It was a city he had never seen before. The skyline was shaped by strange towers like something from a science fiction film, rising high into the sky. Instead of concrete and glass, the structures seemed to shift in color and texture with the light, making the entire city look like a giant gem.
Yugen paused and looked down at his body. His sight, touch, and every other sense felt completely real.
Yet instinct told him this was a false world.
"Pretty shocking, right?" Mokuba Kaiba appeared beside him with a smile. "Since this is still just a test model, we're using our real world appearances. Otherwise, you could log in with any virtual form you like."
"A fully immersive online Duel Monsters?" Yugen asked.
"Not exactly like what you see in fiction," Mokuba Kaiba said after a moment of thought. "But in terms of results, you can think of it that way."
"The prototype for this technology existed many years ago, even before my brother and I took over the company. Our adoptive father, Seto Kaiba, had already developed something quite mature."
Yugen knew what he was referring to. That was the virtual world created during the Noah incident, when Seto Kaiba uploaded his son's consciousness into a military supercomputer owned by Kaiba Corporation. The data had grown into a powerful AI and built a massive virtual space before it was eventually destroyed.
The core technology, however, had clearly been preserved by Seto Kaiba. On that foundation, they had developed this system, Link System, a vast virtual world like a giant open online Duel Monsters. According to the president's vision, Duelists around the world would be able to log in and Duel online without being limited by location.
Yugen could not help thinking of the sixth series of Yu-Gi-Oh!, where most Duels took place inside an online Duel Monsters called Link Vrains. Although that story was set in a parallel world, it felt like a distant future.
If that was the case, then what Seto Kaiba was developing now might be connected to that future in some way.
He quietly called out to Silent Magician. A moment later, the silver haired mage drifted out from the Deck loaded in his Duel Disk in spirit form and tilted her head.
"What is it?"
"Nothing. Just checking," Yugen replied with a small smile.
Silent Magician looked at him in silence.
He had not called her for no reason. This confirmed that even though his consciousness was projected into a data world, the power of Spirits still functioned here, and destiny related abilities likely worked the same way.
That was not surprising. Supernatural power followed its own rules, and even a digital space could not block it. In the original story, when the AI Noah tried to take over Yugi Muto's body inside the virtual world, he had been struck back by the power of the Millennium Puzzle.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Mokuba Kaiba said proudly. "Right now it's only accessible to testers. But once the facilities are complete, Duelists around the world will be able to Duel freely no matter where they are."
"My brother invited you to participate in the 'Duel City GX' tournament before, right? We're considering holding this year's event inside Link System as an online competition. It could even serve as the system's opening ceremony."
He suddenly stopped mid sentence.
A message from technicians at Kaiba Corporation had come in.
"Illegal login? In here?" Mokuba Kaiba frowned. "But Link System hasn't even been officially opened yet."
He seemed to think of something. "Could it be that hacker from last time?"
"We're not sure, sir," the technician replied. "But we've detected an abnormal data space inside Link System. We're attempting to remove it."
"No. Send me the coordinates first," Mokuba Kaiba interrupted. "I'll take a look myself."
"Yes, sir."
After receiving the coordinates from Headquarters, Mokuba Kaiba snapped his fingers. The scenery around them twisted at once, and the world spun.
In the blink of an eye, they had been transferred to another corner of the virtual map.
That was part of Mokuba Kaiba's administrator authority, allowing him to teleport freely between locations.
The place where they arrived was completely different from before. In front of them stood a gloomy ancient castle. Unlike the futuristic buildings they had just seen, its outer walls were worn and stained, and its long shadow stretched across the ground like a lurking monster.
Mokuba Kaiba frowned. "Strange. We never designed an area like this."
"Of course you didn't."
A voice came from the shadows.
A man in black clothes and sunglasses stepped out slowly with a smile. "Our master designed this. It exists in the shadow of your bright and beautiful virtual world."
"So you're the hackers who invaded our company?" Mokuba Kaiba asked calmly. "Who are you? What do you want?"
The man chuckled instead of answering directly.
"Since you've discovered us, removing our base from Link System would be easy for Kaiba Corporation, wouldn't it?" he said. "But if you do that, you won't get the answers you're looking for."
Mokuba Kaiba crossed his arms and smiled faintly. "I hear conditions in your tone. What do you propose?"
"Simple. We'll decide it using the rule President Seto Kaiba values most, and the only rule that truly exists in Link System."
The man revealed his Duel Disk and Deck.
"Let's Duel. If you win, we'll hand over the answers to any question you want."
In the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!, everything could be settled with a card game.
Just as Yugen assumed the story would move into the usual Duel, Mokuba Kaiba suddenly cut in with a look of disgust. "No."
The man blinked in confusion.
Wait, why are you not following the script? Was it not a rule that anyone from the Kaiba family would accept a Duel the moment it was proposed?
"First of all, I already know who you are," Mokuba Kaiba said calmly, hands in his pockets.
"Kirk Dixon, right? Formerly under Industrial Illusions. More precisely, one of the elite 'Card Professors Team' under Yako Tenma, correct?"
Yako Tenma was the adopted son of Maximillion Pegasus from a side story and the holder of one of the Three Dark God cards that opposed the Egyptian God Cards. He once commanded a full squad of Card Professor elites, each a top Duelist of their time. Back then, Yugi Muto had fought through that entire team before finally reaching him.
By the logic of "having fought the Duel King," that whole squad could indeed be called Legendary Duelists.
The man's eyes widened. "How do you know that?!"
"Come on, you are underestimating Kaiba Corporation," Mokuba Kaiba said flatly. "What made you think such a simple disguise could fool us?"
"Damn, so I was exposed. Those technicians are useless."
Data flowed across his body as his virtual image used Release. The tough agent in black and sunglasses instantly turned into a short man with glasses and a slightly sneaky look.
"Fine. My name is Kirk Dixon, an elite Card Professor under Lord Pegasus."
Mokuba Kaiba frowned. "Kaiba Corporation and Industrial Illusions resolved their conflict years ago. We have maintained stable cooperation ever since. Why infiltrate our system?"
"Heh. Want to know?"
Kirk adjusted his glasses and sneered.
"If you want to know, then…""
"No need. I can go to Industrial Illusions and ask Maximillion Pegasus directly." Mokuba Kaiba raised his hand. "I will remove you from the system first."
Kirk froze in shock.
Nani?!? Still refusing to Duel? This was not how it was supposed to go.
If Seto Kaiba were here, he would likely never refuse a Duel. But Mokuba Kaiba was not Seto Kaiba. In fact, his usual role was being kidnapped so villains could threaten the president into playing cards.
Everyone knew there were eight Millennium Items in the original story. Yugi Muto's grandfather and Seto Kaiba's younger brother were jokingly called the eighth sacred item, the Millennium Host, whose effect was to push the plot forward.
"How about," Yugen interrupted, "I try against him?"
Mokuba Kaiba glanced sideways at him.