Chapter 511: How Dare He Keep Me in Suspense, Unforgivable, Pegasus!
Pegasus found himself appearing in a desert in a daze.
"Where am I?"
The bewildered Pegasus looked around and found that he seemed to be in the center of a desert. Besides the incredibly calm sand dunes under the pitch-black night sky, there was nothing else around. Even the airflow was stagnant here.
However, it couldn't be said that there was "completely nothing else in existence." Following a shadow on the ground not far away, Pegasus looked up into the sky and observed three majestic figures.
The long red dragon named "Osiris," who took over the duty of the Underworld King from Anubis, **Slifer the Sky Dragon**;
The blue giant god named "Obelisk," the symbol of the God of Destruction Seto, **Obelisk the Tormentor**;
And the golden dragon-falcon named "Ra," the Sun God, head of the Ennead, supreme in Egypt, who rises again even after once setting, **The Winged Dragon of Ra**.
"These are the Three Egyptian Gods?"
As the creator of Duel Monsters Cards who personally depicted the "Three Egyptian Gods" from the tablets that recorded them onto cards, and who "slightly" beautified the somewhat awkward tablet designs of the three giant gods, Pegasus naturally wouldn't mistake the three deities.
Even though who knows how much time had passed, Pegasus still felt lingering fear for the tragic deaths of the other creators who made the "Three Egyptian Gods" cards with him back then.
However, while being wary of the Three Egyptian Gods, Pegasus was not only puzzled as to why he appeared in this strange place but also had new doubts.
"I should have been holding the Duel Monsters Convention in Domino City yesterday. After it ended perfectly, I should have safely returned to the Castle on Duel Kingdom Island by aircraft."
"Furthermore, the Three Egyptian Gods shouldn't be here. Aren't they all in Hayato boy's hands?"
However, before Pegasus could figure anything out, the stagnant air around him suddenly began to flow again. Airflow rose from his feet, blowing his silver long hair and simultaneously sending countless golden light points before Pegasus's eyes.
Pegasus looked around in surprise, finding that everywhere his gaze reached, countless tiny light points, like fireflies, rose from the vast and boundless Desert, rushing straight towards the Three Egyptian Gods in the sky!
Although those golden light points looked so sacred, the "Three Egyptian Gods" all let out sounds of pain upon contact with the light points. Clearly, these light points made them quite uncomfortable, and even **The Winged Dragon of Ra**, the highest-ranked among the "Three Egyptian Gods," was no exception.
The God Cards began their respective actions. For a time, lightning, gale, and intense flames filled the space between the golden light points. The "Three Egyptian Gods" attempted to disperse these light points that caused them such discomfort in this manner. However, their effort was completely negated. Not only did the light points not disperse, but they gathered even more as time passed.
To the surprise of Pegasus, who watched with some terrified eyes from the sand dune, he saw the light points gather together to form a four-sided pyramid-like shape, completely sealing the "Three Egyptian Gods" within, and even further condensing into a giant glass pyramid!
On the side of the giant pyramid facing Pegasus, there was a huge golden engraving of the "Eye of Wjat/Udjat." This was not a mark that could be left on just any object. The "Eye of Wjat/Udjat" symbolized "punishment" and was the incarnation of a part of the soul of the former Underworld God "Anubis" in Egyptian Mythology, capable of monitoring the souls in the Underworld and the living beings on the ground.
Even among the precious Millennium Items, not all items were qualified to be inscribed with the complete "Eye of Wjat/Udjat." Only the **Millennium Puzzle** was engraved with the same symbol, and coincidentally, the shape of the **Millennium Puzzle** was exactly the inverse of the glass pyramid before him.
However, compared to the **Millennium Puzzle**, which symbolized "royal authority," the "Eye of Wjat/Udjat" on the pyramid before him gave off a feeling of extreme darkness and strangeness. The pupil position of the "Eye of Wjat/Udjat" was not the usual golden color, but a blood-red filled with evil energy. Just looking at that red circle, Pegasus felt as if his soul was about to be drawn into it!
"Ugh!!" Pegasus woke up abruptly, sitting up in bed, covered in cold sweat from his face to his body, even soaking the pajamas printed with a cute chibi **Relinquished** that he was wearing.
The **Toon Dark Magician Girl** doll he usually loved so much was knocked onto the carpet by his movement of getting up, but Pegasus didn't pick it up immediately. Instead, he sat on the bed, panting heavily, looking completely shaken.
After a long while, Pegasus's vision focused. He got out of bed, picked up the doll that fell onto the ground, placed it by the bedside, and arranged it in a cute pose, but his mouth was still muttering, "What was that dream about..."
While arranging the doll, due to the angle, the light entering the room through the gap in the curtains shone across Pegasus's eye. He glanced towards the window, walked over, and pulled open the curtains, allowing the sunlight to fully pass through the balcony outside the window into the room.
"Is it morning already?" Pegasus pressed his temples slightly, feeling annoyed.
For some reason, even though everything went smoothly yesterday, Pegasus himself had a constant illusion that he had been killed by someone somewhere. Then, after the Duel Monsters Convention ended and he returned to his residence, he had such an uncomfortable nightmare in every aspect.
This feeling was even worse than walking downhill on an icy road with his hands in his pockets in the middle of winter, accidentally falling down before he could take his hands out, and then sliding into the smelly ditch by the roadside.
However, instead of continuing to waste brain power on that annoying dream, Pegasus was now looking at a contrail in the sky that split the clouds, muttering:
"Is that, Kaiba boy?"
Although the aircraft gradually approaching Duel Kingdom Island did not display any identification, Pegasus could determine it was Kaiba just by the shape of the jet plane.
For no other reason than the fact that no one in the world would design the appearance of an aircraft, especially a jet plane, to be completely unrelated to a "streamlined shape" and full of sharp angles like a **Blue-Eyes White Dragon**, just because it looked good. They even added four large output nozzles to the rear of the plane for this, as if to prove that sheer power allows even bricks to fly.
Pegasus felt that he wouldn't be surprised if one day Kaiba sent a **Blue-Eyes White Dragon**-shaped satellite into space using a **Blue-Eyes White Dragon**-shaped rocket, after all, it was Kaiba Seto.
However, Pegasus, who had a nightmare that felt like blacking out from drinking, also recalled that shortly after the Duel Monsters Convention opened yesterday noon, he had sent Kaiba a video email, wanting to make a deal with him.
Also during the Duel Monsters Convention yesterday, Pegasus, who had just arrived at the scene, had just gotten off the helicopter and was looking at the Domino City Commercial Street Central Plaza with hardly anyone there, wondering if he was outdated and had no influence anymore, when Hayato dragged him away to help hypnotize the crowd.
Pegasus now thought that his nightmare might be due to Hayato asking for his help. After losing his **Millennium Eye**, the dark power he could use was not as strong as before, and the nightmare was related to the Three Egyptian Gods that Hayato held.
Then, after he finally finished being busy, Hayato asked him to call people to move and preserve the wreckage that looked like a motorcycle, saying it could be sold for a high price, and also asked Pegasus to find someone to bury the remains that looked like a robot.
Despite being somewhat skeptical of Hayato's words, Pegasus still chose to believe Hayato. Anyway, even if something needed to be done, he didn't need to do it himself when he was already exhausted. As a result, before the Duel Monsters Convention even ended yesterday, Pegasus received good news from his adopted son, Tenma Tsukihiro.
Although neither of the two wreckage pieces was in complete condition, even with the simplest disassembly, they could see that the level of technology contained within surpassed the current world's level by at least several hundred years. The technological level was at least two or three stories high.
Even with the limitations of the basic technology not being fully developed, as long as detailed research could be conducted on them, at least dozens of technologies surpassing the era could be developed.
