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Before this duel began, Yamamoto Yuuichi had been full of confidence. He was the first one eager to step onto the field, firing the opening shot of the dorm exchange battles.
His original plan was to take advantage of the fact that the freshmen welcome dinner hadn't ended yet, perform a brilliant first victory in front of everyone, and claim the top prize. Who knew that instead of grabbing the top prize, he ended up being the first casualty...
After the duel concluded, his first thought wasn't regret over the loss, nor was it reviewing his tactical shortcomings and mistakes. Instead, he began to fall into some soul-searching.
Like, why, when he had nothing better to do, did he have to challenge that dog to a duel, and why did it have to be under the watchful eyes of so many people...
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt like everyone else seemed quite happy watching that duel. The freshmen nearby were exclaiming repeatedly, pointing in his direction. Especially when they saw him get hit by the two-hit combo 'face-slap' from the bicycle and submarine's degenerate pairing, their faces were filled with unconcealable delight.
However, the joys and sorrows of people clearly aren't shared. Yuuichi just found them all incredibly noisy...
So, he quickly retreated sullenly, shrinking back into the crowd without saying another word.
"Ahem... Ahem, ahem."
Professor Kabayama, the dorm head, cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"Um, well... Student Yuugen and Student Yuuichi have given us a good demonstration, setting a fine example for this year's freshmen exchange matches.
I hope others will also actively duel frequently, get to know each other quickly, and foster friendships, which will facilitate everyone's interactions during the next three years..."
One can hope.
However, to be honest, after watching that last duel, Professor Kabayama was already feeling a bit less confident.
He had initially intended for this welcome exchange event to help the new duelists open up to each other and quickly become companions. However, he never imagined the very first match would set a 'style' quite different from what he had envisioned.
Going by this 'style,' he wasn't sure if hearts would be opened, but it was more likely relationships would 'freeze over' after a duel...
Thinking this, the Dorm Head couldn't help but glance at Yuugen again. Yuugen had already put away his Duel Disk and stepped aside, assuming a humble posture as he listened to the professor's speech.
Such a bright, handsome, and polite kid, how could he be...
Professor Kabayama let out a long sigh. Truly, you can't judge a book by its cover.
He suddenly had an ominous feeling. The future 'style' of this year's batch of Ra Yellow freshmen might be rather unpredictable.
...
...
Returning to his dorm room that evening, Yuugen washed up, then flopped onto his bed like a 'salted fish'. He turned on the dorm's central heating system, lay back on the soft bedding, and comfortably closed his eyes.
The facilities in Ra Yellow were really good, much more comfortable than his home. However, theoretically, Obelisk Blue was supposed to be even better. He couldn't help but start wondering what that dorm was like.
But there was no rush; moving up was just a matter of time. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before he could experience it firsthand.
Lying there alone felt a bit boring, so he took out his Silent Magician card and tried calling forth its spirit.
Perhaps because their bond had grown a little stronger, Silent Magician wasn't as withdrawn as she was initially. At least, she would usually 'pop up' if her master called.
Although theoretically, spirits don't need to 'get fresh air' often, Yuugen felt that occasional communication was necessary to maintain a stable bond. After all, Jaden often chatted with his spirits when he had free time; perhaps that was the secret to his 'Destiny Draws'.
But when he called today, surprisingly, Silent Magician didn't respond immediately.
Yuugen was a bit taken aback. What's going on? Did the affection points I worked so hard to raise suddenly drop? Is she playing dead again?
Good grief, ignoring even her master's summons? Doesn't this mean she needs some 'discipline' again?
Yuugen felt this was detrimental to his dignity as a master, so he called out twice more. Apparently unable to withstand his persistent pestering, the Silent spirit finally emerged after much calling, still holding... a scroll half-covering her face?
He was surprised to find that the Silent Magician girl was actually holding a book today. It seemed she had been so engrossed in reading that she hadn't responded immediately. Even now that she had appeared, she was still holding the scroll, studying it intently.
Yuugen curiously leaned closer to peek over her shoulder. Hmm, great. Can't understand a single word.
