Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

[Explosive Gauntlets - Armor] [ATK 0→1000]

[Beyond Boots Armor] [DEF1000]

Unlike regular Duel Monsters, the dueling style of the [Armor] deck is extremely special because all [Armor] monsters appear as if they are equipped on the duelist. If you want to launch an attack, simply declaring an attack is not enough; the duelist himself must wear these [Armor] monsters and throw a punch to attack.

It's bizarre, but it's also Baron's true fighting stance; only in this way can he unleash his full power.

In addition, Armored Monsters have a unique characteristic: they can be viewed as a whole, yet also as individual parts. A duelist can only attack with one Armored Monster per turn, but when attacked, they can choose which Armored Monster will take the hit.

This concept was so advanced that, although the [Armor] deck wasn't particularly rare, almost no one except Baron would want to use it. However, it's hard to say that the [Machine Emperor] deck, which appeared decades later, didn't draw inspiration from this interesting concept.

However, despite the interesting premise and Baron's enjoyment of battling with the [Armored] monsters, he was not happy at all at the moment.

The Black Hole Shield Armor on his left hand, which has the ability to actively release and protect other Armored Monsters, is tightly bound by a Demon Chain. The glowing pattern of the Hexagram Curse is engraved on the Bursting Gauntlet Armor on his left hand.

The [Torture Wheel] hooked the [Active Defense - Armor], preventing it from changing its form or attacking, and even causing it to take 500 points of damage each turn.

There are also the [Spirit Helmet] and [Transcendent Boots Armor], each equipped with a [Dull Axe] that increases attack power but has an infinite effect.

Wearing armor and thus forced to be controlled along with the armored monsters, Baron, now fully recreated as the Sealed Exodia, glared at Malik with extreme displeasure: "What kind of duel is this?!"

"Heh heh heh, I don't even know where the end of the universe is, how could I possibly know the answer to this question?" Malik looked at his Duel Disk. Although the front was empty, the back was filled with red and green colors, and he couldn't help but smile with pleasure.

"Duel Monsters is so much fun." He placed his hand on the Duel Disk. "My turn, draw."

"Then, I will bestow this powerful monster upon you! Go, [Lava Demon]!"

Chapter 467 Next Chapter, The Death of Malik

When Hayato and his group finally descended the long staircase to the bottom, they witnessed Baron panting heavily and bathing in lava. The armor he wore to protect himself from the lava was gradually becoming transparent.

"Hmph, you're a decent opponent. I was almost able to turn the tables on you, but luckily I'm a cut above the rest."

Opposite the disheveled Baron, Malik stood smugly with his hands on his hips, grinning like a three-year-old, looking every bit the villain.

However, Malik seems to have been a villain all along, doesn't he?

"Malik, why are you playing with your big treasure again? Take a break and go play some cards from the mortal realm, okay?" Hayato teased, looking Malik up and down as he stood smugly in front of Baron. He then walked up to Malik, turned his back to him, and looked at Baron.

"Hayato Kobayashi, I didn't expect you to be the second person to arrive here..." Baron looked at Yugi and Jonouchi walking down the steps and showed a frustrated expression. "Honestly, if I had known, I would have waited a little longer. Fighting this hateful white-haired guy is not fun at all."

Baron doesn't have any grand ambitions in life; he's content as long as he can live a peaceful life. His love for Duel Monsters is only moderate, not particularly fervent. However, if he's going to duel, he won't easily admit defeat and give up. Instead, he'll try his best to gain enough passion and achieve final victory in the duel.

Baron could accept anything unimportant, even just eating coarse grains that were hard to swallow or sleeping under a bridge. He also didn't care if he lost a duel with Malik that didn't satisfy him. But if something truly ignited his passion, Baron might just unleash all the passion he had accumulated over the years.

However, Baron has never encountered anything that can truly ignite his passion, and even melee combat duels using the [Armor] deck only evoke a slight interest in him.

As for the peacock dance, although they had only met twice, for some reason, Balong was slightly concerned about her. This strange feeling was a first for Balong, who had been a bachelor for more than 20 years, and it was very novel.

"Hey, you've said it several times already, who's the white-haired one? My hair is clearly light blonde, though it's not very noticeable!" Malik shouted from behind Hayato, full of energy. "And I have a name, Malik Ishtar, remember that!"

"Call me whatever you want, I can't be bothered to remember your name." Baron glared at Malik with displeasure. "In fact, I don't want to see you a second time. When it comes to disgusting tricks, you are absolutely one of the most rare in the world."

"Who are you calling rare!?"

Malik immediately retorted, "Let me tell you the truth, out of the four of us in my family, I'm the weakest. There are three others who are even more disgusting than me in a duel."

Three?

Compared to Malik's standard statement of "I am the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings", Hayato was more puzzled by the fact that there were three other people in their family. Even if you include Rishid, Malik's adoptive brother, there are only three people. Could it be that there is also a dead old man who was filial to Malik to death?

"I am Malik Ishdar;"

"My sworn brother, Lishid Ishdar;"

“My sister, Isis Ishtar, and her husband, Hayato Kobayashi.”

