Chapter 10 – The Tag Team Tango

Vellian Crowler was walking with a skip in his step and a grin on his face. The day was finally here. Jaden Yuki and Syrus Truesdale would face off against two opponents in a Tag Duel to decide their fate at the academy. And Crowler was already certain that by the end of the day, he would be waving goodbye as a helicopter took the two ex-students far away from the Academy.

"Dr. Crowler." A voice called. When Crowler turned to face the source, he was greeted by two familiar faces. Chazz had been the one to speak, and right next to him was another Obelisk Blue student, Blake Reese.

Blake spoke up before Crowler had a chance to. "Let us face those two slackers. We'll send them packing before that Yuki kid can even perform a Fusion Summon!"

"Let us do this, Dr. Crowler." Chazz added. "I want to show the entire school just how beneath us these dropouts are."

Crowler raised his eyebrows. "Oh, my boys, I don't think so. You both have already suffered a loss at the hands of Jaden Yuki, and Blake here has also seen defeat from Syrus Truesdale. Besides, I have already called in the opponents to face these two, and I am much more confident in their dueling skills than I currently am in yours."

Blake narrowed his eyes. "Those wins were just pure luck. They can't possibly match the power we have."

"Then it is even more embarrassing that you could not beat them." Crowler said coldly, turning his feet and walking away from his two students. "You can watch the match if you want, but I will not allow you to ruin this opportunity for me."

"Can you at least tell us who the two Slifer Slimes are dueling?" Chazz called after him.

Crowler was still walking away, but smirked as he spoke loudly. "Now where would the fun be in ruining the surprise, hmm?" With nothing more left to say, he left the area, leaving the two Obelisk Blue students to ponder on their teacher's words.

Back in the Slifer Red dorm, at the room where Chumley, Jaden, and Syrus lived, there was already activity. Chumley was looking between his two friends and seeing the different ways they prepared for the duel. While Jaden was shuffling his deck and testing opening hands, Syrus sat on the computer. He was completing duel puzzle after duel puzzle, training himself to always see the best path to take against any opponent.

"You guys have got this." Chumley said encouragingly. "No matter who you face, you guys are at the top of your game right now. You've been practicing against each other constantly to make sure you've made your deck the absolute best it can be."

Syrus nodded as he watched the computer's life points go down to nothing, completing another duel puzzle. "We've done everything we can to prepare for this match, all we have left to do is go out in that duel and give it everything we've got."

"And we'll do everything we can to win." Jaden said, smiling widely at his hand. Elemental HERO Avian, E – Emergency Call, Elemental HERO Stratos, Double Fusion, Battle Fusion, and De-Fusion. This hand easily had the potential to defeat an opponent in one turn. Looking to Syrus, he grinned. "Well? Anything you want to do before we head out towards the Academy?"

Syrus shook his head, moving to his bed. He took the duel disk from it and slid it on his arm before inserting his deck. "Let's go and make sure we stay." He said confidently.

Chumley smiled at the sight, especially how confident Syrus was in himself. "You guys are coming to send whoever you face running with their tail between their legs!" He said cheerfully. Together, the three left and began the walk to the main building, hope and optimism in their hearts.

The arena was busy with excitement. With such high stakes involved in this Tag Duel, every student was anticipating an exhilarating duel as Jaden Yuki and Syrus Truesdale fought their hardest to avoid being expelled.

At one part of the stands, an assortment of duelist from every dorm sat. Alexis, Bastion, Chumley, Mindy, Jasmine, Syd, Sam, Baron, and Daniel. They were talking amongst themselves as they waited for the duel to begin.

"So, do you think these two stand a chance?" Sam asked them. "Because apparently Crowler had been giddy since he managed to get their opponents, which would suggest he's got some world class opponents for Jaden and Syrus to face.

"Jaden and Syrus have been practicing too." Daniel chimed in. "Against each other, against other Slifers, they've been doing everything in their power to make sure they're at their peak. I really think they can win this."

