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Chapter 731: Priests' Quarrel
"Pharaoh, Lord Mahad's Tablet has been properly placed in your Temple." The Guard paused, then added, "Furthermore, Lord Mahad's Tablet has also been transferred within the Stone Tablet Temple corresponding to the Millennium Puzzle. However, the Tablet corresponding to the **Illusion Magician** within it has been damaged."
In the Great Hall of the Royal Palace, listening to a Guard's report, Dark Yugi, seated on the Throne, tried hard not to show a lonely expression. He nodded and waved his hand, signaling the Guard could withdraw.
While Mahad and Bakura were battling at the Magician Training Ground, which was disguised as King Aknamkanon's Tomb, a strong radiance erupted from Mahad's Stone Tablet Temple within the Temple near the Royal Palace, attracting the attention of Dark Yugi, who was in the Royal Palace at the time. When he arrived there, he discovered that Mana had also appeared.
Learning that Mana had sensed Mahad was in danger through a dream, Dark Yugi immediately gave the order to the Soldiers Mahad had instructed to guard the Temple to let them pass. After entering the Temple, the two immediately saw the glowing **Illusion Magician**, realizing that Mahad had summoned this Millennium Stone Spirit and was currently in battle.
Mahad was clearly tasked with placing King Aknamkanon's Mummy in the Previous Pharaoh's Tomb and setting up the surrounding barrier. There was no reason for him to need to summon a Millennium Stone Spirit. Dark Yugi immediately deduced that Mahad must have encountered danger. He instantly summoned all the Priests except for Aknadin, who was still unconscious, and ordered them to immediately lead Troops out of the City to support Mahad.
After giving the order, there was no time to wait for the other Priests. Dark Yugi and Mana went ahead first. Through the commotion of Mahad and Bakura's battle at the time, he knew that Mahad had not gone to Necrovalley, where King Aknamkanon's Tomb was located, but had instead lured Bakura to the Magician Training Ground.
Although Dark Yugi's current body also seemed quite brave and skilled in battle, and working with Mana's magic, they were practically mowing down Bakura's Subordinates who were blocking their path. However, Bakura seemed to have escalated things after last time, giving his Subordinates even stronger dark power, making them almost impossible to kill. Furthermore, it was already too late at that time; Mahad and Bakura's battle was essentially reaching its conclusion.
In the instant before Mahad was about to die, when he performed Fusion with the **Illusion Magician**, the Tablet of the **Illusion Magician** within the Stone Tablet Temple corresponding to the Millennium Puzzle completely shattered. Mana, Dark Yugi, Isis, Seto, Karim, Shada, and the others who possessed Millennium Items all felt it in their hearts.
Although they did not directly witness it, everyone simultaneously felt that their Companion, Mahad, was no longer in the human world.
As dawn arrived, the rising sun dispelled the darkness and cast sunshine upon the Earth once more. A blank Tablet, originally intended to replace one in King Aknamkanon's Tomb, slid down from the mountain following the explosion caused Underground by Mahad's fusion with the **Illusion Magician** into the **Dark Magician**, and stood upright on the Earth.
Radiance illuminated the Tablet, and etched upon it was the figure of Mahad, clad in a mage robe and holding a staff.
Standing beside Dark Yugi, Priest Shimon, perhaps due to his age, couldn't help but feel deeply saddened despite having witnessed much separation and death. He showed a sorrowful expression, saying, "Priest Mahad, he sacrificed his life to resist the Dynasty's enemy."
Before the Throne, the other Priests also wore solemn expressions. Priest Seto, holding the Millennium Rod, did not express his usual disdain for Mahad. Instead, he said with an angry expression, "That idiot Mahad, I reminded that guy repeatedly not to act recklessly on his own!"
"Even if he had to escape, it would have been fine. If he encountered danger, he should have just called for help. But that guy completely ignored my words and insisted on facing the enemy alone. He was too immature, which is why he sacrificed in vain. It's truly—"
It seemed like Priest Seto was complaining about the sacrificed Mahad, but the other Priests had witnessed it firsthand yesterday. After receiving the Pharaoh's order, Priest Seto was arguably the first one besides the Pharaoh to leave the City for support. The anxious expression on his face at the time had already fully revealed his true emotions towards Mahad.
