Lance considered Tobias' question in silence.
"I suppose. It would be closer to the mythology of the shadow games of old." Lance sighed. "I think it would be best if I explained how I came across this secret."
The Obelisk Blue stopped, looking around the forest. Pushing aside some underbrush, the third year student began to lead Tobias off the trail they were on and deeper into the forest.
"I should start by saying that strange things have always been happening at this school. In fact, these raiders really wouldn't be too out of the ordinary if their means weren't so brutish or sinister. Last year, this island was 'raided' by students of the North Academy who just wanted to duel a bunch of the Duel Academy students." Lance shook his head. "I'm getting off topic, forgive me."
Lance's eyes got a faraway look as he lead Tobias, recalling what had happened a few years ago.
"My first year here was a strange one. There was talks of cults and brainwashing going about, and many students acted rather strangely. There was even one student, who after losing a duel to a member of this 'cult', supposedly lost the ability to see his cards. For him, they had just turned to blank pieces of paper." Lance explained.
"He ended up disappearing for a few days. Vanishing from his dorm room. A few days later, he reappeared. Evidently, he had been wandering about the island. But when he reappeared, he had regained the ability to see his cards again. Not only that, but somehow he had found new cards while wandering in the forest on the island. Cards that no one had seen before, but still worked in the dueling system. And to make things even better..." Lance smiled, and looked back to Tobias. "He claimed he had came into contact with aliens."
"Now, obviously there are some explanations to this others had put forward. These new cards he had found were revealed to be what we now know are the Neo-Spacians. So he had just snuck into the card shop and obtained the cards? Security cameras show no such thing. Not to mention, now those cards are in circulation, but a few years ago they were not. The best theory that someone put forward was that the student was merely acting when he said he couldn't see his cards, bribed a member of Industrial Illusions or KaibaCorp to sneak to the island and give him the cards, and make up a story about seeing aliens to cover up for it." Lance said. "Well, I had quite a few doubts about that theory as well. So I took it upon myself to investigate this a bit further. I spent my free time consulting maps on the island, trying to figure out the most likely places the student would have been while he was missing to see if I could find any clues about an 'alien encounter'. Crop circles perhaps? In truth, I was just having more fun hiking around to places I hadn't been on the island."
"But then I did find something."
Lance made his way into a small clearing. They had made it to the base of the volcano, and the third year scanned the rocky slope. Spotting what he was looking for, Lance made his way over to a rather innocuous rock. Crouching next to it, he looked back to Tobias.
"You must promise me you will not tell anyone about what I am about to show you." Lance said to the Ra Yellow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jira had also been putting away his costume, detaching the paper tail (which had became more than a little crumpled at this point) and throwing away the paper flames he had made. That performance... well, it had been pretty embarrassing. He was very glad he hadn't been picked to move on. Heck, he probably would have lost to that Warrior Lady of the Wasteland girl. Imagine Dogoran losing to a human that small. It wasn't too crazy, but no way would it happen.
Jira leaned back in his bunk bed. His roommate was still out doing who-knows-what. Checking his phone again. Still no response from Tobias. Strange. Thinking back, Jira hadn't seen the Ra Yellow since they had parted ways from his little bunker.
Jira's phone went off, and the Slifer Red checked it again. Still not Tobias, it was a text from Willow.
Room 7, right down the hall. Jira texted back. The Slifer Red got out of bed, pulling out his collection of kaiju movies and looking through them. Which one to watch?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dahlia stormed out of the stadium. She needed to cool down a little before she met up with Tracy. Shaking her head, she tried to clear what Goule had said from her mind. She'd go to the store, pick up some card packs for Tracy to celebrate her making it to the finals and a good duel, and head over to the Ra Yellow dorm. Hopefully that would give her enough time to calm down.
Dahlia entered the card shop, only to find that she wasn't the only Obelisk Blue there. Buying cards was another Obelisk Blue girl, one with long black hair tied back in a ponytail. Dahlia didn't recognize her. A new student? Dahlia went over to the card packs, quickly scanning for one with Different Dimension themes.