The School Duel: Part: 1 - A Duel Between Old Friends

It was night at North Academy and the sky was hidden behind dark clouds, complete with a thunderstorm. Even the lights inside the building were dimmed down to the point that it gave off a more sinister touch to the place. But these conditions didn't change the mood of the students.

Everyone was gathered in a huge crowd, facing a high platform centered against the far wall. On the platform, Chazz, Clover and Xander were standing in front of all the students. Chazz wasn't wearing his Obelisk uniform anymore. Instead, he was wearing a slightly black jacket. And for the moment, he and the other two were facing Foster.

"Students of North Academy!" Foster raised his arms. "I present to you, our school's new top duelist!" He approached the smirking Chazz. "He, along with our two other chosen duelists will face off against our Duel Academy rivals. And I present to him, North Academy's top dueling cards!" He held up a set of cards which he gave to him. "With them you will triumph! You will Chazz it up!"

The students assembled cheered for him. "Chazz it up! Chazz it up! Chazz it up! Chazz it up!"

"'Chazz it up'?" Clover asked as she raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Hush! Otherwise, the chancellor will scold us." Xander whispered.

Chazz turned around to face the cheering students and raised his left arm. "Duel Academy is toast!"

The students followed suit and raised their fists into the air continued with the cheer.


Today was the day of the School Duel, and right now, Jaden and Andrew were in the main dueling arena by themselves.

"Hey Andrew, how about we call out our monsters for the final rally?" Jaden asked, turning on his duel disk.

"You know what?" Andrew pondered. "That sounds okay to me." He then turned on his own duel disk.

"In that case…" Jaden grinned and drew a card from his deck. "Come on out, Elemental HERO Avian!" The winged green hero appeared next to the Slifer student. "And now, Burstinatrix!" The female hero spun herself around and landed next her ally. "And while we're at it, Clayman, Sparkman, you guys come out too!" The stone and electric heroes joined their comrades.

"My turn then." Andrew drew cards. "First up, Stratos!" The turbine winged hero appeared in the air flew around in circles before landing on the floor. "And next up, Blazeman!" The red armored, fiery headed hero rose next to Stratos. "And for the final two, Ocean and Woodsman!" First the aquatic hero raised his trident as he appeared. Then the wooden hero stood up with his arms crossed.

"Yeah…" Jaden smiled brightly. "We've got the sweetest monsters ever!"

"You got it." Andrew agreed. "With these guys on our side, North Academy's in for a surprise."

"Hey guys!"

"I see you two are prepared."

The boys turned to see Syrus and Bastion enter the arena.

"Hey guys! What's up?" Andrew greeted.

"Well, we were actually looking for you two." Bastion replied. "Everyone's waiting for us."

"For us?" Jaden asked. "What for?"

"For the Greet 'n Meet." Syrus said. "North Academy just showed up! Your opponents are here!"

"Then what are you waiting around here for? Let's go!" At that, Jaden ran off as the holograms of his monsters disappeared.

"Well yeah, I mean, that's why… Oh, wait up!" Syrus called out while running after him.

"That's Jaden for ya." Andrew commented. "When there is something to do dueling, he can't resist to run after it."

"Indeed. How he even get those extra energy, is a wonder to me." Bastion added.

"Come on, let's go after them." At that, the two Ra students ran off.


Meanwhile at the docks, North Academy's submarine was stationed and the bridge pulled down so that they could walk across to the mainland. North Academy's students all standing, lining up on the sub's deck, while the people from Duel Academy were waiting as Chancellor Sheppard greeted the Chancellor from North Academy. "Foster, it's been far too long how've you been?"

"I've been well, thank you." Foster greeted back as he shook hands with him. "Ever since I got over the defeat you handed us at last year's School duel."

"Oh, It was a close match."

"Not really." Foster replied, making Sheppard confused. "But this year, I have a feeling it will be."

"Yes, I'm sure it will. To a spirited competition between our two schools."

At that moment, Jaden, Andrew and Bastion emerged into the scene.

"Yeah, yeah, spirited." Jaden said. "But enough with all the how you doins, I wanna meet who I'm gonna be dueling."

The two chancellors let go of the handshake. "Yes, Jaden. We were getting to that." Sheppard lightly scolded.

"Great. Then I'll just wait right here till we get there."

"Then you better be patient for once, Jaden." Andrew said.

"Indeed." Bastion.

Foster turned to the Slifer student. "Jaden, so you're Duel Academy's phenom.

"Phenom! That's the coolest thing I've ever been called! What's it mean!?"

Foster fell over in shock. Bastion shook his head. And Andrew face palmed.

"It means be quit." Sheppard scolded.

"So come on, come on! When do I meet my opponent!"

"Right now… Slacker!"

Jaden heard the familiar voice and looked past Foster, at the submarine while the North Academy students stood patiently. "Who just said that?"

"It's me." The person who said that, standing among them was someone Jaden never expected.

"Whoa, hold on a sec! Am I seeing things, or is that really Chazz!"

"You got that right!"

"Well, why are you here?"

"For the duel."

"I think it's sold out."

"I'm in it."

"Like as a ref?" Jaden asked dumbly.

"I'm dueling you!" Chazz answered, annoyed by Jaden's stupidity.

"You mean, it's you? You're one of North Academy's duel reps?"

"What? Since when did you transfer?" Andrew asked, being as surprised as the others.

"Since I stopped getting the respect I deserved here, Wilson." Chazz replied, without blinking.

"Not like you deserved it at all." Bastion said.

"That'll change!" The Czar said. "Now it's payback. You won't give him respect, so he'll take it."

"He'll Chazz you up." Another student said.

"Big time." Chazz added.

Both rivals stared each other down, probably thinking about the upcoming duels. The staring contest didn't last long as another North Academy student stepped forward.

"Okay, I think that's enough, Chazz. How about to let me meet my opponent as well?"

Everyone turned to this student. He was a slim boy with messy, light-brown hair and dark-brown eyes. He was wearing a gray sweater, a pair of overalls, blue sneakers and a pair of mechanic goggles strapped around his forehead.

"After all, you're not the only representative, you know." He said almost annoyed.

"Hey, you're speaking to The Chazz." Czar hissed. "So you better treat him with respect, got that Xander!?"

Xander scowled. "As I recall, I defeated you during that 50 Man Duel Gauntlet, so don't think you have the right to teach me respect." He then walked over to the two Chancellors, ignoring the glare from Chazz and the others.

"So this young man is one of the two other reps from your school?" Sheppard asked, glancing at him.

"That's right." Foster nodded. "This is Xander Murphy. He's one of our best duelists. And, he also has a talent for mechanics."

Xander smiled and offered a handshake. "A pleasure to meet you."

Sheppard accepted it. "Same here, young man."

Jaden decided to greet him as well. "Hi there, I'm Jaden Yuki!"

Xander turned. "Yeah, so I've heard."

"So, what's that about mechanics?"

Xander couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, that? I'm just someone who loves to build and take machines apart. I grew up in my family's mechanic workshop and learn how to repair cars, disassemble computers, stuff like that."

"Hey, that's cool." Jaden complimented.

"Murphy's Mechanics, right?" Bastion asked as he approached them. "That's the name of your workshop, isn't it?"

"Got that right." Xander replied.

"You've heard of it?" Andrew asked.

"Yes, Murphy's Mechanics is one of the best workshops in the world. There are rumors that they even made some machinery related to Duel Monsters."

Xander nodded. "Oh yeah. We certainly did that for a lot of people. But out of all people and companies that we built them for, I'm dreaming about to do that at Kaiba Corp."

Andrew whistled at that. "That's a big dream."

"It certainly is." Bastion agreed. "I'm sure you will get the chance someday. By the way, I'm Bastion Misawa."

Xander widened his eyes. "Ohh, so you're my opponent then." He then offered a handshake. "Then I'm looking forward to a great duel."

"Same here." Bastion accepted it.

"Hey!" Chazz called out, getting everyone's attention. "The Duel Academy is the enemy! You can't just greet them like they're your friends!"

"That's right!" The other North Academy students added.

Xander scowled. "Give it a rest, Chazz! Just because they're our rival doesn't mean it's wrong to be friendly with them!"

"He's right, you know." A female voice spoke up.

Everyone turned to see the source of that voice. It was a girl who just stepped out of the submarine. She scarlet red hair in a pixie cut and green eyes with a beauty mark under the right one. Not to mention she had a body that would give Alexis and Jenny competition. She was wearing a white t-shirt, a red jacket with a black trim, similar to Chazz's jacket, a pair of ripped jeans and black and white sneakers. For the moment, she was scowling at Chazz.

"Seriously, your grudge against Duel Academy is just stupid." She said.

"Back off, pretty boy." Chazz hissed.

That response however, caused the girl to give him a glare and quickly approached him, making most of the North Academy students back away. "What did you call me!?" she asked in a dangerous tone.

Chazz couldn't help but step back nervously.

