According to the progress of the original animation, the Three Phantasm arc will be the first important chapter of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, and also the first round of dark trials faced by the young people of the academy.
In this chapter, the mastermind President Kagemaru behind the scenes will summon seven powerful dark duelists known as the "Seven Stars" to attack the academy.
On the academy's side, they will distribute the seven keys guarding the Three Phantasm to seven selected strong students and teachers for safekeeping. The only way to win a key is to defeat the key's guardian in a Dark Duel.
Of course, that's the original plot.
Youyu originally didn't think that this plot sequence would repeat based on the animation, after all, with his intervention, the entire Three Phantasm arc's story background had already deviated significantly.
Firstly, the basic fact is that the original behind-the-scenes BOSS of this chapter, President Kagemaru, who gathered the "Seven Stars" to covet the power of the Three Phantasm, is already six feet under.
Could a dead person still have any conspiracy?
Could the old man possibly send dreams to the duelists of the "Seven Stars", instructing them to win duels and unlock the Three Phantasm, using its power to drag him back from hell?
If such an operation were possible, Youyu could only give a round of applause. After all, the old man's plot is in the stratosphere, not to be trifled with.
So with Kagemaru gone, there shouldn't be any "Seven Stars" causing trouble, right?
Besides, even if Kagemaru wasn't dead, this "guarding the seven keys" task wouldn't establish at all.
Because... the island's seal of the Three Phantasm was designed by Youyu, Yugi, and Kaiba after suppressing the Phantasm. Unlike the original work, there were no keys in the seal they designed.
Since they sealed the Three Phantasm, they had no intention of planning to release them someday, so why design keys?
Just lock it up completely and be done with it, right?
So with Kagemaru dead, Youyu originally thought the original Three Phantasm arc might not even exist. These days, his energy was focused on searching for that ancient lobster "Tragoedia" from three thousand years ago, barely paying attention to the Phantasm's seal.
Unexpectedly, the inevitable still came.
...
Tenjouin Asuka couldn't quite remember how things happened.
It was already late this day. After finishing a day of study, she once again "happened" to pass by the Osiris Red dormitory. When she came to her senses, she was already on her way to the Red Dormitory.
"Hmm, the videotape of the 'Duel City Tournament' I lent to Judai is overdue for return." The girl thought as she walked.
However, when she arrived at the Red Dormitory and asked about it, Judai scratched his head: "Eh? The videotape? That...sorry, I've been so busy recently I haven't watched it much..."
He was indeed quite busy.
Take today, for example. He went fishing early in the morning, and in the afternoon, he dragged his two roommates Xiang and Hayato to play tennis, completely with no time...
"Really." Asuka put her hands on her hips, "Well, no choice then, I'll lend it to you for a few more days, I'll find you again in a few days."
"Thank you! Asuka, you're the best!"
Judai beamed, just short of outright saying, "You're truly my good buddy."
Asuka glanced around his dorm: "Huh? Xiang isn't here again?"
"Uh...yeah, seems his teacher took him away for special training again." Judai said sympathetically, "Xiang's teacher is really strict."
"I see..."
Even though they had passed the videotape topic, the girl still had no intention of leaving and continued to make small talk with Judai.
The other person in the dorm, Judai's roommate Maeda Hayato, was lying on the bed at this time, tightly wrapped in a quilt, and curling up on one side like he was trying to reduce his presence, pretending he didn't exist.
Hayato: Suddenly feeling like I'm the third wheel. JPG.
Things went off track right at this moment.
Suddenly, a flash of light came, like a white lightning bolt striking this dormitory.
Nobody was prepared for it. Everyone only felt their vision go blindingly white, as if the whole world was spinning.
The first thought that came back to their minds was a single word—
—Hot.
As if they were in hell, a scorching heat, it felt like being thrown into a huge steamer.
The three quickly found themselves standing on a platform that looked as transparent as glass, with bubbling lava beneath. The magma bubbled restlessly, and the space seemed to refract and distort in the heat.
The three of them were somewhat dazed.
"Wow, is this real lava?" The broad-minded Judai couldn't see a hint of nervousness, glancing around the edge of the transparent platform.
"Is this... the back mountains of the school?" Asuka looked around uncertainly.
Everyone knew there was a volcano on the Duel Academy's island.
But to instantly move the three of them from the dorm to inside the crater of the back-mountain volcano...
...What kind of power could someone wield to do this!?
The mystery was soon unveiled.
A plume of fire shot skyward from the bubbling lava! It soared high, like a vertical waterfall falling straight down. It smashed harshly onto the transparent platform, with the scorching heat waves sweeping across the floor.
A silhouette briskly walked out from the wave of flames. The molten lava, hot enough to reduce ordinary people to ashes, slowly parted from the man's body, the black coat tails swaying behind him, with eyes glowing crimson through the pitch-black mask.
At this point, Asuka had no idea that this person was her biological brother, Tenjouin Fubuki, who went missing on the island a year ago.
Only now, his consciousness was entirely swallowed by a higher being named Darkness. Although it was Fubuki's body, the consciousness controlling it was long replaced by another.
"My name is Darkness." He spoke coldly, his gaze sweeping over the few people, "I came here to hunt the souls of the chosen duelists.
Accept a Dark Duel with me; it's your only way to leave this realm."
He paused, revealing a cruel cold smile.
"But the loser's soul will become a dark sacrifice."
"Dark Duel..." Asuka tensed up.
The girl was indeed a bold and gifted duelist, but up to this point, she had never encountered something as dangerous as a Dark Duel.
Judai, however, was already familiar with it.
He boldly stepped forward, standing in front of Asuka and Hayato.
"Alright, bring on the duel, I accept the challenge!"
Asuka was moved to see him stepping forward without hesitation.
Hearing scary conditions like "the soul will become a dark sacrifice," he could still so resolutely stand up for his companions...
The girl felt that in facing a "Dark Duel," she had already fallen a step behind Judai in terms of courage and determination.
Of course, she might be overthinking it. Judai was just somewhat oblivious to danger; he only got excited by the prospect of a duel, words like Dark Duel, and soul sacrifice were automatically filtered out by him...
Unfortunately, the opponent didn't seem very interested in giving him a chance to duel.
"You can wait a while if you want to duel." Darkness said coldly, "Before that, the opponent I want to choose...is you."
He extended his hand, pointing straight at Asuka.
Asuka was stunned for a moment, perplexedly pointing at herself.
"Me?"