What Raku feared most was exactly what he ended up hearing.
On the podium, the balding dean pushed up his glasses and spoke in a tone that sounded as if he were reading out a verdict.
"Since the college entrance exam is coming soon, let me remind you again that the exam consists of a written test and an interview. The score ratio between the written test and the interview is 3:7."
He paused and swept his gaze across the class, seemingly searching for the underperforming students who did not take theory classes seriously.
"The interview is essentially a duel with the examiner, which is extremely important. However, the written test cannot be ignored either. Three hundred years ago, the famous duelist Daichi Misawa proposed increasing the weight of the written exam."
Hearing that name, Raku felt his eyelid twitch.
"Especially for duelists whose Decks contain Scholar or Academic-type monsters, mathematical and scientific thinking must be strong. Even if the effect is not obvious early on, it will make it easier to resonate with Duel Spirits during future development."
The dean picked up a piece of chalk and forcefully wrote a formula on the blackboard.
"Therefore, for certain duelists represented by Machine Decks, the ratio of written test to interview becomes 4:6."
The dean continued speaking tirelessly while the chalk tapped repeatedly against the blackboard.
Raku felt as if a mask named "pain" had been placed over his face.
This was torture.
That guy named Misawa definitely had something wrong with him. Now Raku finally understood how technology managed to develop in a world where everyone played cards every day.
So Duel Spirits really were giving duelists inspiration in their dreams.
If someone wanted to build a spaceship one day, would they first have to assemble a [Mecha Phantom Beast] Deck?
And for someone like him, who couldn't even fully memorize chemical equations in his previous life, wouldn't that mean he couldn't even summon something like Cyber Dragon?
The entire morning passed in this kind of mental suffering.
Finally, the noon dismissal bell rang.
Raku decisively asked the homeroom teacher for leave under the excuse of "not feeling well."
He did not even go to the cafeteria. Instead, he slung his bag over his shoulder and ran straight out of the school gate toward a familiar shop nearby.
The shop sign read "Sawagoe Tomaru Card Shop," but in Raku's memory, it used to be a stationery store.
When he pushed open the glass door, cold air rushed toward him along with the distinctive smell of paper pulp and plastic card sleeves.
The shop owner behind the counter was still the same stubbly middle-aged man, currently sorting newly arrived card boxes.
"Boss Sawagoe," Raku said as he dropped his school bag onto the counter. "Two boxes of cards. Put it on my tab."
The owner looked up. Seeing a regular customer, a faint smile appeared on his usually tired face.
"Kid, you're the same as always."
He casually took down two heavy rectangular boxes from the shelf behind him and tossed them onto the counter.
"Two boxes for you. Fresh shipment that just arrived. I heard the pull rates for this batch are pretty good."
Raku took the boxes and weighed them in his hands.
The packaging was decorated with several flashy monsters he did not recognize, but unlike in his previous world, there was no detailed listing of set codes, card lists, or rarity distribution.
It really was entirely up to fate.
And apparently there was no banlist either.
Which made sense. In this duel-dominated world, pulling powerful cards meant you had strong Destiny Power. Being able to use powerful cards meant you had strong Soul Power.
The so-called "banlist" existed in a hidden form. Some cards that were too powerful or too sinister, even if placed directly in front of you, were likely impossible to obtain.
Or if you somehow used them, you might immediately be hospitalized from the backlash of the card's own power.
He found a table in the corner, sat down, took a deep breath, and tore open the plastic seal on the first box.
Rrrrip.
The crisp sound echoed pleasantly in the quiet card shop.
Raku took out a pack, tore it open, and poured out the five cards inside.
First card: Spell Card [Hinotama].
Second card: Trap Card [Trap Hole].
Third card: Spell Card [Red Medicine].
Fourth card: Spell Card [Blue Medicine].
Fifth card: Trap Card [Reinforcements].
"..."
All generic Spell and Trap cards. Not a single monster.
It's fine. That was only the first pack.
Raku comforted himself and opened the second pack.
Five more Spells and Traps.
Third pack: Spells and Traps.
Fourth pack: Spells and Traps.
As the empty wrappers piled higher and higher on the table, Raku's brow furrowed tighter and tighter.
When the entire box was finished, the table was covered in green Spell Cards and red Trap Cards like a polluted grassland and red soil. There was not even the slightest hint of the yellow or orange that represented monsters.
"I don't believe it."
He gritted his teeth and tore open the second box.
The same process repeated.
No monsters.
Not even a single Normal Monster. He had not even pulled something like [Embodiment of Apophis], the kind of Trap Card that could turn into a monster.
Two boxes. Three hundred cards in total.
Looking at the sea of green and red covering the table, Raku felt as if he were surrounded by some kind of barrier called "monster insulation."
Was he really that unrecognized?
Had the spirits of this world collectively placed him under some kind of embargo?
"Hey, Boss Sawagoe," Raku called weakly. "Did this shipment... get water-damaged or something? Or is it one of those special 'Spell and Trap refill packs'?"
Boss Sawagoe was dusting with a feather duster. Hearing this, he froze.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Someone in this batch even pulled [Dark Magician]. It's a standard mixed pack."
He walked over and glanced at the spectacular "Spell-and-Trap Great Wall" on the table. His always half-closed eyes instantly widened.
"Holy hell, this..."
Boss Sawagoe poked through the pile of cards, confirming that there really was not a single Monster Card hidden underneath.
