Dark Yugi's eyes narrowed. "Aoi… what did you just say? The God Cards were stolen?"
"Yes," Aoi said calmly. "Doma planted someone inside KaibaCorp. When Seto and I were about to lock the God Cards in the underground vault, they were snatched right in front of us."
Anzu's face went pale. "Then… for Yugi to recover his memories, we have to get the God Cards back?"
"Right." Aoi's gaze sharpened. "And we got Pegasus's tape yesterday, so we roughly know what we're dealing with. But I'm pretty sure Pegasus has already been taken."
Dark Yugi nodded, voice low. "He has. The cloaked duelist Jounouchi just beat—his Orichalcos seal took Pegasus's soul. Doma did it."
Aoi inhaled, then looked straight at him.
"Yugi… Rafael will likely challenge either you or me soon. If he comes, can you let me take that duel?"
Dark Yugi blinked. "Why?"
Aoi hesitated. She couldn't say it out loud: if Rafael duels Yugi, he'll force the Orichalcos seal into Yugi's hands—dragging him toward a choice he'll regret.
It was the first time Dark Yugi had seen Aoi hesitate like this.
He didn't press.
"…You have your reasons," he said. "Fine. If you want Rafael, I'll step back."
Aoi released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Thanks."
"Yugi! Jounouchi!" Otogi came running from the corridor, waving a keyring. "I unlocked every door in Industrial Illusions—except one!"
"Like a fairy tale," Aoi muttered.
Otogi finally noticed the full group. "Huh? Aoi? Kaiba? When did you—"
"Looks like Pegasus's 'invitation' pulled all of us together," Kaiba said, eyes cold.
Aoi lifted the key-card Pegasus had sent her—the one with a stylized key printed on it.
"Otogi," she asked, "the one door you can't unlock—where is it?"
Otogi pointed down the hall. "That way."
"Then move," Kaiba snapped. "We're going."
"Still as arrogant as ever," Jounouchi grumbled.
Aoi started walking anyway. "Let's go."
Behind them, Haga and Ryuzaki lingered at the edge of the group.
"…We're being ignored," Ryuzaki whispered.
Haga's mouth curled into a nasty grin. "Perfect. That locked room? It has to be Pegasus's rare-card stash."
"Yeah… treasure," Ryuzaki agreed, eyes gleaming.
They stopped in front of a matte-black security door.
"This is it," Otogi said. "Only this lock wouldn't budge."
Aoi stepped forward and swiped Pegasus's key-card through the reader.
Beep-beep.The lock released.
The door slid open.
Kaiba's eyes sharpened. "So this is the place."
Inside was pitch-black.
"This is giving me a bad feeling," Honda muttered.
"Orichalcos trap?" Jounouchi said, scratching his head.
Aoi didn't answer. She walked in with Kaiba. Everyone followed.
The lights flicked on.
And the room—
Was filled wall-to-wall with Toon monster figures, plushies, dioramas, and bizarre pop-art displays. A toy kingdom.
Aoi's lips twitched. Pegasus really is Kaiba in a different flavor…
"It's like a toy box exploded," Honda said.
Kaiba scowled. "Vulgar. Childish. Disgusting taste."
Aoi pinched the bridge of her nose. Says the man who turned his plane into a Blue-Eyes dragon.
Kaiba noticed her expression and leaned closer. "Kisara, you agree, right?"
Aoi smiled sweetly. "Yes, yes. Headache-inducing."
Fifty steps and a hundred steps, Seto. You're the same species.
A shimmer formed in the center of the room. Pegasus's full-body hologram appeared, elegant as ever—smiling like he was hosting tea.
"Miss Aoi, Kaiba-boy, Yugi-boy—welcome to my private room. This is my dreamland, the place that heals my heart. Isn't it lovely?"
Honda blurted, "It's awful!"
"Shut up," Anzu hissed.
Pegasus's smile faded a fraction.
"Miss Aoi… if you're seeing this, then something has already happened to me.Industrial Illusions has been seized by an organization."
Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "KaibaCorp shares are being bought up too."
"That organization is a secret group called Doma.They have wealth said to rival the national budget of the United States."
"Doma…" Kaiba repeated, the name tasting wrong.
Pegasus continued, voice turning grave.
"Doma is rumored to have existed from the dawn of civilization until today.Whenever the world shifts—whenever history 'turns'—they stand behind it."
Then he began listing examples—each one like a knife slipped between pages of a textbook:
"The rise and fall of the Roman Empire—was it truly inevitable?The Age of Exploration—who funded the ships and the blood?Revolutions—were they always 'spontaneous'?Napoleon—who handed him the means to seize power?The Industrial Revolution, the Renaissance—whose capital made them bloom?"
The room fell silent.
"There's no clear evidence, because those who approach the truth are erased in the dark of history.But I am certain—they have intervened."
Pegasus's eyes sharpened.
"And now Doma is moving again—using the power of the Duel Monsters I created.This time, it doesn't feel like 'intervention.' It feels like something… far worse."
He spread his arms, theatrical even in warning.
"Miss Aoi—this is why I called you here.And there is something I want you to receive."
Haga and Ryuzaki's eyes flashed.
"Cards!" they mouthed in unison.
"Somewhere in this room, I've hidden a new card I created.I wanted to hand it to you directly… but circumstances won't allow it.I trust you'll find it."
The hologram smiled again—less playful, more pleading.
"Miss Aoi… please. Save my precious monsters.Only you can do it."
The image cut out.
"None of this makes sense!" Jounouchi groaned, grabbing his hair.
Aoi scanned the room once—then pointed.
"There."
Everyone turned.
Aoi pointed at a Pot of Greed sitting on a shelf like it didn't belong.
"It's the only thing here that has nothing to do with Toons."
Haga and Ryuzaki lunged.
Honda moved faster and yanked the Pot away. "Nice try."
He reached inside, rummaged, then froze.
"Got it!"
He pulled out a card with no artwork—blank-faced—and a small box.
"A blank card…? Is it unfinished?" Honda asked.
Kaiba scoffed instantly. "A card without art is trash."
Aoi took the items from Honda's hands, ignoring Kaiba's jab.
She flipped the blank card over, reading the name.
Her expression changed.
"…The Seal of Orichalcos's Heart."
Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "What did you just say?"
Aoi stared at the card like it was radioactive.
Then she looked up at everyone, voice low.
"Pegasus didn't leave a gift."
"He left a warning… and a key."
And somewhere far deeper than this toy room, Aoi could already feel it—
A new enemy was moving.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 165)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter220)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter125)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (This matter is completely finished.)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 220
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 185
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 248
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 230
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 125
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 145
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 115
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 110
My Harem Is Indescribable 100
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 105
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 67
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 80
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 85
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 78
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 80
Checking In in Demon Slayer 85
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 100
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 85
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 90
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 75
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 85
Why did they assign me to Uma 75
MYGO Beauties 70
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 75
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 80
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 100
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 60
The Uma Musume Who Became 60
I'm Definitely Not the King of 80
After Maxing Out Every Class 80
Naruto: I'm Konoha's Local Men 44
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 57
I, the Elden Sword Saint 50
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 43
No One Knows Pokémon Better 50
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 45
From Trilobites to Titans 45
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 55
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 60
An Anime Heroine Darkened 55
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