(Continuing From Where Last Chapter Left Off, Outside The Hotel. . .)

"Welp. . .this day sure went down the gutter quick. . ."

Arata sighed as droplets of water fell from his chin as he was practically dragging his feet towards the hotel door along with the trio of concerned faces for completely different reasons. They had been searching for hours on end, ranging from the higher clock towers to the dirtiest parts of the city. Hell, they even went into the sewers at one point in hopes to find their secret evil lair or whatever. But no matter how far and wide the students searched; they couldn't even get a single hint on both Steria and Seirus's whereabouts. Well. . .at least as far as they could since they were locked out of certain areas.

That said, Travis decided to try and lighten the mood a bit by asking, "When did you start to think that? The kidnapping or when you fell into the sewer waters because of a mouse crawling up your leg?"

"A little mixture of both," Arata responded, pushing the door of the establishment open with a grumble.

Travis couldn't help but snicker until it was silenced by Rena who punched him in his arm so hard that it was like a sack of bricks, "This is not the time to be making jokes, Travis." Apologetically, he waved his hand off from any further punishment.

"Sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood. If we let our emotions take over too much then we'll hinder our performance," Travis assured.

Reluctantly, she knew he was right; he always was. Being the rational type of guy he is, if they were to go into full panic mode then they will get nowhere. But still, the fact did remain that the worst possible scenario that they thought would be unlikely to happen. . .Well, it happened. The very thing they were trying to avoid happened faster than they could have ever hoped to anticipate. Be that as it may be, Lucky was a clear indication of this, his baffleness on how this occured when he first found out was still weighing on his mind. So much he couldn't help but ponder, "Still, to think they managed to catch you guys off guard like that. . .I hope Bro is safe. . ." The absence of the princess's name didn't go unnoticed as Rena shot him with a murderous glare that made him flinch on the spot.

"Ah! I mean Bro and Steria! Heheheh. . .!" Lucky nervously chuckled.

Proving to be an acceptable response at the time, Rena averted her glare back up front to give the poor boy the room to breathe. He let out a sign of relief as his two other male company inwardly chuckled at the spectacle. However, as they took only a couple of more steps into the lounge within the hotel, they were immediately met by the sight of various men in black suits wearing shades, each one packed with a black and white duel disk while hooked onto their ear was an earbud for presumely communication. Though, the most noticeable person among them that they noticed was standing in front of them while speaking to another man who had shoulder length rosy purple hair and green eyes as well as a scar up the side of his left cheek.

Noticing the man, Travis's eyes widened at the familiarity, "That's. . .Cassain. . ." Upon uttering those words, the light-blue haired teacher took notice of the approaching students.

"Everyone's back! Did you find any clues?" Sho asked the men part way for them to join their teacher.

Although, to answer their question, Travis simply shook his head, "Unfortunately no, it seems he's completely given us the slip. Though, seeing how he's here, they must have had no luck either." His eyes darted over to the sly smirking man that looked down at him as he shrugged at the underlining remark despite the disappointed look on 's face.

"Come now, Travis. We're all doing our best, aren't we? But correct me if I am wrong, if I recall correctly from your teacher then you were the one who let the enemy slip through your tiny little cracks in the first place. I told you that you'd gotta be more careful. . .especially in this city," Cassain aloofly said.

The disdain look on Travis's face gave it away; these two were most certainly not on friendly terms. Though, those who didn't know them personally most likely were wondering who in the world he was as well as the history between them. Much like how Lucky curiously decided to chime in on the conversation with a question of his own, "Umm, don't mind me asking but who are these people?" Answering the simple question, Rena decided to put it bluntly.

"They're the Astraea's Spec-Ops squad. The Twilight Guard. . .," She groaned.

Arata repeated, "Twilight's Guards, huh. . ." As if to further his dislike about the ring leader in all this, Travis more than specifically frowned at his arguable superior.

"Yeah, this guy right here is the leader; Cassain Fold. 23 years old and a prodigy who managed to climb the ranks of the Astraea military at the age of 18. He's pretty famous among us as he is the driving force behind all Anti-Neferious operations. Long-story-short, we got a big shot among us," Travis explained before going even further, "And because he's a big shot, he also developed a nasty personality."