Meanwhile, the Duel Academy students watched this, focusing mostly on the girl.

"Who is that?" A boy from the Obelisk asked.

"Beats me." Another one said.

"She is kinda pretty." A third Obelisk boy commented.

Even the Duel Academy reps stared at her.

"And who is that?" Jaden asked with a confused look.

Xander smiled. "Well, for starters, she happens to be the third representative of North Academy."

"Is that so?" Bastion asked.

"Yup, and her name is…" Before Xander could finish his sentence however, Andrew pushed him aside and stepped forward and for some reason, he was glaring at the girl hard.

"Clover Penn!"

His friends and Xander were surprised by this.

But that wasn't the only surprise today. The girl, who he addressed as Clover Penn, turned toward him and gave him a glare of her own. "Andrew Wilson!"

Now everyone was surprised. Everyone from both sides.

"Wait, you know her, Andrew?" Jaden asked.

"You know that dork?" Chazz asked.

None of them answered. They were just glaring each other like they were sizing each other up.

Jenny, who were standing nearby with Alexis, watched at this scene worriedly. "I've never seen Andrew like this before. What is it between him and that girl?"

"Good question." Her friend replied, almost as worried as her.

And then, Clover started to walk over to the group slowly, focusing on Andrew. Andrew marched towards her as well, making his friends worried.

"Um, Andrew?" Jaden called out.

"Are you okay?" Bastion asked.

"This doesn't look good." Xander commented.

And finally, Andrew and Clover were standing right in front of each other, still keeping their glares. From what seemed like an eternity, neither of them broke eye contact. Everyone watched this with mixed emotions. Some of them were confused. The rest of them, including Andrew's friends, Xander, Sheppard and Foster, were worried. But before anyone could say anything...

Andrew's glare was gone and was replaced by a big smile. "It's been a long time!"

As a response, Clover's expression was now matching his. "It sure is! How've you been?"

At that, they were hugging each other, causing everyone fall in anime style.

After getting up, Jaden smiled sheepishly. "Okay, so I guess they don't hate each other."

"You think?" Xander asked sarcastically.

Jenny, on the other hand, watched the scene with an annoyed look on her face. 'Who is this girl?'

Speaking of which, some of the North Academy students didn't like how Andrew was greeting Clover. "Who does he think he is?" One of them muttered angrily.

"Talking to the lovely Clover so casually." Another one grumbled.

"That punk got some nerve." A third one hissed.

Andrew and Clover hugged each other for another couple of seconds before letting go.

"So how have you been at North Academy?" Andrew asked.

"Besides from dealing with the cold weather, I've been fine." Clover replied. "And what about you?"

Andrew shrugged. "Well, pretty much the usual. Keeping my dueling skills on top, helping people in need, ya know…"

Clover smiled and shook her head. "Your typical daily life, that is."

"Um, hello!" Jaden called out, getting their attention. "Don't you think it's rude to ignore introductions?"

"Right." Andrew rubbed the back of his head before he and Clover walked up to his friends. "Jaden, Bastion, meet Clover Penn. She's my childhood friend."

"Your childhood friend?" Bastion asked.

"Childhood friend?" Jenny repeated after hearing what they said.

Jaden smiled at the revelation. "No way."

"It's true. I've known her since we were kids."

Clover smiled and approached Jaden and Bastion. "Nice too meet you."

"Likewise." Jaden replied.

"Same here." Bastion added.

"Well, I didn't expect something like this." Foster admitted.

"Me neither." Sheppard responded.

Before anyone else could say anything, a loud whirring sound filled the sky and a powerful wind made everyone cover their heads.

"Oh great, now what!?" Jaden asked. Everyone turned to see two helicopters hovering in the air above them. The door of one of them opened up and revealed two men in suits and ties. One of them had black hair and a little goatee. The other other one had brown hair.

"Hi Chazz!" The brown-haired man called out.

"What's going on, little brother? Mind if we drop in?" The other man added.

"Slade? Jagger? Why are you here?" Chazz demanded as he was surprised to see his brothers here.

"Why else? To celebrate your big dueling victory!" Jagger yelled back as their helicopter landed on the top of one of the warehouse buildings.

"You are going to win, right Chazz?" Slade asked.

And then, to the Duel Academy and North Academy's surprise, the area was flooded by cameras, wires, microphones and almost any other electrical device, as well as the people who came with it. "That's it! Beautiful! Just act natural!" One of them said from his post in a crane, while the guy next to him held the camera pointed at the older Princeton brothers.

"Alright, a little more to the right! Okay, we're set here with Camera 2!"

Foster turned to the nearest person. "Uh, what's going on here?"

"What's going on? I think you mean when're going on. And the answer is primetime baby!" The man who looked like the director answered. "This School Duel's gonna be broadcast worldwide!"

Jaden turned to the nearest camera with wide eyes. "No way! Me on TV!? In full color! In full stereo!?" Jaden's face was in fact on multiple screens in the equipment vans and across the world.

"I don't believe it. Dueling on television?" Clover asked.

"Yeah. I wonder if the family is watching?" Andrew said.


Wilson's residence.

Well, if one were to look inside the house where Andrew lived, it was clear that Andrew's parents, Marie and George, were sitting on the coach and watched TV. When the screen showed their son's face, they couldn't help but be surprised.

"My goodness! It's Andrew!" Marie said with wide eyes.

"It sure is." George responded as he lightly laughed. "Never thought I would see our son on television."

"Me neither." And then, the screen shifted and showed a certain red-headed girl. "Oh! Isn't that Clover?"

George widened his eyes. "It is. What a surprise."


Somewhere else.

In another house, another man and woman were sitting on a coach, watching TV. The man had short black hair and green eyes. He was wearing a white shirt and a pair of black pants. The woman sitting right next to him had dark blonde hair and light blue eyes. She was wearing a dark pink sweater and a white skirt. These two were Manuel and Shellah Mihaylov, Andrew's uncle and aunt. For the moment, they were watching something they didn't expected.

"Well I'll be damned. It's Andrew." Manuel said, being surprised by this.

"Yeah, it is." Shellah responded. She then turned away from the TV. "Hey, Angie! Come here!"

"Coming mom!" Angie called back. And after about ten seconds, she arrived at the living room. She was wearing a red t-shirt, a pair of blue shorts and of course, her favorite red cap. "What's up?"

"Take a look at this." Manuel replied, pointing at the TV.

When Angie looked at its screen, she was surprised. But that was then replaced by excitement. "No way! Andrew on TV!?"

"Yes, apparently, there is an event called the School Duel, and it's going to be broadcast live." Shellah explained.

"Awesome!" Angie exclaimed as she quickly approached her parents and took a seat between them. "I can't wait!"


Somewhere, in a big part in a big city, there was a giant screen, allowing the citizens to watch the show. One person in particular happened to pass by and noticed what everyone was interested in. He was a young man who was a little muscular (not like a bodybuilder, but relatively good measured), wearing an opened gray jacket with a white shirt underneath, black sweat pants and dark blue boots. He had short black hair and light-blue eyes. When he saw Andrew's face appear on the screen, his eyes widened a little before he smiled.

"Well, what do you know?" Peter Mihaylov asked himself.


Back at the Duel Academy, there was still time before the School Duel began. Therefore, Andrew and Clover decided to catch up. They found themselves inside one of the locker rooms. And not just them, the others tagged along. Specifically, Jaden, Syrus, Chumley, Bastion, Alexis, Jenny, Shiori, Matt and Michael.

"So, Andrew, mind telling us about your friend here?" Shiori asked.

"I would like to know as well." Matt added.

"Yeah, we all want to know more about your childhood friend." Jenny said.

They all waited for either Andrew or Clover to speak. After just over 5 seconds, the former took a breath before he spoke up.

"Well, just like you guys heard, Clover is my childhood friend. We have been neighbors for years."

"So she's from Domino City, just like you?" Bastion asked.

Clover smiled and nodded. "That's right. And we were as close as friends could be. Especially since the day we met…"


Flashback

It was about 8 years ago, back when Andrew was a little kid. He was a 7 years old boy wearing a light blue shirt, black shorts and white shoes. He was walking around the neighborhood until he came to a playing ground with a slide and two swings. He sat down on one of them and looked up to the sky with a bored look on his face.

"Ugh, how boring." He sighed.

"Hey there!" Someone called out.

Andrew turned to see someone standing in front of him. It was none other than Clover. When she was 7 years old, that is. She was wearing a t-shirt with white and red stripes, gray pants and brown shoes.

Andrew blinked twice before responding. "Um, hello. Who are you?"

Clover smiled. "My name is Clover. What's your name?"

"Andrew."

"Andrew, huh? Mind if sit here?"

"Go ahead. I don't mind."

"Great!" At that, Clover walked over to him and sat on the other swing. "So, what are you doing here all by yourself?"

Andrew looked down toward the ground before answering. "Nothing. I'm just enjoying the weather, that's all."

Clover blinked and looked at him curiously. "Really? You don't have any friends to play with?"

