The Mole

How should he put it? Setting aside whether what Noah said was true, this turn of events was completely within Yu Ming's expectations.

Right now, he felt like he was playing a very old RPG—clear objective, obvious progression, swift pacing, no side quests or branching paths, as though there was only one road leading straight into darkness.

There was even that classic, unavoidable part—the exposition dump.

"Red-Eyes is a supreme treasure that symbolizes possibility. It was because Evil Eye possessed it that he gained the power to overwhelm the other forces of the underworld. It was also through its power that I could contend with the Necromancer King."

And it was an explanation centered around some major main-quest artifact.

Honestly, there was nothing inherently wrong with that.

In Yu Ming's memories, many creators seemed to devote considerable effort to describing such things in detail.

"Through the power of Red-Eyes, I founded the original Kaiba Corporation and built the first factory here."

Whether it was a fabricated legend or the history of the game world, the point was to emphasize its importance and establish the setting.

"The city, the factories, the defensive perimeter of mechanical troops—everything we possess today originated from that eye."

Still, perhaps because he kept hearing so many familiar terms, Yu Ming was having a hard time holding it together.

So how exactly did one eyeball create all this stuff?

But before he could make any sarcastic remarks, something even more heavyweight appeared.

"Of course, there are also the crucial Duel Disks and cards."

Yu Ming froze when he heard that.

"The Duel Disks too?"

"Yes."

Coming back to himself, he could not help glancing at the mechanical wrist device on his arm, then at the card-slot pistol hanging from his waist.

"You're sure?"

"Of course. This is a weapon I created by imitating the tools used by those demons, undead, and vampires."

"But it's green."

Yu Ming could not help blurting out.

"You used Red-Eyes to make a green Duel Disk?"

"I had to disguise it somehow, didn't I? I couldn't exactly tell Evil Eye outright—the thing you want is in my hands."

Noah did have a perfectly valid reason... or rather, an excuse.

But such details were clearly unimportant right now.

"In any case, this Duel Disk is my proudest creation."

Noah spoke.

"As a mass-produced model, it can store a certain amount of energy. With a single switch, it can materialize the power of cards and initiate a Shadow Game. That is what truly allows ordinary people like us to stand against those powerful enemies."

"Yeah, stand against them by playing cards..."

Although there had been far too many things worth mocking before, he had finally heard something familiar.

Honestly, Yu Ming knew this routine all too well.

Not to mention anything else, card game anime always worked like this—the various villain bosses could destroy the world with a flick of their wrists and command vast forces, but in the end, everything still had to be settled through card games.

"As long as you have a good deck, you'll always have a fighting chance."

"If that were really the case, we would not have been suppressed all this time."

"Huh?"

"Dueling is not that simple."

Noah shook his head.

"A deck is merely an excellent weapon. The duelist remains the one in control. A weak person may employ every trick imaginable, but a casual strike from the strong can shatter it all completely."

So that was why you anime characters were always shouting about souls and pride, friendship and bonds, then topdecking some card to obliterate heaven and earth?

"Come to think of it, shouldn't you have experienced that already?"

Me?

Experienced it?

"Have I?"

Faced with Yu Ming's frank and sincere question, Noah's expression stiffened.

"...Forget it."

He skipped over this topic, which had never made much sense to begin with, and smoothly steered things back to the original subject.

"In any case, I believe everyone understands the importance of New Domino City."

At last, after sweeping his gaze across the room, Noah slowly rose to his feet.

"This is the only factory capable of producing Duel Disks, and the only place that can effectively utilize the 'Red-Eyes.' Therefore... it must not fall."

As a child who had died young and arrived in the underworld before even reaching ten years old, he could hardly be described as imposing in stature.

Yet standing between a Nine-Tailed Fox and a massive robot, the boy exuded an aura that could not be ignored.

"I know there are still differences between us, and we are not comrades united by the same ideals, but..."

Smack.

His hands struck the enormous round conference table as his green-glowing eyes swept over the allies around him, each wearing a different expression.

"The situation no longer permits us to consider personal gain and loss. We must unite and resist this crisis together."

The youth's immature voice echoed through the room, yet it was not met with thunderous applause.

That declaration seemed to reverberate through a deep cavern. Other than his own voice, only silence and stillness filled the air.

Then...

"Good!"

Yu Ming suddenly began clapping.

The monotonous applause followed the lingering echo of Noah's speech, and Noah's solemn facade seemed on the verge of cracking.

"What are you doing...?"

"Didn't want the room to go awkwardly silent."

"..."

"I'm serious."

Meeting Noah's expression, which seemed caught between speaking and holding back, Yu Ming said earnestly.

"This should be a strategy meeting with the enemy at the gates, so efficiency ought to matter. But you spent so much effort emphasizing unity and coordination. And since we already know there's a mole among us, I was worried this team might fall apart before the battle even begins."

His abrupt words were like a bomb tossed into a lake, stirring up violent tremors.

Amid the silence as turbulent as crashing waves, Noah could no longer remain calm. The expression he had been trying so hard to maintain twitched.

He seemed to want to laugh, yet some inexplicable helplessness restrained him. In the end, all that helplessness condensed into a heavy sigh.

"In any case, that is what I wanted to say. As for the battle plan..."

Noah looked toward the massive robot seated beside him.

"Miruko, are you ready?"

The robot's eyes immediately lit up.

"No problem. We have organized and compiled everything according to your ideas, Brother Noah."

"Good."

"Should I display it now?"

"No. I think we should return to the topic from before."

"Lord Noah..."

As though realizing something, Shuzo Otaki's expression changed.

But before he could speak, a soul-gripping green glow surfaced in Noah's eyes.

"The matter of the mole still needs to be resolved, but as I said earlier, resolving it will not be difficult."

He then drew the pistol from his waist and attached it to his wrist device.

"If we want to know who betrayed us, we only need to do one thing."

The instant the Duel Disk extended, the indicator lights on the wrist device began flashing.

It was an invitation, a universal rule in this world. Its name was...

"Let's duel."

The next instant, black mist engulfed the luxurious conference room.

Glancing at the mist that had nearly spread to his hand, Yu Ming's mouth twitched.

"So we're doing this already, huh."