Although they were usually one-sided rivals, that didn't mean Seto had never recognized Mahad, who possessed excellent ability that could even suppress him. It was just that this man, even when he regarded someone as a friend, would never express his true emotions.
"Cough, cough, Seto!" To the side, Priest Aknadin weakly raised his hand and patted Seto's shoulder, interrupting him and stopping him from continuing. Although everyone could see that Seto was just an awkward tsundere, not everyone could accept that awkward way of expressing emotions.
After Mahad was sacrificed yesterday, as the owner of the Millennium Eye, Aknadin also perceived Mahad's sacrifice. Unexpectedly, he was freed from the affliction caused by his own Millennium Eye, which had troubled him since the night Bakura attacked the Royal City. The physician was also shocked that his previous diagnosis of "difficult to wake up" had been overturned.
However, although he had regained consciousness, Aknadin had not fully recovered. His previous injuries persisted. At that time, he had fully unleashed the power of the Millennium Eye but was repelled by Bakura, causing the dark magic power within the Millennium Eye to completely lose control and surge throughout Aknadin's body.
Although Aknadin could regain control of these powers using the power of the Millennium Eye, he still needed some time to recuperate his body. Before that, not only could he not use the power of the Millennium Eye again, but he couldn't even summon a Millennium Stone Spirit, and his body remained in a weakened state.
After all, the Millennium Eye was one of the three 'evil' Millennium Items. While Aknadin was using its power, he naturally had to bear the risk of using that power.
Interrupted by Aknadin before he could say more, Seto, who respected the other like a teacher, said nothing further. He calmed his mood slightly and put on a calm expression: "I lost my composure, Lord Aknadin, Pharaoh."
"Mahad's sacrifice is irreversible, but what is more urgent for us in the present is Thief Bakura, who has repeatedly attacked the Dynasty and provoked us." Recalling the humiliation of being defeated by Bakura before, Seto clenched his fist. "Did Mahad succeed in killing his opponent at the cost of his own sacrifice?"
Priest Karim, standing nearby, heard Seto's words and spoke up: "The magic Priest Mahad used at the last was the forbidden secret technique he and I developed together based on the Fusion Power of the Millennium Scale. When a person and a spirit's power fuse into one, it can unleash several times their original power."
"Although it is disrespectful, during the process of the experiment, Priest Mahad and I both believed that power could even surpass the Divine-Beast summoned by the Pharaoh. This point has still not changed, even after personally witnessing the descent of a 'Divine-Beast'."
"But, Priest Karim, you shouldn't have forgotten that the evil monster The Bandit possesses, named **Diabound**, is an existence that can contend with the power of a 'Divine-Beast'." Seto said, looking at Karim. "Now that Mahad's life has been paid as the stakes, we cannot gamble on possibility. We must make an absolute confirmation."
"Even if there's only a one-in-ten-thousand possibility that Thief Bakura escaped from Mahad's hand, it would mean the Millennium Puzzle might have also been taken by the opponent."
He paused, then looked at Dark Yugi on the Throne: "Pharaoh, I hereby request that the Magician Training Ground be excavated to confirm the situation Underground."
Hearing this, Priest Shada, holding the Millennium Key, couldn't help but glance at Seto: "What you say is not entirely without possibility, Priest Seto. Although Priest Mahad has always used his own magic to suppress the Millennium Puzzle, which possesses the most evil power among all the Millennium Items, if that Millennium Item falls into someone else's hands, it might be turned against us."
"The power of the Millennium Puzzle comes from the wisdom of the Aton God, which even Ra needed to use when creating Space. Besides guiding the direction of all things, it also possesses the powerful ability to suppress other Millennium Items and even Millennium Stone Spirits."
He turned his head to look at Dark Yugi on the Throne: "Priest Seto and I share the same view, Pharaoh."
