Chapter 226

"In that case, even though Vice Chancellor Bonaparte holds a position on par with Professor Crowler, they're on opposite sides of this. That proposal to abolish Slifer Red won't pass easily."

After hearing the details from her two sidekick besties, Jasmine and Mindy, Alexis let out a small breath of relief on Rowan's behalf.

"Um... Actually, I'm not worried about that at all," Rowan said with a shrug.

For one thing, the mushroom-headed professor had a small weakness in Rowan's hands, and had long since changed his own attitude anyway. Even Kagemaru, the Academy's chairman, was on his side now. As for that short, round Vice Chancellor wanting to abolish Slifer Red, Rowan's verdict was: dream on...

That said, he had no intention of leaning on Kagemaru's position for convenience. After all, he was still waiting for them to come to him for a duel! Just like the mushroom-headed professor before, who had lined up more opponents for him.

"Huh?"

At his words, Alexis blinked, and then she suddenly thought of Chairman Kagemaru and what had just happened. With the way things stood for Rowan now, he could swagger around Duel Academy as he pleased, and there was truly nothing to worry about on that front. As for duels, with Rowan's strength, there was even less to fear.

"Well then, we're going to go help Nurse Fontaine get her things ready first. Oh, and we have health class this afternoon, so don't forget."

After they had finished lunch and basked in the sunshine for a good while, Alexis set down her teacup and rose from the cloth, smiling as she reminded Rowan. Her two sidekick besties stood up as well and gathered their things.

"Now that you mention it, there is..." Rowan suddenly remembered with a blank look that they did have class this afternoon. And it was the health class of Nurse Fontaine, the big-haired, flamboyantly dressed teacher. Only this time it wasn't indoor yoga like before. It was volleyball...

"In that case, I'll bask a little longer and head over after. If I really do forget, cover for me with Nurse Fontaine and say I'm sick, Alexis."

Rowan nodded and waved a hand at the three girls. Then he tucked his arms back behind his head, lay back, and lazily half-closed his eyes.

"What a guy who knows how to enjoy himself."

Alexis sighed, torn between laughing and crying, and led her two besties away from the rooftop. As they reached the stairwell, he could faintly hear what they were saying.

"Since I've been around Rowan so much lately, I feel like I want to slack off and enjoy life like he does."

"It's the worst possible mental corruption for hardworking Obelisk Blue students."

The voices of the two besties, trading lines, faded away down the stairwell. Rowan caught a heavy dose of envy in them, but of course he paid it no mind. He went on basking in the sun with the round Kuriboh on his shoulder, and took the chance to check the system shop options, which had refreshed today.

[System Shop (refreshes every two days)]

Today's Options:

[Deck: Koala Deck (Chumley build)] 500 points. [Deck: Runick Deck (Underworld Banish build)] 1500 points. [Deck: D.D. Dynamite Deck (Underworld Burn build)] 1500 points. [Skill: Mark of the Crimson Dragon — Dragon's Wing (expends a large amount of the user's own Crimson Dragon power to grant the Crimson Dragon's gift of power that lets a Duel Spirit materialize. Note: the Crimson Dragon power expended can be replaced with Emotion Points equal to the monster's Level x 1000.)] 3000 points.

"Mark of the Crimson Dragon — Dragon's Wing?!" Rowan froze when he saw the skill, and then his eyes lit up.

That gift of the Crimson Dragon was none other than the Duel Spirit materialization ability he had been longing for!

A satisfied smile spread across his face. He had never expected the Marks of the Crimson Dragon to be this powerful. All he could say was that it was worthy of the Crimson Dragon, the Feathered Serpent God!

Without a moment's hesitation, Rowan chose to redeem it.

"Hum!!"

A familiar burning sensation rose on his wrist, and a red mark surfaced there, forming a simple pair of crimson wings!

Almost at the same moment, the other four Marks of the Crimson Dragon he already owned resonated with it and rose to the surface of his wrist as well. They slowly joined into a ring-shaped Crimson Dragon crest, like a serpent biting its own tail, with its wings spread and a dragon's hands clutching a dragon's heart!

Only one of the Dragon's Claw marks was still incomplete!

"Another new one has appeared! That mark with the aura of a god's power...!" Camula saw it too, astonished, as the Crimson Dragon mark flickered on Rowan's wrist and then quickly faded from view.

This time, though, she felt a flicker of delight instead. Rowan had already agreed to help revive her clan, if he was able. So the more of that god's power this devious brat gained, the better it was for her. In fact, Camula was now practically hoping he would get something stronger all at once.

"One step closer to the complete 'Crimson Dragon tattoo,'" Rowan murmured with a satisfied smile, glancing at his wrist where the mark had faded.

The only thing that made him wince, just a little, was that the Dragon's Wing's gift of the Crimson Dragon, the ability to make spirits materialize, seemed to be a bottomless pit, a real gas guzzler... Materializing a single Duel Spirit would burn through a good number of Emotion Points as a substitute. Otherwise, after one or two uses, his Dragon's Wing mark would probably run so dry that it would fade away entirely...