The strength of these duelists is simply unfathomable… impossible to measure."
Professor Chronos was completely stunned when he saw the newest update.
"And not only that—the most absurd part is that even the supposed leader of the Dark Signers doesn't compare to one of his own members. How ridiculous is that?"
"Haha, fascinating! That alone proves how terrifying this guy's power is."
Headmaster Sheppard smiled faintly.
"It's unbelievable! What in the world is going on here?" Chronos covered his face in disbelief.
---
Osiris Red Dormitory
"They're too strong! The Satellite duelists are finally starting to show their true strength!"
"And that Dark Signer organization…"
"I really want to duel them!" Yuki Judai's eyes were glowing with excitement, already fired up just from seeing the Duel King Gold List rankings.
"Why isn't this great Manjoume-san on the Gold List yet?!" Manjoume thundered, slamming his desk. "How disgraceful!"
"The mayor has finally shown up! With his Eternal Flame deck, he deserves his spot completely."
You Feng nodded in approval of Kiryu Kyosuke's Infernity deck built around Ccapac Apu.
In comparison, even Fudo Yusei's Stardust Dragon deck wasn't as explosive in raw practicality. The Infernity deck's true strength was terrifying.
But of course, the Gold List calculated duelist strength beyond just their deck choices. So this ranking was only reasonable.
"You… know him too?" Asuka blinked at You Feng in disbelief.
Was this true or was he simply toying with her?
"Well, the duelists from the Satellite aren't just powerful individually—their decks are stronger and more diverse as well."
You Feng spread his hands. It was natural, really.
After all, this was an era past GX, a timeline where worlds had already overlapped. Certain rules and settings were more advanced than Duel Academy's.
And why hadn't Duel Monsters been completely surpassed? Because the Duel Monsters era was already the pinnacle.
The characters there were absurdly powerful. Even compared to later eras, they remained unmatched in many ways.
---
[Duel King Gold List – Rank 21 in Overall Strength!]
[Yusuke Fujiwara]
Identity: One of Duel Academy's Three Talents. His raw gift surpassed even Ryo Marufuji and Fubuki Tenjoin, possessing strange supernatural ability.
Representative Deck: Phantom Deck (Netherworld archetype)
Six Factors of Yu-Gi-Oh Strength Evaluation:
Suppression Power: 86
Resistance: 78
Luck: 72
Deck Building: 85
Defense: 82
Strategy: 82
Comprehensive Score: 485
Reward: Resistance +5, Strategy +5, Luck +5. Gained 6 Phantom Deck–related cards!
---
The Duel Academy students erupted with excitement.
"Finally! Someone from Duel Academy makes the rankings at this stage!"
"Fujiwara Yusuke? He's considered stronger than Ryo Marufuji?"
"At last! A name that overshadows the Satellite duelists!"
But for You Feng, this was the hardest to accept.
He blurted out instinctively: "You've gotta be kidding me! Even he made the list?!"
Tenjoin Asuka flinched in surprise at his outburst.
"What's wrong?" she asked quickly.
Of course, You Feng couldn't explain.
Because Fujiwara Yusuke, as officially written, was meant to be a late-stage powerhouse with frightening supernatural abilities—time reversal, and the ability to see into people's hearts.
But despite his "setting," the actual anime portrayal had been disappointing. He was nearly defeated outright by Fubuki.
One of the weakest so-called "quasi-bosses."
And yet now, thanks to the Gold List, he ranked above many legends.
"This makes no sense…" You Feng groaned internally.
Still, maybe his supernatural abilities had given him bonus points. That was the only way to rationalize it.
---
Duel Academy – Chancellor's Office
"Mamma mia! It's Fujiwara Yusuke!" Chronos cried.
"To think the Academy's last hope on the Gold List would come down to him!"
"But… isn't he missing? Surely he isn't dead?"
"Haha! Fujiwara is one of the Academy's Three Talents. With him and Fubuki missing so long, at least Fubuki has returned… But if Yusuke comes back, Duel Academy will shine even brighter!"
Chancellor Sheppard's mind burned with ambition for the Academy's future.
---
Meanwhile, Saio Takuma turned over tarot cards in his chamber.
The skeleton card appeared. He glanced again at the Gold List, his expression darkening.
"Fujiwara Yusuke… so you still live?"
"A Dark Duelist, perhaps?"
He chuckled to himself, his eerie laughter echoing.
---
Elsewhere, Kaiba Seto's helicopter soared over Domino City.
His gaze was heavy, eyes locked on the latest update.
"Rank 21 has been announced… and my name still hasn't appeared."
"Only the top five remain… sixteen duelists unaccounted for. Will my name be there?"
"Or will even Seto Kaiba fail to make the Gold List?"
Though he appeared composed, frustration churned deep inside him.
"Master Kaiba, don't worry. With your strength, you can only place higher," Isono reassured from the seat beside him.
Kaiba said nothing, his fists tightening.
---
[Next, the Duel King Gold List announces the Top Five Duelists!]
[Rank 5 – Law of Synchro Bonds]
Reward: All Attributes +1. Reward – Power of Synchro Unity.
[Rank 4 – The Sin Overlord Beyond Time]
Reward: All Attributes +1. Reward – Power of Malefic.
[Rank 3 – The Messenger Beyond Time]
Reward: All Attributes +1. Reward – Power of the God of Time.
[Rank 2 – The World's Creator]
Reward: All Attributes +1. Reward – Choice of Any Bond Power.
[Rank 1 – Pharaoh]
Reward: All Attributes +2. Reward – 3 exclusive God Cards of the Phantom Divine Beasts. Reward – Power of Dark Magician Bonds.
---
"Today's top ranks remain unchanged. But what does this 'bond power' truly mean?"
"Could it be the power that lets a duelist draw by heart? That already borders on metaphysics!"
"But then again… wasn't the Gold List itself already metaphysical? So why not?"
No duelist could argue back. They all knew it was true.
And among them, You Feng was the first to fix his gaze on the reward: the mysterious power of bonds he himself had gained.