Yugioh [348-353] (Patreon)

Chapter 348: Meteorite

“The effect of Worm Xex. When this card is successfully summoned, send a Reptile monster with ‘Worm’ in its name from the deck to the graveyard.”

Luca drew from his deck, quickly picking out a card.

“I’ll send ‘Worm Yagan’ from the deck to the graveyard.”

The monster card slid from his Duel Disk into the graveyard, but after only a moment, it popped back out.

“The effect of ‘Worm Yagan’ in the graveyard also activates.”

He drew out the Worm Yagan card that had just left the graveyard, humming softly.

“If the only monster on my field is ‘Worm Xex,’ I can Special Summon this card from the graveyard in facedown Defense Position.

So I will place ‘Worm Yagan’ from the graveyard in facedown Defense Position.”

He slapped the monster card drawn from the graveyard sideways onto the field. A pitch-black monster card appeared on his field, as if it were hiding some unknown danger.

“Special Summon a monster from the graveyard in facedown Defense Position?” Mokuba was surprised.

“It’s too early to be astonished. My Worm will shatter your common sense of Dueling.”

Luca chuckled softly and continued:

“Then I activate the Spell Card ‘Double Summon’ from my hand, granting an additional Normal Summon this turn.”

The image of a Spell Card appeared, forming a summoning vortex on his field.

“With this, I’ll set another monster from my hand in facedown Defense Position.”

Another set monster appeared, emerging sideways from the summoning vortex, as if a predator lay in wait beneath it.

“Another set monster,” Mokuba wondered. “Is this a deck that specializes in hiding monsters for surprise attacks?”

Kaiba remained silent, arms crossed.

“Haha, you’ll soon understand,” Luca said in a low voice. “Alien Worm are no ordinary bugs. They are among the universe’s most terrifying catastrophes, conquering countless worlds from planet to planet.

They always descend from the sky, alongside meteors of destruction, carrying the embryos of invasion. When a meteor falls upon a new planet, it brings with it countless Alien Worm. The arrival of a meteor is the horn that signals the start of an Alien Worm invasion—no one can stop their march.”

“Hmph, what a boring fairy tale,” Kaiba sneered.

“Hahaha, you’re mistaken, President. What I’m describing is exactly what you are about to face!

I activate the Trap Card ‘W Nebula Meteorite’!”

His set card flipped over, and at the same time, a real meteorite of destruction fell from the sky!

“‘W Nebula Meteorite’ turns all facedown monsters on the field to face-up Defense Position!”

The meteor crashed down, and the shockwave flipped both of Luca’s Worms.

[Worm Apocalypse, DEF 200]

[Worm Yagan, DEF 1800]

“An experienced Duelist like you should already know what’s coming, right?” Luca smiled.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes slightly. “Flip Effect monsters?”

“Correct. The moment they’re flipped, both monsters’ effects trigger,” Luca said. “When Worm Apocalypse is flipped, destroy one Spell or Trap card on the field.

I’ll destroy your set card on the left.”

Kaiba’s set Trap Card flipped up—“Attack Guidance Armor,” one of his usual Traps that can change an attack target.

Mokuba: “Ah, brother’s trap is...”

“Alien Worm don’t target just Traps!” Luca declared. “Worm Yagan’s effect!

When this card is flipped, return one face-up monster your opponent controls to their hand.

I’ll return ‘Interplanetarypurplythorny Dragon’ to your hand!”

The purple dragon was enveloped in Alien Worm energy, transformed into a beam of light, and shot back to Kaiba’s hand.

“With that, your defenses are broken,” Luca shouted. “Now, ‘Worm Xex,’ direct attack!”

With the line breached, Worm Xex’s attack struck Kaiba directly. Kaiba staggered back a step, frowning slightly.

[Kaiba, LP 4000 → LP 2200]

“Hmph, a halfway decent rat,” Kaiba said coldly.

“Still so confident? As expected of the President,” Luca smiled. “Unfortunately, the Worms flipped by ‘W Nebula Meteorite’ are in face-up Defense Position, so they can’t attack this turn.

That ends the Battle Phase for now.”

He drew two more cards.

“Then I’ll set two cards and move to the End Phase. At the end of the turn after ‘W Nebula Meteorite’ is activated, its follow-up effect triggers.”

A sinister wave swept across his field. Xex, Yagan, and Apocalypse all curled up and were set facedown again.

