The frigid polar region's sky displayed a gloomy hue. Heavy, dark clouds loomed over the massive academy buildings, turbulent thunderclouds rolled like enormous waves in an endless abyss.
This was the location of the Northern Academy of Duel Academy.
"Lightning! Lightning! Lightning..."
Below the high platform, all the students gathered here, waving their fists at the figure on stage, chanting the name of the new king from the main branch, who had overwhelmed the branch school in just one day.
A lightning bolt slashed through the sky, its brilliance like a silver sword cleaving the thick clouds. Chazz stood beneath the thunderclouds, his black attire flapping like a cloak in the electric light.
He raised his fist high and led the chant: "Chazz Lightning!"
In unison, all the students chanted while waving their fists: "Chazz Lightning—"
Hmm, it seemed no one found it awkward.
"Very well."
The principal of the Northern Academy adjusted his glasses, approached Chazz, and handed him a card deck.
"Principal, this is..."
"This is the rarest card deck preserved by our school; it should reveal its power in your hands." The principal handed the deck to him, "Take this deck and fight with all your might, new king Chazz!
No, or perhaps I should say... Chazz Lightning!"
Even the principal seemed to intentionally raise his tone at the end, stirring another cheer from the crowd below.
"Lightning! Lightning! Chazz Lightning..."
Chazz took the deck, quickly glanced over it, and then looked up in astonishment: "Isn't this deck..."
"Haha, exactly."
The principal adjusted his glasses; the reflection on the lenses obscured his eyes, giving him a somewhat sinister appearance.
"It means we must use any means necessary to win this time. Listen, Chazz, we've lost several consecutive years in the annual friendship duel with the main branch.
This time, no matter what, I must win, even for Tami... uh, no, for the glory of our school!"
Chazz: "Wait a minute, did something strange just slip in there..."
But the principal didn't give him a chance to ask: "So this time, even if it's by any means necessary, we must win!"
Saying this, he raised his fist once more.
"Chazz Lightning!"
The students' unified chant once again drowned the venue, interrupting Chazz's doubt.
Chazz pondered, then glanced at the deck in his hand.
He then took out the card deck from the case behind him and gazed at it in fascination.
This was an incredible set of cards he encountered while wandering from the main branch to the Northern Academy, during his journey.
The power residing within was something he had never imagined before.
As if resonating with his mind, as he gazed at the deck, it seemed to emit a gentle white light, converging towards the thunderous sky.
Chazz looked up, watching the thunderclouds in a trance. The bright light converged into a giant silhouette, sketching the image of a dragon.
Interwoven with light and shadow, its body seemed divided by an invisible boundary. One half basked in dazzling brilliance, the other in endless darkness.
Light and darkness marvelously dwelled within this single form.
Chazz gazed at the dragon's shadow in a trance.
"Lightning, what are you spacing out about?"
The principal's question pulled him back to reality.
"Principal..." Chazz snapped back, asking with some strangeness, "Principal, can't you all... see this?"
The principal, puzzled, followed his gaze.
"See what? Did you see something?"
The principal scratched his bald head, looking at the empty sky.
"...Nothing."
Chazz withdrew his gaze.
The crowd once again erupted in cheers, shouting his name, but Chazz remained distracted.
When no one noticed, Chazz once again took out that card from the case.
It was the wondrous card he encountered on his distant journey, named "Dragon of Light and Darkness," housing the spirit.
"So this is a spirit... Is that so? Will you also lend me your power, to grant me the strength to defeat that guy and return to the top?" he murmured to himself.
Yet at that moment, another semi-transparent silhouette emerged. The cutely ugly yellow figure, a mini-sized version like a keychain, complete with exaggerated red shorts, hopped onto Chazz's shoulder.
"Big bro~ I'm also a spirit, look at me too."
The Ojama Yellow Elf covered its flushed face, its red-shorted behind wiggling.
A "井" symbol instantly appeared on Chazz's forehead.
"Get lost."
...
...
A day later, a massive submarine fortress surfaced near the coast of the main campus on Academy Island. Principal Jiaodao personally led the way, with a large contingent of students organized by the Student Union to greet them by the shore.
"Principal Jiaodao!"
"Principal Ichinose!"
The two principals, both with bald heads, exchanged cordial handshakes, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
At least, it appeared so on the surface.
Jiaodao: "You look well."
Ichinose: "Same to you haha, you seem younger than ever."
"I'll be counting on your guidance again, Principal Ichinose."
"No, no, I'm the one who should learn from you."
"..."
After some simple formal pleasantries, Principal Ichinose adjusted his glasses, his gaze suddenly becoming sharp: "By the way, how has Tami been lately?"
Principal Jiaodao's smile instantly faded as he narrowed his eyes in vigilance: "Hmph, naturally. Tami is indispensable for this competition."
New students couldn't help but feel puzzled at this point.
Tami? The plump Auntie Tami from the snack shop?
However, all the students in the academy knew that although Auntie Tami was amicable and skilled, she knew nothing about dueling. What connection could she possibly have to the competition?
However, Yugen understood that to the principals, Auntie Tami was the key figure in the competition.
The reason both principals kept repeating "must win at all costs" was because the prize for winning the match was the victor principal receiving a kiss from Auntie Tami...
So, Yugen figured that Auntie Tami was probably a stunner in her younger days, possibly having had an exciting story involving both Principal Jiaodao and Principal Ichinose.
The exact details of those days are now unknown, but judging from the outcome, Auntie Tami stayed at the main branch with Principal Jiaodao, and there was even a secret passage from the snack shop to the principal's desk. Meanwhile, the hapless Principal Ichinose was exiled to the barren Northern Academy...
Who actually won back then is unclear, but who held the high ground is certainly obvious.
"Yu↑ Gen↓!"
His voice came before he appeared; from a distance, Chazz showed up, looking at him coldly.
"Chazz." Yugen nodded with a smile, "It's been a while, you seem to have aged a bit."
A "井" symbol appeared on Chazz's forehead again.
Who do you think is to blame?
Just as he was about to burst, a piercing rumble interrupted him. A hurricane suddenly swept up, forcing everyone along the coast to close their eyes.
The rumble shook the air by the sea, as if forming a transparent hurricane. Everyone squinted and looked skyward, only to see a pitch-black steel bird descending slowly in the mirrored sunlight.
It was a helicopter.
The cabin clearly marked with the word "Chazz."
A helicopter from the Chazz Group.
Chazz was shocked: "My brothers!?"