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Chapter 578: A Flaw Discovered
However, compared to the gossiping Tristan and Keipei, Yugi was much more serious. He looked at the entrance of the building before him, frowning.
Ever since the vehicle entered the Industrial Illusions Industrial Park, he had been bothered by something: he hadn't seen many people along the way, even though today was a workday.
It was somewhat understandable that the entrance used an electronic identification system, so no security guard was needed, but why were there so few people coming and going even at the entrance of the Headquarters Building, which should have been busy?
"Hmph, you noticed it too, Yugi?" Kaiba, with a cold expression, stood beside Yugi, also looking at the empty First Floor Lobby of the building, which seemed deserted from the outside. "If the lack of people coming and going could be explained by digitized work, but even the receptionist who should always be at the entrance isn't there, hmph, it's clearly too much."
Yugi nodded. "Ah, it's almost as if they're not even trying to hide that 'something is wrong here.' They're practically openly inviting us in."
"It seems we've carelessly stumbled upon the main culprits. But since they've appeared here, does that mean Pegasus is their goal?"
Hearing the conversation between Yugi and Kaiba, Joey Wheeler also turned his head, belatedly realizing that at some point, Dark Yugi had replaced Yugi Mutou, and was looking at the empty First Floor Lobby of the Industrial Illusions building with Kaiba, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Although not good at thinking, Joey Wheeler wasn't so stupid as to not understand what Yugi and Kaiba were saying. "Are you saying that Doma organization, or whatever it's called, that stole the God Card is in this building right now?"
Honda retorted, "It's not 'Uncensored,' it's Doma! And it looks like their actions are getting bolder and bolder. From Keith, whose fame declined and was ignored at first, to Rex Raptor and the Paradox Brothers, who have been extremely popular recently, now even Pegasus, the Father of Duel Monsters, has become their goal."
However, even though the building before them was so obviously wrong that even a blind person could sense it, and there were inevitably traps and sets, Yugi and his group still had a reason to go in. And to go to the Top Floor of the Building to find Pegasus, the First Floor Lobby was a necessary path.
Leading the way was Kaiba, with a terrifying expression like a gangster seeking revenge and coming to cut someone down. He walked in first through the automatically opening sensor door, head held high and chest puffed out. Keipei followed closely beside his brother. Behind the Kaiba Brothers were Téa and Yugi.
Seeing it from outside the building was different from seeing it from inside. Although they weren't inexperienced, Yugi and Téa still subconsciously marveled at the size of the Industrial Illusions First Floor Lobby during their first visit.
In comparison, Kaiba and Keipei, the two Brothers, seemed somewhat unfazed. Although they were also looking around, they were more focused on searching for potential sets.
The entire Hall was empty, not a single figure could be found. If not for a few scattered open documents on the receptionist's counter, it would have seemed as if no human existence had ever been there. The imaginative Keipei even thought the scene before them was exactly like the image from a sci-fi movie after humanity collectively disappeared in an instant.
But that kind of thing was impossible. Keipei remembered the Duel Monster Materialization from not long ago, adding a "probably" after his idea.
Honda, the muscle of the group, walked at the back. He was very good at reading the atmosphere and didn't disturb Joey Wheeler and Kujaku Mai, who were standing side-by-side, letting them enter first.
However, just as Honda stepped through the automatic door of the Industrial Illusions Headquarters Building with his front foot and was about to pull back his rear foot, the electric door behind him suddenly slammed shut as if it had a malfunction, and at the same time, a thick metal isolation gate crashed down!
"Bang!"
The huge noise startled everyone, especially Honda, who was closest and almost became Louis XVI. Still shaken, he took two steps back away from the gate, afraid that something else might happen.
"Whoa, what happened!?" Looking back at the completely lowered isolation gate, Joey Wheeler said, "You must have hit a switch, Honda!"
"No way, I just stepped in!" Honda wasn't willing to take the blame. Seeing that the isolation gate had fallen and there was no other movement for a while, he bravely walked forward and reached out to pull the thick iron door. But the isolation gate, set up for fire prevention, had now become the wall of a cage, sealing the gate tightly and preventing everyone from leaving.
"Damn it, I can't open it!"
