Chapter 198: A Close Friend's Secret

"Hey, hey! Are you okay!?"

Judai panted as he ran down a detour along the cliffside.

Knocking someone off a cliff just by playing cards was truly unexpected even for him. Marufuji Sho and Hayato were dumbfounded, wondering how the impact from this holographic duel could be so fierce that it sent someone tumbling to the bottom of the cliff from such a great distance.

Could something serious have happened?

Gasping for breath as they followed Judai around to the bottom, they finally spotted the unfortunate victim on a rock by the crashing waves.

Sho and Hayato had been trembling with fear, expecting to find a bloody, blurred mosaic of flesh, but discovered that was not the case.

Upon reaching the base of the cliff, they found only scattered metal fragments, circuits, and electronic components strewn everywhere.

All three froze in surprise.

Is this a robot?

Indeed, hidden beneath the black clothes and masked face of the fellow calling himself Beta was not a body of flesh and blood, but a mechanical one. However, its head and body were now separated, having rolled to different positions at the cliff's base, exposing intricate internal circuits and chips.

The joints of its mechanical arms were snapped, and its hydraulic tubes had burst. Oil leaked onto the soil, forming patches of grease.

Sho and Hayato exchanged bewildered glances.

"So... Big Brother was just dueling a robot?"

"But who sent it? What purpose could it have coming to Duel Academy?" Hayato wondered aloud.

"I don't know."

Judai shook his head, his expression grave.

He recalled again the unusual impact from the duel just now, one that felt like a Dark Duel.

Though their origin and purpose remained unknown, this fellow was definitely no good person.

"Let's go; we need to notify the school first," Judai said.

The other two nodded in agreement. This desolate seaside location, combined with the shattered mechanical wreckage, made them feel an inexplicable sense of unease.

The three turned back, but they had not gone far when Judai suddenly stopped in his tracks against his will.

The other two ran a few steps, realized he wasn't following, and quickly turned to look back at him.

"What's wrong, Big Brother?" Marufuji Sho asked, puzzled.

Judai remained silent, but Fujiki You Xuan's solemn face suddenly flashed unbidden in his mind, and his words echoed in his ears.

"Cards become weapons of harm in the hands of those evil villains, and we, as duelists of sunlight and justice, cannot allow our most beloved Duel Monsters to be abused!"

"If we leave it be, what if accomplices of the villain retrieve it and use it again as a weapon of harm?"

"..."

Judai pondered for two seconds, then quickly turned around and ran back to the pile of parts where the robot had disintegrated.

Rummaging through the heap of metal fragments, he found the duel disk that had been smashed to pieces and pulled out the deck from within.

He even whispered a quiet apology.

Only after tucking the deck into his pocket did he turn and jog to catch up with his companions.

Marufuji Sho: "..."

Hayato: "..."

It's over; Big Brother seems to be turning into the shape of a great demon king too.

The cultural festival was nearing its end.

The sky had grown dark, and as Fujiki You Xuan walked away from the venue, he stretched lazily: "Today's duel event was quite interesting; I enjoyed myself thoroughly. It's just that the prizes were too stingy—only two rare cards and one custom charm. The Duel Club is really cheap..."

Misawa and Asuka, walking alongside him on the return journey: "..."

You may have enjoyed yourself, but it's hard to say how everyone else felt.

If they hold another cultural festival next year at this rate, they might have to change the rules for the duel event; otherwise, it could somewhat dampen everyone's enthusiasm and eagerness to play cards.

By then, new rumors might spread through the academy again, about the man who single-handedly rewrote the rules of the academy's cultural festival that had stood for many years...

"Speaking of which, it seems the custom charm allows you to choose any Duel Monster you like for customization. Have you decided what you want to make yet, Fujiki You Xuan?"

"Guess," Fujiki You Xuan smiled.

Misawa ventured: "Lava Golem?"

Asuka actually considered this possibility seriously: "If it's Fujiki You Xuan, it's not impossible."

"What about you, Misawa? You earned enough duel points to redeem a charm too, right?" Fujiki You Xuan asked.

Misawa wore an expression like a proud samurai: "I have no need for such things."

"Understood." Fujiki You Xuan nodded. "It's 'White Magician Pikeru', right? Got it."

