Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

He remembered that just moments before, he had used the three God Cards borrowed by Hayato to open the stone slab leading to his memories. His soul, which had been confined within the Millennium Puzzle, left Aibo's body and entered the stone slab. Then, in that tunnel-like space, it seemed as if a dark force swept over him.

Immediately afterwards, he left the tunnel of memory and appeared in the sky, looking down at the earth. The scenery he captured in that instant was enough for Yami Yugi to know one thing: he seemed to have come to ancient Egypt. Then, as he fell from the sky, he suddenly woke up, as if all his previous experiences were just a dream.

Looking up at the road ahead with a slightly bewildered expression, Yami Yugi was so surprised that he couldn't speak for a moment, and his thoughts almost stopped.

What did he see?

At this moment, Dark Game seems to be standing on a lookout tower. The lookout tower itself is made of stone, finely polished and exquisitely carved, and it doesn't look cheap at all. But what's important is not the lookout tower, but the scenery below.

A dense crowd had gathered below, filling every inch of space within Yami Yugi's sight. The crowd thronged, all looking up at Yami Yugi standing on the high platform, chanting in unison, "Pharaoh! Pharaoh!"

This caused Dark Game to subconsciously repeat, "Pharaoh, me?"

Looking down at her own hands, she saw not Aibo's slender, pale hands, but a pair of slightly tanned, muscular, and powerful hands that gave off a healthy, sunny vibe.

Meanwhile, on Yami Yugi's fingers, wrists, and even arms, he was wearing gold ornaments that perfectly matched his own aesthetic. On his left wrist, there was even a folded gold dueling disk that Yami Yugi had seen before with the Gravekeeper Elder and Gab Ishtar.

Has my appearance been changed?!

No, rather than having his appearance altered, another thought suddenly occurred to Yami Yugi—this body he was in now might be his past self from three thousand years ago!

Just as Yami Yugi was feeling bewildered by this unfounded and baseless speculation in his mind, a short man dressed in a fine white robe, with his face covered by a black cloth wrapped around his upper body and head, approached Yami Yugi from the side and whispered to him, "Pharaoh, the people are waiting for your answer. Please respond to the people."

The man was speaking not in English, Japanese, or Arabic, but in ancient Egyptian, a language long lost to history. Although Yami Yugi had never studied this language, he could clearly understand what the man was trying to say and could respond instinctively, as if it were second nature.

Upon hearing that the other party indeed addressed him as "Pharaoh," Yami Yugi took a deep breath, calming himself down: "I am, Pharaoh..."

"Pharaoh!" "Pharaoh!" "Pharaoh!"

Not knowing what to do at this moment, An Yuqi looked down at the crowd and raised his hand as a greeting. With just this simple action, the crowd below immediately stopped their chaotic shouting and prostrated themselves on the ground.

“Uh…” A bead of cold sweat trickled down An Yugi’s forehead. To be honest, he really was just following the instructions of the man next to him and responding to the people’s calls to greet them warmly. How come they all knelt down as soon as he raised his hand?

They've all completely baffled me.

Could it be that in ancient Egypt, raising your hand as a greeting meant being angry? Damn, I've never learned anything about that; I was too busy playing cards with Aibo in modern times.

Ultimately, although he had learned from Isis Ishdar of the Tomb Keeper Clan that he was an unnamed pharaoh from three thousand years ago in modern times, he was still a modern person because his memories were all from the modern era. Even knowing that he was now a pharaoh, he couldn't adapt at all.

Looking at the people bowing down below the stage, seemingly in fear of him, Yami Yugi felt somewhat at a loss. Fortunately, at that moment, the short man next to him spoke up to remind him: "Pharaoh, please come. Your people at the banquet are also eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new Pharaoh."

An Yu-Gi nodded. Although he didn't know what would happen at the banquet, he thought it was much better than continuing to stand there like he was being executed, watching others kneel before him. So he followed the man away from the platform and walked into the magnificent palace behind him.

Only after the Pharaoh left did the people outside dare to get up and go about their daily lives and work.

