Chapter 791: Eternal Soul - Mahad
Looking at the figure that appeared before him, Dark Yugi was also full of surprise: "Mahad!?"
"No, the one you see now is..."
Mahad, standing before Dark Yugi, was not wearing the priest robe he had worn before, but rather a dark purple mage robe, holding an emerald green staff in his hand. He looked like Dark Yugi's most trusted duel monster from the modern era—the Dark Magician, identical in every way.
"Forgive me, Pharaoh, for not being able to remain by your side as a human, under the name of Mahad." Mahad, or rather, the Dark Magician, bowed respectfully to Dark Yugi, then turned to look at Diabound's attack, which he had completely blocked with a magic barrier. "But my soul will accompany you to the last, under the name of the Dark Magician!"
"Dark Magic Attack!"
Opening his palm, he pushed fiercely, and the magic barrier instantly exerted power, successfully pushing Diabound's attack away. It continued to strike fiercely against Diabound's body, causing it to reel backward and lose its balance.
The Dark Magician's attack continued. That barrier was just an opening move for him now, fundamentally not a serious attack.
Mystical power converged towards the staff in his hand. Only to see the Dark Magician rush forward. The staff in his hand stabbed out like a lance into the chest of the still recovering Diabound. Mystical power erupted fiercely. The human-sized Dark Magician actually blasted away the nearly ten-meter-tall Diabound, smashing it into the wall and embedding it!
"Ma-Master!?" "Mahad?!"
Seto and Mana, after the Dark Magician pushed away Diabound's attack, naturally saw him standing beside the completely unharmed Dark Yugi. They both called out in surprise.
"Priest Mahad, no, stone tablet monster Dark Magician, have you recovered from the previous battle!" The Great Dark Priest frowned, somewhat angry at the Dark Magician's appearance. They were just a hair's breadth away from finishing off the Pharaoh, and now someone else had come to interfere.
Before, Mahad, in order to finish off Bakura, had chosen to use forbidden power to merge his near-death self with the Illusion Magician, who was about to vanish. He transformed from a human into a stone tablet monster. Pity, in the end, he still couldn't drag Bakura down with him in a mutual destruction, and his own soul was damaged in that battle, forcing him to return to the tablet to slumber.
But luckily, he finally woke up in time and protected the Pharaoh at the key moment.
"As long as I am here, don't even think about harming the Pharaoh, you fallen one!"
Looking at the Great Dark Priest, the Dark Magician responded forcefully. The Dark Magician's words made the expression beneath the Great Dark Priest's mask look even worse. Could this guy know something?
"Hmph, saying it doesn't make it so. I just said, didn't I? The Harpie Lady that Diabound absorbed has the ability to split into three avatars. Let's go, the other Diabound!"
As the Great Dark Priest spoke, a third Diabound actually manifested out of thin air before him. The second Diabound, which had been blasted away by the Dark Magician, also dug itself out of the wall. All along, although Diabound possessed great strength and terrifying growth potential, fundamentally, what made it most apprehensive was its immortality.
Because of the Dark Magician's arrival, the party's reinforcements did increase. However, the Great Dark Priest also simultaneously increased the quantity of enemies. Seeing the Dark Magician immediately go up against the two Diabound in duel, Seto couldn't help but grip the Millennium Rod in his hand tightly.
Although the Dark Magician, formed by the combination of Mahad and Illusion Magician, possessed great strength, enough to suppress one Diabound, the quantity of Diabound with the same level of power, even excluding the one drawn away by Hayato, was still two. The Dark Magician could only barely withstand their attacks by relying on his rich magical arts.
However, compared to Diabound, whose power was continuously supplied by the geographical environment, the Dark Magician's power was still somewhat lacking. If the time dragged on, it would probably be difficult to avoid defeat.
It was at this moment that Seto, however, saw a flash of gold radiance in the nearby pile of rubble. He strangely swept away the rubble burying something, only to see a blood-stained Duel Arena.
"This is..." Seto then remembered that before they fell into this Underground area, they were beside Karim's remains. This Duel Arena before him seemed like the one Karim had used. It seemed like it had fallen here along with the ground collapse at that time.
Looking at the Duel Arena before him, Seto thought for a moment and made up his mind: "Although no one had ever succeeded before, at this moment, let's temporarily abandon the stance between you and me and fight for the Pharaoh, Karim."
Saying this, he actually picked up Karim's Duel Arena and put it on his other empty arm. He turned to look at the Dark Magician who was fighting Diabound.
Raising the Duel Arena above his head, Seto shouted: "This is a battle for the Kingdom! Lend me your power, Karim!"
Instantly, a large amount of electric current emerged from the arm Seto raised, conducting through his body and making him tremble. But relying on his will, Seto endured the sense of rejection from the Duel Arena while bathed in the electric current, shouting: "Answer me, Thunder Dragon Colossus!"
"Roar!"
From the hole that broke open above Seto's head, lightning descended from the sky. Before Seto's eyes, a massive flying dragon's body was woven from lightning.
The Duel Arena was an important item created by Alchemy during the Previous Pharaoh's time. Its use is simple: Actually, it links to the corresponding Stone Tablet Temple and remotely summons the Stone Tablet Monsters stored within. Each Duel Arena has its corresponding Stone Tablet Temple. Theoretically, if you get someone else's Duel Arena, you can summon other people's Stone Tablet Monsters.
But actually, it's not like that. Every Priest has prepared a domain in their own Temple that only they can pass through with permission, to prevent their Duel Arena from falling into the hands of others. The reason Bakura could summon monsters using the Previous Pharaoh's Duel Arena before was only because the Stone Tablet Monsters he summoned were burial offerings and were not stored in the Stone Tablet Temple.