"Well, I do. But most of them are rather with me at school than anywhere else. So I hardly spend time with them anywhere else. But that's fine."

However, Clover pouted at Andrew's explanation. "Nu-huh. That's not okay. Being all alone is not okay at all."

Andrew turned towards her. "Well, what else can I do?"

At that, Clover smiled got off her swing and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. "You can have fun with me."

Andrew widened his eyes. "What?"

"You heard me. You can't just sit here all alone and do nothing." She held out her hand. "Come on. Let's go."

Andrew was a little surprised. Clover, a girl who hardly know him, wanted to play with him. He hesitated for a moment before he he took her hand and smiled. "Okay." Was all he said before Clover dragged him away.

Flashback end


"And that's how it began." Clover finished.

"Ohh, so you two became friends just so quickly?" Jaden asked amazed.

"If you ask me, I think that was a little straightforward of you." Michael commented.

"W-well, I." Clover stammered embarrassed.

"Yeah, she was like that." Andrew replied. "Of course, she was always more hotheaded than straightforward."

BONK!

Everyone jumped upon seeing Andrew getting pounded on the head by an annoyed Clover. And then, he groaned while rubbing the red bump he got from the hit.

"Umm." Syrus let out nervously.

"Guess that was a bad thing to say in front of her." Jenny commented.

"Obviously." Alexis added while shaking her head.

After calming down, Clover cleared her throat. "Anyway, since that day, we always played together whenever we could. It was good times. And then, during two years, I've learned the basics of Duel Monsters and thought I could teach Andrew the game."

"No way. Did Andrew learn how to duel from you?" Shiori asked amused.

"Yeah, it's true." Andrew replied. "After seeing Clover duel a few times, I was of course interested…"


Flashback

Two years after Andrew and Clover first met.

The younger Andrew and Clover found themselves inside the kitchen of the Wilson residence, sitting at the table and playing Duel Monsters, using game mats instead of duel disk.

"Okay, here goes." Andrew as he drew a card. He stared at it for a moment and then glanced at the other cards in his hand before he smiled. "First I summon Elemental HERO Wildheart in attack mode." He placed the named warrior monster card on the table. "Then I'll equip him with the spell card Fusion Sword Murasame Blade." He placed the card in the same column as the monster card. "With that done, I'll attack your Axe Dragonute."

Clover smirked as she flipped up a facedown that was placed behind her monster card. "I'll use my trap card Sakuretsu Armor to destroy your monster."

Andrew smirked back. "Sorry, but Wildheart is immune to all trap cards."

Clover widened her eyes before she pouted as she placed her trap and monster card on her graveyard.

"And that's all for me." Andrew concluded.

Clover stopped her pouting and smiled again. "Not bad. You're getting better."

"Thanks."

Meanwhile, two people were sitting on the coach in the living room. One of them was Andrew's mom, Marie. The other one was a woman with green eyes and dark-brown hair that reached down to her shoulders. She was wearing a white t-shirt with two yellow stripes in the middle and a pair of jeans. This woman was Lucy Penn, Clover's mom.

"It's nice to see them play with each other, right?" Lucy asked.

Marie smiled as she nodded. "Yeah. Andrew didn't have anyone to spend so much time with. I'm so glad he found a friend."

"More like Clover found him." Lucy chuckled.

Before they could talk further, they heard a 'ding dong' from the hall.

"Oh! Coming!" Marie called out as she went to the hallway and opened the door. The person who rang the doorbell was a 15 years old Peter Mihaylov. He was wearing a gray t-shirt, black shorts and dark blue shoes. Marie was pleased upon seeing him. "Oh, Peter! So nice of you to come."

"Hi, Aunt Marie." He greeted back with a smile.

Andrew, who heard them both, rushed out of the kitchen and smiled brightly. "Peter!"

"Hey, Andrew. Nice to see you." Peter approached him and ruffled his hair a little. "How've you been?"

"I've been fine."

Clover got curious and came out of the kitchen as well. Peter glanced at her. "Oh. Hello there."

"Hey. My name is Clover." She greeted back with a smile.

"I'm Peter, Andrew's cousin."

Clover turned to Andrew. "That's your cousin?"

"Yeah. He happens to be a Duel Academy student."

Clover widened her eyes. "Really? That's amazing."

Peter chuckled. "It's not a big deal. Duel Academy is just a place that lets me honing my dueling skills."

Clover then grabbed Andrew's right arm. "Speaking of dueling, we haven't finished our match." At that, she dragged him into the kitchen.

Peter followed them and saw them pick up their cards before Clover drew a card from her deck. This perked his interest. "Oh, so you have become interested in Duel Monsters, Andrew?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yup, and Clover has taught me how to duel."

"Alright, here I go." Clover declared as she took a card from her hand and placed it on the table. "First I'll summon Marauding Captain. And with him summoned, I can bring out another monster to the field, like D.D. Warrior Lady." She placed another card on the table. "And with her, I'll attack your Wildheart."

"What? But he has more attack points." Andrew said, confused by her move.

"I know, but my Warrior Lady has a special ability. When she battles a monster, I can remove both of them from play."

Andrew gasped.

"And that leaves you wide open for a direct attack from my captain and that's the end of our duel." She said with a big smile.

"Aww, I lost." Andrew said disappointedly.

Peter placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't feel bad. Anyone has lost at least once in their life. All that matters is to learn from your loss and better yourself. I have no doubt you can be a great duelist someday."

Andrew looked at him. "You really think so?"

Peter smiled and nodded. "I know you will."

Andrew smiled back. "Thank you."

Flashback end


"After that, Peter gave me and Clover tips about strategies and combos." Andrew said.

"Man, that's cool." Michael commented.

"You're lucky to have such a nice cousin." Jenny added.

"Thanks." Andrew replied.

"Especially since that cousin is a Pro duelist." Shiori said.

That caught everyone's attention.

"Wait! What did you say!?" Syrus asked.

Andrew smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Oh right, I never told you guys. My cousin Peter is a Pro League duelist."

At that, they all (minus Shiori) widened their eyes. "WHAT!?"

"Are you serious?" Matt asked.

"You bet he is." Clover said, being amused by their reaction.

Bastion had a thoughtful look on his face while rubbing his chin. "Hmm, Peter Mahaylov…" And then, it dawned on him. "Yes, I remember now. He became the regional championship master three times in a row. During his time in the Pro League, he became known as 'The Master of Dragon Rulers.' "

"Lishus." Chumley said in amazement.

Before anyone could blink, Jaden got into Andrew's face, startling him. "That is totally sweet! So what cards does he have!? How many trophies does he have!? Does he…!"

BONK!

Before Jaden could ask any more questions, he found himself laying on the floor with a red bump on his head, compliments of Clover.

"One story at a time, dummy!" She said irritably.

While everybody else sweat dropped at this, Alexis shook her head. "Kinda saw that coming."

"Same here." Jenny added.

Andrew sighed before he spoke up. "Well, since then, me and Clover were always dueling each other whenever we had time…"


Flashback

"Of course, given the fact that Clover was the one who taught me, she was always the one who won. That is until one day…"

Clover had her Buster Blader on the table and nothing else. Andrew's field was empty as he began his turn.

"I draw." He looked at the card he drew and smiled. "First I'll summon Burstinatrix." He placed the named card on the table, before he placed another card on it. "And then, with the power of Enemy Controller, I sacrifice her in order to take control over your Buster Blader."

Clover gasped. "No way!"

"And now I'll attack you directly."

"But then that means…" Clover said.

"I win!" Andrew filled in as he was glad for his victory.

Clover got over her shock and smiled at him. "Nice job. Your very first victory."

"Thanks."

But then, she pointed at him with a determined look on her face. "But don't let it get over your head. You may have won today, but next time you might not be so lucky."

Andrew blinked before he matched her expression. "You're on."

Flashback end


"And that was how our rivalry began." Andrew said.

"Well that's totally sweet." Jaden commented after recovering from the hit he got earlier.

"I'll say." Shiori agreed.

"So you two have been rivals since that day?" Michael asked.

"We certainly did." Clover replied.


Flashback

Andrew and Clover found themselves inside an arena, dueling each other with their duel disks.

"Andrew and I faced each other at card shop tournaments for years, trading victories."

Clover placed a card on her duel disk, making the familiar purple armored warrior appear.

In response, Andrew flipped his Call of the Haunted and summoned Bladedge to the field.

After that, the two monsters dashed towards each other, ready for battle.

Flashback end


"Those were the best duels I've ever had." Clover said.

Alexis smiled a bit. "Sounds like you had great times, huh?"

"Yeah, we did."

"That is, until Clover and her family had to move to a city, far away." Andrew spoke up.

The group gasped.

"What? She moved to another city?" Jaden asked.

Clover's expression was almost saddened by his question. "That's right. You see, for about two years ago, my mom was given a big job opportunity and she couldn't resist. Of course, that job takes place far away from Domino City, so we had no choice but to move."