However, this was limited to the "humanoid" one.
Due to the death of his first love in the past, Pegasus, after establishing Industrial Illusions, primarily focused on Duel Monsters, but also made some achievements in the medical field. Thus, he reached a level where he could barely understand the technology used in the "humanoid." However, they were helpless regarding the "motorcycle."
At most, they could only tell that the "motorcycle"'s power system seemed to be based on a certain substance, but when they attempted reverse engineering experiments, there was no substance existing in nature that responded.
After some hesitation, Pegasus chose to follow Hayato's advice. He did not conduct in-depth research on the "humanoid" but had Tenma Tsukihiro bury it. The "motorcycle" that could not be utilized was the item for Pegasus's deal with Kaiba.
Although researching the "humanoid" seemed to yield greater profit, just as Pegasus reflected and repented after being defeated by Hayato and Yugi back then, he would try his best to atone for his sins in his future life. While he might not be able to do much, he would at least no longer harm others for profit, not even a deceased person.
The jet plane landed in an open space not far from the Castle where Pegasus lived. By the time Kaiba, guided by a servant, met Pegasus, he found the man sitting in the spacious dining room, enjoying breakfast alone at the long table.
Besides Pegasus, even the butler who usually served him in the Castle was not in the dining room. The guiding servant also exited the room immediately after leading Kaiba to Pegasus and closed the dining room's great gate, creating a one-on-one conversation space for the two inside.
"Hmph, you're quite leisurely, Pegasus." Holding a briefcase in his hand, Kaiba looked coldly at Pegasus leisurely cutting a piece of cake and putting it into his mouth. "As you invited, I have come to make a deal with you. I have also agreed to your previous request."
"Unbelievable! Kaiba boy, me started off thinking you wouldn't agree to my outrageous demand. Me even prepared to haggle with you." Pegasus had a smile on his face, a composure about him, showing no sign of his disheveled state when he woke up this morning.
Although Pegasus proposed a deal to Kaiba and also sent Kaiba the preliminary appraisal report of the "motorcycle," he demanded 10% of KaibaCorp's stock held by Kaiba in exchange.
One must know that although the current Kaiba had successfully reclaimed the stock held by The Big Five, he held a total of 70% of KaibaCorp. The remaining stock was 20% held by Keipei and 10% held by other shareholders and retail investors.
To trade 10% of his stock for a scrapped "motorcycle" he hadn't even seen, Pegasus never believed such a deal would be established from the bottom of his heart. He thought Kaiba would definitely cut the price, so he just casually gave an excessively high price.
As a result, Kaiba actually agreed?
Pegasus never thought Kaiba was an idiot. On the contrary, he had always thought highly of Kaiba, who developed the virtual projection system that was incredibly compatible with Duel Monsters. Kaiba agreeing to such a deal seemed very wrong.
However, Pegasus was not in a hurry to talk business. He put down the knife and fork in his hand and extended them towards Kaiba, causing Kaiba, who had been watching Pegasus, to finally notice that there was another untouched cake and clean knife and fork on the dining table.
"Now, don't be in a hurry, and don't be shy. I suppose Kaiba boy, you haven't had breakfast yet either. Me had someone specially prepare it for you."
But Kaiba merely glanced at the cake, uninterested: "I don't really like sweets."
It wasn't a habit like "tough guys don't eat sweets." The main reason was actually that there was nearly half a day's time difference between Domino City, where Kaiba was before, and America, where Pegasus was.
Although Pegasus had just woken up and was eating breakfast, Kaiba had already eaten dinner before setting off, and he ate his favorite foie gras beef tenderloin.
"In that case, it would be a wasted effort. Ah, could you help me get the cherry on the cake? Although it's a bit greedy, me really like cherries."
Kaiba casually pushed the cake with the plate towards Pegasus.
"Thanks~" Pegasus thanked him casually and reached out to pick up the cherry from the plate and put it in his mouth. However, just as Pegasus was about to perform his cherry-eating skill, Kaiba spoke up, interrupting him.
"Let me confirm something with you first, Pegasus. You undoubtedly positioned yourself as the 'creator' of Duel Monsters in the past, right? However, you created the powerful **Three Egyptian Gods** that even you couldn't control." Kaiba looked down at Pegasus sitting in his seat. "Don't you feel even a trace of unwillingness in your heart?"
"Judge with your eye as the Father of Duel Monsters. Does that newly completed Blue-Eyes you mentioned possess power even greater than the deities?"
Upon hearing this, Pegasus sighed helplessly: "As expected, Kaiba boy, you didn't just come for a deal."
"If Kaiba boy, you just came seeking an answer, then me can tell you, the answer is yes. That card, completed based on the data of the **Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon** you gave me, undoubtedly possesses power that surpasses deities, surpasses duels, and even surpasses destiny."
"But, me cannot give Kaiba boy that card now."
Chapter 512: In the World of Duelists, Everything is Decided by Duels
Hearing Pegasus's words, Kaiba's already cold expression turned unfriendly. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Pegasus, who was nonchalantly eating cherries.
"What do you mean you can't give me that card?"
"You said that card was already completed, didn't you, Pegasus?"
Stared down directly by Kaiba's gaze, others might not be able to bear such an aggressive stare, but Pegasus was no ordinary person. He was already as thick-skinned as a castle wall.
Spitting out the cherry pit, Pegasus turned his head to look outside the restaurant. Through the window, Pegasus could overlook the beautiful and harmonious natural scenery on the Island from the Castle.
"The meaning of life shouldn't just be about pursuing power, Kaiba boy." Pegasus said this out of the blue, standing up with a light chuckle. "Stop for a moment and look behind you."
As he spoke, Pegasus also rose from his seat and paced aimlessly around the restaurant.
Behind Pegasus, Kaiba, who hadn't given up easily, followed him and said firmly, "Hmph, my eyes have always only looked to the future; there's no room for the past. Furthermore, what's wrong with pursuing greater power? Are others allowed to become stronger, but I'm not?"
Kaiba's words, however, drew a light chuckle from Pegasus. "Become stronger? Kaiba boy, your goal is to surpass Hayato boy and Yugi-boy, isn't it? As someone whose goal is to become the Duel King, do you perhaps sense that the gap between you and them is growing wider due to the difference in your records?"
"Naturally. After all, since the end of the Duelist Kingdom until now, Kaiba boy, you haven't become stronger in the slightest."
Saying this, Pegasus shook his head with his back to Kaiba and started walking towards the tightly shut gate of the restaurant, seemingly intending to end their conversation there.
However, Kaiba reached out and placed a hand on Pegasus's shoulder, as if to forcibly keep him there.
"You say I haven't become stronger in the slightest?" Kaiba's voice was not calm; it was clear he was suppressing his anger. "What qualification do you, who haven't progressed, have to evaluate me? My Blue-Eyes has already evolved to a completely new level. Do you want to taste my anger?"
Pegasus turned around, looked at Kaiba glaring at him, and sighed helplessly. As he spoke, he reached up and brushed aside the silver hair covering the left side of his face.
"Kaiba boy, you completely don't understand my meaning. Wielding a card's great power requires a matching level of Heart. Your Blue-Eyes has indeed become much stronger, but Kaiba boy, I haven't seen any progress in your Heart."
"If you continue like this, the tragedy your Heart will see is..." Pegasus, revealing where his left eye should be, lowered his hand, and his silver hair once again obscured Kaiba's vision. "This is the dead end that those seduced by power will walk down."
"Tsk..."
Hearing Pegasus say that, Kaiba's intensity weakened slightly. After all, the main reason he was angry was that he thought Pegasus was denying all the growth his Blue-Eyes had achieved so far, which was why he was so vexed.
