Hey everyone. So yeah this is a few days off my usual schedule. I apologize for that. Things got busy around the house and by the time we finished for the day it was already late and I was tired. I hope you're all enjoying the story so far.
Jaden was walking through the academy hallway when he saw a large group of students gathered at the card shack. He spotted Michael and Bastion and walked up to them.
Jaden: What's going on? Is it eggwich day?
Bastion: No Jaden, just a little lunch time tussle.
Jaden: Really? Who's dueling?
Michael: Look for yourself.
Jaden: Who's the Ra?
Bastion: His name is Dimitri.
Jaden: So, who's he dueling?
He turned his head to the side and saw a familiar face.
Jaden: Syrus? What's going on?
Syrus: A high-stakes duel, and we're about to start.
Jaden: Why are you dueling him?
Syrus: Well, it happened like this.
Flashback
Syrus: If we don't hurry, we won't be able to get tickets for the exhibition before they sell out.
Michael: Didn't you say you already got a ticket?
Syrus: Yeah, but Jaden hasn't gotten one yet.
Michael: Why am I not surprised?
They ran into the card shack and up to the counter.
Syrus: One ticket please.
Dorothy: You're in luck, this is the last ticket.
Michael: Talk about close.
Dimitri: Hey! I want that ticket too!
Syrus: But we were here first.
Dimitri: Why don't we duel for it?
Michael: Okay, I'll take you on.
Syrus: Wait Michael, let me duel.
Michael: You sure?
Syrus: Yeah. Jaden is my best friend, so I should be the one to duel for the ticket.
Michael: Alright. By the way, there's something I should tell you.
He bent down and whispered something to Syrus.
Syrus: You sure?
Michael: Positive.
End of Flashback
Jaden: Wait, what's the exhibition for?
Syrus: Yugi's deck is going on tour, and its first stop is Duel Academy. I mean, that deck is a piece of history. Just think about all it's been through: Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, and every other awesome adventure Yugi went on.
Jaden: I know, we've gotta see it. So why are you dueling? Let's get tickets.
Dorothy: Jaden, haven't you been listening? That's why Syrus is dueling. There's only one ticket left, and if he wins this duel, it'll be his.
Jaden: Well, I hope you have a good time Sy.
Syrus: Of course I will. After all, if I win, you'll get to come with me. I've already got my ticket.
Jaden: You mean you're dueling for me?
Syrus: Of course, and I'm gonna win, so let's get started Dimitri.
Dimitri: Very well then, I accept your challenge.
Both: Let's duel!
Syrus: 4000 LP
Dimitri: 4000 LP
Syrus: I'll go first, and I summon Jetroid in attack mode.
Level 4/Wind/Machine
ATK 1200/DEF 1800
Syrus: Next, I'll place one card face-down and end my turn.
Dimitri: Then it's my turn. I'll place two cards face-down and activate the spell Heavy Storm, and that, young scholar, will destroy all the spell and trap cards on the field.
Jaden: That sounds familiar.
Bastion: It should. Dr. Crowler used the same move against you.
Jaden: Oh yeah. What are the odds?
Michael: Pretty good, considering Dimitri's reputation.
Jaden: What do you mean?
Bastion: Dimitri is what you might call a copycat duelist. He copies the decks of strong duelists, but he hasn't had much success.
Meanwhile, all the spells and traps on the field were destroyed, and the same Wicked Tokens that appeared in Jaden's entrance exam appeared on Dimitri's field.
Jaden: It's just like back then.
Michael: Yeah, but if Syrus followed my advice, he's already won.
Jaden: What do you mean?
He got his answer when a trap he remembered from Michael's duel with Titan appeared on Syrus' field.
Jaden: That's Kozaky's Self-Destruct Button.
Syrus: That's right, and since Dimitri destroyed it, he takes 1000 points of damage.
Dimitri: 3000 LP
Dimitri: It matters not, for I sacrifice my two wicked tokens to summon the legendary Ancient Gear Golem!
Level 8/Earth/Machine
ATK&DEF 3000
Dimitri: Now attack with Mechanized Melee!
His monster raised its fist and swung it towards Jetroid.
Syrus: Not so fast! When Jetroid is attacked, its special ability activates, letting me activate a trap card from my hand, like Magic Cylinder! This card will negate your Golem's attack and deal you damage equal to its attack points.
