Is this the poker world?Ada thief!

Although they had brought tents and other items with them when they arrived in the Elf World, most of their luggage was destroyed in the fire due to the attack by the Chaos Wizard. Fortunately, Jaden and O'Brien had brought some luggage with them when they went to find Amon, so they were able to find three sleeping bags to lie down and rest.

Jim, Sho, and Asuka were exhausted from the previous battle. Although there was not much time left before dawn, they lay down to rest and try to recover as much strength as possible. After watching everyone fall asleep, Jaden, who was sitting by the campfire, added a handful of firewood to the flames and stood up.

After checking the Duel Disk's status and inserting the adjusted deck into its slots, Jaden returned alone in the direction they had come from, without informing anyone. He was going back to the place where they had been attacked to search for Kenzan and Fubuki. The reason he hadn't told anyone else was that he figured that even if there was still danger there, he wouldn't implicate anyone else.

However, not long after Jaden left his temporary resting place, he saw O'Brien emerge from the shadows by the roadside, carrying a bundle of firewood. Although he still had his usual serious and proper expression, O'Brien's tone sounded like a helpless complaint: "Even I can't help but complain, do you always have to choose to act alone when I'm on night watch? Amon Garlem is like that, and Jaden, you're like that too."

"O'Brien." Jaden thought he could leave this place smoothly like Amon, but he didn't expect to run into O'Brien. He looked away with a slightly evasive gaze, and the Duel Disk he was wearing was hidden behind his back.

However, the thought of Fubuki and Kenzan filled Jaden with an indelible hatred and pain. He looked ahead again with a resolute expression: "I'm sorry, but I still have to leave, because I can't leave Fubuki and Kenzan behind."

"Now that Asuka and the others have settled down for the time being, it's time to turn back. No matter what you think, even if there's only a sliver of hope, I must go back."

With that, Judai ignored O'Brien and walked straight ahead.

However, O'Brien did not do what Jaden had expected—to stop him. Instead, he sighed and said, "I don't remember saying I wasn't going, did I?"

"Eh?"

Meeting Jaden's surprised gaze, O'Brien said, "Although I opposed your opinion before, I will not stand by and watch you embark on a dangerous path again. It is very dangerous to act alone in this world, so even if it is just to protect you, the strongest fighter, I will act with you."

"O'Brien."

Jaden paused for a moment, then smiled. "Thank you for being willing to come with me."

"Don't thank me so soon. Rationally, I still want to reject your actions. But obviously, you'll go ahead with it, won't you?" O'Brien said, pointing behind Jaden. "There's one more thing to correct—I'm not the only one who will be with you."

Judai turned around and found that Marufuji Sho, Asuka, Jim and the others who had just fallen asleep had all woken up, and they all looked like they had packed their bags and were ready to leave at any time.

"I thought I was the only one who figured out what Big Brother was thinking," Marufuji Sho said, carrying his backpack. "Turns out everyone's planning to go with Big Brother."

“Although we can’t read minds or anything like that, Jaden’s thoughts are written all over his face, it’s so obvious.” Jim laughed as he slung his pack over his shoulder, with Kallen helping to hold it in place. Jim also packed two other backpacks, Jaden’s and O’Brien’s. “Although I’m sure there will be dangers on the way, I still can’t help but come with you guys.”

“Because Judai has this ability to influence others. And if you asked me to say I didn’t want to go to where my brother was fighting to check on him, that would be a lie.” Asuka sighed and looked at Judai. “So don’t even think about leaving us behind, Judai.”

"Asuka, and everyone else... Well, let's set off together then."

The group packed their luggage and embarked on their return journey. However, they didn't follow the exact route they had taken, as that would be too obvious. No one could say for sure whether the Chaos Wizard had sent people to pursue them, so it was best to avoid combat if possible.

Because they bypassed the main road and took winding paths, and did not use any overly conspicuous means of transportation, it was already past midnight when the group returned to the area where their previous campsite was located. The sun was rising from the other side of the mountain, and the morning light illuminated the valley that had been almost completely leveled.

Jaden vividly remembers that after they first escaped from the pursuit of [the Mad King of the Dark World - Braum], they chose this location as their campsite for rest because of the terrain here. Not only could the mountain walls provide shelter from the wind and rain, but the surrounding landscape could also conceal them and reduce the possibility of being discovered.

