"If I've guessed correctly, your brother was likely trapped by the Shadow Duel ritual space set up over there. After the Shadow Duel concluded, he probably didn't manage to evacuate in time like we did, and was swept away to another place when that darkness vanished."
Jiang He paused for a moment before revealing a bit of what he knew to the anxiously approaching Alexis Rhodes.
"A Shadow Duel ritual space... where could he have been taken?" Alexis pressed him, her eyes filled with confusion.
"I can't be certain of the exact location," Jiang He said, shaking his head. "It could be a different dimension where Duel Monster Spirits live, or it could be some remote corner of this world."
He paused, then added, "However, I think that the next time we encounter something related to Shadow Duels, we might find more traces of your brother."
Though Jiang He couldn't be sure exactly where that lovable goofball Atticus Rhodes was at the moment, he was certain of one thing.
Before long, Atticus would reappear on Duel Academy's island because of the very matter currently giving Chancellor Sheppard a headache.
Though, he would most likely appear as an opponent.
"I see..." Alexis murmured. She looked a bit dejected, but not entirely disappointed.
After all, while her brother's exact location remained unknown, this "annoying guy" had given her a piece of news that put her heart at ease.
Her brother was missing, but he was still alive.
And the next time a Shadow Duel occurred, they might find a definitive lead!
"Thank you, Jiang He," Alexis said, a soft light flashing in her eyes as she gave him a warm, gentle smile.
"It's nothing," Jiang He replied with a casual wave of his hand. He leaned back, resting his head on his arms as he gazed at the distant scenery. "But seeing the 'Queen' of the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm smile so gently is a rare sight indeed."
"Hey! Don't say such rude things! I can hear you!" A blush crept onto Alexis's face as she glared at him with mock annoyance.
However, as she watched Jiang He's lazy form leaning against the tree with his eyes half-squinted in the sun, she couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
She stole another glance at him.
This guy... was certainly annoying, but he was also very interesting.
That evening, back in his room.
After Jiang He finished washing up, he lay on his bed and reflected on the "tactical discussion" he'd had with Alexis that afternoon. He suddenly realized with a start that, other than sunbathing with her for half a day, they hadn't discussed a single thing. In fact, after those few words about her brother, they hadn't spoken at all; they had just sat there by the tree, soaking up the sun in silence.
Uh... Jiang He fell silent.
Was this a bit too disrespectful toward tomorrow's 'Legendary Tag Duelists'?
After all, those two had once dueled the King of Games himself, Yugi Muto!
They were like Kakuzuthe guy who survived a fight with Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, from eight hundred miles away by throwing a single shuriken.
They definitely had some skill.
However, Alexis had seen his Stealth Bird deck in action the previous night, and he was intimately familiar with her Cyber deck. Coordinating with her wouldn't be difficult.
Jiang He's heart settled.
Besides, even if things went south, he still had that one-per-game "Card Printing" ability he'd exchanged from the system along with the top-tier Clear Mind!
Just as Jiang He was about to fall asleep, the miserable voice of Syrus Truesdale drifted in from the room next door.
"What am I going to do, Big Bro? We're dueling those legendary duelists tomorrow, and I feel like I'm just going to be a burden!" Syrus pleaded. "Please, let's go over the tactics one more time!"
"I really can't say no to you, Syrus. Fine, let's discuss it again," Jaden Yuki's voice followed shortly.
"But come to think of it, even someone as strong as Jiang He spent the whole afternoon out there discussing tactics with Alexis. We really need to take this duel seriously!"
"..." Jiang He felt a sudden pang of awkwardness.
Does this count as misleading them?
Listening to the voices from next door, Jiang He felt a renewed sense of urgency regarding the progress of his luxury cottage.
He really needed to move out of this Slifer Red room and into his own place next door as soon as possible!
Never mind the sleeping issuesif he eventually awakened a beautiful Duel Monster Spirit, it would be extremely inconvenient if he couldn't even have a simple conversation with her in private...
Jiang He looked forward to the completion of his cottage even more.
He pulled out two high-quality earplugs he'd bought from the school store specifically for situations like this.
He plugged his ears and drifted into a peaceful sleep.
The little Sphere Kuriboh flew back into the deck to rest as well.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, after eating and drinking his fill, Jiang He yawned as he walked with Jaden and Chumley Huffington toward the premium Duel Academy arena where he had previously dueled Chazz Princeton.
He soon saw Chancellor Sheppard and the blonde-haired Professor Vellian Crowler waiting by the elevated duel platform.
Alexis Rhodes was already there, waiting for him.
Furthermore, many of the spectator seats were filled with Duel Academy students. They were all eager to watch a high-level match featuring legendary duelists and hope to learn from the experience.
Among the crowd, Jiang He immediately spotted several familiar faces: Bastion Misawa, Zane Truesdale, and even the squinty-eyed Professor Lyman Banner.
Jiang He could tell that these people were mostly there to see him and Jaden, rather than the legendary tag duelists.
Especially Bastion.
Jiang He had the feeling that this "honest-looking" fellow was here because he didn't want to be the only one "depressed" by Jiang He; he wanted to see Jiang He "send some warmth" to those legendary duelists as well.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).