As if he were hurt, Cassain feigned his dislike of the last comment, "Oh, Travis. Is that any way to introduce your mentor to your classmates?" Frowning, Travis could easily tell that Arata and Lucky were just as shocked as from hearing the emphasis of that note. Much to his embarrassment of having to admit that the man was standing before him was someone who used to teach him. But most of all, the smug look on Cassain's face was more than enough for him to tell that he was getting a kick out of pressing his buttons. Something that he alone could accomplish.

"Anywho. . ." Cassain shrugged as he began to break away from the chatter before making his way towards the door with his men following behind him. He turned his head with an amused and satisfied smirk, "I hope we all could work together now that we've been informed of the situation. You can be rest assured that you'll have our full-support. . .especially since little Travis is with you."

After reassuring them and affirming that their agreement was in motion, the man took his leave from the hotel with his co-workers, thus leaving the Duel Academy associates and students to think among themselves. On the other hand, once they left their view, Travis grunted with clear annoyance, "Tch, one day I'm going to give him a good one. . ." That said, the group were left stumped on what to do next. They couldn't find out a single thing about their whereabouts and it had already gotten dark. The Twilight Guard will probably need time to operate and most of all, they have no clue on what may have happened to them afterwards, which brings the worst case scenario to mind. Travis shuttered at that thought until Lucky decided to comment.

"I think we should get some rest. . ."

They all looked at his crestfallen and tired face; one that they hadn't seen before but who could blame him. His arguably best friend was now missing and could. . .well is in a lot of danger right about now. Who wouldn't be worried? But the suggestion itself was a logical one at that, one that even had to nod and approve to, "Yes, you all are too young to be caught up in this adult business. You all head upstairs to your rooms and get some rest. However, if you don't mind, I want you to explain the situation to your fellow group members so they aren't left in the dark."

"Then what about you. . .," Arata asked, sensing that he was hiding something.

The light-blue haired teacher sighed, and adjusted the collar of his uniform as he began making his way for the door. He pulled out a Duel Disk that was surprisingly tucked into his jacket and strapped it tight into his arms as his students watched his back with a mix of curious yet surprised eyes. They couldn't see it but the tone of his voice said it all. His facial expression grew dark and cold as though he was reliving some memories of his past in order to remind him of his experience of dealing with situations such as these, "I'll continue my own search. If any of you disobey and leave this hotel then you'll be in serious trouble, get it. . ." He didn't need to turn around to know that they were all stricken by the tone of his voice nor did he need to say another word as he exited the building. The door closed gently behind him as he looked up at the night sky above that showcased the full-moon and it's faint light. His eyes narrowed in thought of his students, their images of their typical expressions that made them lively and in return. . .him as well.

"Seirus. . .Steria. . .may this dim light in the dark sky lead you to safety. . ." He mumbled before continuing his search for just a little while longer.

(Back At Astraea's Mythic Forest Residing In Iduna City's Outskirts. . .)

Sounds of crickets and owls hooting under the moon that became the only source of light within the darkness. The grass flowed due to the soft yet mythical feeling breeze that seemed to flower between the trees and their firmly strong bark. Though for the most part, it was completely silent with the only accompanying sound being the sound of grass getting crushed beneath the feet of two young students who traversed their way through the forest. After the duel against probably the most malicious person this forest has ever encountered, they didn't make it that far and only followed the path down the stream until they reached a circular lake. Though they only did that because they thought the water would lead them closer back to civilization yet it did the exact opposite to their dismay. Which was why they now resorted to trying to find some random path that hopefully met their needs. All this took only about 45 minutes in total, and as of right now, they weren't sure they were going to find an exact. Annoyed, Seirus looked down at his PDA as he read the message on the screen.

