Chapter 15: A Giant Problem

A darkness engulfed duel academy as the sun faded from view over the horizon. Students and faculty headed back towards their dorm rooms after a long day of work. Not everyone seemed to share this idea however, as flashes of light lit up the forest just a stone throw away from the Ra dorm. Soon after there was a cry as an Obelisk blue student was thrown backwards, his cards scattering all across the ground around him. As he sat up, he watched as a huge figure shrouded in multiple Obelisk blazers approached him, wearing black shades over his eyes. The figure bent down and retrieved a rare card from the pile…

"I'll be taking this!" The huge figure said. "You're lucky this card is the only thing you're losing tonight!"

The obelisk whimpered in fear, as he attempted to back away.

"Next time, pick on someone your own size," the giant laughed as he disappeared into the darkness.


Haru yawned as he moved through the crowd of blue blazers, that were currently mulling around the front of the main campus building.

"I hear he picked off another one last night…"

"Me to! I hear he's huge and almost impossible to beat"

"I heard.."

"Alright, why are you Blue eyesores loitering around? That's my job" Haru asked as he, Chumley, and Syrus made their way towards a larger group of Obelisks.

The group turned to look at them, before scoffing and walking away.

"You know I get the feeling they don't like me" Haru smiled, pleased with this result.

"I mean you have defeated some of their heavy hitters, and in addition you're not exactly subtle when it comes to their distaste in them" Syrus told him.

"From what I gathered I think they were talking about the duel giant" Chumley said.

"Duel giant?" Haru asked with a frown.

Chumley nodded. "He's this really tough duelist who goes after Obelisk students, and the scariest part is he usually only comes out after everyone's gone to bed"

"Doesn't sound like such a bad guy to me" Haru smiled. "Sounds like someone who shares my unparalleled loathing for the upper tier of this academy"

"I don't think he uses the same methods you do Haru" Syrus shook his head. "Now that Chumley reminded me, I seem to recall hearing that he uses the ante rule to take his opponents cards"

"Thats right" Chumley nodded "So if you lose to the guy, he takes your best card for himself"

"Which is illegal if I remember, the academy's rules goes out of its way to say that no student should use that kind of stakes" Syrus said.

Chummley nodded. "In addition, he apparently collects the blazers of all the Obelisk students he beats, and wears them as a sort of trophy."

"Oh Haru m'boy!"

The three turned to see professor Crowler walking towards them wearing something that shook Haru to the bone, a smile.

"He wants something I can already tell" Syrus said backing away.

The Obelisk teacher stopped a few inches from the trio of reds, his smile unwavering as he looked them all over. "Haru, how would you like no homework for the rest of the year?"

Haru raised an eyebrow "As much as the prospect of no homework for a year makes me happy, I know there's some kind of ulterior motive behind it."

"And probably a way to try to get you expelled" Syrus added.

Crowler leaned towards them. "I assure you there's nothing that would adversely affect you in any way Mr. Yoshida, infact as an act of goodwill I'll throw Syrus into the deal as well."

Haru held up a finger before pulling his two companions into a huddle. "He's clearly up to something, I'm just not sure what" Haru pointed out.

"Perhaps we should hear him out, then we can figure out his angle afterwards" Chumley advised.

"Good point" Haru nodded as he broke the huddle. "Alright teach we will hear your terms, but I'm not guaranteeing that I'll agree."

"Alright, my terms are simple. All I need is for you to deal with a little problem for me," Crowler continued.

Haru waved his hand in a circular motion, telling him to continue.

"And all you have to do is go on a little field trip for me" Crowler chuckled.

"A field trip to where? We are on an island" Chumley asked.

Crowler gave the second year Slifer a condescending pat on the head before returning his attention to his true target. "Our field trip will be a cross island trip around campus. Your main goal is to find this 'Duel Giant' and make sure he stops doing these illegal matches."

"Oh so you want me to beat down the guy who's putting your dorm in its place" Haru deadpanned.

Crowler recoiled a look of disgust on his face, "I'm not sure what you mean. I don't keep track of these events" he huffed as he walked away. "Anyway, Good luck Haru!"

"Did I actually ever agree to his deal?" Haru asked his companions, somewhat confused.

"I think he intends to make it so you can't decline" Chumley pointed out.

Haru yawned as he watched the rest of the blue dorm file into the building, leaving the trio to their own devices. "Well I can't say that I'm not intrigued by the concept of another person sticking it to the Obelisks." He started walking back towards the red dorm.

"You don't think he's actually going to go through with this do you?" Syrus asked Chumley.

"You know, I'm not sure. We've been friends with Haru for a decent amount of time, but I'm still not sure where his mind goes in these situations" Chumley told him as the two followed their companion. Around the corner of the building, Crowler's mischievous smile appeared as he watched them go.

"Excellent, once Haru turns in the identity of the Duel Giant, I can then expel them both for using the ante rule during their duel! This idea is flawless," he chuckled.

In the shade of the tree nearby Leon sat working on a rectangular contraption. His attention moved toward Crowler as he began to talk to himself. Placing an earphone from the inside of his jacket around his ear, he managed to hear the teacher's plan from afar. The curly haired duelist smiled at his current revelation "Looks like I've stumbled on something interesting." He moved the rectangular contraption to the suitcase he had opened beside him before climbing to his feet and following the trio.