"But," Karim said, looking at Seto and Shada, who were worried about the enemy, "Earlier, we already confirmed the blown-up Magician Training Ground. Even working day and night, or using the power of a Millennium Stone Spirit, it would likely take at least three days and three nights to excavate deep Underground. This is the seal Priest Mahad created against The Bandit with his own life, preventing him from leaving Underground."
Seto gave a cold snort and said, "I believe in Mahad's ability. As someone who has always regarded him as an opponent, I believe in his ability more than anyone. But I don't believe in things like luck. No one can guarantee whether Thief Bakura has some special ability that allows him to leave Underground."
Hearing Seto's words, Karim, feeling he couldn't quite argue against Seto, frowned and directly stated his position to Dark Yugi: "In short, Pharaoh, I disagree with Priest Seto's suggestion. We cannot simply waste the seal Priest Mahad obtained with his sacrifice."
"What Mahad left behind was time! Your idea is what constitutes a wasted sacrifice of his!"
Seeing Seto and Karim below the Throne disagreeing and almost starting to quarrel, Dark Yugi frowned and said, "Enough, be quiet!"
The Pharaoh had spoken. The five Priests before the Throne quickly bowed and knelt on one knee. Although they hadn't vented the emotions in their hearts yet, Seto and Karim could only helplessly close their mouths.
Looking at the Priests below the Throne, Dark Yugi felt quite a headache.
After arriving in the Memory World, he felt like he had never had a moment of peace. First, Bakura attacked the Royal Palace, then he had to deal with his original relationships without any memory. Just when he had finally found a sense of belonging with Mahad and Mana, Mahad died just like that.
Not only that, Dark Yugi, who had some study in psychology in the modern era, even saw something else—since the night Bakura attacked the Royal Palace, he had not only trampled on the face of the Priests and the Pharaoh, but had even torn a rift between the Priests.
With Mahad's death, this rift, which had been deeply buried and undiscovered before, was exposed. Without Mahad suppressing them as the leading figure among the Priests, the Priest Set was almost on the verge of infighting.
At the moment, although Dark Yugi could have Isis and Aknadin also state their views and decide by majority rule, the result of doing so would only be Seto and Shada, or Karim, grudgingly complying if their opinions weren't adopted. This would seemingly suppress the conflict, but would only cause it to erupt in a more intense form in the future.
He looked at Isis and said, "Priest Isis, your Millennium Necklace..."
"I am truly sorry, Pharaoh. Since the night the Royal City was attacked, the Millennium Necklace has only been able to see a murky future." Isis said, kneeling on the ground without raising her head. "After last night, it can only see endless darkness."
Isis's words were not unexpected by Dark Yugi. In the modern era, because Hayato possessed the Millennium Puzzle, he had long known that the Millennium Puzzle had the power to interfere with other Millennium Items, and blocking the Millennium Necklace's future sight was commonplace.
Tapping his finger lightly on the Throne's handrail, Dark Yugi thought for a moment and said, "Because we cannot rule out the possibility that the Millennium Puzzle has fallen into Bakura's hands, the Tablets originally placed in Mahad's Temple have now all been transferred, to prevent Bakura from using Mahad's Millennium Stone Spirits against us."
"Priest Aknadin's body has not yet recovered. Therefore, the task Mahad was originally supposed to complete, returning my father's mummy, will be your responsibility, Isis and Karim. As for Seto and Shada, you two will take over the Royal City's guard duty that Mahad was responsible for before."
"As for excavating the Magician Training Ground, we will discuss it after Priest Isis and Priest Karim have completed their tasks and are free."
Hearing Dark Yugi's order, both Karim and Seto, although somewhat unwilling in their hearts, still accepted. However, Aknadin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he heard the Pharaoh had assigned Seto to the Royal City's guard duty.
Being responsible for guard duty meant Seto would have to bring his troops, who were originally outside, into the Royal City. This kind of complete trust, it was simply—
Without Aknadin himself noticing, a faint light flashed in his left Millennium Eye.
Meanwhile, in an oasis not far from the Magician Training Ground buried Underground, a burned hand struggled to reach out from under the water and rested on a stone by the shore.
