It had been two years since the fall of the Orichalcos, since then school life had returned to normal for the students at Duel Academy and whilst Rajin Kanda, Billie Prince, Frank Goff and Sarah Baker didn't return following summer break there were other potential duelists waiting for the opportunity to learn how to play the game, and for the group of students who helped defeat the Orichalcos there was only one thing left for them to do at this point.
"A lot has happened since then," Chloe, who was now nineteen and a few months away from her twentieth birthday, thought as she brushed her hair in front of a mirror, Chloe, Chelsea and Nicola where now Obelisk Blue Students and much like Theresa before her, they had taken to helping problem Osiris Red and Ra Yellow students, however it was the day of graduation for (among others) Chloe, Chelsea, Nicola, Andreas, Marcus and Lance. "It's been a crazy couple of years, hasn't its Silent Magician?"
"Indeed." Chloe's Duel Spirit Partner chuckled as she appeared in her reflection. "And you have grown a lot, even if you never stopped wearing crop tops under your uniform."
"Old habits die hard." Chloe responded with a slight laugh before sighing. "I can't thank you enough Silent Magician, I don't think I would've gotten as far as I have if it weren't for your help."
"Don't sell yourself short, the potential was always there, you just had to reach it." Silent Magician responded before there was a knock at the door, whilst Silent Magician vanished from the reflection Chloe went over and answered the door.
"Today's the big day Chloe." Martin greeted her and Chloe grinned broadly in response. "Are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Chloe responded before frowning. "Has she arrived yet?"
"Like I'd miss this." Theresa responded with a laugh as she stepped into view and Chloe grinned. "Silly question but are you ready for your graduation duel?"
"I am, not sure if my deck is ready though." Chloe responded as she glanced over at her duel disk sitting on the bedside table. "I've been constantly reworking it over the weekend, trying to make it as strong as I could."
"Glad to hear it." Theresa nodded before motioning for Chloe to follow her. "Come on, how about we catch up over breakfast?"
"Sounds good to me." Chloe responded with a grin before following Theresa to the cafeteria.
*over at Chelsea's dorm*
"It almost doesn't feel real." Chelsea thought as she sat at the edge of her bed in her dorm at the Obelisk Blue Girl's Dorm, like Chloe Chelsea was nineteen and would be turning twenty once the summer break started and she had been sitting like this since she woke up and hadn't even gotten changed out of her pajamas yet. "Four years ago, I struggled to even stay at a school for a whole year before being expelled, now? I'm a third year student and I'm about to graduate."
"Words cannot express how proud of you I am Chelsea." Wattchimera commented as he appeared alongside her. "That said, perhaps you should get dressed before your siblings arrive."
"Yeah, I'm not about to duel Tyler for my right to graduate in my pajamas, almost sounds like something from a bad dream." Chelsea thought with a slight laugh before getting up and going over to her closet, once she had put her blazer on over her cropped Slayer top there was a knock at the door. "Give me a sec, just gotta brush my hair!" Chelsea called out before rushing over to her mirror.
"Sis, it's 11:00am in the morning and your still not ready?" Danny's teasing voice rang out and Chelsea grinned as she heard her brother, once her hair had been straightened out, she answered the door and saw her siblings waiting for her. "Do I even need to ask if your excited for this?"
"That's like asking if I like metal." Chelsea responded with a grin before standing to the side to let them in. "It still feels like a dream too me." Chelsea sighed as she closed the door behind her, and her brothers and sister made themselves comfortable. "Or do I need to point out my ridiculous track record when it comes to schools."
"Hey, look on the Brightside, maybe they'll make a movie out of this someday." Chris responded with a good natured grin and Chelsea grinned as she shook her head. "You'd get full royalties off course, seriously though, no one deserves this more than you Chelsea and we couldn't be prouder."
"Thanks Chris." Chelsea responded with a grin as she leaned against the bed. "Any sign of my opponent yet?"
