"Again?!"
Another familiar tremor hit, causing Hoshino to stumble. She looked on in disbelief at Kaiba, who stood perfectly still with his arms crossed, his stance synchronized with the shaking as if it were nothing.
Mokuba frantically worked the control panel, his fingers flying over the keys, but nothing seed to help. "Big Brother! The airship—it's heading towards…"
"The ocean!"
"What do you an, heading towards the ocean?!" Hoshino couldn't help but retort. "If we're going to crash, just say so! Who are you fooling with this nonsense?"
"No, look at the ocean, Hoshino-nee!" Akasha, sohow still able to jump up and peer out the window despite the violent shaking, pointed outside.
Hoshino, realizing her earlier worry about Akasha had been unnecessary, followed her gaze. Erging from the sea was a massive structure, throwing up towering waves as it rose.
The pitch-black building, reinforced with thick outer armor, looked exactly like the fortress Hoshino had imagined in her worst nightmares.
"So this is the underwater fortress Noah ntioned?"
"To think such a huge base was hidden beneath the waters near Death-T Island… Noah Kaiba!" Kaiba growled through clenched teeth, helplessly watching as his airship was slowly guided into the fortress through a massive opening.
.
..
...
Inside the Fortress
The spacious interior of the fortress was coated with barnacles and seaweed, clear evidence of its prolonged disuse in the damp underwater environnt. It hardly seed like a place where anyone could live, and Hoshino refused to believe otherwise.
Noah's voice echoed once again:
"Welco to my abode~ Though I lack a physical body, the facilities here have gone unused."
"What's going on now?" Jonouchi asked, scanning their surroundings as the airship finally ca to a halt.
This ti, Noah's voice emanated from the fortress itself rather than the airship.
"Now, I ask everyone to disembark~"
"You think we'll just get off because you said so?!" Jonouchi, frustrated, raised his fist toward the empty fortress.
Whirr—
The sound of chanical movent echoed ominously through the space.
"Look out, Jonouchi!" Hoshino, sensing danger, shouted a warning.
A burst of gunfire erupted as mounted guns inside the fortress fired in Jonouchi's direction. The bullets shattered the control room's glass with ease.
Jonouchi, having stepped back just in ti thanks to Hoshino's warning, stared in shock at the bullet holes riddling the spot where he had been standing monts earlier.
"Oniichan!" Shizuka cried out in fear.
Jonouchi quickly reassured her, "I'm fine! Don't co over here, Shizuka!"
"Jonouchi, it's better not to act recklessly in this situation. Let's follow his instructions for now and get off the airship," Hoshino suggested, her tone steady as she lightly shook her wrist, where a bracelet was secured.
If things spiraled out of control, she wasn't sure how much power remained in the bracelet, but she knew she would act if necessary.
Though Noah ordered everyone to disembark, only those gathered in the control room complied. Marik, Ishizu, and the unconscious Odion were notably absent.
"Now, let introduce so old friends who've been eagerly awaiting you."
Blinding lights illuminated the cavernous space, dividing the abandoned fortress into two starkly contrasting worlds.
"Hahaha! Long ti no see, Seto Kaiba!"
The voice, dripping with sly malice, was eerily familiar to Hoshino.
"The Big Five?! You're still alive?!" Kaiba's expression hardened in shock as he recognized the voices.
"The Big Five?!" Hoshino echoed, the na resurfacing in her mory after Kaiba's reaction. "Aren't they the ones who sacrificed their souls to the Five-Headed Dragon in the VR world? Weren't they sealed away in that place?"
Five middle-aged n of varying builds stepped out from the illuminated space. Their leader spoke smugly:
"Thanks to Lord Noah, of course. Though our bodies were completely destroyed, our consciousness was extracted and digitized."
"So your bodies were destroyed…" Kaiba began.
"Exactly," Noah interrupted smoothly. "This is the virtual projection system you pride yourself on, Seto, but it's far more advanced than you think~"
As Noah continued, the Big Five chid in: "Next, we'll invite you into a world that surpasses the system you designed—a true virtual world!"
