Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

[Black Scorpion - Escapee Zeke]: "I will not harm any human!"

[Black Scorpion - Powerful Gao Ge]: "I don't steal from the poor!"

[Black Scorpion - Cliff the Trap Dismantler]: "Uphold the three principles of a thief!"

[Leader - Zarug]: "This is—"

"The Black Scorpion Burial Gang!" X5

"—A cosplay enthusiast who likes the [Black Scorpion Burglary Gang]... huh?"

For a moment, the store fell silent.

The customers were drawn in because the shop manager and staff suddenly announced that they were the Card Monsters [Black Scorpion Burglary Gang], and even struck such a strange and funny pose;

Tianma Yuexing never expected that his perfect reasoning would go wrong. His answer was based on reasonable deductions from existing information, so how could it contain content beyond his understanding? How could a dueling monster turn into a human?

The members of the Black Scorpion Excavation Gang were completely taken aback by how ridiculously wrong Tianma Yuexing's reasoning was. What was even more absurd was that they had exposed their identities because of the reasoning that the other party had not finished explaining.

As for Hayato, seeing that the Black Scorpion Excavation Gang had stopped pretending, he decisively took out the Quantum Cube—and then conjured a Millennium Wisdom Wheel to hang around his neck, since the Quantum Cube was nowhere near as useful as the Millennium Wisdom Wheel.

"Zarug and the others... they actually have Duel Monsters cards?!" After a brief moment of surprise, a customer couldn't help but exclaim.

"This is the Black Scorpion Burial Gang!" X5

Another regular customer also looked incredulous: "I thought the shop owner and the others were just cosplay enthusiasts who liked the [Black Scorpion Excavation Group], but it turns out they really are the Duel Monsters [Black Scorpion Excavation Group], really?"

"This is the Black Scorpion Burial Gang!" X5

Another customer looked at Zarug and his companions, who were striking the same pose and reciting the same strange lines in unison, with some suspicion: "Duel monsters can turn into humans? That doesn't seem realistic at all, and they don't really look like the characters on the cards."

"This is Black Scorpion—wait a minute, what did you say? How are we not like ourselves!"

The first half of the sentence was still unconsciously repeating the lines, but when they heard someone questioning them, the five members of the [Black Scorpion Burial Gang] couldn't sit still anymore and immediately retorted—

"Can any ordinary human have such muscular chest and biceps?!" [Black Scorpion - Powerful Gao Ge] struck a bodybuilding pose;

"Can an average person handle a knife as skillfully as I do?!" [Black Scorpion - Cliff, the Trap Dismantler] tossed a sharp knife.

"Can humans keep up with a Spide like me!?" [Black Scorpion - Escapee Zeke] made a high-speed side-to-side leap;

"How many people as beautiful as me have you seen!?" [Black Scorpion - Thorn of Mina] narcissistically patted her chest, which ranked among the top three in the [Black Scorpion Excavation Group]. Second place was [Zarug] and first place was [Gao Ge].

"The most crucial point is, would an ordinary person dare to gouge out an eye just for cosplay?!" Pointing to his one eye, [Leader-Zarug] said smugly.

Hearing this, Hayato couldn't help but retort, "Why do you guys seem so smug?"

"This is the Black Scorpion Burial Gang!" X5

Seeing the group strike that silly pose again, Hayato glanced at the surrounding customers, then decisively raised his hand and shouted, "Since you've all revealed your true identities, it seems you're planning to make a move, right? In that case, let me deal with the unrelated people around here first."

"Smash, Valudo!"

The Dark Game unfolds through the Millennium Wisdom Wheel. The invisible magic instantly freezes the minds of all the customers in the shop, making them as if they have entered a state of time stoppage, completely motionless. As the Dark Game's domain is fully expanded, Hayato does not make a move, but one spirit after another is about to materialize behind him.

Seeing one incredibly powerful elf after another appear, especially [Ra] wreathed in solar fire who was about to peek out, Zarug and the others immediately stopped their strange poses and quickly softened their stance, saying, "Wait, wait a minute, we didn't say we were going to fight! We were just revealing our identities!"

"Hey! Is it possible to reconcile?"

"Let's talk this out!"

"Even we should have a chance to confess, be lenient, and reform ourselves!"

"We surrender! We surrender!"

Zarug and the others surrendered even faster than France, which made [La], who rarely showed her face, a little unhappy. However, after Hayato patted her head, she quickly led the other elves back. Hayato did not expect that [La] would make Zarug and the others back down so quickly just by showing her face.

His impression of the Black Scorpion Burglary wasn't too bad. After all, in the "Seven Stars" organization in another world, apart from the cheating vampire Camilla, the Titan who ran back from the dark world, and the controlled Tenjouin Fubuki, the other four hadn't done anything particularly outrageous.

