Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Thanks to his previous experience testing his compatibility with the Millennium Jewelry at Isis's place, although, like the previous Millennium Wisdom Ring, the feeling Hayato got from the Millennium Jewelry three thousand years ago was different from that of the one three thousand years later, Hayato was still able to quickly link his mind with the magic of the Millennium Jewelry thanks to the resonance he had experienced before.

First, he tried to foresee the future, but the result was as Hayato expected. The future he saw was completely dark, and he couldn't see anything at all. It was even worse than when Isis used it before, where he could barely see some fragments of the scene.

This is probably unrelated to Hayato and Isis's compatibility with the Millennium Jewels; the main reason is the rapid expansion of dark power now that Bakura has collected all six Millennium Items.

In that case, it's time to use "Stardust Crusaders".

Hayato's hat quickly turned from black to white, and starlight sprinkled down onto the Millennium Jewelry in his hand. The "Eye of Ugato" in the center of the golden ring shone brightly, and Hayato, with his eyes closed, felt the powerful magic emanating from the Millennium Jewelry that was connected to him at that moment!

"I see it! The future is opening its arms to me, and the universe is singing to me!" The darkness that had previously clung to the future was instantly swept away by the amplified power of the [Millennium Jewelry]. Hayato's gaze turned to the future from this moment, and his whole body radiated light.

However, before Hayato could even see the future he desired, using the King's Name, he witnessed another scene—a hand drew a short sword from its waist and plunged it into its own body. Looking up, the owner of that hand was none other than Seth, whose eyes were completely black, devoid of any whites!

Hayato abruptly opened his eyes and looked at Seth standing behind Yami Yugi in shock: "The enemy is you, Seth?!"

However, although Hayato reacted the moment he saw the image, it was too late. Seth shoved the unsuspecting Yami Yugi aside and plunged the drawn blade into Hayato's chest.

When he looked up, he revealed his dark eyes and a smug smile to Hayato: "You really made a mistake, Hayato Kobayashi. I've been waiting for this opportunity, this chance to kill two birds with one stone!"

The blade that had pierced Hayato's chest and heart was pulled out, and Hayato's strength was instantly drained, causing him to fall to the ground. At the same time, Seth's hand held the "Millennium Jewelry" stained with Hayato's blood!

"Seth!? What are you doing?!"

Chapter 802 A true man lives between heaven and earth; how can he remain subservient to others for long?

"Seth? What are you doing!?"

Upon seeing Seth suddenly attack Hayato, Mariko was the first to react and immediately tried to rush up and attack Seth.

He didn't know why Set had suddenly attacked Hayato, and he wasn't particularly loyal to Pharaoh, nor did he care whether Set would be detrimental to Yami Yugi. But he knew that now was the best opportunity to teach Set, who had annoyed him, a lesson.

No matter how fast Maliku moved, he couldn't outrun [Duvos], which Seth had summoned earlier. The black swordsman wielding a longsword swung his sword and slashed the ground, leaving a sword mark.

If Maliku hadn't been stopped by the seahorse beside him, he would probably be dead by now.

"Set, something's definitely off about you." Kaiba, who had sensed something was off with Set from earlier, stared coldly at Set, who was holding the [Millennium Jewelry]. "What happened in that thief village?"

Because of their previous positioning, Seto and the assassinated Hayato were now separated from the others by [Duvos]. Yami Yugi was immediately brought back by Mana's magic, completely unprepared for this situation. When Seto turned around, Yami Yugi saw his dark eyes: "Seto, who exactly are you—"

"Is it the influence of the Millennium Scales and the Millennium Scepter?" Mana sensed the aura emanating from Set. Although he didn't have any Millennium Items on him, it gave Mana a familiar feeling. She immediately connected it to the time in the Thieves' Village when Set failed to get rid of the two Millennium Items in time and was thus corrupted.

"Back then?" Yami Yugi glared at Seth's indifferent face, gritting his teeth in anger. "Was it you who pulled this trick again, Bakura!"

Aside from the possibility that Bakura took advantage of the situation to control Seto at that time, and that the attack on Hayato at this moment was not Seto's will but Bakura's doing, Yami Yugi couldn't think of any other possibility. After all, Seto had always been loyal before, and Bakura had a history of being corrupted by Akhenaten.

