Chapter 756: Kaiba: This is Science
"Kaiba, breakfast is ready~"
A voice entered Kaiba's ears, waking him from his sleep. As soon as he opened his eyes, Kaiba saw a chubby face approaching him.
If it were anyone else, seeing such a dark face appear before them right after being woken up might startle them, making them think they had transmigrated into a cotton field. However, Kaiba was as calm as ever, looking at the chubby guy in front of him with no expression.
"What did you just say, Bobasa?"
"Bobasa just said, 'Kaiba, breakfast is ready~', like that~" The chubby face recoiled slightly, repeating what he had just said, and as if to show off his morning's results, he lifted the pile of fruit and bread he was holding in his arms slightly. The beard on his mouth trembled with his movements.
Not caring much about Kaiba's cold attitude, the fat man named "Bobasa" placed the food from his arms onto a nearby stone table. He helped himself to a piece of bread and put it in his mouth. "Eat up, Kaiba~"
Bread that ordinary people would need to slice and eat bit by bit was just one bite each for Bobasa's large mouth, which matched his size. He swallowed it down smoothly without much chewing, ready for the next portion. Although the large amount of food Bobasa brought covered the entire table, given his eating speed, it was hard to say how much would be left in the end.
Therefore, Kaiba also had no choice but to come to the table and start eating without fuss. He ate a piece of bread that Bobasa could finish in one bite, along with a few fruits, to fill his stomach.
Holding a grape in front of his eyes, Kaiba said with a slight sigh, "It's truly amazing. I can actually touch grapes from a thousand years ago in this state."
"Huh? What do you mean by 'this state'?" Bobasa patted his stomach, looking full, yet at the same time, he put an entire bunch of grapes into his mouth. When he pulled it out, only the stems were left. He swallowed the grape flesh, skin and seeds included, in one bite.
However, Kaiba merely glanced at Bobasa's peculiar way of eating. He put the grape in his hand into his mouth and said, "Hmph, does that even need to be said? The reason I can appear in this ancient era, who knows how many years ago, is definitely because the D-Wheel I used before malfunctioned, causing me to enter a state of quantum entanglement."
"It's also normal for the time rules in the Quantum Realm to be different from the normal world. I, who entered the Quantum Realm from the Future, left the Quantum Realm at this point in time due to the state of quantum entanglement. Theoretically, as long as I create a device that can dispel my current entangled state, I can return to the point in time when I entered the Quantum Realm."
Kaiba used the most easily understandable language he could to provide a description, fundamentally not paying attention to Bobasa, whose eyes were spiraling like mosquito coils as if listening to gibberish.
"However, the question is, before I dispel the state of quantum entanglement on my body, I do not belong to this era, nor do I belong to the Future. I am in the past, but people from the past cannot touch me or even see me. I also cannot interact with things from this era. I used an entire day yesterday to confirm this point."
Kaiba said calmly, though he sealed the startled expression he had yesterday when a running child passed straight through his body after he entered the Royal City, deep within his mind, refusing to recall it. Then, he looked at the foolish-looking Bobasa, his expression becoming somewhat serious. "But you can see my existence."
"Not only that, you, like me in a state of quantum entanglement, cannot be seen or touched by people of this era. If that were the only thing, I would at most suspect that you are someone who accidentally entered a state of quantum entanglement just like me. But you can take things from this era according to your will, and even make them into a state that I can also touch."
Kaiba stared at Bobasa, paused, and asked, "Bobasa, just what kind of person are you?"
Although Kaiba had built up the atmosphere to a considerably serious degree after a series of setup, coupled with his questioning, someone with insufficient mental fortitude would likely have honestly spilled everything.
However, when Bobasa heard that Kaiba had finally finished his incomprehensible explanation and asked the question, he just smiled foolishly and said, "Hehe, Bobasa doesn't know."
As he spoke, Bobasa opened his mouth again, sweeping up a lot of food from the table and putting it into his mouth. The tabletop was cleaned quite thoroughly.
Actually, Kaiba had already asked Bobasa this question yesterday. At that time, he also used the exact same method to evade it. Unable to tell if Bobasa was genuinely foolish or just pretending, Kaiba gave a cold snort, didn't press further, and sat down again.
After he arrived in this era yesterday, he only managed to get food to fill his stomach after meeting Bobasa. Although his intuition told Kaiba that this guy in front of him definitely mastered some important information that he didn't know, Kaiba was actually someone cold on the outside but warm in his heart. He couldn't bring himself to force a confession out of Bobasa, who had shown him kindness.
Since Bobasa wasn't willing to tell him, he would just let it go. Anyway, as long as he resolved the "quantum entanglement" state on his body, he could return to the Real World. Whatever secrets the opponent held had nothing to do with Kaiba.
As for having finally come to a thousand years ago and whether or not to look into the many unsolved mysteries of the ancient era, that wouldn't pique Kaiba's curiosity at all. After all, Kaiba Seto has always been someone who looks towards the Future rather than dwelling in the past. Compared to collecting antiques, even tightening a few screws on a new invention would be more interesting.
Thinking this, Kaiba walked to the window of the Room and glanced at the weather Outside the City. For some reason, even though there were many dark clouds in the sky Outside the City just now when Kaiba was woken up by Bobasa, in the blink of an eye, it had cleared up. It was truly a bit strange—
Kaiba rubbed his eyes and looked at The Winged Dragon of Ra gradually disappearing in the direction Outside the City. He was filled with disbelief at what he saw.
That was The Winged Dragon of Ra, right? He shouldn't be fatigued enough to be having illusions. That means The Winged Dragon of Ra was just Outside the City—The Winged Dragon of Ra, one of the "Three Egyptian Gods" that Kaiba had only seen in the hand of that guy Hayato Kobayashi, was appearing!?
In this era, could it be that Duel Monsters exist? I suddenly changed my mind!
Kaiba suddenly gave up the idea of just returning to the modern era. If he used this era to train his Duel Monsters skill level, wouldn't he gain several years more duel training than Hayato and Yugi, who should currently be traveling the World with that sucker Pegasus?
