Jonouchi stared wide-eyed from the side.
"It's not over yet. I summon Dark Magician Girl, my Deck Master, to my field."
Dark Magician Girl moved to Yugi's front row once more.
[Dark Magician Girl: ATK 2000]
"And I activate the Spell Card [Sage's Stone] from my hand."
This card could only be activated if [Dark Magician Girl] was on your field. Special Summon 1 [Dark Magician] from your hand or Deck.
Dark Magician appeared beside his apprentice, Dark Magician Girl.
[Dark Magician: ATK 2500] [Yugi Muto's hand: 14→13]
Yugi's hand was truly overflowing now. He could play however he wanted.
"How could this be... He summoned Dark Magician so easily..."
The Great Five Elders were feeling more and more pressure.
At that moment, Yugi selected another card from his hand and inserted it into his Duel Disk.
"Next, I activate the Spell Card [Dark Magic Attack]. This card can only be activated if Dark Magician is on my field. Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on your field."
[Yugi Muto's hand: 13→12]
The Great Five Elders' Field Spell immediately shattered. The water covering the open ground gradually vanished as well, exposing the Legendary Fisherman hidden beneath it.
[Shell Turtle: ATK 1200→1000] [Shell Turtle: DEF 2200→2000]
"Not good!!"
The Great Five Elders already knew they couldn't save their monsters.
"It's not over yet. I activate the Spell Card [Dark Magic Burst Break]."
Yugi used the same tactic again, activating the Spell Card bearing Dark Magician Girl's image.
"This move again? Damn it!!"
The penguin across from him remembered this combination all too well.
"Looks like you remember it clearly. This card can only be activated when Dark Magician Girl is on my field. It destroys all face-up monsters on your field. Dark Magic Burst Break!"
As he spoke, Dark Magician Girl raised her wand once more.
"Hey—!!"
The girl hurled red spheres of light at the other side, instantly shattering the two monsters on the Great Five Elders' field.
"Nice one, Yugi! Keep it up and take down the Great Five Elders in one go! Then we can get Honda's body back!"
Jonouchi jumped up excitedly. He hadn't expected things to be resolved so quickly.
"Yeah, leave it to me, Jonouchi-kun."
Yugi then raised his hand and shouted at the Great Five Elders.
"Go! Dark Magician Girl and Dark Magician, attack them directly! Double Dark Magic!"
The master and apprentice exchanged a knowing look, then released red waves of energy together. The two energy waves merged and shot toward the Great Five Elders.
""No—!!""
Their terrified cries rang out as the attack struck them.
Boom—!!
With a thunderous explosion, the Great Five Elders' remaining Life Points were instantly depleted.
[Great Five Elders: LP 2750→0]
Noah Kaiba
"Alright, return Honda's body as promised!"
Yugi said to the kneeling "Honda Hiro."
"At this point, I'll just take your bodies by force!"
The Great Five Elders instantly transformed into five Deck Masters and charged at Yugi and his companions behind him.
"Ugh, you people are seriously shameless..."
Jonouchi protectively shielded his younger sister, Shizuka.
"Don't even think about it! Come forth, Exodia!"
The ever-vigilant Yugi placed all the cards he had already taken out—his grandfather's cards—onto his Duel Disk.
Exodia immediately appeared and sent the Great Five Elders flying with a single slap.
""Damn it—!!""
Having failed in their little scheme, the Great Five Elders hurriedly retreated toward Honda Hiro's body.
But Yugi would not let this opportunity slip away.
"Stop the Great Five Elders, Exodia!"
Before they could reach the body, Exodia had already picked it up in his hand.
The Great Five Elders, a step too late, froze in place.
""It's over...""
They had no chance left.
"How pathetic, Great Five Elders."
At that moment, a boy's voice suddenly came from the sky.
""Lord Noah!?""
The Great Five Elders recognized the owner of the voice at once.
"Your mission is over."
Before they could react, Noah erased them all as though deleting them.
"The Great Five Elders... have completely disappeared..."
After waiting for a while without seeing the Great Five Elders again, Yugi and the others finally accepted that fact.
Once things seemed temporarily safe, Yugi had Exodia put Honda Hiro's body down and return Honda Hiro's consciousness to it.
Once their companion's body had returned.
"Yugi Muto!"
Noah's voice rang out again.
"Noah! What exactly are you trying to do? What did you do to Mokuba?"
Yugi immediately questioned the sky.
"Yugi Muto, my target was Seto from the beginning. But thanks to the Great Five Elders, I got to witness the terrifying strength possessed by someone Seto considers a rival. If I defeat you, that will prove I'm superior to Seto."
Noah seemed to have something in mind.
"Noah, who exactly are you?"
Yugi finally voiced his question. Even now, he had no idea why they had been targeted.
"Oh my, I haven't introduced myself yet... Then let me tell you. My name is Noah Kaiba, Gozaburo Kaiba's biological son."
Only then did Yugi and the others realize they had been dragged into the Kaiba family's internal affairs.
"Yugi Muto, if you truly want to save Mokuba, come duel me. I'll be waiting."
After that, he fell silent. At the same time, a door appeared before Yugi and the others.
Seeing this, Yugi placed his hand on the doorknob without hesitation.
"Yugi, are you really going to accept his challenge?"
"Yugi..."
Jonouchi, Anzu, and the others were deeply worried about him.
"I'm going. Mokuba is his bargaining chip, and Mokuba is our companion too. So I have to save him."
With that, he opened the door without hesitation.
"Honestly, what are we going to do with you..."
His companions could only follow him inside.
In a place covered in lava.
"Welcome, Seto, Yugi."
Noah, who had been waiting for some time, greeted Yugi, President Kaiba, and the others as they appeared in this space.
"Yugi..."
President Kaiba was somewhat surprised by Yugi's appearance, but he did not care much about that. What concerned him more was...
"You bastard, what did you do to Mokuba?"
He immediately demanded an answer from Noah.
"Don't worry. No matter how our fates turn out, Mokuba has nothing to do with it. I'll release him. But that is conditional on Yugi Muto defeating me in a duel."
As he spoke, Noah pointed a finger at Yugi.
"You said Yugi!? You bastard, what do you mean by that? This is between you and me. It has nothing to do with outsiders!"
Hearing that the task of saving his little brother had been handed to Yugi, President Kaiba, the devoted older brother that he was, immediately became displeased.
"Kaiba..."
Yugi was just about to say something.
"It does concern him..."
Noah gave a sinister smile.
"What!?"
President Kaiba froze for a moment, unable to understand what he meant.
"Yugi Muto is your sworn rival. I already learned about his strength while he dueled the Great Five Elders. He is indeed powerful enough—clearly even stronger than you. If I defeat him, it will surely wound your pride. Then I can prove that I am more worthy than you to lead the Kaiba Corporation."
Noah spoke with a confident expression.
"Hmph..."
President Kaiba lowered his head.
"Hm!?"
Noah raised an eyebrow.
"Heh heh heh... Hahahaha... Ahahahaha—!!"
There it was: President Kaiba's classic three-stage laugh.
"You foolish fool. You think a dead man like you can defeat Yugi? Don't make me laugh with such ridiculous boasts! The only person who can defeat Yugi is me!"
After stopping his laughter, President Kaiba pointed at Noah with overwhelming force.
"Tch, you sure are noisy, Seto! Fine, then I'll defeat him right in front of you!"
The moment Noah finished speaking, a massive birdcage appeared overhead. Inside was a sleeping child.
"Mokuba—!!"
The child President Kaiba saw was, of course, his younger brother, who had become all too accustomed to being held hostage.
Before you continue