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Chapter 725: This is Disrespect
After saving Nefertari, Hayato didn't return to the Royal Palace with the two priests, Shada and Karim, who arrived later to carry Aknadin away. For one, while the two priests were loyal to the Pharaoh, they were quite wary of Hayato, this newcomer. Hayato knew that if he went back to the Royal Palace to find Yugi, he'd likely have to keep facing those looks, and he had no interest in being uncomfortable.
Also, although Nefertari seemed carefree, Hayato thought that since she had just escaped danger, it would be better for her to go home and rest.
"Going home or something..."
Along the way, Nefertari was hesitant and wouldn't walk ahead. It was a good thing Hayato had specifically memorized the route from the Royal Palace to what was likely his home when he went out today; otherwise, he might have gotten lost. When they arrived at Hayato's, or rather, "Meriamun's" house, Nefertari suddenly had an idea.
"Oh, right, Meriamun, you haven't eaten much today, have you? I can't go home right now, I have to make you something to eat."
Saying this, Nefertari's hesitant expression from before vanished. She skillfully opened Hayato's door and walked in.
Hayato wanted to tell Nefertari that he'd actually eaten quite a bit of decent food when he got lost near the Kitchen in the Royal Palace. Aside from the bread that made him want to Rant, everything else suited his taste, and he was quite full. However, seeing the young girl's lively and cheerful appearance, Hayato just let her have her way.
Even though it was Hayato's home, Hayato was far less familiar with the environment than Nefertari. Having sweated a lot throughout the day, he still needed the young girl's guidance to find the washroom with his change of clothes.
Although the general impression of Egypt in the world seems to be mostly desert, and it's true that a considerable area of Egypt is desert, people aren't foolish. They wouldn't be so silly as to not use an oasis they could rely on and instead insist on venturing into the desert.
Relying on the existence of the Nile River, the Ancient Egyptian people actually had no shortage of water to use. What's more, due to the Nile River's occasional flooding and receding, some historians even described the life of the Ancient Egyptians like this: "After the flooding Nile River recedes, the farmland near the riverbanks fundamentally doesn't need irrigation. You just need to scatter the seeds and then drive pigs to trample in the muddy ground, and you can wait for the harvest next year."
Although there might be some exaggeration, this description is based on real history. It is also because of this that the Ancient Egyptians, who did not suffer from famine, had so much energy to build various magnificent buildings. After all, if your stomach isn't even full, who would be interested in building something like a Pyramid?
However, it's not entirely true to say that the Ancient Egyptians built Pyramids, Sphinxes, and other buildings purely out of boredom to vent their energy after eating their fill. Actually, many Pharaohs built various buildings more to promote their great achievements and illustrious Authority/Dignity, and some Pharaohs even built them frantically out of interest.
For example, one of the most famous Pharaohs in all of Ancient Egypt, a Pharaoh whose lifespan was among the best even when the scope is expanded to the entire world, Ramesses II.
Speaking of which, he remembered being invited by Ishizu to accompany Yugi to the Egyptian Artifact Traveling Exhibition Hall in Domino City to see the Stone Tablet of Memories, which was still there at the time. He also happened to see the Mummy of Ramesses II, which was also on display.
However, although the era of that Pharaoh was quite close to the time the Memory World is currently in, there was still a gap of several decades. When the Nameless Pharaoh ascended the throne, that Pharaoh hadn't even been born yet.
Submerging his body in a wooden barrel filled with water, Hayato's thoughts wandered as he examined the Duel Arena he'd picked up... well, found in the Royal Palace.
The appearance of the Duel Arena was very similar to the Golden Duel Disk he had seen among the Tomb Keepers before, with hardly any gap. It could basically be confirmed that the later Duel Disk evolved from this Duel Arena. He wondered where Kaiba got the inspiration from and if he paid anyone a copyright fee.
Unlike Dark Yugi, who received special guidance on how to use the Duel Arena from Priest Shimon, Hayato had only learned a little operation by observing Mahad and Bakura's battle before, and being able to summon 【Drytron】 was entirely due to luck and intuition.
Although Ritual Monsters were supposed to require a special Ritual Summon to descent, it seems like, as Hayato had explained to Bakura before, the change in time caused the Starry Sky to shift position. The power of the Cyber Dragon Constellation was stronger than it would be three thousand years later. Although not as strong as a thousand years prior, this power also allowed 【Drytron】 to bypass the ritual's restriction and be summoned directly.
As for the specific principle, Hayato didn't know much. It was probably that the change in the position of the celestial body made the power easier to transmit to Earth, no longer requiring a ritual to boost it or something. As for Duel Monsters, there's no need to understand everything so clearly.
