Author Note: Alright guys, sorry it's taken so long, haha. God, I missed writing for this fic so much, seriously. I've had most of this chapter done for a while, it was just the matter of writing out the Duel itself. Okay, so, life has been really hard lately and if we're friends on Discord, you probably know why. Once things get better for me and I can do more writing, I promise I'll make sure to keep updating this fic. No matter what, I'm going to finish it, even if it takes 10 years. It probably won't, but I will finish it one day.
Now, I'm afraid I couldn't come up with a good way to celebrate getting so many comments and reviews.
Someone suggested making a Discord Server for the fic, but I don't know how many of you would be interested in that, so I haven't done it yet.
Another person suggested doing a Bonds Beyond Time one-shot and while I'd love to do that, it would contain massive spoilers for what I've got planned and I don't wanna ruin all the surprises, hehe. Gotta keep you guys on your toes.
Someone else wanted Yuuna and Alexis to get together and while I'm not ruling that out yet, I don't know how likely it is to happen since I'm not planning on Yuuna having any romance in her life until season 3, maybe season 2 if I end up deciding to do it. But I'm also not ruling out potentially posting some spin off one-shots where Yuuna gets with different characters. We'll see how it goes.
For now, the amazing Pestertroll89 decided to write their own fanfiction inspired by Yuuna's story and I am so, so honoured, so go check it out if you want to! It's Junko Kiryu, To Be Free on Archive of Our Own
Take care of yourselves gang and enjoy the chapter.
He remembers the first time he saw Yubel.
He had been separated from his father and his people on a hunting expedition, in a woodland he hadn't known well. He was alone but he refused to show any fear as he did his best to track his way back to his father.
It was while following the sounds of the river and some footprints on the ground that he first heard them.
Yubel had been swinging from tree to tree, like an acrobat of some kind. Their laughter was like bells as they hung upside down, their knees wrapped around a thick tree branch as they munched on an apple. They were beautiful…
And Yubel caught him staring. "Ya know, if you want some food, you could've just said so."
He had flushed like a child, as if he'd been caught stealing food in the kitchens. "Why would I want any of your food, you've clearly already bitten into it?"
Yubel had laughed like bells once more.
Then Haou had an apple thrown at him, clear of bite marks and smelling free of poisons too.
Yubel had grinned at him and their mouth was full of canines and shark's teeth.
He'd smiled right back as he bit into his apple.
Yuuna runs as fast as she can, time is of the essence after all!
"Yuuna! Slow down!" Syrus calls after her.
"Can't, not on Eggwich day!" Yuuna runs faster, she's been waiting for this for over a month now!
"You know that…" Blair pants next to Syrus. "Never works, Sy."
Syrus groans.
Yubel chuckles. "By the end of this year, he's going to be much more athletic thanks to you."
Yuuna laughs as they all arrive in the cardshack.
There's a small crate in the middle of the room, filled with unlabeled bags of burger buns, while students of every year and Dorm surround it. Considering the way everyone's still hovering and cautiously opening sandwiches, no one's found the Eggwich yet.
Yuuna leans over the crate, practically bursting with excitement. "Isn't Eggwich Day just the greatest? All these choices, none of them labeled?! It's a true test of drawing skill!"
"Not a realistic test though." Blair shakes her head. "At least in a Duel, you'll always be able to draw a card that would be useful." She wrinkles up her face in disgust. "Everything in here is a health and safety hazard, besides the Eggwich."
"Yeah, no joke." Syrus shudders and hugs himself. "Grilled tongue, ostrich burgers, sardine smelties. None of those are tasty."
Yubel lays on their back in the sky, arms behind their head. "It's honestly a wonder you haven't had food poisoning yet."
"Oh hush, you pessimists!" Yuuna waves them off. "The Eggwich is well worth the risk! It's a golden egg, laid by a magical rooster who lives on the island!"
"That's crazy talk, Yuuna!" Syrus shakes his head. "Everyone knows roosters don't lay eggs."
"There's also no bird in the world that can lay golden eggs." Blair looks at her PDA. "I just checked."
Yubel shakes their head. "Honestly, considering every other insane thing that happens on this island, I wouldn't be surprised if it does exist."
"Thank you for the faith, Yubel." Yuuna smiles. "Look, the point is, the Eggwich is delicious and more than worth risking food poisoning for."
Nevermind that she's never suffered food poisoning, so she doesn't actually know what she's risking.
"Well good luck. It's been five weeks since you managed to draw it last." Syrus shrugs, taking a step back.
"Well if anyone can do it, it's Yuuna."
Yuuna blinks, looking across the cart. "Oh, hi Torrey!"
"Hi." Torrey waves at her, his two friends on either side, then he pumps a small fist. "Go for it Yuuna!"
Yuuna feels her cheeks turn red. "Aww, thanks. I will!"
Yuuna rolls up her sleeves and makes two fists, knocking them against each other.
Blair and Syrus take a few steps away from the crate.