“Eh~ We completely missed it.” Nefertari, who arrived late with Hayato after everyone had finished the ceremony of paying homage to the new pharaoh, said with a regretful look, “In the end, we didn’t even get to see the pharaoh’s face. We only saw his back from a distance.”

"A glimpse of his back is enough; that starfish is far too conspicuous to me," Hayato said with a shrug, not too bothered by not seeing the Pharaoh's face. With that colorful starfish head that had been passed down for three thousand years from ancient Egypt in the game, it would be hard for Hayato to mistake it.

As expected, he and Yami Yugi did arrive in this world at the same time. However, Yami Yugi had an identity that he could impersonate, so he appeared directly as the nameless pharaoh from three thousand years ago.

As for Hayato, it's like playing D&D without a car or playing Warhammer without a pre-selected piece. He wasn't even within Bakura's calculations, and he didn't have a suitable substitute identity, so he could only find an ordinary person to use as his character.

If Hayato remembers correctly, what happened next was that after the new pharaoh's coronation ceremony, Bakura, controlling the character "Thief King Bakura," caused a ruckus at the banquet. His powerful abilities were only defeated when the pharaoh intervened, but he was not able to be captured. This caused the pharaoh and the priests to lose face, thus setting the stage for this dark game that would overthrow the dynasty.

However, that was only the premise that Yami Yugi and Bakura were playing the Dark Game. Now that he had joined the Dark Game, how could he not try to participate in the banquet that would be interrupted and interfere with Bakura's actions?

Hayato thought to himself, a smile playing on his lips. Nefertari, standing nearby, glanced at Hayato and said, "Eek~ Meliamon, your smile is disgusting."

"Nonsense, that's clearly a smile brimming with positive energy." Hayato glanced at Nefertari and asked, "By the way, Nefertari, do you know where there's a secret entrance to the palace?"

"Uh, I was overthinking it. Important locations like the entrance to the palace are definitely heavily guarded. Even in more secluded areas, there are always people watching to prevent unauthorized entry. Why would I think I could just ask anyone..."

"Ah, I know." But to Hayato's surprise, Nefertari thought for a moment and then nodded, saying, "I know a secret, secluded entrance with fewer people. I'll take you there now."

"Does it really exist?" Hayato was also somewhat surprised. How could Nefertari know about the existence of such a place?

Following Nefertari, Hayato walked a long way around the magnificent palace, almost to the back, and finally found a small door on the side of the palace, seemingly for servants to use.

“Here it is, the secret entrance you’re looking for, Meliamon.” Nefertari said, winking. “It’s not exactly a secret, quite a few people actually use this route, but today, because it’s the day the new pharaoh ascends the throne, the palace is very lively, so probably no one will use this route.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than two soldiers emerged from behind the door, one after the other, and stood on either side of it.

"Huh? Why are there guards again?" Nefertari sighed when she saw the soldiers appear. "This is the only location I know. I'm sorry, Meliamon, I couldn't help you."

"This feeling of NPCs refreshing as you move around... Is Bakura trying to save on game memory usage?" Hayato muttered to himself as he looked at the gate, which had been unguarded, now guarded again. He ruffled Nefertari's long, smooth black hair, which suited his aesthetic, and stood up. "However, this level of security won't stop me."

"I even prepared my secret weapon on the way here!"

Chapter 717 The gatekeepers are just for show; the big shots above wouldn't understand.

"What bad luck! Why is it the two of us who have to guard the gate today?"

"It was the first time I had the opportunity to witness the Pharaoh's coronation, and the first time I had the privilege of watching the dances at the banquet as a palace guard. These two firsts combined should have been such a joyous occasion, but why did it turn out this way?"

Listening to his companion's complaints, another guard, with his hand on the weapon at his waist, said dismissively, "It's because, although today is a great day because it's the new pharaoh's coronation ceremony, the officials in the palace have also requested that the defenses be strengthened in various places."

"It's all to prevent any petty thieves from breaking into the palace and attacking the Pharaoh." As he spoke, the complaining soldier picked at the dirt under his fingernails with boredom. "But in the end, we gatekeepers are just for show; the big shots above wouldn't understand."

"Ugh, what bad luck~" x2

They exchanged a glance and said in unison.