"Three hundred cards, all Spells and Traps? The odds of that are lower than pulling a God Card! Did you forget to wash your hands after using the bathroom or something?"
"I don't know…"
Raku collapsed onto the table like all the bones had been pulled from his body, lying limp among the Spell and Trap cards.
His cheek rested against the cold surface of a [Goblin's Secret Remedy], and he stared blankly at the ceiling fan spinning above.
"At this rate, even a single Purrely without transforming could kick me to death. How am I supposed to play like this?"
He didn't even have a single Normal Monster. How was he supposed to duel? Was he supposed to slash the opponent's monsters with Spell Cards?
The Duel Disk did have a materialization function, but he couldn't just smash someone with the disk itself… well, actually, he could, but that would be a foul.
As he hopelessly raked his fingers through the pile of cards, a pink Trap Card with a strange design slid into view.
[Bad Reaction to Simochi]
Continuous Trap.
Effect: As long as this card remains face-up on the field, any effect of increasing your opponent's Life Points is changed to inflict the same amount of points in damage to your opponent's Life Points.
Raku stopped moving.
In the eyes that had looked as lifeless as a salted fish, a spark suddenly ignited.
Something dark and underhanded.
He suddenly straightened up and grabbed the card as if it were a lifeline.
"Hiss… a full Trap-based build? That's way too unstable."
Although he said that, his hands were already moving quickly through the pile of cards.
"Did you think of something?" Boss Sawagoe stood nearby with the feather duster, staring at Raku's sudden resurrection-like behavior as if looking at an idiot. "Don't tell me the shock scrambled your brain. How could a full Trap Deck possibly win? These days, if you don't have monsters to hold the field, the opponent will knock you out in two punches."
"Not impossible."
Raku's voice carried an eerie calmness, even a hint of fervor. As he spoke, he slapped the cards he found onto the cleared space on the table like dealing cards.
"Considering the current environment, everyone is chasing high-Attack monsters and beating each other down. Hardly anyone runs proper backrow removal. I won't say it could go pro, but at least… it could stand out."
He searched precisely within the sea of red Trap Cards.
"Right. Like this."
A card was placed in the center of the table.
"Build a Bad Reaction to Simochi Deck."
Next came the second card, depicting two diverging roads.
"[The Paths of Destiny]. Both players flip a coin. Heads: gain 2000 Life Points. Tails: take 2000 damage. With Simochi, heads becomes 2000 damage, and tails is still 2000 damage. Guaranteed 2000 damage."
The third card showed a giant gift box.
"[Gift Card]. The opponent gains 3000 Life Points. With Simochi, that's a zero-cost instant 3000 damage nuke."
Boss Sawagoe stared in stunned silence.
"And this—[Trap Trick]." Raku pulled out a card showing a pit trap. "Use it to Set a Normal Trap directly from the Deck. Core engine."
His fingers moved through the card pile rapidly, like performing delicate surgery.
"Next, we look for [Upstart Goblin]…" He rummaged through the pile of green Spell Cards and frowned. "Tsk, none. Fine, then we'll adjust the plan."
He grabbed a handful of cards showing two people shaking hands.
"[One Day of Peace]. Both players draw a card, and until the end of the opponent's next turn, all damage becomes 0. This is survival.
"Stall. Stall until my pieces are ready. Stall until I can win."
Boss Sawagoe looked at the gradually forming skeleton of the Deck, his mouth slightly open, feather duster forgotten in midair.
This kid… was he building a Deck? Wasn't this just a pile of junk? What kind of normal person plays Yu-Gi-Oh! without monsters?
Raku was immersed in his own world.
"Maybe I can also include [The Gift of Greed]."
A card showing Pot of Greed giving a present was pulled out.
"Let the opponent draw two cards. Combine it with [Heavy Slump]. When the opponent has eight or more cards in their hand, they must return their entire hand to the Deck and then draw two cards. That indirectly shaves their hand resources."
"Since the Deck must be forty cards, draw filtering is necessary."
Another red Trap Card was selected.
"[Jar of Greed]. It's not as good as [Pot of Greed] drawing two cards, but at least it draws one, and it's a Trap Card, so it fits the Deck's synergy."
Finally, he dug out a card near the bottom of the pile that looked quite new.
"[Transaction Rollback]. Pay half your Life Points to copy the effect of a Normal Trap in the Graveyard. Even if a key card gets interrupted, it can activate again from the Graveyard. Though since it requires a Trap already in the Graveyard, one copy should be enough."
Raku stacked the forty selected cards neatly together and tapped them on the table with a soft thud.
"Yes. That's it. This can work."
He looked up, and in his dark eyes gleamed a chilling light… the pure gaze of a card player willing to do anything for victory.
Boss Sawagoe swallowed and pointed at the pile of red and green cards.
"Y‑you sure this can fight? If you run into someone who can blow up backrow, wouldn't you just surrender instantly?"
"If that happens, what can I say? It's not like anyone wins every duel."
"Pretty optimistic. Strange that someone with that mindset hasn't been acknowledged by Duel Monsters."
"Well, I don't know what's going on either. Maybe I'm just late to the party. But even without Monster Cards, I still want to try."
"Kid… you're a bit like that boy Yunagi Minamoto.
"Alright, alright. If you get the chance, I hope to see you on the tournament stage someday."
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going! [Patreon.com/RedZTL]