Chapter 81: There's Definitely a Catch!
Chapter 81: There's Definitely a Catch!
"It's you!?"
Manjome suddenly sat back in his chair, his eyes widening as he stared at the newcomer.
"You want to join the Duel Club too?"
"Yep. Why, so surprised?" You Xuan glanced at him curiously, "Have you missed me?"
"N-no way!"
Manjome realized his reaction was a bit over the top and glared at You Xuan before sitting back down, refusing to say another word.
He had been too careless. He should have expected that this jerk would show up as well.
Just moments ago, Manjome had been thinking about showcasing his skills and dominating the Duel Club, but now he suddenly felt indifferent. Joining the club didn't seem all that appealing anymore.
However, at that moment, one of Manjome's underlings cautiously suggested, "Big bro, why don't we just forget about signing up?"
Manjome immediately glared at him.
Backing down now would make him look weak.
"No need," Manjome huffed, his eyes cold as he looked at You Xuan, "In fact, I've been wanting a rematch with you. I underestimated you last time, but I'm not the same as before. Next time, I'll be the winner."
"Sure, bring it on," You Xuan readily agreed.
Manjome wasn't exactly scared of You Xuan. Ever since he had accepted the fact that this guy, with his gloomy demeanor, was also a student at Duel Academy, he had been thinking about a rematch to redeem himself. So, whether or not they joined the Duel Club, a second duel was inevitable—it had nothing to do with cowardice.
However, Manjome had a strange premonition. He felt that if this person passed the test and joined the Duel Club today—which was highly likely—the atmosphere within the club might take a turn for the worse. This person had a talent for spreading a dense, gloomy aura wherever he went; in a sense, he was a walking plague.
As the saying goes, 'close to vermilion, you will be stained red; close to ink, you will be stained black'. Manjome wasn't sure if he wanted to be in the same environment as this guy; he feared being molded into the same shape.
You Xuan didn't know what Manjome was thinking, but seeing that he hadn't taken his eyes off him, he knew it had something to do with him.
Hmm, the kid has a rebellious streak. He must be itching for another beating.
No problem, I'll just have to teach him another lesson when the opportunity arises.
Manjome might have thought that his loss was due to underestimating his opponent—which could be true—or perhaps he had indeed gotten stronger. However, during this time, You Xuan had obtained a large number of cards from the spirit world, elevating his deck to a level far beyond his initial stage.
The second round would definitely teach the kid a lesson about the harsh realities of the world.
You Xuan looked around and was surprised to find that a certain familiar jellyfish-haired person was absent.
It didn't make sense for Jaden Yuki, known for his insatiable love for dueling, to miss an opportunity like this.
As the protagonist of the series, Jaden had dueled in 67 out of the total 180 episodes of the TV animation. Clearly, in Jaden's world, not dueling when you had the chance wasn't an option.
But then, You Xuan remembered.
Oh right, Jaden is in Osiris Red, and the Duel Club doesn't recruit from there. Never mind then.
As a proponent of elite education, Duel Academy placed students of Osiris Red at the bottom of the pecking order. It was only natural that the Duel Club's recruitment drive wouldn't give students from the Red Dormitory a chance.
If you wanted to join an elite club, you had to at least be in the Yellow Dormitory to qualify for registration.
". . ."
"Alright, let's begin the assessment for new members of the Duel Club."
A senior student from Obelisk Blue stepped onto the stage and picked up a microphone.
"Due to time constraints, I'll keep this brief. I'll just explain the rules simply. The Duel Club will arrange some official members to defend their titles, and newcomers can challenge any senior student of their choice.
Of course, our seniors in the Duel Club are all seasoned elites, so we don't necessarily require you to win the duels. However, we want to see you showcase your skills and style.
The judges will give you a score based on your performance, with a perfect score being ten points. As long as you score six points or more, you will pass the assessment."
Wow, there's even a judging and scoring process. You Xuan wondered if it was based on the beauty of the cards played and whether the mentors would turn their chairs.
"Of course, if there is a newcomer who is exceptional enough to defeat one of the defending members, you have the right to skip the scoring process and pass directly."
The senior students at the academy received systematic training, so it stood to reason that their drawing and deck-building skills would be superior. Moreover, having spent more time at the academy, it was only natural that they would have accumulated a larger collection of rare cards. Thus, barring the exceptional cases of encountering extraordinarily gifted young talents, it was uncommon for the senior members of the Duel Club to lose.
"Then, without further ado, let the assessment begin."
You Xuan surveyed the room as a few students took their turns to challenge the incumbents. Unsurprisingly, none of them stood a chance against the defending members.
The first five challengers all lost, though one of them barely scraped by with a score of six, passing the assessment and joining the Duel Club.
As You Xuan watched the matches, he accessed the Duel Club's assessment module on the student terminal and looked up the information on several of the defending examiners.
He familiarized himself with their accolades, the competitions they had won, the tournaments they had represented the academy or club in, their preferred deck types, and tactical styles. After gathering the information he needed, You Xuan stood up from his seat.
It was almost his turn to take the stage.
"Next up, we have contestant You Xuan, right?" asked the host. "Which senior student would you like to challenge?"
You Xuan stepped onto the dueling field and politely said, "I would like to challenge Senior Watanabe Shoichi. May I?"
The moment he spoke, numerous eyes turned to him.
Watanabe Shoichi was the only defending member who hadn't been challenged yet. The reason was simple: he was one of the mainstays of the Duel Club and had the most impressive resume among them.
He had entered the academy as a middle school elite, guaranteed a spot in Obelisk Blue, and had represented the academy in various competitions, winning two major tournaments. Since joining the Duel Club, he had consistently been a key player.
"Interesting," Shoichi remarked as he stood up from his seat, dressed in the blue uniform. He put on his Duel Disk and stepped into the arena, his eyes filled with interest as he sized up You Xuan.
While he was there to defend the club during the recruitment drive, he had assumed he would be a mere spectator. He had even mentally prepared himself to sit through the day without being challenged, believing that no one would dare face him.
Shoichi smiled and said, "Don't think that by choosing to challenge me, the passing standards will be lowered. The judges' scoring criteria will remain the same."
"I understand, Senior Shoichi. No need to go easy on me," You Xuan replied politely, a smile on his face.
"Good, you've got courage. That's exactly the kind of bold talent the Duel Club needs," Shoichi said, pausing briefly. "Assuming, of course, that you have the skills to back it up."
"Then, Senior Shoichi, why don't we find out?" You Xuan countered.
"Duel!" they both exclaimed.
The whispers of the students filled the arena.
"This newcomer sure is confident," one student remarked.
"Can you believe someone actually challenged Shoichi? That's just arrogance!" another student added.
"Have you heard about this year's Moon-Viewing Cup?"
"No way! Is this newbie that strong?"
". . ."
At that moment, perhaps the only person in the entire arena who could predict the outcome of the duel was Manjome, who had been sitting next to You Xuan earlier.
Manjome's eyes were fixed on You Xuan, not blinking once.
Hearing others seriously analyze Senior Shoichi's strengths and impeccable tactics, Manjome had to restrain himself from refuting their claims.
"You don't understand the gravity of the situation!" he wanted to shout. Just before You Xuan took the stage, Manjome had witnessed him scrolling through the profiles of the defending members on his terminal, paying particular attention to their preferred decks and trump cards.
And when You Xuan's eyes landed on Shoichi's profile, Manjome saw a spark of excitement in his eyes, as if he had discovered something intriguing that he couldn't wait to test in a duel.
Although Manjome couldn't fathom what devious ideas were brewing in that scheming mind, one thing was certain.
This guy was definitely up to something!
(End of Chapter)
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