Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

However, Kagemaru, whose knowledge of Duel Monsters was limited, did not recognize the young man. Amunaeru, standing next to him, recognized him at a glance and said in surprise, "Hayato-san!? Why are you here?"

"Uh, I remember now, could that plane from just now be...?"

"Well, that's about it. I didn't want to be here either, but it was by accident that I found out there was a ruthless alchemist here." Hayato glanced at Amunaeru, who was wearing a mask, and greeted her, "It's been so long since the KC Cup, long time no see, Daitokuji."

Hayato thought the other person would refuse to use that name again, but to Hayato's surprise, Amunaeru nodded in agreement: "Yes, that's my name now, Mr. Hayato."

"Is he someone you know, A... Daitokuji?" Kagemaru asked the alchemist he had hired beside him. He seemed to be asking who Hayato and the others were, but in reality, he had already remembered where he had seen the young man before when Amunaeru called out "Hayato."

'Hayato Kobayashi, I never expected the Duel King to appear here. Was it really an accident? Judging from the group of people his age behind him, are they traveling with friends on vacation? Probably...'

'Hmph, a brat is just a brat after all. Even the so-called King of Duels is nothing more than a child's trick to become the strongest. He's in a treasure trove, yet he's completely oblivious to the great being standing before him.'

While thinking this, Kagemaru's main purpose in asking Amunaeru was actually to inquire about something else: not many people knew Amunaeru's new name, "Daitokuji," and when Kobayashi Hayato first crossed paths with Amunaeru, and when he learned of this name.

Despite being a robust young man with black hair, Amunaeru is actually about the same age as Kagemaru. However, the "human transmutation" that Amunaeru had successfully performed was applied to him, allowing him to swap bodies and shed his aging body, thus regaining his youth.

But at the same time, it also meant that Amunaeru's original identity disappeared with the death of his old body. The reborn Amunaeru had to ask Kagemaru to prepare a new identity for him. After thinking about it for a long time, Amunaeru named this new name "Daitokuji".

"Ah, Mr. Hayato, I met you during the KC Cup. At that time, I was searching for prehistoric powers in the Americas. Before returning empty-handed from the Nazca Plains in South America, I happened to catch the KC Cup tournament jointly organized by the International Illusion Society and Kaiba Entertainment Group, and I participated in it. That's when I met you, Mr. Hayato."

"Although Mr. Hayato didn't compete under his own name back then, I chose my current name because I thought of how Mr. Hayato addressed me back then."

Amunaeru smiled, raised his hand to remove the mask from his face, revealing a young face. He smiled kindly, his eyes narrowed, and he looked like an honest person with a good temper who wouldn't fight back even if bullied.

However, when Yugi looked at Amunaeru's face, he felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen her before.

As Yugi reminisced, he suddenly remembered something: back when Paradox planned to kill Pegasus and destroy the Duel Monsters, and Yusei and Jaden from the future traveled through time to rescue him, wasn't there a ghost named "Daitokuji" by Jaden's side?

So, since the other party can exist as a ghost to help Jaden in the future, and Jaden seems to respect the other party, this uncle named Amunaeru should be a good person, right?

With that thought in mind, Yugi stopped being wary of Kagemaru and Amunaeru appearing before him and felt somewhat relieved.

"Oh right, Mr. Hayato, you just said that Diablo can't appear in front of us. Could you tell me what happened?" Recalling what Hayato said when he first appeared, Daitokuji looked at Hayato and asked earnestly, "He is my friend, and I have a problem with alchemy that I want to ask him for help with."

"Well..." Hayato glanced at Daitokuji, shrugged, and told him everything that had just happened without hiding anything, from how they were attracted by the sounds of others being attacked after landing on the island, to a clearing in the woods, and then were attacked by Diavolo with Danger! Bigfoot.

Upon hearing Hayato's revelation that Diavolo was not only conducting biological modifications but also wantonly experimenting on humans, Daitokuji was also shocked. He wanted to defend his friend, saying that Diavolo wasn't that kind of person, but after carefully recalling Diavolo's behavior over the decades they had known each other, he could only remain speechless, his emotions ultimately turning into a sigh.

"Ugh......"

"Ugh......"

Along with Daitokuji, Kagemaru sighed. Hearing that the alchemist who was capable of completing the Philosopher's Stone had practically died because of playing cards, Kagemaru felt even more heartbroken than if his own son had died, even though he had no son.

Why would someone your age (same age as you) play cards with a kid in their teens or twenties? If you don't play cards, are you expecting them to attack you with monsters from their cards? And how can playing cards lead to someone dying?

The crucial point is that his death means that his plan to extend his lifespan by using the power of that alchemist named Diablo has also fallen through. How could Kagemaru not be disappointed and resentful?