But now, all that vast forest is just black charcoal pointing to the sky like iron pillars. The rugged paths have been smashed and trampled flat, making it almost impossible for Jaden and the others to recognize that this is the place where they fought not long ago.

One advantage of battles in the Spirit World is that the dead disappear on their own, much like how enemies killed by characters in video games often drop a treasure chest and then simply vanish. Therefore, none of the enemies that Jaden and his friends killed when they tried to break into the encirclement, the monsters that Asuka and the others killed when they broke out, or the Spirits that Fubuki and Kenzan killed when they put up a fierce resistance, remained on the battlefield. Instead, there were quite a few discarded armor and weapons scattered all over the place.

This saved the Judai and his companions some trouble on their journey, since they didn't really want to travel through piles of dead bodies.

Jim and O'Brien were on guard, worried that there might be scouts left behind by the Chaos Wizards, plotting to bring them back, just like the Dark Scout Scar that Jaden encountered in the town where Fried and his group were.

Having come to this world, they had witnessed how troublesome the seemingly weak [Scout of the Dark Realm - Scar] could be. Not only did Scar possess considerable combat power, making it a threat that others could not ignore, but eliminating it would trigger the special rules of this world, thereby attracting the large force of the "Overlord Army" that was likely to exist around it. Therefore, once the scout's presence was discovered, they had to retreat immediately.

Fortunately, perhaps due to reasons such as the darkest place being under the lamp, or perhaps because "the most dangerous place is the safest place," the Chaos Wizard did not leave any troops here. Even when Marufuji Sho deliberately used the Decoy Robot to run around in a conspicuous place, he failed to lure out a single "Overlord Army." It seems that the Chaos Wizard may have already withdrawn from this place and no longer pays attention to Judai and the others.

This is both good and bad news. Asuka thinks that the Chaos Wizard's decisive retreat is likely because they have already captured Fubuki and Kenzan. With the capture of powerful warriors, the Chaos Wizard's initial goal has been achieved, and it no longer needs to pay attention to this place. It may have already taken Fubuki and Kenzan back to its lair.

Otherwise, if Fubuki and Kenzan were already dead, the Chaos Wizard, who hadn't captured the "experimental materials," would never have given up on Judai and the others so easily. This area, where they were likely to return, would definitely be a key target of his surveillance. The conclusion the group reached after searching the surrounding area was roughly the same. This meant that, as Jim had said, Fubuki and Kenzan were not in immediate danger, but it also meant that rescuing their companions would be much more difficult, and they would probably have to directly attack the "Four Heavenly Kings'" lair.

Although Jaden was the strongest among them, he hadn't had much rest lately. The duel with [Dark World Mad King - Braum] had caused his condition to decline sharply. To make matters worse, the events of "Amon liberating [Exodia]" and "[Chaos Wizard] attacking the camp" occurred one after another, leaving him no time to catch his breath.

When it was finally time to stop, Judai himself became unwilling and led everyone back here. His sense of responsibility kept spurring him on, driving him forward without stopping.

Looking at the original campsite, not only were there the wreckage of tents, but the ground was also riddled with holes left from the previous battle. Judai, unable to find Fubuki and Kenzan, collapsed to one knee in exhaustion the moment his last breath broke, panting heavily: "Kenzan, Fubuki... they're not here."

"Don't think too badly, Judai. Maybe they weren't actually captured, but escaped in their own way?" Asuka comforted Judai. "Let's look around here some more; maybe we'll find some clues?"

There are no clues here.

A voice suddenly rang out, and Jim and O'Brien immediately turned their gazes toward the source of the sound. O'Brien pulled the trigger without hesitation, and a card shot out from the gun-shaped duel disk in his hand, turning into a fireball.

As the fireball grazed the air, a figure familiar to Judai and the others appeared. It was none other than the Dark God-Kellert, who had chased after Judai and the others long ago alongside the Mad King of the Dark World, Bronn.

Seeing that Judai and the others were about to attack in response, [Kellert, the Demon God of the Dark World] quickly waved his hand: "Stop, stop! I'm not here to fight you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have said anything and would have attacked you directly. In the rush, surely one or two people wouldn't have been able to react in time and I could have taken them down?"

Marufuji Sho glanced at Judai's condition and thought the other might be right. Given his older brother's mental state, he might not even be able to react to the sneak attack before being killed. But when he looked up, he found [Kellert, the Demon God of the Dark World] looking at him with pity. He immediately said, somewhat annoyed, "W-What are you doing? Why are you staring at me!"

