I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or anything created by Kazuki Takahashi. This work of fiction is just for fun.
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Mental talk with Duel Spirits"
"Announcements/ messages"
. . . - flashbacks/ what if's?
Author's Note: You thought it was the School Duel, but it was I, the surprise manga chapter-! *ahem* Sorry about that. Moving on!
First off, sorry for the delay; I'm in the midst of preparing for my finals so I don't have a lot of free time. Anyways, we have the Miss Duel Academy contest next! It randomly popped up in my mind, so here we are. I thought it could be a fun little chapter. Also, regarding last chapter's OC card... yeah, I overdid it, a lot. Gonna have to tweak it before using it again. Oh, and it's not named after a Pokémon (had no idea there even was one with the name), I just found the name on a random name website. So, either someone named their kid after a Pokémon, or they used that name for a Pokémon, hopefully it is the latter.
E.T. 2000: Maybe, you'll just have to wait for the next chapter. ;)
ToMyMaster: Thanks for the review again, and no. There won't be any love triangles (involving Jaden & Alexis), no unrequited childhood love, harems, or anything like that. Plus, I also now realize Erina fits the mold of every blue-haired girl in anime getting their hearts broken by the MC and I'm not about to do that to her.
Oh, boy, I swear no matter how good your reading comprehension is, it immediately goes out the window the moment you begin reading Yu-Gi-Oh! cards... I admit it, for whatever reason I always read Chaos MAX Dragon's effect as 'It must FIRST be Ritual Summoned.', I have no idea why, but my bad.
Now, about Draining Shield and all these types of cards that have 2-3 versions of them (IRL, Anime and Manga). I will 100% of the time use the strongest version based off its wording.
Example A: Draining Shield's Anime version is a much stronger card as it does not Target. It just negates the attack and you gain that monster's ATK as LP. (This allows me to still use it because many modern boss monsters have basic protections like 'Targeting'.)
Example B: Legacy of a HERO is a much, MUCH stronger and easier to use card with its Manga effect than the IRL version.
This will only be the case with very few cards, and mainly Battle Traps, so if you think a card that's used shouldn't work, then it's more than likely that it is the anime/manga version of said card. I do try to make all the duels as realistic and accurate as possible, because it ups the enjoyment even if you can't 'watch them' so to say. I will definitely try using EDOPRO in the future since I'm positive I'll encounter a ruling nightmare at some point. Thanks for the suggestion.
Okay, this got way too long. Sorry. Enjoy the chapter and I'll see y'all at the bottom!
It was a calm and beautiful Saturday morning on Academy island. A few days had gone by since the Duel Off Tournament, and the participants could finally enjoy a relaxing weekend where they could sleep in.
"For real?!"
"Aaahhh!"
Well… At least the boys could.
Over at the Girls Dorm, the peace and quiet was shattered by the excited squealing and giggling coming from inside.
"I swear to god I'm gonna kill you all…" Erina grumbled as she slowly wobbled down the stairs, wearing a pair of shorts and a baggy, purple T-shirt. She wasn't exactly happy that all the commotion woke her up. What could be so exciting that they had to wake up the whole damn dorm with their screaming?
"Did they wake you up?"
She opened her eyes fully and saw Alexis waiting by the stairs on her floor.
The blonde smiled sympathetically when she saw just how sleepy her friend was. She knew the bluenette liked to sleep in in the morning, but to her surprise she wasn't as angry about it as she thought.
"Yeah… And you?" Erina mumbled, still trying to rub the sleep from her eyes.
"No," she shook her head. "I was doing our homework for the week, but all this noise is just too distracting." She complained as well as they both continued down the stairs.
When they reached the main hall, they saw a bunch of girls crowding around the bulletin board on the wall.
"What's gotten them so excited?" Erina wondered in bemusement. It looked like they were fighting for a fifty percent off sale at the mall.
"No idea." Alexis shrugged before spotting Jasmine and Mindy among the girls. They would definitely know what was going on. "Jazz! Mindy!" She shouted, hoping that they'd hear her.
They saw Mindy straighten up and turn around. "Hey, girls!" She waved them over happily when she saw them.
"Mindy, what's going on here?" Erina asked.
"Wait, you don't know?" She asked and gasped when they shook their heads. "They just announced the Miss Duel Academy competition!" She revealed enthusiastically.
"Miss Duel Academy?" Alexis asked with a raised eyebrow while Erina looked annoyed.
"Oh god, it's a beauty pageant!" She groaned. What type of crummy luck does she possess for there to be a beauty contest in every school she's ever been in?
"Oh, come on! This is exciting!" Jasmine tried to get them on board after seeing the two girls' expressions.
"Sorry," Alexis shrugged. "Not my thing."
"And even less mine." Erina pinched the bridge of her nose. She couldn't believe this was the cause of all the commotion. But, for whatever reason, something was telling her to check out the poster, so she decided to push past the crowd of excited girls to get a closer look.
After a lot of pushing and shoving, she got to the front and, yeah, it looked like your standard beauty contest poster. Colorful and flashy with your typical stock image of a contestant on it. The girl had short, jet black hair, a tiara on her head and a dark blue sparkly dress. Although, she looked kind of bland, if she was honest. The only notable things about her were her bust size and that bitchy look on her face, and that's about it.
'Well, the girls who usually enter these look like this…' She thought as she scanned the poster for the prize of this competition. Usually, there's something else along with the title as a reward for these-
She paused when she saw it, then rubbed her eyes to ensure she saw it right. She just woke up after all, so she could be seeing things wrong. …It was still the same. "How the hell is this the prize?!" She shouted.
"Why not?" Jasmine asked for the fifth time, beginning to sound like a whining child.
"Come on, Lex! If you enter, I'm positive you're gonna win!" Mindy took a step closer to the blond. They were trying to convince her to enter the contest.
"I told you two already," Alexis sighed in annoyance. "I'm not entering this stupid competition!" She said with finality.
