Chapter 731: Priests' Quarrel
"Pharaoh, Lord Mahad's Tablet has been properly placed in your Temple." The Guard paused, then added, "Furthermore, Lord Mahad's Tablet has also been transferred within the Stone Tablet Temple corresponding to the Millennium Puzzle. However, the Tablet corresponding to the Illusion Magician within it has been damaged."
In the Great Hall of the Royal Palace, listening to a Guard's report, Dark Yugi, seated on the Throne, tried hard not to show a lonely expression. He nodded and waved his hand, signaling the Guard could withdraw.
While Mahad and Bakura were battling at the Magician Training Ground, which was disguised as King Aknamkanon's Tomb, a strong radiance erupted from Mahad's Stone Tablet Temple within the Temple near the Royal Palace, attracting the attention of Dark Yugi, who was in the Royal Palace at the time. When he arrived there, he discovered that Mana had also appeared.
Learning that Mana had sensed Mahad was in danger through a dream, Dark Yugi immediately gave the order to the Soldiers Mahad had instructed to guard the Temple to let them pass. After entering the Temple, the two immediately saw the glowing Illusion Magician, realizing that Mahad had summoned this Millennium Stone Spirit and was currently in battle.
Mahad was clearly tasked with placing King Aknamkanon's Mummy in the Previous Pharaoh's Tomb and setting up the surrounding barrier. There was no reason for him to need to summon a Millennium Stone Spirit. Dark Yugi immediately deduced that Mahad must have encountered danger. He instantly summoned all the Priests except for Aknadin, who was still unconscious, and ordered them to immediately lead Troops out of the City to support Mahad.
After giving the order, there was no time to wait for the other Priests. Dark Yugi and Mana went ahead first. Through the commotion of Mahad and Bakura's battle at the time, he knew that Mahad had not gone to Necrovalley, where King Aknamkanon's Tomb was located, but had instead lured Bakura to the Magician Training Ground.
Although Dark Yugi's current body also seemed quite brave and skilled in battle, and working with Mana's magic, they were practically mowing down Bakura's Subordinates who were blocking their path. However, Bakura seemed to have escalated things after last time, giving his Subordinates even stronger dark power, making them almost impossible to kill. Furthermore, it was already too late at that time; Mahad and Bakura's battle was essentially reaching its conclusion.
In the instant before Mahad was about to die, when he performed Fusion with the Illusion Magician, the Tablet of the Illusion Magician within the Stone Tablet Temple corresponding to the Millennium Puzzle completely shattered. Mana, Dark Yugi, Isis, Seto, Karim, Shada, and the others who possessed Millennium Items all felt it in their hearts.
Although they did not directly witness it, everyone simultaneously felt that their Companion, Mahad, was no longer in the human world.
As dawn arrived, the rising sun dispelled the darkness and cast sunshine upon the Earth once more. A blank Tablet, originally intended to replace one in King Aknamkanon's Tomb, slid down from the mountain following the explosion caused Underground by Mahad's fusion with the Illusion Magician into the Dark Magician, and stood upright on the Earth.
Radiance illuminated the Tablet, and etched upon it was the figure of Mahad, clad in a mage robe and holding a staff.
Standing beside Dark Yugi, Priest Shimon, perhaps due to his age, couldn't help but feel deeply saddened despite having witnessed much separation and death. He showed a sorrowful expression, saying, "Priest Mahad, he sacrificed his life to resist the Dynasty's enemy."
Before the Throne, the other Priests also wore solemn expressions. Priest Seto, holding the Millennium Rod, did not express his usual disdain for Mahad. Instead, he said with an angry expression, "That idiot Mahad, I reminded that guy repeatedly not to act recklessly on his own!"
"Even if he had to escape, it would have been fine. If he encountered danger, he should have just called for help. But that guy completely ignored my words and insisted on facing the enemy alone. He was too immature, which is why he sacrificed in vain. It's truly—"
It seemed like Priest Seto was complaining about the sacrificed Mahad, but the other Priests had witnessed it firsthand yesterday. After receiving the Pharaoh's order, Priest Seto was arguably the first one besides the Pharaoh to leave the City for support. The anxious expression on his face at the time had already fully revealed his true emotions towards Mahad.
Although they were usually one-sided rivals, that didn't mean Seto had never recognized Mahad, who possessed excellent ability that could even suppress him. It was just that this man, even when he regarded someone as a friend, would never express his true emotions.
"Cough, cough, Seto!" To the side, Priest Aknadin weakly raised his hand and patted Seto's shoulder, interrupting him and stopping him from continuing. Although everyone could see that Seto was just an awkward tsundere, not everyone could accept that awkward way of expressing emotions.
After Mahad was sacrificed yesterday, as the owner of the Millennium Eye, Aknadin also perceived Mahad's sacrifice. Unexpectedly, he was freed from the affliction caused by his own Millennium Eye, which had troubled him since the night Bakura attacked the Royal City. The physician was also shocked that his previous diagnosis of "difficult to wake up" had been overturned.
However, although he had regained consciousness, Aknadin had not fully recovered. His previous injuries persisted. At that time, he had fully unleashed the power of the Millennium Eye but was repelled by Bakura, causing the dark magic power within the Millennium Eye to completely lose control and surge throughout Aknadin's body.
Although Aknadin could regain control of these powers using the power of the Millennium Eye, he still needed some time to recuperate his body. Before that, not only could he not use the power of the Millennium Eye again, but he couldn't even summon a Millennium Stone Spirit, and his body remained in a weakened state.
After all, the Millennium Eye was one of the three 'evil' Millennium Items. While Aknadin was using its power, he naturally had to bear the risk of using that power.
Interrupted by Aknadin before he could say more, Seto, who respected the other like a teacher, said nothing further. He calmed his mood slightly and put on a calm expression: "I lost my composure, Lord Aknadin, Pharaoh."
"Mahad's sacrifice is irreversible, but what is more urgent for us in the present is Thief Bakura, who has repeatedly attacked the Dynasty and provoked us." Recalling the humiliation of being defeated by Bakura before, Seto clenched his fist. "Did Mahad succeed in killing his opponent at the cost of his own sacrifice?"
Priest Karim, standing nearby, heard Seto's words and spoke up: "The magic Priest Mahad used at the last was the forbidden secret technique he and I developed together based on the Fusion Power of the Millennium Scale. When a person and a spirit's power fuse into one, it can unleash several times their original power."
"Although it is disrespectful, during the process of the experiment, Priest Mahad and I both believed that power could even surpass the Divine-Beast summoned by the Pharaoh. This point has still not changed, even after personally witnessing the descent of a 'Divine-Beast'."
"But, Priest Karim, you shouldn't have forgotten that the evil monster The Bandit possesses, named Diabound, is an existence that can contend with the power of a 'Divine-Beast'." Seto said, looking at Karim. "Now that Mahad's life has been paid as the stakes, we cannot gamble on possibility. We must make an absolute confirmation."
