Chapter 611: Triple Attack!
[Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] [ATK 4000]
As a Deck focused on a beatdown strategy, many monsters in the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] series possess a unique power and beauty, giving off a feeling of immense destructive power just by looking at them. Their general appearance tends towards neutrality.
However, there are also monsters full of gentle beauty, leaning towards a feminine appearance, such as [Deep-Eyes White Dragon] and the [Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon] Kaiba just used.
But the [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] that appeared now can be said to be the complete opposite extreme from [Deep-Eyes White Dragon], possessing an overwhelming authority and dignity full of masculine energy.
To use an analogy, if [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] is a valiant young woman, [Deep-Eyes White Dragon] is her "Bride" form wearing a wedding dress, and [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] is the global boxing champion's big cousin who heard you were going to marry [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] and rushed over, planning to beat you up.
"ATK, 4000 points?! That's the power level of [Obelisk the Tormentor]!" Keipei exclaimed, punching the air excitedly upon seeing [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] appear. "In that case, Brother can... huh?"
"No, that's not right. Even if its ATK increased, [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon]'s ATK is still only 4000 points. [Machina Force]'s DEF is still higher!"
[Machina Force] [DEF 4100]
"Heh heh, a new [Chaos] Ritual Summon, huh? Although its power is stronger than [Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon], ultimately, it still can't break through the [Machina Force] on my Field," Alister said with a sneer. "It's just a target that only looks good, after all. Next turn, as long as I attack with [Machina Force], you lose, Kaiba Seto."
Hearing Alister's words, Kaiba's mouth curved into a smirk. He took a card from his Graveyard, the [Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon] that had just been sent to the Graveyard: "Idiot, don't make me repeat myself. I said before that what you're about to witness is the ultimate pure power and chaos power from the End of Time."
"My winning equation is far more perfect than you imagine!"
"Activate the effect of [Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon] in my Graveyard, banish [Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon] from the Graveyard," Kaiba said, pointing at the [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] on his Field. "Increase the ATK of all Level 8 or higher Dragon-Type monsters on my Field by 1000 points!"
"Nani!?"
Under Alister's surprised gaze, the illusory figure of [Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon] floated up from beneath the ground behind Kaiba, transforming into a blue-purple energy. The dragon wing of [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] on Kaiba's Field suddenly spread, accepting the entire energy, and its ATK surged!
[Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] [ATK 4000 → 5000]
"It's not over yet. I activate my Set Card in the Spell/Trap Zone, the Trap Card Tyrant Wings!" Kaiba pressed the button to activate his Set Card again. "After activation, Tyrant Wings will be equipped to [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] as an Equip Card that increases its ATK/DEF by 400 points, further increasing its ATK by 400 points!"
As the Trap Card opened, the power of [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon], already enhanced after absorbing [Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon], increased again.
"Increasing its ATK again and again, just what is this—" Alister didn't understand why Kaiba kept increasing the ATK of [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] even after its ATK had already exceeded [Machina Force]'s DEF. However, immediately following the activation of Tyrant Wings, Kaiba finally played the last card in his Hand.
"Finally, it's this The Fang of Critias in my Hand." Looking at the "Legendary Dragon" The Fang of Critias card in his Hand, whose effect he still didn't know until this moment, Kaiba decided to take a gamble, betting that the card would respond to his expectations, and inserted it into his Duel Disk.
Accompanying the playing of the card, the "Legendary Dragon" The Fang of Critias appeared on Kaiba's Field.
"Is that the 'Legendary Dragon'? The 'Legendary Dragon' that Lord Dartz has always been apprehensive of?" Seeing Kaiba use The Fang of Critias, Alister temporarily set aside his confusion about Kaiba constantly increasing his monster's ATK and focused on the more important "Legendary Dragon."
Theoretically, this was the second time Alister had seen this "Legendary Dragon." The last time, at Industrial Illusions, when Alister and Kaiba were about halfway through their Duel, Kaiba unaccountably awakened this "Legendary Dragon." However, before Kaiba could use the power of this "Legendary Dragon," a sudden collapse incident occurred, forcing Alister to withdraw first and interrupt the Duel.
Therefore, this was the first time Alister was seeing what kind of power The Fang of Critias possessed.
After appearing on the Field, The Fang of Critias seemed like just a normal Duel Monster that had been summoned. It didn't have any overwhelming authority or surging presence; it just quietly remained on Kaiba's Field, then released its power, subtly influencing everything around it.
Kaiba had a very strange feeling at this moment. Even though he didn't know what kind of power this card had or how to use it until he played The Fang of Critias, after activating it, he suddenly understood the ability that The Fang of Critias possessed, and along with it, he also gained partial knowledge of the power of the other "Legendary Dragons."
The power of The Eye of Timaeus that Yugi possesses is "Justice." By resonating with the heart of justice held within the monsters' hearts, it allows the monsters to awaken the powerful power slumbering within their hearts and awaken into a stronger form. To some extent, it can be seen as the power of bond.
Joey Wheeler 's The Claw of Hermos possesses the power of "Freedom." It has the ability to free the power of the monsters residing in the cards, allowing them to surpass their original restraints and change into another form. And this transcendence can even surpass destiny.
As for The Fang of Critias, its power is called "Wisdom." It is the ability to transform external objects for one's own use, to change the world with conviction, and to guide destiny in the direction one needs.
Even Kaiba had to admit at this moment that this effect was perfectly suited to his feelings. It was almost as if this power was destined to be prepared for him. Because Kaiba himself, like the power of The Fang of Critias, is the kind of person who will use external force to make himself stronger but will never change his essence because of it.
He also has the aspiration to change the world. The power of The Fang of Critias is almost as if it was tailor-made for him.
Of course, before changing the world, the first thing Kaiba had to do was win this Duel.
"The Fang of Critias has the ability to absorb my cards and transform itself. Combine the Tyrant Wings on my Field with The Fang of Critias to awaken a new stance!"
"With my will, guide the world towards the trajectory of destiny! Come forth, my—"
Placing his hand on the Duel Disk, Kaiba drew the The Fang of Critias card he had just activated. However, he found that a pair of transparent hands had appeared beside him at some point, also touching the The Fang of Critias card.
Turning his head, Kaiba froze, because he saw a white-haired woman floating beside him, looking at him with a pair of beautiful blue eyes.
