Inside the Dueling Field, Jaden leaned over the railing of the waiting area, craning his neck as his gaze darted between the entrances.
"Yūki, who did the academy arrange for us to face?"
"They're keeping this way too quiet. The announcement only said 'Punishment Executors.' They didn't even give a name. Why all the mystery?"
Yūki sorted through his Deck Box without looking up.
"Our opponent has to enter eventually. It's not like he can hide inside a Duel Disk."
"But if we knew who it was ahead of time, we could discuss tactics."
Jaden seemed especially excited.
"Worry about your own enrollment first."
Asuka walked over to Yūki and secured her Duel Disk to her wrist.
"There are three matches today. We have to win all of them for all five of us to stay. If anything goes wrong in any match, the losing team has to leave the academy."
Jaden patted the red uniform over his chest.
"Don't worry, Asuka! Syrus and I already talked it over. When it's our turn, we'll go all out with HEROs and roids."
As he spoke, he turned to Syrus, who stood behind him.
"Right, Syrus?"
Syrus had both hands in his pockets and wasn't looking at the field at all.
"It doesn't matter who our opponents are."
He looked toward one side of the stands through his glasses.
"We just have to win."
Jaden followed his gaze.
Beside a passage high above, a young man in an Obelisk Blue uniform stood at the railing.
His short blue hair was neatly slicked back, his posture straight, and his arms folded across his chest.
Several seats around him remained empty. Students who recognized him as they passed instinctively softened their footsteps.
Zane Truesdale.
One of Duel Academy's top third-year duelists, and Syrus Truesdale's