Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"No need. Although the Pharaoh has not yet woken up, I believe that as the representative of the gods on earth, he will surely wake up safely. I will not disturb him any further."

Aknadi wore a smile, a face he always wore. He could be kind to anyone, from the pharaoh to commoners, even slaves and criminals. It was for this reason, combined with his many years of merit, that Aknadi enjoyed a good reputation both inside and outside the capital.

As he spoke, Aknadi glanced at the sleeping Yami Yugi, then retreated outside the room. After calmly greeting the soldiers at the door, Aknadi's figure disappeared around the corner.

After he disappeared from everyone's sight, as he walked down the corridor, Aknadi's smile slowly cooled, and the corners of his mouth gradually flattened. The rising sun cast its rays onto the ground, shining through the pillars beside the corridor, but because of the obstruction of the corridor's ceiling, only half of Aknadi's body was bathed in light, while the other half was shrouded in shadow.

"Ah, not bad news, is it? The Pharaoh is still unconscious." A voice rang in Aknadi's ear, lightly mocking the Pharaoh's current state. "The kingdom can't be without a leader. Hmm, it seems we need to find someone qualified to ascend the throne quickly. So, who could it be? Who could it be?"

Aknadi covered his mouth in annoyance, his voice abruptly ceasing. The sound just now had clearly come from Aknadi himself. After a brief silence, Aknadi continued, "Be quiet."

“Very well, my dear Aknadi, but before that, I must give you one last compliment. Your acting just now was absolutely superb.” Aknadi’s face, illuminated by the light, was expressionless and calm, but the other half of his face, hidden in the shadows, revealed a smile.

Unlike the kind smile he had shown when dealing with Hayato and the guards, Aknadi's smile now held a sinister and cunning expression. "You were clearly filled with murderous intent towards the Pharaoh just now, yet you refused to let Kobayashi Hayato get close to him. I'm curious, what were you feeling at that moment?"

“You don’t need to ask me; you should know it yourself,” Aknadi calmly answered “his” question.

"Of course, of course, after all, I am you."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Now that we have confirmed the Pharaoh's condition, it means we can begin our plan without any worries, right?"

Upon hearing this, Aknadi stopped in his tracks, a visible hesitation appearing on the half of his face illuminated by the light: "But, to cooperate with someone like Bakula..."

"Hehe, Aknadi, what are you thinking? Are you hesitating?"

"Have you forgotten what Seth needs? It's just cooperating with someone he can use and then kill, and that will fulfill Seth's wish and help him rise to a higher position. Isn't that good? Seriously, if you have any kind of psychological fastidiousness, then just give me your body. I'll take care of that for you—"

"Hmph, I won't give my body to you." Hearing this, Aknadi impatiently interrupted "himself," hesitated for a long time, and finally sighed, as if he had made a compromise after weighing the pros and cons in his heart, "This is a necessary sacrifice for Set."

Turning his head, Aknadi glanced at the clear sky outside with his right eye, which wasn't wearing the [Millennium Eye]. He felt the sunlight was too dazzling, so he moved two steps into the shadows, immersing himself more in darkness. The other voice finally fell silent after Aknadi made his decision, and Aknadi walked alone in silence through the corridor.

After Aknadi left, a head peeked out from around the corner behind him: "Huh? Is it just Priest Aknadi? But I clearly heard two people talking just now?"

"Hmm... I must have misheard." The girl who appeared in the corridor playfully patted her head, turned around and tiptoed toward the room where the dark game was. As she walked, she muttered something to herself, waved a short staff in her hand, and cast one spell after another on herself.

As the magic was applied, the girl's movements became much faster, and the sound of her landing on the ground disappeared. At the same time, a faint purple light emanated from around her eyes, and even through the walls, she could see the guards stationed throughout the room where Dark Game was located.

Besides the two guards visible at the door, she immediately spotted even the two guards hiding outside what appeared to be just ventilation and light. After confirming her target, the girl waved her staff again, instantly completing a spell that caused several guards positioned around the room to lose consciousness simultaneously.

"Hehe, Mana-san, a great victory! Compared to the last time I cast this spell, I've improved a lot!" Mana, the court mage who used magic, proudly pumped her little fist. She was quite pleased, but then, remembering that she had last used this spell to infiltrate the palace, she couldn't help but feel a little sad. "But... my master can't see my progress..."

"No, that's not it. Master didn't return to the underworld. The prince said that Master Mahad's soul has merged with the [Illusionary Mage]. Mana, you need to work harder to improve your magical skills. You must see Master as soon as possible and let him know that you've become stronger, okay!"