Malik, hands on his hips, smugly put one hand on Hayato's shoulder. "The world of Duel Monsters is a deep well; you can't handle it. My brother-in-law is invincible!"

Listening to Malik frantically applying debuffs to him from behind, Hayato's forehead veins bulged as if they were about to form a "well" shape: "So who's your brother-in-law—"

"boom!"

Hayato was about to say something when a loud crash came from the open door not far away, interrupting him.

All eyes turned to that side, and Malik's expression turned serious: "Hiro Honda and Mai Kujaku just went through that door. What happened?"

"What?! Honda and the others are in there?!" Upon hearing this, Jonouchi became anxious, his body moving faster than his mind. "Hold on, Honda!"

As he shouted, the city gates opened, and the city began to run.

In his haste, the city's heart completely forgot that he was still holding a rope. Chigurhfrid, who had just come down the long steps and hadn't even had time to catch his breath, was forced to follow along despite his resistance.

Seeing this, Yugi wanted to follow, but found that Hayato and Malik were still standing in the same place. He turned around and looked at Hayato with a puzzled expression.

“You go ahead, Yugi.” Hayato pointed to Baron, who was standing not far away and hadn’t stopped Yugi and Jonouchi from getting in your way. “At least I have to stop this guy and not let him get in your way.”

Malik, with one hand still on Hayato's shoulder, said with dissatisfaction, "That's so unfair, brother-in-law! I've already won a round against him, you're basically stealing my kills."

Hayato ignored Malik's complaints and gave Yugi a reassuring look. Confident in Hayato's abilities, Yugi nodded without lingering, leaving behind a "Be careful" before following Jonouchi, who was not far away.

Although he knew his brother was the mastermind, Ryan followed him out of concern.

Of those who remained outside, only Malik, Hayato, and Baron were left.

After glancing at Malik and then at Hayato, who was in good condition, Baron closed his fighting spirit and sighed helplessly.

Logically speaking, Baron should be somewhat happy to have a rare opportunity to duel the King of Duels one-on-one, but having just finished a game with a terrible experience, he has no interest in dueling at all.

Moreover, it wasn't just a matter of being emotionally out of sorts. Malik had just used the rules of the Dark Games in that duel. Although Baron didn't fall unconscious or have his soul sealed because of the "Orichalcos Shard" on his chest, Baron's physical fatigue and lack of stamina were very real.

"Let's make a deal, Duel King. I won't get in your way." Baron said, seemingly trying to prove he had no intention of dueling. He put away the Duel Disk he had previously set up, pulled out his deck, and raised both hands. "If you want to save your companion, go ahead and do so."

"After all, we just had a duel, and I really don't have the energy to fight you right now. A duel when one side is not in full condition is very boring."

As he spoke, Baron started walking towards the stairs: "I'm leaving now, and as a gesture of goodwill to end this conflict, I can also share some information about what's inside. It's not that I don't want to tell you, but I'm here on someone's behalf, and I really don't know much more."

Looking at Baron, who didn't seem like a duelist at all—not only avoiding a fight and surrendering but even proactively revealing information—Hayato raised an eyebrow: "So you're telling me information to avoid a duel? Not a bad suggestion, but won't your companions, Amelda and Rafael, have any objections?"

"This isn't a particularly important plan, and nobody really cares whether it succeeds or not. Oh wait, Ameruda seems to be quite interested in it."

Baron shrugged dismissively. "Anyway, we in Doma aren't the ones in charge of the plan, we're just participants. Even Rafiru himself knows that I won't dutifully guard the gate and let anyone escape."

Baron continued walking around as he spoke, and Hayato and Malik kept their eyes on him.

Although the pain of the Dark Game was weakened by the pendant worn by Baron, it was still enough to make someone with average willpower faint from the pain. Although Baron looked very weak when the duel ended, he walked normally.

With one foot on the stairs, Baron faced Hayato as he climbed the stairs in the opposite direction, his expression serious: "The information I got from Rafael says that there is a barrier set up throughout the entire Seahorse Dome venue to absorb life force, and it seems that it has all been concentrated in a room behind this door."

"The life force collected seems to have been used to amplify a certain Duel Monster card. That card seems to be the goal of the person in charge of this incident, and it seems to have some kind of mystical power that could 'lead the world into darkness'."

"I don't know any more details. Anyway, good luck, Duel King. I hope we can have a good duel next time we meet."

With that, Baron climbed the last step and disappeared around the corner.

After waiting for several seconds without seeing Baron reappear, Malik smugly hummed, "Hmph, did you lose your courage to duel with your brother-in-law because you lost in the duel with Lord Malik? Young people these days have such poor mental fortitude, hehehehehehe."

I don't know what Malik was thinking. Baron is actually older than him, but he calls him a young man.

"Several Soul Hall elders in one meal," Hayato remarked, commenting on Malik's new and strange verbal tic, glancing at the weight of Malik's hand still resting on his shoulder. "Oh, by the way, you can probably collapse now."

