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## Chapter 727: Classic Three with Four
"Pharaoh, your subordinate, Royal Palace Guard Captain Mahad, is about to depart for the Tomb of the Previous Pharaoh, King Aknamkanon, to perform the ritual to establish a new Domain to protect the tomb."
After finishing the morning's patrol and returning to the Royal Palace, Dark Yugi nodded as Mahad knelt before the Throne. Although he lacked past memories, Dark Yugi already knew that the Previous Pharaoh Aknamkanon was his Father, and not long ago, the Domain around his Tomb had been destroyed and the Tomb itself robbed.
That Person was Bakura, who had attacked the Royal City with his Subordinates yesterday. After being defeated by Hayato and Dark Yugi teaming up, Bakura had escaped the Royal Palace, and the Army dispatched and the scouts stationed had yet to find any trace of him.
When Bakura escaped, he also left behind the Objects he had stolen from King Aknamkanon's Tomb besides the Duel Arena, which included Aknamkanon's Mummy.
Mahad's trip was not only to allow King Aknamkanon's Mummy to be 'laid to rest' again but also to repair the Domain around the Tomb.
Knowing that Mahad was a Childhood friend who had practically grown up with him, coupled with Dark Yugi associating **Dark Magician** with Mahad after Mana's reminder and noticing their similar appearance, Dark Yugi held a special trust in Mahad and felt very confident in his ability to handle things.
"Yes, I understand. King Aknamkanon... no, Father's mummy, I entrust him to you," Dark Yugi said solemnly, looking at Mahad.
Mahad also nodded, accepting the order. However, among the Priests on either side, one person spoke up: "Hmph, be prepared, Mahad. Although you rely on your Title of 'Strongest Priest' to gain the Pharaoh's trust, for letting the bandit break into the Royal Palace last night, coupled with the previous destruction of the Tomb, if you, who keep failing, fail again, even the Pharaoh won't be able to keep your position as a Priest, will he?"
"You, who are deeply trusted by the Pharaoh, represent the Pharaoh's reputation. If you are stripped of your position as Priest, it will cause the Pharaoh to lose face. So, if you encounter that Thief Bakura, don't try to fight him alone. After all, you're not his opponent and will only throw away your life for nothing."
He paused, crossing his arms over his chest, holding the Millennium Rod in one hand. Priest Seto slightly raised his head and said with some arrogance, "If you die before I defeat you and take the Title of 'Strongest Priest' from your hands, I would feel quite troubled and regretful."
Although his words seemed somewhat heartless, as if he had never taken his colleague relationship with Mahad to heart, because Dark Yugi knew Kaiba Seto, who was likely the reincarnation of Priest Seto from three thousand years later, he could tell at a glance that what Seto said to Mahad was merely his way of showing concern and giving a reminder.
It seemed this Tsundere trait had been passed down for three thousand years; it was truly inherited Tsundere.
However, while Dark Yugi could understand Seto's Tsundere nature, it didn't mean the other Priests could understand this advanced form of emotional expression. Isis, who was Mahad's friend, looked unhappy upon hearing Seto's words and said to him, "Priest Seto, you're going too far. Mahad's previous two instances were just mistakes."
"Mistakes? Heh, ultimately, it was due to insufficient ability, wasn't it? If the ability were sufficient, things like the Royal City falling and the Tomb being robbed would fundamentally not have been possible," Seto glanced at Isis and coldly snorted, speaking with full force and showing no mercy just because the other party was a woman.
"Only a third-rate Priest like you, using a fourth-rate Millennium Item, would use a word like 'mistake', Priest Isis." Seto didn't care about the angry expression on Isis's face and looked at Mahad, saying, "Or is my judgment very problematic, and actually, even you, Mahad, are just a Commoner like Isis?"
"You bastard!" Repeatedly belittled, Isis became even more angry. If this weren't in the Pharaoh's presence, she would probably have started fighting with Seto on the spot.
Because she was distracted by the Assassin yesterday and failed to give a warning about Bakura's appearance, Isis had already been taunted by Seto once. The highly self-esteemed Isis had decided then that she must work even harder to practice using the Millennium Necklace to show this arrogant guy how amazing a woman could be.