"Of course, you'd think it's stupid."
Alexis groaned upon hearing the familiar haughty voice behind her. This morning just had to get worse, didn't it?
"Hello, Seika…" She replied in a deadpan voice as she turned around while Jasmine and Mindy were already glaring daggers at the person.
It was the girl from the poster.
"My, the Queen actually addressed me?" She exaggeratedly gasped. "I feel flattered." She exhaled through her nose, seeing that Alexis just kept looking at her with a bored expression. "I know the reason why you won't participate. Could it be that you are afraid to find out that all that popularity of yours is nothing more than an illusion?" She asked, sounding rather condescending.
Alexis just closed her eyes and sighed heavily. 'Doesn't she have something better to do?'
Seika's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. She's getting absolutely nothing out of her! "Oh, but it's a shame you won't be entering." She sounded uncharacteristically disappointed. "I thought even you would be slightly interested in a reward like that."
"And that is?" Jasmine asked.
Seika smirked as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "This year's Miss Duel Academy winner gets an extraordinary prize. A kiss from our School Duel representative."
Jasmine and Mindy looked genuinely surprised they would put that as the reward, while Alexis' eyes shot open. "Is that so?" She asked with an icy look and forced smile on her face.
"Yes, that's why everyone is so excited today," Seika smirked arrogantly. "But it's too bad their wishes won't be fulfilled because I'm going to win again just like last year! And who knows~?" She said in a sing-song voice. "Maybe something more could come of it after I get my kiss?" She giggled as she turned and left.
"Geez, how full of yourself can you get?" Mindy sneered.
"Yeah, no kidding…" Jasmine agreed with her.
Erina smiled in amusement, seeing how many girls around her were angered by what Seika said. A lot more people wanted to date Jaden than she thought. 'Looks like you've become quite popular, Jay!' She giggled.
She then sighed, her face turning serious. She overheard the confrontation and was not okay with any of it, and judging by the looks of it, Alexis wasn't either. So, she did the only logical thing to do in this scenario.
She turned around, grabbed the pen next to the board and wrote Alexis' name on the poster. Which, in turn, surprised a lot of the girls around her, causing them to start signing up as well.
"Lex, are you alright?" Mindy asked, seeing that something was eating at her friend.
"Oh! Uhm… I'm fine." She gave a convincing smile. 'Do I look upset?' She wondered in worry
"Alright," Erina rejoined them, sporting a grin on her face. "I signed you up for the competition!" She told the blonde.
"What?" Alexis' eyes widened. "Why would you do that?!"
"What do you mean, 'why'?" The bluenette asked back in disbelief. "You're not seriously okay with Seika winning this, are you?"
"I- Of course not! But…" The blonde mumbled. All of this felt kind of childish. Stooping to Seika's level just because Jaden is involved in a way… Her rationality would never allow her to do something like this. But her heart was screaming at her to go through with it.
"Come on, spit it out." Erina prodded as she impatiently stared at Alexis.
"Wait, I'm confused," Jasmine said. "What's the issue here?" She asked, looking between the two girls
"Yeah, so what if Seika wins?" Mindy asked, joining the redhead in her questioning.
Alexis' eyes widened, looking towards Erina for help. But, the bluenette just shrugged as she gave her a sly smirk, leaving her to deal with this alone. They had their two weeks of secrecy, so she was done with them being idiots with their hiding.
"Well, you see…" The blonde drew blank; there's no way she could spin this so it wouldn't give it away. While she loved the girls, she didn't want to tell them yet. They were big blabbermouths, so the chance of them letting it slip accidentally was high.
"No way!" Mindy suddenly gasped, shocking the group.
"Mindy?" Jasmine jumped back from the sudden outburst.
It all suddenly clicked for her! The conflicted look a moment ago, the forced smile she had after finding out a kiss from Jaden was up for grabs and Erina signing her up for a competition she hated? It had to be it!
"You are, aren't you?!" She squealed in excitement. Alexis' face gave it right away! "Oh my god!"
"Okay, my room! Now!" Alexis panicked when she saw that everyone was looking at them suddenly. She grabbed Mindy by the hand, who was bouncing from excitement, and dragged her up the stairs with Erina and Jasmine close behind them.
Alexis ushered the girls into her room. And as soon as she closed the door behind her, Mindy grabbed her and began barraging her with questions.
"Oh my god! How long have you been dating? How'd it happen? Did Jaden confess first? Have you two had sex yet?" She threw them one after another, causing the blonde's head to spin.
"I-I-I…" Alexis didn't know where to begin, especially after the last question made her brain come to a grinding halt.
Erina broke into a hysterical fit of laughter, seeing how flustered Alexis had gotten. If possible, there would be steam coming out of her ears with how red she was. "Mindy! Let her breathe!" She exclaimed in between laughs.
"Sorry." Mindy smiled sheepishly and let go of her.
"Wait," Jasmine finally caught on. "You and Jaden are really dating?"
"Yeah," Alexis scratched her forehead, preparing herself for the countless questions that were about to fly her way. "We've been dating for about two weeks now."
"Ah! This is so exciting!" Mindy gushed as she bounced in place. "Come on! Come on! You gotta tell us more!"
"Yeah!" Jasmine grinned, mirroring her friend's excitement. "Come on, spill the beans!"
Both of them have been trying to get Alexis into the dating scene, but she always brushed them off. And now that she was dating someone, they just had to know everything.
"Girls," Erina came to her rescue. "You can ask all the questions you want, but first, I want you to bring me all the makeup you have from your room." She smirked. "We're gonna make sure Alexis crushes Seika!"
The two girls grinned and hurried out of the room. It's been a while since they had a Beauty Day like this, and they'll take full advantage of it.
"What?" Erina asked, seeing Alexis give her a face.
"Makeup?" She cocked an eyebrow skeptically.
"Yeah," the bluenette smiled. "Because unlike your opponent, who'll be using all her trashy methods to try and win, you'll be doing it with elegance and grace and as little effort as possible."
