Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring hummed a little tune, skipping down the road with her arms full of various event prizes.
With a lollipop tucked in her cheek, the two ears on her head twitched occasionally, giving her an incredibly lively and spirited look.
"The decks of the common people in this world are just too weak. Faced with a real Tier 0 meta deck, they have absolutely zero resistance."
"Mmm-hmm! I won so many prizes, I'm so happy, so happy~"
"The Supreme King will definitely praise me," she chirped, her mood exceptionally bright.
Over the past few days, she had practically begged Jaden Yuki for the Ishizu Tearlaments deck. She had pestered him relentlessly, acting like a spoiled child until he finally relented and let her play with it.
Though the deck was missing several core components and hadn't reached its absolute peak of perfection, it was still more than enough to "bully" the honest duelists of the GX era. It was as easy as breathing.
"It's a shame, though. Because it's missing so many pieces, the Supreme King doesn't like using it in formal duels. Such a waste..."
Looking at the stack of cards in her hand, Ash blinked and couldn't help but complain.
"And how does the Supreme King have so many different decks anyway? There are so many that I've never even heard of."
She rubbed her chin, her small brow furrowing.
"I really wanted to try out the Supreme King's HERO deck too..."
"But not only did he refuse to give it to me, he even kicked me out of his bed... How mean."
Despite her grumbling, Ash quickly regained her spirit.
"Alright! Today, I'm going to play every single fun game in Duel Academy!"
With her fighting spirit renewed, she dashed off toward the next booth.
[System: Duel Spirit 'Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring' has defeated a duelist. As the master, the host receives 50% of the Duel Experience.]
[Current Duel Experience +500, Duel Points +500...]
[System: Duel Spirit 'Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion' has defeated a duelist. Current Duel Experience +500...]
[System: Detected...]
The system notifications were firing off like a flooded chatroom, ringing incessantly in Jaden's ears.
Jaden frowned deeply. Finally, unable to endure the auditory assault any longer, he waved his hand and muted all system alerts.
As he walked through the grounds of Duel Academy, he saw dejected students everywhere he looked.
"I... I can't believe I couldn't even beat a little girl..."
"It's terrifying. Are the girls in this academy really that strong?"
"True, but they were really cute..."
Seeing the students who had been thoroughly beaten into a state of dazed confusion, Jaden's lips twitched.
"Are you kidding me? What are those girls doing?"
He had let the spirits go out to enjoy the Duel Festival. He hadn't expected them to start a crusade against the local student body.
Judging by the speed of the system spam earlier, those spirits were likely challenging anyone they caught sight of. While the decks they used were unfinished versions Jaden had cobbled together, the gap between them and the students of this era was simply insurmountable.
However...
Glancing at the massive amount of Duel Points accumulating in his system interface, Jaden decided to put it out of his mind and let them do as they pleased.
"Speaking of which, Yubel, aren't you going to join them for a tour of the academy?" Jaden asked, looking at the spirit by his side.
Among all his spirits, Yubel seemed to be the only one with zero interest in the Duel Festival. The others were all eager to experience the lively atmosphere.
"Hmph. I have no interest in such trivial things," Yubel said coldly, crossing her arms.
She then stole a glance at Jaden.
"Spending time by your side is much more interesting than dueling those useless students."
Jaden was slightly taken aback, then he smiled and shook his head. He knew what she meant. Even though she could leave his side whenever she wanted, like the other spirits, Yubel chose to stay. She stayed even though he didn't strictly need the company.
"Thank you, Yubel," Jaden murmured softly.
Yubel looked down, a small smirk playing on her lips, but she didn't reply.
"Kuri-kuri!"
Winged Kuriboh flew out from the side, looking at Jaden with a grin.
"Ah, and you too, Winged Kuriboh," Jaden said, reaching out to pat its head. "You two are the only ones I will always trust unconditionally."
"Kuri-kuri!"
