The threat posed by Tragoedia has been cleared, and the greatest menace facing Duel Academy seems to have been swept away.
Youyu used his Duel Disc to inform Yugi of the situation, taking the opportunity to thank him for his help and inviting him to stay for dinner.
But Yugi declined, stating that he had other matters to attend to, and left first.
By the time the academy team found the unconscious host of Tragoedia at the designated spot on the beach, Yugi had already left.
The situation then moved into the wrap-up phase. The academy's professional team began cleaning up the battlefield in the area invaded by Tragoedia, while also gathering information to piece together the full story.
As for the Phantasm Cards...
...Youyu, of course, pocketed them.
Previously, everyone was unaware that the Three Phantasm were in Youyu's possession, but even after knowing, it didn't matter.
After all, part of what he said before was true. These dangerous things, rather than setting up some so-called impregnable seal somewhere and waiting for a future Great Demon King to snatch them away, are safer tucked in one's pocket.
With Tragoedia defeated, the academy's crisis was officially resolved. The students, who had been forcibly confined to the academy and dormitories, poured out, asking each other what had happened.
Some informed students rushed to the forest where the Phantasm were sealed at the first opportunity. Some purely out of curiosity, others worried about their absent-minded teachers.
After all, the attack occurred exactly where those peculiar teachers usually stationed themselves.
As Tenjouin Asuka saw that Teacher Cola Sprite was safe, she breathed a sigh of relief: "Teacher, it's good that you're alright."
Cola Sprite was deeply moved.
Her own baby knew to care for her now!
Cola Sprite hugged her good student tightly, but soon felt a bit suffocated by certain parts possibly being too chubby, so she quickly let go, patted Asuka's golden head, and said not to worry, the teacher was fine.
Her companion, Classmate Izayoi, looked around left and right, seeming not to find her teacher, so she carefully tugged at the corner of Cola Sprite's eye and asked softly if she had seen her teacher Sandbag...
Without thinking, Cola Sprite casually said oh him, he rushed too hard and got knocked out...
Seeing little Izayoi's eyes widen in shock, Cola Sprite realized she misspoke, hurriedly corrected: "Ah no, Teacher Sandbag...is not on the island today, went out to handle matters, he'll be back in a bit..."
As she spoke, she opened the system interface and checked the time.
"...He should be back in three hours and eighteen minutes."
"Oh...okay." Izayoi nodded her little head.
Though puzzled by the precise time of the teacher's return to the minute, the shy girl dared not ask more.
In any case, as long as the teacher's fine.
"Teach...Teacher, you're fine." It was Marufuji Shou speaking, his head shrunk.
Nora Tatsu rolled his eyes: "Why do I feel like you sound disappointed?"
"N-No way!" Marufuji Shou shook his head vigorously.
However, the most energetic were Xue Lang and his apprentice.
"Teacher~ I was so worried!" Mia clung tightly to Xue Lang, pressing her little head hard against him.
"I told you I wasn't here when the attack happened...let go!" Xue Lang struggled mightily.
"No."
"If you don't let go I'll spank you!"
Mia's eyes lit up.
Could it be there was such a good deal?
"Go ahead!" She hugged even tighter.
Xue Lang desperately gestured for help to his buddy Najira, but Najira only gave him an encouraging look, sticking up his thumb as if to say: "I support you, go for it!"
Most distressingly, he noticed Youyu seemed to glance his way—not long, just a moment, but he did glance, then turned and walked away.
Xue Lang was thunderstruck.
In his heart, he desperately cried—
Innocent, Youyu-san!
It's not that I'm up to anything shady, it's just bad luck getting a cheeky disciple!
Of course, he overthought it; Youyu wasn't paying any mind to him right now.
As he walked out of the forest, Youyu took out the three Phantasm Cards again, staring at them in thought.
Though he had the Three Phantasm, it seemed he only had their bodies.
The Three Phantasm and the Three Egyptian God were described in the original as equals, and divine beasts of this level are naturally haughty—they like to pick their masters. They don't deign to be summoned by just anyone; slapping the card on a Duel Disc might not call them forth.
And these three seemed even more haughty than the Three Egyptian Gods; since being acquired, they hadn't shown a hint of response, as if dead.
Perhaps because the Phantasm weren't won through a card game, but forcefully taken, the original task reward was only Crystal Stone and experience, and he didn't get physical card versions of the Phantasm like the Egyptian God Cards in Duel City.
So these Three Phantasm, just like when Youyu first got the Egyptian God Cards, didn't obey or react. Putting them in the card deck yielded no response.
At times, he even felt they were like three ordinary pieces of paper, with no sense of extraordinary power.
Something felt strange.
...
While Youyu was away, quite a few things indeed happened on the academy island.
It seemed the "Seven Stars" Duelists had intentionally chosen to strike during his absence. Seven Stars Duelists almost incessantly attacked—sometimes two in one day.
However, as expected by Youyu, these attacks were all solved without incident.
Darkness was the first to face defeat at Asuka's hands, followed by Vampire Camilla's loss to Marufuji Shou.
Next came a burglar group of Duel Spirits named "Dark Scorpion Burglars," though pathetically weak, quickly dispatched by Manjome Jun.
The fourth was a muscle-type female warrior using an "Amazon Deck" named Tania, beaten by Mitsuzawa Daichi. She seemed Mitsuzawa's type; though he won, he was somewhat smitten.
The fifth was a so-called undefeated ancient Pharaoh. But it turned out the Pharaoh's card skills were just so-so, undefeated only because as Pharaoh, his opponents let him win.
He too was subsequently defeated by Asuka.
In the original, Titan, caught on the island claiming to be a Dark Duelist, was among them. But here, Titan was dealt with by Youyu and transferred to a special prison, so he had no part to play.
Notably, in the original, with the "Seven Stars" organization, five of the seven enemies were defeated by Yuki Judai, with Judai handling the final boss fight against the Three Phantasm.
But now Judai's companions seemed overwhelmingly formidable, with Seven Stars nearly completely wiped out, and he hadn't even played a duel.
Seeing the victories nearly snatched up by his teammates, poor Judai could only jump around his dorm, itching to duel...
Luckily, his thirst for dueling would soon be quenched.
His opponent was the last and strongest remaining "Seven Stars" member.
The head of the Osiris Red dorm, Teacher Daitokuji.