When I return to the modern era, won't I just crush everyone? The advantage is mine!
The excited Kaiba thought this. He turned back, wanting to eat a couple more bites of bread, but found the table so clean it reflected light, while Bobasa was sucking on his finger.
End of Chapter
Chapter 757: My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror
After Bakura escaped, since Dark Yugi, Hayato, and the others were not in good condition, the rest did not pursue.
It would have been fine if it was just Hayato and Priest Shada, as they were only slightly exhausted from overusing their spirit power.
Priest Shada's Ankh Kuriboh was originally a Newborn Spirit that had only recently awakened, yet the battle situation forced it to squander its power repeatedly. As for Hayato, it was his first time using the power of The Winged Dragon of Ra alone without the support of Millennium Ring and other items. Furthermore, using it in the form of a Card rather than the Tablets prevalent in this era resulted in poor Conversion Efficiency, so he was temporarily out of commission.
The biggest problem was Dark Yugi. In his battle with Bakura, his soul was reduced to zero in one go. This was much more serious than having Life Points reduced to zero in a Duel. Even if it wasn't a Dark Game where losing would mean having his soul erased by darkness, it was very close.
However, miraculously, with the arrival of Yugi and the others, Dark Yugi's soul, which should have been completely reduced to zero, actually recovered slightly. Even Seto couldn't explain this incredible phenomenon, let alone the fact that he couldn't even see Yugi and the others who were right beside him. He didn't notice them at all, even when Joey Wheeler was just a few centimeters from his face.
"Hmph, the Pharaoh is not in life-threatening danger. That's fortunate." Standing up, Seto, who had finished checking Dark Yugi's condition, looked at Hayato beside him. "This time, it truly is thanks to your presence, Hayato Kobayashi."
Hearing Seto's words, Joey Wheeler put his hands on his hips and said confidently, "Alright, I'm sure now. This guy is definitely not Kaiba."
"Idiot, didn't Hayato just explain it to us? This is the Memory World within the stone tablets, from three thousand years ago. Some people might look very similar to people we know, but they aren't them. This Priest who looks a lot like Kaiba Seto is named Seto," Téa said helplessly upon hearing Joey Wheeler .
Joey Wheeler pouted and said, "It's because Hayato said this guy is called Seto that I find it strange. 'Seto,' 'Seto' (Sè rén), aren't they basically the same sound? And that Bakura who looked exactly like Bakura just now, the sound 'Bakura' is also exactly the same as 'Bakura' (Mò liáng)."
"If I wasn't absolutely certain that Kaiba would never thank anyone, and therefore this guy called 'Seto' couldn't possibly be Kaiba Seto, I would almost suspect that Kaiba and Hayato were in cahoots to trick us."
"More importantly, aren't our current circumstances weirder?" Tristan 's words drew their attention. Tristan was currently reaching out to touch the warhorse carrying the sleeping Priest Shada, but found that his outstretched hand couldn't touch anything and passed straight through the warhorse. "Not only can't Seto, who looks like Kaiba Seto, see us, we can't even touch anything. It's like we're ghosts!"
Yugi hadn't gotten close to Seto while he was checking Dark Yugi's condition. Hearing Tristan 's words, he thought for a moment and said, "Is it because we're inside The Other Me's Memory World? And we weren't pulled into this World by Bakura through a Dark Game like Hayato was."
"In this Memory World Three Thousand Years Ago, no one knows of our existence, which means that to this World, we simply don't exist. If that's the case, it makes sense why others can't see or touch us."
Looking worriedly at Dark Yugi on the ground, Yugi continued, "Perhaps The Other Me and Hayato can see us because they have memories related to us."
It must be said, people are different. Though they came to this Memory World and faced the same situation, Yugi's conjecture was completely unlike that of a certain individual with an advanced Dragon Obsession, whose mind was filled with nothing but Dueling and Science.
Hearing Yugi's words, Joey Wheeler also looked at Hayato and said, "Speaking of which, it's only just started, why has Hayato been sitting there without moving? Is he asleep? No wonder that Seto, who looks like Kaiba, offered thanks."
With Priest Shada asleep, Hayato unmoving, and Dark Yugi unconscious, Seto, who couldn't see Yugi and the others except for the Soldiers, naturally assumed he was the only one still awake. It became understandable why he spoke his Inner Thoughts without reservation.
However, Hayato wasn't asleep. The reason he remained silent was because he was currently sinking his mind into the Millennium Ring.
The sun disappeared from the sky, replaced by soft moonlight that couldn't illuminate everything. But even so, a large Dark Cloud drifted over and covered this meager radiance, plunging everything in the Small Village into night.
In this lightless night curtain, a guest arrived in the Small Village. This was a turbulent era, but the villagers knew that life was hard for wanderers, so they still welcomed the cloaked guest into the Village.
Then, the mischievous boy hiding in the cabinet, waiting for his family to find him, saw everything in his line of sight covered in blood.
He had thought it was a wandering traveler, but after entering the Village, the person immediately killed the two Guards at the Village entrance and used their blood to establish a domain that separated the inside from the outside, as if a butcher had closed the gate of a pigpen before slaughtering pigs.
"For the continuation of the Kingdom, the power of the Millennium Items is necessary! People of the Thief Village, sacrifice yourselves for the great cause of the Kingdom!" Perhaps to intimidate the villagers, or perhaps to convince himself, the cloaked butcher began a massacre among the villagers.
The villagers fleeing in panic were killed one by one by the person wielding a sword. The way that person acted was as if he wasn't killing fellow humans, but merely one puppet after another, with ease and casualness. Furthermore, when possible, the butcher even deliberately inflicted wounds on the villagers he caught, not rushing to kill with one blow, but letting them fully experience pain and die in despair.
What could the boy do? Go out and resist, only to have his weapon easily cut down by the sword in the butcher's hand and be killed like the other resisting adults? All he could do was curl up in the wardrobe, watching the bloody massacre outside the window through the gap in the cabinet door, while desperately covering his mouth with his hand, daring not to make a sound.
