(First School Day Of The Next Week, Duel Academy Sho Marufuji Classroom. . .)
It had been roughly two days since the incident at the Battle Dome and things progressed rather smoothly from there. Aside from the frustrating difficulty of removing the arm bands that had been forced upon them as well as being forced to sit through boring interrogations from the security staff after they reported what happened: the gang could safely say that it was over. . .for now at least. Assuming that they now know that they were part of the academy and they partook in a duel that practically had their lives on the line if it went too far, Seirus was one hundred percent sure that the school would be notified of the incident immediately. Though, he didn't necessarily care and showed it as he rested his cheek on his arms that were laid on top of each other while his sleeping yet out-going face was covered by a make-shift mask that had two dots and a smile drawn on it.
Lucky couldn't help but wonder at his increase creatively to slack off in the middle of class to be a good showing of his best friend's mind or a bad thing in the long-run. He sighed, "Man, to think that he could just snore away like this after a duel like that. I swear, it's like nothing fazes this guy."
"Cut him some slack, Lucky," Momo said with a warm smile on her face, "I think anyone deserves some rest after what happened."
"Needless to say, we still have no clue of what those creeps are exactly after," Aki pointed out, the tip of her pencil breaking as she thought back to what happened.
The energy sapping device was one thing but the fact that they sealed her powers was another. Despite her initial nervousness of her psychic powers, Aki was confident that if she ever got into some serious trouble then she could always use her abilities to get her out of sticky situations. But what happened back there was a whole other level of what she'd expected. However, that was on the back of the fact that those goons weren't even targeting them directly but only trying to get to someone else.
Just as that thought passed, the door to the classroom opened once more for about the sixth time today. It was to be expected since students were just getting to class to which it became a surprise that Seirus actually made it on time for once. That aside, Aki couldn't help but stare intently at the people who entered the room: most importantly, the princess herself. She watched them walk up the steps of the auditorium before finally reaching towards her row with her bodyguards aside. Though, surprisingly enough: instead of Travis taking the seat next to Seirus like they did before, Steria took the initiative and entered first. Aki raised an eyebrow while Momo nearly dropped her pencil on the floor from what she was seeing. However, nothing could compare to Lucky's reaction as he saw her blatantly sitting down next to the napping Nexus duelist though she didn't bat him much of an eye. His eyes were wide yet frozen like a statue.
After everything that happened during their last meeting, Lucky was more than half-expecting her to be a bit childish and change her seating in order to avoid him but instead, she was actually doing the exact opposite. Heck, even her attendants were surprised as Rena looked on with a cringed look on her face while Travis looked a bit shocked before smirking slyly as though he was catching on to something. Wasting no more time, the two sat down next to the princess with Rena being right next to her lady. It was hard to see from his position but Lucky could swear he saw her eyes glaring at Seirus who was completely unaware of his surroundings.
Nervously, Lucky faced forward though he could feel the stares from his fellow classmates who saw the whole spectacle from afar. He couldn't blame them, he was literally asking the same question they were thinking, "Wha-what!? Why is she still sitting here after everything that happened!" At that moment, the doors opened once more, revealing the light blue haired teacher in his uniform as he took a sip of his coffee. He walked over to the podium as if this were another typical day before glancing over towards the source of most of his troubles recently.
Sho raised an eyebrow for a second as he noticed Lucky's nervous expression while the girls above him were somewhat shocked. He couldn't understand what was going on until he noticed Steria acting rather calmly despite everything that had happened. It was unexpected to even him to say the least though he knew that there were more important things than instructor cleared his throat before adjusting his trusty glasses.
"Good morning class, I hope you all had a good weekend!" Sho greeted, catching a few nods here and there before turning his attention to one particular student. His eyes narrowed in dangerously, "I'm glad to see some of you agreeing. Now, may someone wake up for me. . .again."
Seeing how this was his queue, Lucky shook Seirus a bit in hopes to wake him up, "Hey, Bro. I know you are tired but you gotta wake up now." To his luck, the Nexus duelist stirred a bit in his sleep before finally flipping over the make-shift mask he was using to block out the light. He looked tired, his eyes dazed while his consciousness was only half there while the other half was probably searching for life beyond the stars or something. He looked around, trying to remember where he was before turning to Lucky with a rare annoyed expression.
"I thought I told you to wake me up to something important. . .?" Seirus groaned, rubbing his eyes.
His timid male friend pointed towards his right with a nervous chuckle, "Well, you know. . . is here and class is about to start. . ." With a quick turn, Seirus looked over at the instructor who was glaring at him intensely. There was a dead silence between them until the Nexus duelist turned back to face Lucky calmly as if he didn't seem all the bit fazed.
"I said something important," He repeated, this time a bit more casually.
Before he knew what hit him, Sho immediately picked up one of the many pieces of chalk that he had stored under the podium and beamed it straight into his forehead. The impact left a numb, painful feeling as the chalk broke in half from a dead-on impact to his skull, the blow causing Seirus to cock his head back in pure agony.
