"How did you do Xavier?" a girl, with green eyes and brown hair in a high, spiked, ponytail that was wearing a black pleated skirt and red t-shirt, asked, looking up at her cousin from her seated position in the grandstand.

"I haven't battled yet," Xavier, a boy with brown hair that had golden tips wearing black jeans, shirt, and jacket, said.

"What?"

"Well," Xavier said, "I thought I'd watch a few battles before acing mine."

"But...this is meant to be the last battle of the day," a girl that had blue hair with green tips said. She was wearing similar clothes to her best friend, but her skirt was yellow and her shirt was white.

They heard a bell ring before one of the proctors announced, "This concludes the final battle for the da..."

Xavier called out at the top of his voice, "WAIT!" the announcer stopped talking. "I haven't had my battle yet!"

The proctors looked at one another before looking at the person in the centre, a lanky man with medium-long, purple hair. The man said, "Oh just ignore him, if he came this late then he obviously has no talent as a duelist. He probably hasn't even signed up for the entrance exam anyway."

A proctor rushed to sit down, catching only the end of the conversation. She said, "Uh...no. There is one student that took the test later than everyone else."

"Let me see the scores," The purple haired proctor said, snatching the clipboard that the proctor was holding. He browsed through the answers one after the other, not impressed in the slightest. "No, don't bother, with those scores it wouldn't be worth out time to..." a phone rang in front of the proctor. On the other end was Professor Vellian Crowler, the principle of the school, who told him in no uncertain terms that he was not to forbid any potential student entry to the school from completing the entrance exam. The purple haired man thought, 'That Crowler has lost all sense of reason. Some of the students barely pass muster, much less have a chance at completing the course. Well, he never said that it had to be fair.' "Fine," the man said, "I'll proctor this test personally." As he got up and turned to leave his blue duel coat flew through the air.

After the man was gone one of the other proctors picked up the test of the late student and read through the test. He was stunned for two reasons. One, the answers given on the test, and two, at the name on it. Xavier Yuki. He compared the scores with that of his cousin, Acacia. Hers were infinitely better, being just under that of Keiko Moto.

Down on the field the Professor said, "I'm Professor Jaque Randham and I'll be proctoring your test today."

"Cool jacket teach," Xavier commented, unknowingly mimicking his father's actions from his time at the Duel Academy Entrance Exam. "How do I get one?" slipping on his duel disk. It was a black and green one that he had received from his father when he realised the bond between Xavier and the Evil HERO's. Unknown to Xavier it was one that Jaden had kept from his time in the Dark World.

Professor Jaque said, "I doubt that you'll ever be receiving one like mine. After all, these Duel Coats are only given to those that have the most excellent grades and the greatest talent as duellists at the Central Duel Academy."

"Oh, then I should get one easy then," Xavier grinned, despite his low scores on the written test.

"I highly doubt that," Professor Jaque commented, "Your results in the written exam are barely average, so I hardly think that you will get to wear one of these," running his hand up and down the coat. "Now, since you are the applicant you can go first."

"Geez, thanks teach," Xavier said as he drew five cards. He fanned them in his hand and saw that he had drawn, Elemental HERO Knopse, Hero Barrier, Elemental HERO Heat, The Warrior Returning Alive, and Elemental HERO Avian. He said, "Alright, now draw!" he drew the spell card Rose Bud. "I play Elemental Hero Knopse in attack mode."

"Alright people," Professor Jaque said, addressing the crowd, "I'll give you all an early lesson. What he's done wrong here is..."

In the stands Acacia commented, "Xavier isn't done yet."

Near her a girl with brown hair that had a blonde, spiky, lock hanging over one eye, asked her, "What do you mean? You know that guy?"

"Yeah," Acacia said, "he's my cousin, and you haven't seen anything yet."

"He said Elemental Hero, didn't he? Isn't that what Jaden Yuki was famous for using?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Then isn't he just copying him?"

"No. Xavier's deck is different to his father's by far."

"Wait. You're related to Jaden Yuki? The famous duellist?"

"Yeah, why? I hope that you don't think that that means that I..."

"Oh no. I my father has quite the reputation as a duellist also."

"Really? Who's he?"

"Uh...never mind. What did you mean that your cousin's deck is different?"

"Watch and you'll find out," Acacia commented, turning back to watch the rest of her cousin's duel.

On the other side of the stadium a similar conversation was being had between Charlene Princeton and two of her friends. One of whom said, "That kid doesn't know much, playing a card like that in attack mode."

"Don't be a fool Maylene. He used that opening move against me in the final of the Regional Championship. Next up is..."

