Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Although he didn't know Seth's personality very well, Yami Yugi used Seto Kaiba's personality as a reference and knew that there were big differences between the two—for example, Seto Kaiba was so arrogant that he never thanked anyone—but their overall personalities shouldn't be too different.

Worried that Set might be too forceful in his duties of guarding the royal city and cause trouble for the people, Yayuki paired Isis with Kalim, and also arranged for Shada to be paired with Set to help him with the guarding of the royal city and mitigate any potential problems.

In reality, Dark Game's judgment was actually quite accurate. Today was only the first day that the two of them were in charge of guarding the royal city, and they hadn't even officially started their work yet. Xia Da saw that Seth, who was supposed to be dispatching troops and making her wait, actually dragged someone she met on the roadside into a duel ritual. He was really too willful.

After looking Hayato over, Xia Da greeted him, "Hello, if I remember correctly, you must be Kobayashi Hayato. We met the day before yesterday."

Hayato certainly remembered Shada. The night before last, when Bakura attacked the palace, Aknadi was brought back to the palace by Kalim and Shada after he fell into a coma. The two met at the time, but they didn't talk much.

Although they hadn't exchanged more than a few words, the person who left the deepest impression on Hayato was actually Shada, not Karim or Aknadi.

—There was no way around it. Even though it was nighttime, the surrounding firelight made Xia Da's bald head shine like a light bulb, making it hard for Hayato not to remember it.

"Judging from what you just said, Priest Shada and Set, are you going to be in charge of the city's security from now on?" Hayato asked curiously, as the answer to this question was actually related to his next plans.

Xia Da did not shy away from the topic and nodded frankly, saying, "That's right. My initial discussion with Priest Set is that I will be responsible for the smaller but more secure area around the palace and temple, while Priest Set will deploy troops to be responsible for the larger residential areas within the city."

"The incident involving the thief Bakula has already been a disgrace to us priests, so we must be even more careful and responsible from now on, and we must never let the thief break into the royal city a second time." After a pause, Xia Da said with a hint of sadness, "Only in this way can we ensure that Priest Mahad's sacrifice is not in vain."

As fellow young people, Xia Da actually had a good relationship with Mahad, in addition to Seth. Mahad's death also saddened Xia Da greatly.

"On this point, do you think that simply looking after the city means that Mahad's sacrifice wasn't in vain, Shada?"

After hearing Xia Da's last words, as if remembering something, Seth suddenly said to him, "No matter how well we guarded the city, we were just fulfilling Mahad's original duties without failing in our duties. How does that make his sacrifice worthwhile?"

"To truly make Mahad's sacrifice worthwhile, shouldn't we have taken the initiative to eliminate Bakula, whose fate is currently unknown?!"

“Even if you and I agree, it won’t make a difference, Set.” Seeing Set getting agitated, Shada said helplessly, “You’ve already argued with Priest Kalim about this. The Pharaoh has his reasons for postponing his decision.”

After a pause, Xia Da glanced at the Millennium Key in her hand. "Moreover, if Bakura is still alive, it means he must have also obtained Mahad's Millennium Wisdom Wheel. We were already unable to contend with him, and now we are probably even less of a match for him."

Hearing Xia Da's words, Seth's expression darkened as he realized he had been hiding something from others. Even the proud Seth had to admit that Xia Da was right. Even with Hayato's help, he had glimpsed a greater power, but without a way to improve, he was still no match for Bakura.

unless......

A thought he had once abandoned resurfaced. Thinking that he now had the power to manage the city's security under the Pharaoh's authorization, Seth found it hard to suppress the urge to put his thoughts into practice. He couldn't help but say to Xia Da, "Speaking of which, Xia Da, your [Millennium Key] has the power to see the demons in people's hearts, right?"

“That’s right.” Xia Da nodded, wondering why Seth would suddenly ask her this. “The desires and evil thoughts in people’s hearts can turn into monsters and drive them to commit crimes. The power of the Millennium Key can open people’s minds and see the situation inside. Naturally, it can also see whether there are monsters entangled in people’s hearts.”

Upon hearing Xia Da's words, Seth turned his head to look at the city in the distance: "Then Xia Da, I would like to ask you to use the [Millennium Key] to explore the hearts of the people in the city and find those who have a powerful spirit in their hearts."

"What?! Don't talk nonsense, Seth!"

Xia Da was taken aback by Seth's words, then said anxiously, "Do you know what you're saying? As priests, we should be using the power of the Millennium Item to protect the people, not using it on innocent civilians!"

