"Linked... World?"
Mizuchi's long lashes fluttered, the term felt unfamiliar to her.
"Yes, Seto is indeed an ambitious person. He initially found me and brought up this project himself. To be honest, at the time... even I was a bit startled."
Kaiba Noah spoke in a calm and steady manner.
"I once personally crafted a complete Virtual World, a massive space where I lived for decades, so large you might find it hard to imagine.
'Linked World' is designed based on that space, so as of now, I am also the administrator of this locale.
Seto plans to turn this place into a super-large Dueling Space that transcends geographical constraints and even dimensions, where people from all over the world and other dimensions can share this space, dueling each other with virtual images and identities."
"That's certainly an unprecedented massive project," Mizuchi said.
"Indeed, it sounds incredible. Especially transcending Dimensional Barriers, which, with humanity's current scientific understanding, is basically impossible..."
Kaiba Noah paused for a moment, then added, "It should have been impossible. Until we acquired that thing..."
He squinted his eyes: "...the Quantum Cube you all stole."
Mizuchi didn't deny it.
"Forces from beyond the cosmos, the 'Light of Destruction', right? We've been hearing your name a lot recently," Kaiba Noah continued. "Saiou Takuma is the main host, but you didn't spare his sister either, did you?
You occupied Saiou Mizuchi's body, lurking in the Data World as a backup plan after Saiou Takuma was prematurely defeated."
Mizuchi closed her eyes gently and smiled faintly.
"You all know quite a lot. I repeatedly warned my brother not to underestimate the Kaiba Group, but sadly, he rarely heeded my advice..."
She slowly opened her eyes, a red wave occupying them.
"Correct. I am the Destruction Persona born after being possessed by the 'Light of Destruction', from Saiou Mizuchi's body," she said calmly. "I am here to continue what my brother couldn't complete.
Of course, my brother's failure has proven that his methods are futile. So I will proceed in my own way."
"Your way, being directly invading the Duel Academy's system? And seizing the Quantum Cube?" Kaiba Noah said, "Speaking of which, we still don't understand, what does your 'Light of Destruction' want with the Quantum Cube?"
Saiou Mizuchi revealed a sweet yet chilling smile.
"You've studied it for so long, you should know the operational mechanisms and specific functions of this so-called 'Eighth Divine Artifact', right?"
"Pretty much," Kaiba Noah nodded, "Through controlling the level of mental consciousness, it achieves spatial Flash Fusion, even dimensional leap of the artifact.
But the power driving it, 'Prana', has disappeared, so the current Quantum Cube..."
"Can't reach that level, huh?" Mizuchi sneered. "That's because your human technology only goes that far.
Our knowledge exceeds your imagination, our words can fully unleash the potential of that 'Quantum Cube', allowing its energy to be released in an unprecedented way, ultimately forming a massive stable wormhole."
"A wormhole?" Kaiba Noah frowned, "Is that your objective?"
Saiou Mizuchi laughed gently, her smile alluring yet chilling.
"You wouldn't think that the images we just displayed through the holographic device are entirely fictional, would you?"
Kaiba Noah immediately understood what she meant.
The vast dark swarm of cosmic ships that had just appeared on the island, the battleships shrouding the sky, the locust-like shuttles, bringing apocalypse to this world from beyond the stars...
"Your... fleet?"
"To be precise, it's a fleet we've captured," Mizuchi smiled, "We, the 'Light of Destruction', have annihilated one civilization after another, swept across galaxy after galaxy.
What you're about to face is one of our strongest trophies to date, a super fleet you can't even imagine. Once this army arrives, there's no way your Earth's technology can resist.
By then, the Earth... will just be another digit added to the civilization we've swept across. In an instant, this world will be obliterated."
"...That's really too strong."
The voice came again from behind.
Saiou Mizuchi turned her head to see countless data streams converging into a pale blue entity, a figure half-squatting between the empty, deserted streets.
Youyu, who logged into this space, dusted off his coat, stood up, and looked directly at Saiou Mizuchi: "So, can you tell me, who will be my opponent at that time?
Is it the commander of your so-called super fleet? I bet your battleship has a Dueling Arena, right?"
"Youyu, Duel King, Guardian of this world," Mizuchi said flatly, "Don't be too arrogant. You are merely the King of this world, but the vastness of the cosmos is beyond what you frogs in a well can imagine.
Even your dueling is by no means an opponent of ours..."
Though her words were still quite arrogant, Youyu still caught the key point, which seemed to suggest that she didn't deny "the fleet commander would duel with you".
After all, no matter how awesome your alien fleet is, after all, it's a fleet in Yu-Gi-Oh. Youyu boldly speculated, maybe as long as the commander's card duel can't win, their planetary cannon couldn't fire...
Mizuchi's gaze turned to Kaiba Noah beside her.
"So, you were telling me all this just to buy time?"
She glanced at Youyu.
"Waiting for the Duel King to log in online?"
"That's partly the reason, and we're also naturally interested in the content you've revealed," Kaiba Noah admitted.
"So does this mean, unless we win a duel, we can't get out of this program... is that what you mean?"
"That's the basic setting of the 'Linked World', just like the world we inhabit, dueling is the fundamental law." Noah smiled, "In fact, accompanying you myself wouldn't be impossible. I'm quite confident in a duel.
Of course, to be on the safe side, it's more suitable for Mr. Youyu to resolve you."
"To be on the safe side... your choice is indeed correct."
Mizuchi gently tucked her sleek black hair, her beautiful eyes suddenly turning blood red, gazing straight at Youyu.
She extended her hand from the wide sleeve of her kimono, a data storm swirling towards her, transforming into a Duel Disc on her fair, slender arm.
"Then come on, Duel King. Let me take on the one who defeated my brother!"