"But practicing against Slifers can't even mean that much." Mindy countered with a raised eyebrow.

Jasmine nodded in agreement. "Yeah, even practicing against Obelisks wouldn't have helped much if these opponents are as powerful as Crowler seems to think."

"But anyone can win, and anyone can lose." Baron protested. "We know Jaden can beat Crowler. It's how he got here. And with all the training, I'm sure Syrus could do it too. These guys are in a great mindset right now. They understand each other so much that it will really come in handy during this duel. They've got a better chance than most of us would."

"They better not fail." Syd said, staring at the empty field. "I still want to duel Yuki, and I can't do that if he and Truesdale lose today."

"As much as I want them to win, the odds are not in their favour." Bastion admitted. "It is likely that Crowler has informed their opponents of every aspect of Jaden and Syrus's decks. Meaning those opponents know exactly how to play against them. In contrast, Jaden and Syrus don't even know who they're dueling, so they have only the knowledge of their own decks. For all we know, the opponents are using decks perfectly designed to counter them."

"They'll win." Alexis said with determination. "These two….they are both amazing in their own ways. Syrus, when he's calm and collected, can seemingly make the perfect counter to whatever field he's facing. Jaden seems to always get exactly what he needs in order to win. Together, they'll pass this joke of a test and they'll stay here."

Chumley said nothing, eyes fixed on where Jaden and Syrus would eventually emerge. They had given him the confidence to stand up to his father. And with that, he had been able to stay at Duel Academy. Now, it was their turn to give it their all and fight for their right to be here. And Chumley just hoped with all of his heart that they would be victorious. He didn't want to lose his friends.

They all watched as Crowler finally emerged, striding towards the middle of the arena. He wasn't subtle in his excitement, everyone noticing the bounce in his step.

"Welcome, students of Duel Academy!" The Obelisk Blue headmaster said cheerfully. "I must say, it is endearing to see so many excited in this duel. I must admit that I too am anticipating the outcome today. But I know you didn't all come here to see me talk for too long. So, without further ado, our introductions. First, let's look towards to those defending their status as students! These two were caught trespassing at the Abandoned Dorm, and were almost expelled on the spot! However, we are a dueling school, and thus it only seems right to use that as a way to determine if these two Slifer Reds belong here! So, let's find out! Fighting together as a team, I give you Syrus Truesdale and Jaden Yuki!"

Cheers came from the Slifer Reds supporting their dorm. Jeers came from the majority of the Obelisk Blues, who were more than happy to see these Slifers fail after some of the embarrassment the two had caused. The Ra Yellows showed a mixture of both, though the majority seemed to be encouraging Jaden and Syrus to win. As the two walked towards the arena, Syrus cast his eyes up to the top where he could see Zane. His brother wore an impassive look, and it made Syrus feel more determined to prove himself. He had learned now what Zane had tried to show him, and he wanted his brother to see that.

Crowler chucked darkly to himself before continuing. "And their opponents are two I am sure many know all too well after seeing how they made the history books. These two have been legendary as a tag team since the days of Duelist Kingdom! Students of Duel Academy, I truly consider it an honour to introduce the extraordinary Paradox Brothers!"

Gasps filled the arena. Clearly, no one had expected that. Suddenly, two men leapt onto the arena to stand across from Jaden and Syrus. They were very clearly brothers, perhaps even twins. Both men were tall and bald, and they wore matching smirks. One of them, Para, wore orange robes with the other brother, Dox, wore green robes. They cast sinister looks towards their opponents.

High in the stands, Chazz let out a laugh. "Crowler got the Paradox brothers? Man, now I can't even be mad. Those two Slifer Slackers don't stand any kind of a chance."

"They're going to be crushed." Blake added, chuckling. "The Paradox brothers managed to put Yugi Moto and Joey Wheeler on the ropes, so it's pretty obvious it won't take much for these guys to beat the two dropouts."

