Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

With the sea breeze blowing, Hayato took out his card deck from his waist and began to look at each card. But before long, a faint fragrance appeared in the sea breeze, and the cards in Hayato's hand were obscured by a shadow.

"You've come, Miss Isis." Hayato guessed who was standing next to him without looking up, and when he did, it was Isis Ishtar.

"Did I block the light? Sorry, Hayato-kun." Isis smiled gently, turning slightly to let the streetlight illuminate the deck in Hayato's hand again. "But Hayato-kun, you forgot something. Just call me Isis."

“Alright, Isis.” Hayato recalled that time at the traveling museum, when he told Isis not to be too formal and just call him Hayato, and Isis said in exchange that Hayato should call her Isis too. “How did you end up here?”

“Although the [Millennium Wisdom Wheel] will obscure the precognitive effects of the [Millennium Jewelry], I am not a primitive person who does not know how to use modern technology.” Isis smiled and took out her phone. On the lit screen of the phone was a map of Tongshiye Wharf, and two small dots, one red and one blue.

Hayato smiled, put away his deck, stood by the fence, and looked out at the distant sea shrouded in darkness: "That's what I mean, but you still foresaw what would happen here tonight, didn't you?"

Just like at the exhibition, although Isis's "Millennium Jewelry" was no longer accurate due to Hayato's "Millennium Wisdom Wheel," the general predictions were still correct, only the difference was a small detail such as what would happen in ten minutes becoming what would happen in one minute.

Ultimately, the Millennium Wisdom Wheel is on the same level as other Millennium Items. Although it has the ability to interfere, it can only affect the holder. Just like Pegasus, when he still possessed the Millennium Eye, could not read Hayato's mind but could see Yugi's thoughts.

Isis stood beside Hayato, gazing at the horizon with him, and said with a touch of sadness, "In the prophecy of the Millennium Jewelry, I saw Malik appear here today and engage in a duel."

"During the duel, I saw two powerful forces at the level of gods appear on the field, and then a third god appeared."

"At the end of the duel, I could no longer see who the duelists were. I only saw that the one with two gods completely defeated the one with one god."

"Two gods? Does that mean Malik will summon all three Egyptian God cards he possesses during the duel?" Hayato smiled easily after hearing Isis's words. "That guy dares to summon a traitor—I mean, the Sky Dragon. I'm definitely going to win."

“Hayato-kun, that’s a god.” Isis’s expression was quite serious, and her eyes were filled with worry as she looked at Hayato. “Which of the three Egyptian God cards possesses ultimate power that surpasses other Duel Monsters.”

“But you’ve also seen a part of the future. I also have a ‘god’ that can rival the three Egyptian Gods.” Hayato’s face still held a relaxed smile.

Isis couldn't help but feel a little anxious. How could this person be so carefree? "It's precisely because I know that you, Hayato-kun, also have a monster capable of fighting against gods that I'm worried. In the end, you lost the duel."

“You’re wrong, Isis. You seem to have fallen into some misconception.” Hayato shook his finger. “Things like the future should only be used as a reference. It would be a big mistake to really believe in the future.”

"Humans are not static beings, and as such, the future will naturally change as people change. Following a predetermined path has never been my style, because the future path should be explored by oneself."

After hearing Hayato's words, Isis fell into a brief silence. "The future is absolute," was a "truth" she firmly believed in, having once obtained the Millennium Jewel. For over a decade, everything she had witnessed in the "present" was identical to the "future" she had envisioned.

Until Hayato appeared.

"The Millennium Wisdom Wheel, is it a Millennium Artifact that can interfere with the future?" Looking at the Millennium Wisdom Wheel on Hayato's chest, Isis took a deep breath and looked at Hayato solemnly, "If it's you, Hayato, you might really be able to change the future."

“Yes, you’re absolutely right, my dear sister.” A familiar voice reached Isis’s ears, and she turned her head sharply in the direction from which the voice came.

