Onstage, Cronos glanced at the clock, his expression growing uglier.
"Each dormitory, check your attendance again, na-no-ne."
The staff members handling attendance immediately checked their lists.
The Ra Yellow Dormitory and Obelisk Blue Dormitory soon reported that everyone was present.
The staff member responsible for the Red Dormitory, however, approached the podium with a terminal in hand, looking rather troubled.
"Professor Crowler, Osiris Red is still missing two students."
"Who?"
"Jaden Yuki and Syrus Truesdale."
Cronos's eyebrows shot up.
"Mamma mia! Assigned to the dormitory for poor students, yet still so lax about their studies! They even dare to arrive late for the freshman assembly!"
"The academy admitted them in the hope that they would work hard to improve, but have they thrown their sense of time into the Graveyard on their second day?"
Daitokuji rubbed Pharaoh's head and put in a word for the Red Dormitory.
"There's still a little time before eight, meow. Perhaps they're on their way."
"They had better be!"
Cronos folded his arms. "If they cannot even make it to the freshman assembly, I seriously doubt they can keep up with regular classes."
The hall's clock ticked over to 7:57.
Some students in the Red Dormitory group were already looking back at the doors.
7:58.
Cronos tapped the attendance list twice with his fingers.
7:59.
At last, a flurry of footsteps came from outside the hall.
"Wait, wait! We're here!"
The doors swung open, and Jaden rushed into the hall, one button on his red jacket fastened wrong and one shoelace still half undone.
Syrus Truesdale followed behind, his glasses knocked crooked from running. He braced both hands on his knees and gasped for breath.
"We made it, bro! We really made it!"
Jaden looked up at the clock.
There were still over forty seconds