Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Asuka was silent for three seconds, and then—

"Wow, Asuka's movements are so smooth, meow~" In the audience, seeing Fubuki walking over with a very noticeable dark circle under her left eye, Daitokuji praised, "No wonder she's the 'Ice Queen,' no wonder she always gets full marks in Ayukawa-sensei's class, meow~"

"Asuka's athletic ability is indeed exaggerated, and yet she doesn't seem to have much muscle, and her thighs are white and soft. It's really hard to understand," Junko nodded, quite puzzled.

Momoe, another member of the best friend group, was also quite puzzled: "Not only is she good at running, but she is also very good at tennis and other things. Even Ayukawa Megumi can't beat her in arm wrestling."

"Huh? Is that so?" Marufuji Sho heard the voice behind him and looked at Manjoume beside him with some surprise. "But doesn't Tenjouin-san often have trouble opening her water bottle and need her older brother to help her?"

"Hmph, why would you ask me such a pointless question? You probably already know the answer," Manjoume said confidently. "What's the use of being strong normally? It's perfectly normal to have tired fingers after playing sports like tennis and not be able to grip a bottle cap properly."

"I see. No wonder you are called Manjoume."

"It's Mr. Manjoume!"

Looking at the boys in the front row, Junko and Momoe exchanged a glance and shook their heads helplessly, while Daitokuji sighed, "They're just kids..."

[King Todoroki Battle - Hal] After Fubuki left the open space and went up to the audience, he took out a leather wine jug from his body, opened the lid and poured out the water inside. The water that fell on the ground seemed to be enchanted and started to flow on its own, rising up to become a water curtain.

In Norse mythology, there is an ancient spell that involves lifting the lid of a kettle and casting a magic spell on it, allowing one to see another world within the kettle. The spell cast by [King Kaio Battle - Hal] seems to be a variant of this spell, as thousands of different images appeared in the rising water curtain.

Polar regions, volcanoes, mines, dense forests, arid lands, desolate ruins, battlefields, and mostly plains—the audience could clearly discern from the images displayed on the water screen the terrains of the nine realms they had previously visited: the Ice Realm, the Flame Realm, the Iron Realm, the Light Realm, the Death Realm, the Void Realm, and the Sword Realm. The last one was clearly the Central Courtyard, the Eternal Realm. The water screen displayed images of the other nine realms except for the Boom Realm.

Not only that, they also noticed that there were dozens of people, as many as two or three, and even some acting alone in the scene. Players who had previously logged into this virtual world appeared in nearly a thousand different scenes. [King Kaio Battle - Hal] actually had the ability to lock onto everyone instantly!

Not only could those within the [Todoroki] see that side, but those on the other side of the water curtain also seemed to notice the water curtain appearing above them, looked up and saw the scene of the [Todoroki] on this side of the water curtain, and saw Tenjouin Asuka and Yuki Judai standing on either side of the open space, ready for their duel.

In the audience, Jonouchi complained, "Holy crap, isn't this 'movie stream'? I remember Hayato complained about it once, right? Kaiba actually put this into the game too?"

“Kaiba is like this. Others just need to come up with good ideas, but he has to do a lot more to stuff other people’s ideas into his own work.” Hayato shrugged. “Since things have come to this, let’s shift the blame first. The reason Kaiba is like this is definitely because Pegasus messed up his Blue-Eyes White Dragon back in Duel Kingdom.”

"Unforgivable, Pegasus!"

"Oh~, it's been so long since we last met, and you're talking about me like that behind my back. That's really too sad, Hayato boy~"

A piece of water separated from the curtain and floated to the edge of the audience seats. A silver-haired man with both eyes intact heard Hayato's words and showed a sad expression.

Although the other party had both eyes intact, Hayato recognized at a glance that it was clearly Pegasus, the world's laziest dog, a severe procrastinator, a fake foreigner, a white-haired guy with eyes covered, and the father of Duel Monsters!?

