Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Although Camus is a vampire, the mental strength of vampires is not much stronger than that of humans. At least if it were Jonouchi, he might be able to put up a fierce resistance against the mental control exerted by Malik with the power of the Millennium Scepter. However, Camus could only remain motionless under Malik's control.

Oh, not completely still, because Camus turned around and walked backwards. Of course, he was still under Malik's control.

"W-What are you trying to do!?"

When Camus was first forced to turn around, he didn't know what Hayato and Malik were doing. But when he looked back, he realized that the [Phantom Gate] wasn't completely closed, leaving a gap wide enough for two people to enter. In an instant, he understood why Malik had forced him to turn around.

"No, wait, wait!"

"No, don't send me in here!"

As Camus closed the distance to the [Gate of Illusions], he tried to resist fiercely, but his steps did not falter in the slightest. The terrifying, soul-tearing sensation that terrified him returned. If he made contact with the [Gate of Illusions], his soul would likely be instantly extracted and devoured by it, never to find release!

No, I don't want that kind of thing! My mission is not yet complete, and my great life cannot disappear from this world!

Camus struggled, but could only see the [Phantom Gate] getting closer and closer to him, until his body, under Malik's control, touched the darkness inside the gate.

"Hmph, hmph! Ughhhhhh!"

In an instant, the pain in his soul made Camus forget his previous obsession with reviving the vampire clan. The intense pain, even for just a second, was enough to overwhelm his reason, and he was no longer able to think about what would happen next.

Compared to such suffering, even being annihilated would be better.

"Kill...kill me!" Camus struggled to turn his head, the only part of his body he could move, and tried to look at Kobayashi Hayato. "Please, Kobayashi Hayato, kill me!"

Hayato looked at Camus's contorted face in pain and calmly said, "I'm sorry, I can't do it."

Because of the pain, Camus even forgot the agreement they had just made that "Hayato must not hurt Camus," until Hayato brought it up again. In that instant, he also recalled the winks and knowing glances Hayato and Malik exchanged when they made that agreement.

"Hayato Kobayashi, you tricked me!"

Driven by despair, anger, and pain, Camus snapped his own neck, turning his head 180 degrees to glare at Hayato, his body already mostly submerged in the [Gate of Illusions]. "Don't be so smug! You think this is the end?"

"Prepare to fall with your companions, you shameless Hayato Kobayashi!"

"On the road to hell, my hatred and curses will always be with you!"

"Onore—"

Camus didn't finish his last words before he was completely swallowed by the darkness within the [Gate of Illusions]. The gate closed completely, and then the enormous [Gate of Illusions] became transparent within a few breaths, as if what he had seen before was just an illusion and did not actually exist.

However, the blood from Camus's nose that stained the Millennium Scepter in Malik's hand proved that a rare species had indeed been killed here.

"Tsk, I'm starting to regret this, brother-in-law, the Millennium Scepter has gotten dirty." Malik glanced at the Millennium Scepter in his hand with a hint of disdain, weighed it in his hand, and was about to return it to Hayato.

If it were him back in Gurus, he wouldn't even think about using the Millennium Scepter to hit anyone; he'd worry about it breaking if it just fell to the ground. But now, he only feels that the Millennium Scepter's weight balance is really good, and the feel of hitting someone with it is amazing.

"Go to hell, wipe the blood off for me." Hayato glanced at the bloodstains on the Millennium Scepter, reached out and brushed them away with a look of disgust, and glanced at the spot where the Phantom Gate had disappeared. "You've reminded me that I also forgot something very important, and I regret it as soon as I think about it."

"Huh? Could it be that you regret killing that vampire, brother-in-law? That's not like you." Malik looked Hayato up and down and said with a smile.

Hayato shook his head, looking regretful: "You controlled him to walk in too fast. I forgot that I hadn't taken his deck yet. It's worse for me to lose than to gain something."

As soon as Hayato finished speaking, the two suddenly heard a "plop" sound, as if something had been squeezed out. Looking in the direction of the sound, Hayato saw a card slowly drifting down from mid-air, landing right at his feet.

"Hiccup~" Hayato seemed to hear a faint hiccup.

Could it be from the [Gate of Illusions]? Hayato couldn't help but have this strange thought pop into his head. He bent down and picked up the Duel Monster card that had suddenly appeared on the ground. He flipped it over and saw that it was a monster card—[Flaming Star].