"It's the same here!" Joey Wheeler walked to the glass window on the other side and found that isolation gates were also installed at the windows. Was it really necessary to install this kind of device everywhere?
"Your efforts are in vain~"
Just as Joey Wheeler and Honda were searching for a way to leave, a familiar-sounding voice rang out, echoing in the empty Hall. Although they couldn't see who was speaking, everyone present said the voice was extremely familiar.
"That voice is... Pegasus?" Yugi, who had identified the opponent's identity, looked around but couldn't find Pegasus's figure. He felt a slightly strange feeling he couldn't quite place.
"Yes, I am, Yugi Muto~" Dragging that strange, familiar trailing sound, Pegasus's voice rang out again. This time the source of the voice was much clearer, causing everyone's gaze to shift upwards in unison, tilting their heads slightly to look towards the Second Floor of the Hall.
There, a figure was clearly walking slowly out of the shadow.
Kaiba frowned, saying impatiently, "Playing these ghostly tricks in front of me is utterly boring. What are you doing closing the gate here!"
Completely manifest from the shadow was Pegasus, still wearing that wine-red suit, his shoulder-length silver hair covering the left side of his face. He looked down at Yugi and the others standing on the first floor and said, "Seto Kaiba, Just a little---"
"Hey, don't make me repeat myself! You ghostly trickster!" Kaiba's expression was still foul, and he even rudely interrupted Pegasus, who was speaking slowly in a noble tone.
"Although your voice, appearance, and movements look exactly like the Pegasus in my impression, you're not the real Pegasus!" It wasn't just Kaiba who saw through the "Pegasus" before them; even Joey Wheeler, uncharacteristically smart, said, "This feeling... is it killing intent? You're one of the Organization Doma people who stole the God Card!"
"Tsk, you saw through me so easily?" The "Pegasus" standing on the Second Floor frowned and glanced at Joey Wheeler, saying annoyed, "Although you act like a brainless idiot, you truly are one of the top duelists, aren't you? Sharp intuition, Joey Wheeler."
"Who's an idiot!" Joey Wheeler retorted, "Even I know that it would be strange if Pegasus, that fake American, spoke entirely in English! The flaw is too big!"
The "Pegasus" ignored Joey Wheeler's retort, his gaze shifting back to Kaiba, and said in a cold tone, "Kujaku Mai, Joey Wheeler, Yugi Muto, and Seto Kaiba. Originally, we had no plan to deal with you right now. Instead, we intended to collect souls little by little and finally handle you, the biggest obstruction to implementing our plan."
"But since you've come knocking on our door to die, we might as well take care of you!"
As he spoke, the "Pegasus" somehow produced a small remote control in his hand and pressed a yellow button on it.
In an instant, the sound of machinery operating rang out around everyone. Mechanisms suddenly sprang up from all directions, revealing countless standee-like devices pointed at the group standing in the center of the Hall. The first thing that caught everyone's eye was the wording "This Side Towards Enemy" printed on these metal standees!
"Claymore Mines?!" The small standees were not unfamiliar to Kaiba, who had inherited the former KaibaCorp, a military-industrial enterprise. A sense of humiliation at being tricked surged into his heart. "Damn it, these cowardly rats who hide their faces don't even dare to duel me, and instead use such insidious means!"
The others also had expressions as if facing a formidable enemy. Yugi even placed one hand on the Millennium Puzzle on his chest, while taking out several cards with his other hand, ready to immediately unleash the power of the spirits within the cards if anything went wrong.
"Claymore? What is that?"
The sole person who hadn't figured out the situation was Téa. Having little knowledge of military matters and no interest in learning about them, the word "Claymore Mine" wasn't even in her brain, and she had no idea what it was.
"You just need to know that it's a weapon that once had an astonishing kill rate on the battlefield, even after calculating the rate of accidental friendly fire." Although Keipei was so nervous he wanted to eat a chocolate to relieve the pressure, he still explained to Téa.
Looking at the group below, the "Pegasus" revealed a proud smile. "Oh? Are you afraid, Seto Kaiba? Did you ever imagine this scene today when you touched this dirty family business?"
"Look, Seto Kaiba, surrounded by dirty weapons now, you're just like trash about to be crushed by a shredder."
