3rd POV:
Every year, 1 month after the beginning of a new school year, Heartland academy will hold a festival for everyone at the school. But it main purpose is to arrange a tournament between the new students.
The tournament help Mr.Heartland found the students with great potential to focus on cultivate them. Since the academy is open for every citizens of Heartland city, this is the fastest way to identify those great duelist.
As for other students who doesn't want to become a duelist, they merely treat it as an entertainment show. Some investor from the organization outside the academy also took this chance to identify the potential duelist for their company.
Scattered throughout the grounds of Heartland Academy were a handful of small stalls selling snacks, drinks, and souvenirs. The campus buzzed with energy as students wandered between the buildings, accompanied by their parents. Laughter, conversation, and the occasional call of a vendor filled the air, giving the academy a lively and festive atmosphere.
Of course, it is also lead to some unavoidable chaos of some friends group. Like now, a blue hair boy was chasing after his friends through the stalls.
"Nistro! Yuma! Both of you get back here!" Reginald roar angrily as the two shameless boys before him steal the two ice cream cones he bought for him and his sister.
"Tch! When did he run so fast!? Let's separate Yuma, you turn left." Nistro say while taking a huge bite of ice cream.
"Mhm!" Yuma mumble some unknown words as he shove the entire ice cream cone into his mouth.
Behind them Ryuji was also buying ice cream, beside him stand Dextra, Tori and Rio. "Those three idiot causing chaos again... Five ice cream please. Oh wait a minute, you two want a ice cream?" Ryuji ask as he turn around to look at the pair of brother behind him.
"... Hart, did you want to eat ice cream?" The older brother ask the young brother gently.
"I will eat if big brother also eat with me." The young boy answer politely with his innocent tone.
The big brother turn towards Ryuji. "I will take 2, both vanilla please."
"Alright, we'll take 7. 5 vanilla and 2 chocolate." Ryuji say.
Tori turn her head curiously. "Hmm? Doesn't we only have 6 person here? Why are you order 7?"
Ryuji look at her for moment before answer nonchalant. "Because I want to eat 2 ice cream cones."
No more line was exchange between them after that, Tori now want to dig a hole with her toes. 'That was too awkward, why did I even asking!?'
Luckily, their order soon arrived and safe the awkward atmosphere. They quickly took their order, the girls group took each other arms and moving forward, Dextra try to resist since she wants to go with Ryuji instead.
Tori and Rio see right through her, each of them take one of her arm and forcefully drag her along. No matter how much she resist, she can't escape. 'Tch! Since when did these two get so strong?'
Tori/Rio: 'Hmph! Don't underestimate the power of loli girls!'
Dextra: 'Right now I'm also a loli!'
Ryuji follow behind them, he hold a 1 vanilla and 1 chocolate flavor ice cream in his hand. He take a bite on his vanilla ice cream while moving the chocolate ice cream to his side as if he was hand it over to someone.
Then, the ice cream suddenly disappear. Luckily, no one was paying attention to him, no one but Tenjo brothers. From their perspective, they can see a white hair little girl stand beside Ryuji, but none of them are surprised.
They've meet her many time before when Ryuji go to Number Hunter base, they don't when or where did he get her, but that none of their business.
Ryuji also know that they see her, but he doesn't care much, he doesn't plan to hide her anyway, those who has the ability to see duel spirit can see her easily. He silently talk to the girl through telepathy. 'Ruin, is the ice cream delicious?'
'As long as it's what master give me, it's delicious.' Ruin answer back cutely.
Ryuji pat her head affectionly. He's very satisfied with this duel spirit of his. She's the duel spirit create by Demise after he has provided him with duel energy for 2 years.
He has been practicing in various tournament for 2 years just to collect enough duel energy to create Ruin. It take so long because Ryuji need a lot of duel energy to do other things like feeding his spirits.
He has 6 spirits before, 4 Evolzars, Demise and Number 41. Over 4 years, he now has Ruin and two other Number monsters he caught during his mission as Number Hunter. Back then, he was really lacking duel energy and have no other choice except by practicing in the tournaments. (And sometimes go bullied other Number Hunters)
Even now he still need it. Ruin is still in her loli form, even younger than herself when she is Angel of Oblivion. To let her evol as soon as possible, he need to provide her with a lot of duel energy. And he also want to evol Demise into his Supreme King of Armageddon form, he even hear that Demise was gonna has a new form but until the day he died, it was still not release.
So, yeah. In a sense, he's broke. 'Is this some kind of protagonist curse? Either you're rich af or always broke. Although rich but in reality, I'm still broke.' Ryuji keep walking as his brain keep asking questions and answers by itself.
Soon, the group arrived at the center area of the academy, the area was wide with 4 different duel fields. Not far away, a teacher was sitting there with a laptop on his lap. Before him, a line of students were standing there orderly.
Ryuji see Nistro stand inside the line. "This must be where we registered. Dextra, Kaito, let's go." Ryuji said as he quicken his steps.
As for the reason he call for Kaito, it's because Dr.Faker has decided to enroll him into Heartland academy as well. How can he enroll in the academy if he's 1 year younger? Don't forget who is the principle of the academy.
As for the reason why, Ryuji doesn't know. Maybe it's because he feel guilty and wants Kaito to has a good time during his childhood or some other reasons. Either way, Ryuji doesn't care, as long as it doesn't affecting his life.