Like Hayato, he successively obtained Isis's and Dark Yugi's Duel Arenas, but he only used the Duel Arena as a transfer station to summon his own monsters and could not summon their Stone Tablet Monsters.
But now, whether it's a miracle, or the aid of Karim's soul in heaven, or perhaps the Thunder Dragon Colossus called by Seto was also desiring an opportunity for revenge for its master, the Thunder Dragon Colossus that descended here fought alongside Seto's Duos, sharing the pressure for the Dark Magician and holding back one Diabound together.
Instantly, the situation changed again. The Dark Magician, Thunder Dragon Colossus, and Duos together were suppressing the two Diabound.
During this time, Mana also understood that the young girl who looked exactly like her and appeared beside her seemed like her Awakened Spirit. Having waited for the opportunity for a long time, she seized the chance and immediately began casting a spell in combination with her Spirit—the Dark Magician Girl, chanting a spell.
"Thunderous Carriage, Gap of the Spinning Wheel, this thing has light, and splits into six!"
The two young girls fiercely swung their staffs towards the Great Dark Priest, who was focused on defending against Dark Yugi and Seto and completely ignored Mana's side. An energy ball quickly formed and shot out towards the Great Dark Priest and the Diabound Tablet standing not far away on the Ground!
"Mana-Mana-chan's Double Magic Explosion!" "Dark Burning Attack!"
Although the opinions on the name seemed not to be unified, the magic achieved full effect. The Great Dark Priest, who had completely unexpected Mana could unleash such power, managed to flash away in time to avoid being directly hit by Mana and the Dark Magician Girl's attack. However, the Diabound Tablet beside him had no time to transfer and was directly hit and shattered by the attack!
The sudden explosion even blasted away the Great Dark Priest, sending him crashing into the wall nearby. The mask on his face finally completely shattered during the process of being blasted away.
# Chapter 792: Untitled
"Well done, Mana!"
Mana, who had been ignored by everyone since coming Underground, delivered the brilliant blow that ended the battle. Watching the [Diabound] before him disappear because the tablet it resided in was destroyed, [Dark Magician] also praised Mana.
No matter how troublesome its immortality was, [Diabound] was still a stone tablet monster at its core. If the tablet it resided in was destroyed, no matter what kind of power it possessed, it would be useless and its only outcome would be to disperse into nothingness.
As the incarnation of resentment of the villagers of Thief Village Creielna, [Diabound] roared unwillingly, its body gradually collapsing and dispersing. In the moment before it turned to dust, it desperately attacked its surroundings, attempting to drag others into mutual destruction.
However, [Dark Magician], [Duos], and [Thunder Dragon Colossus] had all left the vicinity of [Diabound] immediately, avoiding being affected by its death struggle.
It wasn't just the two [Diabound] that Dark Yugi and the others were facing; the one on Hayato's side also dispersed simultaneously. As soon as there was no longer a need to keep [Diabound]'s attention, Hayato immediately rushed back.
"This time, we've really taken care of this spirit, right?"
Watching [Diabound] be destroyed and the Great Dark Priest be defeated, Seto said, panting heavily. Using Karim's Duel Arena, he had summoned **Thunder Dragon Titan**, but as a cost, Seto felt his stamina was completely drained at this moment.
"Counting Hayato's time, [Diabound] has been taken down twice now, right? If [Diabound] could revive a third time after this, what kind of plot point would that be? Only a third-rate novelist who can't think of a plot would make something up just to pad the word count."
Dark Yugi muttered. As he spoke, he looked towards [Dark Magician] and walked over to him, temporarily handing the [Millennium Scale] he held in his hand to Seto for safekeeping.
Before, because of Bakura, he had fallen into a comatose state, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He unexpectedly saw a part of "himself" from the past in a dream while he was unconscious.
Memories with Mahad, memories with Mana, and even memories with the Previous Pharaoh when he was still alive, his own Father. Dark Yugi remembered many things because of this, but it was regrettable that he still hadn't been able to know his name.
As things stood, even Dark Yugi already knew that his lost name was not something ordinary. No matter who he asked, he couldn't obtain an answer, as if his name had been directly erased, just like the script on that memory tablet at that time.
It was the same even for people extremely close to him like Mana and Priest Shimon. Priest Shimon had even overseen the construction of his tomb, but the result was the same. This made Dark Yugi couldn't help but wonder if the people in this Memory World were under some kind of invisible restriction, preventing them from saying his name.
Before Hayato left the Royal City to rush to Necrovalley, he had mentioned to Yugi and the others that he would look for Dark Yugi's Tomb in Necrovalley along the way to see if he could find his name. However, after Dark Yugi woke up and remembered some memories, he knew that Hayato wouldn't have any gains, because he also remembered that his tomb was not in Necrovalley.
On this trip to Thief Village, Yugi, Joey Wheeler , and the others did not travel with Dark Yugi. They specifically went to Dark Yugi's Tomb built by Priest Shimon to see if there might be any clues left behind. After all, people might be influenced and unable to convey information about the Pharaoh's name, but inanimate objects might be an exception.
And [Dark Magician], or rather Mahad from the past, as the Pharaoh's childhood playmate, naturally knew Dark Yugi's true name. Dark Yugi felt that perhaps he might also be able to obtain clues from Mahad.
This was the more rational explanation. The more emotional explanation, and also Dark Yugi's true situation, was that due to the partial recovery of his memory, he recalled the bits and pieces of time he spent with Mahad. However, this feeling, finally remembered, only returned now that Mahad was already dead, making Dark Yugi miss Mahad even more. When he saw [Dark Magician] appear, he was also exceptionally surprised.
And watching Mana and Dark Yugi walk towards [Dark Magician], Hayato, who had returned to their side, wisely didn't disturb them. Instead, he looked at the defeated Great Dark Priest. Mana's attack just now was quite heavy, knocking the opponent out almost completely and leaving him unable to recover, having completely lost his threat.