“Eh?” Mokuba wondered. “Why did the Worms turn facedown again?”

“‘W Nebula Meteorite’s’ follow-up effect: At the end of the turn after this card is activated, all Reptile- and LIGHT-Attribute monsters you control are turned facedown in Defense Position; then, you draw cards equal to that number.

I have three Reptiles, so I draw three cards!”

Luca drew three cards in one go.

“Eh? Not only do they get reset, but you also get to draw cards?”

Mokuba soon realized the gravity of the situation.

When Worm Apocalypse is flipped, it destroys a card; when Worm Yagan is flipped, it bounces a monster.

In other words, no matter what monster Kaiba summons, as soon as he attacks and Yagan flips, it’ll be bounced.

And even if he doesn’t attack, next turn the opponent will just flip it themselves and bounce something anyway.

These Worms are so troublesome!”

“Hahaha, looks like you’re beginning to understand the beauty of the Worms. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Now, it’s time to show you their true power!”

Luca shouted.

“‘W Nebula Meteorite’ has another follow-up effect! At the End Phase of the turn after it’s activated, you can also Special Summon a Level 7 or higher LIGHT Reptile monster from your Deck.

I summon—

Worm King!”

A terrifying, golden, giant beetle appeared. Its upper half was a humanoid king with four arms, while its lower half was a monstrous insect with horrifying jaws, as if it could swallow everything.

[Worm King, ATK 2700]

“Worm King.”

Kaiba looked up at the fearsome monster.

“So, that’s your ace?”

Luca just smiled, not answering directly.

“He wiped my brother’s whole field, attacked directly, replenished his hand instantly, reset his bounce and destruction setup, and even summoned an ace monster in one turn...”

Mokuba looked at Luca with increasing wariness.

“Is this guy actually really strong?”

Chapter 349: Endless Worms

“My turn. Draw.”

“I activate ‘Pot of Greed’ to draw two cards.”

Kaiba drew his cards.

“Worms, huh? This is getting interesting.

Then let me show you the form of the strongest Light Dragon!”

He discarded one card to the graveyard and played another.

“I activate ‘The Melody of Awakening Dragon’!

Discard a card; add up to two Dragon monsters with 3000 or more ATK and 2500 or less DEF from your Deck to your hand!”

The deck’s search function activated, popping out two cards.

“Add ‘Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon’ and ‘Blue-Eyes White Dragon’ to my hand!”

“Ah, finally showing your hand,” Luca wasn’t surprised. “That legendary dragon unique to Seto Kaiba...”

“‘Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon’ can be Special Summoned by revealing ‘Blue-Eyes White Dragon’ in hand.”

Kaiba raised his card high, and dazzling white light erupted from it.

“Appear! Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!”

A brilliant silver arc streaked across the sky like a meteor. The dazzling white dragon of light appeared, spinning amidst the gathered stars!

[Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon, ATK 3000]

“Just as the reports said, Alternative White Dragon has appeared,” Luca narrowed his eyes.

“Such an easy summoning condition, plus the ability to destroy a monster once per turn without triggering flip effects—it truly is a terrifying card.

With Alternative White Dragon, you can remove Yagan without triggering its effect, right?”

Kaiba said nothing.

“But unfortunately, it’s not that easy,” Luca declared, “I activate my set card—Trap Card ‘Trap of Darkness’!

If my LP is 3000 or less, I pay 1000 LP and banish a Normal Trap from my graveyard to gain its effect!”

[Luca, LP 1800 → LP 800]

“He’s going to copy the Trap’s effect... Oh no!” Mokuba realized.

“That’s right—I’ll gain the effect of ‘W Nebula Meteorite’!”

The meteorite of Alien Worm invasion slammed down again, bringing a deafening roar. His three set monsters flipped over in succession.

“‘W Nebula Meteorite’ effect: flip all facedown monsters to face-up Defense Position,” Luca called out. “Yagan, Xex, Apocalypse, all flip!”

[Worm Apocalypse, DEF 200]

[Worm Yagan, DEF 1800]

[Worm Xex, DEF 1000]

“No need to explain Xex’s effect: when flipped, return an opponent’s monster to their hand!

 ‘Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon’—back to your hand!”

Before it could even unleash its power, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon turned into white light and returned to Kaiba’s hand.

“Then comes Apocalypse’s effect: when flipped, destroy a Spell/Trap on the field.

