The Duel Off: Part 1 - Intelligence VS Instinct

Another sunny day at Duel Academy, and nothing crazy was happening... for the moment. Down at the docks, a bunch of workmen were unloading boxes from a boat, under the supervision of Ms. Dorothy. "Keep it moving fellas, keep it moving! Booster packs go there, starter decks go there!" She said as she directed them. She was about to yell something out again, but stopped herself when she heard something from the water. She turned and looked down at the waves that crashed along the side below. She could've sworn that she heard something, but that must have been her imagination. "Let's go!" She snapped at the workers. "This isn't break time! Move it, move it, move it!"

Since Ms. Dorothy was focusing on the workers, she failed to notice a shadow moving underneath the waves. The figure made its way past the docks and towards a bed of rocks. It then reached the surface and climbed the nearest rock. The figure was a tall man with long, dark hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a wetsuit. He pulled off his snorkel and looked up towards the building that occupied the center of the island. "There it is." He said smiling. "The scoop of a life time, Duel Academy. Now, let's go and see what kind of dirt I can dig up, of the story that will make me my fortune."


"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!?" Crowler cried out as he slammed his hands on an oval table where he, Banner, Chancellor Sheppard and other faculty members were sitting at. Apparently, they currently were having a meeting. Zane was also there, standing aside. "The School Duel between Duel Academy and North Academy is the biggest match of the year! We can take no chances. So, it's clear that Zane must be our rep."

"Zane is our best," Sheppard agreed. "But he's a third year student. North Academy is using a first year."

"Why would they do that?" Crowler asked.

"Who knows? But in the spirit of competition, I think we should use a first year student as well." Sheppard turned to Zane. "You understand, don't you Zane?"

"Of course, Chancellor."

He chuckled a little. "Well then, the only question is who this first year will be."

Zane closed his eyes. "Jaden Yuki."

Crowler cringed at the idea, while Sheppard looked at Zane curiously.

"I agree, Jaden is our best new student." Banner said, then looked at his cat. "Don't you think?"

Pharaoh only meowed in response.

"Oh well, if the cat says so." Crowler said.

"Chancellor." Zane turned to the Headmaster. "Jaden will make Duel Academy proud, trust me."

"Well then, that's that... unless someone has a better idea." Sheppard looked at his colleagues.

"Well, Chancellor…" Someone spoke up in a spanish accent. The Chancellor turned to a black-haired man who was wearing an uniform similar to the Ra Yellow students. He even looked of Spanish descent. "I have another potential student in mind. And that student is Señor Andrew Wilson."

"From your dorm, Professor Sartyr?" Sheppard asked curiously.

"Yes, Señor Wilson was good enough to promote from Slifer Red to Ra Yellow. I think he deserves a chance for the spot."

"Well, that's true." Banner agreed. "He may not have been in my dorm as long as others, but I've seen how good he is in dueling."

Sheppard nodded. "Well then, unless someone else has a better idea, then Andrew and Jaden will duel for the right to represent."

Crowler was seething with rage at the thought of Jaden representing Duel Academy in the School Duel. 'Jaden Yuki... that Slifer Slacker! Everytime he does well, he makes me look bad. And Andrew. The thought of someone with a deck similar to him makes me sick! There has got to be someone else…' It was then a thought crossed his mind, making him smile. "Wait, I have it. Bastion Misawa! He should represent us!"

"Bastion, you say?" Sheppard asked.

"Yes," Crowler climbed onto the table and crawled his way toward the Chancellor. "He's far more qualified and he tested higher than any other first year. It's only fair, Chancellor."

"Well, how about a three way duel off, then? Each student will duel the other once. The one with most victories will be our rep." Zane gave a small nod at this. "Ok, then it's settled."


After infiltrating the building, the man from the ocean snuck through the halls and entered one of the locker rooms. He opened the first unlocked locker he could find and took out an uniform. "I gotta blend in." He said smiling, looking at the Slifer Red uniform he found.


"For real?"

Banner nodded as he heard Jaden's reply to the news he told his class. "That's right. You, Bastion and Andrew will duel each other for the right to represent Duel Academy in the School Duel. The first match will be between you and Bastion. The second match will be between Bastion and Andrew. And the third match will be between you and Andrew. The one with most victories will represent Duel Academy in the School Duel against North Academy." Jaden turned around and looked up at Andrew, who was sitting at row in front of Bastion. He gave both of them a smile, which they returned. "I look forward to exciting matches."

After he dismissed the class, most of the students left, while Jaden, Syrus, Chumley, Matt, Andrew, Shiori and Bastion stayed behind.

"Alright Jaden!" Syrus said. "You might actually be in the School Duel."

"No Slifer's ever been there." Chumley added. "You'd make Duel Academy history!"

"I just wish I was chosen." Matt said.

Jaden laughed a little until Andrew, Shiori and Bastion approached them. "Well guys. I guess may the best man win, huh?""

"Best deck." Bastion said. "And I assure you, Jaden, that deck will be mine. You see, I've been formulating a new set of cards to defeat you and your monsters ever since my duel with Chazz."

"You said you would. So it's finished?"

"Not yet. But it will be, Jaden. It will be soon." Bastion then turned to Andrew. "And I've been working on a deck to counter yours, Andrew."

Andrew smiled. "I look forward to see what you've come up with."

"Well, til then." Jaden said as he fist bumped with Bastion before the latter left the classroom.

"To think that Bastion designed two whole decks to defeat you two." Shiori said.

"I don't know if you should be really honored or really scared." Chumley added.

"Well guys, guess we'll find out when we throw down." Jaden said.

"And it's about time you and I face off." Andrew said smiling to him.

"Got that right! This is gonna be sweet!"

"Definitely. Now then, I'm off to the Ra dorm to prepare my deck. See you guys later."

"Yeah, see ya." At the Slifers and Ras went separate ways.


Meanwhile, the man who infiltrated the school building was walking through the hallway in the hope to get some information, wearing the Slifer jacket he found earlier. He noticed two Obelisk boys coming his way and smiled. "Hey, fellow duelists! What's shaking around here?"

"Out of the way, you Slifer Slime!" One of them pushed him away.

"But wait, I just." The man called to the Obelisks, but they ignored him.

