Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"Then, if there is a monster on your opponent's field, I pay 1000 Life Points to target a Level 7 or higher Spellcaster monster on the field—[Dark Magician]—and activate this card, [Spreading Wave]!"

Atum: 200→1200→200LP

Atem's Life Points fluctuated wildly, and the Dark Magic Circle that had repeatedly played a role in this duel disappeared, transforming into powerful magic that entwined around the Dark Magician, constantly distorting the surrounding space simply by existing in it.

Looking at Kaiba, Atem said, "The effect of [Spreading Wave] is that monsters other than [Dark Magician] cannot attack this turn, and [Dark Magician] must attack each of the monsters on your field once, Kaiba. Monsters destroyed by [Dark Magician] cannot activate their effects and are negated."

Atem played his last card, and behind the Dark Magician appeared the figures of many of the Spellcaster monsters that Atem had used in this duel.

【Chaos Illusionist】, 【Magician's Staff】, 【Magician's Twin Souls】, 【Dimensional Spellcaster】, 【Chaos Black Mage】, 【Illusion Apprentice Mage】...and, 【Black Magician Girl】.

The mages poured their magic into Atem's only Dark Mage, causing his attack power to surge wildly, dramatically, and immensely! What in the world could stop him?! What in the world could withstand him?!

"Rejoice! The strongest mage, who inherited the power of all mages and pledged allegiance to the Pharaoh's soul, is named [Dark Magician]!" Offstage, Hayato, who had somehow acquired an open notebook, suddenly exclaimed in celebration, "This very moment is the instant he severs his destiny and ends everything!"

"The Quick-Play Spell Card [Dark Magician Enhancement] is activated. Its effect is applied based on the number of [Dark Magician] and [Dark Magician Girl] on either player's field or in their Graveyard. If there are 1 or more, each of the 1 DARK Spellcaster monsters I control gains 1000 ATK until the end of this turn." Atem only mentioned the first effect, not because he wanted to hide anything, but because this effect was already sufficient.

"【Dark Magician】will inherit the will and power of my cards. This is the bond that has gathered and bound me together, Kaiba!"

[Black Magician] [ATK 2500→3500]

Seeing the Dark Magician's attack power increase, Kaiba closed his eyes, but a smile crept onto his lips: "This is truly..."

For some unknown reason, he opened his eyes again, his sharp gaze meeting Atum's equally battle-ready eyes, and shouted, "Bring it on, game!"

"Entering battle phase, [Dark Magician] attacks the first target, [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]!"

Upon hearing Atem's command, Seahorse laughed wildly and said, "Don't try to intimidate me with your aura! Game, let's go! [Blue Eyes]!"

"Black Magic Guide!" "Burst Stream of destruction!"

"boom!"

The first Blue-Eyes White Dragon's counterattack was defeated by the Dark Magician, who had gathered a large amount of magic power. In addition to destroying the monster, Kaiba's Life Points were also damaged.

However, neither Haima nor Atum were focused on the base score at this moment; instead, they were looking at each other.

Then, the second entity, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, met the second magic missile, followed by the third entity.

"Crush!"

Seto Kaiba: 800→300LP

"Jade Shattered!!"

Seto Kaiba: 300LP → 0

“Big cheers!!!”

Seto Kaiba: 0→0

Just like before, after Exodia was gathered in Atem's hands, it shattered all of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon. This time, it was the Dark Magician, wielding magic, who destroyed Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon one by one.

However, unlike that duel after which Kaiba's mind was shattered by extreme shock and he even became somewhat escapist, this time Kaiba calmly and composedly looked at Atem opposite him after his Life Points were completely reduced to zero.

"Even I have to admit that you are stronger right now."

Chapter 915 The Ritual of Duel

“My brother lost…” Looking at Kaiba’s life score of zero, Keihei sighed and said somewhat indifferently, “Well, it’s not the first time anyway.”

"Hmph, after all, Kaiba's opponent is Atem. I knew this would be the final result. Atem will be the winner. He's no match for Kaiba!" Jonouchi said arrogantly, hands on his hips, completely forgetting that he was the one who looked worried about Atem losing when Atem was in danger during the duel.

