Chapter 7: Loss Is the Greater Teacher
The professors' offices were all conveniently located on the fourth floor of Duel Academy, sorted largely by academic focus. No one was adjunct professor at a school where prestige and legacy were paramount. One was either qualified to fill the role of full professor or else one was not hired; on the other hand, teaching assistants were vital to managing the workload without challenging the budget. A lounge-slash-office space was dedicated to them, as well, right next door to the office of one Sebastian Arbus, Ph.D.
Staring at the golden nameplate on the closed door, Bryan couldn't help feeling a little intimidated. "Going to the counselor's office already…" he mumbled.
Matt made a face. "It's a waste of time. I understand that you could use a round of therapy but why am I being singled out? Not like there's anything this guy can tell me I don't already know."
Bryan could have made a joke about how there are lots of things Matt doesn't know, including what the school therapist can offer him. But he was too nervous. It was bad enough that placement exams were starting the next morning. He felt lied to: Not even two full weeks had passed since school started. Classes had started on a Monday, and two Fridays later marked the beginning of the placement exams. The schedule was tight in order to fit everyone's placements into a single day, but time was allotted on Saturday to finish, if necessary. Bryan hated the idea of dueling on a Saturday. "It's God's day!"
"Sometimes," Matt agreed, "depending on which interpretation you use." He had tried so far to cheer Bryan up, but it was all empty words falling short on a guy who had lost every single duel he attempted so far at school. Earning himself a god card was a pipe dream.
"I don't belong here," said Bryan. "I suck. I fucking suck! Everybody beats me practically with their eyes closed. That's exactly what the counselor is going to tell me in there. What the hell am I supposed to do? I don't want to go home so soon."
"Then don't," said Matt, as if it were that simple. "Just go in there, tell him what you want, and don't be intimidated. You're getting better, even when you lose. Remember what Fats said about dueling his professional duelist grandmother? It's the same thing here. You've only lost to duelists good enough to get accepted to Duel Academy. Losing to the best is nothing to be ashamed of."
"But they're assholes."
Matt smirked. "All people are assholes. It's in the human genome. Some people just hide it better for longer periods of time."
"How is that supposed to encourage me?"
"Because you perform better when you know what to expect."
The comment drew no argument. If Bryan felt better prepared against his coming opponents, he might feel more confident. But there was no time to be perfectly prepared even if he knew every single card in the opponents' decks. He was only allowed to bring in a fifteen-card side deck, which he could use to hold and swap out extra cards between duels. No tampering was allowed with the side deck, because ultimately everything was part of the test, including how each duelist reacted to the opponents' cards. Bryan was sick of all the subliminal tests, and that was another reason he dreaded meeting the guidance counselor.
"Is it weird how long we've stood here without knocking?"
Matt nodded. "No." But he made no move to knock instead. Matt was the type to think receiving outside guidance was a waste of time. He was only present because the word "mandatory" appeared on his schedule beside the office number and because Bryan wanted not to go alone.
A brief rattling of the doorknob preceded the door opening. The man behind the door was between Matt and Bryan in height, glancing both up and down to see either of them. He had a neutral sort of smile where the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly without much movement in the cheeks. Crow's feet and wrinkles in his brow indicated he furrowed often, either as a contemplative man or as someone who had to stop and think about the jokes people were making before he could understand them. His sense of fashion left a little to be desired: black slacks and a blue sweater on top of a white shirt with gray tie.
"The answer is 'yes,'" he said. "It is weird that you would come to my door and speak amongst yourselves rather than knock at your appointed time." His tone suggested he was irked and British, which are almost the same thing. He nodded gently toward Matt. "Mr. Luther, if you wouldn't mind taking a seat for a few minutes while I speak with Mr. Knight."
"Take it where?" asked Matt.
Bryan expected a firestorm, but Dr. Arbus smiled instead. "Be creative."
Matt's eyes perked and he ducked into the student assistants' lounge. Bryan muttered, "That was a risky decision."
"He'll be fine. Come in and have a seat."
Dr. Arbus's office was basic as far as Bryan's eye could tell. He had the fancy office furniture and requisite bookshelves full of textbooks and periodicals that all professors seemed to have but few personal decorations. All he did post were pictures of himself with famous duelists, assorted celebrities, and a small family of people who were "interesting looking." Lots of empty wall space left the office feeling somehow empty as Bryan sat on the leather sofa. Dr. Arbus sat in his luxurious, padded computer armchair.
"I hear you are feeling apprehensive about your ability," he said.
Bryan balked. "No use prevaricating about the bush, huh?"
Dr. Arbus stared back. "Are you teasing me for being British?"
"Not intentionally. Sometimes I just quote things out of the blue. That was a show called—"
"Wallace and Gromit," said Dr. Arbus. He smiled back at Bryan's dumbfounded stare. "I, too, enjoy a good show. It was among my favorites in my youth. Quite an old show for one your age, however."
"My mom made me watch it. And then I made her watch it multiple times after that."
"As children do."
"I was thirteen." Both of them smiled, assuming Bryan's comment was a joke. He relaxed a little, and it showed in his shoulders. At least he had a small connection to his counselor.
"Let's not waste your time, Mr. Knight. I know you do not wish to be here, and so I will not mince words. How do you like Duel Academy so far?"
This was it. Bryan could either speak plainly and honestly, or he could bullshit his way into convincing Dr. Arbus that he deserved to stick around. "You know what it's like when you hear about a movie and the critics rave and your friends say it's spectacular and then you go see it and the content is so overwhelming that you feel like you don't belong?"
Dr. Arbus hummed. "You feel out of place."
"It's just a lot to take in. The professors talk really fast. Everyone is so good at dueling."
"Are you worried about keeping up?"
"Kind of. After all the years of Duel Academy's existence, I can't be the first who struggled to win against his classmates. Zero wins and twelve losses feels like a lot, though."
"You may be stressing yourself too much. Take your friend's advice. Don't give up until you decide you have finished dueling. Once you are accepted into the school, no one else can tell you when it's time to quit." He dipped his chin as if acknowledging possible wordplay. "Their words may say it, and perhaps their actions, but the decision is yours alone. What is your goal here?"
Bryan hesitated. "To become a pro duelist."