Misawa's face changed drastically: "How did you know!? Ah, no, I mean, don't just say things like that!"

"Calm down, we've all known for a long time," Fujiki You Xuan laughed. "If you don't believe me, ask Asuka."

Misawa was shocked and cast an inquiring glance at Asuka. Asuka nodded: "Yes. Fujiki You Xuan said you sometimes sneak Pikeru out in the lab for amateur research; you're trying to develop that card's potential, right? Because you like her very much?"

Misawa's face flushed red: "No, I didn't, I..."

Fujiki You Xuan patted his shoulder: "It's fine; this is normal. We all understand."

After all, what's strange about a man liking a loli spirit? Besides, she has twin tails.

Misawa: "..."

Damn it, he thought this was his biggest secret, yet it turns out everyone saw through it long ago?

Misawa felt depressed and remained gloomy and silent for the rest of the walk.

As they walked into the dense forest, Asuka suddenly pointed at the sky: "The moon is very round today."

All three looked up simultaneously and involuntarily stopped in their tracks.

"Indeed," Fujiki You Xuan nodded gently.

After standing still for a moment, they simply sat down on rocks by a stream in the woods, gazing at the moon.

A moment later, Asuka suddenly spoke: "Actually... before coming to the academy, and even when I first arrived, I was always alone."

"It's not that I didn't have classmates around me, but I always felt a bit... unable to fit in with the group. I suppose it's because I initially came to the academy with a specific purpose."

Gazing at the moon seemed to stir her memories again as she spoke softly.

"The most important secret regarding my personal reason for coming to the academy... is my brother. His name is Fubuki, and he disappeared right here at this Duel Academy. Ever since my brother vanished, I haven't cared much about anything else. Interacting with people around me, socializing with classmates... that's probably why I've always found it hard to integrate with anyone."

She withdrew her gaze from the moon and offered a faint smile.

"But now, being able to come to this laboratory and spend this time with you two—the two most important friends I've made since arriving at this academy—accomplishing things we once couldn't even imagine, I truly feel it's wonderful."

She smiled and looked at Misawa: "What do you think, Dr. Misawa? Can we consider ourselves friends now?"

This nickname was originally given to Misawa by Judai, because Misawa was always writing and calculating.

"Actually, at first I wanted to say that we aren't quite friends; at best we are either classmates or colleagues..."

Misawa sat upright, closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and said awkwardly.

"But since you already know my secret, it seems I have no choice but to admit it even if I don't want to."

Asuka burst out laughing with a snort.

The bright moonlight poured down like a silver waterfall, gently sprinkling over the tranquil stream, reflecting the silhouettes of the three. The moonlight stretched their shadows long, swaying in the shimmering water of the creek.

"Well, we've all shared our respective secrets. That leaves only Fujiki You Xuan who hasn't shared an important secret; isn't that a bit unfair?" Asuka said suddenly, half-jokingly.

"Perhaps I'm just a boring person," Fujiki You Xuan smiled. "Someone with no stories naturally has no secrets to tell."

"Ha, you? No stories?" Even Dr. Misawa found that amusing.

Who in the entire academy would believe that if he said it?

"Ahem, then why not talk about that question circulating in the academy right now, the one everyone is most concerned about?"

"Cough, cough, then why not talk about that issue everyone is most concerned about, which is currently circulating in the academy?"

"You know, the one saying you know President Kaiba," Asuka said with great anticipation. "What exactly is your relationship? How did you get to know such a figure?"

"It's that one, saying you know President Kaiba." Asuka was full of anticipation, "What exactly is your relationship? How did you come to know such a figure?"

It's time for new book recommendations again.

【Rebirth】 【High School】 【Campus】 【Slice of Life】 【Light Entertainment】

Li Luo is a 35-year-old unemployed... flexible worker.

After graduation, he wrote novels, directed short dramas, played music, delivered food, sold street snacks, and even worked as customer service for a Taobao lingerie shop.

And now, Li Luo has been reborn, returning to the early summer of the year he was fifteen.

Living a second life, what is most important?

Make money! Make money! Make money!

But with the high school entrance exams looming, it's better to focus on studying first.

But with the high school entrance exam just around the corner, it was better to focus on studying for now.

(End of Chapter)

(End of Chapter)