Is this the world of Yu-Gi-Oh? Ada thief!

"Okay, that's 500. Here is your GeneX badge, please take it and welcome back next time."

Skillfully reciting the lines, who else could be working at the "Exchange Center" responsible for issuing badges to the participants other than Kira Aoki?

Although the school also issued GeneX badges to the teachers for participating in the "Second Underworld Martial Arts Tournament", and Professor Chronos and Coach Napoleon even held the first duel of this event.

However, it is clear that, just like Syrus Truesdale completing his daily match as if it were a task, Chazz Princeton actively eliminating other players, and Jaden Yuki choosing to find interesting opponents to duel, everyone has their own different attitudes towards this competition, and naturally not everyone is very interested in participating.

The head of the Ra Yellow dormitory—Kira Aoki, who used to work in the event planning department of Kaiba Entertainment Group, entered Duel Academy as a teacher after winning third place in the first GeneX Tournament. Rather than a "job change", it was more like a "transfer". He is one of those who is not very interested in this event.

As everyone knows, although the name of Kaiba Corporation contains the word "Entertainment", Kaiba Corporation, whose predecessor was an arms company, is actually a high-tech research group. The busiest and most task-intensive department is the scientific research department, but after the scientific research results are launched, the task of finding ways to launch these scientific research results into the market is the responsibility of the event planning department.

In particular, President Seto Kaiba often comes up with some bizarre technologies on a whim, then spends money lavishly, and then, in a very crude way, "thinks" that he has really researched a technology that is useless and only makes his dueling more enjoyable.

Immediately afterwards, the stingy Vice President Kaiba Heito has to complain that his brother is spending money indiscriminately, and at the same time transfer the financial pressure to the event planning department, asking them to come up with an event that can use new technology to make money and recover funds.

If it only happened once every few months, then considering Kaiba Corporation's wages, subsidies, and bonuses that far exceed those of the world, no one would have any objections, but the problem is that the matter of doing things on a whim happens too frequently to Seto Kaiba, especially when Duel King and his friend, Koyo Hibiki, often come to Kaiba Corporation's headquarters in Domino City to visit, both playing cards with President Kaiba to accumulate pressure and providing various strange ideas to generate new creative inspiration.

Three small inventions in three days, a big toy in five days, a new project every week, and a major breakthrough once a month. How much pressure the scientific research department has, the event planning department has that much pressure.

What is displayed on the special floor of the Kaiba Corporation headquarters building that displays Kaiba's scientific research results is not only Kaiba's unfinished products, but also the source of pressure for Kaiba Corporation's event planning department!

Kira Aoki, who had been working since Kaiba Corporation was still an arms company and had been a corporate slave for more than ten years, quickly exhausted almost a lifetime of passion due to the pressure of work in just one year after Duel City, and then came up with the idea of changing to a new career. That's why he became a Duel Academy teacher after making a splash in the first GeneX Tournament.

Don't look at the fact that in the students' mouths, he is either on the way to a business trip or preparing for a business trip, but taking the school's funds to various duel academies around the world to enjoy the treatment of guests for exchange activities, after the work is over, he can not only enjoy a short vacation locally but also taste the local food and scenery, which is super cool and leisurely!

Even the courses he teaches are just elective courses in hand care, which sound unimportant and seem to only be signed up for by girls who love beauty. Although it has accidentally attracted many boys who also have this illusion and want to appreciate the beauty of girls of the same age, it is only an elective course after all, not a required course such as Professor Chronos's Duel Basic Theory Course (Card Name). The work pressure is simply not too low.

Even if he occasionally does not go on a business trip and stays at the school, he only adds a Duel Basic Theory Course (Chain), which is much easier than when he was still working at Kaiba Corporation. Even if he occasionally substitutes for Mr. Kabayama's cooking class, who also goes on business trips to other duel academies with Coach Napoleon, it's no problem.

He, Kira Aoki, is such a person who likes a peaceful and comfortable life like a plant, does not obsess over promotion, and does not get entangled in troubles, so naturally he will not accumulate pressure in life and can maintain inner peace and live happily.

