Chapter 408: Sacrifice
[TL/N: Read my new work - Detective Conan: I'm a Succubus?!]
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"Fuu~"
Kaiba, still reeling from the devastating lightning attack, forced his battered body to stand once more.
Despite his clear disadvantage, there wasn't even a hint of defeat on his face.
Instead, he did what any self-respecting duelist in his position would do—he started laughing like a classic three-part maniac.
"Hahahaha… hahahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
"You've actually managed to push me this far… I'm growing more and more curious about your true identity!"
Then, as if drawing power from the very depths of his soul, Kaiba—despite having no cards in his hand and an empty field—exuded pure arrogance as he reached for his deck.
"Now then…"
"My turn! Draw!"
—WHOOSH—
Nami blinked.
For a split second, she swore she saw Kaiba's deck emit a dazzling white light.
"Finally seeing something different, are we?"
Sensing the strange power surging within Kaiba, Nami's eyes flickered with intrigue.
Kaiba drew his card and, without hesitation, slammed it onto his duel disk.
"I activate the Spell Card—[Card of Sanctity]!"
"This allows both players to draw until they have six cards in their hand!"
"Huh? That's an interesting move."
As her hand suddenly filled with new cards, Nami couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
She had to admit—Kaiba wasn't just some overconfident duelist.
Unlike small fries like Weevil, this man truly deserved his title as a top-tier competitor.
Even when cornered, he could recover in an instant.
Kaiba glanced at the six new cards in his hand, and his trademark smirk returned.
"Hahahaha…"
"As expected… the goddess of fate is on my side!"
"Now, allow me to show you the power of a GOD!!!"
"I activate the effect of [Thunder Dragon] from my hand!"
"By discarding this card, I can add two more [Thunder Dragons] from my deck to my hand!"
Kaiba held up his newly acquired cards dramatically.
"Then, I activate the Spell—[Fusion]!"
"I fuse the two [Thunder Dragons] in my hand!!!"
With confidence radiating from him, Kaiba revealed the cards before tossing them into the graveyard alongside [Fusion].
"Come forth—[Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon]!"
Golden lightning crackled across Kaiba's field. The two [Thunder Dragons] merged under the force of magic, twisting together into a monstrous, two-headed dragon!
[Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon – ATK 2800]
But Kaiba wasn't done.
A monster with only 2800 ATK wasn't nearly enough to justify his arrogance.
He pulled another card from his hand.
"Next, I activate the Spell—[De-Fusion]!"
"This allows me to separate [Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon] back into its original components—bringing two [Thunder Dragons] to my field!"
Without even using his Normal Summon for the turn, Kaiba had managed to fill his field with monsters.
And with three monsters on his side…
Nami already knew what was coming.
Only one thing could make Kaiba so confident in a seemingly hopeless situation…
A power that didn't belong to him…
A power that transcended this world…
A god from ancient Egypt!
Kaiba let out a low chuckle.
"You may be strong…"
"But before the power of a god, all things are meaningless!"
"I activate the Spell—[Soul Exchange]!"
"This allows me to tribute monsters on both sides of the field for an advanced summon!"
Kaiba's voice thundered through the battlefield.
"I offer your [Giganta Max Pikachu] and my two [Thunder Dragons] as tributes…!!!"
"Superior Summon—Obelisk the Tormentor!!!"
"Come forth—my GOD CARD!!!"
A blinding aura engulfed the colossal Pikachu and both Thunder Dragons.
In the next moment, they dissolved into three glowing spheres and shot toward the heavens.
Then—
The once-bright sky turned pitch black, swallowed by swirling storm clouds.
A deafening crack of thunder shook the battlefield.
From the heavens, a massive vortex spiraled open, arcs of electric-blue lightning tearing through the sky.
A shadow—vast, imposing—emerged from the eye of the storm, its very presence shaking the world itself.
BOOM!
As lightning illuminated the battlefield, an enormous figure descended, towering behind Kaiba like a god of destruction.
Obelisk the Tormentor had arrived.
For a brief moment, all of Duel City seemed to freeze.
People stopped in their tracks, their gazes drawn instinctively to the monstrous entity looming over the battlefield.
A Titan among mortals.
Obelisk lowered its head, its crimson eyes glowing with an ominous, bloodthirsty light as it fixed its gaze on Nami.
A crushing pressure bore down upon her—a force so overwhelming it felt like it could crush her very soul.
But then—
"Hmph."
A simple scoff.
