Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"Hey! Kaiba! I was the one who spoke first, don't you know what first come, first served?!" Jonouchi, who had been shoved by Kaiba, turned around and glared at him. "Besides, didn't you just have a duel with Atem and lose?!"

"Hmph, I didn't lose. It was just that a gust of wind blew by, preventing me from showing my true strength. If we had fought in a different place, the outcome would have been hard to predict." Despite not having a racing heart even when jumping out of a plane without any protection, Kaiba shamelessly came up with a nonsensical excuse.

"Furthermore, Duel Monsters is not a game where the order is determined by a coin toss and the first player has an absolute advantage."

"That's only because your Blue-Eyes deck is a counter-attack deck, which means Hayato didn't play against you with that Dragon's Blessing deck..." Jonouchi muttered under his breath, but Kaiba ignored him, pretending not to hear him at all, and stared straight at the game.

Looking at Kaiba, Kyoko said with some emotion, "Kaiba, although he didn't come with us to form a bond with Atem like us, but to fight and settle scores with Atem, there's no doubt that his entangled fate with Atem can't be resolved in just one or two duels. He's someone who has been fighting against Atem all along."

"Someone once said that those who travel the same road are merely companions, while those who share joys and sorrows on different roads are true friends," Hayato nodded in agreement.

"So, whether it's Jonouchi, who is his ally, or Kaiba, who is his opponent, they both have the right to duel with Atem and send him off on his final journey..." Honda wasn't as stupid as he seemed, and quickly realized why Jonouchi volunteered to be Atem's opponent. "But, whoever makes the move, that person will inevitably suffer greater reluctance and sorrow than the others."

Ameruda, standing to the side, casually remarked, "Not necessarily. Rafiru could defeat a Pharaoh at full strength, and he wouldn't be sad even if he defeated another Pharaoh, would he?"

"Can we not bring up such mood-ruining topics at a time like this? Besides, Rafiru only managed to defeat Atum once thanks to [Orichalcos Barrier],"

Bakura glanced at Hayato, who stood with his arms crossed, among those who weren't very good at playing cards, and didn't challenge Atem to a duel. He asked curiously, "Don't you want to have a final duel with Atem, Hayato-kun?"

"No, actually I also wanted to have a final duel with Atem. But putting aside Kaiba, who shamelessly came over after we'd already played a game, there's actually someone else who has a much better reason to be Atem's opponent than Jonouchi."

As Hayato finished speaking, Yugi looked at Kaiba and said, "I'm sorry, Kaiba, I can't give you the chance to duel with another version of myself."

Although Yugi was much shorter than him, when Yugi looked up and met his gaze, the unwavering determination in his eyes made Kaiba take notice: "Yugi Muto...?"

"Hmph, that's why I said the one who will duel Atem is my Jounouchi..." Hearing that Yugi did not agree to let Kaiba be Atem's opponent in the duel, Jounouchi, who thought Yugi had also chosen his own opponent, deliberately stood next to Kaiba, looking smug, and said triumphantly.

But Yugi shook his head again: "Sorry, Jonouchi, I have to duel with another version of myself."

"Eh!?"

Jonouchi seemed somewhat surprised, and Kaiba also showed an unexpected expression, but he quickly composed himself and hid his emotions, only letting out a cold snort: "Hmph, so that's how it is... Well then, if you dare to snatch this only opportunity from my hands and then waste it, be prepared to face my jealous wrath, Yugi Muto!"

Yugi stared back at Kaiba, saying, "No matter what, I will never give up this victory."

Sensing Yugi's unwavering resolve, Kaiba fell silent, simply tossing his trench coat aside and turning to leave: "Keihei, go to sleep early. You don't want to end up a short guy like Yugi, do you?"

"Even I feel that this is too hurtful, brother." With a helpless sigh, Keihei was much more polite than his self-willed brother. After saying goodbye to Hayato and Kyoko and their group, he jogged to catch up with Kaiba, who was about to leave the deck.

"That's really surprising. I thought that with Kaiba's personality, he would be furious, grabbing Yugi by the collar and lifting him up, saying something like, 'What the hell?! How could you possibly beat Atem?'" Jonouchi said, watching the Kaiba brothers leave the deck.

"You guys are really something, grabbing his collar like that. Stop making fun of his height all the time. He's still growing." Kyoko defended Yugi.

However, she wasn't lying; Yugi had indeed grown taller, at least ten centimeters, maybe even nine centimeters, taller than he had a year ago. He no longer needed to bend down to talk to taller people like Kaiba and Hayato. Now, Yugi was even taller than Rebecca!

