Duelists Never Surrender!

"You agreed?"

"Did I have a choice?" Julie retorted. "Next, I'll go with her to constantly provoke other students, coerce and lure others into card duels with me, and then I'll split the stolen decks with her fifty-fifty."

"After that, the ten million was quickly gathered, but that Dragonic Doom that was listed on the black market had already been bought by someone else." Julie stroked the card of Dragonic Doom. "But the next day, Dragonic Doom appeared in my mailbox."

"So, the actions of our Crimson Lotus Society have already received the support of the board of directors. The board of directors encourages our behavior, and Dragonic Doom is their reward to me. They actually encourage this kind of card-dueling behavior!" As she said this, Julie inexplicably laughed.

"I always thought I was doing something wrong, that I was a selfish and petty person, but... the board of directors told me that my actions were right!" Julie's laughter grew louder, even starting to cause her to cough rapidly, but she still couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"My actions were actually right... Hahaha! I was right!"

"I was right!"

[Image included here, viewable in updated versions]

Chapter 32: Genius? Cheater!

"This is a world where dueling reigns supreme."

Ai had told him this from the beginning, but hearing Julie's confession firsthand still shocked Hara Shichi.

"But, didn't you ever think you might lose?" Hara Shichi pondered for a long time before retorting.

Of course, he wouldn't foolishly judge whether Julie's actions were right or wrong. As someone who had just arrived and knew nothing, he shouldn't speak so presumptuously.

"I was prepared!" Julie said with a cold expression.

Hara Shichi remained silent, his gaze once again falling on the girl's long skirt.

"Really prepared?"

"This... this was an accident! I thought that if I could seal your Xyz Summon, it would be a guaranteed win." Julie's previously frosty face suddenly gained a hint of color. "Besides, you were the one who inexplicably came to provoke me!"

"I just wanted to play cards with you, I didn't mention any strange bets." Hara Shichi sighed. "And aren't you completely unprepared?"

"If you continue like this, you'll eventually stumble." Hara Shichi warned.

"I don't need you to worry about me!" Julie turned her head away, but quickly said in a soft voice, "I wasn't planning to continue doing this anyway."

"I saw it that day, your Dark Duel." Julie seemed a little uneasy as she said this. "After returning to the dormitory, I had a dream. In the dream, I was that man in the black robe, hunting other people's souls, snatching their decks, and then... being killed by a stronger duelist!"

"I understand. If I continue like this, that dream will become my future." Julie lowered her head. "As for today's bet, it was just me wanting revenge because you provoked me."

"Sorry." With that, Julie bent down and bowed to Hara Shichi.

"It's fine, I didn't lose anyway." Hara Shichi waved his hand, indicating it didn't matter.

"You guy... you still really annoy me!" Julie gritted her teeth and clenched her small, soft fists, punching Hara Shichi in the abdomen.

"Thwack!"

A fair, soft hand blocked the punch.

"You're not allowed to hurt Master." Ghost Ogre suddenly appeared in front of Hara Shichi, her small face serious.

Hara Shichi also twitched the corner of his mouth. "I say, if you're unhappy with me, you can just say it, or you can duel me. Can you not resort to physical violence?"

"..."

It was over. She couldn't win the duel, she couldn't win the argument, and now she couldn't even win a fight. Julie's anger, which had been rising, seemed to be doused with a basin of cold water, completely extinguished.

"However, is it really okay for you to let Ghost Ogre appear so openly on campus?" Julie asked. "Its rarity is no less than your Tiramisu of the Tiara, perhaps even higher."

"I've already been targeted anyway, right? What difference does it make whether there's one more rare card or one less?" Hara Shichi said calmly. "If I'm not mistaken, your target is my entire deck."

"Wrong, it's not 'you,' it's 'them.' I've already decided not to do this anymore." Julie shook her head. "Of course, I won't offer any apologies or compensation for what I've done before. It's meaningless. I'm not stopping because of guilt, I'm stopping to prevent myself from falling further."

"After all, I am a selfish and petty person."

"Most people I meet who tend to belittle themselves are likely trying to gain a sense of validation and self-acceptance by complaining and seeking solace through self-negation, and by debating with others," Hara Shichi said, looking intently at Julie.

"Do you need me to praise you now? The wording might not be elegant, but it should be enough to give you some sense of validation and confidence."

Julie's small face first showed surprise, then, at a visible speed, darkened. "No, you should just die!"

"Master, I think it's better if you just praise her in this situation," Ghost Ogre earnestly offered her opinion.

"You are right, I was negligent." Hara Shichi expressed his deep apologies.

"Could you please do it again?" Ghost Ogre said earnestly to Julie, "That thing..."

Ghost Ogre thought for a moment, tilted her head slightly, a cute little face revealing five parts self-mockery, three parts sadness, and two parts amusement. "After all, I am a selfish and petty person."

"Pfft!" Hara Shichi couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Julie couldn't laugh. She only felt immense malice, her hands and feet turning cold on this hot day.

