I’m in Marvel, but I play Yu-Gi-Oh!?

For the first time since he had started attending Promethean Academy, Alexander didn't have Roland waiting outside to drive him to school; instead, he was sitting behind the wheel of his own car.

Alexander couldn't help but grin as he drove his silver BMW Z1 down the road.

He had finally obtained his driver's license. It was a surprisingly mundane accomplishment compared to everything else he had achieved over the past year, but that didn't make it any less satisfying.

For once, he could simply get into his car and go wherever he wanted, and, admittedly, he was enjoying it far more than he probably should, but he didn't care; more importantly, this allowed Roland to have much-deserved free time.

He had deliberately left home early enough to make a small detour and pick up Ginny on the way to school. Alexander reached her house fairly soon. A moment later, Ginny stepped outside, spotted him waiting at the curb, and smiled as she approached.

The passenger door retracted downwards, and she slipped inside, then glanced over at him and immediately smiled before observing, "You're enjoying this way too much, Lex."

Alexander started the engine and asked, "Enjoying what?"

She gestured vaguely at the car and replied, "This."

"Driving?"

"Yes. You've had your license for a week, and suddenly you're everyone's personal chauffeur."

"Maybe I like having somewhere to go."

"Uh-huh.” She studied him for another moment, then grinned and asked, “You were looking forward to picking me up, weren't you?"

Alexander glanced at her and replied, "Maybe."

This time, it was Ginny who looked away first before she muttered, "You're still enjoying the driving."

"Sure." Alexander shook his head, but his smile remained.

By the time they arrived at Promethean Academy, the parking lot was already beginning to fill. Alexander drove into the large campus parking lot and quickly spotted a familiar car pulling into a nearby space.

Chuck's orange Honda Accord Coupe.

Alexander parked and stepped out of his BMW just as Chuck was getting out of his own car. Before he greeted his friend, "Morning."

Chuck cheerfully greeted him back, "Morning, Lex!"

Ginny climbed out of the passenger seat and joined them.

The three of them continued talking as they headed toward the high-school section of the campus.

They compared their schedules briefly, though it didn't take long to discover that Chuck's junior-year classes were considerably different from Alexander and Ginny's sophomore schedule.

Eventually, they split up.

"See you at lunch," Chuck said while casually waving his hand.

Alexander nodded and waved back, "See you."

With that, he and Ginny headed toward their first class, and just like that, sophomore year had begun.

The morning passed surprisingly quickly.

Alexander found himself falling back into the familiar rhythm of school almost immediately.

He greeted classmates he hadn't seen since the previous term, exchanged a few words with friends and acquaintances, and answered questions about what he had been doing during the summer.

Unfortunately, a significant portion of those questions revolved around Duel Monsters.

"Alexander, is it true that the next set is going to have more Fusion Monsters?"

"Are there actually new cards coming?"

"Is it true Industrial Illusions is planning another major tournament?"

"Do you know what cards are going to be released next?"

Alexander answered as politely as he could.

He had expected his popularity to increase after the success of Duel Monsters, but he simply hadn't anticipated quite how recognisable he had become around campus.

Being the founder of Industrial Illusions had turned him into something of a minor celebrity among the students.

At least most of them were still respectful. Still, by the time the morning was half over, Alexander was already beginning to feel exhausted from smiling.

He couldn't help but appreciate the moments when he was simply sitting in class, and with Ginny sharing several of his classes, things felt somewhat more normal.

They exchanged occasional comments, joked quietly when appropriate, and otherwise behaved like ordinary friends.

For a few hours, Alexander could almost forget that outside those classroom walls he owned a rapidly expanding company.

The teachers had their own reactions to the new school year.

Some were enthusiastic, others immediately began assigning homework as if the summer break had never happened.

One of the teachers, a new addition to the faculty, was particularly determined to establish expectations.

"Whatever extracurricular activities you may participate in this year," the teacher said, looking toward the class, "I expect all of you to remember that your academic responsibilities come first."

His gaze briefly settled on Alexander before he said, "That includes those of you who have particularly demanding extracurricular commitments."

Several students immediately started chuckling while Alexander raised an eyebrow.

The teacher frowned and said, "I don't see what's funny."

Someone muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear, that Alexander had gotten the best academic results in the school the previous year and the ones before that too, causing the laughter to increase.

Alexander simply smiled politely.