———Comparing yourself to someone so much younger makes it all the more heartbreaking.

"Haha, don't worry about the details."

"In the duel just now, Haima has eliminated his obsession, at least for today. But who knows what ideas might pop up tomorrow or the day after when his card addiction kicks in? You all know how stubborn he can be. He still refuses to understand that Atum is the soul of the Pharaoh."

Hayato picked up a slice of pizza and took a bite. Although he was a bit obsessive, he had to admit that the Margherita pizza baked by Ameruda was quite authentic, very fresh, and very delicious. "He has also realized that although his strength is quite close to Atum's, there is no doubt that Atum is stronger."

"Without external influence, their duel would only result in Kaiba's defeat, not to mention that the duel ritual requires defeating Atem, who has three 'God' cards."

"If he knows he can't beat me, why does he still try to take it from me?"

Jonouchi frowned, somewhat puzzled. Hayato didn't answer the question, but Honda, suppressing a laugh, said, "Is it possible that Kaiba simply thinks you're weaker than him, Jonouchi? So since you can't beat Atem anyway, he might as well have another match with Atem for fun?"

"Huh?! That Kaiba guy is looking down on me again?! *Domino curses*, I'll punch him to pieces!"

While casually grumbling about Kaiba, Jonouchi stood beside Yugi, put his arm around his shoulder, and said, seemingly jokingly but also somewhat seriously, "Yugi, since you've already made up your mind, then go for it. Take our part and accompany Atem in the best duel ever."

"Mm." The game nodded.

As night deepened, everyone left the deck and returned to their cabins. Kaiba went to bed early with Keihei, while Malik was already resting. Hayato inquired with the captain and learned that they would arrive at the location provided by Shadi by tomorrow morning, so they could rest assured.

However, Yugi didn't intend to rest just yet; he needed to prepare the deck he would use for tomorrow's Duel Ritual.

After learning that Yugi wanted to duel him at the Duel Ritual the next day, Atem deliberately stayed deep inside the Millennium Puzzle, temporarily severing his connection with Yugi to avoid learning what cards were in Yugi's deck or what tactics he was preparing. Yugi had the same idea; after he adjusted his deck, Atem also stayed deep inside the Millennium Puzzle while Atem adjusted his deck.

"If the Dark Magician is empowered by the Eternal Soul, it can either be destroyed with powerful attacks like Kaiba, or defeated in ways other than those that have effects. But even if it is defeated once, another version of me can use the Eternal Soul to revive it and destroy the Dark Magician Circle."

While recalling the many tactics Atem had used in past duels, Yugi selected suitable cards from his ever-present spare cards to add to his deck. In this world, the person who understands Atem best is not Kaiba, who sees him as his destined rival, nor even Atem himself, but Yugi, who has long been in the closest position to Atem, yet remains outside the perspective of both duelists.

"However, just like how my other self defeated Kaiba's [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon], [Eternal Soul] itself is the biggest weakness, which means that a method of destruction from the back row is needed."

After deliberating between the two cards, [Great Storm] and [Lightning Storm], Yugi finally made his final decision and added [Lightning Storm] to the deck. He muttered to himself, "Even I'm a little envious of Mai's [Harpie's Feather Duster]. It's a pity that it's a rare card, almost second only to Jonouchi's [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]. But it seems that Hayato and Jonouchi each have one."

“No, now is not the time to think outside the box. Even if we have a way to break the [Eternal Soul], the real problem is still unsolved…” Looking down at the [Millennium Puzzle] on his chest, Yugi recalled the three figures standing at the pinnacle of Duel Monsters, practically invincible, “…the Egyptian God Cards.”

"The [Obelisk the Tormentor], which is well-balanced in offense and defense and can unleash tremendous destructive power in one go; the [Ra the Winged Dragon of Ra], which is at the pinnacle of power, has many functions, and is good at resurrection..." After a pause, Yugi said with some ease, "...and the [Osiris the Sky Dragon], which can suppress deployments but often causes trouble due to its forced activation."

"We can ignore Osiris for now, but how exactly can we...?"

Just as he was struggling with the game, there was a knock on his door. He looked up and said, "Ah, come in, the door isn't locked."

The doorknob turned, and Hayato pushed the door open and walked into the room. Looking at Yugi sitting at the table, he greeted him, "So you're still awake, Yugi. Did I disturb your thoughts?"

"No, it's okay, I'm still sorting out the cards." Yugi shook his head and looked at Hayato, saying, "Hayato, is there something you need?"