Syrus gasped as he looked towards his opponents. "Crowler is making us duel these guys? But they're supposed to be the best tag duelists in the world!"

Jaden grinned, giving a small shrug. "All I know is that I'm excited." He said, taking a step forward and activating his duel disk. "After all, we must be pretty tough if they need to pull out these two to give us a challenge."

Syrus had to laugh at this. Despite the surprise, Jaden seemed as ready as ever to give it his all. Knowing he couldn't possibly let him down, Syrus mirrored his partner's action, getting his duel disk ready.

"So, these are the two we have been chosen to duel?" Para asked smugly, activating his own duel disk and standing across from Syrus.

"This will be too easy, let's take them to school!" Dox said with a loud laugh, turning on his duel disk as he moved to stand opposite Jaden.

"The rules are very simple!" Crowler called. "Each player will get their own deck, hand, field, and Graveyard. They may use cards on their partner's field or Graveyard, but may not declare attacks with their partner's monsters. As such, partners may defend each other with monsters. Both teams shall share 8000 life points, and no player may attack on their first turn." Looking between the four, he grinned. "Begin!"

"Game on!" The four duelists called, each drawing their first five cards from their deck.

Jaden/Syrus: 8000

Paradox Brothers: 8000

"I'll go first." Jaden announced as he drew his sixth card, grinning at what he found. "Alright then! I summon Elemental HERO Stratos (4/1800/300) in attack mode!" The familiar WIND hero appeared on his field. "And I'll use his effect in order to add Elemental HERO Heat to my hand!" Adding the chosen card to his hand, he immediately slid another into his duel disk.

"HERO's Bond activates now!" The Slifer declared. "Since there's a face up HERO monster on the field, I can Special Summon two Level 4 or lower Elemental HEROes from my hand! So now we say hello to Elemental HERO Heat (4/1600/1200) and Elemental HERO Lady Heat (4/1300/1000)!"

Appearing alongside the WIND hero were two new monsters. They clearly were a combination team as they stood together, fire blazing around them. While the heroine's skin could be seen under her red and white armour, Heat instead had a golden sort of form around his skin, though his armour matched that of his counterpart.

"Another new set of monsters!" Syrus called cheerfully. "Now show them what your cards can do." He said encouragingly.

Jaden gave his partner a nod before he looked back to the brothers. "First off, Heat gains 200 ATK for every Elemental HERO I have, and I count three (4/1600 + 600 = 2200/1200)!" Picking another card from his hand, he added it to his disk. "And with a face-down, I end my turn there, which kicks off the effect of Lady Heat! During each of my End Phases, you take 200 points of damage for each Elemental HERO I control. And again, I can see three!"

Para and Dox both widened their eyes as fireballs were thrown at them, making them stumble slightly.

Jaden/Syrus: 8000

Paradox Brothers: 7400

"All right!" Chumley cheered. "They've taken the lead before the two brothers have even had a chance to make a move."

Alexis grinned. "They're definitely giving it their all here. If they keep playing like that, the Paradox Brothers will have a lot of trouble."

"Don't speak too early." Bastion added. "Those two are top of the world for a reason."

"So, you managed to inflict a little pain…." Para began.

"Such a shame that it will all be in vain!" Dox finished, drawing his card and immediately playing it. "I summon Jirai Gumo in attack mode (4/2200/100)!" A massive spider appeared on the field in front of Dox, growling at the three heroes.

"2200 ATK!" Mindy said in shock. "What kind of ridiculous power is that?"

"It comes with a downside, though." Sam pointed out. "Dox has to toss a coin every time he attacks with it. And if he calls it wrong, he loses half of his life points."

"I activate Tribute Doll!" Dox announced as his spider disappeared. "Now by sacrificing my Jirai Gumo, I am permitted to bring out a stronger monster. Arise, the God of Water, Suijin (7/2500/2400)!"