He groaned, "Grawwwwwgh! What is your arm made out of!?"
His question fell deaf to his ears as the teacher proceeded to clear his throat to speak to the class whilst the Nexus duelist tried coping with the pain of getting sniped in the head by a piece of chalk. He could swear that could go pro in baseball if he wanted to, "Now that is wide awake, I have an important announcement to make." Curious though still hurt, Seirus decided to actually pay attention for once and face-forward towards his teacher.
"As you know, each class has to go on at least one school trip this year in order to ease off some stress that the students are feeling. Lucky for you, this class along with 's class were chosen for the first trip this year to Astrea," Sho explained.
For a moment, Seirus didn't quite realize the full extent of his words until he caught on. His jaw dropped, his brain unable to stop the words that left his mouth, "Wa-wait! You mean. . .!"
"Yup, thanks to Princess Steria, we were able to get free and top-tier transportation for the trip to her home country. You all should thank her for her hospitality," Sho smiled.
At that moment, the majority of the class cheered though Seirus was still stunned from what he was hearing. His eyes slowly glanced over at the princess who returned the glance before going back to her business. He couldn't tell what was up but he was a bit shocked that his first school trip would be visiting the very country of the duelist that he defeated in both an argument and a duel. Either fate was cruel or there was more to meet the eye? However, before he could finish that thought, he heard the sound of clearing his throat in order to settle the class down.
"Now settle down, I know you all are excited for getting first dibs on a break but I'm not done. . .," Sho paused before darting his eyes towards the group of misfits in his class. He specifically narrowed in on the Nexus duelist, his gaze causing him to sweat bullets from how intense they were, "I would like to pull you aside during our duel period , Seirus. In fact, you and your friends as well."
Confused, Seirus raised an eyebrow, "Huh? What for. . .?"
"The details are none of your concern for now. I would also like along with her bodyguards to come as well if they don't mind. The chancellor would like to see you all at his office," Sho replied before adding, "Now, I would like everyone to take out their books and turn to chapter 10."
As everyone did what he asked, Seirus couldn't help but glance at each of his friends for answers. Lucky looked clearly nervous though he seemed to have not a lick of what they wanted while Aki was just completely impassive about the whole thing. Even Momo didn't know either as she reached into her bag for her book. He sighed, turning back around to settle into his seat as he took out his book and pencil. Though, before he began to open his book, he felt the feeling of being stared at. He looked over towards his right and noticed Steria staring at him rather curiously. Who could blame her? She was going to be dragged out after class along with him for probably something that he did.
Groaning as soon as he heard Sho begin his lecture, Seirus thought to himself, "I suppose I would have to wait and see but. . .there goes duel period." His face turned into a disappointed pout that was easily readable to everyone around him.
(After Several Long Periods Of 's Class, During The Duel Period. . .)
After what felt like an eternity of boring lecture after lecture on Mathematics and Chemistry, the group of students who were pulled out of the one period that most of them actually enjoyed were following their teacher down the hall of glass windows that gave a perfect view of the outdoors. For a Duel School, they sure were dedicated in teaching their students the essentials of basic academics as well as dueling at the same time. Though, I guess that would always be the case with any kind of school really. That said, Seirus sighed as his arms hugged the back of his head with an annoyed expression on his face.
"Man, this sucks. . .!" Seirus noted, his eyebrows furrowing to display how he feels, "To think I'm missing the duel period for some little chat."
Lucky chuckled, scratching the side of his cheek nervously, "I mean, if you really think about it Bro. . ."
"Today was Union-Decks day," Momo concluded, "Knowing you, you probably don't like using Union-Decks."
"What, really!? Guess I should be grateful then because I didn't pull enough Union based cards to make a deck which means I would have to use those crappy stock ones, Heheh!" Seirus comically relieved.
"Did you even study on Union-Decks?" Aki asked, knowing full well of Seirus's habits after a short time.
The Nexus duelist grinned, his eyes closed but cheerful as the mood was now brightened, "Hahah, nope! I didn't even pay attention to the lesson!"
"Seriously? So how do you expect to win without even knowing how your deck functions?" Lucky tuned in, his eyes shocked at how much of a slacker he was.
"I don't know. . ." Seirus shrugged, "Win with feel I guess. . ."
The three inwardly groaned at his lack of concern. How in the world was he good enough to beat Aki and Steria while being a goofball at the same time was beyond anything they could logically come to reason with. That said, Steria and her bodyguards watched the spectacle from behind, their though more-so wondering about other things such as. . .
"Lady Steria, what do you think the chancellor wants to speak with us about? Especially with them around?" Rena whispered, hoping not to draw their attention.
Steria folded her arms and thought for a moment before replying, "Frankly, I don't have the slightest clue."
"Probably heard about that duel you and blue-boy had and wanted him to apologize in person," Travis assumed.