Dimitri: 0 LP
Winner: Syrus
Syrus: Alright!
Jaden: Sweet moves Sy! You sent that Golem to the scrap heap.
Syrus: Thanks. It's a good thing Michael told me Dimitri copied Crowler's deck. Thanks to you and him, I knew just what to do to beat him. Oh, I almost forgot, here's your ticket Jaden.
Jaden: You're the best Sy.
Dorothy: Alright everyone, the show is over, so head back to class, okay?
Everyone began to leave, many of them making comments on how badly Dimitri lost and how they were surprised he hadn't been demoted or kicked out. Later that night, Dimitri was in his room thinking about why he could never win a duel.
Dimitri: It doesn't make sense. I watch and I study, but I still lose! Crowler's deck was just as useless as the rest! Zane or Kaiba, it doesn't matter who I copy, I always lose. What is there left to do? After all, if copying the greatest duelists in the world isn't enough to help me win, then what can?
A flyer from the exhibition landed in front of him.
Dimitri: Of course. I have to become the greatest duelist in the world.
Across campus, Jaden was staring at the Winged Kuriboh card he got from Yugi at the start of the school year.
Syrus: Jaden, you've been staring at your cards all night, what's up?
Jaden: It's Yugi's deck. No matter how hard I try, I just can't get it out of my head.
Chumley: How come?
Jaden: How come? How come you like grilled cheese? Look, I just can't wait another second to check out those legendary cards, so who's up for going with me to the exhibit right now?
Chumley: That's actually not a bad idea. That way we can avoid the rush tomorrow.
Syrus: You mean I dueled to get that ticket for you, and you aren't even gonna use it?
Jaden: I will, because we're gonna be the first in line tomorrow too.
He pulled out his pda and began punching in someone's number.
Syrus: What are you doing now?
Jaden: Calling Michael to see if he wants to get in on this.
Across campus, Michael was asleep in his room when his pda went off on his nightstand, startling him awake.
Michael: What the, oh it's just my pda. Who on earth would be calling me this late at night.
He looked at the Caller ID and groaned.
Michael: Jaden, why am I not surprised?
He figured it would be better to answer and see what Jaden wanted.
Michael: Jaden, you'd better have a good reason for calling me this late at night.
Jaden: This is a good reason. We were gonna get a sneak peek at Yugi's deck and we wanted to invite you along.
Michael: Fine, but the main reason I'm going is to keep you out of trouble.
Jaden: Whatever floats your boat.
Michael: He's lucky my job is to protect him, otherwise I'd throttle him.
In the exhibit hall, Crowler was with the men who had been responsible for setting up the exhibit.
Worker 1: We've finished setting up the display Dr. Crowler. Here's the keys for the exhibit hall and the display case.
Worker 2: Thanks for letting us leave early. We'll see you bright and early for the exhibit tomorrow. Have a good night sir.
Crowler: You're welcome, and have a good night yourselves.
He walked up to the exhibit hall door and was about to lock it when he began to contemplate getting an early look.
Crowler: Oh, I don't see why not. After all, it'll only be a minute.
He looked in the room but was surprised at what he saw. Or rather, what he didn't see.
Crowler: The deck is gone!
That's when Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley made it to the exhibit hall, where they met up with Michael and Bastion.
Jaden: Hey guys. So you wanted to get a sneak peek at the deck too Bastion?
Bastion: Yep. I met up with Michael on the way here and he told me you all planned to get an early look.
They were interrupted by the sound of someone screaming inside the exhibit hall.
Michael: Wait, that sounded like Dr. Crowler.
Jaden: Come on, let's help him!
They opened the doors and found Crowler standing next to the broken display case.
Syrus: Dr. Crowler, you stole the deck?
Chumley: How could you do that?
Jaden: Let's get Chancellor Sheppard.
Crowler: Wait! I know this looks bad, but I swear it wasn't me!
Michael: I think he's telling the truth. After all, why would he cry out if he stole the deck?
Crowler: And even if I did want to take the deck, I wouldn't need to smash the display case because I have the key.
Jaden: If that's true, then that means the thief is out there somewhere
They all split up to look for the thief. At the coast, Dimitri was looking over Yugi's deck.
