(( rp log continued from here !!! directly copied from Discord w minor editing for typos and formatting. Less card games this installment, I promise. I also realized that I probably should have just included Noa and Seto's interaction in this series but I've been promising 4 parts since the beginning so I'll post that as a standalone follow up next lol
Seto Kaiba @blueeyesking , me as Noa, Mokuba, and the Yugis. Wyatt @seashaper , Hika @nameless-brand , and Pyre @redeyesandchilifries ))
NOA
[ Noa only rolls his eyes at Rook's taunting and threats. Empty, empty words. Don't they realize that he's in control of everything here? That the only reason he doesn't snap his fingers and turn them inside out is that they simply aren't worth the processing power?
Far away on his own tower, Noa is unfazed by the blade drawn by the other. He looks away as the chair goes flying into the void, no longer interested in the stranger's temper tantrum.
Mokuba still hasn't attacked. Noa feels rage boil inside of him. What's going on? Why does his connection to his little brother feel so unstable now? Why are so many of the teenager's thoughts coming through as static?
"Attack him already!" Noa snaps, quickly growing impatient with this impasse. "Show them what it really means to be a Kaiba!!!"
But he doesn't.
No, Mokuba's turn comes to an end instead, without the fearsome dragon moving a powerful muscle. Lightning splits the darkness of the void as Noa's rage overflows.
"What are you doing?!" he snaps, bracing himself against the parapet as he shouts down to his puppet below. "You were supposed to kill him!!! Did you forget that he hurt you?? Or who it was that saved you??!" ]
Seto Kaiba
Seto draws, saying nothing. Giant Germ.
Unfortunately… This is his perfect chance for a comeback. At least, it will let him stall another turn. He sets the Giant Germ in attack position, then sets his Ring of Defense face-down beside Crush Card Virus.
It just requires a sacrifice of Giant Germ for him to activate and reveal Crush Card Virus, which will allow him to destroy Red-Eyes Archfiend and look at Mokuba's hand, then destroy any monsters in Mokuba's hand that have 1500ATK or more. And then Mokuba can choose three monsters of 1500+ATK from his deck to send to the graveyard.
However, Seto pauses, watching Mokuba instead of playing and drawing his attention away from the inner conflict.
NOA
[ He won't give up this easily. Reappropriates some processes, affording more energy towards his control over Mokuba. There's no one else in this world he wants beside him when he takes over and makes it new. Why would he?
Humans are worthless.
"This isn't over, Mokuba. Don't listen to these liars," Noa growls, the gentleness of his voice long abandoned. "They don't care about you!! Don't you see that? They just want to use you to escape from here and save themselves. I'm the only one who's ever loved you!!! Who ever will love you!!"
Mokuba's brows knit tight as he glances in Noa's direction. The storm inside his head starts to calm as his eyes glaze over again
Noa smirks.
"That's it!! That's my good Baby Brother. Don't give up now!!! You can still win, you can still make me proud!! We can get sundaes after this, wouldn't that be nice? We'll be a happy family, forever! You just have to kill Seto Kaiba first!"
Mokuba doesn't respond.
Seto Kaiba
"No, Mokuba!" Seto doesn't play his cards. "These friends of yours- Levant, and Rook, and Chi, and Lark! They love you! You will always have friends who love you, Mokuba!" He gestures to Rook and Levant, calling on his memories of their time together in the Minecraft server, or of Mokuba's blog, for names of his friends. "These people wouldn't dream of leaving you behind, and neither would I. Do you remember what I wrote, Mokuba? In response to that ask you got, a few days ago?"
Seto places the cards in his hand onto their slot on his Duel Disk.
"This arena Noa has conjured… was from a duel between myself and Yugi. The same stakes. And when I knew I was going to lose, I stood at the edge, bargaining my life- but while I was there, I saw you, Mokuba, inside of my rotting Blue-Eyes. I kept trying to save you, and failing, over and over, until the version of myself standing on the dueling podium started to rot, too."
"When that duel concluded, Téa and Joey reminded me of two very important things, that at the time I refused to listen to: Duel Monsters is not about murder, and that I hadn't won against Yugi- I had lost to myself, for bargaining my life as if it meant nothing… and refusing to let myself live with a loss."
"It was only after that duel that I had a real chance to save you from Pegasus, Mokuba… and I lost, despite my best efforts. It took Yugi and his friends to save us both. And when I awoke in that dungeon, alone, it was a vision of myself, as I was when we were kids, that lead me back to you. I knew then, when we embraced… I needed to be a better person. For you, Mokuba, if nothing else."
He had been staring at the floor, lost in the memories, but now Seto looks up at his little brother with an intensity he rarely holds.
"It's like I told you: I would live for you, Mokuba. It's harder than letting yourself die, because you have to continue on, and accept your losses."
Seto Kaiba ends his turn without taking the chance to win.
Mokuba
Those names are so familiar. How could Mokuba forget Lark? They had gone out of their way to make cookies for his birthday. By hand. And they were the best damn cookies that Mokuba had ever tasted.
He was eating one when their jet went down--
And Chi. Had she ever logged back in to their server? He didn't know her well, he'd mostly gotten frustrated with her unusual language barrier. But for some reason, it had always made him so sad to pass by her small base, overgrown with bamboo and reeds he always felt a little guilty for harvesting.
Did she ever get to see Turtle Cove…?
Mokuba shakes his head. No. No. He needs to focus. He needs to play.
[ He needs to win. ]
He looks at that face down card across the field, then at the Giant Germ that Seto had summoned. There's one reason that card in his deck. He has a feeling he knows exactly what that face down card is, now. He's confident that he could come back from the virus trap-- should Seto really prove that obvious. He already has a plan, but...
Wait.
But maybe that's what Seto wants him to think? He's the best Duelist in the world, after all--
Mokuba grits his teeth and draws a card. Lightning Storm. Seriously? SERIOUSLY ??? He should be smirking.
Whatever that face down card was that made him so nervous, Virus or not, it would be useless now. All he needs to do is play this one card. Giant Germ's effect won't matter either once Archfiend's own effect activates.
But Mokuba's eyes flicker from the card in his hand to his opponent across the rooftoop.
what he wrote…?
what the fuck [ heck ] is he talking about?
He would die for me--
His eyebrows turn up, from something vengeful to something helpless. A kind of panicked confusion the young Kaiba rarely showed. His cards shake in his hand.
Mokuba looks up at one tower, to Joey, and Duke Ootogi, to the monkey with Tristan's voice.
Joey, who Mokuba has poisoned once. Who Mokuba had hurt… and who had forgiven him. They were supposed to duel, Red Eyes against Red Eyes, weren't they…
But not like this--
Tristan, who Mokuba had saved from Death-T.
[ From Seto's Death Themepark. ]
So what.
He looks to the tower opposite. To Rook, who he barely recognizes in human form. How long has it been since he wore his own tiefling skin…?
Levant. He'd never gotten to meet her in person before she died. Disappeared? For a second, his face burns. He'd given up on her so easily, tried to just accept the unfortunate fact and move on. But she got sucked into this for him anyway.
Téa, who had helped him escape from Marik's Ghouls and avoid being controlled by the Millennium Rod--
To Noa.
Who's only tried to keep him from these people who love him. Who put their own lives in danger just because he dropped some coordinates with no explanation.
Mokuba's stomach twists.
Something just doesn't feel right
His attention snaps back to Seto, crashing back into the reality of the situation like a car into a brick wall. He stares blankly at the oldest Kaiba as he goes on, and on. Admitting to things that Seto Kaiba would never.
To things that Mokuba never knew. That Noa can't block him from hearing now.
When he takes a breath, he finally realizes that he's crying.
He didn't even cry when Pegasus locked him in a cold dungeon, bound in chains.
