Chapter one: Asher Everhart.

"Y-You are joking, right? U-Uncle? W-Wait...!" Before he got the time to finish his sentence, a single teenager was tossed out of a moving vehicle, hitting the ground face first as the car continued its trip without him. Pedestrians stopped in their tracks, some with jaws dropped as the figure remained motionless on the pavement, not a soul daring to get close enough to check if he was still alive.

''Ngh...'' A pained groan escaped the figure, causing the few who had the guts to approach him to gasp and step back. It was hard for the bystanders to tell if he was bleeding or not, as red, almost crimson hair was sprawled all over the pavement, some locks covering the upper half of his face, while others stuck out at odd angles. 

''Ugh... The hell did he do that for?'' He muttered, pushing himself up on his hands and knees. He ran a hand through his tousled red hair, trying to make himself look a bit more presentable, no blood visible on his skin or clothes, and looked at the road where his ride had left him behind.

As he staggered to his feet, the sound of whispers and mutters caught his attention. He soon noticed the group of people that had gathered around him, each wearing a different emotion on their face—surprise, concern, amusement, and even confusion. He flashed them a cheeky grin. "What's the matter? Never seen a guy get launched out a moving car before?"

Despite his attempt to lighten the mood, one of the onlookers, a man around his mid-thirties, didn't look convinced. "... You alright, kid?" 

The teen gave him a thumbs-up. "Peachy. Just a few scrapes, no biggie." He adjusted the bag on his back, his hand lingering on it for a moment, as if checking if whatever was inside was safe and unharmed. "Can't let a little faceplant stop me from making it into Duel Academy. I've got a practical exam to ace!"

"...Speaking of which..." Slapping himself in the face to shake off the lingering dizziness, he pulled his phone from his back pocket, checking the time. "Can't ace the exam if I'm not there on time!" Without waiting for the crowd to clear a path, the redhead bolted, slipping between people, ducking under arms, and leaping over legs. "Outta the way!"

[ . . . . . . . . . . . ]

The redhead sprinted along the winding dirt path, his sneakers kicking up small clouds of dust with every step. The path twisted and turned, climbing steadily up the hill toward the massive dome that loomed ahead. Surrounded by lush greenery, the air was filled with the fresh scent of foliage and the occasional chirping of birds hidden in the trees.

"Almost there," he panted to himself, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. The incline was steeper than he anticipated, but the sight of the dome kept him pushing forward. The dome grew larger with every step, and he couldn't help but marvel at how big the building was. It was so huge that it nearly blotted out the blue sky and fluffy clouds above it.

'Whoever designed Kaiba Land sure wasn't thinking about saving space.' 

''Huff... Huff...'' Rounding a bend, he paused for a moment to catch his breath. The dome now towered above him, its sleek, metallic surface reflecting the midday sun. It was more impressive up close. ''Don't give up now, Asher. Almost there.'' With renewed vigor, the redhead broke out into another sprint, running full speed up the dirt path and toward the main entrance of the arena.

As he neared the entrance, the landscape changed from the natural dirt path to a paved area marked by orange cones and parked cars. The sleek, towering structure of the dome loomed even larger now, its imposing presence a testament to one man's ambition and drive to bring dueling to the forefront of the world and beyond: the CEO of Kaiba Corporation, Seto Kaiba.

Just ahead and right in front of the entrance stood three figures: two women and a man. The women were stationed behind a white table, which had several papers neatly arranged on top. The man, tall and imposing with dark sunglasses and a no-nonsense expression seemed to be overseeing the proceedings, standing beside the table.

Asher slowed his pace, taking in the scene. The women were dressed in identical uniforms, their expressions professional and welcoming. The man glanced at his watch, then back at the approaching Asher, as if gauging his arrival time. "I made it..." Taking a deep breath, the redhead straightened his jacket, brushed the dust from his clothes, and strode up to the table. 

''Asher Everhart, Exam #03." He announced, placing both hands on his hips. ''Hope I'm not too late."

''You are on time.'' One of the women behind the table returned Asher's smile, her eyes scanning the list in front of her. "Exam #03, was it? Welcome to Duel Academy's practical entrance exam." She checked his name off the list and handed him a registration form. "Please fill this out and return it to us. Once you're done, you can proceed to the stands and wait for your name to be called."

''Sounds good.'' 

