In the stands, Tachibana Shingo turned his face away.
Sure enough.
He had known it.
When Yūki played one monster and three set cards, it was never as simple as just defending.
It was only the first turn, and the examiner's Life Points had already dropped to 2800, while his main monster was locked to a wheel, unable to move.
The examiner put away the easygoing attitude he had worn while instructing a student.
If he lost to a student taking the practical exam, his colleagues in the faculty office would probably laugh at him for an entire semester once he returned to the academy.
"I end my turn."
With that, he moved his fingers away from the edge of his Duel Disk.
Yūki took his turn.
"My turn. Draw!"
The card slid into his palm.
Rather than looking at it immediately, he first pointed at the steel wheel on the field.
"During the Standby Phase, Torture Wheel's effect activates."
The wheel began to turn.
The chains pulled Axe Raider almost off the ground. The spikes lining the wheel glowed scarlet, turning into tiny beams of light that traveled along the chains toward the examiner.
[Examiner LP: 2800 → 2300]
The waiting area fell silent for a few seconds.
Not even three turns had passed.
The examiner's Life Points had already been driven down to 2300.
He really was not far from lethal range.
More and more examinees nearby began noticing Duel Arena 2.
Some had been about to head to other areas, but even their steps slowed when they heard the notification of the Life Points change.
In the stands, Alexis Rhodes also turned her gaze toward them.
She saw the Spirit of the Harp on Yūki's field, Torture Wheel, and the change in Life Points on the field.
"He uses a defensive monster to stall combat, turns high-ATK monsters into a liability, then uses burn cards to whittle down Life Points."
Asuka watched the field.
"His approach to deck building is pretty interesting."
Zane Truesdale kept both hands in his pockets.
"His deck just happens to counter his opponent's."
"Besides, the duel has only just begun."
As he spoke, he added another remark.
"If he relies on traps and effect damage to win, he might not have such an easy time against a deck that can really build its board quickly."
Zane Truesdale's dueling philosophy was straightforward.
Higher ATK, stronger monsters, faster attacks.
Seize victory with his own hands.
To him, Yūki's approach of setting monsters, filling his back row, and waiting for the opponent to run into it felt somewhat unsatisfying.
Asuka, however, did not immediately agree.
"Being able to disrupt your opponent's attack tempo is a kind of skill, too."
She watched Yūki.
"And he probably still has other options in his hand."
Zane Truesdale did not respond.
He simply continued observing.
"I activate the Spell Card, Wave-Motion Cannon."
Yūki inserted a card into his Spell & Trap Zone.
An enormous metal cannon rose in his back row.
Its barrel consisted of rings of silver-gray metal, its muzzle aimed straight at the examiner. A blue energy sphere rotated slowly inside.
[Wave-Motion Cannon]
Yūki did not explain its effect.
The examiner's gaze, however, lingered on that card.
Wave-Motion Cannon.
He seemed to have seen that card's name somewhere before.
Academy teachers needed to know a large number of basic cards and popular strategies, but the card pool was enormous, and obscure cards were beyond counting.
He quickly searched his memory.
A Continuous Spell?
An ATK boost?
For the moment, the examiner could not remember.
Yet Yūki showed no intention of explaining it at all.
In duels in the GX World, proactively revealing a card's effects was not mandatory.
Whether an opponent recognized it depended on that duelist's own knowledge.
The examiner stared at the cannon, growing more wary.
Yūki set another Monster Card.
"I set another monster."
"Turn end."
The field now looked like this.
Yūki's front row held Spirit of the Harp and a newly set monster, while his back row held Wave-Motion Cannon and Torture Wheel.
The examiner's Axe Raider was locked down by the wheel, with another set card lying behind it.
It was the examiner's turn.
"My turn. Draw!"
He drew a card, and a little confidence finally returned to his eyes.
"I Normal Summon The Stern Mystic!"
The card slid into the Monster Zone.
A beam of white light descended, and a humanoid puppet walked out of it.
It wore simple purple ceremonial robes and an expressionless metal mask, holding a short staff in both hands.
[The Stern Mystic, ATK 1600]
"Sixteen hundred ATK."
The examiner pointed at Spirit of the Harp.
