Yellow_duck here. I'm sorry for the multiple mistakes in the last chapter. They have all been fixed now.
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[Yuna's POV]
As we exited the elevator that descended to the basement level, I quietly trailed behind Kaiba as we traversed through the lonely corridors.
Kaiba's voice sliced through the silence, shattering the tense atmosphere. "I don't understand," he declared, his tone firm. "This is strictly between Pegasus and me. There's no reason for you to involve yourselves."
"You can't go... alone," I reasoned, my voice laced with concern, but he scoffed dismissively.
"I can handle myself well enough," Kaiba argued defiantly. "So I don't know if you're bold or foolish. This is your last chance: stay out of this." His words carried a sharp edge.
He locked eyes with me, his gaze piercing through my resolve, and I flinched. Gathering my courage, I took a deep breath: "Kaiba, I want to... help you," I said earnestly: "Please ... don't stop me."
Kaiba's silence spoke volumes as he glared at me. His reluctance was evident in his expression. "Fine... Suit yourself," he muttered begrudgingly before resuming his stride.
After another five minutes of brisk walking, we finally arrived at the end of the hallway. The door's mechanical hiss greeted us as it slid open automatically, revealing the room beyond. Inside, my eyes fell upon rows upon rows of imposing metal cabinets, each securely locked and meticulously labelled with distinct serial numbers.
Approaching one of the cabinets stationed at the far end of the room, Kaiba swiftly entered the code into the keypad with precision. I observed as he retrieved a sleek suitcase from within. Hesitantly, Kaiba unlatched the briefcase, revealing the gleaming metallic frames of his Duel Disks and his meticulously organized deck resting snugly inside.
"Once school had ended, I had vowed not to touch Duel Monsters until I achieved my goal so that I wouldn't be distracted any further. Yet I have to break this promise," he gritted his teeth. With a heavy sigh, he continued, "Do you know what my dream was?"
"Mokuba... told me," I answered honestly.
Kaiba glanced at me briefly before closing the briefcase with a decisive click. "You must find it too simple for someone like me," he remarked, a hint of bitterness lacing his words. "With Kaiba Corps, I can achieve almost anything, but what I wanted to do was build an amusement park."
"I don't...." I hurriedly shook my head in denial, and Kaiba chuckled with amusement, causing me to frown: "I'm not joking..."
Standing up, Kaiba easily towered over me, his imposing figure casting a shadow over my more petite frame. He smirked as if already anticipating my reaction. "I know," he said, without waiting for a response, Kaiba left, and I followed after him, blinking in a daze.
One hour later...
After hastily preparing for our journey, Kaiba and I rushed to the Domino City airport. As our driver navigated through the bustling terminal, I couldn't help but wonder what mode of transportation Kaiba had arranged for us.
As we entered the private hangar, my jaw dropped at the sight that left me speechless. "Woah..." I gaped at the aircraft, which resembled a Blue-Eyed White Dragon. I had forgotten something like this existed.
True to its appearance, the jet was indeed a striking replica of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The cockpit was ingeniously nestled within the dragon's forehead, while two sleek turbo boosters adorned each of its wings. Remarkably, each of its limbs doubled as landing gear, giving the impression that the creature was standing proudly on all fours.
"What are you just standing there for?" Kaiba said casually as he strolled towards the aircraft with pride in his eyes.
I don't know whether I should be more impressed by the sheer ingenious mind of the designer who made this thing fly or by the fact that Kaiba was able to flaunt it with confidence.
Shuddering, I ascended the stairs and followed Kaiba into the aircraft. Inside, the cockpit was compact and designed to accommodate only two people. Silently taking my place in the co-pilot seat, I observed him expertly fiddled with controls.
Gradually, the plane began moving towards the runway. "You'd better strap in," Kaiba warned. Before I could fasten my seat belt, the powerful thrusters roared to life, slamming my body against the seat.
Enduring the intense force, I glanced at Kaiba, who was smiling with delight: "Are.... you crazy?" I growled, but my protests fell on deaf ears as he firmly pushed down the throttle, and the jet hurtled along the runway.
As the plane finally ceased its acceleration and settled into a steady speed, I let go of my breath and pushed away the seatbelt, pressing tightly between my cleavage. Sighing, I glared at Kaiba, who was subtly glimpsing at me with reddened ears.
".....What?" I scowled.
Coughing awkwardly, he avoided my piercing gaze and looked straight ahead: "We will arrive in two hours...." Kaiba said and deliberately dodged my question.
As the silence dragged out in the cockpit, my patience began to thin: "Hmph," I angrily crossed my arms and pouted: "Kaiba... pervert..."
Kaiba flinched visibly, the colour rising in his cheeks. "I was wrong," he mumbled in embarrassment, his voice barely audible above the hum of the engines. An uncomfortable silence consumed the remainder of the two-hour journey.
Two Hours Later
"We have arrived," Kaiba finally spoke up, breaking the tense silence that had enveloped us. I glanced out of the windows, spotting the familiar outline of Duelist Kingdom island in the distance. Frowning, memories of the tournament flooded back, a mixture of unpleasant moments and fierce competition. I couldn't help but imagine that Kaiba must be feeling the same way.
Touching down on the landing strip, Kaiba switched off the aircraft and rose to his feet. "Pegasus must be aware of our arrival," he stated: "Remain on your utmost vigilance."
