Glad he had been moved to the semi finals and glad to have sometime to rest before he would have to Duel again, Jaden returned to the preparation room, finding that while the majority of Duelists had left, his friends had stayed behind.

Joey: Hey way to go, Jaden. You put PaniK in his place.

Jasmine: You looked super brave out there.

Mindy: And super cool.

Jaden: thanks guys. Someone needed to stop him and I wasn't going to let him ruin everyone's fun.

Chazz: I admit you did a decent job handling that brute. I just hope you put that same effort in our Duel. Just don't expect to be on the winning side when you face the full wrath of The Chazz.

From Chazz's overconfidence, Jaden smiled back.

Jaden: If we do throw down in the final, let's give it our all.

Keeping his smile, Jaden then turned to look at Joey, Hassleberry, Alexis, Chazz, Jesse and Aster.

Jaden: That goes for all of you. Let's give the fans a great Duel, one like they've never seen before.

All inspired by Jaden's words, Alexis and the others all nodded and smile in reply, ready to Duel.

But before they could, they had to wait, finding that though it hadn't been long, Zane and Axel had managed to call out some of their best Monsters.

Aster: Seems they're really fired up after your Duel, Jay.

Alexis: Can you blame them? Jaden's matches just have that effect on everyone.

In agreement with Aster and Alexis' remarks, all watched as the Duel between Zane and Axel progressed, finding that while Zane had Summoned Cyber End Dragon, Axel refused to back down, using his Volcanic Force Trap Card to bring out Volcanic Doomfire.

Progressing, Zane and Axel found themselves each hanging on with 1000 Life Points each, with Zane drawing and making his move.

Zane: Volcanic Doomfire is an impressive Monster, but with only 3000 Attack Points, it's no match for me. Cyber End Dragon, Attack!

Raising its three heads, each opened their maws and releasing a stream of energy at Doomfire.

Axel: I don't think so! I reveal my face-down: Flaming Barbed Wire.

Revealing his face-down Spell, a barricaded of flaming metal appeared before Doomfire, taking the hit.

Axel: With Flaming Barbed Wire, your Attack is cancelled out and your Monster is forced into Defence mode.

With the later of his Spell's effect revealed, the burning wires shot around and pierced into Cyber End Dragon, causing it to roar from the pain, leaving it immoble and vulnerable to Attacks.

Zane: I'll end with two face-downs.

With Zane's move over, Axel drew and began his own

Axel: Doomfire, Destroy Cyber End Dragon! Volcanic Cannon!

Giving a fearsome roar to the command, Doomfire allowed an intense inferno to brew in its maw, before casting the growing surge of flame forth at Cyber End Dragon.

But being the top ranking Duelist he was, Zane had a counter all setup.

Zane: I play De-Fusion, returning the three Cyber Dragons I used to Summon Cyber End Dragon.

Splitting apart in a flash of light, the flames of Volcanic Doomfire shot past the trio of Cyber Dragons, alongside Zane, who gave a small smile at the attempt to try and overpower him.

Axel: Not bad. But let's see if yo can keep it up.

Ending his turn with two face-downs of his own, Axel waited for Zane to make his move.

And after Zane drew, Axel was ready.

Axel: I play my Trap: Draw Blast. Since you drew, this Trap automatically deals you 1000 Points of Damage.

His Trap revealed and in effect, the blast from the Card shot at Zane, the sight looking as though it appeared to be over.

However...

Zane: I play Damage Polarizer!

Revealing the second face-down, a sudden barrier of green light appeared before Zane, blocking the flaming bombardment of Draw Blast, much to Axel's confusion.

Axel: But how?

Zane: Damage Polarizer negates any Damage I would take from an Effect Card. Afterward, we each draw one Card.

As the barrier around Zane died down, both Duelists drew the top Cards from their Decks, the outcome of which caused Zane to smile at what he now held.

