Chapter Summaries

Yūki opened the Thunder Dragon packs he had unlocked, but the key cards came mostly as single copies, leaving him with an incomplete yet playable deck. Jaden told him he had passed Duel Academy’s written exam and invited him to attend the practical exam at Kaiba Land together the next day.

• Yūki reviewed his system panel and concluded that his HERO Deck had reached a limit because later HERO support remained locked.
• Yūki spent 6,300 Duel Coins on twenty-one Thunder Dragon packs and received a playable collection, including Thunder Dragon Colossus and Thunder Dragon Titan.
• Yūki found that he had only one Thunder Dragondark and one Thunder Dragonroar, so he packed the incomplete Thunder Dragon Deck away for later use.
• Jaden messaged Yūki that he had passed Duel Academy’s written exam and asked him to go to the practical exam at Kaiba Land the next day.
• Yūki agreed to go with Jaden and told him that the Kaiba Corporation had given him a deck.

Yūki and Jaden met Yugi Muto on their way to Duel Academy’s practical exam and received his autographs. Yugi gave Jaden Winged Kuriboh and Yūki Silent Magician, leaving Yūki baffled about why the magician wanted to join his deck.

• Yūki met Jaden and headed with him toward Kaiba Land for Duel Academy’s practical exam.
• They encountered Yugi Muto in a park, where Jaden accidentally bumped into him.
• Yūki recognized Yugi and asked him to autograph Lava Golem, then Jaden requested an autograph on Elemental HERO Flame Wingman.
• Yugi offered each of them a card, saying his partners wanted to go with them.
• Jaden received Winged Kuriboh, while Yūki received Silent Magician and wondered why she wanted to join his deck.

Yūki wondered why Silent Magician had chosen him, then set aside the idea of challenging Yugi Muto and hurried with Jaden to the Duel Academy entrance exam. Yūki was assigned to Area A as candidate nine, while Jaden learned he would duel last as candidate 110.

• Yūki searched for Silent Magician’s spirit, and Yugi explained that spirits chose whether to appear and might follow duelists to find what they sought.
• Yugi wished Yūki and Jaden luck and left; Yūki considered challenging him to unlock his Archetype Packs, but decided the risk and the approaching exam made it a bad idea.
• Yūki and Jaden reached Kaiba Land with fifteen minutes to spare, and Yūki guided the excited Jaden through registration.
• The staff assigned Yūki to Area A as practical exam candidate nine and told Jaden he was candidate 110, the last examinee.
• Jaden embraced his last-place assignment and promised to show the examiner his skill, while Yūki offered to treat him to a meal if he got into the academy.

Fujiwara Yūki began his Duel Academy practical exam against examiner Ryosuke Uchida after catching the attention of upperclassmen Zane Truesdale and Alexis Rhodes. He opened with one face-down monster and three set cards, and Uchida summoned Axe Raider as the duel continued.

• Yūki noticed Zane Truesdale and Alexis Rhodes watching the candidates from the upper stands, while Alexis wondered why he had looked at her as if he knew her.
• The announcement called Yūki to Duel Arena 2, where examiner Ryosuke Uchida explained that the practical exam was about showing his usual dueling ability.
• Yūki and Uchida began their duel with 4000 Life Points each, and Yūki went first.
• Yūki set one monster and three back-row cards, prompting Tachibana Shingo to silently pity the examiner.
• Uchida praised Yūki's cautious opening, then Normal Summoned Axe Raider.

Yūki used Spirit of the Harp to withstand the examiner’s Axe Raider, then activated Secret Barrel and Torture Wheel to damage and restrain his opponent. Ryosuke Uchida recognized Yūki’s defensive burn strategy, while Axe Raider remained trapped and unable to attack.

• Ryosuke Uchida summoned Axe Raider, equipped it with Legendary Sword, and attacked Yūki’s face-down monster.
• Yūki revealed Spirit of the Harp, whose effect prevented it from being destroyed by Axe Raider’s 2,000 ATK.
• Yūki activated Secret Barrel and inflicted 1,200 damage on Ryosuke Uchida, reducing his Life Points from 4,000 to 2,800.
• Yūki activated Torture Wheel, chaining Axe Raider and preventing it from attacking or changing its battle position.
• Ryosuke Uchida recognized Yūki’s defensive burn strategy, and Yūki said he preferred to let his opponent calm down first.