Dimitri: It's done. Now that I have the greatest deck, I'll be the greatest duelist.
Syrus ran to the coast and saw him.
Syrus: Hey! Someone just stole Yugi's deck, do you know anything?
Dimitri: Stole? This is my deck, and if you don't believe me, why don't you let me show you, right here, right now.
Syrus: Okay, fine.
Just then, Bastion, Chumley, and Michael met up with Jaden at the bridge to the Slifer Dorm.
Bastion: Dorms are clear.
Chumley: So are the classrooms.
They were interrupted by the sound of Syrus screaming.
Jaden: Let's go!
When they arrived, they found Syrus lying flat on his back.
Dimitri: It's good to be the King of Games.
Jaden: Syrus are you okay?
Syrus: I'm alright, but Dimitri stole the deck.
Jaden jumped to the top of a nearby rock and turned to Dimitri.
Jaden: Okay, you've had your fun, but it's time to return what you've stolen Dimitr1.
Dimitri: I'm afraid that you're mistaken. I'm Yugi. Dimitri was a child who would just study other people's decks and then copy them, but with these cards, I'm not copying the King of Games, I am the King of Games! And if you want this deck back, you'll have to prove I'm not!
Jaden: You've really gone off the deep end, but I never back down from a challenge.
Dimitri: Good, so let's do this.
Jaden: Get your game on!
Dimitri: It's time to duel!
Both: 4000 LP
Jaden: Here I come. First off, I play Elemental Hero Burstinatrix in defense mode.
Level 3/Fire/Warrior
ATK 1200/DEF 800
Jaden: And that'll do.
Dimitri: Will it? I use Polymerization to fuse Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts with Berfomet in order to summon Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast!
Level 6/Wind/Beast
ATK 2100/DEF 1800
Jaden: Uh oh. This isn't gonna be pretty.
Dimitri: Now attack with Pulverizing Pounce!
Chimera leapt at Burstinatrix and slashed her with its claws, destroying her.
Dimitri: With that, I end my turn.
Chumley: Syrus, you just dueled this guy, got any ideas?
Syrus: None. I tried everything I could think of, but nothing worked.
Chumley: So what are you saying Syrus? That Jaden doesn't have a chance?
Syrus: Against Yugi's deck? That's a possibility.
Bastion: I'm afraid it's more than that. Dimitri is a copycat duelist, so in order to defeat him, you must exploit the failings of whoever he is copying.
Syrus: So all he has to do is exploit Yugi's weaknesses.
Bastion: That's the problem Syrus, Yugi's weaknesses aren't well known, if he even has any.
Jaden: So you like fusing monsters do you? Well then you'll like this. I fuse Elemental Heroes Sparkman and Clayman to summon Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!
Level 6/Light/Warrior
ATK 2400/DEF 1500
Jaden: And due to his special ability, since Chimera has less attack points than Thunder Giant, he's automatically destroyed.
Dimitri: I activate Chimera's special ability. When it's destroyed, I can summon Gazelle or Berfomet back from the graveyard, so I summon Berfomet in defense mode.
Level 5/Dark/Fiend
ATK 1400/DEF 1800
Jaden: Yeah, well he won't be back for long. Thunder Giant, attack with Voltic Thunder!
Thunder Giant raised his hand and shot a blast of electricity at Berfomet, destroying it.
Jaden: That ability saved his life points from taking a big hit. That deck's living up to the hype. I end my turn.
Dimitri: Alright then, it's my turn. I place one card face-down and activate the spell Monster Reincarnation, so by discarding one card, I get a monster back from my graveyard, and I choose Gazelle, which I'll summon in defense mode.
Level 4/Earth/Beast
ATK 1500/DEF 1200
Dimitri: And now I play the spell Swords of Revealing Light. This card remains face-up on the field for three turns, and during that time, none of your monsters can attack. I end my turn there.
Jaden: My turn, I draw. Sweet, I play Dark Catapulter in defense mode.
Level 4/Earth/Machine
ATK 1000/DEF 1500
Chumley: Alright, if Dark Catapulter survives Dimtri's next turn, Jaden can use it to destroy Swords of Revealing Light.