"Hmph, then let me ask you, are we just going to stand by and watch Bakura amplify his evil thoughts with the [Millennial Wisdom Wheel] to become even stronger and more unstoppable? Or do you want to rely on the Pharaoh to invoke the power of the gods again and risk your life to quell the unrest?"

Faced with Xia Da's questioning, Seth stood his ground and argued back, asking in return, "In your opinion, which would have meant that Mahad's sacrifice was in vain?"

Xia Da was speechless. Should they put the Pharaoh in danger, or use the power of the Millennium Key on the people? Which choice was the right one? Unable to answer Seth's question, he looked at Hayato beside him in distress.

"I...I don't know."

Hayato watched as Shada was rendered speechless by Seth's question and shook his head. In his view, Seth's intention to use his power against the people to protect them was good, and his concerns were correct, but the method he used was wrong and completely put the cart before the horse. In this respect, he was so similar to someone who created the "Millennium Item".

“You’ve got one thing wrong, Seth.”

Hearing Hayato speak, Seth turned around to see what Hayato wanted to say.

"You're incredibly foolish to suggest using the power of the Millennium Key on the people to see if there are any powerful spirits. Do you really think that just anyone can find a spirit in the heart that is more powerful than the spirits in the hearts of you priests who have been trained for so long and whose will is far superior to that of ordinary people?"

Hayato crossed his arms and spoke eloquently: "That's impossible. Most people can only find a few small monsters in their minds at best. They would have trouble even fighting against the powerful stone tablet spirits collected by you priests, let alone fighting against [Diabund], whose power is close to that of a god. Blindly using the [Millennium Key] on the people would only be a waste of time and Priest Xia Da's energy."

"I don't want to be too rude, but you should give up."

Hearing Hayato's words, Seth didn't say anything but wore a thoughtful expression, as if he was somewhat convinced. Before Hayato brought it up, he hadn't really thought of this point, completely blinded by his obsession with power. Now, thinking about it, Hayato was right. How could he have thought of using the power of the Millennium Key on the people?

“That’s exactly what I mean, um.” Seeing that Set seemed somewhat convinced by Hayato, Shada quickly agreed with him. However, he also wanted to ask Hayato, “But, if we don’t use the Millennium Key, won’t we be unable to become stronger and forced to rely on the Pharaoh again, risking our lives?”

“I didn’t say Seth was wrong. Of course we still have to use the Millennium Key.” Hayato said, pointing to himself, “Instead of wasting time on ordinary people who are destined to gain nothing, we should just choose some people with potential to try.”

"I've been wanting to know for a long time what kind of spirit will awaken within me. Hurry up and bring it up, I can't wait!"

Chapter 735 Mind Unlocking

“Using the Millennium Key on you would be pointless, wouldn’t it?” Xia Da said with some surprise after hearing Hayato’s words. “Don’t you already have your own spirit? We all saw the dragon you summoned that day.”

Currently, the only monsters capable of contending with Bakura's Diaband are the god summoned by Yami Yugi and Hayato's Ryugi Takumi. Seth's intention in having Shada use the Millennium Key is to increase the number of people with top-tier power on their side. Using the Millennium Key on Hayato, who has already awakened his spirit power, is completely meaningless.

Faced with the strange looks from Seth and Shada, Hayato explained, "You must have made a mistake, right? [Ryugi Takumi] isn't a spirit that I awakened from within. He comes from the stars. I really haven't awakened my own spirit yet."

"However, I am confident that the spirits that a sunny person like me can awaken must also be the kind of beings that symbolize love and justice, hmm."

Seth and Shada, unaware of Hayato's reputation in the modern world of monster dueling, and having not yet had sufficient contact with him, did not find anything amiss in his statement. After exchanging a glance, Shada nodded to Hayato and said, "Alright, then, Kobayashi Hayato, I'm going to use the power of the Millennium Key on you."

Hayato nodded in agreement and opened his arms to indicate that he was ready as well.

The standard procedure for creating stone tablets from the inner demonic power should actually involve first having the Millennium Key confirm the existence and strength of the demon, then having the Millennium Eye confirm the demon's specific abilities, and then the priests who control the Millennium Artifacts can choose whether to add the demon to their stone tablet temple based on their needs. Finally, the Millennium Scepter is used to seal the demon into the corresponding stone tablet.

However, firstly, since Hayato's awakened spirit is naturally used by him himself, there is no need for further analysis; secondly, Priest Aknadi's condition is not very good, so it is best not to trouble him to use the evil power of the "Millennium Eye".

