Before Red Dormitory, Professor Banner pushed a massive machine while sticking out his tongue to cool himself down. Struggling to stand upright, he greeted Hikaru.
"H-Hikaru-kun, h-hello."
He looked utterly exhausted.
Professor Banner's full name was unknown, only that either his surname or given name was Banner. He had black hair, wore a white shirt with a tie, and sported glasses. His ever-present smile made him seem warm and approachable.
"Hello, Professor Banner."
This professor was not only the faculty advisor of the Red Dorm but also its cook and a part-time teacher of "Alchemy" at the academy. Despite his seemingly timid demeanor that often made him appear easy to bully, his actual status in the academy was far from low.
But Hikaru knew, Professor Banner was not as weak as he seemed. In fact, he was a truly formidable individual, a genuine heir to the art of alchemy, and even a top-tier duelist capable of creating the legendary 'Philosopher's Stone'.
Even across all the academy's dormitories, north, south, east, and west, he was probably amidst the strongest duelists, the owner of the card that struck fear into countless duelists, Macro Cosmos, his exclusive card.
"Professor Banner, why didn't you ask us to help you carry these? These look way too heavy!" A student who resembled a sloth spoke up.
He was Jaden's dormmate, Chumley Huffington.
"Well… hahaha, I got a little excited, meow~ since students from other dorms are visiting."
Hearing a grown man suddenly say "meow" at close range was enough to send shivers down one's spine.
"Oh, right, Hikaru-kun, come over and test your Spirit Adaptability."
"Spirit Adaptability?" Yet another new term. Hikaru stepped forward curiously and extended his hand as Banner scanned him with a machine.
"Hmm… just as I expected…" He muttered softly while looking at the values on the machine before flashing another smile.
"Hikaru-kun also has a 4-star Spirit Adaptability, just like Jaden! You'll have no problem participating in the simulation, meow~"
"Wow, the same as Jaden!"
"Haha, Hikaru, I knew there wouldn't be any issues—"
Hikaru was still confused.
"So, what does this actually mean?"
"It's basically a measure of how well you adapt to Spirit Duels. The higher your adaptability star level, the better the rewards you receive, the less mental strain you suffer, and the shorter your recovery time when returning to our dimension.
It's said that Mr. Yugi Muto has a 12-star Adaptability, no matter how powerful the Spirits are, they all bow before him! Even if he duels in other dimensions, he never feels fatigued when returning to our world. He's the true King of Duels, meow!"
"Alright, come now, Jaden, Hikaru-kun, step in front of the Dimensional Gate. I'm starting the teleportation, meow~" Banner said while pressing buttons on the gate, muttering to himself.
"Professor Banner, this machine looks way too old!" Syrus couldn't help but voice his concern.
And rightly so—
At a glance, the machine was similar to the Fusion Club's Dimensional Gate, but its exterior was visibly aged and worn. Rust covered several parts, and the components rattled noisily as if it were a retired, outdated model, completely incomparable to those in the other dorms.
"I can't help it, meow~ The Red Dorm only has this one~ But don't worry, I maintain it regularly and have personally modified it!"
Syrus and Chumley were still uneasy, but Hikaru exhaled in relief.
Banner was a powerful alchemist. If he had repaired it, then the machine should be fine.
"Come, come, stand properly, meow~"
Jaden eagerly stepped in front of the machine, while Hikaru, feeling curious, stood beside him and observed.
The massive metal ring began spinning rapidly.
Soon, two strange beams of purple-white light started mixing and twisting, shining down on Jaden and Hikaru.
"Whoa! So this is dimensional teleportation?" Jaden shouted in excitement.
Hikaru watched as his body slowly changed color and turned into particles, an astonishing sight.
Another 'transmigration'!
Just then—
"Meow?!" Suddenly, Banner screamed in panic. Right after that, the machine's light rapidly shifted colors, and he frantically began pressing buttons in a panic.
"W-what's going on?! An error!"
"Huh?!"
"Professor Banner!!"
Syrus and Chumley rushed to his side in a frenzy, watching him desperately press buttons, his face twisted in frustration.
"Stop it! Shut it down!"
"I can't! Once it's activated, it can't be turned off!"
"What?!"
Meanwhile, the light enveloping the two gradually shifted from purple-white to a dazzling, intense golden glow!
"What's wrong, Professor Banner?" Jaden became worried about him.
"Meow—!!"
But there was no more time.
After a sharp scream, Hikaru and Jaden vanished from this world.
When Hikaru regained consciousness, he immediately noticed that his surroundings had changed drastically.
He and Jaden seemed to be inside a massive prison. The air was unbearably thick and murky. Hikaru waved his hand, brushing away the dust before him, feeling his breathing become labored.
"Cough, cough... Where are we?"
"No idea. Maybe… the machine malfunctioned and sent us somewhere else?" Hikaru hesitated.
It was hard to say for sure, considering the Red Dorm's status in Duel Academy, the odds of something like this happening weren't exactly low.
But on the other hand, there was also the possibility that Banner had done this to them on purpose.
After all, in the original story, Banner had no shortage of moments where he tricked Jaden into facing Dark Duels or dueling with spirits.
And since this world had such a convenient Dimensional Gate, it wouldn't be surprising if Banner had set Jaden up again.
"Alright! Hikaru, let's go on an adventure together!" Even after realizing something had gone wrong, Jaden quickly accepted the situation. "Anyway, as long as we win against the spirits here, we can return!"
By now, he had already faced Dark Duels, dueled against the Jinzo's Spirit, and even encountered the Gravekeeper Spirits, dueling the Gravekeeper's Chief. Supernatural events were nothing new to him.
So, even though he'd been tricked again, he wasn't worried at all. Instead, he laughed and prepared to move forward.
"Wait, Jaden—!" Hikaru was just about to call out to him when suddenly, the ground trembled violently.
He steadied himself and looked to the side, outside the massive prison walls, flames erupted with a deafening roar.
It was then that Hikaru finally realized—
They really were in prison!
"Intruders!"
A powerful voice echoed in their ears.
The two turned to look outside and saw a towering warrior clad in jet-black armor. His helmet exuded authority, a shield in his left hand, and a sword in his right, adorned with gold and silver. His voice alone carried a force that seemed to shake the very heavens.
Any duelist would recognize him at a glance.
"Black Luster Soldier!!?" Hikaru and Jaden shouted in unison.
And then, they saw the countless warriors gathered in the plaza behind Black Luster Soldier.
Where had they ended up!?
This wasn't just some broken dimension!
This was Black Luster Soldier's stronghold!!