Chapter 50: Not So Different After All

Chapter 50: Not So Different After All



Next week chapter will be late as well.

[3rd POV]

[Gozaburo Kaiba: 1700 LP -> 0 LP]

Gozaburo blinked in utter disbelief, the cards slipping from his grasp. Just one turn... It took her only one turn to secure victory, leaving the ultimate strategy he had so meticulously crafted in complete shambles.

"Y... You..." He growled in a surge of rage.

However, Gozaburo's expression grew rigid as Yuna presented him with the contract,

prominently displaying his sizable signature on the document as if silently conveying, "I told you so."

Never in his life had he experienced such humiliation, and his body trembled with anger. "NOAH!"

Suddenly, a boy with light teal hair materialized beside Gozaburo. Sensing the man's foul mood, the boy named Noah hesitantly bowed in respect. "Y.... Yes, Father?"

"Deal with her now!" Gozaburo roared, his finger accusingly pointing at Yuna.

Noah nodded and fixed a menacing glare on Yuna as she anxiously took a step back. "Our deal..."

Gozaburo laughed menacingly, "I'm an entrepreneur; we never uphold a commitment. Now disappear."

With Gozaburo's command, Noah firmly gripped Yuna's wrist, causing her to vanish into a black void. Noah began to manipulate the space around her, a thought forming in his mind: 'Father wants her gone. I should lock her consciousness...'

When bringing victims into this digital realm, Noah had the facility's drones place each individual inside a virtual pod, effectively transferring their consciousness into this alternate dimension. Within this world, their subconscious became a complex array of data and code that could be manipulated.

Typically, a person's mind was heavily locked, but it could be unlocked by breaking their will to resist. For instance, they might experience the consequences of a game of Duel Monsters, with the loser genuinely believing that the punishment was real.

Noah also possessed the power to influence a person's mind forcibly, but it required intense concentration, and it came with its own set of risks. Nevertheless, this was an order from his father, and he had to carry it out.

Reappearing before Yuna, Noah extended his hand and placed it atop her head. With this touch, he began to intrude into her subconscious mind. Soon, Noah found himself in a dark, damp room within the depths of her psyche.

Unfazed, Noah tapped the limestone walls of the subconscious realm, causing the area he touched to transform into an intricate display of binary numbers and codes. Noah wore a confident smirk on his face; it would take time, but he was patient enough to eventually conquer and manipulate this space entirely.

"Where am I anyway..." Noah muttered to himself, his childlike curiosity taking control as his eyes roamed around the room. Despite the darkness, he had adapted his data to see through the night, and he spotted a door. Unable to quell his interest, Noah made his way to the door and attempted to open it.

"It's locked..." Noah muttered in disappointment as he returned to check on the progress. However, his expression froze in disbelief when he realized the codes had entirely disappeared.

"Her mental strength is more formidable than I anticipated," Noah mused, genuinely impressed as he restarted the process.

*Clack Clack*

Noah swiftly turned around at the sound of an object colliding and dragging across the ground. To his puzzlement, there appeared to be nothing behind him.

*Clack Clack*

The sound repeated, now much closer, and Noah's hair stood on end.

*Clack Clack!"

The frequency of the noise increased, and Noah hurriedly pressed his back against the corner of the room. His pupils darted wildly, trying to locate the source of the sound. But unbeknownst to him, by putting himself in the corner, the young boy unfortunately missed the two long arms emerging from the walls...

A minute later...

The door to the room swung open, and a woman with white hair entered. Immediately, her gaze fell upon Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, holding a twelve-year-old boy in its arms, ready to devour him at any moment.

"Ahem, what are you doing?" the woman called out, and the dragon froze, caught in the act. "Put him down this instant."

Reluctantly, Starving Venom Fusion Dragon released its grip, and the unconscious boy tumbled to the floor. The woman knelt beside him, waiting patiently as he slowly opened his eyes...

When Noah regained consciousness, his mind was still in disarray, and the events of the past few minutes seemed like a blur. Sitting up, he noticed a woman beside him, her upper face concealed by a shawl. Even from just seeing her lips, Noah could deduce that she must be

stunning.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Are you alright?" She inquired, and Noah instinctively blushed.

