Chapter 1
"What exactly have we accomplished in the last five years, Kuriboh?" Jaden asked his winged duel spirit, as he sighed and looked into the distance. It had been five years since he'd duelled Yugi. Five years since he'd promised that he'd improve. Five years since he'd done nothing. Sure, he'd won all his duels, and even gained a couple of friends along the way, but his duel from Yugi had still left him crippled; not knowing whether he had bettered himself enough to beat the King of Games.
"Kuri Kuri!" Winged Kuriboh urged, as Jaden looked and smiled at his pal,
"I know. I've just got to try a little harder, and believe in myself. Maybe then I can beat Yugi." Jaden smiled, as he carried on walking through the grassy field. Suddenly, from the distance, Jaden saw the head of a duel spirit: a Decoy Dragon. As he neared, however, he saw a hand reach from the grass and pull the Decoy Dragon back to the floor,
"Declan! You can't be so reckless!" A male voice whispered yet scolded, "That's Jaden Yuki! He can see you, you know!"
"'Scuse me?" Jaden asked, trying to see the face hidden by the tall grass, "Is he yours?" Knowing that he had been rumbled, the male stood up from the grass.
Jaden was currently 5"8 inches, but he could clearly see that this boy towered over him with a height of 6 foot. He had long, dark blond hair, and what seemed to be an Obelisk Blue uniform. He held his Dragon Decoy card in one hand, whilst the actual duel spirit hovered over the opposite shoulder.
"Yep," the duellist finally spoke up, looking down, yet smiling upon Jaden.
"I'm Jaden, pleased to meet you," Jaden smiled, extending his hand to the stranger,
"Oh, you need no introduction!" The blond boy smiled excitedly, as he eagerly shook Jaden's hand, "When I came up to Duel Academy, a year after you left, you were the most talked about person in the school; how you beat Crowler on your first day, how you saved the world- you're a legend!" He smiled, as he stopped shaking Jaden's hand, "I'm John, by the way. John Light."
"So you're 18?" Jaden asked, doing some calculations in his head. His maths had significantly improved since Duel Academy. However, he feared embarrassment if he was right; being smaller than someone who was five years younger than him.
"I am- I'm just on my holidays on my moment though, so I thought I'd do something worthwhile with my free time," he smirked, as Jaden also smiled, "Mr Yuki, sir?" John asked, as Jaden looked his way,
"Yeah?"
"It would be a real honour if I could duel you please. If I beat you it would be awesome, but I doubt I'll do that, so duelling you would be just as awesome. I need to tell my friends once I get back."
"Any surnames that I know of?" Jaden asked, as John pondered,
"Um, Chazz Princeton's cousin, Luke, and Syrus Truesdale's adopted sister, Megan." John finalised, as Jaden reminisced.
Syrus Truesdale. There was a name that he hadn't heard for a while. Sure, Zane's face was everywhere, due to him being the acclaimed top ranking duellist, and even Chazz was working up beside Seto and Mokuba Kaiba, but Syrus' name had laid low for a while.
"I'll duel you." Jaden finally agreed, as he set his duel disk up.
"Awesome!" John smiled, as he placed his deck in his duel disk.
"It's time to get your game on!" Jaden smiled, as it was the first time he'd used the catchphrase since he'd left the Academy,
"Let's take this duel to the classroom!" John smirked, as he looked Jaden dead in the eye, "You're not the only one with a catchphrase."
"Eh, needs work." Jaden shrugged off, as the two began to duel.