"Beautiful, a perfect ending!"
"So cool, Hikari, Caesar!"
The battle ended, and Tenjo Hikari breathed a sigh of relief. In the next moment, feeling his body go weak, he almost collapsed. Fortunately, Marufuji Ryo was beside him, quick-eyed and swift-handed, hurrying to support him.
They had been in a defensive stance the entire time, only launching a proper counterattack in the final round. However, to complete this counterattack, Tenjo Hikari had deliberately collided with the Vampire Fraulein three times, and the Blood Stake's counterattack left him with injuries all over, making it difficult for him to stand steady.
"A splendid duel." On the other side, on a high platform, the Vampire Fraulein's Duel Disk detached from her arm, slowly transforming in the air before reforming into an umbrella. She caught it gently, resting it on her body to shield herself from moonlight. "I underestimated you, humans' warriors."
The Vampire Fraulein's previous "arrogance" wasn't unfounded. In fact, after becoming one of the "Seven Stars," she secretly observed the school students' duels. With a brief study, she judged their warrior skills considerably lacking, assuming even a lower-level vampire from the Vampire Kingdom could handle them. In her eyes, as a Seven Star, she should have been enough to cope.
But she hadn't expected the school's students' skills to vary so widely.
If given another chance, she surely wouldn't have arrogantly teamed up with a vamp for a tag duel.
"How, how could this be, impossible, absolutely impossible, how could the lady—" Camilla's face became somewhat twisted, as if she were about to get physical.
"Camilla," the Vampire Fraulein shook her head, "Enough, it's fine. Since we lost in the sacred duel, we must abide by the agreement. Rest assured, I will find another way for your kinsfolk's resurrection."
As a Duel Monster Spirit, the Vampire Fraulein couldn't deny the result of the duel.
As she spoke, the Vampire Fraulein's body started slowly turning into golden particles. Her already fragile, porcelain-like body now seemed even more delicate.
"This... alright..."
"Wait—" Tenjo Hikari noticed the Vampire Fraulein gradually disappearing and hurriedly interrupted their conversation, asking loudly, "Wait, Miss Vampire!"
"What is it, human warrior?" The Vampire Fraulein couldn't help but yawn, "I... I fear I'm about to fall into a long-awaited slumber. Is there something more?"
The rules of this Darkness Duel dictate that the loser is sealed within a card; although she's a Card Spirit, being sealed is no real issue, but she'd nonetheless "sleep" for a time.
Tenjo Hikari wished to ask something before she was sealed.
"Miss Vampire, you don't seem like a truly evil being, why become one of the Seven Stars, and why seek the sealing Key of the Three Phantasm?"
Ah!
Only then did a few students realize the relevance.
Indeed, it was quite a significant question.
Tenjo Hikari remembered, in the original story, Camilla became a Seven Star because her vampire kin were hunted by humans, leaving her the last vampire in the world. She sought the Phantasm's power to destroy humanity and revive her kin.
But the Vampire Fraulein is a Duel Spirit!
The revival of the Phantasm shouldn't be a good thing for her!
"... I see, so you didn't know that." The Vampire Fraulein seemed to regain a bit of interest, "Very well... Camilla, you tell them."
In the next moment, the Vampire Fraulein's figure completely dissolved into particles, becoming a card, received by the vampire maids standing aside with utmost respect. Simultaneously, the entire mansion seemed to lose color due to the Vampire Fraulein's disappearance, turning dull and lusterless. On the other side, the card of the Vampire Vamp flew towards the two of Tenjo, caught between his fingers, along with an empty Vampire Fraulein card.
"Eh..." Manjome slightly sighed.
The beautiful girl card was indeed lovely, and now it's unseen.
But he only sighed a little; he wasn't quite keen on getting close to spirits now.
On the other side, Camilla fiercely glared at them, looking as if she wanted to charge, but after a lengthy struggle, she slowly began to speak.
Through her telling, the students learned that this Vampire Fraulein wasn't just any "Duel Spirit;" she's from another Dimension, the ruler of the "Vampire Kingdom!"
Of course, she's the "proxy" or "temporary regent" since the true ruler, Lord Zombie Vampire, went missing during the "turmoil."
It's said that countless years ago, the Spirit World suddenly erupted into a terrifying civil war, causing severe crumbling, forcing various factions into different worlds. Although these worlds still had a connection—for example, Lightsworn and Dark World persisted in their feud despite being separated by a world, the Atlantean and Fire King waged a prolonged war—the connections between different faction spirits were ultimately reduced.
Years ago, the Vampire Kingdom, hidden in darkness, was suddenly attacked by a mysterious entity, driving their Dimension to the brink of collapse. To discover the truth, the kingdom's strongest spirit, Lord Zombie Vampire, ventured personally, eventually disappearing without a trace, and their Dimension grew increasingly unstable. Finally, they had to mimic other dimensions by partitioning the "Broken Dimension" to delay world collapse and protect weaker kin.
"Ah, I remember now, Lord Tenjo." While Tenjo Hikari listened, Captain Crystal suddenly appeared by his side, catching Judai's attention and startling Manjome greatly.
Tenjo Hikari also has a spirit?!
"My world seems to have been invaded as well, but it seemed rather tentative?" Captain Crystal hesitated to say.
Indeed, even if there were some great evil antagonist, upon glimpsing DT's spirit world, they'd likely lose interest—it doesn't matter; they tend to self-destruct.
"Afterwards, the young lady embarked on dimensional exploration, searching for Lord Zombie Vampire, as well as for power to protect the vampires... then she encountered me." Camilla, for once, showed a moved expression, "Though I had lost all kin, like a stray, she did not mind my background, willing to shelter me. Hearing about the Phantasm, as a dark Duel Monster Spirit, she immediately decided to help me, hoping to later use the Phantasm's power to uncover the truth of their world."
"Unfortunately..." she shook her head.
"Didn't expect that lady to still be a good spirit!" Shou sniffed, feeling a bit emotional. So cute, turns out she is good.
"Spirit, huh..." Manjome frowned.
"Just a one-sided story." Tenjo Hikari shook his head.
Though it was for her kin, she had Camilla send bats to make students unconscious, and in wanting to summon the "Phantasm" for her world, for this world's humans and spirits, that could also be disastrous!
Moral? But not entirely moral.
But that's normal, they are spirits, after all.
"Humans, just because you defeated the lady, don't think you can rest easy." At last, Camilla glared at Tenjo Hikari and Marufuji Ryo, "Humans, embarking on dimension travel unprepared, like opening Pandora's box, released terrifying beings, making your world ever more dangerous. One day, you will pay a bloody price for this."
After speaking, Tenjo Hikari and the others realized that they were back on the lake, while the mansion cloaked in thick fog gradually disappeared, as if it had never appeared. It seemed they returned to their dimension.
In the air, only the final lazy murmur lingered by their ears: "Human warriors, should the opportunity arise, you're welcome to visit our dimension as guests."