9 -.-.-Chapter 9-.-.-

As the duels were going on below, up in the far stands were a number of students from duel academy, both those who had been admitted via other channels and those who were already a few years into their time at the academy.

One such student stood back a ways leaning against a wall, out of the line of sight of others but still within viewing range of the duels below. His blue eyes were dismissive of the duels he had seen so far from the potential new students for this year.

However his attention was drawn as a cup of hot coffee was held out under his nose making him turn his head to the young woman who had snuck up on him while his attention was elsewhere.

She was one of those who had been admitted to the academy early through other means, with a figure that most girls her age would kill for underneath her white and blue Obelisk blue Girls uniform, her long blond hair flowed down her back, her brown eyes twinkled with mischief as she smiled at him. 

"I thought you could use a pick me up," she told him with a knowing smile.

The young man gave her a grateful nod as he stepped away from the wall and took the offered cup, "thanks Alexis" he told her as he took a sip before going back to watching the duels below.

Not one to be deterred, she moved to stand and watch beside him, "so anyone down there catch your eye? Or have you been brooding up here for nothing~"

He gave her a half-hearted grunt as he watched one duel end with the applicant failing out on the fifth turn and getting sent off.

"Nothing special so far, mediocre plays at best, rookie mistakes at worst" he commented back.

"You have to cut them some credit Zane, not all of us can be savants like you right from the word go," Alexis mused with a small smile

"If they don't have the talent," the now identified Zane replied, "then they shouldn't even bother applying in the first place."

Alexis sighed, knowing better than to try and argue with him, she knew he took it as a personal affront when someone made so many obvious mistakes and misplays in a duel, but she still couldn't help but think he was taking it just a little too seriously, after all that's why they were coming to duel academy, to learn.

Looking down at the field as another applicant stepped out of the elevator shuffling his deck, "well hopefully there's at least a few talented students this year," she remarked as they watched the next duel start up.

Zane nodded as he watched the applicant make the first move and shook his head seeing him played pot of greed before placing only a single monster in face down defense and ending his turn, "he won't get far by just playing defense, and a weak one at that," he couldn't help but remark.

Alexis sighed, "Maybe he just didn't have anything else to play, could be why he played pot of greed right from the word go to try and get something to put on the field," she said half expecting the applicant to have drawn a brick hand right from the start.

As the proctor played the next turn as he set his field up and summoned a decent monster from his hand before launching his attack, both Alexis and Zane watched on expecting one of the usual two outcomes only to be surprised at the reversal and flip effect clearing both monsters from the field.

"Hmm, interesting play," Alexis remarked.

Zane nodded, "a bold move, he likely didn't put any cards in his back row to bait his opponent into attacking knowing his monster effect would see to it that both their monsters were removed from the field, but it was risky as he couldn't possibly know if his opponent would be able to play a second due to an effect of his own."

"True, but even if he did, it wouldn't be likely to end the duel, no way one monster would be strong enough," Alexis voiced as they watched the proctor end his turn and pass it back to the applicant.

The next play had them both watch with interest as the applicant played Giant Trunade, returning both of the proctors face down card to his hand.

"Clever, he couldn't know what they are or what destroying them would do so he sent them back to his hand instead of destroying them" Alexis remarked

Zane watched on with narrowed eyes, "it would seem that he didn't brick his opening hand after all then, it really was a bait play" he mused, "and now the field is open, question is can he take advantage of it…" he said and he didn't have long to wait to find out as the applicant began to play he next card, and the next and the next.

"He can't, can he…" Alexis remarked as she watched the applicant summon out not only one but two high level monsters, and not just any high level monsters but Dark Magician Girl and Dark Magician, the ace monsters of the king of games.

"A full seven card combo spread out over two turns, he was setting this up from the beginning," Zane said as his eyes narrowed even further, clearing the only monster that his opponent summoned, then clearing his opponent's back row before bringing back his monster to summon an even stronger monster and then specially summoning what had to be his decks Ace monster, a flawless play and he only had to sacrifice a minimum amount of his life points to do it.

"Is he going to…" Alexis said before watching as the two attacks from the applicant's monsters hit and in one move wipe out the proctor's life points, "two turns."

"It would seem," Zane said as his lips quirked up by the smallest of fractions, "that the next few years are going to be interesting"

-.-.-

Meanwhile down below in the stands with the other proctors who were watching the duels as well, a blond haired man who's blue blazer was exonerated with frilly cuffs on both wrists and around his neck was practically salivating over the near instantaneous victory.

"Remarkable, absolutely remarkable, winning in just two turns, oh that was simply splendid" he said as he gushed over the victory. "Of course it was a little rushed, and he barely put on a show out there, clearly he still needs some refining, but the talent is there, he just needs to learn how to draw things out some more, to play to the audience, but I'm sure he can pick that up in no time."

He could see it already, this student, this Jin Yu, would be yet another fine addition to his resume of students that he would be able to say he taught, oh the benefits he would be able to reap when he could stake his claim to fame as yet another of his students rose to greater heights.

"He'll make a fine addition to my Obelisk blues, with some polishing up I can already see him becoming my next greatest achievement~" he chuckled.

One of the proctors next to him nodded as he flipped over some sheets on his clipboard before wincing, "A-Actutually Dr Crowler, even with such an overwhelming victory, Mr Yu's written test scores, and his lack of prior achievements, will only grant him admission into Ra Yellow."

"What?" the now named Dr Crowler screeched as he quickly snatched the clipboard from the other proctor and checked the documents himself, his right eye twitching as he noted that Jin's written results were only barely above the average.

Taking a deep breath Crowler let out a huff and handed the clipboard back, "hmm, seems I'll just have to wait then, but with skills like those, it shouldn't take him too long to climb up the ranks" he said trying to cheer himself back up, but inwardly wondering just how someone could play like he had yet only get above average marks in a written test.

-.-.-

While on the other side of the stands with the other applicants many who had been watching were slack jawed at the second turn victory, many thinking that the exams had been looking to be on the hard side up until such a showing, and many were getting their hopes up at maybe being able to pull off such a win themselves.

Two of the applicants, a short blue haired boy with glasses and a black haired boy wearing a high collared white school jacket were both equally as shocked having witnessed such a thing upon their arrival to the stands.

The one in white had been watching with interest as soon as the second turn had begun, his eyes wide as he saw how his fellow applicant had been playing the proctor the entire time, controlling the entire duel from his very first card, it was a master play, and couldn't help but think he had found a fellow like minded strategist.

While the short blue haired boy felt hope bloom in his chest that his duel would be just as spectacular…. Ah who was he kidding, he would be lucky to get out with even half his life points with how badly he can duel.

Chapter word count: 1582