Holding the Millennium Key in her hand, Xia Da aimed the ring of the "Anka" rune at Hayato, as if aiming, and chanted: "Dark key that seals the power of the mind, Xia Da Xin, who has made a pact with you, hereby commands you: Mind unlocking!"

As he spoke, golden light suddenly burst forth from the [Millennium Key], enveloping Hayato's entire body!

At first, the slightly dazzling light made Hayato squint, but he quickly adapted to the intensity of the light and looked at Xia Da with some confusion, saying, "That's it? I didn't feel anything?"

Xia Da held up the [Millennium Key] without saying a word, while Seth, standing to the side, kept his arms crossed over his chest and remained motionless.

Hayato scratched his head in confusion. What's wrong with these two? They're ignoring me completely. Could it be that there are hidden precautions I don't know about when using the Millennium Key, such as not being able to speak?

As Hayato moved closer to Seth and Shada, he began to sense something was amiss. If Seth and Shada were currently focusing all their attention on him, the spirit undergoing the awakening of the power of the Millennium Key, then even if they couldn't speak, their eyes should at least follow his movements.

However, the two of them kept their eyes fixed on the spot, without blinking.

It was as if they were frozen in place?

Filled with curiosity, Hayato reached out to Seth, intending to touch him. But just as Hayato's hand was about to touch Seth's shoulder, he discovered that his fingers had passed right through Seth's transparent body!?

No, that's not right. It's not Seth's body that's transparent, it's my body!

Suddenly turning around, Hayato was surprised to find another version of himself standing motionless behind him, with his eyes closed!

Looking at it from another angle, it's not that Seth and Xia Da aren't moving, but rather that I seem to have entered a state of out-of-body experience, causing my thoughts to accelerate, making them appear to move too slowly, as if they weren't moving at all!

Unable to resist glancing at Xia Da's bald head, Hayato couldn't help but remark, "Why do I suddenly feel that Xia Da looks ten or even nine parts similar to the Sorcerer Supreme? He's bald and he can make people's souls leave their bodies."

After separating from his body in the world of memories, Hayato's soul returned to its appearance in the real world. He hadn't noticed it before, but now that he realized it, Hayato also noticed that he was now a little taller than Seth.

However, now is not the time to measure height. Trying to stand back in the position where his body is, and to adopt a similar posture so that his soul and body can overlap as much as possible, Hayato attempts to return to his body in this way.

However, the method he learned from the movie had no effect at all. His soul remained out of his body and did not return to it. Seth and Xia Da were also in a state of near stillness.

Unable to return to his own body for the time being, Hayato had no other options and simply looked around at the other people.

Because of his current state of mental madness, Hayato's world was reduced to an extreme, almost to the point of time stopping. The troops brought by Seth were still lined up at the city gate, ready to go. However, Hayato noticed that a few of them were not very well-behaved and seemed to be scratching themselves when no one was paying attention.

The pedestrians on the street were all motionless. Several middle-aged women were haggling with the vendors in front of the vegetable stalls. The owner of the butcher shop next to them was looking at them expectantly, as if hoping that the women would buy some meat from him after buying the vegetables. A child was running on the street with a can of beer on his head.

As Hayato strolled along the street, passing the time while pondering how to return to his body, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. The person approached Hayato, saying, "Huh? So you finally made it in, huh?"

Hearing someone speaking behind him, Hayato frowned and turned around as he spoke: "I knew the normal awakening process for a Spirit wouldn't be like this. Someone must be up to something. You didn't keep hiding, did you? This charlatan's house—What's up!?"

"Hmph, is it necessary to show that surprised expression when you see me standing in front of you?"

A man who looked exactly like Hayato, wearing many gold ornaments and a white cloak, said with one hand on his hip.

Chapter 736 The Cult of Three Points

"You are... me?" Hayato stared wide-eyed at "another version of himself" and said uncertainly.

Upon hearing Hayato's words, the "other Hayato" replied with some disdain, "Hmph, you? I am not someone you can compare to. No one would compare a crawling insect on the ground to the sun in the sky."

"Huh? You don't actually compare yourself to the sun, do you?" Being compared to a reptile, Hayato was annoyed by the guy in front of him who was acting all high and mighty. "You just inexplicably appeared in front of me with my face on your face, and you're wearing clothes that make you look like an idiot. Who exactly are you?"