He didn't even cry when he saw his brother again--
No.
Not Noa.
"Niisama*…" Mokuba gasps.
It's quiet. Maybe no one else even hears it. But that's the moment that Noa's control snaps like piano wire.
Suddenly, Mokuba lets out a shrill, blood curdling scream. It's the same scream he's always loved to do from some random corner of the mansion, just to see if Isono or Fuguta would come running first.
But this time, it's real.
He drops his cards as he falls to his knees, grabbing his head as he screams again
Seto Kaiba
Seto watches silently as Mokuba's false reality is shattered, but when the boy speaks, and finally, screams, Seto surges forward to the opposite edge of his tower, reaching toward his little brother.
"Mokuba!!"
Mokuba
There's still so much confusion, so much chaos inside his mind as Mokuba fights against whatever is surpressing so many of his thoughts.
Against Noa--
But he looks up, through the pain and the chaos and the static and the memories he can't trust.
And in that very second, he realizes exactly where he wants to be.
Desperately, frantically he skitters to his feet, breaking into a clumsy sprint towards Seto's arms. Towards his brother's arms--
NOA
[ Such a shame they'd never meet.
Lightning cracks the sky of the infinite void once again and Noa's sapphire eyes flash with rage. How could Mokuba possibly override his reprogramming? How could his precious Baby Brother betray him? Didn't Mokuba know how lucky he was, to be chosen by such a powerful Big Brother?
As the two opponents race towards each other's embrace, Noa puts his foot down.
Literally.
The virtual god stomps a foot in frustration, and a ripple spreads out from his tower. Somewhere far away, the ground shakes.
But more importantly, as the shockwave passes through the two brothers, they freeze. Bound first in time alone, cyan crystals rapidly climb up their paused forms, from toe to fingertip.
So Mokuba managed to break his control. To choose the brother who hurt him over the one who could give him everything.
Fine.
Then Noa would hurt him too. ]
Rook
Madison Rook is fixated on the scene as Mokuba's friends and brother shout out, as the boy himself breaks free of that brat's manipulation, Rook is so, so proud of him and his strength. But that rush doesn't last long, the moment they take to relax is the moment Noa lashes out, and Rook's pulse pauses in time with the brothers as they instantly recognize the stillness, and just as quickly spot the crystal texture overtaking their forms.
An empathic fear rises in their chest, a knowledge and terror for what's about to happen that they swallow down with rage, anger and disgust at what's been done that they can channel outwards instead of let break them apart inside. Rook's already pale fingers grip white on their sword and they point it from the tower at the Kaiba brothers, pulse pounding faster in their ears, half growling to themselves, half shouting to Noa.
"How fucking *dare* you. Not on my watch, you little bastard!"
The crystal on Madison Rook's sword glows with more intent, a concentration of passionate soul, and fires a violet beam of light at the victims of Noa's selfish play. Seto Kaiba, positioned between Rook and Mokuba, takes the 'hit', the beam dispersing on contact into buzzing violet sparks that wrap around him to flow down the edges of the horrible change, undoing it in favor of real(ish) skin and fabric. They spiral up his arm towards Mokuba, but he's just barely too far away, and the sparks fizzle in midair before they reach him. In seconds, the soul magic has faded away, leaving Seto unbound and animate.
Rook takes a deep breath, allowing themselves the confidence from their plan having worked, and steps away from the others on the tower, shifting position, trying to get a good angle to hit Mokuba too, before it's too late. They succeeded once; they can save them both. They won't let their apprentice hurt like they did.
Noa
[ As diligent as he is, Noa doesn't expect Rook's swift reaction. A frustrated growl shakes the ground and the towers as Noa shoots a glare in Rook's direction.
But he doesn't hesitate for another breath (as if he needs such a primitive function) Noa waves a hand, and in that instant, two things happen.
Mokuba disappears, consumed in less than a second by a cascade of glowing hexagons and pixels.
And the towers begin to fall away, brick by brick, from the bottom up. In the moment that the final stones cascade from beneath their feet, every last member of the unwilling audience is caught within a different, ornate birdcage, catching on some unseen tether to hang, suspended in the void.
The look that Noa shoots at Seto is venomous as he appears on the rooftop before him.
"You really couldn't be satisfied until you took everything from me, could you Seto?"
Seto
Seto regains his momentum and stumbles, briefly disoriented by the petrification he suffered. As his eyes refocus, he sees what's happened.
"MOKUBA!!"
No... he just got his little brother back! Seto rushes to reach the statue made of Mokuba, and almost does, before it disappears in cyan hexagons and the towers begin to crumble around the arena. Seto comes to a stop in front of where the statue of his brother should have been... and the boy who nearly took everything from him appears before him. It takes all of his self-restraint not to resort to simply punching him in his smug face- but he does wish that he had a gun.
Seto's eyes narrow in a challenging glare at Noa, returning his venom.
"I could say the same to you. If you hadn't been so foolish as to capture us physically, you could easily have taken KaibaCorp from me by working quietly in my computers, Noa- but your pride was your undoing. You had to try to make me suffer before taking it all from me. You're pathetic."
Noa
[ Noa stands confidently before the taller Kaiba with his arms crossed defiantly, seemingly unafraid that the other might resort to violence.
"Oh believe me, Seto. If it were that easy, I would have reclaimed Kaiba Corp from you long ago. In fact, you never would have taken it in the first place," he hisses. "The truth is that I've only recently restored my access to the Internet. Besides that little roadblock, there's the matter of your biometric security measures. You really did think of everything, didn't you? I have to admit, I'm almost impressed that a nobody off the streets like you could be so impressive. Anyway, it would be awfully hard to be the face of the company from behind a screen. No, I had to obtain a body of my own somehow. So thought, say. Why not kill two birds with one stone?"
"But you want to talk about pride, Seto? Please. You had every opportunity to save your little brother, and maybe even his stupid friends too! If you'd only just lied down and given up. Now, because of your pride, you'll all die here. You're the one who's really killing Mokuba! But at least you'll be together in death, right? As losers?"
discord chatlogs w @blueeyesking, specifically picking up immediately after Kaiba's Nightmare.
Seto Kaiba
Yugi pulls Seto out of his living hell by the hand, and the man sits up with a jolt, coughing, expecting something to come up but finding nothing there. He's obviously paler than usual, trembling where he sits- despite doing his best to return to a façade of cold detachment, it's impossible to hide how shaken he is.
"Wh- why are there two of you." to The Yugis, of course.
Yugi.
Yugi, the one kneeling beside the shaken Kaiba, gives his rival a concerned look. He sort of tries reaching out to try and steady the other man, but stops halfway.
"That's a great question, Kaiba. One we were hoping you could answer." Yami says, standing over the both of them. He offers out a hand-- just in case. "After all, the last thing we remember was teleporting to one of your ships."
Seto Kaiba
Seto visibly flinches at the Other Yugi looming over the both of them, baring his teeth and knocking the doppelganger's hand away like a flying insect.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he snaps, pulling himself to his feet. The shock gives way to real, cold resentment, his normal feelings toward Yugi Mutou (and a comfortable crevice to hide himself from the fear still buzzing in his nerves). "Teleportation isn't something I've figured out yet, you couldn't possibly have done that."
He pauses, just for a breath, taking stock of their surroundings. "Though… you're here, regardless. And where is here…?"
yugi
Just as he'd expected. Kaiba's reaction makes the Other Yugi roll his eyes as he drops his hand.
Yugi gives his Other a nervous glance as he too rises, brushing off his black clothes."ummm, we have a friend. you um, you said you were watching mokuba's blog for a while, right…? so you have to know about….?"
