Recaps

Jiang He dueled Obelisk Blue tennis ace Ayano after persuading Vice Chancellor Bonaparte to raise the stakes, while the watching students backed Jiang He after Ayano provoked the Obelisk Blue girls. Ayano began with a burn effect that dealt Jiang He 1,500 damage, leaving the duel underway with Jiang He at 2,500 LP.

• Jiang He convinced Vice Chancellor Bonaparte to wager twenty million in funding against an IOU, and Professor Crowler agreed to witness the deal.
• Ayano challenged Jiang He out of jealousy over Alexis Rhodes and called the duel a contest of youth, angering the Obelisk Blue girls who cheered for Jiang He.
• Jiang He and Ayano began their duel on the tennis court with 4,000 LP each, and Ayano took the first turn.
• Ayano activated [Service Ace] and asked Jiang He to guess the type of a card in his hand, but Jiang He guessed a Fusion Monster Card instead.
• Ayano resolved [Service Ace] as a wrong guess, banished his chosen card, and dealt Jiang He 1,500 damage before setting a card and ending his turn.

Jiang He used Soul Absorption and two Necroface cards to recover a massive amount of Life Points while forcing Ayano to banish cards from his deck. Ayano’s burn strategy continued, but Jiang He ended the chapter unfazed as Ayano revealed two monsters with Ace Smash.

• Jiang He activated Soul Absorption, summoned Eater of Millions, and used its effect to banish Necroface from his hand and another Necroface from his deck.
• Both Necroface effects made Jiang He and Ayano banish ten cards each, and Soul Absorption restored 11,000 Life Points to Jiang He.
• Jiang He attacked directly, but Ayano revealed Trap Ace Return to negate the attack and inflict 1,500 damage, leaving Jiang He with 12,000 Life Points.
• Jiang He set two cards and ended his turn, while Ayano drew and activated Pot of Greed to draw two more cards.
• Ayano activated two copies of Ace Smash and revealed that both cards sent from his deck were monsters, promising 2,000 damage, while Jiang He watched calmly.

Jiang He endured Ayano’s attacks while keeping his life points high, then used Pot of Acquisitiveness to return banished monsters to his deck and began a draw combo with Allure of Darkness. The duel was left poised for Jiang He to draw Necroface, while Ayano and the spectators feared what would follow.

• Ayano summoned Legendary Ace, attacked Jiang He directly, and added Service Ace to his hand, leaving himself with only fifteen cards in his deck.
• Ayano activated Service Ace and dealt Jiang He another 1,000 damage, but Jiang He still had 8,700 life points.
• Ayano set a card and ended his turn, confidently combing his hair as he believed his remaining deck could defeat Jiang He.
• Jiang He drew Pot of Acquisitiveness, returned two banished Necroface and an Eater of Millions to his deck, then drew a card.
• Jiang He activated Allure of Darkness to draw two cards and banish a DARK monster, prompting the spectators to fear he would draw Necroface.

Jiang He defeated Ayano by chaining [Necroface] effects to empty his deck, then finished him with [DD Dynamite]. Vice Chancellor Bonaparte signed Jiang He's IOU, and the chapter left Jiang He and his companions back in his cabin as the next group of students was expected soon.

• Jiang He banished Ayano's remaining deck cards with repeated [Necroface] effects, while [Soul Absorption] raised his Life Points to 24,200.
• Jiang He activated [DD Dynamite] and dealt Ayano 8,100 damage, causing Ayano to pass out.
• Jiang He stopped Vice Chancellor Bonaparte from leaving and made him sign an IOU.
• Vice Chancellor Bonaparte and Professor Crowler embraced and wept over their misfortunes.
• Jiang He returned to his cabin with Alexis and the others after the duel ended the tennis activity.

Professor Banner learned that he could restore his body by using alchemy in the Duel Monsters Spirit Otherworld, and Jiang He arranged the materials in exchange for a contract of servitude. A month later, Jiang He had settled back into his comfortable routine as Duel Academy’s new students arrived, and Alexis invited him to go see them.

