Yugioh [306-310] (Patreon)

Chapter 306: The Professional World Is Just for Fun

Maitre' D took a deep breath.

Suddenly, he recalled that when this student got on stage, someone introduced him as a first-year freshman.

Actually, even before that, he was wearing a yellow uniform.

Maitre' D had at least heard about Duel Academy's basic rules. The student dorms are ranked by color: Blue, Yellow, and Red, and there's a strict hierarchy.

Blue-uniformed students are the elites; in fact, some rookies in the professional dueling world have come straight from the Blue Dorm. The Red Dorm, on the other hand, is the bottom of the barrel—historically, no Red student has ever made it into the pro circuit. The Red Dorm is filled with rookies barely scraping by.

The Yellow Dorm, while not exactly weak, is only average. Someone in a yellow uniform should logically be at a middling level within the academy.

That was Maitre' D's naïve thought before stepping in.

Now, he just wanted to find the Chancellor of this academy and have a good, long talk about their management.

Especially, he wanted to ask: What were you thinking, putting someone of this caliber in the Yellow Dorm?

As the professional ranked eighth in the world, Maitre' D was starting to seriously doubt the teachers' vision and judgment.

This guy only made it to Yellow in your academy?

He suddenly felt the urge to drag the Chancellor out, pin his bald head down, and have him duel this Yellow Dorm student himself.

Come on, try it yourself—let's see if you can even win against this!

Then, explain to me what you mean by Yellow Dorm student.

"That was a pretty good duel, wasn't it, none?"

Professor Crowler stepped up with a smile.

"I believe everyone here got at least a little inspiration from today's duel."

Maitre' D: "I…"

Inspiration? What inspiration?

Honestly, he was supposed to be the pro, invited here to teach the students. Yet, right now, it felt like he was the one getting schooled.

Is this guy really a student? Are you sure you didn't just dig up some hidden boss to come ruin my reputation?

Then Professor Crowler turned to Kira.

"Kira-kun, although your performance was fantastic, next time I hope to see your real main deck, non.

Everyone's quite interested in your actual deck—I'm sure we could all gain even more insight from that!"

"Of course, Professor. Next time for sure," Kira replied with a smile.

Maitre' D: "?"

He suddenly felt like he didn't understand at all.

Wait, what does real main deck mean?

So the deck he just used to crush me… was just for fun?

Maitre' D stared at Kira in shock.

Yet the latter simply nodded at him, still polite and smiling.

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Professional."

Maitre' D: "..."

He felt like he was being insulted after being called professional.

He even started thinking: next time, he should bring more rookie pros to Duel Academy for training.

The pro circuit is just for fun—if you really want to prove yourself, you need to come to Duel Academy more often.

As for himself?

Heh.

He figured he'd never come back again in his lifetime.

Maitre' D, ranked eighth among professionals, left howling.

Watching the pro's retreating figure, Chazz fell into deep thought.

Ojama—always ojama…

But now, Chazz's feelings were different from when he was beaten by Kira in the representative match.

Now, he didn't see "Ojama" as an eyesore anymore. No, watching the trio wipe the floor with a pro in seconds, he felt a strange stir within, as if some forbidden desire was awakened.

In fact, he'd felt this before—back when the Paradox Brothers first came to Duel Academy, and Kira introduced his "Ojama" deck, using a joyful cosmic LOCK to sweep the legendary brothers.

But that was a tag duel, with Jaden as his partner, and didn't show much of the deck's true potential.

Chazz had gradually forgotten that feeling during later training.

Now, as a spectator, he felt the joy of Ojama once again, and his heart started to itch.

Could Ojama actually have real potential…?

"Boss, see? We can fight, can't we?" The Ojama Yellow Spirit popped up. "Isn't there a saying—there are no useless cards, only useless duelists?

Boss, with your skill and wisdom, if you used us, you could unleash our true power just like Lord Kira!"

"Shut up," Chazz growled. "Forget it, I'd never use your kind of trash deck—it doesn't suit my image at all!"

"Boss, you're so mean," the Ojama Yellow whispered, "but I saw you yesterday, sneaking to the shop to pick out a few Ojama cards from the pile nobody wanted.

You're totally building Ojama deck on the sly, you just won't admit it."

Chazz's face flushed red.

"Nonsense!" he yelled.

"I'm just… studying the enemy, know thyself! Who said I was building your garbage deck?!

Even if my deck was confiscated, even if I was at the bottom of the academy, even if I hit rock bottom, I would absolutely, definitely, never ever use your kind of Ojama deck!"