I’ll destroy your last set card!”

Kaiba’s remaining backrow was destroyed by the Worm’s attack. It was revealed to be the Spell Card “Polymerization.”

“Puhahaha, so your face-down was Polymerization... classic, President.”

Luca said.

“Anyway, this puts you in a tough spot. Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon’s special summon can only be used once per turn, right?

And even if you still have ‘Interplanetarypurplythorny Dragon’ in hand, you can’t activate it. That card can Special Summon itself when a monster is destroyed—a strong backup plan.

But Alternative White Dragon was returned to hand, not destroyed, so that card can’t be used.”

He paused, looking more pleased.

“I told you, don’t underestimate my Worms—even the mighty Blue-Eyes will have a tough time!”

“I set two cards and end my turn.”

Kaiba ignored his taunts, speaking coolly.

“Then, in the End Phase, the follow-up effect of ‘W Nebula Meteorite’ resolves,” Luca said, “All four Worms on my field are set facedown again, and I draw four cards!”

He drew four cards, then began searching his deck.

“Then, Special Summon a Level 7 or higher LIGHT Reptile from my Deck. The noble leader of the Worms appears—

Worm Queen, arise!”

[Worm Queen, ATK 2700]

“The more you fight, the more Worms appear,” Mokuba frowned. “And those troublesome ones just got set again...”

“That’s right, this is the power of Worms—endless, relentless assault!

My turn! Draw!”

It was Luca’s turn again. After drawing, he glanced at Kaiba’s two set cards and smiled.

“Two set cards... President, you know my set Apocalypse can destroy backrow each turn. Yet you’re still relying on your backrow—so one is bait for the real card?”

Kaiba crossed his arms and sneered, “What do you think?”

“Heh, such tactics won’t work.”

Luca pulled out a card from his hand.

“I activate the Spell Card ‘Harpie’s Feather Duster’!

Destroy all Spell and Trap cards your opponent controls!”

“Eh!?” Mokuba was flustered. “He used Feather Duster instead of Worm’s effect?”

Luca: “Exactly. Now your backrow is wiped, and your tactics are meaningless...”

But before he finished, Kaiba’s signature three-part laugh cut him off.

“Haha ha hah—!”

Luca was dumbfounded.

What’s going on? He’s cornered; what’s so funny?

“That’s why I said—bugs are bugs, and the Duel of the strong is always one step ahead.”

Kaiba crossed his arms and smiled coldly.

“Watch as the card you destroyed is this—”

The Trap Card flipped over, unleashing earth-shaking energy!

Trap Card—“Waking the Dragon”!

“When this set card leaves the field by an opponent’s effect, Special Summon any monster from your Deck or Extra Deck!”

“NANI!?”

Luca’s face changed drastically.

This guy...

So he deliberately left a trap, expecting his opponent to clear the backrow and fall into the trap.

“After 3,000 years of evolution, the ultimate Dragon now descends!”

Kaiba raised his arm and shouted.

“Arise! Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!!”

White light soared, giant bone wings spread out, and the three-headed dragon descended, surrounded by a milky-white energy storm!

[Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, ATK 4500]

Chapter 350

“Tch, so the Ultimate Dragon appears.”

Luca narrowed his eyes.

“I admit, you got me this time. But I told you, never underestimate the Worm’s power. Even Ultimate Dragon is no exception!

I flip-summon my set ‘Worm Yagan’ and activate its effect!”

[Worm Yagan, ATK 1000]

“When Yagan is flipped, return one face-up monster your opponent controls to their hand.

Return ‘Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon’!”

A strange light enveloped Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Before it could even settle, its body became transparent and was about to vanish.

“Hahaha, what a shame,” Luca laughed. “You outplayed me for a moment, President, but my Worm’s strength is more than enough to compensate.

Your Ultimate Dragon, summoned with such effort, is about to leave so soon.”

“Heh, are you sure?” Kaiba replied.

“What?”

“I activate a Trap Card from my hand—

—‘The Ultimate Creature of Destruction’”

“NANI!?”

Luca was shocked again.

A Trap Card from the hand?

“The other set card you destroyed was ‘Cross Counter Trap’,” Kaiba said coldly, “If that card is destroyed this turn, you can activate a Trap Card from your hand once this turn.” (Manga Card.)

“Tch, both set cards were decoys?” Luca muttered.