Apparently, even teachers had started treating his involvement with Duel Monsters as something worth mentioning.

Lunch finally arrived.

Alexander, Ginny, and Chuck reunited at their usual table.

Chuck immediately complained, "I hate having different classes from you two."

Ginny looked at him and said, "You've been a junior for one day."

"And already I'm suffering."

Alexander chuckled and commented in a sarcastic tone that took inspiration from Admiral Kizaru of One Piece, "How tragic..."

Ginny sighed before she told them, "One of my teachers already assigned homework."

Chuck appeared scandalised as he exclaimed, "What the hell! It's the first day!"

"Exactly."

Alexander simply laughed and enjoyed the company of his friends.

The conversation continued for a while before Alexander noticed something.

Chuck seemed distracted.

He wasn't behaving quite like himself, so Alexander commented, "You have something going on. Shoot."

Chuck looked at him and asked, "What?"

"You're distracted."

Ginny glanced at Chuck as well and said, "He's right."

Chuck sighed, "Fine."

He hesitated for a moment before he admitted, "I'm meeting Julia's parents after school... Officially."

Alexander raised an eyebrow, "That's what has you distracted?"

"Maybe."

Ginny smiled and asked, "Has Julia told you anything?"

"Just that she is sure that they are going to like me. Yet..."

Alexander nodded and encouraged him, "If she said that, then it's true. Just be yourself and have fun."

Chuck immediately grinned and exclaimed, "You're right. Thanks. I'm going to stand tall and proud like a dragon... And just like them, I'm going to charm and kidnap their princess away!"

Hearing that, Ginny groaned and muttered, "Ugh... Maybe be a little less yourself..."

The conversation eventually shifted toward Duel Monsters.

The upcoming Grand Prix was already becoming one of the major topics of conversation among students as everyone seemed to have an opinion about who would perform well, what new cards might appear, and what the next major release might contain.

Alexander listened more than he spoke.

Sometimes, he found it amusing hearing people speculate about a game he had personally created.

The afternoon passed in much the same way.

More classes. More lessons. More reminders that summer was over. By the time the final bell approached, Alexander had finally settled back into the rhythm of school.

Sophomore year was officially underway, but his day wasn't over yet.

Once classes ended, Alexander, Chuck, and Ginny headed toward the Chess Club.

The club had changed considerably over the past year.

Originally, it had been exactly what its name suggested, a traditional chess club, but Alexander's actions and Duel Monsters' explosive popularity had gradually changed things.

More and more students interested in Duel Monsters had begun using the club as a place to gather, and eventually, the school administration had recognised the inevitable.

Duel Monsters was no longer merely a hobby students played after school, but it had become a semi-official activity.

When Alexander, Chuck, and Ginny entered the clubroom, the advisor was already waiting for everyone to settle down.

Once the room was quiet, the advisor smiled and said, "I have two announcements to make."

The students immediately became attentive, so the teacher started, "First, Frost International has officially organised and funded an Inter-School Duel Monsters Championship Tournament that will take place this year."

The room erupted.

At the same time, Alexander raised an eyebrow.

Even though he already knew about Emma's initiative, hearing it announced in his own school was something else entirely.

Then the advisor continued, "Participating schools will field teams of five students who will compete against other schools in Duel Monsters."

The excitement only grew.

"And the winning team will receive the Frost International Academic Scholarship."

The room went almost silent.

"The scholarship will cover the full tuition cost of any accredited university to which the winning students are admitted."

For several seconds, nobody spoke, then the room exploded again, and Alexander could understand why.

This wasn't simply a trophy, but it could change someone's life. For students who might otherwise struggle to afford university, a full scholarship could open doors that would otherwise remain closed, and for everyone else, there was the simple prestige of representing their school in an official competition.

The advisor waited until the excitement had settled somewhat before continuing, "And there is one more announcement."

Everyone looked toward him.

"The principal has officially approved Promethean Academy's participation."

Cheers erupted once more.

"Furthermore, the school has approved the formal creation of an official Duel Monsters Club and competitive team."

Alexander smiled while Chuck and Ginny looked equally excited, especially since Alexander didn't tell them anything about that, as he wanted to surprise them.

Around them, students were already talking about who should be on the team.

Some were discussing decks; others were already imagining themselves representing the school.

Alexander watched them for a moment, and then the significance of the announcement truly sank in.