Soft, almost dismissive.
And yet—
In an instant, the entire force of Obelisk's oppressive presence was shattered.
Like glass breaking, the suffocating aura surrounding Nami vanished.
Even the dark storm clouds overhead scattered.
Obelisk—the mighty god—froze in place.
A single step echoed across the battlefield.
Kaiba's ultimate monster—the very embodiment of divine wrath—stood motionless.
It hesitated.
Nami slowly raised her head, her gaze sharp as she stared directly into Obelisk's eyes.
For the first time since its summoning, Obelisk flinched.
Because at this moment, it realized something.
The opponent standing before it—was not an ordinary existence.
Nami was a dimensional merchant from the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce.
Her fate stood above all creatures in this world.
To her, this "God" was nothing more than an echo from an A-rank world.
A mere projection.
And something that was merely a projection had no right—no authority—to threaten her.
Dueling by the rules of this world was nothing more than a game for Nami.
A way to pass time, to collect points, to indulge in some entertainment.
But if anyone truly thought she lacked the power to flip the board entirely…
Then they were gravely mistaken.
She would not tolerate such disrespect.
Obelisk—accustomed to being a supreme force in its own world—had attempted to exert its dominance over Nami.
And Nami… simply refused.
With nothing more than a look.
For a moment, the atmosphere grew tense, an awkward silence settling over the scene.
Though he wasn't sure what had just happened, Kaiba felt an inexplicable chill crawl up his spine.
His gaze flickered between Nami—who remained composed despite the overwhelming presence of Obelisk—and the godly figure looming behind him. Finally, suppressing his lingering unease, he let out a breath and spoke.
"Due to the effect of [Soul Exchange], I can't attack this turn." He hesitated before placing a card onto the field. "So, I'll set one card and end my turn."
Nami's eyes gleamed. "Is it my turn?"
She glanced at the Obelisk behind Kaiba, a knowing smirk tugging at her lips.
"Then let's end this duel."
She reached for her deck, drawing a card with a deliberate motion. It was as if this very moment had been waiting for her all along.
"Since I have no monsters on my field, I activate the effect of [Poké Ball] from my deck, adding it to my hand."
Without pause, she played the newly acquired card.
"Next, I activate [Poké Ball]'s effect to Special Summon [Caterpie] from my deck!"
A bright flash accompanied the card's projection as a small, green caterpillar materialized before her.
Beneath its innocent, almost fragile appearance, its large, steady eyes shone with wisdom.
[Caterpie, ATK: 300]
Kaiba's lips curled into a smirk, his signature arrogance resurfacing.
"Another weak monster?!" He scoffed, shaking his head. Even though he had seen firsthand how strange and unpredictable Nami's deck could be, he couldn't resist the urge to taunt.
It was practically in his DNA—if he didn't mock his opponent during a duel, he might as well not be Seto Kaiba at all!
"It's useless! Next turn, Obelisk's power will wipe out your entire field!" His voice dripped with confidence. "Everything you're doing now is just a futile struggle!"
Though his words were laced with bravado, deep down, a part of him held onto that belief.
As long as he could activate Obelisk's effect next turn, he would erase every monster from Nami's field. Then, with its overwhelming 4000 ATK, he would deliver the final blow, securing his victory.
However...
Instead of reacting to his taunts, Nami simply raised an eyebrow and let out a quiet sigh.
"...What a shame."
Her voice was soft, almost regretful.
Kaiba frowned. "What did you just say?"
She met his gaze, her expression unreadable. "You have the potential to become much stronger," she murmured. "So why rely on a power that doesn't even belong to you?"
Kaiba's scowl deepened. "Tch. What nonsense are you spouting now?"
But Nami wasn't interested in debating. She had already drawn another card.
"Activate Equip Spell—[Armament Haki]!"
A surge of energy rippled through the air as dark, metallic energy cloaked Caterpie's small form, enhancing its presence.
"This card increases the equipped monster's ATK and DEF by 1000 per star level. Since Caterpie is a 1-star monster, its ATK rises by 1000."
[Caterpie, ATK: 300 → 1300]
Kaiba narrowed his eyes as Caterpie, now enveloped in a dense aura, no longer seemed so insignificant.
But Nami wasn't finished.
"I activate another Equip Spell—[Observation Haki]!"
She held the card up dramatically before playing it onto the field.
"This card's effect allows me to peek at a number of your cards equal to my monster's star level. Since Caterpie has one star, I can inspect one card."