The woman's figure was so illusory that Kaiba could even see the wall behind her body, but at this moment, Kaiba couldn't take his line of sight off the woman's face.
He had definitely seen those eyes somewhere before. Those blue eyes, just what—
"Seto," the young girl called out to Kaiba with a smile, seemingly calling his name. But after that, the white-haired young girl before him scattered like smoke in the wind.
Was this an illusion?
However, not only Kaiba, but also Alister standing opposite Kaiba, and even Keipei, who wasn't in the Duel, everyone present saw the existence of that young girl.
"That woman... what was that just now?" Alister frowned, confused about what was happening before him. Keipei was equally confused.
Even Kaiba was somewhat confused by the situation unfolding before him. He glanced at the hand he had subconsciously reached out when witnessing the young girl disappear, took a deep breath, and looked at the The Fang of Critias on his Field.
For some reason, Kaiba felt that the appearance of that young girl just now seemed to be related to the The Fang of Critias, which seemed a bit listless at the moment. But before dwelling on what that was, the Duel had to continue.
Drawing the two cards, The Fang of Critias and Tyrant Wings, and sending them to the Graveyard, Kaiba raised his hand: "Then, spread your storm wings and soar, Legendary Dragon! Descend here!"
"Tyrant Burst Dragon!"
By fusing with the Tyrant Wings that was originally equipped to [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon], the shape of the dragon wing behind The Fang of Critias changed. Its wingspan was almost longer than the entire dragon itself, and finally, the ATK and other values that a Duel Monster should have appeared on it.
[Tyrant Burst Dragon] [Level 8 ☆ / Light]
[Dragon Type / Fusion / Effect]
[2900 / 2500]
"Tyrant Burst Dragon is The Fang of Critias after absorbing Tyrant Wings. It will inherit the power of Tyrant Wings and can be equipped to [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] on my Field as an Equip Card," Kaiba said, looking at the power on Tyrant Burst Dragon with a satisfied smile. "Absorb the power of the 'Legendary Dragon' and bring me victory, [Blue-Eyes]!"
Following Kaiba's order, the Tyrant Burst Dragon that had just made its appearance, after being cool for less than a few seconds, had to provide power to [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] as an Equip Card. Such a large dragon transformed into a ray of light in the blink of an eye and merged into the dragon wing behind [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon], spreading out as brilliant golden light wings.
[Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] [ATK 5000 → 5400]
"And now, enter my Battle Phase. Accept this defeat, Alister." Kaiba waved his hand forward, pointing at [Machina Force]. "[Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon], attack [Machina Force]!"
"Burst Stream of Utter Destruction!!"
The imposing White Dragon gathered an ominous blue-purple energy cannon in its mouth, preparing to fire. Only then did Kaiba say with a touch of malice: "[Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon], in addition to having the same resistance as [Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon] of not being targeted by opponent's card effects and not being destroyed by opponent's card effects, its second effect is piercing battle damage when attacking a Defense Position monster!"
"Furthermore, unlike other third-rate monsters, [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon]'s piercing damage deals double damage!"
"Nani!?"
Hearing Kaiba's words, Alister's eyes widened, and he looked at the [Machina Force] on his Field.
No sooner said than done, [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon]'s attack was already unleashed in the instant Alister was stunned, heavily blasting onto [Machina Force].
Even with the highest DEF among most Duel Monsters, [Machina Force], facing the ultimate ATK of [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon], only blocked for an instant before being destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. The remaining dragon breath seemed not to have been weakened at all, rushing straight towards Alister!
[Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon]'s ATK is 5400 points, which is a full 1300 points higher than [Machina Force]'s 4100 DEF. After being doubled, that's a total of 2600 points of damage!
"Ugh!" With just one hit, Alister was instantly blasted away, landing on the ground in a sorry state. His Life Points plummeted sharply.
[Alister: 4000 → 1400 LP]
The first damage taken in this Duel was such a fierce impact. Even though this Duel hadn't become a Dark Game because Alister hadn't drawn [Seal of Orichalcos] yet, the combined power of [Blue-Eyes] and The Fang of Critias meant [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon]'s attack still caused damage that felt substantial.
After all, [Blue-Eyes] holds a grudge. She still remembered the damage Alister dealt to Kaiba last turn.
Standing up from the ground and steadying his breathing, Alister sent the [Machina Force] card on his Duel Disk to the Graveyard and said: "Because it was battle destruction by [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon], [Machina Force]'s effect activates!"
"Special Summon in Defense Position two [Meklord] monsters from my Banish Zone whose Levels total 12☆ or less: the 8☆ monster [Machina Cannon] and the 4☆ monster [Machina Soldier]!"
"Although this blow was indeed heavy, my revenge fire will not be extinguished here. Next turn, [Machina Force] will still be revived from the Graveyard by me. At that time, [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon]'s ATK, having lost the power boost from [Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon], will drop back to 4400 points!"
"The winner of the Duel is me, Alister! That hasn't changed!" Alister stared intently at Kaiba. "All your effort so far has been nothing but foolish struggle!"
Hearing Alister's words, Kaiba merely sneered: "Foolish?"
"You've been saying from beginning to end that you hate KaibaCorp and resent the war that killed your younger brother, but Alister, haven't you seen what you're doing now? The [Meklord] Deck, the embodiment of war, that you're using, and your actions serving Doma, aren't you just walking the path of Gozaburo Kaiba!"
"War is wrong. The foolish one is clearly you, who knows it's wrong but cannot escape from hatred!"
"The one who will judge you is my [Blue-Eyes]. I will use the upcoming attack to punish your foolishness!"
Alister's pupils constricted: "This next attack?"
"I told you, didn't I? Tyrant Burst Dragon inherited the power of Tyrant Wings. Tyrant Wings has the ability to grant the equipped monster up to two attacks on monsters during the same Battle Phase. And Tyrant Burst Dragon's power goes even further," Kaiba raised his hand, pointing at the two new [Meklord] monsters on Alister's Field. "A monster equipped by Tyrant Burst Dragon's own effect can attack three times in one Battle Phase!"
"Crush! Kill! Destroy!"
The blue-purple dragon breath swept across, destroying the two monsters that appeared on Alister's Field due to [Machina Force]'s effect, one after another. Although they were Defense Position monsters, in front of [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon], they were no different from being naked. Rather, if they were in Attack Position, they might have taken slightly less damage. In Defense Position, they were simply food for [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon].
