"Hahahaha! Kaiba, your Obelisk the Tormentor is nothing compared to my Wicked Avatar!"
In stark contrast to his previously calm and composed demeanor, Tenma Yako now laughed wildly, completely uninhibited.
Kaiba's field, which had been smoking from the immense attack just seconds ago, no longer had Obelisk standing on it.
All that remained was the aftermath of the immense power that had torn through the area.
"Obelisk the Tormentor was completely destroyed!"
Kaiba, visibly frustrated, wore a look of utter disbelief.
"Hmph, if I had to say, it's because your god simply isn't on the same level," said Tenma Yako, matching Kaiba's twisted expression with unparalleled confidence.
"My Wicked Avatar is the ultimate deity. Now, you and your Tormentor can go straight to hell!"
As Tenma Yako's madness increased, he waved his hand, giving his monster the final command to attack.
"Tenma Yako! The one going to hell is YOU!" Even though Kaiba had no cards left on his field or in his hand, the fire of determination still hadn't died in his eyes.
"Hmph, you've lost, and yet all you can do is talk. How pathetic, Kaiba!"
"This isn't just bravado! I'll admit your Wicked God has power that surpasses any other god. But if it's her—the one even gods fear—then I guarantee she will crush the 'most powerful' god you so arrogantly boast about!"
"Then take that naïve dream of yours to the grave, Kaiba!"
The massive black shadow finally pierced through Kaiba's body.
[Kaiba Seto LP 100 → 0]
"I'll leave the rest to you, Mokuba... Hoshino..."
Even the invincible Kaiba had fallen.
(***)
At the same time...
"Let's go in, we're gonna raid KaibaCorp!"
"Yeah!"
Akasha bounced happily, following Hoshino's lead up the steps in front of the building.
"Wait, Hoshino! Don't go through the front door..." This time it was Mokuba who tried to stop Hoshino.
But Mokuba underestimated Hoshino's impulsiveness, as well as the sensitivity of KaibaCorp's automatic doors.
The sleek, tech-filled doors sensed Hoshino's steps as she reached the final step, and they smoothly slid open.
Now, it's time for a pop quiz—
If you were guarding a building to prevent intruders, where would you place the most guards?
Obviously, the front entrance!
As the doors opened, dozens of black-suited men sitting in the lobby immediately turned their eyes toward Hoshino, who stood frozen on the spot.
"Uh—!" Right behind her, Akasha, unable to stop in time due to her excitement, bumped her face right into Hoshino's backside.
"What's going on, Hoshino-nee?" Akasha asked in a nasally voice, rubbing her nose.
Though Hoshino's soft rear wasn't much of a threat, Akasha's delicate nose didn't have much defense either.
"Ahahaha..." Ignoring the scene behind her, Hoshino scratched her head with a nervous smile while frantically thinking.
"Today... Oh! Today's not a business day, right? I was just thinking of bringing Akasha-chan here to play!"
Hoshino quickly came up with an airtight excuse, feigning a sudden realization.
If what Mokuba said was true, and the first and second floors of KaibaCorp were normally open for dueling, then she could pretend to be a customer and get away with it.
"Maybe they're closed today because of the Battle City tournament. That must be it, I get it now!" Hoshino, impressed with her own brilliance, wanted to give herself a thousand mental high-fives.
"So, I guess I'll just take Akasha-chan and leave. Sorry to bother you guys while you're on duty!"
The plan should have been foolproof. The black-suited men sitting in the lobby even looked relieved, with expressions saying, "Oh, you're just passing through? Okay, get home safely." Now, Hoshino only needed to walk out with Akasha, regroup with Mokuba, and sneak in through a more hidden entrance.
But life is unpredictable, and it only takes one coincidence to throw a wrench in the plan.
"Wait! YOU!!" As Hoshino was about to leave, one of the black-suited men suddenly stood up, pointing at her with a look of shock.
"Oh crap! YOU YOU YOU!!" Hoshino's eyes widened in surprise as she pointed back at him with the same astonished tone.
"You're the Duel King, Hoshino Chiyuki!"
"And you're that extra who was guarding the gate at Pegasus's castle! How have you not fire yet?!"
