Morning sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of the Obelisk Blue dorm villa, scattering pale golden patches across the carpet.
Phila sat at the edge of her bed, absentmindedly rubbing her sore calves. Even though she had slept soundly last night, her body felt as if she had sprinted across a desert for dozens of kilometers. Even her knees ached.
She shook her groggy head and got up to wash.
After changing into her deep blue pleated school uniform and neatly placing her Deck into the black leather card case at her waist, Niobe–who had been tinkering with some parts in the living room using a wrench–stopped what she was doing.
Niobe pushed her retro goggles up onto her forehead.
"It feels like, Phila… you're a bit different from yesterday."
"Am I?"
Phila turned around. Instead of lowering her head immediately as she usually would when being stared at, she met Niobe's gaze and gave a faint but clear smile. She opened the card case at her waist and drew out a Trap Card–Vampire Awakening.
"Maybe it's because, with my companions' help, I've figured out a lot of things."
"Companions?" Niobe tilted her head, her grease-smudged face full of confusion.
"Yes, my cards."
Phila carefully placed the card back into the depths of the case. In her heart, she added another name-
And Mr. Spirit.
"Oh, I see. That's pretty nice then."
Niobe casually grabbed the red-and-black plaid shirt tied around her waist to wipe her hands, then tossed the wrench into the holster at her thigh.
"Alright, let's go. There's still the joint academy Duel fundamentals class this morning. Well, it'll probably just be the usual boring stuff everyone already knows; it's the first class, after all."
Phila adjusted her collar and followed after Niobe.
"All academies together?"
"Not sure." Niobe yawned as she walked. "There used to be big foundation classes like this, but according to the school forums, each academy always had its own classes, never interfering with each other."
She scratched her messy hair, a mix of gunmetal gray and fluorescent orange.
"Apparently it was a rule changed by the new Kaiba president, Sanako Kaiba. Said it was to prevent unhealthy competition between the academies. Kind of strange, though. The previous Kaiba presidents never cared about that stuff. They actually encouraged survival-of-the-fittest between academies."
Phila blinked.
"It sounds like Chairman Kaiba is a very kind person."
Niobe, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped. She turned back and looked at Phila's unguarded face, letting out a long sigh.
"Phila, being that innocent is kind of against the rules, you know. Do you know what people like us, who crawled out from the mud of the Satellite area, see?"
"Hmm?"
"Back then, the Kaiba presidents didn't care how the geniuses fought, because they had absolute power to keep everything in check. Duel Academy could do whatever it wanted; even blow off the roof. But now…"
Niobe didn't finish her sentence. She lowered her voice, her gaze sweeping across the luxurious Blue dorm buildings around them.
"When there are more rules, it usually means the one making them doesn't have the strength to flip the table anymore."
Phila nodded thoughtfully, her hand unconsciously resting on the card case at her waist.
Half an hour later, the two pushed open the double oak doors of a large public lecture hall located in the center of the main academic building.
Inside, a lecture hall that could hold hundreds of people was so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.
This silence was not born of academic reverence.
The moment Phila stepped halfway into the room, her breathing involuntarily stalled.
The air was filled with an almost tangible smell of gunpowder.
There were no name markers on the wide, tiered seating, yet invisible boundaries divided the space.
In the highest row's corner, several students flipping through ancient tomes were surrounded by a heavy, unapproachable atmosphere.
At the very front, a few students wearing riding gloves polished the edges of their Duel Disks, their gazes sharp.
No one spoke loudly. Yet each group of students clustered together, leaving large empty aisles between them, as if even the air of other academies was something to be avoided.
Soon, the crisp ringing of the class bell broke the suffocating silence.
The heavy oak door opened, and a teacher walked in.
He had fluffy flaxen-brown hair and wore a well-fitted gray suit with a black turtleneck; quite different from the tense atmosphere of the classroom, he seemed to carry a gentle aura that soothed the mind.
Even the faint breeze that followed him to the podium carried a subtle hint of tea fragrance.
"Good morning, everyone."
He pressed a few buttons on the control panel in front of the blackboard, and the holographic screen behind him lit up. Facing the freshmen below–divided, each with sharp, blade-like gazes–he revealed a warm, highly infectious smile.
"It seems you're still a bit unfamiliar with each other. No need to be nervous. In my class, I hope we can have a pleasant atmosphere."
He skillfully wrote a few words on the tablet on the podium, which were immediately projected onto the holographic screen.
"My name is Aki. You can just call me Teacher Aki." Aki clapped his hands lightly, drawing everyone's attention. "Although this is the first major class for freshmen, judging from your expressions, it seems none of you are interested in boring development history. So today, we'll get straight to the point–we'll be talking about hand traps."
As soon as he finished speaking, the classroom atmosphere, which had relaxed slightly due to his gentle demeanor, tightened again.
Niobe, who had been leaning lazily against her chair, immediately sat upright when she heard those words. She had thought this kind of basic class would cover rules and monster attributes, but didn't expect such a crucial core tactical topic right from the start.
"Hand traps refer to cards that can be activated from the hand to interrupt or interfere with the opponent's actions."
Aki brought up several card projections on the screen and pointed at one of them. "They are usually used during the opponent's turn to disrupt their plays or key effects. In this era, if you want to become an excellent Duelist, choosing the right hand traps is essential."
Raku looked at Aki speaking confidently at the podium.
This guy… not bad.
Skipping all the flashy nonsense and teaching you how to win directly… This Duel Academy actually has some substance.
"However, choosing hand traps also depends on your Deck's compatibility." Aki's voice remained calm as it echoed through the large classroom. "Unless your Destiny Power has reached an extremely high level, allowing you to draw whatever you want, generally speaking, hand traps also choose their owners."
The projected cards on the screen began to change.
"If you're an Insect Duelist, you can choose hand traps like Maxx 'C'." Aki smiled toward the left side of the room. "For Zombie Duelists, you can prioritize Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring; it can precisely cut off your opponent's access to Deck resources. As for Rock-types…"
He drew a burning meteor on the screen.
"That would be Nibiru, the Primal Being."
A rustling sound of note-taking spread through the room. Even those proud students were drawn in by this practical knowledge.
…
Aki glanced at the time and began packing up the materials on the podium.
"Alright, that's about it for today's lesson. One more thing…"
He paused, his smile fading slightly as he adopted a more serious expression.
"Our academy has many card shops. After class, you can buy packs or purchase singles. However, due to some recent events in Star City, a lot of questionable items have been circulating. I don't recommend buying cards from unknown sources, especially so-called black market cards."
Aki placed both hands on the podium, his gaze sweeping across the front row.
"Even for properly sourced cards, you need to pay attention to compatibility. Forcing a card that doesn't recognize you into your Deck may backfire at a critical moment."
"In short, I don't recommend buying complete decks outright. Going to a card shop and pulling packs with your own hands is the first step in forming a connection with your Duel Spirits."
At that moment, the bell rang.
Aki once again revealed that refreshing, gentle smile and picked up his tablet.
"That concludes the class. I hope you all have a pleasant first day at the academy."
With that, he turned and walked out of the classroom.
...
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