She then sighed, seeing the look on the blonde's face. "Girl, you have the most beautiful facial features I've ever seen! All I'm gonna do is highlight them with a bit of makeup! Don't look at me like I'm about to cake you up like a clown!"
"Fine," Alexis sighed in defeat after a moment. "It's pointless to fight you anyway. Want some tea?" She asked as she went over to her room's little kitchen corner.
"Yes, please." Erina smiled as she leaned against the counter as Alexis started the kettle. "So, why don't you tell me why that Seika girl hates your guts?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." The blonde shrugged. "Jasmine says that she's angry because I somehow 'dethroned' her and stole her attention, and that's why she's bitter and makes passive-aggressive comments at me."
"That's childish…" Erina deadpanned. Was she for real right now? "Jazz is probably right, though. How long has this been going on?" She asked because this was the first time she's seen this happen.
"A few months now?" Alexis guessed; she wasn't too sure due to not really paying attention to her.
"What?!" Erina gasped. "How come I've never seen her before?!"
"Dunno," the blonde shook her head as she opened her cupboard. "I guess she's been avoiding you for some reason or another?" She guessed as she took out two cups and the tea box.
"That little snake…" The bluenette scowled. This girl was avoiding her, so she could freely harass her friends without getting into a confrontation with her? 'I'll make her regret ever messing with them.'
The door opened, and the two girls entered, each carrying a big cosmetics bag.
"We're back!" Mindy announced with an excited grin on her face.
"Wow," Erina whistled, seeing the bags in their hands. "You guys have a lot of makeup." She mused. She knew the girls were into fashion, but this was a bit… much.
"Well, we didn't know what exactly you'll need, so we brought… everything." Jasmine scratched her cheek sheepishly.
"We also encountered a bit of an issue…" Mindy said, worry seen on her face. "While we were coming over, I decided to check for more info about the competition on the Academy website, and…" She seemed reluctant to say it.
"And?" Alexis prodded her to continue. She didn't like the look Mindy had.
"Well, we found out that… they hold a bikini contest as one of the last events…"
"Oh, no…" Alexis looked equally disgusted and horrified. "After all my hard work to get people to see me as a duelist, as an actual person, it'll all go down the drain because of a damn bikini contest!" She ranted before turning to Erina. "I want out!" She snarled.
Erina raised her hands. "H-hey, calm down, Lex-"
"I won't calm down until you go and strike my name from that poster!" She snapped. "I won't be degraded to look like some floozy!"
The bluenette flinched from her friend's angry outburst. It never crossed her mind how easy she had it compared to the other female duelists. Her dad is one of the top players in the world, so she was taken seriously just because of that, while Alexis and others had to work hard to prove themselves.
'Damn, I screwed up…' Erina felt remorseful for what she's gotten her friend into. But, still, she refused to think there wasn't another way to go about this. 'Come on; there must be some- That's it!' Her eyes widened; the most brilliant idea came to mind. "I got it!" She said, snapping her fingers.
"What is it?" Alexis crossed her arms, still mad at her.
"I thought of a way to do this so that your hard work won't be destroyed and people will give you the respect you deserve. All without ever touching a thong." She revealed, a sly smirk appearing on her lips.
"How will you do that?" Jasmine questioned skeptically.
"Hello," Erina pointed at her face. "Who am I?"
"Erina Kaiba?" Mindy said, unsure of what she was asking.
"And my dad is…?"
"The owner of the school!" Alexis' eyes widened, realizing what she was getting at. "You're gonna change the contest's rules, aren't you?"
"Bingo!" She grinned, pointing at the blonde. "Chancellor Sheppard can't say no to me, so it's guaranteed to work!"
"Yay!" Mindy clapped excitedly. "Lexi's still in!"
"Yup, and she'll still keep her decency intact," Erina added. "So she won't have to murder me." She mumbled.
Alexis just chuckled and shook her head.
"Okay," Jasmine smiled at the girls. "Weren't we gonna have a Beauty Day?"
"Oh, yeah!" Mindy exclaimed. "Let's get to it!"
A few days passed, and word about the pageant had gotten around. All the students were excited, casting their votes for who they thought deserved to win, except for one student.
Jaden didn't really care for beauty contests, so he paid no mind to them and didn't even know who was in this one. He was preoccupied with working on his deck for the School Duel anyway. He barely had three weeks to prepare for it and wanted to be ready for anything his opponent may throw at him.
He doesn't usually do it to this extent, but the whole school was counting on him, so he preferred to be as ready as he possibly could be.
Jaden laid back in his chair, letting out a sigh. He made good progress today. "That's enough for today…" He smiled to himself. He was done with the monster part of his deck.
"This calls for a reward… A good ol' nap!" He chuckled and was about to go collapse on the bed when he heard a knock on the door.
"Jay, you in there?" He heard Syrus' muffled voice on the other side.
"Yeah, come in." Jaden said, and Syrus entered, looking at his PDA as he closed the door behind him.
"Hey, Jay, whatcha up to?"
"Working on my deck for the School Duel," Jaden said. "So, what's up?"
"I was down in the meal hall, scrolling through my PDA when I spotted this." The small Slifer held up the device for Jaden to see. "There's a Miss Duel Academy contest!" He sounded very excited, while Jaden looked uninterested.
"That's cool… I guess?" He just shrugged indifferently.
"Yeah," Syrus smiled. "So, did you vote yet?"
"No?" Jaden replied, unsure why he'd even ask him that. "Not my type of thing to vote on, Sy. I find these contests to be a bit demeaning." He said as he grabbed the bottle of water from his desk to take a sip.
"Oh," Syrus nodded slowly, surprised his friend had such a strong opinion about this, but he still thought he'd vote given the circumstances. "Okay, I thought you'd still vote since Alexis is among the participants." He revealed, causing Jaden to choke on his drink.
"Wha- d-did y- say-?" He tried to speak in between coughing but came out as gibberish. That caught him by surprise.