Were the villagers innocent? The boy knew that wasn't the case. Although this was just an ordinary Village at first, because it was near the Valley of the Kings where past Pharaohs slept, the Village's pillar industry was building pyramids and various tombs. Life wasn't exactly rich, but they mostly got by.
But after the new Pharaoh's ascension, King Aknamkanon, according to the Uncle in the Village who liked to chat about state affairs, seemed to be engaged in strife with the Old Religious Nobility and promoting religious reform, moving the Capital City from Thebes to the newly built Akhetaten. As a result, his Tomb was also built to the east of the new capital, no longer in the Valley of the Kings.
This caused everyone in the Village to lose their jobs. Let alone maintaining their past life of ease and plenty, being only skilled in construction but not in farming, they couldn't even achieve basic sustenance. In their fear and unease about the future, forced by livelihood, the adults in the Village chose to commit the Kingdom's most serious crime—relying on their familiarity with tombs to steal from the nearby royal tombs.
The former "Village of Artisans" Kul Elna, because adults were caught by the Tomb Keepers one after another, became completely infamous and turned into the "Thief Village" that everyone reviled.
And the boy who grew up in this Village naturally also knew that if the adults who were caught hadn't insisted they had no connection to the Village to avoid implicating their families, according to the Kingdom's law, the entire Village would already be unforgivable sinners.
But, this shouldn't be the penalty. Even according to the Kingdom's law, some people in the Village, like himself, who had never engaged in tomb robbing, should have survived, even if it meant slavery or the Dungeon. Instead, it was this bloody scene before him, with the villagers he knew dying one after another in the massacre!
The Village wasn't very large, and the total population was only about a hundred. The boy, limbs cold, curled up in the wardrobe, watching the cloaked butcher pull the sword from the chest of the pregnant Older Sister next door, then stab her belly again, erasing even the life that hadn't yet been born.
Seeming to think that everyone in the Village must have been killed, or perhaps just having gathered the required number of people, the butcher took off his hood, revealing a face the boy had seen before. Before the Current Pharaoh moved the capital, the boy had also gone to the Capital City to see the excitement on the day of his ascension. The butcher who killed everyone in the Village was a member of the Royal Family by the Pharaoh's side at the time!
Was it the Pharaoh? Did the Pharaoh issue the order to massacre the Village? It must be like this!
The boy's heart was filled with fear, resentment, and wrath, as if to engrave the appearance of the person before him completely into his mind. He watched the other person use the long sword stained crimson with blood to engrave a complex pattern on the ground.
The moment the complex pattern was completed, the river of blood flowing on the ground rushed towards the pattern as if being drawn, completely filling the indentation on the ground. The despair, unwillingness, and resentment in the blood were extracted in a unique way. In the golden radiance that should have been sacred and brilliant, but now gave off darkness and despair, a huge tablet rose from the ground.
On that tablet was a human figure relief. The boy, who had never received an education, did not recognize the image of the deity, but his line of sight was firmly fixed on the golden jewelry and decorations on various parts of the human figure.
The blood within the domain on the ground rushed towards the tablet, flowing into the Golden Artifacts. But just before those artifacts were completed, that member of the Royal Family who massacred the Village immediately took several of them, so that those few items were not stained with blood.
The blood flowed into the tablet, granting the remaining three Golden Artifacts the most powerful strength. But the incomplete state caused a certain existence within the tablet to let out a roar: "Aknadin!"
Dark Aura rose from the tablet, turning into a Claw that was about to grab the few Golden Artifacts in the Royal Family member's arms. But the Royal Family member's actions were one step faster, and he took out the remaining three items from the tablet first, causing the Claw made of Dark Aura to disperse into nothingness before it could attack him.
Having lost all the Golden Artifacts, that existence within the tablet seemed to have also lost all its power and fell silent, slowly sinking Underground. And the Magic Circle that had absorbed the blood of nearly a hundred people also lost its radiance and disappeared after that.
Leaving behind only corpses on the ground, and that member of the Royal Family named "Aknadin" who already held seven Golden Artifacts.
"Is this what is recorded in the Millennium Spellbook, the Millennium Items that possess the power to realize everything? So strong, I can already feel the power within them!" The boy heard Aknadin mutter to himself, raising a golden eyeball and placing it before his eyes. "The Millennium Eye that can read Inner Thoughts. Only you, to prevent others from knowing my secret, I must be the one to use you."
Aknadin, who had easily massacred the entire Village, was ruthless to others, and even more ruthless to himself. Without the slightest hesitation, he took out the Millennium Eye, which was the third to last item taken, and crammed it into his eye socket, directly crushing his left eye and replacing it with this golden eye!
After a moment, seeming to have adapted to the power of the Millennium Eye, a look of ecstatic joy appeared on Aknadin's face. But after lowering his head and looking at the corpses on the ground, he sighed and muttered to himself, "Ninety-nine lives, exchanged for the power of the Millennium Items. However, the sacrifice of these ninety-nine lives, I will use to save ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine people. Everything is for the continuation of the Kingdom!"
"My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror, everything I do is justice!"
While saying this, Aknadin picked up a Torch used for lighting in the Village and began setting fires without hesitation. He wanted to bury this sin in the ashes with flames.
In the Village, flames began to spread. The intense heat swallowed everything. Aknadin watched for a long time, and only after seeing another house in the Village collapse did he leave, unaware that a small figure was wrapping his body with corpses and escaping from the Sea of Fire!
The next moment, everything came to a standstill. Hayato, who had been standing beside the boy watching everything from the beginning, heard a voice ring out beside his ear:
"This is the dark truth of the Millennium Items..."
"This is the past of the Kingdom you protect..."
"Even after seeing such a truth, will you still stand on the side of this vile Kingdom?"
Hayato glanced at the White-Haired Youth protecting himself with corpses and said coldly, "Heh, what does it matter to me how people died three thousand years ago? I don't care about such boring things. Stop pretending to be a ghost, Bakura."
"No, Bakura!"