Now that Pegasus admitted that Blue-Eyes had grown a lot, his anger subsided somewhat. Coupled with Pegasus talking about "Heart" and such, it inevitably made Kaiba waver a little.
But only for a moment, Kaiba still made up his mind. "Even if you say that, I still need that card's power."
"Kaiba boy, the power of the card you need is very dangerous. You are not mature enough yet. At the very least, you need to wait until your Heart has grown to a certain point before I can confirm you have the qualification to be that card's user."
Pegasus was somewhat fed up with Kaiba's stubbornness and shook his head helplessly. He usually wore a prosthetic eye over his left eye, after all, his hair could easily be blown by the wind, and if he scared children at an event, Pegasus would feel bad.
Because he had some guesses about the reason behind Kaiba's overly simple agreement to the deal, Pegasus deliberately didn't wear his prosthetic eye, just to show Kaiba his own ending. Unfortunately, Kaiba was as stubborn as a rock and couldn't be convinced by words at all.
His remaining right eye glanced behind Kaiba, looking at the Card Spirit behind Kaiba, which seemed both awakened and not yet awakened, and at Kaiba, who was completely unaware of the Card Spirit's existence. Pegasus felt some regret.
He actually highly acknowledged Kaiba's Dueling prowess; at least currently, he ranked in the top five in the World. But those stronger than Kaiba, whether it was Hayato, the two Yugis, or the Guardian from America, they were all beings protected by Card Spirits.
If a Duel Monster as powerful as Blue-Eyes successfully achieved an awakening of its Card Spirit, then Kaiba's strength would definitely advance by leaps and bounds. Surpassing that Guardian would be inevitable, and he might even have a chance to surpass Mutou Yuugi.
Unfortunately, it couldn't be changed.
"Qualification? I'll use a Duel to provide the proof!" Kaiba declared loudly.
Seeing that Kaiba's mind was set, Pegasus was also helpless. After all, he had actively asked Kaiba for the data of [青眼究极龙] Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon back then. Now that the other party was coming to claim the stakes, Pegasus couldn't stop Kaiba. The only thing he could do was resist a little with a Duel to show his determination.
Kaiba was led by a waiter Pegasus had called in to the Duel Arena he had used during the Duelist Kingdom. Pegasus, meanwhile, returned to his Room alone. Walking up to the wall directly opposite his bed, Pegasus reached out and twisted the tail of the Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon on the wall. The wall slid open to the side, revealing a very hidden safety deposit box.
From the safety deposit box, Pegasus took out a briefcase. After confirming that there were no signs of it being opened, he didn't bother to look at the cards inside and simply carried it out of the Room. After all, in his opinion, the location of this briefcase was only known to him, so nothing would happen.
Before long, Pegasus, carrying the briefcase, arrived at the Duel Arena. Kaiba had already been waiting there for a long time.
"Still using that ancient Duel Platform, huh." Kaiba placed his briefcase on the table, looking at Pegasus walking towards him. "Truly a Duel System from a distant era. Whatever, it'll be over quickly anyway."
Pegasus walked up to the table and stopped, placing the briefcase on it. "Kaiba boy, the card you need, the one that surpasses the power of a deity, is in this box. If you want to take it, defeat me."
"Hmph, the Ante Rule, is it? Then my bet is the document in this box transferring 10% of KaibaCorp's stock. My name is already signed; it will take effect as soon as you sign yours." Kaiba said with a cold laugh, crossing his arms over his chest. "However, I doubt you'll need it."
After Kaiba and Pegasus confirmed the bet for the Duel, they each took their positions on either side of the Duel Platform and placed their Decks down. Kaiba suddenly seemed to remember something and turned his head to look at the wall behind him, seemingly searching for something. Finding nothing, he turned back to Pegasus. "You haven't used any underhanded methods like before, have you?"
"Hmm?" Pegasus didn't quite understand what Kaiba meant, but Kaiba interpreted it as him playing dumb.
"Hmph, suit yourself. It doesn't matter even if I see through you like before; you won't be able to stop my advance, Pegasus."
As he spoke, Kaiba drew five cards into his Hand. Pegasus also gave a cold smile. "Even if you say that, I still have to try."
"Duel!" x2
[Kaiba: 4000 LP, Hand 5]
[Pegasus: 4000 LP, Hand 5]
"First, it's my turn, draw!" Pegasus, speaking in broken English mixed with Japanese, took the first turn and drew a card. "Let me remind you of your past crushing defeat, Kaiba boy. I Activate the Normal Spell Card, Toon Bookmark! From my Deck, I add to Hand one Toon World or a card with Toon World in its card name, other than Toon Bookmark!"
"My choice is this, Toon World! Then, I Pay 1000 Life Points to Activate it!"
[Pegasus: 4000 → 3000 LP]
As Pegasus paid the Life Points, a fairy tale book with a cover printed with cute pink small animals, clearly a book for tough guys, flew out from the card he placed in the Spell/Trap Zone. It was the undisputed core card of the Toon series, Toon World.
Even Kaiba, who had always been prejudiced against Pegasus, had to slightly acknowledge Pegasus's "fairness" regarding Duel Monsters cards.
At that time, during the Duelist Kingdom, Pegasus's activation of Toon World didn't require any stakes to pay; it only needed 500 LP to pay each turn to maintain. What was excessive was that if Toon World was destroyed, it would even return the paid Life Points.
Because of this Effect, Pegasus was even complained at by Téa and others who were watching at the time, saying the Effect was too cheating.
However, later, Pegasus actually proactively made an adjustment to his card effect, changing Toon World's effect of paying LP each turn to paying 1000 LP upon activation, and also canceling the effect that recovered Life Points after it was destroyed.
"Then, I Set three cards, and I Summon one monster in face-down Defense Position on the Field. Turn End~"
[Pegasus: 3000 LP, Hand 1]
[Set Monster]
[Toon World] [Set Card] x3
Pegasus's Dueling style truly made Kaiba recall the time of the Duelist Kingdom. His style was indeed extremely simple; there was no field setup other than searching for Toon World from the Deck.
Even if you randomly picked a player who qualified for the main tournament during the KC Cup, their field setup would be much more elaborate than Pegasus's.
However, Kaiba also knew that sometimes a simple layout could be more troublesome than a flashy field setup. If his opponent was Pegasus, even he needed to raise his vigilance a little.
"My Turn, Draw a card." Drawing a card, Kaiba checked his Hand and drew one card to Summon to the Field. "I Normal Summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands! When Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands is successfully Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned, I add to my Hand one Ritual Monster or Ritual Spell Card from my Deck."
"Then, I Activate Chaos Form, which I added to my Hand! From my Hand, I Tribute Blue-Eyes White Dragon as a Ritual Tribute for my Ritual Summon, to fulfill the total Level of 8!"
Using Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands to add Chaos Form to his Hand, Kaiba revealed a Blue-Eyes White Dragon from his Hand and sent it to the Graveyard.
"Pegasus, let me show you the power of the one you called 'without any growth'! Bow down before this new form of Blue-Eyes!" Kaiba Summoned the blue-bordered Ritual Monster to the Field. "Embrace the dark power and reach a new Chaos realm! Evolve into a form from another dimension, Blue-Eyes!"
"Ritual Summon! Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon!!"
Kaiba watched Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon appear, then glanced at Pegasus, noticing that he still had no idea of activating the Set Card in his Spell/Trap Zone.
'Does he not have a Set Card that can be used in response to an Effect Activation or Special Summon?'
'Or is he still holding back?'
Kaiba couldn't be sure what the Set Card behind Pegasus was, but it didn't matter now, because Pegasus would reveal it himself next.