Zane: You were a worthy opponent, Axel, but now it's time to end this match. I activate Polymerization. I fuse my three Cyber Dragons to bring forth Chimeratech Fortress Dragon! (ATK: 0)

Expecting Zane to bring out his secondary Cyber End Dragon, even having set Bottomless Traphole before hand, Axel found himself in confusion as to why Zane would Summon a Monster lacking a single Attack Point.

But before he could ask, Zane cut in with a determined call.

Zane: Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, Attack Volcanic Doomfire!

Doing as commanded of its Summoner, Chimeratech Fortress Dragon opened its maw, releasing a wave of sonic energy, which Doomfire dispatched with its claws and retaliated, throwing back the energies alongside its own growing fires.

But striking Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, Zane and his Monster showed no signs of Damage.

Zane: Due to Chimeratech Fortress Dragon's power, it cannot be Destroyed in Battle, nor do I take any Damage. However, you now lose 400 Life Points since Chimeratech Fortress Dragon Attacked.

Groaning at his loss, Axel remained focused.

Zane: there's one last thing. Chimeratech Fortress Dragon can Attack each time for each Monster I used to Summon it.

His eyes widening in shock and realization, Axel could only watch as the ports which made up Chimeratech Fortress Dragon's body opened up, revealing two of the three Cyber Dragons, each gathering the same sonic energy Chimeratech Fortress Dragon had just fired.

Zane: Attack!

Remaining loyal to Zane, Chimeratech Fortress Dragon followed the command as the pair of Cyber Dragons each released their Attacks, blasting through Doomfire and striking Axel, costing him 600 Life Points and the Duel.

But still motivated by Jaden's good nature, Zane and Axel showed no resentment for the other, both just glad to have been able to participate against one another, the sight of which caused Jaden to smile.

Roland: Though it was close, our winner is Zane Truesdale!

With the announcement and Zane's spot placed within the semi finals, the crowd all cheered, both supporting Zane alongside Axel, all looking forward to the next Duels that would come, while Zane and Axel headed on back.

Jaden: Way to throw down, guys. That was one close Duel.

Axel: While I do agree with you, Jaden, I think the crowd has taken more of a shine to you.

Gesturing to the monitors behind Jaden, the HERO Duelist turned, finding the cameras set along the audience showing many supporting Jaden in their own way, with many of the younger female fans holding signs with Jaden's name and a heart symbol upon it.

Jesse: Looks like Jaden's becoming quite the ladies man.

Embarrassed by all the attention upon him, Jaden couldn't help but rub his head modestly, failing to notice that though she was smiling, there was small twitch in her crossed arms as Alexis looked between the brunette and his growing female fanbase.

And while Jaden was about to say something, still embarrassed by Jesse's teasing, they then saw the screen showing Roland, who stood by Kaiba's side, announcing the next of the tournament.

Roland: Here are the Duelists that are going to the semifinals: Jaden Yuki, Joey Wheeler, Zane Truesdale,Tyranno Hassleberry, Alexis Rhodes, Chazz Princeton, Aster Phoenix and Jesse Anderson! And as per both the audience's vote, alongside Seto Kaiba's orders, I am pleased to announce that Jaden Yuki will make a return, going up against Joey Wheeler.

Seeing the image of Jaden and Joey clashing, the chance taking Duelist gave a grin.

Joey: Looks like we're up, Jaden. Let's give the audience a Duel they'll never forget.

Though Jaden was a little surprised to be called so suddenly, having just defeated PaniK not too long ago, wanting to give the audience what they wanted and to see if he could hold his own against Joey, Jaden wasted no time and got into Duel mode, following Joey as both returned to the centre of the arena and prepared to Duel.

Jaden: Let's give everyone a great Duel, so don't hold back.

Joey nodded in reply, activating his Duel Disc and setting the counter to 8000, an action Jaden quickly

With Joey and Jaden set up and ready to Duel, from his vantage point Kaiba kept a silent distance as he thought.

Kaiba: There's no way I'm allowing myself to disgrace this tournament any further by having Wheeler as part of it. If Jaden's skills are as good as I have seen so far, than Wheeler will be slinking out of here like the dog he is in no time.

Jaden/Joey: Duel!