The group were a little saddened by her explanation.

"That's too bad." Shiori said.

"Sorry about that." Jenny said.

Clover just waved it off. "It's fine. We kept always each other in touch by writing letters."

"Of course," Andrew spoke up. "I couldn't let Clover leave Domino City without dueling her one last time."

"Cool. So, did you win?" Jaden asked.

It was silent for 10 seconds before Andrew smiled sheepishly. "I'm afraid not."

"Huh?" Jaden was surprised.

"So Clover had the last laugh, huh?" Shiori said.

Clover smirked. "Got that right."


Flashback

Andrew and Clover were standing on the street, facing each other in a duel. Andrew was wearing a black t-shirt with a gray hoodie over it, a pair of blue jeans and blue sneakers. Clover was wearing a white t-shirt with a red leather jacket kept open, a pair of ripped jeans and black and white sneakers.

Clover: 1400

Andrew: 1300

Andrew's field was empty. Clover however, had her Buster Blader on the field, and it was her move now.

"This is it!" She declared and drew a card. "Buster Blader, attack!" The purple armored warrior leapt forward and slashed Andrew with his sword, causing him to fall to one knee.

Andrew: 1300-0000

After that, the holograms disappeared as Clover approached him. "And that's that." She said. "Nice game, Andrew."

"Thanks." Andrew replied as he stood up. "One of the many things I'm gonna miss is our duels."

Clover sighed. "I know. It's too bad my family and I have to leave."

"Yeah." Andrew said, being a little saddened.

It was then an idea popped in Clover's mind. "But how about I give you something before I move."

Andrew looked at her curiously. "Like what?"

On cue, Clover began to go through her deck. "Like one of my cards."

Andrew widened his eyes a little. "Oh, you don't really have to…"

"But I want to." She interrupted him. "That's what you deserve at least." Eventually, she found the card she was looking for and held it up. It was Zombina. "You can have this card. So you have something to remember me with."

Andrew took the card and smiled. "Thanks, Clover."

"You're welcome." She smiled.

"If you want me to have one of your cards, you should have one of mine." Andrew picked up his own deck and searched through it. And then, he found the card he wanted to give her and held it up. It was Elemental HERO Wildheart.

Clover was surprised that Andrew wanted to give her that card. "Wildheart? Really? Are you sure?"

"It's fine. Take it. I have another one." He winked while saying the last part.

Clover blinked before she shrugged and took the card. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

And then, Clover gave Andrew a hug. "You better take care of yourself, you got it?"

Andrew returned the hug. "I will."

After that, they pulled away from each other and Clover walked away while waving to him. "I'll see you again someday. Bye bye."

Andrew waved back. "Bye bye."

Flashback end


"And that's pretty much it." Clover concluded.

"Well, that's quite the history you have." Bastion noted.

"That's awesome." Jaden commented. "I mean, your childhood, your rivalry, your bond. How cool is that!?"

Everyone sweat dropped at his excitement.

"He certainly is a unique person." Clover commented.

"Yeah." Andrew replied.

"So, Clover, how are you feeling about the School Duel?" Jenny asked.

Clover smiled. "Oh, it's great! When it comes to dueling, I didn't face so many duelists during my time at North Academy. But, when I was chosen as one of the representatives, I was thrilled of the thought of a real challenge. Especially after Chancellor Foster told me who my opponent will be." She glanced at Andrew.

"Well, I can understand that after hearing about your rivalry." Shiori said.

"And what about you, Andrew? How are you feeling?"

Andrew gave his old rival a determined look. "For me, I'm more than glad for this. Because I'm about to give you a match you'll never forget."

Clover gave him a smug look. "Big talk coming from the one who lost our last duel."

"True, but I might surprise you this time."

Everyone watched this in amusement.

"They sure know how to act like rivals." Michael commented.

"That's one of the things that makes dueling interesting." Matt added.

"Got that right!" Jaden said.

Before anyone else could say anything, a voice spoke up from the loudspeakers. "Attention. The School Duel will start in 10 minutes. Repeat. The School Duel will start in 10 minutes."

"Guess that's our cue." Clover said as she offered Andrew a handshake. "You better prepare yourself."

Andrew smiled at her and accepted the handshake. "Don't worry, I will."


Meanwhile, Chazz sat in a different locker room, with his brothers standing across from him. They had brought him here to have a little chat with him. "You set it up, didn't you? This broadcast."

"Well of course we did." Slade said, confirming his suspicions. "We need the whole world to see you're on your way to becoming Duel Monsters' best. It's all part of the plan."

"Yeah, Yeah."

"Look," Jagger jumped in. "World domination is ours for the taking, if we all do our part, Chazz."

"And we have. Now it's your turn, bro. To conquer the world of Duel Monsters. To be the best."

"And to not give up. Did you really think you could get away from your duties? Get away from us, by dropping out of Duel Academy?"

Chazz lowered his head. "I… I…"

"Don't deny it!" Jagger yelled, raising on his feet. "You have always been the slacker of this family!"

"It doesn't matter. The point is, Chazz, you can still turn it around. You can still show that we're supreme!"

"That's right!" Jagger held up a briefcase in his hand. "And the dueling cards in this briefcase are gonna help you do just that! They're the most expensive out there, so you have no excuse to lose!" He slammed the briefcase down on the bench in front of Chazz. "Don't let us down, Chazz! Don't the the Princeton name down!It's all on you! Now go!

"And win!"


"Man if I'd known I was gonna be on TV, I would've combed my hair." Jaden said as he ran through the hallway by himself. "I might have even washed it. I probably would have even showered…"

"Man up, Chazz!"

"Huh?" Jaden stopped in his tracks when heard Chazz talking. He saw him in a bathroom, leaned over a sink, not seeing his reflection in the mirror.

"Man up!" Chazz repeated as he pounded on the mirror. "Come on! Show them that Chazz Princeton is no slacker! That you're worthy of the Princeton name!" He was on the verge of tears as he went on. "That you... you can win, and that you can keep winning!" He sunk to his knees. "Over and over. That you're the best! You've got to do your part, Chazz! You've got to show them that you're supreme! It's your duty. It's the plan!"

Jaden chose that moment to leave Chazz alone, given his emotional state.

"Now go and win! Go and win! Go and win!"


Now it's time for the School Duel to commence.

All the spectators from both Duel Academy and North Academy had now gathered in their seats at the arena. The students from Duel Academy were seated on one half around the arena, while those from North Academy seated on the other half. Everyone screamed and cheered from the top of the lungs, while a group of crane arms, each with a cameraman and another crewman, were positioned around the platform in the middle, so that they would be able to cover every angle there was. "That's it everyone, lots of energy!" One of the men with a megaphone in his hand said. "Remember, the whole world's watching you live! Now let's cheer these duelists on!"

Sheppard and Foster sat side by side, among the North Academy students. "Same bet as usual, right Sheppard?" Foster asked. "You do remember…"

"Absolutely. After all, old friend, it's what makes this all worthwhile. If at least two of my students win, then I get the prize."

"And if it's two of my students, I win." The two men laughed good naturedly.

On the sidelines, Syrus and Chumley were with Jaden, Andrew and Bastion before the formal introduction. "Alright, Jaden." The smaller Slifer spoke up. "Here we go. The match against your dueling rival. Your arch nemesis. How do you feel?"

"I'm okay." He said in a not s convincing voice.

"Okay!?"

"Don't you mean sweet or something?" Chumley asked.

"What's wrong, Jaden?" Andrew asked.

"I feel good, it's just that… well, I overheard Chazz a bit earlier and…" He looked the person in question, who was standing on the other side, along with his fellow reps. "it's just too bad that one of us has to lose, you know? I'm starting to kinda understand where he's coming from. And it's not exactly an easy place."

"What do you mean, Jaden?" Bastion asked.

"According to what I heard, his brothers all sorts of pressure on him. He kept saying something being worthy the Princeton name."

The boys gasped at Jaden's explanation.

"That's just awful." Andrew said sympathetically.

"Attention students." Sheppard spoke up. "Welcome to the School Duel!"

"And now…" Foster started.

"Let this year's competition... finally begin!" They both cried.

Sheppard looked to the Obelisk Blue Headmaster. "Dr. Crowler, introduce the duelists!"

"With pleasure, Chancellor Sheppard." Crowler walked onto the platform, a microphone in his hand and a camera crew moving around the platform. "After all, there are six duelists, and four of them I know personally. And personally, I just adore them."

"Is that so?" Andrew asked while raising one eye brow.

"And for this year's competition, we'll have three duels. For the first duel, from Duel Academy…" The Obelisks, Ras and Slifers cheered loudly. "Alright, keep it down, keep it down! Introducing, Andrew Wilson!"

"You go, Andrew!" Shiori cheered. He, along with Matt, Syrus, Chumley, Michael, Zane, Alexis and Jenny were sitting together on the Duel Academy side.

"And his opponent, from North Academy, Clover Penn!" Clover stepped forward and waved with her right hand as the North Academy students cheered for her.