【Flaming Star】, also known as the youth version of 【Inferno Machine】, possesses the same ability as the higher-level 【Inferno Machine】 monster: "Special Summon three monsters from the Graveyard while they are in your hand or Graveyard". It can also inflict damage on the opponent by sending monsters other than 【Inferno Machine】 from your field to the Graveyard.

Moreover, unlike the physical card version that Hayato is more familiar with, the "Flaming Spark" card in Hayato's hand at this moment, which seems to exist in Camus's deck and was spat out because "Phantom Gate" couldn't digest it, has the effect of the manga version. It doesn't have the self-restriction after a special summon, and it also makes it possible to control which of his own monsters to send to the graveyard.

What Hayato was even more concerned about was that this was already the fourth "Planet" series card he had seen.

The "Magnificent Venus" in the "Accomplice" deck of the Pegasus Moonwalker;

Tira Muku's "Great Saturn" in the KC Cup, which uses a "Vampire" deck with a higher purity than Camus's deck, which is entirely composed of Zombie-type monsters;

His own father, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, unexpectedly acquired and added Tyrant Neptune to the Half-Dragon Maid deck;

Then there's this card in front of us, [Flaming Spark], the vampire Camus hired by Pegasus Nightwalker.

Hayato had no idea what these cards were all about, or what state the [Tragodia] that was supposed to be sealed by them was in. But Hayato felt that perhaps when he collected all the "Planet" cards, he would be able to learn the truth.

Compared to Hayato, who knew the meaning behind "Flaming Star," Malik showed little interest in the card. He was kind-hearted and usually reluctant to send his monsters to the graveyard. He didn't particularly like the effect of "Flaming Star," since sending your own monsters to the graveyard was less interesting than sending your opponent's.

Alternatively, it's also fun to tie up the monster with various handcuffs, wheels, and the like. No kidding, nobody knows torture better than him.GIF.

As Hayato examined the [Flaming Spark], Malik looked around, trying to find something nearby suitable for wiping away the bloodstains. Although he didn't know the difference between vampire blood and human blood, generally speaking, dried bloodstains shouldn't be easy to clean.

Although there was nothing like a rag, Malik looked down and found something suitable—the clothes of the flight attendant who had been sucked blood by Camus and was still unconscious.

"Hey, ma'am, I suppose you don't mind if I use your clothes to wipe something? If you don't say anything, I'll take that as your consent."

While it appeared to be a question, Malik was not sincere at all. He simply made a perfunctory remark before grabbing the flight attendant's clothes to wipe the bloodstains off the Millennium Scepter.

Just then, the flight attendant, who should have fainted, grabbed Malik's hand, startling him. He turned around and met the flight attendant's angry gaze.

"Uh, I thought you agreed."

The next moment, the flight attendant who was lying on the ground grabbed Malik's wrist and wouldn't let go. Suddenly, she got up with a swift movement, subdued Malik, and pinned his arm behind his back so he couldn't move.

"Ouch~ Gently, gently, gently!" Malik, in pain, straightened his chest and begged for mercy. He looked down slightly and found that the flight attendant had somehow produced a small knife and was holding it to his neck. He subconsciously swallowed. "Um, ma'am? At most, I only tried and failed. I didn't get your clothes dirty. There was no need to use a knife, was there?"

"Heh, enough nonsense, I'm not interested in you." The flight attendant sneered, pressing the knife against Malik's neck, but turned to Hayato and said, "Hey, Hayato Kobayashi, see? Your companion is now in my hands. If you know what's good for you, give up resisting and throw away all the cards on you."

"Huh?" Malik was taken aback, glancing at Hayato. "Brother-in-law, is she here to kill you too?"

“Yes, I thought of it from the beginning. They’re in cahoots.” Hayato recalled seeing Camus’s picture on the staff list and said with a helpless expression, “Camus seems to have come to this plane as a flight attendant from the beginning. If an assassin can be placed here, then I have reason to suspect that the person acting with that assassin is very likely also a partner who was placed here.”

"After all, there was no reason for that vampire to deliberately hide one of the others after attacking them, or even to wait for us to appear before pretending to be attacking someone. Although it was to clear his accomplice's name, the flaws were too big. He was just an old relic from hundreds of years ago."

“Similarly, I have reason to suspect—” Hayato ignored Malik, who was being held hostage by the flight attendant, and turned his head to look at the wall beside him, as if looking through layers of barriers towards the front half of the cabin, “How many assassins have been planted on this private jet with ten staff members?”

"Don't suddenly switch to that tone like you're deliberately leaving a cliffhanger at the end of a novel! Brother-in-law, help me out! Aren't we comrades? Why are you just standing there watching?!"

