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Chapter 748: Can You Even Drop Something From the Sky to Smash Me?
It wasn't until Hayato heard the Soldier's words that he finally connected the series of unusual events from earlier.
When they passed through the Marketplace this morning, although he and Nefertari were trying to avoid attention, the women in the Commercial District had only looked at him, paying absolutely no attention to Nefertari.
The Soldiers were the same; they could see Hayato's existence but couldn't see Nefertari right beside him, as if she were a ghost only Hayato could see.
No, it wasn't just Hayato who could see her. Bakura, or rather Bakura who was also from the modern era, could also see Nefertari and had even taken her as a Hostage.
Putting these conditions together, Hayato realized Nefertari's situation was exactly the same as Yugi and the others, who should also be arriving in the Memory World around this time. Because they weren't people of this Era, they didn't exist in the memories of this Era, and thus couldn't be seen by the people of this Era. Only those who held memories related to Nefertari could see her.
The guy who called himself "Pharaoh" earlier was also like that. Everything about him proved that he was definitely not a person of this Era. More importantly, he knew Nefertari, which made Hayato somewhat suspicious. Could they all be helpers Bakura Ryo found in the modern era?
Looking at Nefertari's back, Hayato inexplicably dismissed his suspicion of her. She shouldn't be Bakura's Subordinate. Otherwise, on his first day in this World, there would have been no need for her to lead him to the Royal Palace.
Hayato, filled with subconscious trust in Nefertari and unwilling to suspect her, thus convinced himself.
But that guy who called himself "Pharaoh" was definitely not a good person. Even if he wasn't Bakura's man, he wasn't anything good either. Yes, that's right. In contrast, Hayato's suspicion of the "Pharaoh" was deeply rooted, but whether it was mixed with Hayato's subjective factors of being annoyed and repulsed by him was something only Hayato himself knew.
However, Nefertari, who exactly are you...?
Hayato didn't get lost in thought for too long. As he and Nefertari left the Royal City and passed through a section of the Residential Area Outside the City, vast stretches of Desert lay before them. Without any reference points, Nefertari, who was leading the way, slowed down considerably, having to stop and go, constantly adjusting their direction.
But even so, because the distance marked on that suspicious Treasure Map was inherently very short, in just a moment, Nefertari said to Hayato with an excited expression, "It seems we're almost there! The route drawn on the Treasure Map pretty much ends up ahead, Meriamun."
As she spoke, Nefertari pointed a finger towards a small Hillside in the distance. "If we cross that Sand Dune, it looks like we'll reach the Valley drawn on the Treasure Map."
Hayato looked at the Treasure Map, and indeed, comparing it to their surroundings, they were indeed close to the final destination of the route drawn on the Treasure Map. However, along the way, Hayato also became a little curious.
"Speaking of which, Nefertari, where did you get this Treasure Map?" The treasure location was so close to their starting point, so close that anyone without mobility issues could easily arrive at the destination. Yet, this Treasure Map somehow ended up in Nefertari's hand, which was overly strange.
Nefertari tilted her head and thought, "A very beautiful person in the Marketplace gave it to me! He was very handsome, and his hair was a rare green. Although he looked like a girl, Nefertari knew he was a man at first glance~"
Hearing Nefertari's words, Hayato frowned. If he could see Nefertari, did that mean he was also someone who had memories related to Nefertari? Seriously, the number of people he needed to be on guard against had increased.
These thoughts continued until Hayato followed behind Nefertari and climbed the Sand Dune, allowing him to see a valley fissure not far away, and a person dressed as a traveler standing by the edge of the Valley.
"Oh, oh, oh, we're finally almost there!" Nefertari said happily, but upon noticing the dark figure in the distance with their back turned, she became a little confused. "Strange, could this be a popular spot? Why are there other people besides us?"
"Huh? Could it be someone trying to steal our treasure!?"
Seemingly thinking that the conjecture that suddenly popped into her head might be true, Nefertari grabbed Hayato's hand. "We need to hurry, Meriamun! We can't let someone else get the treasure first. I've already thought about what I want to buy with the treasure!"
"But you don't even know if the treasure is money," Hayato ranted, but his movements weren't slow at all. Following the anxious Nefertari, he jogged down the Sand Dune, moving from the Sandy Ground onto the rock, and approached the traveler from behind.