Almost immediately, Steria frowned as her eyes began to grow distant as she recalled the duel bit by bit. From the beginning of her getting caught off by a never-heard deck, to the fact that she had him under her thumb despite some unexpected plays and mishaps, to the final attack from his Fusion Monster that practically threw the sun in her face. When she went to her dorm that night with Rena, she couldn't help but replay everything that Seirus said to her afterwards along with how he reacted to her initially. He didn't hold a grudge nor did he gloat about winning. He didn't bow or grovel against her feet like many of the other students nor did he try to please her in hopes to get on her good side. Most of all, he taught her what connections truly are and how to create them. Though she didn't want to admit it out loud, she really thought that despite his initial impression he was admirable in how down-to-earth he could be.
Those thoughts were soon drowned by 's voice, "Looks like you weren't the only ones who were called in." Confused, everyone took a peak around Sho's shoulder to get a glimpse as to what he was talking about. Blinking a few times, Seirus sooned grinned at the sight of a familiar Red-Eyes wielding duelist who was also sharing a room with him. He was currently standing next to a rather muscular man who looked to be more of a gym teacher rather than an actual teacher. He had a dinosaur bandana tied around his head with long dreads reaching down to his back that were all tied together by a hair-tie. His skin was caramel colored as he was seen saluting with his military green eyes. Judging from an initial look, one would assume that he was still young if it weren't for the short-goatee on his chin.
"Well I'd be damned, chancellor called you in as well huh Sho!" He greeted his fellow employee.
nodded as he stopped in front of him, "You could say that, Kenzan. Though from the looks of it, it seems that I have more of a handful than you do."
"Looks to be the case. At first I thought my prize student was going to be rewarded again but looking at it now, something big must have happened," Kenzan noted, showing a bit of a smug look that sent signals to the blue-haired teacher. From his perspective, Seirus could have sworn that he saw 's eyebrow twitch while Kenzan continued to talk with him almost telepathically.
Raising an eyebrow, the Nexus duelist couldn't help but ask himself, "Past rivals I assume? Eh, whateves." He shrugged his shoulders before walking over to Arata with a smile on his face with the Red-Eyes duelist nearly mirroring his expression.
"Yo, Arata! You must be feeling great being able to skip class and all!" Seirus jokingly chuckled.
"For sure!" Arata nodded before pointing out, "Though, I wonder why we were pulled out of class. You don't think it's because of what happened at the battle dome, right?"
"Nah, I don't think they would call us for that. Security already handled the situation so there is no need," Seirus dismissed the assumption.
Arata smirked, "Maybe so. . .still-"
As Arata continued on with his pondering, the three Astrea people couldn't help but stare with shock. Travis had to rub his eyes a bit while Rena was having trouble believing what she was seeing. One of Duel Academy's rising top duelists who owned one of the most well-known and rare decks was now chatting away with the new kid as if they were buddy buddies since they were born. Either the world is going to end or this has to be some sort of prank. Though the question still lies. . .how in the world did this happen?
With that thought in mind, Steria turned to what she assumes to be Seirus's closest friend. It took a moment before Lucky felt the burning sensation of another pair of pink eyes glaring at him down so intensely that he could have sworn she could shoot laser beams out of her eyes. It was for that reason he felt his palms get sweaty, his heart slamming into his chest out of fear and his face growing pale as she asked, "Hey you. . .what's the deal with this!?"
"U-uh. . .whatever could you mean, P-Princess," Lucky stuttered.
Steria felt a vein nearly pop, her patience thin as of today though she clearly was more shocked than oddly angry, "I'm asking why Arata Kaseya is so friendly with him! He's like an enigma among the students and not many can be so casual with him! So-" As Lucky shrank in his spot, Seirus couldn't help but hear her ranting about her supposent question. Confused, he was wondering why she didn't ask him directly rather than going straight to Lucky who can barely keep himself together when dealing with a normal conversation. Knowing this, he motioned Arata to put a pause on their conversation as he turned his attention towards the Astrea princess who was still unaware of his presence being directed towards her.
"If you want to know so badly," Seirus said, gaining her attention as she snapped out of her ranting. Her face said it all, a surprised nervous look as she finally realized how loud she was actually being. For once, she felt small as Seirus looked at her not as some sort of giant looking down at ants but as carefree as he could get, "Arata and I are roommates."
Unknowingly enough, the air ran cold while everyone was silent at the revelation though for different reasons. along with Seirus's friends weren't surprised at all though were curious as to what Steria's reaction would be when she found out while Kenzan was now slightly intrigued though remained mostly neutral about the whole thing. On the other hand, Travis simply broke the silence with a whistle of impressiveness while Steria and Rena looked like statues collecting dust. Confused, Seirus tilted his head to the side, wondering what was the big deal of being roommates with Arata. Sure, he is pretty much the successor to the Red-Eyes deck while being a top-tier duelist in Duel Academy to where he is already getting sponsor offers for the pro-leagues. But, was being his roommate was that big of a deal?