She has never outright said it, but Jaden knew she hated these types of he was shocked that she entered a beauty pageant and that she never mentioned it yesterday when they were together.
Although, this did answer a question he had on his mind. 'I guess that's the reason for the makeup. But…' Why didn't she tell him she had entered this? Was she embarrassed to tell him or something?
"Yeah, I was surprised too," Syrus said as he looked up at his friend, a slightly mischievous smile on his face. "But what really surprised me was the reward."
"Isn't it just a title and a cheap crown?" Jaden said as he wiped the water from his face with his sleeve.
"No. Well, not just that…" The small Slifer said. "It's also… this." He held the PDA up for Jaden to read it himself.
He watched as Jaden's expression changed in a matter of seconds. It went from confusion to shock in an instant.
"Whaaaat?!" He shouted, startling the birds off the dorm's roof.
"How could they do this without even asking me?!" Jaden groaned, ruffling his hair with both hands in a frustrated manner. "What the hell is wrong with this crazy school?!" He shouted into the heavens.
"Out of your system?" Syrus finally said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Yeah…" The HERO duelist's shoulders slumped in defeat. If he knew he was a part of the reward when this contest was announced, he'd try and change it, but it was definitely too late now. He just had to accept it.
But, this did answer two questions. Why some girls have been giving him strange looks for the past few days. And why Alexis had joined this pageant.
"So, are you gonna vote now?" Syrus asked again hopefully.
"Nope," He shook his head, standing his ground. "I told you I'm not interested in this. Plus, Alexis wouldn't want me to vote either." Or would she? He wasn't exactly sure, but given that she hadn't told him about this, he would go with that.
"Ah, okay…" Syrus nodded slowly, a bit disappointed he didn't change his mind. "Hey, Jay… Do you think Alexis might have a crush on you?" He asked out of the blue. It was a question that had been bugging him for a while now.
"Whaaat?" Jaden laughed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "That's ridiculous. What makes you think that?"
"Well, I've caught her staring at you at times; also, when we eat lunch at the cafeteria, she sits very close to you," Syrus said. "Plus, all of this." He pointed at his PDA with the Miss Duel Academy poster on it. "Joining a competition with a kiss from you as the prize? It just seems like she likes you."
"Nah, it's just your imagination, Sy. Erina is probably messing with her by signing her up for this contest." Jaden said and grinned teasingly. "Plus, you've never been in a relationship before, so how would you know if someone likes someone else?" He teased him.
"Hey! You've never been in one either!" Syrus shot back defensively.
Jaden laughed slightly, amused by his friend's angry outburst. "Yeah, you're right about that." He ruffled his hair. "I got a craving for one of Dorothy's sandwiches. You coming along?" He said as he went for the door.
"It sucks being little…" Syrus mumbled and fixed his hair as he followed behind. "Wait up!"
The two weeks were up, and every student and some of the teachers gathered in the Academy's main auditorium to find out who would be this year's Miss Duel Academy.
They were packed in there like sardines. Syrus, Jasmine and Mindy looked around, amazed that this event turned out to be just as big as the Duel Off. Jaden, on the other hand, was looking around for Erina.
'Where'd she go?' He wondered. They all entered together, but when he turned around, she was gone.
"You won't believe where she went." Yubel said, voice dripping with mirth.
"You know where she is?" Jaden asked her mentally.
"Yes," she smiled and pointed forward. "She's up there."
"Huh?!" Jaden's eyes widened when he saw Erina up on the stage alongside a Ra student and an Obelisk girl, all holding microphones.
The bluenette saw him and gave him a wink before bringing the mic to her lips. "Hello, everyone! Are you ready to find out who'll be our new Miss Duel Academy!" She asked the crowd eagerly as they began cheering.
"Alright, then," the Ra student fixed his glasses. "Without further ado, here are our finalists!" He gestured behind him as the curtains slowly opened. "First off, we have our two-time winner, Seika Kohinata!"
The girl in question walked out, waving and smiling at the crowd.
Several boys, ranging from Slifers to Blues, were wearing bandanas and waving banners with Seika's face on them were going wild. "Seika! We love you!" They screamed in delight.
"Are these guys for real?" Jaden sweatdropped at the ridiculous sight.
"Gross…" Jasmine said in disgust as she saw them as well.
"That's a snake if I've ever seen one." Yubel commented as she got a better look at the girl. She could see everything through her eyes. The caring and pleasant attitude was nothing but a facade she put up so she could win this contest. "What a disgusting thing…" She spat.
"Yeah, I can see what you mean." Jaden couldn't help but agree with her. There was something about her expression that didn't look right.
"And now-" The Ra student was about to announce the second finalist, but Erina cut in.
"And now, I am pleased to announce someone whose dueling skills rival my own and who's as kind as she is gorgeous! Let's give it up for Alexis Rhodes!" Erina grinned as the crowd went wild.
The curtains opened, and Alexis walked out, giving the audience a small smile as she made her way to the center of the stage. 'I hope this doesn't last long…' she sighed inwardly. All this attention was a bit much for her taste, but she will have to bear with it for today.
"Jay, you okay?" Syrus asked his friend, noticing he was acting oddly. Jaden had what he could only compare to a death glare as he stared off into space with his arms crossed over his chest and his jaw clenched.
"Hm?" Jaden snapped out of his trance and looked at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just spaced out for a bit." He lied as he tried ignoring Yubel's teasing remarks.
"Alexis!"
Jaden flinched from the high-pitched screaming from beside him. He turned with a stupefied expression once he saw both Jasmine and Mindy waving a flag with Alexis' name. "I thought you said it was gross to do this kinda thing?" He sweatdropped.
"No," Mindy stopped waving her flag to look at him. "That's not what she meant when she said that."
"Yeah," Jasmine smirked. "I meant they were gross for supporting Seika, that's all."
"I can't believe you girls…" Jaden chuckled, shaking his head.