However, although it was free from the ritual's restriction, 【Drytron】's own power didn't change much. It still maintained the same skill level as three thousand years later, which translates to stats of 4000 ATK/DEF, the same as Obelisk the Tormentor. Although it could be considered quite powerful, it was still somewhat insufficient if the opponent was Bakura's 【Diabound】.
Although the plot of the Millennium World arc was somewhat vague due to the long passage of time and he couldn't remember it clearly, Hayato still remembered that the monster 【Diabound】 did indeed have the ability to grow infinitely, just as Bakura said. Each time it was defeated by a new powerful monster, it would become stronger.
So, even though Dark Yugi and Hayato had managed to team up and force Bakura and 【Diabound】 into a retreat before, and Hayato alone could even use two 【Drytron】 of comparable power to force Bakura into nothing but fleeing for his life, if 【Diabound】 were to gain even a slight bit of growth, the situation would instead reverse, leaving Hayato and Dark Yugi with no way to deal with 【Diabound】.
At most, they could use the remaining two of the Three Egyptian Gods, Osiris and Ra, to defeat 【Diabound】 at most twice. But that would instead become a catalyzer to boost its power and make it stronger. After that, they would be completely helpless against 【Diabound】.
Therefore, Hayato felt that even if it was just a little bit, he had to find a way to awaken more spirits to assist in battle, such as 【Vela Cocha Rasca】, which might have a miraculous effect.
However, Hayato was only able to awaken the 【Drytron】 spirit before because the Cyber Dragon Constellation in the Starry Sky was still shining even three thousand years ago. Crossing three thousand years ago, many card spirits had fundamentally not even been born yet, let alone been awakened. As for the Earthbound Immortals card, Hayato had accidentally obtained it in the Virtual World created by KaibaCorp before.
Although the Earthbound Immortals have existed for as long as five thousand years, in the present of three thousand years ago, 【Vela Cocha Rasca】 should still be slumbering on the Nazca Plain in South America along with the other Earthbound Immortals. That's a long way from Egypt, where Hayato is currently located, so he fundamentally couldn't count on it waking up on its own to respond to Hayato.
Hayato even felt that perhaps the world map in the Memory World only consisted of Egypt. The Americas hadn't even been discovered three thousand years ago, so it was fundamentally impossible for them to exist in a Pharaoh's memory.
"Ah, this is really troublesome. If only someone could help me awaken card spirits," Hayato said dramatically, glancing at the phantom that had gathered in the Room, refracted as starlight through the existence of the Duel Arena. "What kind of cool spirit could possess such powerful power?"
"Although I don't understand humans very well, Contractor, are you making a request to Us?"
The aggregate of starlight that had gathered and taken form—【Drytron Alpha Thuban】, whose appearance was much smaller and more compact than its normal size, only the size of Hayato's palm—spoke up, floating in the air in front of Hayato, supported by dots of stardust. "Are you requesting Us to provide power to the other existences around you that have not yet awakened?"
"The contract between Us and you is an existence that even time cannot wear and tear. There is no need for such a thing. Our existence alone is enough. None of the other existences around you will be Our opponent."
Although 【Drytron Alpha Thuban】 didn't speak out loud, it transmitted its thought directly into Hayato's head via telepathy, and even made Hayato feel its proud breath.
"I understand the principle, but little dragon, you don't want to have to appear every time you encounter some Small Fry in the future, right?"
Ignoring 【Drytron Alpha Thuban】's resistant appearance, Hayato grabbed it in his hand and began to rub it. His fingers slid over its wings, tail, and other parts, feeling the unique coolness of the metal material and the rich engraved detail on its surface. As someone who used to be a model enthusiast, Hayato had long wanted a 【Drytron】 model to play with.
"Ugh! Let, let Us go, Contractor!"
"Our joints are getting wet!"
【Drytron Alpha Thuban】, which had always maintained a large size, never expected Hayato to be interested in its miniature version. It struggled with considerable resistance, but in its current state, it fundamentally couldn't resist Hayato's playing. After being played with for a while, 【Drytron Alpha Thuban】 pleaded, "We, We understand. According to the contract, We will help you, Contractor, awaken other cards!"
Afraid that Hayato would continue to play with it, 【Drytron Alpha Thuban】 quickly flew up the moment Hayato stopped moving. It shot a beam of starlight at Hayato, which entered the Duel Arena beside the wooden barrel. Through it, the starlight was converted to provide power to Hayato's card spirits, while it itself turned around and disappeared without a trace.