"Even if there's only a one-in-ten-thousand possibility that Thief Bakura escaped from Mahad's hand, it would mean the Millennium Puzzle might have also been taken by the opponent."
He paused, then looked at Dark Yugi on the Throne: "Pharaoh, I hereby request that the Magician Training Ground be excavated to confirm the situation Underground."
Hearing this, Priest Shada, holding the Millennium Key, couldn't help but glance at Seto: "What you say is not entirely without possibility, Priest Seto. Although Priest Mahad has always used his own magic to suppress the Millennium Puzzle, which possesses the most evil power among all the Millennium Items, if that Millennium Item falls into someone else's hands, it might be turned against us."
"The power of the Millennium Puzzle comes from the wisdom of the Aton God, which even Ra needed to use when creating Space. Besides guiding the direction of all things, it also possesses the powerful ability to suppress other Millennium Items and even Millennium Stone Spirits."
He turned his head to look at Dark Yugi on the Throne: "Priest Seto and I share the same view, Pharaoh."
"But," Karim said, looking at Seto and Shada, who were worried about the enemy, "Earlier, we already confirmed the blown-up Magician Training Ground. Even working day and night, or using the power of a Millennium Stone Spirit, it would likely take at least three days and three nights to excavate deep Underground. This is the seal Priest Mahad created against The Bandit with his own life, preventing him from leaving Underground."
Seto gave a cold snort and said, "I believe in Mahad's ability. As someone who has always regarded him as an opponent, I believe in his ability more than anyone. But I don't believe in things like luck. No one can guarantee whether Thief Bakura has some special ability that allows him to leave Underground."
Hearing Seto's words, Karim, feeling he couldn't quite argue against Seto, frowned and directly stated his position to Dark Yugi: "In short, Pharaoh, I disagree with Priest Seto's suggestion. We cannot simply waste the seal Priest Mahad obtained with his sacrifice."
"What Mahad left behind was time! Your idea is what constitutes a wasted sacrifice of his!"
Seeing Seto and Karim below the Throne disagreeing and almost starting to quarrel, Dark Yugi frowned and said, "Enough, be quiet!"
The Pharaoh had spoken. The five Priests before the Throne quickly bowed and knelt on one knee. Although they hadn't vented the emotions in their hearts yet, Seto and Karim could only helplessly close their mouths.
Looking at the Priests below the Throne, Dark Yugi felt quite a headache.
After arriving in the Memory World, he felt like he had never had a moment of peace. First, Bakura attacked the Royal Palace, then he had to deal with his original relationships without any memory. Just when he had finally found a sense of belonging with Mahad and Mana, Mahad died just like that.
Not only that, Dark Yugi, who had some study in psychology in the modern era, even saw something else—since the night Bakura attacked the Royal Palace, he had not only trampled on the face of the Priests and the Pharaoh, but had even torn a rift between the Priests.
With Mahad's death, this rift, which had been deeply buried and undiscovered before, was exposed. Without Mahad suppressing them as the leading figure among the Priests, the Priest Set was almost on the verge of infighting.
At the moment, although Dark Yugi could have Isis and Aknadin also state their views and decide by majority rule, the result of doing so would only be Seto and Shada, or Karim, grudgingly complying if their opinions weren't adopted. This would seemingly suppress the conflict, but would only cause it to erupt in a more intense form in the future.
He looked at Isis and said, "Priest Isis, your Millennium Necklace..."
"I am truly sorry, Pharaoh. Since the night the Royal City was attacked, the Millennium Necklace has only been able to see a murky future." Isis said, kneeling on the ground without raising her head. "After last night, it can only see endless darkness."
Isis's words were not unexpected by Dark Yugi. In the modern era, because Hayato possessed the Millennium Puzzle, he had long known that the Millennium Puzzle had the power to interfere with other Millennium Items, and blocking the Millennium Necklace's future sight was commonplace.
Tapping his finger lightly on the Throne's handrail, Dark Yugi thought for a moment and said, "Because we cannot rule out the possibility that the Millennium Puzzle has fallen into Bakura's hands, the Tablets originally placed in Mahad's Temple have now all been transferred, to prevent Bakura from using Mahad's Millennium Stone Spirits against us."
"Priest Aknadin's body has not yet recovered. Therefore, the task Mahad was originally supposed to complete, returning my father's mummy, will be your responsibility, Isis and Karim. As for Seto and Shada, you two will take over the Royal City's guard duty that Mahad was responsible for before."
"As for excavating the Magician Training Ground, we will discuss it after Priest Isis and Priest Karim have completed their tasks and are free."
Hearing Dark Yugi's order, both Karim and Seto, although somewhat unwilling in their hearts, still accepted. However, Aknadin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he heard the Pharaoh had assigned Seto to the Royal City's guard duty.
Being responsible for guard duty meant Seto would have to bring his troops, who were originally outside, into the Royal City. This kind of complete trust, it was simply—
Without Aknadin himself noticing, a faint light flashed in his left Millennium Eye.
Meanwhile, in an oasis not far from the Magician Training Ground buried Underground, a burned hand struggled to reach out from under the water and rested on a stone by the shore.
## Chapter 732: Hayato: OMO
After receiving Dark Yugi's order, Priest Isis and Priest Karim each counted the soldiers under their command and gathered at the Royal City Exit, preparing to head to Necrovalley to allow the Previous Pharaoh, King Aknamkanon, to rest in peace.
However, at the City Gate, Isis saw a familiar face.
"Hayato Kobayashi?"
"Yo, Priest Isis, we meet again." The person who appeared at the Royal City Exit was none other than Hayato, who needed to make his presence felt again before people forgot he was the Protagonist. Leaning against a Stone Pillar, he looked at Isis and asked, "Where are you going?"
"That matter is none of your concern," Priest Karim said with a stern face, glancing at Hayato. It had only been a couple of days since Bakura attacked the Royal Palace and easily defeated the Priest Set with playful ease. Karim naturally hadn't forgotten Hayato, who had also intruded into the Royal Palace that day.
Although the other party had assisted the Pharaoh in repelling The Bandit, the fact that he was an intruder of unknown identity was also true. If Dark Yugi hadn't permitted Hayato to enter the Royal Palace with the Pharaoh's authority, after quelling the commotion caused by Bakura's incident, Hayato would likely have been subjected to penalty for his disrespect.
Although it might sound unreasonable that Hayato came to help yet would still be punished, this was the rule of the dynasty.
Regarding Hayato, whose identity was unknown, although the only person who had expressed his vigilance towards Hayato at that time was the deceased Mahad, actually, among the six Priests then, at least Karim held the same view as Mahad, not trusting Hayato in his heart, but merely suppressing this emotion deep down because of the Pharaoh's stance at that time.
