"Chumley, you truly are a young hero." After sending off the students, teachers, director, and interview crew who had successfully capitalized on Chumley's popularity, the principal mysteriously kept Chumley behind, seemingly wanting to tell him something.
However, he didn't get straight to the point, instead continuing to exchange pleasantries with him after the interview ended, skillfully engaging in mutual flattery.
"This is all thanks to the school's nurturing of me; without the teachers' education, how could I be where I am today?" Chumley responded with a fake smile, but had no intention of continuing to beat around the bush with the principal. "But Principal, you kept me behind alone. It's not because you think I'm handsome and want to look at me a bit longer, is it?"
"Of course there's a reason I called you, Chumley," the principal said, still wearing that mysterious smile. "Because a very important person entrusted me with something to give to you."
"An important person?"
Chumley was a little puzzled, watching the portly principal, who resembled Gabe Newell, struggle to bend over, his large belly straining, as he retrieved a not-so-small box from his office desk drawer and placed it in front of Chumley.
"This box is what someone asked me to give to you. However, they emphasized that only you can open it, so I don't know what's inside." The principal pushed the box towards Chumley. "Remember to take it home before opening it, Chumley. That's also one of their requests."
"May I ask first, who is 'that person'?"
The principal shook his head. "I can't tell you, that's their request. However, he said you'll know once you open the box."
Seeing the principal's unexpectedly tight-lipped demeanor, Chumley didn't press further. He grabbed the handle and lifted the box. The box was surprisingly light.
"If there's nothing else, I'll head home then, Principal?"
"Yes, go, Chumley. Be careful on your way home~" The expression on the principal's face still hadn't changed.
Until Chumley walked out of the principal's office and closed the door.
The closing door was like a pressed switch. The principal's face suddenly became a little blank, as if he had zoned out. His hands, which had been resting on the table, dropped. With a chest-expanding motion, a button on his suit jacket flew off, revealing his chest.
If Chumley had still been there, he would have been extremely surprised, because on the principal's chest, there was a Millennium Eye, glowing with a faint golden light. In ancient Egyptian culture, this symbol represented punishment, but in the Yu-Gi-Oh! World, this eye could also signify one thing—the symbol of a Shadow Game!
Somewhere unknown, a man dressed in Egyptian attire, with a white turban wrapped around his head and a white robe, opened his grayish-blue eyes. He murmured to himself: "Embodying the aura of both the Pharaoh and Prana, Chumley, who are you truly?"
"I hope you won't become a variable in the Pharaoh's return to the Underworld." The man's voice, along with his figure, was gradually swallowed by the void and disappeared.
————Behind the Scenes————
"What's actually inside the box, Big Bro?" After leaving school, as soon as the crowd thinned, (Ojama Yellow) climbed onto the box Chumley was carrying, curiously tapped its outer shell, wanting to find out what was inside.
"Alright, you have nine more sentences to speak today."
"Huh? Why does even asking a question count, Big Bro~"
"Eight."
"I'll shut up!"
"Seven."
Counting down to "seven," seeing that (Ojama Yellow) had indeed honestly shut its mouth, Chumley finally explained: "You guys heard it in the office earlier, didn't you? Someone, I don't know who, asked the principal to give it to me."
"Although the principal has been acting weird ever since the interview ended today, there's one thing I can be sure of: that I should honestly do as the mysterious person said and open the box only after I get home." Chumley paused here. "However, I plan to go see Yugi and the others first. We agreed to play a Duel with Joey today."
"That guy, who's no different from a (Normal Monster), how could he possibly be Big Bro's Opponent!"
"Big Bro is the strongest, Big Bro is the best~"
(Ojama Green) and (Ojama Black) also climbed onto the box to join the fun.
"You two still have nine speaking opportunities left today. Don't forget, whoever speaks the least, I'll pick them to be my punching bag in the next Duel." Chumley "kindly" reminded them, and the Ojama brothers, who were just about to get noisy, immediately quieted down obediently.
Walking near Yugi's house, he spotted the 'GAME' sign of the Kame Game Shop from afar, but Chumley sensed something was off.
The sky was already slightly dim. Normally at this time, Grandpa Muto, who ran the shop, would have already turned on the sign's lights; he wasn't the kind of old man who would be stingy and reluctant to turn on the lights at night. But today, why wasn't the Kame Game Shop's 'GAME' sign lit up?
He was almost at the shop's front door, yet there wasn't a sound from inside, as if no one was home?
Chumley quickly sped up his pace and reached the Kame Game Shop's door. He pushed the closed door, but it didn't budge; clearly, the front door was locked.
This was really strange, wasn't it? Not to mention Grandpa Muto, he had agreed to meet Yugi and the others here today. Even if Joey was dismissed a bit later today, Yugi and Téa should still be here, right?
Something must have definitely happened!
Involuntarily, Chumley thought of Grandpa Muto's miraculous 'Millennium Hostage' physique. He gets kidnapped every time something big happens, almost rivaling Ayumi from the Detective Boys in the next anime.
With a direction for his suspicion, and calculating the time, it seemed like it was about time for Kaiba to kidnap Grandpa Muto for a card Duel, wasn't it?
He turned his head to look at the towering KaibaCorp building, which could be seen from anywhere in Domino City as long as one looked up. Chumley couldn't help but let out a wry smile. "Looks like I'll have to make a cameo as a Runner today. I hope I'm not too late?"
He vaguely remembered that Solomon Muto had agreed to the Duel to awaken Kaiba's misguided Heart (of the Cards), relying on his powerful Heart of the Cards ability, meticulous Dueling tactics, and a perfect Deck composition.
But just as the Duel began, he was so startled by the Duel Monster's virtual image that he suffered a heart attack and immediately lost the Match.
Therefore, a Duelist's greatest enemies, besides annoying women and a Perfect Hand, are heart problems. Not only Solomon Muto, but in the future, another pathetic Duelist who liked to make 'hoo-hoo-hoo' sounds, told people not to blink, and struggled even at full life points, would also lose easily-won victories due to heart problems.
If the world of Transmigration is Yu-Gi-Oh!, then the character Shadi cannot be avoided.
But why does he have this attitude towards the protagonist? Allow me to leave this as a plot thread for now.
(end of chapter)