Hayato wasn't in a hurry to deal with the Great Dark Priest. Instead, he glanced at Seto and said, "Although it might be hard for you to accept, can I leave the Great Dark Priest for you to judge, Priest Seto?"
Seto was slightly puzzled by Hayato's words, but he nodded and said, "I am a Priest of the Pharaoh. Naturally, I will administer just judgment upon Sinners. This is not only guaranteed by my own honor as a Priest, but also because of the [Millennium Scale] I hold in my hand."
As he spoke, Seto held up the golden scales that Dark Yugi had entrusted to him. The Priests under the Pharaoh each had their own duty. Karim's previous responsibility was the judgment of Sinners, and now that Karim had made his sacrifice, Seto, who temporarily held the [Millennium Scale], had also temporarily taken over this duty.
Although the [Millennium Items] have different functions, they generally all have additional functions. For example, the [Millennium Rod] hides a small knife that can be used to peel fruit, the [Millennium Puzzle] can be taken apart and used as building blocks, the [Millennium Necklace] is good-looking, and the [Millennium Scale] also has the ability to weigh the severity of a person's sin.
And in the distant Future, three thousand years later, because Duel Monsters directly printed the **Polymerization** card, the fusion ability possessed by the [Millennium Scale] became quite awkward. Not only did its use require recognition from a [Millennium Item], but its effect wasn't as convenient as simply playing a **Polymerization** card directly, and the effects weren't much different.
In the end, in the hand of the [Millennium Scale]'s User, the [Millennium Director] Shadi, the [Millennium Scale] could only be used for its ability to weigh sins.
Hayato nodded but didn't explain further. Anyway, Seto would find out why he said that in a moment. Rather than telling him the truth himself, it was better to let Seto see the Great Dark Priest's identity with his own eyes.
Now that Bakura was already dead, and the Great Dark Priest had been defeated and was about to be subdued, no matter how Hayato looked at it, the Player behind them, Bakura, was clearly at the end of their rope. Could he possibly conjure up another controllable character to continue the struggle?
However, just in case, Hayato felt it was necessary to first take down the two [Millennium Items] embedded in that Underworld Stone Tablet. The crisis had clearly been dispelled, but for some reason, Hayato always felt a hidden threat from that tablet, as if it absolutely couldn't be left alone.
Thinking this, Hayato immediately took action. He climbed onto the Underworld Stone Tablet, preparing to retrieve the [Millennium Puzzle] and [Millennium Key] that the Great Dark Priest had placed inside it before.
However, to his slight surprise, the two [Millennium Items] were surprisingly firmly attached to the tablet, as if they had been stuck with glue. Even though Hayato exerted a lot of strength, he still couldn't pry them off.
"What is this thing, Mjolnir or Sword in the Stone?" Hayato, who had squatted down and tried to pry off the [Millennium Puzzle] for a long time without success, stood up again and looked at the Underworld Stone Tablet beneath his feet with a frown.
According to common sense, most people facing this situation might think it was their own reason, such as not having enough strength, using the wrong method to take the [Millennium Item], or not having unlocked some fixing device first.
But Hayato was different.
"It's obvious, this is fundamentally not my problem, but the tablet's problem." Hayato, who felt he couldn't possibly be wrong, said with a matter-of-fact attitude, looking at the tablet beneath his feet with a dangerous gaze.
The concept that this tablet communicated with the Underworld below wasn't the Great Dark Priest bluffing. As far as Hayato knew, if all the [Millennium Items] were fully embedded in this tablet, the gate to the Underworld would open, and the Wicked God trapped within the Underworld would be released into the World.
In other words, the tablet itself was the gate and Passage to the Underworld, and the [Millennium Items] served as the key. So, here's the question: what would happen if Hayato destroyed the "gate" directly in order to take down the "key"?
The answer certainly couldn't be that the Wicked God would descend upon the World just because the gate was gone. If destroying the Underworld Stone Tablet was enough for the Wicked God to descend, then it wouldn't be Hayato's turn to destroy it now; Bakura could have taken action ages ago.
And watching Hayato casually pick up a stone and smash the Underworld Stone Tablet, vowing to smash it to pieces, Seto's twitched mouth showed his helplessness. Only at this moment did Seto feel that Hayato was acting like an eight-year-old child.
Well then, it was time for the adults to do what adults do.
Thinking this, Seto approached the Great Dark Priest, who was fallen beside the wall, with a cold expression on his face.
"Foolish person who dared to provoke our Pharaoh, Great Dark Priest, whether you can hear me or not, here, I, Seto, as a Priest under the Pharaoh, declare judgment upon you." As he approached the Great Dark Priest, Seto spoke, raising the [Millennium Scale] at the same time. "Before the [Millennium Scale], your sin will be weighed."
As Seto walked, the [Millennium Scale] showed a stability that defied the laws of physics. The closer he got to the Great Dark Priest, the more one end of the scale would sink. Seeing this result, Seto also declared judgment: "Then, meet your doom here, Great Dark Priest."
"However, before I kill you, I will reveal your true nature to the public."
Putting down the [Millennium Scale], Seto drew a short knife from his [Millennium Rod], planning to kill the Great Dark Priest on the spot to prevent delays. However, before stabbing the fallen and unable to get up Great Dark Priest, Seto instead bent down and grabbed the Great Dark Priest's armor, lifting him up from the ground.
As the Great Dark Priest separated from the ground, the fragments of a broken mask on his face also fell to the ground piece by piece. Along with the sunshine that illuminated the Underground Space more brightly as the sun gradually rose above their heads, Seto attempted to recognize his true form by the Great Dark Priest's red hair,
With just one glance, Seto successfully recognized who the "Great Dark Priest" before him really was. But this one glance stunned him, because he clearly saw a face he had greatly respected for over a decade!