Jaden: I'll start off. (Draws) I Summon Elemental HERO Wildheart in Attack mode. (ATK:1500) I then play two Cards face down end my turn.

Joey: (Draws) I play Arduous Decision. Now I draw two more Cards, however, you select one and if it's a Monster I can Summon it, no questions asked.

Drawing the top two Cards from his Deck, Joey held the pair in his right hand, giving Jaden a fifty fifty guess.

Jaden: The one on the right.

Smiling at Jaden's call, Joey revealed the Card, revealing it to be Jinzo. (ATK: 2400)

Joey: Looks like Jinzo gets to come out and play.

Placing the Card on his Duel Disc, Jinzo appears, his eyes light up, shooting forth beams of red coloured energy.

Jaden: I activate my face down: Lost Wind! And with this Trap, Jinzo loses his abilities!

Revealing his Trap, Joey is astounded, watching as the Trap produces a powerful barrier of wind around Jaden and his Cards, before a similar wind encircles Jinzo, taking away his power and half his Attack. (ATK: 2400 → 1250)

Joey: I might've lost Jinzo's power to Destroy Traps, but he can still fight.

Joey: I Summon Blue Flame Swordsman. (ATK: 1800) Swordsman, Attack Wildheart with Blue Flaming Sword of Battle!

Igniting his blade in blue flame, Blue Flame Swordsman threw his arms and the blade down, releasing the torrent of flame upon Wildheart, Destroying the HERO Monster and dealing 300 Points of Damage.

Joey: And there's more where that came from. Jinzo, move in for a direct Attack!

Complying with Joey's call, Jinzo uncrossed his arms, gathering a ball of sparking energy within his hand, which he then threw at Jaden, the force causing Jaden to groan a little from the electrical Attack coursing around him, while his Life Points dropped to 6450.

Joey: I'll place three Cards face-down and call it a turn, which means you're up, Jaden. Now show me what you've got.

Current Scores

Jaden: 6450

Joey: 8000

From the sides, the crowd was impressed at the opening moves Jaden and Joey gave.

Mokuba: It seems Joey's taking the lead.

Kaiba: It's just dumb luck that Wheeler pulled off such a move, and I empathize on the word dumb.

Back to the Duel, despite his loss, Jaden kept smiling.

Jaden: Sweet move, Joey, but check this out. (Draws) I activate Pot of Greed. (Draws 2) Then I Summon Elemental HERO Liquid Soldier. (Def: 1300) And with his superpower, I can bring back a Level 4 or lower HERO back from the graveyard. Wildheart, welcome back to the Duel.

Through the power of his fellow HERO, Wildheart returned to the Field, his hand prepped on his blade as he awaited to Attack.

Jaden: then i active my spell polymerization i fuse wildhart with bladedge from my hand to fusion summon Elemental Hero Wildedge

Joey: Impressive Monster. Too bad his appearance set of my Trap Card: Celebration of Creation. You see, this Trap can only be used when a Monster is Summoned using a Spell or Trap Card, which instantly ends your move.

Jaden: Nice move.

Joey: Thanks, pal. And you better believe me and my Deck have plenty more. (Draws and smiled at the outcome) I Summon Cyber Harpie! (ATK: 1800)

Joey: I used this Monster a few years back, now she's a permanent part of my Deck. (Looking upon Cyber Harpie's hologram, Joey continued to give more of a sweet and endearing smile) It's kind of like Mai's heart is in my Cards.

Joey: And just like Mai, she packs a real punch. Cyber Harpie, Attack Wildedge!

Spreading her wings out to reveal her electrified whip, Cyber Harpie lunges herself at Wildedge with a fearsome screech.

Jaden: I activate my face down: Negate Attack!

His Trap revealed, a barrier of clear energy produces itself between Cyber Harpie and Wildegde, preventing their clash from continuing.

Joey: Cyber Harpie was no match for Wildege, so why'd you stop the Attack?

Jaden: After the emotion you put into bringing her out, there was no way you'd let Cyber Harpie take a dive. My guess, those face-downs would do something to leave Cyber Harpie on top and Wildedge in the Graveyard.