"Huh? He just got away like that?" Looking at the remaining dots of stardust beside the wooden barrel, Hayato said with some regret, "I was thinking of doing a 'Yoshi Yoshi Yoshi Yoshi' for the first time in a while. Forget it, there'll be a chance sooner or later. Let's see what 【Drytron Alpha Thuban】 did first."
Standing up from the wooden barrel, Hayato's abdominal muscles emerged from the water. His muscular yet well-proportioned stats made it hard for Hayato to believe even now that this boy named "Meriamun" was really only eight years old. After drying himself off, Hayato picked up the Duel Arena placed nearby and put it on.
A familiar power came from the Duel Arena. A laser beam shot out from a yellow energy bar on the Duel Arena, rapidly printing a card in mid-air like laser engraving!
Reaching out his hand, Hayato took the card. He flipped it over and saw a familiar existence.
It was none other than The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode!
This was simply an unexpected surprise. Hayato had not included the Three Egyptian Gods, which he had lent to Yugi before and which were responsible for protecting the Pharaoh in this era, in the list of spirits that could possibly be awakened. He never expected that under the power of 【Drytron】, Ra would return to his side.
Although, it wasn't in the normal form of The Winged Dragon of Ra.
"Ying ying ying~" For some reason, although The Winged Dragon of Ra always had a rather aloof and dignified appearance in front of others, every time it appeared in front of Hayato, it cried out as if it was trying to be cute, purely a crying monster.
Hayato was quite happy to see The Winged Dragon of Ra, but at the same time, he was also a little disappointed. While The Winged Dragon of Ra was strong, it was one of the battle power that already existed. Fundamentally, it made little difference whether it was with Yugi or with Hayato; the card spirit awakening felt like nothing.
"Ying?" The Winged Dragon of Ra called out with some confusion. Although Hayato didn't say it explicitly, it also felt the slight disappointment in Hayato's heart. After a brief pondering, it called out again, and the card lit up with light. "Ying ying ying ying ying ying, ying ying ying (Everyone look at me, I have an announcement)!"
Following The Winged Dragon of Ra's call, Hayato looked at the card again. Golden light entered Hayato's eye. Hayato remembered that he seemed to have seen such light before, perhaps before the finals of Battle City.
The light dispersed, but the one The Winged Dragon of Ra card that Hayato had in his hand instantly increased to three. In addition to The Winged Dragon of Ra and The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode, there was also an extra card printed with an undying bird engulfed in blazing fire, which was the third form of The Winged Dragon of Ra that Hayato knew—The Winged Dragon of Ra - Immortal Phoenix!
Not only that, the moment Hayato assembled all three forms of The Winged Dragon of Ra, a beam of light shot out from Hayato's hand and extended towards the sky. The light beam manifested in the night sky, suddenly dispersing a large portion of the dark clouds in the sky, revealing a section of a golden four-sided pyramid!
"Is that... an inverted Pyramid?" Looking out the window, Hayato said to himself with some surprise.
Meanwhile, far away in the Royal Palace, Dark Yugi also noticed the huge golden four-sided pyramid in the sky. With years of contact, he was more familiar with what it was than Hayato. "Why, the Millennium Puzzle...?!"
Dark Yugi had lived in the Millennium Puzzle for so many years, so he naturally wouldn't mistake it. Because its volume was magnified so many times, Dark Yugi was able to see the engraved detail on it clearly from the Royal Palace on the Ground from a long distance. Comparing it with the Millennium Puzzle hanging around his neck at that moment, he was even more confirmed that it was absolutely the Millennium Puzzle.
But what was going on? How could there be a second Millennium Puzzle hanging in the air?
Mana, who was beside Dark Yugi, looked at Yugi's puzzled and confused expression and asked with some confusion, "What's wrong, Prince?"
"Mana, how many times have I told you, this is disrespect to the Pharaoh!"
"Oh, you're too rigid, Master!" Mana quipped at Mahad, then asked Dark Yugi again, "Prince, the expression on your face is like someone living in the Desert who can only survive on an Oasis suddenly seeing the Nile River. You look so confused and shocked. What's wrong?"
Hearing Mana's words, Dark Yugi couldn't help but look at her and Mahad and say, "Confused or something, can't you see it there, Mahad, Mana? Right there in the Sky, the Millennium Puzzle is extending from the cloud layer."
"Huh?" Hearing this, Mana looked in the direction Dark Yugi was pointing, but in her eye, she could only see the sky where the starlight was obscured by sparse clouds. She couldn't see anything else at all. "But Prince, there's nothing there at all."
"It is the same for me. I could not see the sight of the Millennium Puzzle appearing in the air that you spoke of, Pharaoh," Mahad said, indicating that he, like Mana, couldn't see anything.
