Work Text:
I dont own yugioh because i should not be trusted with that sort of power
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Atem felt a bead of sweat at his brow, and a clammy warmth at his palms. In his hands, his cards followed the waves of tremors that wracked his body. This duel wasn’t going well. All he had were low-level monsters that couldn’t even take a blow in defense-mode. Things were looking grim. This would all end soon.
Yugi’s grandpa... He wouldn’t take the news well.
The pressure weighed on his chest until he could hardly take in his breaths.
Kaiba laughed from across the duel field. “Draw your last pathetic card!”
“My grandpa’s deck has no pathetic cards, Kaiba.”
Who was he kidding? These cards were pathetic...
With a deep breath, Yugi reached out to the deck. Only the heart of the cards could save him now... He wondered what could possibly be in that deck to save his skin. He drew a card.
Wait... This was something.
Confidence rose up in Atem’s chest and surged through his body, lighting up his nerves until the trembling of his hands were from excitement rather than his chilling anxiety.
“I summon... Exodia!”
Atem threw the cards down onto the field with a brilliant smirk on his face, flicking his wrist for a little flair. If he was going to win so conveniently, he had to make it look like it was intentional.
The field between him and his rival lit up with gleaming, golden light, each piece of Exodia’s puzzle stretching out from their summoning seals until they came together to form one, all-powerful monster.
Now... One last thing.
Atem stood up on his duel module, stretching forth his hand commandingly. “Now... I’ll combine my own power, my heart, with my monster! Forming the most powerful beast known to man!”
Kaiba reeled back in fear. “N-no! That’s impossible!”
“Nothing’s impossible...” Atem quirked an eyebrow. “...When you believe in the heart of the cards.”
Exodia opened his mouth wide, offering up his gaping maw to his commanding pharaoh. Atem perched himself at the rim, holding Exodia’s powerful lip with one foot at his teeth. “Farewell, Kaiba. May we duel again soon. But for now...”
As he slid down Exodia’s throat, he pointed up and gave one last command. “Exodia... Obliterate!”