Yūki continued pressuring the examiner with burn effects and defensive cards, but the examiner cleared his restraints and built a stronger field. Hoping to draw Lava Golem for a lethal play, Yūki instead drew Silent Magician.

• Torture Wheel activated during Yūki’s Standby Phase and reduced the examiner’s Life Points to 2300.
• Yūki played Wave-Motion Cannon and set another monster, while Alexis Rhodes and Zane Truesdale watched and discussed his strategy.
• The examiner summoned The Stern Mystic, destroyed Spirit of the Harp, then used Double Summon to Tribute Axe Raider and summon Curse of Dragon.
• The examiner ended his turn with The Stern Mystic and Curse of Dragon on the field, leaving Yūki facing two monsters.
• Yūki anticipated drawing Lava Golem for a lethal play, but revealed Silent Magician instead.

During the entrance exam, Yūki summoned Silent Magician and used her to destroy The Stern Mystic. He ended his turn with Silent Magician, a set monster, and Wave-Motion Cannon facing the examiner's remaining Curse of Dragon.

• Yūki changed his plan and Flip Summoned Witch of the Black Forest, then tributed her to Special Summon Silent Magician.
• Witch of the Black Forest's effect let Yūki add Marshmallon from his deck to his hand, while Silent Magician's effect raised her ATK to 2000.
• Silent Magician attacked and destroyed The Stern Mystic, reducing the examiner's Life Points from 2300 to 1900.
• Yūki set a monster, lowering Silent Magician's ATK to 1500, and ended his turn with Curse of Dragon still on the examiner's field.

Fujiwara Yūki defeated the examiner by using Silent Magician to negate Smashing Ground, then Mirror Force to destroy Curse of Dragon. He let Silent Magician deliver the final attack, winning the exam and earning Soul Power and Duel Coins.

• The examiner activated Smashing Ground, but Yūki used Silent Magician's effect to negate and destroy the Spell Card.
• The examiner sent Curse of Dragon to attack Silent Magician, and Yūki activated Mirror Force to destroy the dragon.
• Yūki drew a card, raising Silent Magician's ATK to 2,000, and chose not to use Wave-Motion Cannon.
• Yūki ordered Silent Magician to attack directly, reducing the examiner's Life Points to zero and winning the duel.
• Yūki received 12 Soul Power and 1,500 Duel Coins.

After defeating the Duel Academy examiner, Yūki met Jaden’s new friends Syrus Truesdale and Bastion Misawa, who praised his resource-focused deck. Bastion challenged him to duel after the entrance exam, leaving Yūki amused by the clash between Bastion’s calculations and Jaden’s faith in his partners.

• Yūki checked his system panel, saw that he had earned 1,700 Duel Coins and reached 79% Soul Power progress, then left Duel Arena 2.
• Jaden rushed over to congratulate Yūki on beating the examiner and praised his teamwork with Silent Magician.
• Jaden introduced Syrus Truesdale, who admired Yūki’s duel and took heart from his advice about overcoming powerful monsters.
• Bastion Misawa analyzed how Yūki’s cards turned his opponent’s resources into part of his win condition and asked to duel him after the exam.
• Yūki agreed to Bastion’s challenge but said he might choose among several decks, while Jaden and Bastion debated preparation versus trusting their partners.

Yūki gave Bastion and Syrus advice before they went to their practical exams, and promised to watch Jaden duel. After examining Yūki’s deck and victory, Professor Crowler recommended him for Ra Yellow, with a possible transfer to Obelisk Blue later.

• Bastion Misawa left for Duel Field Five after saying goodbye to Yūki and promising to prove his six-attribute deck made sense.
• Syrus Truesdale asked Yūki for advice, and Yūki told him to check for monster protection and consider the worst-case scenario before attacking a face-down card.
• Jaden Yuki asked Yūki to watch his exam, and Yūki agreed before Jaden hurried to his waiting area.
• Professor Crowler reviewed Yūki’s duel record and deck, noting its defensive and burn cards, three Marshmallons, and unused Wave-Motion Cannon.
• Crowler judged Yūki’s deck-building skill and Silent Magician worthy of cultivation, then recommended him for Ra Yellow and considered transferring him to Obelisk Blue in his second year.

Yūki learned that his parents’ deaths were connected to a Shadow Game at ancient ruins where the International Fantasy Society had found Blank Stone Tablets. Kamiya Ryūichi revealed that dark duelists attacked the research camp and that Yūki’s parents and several researchers died in the games.

