Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Just as the staff was about to strike Bakula's head, suddenly, from nowhere, came the sound of a clock stopping.

Centered on Bakula's body, the world was rapidly dyed black and white. Everything in this black and white world was frozen in time. Whether it was the "Millennial Wisdom Wheel" floating on Mahad's chest, the dust raised behind Mahad as he accelerated, or the cold sweat that Bakula couldn't wipe off his forehead, everything was preserved in this one moment.

The next second, a few drops of cold sweat trickled down Bakula's forehead. He felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and he suddenly collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily and his mind was in turmoil.

"Time stands still here."

He muttered to himself, then wiped the cold sweat from his brow with his robe several times, still looking shaken. "It was so close. If I had hesitated for even a second longer about whether to use this item, I would have been done for."

Looking up at Mahad, who had left him in such a sorry state and remained motionless, Bakura said venomously, "You forced me to waste an item. The nameless pharaoh couldn't do it, and neither could Kobayashi Hayato. Your schemes are truly endless."

"Sine, Mahad!"

"Pfft!"

Bakula thrust his palm at the unsuspecting, or rather, completely unprepared, Mahad. His hand pierced through Mahad's chest like a sharp blade, clutching the Millennium Wisdom Wheel that he had taken from Mahad's chest.

Even after Bakula withdrew his hand, Mahad's face remained expressionless.

"Heh, that's how it is. In this frozen time, the only one who can move is me, the only one who has used the cheat item 'time stop'. You don't even realize that you're already dead, do you, Mahad?"

Bakura sneered, nonchalantly hanging the blood-stained Millennium Wisdom Wheel around his neck. "At first, I was planning to maximize the effect of this item and find the right opportunity to seize all the Millennium Artifacts in one go, but you forced it out in a place like this. How despicable!"

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

Bakula unleashed a series of punches at Mahad’s face, beating the defenseless Mahad as if venting his anger. But just as he was about to throw his fourth punch, he found that his fist was gradually slowing down.

"Tch, is the time coming? Hmph, whatever, I've vented enough anyway." Bakula grinned wickedly at Mahad. "You will die in this frozen time, Priest Mahad!"

"Then, time flows on again!"

The world returned to its original black and white state, and in the next moment, a loud bang was heard.

"boom!"

In the stillness of time, the force on Mahad was released in an instant as time resumed its flow. He was sent flying backward and crashed into the stone wall. With a large gash in his chest, he was certain to die!

Chapter 730 can certainly be used next time.

"Prince, please stop!" Looking at the prince in front of him, Mahad said anxiously, "You are destined to become Pharaoh, how can you do such a dangerous thing!"

Just now, Mahad noticed a venomous snake near the prince and Mana under the tree. The two, playing around, were completely unaware of the snake's presence, which startled and aroused it. Upon seeing this, Mahad decisively pushed the prince away from the snake, but he himself was bitten by it.

Mana, the youngest of the three, burst into tears on the spot. The prince was also still in shock, but he was worried about Mahad's condition.

Despite Mahathir's pain and feigned nonchalance, the prince, disregarding Mahathir's resistance and his own safety, forcefully sucked out the venomous blood from Mahathir's wound himself upon seeing the blood flowing from the snake bite.

Upon hearing Mahad's words, the prince spat the poisonous blood from his mouth onto the grass beside him and looked at Mahad, saying, "But Mahad, how am I any different from you? Your blood is red, and so does the same bright red blood that flows through my veins."

"Princes, pharaohs, and so on, we are all the same."

“Prince…” Mahad looked at the prince in front of him, but couldn’t say anything, his heart filled with emotion.

“Hey, Mahad, I’ve always believed that one day there will be a world where everyone can live freely, regardless of status.” The prince extended his hand to Mahad. “So, let’s start by creating that world together.”

The scene before him blurred, and Mahad's gaze returned to the underground tomb. His body was completely immobilized, embedded in the wall by the previous attack. All his strength was drained as blood flowed from his chest, and his head felt heavy, on the verge of fainting and falling into eternal sleep.

"Was I just reminiscing about the past?" Mahad tried to force a wry smile, but he no longer had the strength to even twitch his lips. "Speaking of which, what did I want to say to the prince back then? Oh, right, I actually wanted to say that magic was more effective than words."