Syrus sighed as he and his companions sat down in the dueling arena, watching as a Ra dueled an Obelisk. "I don't understand how we are going to find the Duel Giant if we keep taking breaks like this. Perhaps we should just go back to the room and do our homework"

"Syrus we don't even know where to look for the Giant, so it seems to me taking a break to watch a duel like this is not going to hinder us in any way" Haru said throwing himself into one of the chairs. The obelisk boy had 200 life points, and a Marauding Captain in attack mode.

Marauding Captain level 4 (1200/400)

The Ra, a small timid looking boy with long green hair, had 300 life points and a Mad Sword Beast on the field in attack mode as well.

Mad Sword Beast level 4 (1400/1200)

The Ra boy looked at his hand "Uh lessee…"

Haru leaned forward as he identified the cards in the Ra boys hand. He smiled "Looks like he's got this one won. He's got Earthquake in his hand and a monster that does piercing damage, all he has to do is play the spell and it's all over."

'C'mon' Brier', the Ra thought as he scanned his hand. 'You got this guy just where you want him. Just bring him down and take it home. Ignore the fact that everyone's watching you. Now should I activate Earthquake or just attack?'

"Just make your move already!" His opponent yelled. "I would like to get back to my dorm room some time this school year!"

Brier shrank back at this outburst, but managed to keep his eyes on his hand.

It seemed his opponent had brought companions as well, as Haru noticed a group of blue uniforms sitting on the sidelines throwing out insults as well.

"What's the matter short stack? Can't see over the cards?"

"Looks like the little baby is going to cry….. Wanna call your mommy?"

Brier attempted to ignore their japes as he kept his hand in focus "Eenie meenie…."

"Minie mo" his opponent finished for him angrily. "Make a move you're going way to slow!"

Cringing, Brier closed his eyes. "Fine I'll attack with my Mad Sword Beast!" He yelled.

"Hold on what?" Haru said jumping to his feet, confused as to why Brier hadn't gone with the the clear path to victory. Syrus and Chumley looked at him strangely at his sudden outburst, as the dinosaur type monster went barreling at its opponent.

The Obelisk smirked as his face down flipped face up "I activate my trap Reinforcements! This card allows me to give 500 attack to any of my monsters, and I think I'll give them to my Marauding Captain!" The warrior with two swords charged in ready to intercept.

Marauding captain level 4 (1200-1700)

The warrior met the Mad Sword Beast half way and slashed it through the center, blowing it away and dealing the killing blow to Brier's life points.

Briar: 300-0

Haru sighed in disappointment as he leaned back in his chair. "He was so close".

"A classic case of stage fright..."

The trio turned to find Bastion in the row behind them with his hands on his hips.

"The boy has tremendous skill, but he can never get over the fear of dueling in public," The Ra continued. "If he could find a way to bypass these fears, I don't think anything could stop him."

"Really?" Syrus asked.

"Sure, one of my compatriots Will had a hard time beating him, of course I was the only observer so that speaks to how badly his stage fright is."

Briar fell to his knees, trying his hardest to keep tears from falling down his face.

"I didn't think he could get any smaller. Guess I was wrong" The victorious Obelisk laughed along with his fellow dorm mates.

Haru turned his attention back to the Ra student as he made his way off the platform and away from the Obelisk students. The look on his face was that of hatred as he listened to the Blue students laugh and jeer. That look caused Haru to feel a shiver go down his spine.

A light came to a rest on the Kaiju duelist shoulder as a smaller version of Mothra appeared. Haru looked the Kaiju in the eyes and nodded "I felt that too," he told her mentally.

"So what's the merry band of misfits up to these days?" Bastion asked.

"Looking for a giant" Syrus told him.

"A giant?" Bastion asked eyebrow raised.

"The one who has apparently been beating all the Obelisks" Chumley told him.

Bastion frowned "Oh yes I think I've heard of this 'Giant'. From what I've heard he's not exactly someone you want to get on the bad side of."

"Speaking of Giants, who's the big guy over there?" Haru asked pointing towards the entrance, as Brier stopped in front of another Ra, this one at least three times his height. The rest of the group followed his finger as they watched the taller boy hold out his hands, as if offering a hug to Brier.

"Wow that guy's huge!" Syrus gasped.

Bastion chuckled "Who, Beauregard? Please, he's no Duel Giant."

"What are you talking about? If it's anyone here it's probably him" Syrus argued.

Again Bastion let out a short laugh. "While that is true Syrus, he's not here to be a duelist. He came here to study to be a game designer. I know him. He can hardly duel, even with a set strategy right in front of him."


Brier and Beauregard walked side by side down the hallway, after exiting the arena. The larger Ra seemed to wear an expression of concern for his companion, who looked rather miffed at his loss to the Obelisk student a few minutes prior. As they walked they passed by Will, who was currently sitting against the wall with his nose in a book.

Will looked up and smiled "Hey guys, have you seen Bastion recently?" He frowned as he noticed the looks on the duo's faces. "Whats wrong? Did something happen?"

"The Obelisk that Brier got into a duel with brought friends. They weren't exactly the best observers" Beauregard said in a deep voice as he shook his head.

"They kept making stupid remarks, and I had a hard time focusing on the duel at hand" Brier growled as he clenched his fist. "My stage fright acted up again and I screwed up a duel that was mine to win."