"That is three years out. Might I suggest narrowing your goal to something more immediate? At present time, your only goal is to finish just one duel successfully. Placement exams begin tomorrow, correct? When the schedule releases, look only to your next duel."
A beat passed before Bryan forced a nod. "Okay. I think I can do that."
"It will be a good start. Know that I am always here if you need to talk, and that I will be rooting for your success. It would benefit the school greatly if you numbered among its future graduates." Bryan had not expected such an uplifting aphorism. And he even sounded sincere.
"Thank you, sir."
He shook his head in reply. "No thanks are necessary. I am your guide through your school years."
"You're the best." Bryan felt a surge of excitement well up. "Do you have any tips for joining the Guardian Duelers?"
Dr. Arbus only smirked. "Go slower with raising your goals."
"Right. Sorry." Bryan stood and gave Dr. Arbus a firm handshake before leaving. Although he outweighed the professor by at least forty pounds, he was surprised to find the older man had a grip like vice pliers and could have cracked a wrist if he wanted to.
"Please send in Mr. Luther," he spoke after him.
As Bryan left the room, he almost bumped into Matt right outside the door. A mischievous smile was plastered to his face. "What did you do?"
"What? Nothing," said Matt, feigning innocence. "Is it my turn to meet with my demise?"
"He's not that kind of counselor," said Bryan. "Seriously, what happened?"
Matt ignored him and pushed into the office. Bryan decided he had better go to the student assistants' office to see what horrifying prank Matt left behind.
Meanwhile, Matt was pleased to find Dr. Arbus's office was cleaner than most. He didn't waste time or effort applying needless decorations to the walls. A copy of his undergrad and graduate diplomas was all he needed to get his point across. Too many pictures of other people, however. If it were Matt, he would just skip meeting with celebrities and Photoshop the pictures later. Saves a lot of time.
"Mr. Luther. I hear great things about you."
"Give it time. That will pass."
Dr. Arbus smiled. "You have a sharp tongue."
"The ladies love me for it."
"Word of advice. The professors here are plenty eccentric and generally willing to allow individuality and free expression provided it doesn't harm anyone. Maybe dial it back a tad? The last thing we want is to get yourself in trouble because of a misplaced word. Is that a fair request?"
Matt paused for a second while he considered it. "I suppose. Hard for me, being nice to people."
"You feel like you don't have a lot of training?"
"Must have skipped that class growing up."
"Most learn it from their parents. But by all accounts, the Luthers were not the best role models, were they?"
Matt gritted his teeth. He said nothing.
"There were eleven children living in their household when you were accepted to Duel Academy. Your home has only three bedrooms. It must be difficult. Competing for every scrap of food, for every inch of living space, for every spoken word…"
"The old man doesn't like to hear a lot of talking."
"So you insert every stray thought of yours into conversation, is that it?"
"Not really. You'd be surprised what I hold back." How he truly felt about this conversation, for one.
Dr. Arbus smiled. "Perhaps that's true. But Duel Academy is meant to bring out what the students hold back. I see great potential within you. That's why you received the Arbus Foundation scholarship. Represent yourself and the foundation with dignity and certitude. And on that note…" He rolled his chair back to his desk and reached into the center drawer.
Matt said, "Did you seek me out for that scholarship?"
"Yes. That's how scholarship works. We seek the most promising prospects. And offer them the means to prove themselves worthy." He handed Matt a spell card. "Considering the quality of your current deck, this card may prove useful."
He furrowed his brow at The Eye of Timaeus, a card that essentially replaced fusion for the Dark Magician. "I know this card. Never found one myself. Why would you just hand me such a rarity?"
"Aside from the scholarship being intended to find promising young duelists, I find my life as a professor and philanthropist to be comfortable. My deck has changed little in recent years and I have no need to retain cards from my youth. Card storage is an insult to the deck. Cards are meant for use. Take this one and ensure it does not languish in obscurity."
Matt stared at the card for a moment, finally curling it down his wrist toward his chest. "I'll need another one. One fusion card is a start, but I'll need another one to make it more reliable."
"Then I suggest you begin researching. Find tournaments and competitions to apply where that card numbers among the prizes. Befriend collectors and make them want you to have their cards. Try saving artistic heists as a last resort."
"Duly noted. Is this… all you had to talk about with me? The whole meeting was just so you could remind me about my scholarship?"
Dr. Arbus nodded. "Unless you come to me with a specific request or issue, our conversations will largely limit themselves to the arena of Duel Academy. Represent the school and the Arbus Foundation well and there will be little to discuss."
"Fair enough." Matt stood from the chair, shot off a quick "Thanks for the card!" and left the office, closing the door behind him. The hallway was empty, but he figured Bryan was still close by. He poked his head into the student assistants' office and found his best friend staring at a Stonehenge of office desks. Desk phones and pencil boxes were bound by dozens of rubber bands. The chairs had all been disassembled briefly and reassembled with the arms interlocking. Matt looked to Bryan and asked, "Ready to go? Best we get a full night's sleep so we're prepared for a full day of dueling. Ah, who am I kidding? It's not like we're lifting heavy machinery. Let's pull an all-nighter instead."
Bryan ignored his rambling, still marveling at the office. "How did you do it?"
"Nothing here is that difficult."
"You had less than ten minutes alone."
He shrugged. "I only needed five, if that makes you feel better."
"You are absolutely insane."
"You sound just like my parents."
Cary was not caught off guard by how much Duel Academy transformed for the placement exams. The main stage in the basement was segmented into three smaller stages for the sake of volume, adorned in blues and whites. The lecture halls for Gaming AI and Game Architecture classes were opened up with small game tables, largely colored by reds and yellows. It was easy to tell where the students were favored by dormitory. Dave had warned her what to expect and where to find her schedule.
It was too early yet for any but the most dedicated to arrive—or those too anxious to sleep any later. Notices sent to every student about the exam schedule indicated that losses faced any duelist who arrived late to a duel. In addition, full uniform dress was required from everyone, suppressing almost all individuality in clothing. If the dress code had included masks or face coverings, it would be impossible to tell anyone apart.
Enter Wikolia, one of the top-ranked girls already. As a third-year, she was one of the select few automatically scheduled for an appearance in the basement arena. Only the best were invited into the biggest room Duel Academy had to offer. When Cary looked up her Round 1 schedule on the digital board in the main foyer and found she was stuck in a classroom, she made it her goal to get down there.