A blue monster appeared in place of the spider. At first, it seemed like a pair of legs. However, at the top was a demonic face that roared at the opposing monsters.

"They brought out one of the three parts already." Chazz said with a smirk. "They're going to steamroll those losers."

"At this rate, we'll be able to still catch lunch by the time this duel is over." Blake added with a dark grin of his own.

"I end my turn, little one." Dox concluded, nodding to Syrus.

"Do try and keep up with all the fun!" Para added.

"That rhyming thing is getting annoying already." Syrus muttered, drawing his next card. "Okay, I summon Shuttleroid (4/1000/1200) in attack mode!" The white shuttle appeared in front of the Roid duelist. "And then I'll end my turn by placing two of these cards face-down." Two brown-backed cards appeared behind his monster, as Para took over and drew his card.

"I activate Star Blast!" The brother announced as he used his Spell Card. "I can reduce the Level of a monster in my hand by 1 Star for every 500 points I decide to pay. So, I shall reduce the Level by 3…"

Jaden/Syrus: 8000

Paradox Brothers: 5900

"And I will summon Sanga of the Thunder (7/2600/22000)!" He said, placing another card onto the duel disk. Next to Suijin appeared another monster that looked like half a body. This time, Sanga seemed to be the arms and the upper torso. It hovered alongside Dox's monster.

"My turn is over." Para said simply, nodding to Jaden.

"Attacks are open now." Daniel muttered. "Both of those monsters are too strong for Jaden now; do you think he has a plan?"

"He has a good few fusions that can take down either of those monsters." Baron answered, nodding his head. "But the Paradox brothers didn't even set any kind of backrow, which suggests they have something bigger up their sleeve."

Jaden drew his next card, and smiled at what he found. "I activate Polymerisation! And I'll be combining my Elemental HERO Heat and my Elemental HERO Lady Heat!"

"I suppose we should have guessed those two would have a fusion." Syd muttered as the two monsters dropped into the vortex. "Especially considering how those two monsters mirror each other." The group, as well as the rest of the students present, watched as a new monster landed next to Stratos. It took the same red and white style as its Fusion Materials, wielding fireballs in its hands as it stared down the opposing force.

"Meet my Elemental HERO Inferno (8/2300/1600)!" Jaden declared, looking up at his newest monster. "And I know what you're thinking. He's weaker than your monster. But not for long, because he has a special ability! When he battles a WATER monster, he gains 1000 ATK during damage calculation! Inferno, attack Suijin!"

Inferno fuelled with power as it launched itself at the WATER God, a fire surrounding it (8/2300 + 1000 = 3300/1600).

"The foolish boy should have listened in school!" Para taunted as Suijin launched a torrent of water at the flaming hero.

"For such a mistake will cost him the duel!" Dox chimed in. "During damage calculation, Suijin can make the attack of an attacking monster 0!"

Gasps could be hard about the arena as the torrent of water put out any source of flame (8/3300 – 3300 = 0/1600). Then another blast of water hit Inferno head on, destroying it with ease.

Jaden/Syrus: 5500

Paradox Brothers: 5900

The two brothers laughed as they saw Jaden staring at the ground, assuming he was hurt by the loss of his monster. To their surprise, however, he lifted his head back up to look at them with a wide grin.

"We studied a lot for this duel." He said, looking over to see his friend matching his grin. "We didn't know we'd face you, but we did see these monsters and their effects. But we also know you can't use the same effect twice. So, I'll have Stratos attack Suijin!"

Every single person in the arena, except for Syrus, looked at Jaden as if he was mad.

"Your monster is too weak, it will surely fall!" Dox protested.

"When it comes to this turn, you've dropped the ball!" Para added.

Jaden merely grinned, pressing a button on his duel disk. "Reveal, Soul Union! I target two Elemental HEROes. One in my Graveyard and one on my field. The one on the field gains ATK equal to the ATK of the one in my Graveyard. So, by targeting Stratos and Elemental HERO Inferno…"

The brothers gasped as the spirit of Elemental HERO Inferno flowed into the WIND hero, causing Stratos to become surrounded by flames (4/1800 + 2300 = 4100/300). It charged straight through Suijin, destroying the WATER God with ease.