The Nexus duelist shrugged, "I guess Arata is very, very popular huh?" Just as that thought came to fruition, a sound coming from a speaker suddenly snapped everyone out of their little scene.
"The Chancellor is ready to speak with you. You may come in," A female voice notified.
"Ah, about time. Come on, we can't keep the chancellor waiting. He is a busy man after all," Sho warned with a smile.
Hearing this, Sho along with Kenzan motioned them to follow them through the door that had now opened in front of them. The Duel Academy students nodded and wasted no time to follow their teachers inside, akin to how Steria was forcefully snapped out of her little breakdown from learning about Arata and Seirus's relationship. As they each walked through the door, Seirus immediately began to look around the rather large office that the chancellor worked in.
The room was spacious, so much that it had several couches placed symmetrical in the corners of the room. The flooring was definitely Epoxy Concrete style judging from the various dots of various shades of blue littered across the ground. The only source of lighting seemed to be a giant circle that resided within the center of the ceiling. From the corner of his eye, the Nexus duelist spotted something that made his stomach churn from first glance. Piles upon piles of papers unfiled and unsigned as they waited for the Chancellor's approval. That amount of paperwork would make anyone lose their will to live on so just the thought of doing it himself was more than enough for him. However, the most awestrucking thing was the wide-window view of the entire campus that was behind the large desk filled with papers scattered all over the place. Pencils were dangling off the edge of the table while unclipped documents were threatening to fly off into the wind. The computer screen was tilted just enough for Seirus to barely see it's numerous tabs of files that were far from his understanding though one thing was for certain. The person sitting at the desk wasn't preoccupied by the obvious layers of work ahead of him as he faced the window of his office while sitting in a brown-leather chair.
The group composed of faculty and staff stopped mid-way towards the desk as Sho cleared his throat, "We've brought the students you asked for, Chancellor."
"Good. . .I'm sorry for taking you out of your break, Professor Marufuji, Professor Tyranno," He spoke in a tone that made the Nexus duelist twitch due to the familiarity of it. Though, his small reaction, despite it being miniscule, didn't go unnoticed by Arata who seemed more comfortable than the rest of his fellow colleagues. As the chair spun around, Seirus's eyes began to widen in union with each motion: processing everything one at a time. The chair was forcibly being tilted backwards due to the shift of weight to the bit by bit reveal of the chancellor's appearance. To be frank, it was what he didn't expect. The familiar grey hair that covered the remnants of navy blue on his bangs to which they become nothing but streaks. His poor excuse of a shaved beard as he still had grey pubs of hair on his chin while he wore more sophisticated clothing equal to that of a chancellor's status: a dark blue overcoat that resembled strongly to the school's boy uniform only that he left it open to reveal a dark grey sweater that seemed all to knowable. He smiled welcomingly, his sharp yet golden eyes examining the students he summoned into his presence while ignoring Seirus's surprised expression. He spoke with mirth, knowing full well what was to happen, "Now, I'd like to get things done quickly so that we can send the students back to class."
Sho nodded, completely unaware of how Seirus was reacting to seeing the Chancellor for the first time, "With pleasure, what do you want to discuss with the kids here, Chancellor Faust."
"Well. . .-" He began, however, before he could so much as get a word in to begin the main topic at hand, Seirus immediately snapped out of his silent trance: his brain finally putting everything together. He took a step forward, indicating that he was about to speak out as everything suddenly turned their eyes towards him from the action.
With no hesitation he pointed, though he was still clearly shown to be surprised by his realization, "Oi, oi, oi! Before we even get to that, mind telling me what you're doing here at Duel Academy Old Geezer!" It was short but from a normal person's perspective, they could clearly see the faint twitch when the Chancellor heard Seirus call him Old Geezer. But what did he expect? It wasn't like the kid was going to treat him any different. It simply wasn't in his nature. Though hearing this, Arata couldn't help but ask. . .
"You know the Chancellor, Seirus," The Red-Eyes duelist asked, raising an eyebrow.
Clearly, everybody was wondering the same thing as well. How could they not? A student who had just transferred recently meets the head of the school for the first time and reacts in a manner of complete baffleness. Who wouldn't assume that there would be some form of a relationship between them. Even Steria, who adamantly couldn't believe he was associated with Arata in the first place was now thrown into a state of straight up confusion to its purest form and to be fair: Rena wasn't doing much better showing that there.
Though, Seirus ignored their stares and answered rather straightforwardly with no further explanation, "Yeah, of course I know him! He's basically my dad!"
Yup, there's the punchline revealed and oh boy~did it hit hard? Judging from the reactions, it sure did a number on most. Hell, for once, Arata was finally taken back on something as he was unable to laugh it off or even be wowed by it. Nope, he was just as shocked as everyone else, their faces frozen with wide eyes. Silence fell over the room as it took them a few moments to process what he just said. Seirus? The same carefree idiot comparable to Arata in that regard is the son of the Chancellor of the school? This has to be some sick joke, right? The remaining students and even the teachers themselves tried to search for any signs of a prank. They first examined Seirus though he was dead, staring straight ahead without any weary signs of a smirk before glancing at the deadpanned and nonchalant Chancellor who merely sat back in his seat taking a sip of his coffee. Nope, they aren't fooling around at all. However, before any question flew their way, the Chancellor placed his cup down: the sound reverting their attention back to him.
