Half an hour earlier—
"Nero: 'Now then, please enjoy my newest single—Magnificent and Majestic! Ahhhhh—♫—ah~~~♪'"
"Crap! Oh no!"
With a startled yelp, Hoshino shot upright from her bed like a cat springing to life, slamming her hand on the ringing phone.
No—calling it a phone alarm was too kind. It was more like a time bomb.
"Whew... that was close. I almost ascended right then and there. Seriously, why did I ever think it was a good idea to set Nero's singing voice as my alarm?"
"Aibo, don't you remember? Last night you said, 'If I make Nero's song my alarm, I'll definitely wake up on time no matter what.'"
"Oh... right, I did say that, didn't I? Well, I guess it worked. Turns out staying alive is more important than sleeping in. Anyway—what time is it now?"
"About thirty minutes left before the practical duel test ends."
"=_= ...And, uh, how long would it take to get to the testing hall if I left right now?"
"At least... forty minutes~"
"(╯°Д°)╯︵┻━┻ THAT'S NOT A DEADLINE, THAT'S A DEATH SENTENCE! I'M ALREADY LATE!!"
Grabbing her small-sized blue academy uniform off the hanger, Hoshino did a lightning-speed wash-up, slipped into her height-increasing shoes, and bolted straight for the garage.
Five years had passed since the dimensional incident. Thanks to her Atlantean bloodline, Hoshino's body had actually started aging backward.
It wasn't drastic—but compared to how much Akasha and Jaden had grown, maintaining her dignity as both "the older one" and "the Duel King" required the secret weapon of all short people: the divine height-boosting insoles.
"Where's the key for my D-Wheel...?"
In the garage, her majestic D-Wheel gleamed under the lights. Hoshino dug a card from her pocket and, with the smooth motion of someone whose Riding Skill was practically Class B or higher, jumped onto the seat.
She strapped on her goggles and white helmet. Even if she looked a bit small, the uniform and D-Wheel gave her a surprisingly heroic presence.
"Drive safe or cry later! Time to roll out!"
Hoshino's official residence, the principal's private quarters, wasn't located inside Duel Academy like the student dorms.
It was a luxurious seaside villa she'd personally picked—and that Kaiba had personally built—right on the academy's island, overlooking the ocean.
And the fact Kaiba actually agreed to such a request said a lot. With the Duel King's fame boosting Duel Academy's reputation, enrollment numbers had skyrocketed.
"Riding my beloved bike~ it never gets stuck in traffic~♫—"
The salty ocean breeze brushed past her hair as she sped through the island's wide, winding roads. For a brief moment, Hoshino thought, Maybe... just maybe, I'll make it on time after all.
That hope died instantly when a familiar figure appeared in the distance.
"Crap, I'm late! Totally missed the test for sure!"
That jellyfish-shaped hairstyle—Hoshino could recognize it anywhere.
With a sharp drift and a squeal of tires, she brought the D-Wheel to a perfect stop.
"Jaden?! What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to go to the exam hall with Akasha today?"
"Ah! Hoshino-sensei! You haven't made it there either? Hah, I thought I was definitely late, but looks like I've still got time after all~!"
Jaden let out a relieved sigh, as if he'd just found a fellow sinner.
"No, Jaden..." Hoshino sighed, shaking her head gravely. "If I'm not mistaken... we're both late."
"Eh?! Even you, Sensei?!"
Like teacher, like student...
"But life isn't always fair, Jaden. I'm the principal—if I'm late, no one's gonna say a word.
But if you're late, you'll probably miss your only chance to enter the Academy this year."
Jaden froze like a man struck by lightning.
"Wait—if I can't get in this year... doesn't that mean I'll end up being Akasha's junior?!"
"Well, that would be pretty humiliating. But don't worry—there's no way I'm letting my prized student get disqualified on the first day just for being late."
Patting the back seat of the D-Wheel, Hoshino gestured sharply.