The real reason Karim was treating Hayato coldly at this moment was because after Aknadin attacked Bakura but was instead struck down and fell unconscious, Karim, who was the earliest to arrive for on-site rescue, knew clearly that not only was Bakura present at that time, but Hayato was also nearby.
However, the state Hayato appeared in before Karim's eyes at that time was completely unharmed, indicating that he completely had the ability to help Priest Aknadin. After all, Priest Aknadin was such a highly prestigious person; how could anyone not extend a helping hand to him?
Hayato Kobayashi, why were you just watching from the side! Didn't the Pharaoh say you were our companion! Could it be that you betrayed us!
Although Karim didn't shout and question Hayato like that at the time, the suspicion he already held towards Hayato was significantly deepened again because of Aknadin's matter. If there hadn't been any evidence, and Hayato seemed to be deeply trusted by the Pharaoh, Karim had even considered whether or not to go before the Pharaoh and complain that the reason Mahad was attacked was because Hayato had betrayed his whereabouts.
Even now, Karim didn't give Hayato a good expression.
"We have no need to reveal our destination to someone like you."
Hearing Karim's words, Isis naturally also heard his unaccountably hostility towards Hayato and spoke up, "Priest Karim, this youth is acknowledged by the Pharaoh. I believe he can be entrusted with trust."
"Entrusted with trust? Heh, Priest Isis, I'm not surprised at all that you, being a woman, would say such words." Glancing at Isis, Karim said arrogantly, "Heh, you should know that I've eaten more sand than you've drunk Nile River water. Don't blame me for not reminding you."
While speaking, Karim rode his horse towards Hayato's direction, circling him a couple of steps, and said, "Don't look at this guy as just a kid, but I can always feel a sense of disharmony about him. Haven't you noticed this guy's body movements? In his every move, he seems to have the self-understanding of a twenty-year-old youth who is one point nine-five meters tall."
Hearing this, Hayato couldn't help but be impressed by Karim, and Isis also raised an eyebrow in confusion: "How did you get such an accurate number?"
"That kind of thing isn't important. What's important is that the Millennium Scale didn't find any incompatible places between this person's body and soul, but his flesh body has this peculiar sign, it's almost like the soul of a twenty-year-old youth has entered this body that has shrunk to eight years old!"
Karim said coldly, "What exactly is the reason you are not appearing before us in your true form? Before clarifying this point, I, Karim, will absolutely not give trust to you, a guy of unknown origin!"
While speaking, Karim called out towards the back, and without waiting for Isis to react, he left the Royal City without looking back. The vast majority of the troops gathered at the Royal City Exit followed behind Karim and headed towards Outside the City.
"If you want to trust this person, that's up to you, Priest Isis, but that also means I will not travel with you, because I don't want to bear the risk of having a stranger traveling with the team."
Watching Karim walk away after throwing down such a sentence, Isis remained silent for a long time, merely sighed, and said to Hayato, "Sorry, Hayato Kobayashi, I apologize for Priest Karim's rudeness. He is actually a very good person, but perhaps because of Mahad's matter, his mood is not very good."
"I don't mind those things. Compared to that, that guy called Karim, did he really have so many subordinates? He's completely not on the same order of magnitude as you." Hayato waved his hand, not minding what Karim had just said.
Compared to the other Priests, Hayato had actually met Isis a second time on the night Bakura attacked the Royal Palace. After all, Hayato had used Isis's Duel Arena to deal with Bakura then. Although he usually likes collecting the spoils he's entitled to, Hayato didn't pocket Isis's Duel Arena instead of returning it. When Isis came looking for it, he generously returned it to its original owner.
However, it was just like that, having met a second time; the two didn't have more friendship. The reason Hayato specifically sought out Isis now was also because he really had no other choice.
Yesterday, Dark Yugi, Mahad, and Mana were in the City using magic to repair damaged houses and establish the Pharaoh's prestige, and Hayato wasn't idle either. Instead, he was plotting the approach to speedrun this dark game.
Yes, speedrun, isn't that normal? How could a true player always be stuck on the conventional completion process? Especially since Hayato knew Bakura, or rather Bakura, his true identity and true goal, and under the premise of knowing where the strongest power that could be obtained in the ultimate dark game played out on the Stage of this Memory World was.
Three Thousand Years Ago, Dark Yugi, or rather the Nameless Pharaoh, lost his "name". Recovering his lost "name" was precisely Dark Yugi's goal in starting this Memory World. As luck would have it, the existence that could be summoned by his "name" was precisely the strongest power in this world.
Although Hayato forgot many plot details, he remembered this "name" very clearly. "As long as I tell Dark Yugi his 'name', I can pass through the Memory World," Hayato originally thought.
However, on the way to the Royal Palace to find Dark Yugi the next day, Hayato discovered a strange thing—he couldn't say the Nameless Pharaoh's name no matter what. It wasn't like his memory was erased, or he was forcibly silenced, but a more outrageous situation.
If he managed to say it smoothly, it would be covered up by unaccountably simultaneous noise, making it completely inaudible. First, it was the sound of two women cursing, then the commotion of Merchants arguing and fighting, and even when he hid in a quiet corner, there would be terrifying commotion like a Building suddenly collapsing with a loud noise. It was almost like the entire world was targeting Hayato, preventing him from saying that name.
Hayato even tried specifically leaning towards Nefertari, who was traveling with him, wanting to whisper, but Nefertari was almost hit on the head and injured by a clay pot that flew in from who knows where because of this, forcing Hayato to give up the attempt to say that name to her and tell Nefertari not to follow him for now, to avoid being caught up in that kind of calamity-like existence.
Hayato remembered having read a manga once. In one part of that manga series, there existed a villain with troublesome abilities, who could even be said to have invincible power. His ability was that when anyone had the idea of tracking him, they would be attacked by "calamity". Various small details in daily life would turn into unimaginably fatal attacks.
And Hayato, attempting to say the Nameless Pharaoh's lost "name", seemed to have fallen into a similar situation. The entire world was preventing him from saying that name.
Although the current various manifestations are very awkward and all appear under the premise of not harming Hayato, they look like there are no scruples regarding the lives of others. Besides Nefertari, who was almost hit, Hayato even saw a passing farmer Uncle who was almost crushed to death by a collapsing Building.
Hayato also couldn't guarantee whether the situation would become more serious if he were to continue trying, or whether it would start to endanger his life.
As for the situation of "writing it down" that stubbornly doesn't appear in various literature works, Hayato also tried it, but it was fundamentally useless. A note written on papyrus would be inexplicably soaked, a stone carved on would suddenly crack itself, and when he wanted to draw on the Sandy Ground, there was even wind continuously blowing the sand away, not letting even a single character remain.
