Education? No- Imprisonment!

The festival lasted only one day. After tonight, students would either return home or stay at school for the holiday.

After meeting up with Hikaru, Dark Magician Girl greeted him and told him to bring Jaden Yuki along and meet her later that night.

Once Dark Magician Girl left, most students gradually dispersed. Professor Crowler contacted Miss Fonda Fontaine from Obelisk Blue to arrange temporary accommodations for Celina.

Fonda was the Academy's nurse and the dorm head of the Obelisk Blue Girls' Dormitory. Since only Obelisk Blue had a girls' dorm, and even if students from other dorms advanced to the high school division, they had to stay at Obelisk Blue, so it was perfect for her to watch over Celina.

A devoted member of the "Atticus Rhodes Fan Club," Fonda was a classic looks-obsessed individual. Although she didn't teach dueling, her dueling style, using "poison stall decks," was every bit as underhanded as Atticus's, if not worse.

Though a bit eccentric, under requests from both Professor Crowler and Atticus, she readily agreed to help arrange a dorm room for Celina before she would be returned to the Middle Division.

"No need for such trouble," Celina said, gnawing fiercely on a roasted rib under the bonfire.

That night, the school held a bonfire party. Alexis and her two friends cosplayed as the Harpie Lady Sisters, while Atticus cheered them on and snapped photos to sell to the Alexis Fan Club to make up for his lost living expenses over the year.

Celina, brought into the group by Hikaru and company, showed no reservation and dug heartily into the ribs provided by Obelisk Blue.

"I just need a clean room," she muttered between bites. "A table or chair doesn't matter, even no bed is fine, as long as I can close the windows—"

"What are you saying? A girl should live more refinedly!" Fonda scolded, ruffling her hair.

"Really?" Celina swallowed another chunk of meat, confused. "But duelists don't need such unnecessary things."

"Who told you that!?" Fonda snapped.

"Father."

'???'

Chazz, Bastion, Zane, and the nearby boys exchanged shocked glances.

"Miss Celina, could you tell us about your past?" Hikaru asked with a frown.

"Yeah, Celina!" Jaden nodded vigorously. "You need at least a bed, and tempura too!"

"Hey, Jaden, don't teach weird things to kids!" Chazz barked.

"My past?" Celina tilted her head and began recounting.

She was probably an orphan, at least, as far as she remembered. She lived in the slums for a long time until one day, a group of masked, purple-uniformed, stern-looking people found her and brought her before a cold-faced man, telling her he was her "father."

At first, the word "father" meant little to her after wandering alone for so long, she had given up on having parents. But when she saw that man, she felt a jolt inside, an instinctive feeling of "blood connection."

They enrolled her in Duel Academy's Middle School Division, gave her new clothes, a Duel Disk, and taught her to duel, claiming that in this world, "Dueling is truth," and "Fusion is the noblest summoning method," while all other summoning methods were errors to be corrected.

"No, they don't seem to really believe 'dueling is everything,'" Bastion muttered, thinking of the Fusion Army's actions.

"Besides, even Hikaru wouldn't stop others from learning different summoning methods," Zane said, crossing his arms. "He's good friends with Haruto Kunigawa, a user of Xyz Summons from another dimension. They often spar in Neo Domino City."

"What!? I'm jealous, Hikaru! Next year, I'll definitely go to Neo Domino City!" Jaden shouted.

"Shut up, Jaden!" Chazz slammed the table. "Let her finish!"

Though puzzled, Celina continued.

She was found a year ago, became a first-year student, and had been learning dueling alone ever since. Later, under Leo Akaba's orders, she went with a research team to another dimension, living there long-term.

Her daily routine: nutrient packs, combat training, observing Duel Spirits, honing her dueling skills.

The rest of the time, she stayed alone, dazing off in a sealed room.

In truth, most of her days were spent in isolation.

"Living? Training?"

"That's not raising someone, that's abuse and imprisonment!" Chazz shot up, furious. "How could he treat his own daughter like that, sending her to another dimension at her age!?"

"Right?" Celina casually replied, finishing another rib, then turned her bright eyes toward Hikaru.

"Ah, but… during that incident, when you faced the laboratory's Spirit without flinching and beat that One-eyed Andal with Fusion, they thought you were doomed, but you turned it around!

And that… what was it, the Release of Ultimate Power?

You must be the ultimate Fusion Duelist! Please teach me!"

She hadn't witnessed Hikaru's Super Polymerization because the lab collapsed immediately after, but she'd heard his rallying cry and seen his duel. After escaping back to the human world, she'd been determined to find Hikaru and learn from him.

'Maybe… then Father would be satisfied?'

Even if Leo Akaba never treated her like a daughter, she had done a paternity test and still yearned for his approval.

A bunch of boys who technically weren't orphans yet lived like they were just stared at each other, speechless.

"Super Mamma Mia!" Professor Crowler, having listened the whole time, exploded with rage. He knew Leo Akaba was not normal, but to raise a daughter like this?

"You all, leave this to me! I won't allow anyone, even a parent, to violate a Duel Academy student's rights!"

"I'll contact KaibaCorp, the Investigation Committee, the Academic Affairs Office, and the Board immediately!"

As an educator, Crowler was furious.

"As expected of Professor Crowler!" Zane praised.

"In times like these, Professor Crowler is truly reliable," Hikaru agreed.

Even if Leo Akaba had some grand scheme, without Celina in his grasp, it could only remain a plan.

And if he tried pulling tricks like in Arc-V—

KaibaCorp would teach him the meaning of "might."

As the bonfire party ended, Fonda led Celina to the dorms. Stuffed full, she still eagerly wanted to duel Hikaru.

Meanwhile…

Hikaru, looking up at the night sky, called Jaden to accompany him to their promised meeting with Dark Magician Girl.

Who knew what surprise the "real deal" would bring them?