"As for dirty means? For me, achieving the goal is enough; the process is completely unnecessary. Although it's a pity I couldn't properly torture you before sealing your soul, just getting rid of you will make my mood happy for at least five or six days!"
As he spoke, the "Pegasus"'s thumb lifted, moving towards a red button marked with a skeleton next to the yellow button. "Die like this, Seto Kai---"
A golden light flashed from the Millennium Puzzle on Yugi's chest. Faint phantoms of **Dark Magician** and **Dark Magician Girl** had already begun to manifest behind him. And in Kaiba's hand, he immediately drew a **Goddess of Reversal** from the top of his deck, about to throw it, attempting to hit the "Pegasus" with his flying card skill before he could press the button.
Joey Wheeler spread his arms and hugged Kujaku Mai, while Tristan pushed Téa and Keipei into the middle of the group, trying his best to shield them with his body. Although he knew that flesh and blood made little difference against the steel pellets of a Claymore Mine, the two men still wanted to make some small resistance.
Just as the "Pegasus" was about to press that button, a voice they had never heard before rang out:
"Wait a minute!"
Before the voice could even be fully heard, the wrist of the hand holding the remote control was suddenly gripped tightly. Wincing in pain, his joint subconsciously relaxed and let go of the remote control, which was caught by another hand reaching out from the side.
Valon, who had rushed over to the "Pegasus"'s side, immediately used his finger to snap off the transmitter on top of the remote control the moment he caught it. Then, clenching his fist, he instantly crushed and destroyed the remote control. Seeing the Claymore Mines surrounding the group in the First Floor Lobby retract, he finally let out a breath of relief.
"You'd better give me an explanation, Valon!"
Having his revenge, which was about to be completed, destroyed by a suddenly interfering teammate, the "Pegasus" completely lost the mood to maintain his disguise. Angrily reaching up, he tore off his face and hair, revealing the furious Alister. "Explain what you're doing suddenly coming here!"
He could have instantly killed the detestable Seto Kaiba just by pressing the button, and even gotten rid of a few duelists who would be obstructions later. But Valon, that idiot, suddenly ran out and destroyed his remote control!
He had painstakingly arranged the Claymore Mine devices below for a long time! Valon, that idiot, hadn't put in any work himself, so he truly didn't feel any pity destroying them!
"Uh, uh, well..."
How was Valon supposed to explain? Was he supposed to tell the angry Alister that although he had initially supported his trap plan and even actively suggested adding more bombs and other mechanisms, that was based on the assumption that Kujaku Mai wouldn't be among the arrivals, and he changed his mind when he realized Kujaku Mai was about to be accidentally injured by Alister?
Unable to think of a good reason, Valon simply decided to transfer the angry Alister's attention. "Instead, Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba are coming up the escalator!"
"Whose question do you think this is!" Alister naturally also noticed Kaiba and Yugi walking quickly up the escalator. Pushing Valon's shoulder angrily, he said, "Rafael and that bastard went to seal Pegasus's soul. The finishing work was our responsibility, but now things have become much more troublesome because of you."
"Seto Kaiba is still my responsibility to handle, and you take care of the others!"
As he spoke, Alister ran towards the stairs, taunting Kaiba, "If you're not afraid of falling into my trap again, then follow me, Seto Kaiba!"
"You bastard, stop right there!" Kaiba naturally recognized Alister the moment he dropped his disguise. He hadn't settled the revenge for losing **Obelisk the Tormentor** due to the Mutual Destruction caused by a **Ring of Destruction** last time. Not worried that Alister had truly set any traps, he followed directly, and Keipei also followed behind Kaiba.
Valon didn't try to obstruct Kaiba, but after Kaiba left with Alister, he directly materialized an arm armor and heavily punched the doorway that Keipei and Kaiba had just passed through.
"Boom!"
The concrete was directly shattered and fell by Valon's punch, completely blocking the stairs and making them impassable. Standing before the pile of rubble, looking at the group with imposing aura, he said with a smile, "My apologies, this is a one-way street."
"And it's nice to see you again, Mai-chan~!"
Kujaku Mai immediately trembled, glanced at Joey Wheeler, and quickly said to Valon, "You! I'm not your acquaintance, don't call me so affectionately on your own!"
