CHAPTER ONE: Welcome to Neo Duel Academy! /ターン 1: ネオ・デュエル・アカデミーへようこそ!
A gentle breeze wound it ways invisibly through clear blue skies, a handful of golden and scarlet leaves trailing in its wake. The wind blew towards the tall shining structures of Neo Domino City, a glittering metropolis of lights that seemed to extend endlessly in all directions, carrying with it the fading heat of summer and the crisp scent of autumn. The wind seemed to lag slightly as it reached the southern edge of the massive city, where the silver-gray of the land gradually met the wide curve of the deep blue sea.
This portion of the city seemed much more pleasant and remote: within an elaborated black-gated compound, several large buildings and uninterrupted stretches of emerald grass could be observed, as well as wide avenues lined with trees. With a last sigh, the wind dissipated, abandoning the leaves to the forces of gravity once more. They whirled downwards in a scattered frenzy of color until one of them alighted upon the nose of a dark-haired young man lying spread-eagled on the grass. Daisuke Kuwabara blinked at the sensation and sat up in surprise; as the leaf tumbled towards the ground, he caught with a swift movement, gazing at it intently.
To most others, the leaf would have been an object of passing curiosity, something to be glanced at briefly and then discarded. But no detail of its delicate veined structure was wasted on Daisuke, nor did any subtle change in its coloration fail to catch his eye. After a moment of additional scrutiny, he stored the leaf in his pocket for safekeeping and gazed back up at the sky, closing his eyes and enjoying the sun's warmth. A few seconds later, a loud but not unpleasant ringing sound echoed across the campus, similar to a bell. Moments later, the growing rumble and murmur of the students could be heard as they began to emerge from the surrounding buildings.
Getting to his feet slowly, Daisuke raised his arms in a stretch, his features splitting into a ferocious yawn. Despite his evident youth, he was a well-built individual with bright eyes and dark brown hair, scattered with golden highlights. He turned and walked leisurely in the direction of the Dining Hall, a large and avant-garde structure made entirely of steel and glass. As he walked, Daisuke dusted himself off absentmindedly. Although his clothing consisted of a simple hooded sweatshirt worn over a black v-neck shirt, jeans, and worn sneakers, he wore his garments comfortably, like a second skin.
Ahead of him, the wide doors of the Dining Hall were already crowded with students attempting to make their way inside, eager to eat lunch after a morning of difficult classes. They appeared to be from several different backgrounds and disciplines: skin of all colors mingled freely within the throng. While some students appeared to favor uniforms, others—like Daisuke—did without.
Although they appeared to be nothing more than an average group of adolescents, Daisuke wasn't fooled. He knew all too well that each of these students, from the most talented Raviel Blue to the lowliest Uria Red, would make for a deadly opponent at Duel Monsters. After all, Neo Duel Academy accepted nothing less than the most promising young Duelists as students. As he stepped into the shade of the building, he felt a brief spur of elation—as always, the presence of so many skillful players excited him more than anything else.
As the students surged into the elegant three-story cafeteria, Daisuke could see that many of them appeared to be engaged in more than just casual conversation. Heading in the direction of his usual table, he spotted several groups of students standing together, speaking to one another in an animated fashion punctuated with emphatic gestures.
I wonder what the fuss is about, Daisuke wondered, sliding into his seat, his eyes flashing across the dozens of digital screens that were generated upon the walls, each advertising the different types of food available. He grimaced slightly as his stomach rumbled.
"You're early, Daisuke," came an amused voice from behind him. "That's so unlike you, don't tell me you're finally changing your ways!"
Daisuke turned in his seat and smiled at the sight of Leon Dreidt, who flashed him a friendly grin and handed him one of the two trays he was carrying, piled high with a delicious assortment of chicken, rice, and vegetables.
"You're a lifesaver, Leon," he replied, accepting the tray gratefully as he eyed the long lines of students that had already formed. He clapped his hands together, raised his chopsticks, and then began to eat with gusto while Leon sat down next to him, preferring to attack his food with a fork and knife.
Unlike Daisuke, whose features were predominantly Asian, Leon had pale skin and a shock of dark hair above a pair of greenish-blue eyes. He was almost a full head taller than Daisuke, if not built as solidly. Yet while the two boys had almost nothing in common in terms of appearance, they had inseparable since last year, when they had both started at Neo Duel Academy. The fact that they were both Uria Red students and shared several classes had only served to deepen their friendship.
