The storm dragon's head lunged at Neos, its bite releasing an unimaginable shockwave that struck his muscular body head-on, blasting him away.
Until now, Alicia's previous attacks hadn't even made Neos budge. Albeit this time, he was sent flying—proof of just how powerful this strike truly was.
[Neos, LP: 2100 → 0]
As Neos's Life Points dropped to zero, the countless skyscrapers around them shattered and vanished. The chains binding Neos within this dimension dissolved.
In the end, only Great Tornado remained by Alicia's side, keeping a wary eye on the fallen Neos.
Yuui stepped forward, looking down at Neos and said softly, "Neos, as promised. You'll now become Alicia's Spirit."
Hearing that, the unresponsive Neos slowly rose, meeting the man's gaze. Yuui met his in turn.
The two stared at each other for a long time before Neos finally nodded. "Understood. I will honor our agreement and become her Spirit. I'll be in your care from now on, Lord Yuui."
"...Mm."
A strange air hung between Yuui and Neos. After a brief silence, Neos walked toward Alicia and handed her a card.
Alicia looked down at it—the card represented Neos's very essence as a Spirit. If this card were ever destroyed, Neos himself would perish. Only if someone someday learned his story and summoned him again could he be reborn.
Alicia stared at the card, then lifted her gaze toward Yuui.
There was a vague smile on Yuui's face, but within it lingered an indescribable emotion… not calculation, but something between longing and sorrow.
"Yuui-san!"
"Take it," he said gently. "From this day on, Neos will be your Spirit."
Hearing his words, Alicia finally accepted Neos's source card. Instantly, a bond formed between them—Alicia could feel it. Neos had become her Spirit.
And the strength that surged from him surpassed that of all her other Spirits. Even Yuui's own current power paled in comparison to Neos's.
Moreover, Alicia sensed limitless potential within Neos, waiting for her to awaken it… a Spirit beyond the imagination of any ordinary Duelist.
"He's... so strong," Alicia murmured in awe, looking up at Neos. She couldn't even imagine how powerful he must have been in his prime.
After all, Neos had once single-handedly subdued the Three Sacred Beasts at their full power.
"Alright, you can familiarize yourself with his strength later. For now, it's time we return." Yuui stepped forward, then turned to Instructor Claire. "Instructor, please keep everything that happened here confidential.
"Alicia is still too weak. If word spreads that she's obtained a Spirit as powerful as Neos, it will draw the attention of people with darkness in their hearts. So please, keep both Neos's bond with her and my own existence a secret. Can you do that?"
"Ah—!" Claire's head cocked in surprise, then looked from Neos to Yuui. After a moment of thought, she nodded. "Alright. However, in exchange, I'd like the historical information related to this ruin."
Yuui frowned slightly, and Claire quickly waved her hands. "Don't worry, I won't expose Neos's existence. I'll only record what I saw in the previous tunnel. As for the being who defeated the Three Sacred Beasts… I'll change that to the three guardian warriors of the Kingdom of Rejus, along with the countless soldiers who gave their lives for their homeland.
"And as for my researchers, you needn't worry. I'll make sure they understand the situation. Alicia has already saved them once before, and she just saved them again. I'm certain they'll gladly keep her secret.
"So unless the Three Sacred Beasts themselves—sealed by the Dean—emerge to contradict my account, no one will ever know the truth of who truly sealed them away."
She paused and forced a smile. "That's the best way to handle this, don't you think?"
Yuui and Alicia exchanged a glance, and Alicia nodded. She had always trusted Yuui to make such decisions.
"Alright." Yuui turned back to Claire and nodded. "Thank you for your help, Instructor Claire. Then, we should be leaving."
He then looked at Neos.
Understanding Yuui's intent, Neos raised his hand and summoned a radiant, seven-colored barrier around everyone. "Please, hold on," he said softly.
The words had barely left his lips when everyone vanished from the spot, returning to the temporal tunnel that would take them back the way they came.
…
Elsewhere, outside the barrier, Aleister sensed the spatial disturbance and immediately grew alert. Summoning his magic staff, he constructed a spell circle strong enough to withstand even an attack from a Spirit of the Three Sacred Beasts' level.
He knew the seal had been broken… whether for good or ill, he couldn't allow the spatial ripple to be detected by others.
Moments later, a brilliant, seven-colored light appeared atop the sealing array. Alicia and the others had returned to Site No.3: Ancient Ruins.
By now, however, Neos had already entered Alicia's body—and the one controlling her now was Yuui.
"Headmaster!"
Claire was startled to see Aleister there. "Why are you here, sir!?"
Aleister sighed at the student who had so often tested his patience. With a flick of his finger, he tapped her forehead from afar. "Do I need to report to you now? If I hadn't come, who would've saved you if something went wrong?"
Claire rubbed her forehead, eyes welling up, though she didn't dare talk back.
Then Aleister turned his gaze toward Alicia—or rather, toward Yuui—and said slowly, "Now tell me, in full detail... just what did you do in there?"
...
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