Chapter 683: Update on Underworld Time (1/2)

Just as Hayato and Malik encountered Camus, at the same time, Jonouchi and Honda, who had gone to the cockpit, as well as Yugi and Kyoko, who remained in the cabin with the wounded, all encountered their attackers.

Although they were operating in pairs and each pair had a certain level of combat ability, so no one was injured by the assassins' attacks. However, what surprised everyone was that the attackers were not the strangely dressed intruders, but rather flight attendants in their uniforms.

Kyoko was attacked suddenly while bandaging one of the victims. If Yugi hadn't been there and reacted quickly, she might have instantly become the prisoner of the assassin pretending to be the victim. Even though the assassin had been controlled by the materialized Dark Magician, she still rushed into Yugi's arms in a state of shock.

Honda and Jonouchi's experience was even more perilous. They went to the cockpit to inform the captain and co-pilot about what was happening in the cabin, but before they could reach the cockpit, they encountered the co-pilot who had just come out of the cockpit. Without suspecting him, they told him what had happened.

After listening to their explanation, the co-pilot remained calm and said he already knew. He then asked Jonouchi and Honda to lead the way so he could check the situation. When the two questioned why he hadn't told the captain, the co-pilot explained that the captain needed to fly the plane and couldn't be distracted, a reason the two believed.

Just as the two turned around without warning, the co-pilot suddenly attacked Jonouchi from behind, throwing a hook punch at the back of Jonouchi's head. It was an attack that could have killed him, since the back of the head is a major fatal area for the human body.

Fortunately, Jonouchi had a stroke of luck and sneezed by sheer coincidence. He ducked and narrowly avoided the co-pilot's attack, which also caught Honda's attention as he glanced over and noticed the co-pilot's punching motion.

The two tried to subdue the co-pilot who had attacked them inexplicably, but they didn't expect that the co-pilot, who was dressed like an ordinary office worker, was surprisingly skilled. After a stalemate for a while, Jonouchi remembered to use the power of the card spirit after Honda reminded him, and successfully subdued the co-pilot.

They were unsure what to do about the co-pilot who had attacked them for no reason, so they thought they would first check on the captain in the cockpit and, if necessary, subdue the captain who might also attack them.

But as soon as they entered the cockpit, they were dumbfounded. Although they saw the captain at first glance, he was hanging by the neck with a tie tightly around his neck, a pen stuck in the center of his forehead, looking like he had been killed by some dog lover. His wide-open eyes made Honda and Jonouchi hug each other tightly, almost paralyzed with fear. They felt that they would definitely have nightmares tonight.

As a result, while Hayato and Malik had dealt with the vampire Camus, Malik was taken hostage by the second assassin, making him seem like the weakest one.

perhaps.

Looking at Malik, who was pleading for help with a panicked expression, Hayato remained indifferent and said dismissively, "Oh, sir, you look familiar, but I don't know you. After all, because of that dark game, my base score was reduced to a mere 1 point, like a candle flickering in the wind, and my memory is practically nonexistent."

"Instead of asking a stranger like me for help, I suggest you save yourself."

"Don't pretend you don't know me at a time like this!"

Malik struggled for a moment, but the cold sensation on his neck made him stop.

"Heh, kid, it seems Hayato Kobayashi doesn't consider you a friend at all, and isn't willing to give up fighting for your life." The assassin, disguised as a flight attendant, sneered as Malik, his knife pressed against Malik's neck. He seemed to have the energy to tease Malik, but he was actually quite nervous inside.

Damn, this is a little different from what I originally planned. The person who hired me said that if that arrogant vampire fails, we should activate Plan B. As long as I can get close to the people around Kobayashi Hayato as the victim, I can take them hostage and force Kobayashi Hayato to give up and let me kill him.

But the problem is, even though I've taken the person next to me hostage, why isn't Hayato Kobayashi panicking at all? Doesn't he care about this kid at all? Could it be that this guy isn't important to him?

The assassin then realized that the name of the kid beside him wasn't in the files he had investigated. But it probably didn't matter, right? Kids that age don't really matter; what difference does it make which one they are? Could a teenager possibly be the leader of a criminal organization or a world-destroying evil god?

Hayato glanced at the assassin, whose expression was uncertain and who seemed to be thinking about something, and at Malik, who was being held hostage by the assassin and looked terrified, and said helplessly, "You're not a three-year-old anymore, handle her yourself, Malik."