There was a sudden commotion on the stage. The pageant committee members were whispering amongst themselves. There was an issue. One of them walked up and gave a piece of paper to the announcer.
He rubbed his brow, cleaning the sweat that formed as he saw the numbers on the paper. "W-well, everyone, we have tallied the results, and with one hundred and ninety-eight votes, Seika Kohinata!"
The girl's fanboys went wild as she soaked it in smugly. Looks like she's won again.
"AND!" The announcer cut the celebrations short. "Also, with one hundred and ninety-eight votes, Alexis Rhodes!"
"What?!" Seika shrieked out like a banshee.
'Exactly as planned.' Erina snickered. Her math was correct. If every student voted besides Jaden, they both would be on equal votes and would be forced into the tiebreaker. 'And that's where the punchline kicks in.' She thought with an evil glint in her eye.
Seika's facade was falling apart as she got into the committee member's face. "What do you mean we're tied?! I demand a recount!" She snapped. "There's no way in hell she has as many votes as I do!" The boy began to fear for his life as she got angrier and angrier.
"Wait, there's a student who hasn't voted!" Another member of the committee said, coming to the rescue.
"What?!" The announcer gasped in disbelief. "Who in the world is it?!"
"Jaden Yuki!" The committee member said, and all eyes were instantly on the Slifer in question.
"You really didn't vote?" Syrus asked him in disbelief.
"Yeah, I told you I'm not interested in this kinda thing." Jaden crossed his arms.
"Jaden, you have to vote for someone!" The announcer said as he got closer to the edge of the stage. "Every student must vote!"
"Wait a second," Seika stormed over to him and pointed back to Alexis. "He's her friend, so it's not fair for him to vote now! That'll automatically make her the winner!"
"B-but…"
"Don't worry, I won't vote anyway." Jaden said.
The announcer was getting nervous. All students must vote, but Seika was throwing a fit about it. He turned to Erina, pleading with his eyes for help.
"He said he won't vote, so we can't force him to." Erina shrugged. "Just continue with the tiebreaker."
"Okay," The announcer nodded. "Very well, then. Miss Kohinata, Miss Rhodes, strap on your Duel Disks!" He said, causing Seika to squawk.
"What?! But we always have a bikini contest as the tiebreaker!" She protested.
"While that was true for the previous years, Chancellor Sheppard decided to change it to a duel between the finalists." The Ra student said. "He said that since we were a dueling school, Miss Duel Academy shouldn't be decided on looks alone but a combination of beauty, character and dueling prowess."
"What?! That's absurd! Why would he-" Seika grit her teeth before her eyes widened in realization. She spun on her heel. "You!" She hissed with narrowed eyes at Erina. "This is your doing, isn't it?"
"Me?" Erina asked innocently before smirking. "Of course it was. After all, we're in a dueling school, and such a thing should always be decided with a duel. So, I don't get why you're throwing a tantrum over this?" She said as she began to approach the girl. "You're an Obelisk, so you shouldn't be complaining about a duel. Unless," she towered over her with a smug smile. "Could it be that you can't duel, and the only reason you're still here is because daddy has enough money to make sure you graduate?"
'Why, you little bitch!' Seika seethed, clenching her fists. Who the hell does Erina think she is to talk to her like this?
"My, did I hit a nerve?" The bluenette smirked, noticing her shaking with rage. "So, I'm correct about everything, right?" She kept pushing her buttons. Just a little bit more and she'd break.
"Of course not!" She growled, trying her hardest not to explode.
"Well, prove me wrong then." Erina stepped back, throwing her hands to her sides dramatically. "Show everyone that there's more to you than mediocre beauty and those boobs you love to flaunt so much!"
'Wow…' Was all Alexis could think as she watched the exchange on the sideline. Erina wasn't kidding when she said she wouldn't hold back if she tried arguing with her.
"Let's get this farce over with!" Seika snarled, shoving the announcer who was in her way as she stormed off to the back room of the stage.
A few moments later, both girls were standing on opposite sides of the stage with their Duel Disks ready.
"Alright, everyone!" Erina said over the microphone. "Let the duel for the title of Miss Duel Academy… Begin!"
"Let's duel!" Both girls shouted as their Disks sparked to life.
Alexis: 4000
Seika: 4000
"I'll start this off!" Seika scowled, drawing her card. What should've been an easy win for her turned into a shitshow. She was made to look like an idiot!
She was pissed and was going to take it all out on one person. 'I'll put you in your place, you blonde bitch! I'll humiliate you in front of the whole school!'
"I summon Night Sword Serpent in attack mode!" A black snake with a sharp horn appeared on the field, causing many screams to echo throughout the room. (ATK: 500/ DEF: 600)
"Of course, she plays snakes…" Erina rolled her eyes, though she wasn't surprised. It was fitting for her to command a deck filled with her kin.
"I set two facedowns," the cards appeared in front of Seika's feet. "Your move, Queenie." She spat.
"Attack mode?" Jasmine wondered. It was quite an amateur mistake.
"It only has 500 attack; why'd she do that?" Syrus asked.
"It probably has something to do with those facedowns." Jaden said, eyeing the cards.
'Odd, but whatever…' Alexis thought as she drew her card. "I activate Machine Angel Ritual!" She said as the stone fire pit appeared. "I offer the Cyber Angel Benten in my hand as a Tribute to Ritual summon Cyber Angel Idaten!" The pink-skinned angel appeared on the field. (ATK: 1600/ DEF: 2000)
"And now both my Angels' effects activate! Benten lets me add a Fairy monster from my deck to my hand, and Idaten does the same but with a Ritual Spell!" The blonde explained as she added a Machine Angel Ritual and another Benten to her hand.
'With those two facedowns of hers, I better play it safe.' Alexis thought as she scanned the field. "Alright, Idaten, attack that snake!" She ordered. It was so evident that Seika was baiting her, but she didn't have a choice. If she wanted to win, she had to attack.
