The Traitor

"So, it all comes down to a card game, doesn't it?"

Yu Ming scratched the back of his head, watching Noah's serious expression, then glancing at the uneasy and solemn faces of the people around them.

Honestly, he felt like he was starting to understand some of the basic logic in anime.

As a universal and seemingly ultimate solution, playing cards appeared to solve all problems. Based on this logic, any hesitation or difficulty could be turned into a duel.

It just showed how a world where everything revolved around playing cards operated.

But there was one crucial point—the benefit, or rather, the purpose.

Yu Ming remembered that in his previous life, some enthusiasts who specialized in anime had discussed the meaning of this card-playing setup.

And one very important element was 'combat.'

Their view was this: setting aside real-world elements, in such a world, playing cards itself was a form of 'violence' under specific rules.

The loser would inevitably yield to the victor; this was an eternal truth.

If one only considered this point, then Noah's previous declaration could be summarized with another phrase:

"Beat them all up!"

But would Noah do something like that?

No.

Not only was the Shadow Game itself extremely taxing on physical and mental energy, but Noah also wasn't the more familiar President Kaiba, whose card addiction would be so great that he'd seize every opportunity to pull out his Duel Disk and challenge people.

Of course, more importantly, there was another, smarter solution to this issue.

Compared to violence, its other element was more deserving of attention:

"Rules."

"Hmm?"

Meeting Noah's calm gaze, Yu Ming spoke:

"If you want to duel, then there must be corresponding stakes and rules, right?"

"Of course there are, and they're very simple rules."

Noah smiled, prompting the question:

"How simple?"

"For the next hour, the loser is not allowed to lie to the victor."

But before his words fully dissipated, the already tense atmosphere grew even heavier.

Noah, however, seemed unfazed. After inserting his deck into the Duel Disk, he stood up:

"Time is limited, and there are many things to deal with next, so I hope everyone will concede during the game… Is that okay?"

"I have no objections."

Yu Ming felt no pressure about this.

To put it plainly, setting aside all the various card game logics, this was simply a test.

Although the dark mist surrounding them, which looked like a standard feature of a Shadow Game, sent shivers down his spine, as long as his conscience was clear, he wouldn't dwell on it.

Hmm, clear conscience…

While most people might not pay much attention, looking back now, he found some things particularly interesting.

Thinking of this, Yu Ming couldn't help but adjust his seat.

After finding a more comfortable position, he looked towards a certain spot on the conference table.

"Mr. Ooshita, Mr. Ooka, Mr. Oota, Mr. Daimon, and… Mr. Otaki."

The KaibaCorp Big Five!

"How about you all lead by example?"

The moment Noah called them out, textbook-level gloomy expressions appeared on the faces of these five.

There was no hint of ease. As non-human entities, they couldn't help but exchange glances, and from that moment on, they had no way out.

"Lord Noah, I have a question."

The Arbiter—Chikuzen Ooka, Kaiba Corporation's former lawyer—spoke up.

"When exactly did you start suspecting us?"

"Do you even need to ask? From the first day we arrived here, this kid never trusted us."

Before Noah could answer, the Warrior of the Deep Sea—Kounosuke Ooshita, who was formerly in charge of the corporation's business—couldn't help but sneer.

"We've been dedicated to Kaiba Corporation for a long time, pouring our youth into it, and in the end, we don't even get basic trust. He'd rather hand over factory power to a bunch of children than to us… I even suspect he never trusted his own father."

"But trust itself is a reward for the loyal, and your actions prove you are unworthy of this precious trust."

Noah Kaiba emphasized slowly.

"It proves my vigilance against you arms dealers was correct. If I had truly handed the factory over to you, even more troublesome things would likely have happened."

"But no matter what, you have no choice now."

Accompanied by a gloomy, mechanical voice, Ogorou Daimon stood up.

Now appearing in the form of Jinzo, he was incredibly tall. Simply standing there with his arms crossed, he seemed to survey everything from above.

"You should have continued to play dumb, Noah Kaiba."

Fzzzt

Arcs of electricity crackled, and a dark arc of light instantly connected all five people present.

Amidst roars and gasps, the five figures gradually overlapped and merged, emitting a sound from the depths of hell:

"Feel the mighty power of the King of the Dead!"

Boom

A surge of power exploded. Yu Ming instinctively raised his hand to shield his face, but only felt a breeze pass through his fingers, causing no substantial harm.

Then…

"Did they disappear?"

When the smoke was blown away by the strong wind, all that could be seen were five empty chairs around the round table. There was no sign of the KaibaCorp Big Five.

But did this mean they had escaped?

They had made such a declaration, as if to settle everything, only to end up releasing a massive smoke bomb?

No, of course not!

"Awoo!"

Before the silence could spread, a high-pitched dragon's roar, like a chorus, reverberated.

The sound waves vibrated, and visible cracks appeared in the reinforced glass that should have been stable. Then…

Boom

It shattered completely!

When he came to his senses, both the surrounding sounds and the conference room itself had completely disintegrated.

Are there no people left?

Gazing at the empty surroundings, Yu Ming only saw a single candlelight.

On both sides, parallel glows seemed to carve out a path of nothingness.

Without needing to reach the end, the hidden brilliance already revealed what lay there.

"Stone tablet?"

Yu Ming couldn't help but frown.

As he stared at the stone tablet, he felt as if he heard dragon roars rising and falling.

Unfortunately, reality didn't give him time to think calmly.

Before he could get distracted, a sharp pain, stemming from intuition, forced Yu Ming to refocus, almost guiding him to notice something amiss.

"What is that…"

In the depths of the darkness, something seemed to be stirring.

"Come out, stop hiding."

Clap

Clap

Clap

The deep void echoed with the metallic clang of clapping. Filth gradually coalesced, outlining a familiar silhouette—a tall being with a grotesque expression, as if flesh and machine had merged.

"Jinzo."

He clapped, slowly and steadily walking down the only path, stopping in front of Yu Ming.

"To be able to detect my presence, what incredible insight."

And at this moment, he was not the 'Card Spirit' commonly known.

If he remembered correctly, his name should be…

"Ogorou Daimon."