Jaden/Syrus: 5500

Paradox Brothers: 4300

"Amazing!" Bastion said in astonishment. "They knew exactly how to play against the Paradox Brothers to make them underestimate them and then capitalised on that."

Alexis nodded in agreement. "If they suspected Jaden of being more of a challenge, they might have set a better defense for the incoming attack. Instead, they played it smaller and paid for their mistakes."

"But now they know what he's capable of." Sam pointed out. "Meaning they probably won't leave as many openings."

Jaden smiled as he looked over his hand. "I end my turn with that. Your turn, bro."

"You will fall." Dox snarled as he drew his next card. "Pot of Greed!" Picking up two cards from the top of his deck, he inserted both of them into his disk. "Two copies of Fiend's Sanctuary, creating two Metal Fiend Tokens (1/0/0) on the field."

"They won't be here for long." Mindy muttered to Jasmine as the assortment of silver balls appeared in front of one half of the brother tag team. As Jasmine nodded, the two were proven right as both tokens disappeared, Dox placing a card from his hand on his disk. "I call upon the power of Kazejin (7/2400/2200)!" A floating monster appeared, arms extended out and fists clenched. Like its previous two counterparts, it looked like part of a greater being.

Dox clearly wasn't done. "And now, Monster Reborn is used to call back Suijin!" The WATER God appeared again. Meanwhile, Dox held one more card in his hand. "It's time you said goodbye to this school." He said with a dark smile.

"For you will never win this duel." Para continued. "So, we really hope you've had your fun."

"Because your pain has only just begun!" Dox continued. "I tribute Kazejin, Suijin, and my brother's Sanga of the Thunder in order to bring out the ultimate being!"

As Suijin remained in the spot, both Kazejin and Sanga moved. As Kazejin's arms folded in as it moved to combine on top with the WIND God. Meanwhile, Sanga slowly lowered itself from the sky to combine with the top of Kazejin. Throughout it all, the brothers could be heard chanting.

"Elements of Thunder, Water, and Wind.

Suijin, Sanga, Kazejin begin.

Meld your powers in eternal light.

Show these fools your unstoppable might.

He is pain beyond description. He'll mark the graves with your inscription.

Gate Guardian (11/3750/3400)!"

The new monster, a combination of three, let out a roar of triumph. It stared down both Slifer Reds, clearly intent on causing them pain.

"And there it is." Blake smirked. "Gate Guardian. One of the most powerful monsters in the game. These guys don't stand a chance of getting out something more powerful than that."

"Meaning they might as well say goodbye at this point." Chazz added, crossing his arms over the chest. "Still a shame though. If we had been there, this duel would have been finished without us even taking a point of damage."

Down on the field, Jaden and Syrus glanced at each other in silence, sharing a nod. They weren't backing down, not at all. They would take this monster down, no matter how hard that proved to be.

"Now face true fury!" Dox said with triumph. "Gate Guardian, attack Shuttleroid!"

As the behemoth used Suijin to launch a torrent of water, Shuttleroid immediately flew high into the sky, Syrus smiling. "When attacked Shuttleroid banishes itself until my next Standby Phase!"

"But now a replay occurs, and that means the attack will simply hit you directly!" Dox snarled as the torrent of water showed no signs of stopping down.

"Stratos, defend!"

Suddenly the hero moved in front of the Roid duelist, shielding him from Gate Guardian, losing his life in the process.

Jaden/Syrus: 3550

Paradox Brothers: 4300

As he calmed himself, Jaden looked over to Syrus. "Don't worry, I've got your back. Let's just keep hitting them as hard as we can. We'll win soon enough.