However, compared to the gossiping Tristan and Keipei, Yugi was much more serious. He looked at the entrance of the building before him, frowning.
Ever since the vehicle entered the Industrial Illusions Industrial Park, he had been bothered by something: he hadn't seen many people along the way, even though today was a workday.
It was somewhat understandable that the entrance used an electronic identification system, so no security guard was needed, but why were there so few people coming and going even at the entrance of the Headquarters Building, which should have been busy?
"Hmph, you noticed it too, Yugi?" Kaiba, with a cold expression, stood beside Yugi, also looking at the empty First Floor Lobby of the building, which seemed deserted from the outside. "If the lack of people coming and going could be explained by digitized work, but even the receptionist who should always be at the entrance isn't there, hmph, it's clearly too much."
Yugi nodded. "Ah, it's almost as if they're not even trying to hide that 'something is wrong here.' They're practically openly inviting us in."
"It seems we've carelessly stumbled upon the main culprits. But since they've appeared here, does that mean Pegasus is their goal?"
Hearing the conversation between Yugi and Kaiba, Joey Wheeler also turned his head, belatedly realizing that at some point, Dark Yugi had replaced Yugi Mutou, and was looking at the empty First Floor Lobby of the Industrial Illusions building with Kaiba, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Although not good at thinking, Joey Wheeler wasn't so stupid as to not understand what Yugi and Kaiba were saying. "Are you saying that Doma organization, or whatever it's called, that stole the God Card is in this building right now?"
Honda retorted, "It's not 'Uncensored,' it's Doma! And it looks like their actions are getting bolder and bolder. From Keith, whose fame declined and was ignored at first, to Rex Raptor and the Paradox Brothers, who have been extremely popular recently, now even Pegasus, the Father of Duel Monsters, has become their goal."
However, even though the building before them was so obviously wrong that even a blind person could sense it, and there were inevitably traps and sets, Yugi and his group still had a reason to go in. And to go to the Top Floor of the Building to find Pegasus, the First Floor Lobby was a necessary path.
Leading the way was Kaiba, with a terrifying expression like a gangster seeking revenge and coming to cut someone down. He walked in first through the automatically opening sensor door, head held high and chest puffed out. Keipei followed closely beside his brother. Behind the Kaiba Brothers were Téa and Yugi.
Seeing it from outside the building was different from seeing it from inside. Although they weren't inexperienced, Yugi and Téa still subconsciously marveled at the size of the Industrial Illusions First Floor Lobby during their first visit.
In comparison, Kaiba and Keipei, the two Brothers, seemed somewhat unfazed. Although they were also looking around, they were more focused on searching for potential sets.
The entire Hall was empty, not a single figure could be found. If not for a few scattered open documents on the receptionist's counter, it would have seemed as if no human existence had ever been there. The imaginative Keipei even thought the scene before them was exactly like the image from a sci-fi movie after humanity collectively disappeared in an instant.
But that kind of thing was impossible. Keipei remembered the Duel Monster Materialization from not long ago, adding a "probably" after his idea.
Honda, the muscle of the group, walked at the back. He was very good at reading the atmosphere and didn't disturb Joey Wheeler and Kujaku Mai, who were standing side-by-side, letting them enter first.
However, just as Honda stepped through the automatic door of the Industrial Illusions Headquarters Building with his front foot and was about to pull back his rear foot, the electric door behind him suddenly slammed shut as if it had a malfunction, and at the same time, a thick metal isolation gate crashed down!
"Bang!"
The huge noise startled everyone, especially Honda, who was closest and almost became Louis XVI. Still shaken, he took two steps back away from the gate, afraid that something else might happen.
"Whoa, what happened!?" Looking back at the completely lowered isolation gate, Joey Wheeler said, "You must have hit a switch, Honda!"
"No way, I just stepped in!" Honda wasn't willing to take the blame. Seeing that the isolation gate had fallen and there was no other movement for a while, he bravely walked forward and reached out to pull the thick iron door. But the isolation gate, set up for fire prevention, had now become the wall of a cage, sealing the gate tightly and preventing everyone from leaving.
"Damn it, I can't open it!"