At the same time, Jaden, Syrus, Chumley and Matt were going through the halls. They then noticed the man approaching a Ra Yellow student.

"Yo, how are you?" He greeted.

"Beat it, Slifer Sludge!" The Ra pushed him away and walked away.

"Wait!" The man called to him, but didn't get any response. "Man, why won't anyone talk to me?" He wondered.

"I don't remember seeing that guy before. He must be new." Syrus assumed.

"But when did he transfer here?" Matt wondered.

Jaden walked up to the man. "Hey, what's up?"

The man turned around to face him and laughed nervously.

"You're old." Jaden commented with a smile. "Really old. How could you be a Slifer?"

"I, uh…" The man tried to answer.

"Hey, it's cool." Jaden said, patting him on the right shoulder. "I mean…" He then shook hands with him. "So, it took you a while to get accepted here. Don't be ashamed. Let me show you around, Old Timer!" He then dragged the man away.

"Wait up!" Syrus called out as he and the others ran after them.

"Come on, Jaden, take it easy!" Matt added.

'Aw, not running.' Chumley complained internally.


After showing 'Old Timer' around the campus, the Slifers were now sitting in the Slifer cafeteria and eating dinner. The man was staring at his tray of food, wondering if it was even edible. The others were enjoying their meals, with Jaden's chopsticks zooming back and forth between his mouth and tray. "Delish!" He said. "You better hurry up and finish, or you won't be able to get seconds!"

"Seconds?" The 'old timer' parroted.

"…Or thirds." Jaden continued, still going at the food.

"And sometimes fourths." Syrus added. "They were gonna install a garbage disposal, but Jaden solved that problem."

"I see. Well then..." The man replied as finally decided to dig in.

While eating his own meal, Matt stared at the man cautiously. 'There is something off with that guy, but I don't know what.' He thought.


After they were all finished, they went up to their room, along with the new guy. Even Matt came along with them. Jaden had his cards spread out along the floor so he could prepare his deck.

"Whoa, your deck's looking good, Jaden." Syrus commented. "Still, I wonder what kind of deck Bastion's gonna have."

"Dunno, but it sounds like he put some major time and brain juice into it." Chumley said thoughtfully.

"Nervous?" Matt asked.

"No way. I'm excited! There." Jaden said putting his cards back together.

"Excited?" Syrus asked.

"Yeah, for a sweet challenge. My cards are up for it."

"You never worry." Syrus commented at Jaden's cheerful mood.

"Yeah." Chumley agreed.

'And I'll never get my story by hanging out with these twerps.' The 'old timer' thought frustrated. He noticed a card on the floor. He picked it up and looked at it. 'Skyscraper. The card that ruined dueling for me.' He thought as he remembered the last time he ever dueled. A duel that he lost miserably. Just thinking about it made him so mad.

"Hey. You cool, Old Timer?" Jaden asked.

"Stop it with that! My name is Gerard!" He snapped at Jaden, but then realized what he just did. 'I told them my real name!' Gerard berated himself.

"Cool, Gerard it is." Jaden said, unaware of Gerard's panicked expression. He then noticed the card he was holding. "Hey, Skyscraper. You like that card too?"

Gerard scoffed and looked away. "No way. You'd have to like dueling first."

"Oh really?" Matt asked, still suspecting him. "If you don't like dueling, what are you doing here?"

"Oh! Well, uh…" Gerard started to panic again. "I just mean... I don't like it cuz I'm not good at it."

"Same here." Chumley replied. "I mean, it's not that I don't like dueling, it's just that I'm not really all that good at it. But that's changing."

"Sure is." Jaden said.

"Yeah. See, once I started hanging out with these guys, I saw how they duel and it totally changed my life."

"That's it!" Syrus said. "Gerard, maybe if you watch Jaden duel, you'll start to like dueling more, like Chumley. The perfect matches is coming up, his duels with Bastion and Andrew."

"Sure, we'll see." Gerard said, but then looked away as he thought… 'Please, I'm done with dueling. These kids should just mind their own business.' But then he got an idea. 'Wait! Seeing as they like to pry, maybe they can help me with my story.' He then turned back to them. "So... you guys, I was just wondering. Do you know anything about a rumor floating around where kids here go missing?"

"Does he mean the abandoned dorm?" Jaden wondered.

"Abandoned dorm?" Gerard asked interested.

"Yeah. See, we kinda wandered it inside once…" Jaden smiled nervously. "...Uh, very strange place."

Gerard smiled as he finally learned something to look at. "I see. Well, I think I'll just take a walk outside." He then took his leave.

Matt eyed him. 'I don't like this.' he thought. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to turn in for the night." He said as he got up.

"Okay, see ya tomorrow." Jaden said as he and the others waved to the flip duelist who left the dorm room.

But what they didn't know was that Matt went Gerard who made his way to the forest. 'What could that guy be after. I mean, from what the guys told me, entering that dorm is dangerous.'


Andrew was currently in his dorm room, going through his deck. Shiori was there with him.

"Your deck is looking good." He said. "But I wonder what Bastion has in store for you."

"That's hard to tell." Andrew replied while taking out some cards from his deck to see what he should replace. "But I better add some new tactics of my own if he's going to prepare a deck designed to counter mine."

Shiori smiled. "It's not the first time someone would try to counter your deck. I mean, if you could survive Jenny's counter strategies, you should have a chance to handle Bastion's tactics."

Andrew smiled. "Well, we're about to see how well I'll do against him." He then looked at one card he took from the wooden box where he kept all his leftover cards. 'This one should be useful.'


As usual, in the middle of the night, Alexis stood in front of the abandoned dorm and placed a rose near the gate. Jenny was there with her.

"Be at peace brother, wherever you are." The blonde girl said. "Take care."

"Don't worry Alexis. I'm sure you'll see him again soon enough." Jenny comforted her.

They both turned around when heard a rustling sound and spotted Gerard coming their way. "Why, hello there." He greeted.

"Hi. Do we know you?" Alexis asked.

"Uhh, yeah. I've seen you around. Look, I've heard some students have gone missing here. You two wouldn't happen to know anything about them, would you?"

Jenny scowled. "What's it to you?"

Gerard just smiled. "You know, I'm just curious is all…"

"Yeah, well you can stay curious." Alexis said with a fringe of anger in her voice. "Listen, those missing students aren't for your amusement. You ought to just mind your own business! Got it?"

