Even before Li Yuu's voice had fully faded, he played his second card with a casual flick of the wrist—his calm confidence rattling the watching examiner.
"I activate the Continuous Spell—Darkness Slashed!"
"Now—I enter the Battle Phase!"
"I declare an attack with Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon—targeting your defending monster!"
The Chaos MAX Dragon raised its head high. The crystals embedded in its shimmering scales began to glow, humming with an ominous charge. Radiant energy coalesced around its massive frame, building to a blinding crescendo.
Facing the monstrous dragon, the examiner felt a chill coil in his chest. For the first time, the presence of Crooked Cook, his so-called invincible wall, brought him no comfort.
A terrifying realization struck him.
"No… don't tell me—!"
"You're telling me your dragon… has piercing damage?!"
The words hit like thunder, shocking the crowd.
"Piercing?! That's why he didn't even blink at Crooked Cook!"
"Of course! Cook's immunity only covers effects and destruction—but its DEF is trash. Only 200!"
"If that thing's got 4000 ATK and it hits through defense—that's a huge blow!"
The examiner's mind raced. He crunched the numbers quickly, lips tightening.
"4000 ATK minus 200 DEF… that's 3800 damage. But… still survivable…"
But the confidence still radiating from Li Yuu's face made him uneasy.
"Wait… don't tell me you've got more?"
Li Yuu flashed a brilliant smile.
"Obviously. Or do you think I'd claim victory this turn without a reason?"
"You were half right—but only half."
"Yes, Chaos MAX Dragon does inflict piercing damage—but its battle damage is doubled."
The examiner's eyes went wide. "What?! That's 7600 points—!"
"Not even close."
Li Yuu's finger dropped to the Continuous Spell behind him—Darkness Slashed!—and he spoke with finality:
"This card grants my Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon an additional effect—"
"When it attacks an opponent's monster, it gains that monster's ATK."
— Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon:
— ATK: 4000 + 2300 = 6300!
ROOOOOOAAAAAR!!!
The dragon's body surged with power. A shockwave of raw energy erupted outward, sending the surrounding students stumbling back, their uniforms and hair whipped by the explosive force.
The examiner's face twisted in horror. Cold sweat drenched his back. In all his years, he'd never felt such pressure from a student.
"6300 ATK… minus 200 DEF… and the damage is doubled… that's—"
Up in the professor's gallery, Lawrence shot to his feet, shouting in disbelief:
"12,200 DAMAGE!!!"
Li Yuu's eyes blazed. He spread his fingers wide and brought his hand down like a divine hammer, voice echoing like thunder across the arena:
"It's over! Chaos MAX Dragon—attack!!"
"Chaos MAX BURST!!!"
BOOOOOOOM!!!
TRASH. OBLITERATED.
A dragon's breath hotter than molten steel tore through the skies, shredding Crooked Cook to pieces. The shockwave didn't stop—it slammed into the examiner's duel disk like a meteor strike.
"GYAAAHHH—!!"
The number 10,000 flickered on the proctor's life point gauge for a split second—then vanished.
The system didn't even prompt a countdown. The raw overkill shattered the duel disk itself, chunks of it blown apart by the residual energy.
— Proctor's Life Points: 0
— Duel Terminated.
Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon snorted victoriously, a plume of steam bursting from its nostrils. Its tail swept behind it with a sharp CRACK, displacing the very air.
For several seconds, the entire arena was silent.
Not a word.
Not a breath.
Then—
"THAT WAS INSANE!!" Kyūyō Tenma shouted, eyes sparkling like stars. "He's way too strong!"
The room came alive with cheers, gasps, and disbelief.
"One-turn kill!!"
"That was godlike! Like watching a storm descend!"
"Even the pro dueling circuit doesn't see kills this flashy!"
The examiner was still standing on the stage, stunned and motionless. He'd completely forgotten to even announce the results.
But he didn't have to.
From the grand podium, Professor Lawrence leapt to his feet, his voice booming with joy:
"Platform One—candidate Li Yuu achieved a complete first-turn kill, dealing 12,200 damage!"
"I, Professor Lawrence, Chief Instructor of Sacred Star Duel Academy, am proud to declare—Li Yuu has received a perfect score in this year's practical exam!"
"And furthermore—"
"With full marks in both the written and practical evaluations, Li Yuu has shattered the Academy's entrance exam record since its founding!"
"Everyone—please give your applause!"
Thunderous applause erupted from the students below. No one dared to hold back.
They had just witnessed a duel so overwhelming, so precise, so explosively perfect—it demanded respect.
You couldn't not applaud.
Only the students seated in the Special Admissions balcony watched with darkened expressions.
Li Yuu stood tall on the dueling platform, calmly accepting the praise raining down on him. That serene smile on his face made more than one Special Admission grit their teeth.
"Tch. So what? It's just a freshman exam. Real battles aren't that simple."
Beside him, a lackey quickly flattered him. "Totally, Boss Ye Kun! That wasn't even a real duel. Just a test dummy setup. If you were up there, you'd score way higher!"
"Yeah!" another chimed in. "Guy's just some nobody from a backwater country! We're Special Admissions—we're elite bloodlines. People like him don't deserve to stand on the same stage."
The silver-haired boy—Ye Kun—glanced sidelong at them.
His narrowed eyes sent a chill down one follower's spine.
Did I overdo it?
But then Ye Kun smirked and clapped his lackey on the shoulder.
"You're right, Aka Natsuyama. We're the real nobles here. That commoner has no idea what league he's playing in."
Aka Natsuyama forced a laugh, relieved. "Heh, yeah—totally!"
Ye Kun's smile twisted further.
"In that case, Aka Natsuyama—I've got a job for you."
"Find a chance to knock that guy down a peg. Let him know—this Academy doesn't belong to just anyone."
"Huh?! You want me to duel him?!"
Aka Natsuyama's face paled. He looked like he'd just been handed a live grenade.
But the other Special Admissions students were already jeering and cheering him on. And with Ye Kun's intense gaze fixed on him, he had no choice.
He swallowed hard, bowed low, and forced out a reply:
"Yes, Brother Ye Kun! I won't let you down!"