The sedan continued its steady journey through the afternoon traffic, its engine humming softly beneath the familiar sounds of Los Angeles. Through the tinted windows, the city drifted by in an endless procession of storefronts, traffic lights, and pedestrians enjoying the mild Californian weather. A city bus rumbled through an intersection while a pair of teenagers crossed the street carrying Duel Monsters starter decks, animatedly arguing about whose strategy was better.
Inside the vehicle, however, silence prevailed, and for several minutes, neither Alexander nor Roland spoke as the conversation from moments earlier still lingered in the air.
Counterfeit cards. Unmarked gateways. Potentially countless Duel Spirits entering the human world.
Even for Alexander, someone who had lived alongside the System for months, it was an unsettling thought.
If counterfeit cards truly acted as spiritual anchors, there was no telling how many Duel Spirits might already be wandering unseen. Most were probably harmless. Hopefully. But "probably" wasn't exactly comforting.
Eventually, Roland broke the silence by saying, "Master Alexander."
Alexander turned his attention away from the passing scenery and replied, "Yes?"
"You are still recovering from yesterday's Shadow Game."
"I am."
"There is still discomfort?"
Alexander nodded with a faint grimace and said, "My ribs remind me every time I breathe too deeply."
Roland's expression barely changed, yet Alexander noticed the slight tightening around the older man's eyes. It was the closest thing the impeccably composed butler ever displayed to open concern before he suggested, "In that case... might I suggest returning directly to the mansion? You would benefit from additional rest."
Alexander genuinely considered it.
His body certainly wasn't at one hundred per cent. Every sharp breath served as an unpleasant reminder of the punishment he'd taken during the Shadow Game. The lingering ache wasn't debilitating, but it was persistent enough that relaxing in bed sounded increasingly appealing.
After several seconds, however, he slowly shook his head and said, "Not yet..."
Roland glanced toward him through the rear-view mirror as he continued, "I'd like to stop somewhere first. A hobby store or perhaps another park."
Understanding dawned almost immediately on his face as Roland guessed, "To gather additional Duel Energy."
Alexander couldn't help smiling and said, "Exactly. I want to farm as much DE and DP as possible, and luckily taking part in a few duels isn't all that taxing."
Roland inclined his head. Although he still found Alexander's expression rather peculiar whenever he referred to the activity as "farming."
Now that he understood what Duel Energy actually represented, the meaning made considerably more sense, but the terminology still felt strangely agricultural.
In the end, Roland said, "Very well. I know a small hobby shop a few districts from here. It has developed a respectable Duel Monsters community over the past several months."
Alexander nodded appreciatively, "That's perfect."
The sedan smoothly changed lanes, beginning a gradual detour toward their new destination.
Another comfortable silence settled over the car, then Roland spoke once more, "There is one more matter. You previously mentioned gathering both DE, which I suppose stands for Duel Energy, and DP. But what does DP stand for?"
Alexander blinked for a moment before he realised, "Right... I completely forgot to explain that yesterday."
Roland patiently waited, hands resting steadily upon the steering wheel.
Alexander leaned back against the leather seat and explained, "DP stands for Duel Points. They're another resource the System awards after Duels. But unlike Duel Energy, they're basically a currency."
Roland's interest visibly sharpened as he repeated, "A currency?"
Alexander nodded and continued, "The System has its own Store. I can spend Duel Points there."
"On what?"
Alexander considered how best to summarise what amounted to an impossibly vast catalogue before replying, "Knowledge. Special items. Equipment. Upgrades for both the System and myself. And sometimes things that simply shouldn't exist in this world... like ever, as I truly fear what they could do if they end up in the wrong hands."
Roland remained silent for several moments, carefully processing each answer before he commented, "Quite remarkable..."
Alexander chuckled and said, "That's one way to describe it. I've relied on it more than once."
"I imagine so."
The conversation gradually quieted again, at least until Roland asked the question Alexander had already begun expecting, "If such a magical Store exists... Is there an item that would allow someone besides yourself to summon Duel Spirits?"
Alexander frowned thoughtfully before he replied, "Maybe... I honestly don't remember, as there are... quite a lot of entries."
He closed his eyes and added, "Give me a second. I'll check once more."
Almost immediately, the familiar translucent blue interface appeared before him, one that only he could see.
To Roland, it merely seemed that he had lost focus for a brief moment before his eyes started to move as if he was reading an invisible book, making him ask, "Are you checking the System?"
Alexander nodded absentmindedly and replied, "Just looking through the Store."
Roland quietly waited.
Alexander navigated through the very expansive list, item after item.
Various types of knowledge. What seemed to be consumables. Ancient relics. System and Personal upgrades.
Some descriptions were clear and concise, but others seemed deliberately cryptic, as though whoever, or whatever, had created the System expected the purchaser to already understand and know everything from the start.