Yubel hums.
Yuuna hums and closes her eyes. She hasn't tried using her powers of luck outside of a Duel yet and she doesn't want to try it in front of so many people. She'll just count on her own luck!
Yuuna opens her eyes and digs through the crate, grabbing a sandwich. "Here!"
She opens the bag and takes a bite.
Torrey, Blair, Syrus and Yubel stare at her.
Yuuna groans and falls to her knees. "Grilled tongue."
Not again! She hates grilled tongue!
"I guess you're just in a slump Yuuna." Syrus bends towards her, hands on his knees.
Blair sighs, putting her PDA away in her pocket. "I told you it wasn't worth it."
"Better luck next time, Yuuna." Torrey calls, rubbing the back of his neck.
Yubel shakes their head. "You humans are so reckless with your food. You'll put anything in your mouths, you've been doing it since you started walking on two legs. It's a miracle you're all alive now."
"Lay off the sass, Yubel." Yuuna whimpers, looking around for a bin to puke in. "This is the worst."
"Well, better a bad draw here than in a Duel."
They all turn around and low and behold, the happy couple everyone has gotten used to seeing these days has arrived.
"Hi Jasmine, Mindy." Blair waves, smiling. "What brings you two here?"
Mindy giggles, holding one hand over her mouth. "I came here to laugh at the people who got bad draws."
"I'm just her accomplice. She's pure evil, this one." Jasmine shrugs, pointing at Mindy and then she shows off their linked fingers. "She's holding me hostage."
Mindy giggles and winks. "Well I am the one with the Evil HERO Deck around here, my Masked partner. How do you expect me to behave?"
Jasmine grins and leans closer to Mindy. "Like a good girl."
Mindy shivers.
Syrus breaks out into a full on blush, while Torrey looks away and starts whistling, which just causes Yuuna and Blair to look at the boys in confusion.
Boys are so weird.
Yuuna looks to Yubel, but they just chuckle and shake their head.
Eh, whatever.
"As cute as it is to see you two happy and together." Yuuna rolls her eyes, getting to her feet. "That's not helping me draw the Eggwich. Does anyone know who could have been drawing it these last 5 weeks?"
Everyone in the room looks at each other, but no one seems to have an answer.
"I haven't seen anyone draw it for 5 weeks now." Dorothy suddenly appears. "At least no one I know."
Everyone exclaims in shock, looking between each other.
Yubel blinks, then smirks like the cat that caught the cream. "Well, isn't this interesting."
Yuuna pouts. She just wants her Eggwich.
"Wait, I think I have a hypothesis." Torrey suddenly says.
Yuuna turns to him. "A what?"
"A hypothesis. An idea or theory that can be tested." Blair looks over to him. "We're all ears, Torrey. Who do you think has been drawing them?"
"Well…" Torrey holds his chin. "I've only seen it happen once and I didn't see everything, so take it with a grain of salt. But I think it could be Zane."
Yuuna freezes.
Yuuna's back hits a tree and she falls on her face, groaning miserably.
Her back aches just from the memory.
"What makes you say that?" Syrus tilts his head.
Torrey lowers his hand. "A couple of weeks ago, I was passing by the card shack at first light and I saw Zane and Alexis hanging out by the entrance on the day of the Eggwich draw."
"Wait, you think Alexis is in on it too?" Blair narrows her eyes. "That doesn't sound like her."
Yuuna gulps.
"Maybe, I don't know." Torrey shakes his head. "When the shop opened, I went in to buy some cards and try drawing the Eggwich, but by the time I was walking over to the crate, Zane and Alexis were leaving with two of the sandwiches and when I tried to draw it, I couldn't get it."
Murmuring breaks out.
"Well, Alexis is the best of the Obelisk Blue First Years." Mindy hums, holding her chin. "She hasn't told me about the Eggwiches though."
"Zane is the Kaiser, if anyone's been able to draw them week after week, it's probably him." Jasmine shrugs. "Maybe someone should go ask him."
Yuuna doesn't want to do that, she really doesn't want to do that.
"Or, maybe we should do a sandwich stake out! 24/7, watching the crate to make sure no Eggwich thieves can get past us!" Yuuna pumps her fist, looking at her friends. "How does that sound?"
"Great." Syrus smiles nervously. Then he gapes at her. "Wait, what?!"
Yubel sighs. "Well, you've had duller ideas."
Yuuna laughs. This'll be great!
"What a horrible way to waste a Saturday." Yuuna groans, rubbing dirt off her.
Blair sighs as she dusts herself off as well. "It could have been a lot worse."
"It could have been better though." Syrus sneezes and dust blows off him in every direction.
How did they all get so dusty? Syrus's brian hurts just thinking about it.
Yuuna somehow convinced them both to stay by the crate all day with her, but Dorothy asked for some help with cleaning up the shop near closing time and Yuuna had volunteered them before Syrus or Blair could say no. They'd all gotten filthy cleaning up the places in the shop Dorothy just couldn't reach because she was too short.
