Duel Academy, auditorium.
The third-year students gathered in the auditorium, looking up at the huge electronic scoreboard hanging above. Although the screen was still blank, an invisible tension filled the air among the students.
It's almost as if they're waiting for judgment.
Yes, that's right, like judgment.
Because today is the day the results come out.
As everyone knows, Duel Academy is a place with a strict hierarchy, determined entirely by grades. Students' final results are assessed based on comprehensive qualities, including practical duel performance and theoretical paper scores.
Today is the day the results are announced, the culmination of all their efforts and achievements over the past three years, and the most important stepping stone for their next phase in life.
The diploma from Duel Academy holds significant weight in the dueling realm, making the results of this final assessment extremely important. After graduation, when students submit resumes to various duel domains, exam results and academy rankings are crucial factors.
There is already a bit of the feeling of students eagerly awaiting their results after college entrance exams.
Of course, some students remain utterly unruffled, confident in their abilities.
For instance, the name that appears atop the list, next to the conspicuous "NO.1" number.
Marufuji Ryo.
"Mamma mia!"
Professor Strong Desire's distinctive voice rang out.
"As expected of Marufuji, all his scores are nearly perfect!"
"Undoubtedly the NO.1 of this year's class, the representative graduate of the Academy!"
With Professor Chronos' words, it's as if a spotlight shines on Marufuji Ryo, while students all around cast admiring and respectful glances.
Yet Marufuji Ryo's expression remains unaffected.
In the original timeline, he might have felt a bit satisfied at this moment, as it was the most satisfactory result he had presented in three years, a testament to his unparalleled prowess in the Academy.
But now, such feelings were absent from his heart.
For he considered this exam not as the true graduation assessment, and his opponents were not the long list of names beneath him on the screen.
No, within this Duel Academy, the ones he truly regarded as rivals, including that Yuki Judai, were only a handful.
Above them, the person he saw as the true test of graduation, his greatest challenge in life, was only one.
"Now, according to the Academy's tradition."
Chronos declared.
"As the representative graduate, you must partake in a representative match symbolizing the current class."
"The opponent can be chosen from any student within the academy. So, Marufuji..."
"This has long been decided."
Marufuji Ryo interrupted, picking up his student terminal to glance at it.
He had long decided this, even issuing a challenge invitation well before the results were announced, confident he'd be the top graduate and representative this year.
For his opponent had never been those students competing against him here.
And now, that person finally responded.
Only one word.
"Ok."
Marufuji Ryo couldn't help but smile satisfactorily.
...
...
"Battle of the Century."
This was the name given by the Duel Academy's internal school newspaper for this duel.
The Academy's Caesar over the past three years, representing this year's graduates, challenges the man who created legends during his first year of enrollment.
From the Yellow Dormitory, there was once a time when he was an unmentionable existence throughout the Academy, who later became the pride of the entire Academy after crafting a miracle.
Duel King, Fujiki Yugen.
Of course, this was not their first battle. The duel in Duel City was witnessed by all students; if anyone at that time had thought it was hard to accept that Caesar lost to the Master of the Yellow Robe, now everyone felt that losing to the Duel King was only natural, not a reflection of Caesar's inability, he did his best.
Today is the day for revenge.
Though, the challenger was still evident.
Arriving at the agreed time, Yugen found that Marufuji Ryo had long been waiting on the stage. The audience had packed the place, eager to witness this spectacle, giving Yugen the appearance of being late.
"You've come." Marufuji Ryo looked towards him.
"I have arrived."
Yugen nodded, then smiled.
"I heard Caesar's graduation scores across all subjects are near perfect, even among Duel Academy's graduates over the years, you're one of the best. Congratulations."
"Without overcoming the greatest obstacle I've encountered in these three years, they are mere clouds," Marufuji Ryo shook his head.
As he spoke, his Duel Disc unfolded.
"You are correct. Once, I was caught in a trap of self-satisfaction in duels, stagnating at a level called 'perfection.'
But thanks to you, I've finally broken through the three-year bottleneck and achieved a breakthrough!"
"Haha, I'm looking forward to it then." Yugen also unfolded their Duel Disc.
"Duel!" x2
[Yugen, LP 4000]
[Marufuji Ryo, LP 4000]
"I'm going first, draw!"
It was rare for Marufuji Ryo to take the initiative to go first.
Cyber Dragons of this era are almost entirely rear guard decks; even when randomly given the first chance, Marufuji often willingly gave it up. Yet he took the initiative this time, seemingly quite different from before.
"I summon 'Hell Dragon' in defense mode."
[Hell Dragon, Defense Power 0]
"Then I set a card and end my turn!"
Marufuji Ryo ended his brief first turn.
His actions left everyone bewildered.
Marufuji Ryo used Dragon Race?
That already seemed odd, as no one had ever seen him use anything other than Mechanical Race cards.
And Hell Dragon in defense mode?
Hell Dragon is a 4-star monster with a strong Attack Power of 2000; who would summon this with a 0-defense rear exposed to the opponent?
Only Principal Jiaodao in the stands guessed his intention.
It's Electronic Dark.
Inner Electronic Stream is known as the "Electronic Dark" deck, its trait is to absorb Dragon Race from the graveyard as Equipment Cards to increase Attack Power.
Marufuji Ryo is likely setting this up for his opponent to defeat Hell Dragon, to accumulate Dragon Race resources in the graveyard.
"Ryo, you really intend to use that..." Jiaodao's expression was complex.
Others hadn't seen Electronic Dark, but Yugen definitely knew.
Opening defense with Hell Dragon followed exactly like the Hell Caesar in the anime. But each has their tactical style; if it were Yugen, they wouldn't likely play the same move.
But since Marufuji Ryo went so far as to sacrifice a quality monster just to stockpile Dragon Race resources...
"My turn, draw."
Yugen immediately summoned a monster.
"Summon 'Truck Robot.'"
[Truck Robot, Attack Power 1000]
"Robot?"
Marufuji Sho was most surprised.
Yugen used the same robots as he did to duel his brother...
His heart was flooded with indescribable emotions.
"Truck Robot, attack 'Hell Dragon.'"
The humanoid machine lunged as a small truck roared, emitting vapor rushing toward Hell Dragon, which obviously couldn't defend with its 0-defensive power, and was smashed apart.
"At this moment, Truck Robot's effect activates!" Yugen declared, "When it destroys an opponent's monster by battle, equip the destroyed monster as an Equipment Card to this card.
This card's Attack Power increases by the Attack Power of the monster equipped to its effect!"
Marufuji Ryo: "!"