"I think it's pretty obvious, kid. I work here as the Chancellor of Duel Academy in Diamond Stone City," He answered calmly as he disregarded how casual the boy was speaking to him during work. It was the equivalent of a high-ranking official in a company going to a business meeting only for one of their close friends to address them in an embarrassing manner. He sighed at the comparison he made in his head before continuing, "Is that a good enough answer. . .?"
"Of course not, why did you keep your job a secret from me!? You've never told me anything about your work for years!" Seirus nearly shouted though clearly irritated, everyone could tell he was actually angry.
Though, Leonardo took a breath and proceeded with caution. He couldn't reveal too much, "The reason why I didn't tell you about my position is because of how you were back then. Do I have to explain any further than that or do you want to cause a scene bigger than what you've already made?" Seirus recoiled at that question, his train of thought almost coming to a halt too fast for his liking. He knows how much of a troublesome kid he was even though he still is a kid in adults eyes. He swallowed nervously and backed down mentally, his reply surprisingly weak so much that his friends couldn't believe it.
"N-no. . .I think I understand. . ." Seirus shook his head.
Leonardo smiled, though he was sure that him being harsh like that wouldn't detriment their relationship, "Good, now I'd like to get to the main topic as planned. Seirus, it's come to my attention that you and your classmates aside from Steria and her entourage had an unfortunate encounter with some terrible men, right?"
"Huh. . .? Oh, yeah! They kidnapped some kids' dad in order to lure us into a duel! It was kinda intense, especially since they used some weird devices to sap our energy when we lose life points!" Seirus said, his mood doing another 180 like it was nothing, "But, Arata and I still managed to come out on top!"
"That's good to hear, but that information was given to me by the authorities. We are still analyzing the devices they used to sap your energy as well as the card that nullified Ms. Izayoi's powers," Leonardo explained as he caught a glimpse of Aki's churned expression upon hearing this.
However, that was the least of his worries, his eyes narrowing in all seriousness, "My main concern is, what were they after? Did they say anything in particular or were they after you?"
Confused, the Nexus duelist couldn't help but try and think for a moment. The tone his step-father was using was rather odd. He rarely ever exhibits such a stern tone in his presence and his eyes were. . .angry? Was he angry about how they basically harmed him? I mean, Seirus wasn't going to lie to himself. That duel did hurt and it was a pretty intense situation to be in but it wasn't like he didn't enjoy the thrill of it. Heck, he came back home later that day and had the chance to go into a full buffet mode on some Salmon Rolls from the sushi bar! With that in mind, he answered truthfully.
"Hmmm. . .I don't remember but they did say something about their objective and why they were targeting us," Seirus mentioned.
That was when something clicked in Arata's head, his mouth opening and saying the words without much further thought, "Yeah, they did. They said they were planning to capture us and use us as bait to get to Princess Steria!"
"Oh yeah, I forgot they said that!" Seirus chuckled, rubbing his head sheepishly.
Suddenly, a loud sound of someone's foot stomping into the ground was heard. Subconsciously, the two boys turned to see Rena's face, completely shocked at the reveal, "Wait, they were trying to target Lady Stera!?"
"Yeah. . .? Do you know anything about the reason why?" Arata replied, confirming her question.
As if she had realized the weight her words carried, the young attendant timidly looked over at her mistress who held a stern expression on her face. To Seirus's surprise, he wasn't sure whether or not the Astraea princess herself could make such an expression though from his perspective he could kinda see a bit of guilt in her eyes. As to why, he wasn't exactly sure though her words were serious without a hint of lightheartedness. The princess took several steps forward, her hands reaching into the inner pockets of her uniform to pull out a glass box that seemed to have a card encased within it. All the young students gasp at the sight while the teachers present marveled in admiration at the soft, white glow that the card , she ignored the impressed looks she was getting and looked straight ahead at the Chancellor who was the Nexus duelist's step-father.
Her eyes were equally as serious as he was, the two somewhat knowing the important details of what was going on, "They were probably after this, weren't they?"
"I'm afraid so, . . .to think they'd go as far to chase you all the way here is concerning," Leonardo replied earnestly.
Unable to contain his questions further, Lucky decided to ask everyone here, "Um. . .this may be out of line but. . .what's going on Chancellor?" Silence was all he got in response. At first, Lucky thought he made a terrible decision to ask such a thing since he was probably the least talented student there. Though, Seirus could tell it wasn't that. His emerald eyes stared into the contemplating yellow orbs that seemed lost in thought. Why was he hesitating so much? What exactly were they dealing with that makes him so secretive? Were they really involved in something so dangerous that he can't bring himself to disclose such information-whatever it is it definitely was concerning him just a bit.