• Yūki received confirmation that he had been assigned to Ra Yellow, while Jaden told him he had been placed in Osiris Red despite beating the examiner.
• Yūki received an invitation from the International Fantasy Society to discuss new information about his parents’ deaths.
• Yūki met Kamiya Ryūichi at the society’s Domino City branch and learned that his parents had researched ruins containing Duel Monsters murals and Blank Stone Tablets.
• Kamiya Ryūichi explained that dark duelists attacked the research camp after news of the tablets leaked, and that Yūki’s parents and several researchers died in Shadow Games.

Yūki learned that the Dark Erosion Cult had attacked his parents and agreed to visit the ruins to try to open the seal they left on Blank Stone Tablets. Afterward, he logged into Duel Academy’s system and discovered its student-only card purchasing channel.

• Kamiya Ryūichi told Yūki that the Shadow Game duelists who attacked his parents belonged to the Dark Erosion Cult and warned him not to confront them alone.
• Kamiya Ryūichi explained that Yūki’s parents had used their monster spirits to seal Blank Stone Tablets, and asked him to try opening the seal without exhausting the spirits.
• Yūki agreed to travel with Kamiya Ryūichi to the nearby ruins the next day.
• Yūki decided to leave the Dark Erosion Cult alone until he had built a stronger deck.
• Yūki logged into Duel Academy’s internal system and found that his Ra Yellow student access included a channel for purchasing academy-exclusive cards.

Yūki spent most of his remaining money on powerful cards, then decided to keep his parents’ apartment and plan for ways to earn more cards at Duel Academy. Elsewhere in Domino City, a woman announced new progress at ancient ruins designated Source No. 7 to a shadowy group.

• Yūki bought Jinzo, two more copies of Card of Demise, Karma Cut, Ring of Destruction, and three each of Kiteroid and Kuriboh.
• Yūki found his balance had fallen to 12,600 yuan and considered selling his apartment to fund more cards.
• Yūki decided to keep the apartment and resolved to pursue cards through Duel Academy opportunities.
• Yūki closed the order page and opened the deck editor to make room for his incoming cards.
• In a conference room in downtown Domino City, a woman told four others that new progress had been made at the ancient ruins designated Source No. 7.

The Dark Erosion Cult’s president ordered the woman in the red dress to seize the sealed stone tablets and avenge the cult’s losses, targeting Yūki if he could not open the seal. Yūki arrived at the International Fantasy Society’s excavation site with researcher Amamiya Mio and learned that the ruins were a vast, mysterious underground complex.

• The Dark Erosion Cult’s president assigned the woman in the red dress to take the stone tablets from the International Fantasy Society and kill Yūki if he failed to open their seal.
• Yūki met Amamiya Mio, who explained that Kamiya Ryūichi was unavailable and that Yūki could stop the seal test at any time.
• Amamiya Mio showed Yūki an image of the sealed stone door and explained why she opposed breaking it open by force.
• Yūki and Amamiya Mio reached the guarded excavation site, where workers were removing fragments carved with unfamiliar monsters.
• Amamiya Mio told Yūki that seven years of excavation had revealed a constructed underground complex with unknown inscriptions and murals.

Yūki accompanied Amamiya Mio to Underground Level Seven, where he approached the sealed stone door and triggered its defenses. Silent Magician blocked the attack, but a girl’s voice from beyond the door recognized a familiar scent in him.

• Amamiya Mio explained that Yūki’s parents and other researchers had discovered the Blank Stone Tablet on Underground Level Seven three years earlier, before an attack forced the researchers to seal the area.
• Yūki and Amamiya Mio reached the sealed stone door, where she warned him about its defenses and belatedly mentioned a researcher who had collapsed after hearing a voice from within.
• Yūki approached the door, triggering an attack that launched ice blades at him.
• Silent Magician appeared and stopped the ice blades, while Amamiya Mio urged Yūki to retreat before the seal entered full defense mode.
• As Yūki began to withdraw, a girl’s voice from behind the stone door said he had a very familiar scent.

Yūki spoke with the powerful spirit sealed behind the stone door, and she emerged after he identified himself as Fujiwara Shūji and Fujiwara Misaki’s son. She recognized him from when he was a baby, leaving Yūki and Silent Magician to face the revelation that she had known his parents.

