Not even Kaiba Corporation had everything in regular stock, since Cards in this world were extraordinary items. Still, this place was already a sanctuary that countless Duelists dreamed of. Many long out of print pieces, things even the Academy Department could not easily obtain, were preserved here.
One example was a Trap Card famously used by Seto Kaiba during the DM era, the ancient forbidden card "Crush Card Virus". The version Seto Kaiba used differed slightly from the real world print. The old print effect required tributing a DARK monster with 1000 or less ATK to Destroy all monsters with 1500 or more ATK in the opponent's hand and on their field for three turns.
That effect was so strong it was banned, only returning in 2015 after being weakened. The anime version used by Seto Kaiba was different again, activating only when his DARK monster with 1000 or less ATK was destroyed by battle, then Destroying all monsters with 1500 or more ATK in the opponent's hand, field, and Deck.
By modern standards it was not necessarily stronger than the old print. The trigger condition of being destroyed by battle was inconvenient, and sending every qualifying monster from the opponent's Deck to the Graveyard could backfire badly against strategies that treated the Graveyard as a second hand. In earlier environments, however, when Graveyard use was limited, the raw power of wiping an entire Deck was overwhelming.
For someone like Seto Kaiba who preferred direct pressure, it was a rare but memorable tactic. Yugen thought it over and decided to take the card. Used carelessly it could ruin its controller, but in the right situation it could decide a Duel on the spot.
Most of his later choices were less dramatic. He mainly expanded his stock for a Fusion based Deck, though none of his current main builds centered on "Polymerization". These were preparations for a system built around the Spell Card "Metamorphosis".
The remaining picks were cards useful in certain builds or rare enough to resell at a good price. In this era, without Summon restrictions, many Fusion Monsters were mediocre, taken mainly so common Levels in the Chaos mutation Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys Deck could use "Metamorphosis" to transform.
One Rare Card that caught his attention was a Spirit monster, "Tsukuyomi". It was Level 4 with 1100 ATK, and when Summoned it could flip one face up monster face down. After being Summoned, it returned to its owner's hand during the End Phase.
In other words, it was basically a Once Per Turn version of "Book of Moon", though it consumed the Normal Summon. In early formats it had been extremely strong and was eventually limited due to its frequent appearance in top Decks. Its rise in usage lowered the value of monsters with strong effects but less than 1100 DEF.
The most criticized were the Emperor monsters of the Level Series. These High-Level Monsters boasted powerful effects, yet all had 1000 DEF, a humiliating 100 points below "Tsukuyomi". An opponent could flip an Emperor face down and destroy it in battle, while "Tsukuyomi" returned to hand to repeat the process next turn.
From a resource perspective, trading one Normal Summon for an opponent's Tribute monster was efficient. No matter how he looked at it, this trip to Kaiba Corporation had been rewarding. His Chaos build moved closer to completion, and he had secured key ritual materials that greatly strengthened his end board.
He did recall another crucial monster from that build, a powerful finisher once banned for its oppressive and simple stealing effect. "Thousand-Eyes Restrict", Maximillion Pegasus's ace during the Duelist Kingdom Arc, and a rare Level 1 Fusion Monster. With 0 ATK and 0 DEF, it clearly hid something dangerous.
Its signature effect absorbed an opponent's monster as an equip card and gained that monster's ATK and DEF. It was not only core in Chaos Deck strategies, but also widely splashed in competitive Decks of the time. Unfortunately, even this warehouse did not seem to have it.
Yugen asked Mokuba Kaiba, who shook his head. After all, it was Maximillion Pegasus's personal ace, printed by the creator of Duel Monsters himself. It was not surprising that others did not have copies.
"However, I recall Maximillion Pegasus released reprints as tournament prize cards," Mokuba Kaiba said after thinking. "There is a chance Industrial Illusions might have one."
Yugen fell silent. He did not know anyone at Industrial Illusions. Well, he had just defeated a professor who used Machina, but that man probably was not eager to chat.
Without noticing, he had spent most of the day inside the warehouse. Carrying another box of cards, Yugen returned to the office to find Mokuba Kaiba.
"Looks like you found what you wanted," Mokuba Kaiba said with a smile.
"Yes. Thank you," Yugen replied.
Mokuba Kaiba waved it off. "If you want to thank me, just do not disappoint him on the field. As long as you give him a satisfying Duel, this investment means nothing."
It did sound like something a Kaiba would say. Compared to building satellites or chasing souls just to find worthy opponents, a few boxes of cards were trivial.
Mokuba Kaiba stood up. "I should get going."
"To Yako Tenma's Foundation?" Yugen asked.
"Right. It has been a long time since I contacted him directly. I will see what he is planning. Still, I am surprised." He looked at Yugen. "He specifically requested to meet you, if possible."
"Me?"
"Perhaps your Duel left an impression," Mokuba Kaiba said. "But do not feel pressured. If you would rather not go, I can decline for you. Are you heading back to Duel Academy, or?"
Yugen thought for a moment. If he returned to Duel Academy now, he would likely just rest.
"I do not have plans," he said with a shrug. "Since the invitation is sincere, I might as well go take a look."
The helicopter marked with the KC logo descended like a huge black dragonfly onto the rooftop landing pad of the Foundation building, its rotor noise slowly fading. Yugen and Mokuba Kaiba stepped off together, followed by a line of Kaiba Corporation security guards in classic black suits and sunglasses, along with a Duel Security Consultant wearing a Duel Disk.
A Duel Security Consultant was a specialist hired by companies to resolve matters that had to be settled through cards. Kaiba Corporation was a special case, because when a strong opponent appeared, the president preferred to jump in and take over the Duel himself. As a result, their consultant usually had little to do.
Leading the team was the calm man in sunglasses, Isono, long known for his loyalty to Seto Kaiba. He rarely spoke, yet left a deep impression on fans. No matter what happened, even when the pressure of the Egyptian God Cards filled the arena during the Battle City Tournament, he remained expressionless and reminded Duelists to focus on the match.
Now he had risen to security chief as Seto Kaiba's most trusted aide and walked at the front. Staff from Foundation were already waiting, bowing before guiding them inside. They passed through a wide, bright corridor lined with expensive paintings, and at the Dead End a heavy wooden door opened to reveal part of a luxurious dining hall.
Soft light fell across an elegant table covered with dishes arranged like artwork, their aroma filling the room. Yako Tenma stood and walked over to shake hands with Mokuba Kaiba.
"Thank you for coming," he said, then paused. "Unfortunately, Seto Kaiba cannot join us."
"My brother is overseas. You can tell me anything you would tell him," Mokuba Kaiba replied. "You mentioned a misunderstanding. What exactly is going on?"
"I was just getting to that. Please, sit and eat first."
At his signal, servants stepped forward and guided everyone to their seats. Yugen noticed members of the Card Professors standing behind Yako Tenma, including Professor Kirk Dixon, whom he had faced online not long ago.