Chapter 164: I Challenge the Top Student?
Chapter 164: I Challenge the Top Student?
"I actually completed it."
With just a day left before the conference, Asuka held the freshly printed ritual card in her hand, still smelling of ink, and felt a momentary daze.
Even as an elite student who was granted admission to the academy, she never imagined that in her first year, she would achieve something so extraordinary.
First, there was the large-scale upgrade and enhancement of her entire Electronic Angel deck, and now she had even printed a new card that was unheard of by her predecessors—Nasatemy, the Electronic Angel.
This was the five-star ritual angel that You Xuan had inspired her with before, known in the Electronic series for its unique effect of "NTR" against opposing monsters.
"As expected of a student from Tenjou-in, to have achieved this so quickly," Mizawa Daichi praised generously. "It looks like I'll have to speed up my progress as well; I can't let myself fall too far behind."
"No, it's just luck. And I have You Xuan to thank for pointing me in the right direction," Asuka said, feeling a sense of wonderment.
As far as she knew, in card creation, even if one could grasp a general direction through research, it was still just a vague notion. Many times, even the designer couldn't predict what a card would be like until it was finished.
But up to this point, You Xuan had given her the impression that he clearly knew what each card should be.
"In that case, you probably haven't mentioned this card in the article you submitted, have you?" Mizawa asked.
"Yes, because I was still in the development stage when I wrote the paper," Asuka replied.
It would be perfect to showcase this new achievement at the conference.
After submitting her article a few days ago, she had heard that the reviewers were quite enthusiastic, and they had sent her a special email inquiring about related matters, emphasizing repeatedly that she must be present at the conference.
She wondered what their reaction would be if they knew that in the last two days before the conference, she had printed another new card.
Master Daitokuji fell silent as he looked at the new Electronic Angel card.
How should he describe this card?
At the very least, the art style was completely different from the straightforward and upright style of the previous Electronic Angels.
If he had to say, the art style gave him a sense of deja vu, reminiscent of someone he knew... perhaps that boy, You Xuan?
Master Daitokuji narrowed his eyes, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards You Xuan, who was focused on reading literature at the next table.
As if sensing the gaze, You Xuan raised an eyebrow.
I have nothing to do with this.
While the art style of this card differed slightly from the old Electronic cards, Nasatemy was indeed part of the Electronic series, and he hadn't made it up out of thin air.
This was what the Electronic Angel was truly like.
"Indeed, it's impressive," Master Daitokuji acknowledged, holding the card in his hand to examine it before slowly placing it back into Asuka's hands.
As he had been closely monitoring the progress of this lab, he was aware that while Asuka was the one physically printing the cards, You Xuan was the one guiding the overall design direction.
And from the deviation in the art style of this new card, it was evident that it leaned more towards You Xuan's style, who favored subtle strategies, rather than Asuka's preference for aggressive frontal assaults.
Master Daitokuji looked at You Xuan again, his interest piqued, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
The more he saw of this boy, the more he felt that he possessed extraordinary talent.
He wondered if he should consider letting You Xuan inherit his "Grand Cosmos".
Master Daitokuji used an Alchemical deck, but almost all the cards in it were animation cards, and even after nearly two decades, most of them had not been physically printed.
However, there was one card in his possession that had withstood the test of time and remained a force to be reckoned with. Over the years, duelists had come to regard it as a heavyweight ancestor of the underworld.
Continuous Trap Card—Grand Cosmos.
Its effect was simple and brutal. As long as this card remained on the field, all cards sent to the graveyards by both players were banished from the game.
One could imagine how significant this was in the modern Yu-Gi-Oh! era, where graveyards had become a secondary hand. This single card practically eliminated the graveyard concept, and for decks that heavily relied on graveyard resources and needed to rely on repeated revival tactics, a single Grand Cosmos could potentially wipe out the entire deck.
Before his demise, he would need to find a worthy successor to entrust his legacy to, and in the anime, he chose none other than Yugi Moto.
While Yugi was deemed a talented alchemist by Master Daitokuji, their card deck styles were starkly different. Thus, You Xuan mused that while Yugi could be the heir to the alchemy tradition, he, You Xuan, desired to inherit the master's will, along with the Grand Cosmos deck.
The next day, You Xuan and his two companions departed the island and arrived at the conference venue, which was set up at the headquarters of International Illusion Society.
The spacious and brightly lit conference hall was filled with rows of neatly arranged chairs occupied by high-level industry leaders and researchers. At the center of the hall stood a massive lectern, and multimedia screens displayed the conference's theme and agenda.
Since entering the venue, Asuka had taken her third deep breath, her chest heaving.
"Don't be nervous," You Xuan said.
"I-I'm not nervous at all!" Asuka quickly defended herself. "I'm just thinking about what to say later."
You Xuan smiled but didn't say anything further.
However, it was only natural to feel nervous. Whether it was Asuka or Daichi, no matter how talented they were, they were still just freshmen who had suddenly been thrust into a situation where they had to present their work to a group of industry elites. Anyone would feel anxious.
"Wow, is that Yako Tenma?" Daichi whispered, pointing in a certain direction.
Following his gaze, they spotted Yako sitting at the end of the conference table—the same Yako whom You Xuan had encountered not long ago.
"Yako Tenma?" Asuka exclaimed in surprise. "I heard he's the new leader of the International Illusion Society, and he's also a legendary Duelist who has faced the original King of Games."
"Indeed," You Xuan nodded. "I've dueled him before."
The two friends turned to him with astonished looks on their faces.
You? Against someone of that caliber?
"I'm embarrassed," You Xuan said humbly. "I barely managed to scrape by with a slight advantage. It was pure luck."
Their expressions grew even more exaggerated.
"Are you serious?" Daichi blurted out.
He had always known that You Xuan was no ordinary person, but to have won against such a formidable Duelist...
Just then, a woman approached them with quick strides. She wore a tailored navy blue suit, elegant yet dignified. The sunlight streaming through the windows seemed to impart a golden sheen to her long hair.
"Are you Tenjoin Asuka and Fujiki You Xuan?" she asked directly.
"Yes," You Xuan replied. "May I ask who you are?"
"Oh, pardon me. I'm Takahashi Misaki," the woman introduced herself.
"Chief Takahashi of the Electronic Research Association?" Asuka asked in surprise.
She was a prominent figure in their field.
"Yes, that's me. I've read your research paper on the Electronic Angel, and to be frank, it was quite astonishing," Takahashi smiled. "If all the developments mentioned in the paper have been realized, then your work is nothing short of revolutionary, and the word 'genius' would not do it justice."
"Thank you," Asuka said, glancing at You Xuan. "But it was mostly You Xuan who came up with the ideas."
Takahashi's gaze swept over them, a smile playing on her lips.
"To be honest, I hadn't planned on attending this conference today, but after reading your paper, I changed my mind. You see, I have a small request," she said. "I assume you have your new Electronic Angel deck with you?"
Asuka nodded. "Yes, I do."
"In that case," Takahashi produced a Duel Disk, "would you be so kind as to Duel me and let me see it in action?"
"Huh?" Asuka blinked.
Am I dueling the Chief?
(End of Chapter)
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