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He woke up to find it was already afternoon.
You Xuan got up, yawned, and lingered on the bed for a while longer before finally hopping off. He looked back and saw Silent Magician floating beside him, suspended in mid-air, still engrossed in reading her magic tome. On the other side, Black Luster Soldier stood with closed eyes in a corner of the room, looking somewhat like a personal, sword-bearing bodyguard.
At first, You Xuan was a little unaccustomed to waking up and finding people around him, but he had grown used to it by now.
"Morning."
Casually wishing them good morning, You Xuan hopped off the bed to get ready. Black Luster Soldier remained motionless with closed eyes, but Silent Magician lifted her head from her magic tome and glanced at him. It was as if she was silently conveying a message:Â If you sleep any longer, the sun will be setting; it's hardly morning.
His stomach was starting to feel a bit hungry. You Xuan got up to rinse his mouth, then, after a thought, curiously leaned behind Silent Magician to peer at what she was reading.
Hmm, still couldn't understand it, as expected.
It seemed that a duelist trying to self-study into a mage was indeed unrealistic; he should just stick to playing cards obediently.
Silent Magician was stared at from behind for a while, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She floated to the side, put down her book, and tilted her head, observing him uneasily. As if asking, What are you doing?
You Xuan shrugged, indicating it was nothing, just casually looking. Then he turned back to wash his face.
After sleeping for most of the day, his stomach was quite hungry. You Xuan went to the Yellow Dorm cafeteria and ordered a Royal Chicken Curry, a Curry Pumpkin Soup, and a Curry Vegetable Platter. The Yellow Dorm cafeteria indeed offered a vast array of curry dishes, and the taste was genuinely good. The dorm leader, known as the Curry Fiend, had a passion for curry that even extended to his card games, and his development of various curry uses truly showed unique insight.
In truth, based on the original story, You Xuan had expected the Academy Administrative Office to aggressively come knocking to interrogate them today. In the anime, after Jaden and his friends trespassed into the abandoned dorm, the Administrative Office immediately stormed over the next morning to apprehend and question them. Afterwards, at Professor Chronos's suggestion, a tag-duel was arranged, with the penalty for losing being expulsion.
However, half a day had passed now with no sign of movement. You Xuan wasn't sure if they had only targeted Jaden and his friends and not himâwhich wasn't entirely impossible. Or perhaps, due to a change in the timeline, their trip to the Spirit World had made the situation more serious than in the anime, so the administration hadn't yet decided how to handle it.
But You Xuan wasn't particularly bothered; after all, expulsion wouldn't fall on him. In any case, he habitually pulled out his student terminal while eating, routinely checking for any new cards added to his inventory.
Then, he received a new message on his terminal from Professor Chronos.
"There's a duel. You Xuan-kun, are you free?"
You Xuan raised an eyebrow. What a straightforward question. Simplified, it was basically saying, "Got cards, come quick."
Chronos's Office.
"Long Ya is truly impressive, noné."
Professor Chronos interlaced his fingers under his chin, smiling as he looked at the tall young man named Long Ya before him, who was dressed in an Obelisk Blue uniform.
"Consistently placing in various major tournaments, three championship medals, and a sterling record from his time as a Duel Academy student."
Professor Chronos flipped through the resume in his hands. "You were a student council member, weren't you?"
"Yes, I was involved in many activities within the student council," Long Ya replied with a polite smile.
"I see. Indeed, a very impressive resume, noné. And your performance in the entrance assessments so far has been impeccable." Professor Chronos said, full of praise.
"You flatter me, Professor Chronos." Long Ya pushed up the bridge of his glasses, respectfully bowing slightly. "So, once I pass the final practical assessment, my overall assessment will be complete, and next year I'll be a Duel Academy teacher, correct?"
"That is correct, noné. To be an academy teacher, one cannot be anything less than the best, noné." Professor Chronos leaned back in his chair, smiling. "These rules were established precisely to select the elite of the elite. You must complete this final duel. Next year, you can become a full-fledged teacher."
"Yes, Professor. I will surely not let your expectations down." Long Ya nodded again, but a cold smirk formed in his heart.
Yes, I won't let your expectations down, Professor... for now.
Returning to his alma mater to teach, becoming a teacher at Duel Academyâthis was merely the first step in his future plans. His goal was to enter the academy, and then one day, to step on Professor Chronos, who was currently the head of practical assessments.
Duel Academy was currently the foremost institution of its kind, and its graduates were all top-tier elites. Therefore, Long Ya believed that if he could gain a high position within this school, he would also acquire significant resources and considerable influence in the outside world. If managed properly, he might even have the chance to cultivate capable assistants among the students he taught, who could then potentially manipulate various industries according to his will in the future.
The more Long Ya thought about it, the more pleased he became, as if in his own mind, he had already transformed into a superior, looking down on Professor Chronos from above.
Hmph, your days of being high and mighty are over. My humility towards you is merely temporary, until I've stepped into the upper echelons of this academy.
His objective had been clear from the very beginning. He intended to oust this "greedy professor" and usurp his current position.
"Then, Professor, may I ask who my opponent for the final duel will be?" Long Ya calculated in his mind, but his expression remained perfectly humble as he bowed slightly and asked. "Will it be an academy teacher? Or... will the Professor himself provide guidance?"
"No, no, no, noné." Professor Chronos chuckled. "I've specially requested an assessment opponent for you. Your onboarding assessment will be against a student currently enrolled in the academy, noné."
Long Ya was taken aback: "A student?"
"Yes, a first-year student who just enrolled this year, noné. After all, as a Duel Academy teacher, you'll ultimately be facing students. You must at least prove in a duel that you are superior to the elite among the current students to be considered practically qualified, noné." Professor Chronos leaned back in his chair, chuckling heartily.
However, as he said this, he seemed to have completely forgotten the time he himself was soundly beaten during his own entrance exam by a certain jellyfish-haired slacker student.
"I see, that makes sense. If I can use a duel to let the students get to know me first, it would certainly be beneficial for my work after joining the faculty." Long Ya tried his best to suppress the laughter that kept bubbling up in his heart, doing his utmost to maintain his usual humble and calm demeanor.
Heh, fate truly favors me. To think they'd choose a student as an assessment opponent, and a first-year at that. Isn't that just a free win? I can practically raid the champagne factory already; I can pop the champagne tonight.
"Then, Professor, may I ask who my opponent is?"
Professor Chronos smiled mysteriously.
"His name is Fujiki You Xuan."