Kaiba pales, but he nods. "I know we've been accused of being too soft. But a murder in retaliation won't accomplish much if they'll just revive."

He bows his head. "And there's nothing soft about the penalty game. The feeling of the abyss closing in on you, knowing you've failed and you'll never feel again...when you're dying, your last moments seem to stretch out for eternity. Even just the simulation of that is terrifying. It's how he'll react after that's the question."

Kaiba is quiet as he drinks his coffee. "I'll help if I can, but we have to be prepared for things to get worse before they get better."