"P-Priest Aknadin!?!"
"Great Dark Priest, why would it be you!?"
Even not long ago, Aknadin attempted to capture Kisara, who held a unique status in Seto's heart, in order to extract the powerful spirit power hidden inside her body. Because the other party's stated purpose to Seto was for the Kingdom, even though Seto almost had a falling out with Aknadin because he endangered Kisara, in Seto's heart, he still actually trusted and respected Aknadin.
When young, his Village was destroyed by slave traders. It was Aknadin who proposed to the Previous Pharaoh that he, a Commoner, should also participate in the Priest's training. During that time, Aknadin always wholeheartedly taught him. For Seto, who had never seen his Father, Aknadin was not only his teacher, but actually even more so his understanding of the "Father" image.
The ambition to become an Ally of Justice was established since childhood by Seto. And his loyalty to the Pharaoh and his heart of love for the Kingdom were all based on Aknadin's influence.
Why would Priest Aknadin, who was like that, turn into the Great Dark Priest before him? What exactly is going on!
It seems like Seto called out his name, waking up Aknadin. Awakened from his coma, Aknadin opened his single eye, looked at Seto, and opened his mouth with some difficulty, but didn't make any sound.
"Aknadin, answer me, why did you attack the Pharaoh!"
"..."
Facing Seto's question, who was now calling him by name, Aknadin opened his mouth again. What was said in his mouth was mumbling, but Seto saw a strange plea and struggle in Aknadin's eyes.
"What did you say?"
Seto asked again, moving closer. This time, he finally heard clearly what Aknadin said.
"...Seto..."
"Quick... Run..."
"I... I can't control him much longer!"
Before Seto could understand who Aknadin was talking about controlling, the next moment, a repulsive force suddenly came from his hand, pushing him out and causing him to fall to the ground. And a large amount of dark magic power suddenly surged from Aknadin's body, separated from Aknadin and suddenly rushed towards the Underworld Stone Tablet that Hayato was destroying not far away.
In the instant the mystical power contacted the tablet, many white spirits suddenly emerged from within the Underworld Stone Tablet, attacking the people in the Underground Space. The first to bear the brunt was Hayato, who was standing above the stone slab!
"Bang!"
Before Hayato could even realize, a large amount of spirit bodies erupting from the Millennium Stone Tablet blasted him away, as if the tablet was angered by what he had just done.
Fortunately, Hayato quickly summoned Psychic Ectoplasm in mid-air to catch himself, preventing him from being blasted away onto the stone pillars in the Underground Palace. Floating back down to the ground, Hayato looked at the Millennium Stone Tablet, which was continuously spewing out white spirit bodies and surrounding the area it was in.
"Hayato, did you break that tablet!?"
Mana, Dark Yugi, and the others naturally noticed the commotion. Dark Yugi immediately looked at Hayato, who had been tinkering with the Millennium Stone Tablet just now, and asked if he had done something to cause the current scene.
"That's not it at all, okay? I messed with it for a long time and couldn't even chip off a tiny piece of that tablet. Speaking of which, is that thing really stone? It's way too hard." Hayato shook his head, denying that the current anomaly with the tablet was related to him. He pointed to the other side, "If you ask me, that guy over there is more suspicious."
Following the direction of Hayato's finger, Dark Yugi and the others saw Aknadin suspended off the ground, standing in mid-air.
"Is that the Great Dark Priest? No, it's Aknadin!"
Aknadin's long, crimson hair floated up against gravity, revealing his face. Dark Yugi was startled when he first saw Aknadin's face clearly, but then he realized somewhat. "That shield that blocked the first attack, if I'm not mistaken, it should be the Millennium Shield. According to the records, that Stone Tablet Monster should be in the hand of my Father's missing brothers."
"Just now, I was already a bit suspicious as to why the Millennium Shield would appear in the Great Dark Priest's hand, and the Millennium Eye too, embedded in the same left eye." Dark Yugi's brows furrowed tightly. "The Great Dark Priest is Priest Aknadin, or rather, my Father's younger brother who went missing years ago, the Royal Family member Aknadin!"
Aknadin, unnaturally suspended in the air, looked at Dark Yugi and said, "Heh heh, have you remembered a part of your memory, Yugi? Heh heh heh, but as long as you haven't obtained the most important thing, your name, then whatever you remember is meaningless."
Aknadin's voice was still his voice, but his tone when speaking was somewhat different. Hayato was also startled upon hearing this and quickly realized, "This tone of voice... could it be that you are—"
"Heh heh, quick reaction, Hayato. That's right, Aknadin has lost control of this body. The one standing before you and speaking to you now is me—" The abnormal "Aknadin" said with a sinister smile.
"...Big White-Haired Rabbit-Eared Demon King?"
"That's right, I'm the Big White-Haired Rabbit-Eared Demon K— No, I'm Bakura!" Subconsciously, Bakura, who was controlling Aknadin's body, continued Hayato's sentence, but quickly realized and corrected himself, looking annoyed at Hayato's interruption.
Taking a deep breath to calm his mood using Aknadin's body, Bakura continued, "This game piece was left by me before Bakura's death. With the malice from the Millennium Ring and the Millennium Eye, I successfully stirred up the desire and darkness in Aknadin's heart, corrupted him, and turned him into a game piece under my control."
"However, although this guy's goal was partially the same as mine—to kill the Pharaoh, which is you, Yugi—he wasn't willing to destroy the Kingdom or harm other Innocent People, especially Priest Seto. And relying on the magic boost from the dark magic power he obtained, combined with the Millennium Eye, he kept resisting my control, which truly infuriated me."