“This card will unleash the Ultimate Dragon’s true power!” Kaiba shouted. “‘The Ultimate Creature of Destruction’ lets one ‘Blue-Eyes’ monster you control be unaffected by any card effect except its own, and it cannot be destroyed by battle this turn!”

Luca’s pupils contracted.

Unaffected by any card effect, and cannot be destroyed by battle...

Even before that, Ultimate Dragon’s 4500 ATK was almost the ceiling among Duel Monsters.

For this turn, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was essentially invincible!

“Tch, does Kaiba Seto have a card for everything he says...”

Luca muttered under his breath.

“Then, I activate ‘Worm King’ effect. Tribute one Reptile monster with ‘Worm’ in its name to destroy any card on your opponent’s field!

I tribute ‘Worm Apocalypse’!”

Apocalypse turned into light and vanished. Following the King’s roar, it turned into a blast of energy and shot at Ultimate Dragon!

“Even this Worm has such a powerful effect?” Mokuba remarked. “But it’s useless. Ultimate Dragon is unaffected by any effects now.”

Sure enough, the self-destructive attack was ineffective, exploding on the Ultimate Dragon’s body and vanishing without leaving a scratch.

 “You wanted to free up a Monster Zone?”

Kaiba said calmly.

“Ah, I see now,” Mokuba realized.

“All five of his Monster Zones were full. Is he going to summon something to deal with that?”

“That’s right!” Luca shouted. “I activate the Equip Spell ‘Future Fusion’ from my hand!” (Anime Effect.)

“Send any Fusion Materials from my deck to the GY and immediately Fusion Summon a monster in face-up Attack Position!”

He pulled out a large number of cards from his deck and smirked.

“As expected of President Kaiba; it’s been a while since anyone forced me to bring this out. But its arrival means the drama is about to end.”

“What?” Kaiba frowned.

“Did you know? There are 26 Worms in total, each named after a letter of the English alphabet. The one representing the final letter, Z, is both the end and the origin—the Ultimate Worm I’m about to summon.”

Luca said blandly.

“Besides it, my Main Deck has 25 other Worm. But since King and Queen are already out, and I only run one copy of each, I have 23 Worm left.”

“You—” Kaiba frowned. “What are you planning?”

“Hehehe, of course, I’m going to do this—”

Luca shouted louder.

“I send all 23 Worm from my Deck to the graveyard to perform the ultimate Fusion!!”

Mokuba was stunned: “A 23-monster Fusion!?”

You can fuse that many!?

“That’s right. What you’re about to witness is the end of life’s evolution—and the origin! Appear, the Ultimate Worm—

—Worm Zero!”

At that moment, the city’s typhoon reached its peak, as if the heavens roared, shaking every building and block.

Neon lights flickered in the storm, swaying like candles about to go out. The sky twisted, as if cracks appeared in an oil painting, with clouds torn apart to reveal deep, dark voids.

Within those tumultuous black clouds, destruction descended.

A massive, terrifying, dark presence, like a meteor, drifted down from beyond the sky. A cold, spherical object carrying the aura of death and annihilation, overlooking all creation with its chilling gaze.

[Worm Zero, ATK ?]

“A 23-way Fusion, Level 10, a god-like monster...”

Mokuba gazed up at the chilling black sphere, feeling as if he were looking at a black hole about to devour everything.

Kaiba frowned slightly, and his Ultimate Dragon roared defiantly at the Worm Zero.

“This is the Worm’s complete form,” Luca sneered. “Now, witness its ultimate...

Huh!?”

Luca’s face changed.

The storm didn’t subside with the appearance of the Worm Zero. Instead, it intensified!

It seemed that the power and destructive aura unleashed by Worm Zero further provoked the awakening of something else.

That force pierced the heavens, twisted space, and opened a path to another dimension.

As the sky split open, a pair of crimson eyes slowly opened from the other side.

The gale reached a new peak. Cars tumbled through the streets, trees were uprooted, lampposts snapped. The soaring storm was like the hammer of doomsday, ready to bring catastrophic destruction to the city.

“Brother!” Mokuba cried. “At this rate, the city will—”

Luca looked up at the shadow descending from the crack in the sky, frowning.

“Why did it appear so soon? Is it because of Worm Zero’s power?”