[ . . . . . . . . . . . ] 

''A dueling arena...'' Asher leaned forward against the railing of the stands, his emerald-green gaze fixed on the arena below. A small, barely perceptible smile present on his face, he drank in the details of the four different dueling fields spread out before him. Each one was separated from the others by a dark, large wall of glass, preventing the duelists from peeking into their neighbor's duels.

''... I wanna duel...'' The redhead's fingers drummed on the railing. ''How much longer am I going to have to wait?''

Asher leaned forward again, now so far over the railing his feet were no longer touching the ground. He was never very good at waiting, especially not when it came to Duel Monsters. He wanted to duel. No, he needed to duel! Like a starving person needs food, or a fish needs water, or a hyperactive dog needs to chase its tail. "Can someone duel me already...?" 

''Good to see someone here is feeling confident, but..." A voice cut through the air, drawing Asher's attention as a quick tug on his bag pulled him away from the railing and back to solid ground. "... you might want to keep your feet on the floor or you might just end up as a smear on the field down there. I'd rather not have them cancel the exam because someone got themselves killed.''

''...?'' Turning around to face the person who'd spoken, Asher blinked a few times as the figure's appearance registered in his brain. Standing behind him was a teenage boy around his age, his black hair neatly arranged, a large portion flushed back and tilted slightly to his left. He was wearing a white jacket with a high collar and black trim along the zipper line, paired with matching white pants.

It took Asher a few seconds to register the boy's words. He chuckled, running a hand through his own unruly red hair. ''Ah... Yeah, no, that would be quite embarrassing.'' He held out a hand, offering the person in front of him a handshake. ''Appreciate the heads-up. I'm Asher, by the way. And you are?"

''Bastion Misawa.'' Bastion nodded, accepting Asher's handshake. ''The pleasure is all mine.''

''Bastion... That name sounds familiar..." The redhead scratched his chin, his brows furrowed in concentration. ''Have we met before?" Chewing on his lip, his gaze wandered past the boy, drifting up and down a few times before a light bulb seemed to turn on in his head. ''Wait... Bastion Misawa... Now I remember... You are the one who got the number one spot on the written exam, right?''

"That's right." Bastion nodded, his tone polite and his expression neutral. "Don't look so surprised. You got third after all. Isn't that right, Asher Everhart?" It seemed like Bastion, too, had heard of Asher before, the latter's name and score clearly ingrained in his mind. "I'd say that's quite a feat, considering how many people applied for the exams this year."

"You think so?" Asher looked skeptical, rubbing the back of his neck. "Personally, I don't think being third or second holds much value. It's first place that really matters. The top of the heap, number one... That's the only spot worth bragging about, don't you think?" There was a spark of something in the redhead's eyes that Bastion couldn't quite place.

"Perhaps." Bastion moved closer to the railing, folding his arms across his chest. "Then again, our written exam scores won't mean much unless we can replicate our results in the arena."

''True.'' Asher followed suit, leaning his forearms against the railing. Replacing that strange gleam from before was now a hint of excitement, a competitive spirit shining through his gaze. "The anticipation is killing me.''

Bastion gave Asher a look, the redhead's sudden change in mood catching him off-guard. 'He's quite... passionate about dueling. A bit weird, but he doesn't seem to be a bad person. Not exactly a happy-go-lucky fool either.' He cleared his throat, returning his attention to one of the dueling fields, where a match seemed to have just concluded.

''Exam number 3, Asher Everhart.'' The announcement echoed throughout the entire dome, the speakers loud and clear, drawing a fair amount of attention from some of the other applicants. 

"Alright. I'm up next." Asher said, taking his bag off his shoulder, he rummaged through it and retrieved two objects. A sleek, futuristic device gleamed, its polished silver surface in perfect condition. It was his duel disk, dominated by a prominent blue orb in the center, with a smaller red orb below it adding a touch of contrast.

In his other hand, he held his deck box, its lid adorned with a golden outline and his surname written in the center.'This is our time to shine, guys. Don't let me down.' Clipping the duel disk onto his arm, he slid the deck inside. The sound of cards sliding into the disk's storage slot was music to his ears. "Take care of my bag, will you, Bastion?"

"... But what if I get called next?"

"No worries." Asher waved his hand dismissively. "I'll be done in no time." 

Before Bastion had the chance to argue, Asher had already dashed away toward the stairs leading to the lower level. "Confident, isn't he?" Bastion sighed, shaking his head. "Well, he got the number three spot on the written exam. If he's half as good at dueling, maybe he has a shot at passing this exam."