"But thanks to you guys defeating him, I can now take over control of this guy's body. After all, his action has failed, so it's time for me to activate my last ace card."
As he spoke, the magic power surging from Aknadin increased sharply, rushing madly into the Millennium Stone Tablet. The spirit bodies surrounding the tablet also began to expand outwards, attacking towards everyone!
"Although I don't know what trick you're trying to pull now, Bakura! I won't let you succeed!" Dark Yugi said, raising his Duel Disk. "Come forth, Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress!"
Although he wasn't sure what these semi-transparent white spirit bodies were, just in case, Dark Yugi didn't let Mahad, or Dark Magician, step forward. Instead, he chose Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress, which had some strength but wasn't overly strong, to test the waters first.
If they encountered a situation like Relinquished, even if Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress was controlled, there would still be time for Dark Magician to destroy it.
However, Dark Yugi didn't even get the opportunity to execute this strategy that Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress would surely curse him for. Although he tried to use his Duel Disk to summon a Stone Tablet Monster as usual, the Duel Disk showed no commotion, as if its battery was dead.
Even the three wing-shaped pieces that had been folded up didn't unfold to reveal the Zones for summoning Stone Tablet Monsters, let alone light up the mark on them to summon a Stone Tablet Monster.
"What's going on?"
While Dark Yugi was stunned, Hayato also shook his Duel Disk strangely, finding that like Yugi, he couldn't unfold his Duel Disk to summon monsters either.
Seto, who had been blasted away by Aknadin, finally climbed up from the ground. Looking at Hayato and Dark Yugi, who couldn't summon Stone Tablet Monsters, he also attempted to use his Duel Disk, but it also failed to activate. Not only that, he even found that the Millennium Scale and Millennium Rod, the two Millennium Items in his hand, were acting strangely. They had lost their usual golden luster and had become as gray and lightless as rock.
He looked at Bakura, who was controlling Aknadin. "What did you do!"
"Since you asked so sincerely, I shall graciously tell you," Bakura replied, sounding proud. "Both the Millennium Items and the Duel Disk are essentially products of dark alchemy. The power they possess is merely a part that was split off from me."
"Within the domain where this tablet is located, restricting their power is as easy as flipping my hand for me. Now die, Nameless Pharaoh, Hayato!"
The spirit bodies surged towards everyone like a tide. However, accompanied by Bakura's proud laughter, two magic bullets suddenly blasted into the group of spirit bodies, repelling them. Mana, standing side-by-side with Dark Magician Girl, and Dark Magician, guarding Dark Yugi on his left hand and right hand respectively, declared loudly:
"Before you defeat us, don't even think about approaching the Prince by a single step!"
"I will protect the Pharaoh with my life!"
As for Hayato, black liquid surged from beneath his feet, transforming into the figures of Ogdoadic King Aron and Ogdoadic Queen Nunu in front of him. They swallowed all the approaching spirit bodies with a black tide, dragging them into the Underground. However, Hayato hadn't unfolded his Duel Disk, and these two monsters weren't called by him.
"Hmph, constantly restricting yourself with others, how much longer do you plan to lose face, Hayato Kobayashi?"
Beside Hayato, Psychic Ectoplasm suddenly spoke. However, judging by the tone of voice, it was clearly Meriamun. He had actually come out of the Millennium Ring. "Even I can barely stand to look at your pathetic appearance."
"Who told you I'm out of moves? An ace card is meaningless if it's not used at the very last moment." Hayato pouted. "You can actually come out from over there now?"
"Hmph, Idiot, didn't you notice? Ever since that Lightless One opposite you appeared, the aura here has been getting closer and closer to the Underworld. Along with that, the resistance to me appearing within this range has also become smaller and smaller."
"Do you see those spirit bodies? Seems like they are the vengeful spirits who died tragically on this land over ten years ago and were bound to that tablet. This is the evidence that this land is getting closer and closer to the Underworld."
Glancing at the Millennium Ring on Hayato's chest, Meriamun said casually:
"It was already condescending enough for me to temporarily stay in the Millennium Ring. From now on, that is no longer a suitable place for me to stay. Consider this a suggestion, you should remove that thing from your body as soon as possible."
Hayato was startled upon hearing this. Without much thought, he subconsciously followed Meriamun's words and took off the Millennium Ring from his chest, discarding it onto the ground. And just as Hayato discarded the Millennium Ring, an ominous evil energy suddenly surged from the Millennium Ring, which had lost its golden color.
Seeing that Hayato had actually taken off the Millennium Ring, Bakura's voice was somewhat disappointed. "Tsk, your feeling is a bit too sensitive, isn't it? You actually saw through it. I thought I could use it to inject some malice into your body as well."
Hayato also understood. Using Aknadin's alchemy knowledge, the Millennium Stone Tablet, and three Millennium Items, Bakura could not only lock the use of items related to dark alchemy in this vicinity but also inject malice into others through the Millennium Items.
He said, somewhat annoyed, "Hmph, even if you succeeded, it would be useless. What are mere malice and evil compared to me?"
"Nobody is praising you in this aspect, and it's nothing to show off about!" Bakura said, controlling Aknadin to turn his head and look to the other side. "However, although you and Yugi are fine, didn't I still succeed in one case?"
Following the direction Bakura was looking, Hayato finally remembered that he had forgotten someone, and that was Seto, who was holding two Millennium Items!
A large amount of black magic power surged from the Millennium Rod and Millennium Scale simultaneously, flowing into Seto's body along with the parts that were in contact with them. This caused him to stand rooted to the spot, almost unable to move, his body trembling unceasingly. At the same time, a huge dragon-shaped phantom vaguely appeared behind him, flickering on and off amidst Seto's heavy breathing as he endured the pain.