Joey: You'll just have to find out. I end with two face-downs.

Jaden: My move! (Draws)

Joey: Before you go, I play my Trap: Drop Off. Now the Card you just drew goes straight to the Graveyard.

With no countermeasures set up, Jaden nodded as he placed Necro Gardna in his Duel Disc Graveyard.

Jaden: I activate my spell Heavy Storm, which Destroys all Spells and Traps on the Field.

Through the effects of Heavy Storm, a strong wind circles around Joey as it begins to Destroy his face-downs.

But through the intense winds, Joey spoke up.

Joey: I was savin' these for later, but it's better they don't go to waste. I reveal my face-downs!

Revealing the four face-downs, with the first: Chasm of Spikes shattering apart, Jaden finds the line of Joey's face-downs included, Graceful Dice, Skull Dice and Graverobber.

Joey: With Graceful Dice, the higher the outcome, the more Attack power I can give to Cyber Harpie. As for Skull Dice, Wildedge is about to lose his winning edge.

Through the storm, the angelic and devilish figures emerge from the set of dice Cards, each throwing their dies down, with Graceful Dice landing on a six, not only causing Joey to smile, but it also gave Cyber Harpie a 3000 Attack bonus, which caused Cyber Harpie to give a proud cry at her Attack boost. (ATK: 1800 → 4800)

And though Skull Dice's outcome was one, with Wildedge unaffected by the decreasing effects, Joey gave a continued confident smile.

Joey: Time for Plan B. With Graverobber, I'll help myself to your Lost Wind Trap and activate it!

Before the final of Joey's Cards were Destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, the mischievous graverobber revealed itself, turning the Card it was holding around to reveal Jaden's Lost Wind Trap, blowing a powerful gust that cut Wildedge's Attack to 1300 and took away his abilities.

Jaden: I'll throw a face down and end my turn.

Joey: Let's see what lady luck has for me this round. (Draws) To start off, I play Pot of Greed. (Draws 2) And now it's time for round two. Cyber Harpie, Attack Wildedge!

Brining her whip out again, Cyber Harpie reeled the electrified weapon back, throwing her arm forward and bringing her whip toward Wildege.

Jaden: I activate Necro Gardna's effect. By banishing him from my Graveyard, Wildedge is safe.

Removing Necro Gardna from his Duel Disc, Necro Gardna's spirit form appeared before Wildedge, using itself as a shield against Cyber Harpie's Attack.

Joey: Good move, but I still have my Blue Flame Swordsman and Jinzo to help me win.

Joey: I use Swordsman's ability, by giving up 1500 of his Attack Points, those Points are given to Jinzo! (Lowering his own Attack to a mere 300, Blue Flame Swordsman's power then course through Jinzo. ATK: 1250 → 2750)

Jaden: I activate my Trap: Mirror Force!

Revealing his Trap Card, another clear barricade appeared before Jaden, but opposed to Negate Attack's repelling effects, the barrier took in Jinzo's energies, spread them out and fired them back alongside Joey's side, Destroying Jinzo, Blue Flame Swordsman and Cyber Harpie, much to Joey's distress.

Joey: My Monsters might be gone, but when Blue Flame Swordsman's flame perishes, it brings an old flame to the Duel.

Reacting to the effects of Blue Flame Swordsman, with a lone blue flame still hovering just before him, Joey's Deck shuffled, sliding the top Card for Joey to place on his Duel Disc, which caused the blue flame to grow, changing to a bright amber flame that burst to reveal the Flame Swordsman. (ATK: 1800)

Joey: I'll play two face-downs and call it a turn.

Jaden: (Draws) I activate the Spell: Card of Sanctity, which means we both draw up to six new Cards.

Both having no Cards in their hands, Joey and Jaden each drew six Cards, both smiling at what they now held.

Jaden: Next up, I activate Monster Reborn. This lets me bring back any Monster from the Graveyard, so let's give a warm return to Jinzo!

Returning to the Field, Joey gave some nervousness to see his Monster now against him, watching as Jinzo's eyes lit up, his beams tearing through the face-down on his right, revealing the remains to be Magical Arm Shield.