This made Yugi feel a little strange. Could it be that he was seeing the legendary "Mirage"? That didn't seem right either. Although Dark Yugi had heard that mirages could appear late at night, the conditions in Ancient Egypt clearly didn't fit the possibility. Besides, Dark Yugi had repeatedly confirmed it several times and hadn't found any flaw in the Millennium Puzzle in the Sky.
He believed that he shouldn't have been mistaken. In that case, perhaps he should change his approach. It wasn't that only he was mistaken; rather, only he, who came from the Outside World and did not belong to the Memory World, saw correctly. He saw the true sky that people in the Memory World like Mahad and Mana could not see.
Specifically, perhaps he could go find Hayato tomorrow to verify it. Anyway, he should have plenty of time in this Memory World, and because of the attack by Bakura—oh, he's called Bakura now—'s Subordinate today, he also had a very sufficient reason to leave the Royal Palace.
After all, the people suffered heavy losses due to the attack by the dynasty's enemy. As the Pharaoh, it was no problem at all for Dark Yugi to leave the Royal Palace to visit the people in various places and check on their situation. Incidentally, he could also launch a pursuit of Bakura.
Although the current Dark Yugi didn't have a clear goal of what he was supposed to do in this Memory World, and he didn't know why his past self three thousand years ago lost the "name" that was highly valued by the Ancient Egyptians and became the Nameless Pharaoh, he at least knew one thing: defeating Bakura was the right thing to do.
"Perhaps I was mistaken. It's nothing, Mahad, Mana." Suppressing the plan in his heart, Dark Yugi said casually. Then, as if remembering something, he asked Mana, "Oh right, Mana, did you and Mahad know me before I ascended as Pharaoh?"
"Hmm? Why are you asking that, Prince? Master and I have always been your playmates. We've been by your side since childhood, so of course we know you."
Mana paused, then leaned closer to Dark Yugi and said, "We practiced martial arts and learned magic together, and Master was very strict with you back then, not just me. If you did something wrong, he would swing his stick and hit you, shouting that this is what a true magician is like. Have you forgotten these things, Prince?"
Looking at Mahad and Mana in front of him, the figures of Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl appeared before his eye and overlapped with the two of them.
No, no, it must be an illusion. Although this was not Reality but the Memory World, Mana and Mahad in front of him were also living humans. How could they turn into card spirits?
Immediately, Dark Yugi denied his conjecture. But when he came back to his senses, he found that Mana's face was very close to his, and she was staring at him with bright big eyes, having just come back to his senses.
"That's too strange, Prince. We've only been apart for less than a day, but why do I feel like you've become a completely different person? It's so strange!"
There was nothing Dark Yugi could do about Mana getting closer and closer, and he couldn't say that he actually had no memory of three thousand years ago. Fortunately, at this moment, Mahad spoke up, "This is disrespect, Mana! The Prince is already the Pharaoh. He bears the responsibility not just for himself, but for all the subjects of the entire country. You cannot treat him with the same attitude as before!"
Unexpectedly, upon hearing Mahad's reprimand, Mana smiled slyly and said playfully, "Hehe, Master, you just said 'Prince', right?"
"Uh..." Mahad was speechless upon hearing this. He hadn't expected that he would accidentally, subconsciously, use the old title for the Pharaoh. This was disrespect! For a moment, he didn't know what stance he should take to continue lecturing Mana.
But Mahad didn't continue to scold Mana. Seeing Dark Yugi's relieved expression, Mana felt a little disappointed, because she knew that Mahad was actually right. The Prince who was her Childhood Friend had, upon ascending as Pharaoh, taken on a heavy mission and could no longer be treated as before.
"Prince, are you bothered by my title for you?"
Mana, who had misunderstood Dark Yugi's expression, took a deep breath and apologized, "Sorry, now, I should call you Pharaoh, right...?"
Yes, the dignified and great Pharaoh, the Pharaoh who cannot be angered or disobeyed, the agent of God on Earth, and the Pharaoh for whom she could only bury her feelings deep in her heart and could not convey them...
Thinking of this, Mana's mood couldn't help but become a little low. Dark Yugi noticed Mana's expression, was stunned for a moment, and then smiled at her and said, "No, it's alright, Mana. From now on, you can continue to call me Prince."
"Huh? Really!" Hearing Dark Yugi's words, Mana showed a disbelief expression, and then happily hugged Dark Yugi again, even wrapping her legs around Dark Yugi's body. "Oh oh oh! My mood right now has soared tenfold!"
"Get off the Pharaoh, Mana! This is disrespect!"
"No way, I got the exclusive title of Prince, Master! You're purely jealous of me, right? I've always wanted to see that jealous expression on your face, hahahaha!"