**Chapter 758: Dynasty's Extinction? Doesn't Matter, I'll Take Action**
Just as Hayato faced an illusion within the Mental World inside the Millennium Ring, in the Outside World, Seto led the Troops, escorting everyone back to the City.
After all, the Pharaoh's state alone forced Seto to bring him back to the City to be properly cared for and treated by the Court Physician. Although Dark Yugi was fortunate enough to preserve his life, the injuries he sustained were still real and had not disappeared.
Although the Pharaoh's initial goal for leaving the City was to find something, in the current situation there was simply no extra manpower to do so, and Shada was also not in a good state. Compared to an item whose importance was uncertain and whose whereabouts were unknown, Seto judged the Pharaoh's safety to be more critical.
Because Hayato had submerged his mind into the Millennium Ring, his external appearance was currently the same as Shada's, looking as if he were asleep. Thinking that treating one was the same as treating two, Seto brought Hayato back to the Royal Palace as well.
However, what Seto didn't know was that Yugi and the others, whom he couldn't see because he lacked the relevant memory, were precisely the "item" Dark Yugi was looking for, and they had entered the City with Seto's Troops. Since no one could see them, the four of them hitched a ride on the Pharaoh's exclusive carriage.
Although Seto had tried his best to choose an approach that would have minimal influence on the people, as Dark Yugi had instructed him before, the sheer size of the Army meant the commotion couldn't be small. The vehicles escorting Dark Yugi, Shada, and Hayato attracted a lot of people's attention.
If Seto hadn't been so thoughtful, having considered the potential unrest among the people if they knew the sacred Pharaoh had been attacked and was in danger, and had specifically arranged for enclosed wooden carriages to escort Dark Yugi and the others, the populace would likely already be in a panic because the new Pharaoh was on the verge of death just a few days after his ascension.
First, Bakura launched a night raid on the Royal Palace, then he had his Subordinate set fires in the City, and then even the Strongest Priest Mahad died. If the people were to know that the Pharaoh had been attacked again and nearly perished, the Royal Family's dignity would be completely gone.
Meanwhile, although Kaiba couldn't fully satisfy his hunger because Bobasa ate too much, he was content. He was wandering the Street, searching for Duel Monsters from this era. Having personally witnessed The Winged Dragon of Ra appearing Outside the City, Kaiba firmly believed that Duelists also existed in this era and could serve as nourishment for his growth, allowing him to become stronger and surpass Yugi and Hayato upon returning to the present.
However, Kaiba only found disappointment. This era was different from the future. Forget about Duelists, he couldn't even find traces of Duel Monsters' existence, as if Duel Monsters didn't exist yet.
But The Winged Dragon of Ra was absolutely not an illusion. Kaiba had a certain confidence in his eyesight and didn't believe he had seen incorrectly before. And since The Winged Dragon of Ra, one of the Three Egyptian Gods at the apex of Duel Monsters, existed, Kaiba believed that Duel Monsters must also exist in this era, just in other forms different from the cards of the modern era.
Because Bobasa was just a Riddler who only pretended to be foolish and had disappeared somewhere after bringing Kaiba breakfast, Kaiba stood alone in the center of the path, letting the pedestrians on the road pass through his body, thinking with composure.
He was temporarily forgetting the common sense he had subconsciously memorized in the modern era, attempting to think from an outsider's stance.
Due to the influence of numerous events like "Duelist Kingdom" and "Battle City," as well as the vigorous promotion by the various large and small beneficiaries of Duel Monsters, such as Industrial Illusions, KaibaCorp, Schroeder Corp, and the Manjoume Conglomerate, Duel Monsters in the future exploded in popularity all at once many years after Pegasus created it, becoming popular.
Before that, Duel Monsters was merely a niche entertainment hobby. Kaiba remembered that during his few school experiences, only Yugi in his class would play Duel Monsters cards during free time, and Joey Wheeler and others only learned Duel Monsters later.
Because the cards weren't widely promoted, Kaiba remembered that when he went to the Game Shop opened by Yugi's Grandpa, Solomon Muto, the store sold many other sundries besides Duel Monsters cards, such as building blocks and puzzles, to increase income.
It wasn't until he hosted "Battle City" that Duel Monsters truly became popular, to the point where even old men in the roadside Park would enthusiastically play a few rounds of cards.
Eliminating the thought inertia of "Duel Monsters are everywhere" from his mind, Kaiba felt that perhaps in this era, Duel Monsters were also in a state of not being widely promoted, merely a hobby for a small number of people.
Combining the fact that ordinary people in ancient times would spend most of their energy just on subsistence, Kaiba deduced that if there were anyone in this era most likely to come into contact with Duel Monsters, or knowledge related to Duel Monsters, it would probably be those Important Figures at the top who were free from worries about food and clothing. And the easiest place to find such Important Figures was in the Royal Palace.
Relying on his so-called 'Quantum Entanglement State', Kaiba completely ignored the Soldiers blocking the Street to allow the Troops to enter the City in an orderly fashion, walking towards the Royal Palace, the most eye-catching Building in the City.
But he hadn't walked far after passing through the blocking Soldiers when he suddenly froze, staring intently at the figure riding a war horse and guarding a carriage.
Wasn't that Priest Seto, who was escorting the injured Dark Yugi and others back to the Royal Palace?
"Is that... me?"
"No, impossible, absolutely impossible. How could I exist in this era from a thousand years ago!"
Frowning, Kaiba was not noticed by Priest Seto. He watched the other party proceed towards the Royal Palace. His mind raced, and Kaiba instantly completed the reason for himself: "It's because of the Quantum Entanglement State. My existence has also been projected into a part of this era, which is why That Person looks exactly like the me in my impression."
"The Quantum Realm truly holds many unsolved mysteries. Since someone who looks like me can appear, then I don't need to care even if I see people who look like Yugi, Hayato, and the others next. They are all just fictional shells projected onto the people of this era because of my memory."
"So that's it, I completely understand."