The tournament have totally 96 students participate and were separated into 4 group: red, blue, yellow and green. Coincidentally, or not, Ryuji, Dextra, Nistro and Kaito were divide into different groups. Ryuji in red, Kaito in blue, Nistro in yellow and Dextra in green.
Wether this is Mr.Heartland idea or not, he doesn't care much. But it really funny seeing the face of the students in red, yellow and green groups lost the hope of winning the moment they see the name of Ryuji, Dextra and Nistro on the board.
As mentioned before, during the time skip, Ryuji has participate in many tournament leading to his reputation skyrocket among his peers. Following his step, Dextra and Nistro also participate in some tournament but they has never choose the same one.
Now only the blue group students have hope to make it to top 4. Of course, it was only because they don't know that there's a monster on par with the three inside the group, waiting to crush their hope.
But aside from fear, there's also a lot of students looking at the three of them with admiral, it can be said that 70% of the students here is the fan of one of them. Most of them are Ryuji fan, thank for a certain person YouTube channel that upload every single duel of his in the tournaments.
Only Ryuji received such treatment from her, as for Dextra and Nistro, they can only have some of their duel upload in her second channel. 'Oh wait, now thinking about those YouTube channels, where's Kari? She should have arrived by now.'
He take out his phone and send her a message.
At the same time he send the message, inside academy Card Research Club, build for the students who want to become the card researchers.
It's the place with the most advanced equipment in the entire academy. Right now, there's a girl with magenta hair color sitting inside, on the table before lay countless tools and spare part. The most noticable thing on the table is a magenta PTZ camera.
Then, the door of the room is open, and a group of girls go inside. Each of them can be recognized as a rare beauty, only a little inferior to Kari herself.
"Hey, Kari! Have you done prepare your camera? If you are not faster, then your boyfriend will get steal away you know?"
The one who speaks up is one of Kari's friends since she was still study at the elementary school and naturally know of Kari crush on Ryuji. In fact, almost everyone on the group knows about it since Kari always take a chance to show them the video of Ryuji's duel she recorded.
You can also say that Kari's friend group is Ryuji's fan group. Most of the group came from Kari old school, and they know about Ryuji and have good impression on him. Seeing him shine brightly in every tournament he participates in just deepen their admiral.
As for those from different schools and only be friends Kari after joining the club. Let's just say they successfully got corrupted after an entire year of Karo hard work.
Just as Kari was about to answer, the sound of her phone caught her attention. She quickly checks her phone and she the message from Ryuji.
Her friend gets closer and see the message. Some click their tongue out of envy. Kari don't mind their actions, in fact, the more jealous they get, the happier and prouder she is.
No matter how much the girls displeased, they can't do anything. They lose to Kari in every aspect, from appearance to talent. She's the genius that get invited by a leader of a professional card researcher group to be his students since she was 9.
Not long after, she successfully creates new cards from the Time Thief archetype, although the archetype itself is not famous, it's the first step for her being the professional card researcher in the future.
Only Kari herself knows everything she achieve today is all thank to Ryuji. Even the cards of Time Thief archetype are provided by him. Although she doesn't have top tier talent in any aspect, but she's ultimately a jack of all trades.
She's not as good as others when research an archetype with a single type. But when it comes to an archetype with multiple type, she's top tier. The example is the current project of her club, the archetype called 'Evilswarm'. This is an order directly from Mr.Heartland, if they do good then their future will be brightly.
Although Kari doesn't have to worry about her future anymore since she has already become a student of a professional card researcher, but she feels genuinely interested in the archetype itself, as if it was made just for her, and also because she wants to help her friends.
If she has known that the card researcher group she joined work for Ryuji, or the order Mr.Heartland give them is because Ryuji ask him to, she will throw her life away and bury herself in the work to complete the archetype at all costs.
"Alright, let's go!" Kari excitedly led her group towards the academy's ground. In her mind only has the image of Ryuji, not until she meets him did she finally remember that her brother also came today.
But just as the group walk out of the room, at the end of hallway, they see a lone figure walking slowly towards them. As the person get closer, they can see her short half black half white hair. Her long legs covered in black stockings, combine with her black skirt and white shirt making she look more captivated. She's the perfect example of what people call goth girl.
Her yellow eyes sweep through them making the girls except for Kari shiver. One of them can't help but complain. "Why is she here? Doesn't she already graduate last year?"
"If not for Ryuji asking me to find you, I won't bother to came. The tournament is about to start, if you don't come quickly then he and Yuma will get worried." The girl says calmly while looking at them.
"As expected of Ryuji, he cares for me so much! By the way, I don't know you like to wear stockings, who are you trying to seduce you damn succubus?" Kari voice is full of irritated; she knows that Ryuji is the kind of person who get captivating by high stockings.
"You can think of it as benefits for my little brother, or perhaps little boyfriend is more suitable."
"Stop dreaming, Riko. He's not your boyfriend." Kari shout at her angrily.
Riko look down on her from above, she merely smiles a little before turning away. The group glare at her dissatisfied but still follow. Only Kari has courage to shouting at her face. After all, the person before them is the strongest duelist in their school before her graduation. There's even a rumor of her being backing by Mr.Heartland himself.
But to those who know her, she's known by a single title. The secret identity she makes after joining the academy.
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For those who don't know, Kari Tsukumo in Tag Force series using Evilswarm archetype in her deck. She even has Chaos engine and Dark Armed Dragon in her deck. (From both Tag Force and World Duel Carnival)