At the same time, because the EARTH Attribute Machine Type [Meklord] monsters on the Field were destroyed, the Special Summon condition for [Machina Colonel] in Alister's Graveyard was triggered, allowing it to appear on the Field. However, Alister no longer had the remaining Life Points to control its appearance on the Field.
[Alister: 1400 LP → 0]
"Hmph, looks like, the one who stood till the last is still me." Looking at Alister, who was knocked to the ground by the three consecutive beatdown attacks and suffered a setback (Huh? Why did I say 'again'?), Kaiba put on a relaxed air and said with confidence.
Chapter 612: If Our Situations Were Reversed
Knocked to the ground by Kaiba's attack, Alister's heart was filled with unwillingness.
He was clearly just a hair's breadth away from his own victory, his own revenge. Why, why could this guy, Kaiba Seto, actually get a response from his Deck and pull off such a move at the last moment to counter-kill him!
Theoretically speaking, justice should be able to overcome evil. Kaiba Seto, the inheritor of KaibaCorp, which accumulated wealth through the dirty Arms Conglomerate, was undoubtedly the "evil". And he himself, who had experienced so much pain because of KaibaCorp's actions and was now fighting for revenge, should be the "justice"!
Why is the result like this! I cannot accept it!
As for Alister, who wanted to take his life but was defeated by him, Kaiba didn't have any idea of completely finishing him off.
Although Alister was a member of Doma and had an irreconcilable conflict in stance with Kaiba, if Kaiba were to take Alister's life because of this, wouldn't he also be walking down Gozaburo Kaiba's old path?
However, even if he wouldn't commit murder, it didn't mean Kaiba planned to let Alister off the hook. Since he had become the winner in the duel, the defeated Alister had become his "spoils". At the very least, Kaiba was still very interested in the Doma information Alister possessed.
Alister looked at Kaiba, who walked up to him, and remained in silence.
Although Alister hated Kaiba Seto because of the hatred and resentment he placed upon the surname "Kaiba", at the same time, due to his years of information gathering on Kaiba, almost like an obsessive stalker, he deeply knew what kind of person Kaiba himself actually was.
Furthermore, beyond the information, just from these few duels with Kaiba, even though Alister's burning desire for revenge made it impossible for him to enter a calm and collected state during the duels, he had gradually come to understand Kaiba's personality to some extent.
Just as Kaiba himself said, he was consistent inside and out. He truly didn't keep "Gozaburo Kaiba", who was a wreckage of the past, in his heart, because everything he had obtained until now wasn't from others' charity but from his own effort and struggle.
Everything from the past was ultimately an unchangeable shadow, while Kaiba himself was like a radiant king, whose eyes only saw the future of infinite possibility and had no room for the existence of this shadow. "Gozaburo Kaiba" and "Kaiba Military Industries" were already the past, trampled under his feet.
Just now, the attack from Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon didn't just crush Alister's Meklord Army: Destruction Armament Strength; Alister also deeply felt Kaiba's disdain for his obsession with revenge.
However, some things, while understandable, he cannot accept.
"From beginning to end, I don't believe my talent is inferior to yours in any way, Kaiba Seto."
Alister raised his head and looked at Kaiba. Kaiba stood under the bright light, his face buried in the shadow cast by the corridor's overhead lights; while Alister sat on the ground full of dim light, only his face illuminated by a little light.
"I am not someone whose eyes only see power. My Deck houses my obsession and has responded to me more than once, and my desire for victory has granted me enough motivation. And because of Milk, the Meklord Deck is even more of a cherished treasure to me, not inferior to your Blue-Eyes."
"But why am I the one who lost?"
"Hmph, you can't even figure out something like that, idiot?" Kaiba said, arms crossed over his chest, looking down at Alister. "The reason is quite simple, truly very simple. It's because I am Kaiba Seto."
The tone in which Kaiba spoke was so matter-of-fact. The reason, "Because he is Kaiba Seto, he is the winner," made Alister pause, then he habitually scoffed, "That's certainly your style, Battle City Runner-up."
He was clearly trying to provoke Kaiba by bringing up the time Kaiba lost to Hayato during Battle City.
But when Alister brought up the past, Kaiba scoffed and smiled, "That's exactly it, idiot. Why do you think you lost to me? How could someone whose gaze is only fixed on the past possibly win against me, who is continuously moving towards the future? When a person's gaze can only see the past, they cannot walk the correct path."
"You, who have suffered through war, deeply know the grief, indignation, and pain it brings. Are you going to pass on this pain and repeat the old path? Can attacking others soothe your own pain? You say your tragedy originated from Kaiba Military Industries' weapons, but now you are dragging innocent people into the abyss of your revenge and pushing them towards death. Is this what you call the justice of 'revenge'?"
Kaiba's expression was very serious. "Murder leads to being killed, and being killed leads to murder. This cycle of hatred will forever shackle destiny to the present, preventing the world from moving towards the future."
"Those who are alive have things they must do while living, and everything they do is a memorial to the dead."
Listening to Kaiba's criticism, Alister seemed to be pondering something. Finally, he showed a contemptuous expression again, saying, "Who understands what you're saying?"
"However, if it's you, you truly managed to make an effort to change your own future and not fall into a powerless desperate situation." As he spoke, Alister looked at Keipei nearby.
If at that time Kaiba hadn't plotted against Gozaburo to change his and his younger brother's destiny, would he one day encounter the same powerless predicament as Alister? And, if at that time Kaiba Seto had become Milk's brother, would there have been a possibility for Milk to survive under Kaiba's protection?
"If the situation for both of us were reversed, would our destiny be different? Would I be living your life, and would you be walking my old path?"
Listening to Alister's lament, Kaiba said with confidence, "I don't know. I've never thought about a question like that, because I am Kaiba Seto."
"Heh, yes, you are Kaiba Seto." Alister's mouth curved up, as if smiling, and he lowered his head, not looking at Kaiba.
What cannot be escaped is the self, and what cannot be salvaged is the past. Any hypothesis about the past was indeed just a joke to Kaiba.