Idaten jumped into the air, preparing a powerful dive kick on the snake's skull.
"I activate the Continuous Trap, Damage = Reptile!" Seika said as Idaten's foot connected with her snake, destroying it.
Seika: 2900
"So that was her plan!" Jaden gasped.
"I also reveal this," Seika's other facedown flipped over. "Snake Whistle! Since you destroyed my Serpent, this card allows me to summon a Level four reptile from my deck!" She explained. "And my other Trap card has a similar effect; when I take damage from a battle that involves my reptile monsters, it allows me to summon one reptile monster from my deck with attack points equal or less than the damage I took."
"She plans to swarm the field?" Syrus wondered as the girl took two cards from her deck and played them.
"I summon Venom Cobra and Black Mamba to the field!" A big cobra with hard scales and a black mamba with a small horn on its head appeared. (ATK: 100/ DEF: 2000) (ATK: 1300/ DEF: 2000)
"And when Black Mamba is summoned, I can send one Reptile monster from my deck to the Graveyard and change your Idaten to defense position!" Seika explained as she sent another Night Sword Serpent to the Graveyard, and Idaten knelt down.
"What?" Alexis gasped when the Sword Serpent she sent to the Graveyard appeared on the field. (ATK: 500/ DEF: 600)
"Oh," Seika smirked. "When Night Sword Serpent is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, it Special Summons itself to the field. But, sadly, it gets banished when it leaves the field again."
"Wow," Syrus whistled. "It's like she had her turn during Alexis'."
'This can't be good.' Alexis frowned. There was more to this than just summoning weaker monsters. She needed to be careful. "I set a card and end my turn."
"My turn," Seika drew with a smug look. "I'll tribute off my Venom Cobra to summon Urubonus, the Avatar of Malice!" A large purple snake with what appeared to be a golden headdress appeared on the field. (ATK: 2000/ DEF: 800)
"The resemblance is uncanny!" Erina commented from the sidelines, causing the girl's eyebrow to twitch in anger.
"When Urubonus is on the field, he lowers the attack and defense of all monsters you control by 300!" She explained as Idaten was covered in purple mist. (ATK: 1600-1300/ DEF: 2000-1700)
"But, there's more to his effect!" Seika said with a nasty smirk on her face. "I tribute my Night Sword Serpent," The snake disappeared as she pocketed the card. "And all monsters on your field lose 500 attack and defense!" She said, and Urubonus spit venom from his fangs at Idaten. (ATK: 1300-800/ DEF: 1700-1200)
"Now, Black Mamba! Sink your fangs into her monster!" Seika ordered, and the snake lunged forward, biting the angel but not destroying her.
"What?" She frowned. "Why wasn't your monster destroyed?"
Alexis smirked as a card popped out of her Graveyard. "Because of my Machine Angel Ritual. I can banish it to prevent my Idaten from being destroyed."
Seika grit her teeth. "So what? You managed to protect her from one attack, but you won't manage to do it with the second one! Urubonus, destroy her!" The purple snake took a bite out of Idaten, finally destroying her.
"I equip Urubonus with the Spell, Molting Escape! Now, once per turn, Urubonus can't be destroyed by battle and gains 300 attack points every time this effect activates!"
Seika took her second to last card and played it. "I now activate Graceful Charity! Drawing three cards, then discarding two-!"
"You activated my Trap Card!" Alexis interrupted as she flipped over her facedown. "Spell Shield Type-8! By discarding a Spell of my own, I negate your Graceful Charity and destroy it!" She explained, discarding a card and watching Seika's card turn gray before exploding.
"Why you-!" Seika grit her teeth. "Fine then! I end my turn!"
"She prevented her from drawing cards. That was a smart play." Syrus smiled.
"Of course it was! This is Alexis, after all!" Mindy grinned as she held up her flag.
"Although, that Trap will be a bit problematic," Jaden said. "Seika will keep bringing out more monsters every time Alexis battles her snakes."
"I see," Syrus nodded. "But, what's her endgame with it?"
"To set up for a strong monster." The HERO duelist said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "She wants as many Reptiles in her Graveyard as possible for it."
'Ah, so that's what she's planning.' Erina realized what Jaden had as well. It was an okay strategy in her book, but nothing spectacular. "Well, I guess that's as far as an amateur can go…"
"My turn! I draw!" Alexis drew her card and smirked as she decided to play it. "I play Pot of Greed! Drawing two extra cards!" She picked up her cards and nodded, forming a strategy in her head.
"First up, I play Cyber Tutu in attack mode!" The pink-haired ballet dancer appeared on the field, giggling. (ATK: 1000/ DEF: 800)
"Don't forget that thanks to Urubonus, her stats are lowered by 300!" Seika reminded. (ATK: 1000-700/ DEF: 500)
The blonde shrugged, plucking a card from her hand. "I'll also be playing an Equip Spell! Angel Wing!" A pair of snow-white angelic wings appeared on Tutu's back.
"Since you don't control a monster with a lower attack than my Tutu, she can attack you directly!" Alexis said, shocking Seika. "Go, Tutu! Pounding Pirouette!"
The small girl elegantly maneuvered around the snakes and delivered a spinning kick directly to the raven-haired girl's side, causing her to stumble from the force.
Seika: 2300
"Now, Angel Wing's effect activates when the monster equipped with it deals Battle Damage to you. You take an extra 300 points of damage!" She explained as a hail of feathers rained down on Seika.
Seika: 2000
"You'll pay for that!" The girl snapped.
"Well, that's one way to go around that Trap." Jaden chuckled in amusement. This duel was getting very exciting to watch now. He couldn't exactly tell why, but Alexis seemed more determined than ever.
"I set two cards facedown and pass it to you." She said confidently. She had the perfect strategy and would win next turn if it all went as planned. 'With Doble Passe, I can get 1000 points of damage during her turn and protect my Tutu with Negate Attack so she survives for my turn where I can deal another 1000 points of damage.' She thought with a slight smirk. She had this in the bag.
