After the chaos of the Miss Duel Academy event, Yumi returned to his usual routine, dueling students to farm Spirit Energy like clockwork.
"Go, Kagari! Direct attack!"
Yumi's voice rang out sharply as his fire-themed mecha heroine launched into action. Her mechanical wings flared open, igniting with blazing boosters.
"Afterburn!"
With a surge of flame, Kagari rocketed forward, slicing clean through her opponent's Life Points. The Ra Yellow second-year barely had time to react before the attack landed.
[Ra Yellow Student, LP: 0]
The duel ended in an instant.
The poor student could only gather his cards in silence, his head hanging low. He didn't even get to take a second turn.
Too strong…
That thought echoed across the watching crowd like a silent consensus. No one dared to challenge Yumi lightly anymore, not unless they were ready to be humiliated in front of half the dorm.
As Yumi walked the hallway, his eyes caught a card lying face-down near his feet.
He stooped down and picked it up. When he turned it over, his brow lifted in surprise.
"Ancient Gear Golem...?"
Did Crowler drop this?
He recalled hearing chatter about how rare and powerful the card was. In one GX episode, there was even a student notorious for copying other people's decks, stealing not just the cards but also their personalities. He mimicked Yugi's deck, parroted Atem's speeches about bonds and friendship… despite not having built any of his own.
In the real-world meta, netdecking was a well-known strategy. But to make it work, you still needed knowledge of combos, of pacing, of synergy.
No HEROes player could just pick up a Galaxy-Eyes deck and instantly master Xyz Summoning. That kind of understanding took time.
Yumi turned the card between his fingers thoughtfully, until a shout rang out.
"Hey! That's Senior Tobi's Ancient Gear Golem!"
"A thief! Someone's stealing it!"
He looked up. A group of Obelisk Blue students was already surrounding him, eyes narrowed, arms crossed.
Yumi stared at them in disbelief.
"What are you talking about? I just picked it up off the floor," he said, his voice flat and calm. "If it's someone else's and you know who, then give it back to them. Simple."
He held the card out toward them.
The Blue students froze.
That… wasn't how this was supposed to go.
They expected him to hide it. Deny it. Run. Anything but this. But Yumi offered to return it freely, without hesitation.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, glancing around at their stunned faces. "You said it belongs to Senior Tobi, right? If he dropped it, he'd probably be worried. Take it back to him before he notices."
Yumi wasn't suspicious. He just imagined how he'd feel if he lost one of his cards. Sure, 90% of his monsters could come back to him one way or another, but still. Losing a card would hurt.
So, he stepped forward without hesitation, ready to hand it over.
That's when another voice cut in, cold, sharp, and laced with disdain.
"I heard the thief's been caught."
A tall student approached, epaulet glinting on his shoulder, clearly a senior. He carried himself with practiced arrogance, each step calculated to draw attention.
Yumi raised the card. "You're Senior Tobi?" he asked. "I found this on the floor-"
"Hmph. Typical Slifer scum," Tobi sneered, cutting him off. "Can't even admit it when you're caught red-handed."
Yumi's expression darkened.
"Why don't we just check the security footage?"
The hallway fell silent.
Tobi coughed and shifted, visibly caught off guard.
"Someone like you doesn't belong at Duel Academy," he snapped, trying to pivot.
Beside Yumi, a ghostly figure shimmered into view, Raye, his Duel Spirit companion.
"It's a setup," she whispered. Her expression was cold, disgusted.
"I see," Yumi said aloud, eyes narrowing. "You planted the card. Hoping someone would pick it up so you could accuse them of stealing."
His voice was calm, but his tone cut like steel.
"Do you think this is funny? A prank?"
Everyone knew: stealing cards wasn't just against school rules, it was one of the most serious offenses a duelist could commit. It followed you, marked you.
"If you wanted to get rid of me, just say it." His eyes met Tobi's directly. "What's with the cheap theater? Is this how seniors behave?"
A low chuckle escaped him.
"I wouldn't want to associate with insects like you anyway."
That hit hard.
"What did you just say?" one of the Obelisk Blues snapped.
"Am I wrong?" Yumi's voice rose, layered with contempt. "You gang up on someone and frame them. Do you think that's something to be proud of?"
He flipped the Ancient Gear Golem card in his fingers.
"Elite? Don't make me laugh. You're pathetic."
The hallway filled with murmurs. Students were starting to gather. Some recognized the pattern. This was Tobi's routine. He'd pulled this stunt before, planting rare cards in public and accusing whoever found them of theft. Anyone he disliked. Anyone who didn't bow their head.
Slifer Reds and Ra Yellows clenched their fists. They'd seen this happen. Some had even been victims.
But this time… someone was fighting back.
Even a few Obelisk students looked uneasy.
Then, numbers shifted. The more aggressive Blues stepped forward, surrounding Yumi and the few Reds and Yellows who stood behind him. Older students hesitated, but the younger ones, those pushed around for weeks, stood their ground.
A quiet fire was starting to catch.
Yumi raised his left arm. His Duel Disk activated with a sharp click. Its red core pulsed as it unfolded around his wrist.
He stepped forward.
"Enough with the hypocrisy, senior," he said, making the title sound like an insult. "We're Duel Academy students. So let's settle this like duelists."
The words echoed through the hallway.
"You and me. Right here. Right now. If you win, I'll leave Duel Academy permanently. If I win, you do."
He smirked. "Deal?"
Tobi stiffened. Sweat formed on his brow.
He'd been exposed, cornered with his own weapon. Now the whole school was watching.
"N-Now, hold on. That's a bit extreme, isn't it? Expulsion over a duel-"
He bumped into one of the Blues behind him.