"Let me guess, short jokes?" Will asked

"And japes about how long I was taking to play" Brier nodded. "I hope the Duel Giant gets them. Ever since the Duel Giant appeared more and more Obelisk students are scared to duel, And they stop picking on the people they deem 'inferior'."

"Well looky here!"

The Obelisk that Brier had dueled and his three companions, approached the trio a look of smugness plastered over each of their faces.

He looked Beauregard over and smiled. "Looks like someone is exceeding the halls weight limit"

The taller Ra groaned, clearly hurt by the comment.

"You don't seem to be catching my drift wide-load" The obelisk snapped, raising a fist "Move it"

"Gentlemen I dont think it's wise to anger the guy who's twice your size. He may actually do something about it" Will said pushing himself to his feet.

"And who asked your opinion Bookworm?" The Obelisk asked moving his attention from the taller boy to Will.

"Certainly not you, not that I care for your opinions anyway" the gothic horror duelist retorted.

"You're pushing your luck reject"

"Funny I was about to say the same thing" Will said moving towards the Obelisk. He stopped as a hand clutched his wrist, Brier shook his head and moved out of the way of the Obelisks.

"Thats right make way for your superiors" the leader laughed as he and his posse made their way past them laughing all the way. Brier gritted his teeth as he watched them go, frustrated at how not only him but his best friend had been treated by these snobby rich kids.

"Wait up!" they heard someone call from the entrance of the arena, as Haru and company made their presence known. As the Slifer approached Brier seemed to shrink back as if trying to hide from them.

"Oh there you are Bastion" Will greeted as his dorm mate appeared from behind Haru.

"Hello William, I hope I didn't keep you waiting for to long" Bastion greeted.

"Hold on just a minute, bro" Haru said looking up at the boy who towered over him. "I just want to say that I'm a big fan of your work." Beauregard's face turned from calm to surprise as Brier stepped between the two of them.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" The smaller boy asked.

"Look, I figured out your friend here is the Duel Giant and I just wanted to say the way you're taking it to the Obelisk dorm is some beautiful work." He made an ok symbol with his fingers. "Couldn't have done it better myself."

"Uh Haru" Syrus said looking past him at a pair of figures who had appeared almost out of nowhere.

"Hold on a minute Syrus I'm trying to compliment this man on his work" Haru said waving his friend off. Syrus gripped Haru's jacket and pulled lightly as he pointed behind him.

Haru frowned and turned to see Eiji and a guy he recognized as the Obelisk representative standing behind him.

"Haru? Are you telling me you're ok with this vigilante attacking Obelisk students?" Eiji asked a look of irritation on his face.

"Sure! A little bit of forced modesty is just what these rich kids need to remove the stick from their asses" Haru smiled clearly not intimidated by his adopted brother's rage. Eiji's companion smirked before patting him on the shoulder.

"Calm down Eiji I can see your friends point"

"Leon?"

"And besides we're only here to let him know about the plot against him" Leon added.

"Plot?" Syrus asked.

"Oh yes, the plot by Professor Crowler to expel both you and the Duel Giant for using the ante rule" Leon nodded.

"Oh that? I put that together shortly after he offered me a year of homework free classes," Haru shrugged. "Thwarting Crowler's plans has sort of become a weekly ritual for me nowadays. Speaking of which," he turned back to Beauregard. "You may want to lay low for a while. The effeminate fruitcake that runs the blue dorm wants you turned in."

Brier shook his head and grabbed his best friends hand before trying to lead him away. "Don't be ridiculous there's no such thing as a duel giant, and if there was Beauregard would be the last one who it could be."

"Oh really?" Haru asked.

"Really!" Briar yelled back

"Really?"

"Really!"

Chumley sighed as he watched the Ra students walk away. "I'm not sure your intuition was correct in this situation Haru."

"Hate to admit it, but Chumley's right." Syrus nodded. "Like Bastion said, the guy is going here to be a game designer, and he doesn't duel at all..."

Haru's eyes moved to his left shoulder as Godzilla in a miniature form let out a short roar. There was a short screech as he looked to his right shoulder and saw a mini Mothra eyeing him as well. 'Your right….. There's a connection, I know I'm not mistaken'

"Hold up!" Will said. "Haru might be onto something. Brier was talking about how awesome the Duel giant was before you guys came."

"That's it!" Haru snapped his fingers, "I've cracked the case!"

"Um what case?" Will asked confused.

"I can show you who the culprit is" Haru smiled "But you'll have to meet me in the woods after dark"

"I thought you didn't care about the Duel Giant attacking Obelisk students?" Eiji questioned

"Oh I still don't, I just want to prove to you all that I'm right" Haru smirked as he took off down the hall.

"Oh lord he's at it again" Syrus sighed as he took off after his companion.

"See ya kids" Chumley saluted "Gotta go keep the boss out of trouble" and with that he followed Syrus down the hall.

"Hmm…" Leon mused as he stroked his chin.

"Whats up Leon?" Eiji asked watching him think.

"I don't know what he's planning, But I would like to put my own little plan in motion" The blonde boy turned to the two ra students and smiled. "Gentlemen! How's your acting prowess?"

"I did a little acting back in middle school, so i'm not too rusty" Bastion smiled.

"I've studied the works of the great universal actors, I fancy that I can do a good job" Will added.

"Excellent, it's time to set a trap for the Duel Giant" Leon smiled.


As midnight approached Haru and his two Slifer compatriots took up a hiding spot within watching distance of the Obelisk blue guys dorm. Haru had brought a pair of binoculars that he was currently peering through as he watched the front door. Syrus was looking around in fear, as his fear of the night began to grow.