Countless bolts of lightning raged like silver serpents, illuminating the city as bright as day. Instead of brief flashes, they poured down like waterfalls, striking every corner with deafening crashes and showers of sparks.

One bolt landed squarely in the middle of the Duel arena, shattering the blue Duel barrier. Both duelists staggered back from the impact.

“Tch, looks like if I stay here any longer, even I’ll be in trouble.”

Luca grumbled, then suddenly smirked, put away his Duel Disk, and leaped away. His jumping ability was also astonishing; with a few bounds, he was on top of a shipping container.

“You!” Kaiba shouted. “The duel isn’t over! Are you running away?”

“Haha, running? The advantage is still mine... but if you want to think that, be my guest. We’ll settle this later.”

Luca paused atop the containers, chuckling.

“Right now, President Kaiba, you have bigger problems to deal with than me.”

Kaiba frowned. As he turned, he saw a massive shadow descending from the churning clouds. Though its shape was blurry, it looked like a gigantic, writhing serpent.

A low, sinister voice echoed through the sky.

“We meet again, Seto Kaiba...”

Chapter 351: The Arbiter

“We meet again, Seto Kaiba.”

A voice echoed in midair. Amid the rolling thunder, a shadowy figure seemed to materialize within the descending lightning.

The figure was half-transparent, ghostly, hands clasped behind his back, gazing down at Kaiba from above.

“This feeling…”

Kaiba looked up and frowned at the man.

“Dartz, is that you?”

The man smiled slightly.

“Very perceptive, President Kaiba. But no, I’m not Dartz,” he replied. “As you know, Dartz no longer exists.

The Nameless Pharaoh defeated him, ending his ten-thousand-year plan. As a loser, he could only sink into the sea with his long-lost kingdom of Atlantis.”

Kaiba folded his arms. “So now there’s another fool wanting to pick up where he left off?”

He paused, frowning.

“‘Arbiter’—that’s what you call yourself, right? So what are you, the one who passes judgment?”

“No, President Kaiba. Not the one who passes judgment—I am the judgment itself,” the man said calmly. “There are countless causes and effects in this world.

When humans make choices, seeking to satisfy their desires and pursue their interests at any cost, they create ‘causes.’

And as these seeds grow over the ages, I am the ‘effect’ destined by history.”

“You—”

Kaiba looked up at the crack in the sky, and the massive being whose cold gaze fell through it. Suddenly, he seemed to understand something.

“You’re starting to catch on, President Kaiba. Correct.”

The Arbiter smiled.

“Dartz was once chosen, because he truly had potential. But he spent ten thousand years proving his limits.

He was betrayed by his own father, who found the Nameless Dragon and led the endless armies of the Spirit World to fight him.

That was his first defeat, and it forced him into ten thousand years of reflection.”

The Arbiter waved his arm. The scene around Kaiba and Mokuba suddenly shifted, as if they were immersed in VR. The disaster-ravaged city vanished, replaced by an ancient battlefield.

It was like a tapestry weaving history and myth—a forgotten land under the sunset, the Orichalcos hexagram sigils falling like stars.

Armored warriors charged fearlessly, dragons roared across the field. Elves, demons, goblins, dragons—countless races, armies of humans and elves clashing as the battle raged to the horizon.

It was an endless war, an epic that nearly reset the world order ten thousand years ago.

“Dartz once had such potential, so many resources and power. Yet he was betrayed by his father, who found the Nameless Dragon and led the Spirit World’s armies against him.

That was his first failure, forcing him into ten thousand years of repentance.”

The Arbiter waved again, and time spun forward, rapidly bringing them to the present.

Now, in the modern city of steel and neon, red dragons swirled in the sky, blue giants and golden divine birds clashed, all under the command of a king with rainbow-colored hair, fighting for justice against a giant serpent god.

“He got a second chance, with all the backing of Orichalcos, but the result didn’t change. No, if anything, his defeat was even more crushing.

Not only did he lose completely, but even Orichalcos’ power was heavily damaged by the Egyptian Gods.”

“Hmph, so what are you trying to say?” Kaiba asked.

“Nothing,” said the Arbiter coolly. “Just that, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

So this time, no more chosen ones, no more agents.

This time, I will do what must be done with my own hands.”

Kaiba’s face grew solemn as he realized something. “You mean to say—you’re that thing?”

“The God of Orichalcos—the will of this planet, and the embodiment of all the negativity of its life.