"We don't know for sure," Yami cuts him off, getting down to business as he crosses his arms. "But we had to cross a set of puzzle doors earlier that reminded us of the last time we rescued you."
It's Yugi's turn to roll his eyes. "it reminds me of that virtual world that the big 5 tried to trap you in. we had to summon monsters of a certain star level to get to you."
Seto Kaiba
Seto nods to himself, mirroring Other Yugi by crossing his own arms. He's grateful for his showy overcoat and abundance of fashionable belts, in this moment; they're a comforting weight, a familiar feeling, after the ordeal of memories turned into nightmares.
"I see. From… what I can remember, the Blue Eyes Jet had its autopilot recalibrated right under my hands- it landed on an aircraft carrier at sea, somewhere, and armed robotic guards escorted Mokuba and I out onto the runway… And now I'm here."
Seto continues looking at their surroundings, examining something inscrutible. "If it is something like the Virtual Reality that the Big Five held me in, it isn't them running it, I'm certain. They never employed robots in their personal retinue."
He turns on his heel to look at the Yugis. "However, that doesn't mean someone else with a grudge against me wouldn't co-opt the old virtual military system KaibaCorp had. Especially if they were looking to remove me from the equation, and bring KaibaCorp back into the arms business. Having our old infrastructure would be a great asset, in that case."
"You mentioned your, and Mokuba's, friends. Are they here? Where is Mokuba?"
yugi!
Yami nods along in understanding as Kaiba explains his experience. "Something similar happened when we arrived, too. We were held at gunpoint and escorted into an all white room…"
Only to wake up in Hell. But he won't say it.
"if it isn't the big 5 though, is there anyone else who could access your umm, your carrier…?" yugi wonders, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
"mm, a couple of mokuba's friends are here too, but… we don't know where he is.. he posted coordinates to that ship, but that's all we know…."
Seto Kaiba
Seto's eyebrows furrow in a microexpression of concern. They don't know where Mokuba is. His jaw sets.
"Then we'll have to explore the simulation and find him. Chances are, he's being held against his will in order to be used against me."
He doesn't mention the tone of his nightmare being Mokuba betraying him.
Seto steps into the barren street and looks directly at KC Tower.
"It's likely we'll find whoever it is, at the center of this place. Given who they caught first…"
yugi!
Yugi chews at his lip. Even if Seto hides his emotions, even if he has only a faint idea of what Seto has been through, he can only imagine the pain of losing Mokuba yet again.
"we'll find him, kaiba. i promise…"
The Other Yugi follows Kaiba's stoney stare towards the towering corporate headquarters and gives a confident nod of his spikey head.
"I have a feeling you're onto something, Kaiba. And I have a feeling we shouldn't waste much more time." He gives a little nod in the direction of the skyscraper.
NOA
[ far above them, from the top of that very tower, Noa frowns. He sits on an elegant, velvet couch with an arm draped lazily around Mokuba, who lounges aginst his supposed Big Brother while he occupies himself with a game on his laptop. Noa didn't give him access to his group server, but that's alright. He can't miss what he doesn't remember.
And like all other things in this world, Noa controls what Mokuba remembers.
Noa shifts suddenly, his hand on his Little Brother's shoulder twitching slightly.
"Huh? What's wrong, Big Brother?"
Mokuba asks, looking up at him.
For just a moment, the look in Noa's blue eyes is dangerous. Something cold and vengeful. But Mokuba's voice pulls him back, his sweet smile returning at the flip of a switch.
"Nothing, my Baby Brother. Everything is okay, I just need to check on something," Noa assures him, yet he slips his arm from around Mokuba as he stands quickly. "I'll be right back, so don't leave this room. Remember, Mokuba. You're safe here."
"Sure thing, Big Brother!" Mokuba promises, eyes falling back to the screen that keeps him distracted.
Huh. That's weird though.
Why does his tummy hurt? ]
Seto Kaiba
That stony glare fixes on the softer Yugi after the other one agrees with Seto's plan.
"You promise? Please. I will find him, with or without you and your friends. He's my little brother."
He's the only good thing I have left."
Seto then begins walking the familiar streets, long legs setting a pace that will likely make the Yugis have to jog a little to keep up. He speaks while they move.
"We should also try to find your friends. I know where my search begins, but your friends may still be trapped in simulated nightmares; Mokuba cares about them, too, so we can't leave them behind. If this person is predictable enough to set themselves up in KC Tower, then, in finding them, we can find the controls for the simulation and free everyone else."
yugi!
Yugi tenses up slightly when he catches Kaiba's glare, exhaling eith a quiet, nervous chuckle.
"of course, kaiba," he defaults to agreement, trying to preserve their fragile alliance as he moves his little legs quickly to keep pace.
The Other Yugi raises an eyebrow at Kaiba as he walks behind him briskly, too proud to jog. "I didn't know you had the capacity to care about others, Kaiba," he says with a smirk, remembering the last time they walked side by side through these city streets. The last time Mokuba went missing..
"I could feel Joey's turmoil inside my heart before, but I'm confident he's found his way by now." That smirk softens a little, for just a moment. "As for the others--"
The two Yugi's glance at each other.
"we'll find them. i have a feeling we might all need to work together to get out of this…"
Seto Kaiba
Seto turns on his heel at Other Yugi's quip, anger flaring over fear for just a moment. He looms, or tries to, and scowls at the man.
"I do care. You put me through enough to make anyone reconsider their priorities in life."
The vitriol in his emphasis is almost physical. He hopes it takes attention away from the way his fists shake.
Turning back, he returns to his brisk pace- though, Yugi notices it isn't as hard to keep up, now.
"No matter what I have to do, I will save Mokuba at all costs."
yugi!
Kaiba's sharp turn catches the Other Yugi off guard, causing him to stop abruptly in his tracks behind the taller man. He flinches at the genuine anger that Kaiba directs at him, becore his brows pull tight together.
Before he can get argumentive, the gentler Yugi gives him a warning glance. "we've all made our mistakes, it's just.. really nice to see you caring about them too. even if it is just because mokuba would be sad if--"
He's cut off by a distant humming sound, growing louder as they get closer to their target.
"--hey do you guys hear that?" he asks, as his other self picks up his pace to walk closer to his Partner, readying the Duel Disk on his arm just in case.
Seto Kaiba
Seto stops. With enough people released or freed from their waking nightmares, maybe their Puppetmaster has sent something to deter them. Better to wait than to run right into it, usually. He squints at the street ahead of them, watching the intersections and skyline for the source of the noise.
yugi!
As the hum grows louder, Yugi activates his own Disk as well. The seconds seem to tick by painfully slow as their apprehension builds.
Then, all at once, a swarm of massive locusts descends from the side streets, hungry insects almost ten times their natural size.
The Other Yugi doesn't hesitate for a second, drawing the first card from his deck and immediately summoning forth his Celtic Guardian to slash at the incoming bugs while Yugi's own Big Shield Gardna defends the three Duelists*
Seto Kaiba
Seto draws and plays his Wicked Worm Beast! It claws and gnashes at the bugs, destroying them with its massive ATK as the players hunker down.
yugi!
the locusts seem unending, but the two Yugis continue to somehow work in perfect tandem, summoning monsters that work together against the onslaught. Even as the monsters that come for them grow larger and more fearsome, neither wavers.
The ground shakes, the concrete splits open as a massive, rotting Pumpking swells from the crevice, its vines lashing wildly in all directions. The Yugi's give each other a glance, and then to their teammate. Though Yami sacrifices their only two monsters to summon his ever faithful companion, Yugi's Kuriboh guarantees two sacrifies for their ally's convenience.
"you know what to do, kaiba!!!" Yugi shouts with a bright, confident grin.