But last night, while diligently practicing using the Millennium Necklace to see the future, Isis discovered that ever since that Thief Bakura appeared, the Millennium Necklace's prevision of the future had become nothing but endless pitch-black. From that infinite darkness, she could only see infinite danger that was almost overflowing. Just looking at that darkness almost caused Isis's breathing to stop.
After trying repeatedly, Isis only managed to find fragmented pieces of the future. It was in a Tomb, and facing Mahad was Bakura, whom she had seen once before.
One moment, it was an image of Mahad making an attack move against the Thief Bakura, who had not a single monster beside him. But the next moment, Isis could only see an image of Mahad with a cut opened in his chest, most of his body covered in blood, flying backward.
The image seen by the Millennium Necklace might not be the absolute truth, but it was an image that would absolutely appear. Isis, who had great belief in the Power of the Millennium Necklace, didn't quite understand what was happening in the future she saw in that image, but no matter how she looked at it, the result was inevitable: Mahad would be killed by the Thief Bakura in a Tomb, with a cut opened in his chest. There was absolutely no mistake about this point.
As a fellow Priest, after learning that Mahad had actually volunteered to go to the Tomb of the Previous Pharaoh, King Aknamkanon, Isis immediately told Mahad about her prevision, warning him that he would meet his death there, hoping to persuade her friend to avoid it.
But Mahad countered Isis, asking that since the future seen by the Millennium Necklace would absolutely appear, then he was inevitably going to face the Thief Bakura alone, and it made no difference whether he went to the Tomb of the Previous Pharaoh or not.
If it wasn't the Previous Pharaoh's Tomb, it might even cause the battlefield of the two to transfer to another place Mahad was unfamiliar with. It was better to maintain the current approach; Mahad could even make some preparations based on the known future. Although, he couldn't change his death.
Being unable to change her friend's death made Isis feel very bad today, which was why she ended up arguing with Seto.
But what Isis didn't know was that although there was no one nearby when Isis told Mahad about this, Seto actually happened to pass by a corner they couldn't see and also learned about the future Isis had foreseen.
However, compared to Isis, Seto had always been indifferent to the ability of the Millennium Necklace. If the Millennium Necklace saw an image of him, Seto, flirting with a random woman he picked up on the street, would he have to marry that woman? Impossible.
Seto's goal was to become the strongest, and women were very troublesome.
After all, the future should be mastered by humans themselves. Therefore, Seto had always only treated the Millennium Necklace as a warning device not much different from the Millennium Ring and didn't believe that Mahad would die so easily. However, he still believed a part of Isis's prevision, which was why he specifically reminded Mahad here not to engage Bakura in battle.
Even with all the Priests present at the time, they were still not opponents of Bakura and **Diabound**. With Aknadin still unconscious and one Priest missing, even if the Priests faced Bakura again, they didn't have the confidence to win, let alone Mahad facing that Thief Bakura alone.
Although he had always wanted to defeat the other party to prove his ability was stronger, Seto actually regarded Mahad, who had always been one step ahead of him, as a special "friend". Wanting to defeat the other party was one thing, but Mahad dying was another.
Even if it was lost face, don't die. It's okay to escape, and you can even ask for help from me. This was what Seto wanted to express, but when he said it, it came out in a different way.
Perhaps he understood Seto's awkward concern, or perhaps he simply didn't take Seto's words to heart. Mahad said to Isis, "Priest Seto is right, Priest Isis. The previous two times were due to my insufficient ability. If I could fully control the Millennium Ring instead of constantly consuming Mystical Power to suppress it, those failures wouldn't have happened."
"This time, I will prove my ability to the Pharaoh," Mahad said, standing up and bowing to Dark Yugi on the Throne. He then turned and walked out of the Palace, adding the unspoken second half of his sentence in his heart, 'Even if it costs me my life!'
Carrying the numerous Objects that needed to be returned to the Previous Pharaoh's Tomb, such as replacement tablets, burial treasures, and the mummy of the Previous Pharaoh, King Aknamkanon, Mahad led a team of Soldiers out of the Royal City, through a stretch of desert, and into a valley.