Because Hayato and Nefertari didn't really hide the commotion of their approach, the traveler with his back turned easily sensed their arrival. Without even turning around, Hayato heard him speak with his back still facing them: "You should have grown up under the sky of Egypt since you were a child, yet it's strange. Why do I feel the aura of a soul originating from Atlantis within you?"
"Atlantis?"
Nefertari heard what the other person said and felt unaccountably confused because she couldn't understand it. But when Hayato heard the other person say the word "Atlantis," his expression changed drastically. "You, could it be—?!"
"Do you know me, young man? Then my conjecture was indeed correct. You must be a soul that doesn't belong to this Era, but rather comes from a more distant Future. Because within you, I feel an aura that is extremely similar to mine, one that could even be said to originate from me."
As he spoke, the traveler turned around and lifted his hood, revealing a head of rare green hair. "As for my name, although I think you might know it, I'll introduce myself again anyway."
"My name is Dartz, a traveler, on a global journey with the goal of observing humans."
"Dartz!" Immediately, Hayato shielded Nefertari behind him, watching the other person with vigilance.
Although he remembered Dartz mentioning to him in Doma that he had gone to Ancient Egypt three thousand years ago to observe the Nameless Pharaoh's actions at that time, Hayato never expected Dartz to actually appear in this Memory World.
Hayato remembered that Dartz at this time was also just recovering from the Spirit War ten thousand years prior. To decide what attitude to adopt towards humans afterward, he was traveling around the major ancient countries. Although he still possessed a certain amount of power, because the Orichalcos God had not yet awakened, it could be said to be his weakest state.
However, Hayato wasn't doing much better. Although he had awakened Psychic Ectoplasm with the help of the Millennium Key, and along with it, had reawakened the spirits of **Ojama**, **Armed Dragon**, and the **VWXYZ** Series, and had **Drytron** and **The Winged Dragon of Ra** at his disposal, even with this lineup, Hayato still didn't have much confidence in defeating Dartz again.
The reason was simple: he didn't have a Duel Arena in this Era that could maximize the power of spirits. Although he could still use the power of spirits by holding the cards, it was definitely not as effective as using the tablets to exert full power. The rules of this Era, or rather the rules of the Memory World, were like this: tablets were a better medium than cards for unleashing spirit power, and Duel Arenas were powerful items that further boosted that power.
It was also for this reason that Hayato had only used Psychic Ectoplasm purely as a convenient tool for swatting mosquitoes, opening doors, and getting things. It wasn't that he didn't want to use it for its intended purpose; it was just that Psychic Ectoplasm, being housed in cards rather than tablets, could only exert that level of power.
However, if he could return to Reality, freed from the rules of the Memory World, this rule would no longer be able to restrict Hayato's performance. But now, Hayato, being in the Memory World, was still limited by this rule. Without spirits stored in tablets and without a Duel Arena, he was fundamentally no match for even Dartz in his weakest state.
Looking at Dartz's face, Nefertari, who was shielded behind Hayato, was also a little surprised. "Huh? Aren't you the person who gave me the Treasure Map this morning? Why are you here too?"
"C-Could it be that you memorized the Treasure Map yourself before giving it to me? Wah, how cunning!"
Pausing, Nefertari thought of another possibility. "C-Could this be a trap? Are you lying in wait here for me to bring Meriamun over? Run quickly, Meriamun, I'll hold him off!"
Striking a fighting stance and unladylike rolling up her sleeves, Nefertari was easily broken through by a single chop from Hayato's hand.
Gently tapping Nefertari's head, Hayato ranted, "With that stance of yours, you're probably using the legendary Hooligan Excitement Fist? Give up already, it should be me protecting you while you escape."
Saying this, he took out a few cards from the System Warehouse and held them in his hand. Although he couldn't exert full power, Hayato wasn't someone who would easily surrender or give up. Even if he knew he was no match, what of it? At the very least, he had to let the opponent know he wasn't someone to be trifled with.
However, although Hayato was watching him with vigilance, Dartz smiled when looking at Hayato and said in a friendly manner, "No, I'm not setting a trap for you. I clearly told the Little Girl, didn't I? This is just a map that can reach a specified destination."
