Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"You are deeply trusted by the Pharaoh and represent his face. If you were stripped of your position as priest, it would be a disgrace to the Pharaoh. So if you encounter that thief Bakura, don't try to fight him alone. You are no match for him and will only die in vain."

After a pause, Priest Set, with his arms crossed and holding the Millennium Scepter in one hand, raised his head slightly and said with a hint of arrogance, "If you die before I defeat you and take the title of 'Strongest Priest' from you, I will feel quite troubled and regretful."

Although his words seemed somewhat heartless, as if he had never taken his colleague relationship with Mahad to heart, Yami Yugi knew Seto Kaiba, who was supposedly the reincarnation of Priest Seth from three thousand years in the future. He immediately realized that what Seth said to Mahad was just his way of showing concern and reminding him.

It seems this arrogance has been passed down for three thousand years; it's an ancestral arrogance.

However, just because Dark Game can understand Set's arrogance doesn't mean that other priests can understand this advanced way of expressing emotions. Isis, who is friends with Mahad, looked at Set with some displeasure after hearing his words and said, "Priest Set, you've gone too far. Mahad's two previous mistakes were just that."

"Mistakes? Ha, in the end it's due to a lack of ability. If you were capable enough, things like the fall of the royal city and the robbery of the tomb would never have happened." Seth glanced at Isis and sneered, showing no mercy just because she was a woman. Instead, he went all out.

“Only a third-rate priest like you, wielding a fourth-rate [Millennium Artifact], would utter the word ‘mistake,’ Priestess Isis.” Ignoring the anger on Isis’s face, Seth looked at Mahad and said, “Or is my judgment flawed, and you, Mahad, are just as mediocre as Isis?”

"You bastard!" Isis was furious after being repeatedly belittled. If she weren't in front of the Pharaoh, she probably would have started a fight with Set on the spot.

Because her attention was drawn to the assassin yesterday, she failed to warn of Bakura's appearance. As a result, Isis had already been mocked by Set once. With a strong sense of pride, Isis was determined to work harder to practice using the [Millennium Jewelry] and show that arrogant guy Set what a woman could do.

Just last night, while Isis was diligently practicing using the [Millennium Jewelry] to foresee the future, she discovered that ever since the thief Bakura appeared, the [Millennium Jewelry]'s ability to foresee the future had become nothing but endless darkness. From that infinite darkness, she could only see an infinite danger that was almost overflowing. Just looking at that darkness almost made Isis's breath catch in her throat.

After much effort, Isis only managed to find fragmented pieces of the future, in a tomb, where Mahad faced Bakula, whom she had met once before.

Just a moment ago, Mahad was attacking Bakula, a thief who wasn't even surrounded by any monsters. But the next moment, Isis could only see Mahad with a gash in his chest, most of his body covered in blood, flying backward.

The scene seen by the Millennium Jewelry may not be the absolute truth, but it is definitely the scene that will appear. Although Isis, who has great faith in the power of the Millennium Jewelry, does not quite understand what the future in the scene she saw is all about, no matter how you look at it, the result is that Mahad will be killed by the thief Bakula in a tomb. There is no mistake about that.

As a fellow priest, upon learning that Mahad had volunteered to go to the tomb of the former Pharaoh Akhenam Khanon, Isis immediately told Mahad about his prophecy, warning him that he would meet his death there, and tried to dissuade his friend from doing so.

But Mahad countered by asking Isis that since the future seen through the Millennium Jewelry was certain to occur, he would inevitably confront the thief Bakula alone, regardless of whether he went to the tomb of the previous Pharaoh Aknamkanun.

If it weren't the tomb of the previous pharaoh, the battle might have shifted to a location unfamiliar to Mahad. It's better to maintain the current route; Mahad can still make some arrangements based on his knowledge of the future. Although, he can't change his own death.

Unable to change her friend's death, Isis was in a bad mood today, which is why she argued with Seth.

