Bandit Keith, under the control of Marik, has summoned the powerful Zera the Mant to the field and easily destroys Yugi's strategies with powerful spells and traps. It seems as if the Puzzle will be his... but Yugi's determination to win lets him destroy Zera with a spell!
At this point, Yami Bakura arrives. While impressed by Marik's power, he won't allow anyone but himself to steal the Puzzle, and uses the Ring to sever Keith's mind control. Before his control completely fades, Marik commands Keith to smash the Puzzle into pieces. (In the Japanese version Keith thought the Puzzle was giving him commands and shatters it of his own free will.)
As Ryou Bakura, Yami Bakura stops Keith from interfering further and helps Yugi collect the pieces—but secretly implants his soul into one of them, so when it's complete he can explore it and discover the source of the Pharaoh's power. All that's left is to put the pieces together...
But Bandit Keith, snapping at Marik's continued attempts to dominate his will, lashes out wildly and sets the entire warehouse on fire. Yugi refuses to leave Yami Yugi behind and sets to work completing the Puzzle even as the structure burns and collapses around him. Yugi finishes fixing the puzzle just before he faints. Joey and Tristan arrive just in time to save Yugi from death, and inadvertently rescue Keith as well. At the hospital, Yugi thanks his friends for saving him, but notes that the duel was unfinished, and Marik doesn't seem the type to give up easily...
This episode contains examples of:
- Chekhov's Gun: Yami Bakura sealing his soul into the Puzzle pays off at the end of the season, as well as the majority of season 5.
- Heroic Fire Rescue: Joey and Tristan saving Yugi from the burning warehouse.
- On Three: Joey and Tristan decide to bust down the warehouse door on three...and skip right to "Three!"
- Pragmatic Adaptation: The key plot beats of this episode were originally a part of the Dungeon Dice Monsters arc in the manga. Presumably the Dungeon Dice Mosnters arc was simplified and its major plot elements made a part of original content is an effort to fit more duel monsters into the anime than was in the manga.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Yami Bakura freeing Keith from Marik's mind control isn't done out of any sort of kindness. He merely wants to ensure that no one but him can obtain the Millenium Puzzle.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Keith rushes out of the warehouse in a panic over being mind-controlled by Marik. He never appears again for the rest of the series.note
