"Uoooh..."
Darkness swayed. The duel had ended, and the Field Spell, Darkness Realm, shattered with it. The chaotic space around them cracked apart amid a series of sharp snaps, countless fragments crashing down in a shower.
Only once the darkness had completely vanished did the glaring white lights shine in again, as though the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's radiance had torn even the deepest darkness to pieces. After a dizzying whirl, both sides in the battle landed back on solid ground.
The dark aura surrounding Darkness's head dissipated as well, and his entire sinister, menacing presence instantly collapsed, like a streamer's beauty filter suddenly failing. The skeletal goat head began to crumble, spiderweb cracks visibly spreading across his entire skull.
"As expected, this was all you amounted to in the end. Nothing but a pathetic clown." Kaiba folded his arms and spoke coldly. "You weren't even worth calling a threat."
The researchers who had retreated far away now gathered around again. Quite a few seized the chance to lavish praise on the President, though naturally, he ignored most of it.
Darkness's skull continued to crack apart. He stared straight at Kaiba and said, "This time... I'll concede that you won, Seto Kaiba. But Darkness is immortal. No matter how many times, I will Come Back!
"Because humanity will never change. As long as Inner Darkness continues to breed within duelists' hearts, I will be reborn countless times."
He paused, and his voice grew several shades darker.
"...Just as humanity can never change the fact that its destination is destruction."
"So that was it."
Kaiba kept his arms folded and spoke blandly.
"Actually, from the moment I first learned of you, I had more or less realized it. Darkness, your true identity... is humanity's future of destruction, isn't it?"
"Oh? As expected