Wikolia stood beside Cary and gazed at the board. "Facing Jeri Fleig in Round 1?" Wikolia read to her. "That should be a good match." Jeri was a second-year student who had been the highest-ranked of her class during her freshman year. Her rank still rose in her junior year, but some other girls showed greater gains over the summer and had more promising outlooks. Cary knew that Jeri would be looking for a decisive win to prove out the rank she felt she deserved.
"I'm not worried," said Cary. "Is Kazama A on the second floor?" She also pointed to the northern side of the building with her chin.
Wikolia smiled. "You got it. Good luck up there."
"You, too." In her third year, Wikolia didn't need a lot of luck. Even as a junior, she ranked higher than most of the female Obelisks. She was dating one of the Guardian Duelers, and she was nearly an even match for him in a duel. Even a loss in Round 1 wouldn't push her out of the basement arena.
Mitsuro Itachu walked by. Her green bandanna, more than anything, is what made her stand out in a room where everyone actually put on their cleanest Duel Academy dress to impress the judges. For a moment Cary chuckled, thinking about how Kasumi and the other girls made a big deal about hairstyles that morning, and Mitsuro just covered hers up instead. Cary had thought wearing her hair down with no embellishments was the impartial look, but maybe Mitsuro was the real queen of neutrality.
"Don't take Jeri lightly," she suggested. "A fleeting slump does not mean she's washed up yet."
Cary replied, "Who is your first opponent?"
"Matt Luther."
Smirking, she said, "Then heed your own advice."
"Every opponent gets my full attention. Anything less is an insult."
This was Cary's first real shot at proving herself, which she intended to do throughout the exam. Jeri Fleig was a good start, provided she could win. Her second opponent wouldn't be posted until Round 1 approached its end. If she beat Jeri, her opponents would get tougher. That was exactly her goal. Higher-level opponents meant a higher rank by the end of the exams.
There was nothing special about the appearance of the Kazama A lecture hall save for the embroidered banners advertising the placement exams. Several duelists checked their decks vigorously, shuffling cards in and out of their side decks. Cary tapped her secondary deck box where she, too, carried an extra fifteen cards. They offered a few precautions in case she caught wind of a strategy her current cards would struggle to beat. As much as she hated the idea of a last-minute deck freak-out, she valued precaution.
Jeri Fleig already stood by the table, talking with Dr. Patty Dise. She was the assigned proctor for their exam. Cary had no humanities classes with her yet, but she had heard good things about the teaching style and homework load. Dr. Dise's role was to moderate the duel through all deck shuffling, keeping spectators from kibitzing to advantage either duelist, and ruling on any player violations or card effects the computer system failed to play fully and accurately.
"Hey, kid." As soon as the junior girl turned her smile on Cary, the freshman hated her for being prettier. Jeri was dark-skinned with a nearly flawless complexion. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, which looked amazing with her dreadlocks. It turned out Jeri knew a little about Cary already, despite her efforts to remain personally aloof. The downside to having fewer than thirty girls on campus and boarding them all in the same dorm was a total lack of anonymity. "Sorry you got stuck with me as your first opponent." She spoke with a British accent, which Cary also thought made her seem more exotic. Then again, Duel Academy was technically in Japan, so reality was that she was also an exotic foreigner in this world.
"I'm not sorry. Given the choice, I would rather face an opponent I can't beat. Loss is the greater teacher." Cary's words sounded a bit dry, partly through lack of practice speaking to people and mostly through the volume of mockery she hid behind her words. Jeri's reputation may precede her, but Cary had every expectation of victory. The older girl had lost a step as she went from freshman to junior… or did she only gain strength at a slower pace than her classmates? Cary suppressed a tremble in her fingers.
All of that was lost on Jeri. Perhaps it was her own ego that prevented her from detecting spoken sarcasm. Instead of responding with annoyance or anger, she grinned. "I like that philosophy, girl." Her arrogance made her pretty face seem much less threatening, and Cary felt herself relax. "Let's get started, shall we?"
"Hold on a second," said Dr. Dise, looking from her watch to the wall clock. "The schedule for today is incredibly regimented to make sure we have as few delays as possible. We want every duel complete by the end of the day, if possible. No one wants to spend Friday night wondering about finishing a test on Saturday morning."
Jeri made a face. "You're going to make us wait another six minutes when we're both already here and ready to go?"
"That was the request from on high."
"So ridiculous." The attitude didn't make her any prettier, either.
The two passed a few minutes with superficial conversation, from what classes they were each taking to their favorite professors to which boys were worth more than their decks. The last one was a short conversation piece as neither girl was impressed with the boys they'd met on campus.
Dr. Dise ended the conversation when she said, "It's official start time now. Take your places, ladies." As the duelists loaded up on the small dueling station—essentially a two-person picnic table with holograms—Dr. Dise reminded them of the basic rules and etiquette.
Chosen randomly by the system, Cary took the first turn.
"Pot of Duality," said Cary as a fancy ewer appeared on the field. Its tin face showed off its chiseled features when Cary checked the top three cards of her deck. The ewer spun around to reveal the twisted visage of a greedy goblin as she kept one of the cards before returning the others to her deck.
"Also Dragon Shrine." The bones of fallen dragons sprang from the ground and formed a sort of cultish altar—a place for worshippers to gather while Cary sent a dragon from her deck to the graveyard. She let Dr. Dise shuffle her deck, and then she placed one card face-down in her spell zone.
"Your turn."
Jeri winked. "No monsters, huh? Don't worry, kid. I'm sure that Dragunity card you tossed in the graveyard won't get blocked at all by my monsters." She drew her first card and began an onslaught of cards that made Cary vow revenge.
"Let's start with Nekroz Mirror." A round mirror appeared on the field, framed in gold and horns. She dropped a monster from her hand to the grave: Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz. Suddenly she knew where Jeri was going to take this duel. "That gives me Nekroz of Trishula (9: 2700|2000)." The monster was a winged man wearing armor forged from the remains of an ice dragon. His sword was likewise forged, with extra blades protruding from the hilt as if chiseled from a block of ice. Cary knew the Nekroz monsters. She had lost a fair few duels to them in tournaments back home. She would have to play her cards swiftly and effectively to avoid losing the very first of her placement duels.
