I will never forget the first time I met Seto Kaiba. He came off as an imperious man, one who believed he was better than you in every way and expected you to believe it as well. He also had a flair for the dramatic, making all of his confrontations appear as if they carried the weight of the world with them. Hell, maybe they did sometimes.
He was also a very well read man. I consider myself knowledgeable in literature and the arts. However, I found Kaiba challenging me with his respective knowledge. I would call our intellectual duel a draw, but as I have found to be the norm with him, he declared outright victory.
I do own one thing of Kaiba's that not many can claim: his respect. I received this gift after challenging him to a best of three chess series. I knew about his skill, and he dispatched me accordingly in the first round. However, I capitalized on his cockiness in the second round, and managed to even it at 1-1. He seemed shocked that I actually beat him, and the final round was clear of the condescending tone that Kaiba had used in the first two rounds. His long brown hair hid one of his eyes. The exposed eye showed the determination I've come to expect from my friend.
I lost the final bout, in a doozy. Afterwards, once the spectators had been cleared, Kaiba asked that I meet him in his office. Upon arriving, he sat me down and offered me a rare vintage, aged since 1918.
"You're a very interesting man, Doran" he said to me, staring deeply into my eyes. Not breaking our eye contact, I responded.
"As are you, Seto". I took a drink of the vintage. It had a drowsy grape taste. It gave me memories of summer, picking berries in the forest back home. I realized the drink was mulled. The cinnamon assaulted my taste buds in the best way possible. I could taste nearly a hundred years of history in its dark red texture.
"I understand you are interested in starting a printing company using your late father's wealth" he continued.
"Indeed I am".
"I believe I could help you. Have you ever heard of the card game Duel Monsters"?
"I'm aware of it's existence, yes".
"How would you feel about printing duel monsters cards"?
I frowned. I wasn't well informed on the duel monsters industry, but I was fairly certain someone held a monopoly over card production.
"Print cards? Isn't there a company, Industrial-"
"Industrial Illusions, yes, run by Maximillion Pegasus" Kaiba stated, slightly agitated. "He's been a pain in my ass for years now. I need a more trustworthy business partner. After all, most of KaibaCorp's profits come from hosting duel monsters tournaments".
"I don't understand…" I continued.
"Look, Pegasus is threatening to cut me off. I wouldn't be allowed to associate with duel monsters. My company would be devastated. I can't allow that to happen" Kaiba added, weariness weaved in his voice.
"I see. Listen... " I started, setting down the crystal clear wine glass and rising from my chair. I walked over to the large window behind Kaiba's desk. In the night, Domino City pulsed with life. Lovers drank tea in cozy shops, teenagers explored the city, the night still young. I turned back to Kaiba, still seated, who was watching me intently. His clean white suit screamed wealth and professionalism. Around his neck hung a necklace with a square pendant that held, what I assumed, was a duel monsters card. His arms rested on the white leather chair.
"...I'm on a no sign basis. This has to be under the table. My father caused my family a lot of problems by making bad decisions in the past."
Kaiba remained seated, still watching me. "Fine by me, as long as you don't double cross me. Pegasus controls an economic giant. Legally, there isn't much wiggle room. This entire plan will be under the table."
I raised my eyebrows. "Will this plan compromise my moral values?"
With this, Kaiba rose. He walked toward me until he was two feet in front of me. He had an inch or two on me. "Listen, I don't know what your values are, but this isn't going to be pretty regardless. I singled you out because of your wealth and apparent intelligence. I know about your father. He had it in him. Do you?" With that, he stretched out his hand, waiting for my acceptance.
I hesitated. I had always tried to run away from my father's shadow, but he was the reason why I was where I was today. I loved and hated him. However, I didn't want to be like him. I wanted to be better than him.
I took Kaiba's hand and shook it firmly. A small smile played across Kaiba's lips.
"Excellent" he said. "Now we may begin".
END PART 1