Giving herself a pep talk, Mana walked openly to the two guards at the door and entered the room where Dark Game was, right in front of them who were in a daze. Once inside, she waved her staff and, unlike the time she ran into the palace before, didn't take a long time to break the spell. Instead, she successfully broke free of the guards' control.

The guards, regaining their senses, blinked and were unaware that they had just been distracted or that another person had entered the Pharaoh's room. They continued to stand at the door, trying to "prevent any suspicious persons from entering the room."

Mana, having done something wrong again, walked into the room. With her head down, she assumed that only Yami Yugi was in the room, so she didn't look up.

Mana, the current Pharaoh's childhood friend, a disciple of the late Priest Mahad, and a member of the court mages, was not of low status, but she wasn't particularly high either. According to the rules, Mana was actually unaware that the Pharaoh was in danger and had fallen into a coma.

However, if the Pharaoh were to marry a queen someday, Mana would undoubtedly be the first choice. Anyone with eyes could see the relationship between Yami Yugi and Mana, even a straightforward man like Seto. Furthermore, Seto's long-standing rivalry with Mahad meant he took care of Mana after Mahad's death. When bringing Yami Yugi back from outside the city, Seto revealed to Mana that Yami Yugi was in a coma.

Mana, filled with worry for the prince, knew she was wrong, but she still resolutely came here. Gathering her emotions, she looked up, intending to check on Yami Yugi's condition. Taking advantage of Yami Yugi's unconsciousness, Mana also wanted to speak to him privately while no one knew what was happening.

She was well aware that Dark Game had just taken office and was already facing Bakura's challenge to the kingdom, bearing immense pressure. The prince, now the Pharaoh, had no time for romance. And while Mana was mischievous, she wasn't willful, and being understanding, she wouldn't reveal her feelings to Dark Game at this time.

So, while Mana was very worried about Dark Game's coma, it was indeed the best opportunity.

"Even though I'm all alone, it's still really embarrassing to say this out loud," Mana said somewhat shyly, looking up. "Prince, I've always harbored feelings of love for you. I—"

"Ok?"

Mana's gaze met that of Anzu, who was sitting in front of the unconscious Dark Game bed, wiping her face with a towel.

"Dark... [Dark Magician Girl]!?" "Where did you come from, woman!?"

The two women moved in perfect unison, pointing at each other in surprise.

Chapter 768 It's Your Fault That I'm Annoying

Crouching in the corner of the room, Mana, who had blurted out her outburst without checking if anyone was inside, covered her face with her hands, sobbing, "Waaah, I'm so embarrassed..."

Saying those words was already incredibly embarrassing for Mana, but to say them in front of five people besides the prince made her so ashamed that she wanted to kill herself on the spot.

Beside Mana, Jonouchi complained helplessly, "So you only have yourself to blame. You didn't even check the room before you spoke—"

"I don't care! It's your fault for embarrassing me!"

It was only after Kyoko and Yugi comforted her that the agitated Mana put down her waving staff and calmed down a little.

After calming down a bit, it was only then that Mana belatedly realized something: "Huh? Speaking of which, who are you all? I've never seen you in the palace before, so how did you end up in the prince's room?"

“We’re a little confused. Why can’t everyone else see us, but this girl who looks so much like Dark Magician Girl can?” Honda said, casting a pleading look at Hayato, who had arrived in the world of memories earlier than them.

Hayato then pointed to Mana's eyes, which were still attached to her own magic, and said, "It's probably because of this magic. Also, it should be noted that Mana's teacher was the priest Mahad, but Mahad has already sacrificed himself in the battle with Bakura and has now transformed into the stone tablet spirit [Dark Magician]."

"Huh? [Dark Magician]! Aside from methods like Diablo's, humans can actually transform into card spirits?!" Jonouchi exclaimed in surprise, though he was fairly quick to accept it, even realizing something along the way, "So, [Dark Magician Girl] is her?"

"Hmph, I have my own name. You look suspicious, you blondie. My name is Mana." Mana snorted and looked at Jonouchi with displeasure.

Jonouchi chuckled nonchalantly and said to Mana, "My name is Jonouchi Katsuya, and that idiot-looking guy over there is Honda Hiroshi, and—"

"Please just introduce yourself, and don't put your adjectives before my name, you suspicious blond-haired guy with the stupid look!"

Honda reached out and clamped Jonouchi's head between his arms, attempting to crush his friend's head with his biceps.

Kyoko ignored their playful bickering and smiled gently at Mana: "Hello, Mana, my name is Masaki Kyoko. Although Jonouchi and Honda seem strange, we are actually all friends of Yu and Pharaoh."