Talk about running into a nemesis—this black-suited man was the same guy who had kidnapped Mokuba during the Kaiba impersonation incident on Duelist Kingdom, and later got beaten up by Honda and Jonouchi for not letting Anzu and the others into the castle.
"Guys, we can't let her go! If Duel King is here, then Kaiba Mokuba must be with her!"
"That's right! Lord Tenma said if we spot them, we should capture them immediately!" Reminded by the guard, the other black-suited men quickly stood up, ready to act.
"To think you dared to come through the front entrance! You've got guts!"
"No, really, I was just here to duel..." Hoshino tried one last time to plead her case.
"Look at the Duel Disk on her arm! Who brings a Duel Disk just to duel in an arena?" With undeniable evidence, the black-suited men rushed at Hoshino all at once.
CLANG! The familiar sound of chains snapped through the air, binding the arms and legs of the black-suited men charging at Hoshino.
At some point, Hoshino had stealthily activated her Duel Disk and placed down the Enkidu card.
"I told you I came to duel, didn't I? Well, I'll duel you right now!"
Without being in a formal duel, the Duel Disk wasn't bound by the usual rules. As long as the card was placed, Heroic Spirits could materialize. This was something Hoshino had deduced after Enkidu's first appearance.
And why summon Enkidu again this time? Well, because she was used to it.
"Master, there are more suitable candidates. Why must I be the one to restrain these people?" Enkidu sighed deeply, holding the chains in his hands.
"My Chains of Heaven were meant to restrain gods, not be degraded to this."
"Well, in a law-abiding society, causing mass casualties wouldn't be good, right?" Hoshino pressed her hands together apologetically and winked at Enkidu.
"If I summoned Martha and had her beat them up, they'd all end up in the hospital. Cleaning up after that would be such a hassle."
Since this was a civilized society, Hoshino considered herself a law-abiding citizen and couldn't bring herself to break the rules.
"Wow, Hoshino-nee!" Akasha's eyes sparkled as she looked at the black-suited men bound in strange positions by the chains.
"This is SM play, right?"
Where did you learn that? That's not civilized at all!
"Hmph, all done!"
After dusting off her hands, Hoshino wiped the non-existent sweat from her forehead.
"Oh wow, Hoshino-nee, you're amazing!" Akasha cheered.
"What's amazing about that?" Mokuba said, looking exasperated. "You didn't even do anything; why are you acting like you worked so hard?"
The dozen or so black-suited men who had initially lunged at Hoshino were no longer in their previous disorganized positions, tangled up by the Enkidu chains. Now, they were neatly tied up and stacked in a corner of the hall.
"Master, what should we do with these people?" Enkidu, having handled everything by himself, turned to ask Hoshino.
"Leave them. Someone else will deal with them eventually."
Since it wasn't their problem, how these people would be handled was something for KaibaCorp to deal with.
"Then, I shall take my leave now~" With a hint of urgency in his tone, Enkidu slowly disappeared from sight.
"No matter how many times I see it, I still think it's unreasonable," Mokuba mused as he stared at the gradually disappearing Enkidu. "If the Duel Disk's holograms could really interact with the real world like this, how would you explain it scientifically?"
"I think it's better if you don't think too much about it, Mokuba," Hoshino said. "There are many things in this world that are beyond human understanding."
"How dare you do this to us! Do you really think Lord Tenma will let you get away with this?" One of the black-suited men, clearly uncomfortable with the pile of bodies they were tangled up with, angrily shouted.
"Wow, you instantly sold out your boss!" Hoshino remarked. "Lord Tenma, huh? You must be talking about Tenma Yako, right?"
Hearing the name, Mokuba's brows furrowed. Industrial Illusions employees and the name Tenma could only remind him of the information Bandit Keith had revealed—the man who had revived the Wicked Gods: Tenma Yako.
"But according to the information Keith gave us, Tenma Yako's target should be you, Hoshino. So why is he invading KaibaCorp?"
"Don't bring that up, it makes me angry just thinking about it," Hoshino said, rubbing her temples with a sigh. "That bastard sure loves to stir up trouble. Who knows what's going on in Tenma Yako's head, making such a mess of things."