"Oh no, Seto got hit!" Hayato glanced at Meriamun beside him. "Quick, go help!"
"You don't need to tell me that!" Meriamun's movement was also fast. Ogdoadic King Aron immediately charged a path through the tide of spirit bodies and came to Seto's side. With a wave of his scepter, he blasted away both Millennium Items from Seto's hand, causing the magic power surging from Seto's body to subside and the phantom behind him to also disappear.
Seeing Seto saved, Dark Yugi also breathed a sigh of relief. But at the same time, he noticed something strange. "The power of the Millennium Items comes from Bakura? But isn't Bakura a modern person, just like Hayato?"
"Yugi, you should know that Bakura has two personalities. Ryo Bakura is the modern person we know, but Dark Bakura, who is currently engaging in a Dark Game with us, isn't even considered a person." Hayato helped the Seto brought back by Ogdoadic King Aron, coming to Dark Yugi's side to meet up with him, and answering him.
Aknadin also nodded approvingly. "That's right, you know a lot, Hayato. I've been very interested in you for a long time. You always know more than others. It wasn't until I came to this Memory World that I finally understood why you always made me so interested."
"But unfortunately, I have stalled long enough. What will be revealed next is the deep dark truth. Don't blink, Nameless Pharaoh, Hayato! This is the last despair you will be able to see!"
The magic power surging from Aknadin finally reached its limit. Accompanied by a stream of blood spurting from his left eye, the Millennium Eye actually flew out of his eye by itself, flying towards the Millennium Stone Tablet along with the magic power.
Similarly, the other three Millennium Items lying on the ground, emitting dark aura, were also controlled by Bakura and gathered towards the Millennium Stone Tablet.
The Millennium Key, symbolizing "Life," held in the left hand;
The Millennium Rod, symbolizing "Thought," held in the right hand;
The Millennium Eye, symbolizing "True Sight," embedded in the brow;
The Millennium Puzzle, symbolizing "Royal Authority," embedded in the heart;
The Millennium Ring, symbolizing "Wisdom," embedded in the five vital organs;
And the Millennium Scale, symbolizing "Balance," embedded in the feet.
Thus, except for the Millennium Necklace, symbolizing "Future," embedded in the forehead, the other six Millennium Items were all assembled on the Millennium Stone Tablet. The tablet trembled violently, almost shattering, but because it lacked the complete "key," the Gate of the Underworld it sealed remained unopened.
However, this didn't mean that Hayato and the others could rest easy. On the contrary, with the assembly of the six Millennium Items, the dark aura in the Underground Space became increasingly dense. Just standing there caused a stinging sensation on their skin, as if the dense dark power was about to invade their body.
At the same time, the completely useless Aknadin was casually discarded by Bakura, thrown towards Hayato's side. And he also casually threw out important message: "Fifteen years ago, this guy Aknadin used the dark alchemy deciphered from the Millennium Spellbook to communicate with the Underworld and call upon my power, massacred the Thief Village, and created the Millennium Items from their resentment, and sealed me in this Millennium Stone Tablet."
"Stripping power from me to create Millennium Items... Originally, Aknadin should have been killed by me like this to vent my anger, but seeing as he helped me quite a bit in the end, I'll give him back to you guys."
"Make sure you catch him, Priest Seto. After all, he is a great figure who, as the Previous Pharaoh's younger brother, created the Millennium Items to protect the country he had passion for, not hesitating to abandon his Royal Family identity, and even abandoning you and your mother! With such a Father, be proud of your origin, Seto!"
"Ta-da! This is a shocking impact that has only been revealed until now!"
(End of Chapter)
**Chapter 794: Why Can't We Use Items in an Item Match?**
Seto was originally extremely weak from the intrusion of the evil power of the Millennium Items, but hearing Bakura's words, he was stunned.
"Aknadin, is my father!?"
Learning so much shocking news in such a short time today, Seto's brain almost short-circuited.
First, the Great Dark Priest is actually Aknadin; then it was revealed that the source of power of the Millennium Items is actually the evil stone tablet. Besides being the creator of the Millennium Items and the younger brother of the Previous Pharaoh, Aknadin is actually his own father?
In his shock, he actually fainted directly. Aknadin's body was also thrown not far in front of Hayato, and it was the **Dark Magician** who caught him with magic.
But Bakura was not a kind person. The reason he threw Aknadin to the few people was actually just to attract their attention. In the blink of an eye, a large mass of dark magic power actually emerged from the Millennium Stone Tablet, condensing into a ferocious monster that overlooked everyone.
The appearance of that monster was blurry and unclear, but just its height, towering nearly to the Surface at over ten meters tall, gave people an extremely strong sense of oppression.
At the same time, before the Chessboard, an item in Bakura's hand also completely turned into ash and disappeared.
As the Player of this Dark Game, the three GM Items Bakura held were respectively "Time Reversal", "Time Stop", and the "Limiter Removal" he just used. Relying on this item, he was able to perform an operation that almost turned the tide even after the Great Dark Priest was defeated, assembling a full six Millennium Items in one go under unfavorable conditions.
The Millennium Stone Tablet, as an important item for sealing "his" true form, actually could already summon out a part of his will as early as when one Millennium Item was embedded. At that time, Bakura, who obtained the Millennium Ring, had received enhancement, thus being able to convert Aknadin into a game piece.
And with two Millennium Items embedded, the power exerted would naturally be even greater. If Bakura just now had been willing to control the power within the tablet to provide support, Aknadin was actually still far from defeat.
Bakura, however, couldn't wait any longer. He had enough of Aknadin acting on his own. Clearly, when he was in the Royal Palace, he could have easily stolen Seto's Millennium Rod as well, but he didn't. Bakura understood clearly that although Aknadin was corrupted, he was actually still fundamentally like fifteen years ago, only wanting to release the "self" within the tablet. Even if he killed the Pharaoh, he fundamentally would not assemble the Millennium Items.
