The Vampire Empire.
One of the earliest interdimensional coordinates Hikaru had obtained. Back during the Seven Stars era, Professor Banner had dispatched the "Seven Stars" duelists under his control to face Hikaru and the others.
At the time, one of the Seven Stars, "Vampire Fräulein," had faced Hikaru and Zane together in a tag duel.
Although Hikaru's side had won, the duel had been quite grueling. In a one-on-one match, neither Hikaru nor Zane at that point could have easily defeated Vampire Fräulein alone.
But a win was a win. The students had ultimately prevailed in the Seven Stars duels, so the vampires had no grounds to object.
In the end, Hikaru obtained the powerful Vampire Fräulein, who had helped and "saved" him many times over.
Regardless, Vampire Fräulein and Vampire Vamp, paired with tactics involving Fusion Dragon or the Underworld Dragon, had performed well for Hikaru. Vampire Fräulein especially had been a lifesaver in many duels.
Although Hikaru now had the broader protection of Arcana Force XIV - Temperance, that didn't mean Vampire Fräulein had lost its value. After all, you never knew when you might suddenly need it.
Just in case. Who could say?
That said, Hikaru still had relatively few Zombie-Type monsters. If possible, he'd like to let the Underworld Dragon stretch its legs more often. Hikaru could sense that the spirits he had brought from the Synchro Dimension generally enjoyed getting the chance to appear.
Not because they were belligerent. They simply wanted some fresh air.
Hikaru stood before the castle gates, gazing up at the dim tower, and knocked gently.
There didn't seem to be any guards.
Or perhaps at this hour, the spirits in this dimension were mostly absent?
Hikaru didn't know.
After knocking, he stood nearby and reflected on past experiences.
After Vampire Fräulein lost to Hikaru and the others, she had handed over her "true body" card. But since she was the current administrator of the Vampire Empire, she needed to remain and protect it, so she hadn't followed Hikaru.
At the time, the vampires had mentioned something.
The fracturing of the spirit dimensions.
Before Professor Banner informed Hikaru and the others about this, the vampires had actually already warned them.
For some reason, some entity had shattered the spirit dimensions. Nobody knew or could discover the perpetrator's motive or purpose.
But regardless, because of that event, some of the higher-ranking spirits in the spirit dimensions had begun conducting investigations.
Some were building strength to seek vengeance. Others feared this entity threatened all life and searched for the root cause.
The true sovereign of the Vampire Empire, the one the vampire spirits called "the Grand Duke," the "Crimson Duke," had gone missing under exactly these circumstances.
At the time, the vampires had warned Hikaru and the others that dimensional travel was extremely dangerous. Humanity was simply not prepared, and someday they would pay the price.
A year had passed. While Hikaru hadn't personally felt any price, he increasingly sensed that his human world was diverging further and further from the "GX" he remembered.
Not only because this world had merged with Arc-V elements, but because of something more fundamental rooted in this world's "foundation."
The spirit dimensions themselves.
It was as though both spirits and humans had accepted as given that dimensional travel would inevitably exact a "price."
Every top-tier spirit and top-tier human duelist seemed to know that some entity had torn the spirit world apart and was watching all "life" with predatory intent, seeking to annihilate everything.
But what was it exactly?
Nobody knew.
Even the Three Sages, even Professor Banner, were investigating, searching for traces.
They didn't even know what this so-called mastermind actually was.
A single entity?
Or some terrifying force?
Unknown.
And according to Vampire Fräulein, the Vampire Empire's true ruler, the Crimson Duke, was one of the spirits who had left their world to search for answers.
But clearly...
The Crimson Duke had been silent ever since. He was essentially completely missing.
The castle gates slowly opened. Bats flew out from within, spiraling in the air several times before circling around Hikaru. After a few passes, the bats settled at the center of the gateway. Before long, a group of "people" gradually took shape.
Some wore witch hats, others noble formal wear, and still others carried blood-red scepters. A large group of vampire spirits appeared before Hikaru, scrutinizing him as though trying to see through him.
Vampire Sorcerer, Vampire Duke, and Vampire Red Baron. Quite the turnout.
After these vampires landed, a figure Hikaru recognized slowly materialized and gave him a few glances.
"Oh, it's you, purple cutie. Wait, why are you in a blue uniform now?" The last bat transformed into a languid noblewoman who looked like some sheltered young lady of high society.
Camula.
The one who had accompanied Vampire Fräulein. The last vampire in their human world.
Hikaru shook his head. "It's been a while, Miss Camula.
I've been promoted from the Yellow dorm to the Blue dorm. To show my status, I normally wear the academy's top-ranked uniform."
"Oh?"
She looked over Hikaru's outfit. Sure enough, it was the same uniform as that other handsome blue-clad boy who had dueled the Princess back then.
The spirits nearby, seeing that Camula recognized Hikaru, dropped their stern demeanor. They melted into shadows, retreating to all corners to quietly observe him.
Camula led the way, walking with Hikaru toward the castle.
Within the Vampire Empire, everything was deathly silent. Not a single spirit could be seen along the path. Only the occasional flash of red light reminded Hikaru that in the darkness, many, many vampires were secretly watching him.
Hikaru followed Camula to a massive castle. It looked much like the one from the Seven Stars duels, but far larger.
This was no projection. It was the real castle of the Vampire Empire, brimming with classical and artistic grandeur.
Hikaru stepped inside. Countless bats swarmed in from every direction. On the second floor, an enormous coffin suddenly stirred on its own, producing a series of clicks. Then the coffin lid slowly rose.
