Who asked him to play Yu-Gi-Oh!

Chapter 1617 Sphinx
Anubis: "My turn, draw a card!"

Anubis conjured a new card in his palm, then swept it with his thick arm: "Direct combat. Sphinx Andre, attack 'Magical Valkyrie'!"

He realized that the Pharaoh was probably trying to use traps for defense, but he didn't seem to care.

"An opportunity!" Yami Yugi seized the moment his opponent launched an attack, waving his hand to activate his backrow card, "Activate a face-down card, Trap Card 'Magician's Choice'! (Anime Card)"

This card can be activated when you control a Spellcaster monster and your opponent attacks. Negate that attack! Also, destroy the face-up monster your opponent controls with the lowest ATK!

“I see.” Anubis suddenly realized, “You deliberately attacked to summon the Magical Valkyrie so that I would mistakenly believe that your plan was to use ‘Death Force Team Up’ to offset the combat damage and then summon a new Warrior from your hand to defend against my attack.”

But in reality, this was just a pretext to make me overlook another truly lethal weapon in the backcourt.

“Excellent!” Yami Yugi said, “The Magician’s Choice effect destroys your monster with the lowest attack power on the field—that is, ‘Sphinx Dereia’!”

The magic released from the trap was completely absorbed by the Valkyrie, forming a swirling six-pointed star on her raised staff, which then transformed into piercing lightning bolts that hurtled towards Delia.

"Heh, he is a Pharaoh after all, he does have some cleverness." Anubis sneered, but then changed his tone, "However! Such tricks don't work on me!"
Activate this face-down card to counter the trap 'Trap Interference Array'! This card can negate and destroy any Trap Card activated during the Battle Phase!

The trap array was released, forming a swirling energy shield that completely neutralized the impact the magician had chosen to shoot.

"That neutralizes your counterattack!" Anubis said. "The battle continues, Sphinx Andre, keep attacking the 'Magical Valkyrie'!"

Without the protection of the trap, the magical Valkyrie was no match for Andrew. She was swatted away by the lion-like claws and disintegrated into points of light in mid-air.

"Then the effect of the Continuous Trap 'Death Force Team Switch'," Yami Yugi said, "is that when a monster is destroyed in battle, it can negate the battle damage!"

The trap once again released a transparent barrier, which acted as an invisible wall to block the aftershocks of the destruction.

"And after that, I can Special Summon any Warrior-Type monster of level 4 or lower from my hand!" Yami Yugi revealed another card from his hand. "I Special Summon 'Swordsman Who Tricks the Enemy' from my hand in Defense Position!"

He is a classic old monster who has been with the game since the very beginning. He was originally a mortal in the Duel Kingdom era, but he awakened and obtained a new identity after arriving in Duel City.

The swordsman, wearing a steel helmet, crouched down on the dark game field, his cloak covering most of his body as he crouched in defense, his longsword held horizontally in front of him to block.

[An elven swordsman who manipulates enemies, with a defense rating of 1200]

“Very good,” said the spirit in the back of the game, “The Elf Swordsman will not be destroyed by monsters with an attack power of 1900 or more, so subsequent attacks can be defended.”

“Mm.” Yami Yugi nodded.

He had prepared two options for this round. The Magician's choice was certainly a counterattack, but even if it was neutralized, he could at least defend against the damage with a Continuous Trap, and the Elf Swordsman could remain on the field after blocking the opponent's subsequent attacks.

But Anubis only gave a disdainful smile and said to himself, "Sphinx Dereia, attack 'The Elven Swordsman Who Tricks the Enemy'!"

The red-haired Delia pounced like a vicious dog, unleashing a powerful claw strike that slammed head-on into the elven swordsman. The swordsman raised his sword to parry, but ultimately failed to defend. The sword shattered with a clang, and the elven swordsman groaned as he retreated to the graveyard.

Yami Yugi was secretly alarmed. The Fairy Swordsman shouldn't be destroyed in battle; was this some kind of special monster effect?
Anubis said, "When Sphinx Dereia attacks a monster in Defense Position, it destroys the target monster without calculating battle damage!" (Animation effect) Yami Yugi understood. Just as he expected.

Anubis then stretched out his hand, fingers spread and palm down: "Face three more cards to the back row, and the turn is over."

So two of the cards that were originally floating in his hand disappeared again, and three more face-down cards appeared on his field.

“I told you, I am your nightmare, your end,” Anubis said. “Lord Zorc didn’t even need to personally deal with you. Without your godhood, you are like a tiger with its teeth pulled out. You are finished!”

Behind him, Yugi said, "It's alright, my other self. Even without God, this deck, into which we've poured all our emotions, will never lose!"

“Ah, yes, AIBO,” Yami Yugi said as well. “No matter what kind of enemy we face, we will never lose.”

He glanced at his hands and clenched them into fists.

We will never lose, whether for AIBO or for ourselves.

They risked their lives and exerted all their efforts to find the Pharaoh's lost memories, to discover where he came from. All of this clearly had nothing to do with AIBO, yet he willingly risked his life to stay with them until the very end.

So he will definitely win, he will find his past again, and be with the most important person in his life.

"My turn, draw!" Yami Yugi draws a card, glances at it, and immediately inserts it into the back row. "I set a card in the back row, and then activate the Spell Card 'Heavenly Treasure Card'!"
Draw cards from your deck until both players have six cards in their hands!

Both players quickly drew cards from their decks.

After drawing a card, Yami Yugi quickly revealed one of the cards he had drawn: "The effect of 'Cotton Ball' in my hand: When this card is added to my hand by a spell effect, it can be Special Summoned immediately."

Come on, cotton ball!

Cotton Ball, Attack Power 200

"Then I'll offer the 'cotton ball' as a sacrifice!" Yami Yugi declared. "Superior Summon! The strongest disciple who has inherited the will of the Dark Magician, appear now!"

—Dark Magician Girl!!!

The storm within the barrier surged, a cool robe half-covering the magician girl's body, her waist-length hair flying wildly, revealing a glimpse of snow-white skin on the back of her neck. The energetic girl wore adorable round-toed boots, her thighs seemingly bathed in a holy light that seemed to shimmer on her parchment-like skin.

[Dark Magician Girl, Attack Power 2000]

“Then there’s the spell card ‘Sage’s Jewel’!” Yami Yugi said. “When Dark Magician Girl is on the field, you can Special Summon Magical Girl’s Master from your Deck!”

Show yourself, my most loyal servant—the Dark Magician!

(End of this chapter)