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Seto had been working on this system for years. It was nearly perfect, save for a few bugs. He took in a slow, steadying breath as the system booted up, surrounding him with the ornate walls and high ceiling of an empty cathedral. Well, it was empty save for one thing…
It was always jarring, seeing him in front of him again. Despite the hours he’d spent testing the system, coming face to face with his rival over and over again, it always felt surreal. He remembered again, the nights he would come to the lab to start up the virtual reality just to have a choppy, imperfect conversation with the Atem he had built out of his memories. His memories were too unreliable. He never quite felt like the real thing.
He stared down the other from across the wide room, clenching his fist in anticipation. “We meet again, Pharaoh.”
“And who’s fault is that?”
Just as he remembered, he was sharp. He grit his teeth. “I hope you savored last night’s victory, because it will have been your last.”
Atem quirked his brow with a smirk. “I’d like to see it.”
Seto took in a breath, before readying his duel disk. “Draw five cards and let’s get this over with.”
“You’re right. Let’s.”
Atem drew his hand as Seto’s cards appeared in front of him, gleaming blue and semi-transparent. He chuckled, sending out the first of his beloved dragons.
The duel felt almost natural. It had jumps and imperfections like their conversations, but it felt like a conversation nonetheless. There were quips and trades, punctuated with lingering looks of defiance and playful hatred. The familiarity felt bittersweet.
Finally, Seto found himself with the upper hand. Everything was set up perfectly in his favor. He had the perfect trap card ready on his side of the field, poised in place for Atem’s next anticipated attack. Of course, Atem’s AI took the opportunity. The assault approached him at blinding speeds, but his trap card protected him from the blast, clothing the room in smoke from the hit.
The look on Atem’s face when the smoke cleared was priceless.
“I knew you would do that,” Seto said, feigning nonchalance. “So I set up a trap, giving my monster the advantage.”
Atem deflated. “So that means…”
“Yes.” Seto lifted a hand up, pointing up to the dragon looming over him, casting its overwhelming shadow across the field with the stained light at its back. “And now I’ll try something that I’ve learned from you. I’ve been practicing this ever since I first witnessed it myself. I’ve finally perfected my technique, thanks to your help.”
Atem narrowed his eyes. “You wouldn’t… You barely got out last time I saw you try it.”
Seto let out a boastful laugh. “That’s what you say every time!” He looked up at his dragon, splaying out his hand commandingly. “Now!”
The crystalline blue dragon above him opened its maw, letting its tongue slide out over its razorlike teeth. Saliva dripped down from his jaws, pooling onto the floor around him and soaking into his brunette hair. Seto’s hand caressed the winged beast’s tongue, before the dragon lowered its head and caged Seto within its mouth.
It lifted its head, pointing its nose heavenward to let its master slide down its throat. The power of his spirit surged through the dragon’s body, collecting in its mouth as a wad of pent up light and rage. The dragon aimed its gaze toward Atem, parting its jaw again, before releasing the beam of searing light toward the Pharaoh. It consumed him entirely.