In that case, Aknadin's use as a game piece wasn't great anymore. Bakura patiently endured, not revealing that he could still summon his own will from within the Millennium Stone Tablet. Only when everyone had relaxed did he resolutely use the last GM item in his hand, "Limiter Removal".
The ability of this item is to completely release the restriction a thing itself possesses, allowing it to be used overloaded. Bakura used it on Aknadin, who had no usefulness, utilizing the Millennium Eye and the alchemy knowledge in Aknadin's brain to guide the current situation.
The thing used after "Limiter Removal" will also be almost destroyed. But what does Aknadin's safety have to do with Bakura? Anyway, he no longer had usefulness.
Speaking of which, at first, Bakura actually wanted to choose "Tremendous Earth", which could create terrain destruction. This item, "Limiter Removal", was still one he chose under Hayato's influence. After all, he had long wanted to try things like "Necessary Sacrifice".
And accompanying the appearance of the giant monster, Hayato saw the figure of Meriamun beside himself start to flicker a bit, "What's wrong with you?"
"Hmph, the existence of this monster before you seems like it's interfering with the connection between Reality and the Underworld. My existence was also partially influenced." Meriamun frowned. Although he looked like he could disappear at any time, when speaking, he still had a calm tone. "How embarrassing, that I would actually have a day where I am helpless against this kind of lightless thing."
Hayato turned his head and discovered that the kind of black liquid forming the bodies of the **Myutant** monsters was also evaporating and decreasing. The power of the **Myutant King** and **Myutant Queen** was being continuously weakened.
"Hmm, it seems the power of the **Myutant**, as expected, still isn't very good. Problems would actually also appear because the connection between the Underworld and Reality is being influenced." Meriamun nodded to himself, saying to himself, "After returning this time, I might change to a different kind of power."
"Don't set a disappearance flag for me in this kind of place, bastard." Listening to Meriamun's "go back and get married" kind of flag, Hayato complained. But looking at the other party, his body had already shattered and dispersed like foam.
At this moment, the Duel Arena was sealed by the Millennium Stone Tablet, and the power of the Three Egyptian Gods was also unable to be exerted under the area restriction. Even including Hayato's **Psychic Ectoplasm**, currently possessed by Meriamun, there were only a total of three combat power units that could exert power: the **Dark Magician**, transformed from Mahad, and Mana's **Dark Magician Girl**.
Hayato couldn't help but reach out for the last GM item he was carrying on his body. The use of that item had a certain restriction: someone else must have used a GM item first. It could record the opponent's item.
And just now, it had already read the information of an item. Hayato felt perhaps it was time to use it.
However, just as Hayato was about to use it, the information of a second item quite strangely appeared on that item. This caused Hayato to look towards Dark Yugi beside him.
"Darkness is indeed profound, but light has never been just a single cluster." Before disappearing, Meriamun glanced at Dark Yugi, who took out an item from his arms, then looked overhead and closed his eyes. "Your reinforcements have arrived, Hayato Kobayashi. Then, I look forward to our next meeting not long from now."
Meriamun's figure completely disappeared from beside Hayato. At the same time, Dark Yugi's voice sounded, "Don't think that only you have cheating items, Bakura. Our Future will not be cut off here!"
"Respond to my summon and come forth, **Hasan, the Stone Tablet Spirit**!"
As Dark Yugi took the sphere with a golden mask in his hand and raised it over his head, the dark aura surrounding everyone was instantaneously dispelled by a radiance. In that light, a human figure wearing a golden mask was revealed. With a wave of his hand, he suddenly released a barrier, blocking the monster of the Millennium Stone Tablet that Bakura summoned.
"Responding to your summon, I have come. I will block the evil infestation for you, Pharaoh." With his back to everyone, **Hasan, the Stone Tablet Spirit** waved his hand again. The radiance turned into Stairs and appeared before everyone's eyes, leading to the Ground. "But, I cannot block the opponent for too long. Please leave here quickly, Pharaoh!"
While speaking, the monster of the Millennium Stone Tablet already hammered the barrier with a punch, leaving a rift on the barrier.
End of Chapter
Chapter 795: If One Shot Isn't Enough, Take Another
Like Hayato and Bakura, Dark Yugi, also a game player, had his GM items. However, because his starting position was as a Subordinate of the Pharaoh in a nation, Dark Yugi only had two GM items.
One of them was the **Millennium Rod**. Although originally one of the **Millennium Items**, the **Millennium Rod** as a GM item had the ability to connect with the **Millennium Puzzle** outside the Memory World. This was why Yugi and Joey Wheeler were able to successfully arrive in the Memory World.
The second GM item was the "Hasan, the Stone Tablet Spirit" that Dark Yugi had summoned at this moment. Its ability was said to be powerful: it could imitate the three phases of the sun's change – rising sun, midday sun, and setting sun – granting immunity to death twice.
To put it simply, it increased the number of HP bars. Even if Dark Yugi's HP was depleted, he wouldn't die. Like spending a revival coin, using one usage count of "Hasan, the Stone Tablet Spirit" would allow him to continue living until he cleared the stage.
Not long ago, when Bakura used the "Time Reversal" GM item to scheme against Dark Yugi, depleting the soul gauge of Dark Yugi who had summoned **The Winged Dragon of Ra**, Dark Yugi had actually passively used the power of "Hasan, the Stone Tablet Spirit" once. The memory he recovered while unconscious was also thanks to its remaining power.
Currently, although Dark Yugi had summoned "Hasan, the Stone Tablet Spirit," he didn't plan to spend its last chance to use it just like this. Besides its ability, "Hasan, the Stone Tablet Spirit" also possessed a certain combat power, which was the hidden card Dark Yugi had kept hidden until now.