However, Seth's lips curled up, and he spoke contemptuously in the surprise of Dark Game's eyes: "No, the reason I did that is because you are too weak, Pharaoh. You simply do not have the capacity to rule this kingdom."

“You are incapable of protecting this kingdom, so I will take your place. I don’t think I will do any worse than you.” As he spoke, Seth glanced at the Millennium Jewel in his hand. “Power, only power is the most important thing. I need power to bring peace to the kingdom, so now, I have killed Kobayashi Hayato, who tried to destroy the power of the Millennium Jewel.”

"A true man should live between heaven and earth; how can he remain subservient to others for long?"

"And then, you're next, Fa—"

"Ahem, I think I can still be saved."

Seth was interrupted halfway through his sentence. He turned around in surprise and looked at Hayato, who was getting up from the ground behind him.

"You're not dead?" Seth looked at the wound he had just stabbed Hayato in. Although it was still bleeding, it looked as if something had forcibly pinched the wound to stop the bleeding, and the wound also looked shallower than Seth had expected.

Seth, who could see the spirits, noticed the phantom that almost overlapped with Hayato's body. "Did you escape death because of the [Spiritual Exophysis] deflecting your wound? Hmph, it would have been fine if you hadn't said anything, but are you hoping I'll kill you again, Kobayashi Hayato?"

As Seth said, although Hayato didn't have time to react much, he still managed to awaken the [Spiritual Exophysis]. Using its non-physical nature, it merged with Hayato's own body and managed to grab the blade Seth had plunged into Hayato's body in time, preventing him from being stabbed through the heart.

Even so, Hayato's artery was still punctured, causing blood to gush out. He had to continue using his [Spiritual Exophysis] to control the bleeding and prevent the injury from worsening. If he did not receive timely treatment, he would likely not survive.

But looking at Seth, Hayato asked a question: "Before that, answer me a question, Seth. What kind of person do you think Kisara is?"

Upon hearing Kisara's name, Hayato noticed for a moment that the black in Seth's eyes faded slightly, causing him to freeze for a split second. However, the black quickly returned, and Seth revealed a contemptuous expression: "Kisara, is that it? You've reminded me, that woman possesses powerful abilities that I can use."

"She's just a woman. As long as I can gain greater power, anyone is just a necessary sacrifice."

Hearing Seth's words, Hayato glanced at him and said, "I see, I think I understand now."

Hayato had been puzzled for a long time. Although it was known in the story that Aknadi would become the Dark High Priest, Hayato could never understand how Bakura could so thoroughly rewrite a person's thoughts.

Although he was jealous of his older brother, he had no resentment towards Yami Yugi. Achnatee, who was loyal to his country and kind to others, felt guilty about the absence of a father figure in Set's childhood. He felt that Set, who was so capable, was equally qualified, but because of him, he could only reach the position of a priest. This is why Achnatee was manipulated by Bakura and turned into a dark high priest who would do anything to make Set become a pharaoh and abandoned all dignity and honor.

Although somewhat aloof, Seth is still considered upright and harbors a special affection for Kisara that he himself finds difficult to express. Due to his past experiences, he has come to realize his own powerlessness and inability to protect his country. His desire for power is amplified by Bakura, making him as power-obsessed as he is now, even saying that he would sacrifice Kisara.

What the two have in common is that a certain desire that originally existed within them was amplified to the point that it suppressed and distorted all other emotions. This is probably the essence of why Bakura was able to use their evil thoughts to make them work for him.

"Of everyone here, you're the only one who still has the Gladiator's Disk to summon Slate Monsters, Hayato Kobayashi. Even if the others awaken their spirits, they're just weaklings. But in your current state, what kind of spirit can you possibly summon?" Seth looked at Hayato with disdain. "Are you defying me?!"

"No, Seth, you are completely controlled by Bakura right now."

Hayato sighed, his tone shifting as he pointed to Seth's hand, "Besides, it's almost time. The power of the [Millennium Jewelry] is about to reach its limit! I'm waiting for the 'Limit Release' power to reach its limit, what are you waiting for?"

