A/N And so I've come to this chapter… The one 4kids thoroughly screwed up on and made this episode a joke. Hot sauce? Ya gotta be kidding me! Who in the hell drinks hot sau—okay, I do, but I have hyperactivity quirks and I only did that once! Let me rephrase that…who in the hell who is sane drinks hot sauce? Well, I'm not sure since a lot of us have certain quirks but whatever! My point it, who gets drunk on hot sauce? Pfft…no, that's so ridiculous, it ain't even funny. Well, I'm done with my rant so carry on!
Chapter Seven
When He Fought Back
Day…of Tag Duel Preparations
It had been almost a whole week and a half since the 'Power Bond' incident, which had been resolved between the two brothers. More to the point, a certain Osiris Red duo had been at it during that whole time period preparing strategies, building decks, and of course, the occasional waking up with each other by a pile of cards.
Aside from the fact that Shou and Jaden were preparing for a duel that depended on whether or not they would be expelled…life was great, albeit boring due to being excused from classes after the first five days and annoying with the homework they still received, but still great. Reason for the duo being let off from classes was courtesy of Samejima, who decided to give the duo a break after hearing complaints from Professor Chronos about their sleeping during classes, (which were the results of all-nighters pulled out to build decks).
Today was just another day of the week except for Jaden…it was her and Shou's day off from duel preparations. Both have come to an agreement that they needed at least one day to kick back and relax. Today just happened to be that day, and Jaden decided to spend it by lounging around in her secret spot.
Jaden lied back against the soft, green grass with her hands behind her head. She was right under a big, shady tree staring at the azure blue sky with white wisps of clouds. It was a pleasant and relaxing thing to do… watching the clouds in the sky while the waves crashed against the rocks gently below. A pleasant breeze made it all worthwhile for Jaden to have come here today. She closed her eyes and gave out a content sigh as the birds twittered about.
"Boy, that's a nice breeze…" she said, chuckling a bit. "This is my very own spot…"
Jaden let out another content sigh and had just started to doze off when…
"Aniki!" exclaimed a very familiar and very worried voice.
Jaden opened her eyes widely and forced herself to sit up by lifting up her legs into the air and swinging them down quickly afterwards. She placed her hands on her legs as she sat in a very unladylike manner…not that she actually cared about that. It's not like she was wearing a skirt…and yet another reason why she was mistaken for the opposite gender.
Jaden blinked as she saw Shou run up the hill.
"How'd you know about this place?" she asked Shou.
Shou stopped next to her and looked at her perplexed.
"'How'?" said Shou. "You're almost always hanging around here, Aniki."
Jaden looked up at Shou as she blinked owlishly.
"The heck?" said Jaden. "It's that obvious?"
Shou closed his eyes and held up his finger as he grinned.
"Everyone knows," Shou said, opening his eyes and his expression changing immediately. "But I didn't come here to tell you that."
Shou looked concerned at Jaden.
"Aniki, something horrible has happened!" exclaimed Shou.
Jaden looked at Shou questioningly.
"What is it?" she asked. "What happened?"
Shou tightened his fists and looked anxiously at Jaden.
"Hayato-kun…might be getting expelled!" answered Shou.
Jaden's eyes widened.
"Huh?" exclaimed Jaden. "Hayato expelled?"
A few moments later at the dorm,
Some of the Osiris Red residents crowded the area by the entrance to Daitokuji's room. That was the first thing Jaden and Shou first saw as they ran towards the dorms. They made their way through the crowd, stopping once they reached the doorway. Luckily for them, the door was opened slightly enough for them to look in.
Inside sitting on the floor around a small table, was Daitokuji and a well-muscled man, who was currently laughing at something. What that was, Shou and Jaden didn't know, but what they did know, was that the man looked like Hayato…an older, tanner, and more muscular version of Hayato. Either way, Jaden couldn't help but ask who the man was.
"Who's the old dude?" she asked.
"He's Hayato-kun's father," answered Shou.
Jaden's eyes widened and she looked at Shou with an astonished look.
"Wha?" said Jaden.
Shou looked at Jaden, his expression somber.
"He came in person to take Hayato-kun back with him," explained Shou.
Shou and Jaden turned to the conversation between Hayato and Hayato's father, Kumazo Maeda.