Thinking this, Kaiba believed he had understood everything. His gaze shifted downwards to the Duel Arena worn on Seto's hand, and he smiled confidently, muttering to himself, "As I thought, it's exactly as I expected. Although it's different from the Duel Disk I created, that style is absolutely inseparable from Duel Monsters."
"Looking at that attire, is he a Priest or Noble/Royal Family from Ancient Egypt? Just like wealth and resources, Duel Monsters are also concentrated in the hands of that group of people at the Top of the Pyramid."
Watching Seto, who was escorting the carriage, gradually move away, Kaiba frowned. "However, it's like knowing the cup in your hand is about to be knocked over, but you can only watch it fall to the ground. Just seeing someone who looks exactly like me fills me with a feeling of annoyance from the bottom of my heart."
"This direction, is it heading to the Royal Palace? In that case, I might as well go and see. The direction this Army came from seems to be the same direction where I saw The Winged Dragon of Ra before. Perhaps the Pharaoh of this era will possess even more powerful Duel Monsters. Even I can't help but feel a little anticipation."
Following the moving Army, Kaiba also walked towards the Royal Palace with Seto. Before long, he saw the Plaza in front of the Royal Palace where Dark Yugi had faced all the people who came to worship on the day of his ascension.
Kaiba didn't know if it was his imagination, but the closer he got to the Royal Palace, the more he felt that there was some existence in the direction of the Royal Palace that was attracting him, as if some important existence closely related to him was within the Royal Palace. This feeling grew stronger and stronger, reaching its apex upon arriving at the Plaza in front of the Royal Palace. Kaiba couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.
In front of this Plaza, Seto dismissed the Army, sending the Soldiers, who had been drawn from various parts of the City, back to their original posts. There was temporarily no need for Soldiers to guard within the Royal Palace; Seto could do it alone, and not just anyone could enter the Royal Palace.
Watching the Soldiers around him disperse in an orderly fashion, the person who looked like him changed to the carriage and was about to enter the ancient Royal Palace before him. Kaiba, who had recovered his senses, naturally followed. However, Seto's movements, wanting the Pharaoh and Shada to receive treatment quickly and also very worried about Aknadin's situation, were faster than he expected, causing him to fail to keep up with the other party.
The moment Seto drove the carriage into the Royal Palace, the Royal Palace's gate closed directly, giving Kaiba no opportunity to follow.
Kaiba, left Outside the Royal Palace gate, had a black face. He couldn't help but feel a little annoyed that he had suddenly been absent-minded and zoned out just now, preventing him from following into the Royal Palace.
Although he was currently in a Quantum Entanglement State and couldn't interact with ordinary people and items of this era, if he truly couldn't interact with any substance, Kaiba would have fallen into the Earth's core due to gravity long ago. The Earth and Buildings beneath his feet were existences he could touch and wouldn't pass through. Therefore, facing the closed, heavy gate, Kaiba couldn't enter the Royal Palace.
"Hmph!" With an annoyed cold snort, Kaiba didn't want to give up just like that because of that inexplicable attraction. He had to find a way to enter the Royal Palace; a mere gate couldn't stop his advance.
But first, he would go look for other Entrances. There was no need for him to stubbornly clash with one door. This was called knowing how to adapt, yes.
Meanwhile, inside the Royal Palace, Aknadin, who had just woken up not long ago, was receiving information from the Guard before him.
According to the two Soldiers, not long after Aknadin entered the Pharaoh's Stone Tablet Temple, a scream suddenly came from within the Temple, accompanied by lightning and a dragon roar. By the time the Guards at the Temple's door entered the Temple, they only saw Aknadin fall on the Altar.
Aside from that, there was no one else in the Temple, and one of the three tablets within the Temple that enshrined the Egyptian Gods protecting the Pharaoh had an evil-infused long sword inserted into it.
Naturally, the Guards concluded that a thief must have broken into the Royal Palace again, attempting to destroy the Pharaoh's tablets within the Temple. However, Lord Aknadin's sacrifice had obstructed their plan, causing the Invincible Lord Aknadin to fall again.
"Cough cough, the 'again' is unnecessary." Aknadin coughed lightly a couple of times, recalling his memory. For some reason, Aknadin's own memory, from meeting the Pharaoh, awakening Ankh Kuriboh for Shada, all the way until finishing breakfast at home, was relatively clear. But the memory after that was somehow a bit blurry.
He could only tell himself that perhaps his memory had become a bit blurry because of the struggle with the other party. Aknadin subconsciously found a reason to convince himself and then inquired with the Guards about the news of the Pharaoh and Priest Seto who had left the City.
Upon hearing that Seto and the others had actually been successfully ambushed by Bakura, Aknadin immediately panicked and quickly inquired about the current situation of the battle.
And the Soldiers only assumed that Priest Aknadin was worried about the Pharaoh's condition, comforting him by saying that the thief had been driven away. Unfortunately, the Pharaoh's physical condition was not very good at the moment, and among the personnel who went out of the City together, only Priest Seto had returned safely. Both the Pharaoh and Priest Shada were currently receiving treatment from physicians in the Royal Palace.
After hearing that Seto's body was unharmed, Aknadin also breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to the Pharaoh, he was actually more worried about Seto's safety.
It wasn't that he didn't care about the Pharaoh; rather than worrying about the Pharaoh's safety, Aknadin was actually worried about the stability of the Dynasty that the Pharaoh represented. He deeply loved this country, and the Pharaoh's safety was closely related to the stability of this country. Many times, the Pharaoh could indeed be completely linked with the Kingdom, but on a deeper level, the two could not be equated.
And after hearing the message brought back by Seto that the Pharaoh was currently in a coma, the delusion that he had repeatedly suppressed in Aknadin's heart resurfaced.
A dynasty cannot be without a Pharaoh for a single day. After the former King Aknamkanon entered the Underworld, even though he was still young, the Current Pharaoh had to succeed the throne and become the Pharaoh. But now, the Current Pharaoh has fallen into a coma. If he cannot wake up like this, or dies due to an accident, won't the dynasty face extinction because the Pharaoh has not yet left an heir?
