Chazz won.
Professor Crowler was the first who couldn't hold back—he jumped onto the arena, snatched up the mic, and blurted, "The winner, representing Duel Academy—Chazz Princeton!"
At his words, the entire student body erupted.
Though Professor Crowler often butted heads with the students, on this matter—who owned Duel Academy—he was firmly on their side.
You could even say the elitist, greedy professor found the idea of the Academy falling into the Princeton Group's hands more unacceptable than anyone.
The cheers shook the rafters, as if they might lift the roof. All the earlier doubt surrounding Chazz dissolved into praise—and thunderous applause.
Someone started chanting his name.
"Chazz! Chazz! Chazz—"
"No!"
Chazz stood at center stage, as if a spotlight fixed him in place. He raised his right hand high and, hamming it up, jabbed a finger at the sky.
"My name is—one!"
"Ten!" someone echoed.
"Hundred!"
"Thousand!"
"THUNDER!"
"Thunder! Thunder! Chazz Thunder—!"
The chaotic noise became uniform under his lead, the arena's roar gathering into one. The black-clad boy stood at the heart of that wave, arm raised. For all the chuuni, there was a faint aura of a king about him.
Sitting in the stands, Kira leaned his cheek on his fist and smiled.
That Chazz—he really does look a bit more grown up.
Though that chuuni streak hasn't improved—in fact, it might have gotten worse.
For no particular reason, Kira suddenly felt that the President might like this kid...
"Big bro!"
The second brother, Jagger, hurried onto the stage to help the fallen eldest.
"This won't stand," he said gravely. "We can't just let it go. When we get back we'll—"
But before he could finish, Slade waved him off.
"No need."
Jagger blinked. "So we just drop it?"
Slade smiled and turned back to the arena. Their tail-end little brother stood there, arm raised, accepting the students' cheers like a victor.
"Haven't you noticed? Chazz's grown."
Only then did Jagger seem to get it, as if he suddenly understood his brother's thinking.
If big brother had won, Duel Academy would have become the Princeton Group's property per his agreement with President Kaiba. But as things stood—even though he lost—Chazz proved himself to the Academy and established his prestige...
Was that what big brother planned from the start?
At that thought, he couldn't help looking at Slade with newfound respect.
"Let's go," Slade smiled. "It's over. Don't bring it up again."
"Yes, big brother."
The two elder Princeton Family took one last long look at their kid brother, then turned and left.
Kira later heard from Mokuba that the duel's result and a report landed on President Kaiba's desk that very night. The President didn't even glance at it.
"Boring."
That's what Kaiba Seto told the subordinate who brought the report.
"My Duel Academy students are supposed to win. What about that needs reporting?"
Who knows if the President had heard Chazz's name—but he seemed confident in this student he'd never met. That's why he'd agreed to the Princeton Group's acquisition proposal without hesitation.
Or maybe he figured that if the Academy's students couldn't handle a scene like this—or worse, would throw a match on purpose—then such an Academy wasn't worth investing in anyway. If it got bought, so be it.
In any case, the outcome was clear: Chazz hadn't disappointed anyone.
"Not bad at all, Chazz!"
Jaden lunged in for a bear hug.
"You've gotten so strong without me noticing, hahaha! I kinda wanna duel you again now—"
"Gross. Get off me!"
Chazz grimaced.
"Don't be like that—we're all bros," Jaden grinned.
Chazz shoved him away, turned—and saw Kira in the back. Only then did it hit him that when he was sleeving up, he'd focused entirely on beating his brother and hadn't thought much else.
But looking back after the win—his tactic really did look like he'd copied Kira's homework. Not only was the style similar, certain parts had like a 90% plagiarism rate...
With the duel over and the crisis past, facing the original, he suddenly realized it; color crept up Chazz's cheeks on instinct.
"D-don't get the wrong idea."
He crossed his arms and looked aside, muttering:
"I didn't mean to copy you. I just... just happened to pick up those cards. Yeah. That's all!"
Everyone: "..."
Hearing that, even those who hadn't thought much about it fell silent.
Kira was easygoing. He just smiled. "No worries—I get it. At worst, what duelists do is 'borrow,' to broaden ideas."
That only made Chazz feel more awkward.
But Kira went on: "Dueling is something all duelists build together. Someone has to blaze new trails and explore new tactics.
And every new path needs generations of duelists to test, refine, and carry it forward.
Yugi Muto, Kaiba Seto—every card and system they've used has since been developed into countless possibilities. That's the direction of progress.
I'd bet that if they saw later duelists build new skyscrapers on their foundations, they'd only feel pleased and proud."
At those words, everyone nodded. Their respect for Kira climbed another rung.
So this is the King's aura?
Truly a man at the summit of the dueling world.
Kira wasn't just spouting pretty words—he meant it.
And saying Chazz copied him felt a bit unfair, too. With the Ojamas, Chazz was the original pioneer before the worldline shifted; if anything, Kira had copied from him.
As with most of his decks. People liked to say his thinking was out of the box, his talent uncanny, to create so many strange builds—but he never took the credit. He knew he'd just played a few more years in his past life, surfed the net a few more years, and stood on giants' shoulders.
He couldn't exactly explain transmigration, though—so even when he tried to be modest, no one believed him. They only thought: truly the King's aura—so talented, so accomplished, and still so humble. Nothing to do but admire...
"By the way, you said you picked up the Ojama brothers in a well behind the school?" Kira asked.
"Yeah. Lyman told me there were rumors of an evil spirit back there. Ojama Yellow led me to it."
Chazz thought.
Jaden muttered, "Speaking of which... we haven't seen Professor Lyman in a while. He hasn't been back to the Red dorm for days—did something happen?"
PS: Bonus chapter at 500 PS