"That Hayato only bein' in Osiris Red is deplorable…" Kumazo said as he crossed his arms. "On top of that, he's failing and has to repeat a grade…He could hardly be more of a pathetic man."
"Well, that's quite something, I guess…" Daitokuji said, laughing afterwards.
Kumazo waited until Daitokuji stopped talking before speaking.
"Then, abandonin' bein' a duelist in good grace and joinin' the family sake brewery is also th' path of a man!" Kumazo said, slamming his hand onto the table. "Am I wrong, Professor?"
Daitokuji just stared at Kumazo.
"N-No," replied Daitokuji. "Ah, that's Satsuma shochu liquor, if I'm not mistaken-nya."
"Go n' help yourself, if you want," Kumazo said, placing a large bottle wrapped in paper.
Daitokuji waved his hands as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his head. Accepting this bottle wouldn't make him a good example to his students. The last thing he needed was to teach class while hung over…
"Oh, no, no, no," said Daitokuji. "I couldn't do that-nya."
Kumazo ignored Daitokuji and went back on subject about Hayato.
"So, therefore, I'm takin' Hayato back home, as of today!" said Kumazo.
Shou looked anxiously at Jaden.
"What should we do, Aniki?" asked Shou.
Jaden looked at Shou.
"It's obvious what we should do, isn't it?" asked Jaden. "We're going to see how Hayato feels about this."
Shou and Jaden carefully ran away from Daitokuji's doorway and made their way up the stairs. Jaden opened the door and called out to Hayato.
"Hayato!" said Jaden.
Jaden and Shou walked into the room and gasped at the sight that lay before them. Hayato had his back turned to his roommates as he packed his bag, a pile of neatly folded clothes were by his side. Jaden and Shou ran up to Hayato.
"You're really quitting school?" questioned Jaden.
Hayato continued to pack his clothes inside his back.
"Sure am," he said without bothering to look at Shou or Jaden.
Jaden tightened her fists as she looked at Hayato.
"'Sure am'?" she repeated.
Hayato continued to pack his clothes as he talked to Shou and Jaden.
"Well, on that note, we had a short run together, but take care," said Hayato.
Jaden looked sternly at Hayato, enraged with what he just said.
"You're just giving up on your dreams as a duelist just like that?" Jaden said as she held up her fists. "Are you, Hayato?"
Jaden reached out and placed her hand on Hayato's shoulder. Hayato turned to look at Jaden, tears streaming down his eyes as he cried. Jaden's widened and she immediately backed off, startled with how Hayato was reacting to this.
"Hayato…" said Jaden.
Shou looked at Hayato concerned.
"You're crying?" said Shou.
Hayato looked at Shou and Jaden as tears continued to stream down his eyes.
"I…really never wanted to seriously become a duelist…" Hayato confessed, wiping his tears off using his sleeve.
Hayato took a deep breath and looked down.
"I've felt like 'Well, I guess it'd be nice to be one'…" Hayato said, opening his eyes and looking up. "But it's all different now. I've been thinking of actually trying my hardest for the first time…And it's because I was able to hear a spirit's voice."
Jaden blinked.
"Did you say that to your dad?" asked Jaden.
A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Hayato's face as his expression was nervous.
"Hell no!" said Hayato. "My dad is really scary!"
Jaden clenched her teeth and growled. She grabbed onto Hayato's sleeve and started to pull him up.
"Come on!" said Jaden.
Hayato looked at Jaden astonished as he wondered how she managed to pull him off the ground. Shou wondered that too, but stopped as Jaden started to run towards the doorway dragging Hayato with her. Shou followed Jaden as she and Hayato put on their shoes.
~later in Samejima's office~
Hayato, Shou, and Jaden stood in front of Samejima's desk as Jaden explained to him, Daitokuji, and Kumazo.
"And that's the story," said Jaden. "So, is there any way you can give up on expelling Hayato?"
Kumazo looked at Jaden questioningly, his arms crossed.
"Hey, who the heck be ya?" asked Kumazo.
Jaden looked at Kumazo.
"I'm one of Hayato's roommates, Jaden Yuki," said Jaden. "Er…well, his temporary roommate, that is, but that's not the point!"
Kumazo arched his eyebrow at Jaden as Shou introduced himself.
"A-And I'm Shou Marufuji," said Shou.