Syrus gave a small nod before he looked back to Dox. "Since you can't do anything else, you must be ending your turn. And as a response to that, I activate my Cyber Summon Blaster! Now whenever a Machine-Type monster is Special Summoned, you take 300 points of damage!" As he drew his card, Shuttleroid returned to his side. "When Shuttleroid comes back, you get hit for 1000 points!" The shuttle flew right under Gate Guardian, slamming against Dox and making him stumble.

Jaden/Syrus: 3550

Paradox Brothers: 3300

"And that counts as a Special Summon, so here's some more damage!" Syrus announced. Suddenly, a massive machine appeared on the field. A satellite of some sort rested on top of it. As it charged up with electricity, it turned and fired, causing Para to raise his duel disk to avoid being electrocuted.

Jaden/Syrus: 3550

Paradox Brothers: 3000

"Let's see what else I can do." Syrus said, looking over to his hand before he glanced at his face-down. 'I've not got the right cards yet to get the best result from this. I need to make sure the moment is right.' Looking back at the field as well as his hand, he nodded to Para. "I end this turn with just one card face-down

Para smirked as he drew, a hand size of five giving him plenty of options. "I know what you're thinking. You've got a strong combo that you can just reuse over and over again. But that won't work here. I activate Forbidden Chalice and Stop Defense!"

"That's not good." Sam said in a worried voice. "Forbidden Chalice gives Shuttleroid 400 ATK, but stops it from using its effect."

"And Stop Defense forces it into attack mode." Syd added. "Meaning unless Syrus uses those face-down cards, they're in trouble."

As Shuttleroid (4/1000 + 400 = 1400/1200) moved into an offensive stance, Para activated another card. "Usually, because Gate Guardian is Para's monster, I am unable to attack with it. Or I would be, if not for my Share the Spoils Continuous Spell Card! Now both Para and I can attack with each other's monsters! Gate Guardian, attack Shuttleroid!"

This time, it was a blast of wind that was fired at Syrus's monster. Unable to escape, the machine was destroyed, but Syrus still pressed a button on his duel disk, causing the card he had just set to turn face-up.

"I activate Defense Draw! Now the damage becomes zero and I draw one card!" Taking the card from his deck, he gasped at what he saw before looking to Jaden. "Hey, Jay! I can take down Gate Guardian soon!"

Jaden grinned, nodding towards his partner. "Awesome, Syrus! We'll show these guys how it's done."

Para growled at the way the two were interacting. "Stop being so foolish as to think either of you stand a chance in this duel. I shall end my turn with one card face-down."

"And it's over to me." Jaden said, drawing his next card. Glancing over at his partner, he received a nod and knew exactly what to do. "I pass my turn."

As gasps filled the arena, Daniel leaned forward in shock. "Is he crazy? At this rate, they won't even get to the next turn!"

"It's because he trusts Syrus." Chumley said simply, causing the group to look at him. "The training didn't just focus on making their decks better. They worked to make sure they had as much faith as possible in each other. They worked to make sure they could put that trust in each other. That's what's happening right now."

As Dox drew, he gave an arrogant smirk to Jaden. "You fools will be sent home now. Gate Guardian, end this duel!" This time, it was the thunder section of the monster launched an attack, sending bolts of electricity at Jaden.

"I reveal No Entry!" Syrus called. "All monsters in the field go into defense mode, meaning your attack is stopped."

As Gate Guardian moved onto one knee, Bastion raised one eyebrow in confusion. "He's had that card since his first turn? Then why only activate it now."

However, there were three people in the arena that didn't find Syrus waiting to use his Trap Card strange. One was Syrus, who knew exactly what he was about to do. One was Jaden, who could now work out what his partner had planned. And the third was Zane. At the top of the stands, Zane smiled as he understood the move. "Well then….you're finally playing your cards." He muttered softly. "Now let's see what you do next."

Still a bit unsure at what his opponent had just done, Dox merely placed his own card face-down and nodded to Syrus.