If Tenma Yako was truly after Hoshino, by this world's logic, he should be seeking a duel with her directly. Why would he shift his focus to KaibaCorp?
Mokuba, a bit worried, asked, "Could it be that Keith lied to us?"
"I don't think he lied to us. Spreading rumors to Tenma Yako seems like exactly the kind of thing Keith would do."
"Wait!" A light bulb seemed to go off in Hoshino's head, her expression brightening.
"In times like this, how could I forget about that person!"
"That person?" Mokuba asked, puzzled.
With a grin, Hoshino raised her Duel Disk. "Just watch~."
"Summon [Heroic Spirit - Sherlock Holmes]!"
A familiar, calm voice greeted them as Sherlock Holmes casually stepped forward, pipe in hand. "Long time no see, Miss Hoshino~."
"Hoshino-nee's monster doesn't seem very strong," Akasha tilted her head, looking at the slim figure of Holmes with innocent eyes.
"Shh, watch out, or he might kick you!" Hoshino pressed a finger to her lips, signaling for Akasha to stay quiet.
"Haha, what a cute little lady," Holmes chuckled, not taking offense at Akasha's comment. He crouched down to examine her closely. "Hmm, looks like you bumped your nose into Miss Hoshino's rear earlier," he said, stroking his chin, offering a lighthearted deduction.
"Wow, Mister, how did you know that?" Akasha exclaimed, rubbing her nose again, surprised.
"Haha, it's common sense, my dear lady~." Holmes straightened up, taking a puff from his pipe, and tapped his temple with his finger. "As you can see, I'm just a famous detective. My greatest weapon is my mind, not swords or guns."
"Mr. Holmes..." Mokuba hesitated for a moment.
"Go ahead, young man. If you want an autograph, please have paper and pen ready."
"Smoking is prohibited in KaibaCorp."
...
"I see."
After listening to Hoshino's explanation of the contradictions, Holmes raised an eyebrow.
"So, Mr. Holmes, what do you think of Tenma Yako's actions?" Hoshino asked.
"At the moment, there's too little information about Tenma Yako to make an accurate prediction about his goals. However, I can guess what's bothering Miss Hoshino."
"If you've figured it out, then spill it!" Hoshino urged.
"It's common sense, my friend~." Holmes, still feeling uncomfortable without his pipe, gestured as if holding it.
"The question of why Tenma Yako, who should be targeting you, is attacking KaibaCorp instead—that contradiction likely isn't caused by Tenma Yako himself..."
"If you keep dragging it out, I'm gonna hit you!"
"The cause is probably that man named Keith."
"You mean Keith lied to us?" Hoshino asked, still doubting it. She couldn't imagine why Keith would lie about such a thing.
"No, Keith didn't lie to you. He revealed part of the truth to you but withheld a key detail."
"Hmm!" With Holmes' reminder, Hoshino suddenly realized that someone like Keith wouldn't easily reveal everything.
"That does seem likely."
"And that hidden key detail is probably the clue leading to the ultimate truth."
"So what should we do, Hoshino? Should we capture Keith again and interrogate him?" Mokuba asked.
"Hmph, there's no need for such trouble." Hoshino shook her head, her lips curving into a smile.
"Since we're already here, we might as well go ask Tenma Yako directly!"
"Going straight for the truth, huh? Miss Hoshino, you really aren't cut out to be a detective, preferring the most straightforward method over the safest one." Holmes shrugged.
"Who said I don't like to think things through?" Hoshino stuck her tongue out at Holmes, then turned toward the central elevator in the hall.
"I just prefer the most efficient way over the safest one, that's all!"
"Well, I suppose my job here is done. I won't be sticking around~." Holmes gave a nod of approval at Hoshino's decision as his figure began to fade.
"Leaving already? Is Chaldea that busy lately?"
Hoshino noticed that Holmes seemed rushed from the moment he arrived, and Enkidu had also left quickly after finishing the task.
"Not really busy, no..." Holmes replied with a complicated expression.
"Miss Nobunaga insisted on holding an event for her great victory..."
"An event?"
"Yes, she's hosting the Chaldea Ultimate Duelist Tournament."
"Oh, come on, you're rushing back to play cards!"
(*****)
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