Because he was already too old, both in body and soul. His days were originally numbered, and with his current soul, he could no longer bear the high cost of unsealing "Exodia".
So this time, he came with a resolve to die.
Whether win or lose, this would be his last battle as a priest. This time, the price of unsealing the Dark Great Mage would be his own soul.
The mage's aura suspended in midair grew increasingly majestic and robust. At this moment, most of the mage's body had already emerged from the void, overlooking the entire field from above. The heavy pressure was like an invisible mountain, only needing a trigger, a moment to be detonated.
Ending phase, after Storm Dragon's Return effect processing, "Exodia the Forbidden One" returns to Simon's hand, at that moment the five components will be complete, and the final seal will be broken.
Even the Great Evil God Sock, in his current fragmented state, would have no power to resist against the complete form of Exodia, nor even a chance to survive.
At the moment the seal is broken, it will be his defeat.
And all Simon needs to do is declare "End of turn".
"My actions for this turn are finished." Simon's tone suddenly rose, "At this moment, 'Exodia the Forbidden One' resumes its slab state!
Exchange the five sealed components, along with my own soul, to descend once more and fight by my side one last time, old friend!
I now summon the true form of the Egyptian Envoy, Dark Great Mage Exodia..."
"Hold on a second!" Bakura's mouth curled into a sinister arc, shouting, "It's not over yet! Trap Card - Speed Chanting! Discard one Magic Card from your hand, this effect can activate as that Magic Card's effect!"
Bakura paused, his gaze ominously fixed on a stela before him for a short moment, his smile deepening.
"The Magic Effect I want to activate from my hand is... Hand Card Exchange!"
Hand Card Exchange, Magic Card, both players each choose a card from the other's hand to add to their own hand.
"Wha... what!?" Priest Simon's pupils narrowed sharply, his purple eyes seemingly reduced to pinpoints.
"That's right, before 'Storm Dragon's Return' effect is activated, 'Hand Card Exchange' effect must be processed first." Bakura displayed a healthy smile, "Come on, honored priest, pick a card from your hand for me!"
Priest Simon bit his teeth unwillingly, but the slabs before him had forcibly flipped over under the Magic Effect.
Bakura selected "Right Arm of the Forbidden One," the slab sealing Exodia's right hand immediately flew to Bakura's hand under invisible magic power.
Simon could also choose a card from Bakura's hand... but that was already meaningless.
This "Hand Card Exchange," Bakura did not have at the start of this turn.
Simon needed a lot of resources to unseal Exodia, thus had activated "Pot of Greed," "Book of Magic from the Jar," and a "Miracle Locus" in succession this turn, allowing Bakura to draw ten cards at once, profiteering vast resources.
This fate-deciding "Hand Card Exchange" was drawn in this process.
Storm Dragon's Return effect processing, "Egyptian Envoy" on the field was relocked into the slab, returning in front of Simon. Behind him, the enormous upper body and head of Exodia finally shone brightly, the power of the invincible magic god surged with magic, gold light blooming...
...but the right hand alone was missing.
Even missing just one hand, the seal remains unbroken, that is the rule.
With the seal unbreakable at this step, Exodia in the void was almost just a hair's breadth away from Bakura, yet it was precisely this thin paper he couldn't touch or pierce through.
Moreover, Simon had just issued the end declaration.
"It's my turn!" Bakura mumbled, "Honestly, an old geezer wasted me so much effort, almost capsizing me in a ditch...
...but it's over already! The Wicked Dreadroot, deliver this old man one last strike!"
The Evil God swung its heavy fist, a bone-clad fist crashing down with an endless torrent of darkness!
The power of the Evil God was like a surging tsunami, everything on the old man's field was engulfed by darkness, even the image of Exodia behind him was pierced through by the fist.
Despite being just one step away from unsealing, the invincible mage roared unwillingly, but sealed off completely he could do nothing. The golden giant's body was punctured through by the evil god, fragments climbing over it, crashing messily to the ground.
[Simon, LP 1500 →LP 0]