This valley was Necrovalley, where the tombs of past Pharaohs were hidden among numerous Royal Family Tombs. The route was so complex that if Mahad himself hadn't known the location of the Previous Pharaoh's Tomb beforehand, it would have been difficult to find the real tomb even after spending a month or two.
Although the journey seemed to be uneventful, actually, after leaving the Royal City, Mahad had already released his Mystical Power in advance, weaving a Spell Formula around himself for perception. He had long since detected a "little tail" following them not far away. The Mystical Power on its body was exactly the same as that of the Subordinate of Bakura whom Mahad had interrogated yesterday.
Clearly, they were being tracked. Just as Isis's prevision foretold, the Thief Bakura would indeed come for them, and the situation would develop into a decisive battle between only himself and Bakura. In the end, he would die at Bakura's hands, with a cut opened in his chest.
Understandably, Mahad had already known this yesterday. Even though the Soldiers Mahad brought had trained diligently every day, they would find it difficult to contend with Bakura's Subordinates, who had been granted powerful Dark Power by Bakura. With no advantage in manpower, probably none of the Soldiers who followed him out of the City would survive a direct confrontation.
However, although the future could not be changed, the process from the present to the future could be changed. Mahad had a strategy in mind.
Time flew by quickly. In the blink of an eye, the day was almost over. Mahad, who had entered a Tomb early, had not left. The scout who had been following his team also waited for Bakura, who arrived with a team of people.
He even had the leisure to change clothes and take a bath before arriving. Bakura raised his eyebrows upon hearing his Subordinate's report. "That guy Mahad has been inside the Tomb for so long. Forget about this Tomb, he should have finished setting up the Domain for ten more Tombs by now, shouldn't he?"
"Tsk, is he provoking me? Heh, then I'll accept this challenge. After all, the final prize is something as tempting as the Millennium Ring." With an evil smile, Bakura, at the front of the team, called out, "Everyone, charge in with me! Kill everyone except Mahad!"
Saying this, he himself rushed towards the Entrance of the Tomb first, followed by all his Subordinates.
As the horses ran, the scarlet eyes hidden beneath the cloaks of Bakura's Subordinates, who had received a Dark Magic Power Boost, drew a long line under the night curtain, leaving no doubt that they would carry out a massacre of Mahad's manpower.
However, the moment Bakura rushed into the Tomb first, suddenly, over a dozen huge boulders fell from the valley above. Bakura, who had already entered the Tomb, was fine, but the Subordinates who were right behind him weren't so lucky and couldn't avoid them. Even with the Magic Boost, they were still just humans. Nearly ten unlucky ones were instantly crushed into meat paste. Even those who were lucky enough not to be directly hit couldn't brake in time and crashed into the falling stone, their horses and people suffering broken bones and missing limbs.
Bakura wasn't much better off. The falling boulders completely sealed off his retreat. Not only could he not leave here, but his Subordinates couldn't extend a plea for help to him, who was trapped in the Tomb!
"Tsk, I was tricked. Playing such petty tricks." Looking at the Entrance collapsed by the rubble behind him, Bakura's face was cold. "Although this level can't trap me, and I can break through with a little power, this feeling of being trapped is really infuriating."
Just then, Bakura also sensed Mahad's Mystical Power coming from the depths of the Tomb, alone.
"Hoho, you knew I sent someone to follow you, but instead of escaping, you stayed in a Tomb with no other exit and even provoking me, Priest Mahad?"
Flipping off his horse, Bakura twisted his neck, which cracked, and walked towards the depths of the Tomb. Although there were no fires lit for illumination on both sides of the Tomb's Passage, and his eyes met only pitch-black, Bakura could clearly see Mahad standing far ahead of him. The Mystical Power emanating from the Millennium Ring on his chest was so obvious in his perception.
"If I didn't stay here, you wouldn't approach me." With no one else around, Mahad released the Mystical Power he had been suppressing all this time without any apprehension. Black and purple radiance flashed in his eyes. "I'm waiting for you, Bakura!"