After saving Nefertari, Hayato didn't return to the Royal Palace with the two priests, Shada and Karim, who arrived later to carry Aknadin away. For one, while the two priests were loyal to the Pharaoh, they were quite wary of Hayato, this newcomer. Hayato knew that if he went back to the Royal Palace to find Yugi, he'd likely have to keep facing those looks, and he had no interest in being uncomfortable.
Also, although Nefertari seemed carefree, Hayato thought that since she had just escaped danger, it would be better for her to go home and rest.
"Going home or something..."
Along the way, Nefertari was hesitant and wouldn't walk ahead. It was a good thing Hayato had specifically memorized the route from the Royal Palace to what was likely his home when he went out today; otherwise, he might have gotten lost. When they arrived at Hayato's, or rather, "Meriamun's" house, Nefertari suddenly had an idea.
"Oh, right, Meriamun, you haven't eaten much today, have you? I can't go home right now, I have to make you something to eat."
Saying this, Nefertari's hesitant expression from before vanished. She skillfully opened Hayato's door and walked in.
Hayato wanted to tell Nefertari that he'd actually eaten quite a bit of decent food when he got lost near the Kitchen in the Royal Palace. Aside from the bread that made him want to Rant, everything else suited his taste, and he was quite full. However, seeing the young girl's lively and cheerful appearance, Hayato just let her have her way.
Even though it was Hayato's home, Hayato was far less familiar with the environment than Nefertari. Having sweated a lot throughout the day, he still needed the young girl's guidance to find the washroom with his change of clothes.
Although the general impression of Egypt in the world seems to be mostly desert, and it's true that a considerable area of Egypt is desert, people aren't foolish. They wouldn't be so silly as to not use an oasis they could rely on and instead insist on venturing into the desert.
Relying on the existence of the Nile River, the Ancient Egyptian people actually had no shortage of water to use. What's more, due to the Nile River's occasional flooding and receding, some historians even described the life of the Ancient Egyptians like this: "After the flooding Nile River recedes, the farmland near the riverbanks fundamentally doesn't need irrigation. You just need to scatter the seeds and then drive pigs to trample in the muddy ground, and you can wait for the harvest next year."
Although there might be some exaggeration, this description is based on real history. It is also because of this that the Ancient Egyptians, who did not suffer from famine, had so much energy to build various magnificent buildings. After all, if your stomach isn't even full, who would be interested in building something like a Pyramid?
However, it's not entirely true to say that the Ancient Egyptians built Pyramids, Sphinxes, and other buildings purely out of boredom to vent their energy after eating their fill. Actually, many Pharaohs built various buildings more to promote their great achievements and illustrious Authority/Dignity, and some Pharaohs even built them frantically out of interest.
For example, one of the most famous Pharaohs in all of Ancient Egypt, a Pharaoh whose lifespan was among the best even when the scope is expanded to the entire world, Ramesses II.
Speaking of which, he remembered being invited by Ishizu to accompany Yugi to the Egyptian Artifact Traveling Exhibition Hall in Domino City to see the Stone Tablet of Memories, which was still there at the time. He also happened to see the Mummy of Ramesses II, which was also on display.
However, although the era of that Pharaoh was quite close to the time the Memory World is currently in, there was still a gap of several decades. When the Nameless Pharaoh ascended the throne, that Pharaoh hadn't even been born yet.
Submerging his body in a wooden barrel filled with water, Hayato's thoughts wandered as he examined the Duel Arena he'd picked up... well, found in the Royal Palace.
The appearance of the Duel Arena was very similar to the Golden Duel Disk he had seen among the Tomb Keepers before, with hardly any gap. It could basically be confirmed that the later Duel Disk evolved from this Duel Arena. He wondered where Kaiba got the inspiration from and if he paid anyone a copyright fee.
Unlike Dark Yugi, who received special guidance on how to use the Duel Arena from Priest Shimon, Hayato had only learned a little operation by observing Mahad and Bakura's battle before, and being able to summon 【Drytron】 was entirely due to luck and intuition.
Although Ritual Monsters were supposed to require a special Ritual Summon to descent, it seems like, as Hayato had explained to Bakura before, the change in time caused the Starry Sky to shift position. The power of the Cyber Dragon Constellation was stronger than it would be three thousand years later. Although not as strong as a thousand years prior, this power also allowed 【Drytron】 to bypass the ritual's restriction and be summoned directly.
As for the specific principle, Hayato didn't know much. It was probably that the change in the position of the celestial body made the power easier to transmit to Earth, no longer requiring a ritual to boost it or something. As for Duel Monsters, there's no need to understand everything so clearly.