"He's busy catching up with old friends but he'll be here soon." Mark responded and Chelsea nodded in response. "You sure as hell picked a tough opponent for your graduation duel, Seto Kaiba's stepson and all."
"What can I say? I served as his opponent for his graduation duel, the only stipulation was that he'd return the favor." Chelsea responded with a grin before sighing. "What about mom and dad?"
"They'll be in attendance, you don't have to worry about that." Jamie assured her and Chelsea grinned. "Come on, did you really think they'd miss your graduation after all the work they put into you having an education of some kind?"
"Yeah, I guess you have a point." Chelsea responded before there was a knock at the door, Chelsea went to answer it and grinned broadly. "I don't think my room will be able to take much more visitors at this point." Chelsea said as she saw Maria, Tracy and Sarah waiting for her. "Tracy I was expecting but you guys?"
"You really think I'd miss one of my biggest success story's graduation?" Maria responded with a grin before sighing. "This will be my final year at Duel Academy before I retire, I hope to see at least one of my former students graduate."
"Take out the part about retiring and you have me and Tracy." Sarah responded before putting a hand on Chelsea's shoulder. "Forget Maria, your one of Duel Academy's best success stories in general, you'll do great on the pro-league I'm sure of it."
"Thanks Sarah." Chelsea thanked her with a grin before Sarah removed her hand. "Nothing to say Tracy?" Chelsea asked as she turned to her current dorm headmistress.
"They stole all my lines." Tracy joked getting a laugh out of Chelsea. "Seriously though, go out there and kick some ass, but you do know that Tyler won't make it easy for you right?"
"She wouldn't have it any other way." Tyler's voice rang out and the women looked up seeing Tyler waiting for Chelsea in the hallway. "You ready Chelsea?"
"Ready to kick your ass? Hell yeah!" Chelsea responded before grabbing her duel disk and following Tyler alongside her siblings.
*over at Nicola's dorm*
"There she is, ready for her graduation!" Zach said proudly as Nicola, who was a few months short of turning nineteen at this point, admired herself in the mirror, she had moved up to Ra Yellow not long after Chloe and Chelsea moved up to Obelisk Blue and having moved up to Obelisk Blue the year before, she was among the youngest students ready for graduation and the Autistic teen couldn't help but grin broadly. "I'm so proud of you sis, your going to take the dueling world by storm I just know it!"
"Hey, considering I made it to the Quarter Finals of Battle City this time around, you bet I will." Nicola responded with a grin as she turned to her brother, Duel Academy was represented at Battle City again the year before by Chloe, Chelsea, Nicola, Lance, Andreas, Marcus and Mike, whilst it was in Las Vegas this time and Eddie still retained his title in the end Duel Academy had a much stronger presence after the Quarter Finals than it did the first year with Chloe coming in second. "Maybe next year I'll dethrone Eddie!"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, you still have to graduate." Zach pointed out and Nicola nodded with a determined look on her face. "And you know Sarah's not going to make things easy!"
"If she was, I'd be worried." Nicola responded with a grin before there was a knock at her door, Zach answered it and stepped aside. "You had to stop by, didn't you?" Nicola greeted her friends once she recognized them.
"Couldn't keep us away if you tried." Cindy and Sam, her former next door neighbors in Osiris Red who where now in Ra Yellow, greeted her and it was Cindy that spoke up. "Ready to kick some ass?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Nicola responded as she exchanged fist bumps with the two girls. "Any thoughts on me facing your dorm headmistress?"
"Well, don't tell her we said this, but we are rooting for you." Sam said with a grin which quickly disappeared when they heard Sarah clear her voice.
"Oh, what's that? You want detention from the moment you return from Summer Break?" Sarah joked and the two Ra Yellow students laughed nervously. "Are you ready Nicola?"
"Couldn't be readier if I tried." Nicola responded with a nod. "Shame I couldn't have my graduation match against Andreas."