"Aw, boss, you're too cruel…"

…

Leaving the hall, Kira stretched.

So satisfying.

Dueling really is a lighthearted, fun activity. After that match, he felt much better.

There are benefits to dueling pro players. Kira was already considering logging into the Link System later—apparently, there were plenty of pros online, and maybe he'd get some more good matches.

On the flip side, it's good training for the pros, too. After all, they don't often get such interesting matches on the professional stage. It's great for broadening their horizons, improving adaptability, and mental fortitude.

Speaking of tournaments…

Kira quickly remembered that Mokuba had reminded him to sign up.

He pulled out his terminal, opened the Duel City Tournament registration page, and filled out the form.

That's when Jaden showed up.

"Wow, Kira, you're amazing!"

Jaden suddenly jumped in and patted him on the shoulder.

"That was a pro! A pro duelist! Even they couldn't do anything against you…"

"You'd be the same," Kira smiled.

It was true. He was just a Yellow Dorm student, and Jaden was a bottom-of-the-barrel Red. Letting a pro feel the strength of the academy's bottom-ranked students—pro players would have to question their lives all over again.

"Damn, I'm so jealous. Kira, you got to duel a pro again, and I missed my chance…"

Noticing Kira filling out a form, Jaden asked,

"Hey, Kira, what's that?"

"Registration form for the Duel City GX tournament. It's about to start—during winter break."

Jaden's eyes lit up.

"Duel City? The legendary one? So tons of top duelists will be there?" Jaden was hyped. "What about me? Can I go too?"

Chapter 307: The Tournament

"Ah, now that you mention it, I think I heard something about it," Syrus said, resting his chin on his hand.

"I saw the ad. They said this year's Duel City tournament will be different from previous years."

"Different?" Chumley peeked over in confusion.

Chumley was a bit of a slacker, always on the verge of dropping out of Slifer Red, usually just sleeping in the dorms and cut off from the outside world.

Though he'd gotten more lively since Jaden showed up, he was still a shut-in and didn't care much about outside news.

"You guys seriously didn't know? It's the biggest event Kaiba Corp has been hyping up lately!"

Syrus quickly pulled out his device, tapped a few times, and brought up the event poster.

Kira leaned in for a look.

Yep, no surprises—a big White Dragon took center stage. President Kaiba himself was striking his usual over-the-top pose. Though the text said it was an invitation for duelists to join, it looked more like a challenge than an invite.

"I thought Duel City was held every year?" Jaden asked.

"Yeah, but everyone knows the standard dropped after the first tournament in Domino City," Syrus explained.

"But that's only natural. Every year, the Duel City tournament is still a high-level event. Tons of strong duelists enter, including some top pros."

Top pros, huh…

Kira hadn't thought much about it before, but after dueling the guy who claimed to be ranked eighth, he felt like the pro level wasn't all that intimidating.

When people talked about how strong the pros were, it reminded him of how people talk about all the Jonin in Konoha being elites. Not exactly weak, but it felt like all the pro circuit's real strength was concentrated in Aster.

Aster Phoenix really might be the only star of the GX pro circuit. Maybe if you count the later addition of the rookie Zane Truesdale, that'd make two.

Other than that, most of the professional duelists in the anime were just background characters. In the Light of Destruction arc, they couldn't even beat the academy's elite students—who knows how strong they really were.

"Anyway, in previous years, the only requirement for signing up was your duelist rank in the Kaiba Corp system," Syrus continued. "As long as you met the rank, anyone could enter.

Of course, high-ranked duelists are usually pretty good, but it wasn't like the first tournament."

Jaden nodded: "Makes sense."

The first Duel City tournament's recordings were still priceless collector's items. You couldn't say the new generation was weaker—it's just that the original tournament was a clash of gods.

Yugi Muto was recognized as the most valuable champion, and the acknowledged King of Games, a title earned during Duel City. Every opponent he defeated in that tournament was a legend.

In retrospect, people realized all four semifinalists from the original Duel City—plus even the quarterfinalists—would be championship-level in any later tournament.

Truly, the original Duel City was a clash of gods.

"But, there aren't any duelists now who can compare to all those legends, right?" Jaden asked.

"True, but this time, even Kaiba Seto himself said he'll be participating!" Syrus said, excited. "It's the first time in years!

Do you know how long it's been since anyone saw Kaiba in a public tournament?"

"Seriously?"

Jaden's eyes sparkled.