Seto Kaiba
A couple of draws later, after pulling various useful, but situationally worthless, cards, Seto lands on what they've all been waiting for. His smirk is unmistakable as a Kuriboh and Wicked Worm Beast are destroyed as tribute to his signature Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
Blue-Eyes shimmers onto the field and roars at the Pumpking, superior ATK making them both completely certain of the group's victory.
"Blue-Eyes! Burst Stream of Destruction!"
The beam tears a ragged hole in the Pumpking and is brighter than the sun, briefly turning the world dark. The Yugis can see Seto's wolfish grin illuminated by his monster's attack.
NOA
[ from the top of the tower, Noa frowns. How can the three of them hold their own against so many monsters? Nonetheless, he won't give in.
As Noa decides what to throw against the trio next, back in the exquisite living room, the younger Kaiba grows restless. Mokuba sets his laptop aside at the sounds of the fight below and rises from that velvet sofa. Walks to the wall of windows to press a palm against the glass as he watches the fray unfold far below with a blank expression. It doesn't really matter. Big Brother has it under control.
But then that familiar beast with its piercing blue eyes takes the field, it's fearsome white hot attack darkening the daylight.
And Mokuba freezes.
His stomach hurts.
His heart pounds in his chest and he feels like he might be sick.
This is rage, right?
It's anger that makes his eyes burn, isn't it?
He remembers that great dragon turning on him. Remembers the voice of the man who commands it, echoing that Mokuba will never be good enough.
He can't stand it anymore.
Mokuba turns sharply, walking with purpose across the elegant living room. Noa is taking too long. Is he okay? What if Seto hurt him too somehow? He promised not to leave this room, he promised to stay put. But now Mokuba has made up his mind.
If Noa cant do it, then he'll kill Seto himself. He'll make his Big Brother proud.
There's no hallway, no elevator on the other side of that door. Mokuba finds himself stepping directly out onto the streets of Domino City. And as the Pumpking falls, deflating back into the hellish crevice from whence it came, stormy grey eyes meet sapphire. ]
They escort you and Mokuba off of the jet, robotic men with firearms, leading you both onto an aircraft carrier and
knocking you out.
Not that Seto could truly be aware of being knocked out- one doesn't usually realize they've lost consciousness until they wake up, and Seto doesn't wake up in any situation that would give him the impression he was knocked out manually.
No, this time, Seto wakes up to a familiar alarm, in an uncomfortably stiff position, from a light and fitful sleep that didn't last nearly long enough and never has. Hobson knocks at his door, perfectly on schedule as always, after just long enough for Seto to have made his own bed and gotten dressed for the day's studies; he's brought the boy black tea and a simple breakfast, which Seto takes with a quiet expression of gratitude. He doesn't have time to sit and eat at a proper breakfast table, at a reasonable hour, with his brother and adopted father like a real family- no, today, like every day since Seto and Mokuba were adopted by Kaiba Gouzaburo, Seto will spend studying, taking notes, and being lectured by his guardian about the intricacies of international business and how to run a multi-billion dollar corporation.
This day in particular has Gouzaburo greeting him with a smack to the face and a variety of colorful insults. It's not unusual, but rare enough that Seto doesn't expect the abuse, and the boy loses his grip on the breakfast tray from the shock of the blow. "YOU COULD NEVER DESERVE TO BE CALLED A KAIBA! YOU WILL NEVER SUCCEED ME LIKE THIS- YOU MAY AS WELL STILL BE ■■■■■ SETO!"
Gouzaburo screaming at his downturned, stinging face, however, is not nearly as uncommon as being physically struck. The boy holds his cheek for a moment as the shock settles on his nerves, steeling himself anew for the day's tribulations, until he's certain he can kneel and clean up his mess without letting an ounce of feeling show on his features. He can't let Gouzaburo see that he's affecting him- if he sees it, then Seto loses today's battle of wills, and if one loses, they might as well be dead.
Seto can't allow himself to lose.
The rest of the day passes before Seto really has time to process the encounter, lunch and dinner both eaten in haste around his studies or entirely skipped, until it is his inability to read and comprehend a sentence that finally drives Kaiba Seto to retire back to his bedroom for a few, fitful hours of rest.
The day replays itself in his dreams, Gouzaburo's abuses becoming louder and more scathing each time. "FAILURE! YOU WILL NEVER BE MY SON!"
"YOU CHILDREN WOULD STILL BE ROTTING IN THAT ORPHANAGE, IF NOT FOR ME, AND SO HELP ME I WILL RETURN YOU TO IT!"
"MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN SO USELESS, SO WEAK! YOU ARE NOTHING!"
Until one day, something changes. This time, Gouzaburo encourages Mokuba into the room and forces him to watch Seto clean up his mess. "You see this, boy? Your brother will never be anything greater than what you are now: a sniveling, worthless mistake. But you…" Gouzaburo's hand grips Mokuba's shoulder in a manner that should be painfully tight. Both appear to be giants to Seto, looming over him, making him feel as weak as Gouzaburo claims. "You could be so much more, Mokuba."
Seto seethes, shaking gently, and imagines instead throwing the mess he is cleaning into Gouzaburo's horrible face. Instead, he holds himself back, swallowing hard. Gouzaburo laughs at the young man.
"You see now? He trembles with fear; he knows his place will never be by my side, but that yours could be. Consider it, Mokuba."
When next Seto wakes, he is older- more experienced, unafraid, ruthless. He has been working on something that will ruin Kaiba Gouzaburo's life, forever: Seto and the Big Five, together, own 49% of Kaiba Corporation. A hostile takeover. Kaiba Seto will own KaibaCorp and finally save the world from Gouzaburo's lust for wealth and power. It doesn't matter that there was a leak; it doesn't matter that he hurt his brother yesterday, only that Gouzaburo will try and use him to turn the coup back on Seto… and Mokuba will betray him, giving the majority stake in the company to their side.
Kaiba Gouzaburo will finally lose the game they've been playing since he adopted Seto and Mokuba.
Everything according to plan, Seto and the Big Five confront Gouzaburo in the board room with their ploy. Predictably, Gouzaburo believes that Mokuba's 2% stake in the company is still his, and their takeover is meaningless… Then declares bankruptcy on behalf of Kaiba Corporation.
Of course he would. Seto calculated all of this into his plan.
Gouzaburo launches into an explanation of the stakes: "With your stock holdings worthless under this bankruptcy, you will have no choice but to mortgage your life to me, Seto! You will be in debt for eternity!! You LOSE!"
Seto and the Big Five stand in what appears to be shock, but Seto is simply
waiting. A beat passes. Something is wrong.
Mokuba hasn't shown up.
There are no young footsteps running down the hall, ready to burst into the room and side with Seto, completing the coup.
Gouzaburo raises a dangerous eyebrow and barks, "WORTHLESS! ALL OF YOUR SCHEMING, YOUR DISDAIN FOR OTHERS, IT MEANS NOTHING IN REAL LIFE! YOU ARE NOTHING, SETO!"
Seto falls to his knees, all bravado and confidence sapped from him, leaving a cold pit in his stomach. In trying to prove his adoptive father wrong, in trying to enact meaningful change for the world, Seto only proved Gouzaburo right.
He's lost everything.
The boy stares blankly at the floor, in true shock, trembling in true fear.
Part of what I love about the Noah Arc (ha, get it? because Noah has an ark and... anyway, carry on) is that Noa is just... vicious when it comes to trying emotionally manipulate Mokuba and Seto as much as possible. Like, he knows the exact memories that will make Mokuba open a door to his death, and the exact words to make Mokuba say to inflict psychic damage on Seto.
Like the fact that Mokuba misses Seto's smile so much that he, in a split second, decides to give up everything Gozabouro gave them just to see his brother smile again...