Hayato nodded, reached into the card box at his waist, took out three cards, and said to Yugi, "First of all, I'm here to give these three cards to you, or rather, Atem. Rather than adding them to your deck during tomorrow's duel, I'll give them to you now."

Upon closer inspection, Yugi saw that the three cards Hayato was holding were the Egyptian God cards he had just been pondering a solution to: [Osiris], [Obelisk], and [Ra]... Wait, what?

Seeing that Yugi had noticed something, Hayato nodded helplessly: "Because you also have the Millennium Item, Yugi, and like Atem you can use the Egyptian God Cards, you should have realized that Ra isn't actually in here, right?"

"To be honest, I'm also a bit annoyed by this guy's clinginess. He'd rather transfer into another card than leave me for even a moment." With a flick of his finger, Hayato revealed the card behind [Ra's Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere], and stepped forward to place the three cards on the table. "Well then, I'll leave the Egyptian God cards to Atem, Yugi."

"And then there's the help I'll give you."

"Assistance?" Yugi was taken aback, then quickly said, "No need, Hayato. I want to use the card that has been with us all this time to duel with another version of myself."

Hayato shook his head: "You want to monopolize Atem by yourself? That's greedy, Yugi, but no way. You're thinking of using cards that express your feelings to duel Atem, but the rest of us are doing the same thing."

Hayato placed several more cards on the table, and Yugi looked down at them, also taking a moment to pause.

Chapter 917 Ancient Egyptian Priestly Script? Who doesn't know it?

The night passed quickly, and as the sun rose from the distance, Atum placed the cards of the "Three Egyptian Gods" on top of the deck in the morning light that streamed into the room, completing the deck's setup.

As before, in order to keep track of the specific composition of Atem's deck, the game remained deep within the Millennium Puzzle until he had completely organized his cards.

As Atem placed the deck into the card box and closed the clasp, the game's sound came from the Millennium Puzzle:

'Is your deck ready, my other self?'

Although he said he "heard," it was actually only Atum who heard his own thoughts. He didn't speak, but responded only with his mind: 'Sorry to keep you waiting, Aibo.'

'No, it's nothing. Your other self was like this too.'

Hearing about the game, Atum chuckled: 'After all, I can't see the decks of my upcoming opponents.'

"No, that's not it." Beside Atum, Yugi shook his head. "You slept alone for so long before I completed the Millennium Puzzle and awakened you. Compared to your long period of solitude, I only rested for a short while."

Atum was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Aibo, you're so gentle, the gentlest person in the world."

'But I'm alright. I'm no longer alone. Jonouchi, Honda, Kyoko, Hayato, Kaiba, Keipei, Bakura... and most importantly, Aibo, you. I've made many friends in this world, and this bond dispels any loneliness I feel, forever connecting my heart with others, no matter where I am.'

Gazing at the game's phantom, Atem sincerely said, "Aibo, thank you for accepting my final trial. It's wonderful that you're the one to duel with me."

A flash of light appeared on the Millennium Puzzle, and Atum returned to the Millennium Puzzle, giving his body back to Yugi. Yugi, back in his body, held the Millennium Puzzle to his chest and smiled, saying, "Me too, another me. It's so good to have met you."

After re-tying the card box containing the Atum deck to his belt, Yugi picked up a golden box from the side.

This golden chest, engraved with the "Eye of Ugato" relief, was brought back from Egypt by Sugoroku Muto. It once contained scattered Millennium Puzzles. Even for someone as quick-witted and skilled in intellectual games as Yugi, it took him a full eight years to painstakingly complete the Millennium Puzzles and restore them to the Millennium Cone.

After the Millennium Puzzle was completed and Yugi wore it around his neck, the golden chest remained empty. It was then used as a place to store spare cards that could be used to replace the main deck, in addition to the deck used for dueling. Now, the deck that Yugi used for his duel with Atem is placed in the golden chest.

After a quick wash, holding the gold chest in his hands, Youxi pushed open the door and went to the deck, where he saw that everyone had already gathered outside.

“You’re the worst person in this group.” Hayato said, sitting at the round table with a Pocky stick dangling from his mouth like a cigarette. “Think about it carefully. It should have already implanted everything into your mind.”

"You're talking about weird things again so early in the morning, brother-in-law. Also, that Italian chef over there seems a bit angry."

Beside Hayato, Malik, who seemed to have had a good rest and was in much better condition than yesterday, pointed to Ameruda.