"He was all for it, but Hamden had already called dibs." Sarah responded with a reassuring grin. "Better bring your A Game Nic, because I'm not going easy on you just because you're on the autism spectrum."
"Wouldn't want it any other way." Nicola responded before following Sarah out of her room with her brother.
*over at the Obelisk Blue Boy's Dorm*
Whilst that was going on at the Girl's Dorm things were much the same over at the Boy's Dorm, though in that case the graduating students were in the same room.
"Lance, trust me, no one needs to be reminded of your "singing talents" one last time before graduation." Marcus tried desperately to assure him, and Lance frowned, Lance, who was now nineteen, Marcus, who had just turned twenty and Andreas, who had just turned nineteen, had made it to the semi-finals of the last Battle City tournament alongside Chelsea and Chloe but where knocked out in the opening round by Amanda, Adrienne and Chloe respectively. "Or do I need to remind you of what happened last graduation?"
"Yeah, but I'm graduating, they can't do anything too me." Lance responded with a shrug as he leaned against the wall. "So, Marcus, you've got Jeff, Andreas has Hamden and that leaves me with Brandon, tough crowd."
"Well, we want to earn our graduations, do we not?" Andreas asked as he stood up. "There's five duels on before our little group but the first duel of our said group is between Beth and Tracy, and then there's Nicola against Sarah."
"She's come a long way man, just look at her performance in Battle City." Marcus pointed out with a grin and Andreas nodded in agreement. "She'll do fine!" Marcus added as he stood up, "You guys ready to kick ass at Duel Academy one last time?" Marcus asked as he put his fist out and the three boys fist bumped with confident grins on their faces.
*later*
The graduation duels had gone on as planned as students, teachers and parents alike watched on from the sidelines, however there was one special guest in attendance.
"Your drink Ms. Pegasus." Sophia's assistant said as he brought her a drink, Sophia, now 21, had her hair in a ponytail and was wearing a business suit and was watching the duels alongside Martin. "Mr. Wise, are you sure that I can't get you anything?"
"I am fine, thank you." Martin thanked the assistant who nodded before walking off. "I have to say Sophia, I wasn't expecting the CEO of I2 to take an interest in the graduation duels." Martin commented as Sophia took a sip from her drink. "Why the interest?"
"Chelsea Cunningham, Andreas Freshier, Marcus Reynolds, Nicola Hastings, Lance Alvers and Chloe Richardson." Sophia responded as she turned to Martin. "They are among the graduating students, are they not? They brought down the Orichalcos two years ago, I want to see if they have slipped up or not since they finished off the Orichalcos."
"I can assure you, as one of their teachers, they have not." Martin responded as he shook his head before putting a hand to the microphone. "The winner of the duel is Beth McKenzie, as a result she joins the other graduating students in the ceremony this evening!"
"Eight graduating students, and the day isn't over yet." Sophia commented with a chuckle as she watched the duel between Tracy and Beth wrap up. "I believe that is a record, is it not?"
"Indeed, it is, Jason and Chakra were among the fastest learners in their respective dorms during their first year, Ash and Hu may be rivals but they respect each other all the same, Latoya and Louella will make a great team on the pro-circuit and Caitlin is one of the students who has worked the hardest, not only to overcome her anorexia but to improve as a duelist." Martin explained with a nod before putting a hand to the microphone. "The next duel will be between Obelisk Blue's Nicola Hastings and the Ra Yellow Headmistress Sarah Baker!"
"You did it, Beth!" Chelsea exclaimed happily as her girlfriend approached her with a massive grin on her face. "Now I just have to make sure that I join you in the winner's circle!"
"Don't get too ahead of yourself Chelsea, you still have Nicola's, Andreas's and Marcus's graduation duels to go before you face off against Tyler." Beth pointed out before the lesbian couple shared a kiss. "But I'm sure you will, after everything you've been through it has been a long time coming." Beth added and Chelsea grinned.