Even Honda glanced at Jonouchi and said disdainfully, "You're just spouting hindsight, aren't you?"

"I want you to take care of it?"

Meanwhile, Kaiba, having finished his duel, was putting away and organizing his cards. Although he had a great time activating the final "Blue-Eyes Rising" card, expelling all the cards in his hand, field, and graveyard face down and throwing them all up in a cool motion, he looked rather disheveled when picking up the cards afterward.

Of course, the cards Kaiba had thrown away earlier were actually just those Spell Trap Cards. He didn't throw a single one of them on the ground, whether it was [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon], or [Abyssal White Dragon]; he simply put them in his pocket. Showing off as he pleased, Kaiba had taken good care of his own cards.

When he placed the last three Blue-Eyes White Dragons at the front of his deck and put the deck away, he looked up and saw someone appear beside Atum, who had quickly tidied up because he hadn't flipped the cards.

"Clap, clap, clap..." While clapping, Shadi appeared out of nowhere and stood beside Atum. Looking at the two who had just finished their duel, he praised, "What an interesting and exciting duel! It's just like the endless entanglements and fates between the two of you."

Although he was praising her, Xia Di's tone was completely flat, and you couldn't hear the "exciting" part in his words. It made you think he was just being polite and perfunctory.

“Shadi…” Atum glanced at Shadi. The other’s face, which was extremely similar to that of the priest Shada from three thousand years ago, always gave him a subtle illusion, and he would subconsciously compare the two. Compared to the loyal pharaoh and steady Shada, Shadi always acted like a riddle, willing to speak, but never willing to say everything clearly.

"Is there something you need?"

"No, I have nothing to trouble you with, Pharaoh. I was simply captivated by your spectacular duel with Seto Kaiba and couldn't help but admire your heroic bearing during the fight. That's all." He bowed respectfully to Atum, but no matter how proper his etiquette was, it couldn't make Atum feel even the slightest bit of respect from Shadi.

"We are still quite a distance from our destination. Pharaoh, you may continue your game of dueling monsters with others. As a descendant of the Tomb Keeper, I sincerely hope that you will have some wonderful memories in your final days on earth."

After a pause, Shadi looked up at Atum and said, "However, speaking of Duel Monsters, there is something important I must tell you, Pharaoh. That is, the necessary conditions for your return to the Underworld."

Hearing Shadi and Atum talking about their mystical stuff again, Seahorse, who wasn't interested, snorted and didn't bother to listen. Instead, he turned and walked back into the ship.

He had absolutely no interest in things like "souls" or "the underworld." His sole purpose in coming to the ship was to duel Atum, and now that he had achieved that goal, Seahorse had no intention of continuing to mingle with the others. After all, in his eyes, only weak herbivores like cattle and sheep would gather in groups.

Although the ship that Becas bought sails inland, it is in no way inferior to a large passenger cruise ship sailing at sea. It is fully equipped with all kinds of facilities, and even has a helipad at the stern for helicopter take-off and landing.

Although Kaiba had left his favorite Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet at the airport for refueling and maintenance instead of bringing it to the ship, the jet was equipped with an extremely advanced autopilot and remote control system. As long as Kaiba issued a command, the jet would automatically arrive at the ship where Kaiba was located in no time, and then land vertically on the deck for Kaiba and Keihei to ride on.

Wearing the earphone-like terminal device he had used before at the Haima Group's Egyptian branch when reviewing architectural blueprints, Haima was about to issue the order for the Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet to take off.

"The necessary conditions for returning to the underworld?" After hearing Shadi's words, the group of Jonouchi who had been approaching Atum, who had just finished his duel, began to recall what conditions they already knew.

"The three 'God Cards' – Obelisk the Tormentor, Seraphim the Sky Dragon, and Ra the Winged Dragon of Ra – are in Hayato's hands and can be lent to Atem at any time. However, it seems that the main function of the 'God Cards' is to open the stone tablet that records the 'King's Memory,' right?" Jonouchi thought for a moment and said.