"Still can't get through. . ," Seirus muttered, his posture while walking albeit uncoordinated. He clenched his teeth after shoving his device back into his pocket before rubbing his arm. He was hurt and moreover, beyond tired. He doesn't even know how or why he was still standing and hadn't collapsed on the spot but by some miracle or unrestrained willpower, the Nexus duelist was still going. But now, even an idiot like him can understand that he's fighting a losing battle against his body's needs. That said, he turned around to take note of the tired looking girl who so happened to be a princess. If he were a guessing man, she was just about reaching her limits as well, her eyes looking to go in and out of sleep as she struggled to stay awake. He couldn't blame her, he was looking to pass out as well and if it weren't the possible dangers of either getting ambushed by Neferious out of the blue or a wild animal who just so happened to be in for a night snack. He couldn't tell which was worse but one thing was certain; it was certainly cold tonight.

However, as soon as that realization was acknowledged, his eyes widened. He wasn't sure if it was a dream or just some divine force actually showing mercy, but between the trees before him and several bushes was an old dark-blue cabin. Though he immediately dismissed the possibility of some inhabitants since the door looked to be slightly open and the windows indicated it was pitch black. . .Yeah this definitely looked like a horror movie to happen. But it was either sleep outside in the cold or be under shelter. Not very good choices but better than nothing. That said, he turned to Steria who was caught off guard by his gaze. He smirked, his natural optimism surfacing even in times where he shouldn't, "Looks like we're in luck. There seems to be an old cabin up ahead. You wanna check it out?" Reluctant to the idea itself at first, she remained silent and still until she gave a weak nod of approval.

Somewhat glad she accepted the idea even though not verbally, Seirus began to quicken his pace with the Astraea princess following behind him. It didn't take them long to reach the door before the Nexus duelist opened it to see what they were working with. It didn't go unnoticed that it was definitely smaller than he expected. There was only one bed in the corner of the room while at the center was a round wooden table with two chairs resting on the old carpet below. On the opposite side of the cabin looked to be a kitchen with a bookshelf that resided next to a desk near a window. Though, lucky for them, the former owner of the house did seem to have at least a source of heat being that there were still some fresh logs of wood resting a good distance away from the fireplace. Other than that and considering their situation, this would most certainly do for now.

"Heheh, score!" Seirus cheered, his feet already making his way towards the logs to start a fire as he quickly noticed something resting at the bottom, "Ah, someone left a box of matches! You leave the fire to me! You can get settled in if you want!"

As awkward as she was being around him alone, Steria accepted the offer, "Ye-yeah. . .thank you. . ." That said, Seirus began to lift the few logs that were left while leaving the Astraea princess to look around the room that she'll be staying in tonight. She walked over to the kitchen area and took a look inside the fridge. Of course, it was empty so she then decided to look through the cabinets beneath what looked to be a stove and noticed an array of spices. It was a good start to say the least since she won't be eating anything too terrible or bland. That said, her mind couldn't help but reflect constantly on all that had happened. It didn't take them long for them to find her nor was the kidnapping expected. However, the duel itself was unsettling to watch and the words that the Neferious executive had said were without no merit.

"I mean. . ." She initially thought as she looked over at Seirus, tossing quite a few logs into the firepit. Her eyes narrowed with a tinge of guilt, "If he hadn't met me. . .then maybe he wouldn't have gotten mixed up in all this."

To an extent, she was right. If he didn't come into associations with her then he would have probably been able to enjoy the trip. If he wasn't with her at that moment, then maybe he wouldn't have gotten hurt. If he wasn't with her, then. . .she would have been in that horrible duel instead. Yet. . ., despite all that, the one thing that bothered her the most was his unwavering determination to defend her both as a duelist and a friend in need. His declarations at that moment caused her to be confused. She wanted to know. . .

"Why. . .?" she thought, her face crestfallen at the open cabinet of spices, "Why did this idiot of all people stick up for someone like me. . .?"