Smiling, Syrus drew and immediately played the card he had drawn from Defense Draw. "I summon Drillroid (4/1600/1600)!" Appearing now was a monster that looked exactly as you would expect from the name. A small monster with drills for hands and a huge drill for its nose grinned at Gate Guardian. As Syrus gave his monster a nod, it charged straight at Gate Guardian.

Again, ignoring the bewildered looks he received for the seemingly suicidal attack, Syrus grinned. "When Drillroid attacks a monster in Defense Position, that monster is destroyed before damage calculation!"

As everyone watching seemed to gasp at once, Drillroid suddenly sped up. Para and Dox were barely able to comprehend its movement before it was back next to Syrus. When they glanced back to Gate Guardian, there was a gaping hole inside its chest. It fell forward, and turned into dust.

"They did it!" Alexis cheered. "They beat Gate Guardian! And even better, Syrus did it with almost ease!"

Syrus looked over his hand, nodding to Para once he realised there were no more moves to make. "I end my turn."

As the cheering continued, Baron leaned forward. "Ummm, guys? Something isn't right." He said, pointing to the Paradox Brothers.

"So, what now? You expect us to cry?" Dox laughed.

"Or perhaps you expect us to surrender with a sigh." Para added, drawing his card.

"Maybe you think you made your mark." Dox continued.

"When in reality, you merely unleashed the dark." Para concluded. "Activate Dark Element!" He announced as he activated his drawn card.

Suddenly, a dark aura surrounded the brothers as their life points dropped.

Jaden/Syrus: 3550

Paradox Brothers: 1500

"When Gate Guardian is in my Graveyard, I may pay half my Life Points in order to bring out its ultimate form." Para explained. "Rise, Dark Guardian (12/3800/3800)!"

An almost hybrid sort of monster appeared in place of Gate Guardian. At first, it appeared to be a spider, albeit with metallic legs. However, soon Jaden and Syrus realised that the spider part was merely the torso of a muscular man. He wielded an axe in his right arm.

Para crossed his arms over his chest with a dark smile. "Now you face true terror! Attack Drillroid!" The machine stood no chance, easily being split in half by the half man half spider's axe.

Jaden/Syrus: 1350

Paradox Brothers: 1500

"I end my turn." Para said smugly, nodding to Jaden to take his turn.

Drawing to have a five-card hand, Jaden looked over to Syrus. "Hey, Sy. I might need to borrow Cyber Summon Blaster."

Syrus gave him a small nod. "Go ahead. I trust you."

Smiling at him, Jaden activated a Spell from his hand. "Let's do this again. I activate Polymerisation, fusing Elemental HERO Avian (3/1000/1000), Elemental HERO Sparkman (4/1600/1400), and Elemental HERO Bubbleman (4/800/1200) together!"

"Another new fusion." Alexis muttered curiously as Jaden's three monsters disappeared into a vortex. A man emerged, and he was quite the sight. He had Avian's wings and claws though gave off the appearance of Sparkman. In addition, he wielded the weapons of Bubbleman.

"Meet Elemental HERO Tempest (8/2800/2800)!" Jaden announced. "And I'll immediately use his effect! I send Syrus's Cyber Summon Blaster in order to make one monster immune to destruction by battle! And I choose Tempest himself! And then I activate Skyscraper!" The familiar city surrounded the four.

"I see what he's doing." Alexis said. "He's going to match Dark Guardian's attack, but Tempest will survive the attack while Dark Guardian falls."

"When an Elemental HERO attacks a monster with higher attack, Skyscraper gives it an extra 1000 ATK boost!" Jaden explained. "Tempest, take down Dark Guardian!" The combination of three Elemental HEROes moved forward, slamming into the hybrid monster. To Jaden and Syrus's surprise however, the monster didn't fall.

Para laughed darkly. "Such fools. Dark Guardian cannot be destroyed in battle."