"And then, the second match will be, from Duel Academy, Bastion Misawa!" The Duel Academy students cheered for him.

"And his opponent, from North Academy, Xander Murphy!" The young mechanic grinned and held up the peace sign with the fingers from his right hand the NA students cheered again.

"And, the final match will be, from Duel Academy, Jaden Yuki!" The DA students cheered once again.

"Go Jay! You can do it!" Syrus cheered.

"And his opponent…"

"Get off the stage!" Crowler turned to Chazz, surprised by his interruption. "I'll introduce myself, you scrub.

"I BEG YOUR PARDON!?" Crowler screamed angrily. "Scrubs don't have PhD's in dueling! H-huh?" Before the Obelisk headmaster could continue, he noticed the microphone cord wrapped around his legs. "Although, not tying might have been a better major." Crowler jumped a few times before falling off the stage.

"Whoa, maybe you ought to go cordless next time." Jaden commented.

"Maybe you just ought to be quiet!" Chazz snapped. "It's Chazz Princeton's turn now. But then, I don't really need an introduction. After all, everybody here knows who I am. Or do you? See, Chazz Princeton has changed. Sure, I used to be a classmate of yours, but when I left here, I left my old self as well. Now you're looking at the new and improved Chazz. The North Academy Chazz. And I'm here to…" He pumped his fist into the air.

"Chazz it up!" The NA students cheered.

"That's right! Say it again!"

"Chazz it up! Chazz it up! Chazz it up!"

"Wow." Syrus said. "It's almost like they really... like Chazz."

"That's hard to believe." Matt commented.

Once the cheers ceased, Chazz walked back and turned to Clover. "Listen Redhead, you better not lose, got it?" He said in a rude tone.

Clover scowled. "Get over yourself." She said before heading to the platform.

"Good luck, Andrew." Jaden said.

"Thanks."

"But you better be careful. From what you told us, Clover is a formidable opponent." Bastion said.

"I know. There's no doubt that she have improved after those two years. But then, so did I." At that Andrew stepped onto the platform while his friends joined the spectators.

Once Clover got onto the platform, she gave Andrew a smile. "Well, Andrew? Are you ready for this?"

"Does this answer your question?" He asked as he activated his duel disk.

"In that case…" Clover activated her duel disk as well.

"LET'S DUEL!"

Andrew: 4000

Clover: 4000

"Visitors first!" Clover drew her sixth card. "And I'll start with this: Axe Dragonute in attack mode!" The monster that appeared was a dragon in a black armor with wings and a big axe in its hands. (ATK: 2000 DEF: 1200 LV: 4) "Then I'll end my turn with a facedown." A card appeared behind the dragon.

"Then here goes." Andrew drew his sixth. "I summon Elemental HERO Stratos!" The turbine winged hero appeared from a whirlwind. (ATK: 1800 DEF: 300 LV: 4) "And next I'll activate his special ability. After he's summoned, I can take a HERO monster from my deck and add it to my hand. I choose Shadow Mist." He took the name card from his deck and then took another card from his hand. "Then I'll play Polymerization and fuse her and Stratos in order to create Elemental HERO Great Tornado." The two heroes jumped into a fusion vortex. After that, the green, black and yellow armored hero of the Wind emerged. (ATK: 2800 DEF: 2200 LV: 8)

"Wow! Is that the hero you guys mentioned?" Jaden asked as he stared at the monster in awe.

"Yup, the same one he used against Lily." Shiori replied.

"Great Tornado, activate your special ability! Downburst!" Andrew commanded as the fusion hero removed his cape and created a fierce tornado that surrounded Clover's dragon. She watched as it roared in agony. And then… (ATK: 2000-1000 DEF: 1200-600)

"What the…!?" She exclaimed.

"When Great Tornado is fusion summoned, he cuts your monster's attack and defense points in half." Andrew explained. "But that's not all, because by sending Shadow Mist to the graveyard, I can activate her special ability. I can take a HERO monster from my deck and add it to my hand. And I think Ocean is just the card I need." He took the named card from his deck and placed it in his hand. "And now, battle time! Great Tornado, attack! Super Cell!" The yellow parts of the hero's armor brightly, and a whirlwind started to take form around Clover's dragon.

"I activate my trap…." Her facedown card flipped up. "Sakuretsu Armor! With this I can destroy your attacking monster."

Andrew smirked. "Not so fast, Clover! I activate a spell card…" He took another card from his hand. "Mask Change! This lets me send a HERO monster I control to the graveyard and summon a Masked HERO from my fusion deck with the same attribute."

"Wow! The duel just started and Andrew is already going to summon a Masked HERO." Jaden said.

"And by using Great Tornado to do so, Clover's trap card will lose its target." Bastion added.

"She better brace herself." Michael commented.

"Now say goodbye to Great Tornado…" The wind hero disappeared. "And hello to Masked HERO Divine Wind." And then, the emerald-green armored hero rose up on the field. (ATK: 2700 DEF: 1900 LV: 8)

Clover had to admit that she was amazed by Andrew's new monster. "Whoa! I see you've got some new tricks up your sleeve."

Andrew smiled. "If you like this, just wait until Divine Wind makes your dragon disappear. Go, Storming Justice!" The hero glowed and the axe wielding dragon was surrounded by a tornado. It roared in pain before it exploded.

Clover: 4000-2300

"Nice!" Matt cheered.

"Impressive." Zane said. "At first it looked like Andrew was using his cards without thinking clear, but he proved to know better than that."

"That's Andrew for ya." Jenny added.

"And now I activate Divine Wind's special ability. After he destroys a monster in battle, I'm allowed to draw one card from my deck." Andrew drew a card. "And with that, I'm done. How do you like that?"

"You have gotten stronger than ever." Clover noted. "Let's see how long you can keep the advantage." She drew her next card. "I summon Warrior Lady of the Wasteland in defense mode." The blonde woman with her tattered cape appeared on the field, kneeling down. (ATK: 1100 DEF: 1200 LV: 4) "Then I'll place one card facedown and end my turn." A card appeared behind the warrior.

"My move." Andrew drew his next card. "I summon Elemental HERO Ocean in attack mode." The aquatic hero rose up on the field. (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1200 LV: 4) "Now attack her Warrior Lady! Big Wave Crush!" The water hero dashed forward and stabbed the woman with his trident, making her explode.

"I activate my Warrior Lady's special ability! When she's destroyed in battle, I can summon an earth, warrior type monster with 1500 attack points or less. Now come on out, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!" The green armored elven warrior appeared with his sword in his hands. (ATK: 1400 DEF: 1200 LV: 4)

"Now, Divine Wind, attack her Celtic Guardian!" The masked hero unleashed another tornado that sped towards Clover's monster.

"I activate my trap…!" Her facedown card flipped up. "Defense Draw! This lets me reduce the battle damage from your attack to zero and draw one card from my deck." While Clover drew her extra card, the elven warrior stabbed his sword into the ground and held onto it with all his might, keeping himself from getting blown away. The tornado died down after a moment. "And also, due to his special ability, my Celtic Guardian can't be destroyed by a monster with 1900 or more attack points."

"Aw man." Syrus moaned.

"That wasn't too bad." Shiori admitted.

"Yeah, that defense was pretty good." Jenny added.

"But she's going to need more than good defense to defeat Andrew." Matt said.

"I end my turn." Andrew concluded.

"Then here goes!" Clover drew a card and looked at it. She smiled. "Hey Andrew, I think you recognize this card. Elemental HERO Wildheart!" The muscular tribal hero appeared in front of her. (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1600 LV: 4)

Andrew smiled at that. "Good to see that you kept the card I gave you."

"Why wouldn't I? It is a reminder of you. But back to the duel. I activate the spell, Magnum Shield, and I'll equip this card to Wildheart." A shield in very dark-red and gold appeared on the hero's left arm. It had one spike at each of its four corners. "Here's how it works, depending on my warrior type monster's battle mode, one of the shield's effects are active. And since Wildheart is in attack mode, my shield gives him attack points equal to his original defense points."

"My word! With 1600 defense points, her Wildheart is going to be statically much stronger than Divine Wind." Bastion said.

"Not lishus." Chumley said.

The shield gave off a golden aura that surrounded Wildheart. (ATK: 1500-3100)

"And now for my next move. I sacrifice my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in order to summon Turret Warrior!" The elven warrior disappeared as a bigger monster rose in his place. It looked more like a rock than a warrior with thick limbs made of bricks. (ATK: 1200 DEF: 2000 LV: 5)

"Huh?" Andrew looked at it confused. And Clover noticed his confusion.

"Yeah yeah, I know. Not many attack points. But my new warrior has a special ability. I can special summon him by sacrificing a warrior type monster, and if I do that, then he'll absorb all of that monster's original attack points." The giant monster glowed with a blue aura. (ATK: 1200-2600)

"Whoa! That monster's attack strength is as big as himself." Jaden commented.