"Since you won't Activate your Set Card, then you can keep it until you're defeated." Kaiba pointed towards the monster in face-down position on Pegasus's field. "Enter Battle Phase! Then I will use Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon to attack that monster in face-down position on your field!"
"Then, when Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon, which was Ritual Summoned using Blue-Eyes White Dragon as Tribute, makes an Attack Declaration, I Activate her Effect!"
"Change the Battle Position of all monsters on my opponent's field! Also, any monster whose Battle Position is changed by this Effect has its ATK and DEF become 0!"
The blue Chaos Dragon spread its light wings behind it. The crystals covering Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon's entire body lit up one by one. The power of light and dark harmonized perfectly within her, spreading throughout the entire Field via her light wings.
However, while the unstable Chaos environment was like water to a fish for Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon, this power was a deadly poison for other monsters. The Set Card on Pegasus's field was also flipped due to Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon's power, revealing its true form.
The monster Pegasus Set was the Toon Version of Goblin Attack Force, a Level 4 monster with 2300 ATK but only 0 DEF. Although its DEF was 0, because it was a Toon Monster with destruction resistance that was typically cheating-like and couldn't be destroyed, Pegasus placed it in Defense Position.
But now, Toon Goblin Attack Force was forcibly changed to Attack Position by Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon's Effect, and its relatively excellent 2300 ATK was also reduced to 0!
If he took this attack from Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon, Pegasus would receive a full 3000 points of Battle Damage, completely clearing the 3000 Life Points he had remaining after paying 1000 points to Activate Toon World!
Therefore, Pegasus also finally flipped over a card in his Spell/Trap Zone. "I Activate..."
"I activate this Card, the Continuous Trap Card, Dragon Seal Jar!"
On Pegasus's Spell/Trap Zone, as his Set Card activated, a brass jar appeared, engraved with a dragon head on its front, yet somehow looking as if the words 'targeting' were carved there instead.
"Do you remember this Card, Kaiba-boy?" Pegasus said proudly. "Back then, your Blue-Eyes White Dragon was easily sealed by this Card. Even though your Blue-Eyes has undergone Evolution, it still cannot escape this restriction imposed by the rules."
"You should know this Card's Effect, right?"
"As long as Dragon Seal Jar exists on the Field, all Dragon-Type Monsters existing in Face-up Position on the Field will be changed to Defense Position and cannot Change Battle Position," Kaiba said, annoyed, stating the effect of the Dragon Seal Jar, which had also been modified. "Aren't you tired of using the same old tricks, Pegasus?"
"But Kaiba-boy, you have to admit, even though these tricks are old, they are still very useful, aren't they?" Pegasus said with a light smile. "I have learned about the information about Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon. It has the ability to not be targeted by my effects and cannot be destroyed by effects, right?"
"If it were cards like Sakuretsu Armor, they would be ineffective against it, but Dragon Seal Jar can counter it perfectly."
During the communication between Kaiba and Pegasus, a unique power was released from the Dragon Seal Jar. This power did not affect Kaiba's Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands on his Field or Pegasus's Toon Goblin Attack Force on his Field, but it uniquely influenced Kaiba's Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon.
The radiance on the blue Dark Blue-Eyes's body dimmed, and its light wings retracted. Under the influence of Dragon Seal Jar, the Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, which had excellent resistance, also had to Change Battle Position due to this noble non-targeting effect, retracting its attack and exposing its weak defense.
[Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] [ATK3000→DEF0]
Seeing his Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon's attack blocked by Pegasus, Kaiba clicked his tongue, annoyed, and said, "Even though Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon was changed to Defense Position, Toon Goblin Attack Force was also changed to Attack Position and its ATK also decreased to 0. My Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands on the Field can still attack."
[Toon Goblin Attack Force] [ATK0]
[Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands] [ATK1400]
"Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands, attack Toon Goblin Attack Force! Kaimyou Senjusatsu!"
The bronze statue with countless arms shouted the strange cry of "Ora Ora" and swung its arms, attacking towards Toon Goblin Attack Force. Seeing this, Pegasus laughed: "You are too impatient, Kaiba-boy, you have completely stepped into my trap desu!"
"Chain to Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands's Attack Declaration, I activate this Set Card, Trap Card Interrogation. I can check Kaiba-boy's Hand. If there is a Monster Card in it, I negate Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands's attack, and afterwards, I can choose one Monster from your Hand to discard."
Pegasus pointed his finger towards Kaiba's Hand. "Even without looking, I can sense that Kaiba-boy, you should have another Blue-Eyes in your Hand, right?"
The annoyed Kaiba, bound by the Rules of Duel Monsters, flipped his Hand over to reveal it to Pegasus. In his Hand, besides one Polymerization and one Counter Gate, there was indeed one card which was Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
It was clear that this time, Kaiba had rarely not stuck all three Blue-Eyes White Dragon together to draw them all on the First Turn, although he could have still assembled Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon.
"Heh heh, then because of the Blue-Eyes in Kaiba-boy's Hand, Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands's attack is negated, and I can choose the only Monster Card in your Hand - Blue-Eyes White Dragon to discard."
As Blue-Eyes White Dragon was sent to Graveyard, Kaiba's expression was very annoyed. He had thought that with his current strength, dealing with a guy like Pegasus, who was always so carefree, would be easy. However, after a few exchanges, he found that Pegasus could still exert suppression on him just like in the past.
Wouldn't this make it seem like what Pegasus said was completely true, that he hadn't grown at all since Duelist Kingdom?
The annoyed Kaiba was helpless against Pegasus, as both of his Monsters had already attacked. He could only stop there: "Set a card, End Turn."
[Kaiba: 4000 LP, Hand 1]
[Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] [DEF0]
[Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands] [ATK1400]
[Set Card]
"Now, My Turn, Draw," Pegasus drew a card with a light tone. Unlike the tense Kaiba, the current Pegasus had taken a much lighter view of Duels, treating them more genuinely as a game.
However, there was also an emotion called " ease" within it
Looking
at the card he drew, Pegasus said with a smile: "So Lucky! I drew a pretty good card, Kaiba-boy!"
"Activate the Spell Card Magical Mallet, send the Continuous Trap Card Dragon Seal Jar on my Field to the Graveyard, and draw two cards from the Deck." Pegasus voluntarily dispelled Dragon Seal Jar. Although Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon was freed, Kaiba did not feel relieved at all.
Because Pegasus's operation likely meant that he had found a way to win.
"Quick-Play Spell Card, Toon Table of Contents, can only be activated if Toon World exists on my Field." Pegasus placed a card he had just drawn on the Duel Platform. "Choose three different Toon Monsters from my Deck, and then Kaiba-boy, you will randomly choose one. That Toon Monster will be Special Summoned to my Field, ignoring its Summoning Condition."
"The three Monsters I chose are Toon Black Luster Soldier, Toon Dark Magician, and, Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon."
Looking at the smile on Pegasus's face, Kaiba's fist clenched tightly: "This routine again, are you deliberately trying to enrage me, Pegasus?!"
On Pegasus's Field, the fronts of the three cards he had chosen appeared one after another, then they all flipped over and were shuffled together. Kaiba pointed at the middle card with an annoyed expression: "I choose the middle one."
The card flipped over. The one Kaiba pointed to was Toon Dark Magician. Seeing this, Pegasus looked regretful: "Oh, it's too bad. I was hoping Kaiba-boy would get to see the cute Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon more."
"Then, the chosen Toon Dark Magician will be Special Summoned to my Field, and the other two cards that weren't chosen will return to my Deck."
