"The winner is me. Now then, it's time to fulfill our promise."
Walking up to Noah, Youmi extended her left hand toward the boy kneeling on the ground.
"I won. You're going to release everyone, and then come with me—out of this space."
The six [Knightmare] monsters on Noah's field reverted into crystals and floated over to Youmi's side.
Noah took her hand, his expression dark and heavy. "You should know that's impossible. I'm not alive… I'm only a consciousness lingering in this world. There's no vessel to hold me if I leave. But at least, if I can send all of you back to the real world..."
"How to bring you into reality is my problem. Just leave it to me." Youmi closed her eyes, communicating inwardly with "a certain being." After receiving an answer, she smiled gently at Noah. "As long as you don't mind becoming something cute and mascot-shaped, that is. Not that you really have a choice."
Noah rose to his feet. The stands around the arena lowered their stairs, allowing Yugi and the others to descend to the duel platform.
"Youmi, it really is you, right? Why do you look like that all of a sudden? And what was that summoning method you two were using—" Joey was the first to run up, grabbing Youmi's hand and blurting excitedly, "That was awesome! You built such a crazy field from one monster… even more amazing, Youmi, you actually broke through it! That was incredible!"
Yami Yugi approached as well, commenting, "That was truly a duel beyond its era. Noah, was that summoning method your invention? Link Summoning... it's an extraordinarily powerful form."
Youmi scratched her head, not sure why her identity had been exposed. "Anyway... let's have Noah send us back to the real world first. You probably don't realize it yet, but right now, only our minds are here—our bodies are still in capsules outside."
"Yes, I should send you all back first." Noah raised his hand and began manipulating the system, yet all he received was an error message: Access Denied. "Huh? My permissions… why...?"
No matter how many times he tried, the program wouldn't respond.
After one more failed attempt, the sky suddenly darkened to a deep violet. A man's voice echoed from above.
"That's because I now control all permissions here, Noah."
As the voice reached them, Seto Kaiba, Mokuba, and Noah all looked up in unison.
"That voice… Father, Leichter!"
Seto stared at the gradually materializing projection in the sky, shouting, "Impossible! You're supposed to be dead! Why are you here?"
Noah's expression, however, was one of joy. "Father! It's you! I've always wanted to see you again! If you've been here all along, why wouldn't you—"
Regardless, the massive image of Leichter didn't even glance at Noah. His gaze was fixed only on Seto.
"If we're talking about being dead, isn't that Noah's situation as well? Years ago, when my son Noah perished in that accident, I uploaded his consciousness into the computer world to bring him back. What I've done now is no different. Isn't it obvious?"
The others, who had barely interacted with Noah, turned to look at him in shock, muttering, "No way..."
"Nevertheless, virtual is still virtual. Noah was born to inherit my will, yet he turned out to be a waste—one whose values and worldview, shaped entirely by a fabricated world, diverged completely from mine. Ultimately, he was a failure, incapable of becoming a living being." Leichter spoke without restraint, belittling Noah before continuing toward Seto. "And then, Seto—you appeared."
Noah's smile froze in place. He couldn't say a word.
Seto clenched his right fist and demanded, "So that's it... You adopted me just to compare me with Noah… to see whether reality or virtual life was more worthy to inherit KaibaCorp and your legacy?"
"You really are unfit to succeed me, Seto! Hahaha! To think the president of KaibaCorp could still harbor such childish notions."
Leichter laughed harshly, then grew suddenly serious. "You were meant to serve as Noah's vessel. A perfect human like you, combined with Noah's superior consciousness, would have produced a miraculous fusion. But you turned on me and stole KaibaCorp! Fueled by that unending rage, I uploaded my own consciousness, waiting for the day I could take revenge—seize your body, and reclaim KaibaCorp and this world!"
"So, Noah, blame Seto if you must. Without him, you might've had a chance at resurrection. But now, Seto, I don't even need your body anymore. Long ago, Noah gave me a splendid simulation result."
As Leichter spoke, a massive screen appeared in the sky, displaying a colossal missile launch platform. "This is the giant missile facility KaibaCorp once constructed on commission. With my access to the network, I can control it easily and strike major cities around the world simultaneously. Even from within this world, I can still rule the real one! But don't worry—I'm not so cruel as to watch you all die. You'll live forever in this bonsai-like world."
"Why, you ask? Because in this world, there's no aging, no disease, no sorrow, no death. It should be paradise for you."
Removing her earplugs, Youmi flicked her hair aside and pointed her left hand at Leichter's giant face in the sky. "Hey, old beard. How about you shut up already?"
"Old beard? You dare address me, the master of this world, that way? You're just some hacker who popped up out of nowhere—" Leichter was momentarily stunned by the nickname, but as a calculating strategist, he didn't let it rattle him. Instead, he smirked, intrigued by Youmi's audacity.
"Hahaha, I'll throw that line right back at you. You really think you're the master of this world?" Youmi pressed her left hand to her face, the makeup she had wiped away earlier reappearing, her eyes glowing bright red. She looked like a full-blown chuunibyou villain. "This world isn't your toy anymore. It's mine now!"
Her free right hand materialized a bizarre, ornate weapon. Raising it high, she unleashed a surge of blue data streams that flooded across the entire realm. A blue-haired knight appeared beside her, taking the weapon from her grasp and slashing it toward Leichter's projection.
"From the moment I entered this virtual world, I've had full control of its systems. Don't underestimate the power of the Cyberse! Now go—[Crusadia Avramax]! Shatter Leichter's ghost to pieces!"
...
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