"Calm down, Alexis." Jenny pulled her friend back. "Let's just leave him be." They then walked away, leaving a confused Gerard behind.

"Oookay. Don't know what her problem is, but I know this: I'm not giving up. I'm gonna get this story." He pulled out a small camera and took pictures. What he didn't know however was that Matt was hiding behind some bushes and watched him.

"What are you up to?" He muttered.


In the Ra Yellow dorm, Bastion was sitting in his dorm at his computer desk. he had several windows opened up with information about Jaden and Andrew's decks, styles of dueling and other stuff. He had been doing research on them for weeks, and was still trying to figure out how to defeat them.

"Countless equations. A myriad of theorems, yet still, I haven't quite solved the problems that are Jaden and Andrew's deck." He opened up with up a window showing images of Andrew's certain set of heroes. "Both decks consists the power of fusion, but there is one factor of Andrew's deck that makes a big difference: the Masked Heroes."

He clicked the mouse to make one of the images bigger. "The Divine Wind. A formidable creature. He keeps the opponent from attacking with more than one monster, and he allows his controller to draw a card after he destroys a monster. And on top of that, he's invincible in battle." He clicked the mouse to make another image bigger. "And then there's the Acid. When he's summoned to the field, he destroys all spells and traps on the opponent's field and also lower their monsters' attack strength by 300 points. Those Masked heroes won't be easy to stop. After all, all Andrew has to do is summon one hero, and then use one if his Mask Change cards to make a special summon."

It was then it hit him. "Wait a minute, special summon. I wonder…" He quickly typed in a few commands on his keyboard, making a few cards appear on the screen. "Aha! Yes. This should be perfect to stop his special summons. And this one could be useful as backup. Yes this will be perfect." He said with a satisfied look on his face.

"Now let's have a look at Jaden's cards." He said as he made the image of a familiar fusion monster appear. "Ah, the Flame Wingman. What a specimen. Whenever he destroys a monster, that monster's attack points are dealt to its owner's life points. In order stop him, I must stop Burstinatrix and Avian so they can't fuse." He then clicked the mouse making another image appear. "Of course, even if I do, there's still the Thunder Giant. He can destroy a monster with up to 2400 attack points as soon as he's summoned. To stop him, I'll need to take out Sparkman and Clayman before they can fuse."

He leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head and eyes focused on the computer in front of him. 'Think Bastion, think!' He thought, deliberating on this. "I could use the cards I'd use against Andrew, but since the first match will be between me and Jaden, that would give him too much information. And if I tried to build a deck to counter Jaden's monsters separately, that would leave far too much to chance. There simply must be a better way to neutralize the threat, some strategy to stop those fusion monsters."

That's when an idea struck his mind.

"Wait a moment!" Once again, he typed in a few commands on his keyboard. "That's it! It's so obvious. With this, my victory is 100% assured."


"Alright guys, get your eat on!" Jaden declared as he and his roommates, plus Matt, were in the cafeteria and eating breakfast. The brunette was wolfing his meal like he usually was, while his friends ate with a touch more moderation. "This stuff is so good! The hard part... is remembering to chew... before you swallow." He said between his bites.

"That explains why we're missing so many forks!" Syrus exclaimed. "Look, just don't stuff yourself."

"What's your problem, Syrus?" Jaden asked.

"You've been very anti-lishus." Chumley added.

"Maybe so, but if Jaden's going to win today's matches, he's going need to be a lean, mean dueling machine. After all, Bastion's been training weeks for this matchup."

"And knowing Andrew, he's should be well-prepared as well." Matt added.

Syrus then looked toward Jaden. "And you trained what, an hour?"

"More like half." Jaden responded, making Syrus sweat drop while Matt shook his head.

Chumley laughed a little. "Minus the time we took for that food run."

"Look Sy, Bastion has his way to train, and I have mine."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Syrus then noticed that a certain someone was missing. "By the way, where did that guy Gerard go? I haven't seen him."

"Don't know but his lunch is mine."

Matt had a concerned look on his face. 'He's probably somewhere sneaking into other places for whatever bad thing he's up to.'


At the same time, Chancellor Sheppard was in his office and had just finished his paperwork. He was about to leave when his phone suddenly rang. "Hm? Who could that be?" He picked it up and answered. "Hello?"

"Hello to yourself, Sheppard." A man's voice responded.

"Oh, hello there, Foster. Can I help you with something? I was on my way to watch a duel off."

"A duel off, you say?"

"That's right. Me and the faculty members were discussing the School Duel and who our rep should be. Three of my potential students are about duel each other for the right to represent Duel Academy."

"Is that so?" Foster said interested. "What a coincidence. I had some of my own students to duel each other as well, and the result is quite a problem."

Sheppard narrowed his eyes. "Oh? And what kind of problem is that?"

"Well…"


Later on, the students and the faculty members sat down in the main arena. Andrew and Shiori were sitting along with Syrus, Chumley and Matt. Jaden and Bastion were standing on the dueling platform facing each other, with Crowler standing between them with a microphone in hand. "It's time duelists... to find out... who will represent our most illustrious academy in the annual School Duel!" The crowd cheered at this. "And now, for the first of three duels. Introducing first, from the Ra dorm, Bastion Misawa!"

More cheers came as fellow Ras clapped the Intelligent Ra Yellow student.

"And then, from Slifer... some kid." Crowler finished, less enthusiastic with this introduction.

"Geez, he should show some respect." Shiori said.

"No joke." Andrew replied." I know that Crowler doesn't like Jaden, but he could at least give him a proper introduction."

"I can't say I'm surprised." Someone spoke up from behind. The group turned around to see Michael sitting at the row behind them.

"Oh, hey Michael." Syrus greeted.

"What's up?" He greeted back with a smile.

"Nice that you could join us." Andrew said before he turned his attention to the arena. "Still though, as much I'm looking forward to this match, I don't know who I'm supposed to root for."

"It's fine. No matter who wins, we should be glad that one of our friends, including you, gets to represent us." The dark duelist replied. "Besides, they wanted this duel for a while. And I'm curious what this 'foolproof plan' Bastion has in store for Jaden's deck is."

Andrew nodded. "That makes two of us."

On the field, Jaden gave his opponent a smile. "Here we go! Good luck Pal."