"Enough to deal with that monster of yours with battle resistance."
"I enter the Battle Phase."
The Stern Mystic raised its short staff.
"The Stern Mystic, attack Spirit of the Harp!"
White light blasted from the tip of the staff.
The Elf Swordsman raised his sword to block, and silver light shone across his armor once more.
This time, however, what came at him was not a high-ATK monster with nineteen hundred or more ATK.
The Stern Mystic had only sixteen hundred ATK.
The white light knocked the greatsword away.
The Elf Swordsman sank to one knee, his projection scattering into silver fragments.
The examiner finally regained a little momentum.
"End of the Battle Phase."
He glanced at his hand.
"I activate the Spell Card, Double Summon."
A double halo spread out behind him.
"This turn, I can perform one more Normal Summon."
The examiner placed his hand over Axe Raider, which was bound to the wheel.
"I offer Axe Raider on my field as a Tribute to perform a Tribute Summon!"
The chains pulled taut.
Axe Raider looked up at the examiner, then turned into a golden beam and flew into the Duel Disk.
With its target gone, Torture Wheel let out a piercing grinding sound.
The steel hub cracked, and the chains snapped inch by inch before exploding into motes of light along with the card itself.
"Appear, Curse of Dragon!"
The light above the field dimmed.
Blackish-purple mist spread from beneath the examiner's feet, and a huge dragon thrust its head out of the fog.
Golden scales covered its body, while the bones of its neck and wings lay exposed. Its wings resembled corroded, tattered cloth.
Scarlet slit pupils lit up in the smoke, and when its jaws opened, they revealed tightly packed, curved fangs.
[Curse of Dragon, ATK 2000]
The dragon spread its wings, its shadow covering almost half the dueling platform.
Sounds of admiration rose from the waiting area.
"He used Double Summon for an extra Normal Summon, then used the locked-down monster for a Tribute Summon."
"A beautiful way to clear the board."
"And Torture Wheel is gone, too."
Several examinees discussed it quietly.
The teachers outside the field nodded as well.
The examiner had handled it decisively.
First, he used a low-ATK monster to deal with Spirit of the Harp, then used Double Summon to turn the immobilized Axe Raider into material for a higher-level monster, freeing himself from Torture Wheel's restraints in the process.
That was the ability to adapt that an academy teacher ought to have.
The examiner looked at the set monster on Yūki's field, then glanced at Wave-Motion Cannon.
"The Battle Phase has already ended, so Curse of Dragon cannot attack this turn."
"Turn end."
He left The Stern Mystic and Curse of Dragon on his field.
One with 1600, one with 2000.
As long as he could enter the Battle Phase smoothly next turn, both the set monster in Yūki's front row and his Life Points would face tremendous pressure.
The examiner looked up at Yūki.
This time, he was the one with the advantage on the field.
"My turn. Draw!"
Yūki placed his hand on his deck, preparing to draw.
Just as his fingertips touched the top of the deck, he stopped.
Something stirred within him, and an inexplicable feeling welled up in his heart.
It was as though someone were calling to him, and the feeling was growing stronger and stronger.
No way!
Could it be!
Yūki's gaze fell to his Duel Disk.
On the examiner's field, The Stern Mystic and Curse of Dragon stood side by side.
Two monsters.
Two pieces of field presence that had just been established.
And the Wave-Motion Cannon in his back row was already in position.
One card's name grew clearer and clearer in his mind.
Lava Golem!
Warmth rose in Yūki's chest.
Was this what a Heart of the Cards Draw felt like?
Was his precious darling calling him?
If he drew Lava Golem, he could directly Tribute both opposing monsters and Special Summon him to the opponent's field.
Then he could activate Wave-Motion Cannon's effect and bring down three thousand damage in total.
The examiner across from him only had 2300 Life Points left.
Perfect lethal!
Yūki raised his hand.
"Come on! My strongest partner! Draw!"
He drew the card from the top of his deck.
With a measure of anticipation, he turned it faceup.
What?!
A silver-haired girl stood beneath the starlight, her staff slightly raised and her cloak hanging still.
[Silent Magician]
Yūki: "..."
Why is it you?
Before you continue