[ . . . . . . . . . . . ] 

Asher stepped onto the dueling field. The smooth, light blue surface stretched out before him, marked with sharp green lines that divided the field into different zones. The redhead's gaze swept across the field, his grin widening with each passing second. This was it—what he'd been dreaming of for months. He was finally here.

Who would his opponent be? What kind of duelist were they? Even if his face didn't quite show it, he could hardly contain his excitement. The urge to start dueling right now, in this very second, was overwhelming, like an itch he just couldn't scratch. Then, as if answering his plea, a figure emerged from the opposite end of the field.

A middle-aged man, with short, brown hair and a thin beard covering the lower half of his face strode onto the dueling field. His uniform consisted of a blue long-tailed jacket with white trimmings, and dark pants. On his right arm, he wore a sleek, silver duel disk, its surface reflecting the bright lights of the dome.

The proctor's gaze scanned Asher up and down. ''You must be Asher Everhart, exam #03. I'll be your opponent for today. I'm Professor Caldwell.'' He reached into his coat and retrieved his deck, giving it a quick shuffle before placing it in his duel disk. ''Before we start, do you have any questions?"

''None.'' Asher replied, lifting his left arm, his duel disk's surface shimmering. The duel disk's wing-like panels fanned out smoothly as Asher activated it, each lined with slots ready to hold his cards. The outer edges of the panels were reinforced, giving the device a sturdy, reliable feel. ''Enough talking, let's duel.''

''Quite an eager applicant we have here.'' Professor Caldwell chuckled, activating his own duel disk. ''Perfect chance for what might be the first of many lessons in the field of dueling, as well as in life, there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Be sure not to cross it, lest you find yourself tripping and falling flat on your face."

''Oh, I'll be crossing no lines. I've got this, no sweat.'' / "You talk a big game, applicant. I hope you can back it up." 

''Duel.'' / ''Duel!''

[ . . . . . . . . . . . ] 

''So he was the one who placed third, huh?'' Alexis Rhodes glanced at the two figures standing on the field, her elbow leaning against the railing, her chin resting on her palm. The duel had garnered quite the attention, not just from other examinees, but also from those who had already made it into the academy and even a few older students. ''He sure has a big mouth, doesn't he?''

''...'' Her friend, Zane Truesdale, stood beside her, his arms crossed, a neutral expression on his face. It wasn't hard for Alexis to notice his disinterest, no surprise there, it would take quite the duelist to capture the attention of Obelisk Blue's best duelist, a title which Zane had carried for a while now.

''You could at least pretend to be interested, Zane.'' Alexis sighed, shaking her head. 

[ . . . . . . . . . . . ] 

''Hmph.'' Chazz Princeton clicked his tongue, leaning back in his seat with his feet up as he watched the duel down below. Flanking his left and right sides were his two 'friends', the three of them wearing the same blue uniform that indicated they had all been admitted into Duel Academy and as part of the Obelisk Blue dorm, no less.

''What's the matter, Chazz?'' / ''Yeah, is something wrong, Chazz?'' The two other teens asked in unison.

Chazz scoffed, glaring down at the two. ''What's wrong is that those chumps down there aren't worthy of my time! This whole thing is a total joke!'' He leaned forward, resting his chin on his knuckles. ''And I, Chazz Princeton, didn't come here to see some third place reject get pummeled into the dirt. When is that number one guy gonna duel, anyway?"

[ . . . . . . . . . . . ] 

Professor Caldwell / Life Points: 4000

Asher Everhart / Life Points: 4000

''I'll be going first, Everhart." Caldwell drew his opening hand. "I draw!" With practiced ease, he drew one more card from his deck and added it to his hand, holding the six cards out in front of him. "I'll start things off with this: I Normal Summon Mirage Dragon in Attack Mode!"

Mirage Dragon: (LIGHT, Level 4, Dragon/Effect, 1600 ATK, 800 DEF)

A large, serpentine creature materialized onto the field. It hissed, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. Caldwell stared at his hand, the Trap Cards Interdimensional Matter Transporter and Nightmare Wheel visible to him alone. 'Even if this is one of our test decks, if his luck is poor, things could go south for him very quickly.'

''I'll throw two cards facedown.'' With a wave of his hand, the holographic images of the cards appeared behind his Dragon. "Turn end. Your move, Everhart."

''Draw.'' Asher drew, fanning the cards in his hand so he could scan his options. ''Watch this, professor. I'm about to end this duel in record time. And it all starts with this: The Spell Card, Heavy Storm.'' Asher slammed the card down onto his duel disk, its image flashing as the holographic effect played out on the field. ''This spell destroys all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.''