A pharaoh who came to the real world and is terrible at playing cards, an Amazonian woman who came to the human world to find a husband, Daitokuji who helped Jaden defeat Kagemaru, and the Black Scorpion Pirate Gang who successfully stole the cards but lost the duel and became members of Manjoume's Spirit Team—Kagemaru's "Seven Stars" is even worse than the Black Organization. At least there's Gin in it, besides the undercover agents and useless people. But there are hardly any people in the "Seven Stars" organization who will obey Kagemaru's orders.

Since the members of the Black Scorpion Excavation Gang were cooperating so well, Hayato didn't feel the need to kill them. He simply stopped there and said to them, "I want to know some things from you. If you cooperate well and tell me the truth, I won't do anything to you."

"Yes, yes, we'll definitely cooperate." Although he was the leader, Zarug wasn't arrogant or pretentious at all, nodding and bowing as he spoke. The other members also chuckled awkwardly. After all, they were thieves, not robbers. If they really had any backbone, they wouldn't have gone undercover at the Duel Academy for so many years for Kagemaru's request.

“However, the outside isn’t a place for conversation. Why don’t I take you inside?” Zaruge gestured towards the warehouse where he had tried to escape earlier and led the way for Hayato.

Hayato thought about it and agreed. Although he had "stopped time" on the customers outside, it would still continuously consume the power of the Millennium Wisdom Wheel. Someone as weak as himself and with so many people outside, he couldn't control it for long. At most, he could only hold on for five or six hours before he had to release the control.

Upon hearing their conversation, Tenma Tsukiyuki looked puzzled, as if wondering how they had suddenly made peace. He then said to Hayato, "Although I don't know exactly what happened, I'll wait for you outside, Mr. Hayato."

"Me too! We'll handle the customers outside and won't disturb you and this gentleman's conversation!" The members of the Black Scorpion Excavation Gang also expressed their willingness to stay in the shop, leaving the dangerous task of dealing with Hayato to Zarug.

"You bunch of idiots, if something happens to me, you won't be able to run away either," Zarug grumbled, not really angry. In fact, he knew his companions were just joking. After all, they were the united [Black Scorpion Burglary Gang], and his brothers were very loyal and would never abandon him or run away, and he wouldn't abandon them either.

The reason they said this was actually to stay outside, so that even if Hayato wanted to attack them, they could take Tenma Tsukiyuki outside as a hostage.

Unaware that he had become a potential hostage in the eyes of the Black Scorpion Burglary Gang, Tenma Tsukiyuki and the four members of the gang remained in the shop. Hayato followed Zarugu into the shop and deactivated the "time stop." Soon after the door closed, Tenma Tsukiyuki and the others used the excuse they had prepared, "This is a special event storyline devised for the Duel King and Black Scorpion cards," to appease the unsuspecting customers in the shop.

As Hayato followed Zarug, he discovered that the warehouse they mentioned was indeed the underground base of the pirated card shop controlled by Gurus that used to be located there. Although the shop had changed and the basic furnishings had been altered, the original underground structure was not wasted but was being used as a warehouse by "Black Scorpion Cards".

In the underground warehouse, Hayato looked at Zarug standing still and asked, "I have many questions, but let's address them one by one for now. First, what is your relationship with the so-called 'New Gurus'?"

“New Gurus? I see. So that's why you came here? I thought… no, nothing.” Zarug paused, then said, “Our Black Scorpion Excavation Gang was hired by a big client and joined an organization called ‘Seven Stars.’ Originally, according to that client’s wishes, he wanted us to infiltrate the Duel Academy in various ways.”

"However, none of them were able to pass the Duel Academy's approval, so they had to abandon the infiltration plan. As a result, our employer then had us work for another force that cooperated with him, which is the 'New Gurus' you mentioned."

Zarug shrugged and continued, "However, it's obvious that we're sent from outside and aren't trusted by that 'New Gurus.' They chose to let us run this shop and help them sell the cards they provide. That's all. That's the entirety of the relationship between our [Black Scorpion Excavation Gang] and 'New Gurus.'"

Chapter 1096 Judgment Battle

In another timeline, the Black Scorpion Raiders successfully infiltrated the Duel Academy as school doctors, security guards, administrators, and students. After the Seven Stars began their operation, Zarug also entered the academy openly as an "inspector" and led the Raiders to begin their operation.

Then they failed because they violated a taboo: "trying to avoid playing cards and solve problems in other ways." Even after they played another round of cards with Manjoume, it was no use, and they were eventually defeated—and then joined Manjoume's spirit harem to disturb his sleep.

The reason they failed to infiltrate the Duel Academy in this world is quite simple. Compared to the past, Kaiba is more concerned with the Duel Academy, which is dedicated to cultivating top-tier duelists like the future Jaden who can defeat him. The vetting process is much stricter in all aspects, and basically every personnel file needs to be checked by someone at the level of the headmaster.