"Is the message reliable?" Aknadin's thoughts were manifold, and he asked the Guard in a deep voice.
In the face of the dynasty's extinction crisis, as a subject, I must act. I've decided, I will elevate Seto to the position of Pharaoh!
(This chapter is finished)
# Chapter 759: Is White Hair an Ominous Symbol? Believe in XP, I Mean Science
After seeing to Dark Yugi and Priest Shada, Priest Seto withdrew and left. He found two passing Guards and learned about Priest Aknadin's condition from them.
The monsters Bakura used earlier were Priest Aknadin's Stone Tablet Monsters infected by the evil energy within the Millennium Ring. Although Bakura himself said he didn't kill Priest Aknadin, Seto wasn't someone who would believe everything others said. Unless he saw Priest Aknadin safe and sound with his own eyes, he couldn't truly feel at ease.
Hearing the Soldiers say that Priest Aknadin seemed to have been attacked and fallen unconscious once, Seto was also extremely worried. However, his way of showing inner worry was different from ordinary people. His clenched fists and suddenly cold facial expression made it seem as though he was about to commit murder.
Fearing that Seto would vent his wrath on them, the two innocent Soldiers quickly added that although they weren't the Soldiers responsible for caring for Priest Aknadin, they heard that Priest Aknadin had already woken up and had even summoned many people earlier to give them tasks. However, since it had nothing to do with the two of them, they weren't clear on what exactly Priest Aknadin was going to do.
Seto didn't force the two Guards. After asking where Priest Aknadin had been taken to recuperate earlier, he waved his hand, telling them to return to their posts and continue their work.
But when Seto arrived at the Room where Priest Aknadin was supposed to be resting, he found that Priest Aknadin, who should have been recuperating there, wasn't there at all. The bed was empty, with only one Soldier holding several clay tablets inscribed with information, looking at Seto standing at the door with some surprise. He immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Lord Seto!"
"Mm, is Priest Aknadin not here?" Seto nodded and asked casually.
He found it a little strange what urgent matter Priest Aknadin had to attend to. Having just woken up not long ago from the previous attack, and then being attacked again, shouldn't he have consciously taken a good rest? Instead of rushing around like this, not knowing what he was going to do, getting busy again as soon as he woke up, and making him worry so much.
"Lord Aknadin left not long ago," the Guard replied to Seto, holding the clay tablets.
"Where did he go?"
"Lord Aknadin said that if other Priests asked about his whereabouts, we shouldn't reveal it, but it's okay to tell Lord Seto," the Guard said honestly, without hiding anything, telling Seto where he went.
Seto remembered the place the Guard mentioned. After recalling what kind of place it was, he frowned. Because he remembered very clearly that the place seemed to be a Dungeon, specifically used to imprison Criminals who had committed heinous crimes but had not yet been executed.
What was Priest Aknadin going there to do? Seto couldn't figure it out, but if he went there, he should know.
Seto didn't continue to ask the Guard in front of him for other information. He didn't remember such a person among Priest Aknadin's trusted Subordinates. Most likely, the other party was just an ordinary Guard who was casually called over to organize things. Even if he asked him what Priest Aknadin was doing there, he probably wouldn't get any information.
Nodding, Seto told the Guard to continue working and turned to leave. However, the Guard holding the clay tablets seemed to have remembered something. He looked at Seto, a hesitant expression appearing on his face, unsure whether he should speak.
And Seto, before leaving, noticed the other party's abnormal expression. He frowned and asked, "Is there anything else you haven't said?"
"No, it's just that I don't know if I should say it," the Guard seemed to have finally made up his mind and said, "Before Lord Aknadin left, I heard the Priest asking others where the person Lord Seto brought back not long ago was taken. However, because I didn't hear it face-to-face, I don't know if I heard it wrong."
"Because it concerned you, Lord Seto, I felt it might be necessary to tell you."
Seto suddenly grabbed the trembling Guard's shoulder. Seto, whose expression suddenly became somewhat agitated, pressed his shoulder and asked with a serious face, "What did you just say? Say it again!"
"L-Lord Aknadin, he asked others where the person Lord Seto brought back was placed—"
Before the Guard could finish speaking, Seto let go of him and suddenly turned around and ran outside.
The first time, Seto thought he was hallucinating, but hearing the Guard say again that Aknadin was looking for the woman he had brought back, an extremely ominous premonition suddenly rose in Seto's heart. His body moved on its own, faster than his thoughts, wanting to find where that woman was.
That White-Haired One was someone Seto encountered yesterday morning after Shada helped Hayato awaken his spirit. At that time, she was surrounded by a group of people throwing stones, beating, and bullying her, causing a considerable disturbance that attracted Seto's attention.
As the Priest responsible for the city's security and guard work, Seto naturally took people to stop the group immediately before the disturbance spread. After ordering the Soldiers to detain everyone present, he questioned them one by one.
According to the bullies, their Village was located near the Nile River, with fertile soil and high crop yields, and they had always lived by farming. However, not long ago, the River Channel near their Village suddenly changed course, which caused their original cultivated fields to lose their nearby water source.
Not only that, but many terrifying monster corpses also appeared near the Village, causing the merchants who used to come and go to change their route and not dare to come to the Village for trade, due to apprehension. They couldn't grow grain, couldn't sell goods, and couldn't even buy supplies. The entire Village's income plummeted.
And at the same time, some people saw this strange White-Haired One appearing near their Village. Although the Current Pharaoh's hair color was very strange, and it was even said that he had this peculiar hair since he was very young, most Ancient Egyptians had very ordinary hair color. A characteristic like a head of white hair simply didn't seem like a human.
Naturally, the people in the Village concluded that this White-Haired One was definitely the mastermind who caused the river to change course and left behind numerous corpses affecting the peace of the Village. Immediately, all the able-bodied people in the Village went out together to drive away this mysterious White-Haired One.
After the White-Haired One was successfully driven away by them, the situation in the Village did not improve at all. This confused feeling was finally resolved today when they saw this White-Haired One in the Royal City—it must be that this White-Haired One left a curse in the Village. If this White-Haired One wasn't killed, the curse couldn't be broken.
