Graduation.
Marufuji Ryo lay sprawled out on the field of the Dueling Hall, looking up at the immense high-tech dome, momentarily lost in thought.
A sudden sense of unreality washed over him.
Three years passed just like that at Duel Academy. And as the representative for the graduation match, also his last duel at Duel Academy, he couldn't say the experience was particularly great.
"Double-Rider Bicycle Robot..."
Marufuji Ryo murmured to himself.
"I really didn't expect that."
"My last duel at Duel Academy, my final battle, ended with a bicycle..."
He couldn't help but laugh at himself.
During his three years at the Academy, it was not until close to the last semester that he first dueled Yugen, but now for some reason he felt like he had lived in his shadow for three years.
He had no doubt that when he looked back on his days at Duel Academy, the most memorable thing wouldn't be how he reigned as Caesar of the Academy, invincible.
The first thing he'd recall would definitely be that unbeatable bicycle...
Yugen walked up to him and sat down beside him.
"You okay?" Yugen asked casually.
Marufuji Ryo lay on the ground, turned his head to glance at him, and smiled lightly.
"Of course. I've changed from my past self, it's not so easy to get discouraged now," he smiled slightly, "Victory and defeat are common events in a Duelist's life. As a Duelist, one needs the determination to pursue victory at all costs, but also the courage to face failure.
If I fall into Hell, then I'll rise from Hell again. Now I understand, and realize how naive I was in the past. If you can't even do this, you have no right to step into the world of a Duelist, right?"
"I'm glad you've found your direction." Yugen said.
"Thanks to you...thank you." Marufuji Ryo looked at him earnestly.
"Oh, what are you talking about? I was just dueling sincerely," Yugen shrugged, "It's good that you've gained some insight from it."
"Hahaha, you're still so modest. But the last duel and this duel, you've been trying to tell me something through dueling, right?"
Marufuji Ryo chuckled lightly once more.
"Cyber Dragon, Power Combination... those were the paths I abandoned, symbols of my past. But now I've parted with my past self…"
He sat up, looking seriously at Yugen.
"You want to tell me through such a duel that progress doesn't mean completely denying your past, but rather embarking on a new path while preserving the essence of your past, right?"
Yugen: "..."
"At the end, I thought you'd use the Cyber Twin Dragons you won from me… but it turned out to be the Power Combination Double-Rider Bicycle Robot, which indeed surprised me.
But now I've come to understand."
He looked at Yugen seriously, suddenly making Yugen feel as if he was looking at a graduating student defending their thesis.
"You're telling me not to be constrained by using specific strategies. Being flexible and adaptable is the only rule for winning, right?"
"Hmm... Ah, yes." Yugen said.
Is there a possibility that if I hadn't summoned the bicycle and instead used Twin Dragons, I wouldn't have been able to surpass your Armored Black Dragon?
He wasn't sure about other things, but Yugen felt Marufuji Ryo certainly lived up to being the top graduate; his comprehension skills had always been impressive.
As the Duel King, anything he says or does can easily lead people to overthink.
Being at the top, under the spotlight, everyone wishes to scrutinize him with a magnifying glass. Many even deify him, thinking every decision and action must be deeply meaningful.
But in fact, that's not the case. Sometimes he just does things because he feels like doing them. Other times it's simply because he finds it amusing.
With Marufuji Ryo, he indeed intended to give him some pointers through duels, but it was only to nudge him, letting him think and understand on his own, merely accelerating his progress a little.
"It's a pity that I lost the final battle of my graduation."
Marufuji Ryo got up but wasn't discouraged.
Because he knew, in this duel, he was the challenger. Facing the King as an opponent, though he longed for victory, he was mentally prepared for failure.
"But I won't give up just yet; I will become stronger." Marufuji Ryo said firmly.
Yugen: "Have you decided on your future path?"
Marufuji Ryo nodded.
"Several clubs have already talked to me." Marufuji Ryo said, "I'm going to enter the professional scene and become a Professional Duelist."
"First, I will train in the professional scene and climb to the top. Then, when I too rule at the top, I will be back."
Yugen laughed and shook his hand.
"Good, I'll be waiting."
As expected, despite the change in timelines, Marufuji Ryo still chose to embark on the professional path.
If nothing unexpected happens, with destiny's guidance, next semester he should also, like in the original, keep winning matches and then face Ed Phoenix in the professional arena.
That was supposed to be Marufuji Ryo's Waterloo, the beginning of his fall to the bottom, and also the opportunity for him to become Hell Caesar. However, now with the timeline changed, what the outcome will be is uncertain.
...
...
The old students graduated, and suddenly the Academy seemed much emptier.
Near the end of the semester, students in first and second grade had fewer classes scheduled. Even the main paths of the teaching building were only sparsely populated, which made it seem quiet compared to usual.
Time flies, another semester is nearing its end. Most of the remaining students are now gathered in study rooms and duel fields, preparing for the impending final exams.
The third-year seniors graduated after their exams, but the assessments for the other two years were still a week away.
Most students were quite tense during this period, but Judai clearly was an exception.
He was, as always, waking up late in the morning and going to bed even later at night. Basically staying up all night in the Elf Dimension.
The co-op bicycle of Yugen and Judai became a tricycle once Joey joined, with them almost every night setting off. Recently, they've crossed two dimensions, traveling towards the Dimension of Overlord City.
"By the way, aren't you all nearing finals?"
One night, Joey asked Judai curiously.
"Yeah, that's right." Judai nodded.
"Hmm… then you're here every day, what about exams?" Joey wondered.
"Isn't Yugen here too?" Judai argued confidently.
"Hmm? I'm exemptioned from exams." Yugen also said, "Even if I don't take the exams, I'll still get full credits."
"Darn it, there's that too, so envious…"
Judai scratched his head.
"So I'm the only one who might fail, huh?"
"Seems like it," Yugen glanced at him, "What do you think? Want to rest for two days and prepare a bit?"
"Nothing to prepare, if I fail, I fail."
Judai laughed cheerfully.
"Let's duel first, let's duel first."
Playing cards is more important.