"Stop talking and get on!"
"Hoshino-sensei!"
Jaden leapt on behind her, eyes brimming with gratitude.
"Hold on tight, Jaden—don't you dare fall off!"
Adjusting her goggles, Hoshino grinned and twisted the throttle to maximum.
"Forget traffic rules—anyone who doesn't wanna get hit, MOVE! —Night Wolf Death IX: Golden Drive!"
The D-Wheel roared down the road at full power, easily outpacing nearly every other vehicle of the era.
If the Academy Island weren't KaibaCorp's private property, Hoshino's license would've been revoked on the spot.
"You're so cool, Hoshino-sensei! Let's goooo!!!"
.
..
...
Duel Academy – Practical Test Hall
Jumping off the D-Wheel, Hoshino barked, "Move it, Jaden! The examiners don't get paid by the hour—miss this and you're done for!"
Jaden stumbled after her, body wobbling like jelly. He'd been thrilled at first when they started speeding, but that excitement had long since been replaced by nausea and regret.
"Ughh... I can't... I've come this far... I can't collapse at the entrance...!"
"'Kashar Hawkins... what a lovely name.'"
Alexis smiled faintly and extended her hand in greeting.
"From today on, we're classmates at Duel Academy. Let's get along, Akasha~"
"Mhm! Nice to meet you too, Alexis~"
Compared to the personality she'd had back when she was part of the Rare Hunters, Akasha had grown a lot over the years—her way of dealing with people was far more composed now.
"You're amazing, Akasha," Alexis said with genuine admiration. "To think you actually defeated the famous Professor Crowler. Among all the new students this year, you might be the strongest one."
She wasn't just being polite. Though Alexis had never officially dueled Akasha, she could tell—if she had faced Crowler instead, the match wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly. She might even have lost.
"The strongest, huh…" Akasha rubbed her cheek a little awkwardly, thinking. "There was supposed to be another new student about as strong as me, but… it seems he was late and missed the exam."
"Late for the entrance exam? Someone like that actually exists?"
Since the entrance test was held on Duel Academy Island, examinees normally arrived the day before and stayed overnight at the academy housing. Under those circumstances, to still be late and miss the exam… was that the mark of a true powerhouse—or just someone hopelessly reckless?
"Late, late!" ×2
Just as Alexis was wondering what kind of extraordinary person could pull something like that, the doors burst open with a bang. The scene froze as Jaden Yuki and Hoshino stormed in, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Akasha, that late student you mentioned—one about as strong as you—don't tell me it's those two?"
"Heh, just the one with the jellyfish hair…"
Akasha covered her face. To think those two would show up in such a dramatic fashion—she almost wanted to deny knowing them.
Hakutaku, one of the staff, stepped forward and explained, "I'm sorry, students. The practical exam ended just a moment ago. If you're late, then unfortunately—"
Hoshino leaned over and whispered, "Can't we make an exception, Hakutaku? I can vouch for Jaden—his dueling skills are first-class!"
She wanted to use her authority as principal to give Jaden a chance, but being too blatant about it would set a bad example, especially for the new students. So she simply gave Hakutaku a meaningful look.
Hakutaku quickly caught on, leaning in to whisper back, "Principal, the rules and exam procedures were set by Professor Crowler himself. Caught between you two, I really can't do much."
Hoshino sighed. Her relationship with Crowler was… strained, to put it mildly.
It was one thing for veterans like Principal Sheppard to respect her, but for someone as vain as Crowler, it was unbearable that such a young woman held the title of Honorary Principal while he was still just a professor.
Of course, Hoshino rather enjoyed that dynamic—his expression of "I can't stand you, but there's nothing I can do about it" was one of her favorite sights. She'd even given him the nickname "Professor Pot of Greed," which had become infamous among the students.
After all, Crowler's face did look uncannily like that card.
"Late for the most important test of the year, the annual practical exam? Absolutely disgraceful, nonono."