"The other Hayato" smirked and said arrogantly, "Idiot, what's wrong with your taste? This outfit is meant to show off my majesty and perfect physique. If you think this outfit is ugly, then you're the one with bad taste, acting like a fool."

"As for who I am? Ha, an even more ridiculous question. Would you ask why the sun is the sun?" Standing before Hayato, "the other Hayato" lowered his arms. "You have the honor of seeing my radiant face, but not the fortune to know my name. Why would a fool like you be..."

"Alright, I'll allow you to address me as 'Pharaoh' for now, or you can call me 'Great, Glorious, and Holy Pharaoh'."

"Where did this narcissist come from? Don't you have any self-awareness?" The more Hayato looked at the man who called himself "Pharaoh," the less he felt he could like him and he could only feel repulsion. This had nothing to do with the other man having his face on him; it was purely a matter of compatibility.

However, it's not that the disparity between the two sides is too great that makes them incompatible; rather, it's more like magnets, where they are too similar to get along.

"Even if you were reincarnated, you would probably still be a self-righteous guy who can't see himself clearly and is even unaware of what he does. Moreover, with your attitude, you might even do something like sacrificing others to achieve victory."

The other party claimed to be a "Pharaoh." Although Hayato didn't know where the other party came from or how he came to be in front of him, it didn't stop Hayato from attacking him with trash talk. He remembered that the ancient Egyptians paid a lot of attention to the afterlife, so he deliberately mocked the other party, saying that he would definitely not have a good place in his next life.

But no sooner had he finished speaking than Hayato suddenly sneezed.

"Ah sneeze!"

“Heh, you’re absolutely right.” Seeing Hayato sneeze, “Pharaoh” just sneered and didn’t even refute Hayato’s words.

Rubbing his nose, Hayato looked at the "Pharaoh" with a half-smile and frowned, saying, "How much longer are you going to wear my face? And if you don't honestly explain why you came here, don't blame me for being impolite."

As he spoke, Hayato raised the gladiator disk that Seth had lent him, which he was still wearing on his hand, and made a gesture as if to summon a spirit.

However, after hearing Hayato's words, "Pharaoh" simply held up three fingers and said, "Three things, you've got three things wrong. First, I'm using your face? Haven't you ever seen two people who look exactly alike? You still haven't realized it. I can't stand your slowness anymore."

Withdrawing a finger, "Pharaoh" continued, "Second, I came here? The order is completely wrong. Wasn't it you, you fool, who used the power of the [Millennium Key] to open the door to my mind and barge in before me?"

As he spoke, the "Pharaoh" casually waved his hand, and Hayato found that the surrounding environment had changed in an instant. The city walls, the market, the crowds, and Seth and Shada had all disappeared. In the blink of an eye, Hayato found himself in a palace.

The flickering firelight illuminated the magnificent palace. Hayato found that this palace was even more luxurious and grand than the palace of the nameless pharaoh, the Dark Game, which he had visited before. Standing in the center of the palace, Hayato looked into the depths. The "Pharaoh" was standing not far away, withdrawing his last finger: "In the very end, you said you would be ruthless to me?"

"Wrong, completely wrong. It is I who am here to teach you a lesson, not only because of your disrespect towards me, but also because you dared to put Nefertari in danger before, and that debt needs to be settled!"

As he spoke, the "Pharaoh" raised his arm, and golden light gathered in his left hand, transforming into a dueling disk!

Yes, it's not a gladiator disk, it's a duel disk! Keep in mind, this is ancient Egypt from three thousand years ago. Besides Hayato, Bakura, and Yami Yugi, there's actually a fourth person who knows about the duel disk, a device only found in modern times and used in the game Duel Monsters!

Not only that, Hayato's left hand was also enveloped in golden light, and the original gladiator disk had also transformed into a duel disk. Hayato even discovered that many details on it were exactly the same as the duel disk he was using!

"Who exactly are you—" Hayato asked warily, unsure of who the man was. Could he be an accomplice Bakura found in the modern world?

"Duel rituals, that's what you excel at, isn't it? I'll play with you properly. Being able to surpass your opponent even in their strongest areas is a true testament to my brilliance." With a flick of his duel disk, a deck appeared out of thin air and was filled, causing the duel disk to unfold automatically. "Pharaoh" looked at Hayato and said, "If you defeat me, perhaps I will grant you the answer you desire."

Hayato frowned and took out his deck as well: "So, you mean I just need to beat you in a duel? Then I'm confident I can do that."

"Duel!"

[Hayato: 4000LP]