Evening, at the Osiris Red dormitory.
"That guy named Shin Yuuya is really strong!"
Lying on his bed, Hayato Maeda—who looked a bit like a reincarnated koala—was recalling the duel from a few hours earlier, still filled with awe.
"Yeah! When he faced Manjoume at the start, it looked like he used a defensive counterattack strategy, right? But when it was big bro's turn, he launched a fierce assault! He won in just the third turn of the duel with a One Turn Kill!"
Such strength, the ability to achieve a one-turn kill… In this academy, probably only his own older brother "Ryo Marufuji" could do something like that, Sho thought to himself.
"So now I've drawn attention…"
Recalling what Yuuya whispered to him before he passed out, Judai couldn't help but sigh to himself.
Being watched for a month, and yet never seeing the guy in class—he was curious about who Shin Yuuya was. And the "father" he mentioned—who could that be? He said he'd known him for a long time, but Judai couldn't recall anyone who matched that description.
"Get stronger… another deck… real power…"
Should he start making changes from tomorrow? Honestly, Judai was intrigued by this "other deck" Yuuya spoke of—the one that supposedly represented his full power. He was even eager to duel against it! Even though he had just been defeated by Yuuya in a third-turn OTK this afternoon.
"Whatever, I won't think about it for now. Better go grab some dinner."
———Scene Break———
Time went on. Ever since the end of the first month's written exam, although Judai still had plenty of bad habits, at least he now showed some willingness to change.
For instance, he no longer arrived late to class every day like he used to. And during lectures—like the alchemy lessons taught by Professor Daitokuji—even though Judai still slept through most of them, he had at least occasionally listened attentively.
'Any change is good,' Yuuya thought.
Small as it was, it was still change, and that was enough to make Yuuya feel a bit gratified.
Though technically still a student, Yuuya was far from just a student. He continued his previous academy investigations—and during that period, he discovered a special place. Or rather, he was "brought" there by his childhood friend Asuka.
"Every week, there are always a few nights where someone leaves a single rose here…"
Staring at the decrepit, abandoned dormitory before him, Yuuya looked down at the ground in front of the door. There lay a withered, dull-colored rose.
"Asuka's older brother, Fubuki Tenjoin—he disappeared here, didn't he…"
According to Yuuya's investigations, this abandoned dormitory was the place where Fubuki had vanished a year ago—his last known location on academy grounds.
"Tonight, I'll find out just what's so strange about this place!"
With a special identity and more than enough strength to protect himself, Yuuya ran and climbed over the wall into the overgrown ruins of the dormitory.
"A strange and ominous feeling…"
The moment he entered, Yuuya could already sense that something "bad" might be inside. Just what it was, he'd need to go in deeper to find out.
———Scene Break———
"Ugh! So dusty! For someone with mild OCD like me, this is awful!"
How clean could an abandoned dorm possibly be? Though he had mentally prepared himself before entering, Yuuya still showed visible discomfort once he was inside.
"Hmm? Is this... a mural?"
Shining his flashlight, just after rounding a corner, the beam illuminated what looked like a mural on the wall.
"Wait! These murals depict..."
As Yuuya stepped closer for a better look, he instantly realized these murals were far from ordinary—
There was a prominently marked mural showing what looked like jewelry worn on the head; another on the forehead, centered between the brows, resembling a single eye; one in the right hand holding a spherical object with ear-like decorations on both sides; another right-hand object that looked exactly like the restricted spell card Monster Reborn; one over the abdomen, featuring an upright triangle within a circle, surrounded by five-pointed spikes; below that, on the lower body, a clear depiction of scales; and finally, on the chest, an inverted triangle resembling a pyramid, with what looked like a keyhole in its center.
The Millennium Necklace, Millennium Eye, Millennium Rod, Millennium Key, Millennium Ring, Millennium Scales, and Millennium Puzzle—together known as the Seven Millennium Items!
"Aren't these the Millennium Items that belonged to the nameless Pharaoh—Uncle Atem? Why are murals of them appearing here!?"
All seven of the Millennium Items had passed into the afterlife with Uncle Atem. The only replica stone slab of them was stored in a highly secured site in Egypt.
So then, why would such detailed and accurate murals appear on the wall of this abandoned dormitory building?
"Who's there?"
Suddenly, Yuuya spun around and shouted toward the darkness behind him—he'd heard footsteps that weren't his own.
"..."
He waited for quite a while, but the hallway remained eerily silent. Just as he began to wonder if he'd imagined the sound in the quiet atmosphere, the footsteps returned—this time louder and more distinct.
"Trying to lure me, huh?"
Hearing the fading sound suddenly vanish again, Yuuya deduced the intent behind the footsteps.
"Whatever you're trying to pull, running into me is your worst luck yet!"
With that thought, Yuuya took off in pursuit of the sound, following it until he arrived at what looked like a basement.
"A spacious basement?"
Glancing around, the environment felt like a mix of naturally formed stone and man-made construction. More importantly, the whole place was saturated with a thick, ominous dark energy.
"A boy named Judai Yuki—your life belongs to me now!"
"Huh?"
Judai Yuki? Where? Or... did he mean me?
As Yuuya looked around in confusion, a heavy white mist suddenly filled the basement. As he waved his flashlight through the haze, a tall man emerged from the other side—dressed in all black, wearing a black gentleman's hat, and a Duel Disk strapped to his arm.
"You... you're not from the Academy."
Yuuya scanned the man from head to toe—especially that towering two-meter-plus frame that stood like a solid wall—and frowned as he spoke.
"Titán! A man who walks between light and shadow—a 'Dark Game Duelist!'"
The masked Titán introduced himself. Upon hearing that, Yuuya gave him another once-over before speaking with a skeptical tone:
"A Dark Duelist of the Shadow Games? You?"
Rather than getting angry, Titán calmly reached behind his back and pulled out a pyramid-shaped artifact—an inverted triangle bound by chains.
"The Millennium Item—Millennium Puzzle! This is the ultimate proof of my identity as a Dark Duelist!"
"...Pfft—HAHAHAHA!"