"Ahem. My name is Kabayama, and I am your dorm head. First, on behalf of the yellow dorm, I welcome every one of you. As students assigned here, you are all elites among elites.
"Normally, we would have each newcomer introduce themselves or perform a small talent. But this is Duel Academy, where everything is decided by Duel. That brings me to what I am about to say, which will also be your first trial after enrollment."
He waved his arm dramatically, his curry cape fluttering.
"Duel!"
Kabayama explained the agenda of the Yellow Dormitory Orientation Session in a clear and direct way. Put simply, it was an internal dorm exchange match. The goal was to let new students get familiar with one another through real play rather than formal introductions.
People in this world often said that a Duel was not only about winning or losing, but also a way for Duelists to understand each other. A Duel was a clash of minds, and through it both sides could grasp the other's thoughts and style. This belief was clearly one that Kabayama held firmly.
In his view, having everyone step up to say a few dry words only led to names being forgotten right after. Playing cards together was far more effective in helping everyone remember each other quickly. Because of that, he chose this exchange match as the first activity.
The list of new students had already been handed to the dorm head ahead of time. Professor Kabayama had therefore prepared the matchups early and arranged direct duels between students. Everything was organized before the freshmen even realized it.
"The match period will be the first two weeks after enrollment. Of course, there are too many freshmen for everyone to play a match, and there's no need to chase victory to the very end." Kabayama paused, then smiled in a mysterious way and waved his hand. "As special encouragement, for every win in this dorm exchange match, you will receive one extra credit outside the regular curriculum of Duel Academy!"
The freshmen's eyes immediately lit up. Everyone knew that credits at Duel Academy were more than just numbers. They could be converted into internal "DP points" used throughout Duel Academy for food, shopping, and all kinds of facilities, including buying cards.
As expected of Duel Academy, the very first day was already about playing cards. With rewards like that, winning felt mandatory. The freshmen's fighting spirit surged at once.
Of course, there was still dinner to eat before dueling. It was said that Kabayama had personally joined the kitchen staff to welcome the newcomers and had prepared a variety of elaborate dishes. These included curry beef, curry chicken rice, curry fish, and curry tofu.
The freshmen fell silent. The food tasted quite good, but it also made everyone deeply aware of the dorm head's unusual and intense love for curry. By the time everyone had eaten their fill, the banquet still had not fully ended.
Before people could disperse, a thick-browed freshman in a yellow uniform stopped in front of Yugen. "Yugen Fujiki?" he asked. Yugen paused and looked him up and down.
"Yuichi Yamamoto?" Yugen asked cautiously. That name matched the opponent assigned to him in the first round on the list. "That's right," the boy said with a grin.
"I checked the list. You're this year's first place, right? I'm fifth. I stayed up too late the night before, so I didn't do well on the written test." He shrugged, still smiling. "But that doesn't matter. If we're talking real combat, I'm definitely number one."
He raised his arm, showing the Duel Disk already fitted to his wrist. "Even if it's random, I'm pretty happy with this matchup. We're going to duel sooner or later anyway, so why not start with the strongest? What do you say, a little exercise after dinner?"
"Sure," Yugen replied as he stood up and brushed off his clothes. Since the duel was inevitable, getting it done early was simpler. The banquet had just ended, and the freshmen were still around.
It did not take long for others to notice the challenge. "Huh? A Duel already? That fast?" "And it's between first and fifth place this year? Right from the start?"
Students quickly gathered around the open ground outside the dorm to watch. "Did you see the first place guy's entrance exam duel?" one asked. "No. Was there something special about it?"
"It's not about special or not," the student scratched his head. "He's just… really different. I can't describe it well. You'll understand if you watch." Nearby, Daichi Misawa stood with his arms crossed, silently observing Yugen with narrowed eyes.
Many students had not noticed before, but Daichi Misawa had seen Yugen's entrance exam Duel. He had been curious about the person who ranked above him and had looked into it afterward. To his surprise, he found that this freshman had defeated the legendary Rex Raptor before enrollment.
"So this is the first place's duel," Daichi Misawa said with a faint smile, arms crossed. "Let me take a good look." The crowd settled down as both players prepared.
"Duel!" they called together. Yugen, LP 4000 Yuichi, LP 4000
"I'll go first. Card Draw!" Yuichi Yamamoto took the opening turn. "I summon Hell Dragon in attack position!"
A dignified black dragon appeared on his field, swinging its long tail and letting out a deep roar. Hell Dragon, ATK 2000
The onlookers gasped as expected. "He starts with a 2000 ATK monster right away!" "Then I set two cards and end my turn," Yuichi said, clearly confident in his opening.
A four-star monster with 2000 attack counted as a Rare Card, and summoning it on the first turn was already strong. On top of that, one of his face-down cards was the powerful trap Bottomless Trap Hole, which destroyed and banished a monster with 1500 or more ATK when it was summoned. Against most students, this was enough to take control of the Duel.
"My Turn!, Card Draw." It was Yugen's turn. "I activate the spell Graceful Charity. I draw three cards from my Deck, then discard two."
Using the exchange match as a chance, he tested a build he had bought earlier from the Duel Academy department but had not used much. "I activate the field spell Giant Mech City!"
The card slid into the extra slot of the Duel Disk with a sharp click. The field transformed in a sweeping surge as layered overpasses rose up, covering the entire Duel field for both sides.
"Mechs?" Yuichi chuckled. "That's a pretty ordinary Deck." Yugen continued, "I normal summon Mixer Mech in face-up defense position."
A humanoid mixer truck jumped onto the field, its wheels swinging like fists while the mixer on its back spun loudly. Its headlights looked like two cute, round eyes. Mixer Mech, DEF 2200
Yuichi frowned slightly. Two thousand two hundred defense, but zero attack. That meant Bottomless Trap Hole could not activate.
"Mixer Mech's effect activates," Yugen said. "I tribute one Machine-type monster on my field to special summon a non-Wind 'Mech' monster from my Deck. Mixer Mech itself is a Machine, so I tribute Mixer Mech!"
The mixer drum spun wildly, creating a green Mystical Space Typhoon-like vortex that swallowed it whole. The truck broke apart into golden light, forming a summoning spiral.
"I special summon this card from my Deck," he declared. "Submarine Mech, summon!" Submarine Mech, ATK 800