The summer sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tall tree canopies of the villa district, casting dappled shadows across the tiled ground.
On the lawn in front of the villa, a heavy motorcycle exuding a strong smell of industrial machine oil was parked. Its outer shell had been dismantled into pieces, exposing a complex network of pipes and metal gears. Beside the motorcycle were five or six large woven sacks and several rusted metal boxes.
Phila followed Niobe to the pile of luggage.
Fortunately, the Obelisk Blue dorm was a three-story villa with an enormous amount of space. Phila herself had barely brought any luggage, so they only needed to move Niobe's mechanical parts into the garage on the first floor.
"This is… a wrench and…?" Phila crouched down and picked up a cardboard box with both hands. The box wasn't sealed, and on top lay a strangely shaped metal tool.
"You don't know it?" Niobe lifted a heavy metal box beside her with one hand, her electric-blue eyes shining. "That's an electric screwdriver. A real treasure. It's been with me for three years and still works perfectly, not a single issue."
The two walked toward the garage one after the other.
The garage's rolling door had already been raised. The spacious interior was empty, and the gray concrete floor was so clean it reflected light.
Phila set the box full of parts on the ground. The bottom of the box scraped against the concrete, making a rough rustling sound.
After several trips back and forth, fine beads of sweat formed on Phila's fair forehead. Her breathing grew uneven, and the hem of her black-and-white Lolita dress rose and fell with each breath.
Niobe tossed the last large woven sack onto the floor and clapped her hands.
"It's fine, it's fine, I'll handle it." Niobe wiped her hands on her red-and-black plaid shirt and glanced at Phila's slightly reddened cheeks. "You're actually pretty nice."
Niobe turned around and looked over the vast garage, so clean that there wasn't even a single oil stain.
"But why don't I see your D-Wheel in the garage?"
Phila leaned against the white wall of the garage, her legs feeling a bit weak.
"D-Wheel?" Phila tilted her head. "You mean a motorcycle?"
A breeze blew into the garage, lifting a small scrap of packaging paper from the ground.
"No way!" Niobe's eyes widened as she took a step forward. "You don't have a D-Wheel?!"
She pointed toward the smooth asphalt road outside the garage.
"Don't tell me you thought other academies' dorms would come with garages? Only Synchro Academy dorms have garages for storing D-Wheels."
Phila's back pressed against the wall, her white eyelashes trembling rapidly.
"Huh?!"
A wave of embarrassment exploded in that instant. Blood rushed straight to her head.
"Is that so?" Phila lowered her head deeply. "Is a D-Wheel that important?"
Niobe shoved her hands into the pockets of her shorts and let out a long breath.
"I don't like mocking people." Niobe stared at the fluffy white top of Phila's head. "But this is kind of too sheltered, you know."
Niobe leaned her head forward slightly.
"You don't mean… you don't even know about Turbo Duels?"
"Turbo… Duels?"
Phila raised her head.
"What?!"
She suddenly clutched her head with both hands, her cry echoing through the garage.
"Dueling while riding a motorcycle?!" Phila crouched down, her skirt spreading out like a black umbrella. "I can't do that at all!"
Inside the replica Millennium Puzzle, Raku stood in the corner, watching the scene unfolding before him.
The corners of his mouth lifted uncontrollably. His white teeth showed as he clutched his stomach, his shoulders shaking.
"I can't take it anymore. Sorry, this is too funny." Raku wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes.
She got into an academy focused on Synchro Summoning, yet didn't even know how to ride a motorcycle to duel; This girl's academy life was over before it even began.
Aleister sat in the center of the mental space, closing the thick grimoire in his hands.
He watched Raku laughing so hard he was practically doubled over, and the corners of his lips curved upward a bit as well.
"Are you really laughing that hard, partner?"
Raku's laughter echoed inside the pyramid.
Aleister rested his hands on his knees.
"Then suppose Phila really will enter a Turbo Duel, becomes frightened, and doesn't want to face it. When that time comes… who will take her place?"
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Raku's back stiffened. The hand he had raised to wipe his tears froze midair. The smile on his lips became rigid.
Heh. Not so funny anymore.
Raku slowly turned his head, his neck giving off an imagined cracking sound. He looked at Aleister, who sat there with a half-smile, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
He raised his right hand, his index finger trembling as he pointed back at his own nose.
