Chapter 49
"Rowan, come explore that abandoned dorm with us tonight! It'll be great!" Jaden said, practically vibrating with excitement.
"The abandoned dorm deeper on the grounds?" Rowan opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow.
That was the one connected to Atticus Rhodes's disappearance. The one tied directly to Shadow Duels. These three had absolutely no survival instincts.
"Professor Banner told us about it," Syrus said quickly, reading Rowan's expression as confusion and jumping in to explain. "Earlier today, with the construction noise from your builders driving us out of the dorms, me and Jaden and Chumley ended up in the Slifer Red cafeteria. We were killing time playing that game where you draw a duel monster card and tell a scary story matching the monster's level."
"Professor Banner showed up and joined in. He drew a Level 12 monster, and the story he told was about a rumored abandoned dorm somewhere deep on the Academy grounds -- supposedly connected to Shadow Duels, supposedly haunted. A dorm that eats people."
Rowan watched Syrus deliver this summary with visibly trembling legs and fell briefly silent.
So they're terrified and still want to go. A classic combination.
"So Jaden and the rest of us decided to go check it out tonight," Chumley added. "See if the Shadow Duel rumors are actually real."
"Come explore with us, Rowan! It'll definitely be interesting in there!" Jaden pressed, eyes bright with genuine enthusiasm. "Besides, Shadow Duels are probably just a distant legend. From what I understand, you'd need something like the Millennium Items that Yugi Muto once held to even open a Shadow Duel in the first place. And nobody has those anymore."
"You actually applied critical thinking to something outside of dueling," Rowan said flatly. "I'm impressed."
Unfortunately, the analysis was completely wrong.
Because from what he knew, you didn't necessarily need a Millennium Item. Certain other dark artifacts, or the concentrated power of a duel spirit, could open a Shadow Duel just fine.
"Since you all are going anyway, I suppose I don't have much choice." Rowan shrugged and agreed.
He had some genuine interest in what that dorm held. And particularly, if a Shadow Duel actually turned up tonight, so much the better. He had a brand new Dragon Head Seal that he hadn't had a chance to test yet. The prospect of finding out firsthand what a Shadow Duel actually felt like held a certain appeal.
"Kuri kuri."
The round Kuriboh on his shoulder let out a quiet sound and pointed one stubby arm toward the rooftop stairwell.
"That presence... the golden mushroom-head?" Rowan glanced toward the stairs and muttered to himself, working out who the spirit meant.
"Hm? Someone over there?" Jaden had caught the round Kuriboh gesturing and apparently communicating something to Rowan. He looked toward the stairwell in mild curiosity.
By the time Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley walked over to check, there was nobody there.
...
Elsewhere, in a dim stretch of woodland within the Academy's interior, a figure with golden mushroom-shaped hair was talking to himself, waiting for a scheduled rendezvous with the cheerful energy of a man with a plan.
"The dropout boy and Jaden's group are heading to the abandoned dorm tonight. What excellent news. Ohoho."
Crowler wore a delighted, conspiratorial grin.
"Their movements for the evening are confirmed. There's even a chance Jaden gets caught up in this too. Now all that's left is to wait for that rumored duelist to arrive."
A branch snapped.
Crowler spun around.
From the trees came a large, imposing figure -- broad-shouldered, draped in a long black coat, half his face hidden behind a black bat-shaped mask, a dark hat pulled low on his head. A black briefcase in one hand.
"So you're the self-described Shadow Duelist."
"Correct. I am the legendary Shadow Duelist. The Duelist Hunter. Titan." The figure in black gave a cold, unhurried nod. "Let's discuss payment. My commission is not cheap. Whatever happens to the client during the proceedings is no concern of mine. I will fulfill the contract with cold, professional efficiency."
As he spoke, a strange white mist began curling through the air around him, spreading low across the ground of the dim woodland clearing.
"You're certain you can handle this? Destroy the camera and photos that the dropout boy has?" Crowler eyed the mist drifting toward him from across the clearing, and felt a nagging, inexplicable suspicion.
He couldn't shake the feeling that this particular mist looked somewhat like the vapor produced by evaporating dry ice.
"Naturally. I am a professional. The Duelist Hunter never shows his back to anyone." Titan's voice remained completely flat. His composure was unshakeable.
Crowler immediately darted sideways to test the claim.
Titan turned to face him at exactly the same speed.
Crowler tried again from the other side.
Titan rotated again, front facing him without a moment's hesitation.
Three attempts. Same result every time.
"Leave everything to me. You need only arrive after the duel concludes and collect the outcome." Clearly done indulging the ridiculous golden-haired professor any further, the large figure in black seemed to glide backward through the mist like a phantom -- a strange lateral drift that carried him smoothly into the fog until he vanished entirely, leaving only a fading presence behind.
"Truly never shows his back," Crowler said, nodding with deep, heartfelt reassurance. "Now that is what professionalism looks like."