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Finding Timé; Diana Trench vs GDA
Topic Started: Sep 21 2017, 04:27 PM (255 Views)
Clubba
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Today marks the last day of the three step process associated with registering to Goldren Dragon Academy, the same as its always been. Day 1 was always the written portion and the AI Puzzle Duels selected from a multitude of famous dueling moments. The third step in getting accepted into GDA was the practical examination. Only four duels could go on at a time, given that specific teachers could only be in and out of their classes at a time.



The examination took place in one of the many Duel Facilities, large enough to house 6 simultaneous Duels. Bordering the room were stands which other students or faculty members watched. On the north side of the room, situated on the ceiling, was a box room with a large pane glass window looking out into the room, where Emanuel sat listlessly.

Emanuel rarely oversaw these duels personally, but today was different, but for no apparent reason. Work had been busy for him, especially with his long search for the pride and joy of the Golden Dragon Academy: Absolute Victory Dragon. As of late, Emanuel's absence can be attributed to his sweeping search of Absolute Victory Dragon inside the school. Not a man of urban legends, but he even tries to look and see if there were any hidden passageways or secret rooms which Donatella did not reveal to anyone. However, the search has been fruitless, leaving him to return to his post of Headmaster.

Idly watching, Emanuel watched the duels proceed, flipping through the files of each student currently in the examination process. Not much catches his eye, except for a particular young woman. "Would you look at that, a star pupil in the shadow of her two parents. How quaint. Today will mark her practical examination. Hmmm.." A sip from his mug, and a careless drag from his cigarette, Emanuel had no drive to stick around, no motivation. He wanted change today, and he sought it deeply.

Down the elevator, onto the floor level, Emanuel went up towards on of the teachers conducting a duel, and poked them lightly on the shoulder. "After this duel, you are relieved from examinations today. You'll still get full pay today, go ahead and take five." Shocked, yet gracious, he finished his examination and then walked out. Emanuel waited at the end of the dueling block, looking through the stack of papers in his hand with a thorough look. Finally, he chirps up. "Will Diana Trench please step up to Testing Arena C. Diana Trench to Arena C.."

He waits a brief moment, asks for another teacher to run his papers off, and then introduces himself. "A pleasure. As you may have seen, the person initially dueling you stepped away, and in their place? Me. My name is Emanuel Fortili, Headmaster of this fine establishment. I hope the school is to your liking. We offer many services to suit the needs of the fierce soul, those looking for a higher education, those looking to improve their dueling prowess, those wanting to show their moves off in sports, those wanting to test their wit in Science Olympiads or Math Bowls, or those with humble spirits wanting to commit themselves to volunteer work. Here at Golden Dragon, we've received many generous funds to give all students whatever opportunity they seek. Enough about us though...tell me about yourself. Give me a reason to regard you as a person, and not a name. It's not every day that the headmaster grants students an opportunity to duel him."

Edited by Clubba, Oct 12 2017, 01:18 PM.
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Diana Trench

Golden Dragon Academy was … famous.

Granted, all Duel Monster Academies in the city were famous to some degree or another, but GDA took the cake, hailing as the strictest, most expensive, and most snobby out of them all. They gained additional fame (or infamy) after the demise of their Headmaster due to a heart attack in a duel. And it was a fancy place too. Everything in it looked expensive and rich, starting from the gate and the front door and ending with the parks surrounding it.

This was the first place for Diana’s tryouts. Were it up to her, she would’ve joined a much less pretentious place, probably with no exams to pass, but her parents wanted to see her here. She doubted herself. Not that she was planning to fail, but she expected it. As a sportswoman, Diana knew that doubt in herself was a guaranteed loss. Doubt at the very last moment could make a hand tremble, or a leg twist and make you fall. She had plenty of doubts, doubts she could not eliminate prior to getting here.