"So why are we here again boss?" Chumley asked as Haru passed the binoculars to him.

"Its simple, in order to prove that the duel giant is in fact our tall Ra friend, I figured we should follow the group of Obelisks that Brier dueled earlier." Haru explained.

"So you're assuming that they'll be the next targets for giant then?" Chumley asked.

"Precisely" Haru nodded.

"Well I think the moment has come, the group is on the move," the elder Slifer said handing off the binoculars. Haru watched as the group of four students made their way out the front door, the leader wearing a pair of familiar sunglasses, making Haru frown for a moment.

"Syrus?" Haru asked.

"Yeah?' The smaller by replied.

"Did that Obelisk that Brier dueled earlier wear sunglasses?"

"I don't think so, of course he may have left them on the bench with his cronies" Syrus shrugged. The Blue group made their way past the Slifers hiding spot and into the trees. Haru made a motion telling his companions to follow them.

At the head of the Obelisk group Leon kept his eyes peeled for the mysterious vigilante. Earlier he had dipped into some of the Drama department's wigs to pull off his current charade. His plan was simple, after convincing the group of Obelisk boys to stay in for the night he Eiji and their Ra companions would attempt to draw out the Duel Giant. Everyone besides the Ra yellow named Will was on board, but with a little convincing he saw reason.

"Alright, this seems to be the general area of where the attacks happen" Bastion said as they emerged into a small clearing.

"I'm still not sure I understand how you know that" Eiji said looking around.

"Oh please, you probably think I spend all my time in my room writing out equations. Little known fact I also investigate the decks of possible opponents as well" Bastion smirked.

"HELLO" a voice boomed from the other side of the clearing. "NO DOUBT YOU THINK YOU CAN DO WHAT YOUR COMPANIONS DID NOT!"

"Well that didn't take long" Haru muttered as he and his companions hid themselves under a nearby tree.

"Or perhaps you're looking to settle the score with me after I beat your companion in a duel earlier" Leon replied doing his best impression of one of the underclassmen.

A large dark figure covered in Obelisk jackets appeared out of the darkness. It wore a pair of sunglasses over its eyes to conceal its gaze. "I know not what you talk about, but since you've wandered into my domain, I must be sure to send you back like the rest of your Blue friends".

"I thought you would say that" Leon said stepping forward and throwing off his wig. "So let's get this duel on the road"

Haru's eyes widened for a moment. "Son of a bitch, I knew those sunglasses looked familiar." The duel giant seemed rather shocked as well as it took a step back before regaining its composure.

"You're the Obelisk dorm representative" the shrouded figure stated.

"So you've heard of me? Seems like my reputation has traveled quite a bit around the island" Leon nodded.

"You're the number two ranked duelist in the Obelisk dorm, of course I've heard of you" the giant replied "And I thought it would be just another day of teaching your underclassmen a lesson. Now with the 2nd best student here I can strike fear into the hearts of all your dorm mates". The Giant turned to look where Haru was hiding. "And your observers may as well join us. I've been aware of them since they arrived.

"Looks like you got me" Haru shrugged as he emerged from his hiding place with Syrus and Chumley in tow.

"I'm well aware of my surroundings, how do you think I get away with my crimes so easy?" The giant asked.

"I guess that's fair" Haru nodded.

"Well I think that's enough distractions for the time being, my tall friend" Leon said. "Bastion if you'll bring me the briefcase I gave you earlier please". Will and Bastion, who had been standing at the back of the group, had already shed their disguises. The latter pulled the silver suitcase from his backpack.

"I am rather interested in what you carry around in there" The intellectual duelist said as he handed the briefcase to its owner.

"A prototype I've been working on" Leon said as he popped the latches on the case and pulled out a gauntlet like device, along with an earpiece that he fastened to his right ear. As he placed the gauntlet on his left arm the rest of the group realized it was oval shaped with a red core. On the outside was a blue interface with yellow lighting. Leon pressed the red core and a duel tray shot out of the left side.

"So this is what you do with your time?" Eiji asked looking it over.

"Yup this is my hobby. I hope to one day sell it on the market to Industrial illusions or Kaiba Corp" Leon nodded.

"If you're done playing with your toys, perhaps we could start our duel sometime today" The Duel Giant said in a somewhat irritated voice.

"Alright my preparations are done, let's get this Duel underway."

DUEL!

Leon:4000

Giant:4000

"I guess I finally get to see him at full power" Haru sighed as he sat down in the dirt. "Kinda nice not to be dueling for once"

"I'll let you have the first turn" Leon offered.

"You may regret it" The duel giant replied as he drew for turn, "I summon Giant Orc in attack position!" The giant grey orc appeared brandishing a bone club in its hand.

Giant Orc level 4 (2200/0).

"It seems you play fiend type monsters" Leon observed. He looked at his hand and observed Spyral Super Agent, his ace monster. 'This is going to be interesting'.

Syrus sighed "Aw man…"

"It's just a card Shortstack don't let it bug you" Haru said ruffling his hair. "Besides that monster may have a decent amount of attack, but it's hindered by its effect. After it attacks it's forced to switch to defense position and normally that wouldn't be a problem but its defense points are 0."

"Before my first turn ends, I think I'll activate this spell card." He held up a green card depicting a crowd looking at a notice pinned to a wall.

