The pressure the vampire Camula exerted over Duel Academy showed no sign of letting up. A dark aura swirled above the island, hanging over it like a heavy shroud of storm clouds. Even the students who were oblivious to the true nature of the events could feel a constant, suffocating weight.
Inside the school store, Alexis Rhodes was hefting a box of supplies. Following Ms. Dorothy's directions, she set it down on a corner counter. Seeing the final box in place thanks to Alexis's help, Ms. Dorothy offered a kind, grateful smile.
"Oh, you're a lifesaver, Alexis. Everyone has been so listless lately; I haven't been able to find a single person to help me move things."
Ms. Dorothy immediately pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Alexis with a warm look. "Lunch is on me today, dear. It's the least I can do."
"Oh... there's really no need, Ms. Dorothy," Alexis replied with a weary smile, taking the handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her brow.
Alexis had originally just stopped by to buy something. Seeing Ms. Dorothy working all alone, she had simply stepped in to help out of the goodness of her heart. However, she remembered that the store usually had another clerk.
"Speaking of which, where is Seko? Isn't she usually here to help you?" Alexis asked as the thought occurred to her.
"Well," Ms. Dorothy sighed, "with all these rumors going around, everyone at Duel Academy is on edge. Seko took a leave of absence to clear her head back in her hometown for a while."
Ms. Dorothy sighed again, then quickly grabbed a bottle of juice from the shelf and pressed it into Alexis's hand. "This is your payment for helping me. Please, take it."
"Ah, thank you, Ms. Dorothy..." Alexis accepted it with a faint smile. She knew all too well that the fear regarding the vampire Camula was festering among the student body.
Camula had appeared at Duel Academy even before the Shadow Duels officially began. Several students had already gone missing during that time. As Camula became increasingly bold and high-profile, those who feared the Shadow Duels and the legends of vampires were bound to be negatively affected.
If only Jaden were here...
The image of the boy in the red jacket surfaced in Alexis's mind. If Jaden Yuki were at the academy, surely that vampire wouldn't be acting so arrogant.
"Jaden? Are you looking for Jaden, Alexis?" Ms. Dorothy asked, having overheard her murmur the name.
"Ah... yes. But Jaden has been gone for a while now, and I have no idea where he is..." Alexis responded with a dry laugh.
Ms. Dorothy rubbed her chin, looking confused. "Hasn't Jaden been at the academy this whole time? He was just in here a moment ago to buy a new Duel Disk."
Alexis's eyes widened. "What? You mean Jaden Yuki?"
Jaden... just bought a Duel Disk here? Does that mean he's back?
"Yes, that's the one. He even helped me organize the shelves while he was at it," Ms. Dorothy said with a twinkle in her eye. "You know, out of all the Obelisk Blue students, the two of you have the kindest hearts. Most of the others wouldn't bother with these chores. And you two look so good togethertruly a perfect match. It's enough to make anyone jealous... oh, Alexis?"
Alexis didn't hear the second half of the sentence. Upon hearing that Jaden was back, she turned and sprinted out of the store without a backward glance.
Watching her distance figure, Ms. Dorothy shook her head helplessly. "Honestly, don't kids these days enjoy a little gossip anymore?"
After leaving the store, Alexis headed toward the open clearing Jaden usually frequented.
When did Jaden get back? And why would he go to the store to buy a standard Duel Disk at a time like this?
She was deeply perplexed. She remembered Jaden's own Duel Disk was a top-tier product from within KaibaCorp. It was compact, functional, and arguably the most advanced model on the market. Most of the Duel Disks sold at the academy were standard models intended for common student use. What could he possibly want with one of those?
As she pondered this, the sky outside the academy suddenly turned pitch-black on one side. A suppressive aura instantly swept across the entire school.
"This feeling..." Alexis's heart skipped a beat. "Is Camula here?"
She snapped her head up and saw a massive cloud of bats flying in from the distance, vanishing toward the school's main building. "Damn it... is the enemy arriving now?"
Inside the infirmary, the group taking care of Atticus Rhodes all turned toward the window. Looking at the darkness on the horizon, their expressions turned grim.