The girl wore a simple, yet tidy suit for this presentation. Her parents made all the effort to make her look respectful and presentable. A white shirt and a dark-blue overcoat, matching skirt and shoes, and a red scarf on her neck. Diana hated official wear, it was so … restrictive. But what could she do? Besides, with her figure, it looked marvelous, and made her look mature.
In her old backpack, the girl brought her dueling disc, and her deck. The source of her doubts. Duel Monsters was a very tech-oriented sport. If she could even consider it a sport. Training and personal skill meant much, but between otherwise two equally-matched opponents, the best deck won. And best decks were decided by money to buy cards. Diana did not have a lot. Her deck was built out of old cards she found in packs at the bottom of her father and mother’s trunk. Those came along with prizes, some time ago. Still, despite the doubts, she was not going to run. Putting on her war face, she stepped into the area C, as instructed. But it was not the instructor who waited for her on the other end of the Dueling Block.

Tch. Just my luck.

The headmaster. The girl looked him over, eyebrow quirked a bit, not showing much emotion other than mild amusement. She did not expect him to be so … young. In Diana’s mind, headmasters were usually in their forties, carrying experience and gravitas about them. This was… a young man. A handsome young man, but still. His position was a testament either to his skills as a duelist, or his people skills. Or both. And he was the one to test her.

“Good Day, Headmaster Fortili. The pleasure is mine.” – she nodded politely, though her lips tightened when he mentioned her family name. So, he knew her parents. Which was likely behind the decision to test her. If against an instructor she could’ve hoped to stand a chance, against this guy? Likely none. But she did not appreciate the overuse of her last name. It was why she was here. Not because she wanted, but because her last name was Trench.

“You heard of my parents and their accomplishments. I’ve some of my own. First place in Aurelius’ 40 km marathon, two years ago. 3 times volleyball champion as part of Aurelius’ 141 High team, Red belt in karate. There are smaller achievements, but… I do not think they are worth mentioning. I’m a strong, competitive type of person. From what I heard so far, this is the place for me.”

Though firm in her words and keeping her back straight, Diana hated these kinds of interviews. First off, because it felt very awkward, and second, because she was expected to prove something to a headmaster of card games. The title sounded ridiculous. But it was her parents’ dream, so… she had to put up with charade. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t be honest. The official and pleasant smile was wiped from her face, a focused and determined expression appearing instead, as she looked at the examiner with a different kind of look.

“I’ll be forward, Headmaster. I am much better at running and kicking people in the face than I am at playing cards. But I want to improve at the game. Your Academy has the reputation of giving results. What I may currently lack in dueling skills I can make up to your Academy in inter-school sport competitions. And… I am not too good at selling myself with words.” – Diana chose to end the spectacle, as she felt it was going on for too long. Instead, she pulled the dueling disc out of her backpack, and fitted it on her arm. Stashing the card deck into the slot as if it were a bullet clip. All she said so far was truthful. Except for one thing. She didn't want to improve at the game. She didn't like it. She wasn't good at it. But for the sake of her parents and their hopes and dreams... she had to try.

“Let’s get this over with.”
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Clubba
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"Snappy and direct, oh how it must feel to be young again.. Like I could speak for myself. I've heard this same old story countless times. 'Oh, please take my son, he might not be the most experienced at Duel Monsters, but he's bright and cheerful and aspires to go back to the circus!' 'Take my son, he's not a good duelist but he's also very talented!' 'My daughter gets what my daughter wants because I have enough money to buy your school out twice fold!'

Don't take me as a fool, I've seen too many like you who expect to gain skill in a fortnight. Golden Dragon Academy can teach you skill, but you can never learn what it means to keep going: Pride. Tell me, Ms. Trench, you find yourself a lot more esteemed towards your accomplishments in athletics than you do in this silly card game, right? Of course you do, you've already given me your bucket list. Now, tell me, what are you to earn from this school? Are you looking to keep on your athletics here? Or are you here simply because of a premonition that if you are not accepted here, your parents will look down upon you?"


Emanuel fixed his glasses, his words growing colder as he continued the conversation. On his right arm, his new Duel Disk activates, the blade coming out with a black body and a gold highlight, shaped out with a dragon at the end. "The world is a cruel place. People have these expectations.. They typically view reality as how they grew up, and project said reality onto those that they want to carry the torch, or otherwise people like you. Progeny. You have become your own self-fulfilled prophecy of living up to your family's name, but there's obviously no interest whatsoever in the game. You'd much rather show how fit you are with your body, physical ability, over mental ability... What could I prove if I were to, say, automatically fail you? Golden Dragon Academy would not be missing in your service to serve on the dueling front, and I would have a lot of parents barking at my phone book for denying their sweet little princess or their super mans.

