"Late, late, late!!!"
The girl sprinted down the city street on her short legs, crying out as she ran, "Yuui-san, why didn't you wake me up!?"
Floating beside her, a man with an exasperated look spread his hands helplessly. "I called you several times, okay! Who was it that said she wanted to keep dreaming about eating meat buns?"
At those words, the girl's cheeks flushed slightly, though she immediately argued back, "But today's the entrance exam! Yuui-san, couldn't you have been a little more forceful in waking me up!?"
"Fine, fine! Next time, I promise! Just get to the academy first!"
"Ugh!! I hate you, Yuui-san!!"
Her angry cries echoed through the streets, drawing the attention of passersby. Yet, when they saw the direction she was running, they simply smiled and went back to their business.
…
More than ten minutes later, at the gates of the Bredt Kingdom—Royal Duelist Academy: Saint Fusion Academy.
"Haa haa haa~!! Made it!"
The girl's dazzling short golden hair swayed with her rapid breathing, her adorable round face flushed as red as an apple.
The man beside her patted her small back gently and said, "Catch your breath and drink some water before going in. We still have time."
"Mm!"
Nodding, the girl followed his advice, took a sip of water, steadied her breathing, and then finally looked up at the towering gates before her, unable to hold back an awed gasp.
"So this is 'Saint Fusion Academy'—it's huge!!"
The pristine white gate stood nearly ten meters high. Carved along the stone pillars on each side were statues of countless Duel Monster Spirits. At the very top stood three legendary Duel Monster Spirits, their statues majestic and imposing.
"Yuui-san, Yuui-san, look! Those on the gate—they're the three legendary spirits of our 'Bredt Kingdom': 'Dark Magician,' 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon,' and 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon'! They look so cool!"
"Yeah, yeah, I see them. I'm not afraid of them, you don't have to be that impressed!" Yuui looked at those three all-too-familiar monsters and sighed helplessly.
"Still, Yuui-san, you're always the one they defeat in all the stories!"
"I told you already… those stories have nothing to do with me! Are you trying to make me mad on purpose!?"
"Hehe"
"You think acting cute will stop me from getting mad, huh!" Yuui tried to look stern, but his expression quickly broke… she really was too cute.
"Ahhh, how long do I have to keep taking the blame for things that make no sense!"
"It's okay, Yuui-san. I'll help you clear your name one day!"
Seeing the sincere look in her eyes, Yuui felt a faint warmth in his chest. Then he glanced around and said, "We can talk about clearing my name later. For now, I suggest you hurry in before you embarrass yourself any more."
"Huh?" Only then did the girl notice that the people passing by were all staring at her oddly… as if watching a clown.
Alicia's face turned bright red. She hurriedly grabbed her small gray-and-white backpack and ran toward the academy.
The man named "Yuui" sighed once more and floated into the air, following after her.
…
"The 'Book of Summoning' is a gift to mankind from the legendary Star-Creating God, Sophia. With this book—even a single page—humans can learn various fields such as history, mathematics, magic, and alchemy. By channeling magic into the 'Book of Summoning,' one's knowledge resonates with the planetary memories inscribed within it.
"As a result, the 'Book of Summoning' can call forth the souls of beings long vanished from the river of planetary time—bringing them into our era to serve their summoner as Duel Monster Spirits!"
"All of you who have come to take Saint Fusion Academy's entrance exam—no matter your previous status or background—so long as you've paid the 'application fee,' possess magic power, and prepared a deck of forty Duel Cards, you now have the chance to use our academy's 'Book of Summoning' to summon your own Duel Monster Spirit!
"As for whether you can summon a strong spirit—rest assured. Our academy's 'Book of Summoning' is powered by a Grand Magic Array personally inscribed by the Kingdom's Great Sage, the venerable Sandrillon.
"So even if you know nothing of the history of the 'Planet' Duel Monster Spirits, the book's 'Random Summon' function ensures that each of you will at least summon a Level 3 Duel Monster Spirit.
"As long as you can summon a Level 3 Duel Monster Spirit, you will pass the first round of the 'Summoning Test' and qualify for tomorrow's second round—the 'Duel Test.'
"Furthermore, the examiners will grade you based on the level of the spirit you summon. These points will become your most important Credits once you're admitted. As for what Credits do… simply put, within Saint Fusion Academy, Credits can be used as currency. The exchange rate is 10:1—10 Credits equal 1 Magic Gold Coin, 1 Credit equals 1 Magic Silver Coin.
"At the Academy's Card Shop, you may also exchange Credits for Monster, Spell, or Trap Cards that can be found in the market—at 20% cheaper than outside prices."
As the instructor standing on the platform spoke, the many civilian applicants below erupted into cheers of delight.
After all, even the most ordinary Normal Monster under 1000 Attack in outside card shops cost at least one Magic Silver Coin—and that was a week's living expenses for a common family.
Yet, here at Saint Fusion Academy, Credits could be used as money.