"I can't take it anymore!" Julie threw out this sentence and then quickened her pace, heading towards her dormitory building.

But after a few steps, she seemed to remember something and turned back.

"You still want to listen?" Hara Shichi cleared his throat twice. "Student Julie, don't be so self-deprecating. Although you've lost to me twice, your dueling skills are still top-notch within the entire academy. Although you've stolen other students' decks, luckily you've seen the error of your ways. And putting those aside, you are also a beautiful young girl, at least your legs are quite fair..."

"Shut up! Who wants to hear this!" Julie raised her fist again, but noticing Ghost Ogre beside Hara Shichi, she reluctantly put it down.

"I came to tell you that the next person who will cause you trouble is Nero.Arisa!" Julie said coldly. "Although I'm very unwilling, that guy is indeed superior to me in dueling. But if it's you, you should know that person, right?"

"Who? I haven't heard of them." Hara Shichi asked, confused.

"You don't know, do you? That's the famous Arisa Family, a renowned dueling lineage! The current Duel King has the surname Arisa!" Julie stared at Hara Shichi as if he were an alien. "As a scion of a dueling family yourself, haven't you heard of them?"

"I'm not a scion of any dueling family, I'm just an ordinary person," Hara Shichi said, spreading his hands.

"No way! Then why do you have a rare and powerful Xyz Monster like Tiramisu of the Tiara, and Forbidden Chalice? That card is so rare it's impossible to find even on the black market! And Marincess, while weak, is expensive because the card art is cute..." Julie kept listing the rare cards Hara Shichi had used, but before she could finish, Hara Shichi interrupted her.

"I printed them all myself," Hara Shichi said matter-of-factly. "Isn't it common sense that Duelists print their own cards?"

Even though Ai printed them, Ai is my cheat, so it's like I printed them myself.

Good, the logic holds.

"...Printed? Heh heh... printed..." Julie's expression was dazed. She recalled the cards she had printed, and the most useful one seemed to be Mezuki... Heh heh, so creatures like geniuses really do exist...

Immediately after, she suddenly raised her fist and swung it at Hara Shichi: "You unforgivable scoundrel, take this punch!"

"Pak!"

It was caught by Ghost Ogre.

Chapter 33: Lies.

"This will be the final blow. I'll use Rikka Princess for a direct attack!"

Inside the training room, Yukikaze shouted commands to her Ace Monster.

"Ah, my LP has been reduced to zero." The girl opposite Yukikaze stuck out her tongue, then put away her Duel Disk and slumped onto a nearby chair, stretching. "Yukikaze is too strong, I had no chance to fight back."

"You're exaggerating," Yukikaze said, scratching her cheek shyly. She looked at the black-haired girl in front of her. The girl's name was Wada Mina, one of her few friends in class.

"No, no, Yukikaze, you're really strong. You summoned a monster with such high ATK so quickly. Unlike me, I get beaten up by Aoshi every day." As Mina said this, she seemed to remember something, her eyes narrowed, and she said fiercely, "He doesn't even go easy on me, that damn bastard!"

"Haha, Aoshi-kun is just like that," Yukikaze said, taking out two bottles of water she had prepared from her bag and handing one to Mina. She then sat down next to Mina.

"Ho ho... Is it really okay for me to drink this?" Mina teased Yukikaze, shaking the water bottle. The crystal-clear liquid sloshed inside. "This bottle isn't for me, is it? It's for Hara Shichi-kun, right?"

"Hara Shichi-kun said he wasn't feeling well and asked the teacher for leave this afternoon," Yukikaze said softly. She had actually wanted to take leave too, but she felt too embarrassed to lie to the teacher, so she came to class honestly.

"Oh, so that's why you suddenly decided to practice with me. It's because Hara Shichi-kun isn't here, so you had to make do with me!" Mina pretended to be angry.

"No, I..."

"La la la, I can't hear you! Take this, Dragon Claw Hand!"

"Yaa! Mina, stop it... it tickles... haha... haha."

As the two were playfully bickering, crisp footsteps sounded. Mina reacted immediately, stopped her hands, and turned her head. "Teacher, we were practicing diligently, we're just taking a short break... Huh?"

The petite figure walking towards them was not the instructor for the afternoon, but a girl with short black hair. No, it would be more accurate to call her a large porcelain doll?

After all, if she weren't a porcelain doll, how could one explain the girl's delicate skin that seemed to have no pores? If she weren't a porcelain doll, how could one explain the girl's eyes that were as clear as crystal and exuded a chilling aura? If she weren't a porcelain doll, how could one explain the girl's expressionless yet exquisitely angelic face?

The two girls stared in amazement at this projection of a god shining upon the mortal world, speechless for a moment.

"Is she from the junior high department?" Yukikaze recovered first, a gentle smile on her face as she greeted the girl. "Hello, my name is Yukikaze. Could you tell me your name?"

"Surname?" The little girl's tender pink lips parted slightly.

"Huh? Surname? My surname is Shiraha, Shiraha Yukikaze." Yukikaze didn't understand why the little girl was asking for her surname. She had heard that in some places, people addressed strangers by their surnames until they became close. Was this adorable little girl like that too?