• Professor Banner explained that he could not create a body while he remained a powerless soul, and Atticus Rhodes suggested that the power to materialize Duel Monsters Spirits might help.
• Jiang He told Professor Banner to travel through the Gravekeeper Clan’s ruins to the Duel Monsters Spirit Otherworld and use alchemy to create a body there.
• Jiang He offered to have Kagemaru provide the rare materials, then presented Professor Banner with a contract selling himself into servitude.
• Professor Banner later created a new body in the Duel Monsters Spirit Otherworld and returned to his duties at the Slifer Red dorm.
• Over the next month, Jiang He found few students willing to duel him, while Alexis grew closer to him.
• Alexis told Jiang He that the new students had arrived by ferry and asked if he wanted to go see them.

Jiang He and the other students welcomed Rei Saotome, the sole new Slifer Red recruit, who revealed that she had transferred to Duel Academy because she admired Jiang He and asked him to date her. Alexis Rhodes tried to advise Rei, but Rei immediately suspected Alexis was her rival for Jiang He’s affection.

• Alexis Rhodes told Jiang He that newly recruited students were arriving, and he went with her, Jaden Yuki, and the others to meet them.
• The group saw that the new students were mostly assigned to Obelisk Blue and Ra Yellow, with Rei Saotome the only newcomer in Slifer Red.
• At the welcome party, Rei introduced herself as a sixth grader who had passed Duel Academy’s hardest grade-skipping test.
• Rei told Jiang He she had transferred because she admired his duel against Chazz Princeton and asked him to go out with her.
• Alexis tried to counsel Rei about approaching Jiang He, but Rei asked whether Alexis was her rival in love, leaving Alexis flustered.

Rei Saotome challenged Alexis Rhodes to a duel over Jiang He, and Alexis accepted after Rei provoked her. Their duel began with Rei’s love-themed cards and Alexis’s Cyber monsters, and Rei prepared to use [Maiden in Love]’s counters against Alexis.

• Rei challenged Alexis to a duel, offering Jiang He as the wager, and Alexis accepted after Rei taunted her.
• Alexis and Rei began their duel in the clearing outside the Slifer Red dorm, with Rei taking the first turn.
• Rei summoned [Maiden in Love] and set a card, then Alexis summoned [Cyber Prima] and attacked it.
• [Maiden in Love] survived the attack, and Rei explained that it could not be destroyed by battle and placed a Maiden Counter on Alexis’s monster after dealing damage.
• Alexis set two cards, and Rei equipped [Maiden in Love] with [Cupid’s Kiss] before declaring an attack on [Cyber Prima].

Rei Saotome used [Maiden in Love] and [Cupid's Kiss] to take control of Alexis Rhodes's [Cyber Prima], but Alexis uncovered Rei's Life Point strategy and summoned [Cyber Angel Benten]. The duel continued with Alexis preparing to counter Rei's control effect.

• Rei ordered [Cyber Prima] to attack directly, but Alexis stopped it with [Waboku].
• Alexis destroyed Rei's face-down [The Eye of Truth] with [Mystical Space Typhoon], disrupting Rei's plan to sustain her Life Points.
• Alexis explained that Rei had intended to take battle damage to place Maiden Counters, then steal a stronger monster with [Cupid's Kiss].
• Alexis activated [Machine Angel Ritual], Tributed [Cyber Prima] from her hand, and Ritual Summoned [Cyber Angel Benten].

Alexis defeated Rei with Cyber Angel Benten and insisted that the wager meant Jiang He was hers, leaving the group stunned. That evening, Alexis claimed Jiang He had to take responsibility because she had drunk from his tea, but he turned her logic around on her.