Before her brain could overwork itself on the question itself, an audible gasp of delight caught her ears and sounds of flames crackling filled the room with warmth. She looked up to notice the Nexus duelist's wide smile that was illuminated by the light of the fire in front of him, "Steria, look! I got the fire going! Come on, it's better to warm up now even though it's kinda late." He patted the spot on the floor next to him in front of the fire. His inviting smile and gleeful face that almost looked like a small puppy that was seeking praise. Despite him being nothing but a lively idiot for the past few hours, this had to be one of the creepiest looks that he gave her though she wasn't going to deny the fact she was cold as she shuddered from the breeze that most likely crept through beneath the door. Sighing,

Sighing, she walked over towards the fireplace and took her seat albeit reluctantly, and hugged her knees as the warmth of the fire in front of them warmed her body. She was feeling a lot better now that she was freezing and let out a satisfied breath until she felt something wrap around her. Her eyes widened and took note of the jacket that Seirus wore was now resting over her back and shoulders. Confused, she turned her eyes away from the fire upfront and towards the grinning Nexus duelist next to her who was now left with nothing but a long-sleeved black shirt.

"It isn't much, but it'll help I think," Seirus assured.

She nodded, her hands now clenching the hoodie tightly in order to wrap it around her better, "It does. . .thank you." Nodding, Seirus looked back at the fireplace in front of him in silence. From what she could tell, he was definitely now trying to think about some things as well but she couldn't contain herself. She asked almost on impulse.

"Hey. . ." Steria muttered, her voice regaining his attention. His eyes locked onto hers as she turned back to the fire in front of her since she wasn't too comfortable being in his presence, "Why did you stick up for me. . .?"

The question itself made him tilt his head as he replied with a straightforward answer that seemed obvious to him, "Why? Well obviously I wasn't going to let that guy duel you in order to get the Mystic Beast card. I made a promise remember-"

"That's not what I meant," the Astraea princess cut him off with a small raise in her voice. She kept forgetting that he was denser than the core of the Earth. Nonetheless, she looked down at her knees, her saddened expression finally becoming noticeable to the likes of him. But unlike him, she wasn't as straightforward as he was, "Like, come on. You know that if you weren't forced to deal with all this and what he said was true. All those who got close to me all got hurt. All those who supported me were hospitalized. Yet I haven't done a single thing to truly help them in return. All they've done was become some giant wall that protects someone who hasn't amounted to anything worth protecting. Knowing all that, why join them as just another brick in the structure. . .?"

She buried her face in hopes to hide it but Seirus could somewhat tell that she was crying. From what he could assume, even despite him proclaiming that she was brave for putting on bearing such responsibilities, this was still eating away at her and for someone like him who was on bad terms with her day 1 was now on her side would definitely leave some confusion. Though, he was sure of one thing, "Ah. . .I see, well we're friends, aren't we?" There it was, the same word that stunned her the last time. She looked up at the boy with teary eyes that searched for a further explanation as Seirus grinned.

"You may not think so, but the reason why I'm doing this isn't because of some Mystic Beast cards or for some noble cause such as saving your country from bad guys. I'm doing this because you're someone that I formed a bond with through dueling. Because of that, I consider you close enough to be a friend that so happens to need my help!" He explained further before proceeding to nervous chuckle as he realized what he said, "Ahahah, well now that sounded a little off since we did sorta fight on the first day so I guess I'm sorry for losing my temper. But that's in the past now so as of the present; we're in this together!"

As he continued to laugh away without a care in the world, Steria was left speechless. The lengths he would go for what many would call a simplistic view was just both naive and commendable. Unlike her, Seirus by nature seemed like the one to never hold grudges, so much that his enemy the day before would become a new friendship opportunity shortly after. It was so strange, and it defied all sorts of rational thinking. Honestly, it was to an extent that left her mouth agape before a small smile appeared on her face; slightly amused and warmed by the boy's charisma. She laughed quietly, "You're such a simpleton. . ." The amused tone in her voice made him smile to himself at his successful pep-talk in cheering her up.

"Yeah, yeah, I know! Heheh!" Seirus replied.

As his chuckle dwindled down with the fire's crackle's due to that being settled between them; the Nexus duelist now had more. . .well confusing thoughts to attend to. That being said, he shuffled through his pocket and pulled out his Extra Deck before he found himself staring down at the two monsters that pretty much won him the duel. One being his long-time ace while another was an enigma and new addition to his deck that left him with so many more questions that it felt like it was just a scattered puzzle. A puzzle whose only hint right now was a strangely abnormal pendant given to him by the potential literal source to answer all these questions. Granted, he respected his foster father's boundaries and decisions but at least threw him the whole bone instead of half of it. Like how in the world was he supposed to know that his mother's parting gift apparently glows and unveils cards that have mysteriously appeared in his deck!? And that was a whole other anomaly he had to figure out! Mentally, he sighed from all the hocus-pocus that has been going on with him; even though it was starting to look as though it was far from his mind playing tricks on him. However, his time to himself was interrupted by the only other person in the room.

