"It's not over yet!"
"I won't go down that easily!"
Kiku roared.
"Before I see Seto Kaiba and make him pay for everything he's done to me, I will never fall!"
Keihei listened from the side, his expression somewhat complicated. Several times he seemed about to speak, but ultimately held back.
"Do you hate Kaiba that much?" Yugen remarked casually.
But this wasn't anything new. The path President Kaiba walked was destined to be one like this, from having nothing to eventually stepping onto the path of the dominator. This process inherently meant many would be trampled underfoot and many more would be plundered and hurt.
That's why, every few days, someone would pop up who absolutely loathed the President, seeing him as their lifelong enemy. Probably, the President had experienced this so many times over the years that he was numb to it by now, indifferent.
However, upon hearing Yugen's question, Kiku did not get angry but laughed instead.
"Hate? Yes."
He stood up, readjusting his lapels. He even straightened the flower in his breast pocket.
"I've known Seto Kaiba since I was very young," Kiku said flatly, "It just took me longer to realize that he is my lifelong enemy."
"We met at a banquet. At that time, Kaiba Group and my family business were still in cooperation...at least on the surface. But I didn't know then that Kaiba Group had already nearly pushed our family out of the market. We hardly had any room to survive."
"Business competition, survival of the fittest, it sounds reasonable," Yugen commented.
"Yes, I admitted defeat and didn't want to fight Kaiba anymore. I wasn't very enthusiastic about the arms business to begin with, so I withdrew voluntarily," he said lightly, "But Kaiba clung to me relentlessly.
It was as if destiny itself, the fate of struggle, was binding us tightly together..."
"I told you, it's just a coincidence." Keihei couldn't help but interject, "My brother never intended to target..."
"That's exactly the problem! Can't you see!?"
Kiku suddenly erupted, roaring out loud.
"He never even saw me!"
"Yes, it's merely coincidence. The same timing, the same choices, from one competitive market to another... It's as if there's a natural destiny of struggle between us."
"But he never acknowledges it!"
Kiku shouted, almost out of control.
"He always maintains that high and mighty attitude. He defeats me, takes everything from me, leaving me in utter ruin, yet it seems none of this is even worth his notice."
"So no, I don't hate everything he's done. It's destiny that keeps us struggling, and in any competition, there can only be one victor. He won, and I lost; it's that simple, unconnected to personal grievances. I ceased hating him for it long ago."
"But what I can't tolerate is that he never acknowledges his opponent!"
Keihei was left with his mouth agape, stunned for a moment.
It seemed he really didn't expect this.
So after all this time, this was what it was about?
"That's why I won't lose, no matter what." Kiku shouted, "I will keep winning, in any way possible, until Seto Kaiba stands before me again!"
"I see, this is your obsession then."
Yugen nodded slightly.
"Alright. But my turn isn't over yet."
He casually played another card from his hand.
"First, I'll set a card in the backfield.
Then I'll activate the Magic Card 'Knowledge Goddess - Elda's Guidance.'" (original card)
Kiku frowned: "The same magic as mine?"
This was a card used by Kiku Lloyd in the original works.
"It's not your exclusive, you know," Yugen chuckled, "by sending a Magic Card from my hand to the graveyard, I can set a Trap Card from the graveyard onto the field."
Yugen sent a card from his hand to the graveyard. In exchange, the Duel Disc's graveyard area emitted a golden glow, and a card automatically popped out.
Kiku's pupils slightly contracted.
Setting a Trap Card from the graveyard, does this guy's graveyard trap mean...
Yugen smiled lightly, flashed the card that exited the graveyard, and then motioned it toward his backfield.
"Setting the Trap Card 'Ripple Shield: Wave Power' from the graveyard onto the field."
The Trap Card appeared, now set in Yugen's backfield.
Kiku twitched the corner of his mouth.
As expected, it's that thing again...
He's already made up his mind. No matter what, he has to win. If he couldn't overcome the challenge before him, he wouldn't be able to face Seto Kaiba again.
But the harsh reality now is, there's a heavy, lamentable wall between him and Kaiba, and that wall has a name: Ripple Shield...
No, he will not give up just because of this. Having returned from Hell, his resolve goes far beyond this level.
"My turn, draw!"
Kiku drew his card vigorously, the force creating a swirl of air that fluttered his clothes.
Seeing such momentum, Yugen knew at once it was a setup for something big. If this were in the animation, the character's theme song would already be playing.
Indeed, he immediately began making moves.
"Activate the Magic Card 'Angel's Charity,' draw three cards from the deck, then discard two cards from your hand."
Kiku sent two cards from his hand to the graveyard, then immediately revealed another Magic Card.
"Activate the Magic Card 'Too Shallow Tomb.' Both sides choose one monster existing in their graveyard and Special Summon it in Defense Position on the field!" (original effect)
"So generous?"
Yugen casually retrieved a card from the graveyard.
"Then, naturally, I'll choose Bouncing Turtle."
The vortex of the grave opened on the ground, and the old turtle with a green shell returned to the battlefield, the electromagnetic railgun on its back aimed at the opposing line.
[Bouncing Turtle, Defense Power 2000]
The old turtle, even if not the MVP of the match, certainly deserves a "model worker" title.
"And I choose 'Valkyrie - Third Daughter' which just got discarded to the graveyard."
Another young warrior maiden appeared on the field, mounted upon a white horse, holding a Long Sword and a yellow Shield, with a head of red hair and a youthful face, yet carrying the valor of a warrior.
[Valkyrie - Third Daughter, Defense Power 1600]
Soon after, Kiku presented possibly the most fraudulent and implausibly difficult to materialize card of his Valkyrie series.
"Activate the Magic Card 'Nibelungen Treasure'!"
What appeared was an exquisite, luxurious chest, brimming with gold and jewels, with a dazzling shine.
"Nibelungen Treasure, equip one 'Nibelungen Ring' from your deck or hand to a monster on the opponent's field."
Kiku said as he drew a card from his deck.
"Equip the Equipment Magic 'Nibelungen Ring' from the deck to your Bouncing Turtle!"
A massive ring appeared, settling onto the old turtle's head. Bouncing Turtle made a disgruntled grunt.
"And after that, from the deck..."
Kiku shuffled a large handful of cards.
"Draw five cards!"