Being called "my lady" stunned little Kaima. She almost didn't realize the phrase was meant for her.
After all, since childhood, the servants of the Seth family had always addressed her as "young master."
My lady?
Anyone who dared say that back then would probably have been erased from existence by Reigun Seth, who was obsessed with Kaima's gender.
In truth, Kaima herself didn't mind the term, especially now, in her younger form. She cared even less.
But the fact that the first time she was ever called "my lady" was due to a misunderstanding… left her completely exasperated.
Ever since arriving in this bizarre place, her identity had been involuntarily tied to President Seto Kaiba of all people.
Just because their names sounded slightly similar… why were these people so fixated on it?!
And now that she could finally meet him, Kaima was determined to get a good look at this Kaiba Corporation president who kept making everyone assume he was her father.
Kaima commanded, "Hurry up and lead the way… What was your name again? Ah, right—Jinno! Move!"
Still bent in a bow, Jinno straightened at once. "Yes, my lady."
The air of command in her voice, so similar to President Kaiba's, only strengthened Jinno's conviction.
The girl before him was unmistakably the true heiress of KaibaCorp!
He became even more respectful. Even when opening the elevator and inviting them in, he kept his posture slightly bent forward.
The elevator's destination: Basement Level One.
Abruptly, when Chi saw the illuminated floor indicator, she exclaimed in confusion:
"Wait… your Basement Level One isn't the same as the one I was thinking of!"
Chi had assumed Jinno meant KaibaCorp's usual B1.
She had even wondered why President Kaiba would choose to meet someone in the company's B1, which was normally just a public supermarket level.
Perhaps… to pick out a gift for his long-lost daughter?
A whole supermarket's worth of goods to choose from—your typical overbearing CEO pampering-his-daughter storyline. Chi wouldn't have minded seeing that.
Anyhow, clearly, she was overthinking it.
Because the button Jinno pressed was located below the known basement floors.
A hidden floor button that only appeared with a special ID card—beneath even Basement Level 5.
The true Basement Level One, far below B5.
Genuinely deep underground.
The elevator passed B5 and kept descending. The long drop felt like several minutes before they finally heard the soft ding of arrival.
This was Kaima's second elevator ride today. She had already grown used to the gravity shifts; no discomfort at all.
Only shut-in Aisha, who lived her entire life inside the Millennium Puzzle, looked absolutely miserable—ashen-faced, clinging weakly to Miles.
"{>~<}"
"Just puke on the floor then!"
"That's gross…"
"Forgive my boldness, Miss Aisha… but what do you take me for?"
Puking on him wasn't gross?!
Still, Aisha wasn't entirely wrong to hesitate.
The floor of Basement Level One looked even newer and cleaner than the simulation chamber above. Clearly, almost no one ever set foot here. The futuristic metallic walls made it hard to believe this was deep underground.
"President Kaiba is just ahead," Jinno guided.
There were no branching paths; the vast underground space led straight forward.
After walking several hundred meters, a silver-white coat appeared in their field of vision—Kaiba's back.
"President, I've brought everyone."
"Good work, Jinno. You may leave us."
"Yes, sir!"
He immediately cleared out the unrelated personnel.
Before leaving, Jinno shot Chi a meaningful look—warning her to pray for herself since she had followed without permission.
Chi, of course, stuck out her tongue and made a face.
Kaiba remained quietly staring forward, where the massive underground chamber's only known operation was taking place.
The advanced, fully automated machinery worked so densely and rapidly that no one could clearly see what was being constructed.
It looked like some underground excavation project run by a billionaire mine owner.
"Hmph… the man who holds a God Card has finally arrived."
When the machinery paused, Kaiba slowly turned—finally facing Miles and the others.
Naturally, the first thing he saw was what mattered to him most.
The Millennium Puzzle hanging on Miles' chest.
After entering the obelisk tower's inner space and regaining a physical form, Miles had taken the Puzzle from Aisha—now wearing it himself.
And Kaiba caught that detail immediately.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So it is true!"
Throwing his head back, Kaiba let out an unrestrained, villain-class laugh—his excitement echoing across the underground chamber.
"The Millennium Puzzle… a new vessel, is it? You really came to end our destined battle! Before I obtain the ultimate god-slaying weapon buried here… you intend to stop me, don't you, Yu↗gi↘!"
Miles raised an eyebrow. Kaiba had downright misunderstood the situation.
Strangely enough… Miles could understand it.
This man once crossed the Underworld using pure technology—out of sheer desire to duel the Pharaoh. Such an obsession was nothing new.
So seeing the Puzzle on Miles' chest and jumping to this conclusion was, in a way, normal.
And something else in Kaiba's words caught Miles' attention:
The ultimate god-slaying weapon hidden here.
Could the massive underground excavation… actually be the superweapon left behind by ancient civilization?
If so, no wonder a powerful resonance had shaken KaibaCorp's lower levels when the Xyz monster attacked during the earlier duel.
"Kaiba, unfortunately, even though I possess the Millennium Puzzle, I am not the Pharaoh," Miles said plainly.
"That's right, President Kaiba!" Chi quickly added. "His name is Miles. He's the one who beat the Yugi Muto AI!"
"Miles?"
Even so, Kaiba's burning gaze didn't leave the Millennium Puzzle for a single moment.
"A new vessel's name… I see!"
With that, the pale-blue glow on Kaiba's arm flared, activating his latest-generation Duel Disk alongside the AR display over his right eye.
"I will defeat the new vessel! And through this duel, awaken Atem's soul sleeping within the Puzzle!"
He really had no intention of understanding.
And of course… without even exchanging a few sentences, he was already demanding a duel.
As expected of Seto Kaiba. The addiction to card games was real.
"Prepare yourself, Mi↗ les↘!"
...
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