Then, an Obelisk Blue had 'accidentally' kicked their dust pile at them and now they're all filthy and walking back to their dorm to clean up.
"And we still don't know who's been getting the Eggwiches." Blair sighs and shakes off the last of the dust. "Maybe we should've just gone over and asked Zane."
Syrus stiffens up.
The three of them? Going to talk to Zane?
Syrus gulps.
He still doesn't know how to deal with his big brother. If he's being honest, he doesn't want to deal with his big brother. But he can't hide from Zane forever.
Syrus's eyes harden.
Zane may not think he belongs here. But Syrus knows he does belong here. He has amazing friends that believe he belongs here as much as everyone else on the island. He has to believe in himself and believe in his friends. It would be unfair to take their words back after everything they've done to prove to him he belongs here.
It's time to stop feeling like an outsider at Duel Academy. And that starts with learning not to let his brother push him around anymore.
"Let's just go ask him." Syrus says.
Blair and Yuuna turn to him, gaping.
"You think we should just…" Blair raises an eyebrow. "Ask Zane if he's been drawing the Eggwiches? Us ask Zane?"
Yuuna is staring at him like a fish out of water.
Syrus almost falls back, almost says he was kidding and he doesn't want to do it. But he doesn't want to back down now. Not when he finally has the courage.
"I mean, what, it's not like he's going to Duel us just for asking him." Syrus huffs. "We should do it."
Yuuna and Blair stare at him for a second or a few.
Then Yuuna smiles. "Yeah, let's do it. Together."
She puts her fist out and Syrus smiles, bumping his fist against hers.
It's scary. But if they both go to confront Zane, Syrus knows he won't be alone and he's less likely to just give in as soon as Zane says something mean.
A fist joins their fists and they look to see Blair smiling at them.
"Lets go confront the stupid Kaiser, together and find out if he's been eating your precious Eggwiches." Blair rolls her eyes.
Yuuna's eyes practically sparkle. "Blair, you're the best!"
Blair grins, turning up her nose and putting her fists to her hips. "I know, now let's go, I wanna shower after that day."
Syrus and Yuuna nod and with that, the three of them march over to the Blue Obelisk Male Dorm. In the evening light, the sun has almost disappeared and there's little to no street lights leading up to the dorm, so they use the light from their PDAs to guide their path.
"So which room is Zane's?" Yuuna asks, tilting her head.
Syrus points his PDA's light upwards. "It's on the top floor, with the balcony and there's this really tall tree by it. If I believed he was the type to do it, he could use that tree to sneak out."
Blair blinks, then grins. "I guess we have our entry point."
Yuuna turns to her. "Uhhh, isn't it kinda creepy to climb a tree and knock on his balcony window?"
Blair turns to her. "Do you want to deal with Dr. Crowler kicking us out on principle before we can ask Zane one little question?"
Yuuna winces. "Good point."
Syrus giggles nervously. The dorm's in sight now. It's… time to confront Zane over some missing sandwiches. It feels so weird to even think that, God, what has his life turned into?
CRASH!
The 3 Slifer Reds jump and look around in a panic.
"What was that?!" Blair gasps.
Yuuna looks over at the tree line. "It sounded like it came from above!"
Syrus looks up at his brother's porch and gasps.
He can see someone on it, some giant muscled guy with something white over his should-
"THERE!" Syrus points. "It's my brother!"
Zane is over the guy's shoulder, looking knocked out while being held in a fireman's carry!
The three of them point their PDAs up and the light just catches on the guy, before he starts jumping, onto the tree by Zane's balcony, into the tree line, out of sight-
"No!" Syrus takes off running.
"Syrus!" The girls call.
"I'm coming, Zane!" Syrus screams.
Why is he running?! His feet just moved before he could think! He just had to save his brother, he had to!
Syrus uses that motivation to keep running, even as the kidnapper takes off with his brother, swinging from tree to tree, kinda like how Wheeler did with Jasmine all those weeks ago.
"Yubel, track them!" Yuuna shouts, running behind him. "We can't afford to lose this guy!"
Syrus runs faster ahead, Blair keeping pace with him.
"I don't care that he's an asshole, follow him!" Yuuna snaps and joins them.
Syrus feels his eyes start to water. "No, no, no!"
The kidnapper is moving faster than they can run and he's losing sight of his brother!
Syrus screams and pushes himself forward, going faster than he's run in his entire life-
Thump!
"Syrus!" Blair and Yuuna call.
Syrus whimpers as he pulls himself to his hands and knees, feeling the tears slip down his face.
"Are you hurt?" Yuuna kneels at his side, shining her PDA on him.
Blair scowls behind them. "You tripped on a root."
Syrus suddenly remembers primary school.
Syrus was all alone, his first day of elementary school.