Disappointingly, without Diavolo's Philosopher's Stone, Amunaeru was unable to complete his Human Transmutation to extend his lifespan; and infuriatingly, that wretched brat Hayato Kobayashi ruined everything that was within his grasp!

However, before Kagemaru could glare at Hayato with anger, his gaze was drawn to a reddish-green gemstone the size of a glass bead that Hayato casually pulled from his pocket.

Although he didn't understand alchemy, Kagemaru knew that this jade stone could satisfy his desires. This was not some vague intuition; he truly heard a voice from the stone calling him to reach out and touch it!

"This stone is Diablo's 'Philosopher's Stone,' but as you can see, it's not finished yet. It's still the color of the raw material, 'Orichalcos.' It can only arouse desires rather than satisfy them. The difference between it and the real 'Philosopher's Stone' is like the difference between a filling bun and a snack that whets your appetite."

Hayato, seemingly unconcerned about the unfinished version of the Philosopher's Stone in his opponent's hands, tossed the stone around playfully, while Kagemaru's gaze followed its movement.

"However, this thing is of no use to me at all. Do you want it, Daitoku-ji?"

I want it! I don't care if he wants it or not, I want it! It's my treasure, give it to me now!

Kagemaru screamed inwardly, almost instinctively reaching out to take Hayato's outstretched hand, barely managing to control his restless hand with his other hand.

Get it, Amunaeru!

However, despite Kagemaru's heartfelt prayers, to his astonishment and disappointment, Daitokuji reached out and took the Oriha Stone, but then handed it back to Hayato?!

"Forget it, Mr. Hayato. With my abilities, I can't change the method of creating the Philosopher's Stone. I can only follow the path of those who came before me, and to complete the Philosopher's Stone in that way..." Daitokuji glanced at the reddish Orichalcum in his hand and firmly refused, "Even if it is called the highest achievement of alchemists, I would still feel disgusted by it."

"Actually, during the commotion in Atlantis not long ago, I also unexpectedly obtained a piece of Orichalcum. If I wanted to use it to complete the Philosopher's Stone, I could have done it long ago, but I chose to give up in the end."

With a smile on his lips, Daitokuji casually said, "I happened to meet a child in America who injured his eye while saving an animal friend, so I gave that Orichalcum stone to that child whose friendship was so touching."

Kagemaru, who was listening from the side, clenched his fist tightly.

Amunaeru, that bastard, does he think I'm deaf and can't hear? He kept telling me he didn't know how to make the Philosopher's Stone, but you clearly do know! You're just resisting the method you know because of some kind of psychological fastidiousness? What kind of excuse is that!

Even if it means sacrificing countless lives to complete the Philosopher's Stone, it doesn't matter. I am Kagemaru, the one who founded countless pharmaceutical companies! I have saved countless lives in my life. Although there is money to be exchanged, what is a problem if hundreds or thousands of people die to save someone as important as me!

It's obvious that you, Amunaeru, are ungrateful and don't want to save me, right? You don't want to use the precious Philosopher's Stone for me, and the claim that "human transmutation" is flawed and can't be used on me is also a lie. You just don't want to share the method of extending your lifespan with me!

They even gave away that "Orichalcos" that was supposed to be able to create the "Philosopher's Stone"? How foolish!

Unbeknownst to Kagemaru, the darkness that had been building up within him for the entire lifetime seemed to have been unleashed in the brief moment he had been staring at the Orichalcos. He poured it all out on Hayato, who was holding the Orichalcos, and on Amunaeru, who refused to save him.

However, on the surface, Kagemaru remained calm and composed, showing no sign of the resentment he harbored.

"Um, is there any trouble in making the 'Philosopher's Stone'?" Kagemaru asked Hayato and Daitokuji with a kind smile.

“This isn’t a matter of trouble or not, Mr. Kagemaru. To be honest, the completion of the Philosopher’s Stone was basically made up of the deaths of countless lives. To reverse death into life, what is needed is the process of life falling into death. That’s why I told you I can’t complete the Philosopher’s Stone.”

Kagemaru?

Upon hearing the name, Hayato glanced at the old man beside Daitokuji and instantly recognized him. This old man seemed to be a frequent news subject; he appeared to be the founder, largest shareholder, and current chairman of a renowned international pharmaceutical group, and apparently had some collaboration with Haima Group.

Moreover, in the future, this guy seems to have become one of the founders of the Duel Academy and served as its chairman.

Because Hayato's impression of "Kagemaru" consisted of only three images: an old man in a wheelchair, an old man lying in a life pod, and a muscle maniac running naked, Hayato didn't recognize Kagemaru when he saw him standing up and talking without an oxygen mask. It's the same principle as some people not recognizing someone when they see them wearing clothes.

Hayato paused slightly, thinking of Duel Academy.