Seto please, for the love of god, i know you're a hormonal, very tol 16yo with trust issues but please smile at your brother. look at mokuba. look at how adorable he is! he thinks the world of you! do it for him you monster.
Seto Kaiba and the Takeover of Kaiba Corporation (Anime)
I love the anime version of Seto’s takeover of Kaiba corporation because it’s such a gloriously convoluted, emotionally painful mess. The causes of the fight for control of Kaiba Corporation are deeply rooted and the consequences of losing are correspondingly high.
For me, this battle starts when Seto decides that he must stop his father from using his designs to kill people.
As Gozaburo makes clear when he thinks he’s won, Gozaburo is equally determined to bring Seto in line, which means forcing him to continue to serve his weapons business.
When Seto later uses the word, “save” to describe their victory, for once, I don’t think he’s being overly dramatic.
But while the stakes are clear, what remains hazy is just how far Seto went to achieve his miraculous victory, and what prices were paid.
The first version we hear, from Daimon of the Big 5, is a story of calculation and betrayal, a story that highlights how cold-bloodedly strategic and cruel Seto can be… and also how smart he is.
(And I highly recommend @pharaohsparklefists wonderful (and at times hilarious) recap of this part of the story in Episode 109 here: http://pharaohsparklefists.tumblr.com/post/175285027071/episode-109-part-2-im-back-after-part-one-and )
Seto is often depicted as being clueless about emotions and how people relate to each other. I think that’s true when it comes to happier emotions like kindness or friendship or trust. But it’s chillingly clear that there’s little Seto doesn’t grasp about how cruel people can be to each other. His entire plan rests on knowing that Gozaburo will let him collect up to 49% of the shares just to drive the knife in deeper when he loses. He created a plan that relies on Gozaburo being a sadistic bastard… and Seto is 100% accurate in his predictions of Gozaburo’s behavior.
Although Seto is angered by Daimon’s accusations, he doesn’t explain his own point of view until he talks directly to Mokuba. I think this is because Seto doesn’t really care what anyone else thinks of him or his actions, but he needs Mokuba to believe in him and in their bond, and he is shaken to the core to find Mokuba standing against him.
It takes seven episodes to get the full story from all the narrators,... and at the end, there’s no single, unvarnished truth.
I completely, 100% believe Seto when he says that he threw Mokuba out only because he knew that Gozaburo would take him in, that he made the wrenching decision to seemingly abandon Mokuba because it was the only way to protect Mokuba if he failed. And then Seto carried out that plan as ruthlessly as he does everything else, regardless of cost.
But at the same time, I also completely, 100% percent believe that Seto knew this was the best strategic move he could possibly make under the circumstances. Leaking the information to Gozaburo while abandoning Mokuba was the surest way to convince Gozaburo that he’d won, with the added bonus of blinding Gozaburo to the danger that Mokuba and his 2% of shares posed. That had to have been a factor in Seto’s calculations.
One thing that I find striking is how fraught with danger and pain every choice Seto could have made was. Because Seto is so good at striking back ruthlessly and turning events to his advantage, it’s easy to forget how often in his childhood and adolescence, he starts out from a position of almost complete powerlessness.
Seto clearly believes taking over Kaiba Corporation was something he and Mokuba did together, and he believes that Mokuba understood what he was doing and why.
But to add an additional layer of ambiguity, the two brothers are terrible at communicating. In the course of the series, both Mokuba and Seto express surprise and dismay when they suddenly realize what the other has been thinking or feeling. Seto says that they were the only ones to understand their strategy, but it’s not clear how much of that mutual understanding was in Seto’s head.
Is Seto is saying that he and Mokuba and Mokuba planned everything together or is Seto is assuming that Mokuba would know that Seto had a reason behind his actions? And Mokuba is only 10 or 11 years old in this flashback. Even if Mokuba knew that as part of a ruse his brother is going to pretend to hate him, that doesn’t mean Mokuba was in any way emotionally prepared to have his beloved brother throw him out and say he never wants to see Mokuba… not to mention having Seto make good on that threat and leave him in the sole company of Gozaburo.
Mokuba’s own reaction seems to confirm this – while he rejects the idea that his brother has betrayed him, even the mention of that time hurts, and it’s not clear how much of his defense of his brother is based on knowledge, and how much on a combination of hope and love.
The thing that gets me about this event is the way any thread you try to pull out immediately tangles back onto itself. And I suspect that Seto himself can’t parse out the separate strands of calculation and fear and desperation and trust and betrayal and resentment and love in his own thoughts and actions.
(( continued from here. consider this an epilogue lollll. no dueling here, just a summary of it and then the aftermath. not super long !!! I promise!!
Seto Kaiba @blueeyesking , me as Noa, Mokuba, and the Yugis. Wyatt @seashaper , Hika @nameless-brand , and Pyre as Joey @redeyesandchilifries ))
[ Noa explains the Deck Master system, allows Seto to choose his and then shuffle. The rooftop arena falls away as volcanos rise from the void instead, an ocean of lava surrounding them, confining each Duelist to a small, stone platform as the cages containing their friends hang overhead
Noa also explains that he was born, that he was Created, weak and sickly. That Gouzaburo deemed him too frail to ever hope to run Kaiba Corp, had hidden him from the public eye out of shame.
As they Duel, that scenery changes with the cards that Noa plays. When he activates Giant Flood, a massive wave overtakes the field, washing away the lava as Noa babbles on about the Seven Days of Creation. A great ship rises from the tides, and Noa announces the arrival of his deck master, Shinato's Ark.
And Noa had vowed to prove his father wrong, to make him proud. He worked hard and studied hard and pushed himself hard to refute his place as heir.
From oceans to dense jungles and fields where dinosaurs roam, his Seven Turn prediction seems to liken the biblical legends to the more scientific phases of the Earth's natural history. Meteors rain from the sky, and the jungles freeze, ushering in the ice age.
So hard that his body finally gave out, just as Gouzaburo had finally seen some spark of potential in him.
As the ice age melts away to reveal lush, open fields of grass, Noa's confidence never wavers.
He explains the virtual system that his consciousness was transferred into. The virtual world that had been designed by the newly adopted heir of their company, as a final project of sorts to prove his own worth. A training simulator developed for the US Military, but Gouzaburo had found a different way to utilize its advanced technology.
The fields decay, turning to concrete below the Duelists' feet as Domino City rises up around them once more, Kaiba Corporation growing and towering behind Noa.
Noa explains that with his mind digitized, he was able to rapidly gain knowledge and information from both Gouzaburo's systems and the expanse of the internet. That he had run a million and a half simulations within his little world that showed how Kaiba Corporation could become the most powerful company on the planet-- it would only take a World War significantly reducing the planet's population! From there, he would rebuild as he alone saw fit. Ruling the new world as its God, as its Creator.*
Or its destroyer.
Even with all the assets that Seto had sunk into the ocean, Noa bets he could destroy the earth in, mmm 31 days.
He gets cocky though. For all his planning, for all of his deckmaster's ability to raise his lifepoints, to render the graveyards useless, Noa makes one tiny miscalculation.
He had anticipated Seto's Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon. After all, he'd summoned it against his own little brother. What he hadn't anticipated was the Dragon's Rage trap card, allowing Seto to inflict piercing damage with those hits. With nothing left in the graveyard, Noa suddenly finds himself losing control of the situation. But he puts his hand on his hip, smirking still as he looks up smugly through his thick eyelashes.
Until the second the attack hits, and his lifepoints drop to zero.
And finally, Noa's eyes go wide with the bitter realization.
He had hoped to use Mokuba at this exact moment. To summon up the baby brother at his beck and call, to stop Seto's attack in its place and buy him the time he needed to perfect his Creation strategy. But enraged by the betrayal, he had locked Mokuba up so tightly, even he would need to run the necessary processes to summon the teenage shield again. And even then, would it work?