"So Shurit acted as all the tributes for the ritual summon, but since he was a tribute for an effect, I get to move a warrior Nekroz monster to my hand from the deck. But Trishula's effect also activates when he's summoned, so I get to banish three of your cards."
Cary flipped over her face-down card. "Breakthrough Skill." An egg materialized on her field only to crack and crumble as a white monster burst through the shell. The crack released enough energy to shower the field and imperil Trishula, negating the effect and protecting Cary's cards.
"Okay, fine. But I still get a Nekroz monster with Shurit's effect." If Cary knew how Nekroz players worked, then Jeri was grabbing another ritual monster. Affirming that suspicion, Jeri summoned a truly gruesome monster—with ten thousand hands overtaking all other features. "Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands (4: 1400|1000) lets me move a ritual card to my hand, too." She searched her deck again for another card and let the professor shuffle again. "Now Preparation of Rites so I can get even more." A circular construction of stones set like tunnels appeared on the field. Robed men walked through open portals, chanting softly while a monster descended from the sky and a spell arose from the center of the circle. "Furthermore, I'll discard Nekroz of Brionac to retrieve another Nekroz monster, and then I discard Nekroz of Clausolas to move another spell to my hand."
The facial expression Cary offered clearly defined her opinion on the matter of overloading Jeri's hand without adding more monsters to the field. The Nekroz monsters had one severe limitation—each one had limits on which monsters could be offered up for the ritual. If she only held Nekroz monsters, then she might be stuck without another play to make.
But that didn't stop Jeri from sending her two monsters to attack Cary's empty field. With a swipe from Trishula's heavy sword and a flurry of countless palm strikes from Manju, Cary suffered more than half of her Life Points in damage on a single turn.
Cary 3900: Jeri 8000
"Your turn now, kid. Let's see what you can do with that Dragunity monster."
With a nod, Cary accepted the challenge. Her fear over facing Jeri faded as she mentally formulated the sequence of her cards.
"Dragunity Dux (4: 1500|1000)." She summoned a toga-clad man dressed in armored wings and a headdress resembling the form of a falcon. He wielded a cat o' nine tails in his left hand. She reached into her graveyard and showed Jeri her Dragunity Phalanx (2: 500|1100) as she equipped it to Dux. The tiny dragon curled around Dux's other arm and withdrew into its bronze armor, leaving the appearance of brass knuckles with twin spearheads as the weapon. "Phalanx summons itself." Releasing its hold on Dux's arm, Phalanx became a second monster—a dragon in bronze armor.
She sent Phalanx back to the graveyard. "Dragunity Arma Mystletainn (6: 2100|1500)." The blue dragon disappeared, replaced with a taller dragon armed in yellow plated mail and brandishing a lengthy, curved blade. Cary showed Phalanx to her opponent again as the blue dragon wrapped itself around Mystletainn this time. She quickly detached Dragunity Phalanx (2: 500|1100) again and summoned it as a separate monster.
Both players watched the field as Phalanx's (2) two-pronged headdress began to vibrate. The sound bounced off of Dux (4) repeatedly in dissonant tones, yet the sounds rapidly approached harmony. As soon as they reached unison, both monsters faded into sound waves and reappeared as Dragunity Knight – Gae Dearg (6: 2400|800), an armored dragon rider, riding a red dragon with a long tail and a face like the blade of a kris dagger. "Gae Dearg's effect next," she said and grabbed her deck. She retrieved Zephyros the Elite and placed it in her hand. While Dr. Dise shuffled her cards, she discarded Zephyros to the grave.
Cary considered her options for a moment, and then she moved Gae Dearg and Mystletainn to the same monster zone space, overlaying them to xyz summon Hieratic Dragon King of Atum (6: 2400|2100). The Dragon King had purple skin shimmering like the night sky. It provided a stark contrast with the segments of platinum armor that shone like the sun. "I activate its effect." She sent Gae Dearg to the grave and Atum's armor flashed, blinding the field. When the sunlight faded, Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon (10: -0|-0) rested on the field with its metallic wings defending it like a giant shield. Atum summoned the darkness dragon to its side, but the dragon suffered the unnatural weakness of a sunlight summoning. But when the darkness spilled from its metal body, a new portal opened, a familiar bronze face poked through. "This effect summons Dragunity Phalanx (2: 500|1100) again."
Jeri took in a deep, slow breath. It was clear the length of Cary's turn annoyed her, but if she said anything out loud, she would lose "cool" points. That was fine with Cary; it meant she could continue in peace and quiet.
"Zephyros the Elite (4: 1600|1000) activates." Her Red-Eyes dragon flew from the field back to her hand, spurred on by the needle-beaked Zephyros digging up from the graveyard. In that same moment, Cary lost 400 points as a result of the effect.
Cary 3500: Jeri 8000
Phalanx (2) began to ring again, and the sound ruffled Zephyros' (4) feathers until the two found unison and merged inside resonant sound waves. Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana (6: 1900|1200) formed within the waves, an armored man equipped with a polearm while riding on the back of a dragon with red armor. "Phalanx again." The little, blue dragon wrapped itself around the larger mount, giving it a set of bronze claws. "And summon it," she added while the blue dragon uncoiled and took its own position on the field. "Last time. I banish it for Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon (10: 2800|2400)." This time her metallic dragon appeared under a veil of shadows, giving it full power. Being of new birth, it regained its ability to open a portal into the darkness, this time bringing forth the red dragon rider Gae Dearg (6: 2400|800).
"Gae Dearg's effect gives me a second Phalanx," said Cary as she searched her deck for the card and then immediately discarded it to the grave. "Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger (7: 2600|2100) over Atum," she said, overlaying the stronger xyz monster. Unlike her other dragon riders, this one appeared more mechanical than organic, each arm replaced with a jousting lance. But then she overlaid both of her Dragon Knights to summon a second copy of Hieratic Dragon King of Atum (6: 2400|2100). "Effect again." She sent Gae Dearg back to the graveyard to summon Dragunity Arma Leyvaten (8: 0|0), a large dragon armed in orange with feathery wings and a long, curved sword in its hand. Like the Red-Eyes before it, Atum's unnatural summoning power reduced Leyvaten's strength to zero.