Jaden: Now I tribute Jinzo and Liquid Soldier to summon my good friend, Elemental HERO Neos! (ATK: 2500)

Offering themselves up, both Jinzo and Liquid Soldier faded, replaced by the lead Neo Spacian, his appearance not only causing Joey to smile, but the audience to cheer.

Jaden: Looks like you've got some fans, Neos. And I'm not done, I activate De-Fusion on Wildedge to bring back Wildheart and Bladedge.

Disengaging their combined form, Wildheart and Bladedge return to the Field, their appearance not only giving Jaden three powerful Monsters, but a continued applause from those watching the Duel.

Jaden: Bladedge, Attack Flame Swordsman!

Reacting immediately to Jaden's command, Bladedge readied his arms, lunging himself as he prepared to slice Flame Swordsman apart.

Joey: Not so fast! You might've Destroyed my Traps, but I have another trick up my sleeve. Go, Copycat! With this, I can use any Card you've played, so I'll use Copycat, but play it as Mirror Force!

Changing its appearance, Joey's Card then took on the appearance of Jaden's Trap Card, causing a barrier to appear before Flame Swordsman, a barrier Bladedge found he could penetrate and instead found his own power then used against him, thrown back and Destroying him, alongside Neos.

But with the loss, Joey was somewhat confused to see Wildheart still on the Field.

Joey: What's goin' on? How come Wildheart didn't go down?

Jaden: Wildheart's ability makes him impervious to all Trap effects, even ones originally used by me. I'll set two Cards face down and end my turn.

Joey: (Draws)

Jaden: Hold on. Before you make your move, I activate my face down: Jar of Avarice. This Trap lets me choose any five cards from graveyard and add them to my deck, afterward I get to draw a Card.

Sliding from out his Duel Disc Graveyard, the Cards: Mirror Force, Neos, Card of Sanctity, De-Fusion and monsters reborn return, which Jaden places back in his Deck and shuffles, before making his draw.

Joey: Now that you're done, check this out. I play Giant Trunade, which blows away all the Cards on the Field back to our hands.

Through the winds circling both Duelists, Jaden and Joey each withdraw the face-down Cards they set the previous turns, before Joey continued.

Joey: Next up, I play Dark Dragon Ritual. By sacrificing Flame Swordsman, I can call out the Knight of Dark Dragon! (ATK: 1900)

Placing his Ritual Spell in his Duel Disc and offering his Monster, the Flame Swordsman rose upon an alter, before he was engulfed in flames, which then darkened, taking to a pitch black as the Knight of Dark Dragon emerged from the darkening blaze.

Joey: And to join my Knight of Dark Dragon, I Summon Goblin Attack Force. (ATK: 2300) Goblins, take the lead and take down Wildheart!

Acting in force, the troop of goblin warriors all charged at Wildheart, overwhelming and Destroying Jaden's Monster, lowering his Life Points by 800.

But due to their effect, the Goblin Attack Force then switched to Defence mode, taking on a more relaxed, even lazy stance. (DEF: 0)

Joey: Now it's your turn, my knight. Attack Jaden directly!

Grasping his blade in both hands, Knight of Dark Dragon gave a powerful swing as he slammed his blade against Jaden's Duel Disc, lowering his Life Points down to 3750.

Joey: Now, I sacrifice Knight of Dark Dragon so I can Summon my ace in the hole, the one and only Red-Eyes Black Dragon! (ATK: 2400)

Sending the Knight of Dark Dragon to his Graveyard, Joey's signature Monster arose, giving a proud and fearsome cry as it made its appearance.

And though Jaden had faced Red-Eyes, as well as a few of its counterparts in previous Duels, seeing it played by Joey was something else.

Joey: Since I used Knight of Dark Dragon to Summon Red-Eyes, it can't Attack this round, but who said it needs to Attack to deal Damage? I activate the Spell: Inferno Fire Blast, which takes Red-Eyes' Attack and deals it as direct Damage.