That card's already been played.
Noa shakes with rage as his LifePoints hit zero. But his legs give way, as do the cages that hold the Kaibas' friends. He collapses to his knees, all his confidence and boasting shattered like glass ]
Rook
Rook didn't see the duel, or the shifting landscape around them. All they saw were the bars, the shouts of declared attacks drowned out by echoed screaming and burning pain. Shortly, they slide down the bars behind them to huddle on the floor of the cage, eyes fixed blankly on nothing as they sink into their helpless memories.
Seto takes the victory; the cage vanishes and Rook tumbles to the semi-real ground, the impact knocking them out of their trauma-trapped trance and making them gasp, hand reaching for their clasp again. The sorcerer blinks back into the moment at the seemingly positive outcome and shakily pulls to their feet, too dazed to taunt the villain and his loss, unfortunately, but looking around to make sure everyone is okay, or..at least not actively in danger, in Tristan's case.
Seto
Seto turns to see Mokuba's friends and Yugi's troupe fall, not even giving Noa the respect of facing him in his defeat. Noa knows the Kaiba family attitude toward Loss. He searches the sky for his brother, who surely also should have been released...
NOA
[ From where he kneels, broken, eyes wide in shock still, Noa begins to laugh. Some quiet, hollow, detached chuckle that builds and builds, until the fallen Kaiba is laughing hysterically, sitting back on his knees and head turned up to the sky. ]
Seto
Seto quickly snaps his attention back to Noa.
"What are you laughing at?!"
NOA
[ Noa's eyes fall to the side, staring at Seto with a manic smile, his head still thrown back.
"You might have beaten me... but... you still lose, Seto. You know what happens to losers in our family... But... there's only one way that I can truly die..... The countdown is already set. Do you really think... You can find Mokuba and a way out before this facility sinks? In only 25 minutes, Seto...?" ]
Seto
Seto's eyes narrow at Noa, and he bares his teeth, barely suppressing the urge to heel-stomp the blue-haired, arrogant child. He would be a child for the last 25 minutes of his life, and know he had lost... Seto doesn't need to stoop so low as to add true injury to this loss. But he still strongly considers it.
"Yes, I believe we can. You'll die here, Kaiba Noa- known by few, having left no mark on the world or your family's legacy. But we will live on and make it better than you could ever have dreamed... unless you had been anyone but Kaiba Gouzaburo's son."
Seto crosses the street to approach the Yugis, and stands calmly as their friends gather, before speaking.
"This boy doesn't have a creative script in his code; I'm certain he's keeping Mokuba in KC Tower still. Likely at the top, where he could force him to watch our Duel. Once we rescue Mokuba, he and I should be able to work with this old system to free us all, somehow; we'll work out the details when he's safe. Agreed?"
Yugi
Immediately upon being freed, the two Yugis had frantically occupied themselves with checking in on their friends. Yugi had gone to Rook, who had seemed especially distressed by the cages, and Levant and Téa who had landed nearby. While his Other Self had rushed to the side of Joey, Tristan, and Duke, where their cages had fallen on the opposide end of the arena.
But they both step away from the rest of their friends as Seto approaches, Yugi's sympathetic expression softening. The Other One gives him a respectful nod.*
"Agreed. I don't trust that Noa's out of tricks yet, we should all stay together and move quickly. Lead the way, Kaiba. The rest of us will support you however we can."
.
.
Mokuba
High above the scene below, somewhere in the towering Kaiba Corporation Headquarters, Mokuba sits alone on a concrete floor, in a dark stone dungeon. Chains restrict his wrists and ankles as he stares at the floor with an unfocused gaze.
He knows this prison. It's the same dark cell that Pegasus had trapped him in. But this time the iron cuffs fit a little too tightly, biting into his skin. The chains are a little too short, preventing him from moving more than a few inches, rather than the couple feet that Pegasus had granted him.
He had seen the Duel. Most of it, at least. Projected against the wall opposite where he sat in chains, Mokuba had watched, listened as Noa explained his origin to Seto.
When the video had first gone dark, it had filled the teenager with hope. Last he saw, Seto had made what he thought must be the final attack against Noa. He had cheered! But the metal cuffs didn't relent. Mokuba hadn't yet been freed.
And so all he could do was sit, and stare at the ground of his cell. Wondering, hoping, distressing, panicking. Accepting the worst.
Maybe Noa had won after all.
Maybe this is how he would die. Alone and cold, abandoned by both brothers and friends alike.
It's my fault, he thinks. It must be. If he were stronger, smarter, better. Maybe he wouldn't get kidnapped again. Seto must be so disappointed... If he's even still alive.
Mokuba wants to hug his knees to his chest, but the chains won't even give him that.
You love puzzles and games. Your grandpa taught you everything you know, but that was so long ago now, you can't possibly remember the details. You remember the games though, their names and rules and stakes. And you know you've never lost.
You have three precious friends, and you would do anything to protect them. You waited so long to find them. You won't let anyone take them away from you now.
You have this power. You don't know why you have it, or why you know how to use it. But when it's needed, and not a moment before, that power comes to you innately. And you will use it to protect those things that are precious to you.
So when a violent criminal puts a gun to one of their heads, you do the only thing you know. You use that power.
Penalty Game: Burn.
When you turn around, the looks on the faces of your friends breaks your heart. You don't understand.
Why do they look so horrified?
You saved Téa.
Why is she shrinking away from you?
Your chest burns as hot as the fire raging in the restaurant booth behind you.
Anger and confusion fester inside of you as you sit in your empty room. You don't know what happens next.
All you know is Darkness and your name
Yugi Mutou
----
You haven't seen your friends much since then, and the days have passed in a blur. It's been three weeks. It feels like a lifetime, sitting in that darkness.
Your friends are planning a booth for the campus wide fall festival. Maybe you can make it up to them now. Maybe you can show them that you aren't a monster.
But when a larger student and his friends destroy the games booth you've worked so hard to build, your hair stands on end, that power inside you roaring to life.
You remember the horror on their faces, the nervous way they've tiptoed around you since. This time, you're careful not to show them this side of you, this power that you have.
But when the news comes out about the bully's gruesome death, you hear the name that your friends and classmates whisper
Yugi Mutou.
---
One of your classmates enters the shop where you work with Grandpa. It's been so long since you've seen your friends. Maybe you can make a new one now.
Instead, that classmates insults your Grandpa. He hits you with his metal briefcase, and steals Grandpa's most precious Duel Monsters card.
You know what it's like to lose something precious.
You know what it's like to find something you love, and you know the emptiness when it leaves.
You follow him home and challenge him to the trading card game that he loves so much. All of the anger, all of the loneliness, all of the pain inside you boils.
If your friends are going to fear you anyway, then why hold back?
You'll take all of that anger, that loneliness, that pain and you'll show this classmate how it really feels to lose.
You don't turn your back, watching with a stoic stare as the illusory monsters rise up and sink their teeth into your classmate. As he screams and swears his revenge against you
Yugi Mutou
---
You don't know how much time passes.
All you know is Darkness. Isolation. Anger. Pain.
It's been days. It's been months. Maybe it's been years. Simmering all that time, in the only things you know.
So when a stranger breaks into that Darkness and that innate power inside you begins to boil over, you let it.
You turn all of your anger and pain, all of your Darkness on him. You rush at him with all of that Power you hold, reckless with rage.
You don't see the bricks beneath your feet turn to sand, obstructed by the Darkness that is all you know. You tumble and fall down, down into the gaping maw of a hungry god.
You think it must be the end for you. But somehow, you find yourself somewhere full of light. As you push yourself to your feet, your eyes meet their own gaze.