“In other words, the ‘God Card’ is not a necessary condition, but the ‘Pharaoh’s name’ is. In the ancient mythology of any country, the ‘name’ is equally important.” Honda nodded and added, “And Atum’s name has already been found in the world of the stone tablets.”

Anzu glanced at the Millennium Puzzle on Atum's chest and added, "There are also the Millennium Items. The seven Millennium Items had the function of opening the gates to the Underworld in the previous Stone Tablet World. If Atum wants to return to the Underworld, the Millennium Items are also necessary."

"Although it's a bit embarrassing to say, thanks to my other evil self, I've now collected all seven Millennium Items." Bakura scratched his cheek, looking at the Millennium Wisdom Ring on Hayato's chest, and said somewhat sheepishly, "As for the Netherworld Tablet where the Millennium Items are placed, although we don't know about it, Shadi, who does, is leading us there."

"So it seems all the conditions have been met..."

After everyone checked the known information and found nothing wrong, they all turned their attention to Malik, who was clutching his stomach.

"Don't look at me. I ran away from the tomb-guarding clan when I was a teenager. Ask the char siu instead of me." Because of the clean and hygienic street food, Malik, who was Egyptian but was not used to the local environment, no longer had the distraction of the duel and felt his stomach was upset again. "No, Malik, I really need to eat."

Seeing Malik leave the deck, the others didn't try to stop him, because Shadi had already spoken and told Atum his so-called conditions.

"In the temple where the Underworld Stone Tablet is placed, there is an inscription recording the necessary conditions for the Pharaoh's soul to return to the Underworld." Straightening up, Shadi slowly spoke, "The first condition is that in order to accurately return to the corresponding Underworld, the Pharaoh's soul must know its own name, and you, Pharaoh, have already met this requirement."

"Secondly, the human world and the underworld have been closed for a long time. It is necessary to have seven [Millennium Artifacts] with the strongest dark power, which are connected by the Underworld Stone Tablets, to open the sealed gate to the underworld. And the seven [Millennium Artifacts] have already been gathered here."

"Then, the most important point is how to get the Pharaoh's soul into the underworld."

Looking at Atum, Shadi paused for a moment before continuing, "The inscription in the temple reads: 'With a sword, the spirit of the Pharaoh will not wander, and there is no way to rest.' The 'sword' in the inscription refers to a weapon of war, which, from the perspective of modern duelists, is a card."

"The meaning of the inscription is easy to understand. As a duelist who has spent his life fighting, Pharaoh cannot return to the underworld while holding a 'sword'—a Duel Monster. Someone must completely defeat you with a Duel Monster and make you put down your 'sword' so that the Pharaoh's soul, which does not belong to the human world, can return to the underworld and find peace."

"This is the final, third condition: the 'ritual of dueling'."

After confirming that Atum was aware of the information he had given, Shadi continued, "The so-called 'Duel Ritual' from three thousand years ago is the precursor to the Duel Monsters promoted by Pegasus today, and it is also the final and most important condition for the Pharaoh's soul to return to the underworld."

“As a duelist, the Pharaoh must be defeated in the most serious manner and with the most powerful ‘sword’—the cards of the Three Egyptian Gods—in order to be returned to the Underworld. However, it is not up to me to decide who defeats you, Pharaoh.”

"These are all the conditions I know that allow your soul to return to the underworld. I will no longer disturb your enjoyment of earthly pleasures and will now depart."

As he spoke, disregarding the reactions of the others, Shadi respectfully bowed to Atum and turned to leave.

Atum was taken aback by Shadi's words and looked at the deck he hadn't yet put back into the card box: "Duel, Ritual?"

'If someone could put an end to the fighting life of another version of me, would his soul be freed...?' In the Millennium Puzzle, the game also heard Shady's words.

Although the seahorse, who hadn't gone far, was wearing an earphone-like terminal on one ear, it could hear Shadi and Atum's conversation clearly in the other ear. It paused in front of the interactive virtual screen it was operating, and without hesitation, canceled the takeoff command that had just been issued.

