Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"But it's really strange, isn't it? I showed such determination before, if it were an anime or a novel, I would at least be paired with a popular supporting character, right? In that case, shouldn't I have been able to make it to the quarterfinals and get some exposure like my older brother?" Sitting up in bed, Marufuji Sho looked unwilling. "Even if I get eliminated by some strong opponent later, it doesn't matter. We could even create a 'Death of Marufuji Sho' plot and have my older brother avenge me or something."

"So, despite all my hard work, I didn't even make it to the top eight?"

“Sho, you said it yourself, it's a novel or anime. How could those things be the same as reality? There’s a saying: ‘Anyone who seeks realism in a fictional world must have something wrong with their head.’” Maeda Hayato patted Marufuji Sho’s shoulder as he climbed down from the top bunk. “However, you did very well, Sho, in the early stages of the selection process when you didn’t improve your ranking much, but in the last two weeks when everyone else was lax, you managed to climb all the way up to the top ten.”

"While it does offer some comfort, I'm still very unwilling to give up." Marufuji Sho sighed, looking at Judai who had quickly changed into his pajamas. "Big brother, you must fight alongside me and Maeda. We'll cheer you on."

"Oh! I want to have a few more duels too, I'll win every single one. And Caesar's waiting for me, we'll meet in the final." Jaden gave a 45-degree turn like Shinbo, making one worry about his neck. "I'll win!"

——————The dividing line for the victory declaration after awakening——————

"By the way, who is the strongest student in the school?"

"Is this Lord Caesar?"

"While it depends on the situation, I personally think it's Kaiser Ryo."

"Isn't it Caesar? But if we include Judai, that's a different story."

As soon as Asuka spoke, Junko Makita and Momoe Hamaguchi, who had been chatting enthusiastically, fell silent and turned to look at Asuka: "Huh?"

"Although Yuki's reputation at school seems to be improving little by little, his strength is ultimately only based on the fact that he's in the red dorm, right?" Momoe said curiously. "Why do you think Yuki can be compared to Lord Caesar, Asuka?"

"Momoe is a fan of Caesar-senpai, which is a bit biased, you know." Junko crossed her arms in front of her. "But even from my objective point of view, while Yuki Judai can be compared to Misawa Sora from the Yellow Dorm and Manjoume from the Blue Dorm, he's only relatively strong among first-year students. Can he really be compared to Caesar-senpai?"

"You won the duel before because of Kaiser, didn't you?"

"That's not true at all. I clearly explained and analyzed things for you two back then. Jaden also contributed a lot to the duel with the Labyrinth Brothers, which is why we won." Looking at her two best friends, Asuka said helplessly, "In the end, Junko and Momoe, you really need to improve your grades. If you don't work harder, it's not impossible that you'll fall back to the Yellow Dorm."

“No way, Aoki-sensei, the head of the Yellow Dorm, seems so boring.” Junko shuddered. “I always feel like if I stayed in the Yellow Dorm, I would become a tired, overworked office worker like Aoki-sensei, or my presence would be completely absorbed and I wouldn’t even be able to get my name pronounced correctly.”

"Is that some new campus legend?" Momoe teased, but then suddenly grinned and snuggled up to Asuka, putting her arm around her. "That's about it, we're just passing, that's all. Even if someone bullies us, we have the 'Ice Queen of Blue Dorm' to stand up for us, right?"

"Who, who knows someone with that nickname..." Hearing Momoe's words, Asuka turned her head away shyly and awkwardly, refusing to be associated with that strange and cringeworthy nickname.

"Hehe, Asuka, you're still so easily embarrassed." Junko moved closer to Asuka's other side, laughing as she said, "And the reason you're so protective of Yuki-kun, could it be because you... speaking of which, you even called him by his name 'Judai'~"

"We're just ordinary friends. Yeah, that's all." Asuka tried to keep a straight face, but no matter how serious she tried to look, she couldn't change the smiling expressions on her friends' faces. Embarrassed and annoyed, she simply chose to change the subject abruptly, "Anyway, I have to finish the final deck adjustments before the selection tournament starts this morning, so please don't bother me."

Joking aside, Junko and Momoe didn't disturb Asuka any longer as she was organizing her deck and the spare cards she planned to bring that day. While Asuka had her back to them, the two of them gave each other a light high five.