"And that doesn't bode well for Andrew." Michael added.

"Turret Warrior, attack! Destroy his Ocean!" The rock-like monster raised its right arm and smashed the aquatic hero.

Andrew: 4000-2900

"And now I'll attack with Wildheart. Now go!" Clover waited for the tribal hero to strike, but to her confusion, he was just standing there. "Huh? What are you waiting for? Attack!"

Andrew smirked. "He can't do anything. My Divine Wind has another ability. As long as he remains on the field, you can only attack with one monster per turn."

"Seriously!?" Clover exclaimed.

Sheppard smiled. "Well Foster? How do you like that?"

Foster just smirked. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Sheppard. This is just the beginning."

"Alright. I end my turn." Clover concluded.

"Okay." Andrew drew. "I play a monster in defense mode." A facedown card appeared next to the wind hero. "And now I'll attack with Divine Wind. Storming Justice!" The masked hero created another tornado that easily destroyed Turret Warrior.

Clover: 2300-2200

"And with another monster destroyed, Divine Wind lets me draw another card. And that ends my turn." He said after drawing a card.

"Not bad, Andrew." Clover drew a card. "But now it's time to say goodbye to your masked hero. Wildheart, attack!" The tribal hero dashed forward and and struck his opponent with his sword.

Andrew: 2900-2500

But to her surprise, Divine Wind was unharmed. "What? He wasn't destroyed?"

Andrew smirked. "Nope, and that's because he has one more ability. He can't be destroyed in battle."

Clover looked at him disbelieved. "You're joking, right?"

"Not at all."

Clover shook her head. "You really have become better than before." She inserted three cards into her duel disk. "I place two cards facedown and activate the spell card Mirage of Nightmare. And that's all."

"Mirage of Nightmare?" Jaden repeated.

"Yes, and after seeing how you used that card, I have a good theory of what one of her facedown cards can be." Bastion replied.

"My move." Andrew drew.

"And this is when my Mirage card kicks in. During your standby phase, I get to draw until I have four cards in my hand." Clover drew her extra cards. "And then I'll play Emergency Provisions." One her facedown cards flipped up.

"Just as I thought." Bastion said.

"What do you know, it is the same." Jaden commented.

"I can't say I'm surprised. You and Clover aren't the first ones who ever used that combo." Alexis said.

"Now, by sending one spell or trap card to my graveyard, like Mirage, I gain 1000 life points." At that, the continuous spell disappeared.

Clover: 2200-3200

"That's fine. As for me, I'm gonna summon Elemental HERO Lady Heat in defense mode." The white and orange clad female hero appeared form a pillar of fire. (ATK: 1300 DEF: 1000 LV: 4) "Then I'll switch Divine Wind to defense mode." The wind hero crossed his arms and kneeled down. "Then I'll activate Lady Heat's ability. You take 200 points of damage for every Elemental HERO I have." The female hero conjured a fireball and threw it at Clover.

Clover: 3200-3000

Clover recovered from the blast before she spoke up. "Then here goes." She drew a card and looked at it. She widened her eyes. 'That card.'


Flashback

Clover found herself inside Foster's office. For some reason, she was called here. "Can I help you, Chancellor?" She asked.

Foster, who sat on his chair, smiled. "Well, I just called you here for some good news. You see, after watching your duels, I've decided that you shall become one of our schools reps."

Clover was surprised. "For real?"

"Yes, and it would be good if North Academy win this year, so therefore, I'm gonna offer you this." Foster reached into one of his drawers and picked out some duel monster cards.

Clover took the cards and looked at them. Her eyes widened.

"These are some of North Academy's top dueling cards. With them, you have a greater chance to win. Of course, I know your deck is very strong without them, but it couldn't hurt."

"Umm." Clover seemed to be unsure.

"Perhaps you need some time to think about it. Don't worry, I won't force you."

"Thank you."

Flashback end


'It took me a while, but then I've decided to have this card in my deck, just to test it out. Alright, let's give it a test.' Clover looked up with a determined look. "I summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 4!" A burst of black flames appeared, from which a metallic, bird-like creature stepped out. (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1000 LV: 4)

"Uh, level?" Syrus asked.

"Yeah, and if that monster is used correctly, Clover can make it even stronger." Jenny said.

"But how did she even get such a rare card?" Shiori wondered.

Sheppard was obviously surprised by the appearance of Clover's new monster. "Why, isn't that one of your school's top cards? Foster, you didn't!" He turned to the NA Chancellor who chuckled.

"I did what I had to do. That dragon is only one of our school's best cards. I told you Sheppard, I want that prize. And I'm going to get it."

"Oh yeah? Not if I have anything to say about it! Come on, Andrew! You can do it!"

"Um, okay?" Andrew said, almost weirded out by this. He then turned to Clover. "So, what can that monster do?"

"You'll see. But first I'm gonna play a spell card, Sword of Dragon's Soul." The tribal hero's sword transformed into a slightly smaller one with spikes growing out from the edges of the blade. "This card gives my warrior type monster 700 more attack points. So my Wildheart gets even stronger." (ATK: 3100-3800) "And now I activate the trap DNA Surgery." Her facedown card flipped up.

"No way!" Andrew gasped.

"That's right. I can now turn all monsters on the field to any type I choose. And I choose dragon type." At that, Andrew's hero monster began to transform. Lady Heat's face had now orange dragon scales and a pair of dragon wings appeared from her back, along with a tail. As for Divine Wind, his mask had now a dragon like face, and just like Lady heat, he had a tail that appeared. Finally, his white cape transformed into a pair of white dragon wings.

"Why would she turn all monsters on the field to dragons?" Chumley asked.

"That would be to put the new sword to use." Bastion replied.

"But why?" Syrus asked.

"Just wait and see." Zane said.

"Alright Wildheart, attack his Divine Wind!"

Many people were confused by Clover's command.

"But why? Divine Wind can't be destroyed." Jaden pointed out.

"Dont be so sure. Just watch." Matt said.

Wildheart dashed forward and slashed the masked hero with his sword, but the result was the same as earlier.

"I don't get it. This is just like…"

"Wait for it." Michael interrupted Jaden.

"Now the effect of my sword activates." Clover spoke up. "Since the equipped monster battled a dragon type monster, that monster is destroyed at the end of the battle phase."

Andrew gasped as cracks appeared on the masked hero's armor before he exploded. "My Divine Wind…"

"Is gone." Clover filled in. "But since that happened at the end of my battle phase, I can't attack anymore. So I'll end my turn with a facedown." A card appeared behind Wildheart.

"Looks like Andrew is facing a dragon slayer now." Alexis commented.

"Yeah, but why is Wildheart the only one who didn't become a dragon?" Syrus asked.

"Because he's immune to trap cards, remember?" Jaden reminded him.

"I draw." Andrew drew a card. "I summon Elemental HERO Blazeman." The red armored and fiery headed hero appeared. (ATK: 1200 DEF: 1800 LV: 4)

"Don't forget, he becomes a dragon, thanks to my DNA card." Clover reminded him as the hero transformed into a winged, four-legged dragon with red armor and a mane made of fire.

"Maybe, but with this monster summoned to the field, I can take a Polymerization from my deck and add it to my hand." He took the named card from his deck. "And now I'll use it to combine Blazeman and Poison Rose to form Elemental HERO Gaia!" The fire merged with the flower woman and rose up as the black armored giant. (ATK: 2200 DEF: 2600 LV: 6) And then, because of Clover's trap card, the giant transform into a wingless, four-legged dragon with the front legs being bulkier than the back legs and red spheres on the sides of its body and one on its forehead. "And since Gaia was fusion summoned, he can absorb half the attack strength from one of your monsters. And I choose Wildheart." The dragon opened his mouth and inhaled deeply, causing yellow energy leaving Wildheart's body and enter its mouth. (ATK: 3800-1900) (ATK: 2200-4100)

"Impressive." Clover said. "But you do realize that my sword will destroy your hero, even after my monster is destroyed, right?"

"True, but I'll take my chance. Gaia, attack now!" The dragon ran toward the tribal hero.

"I activate Negate Attack!" Clover's trap card flipped up and created a barrier that blocked the attack. "Thanks to this, your attack is cancelled."

"Great. Now she's going to destroy Gaia on her next turn." Shiori said.

"Not good." Michael added.

Andrew inserted a card into his duel disk. "I place a card facedown and let my Lady Heat damage your life points." The fire heroine threw another fireball at Clover.

Clover: 3000-2600 (ATK: 4100-2200) (ATK: 1900-3800)

"Alright then." Clover drew. "I summon Lancer Lindwurm." A green, bipedal dragon appeared, clad in bronze armor holding a purple and crystal spear within its hands. (ATK: 1800 DEF: 1200 LV: 4) "Now attack his Lady Heat!" The dragon took flight and prepared and stabbed Lady Heat with its spear, making her explode. And then...

Andrew: 2500-1700

"Huh?"