However, although it was free from the ritual's restriction, 【Drytron】's own power didn't change much. It still maintained the same skill level as three thousand years later, which translates to stats of 4000 ATK/DEF, the same as Obelisk the Tormentor. Although it could be considered quite powerful, it was still somewhat insufficient if the opponent was Bakura's 【Diabound】.
Although the plot of the Millennium World arc was somewhat vague due to the long passage of time and he couldn't remember it clearly, Hayato still remembered that the monster 【Diabound】 did indeed have the ability to grow infinitely, just as Bakura said. Each time it was defeated by a new powerful monster, it would become stronger.
So, even though Dark Yugi and Hayato had managed to team up and force Bakura and 【Diabound】 into a retreat before, and Hayato alone could even use two 【Drytron】 of comparable power to force Bakura into nothing but fleeing for his life, if 【Diabound】 were to gain even a slight bit of growth, the situation would instead reverse, leaving Hayato and Dark Yugi with no way to deal with 【Diabound】.
At most, they could use the remaining two of the Three Egyptian Gods, Osiris and Ra, to defeat 【Diabound】 at most twice. But that would instead become a catalyzer to boost its power and make it stronger. After that, they would be completely helpless against 【Diabound】.
Therefore, Hayato felt that even if it was just a little bit, he had to find a way to awaken more spirits to assist in battle, such as 【Vela Cocha Rasca】, which might have a miraculous effect.
However, Hayato was only able to awaken the 【Drytron】 spirit before because the Cyber Dragon Constellation in the Starry Sky was still shining even three thousand years ago. Crossing three thousand years ago, many card spirits had fundamentally not even been born yet, let alone been awakened. As for the Earthbound Immortals card, Hayato had accidentally obtained it in the Virtual World created by KaibaCorp before.
Although the Earthbound Immortals have existed for as long as five thousand years, in the present of three thousand years ago, 【Vela Cocha Rasca】 should still be slumbering on the Nazca Plain in South America along with the other Earthbound Immortals. That's a long way from Egypt, where Hayato is currently located, so he fundamentally couldn't count on it waking up on its own to respond to Hayato.
Hayato even felt that perhaps the world map in the Memory World only consisted of Egypt. The Americas hadn't even been discovered three thousand years ago, so it was fundamentally impossible for them to exist in a Pharaoh's memory.
"Ah, this is really troublesome. If only someone could help me awaken card spirits," Hayato said dramatically, glancing at the phantom that had gathered in the Room, refracted as starlight through the existence of the Duel Arena. "What kind of cool spirit could possess such powerful power?"
"Although I don't understand humans very well, Contractor, are you making a request to Us?"
The aggregate of starlight that had gathered and taken form—【Drytron Alpha Thuban】, whose appearance was much smaller and more compact than its normal size, only the size of Hayato's palm—spoke up, floating in the air in front of Hayato, supported by dots of stardust. "Are you requesting Us to provide power to the other existences around you that have not yet awakened?"
"The contract between Us and you is an existence that even time cannot wear and tear. There is no need for such a thing. Our existence alone is enough. None of the other existences around you will be Our opponent."
Although 【Drytron Alpha Thuban】 didn't speak out loud, it transmitted its thought directly into Hayato's head via telepathy, and even made Hayato feel its proud breath.
"I understand the principle, but little dragon, you don't want to have to appear every time you encounter some Small Fry in the future, right?"
Ignoring 【Drytron Alpha Thuban】's resistant appearance, Hayato grabbed it in his hand and began to rub it. His fingers slid over its wings, tail, and other parts, feeling the unique coolness of the metal material and the rich engraved detail on its surface. As someone who used to be a model enthusiast, Hayato had long wanted a 【Drytron】 model to play with.
"Ugh! Let, let Us go, Contractor!"
"Our joints are getting wet!"
【Drytron Alpha Thuban】, which had always maintained a large size, never expected Hayato to be interested in its miniature version. It struggled with considerable resistance, but in its current state, it fundamentally couldn't resist Hayato's playing. After being played with for a while, 【Drytron Alpha Thuban】 pleaded, "We, We understand. According to the contract, We will help you, Contractor, awaken other cards!"
Afraid that Hayato would continue to play with it, 【Drytron Alpha Thuban】 quickly flew up the moment Hayato stopped moving. It shot a beam of starlight at Hayato, which entered the Duel Arena beside the wooden barrel. Through it, the starlight was converted to provide power to Hayato's card spirits, while it itself turned around and disappeared without a trace.