"Huh? Even you?" Hayato raised an eyebrow and sat a little further away with a look of disdain. "Wait a minute, Pegasus, did you come to Duel Academy Island? How did you get into this game without Kaiba's 'Cocoon'?"

"Because Haima Boy gave away that rather interesting 'Legendary White Stone' game pod to the vast majority of enterprises that have a cooperative relationship with Haima Group~" Pegasus said from the water screen, pointing outwards while displaying his virtual image with his eyes specially restored in the game.

The enormous water curtain, which had split into thousands of parts, drifted away on its own and stopped in different positions. Upon closer inspection, Hayato discovered that in addition to students from his school, there were quite a few faces that had appeared on television among the thousands of water curtains. Hayato even saw Anasis and waved to him.

Although there were only about a dozen spectators present, and the stands were not even full, the move of [King Kaio Battle - Hal] turned the upcoming duel into a live broadcast to the other nine worlds. According to Pegasus's explanation, the scene he saw through the water screen was almost identical to watching it live, and he could also freely choose his viewing position and angle.

This is the complete version of the "stage of destiny that no one can predict" that Haima has been preparing for a long time. After all, it can only be called a "stage" if there is an audience.

"So, let the battle begin, you destined ones." Looking at the opposing Judai and Asuka, [King Todoroki Battle - Hal] leaned back, and a golden throne rose from the ground for him to sit on.

Chapter 1376 Ancient Saint Dai, Dragon Goddess, and...

Who is the strongest first-year student at Duel Academy?

【Great Universe, Activate!】: "Eh? Jaden Yuki, how about that?"

[Mona Lisa enthusiast (on a business trip)]: "It depends on the situation, but it should be Yuki Jaden. This is just my personal opinion."

[RX-75]: "Isn't it Jaden Yuki...? If we include the third-year students, it'll be a different story."

[Who says only those who stand in the light are heroes?]: "Someone other than Yuki Jaden and Misawa Sora."

In the past, there was a discussion on the Duel Academy forum about who was the strongest newcomer in the 2005 academic year. Anonymous teachers and students, using IDs whose identities were (presumably) unknown, enthusiastically discussed the topic. Although no definitive conclusion was reached, Jaden Yuki undoubtedly received the most votes, followed closely by Jun Manjoume and Asuka Tenjouin.

The name Daichi Misawa did not appear in the top three, top five, or even top ten rankings. The main reason is unclear, but it may be related to the fact that strange names such as "Misawa Sky," "Tenze Ocean," "Four Arithmetic Operations," and "Five Wood Enlightenment" diverted the votes that others originally wanted to cast for his name.

Now, it's time to prove the results of that discussion. Of the four contestants who made it to the final four, apart from Kaiser Ryo and Tenjouin Fubuki, who are respectively a third-year student and a second-year student who repeated a year, the remaining two, Tenjouin Asuka and Yuki Jaden, are both first-year students.

However, there was no tense atmosphere between the two on the field. Jaden smiled easily, as if it were a routine sparring match, and said to Asuka, "How many times have we dueled?"

“It’s hard to say. We’ve always been dueling together since we enrolled.” Asuka, who was already prepared, raised her left arm. The Duel Disk filled the virtual deck with cards and automatically popped out five cards for Asuka to draw as her hand. “It’s been a year in the blink of an eye.”

“Yes, I have to say time really flies. A year has passed in the blink of an eye.” Jaden’s Duel Disk was ready and popped out a card from his hand. “So much has happened in this year. It feels like the duel with Asuka at the beginning of the school year was still fresh in my mind.”

"Stop focusing on that time, Judai," Asuka said, one hand on her hip, clearly annoyed. "I've changed quite a bit in the past year."

"Me too, Asuka. I've made a lot of friends and experienced a lot. It's been a very fulfilling year."