Malik? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before.

The assassin was taken aback, not immediately recognizing where he had heard that name before. Was it on a bounty list?

"Pfft!"

In that brief moment of distraction, accompanied by a whistling sound, the assassin suddenly lost consciousness. Malik shook the blood off the short sword in his hand, looked at the assassin who had been stabbed through the heart and died, and said with a look of disgust, "Even if I wanted to wipe your clothes with them because I didn't want to get any more blood on them, look at you now, your clothes are dirty, and the Millennium Scepter is stained with blood inside and out. Tsk, bad luck."

"It's all because you were too careless. Why didn't you just use the Millennium Scepter to control her from the beginning? I noticed before the duel with Camus that she wasn't unconscious at all. Don't tell me you caught her yourself and didn't notice?" Hayato rolled his eyes at Malik and strode towards the front half of the cabin. "Stop talking nonsense. We need to hurry up and find Game and the others."

"Do you remember what Camus said before he died? I'm suddenly wondering what he meant by 'Let's fall together with our companions'."

"Hey, wait a minute, brother-in-law, at least let me find the restroom first."

Before Hayato and Malik could take even two steps, the ground beneath their feet suddenly trembled violently and then began to tilt!

The next moment, a feeling of weightlessness came over them, and the plane named "Hindenburg" plummeted from the sky!

Chapter 684: I've chosen you!

Previously, when dealing with Camus, Hayato was concerned that using a powerful spirit might damage the aircraft, so he only used the relatively weaker power of Shaddoll. However, compared to the current situation, Hayato has put the concern about damaging the aircraft aside.

"I choose you!" With one hand gripping the wall tightly to prevent himself from falling due to the sudden tilt of the ground beneath his feet, Hayato pulled a card from the card box with his other hand and flung it violently against the wall beside him.

As soon as the card left Hayato's hand, it transformed into a bolt of lightning and shot out. Malik, who was also holding onto the handrail to steady himself, dodged to the side. The bolt of lightning instantly traveled along the metal structure of the cabin and reached the outside without damaging the aircraft.

Among all the Pokémon that Hayato possesses, although there are many with great power, not many have the ability to fly, let alone Pokémon that can lift an aircraft while flying. The only Pokémon that qualify are the Egyptian God cards and the Egyptian Demon cards.

The Earth Spirits and Earthbound Gods, while indeed possessing immense power, reveal their true nature as indicated by the "Earth" prefix in their names. The high skies are simply not their proper place. Even the Earthbound God, Veracocha Raska, modeled after a vulture, is actually bound by the earth and cannot fly too high. And the Earth Spirit, Gransol, is like a certain divine beast that wields the Cliff-Shattering Sword—it simply cannot fly.

Furthermore, although the humanoid [Phantom Lord Rabiel] and [Obelisk the Tormentor] seem well-suited to support the plane due to their arms, if Hayato were to actually do that, the plane would more likely be severed in half from where they were holding onto it.

Superman's ability to hold up a plane relies on an absurd super-force. As President Kaiba said, the world of card games still needs to be based on science, although he's probably the only one who thinks so.

After comparing the [Divine Flame Emperor - Uria] and [Ra's Winged Dragon], which were likely to incinerate the aircraft upon contact, and the [Thunder Emperor - Hamon], whose slender frame made Hayato wonder if its claws would break its bones if it grabbed the aircraft, Hayato finally chose the most suitable [Sky Dragon of Osiris].

Although he had been constantly manipulated by Hayato into believing he was just an inside man, causing [Osiris's Sky Dragon] to recently start to doubt whether he was really useless, he did not disappoint Hayato's trust this time. Just as the plane was about to crash into the clouds below, lightning wrapped around the entire plane and extended its body. A long red dragon accompanied the lightning and wrapped around the entire plane, slowing down the descent!

“【Osiris】!” In the first half of the cabin, Yugi saw part of the red dragon wrapped around the plane through the window and recognized it as the Sky Dragon of Osiris, one of the three Egyptian God cards. He put away the card he had originally planned to play to cooperate with Dark Magician.

The violent shaking of the plane and the sudden tilting of the ground beneath his feet caught him off guard. Because he was hovering in the air instead of on the ground, [Dark Magician] was unharmed, but Yugi and Kyoko both lost their footing and fell out. Kyoko landed in Yugi's arms, but Yugi's head hit the wall, probably causing a bump from the pain.

However, he first asked about Xingzi's condition in his arms: "Are you alright, Xingzi?"