As we left the plane, we could already sense the strange atmosphere on the island. Although Pegasus and his men should have heard our loud arrival, no one came and greeted us, making it seem like we were in the middle of nowhere, which we were.
"Looks like I'm right," He muttered: "Something questionable is happening..."
With tense expressions, we proceeded towards the heart of the island, where Pegasus's imposing castle stood. As we reached the foot of the towering cliff upon which the medieval fortress rested, we craned our necks to gaze up at its ominous silhouette against the sky.
"Why did you stop?" Kaiba suddenly asked when my pace slowed down to a halt.
I chuckled awkwardly, my gaze fixed on the imposing staircase that seemed to stretch endlessly upward. "Just some... bad memories," I muttered under my breath, the weight of past experiences heavy on my mind. I had hoped to leave this torture behind once the Duelist Kingdom arc concluded.
Shaking off the lingering discomfort, I slapped myself lightly on the cheek, summoning a surge of determination. "I can do this."
Ten Minutes Later...
I don't think I can do this. I gasped for breath after climbing the hundreds of steps. Thankfully, I'm close to the finish line, and I won't die from overexertion. But still... Why wasn't that guy getting tired yet?!
Kaiba, who was walking ahead of me, showed no sign of being remotely overwhelmed by this extreme workout, and I hadn't even seen him breaking a sweat. As I continued grumbling to myself, we eventually reached the castle entrance.
Despite standing at Pegasus's front door, there was still not a single soul in sight nor any sign of activity emanating from the castle. With caution, Kaiba gently pushed against the door, and it swung open with surprising ease, revealing an empty and chilling interior that sent a shiver down my spine.
Walking side by side, my body tensed with unease as the eerie lack of signs of life sent a shiver down my spine. Opening another set of large doors, we were confronted by an expansive, familiar room—the Dueling Arena—its grandeur somehow magnified by the unsettling emptiness that pervaded the space.
*THUNK*
Suddenly, the lights blazed to life, and I winced at the sudden brightness that flooded the room. Blinking to adjust to the illumination, I heard echoing footsteps from the other side. From the shadows emerged a man with striking white hair, his bright red suit standing out vividly in the newly lit room.
"Pegasus...." I mumbled.
"Welcome!" Pegasus exclaimed, spreading his arms wide with a warm smile. Then, turning to Kaiba, his grin widened. "So, you have arrived, Kaiba-boy."
"I'm here," Kaiba snarled, his voice dripping with impatience. "So, are we dueling, or are you just going to waste my time?"
"That, of course," he nodded. "But first!"
To our confusion, Pegasus suddenly clapped his hands, and a green light shimmered beneath me. Before I could comprehend what was happening, the light coalesced into a circle adorned with various intricate magic symbols.
"Wha!" I gasped, instinctively attempting to step out of the way as the Seal of Orichalcos sprang to life before me.
"Sano!" Amidst the chaos, Kaiba's urgent voice snapped me out of my shock. Before I could react, I felt a powerful force knock me to the ground
Lifting my head, my eyes widened in disbelief as I realized that it was Kaiba who had pushed me away, sacrificing himself in the process. However, his selfless act had left him trapped within the completed Seal of Orichalcos. As he stood within the seal, Kaiba fell to one knee, gritting his teeth in pain.
"Kaiba!" I yelled, my voice filled with concern, as I watched him struggle within the confines of the Seal of Orichalcos.
"Oh, this is unexpected," he remarked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "To think Seto Kaiba would sacrifice himself..." Pegasus's eyes gleamed with interest as he focused his attention on me, assessing the situation with newfound curiosity.
"You're not Pegasus..." I pointed accusatorily, my eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Who.... are you?!"
The man smirked, a glint of mischief dancing in his eyes, as he reached under his neck, deftly peeling off his mask to reveal his true identity. "Surprised?"
Taking off his wig and running his hand through his maroon-colored hair, Alister grinned maliciously. "I didn't expect to get discovered that fast, but it doesn't matter anyway," he declared with a sinister edge to his tone.
"Ah, this outfit felt horrible," he mumbled, tossing aside the red suit to reveal a cropped top, long dark pants, and fingerless gloves. A new Orichalcos stone hung around his neck, replacing the one that had been sacrificed to save Rafael.
"What did you.... do to Kaiba?" I asked, my voice trembling with concern.
"Relax, he's not dead yet," Alister replied casually, shrugging off my apprehension. "But he will be, depending on what you do next."
"That trap was supposed to be meant for you, but I think this is perfectly fine as well," Alister chuckled, crossing his arms with a smug grin. "Listen closely. His life currently rests in your hands. As time goes by, the seal will fully absorb his soul. The only way to save him now is by defeating me. However, if you lose, his soul won't be the only one I'm taking..."
Gritting my teeth, I steeled myself and calmly approached the podium. Alister watched me with a sinister smile as he activated the Dueling Arena.
"F*ck...." Kaiba swore under his breath as I passed him. "You better not lose,"
Turning around, I locked eyes with Kaiba and offered him a confident smile. "I won't...." I assured him with determination.
[Task #10: Begone Imposter!]
[Defeat Alister and rescue Seto Kaiba.]
[Reward: 5000 Credits]
"Enough!" Alister's voice boomed, cutting through the tension as he waved his arm impatiently. "Let's battle!" he declared, eager to begin the duel.
"Gladly!" I shouted back.
"Duel!" x2
[Alister: 4000 LP]
[Yuna Sano: 4000 LP]
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I hope you enjoy it!