"Leyvaten equips Phalanx, and then it summons itself," she said. Jeri sighed, and Cary couldn't blame her. Even she was a little bored of watching the same holographic image of Phalanx wrapping itself around another dragon monster only to separate a second later. When Phalanx (2) began to vibrate and bounce its sound waves off of Leyvaten (8), Cary smiled. It took her a long time to get here, but she was ready to summon her ace. The instant both monsters faded out, a new dragon took their place. Towering over the other monsters, its fiery scales were not what drew the most attention; rather, its three heads ensnared even the staunchest of enemies.
"Trident Dragion (10: 3000|2800)," said Jeri, recognizing the monster. "That's a powerful monster for a rookie."
"Being a freshman doesn't make me a rookie. Dragion destroys both my xyz monsters to gain power." All three heads filled Cary's own field with fire and lightning. The metallic armor of the Red-Eyes protected it, but Atum and Gaia Dragon were both consumed. Unlike normal fire, Dragion's attack didn't merely reduce the other to ash: It absorbed their power back into its own body. When Cary entered into her battle phase finally, all three of Dragion's heads were raring to go.
With that effect, each of Dragion's (3000) heads was available to attack. Trishula (2700) and Manju (1400) were consumed instantly as one head spewed fire and another unleashed lightning. The third head combined the two elements for a direct attack against Jeri's Life Points. The battle phase didn't end until after Red-Eyes unleashed its own wave of darkness.
Cary 3500: Jeri 300
Jeri had held her breath when Trident Dragion hit the field, but Cary failed to end the duel as abruptly as it seemed. She finally took a breath and allowed her arrogant grin to find her face again. "That was a close one, kid. You almost had me."
"My turn isn't over."
Jeri sneered. "What else can you possibly do?"
"Overlay." Cary stacked both Dragion (10) and the Red-Eyes (10) to summon Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Gustav Max (10: 3000|3000). The metallic sheen of dragon armor transfigured into a land-based cannon with a barrel long enough to reach from one end of the field to the other. It was clearly intended to reach any target no matter its location. To prove it, Cary sent Dragion to the graveyard to activate Gustav Max's effect. The cannon aimed straight for Jeri and paused as a breeze blew by. When all conditions were clear, the cannon fired against massive recoil. The shell exploded from the barrel like a megaton bomb and slammed into Jeri with equal force. "2000 points of direct damage," said Cary.
Cary 3500: Jeri 0
The disgust on her opponent's face couldn't be hidden. First Jeri pursed her lips, then she frowned, then she sneered. "Fucking hell."
"Language," said Dr. Dise.
"Yeah," said Cary. "After all, 'Loss is the greater teacher,' right?"
Jeri was not amused this time.
Kasumi was beaming as she approached her first dueling table. Matt intercepted her hand before she could settle in for her match against a mousey girl he barely recognized from Biology class. Kasumi's skin was smooth and smelled of lavender. The thought crossed his mind to give her a classic-style kiss on the knuckles, but he decided against it, considering the crowded space. A small part of him continued to think about Lucy. If she saw it or caught wind of it, he might shut the door on that relationship before he even figured out which is the key.
"It's good to see you this morning," he said—a nice, neutral comment.
"You, too. Are you nervous about your placement duels?"
He smirked briefly before saying. "Not at all."
"Oh, you're lucky. I hate this feeling."
"Why? Being nervous is an evolutionary boon. It keeps you alert, on edge and physically ready to respond promptly and decisively."
She giggled. "That's a new way of looking at it."
Not for science, he thought to himself. The girl sitting at the table looked formidable, or at least confident. It was fair to assume everyone at Duel Academy was highly skilled. Incredible luck wouldn't last long. He wondered how well a Red-Eyes deck would hold up within the ranks. "Would you like to make a wager on this duel?"
Pr. Radican, a big man shaped like the military officer he once was, quickly chimed in. "Antes are not required for placement exams. You do not have to accept any offers and it will not affect your results."
Matt pointed out, "Not required, but you can accept whatever propositions appeal to you." He intentionally chose words that could be construed sexually, just to garner increased attention.
It worked. Kasumi's cheeks flushed. Even Pr. Radican shifted uncomfortably. "Like what?" she asked.
"If I win my duel, you have to join me for dinner. That's all."
The redness of her cheeks grew brighter. "Alright."
Matt waited a moment to hear her counteroffer. When she said nothing, he asked, "You don't want to put forth the conditions of your victory?"
She smiled coyly. "I'll let you know when I win."
Matt liked a little bit of mystery in a girl. He caught sight of a green bandanna and turned away to let Kasumi battle her tiny demon. Meanwhile, he confronted the girl who was practically a student sailor in the US Navy. At least that was the reputation she had going for her.
Mitsuro greeted him with a nod and a handshake. "Dark Magician versus the US Navy."
Pressing his fingers to his forehead, Matt said a la Jeopardy!, "What is the fanfiction that shattered money markets and piled all the world's money into a single money bin." He paused. "Or maybe that was Spaceballs 2."
"Funny guy. You're ready then? Need more fawning time with the girls?"
"You don't seem like the type."
"I wasn't offering. My only goal right now is to be the best student, duelist, and sailor I can be. I'm not looking for a boy—not the way you're thinking, anyway."
"Ooo. Intrigue."
"Never mind. Let's get started." She ignored his follow-up commentary and asked Dr. Kerr—the Slifer headmaster and proctor for their duel—about the duel setup. Mitsuro carried a Duel Disk on her arm, but it wasn't a standard device that was mass-produced by Kaiba Corp. It was long and steel gray, with edges less beveled than usual, instead resembling the hull of a ship. The clasps that attached to her arm were like the masts and bridge of a warship.
"Is that a naval destroyer on your arm?" asked Matt. He winced at how odd his question sounded.
Dr. Kerr explained, "Because Duel Disks are less reliable equipment and these exams are vital for your placement, they are disallowed except under rare circumstances."
"I remembered the notice after I arrived," said Mitsuro. "There wasn't time to return to my room to stow it securely." Dr. Kerr agreed there was no problem with Mitsuro keeping her Duel Disk nearby while they used the more reliable duel station.
"Given the inconvenience of being forced to duel old-school," said Matt, "why don't you start us off?"
