"Recognized" (038)

Enrokonai City, known for its inhabitants being the vast majority of duelists. In the center surrounded by tall buildings lies a fairly large building named 'Dueling Academy' which produces the best of the best to protect anyone and everyone, with new and inspired duelists enrolling every year the number of villains also rises.

The Academies' main goals are to mass-produce heroes to make the world a much better place and to bring down all evil that lies In the shadows.

Dueling Academy offers a rating system that pushes every student to the limit of their abilities and adds fire to their beat.

The top three Duelists are each given a title, with the first being 'King,' the second being 'Devil,' and the first being 'Silver,' as well as the title of Champion of Dueling Games.

These three Duelists regularly duel with other Duelists to defend their titles, and they also serve as the face of the Academies magazine and newspaper.

Aside from the Academy, a storm brews as we look at a hidden top villain who appears to have the ability to manipulate reality to his will thanks to a red gem; he seeks out strong opponents to use as puppets, making them do everything he asks exactly how he wants it; get on his bad side, and he will make your life a living nightmare...

- Spiritual Realm (Zero Dimension/World), Saturday, 1:55 pm -

Every minute, the search for Alpha's concealed blades became more frantic, and the tension of avoiding being found became tighter and tighter, knowing that there would be no simple way out.

Fear had taken possession of their bodies, and the two girls stayed silent, their gaze sweeping the room, detecting every information they needed to be concerned about.

"... Breaking in and Entering is a fictional event that I never expected to see. It's simple to argue that it puts us in a bind..."

Menacing black illuminations flashed and didn't stop for a long time, making the two girls' exploration difficult as they may be seen at any time.

"It's not advisable to remain in a dreadful line. Whether you're terrified or not, the most important thing is that we discover the blades so that we can protect each other; only then will we try our hardest to save your mate."

"I was hoping for something different from you. I always thought you were such a loner."

"For the first time in a long time, I'm digesting. Leaving my blades in the wrong hands is a risk I will not take... Only I will wield them, and I will murder the entire army with my bare hands if necessary."

"Back to being a loner. Let's go that path. We haven't spotted them anywhere close, so that's the only other direction we haven't looked in yet."

- Spiritual Realm (Zero Dimension/World), Saturday, 2:00 pm -

They arrived just as the conference was coming to a close, so both of the girls needed to get their belongings and flee since battling the populace in the hideaway would be extremely dangerous.

So, with only 5 minutes to go till that time, both of the females occurred to come into the ideal room.

Three blades were crammed into a plastic container, where they appeared to be revealing their Spirituality.

"What exactly does that imply, Alpha? That's something I don't recall your blades doing."

"We've got to get it out of there now, dammit. They're draining up its Spirituality, and when it reaches the outbreak and no longer has any capacity, they leave, and the wielder of it exchanges the same fate."

"Wait... Doesn't it imply that you can die as well?"

"Yeah, but the Wielder has a very little chance of surviving, whereas the vast bulk of the percentage is almost certain to perish."

"Then we'll have to hurry and get it out of there!" After they agreed, both of the females took a step closer, and Alpha grabbed for the case, which she discovered was connected to a machine via wires.

"Don't pull it out just yet. What if it's potentially hazardous?" Nina was puzzled, and she gulped. "Well, it's better than being executed right there!" After removing the casing and separating the cords, an alarm went off, leading the space to become engulfed in ringing and red lights.

"Yet, it is not preferable to be detected!" Nina asserted herself, causing Alpha to lose interest. "Well, it looked that standing here and waiting for me to die was the other choice, and if you despise me so much, I'm sure it'd be pleasant for you."

"That's not what I was implying! Now tell me, we're already pretty much dead! Especially now that we're up against a full squad!"

Alpha attempted to open the case but found it to be too tightly sealed. "Damn, this is tight as hell!" Alpha tried and tried, but eventually gave up and smashed it on the ground, then stomped on the plastic.

"Come on! Alpha, hurry up!"

"Sorry for the inconvenience! It's not my fault this case is so difficult to crack!" Nina was humiliated, so the two of them began to trample on it. "Damn it, it's not working!"

"Stand back, far back!" Nina swallowed but backed away at Alpha's command.

Footsteps could already be heard approaching. "Damn it! Just break!" Finally, Alpha's right eye flashed brightly, and a tremendous tremor was delivered through the earth after she stomped on it.

"They're in this direction!" The voices drew Alpha and Nina's attention. "I don't want to be that girl, Alpha, but you've got to break it now!"

"I'm giving it my all! For the love of God, please!" When the Spiritual Hoaxers rushed through the entrance, Alpha stomped even harder, and a powerful shockwave began to crack the ground, catching several enemies behind them in the wave.

The case ultimately gave way and was crushed into small bits after a few individuals shouted from the onslaught. "

However, as soon as she seized the blades and attempted to leave with Nina, a large line of Spiritual Hoaxers formed in front of the door, with Genpaku in the midst, aided by Ayuka herself.

"Damn, that's a drag..." Nina dashed behind her and turned to face the enemy as Alpha spoke. "The little mice obtained their cheese after slipping through their small hole. However, I'm amazed. You not only regained your cheesy blades, but you also got the chance to destroy the Spirituality Sucking Machine."