[Toon Dark Magician] [7☆/Dark]
[Spellcaster Type/Toon/Effect]
[2500/2100]
Accompanied by anime-like smoke and star effects, the chibi Dark Magician holding a wand - Toon Dark Magician - leaped out from the Toon World on Pegasus's Spell/Trap Zone. It landed lightly, striking a cool and cute pose.
"The biggest restriction for Toon Monsters is that they need preparation time after their debut, just like needing to do preparatory work for a perfect performance. The Special Summoned Toon Dark Magician cannot participate in battle this Turn, so pity." Pegasus spread his hands helplessly. After a pause, he continued, "But, Toon Dark Magician can assist me with preparation work."
"Once per turn, discard one Toon Monster from my Hand,"
As Pegasus spoke, he showed the Toon Egg Dragon in his Hand and sent it to Graveyard, "Add one Toon Spell/Trap Card from the Deck to Hand, or Special Summon one Toon Monster."
"I will Special Summon Toon Black Luster Soldier!"
[Toon Black Luster Soldier] [8☆/EARTH]
[Warrior Type/Toon/Effect]
[3000/2500]
Pegasus looked at the two Monsters on Kaiba's Field and snapped his finger: "Toon Black Luster Soldier also cannot attack, But, Once per turn, Toon Black Luster Soldier can Target one Monster on the Opponent's Field and Banish it directly."
The Toon Black Luster Soldier holding a sword and shield raised its long sword above its head. The black and white chaos power converged at the tip of its sword.
"Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon has the ability to not be targeted by your effects," Kaiba added. Pegasus nodded as well: "Of course, so I will Banish Kaiba-boy's Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands."
As Pegasus chose the Target, Toon Black Luster Soldier swung its long sword. The crescent-shaped slash instantly expelled Kaiba's Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands from the Field. After activating this Effect, Toon Black Luster Soldier also looked completely exhausted.
"Last of all, I activate this card from my Hand, Toon Rollback. It grants the only Toon Monster on my Field that can battle, Toon Goblin Attack Force, the ability to attack twice during one Battle Phase. Then, Enter Battle Phase." Pegasus said, reaching out and pointing towards the Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon in Defense Position on Kaiba's Field: "Attack Kaiba-boy's Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon!"
Kaiba was puzzled by Pegasus's operation of using the last card in his Hand - Toon Rollback, which allows a Toon Monster to attack twice - on Toon Goblin Attack Force: "Are you mistaken about something, Pegasus? Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon's Effect that makes Toon Goblin Attack Force's ATK/DEF become 0 is permanent."
"A Toon Goblin Attack Force with 0 ATK attacking a Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon with 0 DEF means neither can damage the other."
Pegasus's corner of his mouth curved up: "Really? To use Yugi-boy's words, Sore wa dou kana?"
"Quick-Play Spell Card Shrink activate! Target my Toon Goblin Attack Force, its ATK becomes half of its Original Attack until the End Phase." Pegasus picked up the last card on his Spell/Trap Zone and waved it slightly proudly. "Kaiba-boy, my impression is that you often use this card, right? You should know its Effect."
"Although its ATK was changed to 0 by Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, because of Shrink, it was instead reset to half of its Original Attack, which is 1150 points..." Kaiba said with a cold face, stating the situation where Shrink applies.
Upon hearing this, Pegasus nodded with satisfaction: "Bingo! Kaiba-boy, you really do understand the card Shrink. Now, continue the attack, Toon Goblin Attack Force!"
The Toon Goblin Attack Force, which had been dispirited due to Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon's Effect, regained its original morale after receiving the power of Shrink. Although its size was reduced to half, it instead recovered its original morale because of this, charging aggressively towards the Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon in Defense Position.
[Toon Goblin Attack Force] [ATK0→1150]
Despite Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon's attempt to resist, as the stakes for obtaining chaos power, the 2500 DEF of Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which was originally so high it made Red-Eyes Black Dragon frowned, also disappeared. Finally, accompanied by a dragon roar, Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon was destroyed and sent to Graveyard.
However, because it was in Defense Position, Kaiba did not take damage from this. But Kaiba did not forget that Toon Goblin Attack Force had a second attack opportunity due to Toon Rollback's Effect.
Although Toon Goblin Attack Force has an extremely excellent 2300 ATK among 4☆ Monsters, because it is a gather of a bunch of rabble, it has the downside of becoming lazy after attacking. As expected, the Toon Goblin Attack Force that had just defeated the high and mighty Blue-Eyes became careless and was about to sit down and rest on the spot.
However, as if someone had pressed the rewind button on a television anime to watch it again, the Toon Goblin Attack Force did strange movements as if time rewind within a few breaths, returning to Pegasus's Field, and then launched a Direct Attack towards Kaiba, whose Field was empty.
The Goblins wielding spiked clubs charged towards him, baring their fangs and claws. Kaiba said with a cold face: "Pegasus, are you trying to humiliate me with these small fry monsters? There's a limit to looking down on people. Also, did you forget that you just checked my Hand last Turn?"
"Activate my Set Card, Magic Cylinder! Can only be activated when the Opponent's Monster declares a Direct Attack! Negate that attack. The attack of mere Toon Goblin Attack Force, watch me send it back!"
The Goblins' attack was blocked by a wall that appeared in front of Kaiba. The gray Dimensional Wall seemed to separate two Worlds, protecting Kaiba from the attacks of the Toon Goblin Attack Force.
Pegasus could actually understand Kaiba's anger. After all, Kaiba has always been an arrogant person. He could accept defeat in an evenly matched slaughter, but he could not tolerate the humiliation of being damaged by small fry.
Although, Kaiba was actually often humiliated by Hayato using small fry.
"Of course I didn't forget Kaiba-boy's cards, but using Magic Cylinder for a mere 1150 points of damage means you won't have a card to protect yourself next Turn."
Chapter 514: Ultimate Burst
Pegasus's reminder annoyed Kaiba somewhat.
Realistically speaking, even if the Toon Goblin Attack Force successfully landed a Direct Attack on him, it would only reduce his LP by 1150. For Kaiba, whose Life Points were currently at the full 4000 LP, this was practically negligible.
Using the Counter Gate, which could be life-saving in the right situation, for a mere 1150 Damage did seem a bit Wasted. However, even if Kaiba knew this, he wouldn't admit there was anything wrong with his play.
"Calculating back and forth over such a trivial amount of Life Points? Your skill level is only of this much, Pegasus."
The Dimensional Wall in front of Kaiba shrunk back to his Deck area. After negating the Toon Goblin Attack Force's Attack, the Draw Effect of Counter Gate awaited Kaiba's processing.
Taking a deep breath, Kaiba looked coldly at the three Monsters on Pegasus's Field: "While you are still calculating the immediate gains and losses as you always do, I have already found the Path I must walk – that glorious path leading to the other side of Victory!"
"Draw a Card!"
Looking at the Card he drew, the corner of Kaiba's mouth curved up: "Hmph, as expected, Victory has already fallen into my Hand."
"Prepare to receive the ultimate Defeat I shall deal you, Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters."
'That Gaze!' Pegasus met Kaiba's Gaze, his Heart trembling. 'He's not looking at me at all, but at something else beyond me!?'
"At the End Phase of my Battle Phase, Toon Goblin Attack Force changes to Defense Position, and cannot change its Battle Position until the end of my next Turn. Then my Turn ends. The Effect of Shrink disappears from Toon Goblin Attack Force, and its ATK recovers to its Original Attack Value."
Pegasus, with an empty Hand, had no Set Card in his Spell/Trap Zone, and thus ended his Turn.
[Pegasus: 3000LP, Hand 0]
[Toon Dark Magician][ATK 2500]
[Toon Chaos Soldier][ATK 3000]
[Toon Goblin Attack Force][ATK 1150 → DEF 0]
[Toon World]
Even though he had assembled three Powerful Monsters on his Field, Pegasus felt no sense of security under Kaiba's icy stare.