• Silent Magician warned Yūki that the presence behind the stone door was a powerful spirit and told him not to approach.
• Yūki said the spirit had stopped attacking and might know him, then introduced himself as Fujiwara Yūki, son of Fujiwara Shūji and Fujiwara Misaki.
• Amamiya Mio ordered the researchers to suspend intervention after the sealed spirit began communicating and the monitoring readings stabilized.
• Yūki asked the spirit to come out and tell him what had happened three years earlier.
• The spirit opened a path through the golden seal and formed a petite, ice-blue-haired girl before the stone door.
• The girl confirmed that Yūki was Shūji and Misaki’s child and recalled him grabbing Misaki’s hair and crying when Shūji held him.

Snowstorm Princess told Yūki how a dark duelist defeated his parents three years earlier and how Trance sacrificed himself to save her and seal the ruins. When the same dark presence returned, the underground facility lost communications as footsteps approached through the black mist.

• Snowstorm Princess confirmed she had known Yūki as a baby and introduced herself as his parents’ spirit.
• Snowstorm Princess recalled that a handsome duelist in a black trench coat attacked Misaki and Shūji after they discovered spirit-filled stone tablets.
• Misaki and Shūji gave their remaining power to Snowstorm Princess and Trance, who sealed the entrance and tried to escape the attacker.
• Trance sent Snowstorm Princess away with the Sealing Spell, then detonated his spirit energy to destroy the passage and force the dark duelist back, sacrificing himself.
• Snowstorm Princess sensed the same dark presence in the ruins, while Amamiya Mio’s communications failed and footsteps came through the black mist.

Yūgong Feiyue, one of the Dark Erosion Cult’s Five Heavenly Kings, confronted Yūki in the underground plaza and tried to recruit him. After Yūki refused, she declared him a threat and challenged him to a Shadow Game, leaving him ready to duel with his ordinary Duel Disk.

• Yūgong Feiyue emerged from the black mist, and Amamiya Mio identified her as one of the Dark Erosion Cult’s Five Heavenly Kings.
• Yūgong Feiyue recognized Yūki as Fujiwara Shūji and Fujiwara Misaki’s son and offered him power, rare cards, and her mentorship if he joined the cult.
• Yūki mocked the offer by comparing its benefits unfavorably with Duel Academy’s card store.
• Yūgong Feiyue decided Yūki was a threat, summoned her scarlet Duel Disk, and challenged him to a Shadow Game.
• Yūki stopped Silent Magician from stepping forward, retrieved his ordinary Duel Disk from his backpack, and prepared to duel.

Yūki faced Yūgong Feiyue in a Shadow Game, supported by Silent Magician and Snowstorm Princess, and used burn traps to punish her Vampire field. He activated Secret Barrel for 2400 damage when Yūgong Feiyue had only 1500 Life Points, leaving her fate unresolved.

• Yūki chose his trusted deck and entered the Shadow Game against Yūgong Feiyue, while Silent Magician and Snowstorm Princess stood by him.
• Yūgong Feiyue used Pot of Greed, summoned Gozuki, sent Vampire's Familiar and Vampire Grace to the Graveyard, then summoned Vampire's Curse.
• Yūgong Feiyue paid Life Points to retrieve Vampire's Domain and summon Vampire's Curse, building a field of three monsters.
• When Gozuki attacked Yūki's face-down monster, Yūki activated Just Desserts and dealt Yūgong Feiyue 1500 damage, reducing her to 1500 Life Points.
• Yūki activated Secret Barrel, which counted four cards in Yūgong Feiyue's hand and four on her field for 2400 damage.

Yūki defeated Yūgong Feiyue with Lava Golem and Chain Energy, reducing her Life Points to zero. The Shadow Game then revealed a terrifying force that devoured Yūgong Feiyue and vanished, leaving her Zombie deck behind.

• Yūgong Feiyue used Emergency Provisions to sacrifice Vampire's Domain and recover Life Points, but Secret Barrel still dealt her 1,800 damage.
• Yūgong Feiyue attacked Yūki's face-down Spirit Reaper with Gozuki, but Spirit Reaper survived because it could not be destroyed by battle.
• Yūki tributed Vampire's Familiar and Vampire's Curse to Special Summon Lava Golem to Yūgong Feiyue's field, then activated Chain Energy.
• At the start of Yūgong Feiyue's turn, Lava Golem dealt her 1,000 damage and reduced her Life Points to zero, giving Yūki the duel.
• A powerful phantom appeared, ignored Yūgong Feiyue's pleas, and consumed her; the Shadow Game collapsed and her Zombie deck remained on the ground.