"But I'm stunned. Instead of looking for their wonderful companion, they opted to look for their swords." Ayuka's dead-fish eyes were softly revealed by Genpaku's hand.

"Allow her to be alone! She isn't yours at all! She did nothing wrong; simply return her to us!" Nina's wishes, on the other hand, were mocked. "You couldn't be more naive than to think I'd just hand her up to you, could you? She's now one of us, and she's got me quite aroused."

"You sick pig! Why do you feel the need to rely on her in the first place?" Alpha, who had been doing everything she could to keep Nina out of their range, was furious.

"Their close friends still have no idea who she is! But fear not, this gorgeous young lady has previously passed an alteration test a few years ago."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but you've had to know something from the past that may help us."

"Don't get too worked up... She just went through the identical ordeal at the Holy Arches that she is going through right now."

"But, first, let's get this ball rolling, shall we? You're sabotaging my strategy and destroying one of our most vital devices. Having stated that, effective eradication is necessary. So, smite them down, my wonderful comrades."

Several Spiritual Hoaxers formed a line in front of one another, pretending as if they were a commanded army, preparing to face both of the females.

"If you can, beat them."

"Alpha! Please tell me you're capable of defeating them, despite the fact that you're the only one who knows how to fight!"

"Keep your voice low; such puppets, no matter how many they hurl at me, are no match for me."

The Spiritual Hoaxers all looked to have rudimentary weapons when her confidence grew, not even a Spiritual Blade. "Imagine I'm the Knight, and they're just a little guard."

"On the other hand, I'm not alone!" Alpha pulled two blades off her back and tossed them to the side, calling both of her Spirits, who caught the blades and landed next to her.

The first few Spiritual Hoaxers thrown at her didn't seem to be a great match. "Ooh! We appear to be back in action after a long hiatus!" While both Spirits were excited, one of them laughed.

"I'd have to say, Alpha, that their personality doesn't match well with yours..."

"What difference does it make?! For the love of God..." Finally, all three charged into battle.

After effectively slicing through the Spiritual Hoaxers like rotten animals, Alpha slid her right leg behind her and turned to confront the next enemy, slicing cleanly through his gut, forcing him to dissolve into particles with one fast stroke.

A Spiritual Hoaxer appeared behind Alpha before Alpha could react, but by chance, the first Spirit slipped on the floor and sliced obliquely, slashing through the skin and then unleashing a blue wave that placed the opponents in front of it in risk.

They were all standing together now, recognizing that there was still a large number of Spiritual Hoaxers to deal with.

"I'm sure these adorable puppets wouldn't have a chance, but I simply wanted to waste some of your time right now... After all, the next opponent you'll face isn't going to be simple."

After collecting her Spirits and securing both of the shorter swords in her scabbard, Alpha let them scatter back into their blades. "Throw them at me if you want! They won't be any different, I'm sure."

When Genpaku grabbed for Ayuka's shoulder, Alpha pointed her blade forward, causing Alpha and Nina to understand who their next opponent was.

"My love, go ahead... Play with their limbs and cut them off... I'm sure you can handle them?"

"Affirmative..." Ayuka took a stride forward, a step sideways, and abruptly extended her right arm behind her front-gazing head.

A black wormhole appeared behind her, flinging forth a spinning blade that Ayuka furiously grabbed, causing a tremendous pulse and wind vibrations that threatened to destroy the place.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Alpha gradually removed her hand from her eyes, exchanging glances with Ayuka, whose clothing was furiously rippling.

"Alpha! You can't fight her! What if you hurt her! You saw what happened to those crooked Hoaxers after they were cut! They were killed instantly, and if you do the same to Ayuka! You can kill her!"

"Then what do you recommend? Do I just let myself get killed so that you're next?" Nina finally ignored it after trying to find a better solution.

"Forget it... I'm sure she's different! In movies, beating the controlled opponent typically allows them to revert to their original state, so I'm sure she'll be OK."

"You have to stop comparing these things to movies; I'm sure he has something more in store for me, even if I defeat Ayuka."

Alpha finally flung her sword forward. "And because I'm the only one who can win, I have no choice but to achieve... Unless you have something to hide, Ayuka."

Ayuka, on the other hand, simply groaned and tossed her blade down. "H-Huh! Hey! Please, don't simply throw the weapon away! Your opponent is right in front of you!"

"...I was trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes with this bunch of folks, and of course... You've got to see right through me."

Ayuka finally turned to face Genpaku, who was silent. "You mean to tell me you acted as though you were being manipulated?"

"I had no choice... I'm simply glad you didn't say anything critical to them... But now that I have the specifics of your meeting arrangements, there's nothing else I require."

Ayuka brandished the blade towards Genpaku, who erupted in rage. "Ayuka that means..." Our Heroine smiled as Ayuka and Nina exchanged looks.

"After what occurred in the Holy Arches, my mother placed a Spiritual Barrier around my Aura to keep stalkers like him from drugging or manipulating me..."

"Then your mother must be incredible! But I'm just grateful you weren't under his influence because otherwise, we'd be in serious trouble." Nina grabbed her hair from the back of her head.

Ayuka smiled as she nodded, and then Genpaku sighed at them.

"I'm a complete moron... Oh well, I guess I'll have to carry on with the plan without your help... Line up, Spiritual Hoaxers, and take them out!"

To be continued...