"Congratulations, Jaden. That was a great Duel."
Watching Jaden step off the lift and return to the examinee seating area, Youmi waved him over and praised him. "Using a two‑stage finish with [The Shining] and [Winged Kuriboh LV10]. Nicely done~ I thought your hand was bad when you used [Thunder King Rai-Oh] to fuse into [The Shining], but I didn't expect you had that kind of reasoning behind it."
Youmi tossed aside the thought that Jaden ever bricks, regretting only that he had forgotten this guy always topdecks perfection when analyzing his tactics earlier.
Bastion, who had been enthusiastically discussing the Duel with him, also offered high praise. "Not only that, using [Miracle Fusion] to Fusion Summon [The Shining] with exactly 2900 Attack—precisely staying under [Ancient Gear Golem]'s Attack—and recycling [Sparkman] for use as the cost for [Transcendent Wings]… truly elegant. Jaden Yuki, I will remember you."
"Ah, haha, really?" Embarrassed to admit he'd actually bricked and topdecked his way out, Jaden scratched his cheek awkwardly. "It was just good luck, that's all."
Bastion, assuming he was just being humble, added, "You're too modest. Although that professor was holding back a bit, from what I observed, you're the only examinee who managed to defeat an instructor not using a test deck. Of course, before you, no examinee ever faced an instructor using their personal Deck in the first place."
Jaden blinked in surprise. "Holding back? I thought the professor was going all out. And that Deck… so that really was his own Deck? Those effects were really strong."
Bastion pulled out his notebook where he had recorded and analyzed the Duel, drew a few circles with his pen, and motioned for Jaden to sit. "It was a pretty intense Duel, so I could see things more clearly from the sidelines. Let me break down and review the match for you… Ah—right, Youmi. Aren't you up next? The professor looks ready for the next test."
Youmi took out his Deck and gave it a little flourish.
"Then I'll go next. Let me show you what a true Number One looks like~"
He strapped his Duel Disk onto his right arm, slid his Deck in, and walked toward the arena.
Just as Youmi left, Syrus groggily woke up in his seat. "Eh? Number 110, you're done already? You lost fast…"
"Nope, I won."
"Oh, you won…" Half-asleep, Syrus rubbed his eyes, put on his glasses, then suddenly realized what Jaden had said. "EHH?! You actually beat Professor Crowler?!"
Standing on the platform as it lifted him onto the Duel field, Youmi looked at the clearly irritated Professor Crowler and greeted him. "Hello, Professor. I'm examinee number 2, Youmi. Please take care of me."
"Ah, I am Professor Crowler, pleased to—Ah! Ehhh?! Wh-what are you wearing!?" Still slightly dazed, Crowler gave a token greeting before finally noticing Youmi's bizarre attire. "Even if today isn't a school day, I expect you to wear your uniform properly once classes begin, student Youmi."
Perhaps because of Youmi's excellent written test scores, Crowler's tone with him was much less snide than how he'd spoken to Jaden.
Youmi nodded obediently. "I understand, Professor. Then let's begin the exam. I've never faced an [Ancient Gear] Deck before~"
"Eh? An [Ancient Gear] Deck, Da-nō-ne?" Crowler froze mid‑motion as he prepared to switch to his instructor Deck. Then, with an oddly serious expression, he asked, "Are you certain you want me to use the [Ancient Gear] Deck?"
Youmi nodded. "Yes, please do."
Since the examinee had requested it himself, Crowler felt it would be wrong to dampen his enthusiasm. He simply reminded him, "Very well. But remember: This practical exam isn't about defeating the instructor. It's about demonstrating your own ability, both in Deck building and Duel awareness. There is no need to feel pressured. In response to your request—"
Crowler reactivated his [Ancient Gear] Deck.
"DUEL!" ×2
Turn 1
"My examinee regulations say I get to go first, right? Then my turn—draw."
After drawing five cards for his opening hand, Youmi recalled the examinee rules, then drew one more for his turn. "Mm-hmm, in that case… I activate [Branded in High Spirits] from my hand. I reveal 1 monster in my hand, then send 1 Level 8 Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck with the same Type as the revealed monster and with either the same Attack or Defense of 2500 to the Graveyard.
"After that, I can discard the revealed monster and add 1 [Fallen of Albaz] or 1 monster that lists it in its card text from my Deck to my hand."
Youmi carefully selected a card from his hand.