"Confused?" Clover asked. "My Lancer has a special ability. It can cause piercing damage."

"That is a little troublesome." Andrew commented.

"That's nothing compared to what Wildheart's gonna do to your Gaia." On cue, the tribal hero dashed forward and sliced the hero/dragon's neck with his sword.

Andrew: 1700-0100

"And that leaves your facedown monster. Let's see if Horus the Black Flame Dragon can destroy it!" THe metallic dragon reared its head back and spat out a torrent of black flames, making the facedown card flip up. And then, it revealed a zombie-like girl that looked familiar to Clover. (ATK: 1400 DEF: 1500 LV: 4) "Zombina." She said as the monster was burned to ashes.

"That's right. The card you gave me. And you probably remember her special ability. I can summon a level 4 or below monster from my graveyard. And I'll resurrect my Ocean." The aquatic hero rose on the field again. (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1200 LV: 4) And then, he transformed into a dragon with a pair of wings and a tail with a fin on the tip.

"Not bad." Clover complimented before inserting a card into her duel disk. "I end my turn with a facedown, which allows me to activate my Horus' ability. Since he destroyed a monster in battle, he evolves into Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6." The dragon was now engulfed by black flames. And then, after a moment, it rose up in a more impressive form than its original form. (ATK: 2300 DEF: 1600 LV: 6)

"Aw man. Now it became stronger." Syrus said.

"Yes, and if Andrew can't get rid of it, it will eventually become even more powerful." Bastion added.

"Andrew can handle it. I know it." Jenny said optimistic.

"My move." Andrew drew. "And I'll start by using my Ocean's ability. I can take a HERO monster from my field or graveyard and add it to my hand. And I'll take back Stratos." He took then named card from his graveyard slot. "Next I summon Elemental HERO Woodsman in defense mode." The green-skinned wooden man kneeled down in front of him. (ATK: 1000 DEF: 2000 LV: 4) And of course, he transformed into a green-scaled dragon with wings made of wood, just like his lower body.

"And now I activate the spell card HERO's Bond. With a hero on my field, I can summon 2 level 4 or lower Elemental heroes from my hand, like Stratos and Heat." The turbine winged hero, along with the white and red armored hero appeared. (ATK: 1800 DEF: 300 LV: 4) (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1200 LV: 4) "And now I activate Stratos' ability. For every other HERO monster I control, I can destroy one spell or trap card on the field. So with three heroes by his side, I can destroy your two equip spells and DNA Surgery." The wind hero created a cyclone, thanks to his wings and blew away the trap card, along with Wildheart's weapons. (ATK: 3800-1500) And with that done, every monster that turned into a dragon returned to normal.

"No way!" Clover gasped.

"I'm afraid it's true. Your Wildheart is defenseless. And it gets worse. My Heat gains 200 attack points for every Elemental HERO on my field, and I count 4." (ATK: 1600-2400) "And now I'll equip Ocean with the spell card Fusion Sword Murasame Blade." The water hero's trident glowed brightly and was then replaced by dark katana which burned with a chaotic aura. "Thanks to this new weapon, he gains 800 attack points." (ATK: 1500-2300) "Now Ocean, destroy her Lancer Dragonute!" The aquatic hero slashed down on the spear wielding dragon.

Clover: 2600-2100

"Stratos, your turn!" The turbine winged hero flew over to Wildheart and punched him hard, making him explode.

Clover: 2100-1800

"And now Heat, destroy the Black Flame Dragon." The fire hero ignited his right fist and smashed the dragon hard enough to make it explode.

Clover: 1800-1700

"I end my turn."

"Yes! He managed to get rid her monsters." Jenny said.

"Not to mention that DNA card." Alexis added.

"But Clover has a facedown card on her field." Zane noted. "And I have a feeling that she's going to turn things around with it."

"Then let's hope that Andrew can handle it." Michael said.

"My move!" Clover drew. "And I play Call of the Haunted!" Her facedown card flipped up. "Now I can bring back a monster from my graveyard, like Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6." The dragon returned to the field in its second, more powerful form. (ATK: 2300 DEF: 1600 LV: 6)

"Not good." Jaden said.

"Tell me about it." Shiori replied. "With only 100 life points left, Andrew can't survive an attack from that dragon."

"Come on." Jenny muttered worriedly.

"Alright Andrew, brace yourself! Horus, attack his Stratos with Black Flame Burst!" The dragon spat a torrent black fire that went toward Stratos.

"Andrew!" His friends called out.

"I activate my trap…" His facedown card flipped up. "Elemental Recharge! This card gives me 1000 life points for every Elemental HERO on my field and with 4 heroes, I gain 4000 points."

Andrew: 0100-4100

And after that, the turbine winged hero was enveloped in flames, burned to ashes.

Andrew: 4100-3600 (ATK: 2400-2200)

Andrew's friends, minus Zane, sighed in relief.

"That was close." Matt said.

"Yeah, too close." Syrus added.

"It's not over yet." Zane said. "In fact, it's about to get worse."

"That's right." Clover said. "Because now I can activate my dragon's ability. At the end of the turn, after destroying a monster in battle, my LV 6 dragon evolves into Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 8." Horus was now enveloped in a mass of black flames, which grew bigger. And then, a roar burst out from the flames once they stopped growing, causing them to fan out, revealing the dragon's new form. It was now very big, with arms and and legs with claws and a pair of wings on its back. (ATK: 3000 DEF: 1800 LV: 8) The NA students let out a roar of cheers after its appearance.

"Uh oh. Andrew's in trouble now." Jaden commented.

"You don't know half of it." Michael grimaced. "Trust me. That form is extremely dangerous against Andrew's deck."

"What do you mean?" Chumley asked.

"Just watch."

"I draw." Andrew declared. "And I activate Woodsman's ability. I can add a Polymerization to my hand from my deck or graveyard." The card came out of the graveyard slot and he picked it up. "And now it's time to fuse my monsters!" He said as the image of the spell card appeared.

But before Andrew could fuse his monsters, Clover smirked and spoke up. "I activate Horus' special ability. As long as he's on the field, I can negate the activation of a spell card and destroy it."

"What!?" Andrew exclaimed as the spell card was destroyed by a pillar of black flames.

"But if she can negate Andrew's spell cards…" Syrus said.

"Then he can't fuse his monsters." Bastion filled in. "He can't even summon his Masked heroes."

"This isn't the first time he's been in that kind of situation." Jenny replied with a determined look on her face. "He can still win."

"But the question is how." Alexis said.

Andrew looked at his hand worriedly. 'Damn. With Clover's dragon on the field, I can't use my spell cards. This won't be easy.'
"I switch Heat and Ocean to defense mode and end my turn." The heroes kneeled down.

"Not much you can do, with Horus on my field." Clover commented.

"This isn't over, Clover." Andrew retorted. "I won't lose that easily."

"Then let's how you do after this." Clover drew a card. "Horus, destroy his Woodsman with Black Mega Flame!" The dragon spat a torrent of flames that destroyed the green-skinned hero. (ATK: 2200-2000) "And that ends my turn."

"I draw." Andrew glanced at the card he drew an inserted it into his duel disk. "I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"Alright then…" Clover glanced at the card she drew before making her move. "Horus, attack again!" The dragon spat another torrent of flames.

"I play my trap…!" Andrew's facedown card flipped up. "Mirror Force!"

"No!" Clover gasped.

"Sorry Clover, but thanks to my trap card, you monster is destroyed." The flames were absorbed into the trap card. And then, it sent them right back to the dragon, making it cry out in pain by the hit before it was destroyed.

"Alright!" Shiori cheered.

"You go, Andrew!" Jenny called out

"Sweet!" Jaden said.

"I place two cards facedown and end my turn." Clover concluded while inserting two cards into her duel disk.

"Alright then…" Andrew drew. "I switch Heat to attack mode." The fire hero stood up. "Now attack with Burning Fist!" The hero dashed forward and ignited his right fist.

"You go, Andrew!" Shiori cheered.

"You got her now!" Matt added.

"Not quite!" Clover countered. "I activate Level Bond!" One of her facedowns flipped up.

"What?" Andrew let out.

"This card lets you draw two cards, and I get to summon a LV monster directly from my graveyard. And I'll bring Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 8!" The giant dragon roared as it reappeared from a pillar of black flames. (ATK: 3000 DEF: 1800 LV: 8)

The DA students gasped while the NA students cheered.

Andrew frowned. "Damn." He then drew his two extra cards. He looked at them and internally groaned. 'Ohh, most of these cards are spells, and they are useless with that dragon on the field.' He then looked up. "Fine, I'll end my turn."

"My move." Clover drew. "Horus, attack Ocean!" The dragon reared its head back while Andrew looked at her confused.

"And you're attacking the defending hero instead of the one in attack mode because…?"

"Because I have this trap card…" Her facedown card flipped up. "Dragon's Rage. Here's how it works, when my dragon type monster attacks a monster in defense mode, you take damage equal to the difference between its attack points and your monster's defense points."

