Ryo Nakamuta frowned slightly, opening the envelope and skimming its contents.
After reading, the ominous feeling in his heart gradually dissipated.
It wasn't a challenge letter but an invitation.
The sender wasn't Mina Suzuki, either.
It was Seiji Suzuki, Mina's father and president of the Suzuki Group.
The letter's tone was sincere and heartfelt, making it feel like an invitation.
Not a single word mentioned the class president duel, as if it had never happened.
Only at the end did it reveal the core purpose of the letter.
"As expected of the Suzuki Group's president."
"Talk about magnanimity."
"So it's just an invitation to dinner?"
"That simple?"
Ryo Nakamuta closed the envelope, gleaning from the lines that Seiji Suzuki was inviting him to the Suzuki Group for a casual dinner.
Yes, that simple.
But precisely because it was too simple, he couldn't help but wonder if Seiji Suzuki had ulterior motives.
Just dinner? Who'd buy that?
"Nana's sake!"
"This isn't a trap like the Hongmen Banquet, is it?"
"The letter doesn't mention his precious daughter's class president issue."
"Is this to make me drop my guard, lure me over, and then…"
The more Ryo thought, the more he suspected Seiji Suzuki wasn't acting in good faith. But avoiding it wouldn't help—dodging the first strike wouldn't escape the next.
If he didn't go now, there'd be another invitation later.
Rather than dragging it out, better to settle it quickly. Worst case, it'd be a duel.
If one duel wasn't enough, another would do the trick!
Decided! Let's do it!
With that, Ryo changed his plans, left the school, and took a taxi to the Suzuki Group.
In the cab, he chatted with the driver, gaining a basic understanding of the Suzuki Group and Seiji Suzuki.
The Suzuki Group collaborated with companies like Kaiba Corporation and Industrial Illusions.
Kaiba Corporation focused on virtual tech, duel disks, and other innovations.
Industrial Illusions specialized in card production, rolling out new booster packs and prebuilt decks for the world.
The Suzuki Group acted as a supplier, providing card-making materials, organizing tournament events, and training pro duelists.
A third of the world's famous pro duelists came from the Suzuki Group, personally mentored by Seiji Suzuki.
The driver also mentioned Seiji's kind, approachable personality, not one to hold grudges.
This eased Ryo's anxiety a bit.
At least it probably wasn't a Hongmen Banquet.
"Let's check the next tasks…"
[1. Perform one Riding Duel and activate one D-Wheel skill.]
[2. Defeat one duelist.]
Ryo had redeemed his deck last night, and the tasks refreshed, but he hadn't checked them until now.
Glancing over them, he had a plan.
These two tasks weren't hard.
The only snag was the Riding Duel!
He didn't own a D-Wheel.
He'd have to rely on the Suzuki Group.
"We're here, this is the Suzuki Group entrance."
"Great, thanks, driver!"
Ryo paid and stepped out, but before he could react, two burly, bald men in sunglasses, both over six feet tall, blocked his path.
Ryo, at about 5'10", wasn't short, but his frame wasn't as beefy as theirs.
The contrast made his heart skip a beat.
"You're Mr. Ryo Nakamuta, correct?" (2x)
"Please follow us. Our president has been expecting you."
One of the bald men bowed slightly, his demeanor polite and reassuring.
"Alright, thank you both."
Ryo followed the two men through the company's grand entrance.
They took an elevator to the sixth floor, where Ryo found the layout unlike any typical corporate office.
On the left, dozens of duel platforms hosted pairs of players immersed in practice, barely noticing Ryo passing by.
On the right was the start and finish line of a Riding Duel track, stretching from the sixth floor down to the street, circling the building, and returning to the sixth floor.
"Holy cow!"
"No wonder they're rich."
"A Riding Duel track built right here!"
"Now I get why they train pro duelists."
Ryo swallowed hard, eyeing the colorful D-Wheels lined up on the right. He could barely contain his urge to hop on and take one for a spin.
Hold up—maybe he could complete his system task right now!
"You're Mr. Ryo Nakamuta, right?"
"Heh, heh, heh, the president said I should entertain you first."
A familiar yet slightly strange voice came from behind. Ryo turned and froze when he saw who it was!
It was none other than a famous figure from the 5D'S world—Ushio Tetsu!
Yes, the very same Ushio Tetsu who faced Yusei Fudo in a Riding Duel at the start of 5D'S and got obliterated!
What was this guy doing at the Suzuki Group?
Wait a sec.
His outfit—dark gray coat, dress pants, white socks, and polished shoes—plus the way the two bald men bowed respectfully and stepped aside when he approached…
Ushio Tetsu held a high position in the Suzuki Group, didn't he?
"Allow me to introduce myself—"
"I know, you're from the 5D'S dimension, right?"
"You're, uh, Ushio Tetsu!"
Huh?
He recognized him?
Even knew his home dimension?
Ushio Tetsu blinked, sizing up Ryo Nakamuta again.
He was 100% sure he'd never met this guy before!
Was he… famous now?
"Alright, alright, let's get to business."
"Your president sent you to entertain me."
"What's the deal?"
"Didn't he say he was treating me to dinner? This sixth floor doesn't look like a dining area."
Ryo Nakamuta smirked playfully at Ushio Tetsu, fully aware that Seiji Suzuki hadn't shown himself yet and sent Ushio instead.
It was obvious they wanted to test his dueling skills again.
A duel's duration would conveniently wrap up around lunchtime.
"Mr. Nakamuta, you're sharp!"
"The president asked me to let you experience our Riding Duel track project first."
"If you're unfamiliar with Riding Duels, we can have a standard duel instead."
"Of course, if you don't want to duel, feel free to do as you please. I won't force you."
Riding Duel?!
Ryo's eyes lit up. He'd just been thinking about the Riding Duel task!
And now Ushio Tetsu was offering an invitation?
This was perfect!
"Great, great, great! No kidding!"
"I've been dying to see what it's like to play cards on a motorcycle!"
"Today's my chance!"
"Come on, show me how it works!"
"Helmet on, then what?"
Ryo's excitement far exceeded Ushio Tetsu's expectations. Before Ushio could respond, Ryo had already picked a crimson D-Wheel and donned a helmet.
The scene left Ushio dumbfounded, frozen in place.
Wait, what?
This guy seemed like he'd never done a Riding Duel before. Did he actually know how to play one?
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T/N: I now have proofreader hehe... But still if you manage to find any mistake just comment so...