Asuka has such a strong personality, and she's been very busy lately trying to get into the top eight of the academy exchange tournament. Unlike boys who easily find opponents by provoking others, girls like Asuka often encounter boys with inexplicable sexism or male chauvinism who look down on her when they seek out opponents to improve their ranking. They might even refuse to "waste time" on duels with reasons like "I don't hit women."

Seeing that Asuka had been constantly on edge lately, even after confirming that she had made it into the top eight this morning, Junko and Momoe were still preparing for today's official match with excessive seriousness. That's why they asked Asuka to distract herself a little and relax to relieve her tension.

"Speaking of which, there are actually two girls among the top eight students this time." Looking at the list of the top eight on her phone, Junko whispered to Momoe to avoid disturbing Asuka who was concentrating on her studies, "Besides Asuka, there is another girl from another branch school."

“I saw it too, isn’t it Rachel Mackenzie from the Western branch campus?” Momoe said, operating the buttons on her phone with one hand and scrolling through the content displayed on the screen. “There isn’t much information about her duel on the campus forum, she seems very mysterious.”

"Hmph, are all those boys focused on that woman's appearance? Asuka is the school beauty, right? Or maybe Kohinata-senpai is prettier than her...?" Junko said, her confidence fading slightly.

Although the senior student Kohinata Seika, nicknamed "Black Mamba," has won the "Miss Duel Academy" honor for two consecutive years as a third-year student, she truly deserves this honor, unlike some oddballs who win it purely for their quirky personalities.

(Immigrant status, transgender, obese, and people of color – all these advantages combined)

However, it must be admitted that this girl named Rachel Mackenzie, who is also a third-year student, is not bad-looking either. To be honest, Junko feels that she is even prettier than Kohinata Seika-senpai. Even when compared with Asuka, who is a friend of Junko, it is hard to tell who is better because of her mature temperament.

("Black Mamba" Seika Kohinata: What can I say?)

(Ricky Mackenzie, a true red-eyed cyborg with a penchant for blondes, for sure)

"Yes, that's right, Asuka is the prettiest—although Aunt Tomie won the 'Miss Duel Academy' title this year, someone must have abused their power." Momoe said while flipping through her phone, "We are students of Duel Academy, and what matters most is not appearance, but strength."

"That's right...wait! Someone took a picture of Senior Caesar taking a bath."

"Where? Send me a copy quickly!"

—————Junko's nosebleed and her search for tissues—————

In Marufuji Ryo's dormitory, Tenjouin Fubuki sat on a chair as if she were in her own room, resting her chin on her hand in a pose reminiscent of "The Thinker".

After washing up early in the morning, Marufuji Ryo came out of the bathroom and looked at Fubuki, who had come to his room so early in the morning: "What are you thinking about, Fubuki?"

Fubuki nodded seriously: "I was taking a selfie, so why do other people on the forum only pay attention to Ryo, who was accidentally included in the photo, but no one pays attention to how handsome I am in the photo?"

"I don't even know where the end of the universe is, how could I possibly know why?" Marufuji Ryo wasn't too surprised. Rather, in his impression, Fubuki had always been the kind of person who would do silly things in a serious manner, so it was to be expected that she would seriously ponder such trivial questions.

"How heartless! Ryo, aren't we partners with the same aspirations?" Fubuki looked sadly at Marufuji Ryo. "Have you forgotten the vow we made together to find someone we could spend our lives with before graduation?"

"Don't add non-existent pasts to my story. Only you would want to do something like that, I wouldn't, Fujiwara..."

Marufuji Ryo paused, then shook his head after a brief silence: "Don't you even remember what time it was yesterday when you barely made it into the top eight and dragged me to a hot spring in the middle of the night to celebrate? The original photos you posted have long been pushed down by new posts."

"But it's still annoying that only a portion of the screenshots from the photos I posted are being shared." Fubuki put her hands on her hips. "I've decided, Ryo, I'm going to beat you head-on in the official match and take back my popularity!"

"The Emperor is my Tenjouin Fubuki! That has never changed!"

"Heh, I'm also looking forward to our duel again, Fubuki, but unfortunately, someone has already made a promise with me to fight in the finals, so I won't lose until then, even if my opponent is you." Looking at his old friend, Marufuji Ryo showed a smile that was rarely seen on others, and even teased, "Besides, that person in this year's top eight, don't you plan to duel with her?"