This led to the scene where a group of people surrounded that White-Haired One and threw stones mercilessly. The White-Haired One did not argue or resist, allowing herself to be smashed by the villagers until her head was bleeding and she fell to the ground.
As for why no one went forward to attack directly? It was a joke. This White-Haired One had brought a curse upon the Village! What if she cursed them too? They valued their lives very much.
Seto frowned after listening to the villagers. He was too lazy to listen to these ignorant fools continue to complain, and too lazy to explain anything to them. He directly ordered the Guards to take all these people down and lock them up.
Their reason sounded incredibly stupid. Because a person's hair was white, they brought down a curse? Seto, as a Priest, had heard Priest Aknadin mention "albinism" when he was studying. Although the number of people born with white hair was small, several cases had been confirmed, and he had never heard of them causing any disasters to their surroundings.
Besides, isn't white hair quite beautiful? Oh, except for Bakura, who attacked the Royal Palace earlier.
In any case, when Seto took over the Royal City Guard work previously handled by Mahad, he had already made up his mind to do better than the other party. But on his very first day taking over, someone caused trouble and engaged in a public brawl in the City? They simply didn't respect him.
Although the sin wasn't punishable by death, locking them up for a day or two without food was enough to give these people a lesson.
As for this White-Haired One who was knocked unconscious by the ignorant fools with stones, Seto naturally took her back to his Residence to take care of her.
At first, Seto felt that the other party seemed to have a strange sense of closeness. While severely punishing those villagers was partly because they provoked his authority, it was more because Seto somewhat wanted to vent his anger for this White-Haired One and use public office for private revenge.
After bringing the other party back to his Residence and looking at her while she was unconscious, Seto thought back for a long time and suddenly remembered who the other party was.
A long time ago, when he was a child, because he heard his Mother say that his Father had sacrificed himself on the Battlefield, young Seto resolved to become a Hero who protected the Country like his Father. He began training his body and practicing martial arts from a young age, while actively studying knowledge in an effort to become a Priest and serve the Country.
However, as a Commoner, Seto had no path to advancement and didn't know the extent of his skill level in martial arts. Seto at that time didn't know what he was thinking, but he suddenly thought of patrolling other Villages in the vicinity to uphold justice and become an "Ally of Justice".
Although it was a boy's wild fantasy, it actually worked. One time, he accidentally got lost in a remote Wilderness and discovered a group of slave traders.
Although slavery existed in Ancient Egypt, the business of buying and selling slaves, which could make a lot of money, was naturally in the hands of the Royal Family. Moreover, the source of slaves was mostly Criminals who had been demoted or Prisoners of War from other Countries. This group of slave traders who captured Commoners and sold them as slaves were clearly Sinners engaged in illegal activities.
Seto, the "Ally of Justice" who hated evil like an enemy, naturally took action bravely and rescued a group of people from these slave traders. He also found a white-haired young girl in the place where these slave traders kept the tightest watch.
Because of that rare white hair and beautiful appearance, the slave traders regarded her as a valuable slave of great value. Not only could she be sold for a high price, but with good luck, they might even be able to use her to curry favor with certain Important Figures who had such hobbies.
Seto's movements when he rescued the slaves earlier were relatively small, but the location where the young girl was held was too conspicuous. So, after Seto rescued the young girl, he was naturally discovered by the slave traders. Knowing that the results of their recent "hard work" had been completely destroyed by a kid, the slave traders frantically pursued Seto and the young girl.
In that moment of crisis, Seto told the young girl to escape on a horse first, while he stayed behind to cover the rear. It was at that time that the two exchanged names. The young girl remembered the name "Seto", and Seto also repeatedly muttered the name "Kisara" many times.
Relying on his familiarity with the surrounding environment, Seto successfully shook off the slave traders. However, he didn't expect that in their anger, those slave traders would go insane and vent their wrath on the Village closest to them. Blazing fire consumed Seto's Village, and all the people in the Village were killed by those slave traders. Only Seto remained as a survivor, and Seto's Mother also perished at that time.
And when Seto was at the peak of his wrath, he saw a White Dragon descend in the flames, using an ultimate Flood of Light to kill all the arsonist slave traders in an instant. At that instant, the young Seto seemed to see the descent of a divine beast.
It was also because of that incident that Seto, as the Village's Sole Survivor and the Hero who killed those slave traders, was noticed by the Important Figures above. King Aknamkanon exceptionally allowed Seto, who was originally a Commoner, to enter the Royal City to study. Priest Aknadin, who was already a Priest at that time, even volunteered to be Seto's Mentor, the reason being that he greatly admired Seto's bravery.
While running wildly in the Royal Palace, Seto's mind was filled with memories, and his heart was full of anxious emotion.
Faster, even faster, please don't let it be what I think!
Why would Lord Aknadin go to that Underground Dungeon, and why would Lord Aknadin specifically confirm where I placed Kisara?
It absolutely must not be what I'm thinking!
Go to that place, as long as I get there, Kisara should still be there, it's just that I'm thinking too much!
Rushing back to his Residence, Seto found that his door was actually wide open. This meant that either Kisara, who was in his house, had left, or someone had been to his house. And sure enough, Seto's ominous premonition came true. His house was empty, Kisara was gone!
Even if he cannot accept it, Seto's heart had already received a definite answer. Kisara, she had been taken away by Aknadin.
As for where she was taken, there was no need to think too much. Seto left his house without stopping and rushed towards the location of the Dungeon he had learned from the Soldier earlier.
Not long after, Seto arrived at his destination. Walking down the Stairs into the Underground, with an anxious mood, Seto passed through the guard soldiers without any obstruction. At first sight upon entering the Underground Dungeon, he saw Aknadin sitting on a High Platform, and Kisara imprisoned in a Cell not far away!
