenaden to prevent him to reach Kisara to give her time to escape so their talk between father and son, Dark Akhenaden expressing his disbelief in letting "the girl" escape:

"...Do you let the girl escape? With the power of your Millennium Rod, you could extract the god from that girl and become King!"

This man still hasn't get it that he doesn't want to be king or pharaoh, he wanted to be the heir of the one who protects the throne - the pharaoh and the kingdom, who was his father, this further indicates Dark Akhenaden driven in madness already and he is projecting his ambitions and desires to become pharaoh on his son, Priest Seto's reaction is disappointment after disappointment (I feel sorry for him 😟) and replies...

"You are not my father...the best part of him died long ago...he gave his life bravely on the battlefield..."

This speaks for a lot of things, the man in front of him driven by madness of his darkness, he is implying the hounourable side of his father died when he created the millennium items and fought for his brother side, the former king, also suggesting he wasn't ever interested to be king but on to be the right hand or left hand of the pharaoh...

 

Dark Akhenaden...after those words he was butthurt and understood his son didn't ever wanted to be king or pharaoh but to protect the pharaoh and the kingdom, so that's why he says:

"Very well...I will make you accept my gift..."

Hey, Dark Akhenaden have you heard of consent? I guess maybe he never heard of it, if we think about it, he didn't really did it with his brother either, not revealing about the full contents about the creation of the millennium items regarding the cost and had the preparations ready to create them behind his back and without asking for permission if he could make preparations for it and now quite frontally ignoring his son's consent in not wanting to be king/pharaoh.

He looks back and she is stopped at the entrance of the exit of her own accord from her eyes worried what will happen to priest Seto facing Dark Akhenaden, priest Seto shocked she hasn't really left and as if sensing the danger and Dark Akhenaden seeing a gold opportunity right after this scene he kills Kisara, I didn't put this scene because I wanted to show she didn't left the palace of her own volition worried about the person who saved her once and now trying to help her so she can save herself for second time, that's why she didn't left because from her perspective she feels grateful for what he has done for her so far and is worried about him.
After this, Dark Akhenaden kills Kisara while priest Seto is shocked and...

Siamun sucessfully summoning Exodia...

See Ya Next Post!