"Speaking of Nicola, her duel's next." Chelsea responded before she glanced over at the autistic teen. "Knock them dead Nicola!"
"Hope you don't mean that literally." Nicola responded with a grin before she stepped onto the podium opposite Sarah who was shuffling her deck. "You ready Sarah?"
"Ready when you are." Sarah responded as the two women put their decks into their duel disk slots and activated their duel disks. "There may have been a record number of graduations already, but I intend to make you work for it."
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Nicola responded as they activated their duel disks. "Who's going first?"
"I will." Sarah responded before going over her hand. "I set two cards facedown and end my turn." Sarah announced as she quickly set the two cards and Nicola nodded before drawing her card. "Nicola's Crystal Beasts vs. my Trap Monsters Deck, this should be interesting."
"From what I remember from last year's graduation duels, Sarah runs a Trap Monster deck." Nicola thought as she drew her card and looked over her hand. "In a way, our decks are similar but, in the end, only one person will win." Nicola thought before playing a card. "I activate Terra-Forming! And if I must explain this card's effect at this point, I'll scream." Nicola announced as she played the card and started inputting commands into her duel disk, once she retrieved the card and her deck auto-shuffled Nicola quickly played the card. "As if there was any doubt, I activate Ancient City – Rainbow Ruins!"
"She hasn't missed a beat since the Orichalcos incident." Sophia thought as she watched on with a nod of approval as the scenery changed to the ruined city with the rainbow above it. "Let's see how much she's learned over the past two years."
"Next I summon Crystal Beast – Amethyst Cat!" Nicola announced as she played the card and the small violet cat appeared on the field with a purr (3/1200/400). "At this point, I would say that Amethyst Cat's effect lets her attack my opponent's life-points directly if I cut her attack points in half, but you don't have any monsters so I can skip that step! Amethyst Cat, attack her life-points directly!" Nicola commanded and the cat pounced towards Sarah…
"Nice try but not good enough, I activate my facedown card Defense Draw!" Sarah responded as her facedown card flipped up and she took the hit with her life-points intact. "The damage I would've taken is reduced to zero and I draw a card." Sarah added before drawing a card.
"Should've known it was too easy." Nicola thought before looking over her hand. "If there was one good thing about that trip to LA two years, well aside from taking out the Orichalcos for good and getting to spend a week in one of the most famous cities in the world on Seto Kaiba's dime, it's that it allowed me to get my hands on the rest of the new Crystal Beast Support Cards." Nicola thought before setting two cards. "I set two cards facedown and end my turn."
"I draw." Sarah responded as she drew her card. "No point in dragging this out, I activate my facedown card Statue of Anguish Pattern!" Sarah announced as she flipped her facedown card up and the strange statue appeared on the field (7/0/2500). "Since I summoned this statue in this manner, it can't be targeted by your card effects and when I summon another Trap Monster, I can destroy one card you control."
"Even though none of my regular Crystal Beasts can attack over it, Amethyst Cat can still attack your life-points directly." Nicola responded with smirk and Sarah said nothing in response. "My turn yet?"
"I set one card facedown and end my turn." Sarah responded as she set the card and Nicola drew her card. "And to avoid the same question I got at the last graduation duels, no, my statue isn't in attack mode, I didn't get to where I am on amateur mistakes like that."
"I still can't believe Danny Troy had the gall to ask that at last year's Graduation Duels." Nicola thought as she added the card to her hand. "I summon Crystal Beast – Topaz Tiger!" Nicola announced as she played the card and the large, horned tiger appeared on the field (4/1600/1000). "I activate Amethyst Cat's effect, by cutting her attack points in half she can bypass your tiger and attack your life-points directly!" Nicola added as her cat's attack dropped to 600. "Now to finish what I started last turn, attack her life-points directly!" Nicola commanded and the cat pounced towards Sarah…
"I activate my facedown card Embodiment of Apophis!" Sarah announced as her facedown flipped up and the large, snake like humanoid appeared on the field (4/1600/1800). "This triggers my statue's effect, which I use to destroy Amethyst Cat!" Sarah added and the statue swatted the cat to the side destroying her.
