[center][h3][b][u][color=cd3d11]Fire[/color][/u][/b][/h3][hr][sup]In scene: All of them except Otoishi[/sup][/center]
The top of the Fire dorm weren't particularly picky about where they stood in the crowd, so they'd stood somewhat in the center during the entire spiel from the two teachers. You could say they were hidden in the crowd, if it weren't for the bright blazers giving them away. The five of them were chatting away somewhat, discussing what their next move was going to be. Well, except Otoishi; he was off humming a tune in his own little world.

"...so like I said, Synchro's the best option. They've got way better tech and unlike a certain [i]someone[/i], they're constantly improving," Sinata concluded the argument she had been building prior in the conversation, but nobody really looked convinced.

"I-I'm not sure I w-want to work together with Masaru, though... he's kind of cruel..." Kotone meekly spoke up, eliciting a groan from Sinata.

"Oh come on! We can't make our decision based on which one of them is the [i]nicest[/i]. If we're going to team up with someone, they've got to have talent! Kien, you agree right," Sinata asked hopefully, but the round boy's brow was furrowed and his eyes closed in thought. It took him a few seconds to come up with a reply.

"I'm not so sure. I might agree with Kotone here, lord knows we can't have our little Machi get into a fight with three thirds of them all the time."

"Hey! I can keep my temper in check when I need to," Machi rebuked, but he got interrupted before he could say anything else. Out of seemingly nowhere, the Water dorm champion stood in between the group and had her finger pointed straight at Machi. 

[color=6ecff6]“Machi. I challenge you to a duel.”[/color]

"W-Wait, right now?!" he let fly in a slight panic, with this coming out of nowhere. Kotone was equally surprised, jumping back a little and standing even further away from the group than she had already been. The students around them began murmuring things like 'Did she just say duel?' and 'Whoa, a match between our top students this early?!'

The crowd of third-year students seemed as excited as the first and second years were in the arena earlier, putting the four fire dorm students in a tricky spot. Kien put his hand on Machi's shoulder, letting out a dramatic sigh. He told Machi not to be careful embarrass himself while Sinata warned him that refusing this one would reflect badly on their dorm.

"...Fine, fine, I get it," Machi groaned, reaching for his deck holder around the waist. He picked up his classic Jurrac deck and slotted it into the deck holder slot of his fiery red and orange Duel Disk, the rounded parts ending in jagged tips being very reminiscent of a blazing inferno. The flames spun around and slammed into place to create a C-shaped blade around the base of the machine. The students around him backed away as Machi paced around Kanna, taking a spot far enough away from her. The statue next to them stood in between the dividing line for the fields, acting as a useful separator. Machi's face held a confident grin as he ground his feet into the pavement, taking on a steadfast fighting pose.

"Bring it on!"