In this first duel, Yamamoto Yuichi had been smug and couldn't wait for the outcome of the dormitory exchange battle to ignite the first spark.
At the time, he had originally thought to take advantage of the freshers' banquet not yet ending, to grandly display his first win in front of everyone. Who would have thought he wouldn't get the desired win, but instead got a seven-point loss.
After the duel was over, what he first thought of was not regretting his defeat, nor reviewing his insufficient tactics or mistakes, but instead falling into a soul-searching introspection.
For example, why on earth did he, with nothing better to do, want to duel a dog, and of all times, in front of so many people?
He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he felt as if everyone else was very happy after this duel concluded. The surrounding new students continuously exclaimed and pointed towards their side, especially after seeing him get hit by the self-lock combo of the bicycle and submarine for two consecutive direct attacks; each of their faces was filled with barely concealed joy.
However, human joys and sorrows are clearly not interconnected. Yuichi only felt that these people were too noisy.
So, he quickly retreated in a huff, blending back into the crowd silently.
"Cough, cough, cough."
Dorm head Professor Kabayama coughed and stepped forward, saying:
"Ahem, well. Student Yugen and Student Yuichi have set a good example for us, setting a fine precedent for this year's freshers' exchange meeting.
I hope others can also duel actively, get to know each other quickly, and foster camaraderie, making it easier for everyone to live and interact in the next three years."
As if.
However, to be honest, after watching the duel just now, Professor Kabayama felt a little less confident.
He had originally intended this freshers' exchange meeting to allow the new duelists to open up to each other and quickly become companions. But he never expected the very first match to be so different from what he had imagined.
Given this style, he didn't know if anyone would open up, but after a duel, they'd most likely freeze over.
Thinking of this, the dorm head couldn't help but glance at Yugen again. At this moment, Yugen had already put away his Duel Disk and retreated to the side, adopting a humble posture of listening to the professor's speech.
Such a sunny, handsome, and polite child, how could he...
Professor Kabayama let out a sigh of relief. Indeed, one cannot judge a book by its cover.
He suddenly had a bad premonition. The future style of this batch of Yellow Dorm freshers might be a little hard to predict.
That evening, back in the dormitory, after washing up, Yugen flopped onto his bed like a salted fish. He turned on the central air conditioning and heating system in the dorm, comfortably closing his eyes while lying on the soft bed.
The Yellow Dorm's facilities were indeed good, much more comfortable than his previous home. However, theoretically, Obelisk Blue should be even more superior. He couldn't help but feel a little curious about what it would be like.
But there was no hurry. Promoting was a matter of time. Perhaps he could personally experience it soon enough.
Lying alone, he still felt a bit bored, so he took out the Silent Magician card and tried to summon his Duel Spirit.
Perhaps because their bond had grown a bit, Silent wasn't as withdrawn as she used to be. At least, she would usually appear when her master called.
Although theoretically, Duel Spirits don't need to come out for fresh air often, Yugen felt that occasional communication to maintain a stable bond was necessary. Judai, when he had nothing to do, often loved to chat with his Duel Spirits; maybe that was the secret to his "heart of the cards."
However, when he called today, Silent didn't respond immediately.
Yugen was a little stunned. What's going on? Did the hard-won affection level drop again? Is she playing dead again?
Goodness, she won't even listen to her master's summons. Doesn't that mean she needs more discipline?
Yugen felt his authority was being challenged, so he called twice more. As if unable to resist his persistence, the Silent Magician spirit finally appeared after much calling, clutching... a book, half-covering her face?
He unexpectedly found that today, Silent-chan was holding a book, as if she had been so engrossed in reading that she hadn't paid attention to him. Even now, after appearing, she was still holding the book, diligently studying it.
Yugen curiously leaned in to peek over her shoulder.
Hmm, very good. Can't understand a single word.
It looked like some kind of hieroglyphs, along with complex magic circles, runes, and symbols—truly an indecipherable text.
"What are you looking at?" He asked curiously.
Silent looked up from the book, gave him a slightly resentful glance, then turned her head back to earnestly study the book.
Yugen: "?"
What's with that look, as if I've betrayed her?
However, perhaps due to the subtle connection he had with his Duel Spirit, he quickly seemed to understand.
She might be afraid that if Yugen got new Duel Spirits, he wouldn't need her, so she was diligently studying...
Yugen: "..."
He remembered that when he was researching before, he had seen some文献, saying that the evolution and strengthening of a Duel Spirit's deck didn't necessarily require a research team to print cards. Sometimes, a Duel Spirit's own efforts to break through, especially when their bond with the duelist leveled up, might result in new support cards appearing.
Sometimes, some "seafood brain" duelists would be mid-duel when their Extra Deck suddenly glowed, and upon opening it, they'd inexplicably find new monsters. This was likely the situation.
Many Duel Spirits are also very afraid of being abandoned by their masters. The most representative example is GX's number one Yandere, Supreme King Dragon Zarc, who didn't hesitate to cross the galaxy to find her former master Judai to express her twisted love. And there was also the corrupted Honest in the final season, who felt abandoned by his master and traveled thousands of miles from the Spirit World to Duel Academy to search for his missing master.
If a Duel Spirit could evolve on its own by simply lying around doing nothing, Yugen would naturally wake up laughing in his sleep. But he still cleared his throat and reassured her: "Don't worry, you are my first Duel Spirit. We will always be companions."
Silent peered out from the magic book, seemingly asking with her eyes, Really?
You're not lying to me?
"Of course." Yugen smiled. "You are all my wings, after all. How could I abandon you?"
The Duel Spirit indeed seemed simple-minded. The Magician Girl's icy face immediately broke into a smile upon hearing this, nodding vigorously as if expressing her determination to be of one mind and body with her master from now on.
However, Yugen wasn't just talking without substance. He had already been thinking about it before, to find an opportunity to provide Silent with some support cards if conditions allowed.
In Duel Academy's courses, he wasn't particularly interested in subjects like deck construction or practical combat lessons. He mostly just listened casually with the mindset of understanding the thought processes of other duelists in the environment. But that didn't mean he felt there was nothing to learn at the academy.
Firstly, the card creation lessons were a curriculum he had highlighted and a focal point of his attention. The academy should systematically explain card design from fundamental knowledge, which would definitely be much faster than trying to self-study from various books.
Following that, courses he found interesting included Duel Spirits, Duel Monsters archaeology, Duel history, and other related subjects.
Additionally, there seemed to be a "Heart of the Cards" practice course. In the anime, students in the Electric Current style dojo could be seen practicing card draws day and night, like martial artists. In GX, there was even a student who cultivated in the mountains, claiming to have discovered the essence of the "Heart of the Cards" through enlightenment of nature.
These indicate that even without divine artifacts or cheating, there seems to be a method to achieving the "Heart of the Cards" through practice. Yugen was also very interested in this and had already listed it as a key lecture to attend.
In total, there was still a lot of content to learn. The three-year period was very short, and he definitely had to seize the opportunity and work hard.
Although he had accepted a branch quest from the Spirit World to save the world, who the new Doma was and where they were located remained completely unknown. They could be in any remote corner of the world, any country. Moreover, Yugen's current level was not yet at the Pharaoh's stage; this quest line was too high-level and still a bit distant for him.
After all, Kaiba was currently handling the investigation work. No one was more suitable than him, being both powerful and resourceful. Yugen felt that his most pressing task was to diligently study and grow, upgrading his card deck and personal skills, starting with the small things at hand.
Yes, for example, starting with his second round of freshers' exchange duels tomorrow.
He'd strive to continue bringing smiles to his new friends in the Yellow Dorm through dueling.