"Brainwashed" (037)

"ENROKONAI CITY," a vast civilization teeming with Duelists vying for the top spot.

The 'Dueling Systems' itself are the most popular pastime in such a setting.

The Dueling Academy is recognized for producing the best Duelists, with newcomers rising through the ranks to become pros! People learn their essentials at this "School," which is filled by thousands of Duelists, but the most current activities are their training sessions, which are scheduled three times a week.

The Academy is made up of people of many races, with the bulk of them being Humans and a small number of them being Half-Demons. Dueling is a part of their traditional training sessions, often known as the 'War Race' or 'Five Versus Five.'

Despite the fact that the world appears to be in a state of chaos, the Dueling is mostly for entertainment, and no one is murdered. (Thanks to the 'Zero Watches' for casting Spiritual Shields.)

And the majority of Duelists are tasked with eliminating the top three Duelists!

- Number 3 on the leaderboard: whose title is "King" and whose true name is Tsuji Rokuro.

Then there's;

- Number 2 on the leaderboard: whose title is "Devil" and whose real name is Sakata Hisako!

And their top tier duelist, the legend himself and Number 1;

"Silver," whose real name is Takei Shigeo, managed to reach the highest ranking between both "King" and "Devil" for a massive amount of Battle Score.

Their championships are a sign of good luck, as none of them have ever lost to lower-tier ranks.

The three champions are known as the "Dueling Masters," and they battle with one another in order to maintain or lose their reign as champions.

- Spiritual Realm (Zero Dimension/World), Saturday, 1:45 pm -

Alpha's footsteps could be heard across the porcelain as she searched for the key holder and her swords.

Apart from the silent halls, there appeared to be no one around her. Despite her best efforts to remain concealed, she became intrigued when she noticed a bigger door in front of her through which light was shining.

Before she began her investigation, she took a quick glance around and, after verifying that no one was nearby, stepped over to the door and carefully opened it.

Alpha's eyes peeked through the little gap and saw anxiety.

The room in front of her was filled with individuals dressed in crimson, wearing masks. "What is this clown weird shit?"

She murmured quietly, but then she noticed Ayuka, who had been standing in front with their commander Genpaku.

She, too, was clothed in crimson, with a half-mask covering her face, however, she wasn't normal; in fact, her eyes were lifeless as fish, and her pupils could hardly be seen.

"You've got to be joking, right? She's been brainwashed?" Alpha recalled events from the past. "Obviously... Because he destroyed my phone's data, it was worthless. He succeeded to manipulate all of those individuals, and now he's managed to corrupt Ayuka as well..."

Alpha paused when she heard movement behind her, but she vaulted over the counter and kept quiet, leaning on the opposite side.

"Do you think Genpaku will go forward with the plan now that she's on our side?" It was two more Spiritual Hoaxers, as their moniker suggested.

"I have no way of knowing for sure... Having her under our control is, of course, a huge step forward. I have no idea how he intends to continue."

Alpha peered over the edge of the counter and saw a key wiggle left and right.

"... it must be the cell key... simply have to get it somehow..." While the two Spiritual Hoaxers approached the counter, Alpha discreetly crossed it and began to get closer to their backs.

She grabbed the man's head and twisted it after successfully approaching him. "Wait, what?" The other one screamed, but Alpha slammed her hand into his neck, knocking him out and causing him to slump on the floor.

"... wow, it went better than I expected..." Alpha began to drag them both behind the bar as she leaped over and had an idea.

"... I think this could possibly work..." Alpha surveyed the surroundings before unzipping her clothing.

- Spiritual Realm (Zero Dimension/World), Saturday, 1:47 pm -

Nina looked for a way out, but there was no sign of a way out.

"Damn... What is it that is taking her so long? I'm hoping she wasn't caught..." Nina was startled when someone walked behind her outside the cell, and she leaped.

"You... Prepare yourself."

"W-What! What exactly do you expect from me? What in the world did you do to Alpha!" Nina screamed, her back against the wall. "She's been taken care of. I'm impressed you two attempted and failed to flee."

"It's too late... Please don't get any closer; I'd rather die in prison than be touched by you!"

The guy grabbed for the mask at that precise moment. "Hah! Gotcha!" Nina was perplexed when Alpha unveiled herself.

"W-What the hell is going on?! What was the point of that?! I thought they'd nabbed you for real, Alpha!"

"They wouldn't be able to beat me that easy..."

"Whatever... Have you obtained the key?" Alpha raised a hand and showed Nina a key less than a second after she asked. "Yeah. You've got it. Let's get your ass outta there."

Nina was eventually let free after Alpha opened the jail. "I'm still irritated that you've made me look stupid!"

"Come on, it was only a joke... Put on your outfit now."

"Huh?" When Alpha handed Nina the crimson clothes, she was puzzled. "That way, no one will notice us..."

"Can you tell me where you got these clothes?"

"I just stripped two men and smashed them on the ground."

"S-So, where are they?"

"Don't worry, they're in their 'LOVE' spot."

- Spiritual Realm (Zero Dimension/World), Saturday, 1:49 pm -

The two Spiritual Hoaxers were handcuffed and stripped down to their underpants while attempting to shout, but their mouths were covered.

"... Uh... I didn't anticipate this when you said 'LOVE' place... W-Why did you bind one of their faces with your skirt, though?"

"... don't ask... let's just say - I didn't have enough 'stuff' to bind them with..."