All the other kids in his year had been able to make friends with each other, but he'd been so painfully shy, no one had wanted to play with him. So when the bell rang and they could all go play outside, Syrus was the last out the door.
And now he was playing on his own, by the hopscotch.
Syrus threw a little bean bag to decide where to go. It landed on number 5.
Syrus got ready to jump and then he fell. He hit the ground hard, his shoelaces had come undone or something and he was too upset to care, crying and screaming as he lay there on the ground, sobbing.
"Syrus, it's okay."
Syrus hadn't stopped screaming and crying, but he did lift up his head.
Zane was at his side.
"Come on, we can go to the nurse." Zane said.
Zane leaned down and put his arms under Syrus' armpits and put him on his feet.
Then Zane walked him to the nurse, holding his hand the whole time, even as Syrus continued to cry and sniffle.
"Syrus?"
Syrus comes back to the present and it's Yuuna and Blair at his side, not his big brother.
"Do you think you can go on?" Yuuna tilts her head. "I can go rescue Zane on my own if you can't."
Yuuna is offering to help Zane for him.
Zane, who beat her so bad in their Duel that she was on her hands and knees in the dirt, Zane standing over her, looking at her like she deserved to be in the dirt.
Yuuna, his big sister in spirit, offering to rescue his blood brother, even though he's been horrible to the both of them.
"No." Syrus sniffles and gets to his feet.
Zane may be horrible. But he's Syrus' big brother. And he's just a human being who doesn't deserve to be kidnapped and have whatever this guy has planned happen to him.
"I'm going to rescue him." Syrus turns to Yuuna.
Yuuna blinks and smiles.
Blair puts her hand on his shoulder. "I'm proud of you, man."
Syrus smiles at her.
"Come on, Yubel just got back, they'll lead us to him!" Yuuna calls.
Then she takes off running.
Syrus and Blair follow her, the three of them running as fast as they can to keep pace with Yuuna. The forest wizzes past them until the sound of running water crashes down nearby and the three of them burst into a clearing with a waterfall.
Where the kidnapper has his brother on the ground.
"Hey!" Yuuna shouts.
The kidnapper turns to them, scowling. "Who the fucking fuck are you fucking freaks?"
Blair gasps and her face turns red. "That's… a lot of swearing."
Yuuna nods. "And uncalled for at that."
Syrus gulps as he actually takes in the kidnapper. He could tell the guy was big, but dear God. He's taller than Zane, with muscles as big as Syrus's skull and he's only wearing a… is that a bear skin?! Around his waist. His hair is long and dark, reaching his ankles and he has a Duel Disk on.
"Who a-are you?!" Syrus swallows his nerves and makes himself sound braver than he is. "What are you doing with my brother?!"
The kidnapper snarls, walking over to them. "I am the expert drawer, Damon Taizan!"
The Slifer Reds blink at him.
"An.. expert drawer?" Yuuna raises an eyebrow at him.
Blair starts to giggle.
"It's true!" Damon screams at them. "I have been testing my skills for the last 5 weeks, drawing the Eggwich each and every time!"
Yuuna, Blair and Syrus gape at him.
"Every time?!" Syrus shouts.
Impossible!
"So it was you!" Yuuna points an accusing finger at him. "You were the one who told my Eggwiches!"
"I told nothing! I was once a horrible drawer, but when I came to nature, I got better!" Damon scowls, holding a hand over his chest. "I have drawn the Eggwich each and every time, fair and square, but it's not enough!" He pounds his fist on his chest. "In order to prove that I'm truly a mighty drawer and to return to Duel Academy triumphant, I must defeat the man who drove me out here in the first place!"
Syrus whimpers. Oh no, please don't tell him-
"I must defeat the Kaiser, Zane Truesdale!" Damon points behind him, where Zane is still paying on the ground, passed out. "But he won't wake up and Duel me!"
Syrus, Blair and Yuuna stare at him, silent.
The three of them all turn to each other, as if reaffirming with one another that this guy is crazy, right?
"I haven't got all night, Kaiser, come on!" Damon scowls.
Then he grabs a massive bolder and gives a giant roar, lifting it up and aiming at Zane-
"WAIT!" Syrus shouts.
Damon stops and turns to him. "WHAT?!"
"Duel me instead!" Syrus calls.
Yuuna and Blair gape at him.
Damon scowls and puts the bolder down. "Duel you? Why?"
Syrus gulps.
He doesn't have a plan. He doesn't know what he's doing. But he has to save his brother, even if Zane wouldn't do the same for him.
That's it!
"I, I'm Zane's little brother, Syrus!" Syrus stands tall and forces a fake smile. "I, I'm just as strong as Zane, he trained me personally! While we're waiting for him to wake up, you should Duel me!"
Damon narrows his eyes. "Really? Zane never told anyone he even had a little brother!"
Ouch. Well, Syrus will have to work with that.