It looked like some kind of hieroglyphs, along with a bunch of complex magic circles, runic symbols, and the like – completely arcane scripture.
"What are you reading?" he asked curiously.
Silent Magician lifted her gaze from the book, gave him a somewhat reproachful glance, then turned her head back and continued reading intently.
Yuugen: "?"
What's with that look, like she's staring at an unfaithful lover?
However, perhaps due to the subtle connection between him and the spirit, he soon seemed to understand.
She might be afraid that Yuugen has new spirits and won't need her anymore, so she's studying hard...
Yuugen: "..."
He remembered now. He seemed to recall reading somewhere that spirit evolution and deck strengthening didn't always require a research team to print new cards. Sometimes, spirits could achieve breakthroughs through their own efforts, especially when their bond with the duelist leveled up, potentially resulting in a 'new form'.
Sometimes, certain 'seafood-haired' players would be halfway through a duel when their Extra Deck suddenly glowed, and opening it revealed a brand new monster had appeared out of thin air – this might be that kind of situation...
Many spirits are indeed afraid of being abandoned by their masters. The most representative example is arguably GX's number one yandere, Yubel, who didn't hesitate to travel across space and galaxies just to find her former master Jaden and express her twisted love. There was also Honest from the final season, who, feeling abandoned by his master, traveled all the way from the Spirit World to Duel Academy to find his missing owner.
If spirits could evolve on their own while he just lay around doing nothing, Yuugen would naturally be laughing even in his sleep. But he still cleared his throat and reassured her, "Don't worry. You're my first spirit. We'll always be partners."
Silent Magician peeked out from behind the magic book, her eyes seeming to ask, Really? You're not tricking me?
"Of course," Yuugen smiled. "You are all my wings. How could I abandon any of you?"
Spirits really did seem rather pure-hearted. Hearing this, a smile immediately bloomed on the Magician Girl's usually frosty face. She nodded vigorously, as if expressing her resolve to remain united in heart and purpose with her master from now on.
However, Yuugen wasn't just offering empty words. He had already been thinking that, conditions permitting, he should find an opportunity to 'print' some support cards for Silent Magician as well.
Among Duel Academy's curriculum, courses like Deck Construction or Practical Dueling Tactics didn't particularly interest him; he'd likely just listen casually with the mindset of understanding the thought processes of other duelists in the environment. But that didn't mean he thought there was nothing worth learning at the Academy.
Firstly, Card Creation Instruction was a course he had specifically highlighted, and it had always been a key focus for him. The Academy should provide systematic instruction on card design starting from the basics, which would surely be much faster than teaching himself by hunting down books everywhere.
Following that, courses that interested him included Duel Spirits, Duel Monsters Archaeology, and Duel History.
Additionally, there apparently was also a Draw Practice course. In the anime, students at the Cyber Style Dojo were seen practicing their draws day and night as if training in martial arts. In GX, there was even a student who went to train in the mountains and claimed to have discovered the secret art of the Destiny Draw through understanding nature.
All this suggested that even without relying on artifacts or cheating, there seemed to be actual methods to mastering the Destiny Draw through training. Yuugen was very interested in this as well and had already marked it down as a key subject to focus on.
Summarizing it all, there was still quite a lot to learn. Three years was a very short time, so he had to make the most of it.
Although he had accepted a 'save the world' side quest from the Spirit World, he still had no idea who was behind this 'New Doma' or where they were located. They could be in any corner of the world, in any country. Besides, Yuugen himself hadn't reached the level of the Pharaoh yet; this side quest was too high-level and still somewhat distant for him.
Anyway, Kaiba was spearheading the investigation for now. He was powerful, had resources, and no one was more suitable. Yuugen felt his own priority was to keep his feet on the ground, focus on learning and developing, upgrading his deck and personal skills, starting with the small things right in front of him.
Yes, starting with, for example, his own second-round exchange match tomorrow.
He would strive to continue bringing smiles to his new friends in the Ra Yellow dorm through dueling.