"Get ready, we're leaving."
"Huh? Where to?"
"America," Kaiba said blandly. "I don't trust that guy named Tenma Gekko. I want to personally check out Pegasus's Illusion Industries."
Youyu thought to himself, you just can't forget about that card game, can you...
But of course, that's something that can't be said out loud. Youyu coughed, "Well... if it's possible, could you wait a bit, President Kaiba? I'm not done here yet.
Doma has some tough characters and the situation here is quite intense... never mind, I'm in a Dark Duel right now, I'll call back after I'm done..."
Of course, Youyu was just babbling nonsense to the president. In fact, while he was on the call, he wasn't playing cards with anyone, and the situation was pretty much settled without his involvement.
He just wanted to stay longer to collect some more heads and loot a bit...
He hadn't even finished speaking when the wind outside suddenly roared, and the roar of engines and rotor blades filled the entire room.
A black helicopter with the KC logo had already flown to the side of the building, and a bright spotlight pierced through the curtain wall into the room.
President Kaiba stood in an extremely stylish pose outside the open hatch of the helicopter, his trench coat fluttering wildly in the wind.
Youyu: "..."
Okay, this is awkward.
It feels a bit like when your boss calls questioning the project's progress, and you're hurriedly saying it's almost done while rushing to open the computer to create a new folder... only to horrifyingly find the boss standing behind you.
It's practically a ghost story.
Admittedly, when President Kaiba parks his helicopter outside the window and stands to the side, he does have a certain superhero-level imposing presence.
However, Youyu also couldn't help but be a little curious: has President Kaiba ever sat properly inside a cabin? Why does it seem like every time he sees the president in a helicopter, he's always standing outside...
Since the boss came to personally catch him, Youyu naturally had no reason to continue slacking off and obediently boarded the helicopter with the president.
As he left, a group of idiots nearby pointed and laughed, seeming to be having a great time, though it was unclear what they were discussing.
Youyu couldn't help but feel like rolling his eyes.
Laugh, what are you laughing at?
Never seen someone caught slacking by their boss?
...
President Kaiba acts swiftly and decisively, with trips planned as soon as he decides to go.
Before long, after Youyu followed the president from the office building of the liquor company, they found themselves flying over the Pacific Ocean...
...sitting in President Kaiba's "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" jet.
Sitting together in the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" jet with President Kaiba, Youyu always felt something was a bit odd...
Kaiba was his usual self, quietly focusing on flying the plane, and one might think he was a pilot specially hired by the company.
The "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" is President Kaiba's exclusive vehicle. The control system can only be unlocked with his personal authentication; no one else in the world can get this plane to move.
President Kaiba never allows anyone to touch his plane, being almost obsessively stubborn about it.
Throughout the flight, Kaiba didn't utter a word, but his brother Mokuba was as chatty as ever.
Mokuba now didn't even see Youyu as an outsider, sharing almost everything with him.
He got so excited while chatting that he almost spilled some of Kaiba's embarrassing stories from his childhood. Instantly, Youyu felt the faint killing intent from the president in the cabin's reflection and cleverly steered the conversation away, preventing Mokuba from continuing.
...Damn, that was close, good thing I reacted quickly, otherwise chatting might have turned into a life hazard!
Mokuba, really, you can't just say these things casually!
Even if you must say them... at least wait till the president is not around!
"Oh, right," Mokuba remembered something, "earlier tonight, during the duel, a card appeared in my brother's deck that he'd never seen before!"
Youyu's eyelid twitched.
What, it's already here?
Kaiba's Legendary Dragon, The Fang of Critias?
Silently, Kaiba, who was flying the plane, took out that card. It had no title, stats, or text—only the image of a dragon.
"Critias," Kaiba looked at the card and frowned, "why do I know its name?"
Even though not a single word was written on the card, its name instinctively appeared in Kaiba's mind... and the fact that this card mysteriously ended up in his deck was a mystery in itself.
Everyone knows that President Kaiba believes in science. Right now, he's trying to find a reasonable explanation from his extensive knowledge reserve...
"It's destiny, perhaps," Youyu said, "maybe there's some kind of connection between you and this card; it was meant to be yours."
Kaiba gave him a sidelong glance and huffed while putting the card away.
"Starting with that supernatural nonsense again?" he snorted, "Nonsense! There's nothing like past lives or destiny in this world. What people call fate is merely a coward's excuse for failure!"
Youyu: "..."
President, can't you hear your White bride weeping...
But speaking of which, Kaiba does seem to have several dragons connected to him. Besides the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, now there's suddenly this Legendary Dragon Critias... one can't help but wonder how the White bride would react.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon: Roar~ Roar~ (Vice Dragon roars to assert its legitimate position to the newcomer)
...
Upon reaching the destination, Kaiba Company's branch had already been informed and arranged the reception.
The branch had prepared the top-tier suites, waiting to escort the three of them to their accommodations as soon as they touched down.
Passing through the hotel lobby with a group of black-suited men from Kaiba Company, Youyu overheard two foreign young ladies talking behind the counter.
"Isn't that Kaiba Seto? The president of Kaiba Company?"
"Huh? Who's that?"
"What, you don't know? He's the organizer of the Duel City Tournament and one of the top duelists himself!"
"No way! That's him?! So young!"
"Totally! Became the president of a conglomerate at such a young age, and he's very charismatic, plus incredibly skilled at dueling..."
Indeed, being skilled at card games is a bonus in this world.
Claiming you're a CEO of a Fortune 500 company might not make you widely known. But if you're a world-class duelist, you're famous no matter where you go...
President Kaiba clearly heard the discussion, and though he pretended not to care with a disdainful snort, the slight curve of his lips betrayed his mood...
The truth is, Kaiba is rather conceited. Despite his dismissive facade, hearing compliments—especially about his dueling skills—makes his tail curl with pride.
But then the ladies continued, "Ah! The super handsome guy next to him... isn't he the Duel King?"
"Really!" The other lady's eyes sparkled, "He looks even more handsome than in the photos! And I heard his dueling skills are insane, that Kaiba isn't even a match for him!"
President Kaiba: Smile gradually fades. JPG
Youyu: "..."
Damn, were these random ladies placed here specifically to mess with me?
I was just passing by and still got unwittingly dragged into drama?!