"Pharaoh, Lord Mahad's Tablet has been properly placed in your Temple." The Guard paused, then added, "Furthermore, Lord Mahad's Tablet has also been transferred within the Stone Tablet Temple corresponding to the Millennium Puzzle. However, the Tablet corresponding to the **Illusion Magician** within it has been damaged."
In the Great Hall of the Royal Palace, listening to a Guard's report, Dark Yugi, seated on the Throne, tried hard not to show a lonely expression. He nodded and waved his hand, signaling the Guard could withdraw.
While Mahad and Bakura were battling at the Magician Training Ground, which was disguised as King Aknamkanon's Tomb, a strong radiance erupted from Mahad's Stone Tablet Temple within the Temple near the Royal Palace, attracting the attention of Dark Yugi, who was in the Royal Palace at the time. When he arrived there, he discovered that Mana had also appeared.
Learning that Mana had sensed Mahad was in danger through a dream, Dark Yugi immediately gave the order to the Soldiers Mahad had instructed to guard the Temple to let them pass. After entering the Temple, the two immediately saw the glowing **Illusion Magician**, realizing that Mahad had summoned this Millennium Stone Spirit and was currently in battle.
Mahad was clearly tasked with placing King Aknamkanon's Mummy in the Previous Pharaoh's Tomb and setting up the surrounding barrier. There was no reason for him to need to summon a Millennium Stone Spirit. Dark Yugi immediately deduced that Mahad must have encountered danger. He instantly summoned all the Priests except for Aknadin, who was still unconscious, and ordered them to immediately lead Troops out of the City to support Mahad.
After giving the order, there was no time to wait for the other Priests. Dark Yugi and Mana went ahead first. Through the commotion of Mahad and Bakura's battle at the time, he knew that Mahad had not gone to Necrovalley, where King Aknamkanon's Tomb was located, but had instead lured Bakura to the Magician Training Ground.
Although Dark Yugi's current body also seemed quite brave and skilled in battle, and working with Mana's magic, they were practically mowing down Bakura's Subordinates who were blocking their path. However, Bakura seemed to have escalated things after last time, giving his Subordinates even stronger dark power, making them almost impossible to kill. Furthermore, it was already too late at that time; Mahad and Bakura's battle was essentially reaching its conclusion.
In the instant before Mahad was about to die, when he performed Fusion with the **Illusion Magician**, the Tablet of the **Illusion Magician** within the Stone Tablet Temple corresponding to the Millennium Puzzle completely shattered. Mana, Dark Yugi, Isis, Seto, Karim, Shada, and the others who possessed Millennium Items all felt it in their hearts.
Although they did not directly witness it, everyone simultaneously felt that their Companion, Mahad, was no longer in the human world.
As dawn arrived, the rising sun dispelled the darkness and cast sunshine upon the Earth once more. A blank Tablet, originally intended to replace one in King Aknamkanon's Tomb, slid down from the mountain following the explosion caused Underground by Mahad's fusion with the **Illusion Magician** into the **Dark Magician**, and stood upright on the Earth.
Radiance illuminated the Tablet, and etched upon it was the figure of Mahad, clad in a mage robe and holding a staff.
Standing beside Dark Yugi, Priest Shimon, perhaps due to his age, couldn't help but feel deeply saddened despite having witnessed much separation and death. He showed a sorrowful expression, saying, "Priest Mahad, he sacrificed his life to resist the Dynasty's enemy."
Before the Throne, the other Priests also wore solemn expressions. Priest Seto, holding the Millennium Rod, did not express his usual disdain for Mahad. Instead, he said with an angry expression, "That idiot Mahad, I reminded that guy repeatedly not to act recklessly on his own!"
"Even if he had to escape, it would have been fine. If he encountered danger, he should have just called for help. But that guy completely ignored my words and insisted on facing the enemy alone. He was too immature, which is why he sacrificed in vain. It's truly—"
It seemed like Priest Seto was complaining about the sacrificed Mahad, but the other Priests had witnessed it firsthand yesterday. After receiving the Pharaoh's order, Priest Seto was arguably the first one besides the Pharaoh to leave the City for support. The anxious expression on his face at the time had already fully revealed his true emotions towards Mahad.
