Yu-Gi-Oh!: Starting with an Underworld Deck, Depressing the World

Then he saw someone at the door:

Jaden Yuki, who was staring dumbfounded at what he had just witnessed.

And behind him was Syrus Truesdale, who had gone unnoticed and was secretly tugging at Jaden's clothes, whispering for him to hurry up and leave.

"Um... Professor Crowler, about my opponent for this afternoon's practical duel, I'd like to ask to face Chazz..." Jaden said, awkwardly scratching his cheek.

"You actually came in without knocking? How incredibly rude! Slifer Red's poor student, Jaden Yuki boy, and Truesdale..."

Crowler immediately interrupted him, his face stern.

He hadn't heard what Jaden had actually said.

But before he could finish scolding them, he suddenly spotted Jiang He's languid figure stepping out from behind Jaden and Syrus, who had been blocking him from view.

"..." Crowler's whole body stiffened.

"Oh, so the poor... Jiang He boy is here too! As the person in charge of overseeing practical duels at Duel Academy, I believe it's necessary to tailor the arrangements for this afternoon's opponents to each student's circumstances."

"How about letting Truesdale be your opponent?"

Crowler abruptly made a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn in attitude. Looking perfectly willing to negotiate, he spoke awkwardly with a Pot of Greed smile on his face.

As he spoke, the corners of his awkward smile twitched from time to time!

There was even a drop of cold sweat on his forehead.

I have to keep poor student boy placated for now! I'll arrange for the weak Truesdale to be his opponent, guaranteeing him a win and the practical class credits!

So Crowler thought to himself.

"Huh?!" At his words, however, Syrus jolted in fright and cried out!

He had only come along with his big bro, who wanted to ask Professor Crowler to switch his opponent for the afternoon's practical class to Chazz!

Why had he suddenly been dragged into it and forced to hear such terrifying news?!

He didn't want to be tormented by Jiang He's underworld deck again!

"..." Jaden was dumbfounded too.

When he had tried to ask for a different opponent just now, Professor Crowler's attitude hadn't been anything like this, had it?!

Why had he suddenly changed completely when dealing with Jiang He?!

"Uh..."

Even Jiang He was a little thrown by this ridiculous move from that old unlucky Professor Crowler.

Chapter 34: What's with the poor students these days?

But Jiang He soon guessed why Crowler was doing this.

It was probably because of the photo he had taken near the back of the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm after luring Professor Crowler out there last night.

This guy was planning to placate him for now...

Jiang He hadn't originally intended to do anything in particular with the photo.

He had simply felt that having such leverage on hand might spare him a few minor troubles caused by the blond mushroom-head professor early on.

But now that he thought about it, perhaps he could give some serious consideration to putting it to use...?

Jiang He wasn't afraid of duels coming his way.

He was only afraid that there wouldn't be any unlucky saps to bring him Emotion Points!

"There's no need to go out of your way to switch my practical class opponent to Syrus. If possible, I'd rather face someone a bit stronger."

With that thought, Jiang He waved a hand and turned down Professor Crowler's offer.

Not long ago, he had farmed Emotion Points from Syrus several times in a single day, and he was starting to feel a little embarrassed about it.

Jiang He felt it was better to let Syrus off for the time being...

Especially since, in the current circumstances, he probably couldn't fleece many more Emotion Points from the nearly numb Syrus anyway.

"Someone a bit stronger? How about Obelisk Blue's Chazz... ah, no, Ra Yellow's Bastion Misawa?"

After a moment of surprise, Crowler rubbed his hands together and gave a comical smile.

At the same time, he grumbled to himself.

What an arrogant poor student boy. He only seems to have beaten Alexis and Chazz through good luck, yet now he wants to challenge a strong opponent.

This is one of the key assessments for his practical class grade and whether he can advance to Ra Yellow or even Obelisk Blue later on.

But the most important thing for him now was to placate poor student boy Jiang He until the rumored duelist he planned to hire arrived...

"Bastion Misawa... he really would be a suitable opponent." Jiang He nodded thoughtfully.

He had already been wondering when he could have a duel with Bastion.

Since the dueling test ended two days ago and he arrived here at Duel Academy,

he hadn't had much contact with Bastion Misawa yet.

As far as Jiang He was concerned, this afternoon's practical dueling class was the perfect chance to give Bastion Misawa the "warmth" of a duel as a reunion gift!