Because he hadn't paid much attention before, Hayato suddenly realized that the terrain of the island they were on, apart from the lack of academy buildings and docks for ships, was almost identical to the Duel Academy in his memory. Even the several huge pillars in front of him were exactly the same as the seven pillars that sealed the three Phantom Demons on the Duel Academy!

Could this be the future Duel Academy?

As Hayato examined the seven pillars, Daitokuji noticed his movements and glanced at the seven obelisks as well. Then, he suddenly remembered the function of the seven obelisks he had previously discovered, and a smile appeared on his face: "That's right, we can also use this place!"

“I have a plan, Mr. Hayato, Mr. Kagemaru. As long as we use the sealing device left by Diablo to seal the Orichalcos, it can continue to absorb power through the natural selection of the creatures on the island, and eventually complete the Philosopher's Stone!”

As Daitokuji spoke, he glanced at Kagemaru and said, "Although this may take some time, once the Philosopher's Stone is completed, Mr. Kagemaru, I will definitely help you complete the Human Transmutation."

"Yes, I believe you. Then I'll leave everything to you, Daitokuji." Kagemaru's face remained smiling, but the darkness stirred by the Orichalcos was surging within him. 'Hmph, what help he says! Amunaeru is probably just thinking of outlasting me and then monopolizing the power of the Philosopher's Stone, that despicable guy!'

'I won't let you succeed. When I get back, I'll lie in a life support pod to minimize my metabolism and prolong my life. And you think I can only rely on you? I've decided, I'll use this place as the location to create 'Phantoms.' That book records that 'Phantoms' can grant people powerful life force, which is much more reliable than alchemy.'

Meanwhile, Hayato heard the voice of Rainbow Kuriboh, which had deliberately remained in a dormant state.

'Curry Curry~'

"Hmm?" Hayato paused, glancing at Kagemaru, who was looking down, seemingly lost in thought. 'The Three Phantom Demons said that Kagemaru has a scent similar to theirs?'

Chapter 696 Please don't do this! I want to play cards!

Although Daitokuji made the decision to use the sealing device left by Diavolo on the island to complete the unfinished "Philosopher's Stone," it was an alchemical device that he was unfamiliar with. Even learning how to use it would take some time, not to mention sealing the "Philosopher's Stone" into it.

Since no one would tamper with the device if it remained there, Daitokuji's idea was that since the purpose of the trip had been achieved, they should return home first and come back to the island again with all the necessary tools and materials. Kagemaru agreed, but no one knew what he was really thinking.

Although Hayato and his group had sent a distress signal to the Kaiba Group, Kagemaru warmly invited them to leave the island on a boat he had chartered. Although their next destination was not directly to Egypt, it would at least allow them to return to the civilized world and avoid having to continue playing the wilderness survival game.

However, before returning to the ship, they first went to find Anasis and Socrates, who had separated from Kagemaru and Daitokuji during the landing.

Unlike Kagemaru and Daitokuji, who came to the island with important goals in mind, Anasis came purely out of interest in this non-existent island and because his inner "explorer" spirit had been ignited. After arriving on the island, they chose to split up to see if there were any unique natural landscapes on the island, while Socrates could only accompany his boss.

Although he looked like a big, burly man, Anasis was surprisingly agile. When Hayato and Daitokuji's group found them, they discovered that Anasis and Socrates had already run to the edge of the active volcano in the very center of the island, poking at the lava with a bunch of branches.

Anasis was quite surprised to discover that Hayato, whom he had met once before, was also on the island. Although Anasis's exploration ship was theoretically leased to Kagemaru, just like renting a house doesn't mean you can rent it to anyone else, Anasis readily agreed when he learned that Hayato and his group wanted to leave by ship, only proposing a not-too-troublesome condition.

"'Eye contact is the signal for battle,' did this guy come from some world where he was trying to catch Pokémon, challenge the Elite Four, and become the leader?" Jonouchi, wearing a Duel Disk on his wrist, stood on the deck and looked at Anasis standing opposite him, and complained.

Hayato, standing to the side, helplessly spread his hands and said, "To be honest, back in the Duel Kingdom, Uncle Anasis used the same reason to duel me. So much time has passed and I still haven't thought of a new reason."

"Hahaha, what reason do we need for battles? Duel monsters are something we can just laugh about." Anasis laughed as he drew a card from his deck. "Using duels against me as payment for the ship is a pretty good deal, isn't it? Even though there are six of us, as long as three of us duel with me, we can ride on this ship that I love so much. It's a super perk, you know."

Just as Anasis said, his condition was very simple: he simply wanted Hayato and his friends to fight him.

