"You want to… be the principal, Hoshino? Are you joking?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Kaiba was momentarily speechless before Hoshino's unwavering determination. If her rejection had been about salary or working conditions, he was confident he could resolve it to her satisfaction. But the position of principal…
"Hoshino, I acknowledge your dueling strength and your boundless imagination that defies despair. But managing an entire academy requires more than that. You need a clear vision for the academy's future."
"I haven't finished yet, Kaiba."
With a slight smirk, Hoshino knew full well—she had Kaiba wrapped around her finger now.
"Let's first talk about the design and development vision for the academy. Who knows? Our ideas might even align~"
Kaiba's expression grew more serious. In all his business negotiations, he had always held the dominant position, proudly flaunting KaibaCorp's cutting-edge technology. But now, stepping into the education industry for the first time—transitioning from weapons to toys to this—Kaiba found himself swayed by Hoshino's confidence.
After all, she had instantly blurted out "Duel Academy" earlier. Aside from Mokuba, no one else even knew the name yet.
"I think Duel Academy should maintain a certain level of isolation from the outside world," Hoshino began. "After all, as a school centered around Duel Monsters, it's bound to face criticism and media pressure before it proves its worth. I don't want the students to be affected by that."
Kaiba raised an eyebrow—her first point hit right on target. In most eyes, Duel Monsters was still just a game. Sending students to a specialized school for it would naturally invite negative press. To counter that, Kaiba had already chosen a remote island in the south—even Mokuba didn't know that yet.
"Wow, that's amazing, Hoshino! I hadn't even considered that," Mokuba chimed in, surprisingly siding with her over his brother.
Seeing their reactions, Hoshino laughed inwardly. Her "vision" for the academy was really just copied from the future Duel Academy she knew about. But even without that knowledge, what she had now was more than enough to bamboozle Kaiba.
And why did she want to be the principal? Simple: it was the highest position in the academy, and the only one who could possibly restrict her was Kaiba (though in practice, he wouldn't be able to control her anyway). She could delegate everything to subordinates, use "business trips" as an excuse for vacation, slack off freely, and still get paid handsomely. What's not to love?
"Go on, Hoshino."
Kaiba still needed more convincing.
"Alright, now comes the important part. To give students high-quality duel education while promoting a spirit of competition and victory among duelists, I believe the academy should have three different dorms, categorized by academic performance and dueling ability."
"Nani!!"
If her earlier points had struck home, this one completely blew Kaiba away. Dorm-based division to foster competitive growth? That was perfect for the spirit of duelists.
"Using competition to drive progress, and rewarding duel strength with better living conditions… no, this is more than just a school model. It foreshadows the very structure of professional duelists in a future duel industry…"
Unable to contain his excitement, Kaiba exclaimed, "To think you could devise such a brilliant management system in such a short time—Hoshino, you really do have talent in this field."
"Told you she's a genius, Nii-san! Hoshino's amazing at dueling and everything else!" Mokuba beamed.
"Calm down. I haven't gotten to the best part yet~"
And here came her ace: if anything could win Kaiba over, it was this next idea—something lifted straight from the Duel Academy of the future.
"Since we're dividing students by strength into three dorms, then we should name the dorms after the most iconic and revered monsters in Duel Monsters—the three Egyptian God Cards!"
"The Egyptian Gods…" Kaiba clenched his fist—clearly struck.
"The Red Dorm, for students with potential but still lacking skill, will be represented by Slifer the Sky Dragon, a monster known for its overwhelming presence but also its vulnerabilities."
"The Yellow Dorm, for competent and well-rounded duelists, will be represented by The Winged Dragon of Ra, with its adaptability and multiple abilities."
"And finally, the Blue Dorm, for the strongest elite students—the ones who stand at the top—will be represented by Obelisk the Tormentor, the very symbol of ultimate strength and authority!"
Kaiba shot up and slammed the table, looking as though he had just witnessed a divine revelation.
"The Obelisk Blue Dorm—representing supreme power and authority! Perfect—no, genius! This is an absolutely brilliant concept that speaks directly to my soul!!"
"Glad you like it~" Hoshino covered her mouth to hide a sly grin.
Kaiba really was easier to manipulate than she'd expected. When she saw the dorm setup in the future Duel Academy, she immediately guessed that the red-to-blue hierarchy came from Kaiba's own egotistical pride. So naturally, stroking that ego worked like a charm.
"So, what do you say now about my earlier proposal to be the academy's principal?"
"Hmm…"
Kaiba paused, realizing he had gotten way too excited. That kind of emotional outburst would be a fatal flaw in any negotiation. But everything Hoshino had said aligned so perfectly with his vision for the academy… and he had practically no defense left.
"I admit it. Your vision for Duel Academy aligns extremely well with mine."
Kaiba calmly sat back down, restoring his usual poker face.
"Letting you be principal isn't impossible. But I have one condition. If you can fulfill it, I believe no one will object to you becoming the head of the academy."
Classic Kaiba—no matter how shaken he got, he always countered with a calculated move.
"Let's hear it. What's your condition?"
"Defeat me in a duel."
"Huh??" Hoshino was stunned.
"Th-that's… your condition? That's all??"
A vein popped on Kaiba's forehead. "Are you mocking me?! You're someone I've defeated before!"
"You said it yourself—'before'~" Hoshino shrugged smugly. But then it struck her—she had never actually beaten Kaiba in an official duel.
The duel with both Kaiba and Atem didn't count—Atem had gone easy on her.
The school duel ended when her Duel Disk broke from the overwhelming clash of Karna and Obelisk.
And the one inside the Pyramid of Light was interrupted by Anubis before she could land her final blow.
So… Kaiba really had gotten away each time.
Even so, Kaiba knew full well by now—after all their duels—that Hoshino's current strength surpassed his.
"Fine! I accept! Let's duel right now!"
Burning with vengeance, Hoshino grabbed her Duel Disk. This time, she was determined to defeat Kaiba fair and square.
Kaiba's hands trembled slightly. It had been a long time since he last dueled seriously—especially during the hectic KC Grand Prix. Her bold, straightforward challenge reignited his duelist's blood.
"No. Now is not the time to duel."
Kaiba reined in his excitement. He had to think strategically.
He knew that, based on what he saw in Hoshino's finals match against Atem, he would probably lose if they fought now.
And even if she won, it wouldn't justify her becoming principal.
"Two years from now—when you're about to graduate—we'll duel again, witnessed by duelists from all over the world. If you can defeat me, Seto Kaiba, in front of the entire world… then no one will question you becoming the Honorary Principal of Duel Academy."
It was such a duel-world kind of logic—beat the CEO in a duel, and you get the principal's office. But Hoshino, having lived in this world for so long, found it… oddly reasonable.
"So you're planning to throw the duel and sacrifice yourself to put me on the throne? Kaiba, you're so selfless!"
She fake-wiped a tear while secretly grinning.
"Idiot! I never said I'd lose on purpose! I'll use the next two years to surpass both you and Yugi, and become the world's strongest duelist! If you lose, you'll obediently take the teacher position instead!"
"Interesting. A duel in two years? Challenge accepted!"
This foolish Kaiba… he really thinks only he can get stronger in two years? Wait until I've farmed enough Saint Quartz—you'll be begging for mercy!