Your chest aches as you face yourself.
No.
That's not you.
The sorrow in those eyes isn't yours. It's the mournful look of another, of the young man whose life you'd slipped into. He looks at you like you've betrayed him. Like you've killed him.
"you're not yugi mutou," he says.
The scenery around you cracks like glass. That space flickers.
"Then who am I..?"
Another crack.
Yugi Mutou, the real Yugi Mutou, says nothing else. You reach out for him, but your feet won't move.
"Who am I?!" you cry as the world shatters, falling away to reveal a great labyrinth full of impossible starways and doors to nothing.
Yugi Mutou is gone.
You fall to your knees, scream in pain, in anger. You pound on the stone floor with fists that aren't yours, until your knuckles spill his blood as you cry over and over
Who am I
Who am I
Who am I
You don't expect a response as your voice echoes around your tomb. You don't expect anything but Darkness. You freeze, clasping a hand over the warm feeling that's suddenly sprouted inside your chest.
other me
You hear the voice, not with your ears, but with your heart.
you're my other me.
The warmth blooms through your body, guiding you to your feet once again. You don't fight back, allowing the warmth to guide you across the tomb to a nondescript stone door. A bright light blinds you momentarily as you step out of the Darkness, away from the anger and pain that's all you once knew. Into the soft, warm light of a peaceful forest clearing.
"i told you i'd find you," Yugi Mutou says, looking up at you with a smile. But that smile quickly changes, concern creasing his brows. "hey hey hey, what's wrong?? it's okay other me, you're safe now! i mean--"
You don't let him finish, sweeping him up in the tighest embrace, pressing your face against his. You don't pass through him. You can feel him in your arms. You know that isn't right, but for now you're grateful.
You still don't know who you are. But at least you're not alone.
(( rp log continued from here !!! directly copied from Discord w minor editing for typos and formatting. yes, we played out an entire Duel. it's going to be a little bit of a read but I'm really, REALLY proud of this group effort to rewrite the VR World arc and there's so much good Character behind the card games.
Seto Kaiba @blueeyesking , me as Noa, Mokuba, and the Yugis. Wyatt @seashaper , Hika @nameless-brand , and Pyre @redeyesandchilifries coming in next installment ))
Seto
Seto takes a few precious seconds, after being hit by Red-Eyes's flames, to reflect on Mokuba's claims. He had to bankrupt an entirely different corporation in order to build the money necessary to get his shares of KaibaCorp. He hunted down every last Blue-Eyes White Dragon card using KaibaCorp's assets, and then ruined their owners' lives to get them… even causing one to kill himself. He's not proud of it. Not anymore. Maybe before his duels with Yugi… but not after. Before Yugi Mutou forced him to confront himself and his own pitfalls, his own venom, he had been obsessive, and dangerous, and hurt Mokuba for failing. But even a genius like him can be made to reconsider their path in life and make changes for the better.
He considers his words, and turn, carefully, before acting. After drawing Monster Reborn (and noting how few truly sacrificial monsters he has in his deck), he sets Cyber Jar face-down in defense mode, then casts Monster Reborn to bring Mokuba's Red-Eyes Archfiend back from the graveyard onto his side of the field, intending to use its Effect to destroy Mokuba's Red-Eyes Black Dragon before it can do any more harm.
"I don't believe your faux-brother will let me survive in any capacity once he's finished getting his so-called "revenge" for our adoptive father. He may be saccharine now, but I can see it in his eyes, Mokuba: this boy is even more dangerous than I was, back then, and will discard you once you've fulfilled your purpose in his scheme."
Mokuba
Mokuba gives his opponent a harsh glare as his monster reappears on the opposite field, though in his mind he's already prepared his next move. His eyes flicker down to his hand to read that card text one more time as his look turns to a smirk.
"yeah, probably not!! so since we agree it's inevitable, maybe you should just get it over with and take a swan dive!!" Mokuba giggles gleefully as he sends his Effect Veiler monster card from his hand to the graveyard, negating Archfiend's destructive effect.
"duh. but at least Big Brother can ADMIT he's dangerous, he knows what he's capable of and he's not going to WASTE his potential on games and toys!!! but you're wrong. I'm going to make him proud, and then we're going to stay a happy family forever, long after you're out of our lives!!"
Seto Kaiba
Seto takes a deep breath.
"I will never give up on saving my little brother, no matter how many times you're taken from me."
His Red-Eyes Archfiend attacks Mokuba's Red-Eyes.
Mokuba
Mokuba's eyes narrow again, his smirk persistent.
"I am NOT your little brother."
he ignores the weird way his stomach suddenly aches as he activates his set Enemy Controller, switching the Archfiend to defense mode before it can launch its attack
Mokuba draws for his turn, and he can't hide the way his smile grows. His second Return of the Red Eyes? Already? What luck !! He immediately sets the trap face down, then plays a magic card from his hand.
Red Eyes Fusion, the card he had selected from his deck with Insight, the card that had also sent Archfiend to the graveyard the first time.
His Red Eyes Black Dragon disappears, replaced by the more fearsome Red Eyes Slash dragon instead. the Crimson Ninja that the fusion card had allowed him to take from his deck skips over the graveyard, going instead to a magic/trap slot as an attachment to the metallic dragon, raising the dragon's attack from 2800 to 3000.
Mokuba declares his battle phase, attacking the Archfiend and returning it, again, to his own graveyard where it belongs.
Seto Kaiba
Seto smiles, despite himself, proud of how well Mokuba's deck synergizes. He then draws a card. Kaiser Sea Horse. Well, it's at least useful for when he wants to summon a Blue-Eyes… For now, he goes into his main phase, and flip-summons the Cyber Jar he set last turn. It destroys Slash Dragon and itself, then resolves its effect: Both players reveal the top five cards of their decks, and immediately Special Summon any 4 or lower monsters revealed; the rest of the cards go into their hands.
Seto reveals Crush Card Virus, Luster Dragon (6), Polymerization, Lord of D. (4), and Vampire Lord (5). Looks like he only gets his Lord of D. The rest are acceptable… Depending on what Mokuba draws, he will have to determine his next move carefully.
Mokuba
Mokuba's gleeful smile disappears, his slash dragon destroyed as quickly as it had been summoned. And without another Red Eyes monster on the field, his trap will be useless.
He can only hope for the best as he draws 5 cards from the top of his deck to reveal Dragon Nails, Pot of Greed, Red Eyes Retro Dragon(4☆) Monster Reborn, Blade Knight(4☆).
Retro dragon(1700/1600) would have been more useful in his hand, but at least it will work to trigger his Return trap once again. That and Blade Knight(1600/1000) are summoned to the field in attack mode, the three spells going into his hand.
Seto Kaiba
Seto looks at Mokuba's summoned monsters and feels yet more pride. Strong, themed cards with yet more excellent synergy. If he destroys Retro Dragon, Return will let him resummon it if he uses Blade Knight as a tribute for any other Red-Eyes. If he doesn't, he'll tribute it to play another Red-Eyes card from his hand, and then return it again… or worse. The only way to stop this is to destroy that second Return. It's an excellent strategy.
"I'm impressed, Mokuba," Seto admits, "Your combo promises to be extremely effective. The synergy you've created is hard to combat without a lot of controlling spells in one's deck."
Luckily for him, Lord of D. prevents Mokuba from altering his Retro Dragon in any way- say, with Dragon Nails- and so Seto uses his only Polymerization to Fusion Summon Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon (2800/2100), discarding the two Thunder Dragons in his hand. He'll have to prevent Mokuba from keeping a Red-Eyes card on the field to power Return!
