A new life at duel academy

As the month wound down, anticipation filled the air. Tomorrow, we'd face exams—both practical and written. Chumley had been buzzing about it, reminding everyone of the stakes.

In the past few weeks, I had faced off against 68 different duelists. Some hailed from Slifer, others from Ra, and a good number from Obelisk. A couple of students had tried to challenge me with the ante rule, but their confidence faltered as I added their rare cards to my collection. My deck had evolved significantly during this time. Was it in a constant state of evolution, scared of being outmatched? I chuckled at the thought.

"Oh well," I sighed, pushing those thoughts aside.

My string of victories had earned me quite the reputation—good or bad, depending on who you asked. I'd been dubbed "Hakaisha," or "The Destroyer," a title that felt both absurd and fitting. My style of play was aggressive, relentless, and often overwhelming. I embraced the title; it added a thrill to my dueling experience.

Despite the pressure of impending exams, life had been relatively stress-free lately. No nightmares haunted me; instead, I found myself enjoying time with my 'friends'.

I inhaled a cigarette as I gazed out at the ocean from the harbor. The sunset cast a golden hue over the water, making it a stunning sight.

"You know, kid, students aren't allowed to smoke in this school," a voice interrupted my thoughts.

I turned to find an older student in an Obelisk uniform standing behind me. He looked like he was from the second or third year, and I couldn't help but notice the condescending smirk on his face.

"You are?"

He didn't respond, and I couldn't be bothered to engage further.

'Suit yourself, you weirdo,' I thought, returning my gaze to the ocean.

I stubbed out my cigarette, throwing it into the nearby bin, and headed back toward the Slifer Red dorm. I realized too late that I had only three cigarettes left—probably should've kept that one. Damn it!

Upon entering the dorm, the scene I expected unfolded. Syrus was hunched over his books, deeply engrossed in studying, Chumley was munching on snacks, and Jaden was fixated on a video game.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked.

"Oh, just the usual. Syrus is freaking out about the exams," Jaden replied, glancing at our friend.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M FREAKING OUT, JA! WE HAVE A CHANCE TO CHANGE OUR DORM TOMORROW! OF COURSE, I'M STRESSED!"

"Chill out, Sy," Jaden said, trying to soothe him.

"Would you guys even change dorms if you had the chance?" I asked, curious.

They hesitated, glancing at each other. Finally, Jaden spoke.

"Me? Probably not. This is my home now, and you guys are like family."

"Same here," Chumley chimed in. "I flunked my first year, so I'm pretty used to this room. Plus, I'll probably fail again."

"Cheer up, Chum," I said, trying to lighten the mood.

"What about you, Kai?"

"I wouldn't mind moving, but I doubt it'll happen in my first year."

"Why's that?"

"I hate the color yellow," I shrugged.

"What?"

"Yeah, I just can't stand it. No way I'm wearing yellow for a year."

"What about you, Syrus?"

"I don't know," he muttered, staring blankly at his notes.

"Good point, Sy," Jaden said, rolling his eyes.

"I don't mean it disrespectfully, Ja. I want to be a great duelist like you and Kai. But the only way to do that is to climb the ranks here."

We all exchanged glances, understanding the weight of his words.

"Listen, Sy. You're a good duelist; you just need confidence. Wanting to move up isn't a bad thing—it's normal," I said.

"Yeah, man. You lack confidence, and that's what turns good duelists into great ones and great duelists into champions," Jaden added.

"Just keep revising if you want to reach my level one day," I teased, smirking.

"What do you mean my level?" Jaden exclaimed, his voice incredulous.

"Just ignore him, Sy," I said, brushing it off.

"Anyway, I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up in an hour," I declared, flopping onto my bed.

The Next Day

The day of the exam had arrived.

"Oh, great god of dueling, please let me reach Ra Yellow. Let the reborn happen and make me a better duelist, Slifer. Help me pass the exam."

"What are you doing, Syrus?"