That caused Andrew and his friends to gasp.

"Great Scott! With that trap card and the Black Flame Dragon on the field, Andrew is certainly in a dire situation." Bastion said.

"You sure know how to say positive things." Michael said sarcastically.

"Come on." Jenny muttered worriedly.

The dragon spat another torrent of flames which easily destroyed Ocean and surrounded a grunting Andrew in the process.

Andrew: 3600-1800 (ATK: 2000-1800)

"Whoohoo!" Clover cheered. "And that's all for now."

"Not good." Jaden said.

"Come on, Andrew! Fight back!" Shiori called out.

Andrew recovered from the attack and drew a card. "I'm trying." He looked at the card he drew.

"Well Andrew? Are you ready to give up?" Clover asked.

"Not by a long shot. I won't stand down until the last life points expires."

His response made her smile. 'It's been a long time since I've heard you say that.'

"I summon Elemental HERO Ice Edge!" The icy kid with spiky armor appeared. (ATK: 800 DEF: 900 LV: 3) (ATK: 1800-2000) "Then I'll activate his special ability. By discarding one card from my hand, I can let him bypass your monster and attack you directly." He slid a card into his graveyard slot. "Now Ice Edge, attack with Subzero Punch!" THe kid dashed towards Clover and punched her with a fist surrounded by ice-cold air.

Clover: 1700-0900

"And with that, I end my turn."

"That's it?" Matt asked. "Couldn't he place a facedown card?"

"Unless he has more than spell cards, that won't help him at all." Zane said.

"So he's just attacking out desperation?" Syrus asked.

"Nah, I don't think so." Jaden said confidently. "No way Andrew's gonna lose just like that?"

"I hope you're right." Shiori said while Michael nodded.

Clover smirked as she drew a card. "Well, this duel was fun. But it looks like I'm about to defeat you, again."

Andrew seemed to be calm. "Then what are you waiting for?"

"Now Horus, end this duel!" Once again, the dragon spat a torrent of flames that went straight toward Ice Edge.

"Andrew!" Jenny called out.

Andrew's field was now enveloped in black flames.

"Game over." Clover said triumphantly.

But, when the flames died down, she was shocked to see Andrew, along with his monsters, being surrounded by an electric barrier.

"Not yet."

"What!? What is this?"

Andrew held up a card with the picture of a certain turtle creature. "Thanks to Ice Edge, I discarded Electromagnetic Turtle. And by removing it from my grave, I stopped your attack by ending the battle phase."

"Lishus!" Chumley said.

"My, looks like Andrew saved himself." Bastion said.

"For now." Alexis replied. "But he can't keep defending himself.

"He got this." Jaden said.

"You really know how to keep yourself in the game, don't you?" Clover asked.

"I do what I can." Andrew replied with a smile.

"But don't get ahead of yourself. I summon Golem Dragon in defense mode." A large rock armored dragon appeared next to Horus, laying on the floor with its claws in front of its face. (ATK: 200 DEF: 2000 LV: 4) "I end my turn."

"Alright then." Andrew drew a card and looked at it, before he inserted it into his duel disk. "First I'll place one card facedown. Then I'll discard another card so Ice Edge can attack you directly." He slid another card into the graveyard. "Now attack!" The icy kid struck Clover with another ice-cold punch.

Clover: 0900-0100

"I end my turn."

"I draw!" Clover declared. "Now let's try this again. Horus, attack!" The dragon spat yet another stream of flames.

"Activate trap…" Andrew's facedown card flipped up. "Blast with Chain! I can add this card to a monster and give it 500 attack points." The card released an aura that surrounded Ice Edge. (ATK: 800-1300) But it didn't take long before he was enveloped in black flames.

Andrew: 1800-0100 (ATK: 2000-1800)

"I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"Whoa! Now they're even in points." Jaden noted.

"But clearly, Clover has the upper hand." Bastion replied. "Her dragon keeps him from using spell cards, and that Golem Dragon has the power to protect other dragon type monster from attacks. I say Andrew is about to be out of options."

"Don't say that!" Jenny retorted. "There's still a chance he can win."

"Yeah, he'll pull this one out." Michael added.

Clover however, was very sure that she's going to win. Well, this duel was tough, but I doubt that Andrew can turn this around.' She then glanced at her facedown card. 'Because even he finds a way to get around my monsters, I got a surprise for him.'

As for Andrew, he looked nervous. 'Man, now I'm really cornered. Obviously, Clover haven't lost her touch.' He then took a deep breath and formed a determined expression. 'But I won't go down without a fight.' He then placed his hand on his deck. 'Here goes!" He drew his next card and paused for a moment, making everyone wait for his next move. And finally, Andrew looked at the card he drew. And then… 'That's...' He widened his eyes before he smiled.

Clover noticed this. "Huh?"

"This is it, Clover! Time put an end to this!" Andrew placed his card on his duel disk. "Come forth, Doomcaliber Knight!" A certain, fiendish knight riding on a black steed appeared. (ATK: 1900 DEF: 1800 LV: 4) "And now I activate Enemy Controller!" He held up a spell card. "With its effect, I'll force your Golem Dragon to attack mode."

Andrew's friends gasped while Clover smirked.

"When will you learn? My Horus makes all your spells useless, remember?" On cue, the dragon reared back its head, preparing for another fiery assault.

But Andrew smirked. "That's why I summoned my knight." The monster released a purple aura before it disappeared. And then, the same aura surrounded the dragon.

Clover gasped. "What's happening?"

"This is Doomcaliber Knight's ability. When a monster effect is activated, he's automatically sacrificed. After that, he negates the monster's special ability and destroys it." At that, the dragon exploded.

"Oh no!"

"I'm afraid it's true. Now your Golem Dragon is next." The named card rose up due to Andrew's spell card. "Now, destroy her dragon!" The hero dashed forward.

"I activate Nightmare Wheel!" As soon as Clover's trap card flipped up, the fire hero stopped. "This card keeps your monster from attacking, and once we have come to my standby phase, you'll take 500 points of damage." Clover explained with a smirk. But that smirk disappeared when Andrew held up another card.

"That can be fixed by Mask Change II. BY discarding one card from my hand, I can change my monster into a Masked HERO." Clover gasped as he discard a card, making his fire hero glow. "Say hello to Masked HERO Goka!" The glowing died down and revealed the masked hero in red and black armor. (ATK: 2200 DEF: DEF: 1800 LV: 6) "This monster gains 100 attack points for every HERO monster in my graveyard, I've got twelve. Not that it really matters though." (ATK: 2200-3400)

Clover stepped back in shock.

"Now attack, Inferno Kick!" THe hero ignited his right foot and leaped into the air before landing a kick on the dragon, causing an explosion that knocked Clover down.

Clover 0100-0000

The DA students cheered loudly as he won the match.

"He did it!" Matt cheered.

"Yeah, he won!" Shiori added.

"Of course he did." Michael said with a grin.

Jenny smiled proudly. "Well done."


In the Wilson residence, Andrew's parents saw everything the TV showed and were obviously overjoyed.

"Well done, Andrew." George said.

"I'm so proud." Marie added.


In the Mihaylov residence, Andrew's uncle and aunt were the same. But they weren't as delighted as his cousin.

"WHOOHOO!" Angie cheered.


As for Peter, who watched this on the giant screen in the big city, all he did was form a proud smile on his face.

"That was an impressive comeback your cousin performed." A feminine voice said from his right. Peter turned to see a young woman around his age. She had long, orange hair with red highlights that reached the middle of her back. She had alluring violet eyes. She was wearing a red t-shirt that showed off her midriff, a pair of jeans and white sandals.

"Yeah, it was." Peter replied.

"So, you think he can surpass you?" The woman asked.

Peter turned back to the screen. "Only time will tell."


Back at the academy. The DA students were still cheering while the NA students moaned in disappointment.

As Clover was sitting on the floor, Andrew approached her and held out his hand. "That was a great duel, Clover. You almost got me there." He said with a smile.

Clover smiled back and his hand, allowing her to help her up. "Thanks. I must say, I never saw that coming. You're definitely much better than before."

"Thanks."

She then pointed a finger at him with a determined look. "But, don't think this is over. Next time we face off, I'll get you."

Andrew mirrored her expression. "You're welcome to try."

"Ahem." Corwler spoke in the microphone. "And the winner of our first match is, Andrew Wilson. Congratulations. Now, please clear the stage for the next match."

Andrew and Clover walked off the stage and went to their seats as the former was approached by Jaden and Bastion.

"Sweet duel, Andrew!"

"Indeed. That was remarkable."

"Thanks guys." Andrew then turned to Bastion. "So, are you ready for your match."

The intelligent Ra nodded. "With the deck I have prepared, I'm more than ready."

"Good luck then." At that, Andrew and Jaden went to their seats while Bastion was slowly walking to the stage, and so did his opponent, Xander.


Okay, once again, a chapter longer than planned. But I hope it was worth the wait. Until next time.