"I appreciate the sentiment. But with the deck I've prepared, I don't need luck."

"Yeah? We'll see about that."

"Go, Jaden!" Syrus cheered. "This is what you trained for, or didn't."

Above the seats, at the railing surrounding the stands, Zane walked over to Alexis and Jenny who were standing side by side. "It'll be instincts vs. intelligence here."

"I guess. Who cares?" Alexis said with a low, sour tone in her voice.

"Alexis?" Jenny looked at her friend.

"I mean yeah." She said with a more positive tone.

But Jenny knew better. She realized that Alexis was still upset about last night, when they met Gerard.

And speaking of Gerard, Matt was a little concerned about him. 'I wonder where he is. I couldn't find him anywhere earlier.'


Gerard was in fact sneaking through the empty halls by himself. "Alright, while everyone's distracted with this duel, I'll be able to get more dirt on those missing kids." But he stopped for a moment when a few brief memories Jaden flash through his mind, to which he shook his head, to get rid of them. "And get that other kid Jaden, and this duel of his, out of my head!" He made his way through the hall until he came to the library. He snuck inside and sat down before one of the computers. After starting it up, he took out his portable computer, plugged it into the jack and let it work out the password.


"Now, without any further ado…!" Crowler announced.

"Get your game on!" Jaden called out.

"Let's duel!"

Jaden: 4000

Bastion: 4000

Crowler jumped off the platform after the duelists activated their duel disks.

"Alright, first move!" Bastion drew a card. "I summon Carboneddon in defense mode!" A gray, metallic dinosaur appeared on his field kneeling and crossing its arms for the guard. (ATK: 900 DEF: 600 LV: 3) "That's all for now." He concluded.

"A brand new deck and Carboneddon is all you can bust out?" Jaden asked. "Hey, whatever works for ya. Now…!" He drew is next card. "I play Burstinatrix in attack mode." The red female fire hero appeared, looking ready to fight.

'Just one turn and already Jaden has half the equation to create his favorite monster, the Flame Wingman.' Bastion thought. "Off to a good start there."

"Yeah, sure am. And I've got news for you, it only gets better. Burstinatrix, attack!" As soon as the female hero's flame covered hand connected with the defending monster, it exploded into a plume of flame and smoke that soon blew away from Bastion. The Ra on the other hand was calm. "Next I'll throw down a facedown and call it a turn."

"You don't waste any time, I like that." Bastion remarked before drawing his next card. He smiled when he saw it. 'Here it is, the one card that will win me this duel. But first...'
"I'm going to summon Oxygeddon in attack mode!" The green pterodactyl made of oxygen let out a cry as it appeared. (ATK: 1800 DEF: 800 LV: 4) "And now, Oxygeddon, attack"

"Think again!" Jaden interrupted. "I've got a trap, Hero Barrier!" The card revealed itself. "With this card, if I have an Elemental HERO on the field, I can negate your monster's attack once." A barrier of bright blue light appeared between Oxygeddon and Burstinatrix, blocking a stream of air from the former's mouth. "Sorry Bastion, but Burstinatrix isn't busted just yet."

"Well played, Jaden. Of course, I'd expect no less." Bastion then glanced at the card he drew earlier. 'Still, when I activate this card, It won't matter how well you play.'
"I'll go ahead and place this facedown and that's all." He concluded.

"Alright then." Jaden drew his card. "I summon Elemental HERO Sparkman, in attack mode!" The blue and golden electric hero rose next to his fire based ally. (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1400 LV: 4) "And I activate the equip spell, Spark Blaster! And equip it on Sparkman!" A ball of electricity appeared in Sparkman's hand, which then turned into his personal weapon. "Now I can change the battle mode of any monster on the field, and the one I have set in Sparkman's sight... is Oxygeddon! Now he has to switch into defense mode." Sparkman fired a ball sparking energy, causing the wind based dinosaur to drop to the ground with its wings folded. "And now Burstinatrix can take him out! Go, Magma Comet!" The female hero conjured a fireball twice the size of her head and hurled it at the defending monster.

But when it made contact, the flames enveloped the dinosaur. "Whoops, looks like someone has forgotten their chemistry." Bastion said. "See, fire and oxygen, they don't mix, Jaden. So when Oxygeddon is destroyed in battle by a pyro type monster, it doesn't just take a toll on my life points, but on yours as well." The monster then exploded in a blast of fire which swept across both ends of the field.

Jaden: 4000-3200

Bastion: 4000-3200

"Sweet move." Jaden commented. "Your monster's ability cost us both there. But I'd do it all over again. Know why? Cuz now your field's empty, which means my Sparkman can attack you directly!" The hero in question fired a stream of electricity from his empty hand at Bastion.

Bastion: 3200-1600

"Nicely played." Andrew commented.

"Great." Michael added.

"Zane was right about that boy." Sheppard commented, turning to Banner. "He's quite a duelist."

The Slifer Headmaster smiled. "It's true. We teach those Slifers well, when they don't ditch class."

Crowler wasn't pleased by this. Frankly, he was panicking as he ruffled his hair wildly. 'Why did I open my big mouth and nominate Bastion for this event!? He's getting creamed, I'm getting humiliated, and worst of all, Jaden is looking better than ever!'

"Hey, sorry there, Bastion." Jaden smiled. "Guess it's back to the drawing board if you want to beat my deck."

Bastion smiled in return. "No Jaden, I think not. You see, I've already beaten it. Now it's simply a matter of showing all of my work."
'And a matter of getting Jaden to use the card that will let me enact my master plan.' He thought.
"Now then, let's get back into the fray, shall we? It's my turn." He drew his next card. "And I'm going to summon Hydrogeddon in attack mode." A geyser of brown water erupted on Bastion's field, from which emerged the watery dinosaur. (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1000 LV: 4) "Now, Hydrogeddon, attack Burstinatrix!" The dinosaur shot a blast of muddy water from its mouth which struck and destroyed the female hero.