"Are you being chivalrous or just reading the duel monitor?" The screen attached to the table clearly indicated Mitsuro was selected to go first.
"Both. Either."
She shook her head at him. In a swift move, she set two face-down cards and a monster in defense mode. With a wave of her hand, she gave the turn over to Matt.
"A quiet duel? I'm not sure I can handle that." He placed E – Emergency Call on the field and said, "Why would you bring a Duel Disk to an event which the calendar event clearly marked as 'no Duel Disks'?"
"Force of habit," she said as she activated Naval Assault. Three ships appeared on the field, so tiny they could be Micro Machines, or else forced perspective intended them to be distant. Each of them unleashed two underwater torpedoes and two aerial rockets, ending in a massive explosion atop the green E. Matt's card shattered and deactivated.
Instead of asking about the effect, Matt drew his own conclusions. Mitsuro's card was unique to his eye, but that wasn't saying much. There were so many thousands of different cards out there that it wouldn't be long before there were millions. He could figure out that her card negated his by reading the card effects on the monitor, but it was safe to assume her deck was Navy-based.
He placed Skilled Dark Magician (4: 1900|1700) on the field. The card generated a holographic spell caster wearing a hooded, black cloak with shoulder guards so big that his entire body was shielded in shadow. "You're saying you run on auto-pilot in the morning? Is a heavy, clunky bangle a natural aspect of your personal fashion?" The Magician swung his rod and released a chain of lightning that struck Mitsuro's monster. Flashes of light revealed her card to be a Tankship (2: 0|1400): long and with a flat deck. Two smaller vessels fled the flaming deck and separated as two Tanker Tokens (1: 500|500).
"I just missed that part of the message," said Mitsuro. "Why is that such a big deal?"
Matt set two cards. "Because I think there was more to it than that." He nodded, indicating the turn moved to her side.
"Do tell." She sent away one of her Tokens to summon Destroyer Class – USS Guardian (6: 2400|2500). The ship was steel gray like her Duel Disk, with a towering mast and many hidden armaments ready to deployed at a moment's notice.
Matt immediately chained Eternal Soul with the goal of moving Thousand Knives to his hand. His ace monolith rose from the ground and shone with the etching of a Dark Magician.
Mitsuro activated Coastal Defense. Her ships strafed the field so that most of the weapons faced Matt as they unleashed every missile and torpedo they had in the direction of Matt's trap card. While the obsidian monolith was not destroyed, the energy coursing through it was disrupted and wouldn't activate.
Not only that, the tiny little Tanker Token (+2400) had grown to match the power of the bigger ship. What was once an escape pod now got its revenge on Skilled Dark Magician (1900) by unleashing its full force back in his direction. After Matt's defense disintegrated, USS Guardian (2400) released a full volley of rockets straight into his Life Points.
Matt 5100: Mitsuro 8000
Matt flinched from that whole exchange. He had no idea what these cards were, but the Navy wannabe seemed to know how to use them. More than flustered, he felt confused—like he might have missed something and couldn't fathom what just happened. He placed one card face-down and pretended nothing had rattled him.
"Wearing a Duel Disk is a mind game for you." His Eternal Soul monolith shone brightly and granted him Dark Magic Attack from his deck. He signaled for Mitsuro to take her turn.
"Is that right?"
"What better way is there to get into your opponent's head right from the start? You wear that, they know you're a serious duelist. Everyone here is good, but not everyone has the resources to obtain a Duel Disk in their freshman year. Not only that, yours is clearly a special edition of some kind."
Mitsuro ignored him for a moment to make her move. She played Light Assault Ship (2: 1300|1600) and added to her military might a thin-hulled ship with a flat deck loaded down by jet fighters, like an aircraft carrier. She moved her Token (500) to defense mode.
"It's a hand-me-down from my brother." She pressed a button and watched the volley of attacks from USS Guardian (2400) rain down on Matt, followed by a swarm of jet fighters scrambling from Light Assault (1300) to hit him with another barrage.
Matt 1400: Mitsuro 8000
As his monolith shone again, Matt said, "That's an expensive hand-me-down. Also not a word typically used by those of Japanese culture. I've read they prefer to see family heirlooms." He claimed Thousand Knives this time with his trap card's effect.
She waved for him to take his turn.
He tossed Elemental Hero Prisma (4: 1700|1100) onto the field. The warrior's armor shimmered and refracted light like a prismatic gemstone. As Matt revealed Dark Paladin among his fusion cards to activate Prisma's effect, he said, "No reply. So I'm guessing your brother died." Prisma's armor showed the refracted image of Dark Magician as the card went to the graveyard.
"He's not dead," said Mitsuro a bit too emphatically.
Matt nodded once. "My mistake." Her objection was too quick and ardent to be thought out. Clearly she was in denial about her brother's fate. Possibly she resisted the conclusion everyone else had come to. Maybe he was KIA and his body was never found? However slight, the chance existed that her brother really was alive somewhere. He shook it off for now and continued to play.
With Thousand Knives, the sky filled with the glint of falling blades that rained down on top of the Tanker Token, shredding it and removing it from the field. Next, Prisma built a ball of black magic in its hand, blasting Mitsuro's backfield with Dark Magic Attack and wiping out her face-down cards.
"Let's bring out the Dark Magician (7: 2500|2100)," he said, watching the energy from his Eternal Soul materialize into the spell caster with the purple robes. He waved his fingers at the field, inputting commands into the duel station at the same time. In an instant, Dark Magician (2500) blasted a heavy spell at her Destroyer Class – USS Guardian (2400) and sank the warship. Following that, Prisma (1700) flew across the field and thrust its arm through the Light Assault Ship (1300), clearing the field.
Matt 1400: Mitsuro 7500
Matt decided to give Mitsuro one more moment of silent peace before saying anything else. She set a monster in defense mode, and he promised to end the duel by using Eternal Soul to move another copy of Thousand Knives to his hand.
As he drew, he said, "Back on the topic of your Duel Disk: Why do you use it if it's unique? Don't you worry about damaging it?" While he asked, he used Prisma's effect to send a second Dark Magician (7: 2500|2100) to the graveyard, followed quickly by using Eternal Soul to bring it to the field.
"I represent the US Navy in the duel arena."