Not far away, beside a broken streetlamp, Malik, with his white hair, calmly emerged from the darkness, carrying the Millennium Scepter, an exaggerated smile on his face: "This guy's fate was changed by his own hands, changed into a fate of being crushed by me, with even his soul devoured!"

Chapter 240 So Cute

“Malik…” Isis looked at Malik, who had finally appeared, with a complicated expression.

Hayato noticed that a tall, black-robed figure emerged from the darkness right behind Malik: "Hey, you three-year-old, that's not fair of you. Why did you bring a helper along?"

"Hmph, didn't you bring my older sister here too? Same to you." Malik sneered, his expression turning somewhat ferocious. "And one more thing, don't call me three years old!"

"Lady Isis." The black-robed man standing next to Malik looked at Isis standing next to Hayato, bowed slightly, and lifted his hood to reveal a bald head, most of which was covered with strange characters.

Isis recognized the newcomer: "Is that Lishid?"

"What a coincidence, isn't it? The three of us have actually reunited here. I'm overjoyed." Malik grinned sinisterly, raising the Millennium Scepter and pointing it directly at Hayato. "However, this tender reminiscing ends here. As you urgently requested, I've come to take your life, Kobayashi Hayato!"

Malik also wore a Duel Disk on his arm. As he inserted the deck handed to him by Lishid into the slot, the Duel Disk unfolded, but the standard virtual projection device did not appear to be projecting out from it.

Seeing this, Isis glanced at Hayato with slight concern, but Hayato waved his hand to reassure her. After Isis took two steps back, Hayato also unfolded his Duel Disk. Similarly, his Duel Disk did not emit any virtual projection system.

"Alright, Hayato Kobayashi, let's begin this interesting duel. I'm sure you haven't forgotten the bet you made when you challenged me, have you?"

Malik wasn't entirely stupid. Although he was angered by Hayato during the "phone call" that day, he eventually realized that Hayato was intentionally provoking him. However, even knowing it was Hayato's provocation, Malik still chose to fight back.

Hayato and Malik drew five cards in perfect unison. As if unaware of Malik's murderous gaze, Hayato calmly said, "If you want to know what's in my head, you'll have to defeat me first. You know the rules."

"Heh, once you lose to me, I'll thoroughly examine the information in your head. But how much your soul will suffer then, I have no idea."

Their eyes met, filled with fighting spirit, and they shouted in unison, "Duel!" x2

[Hayato: 4000LP, 5 cards in hand]

Malik: 4000LP, 5 cards in hand

"I'm going first, draw a card!" Hayato's movements were much more skillful than Malik's, who was used to controlling others' card play. He seized the right to go first. "Activate the magic card, [Angel's Charity], draw three cards from the deck, and then discard two cards from your hand."

Hayato sifted through the cards, drawing two, but before they were sent to the graveyard, he activated the effect of one of them: "Since [Angel's Charity] sent [Disruption Powder] to the graveyard, I can activate its effect."

"Both players draw one card from their decks and then discard one card from their hand."

Malik and Hayato simultaneously drew a card from their decks. After seeing the card they had drawn, Malik's face lit up with an unusually smug smile: "Hahaha, Hayato Kobayashi, thank you so much for the effect of your monster."

"The first God card, it's already in my hands so quickly!" Malik said, proudly showing off the card he had just drawn, which was [Sky Dragon of Osiris]!

"Oh, you scared me! I thought you drew Aroma Mage Winged Dragon of Ra." Hayato smiled dismissively. "Drawing cards isn't free; you have to give up a card from your hand."

"Hmph, what a boring trick." Malik sent a [Scale Insect] from his hand to the graveyard with dissatisfaction. "But you also have to give up a card from your hand."

"The card I choose to discard is this one, [Disruption Magic]." Hayato selects a card from his hand and shows it. "When [Disruption Magic] is sent from the hand or field to the graveyard, its effect is activated. I add [Disruption Yellow], [Disruption Black], and [Disruption Green] from my deck to my hand."

