Ten minutes later.
Inside the top-tier Senior Instructor's Office in Duel Academy's main building.
The spacious, luxurious room was laid with thick wool carpeting, surrounded by sculptures and oil paintings steeped in Renaissance style, while the scent of expensive black tea incense filled the air.
"Knock, knock, knock."
"Come in, na no ne!"
The door swung open, and Yūki stepped inside.
Behind the desk, Professor Crowler, dressed in an extravagant dark blue-purple robe and sporting his signature large golden curls, held a bone china teacup.
The instant his gaze landed on Yūki, Crowler's heavily shadowed eyes lit up, and he sprang from his fine leather swivel chair as though electrocuted!
"Mamma mia-!"
Crowler tossed his curls theatrically, cupped his cheeks in both hands, and circled Yūki twice with strange, mincing steps, his eyes brimming with undisguised admiration and satisfaction.
"Perfect! Simply perfect, na no ne!"
With a delicately poised, white-gloved finger, Crowler lightly tapped the solid gold academy badge on Yūki's chest and sighed in rapture.
"That upright bearing, that noble shade of deep blue! This is the finest elite style our Obelisk Blue should embody!"
"I always thought it strange before. You clearly have the handsome face of someone from the elite, yet you wore that bright yellow Ra Uniform every day. No wonder it looked so awkward and jarring!"
Yūki tugged at his brand-new, well-fitted Blue Dormitory uniform and regarded the exuberant professor with the hint of a smile.
"It seems your fixation on the Blue Dormitory's aesthetics really does run deep, Professor."
"Of course, na no ne!"
Crowler walked back behind his desk, planted both hands on its surface, and solemnly cleared his throat.
"First, on behalf of the academy's senior administration, I formally congratulate you on your promotion to Obelisk Blue!"
"In less than half a