"Huh? He just got away like that?" Looking at the remaining dots of stardust beside the wooden barrel, Hayato said with some regret, "I was thinking of doing a 'Yoshi Yoshi Yoshi Yoshi' for the first time in a while. Forget it, there'll be a chance sooner or later. Let's see what 【Drytron Alpha Thuban】 did first."
Standing up from the wooden barrel, Hayato's abdominal muscles emerged from the water. His muscular yet well-proportioned stats made it hard for Hayato to believe even now that this boy named "Meriamun" was really only eight years old. After drying himself off, Hayato picked up the Duel Arena placed nearby and put it on.
A familiar power came from the Duel Arena. A laser beam shot out from a yellow energy bar on the Duel Arena, rapidly printing a card in mid-air like laser engraving!
Reaching out his hand, Hayato took the card. He flipped it over and saw a familiar existence.
It was none other than The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode!
This was simply an unexpected surprise. Hayato had not included the Three Egyptian Gods, which he had lent to Yugi before and which were responsible for protecting the Pharaoh in this era, in the list of spirits that could possibly be awakened. He never expected that under the power of 【Drytron】, Ra would return to his side.
Although, it wasn't in the normal form of The Winged Dragon of Ra.
"Ying ying ying~" For some reason, although The Winged Dragon of Ra always had a rather aloof and dignified appearance in front of others, every time it appeared in front of Hayato, it cried out as if it was trying to be cute, purely a crying monster.
Hayato was quite happy to see The Winged Dragon of Ra, but at the same time, he was also a little disappointed. While The Winged Dragon of Ra was strong, it was one of the battle power that already existed. Fundamentally, it made little difference whether it was with Yugi or with Hayato; the card spirit awakening felt like nothing.
"Ying?" The Winged Dragon of Ra called out with some confusion. Although Hayato didn't say it explicitly, it also felt the slight disappointment in Hayato's heart. After a brief pondering, it called out again, and the card lit up with light. "Ying ying ying ying ying ying, ying ying ying (Everyone look at me, I have an announcement)!"
Following The Winged Dragon of Ra's call, Hayato looked at the card again. Golden light entered Hayato's eye. Hayato remembered that he seemed to have seen such light before, perhaps before the finals of Battle City.
The light dispersed, but the one The Winged Dragon of Ra card that Hayato had in his hand instantly increased to three. In addition to The Winged Dragon of Ra and The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode, there was also an extra card printed with an undying bird engulfed in blazing fire, which was the third form of The Winged Dragon of Ra that Hayato knew—The Winged Dragon of Ra - Immortal Phoenix!
Not only that, the moment Hayato assembled all three forms of The Winged Dragon of Ra, a beam of light shot out from Hayato's hand and extended towards the sky. The light beam manifested in the night sky, suddenly dispersing a large portion of the dark clouds in the sky, revealing a section of a golden four-sided pyramid!
"Is that... an inverted Pyramid?" Looking out the window, Hayato said to himself with some surprise.
Meanwhile, far away in the Royal Palace, Dark Yugi also noticed the huge golden four-sided pyramid in the sky. With years of contact, he was more familiar with what it was than Hayato. "Why, the Millennium Puzzle...?!"
Dark Yugi had lived in the Millennium Puzzle for so many years, so he naturally wouldn't mistake it. Because its volume was magnified so many times, Dark Yugi was able to see the engraved detail on it clearly from the Royal Palace on the Ground from a long distance. Comparing it with the Millennium Puzzle hanging around his neck at that moment, he was even more confirmed that it was absolutely the Millennium Puzzle.
But what was going on? How could there be a second Millennium Puzzle hanging in the air?
Mana, who was beside Dark Yugi, looked at Yugi's puzzled and confused expression and asked with some confusion, "What's wrong, Prince?"
"Mana, how many times have I told you, this is disrespect to the Pharaoh!"
"Oh, you're too rigid, Master!" Mana quipped at Mahad, then asked Dark Yugi again, "Prince, the expression on your face is like someone living in the Desert who can only survive on an Oasis suddenly seeing the Nile River. You look so confused and shocked. What's wrong?"
Hearing Mana's words, Dark Yugi couldn't help but look at her and Mahad and say, "Confused or something, can't you see it there, Mahad, Mana? Right there in the Sky, the Millennium Puzzle is extending from the cloud layer."
"Huh?" Hearing this, Mana looked in the direction Dark Yugi was pointing, but in her eye, she could only see the sky where the starlight was obscured by sparse clouds. She couldn't see anything else at all. "But Prince, there's nothing there at all."
"It is the same for me. I could not see the sight of the Millennium Puzzle appearing in the air that you spoke of, Pharaoh," Mahad said, indicating that he, like Mana, couldn't see anything.