"However, it seems the Little Girl has completely forgotten this point."
Hearing Dartz's words, Hayato looked back at Nefertari, his gaze seeming to ask her, "Didn't you say this was a Treasure Map?" Nefertari just stuck out her tongue playfully, getting away with it by being "cute".
Looking Hayato up and down, Dartz nodded almost imperceptibly, looking quite satisfied. "So, can you tell me if my conjecture is correct? You are indeed a person from the Future, aren't you?"
Looking at Dartz, Hayato didn't directly answer him. After a brief thought, he took out a card from the Warehouse and casually tossed it to the other person. "For this question, just look at this yourself."
The card Hayato tossed to Dartz was the **Seal of Orichalcos**, the one that had lost its value after he left Doma. Nothing could better illustrate the origin between Hayato and Dartz in the Future than this card.
Dartz raised his hand to catch the flying card, looked at it, and showed an interested expression. "This is, Orichalcos? Did I actually make such a decision after completing my observation of humans? That's quite an accident. I was still able to accept the development of humans up until now."
"However, the Future this thing belongs to seems even more distant than I expected." Pinching the card, which was made by Industrial Illusions using black technology and was excessively strong when necessary despite being paper, Dartz frowned. "While the body gives me the feeling of being from the Future at most a little over ten years from now, the material of this card... humans would need at least three thousand years of development to achieve this."
Hayato couldn't quite understand Dartz's words. "Ten years, three thousand years? Are you getting old and seeing things, Dartz?"
"I still have a long time to live, you should know this better than anyone else, shouldn't you, 'Hayato'?" Dartz spread his hands somewhat innocently. "I can see very clearly. Your body, like the Little Girl next to you, is clearly from the Future about a little over ten years from now. But I absolutely cannot be mistaken about your unique, shining soul."
"Such a pure and flawless soul, I will absolutely never forget it. It must be from three thousand years later."
Although Dartz's words gave Hayato a "gaygay" feeling as usual, he was so certain that Hayato couldn't help but believe him a little, lowering his head to look at his hands.
Was his body in this Memory World, like his soul, not an existence of this Era but from a little over ten years later?
Hayato had been feeling a bit strange for a while. Unlike Dark Yugi being the Nameless Pharaoh, or Bakura being able to possess Thief Bakura, he shouldn't have had any identity to adopt three thousand years ago. Logically, he should have appeared in his original appearance, just like the others who joined later.
However, he had appeared inside the body of an eight-year-old child, and according to Dartz, this eight-year-old child and Nefertari, who had been by his side, were actually "people from the Future" from a little over ten years after the current Era?
What kind of situation was this?
Wait, could it be—
Hayato suddenly remembered that the guy who called himself Pharaoh had a face identical to his own. Was there a possibility that the other person was actually the original owner of this eight-year-old child named Meriamun? And then in the Future, that person was born and actually became a Pharaoh?
But in Hayato's limited historical knowledge, he didn't remember which dynasty or year had which Pharaoh, or which Pharaoh was named Meriamun. However, he vaguely recalled that when he visited the Museum with Ishizu before, she seemed to have casually mentioned while passing by an exhibited mummy that "Meriamun" was another appellation for that Pharaoh.
Hayato couldn't help but feel annoyed that at the time he was only focused on why Ishizu's Duel Disk was so white and why the monsters in her Deck had such high ATK, completely forgetting which jerk that arrogant Pharaoh was.
"Forget it, there's no need to figure this out." Hayato didn't dwell on this matter much. Even if he knew that the owner of this body was likely that arrogant "Pharaoh," so what? He used it, and that was that. Was he supposed to apologize to the other person?
If you've got the guts, drop a brick from the sky and smash me to death.
Just as Hayato was thinking this, he heard screaming suddenly ring out from above his head: "Get out of the way below! You're going to get hit!"
He abruptly raised his head and saw several dark figures falling from the sky. Only one thought had time to flash through his mind:
Holy crap, is something really going to fall and smash me to death?!
The ones falling from the sky, of course, were Yugi and his group. At this point, all the participants of the Memory World had finally made their appearance, which also meant that the Nameless Pharaoh was probably about to be forced offline for a while.
