Chapter 23: Hold Your Tongue

Back home from the gym, You Xuan took out the "Silent Magician" card—the dojo master’s prized treasure—and placed it on the table, examining it from every angle.

It was certainly not because the artwork depicted a shapely, refined beauty with a hint of innocence; he was purely investigating the authenticity of the spirit legends.

He racked his memory of the original series. In GX, after Jaden Yuki received the Winged Kuriboh spirit card from Yugi, nothing seemed to happen, yet in the first episode, the Kuriboh just floated out on its own, chatting with Jaden.

But his card didn't seem to be doing anything at all...

"Hello?"

"Are you there?"

"..."

Excellent. As expected, there was no reaction.

A thought occurred to him, and he immediately pulled out his duel disk and unfolded it with a flourish.

There was a theory that not everyone could see spirits; "spirit affinity" was a talent only some possessed. Perhaps the spirit was already out, but he simply couldn't see it.

There was, however, another way.

He could use the duel disk’s solid vision system to summon her. By using KaibaCorp’s technology to provide a physical anchor for the spirit’s image, perhaps they could at least communicate.

The duel disk’s projection system activated. With a brilliant flash of magic, the graceful mage stepped forth. Her pristine white robes swayed with her movements, revealing glimpses of long, shapely legs, the hem of her skirt dancing like snowflakes.

Silent Magician, summoned.

She stood expressionless, cold as a solitary, elegant ice crystal, her porcelain skin like a glacier thousands of feet deep.

You Xuan stared at the tall mage, scrutinizing her.

"Hmm..."

Perhaps KaibaCorp’s projection technology was simply too realistic; the texture of the skin, the cold, detached gaze—it really was like a living person.

But with such a fixed stare and emotionless expression, she was surely just a solid-light projection...

...Hm?

You Xuan, who had been circling to the left, suddenly stepped back and looked directly into the Silent Magician’s eyes.

They remained as still as an ancient well, staring straight ahead, unwavering.

But he couldn't tell if it was an illusion.

Just a moment ago, he felt as though the mage’s pupils had shifted.

It was as if she had glanced at him, only to immediately retract it the moment he looked up, returning to that wooden, icy poker face.

The moment was so brief he couldn't be sure if he had misread it.

"Could it be that there really is a spirit... but she’s playing dead?"

But no matter how he paced around the projection afterward, there was no longer any suspicious reaction.

***

With no other options, he turned off the duel disk, took the card, and set it back on the table.

He planned to take a shower, head out for a walk to grab some dinner, return to study for the upcoming assessment matches, and then go to bed early.

Just then, another stroke of genius struck him.

He remembered hearing that music was a universal language that transcended race and culture. Some studies suggested that many plants and animals reacted to music; in some fantasy works, even aliens could communicate through it.

Acting on the "nothing to lose" principle, he turned on his music player and filled the room with some battle-ready BGM. The intense, heavy metal melody, with drum beats as fierce as a storm, was charged with passion and power, like thousands of warriors charging on a battlefield.

It was the perfect "burn" music for a duelist—the moment it started, he felt a surge of energy, as if his next draw would change the world.

Satisfied, You Xuan set it to repeat and headed to the bathroom.

The fatigue of the day washed away with the water. As he returned to the room, drying his hair, he paused, frowning at an anomaly.

The music was gone.

What was going on?

He approached the table and found the player had stopped.

Could it be...?

He thought for a moment, pressed play again, and turned to leave the room, pretending to be busy elsewhere.

He immediately doubled back, peeking through the door crack to observe the room.

He waited patiently for less than a minute.

Then, he saw it: a phantom-like, translucent figure appeared out of thin air, accompanied by a faint ripple emanating from the card on the table.

Her white robes and skin looked even more ethereal in that ghost-like state, appearing almost sacred under the moonlight streaming through the window.

You Xuan gasped.

Well, I’ll be damned. The master wasn't lying.

There really was a spirit...

The mage appeared somewhat divine with her holy light effect, but her silent, floating movements seemed a bit furtive. She looked left and right nervously, as if afraid of being caught.

She reached out secretively and tapped the music player.

The music stopped.

You Xuan: "..."

He reflected on his actions and felt his initial approach had been a bit lacking. It stood to reason that someone named "Silent" Magician wouldn't appreciate that kind of noise.

It seemed she didn't care for the music he had so thoughtfully provided.

But by some stroke of luck, the weird ritual had actually managed to draw her out.

You Xuan suddenly pushed the door open and stepped into the room.

***

Silent Magician: "!!!"

The silver-haired beauty was startled. She covered her mouth and stepped back, a blush rapidly climbing her cold face.

She looked just like a child caught doing something naughty when a parent suddenly walks in.

Then, in a flash, the mage turned back into a beam of white light and dove back into her card.

You Xuan: "..."

He was sure of it now.

His spirit had indeed been playing dead just a moment ago.

Why? Did he not look like a "good guy"?

You Xuan glanced in the mirror for two seconds; his handsome face quickly dismissed that thought.

Absolutely impossible.

So, was it possible that this spirit was simply socially anxious?

They said the bond between a duelist and their cards was the key to victory, and encountering a spirit was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You Xuan felt he had to seize it. He returned to the table.

"Hey? Are you there?"

Silent: "..."

"I actually know you're there, you know."

Silent: "..."

You Xuan was at a loss.

The Duel Kings of every generation in the anime said that dueling relied on bonds, but apparently, no one ever explained how to actually cultivate one.

This wasn't a Pokémon; he couldn't feed her or train her... and the crucial thing was that she never came out of the card!

After a moment of thought, he asked tentatively: "How about... we find a different song to listen to?"

Silent: "!"

A faint ripple appeared on the card once more.

A few seconds later, the Silent Magician floated there, holding her staff with both hands, her head bowed and her expression peculiar.

She still didn't say a word, but her actions and reaction told You Xuan everything he needed to know.

As long as he didn't speak, everything else was negotiable.