Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Watching [E·hero Immortal]'s body dissipate and revert to the four elements, Jaden smiled, looking at the spot where it had disappeared: "Thank you, everyone. And..."

Turning his head to look at Daitokuji lying face up on the ground, Judai said, "You won, Daitokuji-sensei. What an interesting duel."

"It is indeed quite beautiful, and it passed my test beautifully." With a slight effort, Daitokuji sat up and looked at Judai, who was walking towards him. He smiled and said, "It's not about changing the appearance of matter. True alchemy is about transforming the human heart into something purer and nobler. It's truly a result that I couldn't be more satisfied with."

"As I knew, I wasn't wrong. You have the talent to become the strongest alchemist. No, now that you've defeated me, you're already an excellent alchemist who has gone further than me on this glorious path." As he spoke, Daitokuji took out a book with a black and purple cover from his pocket and handed it to Judai.

Jaden saw that there was a mark called "Eye of Ugato" in the center of the front cover of the book. He remembered that among the Seven Stars he had seen so far, apart from the mask of Asuka Tenjouin's brother, Fubuki Tenjouin, who used the alias "Darkness", the others, whether it was Titan, Camilla, or Kagemaru who was defeated by Hayato, all had a similar item with "Eye of Ugato".

"This book was originally my experimental notebook, but due to an accident, it was tainted by the power of darkness and became what it is now. Inside this book is the condensed crystallization of all the alchemy I have learned in my life; it can be said to be the existence that inherits my alchemy." Looking at Judai, Daitokuji said, "Now, accept it, Judai."

“Master Daitokuji…” Looking at Daitokuji, Judai hesitated. His intuition told him that once he took that book, Master Daitokuji might not be able to hold on any longer and would soon leave this world. His body was covered in cracks, as the defeat in the duel had drained the last of his body’s functions.

However, Judai still reached out and took the book from Daitokuji. He knew that even if he didn't take the book, Daitokuji wouldn't last long, and all he could do was to accept what Daitokuji wanted to pass on to him before he left, so that Daitokuji wouldn't leave in disappointment.

Seeing Judai extend his hand, Daitokuji smiled, his no-longer-bright red eyes narrowing as if he were still the same as when he first met Judai at the beginning of the school year: "Don't forget the feeling of having your comrades by your side when you dueled with me, Judai. Walk the path of light—"

At this point, Daitokuji's voice suddenly stopped, and the hand that was resting on the Alchemy Notebook, which was now held by Judai's hands, turned completely into a muddy yellow color, which quickly spread throughout his body.

In an instant, Daitokuji's body collapsed and crumbled into sand, as if a clay sculpture had been stripped of its support, leaving only a handprint stuck to the alchemical ink mark.

The unfinished words of Daitoku-ji, unheard by others, gradually faded from the Judai's ears: 'To see you inherit my legacy means that all my efforts have not been in vain.'

'Unlike me, who couldn't surpass my limits because I was alone, your future is limitless because you have companions. So move forward, Jaden, as long as you keep moving forward, your path of infinite hope will continue to extend.'

'Don't stop...'

"Daitokuji, teacher..." As the voice beside him faded away, and looking at the alchemy notebook in his hand, Jaden felt a pang of sadness. Although the "Seven Spirits Seal" guardian battle had come to a complete end with the defeat of Kagemaru and the loss of the last of the Seven Stars standing beside him—his teacher Daitokuji—the price was that his teacher Daitokuji, who had always taken good care of him, had also left this world.

Even Jaden, who had always been simply enjoying the fun of dueling, felt the pressure beyond the enjoyment for the first time. Although it's a game, Duel Monsters isn't always a joke.

Outside the depression in the center of the forest, the others who arrived late saw Jaden standing alone in the clearing with a book in hand, surrounded by a patch of sand containing his clothes. They wisely refrained from disturbing the dejected Jaden.

"'The Gate of Seven Essences' and 'The Three Illusionary Demons,' is it finally over?" I thought... maybe... perhaps it was Misawa Daichi, looking at Marufuji Ryo beside him, "Although I also defeated one of the 'Seven Stars,' I inexplicably have a feeling of being out of the loop."