"And even if you say you're not here to fight us, there's no credibility to your claim that you attacked us before."

"Oh dear, back then I was working under [The Mad King of the Dark World - Bronn]." [The Demon God of the Dark World - Kellert] also waved his hand, "Because [The Mad King of the Dark World - Bronn] was quite capable, we pledged our allegiance to him, thinking that maybe he really had the ability to realize his ambitions and become a legendary 'overlord'-like existence."

"But it's clear that [the Mad King of the Dark World - Braum] ultimately failed. He didn't even become a 'tyrant,' and he was killed by you brats."

Upon hearing the words of [Kellert the Demon God of the Dark Realm], Jim stepped forward warily: "So, do you intend to avenge [Bron the Mad King of the Dark Realm]?"

"Is it really necessary? I'm a realist; I wouldn't do anything for a dead man." [The Demon God of the Dark World - Kellert] shook his head, indicating that he had no such plans, and calmly explained, "[The Mad King of the Dark World - Braum] is ultimately just [The Mad King of the Dark World - Braum]. My 'investment' failed, and even if I kill you, I can't 'get my money back,' can I?"

“Instead of being influenced by people who are no longer important, it’s better to continue making new ‘investments’.” As he spoke, [Dark World God-Kellert]’s gaze swept across everyone’s faces and finally settled on Judai. “For example, right now, I specifically came to you because I really thought highly of you guys who killed [Dark World Mad King-Bron], or more precisely, that jellyfish-headed brat over there.”

"To show my sincerity—[Latina], come out."

From the blind spot of Judai and the others, [Dark World Fighting God - Latina] emerged. It seemed that he had been hiding in a crevice in the mountain wall, concealing his aura so well that O'Brien and the others did not notice him at first.

“Look, we didn’t even have such a good opportunity to ambush you, that’s quite sincere, isn’t it?” [Dark Realm God-Kellert] spread his hands. “And I can assure you that you absolutely need the information we have—information about the ‘Four Heavenly Kings’ who attacked you, [Chaos Wizard].

Having already learned from others that the one who attacked the camp was none other than its own Judai, who hadn't made a move until now, upon hearing the name of the [Chaos Wizard], he abruptly raised his head and looked at [Dark Realm Demon God - Kelett], saying, "That guy, did he kidnap Kenzan and Fubuki?! Where is he?!"

"We don't know the details, because we arrived here some time after the battle here ended. When we got here, not only was the Chaos Wizard gone, but even his 'Overlord Army' and the Chaos monsters that always followed him were nowhere to be seen."

"However, we arrived at a rather opportune time, because there were still quite a few 'Overlord Army' soldiers here with their last breaths left. From them, we learned about the current situation of the [Chaos Wizard]. They said that the [Chaos Wizard] had bitten off more than they could chew this time. Although the enemies fighting them were initially overwhelmed by the [Chaos] monsters, they later unleashed unimaginable dark power, not only annihilating all the [Chaos] monsters but also severely injuring the [Chaos Wizard]."

"The reason why the Chaos Wizard left so quickly without leaving any people behind is because it wanted to escape back to its lair as soon as possible to avoid being killed while it was weak."

As he spoke, [Kellert the Demon God of the Dark Realm] pulled out a map: "This is another token of my sincerity—a map to find [Chaos Wizard]. You were very unlucky because the place you came to after escaping the pursuit of [Bron the Mad King of the Dark Realm] is actually very close to [Chaos Wizard]'s lair, which is why he found you so easily."

"But now you're in luck, because the journey to the Chaos Wizard's lair has become very short. You're eager to find your lost companions, aren't you? But as long as the Chaos Wizard is alive, your safety and that of your companions cannot be guaranteed."

"—So why not take advantage of this perfect opportunity to kill the Chaos Wizard? Perhaps your companions have also been captured by him."

Listening to the "bewitching" of [Kellert, the Demon God of the Dark World], Judai looked back at everyone. Jim seemed a little wary of [Kellert, the Demon God of the Dark World], but O'Brien thought the other party's opinion was very reasonable. Marufuji Sho and Asuka did not offer any opinions, seemingly leaving it entirely to Judai to decide.

Slightly hesitant, Jaden ultimately reached out and took the map. (End of Chapter)