However, what Isis didn't know was that although there was no one around when Isis told Mahad about this, Seth actually happened to pass by a corner that the two of them couldn't see, and also knew about the future that Isis had foreseen.

However, unlike Isis, Set has never been interested in the abilities of the Millennium Jewelry. If the Millennium Jewelry saw Set being affectionate with a woman he randomly picked up on the street, would it necessarily marry that woman? No way.

Seth's goal is to become the strongest; women are just a hindrance.

Ultimately, the future should be controlled by humanity itself. Therefore, Seth only ever regarded the Millennium Jewelry as an early warning device, not unlike the Millennium Wisdom Wheel, and didn't believe that Mahad would die so easily. However, he did believe part of Isis's prophecy, which is why he specifically reminded Mahad not to fight Bakula.

Even with all the priests present, they were still no match for Bakula and Diaband. With Aknadi still unconscious and one priest missing, even if the priests faced Bakula again, they wouldn't be confident of victory, let alone with Mahad alone dealing with the thief Bakula.

Although Seth always wanted to defeat his opponent to prove that he was stronger, he actually regarded Mahad, who had always been superior to him, as a special "friend". Defeating him was one thing, but if Mahad died, that would be another.

Even if it's embarrassing, as long as you don't die, it's okay to run for your life, and you can come to me for help. That's what Seth wanted to express, but it was expressed differently once it was spoken.

Whether he understood Set's awkward concern or simply didn't take Set's words to heart, Mahad said to Isis, "Priest Set is right, Priest Isis. The previous two failures were due to my insufficient ability. If I could have fully controlled the [Millennium Wisdom Wheel] instead of constantly consuming magic power to suppress it, the previous failures would not have occurred."

“This time, I will prove my abilities to the Pharaoh.” Mahad said, rising to his feet, bowing slightly to the Dark Game on the throne, before turning and walking out of the palace. In his mind, he added the unspoken second half of his sentence: 'Even if it costs me my life!'

With soldiers carrying numerous items to be taken back to the tomb of the previous pharaoh, such as replacement stone slabs, burial goods, and the mummy of the previous pharaoh Aknam Khanon, Mahad led a group of soldiers out of the royal city, across a desert, and into a valley.

This valley is the royal slumber valley, where the tombs of successive pharaohs are hidden among many royal tombs. The route is so complicated that if Mahad himself had not known the location of the tombs of the previous pharaohs beforehand, it would probably have taken him a month or two to find the real tombs.

Although the journey seemed peaceful, after leaving the royal city, Mahad had already released his magic to weave a sensing spell around himself. He had already sensed a "little tail" hanging not far from him, and the magic on it was exactly the same as that of the Bakula subordinate that Mahad had interrogated the day before.

It was obvious that they were being followed. Just as Isis had predicted, the thief Bakura had indeed come looking for them, and it would escalate to a showdown between the two of them, until finally, they would die at Bakura's hands, with a gash in their chest.

As is expected, Mahad already knew yesterday that his subordinates, who had received powerful dark energy from Bakula, were difficult to contend with, no matter how hard Mahad's soldiers trained. Given their numerical disadvantage, it was unlikely that any of the soldiers who followed him out of the city would survive a direct confrontation.

However, while the future cannot be changed, the process of moving from the present to the future can be altered, and Mahad had a plan in mind.

Time flew by, and before they knew it, a day was about to pass. Mahad, who had entered a tomb early, had not left. The sentry following behind him waited for Bakula to arrive with a group of men.

When they arrived, they even had time to change clothes and take a shower. Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Bakula raised an eyebrow: "That guy Mahad has been in the tomb for so long. He should have finished setting up the barriers for ten more tombs by now, let alone the ones here."

"Tch, are you trying to provoke me? Heh, then I'll accept this challenge. After all, the final prize is something as tempting as the [Millennium Wisdom Wheel]." With a wicked laugh, Bakura, at the head of the group, called out, "Everyone, follow me and charge in! Kill everyone except Mahad!"