Despite the fact that Nina saw Alpha's displeasure with what she had to do, she opted to accept it. "If you ask me, I'd say they're really fortunate. Let's get going." Alpha stated that while the two men tried to call for help after the two girls departed from the room.

"Wait... Did you find Ayuka or your blades?" Both of the females were going swiftly along the halls.

"I didn't find my swords, but I did learn of Ayuka's fate."

"What did they do to her? Please, Alpha, I need to know."

"If you insist. I spotted Ayuka in the gathering area of the Spiritual Hoaxers; she had been indoctrinated and is now one of them."

"You're not serious?! What purpose do they have in mind for her? Why didn't they try to use us as a pawn?"

"... I can think of one, maybe two reasons... One is because she is extremely potent, and the other is something I shouldn't reveal."

"How many 'Spiritual Hoaxers' were there in the first place? Something to be concerned about?"

"To be honest, if we followed our initial plan of blasting through them, we'd almost certainly die... This is due to the fact that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of them."

"You're insane! How many individuals is he attempting to manipulate?"

"I'm not sure, how am I supposed to know. But, based on his talent, I'd guess he could control hundreds of thousands, if not millions."

"However, we still have to get Ayuka out of there!"

"First, let's look for my swords, but wait a minute... don't you have any special abilities?" Nina got uncomfortable as soon as Alpha exchanged looks with her.

"This is going to sound ridiculous... But I'm not gifted in any way. I have no idea how to fight..."

"Ha?! So, how did you get your ass into the Academy in the first place?!"

"Well... Even if everyone told me the Academy was packed with Duelists, I didn't believe it until I saw it for myself. I'm sorry, I realize it's a stupid question, but-" Alpha gazed forward and interrupted her.

"... Shut up ..."

"W-What?"

"I already know you don't have any special abilities. It's something I've known for days."

"What? But how? And if you did, why did you ask me?"

"Tim had previously informed me... Why do you suppose I've never challenged you to a Duel? And why do you believe I gave up the Duel after Kiyoshi was crushed? It was all thanks to Tim."

"But, Alpha. Tim has no way of knowing that I don't have any unique abilities."

"He figured it out the second you crossed paths with him for the first time. You asked the most ridiculous questions, and he sensed that you lacked adequate 'Spiritual Symbolism.' At least, that's what he told me."

"So he was the one who figured it out first? How naive I was to believe I could conceal my actual identity..."

"Meh... I'm just impressed that you've been able to endure all of these occurrences, despite the fact that your body is barely capable of withstanding a typical punch..."

"Yeah... Hah... I guess in the end, I really am just lucky..."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves... Let's see if we can locate my blades."

- Spiritual Realm (Zero Dimension/World), Saturday, 1:53 pm -

Tim remained still while he awaited Codey's arrival, continuously checking his phone.

"... They aren't moving at all... That seems to be the greatest option for us..."

Finally, Codey appeared, armed with a map. "I found the map and purchased it! This should show us the complete inner structure of the church..."

"Good... After that, we'll be ready to leave..." Codey shook his head and adjusted his bag.

"All right, let's not squander any more time..." Nevertheless, just as they were about to leave, they heard a female call.

"Wait a minute, hang on!"

Both of them turned to look behind them, bringing Risa into view. "Huh? Shouldn't you be at work, Risa?" Tim enquired, but she flatly refused.

"I'm done for the day; I finished a few minutes ago and just had time to get dressed..."

"Dressed for what?" Looking at her, Codey was mystified.

She carried a blue duffel bag on her back and wore a white jacket with a broader collar.

"I decided to pitch in. Going there is hazardous, therefore more help would be beneficial, don't you think?"

"Huh? But what happens if you get hurt?"

"Tim, you're being an idiot as usual. I may be busy, but I'm still a Spiritual Duelist who may be of great assistance to you. I haven't become rusty in the least."

"That seems like a lot of fun. Now I can see just how capable Tim's tutors are." Tim was underwhelmed by Codey's laughter.

"Thank you very much, Risa. Your help will surely be valuable to us. I only hope you can keep up with us; I've become more rigorous since the last time."

"Don't be anxious, child... I've got everything you'll want."

"Child? Seriously?" Tim's limbs dangled down and his eyes grew squiggly.

"So? You're not an adult... I'm not sure what else to describe you besides a child."

"Hah, I suddenly regret letting you join us..."

"Enough with the chit-chat. Let's get going." While the three of them rushed through the streets of the Spiritual Realm, Codey waved his hand.

"Have you thought about what you'll do when we get there?" Risa inquired as she ran beside Tim, who stared at her with his arms stretched behind his back.

"First and foremost, we'll rescue all three of them, Ayuka, Alpha, and Nina, from the area and transport them to safety and treatment. Then we'll come back and eliminate our enemy after we've succeeded. This might take more than a day, so I hope you had a good night's sleep."

"I get what you mean. Afterward, I'm prepared for anything... Plus, I'm curious about how you were as a teen!"

"Huh? What was I like as a grown-up?"

Risa grinned, sweat running down her cheeks and her eyes closed. "Let's just say you were a little more 'obstinate' and 'neglectful' than usual."

Tim was perplexed and humiliated by this. "It sounds like something he'd developed over time." Codey burst out laughing and dashed to the rear.

"Hey! You're supposed to be on my team, right?"

"Excuse me... I was just saying..."

"Ugh... whatever..."

To be continued...