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{{Infobox/Yu-Gi-Oh!/Chapterchapter | series image = Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist | image name = Duelist178Duel 237 - bunkoban - JP - color.jpg | image size = png | image caption = | english en_name = The Eve of Battle | kanji ja_name = 死闘前夜！！ | romaji romaji_name = s**tō Shitō Zenya!! | japanese translated ja_trans_name = Night Before the Deathmatch!! | alternate series = Yu-Gi-Oh! | english number = 178237| ja_magazine = Weekly Shōnen Jump| ja_issue = 2001 #44 | japanese number volume = 27| bunkoban_volume = 16| sjr_volume = 237| ja_release_date = October 1, 2001<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegrandline.com/odatocLIVE.htm|title=Oda's Deep Thoughts|publisher=thegrandline.com}} (release date for ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' 2001 #44)</ref>| en_release_date =

"'''The Eve of Battle'''", also known as titled "'''"Night Before the Deathmatch!!'''"(死闘前夜！！ ''Shitō Zenya!!' ') in the Japanese version, is the 178th 237th chapter of the [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (manga)|''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist]]'' manga in the ]]. In its first English version and printing, it was numbered as the 237th 178th chapter of ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! (manga)|Duelist]]''. In the [[Yu-Gi-Oh!(3-in-1 edition)|3-in-1 edition]]'' in , its number was changed to match the original Japanese versionprinting.

{{Chapter summary|With [[Dark Bakura (manga)|Dark Bakura]] devoured by the darkness, [[Marik]] turns to [[Ishizu]] for help. Meanwhile, both [[Seto Kaiba (manga)|Kaiba]] and [[Yugi Mutou (manga)|Yugi]] reaffirm their desire to win. Dark Bakura, meanwhile, has lived on through the fragment of his soul that he sealed in the [[Millennium Puzzle (manga)|Millennium Puzzle]].}}

At 12:30 P.M., [[Seto Kaiba (manga)|Kaiba]] sits at his computer, tapping on the keyboard. He muses that "Ra" has the power to transfer a player's [[Life Points]] into [[ATK]], and attack all the opposing monsters and the opposing player in the same instant. He thinks to himself that "Ra" is an invincible [[Egyptian God|God card]] that decides the Duel in just one turn, and wonders if there's any way to stand up to God. [[Mokuba Kaiba (manga)|Mokuba]] comes over, surprised that his brother is still up, and tells him that he should go to bed, as tomorrow is the finals. Kaiba reassures his brother that he's fine, and gently tells him to go to bed. Mokuba knows that Kaiba's using the duel simulation software, trying to prepare for the opponent's strategy. He wonders if "The Sun Dragon Ra" is really that strong. Mokuba tells his brother that the ship is on schedule. They're supposed to get there at seven in the morning. He muses on the former base of KaibaCorp's weapons development, all ruins except for the [[Duel Tower]] that Kaiba built. Their stepfatheradoptive father, [[Gozaburo Kaiba]], spent a fortune uilding that island. It was full of high-tech military equipment. He describes it as the center of darkness. After he died, Kaiba destroyed KaibaCorp the defense contractor and created KaibaCorp the game company, using the same technology for game development. He comments that the Duel Tower is like a symbol. Kaiba vows to win the finals on Alcatraz Island, and when he earns the title of Duel King, he will be unconquered in the world. Only when that happens will Kaiba be finally free of his curse.

Dark Marik, now wearing the [[Millennium Ring (manga)|Millennium Ring]], walks down the hallway, unsheathing the dagger from the [[Millennium Rod (manga)|Millennium Rod]]. He enters Rishid's room, but Rishid is gone. Furiously, Dark Marik wonders who could have taken him.

As the blimp rockets through the sky, [[Yugi Mutou (manga)|Yugi]] sleeps in bed, his hand on the [[Millennium Puzzle (manga)|Millennium Puzzle]]. He winces in his sleep and the Puzzle glows. Yugi finds himself inside his mind, emerging from the white door representing his soul room, and looking at the door set with the [[Eye of Wdjat]], now crisscrossed with angry veins. He has a bad feeling, knowing that something is wrong in his other self's room. He opens the door, reflecting that it's his first time going into his other self's room. He emerges into the maze of staircases and doors, looking around in wonder, and asking himself if this is a dream. He thinks that the maze is complicated, endless, and wonders why. Then, [[Dark Yugi (manga)|Dark Yugi's]] voice sounds out from behind Yugi, asking him what's wrong and if he sleepwalked into his room. Yugi freaks, protesting that Dark Yugi scared him. Dark Yugi laughs in apology, though he tells Yugi that this isn't a dream. Yugi states that he felt something strange from Dark Yugi's room. Dark Yugi agrees; he's been feeling it too. He asks if Yugi is surprised that the room of his soul is a maze. Yugi admits that he isn't, he kind of understands. Dark Yugi doesn't have memories, so this room is like a map of his soul that isn't sure which path to take. Dark Yugi seems surprised as Yugi vows to himself that one day he'll get Dark Yugi's memory back; that's part of his job. Dark Yugi looks around, admitting that someone else came here some time ago - [[Shadi]]. Dark Yugi explains that he came there looking for the "true room of his soul," but Dark Yugi himself doesn't know which door leads there. Yugi wonders what is in the room, what Shadi is looking for. He asks if it has something to do with Dark Yugi's memories. Dark Yugi replies that he doesn't know, but if even ''he'' doesn't know where the room is, finding it is not going to be easy.

==Production HistoryReferences==This chapter was first printed in Japanese in the ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]'' magazine. It was reprinted in [[Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist - Volume 020|volume 20]] of ''Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist''.<references />

{{Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist chapters}}