Fudo Yusei's eyes suddenly sharpened, brimming with an unprecedented fighting spirit!
…
Dark Signer Hideout.
"The Satellite sector is truly an eyesore."
"Where have all the capable duelists vanished to?"
A figure cloaked in black spoke with a hoarse, cynical tone.
"Heh, calm yourself. The Duel King Gold List has just begun. Only the riffraff are being revealed now."
Another cloaked figure chuckled, clearly unfazed.
…
[Duel King Gold List: Ranked 46th in Overall Strength!]
[Daitokuji - Professor Banner]
[Affiliation: South Duel Academy | Position: Alchemy Instructor | Identity: Member of the Seven Stars]
[Deck Representative: Helios - The Sun's Incarnation!]
[Comprehensive Dueling Attributes: Force Suppression: 74 | Resistance to Interference: 55 | Luck: 60 | Deck Building: 65 | Defense: 50 | Strategy: 75]
[Total Score: 379]
[Award: Luck +5, Defense +5, 1 Perpetual Trap Card - Macro Cosmos]
All five duelists for the day had now been unveiled by the Duel King Gold List.
The 46th position caused a stir, especially at South Duel Academy!
…
South Duel Academy - Osiris Red Dormitory
"Whaaaat?!"
"Seriously?! Professor Banner actually made the list?!"
Sho Marufuji's voice cracked as he shouted in disbelief.
"This is insane! I didn't even know Banner-sensei dueled seriously…"
"And he's that strong?"
"But what the heck is the Seven Stars?"
Jaden Yuki scratched the side of his head, confusion all over his face.
…
Principal's Office
"Professor Banner?!"
"Mamma Mia!"
"He's... a duelist?!"
Dr. Crowler buried his face in his hands, utterly shocked.
"Banner... a member of the Seven Stars? Is this a joke?!"
He froze mid-sentence, expression twitching with disbelief.
…
"It's no joke," Chancellor Sheppard replied, his demeanor serious for once. He turned to face the staff gathered.
"The Seven Stars is no mere group… they're assassins."
"Highly dangerous."
"And now that the Duel King Gold List has exposed Banner's identity as one of them…"
"I have no choice."
"Summon him!"
The gravity in Sheppard's words silenced the room.
…
"Unbelievable… how could he have hidden this so well?"
Syrus was left speechless.
"Is he really the same cheerful, cat-loving professor from before?"
Asuka Tenjoin shook her head, clearly in disbelief.
"This is all too sudden…"
"I'll go call him—now!" Crowler exclaimed, spinning on his heel.
"A member of an assassin group?!"
"Banner-sensei... you've been hiding so much!"
But then—
"No need," came a calm voice.
It was Zane Truesdale, arms folded.
"With his identity exposed, there's no way he'll be waiting quietly in the dorm."
Chancellor Sheppard's expression grew even more solemn. He addressed the students:
"Classmates!"
"Today, our Academy had three duelists recognized!"
"A tremendous honor—but this revelation about Professor Banner saddens me deeply."
"We must prepare for what's coming."
"The Seven Stars will not rest."
"We must protect Duel Academy with everything we have!"
"Only those willing to challenge these threats can rise to become Duel Kings!"
The room erupted with spirited determination.
…
Elsewhere, Banner held Pharaoh the cat in his arms, expression calm and unreadable.
"This Duel King Gold List... the timing couldn't be worse."
"But no matter. We move the plan ahead."
"Let's go, Pharaoh."
"Meow!" the cat responded as if understanding every word.
…
[Event Alert: Dragon Boat Festival Reading Event – Recharge 100, Receive 500 VIP Credits!]
(Event Duration: June 3rd–5th)
…
Satellite Sector - Northern Area
"Haha! This is hilarious!"
"The Satellite Sector doesn't even have one name on the Gold List today!"
Yeager cackled mockingly, arms folded with smug satisfaction.
"Hmph, it's time the Satellite duelists get a wake-up call," he added.
"Raw skill alone won't suffice."
Rex Godwin narrowed his eyes, his voice firm.
"Wait—look!"
Yeager pointed abruptly.
The Duel King Gold List hadn't disappeared.
Godwin's expression turned grave.
…
Domino City - KaibaCorp Tower
"Master Kaiba! South Duel Academy's showing is quite impressive—three names on the list in one day!"
Isano reported anxiously.
"That academy falls under the KaibaCorp umbrella... but it wasn't my doing," Seto Kaiba muttered darkly.
"There's another name behind that."
"You don't mean… him?" Mokuba asked with realization.
Kaiba nodded slightly. "No need to speak it."
"Master Kaiba! The Gold List—something's off!"
"Only five names should've been listed today, yet it's still active!"
Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "So the real heavy hitters haven't even been revealed."
"…Just as I thought."
…
And You Feng noticed it as well.
"Professor Banner's identity is already out?"
"This list… it's changing everything."
"But it's not over yet—so who's next?"
He pinched his chin, thinking hard.
Suddenly, the crowd around him erupted.
"Whoa! What's that light?!"
"It's glowing so brightly—I can't even see!"
"What's going on?!"
All of Domino was in a frenzy.
…
[The Final Segment of Today's List—Top Five Duelists Incoming! Codenames Will Be Used Until Identities Are Confirmed]
[5th Place: The World Creator]
[Reward: A Pair of Rare Cards!]
[4th Place: The Devil's Wheel]
[Reward: Fiend-Type Bond +50]
[3rd Place: The Demon King of Memories]
[Reward: Any Card, excluding Divine-Beasts, of your choosing!]
[2nd Place: Pull the Screw]
[Reward: Synchro Acceleration Method + 3 Related Cards]
[1st Place: Pharaoh]
[Reward: One of the Three Egyptian God Cards!]
As each codename was revealed, glowing text swirled across the massive golden scroll.
The world watched, stunned.
A storm was about to begin.