Chapter 70: Duel Academy Miss

You Xuan’s first week at the academy was pleasant and fulfilling.

He got along smoothly with his new dorm mates, earned plenty of extra credits by winning every match in a full week without a single loss, and added more credits by actively answering questions in class; by the end of the first week, he converted all his accumulated credits into cards.

The academy’s card inventory changes almost daily—cards are constantly being bought and new ones replenished. Checking the inventory several times a day had become one of his routines.

Of course, the card purchase system also has a tagging feature. Students can pre-mark cards they want and add them to their favorites; as soon as a rare card runs out and is restocked, a notification is instantly sent to each student’s terminal.

But if many people are eyeing the same card, whether you get it depends on speed and luck.

This time, You Xuan obtained mainly two cards.

【Necro Guard, Level 3, ATK 600, DEF 1300

Effect: During your opponent’s turn, banish this card from your graveyard. This turn, your opponent’s monster can have one attack negated.】

A lifesaver from the GX era—no need to elaborate. In the anime’s later arcs, this card saved Tenyo countless times, and in real life, its usage was so high it was once banned.

【Electromagnetic Turtle, Level 4, ATK 0, DEF 1800

Effect: During your opponent’s Battle Phase, banish this card from your graveyard to end that Battle Phase.】

This card was even older—a DM-era lifesaver for Wang Yang, the original graveyard trap. Its effect was clearly stronger than Necro Guard’s; it only escaped a ban back then because it was released too late to be widely used.

Since he hated pain too much, he maxed out hand traps and graveyard traps. After all, in this world, you might suddenly face a life-or-death card matchup—no amount of survival tools was ever too many.

He burned through all his newly earned credits in a flash, making him acutely aware that credits were earned only to be spent instantly—never a moment to slack off. He immediately turned his attention to his next target. No, correction—his next potential card-playing acquaintance.

He treated all other courses casually, but took card-drawing instruction seriously. By the end of the week, he felt he’d gained some insight, and that’s why he was eager to test his skills on someone.

Then the problem arose again. After the next round’s opponent assignment was announced, he wandered around after lunch but couldn’t find anyone.

He couldn’t help but feel that every opponent matched against him seemed unusually unenthusiastic.

That made no sense. This was a Duel Academy—weren’t all the students supposed to be card maniacs? How could someone with cards refuse to duel?

Unable to find anyone right away, he reluctantly gave up for now. After all, the monk might run, but the temple won’t disappear—could his opponent really avoid returning to his dorm?

Just as he stepped out of the cafeteria, he ran straight into a frantic student.

“You’re You Xuan, right?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I’m Nakamura from the Student Council. Hey, why haven’t you voted yet? Only five freshmen haven’t voted!”

You Xuan blinked. “What vote?”

“The Duel Academy Miss contest! It’s an annual election at the start of the term. No time to explain—come with me to the auditorium right away!”

You Xuan: “?”

Confused, he followed Nakamura to the auditorium, where it was already packed—students in red, yellow, and blue uniforms filled the entire hall.

Under the spotlight on the podium stood several tall, beautiful girls, each with a strikingly elegant face. Looking around, the scene was like mountains gathering and waves crashing—varied in size, shape, distance, and height, yet all at least Class-C Strongers. Their bare legs gleamed under the lights.

The arena erupted in cheers. Confused, You Xuan briefly thought he’d stumbled into some massive fan convention.

After the Student Council guy explained, he finally understood: while he’d been buried in studies, everyone else had been swept up in the “Duel Academy Miss” election frenzy.

Now he vaguely remembered—it was a plot from the GX manga arc. The two-year consecutive champion, Koshinagata Xinghua, and this year’s new recruit, Tenjou Asuka, had tied in votes. Then they discovered the last unvoted student was Yu Cheng Shidai—and suddenly, the beauty pageant became a duel for Shidai’s decisive vote.

But according to the Student Council guy, five students still hadn’t voted.

At this moment, the atmosphere between Koshinagata Xinghua and Tenjou Asuka was tense. The event was held at the start of term to favor upperclassmen—after all, newcomers were supposed to barely know anyone.

No one expected that within a week, a freshman girl had caught up to her vote count, directly threatening Koshinagata Xinghua’s long-planned three-peat—and her dignity.

She couldn’t accept losing.

Worse, Tenjou Asuka hadn’t even shown up at first—she’d been dragged here by her roommates.