This made Yugi feel a little strange. Could it be that he was seeing the legendary "Mirage"? That didn't seem right either. Although Dark Yugi had heard that mirages could appear late at night, the conditions in Ancient Egypt clearly didn't fit the possibility. Besides, Dark Yugi had repeatedly confirmed it several times and hadn't found any flaw in the Millennium Puzzle in the Sky.
He believed that he shouldn't have been mistaken. In that case, perhaps he should change his approach. It wasn't that only he was mistaken; rather, only he, who came from the Outside World and did not belong to the Memory World, saw correctly. He saw the true sky that people in the Memory World like Mahad and Mana could not see.
Specifically, perhaps he could go find Hayato tomorrow to verify it. Anyway, he should have plenty of time in this Memory World, and because of the attack by Bakura—oh, he's called Bakura now—'s Subordinate today, he also had a very sufficient reason to leave the Royal Palace.
After all, the people suffered heavy losses due to the attack by the dynasty's enemy. As the Pharaoh, it was no problem at all for Dark Yugi to leave the Royal Palace to visit the people in various places and check on their situation. Incidentally, he could also launch a pursuit of Bakura.
Although the current Dark Yugi didn't have a clear goal of what he was supposed to do in this Memory World, and he didn't know why his past self three thousand years ago lost the "name" that was highly valued by the Ancient Egyptians and became the Nameless Pharaoh, he at least knew one thing: defeating Bakura was the right thing to do.
"Perhaps I was mistaken. It's nothing, Mahad, Mana." Suppressing the plan in his heart, Dark Yugi said casually. Then, as if remembering something, he asked Mana, "Oh right, Mana, did you and Mahad know me before I ascended as Pharaoh?"
"Hmm? Why are you asking that, Prince? Master and I have always been your playmates. We've been by your side since childhood, so of course we know you."
Mana paused, then leaned closer to Dark Yugi and said, "We practiced martial arts and learned magic together, and Master was very strict with you back then, not just me. If you did something wrong, he would swing his stick and hit you, shouting that this is what a true magician is like. Have you forgotten these things, Prince?"
Looking at Mahad and Mana in front of him, the figures of Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl appeared before his eye and overlapped with the two of them.
No, no, it must be an illusion. Although this was not Reality but the Memory World, Mana and Mahad in front of him were also living humans. How could they turn into card spirits?
Immediately, Dark Yugi denied his conjecture. But when he came back to his senses, he found that Mana's face was very close to his, and she was staring at him with bright big eyes, having just come back to his senses.
"That's too strange, Prince. We've only been apart for less than a day, but why do I feel like you've become a completely different person? It's so strange!"
There was nothing Dark Yugi could do about Mana getting closer and closer, and he couldn't say that he actually had no memory of three thousand years ago. Fortunately, at this moment, Mahad spoke up, "This is disrespect, Mana! The Prince is already the Pharaoh. He bears the responsibility not just for himself, but for all the subjects of the entire country. You cannot treat him with the same attitude as before!"
Unexpectedly, upon hearing Mahad's reprimand, Mana smiled slyly and said playfully, "Hehe, Master, you just said 'Prince', right?"
"Uh..." Mahad was speechless upon hearing this. He hadn't expected that he would accidentally, subconsciously, use the old title for the Pharaoh. This was disrespect! For a moment, he didn't know what stance he should take to continue lecturing Mana.
But Mahad didn't continue to scold Mana. Seeing Dark Yugi's relieved expression, Mana felt a little disappointed, because she knew that Mahad was actually right. The Prince who was her Childhood Friend had, upon ascending as Pharaoh, taken on a heavy mission and could no longer be treated as before.
"Prince, are you bothered by my title for you?"
Mana, who had misunderstood Dark Yugi's expression, took a deep breath and apologized, "Sorry, now, I should call you Pharaoh, right...?"
Yes, the dignified and great Pharaoh, the Pharaoh who cannot be angered or disobeyed, the agent of God on Earth, and the Pharaoh for whom she could only bury her feelings deep in her heart and could not convey them...
Thinking of this, Mana's mood couldn't help but become a little low. Dark Yugi noticed Mana's expression, was stunned for a moment, and then smiled at her and said, "No, it's alright, Mana. From now on, you can continue to call me Prince."
"Huh? Really!" Hearing Dark Yugi's words, Mana showed a disbelief expression, and then happily hugged Dark Yugi again, even wrapping her legs around Dark Yugi's body. "Oh oh oh! My mood right now has soared tenfold!"
"Get off the Pharaoh, Mana! This is disrespect!"
"No way, I got the exclusive title of Prince, Master! You're purely jealous of me, right? I've always wanted to see that jealous expression on your face, hahahaha!"