"Asuka? Hmph, my lovely little sister has grown up a lot and doesn't need me, her older brother, to worry about her," Fubuki said casually.

But Ryo Marufuji's lips curled up: "I didn't say it was your sister, did I? I seem to remember that at the academy exchange competition two years ago, there was someone who was having a great time chatting with an exchange student from the Western branch campus. What was that person's name again? Anyway, I think that exchange student's last name was Mackenzie?"

"Does anyone know anyone with that last name...?"

Although it wasn't at the same time or in the same place, the two siblings from Tenjouin made almost identical reactions. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have known that Fubuki, the self-proclaimed "love magician" and "playboy," one of the "Twin Pillars of Duel Academy" and "King," would have such a shy expression.

—————The dividing line for running away under the pretext of organizing the deck—————

"...Adhering to the 'higher,' 'faster,' and 'stronger' philosophy proposed by Haima Group, Duel Academy has long been committed to..."

"...the various branch campuses and the main campus have always maintained a relationship of 'adapting to local conditions and complementing each other's strengths'..."

On the podium, despite saying "I'll just say a few words" at the beginning, Marufuji Sho went on and on after getting the microphone. He looked at Maeda with a pained expression and said, "Does every teacher talk this much when they give a speech? Or is it just Professor Chronos?"

He hoped that Maeda wouldn't reply with the line "It's always like this" that he remembered.

“Try to get used to it, Sho. You’ll get used to it in three years,” Maeda Hayato said with a smile. “I originally thought I wouldn’t be able to get used to the fact that whenever there’s a big event, the teachers have to go on stage and give long speeches.”

"So, Maeda, are you used to it now?" Marufuji Sho asked curiously, receiving a bright smile from Maeda Hayato. "No, but I'm going to work at the International Illusion Company soon."

"...Under the principal's leadership, we...cough cough!" As he spoke, Professor Chronos coughed twice because he had talked too much, only to find that someone had secretly taken away the water prepared by the podium. Feeling uncomfortable, he could only reluctantly add, "Now, please let the principal say a few words to us."

Hayato casually handed Professor Chronos a bottle of water, walked to the front of the stage, looked at the huge crowd below, and coughed lightly: "Ahem—the academy exchange match begins!"

Chapter 1299: On Why Tactical Experimentation Deck is Godly

Hayato's concise "speech," in stark contrast to Professor Chronos, was instantly met with enthusiastic applause from the students.

Several school staff removed the podium, clearing the central duel area. At the same time, a 360-degree surround display device composed of several curved screens was suspended from the ceiling. The eight finalists were projected onto it one by one, but for the time being, they were all just black silhouettes.

As the stage was removed, Professor Chronos picked up the microphone again, attempting to act as a commentator once more: "Then the hosting duties will now be handled by Chronos de Medici, the highest-ranking person in charge of practical training at the Duel Academy."

"After a month of selection and elimination, eight people have finally entered the official competition. Now, please welcome the contestants whose names are called to the stage." After a pause, Professor Chronos called out the first name, "Eighth place, second year, Obelisk Blue Tenjouin Fubuki!"

"Clang~"

Holding a ukulele, Fubuki wasn't wearing his school uniform, but rather a beach t-shirt, looking nothing like a student. He stood up, strummed the strings, and introduced himself to the students around him with the elegance of a big star: "Look up, what do you see?"

"sky--"

He wanted to make a cool entrance and shout his signature line, "10—Join~", but before he could even begin his action, Ayukawa Megumi, who had come to his side with a dark expression, dragged him away from the scene: "Didn't I tell you that you need to take better care of your health, Tenjouin-kun? So can you explain why you're wearing short sleeves in this weather?"

"Wait, wait a minute, Emi-chan! I specially chose this outfit to best showcase my style for my first appearance back at the academy. A little bit of cold air is nothing!" Fubuki struggled. "You're going to ruin my senior image!"

"You didn't even have that kind of thing! Go change your clothes into your school uniform!"

"Quack! Asuka, save me!"

"Brother? (Without concern)" Asuka watched Fubuki being dragged away from the scene with a calm expression, pretending not to know him, while secretly praying that others would not associate him with her.

Despite having disappeared once and having a dark past, why is Fubuki still acting so unreliable after waking up? I thought he had changed a lot because I saw him trying so hard to fight someone recently—although it was just something he did while chatting up a beautiful junior at the academy.