"Hmm? Is that really true? I don't quite believe it."

Mana was only somewhat distant from Jonouchi and Honda, since this was their first meeting. However, she was full of hostility towards Kyoko Mana. "Mana, I've been by the prince's side since I was a child. Your lies about the woman who just secretly touched the prince's face can't fool me!"

'No, your reaction clearly isn't because you don't believe Kyoko, you're just jealous, right?' Honda and Jonouchi both thought to themselves in unison.

Mana continued, "Not only that, there's also this person!"

As she spoke, Mana's finger swept past Hayato and pointed directly at the weak, pitiful, and helpless Yugi: "This guy actually has the same face as the prince, how strange, he even imitated the prince's hairstyle!"

Unlike the original storyline, where Yami Yugi was missing and Mana initially mistook him for the Pharaoh, Yami Yugi is now lying peacefully in a hospital bed. Even if Mana can't distinguish the difference in appearance between Yugi and Yami Yugi, she wouldn't mistake him for the Pharaoh again.

Seeing Mana's stubbornness, Hayato leaned close to Yugi's ear and whispered a few words. Yugi was taken aback and looked at Hayato, asking, "Huh? Do you really think Mana will believe me if I say that?"

Seeing Hayato nod, Yugi glanced at Mana uncertainly. Mana, who was paying close attention to Yugi's actions, naturally noticed the exchange between Hayato and Yugi. She crossed her arms and snorted arrogantly, "Hmph, Mana, I'm very smart. I can even do numbers up to ten. Don't try to fool me with a few words."

The game sighed and said helplessly, "Mana, you wrote in your magic book—"

"Shut up!" Yugi had barely opened his mouth to say two words when Mana suddenly blushed and quickly interrupted him, "My...my magic book doesn't have anything on it at all, don't say any more!"

"I...I believe you are the prince's friends!"

Yugi glanced back at Hayato, who was giving him a thumbs-up, and sighed somewhat speechlessly. Because of the viewing angle during the duel, and because Yugi was the only one who had collected the [Dark Magician Girl] cards before entering the memory world, he was practically the only one who could see what was inside the open book when [Dark Magician Girl] was equipped with the [Magic Spellbook].

The fact that [Dark Magician] is the priest Mahad of the Pharaoh three thousand years ago, and that [Dark Magician Girl], who is a disciple of [Dark Magician], corresponds to Mana, who is also a disciple of Priest Mahad, makes the game think that some things related to [Dark Magician Girl] that appear in the duel might actually be real experiences of Mana three thousand years ago, and the contents of the [Magic Spellbook] might also be true.

Hayato had just been telling Yugi to tell him things about [Dark Magician Girl] that only he knew. On a whim, Yugi was about to reveal the contents of the [Magic Spellbook] that made [Dark Magician Girl] blush every time she looked at it, but before he could even activate his skill, Mana had already given up her ultimate skill for nothing.

Mana had no choice but to believe the game's words. After all, although her magic book was a copy of Master Mahad's magic book and contained the same magic, Mana secretly used the unused blank pages of the magic book to write in her diary. In her opinion, a magic book that could only be opened by her own magic power was the perfect tool for writing in a diary.

To date, only three people have seen her magic book: Master Mahad, the prince, and Mana herself.

Because she would show her diary to the prince, Mana didn't actually write much of her true feelings in it. After all, what she wrote wasn't really her true feelings, and besides, respectable people don't keep diaries. But the diary did contain quite a few things that made Mana extremely embarrassed.

It's not that it's inappropriate for children. In fact, Mana's diary is full of cringeworthy quotes written by Mana when she was in middle school, such as "Death is like the wind, always with me" and "I bloom in the midst of slaughter, like a flower in the dawn."

When Mana saw this to the prince and Master Mahad, she didn't think much of it. But if others knew, Mana felt so embarrassed that she would dig a pyramid in the ground with her toes just thinking about the possibility.

Damn it, the prince actually told someone something he swore he would never tell anyone! How awful! I'm definitely not going to talk to him for at least a day!

Lying unconscious in bed, Dark Game was completely unaware that he had been unfairly blamed for nothing. However, if he knew he was being made a scapegoat for Game, he probably wouldn't care, right?

Mana's arrival was a minor incident, but after confirming that Mana could still see Yugi and the others as he knew the story, Hayato breathed a sigh of relief and said to them, "Since Mana can see you, Yugi, I can finally feel more at ease about the Pharaoh's safety. We can head to the Valley of the King's Long Sleep now."

The game was a bit strange: "Why do you say that? Hayato, are you worried that Bakura will sneak into the palace again to attack another me?"