The source of everything lies in that "name". It's not that Hayato thinks Dark Yugi's "name" is the source of calamity, but rather he remembered that the reason the Nameless Pharaoh Three Thousand Years Ago lost his name was precisely to use this to seal the evil entity he couldn't counter at that time.
What accompanied the King's name was the lost memory. This memory formed this world within the tablet. But besides the King's name, what was also entangled with the memory was that evil will that was also sealed away together. Perhaps that is the source of the calamity Hayato encountered, making Hayato unable to say Dark Yugi's name.
After arriving at this deduction, Hayato was no longer in a hurry to go to the Royal Palace and make futile attempts. Instead, he wandered around this City for a whole day, searching from various places for various evidence that could verify his conjecture. And the result was, he really did find quite a bit.
The current Pharaoh, Dark Yugi, is someone who grew up in this City, and the day of his ascension was just yesterday. When Hayato asked the residents, of course, everyone said they knew the Pharaoh's name.
But the problem is, when they wanted to say it, they all fell into pondering, couldn't say the Pharaoh's name no matter what, and could even remember things like peeking at the Older Sister next door bathing when they were young and her cup size, but still couldn't remember the Pharaoh's name.
If it was just one person, Hayato might still guess that the old man cooling off whom he asked first had bad memory, and anyway, as he kept leaving, that old man was still asking what Hayato's name was, "Little Someone". But the second person he asked, the vegetable-buying auntie, the third person he asked, the farmer Uncle, he asked at least twenty people, but not a single person could remember what the Nameless Pharaoh's name was.
Then, it can only be that Dark Yugi's name has been directly erased from this Memory World, because that evil will that forms the Memory World together with the King's memory will absolutely not allow the King's name that counters itself to remain in this world.
Besides human memory, Hayato also looked for many stone tablets that should have recorded the King's name, but found that the characters on those stone tablets had also been erased out of thin air, just like the blank space on the Stone Tablet of Memories that Hayato saw in the outside world.
Whether it's the memory of the living or inanimate objects without life, the Nameless Pharaoh's name has been completely erased from this world. Even Hayato, who knows that name, cannot say it. If this is the case, doesn't that mean there is no way to complete this world?
Not necessarily. Hayato still knows one place where Dark Yugi's name absolutely still remains and has not been erased, and it's possible that only there in the entire world can he obtain Dark Yugi's name. That is Dark Yugi, or rather, the Nameless Pharaoh's Tomb. In the original timeline, the King's true name was obtained from there.
As long as he can arrive there, perhaps he can still speedrun this Memory World.
Then, there is only one problem left before Hayato, which is—he doesn't know the way.
Let alone exactly where in the vast Necrovalley the Nameless Pharaoh's Tomb is, Hayato, who doesn't have the memory of this world, doesn't even know which direction to go after leaving the Royal City to reach Necrovalley. In helplessness, he came to Isis.
Hearing Hayato explain his purpose, that he wanted to go with her to Necrovalley, Isis hesitated for a moment, but refused Hayato: "Sorry, Hayato Kobayashi, I cannot help you with this matter, because not everyone has the qualification to enter Necrovalley. Only we Priests who hold Millennium Items can."
"Even if you get the Pharaoh's permission, the Tomb Keepers who guard Necrovalley where successive Pharaohs sleep will absolutely not let you pass there."
Hearing this, Hayato frowned quite regretfully: "Is that so, looks like I indeed have no opportunity without a Millennium Item."
Although he said he had no opportunity, Hayato turned his head and stared straight at a Temple near the Royal Palace.
If the plot doesn't deviate because of his existence, a certain guy who obtained a Millennium Item seems like he will come back here again recently?
"Achoo!" Sitting by a bonfire, Bakura was warming himself by the fire and drying his clothes, covering his burn injury left hand. "Damned Mahad, still leaving me trouble until the end. If Diabound hadn't taken the opportunity to kill that Shadow Ghoul of his that wasn't recalled and plundered its wall passing ability, I might really have died down there."
"Even the Nameless Pharaoh and Hayato Kobayashi, those two, couldn't finish me off, but I almost was defeated in the hands of a memory phantom. Too disgraceful!"
Gritting his teeth, Bakura rubbed the Millennium Ring. As if remembering something, the corner of his mouth slightly curved up: "I remember seeing an interesting memory in the Royal City. If I remember correctly, it was that guy Three Thousand Years Ago, right? It's time for me to add an ally!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 733: Kaiba's Bizarre Adventure
"Energy filling complete."
"Simulation Runway ready."
"Acceleration system operating normally."
In the experimental building of Kaiba Industrial Park, the spacious laboratory's center held only a single Omni-directional Simulation Runway device for testing vehicle speed indoors. Countless cables extended onto the runway, connecting to a strangely shaped vehicle resembling a motorcycle.
From the exposed internal details of the motorcycle, it was clear that this vehicle was not a finished product but an experimental model. Although it resembled a regular motorcycle with two wheels and a pair of handlebars, the numerous glowing devices on the motorcycle's body indicated its high level of technology.
And who else would be sitting on this motorcycle but Seto Kaiba?
After the research personnel finished reporting the situation through his headphones, Mokuba's voice immediately followed: "Brother, you've been flying all over the world recently. I didn't realize you were secretly working on this motorcycle. It's rare; you've even reduced the frequency of dueling with simulation robots these past few days."
Paused, Mokuba took the headphones away from his mouth and muttered to himself in a low complaining voice: "Though it's just gone from an average of once every fifty minutes to an average of once every hour."
Sitting on the motorcycle, Kaiba kept his head down, continuously operating and debugging data on a touchscreen installed on the motorcycle, while saying to Mokuba: "After all, this thing was obtained at the stakes of KaibaCorp helping that Elementary School Student Yusei Fudo knows launch a rocket. I completed the relevant technology analysis long ago, so of course, I have to build a physical object to verify the data."
"Launching a satellite was already part of the group's plan anyway, wasn't it? To trick Yusei with such a condition, Brother, you've really learned how to be a qualified Capitalist," Mokuba said, laughing and teasing Kaiba. Within the entire KaibaCorp, perhaps only he, being Seto Kaiba's younger brother, would make a joke about Kaiba. "But, future technology was successfully broken through as well?"
"Hmph, you haven't forgotten who I am, have you, Mokuba? Although limited by conditions, some functions couldn't be fully replicated, but I restored the vast majority of the device called 'D-Wheel'."
With his feet off the ground, the motorcycle's tires began to spin, and the accompanying Omni-directional Simulation Runway also began to move, causing the entire motorcycle to remain stationary despite gradually accelerating, still connected to the numerous cables.
In just a few seconds, Mokuba saw from the control panel in the control room outside the laboratory that the motorcycle Kaiba was riding had already soared to a speed of a full 200 kph and was still increasing at an extremely exaggerated speed.
The research personnel in the control room reported the data they were responsible for: "Energy transmission is sufficient."