"That's because he wanted to surprise everyone with how great I am!" Syrus holds up his arm, then points at Damon. "So what do you say, Damon?! Do you think you can beat the Kaiser's little brother?! Or are you just a big fat chicken who kidnaps people and steals sandwiches?!"
Yuuna and Blair gasp, looking between them wildly.
Damon roars and Syrus swears to God, there is fire in his eyes. "No one insults me! Let's Duel, little man!"
Syrus nods, then realises something.
He doesn't have his Duel Disk.
"Syrus, catch!"
Syrus turns around and catches Blair's Duel Disk, smiling at her. "Thanks!"
Blair gives him a thumbs up. "Go get him, Sy!"
"We believe in you!" Yuuna waves her arms.
Syrus's heart swells in his chest. His friends (no, his sisters) believe in him.
He turns back around, looking at what's in front of him: Damon standing like a brick wall and Zane on the ground, passed out.
Syrus straps in the Duel Disk and puts in his Deck.
He's going to prove to Zane that he belongs here, he's going to prove to Yuuna and Blair that their faith in him is not wasted, he's going to win this Duel no matter what it takes!
"DUEL!"
SYRUS TRUESDALE: 4000
DAMON TAIZAN: 4000
Zane comes back to the world of the living the way he always comes back these days; a nightmare about Atticus and Yusuke making him bolt awake, breathing hard as he looks around.
Shit. This isn't his room, he's not even in the Obelisk Blue Male Dorm or down by the docks. He's in the middle of the flipping forest.
His eyes catch on something red and he sees Yuuna Yuki standing there, with Blair Flannigan at her side and… Syrus standing in front of them, his cards drawn, his Duel Disk activated.
What the Hell is going on?
"I'll make you pay for kidnapping my big brother like this, Damon!" Syrus shouts. "No matter what, I'll save him!"
Save him? Kidnapping?
"Big words for such a little man."
Zane looks slightly more to his left and realises that Syrus might be onto something if the ripped tarzan guy standing in front of him is any indication. Great. Why is this happening to him? He refuses to deal with any of this craziness until he's had some coffee.
"Let's get things going, Damon!" Syrus points at him and then very obviously starts looking to the right, where there's more trees.
Zane can take a hint.
He gets up and walks away from Tarzan as quietly as he can, but the dude seems absorbed in his Duel with Syrus, which…
Zane stops to watch what Syrus will do.
He's got this look in his eyes Zane's never seen before.
Zane turns around and folds his arms to watch.
This'll be the first time he's seen Syrus Duel in a long time.
Let's see if his little brother has improved at all.
"I draw!" Syrus shouts.
Blair waves her arms. "Beat him up, Syrus!"
Yuuna calls. "You can do this!"
Yubel shakes their head. "I'll be surprised if he can."
Yuuna turns around, hissing. "Yubel, be nice."
"I am. We all know Syrus has confidence problems and there's a lot riding on this Duel. His brother's safety, his own reputation, living up to his brother's legend." Then they turn to the left. "Not to mention, Zane himself is watching this. Damon might not have noticed, but we all have."
Yuuna groans and bites her lip. They're right of course, a lot IS riding on this Duel, but she believes in Syrus. She knows he can do this.
"I summon Gyroid, in ATK mode!" Syrus calls, laying his card on his Duel Disk.
The little blue helicopter takes to the field, making a determined sound, showing it's 1000 ATK points.
"I'll lay a card facedown and that ends my turn." Syrus nods, standing tall and determined.
He gulps nervously.
"Just like the trees sway too and fro, I know what will come!" Damon declares, then he draws with a Tarzan yell.
Blair narrows her eyes. "Here it comes."
"I play a facedown and summon the card I draw, Drawler!" Damon slams his card on his disk, cups his mouth and yells.
With that, a stone creature takes to the field, with giant rolling pins for arms and legs and… no ATK points?
"What is that thing?" Syrus' eyes widen.
Yubel scowls, biting their lip. "Not friendly."
"Now, with every card in my hand that I return to my Deck, Drawler gains 500 ATK and DEF points." Damon then slides his entire hand into his Deck. "I return 4 cards!"
Yuuna gasps. "That's all his cards!"
"Oh man." Syrus whimpers. "That Drawler's Decked out now."
Drawler glows orange as his points increase to 2000 ATK.
Yuuna grits her teeth. "And he's coming right for Gyroid!"
Gyroid makes a sound of defence, spinning his propeller.
"Drawler!" Damon raises his arm. "Attack Gyroid! Stone roll wrecker!"
Drawler charges ahead and aims for Gyroid-
"You should know something about my Gyroid, Damon!" Syrus calls. "Once per turn, he can't be destroyed by battle!"
Yuuna gasps.
Blair hums. "Wow, I'm actually impressed."
Yubel raises an eyebrow. "Why isn't he in DEF mode then?"
Damon chuckles. "You should also know something about my Drawler, little man."
Drawler continues to charge ahead and rolls over Gyroid, flattening him like paper.
