Chapter 5

Seto Kaiba was not an ordinary high school student. In fact, he'd spent more time either in his office or on the stage of a tournament winning duels than he'd ever spent in a classroom. As such, he had almost no idea how to navigate through the frantic crowds of students traveling through the sprawling campus of Mahora Academy's Jr. High for Girls.

He assumed Chiu went here, however. Otherwise, Seto thought to himself as he strolled briskly past a gaggle of girls in their 3rd year, she wouldn't have demanded I come all the way out here to meet her. Not that Seto was actually here for her, per se. It was the possibility of using the virtual reality machine she claimed to have at the school with her that had really drawn him. It was the thought of acquiring this piece of technology that made Seto stroll faster, with what the girls dashing past him would notice as an aura of intense, business-like focus. Because, Seto reasoned as he crossed the street to a row of dormitories, if this technology truly exists, I must have it. Nobody but me deserves the edge it will offer me over my competition...idiots who would dare try to surpass me…..like Yugi.

But then, Seto thought as he sat on a bench outside the upperclassman's dorm, Since Yugi is about as smart as those idiots who think they're 'magically' trapped inside Magic's Play, I guess I don't have very much to worry about. He smirked at that thought, but his smirk began to vanish as he continued to sit there, seeing no sign of Chiu, the cybergenius girl who had demanded to meet him at this ridiculously oversized school. Shifting in his seat on the bench, he dragged out his shiny, new phone to call Mokuba, his little brother who had agreed to come with him on the flight over to Mahora City. Frowning, he waited for him to answer. Shortly, an excited young voice answered, "Oniisama? What's going on? Is the meeting with Chiu-chan over already?"

"No, Mokuba-kun." Seto answered, sighing, as a cool seasonal wind blew over the bench where he sat, ruffling the longcoat he'd gotten dry-cleaned for the occasion. 'It hasn't even started. Chiu's a no-show." A rush of static came over the line as Seto heard Mokuba sigh. "Do you want me to come get you then, Oniisama?" he asked. "I'd hate for you to just sit there when we have a warm jet to get back to." With a mutter of disappointed agreement, Seto ended the call, and minutes later, Mokuba appeared at his side, noticeably disappointed that his brother's plans hadn't gone well. "I wish we could have met Chiu-chan." he said, clinging to his brother's coat in the chill spring air.

A girl with pale green hair the color of new leaves and oddly robotic-looking accessories stepped past them at just that moment, and stopped. "Pardon me, sir." the girl said, looking directly at the two of them, her face lacking any clear expression to read. "Did you just mention the name 'Chiu-chan'?"

Seto, raising an eyebrow at the robotic-looking girl, slightly curious, and said, "My brother just did, yes. Why do you want to know? Do you know where this Chiu-chan could be? She was obviously late to meet me here."

"I'm not sure why she declined to meet you, sir," the girl said with a faint hint of a vaguely English-sounding accent in her voice, "but if it's Chisa…pardon me, I mean, Chiu-chan you're looking for, I suggest you try her dorm room." With a hint of a smile, the girl added politely, "I could show you where it is, if you like."

"Could you?" Mokuba said, leaping toward the girl with eager gratitude. "That'd be great!" Frowning, Seto tried to catch up to his brother, saying, "Now, wait a minute, Mokuba-kun. Miss…are you sure it's alright for us to just go tromping into a girl's dormitory? I don't have time for us to get sued for trespassing."

The girl, still smiling slightly, shook her head. "I'm sure it will be all right, sir. A boy about your brother's age actually lives in this dorm. If you will come with me, I'll be happy to show you where Chiu-chan lives."

Shrugging, Seto agreed and began following the girl into the dormitory and up a small, winding staircase. At least now this trip won't be wasted, he thought. I just hope Chiu-chan is in. It would suck if she asked me to come here and then couldn't even meet with me.

As they neared a doorway marked HASEGAWA, the girl stopped, indicating that this was the place. I guess Chiu is a pseudonym, then. Seto guessed, knocking on the door.

There was no answer. "It's open," the girl informed him. "So I suppose you can go on in." Shrugging, Seto prepared to enter the dorm room. "Thank you," Seto told the girl, "whatever the hell your name is. I really hope I get to meet this girl, since she made me fly all the way out here to see here. Let's hope she's inside." I don't want to have wasted my time, Seto thought. I have a company to run.

"You're quite welcome, sir," the girl said calmly, apparently not bothered in the slightest by Seto's comments. "And, by the way, my name is Chachamaru Karakuri."

"Well, Karakuri-san," Seto smirked, "let's hope your directions prove useful." He then cracked open the unlocked door, and boldly strode into Chiu's dorm.

As he entered, he nearly tripped in the darkness of the quiet room over the sleeping form of a girl who looked exactly like the pictures of Chiu he'd seen online. She and a couple of other kids lay sleeping in a glowing circle that surrounded the desk upon which her computer sat, displaying a saved screenshot of Magic's Play.

Is that circle thing her virtual reality simulator? Seto wondered, puzzled. Those kids she's lying next to look a lot like the avatars of those idiots I saw saying they were 'trapped' in the Magic's Play game. As he and Mokuba, wondering what was going on, leaned in for a closer look, Seto felt a strange pull on his shoe as she stepped over the circle's glowing line. Stunned, he felt himself fall to the floor as the whole of the dorm room began to spin and then fade to completely black…..

As Seto opened his eyes, he noticed a heavy object in his palm. Looking down, he saw he was carrying what looked exactly like the shiny staff of his Level 50 Wizard character on Magic's Play. Looking down further, he saw he was in what looked like wizard's robes, as well. He blinked, wondering when he'd entered the virtual reality system. He smirked. I was right, he thought. If I didn't even realize I'd started it using it, Chiu's virtual reality tech must be impressive, indeed. I'll try to buy it off her as soon as I beat this game! Taking stock of the environment around him, his smirk widened. The detail of the scene was incredible. He'd almost think he was really in the Enchanted Forest…not that was possible, of course. As he stood in the forest clearing, he swore he could even hear birds chirping in the trees overhead. Oh, yes…this virtual reality tech would definitely be worth acquiring. It was good. Therefore, he would have it.

"It is pretty, isn't it, Oniisama?" said an excited voice from around the bend in the path he stood on. Moving towards the sound, Seto saw his brother Mokuba, decked out in the style of a Level 1 Warrior in the game of Magic's Play. Apparently, Mokuba had been dragged into Chiu's virtual reality machine, too.

"It is nice, Mokuba-kun," Seto agreed. "It will look perfect as a supplement to the hologram technologies I already own." Seto could imagine seeing a virtual replica of his Blue-Eyes in this much virtual detail. "But first," he added, "we have to find Chiu-chan to compliment her on creating such a fine virtual reality simulator for us."

As he stepped further down the path, his request seemed answered. Chiu appeared directly before him as he walked, muttering about someone named Negi. "Chiu-chan?" Seto called to her. "Is that you, at last?"

Chisame Hasegawa stopped in her virtual tracks, staring. Thank God, she thought. He actually came! Now, he can help me find that stupid Negi! I haven't seen him since I got back to cyberspace to come get him out.