"Supreme King."
To every spirit inhabiting the Duel Monster Spirit World, those two words were an absolute nightmare.
News of the Supreme King's return spread to every corner of the world, carried by the mouths of defector from the Gravekeepers. The waves of unrest caused by his reappearance would only intensify in the coming days.
Of course, that was a story for a year later.
For now, Jaden Yuki chose to leave the area after rescuing the three spirits and Professor Banner.
"Jaden! I knew you'd be just fine, meow!"
Lyman Banner was a sobbing mess, clutching Jaden and refusing to let go.
"...Professor, there's really no need for this much excitement." Jaden pushed Banner's face away with a look of pure exasperation, his lips twitching slightly.
"Meow."
Pharaoh, the plump cat, also rubbed against Jaden's pant leg and gave a soft cry.
"I believed in Jaden from the start! After all, Jaden is the legendary Supreme King!" Ghost Belle chimed in as she drifted beside them, a bright smile on her face.
"You guys..."
Looking at the group surrounding him, Jaden couldn't help but let a helpless smile escape his lips.
In the distance, led by Ghost Ogre, Alexis Rhodes arrived at a corner of the Sanctuary. From afar, she saw Jaden standing in the middle of a circle formed by duel spirits, a fat cat, and Professor Banner.
When she caught that helpless smile on Jaden's face, Alexis's eyes flickered with a strange emotion.
"That's the first time I've seen Jaden make an expression like that..."
"Hmm? What was that?" Ghost Ogre glanced at her.
Alexis shook her head with a small smile. "Nothing. It's just... I always used to think Jaden was a very lonely, stoic person. But now I realize my understanding of him was too shallow."
"Is that so?" Ghost Ogre nodded half-comprehendingly, looking back toward Jaden. "It seems that both humans and spirits have more than a few misunderstandings regarding the Supreme King."
But was this version of the Supreme King the truly authentic one? Or did he have another side that no one would ever truly understand?
Under the guidance of the Gravekeeper Chief, the group left the Gravekeepers' domain and returned to Duel Academy.
For Professor Banner, having witnessed Jaden's true power, it was now necessary to reassess the Shadow Riders' chances of victory against him.
As for Alexis, once they were back at the academy, she found herself paying even closer attention to Jaden's every move.
"Alexis..."
"Alexis! What are you staring at!"
Jasmine's voice snapped Alexis out of her daze.
She startled, realizing that the morning classes had already come to an end without her noticing.
"Honestly, you've been staring at that empty seat in the front row for so long. What's going on?"
Jasmine and Mindy frowned, looking at Alexis with concern and curiosity. "Alexis, are you sick? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"
"Ah no, it's nothing! I'm fine, really!" Alexis waved her hands dismissively, laughing awkwardly as she hurried out of the classroom.
Standing in the corridor, gazing up at the bright, clear sky, she sank into her thoughts again.
"Seriously... why do I feel like skipping class now?"
[Congratulations to the Host for recovering the cards: Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Ghost Mourner & Moonlit Chill, Ghost Sister & Spooky Dogwood.]
[All six sisters have been successfully recovered. Congratulations to the Host for unlocking the Full Card Pool Exchange Mall.]
[...]
The system's结算 notifications echoed in his mind.
Despite the rather jarring phrase 'Full Card Pool,' Jaden's attention was entirely focused on the cards laid out before him.
Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion. Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit. Ghost Reaper & Winter Cherries. Ghost Mourner & Moonlit Chill. Ghost Sister & Spooky Dogwood.
The six distinct Hand Trap cards were gathered in front of him. The spirit script on the cards began to glow with a multi-colored light, gradually refreshing as the effect text surfaced one by one.
As the light pulsed, the word [Tuner] on each of these monster cards began to fade and eventually vanished entirely.
"The special abilities of these cards... have been hidden?"
Yubel's figure manifested beside Jaden. She crossed her arms, watching his movements.
"Yeah. If I didn't, the technology of this era wouldn't be able to read their effects or abilities."
The dull gold light in Jaden's eyes slowly dimmed. As the text on the final card solidified, Jaden closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they had returned to their normal appearance.
"With this bit of camouflage, they can be read by the current tech."
As he spoke, Jaden equipped his Duel Disk. With a flick of his wrist, he placed the Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring card onto the tray.
"Ya-hoo~!"
With a hum and a flash of light, a young girl wearing a greyish-white kimono and sporting dog ears floated out from the summoning circle, accompanied by a flurry of cherry blossom petals.
[Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring]
[Level: 3]
[ATK: 0 / DEF: 1800]
"Oh, so it was the Supreme King calling for me!" Ash Blossom looked around curiously before spotting Jaden and breaking into a mischievous grin.
"It's been a few days! Did you miss me, Supreme King?" Wagging her tail, Ash Blossom happily pounced toward Jaden.
"And just like that, by hiding their Tuner status, they can be read as data by the Duel Disk and successfully summoned to the field."
Before Ash Blossom could reach him, Jaden removed the card from the tray. Her image vanished instantly.
Ash Blossom pounced into empty air and tumbled back into the consciousness space.
"What gives! You're so cold, Supreme King! I clearly like you so much!" She floated back out beside Jaden, clutching her head and shouting petulantly. She began drumming her small fists against Jaden's back.
However, since she was currently a mere phantom, she couldn't actually touch him.
"This little one is quite lively," Yubel remarked, watching the canine-like girl.
"Ah, tell me about it..." Jaden sighed.
Since recovering all six Hand Trap sisters, the other five had been relatively quiet and well-behaved. Only Ash Blossom seemed to be hyperactive.
Should I say... as expected of a dog?
"Meow~"
Pharaoh's voice suddenly drifted in from the doorway. Pushing Jaden's dormitory door open, the cat's round head peeked inside.
Ash Blossom's attention was instantly diverted. Her eyes sparkled, and her tail wagged so hard she almost took flight.
"Yay! A kitty! So cute!" Ash Blossom flew over to Pharaoh, cradling her own face with stars in her eyes.
"Meow-nng!"
As if sensing something unclean, Pharaoh shuddered and glared at the surrounding air with a look of utter disgust.
"Huh? Why is Pharaoh here again... That cat has been coming over here far too often lately."
Jaden felt a bit helpless. Wasn't this fat cat Professor Banner's pet? Why had it been acting so clingy toward him recently?
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