"I draw!" Seika drew her card and played it. "I play Spell Books from the Pot! This card allows both of us to draw three cards!" She explained, and both of them drew their cards.
She smirked, seeing the cards she drew and taking one. "I'll begin with this little Spell," she inserted the card. "Heavy Storm!" The wind picked up around the arena, flipping over Alexis' facedowns before before destroying all of the Spell and Trap Cards on the field.
"Wow!" Jaden's eyes widened after seeing what Alexis had planned. "She had game if Seika didn't draw an out."
Alexis frowned; her plan was ruined, but it won't stop her in the long run. "Thanks to Angel Wing, I get to draw a card when it's sent to the Graveyard!" She explained as she drew her card.
"I hope that card helps," Seika said sarcastically. "I continue with the Spell, Snake Rain!" She inserted the card. "Now, by discarding one card from my hand, I can send four Reptile-Type monsters from my deck to the Graveyard!" She explained as she pitched a card from her hand and picked up her deck.
"She's getting impatient." Yubel noticed. "Whatever it is she's setting up for, she wants it as soon as possible."
"Yeah," Jaden nodded slightly. "I'm getting that feeling too."
Seika discarded the four cards from her deck before bringing her attention back to the duel. "Now, Urubonus, take that little girl down!" She ordered, and the serpent sprang forward at Tutu. The snake plunged its teeth into Tutu's arm, destroying her.
Alexis: 2700
"Now you're wide open." She chuckled. "Black Mamba, attack her directly! And make it painful!" She ordered, and the snake lunged at Alexis, biting her leg."
Alexis: 1400
"My, not so graceful now, are we?" Seika mocked as she watched Alexis stagger. "Next turn, I'm going to crush you and finally put you in your place!"
"Alexis is looking pretty rough." Syrus said in worry.
"Nah, she's still fine." Jaden disagreed, fully believing that his girlfriend would win.
"Well, it doesn't look like it to me…" Syrus said.
"That's because you don't see what I do, Sy." Jaden countered before smiling. "Alexis still has cards she can play and the burning determination to win this! That's all she needs!" He said, feeling a bit entranced as he watched her duel. He didn't know why, but Alexis seemed fierier than she usually is, and that was slowly captivating him.
The girls noticed this and tried their hardest not to squeal and giggle.
"Careful," Alexis smirked. "That overconfidence could be your downfall." She said, drawing her card. "I activate Merciful Machine Angel!" She inserted the card. "Now, by Tributing the Benten in my hand, I get to draw two cards, but then I have to place one card from my hand on the bottom of my deck!" She explained, drawing.
"And now," She continued after placing one card back into her deck. "Thanks to Benten's effect, I get to add Cyber Petit Angel to my hand!"
"Next up, I summon my Cyber Petit Angel!" The tiny pink fairy appeared on the field. (ATK: 300/ DEF: 200) "And with her effect, I add Cyber Angel Dakini to my hand!"
"Time to make my move." The blonde plucked a card from her hand. "I activate the Ritual Spell, Machine Angel Absolute Ritual!" As soon as she inserted it, a circle of glowing runes appeared in the middle of the arena before a silver fire pit burst from the ground.
"Absolute Ritual?" Seika repeated, bewildered. Didn't she add a different Ritual Spell earlier? "I'm guessing it does something more than the other one?" She asked.
"That's right," Alexis nodded. "With this one, I can also use my Graveyard by shuffling Fairy and Warrior monsters back into my deck equal to the exact level of the monster I'm summoning!"
"That's like a free summon!" Syrus gasped.
"I Tribute my Cyber Petit Angel and shuffle back into my deck the Benten I used earlier to Ritual Summon Cyber Angel Dakini!" The four-armed angel appeared on the field. (ATK: 2700-2400/ DEF: 2400-2100)
"Dakini's effect activates when she's summoned!" Alexis said. "She forces you to send one monster from your field to the Graveyard!" She explained, causing Seika to give a nasty look as she removed her Black Mamba from the field.
"Alright, Dakini, attack Urubonus!" She ordered, and her Cyber Angel charged forward, slicing the snake in two.
Seika: 1600
"And since your Urubonus is gone, Dakini's stats go back to normal!" Alexis smirked. (ATK: 2400-2700/ DEF: 2100-2400) "I end my turn with these." She inserted two facedowns.
"Alexis is back in the lead!" Syrus smiled.
"Yeah, and I got a feeling this duel is nearing its end." Jaden grinned excitedly.
"My turn!" Seika drew her card, smirking once she saw it. "Looks like you're in a lot of trouble, Alexis." She laughed.
"What are you talking about?" Alexis asked, narrowing her eyes.
"I'm talking about this," She slapped the card on her Disk. "I summon Lamia to the field!" A green, masked lamia with pink hair appeared on the field. (ATK: 1300/ DEF: 1500)
'Too easy…' Erina shook her head. It was very tempting to say something about it.
"When Lamia is summoned, I can add a level eight reptile from my deck to my hand!" Seika explained with a smirk on her face. "I'll be adding Evil Dragon Ananta to my hand!"
"That was her plan?" Alexis' eyes widened in surprise.
"Now, I banish all Reptile monsters from my field and Graveyard to Special Summon Evil Dragon Ananta!" Cards started rolling out of her Duel Disk, and her Lamia disappeared as a gigantic, seven-headed hydra appeared on the field. (ATK: ?/ DEF: ?)
"Undefined?" Alexis asked, having a bad feeling about what the answer would be.
Seika smirked arrogantly, seeing the nervous look on the blonde's face. "Yes, that's because Ananta gains 600 attack and defense for every monster banished for its summon!" She revealed.
"Wait," Syrus counted on his fingers. "That's-!"
"A whopping 6000!" Mindy gasped.