"It's probably because we were lured away by the 'Seven Stars' sent by the enemy and missed the final battle." Compared to Misawa Daichi, who felt somewhat disappointed that he didn't have many opportunities to perform, Marufuji Ryo said indifferently, as he was always indifferent.

However, in reality, he first lost to Ramses II despite fully displaying his abilities in the duel, and then won to Abydos III without displaying his full power. It should have been the former that satisfied him while the latter did not. After reflecting on his experience in the battle to protect the "Seven Spirits Seal," Marufuji Ryo was most impressed by the latter.

Could it be true, as Principal Hayato said, that he wasn't yearning for battle but simply for victory? But that's not right, it's not right...

"Five, Misawa and Caesar each defeated a 'Seven Star'? As expected of top students, right!" After taking Asuka and the group of exhausted boys she had dragged away to the school infirmary, Professor Chronos rushed back to see if he could help, but he was also too late. Like Misawa and Caesar, he watched the two duels between Hayato and Jaden from the edge of the forest outside the arena.

Professor Chronos praised Misawa and Ryo Marufuji's performance without reservation, then counted on his fingers, "That lousy student Judai defeated the missing Tenjo and the missing Fubuki, and then defeated Daitokuji-sensei. Does he have some special internal battle technique? But anyway, to be able to defeat two 'Seven Stars' by himself, could it be that the best performer this time is actually the lousy student from the Osiris-Red Dormitory?! Oh my god!"

Because both Fubuki and Asuka share the surname Tenjouin, Professor Chronos changed his mind halfway through his sentence. He expressed his displeasure that Judai seemed poised to become the "MVP" of this "Seven Spirits Seal" defense battle.

The speaker meant no harm, but Professor Chronos was already surprised when he met Asuka and saw that she was with Tenjouin Fubuki, who had been missing for almost a year, and when he arrived at the location of the "Seven Seals" and found that Jaden had exhausted his strength in a duel with his colleague Daitokuji. However, Marufuji Ryo, who was next to Professor Chronos, only learned about Fubuki's news at this moment.

"Professor, you mean Fubuki? Is it the Fubuki I know?" Stopping his random thoughts, Marufuji Ryo asked Professor Chronos anxiously, inquiring about the news, "He's back? Where is he? How is he?"

Professor Chronos also knew why Marufuji Ryo was so concerned about the missing Tenjouin Fubuki. Back then, Marufuji Ryo and Tenjouin Fubuki were known as the twin pillars of Duel Academy. One was nicknamed "Kaiser" and the other was nicknamed "King." They were both exceptionally outstanding students, and outstanding people tend to attract each other. Marufuji Ryo and Tenjouin Fubuki had a very good relationship.

Despite Marufuji Ryo's calm and indifferent expression, Professor Chronos, who has been teaching him for almost three years and considers him one of his best students, knows Marufuji Ryo's inner passion very well and tells him about Fubuki without any reservations.

Knowing that Fubuki was receiving a physical examination and basic treatment at the school clinic, Marufuji Ryo rationally relaxed and didn't feel the need to rush to check on her. He knew that he didn't know as much about medical care as the school doctor, Ayukawa Megumi. Besides Fubuki, who had been sent to the clinic, Jun Manjoume, who had been defeated in his duel with Kagemaru, was also there. He figured that if he went, he would only cause trouble for Ayukawa Megumi. It was better to stay and see if there was anything he could do to help.

Besides—even Fubuki's sister Asuka returned here after taking Fubuki and Banjou to the infirmary with Professor Chronos. His sister wasn't even by his side; we should believe Fubuki will be alright, hmm.

(In the school clinic, Fubuki wakes up in a daze and finds herself all alone. After receiving a stronger dose of anesthesia from Ms. Ayukawa Megumi, she falls asleep again.)

“I defeated Tanya, and then Caesar defeated that ‘God of Duels’…” Misawa paused subtly after mentioning Abydos III, the “God of Duels,” before continuing. Among those present, perhaps only he and Marufuji Ryo could understand his subtle feelings. “Professor Chronos defeated a vampire named Camilla, and then Jun Manjoume defeated a duelist named Titan who landed in the Red Dormitory.”