"Acceleration system is stable."
"Minimum speed for function activation has been reached."
Hearing this, Mokuba was somewhat confused: "Function activation? Didn't you say not all functions were completed?"
"Wait a minute! Brother, you're not going to!?"
"Hmph, it's just a mere motorcycle. How could I, Seto Kaiba, not be able to piloting it? The functions that aren't complete will be compensated for by sheer will!"
"Those hot-blooded idiot lines are fundamentally not something Brother would say!"
Amidst Mokuba's complaining voice, Kaiba released his hands. The high-speed motorcycle did not lose its balance because of this. Instead, a mechanical synthesized voice came from the vehicle body saying, "Autopilot activated." At the same time, Kaiba's released hand pressed a button on the touchscreen.
Just as Mokuba conjectured, Kaiba was incredibly bold. Despite knowing that he hadn't fully replicated all the functions of the "D-Wheel" that served as the technical prototype, he actively activated the incomplete experimental function.
The instant Kaiba pressed the touchscreen, a black dot suddenly appeared in front of the accelerating motorcycle, expanding at a uniform speed, turning into a wormhole large enough for the motorcycle and Kaiba on it to pass through!
"Hmph, learn to run before you learn to walk." Looking at the wormhole appearing before him, Kaiba's mouth under the helmet couldn't help but curl up. But before he could say anything else to Mokuba through the headphones, suddenly, he felt his buttocks were a little hot?
"Bad news, President! Energy transmission pipeline overheating!" The anxious voice of the research personnel came through the headphone contact channel. "Using only electrical energy to simulate the mysterious energy that wasn't replicated has too low a conversion efficiency!"
"The heat is about to influence the normal operation of the experimental function!"
Almost at the same time as the research personnel's words fell, the wormhole in front of Kaiba also became distorted and unstable. With a loud "boom," the wormhole suddenly disassembled and dispersed into nothingness, simultaneously blasted away Kaiba, who was riding the motorcycle.
Although Kaiba himself possessed extraordinary, even abnormally strong physical fitness and excellent nerve response ability, even he couldn't react to what happened in an instant. As he was blasted away, he also felt a slight sense of relief that he wasn't truly on a high-speed motorcycle.
With a "thud," Kaiba fell to the ground. He didn't pay too much attention to the fact that he didn't feel pain despite falling. His rapidly thinking brain had already come up with a new plan to improve the motorcycle in a short time. He estimated that if he spent a little more of the least valuable money and attempted it one more time, he could complete this motorcycle.
However, the name "D-Wheel" didn't fit his aesthetic at all. After completing it, he would have to think of a cool name for it.
Thinking this, Kaiba reached out to take off his helmet, but was flashed in the face by the dazzling light after removing it.
Is there such strong light in the laboratory? Squinting, Kaiba sat up from the ground, but when his hand rested on the ground, what he felt was not the coolness expected of a metal floor, but rather hot, rough gravel.
Opening his eyes and looking around, Kaiba's face froze.
A second ago, he was clearly riding a motorcycle. What was this Desert all about?
Oh, he understood. He must be dreaming again, just like that time when that guy named Dartz put on a show. Yes, that must be it.
Quickly completing his self-deception, Kaiba stood up from the Sandy Ground that now bore the outline of his body. Looking around, he happened to see an ancient City in the distance.
Although he didn't know exactly where this was, going somewhere with people was always the right choice. Brushing the sand off his white windbreaker, Kaiba nonchalantly tossed the removed helmet onto the Sandy Ground and walked towards the City in the distance.
—————————
Isis led her Troops, numbering only a few dozen, out of the Royal City and headed into the Desert in the direction Karim had left earlier. Hayato, upon learning that only those with Millennium Items could enter Necrovalley, quickly accepted this concept.
Recalling, Hayato realized that in the original timeline, Yugi and the others who came to the Memory World from Reality with Dark Yugi seemed to have the Millennium Puzzle from Reality. The condition Isis mentioned might be true; without a Millennium Item, he probably really couldn't obtain the "King's Name."
This also helped Hayato understand why his previous attempts to say or write the "Name" of the Nameless Pharaoh had all ended in failure. It was like the most common "Find the Key" segment in RPG games; even a broken wooden box that could be kicked open still required you to find a key to unlock.
It seemed the World of the King's Memory was not the open world with high freedom that Hayato initially thought. At most, it was a linear level game where you could move freely within a single stage. Even if he already knew the "King's Name," he couldn't use the power of that Name without going through the process of going to the Tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh.
That was roughly it.
"Tsk, it's like having already paid for something you've long desired but still having to wait with anticipation for the online shopping item to arrive in your hand. That's pretty much how I feel right now," Hayato muttered to himself with a helpless expression as he walked back towards the City.
But he hadn't walked far towards the City before he saw someone entering from Outside the City with Troops.
"Hmm?" Seto, sitting on his horse, raised an eyebrow as he saw Hayato walking by the roadside. Previously stationed Outside the City, only a small portion of the soldiers under his command had been left behind to continue guarding, while the rest of the main troops had been transferred to the Royal City under his leadership to be responsible for security work.
Isis and Karim had just taken a portion of the Troops and left, and he had just returned to the Royal City, not encountering the two Priests who departed, but saw Hayato Kobayashi's figure.
Having almost argued in the Royal Palace earlier due to differing opinions, Seto himself indeed had no idea of meeting Karim again, but encountering Hayato was an unexpected pleasure.
Since the night before last when Bakura attacked the Royal Palace, and Hayato, who had also come to the Royal Palace, summoned a powerful existence close to a Divine-Beast using Isis's Duel Disk without a Millennium Item, Seto had already taken Hayato's existence to heart. He had been thinking of finding him but hadn't encountered a good opportunity.
However, since he had encountered Hayato again now, Seto didn't want to miss this good opportunity.
"Hmph, Hayato Kobayashi, right? I've been looking for you for a while." Flipping off his horse, Seto stood on the Ground equally with Hayato and said, looking at him. His gaze towards Hayato was intense and full of fighting spirit, but when his line of sight moved down to Hayato's hand, it instantly died down.
"Where did your Duel Disk go, you guy?" Frowning, Seto stared into Hayato's eyes and said.
Hayato was somewhat confused by Seto's gaze. He figured he was quite familiar with Kaiba, but he had only met Seto once. What did this guy want with him? And, Duel Disk and all that...
"Priest Seto, where do you think I put the Duel Disk?" Although his words were respectful, his expression, rolling his eyes while speaking, clearly showed he didn't take Seto's priest identity seriously. "That belongs to Priest Isis. I just borrowed it temporarily the night before last and returned it to its rightful owner that same day."
Hearing Hayato's words, Seto showed a disappointed and dissatisfied expression.