"And it's more than enough to end you!" Seika cackled. (ATK: ?-6000/ DEF: ?-6000) "And if that wasn't enough when my Lamia is banished, it prevents Ananta from being destroyed by card effects until the end of the next turn. So, if you were hoping to destroy it with a Spell or Trap, well… you're out of luck!" She added, causing Alexis' eyes to widen.
"Ananta, attack Dakini and end this duel! Acid Jet!" Seika ordered, and all heads opened their jaws, unleashing streams of purple acid.
"Oh no! Alexis is gonna lose!" Jasmine and Mindy cried in unison.
"Not so fast! I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Half Shut!" Alexis responded quickly, her facedown flipping over. "This card prevents one monster from being destroyed by battle this turn, but most importantly, it halves its attack points!"
"What?!" Seika gasped as her monster's power was cut in half. (ATK: 6000-3000)
"She's still in this!" Jaden cheered.
"Whatever," Seika grit her teeth. "My monster is still stronger, and yours is about to disappear!" She said with a smirk as the acid hit the Cyber Angel.
Alexis: 1100
But, her smirk quickly vanished once she saw Dakini still standing on Alexis' field. "What? How is she still on the field?"
"She discarded a Machine Angel Ritual with Spell Shield Type-8. Are you even paying attention?" Erina asked from the sideline, honestly baffled at this point.
Seika grit her teeth and tried to ignore her. "I proceed to my End Phase, where Ananta's effect activates! Once per turn, it allows me to destroy a card on the field!" She revealed, shocking Alexis. "Say bye-bye to Dakini." She giggled as her snake ate the Angel whole.
"That… was disturbing." Mindy said, feeling a shiver run down her spine.
"Alexis doesn't look too good." Syrus pointed out. "There aren't many ways to deal with a 6000 attack point monster, and even fewer when it's protected from effect destruction."
"Well, there is one in her deck," Jaden said, smirking. "And she'll draw it."
"My turn! I draw!" Alexis drew her card, eyes widening in shock. 'How does Jaden not make a big deal out of this?' She smiled. "I activate my Trap Card! Urgent Ritual Art!" Her facedown flipped over. "This card allows me to banish one Ritual Spell from my hand or Graveyard and apply its effect to this card's!"
"She can perform another Ritual Summon!" Jaden grinned excitedly.
"That's right," She smiled at him before returning to the duel. "I banish Machine Angel Absolute Ritual from my Graveyard!" The Trap Card on the field changed into the Spell it copied.
"I shuffle back the Idaten from my Graveyard to summon Cyber Angel Benten!" In a flash of light, the Angel graced the field. (ATK: 1800/ DEF: 1500)
"Time to end this!" Alexis smirked. "Benten, cut down those heads!" She ordered.
Benten spread her fans and ran forward.
"What is she doing?!" Syrus panicked. "Benten's attack is nowhere near that snake's!"
"She drew it!" Jaden's eyes widened in realization before a grin spread across his lips. "Yeah, go, Lex!" He cheered.
"You've gone crazy, haven't you?" Seika mocked the blonde. "You saw no way to win, so you decided to take yourself out?"
"No, I'm winning this duel!" Alexis replied matter-of-factly, plucking a card from her hand. "I activate Honest's effect from my hand! By sending him to the Graveyard, Benten gains the attack of your Ananta!" She explained.
"What?!" Seika shrieked, a look of disbelief on her face as a pair of angelic wings appeared on Benten. (ATK: 1800-7800)
The Cyber Angel jumped into the air, slicing each head clean off the body before it exploded, sending Seika flying on her back.
Seika: 0
And as soon as the Life Points hit zero, the crowd began to cheer. Even some of Seika's fanboys joined in.
Alexis stood tall and proud. She managed to keep her reputation as a duelist intact… And keep Seika's paws off Jaden.
"That's a wrap, everybody!" Erina's voice boomed through the speakers. "I'm proud to present to you our new Miss Duel Academy! Alexis Rhodes!" She gestured to her friend. "Give it up for the Queen of Duel Academy, everyone!"
The crowd began to cheer again, and Alexis couldn't help but start to wave back at them.
"And now for our Queen's prize!" The bluenette gave a cheeky grin as she turned to Jaden. "Come here and give your girlfriend a kiss, big guy!" She said, forcefully pulling him up on stage.
"Wait," Syrus stopped clapping. "Girlfriend?" He asked in confusion as Jasmine and Mindy began giggling next to him.
"Hey." Jaden chuckled, seeing how flustered Alexis suddenly became due to what was about to happen. "Congrats on winning. You were amazing out there." He complimented her as he placed his hands around her waist.
The blonde blushed slightly and smiled. "Flatterer." She said warmly as she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "Just don't do anything extra, okay? It's embarrassing enough that the whole school is watching us…" She said, coming off more serious than she intended.
"Okay, okay," Jaden couldn't help but grin like an idiot. She looked adorable when she got embarrassed. "You know," He began in his familiar teasing tone. "I never would've thought that you'd commemorate our one month like this." He chuckled, seeing her blush even more.
"That-! …It was never my intention." Alexis looked to the side bashfully, causing Jaden to laugh again.
"Hey, lovebirds! We're waiting for a kiss!" Erina impatiently said from the sideline. "Get on with it!"
"Yeah, come on! We want a kiss!" Jasmine shouted from the audience before she, Mindy and the rest of the crowd started chanting.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"
Both looked around and back at each other, deciding they should just give them what they wanted and be done with it.
Leaning in, they shared a soft kiss as the crowd began whooping and whistling. Well, most of them that is. Some were depressed that their respective crush was in a relationship.
But, the rest of them were happily cheering for Duel Academy's star couple.
And there we go! Everyone knows Jaden and Alexis are an item now. Will it cause some jealous glares from some students? Probably, and mostly at Jaden. I am so happy Konami recently made Seika's manga cards real because it made this duel a lot easier to write.
Hope you guys enjoyed this one and I'll see you all next time with the School Duel. It will be a long one, so heads up as it might take longer to come out.
Stay safe!