Jaden gasped, realising he wasted his turn. And he had used up his entire hand, meaning there was nothing more to do. "I end my turn." He said solemnly.

Dox smirked as he drew his card. "I can still attack with Dark Guardian due to Share the Spoils! And now your Tempest may not feel pain, but you certainly will!"

The man jumped forward, slamming his axe into the hero. Though Tempest was able to withstand the attack, Jaden could still feel it as their life points went into the red zone.

Jaden/Syrus: 350

Paradox Brothers: 1500

"Not good." Bastion said worriedly. "Unless Syrus pulls off a miracle, we may have to prepare our goodbyes."

"They won't lose." Chumley said firmly, even if a part of him was struggling to believe it himself. "They came this far. They won't back down after all of this."

Dox placed the card in his face-down on the field. "I end my turn. Enjoy your final turn."

At the side, Crowler was giddy. After all his efforts, it was all about to come to fruition. Jaden would be gone from Duel Academy, and all would be right again.

Jaden glanced over at Syrus. "Whatever happens, this was one great duel, Sy. I would do it all over again. Thank you for being my partner."

Syrus drew his card and grinned at it before he looked back to Jaden. "I agree. But we're going to have so many more duels, and it starts with Heavy Storm to destroy all Spells and Traps on the field!" Around them, the city crumbled, and Para and Dox's face-down cards crumbled into pixels.

Looking to his partner, Syrus smiled. "Mind if I borrow Tempest?"

Already knowing what to expect, Jaden nodded. "Finish this."

Facing his opponents again, Syrus activated his next card. "I activate Power Bond! And I'll be using it to combine UFORoid (6/1200/1200) and Elemental HERO Tempest!"

A small UFO appeared on the screen and immediately began to transform. Soon enough, it became a small floating platform that Tempest leapt onto.

"This, everyone, is UFORoid Fighter (10/?/?)!" Syrus announced. "It is formed by combining UFORoid with a Warrior-Type monster! And its original ATK and DEF is equal to the combined ATK of its materials (10/4000/4000)!"

"We can still survive this!" Para pointed out.

"No, you can't." Syrus said simply. "Because the monster brought out by Power Bond has its original ATK doubled (10/4000 * 2 = 8000/4000)!"

"8000 ATK!?" Dox yelled in protest. "There must be some sort of drawback!"

"There is." Syrus shrugged. "I take damage equal to my monster's original ATK at the End Phase. But since I took care of your set cards, we're not getting that far. UFORoid Fighter, finish this!"

The monster took to the sky, charging power before it launched itself at Dark Guardian. As it stumbled back, Dark Guardian was barely able to survive, though the same couldn't be said for the Paradox Brothers.

Jaden/Syrus: 350

Paradox Brothers: 0

As the arena erupted with noise, Jaden jumped in happiness. "And that's game! Better luck next time!" He ran over to Syrus, tackling him in a bear hug. "You did it, Sy! That last move was awesome!"

Syrus laughed, before he cast a glance up to where he knew his brother stood.

Smiling wider than ever, Zane gave Syrus a nod before he turned and began to walk away. 'Well done, Syrus. Now your true journey begins. I hope you can stand across from me as my equal in a duel eventually.'

Back at the side of the arena, Crowler was mortified. He had been so close. And it hadn't even been Jaden that had snatched this glory away from him. No, it was Syrus Truesdale who made sure he and Jaden weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Seeing that the Obelisk Blue headmaster wasn't moving, Sheppard took the initiative, seizing the microphone. "And there you have it, everyone! Jaden Yuki and Syrus Truesdale have been victorious in their duel and as such will remain at the Academy!" Turning to face the two boys, he smiled. "Congratulations. I am glad that you two will remain here."

Jaden and Syrus barely took notice of them. They were busy walking off to their cheering friends. They had made it, despite all the challenges during it. They had shouted to the heavens that they belonged here, and now everyone had clearly heard them. It was elating to know. That they were here to stay, and they were here to become the best.