"It's the same here!" Joey Wheeler walked to the glass window on the other side and found that isolation gates were also installed at the windows. Was it really necessary to install this kind of device everywhere?
"Your efforts are in vain~"
Just as Joey Wheeler and Honda were searching for a way to leave, a familiar-sounding voice rang out, echoing in the empty Hall. Although they couldn't see who was speaking, everyone present said the voice was extremely familiar.
"That voice is... Pegasus?" Yugi, who had identified the opponent's identity, looked around but couldn't find Pegasus's figure. He felt a slightly strange feeling he couldn't quite place.
"Yes, I am, Yugi Muto~" Dragging that strange, familiar trailing sound, Pegasus's voice rang out again. This time the source of the voice was much clearer, causing everyone's gaze to shift upwards in unison, tilting their heads slightly to look towards the Second Floor of the Hall.
There, a figure was clearly walking slowly out of the shadow.
Kaiba frowned, saying impatiently, "Playing these ghostly tricks in front of me is utterly boring. What are you doing closing the gate here!"
Completely manifest from the shadow was Pegasus, still wearing that wine-red suit, his shoulder-length silver hair covering the left side of his face. He looked down at Yugi and the others standing on the first floor and said, "Seto Kaiba, Just a little---"
"Hey, don't make me repeat myself! You ghostly trickster!" Kaiba's expression was still foul, and he even rudely interrupted Pegasus, who was speaking slowly in a noble tone.
"Although your voice, appearance, and movements look exactly like the Pegasus in my impression, you're not the real Pegasus!" It wasn't just Kaiba who saw through the "Pegasus" before them; even Joey Wheeler, uncharacteristically smart, said, "This feeling... is it killing intent? You're one of the Organization Doma people who stole the God Card!"
"Tsk, you saw through me so easily?" The "Pegasus" standing on the Second Floor frowned and glanced at Joey Wheeler, saying annoyed, "Although you act like a brainless idiot, you truly are one of the top duelists, aren't you? Sharp intuition, Joey Wheeler."
"Who's an idiot!" Joey Wheeler retorted, "Even I know that it would be strange if Pegasus, that fake American, spoke entirely in English! The flaw is too big!"
The "Pegasus" ignored Joey Wheeler's retort, his gaze shifting back to Kaiba, and said in a cold tone, "Kujaku Mai, Joey Wheeler, Yugi Muto, and Seto Kaiba. Originally, we had no plan to deal with you right now. Instead, we intended to collect souls little by little and finally handle you, the biggest obstruction to implementing our plan."
"But since you've come knocking on our door to die, we might as well take care of you!"
As he spoke, the "Pegasus" somehow produced a small remote control in his hand and pressed a yellow button on it.
In an instant, the sound of machinery operating rang out around everyone. Mechanisms suddenly sprang up from all directions, revealing countless standee-like devices pointed at the group standing in the center of the Hall. The first thing that caught everyone's eye was the wording "This Side Towards Enemy" printed on these metal standees!
"Claymore Mines?!" The small standees were not unfamiliar to Kaiba, who had inherited the former KaibaCorp, a military-industrial enterprise. A sense of humiliation at being tricked surged into his heart. "Damn it, these cowardly rats who hide their faces don't even dare to duel me, and instead use such insidious means!"
The others also had expressions as if facing a formidable enemy. Yugi even placed one hand on the Millennium Puzzle on his chest, while taking out several cards with his other hand, ready to immediately unleash the power of the spirits within the cards if anything went wrong.
"Claymore? What is that?"
The sole person who hadn't figured out the situation was Téa. Having little knowledge of military matters and no interest in learning about them, the word "Claymore Mine" wasn't even in her brain, and she had no idea what it was.
"You just need to know that it's a weapon that once had an astonishing kill rate on the battlefield, even after calculating the rate of accidental friendly fire." Although Keipei was so nervous he wanted to eat a chocolate to relieve the pressure, he still explained to Téa.
Looking at the group below, the "Pegasus" revealed a proud smile. "Oh? Are you afraid, Seto Kaiba? Did you ever imagine this scene today when you touched this dirty family business?"
"Look, Seto Kaiba, surrounded by dirty weapons now, you're just like trash about to be crushed by a shredder."