"Pharaoh, your subordinate, Royal Palace Guard Captain Mahad, is about to depart for the Tomb of the Previous Pharaoh, King Aknamkanon, to perform the ritual to establish a new Domain to protect the tomb."
After finishing the morning's patrol and returning to the Royal Palace, Dark Yugi nodded as Mahad knelt before the Throne. Although he lacked past memories, Dark Yugi already knew that the Previous Pharaoh Aknamkanon was his Father, and not long ago, the Domain around his Tomb had been destroyed and the Tomb itself robbed.
That Person was Bakura, who had attacked the Royal City with his Subordinates yesterday. After being defeated by Hayato and Dark Yugi teaming up, Bakura had escaped the Royal Palace, and the Army dispatched and the scouts stationed had yet to find any trace of him.
When Bakura escaped, he also left behind the Objects he had stolen from King Aknamkanon's Tomb besides the Duel Arena, which included Aknamkanon's Mummy.
Mahad's trip was not only to allow King Aknamkanon's Mummy to be 'laid to rest' again but also to repair the Domain around the Tomb.
Knowing that Mahad was a Childhood friend who had practically grown up with him, coupled with Dark Yugi associating **Dark Magician** with Mahad after Mana's reminder and noticing their similar appearance, Dark Yugi held a special trust in Mahad and felt very confident in his ability to handle things.
"Yes, I understand. King Aknamkanon... no, Father's mummy, I entrust him to you," Dark Yugi said solemnly, looking at Mahad.
Mahad also nodded, accepting the order. However, among the Priests on either side, one person spoke up: "Hmph, be prepared, Mahad. Although you rely on your Title of 'Strongest Priest' to gain the Pharaoh's trust, for letting the bandit break into the Royal Palace last night, coupled with the previous destruction of the Tomb, if you, who keep failing, fail again, even the Pharaoh won't be able to keep your position as a Priest, will he?"
"You, who are deeply trusted by the Pharaoh, represent the Pharaoh's reputation. If you are stripped of your position as Priest, it will cause the Pharaoh to lose face. So, if you encounter that Thief Bakura, don't try to fight him alone. After all, you're not his opponent and will only throw away your life for nothing."
He paused, crossing his arms over his chest, holding the Millennium Rod in one hand. Priest Seto slightly raised his head and said with some arrogance, "If you die before I defeat you and take the Title of 'Strongest Priest' from your hands, I would feel quite troubled and regretful."
Although his words seemed somewhat heartless, as if he had never taken his colleague relationship with Mahad to heart, because Dark Yugi knew Kaiba Seto, who was likely the reincarnation of Priest Seto from three thousand years later, he could tell at a glance that what Seto said to Mahad was merely his way of showing concern and giving a reminder.
It seemed this Tsundere trait had been passed down for three thousand years; it was truly inherited Tsundere.
However, while Dark Yugi could understand Seto's Tsundere nature, it didn't mean the other Priests could understand this advanced form of emotional expression. Isis, who was Mahad's friend, looked unhappy upon hearing Seto's words and said to him, "Priest Seto, you're going too far. Mahad's previous two instances were just mistakes."
"Mistakes? Heh, ultimately, it was due to insufficient ability, wasn't it? If the ability were sufficient, things like the Royal City falling and the Tomb being robbed would fundamentally not have been possible," Seto glanced at Isis and coldly snorted, speaking with full force and showing no mercy just because the other party was a woman.
"Only a third-rate Priest like you, using a fourth-rate Millennium Item, would use a word like 'mistake', Priest Isis." Seto didn't care about the angry expression on Isis's face and looked at Mahad, saying, "Or is my judgment very problematic, and actually, even you, Mahad, are just a Commoner like Isis?"
"You bastard!" Repeatedly belittled, Isis became even more angry. If this weren't in the Pharaoh's presence, she would probably have started fighting with Seto on the spot.
Because she was distracted by the Assassin yesterday and failed to give a warning about Bakura's appearance, Isis had already been taunted by Seto once. The highly self-esteemed Isis had decided then that she must work even harder to practice using the Millennium Necklace to show this arrogant guy how amazing a woman could be.