"And so is framing someone," Yumi cut in. "Or are you backing down now that you've been cornered? Gonna cry?"
The mocking tone stung.
Tobi's lips curled. "Fine," he growled through clenched teeth.
Yumi smiled.
"To defeat you, I don't even need Raye."
That name-
The Obelisk Blues stiffened. They'd heard it before.
The Slifer Reds and Ra Yellows, however, immediately knew who he meant.
Sky Striker Ace - Raye
After all, Raye has single-handedly beaten down many Slifer and Ra students. So they all could say that they knew her quite well.
"Could you contact Headmaster Sheppard?"
Yumi turned to a nearby Slifer Red student, holding up the Ancient Gear Golem card.
"Tell him what's happening. Ask if he's willing to hold onto this card as a neutral party, and if he'll serve as the official referee for this duel."
Word spread quickly.
After a short time, Headmaster Sheppard arrived, flanked by Professor Crowler and Professor Banner. A hush fell over the crowd.
Sheppard, dressed in his trademark deep red Slifer Red coat, was usually known for his warm smile and encouraging demeanor. But not today.
Today, he wore a stern expression.
The situation demanded it; one student was accused of theft, another attempted to sabotage a peer's future.
Sheppard had already reviewed the surveillance footage, seeing how Tobi and his Obelisk Blue friends framed Yumi Uzushi as a thief. If he wanted to, he could expel Tobi on the spot.
But Yumi had requested that the matter be settled through a duel.
Sheppard decided to respect that.
Even if Yumi somehow lost, Sheppard had no intention of accepting his withdrawal. The boy's duel record spoke for itself; he was a rare talent, and the Academy couldn't afford to lose him.
Stepping forward, Sheppard addressed the gathered students.
"I understand the situation. As headmaster of Duel Academy, I will act as the official witness and neutral party for this match."
He raised a hand.
"Duel... begin!"
"DUEL!" x2
[Tobi, LP 4000]
[Yumi, LP 4000]
Tobi smirked, radiating confidence. "As your senior, I'll be generous and let you go first."
He had already figured out Yumi's strategy from his lackeys. He is known for OTK-ing his opponent. If Yumi takes the first turn, he won't be able to OTK him, causing his fast-paced, aggressive style to lose its momentum.
Then by the next turn, as long as he can summon his Ancient Gear Golem. He could steamroll Yumi.
"Then I won't hold back." Yumi replied coolly, placing his hand on his deck. "Draw!"
He took his first card, glanced at his hand, and moved instantly.
"I activate Miracle Rupture! I'll send Sentry Soldier of Stone from my deck to the Graveyard, then draw one card."
A card slid smoothly into the grave, followed by a quick draw.
The "Raye Fan Club" members watching from the back sagged in disappointment, not seeing their beloved heroine.
"Next, I play Angel Baton! Draw two, then discard one."
Two swift draws. One discard.
"Now, I'll Normal Summon Giant Soldier of Stone in Attack Position!"
A shimmer of light, then the battlefield trembled as a colossal, stone warrior stepped forward.
[Giant Soldier of Stone, 1300 ATK]
"Since I control a 'Stone' monster, I can Special Summon Sentry Soldier of Stone from my Graveyard!"
The very same card he sent to the grave earlier shot up from the graveyard and slammed onto the field with heavy thuds.
[Sentry Soldier of Stone, 1300 ATK]
Tobi sneered.
"As expected of a Slifer scum, two 2000 DEF bricks in Attack Position. Do you plan to punch me with gravel?"
Yumi ignored him, placing his next card without hesitation.
"I activate Monster Reborn! I'll bring back Catapult Turtle from my Graveyard!"
Another flash of light, and emerging from it, a hulking mechanical turtle with a giant cannon mounted on its shell.
[Catapult Turtle, 1000 ATK]
Now the audience started murmuring.
"Wait… he's going to launch them?"
"That's just chip damage, right?"
"But… won't that leave him wide open?"
They weren't wrong. Ancient Gears punished setups that relied on Spell/Trap defense. Why would Yumi risk that?
"Catapult Turtle's effect! I launch Sentry Soldier of Stone! You take damage equal to half its ATK!"
The stone soldier climbed atop the cannon.
Boom!
A sonic blast sent it flying straight into Tobi's face.
[Tobi, LP 4000 -> 3350]
Tobi winced. "Tch... just a scratch."
Yumi calmly raised his hand. "Because I control a 'Stone' monster, Sentry Soldier of Stone Special Summons itself from the Grave."
The huge stone warrior reappeared.
"Again."
Hearing his order, the Sentry Soldier hopped onto the cannon and launched again.
Another BOOM!
[Tobi, LP 3350 -> 2700]
"Return again, Sentry Soldier!"
The Sentry Soldier of Stone reappeared and was launched again.
"Ahhh!"
[Tobi, LP 2700 -> 2050]
The energy shifted. Now, everyone understood.
A loop.
Catapult Turtle launched the soldier.
Giant Soldier of Stone kept the condition met.
And Sentry Soldier just... kept coming back.
An endless barrage. A stone cannon. A slow, crushing inevitability.
Tobi's smirk was gone.
He staggered back, breath catching in his throat.
[Tobi, LP 2050 -> 1400]
[Tobi, LP 1400 -> 750]
[Tobi, LP 750 -> 100]
This infinite loop was simply... terrifying.
His eyes were empty. Hollow. Like his future had just shattered in front of the whole Academy.
[Tobi, LP 100 -> 0]
He thought he had the upper hand. That he could bait Yumi into a bad opening.
But what he triggered… was a First Turn Kill.
On that day, Duel Academy witnessed its first FTK.