After the enormous underwater fortress surfaced, the "S.S. St. Ann" Airship, now commandeered by Noah, steadily approached. As the entrance at the top of the fortress opened, the Airship was swallowed by the fortress, like an insect falling into an antlion's pit.
Sitting in the main control room, Kaiba wasn't afraid that Noah, who now controlled the entire Airship, would eavesdrop on their conversation, as he discussed the ship's still-functional equipment with Croquet.
The "S.S. St. Ann" Airship made extensive use of smart devices connected to the network. While normally quite convenient to use, with the entire ship now under Noah's control, many systems had been paralyzed, including, but not limited to, the Airship's navigation system, communication system, self-defense weapon system, and Duel system.
However, not all devices were rendered unusable. For some equipment, network connection was simply unnecessary, and so, Croquet genuinely managed to find some devices that could be used offline.
"A thermal detection device? Are you telling me I should carry this thing and fight this Sea Fortress hand-to-hand?" Hayato grumbled, glancing at the device in Croquet's hand.
"These are just a few portable, non-networked devices, Mr. Kobayashi," Croquet said with an apologetic smile. "Besides that, even the weapon systems have been taken over. Also, there was a slight issue with the recent headcount of all personnel on board—"
"Mr. Marik Ishtar, who should have been in his room, and Mr. Ryo Bakura, who should still be in the infirmary, have both gone missing."
"Those two are gone?" Hayato frowned. "Of all people, those two trouble-making maniacs. Don't tell me they've teamed up?"
Joey watched Kaiba and Mokuba take over the pilot's duties. Though the Airship had already been drawn into the military fortress, they were still trying to regain control of the Airship. "What exactly does that guy, Noah, want?"
"I don't know, but I do know that ensuring we have the ability to leave here is crucial," Kaiba casually replied to Joey. He then glanced at Joey, who was staring at the screen, and sneered, "But a mediocre duelist like you probably can't understand any of this, can you?"
"That guy, Noah, actually managed to bypass KaibaCorp's firewall, which is among the strongest in the world. How exactly did he do that?" Kaiba muttered to himself, clearly displeased. "Power, defensive weapons, navigation—the control of all systems transferred in an instant. Is this really something a human can achieve?"
Kaiba couldn't help but recall Noah's earlier self-introduction. A being that surpassed Seto Kaiba in every way? "Hmph, impossible."
During this time, the Airship finally landed within the fortress. The landing gear automatically deployed, and even the retractable stairs for disembarking were ready. Concurrently, Noah's figure reappeared on the screen, and his voice was broadcast throughout the entire Airship.
"Still trying to tackle the puzzles I left for you? That won't do, Seto. You're stumped by something I put together so casually; your abilities are truly pathetic. Doesn't that make it seem like my all-encompassing superiority over you isn't so impressive?"
Noah wore a mocking smile on his face, and his punchable expression made Joey instinctively feel that this Noah was really similar to Kaiba—equally punchable and skilled at provoking others.
At the very least, Kaiba was easily enraged.
"Now, tell me, Noah, what exactly do you want?!" Rising from his seat, Kaiba's eyes were fixed intently on Noah on the screen.
Noah wagged his finger. "For others, any name is fine, but for you, Seto, call me Kaiba Noah."
"Stop spouting nonsense. Are you trying to say you actually bear the Kaiba name? You secretive rat!" Kaiba sneered. "I don't know what obscure corner you dug up the information that 'Gozaburo had an early-departed son named Kaiba Noah', but you think you can intimidate me with a name like that? Don't be ridiculous!"
Over the past while, Kaiba had also used the offline information stored in Mokuba's laptop to find details related to the name 'Kaiba Noah'. In the archives related to the former KaibaCorp President and Kaiba and Mokuba's adoptive father, Gozaburo, Kaiba found the name 'Kaiba Noah', but that person had long since died in a car accident.
Kaiba, who had initially wondered if Kaiba Noah might be Gozaburo's estranged child, now concluded that this 'Kaiba Noah' before him was merely an unrelated individual. As for his outward appearance, it wasn't a direct meeting; anyone could put on a motion-capture skin or use a beauty filter. Anyone could do that.
"Haha, Seto, you really are an annoying guy." Hearing Kaiba deny his right to the 'Kaiba' surname, Noah's expression also turned cold. "I truly can't get along with you. But, it doesn't matter. I specifically brought you here this time to thoroughly negate you in every way, and to crush the very meaning of your existence along with it.
"I'll do it using your most proficient skill, strategic command, in the currently most popular form: Duel Monsters."