The task Dartz failed to complete, I will finish myself.”

As he spoke, a deafening roar filled the air. The shadow of the giant serpent writhed and fell, roaring furiously at Kaiba.

“Heh.” Kaiba sneered. “All that talk, but you’re just a stray dog after all.”

“That’s not for you to say, Seto Kaiba,” the Arbiter retorted. “If I recall, you lost to Dartz before.

If you couldn’t defeat even my agent, what makes you think you have the confidence to face me?”

“Dartz may have been a bastard, but at least he was a powerful duelist,” Kaiba replied expressionlessly. “And you? So-called Evil God—you’re just an unleashed stray dog.”

“Interesting.”

The Arbiter’s gaze turned icy.

He waved his hand slowly, and it felt as though the entire sky pressed down. The pitch-black serpent god descended, its crimson eyes locked on Kaiba, roaring winds whipping his coat.

But Kaiba glared up at the colossal beast without a hint of fear. Behind him, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon spread its wings and roared at the serpent god above.

“Ultimate Dragon, hmm. Looks like you’ve improved over the years—you haven’t been idle.”

The Arbiter’s spirit began to float upwards, hovering in the air as if riding atop the Orichalcos serpent god, looking down at Kaiba and his dragon with undisguised contempt.

“Well, it’s just a Blue-Eyes—evolved or not, it’s hardly worth worrying about. I don’t even need to be at full strength…”

He suddenly paused, his motions stiffening.

Then he frowned oddly, glancing in a certain direction, an expression of distaste on his face.

“On second thought, forget it.”

With those words, the storm abated. The typhoon of rage finally subsided, the dark clouds faded, and the serpent god’s head slowly withdrew.

“Against you, a duel is more fitting after all.”

The Arbiter said flatly, his form rising with the serpent’s shadow, growing more translucent.

“On the final stage of Duelist Kingdom, I’ll be waiting for you, Seto Kaiba.”

With that, the Arbiter and the serpent god’s shadow vanished together.

In moments, the clouds dispersed and the storm dissolved, leaving only a ruined cityscape.

“Brother!”

Mokuba hurried to Kaiba’s side.

“Why did that guy leave so suddenly? Was he scared of the evolved Blue-Eyes?”

Kaiba frowned, silent.

He didn’t think so.

To be honest, though he had confidence in Blue-Eyes, he felt that if he had to fight the Evil God here—even if it wasn’t fully revived—it would be a hard battle to win.

The Arbiter had shown great confidence, so why the sudden shift and hasty retreat, as if something had alarmed him…

Kaiba recalled that the Arbiter had glanced at something before leaving, and followed that gaze.

By coincidence, he saw Kira walking up from the main street.

“President? Mokuba?”

Kira approached, looking around in confusion.

“What just happened here?”

Kaiba: “…”

Could it be… was he afraid of this kid?

Chapter 352: Suspension

Seeing Kira appear suddenly, Kaiba frowned, saying nothing but feeling a little suspicious inside.

That slippery serpent… could he really be afraid of Kira?

Not afraid of me, Seto Kaiba, but afraid of this kid?

At the thought, Kaiba folded his arms, the corner of his mouth curling in a meaningful, cold smile.

Interesting.

Kira, not knowing what just happened, had no idea what the President was thinking. He just saw Kaiba staring at him with a strange, unreadable smile, which made him uneasy.

“Ahem, what happened just now?” Kira asked.

 “It suddenly looked like the end of the world. What’s going on?”

“It was the New Doma,” Mokuba explained. “Looks like this Duelist Kingdom isn’t as simple as we thought. The ones you investigated at the local branch were probably just cannon fodder.

The real enemy has already infiltrated the tournament.”

“The real enemy—so, top agents from Doma HQ?”

That matched what Kira had heard before.

“We just fought one of New Doma’s ‘Three Swordsmen.’ Honestly, he was pretty strong,” Mokuba said. “He used a ‘Worm’ deck—endless flip effects, and the more you fight, the more bugs there are.

And there was that last monster, ‘Worm Zero,’ which didn’t fully appear but looked like a real threat.”

Worm, huh…

Kira was familiar with the archetype, having a couple cards himself, but he’d never seen a full build.

If he got a chance to duel that Swordsman, he’d love to test himself and talk deckbuilding afterward.