"Really?"
Mitsuro blushed. Grumbling, she clarified, "I will… when I graduate from here. This Duel Disk is a statement of that goal to me and to everyone else." She fell silent for a moment while Matt traded Prisma for Dark Magician Girl (6: 2000|1700), but she couldn't help muttering, "I won't put it down until my brother is here again to pick it back up."
"I see." Thousand Knives rained down on Mitsuro's defense monster, leaving her field wide open for an attack by each of his three magicians. The field rocked with each explosion of dark magic, but the duel was not over.
Matt 1400: Misturo 500
She stared at her deck for a moment before finally drawing her card. Actually, it would be more accurate to say she looked through her deck. Matt had not intended to play mind games with her during this duel. It was a sincere line of questioning that had gone slightly off the rails. But hang on. Mitsuro wasn't that weak. He hadn't gotten into her head exactly: She finally stopped to consider how she was approaching the duel. Maybe it was the first time she verbalized her goal to another person.
When Mitsuro finally grabbed her next card, she put her hand down in front of her and triggered the five buttons that surrounded the deck. By pressing all of them at once, she signaled to the internal system that she was forfeiting the remainder of the duel. Most likely she had not drawn a card that could dig her out of the hole where she faced three Dark Magicians. Matt accepted her surrender and shook her hand.
"Dreams are good," he said, "but don't let reality get dragged underfoot."
She said nothing as she grabbed her cards and Duel Disk and walked away. Matt remarked to Dr. Kerr, "I made a lifelong friend right there."
Dr. Kerr stared blankly for a second and, maintaining her professionalism, did not make the sarcastic comment that came to her mind. All she said was, "Okay."
Matt appreciated her conflicted position and gave her an out by excusing himself. Kasumi's duel was wrapping up as well. She had a long expression on her face, implying she did not achieve the outcome she had hoped for. Matt figured that gave him the edge on their bet since he won and she didn't.
"When do you want to get dinner?"
Blushing, Kasumi looked at the clock. It was only nine-fifteen. "It's really early," she said.
Matt started to say, "That's not what I asked," but he was interrupted.
She finished the sentence with "and I need to review my deck, maybe swap out some cards from my side deck."
"Side deck?" he repeated.
She nodded. "The fifteen extra cards we're allowed to use between rounds to adjust our decks. You didn't bring one?"
"No. If my deck isn't ready already, I wouldn't know how to change it."
Kasumi smiled. "I wish I had your confidence. Good luck with your next duel." She patted him on the arm, a move that felt decidedly un-flirty from Matt's perspective. He gave a return nod and watched her skirt flick while she walked away. At least that part was fun.
From another table nearby, one of the Ra guys Matt knew from Biology leaned back in his seat and laughed. "Looks like she shot you down, Valentino," said Joel.
He rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Shut up, Jerry Clower."
"Who?"
Matt growled in frustration as he turned away. He hated it when other people didn't get his references. Like anyone under the age of 200 knew who Rudolph Valentino was, anyway. Maybe Bryan had something interesting going on in the other room.
Bryan was pleasantly surprised to find his first opponent was Fats. It was nice to see a familiar face with a body wearing the same color jacket he did, even if it was a size bigger and on a shorter guy. Fats had a smile on his face and a Cheeto on his lips, his fingers dusted orange every time he reached into the bag for more.
"Good to see you, Tamah," he said aloud. He opted for a pat on the shoulder to avoid the awkward moment of being unwilling to shake his sunshine-flavored hand. "Which room are we supposed to be in? This one looks full." Indeed, all three duel tables were occupied by a duel-in-progress.
Dr. Arbus approached, wearing his black jacket open at the top to reveal his white tuxedo shirt and black bowtie underneath. It's like he had to abide by the school uniform but wanted to go to the prom right after. "My apologies, gentlemen," he said, "but we are behind schedule. Some of the duels are running longer than anticipated."
"That's cool. Do we just wait?" asked Fats.
"No, I was asked to ensure everyone continues to duel at their scheduled appointment as much as possible. Neither of you has a Duel Disk?" Both boys shook their heads. He motioned them toward a regular lecture hall desk. "It will not meet the standard level of technology here but it is sufficient for the completion of a duel."
Bryan and Fats each dragged a chair to opposite sides of the desk. It felt so tiny compared with the regular duel stations. Bryan could see every pore on Fats' face. "Cozy," he remarked.
"Could be worse," said Fats, producing his deck. "Are you our proctor?"
Dr. Arbus nodded. "You may shuffle each other's decks; however, if you do not feel comfortable with that, I will shuffle for you."
Each duelist made a face, half-shrugged, and shook their heads, overall implying they foresaw no issue with trading decks to shuffle and start the game. As they placed cards along the imaginary field that occupied the entire space of the deck, Bryan held out his fist.
"Rock-Paper-Scissors?"
"Sure."
"On three, or three then go?"
"Always on three. It's faster that way."
On the count of three, Bryan threw scissors and watched Fats throw paper. Bryan laughed and claimed the first turn. "Aw, man. I thought you'd be one of those tough guys who always starts with rock," said Fats.
"That's what everybody thinks. I'm starting to feel typecast." He looked disappointed for a fleeting moment. "Oh well. I summon Elemental Hero Blazeman (4: 1200|1800)." He looked at the card, which although shiny, did not come to life on the desktop. "I already miss the holograms." He looked to Dr. Arbus. "What if a table becomes available?"
"We can see about moving to it as long as another duel is not yet scheduled."
"Cool. Anyway, Blazeman's ability lets me pull Polymerization to my hand." He searched his deck for the card, placed it in his hand, and then offered his deck back to Fats to shuffle.
"It's cool. You can shuffle it."
Surprised by how much faith Fats had in him, Bryan shuffled his own deck to make sure everything was not necessarily in the same order as when he saw all the cards just then. Finally, he placed his deck back in position. "I'll play Polymerization now to fuse Prisma and Blazeman into Elemental Hero Nova Master (8: 2600|2100)." Again, his shiny and fiery monster failed to illuminate the desk. "I guess that ends my turn."
Fats looked through his cards. "I'll play Upstart Goblin first. This card lets me draw another card, plus it gives you 1000 Life Points."
"I know what it does."