Kaiba's Spell/Trap Zone and Front Row were both empty. In his Hand, besides the Card he just drew with Counter Gate's Draw Effect, he only had one Polymerization that he had confirmed last Turn. And even for Kaiba's strongest Fusion Monster, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, two of the three Blue-Eyes needed as Fusion Material were already sent to the Graveyard.
On his side, Toon Goblin Attack Force had changed to a safe Defense Position due to its own Effect. The other two Monsters were Toon Dark Magician with 2500 ATK and Toon Chaos Soldier with ATK equal to Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Even for the biggest Vulnerability of Toon Monsters, he actually had a Hidden Means to protect them.
Pegasus glanced at his Graveyard. There, the Toon Bookmark he used when searching for Toon World on the First Turn lay there. It had the ability: "If Toon World on your Field is Destroyed by Effect, you can Banish this Card from your Graveyard as a substitute."
Under such perfect circumstances, where did his unease come from?
Pegasus didn't know.
However, it was already Kaiba's Turn. He drew a Card from his Deck: "My Turn, Draw."
"Hmph, first I Activate Pot of Greed. I Draw two Cards from my Deck."
Drawing two Cards, Kaiba's eyebrows raised as he saw one of them clearly, and a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "I truly didn't expect to Draw this Card. I originally planned to use that Monster, but in that case, I'll use you instead."
"I Activate Spell Card Dark Factory of Mass Production! I Add to Hand two Normal Monsters from my Graveyard. Had enough rest, Blue-Eyes!"
Kaiba's movements were with great flair. He retrieved two Blue-Eyes White Dragon Cards from the Graveyard, causing Pegasus to be momentarily stunned: "Could it be?"
"I Activate Spell Card Polymerization! I will use the two Blue-Eyes I just Add to Hand, plus the Blue-Eyes White Dragon that was Add to Hand earlier due to Counter Gate's Effect, as Fusion Material!" Kaiba's Right Hand clenched into a fist, as if grasping the Future in his Hand. "If the goal is to interrupt you, this Monster is more suitable."
"Cross the boundaries of Space-Time and come before me, the strongest, most ultimate White Dragon in history!"
"Fusion Summon! Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!!"
"Indomitable! Invincible!! Supreme!!!"
Even though it was just a Normal Monster without even an Effect, when Kaiba Activated Polymerization and combined the Power of three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, Pegasus was surprised to find that Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's appearance caused a commotion like a Dark Game, causing cracks to appear in the Center of the Duel Platform they were using, as if it would truly tear even space apart!
"It's, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon?" At the same time, Pegasus didn't quite understand why Kaiba would use Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon instead of True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. "With only 4500 ATK, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon should be inferior to True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon."
"Hmph, what a pathetic thought, Pegasus. Don't think I'm like you, someone who gives up everything to pursue Power." Holding the last Card in his Hand, Kaiba's mouth curled into a cold smile. "In my eyes, whether it's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon or True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, they are equally important beings."
"Just to Defeat you, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon is enough. It will also serve as the conclusion to the Duel where I once lost to you!"
As he spoke, Kaiba placed the Card in his Hand on the Duel Platform: "Activate Spell Card Ultimate Burst, then enter my Battle Phase."
"Ultimate Burst will Grant my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon the ability to Attack three times in one Battle Phase, and the Opponent cannot respond to Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's Attack until the end of the Damage Step, activate any Spell/Trap/Monster Effect!"
"Swallow the surging storm and radiant light, and unleash infinite Wrath, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" Kaiba's Finger pointed at the Toon Dark Magician on Pegasus's Field. "Attack Toon Dark Magician, Burst Stream of Destruction!!""
One of the three heads of the Ultimate Dragon opened its mouth, and dazzling Radiance gathered into a brilliant sphere within its maw, transforming into a Flood of Light that poured out. Seeing this, Pegasus said unwillingly: "Toon Monsters cannot be Destroyed—"
"But you still have to take the Battle Damage!" Kaiba's cold voice interrupted Pegasus. "Only Destruction can create. You, who do not understand this Path, shall be swallowed by Blue-Eyes's Attack and drown in the 'present'."
The other two heads of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon also got ready. Immediately following the first Attack, accompanied by Kaiba's voice, two more dragon breaths were unleashed.
"And I will press forward without hesitation onto the Future Path!"
"Annihilate!"
"Obliterate!!"
"DECIMATE!!!"
"Uwaaaaaah!!!!"
[Pegasus: 3000 → 1000 → 0 → 0LP]
Even though it was just a Virtual Projection, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's triple Attack carried a powerful impact that sent Pegasus flying directly from the front of the Duel Platform, landing in the walkway behind him, where he Struggled for a while but couldn't get up.
As for Kaiba, he didn't care about Pegasus's thoughts. He simply collected the Cards on the Duel Platform under Pegasus's gaze, and walked with steady, firm steps to the table where the two had placed their Briefcases earlier. He opened the Box Pegasus had put down.
Inside the Box was a small stack of Cards. They were well protected and neatly arranged without damage. Kaiba reached out, picked up the stack of Cards, and fanned them out.
The Cards placed in this Box were not just the Card Pegasus had created based on Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's Data. There were also many Cards he had successfully designed and manufactured but hadn't directly brought out for various reasons. For example, Kaiba saw a Card named Destiny Confrontation.
On that Card Art, the confronting Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Dark Magician were clearly depicted. Pegasus had evidently designed this Card inspired by the Tablet currently on display at the Egyptian Artifact Traveling Exhibition Hall in Domino City.
However, Kaiba, who hadn't paid much attention to Ishizu's words back then, completely ignored the Destiny Confrontation Card. Instead, he took two Cards from the six or seven Cards in his Hand: "Alright, I'll take these two Cards. As for the arrangement, I will proactively find Hayato Kobayashi and Mutou Yuugi."
"Two Cards!? How could this be!" Pegasus, lying on the ground, looked utterly disbelieving. Didn't we agree on just taking one? Why did you take an extra one? Is stealing my Cards that interesting?
I originally thought only someone like Hayato Kobayashi would steal other people's Cards. I never expected it, but you, Kaiba Seto, a seemingly honest guy like you, would actually steal my Cards too!
If I had known this earlier, I should have only brought out one Card!
"Wait! Kaiba boy!"
Pegasus struggled to get up, wanting to stop Kaiba and make him return the extra Card. But Kaiba's movements were too fast. He had already walked out of the Duel Arena, not forgetting to take his own Briefcase with him, as it still contained the signed Stock Transfer Agreement."
——————Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon Flying——————
Domino City, Egyptian Artifact Traveling Exhibition Hall.
Although the exhibition hall's existence was primarily a cover for the Three Egyptian Gods Cards back then, doing things thoroughly from start to finish is important. As the person in charge of the Artifact traveling exhibition, Ishizu still remained in Domino City."
The "Egyptian Artifact Traveling Exhibition" was not a conventional "national tour" or anything similar. After all, Ishizu's initial Purpose was to lure Marik, who was with the Rare Hunters at the time, to Domino City. It was impossible to travel all over the country. The so-called "traveling" actually referred to the "traveling" of the Artifacts themselves.
That is, exhibiting a portion of the Artifacts at a fixed location for a period of time, then replacing them with other Artifacts. The only thing that needed attention was the preservation of the Artifacts, eliminating the need to build new exhibition halls.
Hayato, with a Camera hanging around his neck, casually took a Photo of the Pharaoh's Coffin that hadn't been covered by a glass case yet: "So this is that Pharaoh Tutankhamun, huh? Doesn't look like he has a Curse."