"So, if I join, I could actually face off against President Kaiba?"

"Uh, but there's a catch—this year's entry requirements are tougher than ever," Syrus said. "Besides the usual rank, this year Kaiba himself will lead a team for qualification screening.

Rumor is, even some legendary duelists didn't pass."

Kira immediately thought of the Paradox Brothers.

Wonder if those two can pass Kaiba's screening…

"I think as a Slifer Red student, your file probably wouldn't even make it to the screening team," Syrus said, embarrassed.

"Huh?" Jaden was disappointed. "So why does Kira get to go?"

Chumley whispered, "Kira's different. If someone told me he was on the screening team, I'd believe it."

Jaden perked up: "Really? Kira, can you get me a spot?"

"Don't get your hopes up—I'm not on the screening team; I just got an invitation."

Kira paused, then smiled.

"But, if you just want a spot, maybe I can ask."

Jaden let out a whistle, then gave Kira a bear hug.

"Thanks a million! I'll remember this forever!"

"You're exaggerating… Besides, I only said I'd make a call—I don't know if it'll work."

"Haha, still, thanks anyway~!"

"…"

The group kept chatting as they walked, their shadows stretching long in the sunlight.

…

That same day, in the Duel Academy principal's office…

"Any plans for the break, Zane?"

Chancellor Sheppard leaned back in his chair, smiling at his star pupil and the rightful heir to his Cyber Style, Zane Truesdale.

"Nothing special, Master," Zane replied with a smile. "I'll look for chances to duel strong players outside the academy, hone my skills, and seek new breakthroughs."

"Good. In that case, I happen to have an opportunity for you."

Chancellor Sheppard smiled, handing him a flyer.

Zane took it and raised an eyebrow.

"Duel City?"

Chapter 308: Raising the Stakes

"Duel City?"

Zane looked at the flyer with genuine interest.

"You want me to participate, Master?"

"Yes. This year's event is different—Kaiba Seto himself is rumored to be joining."

"That Kaiba Seto?" Zane was surprised. "But I thought he had…"

"Retired? That's what people said, but it looks like it was just a rumor."

Sheppard leaned back and smiled.

"In fact, I've met President Kaiba myself. I can tell, there are very few people in the world as passionate about dueling as he is.

Even back then, I doubted he'd ever retire for good."

"I see…" Zane mused.

In truth, Kaiba Seto was one of the duelists Zane admired most. Much of his own tactics and style were inspired by Kaiba.

After all, both he and Kaiba had full playsets of ace monsters, both ran triple fusions, both favored aggressive, oppressive playstyles. Even their suspiciously consistent opening hands—three Cyber Dragons plus Polymerization—seemed cut from the same cloth.

If anyone ever accused Zane of stacking his deck, Kaiba would probably be the first to defend him.

You just don't have the bond. Why blame us for not shuffling?

"So, interested, Zane?" Samejima smiled. "This year's entry requirements are higher, but as the academy's ace, you'd have no problem."

Zane nodded.

"Understood, Master. I'll seize this chance to improve and try to reach new heights over the break."

"Good," Sheppard replied. "Oh, by the way, I heard that Fujiki Kira will participate too."

"The first-year in yellow… the Champion?"

Zane caught himself mid-sentence.

Someone's infamy at Duel Academy had earned them a nickname so well known, Zane almost slipped up and said it aloud.

"Haha, yes. That kid seems to know President Kaiba personally, so it's no surprise he'd get an invite. You might even face him at the tournament."

Zane pondered.

Dueling Kira…

As this year's most interesting freshman, Kira had long since caught his attention. Zane knew they'd clash sooner or later.

He just hadn't found the right opportunity during the first semester.

But, if it was the world-class stage of Duel City…

Zane's lips curled into a smile. The duel spirit within him was already burning.

Very interesting. He was looking forward to that showdown.

Maybe, at this Duel City, they'd decide once and for all who was the real king of Duel Academy.

…

"The Cyber Style," Alexis asked, resting her chin on her hand, "Isn't that Zane's deck?"

"Yeah," Kira replied.

He was sorting through a new batch of Cyber Style cards sent from Kaiba Corp—a fresh batch for the Cyber Style project.

Alexis recalled that Zane had told her Cyber Style wasn't unique to their dojo. What he inherited was mostly Cyber End Dragon, and from the anime, it's clear Zane had two copies.

Even the "Cyber Dragon," though a rare and powerful card, wasn't as rare as the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" with only three copies in the world. As long as you had the right source, you could get one.

