"Achoo!"
Ryo Nakamuta sneezed, unaware that he was the subject of discussion among Principal Samejima, Furuta Hajime, and several other teachers. Right now, he was busy dealing with his two new roommates.
The first was a chubby, short-haired guy in a red shirt named Ikeda Hiromu, who played a Salamangreat deck. His personal motto was to become a Salamangreat duelist as great as Takanotsume Takanotsume from the VRAINS dimension.
The second was an old acquaintance, Kito Saku.
Yes, the same classmate who'd been admitted to the Phantom God Blue class, the one who'd used a Black Magician combo to dismantle the Ancient Gear Reborn combo and broke through Ancient Gear Reactor Dragon's 3000 ATK barrier with Gagaga Samurai during the entrance exam.
His motto? To become a Duel King like Muto Yugi.
"Ryo-bro! Take me as your apprentice! I know you're no ordinary guy!"
"Someone who can pull that off? You've gotta be the disciple of some Duel King from one of the six dimensions!"
Ikeda Hiromu gazed at Ryo Nakamuta like a starry-eyed fanboy, his eyes brimming with admiration that was almost too much for Ryo to handle. It was the kind of fervor you'd expect from someone meeting their idol.
"Fatty, use some common sense, will ya?"
"Duel Kings? Those legendary figures taking apprentices?"
"And he's playing Red-Eyes. If he's anyone's disciple, it's probably Mr. Jonouchi from the DM dimension, right?"
Though Kito Saku was miffed that Ryo Nakamuta had completely stolen his thunder, he knew full well the impact of the "Double Dragon Secret Eight-Character Barbecue Technique." He'd seen the crowd's reaction with his own eyes.
"Uh, hold on, hold on."
"Fire Fatty, you're making me super uncomfortable here."
"If you were a girl, I might be okay with it, but a guy? Let's pass for now."
"And no, I'm not some Duel King's disciple from the six dimensions."
"If I had to say, I'm from a seventh dimension, maybe."
Ryo Nakamuta scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He'd just settled into the dorm, only to be greeted by these two characters. Ikeda Hiromu, especially, was overwhelming—clingier than a girl, yet not a girl.
Kito Saku was a bit more normal, but his obsession with Muto Yugi was beyond imagination. His desk computer had Muto Yugi stickers, his photos were of Muto Yugi, his bedding set was Muto Yugi-themed, and even his toothbrush and cup were Muto Yugi-branded!
If not for their conversation confirming he was mostly sane, Ryo would've suspected something was seriously off with this guy.
"My gosh, Ryo-bro, what're you talkin' about?"
"What's this seventh dimension stuff?"
"Wait, is there really another world beyond the six dimensions?"
Ikeda Hiromu's big, clear eyes widened, his expression showing no trace of doubt toward Ryo Nakamuta.
"Alright, Fatty, you really believe everything he says?"
"Hurry up and pack your stuff. We've got a class meeting for Phantom God Blue soon."
"I bet the legendary beauty teacher from the GX dimension is gonna be our homeroom teacher."
Homeroom teacher? A beauty teacher from the GX dimension?
Kito Saku's words sent a jolt through Ryo Nakamuta, who adopted a thoughtful expression. Speaking of GX dimension beauty teachers, there weren't many familiar names, were there?
The only notable GX beauties were Tenjoin Asuka, and maybe, stretching it, Saotome Rei. Could one of them have come to Phantom God Dimension Academy as their homeroom teacher?
Of course, if it was Yubel, forget he ever thought about it.
"I was gonna skip class, but now I've gotta see what's going on."
"Let's get ready and head out."
"I wanna know who this beauty teacher is."
Ryo Nakamuta quickened his pace, organizing his newly enhanced Red-Eyes deck before heading out with Ikeda Hiromu and Kito Saku toward the Phantom God Blue classroom.
Along the way, the trio took the chance to explore the campus and learned about the academy's class ranking system, which was similar to the GX Duel Academy but structured as a four-year program.
Obelisk the Tormentor represented Phantom God Blue, the strongest tier of the academy.
Winged Dragon of Ra represented Phantom God Yellow, the mid-tier.
Slifer the Sky Dragon represented Phantom God Red, the weakest tier.
Students in the three Phantom God classes could jump to higher tiers by excelling in semester-end exams. The higher the tier, the more dueling resources and stricter the teaching methods.
After getting the gist, the trio couldn't help but think of GX Duel Academy's rules, feeling a bit uneasy.
Could it be that this Phantom God Dimension Academy was also backed by Seto Kaiba's investment?
Why else would Obelisk represent the strongest and Slifer the weakest?
Lost in thought, they soon arrived at the freshman Phantom God Blue classroom.
The moment Ryo Nakamuta stepped inside, he sensed something was off. The previously noisy classroom fell dead silent.
All eyes—curious, puzzled, fearful, excited, and thrilled—locked onto him.
The barrage of varied gazes made Ryo Nakamuta feel uneasy. Before the trio could find seats, the classroom erupted again.
"No way! Is that him? The real deal? The guy with that… what was it called?"
"Right, it's him! I remember clearly! The Double Dragon Secret Eight-Character Barbecue Technique!"
"Man, that infinite loop play! Which dimension is this guy from?"
"No clue, but one thing's for sure—this guy's not to be underestimated! They say he's the consensus top freshman!"
The students' voices came one after another. Even with Ryo Nakamuta's thick skin, he couldn't handle the attention and quickly took a seat by the window in the back to avoid notice.
"My gosh! It's gotta be Ryo-bro!"
"Your epic deeds are known to everyone now!"
Ikeda Hiromu, sitting beside him, swallowed hard. Seeing several pretty girls glancing their way, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. When would he master Salamangreat to make a name for himself, win over a rich beauty, and reach the peak of life?
"Looks like you college freshmen haven't realized the gravity of the situation. Chattering away—do you think getting into Phantom God Blue means you can rest easy?"
"Hm? Or should I, as your homeroom teacher, assign extra dueling homework?"
A sweet, melodic, and familiar voice came from the doorway. The noisy classroom instantly quieted, with no one daring to speak.
Three seconds later, a blonde woman in a blue-and-white shirt, short skirt, and knee-high socks walked in.
The badge on her chest bore her name—Tenjoin Asuka.
(Tenjoin.jpg)