Although it was strange, Kaiba did indeed find a rope in a briefcase he carried with him and used it to tie Alister's hands behind his back. Kaiba and Keipei then walked into the Data Center. Alister, left at the entrance, glanced at his Deck and Duel Disk, which had been removed and placed not far away. In a relatively hidden spot on the Duel Disk, a pressed red button flashed faintly.
End of Chapter
Chapter 613: The Card Printer's Farewell Gift
Operating the dazzling data as it flashed before his eyes, Keipei furrowed his brow, revealing a strange expression.
"What's wrong, Keipei?" Kaiba beside him asked, "Can't you find the data for the Virtual Projection System here?"
Keipei shook his head. "That's not it. The data for the Virtual Projection System wasn't encrypted much because we accessed the database via a physical connection, so we've already copied all of it down."
"It's just that, just now, while searching the data based on the keyword 'Duel Monsters', I found something strange."
While speaking, Keipei typed a few keys on the keyboard and retrieved a file, putting it up on the big screen in the Data Center.
Appearing on the screen was a series of photos and strange data. Ancient Egyptian stone tablets, Atlantic Seabed Ruins, ancient murals, and various other strange photos and that data began to naturally combine and arrange themselves, and last, they actually formed Pegasus's face.
What was even more unexpected was that this Pegasus before them actually started moving and began to speak.
"Hello, Kaiba boy, Mokuba Boy~"
"Eeek! Just now when I was checking the data, I had no idea this thing would actually move!" Keipei was startled by the suddenly moving Pegasus, while Kaiba beside him also looked at the "Pegasus" on the screen with astonishment and said, "Pegasus, aren't you dead?"
"'Aren't you dead', Kaiba boy, you would definitely say something like that, wouldn't you, how heartless, it makes me sad." The Pegasus on the screen muttered. "Unfortunately, this data will only be released when the ownership of this Castle under our Crawford Family's name leaves my hands."
"Theoretically speaking, I should indeed be dead, otherwise this video wouldn't be played. At the same time, I also believe that the ones who could find this video from the Data Center of Crawford Castle are absolutely you, Kaiba boy and Mokuba Boy."
Kaiba looked at Pegasus's perpetually smiling face on the screen and snorted, "I'll just take what you said as a compliment to me."
Since what was before him was just a pre-recorded video, Kaiba naturally wouldn't interact with Pegasus, whose content wouldn't change, like a fool, but simply waited quietly for the video to play.
"Oh~ you're not talking to me, how sad." Pegasus in the video once again predicted Kaiba's thoughts, revealing a rather exaggerated "sad" expression. However, he stopped his performance extremely punctually before Kaiba got angry out of impatience and said with a serious face, "So now, let me tell you a secret, Kaiba boy."
"A long time ago, that was even before I created the cards for Duel Monsters based on the revelation from the Ancient Egyptian stone tablet monsters, when I was traveling the World, I came to know of the existence of beings called 'Legendary Dragons'. It's just that when I tried to make them into cards, I repeatedly failed, and at that time, I thought this legend might be fake."
"However, the recent global Duel Monster Materialization Event made me understand that the legend was not fictional, and the reason I couldn't create the cards was simply because I hadn't been chosen by the Dragons."
As he spoke, an exaggerated feeling of disappointment appeared on Pegasus's face.
If it were someone unfamiliar with Pegasus, they might actually think he was sad because he wasn't chosen by the "Legendary Dragons" due to his performance, but both Kaiba and Keipei knew Pegasus's true unpleasant nature, and had no intention of responding to him at all.
Pegasus, having gotten nowhere with his attempt, said with a helpless expression, "Even if it's a pre-recorded video, a little comfort for me would be nice, you know, Kaiba boy, Mokuba Boy."
"Alright, let's continue." On the screen, Pegasus shrugged and continued, "After learning that the mythology of the 'Legendary Dragons' was not fictional but true, I had an idea, which is that in some of the legends I collected, the 'Legendary Dragons' left their mark as 'Warriors' rather than 'Dragons'; this point seems a bit different from the situation in Reality."
"For this, I thought of a pretty good idea, and made this video after completing that card."
Pegasus gave a finger snap, and a Chibi plush doll of Relinquished appeared in his hand, which he held in his arms. "Just above the Castle, in the Toy Room next to My Bedroom, embark on an epic treasure hunt and pick up the prize, Kaiba boy."
"Ciao~" Saying goodbye in Italian, Pegasus's footage smiled and disappeared from the screen.
Keipei couldn't help but mutter, "This fake American can't even speak English well, why does he bother learning Italian?"
Kaiba, however, didn't pay much attention to Pegasus's strange spoken language. Instead, after confirming that he had collected the necessary data from the Data Center, he took Keipei and walked out of the Room, and then saw Alister doing the same thing as when the two of them entered the Data Center.
"Hmph, unexpectedly obedient," Kaiba said scornfully. "I thought you third-rate Duelist would try to escape when I wasn't looking because you couldn't stand losing." He took hold of one end of the rope binding Alister and handed it to Keipei, so Keipei led Alister, while he himself led the way.
If the one leading Alister had been Kaiba, he might have fiercely resisted this humiliation, but because the one leading him was Keipei, Alister merely gave Keipei a glance with a strange, slightly apologetic gaze and didn't say anything.
Alister's Duel Disk and Deck were left behind by Kaiba. He wasn't Hayato, who liked to 'borrow' other people's cards so much (Hayato: That's not 'borrowing', that's just normally collecting spoils!).
Although the Castle was very big, the Space design was quite reasonable and comfortable; it didn't give people the feeling of a Labyrinth. The three of them easily found Pegasus's Toy Room, and as soon as they opened the unlocked Room door, they saw a Room full of toys.
From Toon Egg Dragon, Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon, Toon Dark Magician Girl - these Toon Monsters, to Relinquished, Chaos Soldier - these Ritual Monsters, and then Gaia the Dragon Champion, Red-Eyes Black Sword Dragon - these Fusion Monsters, Pegasus's Toy Room was filled with all sorts of Chibi plush dolls of Duel Monsters!
"Oh oh oh! So many of these toys have never been released for sale at all, I really want to take them—" Seeing a Room full of toys, Keipei, who was already young and still a child, couldn't help but blurt out what was on his mind. "No, wait, now is not the time to talk about this."