• Alexis equipped Cyber Angel Benten with Ritual Weapon and raised its attack to 3,300.
• Alexis attacked Maiden in Love and reduced Rei's 2,400 LP to zero, winning the duel.
• Rei claimed the wager only involved swapping rooms, but Alexis grabbed Jiang He and declared that he was hers.
• That evening, Alexis reminded Jiang He that she had drunk from his oolong tea and said he had to take responsibility for her.
• Jiang He drank from Alexis's tea and told her that she now had to take responsibility for him, leaving her speechless.

Jiang He welcomed Duel Academy’s new students by buying two dark decks and looked forward to dueling them for Emotion Points. On the way to Aunt Dorothy’s shop, he heard that someone was taking students’ Duel Disks on a bridge and suspected Dinosaur Kenzan was behind it.

• Professor Crowler introduced freshmen Gokai Dozan, Tyranno Hassleberry, and Rei Saotome to the class.
• Rei Saotome announced that she had joined Slifer Red for Jiang He, while Alexis Rhodes said she did not mind her interest in him.
• Jiang He checked the system shop and exchanged 1,500 Emotion Points each for the Reversal Quiz Deck and the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys Deck.
• After class, Professor Crowler assigned Jaden Yuki, Syrus Truesdale, and Chumley to carry spare Duel Disks toward Aunt Dorothy’s shop.
• Jasmine and Mindy told Jiang He that someone had been challenging students on a wooden bridge and taking their Duel Disks, and Jiang He suspected Dinosaur Kenzan.

Jiang He accepted Tyranno Hassleberry’s duel wager, with the loser required to become the winner’s underling or disband the Tyranno Gang. As the duel began, Jiang He revealed a new Ritual strategy by adding Rebirth of Nephthys and Nephtys, the Sacred Flame to his hand, surprising the spectators and a silver-haired observer.

• Jiang He and his companions found Tyranno Hassleberry blocking the bridge to Aunt Dorothy's shop and challenging duelists for their Duel Disks.
• Alexis Rhodes asked what Hassleberry would stake, and he wagered that he would disband the Tyranno Gang and become Jiang He's underling if he lost.
• Syrus Truesdale accidentally revealed that Jiang He and Alexis Rhodes had made their relationship official, prompting Alexis's friends Jasmine and Mindy to react in shock.
• Hassleberry won the first turn, Special Summoned Swift Velociraptor, Tributed it to summon Black Brachios, and set two cards.
• Jiang He drew and activated Pre-Preparation of Rites, adding Rebirth of Nephthys and Nephtys, the Sacred Flame to his hand as the spectators and a silver-haired man watched in surprise.

Jiang He Ritual Summoned Nephtys, the Sacred Flame and destroyed Tyranno Hassleberry’s Black Brachios, but Hassleberry revived it and later used Hammer Shot to destroy Jiang He’s Ritual Monster. As Hassleberry prepared to attack with two Dinosaurs, Jiang He revealed Threatening Roar.

• Rei Saotome joined the spectators and guessed that Jiang He’s Ritual Monster might repeatedly revive.
• Jiang He used Rebirth of Nephthys and Lava Golem to Ritual Summon Nephtys, the Sacred Flame, then destroyed Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys in his hand to destroy Black Brachios.
• Tyranno Hassleberry revived Black Brachios with Call of the Haunted, and Jiang He set three cards before ending his turn.
• Hassleberry drew with Pot of Greed, destroyed Nephtys, the Sacred Flame with Hammer Shot, summoned Crawling Dragon #2, and changed Black Brachios to Attack Position.
• As Hassleberry prepared to attack with both Dinosaurs, Jiang He revealed the Trap Threatening Roar.

Jiang He revived both phoenix monsters and used their effects to destroy Tyranno Kenzan’s back row, force him to discard his remaining cards, and remove his last monster. Tyranno Kenzan was left facing the phoenixes’ recurring field-clearing cycle as Jiang He’s direct attack struck him.