"So where were you for second period today?" Leon asked, swallowing a generous amount of soda as another group of Uria students filled the remaining seats at the table. "Professor Elrondale was covering Speed Spells in the context of unusual situations… I'm not gonna lie, it was a pretty intense lecture, but dead useful. She almost had an aneurysm when she called attendance and you didn't show up."
Daisuke wiped his mouth and laughed dryly at the thought—despite the fact that she was young and extremely pretty, Professor Elrondale was very strict and had little patience for slackers.
"I dunno, Leon," he replied honestly, "just staring at the sky and taking some time on my own… I didn't feel like I could deal with another class after an hour and a half of taking notes on the History of Duel Monsters."
Leon gave a sympathetic groan at the mention of their least-favorite subject and bit into his sandwich.
"I'm serious about the game and learning how to improve," Daisuke continued, "but sometimes I wish it didn't involve learning such useless stuff… I understand that Yugi Mutou, Judai Yuki, and Yusei Fudo were some of the greatest Duelists the world has ever seen… I just don't see how that affects us, though."
His friend nodded and swallowed. "I know what you mean," he agreed. "I don't really understand the point of that class—I'd much rather work on becoming the next King of Games than learning about past ones, you know?"
At that moment, a musical bell sounded from the unseen speakers of the Dining Hall, putting a temporary halt to their conversation. The many digital screens on the walls were simultaneously wiped blank; a moment later, the image of a woman appeared. She was attractive, perhaps in her early thirties, with long silky black hair arranged in a simple but elegant knotted hairstyle and liquid dark eyes. Several of the students instinctively sat up as they recognized Headmistress Shirayuri, the Principal of the Academy.
"Good afternoon, students," she began in a low and pleasant voice. "I apologize for interrupting your lunch hour, but the staff and I have an important announcement to make. We would like to inform you that the results of the Homecoming Examination are now available. Accordingly, the names of the eight students who obtained the highest scores within the Academy will now be displayed. As always, these students are expected to represent the school at the Star Nexus Tournament, the first round of which will take place this weekend."
At these words, an excited murmur enveloped the room as the students broke out into conversation once more—obviously, they had been awaiting this development eagerly all morning.
"I wonder who will represent the academy this year?" Daisuke wondered idly, helping himself to another piece of chicken.
"Isn't it obvious?" Leon scowled, while Headmistress Shirayuri elaborated upon the qualities of sportsmanship and fair play that were expected of the participants. "It'll probably be a bunch of Raviel Blues like last time, with a handful of Hamon Yellows tossed in here and there." He drummed his fingers angrily on the table as he glared at the screens, his scowl widening.
Daisuke sighed, wishing his friend weren't quite so competitive at times. Despite the fact that he was an excellent Duelist, Leon wasn't the best at taking tests in the Academy; for this reason, he had been placed in Uria Red with Daisuke. Unfortunately, test-taking was a quality that was prized at the academy, as indicated by the fact that comprehensive exam scores, rather than actual matches, were the method used to determine the tournament participants.
"This whole concept of dividing students into different dorms is stupid," Leon growled, not for the first time. "Who cares if you know the boring specifics of a card as long as you can win the Duel? If it were up to me—"
At that moment, Leon's one-sided tirade was brought to an abrupt halt as Headmistress Shirayuri's image wavered and disappeared. A moment later it was replaced by a simple chart, displaying the name and dormitory of the student, ranked in order according to the score they had obtained on the exam. To the left of each row, a small square depicted an image of the corresponding student.
Suddenly Leon's hand closed like a vise upon Daisuke's shoulder as he shook him back and forth. "Look at that!" he howled, pointing wildly with his other hand at the screen, near the bottom of the list. Daisuke blinked—it took him a moment to recognize his own face displayed next to the number 7, while Leon was listed below him as the eight participant.
STAR NEXUS PARTICIPANTS
1. Alexander Frost (Raviel Blue)
2. Adrienne Guadiacco (Raviel Blue)
3. Raphael Manganelli (Raviel Blue)
4. Hayden Omirou (Hamon Yellow)
5. Vera Leigh (Hamon Yellow)
6. Caroline Lace (Uria Red)
7. Daisuke Kuwabara (Uria Red)
8. Leon Dreidt (Uria Red)
Leon took another gulp of his fizzing beverage to steady himself before glancing over at his friend. Throughout the cafeteria, the remaining students were staring at them unabashedly.