Back on the field, Xavier said, "I'll thank you for letting me go first Teach. I play the spell card, Rose Bud. It lets me summon an Elemental HERO Poison Rose from my deck." Xavier held his hand near the cardholder on his Duel Disk to be ready to take the card from the deck when it found it. It didn't take long. When he had the card Xavier then placed both Rose Bud and Elemental Hero Knopse into the card graveyard and played Elemental Hero Poison Rose. "I'll be playing her in defence mode," Xavier said, placing his card on the monster zone horizontally. Poison Rose knelt on one knee, turning blue at the same time. "Now I'll play two cards face down and end my turn."

Professor Jaque let his duel coat shoot six cards into his hand, one after the other, letting the mechanism of the coat take care of the process, rather than manually drawing his cards. He glanced at them and said, "I play Blue Flame Swordsman in attack mode before equipping it with the spell card Salamandra, thereby increasing its attack power by seven hundred points. Now Blue Flame Swordsman, attack Poison Rose."

Blue Flame Swordsmen rushed up to it and slashed Poison Rose with its sword, clashing into a barrier of spiralling energy before it could make contact. "Sorry Teach, but that's a no go thanks to my trap card, Hero Barrier."

Professor Jaque grimaced before saying, "I'll play one card face down and end my turn."

"Alright, now, Draw," Xavier said, drawing a card, really rather melodramatically and looked at it. It was the spell card, HERO's Bond. Xavier sighed and said, "I play Elemental Hero Avian in defence mode and end my turn."

Professor Jaque drew a card and said, "I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in attack mode." He played Gearfried on the monster Zone to the right of the centre, where the Blue Flame Swordsman was currently located. "I attack your Poison Rose with my Blue Flame Swordsman." The swordsman attacked Poison Rose again, this time making contact. It destroyed Poison Rose. "Now I'll attack your Avian with Gearfried the Iron Knight." Gearfried slashed Avian, destroying it. "Now I end my turn."

"Not bad teach," Xavier said as he drew a card. He grinned when he saw what it was. "I play the spell card, E - Emergency Call, thanks to it I can add one Elemental Hero to my hand from my deck, and I choose, Burstinatrix," Xavier announced, showing Professor Jaque the card he drew. "Now, I'll play her in defence mode. That's all."

"Gearfried, destroy Burstinatrix," Professor Jaque ordered, causing Gearfried the Iron Knight to charge at Burstinatrix before slashing down on the defensive monster. Burstinatrix burst into little pieces. "Now Blue Flame Swordsman, attack his life points directly." Xavier's life points took a massive blow, being left with only 1500 remaining. "Your turn."

"My turn, draw!" Xavier said, his eyes changing from their normal brown to being red and blue. He drew a card. "Just what I need." He held the card forward so that the professor could see it as he said, "I play the spell card, Graceful Charity." He drew three cards and said, "Now I'll discard two." He discarded HERO Heat and HERO's Bond. "I play the Field Spell card, Skyscraper 2 - Hero City." A futuristic city rose up around them, stunning both Professor Jaque and those in the audience unaware of the card, or its effects due to its scarcity. "Now, since Skyscraper 2 is on the field if I have an Elemental Hero that was destroyed by battle in my graveyard, I get to summon it. So come on back, Poison Rose." Elemental Hero Poison Rose appeared on the field.

"I already destroyed that monster. Why would you want to bring it back?"

"Give me a sec and I'll show you. I play the field spell Skyscraper." The futuristic city collapsed as the field transformed yet again. This time to be filled with a heap of black skyscrapers. "Now, Poison Rose, attack Blue Flame Swordsman." A red rose appeared in Poison Rose's hand before dissipating into thousands of petals that rushed at Blue Flame Swordsman, destroying it. "Now, thanks to Poison Rose's ability, she gains 200 attack points when she inflicts battle damage to you." Poison Rose's attack rose to 2100 as Professor Jaque's life points went down to 3600. "Now I'll end my turn."

Professor Jaque growled at the way the duel was turning out. A card dropped into his hand. "I'll play Revival Jam and activate its ability." The Revival Jam duplicated itself almost as soon as it was on the field. "Then I'll switch Gearfried into defence mode and that'll be all."

"Alright then," Xavier said, drawing a card. "I'll sacrifice Poison Rose in order to summon Evil Hero Malicious Edge." Poison Rose disappeared from the field, being replaced by a fiend that well and truly deserved its name.

Professor Jaque said, "Check your duel disk. You need two sacrifices in order to summon a level seven monster."

"Not so teach. Well, at least with Malicious Edge that is."

"What?"

"You see, if my opponent has monsters on their side of the field, I can summon Malicious Edge with only one sacrifice. But there's more. I play the spell card, Dark Calling."

In the stands Acacia commented, "Wow, Xavier must really want to end this now."

"What do you mean, 'he wants to end this now'?" the girl behind her asked. "And what in the world is an 'Evil Hero'?"