The holograms of his face-down cards shattering, Asher and the crowd managed to get a peek at the cards. 'Interdimensional Matter Transporter and... a Nightmare Wheel?' The redhead's lips curved upwards, a confident grin on his face. 'I guess I shouldn't have expected much out of an entrance exam. He must be using a standard exam deck. Well, sorry, professor, but that won't cut it.'

''Not bad, Everhart." Caldwell acknowledged Asher's move. "You are still far from ending this duel, however. You still have Mirage Dragon and 4000 Life Points to deal with. Bold claims aside, this duel is far from over."

''Wrong. This duel ends right here and now." Asher countered, retrieving another card from his hand. ''I Normal Summon Brron, Mad King of Dark World in Attack Mode."

Brron, Mad King of Dark World: (DARK, Level 4, Fiend/Effect, 1800 ATK, 400 DEF) 

Appearing in front of Asher was a nightmarish figure, exuding an aura of menace and dark power. Its body was bound by thick, rusted chains, which wrapped around its torso and limbs, holding it in a perpetual state of torment. The creature's skin was a sickly, pale purple, stretched tightly over its skeletal frame, revealing sinewy muscles and jagged bones beneath.

'A Dark World deck?' Caldwell's brows furrowed, a thoughtful expression on his face.

''Next, I'll activate the Spell Card, Dark World Dealings." Asher continued, holding up another card. ''With this card, we each draw one card and then discard one from our hands." Both duelists did as instructed, drawing and discarding one card each, though the redhead seemed far less troubled than his opponent about having to throw out a card.

Far from it, in fact. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Now, from the GY, Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World effect activates! When Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World is discarded from my hand, I can Special Summon him to the field. Come out, Goldd! And make it fast, we have an exam to wrap up!"

Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World: (DARK, Level 5, Fiend/Effect, 2300 ATK, 1400 DEF)

The figure now standing in front of Asher was a towering, imposing presence, exuding an aura of dark majesty and raw power. Goldd was clad in resplendent golden armor that glinted menacingly, his muscular form was encased in intricately designed armor plates, each adorned with sharp, menacing spikes and ornate patterns.

His skin was a deep black and his face was a terrifying blend of beast and demon, with glowing red eyes that pierced through the darkness. Horns curved back from his forehead and his mouth was filled with sharp, predatory teeth, twisted into a menacing grin as he stared at Caldwell's Dragon.

Caldwell remained composed, even as the holograms of the two monsters appeared before him. "Impressive. You managed to summon two strong monsters on just a single turn. You have a gift for dueling, of that there can be no doubt, Everhart. Math, on the other hand, seems to be a different story, for even you must know that Goldd and Brron aren't enough to defeat me this turn."

''Battle.'' That single word was the only thing Asher said, his expression unwavering as he pointed at Mirage Dragon. ''Brron, attack Mirage Dragon!" No sooner had the order escaped Asher's lips did Brron rush toward Caldwell's monster. The Fiend slammed into the Dragon, a cloud of dust obscuring the view. 

When the dust settled, the result was clear: Brron was still standing, and Mirage Dragon was no longer on the field. 

Professor Caldwell / Life Points: 3700

Asher Everhart / Life Points: 4000

Caldwell grunted, covering his face as his Life Points fell. "Hmph." Lowering his arm, his gaze shifted from his empty Monster Zone to his opponent, a twinge of curiosity evident in his gaze. ''So, are you going to explain to me how this is a one-turn kill? Or will you keep me waiting, Everhart?''

''Simple.'' Asher held up his hand once more. ''I activate Brron's special ability! When this card inflicts battle damage to my opponent, I can discard one card from my hand.'' He threw a card into his Graveyard. "And immediately after, from the GY, I activate Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World's effect! When Beiige is discarded to the GY by card effect, I can Special Summon him to the field. Join us, Beiige!"

Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World: (DARK, Level 4, Fiend/Effect, 1600 ATK, 1300 DEF)

Beiige's skin, much like Brron's, was a sickly, mottled purple, stretched over bulging muscles that seemed ready to burst from beneath. Jagged, bone-like protrusions jutted from his shoulders and spine, his head a grotesque skull, with empty eye sockets that glowed with a malevolent red light and he wielded a large sword in his massive, clawed hands.

"And since I'm still in my Battle Phase," Asher continued, "Beiige, attack the professor's Life Points directly!" With a roar, the beast charged, its massive sword raised, poised to strike. With a single swing, it cut through Caldwell, causing the professor to shield his face from the force of the impact.