His Spell taking effect, Red-Eyes gave another cry as it took flight, gathering flame in its mouth and fired, blasting Jaden's side of the Field and consuming the brunette within the inferno.

Joey: I'll end my turn with three face-downs.

While Joey kept a confident smile on his face, he remained cautious, knowing that a Duelist such as Jaden could draw anything and make a comeback in ways never seen before.

Joey: (Thinking) Ok, I've got Red-Eyes out and the Goblin Attack Force as back up, but I need to watch out. Seeing what Jaden did to Rex, Bandit Keith and PaniK, I just know he's got something big in store.

Current Scores:

Jaden: 1350

Joey: 8000

Jaden: (Draws) i activate my Neos Fusion. This Spell Card let's me fuse two Monsters from my Deck or hand, so long as one of them is Neos. So I fuse Neos with Rainbow Dragon to summon Rainbow Neos! (ATK: 4500)

Combining the two Monsters within his Deck, the shining form of Rainbow Neos then appeared in a great light before Jaden.

Jaden: I place two Cards face down, then I activate Rainbow Neos' ability. By sending one of my face-downs to the Graveyard, all of your Spells and Traps go back to ur deck.

Sacrificing his face-down: (hero signal), Joey was unable to stop Rainbow Neos' effect, finding his face-downs were wiped off the Field and returned to his Deck, which was then shuffled, leaving Red-Eyes and Goblin Attack Force open to Attacks.

Jaden: Rainbow Neos, Attack Red-Eyes Black Dragon!

Gathering multi-coloured light into his fists, Rainbow Neos threw the gathering energies at Joey's signature Monster, Destroying it within a great and powerful blast.

Joey: Red-Eyes!

While losing one of his best Monsters, Joey found his Life Points quickly followed, losing a total of 2100.

Jaden: I'll end my turn.

Current Scores:

Jaden: 1350

Joey: 5900

While finding himself now up against one of Jaden's greater HERO Monsters, though Rainbow Neos held 4500 Attack Points, looking at the Cards in his hand and his Deck, Joey placed his faith in his draw.

Joey: (Draws) I play Roll of Fate. With this Spell, the higher the roll, the more Cards I get to draw. Here we go.

Playing his Spell, a three dimensional die rolled out of the Card, rolling between Jaden and Joey, who both awaited to see the outcome.

And seeing it land on a two, Joey then drew two new Cards, while discarding the second two Cards from the top of his Deck, the later of Roll of Fate's effect, discarding Axe Raider (ATK: 1700) and the Silver Dollar Trap Card.

Joey: (Thinking) Alright this could work.

Joey: I Summon Gearfried the Iron Knight. (ATK: 1800) Next, I'm switchin' the Attack Force back into Attack mode. (ATK: 2300)

Joey: With Gearfried on the Field, I can play the Spell: Release Restraint, breaking Gearfried from his iron armour and revealing his true form: Gearfried the Swordmaster! (ATK: 2600)

With Release Restraint, Gearfried broke free from his armour, shattering to bits, leaving him standing proudly as his true self, standing as a mighty warrior.

Joey: I now Equip Gearfried with Lightning Blade. Not only does this raise Gearfried's Attack by 800 Points, but whenever he's set with an Equip Card, his might can Destroy any Monster on the Field.

Grabbing hold of the Lightning Blade, Gearfried not only benefited from the Attack bonus, rasing his power to 3400, but with his own abilities, he swung his electrified blade forth, the lightning heading for Jaden's Rainbow Neos.

Jaden: I activate my face-down: De-Fusion!

Countering Gearfried's power, Neos and Rainbow Dragon disengaged from their Fusion form, just before the blast of thunder could take them down. (Neos DEF: 2000) (Rainbow Dragon ATK: 4500)

Joey: You might've saved Rainbow Neos, but Neos is another story. Gearfried, Attack Elemental HERO Neos!

Giving a second swing of his blade, Gearfried threw another wave of thunder at Jaden's side, striking Neos, who groaned as the electricity coursed through him, before shattering in a great blast.

