Editing Yu-Gi-Oh! R - Duel Round 043

{{Infobox chapter
| image           = YuGiOh!RChapter043.jpg
| en_name         = Mutually Assured Destruction
| ja_name         = 対消滅！！　そして…
| romaji_name     = Tsuishōmetsu!! Soshite...
| ja_trans_name   = Mutual Annihilation!! And...
| fr_name         = 
| series          = Yu-Gi-Oh! R
| number          = 43
| ja_magazine     = V Jump
| ja_issue        = 
| volume          = 5
| ja_release_date = November 21, 2007
| en_release_date = June 1, 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Yu-Gi-Oh-R-Vol-Akira-Ito/dp/1421530104|title=Yu-Gi-Oh! R, Vol. 5 Paperback|publisher=Amazon.com}}</ref>
| fr_release_date = 
}}

"'''Mutually Assured Destruction'''", known as "'''Mutual Annihilation!! And...'''" in the Japanese version, is the forty-third chapter of ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! R]]''. It was first printed in Japan on November 21, 2007 in the ''[[V Jump]]'' magazine. It was later reprinted in volume 5 of ''Yu-Gi-Oh! R''.

{{chapter summary|The [[Wicked God]]s are defeated, and with them, their influence over [[Yako Tenma|Yako]]. Yako and [[Dark Yugi (manga)|Yugi]] agree to complete their Duel for fun after encouragement from [[Gekko Tenma|Gekko]].}}

==Summary==
Hands clasped together and energy blasting from them, both "[[Obelisk The Progenitor]]" and "[[The Wicked Avatar (manga)|The Wicked Avatar]]" unleash a "[[attack names|God Hand Impact]]" at each other. [[Gekko Tenma|Gekko]] yells that they're going to..., while [[Seto Kaiba (manga)|Kaiba]] grits his teeth. Up on the Duel field, both [[Yako Tenma|Yako]] and [[Dark Yugi (manga)|Dark Yugi]] shield themselves from the explosion of light, as Gekko, Kaiba and [[Willa Mette|Willa]] look on. 

The two God monsters clash, causing a massive shockwave of light to erupt over the [[KaibaCorp]] building, and both Dark Yugi and Yako scowl as they struggle to withstand it. As the Gods continue to battle, [[Mokuba Kaiba (manga)|Mokuba]] has noticed the energy increase as well, and he calls the energy insane. It crackles over the Duel Ring Server, and Mokuba wonders if the Server will hold up. [[Katsuya Jonouchi (manga)|Jonouchi]] and [[Hiroto Honda (manga)|Honda]] are also blinded by the light, and Jonouchi yells out [[Anzu Mazaki (manga)|Anzu]]'s name as light erupt from the machine, electricity still covering her silently screaming body. 

At the top of the roof, cracks begin to appear in "Obelisk's" hands, and then "Avatar's" forearms begins to shatter. Dark Yugi thinks that "Obelisk is..." as the God's forearms completely shatter. Yako screams inwardly that "Avatar" is crumbling as the [[Wicked God]]s arms are fullly removed. The two God monsters explode, and Yako, gritting his teeth, shields himself from the backlash. Then he sees someone in the light - [[Maximillion J. Pegasus (manga)|Master Pegasus]]. Pegasus turns and he walks away from Yako who desperately begs him to wait, asking his Master why he is leaving him. He clamps his hand over his right eye as the light fades. Yugi, meanwhile, sees Anzu standing before him. She tells him that it's okay, and smiles, reassuring him that she'll be back before he knows it. Dark Yugi smiles, telling her that he knows as the light fades around him as well. The explosion of energy sends a beam of light into the sky, and dissipates, leaving nothing but smoke as the sun rises. Dark Yugi, with no card on his field, is hunched over, while Yako has fallen to his knees, head in his hand, still controlling the "[[Metal Devil]]" and a single face-down card. Gekko whispers that the [[Egyptian God|God]] and the [[Wicked God]] are both gone, with Kaiba and Willa looking on.

Anzu's spirit returns to her body, and she opens her eyes. Jonouchi immediately asks if she's awake, and she blinks, murmuring her friends names. Jonouchi and Honda cheer that she's alive, and Jonouchi tells her to hold on; they'll get her out of this machine right away. Honda tears up, he's so happy. Anzu thanks them, but Jonouchi tells her not to that them yet: [[Yugi Mutou (manga)|Yugi]]'s still fighting up top. They've got to get up there as soon as possible and let him know she's okay. Anzu agrees, and the boys help her up, asking her if she can stand. Anzu replies that she thinks so. With Anzu back on her feet, Honda declares that they should go and find Yugi. 