"'Wings of death shall befall those who dare disturb the Pharaoh's sleep.' Although such words are carved outside the Pharaoh's Tomb Chamber, unfortunately, the so-called 'Pharaoh's Curse' is actually just a groundless Rumor. Pharaoh Tutankhamun did not possess any Great Power during his life."
Ishizu, standing beside him, smiled and introduced it to Hayato. Because she was at her Workplace, Ishizu was wearing her face-covering Egyptian attire today.
"Because Pharaoh Tutankhamun was one of the few Pharaohs whose tomb wasn't visited by Graverobbers, the archaeological team led by the British Archaeologist Howard Carter discovered a large amount of Gold and Silver Treasures and Precious Artifacts in Tutankhamun's tomb at that time. To prevent Graverobbers from coveting them, they deliberately fabricated this Rumor."
Hearing this, Hayato scoffed: "I think it wasn't just to prevent Graverobbers from coveting them, right? Perhaps it was also to scare the locals from entering the Tomb Chamber so they could transport the Artifacts to the British Museum?"
"After all, it's well known that when the British Museum returns Artifacts to their original owners, there's nothing left inside."
Ishizu smiled faintly. Like Hayato, she didn't have good feelings about the "archaeological teams" back then who plundered Artifacts from other countries under the guise of protecting them: "However, Hayato, you were wrong about one thing. The Artifacts from Tutankhamun's tomb were not taken by them. In fact, all the Egyptian Artifacts in the British Museum are fake."
"After all, although the Tomb Keepers live in seclusion, when someone makes a move on a Pharaoh's tomb, we cannot just stand by and watch."
"In that case, Older Sister, stop chatting with Brother-in-law for now. Don't just stand there watching, come and help me out~" Behind Hayato and Ishizu, Marik's voice was heard.
Only to see Marik holding a Sealed Box in his Hand, walking slowly towards Hayato and Ishizu, complaining as he walked: "After getting a sweetheart, you completely forgot you have a Younger Brother, huh? And even though Artifacts can't be photographed, you didn't even stop Brother-in-law, and even made me do Manual Labor..."
"Alright, alright, Marik, why are you getting so naggy lately? I'll help you carry it." Hayato looked Helpless, walked up to Marik, and took the Box, telling Marik to rest for a bit.
When he took the Box, Hayato felt that its weight was unusually heavy. It seemed to contain something extraordinary: "What's inside this...?"
"This Box?" Ishizu glanced at the Box Hayato was holding, recalling the Artifact Catalog for this replacement. "Ah, right. This Box contains a Tablet. It's an Artifact newly excavated about eight years ago. Several other Artifacts unearthed at the same time will also be displayed this time."
"Moreover, this Tablet is actually very special," Ishizu paused, then looked at Hayato, "Because on the Tablet, the presence of the Three Egyptian Gods is also carved."
"Ah, the Golden Pyramid, serialized in full!"
(End of Chapter)
## Chapter 515: The Changing Prophecy
Helping Ishizu move the tablet from the box to a Glass Case at the end of the Exhibition Hall, Ishizu put on gloves to prevent sweat from corroding the tablet and opened the box.
Watching Ishizu take the tablet out of the box and place it in the opened Glass Case, Hayato's gaze was drawn to something next to the tablet she had just put down.
It was a crystal-like pyramid model, almost exactly the same size as the triangular tablet Ishizu had just taken out. In the center of the front was a golden engraving of the "Eye of Wjat/Udjat", but the eyeball was red.
If Pegasus were here, he would recognize at a glance that this was the pyramid that sealed the [Three Egyptian Gods] in his dream last night. Unfortunately, Pegasus was indeed interested in artifacts from various countries at that time, but his goal was only to revive his first love. Now, he no longer had any interest in anything related to artifacts.
"This tablet and this crystal pyramid were excavated together. Although the tablet looks very similar to the [Millennium Puzzle] where the Nameless Pharaoh is hosted, even like it's directly inverted, based on the direction of the ancient Egyptian text on the tablet, this is indeed correct."
Ishizu explained to Hayato as she leaned the tablet against the stand. As the Director of the Egyptian Antiquities Organization, an important figure in the Egyptian Government, and the Family Head of the Tomb Keepers, this basic knowledge came naturally to Ishizu.
"It is recorded on the tablet that this crystal pyramid was called 'Light' in Ancient Egypt and was a symbol of the King of Light. It can be said to be the complete opposite existence of the [Millennium Puzzle] of the 'King of Darkness', the Nameless Pharaoh, or perhaps the [Millennium Rod]."
"But compared to the [Millennium Puzzle], which very clearly symbolizes 'royal authority', the symbol of the 'Light' pyramid is much more vague."
Ishizu reached out and pointed to the tablet she had placed steadily, signaling Hayato to look at it. Her finger brushed over several hieroglyphs on the tablet. "'Deity', 'banishment', 'destruction and creation', 'Light'. On the tablet, only the specific description of the 'Light' pyramid was damaged and could not be identified. Only these few characters could be read."
Marik also listened to Ishizu's explanation of the tablet from the side, looking annoyed. "This feeling of having information cut off at the crucial point is just like when reading a serialized novel and the author deliberately leaves suspense at the end of the chapter by only saying half of something. I'm suddenly starting to hate those tomb robbers too."
Hearing Marik's words, Ishizu knew he might have misunderstood the damage to the tablet as being caused by tomb robbers. She casually closed the Glass Case door containing the tablet and the "Light" pyramid, shaking her head as she continued to explain. "No, the damage to this tablet was not man-made, but an accident. At that time, the Egyptian Government's Archaeological Team discovered this tablet and the 'Light' pyramid. However, a strange cave-in occurred at the archaeological site, which led to the complete annihilation of the Archaeological Team buried underneath and the damage to the tablet."
Ishizu paused slightly after saying this, looking towards a Glass Case not far away, in which a coffin was exhibited.
That coffin was excavated in the same Tomb as the tablet and the "Light" pyramid. Among the three artifacts, only the crystal pyramid "Light", which looked the most fragile, was completely undamaged. The wooden coffin and the stone tablet were damaged to varying degrees.
The mummy in that coffin was undamaged, and the engraving of the underworld god "Anubis" on the outside of the coffin was also completely intact. Only a part of the ancient Egyptian text on the side of the coffin, which also recorded something, was destroyed, leaving only about half of the record.
It recorded...
"Oh, this coffin?" Just as Ishizu was lost in thought, Hayato heard a familiar voice from not far away. Looking over, he saw two starfish with different colors stuck next to a Glass Case.
Hayato looked again, oh, he was mistaken. It turned out to be Yugi and his Millennium Hostage Grandpa Solomon Muto standing in front of the display, and with them were Joey Wheeler , Téa , and Tristan .
"Huh? Hayato is here too?" Compared to Yugi and his Grandpa, who were staring intently at the mummy by the coffin with great interest, Joey Wheeler wasn't very interested in mummies or anything like that. He was looking around and was the first to notice Hayato and the other two who had also spotted them.
Although usually carefree, outgoing, and lively, Téa was still a girl after all. Since just now, she had been hiding behind Yugi, who was shorter than her, to avoid seeing the scary mummy. Hearing Joey Wheeler 's words, she finally had a way to distract herself and immediately turned her head. "Miss Ishizu too? Are you on a date with Hayato?"
"Even if you're looking for thrills in a Haunted House, no one would come to a Museum full of mummies for a date. Besides, Miss Ishizu is the Director, so it's perfectly normal for her to be here," Tristan ranted casually. After seeing Marik, they nodded to each other from a distance as a greeting.