Your very existence serves as a living example of social deviance. You want to pursue your own goals, but your family shackles you like handcuffs to a room filling with water, and the only way out is to duel. Do you want to keep living your life like that? A slave to those who think you're better than what you can already do? Well, I will tell you this much: You are better, so much better than your parents. I present you with two options: Leave this campus and never come back, allowing yourself to be seen as a deviant in the eyes of your parents, and going to some other school such as Ryujin, or Firestorm, or Low Level in pursuit of the school which your parents will look upon favorably. Or, you can duel me, and prove with all your might that you have serious intent on playing this game to become the next champion of Duel Monsters by dedicating your life, your mind, and your spirit, to finding pride in this revolutionary game that is constantly changing. The future is for those who grab it."


Emanuel does not wait for an answer as he already has his deck shuffled inside of his Duel Disk. Despite his spiel, he still appears very nonchalant, complacent, and unmoved. "I talk a big game. It's not every day that children get firsthand wisdom from the Headmaster. Do not take me as a pushover! This game will tip the scales in whoever Fortune favors most! The outcome has already been determined! Now, show me if you have what it takes to be a proud Golden Dragon!"
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Diana Trench

The Headmaster started talking.

And talking. And talking. The more he talked the more Diana's pretense of enjoying the visit vanished from her face, the smile turning into a neutral line, and then to something akin to a scowl, as her jaws tightened. This ... boy. She couldn't turn the tongue to call him a man, as he was barely older than she, in terms of physical appearances, at least. He read her as if she was an open book. Which, in itself was fine. But he openly mocked her as well. "Oh please, take my son." "Oh, please, take my daughter." She was not here because her parents begged for admittance. And she never begged either. The chains she wore she chose on her own, and she would let no one belittle them. When the Headmaster threatened to fail her without a test, she scoffed.

"I am not here to beg for admittance, sir. I offer you my skills and qualities. If you find them useful - good. If not, send me on my way. Don't waste my time."

Perhaps, what aggravated her the most was that a lot of his words were true. It was true, she didn't see the game as a godsend, and she did not see those who played it as gods incarnate. It was true that she preferred sports to sitting in a basement and rummaging through a heap of laminated cardboard. It was true that she was here because of her parents. But one thing he was wrong about. She wasn't here because parents forced her hand. Diana was able to say No whenever she wanted to, and her mom and dad would have accepted it. But... she saw how happy they were when she first asked them for a few tips. That kind of happiness was much greater than any of her medals of trophies had ever brought. So... for their sake, she had to try.

But right now, the only motivation she had was to wipe that smirk off of the smarmy italian man's face. She drew her cards. The hand wasn't bad. A Wightprincess, a Lightsworn Sorceress, a King of Skull Servants, and a Zombie Master with a Mezuki. In fact, she could hardly wish for a better card. A part of Diana wondered what kind of deck the Headmaster fielded. She figured to go slow, and see what comes out.

"I summon Wightprincess, attack mode."

It was a standard beginning for her deck. Summon a monster, mill 3 Wights to the grave. And so she did. There was a Skullservant, a Lady in Wight, and a Wightprince in the graveyard now.

Although the Dueling Chamber was empty, with nobody around besides the two of them, the duel unexpectedly had a third, observing party. Unseen to everyone else, a dark mist formed on the galleys, occupying one of the seats, and soon taking form. A form of a tall cloaked skeleton. It had a straight, almost regal posture, and its head turned to see the battle. He sighed and shook his head. Diana. The poor talentless girl who he had the misfortune of belonging to. The spirit of Servants felt power emanating from the Headmaster's deck. Enough to squash his puny underlings under foot. He sensed defeat. Another defeat. And while he did, Diana pressed the end button.

"Your turn."
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Clubba
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"I see..hmm, yes. I suppose this will do just fine." Emanuel views on quietly as he glances over his hand real quick, and then the field, then finally the graveyard. Skull Servants. This deck will do wonders for me, but it will all depend on which monsters I banish. Although, I can afford a little wiggle room here and there.