"The monsters Drawler defeats in ATK mode go to the bottom of your Deck, not your Graveyard!" Damon laughs.
Syrus gasps.
Gyroid bursts into pixels.
SYRUS TRUESDALE: 3000
DAMON TAIZAN: 4000
"Oh man." Syrus gulps.
Yunna bites her lip. "Come on, Sy."
He's getting nervous and worried. What can she say to help him?
"Kick his ass, Syrus, remember, you can do this!" Blair shouts, waving her arms. "This stupid monkey man's got nothing on you!"
Damon growls and shouts, pointing at her. "How rude! Who taught you your fucking manners, little girl?!"
Yuuna growls and steps in front of Blair. "Don't talk to my sister that way!"
Yubel sighs, holding their nose and shaking their head. "What a mess."
Zane scowls at them from where he's standing, arms folded. He'd probably agree with them if he could hear them.
Syrus takes a deep breath and tries to focus. He can do this. He just has to beat that Drawler somehow. Come on, everyone's counting on him.
Syrus looks at his hand once again, trying to come up with a solution. No good, he needs to draw something good right now, or he's in trouble.
He puts his hands on his Deck and tries to remember what Yuuna always says.
"Syrus Truesdale is a capable Duelist!"
He is a capable Duelist. He is a capable Duelist. He is a capable Duelist!
And he's going to draw the card he needs right-
"Now!" Syrus draws. "I draw!"
He looks at his card and gasps.
He actually got it.
Syrus holds his cards up high. "I play Polymerization and Fusion Summon-"
Rescueroid and Ambulanceroid go into the fusion vortex.
"Ambulance Rescueroid!" Syrus calls.
His monster appears on the field, the bright red truck with a white stripe running through it's paint job, with 10 wheels and 2300 ATK points.
"Alright! That machine's got a few more ATK points than Drawler, it's game over for that wrecking ball!" Yuuna cheers.
Syrus nods. She's right, but he thinks he can do a little better than that.
"And because I didn't use my normal summon, I'm allowed to bring out my Jetroid, in ATK mode!" Syrus plays his card.
His light red, pink-ish jet plane takes to the field on it's wheels, revving it's engine with it's 1200 ATK points.
Blair gasps. "That's awesome, Syrus!"
Syrus's chest puffs up in pride and he glances to the left, where his brother is standing.
Zane of course isn't impressed. Syrus doesn't know why he would be. He's just standing there, arms folded, judging him like always.
Syrus scowls. Enough of that. He won't let Zane worry him anymore!
"Ambulance Rescueroid, attack Drawler!" Syrus orders.
Ambulance Rescueroid starts blaring it's sirens and charges ahead, headbutting Drawler and sending him on his back, bursting into pixels.
SYRUS TRUESDALE: 3000
DAMON TAIZAN: 3700
"Jetroid, direct attack!" Syrus keeps it coming.
Jetroid folds up his wheels and flies straight at Damon, making him give a Tarzan yell.
SYRUS TRUESDALE: 3000
DAMON TAIZAN: 2500
Yuuna cheers. "You're doing great sweetie!"
"Keep it up, keep it up!" Blair claps, laughing.
Syrus looks over his shoulder, blinking.
Yuuna is cupping her mouth, while Blair is waving her arms, both of them with million watt smiles. They've always believed in him. They're finally seeing him being the kind of Duelist he never thought he could be. They're the ones who've always supported him.
Syrus looks to his brother.
Zane is still standing there, his arms folded, still looking at him with that unimpressed look. But when was the last time that Zane supported him? When did Zane last believe in him? Zane hasn't.
Syrus straightens and looks at Damon.
He's got to focus. He doesn't need his brother's approval. He just needs to win.
"I activate a Trap!" Damon calls. "Miracle Draw!"
Syrus gasps, stiffening up. Oh no.
"I declare a card name before my Draw phrase and if I draw the card I called, you take 1000 points of damage!" Damon pounds his chest. "But if I guessed wrong, I'll take the damage!"
The Slifer Reds gasp.
"He's guessing what he's going to draw?" Syrus tilts his head.
"That's such a risky play." Blair murmurs. "There's at least 40 cards in that Deck."
Yuuna wriggles and hums in excitement. "Oh this is getting exciting, I think I'm gonna die!"
Syrus sweat-drops. She thinks this is exciting? Only Yuuna would, haha.
Damon puts his fingers over his cards, closes his eyes and tilts back his head.
Syrus gulps.
"I will draw Card Loan!" Damon declares and draws-
Card Loan.
"He's right?!" Syrus gasps.
"No way!" Yuuna calls.
"This is getting weird." Blair scowls.
And to make matters worse, Syrus is about to pay for it!
"Now you take 1000 points of damage!" Damon hits a button on his Duel Disk.
Syrus yelps as electricity lightly singes him.
SYRUS TRUESDALE: 2000
DAMON TAIZAN: 2500
"Syrus!" Blair and Yuuna call.
