"What are you two up to?"
Before the duel, in the lounge, Chazz frowned at his two long-absent older brothers.
"Our Princeton Group worked with the TV station; this year's Duel Academy showdown will be broadcast nationwide," said eldest brother Slade Princeton.
"National broadcast?" Chazz's heart skipped a beat.
To duel Kira… in front of the whole country?
He immediately felt nervous.
"That's right, this broadcast is part of our brothers' plan," Slade went on. "To establish the Princeton Empire in the world.
The two of us will reach the top of politics and business, and you, Chazz, must stand at the summit of Duel Monsters.
The three of us, working together, will build a super empire rivaling even the Kaiba Corporation. You haven't forgotten, have you?"
Chazz: "…"
"We also heard from Professor Crowler that you were expelled from here three months ago."
Chazz: "That was…"
"No need to explain," second brother Jagger Princeton stood up. "You've always been the weakest among us. Think about how much we've invested in you, and how little you've given back.
This broadcast cannot accept failure. You must win, and win beautifully, before the eyes of the entire nation! Do you understand?"
Chazz fell silent briefly.
"…Yes."
….
The academy's duel arena was instantly packed. The stands looked like a surging sea, the crowd buzzing. TV cameras shuttled between the audience and the arena, capturing everything for viewers nationwide.
"Back here again, Chazz," Kira said as he donned his duel disk and stepped onto the field, smiling. "This must be the third time, right?"
"But this time will be nothing like before."
Chazze activated his duel disk, saying coldly.
"This time, I've crawled up from the deepest pit of hell. I've undergone a complete transformation! Defeating you, surpassing the wall that once stopped me, is my first step!
So this time, victory will be mine… and it must be mine!"
He glanced at the seats where his two brothers sat.
"…It has to be me!"
As he finished speaking, the spirit of Yellow Ojama floated out from his deck: "Don't worry, Boss, I'll do my best!"
"Shut up!" Chazz snapped. "Do you think I'd let a loser like you appear in such an important match?"
"Eh!?" Ojama Yellow looked hurt, his eyes drooping. "How could you say that…"
"Oh, looks like you've made some good friends on your journey, Chazz," Kira smiled.
"What? No, this guy isn't… not this scrub…" Chazz shoved Ojama Yellow back into the deck.
Though Ojamas would become his signature monsters in the future, at this stage Chazz still looked down on scrub monsters. No matter how much Ojama Yellow begged, he refused to use him in battle, saying it would be absurd for such a scrub to appear on this important stage.
"My deck is stronger than ever now. Watch, Kira. This time will be different."
"Interesting, I've prepared the perfect deck for you too," Kira smiled. "Let's see what happens."
"Duel!" ×2
[Kira, LP 4000]
[Chazz, LP 4000]
"I'll go first. Draw!" Chazz said. "Activate Spell Card 'Graceful Charity!' Draw three cards and discard two.
Then I set a monster in face-down defense, and set another card. Turn end."
"My turn. Draw."
Kira drew, then calmly inserted a card into his duel disk.
"First, activate 'Graceful Charity.' Draw three, discard two."
He discarded two cards, but one immediately triggered an effect.
"One discarded card is 'Learning Elf.' When sent to the graveyard, I draw one card." (Manga card)
No explanation needed—it was from the Industrial Illusion, the same card Gekko used against Kira.
"Next, I activate this card—
—Spell Card 'Reasoning.'"
"Reasoning, huh." Chazz was familiar with this card.
"That's right. The opponent declares a monster level. Cards are revealed from the top of the deck until a summonable monster appears. If the level matches, it goes to the graveyard. If not, it's special summoned, and the rest go to the graveyard."
Chazz frowned.
He'd faced Kira twice before, but Kira's deck was always different, making it impossible to guess the level.
Based on past experience, Kira's first duel deck focused on banishing level 4 monsters, the second was "VWXYZ," both with level 4s as the most common.
"I'll declare Level 4," Chazz said.
Kira revealed three cards; the fourth was a monster.
"Ha, it's this guy."
Kira revealed the monster.
"Too bad, it's 'Spell Canceller,' Level 5, one level higher than you guessed.
So 'Spell Canceller' is special summoned."
[Spell Canceller, ATK 1800]
"Spell Canceller."
Chazz frowned again.
He knew Kira often used this card. Field-wide lockout effects were notoriously oppressive, and it was no surprise Kira would use them.
"Spell Canceller attacks the set monster," Kira said.
A beam of energy shot from the machine, striking the covered monster. It flipped over: the Level 3 Dragon "Masked Dragon."
"When Masked Dragon is destroyed by battle and sent to the graveyard, its effect activates!"
As Chazz spoke, a golden light shot from his deck.
"Special summon a Dragon-type monster with 1500 or less ATK from the deck.
Come forth! My ace from the North Academy—"
Chazz raised his arm high. The golden light landed on his field, taking the form of a small dragon.
"Armed Dragon LV3!"
[Armed Dragon LV3, ATK 1200]
Seeing their Academy's ace appear, the Northern students all clenched their fists and shouted: "King! King! King!"
Syrus was surprised: "Level monsters?"
"Just like Kira's Silent Magician," top student Misawa explained. "They level up automatically under certain conditions. But that's a legendary, super-rare card…"
Chancellor Sheppard was shocked: "That's the secret treasure card entrusted to the North Academy. Foster, you—"
Under Sheppard's questioning look, Foster just crossed his arms, looking shrewd.
"Hmph. I told you, I'm serious this year. I'll claim the reward no matter what."
Sheppard jumped up in alarm.
Ms. Dorothy's kiss, for this old guy?
Impossible! Absolutely not! He couldn't accept it!
"Don't kid yourself, the reward is mine this year too!"
Sheppard desperately waved his fist.
"Kira! You must win! You absolutely can't lose!!!"
Kira chuckled.
The old chancellor, still fighting for a kiss from Ms. Dorothy after all these years.
"Then, I'll also set a monster face-down."
Kira placed two cards on the field, one front and one back.
"And set another card. Turn end."