And though Neos was in Defence Mode, losing no Life Points, Joey could see the Attack had an impact on Jaden.

Joey: Sorry 'bout harming Neos. I know he means a lot to ya.

Jaden: It's ok. Neos has faced a lot strong Monsters before, but he's always ready to return for the next battle.

Finding a continued respect for Jaden and his bond with his Cards, Joey nodded, both in understanding and his way to end his turn, having no other Cards in his hand to play.

And though Joey couldn't see them, the spirits of Neos and Red-Eyes were behind their respective Duelist, eager to fight for their Summoners when they could be recalled to the Field.

With his turn, knowing it could be his last, Jaden closed his eyes as he put his hand on he deck, trusting his Cards as he drew, smiling at the outcome.

Jaden: I activate my Spell: Card of Sanctity.

With both lacking a single Card, Jaden and Joey both drew six new Cards.

But from the smile Jaden gave, it was clear he had a winning hand.

Jaden: It's time to give everyone a good show, and I'll start off by playing Miracle Fusion. I now fuse Neos from the Graveyard alongside Rainbow Dragon. So let's all welcome back our good friend, Rainbow Neos!

With the return of Rainbow Neos, seeing Jaden using Cards on his Field and his Graveyard to call upon his Monster, the crowd continued their applause, impressed at the method used to recall such a powerful and astonishing Monster.

Jaden: I now Summon Elemental HERO Sparkman. (ATK: 1600) And now I activate my Field Spell: Neo Space.

Placing the Spell in his Duel Disc, from Jaden's side spread out a great mass of colours, spreading out to Joey's side of the Field and around the audience, captivating many at the flowing beauty.

Jaden: Thanks to Neo Space, Rainbow Neos gets a 500 Attack Point boost. (4500 → 5000) Next, I'm following with these two Spells. I'll start off with my first: Raigeki. So say goodbye to your Monsters.

Unleashing a devastating bolt of thunder upon Joey's side of the Field, there was nothing the chance taking Duelist could do but watch as Gearfried and Goblin Attack Force were struck down by the thunder, leaving Joey open to Rainbow Neos and his power.

Jaden: And to follow up, I play H - Heated Heart, which raises Rainbow Neos' Attack by another 500 Points. (ATK: 5000 → 5500)

The power of Jaden's Spells continuing to raise Rainbow Neos' Attack, Joey could only watch in awe, knowing what was coming.

Jaden: Sorry about this, Joey, but this had to end one way or another. Sparkman and Rainbow Neos Attack Joey's Life Points and end this duel!

Fueled by Jaden's mighty command, both HERO Monsters held nothing back, with Sparkman releasing a great blast of electricity from his hands, followed by Neos, who shot forth a secondary strike of rainbow energy at Joey, both Attacks colliding with the chance taking Duelist, causing him to slump to one knee as his Life Points hit 0.

But even though he had lost, his head slumped, Joey just smiled.

Ending Scores:

Jaden: 1350

Joey: 0

Joey: I guess that's game, right?

Finding Joey looking up at him with a smile, Jaden just smiled back, glad to have not only Dueled an opponent who enjoyed Duel Monsters almost as much as himself, but he too was glad at how good a match it was.

And while Jaden and Joey approached one another, shaking hands, from his view Kaiba gave a small scoff.

Kaiba: Now that I don't have to worry about Wheeler ruining my tournament, I can resume on the more worthy that oppose me.

Looking at Roland, Kaiba's right hand man nodded in understanding as he headed over to the arena as to officially announce Jaden's victory.

Roland: It was a close match, but our winner is Jaden Yuki!

With the applause that followed with Jaden's latest victory, the HERO Duelist and Joey headed off the stage, both smiling as they gave the audience a final wave.

But as Jaden and joey continued to walk back to preparation room, Jaden had to ask something growing on his mind.

Jaden: Joey, can I ask you something? How did you know that you had feelings for Mai?

From the question, Joey looked at Jaden, expressing a small smile, speaking with honesty and emotion.