Because Hayato had previously explained what happened before the game's group arrived in the memory world, Yugi was also aware of the series of events that had occurred not long ago.

"As for Bakula, he probably won't be causing trouble at the palace anytime soon. After plotting again and again without getting any reward, his patience has probably been worn down. Even if he's stupid, he should change the direction of his strategy and implement other plans with higher returns and a higher success rate."

Hayato shook his head, paused for a moment, and then said, "Yugi, what do you think of the priest Mana visited when she came to see the Pharaoh?"

"Priest? That person named Aknadi?" Hearing Hayato's words, although he didn't understand why Hayato suddenly brought up that person, Yugi thought for a moment and replied, "The feeling that person gave me was that although he seemed like a good person at first glance, I always felt that he must be hiding something in his heart. He is a very deep person."

“Me too, me too. I don’t know why, but that person just looks incredibly annoying.” Jonouchi chimed in, only to be met with Honda’s sarcastic reply, “I think you just think that person has the ‘Millennium Eye’ like Pegasus, which is why you can’t stand him.”

"Even if that's the case, it's fine."

Unable to use his own "memories" as evidence, Hayato, who could only guide the game to become wary of Aknadi, nodded and said, "To be honest, I feel the same way. Although in all the information I have gathered in this era, the priest Aknadi is a very kind and benevolent priest, and many people inside and outside the palace have great faith in and admiration for him."

"However, a hairspray expert once said that longing is the emotion furthest from understanding. Aknadi never revealed to anyone what his desires were. The more perfect his outward appearance, the more dangerous I felt he was."

Hayato glanced at the dark Yugi on the bed and said solemnly, "Although there is no evidence, I suspect that Aknadi may be hiding some unknown conspiracy that could even be detrimental to the Pharaoh. Just in case, Yugi and the others, who will not be seen by anyone, have become the last barrier to protect him."

"While others cannot see you and you cannot contact others, things are different with Mana's presence."

Hayato said, walking out of the room, "I will return as soon as I confirm the safety of the two priests who went out. I'll leave things to you guys in the meantime."

Upon hearing this, Yu-Gi-Oh nodded: "Yes, anyone who wants to hurt another me will have to step over me first."

"As long as Master Jonouchi is here, no one can harm the other game," Jonouchi said confidently, pointing to himself.

As duelists, although they were unable to bring their Duel Disks into the Memory World, and even if they had, they couldn't use them at full power due to the different rules of the world, they still had the ability to control the power of Pokémon even in the Memory World. However, like Hayato, they were subject to certain limitations and could not use them too much.

With the two guarding him, plus Mana's presence and Set's restraint, Aknadi would have no chance of succeeding in attacking the unconscious Yami Yugi.

The core of this memory world is the Dark Game itself. If the Pharaoh is killed, everything will end. With no more worries, Hayato bids farewell to Yugi and the others and arrives at the open space outside the medical facility.

As Hayato left the medical center, he also passed by the rooms where Seto, Kisara, and Priest Shada were. Shada, who had also overused the power of the spirits, was much weaker and remained asleep until Hayato left, making it impossible for him to do anything.

As for Seth, although Hayato initially thought of informing him of his departure, when he caught sight of that pervert Seth sneaking around and touching Kisara's face while she was asleep, Hayato decided not to disturb him.

If he were to suddenly reappear and Seth found out that he was in such a state, Hayato, judging from Kaiba's personality, would probably chase after him shouting things like "Crush! Shatter! Cheers!"

As his consciousness faded, Hayato felt two perspectives appear before him simultaneously: one was the open space of the medical facility in front of him, and the other was the "player's" perspective overlooking the chessboard. Hayato made synchronized movements on both sides, simultaneously picking up a transparent bottle in his hand.

The cork on the bottle bearing the words "Golden Wind" was pulled out, and immediately, an updraft suddenly rose around Hayato, quickly locking onto a location and changing its direction of travel according to Hayato's will.

Having locked onto the direction of the Royal Valley of Long Sleep, which he had previously confirmed on the map, Hayato rode the golden current of energy and vanished into light. But just as the light moved forward, a irritated figure emerged from the front of the medical facility.

"Hmph, this mere ancient building is built so convolutedly, making me waste so much time finding my way. That guy who looks a lot like me must have come this way, right?" Seto Kaiba leisurely walked around the corner, only to see a beam of golden light shooting straight at his face.

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, the seahorse was knocked unconscious by the tangible light and disappeared from the spot along with the surrounding wind.

The next moment, two figures suddenly appeared in mid-air, thousands of miles away.