As such, Seto moves into his Battle Phase, having Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon attack Red-Eyes Retro Dragon. Lord of D. can't hope to defeat Blade Knight, and so, does not attack, instead staying on the field to protect Thunder Dragon. Surely Mokuba will try something with that Monster Reborn…
Mokuba
Mokuba tries hard to hide his excitement, to keep himself from reaching for that set Return too soon. He wants to wait until the end of Seto's main phase, to give him as little chance to counter as possible.
He definitely does not see that fusion coming. His stomach turns again. His head pulses.
Thunder dragons? Ah. He used to play that deck, before he had gone all in on the new Red Eyes support. Why had he switched to using Joey Wheeler's ace monster again? He can't remember--
Mokuba shakes his head to clear his thoughts and squints at the powerful dragon on the field as it lobs an attack at his Retro Dragon. He can't stop the attack, but he can activate his Return of the Red Eyes to bring Red Eyes Archfiend back to the field just before the Retro dragon disappears. But that counter does little to soften the blow of losing 1100 life points. He flinches in pain, arms wrapping around his torso as he struggles to stay on his feet despite the attack. It takes him a second to steady himself before he can move.
"gee…" his voice cracks a little as he glares across the roof at his opponent. "you keep saying you care about me and you wont hurt me anymore… but you sure aren't hesitating to try and kill me, are you?" and with that, he takes his required 11 steps back, closer to the rooftop's edge
Seto Kaiba
Seto's jaw sets. "No, Mokuba, I'm not. I'd do anything to protect you. I've told you as much before," he states, matter-of-fact, as Mokuba takes his steps. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going down without a fight."
And he'll concede if it looks as though his victory is assured. Seto would never kill his little brother, though he's not above tit-for-tat duel damage. With Mokuba at 1550 LP, the duel could still resolve either way…
He moves to Main Phase 2 and sets Crush Card Virus, leaving only the two monsters he already revealed in his hand as well as Kaiser Sea Horse and Ring of Defense, then moves Lord of D. into Defense Position to finally end his turn. No matter what Mokuba returns from the graveyard next turn, Seto feels as though he'll be royally fucked in this duel.
"I know that you can handle yourself; I would be disrespecting your skill and intellect if I just laid down and conceded."
Mokuba
"then why do you keep on hurting me, seto?" Mokuba's voice drips with false innocence as he puts on his best puppydog face. But what Seto says as he ends his turn makes the teenager's stomach hurt again.
He draws for his turn. Summoned skull. With Red Eyes Fusion in his hand already, that card's no more useful here than it was in his deck. But it doesn't matter. He gives a nervous glance to Seto's face down card, contemplating whether or not he can bring this duel to an end this turn. He can't do anything about that potential trap, but he's feeling confident enough to give his plan a shot anyway.
He gives up his normal summon to activate Archfiend's effect once more. Lord of D's effect may shield dragons on the field, but it can't protect itself. and with that gone, he can equip to his own dragons once again.
He plays monster reborn, his Red Eyes Slash Dragon rising from the graveyard. he could activate Return, but that trap card gives him pause. Instead, he goes into his battle phase.
Slash Dragon's attack sits at 2800, tied with the Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon. But ordering it to attack allows him to take his Crimson Ninja from the grave, equipping it to the dragon to raise its attack to 3000. Mokuba watches the monster he'd played once upon a time disappear, taking 200 of Seto's life points with them.
And more importantly, leaving the older Kaiba wide open for a direct attack
Mokuba stares at that face down card. A Mirror Force of any kind would ruin everything. Leave him with nothing to activate Return again. He looks up to make eye contact with Seto.
"so. any last words before I bring this thing to an end??? anything you want to tell your stupid little rivals over there before I send you to hell and take back our company??" Mokuba hooks a thumb at the Yugis as he taunts, delaying while he contemplates his next call.
Seto Kaiba
Seto glances at them, briefly, locking eyes with Other Yugi. He nods with respect before focusing again on the duel at hand.
"No."
He can sense this duel is coming to an end. Drawing… he's not sure what he's hoping for, but what he gets is one of his Blue-Eyes. Under any other circumstances, this would be fantastic… but staring down the Slash Dragon and its matched ATK score, his stomach simply drops. He's lost. Even if they take each other out, Mokuba has his Archfiend and Return trap- which means Slash Dragon will be back on his turn. Seto's out of options.
He summons Kaiser Sea Horse and immediately Tributes it to summon Blue-Eyes, hoping facing down his signature monster in as close to reality as possible will jog something.
"This is it, Mokuba!"
He sounds like he has some way to win up his sleeve, all confidence and finality, as he commands Blue-Eyes to attack Slash Dragon.
yugi!
Over on their tower, the Yugis have been quiet as they've watched this sick battle play out before them. Now, the gentler Yugi braces himself on one of the tower's parapets, his violet-red eyes wide, a look of pained concern on his face as he looks in Seto's direction. Begging him. Pleading with him to find a way to end this peacefully.
The Other Yugi stands beside him, only inches apart, his back straight and his arms crossed. Though his expression usually leans toward tension, there's something sympathetic in his own red-violet eyes. He returns the nod just as respectfully. This is a Duel that he can find no joy in, no honor, no Justice. But he's so proud of his rival, and he trusts in him too.
Mokuba
Mokuba deciding to end his turn without a direct attack results in the worst possible outcome. As the great and terrifying dragon of light materializes on the field, the youngest Kaiba can't help but take half a step backwards in awe. His eyes go wide, his grip tightening on the cards in his hand.
He can't breathe.
His stormy eyes meet sapphire as they watch the mascot of their company, his brother's favorite card-- come to life before him--
Wait
No
[ He loves that dragon more than you and you know it. ]
Mokuba stomps a foot in frustration as he snaps himself out of whatever had overcome him, just in time to hear the Imposter-- the fake-- the Man Who Stole Their Company-- his brother-- order an attack. He expects it to be Archfiend, a guaranteed hit. Then he expects that face down card to turn over and reveal something like Metalmorph, something to turn this Duel against him.
Instead, he watches as the two great dragons, evenly matched, go head to head. As they destroy each other and themselves, both falling to their own graves on opposite sides of the rooftop.
He feels himself shake
NOA
[ On his own tower, Noa Kaiba swells with arrogance, his once gentle mask long since fallen away. No, he wears an openly wicked smirk, one hand on his slender hips as he watches the show before him. He's been quiet, but what does he need to say? Mokuba is already doing such a good job speaking for him.
As he watches the great White Dragon finally take the stage, a wicked idea comes to mind. He'd already left the other parties to their own devices when this battle began, allowing their monstrous opponents and puzzles to run on autopilot in the background. But with a flick of his wrist and a few electrical pulses, that all changes in an instant.
Two more towers rise up from the ground below, forming corners around the rooftop. The sky above each turns briefly to shimmering cyan honeycombs that fall away, creating holes in the sky itself. And from those holes tumble the heroes deemeed uninteresting to this world's diety, now cast as spectators to this awful game.
On one tower land Madison Rook, Levant and Téa, on the other, Joey, Duke, and an odd robotic monkey named Tristan.
"Welcome, my esteemed guests, to the downfall of Seto Kaiba!!! Huh. I'm surprised to see that you've all made it," Noa purrs. But he doesn't give the newcomers more than a second to collect themselves.
"Look!! You're just in time!!"
As the two dragons destroy each other, he can't hold back his gleeful laughter any longer.
Noa claps in applause ]
Seto Kaiba
Heedless of Noa's displays, Seto Kaiba stands steadfast, head held high but arms resting by his side, white coat billowing from the rush of air the dragons caused before they dissipated into smoke. He gazes at Mokuba, warm pride in his eyes and a slight, rueful smile on his lips.
"I end my turn."
He'll be killed next turn, and he's so incredibly proud of his Little Brother.
