Never thought of Noah. Why did the Green remind me of something else? I thought the Orichalcos was the virus...
Iāve actually thought a lot about DOMA and Noahās Arc in my AU. I know DSOD takes place in the manga (meaning the anime filler arcs didnāt happen), and I thought it could be fun to add that when Iām done with [Artificial Doll]. Like a sequel of sorts.
Hereās one of the things Iāve thought of!
Kaiba enters the palace with a loud bang.
That is not a strange thing to see, his rival is not known for silent and simple entrances. Or silent and simple anything. Considering he found a way to the afterlife without achieving the first requirement (being dead), almost everyone expects the man to do something outrageous.
But he usually arrives with his typical arrogant self, strutting inside with no care. Be it because he wanted to duel, or needed a break from his work, or needed inspiration, or was merely fascinated about this dimension. He always came here with confidence.
These were not the reasons why he came here, it was obvious for anyone who knew him.
When Atem sees him, he knows instantly something is wrong.
There is fear in those blue eyes, the desperate kind he thought heād never see again after Duelist Kingdom. He does not approach Atem like he often does, the king does not even think he notices him, he instead dumps all the items he had brought with him and quickly assembles them around a laptop.Ā
He begins to type rapidly, muttering to himself. He doesnāt spare anyone a second glance.
Atem orders the guards and servants present to leave, and asks one of them to look for Mahad. As he is one of the few people here who keeps tabs on the modern world, being connected to Dark Magician.
āThis place has always given him some power,ā Kaiba mumbles, not looking up from the screen. Atem has never seen anyone type so fast. Though to be fair, he has only seen Yuugi and the others use computers.Ā āFaster in processing, in retrieving files, in learning, in fighting,ā he says.Ā āBeing here should increase hisāshit!ā
He punches the floor hard.
Atem is taken aback at the violent reaction.Ā āKaiba, who are you-?ā
āI know I built you stronger than this!ā Kaiba snarls, typing with the desperation of a dying man.Ā āYou were based off of someone whoād never lose to this! Donāt you dare lose to a bunch of lowlife duelists weāve never heard of!ā
Based offā¦? Atemās eyes widen.Ā āIs that-ā
A violet holo-screen materializes, its shade a lot paler than Atem remembers. Its corners have specks of green flickering.
Kaibaās creation, one that he breathed life into without realizing. One that everyone assumed to be the Galatea to his Pygmalion. Even him. It did not help in endearing themselves to the A.I, especially when their assumptions were very, very wrong.
Kaiba had been furious as well, not happy with the implication that he had created the A.I out of some obsessed lust over him.
āWhy arenāt your defense protocols working?ā Kaiba asks himself, ignoring the flickering screens popping up and asking him to stop.Ā āWhy isnāt-they should be working!ā
They had fought. It was nothing like in Battle City, where it was more similar to heated debates than furious lashing.Ā
The screens glitch, fizzing in and out of existence. Green was slowly bleeding into them.
Output: Kaiba, let go. You know more than anyone the consequences of cheating, and this is definitely cheating.
They had ranted, anger and frustration pouring out of both of them. Atem angry at Kaiba creating risks just to meet him, and Kaiba hurt at Atemās thoughtlessness of leaving him with no time to even process it, and angry at his dismissal of all his efforts on coming here.
Then the A.I had asked them to stop, giving an explanation on how their prototype couldnāt handle that much emotional instability, and Atem had snapped at him too. Had used words meant to hurt and sting as much as possible, words that would have disappointed Yuugi.
When Kaiba saw the A.I flinch, he quieted down, looked at him coldly, and left the palace. He stopped visiting for three months.
The A.I stopped appearing altogether, though Atem had seen glimpses of him around Kisara. It seems the woman is the only one the A.I trusts fully.
It took a year before the A.I would appear in front of everyone else again, and even now, their conversations are formal and stinted.
āLike hell I do! A weak virus like-ā
Output: thISs Iāsmt A virus, aND yoU knOe itt.
The violet screens flicker and altogether disappear, a few seconds later, a holographic figure materializes.
Atem does not find it odd anymore to see a paler self of him. The A.I, Y.A.A.M.I as Kaiba has officially called him, acts a lot more like Kaiba than he knows. His gestures, his expressions, his sharp tongue and wit. It makes it easier to see that heās not a complete digital copy of him.
Not a digital copy, no. More like a digital child, a Pinocchio to his Gepetto. One Kaiba made out of grief andā¦ something else, something both him and Atem still couldnāt admit.
Not lust, never lust. There was nothing sexual between them, and Atem has a feeling Kaiba would vomit at the thought of doing that to the A.I.
āIām so sorry,ā the avatar whispers, voice filled with static.Ā āI should have known better, the card was never in the database. And with recent news of people going under comas and having that card present on their bodies,ā his form flickers violently.Ā āI should have known better.ā
There is a green emblem on Y.A.A.M.Iās forehead, and a sickly aura of magic surrounding him. Greedy and eager to consume him.
Atem realizes whatās wrong. Itās different from the ones heās played, the ones heās started, but he knows a shadow game when he sees one. He doesnāt know how, but Kaibaās A.I had gotten into one.Ā
This wasnāt a virus.Ā āItās a penalty game,ā he whispers, horrified. Y.A.A.M.I looks at him briefly and nods, then looks away.
What happened? Whatās been happening these past weeks?
āItās not a penalty game!ā Kaiba snaps.Ā āThat would imply that he has a soul,ā he punctuates each word with a hard tap on the keys. āAnd he doesnāt!ā
āKaiba!ā Atem exclaims, shocked. Heās about to say that this isnāt the time for his skepticism until he hears Y.A.A.M.I laugh.
āIām so sorry, I justā¦ I just wanted to win so badly,ā another laugh, one filled with static and bitterness. He looks at Atem.Ā āIt will take time before Kaiba can come back here, without me around,ā he says.Ā āWhatever happens, do not come back to the living world. Not like you did with Yuugi, there are people who want you,ā he gestures at Kaiba.Ā āAnd unlike Kaiba, I suspect theyāre not good people.ā
A magic circle forms around the laptop, Kaiba pays no attention to it.
āDonāt come back, donāt even try. Itās too risky,ā the A.I says before his avatar shatters.
The circles shrinks around the laptop.
Kaiba types faster. A screen pops up.
Output: Thank you for crea