"Prohibition" Leon stated.

"Exactly! Now I can declare a monster spell or trap and you can't use that card while this spell is still on the field" The giant scoffed.

"But how would you know what cards I'm playing in my deck? You've never seen me duel before" Leon asked.

"You're quite wrong on that account" The Duel Giant replied. "I was present when you dueled during the promotion exams. Your two card Super Agent combo is quite powerful, not to mention Agent's ability to destroy spell and trap cards when it's special summoned."

"Well damn, I guess I did duel in front of the whole school didn't I?" the Spyral duelist said awkwardly, earning a facepalm from both Eiji and the Slifer crew.

"I'll prevent you from using Spyral Super Agent, and then I'll end my turn with that."

"Looks like Leon won't be able to use his ace monster for this duel" Chumley sighed.

"And without him I doubt he can pull off that one hit kill like he did before" Syrus added.

"While that may be true, I doubt that's the only thing his deck can do" Eiji reminded them.

"I think I'll set a monster for the time being" Leon said. "Your move again."

"One monster facedown, I'm afraid I'm going to make you regret that" The Giant scoffed. "Giant Orc will attack your monster with Bone Basher!" The giant creature roared as it slammed its club down into the set card, revealing a man in a white labcoat in circular glasses before shattering it into pixels.

"And now since your Orc attacked I think he'll be taking a knee" Leon declared as the Giant's monster knelt down and crossed its arms in front of his body. "And since it has 0 defense it's essentially defenseless."

"I wouldn't say it's defenseless" the Duel Giant chuckled. "Especially when I summon Second Goblin and equip him to Giant Orc." He revealed the monster before inserting it into the slot beneath Giant Orc.

"It's a monster card, so why is he treating it like a spell card?" Syrus asked.

"Its because it's like Eiji's Ultra Vessels. Second Goblin is a union monster so it can equip itself to another monster when it's summoned," Haru explained.

The giant chuckled. "Looks like the famed slacker of the Slifer dorm does know his stuff. As an equip card, Second Goblin can change my monsters position from defensive!" The giant orc rose to his feet and brandished his club with a roar, "to offensive!".

"Oh boy" Syrus groaned.

"What's really offensive is his face" Chumley muttered.

"Wouldn't mind if he wrapped a few Obelisk blazers around his face" Haru agreed.

"It's your turn, Obelisk!"

"Alrighty then, I'll start by normal summoning Spyral Tough in attack position!" A man in a blue suit carrying a briefcase with the initials Sp appeared on his side of the field. He had short blonde hair with a small curl hanging off the front of his head.

Spyral Tough level 4 (1900/1500)

"When Tough is on the field he is treated as a Spyral Super Agent, and because of that I can special summon the Spyral Quik-Fix from my graveyard you sent during your turn by discarding one card." In a flash the bespectacled man in the lab coat appeared before assuming a crouching position over his laptop.

Spyral Quik-Fix level 1 (500/400)

"And when Quik-Fix is summoned I can add a Spyral Gear from my deck to my hand" A card pushed its way out of his deck and he added it to hand. "I added Spyral Gear-Fully Armed! And now I think I'll equip it to Tough, giving him a 1000 point power boost!" Tough crouched down and opened his briefcase and pulled out a Gauntlet similar to Leon's duel disk, before putting it on.

Spyral Tough level 4 (1900-2900)

"Looks like he bridged the gap in power pretty damn quick" Will commented as they watched the agent swell with energy.

"From what I've gathered through observation, his deck revolves around pumping up lower attack monsters with Gear cards such as Drone and Fully Armed," Bastion explained.

"And since my monster now has more attack than yours, I think I'll enter my battle phase. Tough, attack his Giant Orc with Electric Charge!" Tough held up his gauntlet and it began to glow before releasing a current of electricity straight into Giant Orc. The monster's destruction caused an explosion that sent multiple blue jackets flying off of the Giant's body.

Duel Giant: 4000-3300

"AHA! I freaking called it" Haru yelled.

"Its Beauregard!" Syrus gasped.

"Wait, I thought he couldn't duel?" Chumley asked, confused by the revelation.

"Beauregard?" Will said confused. "Why? How?"

"I know you don't like the Obelisks, but resorting to this of all things?" Bastion added.

Beauregard seemed fear stricken as he moved his head to the side, revealing a earpiece "What should I do?"

"How about dropping the charade!" Haru said pointing towards a nearby rock. "The mastermind of this whole thing should be right over there." This statement seemed to puzzle the rest of his companions, until Brier walked out from behind the rock carrying a earpiece and a walkie talkie in hand.

"It was him?" Chumley wondered out loud.

"Of course!" Bastion clapped his hands together "I get it now!"

"Took you long enough Genius" Haru sighed.

"But why?" Syrus asked.

"I want to know how you figured it out" Brier asked as he looked at Haru.

"Well you seemed pretty peeved after losing to those Obelisk jackasses earlier, and your friend is rather large even in comparison to me. So it didn't take long for me to put two and two together, especially when I noticed how close the two of you were" Haru smiled.

"But I lost that duel" Brier pointed out "after that what made you think i was the duel giant?"

"Well from what these two told me you're a rather talented duelist" Haru said nodding towards Bastion and Will. "If it weren't for the stage fright you may be in Obelisk Blue by now, which leads me to another deduction. When it's dark out there are less people therefore a lesser chance of stagefright to occur.

