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Chapter 31: Can Dueling Truly Bring Happiness?
Chapter 31: Can Dueling Truly Bring Happiness?
Chronos de Medici, of Italian descent, was a distinctive professor at the Duel Academy. He was known for ending his sentences with "None" and his frequent exclamations of "Mama mia!" His appearance resembled that of a cosplayer of the Greed Jar. However, he was also the head of the Practical Department at the academy, making him arguably the most formidable teacher among the faculty.
In the early part of the anime, Chronos was portrayed as an antagonist, always targeting Jaden and his classmates with his petty schemes. But as the story progressed, it became apparent that his elitist mindset was deeply ingrained, causing him to despise underachieving students while favoring the high-achievers. As the narrative unfolded, Chronos underwent a transformation alongside his students, revealing his true nature as a good teacher at heart.
At this moment, Professor Chronos sat in the chief examiner's seat on the judges' panel, deep in thought after observing You Xuan's assessment duel.
The top student of each year had always been the one who caught Chronos' attention the most. Every year, he would start observing that student's deck and tactics from the entrance examination and then tailor a customized training program to help them improve as quickly as possible.
But this year's top student… Well, one couldn't say he wasn't strong, but he certainly had unique insights into dueling.
"Professor, as per your request, we have retrieved the information on that student's deck," said one of the examiners beside him.
Chronos nodded slightly and accessed the Duel Academy teacher-exclusive terminal to check the deck information.
Let's take a look at this deck, he thought, and the first thing that greeted his eyes was a long string of red cards, almost blinding him.
"Mama mia!" Chronos exclaimed in surprise.
What in the world is this?
In the assessment duel, You Xuan had primarily used a Spellcaster-type deck, along with the few monsters he had summoned. But what about the rest of the cards?
There were a plethora of cards designed to accelerate drawing, such as the Greed Jar and Angel's Charity. He had also utilized cards like "Trick Goblin," "Confiscation," and "Forced Requisition" to mess with his opponent's mind. And then there was a sea of red cards, just glimpsing at them through the screen sent a chill down one's spine.
"Wh-what is this?" the examiner next to him stammered.
Miss Hime, who had been registering students at the entrance, also curiously leaned in, and upon seeing the deck composition, she was taken aback.
Recalling the polite and well-mannered young man who had exuded sunshine when he entered, she wondered, could this really be his deck? It's not that she had any bias against the composition itself.
However, anyone's first impression of this deck would likely be that the player wasn't aiming to win but rather to torment their opponent.
Chronos fell silent as well. According to their fundamental understanding and theoretical knowledge of dueling, this deck undeniably deviated from the textbook standards. If a student of Duel Academy had submitted such a composition as a course design project, he might have given them a failing grade without hesitation.
Yet, when he glanced at the examiner with the sunglasses who had just returned to his seat, looking disheveled and with faintly visible veins popping on his forehead, the outcome of the duel was evident.
Chronos pondered for a moment. Well, the examiners used examination-only decks, which were not their own, so it was understandable if they weren't as proficient with them. Moreover, the strength of those decks was limited.
This student couldn't be said to be without ideas, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that his unconventional creativity showcased a unique talent.
However, in the eyes of the academy teachers, who had long established a comprehensive dueling system, this deck clearly belonged to a deviant path. It wasn't that one couldn't achieve anything with it, but compared to the orthodox methods, it was a crooked road that would limit future achievements. Encountering a truly strong opponent in the future might not be so easy.
Nonetheless, Professor Chronos was highly satisfied with this new student, You Xuan.
Good, good! Having the audacity to think outside the box is a positive sign, he thought to himself. With his years of teaching experience, Chronos could tell that You Xuan had exceptional talent and would undoubtedly achieve greatness.
Chronos quietly made up his mind to include You Xuan in this year's list of students for the "Top-notch Cultivation" program. At the start of the new term, he would apply to the academy for a spot in this program, which provided additional benefits to selected students. Not only would they receive quarterly allowances for deck upgrades, but they would also have higher priority access to rare cards compared to their peers.
Chronos was determined to guide this misguided genius student back onto the right path using the academy's orthodox and wholesome teaching philosophy, and he was confident in his ability to do so.
Next, they observed the examination of the second-place student, a young man named Daichi Mizawa.