However, he soon spotted a dark figure lurking behind the woman. When his eyes finally focused, his skin paled with fear as he remembered everything. In a panic, Noah screamed and fled, exiting the space with no trace of him left behind.

Staring at the spot where he had been sitting, the woman scowled and directed her glare at Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, which had already retreated to avoid her scolding...

Outside, Noah gasped for breath, his body still trembling from fear.

*Tap Tap*

"AHHH, STAY AWAY!" He instinctively yelled and quickly moved away from whatever had touched his shoulder.

Turning around, Noah paused when he realized it was just Yuna; he sighed with relief. Regaining his composure, he soon adopted an antagonizing tone to mask the anxiety in his

heart.

"F.. Father wants you gone! So I'll leave you here forever! Goodbye!" he declared, generating a portal and making a hasty escape...

[Yuna's POV]

"What..." Seto exclaimed but then frowned: "Yes if it's him, this all made sense...."

Earlier, Seto had found himself moving through several terrains, each representing something from his past as if it was here to remind him of something. He knew that the boy who threatened them shouldn't be aware of these things, but if his father was involved... "But what is my father doing here?" Seto questioned. His tone was a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "He died years ago, and what about that boy?"

"Gozaburo... called him son..." Yuna added, and Seto's fingers grazed his chin as he delved

deep into thought.

"Yes," Seto nodded in self-realization. "I can recall now, it was when Mokuba and I were first

brought in that I heard from a servant that my father used to have a biological child that

died."

"I see...." Seto's smirk revealed a hint of bloodlust in his eyes. "Looks like being overthrown wasn't enough. I will wipe him out once and for all."

"Hate him?" Yuna inquired, prompting Seto to sneer.

"Hmph, hatred isn't a strong enough word for the feelings I have for him," Seto muttered,

clenching his fist.

He extended his palm and sighed, revealing the crushed chess piece. "Anyone would think

that being brought into a rich family would mean a life of luxury, but for me, it was absolute

hell."

"Hours, days, I was compelled to be someone I wasn't, and disobedience meant punishment," Seto recounted, his gaze distant.

Sinking into a small chair, Seto sighed, "Even when I collapsed, I wasn't spared from the

harassment."

"Why... tell me this..." Yuna frowned.

"Because your curious eyes are getting on my nerves," Seto replied. "So I might as well tell you now."

Yuna flinched, "Sorry..."

Seto observed Yuna quietly as she awkwardly rubbed her arm. Finally, he stood up and moved

to the door, "We've wasted enough time. We need to find Mokuba."

Yuna nodded in agreement, "Yes..."

Together, they left the classroom, walking side by side down the hallway. Their silence was

palpable, and Yuna, with a hint of nervousness, finally spoke up: "Your childhood... was it difficult?"

Seto glanced at her peripherally, keeping his gaze forward. He replied, "You could say that.

But even when I felt on the verge of collapse, Mokuba was always there to support me, bringing me back from the brink of death."

"How about you?" Seto inquired, his tone still retaining its characteristic bluntness. "Aren't

you an orphan too? What was your life like?"

Upon hearing Seto's question, Yuna touched her lips with a wry smile as she delved into her

past memories. "It was lonely..."

Seto couldn't help but probe further. "Does your speech have something to do with it?"

Yuna's eyes widened in surprise at the abrupt personal question. Realizing that she, too, had been somewhat intrusive, she let out a helpless chuckle and remarked, "Children's innocence... is cruel..."

"Oh," Seto murmured, uncertain of how to react. He stole a glance at Yuna and observed a

sense of melancholy in her expression.

Feeling Seto's curious gaze, Yuna offered a smile, but it was clear to Seto that her smile was

strained and forced.

"Forget about them," Seto blurted out with a hint of condescension. "Only a true fool would let other people's opinions dictate their life choices."

Yuna flinched at his scathing tone but then sighed. Understanding that Seto was offering

advice in his way, her eyes curved upwards, and her lips shifted into a genuine, warm smile

like a crescent moon. "Thank... you..."

For the first time in his life, Seto watched Yuna's sincere smile; his usual indifference

momentarily shattered, and his heart skipped a beat.

I hope you enjoy it.