"Plus you did kinda compliment the Duel Giant on his work. That fact sold it for me" Will added.

Syrus sighed "Now that we got this all sorted out, i guess it's over."

"What do you mean over? NOTHING'S OVER!" Brier yelled, causing the Slifer to shrink back. "I'll never go back to being 'Little Brier'. People make fun of my height every day! They call me short! A shrimp! And I'm tired of it. Can't you see. That's why I can't concentrate!"

He reached over and placed a hand on Beauregard's shoulder "Then I met Beauregard. They made fun of him too. It was at that moment we became best friends, and decided to take our revenge on the people who kept harassing us."

-Flashback-

In a dimly lit room one night, Brier and Beauregard sat across from each other going over each others decks.

"I think we should also play by the ante rule, so when we beat those guys, they'll have to fork over there best card when they lose" Brier smiled. "That will teach them not to pick on someone who's different!"

"But what if we get caught?" Beauregard asked.

"Don't worry about that, just leave it to me" Brier told him.

-End Flashback-

"Well what are you going to do now boys?" Leon asked. "We know who you guys are, and soon the whole island may know as well, even Crowler. Unless.."

"Unless what?" Brier asked with a frown.

"We finish this duel, and you give me a good show," the Obelisk replied. "I know you have skill for beating so many of my underclassmen, and I can't say that they didn't have it coming. I'm really intrigued by your partner dynamic now".

"It seems you leave us no choice then" Brier grit his teeth before looking over to his friend. "Let's do this"

Beauregard nodded "Yeah!"

Brier/ Beauregard: 3300

Leon:4000

"Draw Beauregard!"

As the big Ra drew, the smaller one looked over his shoulder at his hand. "I summon Goblin King in attack mode!" as soon as Beauregard slapped the card onto the tray, a childlike goblin with a rather large head appeared, draped in red robes and a crown.

Goblin King Level 1 (0/0)

"Zero attack eh?" Leon asked. "What are you going for?"

"I'll explain it to you. For every warrior monster I send to the graveyard this turn I can special summon a Half Goblin from my hand in defense mode!" Discarding two cards his field lit up as two goblins wearing turbans and brandishing daggers appeared, blocking the way to the king.(0)

Half Goblin level 3 (500/500) x2

"Now comes Goblin King's special ability! It now gains 1000 attack and defense for each fiend monster I control, and since I negated Orc's destruction by getting rid of Second Goblin I count three exactly."

Goblin King Level 1 (0-3000/0-3000)

"Well then" Leon said "This might get messy"

"Goblin King attacks Spyral Tough!" Brier ordered as the robed goblin let out a shriek before running over and punching the spy in the gut.

Leon:4000-3900

"When Spyral Gear-Fully Armed is sent to the graveyard I can special summon a Spyral Super Agent from my graveyard by banishing it" Leon smiled. "And since Tough is treated as a Super Agent while face up on the field or in the graveyard I can use this effect on him." Placing the spell into the deck box on his hip Leon pulled Tough from the graveyard and placed him in defense position.

Spyral Tough level 4 (1900/1500)

"It's a pity you brought him back just for him to be destroyed again" Briar remarked "Go Giant Orc pummel his Tough!" The orch charged across the field and delivered an upward slam to the agent shattering him into pixels.

"And let's not forget Leon" Brier smiled. "Your Super Agent is still up for grabs. So when I win I'll be sure to take really good care of it. Lucky for you now Giant Orc is switching itself to defense mode."

As the smoke cleared Leon drew his next card "I'm going to make you work for it! First I play the equip spell Spyral Gear-Big Red. When this card is activated I can resurrect a Spyral monster from my graveyard, and while it's equipped with this card it can't be destroyed by battle." A red sports car with six wheels rolled up onto the field as Tough stepped out of the driver's seat giving Leon a two fingered salute.

Spyral Tough level 4 (1900/1500)

"This monster never stays down" Brier grumbled. Beauregard gave him a reassuring smile that seemed to calm his mood.

"Now comes this!" In a flash of light a black drone with three propeller blades appeared flying over the red car Tough now stood by. "This card may seem a bit familiar to you since I used it in that duel a while back, but in case you forgot it's called Spyral Gear-Drone. When it's summoned I get to look at the top three cards of your deck and return them in any order I see fit." Three holograms appeared in front of the Obelisk. "Fiend's Sanctuary goes to the bottom followed by card of sanctity, then pot of duality," he said as the holograms disappeared. "Now comes Tough's effect, I can declare what type of card is on the top of your deck and if I'm right I get to destroy a card you control."

"And since he stacked the deck he knows what it is automatically" Haru mused. "Interesting"

"I declare spell, then target Prohibition on the field, and since we know what's on the top of your deck let's skip to it" Tough began speaking into his headset as a missile flew down out of nowhere and destroyed Prohibition.

"Now he can use Super Agent again!" Eiji cheered.

"Indeed, and I activate his effect from my hand, by declaring what type of card is on the top of your deck I can special summon him from my hand. Come on out Super Agent!" The sound of helicopter blades could be heard overhead as a rope ladder descended, and a man with curly blonde and black hair dropped onto the field from it.

Spyral Super Agent Level 4 (1900/1200)

The two spies fist bumped before taking up their attack positions.

"It doesn't matter! Neither of your monsters have enough attack to destroy Giant Orc" Brier called.