Jaden: 3200-2800

"Next I'll activate Hydrogeddon's ability. You see, whenever he destroys a monster in battle, he allows me to summon another Hydrogeddon. And I happen to have one right here in my deck." From another water geyser, a copy of the water emerged. (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1000 LV: 4) "And now I'll play an equip spell from my hand, Living Fossil. I can now summon one monster from my graveyard, so long as I equip it with this. And the monster I'll bring back is, Oxygeddon. Rise again old friend!" The wind based pterodactyl reappeared on the field. (ATK: 1800 DEF: 800 LV: 4) "Of course, Fossil lowers his attack points and cancels his special ability." (ATK: 1800-800) "But it's worth it."

"Yeah, now he's got three monsters." Syrus pointed out.

"And a strange smirk." Chumley added.

"Bastion's up to something." Matt said.

"And it's definitely something big." Shiori replied.

"Now it get good." Bastion took another card from his hand. "I activate the spell card, Bonding H2O! You see Jaden, when I bond two Hydrogeddons and one Oxygeedon, they do the exact same thing that two hydrogen bonded with one oxygen do, they become water. Or in this case…" The three monsters swirled around each other. "The all powerful Water Dragon!" They then become one and the formed the big serpentine dragon, whose body was made of water. (ATK: 2800 DEF: 2600 LV: 8)

"That's not good." Jaden commented.

"Incredible." Syrus said.

"Where's the bathroom?" Chumley asked.

"Dude, this isn't time for a bathroom break." Michael said.

"Great, now I have the need to go too." Shiori complained.

"That's one impressive monster." Sheppard remarked.

"Yes, and one impressive move." Banner agreed. "Aye, this will be tough."

And now, Crowler was laughing, being pleased by this twist. "I knew it was a good idea for me to nominate Bastion for this event. He's looking magnificent, I'm looking brilliant, and best of all, Jaden looks like a complete fool."

"It's your move now, Jaden." Bastion said. 'And if you plan to take on my Water Dragon, there's only one move you can make. And it's the one I've been waiting for.'

"How's Jaden gonna take down that thing? His Sparkman doesn't have nearly enough attack points." Syrus pointed out.

"Jaden is always able to make a comeback when he's in a tight spot. He'll think of something." Andrew said. But he had a concerned look on his face. 'Of course, Bastion must be planning to do something with his facedown card. Ever since he placed it on the field during his second turn, he hasn't activated it. I have a feeling that he's waiting for Jaden to do a certain thing.'

"Well Bastion, it's like they always say; when the going gets tough, the tough get going. So here I go!" Jaden drew a card and looked at it. "Sweet! Alright, you got one of your best monsters out, so allow me to summon on up one of mine. Now I may not know as much chemistry as you do, but I can still mix it up. Avian and Bubbleman, get ready to merge with Sparkman to create the one and only Elemental HERO Tempest!" The green, feather winged hero, along with the blue-armored water warrior appeared on Sparkman's side. "Alrighty, fuse!" And the image of Polymerization appeared...

"I don't think so, Jaden!" Bastion interrupted, surprising his opponent. "Go, trap card! Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell!" His facedown card flipped up. "Now, by discarding one spell card from my hand, I can negate your spell card and destroy it." He placed one card on the tray, and Jaden's spell card glowed before it disappeared. "And... you can no longer use the spell card that was destroyed by this effect for the remainder of the duel."

"Wait, I can't use Polymerization anymore!?" Jaden asked, completely shocked.

"I'm afraid not." Bastion folded his arms. "Which essentially means you can't use any of your fusion monsters either. No Flame Wingman, no Thunder Giant. None of them."

"No fusions?" Syrus asked disbelieved. "But that's how Jaden win all his duels!"

"And if Bastion can think of something like this to counter Jaden's deck, that makes me wonder how he's going to counter my deck." Andrew added.

"Compute it any which way you like, but the answer will always come out the same." Bastion said confidently. "This duel's over, you can't win."


Meanwhile, back at the library, Gerard sat at his computer impatiently, still trying to crack the password. "If I can just crack this password, I'll be able to access all of Duel Academy's student files." He murmured. This was frustrating for him, but then, computer finally made a positive sound as the right password came up. "Got it." He said with a smile. The screen changed and showed him images of the three Egyptian gods: Obelisk the Tormentor, The Winged Dragon of Ra and Slifer the Sky Dragon.

The screen then changed again and showed images of Duel Monsters cards. Only, they weren't really cards. Some of them were showing the backside, while the others showed Gerard images of different Duel Academy students. He clicked one of them, showing an Obelisk Blue boy, whose brown hair had a similar style like Alexis. "Atticus Rhodes. Studying abroad on special sabbatical." He then looked at the other images. "And this one's gone too... and so is this one… and him... and her…" He scratched his head. "Bu there's no forwarding address. I don't buy it. These must be the missing students, and the academy must be trying to cover it up. I smell a front page scandal, plus a major pay day for the reporter who breaks the story. Thanks for the scoop, Due Academy and good luck surviving all the bad publicity." He said as he laughed a little. If he payed attention, he would've seen one small monitor on his right, showing the duel off between Bastion and Jaden.


Speaking of which, Jaden had just placed Elemental HERO Avian in defense mode. (ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LV: 3) Bastion was standing on his side of the field with a confident look on his face. "Face it Jaden, with your fusion monsters neutralized, and my Water Dragon about to strike, you and your monsters are about to be all washed up."

"I can't watch." Syrus moaned.

"It's not all bad. Jaden still has more life points." Chumley pointed out.

"That maybe, but Bastion's got a lock on him." Shiori said. "This won't be easy for Jaden."

"True, but he's not going down without a fight." Andrew replied. Michael nodded in agreement.

'Come on, Jaden.' Alexis thought worriedly. "Fight back."

"Well, perhaps we underestimated Bastion." Zane smiled. "He's been playing this like a pro. After all, with just one card, he's all but disarmed Jaden's deck."

"Come on, he's just taking away Jaden's ability to use fusion monsters, that's all." Alexis retorted.

"But that might be enough." Jenny said. "Fusion monsters are how Jaden wins all his duels. The Elemental Heroes are mainly used with fusions, after all."

Meanwhile, Crowler was more than happy. He pounded the platform, smiling. "That's it Bastion! Show this Slifer Slacking Sludge who's boss! Show him he doesn't belong in the School Duel!" He cheered.

"My, Pharaoh. This does not look good." Banner said, petting his cat.

"My go, and I'm gonna switch Sparkman to defense mode. And I'll leave it at that." Jaden concluded as the electric hero crouched down.