"Plus, there's the older brother of the Tenjouin student whom Yujou defeated, and Mr. Daitokuji from the Red Dormitory..."

"Huh? There are only six people?"

Hearing Misawa's words, Asuka withdrew her gaze from Judai, thought for a moment to see if anyone had been forgotten, and realized that, as Misawa said, there were only six defeated members of the "Seven Stars": "First of all, let's confirm that the Seven Stars organization is not the kind of organization that is called the 'Evil Six' but has more than six members, or that is codenamed the 'Four Heavenly Kings' but has five members, right?"

“Since it’s called ‘Sevenstar,’ it’s only natural that there are seven people involved, and we can’t count the chairman, Kagemaru, who founded this organization.” Misawa paused, then said in a speculative tone, “Could it be that there’s another ‘Sevenstar’ wandering around the island who hasn’t been found yet?”

After Misawa finished speaking, a brief silence fell between him and Ryo Marufuji, Asuka, Professor Chronos, and the other two.

Jaden was able to defeat two "Seven Stars," which is quite unusual considering they were both from Duel Academy. However, his record of two victories is undeniable, more than double that of others who only defeated one. Moreover, Asuka, who always acted alongside Jaden, never defeated a single "Seven Star."

I thought the battle to protect the "Seven Essence Seal" was over, and even if I was unwilling, there were no more "Seven Stars" that could be defeated. But now it turns out there is still a "Seven Star" on the island.

What else is there to say? Regardless of whether he will still try to seize the key to the "Seven Essence Seal" according to the wishes of the already defeated Kagemaru, we will still pull him up and fight him to the death even if he kneels down and surrenders!

'I only defeated one, while Yuujou defeated two. At this rate, won't I really become No. 3?'

'As a teacher, I haven't defeated as many enemies as my students, and it's not even Caesar who surpassed me, but Jaden Yuki from the Red Dorm?'

'I haven't defeated a single enemy. If that happens, won't I fall too far behind Jaden? No, even if there's only one, I have to catch up with Jaden!'

'Although I can't quite figure out whether it's respect or victory that I truly crave, all I need is a duel!'

The next moment, their gazes met in mid-air, and all four conveyed the same thought—

war!

In an instant, the four of them sprang into action, running ahead of everyone else to find the "Seven Stars" still on the island!

At the same time, they put their long-standing "duel knowledge" to practical use, influencing others through their words as they acted.

"Tenjouin-kun, you should go back and be with your brother. He must really want you to be the first person he sees when he wakes up."

"Ms. Ayukawa Emi said that my brother needs to rest, so I won't go to see him to avoid getting too excited if I see him. Also, Caesar, aren't you worried about your younger brother? He's still lying there."

“It’s okay, he has another older brother now, he doesn’t need me to worry about him.”

Just as Ryo Marufuji finished speaking, the sound of an engine starting suddenly came from the forest. Professor Chronos, although not as fast as the energetic students, actually arrived at his car in the first instance!

"Bene bravo!" Professor Chronos exclaimed proudly. "You students must be very tired today. Leave the rest to me, noonae!"

"He actually drove! How despicable! Unforgivable, Professor Chronos!"

"I've slowed down, is it because of that damn gravity?!"

"Eeya da, I don't want to lose!"

"Giovane di mente (Too young!) This is my complete form, teacher!"

None of them were worried about Jaden, who had just defeated Daitokuji. After all, the strongest man on the island, and even in the world, their principal, Hayato Kobayashi, was right next to Jaden. Although the greatest danger was when there was no danger, Hayato Kobayashi was the most reassuring presence during the "Seven Seals" defense battle. That's the value of being a Duel King!

Look how powerful Kagemaru became after obtaining the "Three Phantom Demons"? But what was the result? Wasn't Duel King still the stronger, more domineering, and more powerful?

The most important thing now is to find the remaining "Seven Stars" and prevent others from getting there first. Heh, defeating that remaining "Seven Stars" before everyone else and closing the gap with Jaden—that would be pure bliss!

However, what the others didn't know was that after watching Jaden finish his duel with Daitokuji, Hayato was holding a small ball of light that had flown out of Daitokuji's "remains" and was teasing the orange cat "Pharaoh" who had been attracted by the light.