Joey: I admit we didn't start off on the right path when we first met, but over the time we spent at Duelist Kingdom, we actually became friends. And it was only a few years back, after seeing how happy Téa made Yugi as his girlfriend, I realized I had that feeling when I thought about Mai. I thought long and hard about it and I knew that despite our rough patches, Mai is a smart, beautiful and amazing woman, one I want to spend the rest of my life with.

Listening to Joey, Jaden was a little surprised by the wisdom expressed by the chance taking Duelist, finding a continued respect growing for his newer of friends.

Joey: You know, in a way the relationship you have with your girlfriend reminds me of me and Mai.

With Joey's last remark, though knowing he was supportive, Jaden found himself blushing and quick to correct the misunderstanding.

Jaden: She... she's not my girlfriend... We're just friends...

Joey: My bad. It's just the way you two act around each other, you can understand how I misunderstood.

Glad the misunderstanding was cleared up, Jaden stopped walking and gave out a small sigh.

Jaden: How did you know when you had feelings for Mai? I ask because even though Alexis is just my friend, I suddenly have this warm feeling when I see her.

Joey: Like I said, after I saw the bond between Yugi and Téa, it made me wonder about that same happiness. It took me a while to find Mai, but after all the searching, she actually came to me. She showed up one night at my apartment and told me everything. And while I didn't know what to say, the way she kissed me gave me the words I needed, 'I love you, Mai'. I can understand your feelings and your confusion, but take a page from me and stop listening to your brain and just allow your heart to talk for you. Don't let doubt cloud your feelings.

Nodding to Joey's words, having a lot to think about, Jaden remained silent as he and Joey finally returned to their friends, with Mai being the first to congratulate the pair.

Mai: Wonderful comeback, Jaden. I really thought Joey had you there.

Giving Jaden a small supporting kiss on the cheek, Mai then moved over to Joey, wrapping her arms around him as she looked at him with a warm smile.

Mai: And tough luck, hon, but I'm sure you'll get him next time.

Smiling at Mai and her encouragement, Joey slid his head down, meeting Mai's lips in a warm kiss, the sight causing both Jaden and Alexis to both blush from their points of view, both thinking strongly on the words the couple had provided them.

Jaden: I was lucky I had Jar of Avarice to help me and bring back the Cards I needed. But Joey still gave me a great match. Plus, it was super sweet to face his Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

Joey: I might've lost my chance at taking down Kaiba, but you better believe I'm not going anywhere. I wanna see the look on Kaiba's face when you cream him in your match.

Mai: Or when Alexis faces him. Don't forget, there's still a few more rounds before Kaiba enters the Dueling ring.

Chazz: That's right, and The Chazz will be beat you, slacker, I'll then face Seto Kaiba and be the new King of Games.

Jasmine: Don't count my Aster out.

Wrapping her arms around the left of Aster's body, Jasmine gave a sweet but encouraged smile.

Jasmine: Aster is already a Dueling Pro, a world champion, so you should watch out for him.

While a little embarrassed by (Jasmine's determination/the determination of his girlfriend), Aster gave a modest nod, looking forward to when he would throw down once again.

And after a little more pep talks, Jaden and the others found the sound of the monitors grab their attention.

Roland: moving on the second duel of the semi finals will Zane Truesdale against Tyranno Hassleberry.

Hassleberry: Looks like we're back on the frontlines. See you on the combat field.

Wasting no time, Hassleberry all but ran for the Dueling Arena, his enthusiasm causing Zane to give a small smile, before he gave a more casual paced walk, heading out and preparing to take on the Dino Duelist.

Roland: Gentleman, are you ready?

Both nodding to the question, Hassleberry and Zane activated their Duel Discs, set their Life Point counters to 8000 and drew their Cards.

Zane/Hassleberry: Let's Duel!

With their calls, the match began, the crowd cheering on the duo, while back within the preparation room, Jaden and the others knew that with their repetition, this would be an interesting match.

And alongside Zane and Hassleberry, the final five Duelists prepared themselves, Jaden, Alexis, Jesse, Chazz and Aster, all knowing that soon, their chance to become the second King of Games was approaching.