The camera hanging around Hayato's neck swayed as he walked. Hayato lifted it by the strap with one hand. "That Kid Marik was roped in by Ishizu, and I just came along to take photos for the Newspaper Agency's promotion."
"But what about you guys? I remember there was a 'Suspended Operation' sign hanging at the main entrance of the Exhibition Hall, how did you get in?"
Hearing Hayato's question, Joey Wheeler and the other two didn't react much, but Solomon Muto and Yugi, the grandfather and grandson pair, who had been looking at the mummy with great interest, exchanged glances and looked at Hayato with embarrassed expressions, honestly confessing the whole truth.
The story actually goes back to yesterday, after the first Duel Monsters Convention held at the Central Shopping District Plaza ended, when Hayato and Yugi saw Yusei Fudo and Judai off and went their separate ways home.
Although they had been out all day, during which they not only had to duel Paradox for the future of the world but also deal with even more troublesome fans, Yugi wasn't very tired when he got home and still had plenty of energy.
Grandpa Solomon Muto was also quite old, but he didn't feel tired at all after looking at pretty girls for most of the day and was also full of energy.
So, as soon as the two energetic people got home, they accidentally broke the trash bag that Yugi's mom had spent a whole day tidying up and putting into bags. The only fortunate thing was that what fell onto the ground and scattered everywhere was just some recyclable trash like discarded newspaper.
Thus, Yugi's mom, whose presence was very low and who Joey Wheeler had once mistakenly thought didn't live with Yugi, was so angry that she lectured the grandfather and grandson for a long time and punished them by making them clean up the cardboard and newspaper on the floor.
Yugi and Solomon also knew that it was indeed their fault, so they could only honestly clean up the paper on the ground after seeing Mom leave to make dinner.
As they were cleaning, Yugi and Grandpa Solomon actually found many objects from the past, such as drawings Yugi had made in elementary school art class, a life plan Grandpa Solomon had made when he was young but never carried out, and an IOU from when Professor Arthur borrowed money from Solomon because he didn't bring any when they were doing archaeology in Egypt.
For a moment, it also brought back many memories for the two of them.
As they searched, Solomon Muto found an old newspaper from about seven or eight years ago, which reported an accident where the Egyptian Archaeological Team encountered a cave-in during an archaeological expedition, resulting in the death of dozens of people. This brought back many of Solomon Muto's memories from when he was doing archaeology in Egypt. He also told Yugi that he had encountered many dangers before, and cave-ins were the most terrifying.
Other crises, whether it was mechanisms in the Tomb, poisonous creatures in the Desert, etc., pain and death only existed for an instant, but a cave-in could trap people in a confined space, dying little by little in dryness, shackles, hunger, darkness, and complete lack of hope. It was the most despairing way to die.
At that time, Professor Arthur and Solomon Muto were buried together under the ruins of a cave-in. It was also during that time that Professor Arthur gave his [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] card to Solomon Muto as a symbol of friendship.
Because he heard his Grandpa mention this again, Yugi also suddenly remembered that after seeing Paradox's [Malefic Blue-Eyes White Dragon] before, when he asked Paradox how he could steal Kaiba's [Blue-Eyes], Paradox said that his Deck gathered the most powerful cards from various eras, but he kept avoiding answering his question directly.
---Could it be that guy actually stole the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] from Ji-chan in the future, so he was too embarrassed to say something so shameful?
Incidentally, Yugi also noticed a black and white photo printed on the newspaper reporting the archaeological accident. That was the "Light" pyramid that Ishizu mentioned. He asked Solomon Muto what that thing was.
Because he had experience in Egyptian archaeology, although Solomon Muto couldn't read ancient Egyptian hieratic text, he could barely read some basic and simple ancient Egyptian text. Through the tablet next to the "Light" pyramid, Solomon Muto translated an explanation basically the same as Ishizu's.
It just so happened that at this time, the opened television was broadcasting the news, saying that the exhibition period for the previous batch of artifacts at the "Egyptian Artifact Traveling Exhibition Hall" had ended and a new batch of artifacts would be replaced soon. They also showed several photos officially taken by the Egyptian Antiquities Organization, including the "Light" pyramid that Yugi and Solomon Muto had just noticed.
Yugi felt subconsciously that there seemed to be some connection between the [Millennium Puzzle] where his Other Self resided and that crystal pyramid. Solomon Muto was interested in the coffin that was unearthed from the same batch but whose side text couldn't be read because the photo was taken eight years ago and wasn't clear enough. The grandfather and grandson hit it off and decided to come to the Exhibition Hall the next day to take a look.
And when they went out the next day, the grandfather and grandson happened to encounter Joey Wheeler , Téa , and Tristan , who had come to find Yugi to play. So they extended an invitation to accompany them, and the group of five came to the Exhibition Hall.
As for the "Suspended Operation" notice at the entrance of the Exhibition Hall and the security responsible for blocking unrelated personnel from entering, unfortunately, although they were very professional and dedicated, they were no match for the delinquent Joey Wheeler and the gang leader Tristan . They were easily tricked into leaving their post, allowing the group of five to "sneak in" openly and honestly.
After Yugi finished speaking, Ishizu was also quite helpless. It was fortunate that the person who sneaked in was Mutou Yuugi, the host of the Nameless Pharaoh, and the other few people had no idea of theft. Otherwise, if precious artifacts were stolen, it would be terrible news.
Especially since there were several important coffins here, containing the mummies of the most important pharaohs in Egyptian history. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them national treasures, such as the mummy of Pharaoh Tutankhamun that Hayato had just photographed, and the mummy of Ramesses II, which had been removed but not yet transported away.
"Next time, you can say you're here to see me," Ishizu could only say this.
Yugi and the others also knew that what they did was wrong, and they were caught red-handed by the owner, so they apologized very sincerely. "We're sorry, we will absolutely never do this again in the future."
After a very standard 90° bow and a sincere apology, Solomon Muto's gaze returned to the coffin next to him, his face full of pity. "It's really a pity. About half of the text recorded on this coffin was destroyed by that cave-in back then. The text after that is almost completely unidentifiable."
"And I didn't learn much of that previous section. I should have known to learn a few more phrases from Arthur when I was in Egypt back then."
"Huh? Master can't understand it either?" Joey Wheeler scratched his head, troubled. Tristan also looked regretful. "That's too bad, then we broke in for nothing."
Grandpa Solomon was curious about the incomplete record on the tablet and wanted to come to the Museum to see if the coffin unearthed from the same batch would record anything. Now he knew that something was indeed written on the coffin, but half was destroyed and the other half he couldn't understand, which was truly a bit of a pity.
But Téa remembered something else. "Grandpa Solomon , did you forget? Miss Ishizu is right beside us."
Hearing this, Yugi, who was also very interested in the coffin, had his eyes light up. "That's right, Miss Ishizu is from the Tomb Keepers, and the Egyptian Antiquities Organization has been researching this coffin for so many years, they must know what is written on it." Saying this, he looked at Ishizu with an expectant gaze.
Ishizu was being watched by several people's gazes. She turned her head and glanced at Hayato, saw him shrug helplessly, nodded, walked to the coffin, and looked at the coffin. "Although the text on the lower half of the coffin was basically damaged by the accident at that time, after many years of repair, the Egyptian Antiquities Organization has barely filled in a part of the text. It specifically wrote---"
"'The King of Light will bury the King of Darkness through battle, but when light overflows, the King of Destruction will resurrect from the light',"
"And,"
"'The Sun King will set destruction with [], but destruction will also take []'."
Ishizu finished speaking and added, "That later sentence was filled in by the Egyptian Antiquities Organization, but the specific blank has exceeded the limit of repair, and we have no way of knowing."