A girl with dark golden hair lay with arms crossed over her chest. She slowly stood upright. Under the moonlight, her eyes gradually opened, revealing crimson irises.
"Ahhh, mmm..."
After rising, the girl floated in the air. Following her initial display of "majesty," she couldn't resist stretching vigorously, then let out a yawn.
Then she languidly spread her wings. With a light gesture, a parasol flew automatically from within the castle and landed in her hand.
Yawning, she drifted to a window and gently pulled the curtain aside. With her delicate motion, countless bats flew to the curtain's edge, helping her draw it closed to block the moonlight.
"Mmm, that was a wonderful sleep." She yawned happily.
Hikaru was momentarily speechless.
Then Vampire Fräulein looked at Hikaru and spoke. "It's been a while, human duelist. Hikari."
Hikaru nodded.
Vampire Fräulein gently flapped her wings, summoned her maids, and had the bats bring over a small table and red tea, inviting Hikaru to sit and rest first.
In short: no rush.
Vampire Fräulein wasn't surprised by Hikaru's arrival.
After handing her true body card to Hikaru, she had fallen into slumber. Unless something urgent arose, she would remain asleep in the castle as the "defeated" party until Hikaru came to find her, at which point she would fully awaken.
Originally, she had expected to sleep for several more years, savoring a nice long rest.
She hadn't expected Hikaru to show up after just one year.
She was actually rather surprised.
So soon.
"Is... is that so?" Hikaru responded awkwardly.
He had actually had plenty of opportunities and time to visit Vampire Fräulein at the Vampire Empire. He had simply forgotten due to one thing or another.
He hadn't expected that Vampire Fräulein, true to her nature as a vampire spirit, was completely indifferent to a year or two of time. In fact, from the sound of it, she was even a bit disappointed, since she had wanted to enjoy a longer sleep?
Vampire Fräulein delicately lifted a cup of red tea, took a small sip, then asked, "So, Hikari, what brings you here?
I'm interested in adventure and dueling too, but unfortunately, until the Grand Duke returns, I can't leave this dimension. If you're looking for monster trials, I can help arrange something. There are still plenty of subjects and nobles in the Empire who'd like to go out and see the world."
Although her daily routine mostly consisted of sleeping, she was still this dimension's interim administrator. She couldn't leave freely and had to hold down the fort.
Hikaru had no objections to that.
He already had quite a number of cooperating spirits, and with Tierra assisting his spirit power, he wasn't in desperate need of spirit help.
What he was more curious about was: where had the Crimson Duke gone?
Were there any leads on that "red light"?
"..." Fräulein gently set down her teacup and studied Hikaru for a moment. "It seems, Lord Hikari, that you've investigated and grown considerably during the year I slept.
But unfortunately, I must tell you that the dimensional fracturing... I didn't actually witness it firsthand. Or rather, my understanding is far less clear than the Grand Duke's."
She tilted her head, seemingly recalling. "Actually, even now, the fracturing of the spirit dimensions feels surreal and bizarre to me. The only clue I can offer you is that the power behind it is absolutely not something a spirit could have done."
Absolutely not a spirit?
Hikaru frowned and nodded.
Then Fräulein brought up another matter. "As for the Grand Duke, I can tell you which dimension he traveled to. If you're truly interested and unafraid of the danger, you could try visiting."
Fräulein waved her hand lightly. A bat carrying a card in its mouth placed it before Hikaru.
Hikaru nodded and took the coordinates.
With a new lead, Hikaru was in good spirits. Then he remembered another matter. Since he was already here, he shouldn't leave empty-handed.
So he asked Fräulein whether there were any spirits on a "path of Fusion" or spirits willing to embrace "Fusion." He wanted to duel and test himself against such spirits.
Having dueled Hikaru once before, Fräulein and her people understood his dueling style and beliefs, so this wasn't surprising.
Camula shook her head from the side, explaining that vampires generally relied on their own intellect and power. Spirits interested in Fusion were few.
But Fräulein gently tapped her head with the parasol, then said, "You probably haven't forgotten. After the spirit dimensions fractured, countless spirit factions either built temporary dimensions through their own power or voluntarily isolated their dimensions to maintain stability."
Hikaru nodded.
"But in truth, these divisions weren't perfect. It wasn't as though you could precisely separate every faction into its own dimension. Sometimes, dimensions still contained additional inhabitants."
"You mean there are spirits like that within your dimension?" Hikaru's eyes lit up.
Fräulein nodded gently. "Yes, Lord Hikari..."
She chose her words carefully. "When the dimensions fractured, some spirits caught in the upheaval at our Empire's borders became our neighbors. During this time, we've always coexisted peacefully."
"However, the fractured dimensions are slowly contracting. Without the Grand Duke, our dimension is actually shrinking gradually.
Although the rate of shrinkage isn't fast, perhaps requiring centuries before any significant further collapse becomes apparent, but..."
Her implication was clear enough.
If possible, she would prefer that her peaceful neighbors could live somewhere more stable.
"I see. Then how would I go about visiting them?"
Vampire Fräulein couldn't help curving her lips slightly. "There's no need for such formality. As the human warrior who defeated me, this is your first visit to our dimension as a guest. Naturally, I will prepare everything for you.
Please rest in the castle for a while. I'll write a letter immediately and contact the Duke and the Princess."
The Duke and the Princess?
"Could it be... the undead?" Hikaru guessed at a possibility.
"You know of them?" Fräulein was momentarily surprised, then said, "That's right. It's...
Duke of Demise and the Ghostrick Princess."