After the exam concluded—
Li Yuu, In Koujin, and Kyūyō Tenma had all passed, earning their admission into Sacred Star Duel Academy.
To celebrate, In Koujin invited the others out for a meal, and the three made their way to a nearby restaurant.
Kyūyō Tenma was practically bouncing with excitement. Along the way, he chatted eagerly about what their next three years might look like at the Academy.
"Oh right!" Tenma suddenly asked. "Which division are you two picking?"
Li Yuu blinked. "Division?"
Resident encyclopedia In Koujin jumped in to explain.
"Sacred Star Duel Academy sorts students based on summoning methods. The most popular five divisions are Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, and Link Summon."
"New students can choose one of these as their major discipline. Usually, you pick the summoning style you're best at."
Tenma gave a thumbs-up. "I'm going for the Xyz Division, of course. What about you, Li Yuu? Your ace card was Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, right? That's a Ritual Monster—but I don't think the Academy even has a Ritual Division."
In Koujin nodded. "Right. Ritual Summoning isn't mainstream in the Sacred Star Realm. Unlike the other five methods, there's no major country that specializes in rituals, so the Academy only offers it as an elective—can't even earn high credits from it."
He glanced at Li Yuu.
"But wasn't the Blue-Eyes deck originally built around Fusion Summoning?"
"It used to be," Li Yuu replied with a sly smile. "But now? I do everything."
Tenma blinked. "Everything? You don't mean…"
"You're saying you can use all summoning methods?!"
Even In Koujin looked a little skeptical.
But Li Yuu remained calm.
"That's exactly what I mean."
A scoffing voice cut through the air.
"Well, that's a big mouth for someone who's just passed the entrance exam."
The trio turned to see a new figure swagger into view, arms folded and eyes full of disdain.
"Master of every summoning method? Please. I've never heard anyone in the Sacred Star Realm say something that ridiculous."
He sneered. "Who do you think you are, spouting off like that just because you scraped your way into the Academy?"
Li Yuu raised an eyebrow. "And you are…?"
The newcomer smirked.
"I'm Aka Natsuyama, Special Admission student from the Xyz Alliance. Unlike you, I didn't need to take the exam."
"Aka Natsuyama?" Li Yuu's face twitched, nearly bursting into laughter. "And here I thought your name was Pork Mountain Drop."
Aka Natsuyama scowled. "What did you say?"
Li Yuu chuckled. "Why not just go full meme and name yourself Ken Gouney while you're at it?"
Aka Natsuyama froze. "Wait… how do you know I have a friend named Gou Keni?"
Now it was Li Yuu's turn to be stunned. "No way… that's a real name?! What did his dad have against him?!"
Aka Natsuyama's face went blank. He suddenly realized the... unfortunate implication of his friend's name and was now mentally reevaluating everything.
But he quickly remembered why he came.
He snapped out of it and pointed a finger at Li Yuu.
"Enough jokes! I came here for one reason—to challenge you!"
"I want to see what the big deal is about this so-called 'double-perfect' freshman."
Li Yuu raised a brow. "Oh? And why should I accept a challenge from a pig—cough, sorry, from you?"
Aka Natsuyama snorted. "Afraid already?"
Li Yuu lifted his hand lazily. "Spare me the trash talk. If you want to challenge someone, at least put something worthwhile on the line."
Aka Natsuyama's eyes narrowed. He knew Ye Kun and the others were watching from the shadows. He couldn't back down.
After a moment, he unclipped a card from his belt-mounted deck case—a green-bordered Spell.
"I'll wager this—Monster Reborn. It's a rare card. Beat me, and it's yours!"
Li Yuu looked unimpressed.
"Monster Reborn, huh…"
It was a legendary card, a staple in the Yu-Gi-Oh! DM and GX anime eras—practically appeared in every duel. For a long time, it was among the most iconic and useful spells in the game.
But sometimes… "vintage" just meant "outdated."
It hadn't seen serious play in modern metas for years.
Still, Li Yuu gave a warm smile.
"Well, since you're so eager, I won't say no."
At the very least, he could farm some duel points off this guy.
Aka Natsuyama immediately asked, "Then what do you wager?"
Li Yuu tilted his head innocently. "Me? I never agreed to wager anything. You're the one offering up your card."
Aka Natsuyama's face twisted. "You kidding me? So no matter what, you win or break even?"
Li Yuu shrugged. "Well, you challenged me. Unless... you're scared of losing?"
Aka Natsuyama grit his teeth. Li Yuu had turned his own words back on him. And with Ye Kun watching from the sidelines, he couldn't back down now.
He clenched his fists. "Hmph! As if I'd lose!"
"Time for you to see the massive gap between Special Admission elites and outer-campus nobodies!"
The two found an open training field, each taking one end. Tenma, In Koujin, and a few spectators—including Ye Kun and his entourage—gathered to watch.
Tenma clenched his fists in support.
"Li Yuu—you've gotta win!"
Li Yuu gave a casual wave without turning, his posture relaxed and unbothered. The outcome was never in question.
"DUEL!!"
Both shouted in unison, and the battle began.
Aka Natsuyama took the initiative.
"I'll go first!"
"I summon Rescue Rabbit, and activate its effect—banish itself to Special Summon two Level 4 Normal Monsters with the same name from my deck!"
"Come forth—Fiendish Warrior – Bloodstone!"
— Rescue Rabbit: LV 4 / ATK 300
— Fiendish Warrior – Bloodstone ×2: LV 4 / ATK 1950
A short-legged rabbit wearing a safety helmet, goggles, and a walkie-talkie bounced onto the field.
With a hop, it vanished into a dimensional rift—and from the shimmering void emerged two identical warriors, their skin a dull emerald stone, muscles knotted and weapons gleaming.
A sinister aura pulsed from their bodies.
Tenma's eyes widened. "Two Level 4 monsters… That can only mean one thing…"