Don't forget, Hayato unleashed the "Limit Release" on the Millennium Jewelry. That power allowed Hayato to successfully break through the darkness of the future, almost glimpsing it, but unfortunately, Seth interrupted him. And following that power, another aspect of the "Limit Release" is about to activate.

But upon hearing Hayato's words, Seth gave a cold laugh: "What am I waiting for? Of course, I'm waiting for this!"

With that, Seth shoved the lit Millennium Jewelry toward Hayato, unleashing a burst of powerful magic that nearly shattered it and caused it to explode onto Hayato!

"You bastard!"

Seth's attack on Hayato once again thoroughly enraged everyone. At this moment, they no longer cared about the reasons behind Seth's betrayal and took action in their own ways.

"Help me out, Mahad!" "Prince, I'm coming too!"

[Dark Magician] and [Dark Magician Girl] appeared in front of Yami Yugi and Mana. Although the magic power they had previously overdrawn had not yet recovered, [Dark Magician], with the support of [Dark Magician Girl], was able to exert his full strength and charge towards [Duvos] who was blocking their way.

However, unexpectedly, when the Dark Magician, whose power was comparable to that of Diaband, was unable to defeat Duvos, he was intercepted by Set's stone tablet monster.

Duvos was emanating an unusual black aura, and his body was completely unaffected by the magic released by the Dark Mage. When he slashed out with his sword, even the Dark Mage, who was skilled in close combat, could only barely block the opponent's attack with his staff.

Looking at Duvos's crimson eyes and the chilling aura surrounding him, Yami Yugi bit his lip: "Has Duvos also been strengthened by Bakura's evil aura?"

Seeing that things were not going well, Maric, who was focused on self-preservation, had no intention of helping and tried to escape with Isis. But then he suddenly realized that Kaiba had disappeared without a trace.

Seeing Duvos and Dark Magician locked in combat, Seth said disdainfully, "I once considered you my opponent, but now it seems your power is nothing special, Mahad. No, now you're just a slate monster, Dark Magician."

"Power, this power is so fascinating, let me see more!"

As he spoke, Seth raised the gladiator disk in his hand, summoning another stone tablet monster, the Minotaur, after [Duvos], intending to join the battle against the [Dark Magician]. But the moment the monster appeared, a white shadow flashed by, and a punch slammed into the Minotaur's chin, sending it flying to the ground!

"Kaiba———Punch!"

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the Seahorse Man again!

"Heaven is calling, earth is calling, and people are calling, calling me to defeat evil! I am the partner of justice—Kaiba-Man!"

However, the Minotaur, which had been knocked to the ground, got up again in the blink of an eye. It was also strengthened by dark power, and stared at the Seahorse Man with bloodshot eyes. As if it was provoked, it rushed out and fought with him in a stalemate.

Seth didn't recognize the seahorse-man who suddenly appeared, and frowned in annoyance: "Another troublemaker. What a nuisance."

"The real trouble is yet to come!"

Seth thought that two stone tablet monsters would be enough to deal with Dark Game's group, but it turned out they weren't. Just as Seth was about to summon a third monster, an unexpected voice sounded behind him.

"Waaaaah!"

Accompanied by a slightly strange cry, a sudden gust of wind arose where Hayato was located, surrounded by the smoke stirred up by the attack of the [Millennium Jewelry]. A [Rathalos], still shrunken in size, appeared in front of Hayato.

Seth, upon seeing this, instinctively thought that Hayato had blocked the attack with the Winged Ra, and that he was still able to put up a fight in this state: "You really know how to struggle in your death throes, Hayato Kobayashi!"

"Heh, I can play with you all day long," Hayato said calmly. "But you won't be so lucky."

"Seth, who looks just like a seahorse!" "Take this!"

With a roar from Jonouchi and Honda, the two, known as the "Kings of School Delinquent Fights," seized the opportunity to rush behind Seth, throwing punches at each other with a vengeance!

"Friendship-Breaking Fist!"

However, although the two were very imposing, their habit of shouting during the fight allowed Seth, who was already experienced in combat, to react in time and dodge their attacks.

