"Hmm, I suppose many of you have already heard."
The Duel Club gathered all the new members, and the tall upperclassman stood at the front giving a speech.
"Yes, the Duel Club organizes rookie duels every year. On the one hand, it helps you adapt to competitive play faster, and on the other, it helps everyone bond.
This year's in-club tournament will be in two weeks, so you have time to adjust your decks."
Not long after, Kira noticed a lot of eyes on him.
"Um...senpai, does everyone have to participate?" someone asked.
"Of course! Why join the Duel Club if you won't duel?"
Some students groaned, especially those from Ra Yellow Dorm, looking utterly miserable.
No way, another rookie exchange? Haven't we exchanged enough? Can't we skip it?
Just thinking they might get matched with Kira made their backs go cold.
They had to spend three years at school with him and probably duel him countless times...
The future looked bleak.
"Well, that's all for today. You're dismissed," the busty senpai smiled. "But the club encourages dueling anytime. Members can have a practice match to get to know each other."
"Senpai! I just remembered I left my kettle on—I gotta go!"
In a moment, most had bolted.
"These rookies are boring this year."
The busty senpai crossed her arms and pouted.
Then Kira walked up and smiled: "Senpai, looks like there aren't many left. The practice match isn't happening. How about you and I have a round?"
The busty senpai gasped.
"Ah, sorry, kouhai. I just remembered I left my laundry out—I'll be going, haha..."
No one to duel, Kira shrugged, not minding.
It was fine; he'd gotten in plenty of duels at the club over the past two days. But most opponents only played him once—no one seemed to want a rematch. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel-fire.net
Reminded him of when he first arrived at the dojo...
But he'd gained plenty. He'd earned a lot of DP points and found some interesting cards in the club's stock.
[Abyss Soldier, Level 4, ATK 1800
Effect: Once per turn, discard a WATER monster to return a card on the field to its owner's hand.]
A rare card, but not too expensive, since WATER monsters are relatively niche.
Regardless, it was worth its price, and Kira picked up three.
He was already imagining a fun new deck build.
After dinner, he took a walk and headed back to the dorm early. Since arriving on the island, he'd kept a regular schedule—early to bed, early to rise. Teachers said duelists needed a good mental state, as poor conditions could affect performance.
But tonight, soon after returning, Kira sensed something.
He went to the window and saw the spirit of Black Luster Soldier floating outside, staring into the distance.
That kind of reaction was rare. Kira opened the window: "What's up?"
Black Luster Soldier hesitated: "Not sure, but...I sense a spirit."
"A spirit? On the island?" Kira considered. "Can you sense the direction?"
Kira grabbed his coat. "Let's go check it out."
He left the dorm and walked along the shore into the forest. The woods seemed cloaked in darkness, the moonlight barely lighting the damp ground, the air full of earth and leaves.
Duel Academy Island was a mysterious place—portals to the spirit world had appeared more than once in the original, each time to a different dimension. Random spirits, even the legendary Dark Magician Girl, would show up.
The anime said the Academy's location was one of the places closest to the spirit world, which explained why so many strange events happened.
Dry leaves crunched underfoot, unnaturally loud in the quiet night, as if the woods whispered. The twisted shadows looked ready to reach out and drag you into the abyss.
Kira soon arrived at an old building.
It looked like an abandoned dorm, with peeling walls, exposed stone, and broken windows covered in webs, rattling in the wind.
"Is this the abandoned dorm?"
Kira realized. Rumor had it many students disappeared here, including Atticus Rhodes, Asuka's brother, once called one of the Academy's two aces alongside Zane.
Of course, Atticus was the literal unbeatable myth—he never won on screen, despite lots of duels, so his reputation might be overrated.
Then Kira heard rustling on the other side of the dorm.
Someone was approaching.
Syrus: "Big bro, it's so dark and scary here. Maybe we should go back..."
"What are you saying!" Jaden was full of energy. "If you're scared of this, what's the point of exploring?"
Chumley: "Er, you're the one who dragged us here, Jaden..."
At that moment, a branch snapped behind them.
Syrus and Chumley screamed and clung to each other: "It's a ghost!"
A flashlight swept over. Kira shielded his eyes and said calmly, "Don't worry, it's just me."
Jaden: "Huh? It's you!"
"Hm? Fujiki Kira from Ra Yellow Dorm..."
Chumley had seen Kira duel and heard the rumors. His expression was complicated.
"Well, if it's Kira, nothing to worry about," Chumley laughed, scratching his head. "With you here, even ghosts would be scared off."
Kira squinted: "That's harsh."
He thought Chumley was a nice guy—didn't expect him to join in slandering.
Sure, people sometimes lost their smiles after dueling him, but overall, he brought more joy. Even those he'd beaten seemed happy as spectators afterward.
So overall, he brought more happiness through dueling. The academy rumors were just that—rumors.
"So, what are you guys...?" Kira asked.
"Exploring!" Jaden said proudly. "Professor Lyman told us about this place—sounds fun!"
So that's it—tonight was the night in the story when Jaden and friends encountered the Shadow Duelist Titan.
The first time a Shadow Duel appeared in GX.