Chapter 77: Training? Imprisonment!

The festival lasted only one day; after today ends, the students will return home or remain on campus for the holiday.

After approaching Tiancheng Guang, the Dark Magician Girl greeted him, then told him to bring Judai and wait for her that evening.

After the Dark Magician Girl left, most students dispersed; Professor Cronos contacted Nenagawa Emi of the Blue Academy, asking her to arrange accommodation for Serena as soon as possible.

Nenagawa Emi was the school's health teacher and dorm supervisor of the Obelisk Blue Girls' Dormitory.

In Duel Academy, only the Blue Academy had a girls' dormitory; even if students from other colors advanced to the high school division, they still had to stay under Blue Academy's care—no one was more suitable than her to look after Serena.

She was a member of the "Tenjo Chiyuki Fan Club," a classic beauty enthusiast who did not teach dueling, yet her dueling style was identical to, even more extreme than, Dark Chiyuki—she was a dark-style duelist who used the "Poison Heal Deck."

Though her personality was somewhat eccentric, under the joint requests of Professor Cronos and Tenjo Chiyuki, she immediately accepted the task and prepared to arrange a dorm room for Serena before returning her to the junior division.

"No need to go through all that trouble," Serena said, devouring roasted ribs with messy abandon under the firelight.

The festival night featured a bonfire party organized by the school; Tenjo Asuka and her two friends cosplayed as the Three Sisters of the Divine Eagle Lady, while her brother Tenjo Chiyuki egged them on and took photos, claiming he wanted to capture plenty of images to sell to the Tenjo Asuka Fan Club to earn next year's living expenses, compensating for the year he had lost.

Serena was brought into the group by Tiancheng Guang and the others; she didn't bother with politeness and happily ate the roasted ribs provided by the Blue Academy.

"I just need a clean room," Serena mumbled while eating, "a table or chair doesn't matter, even a bed isn't necessary—just close the window—"

"What are you saying? Girls need to live in comfort!" Nenagawa-sensei ruffled her hair.

"Really?" She swallowed another bite, puzzled. "But duelists don't need such luxuries, do they?"

"Who told you that!" Nenagawa-sensei's voice turned sharp with anger.

"My father."

???

Wan Wan Wan Zhangmu, Sanze, Kaiser, and other boys nearby exchanged glances, all seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

"Serena-san, could you tell us about your past?" Tiancheng Guang asked, frowning.

"Yeah, Serena!" Judai nodded eagerly. "You at least need a bed and tempura!"

"Hey, Judai, don't teach kids such nonsense!" Wan Wan Wan Zhangmu snapped impatiently.

"Past?" Serena tilted her head, recalling as she spoke.

She was an orphan, at least as far as her memory went; for a long time, she lived in the slums until one day, a group of serious-looking people in purple uniforms and masks found her and brought her before a stern-faced man who told her he was her father.

She had never felt much about the word "father"—after wandering alone for so long, she had long accepted she had no parents. But when she saw that man, she felt a stirring in her heart; she knew it might be the true emotion brought by bloodline.

They brought her to the junior division of Duel Academy, gave her new clothes, a dueling disk, taught her dueling, and told her that in this world, dueling was the sole truth, fusion was the noblest summoning method, and all other summoning methods were wrong and needed correction.

"No… they didn't truly believe in 'Dueling is Everything' either," Sanze said, having witnessed the Fusion Army's actions; it was hard to believe they truly held that theory.

"Besides, even Hikari wouldn't stop others from learning other summoning methods," Kaiser crossed his arms and shook his head. "He's close friends with Kuniwaki Haruto, the Xyz Summoner from Parallel World, and they often duel in Citonoya City."

"What? That's a thing?! I'm jealous, Hikari! Next year, I'm getting a chance to go to Citonoya City!" Judai exclaimed loudly.

"Shut up, Judai!" Wan Wan Wan Zhangmu slammed his fist on the table, stern. "Keep listening!"

Serena didn't understand, but she continued as usual.

She was found a year ago, became a first-year student, trained alone in dueling, and eventually, under Akuma Zero's orders, joined a research team and went to the Alternate Dimension, living there ever since.

Daily routine: consume nutrient paste, train in hand-to-hand combat, observe spirits, hone dueling skills…

The rest of the time, she sat alone in a sealed room, staring blankly.

Or rather, for the vast majority of her time, she was alone, staring blankly.

"Life? Training?"

"This is outright abuse and imprisonment!" Wan Wan Wan Zhangmu shot to his feet, furious. "What the hell! You're being sent to the Alternate Dimension at this age—how can your body withstand spirit energy? Aren't you his own daughter?!"

"Right?" Serena finished her meat, replied vaguely, then turned her gaze to Tiancheng Guang. "Oh, by the way, last time, I saw you face the Institute's spirits without flinching, and you defeated that One-Eyed Duelist using fusion! Everyone at the Institute thought you were done for, but you turned it around in an instant!"

And something else—releasing Ultimate Power?

You must be the Ultimate Fusion Duelist! Can you teach me?!"

She hadn't seen the moment of Super Fusion being used, because the Institute collapsed at that exact moment, but she had heard Tiancheng Guang's shout and witnessed his duel; after finding a way to escape the gate and returning to the human world, she spent all her time searching for Tiancheng Guang to learn his dueling.

Perhaps then, Father would be satisfied?

Though Akuma Zero didn't treat her as a person or a daughter, she had undergone a paternity test; deep down, she still saw Akuma Zero as her father and longed for his approval or his happiness.

A group of boys who weren't orphans but lived no differently from them looked at each other, finally unable to find anything to say.

"Super Mommy Mia!" Professor Cronos, having listened to every word of Serena's story, was beyond furious. He knew that egghead wasn't normal, but no one should raise a daughter like this!

"You guys, leave this to me! I will not allow anyone to restrict a Duel Academy student's personal freedom—not even her own father!"

"I'll contact Kaiba Corp immediately—request an investigation team, the Academic Affairs Office, the Board of Directors!"

As an educator, Cronos was enraged.

"No wonder you're a professor!" Kaiser immediately praised.

"At a moment like this, only Professor Cronos can be trusted," Tiancheng Guang murmured.

Though Akuma Zero's intentions remained unclear, as long as Serena wasn't in his hands, his schemes could only remain theoretical!

And to pull shady tricks like A5 in this world?

Kaiba Corp would show him what fists really meant.

With the bonfire party over, Nenagawa Emi led Serena—who had just finished eating and wanted to play cards with Tiancheng Guang—to the dormitory; Tiancheng Guang glanced at the sky, called Judai, and told him to come with him to the place he had agreed to meet the Dark Magician Girl.

He wondered what kind of surprise this "real thing" would bring him.

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(End of Chapter)