The noise of the New Domino City exam site had long been left far behind.
Duel Academy City, Obelisk Blue's dormitory district.
This place was an entirely different concept from the "dorms" that ordinary students imagined.
Towering evergreen trees adorned the area like those in a high-end resort. There was no smell of disinfectant or machine oil in the air, only a faint fragrance of flowers.
Phila had finally moved into her own place. Normally, she would have to wait until 7 days later, when all freshman assessments were completed and the rankings were announced, before official dorm assignments were made; that said, the strong always received preferential treatment.
After being fought over by the various divisions, she was admitted as an exceptionally gifted special recruit and was assigned early to a double dorm.
Don't wonder why it was only a double dorm and not a single.
The Obelisk Blue dormitory district was essentially an entire independent villa complex. A so-called double dorm actually meant that two people shared a luxurious three-story villa complete with a garden and a private duel training room.
Since she had moved in early, her other roommate would likely only be assigned seven days later.
So for now, she was the only one in this villa. She didn't even need to lift a finger; the dorm's routine cleanliness was handled by specialized cleaning robots, leaving everything spotless.
She sat on the absurdly large leather sofa on the second floor, upholstered with velvet, gripping tightly the hem of her gothic dress with both hands.
Even so, Phila was filled with fear and tension.
This was not the treatment she should be receiving at all!!!
A room that overlooked the whole academy city, the reverent gazes of countless people… none of this belonged to her!
She truly didn't have that kind of strength. If people found out she was just a coward who didn't even dare to send a monster to the Graveyard, she would definitely be kicked out without mercy.
"The other me, what should I do…?"
Phila lowered her head, her voice trembling.
"What do you mean, what should you do?"
Raku floated in the air around her. Although Phila could not see his spirit form, through the faintly glowing replica Millennium Puzzle on her chest, she could clearly hear that calm voice in her mind.
"It's just… suddenly so many people are watching me." Phila shrank her shoulders, like a rabbit about to be served on the dinner table. "After school starts, there will definitely be all kinds of duels, big and small, and final assessments too… there'll be problems, right? If I lose, I'll just be laughed at again…"
Those mocking voices seemed ready to echo once more within this luxurious villa.
In midair, Raku looked at the lavish surroundings, then at Phila, who was practically panicking.
"Instead of worrying about that, you should first think about which academy you're going to choose."
His tone was relaxed, free of the pressure one would expect from a genius Duelist. "Your dueling strength can improve gradually. Even if you lose in the end, at worst, you'll just be downgraded and moved to another dorm."
Raku casually traced a circle in the air.
"Before that, every day you stay in this villa is a gain, isn't it?"
Phila froze.
"Is that how you calculate it…?"
She really felt like crying. What kind of logic was that? Just giving up and going with the flow?
"So, which academy?" Raku pulled the topic back.
Phila sniffed, forcing herself to regain composure as she reviewed in her mind the names of the divisions that had competed fiercely over her at the exam site. Fusion? Xyz? Or Ritual?
In the end, she gave an answer that sounded as if it had been carefully considered.
"Synchro Academy."
"Why?" Raku asked casually.
"Because my idol, the legendary Duelist from over two hundred years ago, Yusei, once said that Synchro Summoning is the gathering of bonds between people!" Phila raised her head, her red eyes shining with a hint of longing. "If I join the Synchro Academy, maybe I can make good friends too…"
I see. Choosing Synchro for the sake of bonds. Perfect logic.
Raku looked at her.
"Do you have any Synchro Monsters?"
Phila, who had been immersed in her fantasies of making friends, suddenly stiffened.
"N-no…"
She lowered her head guiltily, her voice, which had just shown a trace of energy, becoming soft again.
"Is that not okay…?"
Going to the Synchro Academy to make friends, yet not even having a single Synchro Monster as a ticket in? It was like enrolling in a science class without even knowing the multiplication table.
"It's your own choice. I respect personal decisions." Raku had nothing more to say.
Hearing this response without any objection, Phila let out a long sigh of relief.