"I move Amethyst Cat to my Spell/Trap Card zone." Nicola responded as she moved her card to the backrow. "And I activate my own trap card Crystal Defiance!" Nicola added as the card flipped up depicting Amethyst Cat, Ruby Carbacle and Topaz Tiger staring down Five Headed Dragon. "Since one of my crystal beasts were just sent to my Spell/Trap Card zone I can search my deck for a monster that's at least level four and add it to my hand." Nicola added before she started inputting commands into her duel disk. "I can't summon a card after I use this, but I've already used my normal summon this turn, that's not an issue."
"She definitely isn't the same girl that joined Duel Academy after the first Battle City." Sarah thought as Nicola retrieved the card from her deck and let it auto-shuffle. "As terrible as the incident was, her assault at the hands of Cameron, Jessica and Thomas lit a fire under her and after she came back, she started working harder than ever."
"Whilst I couldn't attack with Amethyst Cat, the same can't be said for my tiger, and I use his effect to add four hundred attack points to his attack points during the damage step." Nicola added as the tiger's attack went up to 2000. "I think you can guess what's coming next, Topaz Tiger, attack Embodiment of Apophis." Nicola commanded and the tiger pounced into battle before slashing the snake man with his claws destroying it and bringing Sarah's life-points down to 7800. "And that's first blood to me."
"It's not how you start, it's how you finish, you should know that better than anyone." Sarah responded and Nicola nodded in agreement. "Anything else?"
"I'm done for now." Nicola responded as Topaz Tiger's attack points dropped back to 1600 and Sarah drew her card.
"She's done well but I'm not giving up that easily." Sarah thought as she drew her card and one look at it prompted her to play it. "You know what? Since I'm feeling generous, I'll throw you a bone, I activate Spellbook inside the Pot!" Sarah announced as she played the card and Nicola nodded before both women drew three cards. "Next I set two cards facedown and end my turn." Sarah announced as she set the three cards and Nicola drew her card.
"If it weren't for the fact that it would hurt my deck just as much as it would hurt Sarah's, I'd be bemoaning the fact that Heavy Storm is still on the banlist by now." Nicola thought as she looked over her hand. "Then again, Sophia never really gave a concrete answer for that infamous banlist outside of balancing the game, even after we pointed out how many broken cards had come out since then." Nicola thought before looking at her hand. "I summon the monster that I searched for with Crystal Defiance last turn, Crystal Beast – Sapphire Pegasus!" Nicola announced as the beautiful winged horse appeared on the field (4/1800/1200). "Ready to see me through graduation Sapphire Pegasus?"
"You didn't need to ask." Sapphire Pegasus responded and Nicola grinned before she started inputting commands into her duel disk.
"As I normal summoned Sapphire Pegasus her effect activates allowing me to search through my deck for a Crystal Beast Monster and add it to my backrow!" Nicola added as she retrieved the card from her deck and put it unto place. "Now I activate Rainbow Bridge! Using this I can search through my deck for a Crystal Beast Spell/Trap Card and add it to my hand." Nicola added as she started searching through her deck again.
"At the rate she's going, she might deck herself out, much like what happened to Chase Donovan at the last graduation duels." Sarah thought as Nicola added the card she was looking for to her hand and her deck auto-shuffled. "Chase was still able to win his graduation duel but that was only because he got lucky, I'm not sure if Nicola has his luck."
"No point in attacking since I couldn't hope to get past your statue." Nicola continued before picking up the card she had retrieved with Rainbow Bridge. "I set one card facedown and end my turn." Nicola announced as the facedown card appeared on the field and Sarah drew her card. "Better be careful, otherwise I'll run out of room for my Crystal Beasts as I continue to set facedown cards." Nicola thought with a frown as Sarah looked over her hand. "That was the same mistake that cost me my duel against Chloe in the Battle City Semi-Finals, I can't let myself fall into the same trap again."