Winged Kuriboh grabbed Jaden's sleeve and pointed toward the distance.
"Hmm? You mean you sense the presence of another Duel Spirit over there?"
Jaden blinked, looking in the direction Winged Kuriboh was pointing.
"Kuri!" Winged Kuriboh nodded vigorously.
Seeing the little furball pulling him along, Jaden chuckled helplessly and let it lead the way.
Soon, Winged Kuriboh led Jaden to the vicinity of the Slifer Red dormitory. Compared to the bustling noise surrounding Obelisk Blue and Ra Yellow, the Slifer Red dorm was exceptionally quiet.
"There's... hardly anyone here dueling."
"Well, everyone ran off to the Blue dorm. Why would they come to Red?"
Only a few booths were set up, manned by a handful of listless Slifer Red students lounging about.
"Kuri-kuri."
Winged Kuriboh tugged Jaden along, bypassing the crowd and heading behind the dormitory toward a warehouse filled with miscellaneous storage crates.
The moment he stepped inside, Jaden immediately felt a unique presence.
"This aura..."
Jaden's spirits lifted. It was a dark aura. No, if one were to classify dark energies, this would be a refined branchthe scent of Dark Magic!
"It's the aura of a Mid-tier Duel Spirit," Yubel remarked, crossing her arms.
"Kuri-kuri, kuri." Winged Kuriboh nodded in agreement and chirped something else to Jaden.
"You're saying this spirit could serve as a powerful addition to the New Supreme King Army?"
Jaden listened to Winged Kuriboh, his curiosity piqued. He remembered that in the original series, a Duel Spirit appeared around this time. If he wasn't mistaken, it should be Dark Magician Girl.
However, that Dark Magician Girl was completely different from the one serving the Pharaoh. Whether it was the details of her outfit or the Hexagram Amulet on her chest, everything indicated that while she was the "Dark Magician Girl" type, she wasn't the same entity.
The original Dark Magician Girl, Mana, had long since returned to the Afterlife with the Pharaoh. The current Dark Magician Girl was an independent card spirit that had manifested its own will over the long history of Duel Monsters.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, a slight ripple in the air caused Jaden to look toward a corner of the warehouse.
A girl stepped out from behind a crate. She wore a blue and pink mini-skirt and a tall, pointed wizard's hat. She had blonde hair and a bright, lively smile on her face.
"It seems the Supreme King has already noticed me."
A dull golden light flickered in Jaden's eyes. Even if she was the "National Waifu," Dark Magician Girl, Jaden couldn't be certain of her motives. It was better to be cautious.
Seeing this, the girl hurriedly waved her hands, explaining quickly, "Lord Supreme King, I have no intention of being your enemy!"
"I was just curious about the Supreme King everyone talks about in the Spirit World, so... I wanted to see for myself what the real Supreme King looks like."
"See the real Supreme King?" Yubel and Jaden exchanged a look.
"Ahem." Dark Magician Girl cleared her throat into her fist, a goofy, adorable smile appearing on her face.
"Hehe! Well, I really admire the legendary Supreme King, so I asked Winged Kuriboh to bring him here so I could meet him."
"Thanks a lot, Winged Kuriboh!" As she spoke, she winked at the little spirit.
The seriousness on Jaden's face softened significantly.
In the history of the Spirit World, the Supreme King was a "Tyrant" of infinite terror. But for the majority of spirits who hadn't actually lived through his reign, that "Tyrant" had instead become an "Idol."
It was clear now. The Dark Magician Girl standing before him was a member of the Supreme King's Fan Club.
Looking at the way she stared at Jaden with "bling-bling" eyes, Yubel sighed and massaged her temples.
"Jaden, your passive ability to attract unwanted attention seems even more powerful than your ability as the Supreme King."
He was clearly someone who showed no interest in romance, yet he somehow managed to attract so many female spirits and humans alike.
Did this guy have some kind of hidden "Opposite-Sex Attraction Device" installed in him?
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