"Then you've forgotten drone's effect!" Leon said. "I can tribute it and give a Super Agent monster 500 attack for each card you control, and if i'm not mistaken you have four so that's a whopping 2000 attack, and I'm giving it to Tough!" The spy next to the red car swelled with energy as his attack point increased.

Spyral Tough level 4 (1900-3900)

"Battle! Tough attacks Giant Orc with Static Shockwave!" letting loose a current of energy once again the spy destroyed the bone wielding fiend.

Brier/ Beauregard: 3300-1700

"And now Agent will attack one of your Half Goblins with Spyral Strike!" The second spy ran across the field and delivered a karate chop directly to the goblin shattering it into pixels. "And that's it for me."

"Fine then I activate Pot of Duality! Now I reveal the top three cards of my deck and pick one and add it to my hand for the price of no special summoning this turn! I'll add Card of Sanctity to my hand and shuffle the rest into my deck."

"Why didn't Leon put Fiend's Sanctuary at the top? That way Brier wouldn't have had the chance to draw" Syrus asked

"It's probably because he wants to see what Brier can do while his special summoning ability is sealed for the turn," Bastion reasoned.

"Now I activate Card of Sanctity allowing us both to draw until we have six cards in our hands." Brier drew the full six while leon drew four.

"I normal summon Giant Germ in defense position" Brier said as Beauregard placed the card on the tray. In a flash of light a giant purple blob appeared in front of them. "Now Goblin King gains 1000 of its lost attack bringing it back up to 2000".

Giant Germ level 2 (1000/1000)

Goblin King Level 1 (1000-2000/1000-2000)

"Now Goblin King attacks Super Agent!" Brier commanded as the imp like goblin ran across the field and punched the spy in the stomach destroying him.

Leon:3900-3800

"And I'll end my turn with a facedown. Your move" the duo concluded.

'Clever' leon thought ' He knows that I can't get directly at Goblin King without getting though his fiend monsters first, so he's baiting me with Giant Germ knowing that if I destroy it I take damage and it special summons more.' He rubbed the bridge of his nose before looking at his hand 'Unfortunately either way with this hand his Goblin King is going to get up to 3000 this turn and I have no way of attacking it.' "First I'll start by activating the spell Spyral Mission-Assault, While this card is on the field I can draw a card every time a Super Agent on my field destroys one of your cards. "Battle! Tough attacks your Giant Germ!" The Spy once again let loose a current of electricity from its glove destroying the giant blob.

"As you probably know, when Germ is destroyed you take 500 points in effect damage, and on top of that i get to special summon two more from my deck in attack position"

Leon: 3800-3300

After Leon took the damage two more giant blobs appeared on the duo's field and Goblin King's power rose once again.

Giant Germ level 2 (1000/1000)x2

Goblin King level 1 (2000-3000/2000-3000)

Leon drew a card off of the effect of his spell. "At the end of each of my turns I have to place a counter on Spyral Mission- Assault and at the end of the third turn it's destroyed."

Spyral Mission-Assault x1 counter

"My move then" Brier called as Beauregard drew for turn.

"On your draw phase I activate the effect of my trap!" Leon declared "Its called Spyral Gear- Utility Wire. While I control a Super Agent I can target one of your cards and send it back to the top of the deck, and I choose your Goblin King!"

"I activate my counter trap! Its called Trap Jammer and it negates your trap's activation and destroys it" Brier returned as Leon's trap was destroyed.

'Looks like he was ready for me there' The Spyral duelist sighed.

"I activate the spell card Card Rotator! By discarding one card I can now switch the battle positions of your monsters"

"I guess that's one way to get out of it" Haru admitted. "Now he can inflict some damage by destroying the Quick Fix thats been sitting out on the field."

"Thats right" Brier confirmed "Since your monster is no longer protecting your lifepoints, Goblin King is going to attack over it!" the big headed goblin charged across the field before destroying the bespectacled duel monster with a hard gut punch.

"Ooh that's gotta hurt" Syrus cringed.

"It's going to hurt his lifepoints even more" Bastion pointed out.

Leon: 3300-800

"Now I'll switch both of my Giant Germs to defense position, securing my defense till my next turn" Brier said with a smile. He turned and whispered into Beauregards ear "We got this in the bag big guy!" The two fist bumped in happiness.

"Hate to break up the celebration there guys, but I've still got a 3900 attack monster that can't be destroyed by battle" Leon pointed out.

"While that may be true, you can't get to my highest attack monster without going through my giant germs, and every time their destroyed by battle you take 500 damage. Seems like the two of us are sitting pretty nice right now".

"Well then let's see if I can fix that shall we?" the Obelisk smiled as he drew. "You know I think I can manage to end this with this single card" he said, holding up the card he drew. "First I'll switch Tough back to attack position, then I'll equip him Spyral Gear-Last Resort". The sky darkened as a helicopter appeared overhead before dropping an armored exoskeleton next to Tough. The spy then strapped himself in before flexing his muscles and taking up a fighting position. "Now Tough can't be targeted by or destroyed by card effects while he's equipped with last resort."

"So? You still can't get past my wall of monsters" Brier shot back.

"Oh really? Because the second effect of last resort says differently"

"Second effect?"

"Thats right! By destroying a card on my field I can now attack you directly!" Leon told him. "And since I still control Spyral Mission-Assault I think I'm set." Tough wound up one of the metal arms and sent a rocket fist directly at the duo, sending them skidding backward.