Dimitri: A shame he won't even survive this turn. I play the trap Dark Renewal! Since you summoned a monster, both it and a monster on my field are sacrificed so that I can summon a spellcaster type monster from my graveyard.
Jaden: But wait, how can you play that card when you don't have a spellcaster in your graveyard? The only monsters in your graveyard should be Berfomet and Chimera.
Dimitri: That's where you're wrong. Remember that I had to discard a card in order to activate Monster Reincarnation. And now, by sacrificing Gazelle and Catapulter, I can summon that monster, so take to the field, Dark Magician!
Level 7/Dark/Spellcaster
ATK 2500/DEF 2100
Jaden: I'm totally star-struck. The Dark Magician is like the headliner of Yugi's entire deck!
Michael: I'm impressed. Dimitri is playing his cards as well as Yugi himself. I just wish it weren't at Jaden's expense.
Jaden: I'll switch Thunder Giant into defense mode and end my turn. Your go Dimitri.
Dimitri: I am not Dimitri. I play the spell Thousand Knives, which means your Thunder Giant is destroyed.
Glowing blades appeared before shredding Thunder Giant.
Syrus: Thunder Giant just got cut down to size.
Chumley: Which means Jaden is wide open.
Dimitri: And I think I'll take advantage of that fact by having Dark Magician attack directly. Go Dark Magic Attack!
Dark Magician charged a ball of green energy at the end of his staff before firing it at Jaden.
Jaden: 1500 LP
Jaden: Okay, that hurt.
Dimitri: Give up?
Jaden: Never!
Dimitri: Good. A true duelist never gives up. They will believe in their cards and fight until the end, no matter what the odds. That's what I always say.
Jaden: It's my move. I play Wroughtweiler in defense mode and end my turn.
Level 3/Earth/Machine
ATK 800/DEF 1200
Dimitri: It's my turn. Dark Magician, attack Wroughtweiler!
Jaden: Thanks for that. When Wroughtweiler goes to the graveyard, his special ability lets me add an Elemental Hero and a Polymerization from my graveyard to my hand, so I return Polymerization and Burstinatrix to my hand.
Dimitri: Way to play, you really show promise as a duelist. I end my turn.
Jaden: My move. I summon Burstinatrix in defense mode. Next, I'll place a card face-down and end my turn. Burstinatrix is no match for Dark Magician, but I have another monster that is: my Elemental Hero Bladedge. If I can summon him, I'll have a chance.
Michael: Since it's been three turns, Swords of Revealing Light is destroyed, which means Jaden can attack now.
Dimitri: It's my turn. Go Dark Magician, attack Burstinatrix!
Jaden: Not so fast Dimitri, I play the trap card A Hero Emerges! Since you attacked, you have to pick a random card from my hand, and if it's a monster card, I can summon it straight to the field.
Dimitri: Very well then, I choose the card on the far left.
Jaden: Good choice. For me, at least. You chose my Elemental Hero Bladedge.
Level 7/Earth/Warrior
ATK 2600/DEF 1800
Syrus: Alright, with Bladedge on the field, Jaden can stand up to Dark Magician.
Bastion: Not just him. Without the Egyptian God Cards, Dark Magician is the strongest monster in his deck.
Dimitri: I'm afraid that's where you're wrong. Although I may not currently possess the Egyptian God Cards, Dark Magician is not the strongest monster in my deck. Allow me to show you one of them. I activate the spell card Dedication through Light and Darkness, so by sacrificing Dark Magician, I can summon the Dark Magician of Chaos directly from my deck.
Level 8/Dark/Spellcaster
ATK 2800/DEF 2600
Dimitri: And due to his special ability, since I successfully summoned him, I can take any spell card I choose from my graveyard and add it to my hand, such as Monster Reincarnation. And since Dedication was a quick-play spell, it's still my battle phase, so go Chaos Magician, attack Bladedge!
Jaden: 1300 LP
Rather than exploding, Bladedge dissolved into particles of light before disappearing.
Syrus: What just happened?
Michael: Dark Magician of Chaos' special ability causes monsters destroyed in battle with it to be banished instead of going to the graveyard.
Dimitri: Face it, this deck and I go together perfectly, always have, always will.
Jaden: Not if I can help it Dimitri. Of course, to be honest, I don't know if I can. Against the King of Games' deck, getting your game on may not be enough.