Looking at Asuka in front of him, Judai's thoughts returned to their first encounter and first duel a year ago. At that time, Asuka was cold and tough because she needed to defeat Judai to enter the abandoned old school building to investigate Fubuki's disappearance. But in the blink of an eye, Asuka's face now showed a genuine sense of relaxation.

Following Asuka's advice, the boy promptly stopped reminiscing and looked at the girl before him, smiling brightly: "Then, let's enjoy the fun of dueling together, Asuka!"

"While you're having fun, I won't hold back, Judai~" Asuka said with a smile, pulling out a card.

Jaden also drew a card and replied defiantly, "Me too."

"So......"

"Duel!" x2

[Tenjouin Asuka: 4000 LP, 5 card in hand]

[Yujo Judai: 4000LP, 5 cards in hand]

"It's my turn to attack first, Jaden." Asuka drew a card from her deck, looked at the six cards in front of her, and pointed to one of them without hesitation. "Activate the Spell Card [Preparation for Ritual]: Select one Ritual Spell Card from my Deck, and then select one Ritual Monster from my Deck and Graveyard whose name is written on that Ritual Spell Card."

"Add those two cards to your hand."

Before Asuka, all the Ritual Spells in her deck were displayed like merchandise revolving in a shop window, and Asuka pointed to one of them without hesitation, saying, "The Ritual Spell I choose is this one, [Solemn Prayer]."

"Then, add the Ritual Monster described in the Prayer of Solemnity—[Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon]—to your hand."

Watching Asuka's [Solemn Prayer] transform into a portal, releasing a familiar blue dragon, and then both cards flying into Asuka's hand, Jaden exclaimed in surprise, "You added [Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon] to your hand so quickly? But I remember the Ritual Spell Card corresponding to [Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon] should be [Blessing of the Spirit], right?"

"Just like how some of your Fusion Monsters don't have fixed Fusion Materials, Ritual Monsters aren't necessarily summoned by only one fixed Ritual Spell Card. This 'Prayer of the Void' not only Ritual Summons 'Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon,' but also has the names of two other Ritual Monsters recorded on it."

Asuka explained with a smile, her hand now holding seven cards, and played another card. "Then the card I'm going to use is this one. In defense position, I'll normally summon 'The Witch of the Proclaimer,' and then use its effect to send 'Three Holy Rulers' from my deck to the graveyard, increasing their level to 11 stars until the end of the turn!"

The "Declarator's Witch" gifted to Hayato appeared on Asuka's field. Although she only had this card in her hand and no other related "Declarator" monsters, "Declarator's Witch" itself is a powerful card that fits the Ritual Summoning system quite well.

For example, right now, after Asuka sends a card from her deck to the graveyard, [The Proclaimer's Witch] absorbs the power of a pure white phantom, and her level instantly soars to a full 11 stars. At this moment, she is enough to meet the level requirements for tribute release of most Ritual Monsters!

[The Proclaimer's Shaman] [2☆/Light→11☆/Light]

[Angel Race / □□ / Effect]

[500/300]

"I think the level of [Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon] is 7☆. Should I use the Ritual Spell Card I just retrieved to Ritual Summon [Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon]?" Jaden looked at the six cards in Asuka's hand. Although Ritual Summoning is comparable to or even surpasses Fusion in terms of card disadvantage, Jaden's impression of Ritual Summoning mainly comes from Hayato and Asuka.

Whether it's [Dragon's Radiance] or [Cyber ​​Angel - Benten], the unrestricted [Cyber ​​Angel] doesn't seem like a Ritual deck in terms of card-generating ability. As a result, Jaden always felt that it was normal for Ritual decks to maintain a certain level of hand size.

"If I were to Ritual Summon [Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon] by releasing [The Proclaimer's Witch] now, I could also Special Summon a new Angel-Type monster using the effect activated when [The Proclaimer's Witch] is released. But no, my previous search for [Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon] was actually just to have him protect the monsters on my field. At least until the end of my turn, I had no intention of Ritual Summoning him."

