Want to play cards? I'll use my King's Deck!

If you can take someone's life, then there's no need to go through the trouble of burning the body; it's pointless.

So it's no wonder that Tsuyoshi Ushio would think that way.

"Then, just like yesterday, the surveillance footage didn't capture the killer's appearance. In fact, all the surveillance cameras in the vicinity around the time of the incident malfunctioned, only capturing traces of the victim. The battle records in the Duel Disk were also destroyed. Honestly, these past few days have been truly tumultuous. We just dealt with one Dark Duelist last month, and now another one has appeared. Can't they just give me a break, these piece of trash bastards!"

Niuwei Gang scratched his hair furiously, unable to hold back a grumble and complaint from the bottom of his heart.

Ordinary crimes are manageable, but the Dark Duelists have always been the most troublesome and difficult enemies for the Public Security Bureau. They're already highly dangerous and extremely difficult to catch, and this time they even know how to destroy eyewitness evidence…

To fight against a Dark Duelist is beyond the capabilities of ordinary Duelist Guards; even seasoned veterans would suffer greatly.

In situations like this, to properly resolve a case, one must rely on the bureau's top experts.

Unfortunately, Logan went on a business trip and won't be back for a while.

Besides him, the only other top choice in the department is...

"Xiaoxue, although I really don't want to do this, I may have to ask you for help this time."

Ushio Tsuyoshi clicked his tongue hard, his face pale, and finally spoke in a guilty and bitter tone.

What he did was truly unfair to his old friend, Ah Xing...

"It's okay, this is my own choice."

Izayoi Yuki shook her head, showing no concern whatsoever for the life-or-death request that Ushio had just thrown at her.

"It was my insistence that led Officer Ushio to agree to let me become a trainee dueling guard. Now that I've donned this uniform, I have an obligation to participate in battles. Besides, my target has always been the Dark Duelist, and now that I have the opportunity to personally capture one, I certainly have no reason not to miss it."

"...You're still so stubborn. You could have just left this to Logan and the police department."

"I'm sorry, I just can't be a good girl who only waits for good news. This is my way of fighting."

"We knew exactly how determined you were from that day on."

Ushio sighed helplessly. Even Logan couldn't persuade her to go back, and he had long since given up on stopping the girl.

Now, there is only one thing he can do: to do everything in his power to assist the latter.

"But no matter what, being a student is your primary responsibility. No matter how much you love your job, you can't neglect your studies. You still need to prepare for that Star Cup, right? Finding the suspect will take a lot of time, so you just focus on your studies for now. We'll let you know as soon as we have any news. Also, remember to turn on the safety devices, absolutely don't forget!"

"clear."

The girl nodded vigorously in acceptance of Takeshi Ushio's final, stern instructions. She had already been willful enough; she wouldn't disobey her superior's orders again on such matters. Besides, Takeshi's order was indeed for her own good.

"That's it."

Niuwei softened his tone for a moment, then said seriously, "We can't just call you out here and have you do nothing. You'll have to help me with the case investigation. After the investigation is complete, the body will be sent to the cemetery for a requiem ceremony by the priest. Before that, let's look for any clues we might have missed. Perhaps that's the key to finding the suspect."

"Yes!"

Chapter 39: Can you give me some support?

"Eh—so that kind of thing happened yesterday?"

On Monday, Kiyosumi High School was bustling with activity.

As Sunday passed, students and teachers could be seen coming and going throughout the school, bringing life and energy to the school that had been quiet until yesterday.

Inside the Duel Club, which was nearly empty after school, Hoshino Mai's surprised voice echoed through the room, and Yuuki, who was also there, showed the same emotion on her face.

"Are there dark duelists, like serial killers, who roam the night?"

"Yes, there have been several incidents recently. They all occurred after 9 p.m., a time when most people are home resting. The department is preparing to issue a notice and increase nighttime patrols to prevent similar incidents from happening again and to ensure that officers can respond to incidents as soon as possible."

"No wonder Father Anderson said that..."

Listening to Izayoi Yuki's explanation, Yuki finally understood the deeper meaning hidden in the priest's words.

"In short, you guys should also be careful these nights. Don't wander around outside if you don't have anything to do. Be careful not to be targeted by the murderer. I don't want to find your bodies at the scene one day."

Izayoi Yuki earnestly gave the two some advice.

“Understood!” Xing Yewu replied earnestly, her palm level with her eyebrows. “Anyway, I wanted to take a break for a while, and I don’t have time to continue working until I find a new place to rent.”

"...You want to move?"

"Yeah. I'm renting a single room where I live, and it's a bit too cramped for two people, so I definitely need to move to a bigger apartment. That would make daily life much more convenient. By the way, Xiaoxue, do you have any good recommendations for apartments? If so, could you introduce a few to me?"

"...You never told me that you two lived together."

Izayoi Yuki's gaze, which carried a hint of pressure, pierced Yuki's direction. Yuki helplessly explained, "I did say we should live separately, but Miss Hoshino disagreed."

"Because there's no need for it."

Xing Yewu counted on her fingers, carefully calculating the costs for the two of them.