"Alright, then, the Airship has landed, so, all you Duelists on board, please disembark?" Noah's figure vanished from the screen, only his voice still resounding through the "S.S. St. Ann's" various broadcast systems. "There are eight finalists in Battle City, right? Please disembark voluntarily, or don't make me resort to force."
As Noah's voice faded, countless muzzles extended from the steel walls around the "S.S. St. Ann's" landing platform, aiming at various parts of the Airship. Although the "S.S. St. Ann" hadn't skimped on materials, using high-strength components and ballistic protection throughout, the caliber of the guns aimed at it suggested that mere ballistic protection wouldn't solve the problem.
Kaiba's anger hadn't subsided, but he still picked up the Duel Disk he had taken off earlier to use the keyboard, put it back on his arm, and turned to walk straight towards the exit.
"Kaiba, that Noah guy means trouble," Yugi said, seeing Kaiba walk past him, and couldn't help but remind him.
"Hmph, your warning is unnecessary, Yugi," Kaiba said without looking back. "That Noah guy is after me. You all just stay on the ship and don't do anything superfluous. And, Hayato, take care of Mokuba."
"I refuse," Hayato shook his head, looking at the large screen that had returned to normal and was displaying the Airship's exterior.
"That guy, Noah, said that all eight Duelists must disembark, right? I don't want that madman to just start shooting indiscriminately because I stayed on board," Hayato said, catching up with Kaiba, a displeased expression on his face. "Besides, don't forget I still haven't settled the score with him for interrupting our Duel."
"Then we'll go together," Joey and Yugi said, exchanging glances and speaking in unison.
Mokuba also wanted to follow the four, but Kaiba was a step ahead of him and said to Croquet, "Croquet, watch Mokuba for me and don't let him disembark. That's an order."
"Yes, President," Croquet nodded, pulling back Mokuba, who was about to step forward. Watching Kaiba and Hayato's figures disappear behind the automatically closing door, Mokuba whispered, "Brother..."
Walking to the exit, Hayato and the other three saw Tristan and the others appear there as well. Téa and Serenity Wheeler ran over, their faces filled with worry: "Yugi!" "Brother!"
They had heard Noah's words in the lounge as well, and through the room's glass, they had also seen the machine guns surrounding the Airship 360 degrees. Filled with worry for their loved ones, they, too, had come here.
"Seto, I recall Croquet mentioning that Marik and Bakura had gone missing earlier, didn't he?" Hayato first nodded a greeting to Ishizu, who had also arrived, then frowned as he checked the number of people present.
According to the information that guy Noah possessed, this Airship gathered eight finalists from the Battle City tournament, so he directly specified that eight people should disembark. However, due to the disappearance of Marik and Bakura, there were only six Duelists in total: Hayato, Kaiba, Ishizu, Mai Valentine, Joey, and Yugi.
"What does that imposter want by specifically asking the Duelists to disembark?" Kaiba frowned after Hayato's reminder. "He said he wants to defeat me through a Duel, but what does he want with the others?"
"Hmph, just some common, underhanded tricks."
Unable to find an answer, Kaiba didn't continue to trouble himself, but instead dismissed the problem, walking straight off the ship. "Whatever he wants to do, if it's Duel Monsters, then I'll never lose, and I'll mercilessly defeat that guy with my invincible Blue-Eyes!"
"That's really Kaiba's style," Yugi said, watching Kaiba disembark, exchanging a helpless smile with Hayato, and then walking off the Airship together. Meanwhile, Téa, Tristan, Duke Devlin, and Serenity Wheeler remained on the Airship.
As soon as they stepped off the Airship, an arrow lit up on the metallic ground, seemingly indicating the direction. The group of six followed the arrow's direction, walking through the gloomy, sunless interior of the steel fortress. After passing through a massive steel door, they arrived in an empty room.
As soon as he entered the room, Kaiba's face froze, then a laugh escaped him, though his voice was quite cold:
"I thought some rats were stirring up trouble, but it turns out to be you five old geezers who just won't give up."
Standing before the group were none other than the Big Five of KaibaCorp, who, in the previous DM Online Game, had been defeated and indefinitely exiled to the network world when their incarnated Five-Headed Dragon was vanquished by the Dragon Master Knight!
Hearing Kaiba's words, the Big Five merely grinned sinisterly. "We've finally been waiting for you, Seto, you brat."
"Our anger, returned from the network world,"
"Our resentment,"
"Are you ready to face our revenge?"
Just as the fifth person was about to say something, he took a closer look at the group and demanded, "Hold on a second, Seto Kaiba!"
"You—why are there only six people disembarking!?"
(end of chapter)