"Not much to do when you've been stripped of the ability to use your favorite monsters, eh Jaden?" Bastion asked.

"Wrong , there's loads to do, like finding a new plan. It'll be tough, but I'm up for it. And then Bastion, it'll be all the sweeter, when I win!"

Bastion smiled. "Yes, when you win. Well, we have nothing if not our dreams I suppose, however farfetched. Now then, let's get on with this duel, shall we Jaden? I draw." He drew his next card. "I play the Mathematician in attack mode!" A short man in scholar robes, a pair of thick glasses, a long white beard and a staff appeared on Bastion's field. (ATK: 1500 DEF: 500 LV: 3) "You see, when this is summoned, I must send one card from my deck to the grave" He explained while placing a card from the top of his deck to the graveyard. "But then, if Mathematician happens to be destroyed in battle, I can take a card from my deck and add it to my hand." He glanced at his graveyard slot. "Of course, none of hat is pressing right this moment, what with my Water Dragon about to surge into action!" The watery serpentine dragon spat out a stream of water that crushed Sparkman. "And now, Mathematician attacks your hero Avian! Number Cruncher!" The old man shot a purple beam of numbers and variables at the defending hero and destroyed him.

"Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse." Syrus said.

"Jaden's wide open now." Matt muttered.


Gerard was walking through the hallway, satisfied with his work. 'Now that I have records of those missing students, I'll be able to sell my story for a fortune, Sure, the scandal will probably ruin Duel Academy, but, oh well…'


Flashback

"You're old…"

Jaden patted Gerard's shoulder. "Hey, it's cool."

"You good, Old Timer?"

"Stop it with that!"

"Hey, Skyscraper. You like that card too?"

Flashback end


Gerard shook his head. 'That kid. Why can't I just forget about him?' He thought before his attention was caught by cheers coming from the arena. He walked through the entry way, looked around and caught the sight of the Water Dragon on Bastion's field and Jaden with his field empty. "How about that? It's one of those duels those Slifers wanted me to come and see. Where my life was supposed to change. And look, it seems Jaden is losing."

"Well, my turn's done, Jaden." Bastion declared. "So, if you still plan on beating me, feel free to go ahead and do your worst."

The Slifer grinned. "You bet I will. Cuz my duel's just started."

"Is it?"

"Yep. You see, we're different. You make all your moves at home, I do mine on the field."

"That's right!" Syrus said.

"Yeah, Jaden plays with his gut." Chumley added.

"Kinda like how you think with yours." Michael said jokingly.

"Alright, where were we?" Jaden drew his next. "First, I'm gonna summon Hero Bubbleman in... attack mode." The blue-armored water hero came to the field, cape flowing behind him. (ATK: 800 DEF: 1200 LV: 4) "Now, when I summon Bubbleman, if I have no other cards out, that's a good thing. Know why? Cuz it means I can draw two cards." He reached down and drew. "And one of them I'll play right now. The equip spell, Bubble Blaster!" The water hero kneeled down as his bazooka appeared on his shoulder. "This lets Bubbleman gain 800 attack points. (ATK: 800-1600) "And now, Bubbleman attack!" He fired off a stream of bubbles that blew up on contact with the old man.

Bastion: 1600-1500

"Well played, but since you destroyed Mathematician, his ability activates, allowing me to draw one card." Bastion took his new card from the deck.

"Yeah yeah, but it's still my turn. And I'm gonna throw down two facedowns. Next, I'm gonna play the spell card, Mirage of Nightmare. And then I'll call it a turn." Jaden finished up. "You see, I'm no one-trick pony. You take away my fusion monsters, and well, I'll just come right back at you with something else. Cuz it's not about the fusing, Bastion, it's about the monsters. And mine are still rearing to go."

"I'm sure, but the fact of the matter is Jaden, your most powerful monsters are not. When will you accept that dueling is nothing more than a numbers game? A numbers game that I have calculated effectively and you have not. Your defeat is imminent Jaden. Now, My draw." Bastion drew.

"And with it, the effect of my spell Mirage of Nightmare activates." The spell card in question glowed. "Cuz of this card's effect, during your standby phase, I'm allowed to draw, and keep drawing until I have four cards." He explained while drawing his extra cards. "And now I reveal my facedown card, Emergency Provisions. Now allow me to explain how it works, Bastion. By sending one spell or trap on my field to the grave, I gain a thousand life points. So adios, Mirage of Nightmare." The named card disappeared.

Jaden: 2800-3800

"Not a bad move." Gerard commented. "I mean, first he plays Mirage, then ditches it before it hurts him." When he realized what he said, he rubbed his head. "Not... not that I care about this duel or anything. Anyway…" He turned around to leave, but stopped and turned back.

"Quite Impressive." Zane said. "He switched his strategy and he's still playing well."

"Yeah, but, can he keep it up?" Alexis wondered.

"We'll just have to wait and see." Jenny added.

"You're simply postponing the inevitable." Bastion said. "Your deck's problem that's already been solved."

"You're wrong!" Jaden retorted.

"Perhaps this will convince you then!" bastion began his turn. "I activate the spell card Pot of Greed from my hand. Due to its effect, I draw two cards." He paused, drawing the two cards, and placing Pot of greed into his graveyard slot. "Furthermore, there are now ten cards stacked above Carboneddon in the graveyard, but he can handle the pressure. In fact, he thrives on it. Because now, due to the immense gravitational force on Carboneddon, he changes into a diamond. And that lets me activate his special effect. By removing this card from play, I can now summon Hyozanryu the diamond dragon!" A majestic diamond blue dragon with a bright yellow underbelly, claws and horns descended on the field. (ATK: 2100 DEF: 2800 LV: 8)

"That's an impressive dragon." Andrew said.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised by how scientific Bastion's deck is." Shiori added.

"Now, Hyozanryo, attack Bubbleman! Diamond Devastator!" Bastion's dragon screeched and fired a stream of diamond shards. The attack was only able to destroy Bubbleman's weapon. (ATK: 1600-800)

"Whoopsie Bastion. When a monster with Bubble Blaster is beaten in battle, it's the blaster that gets destroyed, not the monster."

Bastion just smiled. "But now that your blaster's gone... what will protect him from the Water Dragon? Tidal Blast!" The serpentine dragon spat another stream of water, washed over the water hero, taking away a lot of Jaden's life points.

