Chapter 352: The Arbiter
Chapter 352: The Arbiter
"It's been a while, Seto Kaiba."
The voice echoed in the air, accompanied by rolling thunder, and within the flashing lightning, a figure seemed to appear.
In a ghostly semi-transparent state, with his hands clasped behind his back, he looked down at Kaiba.
"This feeling..."
Kaiba looked up, furrowing his brows at the figure.
"Is it Dartz?"
The figure chuckled softly.
"Very perceptive, President Kaiba. But no, I am not Dartz." He said, "As you know, Dartz no longer exists.
The Nameless Pharaoh defeated him, ending his ten-thousand-year scheme. As a loser, he could only sink to the bottom of the sea with his ancient kingdom, Atlantis."
Kaiba crossed his arms: "So now there's another delusional guy who wants to take up his cause?"
He frowned after a brief pause.
"'Arbiter', is that what you call yourself? Do you think you are the bringer of judgment?"
"No, President Kaiba. I am not the bringer of judgment, I am the judgment itself." The figure said calmly, "This world is full of cause and effect.
When humans make their choices, driven by their desires and using any means necessary for their own gain, they create the 'cause'.
And when this cause grows over time, my appearance is the inevitable 'effect' determined by history."
"You..."
Kaiba looked up at the rift in the sky and the colossal being glaring at him through the gap, suddenly understanding something.
"You're catching on, President Kaiba. Good."
The Arbiter smiled.
"Dartz was once chosen because he showed potential. But he spent ten thousand years proving his limitations.
While he had access to countless resources and immense power, he was betrayed by his own father, who sought out the Nameless Dragon and brought the endless armies of the Spirit World to fight against him.
That was his first failure, which led to his forced reflection for millennia."
The Arbiter waved his arm, and the surroundings changed drastically as if they were in an immersive VR image. The city ravaged by disasters disappeared, replaced by an ancient battlefield.
It was as if history and mythology had woven a tapestry, a land forgotten by time. The sunset's glow bathed the battlefield, and the six-pointed star of Orichalcos shone like falling stars.
Countless armored warriors charged fearlessly, their dragons' roars shaking the earth. Sprites, demons, goblins, and dragons—innumerable races, humans, and sprite armies intertwined, with the battle line stretching to the end of the horizon.
An endless war, an epic conflict that nearly reshaped the world order ten thousand years ago.
"Dartz once had so much potential, with his resources and power. But he was betrayed by his own father, who allied with the Nameless Dragon and brought the endless armies of the Sprite World against him.
That was his first failure, which led to his millennium-long confinement for reflection."
The Arbiter waved his hand again, and the scene spun once more, rushing through ten thousand years to the present.
The modern world of steel and concrete, neon lights reflecting off the stars. In the sky, a red dragon, a blue giant, and a golden phoenix fought alongside a colorful, seafood-headed king, delivering a righteous beatdown on a massive snake god.
"He was given a second chance and received Orichalcos' full support, but the outcome remained unchanged... or perhaps this defeat was even more devastating than the last.
Not only was he utterly defeated, but Orichalcos' power was also severely weakened by the impact of the fantasy creatures."
"Hmph, so what are you trying to say?" Kaiba asked.
"Nothing much." The Arbiter said indifferently, "Just that when you want to do something right, you have to do it yourself.
So this time, there will be no chosen one, no proxy.
This time, I will personally see to it that what must be done, is done."
Kaiba's face turned grim as he realized something: "Are you saying you're that thing?"
"I am the God of Orichalcos, representing the will of this planet and the collective negative forces of all beings that exist on it.
"Hmph," Kaiba scoffed, "In the end, you're nothing but a stray dog left behind."
"You're the last one who should be talking, Kaiba," The Arbiter sneered, "If I remember correctly, you lost to Dartz. You couldn't even defeat my proxy, and yet you dare to stand here so confidently?"
"Dartz may have been a bastard, but he was at least a powerful duelist," Kaiba said expressionlessly, "And you? This so-called Evil God is nothing more than an uncontrolled stray dog."
"Interesting," The Arbiter said, his eyes gradually turning cold.
With a casual wave of his hand, it felt as if the entire canopy of the sky lowered a few degrees. The black Snake God slowly descended, its scarlet eyes fixed on Kaiba's location, and the howling gale caused his clothes to flutter wildly.
But Kaiba, staring up at the behemoth, showed no sign of weakness. Behind him, the Ultimate Dragon spread its wings and roared towards the Snake God in the sky.
"The Ultimate Dragon, huh? Well, it does seem to have evolved quite a bit over these years. Looks like you haven't been slacking off," The Arbiter remarked as he slowly rose into the air, hovering in the sky as if riding atop the head of the Orichalcos Snake God, looking down at Kaiba and his dragon with contempt.
"Hmph, it's just the Blue-Eyes. Even with its evolution, it's not much of a threat. I don't even need to be at full power to deal with it," he said, then suddenly stopped, his movement becoming stiff.
He furrowed his brow oddly and glanced in a particular direction, his expression turning slightly disgusted.
"Never mind, forget it," he said, and the storm began to subside. The typhoon-like rage calmed, the dark clouds faded, and the Snake God's head slowly retracted.
"For you, a duel is indeed the most fitting way," The Arbiter said indifferently, his body becoming semi-transparent as he rose with the swirling Snake God. "Let's finish this on your dueling stage, in a manner befitting a duelist. That should suit you, shouldn't it?"
Although Kaiba found the sudden change strange, he frowned and didn't probe further. "Hmph, of course. I accept any challenge in the form of a duel, anytime."
Furthermore, this slippery snake had only shown a glimpse of its divine might, and even before it fully appeared, it had already caused such large-scale damage. If the Blue-Eyes Dragon were to face it directly here, regardless of the outcome, the surrounding area might not be able to withstand the impact, and the disaster area would continue to expand. Settling it with a duel would also minimize collateral damage and protect the innocent.
"Hmph, I knew you would agree, President Kaiba. Then, let the stage of our duel be this very Duel City. I'll be waiting, Kaiba Seto," the Arbiter said as his figure and the Snake God's shadow gradually faded away.
In a moment, the dark clouds dispersed, the storm dissipated, and only the ravaged streets remained.
"Big brother!"
Keisuke rushed to Kaiba's side.
"Why did that guy suddenly leave? He must be afraid of the power of the evolved Blue-Eyes, right?" Keisuke asked.
Kaiba furrowed his brows but remained silent.
He didn't think that was the reason.
To be honest, while he had confidence in the Blue-Eyes, he felt that if they were to face this Evil God here, even if the Evil God didn't seem fully resurrected, it would take a tremendous battle to emerge victorious.
The opponent had indeed shown considerable confidence initially, but why did they suddenly change their attitude as if something had triggered them? Their hasty departure seemed as if they were afraid of something. Kaiba recalled that the guy had glanced in a particular direction before leaving, and he followed that glance.
And as luck would have it, he spotted Yugi approaching from the main street of the district.
"President? Keisuke?" Yugi asked as he walked over, looking around curiously. "What happened here just now?"
Kaiba: ". . ."
Could he be afraid of this kid?
(End of Chapter)
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