"You alright there? You've been staring at your cards for a while now," Steria asked before pointing it out, "Are you thinking about. . .well. . ."

As his eyes looked at her still facing the fire, he could tell what she was trying to refer to was uncomfortable for her to speak about directly. However, it was true that she was there as well when it happened so the fact that she noticed the strange things that had been happening was enough proof; his deck and this pendant were most certainly far from normal. But seeing how she has a specific card that isn't normal either makes it even easier to talk about. Knowing this, he turned his eyes back towards Xernus and Xenobrave Blademaster while clutching his pendant with a deep sigh, "Yeah, it's strange isn't it? I've been with these cards since I was in diapers so our connection always felt strong. But not once have I ever experienced what occurred earlier. Now I'm left with so many questions that I want answered yet there is nothing to give me the answers I want except the old man. And he's so adamant on keeping it a secret it's honestly frustrating." Judging from his tone, he spoke with little excitement or liveliness in his voice that Steria couldn't help but notice. His eyes were focused and narrow on his cards with a small frown on his face; something that she thought he was incapable of producing but here he is. But soon enough, he laughed to himself once he finally realized something.

"Funny thing is, it all started when I first transferred here when I heard Xernus for the first time. . ." Seirus chuckled.

Her eyes widened at that comment, "Wait. . .what? You heard the voice from your card?" Nodding, the Nexus duelist affirmed her question.

"Yup, crazy huh?" Seirus asked as in a joke before continuing further, "After that, I had some stranger instances such as Nexus Illuminant Cat literally appearing before me in the morning, more voices, and most importantly; one strange dream that left me with a migraine afterwards. All weird occurrences that I have no clue as to why it was happening but each time I dismissed it as me just either being tired or so in tune with the duel. However, what happened now pretty much sent me off a cliff. . .I don't . . .I don't know what to think anymore."

His voice went from whisper to silence as he expressed his frustrations to the Astraea Princess. It was as clear as day, so much that Steria watched him go distant into his thoughts once more as she processed the information he said, "He's been dealing with this by himself. All this time and has never once told anyone. . .I mean, I hold the Mystic Beast card in my hand yet it's never spoken to me once, has it-" She stopped mid thought on that as she recalled a distant memory. One where a small girl was lost and crying in the middle of some forest while following a dim yet dazzling light. It was akin to her current scenario now except she was older and in company but still. . .that dim light turned out to be. . .

"Seirus, don't you think you're forgetting something. . .?" she muttered to snap him out of his trance. As his emerald eyes locked onto her purplish-blue ones, she couldn't help but at least give him a rare gesture of hers; a truly genuine and cute warm smile as she rested her cheek on her arms, "Despite the things that happened to you being quite strange, they still saved you because of the connection you have with them is growing stronger? I'm not one to truly talk, but perhaps you're just overthinking it to the point that you might weigh yourself down. I'm sure you'll get your answers, you just have to be a little more patient."

At that moment, a loud crackle came from the fire though the two Duel Academy ignored it as it somewhat brightened the room even more as Seirus was left a little speechless as both of them stared at each other for an instant. He couldn't help but notice how much she has changed nowadays compared to how they first met. For her to say that was. . ., "Wow. . .look how much you've grown! I could cry rn. . .*sniff*" In a typical 180 fashion, his demeanor from before reverted back to his usual self in a way that it threw her off so much that she almost didn't realize the remark he made. She pouted, her cheeks puffed in annoyance.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She grumbled as Seirus laughed.

She was about to scold him for making fun of her until his laughter dimmed down into a toothy grin as his eyes were closed shut, the breeze blowing against his hair while the fire kept him warm with embers flowing gently by as they faded, "But thanks anyways, I really needed that!" In just mere moments, she found herself unable to talk as her premeditated words were silenced by his gratitude. How could it not? She was most certainly dealing with a strange one to say the least. Yet she was actually having a good time talking to him. His aura alone was enough to make her feel comfortable compared to how they were before. That said, she turned her eyes back to the fire with a smile on her face.