Now, this is much more ordinary.
Chronos was delighted, feeling that he had discovered another outstanding talent this year.
Just then, a staff member hurried over to him, bent down, and whispered something in his ear.
Chronos raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Late for the exam? Delayed by the train? What's the student's exam number?"
"110," the staff member replied.
Over a hundred? So, he's at the bottom of the barrel? Chronos immediately lost interest and waved his hand dismissively. "If he could be late for such an important exam, it shows that he doesn't take it seriously at all. To be honest, our school doesn't need underachievers."
An examiner with white hair, who sat next to him adjusting his reading glasses, interjected, "That doesn't seem right, Professor. After all, the exam isn't over yet. Shouldn't we still give him a chance?"
"No, absolutely not!" Chronos exclaimed, waving his hand in refusal.
He thought to himself that it was ridiculous. He already had strong objections to the student with an exam number in the hundreds, and now the student was late, which only added to his displeasure.
However, his phone rang just then.
Chronos answered the call. "Yes? Mr. Principal? Go ahead."
He listened silently for a while, and his expression gradually darkened.
"Yes, that's right. A student was late for the exam. But... well... alright, fine. Yes, Principal."
Chronos hung up, his face gloomy.
Damn it! Not only did the student rank at the bottom in the written test and arrive late for the exam, but he also had some sort of connection.
Chronos wondered who was backing the student, as the principal himself had called to make a request. As the saying goes, 'a higher rank is enough to crush a person,' and he, as the chief examiner, couldn't disobey the principal's order.
However, the principal only asked him to give the student a chance to take the exam and didn't insist that he pass.
Chronos thought about this as he suddenly stood up and hmphed.
"Very well, then. What's the student's name?"
"Yuugi Juudai," replied one of the examiners.
"Good. I'll personally examine this student." With a swish of his robe, Chronos displayed the aura of a master duelist.
"Ah?"
The examiners were all startled. It was rare for the chief examiner to take matters into his own hands like this.
"Please wait a moment!" One of the examiners beside him quickly handed over a handheld case exclusively used for examinations. "Then, please choose an exam deck."
"I don't need that kind of thing."
Without paying any heed to their concerns, Chronos turned and walked away, his face grim.
For this round of the exam, he would use his own deck—the one that was famous among the faculty and students, the one he took great pride in—the ultra-rare Ancient Gear deck.
He would teach this ignorant underachiever a lesson about the harsh realities of the world.
". . ."
The examiner with sunglasses sat back down in his seat.
More than ten minutes had passed, but as he recalled the duel that had just taken place, he felt angrier and angrier.
Especially when he kept remembering how, before the duel began, the student had asked him if his red tie would affect his grades. At the time, he hadn't thought much of it, but now, as he replayed that scene in his mind, he felt that the seemingly polite question had been a veiled mockery.
As the examiner with sunglasses brooded, he unconsciously looked up and saw Professor Chronos dueling a student with jellyfish-like hair in the arena below.
". . . The effect of Skyscraper! When my 'Elemental Hero Flame Wingman' battles a monster with higher ATK, its ATK increases by 1000 points, surpassing your 'Ancient Gear Golem'!
Furthermore, when Flame Wingman destroys an opponent's monster in battle, it inflicts damage equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster!
Go! Flame Shot!"
"Mama mia!!!" Chronos exclaimed in shock.
An explosion rang out, and amidst the shocked gasps of the audience, Professor Chronos was seen clutching his head and falling to the ground, crushed by the rubble of his defeated Ancient Gear Golem.
[Chronos: LP 0]
The entire arena was stunned.
How could it be? The chief professor of the academy, the head of practical education, had lost?
And he had been using his legendary Ancient Gear deck, only to be defeated by a student at the bottom of the class?
But that wasn't all.
The student with the jellyfish hair jumped forward and mockingly struck a pose in front of the defeated teacher, a broad smile on his face.
"I win! What an interesting duel, Teacher!"
Chronos: ". . ."
For some reason, when the examiner with sunglasses saw the chief examiner lying on the ground, clutching his head, he found himself smiling.
Suddenly, he didn't feel so angry anymore.
Indeed, Juudai was right.
Duels truly could bring happiness.
(End of Chapter)
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