Judai was in the middle of reorganizing his deck when a new system notification appeared, imposing a rule he hadn't encountered before:
From now on, the user must maintain a deck of exactly 40 cards. If the user possesses fewer than 40 cards, all owned cards will be automatically included.
"Is this because I exchanged money for Gems? Probably," Judai muttered, adjusting his deck to meet the new requirement.
Once his deck was set, he sat on his bed, holding two of the most powerful cards he currently owned: Knightmare Gryphon and Adamancipator Risen - Dragite.
But he hesitated. Summoning them was one thing; sustaining them in this world was another.
'If I remember the lore right, Knightmare Gryphon was part of a world-ending conflict with the Krawlers. Summoning something like that could drain me completely. I'm not ready for that level yet.'
He was relieved, in a way having an emergency trump card was good, but one he couldn't control was more of a liability.
He turned his attention to Dragite. "You should be possible to summon," he said aloud, though a thread of worry ran through his mind: 'Please don't attack me the moment you appear.' If Dragite turned hostile, he'd have to unsummon it immediately, and he wasn't sure he and his other monsters could stop it in time.
Better safe than sorry.
He headed out to the backyard, stretched his arms, and summoned his Duel Disk. Drawing his opening hand of five cards, he looked them over: Blackwing - Kochi the Daybreak, Photon Veil, Waterfall of Dragon Souls, Magical Arm Shield, and Silver's Cry.
"Now I just need another Level 4 monster," he murmured. First, he summoned Kochi the Daybreak. A sleek, avian warrior materialized and stood at attention, instantly sensing Judai's authority.
'Good. Monsters weaker than me seem to recognize my command automatically. That makes this easier.'
He drew again until he pulled Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #2. He summoned it next, a crimson-scaled dragon that loomed slightly larger than him. Like Kochi, it waited obediently.
Just then, the others arrived in the backyard, intending to help with his training. But they froze when Judai raised his voice.
"Synchro Summon!"
The two monsters on the field dissolved into streams of white light, swirling together as a luminous green ring of energy passed through them.
"Adamancipator Risen - DRAGITE!"
The ground trembled. A majestic, crystalline blue dragon over 15 meters tall materialized before them, its form shimmering with aquatic energy and raw power. It towered over the yard, its presence both beautiful and overwhelming.
Everyone stared, utterly shocked. Judai had just summoned a dragon, and not just any dragon, but one that radiated an aura of ancient, formidable strength.
"It's beautiful," Koneko murmured.
The others silently agreed. The dragon was majestic, its crystalline form shimmering under the sky.
Dragite lowered its massive head, its intelligent eyes meeting Judai's. No words were needed, an understanding passed between them.
Judai smiled, stepping forward to place a hand on the dragon's snout. 'I'm glad,' he thought, though he could already feel his energy draining rapidly. 'I'll summon you again when we have real work to do. For now, rest.'
Dragite gave a slow, acknowledging nod before Judai unsummoned it. The great dragon dissolved into swirling particles of light and vanished.
Judai turned to find the others staring, still awestruck. "Oh, you're all here."
Kiba was the first to find his voice. "When were you able to summon something like that?"
They'd known he could summon beings, even teach magic. But a dragon of that scale and presence was something else entirely.
"Just now," Judai said simply.
"Are you alright? You look tired," Akeno noted with concern.
"Yeah, it takes a lot out of me. I'm just glad it understood me."
"Your summons can turn on you?" Rias asked, her expression serious.
"They can. I was ready to unsummon it immediately if it attacked."
The group fell quiet, the initial wonder giving way to the sobering reality of Judai's power and its risks.
"I'm going to rest for a bit," Judai said, dismissing his Duel Disk.
"Of course," Rias replied softly.
He headed inside, leaving them in the backyard.
Not long after, another group arrived, Sona Sitri and her Peerage, including a new member, Saji Genshirou. They had sensed the surge of energy and seen the dragon's silhouette from a distance.
"Rias, what just happened?" Sona asked, her tone direct as she surveyed the disturbed ground where Dragite had stood.
Akeno stepped forward smoothly. "We were testing a combination magic technique."
Sona and Tsubaki exchanged skeptical glances. "Is that true, Rias?" Sona pressed.
"Y-yeah," Rias replied, forcing a calm smile.
Seeing they wouldn't get a straight answer, Sona decided to back off, for now. "Let's return to our clubroom."
Her Peerage followed, though Saji lingered, confused. "Why didn't you push harder, Kaichou?"
"Because they're clearly hiding something. Rias and Akeno wouldn't act this guarded without a reason. We saw the dragon, we felt its power. As long as it's not a threat, we'll let it be, for now. But if this happens again, I'll demand answers."
"I understand, Kaichou."
As they walked away, Momo gave Saji a reassuring pat on the back.
"Do you have any idea who was responsible, Kaichou?" Tsubaki asked quietly.
"I don't have proof," Sona said, though in her mind, the pieces were already aligning. Judai was the only one missing from the scene. Her instincts pointed squarely at him.
Back in the Occult Research Club's yard, Rias and her Peerage breathed a collective sigh of relief once Sona's group was gone.
"Rias," Akeno said thoughtfully, "would it be possible to bring Judai to the Gremory residence? He could train there without drawing attention, and we'll be heading there in a week anyway."
"I can try asking my parents tomorrow," Rias agreed, already considering how to frame the request. The clock was ticking, and Judai needed every advantage he could get.
But in her mind, one persistent worry gnawed at her: her family.
She didn't know how they would react to Judai, a human, an outsider, and the one who intended to displace Riser Phenex as her fiancé.