1 Credit equaled 1 silver coin; 10 Credits equaled 1 gold coin. A card worth 1 gold coin outside could be bought here for only 8 Credits—that is, 8 silver coins. To poor applicants from humble backgrounds, this was an incredible opportunity.
Alicia, herself an orphan, was equally excited.
As someone without parents or support, collecting the required cards and entrance fee had been no small task.
When she first met Yuui, the two had made a pact—to enter Saint Fusion Academy together, become Duelists, and chase their dreams.
Over the following eight years, they did everything possible to gather forty cards and five Magic Gold Coins.
They had suffered greatly for those cards and coins. Alicia, without a family to rely on, had walked the line between life and death countless times to obtain a few rare cards for her deck and those five precious gold coins.
Now, hearing that the academy's Credits could be used as money, Alicia's eyes shone like gold coins.
"Yuui-san, I've decided! I'm going to earn the highest possible score in the entrance exam, then feast in the cafeteria and splurge at the card shop!!!"
"￣ー￣ How about you pass the exam first before dreaming about that!!
"With you here, Yuui-san, I know we'll be fine! After all, you're the one who created Duel Cards!"
"-_- Oh, now you suddenly believe I created them, huh!"
"Hehe~"
Then the instructor's voice grew colder. "Of course, if under such ideal conditions you still fail to summon even a single Level 3 Spirit, your 'Summoning Test' will be considered a failure. You will not be eligible for the 'Duel Test,' and Saint Fusion Academy's gates will forever be closed to you!
"That can only mean one thing: though you possess magic power, your reserves are too shallow. You lack the qualifications to become a Duelist of Saint Fusion Academy."
The sudden chill in his tone poured over the applicants like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing their enthusiasm in an instant.
The crowd fell silent… no one wanted to be the one unqualified to become a Duelist.
The instructor continued, "Do not think the academy is being unreasonable. Ten years ago, the fee you've paid wouldn't even allow you to touch a 'Book of Summoning' of this level.
"Despite that, thanks to the incentive policy issued by His Majesty Augustus Bredt, King of the Bredt Kingdom, most of the cost of using the Book of Summoning is now covered by the Kingdom. Nearly every eligible young person now has this once-in-a-lifetime chance to change their destiny.
"You only need a forty-card deck and five Magic Gold Coins to use such a high-level Book of Summoning. That alone is a blessing capable of changing your fate.
"So, seize this opportunity, become Duelists who will make Saint Fusion Academy proud—and make the Bredt Kingdom proud!"
"!!!"
Thunderous applause erupted as over a thousand examinees clapped together, a magnificent sight indeed.
In the midst of the crowd, Alicia clapped her small hands excitedly—she couldn't wait to earn tons of Credits and go on her shopping spree.
Then the instructor raised his hands, and the crowd slowly quieted.
"Alright, we will now begin the first part of the entrance exam—the Summoning Test. Saint Fusion Academy has five pages from the 'Book of Summoning,' so all applicants will be divided into five groups and perform the test simultaneously.
"Please maintain order, lest you violate academy rules and lose your qualification."
With that, over a dozen instructors led several dozen students into the field. Soon, the once-chaotic crowd had been neatly divided into five formations, each before a separate page of the Book of Summoning, ready to begin.
As the light of summoning flared again and again, Duel Monster Spirits emerged one after another from the five gray-white stone tablets, landing before their summoners.
"Blessings of the divine, Book of Summoning that holds the planet's memories! Let the warrior who wields the Sword of Flames come forth and fight by my side—Spirit Summon!!"
As one young man poured his magic into the ten-meter-tall stone slab before him, envisioning the legendary spirit he sought to summon, the massive magic circle covering the plaza flared with light.
On the stone tablet, among the thousands of hieroglyphs, one near the lower center suddenly glowed crimson.
Flames erupted—a sword inscribed with the word 'Flame' flew out of the tablet and landed before the boy.
Then the surrounding fire gathered toward the sword, forming a tall human shape.
As the flames peeled away, a warrior clad in crimson armor appeared, his face stern, his hand gripping the blazing sword.
The swordsman stared blankly for a moment at the boy who had summoned him.
Then, realizing what had happened, he turned toward the massive tablet behind him, bowed respectfully, and transformed into a purple card that landed in the boy's hand.
The boy carefully held the card he had poured his heart into obtaining and raised it high, shouting excitedly, "Yes! I finally summoned the Level 5 'Flame Swordsman'! I passed!"
[Flame Swordsman] Level 5│FIRE│Warrior│1800 ATK
Summoning Condition: 'Flame Manipulator' + 'Masaki the Legendary Swordsman'
DEF: 1600│Effect: None
His shout drew the attention of other examinees still waiting their turn. Hearing that someone had summoned a Level 5 Duel Monster Spirit, many looked on with envy.
A Level 5 Duel Monster Spirit—by spirit strength alone—was quite impressive.
Though its Attack and Defense were on the lower end for that level, reaching Level 5 meant the monster was far from ordinary; with proper development, it might even unlock hidden potential.
Of course, whether that potential could be drawn out depended entirely on the duelist himself—Chuck.
...
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