Back home from the dojo, Yugen pulled out the "True Silent Magician," the dojo's prized possession the Master had just passed to him. He placed it on the table, examining it carefully from all angles.
Of course, it wasn't at all because of the round, tall, refined, and beautiful artwork; he was purely trying to research the truth of the spirit legend.
He tried to recall the original anime. In GX, Judai, after getting the Winged Kuriboh spirit card from Yugi, didn't seem to do anything in particular. In Episode 1, Kuriboh itself flew out with a "Kuriboh Kuriboh" and responded to Judai.
But his card didn't seem to show any movement.
"Hello?"
"Are you there?"
"..."
Good, as expected, there was no reaction at all.
Then, an idea popped into his head. He immediately took out his Duel Disk and unfolded it.
There was a saying that not everyone could see spirits; "Spirit Affinity" was a talent only certain people possessed. Perhaps the spirit was already out, he just couldn't see it.
But there was another way.
Summoning it through the Duel Disk's holographic projection system, using KaibaCorp's technological power to give the spirit a physical image, might at least allow for communication.
The Duel Disk's projection system activated. Following a gorgeous magic circle, a valiant sorceress slowly stepped forth. Her robes were completely white, the fabric gently swaying with her movements, revealing slender, well-proportioned pale legs. Her dress flowed like dancing snowflakes.
Silent Magician, summoned.
She stood expressionless, cold and graceful like a crystal ice flower, her snow-white complexion like a three-meter-thick glacier.
Yugen stared closely at the tall sorceress.
"Hmm..."
Perhaps KaibaCorp's projection technology was simply too realistic; the skin texture, the cold gaze, truly resembled a real person.
But such an unblinking stare, with not a ripple of expression, surely it must just be a hologram.
Huh?
Yugen, who was observing from the left, suddenly took a step back, looking up at Silent Magician's eyes.
She still had that indifferent look, staring straight ahead without blinking.
But he wondered if it was an illusion.
Just a moment ago, he felt like the sorceress's eyes twitched slightly?
As if she glanced at him, but immediately withdrew her gaze the moment he looked up.
Turning back into that emotionless, poker-faced ice queen.
But that instant was too brief for him to confirm if he was mistaken.
Could it be that there really is a spirit... but she's intentionally playing dead?
But afterwards, no matter how much he circled the hologram, there was no further suspicious reaction.
Having no other method, he could only put away the Duel Disk, take the card off, and place it back on the table.
His evening plan was to shower first, then go for a walk to find dinner, come back to study for the exam, and then go to bed early.
At this moment, a brilliant little idea popped into his head.
He recalled hearing that music is a universal language across species and cultures. Some studies show that many animals and plants react to music, and some fantasy works even depict aliens communicating through music?
So, based on the idea that there was nothing to lose by trying, he turned on his music player, filling the room with suitable dueling BGM. The rousing heavy metal melody, drum beats like a storm, every note filled with passion and power, like thousands of warriors charging on a battlefield...
It was the perfect "burn song" for a duelist; just listening to it made him feel energized, as if the next draw would change the world.
Yugen satisfyingly set it to loop playback, then turned to go to the bathroom for a shower.
A day's fatigue quickly washed away with the running water. Yugen returned to his room, wiping his still-wet hair. But as soon as he came out, he froze, frowning slightly as he sensed something amiss.
The music was gone.
What's going on?
He went to the table and found that the music player had stopped at some point.
Could it be...?
He thought for a moment, then pressed the play button again.
Then he turned and pretended to leave the room to busy himself.
But immediately after leaving, he returned and peeked into the room through the crack in the door.
He patiently waited for less than a minute.
Then he quickly saw that ethereal, semi-transparent figure, emanating from the card on the table with a faint ripple, appearing out of thin air.
Her white robes, her skin looking even paler, almost translucent in that ghostly state, appeared almost divine under the moonlight streaming through the window.
Yugen couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Well, the Master really wasn't blind after all.
There really is a spirit.
The saintly light special effect around the sorceress made her appear somewhat divine, but her silently floating movement seemed a bit sneaky, nervously looking around as if afraid of being discovered.
She stealthily reached out and pressed something on the music player.
The music stopped.
Yugen: "..."
He thought it over, realizing he had been a bit careless in his considerations. It was probably not without reason that she was called the "Silent" Magician.
It seemed she didn't particularly like the music her thoughtful owner had prepared.
But by sheer coincidence, though the process was a bit odd, his music ritual somehow managed to summon the spirit...
So Yugen suddenly pushed the door open, appearing at the room's entrance.
Silent Magician: "!!! "
The silver-haired "onee-san" (older sister figure) was startled, covering her mouth and taking a step back. A blush quickly crept onto her icy face.
It was like a child caught doing something naughty at home when a parent suddenly walks in.
Then, in an instant, the "onee-san" sorceress turned into a white light and zipped back into her card.
Yugen: "..."
Now he was certain.
His spirit had indeed been playing dead.
Why? Do I not look like a good person, perhaps?
Yugen glanced at his reflection in the mirror for two seconds, his handsome face immediately dispelling that notion.
Absolutely impossible.
So, was it possible that this spirit was simply afraid of social interaction?
They say that the bond between a duelist and their cards is the key to victory, and encountering a spirit is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. Yugen felt it was necessary to seize it. So he returned to the table.
"Are you out? Are you there?"
Silent: "..."
"By the way, I already know you're here."
Silent: "..."
Yugen was a bit stumped.
Throughout the anime, the Duel Kings always said that card playing relied on bonds, but it seemed no one had ever explained how to cultivate this "bond" thing?
This wasn't Pokémon; he couldn't feed her or train her. The key was, how do you interact when normal people can't even get her out of the card?
After some thought, he tentatively asked: "How about... I find another song to listen to?"
Silent: "!"
A faint ripple appeared on the card's surface again.
A few seconds later, the Silent Magician, holding her staff in both hands, was floating there with a strange, bowed expression.
She still didn't utter a sound, but this action and reaction allowed Yugen to understand.
Just don't open your mouth, and everything else is easy.