"It's just a pity that I can no longer create that world with you, Prince... no, Pharaoh."

His vision blurred as he saw Bakura laughing, wielding the Millennium Wisdom Wheel. With his last ounce of willpower, Mahad squeezed out the last of his magical energy. 'It seems it's time to use that forbidden secret technique…'

With the change of ownership of the [Millennium Wisdom Wheel], the barrier of the shielding stone spirits that Mahad had previously erected vanished without a trace. After the magic storm subsided, Bakura did not hesitate to summon the previously disappeared [Diabund] back to guard him.

One such dangerous situation is enough. Although he felt that his attack had definitely killed Mahad, Bakura, who valued his life, felt it was still necessary to summon Diaband as soon as possible just in case.

Not far from Mahad, the [Illusionary Mage], which had been previously blocked, also reappeared. However, perhaps out of spite, [Diaband], under Bakula's command, immediately attacked it, now that Mahad had lost its support. The [Illusionary Mage] was knocked down not far from Mahad, its figure flickering as if it were about to shatter and die at any moment.

Mahad's blood slowly flowed down the wall, pooling into a puddle, and trickled towards the fallen [Fantasy Mage].

'Can you hear me, [Fantasy Mage]...'

His body was paralyzed, his mind nearly blank, but Mahad's soul burned fiercely, calling upon the [Illusionary Mage], 'Would the Pharaoh be saddened if he knew I was dead? In the end, it seems I failed to transcend Isis's prophecy and am about to die here…'

'My body is so cold, how can I be so cold... my heart has stopped beating...'

Mahathir was gradually losing his focus. He was trying to think of what else he could do, but his mind kept wandering. Various past memories flashed before his eyes, finally settling on a mechanism he had prepared underground.

'I...I remember now. If I press that mechanism, this place will collapse, and the thief Bakura's life will end with mine. But even though I'm trying my best, my consciousness seems to be fading away...'

'You seem to be the same, [Fantasy Mage]. The attack just now seemed to have destroyed the stone slab you were inhabiting from afar, and it's slowly dissipating just like that...'

As Mahad's blood drew closer to the [Fantasy Sorcerer], just as Mahad had predicted, most of the [Fantasy Sorcerer]'s body became covered in cracks, crumbling and falling apart like a broken clay doll.

Mahad desperately squeezed out the last wisp of magic, infusing it into his bloodstream and flowing towards the [Illusionary Sorcerer]: 'Then you shall do it for me, [Illusionary Sorcerer], I give you everything I have.'

'My intelligence is yours to use, and the rest of my life will be consumed by you; it's all yours...'

The flowing blood, carrying Mahad's last magic, his last will, and his last obsession, touched the nearly collapsing [Illusionary Sorcerer]. With his final strength, Mahad cried out: 'Answer me, [Illusionary Sorcerer]!'

The next moment, magical light shot into the sky from within the underground tomb!

"What's going on!" Bakula, startled like a frightened bird, immediately hid behind [Diabund], whose wings completely enveloped and protected him. Through the openwork wings, Bakula saw the pillar of light shatter something above the tomb, and asked in surprise, "What is that?!"

One after another, huge, glass-like fragments fell from the sky and sank to the ground. In this rain of fragments, the environment of what Bakula thought was the "Tomb of King Aknamkanon" changed. It transformed from a mausoleum full of tombs into a bottomless abyss with only a path leading down in the very center.

The pillar of light connecting the feet and the head gradually contracted, revealing a wall where Mahad was no longer visible, only the [Illusionary Mage], who was currently facing away from Bakura.

"That Mahad, vanished? Already dead, yet still trying to scare me? Heh." Saying this dismissively, Bakura raised an eyebrow when she noticed the [Illusionary Mage]. "Strange, why does that stone tablet monster still exist even though Mahad is dead?"

"Hmph, it doesn't matter. I'll just take you out and absorb you while I'm at it." Pointing at the [Fantasy Mage], Bakura was about to give the order, "[Diabund], attack—"

But at that moment, the [Fantasy Mage] raised his head, revealing his face beneath his mage robes. For a moment, Bakura froze on the spot, finding it hard to believe what he was seeing.