"She's already repeating her mistakes from Battle City, maybe she hasn't grown as much as we thought." Sarah thought before shaking her head. "If she wasn't ready for graduation she wouldn't have been selected, still, I'd better get on the offensive." Sarah thought as her facedown cards flipped up. "I activate my remaining Embodiment of Apophis Trap Cards." Sarah announced as the snake men returned to the field. "And you know what that means, I use my statue's effect to destroy Sapphire Pegasus and Topaz Tiger!" Sarah added as the statue fired beams of light at Nicola's monsters destroying them.
"I move Sapphire Pegasus to my backrow and send Topaz Tiger to the graveyard." Nicola announced as Sapphire Pegasus appeared in the backrow and she sent Topaz Tiger to the graveyard. "Anything else?"
"Like you needed to ask, Embodiment of Apophis, attack her life-points directly!" Sarah commanded and the two snake men charged into battle before slashing Nicola with their swords bringing her life-points down to 4800. "As I said earlier, it's not how you start, it's how you finish."
"Couldn't agree more." Nicola responded as her facedown card flipped up. "I activate Damage Condenser, I discard one card from my hand to search my deck for a monster with attack equal too or less than the damage I just took, I chose Crystal Beast – Ruby Carbacle!" Nicola added as the small cat appeared on the field (3/300/300), "This activates her effect, bringing back Sapphire Pegasus, Amethyst Cat and a new face from my backrow." Nicola announced as she played the cards and Sapphire Pegasus and Amethyst Cat returned to the field alongside a green zebra kneeling. "Crystal Beast – Zoisite Zebra!" Nicola announced with a grin on her face (2/1000/1200).
"Not familiar with that last one, then again she did get a bunch of new Crystal Beast cards during Battle City." Sarah thought before Nicola added a monster from her deck to the backrow through Sapphire Pegasus's effect and Sarah started looking over her hand. "It's your move." Sarah announced and Nicola drew her card.
"I can't take another hit like that, and the best way to avoid that is to destroy her statue." Nicola thought as she looked over Sarah's side of the field. "I would say that that's easier said than done but Trap Monsters all share the same weakness, they are all trap cards at the end of the day and something like Mystical Space Typhoon will deal with them easily." Nicola thought before looking at her hand. "Then again, that's hardly my only option right now."
"Don't forget what's at stake for you Nicola." Sapphire Pegasus reminded her as the Duel Spirit glanced over at Nicola from her position on the field. "You vowed to get to this day to prove Thomas, Jessica and Cameron wrong, now's your chance."
"Like I'd forget something like that." Nicola thought before motioning to Zoisite Zebra. "As long as I have a monster in my backrow Zoisite Zebra is a tuner monster, so I tune him with Ruby Carbuncle!" Nicola announced as the two Crystal Beasts leapt into the air for the Synchro Summon. "I Synchro Summon Crystal Beast – Diamond Dino!" Nicola announced as she played the card and the dinosaur made of diamond appeared on the field once the bright flash faded (5/2200/1700).
"Your monster's powerful Nicola but not powerful enough to get past my statue on attack power alone." Sarah pointed out and Nicola shook her head.
"I don't need attack power to get past your statue, first when Diamond Dino is Synchro Summoned the Crystal Beasts, I used to summon him go to my Spell/Trap Card zone." Nicola added as Zoisite Zebra and Ruby Carbacle appeared in the backrow. "Now I activate Diamond Dino's effect, since I have at least three Crystal Beasts in my backrow I can return one to my hand to destroy one Spell/Trap Card you control." Nicola explained before returning Ruby Carbacle to her hand. "And they can pose as monsters all they want, end of the day? Trap Monsters are still trap cards! Diamond Dino, destroy Statue of Anguish Pattern!" Nicola commanded and the dinosaur charged towards the statue before destroying it with his claws.