Acacia sighed. "I guess I can explain, now that he's summoned 'them'. My cousin's deck isn't actually an Elemental Hero deck. He just likes to make out that it is in order to lull his opponents in. It's actually an Evil Hero deck. I don't know where my uncle got them, but Xavier found them one day and started playing with them. I'm not sure why, but when my uncle found out he was furious. Strangely enough, the next day he gave Xavier all of his Evil Hero cards and a whole bunch of Elemental Hero cards and told him to make a deck."

"Oh. I see," The girl said as she thought, 'My father did the same thing. Something about having a connection to them that surpasses time itself...or something like that.'

On the field Xavier said, "I banish from my Graveyard the monsters needed for a fusion that would normally use Dark Fusion. I choose my Elemental Heroes Avian and Burstinatrix." Avian and Burstinatrix appeared on the field, but melded into one as Xavier continued, "and I fuse 'em to combine and form Evil Hero Inferno Wing!" A female fiend joined her cousin on the duel field. "Now, Inferno Wing, attack Gearfried with Inferno Blast." A ball of blue flames appeared between Inferno Wing's hands before shooting at Gearfried. The flaming orb shattered Gearfried the Iron Knight into little pieces. When Gearfried was gone Professor Jaque's life points decreased by a further 500 points. Professor Jaque growled. "I wouldn't growl just yet teach. You see, besides dealing piercing damage, Inferno Wing will deal further damage to your life points."

"What?"

"Inferno Wing, activate your special ability."

"Special ability?"

"Yeah. Whenever Inferno Wing destroys a monster the attack or defence points of the destroyed monster will come out of your life points. Whichever one is higher."

"I play Fusion Guard," Professor Jaque said, pressing a button on his duel disk that forced his trap card to show its face to Xavier. "If I send a fusion monster to my grave, like say...Flame Swordsman, I can negate an effect that would inflict damage."

"Too bad, thanks to Dark Calling, Inferno Wing isn't affected by trap cards."

"I'm not targeting your monster, merely its ability." Professor Jaque said, sending his Flame Swordsman from his Extra Deck to the Graveyard. "Now, continue."

"Alright, now, Malicious Edge, attack Revival Jam." Malicious Edge swiped at the original Revival Jam, destroying it. Professor Jaque's life points reduced to 2000. "Now, I'll end my turn."

"My turn," Professor Jaque said, letting another card fall into his hand. "I play, Monster Reborn to bring back Blue Flame Swordman."

Xavier thought, 'Blue Flame Swordsman again? Well, I suppose I don't have the right to say anything'

"Now, I sacrifice my Blue Flame Swordman in order to summon Phoenix Gearfried." The two cards on the Professor's field burst into flames, letting Phoenix Gearfried to rise up out of the ashes. "Now Gearfried, attack Evil Hero Malicious Edge." Malicious Edge and Phoenix Gearfried charged at each other and slashed, Phoenix Gearfried overpowering Malicious Edge, seemingly with ease. "Alright, with that I'll end my turn," Professor Jaque said as Xavier's life points dropped down to 1300.

"Alright, here goes, somethin'," Xavier said as he drew his card. He grinned. "Sorry teach, but this duel is done."

"Don't be ridiculous. My monster far outclasses yours."

"Maybe so. For now." Professor Jaque frowned. "I play the card that I just drew. Hero Mask."

Professor Jaque's eyes widened as he realised what that card meant. He said, "Hold on..."

"Now I get to choose an Elemental Hero in my deck and send it to my graveyard, and then choose a monster on the field. The name of the monster that I chose on the field will be treated as that of the monster in my deck. Luckily I just happen to have an Elemental Hero Lady Heat." Xavier placed the Elemental Lady Heat card into his card graveyard. "Now, I attack your Gearfried with Inferno Blast."

"No! You can't!"

"Oh, but I can, and thanks to Skyscraper my monster gets an extra one thousand attack since my monster's attack is less than your own. Which puts her attack at 3100. Now, say goodbye to Phoenix Gearfried," Xavier finished speaking as the flaming ball hit Phoenix Gearfried, dealing 300 damage. But the duel was over as Inferno Wing rose up into the sky before Professor Jaque, who was consumed by fire, reducing his life points to zero. "And that's game," Xavier commented, pointing at Professor Jaque with his index and middle fingers.

In the grandstand Charlene gripped her thigh as hard as she could, her face scrunched up in anger. One of her friends asked, "What's the matter Charlene?"

"That bastard," Charlene gasped, "He didn't even use those cards against me!"

"Uhh..."

"I'll destroy him! If it's the last thing I do," Charlene commented, getting up and walking away, fuming.

On the other side of the field, the girl behind Acacia said, "Wow, he's good."

"Yeah. But even so, he's never once beaten my uncle."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"I'd heard the rumours, but..."

"Well, either way, now we're both in, though Xavier is probably going to end up in Slifer anyway."

"Slifer? No way!"

"Yeah, didn't you hear that Professor before? Besides which, his scores have always been amongst the lowest in our class and I don't think that that is going to change."