But as soon as they finished speaking, one of them noticed with sharp eyes that the branches of the bushes not far from them were trembling, as if something was about to emerge from them.

"Who's there!" Although the two guards were somewhat reluctant, they did not slack off. They adopted a vigilant posture, placing their hands on the hilts of the sickle-shaped swords at their waists, ready to draw their weapons at the slightest disturbance.

Under their gaze, a person emerged from the bushes. Although of average height, the person was quite well-proportioned, and the woman's long robe accentuated her curves. In one hand, she carried a clay basket, which seemed to contain two bottles of wine.

Looking only at her lower body, the guards might have mistaken the "woman" before them for a maidservant on an outing. But when their gaze moved upward, they were stunned, for they saw a strong, masculine face covered in heavy makeup, creating a strange and incongruous feeling.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. I brought two bottles of beer with me. May I pass?"

The "woman," who would be a handsome man if she didn't have such heavy makeup, struck a few alluring poses, seemingly trying to seduce the two guards. However, the two guards just stared at the "woman" with dead fish eyes.

Seeing this, the "woman" became even more enthusiastic, making a fist with one hand and bringing it to her cheek, sticking out half of her tongue and winking cutely.

Unexpectedly, her action backfired. The two guards, with expressions of disgust, drew their sickle-shaped swords, pointed at the "woman," and shouted, "Hands up!"

"If you move again, I won't be so polite!"

"Huh?! Why?!" Matching the two guards' actions, the "woman" also feigned panic, taking two bottles of beer from her basket and holding them as if to show she wasn't carrying anything dangerous and was open to inspection. She subtly took two steps closer to the guards, closing the distance. "What's going on all of a sudden?"

However, the two guards also noticed this, and after exchanging a glance, they exclaimed loudly, "His behavior is very suspicious!"

"Let's get started!"

As they spoke, they began to attack the "woman".

"Ah! Don't kill me!" Faced with the threat of weapons, the "woman" stopped in her tracks, raised her hands, which were holding two bottles of beer, above her head in a gesture of surrender, and finally, just as the two guards had said, dared not move an inch. "I understand, I won't move!"

Seeing that the "woman" had stopped acting, the two guards stopped brandishing their weapons and instead remained on guard, approaching her one after the other, intending to subdue her and hand her over to their superiors for punishment. They also thought they might be able to catch a glimpse of the dancers' performance at the banquet.

The "woman" turned her head away with a displeased look and said, "Damn it, no wonder he's a palace guard, he can see through my perfect women's clothing!"

Upon closer inspection of the "woman's" face, who else could it be but Hayato?

"Idiot! You could tell at a glance!" The guard in front said to Hayato with a look of disgust. "Disgusting!"

The guard behind him chimed in with a sarcastic remark: "What woman in the world has muscles all over her hands and such a rugged face like you? Idiot!"

"Can't you look at yourself objectively? You idiot!"

The two guards' coordinated attack seemed to enrage Hayato, who glared at them and demanded, "What did you say?!"

With a furious expression, Hayato suddenly threw the two bottles of sake he was holding high at the guard in front of him. The guard in front, who was closer to Hayato, noticed the small movement in his hand and dodged Hayato's attack.

But the other guard behind him wasn't so lucky. Because his companion blocked his view, his face was hit directly by the bottoms of two thick ceramic jars, and he immediately lost consciousness.

—In fact, Hayato didn't expect that, even though it was three thousand years ago, ancient Egyptian pottery techniques could produce pottery bottles with such good hardness.

"Hey, are you alright?!" The guard, who hadn't expected that dodging the beer bottle would result in his companion being knocked down, glanced at his companion subconsciously before immediately swinging his scythe-shaped sword at Hayato, who dared to attack them.

However, before the blade could even move an inch, Hayato, who had thrown the beer bottle, wasn't just standing there dumbfounded. Before the guard could attack him, a fist mark appeared on the guard's chin.

"Ora!"

With a battle cry, the guard fell to the ground.

"Although my initial plan was to use my perfect women's clothing to get away with it, luckily I had a plan B prepared. My secret trump card is my two strong and powerful fists."