"Heh, being able to see Judai's outstanding performance makes it all worth dying for!"

Daitoku-ji's voice came from the sphere of light, "But—"

"Quack! Don't eat me, Pharaoh!"

"Help me, Judai!"

Perhaps due to the convergence of timelines, Daitokuji's soul was ultimately forced to reside in an animal's body, just like a certain French broom-headed knight. The orange cat "Pharaoh," which swallowed Daitokuji's soul, tilted its head in confusion. It felt as if it had swallowed air, even though it had swallowed something, and couldn't help but burp.

"Daitokuji-sensei?" Jaden glanced at Hayato, who was holding an orange cat, and tilted his head, thinking that he must have just imagined it.

Chapter 1196 The Terrifying Duelist (For Real)

Who is the last of the "Seven Stars"?

Professor Chronos and his group obviously didn't know the answer, but that didn't stop them from using their own methods to find the last member of the "Seven Stars"—first, find the guy with the most distinctive outfit and the most eye-catching hairstyle, and then beat him up!

It's very simple, isn't it? Even if most people can't remember all the teachers and students on the island, it's still very easy to remember the teachers. And then Principal Hayato Kobayashi said, "Students should look like students," so he stipulated that all students should wear uniforms.

So, it's always right to rush up and beat up any guy who isn't wearing a uniform and whom you don't know!

Meanwhile, at the Duel Academy, the students were summoned back to school by Vice Principal Samejima and told not to go out. Although they saw the sky in the distance changing because of the duel, they did not know where the dark clouds came from. They were just discussing whether they had left their clothes hanging out to dry in their dormitories.

The students on campus were unaware of what was happening deep in the mountains and forests. They were well protected and not involved in the "Seven Essence Seal" defense battle. They continued to live their daily lives, with only a slight confusion about the school suddenly requiring them to stay at the main campus.

However, as Hayato and Jaden defeated Kagemaru and Daitokuji, the dark clouds in the sky dissipated, and Samejima received a notification from Hayato that the crisis was basically over. The gathering of students, which had been restrained, ended not long afterward.

However, if they were to disband like this, although it wouldn't have much of an impact, the students who were being "ordered around" would definitely not be happy. Hayato had a brilliant idea and simply asked Samejima to contact the teachers in the school to organize the students. They spontaneously decided to hold a school-wide party, canceling all the afternoon's classes to allow the students to play games.

Although some teachers felt that suddenly organizing such a large-scale entertainment event would really affect the teaching progress, Hayato knew exactly what the teachers were thinking. For example, Professor Chronos could say on the first day of school, "Our teaching progress has fallen behind the dueling basics course next door, no way." It was just an afternoon of classes that was suspended, and in reality, it wouldn't have any impact at all.

Not to mention that learning should be balanced with rest and relaxation, and that relaxation can actually make learning more efficient, even if all the teachers in the school protested, it would be useless, because Hayato's power as the principal is unlimited!

On the other hand, although it was called a school-wide party, the party at Duel Academy was not as troublesome as Hayato's previous life's school events. After all, including all the teachers from the three grades, the maximum number of people was less than four hundred. Then, some people needed to be responsible for logistics, and some people were a bit socially awkward and didn't take the initiative to show themselves. The actual number of people participating in the party was only about two hundred. It was easy to organize a dozen or so activities to make most people have a good time.

However, since this is Duel Academy, these activities naturally won't stray too far from Duel Monsters. Even the impromptu activities will have some Duel Monsters elements. For example, the balloons for shooting air guns are designed as various kinds of "pots"—although those balloons painted with "Pot of Greed" inexplicably remind people of Professor Chronos.

Although it was a last-minute decision, the school already has an annual "cultural festival" and other events, so preparing the props was quite easy. Besides, that large group of students were the best source of labor. Not only did they not have to attend classes in the afternoon, but they could also work with their classmates to prepare for the evening's activities, making it double the fun!

The principal is actually a really nice person.

This impromptu party had another advantage: it successfully diverted the students' attention and their excessive curiosity. Under the premise of "preparing for the party," even asking students to help retrieve various medical equipment from the warehouse would only make students who didn't recognize these things think that it might be part of the party preparation.