Generally, Samejima and Chronos would be in charge of these matters, but by sheer coincidence, Hayato happened to see a school doctor recruitment file submitted by Ms. Ayukawa Megumi. He noticed Mina, who is also known as "Black Scorpion - Mina of Thorns," and in doing so, he found the files submitted by the other three people from various departments at the same time.

He vetoed the four students' admissions with his supreme principal's authority. Hayato had expected the teachers to say something, but they all assumed there was a deeper meaning behind Principal Hayato's decision and unanimously agreed with it.

Hayato hadn't expected that the Black Scorpion Gang's failed infiltration of the Duel Academy would lead them to become involved with "New Gurus": "You said they sell cards, does that mean the supplier for this shop is 'New Gurus'?"

"No, no, even I know that the release of Duel Monsters cards is completely controlled by the International Illusion Society. Although I don't know how 'New Gurus' managed to do it, my 'Black Scorpion Cards' has legitimately passed the International Illusion Society's assessment and obtained the qualification to supply and sell cards."

Zarug said with a mysterious smile, "The 'New Gurus' I sell is something else entirely."

"If you keep me in suspense any longer, I'm going to get hungry!"

"Where did you copy that weird name from?! I know, I know, it's that one, didn't you see it in the store too?" Zarugu quickly said when he saw sunlight faintly shining behind Hayato, as if a Stand user was about to release a Stand.

Hayato realized what he meant: "Those discounted rare cards? They were provided by 'New Gurus'?"

This was somewhat unexpected for Hayato. He had learned from Malik that the main source of funding for his previously founded Gluth was the theft of cards and their resale on the black market at high prices. Sometimes, they would hunt down special rare cards with extremely high bounties on the black market.

Meanwhile, the earned funds were used to research and develop various technologies, even producing fake cards that could fool the Duel Disk verification, and even creating fake cards that retained a trace of divine power. However, because Rishid was defeated by Hayato before the quarterfinals, that fake card with the [Ra] ability ultimately remained only in internal experiments and never appeared in the public eye.

You asked if the funds were used to make counterfeit cards, and if the employees didn't get any money? Look up the Millennium Scepter. In Gruul, everyone has Malik's mark on them so he can control their will and their lives at will. Who cares about money when they're dead? They're lucky if they can get enough to eat and drink and survive.

And what if someone in Gurus dared to slack off on Malik's mission? You wouldn't dare, but there are plenty of others who would do it; those without value would be "optimized" out. In fact, some of those whose wills were permanently erased by Malik and used as "puppets" are already enjoying their good fortune.

This is why those people showed no regrets after Malik announced the disbandment of Gruus, and why the Mask of Light and Darkness, after switching to New Gruus, treated Malik with utter disrespect, calling him "that bastard" repeatedly. It's because Gruus was simply a criminal organization that Malik forcibly created out of fear, and its existence was sustained only by Malik's terror and power.

However, "New Gurus" is doing the same thing as Gurus, even though the situations are completely different. Gurus can invest heavily in technology research and development because Malik only needs to meet his own financial needs. But why would New Gurus sell cards at low prices for charity?

This kind of thing might be more possible for large companies like International Illusion or Haima Group.

“Those are the cards. They’re all rare cards, and there aren’t any that are just rare and good-looking but weak. ‘New Gurus’ just sends people to deliver the cards to me and never tells me where they come from.” After a pause, Zarug continued, “However, we can guess the source of these cards. They’re most likely stolen from other places by card gamblers.”

Zarugo looked at Hayato, fearing that he would get angry and agitated upon hearing about the despicable act of stealing other people's decks after a duel, which might bring trouble upon him. However, Hayato calmly nodded and said, "The people from New Gurus only take one card even after winning a card bet. They're actually quite nice. I always take the deck and duel disk."

'You're being a bit too extreme.' Zarug, the leader of the Black Scorpion excavation gang, looked at Hayato and complained, but he only thought it to himself and didn't dare to say it out loud. 'Anyway, since we run this shop, we can't refuse this free supply that's been delivered to our door, and we're selling the cards at low prices according to their requirements and pricing.'

The more information Zarug revealed, the more confused Hayato became. The rare Black Scorpion card was free, and the request to sell it at a low price was made by New Gurus? Could they really be doing charity?

On the other hand, it's unclear what they're after. They go to great lengths to plunder cards from various places, only to sell them at low prices in card shops. The meaning is unclear. It doesn't change their own strength or funds at all. It's a thankless task, and in the end, it only makes the people whose cards were taken weaker and the people in Domino City who bought rare cards slightly stronger.

Hmm? It seems a bit...

As Hayato thought about this, he couldn't help but rub his temples. He felt that he was just one layer away from understanding something, but he also felt that he was missing that final push to break through.

