Calai'di–Well, this will be my tenth fic, I believe. That means at the moment of posting this, I am actively writing…counting…three or four, including this one. So don't blame me if I don't update very often!

This'll probably end up sounding a lot like Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad because that's where I got the idea.

Chapter 1: The Mortal Gods

Pharaoh Atemu was originally a Pharaoh of Egypt and was taught magic by Thoth himself. When the world came under attack by evil forces, Atemu protected his people and defeated the evil sorcerers, and then to finish the evil, died in trapping his and the main enemy's soul in the Millennium Puzzle. But because he had done so much good on earth, Thoth and Isis asked Re to free Atemu's and grant him immortality and godship. However, when Re obliged, a small part of Atemu's soul was caught in the Puzzle and couldn't be released for three thousand years. Because his soul was not whole, Atemu dropped his mortal name and took the name Yami instead. Yami became lord of the realm Elysium and is god of memories, magic, duelists, the Heart of the Cards, and anime.

After the god Yami had been watching over the earth for three millennia, he noticed that the technology of the mortals was growing more and more advanced, and his master Thoth was growing less able to keep up with it. Yami went down to earth and discovered that the crisis was worse than they thought, and that soon the new technology would need its own patron. Thoth and Yami went to Re who granted them permission to make a willing mortal the new god. Yami went back to earth and found a mortal called Seto Kaiba, who, though he looked a lot like the rebel priest three thousand years before, was one of the greater inventors of the time. At first, Kaiba refused the offer of godship, even after Yami revealed that he could force the teen if need be. Frustrated, Yami turned to his master for help, but even the God of Wisdom couldn't convince Kaiba to come with them, and he gave up and returned to the solar boat. Yami knew that Kaiba would be the perfect god of technology, so in the end, he tricked Kaiba into following him and granted him immortality. A part of Kaiba's soul stayed on earth to be with his brother and so no one would get suspicious. Kaiba became lord of the realm Glyph and is god of technology and invention.

Malik was the only other mortal to see what happened between Kaiba and Yami, and he didn't like that two of his enemies were now more powerful than himself. He traveled for weeks in and out of the Shadow and other realms until he eventually found Yami's palace and challenged him to duel. If he won, he'd be granted as much power as the gods. Malik came very close to winning, but in the end, he was struck down by the three Egyptian God Cards, even his own which had turned on him. Yami told him that as long as he owned his God Card, he would have the power of the gods, and then sent him back to earth. Malik fumed at losing his chance to defeat his rival, and finally called on Seth to help him. Malik said that Yami was very close to Isis as well as Thoth, and if Seth gave him the ability to defeat his enemy, he'd forever worship the chaos deity. Seth didn't like Isis and was itching for a chance to get back at her, so he made Malik a minor god and gave him the power to defeat Yami. Yami, however, was waiting for him and managed to overcome Malik's power. As punishment, Malik was charged with keeping the solar boat traveling across the sky and through the underworld every day and night. He and Yami remained bitter enemies. Malik became patron of journeys and transportation, especially of ships and bikes.

It wasn't long before Bakura noticed Malik's absence. He wanted Malik to obey his part of their bargain, and he soon grew restless with waiting. Like Malik, Bakura traveled through the different realms searching for his former associate until he finally arrived at Yami's realm. Yami told him about Malik's fate and that there was nothing he could do about their deal. There was also no way for Malik to talk with him unless he went to the solar boat, which was impossible for a mortal. Out of frustration, Bakura called on Seth and explained his situation, that he was the rightful owner of the Millennium Items, and he expected Malik to keep up his end of their bargain. Seth took Malik's place on the solar boat for one day so they could work it out. Malik explained that he didn't have his Item anymore and didn't know where the Millennium Rod was and therefor couldn't give it to Bakura. Instead, Malik granted Bakura godship. Bakura was glad to be free of his prison, though he did take the Ring with him when he left Ryou on earth. Bakura became lord of the realm Bakra and is patron of thieves, assassins, martial arts, weapons, the Millennium Items, darkness, and madness. He is also the protector of souls after death and protector of Ryou Bakura, who had been his host on earth.