Every visit reminded Alexander of the same uncomfortable truth, that the System's origins extended far beyond anything he currently understood.
Most of the items were either prohibitively expensive or completely unrelated to what Roland had asked, but then, he finally found what he was looking for, making him internally exclaim, 'There it is!'
His eyes stopped on a particular entry.
___________________________________________
– Item: DiaDhank
• Ancient Ka Conduit
A relic once wielded by the priests of Ancient Egypt to manifest their Ka in physical form.
Unlike System-assisted summoning, a DiaDhank draws directly upon the user's Ba and life force to sustain Duel Spirits.
It requires neither Duel Energy nor System authorisation, allowing ordinary individuals to summon contracted Duel Spirits at great personal risk.
Effect:
•Summons Duel Spirits without consuming Duel Energy.
•Maximum of three simultaneous summons.
•Uses the wielder's Ba and physical stamina.
•Damage sustained by summoned Duel Spirits is partially reflected onto the summoner.
•Compatible with non-System users.
Cost: 300 DP
___________________________________________
Alexander silently read the description twice, and the more he examined it, the less attractive it became, at least for his current situation.
Finally, he dismissed the interface and said, "There is an item like that..."
Roland listened attentively while Alexander summarised the item's purpose.
By the time he finished, the butler had also understood the drawbacks, making him comment, "It appears considerably less convenient than your own method."
Alexander laughed softly and said, "That's putting it mildly. It relies directly on the user's Ba and physical stamina, which means that summoning a monster above your capabilities may take you out. On top of that, if the Duel Spirit gets injured... So do you."
Roland slowly nodded in agreement, "A dangerous artefact."
"Very." Alexander rested an elbow against the car door while adding, "It also strongly implies something else."
Roland calmly waited for him to continue.
"I don't think just anyone could use it. You'd first need to be able to perceive Duel Spirits and maybe interact with Spirit Energy. As far as I currently know, very few people possess that potential."
His thoughts briefly wandered toward Chuck, who was able to connect with Baby Dragon and thus its evolved form Thousand Dragon; then there was Victor Von Doom, whose mastery over the mystic arts gave him a massive advantage; both possessed unusually high spiritual sensitivity.
Shortly after, Alexander added, "I'd rather not risk buying something we aren't even sure we can use. Especially not now."
He smiled apologetically before he explained, "Three hundred Duel Points is a considerable investment, and I still need every point I can gather. Industrial Illusions. Expanding Duel Monsters. Upgrading the System and myself. They all take priority."
Roland nodded without the slightest trace of disappointment and said, "I agree."
Alexander looked at him, mildly surprised and asked, "You do?"
"Naturally." Roland folded his hands neatly once the sedan stopped at a traffic light and said, "Even if such an item eventually proves useful, there is little value in acquiring it before understanding the world surrounding it."
Alexander smiled and commented, "I'm glad to hear you say that."
"I believe..." Roland continued evenly, "...My current priority should be considerably simpler."
Alexander tilted his head as Roland added, "I still know only the fundamentals of Duel Monsters. The rules. A handful of cards. Some terminology. But if I intend to assist and support you, then I should first become properly educated."
Alexander couldn't suppress a laugh and said, "Hehe... You've turned Duel Monsters into homework."
Roland adjusted his glasses with perfect seriousness and replied, "I prefer to think of it as professional development."
Alexander shook his head, still smiling before he said, "I'll teach you how to build a proper deck whenever you want."
"I look forward to it, Master Alexander."
~~~▽~~~
Nearly twenty minutes later, the sedan pulled into the parking lot of a modest neighbourhood hobby store.
It lacked the polished appearance of larger retailers. The sign above the entrance had faded slightly from years beneath the California sun, while several handwritten posters advertised local tournaments and card trading events.
Nothing particularly remarkable, it was just another place where Duel Monsters had quietly begun building a community of its own.
Alexander changed into his now familiar disguise composed of simple casual clothes, a blue baseball cap and fake glasses.
Ordinary enough that no one would immediately connect him to the owner of Industrial Illusions and the creator of Duel Monsters.
Before stepping out, Roland quietly spoke, "I shall remain nearby."
Alexander nodded, "That's fine, I won't be long."
The bell above the entrance chimed softly as he stepped inside.
The familiar scent of cardboard, plastic sleeves, and freshly opened booster packs greeted him almost immediately.
Shelves lined the walls, displaying everything from board games and model kits to miniature paints and tabletop accessories. Toward the back of the shop, several folding tables had been arranged into an informal Duel area where conversations overlapped in a lively chorus.
Children eagerly traded cards. Teenagers debated deck construction with almost scholarly intensity. A pair of adults watched from the sidelines, clearly still learning the rules while pretending they already understood everything.