"So many toys, no wonder that guy Pegasus called it a 'treasure hunt', how long will it take to find it!"
Unlike Keipei, Kaiba and Alister were not interested in the Room full of toys. It wasn't because they were older and didn't like toys, but rather—
Alister: "Tsk, what terrible taste, the World only needs toys of Meklord Monsters."
Kaiba: "Tsk, truly terrible taste as always, the World only needs toys of Blue-Eyes."
(End of Chapter)
# Chapter 614: Kaiba, Who Believes in Science
Although he was brought along by the Kaiba brothers, Alister's value to Kaiba was merely as a source of information about Doma when needed. Therefore, while Alister could tell that the Kaiba brothers seemed to be looking for something in Pegasus's Toy Room, he didn't know what exactly they were searching for.
However, this didn't stop Alister from mocking Kaiba: "Based on the number of these toys, if you're looking for something, it will probably take a lot of time. Will you waste time here, Kaiba Seto?"
Kaiba ignored Alister and observed the room's setup on his own. Although there were so many toys, including Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon, which Kaiba considered useless trash with no reason to exist, if there was a certain card here according to Pegasus's words, he was willing to search patiently.
Anyway, his Blue-Eyes White Dragon Jet Plane was parked not far from the Castle, and he could depart for Industrial Illusions's Headquarters at any time after dealing with things here. Even if he spent a little more time here, he wouldn't fall behind Yugi, who had gone ahead; perhaps he could even arrive faster.
Moreover, he had a Captive from Organization Doma with him; perhaps he could obtain enough information before reaching Industrial Illusions.
The toys in the Room were hardly categorized and were placed haphazardly. For example, Toon Dark Magician Girl and Relinquished were placed together, and Kuriboh was next to Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon. Furthermore, Keipei, who was quite interested in these toys, would occasionally pick up a few to play with under the guise of "Evaluation." If they searched little by little using a foolish method, they might not find anything even by dark.
However, what kind of person was Kaiba? After spending just a few minutes looking for a pattern, his gaze locked onto a very inconspicuous Pot of Greed decoration in the corner of the Room.
In this Room, all the toys, big and small, and even the decorations on the walls and ceiling, were related to Duel Monsters, or more precisely, to the "Monster" existence in Duel Monsters. But only in that corner was there a single "Spell Card."
No matter how you thought about it, it was overly suspicious. And compared to dolls that were sewn up with not much space inside, where you could perhaps only stuff things into the cotton filling if you wanted to hide something, something like a pot was clearly more suitable for hiding things.
As expected, when he walked up to the Pot of Greed, Kaiba saw a dark figure leap out from the Pot of Greed.
"Bingo!"
The dark figure stopped precisely in front of the calm Kaiba and revealed its true form: it was Copycat, a card from Pegasus's Toon Deck.
"Hmph, how annoying, such dark humor." However, Kaiba dismissed it with a disdainful curl of his lip and ignored it directly. He reached out, passing through Copycat's body, and probed into the Pot of Greed. This was clearly a preset phantom projected by a virtual projection system. And judging by how Keipei had walked around nearby two or three times just now without triggering it, it seemed it could only be activated when Kaiba approached.
Of course, Kaiba wasn't sure if he was the only one who could activate this footage, but according to his idea, given Pegasus's personality, he would likely have preset recordings throughout the Castle and activate different recordings based on who triggered them, thus achieving his trick of "Foresee the Future."
For example, if the person who came here was Kaiba, he would naturally be interested in Industrial Illusions's Data Center, so the video prepared for Kaiba would be in the Data Center. But if it were Hayato, Hayato, who came here knowing of Pegasus's death, would definitely head straight for the Warehouse where Pegasus stored his cards.
Reaching his hand into the bottom of the Pot of Greed, Kaiba's corner of mouth curved up into a smile. He took out the things he grabbed from the bottom of the pot, and they were two Duel Monsters cards.
It must be said that although Pegasus was sometimes full of dark humor, as a Card Designer, he was very thorough when handling details.
Pot of Greed is a Duel Monsters card with the effect of "Draw two cards." Therefore, it was only natural that Pegasus would store two cards in the Pot of Greed. One of these cards was named Destined Rivals, depicting Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Dark Magician, two monsters locked in battle.
With just a glance, Kaiba guessed the prototype for this card's design. It must have been the tablet that Ishizu had guided him, Hayato, and Yugi to see, which supposedly recorded the Nameless Pharaoh's destiny. That tablet depicted the Three Egyptian Gods, the confronting Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and also two Ancient Egyptian figures whose appearance was extremely similar to his and Yugi's.
Although he had no interest in the "destiny" or "destined" talk from that tablet, because Ishizu had given him Obelisk the Tormentor at the time, Kaiba, quite unusually, had left a little space for that tablet in his precious memories.
That tablet also seemed to be considered a precious artifact, but Pegasus had even observed the Three Egyptian Gods up close, so visiting that tablet was probably not difficult. He likely designed this card based on the Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes from the tablet, as well as the so-called "destiny" confrontation that Ishizu had mentioned at the time.
Despite having little interest in that tablet, Kaiba was interested in the card designed based on that tablet, and greatly so. In fact, the strength of this Destined Rivals card's effect was enough for Kaiba to ignore that it was designed based on an antique that Kaiba had previously completely looked down upon.
It's like how many people say they hate eating tomatoes because they look too bloody, but can accept ketchup. In reality, it's just because tomatoes are sour and unpleasant to eat, while processed ketchup is delicious.
He naturally put the Destined Rivals card into his own cards for his use, but Kaiba knew that this card was not the most important one. Pegasus said he designed a new card based on the mythology of the "Legendary Dragon" he had collected. The Destined Rivals card clearly had nothing to do with the "Legendary Dragon," so the other card taken from the pot was the key.
However, what Kaiba couldn't understand was that the other card in his hand was surprisingly similar to the "Legendary Dragon" cards: it had no card name, no attribute, no star level, and no effect. What was even more outrageous was that while the "Legendary Dragon" cards at least bothered to leave a pattern on the card, the card art area of this card before him was completely blank.
If he hadn't specifically come to this Room to look for the card because of Pegasus's footage, even if someone had triggered the recording on the Pot of Greed, they might have just thought this blank card with a blue border was a useless unfinished card that Pegasus had accidentally mixed in when putting in the Destined Rivals card and casually discarded.
