Mokuba.
Until this moment it had never occurred to him to imagine life without his brother. He'd seen the way Mokuba, or rather, that vision of Mokuba, had looked at him. It was the look that would always haunt Seto. The look that said his brother felt betrayed. He hadn't seen that expression on Mokuba's face since accusing the boy of betraying him...back during what he always thought of as the war for Kaibacorp. Pain was all too evident in the childlike features, and the very idea that he had caused that pain through his own failure was ripping Seto up inside. And that wasn't a figure of speech; a young version of himself had literally torn out of his body, chasing after Mokuba. When the smaller Seto had turned and yelled at him, he'd been right. Seto had known it even before his child form had made the accusation. He'd failed his brother.
Or had he?
The question echoed in his mind. Was there any way he could pull a win out of this? Yes. But it was risky...if he'd even slightly misjudged Yugi it would be fatal. But the threat of lousing Mokuba was far greater then the fear for his own life. He'd rather be dead then to see his brother in the hands of a lunatic like Pegasus any longer. Mokuba's soul was worth the risk.
He spoke to Yugi instinctively. He wasn't even aware of the words. Whatever they were, he hoped they stung his opponent like a swarm of bees. He'd recall later that he'd talked about Mokuba...but he'd never be sure of what he'd said. He hoped he hadn't spilled everything about how important his brother was. How he couldn't live without the boy...he hoped he'd simply told Yugi he couldn't be stopped like this. That he wouldn't let Yugi stop him. Regardless, he found himself stepping slowly backwards.
His heal touched the edge. Shifting his weight, Seto gave the appearance that he was about to step further back. Yugi cried out "Stop this now!" Seto complied, not having really intended to let himself fall. Not yet at least. He didn't look down...but just the feeling of instability made him wonder what death would be like. One look at the horrified terror in Yugi's eyes and he dismissed the thought. He wouldn't be finding out today!
His explanation was short, not-so-sweet, and to the point. "Attack if you want, but the resulting shockwaves may cause me to louse my balance." Seto saw the struggle play across Yugi's face as he taunted the boy with the information that he now had the advantage. It occurred to him briefly Yugi was just that, a boy...but he dismissed the thought. He had to do this. Still, he saw a familiar battle in Yugi's eyes. Grim determination battled with humanity. Oh yes, a familiar battle indeed. It had raged inside Seto for years, and if he were to survive this, then Yugi's humanity would have to be stronger then his own had been.
Time had long since lost all meaning to both duelists, and now, what they would later learn lasted only minutes stretched out like hours. Discomfort at his fate being completely in the hands of another set in...and the irony of him relying on the weakness he preyed on hit him. An uncomfortable feeling that grew even more uncomfortable when he suddenly saw grim determination win the struggle in his rivals' eyes. His mind barley had time to process before the words "Celtic Guardian, Attack!" rang out.
A bizarre combination of pride and terror swelled within him. He'd attacked. Seto relaxed, not even bothering to brace for impact. This was it...he'd underestimated his opponent; a mistake he'd been warned would be fatal. It looked like he would find out what death was like today. The pride came from an unknown source. Pride? That was no emotion to be feeling right now. Was it a pride for himself? That he'd stuck to it until the end? That he'd given his all? No...that wasn't it. If anything, he was ashamed of his failure. He was proud of Yugi. It was the only reasonable explanation. Yugi had done what it took to win. He'd completely destroyed his opposition, and hadn't let morals get in the way. A slight smile came across his face. The kid just might make it in the world after all.
Another cry rang out. "Stop!"
Seto was glad he hadn't shut his eyes. He would've missed the incredible sight of the Celtic Guardian freezing in mid-stride, sword lifted, posed to strike the still-dead head of his Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Seto felt instantly drained as relief flooded him. His knees weakened, and he took great care not to stumble as he stepped forward, away from the edge. Seto finished the duel with a simple order.
Millions of thoughts tumbled into his mind. He locked his knees to stop himself from falling to the floor, just as Yugi had. He was alive, and he could rescue Mokuba. That was all that mattered. His insides twisted. Yugi didn't have what it took...he'd given up. He'd let Seto stand in his way. For the first time, Seto saw everything from Yugi's perspective...realizing how easily it could've been him sitting there, drained of willpower and hope. Seto was appalled at the thought, and made it no secret that he thought Yugi had made a costly mistake by not attacking. He knew he'd only won by Yugi's weakness, and he wasn't afraid to say so. His words cut like a lash, and he knew it. He intended them that way.
He'd visualized this scene in his mind so many times since he'd lost to Yugi. He'd imagined Yugi curled up in a ball, much like he was now, sobbing. But something was missing...something he felt when he'd visualized this victory but didn't feel now. Twisted pleasure. There was none of the sick satisfaction he usually took from crushing his opponents. The angry words of Yugi's friend, Tea' explained why.
His humanity. When had he lost that? Were the situation reversed...Seto never would've hesitated. If Yugi had tried the stunt Seto had pulled...the younger boy would be lying on the ground in front of the castle. Probably dead. Why? What had made him so cruel? The threat of lousing his brother? No...even if that weren't the stakes he wouldn't care. He was left with no time to ponder as Tea' demanded an answer. "At the end of the day, what will you have?"
The gold starships hung in front of him, catching his eye as they floated down. They held so much power...not the power to control that he so often craved, but the power to save. His hateful acts were done out of love, but they'd never understand that. Taylor and the mutt looked like they wanted to do what Yugi had failed to...physically. The British boy's face was blank with shock and Tea' was sending him a glare reminiscent of the one he'd been sending Pegasus earlier that day.
Despite all this, despite knowing he'd deprived a boy of the chance he himself had been seeking, Seto felt the long-absent feeling of twisted satisfaction slip into his mind, forming into a smirk on his face. Reaching out, Seto grasped the five stars that were Mokuba's only hope.
What would he have at the end of the day? As his mind calmed and his confidence regenerated, the question merited less and less thought. At the end of the day, he'd have his brother, his company, and if all went according to plan, he'd have his revenge on Maxamillion Pegasus. It slowly became apparent there was only one answer to the question posed to him by his opponent's angry friend. Calmly, Seto gave that answer.
"I'll have all I need."