Ace Romanov sat in the back of his private jet, his arms crossed, fingers tapping against his bicep as he stared out the window at the night sky. The hum of the engines did nothing to soothe his irritation. It was two in the morning, and instead of reveling in his latest tournament victory, he was forced to take a last-minute flight to Tokyo because of some incompetent Yakuza lackeys who had mistakenly auctioned off a card he had been seeking.
"Idiots," he muttered in Russian, his voice dripping with venom. He had spent months tracking that card, only for it to be mishandled and sold off to an auction house. He had half a mind to raze the entire operation to the ground, but for now, he would settle for reclaiming what was his.
This is why you should just handle these things yourself, came the ever-pragmatic voice of Swordsoul Sinister Sovereign - Qixing Longyuan.Delegating to fools always results in setbacks.
Ace sighed. "For once, I agree with you."
Draco Berserker of the Tenyi let out a low, guttural chuckle. Why not just kill them? Make an example out of them.
Shaman of the Tenyi cut in, her voice amused yet chiding. Must you always jump to bloodshed?
Ace leaned his head back, exhaustion setting in. The last thing he needed was a debate between his spirits at this hour.
By the time he arrived in Tokyo, he was chauffeured straight to the Romanov Hotel, an extravagant high-rise that was the very embodiment of power and wealth. The moment he stepped into his suite, he collapsed onto the king-sized bed, his anger momentarily forgotten as exhaustion took over.
At exactly ten in the morning, his internal clock forced him awake. After a much-needed shower and a change into a black silk shirt and tailored slacks, he finally felt alive again.
"I swear, I'll have the head of the one responsible for this," he muttered as he sipped his morning tea.
Swordsoul of Mo Ye snickered. Oooo, scary Ace is back. Should I be scared?
He rolled his eyes. "Keep talking, and I'll make you clean my duel disk."
That night, he arrived at the auction house. The air was thick with the scent of expensive cigars and aged whiskey. High-profile collectors and wealthy duelists murmured amongst themselves, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Just as he was about to place his bid, his phone vibrated.
He picked up. "What?"
Syrus' panicked voice came through. "Ace! It's bad, man! Some Obelisk guy named Tori came to the Slifer dorm screaming about ghosts! He and his friend used a Ouija Board to summon Jinzo, and now they're being hunted down!"
Ace cursed under his breath. He had intended to introduce Syrus to duel spirits gradually, but now the idiot had stumbled into the supernatural headfirst. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to think clearly.
"Listen to me carefully, Syrus. Stay close to Jaden and don't do anything reckless. Keep your phone on, and if anything happens, tell me immediately."
"What do I do if Jinzo comes for me!?"
Ace exhaled through his nose. "I'm sending help."
Ending the call, he turned to Swordsoul Sovereign - Chengying.
"Go to Syrus. Open the spirit energy within him. I need him to awaken his connection faster than I planned."
Chengying gave a slow nod. It will be done.
As his ace monster disappeared, Ace clenched his fist. Jinzo, huh? This was getting more interesting by the minute.
And someone was going to pay for it.
Ace remained at the auction house, his mind split between the bidding war and the crisis unfolding back at Duel Academy. The moment his duel disk vibrated with an incoming message, he glanced down.
Syrus: Jaden is dueling now. One of the Obelisk guys got taken.
Ace exhaled slowly. So it begins.
Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan spoke, his tone as calculating as ever. You should return. This is an opportunity to strengthen your hold on Syrus.
Ace grumbled annoyingly. "I want to, but does it look like I can right now?"