Kei ruffled through his hair in frustration listening to Haruo trying to explain the situation. [color=9C5F25]”What are you even on about...?! Improper harmony and vessels..."[/color] Kei muttered as he tried to wrap his head around it. [color=9C5F25]"[i]Humans possessed by a malevolent spectre, like... like a ghost, right?[/i]"[/color] he'd try to reason with himself. The older not-quite-gentleman was talking about spirits too, and mentioned Kei's very own Silent Swordsman. Hearing that, he perked up. [color=9C5F25]”Wait, huh? You're not messing with me right?! Partner... partner is [i]real?[/i] I really did hear him?"[/color]

It sounded too good to be true Kei. He'd always felt attached to the card for sure, felt a connection between the two of them. How could he not? Silent Swordsman was his secret weapon, his surefire pattern to victory. Kei pulled out the card to look at it. [color=9C5F25]”Partner... partner, are you there...?"[/color] he'd ask the card, getting nothing in response. Of course he didn't... the man must've made a mistake.

[color=fff79a]"Oh and Shinrei? I've been running in opposition to some of his exorcism attempts for a while. He is taking a sledgehammer to all things even when a  chisel would do just fine. He probably loathes me considerably,"[/color] Haruo would speak up again to snap Kei out of his daze. The boy looked back up as the man followed up with: [color=fff79a]"He's the type I'm sure to remember your face, so do be careful."[/color]

[color=9C5F25]"Ngh... he can bring it! I won't lose next time...!"[/color] Kei tried to sound tough, but given him being on the floor as he said that and only managing to tie Haruo, it didn't seem to have much weight behind it. [color=9C5F25]”I don't get any of this... but if Shinrei's trying to hurt people... trying to hurt [i]partner[/i]... then I just gotta beat him! I gotta stop him!"[/color] he'd declare with gusto. Kei wobbly rose to his feet, a fire in his eyes. He slid the silent swordsman in his hand back into his deck, shakily reaching his arm up. [color=9C5F25]”That's why... duel me again! I gotta... get stronger! Strong enough to beat even Shinrei!"[/color]

Kei was in no state to duel... but he sure looked ready to.[hr][center][h3]Meanwhile...[/h3][/center]

Aiya found herself making her way back home after her encounter with Tsukiko, having had some new things to ruminate on. As she walked through the gate to the dragon's shrine in Kaleido, she could hear some kind of thumping in the distance. It sounded like someone was causing some kind of rattle by smashing into something, just every once in a while.

Uknown to her was that a [url=https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/375363122740854785/1073176915550154813/104693593_p0_master1200.jpg]boy[/url] similar in age to her was kicking down the door to the shrine, locked from an obvious lack of anybody being home. [color=ff2a5a]"Damnit!"[/color] he shouted. [color=ff2a5a]"Open the damned door, old man...! You can't escape me forever!"[/color] he'd growl to himself, the frustration clear in his voice. The sight of his foot making a crack in the wood was that which Aiya was greeted with after coming up the stone staircase. She hadn't caught any of his mutterings but [i]did[/i] see him wearing an unfamiliar school uniform to her, suggesting he wasn't from Kaleido. The boy himself hadn't taken any notice of Aiya, but if she called out to him, he wouldn't waste much time looking back over his shoulder to give her a glare and ask [color=ff2a5a]"Huh? Who the hell are you supposed to be?"[/color]