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Yuugen's first week at the Academy was extremely pleasant and fulfilling.
His interactions with the new classmates in the Yellow Dorm were very smooth. His undefeated streak for the entire week earned him quite a few extra credits. Adding the credits earned from actively participating and answering questions in class, Yuugen spent all the credits he had earned in the first week exchanging them for cards in one go.
The Academy's card inventory was also changing almost daily; cards were constantly being bought by people, and new cards were continuously being added. So, logging in several times a day to check the inventory status had become part of his daily routine.
Of course, the card purchasing system also had a card tagging function. Students could tag the cards they wanted in advance and add them to their collection. Once a rare out-of-stock card was replenished, a message notification would immediately be sent via the terminal devices held by each student.
However, if many people were eyeing the same card simultaneously, getting it depended on speed and luck¹.
This time, Yuugen mainly redeemed two cards.
[Necro Gardna², Level 3, ATK 600, DEF 1300
Effect: During your opponent's turn: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; negate the next attack this turn from a monster your opponent controls.]
A life-saving artifact from the GX era, needing no further introduction. In the later parts of the anime, this card saved Jaden countless times. During the same period in reality³, it even landed on the banlist⁴ due to its excessively high usage rate.
[Electromagnetic Turtle⁵, Level 4, ATK 0, DEF 1800
Effect: During your opponent's Battle Phase: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; end the Battle Phase.]
This card was even older, a life-saving artifact of the King⁶ from the DM era, an ancestor-level Graveyard trap⁷. A single glance revealed its effect was even stronger than Necro Gardna's. The only reason it didn't hit the banlist back then was that it escaped by being released as a real card much later.
Because I'm too afraid of pain, I maxed out on hand traps and Graveyard traps. After all, in this world, one might encounter life-or-death duels from time to time. One could never have too many life-saving artifacts of various kinds.
Having instantly spent all the credits earned in the first week, Yuugen deeply realized that credits were something you spent as fast as you earned; there was no room for slacking off. Thus, he immediately set his sights on the next victim... ah no, the next dueling buddy he planned to get acquainted with.
This week, he had casually dealt with his other classes, but he was quite serious about the Draw Practice instruction. After a week, he now felt he had gained some insights, which was precisely why he was eager to find someone to test his skills against.
Then the problem arose again. After the opponent for the next round was decided, he wandered around for several rounds after class at noon, but couldn't find the person again.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but Yuugen felt like the opponents matched against him each round weren't very enthusiastic.
Unscientific. This was Duel Academy! Weren't they all supposed to be duel-obsessed fanatics who passed the entrance exam? How could they not duel when given the chance...
Unable to find the person for the time being, he had to temporarily give up. Anyway, the monk can run, but the temple can't run away⁸. Could the opponent really avoid returning to the dorm?
Just as he came out from the cafeteria after eating, he bumped into a student rushing frantically.
"You're student Yuugen, right?"
"I am, what's up?"
"I'm Nakamura from the Student Council... Speaking of which, why haven't you voted yet? Among the freshmen, only five people haven't voted yet!"
Yuugen paused, "What vote?"
"The Duel Academy Miss! The election event at the start of every academic year... Ah, no time for details, hurry up and come with me to the venue!"
Yuugen: "?"
Confused, he followed student Nakamura from the Student Council to the auditorium. The place was already packed like a sea of people; students clad in red, yellow, and blue uniforms filled the entire venue.
Under the spotlight on the main stage stood several tall, beautiful girls. Each possessed refined and elegant looks. Glancing over, the mountains converged and the waves raged⁹ – sizes, shapes, distances high and low varied, but even the starting point was at least C-cup¹⁰ strength. Pairs of fair legs seemed to reflect light under the stage lamps.
Shouts echoed throughout the venue. The bewildered Yuugen momentarily thought he had stumbled into some massive idol-chasing¹¹ event.
After an explanation from the Student Council guy, understanding dawned. It seemed that while he was engrossed in studying, forgetting sleep and food¹², the other students had been swept up in the frenzy of voting for the "Duel Academy Miss."
Now that it was mentioned, he vaguely recalled something. This seemed to be a plotline from the GX manga chapters. The star senior, Hoshika Kohinata¹³, who had won the title for two consecutive years, had vote counts exactly tied with the newly enrolled freshman, Asuka Tenjoin¹⁴. An investigation revealed that coincidentally, one last student hadn't voted yet, and that student happened to be Jaden Yuki. Thus, the Academy Miss beauty contest inexplicably turned into a duel where Jaden's crucial vote was at stake...
However, according to this Student Council guy, it seemed there were still five people who hadn't voted yet.
At this moment, the atmosphere between Senior Hoshika Kohinata and Asuka Tenjoin was somewhat stiff. Originally, holding this event at the beginning of the school year favored the older students, as logically, few people should know the freshmen yet.
But unexpectedly, a junior schoolmate who had just enrolled a week ago managed to catch up in votes to tie with her, directly threatening Hoshika Kohinata's predetermined goal of a three-peat championship, and simultaneously threatening her prestige.
She could not accept this defeat.
What was even more infuriating was that Asuka Tenjoin hadn't even come to the venue initially; she was forcefully dragged over later by her two roommates¹⁵.
"Forget it, I withdraw," Asuka suddenly waved her hand. "I never intended to participate in this kind of event anyway. Sumiko and the others signed me up without permission... I quit. That should resolve the dispute, right?"