Duel Monsters was becoming institutionalised. It wasn't merely something students happened to play as a hobby anymore.

Schools were recognising it. Corporations were investing in it. And now academic opportunities were being connected to competitive success.

Exactly as he and Emma had intended.

Alexander couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction, 'Duel Monsters is becoming something much larger than a card game, and this is only the beginning...'

However, between the Inter-School Duel Monsters Championship Tournament and the second Duel Monsters Grand Prix in November, the next few months were going to be considerably busier than he had anticipated.

Eventually, the club meeting came to an end.

Chuck said goodbye as they headed toward the parking lot, "Bye... I'm going to pick up Julia and meet her parents."

"Have fun," Alexander said. Followed by Ginny, who added, "Remember to bring some kind of present. Maybe a box of fine chocolates, or a small bouquet of flowers, but nothing too fancy. And make sure to ask Julia for any allergies."

Chuck waved and thanked her before getting into his car, and a moment later, he drove away.

Alexander and Ginny then headed toward his BMW.

He drove her home, and the two spent the trip talking about the new school year.

It was a simple conversation. Just two friends talking about random things.

After dropping Ginny off, however, Alexander's destination changed; he didn't head home or toward a park or hobby store, but went to Industrial Illusions.

The moment Alexander entered the office, the atmosphere changed.

School was over, and now he was stepping back into the other side of his life. The young businessman who owned Industrial Illusions.

Roland met him shortly after his arrival, "Welcome back, Master Alexander. How was school?"

"Fine. Anything important?"

"Several matters require your attention."

Alexander nodded and said, "Let's hear them."

Roland began with the ordinary business updates.

Sales. Production. Distribution. Upcoming releases. The ongoing preparations for the second Duel Monsters Grand Prix.

Alexander listened carefully, occasionally asking questions or giving instructions where necessary.

It was becoming increasingly routine as Industrial Illusions had grown to the point where most things could continue functioning without his direct involvement; still, some decisions inevitably made their way to him, and Alexander had accepted and even welcomed that. He was the owner, after all.

Eventually, Roland's expression became more serious as he said, "There is one other matter."

Alexander looked up and asked, "What is it?"

"Hannibal King contacted me."

Alexander's expression changed slightly, and he repeated, "Hannibal?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It isn't business-related. It's about their kind of work..."

That immediately caught Alexander's attention.

Then Roland continued, "Mr King and Blade have encountered an unusual case while working for a client that requested BorderLine Investigative Services... Well, services."

Alexander frowned and asked, "The supernatural kind?"

"They initially believed so." Roland paused for a moment before he added, "However, their investigation has uncovered evidence suggesting something resembling possession."

Alexander's attention sharpened, "Possession, you said?"

"Yes." Roland looked at him and continued, "Mr King was deliberately vague over the phone."

Alexander remained silent.

"There is more," Roland added. "Hannibal believes the evidence may be connected to the matter you previously asked them to keep an eye on."

Alexander's eyes narrowed, "Rogue Duel Spirits."

Roland nodded.

Alexander leaned back.

For the first time since entering the office, his mind completely left behind the mundane concerns of Industrial Illusions.

A rogue Duel Spirit. The possibility alone was enough to make him take the situation seriously.

He had no idea what Hannibal and Blade had actually encountered, but perhaps it was connected to Duel Spirits. Perhaps it wasn't. But if it was, that meant that he had to act before someone got seriously hurt; after all, it was his responsibility. He was the one who brought Duel Monsters/Yu-Gi-Oh! to this world, thus connecting it with the Spirit World, and he is the one who has to deal with the trouble it caused.

After a brief moment of silence, Alexander asked, "Did Hannibal say anything else?"

"He wants to discuss the matter in person."

Alexander didn't need to think for long before he said, "Arrange the meeting. As soon as possible."

Roland nodded and said, "Of course."

Alexander stood.

The events of the first day of sophomore year suddenly seemed very distant.

The new school Duel Monsters Club and Team. The Inter-School Championship. The Duel Monsters Grand Prix. Even his new freedom behind the wheel.

All of it had been pushed aside by a single possibility.

A Duel Spirit might be active somewhere out there, and if that was the case, Alexander needed to know what it was doing and stop it if it was malicious.

He left the office, his thoughts no longer focused on school.

Something was happening, and Alexander intended to find out what.