Although they were usually one-sided rivals, that didn't mean Seto had never recognized Mahad, who possessed excellent ability that could even suppress him. It was just that this man, even when he regarded someone as a friend, would never express his true emotions.
"Cough, cough, Seto!" To the side, Priest Aknadin weakly raised his hand and patted Seto's shoulder, interrupting him and stopping him from continuing. Although everyone could see that Seto was just an awkward tsundere, not everyone could accept that awkward way of expressing emotions.
After Mahad was sacrificed yesterday, as the owner of the Millennium Eye, Aknadin also perceived Mahad's sacrifice. Unexpectedly, he was freed from the affliction caused by his own Millennium Eye, which had troubled him since the night Bakura attacked the Royal City. The physician was also shocked that his previous diagnosis of "difficult to wake up" had been overturned.
However, although he had regained consciousness, Aknadin had not fully recovered. His previous injuries persisted. At that time, he had fully unleashed the power of the Millennium Eye but was repelled by Bakura, causing the dark magic power within the Millennium Eye to completely lose control and surge throughout Aknadin's body.
Although Aknadin could regain control of these powers using the power of the Millennium Eye, he still needed some time to recuperate his body. Before that, not only could he not use the power of the Millennium Eye again, but he couldn't even summon a Millennium Stone Spirit, and his body remained in a weakened state.
After all, the Millennium Eye was one of the three 'evil' Millennium Items. While Aknadin was using its power, he naturally had to bear the risk of using that power.
Interrupted by Aknadin before he could say more, Seto, who respected the other like a teacher, said nothing further. He calmed his mood slightly and put on a calm expression: "I lost my composure, Lord Aknadin, Pharaoh."
"Mahad's sacrifice is irreversible, but what is more urgent for us in the present is Thief Bakura, who has repeatedly attacked the Dynasty and provoked us." Recalling the humiliation of being defeated by Bakura before, Seto clenched his fist. "Did Mahad succeed in killing his opponent at the cost of his own sacrifice?"
Priest Karim, standing nearby, heard Seto's words and spoke up: "The magic Priest Mahad used at the last was the forbidden secret technique he and I developed together based on the Fusion Power of the Millennium Scale. When a person and a spirit's power fuse into one, it can unleash several times their original power."
"Although it is disrespectful, during the process of the experiment, Priest Mahad and I both believed that power could even surpass the Divine-Beast summoned by the Pharaoh. This point has still not changed, even after personally witnessing the descent of a 'Divine-Beast'."
"But, Priest Karim, you shouldn't have forgotten that the evil monster The Bandit possesses, named **Diabound**, is an existence that can contend with the power of a 'Divine-Beast'." Seto said, looking at Karim. "Now that Mahad's life has been paid as the stakes, we cannot gamble on possibility. We must make an absolute confirmation."
"Even if there's only a one-in-ten-thousand possibility that Thief Bakura escaped from Mahad's hand, it would mean the Millennium Puzzle might have also been taken by the opponent."
He paused, then looked at Dark Yugi on the Throne: "Pharaoh, I hereby request that the Magician Training Ground be excavated to confirm the situation Underground."
Hearing this, Priest Shada, holding the Millennium Key, couldn't help but glance at Seto: "What you say is not entirely without possibility, Priest Seto. Although Priest Mahad has always used his own magic to suppress the Millennium Puzzle, which possesses the most evil power among all the Millennium Items, if that Millennium Item falls into someone else's hands, it might be turned against us."
"The power of the Millennium Puzzle comes from the wisdom of the Aton God, which even Ra needed to use when creating Space. Besides guiding the direction of all things, it also possesses the powerful ability to suppress other Millennium Items and even Millennium Stone Spirits."
He turned his head to look at Dark Yugi on the Throne: "Priest Seto and I share the same view, Pharaoh."