"Well," Daisuke said, patting him on the back and grinning, "it looks like this year is going to be a lot more interesting than I thought."
AUTHOR'S Notes:
And there you have it, the first chapter of many! It may not have been too long or action-packed, but it's meant to serve as an introductory piece to help give you a sense of the atmosphere at Neo Duel Academy. The next chapter will serve to broaden the environment, introducing many important characters and providing further insight into the complex hierarchy of the student body.
GLOSSARY:
Neo Domino City: A major city located along Japan's eastern coast, not far from Tokyo, renowned for its advanced technology. Although the city is home to elaborate shopping, historical, and entertainment districts, it also has a high crime rate in some areas. Neo Duel Academy is situated just past its southern outskirts, near the sea.
Neo Duel Academy: A state-of-the-art, highly selective facility that only accepts the most promising young Duelists as students, seeking to prepare them for a career in the Professional League. The school features a variety of courses intended to dissect the art of the game into more manageable portions, ranging from Advanced Game Mechanics to the History of Duel Monsters. It is managed by Keiko Shirayuri, a former Dueling prodigy who holds the title of Headmistress.
Star Nexus Tournament: A high profile televised event held near the beginning of the fall semester, the tournament pits current students of Neo Duel Academy against each other and a variety of opponents from the Professional League. In some cases, these players are former alumni, leading some to refer to it as the "Homecoming Duel Tournament." Often, the students who participate are entirely from the Raviel Blue Dorm, as they tend to score the highest on the standardized exam used to select participants.
Raviel Blue: An elite dormitory which draws its name from the legendary card, "Raviel, Lord of Phantasms," composed of the most talented and accomplished students of Neo Duel Academy. Students from this dormitory wear uniforms colored blue and white and enjoy much more luxurious housing options than their peers. They also display an unfortunate predisposition towards geocentricism and bullying.
Hamon Yellow: The intermediate dormitory whose colors are gold and white, named after the famous card, "Hamon Lord of Striking Thunder." Students from this dormitory tend to be the most diverse and are known for their dedication to study and research. It is assumed that a few will eventually ascend to the ranks of Raviel Blue, provided that they work hard enough. Hamon Yellow students are provided with decent housing options.
Uria Red: The lowest level dormitory at Neo Duel Academy, it is also the largest and least selective. Drawing its name from "Uria, Lord of Searing Flames," the dorm is composed of students who possess less mastery of the game than their peers. Generally speaking, students from this dormitory tend to score poorly on exams and are viewed as slackers. They are forced to manage with the least glamorous housing available on campus.
CHARACTER Profiles:
Whenever an important character(s) is introduced in the story, I will post a short profile of him in this section. I will also update older profiles periodically as new details are revealed, so keep an eye out for this section.
Daisuke Kuwabara
Age: 16
Hair Color: Dark brown, with a few golden highlights
Hairstyle: Bangs fall over the face, spikes out in the back
Eye Color: Brown with amber flecks
Height: 5"9
Weight: 165 lbs.
Favorite/Signature Card: Unknown
Deck: Cyber Hero Deck
Personality: Daisuke is a bit of a dreamer and tends to be generally optimistic. Friendly, he nevertheless takes Dueling very seriously. Despite his deceiving dreaminess and tendency to play truant, he's a born leader with an excellent sense of right and wrong.
Likes: Challenges from strong opponents, taking naps.
Dislikes: Dishonesty, boredom.
Leon Dreidt
Age: 16
Hair Color: Black
Hairstyle: Mid-length, styled upwards and worn in spikes
Eye Color: Blueish-green
Height: 6"0
Weight: 155 lbs.
Favorite/Signature Card: Unknown
Deck: Unknown
Personality: The youngest of four siblings, Leon is always out to garner the attention of others. He is naturally competitive, especially when it comes to romance and Dueling. Although he dislikes compromise, he is nevertheless a dependable and loyal friend.
Likes: Trance music, chasing pretty girls.
Dislikes: Being ignored, pop quizzes.