The reason has to do with Anasis's own identity. Although he has a wide range of hobbies that change frequently, he has always maintained a strong interest in Duel Monsters, a game that is popular all over the world. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to participate in the Duel Kingdom hosted by Pegasus.

It's important to know that although Pegasus extended invitations to the vast majority of foundations at the time, most of those invited only participated as spectators during the final battle between Hayato, Yugi, and Pegasus. Only a very small minority, like Ptah and Anasis from the Calem Foundation, directly participated as contestants.

After failing to reach the top eight in Duel Kingdom, Anasis did not lose interest in Duel Monsters. Instead, his competitive spirit was aroused, and he became even more eager to achieve something in the field of Duel Monsters. Therefore, in addition to using his wealth to collect more of his favorite Duel Monsters, he also did not give up practicing dueling on a regular basis.

Practice for duels requires an opponent, but who can Anasis find as an opponent? His employees are only good enough if they don't hold back and put on an act to curry favor with their boss; they won't duel seriously at all. Few bosses of other conglomerates of similar status are interested in Duel Monsters. And those who are interested in dueling but don't need to curry favor with him are mostly too powerful, like Chigfried, who is currently imprisoned in Europe, and Seto Kaiba, the president of the increasingly powerful Kaiba Entertainment Group.

Being too strong basically means that these duelists have their own pride. Even if they want to duel, they will seek out someone of the same level. They look down on duelists like Anasis, who, while not mediocre, is not particularly powerful either.

Therefore, Anasis, naturally, would not easily miss the opportunity to have a proper duel. He invited Hayato, Yugi, and Jonouchi to each duel with him, so that he could learn from the dueling styles of powerful duelists.

To be honest, Anasis really did learn a lot through duels, because the first person he dueled was Yugi, and it wasn't Yami Yugi who fought on his behalf, but Omoikawa himself who fought.

As expected, Anasis witnessed the legendary "T" formation—a monster in defense position face down in the front row, followed by five face-down cards in the back row.

Anasis simply couldn't bring himself to say, "Duels are meant to be played with laughter."

When it was Anasis's turn, no matter how many moves he made, Yugi always managed to activate a face-down card at the right moment of the chain in the back row, as if he had calculated all of Anasis's strategies and prepared a full range of countermeasures. Even after Anasis had emptied his hand, he had only managed to break through the three face-down cards in Yugi's back row, and he couldn't even find out what the monster in the face-down defense position was.

Without even considering continuing the struggle, Anasis decisively chose to concede defeat, as there was no longer any point in continuing the duel. He had once wondered how cards like "Harpie's Feather Duster" and "Storm" could compare to cards like "Black Hole" and "Lightning Strike," which could destroy all monsters at once. But after this duel, he finally understood that while Duel Monsters might have "Monster" in their names, the pressure from five monsters was far less than that from five face-down Spell & Trap Cards.

And then there's now, his duel with Jonouchi. It has to be said that, compared to the highly interactive duels with the game, Jonouchi's dueling style allows Anasis to experience the fun of dueling monsters more.

A sense of exhilaration permeated every corner of Jonouchi's duel. Just fighting Jonouchi made Anasis feel a surge of youthful energy. The knight in his steel helmet, the black dragon stubbornly resurrecting from the graveyard, and the immense power unleashed by the combined might of weak monsters—this was the true spirit of Duel Monsters!

Although she was almost discouraged by the game's duel, Anasis's passion for Duel Monsters was rekindled through her duel with Jonouchi.

Of course, it would have been even better if Jonouchi hadn't used the "Devil's Dice" and "Angel's Dice" combo to defeat him in the end. Just before, it gave people the feeling of a passionate battle, and when the two dice rolled on the field and revealed two sixes, Anasis almost thought he had run into Las Vegas.

And now, it's time for Hayato's duel with Anasis. According to Anasis, "Having been defeated by the Duel King before, this kind of battle to challenge the strongest Duel Monster again should definitely be saved for last."

"It's been so long, Hayato! I thought you were using a Warrior deck back then, but then you suddenly pulled out a Machine deck and almost caught me off guard." After organizing the deck in his Duel Disk, Anasis looked at Hayato excitedly and said, "The ocean and my duels are not static. Witness my duels now!"

“Oh, I just saw it. Your deck has changed a lot, Uncle Anasis.” Hayato also raised his Duel Disk. “However, I’m not standing still either. I evolve faster than light.”

"Duel!" x2

[Hayato: 4000LP]

Anasis: 4000 LP

"I'll take the first turn, draw a card!" Anasis seized the initiative, drew a card, and played it without hesitation. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card [Water Barrier]. Once per turn, I can Special Summon one 4-star or lower WATER monster from my hand. I Special Summon a Level 4 [Hammer Shark] from my hand in Attack Position."

Hammershark】【4 stars/Water

[Fish/Effect]

[1700/1500]