Professor Caldwell / Life Points: 2100

Asher Everhart / Life Points: 4000

Caldwell grimaced, gritting his teeth as he lowered his arm, staring at the redhead with renewed interest. 'I know this is an exam deck, but even still... To have used such a devastating combo in one turn... ' The man shook his head. 'Like a relentless storm, he strikes again and again, leaving his opponents in the dust. What a frightening prospect...'

"You're finished, professor." Asher declared, his tone firm and decisive. "Goldd, direct attack!"

Goldd wielded his massive, double-edged axe, its blade crackling with dark energy as it slashed through Caldwell, the professor grimacing and shielding his face once again.

Professor Caldwell / Life Points: 0

Asher Everhart / Life Points: 4000

''It seems like math might just be my strongest subject after all, Professor Caldwell. " A smug, self-satisfied smile was plastered on the redhead's face, his emerald eyes alight with satisfaction as the holograms of his monsters disappeared, the arena returning to its usual state. 

"... So it seems." 

[ . . . . . . . . . . . ] 

''He took down a proctor... In one turn...'' / ''Unbelievable...'' / ''Stop that. He just drew a good hand, that's all.''

The whispering around Chazz Princeton was getting on his nerves. So what if some punk managed to pull off a lucky combo? He, the great Chazz, would easily out-duel anyone who dared to challenge him, whether it be today, tomorrow, or next week. He would always be at the top. No one would take that away from him, no one!

''... He's not half bad, though." Chazz muttered, his voice low enough so no one would hear him.

''What's that, Chazz? / ''Yeah, Chazz, did you say something?'' Chazz's words managed to snap his two companions out of their stupor, though it seemed like neither of them had managed to pick up on what their leader had actually said. Both of them inquired the black haired kid simultaneously, looking at the teen sitting next to them expectantly.

''Nothing. Shut up and keep watching."

[ . . . . . . . . . . . ] 

"Feeling interested now, Zane?" Alexis nudged her friend with her elbow. 

Zane turned his head, his lips were a thin line, his face an unreadable mask. "Perhaps." He replied, his gaze shifting back to the field. "It's not every day you see a prospect who can put up a fight against one of our professors, even if that professor happens to be using an exam deck."

''Asher Everhart.'' Zane continued, his piercing blue gaze fixed on the figure below. ''I'll be keeping my eye on him.''

Alexis smiled, lifting her arms from the railing. ''You and everyone else in the crowd.''

[ . . . . . . . . . . . ] 

''Thanks, Bastion.'' Having reached the top of the stands, Asher retrieved his bag from Bastion, slinging it over his shoulder. "Hope I didn't leave you waiting for too long." Grinning like a child on Christmas, he looked at the boy in front of him expectantly. "So, how was it? Did I put on a good show or what?"

''You did." Bastion stood, giving Asher a polite nod. "Congratulations."

''No need to congratulate me. Making it into Duel Academy is only the first step." Asher replied, waving his hand dismissively. ''There's a lot more ahead of me, and a lot more that I need to accomplish." That same glint from before could be seen in the redhead's gaze, that same spark that caught Bastion's attention earlier.

''I see." Bastion said, turning his attention to the field. 

''Exam number 1, Bastion Misawa." The announcement rang out throughout the entire dome, catching the attention of the duo. "Please proceed to your designated dueling field."

''That's my cue." Bastion turned, making his way toward the stairs. 

[ . . . . . . . . . . . ] 

"Whoa, sorry about that!" From the ground and sitting on his ass, Jaden Yuki apologized to the person he had bumped into as he tried to pick up his own scattered cards from the ground, his brown hair messier than before. The person he had collided with, a tall, slender young man, stared down at him, not uttering a single word as he watched the other teenager scramble to pick up his cards.

''You are a duelist?'' That single question made Jaden pause, causing him to blink

''You bet I am!'' Jaden smiled, picking up his hards as he spoke. ''I am on my way to the entrance exam to get into Duel Academy." Blowing the dust from his cards, the brunette placed his cards back into his deck box and shoved it into his pocket, his hazel gaze shifted to the person standing before him for the first time.

The figure smiled. ''... You don't say...'' His demeanor gentle and composed, he reached into his deck case, pulling out a single card and handing it to Jaden. ''Here, take this, as a token of good luck. Something tells me it belongs with you." Jaden blinked, accepting the card from the man, his gaze, however, was fixated on the other's face.

''... You are...''

End of chapter one.