Kira had always wanted to build a Cyber Dragon deck.

In fact, Cyber Dragon was a meta staple for a long time, recognized by all players as a powerful beater.

Back then, 1600 ATK was the benchmark for a beater; 1800-1900 was already excellent for a Level 4.

But with the GX anime, Cyber Dragon appeared—a Level 5 monster you could Normal Summon with no tribute, and it had 2100 ATK, outclassing every previous beater.

It shook up the meta so much that Cyber Dragon, even in non-Cyber decks, became standard. For a long time, it was Limited to 2, and by 2008, as the meta sped up, it got hit even harder and became Limited to 1.

For a pure beater, being Limited to 1 was the highest honor.

"Don't underestimate Cyber Dragon," Kira smiled. "Its potential isn't even scratched yet. The deck can go far beyond what you or even Zane himself can imagine."

Even beyond Zane's imagination…?

Alexis looked conflicted.

If anyone else said that, she'd think it was nonsense. In this academy, Zane was the face of Cyber Dragon—no one knew it better.

But Kira was different.

After all, Kira had already shown Alexis that she knew nothing about her own Cyber Angels.

She'd realized that any deck Kira picked out always had something special.

If Kira said a deck had potential, it was practically a blessing—breakthroughs would follow.

She suddenly remembered Zane had said he wanted to join the Duel City tournament this year.

Zane and Alexis' brother, Atticus, had been best friends.

That's why Alexis was familiar with Zane, and also why she knew right away Zane would be entering the tournament.

Suddenly, a crazy thought popped into her head: What if Kira faced Zane at the tournament… using a Cyber Dragon deck?

It sounded silly, but with Kira, it wasn't impossible at all.

"Alright, I've got a few good ideas. I'll leave them with the Cyber Style project team," Kira said, putting away the cards and standing up.

"Oh, right, I need to find Professor Lyman before break."

"Why?" Alexis asked.

She now sensed that Professor Lyman might not be as useless as he looked, but she still didn't understand what Kira hoped to learn or gain from him.

Kira glanced at her, then smiled mysteriously.

"There'll be some tough battles over winter break—I need to find a way to up my odds."

Chapter 309: Asking the Teacher for Guidance

"It's almost winter break, and Kira is still in the lab?"

Professor Lyman squinted his eyes, gently stroking the smooth fur of the Pharaoh, the Sphynx cat in his arms.

Having been a cat owner for many years, his technique was quite adept, and the Pharaoh let out a satisfied "meow~".

Sometimes, Kira actually suspected that even Lyman's cat, Pharaoh, was no ordinary feline. This cat had noticed oddities in the show more than once, and at times, it seemed able to sniff out the scent of spirits or related objects.

Moreover, in the end, after Lyman's soul left his body, it was this very cat that swallowed his spirit whole, and from then on, his soul resided in the cat's body. While this looked rather comical in the anime, if you think about it, for a cheat-level alchemist like Lyman, the final vessel for his soul was likely chosen with great care.

So maybe, raising this cat was his backup plan from the start.

"Yeah, I'm only going home tomorrow. I just want to stay a bit longer while I still have the time. More importantly..."

Kira sat across from Lyman, looking very serious.

"Professor, I've had a rather interesting idea lately, but I'm not sure if it will work. I'd like to ask for your guidance."

"Oh?"

Lyman squinted his eyes, asking with interest.

"What's it about?"

"This deck."

Kira pulled out a deck from his card box and placed it on the table.

"Deck building, huh."

Lyman smiled while petting the cat.

"Aiya, even if you ask me... But Kira, you know I'm not actually that good at dueling, nya~"

Kira laughed.

Still putting on an act.

"It's fine, Professor. Just take a look, and say whatever comes to mind."

Kira insisted, even pulling out a small notebook as if ready to take notes.

"Well, alright, since you're so persistent..."

Lyman half-heartedly accepted the deck and began to look through it.

Actually, their relationship was in a bit of a strange place now. It was as if there was only a thin sheet of paper between them—everyone could guess the truth, but no one wanted to poke through it. So, they both continued the act with silent understanding.

Lyman had a hunch that Kira probably realized he wasn't the fool he pretended to be. He just couldn't tell how much Kira really knew.

Still, he felt he had hidden himself well over the years, so there shouldn't have been any slip-ups. So, he figured this student just had sharp instincts and observational skills, realizing he was a hidden master, but probably didn't know his true background or intentions.

On the other hand, Lyman found Kira increasingly hard to figure out.