"As for dirty means? For me, achieving the goal is enough; the process is completely unnecessary. Although it's a pity I couldn't properly torture you before sealing your soul, just getting rid of you will make my mood happy for at least five or six days!"
As he spoke, the "Pegasus"'s thumb lifted, moving towards a red button marked with a skeleton next to the yellow button. "Die like this, Seto Kai---"
A golden light flashed from the Millennium Puzzle on Yugi's chest. Faint phantoms of **Dark Magician** and **Dark Magician Girl** had already begun to manifest behind him. And in Kaiba's hand, he immediately drew a **Goddess of Reversal** from the top of his deck, about to throw it, attempting to hit the "Pegasus" with his flying card skill before he could press the button.
Joey Wheeler spread his arms and hugged Kujaku Mai, while Tristan pushed Téa and Keipei into the middle of the group, trying his best to shield them with his body. Although he knew that flesh and blood made little difference against the steel pellets of a Claymore Mine, the two men still wanted to make some small resistance.
Just as the "Pegasus" was about to press that button, a voice they had never heard before rang out:
"Wait a minute!"
Before the voice could even be fully heard, the wrist of the hand holding the remote control was suddenly gripped tightly. Wincing in pain, his joint subconsciously relaxed and let go of the remote control, which was caught by another hand reaching out from the side.
Valon, who had rushed over to the "Pegasus"'s side, immediately used his finger to snap off the transmitter on top of the remote control the moment he caught it. Then, clenching his fist, he instantly crushed and destroyed the remote control. Seeing the Claymore Mines surrounding the group in the First Floor Lobby retract, he finally let out a breath of relief.
"You'd better give me an explanation, Valon!"
Having his revenge, which was about to be completed, destroyed by a suddenly interfering teammate, the "Pegasus" completely lost the mood to maintain his disguise. Angrily reaching up, he tore off his face and hair, revealing the furious Alister. "Explain what you're doing suddenly coming here!"
He could have instantly killed the detestable Seto Kaiba just by pressing the button, and even gotten rid of a few duelists who would be obstructions later. But Valon, that idiot, suddenly ran out and destroyed his remote control!
He had painstakingly arranged the Claymore Mine devices below for a long time! Valon, that idiot, hadn't put in any work himself, so he truly didn't feel any pity destroying them!
"Uh, uh, well..."
How was Valon supposed to explain? Was he supposed to tell the angry Alister that although he had initially supported his trap plan and even actively suggested adding more bombs and other mechanisms, that was based on the assumption that Kujaku Mai wouldn't be among the arrivals, and he changed his mind when he realized Kujaku Mai was about to be accidentally injured by Alister?
Unable to think of a good reason, Valon simply decided to transfer the angry Alister's attention. "Instead, Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba are coming up the escalator!"
"Whose question do you think this is!" Alister naturally also noticed Kaiba and Yugi walking quickly up the escalator. Pushing Valon's shoulder angrily, he said, "Rafael and that bastard went to seal Pegasus's soul. The finishing work was our responsibility, but now things have become much more troublesome because of you."
"Seto Kaiba is still my responsibility to handle, and you take care of the others!"
As he spoke, Alister ran towards the stairs, taunting Kaiba, "If you're not afraid of falling into my trap again, then follow me, Seto Kaiba!"
"You bastard, stop right there!" Kaiba naturally recognized Alister the moment he dropped his disguise. He hadn't settled the revenge for losing **Obelisk the Tormentor** due to the Mutual Destruction caused by a **Ring of Destruction** last time. Not worried that Alister had truly set any traps, he followed directly, and Keipei also followed behind Kaiba.
Valon didn't try to obstruct Kaiba, but after Kaiba left with Alister, he directly materialized an arm armor and heavily punched the doorway that Keipei and Kaiba had just passed through.
"Boom!"
The concrete was directly shattered and fell by Valon's punch, completely blocking the stairs and making them impassable. Standing before the pile of rubble, looking at the group with imposing aura, he said with a smile, "My apologies, this is a one-way street."
"And it's nice to see you again, Mai-chan~!"
Kujaku Mai immediately trembled, glanced at Joey Wheeler, and quickly said to Valon, "You! I'm not your acquaintance, don't call me so affectionately on your own!"