"Tell me. . .," Leonardo finally spoke, his body hoisting itself up from his chair as he walked over to the window. His hand softly touched the glass as his eyes narrowed in on the campus of the student below, "Aside from Steria and her entourage, what do you kids know about Astraea history?"
Confused, the boys were not much help in answering that question particularly though Aki was the first to speak upon their behalf, "The country was founded centuries ago around the same time of the golden age and development of Egypt. As far as recent history went, they've been known to produce some of the top duelists in the world for quite some time. Almost 10 years to be exact and contributed to their culture revolving around dueling as a sacred art which is why they were so adamant on funding Kaiba Corp Duel Academy plans. It's been said that the late Seto Kaiba and the recent King of Astraea were a duo to be reckoned with in the facet of the dueling world."
"As expected from you, . But, what do you know about their legends?" He questioned further, knowing full well that Seirus was going to be no use in answering them. Heck, he's already starting to produce smoke from his ears from listening to Aki's reply.
That said, Aki raised an eyebrow out of curiosity, "Legend? What does a mythological legend have to do with anything?"
"Heheh, didn't you see what showed you? A glowing card isn't a common thing you see everyday, right?" Leonardo chuckled before turning to the students, "Ever since the creation of Duel Monsters, the game has gained major influence throughout the world. However, many do not know of the dangers that the game has unleashed. For instance, the production of the Egyptian God cards were reported by Pegasus himself that they were too dangerous to be wielded by anyone normal which is why the originals were sealed away in a tomb where their original owner rests. The Sacred Beasts cards said to rival that of the Egyptian God cards were sealed as well for their immense power and potential darkness that they can bring to the world. These sets of cards are just examples of cards created through the influence of mythical spirits that should have never been given material form in our world."
Hearing the world spirits and the history of powerful duel monster cards throughout history snapped the Nexus duelist out of his stupor trance. He wasn't sure he was going to be right but. . .it was worth a shot, "Wait-so basically these guys are after those cards and Steria has them for some reason?" The room went silent again, this time at how quick he was to jump the gun which was stupid on his part. Though, Leonardo was most certainly shocked that he was nearly half right to which he can give himself a pat on the back for raising him to at least perform some form of critical thinking.
"No. . .but at least you were close. Long ago, Astraea's lush land, clear skies, and rich soil were renowned throughout the world. Many came to the country for the sole purpose of enjoying their riches in hopes to prosper. That is part of the reason why Astraea has so much influence in today's world but the people had to contribute their success to three guardian deities." He explained
"Guardian deities?" Momo muttered, her first time hearing such a thing along with her friends.
Leonardo nodded, "Yes. . .these deities were described to rule over what is known as the three layers of the world. The shining skies, the wondrous land, and the dwelling underground. In tangent to the creation of both the Egyptian Gods and Sacred Beasts, the spirits manifested themselves in response to that. . ."
"Wait they manifested" Sho's eyebrows raised in shock, "But how could they do that without Maximillion Pegasus creating them into card form?"
"That, I don't know. . .but it's clear as day that they most certainly have a mind of their own. One may assume with the growing popularity of duel monsters and practices had affected the spirits thus turning them into cards. Cards that responded to the collective wishes of the people that worshipped them. The three Mythic Beast cards of Astraea." Leonardo revealed, his eyes narrowing in on Steria as she caressed the box that contained the glowing card, "And is the owner of one of them if I recall. Two of the cards are always passed down to the two eldest children of the king while the king himself holds the most dangerous one himself. Am I right or am I wrong, ?"
She nodded, "Yes, my family has protected the cards for years. That's one of the sacred duties of being a royal member of the Astraea family."
"So that's why. . ." Seirus murmured as he stared at the Princess's determined expression. If everything was true then that explains the reason why she has bodyguards with her at all times. She was getting targeted by dangerous people who are probably after the card she possesses. Knowing that, there was no doubt that she felt pressured somewhat. . .scared even, right?
Leonardo sighed, his hands entering his pockets as if this were a casual stroll in the park which was far from it in a grand scheme of things, "That said. . .I guess Neferious had already made their first move judging from the incident at hand."
"Neferious? Who's that?" Arata muttered enough for him to hear, "Is that some organization that those guys work for?"
"Precisely," The Chancellor replied, "Neferious was a organization that has been causing quite some trouble in Astraea. In fact, many duelists who are openly supportive of the Astraea family have been reported to lose consciousness for months as well as suffering severe lack of performance from important organs. Thankfully enough, no casualties have been reported but the situation in Astraea has grown dire over the years."
