Atem held back a sob of his own; now wasn't the time for grief. Turning his attention back towards Bakura, there was a look of pure anger on his face. "Let's continue the game." He growled, voice dripping with hatred.
"You still are losing the game, even if my hikari is dead." Bakura snapped back, supressing a shudder at the pharaoh's rage. He knew, though, that with the risk of Ryou dying was out of the way, Atem wouldn't hesitate to defeat him now.
Which was the truth. Atem easily watched as the cage around Ryou's body continued to shrink further, Bakura starting to lose his nerve. But Bakura won a hand here or there, and they were about tied later on, Yugi cowering in his own cage, the wall mere centimeters from Ryou's body, though it didn't really matter. Atem held his breath; this draw would show the winner of the game.
Bakura felt beads of sweat appearing on his forhead; this was it. He'd get to defeat Atem this time, he was sure. Glancing up as the pharaoh flipped his card, he scoffed at the monster. "A kuriboh?! Ha! That has to be the weakest monster in your deck! Anything in my deck could defeat that. I don't even have to draw." But as though to prove his point, Bakura did anyway, smirking as he flipped the top card from his deck.
Now it was Atem's turn to smirk. "Well, look at that. Change of Heart." He sneered at Bakura, looking down at the card the robber just played. "By your own rules, magic cards automatically lose. Suprising that it was Ryou's personal favorite as well." Tears now came as Atem watched smugly as Bakura jumped to his feet in disbelief.
Bakura didn't have enough time to scream something at the pharaoh; no parting words, no threats, nothing. The Shadow Realm tore at his being, his soul, seeking out the object to place it in. The realm chose the Change of Heart card, forcing his soul into it. The picture washed away, an image of Bakura taking its place, much like how Pegasus had done in his tournament. The energy cages disappeared, along with the surface they had been playing on.
Atem managed to grab his deck afterwards, but Bakura's fell to the ground, the cards scattering everywhere. He sorted through them for a moment, then found the soul card, pocketing it before suddenly being embraced by Yugi, who was doing his best not to cry. Atem hugged his hikari back before swiftly making his way over towards Ryou's body, which was lying still on the cold ground of the Shadow Realm. Atem closed his eyes, reciting a prayer for the dead in his mind. Glancing around the area, he nodded slightly at Khalid before bending over slightly, picking up the boy's body bridal-style.
Khalid got his message, and the Shadow Realm quickly faded away. He gasped sharply in pain, for he didn't have a source like the Millennium Items to dip into for energy. He had to convert his own life energy to get them back to Kira's home. "What a waste of a life..." He muttered, shaking his head as he watched Atem carefully lay Ryou's body out on the couch, arranging the boy gracefully.
"You still are losing the game, even if my hikari is dead." Bakura snapped back, supressing a shudder at the pharaoh's rage. He knew, though, that with the risk of Ryou dying was out of the way, Atem wouldn't hesitate to defeat him now.
Which was the truth. Atem easily watched as the cage around Ryou's body continued to shrink further, Bakura starting to lose his nerve. But Bakura won a hand here or there, and they were about tied later on, Yugi cowering in his own cage, the wall mere centimeters from Ryou's body, though it didn't really matter. Atem held his breath; this draw would show the winner of the game.
Bakura felt beads of sweat appearing on his forhead; this was it. He'd get to defeat Atem this time, he was sure. Glancing up as the pharaoh flipped his card, he scoffed at the monster. "A kuriboh?! Ha! That has to be the weakest monster in your deck! Anything in my deck could defeat that. I don't even have to draw." But as though to prove his point, Bakura did anyway, smirking as he flipped the top card from his deck.
Now it was Atem's turn to smirk. "Well, look at that. Change of Heart." He sneered at Bakura, looking down at the card the robber just played. "By your own rules, magic cards automatically lose. Suprising that it was Ryou's personal favorite as well." Tears now came as Atem watched smugly as Bakura jumped to his feet in disbelief.
Bakura didn't have enough time to scream something at the pharaoh; no parting words, no threats, nothing. The Shadow Realm tore at his being, his soul, seeking out the object to place it in. The realm chose the Change of Heart card, forcing his soul into it. The picture washed away, an image of Bakura taking its place, much like how Pegasus had done in his tournament. The energy cages disappeared, along with the surface they had been playing on.
Atem managed to grab his deck afterwards, but Bakura's fell to the ground, the cards scattering everywhere. He sorted through them for a moment, then found the soul card, pocketing it before suddenly being embraced by Yugi, who was doing his best not to cry. Atem hugged his hikari back before swiftly making his way over towards Ryou's body, which was lying still on the cold ground of the Shadow Realm. Atem closed his eyes, reciting a prayer for the dead in his mind. Glancing around the area, he nodded slightly at Khalid before bending over slightly, picking up the boy's body bridal-style.
Khalid got his message, and the Shadow Realm quickly faded away. He gasped sharply in pain, for he didn't have a source like the Millennium Items to dip into for energy. He had to convert his own life energy to get them back to Kira's home. "What a waste of a life..." He muttered, shaking his head as he watched Atem carefully lay Ryou's body out on the couch, arranging the boy gracefully.