At that thought, a satisfied smile appeared on Jiang He's face.

Bastion Misawa: Stay away from me.jpg!

"Then, Professor Crowler, please arrange for me to face Obelisk Blue's Chazz in the practical dueling class too!"

"N-nani..." Crowler was a little baffled.

He felt as though his brain had suddenly run out of capacity.

What was with Slifer Red's poor students these days?

The others worried about being defeated and failing the practical dueling class.

Why were poor student boy Jiang He and this Jaden Yuki doing the opposite and looking for strong opponents...?

But since Jaden Yuki also intended to follow poor student boy's lead and seek his own doom against a strong opponent,

that suited Crowler just fine!

Besides, agreeing to both requests would help him keep Jiang He placated...

At that thought,

Crowler readily nodded and broke into a bit of foreign speech. "No problem! Both approved!"

"Truesdale, would you like to switch to a strong opponent too? I personally recommend Dimitri, another first-year in Ra Yellow!"

Professor Crowler even went so far as to make a recommendation for Syrus.

"Ah! I-I don't need that at all!" A frightened Syrus quickly shook his head and waved his hands.

He was terrified that he would really end up like Jiang He and his big bro, with two strong opponents assigned to them!

Then his opponent would easily defeat him in the practical class!

And he would keep failing classes after that!

Now that's how a Slifer Red poor student should act...

So Crowler thought to himself.

Even the way he looked at Syrus suddenly became a little more favorable.

What's with that sudden strange look...? Jiang He couldn't help grumbling to himself.

As for Professor Crowler being unable to make sense of Slifer Red, Jiang He could only say that he clearly hadn't watched enough Naruto.

Didn't he know that genin were the strongest ninja?!

By the same logic, Slifer Red's students were the strongest duelists!

That afternoon, at the practical class venue.

Jaden and Syrus stood in the spectators' area around the outer edge, listlessly clutching their stomachs as they complained.

"Why do we get pickled dried fish and curry mapo tofu for breakfast and lunch at the Slifer Red dorm every day?!"

"No wonder Jiang He took money after beating Chazz in that duel..."

Syrus spoke as he looked enviously at Jiang He, who was leaning leisurely against a wall with a clean piece of straw in his mouth.

At noon,

Jiang He had been the only one in the Slifer Red dorm to eat a deluxe lunch he had spent extra money on at Aunt Dorothy's shop at Duel Academy.

Fried shrimp, pork cutlet rice-he had it all!

If they could, they wanted to eat like that too!

And there was also the deluxe cabin being built right next to the Slifer Red dorm!

Syrus suddenly felt that sticking with Jiang He might be better than following his big bro Jaden...

"Now then, the practical dueling class will begin. Students whose names are called, please come forward to the six dueling areas."

Professor Crowler's voice rang out across the indoor venue up ahead.

The venue for the practical dueling class wasn't the advanced facility where Jiang He and Chazz had dueled that night.

That place was only opened for important duels that drew the attention of the entire school.

Normally, it served as a training venue for Obelisk Blue students.

Besides, the practical dueling class had a time limit, so multiple students' duels needed to take place simultaneously.

The formal venue, with its single dueling area, was obviously unsuitable for that.

The venue before Jiang He, on the other hand, was divided into six ordinary dueling areas, making it just right for the present circumstances.

P.S.: I went to the hospital, so the update was a little late.

Chapter 35: The use of the Sphere Kuriboh spirit

"Ra Yellow's Dimitri versus Ra Yellow's Ohara, Obelisk Blue's Miura..."

At that moment, Professor Crowler began calling out the names of the students taking part in the first round of practical duels.

"And Slifer Red's Jaden Yuki versus Obelisk Blue's Chazz Princeton!"

"It's my turn, it's my turn! I didn't expect my duel to be up first!"

Hearing Crowler call his name, Jaden immediately began shouting excitedly where he stood.

The listlessness he had shown after eating pickled dried fish too many times was completely gone.

I guess this is a card player's spiritual nourishment... Jiang He pursed his lips speechlessly and grumbled to himself.

As soon as someone mentioned dueling, this hot-blooded idiot would temporarily forget all his troubles and get excited.

Before going up, Jaden even raised the Duel Disk on his wrist and said to Jiang He, full of enthusiasm, "Jiang He, make sure you watch my duel!"

"You're a strong opponent I've decided I absolutely have to challenge someday!"