Despite it being the weekend, Asuka Tenjouin still got up early.
These days, she has been very busy. It's not because of the academy's coursework; for a top student like her, the current curriculum is already easy. The regular teaching courses and assignments no longer take up much of her time.
Now, ninety percent of her energy is devoted to the laboratory.
It's not because the lab owner, Yugen, is always exploiting them, not giving weekends off. In fact, Yugen's management is quite relaxed, especially for veteran members like Asuka and Mitsuzawa, almost never imposing any mandatory tasks or deadlines.
With no mandatory requirements or task pressures, she simply wants to do it.
The research over the past year has not only greatly improved her scientific abilities, but she's also developed a strong interest in card-making research.
Just as her initial choice to walk this path was largely due to her love for dueling, her exploration of the Duel World and the urge to create new cards from her findings have equally fueled her passion.
Of course, if we talk about passion, she is ashamed compared to Mitsuzawa. At least besides card-making, she still has her own life, and she knows when to rest and adjust.
Mitsuzawa is now truly wishing to move directly into the laboratory, not wanting to return to the Yellow Dormitory. He has become a well-known research fanatic in the academy, the kind you don't see all day.
Walking on the path of voluntary overtime, passing through familiar forest paths, Asuka suddenly noticed fog beginning to appear around her.
For the first time she saw such thick fog in this forest, and in just a moment, it reached the point where one couldn't see their hands, making it almost impossible to discern directions.
Then she heard strange sounds.
A series of crackling sounds, as if there were some familiar strange sound effects.
Intrigued, Asuka subconsciously followed the direction of the sounds. As she got closer and focused her eyes, she was surprised to see someone sitting in that small grove, madly pressing buttons on a game controller, with a game console and monitor in front of him. On the screen, the small plane he controlled was charging through a hail of bullets.
Asuka was greatly astonished.
Playing with the console in the grove?
"Ah, finally you came."
That person seemed to sense something, put down the controller, slowly stood up, and turned around.
He stretched his fingers, flexibly moved them, and looked at Asuka with a not-so-kind smile.
"Been waiting for you for a while, Asuka Tenjouin."
"Waiting for me?" Asuka thought, "I remember you're... Silver Meteor? The champion of that shooting game, the dueling genius..."
"Hahaha, you actually know my name, I'm flattered."
Silver Meteor laughed.
"How about it, do you dare to duel me? Duel Academy's No.1 miss?"
Only now did Asuka notice that this person wasn't wearing the Blue Dormitory uniform, but a somewhat flamboyant white one.
Does the academy have such uniforms?
The fog around them became thicker, enclosing them, with even the surrounding trees hidden from view.
She instinctively felt that she might not have the right to refuse this duel.
"No matter what, as long as it's a duel, I'm always ready."
Asuka activated her Duel Disc.
"Hahaha, worthy of Tenjouin, I guessed you'd say that. Well then..."
Silver Meteor also activated his Duel Disc.
"Duel!"x2
[Asuka, LP 4000]
[Silver Meteor, LP 4000]
"I'll make the first move, draw a card."
It's Asuka's turn.
"Activate Magic Card 'Angel's Charity'. Draw three cards from the deck, then discard two cards from the hand."
"Next, summon 'Electronic Stars' in attack position!"
One of Asuka's favorite Subordinate Monsters, an electronic dancer with red hair spun into the field and stretched her long, well-proportioned legs. She covered one eye, her red hair looking like a blazing fire.
[Electronic Stars, Attack Power 1200]
"Then set two cards, end my turn," Asuka said.
"Asuka's deck has many dancers, eh?" Silver Meteor chuckled, "Beautiful dancers, like blooming flowers... but sadly, such things can't resist powerful interstellar firepower!
My turn, draw a card!"
Silver Meteor drew his card.
Asuka didn't know if it was an illusion, but at that moment, she seemed to sense something different about this student.
Something incredibly powerful, seemingly not possessed by a student. Just a slight exposure in the card-drawing moment left her feeling breathless.
In fact, she wasn't being paranoid. Silver Meteor has now joined the Light Association, replacing Chazz's position in the animation, becoming Saio's first pawn in building his faction within the academy and eventually swallowing the entire academy.
And unlike the ordinary minions infected by the Light of Destruction in the animation, Saio's plan has changed, not personally coming to Duel Academy. So, he instilled part of the Light of Destruction within Silver Meteor, giving him power and observing the academy through this student's eyes.
Thus, Silver Meteor is entirely different in power and status compared to the animation, currently the top Grand General for Saio's infiltration of the academy.
"Asuka Tenjouin, the earliest student to join the Duel King's group, one of the academy's top talent duelists."
Takuma Saiou watched the duel unfold through a crystal ball, showing an intrigued expression.
"A good choice to break the King's power from here. Come, let me see what you can do."
Silver Meteor said at this moment: "I'll Special Summon 'Giant Battleship - Bursting Cannon Core'!"
A beam of white light shot up, something seemed to vanish into the sky.
The fog began to tumble as if being sliced by something. A massive figure slowly descended from the sky, revealing a steel body that seemed to cover the sky and earth. Like a spaceship from a sci-fi movie, it floated in the air, its blue core shimmering with deep light.
[Giant Battleship - Bursting Cannon Core, Attack Power 2500]
Asuka was astonished: "A direct summon of an Upper-Level Monster with 2500 attack power!?"
"The effect of Giant Battleship - Bursting Cannon Core allows this card to be Special Summoned from the hand when your opponent has more monsters on the field than you do!"
Giant Battleship is the deck Silver Meteor uses. This deck's design prototype is the 2D side-scrolling shooter game 'Cosmic Cruiser', aligning perfectly with Silver Meteor's identity as a flying shooting champion.
"The duel is also shooting; my Giant Battleship is the level boss of a flying shooter game. Crushing any challengers with absolute power, this is my duel!"
Silver Meteor confidently waved his hand and directly issued an attack command.
"Go! Giant Battleship - Bursting Cannon Core, attack 'Electronic Stars'!"