It was over.
Delta lay on the ground, feeling as if his body were floating on invisible water, drifting with the current and slowly sinking amidst the waves.
What had ended was not just this duel, but his missionand his brief life. This was the final match of his existence, and undoubtedly the most unforgettable.
A lethal four-blow combo. His Darkstorm Dragon had been blown back three times, and his Five-Headed Dragon once. That toxic wind had seemed never-ending throughout the entire match, leaving him utterly numb.
If that weren't enough, the final, heart-breaking movethe one that had utterly shattered his composurewas the "Conscription" that followed the bouncing effects.
Reveal the top card of the opponent's deck; if it is a monster that can be summoned, Special Summon it to your field.
Delta could only offer a bitter mental laugh. The card Raiza the Storm Monarch had just sent back was still warm; how could it be anything but a monster? Stealing a monster straight from the deckwhat kind of evolved form of NTR was this?
It was common knowledge that the darkest of the Monarch series was supposed to be Caius the Shadow Monarch. Each Monarch corresponded to a different attribute, and Caius was the representative of Dark. With a name like "Shadow Monarch," he gave the impression of a king ruling the abyss.
Yet after today, Delta looked at the Raiza on Yue Xuan's field and felt that the title of the darkest Monarch truly belonged to him.
What was Caius compared to this? His minor brand of evil couldn't even hold a candle to Yue Xuan's level of toxicity.
Recalling that agonizing game now, Delta suddenly felt that his brief journey through that "stalling prison" of a duel was a perfect reflection of his own life.
His life had been a similar struggle against a predestined fate, equally brief, and spent entirely in torment.
Especially at the very end, when Darkstorm Dragon had appeared on Yue Xuan's field to deliver the finishing blow, Delta truly felt as if he saw his father within that erupting dragon breath.
A father casting a look of disappointment, resentment, and even loathing.
The moment his vision was swallowed by darkness, he felt as if time were flowing backward, returning to the past.
He remembered his birthbeing created by Father, gaining intelligence and consciousness, training with his brothers using different decks, and awakening more sapience during his duels.
Soon, he had stood out from the rest, becoming the most exceptional among them.
"As expected of my son."
That was what Father had said to him back then.
"Soon, you will become my right-hand man." The man had reached out and clapped him heavily on the shoulder. "Do not let me down."
"I will never let you down," Delta had promised solemnly.
Of course, that promise now seemed to have come to nothing.
He still remembered how his brothers had looked at him thenwith envy and admiration. It was as if he carried not only Father's expectations but the hopes of everyone else. They all viewed him as a role model, the best among them who would serve Father on behalf of them all.
But it was ironic. Although he had been designed with Seto Kaiba as his prototype, Delta had never possessed a single moment of ambition. He had no pursuit of power or authority. He had no interest in seizing KaibaCorp from Seto Kaiba for revenge or standing at the top of the world.
He felt the world was fine just the way it was. In fact, the only thing in the world that had ever piqued his interest was the Kaiba Land that Seto Kaiba had built with his own hands.
"..."
"Seto Kaiba is a murderer, the most heinous criminal, robber, and thief in history."
The man had gathered all the children, standing on a stage to denounce Seto Kaiba's inexhaustible crimes.
"And he is the most absurd one. KaibaCorp was once the world's premier industry, the pinnacle of technology and the finest arms manufacturer. But what did that fellow do after seizing it for himself? He opened some Blue-Eyes White Dragon theme park and built roller coasters? Why didn't he just go sell baby pacifiers while he was at it?"
The brothers had been filled with righteous indignation, following Father's lead in denouncing the man. Only Delta had muttered quietly to himself, "Actually, I think Kaiba Land looks like fun..."
He didn't know if Father had heard that whisper. On the stage, the man had unpleasantly narrowed his eyes. "Did you say something, Delta?"
"Ah... no, Father," Delta had said, lowering his head. "I said you are right. Seto Kaiba is an unforgivable villain."
Only then did the man nod and cease his questioning.
But Delta had never told anyone that in his fleeting life, he had a wish of his own. He wanted to go to Kaiba Land just once.
Delta was such an eccentric AI. He had clearly been manufactured for the purpose of revenge and was undeniably the most talented of his kind, yet in his heart, he only wanted to "lie flat."
Even if he didn't play on any of the rides, just being a balloon salesman in the park, watching the little children climb up and down the slides and listening to the teenagers scream and cheer on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon Roller Coaster, would have been enough to make him feel at peace.
Of course, that was an impossible dream.
They were in opposing camps, after all. His father and brothers were shouting slogans of revolution, denouncing the current "dictator" as a debauched fool who only cared for pleasure. Yet here he was, the top general under Father's command, not only lacking any will to fight but secretly wishing to join the opponent and enjoy the music and dance.
What kind of joke was that?
"..."
"Since you didn't want to fight, why risk your life?"
Yue Xuan walked over to Delta, who was lying on the ground as his body began to disintegrate into data. He spoke calmly.
"Even for an AI, since you possess consciousness, you should understand the value of 'being alive,' shouldn't you?"
"Heh, if you're asking if I have a death wish, of course I don't."
Delta closed his eyes and gave a self-deprecating smile.
"That's why you humans will never understand. From the moment of our birth, our fates were already decided. Whether this is what I wanted doesn't matter. This is my mission. I exist to fight for Father, and that is enough."
Yue Xuan pondered for a moment.
"I think it is you who doesn't understand humans," he said softly. "Being able to understand a concept like that actually makes you more human than you realize."
"Oh?" Delta forced his eyes open, looking at him in confusion.
"There are many humans in this world who are exactly like that," Yue Xuan said. "Struggling for the expectations of others, exhausting themselves trying to become the person they are expected to be because of the heavy hopes placed on them since birtheven if it's not what they truly want."
"Is that so..."
Delta closed his eyes again, a weary smile playing on his lips.
"Then perhaps... I really was more human than I thought."
But it didn't matter anymore. None of it did.
He had done his best.
He didn't have to fight anymore.
Delta's body disintegrated completely, turning into scattered data that vanished into the virtual space.
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