He snorted coldly and said unhappily, "This place is too backward. It can't even receive a signal from Haima Group's satellite? Humph, all my precious time is going to be wasted in this boring place."

Hearing Kaiba's words, Guiping glanced at his phone signal with some confusion: "No way? I remember that satellite launched after the KC Cup could cover Egypt, right? I didn't neglect any of the basic preparations before opening the branch, and my phone signal is clearly full—"

“You must be mistaken, Keihei,” Kaiba said firmly, leaving no room for Keihei to refute.

Now even Keihei understood what the seahorse really meant.

"You'd better really have a bad signal, because I can hear your scheme all the way from Domino City."

A flash of light appeared on the Millennium Puzzle, and Atem and Yugi switched back into the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi returned to the outside world, but his expression was somewhat melancholy.

'The thought of my other self returning to the Underworld is already incredibly difficult, and now someone needs to defeat it. This matter…'

Before we knew it, dusk was approaching. The first day of the new year passed so quickly, and night fell in the blink of an eye.

As the ship sailed on the water, the damp wind blew towards the people leaning against the railings on the deck, bringing a refreshing coolness.

Gazing at the distant scenery, Jonouchi broke the silence: "Taking a boat under the night sky like this really brings back memories, Yugi. Do you ever think back to when we went to Duel Kingdom together?"

Turning to look at the game that was also watching him, Jonouchi smiled and said, "How about we try throwing any random 'Millennium Item' into the water?"

"Huh?!" Yugi was startled by Jonouchi's words, and Shadi, who was secretly watching them from the shadows, also twitched, fearing that Jonouchi might say something scary again.

Seeing Yugi's expression, Jonouchi laughed and waved his hand, saying, "Hahaha, just kidding, just kidding. If you were to throw it down, even Hayato wouldn't be able to arrange for someone to catch it beforehand."

Back in the Duel Kingdom arc, Haga tried to throw Exodia into the sea, but Hayato anticipated this and had someone catch the card with a net. Yugi was relieved when he remembered this, thinking Jonouchi was just joking about it.

But whether Jonouchi was joking or speaking his mind, only he himself knows.

"Really, Jonouchi..." Yugi shook his head, looking at Jonouchi with a hint of helplessness.

After laughing a few times, Jonouchi suddenly became serious and said, "However, this is no joke, not a game. I've decided, I will duel Atum myself."

"Huh!?" Honda, standing behind Jonouchi, was also taken aback, not expecting Jonouchi to suddenly say something like that. "Your thinking is too unpredictable. How could you suddenly make such a decision?"

"Is it not possible? Hmph, Kaiba had a final duel with Atem, so why can't I? I've lost to Atem so many times, but this time I'm going to get my revenge." Jonouchi said with a confident expression, then put his hands on Yugi's shoulders and said solemnly, "So please, Yugi, let me perform that 'duel ritual' with Atem."

Chapter 916 One punch blows up the seahorse!

"Huh? That sounds a bit too reckless, Jonouchi." Honda looked at Jonouchi, helplessly rubbing his forehead. "Do you want to carefully count your records against Atem or in the game? You've lost ten out of nine duels, haven't you?"

"I don't care about messing things up. Just leave Atem's final duel to me, Yugi." Jonouchi pointed to himself with a thumbs-up and said unwaveringly, "Alright! It's me, Jonouchi—"

"Mediocre people shouldn't spout such foolish things here!"

The next moment, before he could finish speaking, Jonouchi was physically shaken and was pushed aside by Kaiba, who suddenly grabbed his face with one hand.

Kaiba, who had originally planned to leave but seemed to have stayed on the ship temporarily due to the so-called "bad signal," unceremoniously occupied the spot where Jonouchi had originally been, blocking Yugi's way and looking down at him.

"If someone has to be the light that ends your dark life, then it must be me, Seto Kaiba!"

What's somewhat baffling about the game is that Kaiba, like Jonouchi, also came to challenge Atem to a duel.