With that, he took the lead and rushed towards the entrance of the mausoleum, followed by all his men.

As the horses galloped, the crimson eyes of Bakura's men, amplified by dark magic, drew long lines under the night sky, leaving no doubt that they would slaughter Mahad's men.

However, the moment Bakula ran into the tomb, a dozen huge boulders suddenly fell from the valley above. Bakula, who was already inside the tomb, was unharmed, but his men following closely behind were not so lucky. Even with the amplification of magic, they were still just humans. Nearly ten unlucky ones were smashed into mincemeat on the spot. Even those who were lucky enough not to be directly hit could not stop in time and crashed into the falling rocks. Horses and men alike suffered broken bones, missing limbs, or broken arms and legs.

Bakula wasn't in much better shape. The falling rocks completely blocked his escape route, preventing him from leaving and his men from helping him trapped in the tomb!

"Tch, I got tricked. All you do is use petty tricks." Looking at the entrance behind him that had been smashed by rubble, Bakula said coldly, "Although this level of confinement is not enough to trap me and can be broken with just a little effort, this feeling of being locked up is really infuriating."

Just then, Bakula also felt the magic emanating from the depths of the tomb, the magic of Mahad alone.

"Hmph, you knew I sent people to follow you, but instead of running away, you stayed in this tomb with no other exit and still dared to provoke me, Priest Mahad?"

Dismounting, Bakura cracked his neck and headed deeper into the tomb. Although the tomb passage was completely dark, with no fires lit for illumination, Bakura could clearly see Mahad standing in the distance directly in front of him, the magical power emanating from the [Millennial Wisdom Wheel] on his chest was palpable to him.

“If you don’t stay here, you won’t come near me.” With no one else around, Mahad unleashed his long-suppressed magic without restraint, a dark purple light flashing in his eyes. “I’m waiting for you, Bakura!”

Chapter 728 Death Won't Come When You're Ready

"How delightful. You've been waiting for me, waiting to give me the [Millennium Wisdom Wheel]?" Walking in the darkness, Bakura's gaze met that of Mahad, who was empowered by magic. Bakura's fingers traced the indentations on the murals on both sides of the passage, and his steps did not falter. "Hehe, then let's get a little closer."

As Bakula moved forward, Diaband's figure appeared in the darkness behind him. However, Diaband's appearance had changed slightly from before. The white wings on his back had been replaced with hollowed-out metal wings that were similar to those of Dragon Radiance - Right Pivot α. In addition, there were patterns on his shoulders that looked like those of Obelisk the Tormentor.

'Has the monster's form changed?' Mahad's eyes were imbued with magic that allowed him to see freely in the dark. He scrutinized Diaband behind Bakura. Although the surroundings were pitch black, they were as bright as day in his eyes. Naturally, he noticed the striking difference on Diaband and became secretly on guard.

He had originally planned to use his magic to create an environment that would be advantageous to him, but judging from Bakura's appearance, he could clearly see in the dark, so the dark environment didn't seem to offer Mahad much of an advantage.

Abandoning the waste of magic power in maintaining his ability to see in the dark, Mahad raised his hand, and a fireball quickly formed in his palm, flying towards Bakura in the darkness, but was blocked by Diaband behind him in the first instant.

The fireball spell wasn't a particularly advanced magic, and Mahad didn't expend much magic power on it either. Furthermore, Diaband wasn't the kind of monster Mahad usually dealt with. The fireball was bitten to pieces by the white snake on Diaband's lower body, but it didn't leave even a single burn mark.

However, the moment the scattered sparks landed on the ground, the flames spread rapidly along the cracks in the stone bricks, and in the blink of an eye, the half of the area where Bakula was located turned into a sea of ​​fire!

Knowing that Bakula had sent people to follow him, and that he was given the choice of location to meet the battle, while also having ample time to prepare, Mahad naturally did not waste any time. In addition to having his soldiers find the rolling stones used in the ambush, he also prepared a large number of traps and mechanisms in this tomb to "welcome" Bakula!