"Huh? It's just two pieces of pineapple on a pizza, is it really that big of a deal?" Hayato said nonchalantly, using two Pocky sticks as chopsticks to prop up a few strands of spaghetti that had been deliberately broken up while cooking. In the direction Malik pointed, Amelda's face was ashen, her teeth clenched in anger, wishing she could take Hayato down with her on the spot.

Upon seeing the game appear, Jonouchi and Honda greeted each other, saying, "Hey, the game, it's so slow."

"Good morning, everyone," the game greeted, speaking energetically. "Last night, my other self and I were adjusting the deck, and we just finished."

"Both of them are using challenge decks?" Bakura asked Hayato with some confusion. "Yugi-kun can use the Millennium Puzzle to switch souls, but shouldn't the body be the same one? Doesn't he feel tired at all after staying up all night?"

"You don't need to know too much about the duelists. Anyway, it's probably because of the power of the Millennium Puzzle. The Millennium Item, kid." Hayato finally took the pineapple off the pizza and ate it alone, but before Amelda's expression could improve, he drizzled some strawberry sauce on it.

"Brother, never mind, brother." Faintly, it seemed like Honda's voice could be heard as he pulled Ameruda along.

Upon hearing Hayato's words, Malik couldn't help but think, "Come to think of it, I used to have a dual personality that I could switch between, right? If switching personalities could trigger the power of the Millennium Item... *Egyptian swear word*, what a huge loss! If my other self hadn't died, wouldn't I have been able to use that ability to stay up all night watching anime and playing games forever?"

"If you want to die, you'd be faster jumping off this side. Even if you don't get tired, you won't get any rest. If you keep doing this, you'll die of exhaustion in a few days, and Lishid and Isis will have to collect your body." Hayato rolled his eyes at Malik. "Besides, who doesn't have a ghost or a split personality or something?"

Bakura: "To be honest, it's true."

Malik sighed in disappointment, forked a potato pancake into his mouth, and saw that Yugi, who had just gotten up, was also eating breakfast. He couldn't help but ask Bakura, "By the way, why aren't you eating anything?"

"Well... it's because Mr. Ameruda's cooking was so delicious. I ate it all day yesterday, and he kept cooking it too. I ate so much yesterday that I'm not hungry at all now." Bakura said shyly, scratching the back of his head.

Shortly after everyone finished breakfast, the ship's crew informed them that they were about to reach their destination and dock. The passengers, who had already packed their luggage, took a short rest and then walked to the ship's side to wait for the ship to dock and lower the gangway.

But as soon as the gangway was lowered, before anyone else could react, Malik stared wide-eyed at the shore and exclaimed, "Sister, sister!?"

"Chicken sauce?!" Yugi looked at the white starfish head that stood out among the people standing at the bottom of the gangway with surprise.

Honda and Jonouchi were also somewhat surprised: "And Otogi!"

"Hey, Yugi! Look here, look here!" Having not seen his grandson for a week, Muto Sugoroku waved and shouted excitedly when he saw the colorful starfish head that he felt so familiar with.

As everyone walked down the gangway, Otogi Ryuji, standing next to Sugoroku, joked, "We've been waiting here for ages, Sugoroku's hair has turned white from waiting."

"It was originally white!" Jonouchi retorted, patting Otogi on the shoulder before turning to Mutou Sugoroku and asking, "By the way, Otogi, why are you and Sugoroku-sensei here?"

"And my sister too..." Looking at the smiling Isis, Malik became a little timid. He hadn't forgotten that after the troublemaker Dark Bakura was dealt with, he had forgotten to call and ask about Isis's situation.

Although she gives a very gentle first impression, he knows his sister Isis best. She is petty and holds grudges!

"Heh, Malik, you don't seem to want to see your sister?" Hayato chimed in, seeing Malik's reaction, which made Malik wave his hands and shake his head in denial, "Hehehehehehehehehe!"

However, Isis was only teasing her arrogant yet cowardly younger brother. Standing next to Hayato, she naturally took his hand and looked at Yugi, saying, "I had already anticipated that Pharaoh would be able to find his true name, and I also knew that Pharaoh would be going to the Underworld Temple for the duel ceremony."

"As a descendant of the tomb-guarding clan, I, as the head of the Ishdar clan, have a responsibility to bear witness."

“Ishtar…” Amelda glanced at Isis, who had nearly killed him in a blast, then looked at Malik, “Isn’t that Malik guy the same?”

“People are not the same, and Malik, who was expelled from the clan by Ishdar, cannot represent the tomb-keeper clan I belong to,” Isis explained.