Mokuba radios in to Kaiba, explaining that the Duel Ring Server has returned to normal. Kaiba switches off his radio, commenting "very good." He thought so; explaining to Gekko that since "The Wicked Avatar" was destroyed along with Yugi's God, it lost its control of the Duel Ring Server. And Kaiba bets that its influence over Gekko's brother is gone as well. Sadly, Gekko thinks his brother's name as he looks up at him. Dark Yugi addresses Yako, telling him that they've been fighting all night. The light of a new day has swallowed the Wicked God just like it swallowed the darkness. As tears leak from Yako's eyes, Dark Yugi tells him that it's time he let go.Yako replies that he's gone, Master Pegasus is gone. It's all over. Dark Yugi tells him that the two Gods struck at each other with maximum power. Both of them were destroyed, but the two of them are still alive. Yako is on 900 [[LP|Life Points]], Dark Yugi on 98. Yako states that Master Pegasus went into the light. He just went away, he never looked back. He lowers his hand, claiming that there's no point to this fight, not anymore. He lowers his hand over his [[Duel Disk]], and everyone realizes that he's going to surrender. 

Gekko yells at Yako that he mustn't end it yet. Yako is shocked, lowering his hand and looking at his brother. Gekko stammers sadly that before he started this battle, he told Gekko that he was like the moon, a reflection of Pegasus. Yako is right, without that light, without Master Pegasus, Gekko is worthless. But Yako is different. Even on the darkest night, he can still keep going. Master Pegasus didn't complete the Wicked God cards becuase Yako was already strong enough without them. Gekko admits that Pegasus didn't come back to them, he wasn't waiting for them at the end of the battle. But someday, when Yako has fought enough and grown enough, he'll find his true form, the one that Pegasus saw with his [[Millennium Eye]]. And then he won't need the Wicked gods or anything like them. 

Clenching his fist, Yako rises to his feet. He address Yugi, telling him that he's not going to give up. Dark Yugi grins; fine, he says. Then fight him. Yako points out that even though the Wicked God was defeated, his turn isn't over yet. He activates the [[Spell Card]], "[[Level Award]]" from his hand, raising the [[Level]] of his "Metal Fiend Token" to [[Level 8]]. Yako wonders why it is that he can hear Gekko's voice so clearly, remembering the statement about his true form. He wonders what his true form could be, and thinks to Yugi that to find out if Gekko really meant what he siad, then Yako has to beat him. He plays his Set card, "[[Star Level Shuffle]]." He replaces the new eight-star "Metal Fiend" with an eight-star monster from his [[Graveyard]], and from the grave he calls forth the eight-star "[[Beast King Barbaros (manga)|Beast King Barbaros]]." The [[Beast-Warrior]] rises up behind Yako, and Dark Yugi muses on the monster. Yako explains that since he [[Special Summon]]ed "Barbaros" from the Graveyard, he isn't weak like he was last time. This is "Barbaros's" true form, his [[ATK]] is 3000. 

Kaiba muses that so this is Yako. He comments on Yako's Level trick tactics, remarking that he might not be possessed by the Wicked Gods anymore, but it looks like he's still a strong Duelist. Gekko says his brother's name as Yako ends his turn. Dark Yugi tells him that this Duel isn't the same as before. Now that he's lost the Wicked Gods, this isn't a grudge match anymore. It isn't about wrath or revenge. This is a battle between Duelists. Yako is surprised by the praise, and Gekko thinks that Yako should show him how he really fights. Dark Yugi begins his next turn, preparing to draw.

==Featured Duel: Dark Yugi vs. Yako Tenma==
''Duel continues from [[Yu-Gi-Oh! R - Duel Round 042|the previous chapter]].''

<u>'''Turn 14: Yako'''</u><br />
"[[The God of the Obelisk]]" and "[[The Wicked Avatar (manga)|The Wicked Avatar]]" [[destroy]] one another as both have [[∞|infinite]] [[ATK]] and are at the top of the God Pyramid. [[Yako Tenma|Yako]] [[activate]]s "[[Level Award]]", changing the [[Level]] of his "[[Metal Fiend Token (manga)|Metal Fiend Token]]" to 8. He then activates his [[face-down]] "[[Star Level Shuffle]]", [[send]]ing the "Metal Devil" to the [[Graveyard]] and [[Special Summon]]ing a [[monster]] of the same Level from his Graveyard. He Special Summons "[[Beast King Barbaros (manga)|Beast King Barbaros]]" (3000/1200) in [[Attack Position]]. 

''Duel continues in [[Yu-Gi-Oh! R - Duel Round 044|the next chapter]].''

==Featured cards==
The following cards appeared in this chapter. Cards in italics debuted here.

{{Decklist|Dark Yugi
|effect monsters =
* [[The God of the Obelisk]]
}}

{{Decklist|Yako Tenma
|effect monsters =
* [[Beast King Barbaros (manga)|Beast King Barbaros]]
* [[The Wicked Avatar (manga)|The Wicked Avatar]]
|spells =
* ''[[Level Award]]''
* ''[[Star Level Shuffle]]''
}}

==References==
<references />

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