Saturday.
All available teachers and students gathered in the Duel Academy's dueling arena, and once again, the massive venue was packed to the rafters. The audience prepared popcorn and soda, crowding the front rows to watch this "battle of the century" within the academy.
At the end of the last semester, the academy's former top dog "Caesar" Marufuji Ryo graduated, and during the graduation duel, he lost convincingly to then-first-year student Yuki Judai. Since then, Judai had taken up the mantle of the academy's top student, becoming the recognized leader in the eyes of the students.
But Judai's position hadn't even warmed up before it was facing a huge challenge.
That challenger was Ed Phoenix.
Undoubtedly the rising star among the new students, the latest world champion of the professional leagues, and one of the most dazzling stars in the Duel World today.
Even Judai's staunchest supporters had to admit that the position of academy top dog might soon change hands.
What else could be done? The guy is a world champion!
No matter how powerful the top dog might be, he was ultimately only the top dog in the Duel Academy. It's unlikely he could defeat a world champion from the professional circuit, right?
Actually, Judai himself didn't really care about these things. He sometimes heard the students' discussions, but he would usually just laugh them off.
After all, he never aimed for the title of academy top dog from the start; it was a title other students imposed on him. If Ed wanted that title, Judai was more than willing to let him have it.
Of course, that's just talk, but going easy on the cards is obviously not an option.
In a duelist's dictionary, the term "going easy" doesn't exist.
And today is the day Ed formally challenges Judai.
To Judai, this might just be another ordinary duel. He and Ed had been dueling since they were kids, and they've faced each other more than a couple of times.
Even though they hadn't seen each other for a long time, and he was looking forward to dueling with Ed, who now wore the "world champion" halo, he didn't think it was anything special.
But the audience didn't feel that way.
This was a clash between their academy top dog and the league's world champion! It was even the decisive battle for the next academy top dog!
Amid the school newspaper's gossip, some students (mostly girls) couldn't help but believe that the two had an unspoken past on the field.
In the campus forum, moving stories of Judai and Ed were flooding the air!
Two peers, once extremely close, were separated due to some unavoidable circumstances, taking different paths. When they met again years later, they were like strangers, standing on opposing sides...
Perhaps, in any parallel universes, the imagination of fangirls is always unrivaled.
The audience was in place, and the two players were ready.
"So lively!" Judai looked around as he stepped onto the stage, full of anticipation, "Come to think of it, we haven't dueled for many years now, Ed..."
"Hmph." Ed replied, "I'm no longer the same as I was, and this time, I will definitely win!"
Judai tilted his head: "Huh? But didn't you say last time that you used to win more often against me..."
Realizing he slipped, Ed paused for a moment, snorted, and corrected himself: "I mean, this time, I will win! Even if you have gained new powers, it doesn't matter!"
"Oh, right." Judai nodded with a smile, "Because Ed's Destiny Heroes are the strongest, right?"
"That's right!" Ed was very pleased.
With a brief exchange before the match, both sides took their positions. Professor Chronos blew the whistle to start the match and quickly scampered to the audience. Both card decks auto-shuffled, and the Duel Discs simultaneously opened with a flutter.
"Duel!" x2
[Ed, LP 4000]
[Judai, LP 4000]
"I go first! Draw!"
After looking at his hand, Judai thought for a moment and then raised his head: "Then I'm not holding back, Ed!"
"Heh, don't hold back and come at me, Judai!" Ed said confidently, "I can handle any attack you have!"
"Then here I go! I call on 'Elemental Hero Blazeman'!"
[Elemental Hero Blazeman, ATK 1200]
"Blazeman's effect: when Summoned, add 'Fusion' Magic Card from the Deck to my hand." Judai drew the Fusion Card that popped out of the deck, "Then activate the Magic Card 'Fusion'!"
"Fielding 'Elemental Hero Blazeman' and the water-attributed 'Elemental Hero Liquidman' from my hand, I Fusion Summon!"
"Fusion condition is 'Hero' plus a water-attribute monster! Fusion Summon!"
"Born from the depths of freezing abyss, freezes all with the power of absolute ice and snow—
—Elemental Hero Absolute Zero!"
The elements of flame and water vanished in the vortex, and the hero donned in white armor appeared amidst the snowstorm, opening an unassailable domain of ice beneath his feet!
[Elemental Hero Absolute Zero, ATK 2500]
The arena was abuzz.
"Starting off with Absolute Zero!" said Mitsuzawa, a bystander, commenting, "Looks like Judai is serious about this."
"'Elemental Hero Liquidman''s effect: when used as Fusion Material for a 'Hero', draw two cards from the deck, and then discard one card from the hand."
A card was discarded into the graveyard, but in a blink, the card was immediately ejected back out.
"The card I discarded into the graveyard is the Magic Card 'Card of Compensation'." said Judai, "When this card is sent from the hand to the graveyard, draw two cards from the deck!" (manga card)
Ed watched as Judai continued to draw cards, narrowing his eyes: "Tsk, so after a Fusion Summon, you end up with more cards in hand than before..."
Judai, it seems you haven't slacked off even while on Yugi's side.
But I haven't been wasting my time either!
"Set two cards face-down and end my turn," Judai said.
"Then it's my turn!"
Ed increased his volume while drawing a card, as if trying to gain the upper hand in terms of momentum over Judai.
"At this moment, activate the Set Card!" cried Judai, making a grand gesture.
Ed's eyelid twitched.
So soon, you're launching an attack, Judai?
"Continuous Trap - Sea Stealth Attack!" Judai shouted, "When this card is activated, activate this card from the deck—
—Field Magic 'Umi'!"
The Field Magic Card popped out of the deck, and he deftly inserted it into the Duel Disc. A holographic projection transformed into a vast, boundless ocean, instantly flooding the entire field of battle!
Elemental Hero Absolute Zero crossed his arms, lightly stepping on the undulating waves. Wherever his toes touched, it was instantly frozen, forming a foothold of ice crystals on the sea surface.
"Here it is! Big Brother's 'Absolute Zero' and 'Sea Stealth Attack' forming an absolute lock!" Marufuji Shou exclaimed excitedly.
Sea Stealth Attack can remove a water-attributed monster on the field from play until the end of the turn so that all face-up Magic and Trap Cards on the player's field can't be destroyed by card effects that turn.
Elemental Hero Absolute Zero, when he leaves the field, destroys all monsters on the opponent's field.
The combination of these two cards is almost a nightmare for any duelist.
"Starting off with such a combo, Judai, you really do value this duel with me, huh?" Ed chuckled lightly, "And you should indeed do so!
Activate the Magic Card 'Card Destruction,' both players discard all cards in their hands and draw an equal number from their decks."
After exchanging cards, a card also ejected from Ed's graveyard: "Magic Card 'Card of Compensation,' when sent from the hand to the graveyard, draw two cards from the deck!"
"Huh? The same type of Magic as mine!" Judai chuckled foolishly, "Wow, Ed, we really are in sync; even our card choices are similar..."
While drawing cards, Ed scoffed: "Heh, just a coincidence, I'm different from you! My Destiny Heroes are far stronger than your Elemental Heroes!"
"Mm, mm, I think so, too." Judai said with a cheerful smile.
"Then it's my turn! First, I want to Summon this fellow..."
Ed made a dramatic gesture as he drew a card.
"'Elemental Hero Airman'!"
Judai: "..."
Onlookers: "..."
I get it, but could you please stop bringing out Airman first...?