His breath came out in sharp, gulping pants, eyes a distant and bitter burning.

Blood dripped from the stump that used to be his arm. It was a quiet patter against the floor, almost syncopathic with the silence of the crowd. Nobody dared speak - that was almost a blessing, with how shaky his legs were.

They had set this last game up. Set in the world of his past, his partner adorned in a terrible mimicry of a prince. When the others had seen him, and learned of the circumstances, he was quickly adorned in matching regalia.

At first he had protested. It was an unfair match, he argued, their skills weren't equal.

But Yugi had merely shaken his head with that familiar, peculiar smile. "It's alright, mou hitori no boku. It could be worse."

A fight to the death? Just to see if he would be allowed a place beside his other instead of dieing? No, he did not think these stakes were fair. Risking anyone's life other than his was too cruel.

So they had gone, early morn and the world just starting to awaken, to the sandy courtyard. They had a brief breakfast, and he had departed for a brief moment to pray. For what, he did not entirely know.

Yugi managed to surprise him, of course. He was the only one to ever keep him on his toes, though he was still distantly pleased when he had to parry a sudden swipe to his side.

The duel lasted for what seemed like hours. Sweat glazed their bodies and the Holy Priests observing the event were ever watchful for cheating on either person's part. Midway through his partner managed a lucky strike, cleaving his sword arm with a neat and powerful stroke.

"Get up."

His voice was firm, and commanding. Through the haze of pain he had managed to look up at Yugi's face, and saw the thread of compassion he had believed to have been foregone since this started.

It was that remark that forced him to his feet, face set grimly as he picked up his fallen weapon.

Yugi pressed him as far as he could go. Neither gave in, and with something that was more a throw than a thrust, his sword was driven squarely into his partner.

The gasp he emitted was crushing, and the faint, sad smile turning his lips made things no better.

He wanted to cry, but felt honestly too shocked to manage it. He was dead deaddeaddead I killed him I killed aibo. The words ran through his head in a frightening tremor.

It was over. Yugi… he gulped, throat tight, Yugi had lost. He had won the right to live. Everything would be taken care of here, and he would emerge in their… hisbody as the victor.

A new life.