Wait a minute, is Fubuki working so hard just to show off at the academy exchange competition like he did earlier?

Thinking of this, Asuka helplessly covered her forehead. Almost simultaneously with Asuka's action, not far from her, a blonde girl also helplessly covered her forehead because of Fubuki's actions.

Subconsciously, both of them looked over at each other because the other's movements were exactly the same as their own, and Asuka's eyes met those of the blonde girl.

Fubuki being dragged away was an accident, and Professor Chronos continued calling out the names of the finalists: "Ahem, Fubuki will be back soon, so I'll continue, nono ne."

"Next up is the sixth place finisher in the preliminaries, a third-year exchange student from the Western branch campus—Rachel Mackenzie!"

"Then there's a tie for sixth place, Asuka Tenjouin from the Obelisk Blue dormitory, a first-year student!"

Asuka and the girl who had met her gaze—Ricky Mackenzie—stood up at the same time, giving brief responses to the stares from their classmates, but both frowned, clearly surprised that their final results were so close to the cutoff. They had estimated they would at least be in the top five, but they ended up sixth, or even tied for sixth.

Mizuki glanced at Asuka again, narrowing her eyes, thinking to herself: 'So she's Fubuki Tenjouin's sister? She's got some skills, but the elimination rounds aren't enough to show a duelist's full potential.'

'I won't lose until I face Fubuki!'

Asuka didn't understand why Miki's gaze was inexplicably filled with fighting spirit. Before Professor Chronos announced her name, she had only heard of her but didn't know her personally, and had never interacted with her before. However, that didn't stop her from returning the gaze with the same unwavering determination.

Tied for sixth place was not the result she wanted. Putting aside the speculation about which other experts were ahead of her, this woman, herself, had to prove that she was stronger than them. Otherwise, how could she keep up with Judai... and the other students?

"Fifth place goes to the same first-year student, Sun God - Huang Dormitory, Misawa Kai, cough cough, Daichi-kun."

"You meant to say Misawa Ocean, didn't you! How are the pronunciations of 'earth' and 'ocean' similar that you guys can easily mispronounce them!" With a frustrated expression, Misawa couldn't help but complain as soon as he stood up.

"Oh dear~ Teacher, I don't know." Professor Chronos feigned ignorance, trying to bluff his way through, and continued to register.

Meanwhile, in the audience, Marufuji Sho said curiously, "Asuka and Gotsu are both in the top eight, but their rankings are all outside the top four? The competition seems fierce."

“Caesar counts, and as of last night I was ranked second, and Manjoume seemed to be right behind me in third place.” Judai counted on his fingers, “Originally, after that, in the Four Elements... No.3 was ranked behind Manjoume, but he was surpassed by someone else?”

"Huh?" Even Professor Chronos paused in surprise when he saw the next contestant's name, taking a second look to make sure he wasn't mistaken. After confirming that it was correct, although he was still a little confused, he still said, "The next fourth contestant is also a first-year student, from the Obelisk Blue dormitory, Jun Manjoume, no ne!"

"Don't add your weird catchphrase 'Master Chronos' after my name!" Manjoume stood up, his face dark, and protested. "If you're going to call someone, call them Mr. Manjoume!"

"But I'm only fourth? How is that possible!"

"Lightning? That sounds like a really arrogant name. Turns out it's just a brat."

As Manjoume finished speaking, a burly man not far in front of him turned around and looked at Manjoume with disdain.

Clenching his fists in annoyance, Manjoume glared fiercely at the burly man: "It's Mr. Manjoume! Is there anything wrong with calling me Mr. Manjoume?"

"So what gives you the right to be so arrogant?"

Upon hearing Wan Zhangmu's words, the burly man smirked: "Qualifications? My qualifications are, of course—"

Professor Chronos's voice rang out at the same time: "Then comes the third place, a third-year student from the Northern Branch, Edogawa Yuri."

As the silhouette of the third-place finisher lit up on the display screen above the central dueling arena, the burly man who had arrogantly challenged Manjoume stood up and uttered the second half of his sentence: "—My ranking when I entered the competition was even higher than yours!"

"That guy is actually third place? Really?" Jaden looked incredulous. "He didn't seem that strong, yet he's ranked higher than Manjoume?"