— But, this "Second Underworld Martial Arts Tournament" is an event that is extremely inconsistent with Kira Aoki's inner aesthetics.

In the end, the rule that everyone must participate and that the first challenge of each day cannot be rejected is simply a durian that has been exposed to the sun for ten days, so stinky that it can't be stinkier!

The reason why he showed his face in the GeneX Tournament was only because he had a need to win in order to obtain the more peaceful life he has now, but this "Second Underworld Martial Arts Tournament" will not bring him a better life than he has now. Kira Aoki, who has no need for money and fame, has no motivation to participate in the competition.

But! It is also quite uncomfortable for him to pretend to lose to other people in a duel. He does not obsess over winning or losing, but it does not mean that he is a person without any dignity. Letting him lose to inexplicable guys will only make his heart unable to be calm, which is the pressure that he cannot eliminate no matter how much soft exercise he does or how much milk he drinks before going to bed!

Therefore, Kira Aoki used his "amazing wisdom" to come up with a wonderful idea—he doesn't want to show his face, and he wants to live a peaceful life. He doesn't want to lose to ordinary people and be eliminated, so he just has to find a way not to be challenged and not complete the mandatory duel requirement once a day, and then he can be peacefully eliminated, right?

This is even better than actively challenging a strong person like Principal Hibiki. After all, losing is still losing. Even if you know Koyo Hibiki's strength, losing will still lead to disappointment in your heart, which Kira, who pursues a peaceful life, cannot accept, but if it is eliminated because of "not completing one duel every day", then that's another matter.

As for, being eliminated for avoiding challenges when faced with a challenge? That is even more unacceptable to him than pretending to lose, so don't even mention it.

To this end, he even took the initiative to take on the job of issuing GeneX badges to outsiders who intend to participate in the "Second Underworld Martial Arts Tournament". He would never have taken on this troublesome job under normal circumstances, but from another perspective—no one would think of launching a challenge against the staff who issue badges to themselves and others, right?

It's not just hiding in plain sight, but also because if the staff is challenged, wouldn't the other people queuing up behind also have their time wasted? No one would be so stupid, right?

"Teacher Aoki, you seem to be very happy?" Next to Kira Aoki, Mr. Koji Sato, who also came here to be responsible for badge issuance, was a little curious, "Aren't you usually an energy saver?"

“Once you enter society, your own rules don't work. Sometimes you have to put in effort where effort is needed; this is also for better energy conservation.” Kira didn't directly tell Teacher Sato that his goal was actually to slack off until he was automatically eliminated, but his words were slightly cryptic. “And aren't you the same, Teacher Sato?”

“Although a certain level of verification of participants is necessary, even a school worker can complete this task satisfactorily. There shouldn't be a need for you to come to work as well, right? Didn't you just have a newly released ban list to organize and analyze recently?”

“Mr. Kazama Shunsuke? Okay, that'll be 500. Here is your GeneX badge. Please keep it safe and welcome again next time.” After verifying that the data was correct, Kira Aoki took the registration fee from the person and handed over the GeneX badge. He stopped paying attention as the young man, who was wearing a strange headband to cover his multicolored hair, left.

“It's not that I don't trust the other staff, but I personally feel that it's better for me to participate personally than to have the school workers do it. If I work harder now, I can save the students more trouble later, allowing them to gain more growth from this event.”

After entering the name of the participant from just now into the database, Sato Koji processed the next applicant's application. He retrieved the relevant information about the person from the Kaiba Corporation's global database to confirm that they weren't some heinous wanted criminal and checked the strength data of their deck. Then, he assessed whether they were suitable to participate in the competition while continuing to respond to Kira Aoki's words, “Compared to those children, I no longer have the ability to go to a more distant future, so I want to make more use of my remaining energy to let their flames burn.”

“Where tree leaves dance, fire is born anew.”

Compared to Kira Aoki, the energy-saving enthusiast who likes a peaceful life, Sato Koji was his complete opposite. He used to be active as a professional duelist, but due to the limits of his body, he was unable to continue competing in duels. His purpose in becoming a teacher was not for his own stable life or other fame and fortune, but simply to help his students go further with his abilities.