Even the two people lying on the bed in the infirmary, Manjoume and Fubuki, were only thought by passing students to be injured accidentally while they were preparing, and no one associated them with the previous "Seven Essence Seal" incident.

However, it's not to say that the activity was without flaws. The students' active participation greatly interfered with Professor Chronos and his team's search for the seventh "Seven Star" on the island. By late afternoon, they still hadn't found any suspicious individuals who might be "Seven Stars." They couldn't find the enemy by beating up everyone they saw, like some delinquents with a golden spirit.

Despite his reluctance to announce the result, Professor Chronos, who had reassembled at the academy an hour before the joint event was about to begin, reluctantly announced, at Hayato's prompting, that the "Seven Stars" incident was over.

"We still haven't found the 'Seven Stars' who's still on the island..." Asuka glanced at Jaden, who had returned to the academy headquarters with Hayato, and said with a sigh, "In the end, Jaden still has the best record... Tsk, that's really annoying."

"I used to have the nickname 'No.3,' but now I'm tied for second place with four other people. I don't know if it's progress or regression," Sanze said, feeling quite unwilling. He had imagined showing off his strength in front of many students when he took on the mission of being the guardian of the "Seven Essence Seal" key.

As a result, the two duels he fought during the "Seven Spirits Seal" defense battle, one in the back mountain and the other on Abydos III's spaceship, were attended by either the card spirits from [Amazon] or spirits from the underworld who came to the mortal world for "tourism". Although some of his students, such as Ooyama, Maeda Hayato, and Marufuji Ryo, witnessed his performance, the presence of just one or two students was not enough to satisfy or appease him.

Although Ryo Marufuji failed to find the final "Seven Stars," his busy afternoon on the island temporarily dispelled his confusion. He wasn't too concerned about the fact that he had defeated fewer "Seven Stars" than Jaden. He was more concerned about something else: "But Principal Hayato, is it really okay to just let that missing 'Seven Star' lurk on the island like this?"

"There shouldn't be any problems, right?" Since the "Seven Stars" they encountered were Tania and Abydos III, Misawa's impression of the "Seven Stars" wasn't great, but it wasn't too bad either. "With only one opponent, it's impossible for them to obtain all seven keys. They're not going to amount to anything."

“Now that the headmaster has returned to the island, keys and such are no longer important.” Asuka shook her head. Having witnessed the dark games played out in duels by Titan, Camilla, her brother Fubuki (who goes by the alias “Darkness”), and the similarly disguised teacher Daitokuji, Asuka didn’t want to gamble on the possibility that the remaining “Seven Stars” was a harmless individual. “What’s important is whether the other party, having lost their companions and employer, will kidnap students out of desperation and take the hostages to some place where no one can find them, threatening us to willingly walk into a trap.”

"Ah, Tenjouin-kun definitely has the most to say on this point—Eek! What a scary look!" On Judai's back, Marufuji Sho, who was being carried off the car, was about to agree with Asuka's words, but Asuka glared at him with displeasure, clearly indicating that he had said the wrong thing.

Some things are fine for others to laugh at, but it's best if others don't agree with them. However, Marufuji Sho clearly doesn't understand this principle.

Looking at Marufuji Sho, who was burying his head behind Judai like a quail, Marufuji Ryo sighed inwardly at his younger brother's low emotional and intellectual intelligence. His face didn't show much change, though. He looked at Hayato walking ahead, wanting to hear what the principal's amazing wisdom was planning.

However, after noticing that everyone was looking at him, Hayato said nonchalantly, "Although that guy did kidnap hostages before and has a criminal record, as far as I know, he has long since given up that kind of dark assassin work. Although he joined the 'Seven Stars,' he is actually just like everyone else and has no intention of being loyal to Kagemaru. He just loafs around and mooches off the funding that Kagemaru gives him."

"Principal Hayato, do you know the last 'Seven Stars'?" Professor Chronos asked curiously.

"Hmph, that's only natural. He and I were teammates who fought side by side back then, together we fought against that terrifying duelist who wielded a fantastical dragon."

Just as Hayato finished speaking, a calm voice rang out: "While it seems to make sense in general, is it really okay to call your former friend a 'terrifying duelist,' Kobayashi Hayato?"