Want to play cards? I'll use my King's Deck!

"You should understand by now, Yuxi. I am Atum, but I am not that Atum. I am the strongest in your memory. How strong I am depends only on your impression and expectations of me."

This is the world of the mind, the most idealistic of all.

Atum is different from the real Atum. There are some things that only the latter can do, but there are also things that only he here can do.

He is a fantasy, an existence in Yu Xi's memory, yet he transcends the limitations of that memory due to Yu Xi's emotional inclinations.

That's why we can bring out enhancement cards that weren't in the original work, so...

You Xicai can't win.

"You must transcend the illusions in your mind."

Atum solemnly warned Yu Xi, "Without this unwavering determination to win and the perseverance to work towards it, you will never be able to defeat me."

Yu Xi pondered, "Surpass Mr. Atum?"

"Yes."

Atum laughed, "Although you're using a deck similar to mine and Aibo's, you're not a second one of us. You need to find your own path, Yuki. 'Dark Witch' and 'Snake Eyes' are a good start."

"Keep going, see more scenery, meet more people, and keep growing. Keep going, and one day you'll become the strongest duelist."

As he said this, Atum's figure flickered violently as if there was a bad signal, and he looked at his palm.

"Time's almost up, so let's not waste any more time. Here we go, Yu Xi."

Atum took a card from his deck and handed it to Yuxi.

"This is……"

You Xi took a look and couldn't help but look surprised.

The crimson dragon in the card art is incredibly lifelike; it is none other than the "Sky Dragon of Osiris" that appeared in the duel before.

"Mr. Atum, I don't think I won the duel, did I?"

According to Mana, he should have to defeat Atum to pass the trial.

"There isn't just one way to gain the approval of the Egyptian Gods, and the standards for the trials are different. Defeating me will certainly earn you their approval, but more accurately, defeating a god in a direct battle is enough. At least that's true for 'Osiris'."

"Is that so? It's not necessary to defeat Mr. Atum."

Yuki turned to look back at the black magic girl, who chuckled and lightly tapped her head with her hand.

"However, gaining approval and being able to use it are two different things."

Atum added seriously, "Yuxi, given your current situation, it's too much of a stretch to use it freely. Perhaps the other cards are fine, but the Egyptian God cards require both sufficient power and spirit to control. Even if the God Cards approve of you, it's still the same."

"Power? You mean Feel, right?"

Yuki knew long ago that he was basically not restricted by Feel when using his own cards, but it seems that the Three Egyptian Gods are an exception.

"I understand. I will continue to work hard to become stronger, Mr. Atum."

"Yes, I look forward to your growth. If there is another opportunity, let's duel again next time."

After saying his last words with a smile, Atum's figure disappeared from Yu Xi's sight.

At the same time, You Xi also felt a pulling force tugging at him.

He instinctively sensed that this journey into the room of the mind...

It's time.

Chapter 104 A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.

As consciousness rose, Youxi slowly opened her eyes.

What appeared before them was no longer the temple in the room of the mind, covered with various colored stone slabs, but a grand hall of equal solemnity, surrounded by statues of angels.

As he opened his eyes, the light surrounding him dimmed and subsided.

Without that layer of light pollution, Youxi's vision became much clearer, and she immediately saw Xingyewu and the slightly tired-looking old man.

He has returned from his inner world.

"You Xijun!"

"Twenty-eight minutes and thirty-six seconds, I can't believe I could last that long..."

Upon seeing Youxi open her eyes, Xingye Wu and Father Anderson reacted differently.

Father Anderson suppressed his own sense of harmony with the circle and gazed intently at Yu Xi.

"Judging from your appearance, you must have experienced a lot in that world."

"That's quite a lot."

Yu Xi rose from the circle, answering the priest while recalling the thrilling duel that had just taken place.

To be honest, he still feels a bit unreal.

Yu Xi said to the blonde girl, "Miss Xingye, you're right, this was indeed an unforgettable experience. Thank you, and thank you Father Anderson as well."

"You're welcome."

Xingye Wu smiled happily and said, "If Youxi really wants to thank me, then treat me to a meal later. There's a newly opened restaurant I've been wanting to visit for a long time. You should be willing to come with me, right?"

"I was just responding to a request for help from someone. I would have helped anyone else if they had met the requirements."

On the other side, Father Anderson readily accepted Yu Xi's thanks.