"Now I'll activate Card Loan!" Damon calls. "I'm allowed to draw one card by giving you 1000 of my Life Points, but I must return that card to my Deck at the end of the turn."
Syrus blinks. "Huh?"
SYRUS TRUESDALE: 3000
DAMON TAIZAN: 1500
"What's the point of that?" Yuuna narrows her eyes.
Blair grits her teeth. "He must be pretty sure about what he's going to draw. It must be worth it."
Damon looks at his card and grins. "I play Card of Sanctity! Now we draw until we both have 6 cards!"
Syrus gulps as he draws. Oh man, now Damon's got even more to throw at him.
"And now I play Drawber!" Damon calls, slipping a spell card into the slot. "Now you draw and I guess what it is! And if I'm right, all the cards on your Field and in your Hand go back to your Deck!"
Syrus whimpers.
Yuuna gasps. "Oh my. That'll leave Syrus without anything."
Blair scoffs. "There's no way he can guess right again, he doesn't even know Syrus' Deck!"
Syrus nods. She's right, he just, he has to keep calm. He can do this. He's got over 40 cards in his own Deck, there's no way Damon can guess right.
"You will draw De-Fusion!" Damon declares.
Syrus whimpers and draws-
De-Fusion.
"He's right again?!" Syrus yelps.
Yuuna laughs. "Oh wow."
"That's impossible!" Blair calls.
Damon chuckles. "I never guess wrong. Now back to the Deck!"
Syrus sighs as he pulls all the cards off his field and then puts his entire Hand back into his Deck, shuffling it properly. At least Damon doesn't have anything on his field that'll attack him.
"I summon Card Trooper to the field in ATK mode!" Damon calls.
A little robot takes to the field with a blue bottom and a red top, plus 400 points.
"When I send cards from my Deck to the Graveyard, Card Trooper gains 500 ATK points for each." Damon then draws. "I discard 3 cards!"
Yuuna slaps herself. "No, not again!"
Syrus groans.
Card Trooper glows purple, growing in size as his points rise to 1900 ATK.
"Card Trooper! Attack!" Damon points high and then at Syrus.
Card Trooper raises it's two blaster arms and fires at him, Syrus screaming as the explosions go off.
SYRUS TRUESDALE: 1100
DAMON TAIZAN: 1500
Syrus falls to his knees, looking up at Damon, shaking.
"Syrus!" Blair and Yuuna call.
Damon scowls. "These are the skills of the Kaiser's little brother? I'm insulted."
Syrus gasps, looking over at Zane.
Who's looking at Damon, his arms still folded, having written Syrus off already.
"I can see exactly why he never spoke about you. You're a horrible Duelist and you should just give up already! You're wasting my time!" Damon looks over his shoulder.
No!
Damon yelps and looks around. "Where's the Kaiser?!"
Zane sighs. "Right here, you dolt."
Syrus winces. Oh no, this is going to get ugly.
Damon yells. "Ah-ha! Fight me, Kaiser!"
Zane lowers his head, eyes closing. "I don't see why I should."
"Huh?!" Damon stomps his foot.
Zane lifts his head, eyes opening. "You can't even defeat the opponent in front of you. So why should I Duel someone who shows such blatant disrespect?"
Syrus' eyes widen.
Is Zane… defending him? No, that's not it. He…
Suddenly, Syrus remembers middle school. Remembers the Duelist Zane became after he went to that special Cyber Dojo. Remembers who Zane was before he lost his friends.
"Zane, what's the most important thing about being a Duelist?" Syrus called.
Zane hummed, then opened his eyes. "Respect. You have to acknowledge your opponent and the moves they use against you. Even if they seem useless or aren't the best plays, there is something to be learned from every opponent you battle, every move they make, every card they draw. But you won't learn anything unless you have the respect to acknowledge who's in front of you."
Syrus stared at his brother in awe.
Respect was the most important thing to Zane as a Duelist. Syrus isn't sure if he still believes that, not after he lost his friends to whatever happened in their second year.
But the Zane in front of him is starting to sound like the big brother he used to know.
Zane looks over at him right in the eye.
Syrus stands straighter.
"It's your move, Syrus." Zane lifts his head slightly. "You going to stand there all day?"
Syrus shakes his head. "No."
He turns towards Damon, who is fuming, his fists shaking.
"Let's keep Duelling, Damon!" Syrus calls. "I draw!"
He gasps.
He can't believe it.
Syrus throws his card high. "I play my own Card of Sanctity and so, we draw!"
Yuuna laughs and punches a hand into her fist. "Alright! We're still in this!"
"Kick ass, Syrus!" Blair calls.
Syrus and Damon draw their cards.
Syrus gasps.
He…
He drew Power Bond.
Syrus looks at the field, really, really looks at the field.
There's Card Trooper, with 1900 ATK points. There's Miracle Draw, which will likely deal him 1000 points of damage if he lets Damon have another turn. Damon has 4 cards in his hand, but unless there's a Quick-Play Spell in there, he won't be able to use them on Syrus's turn. Which it is now.