"I know. . .what would you do if I weren't around?" She jested.

Laughing, Seirus faced the fire as well with his grin still on his face as his eyes brightened by the flame, "Don't know, but I guess we'll run into each other someway." They shared one more laugh despite the two being on the verge of sleep. Yet, oddly enough for Steria, she didn't want to sleep yet. She wanted to at least stay awake just a little while longer in front of the fire. . .

(Returning Back To Iduna City, Nephillis District Near Some Old Dark Alleyway. . .)

The Nephillis District; a place where lower income citizens and the poor reside within Iduna City and more of the lesser known areas due to the conditions of the area. Located near the Mythic Forest, it contrasts the beauty of such a place due to the fact that the buildings are old and run-down while very little regulation was upheld within the area. That said, no one would dare to go out at night which was why most of the streets were vacant with people; perfect for any suspicious activity to go unnoticed in the dark night. However, as quiet as the streets were, a loud-short bang echoed within an Alleyway that led to a dead end that was pretty wide and shaped into a perfect square.

"Damn, where is that sadistic, flamboyant scatterbrain!? We've been here for far too long!" A man cursed, his tone clearly angry as the underlings were frightened by his temper. They all wore familiar ragged-black cloaks that covered their appearance while the man wore a similar duel disk to the person he was talking about.

That said, in hopes to calm him down, another male voice that seemed to be sitting on top of a pile of cardboard boxes sighed and assured him, "As much as I agree with you, I think you should calm down and be a little more patient. These 'royal' chickens are still capable duelists so it may take Ludo a little longer to finish her off."

"Tch, a little? 3 hours is far from little you four-eyed narcissist. If it were me that had finally found her then I would have been done in under 5 minutes unlike a certain someone who likes to prolong things!" The man fired back before pointing over at the cowering henchmen behind him, "This is why his division is filled with a bunch of wimps. No wonder he's the weakest link. . .damn it!"

Unable to argue against his claim since he was mostly right for the most part, the more level-headed male sighed from being the one having to deal with this tantrum. Like seriously, it was like he was dealing with a child whose body went through some aging device. One that accelerated only the physical appearance except for the mental stability required for an adult. Nonetheless, he took out an old watch to check the time for probably the 10th time in a row. It was around that moment that something must have gone wrong, the mysterious figure finally coming to a conclusion, "Did he lose? It wouldn't be a stretch to assume but it may still be worth checking out. All we have to do is track him anyway." With that thought concluded, he leapt down from his makeshift throne and landed without much effort as the angry male associate noticed that he had finally decided to move.

"Come," He said, "We'll be doing our own search. Our leader is probably getting restless from waiting for our return."

Glad that they were finally doing something other than waiting, the feisty male snickered with eagerness, "Finally, you're seeing my way! Like come on, how long does it take to defeat that girl like her. She probably has no idea what it is like to play with the big boys and gals!" Nodding, the calmer man decided to remark on that claim.

"Yes, which means something must have happened. Either he lost. . .or someone interfered which is the most likely case. The real question is. . .who?" He noted.

Shrugging, the rougher sounding male decided to take the lead towards exiting the alley, "Who knows, but either scenario doesn't matter now. Cause whoever it is. . ." He grinned widely to unveil his pair of fangs as his sharp grey eyes peered through the darkness of his hood.

"I'll just tear them to shreds like usual," He noted with eagerness.

Seeing how he was now getting into that duel hungry mood where he wants to go wild, his colleague merely took in a breath before exhaling while the henchmen began following suit behind them out of fear. He knew once he was like this, there was no argument or rational thinking that would get him out of it so it was best for him to run wild for now. They could only pray that the unfortunate soul to be caught within his path was someone who'd realize the futility in their actions and stand by. However, in response to that prayer, as they took only a few steps forward, he spotted something standing in between the dark exit of the alley's dead end. He was confused though albeit curious as to what or who it was that dared to stand in their way, especially at this hour but his hot-headed friend seemed more verbal about such things.

