This year's Duel Academy competition has garnered an entirely different level of attention compared to previous years.
The main reason, of course, is the Chazz Group's involvement. With their extensive connections and financial clout, they secured a chance for live television broadcast. Additionally, their pre-event promotional activities have considerably raised expectations for this duel between academy elite representatives.
As a result, a substantial number of people are indeed watching the duel through the live broadcast today.
Regardless of whether they are ordinary Duelists eager to learn, office workers looking to kill some time, or professional experts with a critical attitude towards academy newcomers, they were all quickly captivated by the content of this duel—
——because it looked genuinely interesting.
Especially the contestant named Fujiki Yugen, who was immediately remembered by every viewer in front of the TV watching this duel.
It's impossible not to remember because the way he played his cards was just too entertaining. Particularly when he handed three ugly Derivatives to the opponent and then suddenly pulled out an Ice Blade Hand to lock down Chazz's entire field, the spectators gasped in excitement and exclaimed in satisfaction...
However, Chazz managed to find a way out with a card draw in such a situation, earning a fair amount of praise as well. Even some professional players were greatly impressed.
Have the students of Duel Academy reached such a level already?
And it's said that this year's representatives are all first-year students?
Either of these two seems absolutely like they could directly compete at a professional level, right?
Even the staff at the TV station's control room were watching with great amusement, pointing at the duel screen. The whole broadcasting room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Until the moment Yugen played a D2 Shield on Ojama King, raising its Defense Power to six thousand, while Chazz watched in despair as his four-thousand-attack Dragon of Light and Darkness charged forward...
"Oh oh, a six-thousand-defense Ojama King!" one staff member exclaimed excitedly.
"Hahaha, what an interesting lad, actually using such an oddball strategy to defeat that formidable Dragon Race..."
Just then, the head's angry roar came from the control room: "What are you laughing at?! Cut! CUT!!"
"The sponsors are about to lose, and you're all here laughing happily. Do you not want your jobs anymore?"
In the next moment, just as Dragon of Light and Darkness's breath was about to collide with Ojama King, all the TV screens suddenly turned to static. A blink later, a cheerful female host appeared onscreen, smiling as she said.
"We'll take a short weather break amidst the program. Today's weather and tomorrow's will both be sunny..."
"..."
"Huh!?"
Viewers across the nation were in an uproar.
To cut off at such a crucial moment?
This is just like getting undressed only to discover the live broadcast is with Granny Jo, but even worse...
Of course, the result of the duel became virtually predictable to everyone; this action of cutting the broadcast itself was enough to indicate the outcome. It was merely to avoid showing the defeat and to save face for the loser.
"..."
Chazz knelt on the ground, disarrayed in the wind.
Lost again...
Strangely enough, at the moment of his LP hitting zero, he was surprised to find himself not as disappointed as he'd imagined.
It even seemed right...obviously.
Why?
Had his subconscious already accepted the idea, "I can't possibly defeat this guy"?
Upon realizing this, Chazz felt utterly hopeless.
What's worse than losing is having long accepted defeat as a norm.
"It was a good duel, Chazz," Yugen smiled, politely putting away his Duel Disc, "Since returning from Northern Academy, your progress is indeed remarkable."
Chazz: "..."
Remarkable progress?
He knelt on the ground, looking up at Yugen, only to feel that under the arena lights, he seemed taller and more unreachable than ever.
No, maybe he had always been like that, and he had just been too slow to notice.
Even after experiencing so much and growing stronger, the gap with this person seemed not to have narrowed at all.
Perhaps they were never in the same dimension at the start.
Maybe from the beginning, he never had a chance to surpass this person.
"Ojama..."
Chazz smiled bitterly.
Even with such ordinary cards, was it still clear that he was no match...is that what it meant?
"What are you doing, Jun?"
The Chazz brothers came down, with elder brother Nagasaku sternly questioning.
"Do you understand what you've done?"
Chazz Shoji shouted, "Do you think this duel was just about you? This is a family matter. Do you know how much money we've invested in this duel, and what negative impact this will have on our group afterward?"
Chazz lowered his head: "I'm sorry..."
"Stop it!"
The always concerned young Yuki Judai was the first who couldn't take it anymore; he jumped into the arena.
"Lightning did a great job." Judai said, "He fought with all his might, and in fact, his performance was visible to everyone, wasn't it?"
Chazz Nagasaku glanced disdainfully at this Jellyfish Head from the Red Dormitory.
"The process doesn't matter; we only care about the result," Nagasaku stated coldly, "The result is that he lost, and our investment was all for nothing, that's all.
A duel without victory is meaningless."
"No, that's not right!" Judai argued, "A duel is not just about winning and losing; what's more important is gaining something significant from it!"
The Chazz brothers both frowned upon this Jellyfish Head.
Apparently pondering, who is this person? What is his relation to Jun?
On what grounds is he meddling in the affairs between us brothers?
"Chazz has always been dueling under the trivial pressure you both have given him," Judai said, "Even with such pain, he has persevered and fought through.
In this duel, the real obstacle for Chazz wasn't Yugen; it was you two."
"What?" Nagasaku frowned.
Chazz Shoji also said: "But no matter what, the fact is he lost to such an oddball deck, isn't it?"
Chazz: "..."
Reflecting now, Chazz suddenly realized that both Armed Dragon and Dragon of Light and Darkness were strong super rare cards, typically used by elite Duelists.
In contrast, it seemed that Yugen used ordinary cards throughout the duel, many of which could be purchased in any card shop on the street.
Thinking of this made him more closed off...
"No." Judai interrupted, "Yugen has so many decks, so many choices, yet in such an important representative match, against Chazz, he chose this particular deck. Chazz, do you know why?"
Chazz was taken aback.
Why?
Because...
...is it because he has a rather twisted dark heart, enjoying watching his opponents suffer and struggle?
"Because this deck carries Yugen's messages he wants to convey to you through this duel!" Judai said.
Chazz: "?"
Huh?
Is that true?