At that moment, the room went cold. The revelation of that certain piece of information nearly made Seirus sick though he was definitely fairing better than Momo who had to cover her mouth from the shock. If Aki wasn't next to her to rub her back then he was sure that she'd throw up on the floor right then and there. However, he couldn't ignore one thing. Steria's clear furious expression. She must have known this information beforehand but just the mere fact that she was hearing it said out loud was enough to erase any princess-like aura surrounding her. He couldn't blame her, imagine knowing the people of your country that you care about were getting hurt one by one so that they can satisfy their agenda while you were powerless to do something about it. . .he'd be pissed too. It was probably why she was away for so long before he got transferred here.
Leonardo took a breath and smirked, "However, don't worry too much. Duel Academy volunteers from some of the best dueling staff we have have already been sent over there as part of our agreement with your father, . On top of that, your class has a trip to your country. Rest assured that and are two of the best duelists in this institution even among the other branches."
"You can count on me, Chancellor," Sho smiled, bowing from the praise that he was getting.
Kenzan grinned and flexed his impressive muscles, "That's right, these maggots don't scare me in the slightest! We've dealt with worse!"
"Why of course, I have confidence in both of your abilities," the Chancellor nodded, his shoulder most certainly relieved of worry knowing those two were there to accompany the students but most importantly. . .,"Well. . .that's all I had to discuss with you all. Now you should move along back to class and cram in as much knowledge as you can before the trip. You are all dismissed."
"Right away, Chancellor Faust. Come along, everyone. It's time to go back to class," Sho informed.
Without much of an argument, the several students began to follow their teachers out of the office one by one. After hearing such details, they know full well that the lessons they'll learn will be in the back of their mind as the front will most likely be occupied for a good while. To think that the potential field trip that they were going to embark on has the possibility of being dangerous. But why then. . .? Why send them to a country that is currently dealing with such issues in the first place. Either it's overconfidence or plain ignorance was probably the answer. . .or at least that's what they think?
The majority of them pondered on it while Seirus was still silent, his less critical thinking mind only focusing on other things aside from those questions. Though, as he was the last person about to leave the room, Leonardo couldn't help but stop him not as a head official but as a paternal guardian, "Seirus, mind staying for one more question?" The Nexus duelist paused right at the door as the group gained distance between him though he didn't care.
"Yeah. . .? What is it, Old Geezer?" Seirus replied in a low tone though he was inwardly smirking at the familiar response he was getting.
Leonardo smirked, the obvious twitch showing as he closed his eyes to bear with it, "Still calling me that, huh kid? You never learn respect if you keep this up."
"Heh, what can I say. I can't help but tell the truth," Seirus teased cheekily.
"Whatcha say, brat! I'd have you know that all those young women on the street compliment me for my young appearance, thank you very much!" He snapped.
Although, Seirus cackled as he was clearly unconvinced, "Yeah right, next time provide video evidence if you can! Hahahahahahah!" The Chancellor getting teased growled playfully however, he couldn't hold himself back from laughing alongside with the kid he raised. He couldn't help but look at him now. Compared to the baby he was back then, he sure has grown up a bit in his eyes. Though, he was far from being a complete adult. As their fits of laughter settled, Chancellor Faust wiped a tear from his right eye.
"Heheh, anyways. . ." He said, mirth filling his voice a bit as he tried to be sincere with his question, "Tell me. . .are you having fun here? You know, at Duel Academy?"
The question at hand made Seirus take three mental steps back for a moment. He looked at the old man's expression, his face showing a rather genuine smile that matched his eyes that narrowed in on his own. He grinned as wide as he could, expressing it in tangent to his true feelings, "Yeah! It's been a blast, so far! Sure, there were bumps here and there at times and is relentless! Heheh, he would always knock me in the head whenever I doze off and my friends would sometimes pitch in. Despite that, I know they are really good people and I can trust them. Oh, and dueling has never been more fun! Like don't get me wrong, every duel I had so far was tough especially against Steria but I always had a blast. You probably already know but Arata is extremely good as well! I want to duel him the most but I don't think I am ready yet! And-!" He stopped midway as soon as he realized he was basically rambling at this point. Embarrassed, he looked down to try and avoid eye contact as he concluded.
"Truthfully. . .I love every moment here. I really do. . ." Seirus admitted.
Leonardo smiled, his mirth clearly shown, "I see. . ." The Chancellor walked forward and closed the distance between them before Seirus could notice. He reached over and ruffled his head, earning moans of complaints from the gesture though before he could voice his opinion: he was immediately silenced at the proud smile his step-father gave him.
"I'm glad you've taken steps forward but promise me, try to restrain yourself during the trip. At Duel Academy it's fine but you mustn't partake in public or largely crowded duels that aren't monitored by Duel Academy's officials. I know I said you can duel freely but only at Duel Academy," He noted.
Though, the Nexus duelist couldn't help but pout, "Yeah, I know. Still haven't explained why though. . ."