Kaiba's eyes widened. "A true virtual world?!"
The space around them warped and twisted, transforming the abandoned fortress into an entirely new environnt. Sunlight, beaches, and lush vegetation suddenly appeared, creating the illusion of a deserted island.
"This… is a virtual projection? It feels like a real world!" Hoshino marveled, noting the stark difference from the VR ga chambers they had used in the past. Unlike those chambers, this environnt didn't require external devices—a complete world had unfolded before their eyes.
"Now we'll play a fun little ga," Noah declared, his voice still disembodied. "Seto, your favorite: Duel Monsters!"
"Duel Monsters?" Kaiba smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Noah, do you seriously think these pathetic lackeys of yours can defeat , Seto Kaiba, in a duel?"
"Ha! You'll find out after the duel!" The Big Five grinned smugly, their sinister intentions evident.
"In this virtual world, we'll be using the Deck Master rules. The details will be explained during the duel!"
The Big Five added, "But one thing must be clear: everyone must duel, and if you lose, we'll take your body in the real world!"
"Our bodies will be taken?!" The thought of her body being possessed by these grotesque n made Hoshino recoil in horror.
"Now, enjoy this death ga where you gamble your bodies!"
At Noah's command, the scenery shattered like glass. The virtual world seed to expand infinitely, and Hoshino felt the distance between her and her companions growing wider.
"What's happening?!" Hoshino exclaid as the fractured space reassembled itself. Though she hadn't physically moved, it felt as though she had been transported to a completely different location.
Looking around, she realized only Anzu and Shizuka were with her.
"Hoshino, where are we?" Shizuka asked nervously.
"And where are the others?" Anzu added, her voice trembling slightly.
Hoshino carefully observed their surroundings before answering. "It seems they grouped us together. Was it intentional or just a coincidence?"
"That's great, with Hoshino here!" Anzu let out a sigh of relief, clearly reassured to have Hoshino by her side.
The surroundings had shifted from a deserted island to a vast, snow-white ice field. Despite the icy appearance, the virtual world's oddity made it so they couldn't feel the cold.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you both!" Hoshino declared, thumping her chest in a gesture of confidence. Though she hadn't fully grasped the situation herself, she could see that Anzu and Shizuka, who lacked combat abilities, were feeling far more uneasy.
Playing the role of a knight in shining armor wasn't too bad for once, though Hoshino figured she could probably count herself as part of the "damsel in distress" she was protecting.
"Good, my deck's still here," Hoshino muttered, relieved as she patted the card box at her waist before inserting her deck into the duel disk mounted on her arm.
Wait—where did the duel disks co from? Just like last ti in the VR ga world, as soon as they entered the virtual realm, duel disks had automatically appeared on their arms. This wasn't unique to Hoshino—even Anzu and Shizuka had them.
"Oh? You brought your own deck? How interesting," an aged, steady voice echoed, and one of the Five Great Executives appeared before the trio.
"Lord Noah even went to the trouble of gathering card data from the KaibaCorp archives to provide decks for those without one, ensuring everyone could duel."
Seeing the first opponent finally make an appearance, Hoshino quickly activated her duel disk, ready for battle. "No need for that—I can take down a small fry like you all by myself!"
The man before her, appearing to be the eldest of the Big Five, seed close to a grandfatherly age. For so reason, Hoshino felt an imdiate and inexplicable aversion to him—probably because...
"Humph, humph! As long as I can take your body, my years-long dream can finally co true," the old man said with a disgusting laugh, confirming Hoshino's suspicions.
"Ugh..." A shiver ran down Hoshino's spine as she instinctively took a step back. That was exactly why she found this old man so repulsive.
"At long last, I can have the wonderful body of a high school girl!"
Yep, that was it. Deliberately grouping the three high school girls together and targeting their bodies could only an this old man was a complete and utter creep.