He continued, "The ritual is not suitable for frequent use in a short period of time, at least not for the next month. But I think you probably won't need to use this ritual for the time being."

You Xi nodded.

"Yes, I've learned enough from this experience to keep me going for a long time."

"That's good."

Father Anderson said, "I have other things to do, so I'll have to go now. If you have time, go and play with the children later. They miss you very much."

After saying that, Father Anderson left the basilica without stopping or looking back.

Watching the old man's departing figure, Xing Yewu looked slightly surprised.

"Huh? You're leaving already? I thought the priest would invite you to join the church."

"How do I say 'join a church'?"

"Because You Xijun, you persisted in the ritual for a long time."

Xingye Wu laughed matter-of-factly, "This breaks my record. Remember what I told you before? The Mystic Ritual is also part of the selection process. With your results, if you were in the selection back then, you would definitely be the center of attention. You might even have become a Holy Son."

"But the selection process should be over by now."

It had only been a week at most, and Youxi hadn't forgotten what the priest and Xingye Wu had said back then.

"Even if the selection process is over, it doesn't mean we can't continue to recruit talent. Father Anderson's responsibility and obligation, while maintaining the diocese, is to spread the doctrine and attract people to join the church. So, to be honest, it's a bit surprising that we didn't invite such a promising candidate as you."

"Probably because they know that inviting me wouldn't make much difference."

Yu Xi guessed, "Although I am not an atheist, I am not very interested in joining the church. I guess the priest noticed that."

"That's probably how it is. Well, it's nothing to worry about. What's important now is—"

Xingye Wu leaned closer to Youxi.

"Yu Xijun, can you tell me about your adventure in the Mind Room?"

Meeting the curious gleam in the girl's eyes, Youxi nodded.

"Well, of course."

……

"Really? So much happened in Yu Xijun's mental room."

Inside the Angel Church's lounge, amidst the sounds of children like Tsukasa Kujo playing and laughing outside the window, and the gradually setting sun, Mai Hoshino listened quietly to Yuki's narration.

She asked with some curiosity, "Atum... is that the same name as the model of your Duel Disk, Yuki-kun? Is that the strongest duelist in your mind, Yuki-kun?"

"Well, I haven't seen the strongest person here yet, but I don't think even they would be as strong as Mr. Atum."

Yu Xi still trusted Xing Yewu.

Rather, in this unfamiliar world, if he couldn't even trust Hoshino Mai and Izayoi Yuki, then he had no one else he could trust.

Therefore, aside from a few things that are difficult to explain, he generally doesn't hide anything from the girls.

Moreover, Youxi really wanted to find someone to confide in and share her still unsettled feelings. Among the people here, Xingyewu was the most suitable.

“Miss Hoshino said that duelists who have mastered Feel can draw any card they want once they reach the highest level. Mr. Atum is a duelist of that level.”

"Eh—isn't that amazing?" Xingyewu exclaimed in surprise.

If what You Xi said is true, then the value of this ability is unparalleled.

"Yes, I don't know exactly how much of his strength Mr. Atum used in the end, but he certainly didn't go all out."

Upon careful consideration, since it is the strongest in my memory, it must also possess the ability of "destined to draw once" in its full state.

However, Yu Xi did not see how Atum used this power. If he had a use for it, he would not have bothered to hide it.

Therefore, when Atum said "all out," he probably meant "all out" in normal times, without knowing how much he was holding back.

I'm still a long way from truly surpassing Atum and reaching that level.

Xingye Wu chuckled softly, "Well, having a goal to chase is a good thing. Getting stronger will also help improve your ranking in the Star Cup and find information related to the first founder of Kaiba Corporation: Kaiba Lairen. In any case, haven't you already passed the initial trials and gained recognition?"

"To be able to fight against duelists like that to that extent, I think you're really amazing, Yuuki-kun."

"Miss Xingye, you don't need to keep praising me like this."

To be honest, You Xi was a little embarrassed by what Xing Yewu said.

"After all, it's the truth, and I'm not lying at all."

The blonde girl then remarked, "However, I never expected it to turn into such a big fuss."

At least, Xingye Wu didn't know anyone who needed to undergo trials to gain the approval of the guardian spirit after entering their inner world; even she had never encountered one.

This means that Yu Xijun's guardian spirits are indeed extraordinary.

She had never heard of a monster with the name "Sky Dragon of Osiris". But since it was given the title of a God Card, the first thing that came to mind was that duelist from the Western Conference who used the Triad God.