Logically, this would undoubtedly make Hoshika Kohinata this year's champion. But hearing this, the senior's expression instantly changed.
Are you kidding me? Wouldn't this make my three-peat championship look like charity from a junior schoolmate?
"No, you can't withdraw," she blurted out without thinking.
Asuka frowned, "Then what do you want?"
"Hmph hmph, trying to play hard to get¹⁶ to win the final votes? You look quite pretty, but your mind is quite complicated," Hoshika sneered, arms crossed.
Asuka frowned, but before she could say anything, Yuugen, who had been brought to the front row by the Student Council to watch the show, chuckled and interjected: "Eh? So senpai¹⁷ actually thinks Tenjoin-san¹⁸ is very pretty."
Senior Hoshika's cheeks instantly flushed red, slightly flustered. "I... I didn't! That's not what I meant! Don't talk nonsense!"
Many onlookers nearby made sounds of "Eeee"¹⁹, as if smelling gossip²⁰ in the air.
Seeing the situation about to be derailed by some fun-seeker who popped out of nowhere, Hoshika quickly changed the subject: "Hmph, I've heard about you, Asuka Tenjoin.
During your middle school days, it's said you were ambiguously involved between the young masters of two financial groups, unclear relationships..."
"Nonsense fabricated by gossips," Asuka said expressionlessly. "I am a duelist, and only a duelist. I came here to duel, not for anything else. Naturally, I have no interest in this Academy Miss thing either. I never care how others view me or what rumors they spread."
"Tch, you talk pretty nicely..."
Senior Hoshika couldn't finish her sentence again, as Yuugen spoke up from the crowd once more: "Eh, senpai has actually been paying attention to Asuka-san²¹ since middle school. Good grief, isn't that quite a long time?"
The onlookers once again collectively let out sounds of "Eeee~".
Senior Hoshika's face flushed red again. "I... I haven't! Urusai!²²"
Then she quickly turned the spearhead towards Yuugen.
"You! Who are you? Are you this woman's companion?"
Asuka: "No, I don't think we've met before..."
Or rather, she remembered Yuugen from watching the entrance exams, but she felt the other party probably didn't know her.
Nakamura from the Student Council quickly explained: "Ah, this is student Yuugen. He's one of the five freshmen who haven't voted yet..."
Hoshika: "!"
Bad! This person actually holds one of the crucial remaining five votes! But judging from how he continuously retorted against her just now, the probability of him voting for the opponent seems higher.
However, Yuugen actually didn't care at all who won or lost. He just thought since he was already here, he might as well retort a couple of times and find some fun.
Coincidentally, he was wondering who to duel next. If the opponent got triggered²³ and wanted to challenge him to a duel, that would be even better.
Hoshika Kohinata's face darkened: "Then how about this? Let's duel, using the vote you hold as the wager.
If I win, that vote goes to me. If I lose, that vote goes to that woman. How about it?"
As expected, a duel offer came.
He just knew it. In this Academy, whenever people disagreed, they had to duel. No matter the issue, it ultimately had to be resolved through dueling.
But before he could respond, Asuka suddenly interrupted sternly: "Wait, I object."
Senior Hoshika frowned: "Weren't you uninterested? What objection do you have now?"
"Yes, I have no interest in the competition itself. But I cannot accept having matters related to me decided entirely by others," Asuka stated firmly.
Nakamura from the Student Council started sweating: "Ah, then how about this... why don't you two just duel directly? Whoever wins gets one more vote, how about that?"
Hoshika Kohinata glared at him.
Are you kidding me? Duel this woman?
Asuka Tenjoin was very famous even in middle school; she knew this point. Many people said Asuka was likely the strongest among this year's freshmen, perhaps even stronger than that Jun Manjoume²⁴.
Wait, speaking of Manjoume...
...Suddenly feel like I've heard the name Fujiki Yuugen somewhere before too?
Turning her head again to look at Yuugen, Hoshika was suddenly startled.
Holy crap! Could he be the newcomer people said defeated both Jun Manjoume and the legendary duelist Dinosaur Ryuzaki²⁵ consecutively in the Getsuka Cup²⁶ before enrollment, taking the championship?
Damn it, who can beat this guy?
Just as she felt caught in a dilemma²⁷, before she could speak, she heard Asuka shake her head and say: "No, if I can choose, I want to duel student Yuugen."
Hoshika: "?"
Asuka continued: "If I win, then follow my request just now: remove my name from the list.
If I lose, then you get one more vote. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Hoshika: "???"
What kind of thought process does this woman have? There's such a good deal?
Doesn't this mean she has the advantage regardless of win or loss?
Hoshika was overjoyed. Just as she was about to tell her she couldn't go back on her word, she heard Yuugen interrupt: "No, I feel this is unfair. How about this: I'll duel each of you once. Whoever wins against me gets the vote.
If I win both matches, then I decide who gets the vote myself.
If I lose both matches, then as Asuka-san said, she withdraws herself.
However, there's an additional condition: both duels will not only decide the competition result but also count for credits. The winner can gain five credits from the loser. No problem, right?"
Yuugen, having duels to play, expressed he didn't want to choose just one; he wanted both matches.
Hoshika: "!"
She gritted her teeth and looked at Yuugen.
You damn brat, you're deliberately making things difficult for me, aren't you?