• Jiang He revived Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys and Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys from his graveyard during his standby phase.
• Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys destroyed all four set traps, including Jiang He’s two Coffin Seller cards, and Tyranno Kenzan’s Call of the Haunted, which also removed Sauropod Brachion.
• Coffin Seller’s effects forced Tyranno Kenzan to discard both cards in his hand rather than lose Sabersaurus and risk an immediate defeat.
• Jiang He used Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys to destroy his own Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys and Tyranno Kenzan’s Sabersaurus.
• Jiang He’s Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys attacked Tyranno Kenzan directly with dark-blue flames.

Jiang He defeated Tyranno Hassleberry with his underworld-style deck, but refused to make him a follower and instead kept the Duel Disks he had won. As Jiang He and the others reached Aunt Dorothy’s shop, Sphere Kuriboh warned him that someone had watched the duel, while the group discovered they could briefly see the spirit.

• Tyranno Hassleberry drew Babycerasaurus, admitted defeat, and offered to follow Jiang He as his boss.
• Jiang He ended the duel, declined to take Hassleberry as a follower, and had Syrus carry the backpack of Duel Disks he had won.
• The silver-haired young man watching from Aunt Dorothy’s shop put away his makeshift deck and left to get a spare from the Obelisk Blue dorm.
• Sphere Kuriboh warned Jiang He that an unfamiliar presence had watched the duel, and Alexis Rhodes and the others briefly saw the spirit before it turned invisible.
• At Aunt Dorothy’s shop, Syrus explained that Jiang He had won an extra backpack of Duel Disks, and Jiang He offered to sell them to her.

Jiang He learned that Aster Phoenix had been watching him and expected Aster to confront him over his use of Destiny HERO monsters. Tyranno Hassleberry joined Slifer Red to stay close to Jiang He, while Alexis Rhodes and Rei Saotome argued over taking him to the beach.

• Jiang He asked Aunt Dorothy about a silver-haired young man, learned he had watched the shop, and suspected he was Aster Phoenix.
• Jiang He reassured Alexis Rhodes that the watcher would approach him himself and planned to prepare a new underworld deck.
• Tyranno Hassleberry arrived with Jaden Yuki and Chazz Princeton, explained he wanted to be Jiang He's little brother, and asked to move into Slifer Red.
• Jiang He accepted Tyranno Hassleberry's plan, and Professor Banner said there were empty rooms in the dorm.
• Rei Saotome invited Jiang He to see the sea, but Alexis Rhodes claimed her right as his girlfriend to take him sunbathing instead.
• Sphere Kuriboh and the Ojama Trio watched Alexis Rhodes and Rei Saotome argue, while Jiang He worried they were leading Sphere Kuriboh astray.

Aster Phoenix challenged Jiang He to test his strength, and the two began a duel in front of their classmates. After Aster opened with Elemental HERO Avian and three set cards, Jiang He prepared to answer with his Reversal Quiz Deck.

• Aster Phoenix visited Jiang He and challenged him to a duel, while both hid their ulterior motives behind polite smiles.
• Jiang He and Aster began their duel outside the Slifer Red dormitory as their friends gathered to watch.
• Aster went first, summoned Elemental HERO Avian, set three cards, and ended his turn.
• Jiang He drew a card and smiled, prompting Alexis Rhodes to suspect he had drawn an underworld card.

Jiang He used a second copy of [Heavy Storm] to destroy Aster Phoenix's remaining set cards, then activated [Chicken Race] and explained its effects. Aster understood it as a contest over paying Life Points, but Jiang He prepared to show him otherwise.

• Aster Phoenix negated Jiang He's first [Heavy Storm] with [Magic Jammer], discarding [Elemental HERO Necroshade] to protect his other set cards.
• Jiang He revealed a second [Heavy Storm] and destroyed Aster Phoenix's remaining set cards, including [Trap Jammer] and [Holy Barrier - Mirror Force].
• Jiang He taunted Aster Phoenix and activated the Field Spell [Chicken Race], whose dramatic cliff illusion frightened Syrus, Chumley, Tyranno Hassleberry, Professor Banner, and Chazz.
• Jiang He explained that [Chicken Race] let either player pay 1,000 LP to draw a card, destroy the field, or restore 1,000 LP to the opponent, while preventing damage to the player with lower LP.
• Aster Phoenix guessed that the Field Spell would become a contest over who dared to pay more Life Points, but Jiang He was about to prove him wrong.