He took a moment, hovering over each of his cards, thinking of each pros and con. "I suppose the only thing I can do now is gain control. Terraforming, in order to add to my hand Dragon Ravine, and activate!" Large, sheer cliffs erupted, only on the left and right sides of the field. Overhead, a vermilion sky with a beating sun, enough to make the overhead shadows of flying dragons appear very prominent.

"Dragon Ravine's effect. From my hand, I send to the Graveyard Keeper of the Shrine, and from my Deck The White Stone of Ancients. I place one card face down and conclude my turn. Upon entering the End Phase, The White Stone of Ancients activates, and from my deck I Special Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Emanuel felt no fear, neither did he notice anything out of the ordinary. He dueled on, and then began to comment. "Do not take this duel personal. I can assure you that whatever performance you put on, there still might be hope of your admittance. It will be on the basis of certain... criteria, so to speak. That will come at the end of this duel. Proceed with your turn."
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Diana Trench

Something something dragons.

That was the only educated guess that Diana could make, based on the cards the Headmaster had played out. In one turn, he already had a 3000 - attack monster looking at her. She did not really follow how did it get on the field - the explanations of one effect after another were too complicated to follow. She simply assumed the other fellow played fair. After all, it'd be unbecoming of a headmaster to cheat against a newbie girl with an outdated deck. Still, she had to do something about it.

Having 3k monsters did not worry her too much, although the dragon did look mighty impressive compared to her small skeleton army. She knew she could get a few to match this one. But it was the facedown she was worried about. Facedowns were the bane of her deck - whenever she tried initiating a chain of effects, something like a solemn warning or a solemn strike came to end it right where it was, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. Diana sighed, figuring she should deal with the facedown first.

So long as I have the Princess on the field, this guy won't do much. - the girl thought, as she placed a card in the monster zone.

"I summon Lyla the Lightsworn Sorceress, in attack mode. And I'm going to use her effect to..." - her voice lacked the excitement and spark most duelists had when announcing their creatures. Diana thought it was silly. The lady in white soon appeared, eyeing the facedown eagerly. But before she could use her effect to destroy the card, the Headmaster chained his trap to her summon, negating her effects, all of them. Even the ones that helped mill. Diana frowned and rolled her eyes. What a ripoff.

"... to do nothing, I guess. Your turn."
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Clubba
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"A waste of a Fiendish Chain, but I suppose this does save me some time not having to deal with milling for the time. Let's see what my next turn has to offer me." Headmaster Emanuel takes a moment to draw into his next card. Not much in terms of advantage. Looking over at Diana's field, Emanuel could only wonder. He might as well let himself allow only one slip up, purposefully set to see how his opponent would do. This would not put him at any disadvantage however. He knew exactly what he was getting himself into, but this would only come into effect not on his turn, but Diana's.

"By using Trade-In I can discard a Level 8 monster, in this case Blue-Eyes Alternative Dragon, to draw an additional two cards... Oh, how quaint. This won't get me anywhere. Oh well. I'll Normal Summon Dragon Knight of Creation and enter into my Battle Phase. Dragon Knight, attack Wightprincess." At least, that was the initial target for an attack, but unfortunately, Wightprincess used its effect to lower the attacks of the monsters on the field. Despite this setback, both Blue-Eyes and Dragon Knight had plenty power to overcome Lyla.

"Saved yourself a lot of grief of taking too much damage this turn. No matter. I'll commence the replay by attacking Lyla with Dragon Knight of Creation. Upon destruction of your Lyla, Fiendish Chain will no longer remain on the field, and the effect of Dragon Knight of Creation activates. I will use its effect to send from my Deck to the Graveyard a Level 7 or 8 Dragon-Type monster. I will send Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand. Following the mill of Lord Felgrand, I will attack you directly for 600 Life Points with Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Onto the Main Phase Two. I'll use Dragon Ravine's effect to send from my hand Dragon Spirit of White, which in turn will allow me to send Arkbrave Dragon to the Graveyard. Finally, I will set one card and end my turn. At this point, both my monsters return to their initial attack power."

Emanuel reminds himself of what was in Diana's Graveyard, and then at his own. This was the point where Emanuel would watch Diana do something explosive of her own. He would gauge the outcome of the examination from this point. "Upon entering your Standby Phase, Arkbrave Dragon activates. If it is in the Graveyard the turn after it was sent there, on the next Standby Phase, it is capable of reviving any Level 7 or 8 Dragon-Type monster from my Graveyard except itself. Take no counterfeits, I will show you the true Golden Dragon right before your eyes! From the depths of myth, your incandescence illuminate the path. Be the beacon that will henceforth usher in a future of those who seize it! Arise! Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand!