Crowler strutted over, hands clasped behind his back in his usual pompous way, clearly still sore from his earlier loss to Akasha.
"What's your exam number?"
"Number 99—Jaden Yuki!"
Flipping through the written exam records, Crowler gave an openly scornful laugh.
"Ha! As expected of a slacker—no sense of time whatsoever!"
"Crowler!" Hoshino frowned, displeased.
She could tolerate Crowler's usual complaints toward her, but she wasn't about to let him insult a student.
"Heh. Very well then." Closing the record book with a smile, Crowler's eyes gleamed with sly amusement.
"Normally, a student who arrives late would have no right to take the practical test. But today, I'll make an exception. Jaden Yuki—duel me. If you can defeat me, I'll recognize your results as passing."
"Seriously?! That's awesome!" Jaden cheered, completely unaware of the crafty scheme brewing behind Crowler's grin.
"Huh, I didn't expect someone who looks like a Pot of Greed to actually be such a nice guy!"
"P-Pot of Greed?!" A vein bulged on Crowler's forehead. That nickname—originally coined by Hoshino—was one of the things he despised most in the world.
Of course, no matter how much he hated the term, he still ran Pot of Greed in his deck—because who could resist a free +2?
Hakutaku handed him the standard test deck. "Professor, for the official practical exam, please use this—"
"No need!" Crowler waved him off and stepped onto the dueling platform, slotting in the same Ancient Gear deck he'd just used against Akasha.
He sneered inwardly.
Perfect. I lost against one freshman, but now this delinquent has delivered himself to me. I'll crush him completely with my Ancient Gear Golem and regain my honor! Truly, fate smiles upon me, nonono!
As Jaden climbed up to the stage to begin the duel, Akasha sidled up next to Hoshino.
"(｡・`´･) Hoshino-nee, you said you'd come watch my duel! Why'd you ghost? Gugu~?!"
Hoshino answered seriously, "Of course—for world peace!"
In other words, she'd gone back to sleep for the sake of "world peace."
"'Hoshino'? The same as the Duel King?" Alexis studied the white-haired girl in the blue uniform, curious. "If Akasha calls her 'sis,' that means she's a senior student? Yeah, she must be—second-year, judging by the dorm color."
Honestly, Alexis couldn't be blamed. With her petite frame and youthful features, Hoshino barely looked old enough to be a first-year, let alone someone in her twenties—or the Duel King.
"She's so cute, though," Alexis thought, smiling. "Such a tiny senpai—how interesting."
Feeling Alexis's gaze, Hoshino tilted her head. "Hmm? Is there something strange on my face?"
"Huh?" Realizing she'd been staring at Hoshino's face, Alexis blushed and quickly stuck out her tongue playfully. "Sorry, senpai—I forgot to introduce myself. I'm a first-year, Alexis Rhodes."
"Senpai?" Hoshino blinked, a bit puzzled. These new students really had no sense of hierarchy, she thought. Calling the Principal 'senpai'? What's next, Principal Alexis?
But then again, Akasha also called her "sis," and it wouldn't do to play favorites. "Fine, senpai it is," she decided.
"Wait—Rhodes? Are you by any chance the sister of Atticus? You're really quite beautiful."
"You know my brother, senpai?"
Hoshino sighed. "I think there's no one in this academy who doesn't know that guy. But I'm glad to see his sister's personality is completely different from his. That's… honestly a relief."
Atticus Rhodes—handsome, popular, and constantly causing her trouble. But that's a story for another time.
"Mamma mia! How could this happen?!"
[Chronos LP 0]
[Duel End!]
[Winner: Jaden Yuki!]
"I won! That was an awesome duel, Professor!"
"Orz Impossible! This must be a dream!"
Crowler collapsed on the floor, shaking his head in disbelief.
"In just a few minutes, I've been wiped out twice in a row by new students… My dignity as a professor is completely destroyed, nonono..."