End of Chapter
**Chapter 760: Don't Get Burned by My Scorching Heat, Oh!**
At the very center of the Dungeon, there was a huge Pit, about ten meters deep. Under the flickering firelight of the torches around the Dungeon, one could see at a glance the countless dense and sharp spikes at the bottom of the Deep Pit.
Falling from such a height onto the spikes below, there was absolutely no possibility of survival unless one was some kind of invulnerable monster with steel bones and iron skin.
And above the Deep Pit, many iron chains hung down from the ceiling, connecting three or four iron plates suspended above the Deep Pit. The iron plates were also covered with dense spikes, making it impossible to step.
However, compared to the spikes that meant certain death in the Deep Pit, the spikes on the iron plates were still a bit easier to accept.
And at this moment, on the Arena Platform formed by these iron plates above the Deep Pit, a fierce Monster Duel was unfolding.
On each piece of iron plate stood a person. Wearing handcuffs and leg shackles, they could not move freely. Even if the spikes under their feet brought them piercing pain, they had to remain on the iron plate lest they fall into the Deep Pit.
At the same time, in front of each person, a Monster floated, fighting each other endlessly.
Seto recognized several people at a glance. In his impression, they were all Criminals who should have been locked up in a Cell, waiting for the Pharaoh to judge them one by one and issue judgment. Why were these people appearing in this Dungeon at this moment, and controlling Monsters?
Lord Aknadin, what exactly is he doing? And why was Kisara also brought here?
The moment Seto entered this Dungeon, Aknadin, sitting on a raised platform, had already noticed his arrival. Across that Deep Pit, Aknadin looked at Seto from afar. It seemed he had already seen the confusion in Seto's mind. "Seto," he said, "I know you are very anxious, but don't be anxious yet. First take a look at the scene. The answer to your questions is within it."
A golden light flashed from Aknadin's left eye, the Millennium Eye.
Although Seto had many unanswered questions in his heart, and also didn't understand how Aknadin already knew what he wanted to ask even though he hadn't said anything, out of his long-standing trust in Priest Aknadin, he didn't say anything and looked up towards the Deep Pit again.
This time, Seto looked more seriously than before, and recognized one of the Criminals controlling a Monster. It was precisely the Assassin who had attempted to assassinate the Pharaoh on the night of the Pharaoh's ascension, but was captured on the spot by the Guards.
Because Bakura had also coincidentally come to the Royal Palace to attack the Pharaoh that night, this Assassin was naturally also considered Bakura's accomplice. However, after interrogation, Seto learned that the matter seemed like it was just a coincidence. This Assassin actually did not know Bakura, but was hired by others. But who exactly hired him could not be interrogated until now.
Currently, the targets of suspicion include hostile Kingdoms and domestic Noble Factions. Before, Seto advocated for continuing to severely torture and interrogate this Criminal to obtain information, to know who wanted to harm the Pharaoh and eradicate them root and branch. However, Aknadin at that time warned Seto that as a Priest of the Pharaoh, even when dealing with Sinners, they must also harbor a benevolent heart.
Priest Aknadin has always harbored such an advocacy, and Seto has always sincerely admired his benevolent heart. But why now, would that Criminal be brought to such a suspended platform, no different from torture, and death match with other Criminals?
Furthermore, Seto also had an impression of the Monster in front of that Criminal. That was precisely Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts, the Monster that the Priests had extracted from that Assassin's inner thoughts in order to reveal their respective abilities when the Pharaoh had just ascended, and which had already been placed into the Pharaoh's Stone Tablet Temple.
The Monster that had already undergone seal removal was actually born once again. Where did that Criminal get such immense evil in his heart?
Amidst Seto's confusion, the battle between the Assassin and his opponent was still proceeding fiercely. Across from the lion-like, four-legged, single-horned monster beast, was a huge Spider. However, speaking of a Spider, that Monster's upper body had mutated to have a human face, and looked full of strangeness.
And controlling such a spider monster, was a shorty who looked like he had a smile that was both cunning and wretched.
"I don't want to die, I want to live! Kill that bug for me!" the Assassin shouted, commanding Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts to pounce on the Spider, attempting to use its fangs and claws to tear that insect to shreds.
But after only leaping out half the distance, Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts' body stopped in mid-air, with a painful expression on its face.
"Hehehehe, what a brute. I heard you tried to assassinate the Pharaoh before?" the shorty said with a strange smile. "A brave but reckless idiot. You're good at fighting? What good is fighting? You need brains to get by in this world, you little punk!"
"You let your Monster charge straight over, you're basically sending it straight into my Insect Queen's trap, hehehehe!"
Amidst the shorty's cunning laughter, the flames of the torches around them flickered. Only then did the Assassin discover that the spider monster, Insect Queen, had somehow actually attached itself to the chains around it and woven a dense web around the iron plate where it was. His Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts was currently stuck by the extremely sticky web, which is why it couldn't move.
Moreover, there was liquid flowing on those almost invisible webs. Was that poison? No wonder Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts would show a painful expression. How sinister!
The Assassin couldn't help but become anxious. If his Monster were to be controlled like this, it wouldn't be able to protect him. He hurriedly shouted anxiously, "Hurry and struggle free! Come back and protect me!"
"Hehehe, too slow, too slow! My Insect Queen is the strongest Monster! You who have fallen into my trap are already dead!" the shorty said with a strange smile, reaching out and pointing at Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts, which was continuously struggling, attempting to struggle free from the web but always unable to recover freedom. "Kill him, my Insect Queen!"
"My Insect Queen has deadly lethal toxin! Don't get burned by my scorching heat, oh!"
The spider monster received the command and immediately pounced on the prey on the web. In the opponent's despairing gaze, it opened the mouth on its human face. From its gaping maw, a pair of fangs extended and fiercely stabbed into Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts' neck, injecting a large amount of poison and digestive fluid.
Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts' muscles shriveled down instantaneously. Its brownish-yellow fur dimmed, becoming gray and pale. In just an instant, this Monster was killed.
Along with it, the Assassin also reached out and covered his own chest, and began to wail: "Hmph, hmph, Ugh ahhhhh! Ahhhhhhh!"