Asuka shook her head and played her third card, saying, "I'm going to activate this Continuous Spell Card, [Voice of Solemnity], and then immediately use its second effect—to activate during my Main Phase, adding one [Voice of Solemnity] card or a [Guardian of Law] Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand, except for [Voice of Solemnity].

"I chose the [Solemn Voice] Monster - this [Solemn Voice Dragon Sage - Saphira]."

In the audience, Jonouchi looked troubled: "【Solemn Dragon Princess - Saphira】? That name sounds familiar. I feel like I've heard the names of these cards somewhere before, but they look so unfamiliar. They're completely new cards."

"No, although they are indeed all brand new cards, it's normal for you to feel a sense of familiarity, Katsuya-boy~" A flippant voice came from the water curtain where Pegasus was. "The prototype of that card [Solemn Dragon Sage Princess - Saphira] is another monster from the same era as [Guardian of Law] and [Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon]—[Dragon Princess God - Saphira]~"

Although Pegasus has maintained a "slacking off is fun, and slacking off all the time is even more fun" attitude in recent years, he was quite dedicated when designing Duel Monster cards in the past—excluding cards like [Double-Mouthed Dark Ruler] and [Double-Headed Thunder Dragon] which are just recolored versions of the same design—he knows the cards he has designed like the back of his hand.

Within the water curtain, his virtual game avatar revealed an intrigued smile. "But, that praying girl in the [Voice of Solemnity], and the previous [Voice of Solemnity]... what an interesting evolution."

After retrieving "The Solemn Dragon Sage - Saphira", Asuka did not add it to her existing five cards. Instead, she discarded it directly to the graveyard and said, "I discard this 'The Solemn Dragon Sage - Saphira' that I just retrieved and added to my hand to activate its effect. Send one Ritual Spell Card from my Deck to the graveyard."

Although its appearance had changed, when Asuka discarded the card and a mature woman in a white dress with wings appeared in front of her, Misawa in the audience immediately recognized the monster's true form: "That's... the [Dragon Princess God - Saphira] who defeated me in the quarterfinals!?"

"It's not a ritual monster anymore, and it's even more human-like than its previous dragon-human form?" Misawa said, a hint of disappointment creeping in.

Upon hearing Misawa's words, Asuka explained, "That's right, [Solemn Dragon Princess - Saphira] is the form that [Dragon Princess God - Saphira] has changed after controlling and contracting her power to a certain extent. It is also the form of integrating my ritual monsters to form [Solemn].

"I will use the effect of [Solemn Dragon Sage - Saphira] to send this second Ritual Spell Card [Solemn Prayer] from the Deck to the Graveyard. Then, with the follow-up effect of [Solemn Dragon Sage - Saphira], I can add another Warrior or Dragon LIGHT Ritual Monster from the Deck or Graveyard to my hand."

"I've chosen this LIGHT Warrior-Type Ritual Monster—[Guardian of Solemnity - Guardian of Law]." Discarding itself and using one card from the Graveyard to search for another, [Saphira the Dragon Sage of Solemnity], possessing the strength a modern Duel Monster should have, brings Asuka a new card to her hand. Maintaining a hand size of six, she adds this card to her hand and says, "At this moment, Jaden, I'm ready for my Ritual Summon!"

"I'm not using a spell card, but rather the effect of this [Solemn Dragon Sage - Saphira] card that I just discarded from my graveyard. I banish it to activate this effect!"

Before the illusion of "Solemn Dragon Princess - Saphira" could dissipate, Asuka immediately banished cards from her graveyard to prevent her from making a second attempt. She watched as Saphira spread her wings, taking flight as depicted in the card art of "Solemn Prayer," casting a brilliant glow. Amidst the falling feathers, Asuka raised two cards from her hand. "I Tribute all monsters in my hand and field until their combined Level equals or higher than the Level of the monster I Ritual Summon! Ritual Summon a LIGHT Warrior or Dragon Ritual Monster from my hand!"

