Chapter 199: Nazca Lines

Chapter 199: Nazca Lines

Only then did Yugi and the others learn that Keipei, knowing someone would try to capture Princess Marie again, had voluntarily proposed swapping clothes with her. This was both for Princess Marie's safety and so that if Keipei were captured as a Tribute, he could meet Kaiba.

Although they used the same Deck, Keipei was better at programming than Duel Monsters. When it came to Dueling, Kaiba, who had been captured, was stronger. If Keipei could reach Kaiba, he could return the Deck that had been separated from him, providing a powerful ally.

However, a problem now faced Yugi and the others—whether Kaiba escaped from the Castle of Dark Illusions after being rescued, or Hayato and the others headed to the Castle of Dark Illusions to participate in the rescue, the barrier around the Castle was like the "Wall of Sighs" from mythology that separated the realms of Life and Death, dividing the inside and outside of the Castle into two Worlds.

"It's all my fault, if only I had persisted with my idea..." Princess Marie said, full of self-reproach, and requested of Yugi, "Please, Mr. Yugi, you must rescue Mr. Keipei!"

"We'll definitely rescue Keipei. But having said that," Joey Wheeler gazed at the Castle of Dark Illusions in the distance, "we can't even enter that Castle right now."

"Monsters can't enter, and it's so high up in the air. Honestly, who knows where the aircraft from a thousand years ago is now!" Kujaku Mai echoed Joey Wheeler.

As the few of them frowned with worry, Hayato lay on the city wall, looking into the distance. Pointing in a certain direction, he called out to the others, "I don't think I'm a ghost, and that thing should be what we're looking for."

Following the direction Hayato pointed, they looked out, overlooking the plain below the Kingdom of Corlando. Within the green-covered plain, a rectangular zone had been abruptly cleared into yellow muddy ground, and upon it, a flying bird pattern resembling the Nazca Lines was actually drawn!

That pattern was exactly the same as the "aircraft from a thousand years ago" Princess Marie had told them about!

"'Absolutely right, that must be the aircraft that can go to the Castle of Dark Illusions!' Yugi said somewhat excitedly. 'Let's hurry and set off to dig out the aircraft buried underground!'"

Kujaku Mai and Joey Wheeler didn't refute Yugi's suggestion, but Hayato patted his forehead with some helplessness. "Yugi," he said, "do you still remember that we are currently in a video game world?"

"When that online game has players treasure hunting, it makes them grab a shovel and dig themselves! Besides, a thousand years have passed; how can you be sure the aircraft will still be usable after being dug out?"

Saying this, Hayato casually drew a card from his person and compared it to the Nazca Lines in the distance. "An online game can add rich content," he said, "but the core gameplay won't change. Yugi, don't you think that rectangle looks exactly like a Duel Monsters card?"

Given such a clear hint by Hayato, Yugi also reacted. "You mean," he said, "that place can be used as a card?"

"'But even if that place can be used as a card, we don't have any suitable cards.' Kujaku Mai thought about who among their group had a card that could be used for 'archaeology' on that aircraft."

Joey Wheeler rubbed his nose proudly and said smugly, "Hehe, that's not necessarily true. Mai, just watch!"

Saying this, Joey Wheeler took out his True Tamashii—Time Wizard.

After the group arrived on the giant drawing, Joey Wheeler activated Time Wizard's effect. With Joey the Gambler's luck, how could the effect fail at a time like this? Under the effect of Time Magic, the group saw everything around them rapidly retreat as if the rewind button had been pressed.

The sandy ground returned to stone slabs, withered branches revived into old trees and then reverted to tender sprouts, and ancient buildings that had long since weathered into wreckage reappeared here.

And just then, a voice sounded in Hayato's ear—a hawk cry that sounded slightly hoarse, as if a piece of gauze was tied to the hawk's beak, or as if sand had gotten into the hawk's vocal cords.

The system issued a prompt: [Unknown Power Intrusion detected, protection automatically enabled]. Hayato's Millennium Ring on his chest also unaccountably began to glow.

Hayato couldn't help but feel confused, because he remembered that in the original progression, Yugi and the others had easily restored the aircraft used to reach the Castle of Dark Illusions.

As Joey Wheeler's Time Wizard continued to exert its power, time had now been rewound to approximately 800 years ago. The ground suddenly cracked open, and an aircraft of enormous size, shaped like a soaring hawk with spread wings, appeared before them. The countless traces left by years upon it were rapidly repaired.

At the same time, a barely perceptible light also flew out from the destroyed "Nazca Lines" on the ground and crashed into Hayato's pants pocket.

Hayato quickly took out the card from his pants pocket to look. For ease of use, he had kept the Sage's Stone card in his pants pocket all along; there was only this one card inside. However, when he reached in, he discovered that there was actually another card in his pocket!

Taking it out to look, the card art, card name, and effect description of the extra card were completely blank, only revealing that it was a [Dark Attribute], and a [Level 10 High-Level Monster].

Hayato was temporarily unable to understand what was going on with this card.

In short, he would just keep it for now; no reason not to take something given for free.

Hayato threw this card of unknown origin into the [System Warehouse] and looked at the giant bird aircraft that was gradually being repaired to its state from a thousand years ago. Finally, as Time Wizard disappeared from before Joey Wheeler, completely worn out, the giant bird aircraft before them was also completely repaired to its appearance from a thousand years ago.

"'You worked hard, Time Wizard.' Joey Wheeler returned the card to his Deck and looked at Yugi. 'Let's hurry and set off. Keipei and the others are still in danger now.'"

"'Okay!' Yugi nodded, looked at the Castle of Dark Illusions in the distance, and stepped into the aircraft."

The group of four came aboard the aircraft. Joey Wheeler volunteered to be the Helmsman, taking control of the aircraft's direction. Meanwhile, Princess Marie was on the ground, looking up at the gradually ascending aircraft. "Please, Mr. Yugi," she said, "you must return safely."

The pixie "Ailou" that had been circling Princess Marie seemed to say something to her, then also flew up with the aircraft and came before Yugi on the deck.

"'Ailou, do you want to come with us too?'"

It nodded and landed on Yugi's hair, comfortably lying between the "starfish's" spikes.

Yugi smiled happily, carefully raising his head to avoid knocking Ailou off, and looked towards the Castle of Dark Illusions. "Alright," he said, "let's set off, towards the Castle of Dark Illusions!"

(End of Chapter)