At first, he was just surprised by Kira's talent for research and creative deck building, but over time, Lyman began to sense that the boy's background and connections were as mysterious as his own, and the secrets he held might not be any fewer.

But he also felt that when Kira asked for his advice, his attitude was genuinely sincere. Whatever secrets he held, at least he was a serious and well-behaved student—or, well, most of the time.

As someone who was, to some extent, on the verge of death, Lyman knew his body wouldn't last another year.

Although he'd set up some fallback plans using alchemy, the idea was so bold that even he couldn't say for sure if it would really let him live on.

There wasn't much in the world he cared about anymore. There were only two things he still couldn't let go of.

The first was his benefactor who'd provided him with funding and forbidden alchemy knowledge: the former Chairman of the Duel Academy, Kagemaru.

Chairman Kagemaru was now old and gravely ill, relying on money and advanced technology to stay alive, seeking out all sorts of dark and forbidden powers to survive. Both his body and mind were in danger—a source of Lyman's greatest concern.

That's why, in the anime, before he died, Lyman handed the "Sabatiel - The Philosopher's Stone" to Jaden and asked him to defeat Chairman Kagemaru.

The second was to nurture a successor.

In the original story, Lyman favored Jaden, saying he was a born alchemist. But now, Lyman saw a new possibility in Kira.

He still didn't know much about Kira's background, but as a researcher of forbidden alchemy and a high-level dark duelist, Lyman himself had done plenty of things he couldn't discuss openly.

So, if Kira had some secrets, it didn't bother him much. What mattered was his talent and potential.

"Huh? The Monarchs?"

Lyman flipped through the deck Kira handed over, a bit surprised.

"This is an impressive series. You've actually managed to collect so many Monarchs of different attributes, Kira. Your connections and resources must be something else, haha."

As he continued, something caught his eye.

[Banisher of the Radiance]

Level 3, ATK 1600

Effect: As long as this card remains face-up on the field, any card sent to the Graveyard is banished instead.

This instantly made Lyman think of a card he'd developed himself.

Indeed, Lyman was one of the few duelists who truly understood the power of banishing effects.

His own alchemically-printed signature card, "Macro Cosmos," could banish any card sent to the graveyard as long as it was on the field. For decks that relied heavily on the graveyard, this was devastating.

He kept flipping.

[D.D. Scout Plane, ATK 800]

Effect: During the End Phase of the turn this card is banished, Special Summon it in Attack Position.

[D.D. Survivor, ATK 1800]

Effect: During the End Phase of the turn this face-up card you control is banished, Special Summon it.

[Giant Rex, ATK 2000]

Effect: This card cannot attack directly. Once per turn, if this card is banished, Special Summon it, and increase its ATK by 200 for each banished Dinosaur-Type monster you control.

To most people, this deck's construction might look strange. But as the creator of Macro Cosmos and a pioneer of banishing decks, Lyman instantly understood the strategy.

Both players' graveyards would be completely banished, cutting off graveyard strategies—already a huge annoyance for graveyard-reliant decks.

On top of that, Kira's monsters all had effects that allowed them to return from being banished. With this combo, his monsters were practically immortal.

And with an endless loop of revivals, he'd never run out of tribute fodder for the Monarchs. Each Monarch, with its powerful removal effects—targeting monsters, backrow, even hand resources—provided massive control and pressure.

This was a Dimension-based, Banishing Beatdown Monarch Control deck!

The moment he realized this, Lyman immediately sensed the deck's strength, almost picturing the opponent's frustration as their graveyard was sealed off and they struggled against Kira's undying monsters and relentless Monarchs.

And naturally, he thought of one thing.

This deck had an incredible synergy with a certain card he'd kept hidden away.

"Professor, I think the deck's construction is excellent, but I keep feeling it's just one step short—like it's missing a single key card."

Kira put on a troubled face.

"But I just can't figure out which card would be best. Could you give me some advice?"

Chapter 310: The Tournament Approaches

Lyman quickly finished reviewing the deck, squinted his eyes, thought for a moment, and then smiled with genuine delight.

Clearly, he approved of the concept.

In fact, this strategy was quite similar to his own, and very much to his liking.

Lyman's deck was based on alchemy cards—most of which never became real cards, except for his signature "Macro Cosmos" and a few related cards.

But in terms of strategy, his deck was similar to Kira's.

Both aimed to disrupt the opponent by banishing cards sent to the graveyard, preventing graveyard resource use, while giving themselves ways to turn banished cards into resources.