However, Mahad did not expect that a trap of this magnitude would be enough to defeat Bakula. Suddenly, an arc-shaped shock spread out from the raging fire, blowing away the fuel that Mahad had prepared in advance between the bricks and stones. The flames were dispersed by this attack, and it did not harm Bakula in the slightest.

Not only that, the flames that were blown away swept towards Mahad at the same time, but Mahad had already summoned the stone slab spirit guarding him—[Fantasy Mage]—who appeared and raised her emerald green magic wand to block all the flames and impacts.

With the help of the [Fantasy Mage], Mahad also released magic to manipulate the flames in front of him, changing their shape again and turning them into a series of flaming arrows. The [Fantasy Mage] provided the propulsion, and they attacked Bakura once more.

"That's enough of your boring tricks!" Bakura remained calm despite the incoming rockets, but she couldn't help getting annoyed by the continuous attacks. Diaband then used the metal wings on its back to slam into the ground in front of Bakura.

The seemingly hollowed-out sextant-shaped wings flowed with magic, forming a barrier that blocked the attack once again.

"Such petty tricks are useless against me, you overconfident priest!"

While Diaband protected Bakula with its wings, the white snake on its lower body was not idle. It bit straight at Mahad's location, forcing Mahad to stop cooperating with the Illusionary Mage and be led back several meters by the latter to avoid the attack.

Once the attack stopped, the momentum shifted back into Bakura's hands. As he moved forward, Diaband, no longer needing to defend against the attacks of the Illusionary Mage, moved freely, and the continuous attacks forced Mahad to retreat again and again.

"Heh, you were so confident just now, but in the end, all you can do is run away." Bakula laughed smugly as he watched Mahad retreat little by little. "This tomb isn't very big. You're already stuck to the wall with no way out. I'll finish you off with this final blow!"

"【Diabund】, use Spiral Pulse!" Like a Pokémon Trainer, Bacula pulled down his hood and pointed at Mahad.

【Diaband】 took a step away from Bakula and swung his fist to attack. In fact, Mahad could vaguely see the shadow of the 【Obelisk the Tormentor】 that the Pharaoh had summoned in the palace. However, in the face of life and death, there was a firmness in Mahad's eyes that Bakula could not understand.

In that instant, Bakula's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously turned around, only to see a withered green monster, the Shadow Ghoul, emerge from the wall behind him and attack him, now that he had lost the protection of Diaband!

"When was that!?"

"What do you think I've been doing all this time, thief Bakura? I summoned the Shadow Ghoul, which has the ability to 'pass through walls,' and had it lie in ambush there. I also used fire to prevent you from checking the surrounding environment and kept guiding your Diaband closer to me, all for this moment!"

Seeing Bakura's exclamation, Mahad said firmly, "No one can defeat a fully armed mage. When I am fully prepared, death will not come!"

"You madman, you actually planned to use your own life as bait to trick me into letting Diaband leave your side, and then kill me!?"

Bakula was shocked and furious at Mahdna's almost one-for-one exchange plan. "Don't even think about it! I won't waste my precious life on someone like you!"

"Come back to me, [Diabund]!"

Although a lot of things were said, it's common knowledge that there are pauses during the explanation in battle. In fact, less than a second had passed since Bakura discovered the [Shadow Ghoul].

Just a hair's breadth away from striking [Fantasy Mage] and Mahad, but because Bakula valued his life, [Diaband], who was throwing a punch, turned around with all his might and forcefully changed the direction of his fist, throwing it at [Shadow Ghoul] who was attacking Bakula.

However, the attack only hit the wall. By the time Bakura discovered it, the Shadow Ghoul's ambush plan had already been canceled due to failure. Although it made a feint to attack, it tricked Bakura into ordering Diaband to stop and return to the rescue, and then decisively retreated back into the wall to hide.

