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Kaiba Land.
The venue, shaped like a white dragon, was constructed with countless small mirrored glass panels that formed a structure resembling dragon scales, reflecting dazzling, multicolored light. Outside the venue, crowds of people bustled about, creating an atmosphere that was both lively and tense.
This was the site of Duel Academy's annual practical entrance examination.
The exam consisted of two parts: a written test and a practical duel. Only those who passed the written portion were eligible to participate in the practical assessment. The order of the practical exam was determined by the rankings from the written test, and the difficulty of the challenges corresponded to their scores.
Ultimately, the combined results of the written and practical exams would determine each student's admission score. Duel Academy adhered to an elite education system, emphasizing strength in every aspect of life and learning. After enrollment, students were assigned dormitories based on their scores. The top-tier dorms boasted luxurious facilities, superior cafeteria meals, and services far beyond what lower-tier students could access.
Additionally, rewards such as merit points, priority access to rare cards, and discounts varied significantly depending on one's rank.
The dormitories were divided into three tiers, named after the legendary Egyptian God Cards at the pinnacle of Duel Monsters. The highest-tier dormitory was called "Obelisk Blue," followed by "Ra Yellow," and finally "Osiris Red," which was considered the lowest tier and looked down upon by the entire academy.
However, every time Yu Xuan saw this setup, he couldn't help but suspect there was some ulterior motive behind it, likely orchestrated by Seto Kaiba himself, the founder of Duel Academy.
In the original Duelist Kingdom arc, Obelisk was Kaiba's own God Card, while Osiris belonged to his rival, Yugi Mutou (Atem).
One could easily imagine Kaiba's expression when dividing the dormitories: "Damn you, Yugi! You beat me and just disappeared without a word..."
"Mark Osiris—no, I mean the Osiris dorm—as the lowest tier!!!"
Minion: "Yes, President!"
"..."
The results of the written exam had been announced the day before. Unsurprisingly, Yu Xuan had secured first place, earning the candidate number 001.
As he received his admission ticket, Yu Xuan briefly reminisced.
He vaguely remembered that in the original anime, there was a character who ranked first in the written exam. Had he inadvertently taken someone else's spot? Was it someone named Sanshoku Daisuke? Or perhaps Rokuzawa Sora?
Ah, yes—Mitsuwada Daichi. But it didn't matter much. From what he recalled, Mitsuwada was just a minor character whose removal wouldn't affect the plot. No big deal.
Yu Xuan made his way to the examination hall entrance. Before entering, all candidates were required to complete registration and check-in procedures.
Sitting at the entrance was one of Duel Academy's teachers, Nurse Namikawa Eimi. Clad in the iconic Obelisk Blue vest and skirt, her crossed legs subtly highlighted her figure. She was the kind of character that made viewers re-examine their childhood memories and wonder, "Was she always this... curvy?" or "Why did I only notice the dueling back then?"
But Yu Xuan's heart remained still. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the upcoming duel—what deck configuration to use, what strategies to employ, and how to play his cards.
True duelists were single-minded. Only by becoming one with their cards could they achieve fearlessness and mastery.
"Name?"
"Fujiki Yu Xuan."
"Candidate number?"
"001."
"So, you're this year's number one? Impressive."
Teacher Eimi smiled warmly.
Seeing a somewhat handsome student seemed to brighten her mood.
"Alright, let's register your primary deck." Teacher Eimi spoke kindly.
She had volunteered for this role out of curiosity, eager to see what this year's new batch of students looked like.
So far, this year's top scorer left a good impression. Not only were his grades excellent, but he also appeared polite and refined—a promising, sunny young man...
"Do we really need to register our decks?" Yu Xuan asked, slightly surprised.
In this world, duelists typically had signature decks and iconic ace monsters. However, Yu Xuan frequently changed his deck configurations to avoid being studied or countered. He had planned to decide his strategy based on the examiner's deck after observing it during the duel.
Would registering his deck here lock him into a specific configuration?
"Student?" Teacher Eimi tilted her head, puzzled.
Aren't you already a duelist aiming for Duel Academy? Shouldn't you know your own deck?
She thought for a moment and added helpfully, "Oh, this isn't a strict review—just a simple registration. Many students' decks might not have a clear series or theme. You can describe your deck based on the main race, attribute, or tactics you use..."
Yu Xuan pondered for a moment.
"Hmm... My primary deck consists of Spell Cards supplemented by Trap Cards, Mage-type monsters supported by Warrior-types and Machine-types..."
Teacher Eimi: "???"
Are you sure that thing you described qualifies as a deck?
"Haha... Very humorous, student," Teacher Eimi chuckled dryly. "Some students' decks are indeed eclectic. How about telling me your ace card or your favorite card instead?"
Yu Xuan fell into deep thought.
While the monster lineup in his deck often changed, certain constants remained: universal counter traps to disrupt opponents, powerful card advantage engines, and explosive draw power.
Thinking this, he instinctively reached for a Pot of Greed... but suddenly froze.
He felt an ominous presence looming nearby.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the usually reclusive Silent Magician hovering silently beside him in spirit form, visible only to him. Though she made no sound or movement, her mournful gaze seemed to say, "So your favorite isn't me...?"
Yu Xuan took a deep breath.
An inexplicable survival instinct compelled him to shove the half-drawn Pot of Greed back into his pocket and pull out Silent Magician instead.
"Silent Magician!?" Teacher Eimi exclaimed in shock. "That ultra-rare card used by Duel King Yugi Mutou!?"
Her respect for him instantly skyrocketed.
After completing the registration, Yu Xuan felt an invisible weight lift off his shoulders. Turning around, he confirmed that the spectral figure had vanished.
Yu Xuan exhaled in relief.
"That was close... Good thing I reacted quickly."
This should strengthen his bond with his spirit partner, right?
Ah, disaster averted.
Though he might not even need to summon True Silent Magician during the exam, it didn't matter.
Even without appearing on the field, True Silent Magician's deck was overwhelmingly strong. Truly, our True Silent deck is unmatched.