Jiang He used Chicken Race, Spellbinding Circle, and Upstart Goblin to manipulate life points before activating Reversal Quiz. After correctly guessing that his deck’s top card was a Spell Card, he exchanged life points with Aster, leaving Aster at 500 LP as the duel continued.

• Jiang He paid life points to activate and destroy Chicken Race, then activated Spellbinding Circle to make each player pay 500 LP when playing a card from their hand.
• Jiang He activated Upstart Goblin, drew a card, and gave Aster 1000 LP, while Spellbinding Circle reduced Jiang He’s life points.
• Jiang He paid another 1000 LP, set a card, and activated Reversal Quiz, which sent his hand and field cards to the graveyard before he guessed the top card type.
• Jiang He guessed Spell Card and revealed Pot of Greed, successfully activating Reversal Quiz and swapping his 500 LP with Aster’s 5000 LP.
• Aster was left with 500 LP and resolved to win the duel, while Jiang He still had not completed his promised one-turn kill.

Jiang He defeated Aster Phoenix with Black Pendant, then tormented him with two more underworld decks while Aster sought guidance and left without a goodbye. The next morning, Jiang He found his friends had taken over his cabin, while his plans to spend the day at the beach with Alexis Rhodes and Rei Saotome were put on hold.

• Jiang He used Black Pendant’s effect to reduce Aster Phoenix’s remaining 500 LP to zero and win their duel.
• Aster asked Jiang He to show him more decks, and Jiang He agreed to keep dueling him as the others watched.
• Jiang He used his Iai Draw and Lava Golem decks against Aster, who left in silence after enduring the duels.
• Jiang He checked his system and saw that his Emotion Points had risen to 9,000, with most of the gains coming from Aster.
• Jaden Yuki, Chazz Princeton, Bastion Misawa, Tyranno Hassleberry, and others showed up at Jiang He’s cabin to watch professional duels, interrupting his beach plans.
• Alexis Rhodes discreetly placed her hand on Jiang He’s, and the others noticed.

Jaden and the others discovered that the new student Aster was the professional dueling prodigy Aster Phoenix after watching him win on television. Aster revealed that the Elemental HERO Deck he had used was not his hidden main deck, leaving everyone wondering what deck he truly relied on.

• Syrus recognized the new student Aster as professional duelist Aster Phoenix when the group saw him duel on television.
• Aster defeated his opponent in two turns, prompting Chazz, Bastion, Syrus, and Tyranno to jokingly claim they were as strong as him because Jiang He had defeated them too.
• Alexis and Rei argued over Jiang He while the others watched Aster's duel.
• A reporter asked Aster whether his Elemental HERO Deck was his hidden main deck, and Aster said his real hidden deck was a different HERO Deck.
• Professor Banner speculated that Aster's true strength might come from another HERO series, while Rei suspected he was making excuses after losing to Jiang He.

Aster Phoenix publicly revealed his Destiny HERO deck and challenged Jiang He, prompting Jiang He to prepare an upgraded Dark HERO deck for their duel. During class, Jiang He obtained the final Mark of the Crimson Dragon and considered the dangers posed by Sartorius and the Light of Destruction.

• Aster Phoenix announced that he would duel Jiang He at Duel Academy the next morning to prove who deserved to use a HERO Deck, then added that he would duel Jaden Yuki afterward.
• Jiang He browsed the system shop during alchemy class and found the Dragon Foot Mark, the final Mark of the Crimson Dragon.
• Jiang He exchanged for the Dragon Foot Mark and reflected that the complete Crimson Dragon's power could protect him from hidden abilities, including those connected to Sartorius and the Light of Destruction.
• Jiang He considered the Evil-Minded Dark HERO Deck and exchanged for it, deciding it would suit his duel against Aster Phoenix.
• Jiang He spent half of his 9,000 Emotion Points on the new skill and deck, leaving himself with 4,500 points.