Using the Destined Rivals card, which has some meaning and strength behind it, as a cover for this blank card? As always, Pegasus is a deep schemer.
Kaiba smiled slightly and put away this blank card. Although it was currently a completely blank card, Kaiba knew that since this card was so highly valued by Pegasus, it must possess considerable power, enough for Pegasus to place his hope in it. Isn't there a saying, "Things will work out in the end"? By keeping this card with him, perhaps it would come into use sometime.
Anyway, under specific conditions, this card's card art would change and reveal its true form; he just had to wait.
Of course, in the eyes of Kaiba President, who believes in science, the idea of Duel Monsters cards changing during a duel due to the Duelist's growth, a spirit's awakening, or similar reasons was something he wouldn't consider in that direction at all. Instead, he would understand it based on the principle that "a card made with special ink changes under specific conditions."
Therefore, it's not hard to understand why Kaiba still couldn't see the card spirit of his beloved Blue-Eyes White Dragon, even now that Joey Wheeler and even Rex had awakened their card spirits. Who told him to insist on believing in science in a World of Duelists filled with metaphysics?
Even Newton himself is practically becoming a Duelist.
Putting away the cards he found, Kaiba glanced at the window covered by curtains not far away and walked over. Because the Room was filled with toys, Pegasus, who was childlike and cared for his toys, was very careful with their maintenance and didn't place them anywhere the sunlight could reach. The curtains on the window were tightly drawn.
However, Kaiba, who wasn't interested in any of the toys in this Room, didn't have such considerations. He casually pulled open the curtains, letting the bright sunshine stream into the Room through the clean glass.
Compared to when he first arrived, the sunshine was a bit weaker now; after all, it was almost evening. At this time, he didn't know where Yugi and the others were, but he guessed they hadn't reached Industrial Illusions yet.
Kaiba thought, his line of sight sweeping past the Stairs in front of the Castle and casting towards an Open Space down the mountain. There, parked the transportation tool that Kaiba and Keipei had ridden to This Island—a jet plane shaped like Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which everyone who had seen it except Pegasus himself had evaluated as having "truly bizarre taste," but which the owner himself still liked very much.
Although the appearance of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon was quite contrary to aerodynamics, Kaiba was rich enough to invest heavily. That jet plane fully demonstrated what it meant for power to make it fly despite its shape, forcefully achieving the same level of overall performance as other top-tier jet planes with its top configuration inside, despite its bizarre appearance.
Vertical takeoff and landing, supersonic speed, excellent handling, ultra-long range, and even off-the-charts protection level and safety that guaranteed the Pilot would be left intact even in a crash—the only disadvantage of this jet plane, which Kaiba himself loved dearly, was probably the insufficient storage space inside the Aircraft Cabin.
Including the Pilot, there were only two not-so-large seats. The restriction that it could only carry passengers up to 1.86 meters in height was tailor-made for Kaiba traveling with his younger brother Keipei, and because of this, Hayato, who had once tried to freeload a ride from Kaiba with his thick-skinned nature, returned without success because he was too tall. At the same time, the Aircraft Cabin behind the seats had only about five cubic meters of storage space.
Roughly the size, it was only enough for an adult to lie flat inside, and they would also have to endure the jet plane's acceleration and the turbulence caused by airflow during flight without seats and seatbelts.
However, that position was reserved for Alister, the "Captive," anyway. Kaiba didn't care how he would feel then, and he wouldn't care even if he swore in that Aircraft Cabin; he wouldn't be there anyway.
Yes, Kaiba planned to stuff Alister into the Aircraft Cabin later. It was very inhumane, but it was very Kaiba Special☆Rule.
But just as Kaiba was contemplating this inhumane idea, his gaze inadvertently glanced at the sky and saw a black spot descending through the white clouds on the horizon, gradually enlarging.
Squinting his eyes, Kaiba was slightly startled after seeing clearly what the black spot was.
B-2 Stealth and Strategic Bomber, nicknamed "Spirit," translated as "Ghost," commonly known as the "Northrop Grumman B-2 Stealth Strategic Bomber," but more widely known by its abbreviation, the "B-2 Bomber." It first flew in 1989 and is perhaps not the most powerful today globally, but it is definitely the most famous bomber.
When the "B-2 Bomber" took to the sky, KaibaCorp was not yet the "Entertainment Group" it is today, but the "Military-Industrial Group." KaibaCorp was involved in the design and manufacturing of this Bomber for the US Military at that time. Kaiba, who was being cultivated as the Successor by Gozaburo Kaiba then, was not unfamiliar with this Bomber at all and could even recite its standard parameters.
The US Military only ordered twenty "B-2" Bombers back then due to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Something wasn't quite right, very not quite right. Why would this strategic weapon, strictly controlled by the military, appear here?
Kaiba's pupil contracted. He turned his head sharply, only to see Alister, who looked unconcerned.
"Tsk, you discovered it, Kaiba Seto. I was originally thinking of seeing your blank expression as you died." With a slight regret, Alister looked at the surprised Kaiba. "What kind of expression is that? Do you think I can let go of the hatred in my heart just because you scold me a few times?"
"Heh, read less Shonen Manga. I do understand you, but that doesn't change the fact that I still have to kill you for revenge."
Alister twisted his shoulder. Having his arms tied behind his back with rope had made him very uncomfortable. "Why do you think there's no one on This Island? The answer is, I used the Power of Organization Doma and arranged for a bomber to depart when our duel began. No matter who wins the duel, This Island will be bombed to ashes."
Kaiba was furious, but there was no time left to vent his wrath at Alister. He grabbed Keipei, who hadn't seen the sky outside the window and therefore didn't know what was happening, then used the Duel Disk in his hand as a weapon, smashed the window, and jumped out of the window!
Although this was roughly the height of the Third Floor of the Castle, Kaiba had the confidence to land safely. However, running from the Castle down the mountain to get on the jet plane and escape before the bomber arrived was a bit... No, even if it was difficult, he had to attempt it. Kaiba Seto would not become memories!
Watching Kaiba protect Keipei with his body from damage, while he himself was cut all over by broken glass, blood flowing, yet still running wildly down the mountain, Alister's face showed a relieved expression: "Still protecting your younger brother, huh? You truly are a competent Brother, Kaiba Seto."