An exaggeration to say the least, Lord Felgrand was not the true mascot of the Golden Dragon Academy. However, due to the nature of things, he likes to impress upon the students the next best, a sort of 'stand-in' much like himself with the passing of Donatella. Felgrand's gross incandescence comes off as almost blinding on the field, before toning down a notch. Felgrand's effect activates! When Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I can target any monster on your Field or Graveyard, and remove it from play. Upon a successful banish, Felgrand gains 100 additional attack per each level that monster had. The Lady in Wight will be my target. The level 3 gives Felgrand an additional 300 attack, bumping him up to 3100 Attack Points. I'll cease all plays for now, and allow your turn to commence. Show me how you plan to get over this array."

Emanuel expects something to happen regardless, even if his banish seemed foolish. Whatever the outcome, he still had a jewel in his hand to ensure him victory. The Graveyard was already set up for his big boss monster.
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Diana Trench

At the end of the Headmaster's turn, Diana looked very much on her backfoot.

As she often found herself to be, anyway. The man was as good at cards as she expected him to be, begrudgingly. He had three monsters on the field, two of which were of 3000 attack, and a facedown to boot. She looked that facedown, narrowing her eyes. If it's another fiendish chain, this is over. I won't be able to summon anything that could deal with this horde of dragons. - her thoughts were rather pessimistic already. Still, she had to try. The man's words about her chances to pass regardless the results were of little comfort. Were he some kid who got it over his head, she would've called the duel quits already. But here there was something more at stake. She hated the condescending way he looked at her.

And I'd love to wipe that smirk of his face.

"Alright, time's up. Lets do this. My draw."

The card pushed into her hand was not the best. But she had plenty in her hand already. All that worried was that facedown. Still, there was no way of finding out what it was, beyond trying.

"I summon Zombie Master in attack mode."

A little pause. Diana expected a trap activation, which... did not happen. It relieved her somewhat. If he had anything to stop the chain, he would've used it and curbed her turn before it even started. This made her bolder. "And I use its special effect. I send Mezuki to the graveyard,
summon Wightprincess, and mill three more Wights. Then, I use Wightprince's effect to summon the King of Skull Servants!"


Her heavy hitter. The most powerful card in her deck. The skeleton emerged on the battlefield, standing tall and regal, looking at the dragons larger than him with no fear. He had only 2k attack, but it was not over. The gears of the deck were working. They only needed some time to get going, and no interruptions. The girl wasn't good with these long chains of moves, so she took a bit of time to figure out what's next.

"Uhh... I'm gonna summon Leviair the Sea Dragon, and use its effect to summon... Wightprince?"

Probably not the best play. Especially since she did not use Mezuki's effect beforehand. I thought there was a Lady in Wight in my Banished cards... Oh well, I guess this works. - Diana shrugged and continued. "Next, I'm using Mezuki's Effect to resummon Wight princess, and I use her effect to curb down your dragons."

With that effect, all the dragons became weak and ashamed of trying to harm an innocent ghost child. It was silly how some card effects worked, but Diana was not the one to invent them. She reached forward, pointing at the monsters of the opponent's side of the field. "Kill them all."

With that, the zombies attacked. All three enemy monsters were struck down, and Diana ended her turn. Everything looked... good? She had 4 monsters on the field, he had one. And two cards. What good could two cards be? Especially considering the card Diana was holding in her own hand. Another King of Skull Servants.

Even if he kills my entire field, the King I will summon next turn will have around 10k attack! I think I just might win this!

Little did she know, that there wouldn't be a next turn.
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Clubba
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"My, will you look at that. Not only have you managed to summon out your ace monster, you've taken back control of the field! However, with Keeper of the Shrine at my disposal, I'm afraid this marks the conclusion of our duel. I'll explain the steps very simply. Keeper of the Shrine can be Special Summoned whenever a Dragon-Type monster is destroyed by battle or card effect. If said monster is a Normal Monster, in the case of Blue-Eyes White Dragon, I can add another Normal Monster, which I added Dragon Spirit of White. This card is special, as its clause allows it to be treated as a Normal Monster while in the Graveyard or in my Hand, almost like a Gemini Monster. The pieces are now in place. All that's left is my draw."