"Furthermore, if the effect of [Disruption Powder] discards the [Disruption] card, I can also designate a zone on your field that you cannot use until the end of your turn!"

On Hayato's field, Disruption Powder, which had been abandoned by Angel's Charity, floated out of the graveyard and plopped down right in the center of Malik's field, arrogantly taking over the spot.

Meanwhile, on Hayato's field, due to the effect of [Disruption Magic], the figures of the three [Disruption] brothers flew out of Hayato's deck, circled the field briefly, and then flew into Hayato's hand.

All in all, Hayato only activated one "Angel's Charity". Not only did Hayato not lose a card in his hand, but he also increased his hand size from six to nine cards, and incidentally occupied one of Malik's monster zones.

This explains why "Angel's Charity" was banned in the real-world card game environment of Hayato's previous life. Draw three cards, then fill two of your graveyard with them, and there's no cost or card disadvantage whatsoever—why ban it?

Upon seeing Hayato use the effect of "Disruption Magic" to add the three "Disruption" brothers to his hand, Malik, who had learned about Hayato's deck composition from his subordinates' memories more than once, immediately realized which monster Hayato was about to summon.

"I activate the effect of [Swamp Demon King] from my hand. I discard it from my hand and add a [Fusion] Spell Card from my Deck to my hand." Catching the [Fusion] that popped out of the card, Hayato immediately inserted it into the Spell & Trap Zone of his Duel Disk. "Then, [Fusion] Spell Card activated! I use the three [Disruption] brothers from my hand as Fusion Material!"

"Come forth, [Disruptor]!"

The bloated [Disruptor King] was summoned by Hayato in the first turn and quickly threw three stamps onto Malik's field. As a result, Malik's monster zone was instantly reduced to only one!

Unfortunately, that's about all the actions Hayato can take. He doesn't have enough cards left to seal off the last field as well: "Summon [Armed Dragon LV3] in Defense Position, then set one card face down. End my turn."

[Hayato: 4000LP, 3 cards in hand]

[Disruptor King] [DEF3000]

[Armed Dragon LV3] [DEF900]

【GaiKa】

“Well then, it’s my turn.” Malik looked at the monster zone that was now sealed off, leaving only one, and drew a card in annoyance. When he saw the card he drew, he couldn’t help but feel a little happy. “Hmph, you’ve used up all the monster zones I can use, leaving only one? You were just a little short of completely sealing me off. What a pity.”

"Then, I activate the Spell Card, [Fusion]!"

Just like the vortex that appeared when "Disruptor King" appeared, a vortex also appeared on Malik's field, swallowing the three cards in his hand. But what emerged from the vortex was a monster that looked very cute, somewhat out of place in this duel?

"Yu~"

Resembling a giant block of tofu, with a pair of tiny wings on its back and an exclamation mark forming a halo on its head, the Glorus leader Malik, who gives off a dark impression, actually summoned an angelic monster that can only be described as "cute"?

【Yoyo King】【6☆/Light】

[Angel Race/Fusion/Effect]

[300/100]

Seemingly noticing the surprise in Hayato's eyes, Malik said smugly, "Don't underestimate this monster, Hayato Kobayashi. This monster is the offering I prepared for the descent of the gods."

"Activate the Spell Card, [Heavenly Treasure Card]! Both of us can replenish our hands to 6 cards!"

A great deal of treasure rained down from the sky. Because of the card's effect, Hayato drew three cards from his deck, while Malik drew five cards in one go.

Malik's face wore a strange smile: "What great luck, Hayato Kobayashi! I've drawn an incredible card. This turn, you'll witness the descent of a god!"

"What?!" Isis, watching from the sidelines, was somewhat surprised. In the future she had envisioned, the gods shouldn't have appeared so soon, so how could Malik be able to summon a god now? Moreover, he hadn't left enough offerings and space for the god on the field.