“Oh right.” Malik forced a smile, no longer trying to hold on. His body went limp and he fell forward. Hayato held him up so he didn’t fall directly. His face turned pale, and his breathing became heavy and labored.

The characteristics of the [Armor] deck used by Baron, besides being like something out of a movie set where the same move won't work twice (meaning it's like a broken record protecting Athena), also include that opponents who duel with the [Armor] deck will suffer energy damage.

How high was the actual damage? In another timeline, the duel with Baron nearly cost Jonouchi, who was even more resilient than a cockroach, his life, which gives you an idea of ​​how much damage was actually caused.

Although Malik only suffered 2000 points of damage in his duel with Baron, which was less than what Jonouchi, who was known for his poor playstyle and lack of defensive capabilities, also benefited from the protection of the Millennium Scepter, unlike Jonouchi who was practically defenseless and relied solely on sheer grit.

But don't forget, Malik's body isn't as strong as Jonouchi's. Not only has his skin turned pale from hiding in the shadows all year round and pretending to be profound, but he also has the damage left behind by Dark Malik before he disappeared.

Before receiving the Millennium Scepter from Hayato, Malik had a certain amount of his life energy drained. After his duel with Baron, he was actually just barely holding on to avoid revealing any weakness.

Although Baron had not previously obstructed Honda and his group, no one could guarantee that his mind might change. If Baron were to pursue Honda and his group after Baron fell, they might be caught in a pincer movement.

Despite his past mistakes, Malik's sinful nature wouldn't hinder him from doing good; instead, it became his motivation to persevere. If Hayato and the others hadn't arrived, Malik planned to use his witty banter and superb acting skills to delay Baron as much as possible.

Upon arriving underground, Hayato immediately noticed something amiss with Malik. Having used the Millennium Scepter frequently recently, Hayato easily discovered that Malik was using its power to forcibly maintain his condition. He immediately stood in front of Malik.

Seeing Malik's pale face, Hayato helped him sit down on the ground, leaning his back against the wall.

"Am I being too embarrassing, brother-in-law?" Although Malik felt weak all over and his heart was pounding, he still managed to force a smile. "I finally had such a good chance to show off, but I failed again and didn't achieve anything. I'm not cool at all."

He remembered the doctor's diagnosis, which said that if he wanted to live, he had to stay away from activities that put a lot of pressure on the heart, such as roller coasters, bungee jumping, and monster slaying. He thought that he could live another thirty or forty years.

If it were the old Malik, under such a life-threatening situation, he would most likely just watch Honda and the others act in order to protect himself, without offering any help, let alone engaging in another duel.

But now he did it without hesitation.

"No, actually you didn't look that bad when you fell down, you looked pretty cool." Hayato didn't correct Malik's "brother-in-law" address, he ruffled Malik's dark light golden hair with his hand, and brushed his hand across his eyes, "Take a rest for now, Malik."

After Hayato wiped his palm, Malik gave him a speechless look: "Don't talk like I'm about to die, brother-in-law."

"Let me practice first. With your suicidal personality, I feel like I'll be able to use it very soon. Besides, I've already built up the atmosphere to this point, wouldn't it be a shame if you didn't die a little? Okay, close your eyes and rest in peace~"

"Who would die for that kind of reason!"

Malik quipped, then looked at Hayato as he stood up and called out, "Put my share of the effort into this, brother-in-law."

Hayato waved his hand and stepped inside.

Chapter 468 Get Over Here!

In the basement of the Kaiba Dome venue, after Hayato walked through the main entrance and through a short passage, a brightly lit room appeared before him.

From a distance, he could see Jonouchi and Yugi, who were blocked at the entrance.

"Damn it, what is this thing?"

Jonouchi slammed his fist into the transparent membrane in front of him, attempting to break the membrane blocking his way into the room with brute force. However, the membrane, which looked as fragile as a soap bubble, was extremely resilient. Even after several forceful punches, Jonouchi couldn't move it an inch. Frustrated, Jonouchi could only shout at the membrane, "Honda, Mai!"

On the edge of the castle, Yugi looked anxiously into the room: "Kyoko, Rebecca!"

Inside the room, separated by a thin membrane, Yugi and Jonouchi saw Rebecca and Mai lying helplessly on the ground. Even though Yugi and Jonouchi shouted loudly, they received no response, as if they had already fainted.

Not far from the fallen men, a Duel Monsters card floated up into the air, glowing brightly. It seemed that the barrier preventing Jonouchi and Yugi from entering the room was created by that card.

Inside the room, Otogi, Kyoko, Mai, Keihei, and Rebecca had all fallen unconscious. Only Honda seemed to have heard Jonouchi and Yugi's calls; he struggled to lift his head from his bed and looked towards the door: "Yugi... Jonouchi..."

"Honda?!" Jonouchi shouted anxiously when he saw that Honda was still conscious. "What happened, Honda? How are you?"

Slightly raising his head, Honda felt all the strength drain from his body, and said with difficulty, "I...I don't really know what happened..."

"All I remember is touching that card, and then everyone collapsed..."