"If that truly is the best you've got Nicola then you still have a long way to go." Sarah responded and Nicola shook her head.
"Never said it was, for my normal summon I bring out Crystal Beast – Garnet Dolphin!" Nicola announced as she played the card causing the small dolphin to appear on the field (2/500/200). "I activate his effect, by sending my level four Amber Mammoth I can add his level to Garnet Dolphin's!" Nicola added before sending her monster to the graveyard and increasing Garnet Dolphin's level to six. "He'll be destroyed during the end phase since his level went over five, but he won't be around that long! I activate Crystal Surge!"
"The Resonance Device for Crystal Beasts." Sarah nodded as Amethyst Cat's level went up to six. "I think I know what you're planning Nicola!"
"Then I won't keep you in suspense! I use Garnet Dolphin and Amethyst Cat to open the Overlay Network!" Nicola announced as the dark portal opened and both Garnet Dolphin and Amethyst Cat were sucked in. "I XYZ Summon Crystal Beast – Jaspis Lion!" Nicola announced as she played the card and the large, ruby red lion appeared on the field with a roar (Rank: 6/2300/2000). "I activate his effect! Detaching an overlay unit to cut the attack points of one of your remaining monsters in half!"
"Okay, this is looking bad." Sarah thought as Emboiment of Apophis's attack was cut down to 800. "But my deck is far from done!"
"Sapphire Pegasus, Diamond Dino, attack her remaining trap monsters!" Nicola commanded and the two Crystal Beasts charged into battle with Diamond Dino destroying the weakened Embodiment of Apophis whilst Sapphire Pegasus dealt with the remaining one bringing Sarah's life-points down to 6800. "Jaspis Lion, attack her life-points directly!" Nicola commanded and the lion pounced at Sarah before slashing her with his claws bringing Sarah's life-points down to 3900. "And just like that, I'm in the lead again."
"For now." Sarah nodded as she got back to her feet. ""However, unless I draw Mirror Force, Nicola has the match won, much as I want that, I don't want to give up that easily."
"I end my turn." Nicola announced before Sarah drew her card, however Sarah sighed as she looked at her hand. "Something wrong?"
"I knew I was running as risk when I decided that my deck should be focused on Trap Monsters and I've run into one such risk, I have no monsters I can summon or anything I can play really." Sarah responded and once it set in Nicola grinned broadly. "You haven't won yet, as per Duel Academy Rules I can't surrender a graduation duel, but I pass my turn, congrats on your graduation Nicola, you've earned it."
"Thanks." Nicola nodded before drawing her card but she knew it was a formality. "Diamond Dino, Sapphire Pegasus, finish it." Nicola commanded and the two monsters charged into battle with Sapphire Pegasus delivering the final blow and bringing Sarah's life-points down to zero.
"The winner of the duel is Nicola Hastings, as a result she joins the others in the rapidly growing graduation class!" Martin announced and the crowd cheered as the duel disks deactivated and the two women shook hands, as Nicola hopped off the duel arena she saw Andreas waiting for her with his arms outstretched for a hug and with a running start the couple shared a celebratory hug. "Coming up next, Marcus Reynolds will take on Jeff Trenton for his right to graduate!"
"Congratulations Nicola!" Andreas said as he lifted his girlfriend up the hug, they shared a quick kiss before he set her down. "We'll be joining you before you know it!"
"You better!" Nicola responded with a grin before turning to Marcus. "Good luck against Jeff Marcus."
"Thanks, I think I'll need it." Marcus responded with a grin. "And congrats on graduating, you've earned it."
"Thanks Marcus, I'd better go join the others." Nicola added before walking off, with that said Marcus hopped on the duel arena where Jeff waited for him.
"You were my favorite to win Battle City when we went there for the first year, don't let me down again in this match Marcus." Jeff greeted him warmly and Marcus grinned. "Because if I'm going down, I'm going down fighting!"