Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!

"We meet again, Seto Kaiba."

A voice echoed in midair. Amid the rolling thunder, a shadowy figure seemed to materialize within the descending lightning.

The figure was half-transparent, ghostly, hands clasped behind his back, gazing down at Kaiba from above.

"This feeling…"

Kaiba looked up and frowned at the man.

"Dartz, is that you?"

The man smiled slightly.

"Very perceptive, President Kaiba. But no, I'm not Dartz," he replied. "As you know, Dartz no longer exists.

The Nameless Pharaoh defeated him, ending his ten-thousand-year plan. As a loser, he could only sink into the sea with his long-lost kingdom of Atlantis."

Kaiba folded his arms. "So now there's another fool wanting to pick up where he left off?"

He paused, frowning.

"'Arbiter'—that's what you call yourself, right? So what are you, the one who passes judgment?"

"No, President Kaiba. Not the one who passes judgment—I am the judgment itself," the man said calmly. "There are countless causes and effects in this world.

When humans make choices, seeking to satisfy their desires and pursue their interests at any cost, they create 'causes.'

And as these seeds grow over the ages, I am the 'effect' destined by history."

"You—"

Kaiba looked up at the crack in the sky, and the massive being whose cold gaze fell through it. Suddenly, he seemed to understand something.

"You're starting to catch on, President Kaiba. Correct."

The Arbiter smiled.

"Dartz was once chosen, because he truly had potential. But he spent ten thousand years proving his limits.

He was betrayed by his own father, who found the Nameless Dragon and led the endless armies of the Spirit World to fight him.

That was his first defeat, and it forced him into ten thousand years of reflection."

The Arbiter waved his arm. The scene around Kaiba and Mokuba suddenly shifted, as if they were immersed in VR. The disaster-ravaged city vanished, replaced by an ancient battlefield.

It was like a tapestry weaving history and myth—a forgotten land under the sunset, the Orichalcos hexagram sigils falling like stars.

Armored warriors charged fearlessly, dragons roared across the field. Elves, demons, goblins, dragons—countless races, armies of humans and elves clashing as the battle raged to the horizon.

It was an endless war, an epic that nearly reset the world order ten thousand years ago.

"Dartz once had such potential, so many resources and power. Yet he was betrayed by his father, who found the Nameless Dragon and led the Spirit World's armies against him.

That was his first failure, forcing him into ten thousand years of repentance."

The Arbiter waved again, and time spun forward, rapidly bringing them to the present.

Now, in the modern city of steel and neon, red dragons swirled in the sky, blue giants and golden divine birds clashed, all under the command of a king with rainbow-colored hair, fighting for justice against a giant serpent god.

"He got a second chance, with all the backing of Orichalcos, but the result didn't change. No, if anything, his defeat was even more crushing.

Not only did he lose completely, but even Orichalcos' power was heavily damaged by the Egyptian Gods."

"Hmph, so what are you trying to say?" Kaiba asked.

"Nothing," said the Arbiter coolly. "Just that, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

So this time, no more chosen ones, no more agents.

This time, I will do what must be done with my own hands."

Kaiba's face grew solemn as he realized something. "You mean to say—you're that thing?"

"The God of Orichalcos—the will of this planet, and the embodiment of all the negativity of its life.

The task Dartz failed to complete, I will finish myself."

As he spoke, a deafening roar filled the air. The shadow of the giant serpent writhed and fell, roaring furiously at Kaiba.

"Heh." Kaiba sneered. "All that talk, but you're just a stray dog after all."

"That's not for you to say, Seto Kaiba," the Arbiter retorted. "If I recall, you lost to Dartz before.

If you couldn't defeat even my agent, what makes you think you have the confidence to face me?"

"Dartz may have been a bastard, but at least he was a powerful duelist," Kaiba replied expressionlessly. "And you? So-called Evil God—you're just an unleashed stray dog."

"Interesting."

The Arbiter's gaze turned icy.

He waved his hand slowly, and it felt as though the entire sky pressed down. The pitch-black serpent god descended, its crimson eyes locked on Kaiba, roaring winds whipping his coat.

But Kaiba glared up at the colossal beast without a hint of fear. Behind him, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon spread its wings and roared at the serpent god above.

"Ultimate Dragon, hmm. Looks like you've improved over the years—you haven't been idle."

The Arbiter's spirit began to float upwards, hovering in the air as if riding atop the Orichalcos serpent god, looking down at Kaiba and his dragon with undisguised contempt.

"Well, it's just a Blue-Eyes—evolved or not, it's hardly worth worrying about. I don't even need to be at full strength…"

He suddenly paused, his motions stiffening.

Then he frowned oddly, glancing in a certain direction, an expression of distaste on his face.

"On second thought, forget it."

With those words, the storm abated. The typhoon of rage finally subsided, the dark clouds faded, and the serpent god's head slowly withdrew.

"Against you, a duel is more fitting after all."

The Arbiter said flatly, his form rising with the serpent's shadow, growing more translucent.

"On the final stage of Duelist Kingdom, I'll be waiting for you, Seto Kaiba."

With that, the Arbiter and the serpent god's shadow vanished together.

In moments, the clouds dispersed and the storm dissolved, leaving only a ruined cityscape.

"Brother!"

Mokuba hurried to Kaiba's side.

"Why did that guy leave so suddenly? Was he scared of the evolved Blue-Eyes?"

Kaiba frowned, silent.

He didn't think so.

To be honest, though he had confidence in Blue-Eyes, he felt that if he had to fight the Evil God here—even if it wasn't fully revived—it would be a hard battle to win.

The Arbiter had shown great confidence, so why the sudden shift and hasty retreat, as if something had alarmed him…

Kaiba recalled that the Arbiter had glanced at something before leaving, and followed that gaze.

By coincidence, he saw Kira walking up from the main street.

"President? Mokuba?"

Kira approached, looking around in confusion.

"What just happened here?"

Kaiba: "…"

Could it be… was he afraid of this kid?