"The enemy is here!" Bastion Misawa gritted his teeth, his fists clenched.
"Eek! So scary, meow!" Professor Banner grabbed Pharaoh and dove under the bed, leaving only his backside visible as he trembled.
"Alexis isn't back yet, so it's just the three of us to face her."
Chazz Princeton, Zane Truesdale, and Bastion Misawa looked at each other and nodded firmly.
"No-ne!" Even the doll of Professor Crowler hanging at Chazz's waist let out a muffled sound.
The three of them hurried out of the infirmary, running toward the lakeside where the previous duel with Camula had taken place. Once they were gone, Professor Banner slowly crawled out from under the bed. He squinted, the panic completely gone from his face.
"Camula is being far too showy..."
"Jaden, are you still not going to act? Just what are you waiting for?"
"Meow!" Pharaoh sensed the shift in Banner's aura. The cat's fur stood on end as it leaped out of Banner's arms and scurried away.
Professor Banner looked silently at Atticus Rhodes, who was still unconscious on the bed. His eyes were filled with complex emotions.
"It seems it might be time to leave this place... But before I go, I must witness Jaden Yuki's duel. I need to see if his dueling can continue to evolve!"
By the lakeside, Camula was floating above the water as usual. The surface rippled beneath her toes. Her blood-red eyes watched the three figures emerging from the mist.
"Oh? Is it just the three of you left?" Camula's lips curled into a cold smirk.
"No-ne!" The Crowler doll swung irritably at Chazz's waist.
"Camula! Face me in a Shadow Duel! If you lose, you have to return Crowler to normal unconditionally! And the missing studentsyou have them too, don't you? Let them go!" Chazz Princeton stepped forward, raising his Duel Disk and shouting.
"Hehehe, indeed, I have those missing children right here," Camula licked her lips, her eyes glowing with a faint red light. "Thanks to their blood, I was able to recover from my damaged state so quickly... and my dark power has evolved once more."
"Blood..." The three of them were horrified by her words.
"Hahaha, I've only borrowed a bit of their life force," Camula laughed triumphantly behind her hand. "I wouldn't dream of taking a life through any means other than a duel."
"Phew, that's a relief..." The trio let out a sigh of relief. As long as they were alive, a victory in a Shadow Duel meant they could still be saved.
"However, I will be the one to choose my opponent this time."
Camula's smile faded into something more predatory as she looked at Zane Truesdale. She licked her lips again. "You there. Step forward, Kaiser."
"Hey, you're looking at the wrong guy! Your opponent is right here!" Chazz snapped, stepping in front of Zane with an annoyed shout.
"Hmph. I have no interest in you," Camula said coldly.
"Urgh..." Chazz nearly tripped over his own feet. This woman... she's looking down on me way too much.
Chazz gritted his teeth and glared at her. Just as he was about to bark back, Zane Truesdale patted his shoulder.
"Wait, Kaiser. This woman is coming for you, which means she's definitely prepared cards specifically to counter your deck..." Chazz frowned, looking at Zane.
"It doesn't matter." Zane's expression remained unchanged as he stared coldly at Camula. "If I win, you return all the missing students and restore Professor Crowler to his original state. Is that correct?"
"Of course. But if I win, you will become my newest doll." Camula tapped her red lips with a slender finger, looking at Zane with an eerie intensity.
"...This woman... does she have some kind of weird obsession with the Kaiser?" Chazz couldn't help but mutter to Bastion.
"I accept your challenge," Zane said, raising his left arm.
"Hehehe. Then, let us go to our private dueling ground." Camula smirked and waved her hand. A swarm of bats instantly enveloped the group.
When the darkness cleared, the group found themselves on the rooftop of the Abandoned Dorm.
"A place like this..." Chazz and Bastion looked around in surprise.
Zane walked silently toward the elevated platform on the second floor. Standing opposite Camula, he raised his Duel Disk in sync with her.
"DUEL!"
[Zane: 4000 LP]
[Camula: 4000 LP]
The duel began!
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