"Entering my battle phase, I'm going to use [Yoyo-King] to attack your [Disruptor King]!" Malik grinned smugly. "A king should be defeated by another king, shouldn't he?"

"Is this your reason for wanting to become the Pharaoh? But unfortunately, [Yoyo King]'s attack power is only 300 points, while [Disruption King]'s defense power is 1000% of yours."

"I've been well-prepared for this rebellion against the king." Malik didn't deny Hayato's claim that "he wants to become the Pharaoh," but instead activated a card, "Quick-Play Spell Card, [Hound Charge] activated! Declare one attribute. When the monster I designate battles a monster of the corresponding attribute, destroy it without damage calculation!"

"My declaration, of course, is the Light attribute of the [Disruption King]!"

The seemingly docile Yoyo King was slowly drifting towards the nonchalant Disruptor King when, halfway there, it suddenly accelerated and transformed into a white blur, giving the Disruptor King no chance to react. The Angelic Yoyo King smashed right through the Disruptor King, returning to Malik's field covered in blood, its face contorted in a ferocious grimace.

"Tsk, she's really not to be underestimated. She looks quite cute, though."

The attack by [Yoyo-oh] in the arena ended, and Malik also finished his battle phase and entered his main phase 2. Isis, who was watching from the sidelines, noticed what Hayato had just said.

Chapter 241 I, Malik, have a dream

"Malik wants to become the Pharaoh?"

Noticing Isis's puzzled look, Lishid nodded and said, "Lord Malik left the tomb-keepers in order to become the Pharaoh."

Although Rishid had "betrayed" the Gravekeepers along with Malik, as someone who knew about and was directly involved in Malik's patricide, a large part of Rishid's reason for leaving the Gravekeepers was that he couldn't let go of Malik, a fact that Isis also knew.

Malik's dark side was awakened when Rishid was punished, leading to his patricide. However, upon awakening, he lost all memories of that time, only seeing his father lying in a pool of blood. Originally, to protect Malik's mental health, Isis and Rishid agreed never to tell anyone the truth about what happened back then, not even Malik.

But how come he not only hates the pharaoh whom the tomb-keepers should be loyal to, but also wants to become the pharaoh in a rebellious way?

Malik glanced at Isis and said disdainfully, "In my opinion, humans are born to be dominated by others, and I want to be the one who dominates humans. Pharaoh, chieftain, marshal, consul... whatever, I want to be above mortals!"

"Humans are like pigeons anyway; if one flies to the right, the rest will follow. I want to be that lead pigeon!"

"Right here and now, I'll use this card to prove my worth!"

Malik grinned maliciously as he activated a card from his hand: "Spell Card [Calling Star Celestial Platform], return my Level 6 [Yoyo King] to the deck, then draw two cards from the deck."

After drawing two cards, Malik continued, "At the same time, because it leaves the field, the effect of [YoYoKing] activates!"

"Summon as many [Yoyo]s as possible from my graveyard!"

The giant cotton candy angel, Yoyo King, vanished, replaced by three much smaller Yoyos remaining on Malik's field.

"All three monsters on the field are released as tributes!" Malik drew a card from his hand and held it high above his head. As he did so, the sea breeze at the Domino Wharf suddenly intensified, and the already dark night sky was shrouded in dark clouds.

"Don't blink, Hayato Kobayashi, take in all the divine might!" Malik excitedly slammed the card with the distinctive red border onto the duel disk. "When the heavens were in chaos, the ancient grimoire was bound in chains, making it incredibly powerful!"

"Descend, Sky Dragon of Osiris!"

The dark clouds in the sky drew ever closer to the ground, a flash of dazzling lightning streaking across them. In the light of the lightning, Hayato saw a red, serpentine figure moving through the clouds.

Two golden dots lit up in the dark clouds, and a terrifying aura, as if from ancient times, swept in. A dragon's roar came from the sky, and the clouds were completely shattered, revealing the true face of the majestic dragon!