"Oh. . .?" He grinned even wider, "Now, who the hell are you?"

In response to this, the exit began to become illuminated by the light of the moon as the clouds began to unveil the celestial body. Little by little, from his light-blue hair, matching gray eyes, his dark blue Duel Academy uniform along with his glasses somewhat blocking his serious glare due to the reflection of the light that was unraveled by the moonlight. His duel disk was strapped tightly around his wrist as he faced forward against the group of individuals that had nothing more than malicious intent. Though in response to that question, the teacher simply answered coldly, "Just a teacher. That's all."

"A teacher? Pfft, hahahahahaah! What does a teacher want with the likes of us?" He cackled though it seems he was unfazed by his mocking tone.

Rather, he only flashed his Duel Disk in response as he continued, "Well, I would assume you guys would be associated with the kidnapping earlier, right? I had to go through a lot of people to get here so I was hoping I didn't waste my time but it looks like I didn't." Confused as to what he meant by that, the more ferocious male among them seemed intrigued while his calm and collected ally was left a bit interested in the new fellow.

His more rational mind compared to the others made him begin to think, "A teacher. . .all alone no less. It seems like he's aware of who we are as well. Either he's putting on a front to buy time or he's that confident he can take us by himself? Not only that, he looks familiar for some reason. . .". Before he could think any further, his feisty male comrade had already activated his Duel Disk with the solid vision blade resembling just like a bat-wing except it had a glowing brown outline. Leave it to him to waste no time and not think about who he is up against or any underlying ploys.

"Well, well, it seems you must have been a witness to the whole thing! We'd love to stay and chat but we don't have time for that. So either you move or things get ugly!" He warned confidently.

"So it's come to this. . .?" He sighed, placing a hand on his hip as he was tired of the same cycle for probably the 50th opponent tonight, "Guess there was no helping it. You guys did cause me a lot of trouble for involving not only the princess but also another one of my students in your foolish endeavor. So I guess I must extend my job as a teacher to you a lot as well. . ."

Wasting no time, the Duel Academy teacher powered on his Duel Disk that surprisingly took the shape of an all too familiar Duel Disk to the ones of the older models with a light-blue outline that matched his hair. Seeing this, the feisty group leader seemed to laugh at the fighting spirit of this brave soul, "Heheh, not backing down? I think I'm going to come to like yah. So tell me. . .what's your name?" As soon as he asked that question, he placed his deck into his Duel Disk while the teacher seemed the least bit intimidated by the numbers they had on him. Instead, he followed suit and inserted his own deck without hesitation.

"A Duel Academy teacher who just so happen to be in-charge of this school trip; ," Sho answered back.

As the duel was about to commence, the other male leader seemed to have caught onto something while the followers stood by and waited for the duel to start as they stared each other down. The wind blew along with the tension beginning to rise as one thought came to his mind, "Marufuji? That means. . .if his first name is what I think it is then we may have attracted quite a beast. . ." In that moment, a flashback occurred in his mind to dueling a familiar foe with a large shadowy figure that was the pinnacle of mechanical power standing behind him. The memory made him grin in anticipation, his mouth silent since he selfishly wanted to confirm his suspicions. All he had to do was wait for the duel to start. . .and his wait only lasted a moment. . .

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, lots of other things came up! Now about this chapter. Yes, it is shorter since it's preluding to another duel but this time it'll finally be Sho Marufuji's (Syrus Truesdale for those who are english watchers) turn to duel and yeah, he's pissed. I'm aiming for this arc in particular to get some of the main characters to shine. This unfortunately means characters like Aki, Orga, and Arata may or may not have to take the back seat just a little bit compared to characters that I want to develop more such as Steria and Lucky. That said, this is for sure one of Sho's moments to shine in this arc as the main moment will come towards the end of this arc. Other than that, the majority of this chapter focused on Seirus and Steria's friendship to where I expliciting focused on having them both addressing their own problems; especially Seirus now getting a chance to talk to someone about all these strange happenings to him. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter of Yugioh Re:Seize! Until next time!