“Let’s think about those troublesome things later. I have one last question.” Hayato looked at Zarugs curiously. “You must be a Duel Monster card Pokémon, right? But even ordinary Pokémon need a long time to materialize, even when they resonate with the duelist. You were alone and didn’t have any special powers like Blue-Eyes White Dragon. How did you manage to materialize for so long?”

“First of all, I need to correct something. It’s not just me, but all five of us. This is Black Scorpion—” Zarug instinctively started to strike that silly pose, but halfway through, he suddenly realized that his companions were still in the shop and couldn’t come over to pose with him. He laughed awkwardly. “At the beginning, the five of us were indeed card spirits with chaotic and unawakened consciousness. We have only existed as cards.”

"But one day, we received an opportunity that seemed like a gift from heaven. A powerful dark force descended upon the five of us, successfully awakening our consciousness and putting us in a state of spirit awakening. However, at that time, we were only spirit awakening and did not have the ability to move our cards."

"When we woke up, we were in this underground warehouse. We don't know why, but this place has been abandoned for a long time. We have been locked up here and never seen the light of day. In such a lonely environment, it is torture to awaken our will and stay awake."

"So, we finally decided to take a gamble and try to break free from this predicament. My companions concentrated all their dark power into me, which propelled me to a higher level of awakening, enabling me to interfere with reality. Even my blindfold changed due to the influence of dark magic."

"At the same time, I also felt a similar magical force being transmitted to us through my blindfold. With the help of that force, we grew rapidly and eventually achieved collective materialization, existing in the world like humans."

Touching the raised and recessed Eye of Ugato pattern on the eyepatch over his right eye, Zarug said, "The only drawback is that our existence depends on this eyepatch and the power that is vaguely connected to it. If we lose it, we will probably quickly revert to ordinary elves that cannot materialize."

"And the reward our clients give us is that they will help us find the source of the power that connects to them."

Hayato listened silently to Zarug's words, his expression strange. After a long while, he reached into his robes as a cover, and casually found something he had almost forgotten about in his system inventory: "I think your employer probably can't help you find what you want, because it seems to be right here with me."

"You mean you were born in this underground warehouse, which is why you opened a shop here? I think I know quite a bit about your origins."

The thing in Hayato's hand was none other than an eyepatch exactly like the one Zarug wore. He suddenly remembered that before the opening of Duel City, when he and Kaiba were raiding Gurus's stronghold, he had squeezed out the last bit of dark magic power that the Millennium Eye had left in his body, creating this eyepatch called the Dark Eye.

Zarug and the Black Scorpion Burglary might be card spirits awakened by the residual magic from back then!

While Hayato was having a "friendly exchange" with the Black Scorpion excavation gang in Domino City, something rather minor happened at the Duel Academy.

"Judai, could you please repeat the school's regulations regarding the old school buildings?" A grown woman wearing a green uniform that did not belong to any dormitory in the school said loudly in front of Judai and the others.

Hearing the woman's words, Jaden looked troubled. He couldn't even answer all the theoretical questions about fighting monsters, so asking him to recite school rules was asking too much.

He turned his gaze toward Marufuji Sho, who was not far behind him, but his grades were even worse than Judai's, let alone memorizing the school rules.

Just then, a male voice said: "On page 183 of the Freshman Handbook, regarding the regulations for 'Danger! No Entry' areas on campus, the abandoned old school buildings are the third item. Section 4 of the regulations clearly states that any student who enters the old school buildings without permission will be given a serious warning or expelled, depending on the severity of the offense."

Upon hearing this, Judai looked at the speaker with gratitude: "As expected of you, No. 3! Your profound knowledge is truly reassuring. Thank goodness, I'm saved!"

"I would be happier if you could call me by my name normally." Hearing Judai's words, Misawa sighed, comforting himself that at least Judai was just using a code name, unlike others who always called him by the wrong name and even spread rumors that his name was always changing.

Looking at the delighted Judai, the woman frowned and said, "You must have misunderstood something, Judai. This isn't some classroom question; it's a special investigation into you."

"Because Hayato said he can't come back to school for the time being, he has important things to do and can't be contacted via video, so Vice Principal Samejima will temporarily act as principal, and I, Chronos de Medici, will represent the faculty." Professor Chronos explained the situation beside the woman, "And this is Ms. Nakao Yuki, the representative sent by the Duel Academy Board of Directors."

"Is it the principal, the teachers, and the board of directors?" Misawa glanced at the three people standing in three separate places. It was clear from their positions that Yuki Nakao, who represented the board of directors, was in charge, and in fact, she was the one who conducted the main questioning and investigation.

"Question: Judai Yuki, did you enter the abandoned old school building without permission late last night?" Nakao Yuki immediately posed a sharp question, getting straight to the point, demanding that Judai directly admit whether he had violated school rules.