The reason he was looking for Hayato was precisely to witness the power of the spirit he summoned again. That day, all the Priests teamed up but were defeated by Bakura alone. Besides feeling humiliation and shame, at the same time, Seto also developed a pursuit for strength because he saw a power that was not illusory but truly existed.
If he had great power, power strong enough to compare with "Divine-Beast," then he could also defeat that Thief Bakura like the Pharaoh and avenge himself. It would be easy to become the true "Strongest Priest" by defeating Mahad fair and square while Mahad was still alive, and he could even use his own power to bring stability and happiness to the Pharaoh's subjects.
He needed power, stronger power, and the most important thing before that was to first see the limit of strength that he could regard as his pursuit goal.
That is, Thief Bakura's Diabound, the Obelisk the Tormentor that the Pharaoh had summoned, and the dragon-type monster with a name too long to remember that Hayato Kobayashi had summoned.
Seto, who knew his own limitations, knew that going to find Bakura alone was seeking death. And as for the Pharaoh, such a noble person, he couldn't possibly request the Pharaoh to summon the legendary Divine-Beast just because he wanted to see how strong the opponent was. Therefore, the best target for Seto was and only was Hayato.
But now Hayato told Seto that he didn't have a Duel Disk with which he could summon spirits?!
Suddenly giving a cold snort, Seto reached out and took off the Duel Disk he was wearing, tossing it to Hayato, and said: "Then use mine first. Hold onto it for me, Hayato Kobayashi."
Hayato hadn't anticipated Seto's action. He hastily reached out to catch it so that the Duel Disk Seto threw wouldn't hit the Surface World: "What are you doing, suddenly shoving this thing at me?"
"Do I need to explain something so obvious? Of course, it's for you to summon your strongest Millennium Stone Spirit and battle me," Seto said with a matter-of-fact expression. "As the strongest existence among the Priests, I have a reason to test whether you, who are trusted by the Pharaoh, have enough strength to be acknowledged by me."
The death news of Mahad was true, but Hayato hadn't expected Seto to take over so quickly and start calling himself the Strongest Priest.
"Even if you say that, what about you if you give me your Duel Disk? Priest Isis told me that this Duel Disk is also a product of alchemy, and each Priest only has one, right?"
"That's not something you need to worry about." Hearing Hayato's words, Seto smiled proudly, turned around to retrieve a bag hanging on the war horse he was riding, and surprisingly took out another Duel Disk from the bag.
"Lord Aknadin doesn't have the ability to use a Duel Disk recently, so he lent me his Duel Disk to use as a spare item. This way, you can battle me, right?" Looking at Hayato, Seto said with an expectant expression, "Hurry and summon it, I can't wait any longer."
"That part is very similar too," Hayato exclaimed, then also put on the Duel Disk and looked at Seto. "Alright, this time, let's duel!"
End of Chapter
Chapter 734: I Don't Want to Be Too Rude, You Should Just Give Up
Skipping the process, which held no suspense, Seto, who had proactively sought out Hayato for a Duel, was, as expected, still defeated.
Watching Seto recall the Millennium Stone Spirits he had been defeated by, Hayato also raised his hand, and the Stardust Dragon behind him immediately dispersed without lingering, as if afraid Hayato would toy with it like last time.
"So this is the level of power comparable to the gods." Recalling the details of the battle just now, Seto's face didn't show frustration from the defeat. Instead, he wore a confident smile, quite excited about finding his goal. "Compared to last time, I can see the direction I need to become stronger much more clearly. From now on, I just need to ignore the obstructions on the path and move forward."
As long as he became stronger, he would possess the power to protect everything. For this, making some sacrifice was naturally not a problem.
Just as their battle ended, someone walked towards them from nearby, calling out as he approached, "Priest Seto!"
Hearing this, Seto turned his head and saw a shiny bald head. "Shada? Why are you here?"
The newcomer was none other than Shada Sin, one of the five priests currently holding the Millennium Items. After Priest Seto and Priest Karim had a dispute in the Royal Palace earlier, Dark Yugi, to temporarily appease them, arranged for Shada and Seto to be responsible for the Royal City's security work together.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that, Priest Seto?" Unlike his usual silence and restraint in the Royal Palace, Shada was slightly more relaxed when not in front of the Pharaoh but in front of Seto. He said casually, "You said you were going to gather the Troops and told me to wait for you, but then you left and didn't come back. That's why I came here to see what was going on with you."
"And when I got here, I saw you got defeated again." Shada said, paused for a moment.
Huh? Why did I say "again"?
"Heh, this isn't a defeat. It's just necessary tempering that must be experienced to gain experience." Even though he clearly lost, the reason Seto came up with sounded quite plausible. Hearing this, Shada just shrugged and didn't say anything.
Because there are a total of six Millennium Items besides the Millennium Rod, which is a symbol of royal authority, the Priest Set holding the Millennium Items also consists of only six people. However, even though there are only six Priests, they are still divided into two factions for their own reasons.
Mahad was Isis's friend, so she would naturally side with Mahad on general matters. Seto was almost entirely promoted by Aknadin from the lower ranks, so he naturally stood on his side. Thus, because Seto always caused trouble for Mahad, two factions naturally formed.
Among the remaining two Priests, Karim disliked Seto's arrogant and overbearing attitude and admired Mahad, who was practical and straightforward in his work. Shada, on the other hand, admired Aknadin, who was a priest to the Previous Pharaoh, and was closer to Seto's side.
Seto and Mahad, the leaders of the two factions, actually didn't consciously draw lines within the Priest Set themselves. Seto purely wanted to prove that he was stronger than Mahad, and Mahad only wanted to be loyal to the Pharaoh and do work for the Pharaoh. However, it was an undeniable fact that the Priests were divided into camps because of the two of them.
While Mahad was alive, everything was fine, and this potential division didn't surface. But after Mahad sacrificed himself yesterday, leaving one less person in the Priest Set, the undercurrents that had never subsided came to the surface.
Among the Priests, the eldest, Priest Aknadin, had no great ambition and, as expected, still simply supported Seto. However, Priest Karim, the second eldest, had his own idea. He had admired Mahad's character before, so even though Mahad had the title of "Strongest Priest" and was implicitly considered their leader, he had no problem with it.
But now, after Mahad's death, Seto seemed to have the plan of becoming the "Strongest Priest" and leader, which made Karim somewhat annoyed. In terms of seniority, if Priest Aknadin wasn't counted, then it should be his turn, Karim's. How could it be Seto's turn, a kid?
This led to the dispute in the Royal Palace. While it was true that Karim himself didn't support Seto's idea, there was inevitably a deeper motive of disliking Seto and wanting to cause him trouble.
Among the current five Priests, Priest Aknadin is severely injured and has not yet recovered, Priest Isis's Millennium Necklace has somehow lost its future sight power, and she has no heart to do anything because of Mahad's death. The only active Priests are actually Karim, Seto, and Shada.
