A brilliant torrent of destructive white light shot directly toward Jamie, kicking up a wall of dust and smoke around him.
Kaiba stared into the cloud, a faint sense of disappointment creeping into his chest.
Alongside it came anger.
Anger at having allowed himself to be deceived.
‘So that was all it amounted to.’ Perhaps he really had been foolish enough to let a few sophisticated holograms and an absurd story shake his judgment.
“If this is all you’re capable of, then you’ll pay for wasting my time.” Kaiba’s expression darkened.
Perhaps he had simply desired greater power too badly.
Or perhaps, somewhere deep inside him, there was still something resembling fear toward Yugi Muto.
Even while possessing Blue-Eyes White Dragon and one of the Egyptian Gods, Kaiba continued seeking more strength.
Was it because some part of him still believed that even these cards were not enough to guarantee victory over Yugi?
Kaiba slowly shook his head and looked up at the magnificent Blue-Eyes White Dragon standing before him, her body shining like sculpted white jade.
“Perhaps I should place more faith in the invincible Blue-Eyes.” “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Kaiba’s eyes widened.
“What?!” The smoke cleared.
Jamie’s Life Points had not moved.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon’s attack had dealt absolutely no damage.
Jamie brushed a little dust from his clothes and smiled.
“A Blue-Eyes at this level still has a long way to go.
In the future, Blue-Eyes has plenty of other possibilities.” He was, of course, referring to the wonderfully amusing fact that Blue-Eyes would one day become a World Championship-winning Deck and then escape the banlist without receiving a single direct hit.
Kaiba’s attention immediately shifted away from the failed attack.
“What do you mean by ‘other possibilities for Blue-Eyes’?!” It was his ace monster.
Why didn’t he know about those possibilities?
Why did some stranger know more about Blue-Eyes than he did?
An inexplicable irritation flared inside Kaiba.
Jamie merely smiled.
“When you attacked, I activated the Graveyard effect of Dinomorphia Reversion.
While my Life Points are 2000 or lower, if I’m about to take battle damage during damage calculation, I can banish Reversion from my Graveyard and reduce that battle damage to zero.” His explanation went almost completely ignored.
Kaiba cared about only one thing.
“What are these future possibilities of Blue-Eyes?!” “If it’s your own card, ask her yourself.” Jamie shrugged.
“Duel Monster spirits exist, so don’t give me that ‘I only believe in science’ routine.” Duelists in this era had an alarming tendency to spontaneously print whatever cards they needed.
If Jamie actually told Kaiba everything Blue-Eyes would receive in the future, he half expected the man to start producing new support cards in the middle of their Duel.
Jamie grinned.
“Or you can defeat me.
Then I’ll tell you everything.” “Hmph!
Fine!” Kaiba swept his white coat back dramatically, and a level of fighting spirit Jamie had not seen from him before ignited in his eyes.
“I Set one card and end my turn!
I’ll defeat you soon enough, and then you’ll tell me everything!” [Seto Kaiba: Hand 5 → 3] “Sure.
If you can manage it.” Jamie drew for his turn.
He examined the card, shuffled the cards in his hand a few times, but made no immediate move.
Instead, he looked at Kaiba.
“Seto Kaiba, let me ask you something.” Kaiba frowned.
“Why do you Duel?” “Why do I Duel?
Obviously, it’s because…” Kaiba’s mouth opened.
Then stopped.
For perhaps the first time, he realized he had never seriously asked himself that question.
Why did he Duel?
At the beginning, perhaps it had been to protect Mokuba.
After taking KaibaCorp from his adoptive father, Kaiba had still been a minor struggling to establish authority inside his own company.
Duel Monsters had begun sweeping across the world around that same time, prompting KaibaCorp to shift its business toward gaming under his direction.
After overcoming enormous difficulties to acquire Blue-Eyes White Dragon, the strongest monster card he knew, Kaiba had begun winning Duel after Duel.
Those victories had helped him establish himself.
Back then, everything he did had been about protecting himself and protecting his brother.
Had that been his original reason?
Had he become a Duelist because he wanted to protect Mokuba?
Then what came afterward?
What about now?
Kaiba unconsciously began questioning himself.
Later, Pegasus’s actions had drawn him back into Dueling at Duelist Kingdom, once again because Mokuba needed his protection.
But now Kaiba had firmly established himself inside KaibaCorp.
Mokuba could live safely.
So what did Dueling mean to him now?
Protecting the life they had finally built?
Creating KaibaLand parks across the world?
Or defeating…
Yugi Muto.
Kaiba’s gaze hardened.
“I Duel to win.” That was his answer.
“I have to be the best at anything I choose to do!” Kaiba declared.
“If I’ve become a Duelist, then I’ll become the strongest Duelist there is!” “I fight, and I win.
That’s why I Duel!” “I see…” Jamie smiled.
“Then you and I really aren’t the same kind of person.” He did not sound disappointed.
“But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
That hunger inside you will keep driving you toward the very top, and you have more than enough talent to make that climb.” Kaiba’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“You’re a damn good Duelist.
If you can hold on to that mindset without losing yourself completely in your obsession with victory, then there are certain responsibilities I could eventually entrust to you.” Jamie was thoroughly satisfied with how things were progressing.
Kaiba was slowly stepping into the role Jamie had prepared for him.
If Jamie had walked up to Seto Kaiba at the very beginning and asked him something as sentimental as why he Dued, Kaiba’s pride would have dismissed the question without a second thought.
The fact that Jamie could now guide him into seriously considering it and giving a genuine answer meant that Kaiba had already begun acknowledging him on some subconscious level.
At the very least, Kaiba was no longer rejecting everything Jamie said outright.
“Hmph!
Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Kaiba replied.
“Unless you can defeat me completely, everything you say is still nothing more than empty talk.” His words sounded dismissive, but the curiosity in his eyes remained unmistakable.
Kaiba was a genius and, in his own way, a scientist.
Someone like him could never completely suppress his curiosity toward the unknown.
“So what about you?” Kaiba asked.
“Why do you Duel?
Someone who keeps talking about saving the world must have some suitably grandiose answer.” “No, no.
You’ve misunderstood me.” Jamie smiled and waved a hand.
“Whatever responsibilities I carry have nothing to do with why I became a Duelist.
My original reason for Dueling hasn’t changed, and it never will.
If anything, the more important things become, the more important it is to remember why you started.” Jamie looked toward the sky.
“When you’re being worn down by an endless passage of time, holding on to your original self is the only way to keep that time from erasing who you are.” His gaze returned to Kaiba.
“So whether we’re talking about the very beginning, right now, or whatever comes later, my reason for Dueling will always stay the same.” Jamie smiled.
“I Duel because it’s fun.” Kaiba stared at him.
“Because I want to laugh.” Jamie spread his hands.
“Dueling started as a game, and games are supposed to bring people joy.
No matter how much meaning Duel Monsters gains later, no matter how heavy the stakes become, that doesn’t change the most basic thing.” “Duels are meant to be played with a smile.” “That’s all.” “No matter who I’m facing or what Deck I’m using, I’m going to enjoy myself.” Jamie looked down at his hand.
“My turn isn’t over yet.” A playful glint entered his eyes.
“I’m about to start the real performance.
Ready?”