"What I want to release is the Level 1☆ [Solemn Prayer - Li] in my hand, and then I will ritually summon this monster!"

Under Pegasus's knowing gaze, a blue-haired girl dressed in a red robe, whose appearance was extremely similar to an ancient ritual magic card called "Prayer of Law," clasped her hands together in front of her chest and prayed devoutly.

As she moved, several interconnected golden rings unfolded around her, filled with intricate and mysterious patterns, forming a special magical barrier. From the praying girl, a stream of magical energy was channeled upwards.

"The power that resonates with each other, the echo of the true voice within, radiating the power of purification—let us unite as one now!" Asuka shouted, reaching out her hand. "Come On! Named Judgment, named Purification, fighters who fight for protection!"

"Ritual Summoning, Level 7☆!"

"Attack! [Guardian of Solemnity - Guardian of Law]!"

[Guardian of Solemnity - Guardian of Law] [7☆/Light]

[Warrior Race/Ritual/Effect]

[2050/2500]

Clouds from [Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon] swirled around the twin swords, while holy feathers from [Dragon Goddess - Saphira] drifted down before them. Despite their different appearances, their names, the same level, attributes, and even attack and defense values ​​all proved that the [Guardian of Solemnity - Guardian of Law] appearing at this moment was closely related to the other ritual monster from the past, [Guardian of Law]!

Rather, it's more accurate to say that the [Guardian of Solemnity - Guardian of Law] seems to be a trinity evolved from the [Guardian of Law] after combining the powers of [Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon] and [Dragon Goddess - Saphira]!

"Wow! It feels so strong! Even though its attack power only looks like 2050 points, which isn't even as high as [Cyber ​​Dragon], I can inexplicably sense that this monster is very powerful!" Jaden couldn't contain his excitement when he saw the cool Warrior-type monster appear. "Is this the new power you've gained, Asuka? It's so cool!"

"But the monster used for release was clearly a Level 1☆?"

"The monster I released is [Solemn Prayer - Li]. In the case of a Warrior or Dragon-type LIGHT Ritual Monster being Ritual Summoned as a single unit, it can be released as the stat required for the Ritual Summon. Because of this effect, I was able to Ritual Summon a Level 7 Ritual Monster by releasing a Level 1☆ monster." Asuka paused, then smiled. "But Judai, it's too early to get excited now. I haven't even used my full strength yet."

Asuka was quite pleased with Jaden's approval, but she wouldn't be easily distracted during the duel. She waved her hand and said, "【Solemn Prayer - Reason】 has more than one effect. I just used its second effect."

"And at the moment [Guardian of Solemnity - Guardian of Law] appears, the activation condition for her third effect is met - if this card is in the Graveyard and I have a Warrior or Dragon LIGHT Ritual Monster Special Summoned to my field, I can activate this effect to Special Summon [Prayer of Solemnity - Law] to my field!"

"Not only that, but there's also the effect of [Guardian of Solemnity - Guardian of Law] which can be activated when this card is Ritual Summoned. Add one [Solemnity] monster or a Warrior-Dragon Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand. I choose the second [Solemnity Dragon Sage - Saphira]!"

C1 [Solemn Prayer - Reason] C2 [Solemn Guardian - Guardian of Law], Chain Reversal, Asuka adds a card to her hand, awakening the girl who just entered the Graveyard: "Come forth, [Solemn Prayer - Reason], and awaken the true power of [Solemn Guardian - Guardian of Law]!"

【The Solemn Prayer - Reason】【1☆/Light】

[Angel Race/Effect]

[50/2050]

The blue-haired girl in red robes gracefully appeared on Asuka's field in Defense Position. She appeared delicate but actually had a stronger body than Jaden's [E·hero Nendoroid]. Her 2050 Defense Points were the best proof of this, comparable to the legendary powerful monster [Little Rabbit].