At that time, among the four young people in the Priest Set, Shada's ability was inferior to Mahad and Seto but stronger than Isis, which made him the most inconspicuous and mediocre among the Priests. Coupled with his own peaceful personality and lack of desire to compete, he has now become a buffer between Karim and Seto after Mahad's death.
Although he didn't know Seto's personality too well, Dark Yugi used the personality of Kaiba Seto, whom he knew, as a reference. Although he knew there were significant differences between the two—for example, that Tsundere Kaiba would never thank anyone—their overall personalities shouldn't be vastly different.
Worried that Seto's attitude would be too tough while responsible for the Royal City's security work, causing trouble for the people, Dark Yugi arranged Shada to be with Seto at the same time he paired Isis and Karim together, to help him with the Royal City's security work and neutralize any potential trouble.
Actually, Dark Yugi's judgment was indeed quite accurate. Today was only the first day they were responsible for the Royal City's security work, and the specific work hadn't even officially begun. Yet, Shada saw that Seto, who had promised to dispatch the Troops and left him waiting anxiously, had actually encountered someone by the roadside and dragged the opponent into a Duel Ritual. He was simply too willful.
Sizing up Hayato, Shada also greeted him, "Hello, if I remember correctly, you should be Hayato Kobayashi. We met the day before yesterday."
Hayato naturally remembered Shada. On the night Bakura attacked the Royal Palace the day before yesterday, after Aknadin fell unconscious, it was Karim and Shada who carried him back to the Royal Palace. The two had met then, but hadn't had much communication.
However, although they hadn't exchanged more than a couple of words, actually, for Hayato, it wasn't Karim or Aknadin, but the Shada before him who left the deepest impression.
———No way, although it was night, under the firelight around them at that time, Shada's bald head shone like a light bulb. It was hard for Hayato not to be impressed.
"Hearing your conversation just now, Priest Shada and Seto, are you two going to be responsible for the City's security work next?" Hayato asked with some curiosity. The answer to this question actually also related to his next plan.
Shada didn't shy away and nodded frankly. "That's right. Our initial discussion, Priest Seto and I, is that I will be responsible for the smaller area around the Royal Palace and Temple, which requires strict supervision, while Priest Seto will dispatch the Troops to be responsible for the larger area within the City, such as the Residential Area."
"The matter of Thief Bakura appearing once is already a humiliation for us Priests, so next, we must be more careful and responsible and absolutely not let the bandit break into the Royal City a second time." Paused, Shada said with a hint of sadness, "This way, we won't let Priest Mahad's sacrifice be wasted."
As young people, actually, besides Seto, Shada's relationship with Mahad was also quite good. Mahad's death also made Shada very sad.
"Regarding this, do you think just watching over the City means Priest Mahad's sacrifice wasn't wasted, Shada?"
After hearing Shada's last sentence, as if he remembered something, Seto suddenly said to him, "No matter how tightly we guard the City, that's just inheriting Mahad's original responsibility and not failing in our duty. How does that make his sacrifice not wasted?"
To truly give Mahad's sacrifice the greatest value, shouldn't we be taking the offensive and eliminate that Bakura, whose life and death are unknown!?"
"This matter is useless even if you tell me, Seto." Looking at the somewhat excited Seto, Shada wore a helpless expression and tried to reason with him. "You already argued with Priest Karim about this before. The reason the Pharaoh decided to postpone making a decision is because he has his concerns."
Paused, Shada glanced at the Millennium Key in his hand. "Moreover, if that Bakura is still alive, it means he must have also obtained Mahad's Millennium Ring. Originally, we couldn't contend with him, and now we probably won't be his opponent even more."
Hearing Shada's words, Seto's expression became somewhat unpleasant because the fact he had been avoiding thinking about was exposed. Even his prideful self had to acknowledge that Shada was right. Even though he had seen the location of even greater power with Hayato's help, without a method to improve, he was still not that Bakura's opponent.
Unless...
An idea he had once abandoned resurfaced. Thinking that he now had the authority to manage the City's security under the Pharaoh's authorization, Seto found it difficult to restrain the idea of implementing the thought in his heart into reality. He couldn't help but say to Shada, "Speaking of which, Shada, your Millennium Key has the power to see the spirit in people's hearts, right?"
"That's right." Shada nodded, not knowing why Seto would suddenly ask him this question. "The desire and malice in the human heart can turn into monsters, driving them to commit crimes. The power of the Millennium Key can open a person's heart and see the situation inside, so naturally, it can see if there are monsters entangled in a person's heart."
Seto heard Shada's words, turned his head, and looked towards the City in the distance. "Then Shada, I would like to ask you to use the Millennium Key to explore the hearts of the people in the City and find people among them who have powerful spirits in their hearts."
"What?! Don't talk nonsense, Seto!"
Shada was stunned for a moment after hearing Seto's words, then said nervously and anxiously, "Do you know what you're saying? As Priests, we should be using the power of the Millennium Items to protect the people. How can we use power against innocent people!"
"Hmph, then I ask you, are we just going to watch Bakura use the Millennium Ring to boost his malice and become even stronger and harder to contend with? Or do you want to rely on the Pharaoh to call upon the Power of the Gods again and put himself in danger to quell the riot?"
Facing Shada's question, Seto also refused to yield and argued, asking in return, "Which way do you think makes Mahad's sacrifice wasted?"
Shada was speechless. Which choice was correct: letting the Pharaoh be in danger, or using the power of the Millennium Key on the people? He couldn't answer Seto's question. In his distress, his gaze couldn't help but shift to Hayato beside him.
"I, I don't know."
Hayato watched Shada rendered speechless by Seto's question and shook his head. In his view, while Seto's starting point of using power against the people to protect them was good, and his concerns were correct, the method of use was wrong and completely putting the cart before the horse. In this respect, it was so similar to a certain person who created the Millennium Items.
"You've got one thing wrong, Seto."
Hearing Hayato speak, Seto also turned his head to see what Hayato wanted to say.
"You said you want to use the power of the Millennium Key on the people to see if there are powerful spirits. That's too foolish. Do you think you can find an existence in just anyone's heart that is more powerful than the spirits in the hearts of you Priests, who have undergone long training and whose will far surpasses ordinary people?"
Hayato crossed his arms over his chest and spoke eloquently, "No possibility, right? Finding some Small Fry-like monsters in the hearts of ordinary people is already the limit. It's a problem just to contend with the powerful Millennium Stone Spirits collected by you Priests, let alone engaging in battle with Diabound Kernel, whose power is close to a god. Blindly using the Millennium Key on the people will only be a waste of time and a waste of Priest Shada's energy."
"I don't want to be too rude, you should just give up."