But last night, while diligently practicing using the Millennium Necklace to see the future, Isis discovered that ever since that Thief Bakura appeared, the Millennium Necklace's prevision of the future had become nothing but endless pitch-black. From that infinite darkness, she could only see infinite danger that was almost overflowing. Just looking at that darkness almost caused Isis's breathing to stop.
After trying repeatedly, Isis only managed to find fragmented pieces of the future. It was in a Tomb, and facing Mahad was Bakura, whom she had seen once before.
One moment, it was an image of Mahad making an attack move against the Thief Bakura, who had not a single monster beside him. But the next moment, Isis could only see an image of Mahad with a cut opened in his chest, most of his body covered in blood, flying backward.
The image seen by the Millennium Necklace might not be the absolute truth, but it was an image that would absolutely appear. Isis, who had great belief in the Power of the Millennium Necklace, didn't quite understand what was happening in the future she saw in that image, but no matter how she looked at it, the result was inevitable: Mahad would be killed by the Thief Bakura in a Tomb, with a cut opened in his chest. There was absolutely no mistake about this point.
As a fellow Priest, after learning that Mahad had actually volunteered to go to the Tomb of the Previous Pharaoh, King Aknamkanon, Isis immediately told Mahad about her prevision, warning him that he would meet his death there, hoping to persuade her friend to avoid it.
But Mahad countered Isis, asking that since the future seen by the Millennium Necklace would absolutely appear, then he was inevitably going to face the Thief Bakura alone, and it made no difference whether he went to the Tomb of the Previous Pharaoh or not.
If it wasn't the Previous Pharaoh's Tomb, it might even cause the battlefield of the two to transfer to another place Mahad was unfamiliar with. It was better to maintain the current approach; Mahad could even make some preparations based on the known future. Although, he couldn't change his death.
Being unable to change her friend's death made Isis feel very bad today, which was why she ended up arguing with Seto.
But what Isis didn't know was that although there was no one nearby when Isis told Mahad about this, Seto actually happened to pass by a corner they couldn't see and also learned about the future Isis had foreseen.
However, compared to Isis, Seto had always been indifferent to the ability of the Millennium Necklace. If the Millennium Necklace saw an image of him, Seto, flirting with a random woman he picked up on the street, would he have to marry that woman? Impossible.
Seto's goal was to become the strongest, and women were very troublesome.
After all, the future should be mastered by humans themselves. Therefore, Seto had always only treated the Millennium Necklace as a warning device not much different from the Millennium Ring and didn't believe that Mahad would die so easily. However, he still believed a part of Isis's prevision, which was why he specifically reminded Mahad here not to engage Bakura in battle.
Even with all the Priests present at the time, they were still not opponents of Bakura and **Diabound**. With Aknadin still unconscious and one Priest missing, even if the Priests faced Bakura again, they didn't have the confidence to win, let alone Mahad facing that Thief Bakura alone.
Although he had always wanted to defeat the other party to prove his ability was stronger, Seto actually regarded Mahad, who had always been one step ahead of him, as a special "friend". Wanting to defeat the other party was one thing, but Mahad dying was another.
Even if it was lost face, don't die. It's okay to escape, and you can even ask for help from me. This was what Seto wanted to express, but when he said it, it came out in a different way.
Perhaps he understood Seto's awkward concern, or perhaps he simply didn't take Seto's words to heart. Mahad said to Isis, "Priest Seto is right, Priest Isis. The previous two times were due to my insufficient ability. If I could fully control the Millennium Ring instead of constantly consuming Mystical Power to suppress it, those failures wouldn't have happened."
"This time, I will prove my ability to the Pharaoh," Mahad said, standing up and bowing to Dark Yugi on the Throne. He then turned and walked out of the Palace, adding the unspoken second half of his sentence in his heart, 'Even if it costs me my life!'
Carrying the numerous Objects that needed to be returned to the Previous Pharaoh's Tomb, such as replacement tablets, burial treasures, and the mummy of the Previous Pharaoh, King Aknamkanon, Mahad led a team of Soldiers out of the Royal City, through a stretch of desert, and into a valley.