Looking at the spirit appearing from the Millennium Stone Tablet continuously attack the barrier released by "Hasan, the Stone Tablet Spirit," Dark Yugi had no time to explain more to the others. He quickly said, "Mahad, Mana, Hayato, Hassan can't hold on for too long. Let's quickly leave here!"
"This guy Seto, of all times, he becomes a burden now," Hayato complained helplessly, looking at the unconscious Seto, but his movement wasn't slow at all. He lifted him up and carried him on his back. "Yosh! Let's run away immediately, I can't wait!"
Hayato wasn't resistant to the suggestion of running away at all. Actually, if he hadn't been constantly held back by **Diabound** before, Hayato would have wanted to use the "Let's Run Away!" technique. However, the intrusion of Dark Yugi's party added too many incidents, and until now, it had unexpectedly evolved into a situation where that guy Bakura had already collected six **Millennium Items**.
Hayato could only be thankful that he had been quite foresighted before and had Kaiba and Malik take Isis and Karim away first. Isis's **Millennium Necklace** should still be in her hands, avoiding the appearance of the worst situation.
As for Karim, he ultimately perished in the resistance against the Dark Forces, just as Hayato remembered his destiny. The only blessing Hayato could give for the deceased Karim was to wish that his last battle during his life was a worthy death.
In just these few breaths, the spirit from the Millennium Stone Tablet smashed two more heavy punches onto the barrier. The cracks on the barrier spread again, and Hassan, who wasn't originally meant for this purpose, also flickered uncertainly.
The party naturally no longer delayed and quickly stepped onto the stairs created by Hassan leading to the surface. Dark Yugi had Mana walk at the very front, followed closely by Hayato carrying Seto on his back, and then himself and **Dark Magician**. Just before leaving, however, Dark Yugi still had **Dark Magician** bring along Aknadin, who was also unconscious, using magic to lift his body and keep him floating.
It was an undeniable fact that the opponent wanted to put Dark Yugi to death. Even if Dark Yugi ignored Aknadin and left him here for the evil will inside that Millennium Stone Tablet to deal with however it pleased, no one would think what Dark Yugi did was too excessive.
But before Aknadin died, Dark Yugi felt that the opponent could still be of some use. At least he had just now proven that there were many extremely important things in his head, such as the dark alchemy that created that Millennium Stone Tablet and the **Millennium Items**. Maybe there would still be a time to use him later, so temporarily sparing his life and considering execution later wasn't too late.
Before, it took Dark Yugi nearly a minute to fall from the surface into the underground. Although about half of that time was spent riding on **Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress** to decelerate and descend, this distance was not short at all when walking from bottom to top. Halfway up, **Dark Magician** personally took action to slightly lift Dark Yugi's body and speed up his steps.
Mana, who also thought of this idea but was preempted by her master, somewhat dejectedly had **Dark Magician Girl** also grab onto her body to help. As for Hayato, even more so halfway up, he handed the unconscious Seto over to **Dark Magician**'s magic and seriously climbed the stairs himself.
Although the stairs were very long, they were still too far off compared to those terrifying stairs in front of Pegasus's Castle on Duelist Kingdom Island. Before long, they could see that the few people were about to successfully reach the surface.
But at the same time, intense trembling and a roar came from beneath their feet, followed by the sound of glass shattering. Even without turning back to look, everyone knew clearly that was definitely the spirit from the Millennium Stone Tablet breaking through Hassan's obstruction.
The stairs beneath their feet also flickered uncertainly because of Hassan's disappear. Hayato turned back to look. That unobstructed spirit was stepping on the pillars inside the underground shrine and quickly climbing towards them. And as the opponent approached, the darkness from the underground also spread out towards the surface, causing the stairs behind them to be all swallowed by the darkness.
"The opponent is catching up!" Mana, walking at the very front, stepped onto the ground, suddenly turned around and shifted position, clearing the way for the few people behind. At the same time, she and **Dark Magician Girl**, who also had free hands, simultaneously raised their wands and aimed at the spirit below, chanting, "My Master, sacred as the sun... and then, situation urgent, subsequent parts all omitted... Mana Mana-chan's Gaia Destruction Cannon!"
"Boom!"
The magic cannon released by Mana and **Dark Magician Girl**, pouring in mystical power, fired instantly, giving no time for reaction. However, when it bombarded the spirit chasing after everyone, although an explosion sound was clearly heard, even the firelight was swallowed by the darkness on its body, failing to slow down the opponent's speed by even a single bit.
"You're kidding?!" Mana was also stunned, but then gritted her teeth and cast a spell again, "There's nothing a magic cannon can't solve! If there is, just fire another one!"
"Maximum Spark!"
"Double Spark!"
"Ultimate Spark!"
"Easy Result Maximum Spark!"
Although Mana and **Dark Magician Girl** continuously released one magic cannon after another, they seemed to have no use at all against this spirit before them. Seeing that the opponent was about to reach the surface and attack the few people, more importantly, because of that spirit's approach, Hayato and Dark Yugi, who hadn't reached the surface yet, felt the ground beneath them give way, and they were almost falling into the underworld.
"Be careful!" Throwing Seto and Aknadin onto the ground, **Dark Magician** took action immediately and in time, pulling back Hayato and Dark Yugi. But also because of this, that spirit was now less than ten meters away from the three, with its wide-open pitch-black mouth as if about to pounce and swallow the few people into the darkness within its belly!
Just then, a voice rang out:
"Kaiba———Kick!"
A white color figure rushed from a distance in time, maintaining a cool flying kick movement, and fiercely kicked the mouth of that spirit!
End of Chapter