And so Emanuel drew his card, and the play was set in stone. "The White Stone of Ancients has another effect beyond being able to Special Summon any Blue-Eyes Monster. By banishing it, I can target one Blue-Eyes monster in the Graveyard, and add it to my hand. I will add Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and reveal it to you. By revealing this card, it allows me to Special Summon Blue-Eyes Alternative Dragon from my hand. Next, Dragon Ravine. By discarding Dragon Spirit of White, I will send from my Deck to the Graveyard another Arkbrave Dragon. Not for any particular reason, other than a backup in case my play does not go as planned. From here, I'll activate this gem in my hand, Return of the Dragon Lords. Targetting Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand I revive him from the Graveyard. Return now, Lord Felgrand!"

Was his plays too much for Diana to keep up with? He was not sure. It's not everyday the Headmaster examines students firsthand. He had no intentions of giving out failures. Most of the teachers would at least be much more tame in deck choices, but not Emanuel. As Felgrand reappears on the field again, Emanuel gives a command to Felgrand, which followed up into a large flap from his wings directly towards King of the Skull Servants, removing it from play. "With Felgrand back in play, I use his effect to remove the threat of your King, gaining an additional 100 attack. With that out of the way, I'll Tribute Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon, treating Keeper of the Shrine as two tributes instead of one. I'll proceed to Xyz Summon! Constructing the Overlay Network! I overlay both Blue-Eyes monsters. XYZ Summon, Rank 8! Number 62: Galaxy-Eyes Prime Photon Dragon!! And again! I will reconstruct the Overlay Network and Overlay Prime Photon Dragon with itself! Rank-Up, Xyz Summon! Number 95! The darkness that pierces the gold light! Light husbands Darkness, void you will bring! Swallow the divine lights with your devouring maws, returning all to nothing! Galaxy-Eyes Dark Matter Dragon!"

Stormclouds overhead blot out the field's sky. Floating down from an opening in the storm, Dark Matter Dragon's disformed body coils down onto the field, lighting bolts striking at both player's decks. Both Dark Matter and Felgrand in each other's presence proves to be both a marvel and devastation: A monster of pure light, and a monster of pure darkness. "Dark Matter's first effect! I mill three Dragon-Type monsters to the Graveyard from my Deck, and in turn you must banish three Monsters in your Deck. Following that, I will use Dark Matter's second effect to detach one Overlay Material, my Blue Eyes, allowing one additional attack this turn. Entering the Battle Phase, I destroy both your Leviar and Zombie Master using Dark Matter, then Wightprince with Felgrand. Allowing your prince to resolve its effect, Felgrand's effect activates, which, after I destroy a monster using this card, lets me Special Summon a Level 7 or 8 Dragon-Type Monster from my Graveyard that is not itself. I bring back the Blue-Eyes I detached, and use that monster to deal you the last blow to your life points."



The counter dwindles down, and the field disappears from existence. Emanuel feels barely winded, or fazed by this outcome. "I deeply apologize for the uphill battle. That set card though was Solemn Warning. It was another backup in case my plans did not go swimmingly. I assure you though, even if you had won, my answer would still be the same. Your choice was to duel me, knowing full well you were against a strong foe. In most cases, we would deny students on the basis of failure or weak cards, however, I like a little entertainment here and there. You have proven enough worth to warrant entry into my hallowed stomping grounds, as many would like to call them. However, I've attached a bit of a gimmick to you staying here. I'll give you a semester. There will be plenty opportunities for you to improve your skills. Make some friends while you are at it, but know that most of the students aren't very accepting of people unless you can prove your worth. In particular, I have one specific goal for you in mind."

Emanuel goes through his Duel Disk and presses a few buttons on the tablet screen before projecting a hologram of a letter. "This. An Aurelius Tournament fit for all ages. Winner gets a scholarship, as well as money that goes towards the district you're representing. I've asked many of my star students to participate in this event. While I much rather see this money be put to better use, such as any other school here in Aurelius, we are a school that promotes a competitive environment, and if we're not representing, we're not fulfilling our mission statement. Show me at least something of a bang-up job."