By sealing off the opponent's options and creating an advantageous offensive environment, they gained overall field control.

So from the very first glance, Lyman felt a strong sense of kinship with this deck and couldn't help but nod in approval.

Lyman's eyes narrowed, and although he continued to pet his cat with his usual calm smile, there was now a deeper look in his expression.

"Sometimes I think you're almost scary-smart, Kira."

He adjusted his glasses, his eyes narrowing even further.

But after a moment, he returned to normal.

"Ahaha. Well, it's actually a coincidence. I happen to have a card that fits your deck perfectly."

Lyman stood up, rummaged through a messy, dusty table at the back, and soon returned with a card.

Kira reached out and took it.

Just as expected.

[Continuous Trap – Macro Cosmos.]

Effect: When this card is activated, Special Summon 1 "Helios - The Primordial Sun" from your hand or Deck.

As long as this card remains in your Spell & Trap Zone, any card sent to the Graveyard is banished instead.

Kira raised his eyebrow in surprise.

Wait, two effects?

Then he remembered—right, this card had always been active in banishing decks for so long that many had forgotten it was originally Lyman's signature card.

Helios was Lyman's ace monster, though its competitive ability was so low most people ignored it.

As Kira took the card, Lyman didn't immediately let go, holding the other end and smiling.

"Kira, you're preparing for the Battle City tournament, right?"

"Yeah." Kira nodded and shrugged. "I want to be in top form. If I don't do well, Kaiba probably won't let me off easy."

"Ahaha, you sure have it tough. Well, good luck then."

Lyman let go, and Kira took the card.

Lyman sat back down and resumed petting Pharaoh.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing how far you can grow, Kira. If you win the championship, you'll be famous. Ahaha!"

"Haha, that's a bit tough. But I'll give it my best." Kira smiled.

"Go for it, I believe in you." Lyman waved.

"Okay, then I won't disturb your rest any longer."

With the legendary item "Macro Cosmos" in hand, Kira stood up.

"I won't let you down, Professor."

". . ."

Kira left. Lyman quietly petted his cat for a while longer until he saw Kira's figure disappear out the window, then smiled with interest.

"What an extraordinary kid. Don't you think so, Pharaoh?"

Pharaoh: "Meow~"

The cat yawned, stretched, and curled up even more comfortably on his lap.

"I really can't wait to see what happens."

The light glinting off Lyman's glasses obscured his gaze.

"Let's see just how far this child can go."

…

Domino City, the legendary Duel City, was about to host the upcoming Battle City tournament.

This was the birthplace of countless legends and had been promoted for years as the city of the "original King of Games" and the origin of the first Duel City tournament.

Now, it had become a true haven for duelists, where nearly everyone played cards.

If you didn't play or register a deck, you couldn't even become a resident.

It was hard to imagine just how much power Seto Kaiba, the world's number one duelist, had to implement such an insane policy.

Somewhere in a forgotten corner of Domino City—

A half-closed door with cracked paint revealed the weathered wood beneath. Dim, eerie lights glowed like ghostly eyes in the dark.

Several figures stood silently around a round table.

"Headquarters has sent word."

One spoke in a low voice.

"News from the Spirit World. The 'Sealing Device' has appeared—but it seems, according to information, it's been lost."

Another frowned. "Those spirits were given so much power, yet in the end, they're useless?"

"What a bunch of losers."

"But there's word that a duelist from our world is involved." The first man in black said, "The organization believes the 'Sealing Device' has fallen into his hands."

"Oh? Do we know who?"

"More or less. After investigating, it might be someone named Fujiki Kira."

The others exchanged confused looks. Who?

"A student from Duel Academy—not a pro, not a famous duelist, so it's normal you haven't heard of him," the apparent leader explained.

"Duel Academy? A student?"

The others doubted their ears.

"Yes. But don't underestimate him. I've only heard a little, but he's strong. Even Seto Kaiba seems to pay attention to him—there must be something special."

"Maybe he's got potential. But he's just a student."

The leader nodded slightly.

"Good. According to reliable info, he'll be at this Battle City tournament—here in Domino. So our local branch becomes the front line."

"The organization's orders are clear: our top priority is to recover the 'Sealing Device' at any cost."

All nodded in agreement.

"Excellent. The tournament is our best chance. Since Yemo is so confident, how about you take the first shot?"

The man called Yemo laughed.

"Sure, why not?"

He said confidently.

"I'll go and grab the first prize."