"I'm praying! Why, Kai?" he replied, wide-eyed.

"Keep praying, then. I'm heading out. Wake Jaden up, too."

"Alright. Oh, great Sli—"

"Great," I interrupted, shutting the door behind me.

I bolted toward the exam room, already ten minutes late.

"Kai! Come take your paper," Banner called out as I approached.

Twenty minutes passed in a blur, and finally, Jaden strolled in, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.

'The test isn't hard. Is it dumb, or am I dumb for thinking the paper is dumb? Whatever, I'm done, so it's pointless now.'

"Time's up!" Banner shouted, breaking my thoughts.

'Wait, what? It's already time?'

"ATTENTION DUELISTS, THE RARE CARDS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO THE SCHOOL SHOP!!"

"What! Rare cards? We should go before the rest!" students yelled, scrambling toward the door.

"Oh, hey Bastion! You good?" I called out as he passed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How about you?" he replied, quickening his pace.

"Jaden! Syrus! Wake up!" I shouted, shaking them both awake.

"uH… WhAt… Slifer… wait… AHHH! I SLEPT THROUGH MY PAPER!" Syrus exclaimed, panicking.

Yawn

"Oh man… I guess the real exam is the practical one. Where is everyone?" Jaden wondered.

"They rushed to the shop for the new rare cards to strengthen their decks," I replied.

"Rare cards??"

"Yes, Syrus, rare cards! If you're fast enough, you might snag a few."

"Jaden, we have to buy some to boost our decks!" Syrus exclaimed, enthusiasm returning.

"I mean, sure, but why didn't you go?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My deck is already perfect," I replied nonchalantly.

"Mine doesn't need any strengthening, to be honest," Jaden added, smirking.

Syrus jumped up from his seat, determination lighting his eyes.

"Jaden! Let's go!!"

They rushed out the door while I opted to linger in the corridors, feeling too lazy to chase after them. After an exam, running just seemed like torture.

Practical Exam

I stood in the arena, anticipation hanging thick in the air as I waited for my opponent. To my surprise, no one showed up.

"Dr. Crowler, I think there's a problem here. I don't have an opponent," I called out.

"Uh…"

"Mr. Kai." A voice boomed from behind me.

"Chancellor Sheppard!" I turned, startled.

"Well, listen, son. We don't have an opponent in Slifer Red at your level right now, so by criteria, you're automatically promoted to Ra Yellow," he explained.

"…That's not fair, though," I protested, feeling a mixture of excitement and frustration.

"It isn't, but we don't have a choice," he replied, crossing his arms.

"Oh, come on! I waited for these exams all day. Can't I just duel someone from another dorm?"

"Uhmmm… I mean, you can."

"So, I'll duel someone from another dorm?"

"Dr. Crowler. Arrange a duelist for him, I guess," Sheppard commanded.

"Yes, Chancellor. Just give me two minutes," Crowler responded, rushing off.

Two minutes ticked by, but when Crowler returned, he delivered disappointing news.

"Unfortunately, there are no students available for you to duel right now."

"Wait! How about I duel you, Chancellor?" I suggested, my eagerness overwhelming any sense of decorum.

"I can't duel my students," he insisted.

"Wait, but we all al—"

"I CAN'T DUEL MY STUDENTS!" Sheppard boomed, his frustration palpable.

I caught the glint in his eyes, signaling that perhaps he was feeling generous.

"I see," I said, a smirk creeping across my face. "How about a friendly match? Since I'm already promoted to Ra Yellow, it'll be fair if you and Dr. Crowler team up against me."

"Excuse me!!" Crowler sputtered, eyes wide in disbelief.

Sheppard sighed, a resigned smile creeping onto his face.

"Since you want to duel so badly, both me and Crowler will duel you."

"Wait, but Chancellor, this is un—"

"Crowler, it's a 2 vs. 1. Me and you versus him. It's a friendly match," Sheppard said.

I clenched my fists in excitement.

"Yeah! Let's do it!" I exclaimed.