"I reveal [Gazelle the King of Mythical Claws], and send the Beast-Type, 2500-Attack Fusion Monster [Brigrand the Glory Dragon] from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard."
After showing [Gazelle the King of Mythical Claws], Youmi sent the Beast-Type Albaz Fusion to the Graveyard. "Next, I discard [Gazelle the King of Mythical Claws] and add [Springans Kitt] from my Deck to my hand. Then I activate [Springans Kitt]'s effect from my hand."
Discarding the Beast-Type [King of Phantom Beasts], Youmi added [Springans Kitt] to his hand and Special Summoned it to the field.
"If a Fusion Monster that requires [Fallen of Albaz] as material exists on my field or in my Graveyard, [Springans Kitt] can Special Summon itself from the hand. And when this card is Normal or Special Summoned, it can activate its effect: I add 1 [Branded] Spell or Trap from my Deck, Graveyard, or banished cards to my hand. After that, I return 1 card from my hand to the bottom of the Deck." Youmi added [Screams of the Branded] from his Deck, then returned 1 card to the bottom of his Deck. "I add [Screams of the Branded], and return [Big-Winged Berfomet] to the bottom of the Deck."
Youmi's Deck now was partially built around the [Fallen of Albaz] engine—a Fusion-based build. Although he had asked the [Ten Thousand Dragon] why cards like [Branded Fusion] never showed up in his selection, he only received a vague answer:
"Because someone else picked it. So I just decided to split them up. It's more fun that way~"
Seeing Youmi progress through several cards without even using his Normal Summon, Crowler nodded in satisfaction.
"Then, let's finish preparations. I Normal Summon the Illusion monster [Mirror Swordknight], Tribute it to activate its effect and Special Summon 1 monster that lists [Chimera Fusion] in its card text, except [Mirror Swordknight], from my Deck.
"I Special Summon the card I sent to the bottom of the Deck earlier—[Big-Winged Berfomet]—and activate its effect. When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I add 1 Beast-Type Level 4 monster and 1 [Chimera Fusion] from my Deck to my hand. Therefore, I add my second [Gazelle the King of Mythical Claws] and [Chimera Fusion] to my hand—and activate it."
Professor "Mamma Mia" Crowler looked stunned. "Illusion-Type monsters… As far as I recall, that Type only appeared in the hands of a legendary Duelist… To think you possess such monsters, Youmi!"
An orange-red vortex opened, drawing in [Big-Winged Berfomet] and [Gazelle the King of Mythical Claws], merging them together into a new form.
"[Chimera Fusion] is a Quick-Play Spell that can be activated during either player's Main Phase. It lets me Fusion Summon using monsters from my hand or field as material, as long as they include a Beast and a Fiend. I fuse the [Big-Winged Berfomet] and [Gazelle the King of Mythical Claws] on my field."
Youmi crossed his arms as the fusion whirlpool behind him twisted, and from within it emerged his new trump card. "Let wings that eclipse the sun and claws that rend steel converge—Fusion Summon! [Chimera the King of Phantom Beasts]!"
The monster once used by the legendary Duelist Yugi Muto, [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast], had now reincarnated into a new form—an entirely new Type—appearing on Youmi's field.
"Isn't that the monster once used by the Duel King—Yugi Muto?! I never thought I'd see it here?!"
Crowler gaped wide-eyed at the monster Youmi had Fusion Summoned.
"[Chimera the King of Phantom Beasts]'s effect activates. During the End Phase of this turn, Professor, you must discard a random card from your hand. [Gazelle the King of Mythical Claws]'s effect also activates—when sent to the Graveyard as Fusion Material, I can add 1 Illusion-Type monster from my Deck to my hand.
"I add [Cornfield Coatl]. During my Main Phase, if [Chimera Fusion] is in my Graveyard and I control or have in my Graveyard a [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast], I can choose one of two effects to activate. Since [Chimera the King of Phantom Beasts] counts as [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] while on the field or in the Graveyard, I choose to return [Chimera Fusion] to my hand."
After recovering [Chimera Fusion] from the Graveyard, Youmi Set three cards and declared the end of his turn.
"I Set three cards and end my turn. During the End Phase, the effect of [Brigrand the Glory Dragon] I sent to the Graveyard activates—when this card is sent to the Graveyard, during the End Phase I can add to my hand or Special Summon 1 [Tri-Brigade] monster or 1 [Fallen of Albaz] from my Deck. I add [Tri-Brigade Mercourier] to my hand.
"Now then, Professor, time to discard your card~"
...
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