Alexander naturally blended into the crowd.
A younger player nervously asked whether including too many high-Level monsters was a good idea.
Alexander crouched beside the table instead of standing over him and gently advised him, "It's natural that you want your strongest cards on the field, but you also need to survive long enough to summon them and having too many high-level in your deck increases the chances of many of them gathering in your hand, preventing you from doing anything..."
The boy nodded seriously before immediately pulling two monsters from his deck.
Elsewhere, another Duelist proudly showed off a recently acquired Seiyaryu, a quite powerful and rare card for the current card pool.
Alexander congratulated him with genuine enthusiasm before offering a few suggestions for supporting cards.
He answered beginners' questions, suggested improvements to several decks, traded a handful of duplicate cards, and played friendly Duels against whoever happened to ask.
Winning many and losing others. Never revealing quite how experienced he truly was.
To everyone around him, he was simply another player enjoying the game.
Meanwhile, from a nearby bench just outside the shop where the parents and grandparents of some of the younger children gathered, Roland quietly observed.
Not merely the Duels but Alexander himself.
Parents waited patiently while their children excitedly compared cards. Teenagers who had entered as strangers were already discussing future matches together. The owner smiled every time another customer walked toward the register with booster packs in hand.
A small community had formed almost without anyone noticing, and it reminded Roland of something Alexander had once said.
The game had a peculiar way of bringing people together and forming connections.
Watching the young master interact with complete strangers only reinforced that belief.
There was no trace of the corporate executive or carefully measured public image.
Alexander laughed freely. Accepted defeats with good humour. Congratulated victories just as sincerely as he celebrated his own.
People naturally gravitated toward him because his enthusiasm and love for the game was genuine.
Roland found himself wondering how many people inside realised they were casually receiving advice from the creator of the very game they had come to enjoy.
Probably none, and Alexander seemed perfectly content keeping it that way.
An hour passed surprisingly quickly, and eventually, Alexander emerged from the store carrying nothing more than a small paper bag.
Roland rose from the bench and asked, "I take it the harvest was satisfactory?"
Alexander laughed and replied, "Haha... Please don't call it that."
Roland's expression remained perfectly composed, "My apologies. A successful farming session, then."
Alexander sighed dramatically, "I'm starting to regret explaining that phrase."
For just a fraction of a second, Roland's lips curved upward in clear amusement, but it disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.
Alexander wasn't entirely certain he'd actually seen it.
Then Roland asked, "...Shall we return home?"
"Let's."
~~~▽~~~
The drive back to the mansion passed quietly.
The setting sun cast long shadows across the streets, bathing the city in warm shades of gold and amber.
Alexander leaned comfortably against the window. Despite the lingering soreness from the Shadow Game, he felt noticeably better.
The afternoon had been productive.
He'd accumulated more Duel Energy and earned additional Duel Points while spending time among players who genuinely enjoyed Duel Monsters.
It reminded him why he loved the game he was bringing into this reality so much.
Soon the familiar gates of the mansion came into view.
They slowly opened, and the sedan rolled smoothly up the long driveway before stopping beneath the entrance canopy.
Alexander stepped out first, and Roland followed close behind.
The massive front doors opened, and the familiar warmth of the mansion welcomed them inside before Roland quietly closed the door behind them.
Knock. Knock.
Both men froze before they slowly turned toward the entrance.
Alexander frowned and muttered, "Did someone follow us...?"
Roland shook his head and said, "I saw no one. The gates were already closed, and there was insufficient time for anyone to reach the entrance."
Silence settled over the foyer.
Almost instinctively, Roland shifted half a step forward, placing himself between Alexander and the front door.
The movement was subtle.
At the same time, Alexander quietly raised his hand, ready to summon and materialise one of his Duel Monster cards at the first instance of danger.
Roland calmly unlocked the door, then opened it.
Standing outside was an elderly Asian man.
His robes appeared almost ancient in design, embroidered with intricate patterns that time had somehow failed to fade. His head was completely bald, his face deeply lined by age yet strangely vigorous, as though time itself had long since lost its hold over him; his posture remained perfectly straight.
There was no visible weapon, nor even the faintest hint of hostility, yet Alexander felt an indescribable pressure simply from standing before him. It wasn't killing intent or some other kind of supernatural force pressing down on him, but the quiet weight of countless years, as though the elderly stranger had walked the earth long before the rise of modern civilisation.
The elderly man regarded them with calm, knowing eyes, wearing the faint smile of someone who had already seen this meeting countless times before. Then he inclined his head politely and greeted them with perfect English, "Good evening."
Roland answered with equal courtesy, "Good evening. How may I help you, sir?"
"My name..." The elderly man smiled gently, "...Is Yao."
A brief pause followed, then he added with quiet certainty, "But many refer to me as the Ancient One."
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