Because beneath the hat of the [Fantasy Mage], what was revealed was not the original abstract phantom, but rather Mahad's face!

At this moment, it was no longer appropriate to address him as "Fantasy Mage" or "Mahad." Bakura blurted out, "Dark Mage?!"

"Mahad, you bastard, you actually turned yourself into an elf!?"

"That's it, Bakura the Thief! You are the Pharaoh's enemy! For the future the Pharaoh dreamed of, I will destroy you here, even if it costs me my life and soul!" The Black Mage raised his staff and unleashed an attack even faster than when Mahad and the Illusionary Mage had combined their powers. "Don't even think about escaping!"

Diaband tried to intercept the attack with his wings, but to his and Bakura's surprise, the power and speed of the magic were both amplified. Diaband, who had absorbed the power of Hayato's [Ryugi Takumi - Tenryu Meteor = QUA] and Yami Yugi's [Obelisk the Tormentor], was no match for the attack and was sent flying and crashed into the wall!

"boom!"

At this moment, the power of the Dark Magician has surpassed that of a god!

“[Diabund], hold on!” Bakura shouted to [Diabund], but the latter was not as overpowered as Pixiv. After being hit by the [Dark Magician] attack, he was almost destroyed again, but he was just a little bit away from being completely destroyed.

Having witnessed the battle in the palace, the Dark Magician, observing the changes in Diaband, already had a guess about Diaband's abilities. He didn't unleash his full power to defeat the monster, lest it steal and imitate his own strength. After rendering Diaband powerless, he decisively swung his wand at Bakura, who no longer had a monster to defend against.

A magic bullet formed at the tip of the staff, about to be launched to kill Bakula, but at that moment, Bakula suddenly grabbed the [Millennium Wisdom Wheel] on his chest and lifted it up: "You bastard, you actually went so far as to turn everything you have into an elf to kill me!? Not so easy!"

"I'll use your own moves against you!"

Just like the move Mahad used before, the barrier that dispelled the spirits opened up with the [Millennium Wisdom Wheel] as the center. However, under Bakula's control, it did not cover the already defeated [Diaband] at all, but stopped precisely after enveloping [Dark Magician].

"Ugh!" In an instant, the Dark Mage's condition deteriorated drastically. He almost collapsed to his knees, unable to hold onto his staff, and the magic projectiles at the tip of his staff swayed like candles in the wind.

The Dark Magician, a fusion of human and stone spirit, certainly extended the lives of Mahad and the Illusionary Mage, who were on the verge of extinction, and greatly amplified their power. However, at the same time, the Dark Magician also became a unique life form that was neither human nor spirit. Although it wasn't directly eliminated by the barrier that dispelled the spirits, it was not far from death.

"Hehe, not bad move. Although its applicability is very poor and it will hardly be of any use again, I will still reward you for teaching me this move." Bakura said proudly, holding the glowing [Millennium Wisdom Wheel]. "Indeed, this thing is the most compatible with me. Even if it took you more than ten years to develop the move, I can master it instantly."

"Transforming yourself into an elf means that while you gain power, you will also become a bound being. Is the Pharaoh's benefit to you really that great? Why are you risking your life?"

As he spoke, Bakura drew a dagger and swaggered toward the kneeling Dark Mage, intending to kill him himself.

Of course, in reality, Bakura only had this one option. Diaband couldn't make a move because of the barrier, but that didn't matter. Bakura figured that the Dark Magician wouldn't be able to exert any power within the barrier anyway.

As expected, struggling desperately to raise his arm, [Dark Magician] fired a magic bullet at Bakula, who was approaching him, but it was easily dodged due to its extremely slow speed and pitiful size.

"Tsk tsk tsk, still struggling, you idiot?" Watching the Dark Magician's arm fall limply after he dodged the attack, Bakura said smugly, "Muda muda muda, without the power of the elves, you only have the last bit of magic power left from when you were human. How could such magic power possibly kill someone?"

As he spoke, Bakula raised his arm and swung his dagger.

Unexpectedly, after hearing Bakura's words, the Dark Magician's lips curled into a smile: "Who said you can't kill someone without magic?"