"Oh, sorry. Shane warned me you didn't know much about this game and said I might have to walk you through some of the card effects."
Bryan growled and shook his fist. That Ra Yellow guy didn't settle for stomping Bryan in their duel: He also had to be a dick about it. "I assure you he's just over-boasting about his win against me. If I have a question about your card, I'll ask, but I'm fairly knowledgeable here."
"Okay, cool. I'm just going to set a monster in defense mode and one other card face-down. That ends my turn."
Bryan 9000: Fats 8000
"Great," said Bryan. "Because I'm going to play Miracle Fusion. This fuses Blazeman and Prisma once again, but this time by banishing them from my graveyard, and this time to summon Elemental Hero The Shining (8: 2600|2100)." Now he had a shiny, white card that didn't glow or come to life. "Keep in mind this guy gains 300 attack points for each of my banished Heroes. Still, I'll start my battle phase by attacking your monster with Nova Master (2600)."
Less than dramatic, Bryan pointed from his card to Fats' card. Fats flipped it over to reveal Naturia Cliff (4: 1500|1000). "When this card goes to the graveyard, I can summon another Naturia monster from my deck." Now it was Fats' turn to search his deck for a monster card. He placed a second copy of Naturia Cliff (4: 1500|1000); owing to Cliff's summoning effect, the second monster was in attack mode.
Like Bryan did before, Fats offered his deck back to Bryan for reshuffling. Bryan's first instinct was to grab it and shuffle just in case Fats was setting him up, but he decided to have faith in his suitemate. After all, Fats believed in him before.
Or did Fats just not care because he had already stacked the deck to win no matter what Bryan tried?
No! Better to have faith in people than to assume everyone secretly wanted to cheat.
Bryan tapped the deck. "You shuffle it."
His act of generosity seemed to roll right off Fats. His reply was simply to shrug and say, "Okay." Maybe Bryan had hoped for a smile or some form of gratitude, but the duel rolled on without it.
"When Nova Master destroys a monster, I draw a card." Bryan lifted his next card and smirked. Mystical Space Typhoon was useful, maybe even on the face-down card Fats already set. Then again, he didn't activate it the first time, so maybe there was no real risk in another attack. The question was how high the risk was in activating Cliff's effect a second time. He only considered it for a second before deciding to attack with The Shining (+3200). Cliff's effect was easy to use—it only needed to leave the field. Better to force the activation and deal some damage along the way. "That's, uh… 1700 points of damage to you."
Bryan 9000: Fats 6300
"Yep. And I get to summon my third Naturia Cliff (4: 1500|1000) from my deck." He searched for the card and placed it down. Once again, Bryan decided to let Fats shuffle his own cards.
Now seemed like the right time to go after that face-down card. "Since I have no more attacks, I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face-down card."
"I'll chain that card's activation," said Fats as he flipped his card. It was Call of the Haunted, a rare card that had been around long enough to be reprinted and made significantly less rare than its initial printing. "I summon Cliff (1500) back from the graveyard."
Bryan was bemused by the play. "But my spell destroys your card. And destroying Call means your monster… goes back to the graveyard. So you get another Naturia monster."
"Exactly. I summon Naturia Cherries (1: 200|200)." Bryan hadn't seen that card before. Each of the cherries had a cute face, but the poor things were like Siamese twins, conjoined at the stem. He took a moment to read the card effect and realized that destroying it would summon two more. Fats had a thing for flooding his field with monsters.
"Well, I guess my turn is done," said Bryan.
"Okay. Sorry about this."
Narrowing his eyes, Bryan asked, "Sorry about what?"
"I summon Naturia Mosquito (1: 200|300). Do you know that one?"
Bryan peered at the colorful image on the card, completely oblivious. "Not to support Shane Pricer in any way, but let's pretend I don't."
"Don't worry about it. As long as this monster is on the field, all my battle damage goes to you instead. Well, not all battle damage, but damage involving Naturia monsters, which is all the monsters in my deck. Make sense?"
"Yes," said Bryan, regretting the fact that The Shining (+3200) was still the strongest monster on the desk.
"I'll also play United We Stand and equip it to The Shining." Fats placed a card that was just like Call of the Haunted in its rarity being reduced by reprinting, but he held an original edition in his hand. He may have received it from his grandmother.
Bryan did some mental math. "Okay, so your monster has…"
"No, I equipped it to your monster. I want The Shining to be 1600 points stronger when I attack."
At first Bryan was confused, but then he figured it out. "Ah, okay. United We Stand increases his points by 800 per monster, and if you suicide your cards, Naturia Moquito means I'll take the damage instead. That's clever."
Dr. Arbus stepped closer. "Pardon, gentlemen. The Shining gains 2400 points. The card Mr. Fatu played bases the increase on the number of monsters he controls. The effect of the equip card does not follow its equipped monster."
Fats said, "Oh, yeah. Yeah, so I'll have Cliff (1500) attack The Shining (+5600)." He moved his card across the desk toward the target monster and then shifted it to the graveyard because of its near infantile comparative strength. "You take 4100 points of damage for that, plus I get to summon another Naturia Cherries (1: 200|200)."
Bryan 3900: Fats 6300
"I still have three monsters, so your power boost is still 2400. And now Cherries (200) will attack The Shining (5600)." He stopped to think for a second. "I guess that ends the duel. Is that right, Dr. Arbus?"
As if he had to ask, Bryan thought.
Bryan 0: Fats 6300
Fats offered a handshake. "Sorry to hit you so hard. I wasn't expecting it to be a one-turn kind of thing."
Putting on the biggest grin he could muster, Bryan said, "Don't worry about it. You played a kick-ass duel. How could I expect to compete with the grandson of a world champion?"
On that note: How could he expect to compete with anyone at all?
I really didn't want to have the placement exams last so long, but I was eager to show the changes among my three big characters between each of the rounds and use all their duels to facilitate future development. Seeing as this chapter alone came just shy of 10k words, placements will likely last for three chapters. I'll cycle different characters through as logic allows but the story will gain speed after the exams.
Thanks go to all readers who contributed OCs, including Titanic X for Mitsuro and VStriker for Tamah/Fats. I didn't name her, but Kasumi's first opponent was contributed by Amourenvie - but more on her later. I will continue accepting new OCs for the foreseeable future, for those interested.