Jaden: 3800-1800

"Aw man." Syrus groaned

"Go trap card, Hero Signal!" His facedown card flipped up, flashing a light into the sky, showing a big bold 'H'. "This activates when one of my monsters is destroyed. Now Bastion, I can summon a monster with 'Elemental HERO' in its name from my deck or from my hand. And I choose Elemental HERO Clayman!" The stone warrior rose on Jaden's field. (ATK: 800 DEF: 2000 LV: 4)

"My, you just won't give up, will you Jaden? You certainly are one stubborn duelist."

"Thanks Bastion. At least, I think that was a compliment."

"I'll end my turn with a facedown." Bastion concluded.

Gerard stared at the duelists. "This is really getting good. I forgot how much fun dueling could be."

"Here goes!" Jaden drew his card and inserted it into his duel disk. "I activate spell, The Warrior Returning Alive! With this card's effect, I can take one warrior type monster from my grave and add it straight to my hand. And I'll pick Bubbleman and summon him to the field." The blue water hero appeared again. (ATK: 800 DEF: 1200 LV: 4) "Then I activate the spell card Bubble Shuffle. With this I can change Bubbleman and one of your monsters from attack mode to defense mode."

Bastion gritted his teeth as his Water Dragon lowered itself, while Bubbleman kneeled down and crossed his arms.

"Oh, then if I sacrifice Bubbleman while he's in defense mode, I'm allowed to summon any monster with 'Elemental HERO' in its name from my hand. And guess what Bastion. That's exactly what I'm gonna do. Bubbleman, move over for, Elemental HERO Bladedge!" The water hero was replaced by the hero in golden armor. (ATK: 2600 DEF: 1800 LV: 7)

Zane smiled, folding his arms. "Those fusion monsters may be Jaden's best, but that thing is a close second."

"And this should be a close match-up." Alexis added.

"Not to mention it gets more exciting." Jenny said.

"Aw Jaden, what are you doing? That Bladedge only has 2600 attack points! That's not enough to beat that Water Dragon!" Syrus pointed out.

"He's right." Chumley added.

"That maybe. But knowing Jaden, he should be able to change that." Andrew said smiling.

"Got that right." Jaden said. "Cuz I've got this, the field spell, Skyscraper!" He placed the named card in the field spell tray, making a bunch of skyscrapers appear.

Gerard watched in shock, remembering the last time he ever dueled.

"Now when a monster with 'Elemental HERO' in its name battles, if it has less attack points than your monster, it gains a thousand attack points." Bladedge was powered up. (ATK: 2600-3600) "So go, Bladedge. Attack Water Dragon with Slice and Dice Attack!" Jet like wings extended from the gold hero's back and he flew across the field. He then sliced the dragon's neck with his arm-blade. "Now Bladedge's ability activates. See, if he attacks a monster in defense mode and has more attack points than your monster's defense points, well then, the difference is directly dealt to you as damage."

Bastion: 1500-0500

"Well, my dragon has a special ability too. For you see Jaden, when Water Dragon's destroyed, I can summon one Oxygeddon and two Hydrogeddons from my graveyard." The three named dinosaurs appeared in defense mode. (ATK: 1800 DEF: 800 LV: 4) (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1000 LV: 4) x2 "Next I activate the trap card, Last Magnet" Bastion's facedown card flipped up. "This activates whenever one of my monsters is destroyed. Then it equips on to the monster that was responsible for the destruction and causes it to lose 800 attack points." A huge round magnet fell from the sky and landed hard on Bladedge's shoulders, forcing him to carry it. (ATK: 2600-1800)

Jaden gritted his teeth. "Yeah? Well, Clayman can still clobber a peak performance, especially with Skyscraper still out on the field. (ATK: 800-1800) "Now, attack Oxygeddon with Clay Clobberer!" The stone warrior dashed forward and slugged the pterodactyl really hard.

People around them let out waves and waves of murmurs.

"Oh wow, this is one very lishus duel." Chumley commented.

"And it's not slowing down." Syrus added.

"No kidding. Jaden is starting to heat things up a bit." Matt said.

"Yeah. Really cool." Michael replied.

"Good show, Jaden." Bastion praised.

"I do what I can." Jaden replied.

Gerard was still shocked upon seeing the field spell in play. "Skyscraper, the card that ruined me. The card that made me put down my deck for good." He muttered.

"Alright, it's my turn." Bastion drew his next card. "From my hand, I activate the spell Litmus Doom Ritual!" A dark portal opened up from the ground, from which rose a metal structure with electricity coursing between two pieces. "Now, from my field and hand, I must sacrifice a total of 8 stars worth of monsters, and then I can summon Litmus Doom Swordsman!" A light emerged from the structure and when it subsided, the two Hydrogeddons where gone. And in there place, was a man dressed in a tunic with a red cape and an unusual yellow hat, carrying two swords in his hands. (ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 8)

"But he has zero attack points!" Syrus pointed out.

"Attack points aren't everything, Syrus." Andrew responded.

"He's right." Shior added. "Trust me, that's one of the toughest ritual monsters you've ever seen."

"Doom Swordsman isn't affected by traps, nor can he be destroyed in battle." bastion explained. "Essentially, he's invincible. Also, when there happens to be a trap card out on the field, just as Last Magnet is right now, his attack and defense points become 3000." A red aura seeped from the magnet Bladedge was holding and was absorbed by the swordsman. (ATK: 0-3000 DEF: 0-3000) "So now, Litmus Doom Swordsman, give Bladedge a taste of your steel!" The ritual monster dashed at the golden hero, swiping his swords at him in rapid succession.

Jaden: 1800-1600

With Bladedge gone, the trap card was destroyed. (ATK: 3000-0 DEF: 3000-0) "Well done. Now Hyozanryu, make me just as proud and attack Clayman! Diamond Devastator!" The blue dragon fired another stream of diamond shards which beat down the stone hero.

Jaden: 1600-1300

"There's more. Next I play from my hand, the mighty spell card, A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon!" Bastion held up a card. "Now, by returning one level 5 or above dragon type monster on my field back to my hand, all spell and trap cards on the field are destroyed, which means Skyscraper is now demolished!"

Jaden watched in dismay as the tall buildings disappeared.