“Forget it, I withdraw,” Asuka suddenly waved her hand. “I never wanted to join this. It was Chunzi and the others who registered me without asking. I’m out—problem solved?”

Logically, the champion was now unquestionably Koshinagata Xinghua. But the senior’s face darkened at those words.

What nonsense? Was she going to win the three-peat because a freshman let her win?

“No, you can’t withdraw,” she blurted without hesitation.

Asuka frowned. “Then what do you want?”

“Hmph, trying to play hard-to-get to win the final votes? You’re pretty, but your mind’s complicated.” Xinghua crossed her arms and sneered.

Asuka frowned, about to speak, when You Xuan, brought to the front row by the Student Council, chuckled in: “Huh? So senior, you think Tenjou’s pretty?”

Xinghua’s cheeks flushed red, flustered: “I—I didn’t say that! That’s not what I meant! Don’t make things up!”

Nearby spectators let out a chorus of “Eee~,” sensing drama.

Seeing the situation veer off course thanks to some random joker, Xinghua quickly changed topic: “Heh, I’ve heard about you, Tenjou Asuka.

In middle school, they say you played both sides between two tycoon heirs, keeping things vague and messy.”

“Rumors from busybodies,” Asuka said flatly. “I’m a duelist, and only a duelist. I came here to duel, nothing else. I have zero interest in this ‘Duel Academy Miss’ nonsense. What others think or say about me? I never care.”

“Pfft, nice words.”

Before Xinghua could finish, You Xuan spoke again from the crowd: “Huh? Senior, you’ve been following Tenjou since middle school? Wow, that’s been a while.”

The crowd erupted again in “Eee~.”

Xinghua’s face flushed again: “I—I haven’t! Nani?!”

She quickly shifted her target to You Xuan.

“You! Who are you? Her friend?”

Asuka: “No, I don’t think we’ve met before.”

Or rather, she remembered him from the entrance exam, but assumed he didn’t recognize her.

Nakamura from the Student Council hurried to explain: “Ah, this is You Xuan. He’s one of the five freshmen who haven’t voted yet.”

Xinghua: “!”

Oh no—he held one of the five crucial votes. And from how he’d just challenged her, he seemed more likely to vote for the other side.

But You Xuan didn’t care who won. He’d just come to watch, and he was enjoying teasing her a bit.

He’d been looking for someone to duel—if she got flustered and challenged him to a match, that’d be perfect.

Koshinagata Xinghua scowled. “Then how about this: bet your vote on a duel with me.

If I win, you vote for me. If I lose, you vote for her. Deal?”

Sure enough—the card came.

He knew it: in this academy, if you couldn’t agree on something, you just duelled. Everything ended in a duel.

But before he could respond, Asuka cut in sharply: “Wait, I object.”

Xinghua frowned. “You said you weren’t interested—what’s your problem now?”

“Correct, I have no interest in this contest. But I won’t let decisions about me be made by others,” Asuka declared firmly.

Nakamura wiped sweat from his brow. “Uh… how about this: you two duel directly, and the winner gets an extra vote?”

Koshinagata Xinghua glared at him.

Are you kidding? Duel her?

She knew Tenjou Asuka was famous in middle school. Many said she was the strongest freshman this year—even Manzaimo Jun might not beat her.

Wait, speaking of Manzaimo—

Did that name, “You Xuan,” sound familiar?

She turned to look at You Xuan again—and froze.

Holy shit—isn’t he the new student who, before enrollment, defeated Manzaimo Jun and the legendary duelist Dragon Longqi back-to-back to win the Yuehua Cup?

Who the hell could beat that guy?

Just as she was trapped, before she could speak, Asuka shook her head: “No. If I can choose, I want to duel You Xuan.”

Xinghua: “?”

Asuka continued: “If I win, I want my name removed from the list, as I said before.

If I lose, you get an extra vote. Is that acceptable?”

Xinghua: “???”

What kind of brain does this woman have? Is this even real?

This way, she wins either way!

Xinghua was overjoyed, about to demand she not back out—when You Xuan interrupted: “No. That’s unfair. How about this: I duel each of you separately. Whoever wins gets the vote.

If I win both, I decide who gets the vote.

If I lose both, Asuka withdraws as she said.

But the condition: both duels count for credits. The winner takes five credits from the loser. Deal?”

You Xuan, eager to duel, refused to choose one—he wanted both.

Xinghua: “!”

She gritted her teeth and glared at You Xuan.

Are you deliberately trying to ruin me?

(End of Chapter)