End of Chapter
It wasn't until Hayato heard the Soldier's words that he finally connected the series of unusual events from earlier.
When they passed through the Marketplace this morning, although he and Nefertari were trying to avoid attention, the women in the Commercial District had only looked at him, paying absolutely no attention to Nefertari.
The Soldiers were the same; they could see Hayato's existence but couldn't see Nefertari right beside him, as if she were a ghost only Hayato could see.
No, it wasn't just Hayato who could see her. Bakura, or rather Bakura who was also from the modern era, could also see Nefertari and had even taken her as a Hostage.
Putting these conditions together, Hayato realized Nefertari's situation was exactly the same as Yugi and the others, who should also be arriving in the Memory World around this time. Because they weren't people of this Era, they didn't exist in the memories of this Era, and thus couldn't be seen by the people of this Era. Only those who held memories related to Nefertari could see her.
The guy who called himself "Pharaoh" earlier was also like that. Everything about him proved that he was definitely not a person of this Era. More importantly, he knew Nefertari, which made Hayato somewhat suspicious. Could they all be helpers Bakura Ryo found in the modern era?
Looking at Nefertari's back, Hayato inexplicably dismissed his suspicion of her. She shouldn't be Bakura's Subordinate. Otherwise, on his first day in this World, there would have been no need for her to lead him to the Royal Palace.
Hayato, filled with subconscious trust in Nefertari and unwilling to suspect her, thus convinced himself.
But that guy who called himself "Pharaoh" was definitely not a good person. Even if he wasn't Bakura's man, he wasn't anything good either. Yes, that's right. In contrast, Hayato's suspicion of the "Pharaoh" was deeply rooted, but whether it was mixed with Hayato's subjective factors of being annoyed and repulsed by him was something only Hayato himself knew.
However, Nefertari, who exactly are you...?
Hayato didn't get lost in thought for too long. As he and Nefertari left the Royal City and passed through a section of the Residential Area Outside the City, vast stretches of Desert lay before them. Without any reference points, Nefertari, who was leading the way, slowed down considerably, having to stop and go, constantly adjusting their direction.
But even so, because the distance marked on that suspicious Treasure Map was inherently very short, in just a moment, Nefertari said to Hayato with an excited expression, "It seems we're almost there! The route drawn on the Treasure Map pretty much ends up ahead, Meriamun."
As she spoke, Nefertari pointed a finger towards a small Hillside in the distance. "If we cross that Sand Dune, it looks like we'll reach the Valley drawn on the Treasure Map."
Hayato looked at the Treasure Map, and indeed, comparing it to their surroundings, they were indeed close to the final destination of the route drawn on the Treasure Map. However, along the way, Hayato also became a little curious.
"Speaking of which, Nefertari, where did you get this Treasure Map?" The treasure location was so close to their starting point, so close that anyone without mobility issues could easily arrive at the destination. Yet, this Treasure Map somehow ended up in Nefertari's hand, which was overly strange.
Nefertari tilted her head and thought, "A very beautiful person in the Marketplace gave it to me! He was very handsome, and his hair was a rare green. Although he looked like a girl, Nefertari knew he was a man at first glance~"
Hearing Nefertari's words, Hayato frowned. If he could see Nefertari, did that mean he was also someone who had memories related to Nefertari? Seriously, the number of people he needed to be on guard against had increased.
These thoughts continued until Hayato followed behind Nefertari and climbed the Sand Dune, allowing him to see a valley fissure not far away, and a person dressed as a traveler standing by the edge of the Valley.
"Oh, oh, oh, we're finally almost there!" Nefertari said happily, but upon noticing the dark figure in the distance with their back turned, she became a little confused. "Strange, could this be a popular spot? Why are there other people besides us?"
"Huh? Could it be someone trying to steal our treasure!?"
Seemingly thinking that the conjecture that suddenly popped into her head might be true, Nefertari grabbed Hayato's hand. "We need to hurry, Meriamun! We can't let someone else get the treasure first. I've already thought about what I want to buy with the treasure!"
"But you don't even know if the treasure is money," Hayato ranted, but his movements weren't slow at all. Following the anxious Nefertari, he jogged down the Sand Dune, moving from the Sandy Ground onto the rock, and approached the traveler from behind.