"Look carefully, you thief Bakura, I wasn't attacking you from the beginning, but that spot!"

Following the words of the Dark Magician, Bakura turned his head sharply and saw the magic bullet that he had previously dodged was moving slowly and steadily forward, and right before his eyes, it struck a flame that had been released by Mahad at the beginning and then pushed away by Diaband.

The flames were propelled into the air the moment they touched the magic, and Bakura saw countless cans that he hadn't seen before, which had somehow appeared above his head, emitting a strong smell of fuel!

I was deceived because I could smell the fire that Mahad set up at the beginning, but I always thought it was coming from underground rather than from above!

The moment the flames touch that spot, it will likely cause a massive explosion that will completely destroy the place!

"You only realized it now? How slow you are, you thief Bakura!" [Dark Magician] explained. "I set up illusions from the very beginning, and not just here, but all the way outside!"

"King Aknamkanon's tomb? No, this is a magic training ground. Long ago, a lot of fuel oil was stored here for magic apprentices to practice spells. I collected it all and placed it above my head, and used illusion magic to make you and your men think that this is the Pharaoh's tomb!"

"You haven't learned your lesson at all, and you've once again left your slate spirit, haven't you!"

"Mahad, you tricked me!" Bakula, his face contorted with rage, ran backward desperately, trying to get closer to Diaband for protection, shouting, "Onore Mahad!"

"Let the flames purify everything, Bakura the thief, then come with me into the abyss of death!" Mahad stared at the oil jars above his head, his hands clenching tightly. "Drink!"

In an instant, the violent explosion destroyed everything that existed underground. The rock walls and the ground were completely destroyed in a flash. Before Diaband could reunite with Bakura, they were both thrown into the endless abyss below. The Dark Magician's figure also dissipated in the flames.

'I'm sorry, Pharaoh, I can no longer complete the unfinished task. Allow me to be a little presumptuous and address you as Prince one last time…'

I believe that one day, the future you described to me will come to pass, but it's a pity that I won't be able to see it...

'If given the opportunity, I would like to serve you faithfully again. This experience will surely be useful next time…'

"boom!"

Chapter 731 The Priests' Internal Strife

"Pharaoh, Lord Mahad's stone tablet has been properly placed in your temple." After a pause, the guard added, "In addition, Lord Mahad's stone tablet has also been moved to the temple corresponding to the [Millennial Wisdom Wheel]. However, the stone tablet corresponding to the [Illusionary Mage] has been damaged."

Inside the palace hall, listening to a guard's report, Yami Yugi, sitting on the throne, tried hard not to show his dejected expression, nodded, and waved for the guard to leave.

While Mahad and Bakura were battling in the magician's training ground disguised as the Aknamkanon royal tomb, a bright light emanated from Mahad's stone slab temple, located far away in the palace, attracting the attention of Yami Yugi, who was in the palace at the time. When he arrived there, he discovered that Mana was also present.

Upon learning that Mana sensed Mahad was in danger in her dream, Yami Yugi immediately ordered the soldiers Mahad had instructed to guard the temple to let them pass. After entering the temple, the two immediately saw the glowing [Illusionary Mage] and realized that Mahad had summoned this stone spirit to fight.

Mahad was responsible for placing the mummy of King Aknamkanon in the tomb of the previous pharaoh and setting up the surrounding barrier. There was no reason for him to summon the Slate Spirit. Yami Yugi immediately deduced that Mahad must have encountered danger and summoned all the priests except for Aknadi, who was still unconscious, and ordered them to lead troops out of the city to support Mahad.

After giving the order, without waiting for the other priests, Yami Yugi took Mana and the other two ahead of him. Through the sounds of Mahad fighting Bakura, he learned that Mahad had not gone to the Valley of the Royal Rest where King Aknamkanon's tomb was located, but had instead led Bakura to the magician's training ground.

Although Yami Yugi's current body seems quite valiant in battle, and in coordination with Mana's magic, he's practically mowing down Bakura's minions who are blocking his way, Bakura seems to have intensified his dark power after the last time, making them almost impossible to kill. Moreover, it was already too late; the battle between Mahad and Bakura was essentially coming to an end.