Hearing Hayato's words, Seto didn't say anything but showed a thoughtful expression, as if he was somewhat convinced. Before Hayato mentioned it, he really hadn't thought of this point at all, completely blinded by his obsession with power. Thinking about it now, Hayato Kobayashi is right. How could he have thought of using the power of the Millennium Key on the people?
"That's what I meant, yes." Seeing that Seto seemed somewhat convinced by Hayato, Shada quickly agreed with Hayato. However, he also wanted to ask Hayato, "But, if we don't use the Millennium Key, won't we be unable to become stronger and only be able to rely on the Pharaoh to put himself in danger again?"
"I didn't say Seto was wrong. Of course, the Millennium Key still has to be used." Hayato said, pointing to himself. "Instead of wasting time on ordinary people who are destined to yield no gains, it's better to directly select some people with potential to attempt."
"I've long wanted to know what kind of spirit I can awaken in my heart. Hurry up and bring it on, I can't wait."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 735: Mind Unlock
"Using the Millennium Key or something on you doesn't make sense, does it?" Shada said, looking a little strange after hearing Hayato's words. "Don't you already have your own spirit? We all saw that Giant Dragon you summoned that day."
Currently, the only monsters that can contend with Bakura's Diabound are the Divine-Beast summoned by Dark Yugi and Hayato's Drytron. Seto's goal in having Shada use the Millennium Key was to increase the number of people on their side who possess top-tier power. Using the Millennium Key on Hayato, who has already awakened his spirit power, is fundamentally meaningless.
Facing the strange gaze that Seto and Shada directed at him, Hayato explained, "You guys haven't misunderstood something, have you? Drytron isn't a spirit that I awakened from my inner thoughts; he comes from the Starry Sky. I haven't actually awakened my own spirit yet."
"But I have the confidence that a spirit awakened by someone as full of sunshine as me must be an existence that symbolizes love and justice, mm."
Seto and Shada, who didn't know what kind of reputation Hayato had in the Duel Monsters World of modern society, hadn't interacted with Hayato deeply enough yet, so they didn't feel that there was anything too strange about his statement. After exchanging a look, Shada nodded at Hayato and said, "Alright, then, Hayato Kobayashi, I'm going to use the power of the Millennium Key on you now."
Hearing this, Hayato also nodded, and spread his arms to show he was ready.
Originally, the standard process for turning the power of spirits from one's inner thoughts into tablets should actually be: first, the Millennium Key confirmed the existence or non-existence of the spirit and the strength of its power; then, the Millennium Eye confirmed the spirit's specific ability; the Priests who control the Millennium Items could then begin to choose whether they wanted this spirit to join their Stone Tablet Temple according to their needs; and last, the Millennium Rod was used to seal the spirit into the corresponding tablet.
However, now, firstly, because the spirit awakened by Hayato would naturally be used by himself, there was no need for the extra step of analyzing its abilities. Secondly, Priest Aknadin's state wasn't very good, so it was best not to trouble him by having him use the evil power of the Millennium Eye if possible.
Gripping the Millennium Key in his hand and raising it, Shada aimed the Ankh Rune's ring portion at Hayato, as if taking aim, and chanted, "O Dark Key that seals spiritual power, I, Shada Sin, who have made a contract with you, hereby order you: Mind Unlock!"
As he spoke, the Millennium Key suddenly radiated golden light, enveloping Hayato!
At first, the slightly dazzling light made it a little hard for Hayato to open his eyes, but he quickly adapted to the strength of this radiance. He looked at Shada, slightly confused, and said, "Is that it? Why don't I feel anything?"
Shada held up the Millennium Key and didn't speak. Seto, who was beside him, also kept his arms crossed over his chest, not moving at all.
Hayato scratched his head, feeling a bit confused. What was wrong with these two? They weren't paying him any attention. Could it be that when using the Millennium Key, there were precautions he didn't know about, like not being allowed to speak?
As he moved a little closer to Seto and Shada, Hayato also started to notice that something was strange. If Seto and Shada were currently focusing all their attention on him as he received the power of the Millennium Key to awaken his spirit, then even if they couldn't speak, their gaze should at least move along with his movement.
However, their eyes were still staring straight ahead, without even blinking.
It was almost as if they were frozen in place?
Filled with curiosity, Hayato reached out his hand towards Seto, thinking of touching him. But just as Hayato's finger was about to touch Seto's shoulder, he discovered that his finger had actually passed through Seto's transparent body!?
No, that's not right, it wasn't Seto's body that was transparent, it was my body!
Turning back sharply, Hayato was surprised to find that behind him, there was another him, still standing there with his eyes closed!
Looking at it from a different perspective, it wasn't that Seto and Shada weren't moving; rather, it seemed he had entered a state of soul separation and thought acceleration, causing the speed of the two of them to appear too slow in his eyes, as if they weren't moving at all!
Unable to resist glancing at Shada's bald head, Hayato couldn't help but mutter, "Why do I suddenly feel like this guy Shada is remarkably similar to the Sorcerer Supreme? He's bald and makes people's souls leave their bodies."
After his soul left his body in the Memory World, Hayato's soul reverted to its Real World appearance. He hadn't noticed it just now, but now that he reacted, Hayato also noticed that he was a bit taller than Seto at the present moment.
However, now wasn't the time to measure height. Trying to stand back in the position where his body was and striking a similar pose to make his soul and body overlap as much as possible, Hayato attempted to return to his body this way.
However, this method he learned from movies had fundamentally no use at all. His soul was still in a state of separation from his body and hadn't returned to his body. Seto and Shada also still remained in a state close to stillness.
Temporarily unable to return to his body, Hayato had no other method, so he simply began observing the other people around him.
Because of his current mental rampage state, the world in Hayato's eyes was slowed down to near-infinite slowness, almost stopping time. Seto's Troops were still lined up at the City Gate, ready to depart, but Hayato noticed that a few of the less disciplined ones seemed to be scratching themselves while no one was paying attention.
The pedestrians on the road were also motionless. Several elderly women in front of a vegetable stall were haggling with the Merchant. The boss of the butcher shop next door was looking at them expectantly, as if hoping the women would buy some meat from him after buying their vegetables. A child was running down the Street balancing a can of beer on his head.
And just as Hayato was observing the view on the Street, passing the time while thinking of a way to return to his body, a sound of footsteps suddenly came from behind him. The newcomer approached Hayato while speaking, "Hoh? You finally entered this place, huh?"
Hearing someone speaking behind him, Hayato frowned and turned around while speaking, "I knew the normal process for awakening a spirit wasn't like this. Someone must be playing ghost. You didn't keep hiding, huh, you guy who acts all mysterious and plays tricks———What's up!?"
"Hmph, seeing the Royal 'I' standing before you, is there a need to show that kind of surprised expression?"
A man with the exact same appearance as Hayato, wearing many gold ornaments and a white cloak, said with one hand on his waist.
The segment where I fight myself is about to begin.
(End of Chapter)