This is his moment. This is when he finally proves to Zane he knows how to play a card instead of just how to use one. This is when he finally shows Blair and Yuuna that they weren't wrong to put their faith in him. This is when he finally takes back his confidence, takes back this Duel and shows everyone here what he's really made of.
"I play Power Bond!" Syrus calls.
Blair and Yuuna gasp.
"With this spell card, I can Fusion Summon a machine type monster!" Syrus discards the right ones. "From Gyroid and Steamroid comes-"
They disappear into the vortex and a new monster arrives.
"Steam Gyroid!" Syrus punches the air.
Steam Gyroid takes to the field, with a steam train's general body shape, an airplane's propellers and 2200 ATK points.
"And because I used Power Bond, Steam Gyroid's ATK points are doubled!" Syrus points at his monster.
Damon shouts. "WHAT?!"
Steam Gyroid blows it's train whistle, points doubling to 4400 ATK.
"Steam Gyroid, attack Card Trooper and win this Duel!" Syrus yells.
Steam Gyroid blows it's whistle and starts spinning it's propellers, aiming a wind attack right at Card Trooper, who's destroyed on the spot.
SYRUS TRUESDALE: 1100
DAMON TAIZAN: 0
WINNER: SYRUS TRUESDALE
"I… lose?" Damon murmurs.
Then he falls to his knees as the holograms disappear.
Syrus stares at the field for a bit, holding his breath. "I… won?"
He can't believe it.
"You won!" Yuuna cheers.
Syrus turns around, just in time for Blair and Yuuna to charge at him and hug him. The three of them are laughing while Damon is still on the floor and Syrus is so happy.
He won. He won!
"Syrus."
The three of them stop, turning to look at Zane, who marches towards them.
Syrus gulps. Oh no.
Blair scowls and subtly stands in front of him, then Yuuna does the same, her arm out between the two of them.
Syrus looks between the two, grateful to their support.
With those two here, he can handle Zane.
Who comes to a stop in front of them, looking down at all three of them.
It's quiet for a while, besides the rustle of the trees and the whispering of the wind.
"Good job." Zane nods.
Syrus, Blair and Yuuna gape at him.
"D-did you just?" Blair stutters.
Zane narrows his eyes. "Don't mention this to anyone kid."
With that, he walks off towards the Obelisk Blue Male Dorm, leaving three silent Slifers and one wild man.
"Whoa." Yuuna smiles and ruffles his hair. "Zane actually complimented you! Congrats, man!"
Syrus laughs and smiles at her, then turns around to Damon, who is staring at where Zane stood, looking lost and defeated.
Syrus walks over to him. "Damon?"
Damon lifts his head. "What?"
Syrus smiles and offers his hand. "Good game. You're really talented and I'm sure that even if you couldn't beat me or my brother today, there's no reason why you won't in the future."
Damon blinks at him. "You really think so, Syrus?"
"Yeah." Syrus nods. "I mean, you are really strong!"
"I gotta admit, I've never heard of a Duelist who can do what you do." Blair nods.
Yuuna jumps up and down on the spot. "Yeah, yeah, that was crazy how you could make such accurate predictions! You're insane, I wanna Duel you some time!"
Blair snorts. "Yuuna, you'd Duel a plant if it could."
Yuuna giggles and gives her a peace sign. "And I'm proud of that fact."
Syrus laughs, happy and light, his heart soft.
"Thank you, Syrus." Damon nods, smiling softly.
Syrus flushes and smiles, looking at his feet. "No problem. I guess I'll see you around."
Damon nods and offers his fist. "You bet."
Syrus grins and returns the fist bump.
Blair yawns. "Now let's all go to bed."
Syrus nods and with that, the Slifer Reds go home.
One week later finds Syrus, Yuuna and Blair racing for the crate once more, surrounded by various students hoping for their lucky shot.
One of them being Damon, who's gotten into a uniform that somehow fits his massive physique and a slightly trimmed hair cut.
"Hey Damon." Syrus calls.
Damon turns to him and laughs. "Syrus, hi!"
Yuuna smiles. "Anyone found the Eggwich yet?"
Dorothy giggles. "No, not yet. You lot are welcome to try your luck."
Yuuna laughs. "I don't need luck!"
"Neither do I." Damon rolls up his sleeves.
Blair rolls her eyes. "You're going to get food poisoning."
Damon and Yuuna reach into the crate-
"I got it!"
They all turn their heads to see Mindy laughing as she holds it up high.
Jasmine claps for her. "Mindy, you're amazing, I'm so proud of you!"
"I wouldn't have done it without your lucky bracelet." Mindy smiles, holding up her wrist where a silver band rests around it. "Wanna share this?"
Jasmine smiles and takes Mindy's other hand. "I would love to."
With that, the happy couple walk away, leaving the rest of the room gaping at them.