"Do I have to do Turbo Duels too?"
The smile on Aleister's face spread wider.
"Yes."
…I'm done for. Totally done for.
The muscles on Raku's face twitched twice, and he couldn't laugh anymore.
Where was he supposed to get experience in Turbo Duels? He hadn't even ridden an electric scooter much.
Why did modern people have to ride heavy motorcycles at near sub-light speeds on a track and still free a hand to play cards? Was that something humans could even do?! He didn't even have a driver's license!
The fluorescent lights in the garage emitted a faint electric hum.
Niobe lowered her head, looking at Phila curled up on the floor.
She pulled out a Phillips screwdriver from the tool pouch on her right thigh and spun it twice in her hand.
"If you really can't ride at all," Niobe slid the screwdriver back into the pouch, "what are you going to do about future exams?"
Phila immediately clutched her head and crouched defensively when she heard that.
"It's over, it's all over, my life is downright over again. If I can't even ride, I'll definitely be expelled." Phila's lips moved fast, her muttering echoing through the empty garage.
Niobe, standing nearby, blinked, her brows drawing together.
…The strong Duelist who defeated the examiner was actually this scared of a motorcycle.
"It's fine." Niobe raised her right hand and patted her black athletic tank top twice. "At worst, I can teach you, right? And you'll definitely learn it in class later. Just pay attention."
Phila's muttering stopped. She raised her head, her ruby-like eyes looking at the carefree girl above her.
"Really?"
"Really." Niobe took out an old flip phone from her pocket and glanced at it. "Alright, it's about five. Let's go have dinner at the cafeteria. There's a freshman speech at seven."
A friend.... A friend invited her to eat together!
Phila stood up and dusted off the dirt from her skirt with both hands. She looked at Niobe's back as she walked toward the door and followed with quick steps.
Raku watched Phila like this without saying anything. He was still thinking… if he really had to duel, what should he do?
---
The exclusive cafeteria of Obelisk Blue.
The space here was enormous. Massive crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the floor was covered with thick handmade carpets that made no sound when walked upon. The dining tables were carved from solid wood, and the chairs were cushioned with velvet. All Blue-level students from each academy dined here.
Only soft classical music and very low conversations drifted through the entire cafeteria.
"Mhmm!"
A sudden voice broke the quiet of the area.
"This is delicious! This grilled meat is amazing!"
Niobe sat at a round table near the serving area, holding a silver fork in her right hand. A thick-cut steak dripping with juices was skewered on the fork. Her voice wasn't lowered at all, making it especially loud in the quiet cafeteria.
Several boys in neat Obelisk Blue uniforms paused their utensils, their gazes drifting over. A few girls sitting not far away dabbed the corners of their mouths with white napkins and exchanged glances.
No one spoke up to criticize; however, those looks were like an invisible net, precisely falling onto this round table.
Phila sat across from Niobe.
She felt a chill on her back. The arrogance in those gazes almost seemed to take physical form, pricking against her skin.
This was Obelisk Blue, where elites gathered… a place she hadn't even dared to imagine before.
Phila reached out across the table, her fingers tugging lightly at the hem of Niobe's open uniform jacket.
"D-don't do that." Phila lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the vegetable salad in front of her, barely touched after two bites. "Everyone's watching."
Niobe swallowed the beef in her mouth and followed Phila's lowered gaze to look around.
Several students immediately withdrew their gazes, pretending to look at the cups in their hands.
Niobe's originally excited expression stiffened for a moment, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks. She set down the silver fork, shifted a little in her chair, and scratched the ponytail tied at the back of her head with the large red floral scrunchie.
"Sorry, sorry, I didn't notice…" Niobe's voice lowered a little. "The food here is not only so much cheaper than outside, but the ingredients, the taste, everything… I got a bit carried away."
Phila let out a long breath.
Those prickling gazes around them lessened significantly.
Niobe picked up her knife and fork again, her movements much smaller now, and cut the remaining half of the steak on her plate.
"But about the freshman speech at seven, I wonder if Synchro Academy will hand out some kind of equipment list," Niobe said as she put a piece of the cut meat into her mouth.
...
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