Her gaze flicked toward Kaiba's field before a knowing smile crossed her lips.
"And since you only have one set card... I'll take a look at that."
A bead of sweat rolled down Kaiba's temple.
"Damn it..."
Under the influence of Nami's ability, he had no choice but to reveal his facedown card.
"[Interdimensional Matter Transporter]..."
"The effect allows you to temporarily remove a monster from play for one turn," Nami mused, studying the revealed card with a small smirk. "Looks like you're out of options."
Kaiba clenched his fists. "Tch! Big words for someone who hasn't even dealt with my god yet!"
His frustration flared as he realized he was losing control of the duel's momentum. No matter how powerful his Obelisk the Tormentor was, something about the girl standing before him made him uneasy.
For the first time in a long while, Seto Kaiba was starting to feel cornered.
However, Nami remained unfazed by Kaiba's taunts.
"That guy? Why would I waste my time taking down that oversized hunk of metal!?"
Her gaze sharpened, locking onto Kaiba.
"After all, I'm dueling you, Seto Kaiba—not some Obelisk!"
With a flick of her wrist, she placed another card onto the field.
"I activate my third Equip Spell—[Navy Form 6]!"
Kaiba's eyes narrowed.
"Another Equip Card?!"
His confidence wavered slightly. Three unfamiliar Equip Spells in a row—each seemingly tailored to Nami's strategy—were beginning to gnaw at his usually unshakable composure.
A bad feeling crept into his mind.
And sure enough...
Nami's smirk widened. "The effect of [Navy Form 6] lets me choose one of six abilities per turn."
She raised her hand dramatically.
"This turn, the ability I'm activating is... Moon Step!"
Her next words made Kaiba's stomach drop.
"This allows my equipped Pokémon to attack you directly!"
"What!?"
Kaiba's expression twisted in shock.
That uneasy feeling inside him finally took shape—he now recognized it for what it was.
The taste of defeat.
Nami wasted no time. She waved her hand and shouted, "Caterpie, attack Kaiba directly!"
"Use Impact!"
"Chirp~!"
The fully armed Caterpie launched itself into the air!
Its tiny tail flickered, almost like a miniature booster, propelling it forward with bursts of compressed air. The insect Pokémon soared high before rocketing toward Kaiba with breakneck speed.
There was no hesitation. No unnecessary movement.
A dark, metallic-coated body descended from above—striking Kaiba head-on.
"AAAAAHHHH!!!"
Despite being just a virtual projection, the impact sent Kaiba hurtling backward. His body crashed against the ground, his health bar instantly dropping to zero.
[Seto Kaiba, LP: 1000 → 0]
A heavy silence followed.
Kaiba lay on the ground, staring blankly at the sky.
"I... lost?" he muttered.
He clenched his fists. "Even with a god's power... I lost?"
The reality of his defeat was difficult to process.
If he had lost to Yugi, maybe—just maybe—he could've brushed it off with an empty laugh.
But losing to an unknown duelist?
That was a direct blow to his pride.
Yet, before he could dwell on the humiliation, Nami's voice cut through his thoughts.
"I won this duel."
She casually reached for his deck, plucking a single card from his Duel Disk.
"According to the rules, I get to take one card from your deck."
Kaiba's eyes widened in horror as she lifted Obelisk card for him to see.
"Just so you know what I'm taking," she said, her tone indifferent.
Under Kaiba's stunned, almost tearful gaze, Nami turned away, her long legs carrying her toward the next street.
She didn't even spare him a second glance.
As she turned a corner, Nami examined the [Obelisk's the Tormentor] in her hands.
The card resisted her touch, almost as if rejecting its new owner.
But instead of being concerned, a mischievous, almost devilish grin spread across her face.
"It's useless," she whispered.
"Now that you've fallen into my hands, just accept your fate."
The moment she said those words, Obelisk card vanished—its energy converting into Points.
Nami's Trade System flashed, her balance skyrocketing.
"Jackpot!" she cheered, her grin widening.
Satisfied with her victory, she made her way toward a nearby fast-food restaurant.
Her instincts told her there were at least two more cards in this city as valuable as Obelisk.
One was somewhere within Duel City.
The other? Floating on the sea near Domino City.
If their owners were strong enough to keep their cards until the semifinals, all she had to do was wait for the right moment—then snatch them away.
Nami's eyes glowed with excitement.
"Maybe this world... isn't so bad after all."