Fwoop. The screen disappears, and then Emanuel subconsciously grabs for his pockets for his lighter, then realizing he's in the presence of a student, and then just proceeds to fiddle with it in his pocket. He's run strap of his expectations, yet he was still in a lecturing mood, so he continued to ramble on. "Golden Dragon Academy.. I wish I could say we were the best school, but this place has been in too much heat for me to bother. Kids these days have gotten too soft. Recent years has seen the worst dropout rates in this school's existence. A lot of violence as well. Duels stopped being friendly, and have become mechanisms for bullying. There's still teachers and sometimes even alumni students trying to get at my seat of Headmaster. What's worse, the students have become less competitive for the sake of school rivalry and more so competitive for trying to avenge the death of previous Headmistress Donatella Valente. Firestorm students are now stigmatized, their Headmaster the bane of all evil. I don't quite understand it myself; I've had talks with Headmaster Shao, and to be quite frank, I'd rather have his wisdom guiding students toward their goals. What a mess we've become."

"Let these words shake you to your everlasting core. We are not the best simply in the department of money, wealth, and fame. We only offer competition to turn you into dueling machines who focus only on winning, and preserving their reputation. What you see here is not the same school three decades ago, as your parents must have misguided you into believing. What am I to earn to this degree of pessimism towards my own school? To educate those to see the real flaws of Golden Dragon, and to improve those flaws. I have no real power, no input, on the antics of students. While I may facilitate over them, I am merely a figurehead that you learn to fear just for having a superior title. Only the students can change this school. That is the true scope of your objective. Change this school, clash, challenge, and conflict their viewpoints. The students are trapped inside their own little worlds, shut out with walls. Only by dueling them, getting through to them, and destroying those boundaries, can you share the true light, the true ideals, of Golden Dragon Academy. Are you up for the task?"
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Diana Trench

The duel was over.

The invisible skeletal observer had vanished as soon as it was done, the defeat draining his power and not letting him remain around much longer. An irked frown appeared on Diana's face. She did not see it coming. What was worst, the opponent had the mother of all trapcards facedown the whole time. Even if she somehow lived through the last attack, she still wouldn't have stood a chance. Lifepoints were at zero, and the arena went dim again. She lost.

Diana was about to leave. She thought she did not put up much of a fight. That, and she did not want to stay and put up with the headmaster's lecture. He enjoyed talking... far too much. But instead of failing her, the man said that he would put her on probation for a semester. That stopped the girl in her tracks. Of course... there was always a catch. Just one semester, to prepare and win a tournament for the GDA. If she'd succeed, she'd win a scholarship. If not, expelled. And forced to wait till next year to roll into another school.

Her first reaction was to refuse. Diana preferred solid reinstatement as a student to this temporary position, which was based on luck more so than on anything else. To win a city tournament, and beat tons of nerds who spent their lives collecting and playing cards... With her Skull Servants deck at that? It was foolhardy. But ... what stopped the girl from calling out the Headmaster on the delusional quest he had set up for her, was the thought of how happy her parents would be, even with these intermediary results. She turned back, hiding her deck and taking off her dueling disk. But there was more. When the Headmaster started talking about how his Academy lost his spirit and how there was nothing he could do about it, a strange smirk appeared on her face.

That's... rather humiliating, isn't it? It's pathetic.

The girl barely held herself from laughing. For all his pompous talk, this fellow seemed to be doing a rather bad job in his own school. She took several steps forward, enough to close the distance. They were approximately of equal height, with Diana being a bit taller even, perhaps. The girl looked the Headmaster in the eyes.

"A probationary period? Very well. I will participate in the tournament for you, and do my best to win it. But fixing your school for you? No. It is the job of the teachers and the headmaster. If you cannot influence and motivate your students, then what are you here for? If you are not up to the task, then you should not be Headmaster. From what you said, there's a long line behind you."

With that, Diana bowed, politely, and turned around, leaving the dueling chamber. The Headmaster could fail her for her words, if he wanted to. But she said the truth, while looking straight in his eyes. If he'd make any use of it - good. If he'd choose to be offended... Well, there were always other schools to try out for.

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