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Cronos de Medici, of Italian descent.
A professor at Duel Academy and a rather unique teacher, known for his habit of ending every sentence with "nonè" and frequently exclaiming "Mamma mia!"—traits that made him stand out almost as much as his uncanny resemblance to the Pot of Greed card.
However, beyond his quirks, Cronos also held the position of head of the Practical Combat Division at Duel Academy. Put simply, he was the strongest fighter among the faculty—a title that carried significant weight in a school where dueling prowess was paramount.
In the early stages of the anime, Cronos was portrayed as something of an antagonist. He came across as petty and overly critical of Jaden Yuki and his classmates, targeting them with harsh scrutiny. However, as the series progressed, it became clear that this behavior stemmed from his deeply ingrained belief in elite education. While he had little patience for underperforming students, he lavished attention and support on those who showed promise.
As the story unfolded, Cronos himself grew alongside his students, revealing a more nuanced side to his character and proving that, at his core, he was a dedicated and capable teacher.
At this moment, Professor Cronos sat in the head examiner's seat on the observation platform, lost in thought after watching You Xuan's entrance exam duel.
Traditionally, the top-ranked student in each incoming class was always Cronos' primary focus. From the very first evaluation, he would meticulously observe their deck composition and tactics, tailoring a personalized training regimen to help them reach their full potential as quickly as possible.
But this year's number one student...
It wasn't that they weren't strong—it was more accurate to say that their approach to dueling was unconventional, to say the least.
"Professor, we've retrieved the deck information for that examinee, as per your request," an examiner beside him said.
Cronos nodded slightly and opened the Duel Academy faculty terminal to review the deck details.
Let me see what kind of deck this is...
The moment the screen loaded, Cronos nearly recoiled in shock at the overwhelming sea of red cards staring back at him.
"Mamma mia!" Cronos exclaimed, utterly astonished.
What on earth was this monstrosity?
You Xuan's deck revolved primarily around Spellcaster-type monsters, though the number of actual monsters was pitifully small—only the handful he had summoned during the duel.
So what filled the rest of the deck?
A plethora of draw acceleration cards like Pot of Greed and Graceful Charity, combined with psychological warfare tools such as Mischievous Twins, Imprisonment, and Forced March. And then there was the rest—an endless parade of trap cards, their crimson text glaring menacingly even through the screen.
The sheer oppressive aura emanating from the deck sent chills down anyone's spine.
"This... this..." The examiner beside him was equally dumbfounded. "What the hell is this?"
Eimi-sensei, who had been responsible for registration earlier, leaned over out of curiosity. One glance at the deck construction, and her eyes widened in disbelief.
She recalled the polite, well-mannered, and seemingly radiant young man she had met during registration...
...and now she was looking at this deck?
It wasn't that she harbored any prejudice against unconventional deck builds. But anyone seeing this setup for the first time would likely assume the user wasn't aiming to win so much as exact revenge on their opponent.
Cronos fell silent.
By the standards of Duel Academy's foundational theories and teachings, this deck was an absolute anomaly. If a student had submitted such a build as part of their coursework, Cronos would have unhesitatingly marked it as a failure.
Yet when he glanced at the sunglasses-wearing examiner who had just returned to his seat, his forehead still visibly throbbing with frustration...
...well, you couldn't deny that the guy had won.
Cronos pondered for a moment.
Hmm. After all, the examiners used standardized test decks, which were unfamiliar and limited in power compared to their personal ones. This student clearly had ideas—unorthodox, creative ideas that demonstrated a certain unique talent.
From the perspective of the academy's established dueling framework, however, this was undeniably a deviation from the norm. It wasn't that such an approach couldn't yield results; it was simply less efficient and riskier than traditional methods. Against stronger opponents in the future, this style might not hold up as well.
Still, Cronos was quite satisfied with You Xuan's performance as an incoming freshman.
Good, good. Creativity and boldness were virtues, and based on his years of teaching experience, Cronos could sense that this student was exceptional. He resolved to include You Xuan's name among the select few candidates for the academy's "Elite Cultivation" program. Students chosen for this initiative received quarterly upgrades to their decks and priority access to rare cards—advantages that set them apart from their peers.
He intended to guide this wayward genius back onto the righteous path of dueling using Duel Academy's orthodox and wholesome teaching philosophy. And he was confident in his ability to do so.