This valley was Necrovalley, where the tombs of past Pharaohs were hidden among numerous Royal Family Tombs. The route was so complex that if Mahad himself hadn't known the location of the Previous Pharaoh's Tomb beforehand, it would have been difficult to find the real tomb even after spending a month or two.
Although the journey seemed to be uneventful, actually, after leaving the Royal City, Mahad had already released his Mystical Power in advance, weaving a Spell Formula around himself for perception. He had long since detected a "little tail" following them not far away. The Mystical Power on its body was exactly the same as that of the Subordinate of Bakura whom Mahad had interrogated yesterday.
Clearly, they were being tracked. Just as Isis's prevision foretold, the Thief Bakura would indeed come for them, and the situation would develop into a decisive battle between only himself and Bakura. In the end, he would die at Bakura's hands, with a cut opened in his chest.
Understandably, Mahad had already known this yesterday. Even though the Soldiers Mahad brought had trained diligently every day, they would find it difficult to contend with Bakura's Subordinates, who had been granted powerful Dark Power by Bakura. With no advantage in manpower, probably none of the Soldiers who followed him out of the City would survive a direct confrontation.
However, although the future could not be changed, the process from the present to the future could be changed. Mahad had a strategy in mind.
Time flew by quickly. In the blink of an eye, the day was almost over. Mahad, who had entered a Tomb early, had not left. The scout who had been following his team also waited for Bakura, who arrived with a team of people.
He even had the leisure to change clothes and take a bath before arriving. Bakura raised his eyebrows upon hearing his Subordinate's report. "That guy Mahad has been inside the Tomb for so long. Forget about this Tomb, he should have finished setting up the Domain for ten more Tombs by now, shouldn't he?"
"Tsk, is he provoking me? Heh, then I'll accept this challenge. After all, the final prize is something as tempting as the Millennium Ring." With an evil smile, Bakura, at the front of the team, called out, "Everyone, charge in with me! Kill everyone except Mahad!"
Saying this, he himself rushed towards the Entrance of the Tomb first, followed by all his Subordinates.
As the horses ran, the scarlet eyes hidden beneath the cloaks of Bakura's Subordinates, who had received a Dark Magic Power Boost, drew a long line under the night curtain, leaving no doubt that they would carry out a massacre of Mahad's manpower.
However, the moment Bakura rushed into the Tomb first, suddenly, over a dozen huge boulders fell from the valley above. Bakura, who had already entered the Tomb, was fine, but the Subordinates who were right behind him weren't so lucky and couldn't avoid them. Even with the Magic Boost, they were still just humans. Nearly ten unlucky ones were instantly crushed into meat paste. Even those who were lucky enough not to be directly hit couldn't brake in time and crashed into the falling stone, their horses and people suffering broken bones and missing limbs.
Bakura wasn't much better off. The falling boulders completely sealed off his retreat. Not only could he not leave here, but his Subordinates couldn't extend a plea for help to him, who was trapped in the Tomb!
"Tsk, I was tricked. Playing such petty tricks." Looking at the Entrance collapsed by the rubble behind him, Bakura's face was cold. "Although this level can't trap me, and I can break through with a little power, this feeling of being trapped is really infuriating."
Just then, Bakura also sensed Mahad's Mystical Power coming from the depths of the Tomb, alone.
"Hoho, you knew I sent someone to follow you, but instead of escaping, you stayed in a Tomb with no other exit and even provoking me, Priest Mahad?"
Flipping off his horse, Bakura twisted his neck, which cracked, and walked towards the depths of the Tomb. Although there were no fires lit for illumination on both sides of the Tomb's Passage, and his eyes met only pitch-black, Bakura could clearly see Mahad standing far ahead of him. The Mystical Power emanating from the Millennium Ring on his chest was so obvious in his perception.
"If I didn't stay here, you wouldn't approach me." With no one else around, Mahad released the Mystical Power he had been suppressing all this time without any apprehension. Black and purple radiance flashed in his eyes. "I'm waiting for you, Bakura!"