Having thwarted Mahad's elaborate scheme, Bakula subtly wiped the cold sweat from his brow. Just as he was about to utter a few harsh words, he saw a stream of magical power emanating from the [Illusionary Mage] and suddenly pouring into the [Millennial Wisdom Wheel] in Mahad's chest!

Then, the surging magic expanded rapidly from Mahad, sweeping across the entire underground tomb in an instant!

Chapter 729 Mahad, Fading Away…

Because it came so suddenly, Bakura had no time to dodge. He only had time to raise his arms to protect his body before the magic released by Mahad, who controlled the Millennium Wisdom Wheel, swept over him.

Without feeling any pain or even the slightest impact, it was as if a gentle breeze had blown by. Bakula lowered his arm in confusion, only to find that he was completely unharmed.

"Ha, what was that just now? Was it a dust-removing magic invented for germaphobes?" Bakula, who thought he was going to be attacked, found that there was not a single change in him. With a hint of embarrassment and anger, he looked at Mahad and said, "You gave me a big fright. It's really annoying."

"Looks like you've run out of tricks, so let's just finish you off. Go! [Diabong—]"

Looking at Diaband, who was blocking his way and had also been hit by the magic, Bakula was about to order him to kill Mahad, but Bakula stopped abruptly.

Because he saw that his own body, Diaband, was gradually becoming transparent, and he could even clearly see the expression on Mahad's face through Diaband's body!

"'The Shadow Ghoul is my ultimate weapon,' you thief Bakura, that's what you were thinking, right? First the oil trap, then the assassination by the Shadow Ghoul, these schemes that seemed to kill you successfully made you believe that I had played all my trump cards."

“However, from the very beginning, I never thought that such methods could defeat you, defeat someone who possesses a power that even the gods summoned by the Pharaoh could contend with.” The [Millennial Wisdom Wheel] on Mahad’s chest floated up out of thin air, and black and purple magic spread around him. “The [Illusionary Mage] that I summoned from the very beginning, because of the series of tactics before, its existence was completely ignored by you!”

"The [Fantasy Sorcerer] and I, working together, can unleash powerful magic. Combined with the 'interference magic' that I have been sealing away in the [Millennium Wisdom Wheel], we have created a magical storm that completely surrounds this tomb. Within this area, no one can use the power of the Stone Tablet Spirits or items like the [Millennium Artifact]!"

"This is the final tactic that only I, who possess the strongest power among the priests, can use even without using the [Millennium Artifact] and the Slate Spirit!"

The [Fantasy Mage] beside Mahad, being a stone slab spirit that was closer to the impact of the magic storm than [Diabund], had already disappeared. However, [Diabund] in front of Bakula could no longer maintain its existence and vanished before Bakula's eyes.

At this moment, in this underground tomb, only Bakula and Mahad are facing each other, and there is nothing else!

"【Diabund】!"

Bakula tried to summon the demon within him, Diaband, but received no response whatsoever. Even the golden gladiator disk he wore, stolen from the tomb of King Aknamkanon, became a mere decoration, unable to summon even a single stone spirit.

Having exhausted all his methods, Bakura's life was now hanging by a thread before Priest Mahad, the most powerful magician in the palace!

Staring angrily at Mahad, Bakula roared, "Mahad, you bastard, Onore!"

Using his magic, he summoned a staff, infusing it with almost all the magic he could currently possess, and charged towards Bakura: "Take this, Bakura, a magic barrier with a radius of twenty meters!"

"For the Pharaoh!"

Unable to use magic due to the same magical barrier, Mahad, a magician, swung his enhanced staff at Bakura like a warrior. His well-trained physique proved to be very useful!

As the staff was swung, the sound of it cutting through the air reached Bakula's ears. However, being a thief who was already malnourished, and without the protection of [Diabund], he had no time to escape from Mahad's side. He could only watch helplessly as the staff got closer and closer to his head!

If that blow had hit him on the head, he would absolutely, absolutely, absolutely die on the spot! Bakula had no doubt about that!