After hearing the answer, the little girl nodded with satisfaction and said slowly, "Nero. Arisa."

"Arisa-san? May I ask what you need?" Yukikaze asked with concern.

"Wait a minute, you said your name is Nero. Arisa?" Mina stood up, putting herself in front of Yukikaze. Her previously gentle face instantly turned cold. "You're not in our class, what are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Hara Shichi-kun." Nero glanced at Mina, a flicker of confusion in her clear pupils. Who was this woman? She wasn't talking to her, so why was she rudely interrupting her conversation with Yukikaze?

However, Nero understood that not everyone had received the same family upbringing as her, so she patiently replied.

"Are you looking for Hara Shichi-kun, or the Xyz Monster card in his hand? Can you be clearer?" Mina's words were sharp.

"Is there a difference?" Nero asked, confused. Hara Shichi-kun had the Xyz Monster card in his hand. Looking for Hara Shichi-kun and looking for the Xyz Monster card in his hand were the same thing, weren't they?

"Wait, wait!" Yukikaze was confused, holding her head in bewilderment. "What are you two talking about? I don't understand at all."

"Listen, Yukikaze-san, the person standing before us is not some cute junior. She's in the same grade as us, the legendary young daughter of the Arisa Family—Nero. Arisa." Mina stared cautiously at Nero. "Don't be deceived by her appearance. This girl hasn't attended a single class since the start of the semester, never participates in any school activities, and ignores all advice from teachers. She's even joined that infamous Crimson Lotus Society recently!"

Crimson Lotus Society? Was that the club that constantly challenged other students to card duels within the academy? Rumor had it that they used various means of coercion, temptation, provocation, and harassment to obtain powerful cards from other students. This girl was involved with such a terrifying organization?

Yukikaze found it hard to believe, but Mina wouldn't lie to her. So, she asked with a glimmer of hope, "Are you trying to obtain the Xyz Monster card in Hara Shichi-kun's hand through a card duel?"

"Yes, I've already prepared my stake." As she spoke, Nero drew a card from the Duel Disk at her waist and held it between her fingers, showing it to them.

Level 4 Synchro Monster—Herald of the Rainbow Light.

"Tsk, I knew it," Mina said with disgust. "It's class time. Go back to your own training room, or I'll call the teacher."

"I was indeed planning to do so," Nero said, putting away the card and scanning the students dueling in the training room. "According to my observations, Hara Shichi-kun does not seem to be in the training room. There's no point in me staying here."

Saying that, she took a step forward, her black eyes looking blankly at Yukikaze. "So, Yukikaze-san, can you tell me where Hara Shichi-kun is? I saw you two eating together in the cafeteria last time. You must be good friends, right? You should know where Hara Shichi-kun is, shouldn't you?"

"I... I don't know." Yukikaze lied. She was a girl who blushed, her heart raced, and she stammered when she lied, but at that moment, she lied without hesitation.

"Lies."

Nero pointed at the girl's evasive eyes.

Chapter 34: Yukikaze, Launch!

Shiraha Yukikaze hadn't expected her lie to be seen through so quickly, nor that the other party would expose her without hesitation. For a moment, she froze, unsure of what to do.

Fortunately, Wada Mina stepped in to help, positioning herself between Nero and Shiraha Yukikaze. Mina was already tall, and now, standing between the two, she was like a solid wall. Especially in the eyes of the shorter Nero, she seemed like an insurmountable barrier.

"That's enough. You're not welcome here," Mina said, dismissing her.

Nero wasn't buying it. She didn't need to be welcomed. However, this girl repeatedly and unreasonably inserting herself into their conversation was starting to annoy her.

"I wasn't talking to you. Didn't your parents teach you that interrupting other people's conversations is rude?" Nero frowned slightly, then spoke to Shiraha Yukikaze behind Mina, "Shiraha Yukikaze, are you going to hide behind your friend and be a coward?"

"Actually, even if you didn't tell me, I wouldn't give up searching," Nero continued. "But I don't want to waste too much time."

"..."

"How about this: you duel me," Nero proposed. "If I win, you tell me Hara Shichi's whereabouts."

"But if you lose, you're not allowed to pester Hara Shichi anymore," Shiraha Yukikaze's voice suddenly rang out.

"There's no way I'll lose," Nero stated matter-of-factly. "But if that's your condition, I can agree to it."

"Okay, I agree to duel you," Shiraha Yukikaze said, standing up from her chair.

"Shiraha Yukikaze?" Mina looked at her with concern. Her opponent wasn't just any Duelist; it was Nero.Arisa!

"It's okay," Shiraha Yukikaze smiled. "Didn't you say I was strong? You should trust me more."

But... your opponent is even stronger.

Mina's words got stuck in her throat. She saw the unwavering determination in Shiraha Yukikaze's azure eyes.

So, she wouldn't try to dissuade her anymore.

"Good luck, win this!" Mina said with a smile.