[ Noa isn't wrong, as much as Malik wishes he were. There will always be those odd-ball types, the ones who would put others ahead of themselves in any situation, no matter how dangerous or stupid it may be.

He doesn't need to tell him he's right, because the disgruntled look as he remembers how much trouble Jou and Yugi gave him is telling enough. But the expression passes swiftly, replaced by a sardonic sort of smile. ]

Malik Ishtar, founder and former leader of the Ghouls. I wouldn't have done the things I did if I didn't know what it felt like to fear those above you. I was just one of the ones who took that fear and turned it into something far worse.

[ A darkness deep inside himself, a fracture of his soul, forever tainted black by his own design. Even now, he's now sure just how detached from that part of himself he really is. ]

Hate. Anger. Instead of allowing myself to be destroyed, I wanted to destroy everything that caused that fear in the first place. I'll be the first to admit I messed up because I was a kid, and I was afraid, so I warped everything around me to fit what I wanted it to be and burned down the rest.

[ Malik's never claimed to be a good person, or even a healthy or mentally stable one. He's a mess on a good day and he knows it, all it does is make him feel more justified in judging the rest of the world, because he's no better than they are. ]