Hugging her somewhat worn [Zombie] deck to her chest, she collapsed onto the large bed.
"Bonds… maybe I can make good friends too…" she murmured.
"I'll be going into hiding for now." Raku's calm voice echoed within the spacious villa room.
"Eh?"
Phila abruptly sat up in bed, her hands tightening around the deck.
"You're leaving?"
"Yeah, I need to rest too."
The voice in the air sounded completely justified, without the slightest hint of a hero hiding his merits after saving the world. "A 24/7 work schedule isn't going to work."
Phila's red eyes immediately drooped in grievance again.
"Will you come back?"
"Depends."
"Am I gonna be left alone again…"
If this were the kind of standard hot-blooded dueling manga, the guiding voice behind the scenes would surely say something gentle like, "I will always be with you."
Albeit Raku was someone who valued practicality above all. Not even knowing what the future held, he had no interest in making such empty promises.
"You're not alone."
Not only did Raku's voice not soften, but it instead carried a hint of blunt realism.
"Don't be so self-centered. Take a good look at your deck. Sometimes, endless self-deprecation might end up hurting the feelings of those who truly care about you."
Phila lowered her head blankly.
"So be a little more confident. Even if not for yourself, then for those friends you've never noticed but who truly exist."
After leaving behind those extremely straightforward words, following his guidance, Phila stared blankly at the worn [Zombie] deck in her arms.
The top card had flipped over: [Vampire Fraulein].
Her eyes widened.
The vampire girl in the card art, holding a parasol, with blonde hair and crimson eyes, seemed in that silent moment to give Phila a very slight smile.
After that, the faint connection that had always lingered at her chest was severed.
Raku's voice disappeared.
The villa returned to silence, with only the rustling of leaves outside the window.
…
Kaiba Corporation First General Hospital, Ward 5F-A12.
Raku abruptly opened his eyes on the hospital bed. He looked at the snow-white ceiling, feeling the heavy, tangible body that, though weak, truly belonged to him.
He was back. That weightless sensation of possessing someone else's body had finally disappeared.
He had just propped himself up halfway when the door to the ward was slammed open with a bang.
"Prison bro!"
A pair of silver twin-tails traced an energetic arc through the air as the door burst open. Rikka, dressed in her signature oversized black coat, strode in while carrying a boxed dessert.
She had come to visit him right after finishing her exam.
"I'm done with my exams!" Rikka placed the dessert box on the bedside table, lifting her chin proudly. The ahoge on her head even bounced excitedly. "Did you miss me? My Soul Power measured 2800!"
2800. Not bad, a pretty decent number; though still a step behind a certain frightened rabbit.
"A little, but not much." Raku leaned against the pillow. "Tell me, how did your examiner play on the first turn?"
He still vividly remembered those monstrous examiners from Kaiba Corporation who could draw [Ancient Gear Statue] and bring out [Chaos Ancient Gear Giant] in a single turn.
"Oh, that examiner." Rikka pulled over a chair and sat down, her legs in white stockings swinging lightly in the air. "He just Normal Summoned [Ancient Gear Hunting Hound], burned me for 500 LP, then set two cards and ended his turn."
The drowsiness on Raku's face froze. Then, his expression began to twist visibly.
What the hell?!
Normal Summon Hunting Hound, burn damage, set two cards, pass… that's what they call an assessment?
Then why did that red-hatted guy in the D-4 exam room just now go berserk, using up all three copies of [Ancient Gear Dark Golem]?
This is targeted, isn't it! This is absolutely inhumane targeting! Just because the measured value hit 3800, they cranked the difficulty straight up to hell mode?!
So this is what a normal examiner's lazy level looks like?!
Raku complained inwardly.
So all that effort he had just spent dealing with that nearly pseudo-immune [Chaos Ancient Gear Giant] under intense pressure was entirely because of that damn testing device.
…Forget it.
Raku took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing those unbalanced emotions back into his stomach.
The mess in that exam room… Phila could deal with it herself.
After all, it was her name that was used, and she was the one who gained the spotlight.
We must imagine Phila is happy to deal with all that.
...
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