"My point is—"
As he spoke, Yuuya waved his hand and activated the set card in the same column as Mirror Force—the key card that destroyed Titan's crucial combo!
"Lost the woman… and the army too!"
"Boom!"
Mirror Force shattered, and direct attacks from all four of Yuuya's monsters engulfed Titan in darkness!
——— Scene Break ———
"He passed out?"
With the duel over, Yuuya packed up his Duel Disk, dismissed the surrounding darkness, and walked over to Titan, who lay face-up on the ground.
Even after walking right up to him, there was no reaction. Yuuya nudged his thigh with his foot—still no response. He crouched down and lifted one of Titan's eyelids to check—well, what do you know! The guy had completely blacked out!
"So this is what the so-called Dark Duelist amounts to? What a joke."
Clapping his hands clean, Yuuya stood up and glanced around once more. Seeing that nothing had changed in the area during their duel, he turned and started walking back the way he came.
Exiting the basement and returning to the first floor of the abandoned dorm, Yuuya stepped back into the corridor where the mural of the Millennium Items was painted. He pulled out his custom Sakaki Yuuya student ID, switched to camera mode, and took photos of all the murals.
After carefully reviewing each photo to make sure nothing was missed, he pocketed his ID and walked out of the abandoned dorm.
'I'll find a time to send these to Dad's company and Uncle Game. Maybe they'll notice something—could even lead to a clue about Asuka's brother, Fubuki, and his disappearance.'
With that thought, Yuuya quickened his pace toward his dorm. Even though the duel had gone about as fast as the one against Judai, he still felt tired. Not to mention, it was already dark outside—time to get some rest.
——— Scene Break ———
"Click!"
"Is it true that Yuki Judai and Marufuji Sho might be expelled? What's going on here? Principal Shark, I expect an explanation!"
The door to the academic affairs office swung open before the person even entered, a furious voice roaring from outside. The sheer volume made everyone inside—Judai, Sho, and the individuals on the video screens—briefly wince.
"You…!"
Just as someone was about to complain about the rudeness of the voice's owner, they saw the person's casual outfit—especially the striking red baseball cap—and immediately fell silent.
This was someone whose status could demote her with just one sentence—maybe even get her fired on the spot!
"Ahem… Uh, Yuuya."
Principal Shark cleared his throat and explained,
"Judai and Sho ended up in this situation because they entered the academy's 'forbidden abandoned dormitory.' We even have photographic evidence, which is why we're conducting an official investigation."
The moment Shark mentioned "photographic evidence," Professor Chronos, visible on one of the video screens, smirked subtly. But when he noticed Yuuya shooting him a side glance, he immediately stiffened into a blank expression, standing so still it looked like a frozen frame.
'Tch, Chronos… it's him again!'
No doubt about it—if someone took photos of Judai and Sho entering the abandoned dorm, it had to be Professor Chronos, who's always been trying to get them expelled!
"Now then—why exactly did you two go into that abandoned dormitory?"
Yuuya looked toward the pair, wanting to hear their reasons. He had special clearance, so entering the dorm wasn't a problem for him. Besides, he went in to look for clues about Fubuki's disappearance and to investigate whether the dorm had any hidden secrets.
"Uh… well…"
Hearing the question, Judai and Sho looked at each other, scratching their heads sheepishly before finally answering,
"Well, that night we were playing a game of telling ghost stories. Then we heard someone mention the 'abandoned dorm' and, out of curiosity, we decided to go explore it late at night."
"If we'd known it was a restricted area—and that it'd come to this—we would've just gone to bed like good boys that night."
Yuuya: "…"
Seriously, of all the games to play, do they choose a ghost story relay? And then they went to that abandoned dorm late at night—only to get caught on camera by Chronos, the guy who's been dying to get them expelled! Honestly, I don't even know what to say.
"Expulsion seems a bit too severe, don't you think?"
The moment Yuuya spoke, Chronos's emotionless poker face cracked. He immediately turned anxious—if not for the number of people present, he probably would've blurted out a rebuttal right then and there.
"Isn't this Duel Academy? If Judai and Sho made a mistake, then let the punishment be decided through a duel. What do you all think?"
Though Yuuya held special privileges, they were his alone. When it came to handling matters involving others, he still understood the importance of fairness. So, he proposed a solution where everyone could take a step back.
This is Duel Academy, after all. If someone makes a mistake, let a duel decide their fate. If they lose, then the original punishment is carried out. If they win, the punishment could be lifted or reduced—of course, exceptions would be made for serious violations of principle, which could still warrant outright expulsion.
"I support Yuuya's suggestion!"
To everyone's surprise, the first person to agree was none other than Chronos—the very person who had been trying to expel Judai from the start!
However, just as Yuuya was beginning to feel puzzled by Chronos's sudden approval, the next thing the professor said made him immediately reevaluate that reaction:
"Since Yuki Judai and Marufuji Sho committed the offense together, how about using the 'Tag Team Duel' format? As for their opponents, I, Chronos—chief coordinator of Duel Academy's practical combat division—will personally select and announce the team. What do you all say?"
Yuuya: "…"
So he hasn't changed at all! But still, a tag team duel… who would Chronos choose as their opponents?
——— Scene Break ———
In Principal Shark's office…
"Huh? Asuka? What are you doing here?"
After leaving the Academic Affairs Office, Yuuya headed straight for Principal Shark's office. As soon as he entered, he saw the tall, blonde-haired Asuka standing in front of the principal's desk.
"Oh, and Judai's other roommate—Hayato Maeda."
As Yuuya walked up beside Asuka, he finally noticed the round, koala-faced jokester.
"I was with Judai and Sho when they went into the abandoned dorm that night. If there's going to be punishment, then I should be included too!"
Hearing that, Yuuya's brow rose slightly beneath the brim of his hat. So the disciplinary committee didn't even summon you, and yet here you are turning yourself in? Well… at least it shows some loyalty.
"I was there that night too."
Asuka pulled out a photograph. It was of her older brother, Tenjoin Fubuki, who had been missing for a year. In the bottom right corner of the photo was a string of alphanumeric characters and an English phrase—10JION.
"Judai and the others brought this photo back for me from the abandoned dorm. So… even if it's not much, I want to plead on their behalf."
Asuka had only ever left a rose—her brother's favorite flower—at the dorm entrance on a few nights. But Judai and the others had risked sneaking inside and returned with a photo. That had touched her deeply, and a few minutes ago, she came to Principal Shark's office to intercede for them.
"I see."
Yuuya nodded in understanding, then turned to face the principal.
"Uncle Shark, is there still room to negotiate this matter?"