The duel platform slowly descended. Kisaragi walked up to Yamamoto, smiling.
"Then I'll be counting on you to cover everything I spend here today."
"Damn you, you nasty woman!" Yamamoto lurched to his feet and reached out, trying to grab her by the throat.
Kisaragi was startled. She stumbled back—and fell onto the floor.
Just as Yamamoto's hand was about to touch her, a card came flying through the air and drove itself deep into his hand.
"AAAGH—!" Yamamoto screamed, clutching it. "It hurts! Who ambushed me?!"
"Hmph. Pathetic."
The crowd split down the middle. A tall figure walked forward through the path they made—calm, cold, and commanding.
Seto Kaiba.
"You lose a duel and then try to assault someone? You're not worthy of calling yourself a duelist."
"Y-You're… Seto Kaiba!" Yamamoto blurted out.
At that moment, the arcade owner rushed over, practically tripping over himself to greet Kaiba.
"President Kaiba! If we'd known you were coming, we would've—"
"Throw this man out," Kaiba said icily. "And clear the building. I want to speak to this woman alone."
"Y-Yes! Right away!"
Within moments, Yamamoto was hauled out by security. The other customers were hurriedly ushered outside. A sign was hung on the door:
TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Kaiba stepped up behind Kisaragi.
"Are you alright?"
Kisaragi stood, dusted off her clothes, and turned to face him.
"I'm fine. I was just startled."
Now that Kaiba could see her clearly, his heart slammed against his ribs. His breathing grew heavy. He hunched forward and clutched his head.
A vivid image flooded his mind—
A priest, kneeling before a stone wall carved with Blue-Eyes White Dragon, holding the body of a silver-haired woman.
And that woman's face was identical to the girl standing in front of him now.
"You okay?" Kisaragi asked—deliberately.
She knew exactly what her appearance would do to him.
"I'm fine," Kaiba said, forcing himself upright. His gaze locked onto her. "What's your name?"
"Kisaragi Aoi."
"Kisaragi… Kisaragi…" Kaiba murmured the name as if tasting something painfully familiar.
("Kisaragi" is the romanization of the surname 如月—and its pronunciation closely resembles "Kisara.")
"My name is Seto Kaiba," he said at last. "President of KaibaCorp. I watched your duel. It was impressive. And you possess Blue-Eyes White Dragon."
He opened a sleek briefcase.
"I'll trade you these cards for your Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Name your price—whatever you want."
"I refuse," Kisaragi said without hesitation.
"What?" Kaiba's brow tightened.
"Blue-Eyes White Dragon is precious to me. No card, and no amount of money, can compare to it."
As she spoke, Kisaragi remembered her previous life—her first true ace monster had been Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Even after she moved on to other powerhouses, Blue-Eyes had remained irreplaceable.
Nearby, the arcade owner looked like his heart might jump out of his mouth.
He'd never seen anyone refuse Kaiba—ever.
But Kaiba didn't get angry.
He wasn't displeased at all.
In fact… he felt strangely pleased.
And more than that—when he watched her command Blue-Eyes, he didn't feel the slightest anger at someone else wielding "his" dragon.
It felt… natural. As if it had always been that way.
"Then we'll use ante rules," Kaiba said.
"A duel?" Kisaragi asked.
"Exactly. If I win, you hand over that Blue-Eyes White Dragon. If you win, you get every card in this briefcase—and I'll offer you a position at KaibaCorp."
Even if she wins… I still want her to stay, Kaiba thought. Everything in me is screaming that I have to keep this woman by my side. If I let her go, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.
"Fine," Kisaragi said, stepping back onto the duel platform.
A job at KaibaCorp would make things easier down the line, she thought. Even if that company is basically a disaster magnet later on.
"Then it's settled." Kaiba stepped onto the opposite platform and placed his deck.
DUEL!
Kisaragi Aoi: LP 4000
Seto Kaiba: LP 4000
"President Kaiba, I'll take the first move," Kisaragi said.
"Come," Kaiba replied.
"I Normal Summon Holy Knight of the Great Dragon in Attack Position!"
A blond, red-eyed knight wielding curved blades appeared on Kisaragi's field.
Holy Knight of the Great Dragon (ATK 1700 / DEF 300)
"I activate its effect. When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can equip it with a Level 7 or Level 8 Dragon from my hand or Deck as an Equip Card."
She pulled a card from her Deck and placed it into her Spell/Trap Zone behind the knight.
"I equip Blue-Eyes White Dragon to Holy Knight of the Great Dragon!"
Equipping Blue-Eyes…? What is she planning? Kaiba's eyes narrowed.
"I set two cards. End my turn."
(Cards in hand: 3)
"Your move, President Kaiba," Kisaragi said with a sweet smile.
"My turn—draw!"
"I Normal Summon Kaiser Sea Horse in Attack Position!"
Kaiser Sea Horse (ATK 1700 / DEF 1650)
"Same 1700 Attack," Kisaragi said. "President Kaiba, are you trying to trade blows and take us both down?"
"Don't say something so stupid," Kaiba snapped, slapping a card onto the field.
"I activate the Spell Card Double Summon! This turn, I can conduct one additional Normal Summon."
"…So that means—" Kisaragi's gaze sharpened.
"Hmph. When Kaiser Sea Horse is used to Tribute Summon a LIGHT monster, it can be treated as two tributes."
He lifted his hand like a blade.
"I Tribute Kaiser Sea Horse—then I Tribute Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon in Attack Position!"
"Appear—my soul… and my pride… Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
The white dragon erupted onto Kaiba's field. In that moment, Kaiba looked like a true dragon tamer—utterly fearless as he commanded the titan before him.
As expected of Kaiba, Kisaragi thought. He drops Blue-Eyes on the first turn.
"Battle!"
"Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack Holy Knight of the Great Dragon—Burst Stream of Destruction!"
A blast of white light engulfed the knight.
Kisaragi Aoi: LP 4000 → 2700
"Tsk… President Kaiba really doesn't believe in going easy on women," Kisaragi said—and flipped a card.
"I activate the Trap Card Drone Hunter! When one of my monsters is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I gain Life Points equal to the destroyed monster's original Attack."
"Holy Knight of the Great Dragon has 1700 Attack, so I gain 1700 Life Points!"
Kisaragi Aoi: LP 2700 → 4400
Kaiba's eyes flicked to the card Kisaragi had equipped earlier.
"However," he said, "since Holy Knight of the Great Dragon was destroyed, the equipped Blue-Eyes White Dragon is sent to the Graveyard."
He placed one card face-down.
"I set one card. End my turn."
(Cards in hand: 3)
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 80)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 80)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 74)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter20)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter30)
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