The next morning, after saying goodbye to Edo Acnologia on the floating island atop Face, Chase did not linger. He began his journey back to the southern continent.
The Edo Chase team went with him.
After two and a half years away from the guild, they missed their friends and family. Staying here now was useless. They needed to discuss the invasion of the Apostles of God with everyone back home.
Remembering how boring the trip here had been, Chase did not put the Edo Chase team into cards. Instead, he traveled with them on a regular sea-going magical boat.
It was a modified vessel, designed to cross the ocean. Its shape was sleek, like a smaller version of the Council's airships. It used low-efficiency magic crystals for power.
To save energy, it also had sails to catch the wind.
The waves crashed against the hull, sending up spray.
On the deck, Chase sat with Dark Magician Girl and the Edo Chase team. They talked about their guilds. The atmosphere was lively.
Same names. Same faces. Totally different personalities. It was always interesting.
The Edo Chase team was curious. They wanted to know more about their counterparts from the other world. They wanted material for teasing later.
Edo Freed was the most enthusiastic. He kept asking Dark Magician Girl about Laxus. When he learned that Laxus had started a civil war for the title of strongest and had been beaten by Chase, he was satisfied. He turned and laughed at Edo Laxus.
They had their fun. But Chase already knew what the Edolas Fairy Tail was like. He was bored.
This is worse than traveling alone.
About a third of the way back, he had enough.
"Since we have nothing to do. Do you want to play cards?" Chase looked at Edo Chase.
If he was a shut-in gamer before coming here, he should have talent for card games.
In Earthland, Natsu and Elfman attacked without reading trap cards. Lucy was lucky. Cana used her cards for fortune telling.
Chase had never had a real card duel. He was too strong.
Maybe Edo Chase could give him a challenge.
"A card game? Sounds fun."
"Tell us the rules."
Chase took out the rules and a pair of Glasses of the Wind's Chant.
Soon, they understood. They made space.
Chase and Edo Chase put on Duel Disks. The duel began.
Chase used the Yugi Mutou Deck. Edo Chase used the Yusei Fudo Deck. He loved Stardust Dragon.
With 4000 LP each, the game began. Dark Magician Girl cheered for Chase. Edo Laxus cheered for Edo Chase.
As Chase expected, Edo Chase was talented. He learned fast. He became a true duelist.
He pushed Chase to the edge. Chase had only 200 LP left.
But Chase turned the tide with Gandora. He won.
"Haha! Good job, master!" Dark Magician Girl said.
"No. Master lost..." Edo Laxus was in shock.
The others were amazed. A card game could be so exciting.
"Damn it!" Edo Chase shouted. Cards fell from his hands. "One more game. I will make a better combo."
"First, you need to learn the Heart of the Clear Water," Chase said.
He was not calm inside.
Edo Chase's skill was not the surprise. The surprise was that this duel had given him a new card.
Silent Magician.
He did not understand. He had only gotten new cards from real fights before.
Was it the stress of not losing to a beginner? Was it Edo Chase? Was it Edolas?
He did not know. His magic gave no answers.
"I accept. One more game."
Chase put on his Duel Disk.
"Hey! Let us play too!"
Edo Freed tried to take the Duel Disk.
The others wanted to play too.
"You do not need the disk to play cards," Dark Magician Girl said. "And I am better than my master."
They calmed down. They became polite.
"Just play," Chase said. He wanted to study his new power.
They split into pairs. They played cards.
Chase was disappointed. He did not get a new card from the second game. It was like real fights. One card per person, per time.
Switching opponents did not work. Edo Laxus and the others were not strong enough.
He lost interest. He sat in a corner. He studied the new card. He used his magic to speed up the boat.
He went into Card Space. He wanted to talk to Dark Magician. And meet his new monster.
Silent Magician.
She was a Level 8 monster. Her adult form. White hair. White robes. Beautiful and elegant. She would sell out Weekly Sorcerer in a day.
She was also silent. Not like Gandora.
But her power was real. 3500 attack points. Higher than Chaos Soldier. Higher than Dark Magician of Chaos.
"I see. May I join you?"
She wanted to learn. About magic. About her master.
Another scholar.
"Of course."
She was his comrade. There was nothing to hide.
***
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