NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Chapter 3
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With no one else around, Hayato took the metallic object he'd been holding out of his pocket. It was a small iron box, unlocked and easy to open.
"It's truly a miraculous technology," he murmured. "Creating something out of nothing..."
Opening the box, he found a neatly stacked deck of cards inside. According to the "Duel King System" interface that had appeared earlier, this deck was Hayato's "beginner pack."
That morning, when Hayato had arrived in the classroom and first laid eyes on Muto Yugi—the boy with the unmistakable starfish-like hair—a translucent screen had materialized in front of him. It read:
"Welcome to the Duel King System. Please claim your initial card pack."
Below the text was a glowing button labeled "Confirm Receive."
Hayato quickly discovered that no one else seemed able to see or interact with the screen. Furthermore, he could make it appear or disappear just by thinking about it. The screen never obstructed his view and only showed up when he wanted it.
Since the classroom was full of people at the time and he didn't understand how the card pack would be delivered, Hayato decided to wait. The "Confirm Receive" button didn't have a time limit, so he resisted his curiosity until he found a private moment.
Now, alone in the hallway, Hayato finally pressed the button. The back of the cards displayed a familiar swirling pattern in brown and gold—an iconic design that immediately comforted him. Though he was now in a different world, this small connection to his previous life brought him a sense of familiarity.
Hayato began examining the deck one card at a time:
Earth Star Swordsman – 3☆ Normal Monster, Warrior-Type, Earth Attribute.
Man-Eating Doll – 3☆ Normal Monster, Warrior-Type, Earth Attribute.
Underworld Swordsman – 4☆ Normal Monster, Warrior-Type, Earth Attribute.
Judgment Hand – 3☆ Normal Monster, Warrior-Type, Earth Attribute.
As he flipped through the cards, his movements became faster and faster. Finally, Hayato let out an exasperated sigh.
"I figured it wouldn't give me anything game-breaking like Beast King Barbaros or Harpie's Feather Duster, but this is just disappointing. Not even an overworked Elemental HERO to be found? Just trash cards."
The 60-card deck was a nightmare. Fifty of them were monster cards, all of them ordinary, low-powered Normal Monsters. The remaining ten were random Spell Cards with bizarre effects. None of the monsters had enough strength to serve as even a basic defense. Hayato couldn't help but scoff at the "deck" he'd been given.
Still, among the garbage, three cards stood out:
Gaia the Fierce Knight – 7☆ Normal Monster, Warrior-Type, Earth Attribute (2300 ATK / 2100 DEF).
Paladin of Artorigus – 4☆ Normal Monster, Warrior-Type, Light Attribute (1800 ATK / 1500 DEF).
Dragon Slayer Sword – Equip Spell Card (700 ATK increase, destroys Dragon-Type monsters at the end of the Battle Phase).
"Gaia the Fierce Knight is iconic," Hayato thought. It was one of Yugi's staple cards in the early days and eventually inspired the entire "Gaia" archetype. For now, it would serve as his trump card.
The Paladin of Artorigus wasn't bad either. With decent stats and synergy with Equip Spell Cards, it had potential for the future.
Finally, the Dragon Slayer Sword was an unexpectedly powerful Spell Card for this era. The 700 ATK boost was rare, and the ability to destroy Dragon-Type monsters made it especially valuable, particularly against opponents like Seto Kaiba, who was known for his love of Dragon-Type cards.
While the deck wasn't ideal, Hayato concluded that it was "usable, but barely." He packed the cards back into the box and prepared to return to class.
Just as he turned to leave, he heard voices from downstairs:
"Is he really coming?"
"Yeah, he's on his way."
"Ugh, he's so slow!"
Peeking over the railing, Hayato saw several people crouched in the grass near the side of the school building. They didn't look like students. One of them was carrying camera equipment, while another was putting on a school uniform.
"Why isn't that kid from Yugi's class here yet? This isn't even my job..." the man grumbled as he adjusted the uniform.
Hayato frowned. Even though he didn't retain the memories of this world's version of himself, he could immediately tell that the man didn't belong at this school. His demeanor and appearance screamed "office worker," not "student."
At that moment, Hayato saw Muto Yugi leaving the classroom. The boy's distinctive starfish-like hairstyle and hopeful expression were unmistakable. Yugi was heading straight for the stairs.
Suddenly, it all clicked for Hayato. He remembered this scene from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! manga. It was part of a morning TV show called "Survival Morning." The segment focused on school bullying. However, instead of finding real examples, the show's director had staged the entire thing. They picked Muto Yugi—who looked like an easy target—and hired actors to pretend to bully him.
"Classic early-2000s media nonsense," Hayato muttered, stepping back into the shadows. "Guess I'd better watch how this plays out."
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