Because Hayato and Nefertari didn't really hide the commotion of their approach, the traveler with his back turned easily sensed their arrival. Without even turning around, Hayato heard him speak with his back still facing them: "You should have grown up under the sky of Egypt since you were a child, yet it's strange. Why do I feel the aura of a soul originating from Atlantis within you?"
"Atlantis?"
Nefertari heard what the other person said and felt unaccountably confused because she couldn't understand it. But when Hayato heard the other person say the word "Atlantis," his expression changed drastically. "You, could it be—?!"
"Do you know me, young man? Then my conjecture was indeed correct. You must be a soul that doesn't belong to this Era, but rather comes from a more distant Future. Because within you, I feel an aura that is extremely similar to mine, one that could even be said to originate from me."
As he spoke, the traveler turned around and lifted his hood, revealing a head of rare green hair. "As for my name, although I think you might know it, I'll introduce myself again anyway."
"My name is Dartz, a traveler, on a global journey with the goal of observing humans."
"Dartz!" Immediately, Hayato shielded Nefertari behind him, watching the other person with vigilance.
Although he remembered Dartz mentioning to him in Doma that he had gone to Ancient Egypt three thousand years ago to observe the Nameless Pharaoh's actions at that time, Hayato never expected Dartz to actually appear in this Memory World.
Hayato remembered that Dartz at this time was also just recovering from the Spirit War ten thousand years prior. To decide what attitude to adopt towards humans afterward, he was traveling around the major ancient countries. Although he still possessed a certain amount of power, because the Orichalcos God had not yet awakened, it could be said to be his weakest state.
However, Hayato wasn't doing much better. Although he had awakened Psychic Ectoplasm with the help of the Millennium Key, and along with it, had reawakened the spirits of **Ojama**, **Armed Dragon**, and the **VWXYZ** Series, and had **Drytron** and **The Winged Dragon of Ra** at his disposal, even with this lineup, Hayato still didn't have much confidence in defeating Dartz again.
The reason was simple: he didn't have a Duel Arena in this Era that could maximize the power of spirits. Although he could still use the power of spirits by holding the cards, it was definitely not as effective as using the tablets to exert full power. The rules of this Era, or rather the rules of the Memory World, were like this: tablets were a better medium than cards for unleashing spirit power, and Duel Arenas were powerful items that further boosted that power.
It was also for this reason that Hayato had only used Psychic Ectoplasm purely as a convenient tool for swatting mosquitoes, opening doors, and getting things. It wasn't that he didn't want to use it for its intended purpose; it was just that Psychic Ectoplasm, being housed in cards rather than tablets, could only exert that level of power.
However, if he could return to Reality, freed from the rules of the Memory World, this rule would no longer be able to restrict Hayato's performance. But now, Hayato, being in the Memory World, was still limited by this rule. Without spirits stored in tablets and without a Duel Arena, he was fundamentally no match for even Dartz in his weakest state.
Looking at Dartz's face, Nefertari, who was shielded behind Hayato, was also a little surprised. "Huh? Aren't you the person who gave me the Treasure Map this morning? Why are you here too?"
"C-Could it be that you memorized the Treasure Map yourself before giving it to me? Wah, how cunning!"
Pausing, Nefertari thought of another possibility. "C-Could this be a trap? Are you lying in wait here for me to bring Meriamun over? Run quickly, Meriamun, I'll hold him off!"
Striking a fighting stance and unladylike rolling up her sleeves, Nefertari was easily broken through by a single chop from Hayato's hand.
Gently tapping Nefertari's head, Hayato ranted, "With that stance of yours, you're probably using the legendary Hooligan Excitement Fist? Give up already, it should be me protecting you while you escape."
Saying this, he took out a few cards from the System Warehouse and held them in his hand. Although he couldn't exert full power, Hayato wasn't someone who would easily surrender or give up. Even if he knew he was no match, what of it? At the very least, he had to let the opponent know he wasn't someone to be trifled with.
However, although Hayato was watching him with vigilance, Dartz smiled when looking at Hayato and said in a friendly manner, "No, I'm not setting a trap for you. I clearly told the Little Girl, didn't I? This is just a map that can reach a specified destination."