"Finally, I'll end with a facedown." Bastion inserted another card.

"Aw man, this is bad. Jaden's lost his monsters and his field spell card! He's defenseless out there!"

"And while Bastion has a powerful monster on his side." Michael added. "I wonder how Jaden is going to get out of this situation."

"It depends on what he's going to draw during his next turn." Andrew said. "All we know is that this is his last chance."

Jaden looked at his opponent for a moment, and then smiled. "Well I'll tell you, Bastion, I don't think I've ever had a more fun duel."

"Glad you think so!" Syrus yelled angrily

"I've enjoyed it as well, Jaden. And will continue to, especially when I beat you."

"Actually, I'm ending this now! Here goes!" Jaden said, drawing his card. He looked at it and then… "Sweetness! I'm gonna summon a new Elemental HERO. And here he is, Elemental HERO Wildheart!" A dark-skinned, muscled man in a loincloth appeared on the field with a giant sword on his back. (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1600 LV: 4)

That's brand new." Matt said in amazement.

"But that can't possibly be enough to turn this around." Shiori added.

Andrew stared at the hero with interest. 'Or is it?'

"New one?" Bastion smiled. "Well he won't make much of an impression. I'm activating a trap, Spirit Barrier!" His facedown card revealed itself. "Now, as long as I have monster on the field, Spirit Barrier will change any battle damage done to zero."

"Nu-huh! Traps don't work on Wildheart." Jaden countered.

"Is that so?, Well, I suppose it's a good thing that they still work on my Swordsman then." The ritual monster glowed from the trap card. "Remember, when a trap card's out, his attack points go up." (ATK: 0-3000 DEF: 0-3000)

"They sure do." Syrus said. "All the way to 3000. Not good."

"Nah it's all good, cuz I play Cyclone Boomerang! And I'll equip this spell card on Wildheart, raising his attack points by 500!" A large twister appeared on the field and weaved its way to the new hero. As it approached, it slowly disappeared and revealed a large wooden boomerang spinning around and around before Wildheart grabbed it. (ATK: 1500-2000)

"But so what?" Syrus spoke up. "He's still short a thousand."

"Yeah, what gives?" Chumley asked.

"Something very good, that's what." Andrew said with a smile.

Shiori, Matt and Michael looked at him confused. "What do you mean?" The dark duelist asked.

Bastion stared at Jaden's monster for short time, before he widened his eyes and realized what was about to happen.

"You'll see what gives, when this boomerang makes its return trip!" Wildheart shouted and tossed his boomerang, making it spin along the ground, aimed at the swordsman. But, before it made contact, a transparent barrier appeared and blocked it. As result, it flew back to its owner, hitting him hard.

Jaden: 1300-0300

After the explosion, Jaden looked through the smoke. "Perfect! Now I play Boomerang's effect. You see, when this card and the monster it was equipped to are sent to the graveyard, all spell and trap cards on the field are automatically destroyed and then, for every one destroyed, you take 500 points of damage!"

Bastion gasped as the Spirit Barrier shattered and then covered his head as the shards rained down upon him.

Bastion: 0500-0000

Cheers erupted around them as the holograms disappeared.

"Well, Jaden won." Jenny said, being impressed.

"I guess when it came to Jaden Yuki, Bastion miscalculated." Zane mused.

"I guess, or maybe some strategies you just can't solve…" Alexis said.

"HE DID IT! WAY TO GO, JADEN!"

And then she, along with Jenny, looked down to see Gerard at the entrance, cheering for Jaden's victory.

"Oh, what a duel!" He widened his eyes when realized what he did, but then smiled and calmed down. "Thanks Jaden." He then walked away.

"Hey!" Alexis called out as she and Jenny ran after him.

Meanwhile, Crowler was extremely bothered by Jaden's victory, as he slowly sank to the floor. "Ugh, does this slacker ever lose?"

Sheppard stood up. "The winner of the first match is Jaden Yuki! Well done, my boy. We will take a 10 minutes break before the next match!"

"Way to play, Jay!" Syrus praised as he and the others came down to congratulate him.

"Good job." Chumley said.

"That was excellent dueling, Jaden." Andrew praised.

"Indeed." Bastion agreed as he walked up to them. "You beat me fair and square, Jaden. Or rather, you beat this deck. But rest assured, there will be another."

"And another duel. Count on it!" Jaden said.

Bastion smiled and held out his. Jaden looked down at it, smiled and slapped it before shaking it.


Alexis and Jenny caught up with Gerard shortly after he left the arena. "Hey you!" Alexis called out, making stop in his tracks. "You're the one who was asking questions at the abandoned dorm. What are you doing here?"

Gerard smiled. "Not what I thought."

"What?" Jenny asked confused.

"You see, I came here to find a story, but what I found was something very different. I found the duelist inside me, the duelist I thought was long gone. Look, I'm a reporter. A sleazy one, I'll admit. I used to make a living digging up dirt. But I didn't always. I took on monsters and spells before I took on tabloid pictures." He turned around to face the Obelisk girls. "It's true. I was... a duelist, just like Bastion and Jaden. But I wasn't any good, and I kept losing, and the memories were awful. But after today's match, it made me remember what dueling is really about." He took out an electronic disk from his pocket. "I had a great lead that I was gonna sell to the highest bidder. A lead that would probably ruin Duel Academy. But I don't wanna ruin this place... not now. I just wanna help now. To find them, all the missing students. Including your brother, Alexis."

With that, Gerard began to walk away. Jenny looked at Alexis, who seemed to have changed by his words. She looked more hopeful than before. And then, Jenny called out to Gerard. "Hold on a second!"

"Hm?" He stoped and turned around.

"Since you're here, how about you stick around for a bit? At least to watch the two next matches."

"You sure about that?" Gerard asked, earning a nod of confirmation from her. "Well, I guess it can't hurt." He said smiling.

"Trust me, you won't regret it." Jenny said, also smiling.


As everyone was cheering, Bastion turned to Andrew. "Well then, Andrew. The next match is between you and me. I hope you're ready."

Andrew nodded with a smile. "Yeah, you can count on it. Whatever you have in store for me, I'll take it on."

Jaden grinned. "Alright! You guys better get your game on!"


Okay, the first match is over. Two more to go. Until next time.