"Although I'm a little sorry for involving Keipei in my revenge, if I didn't do this, I really couldn't tell Milk after I die that I didn't do anything for his death. Step into Hell, Kaiba Seto. Afterwards, whether I die or not, this hatred has disappeared from my heart."
In Alister's Deck, left behind by Kaiba In front of the Data Center Underground in the Castle, along with Alister's smile as he watched Kaiba go far away, the card art of Meklord Army: Destruction Armament in his Deck gradually became somewhat transparent, as if it could shatter and disperse at any moment.
However, before it could disperse, a hand picked up Alister's Deck lying on the ground. Along with a surge of dark power that was fundamentally different, Meklord Army: Destruction Armament actually split into two, leaving behind one normal card and one card that became blank.
The person who picked up Alister's Deck saw this and revealed a grin of pure delight: "Alright! Meklord Deck Get!"
On that person's chest, the golden disk shone with radiance.
Another transition chapter, huh? About the chapter I missed the day before yesterday... We'll talk about that later.
End of Chapter
Chapter 615: Trust Mother Jijiji!
On Organization Doma's airplane, Alister looked at Hayato, who was sitting directly across from him, with a conflicted expression.
About ten minutes ago, holding the idea of mutual destruction, "taking Kaiba Seto to die together," Alister had thought he would be buried under the firepower of the B-2 bomber. After all, as a world-class strategic weapon, the firepower of a B-2 bomber is a hundred times that of a normal bomber.
Even a professional military bunker could be leveled by a single round of bombing from a B-2 bomber, let alone a castle built by Pegasus's family hundreds of years ago.
At the same time, although he managed to get the bomber, Alister actually relied on Organization Doma's influence within the US Military. But that didn't mean Alister could command the bomber freely; he merely found a way to assign an attack target to the bomber. Once the dispatch was completed, even he couldn't easily withdraw the order.
This meant that when Alister and Kaiba began their duel, he had already decided that even if he lost the duel, he would definitely kill Kaiba there, even if he himself died along with him.
However, three things happened that were beyond Alister's expectation—his duel with Kaiba ended in defeat too quickly, Kaiba's decisive action to protect Keipei without regard for his own crisis when he discovered the crisis, and, surprisingly, Hayato also appeared on that island.
Alister was very certain that he contacted Rafael around 1 PM. At that time, according to Rafael, he and Hayato were together, having just left after recovering the deceased Valon from the Nameless Pharaoh. Kaiba arrived on the island around 2 PM, and the duel with him started before 3 PM.
But, at the moment the B-2 bomber spent about half an hour arriving in the Time-Space above the island, Hayato, who was far away in the American system with Rafael, magically crossed the ocean and arrived at Pegasus Castle!
What was even more outrageous was that he arrived together with a private jet belonging to Industrial Illusions. However, at the speed of that private jet, the time required to travel from Industrial Illusions Headquarters to Duelist Kingdom Island was about two hours. Moreover, if Alister remembered correctly, even if he wanted to use that private jet, he would have to personally arrive at Industrial Illusions Headquarters to take it.
To arrive so punctually, unless the moment Alister's contact with Rafael was cut off, that guy Hayato parted ways with Rafael and got on the private jet that had been arranged to pick him up in advance, and then flew directly to Duel Kingdom Island.
Damn it, this guy's treatment is too good, isn't it? Even their "Doma Three Swordsmen"—although now it should actually be the "Doma Duo"—don't have that much authority to command a private jet freely!
There should have been some dissatisfaction, but no matter what, Hayato at that time indeed became Alister's savior, pulling him out of the brink of death. Alister wouldn't go so far as to feel jealousy towards Hayato.
'Thinking about it carefully, maybe Hayato rushed here to check on my situation because he was worried that I was acting alone and would fall into Kaiba Seto's hands, and because of Valon's incident, he didn't want to lose another teammate.' Looking at Hayato wiping the sweat from his forehead, Alister couldn't help but think to himself.
Just before the bomber began dropping bombs, a huge protective barrier appeared above the island, enveloping Pegasus Castle and a small zone around it. That was the power of Absorb Shield, supported by Hayato's own power, successfully blocking the bombing for a short period of time.
Even though most people, even if they could achieve card spirit awakening, would only awaken monster card spirits, which are relatively easy to resonate with, that guy Hayato could actually awaken a Trap Card as a card spirit. This made Alister feel that he might be considered the first person in history to do so, although he also heard that his earliest card spirit, the Ojama monster, seemed to have awakened not from a Monster Card but from a Trap Card.
However, although Hayato did manage to activate the power of the Trap Card to protect the area around Pegasus Castle, this power was a considerable burden on him and difficult to sustain for too long. He seemed to only have enough time to bring Alister out before having to withdraw the barrier, leaving no time to pursue Kaiba Seto and his brother Keipei, who were also protected by the barrier.
'Even though I never trusted him after he decided to join Doma, he genuinely treated me as a companion. Thinking about it, what I did before was really wrong. From now on, I should treat him a little better—'
Thinking this, Alister saw Hayato open a cabinet inside the aircraft cabin with practiced ease. Like a master taking things from his own cabinet to entertain guests, he skillfully took out a bottle of red wine and a cup, and poured himself a glass first.
"Want some red wine? I have some top-quality Chianti here, paired with soda crackers dipped in Scamorza cheese and caviar, it tastes great." As he spoke, Hayato also found some snacks that looked expensive just by their packaging.
"No way, we just went through life and death, where do you get the mood to start enjoying red wine?" Alister covered his forehead helplessly. "And you, why are you so skilled? This private jet is Lord Dartz's exclusive vehicle on weekdays, didn't anyone tell you not to touch things randomly!"
"Huh? Someone seemed to have told me that before, but that was just talk. Humans, you know, they say one thing and do another." Hayato waved his hand dismissively, gulped down the full cup of red wine without a care, and grabbed a handful of snacks to put in his mouth. "Even if I don't eat them, the staff on the private jet usually pocket the difference anyway."
"But Dartz really knows how to enjoy himself. This passenger jet feels more comfortable to ride in than Kaiba's. The only drawback is probably that you can't go to the Sistine Chapel to see Michelangelo's mural."
This self-absorbed personality, it's because of this reason that even though Hayato saved him, Alister couldn't feel grateful towards him.