It was this same philosophy that moved his interviewer, Professor Chronos, back then. Teacher Sato Koji was in charge of the Duel Construction class, which was extremely important for a duelist. This course was quite easy for the students, but the task of preparing lessons was rarely so heavy for the preparing teacher. Not only did he have to constantly pay attention to whether new routines and combos were being developed globally, but he also had to frequently provide extracurricular construction guidance to the students. Only Teacher Sato Koji had the enthusiasm and ability to teach this course well.

“As for the latest ban list, I already rushed to finish it at 8:00 AM this morning when it was just released. But Teacher Aoki, you reminded me. I'm worried that I might have missed something by doing it so quickly. I'll go back and check it again after the work here is over.”

“Received your transfer of 500 yuan, Mr. ‘Kaiba Man’. Here is your GeneX badge, please keep it safe.”

Even though the applicant in front of him was wearing an awkward [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] helmet and was also wearing the white trench coat that President Kaiba loved, the data review from the Kaiba Corporation's database that the other party gave had no problems. After receiving the registration fee, Kira Aoki handed the badge to the person and watched them leave after a seemingly habitual cold snort. Then, he continued to say to Sato Koji, “For ordinary me, Teacher Sato, your philosophy is really too stimulating.”

“Is this considered stimulating?” Sato Koji pushed up the glasses on his nose and just smiled. “As expected, Teacher Aoki and I are completely different types of people, because I believe that if people with power cannot discover the truth, then for humanity, this world is hell. The greater the power one possesses, the greater the responsibility one must bear.”

“Teacher Aoki, after receiving the GeneX badge from Acting Principal Samejima, you volunteered to come here to help with work. You have hardly been separated from me, who also applied to come here to help. Since the start of this ‘Tenkaichi Budokai’, you have been enjoying being busy here as if you were acting completely different from your normal self.”

“You don't seem to be worried at all that you don't have time to complete the requirement of one duel per day. I'm like this because I have already dueled and won against Teacher Kabayama, so what about you, Teacher Aoki? Aren't you worried about being eliminated? Indeed, you're not worried, because Teacher Aoki, you're probably planning to do just that, right? Eliminating yourself in this least noticeable way.”

Cold sweat dripped down Kira Aoki's face!

“Could it be that Teacher Sato, you are planning to…”

“No, I have no intention of actively challenging you, Teacher Aoki. A duel with you has no meaning for me. Although I advocate that people with greater power must also shoulder greater responsibility, I have no objection if it is Teacher Aoki's energy-saving philosophy that does not affect others.”

Sato Koji shook his head, letting Aoki breathe a sigh of relief, but he was still very puzzled. If he didn't want to challenge himself and disturb his plan to be eliminated in peace, then why did Teacher Sato explain this to him?

Seeming to see the confusion in Aoki's heart, Teacher Sato smiled mysteriously and pointed in a direction, causing Aoki's gaze to subconsciously look over. Although the voices of the two of them were not loud, and they only communicated intermittently during the work process, Teacher Sato's previous words were not in this category, but were said in one breath. Even if one didn't know the cause and effect, it was enough to make one clear about one fact—that is, Aoki, as a staff member, was actually one of the people who could be challenged, and at the same time, he could not refuse the first challenge.

Aoki, who looked like an office worker, didn't look very strong. Just after Teacher Sato finished speaking, he had already been targeted by the participants who had just lined up in front of him!

“Teacher Aoki, if you have something to do, go ahead and get busy. I can do the work here alone.” In order to prevent Aoki from using work as an excuse to prevaricate others' challenges, Sato Koji cut off Aoki's retreat at the first moment!

Even Aoki was somewhat forced into a corner by Teacher Sato and quickly thought of a reason: “Although I can understand everyone's feelings, you haven't received the badge yet, so you are not official participants…”

Take this opportunity! Before Teacher Sato issues any new GeneX badges, I must run away immediately!

However, just as he was about to step out and run away, someone blocked his way—