After creating some distance, Seth glanced at Duvos, who was entangled by the Dark Magician and his apprentice, and Minotaur, who was evenly matched with the "Seahorse Man." He also looked at Hayato Kobayashi, who seemed unharmed behind him, and the two menacing figures in front of him. Seth snorted and summoned the last stone tablet monster.

However, what appeared was not a powerful monster, but only a [Dark Dragon King]. The moment it took flight, Seth grabbed its body and jumped on it, riding the dragon into the sky. He said to Yami Yugi on the ground, "You've escaped with your life, Pharaoh."

"I'll let you go today, but I'll keep the [Millennium Jewelry] and this!"

Seeing the nameplate that Seth pulled out, Yami Yugi's expression changed. He reached for his chest and found that the nameplate he had been hanging there was indeed gone.

It seems that Seth took the opportunity to steal the nameplate engraved with his real name when he pushed Dark Game aside!

Watching Set take off without hesitation, Yami Yugi had nowhere to vent his anger, but all his fighting power was blocked by the stone tablet monsters left behind by Set, and he could only watch Set disappear into the distance.

Even worse, Seth left in the exact same direction they had just left the thief village. Could it be that he was going to—

Dark Game can only hope that his guess is wrong.

As Seth moved a distance away, the stone tablet monsters he summoned also disappeared. The seahorse man, who appeared and disappeared without a trace, also vanished. Not long after he disappeared, the seahorse reappeared from somewhere.

"That Seth guy actually stole the [Millennium Jewelry], and he even stole the nameplate from another game!" Jonouchi said resentfully, having failed to stop Seth. "Damn it, now the game won't be able to regain his memories!"

Honda was also furious: "What's worse is that the Millennium Jewelry is gone too! If Bakura gets the Millennium Jewelry from him, who knows what terrible things will happen!"

"Even at its worst, it shouldn't be fatal." After Seth left, the figure of [Ra's Winged Dragon] became ethereal and vanished. Hayato finally couldn't hold back any longer, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and said, "The one who really took my life was me..."

As he spoke, Hayato lost even the strength to stand and suddenly collapsed onto the sand, his chest wound bleeding profusely as he lost control of his injuries.

Chapter 803 The Countdown to the Opening of the Gates of the Underworld

The underground of the thief village.

Duvos slashed at the seal left by the Dark Mage with his sword. Although the Dark Mage estimated that the seal could last for at least a few days when he left it, external factors were beyond his expectations at the time.

The pyramid-shaped seal lasted only a few hours before being destroyed by the continuous attacks of [Duvos], who was strengthened by evil energy, revealing the Netherworld Stone Tablet inside the seal.

As for the monster that had been relentlessly pursuing Hayato and his group, Bakura withdrew it after several unsuccessful attempts to attack it from within the barrier. He could tell that even if he didn't attack it, the barrier would disappear in about a day, and a full-force attack would only break it two or three hours earlier.

The rewards of his efforts weren't great enough, so Bakura chose to lie flat on the spot and spread out.

However, since Seth has come to him with the [Millennium Jewelry], that's a different story.

"The stone tablet of the underworld," Seth looked at the stone tablet before him, which already had six [Millennium Artifacts] inlaid on it, glanced at the [Millennium Jewelry] in his hand, and then raised his other hand to make a grasping motion, "If I inlay the [Millennium Jewelry], will I gain power...?"

Upon hearing Seth's words, Bakura manipulated the Netherworld Stone Tablet to release dark power once more. However, this time, the form that materialized was not the same monster as before, but rather the image of Bakura wearing a blue and white sailor shirt.

"It's quite unexpected that you would bring the [Millennium Jewelry] to me. This is somewhat different from what I know about the past, Priest Seto." Bakura said to Seto, sitting relaxed on the Netherworld stone slab.

Although he didn't understand what Bakura meant by "the past," Seth coldly corrected him, "Priest? No, I'm not a priest, I'm a pharaoh."

“I can tell you really want to be a pharaoh, but you haven’t dealt with the previous pharaoh who’s blocking your way yet, have you?” Bakura chuckled and shrugged indifferently. “I’m almost used to the feeling of familiar history being messed up. In that respect, Kobayashi Hayato and the [Disruption] monster really do give me the same annoying impression.”