[Shark, LP 0]
Shark let out a long sigh as his Life Points hit zero.
It took him a few seconds to realize that his fists had somehow clenched tight.
On one hand, he had the urge to beat up the guy in front of him who looked decent on the surface.
On the other hand, he wanted to punch Professor Chronos, who had been grinning slyly and set him up for this duel.
Have first-year Duel Academy freshmen reached this level these days?
And what was with this duel? Had he been away from his alma mater too long, and the educational philosophy changed?
Who taught him to play cards like this!?
Shark felt he had a reason to suspect that the seemingly smiling Chronos had ill intentions from the start.
Thinking back, no wonder the guy had that mysterious smile when talking about the student arranged for the duel. Shark had been lost in his own world, daydreaming about rising to the pinnacle of life after entering the Academy, and hadn't noticed. But now, reflecting on it, he suddenly felt there might be something shady.
But Shark felt that even though he had ambitions, he should have hidden them well. In front of Chronos, he had always been respectful, appearing humble, as if there was no chance to slip up.
So why did the professor feel so antagonistic, deploying this kind of rookie weapon against him!?
Asuka, in the stands, was silent for a while.
"This time, it's a Water Attribute-focused strategy with a card deck focused on lockdown and control..."
Asuka's expression was a bit strange.
Although it fit the inherent impression of Yugen's introverted tactics, belonging to the sort that breaks down the opponent's mentality before depleting Life Points, it was a new strategy she hadn't seen before.
She was increasingly curious about what kind of brain this person had, why he could keep coming up with various peculiar tactics that made people's blood pressure soar, and surprisingly, they seemed to have decent combat power...
She couldn't help but look at Mitsuzawa beside her.
"By the way, you're the same kind of Duelist, aren't you? I remember you also have many different thematic card decks?"
Mitsuzawa shook his head with a face full of gloom: "Don't mention it."
Ever since losing last time, he had been troubled by finding tools to counter Yugen's endlessly changing tactics. He hadn't figured them out previously, and seeing today's card, he realized that the strange tactics had multiplied again.
It felt a bit like yesterday's math teacher left three difficult final questions; you strained your brain all night to solve one, with no clue about the rest, only for the teacher to bring three new ones today, making your blood pressure soar.
And this was just the tip of the iceberg Yugen showed today. Who knows how much new, nasty stuff he's developed behind the scenes...
Mitsuzawa felt great pressure.
After the duel, Yugen happily received the promised rewards. Professor Chronos hesitated to speak after reviewing the cards, wanting to evaluate something but not sure how to start, ultimately nodding slightly in acknowledgment.
As for the old Shark, he clearly had to say goodbye to his plans for teaching career development.
Moreover, it wouldn't have been just that if the old Shark left; he also considerately gifted a set of card decks. Although Yugen wanted to decline, considering it might show disrespect to the duel and the opponent, he reluctantly accepted it.
Honestly, Shark's most prized rare card "Electronic Dinosaurs" seemed like a bit of a letdown to Yugen, already wanting to sell it for cash upon acquiring. However, the "Divine Eagle Feather Brush" used by the opponent during the duel was valuable, still actively clearing the backfield in physical card environments.
With another wave of new credits obtained, Yugen immediately exchanged for Academy shopping Dp points upon returning, habitually scanning the new products in the Academy Department.
He casually collected a few scattered cards of interest, and upon swiping to the deck formation area, discovered an intriguing new deck setup.
Ojama Series.
One of the hallmark series from Chazz, who later fully transformed into a comedic character, with a deck he calls "Even small fry have their uses," though honestly, it has some unique qualities.
This deck setup in the Academy Department was likely just for number padding, considerably cheaper compared to others.
Which was understandable. Ojama seemed common in the GX era and was quite neglected, even Chazz's Ojama Black and Ojama Green were discarded trash picked up by others.
Moreover, the Ojamas in the GX anime still have many auxiliary cards not yet turned into real cards. While standalone combat power was debatable, there was indeed some playability in terms of tactics.
Anyway, it was cheap, so Yugen went ahead and bought a set.
Ojamas might not be strong, but they certainly excelled at messing with opponents' mental states. Especially the trio, ugly and comedic, whose mere presence when summoned with 3D projection in the dueling environment could provoke the opposing side thoroughly.
To not mention, every time Chazz used the Ojama brothers to fight in the anime, the opponent often felt insulted and very angry...
Just that the deck itself was so unimpressive, lacking combat power. To gain practical abilities, one still needed to unleash their own imagination.
Upon seeing the deck, Yugen's mind sparked several interesting ideas, drawing wisdom from predecessors. Although early Ojamas did indeed appear in competitive settings and were intertwined with introverted and mental game-play strategies...
However, to complete a mature deck still required some components.
Speaking of Chazz, it seemed like the first round of the Dueling Department competition was approaching. If all goes without incident, Yugen should have a rematch with him soon.
I wonder how Chazz has progressed since the school started.
But before that, the disciplinary department regarding unauthorized entry into the old dormitories finally took action.
Early the next morning, a truck resembling a troop transporter aggressively parked beneath the dormitory. A large group of black-clad men with sunglasses stormed the front of the Red Dormitory, startling the sleepy Teacher Dade Temple.
"Academy's Disciplinary Department, specialized in handling serious situations..." Dade Temple appeared terrified, "Why would such scary people come to our dormitory?"
It's said life is akin to acting, relying on skill, and Teacher Dade Temple's dedication even when no one is watching ensured he maintained his persona.
"Open the door."
Someone knocked heavily on the door.
The sound roused Judai from sleep, rubbing his eyes and clumsily jumping down from his bed.
"What's…going on?"
Judai yawned.
The voice outside continued: "If you don't open the door now, we'll carry out a blast."
Judai continued rubbing his eyes.
"Blast…blast…What!?"
Seemingly jolted awake, Judai hurriedly jumped from his bed to open the door.
He faced a stern-looking, long-legged, fair-skinned female teacher, surrounded by a crowd of burly men.
"Are you the mastermind Yuki Judai?" the female teacher asked coldly.
Judai was stunned: "Huh? Mastermind?"
"You need to come with us to the Disciplinary Department," the teacher's voice left no room for argument, "Immediately."
...
Meanwhile.
Having gotten up and ready for class, Yugen received a call through his student terminal.
"Hello, is this Yugen?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"Ah okay. I'm a teacher from the Academy's Disciplinary Department. Regarding the incident at the old dormitory the night before, I heard you were there. Could you please come to the department to describe the situation?"
"But I have a class in the first session this morning, I'm about to head there..."
"Oh, I see; could you come to the Disciplinary Department whenever you're free today?"
"I have nothing scheduled during the second class this morning... Is it okay if I come then?"
"Of course, we greatly appreciate your cooperation, Yugen."
A graceful female voice responded from the other side.
"Wishing you a pleasant day at the Academy."