Next, Cronos observed the second-ranked student, Misawa Daichi, during his exam. After watching the duel, Cronos nodded approvingly.
This Misawa fellow had demonstrated considerable strength, excelling in calculated setups and strategic advantages.
Now this was more like it.
Cronos felt another promising candidate had emerged, further brightening his mood.
Just then, a staff member hurried over and whispered something into Cronos' ear.
"Hmm? Late to the exam? Train delay? What's the examinee's ID number?" Cronos asked.
"110," the staffer replied.
Over a hundred? That placed the student near the bottom of the rankings.
Cronos immediately lost interest, waving dismissively. "If someone can't even show up on time for such an important exam, it shows they don't take it seriously. To begin with, our school doesn't need mediocre students..."
A white-haired examiner adjusted his glasses. "Isn't that a bit harsh, Professor? The exam isn't over yet. Shouldn't we give them a chance...?"
"No, no, NO, absolutely not," Cronos insisted, waving him off.
He had no intention of admitting a low-ranking student, especially one who had shown up late. This was a perfect excuse to reject them outright.
But then his phone rang.
Cronos answered. "Hm? Principal? Yes, go ahead..."
He listened silently for a moment, his expression growing increasingly troubled.
"Yes, there is such a case—a late arrival. But... hmm... alright, fine. Understood, Principal."
After hanging up, Cronos' face darkened.
Damn it. Not only did this student perform poorly on the written test and arrive late, but they also turned out to be a VIP with connections.
Who knew what kind of backing this student had, but the fact that the principal personally called to intervene spoke volumes.
As the saying went, authority crushed dissent. Even as the highest-ranking official overseeing exams, Cronos dared not defy the principal's orders.
That said, while the principal had instructed him to allow the student to take the exam, he hadn't explicitly mandated passing them.
With this in mind, Cronos stood abruptly, snorting.
"Fine, what's the student's name?"
"Yujo... Yujo Judai," an examiner replied.
"Very well. I'll handle this student myself." With a dramatic flick of his coat, Cronos strode off, exuding the confidence of a master duelist.
"Huh?"
The other examiners were stunned. It was rare for the chief examiner to personally step in.
"Uh, wait! Please select a standard exam deck from this case..." an examiner hastily offered.
"That won't be necessary."
Ignoring them, Cronos walked away, his expression grim.
For this exam, he would use his own legendary deck—the ultra-rare series that had earned him renown throughout Duel Academy: Ancient Gear.
He would teach this presumptuous underachiever a lesson about the harsh realities of life.
...
Meanwhile, the sunglasses-wearing examiner had returned to his seat.
Ten minutes had passed, but the memory of his earlier duel still rankled. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Especially when he recalled how the student had innocently asked if the examiner's rage-induced red face would affect their score—a question that now seemed like pure mockery.
In his frustration, the examiner absentmindedly looked down at the arena below, where Cronos was currently dueling another struggling student with a jellyfish-like hairstyle.
"...Thanks to Skyscraper's effect, my Elemental Hero Flame Wingman gains 1000 ATK when facing a monster with higher stats than itself, surpassing your Ancient Gear Golem!
And when Flame Wingman destroys an opponent's monster in battle, it deals damage equal to the destroyed monster's ATK!
Go, Flame Shot!"
Cronos: "Mamma mia!!!"
With a thunderous explosion, the entire audience watched in stunned silence as Professor Cronos collapsed onto the ground, his massive Ancient Gear Golem crumbling atop him in a heap of rubble.
[Cronos LP: 0]
The crowd gasped collectively.
Had Cronos—the academy's top professor and head of combat training—really... lost?
And with his legendary Ancient Gear deck, no less? To a bottom-ranked student?!
But that wasn't the end of it.
The same jellyfish-haired underdog strutted forward, mockingly gesturing toward the defeated professor lying face-down in the debris. Smiling cheerfully, he declared:
"I win! That was a really fun duel, Sensei!"
Cronos: "......."
For some reason, seeing the head examiner sprawled on the ground, utterly defeated, brought a smile back to the sunglasses-wearing examiner's face.
Suddenly, he didn't feel so angry anymore.
Jaden Yuki was right.
Duels really could bring happiness.