Jiang He’s complete Mark of the Crimson Dragon strengthened his abilities, but he admitted it still could not retrieve Camula’s clan from the underworld. As he prepared to face Aster Phoenix at Duel Academy, Aster revealed his suspicion about Jiang He and the stolen Destiny HERO card, while Sartorius used the Light of Destruction to examine Aster’s deck.

• Jiang He manifested the complete Crimson Dragon mark on his back, and Camula asked whether he could now revive her clanspeople.
• Jiang He told Camula the mark’s power still fell short, then changed the subject by asking her to bring him juice.
• Alexis Rhodes warned Jiang He that Aster had not previously used his strongest deck and offered to help him prepare; Jiang He’s suggestion that they stay up together made her bite his wrist and leave.
• Aster told Sartorius that Jiang He might be connected to his father’s murder and the theft of the ultimate Destiny HERO card, then gave Sartorius his hidden deck to examine.
• Sartorius returned Aster’s deck and said its fate seemed favorable, while Professor Crowler and Vice Chancellor Bonaparte worried about Aster’s arrival at Duel Academy.

Jiang He arrived at Duel Academy to face professional duelist Aster Phoenix in a duel over who was more worthy of a HERO Deck. Aster revealed his Destiny HERO strategy, while Jiang He summoned a new Elemental HERO and set five cards before Aster activated Royal Decree.

• Aster Phoenix waited for Jiang He, who arrived with Alexis Rhodes and the others and traded sarcastic remarks with Aster.
• Jiang He and Aster began their duel with 4000 LP each, and Aster took the first turn.
• Aster summoned Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude, sent Graceful Charity to the graveyard with its effect, and set two cards.
• Jiang He summoned Elemental HERO Stratos and used its effect to add a HERO monster from his deck to his hand.
• Jiang He set five cards and ended his turn, prompting Aster to activate his face-down Continuous Trap, Royal Decree.

Aster Phoenix countered Jiang He's traps with Royal Decree, then used Mausoleum of the Emperor and Graceful Charity to summon Destiny HERO - Dreadmaster with two revived allies. As Dreadmaster attacked Elemental HERO Stratos, Jiang He remained calm and prepared to show Aster how an “underworld HERO” fought.

• Aster activated Royal Decree, prompting the spectators to blame Chazz for introducing the trap and worry that Jiang He's five set cards would be negated.
• Aster drew for his turn, used Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard Destiny HERO - Defender and Destiny HERO - Drilldark, then activated Mausoleum of the Emperor.
• Aster paid 1,000 Life Points to summon Destiny HERO - Dreadmaster and used its effect to revive Defender and Drilldark from the graveyard.
• Dreadmaster's ATK rose to 3,800, and Aster ordered it to attack Jiang He's Elemental HERO Stratos.
• Jiang He stayed calm as Dreadmaster struck and told Aster he would show him how an “underworld HERO” fought.

Jiang He turned the duel against Aster Phoenix by negating Dreadmaster and boosting Stratos with Honest Neos, leaving Aster with only 600 LP. Aster destroyed his own Royal Decree to escape its trap lockdown, but Jiang He refilled both hands and ended the chapter summoning Vision HERO Vyon.

• Jiang He activated Forbidden Droplet, sending a face-down card to the Graveyard to negate Dreadmaster’s effects and halve its attack.
• Jiang He discarded Honest Neos to raise Stratos’s attack to 4,300, allowing it to destroy Dreadmaster and reduce Aster to 600 LP.
• Aster activated Mystical Space Typhoon from his hand to destroy his own Royal Decree, removing the trap lockdown, then set a card and ended his turn.
• Jiang He activated Card of Sanctity, letting both duelists draw until they had six cards in hand.
• Jiang He summoned Vision HERO Vyon in defense position.