"In time, you will learn. But, you aren't ready yet," Leonardo repeated to him for what seemed to be the hundredth time. The Chancellor reached into his pockets before pulling something out. Curious, Seirus examined the item, intrigued by an expression caused by an unknown familiarity with it. He wasn't sure why but something in his heart told him to take possession of it and keep it close. It was a silver pendant, one that looks new and free worn out metal. It glistened as the attachment to the pendant looked to be a Swarovski Star littered with greenish-blue gems. Before he realized it, Leonardo wrapped the pendant around his neck and fastened it so that it could hang over his chest. The Chancellor smirked, "Until then, hang on to this. . ."
"Hmm. . .?" Seirus hummed, his hand resting the star in his palm as he examined the jewelry. Confused, he looked at his step-father with more questions, "Why? What is the deal with giving me this?"
"It's a family treasure. In fact, it belongs to your late mother and was instructed to be given to you when you come of age," Leonardo answered.
His green eyes widened, "Wait. . .this is moms?"
"That's right, she was disappointed that she couldn't be there for you. Your father as well but you get the point. So in order to at least have a fragment of her with you, she decided to pass down her family's pendant to you. It's actually historically called The Luminous Key," His step-father explained.
"The Luminous Key, huh?" Seirus muttered, his eyes examining the star of the pendant one more time before smiling back at Leonardo with a nod, "Okay! I'll take great care of it, heheh!"
Smiling, the old man let out a few chuckles, "I'm sure you will. Now hurry along, or will be calling me about your tardiness, young man."
"Ah, right! I gotta go!" Seirus exclaimed at the realization of how much time had passed. He quickly turned and ran straight towards the exit though before he left he gave his step-father one more goodbye smile, "Cya later, Old Geezer!"
With that, the bright and honest boy left the scene before the old man could remark against his farewell. Though, all Leonardo could do was sigh as he went back over to the window where he saw the campus from above. His eyes narrowed, his thoughts dwelling on something else aside from the problem in Astraea, "Seirus. . .I don't know what'll happen with you and Astraea but I do know that this is far from what you'll be destined to deal with in the future. There's no doubt in my mind that he is involved somehow but I'm sure he won't strike against you first. . .at least not yet. Until then, I hope the trials you'll face will prepare you enough to stand your ground. . ."
(Now Back With Serius On His Back To Class In Duel Academy Halls. . .)
"Man, I'm running late! Damn that Old Geezer, he could have at least given me an excused letter!"
Seirus ran down the hallways in a rush like no other. His conversation with Leonardo after being called to his office did settle sum nerves that were bothering him throughout the reveal about the situation in Astraea. That said, he was still going to be in for it when he got to class as hates lateness no matter what the reason may be. Knowing that the later he is, the larger the object may be thrown at him when he gets there, Seirus picks up his pace and turns the corner without slowing down. However, that was most certainly his number one mistake. Without realizing it, someone was already beginning to turn the corner as soon as he did, resulting in a head on collision. Great, now all those warnings about not running in the hallway were looking more and more justifiable. Thankfully, it only caused the two students to stumble backwards a bit with only a couple of textbooks falling to the floor.
The sound of them hitting the floor however made Seirus finally realize what happened as he immediately noticed the books on the floor. Hurriedly and practically forgot all about his tardiness, the Nexus duelist went over to help pick up the textbooks immediately, "Sorry, I was in a hurry on the way to class and didn't pay attention."
"I see. . ." A calm, male voice said.
Though, his calmness didn't register in Seirus's head as he stacked all the books on top of each other and got up to hand them over to the victim. It was brief but Seirus could easily tell he was a student by his uniform that matched his own. His spiky unkempt hair was silver that ombre to a purplish-pink towards the tip. The back of his hair curved upwards a bit though the back of his neck was still partially covered as his bangs framed his face while one bang draped over the side of his nose. The student's eyes were purple yet he had slitted pupils that stared back at Seirus impassively.
Nevertheless about his appearance, the Nexus duelist was still in a hurry and placed the books in his hand "Here you go, all done! Gotta go, so see you around!" Before he could possibly get a reply in, Seirus had already taken off sprinting like he did before, leaving the student standing alone in the hallway as he stared at his back, "Bright"
Those were the initial thoughts he had. Subconsciously, he reached into the depths of his shirt and pulled out a necklace though this one seemed to have a card sleeve attached to it. He stared at it: the half torn card that had grown old and pale over the year that he kept close by him at all times. His eyes narrowed, his teeth grinding out of frustration before sighing. He shoved the necklace back inside his uniform so it could hand over his heart as he walked towards his own class. . .
A/N: Yo, just popping in to say a few things. For starters, sorry for this set of chapters being small, trust me: I'm saddened too. My Grandparents needed help with things alongside me finishing up this semester had held me back from getting as much done as I could but I still feel this is a good stopping point. Yes, this is the mini-hiatus as my focus will now be diverted back to Tenkai's development. Now about this chapter, yes there isn't a duel as I mainly focused on setting up the starting points for the first major arc of the story along with it's villains. That said, I hope you enjoy this week's chapter and stay tuned for updates on Tenkai probably tomorrow.