Seeing that Alister didn't pay attention to him, Hayato seemed to have had enough wine. He casually put down the wine cup, took out a deck from behind him, and handed it to Alister: "Thank me, Alister, not just because I arrived so timely and saved your life, but also because I 'accidentally' picked up your deck."
"However, there's something I need to explain beforehand." Placing the deck in Alister's hand, Hayato smoothly drew the top card of the deck, revealing several cards that had all the data a Monster Card should have, such as card name, type, effect, attribute, etc., but were missing the card art. "When I found your deck, these cards were already in this state."
"Gizmek Arakaki, the Sky Peak Pillar, Ancient Gear Unbound, Machina Ruinforce, Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon, and your ace card in the deck, Meklord Army of Skiel Attack, these five cards, I didn't tamper with them at all. Anyway, when I helped you recover the deck, they were already in this appearance."
Saying this, Hayato put the cards back into Alister's hand and spread his hands with an innocent expression.
Alister naturally believed Hayato, because he found that these cards happened to be the so-called "inner darkness" monsters he created using the power of the Seal of Orichalcos back then. They were "Dark" Meklord monsters, different from the conventional EARTH Attribute Meklord deck.
When he was invited by Dartz to join Organization Doma, Alister chose this deck because the Meklord deck was similar to the robots his younger brother Milk liked the most. And if the Meklord deck represented the existence of "love" for his younger brother Milk in Alister's heart, then the "Dark" Meklords were the "hate" that arose in Alister's heart because of Milk's death.
'Because of Kaiba Seto, my hate disappeared?' A bitter smile appeared on Alister's face. Although he didn't substantially achieve revenge, when his duel with Kaiba ended, Alister had actually gradually started to let go of hate.
Just as Kaiba told him before, Alister's current actions of committing evil deeds with the Meklord deck were no different from Gozaburo back then, and it was wrong. Alister himself knew this deeply. However, the feeling of powerlessness from when his younger brother died had always lingered in Alister's heart, making him unable to directly face the inner truth.
With the end of the duel and the arrival of the bomber, as he stood by the window and watched the blood-soaked Kaiba leave with Keipei, Alister's inner darkness silently let go. Presumably, it was because of this reason that the "Dark" Meklords, which were the transformation of the "hate" in his inner thoughts, disappeared from the deck.
Solemnly putting away the deck, Alister glanced at Hayato and said, "It's okay, I believe you didn't do it, Hayato."
But upon hearing Alister say this, Hayato looked at him with a strange gaze: "You're really not right, you've changed too much, haven't you?"
"But, it doesn't matter. Do you know what's most important when select someone, Alister?"
Hayato extended his finger and counted, "Is it 'what they can do'? Or higher 'IQ' and better 'talent'?"
Hayato withdrew the three extended fingers into a fist. He looked at Alister seriously and said, "No, I think there are other factors that are more important."
"That's 'trust', Alister. The most important thing when select someone is 'trust'. This is a more important standard than 'ability'. You think so too, right, Alister?"
Although it sounded like he was asking Alister, Hayato didn't wait for his answer and continued to talk to himself, "Because I 'trust' Doma can bring me powerful strength and allow me to pick up 'The First Napkin', I followed Dartz and joined Doma. And Doma indeed did not fail my 'trust', giving me quite satisfactory powerful strength."
"Then, in contrast, for Rafael, Valon—oh, Valon seems to be dead, so he's out of it—and you, Alister, for the 'trust' you three have in me, I will naturally return the equivalent reward."
Saying nonsense that even Hayato himself couldn't convince himself of to Alister, Hayato heard a man's complaining voice next to his ear: "Although I'm probably really dead, hearing you say that is way too strange, Hayato Kobayashi."
From a perspective Alister couldn't see, from the deck Hayato carried, an illusory figure of a man appeared on the card that should have housed Rainbow Kuriboh, floating in the air behind Hayato.
Looking at the attire with the same armor appearance as when he was alive, wasn't it Valon, who died in the duel against Joey Wheeler!
Hayato glanced at the complaining Valon but ignored him. Valon, however, showed an exaggerated expression lively: "Wow, your gaze is as indifferent as looking at pigs in a pig farm, it's so cruelty, so cruelty it's like you're telling me 'Oh, how pitiful, you'll be a piece of pork on the butcher shop tomorrow morning'."
"As if I wasn't trapped in a card because of you, you guy."
It wasn't Hayato who paid attention to Valon, but Aleister the Invoker, who came to the Real World from the Spirit World with Hayato. Poking his head out from the card, Aleister pressed Valon's shoulder trying to stuff him back into the card, perfunctorily saying, "Okay, okay, I know Master dislikes you, so don't run out without permission. Be a good boy, hurry up and get back."
However, what was a bit strange was that Aleister the Invoker didn't appear from the deck on Hayato's waist, but from the deck Alister had just accepted.
Before being stuffed back into the card, Valon looked at Alister, his former teammate, with a pitying gaze.
Valon wasn't sure when exactly, but it seemed that by using the convenience of acting in pairs, Hayato seized the opportunity to stuff the card named Aleister the Invoker into his deck. And because of insufficient bond, Valon didn't discover the existence of that card in his duel with Joey Wheeler until he had drew down to the last few cards in his deck.
But at the instant of his duel defeat, this card "gifted" by Hayato exerted its effect before the Seal of Orichalcos harvested his soul.
"The moment a human acknowledges their defeat, their soul energy is infinitely close to 0. Tampering at this moment is most suitable," Valon, who woke up and found that his soul hadn't been absorbed by the Seal of Orichalcos but was sealed within Hayato's card, heard Hayato say this at that time.
After stuffing Valon back into the card, Aleister also wanted to return to his card and lie in wait, waiting for the right moment. Looking at his new master, Alister, Aleister showed a cunning smile: "The existence named Orichalcos God is, after all, just the planet's assessment mechanism for civilization. Although it understands absorbing soul to replenish energy for its revival, it doesn't know what it should eat and what it shouldn't."
"The soul it thought was a great tonic was replaced with a parasite that looks good on the outside, rotten on the inside and absorbs power in reverse. As expected of Master, easily coming up with cunning scheme that normal people can't think of, I truly admire you greatly!"
End of Chapter