“That guy’s name is Luca. He doesn’t seem to have competed before, so we have little data on him,” Mokuba added.

“I’ll send you what info we have, especially about his deck—just be careful if you run into him.”

“Thanks,” Kira nodded.

Many top duelists rarely appear at public events. The old Doma Three Swordsmen were the same—three top-level duelists who seemed to come out of nowhere, with little fame or public record.

Kaiba still said nothing, lost in thought, perhaps still mulling over the interrupted duel.

The three walked back along the docks. Returning to the city streets, the storm had cleared, but the atmosphere was still heavy. The air smelled of damp earth and rotting leaves.

Sand and rain streaked the windows of tall buildings. Trees leaned, branches broken, roots exposed. Streetlights flickered, casting mottled shadows.

“I’ve contacted the committee to suspend the tournament,” Mokuba sighed.

“With the damage, we can’t continue for now. We’ll have to pause for a couple of days.”

He looked up at the sky. The rift had healed, but Mokuba still felt uneasy glancing that way.

“It was terrifying. That thing just showed its face and caused all this…”

“The Evil God of Orichalcos?” Kira asked.

“That’s my guess. Looks like Doma’s leader is that thing—or its avatar, calling itself ‘the Arbiter.’” Mokuba said.

Kira nodded in understanding.

So that ominous power, the storm, and the thunder were all caused by that slippery serpent.

“Things could have been worse,” Mokuba muttered. “If it had fought my brother’s Blue-Eyes here, the city would’ve been devastated.

But it’s weird—it suddenly changed its mind, said it would leave the outcome for the finals of Duelist Kingdom. I’m not sure what that means, but at least if we settle things in a duel, we don’t have to worry about the city being destroyed.”

The serpent’s sudden change of heart?

Kira recalled Kaiba’s earlier gaze and made a bold guess.

Could it be… that thing is afraid of me?

If it were before, Kira would have scoffed—he was just an ordinary Duel Academy student, while the serpent god was a world-destroying demon lord who didn’t even fear Kaiba. Why would it care about him?

But after that incident in the Spirit World, he had a hunch.

It wasn’t him the serpent feared—it was the “Sealed Device” he held, the Millennium Puzzle derivative.

Back in its heyday, the serpent was crushed by the Pharaoh’s three Egyptian Gods. It must have some trauma. Sensing the presence of the Gods, it quickly made a hasty retreat.

But that said… he didn’t actually have any Egyptian God cards.

What came out of the puzzle was just residual power—without a card as a medium, he couldn’t control it. Even if he had a card, it was unknown if the Gods would accept him.

God Cards aren’t toys. Those unworthy of them can be literally struck by lightning if they try to summon them in a duel.

…

Back at KaibaCorp Tower, Kaiba himself ordered the tournament halted, citing extreme dangerous weather for safety reasons.

But while the official reason was weather, many of the contestants were top-tier duelists. After that bizarre storm and the signs in the sky, they could guess something supernatural was going on.

“The committee’s issued a notice. All duels during the suspension won’t count for the tournament,” Mokuba said, handing Kira a water bottle.

Kira, feeling a bit thirsty, thanked him and gulped down a large mouthful.

“You’ve been efficient, Kira. You already have six puzzle cards and have qualified for the finals,” Mokuba commented, sitting beside him. “So far, only three duelists have assembled all the puzzle cards.”

“Oh? Who are the three?” Kira asked casually.

“You, of course. And my brother,” Mokuba smiled.

“President Kaiba would never let himself get eliminated.”

“And the third?”

“That’s another strong seeded duelist, already famous,” Mokuba said.

“The world’s strongest ‘Elemental HERO’ user—last year’s world champion from America—Koyo Hibiki.”

Chapter 353: The Mission

“Koyo Hibiki?”

Kira was a little surprised.

So he came to this tournament too…

He was a famous figure in the original series. With “Elemental HERO” cards, he became world champion; he’s recognized as the world’s strongest HERO user.

He appeared in the GX manga, not only as Jaden’s mentor and guide, but also as Chazz’s childhood idol.

Even the “Elemental HERO” deck that Jaden used in the manga was inherited from Hibiki. After losing to the manga’s ultimate boss “Tragoedia” and collapsing, Hibiki entrusted the deck he’d used to win his championship to Jaden.

So legendary HERO cards like Airman and Absolute Zero—famous among fans—were all originally Hibiki’s.