"Look, renting is the same whether you're alone or with someone, and sharing can be cheaper. The conditions of the house will also be better. From a cost-effectiveness perspective, sharing is definitely more profitable. Of course, the rent is shared by both of us, and I won't take advantage of You Xijun for nothing."

"If we don't consider other factors, then that's certainly true."

"Ugh... Xiaoxue, you're so troublesome. Why do you react exactly the same way as You Xijun? Aren't you being a bit too jumpy?"

"I think you're just too thick-skinned. A normal person wouldn't go to such lengths as you."

Responding to Hoshinobu's complaints, Izayoi Yuki calmly retorted once again.

Yuki deeply empathized with Izayoi Yuki's insightful remarks.

He had this feeling from the beginning, but since he was the one who had received a favor, it was really not appropriate for him to say anything bad about the girl.

"Well, I have my own reasons for that."

Xing Yewu gave a vague explanation without elaborating, and then said, "Don't just talk about me, Xiaoxue, you also need to be more careful when you're carrying out your official duties. Don't push yourself too hard. Also... how did your talk with the principal go?"

Yesterday, Youxi and Xingyewu asked Shiliuye Xue to help them open a back door for student admissions. Today is school, so they should be able to get some initial results.

"almost."

Izayoi Yuki's reply was also quite satisfactory.

"After hearing about Izumi's situation, the principal said he was willing to help. However, even so, the necessary procedures still need to be followed. Izumi must pass the assessment to become a formal dueling recruit."

"That's enough."

Xingye Wu smiled happily and said, "We don't need any more discounts, just one chance is enough. Am I right, You Xijun?"

"Ah."

You Xi nodded affirmatively, "Miss Xingye has already shown me the exam content for special admissions students and the Duel Academy over the years, so I'm quite confident about these."

The entrance exam for special admissions is a bit more difficult than the entrance exam for the Duel Academy, but there is essentially no difference.

It is also divided into a written test and a practical test.

The written test mainly covered hardcore topics such as card effects, rule adjustments, and card game analysis—topics akin to physics and chemistry. It truly tested a person's breadth of knowledge.

If the test focused on the cultural background of this world, You Xi would have to give up, but this is precisely his strength, so he doesn't need to start from scratch.

As for duels, there's no need to elaborate further.

"It seems you two are both alright, then I'm relieved."

Seeing that Yuki and Hoshino had no objections, Izayoi Yuki continued, "Then, let's set the practical exam time at the gymnasium at 9:00 AM the day after tomorrow, is that alright?"

"The day after tomorrow morning, that soon?"

"This is the latest time I can get, after all, You Xijun is a transfer student. Besides, the practical assessment doesn't really need to be scheduled at any particular time."

"Hmm, that makes sense..."

Xing Yewu thought about it for a moment and found that she really had nothing to refute.

So she turned to You Xi and said, "You Xi, you should prepare well these next two days, then go to bed early and be in the best condition to meet the challenge the day after tomorrow!"

“Miss Hoshino, you don’t need to remind me of everything like this.”

Hoshino Mai's motherly admonitions prompted Yuki to raise a small protest. He wasn't a child like Kujo Tsukasa; he would have done the same even without the girl's instructions.

This is a daily routine that every duelist goes through.

but……

“Although I will make some modifications and adjustments to the deck, the cards I have on hand may still not be enough. Ms. Hoshino and Izayoi, could you give me some support? Or tell me where there is a card shop?” Yuki asked.

Currently, he only has Yugi Muto's fan deck and a few related enhancement cards obtained through dueling seals in the past two days.

Out of personal sentiment, Yu Xi does not intend to drastically change the core of the deck and completely alter it, but she is not opposed to making some personalized modifications to it.

The main goal is to include cards that provide a positive boost to the deck, which should make duels smoother and expand his options for dealing with various situations.

"Oh ho, deck revamp?"

Xing Yewu's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she suddenly became interested.

“That’s right, that’s right. There’s a saying: many hands make light work. If we pool our wisdom and efforts, we’ll definitely be able to pass the test more easily. So come on, You Xijun! I’ll give you all the advice I can. Xiaoxue, come along too.”

"...I don't really want to interfere with other people's deck building, but since you've put it that way..."

Izayoi Yuki did not refuse outright, and the three of them spent a leisurely time after school chatting and laughing.

—Until the day of the assessment arrives.

Chapter 40, the practical assessment, begins!

The gymnasium is located on the other side of the playground, opposite the dueling area.

The interior is bright and spacious, with good natural light. Physical education classes are held here on rainy days and during certain other classes.

Now, a few people have arrived in this spacious stadium.

Because of her classes, Xingye Wu was unusually unable to stay by Youxi's side. Instead, she was accompanied by a white-haired girl who possessed the privileges of a duel guard and served as her guarantor.

Upon entering the gymnasium, You Xi saw several people dressed as teachers who were already inside.

They sat behind a row of tables, and when they saw You Xi arrive, they all cast scrutinizing glances at him. Clearly, they were the examiners for this assessment.

"too slow!"

At the same time, a stern voice rang out.

Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw a man with a receding hairline and a large belly walking angrily toward them.

As he walked, he continued to berate them: "You two actually made so many teachers wait for you here. Aren't you ashamed?"