Brier/ Beauregard: 1700-0

"And that's game" Haru sighed clearly disappointed.

The Ra duo picked themselves up, as they watched the rest of the group save for Haru swarm Leon to congratulate him. Brier let out a sigh and lowered his head "Well big guy it looks like we're finished"

"Not us" Beauregard said looking at the group with a somber face. "Please just turn me in, forget Brier, they'll believe that I did this all alone if you tell them."

Brier looked up at his friend. "Huh?"

The larger duelist looked down at his companion and smiled. "I've always been alone and i'm not going to let them expel the first person I can truly call a friend. After all we did promise that we would stand up for each other."

"But…"

"You're the best Duelist I've ever known Brier, there's no way I'd let them kick you out of here" the Ra continued.

"But what about your dream, weren't you going to be a game designer?" Brier asked.

The older boy smiled again and ran his giant hand through the smaller boys hair, "Some dreams just weren't meant to be."

Brier felt his eyes dampen "Beauregard….."

"NOW HOLD UP" Haru yelled getting between the duo and the rest of the group. "If you think anyone's going to turn you in they have to go through me first". He held up his duel disk and fixed Leon with a determined expression.

"While the prospect of dueling you sounds rather interesting, it's not needed" the Obelisk boy shook his head. "I have no intention of turning these two in, they had me on the ropes during that duel and I merely drew into something I could use. It would be a tragedy if I were to let such a duo be separated for teaching my underclassmen a lesson in being humble."

Haru frowned not familiar with the concept of a non stuck up Obelisk "Are you sure you're in the same dorm as Eiji?"

Leon smirked "Yeah but it doesn't mean that every obelisk is the same"

Bastion moved past the group and helped his fellow dorm mates to their feet. "You know Brier I just so happened to notice something during your duel"

"And what's that?" The smaller boy asked.

"You didn't succumb to stage fright" Will said standing besides Bastion "Looks like when you and Beauregard here are together you don't really think about that stuff now do you?"

"I guess you're right" Brier nodded.

"Perhaps we shouldn't dwell to much on our camaraderie in this spot" Haru said looking around as if remembering something. "I have a feeling Crowler may attempt to catch me dueling the two of you"

"He makes a fair point, perhaps the two of you should scram before anyone catches a glimpse of you next to the pile of Obelisk blazers" Leon agreed. The two Ra students nodded before taking off into the forest back towards the Ra dorm, Brier having a significant lead over Beauregard.

"Well I guess that ties up everything in a nice bow" Eiji mused as he watched them go. "Brier and Beauregard will return all the cards they won, and the two of you did your homework."

"Yup made sure to finish the final touches right before we set off for this little adventure" Syrus said happily.

"Hmm…."

Eiji turned to see Haru with a look of guilt on his face, "You didn't do any of it did you?"

Haru cringed "No, I did exactly half of it… then fell asleep."

"Crowlers going to have a field day with you tomorrow" Will smiled " Not only did you not follow through with his plan and duel the Duel Giant you also have only half of your assignments done"

"I'm not worried" Haru smirked. "I can pull a few more hours to finish the rest of it no sweat!"

"Sounds like this is where we part ways" Leon said placing his duel disk back in the briefcase. "Come on Eiji, Sarah will be looking for us right about now" He gave the rest of the group a two fingered salute before the two Obelisks headed off towards the blue dorm.

"We should probably make sure that the Duel Giant got back without any setbacks" Bastion said.

"Well Beauregard is pretty big, so I doubt there any more than halfway there" Will mused. "But you're right. I'm tired, so we should head back" And with that the two Ra students took their leave as well.

"Who was that guy?" Chumley asked not recognizing him.

"His name is Will, the two of us had a duel a while back. He has a pretty neat deck" Haru explained as the trio began to walk.

"Well Crowlers going to give you a lot of shit tomorrow" Syrus sighed

"Oh don't remind me" the Kaiju duelist replied "He's going to be pissed his newest plan was a dud"


The next morning, after long hours of work Haru managed to finish his assignments. This really didn't matter to Crowler however, because the instant Haru walked into the classroom he was given two more assignments. Crowler seemed somewhat surprised by Syrus being done as well, but seemed to wave it off in favor of grilling his mortal nemesis.

"So let me get this straight!" Crowler said leaning in, hands on the desk in front of Haru. "Not only did you manage to beat the Duel Giant, you also managed to let him escape?"

"Yes that's exactly what I said the last couple times you asked me" haru rolled his eyes as he worked through the two new assignments. "He probably booked it up the beanstalk right after I beat him."

"And you're also telling me you didn't duel by the illegal ante rule, and all those other Obelisks did?"

"Did they? Last time I checked they all lost their cards temporarily" Haru shrugged. "You should really make sure your prized students keep better care of their cards teach."

"So let me get this straight, you found the Duel Giant, then lost him, and now the lost cards are suddenly found…."

"And I have more homework than I started out with" Haru interrupted.

"Just keep writing!" Crowler snapped realizing he wasn't going to get anything else out of him.

And one more Chapter in the history books! Its nice to use one of the trio of upperclassmen in one of the filler duels especially since he uses a deck that I've been playing for awhile. I appreciate the comments and Ideas as always and be sure to keep them coming. Next time we see the mystery of the missing eggwiches, and a certain someone gets an upgrade. See ya soon.

-Red