Although the boy named "Meriamon" was not very old, Hayato, who was using this body, felt the powerful strength contained within it from the very beginning. This could be seen from his well-developed biceps and pectoral muscles that were even larger than Rebecca's, and he even had an "Egyptian perky butt".

Hayato even felt that he could learn from a certain dolphin enthusiast and be able to say "Oh!" to an adult at the age of eight.

"This punch, the culmination of twenty years of skill, how can you possibly withstand it!" Hayato shouted at the two fallen guards.

Seeing that Hayato had dealt with the guards, Nefertari, who had lent Hayato her clothes and changed into them, also emerged from the bushes: "But, I remember you're only eight years old this year, Meliamon? Eh? Or nine? I can't quite remember."

"Is this an eight-year-old?" Hayato glanced at the muscles in his arm and argued, "Although I'm only eight years old this year, I'm exceptionally talented. One year of training is equivalent to a hundred years of training for others. My advantage is in my hands."

As he spoke, Hayato crouched down to deal with the two guards he had knocked unconscious. Besides confirming with his fist that he had knocked the guard unconscious with a punch, the other guard, who had been knocked unconscious with a beer bottle, seemed to be waking up as Hayato moved his body. Hayato immediately punched him again to refresh the duration of the unconscious buff.

"These two bastards really hurt my pride. I thought my disguise was pretty good." After taking off the slightly long clothes from the two men and putting them on, Hayato threw the two guards into the bushes to hide them without hesitation. "But now that I'm dressed as a guard, I hope I won't be exposed again."

"Huh?! Meliamon, are you going to sneak into the palace?" Nefertari only realized Hayato's plan after seeing him change into the guards' clothes and put on their weapons. "I was wondering why you were looking for a more hidden entrance earlier."

Hayato said helplessly, "Why are you so slow to react in a place like this, Nefertari? But speaking of which, didn't I tell you before that I should just stay in the jungle and not follow me out? That way, even if something goes wrong with my actions, it won't implicate you."

"Although I don't know much about ancient Egyptian law, the crime of attacking a royal guard must be quite serious, right? It wouldn't be good if you were considered an accomplice because you were with me."

Upon hearing this, Nefertari smiled at Hayato: "Hehehe, Meliamon, are you worried about me? But it's okay, I won't be afraid of any danger with you, even if it means death, I'll be with you."

As she spoke, Nefertari mimicked the pose Hayato had struck before, making a cute expression. The more repulsive Hayato's previous pose was, the cuter Nefertari's current one appeared.

But Hayato remained unmoved and gently tapped Nefertari on the head.

"Ouch, that hurts." Nefertari clutched her forehead, looking at Hayato with a puzzled expression.

"This isn't the time for sentimental talk, and those kinds of promises make me feel like I'm going to my death." Hayato said seriously, hands on his hips. "I'm going into the palace now, Nefertari, you absolutely can't stay with me any longer. Okay, let's go back quickly. Hmm, go get me some beer or something. I was thinking of trying out what the so-called 'Gift of the Nile' was like, but I wasted it on those two guards."

"Hey~ Meliamon, how can you drink alcohol at such a young age?" Nefertari said helplessly, looking at Hayato's serious expression. "Alright, I'll prepare it for you. Be sure to come back soon, and be careful in the palace."

————Minors are not permitted to drink alcohol————

"Clang~"

"Clang~~"

As a huge golden gong was struck, Yami Yugi was led into the palace by the short man. Along the way, he saw magnificent sights everywhere he looked, and on both sides of the path he walked, there were servants kneeling in devout worship.

“Pharaoh, please, please come to your throne.” The short man said to Yami Yugi. For some reason, at first there was just a subtle feeling, but as the time spent together increased, Yami Yugi felt a special sense of familiarity from the short man, as if they had been in contact for a long time.

This is so strange. I know that I don't have a single memory of three thousand years ago in my mind. The only memories I have are of the few years I lived in the modern world. How could I possibly feel familiar with someone who lived three thousand years ago?

Dark Game temporarily attributed this familiarity to the other party's attire. The short man's gold-embroidered priest's hat alone indicated that he was of high status and might even have a name in history. That must be why he felt familiar with him.