"But," Karim said, looking at Seto and Shada, who were worried about the enemy, "Earlier, we already confirmed the blown-up Magician Training Ground. Even working day and night, or using the power of a Millennium Stone Spirit, it would likely take at least three days and three nights to excavate deep Underground. This is the seal Priest Mahad created against The Bandit with his own life, preventing him from leaving Underground."
Seto gave a cold snort and said, "I believe in Mahad's ability. As someone who has always regarded him as an opponent, I believe in his ability more than anyone. But I don't believe in things like luck. No one can guarantee whether Thief Bakura has some special ability that allows him to leave Underground."
Hearing Seto's words, Karim, feeling he couldn't quite argue against Seto, frowned and directly stated his position to Dark Yugi: "In short, Pharaoh, I disagree with Priest Seto's suggestion. We cannot simply waste the seal Priest Mahad obtained with his sacrifice."
"What Mahad left behind was time! Your idea is what constitutes a wasted sacrifice of his!"
Seeing Seto and Karim below the Throne disagreeing and almost starting to quarrel, Dark Yugi frowned and said, "Enough, be quiet!"
The Pharaoh had spoken. The five Priests before the Throne quickly bowed and knelt on one knee. Although they hadn't vented the emotions in their hearts yet, Seto and Karim could only helplessly close their mouths.
Looking at the Priests below the Throne, Dark Yugi felt quite a headache.
After arriving in the Memory World, he felt like he had never had a moment of peace. First, Bakura attacked the Royal Palace, then he had to deal with his original relationships without any memory. Just when he had finally found a sense of belonging with Mahad and Mana, Mahad died just like that.
Not only that, Dark Yugi, who had some study in psychology in the modern era, even saw something else—since the night Bakura attacked the Royal Palace, he had not only trampled on the face of the Priests and the Pharaoh, but had even torn a rift between the Priests.
With Mahad's death, this rift, which had been deeply buried and undiscovered before, was exposed. Without Mahad suppressing them as the leading figure among the Priests, the Priest Set was almost on the verge of infighting.
At the moment, although Dark Yugi could have Isis and Aknadin also state their views and decide by majority rule, the result of doing so would only be Seto and Shada, or Karim, grudgingly complying if their opinions weren't adopted. This would seemingly suppress the conflict, but would only cause it to erupt in a more intense form in the future.
He looked at Isis and said, "Priest Isis, your Millennium Necklace..."
"I am truly sorry, Pharaoh. Since the night the Royal City was attacked, the Millennium Necklace has only been able to see a murky future." Isis said, kneeling on the ground without raising her head. "After last night, it can only see endless darkness."
Isis's words were not unexpected by Dark Yugi. In the modern era, because Hayato possessed the Millennium Puzzle, he had long known that the Millennium Puzzle had the power to interfere with other Millennium Items, and blocking the Millennium Necklace's future sight was commonplace.
Tapping his finger lightly on the Throne's handrail, Dark Yugi thought for a moment and said, "Because we cannot rule out the possibility that the Millennium Puzzle has fallen into Bakura's hands, the Tablets originally placed in Mahad's Temple have now all been transferred, to prevent Bakura from using Mahad's Millennium Stone Spirits against us."
"Priest Aknadin's body has not yet recovered. Therefore, the task Mahad was originally supposed to complete, returning my father's mummy, will be your responsibility, Isis and Karim. As for Seto and Shada, you two will take over the Royal City's guard duty that Mahad was responsible for before."
"As for excavating the Magician Training Ground, we will discuss it after Priest Isis and Priest Karim have completed their tasks and are free."
Hearing Dark Yugi's order, both Karim and Seto, although somewhat unwilling in their hearts, still accepted. However, Aknadin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he heard the Pharaoh had assigned Seto to the Royal City's guard duty.
Being responsible for guard duty meant Seto would have to bring his troops, who were originally outside, into the Royal City. This kind of complete trust, it was simply—
Without Aknadin himself noticing, a faint light flashed in his left Millennium Eye.
Meanwhile, in an oasis not far from the Magician Training Ground buried Underground, a burned hand struggled to reach out from under the water and rested on a stone by the shore.
