Chapter 449: Desperate and Cornered
Chapter 449: Desperate and Cornered
In a remote corner of a certain city, a long and winding stone staircase descended, seemingly leading to a portal to another dimension, slowly sinking into a darkness that was indistinguishable to the naked eye. The air was thick with dampness and the scent of decay, mingling with a faint hint of tar.
In the darkness, within an unknown room, a flickering candle cast a yellowish glow that danced with the gentle breeze. A massive black table dominated the space, surrounded by several high-backed chairs. Figures shrouded in black robes sat around it, their faces hidden beneath masks or hoods, their expressions somber.
They were all followers of Orichalcos.
And now, they were among the last remaining believers in this city.
A week ago, the Duel City GX tournament had come to a close in Dongshiye. That match was undoubtedly the most anticipated event of the year, and its outcome had been revolutionary for the dueling world and the entire globe.
A new Duel King had emerged, reportedly a first-year student at the Duel Academy. The myth of Kaiba Seto's invincibility had been shattered, and some were already hailing this as the dawn of a new era for dueling.
Of course, the match had impacted many realms, but the group that had been hit the hardest was undoubtedly what remained of Nova Doma.
In a single competition, their trio of swordsmen had been defeated, and their true god, publicly executed by the Lava Golem for all to witness during the global livestream.
Nova Doma was now leaderless, its internal systems plunged into chaos.
And at this moment, the group found themselves in the very city that was supposed to be the headquarters of Nova Doma, the heart of the entire organization. They should have been shouldering the responsibility of holding the organization together during this crisis.
But they couldn't.
Because within this week, subsidiaries of KaibaCorp had suddenly launched a surprise attack on their headquarters.
With Nova Doma leaderless and in disarray, Kaiba Seto was already on a rampage. Rumor had it that he had even joined forces with the newly crowned Duel King, You Xuan, and together, they were an unstoppable force.
The headquarters fell almost instantly, with most of Nova Doma's high-ranking members captured, while the remaining few scrambled to flee.
But Kaiba's intelligence was uncanny, as if he had insiders within their organization. He seemed to know everything about their backup bases and even the backups to those bases.
Now, with the headquarters on the brink of destruction, this small group of survivors was all that remained of Nova Doma's trusted core.
"Damn Kaiba Seto and that Duel King!"
One of them cursed under his breath. In the flickering candlelight, his shadow danced on the wall, resembling an angry, demonic creature.
"They seem to have complete knowledge of our organization's movements and are aware of all our facilities," another said gravely. "The city is currently under lockdown by KaibaCorp, and they're conducting a thorough search.
While we've managed to stay hidden for now, it's only a matter of time before they find us."
"Are there truly no other branches left?" A man in a black robe asked anxiously. "This city was supposed to be the foundation of our organization. How could so many of us be wiped out by Kaiba Seto in just a few days?"
The group remained silent, their heads bowed.
"... Perhaps we can seek help from others," someone suggested in a low tone.
In the past, they had prided themselves on having a true god among them, believing they were the strongest and largest dark organization in the world. They had never stooped to ally themselves with their peers in the underground world. But now, on the brink of collapse, they knew they had to seek outside help if they wanted any chance of survival for their leaders.
"Seven Stars?"
Someone asked in surprise.
"I think I've heard of them too. I heard they're recruiting talented individuals on a large scale?"
"Indeed, they only accept Dark Duelists for their auditions. They're a newly formed organization."
One of them nodded.
"I've heard about them too. Even though they're a recent establishment, their growth has been remarkable. Rumor has it that their core members include the Vampire Clan, Duel Sprites from other realms who wield the power of darkness, and even an ancient Pharaoh, revered as an undefeated war god, has pledged his allegiance to them."
The rest of the group, who hadn't heard of this before, were astonished.
"That powerful?!?"
"It's just a rumor, and I can't verify its truth." The man in the black robe mused, "But regardless of its authenticity, it can't be completely baseless. Moreover, the person pulling the strings behind this organization must be incredibly influential and resourceful to attract so many talented leaders. They're definitely not ordinary."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
However, the Seven Stars organization was still shrouded in mystery, even in the underground world. The identity of the boss backing them was a complete enigma, but it was widely speculated that it had to be someone with immense power and influence, capable of covering the heavens with a single hand.
"The Seven Stars are reportedly planning something big and are recruiting talented individuals from all walks of life in the underground. Anyone confident in their abilities can apply to join them."
The black-robed man continued his train of thought.
"It's actually not a bad option."
His companion, hearing this, flew into a rage. "Are you suggesting we betray our organization, you traitor?!"
But the black-robed man merely rolled his eyes at his comrade.
"So what if I am? Do you think our great god will crawl out of the Lava Golem's belly and smite me with divine punishment?"
His companion was left speechless.
Indeed.
Now that our god has been devoured, what's the point of being loyal or risking our lives? It's time to find a better master.
As these thoughts crossed their minds, a chill wind blew through the room, extinguishing the flickering candle—their only source of light.
The room was plunged into pitch darkness, making the figures gathered around the round table appear even more sinister.
After a few seconds of silence, one of the black-robed men couldn't contain himself any longer and slammed his palm on the table.
"When are those idiots in logistics going to get the electricity working? They've let seven candles burn out, and we're still fumbling around in the dark!"
Another one sighed in exasperation, "There's nothing we can do. Even our backup bases' backup bases have been destroyed by that Duel King and Kaiba Seto. We'll have to make do for now."
But even as he said this, he was considering their options.
With our leader gone, maybe it's time for us to disband too. It won't end well if the Duel King comes after us.
"Hahahaha——"
Just as this thought crossed their minds, a thunderous three-stage laughter exploded like a shockwave.
Everyone in the room was startled, and their instincts kicked in as they turned towards the source of the sound. In the darkness, the door had been violently kicked open from the outside.
Kaiba Seto stood proudly in the doorway, his arms crossed, the Duel Disk emitting an eerie blue light. In the darkness, his face looked like that of a vengeful ghost.
"You've managed to hide well, but it's futile." He declared, "If you have an ounce of Duelist's pride left, pick up your Duel Disks and fight!"
The group's faces turned as white as paper, and they looked at each other, each seeing the same word reflected in their companions' eyes.
Doom.
(End of Chapter)
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