"However, it seems the Little Girl has completely forgotten this point."
Hearing Dartz's words, Hayato looked back at Nefertari, his gaze seeming to ask her, "Didn't you say this was a Treasure Map?" Nefertari just stuck out her tongue playfully, getting away with it by being "cute".
Looking Hayato up and down, Dartz nodded almost imperceptibly, looking quite satisfied. "So, can you tell me if my conjecture is correct? You are indeed a person from the Future, aren't you?"
Looking at Dartz, Hayato didn't directly answer him. After a brief thought, he took out a card from the Warehouse and casually tossed it to the other person. "For this question, just look at this yourself."
The card Hayato tossed to Dartz was the **Seal of Orichalcos**, the one that had lost its value after he left Doma. Nothing could better illustrate the origin between Hayato and Dartz in the Future than this card.
Dartz raised his hand to catch the flying card, looked at it, and showed an interested expression. "This is, Orichalcos? Did I actually make such a decision after completing my observation of humans? That's quite an accident. I was still able to accept the development of humans up until now."
"However, the Future this thing belongs to seems even more distant than I expected." Pinching the card, which was made by Industrial Illusions using black technology and was excessively strong when necessary despite being paper, Dartz frowned. "While the body gives me the feeling of being from the Future at most a little over ten years from now, the material of this card... humans would need at least three thousand years of development to achieve this."
Hayato couldn't quite understand Dartz's words. "Ten years, three thousand years? Are you getting old and seeing things, Dartz?"
"I still have a long time to live, you should know this better than anyone else, shouldn't you, 'Hayato'?" Dartz spread his hands somewhat innocently. "I can see very clearly. Your body, like the Little Girl next to you, is clearly from the Future about a little over ten years from now. But I absolutely cannot be mistaken about your unique, shining soul."
"Such a pure and flawless soul, I will absolutely never forget it. It must be from three thousand years later."
Although Dartz's words gave Hayato a "gaygay" feeling as usual, he was so certain that Hayato couldn't help but believe him a little, lowering his head to look at his hands.
Was his body in this Memory World, like his soul, not an existence of this Era but from a little over ten years later?
Hayato had been feeling a bit strange for a while. Unlike Dark Yugi being the Nameless Pharaoh, or Bakura being able to possess Thief Bakura, he shouldn't have had any identity to adopt three thousand years ago. Logically, he should have appeared in his original appearance, just like the others who joined later.
However, he had appeared inside the body of an eight-year-old child, and according to Dartz, this eight-year-old child and Nefertari, who had been by his side, were actually "people from the Future" from a little over ten years after the current Era?
What kind of situation was this?
Wait, could it be—
Hayato suddenly remembered that the guy who called himself Pharaoh had a face identical to his own. Was there a possibility that the other person was actually the original owner of this eight-year-old child named Meriamun? And then in the Future, that person was born and actually became a Pharaoh?
But in Hayato's limited historical knowledge, he didn't remember which dynasty or year had which Pharaoh, or which Pharaoh was named Meriamun. However, he vaguely recalled that when he visited the Museum with Ishizu before, she seemed to have casually mentioned while passing by an exhibited mummy that "Meriamun" was another appellation for that Pharaoh.
Hayato couldn't help but feel annoyed that at the time he was only focused on why Ishizu's Duel Disk was so white and why the monsters in her Deck had such high ATK, completely forgetting which jerk that arrogant Pharaoh was.
"Forget it, there's no need to figure this out." Hayato didn't dwell on this matter much. Even if he knew that the owner of this body was likely that arrogant "Pharaoh," so what? He used it, and that was that. Was he supposed to apologize to the other person?
If you've got the guts, drop a brick from the sky and smash me to death.
Just as Hayato was thinking this, he heard screaming suddenly ring out from above his head: "Get out of the way below! You're going to get hit!"
He abruptly raised his head and saw several dark figures falling from the sky. Only one thought had time to flash through his mind:
Holy crap, is something really going to fall and smash me to death?!
The ones falling from the sky, of course, were Yugi and his group. At this point, all the participants of the Memory World had finally made their appearance, which also meant that the Nameless Pharaoh was probably about to be forced offline for a while.
End of Chapter