"I am Adrian Randolph Crump III, forr head of HR at KaibaCorp, age 55! I've dread of being reborn as a cute high school girl, and I am forever grateful to Lord Noah for giving this chance!"
"Disgusting! Go away!" Shizuka scread in horror, clinging to Anzu, utterly unprepared to deal with such high-level perversion.
Hoshino and Anzu weren't exactly seasoned at handling this kind of situation either.
"I won't let you get away with this, you disgusting old creep!" Hoshino exclaid, stepping forward to shield Anzu and Shizuka.
"I will risk my life to stop you!"
This wasn't an exaggeration—she'd rather die than let her body be taken over by soone so vile.
"Very well, then let's duel! Deck Master Mode, activate!" Crump declared, powering up his duel disk.
"Deck Master?" Hoshino asked, puzzled. Although Noah had ntioned the Deck Master rules earlier, he hadn't elaborated on how they worked.
"First, designate your Deck Master!" Crump drew a card from his deck and held it up.
"My Deck Master is: [Nightmare Penguin]!"
A massive penguin in a suit and bowler hat materialized behind Crump, exuding an ominous presence.
Looking at her own deck, Hoshino scratched her head. "Designate a Deck Master, huh?" Without understanding what a Deck Master even was, she had no idea how to choose.
"Alright, I'll leave it to fate!" With no other choice, Hoshino drew the top card from her deck. At tis like these, it was best to trust in her deck.
"Master, I'm just a second-rate knight. Are you sure I'm fit to be the Deck Master?" The newly materialized Saber Lily looked nervously at Hoshino after being chosen.
Hoshino clenched her fists encouragingly. "It's fine! I trust you, Lily! Didn't you say last night that you wanted to grow stronger? This is your golden opportunity!"
"If you believe in that much, Master..." Lily tightened her grip on her holy sword, her gaze firming with determination.
"I'll make sure not to let you down as your Deck Master!"
"Ah, what a cute choice for a Deck Master—very fitting for a high school girl," Crump sneered, his gaze lingering unpleasantly on the serious Saber Lily standing protectively behind Hoshino.
"But my Nightmare Penguin is no slouch either. Let's begin the duel!"
[Hoshino Chiyuki VS Adrian Randolph Crump III]
[Duel!]
Crump drew his cards first. "Allow to explain the effects of Deck Masters as I take the first move!"
"First, I summon [Flying Penguin] in Attack Position!"
[Flying Penguin ★★★★ (Level 4)][WATER][Aqua][ATK 1200/DEF 1000]
A penguin with oversized, floppy ears flapped them, hovering awkwardly in mid-air.
Looking at the monster in front of her, Hoshino couldn't help but smirk. "Bringing out such a weak monster with no effects... seems like the Big Five aren't all that impressive."
"Next, I activate [Nightmare Penguin]'s Deck Master effect to Special Summon it in Defense Position!"
Without any visible action from Crump, another penguin appeared on his field.
[Nightmare Penguin ★★★★ (Level 4)][WATER][Aqua/Effect][ATK 900/DEF 1800]
"This is one of the features of Deck Masters!"
[①: Deck Masters can be Special Summoned directly to the field.]
"So that's how it works," Anzu comnted, a bit regretfully. "If Hoshino had picked a high-level monster as her leader, it would've been even better."
"Don't worry, Anzu! I have full confidence in Lily's ability to be a great Deck Master!" Hoshino said confidently. If her opponent hadn't chosen a high-level monster either, then Deck Leaders must have unique traits that went beyond raw power.
"Here's the second feature of Deck Masters!"
[②: Deck Masters have unique abilities, different from the original card effects.]
"The Deck Master ability of Nightmare Penguin increases the ATK and DEF of all WATER monsters on the field by 500 points!"
[Flying Penguin ATK 1200 → 1700]
[Nightmare Penguin DEF 1800 → 2300]
"The effects are not written on the card itself..." Hoshino murmured, finally grasping what made Deck Masters unique.
"So it's basically a duel of who can co up with the best nonsense!"
(*****)
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