But in the manga’s timeline, Hibiki should have been comatose when Jaden was still a child. Now, Jaden is in Duel Academy and Hibiki is competing, so this worldline must be different.

Jaden clearly doesn’t have Airman, Absolute Zero, or the other powerful HERO cards. Whether they know each other is uncertain.

After all, Kira had realized he was in a world merging manga and anime elements. Some things followed the historical inertia, others diverged.

Kira thought and asked, “How long is the suspension?”

“Hmm, not sure—maybe a day or two? Or a week?” Mokuba replied. “They have to ensure safety, and the higher-ups need to handle procedures after such a big incident…”

“I see,” Kira said. “That’s fine. I wanted to ask—do you have a research and development team here? I’d like to learn about something.”

“Now?” Mokuba was surprised. “You could, I guess, but are you planning to add new cards before the tournament resumes?”

Most duelists avoid tweaking their decks right before an important event, especially with unfamiliar new cards.

For one, untested cards may not fit the deck, and using them without practice can disrupt your strategy.

Plus, many believe cards need time to bond with their users. Even powerful cards can feel awkward at first, and only the most talented“top-deckers can maximize them right away.

Even drawing Raigeki when your opponent’s field is empty, or Harpie’s Feather Duster when their backrow is empty, can be useless.

“No, not necessarily to change my deck, just to learn something,” Kira replied. “I imagine KaibaCorp has always had a team researching the Egyptian Gods, right?”

Mokuba raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“The Egyptian Gods? You’re not planning to—”

He shook his head.

“No, absolutely not.”

“Why?”

“You don’t understand—this is too dangerous. Not just anyone can get involved,” Mokuba insisted. “Even researchers have gone mad—or worse—just trying to study the God Cards.

Ever since the Egyptian Gods disappeared, many have tried to recreate their power. But many have gone insane, some even died mysteriously.

We figure this is a forbidden field for now—or maybe we just haven’t found the right way in. Either way, it’s too dangerous. For your safety, forget it.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” Kira said calmly. “I might have some connection with them soon. I just want to understand things, not join the team yet.”

Mokuba hesitated, then nodded.

“There is God Card research, but it’s high-risk and highly classified. We don’t have an independent team; we only have a joint project with Industrial Illusions.

After all, the original God Cards were made by them; they have more experience.”

He sent Kira a message. Kira checked his Duel Academy student terminal: it was a digital business card.

“His name is Franz—he’s a key researcher for the God Card team at Industrial Illusions,” Mokuba said. “I’ll notify them; they can brief you on current progress.

But don’t get your hopes up. Atem—er, the Nameless Pharaoh—has been gone so long, and no one’s managed to reproduce the Gods’ power. That team’s been stuck for years.”

“Thanks,” Kira said.

He glanced again at the business card.

Franz, lab coat, glasses.

Wait…

Wasn’t he the guy who, in GX Season 2, stole the God Card copy and actually managed to summon the Winged Dragon of Ra?

…

Elsewhere in Duelist Kingdom

As the roar of an engine echoed closer, a motorcycle stopped outside an abandoned warehouse.

Luca cut the engine, took off his helmet, and ducked under the half-opened rolling door.

“I’m back~” he called lazily.

Footsteps approached, and a man stormed over, grabbing him by the collar.

“I told you—Seto Kaiba is mine!” the man snarled. “Which part of that don’t you understand?”

“Relax, Loren, he’s still alive, isn’t he?”

Luca, pinned against the wall, was unfazed, still lazy as ever.

“You’ll get your chance.”

Loren glared for a moment, then let go and stepped back.

“It’s unexpected—the Arbiter appeared early. Didn’t expect him to come to this tournament too.”

Luca straightened his clothes.

“The ‘Sealed Device’ showed up, so we’ve had to accelerate things.”

Loren’s face was expressionless.

“Exactly. The plan needs to change. We need to absorb more power during the break. You’ll have to go to Shimizu Town.”

“Me?” Luca frowned, clearly reluctant.

“The Arbiter’s orders,” Loren said.

“Tch, always making me run errands. Fine.” Luca scowled.

“We have evidence the ‘Tragoedia’ is there. Your job is to find him and bring him under our control. Be careful.

He’s likely just awakened, but he’s still a formidable monster. Don’t be reckless.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Luca waved dismissively, ducked under the door, and disappeared into the night.