Samejima looked at Jaden.
"Yuki-kun, I understand how you all must feel, but this is a matter between Maeda-san's family," Samejima said, looking down. "For outsiders to stick their nose into it…"
Kumazo stared at Jaden.
"Fine," said Kumazo.
Samejima looked at Kumazo, who grinned.
"However, there's one condition," added Kumazo.
Jaden blinked owlishly as she stared at Kumazo.
"Condition?" echoed Jaden.
Kumazo looked at Hayato.
"You're going to duel me, Hayato," said Kumazo.
Hayato gasped.
"If you beat me, we'll pretend this lil' matter never happened," said Kumazo. "But if I win, you'll come back home with me on th' double."
Hayato stared at his father in shock, moving only when Jaden pulled on his sleeve. Hayato looked down at Jaden as looked at him with her chocolate brown eyes, wearing a look that read 'Say no and I'll kick your ass.'
A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Hayato's face as Jaden continued to stare at him. Shou looked at Jaden and Hayato, sighing as he shrugged.
"Well?" said Jaden.
Hayato looked at Kumazo, who wore a grin.
"How about it?" asked Kumazo. "You accept?"
Hayato blinked and his expression turned from nervous to serious.
"I do!" said Hayato.
"Then, th' duel'll start tomorrow mornin'," said Kumazo.
Jaden raised her hand.
"I'll be sure to wake him up!" said Jaden.
Hayato diverted his eyes away.
"That's if you don't sleep in…" muttered Hayato.
Jaden narrowed her eyes at Hayato.
"What was that, Koala-man?" said Jaden.
Hayato coughed and said, "N-Nothing."
Jaden nodded and let go of Hayato's sleeve.
"That's what I thought," Jaden said, crossing her arms as she turned away.
Kumazo looked at Samejima.
"So, ya'll decided, Samejima?" asked Kumazo.
Samejima nodded and smiled.
"Mm-hmm," said Samejima. "It's truly appropriate for Duel Academy. I think it is a good way to resolve things."
Sometime later outside the Main Academy Building,
Shou, Jaden, Daitokuji, and Hayato were walking back towards the Osiris Red dorms. Jaden had her hands behind her head and wore a big grin, not noting the angry look on Hayato's face.
"In any case, I wasn't expecting him to okay things so easily, you know?" said Jaden.
Shou looked at Jaden, his expression somewhat concerned.
"He didn't specifically okay anything yet…" said Shou. "There's the whole 'if he wins' condition attached."
Jaden took her hands off her head and laughed.
"It's pretty obvious Hayato will win," said Jaden. "He's facing his amateur dad."
Daitokuji stopped walking and coughed loudly to catch his students' attention.
"For reference's sake, allow me to tell you something-nya," said Daitokuji.
Hayato, Shou, and Jaden stopped walking. Jaden and Shou looked at Daitokuji perplexed.
"Hayato-kun's father is a legendary duelist who has gained fame worldwide as a master of the Satsuma Jigen-style," explained Daitokuji.
Jaden and Shou listened as Daitokuji continued his explanation.
"The Satsuma Jigen-style is a one-hit kill sword style that specializes in datotsu sword strikes," said Daitokuji. "He's a frightening master of the art, said to slice his opponents in moments…with his one-hit kill that applies its secrets."
Shou's and Jaden's eyes widened as they gasped.
"So the rumors say, anyway-nya!" said Daitokuji.
Shou and Jaden fell back anime-style, slightly disappointed with what Daitokuji just said. They quickly recovered and Jaden was the first to speak.
"T-Then, Hayato knows that?" asked Jaden.
Shou and Jaden looked at Hayato. Hayato turned around and glared at them as they smiled at him ecstatically.
"Is that right?" said Jaden. "If that's the case, we'll help you out!"
Jaden pumped her fist into the air and placed her arm around Shou's shoulder. She dragged him over to Hayato before putting her arm around the koala-resembling boy's shoulder. She pulled her two roommates closer as she smiled widely.
"C'mon!" she said. "Let's hurry up and build your deck!"
Daitokuji stared at his students and laughed.
~later in the Osiris Red Dorms~
In Daitokuji's room,
Daitokuji and Kumazo sat around a small table holding small ochokos (1), aka cups but still read the little note) in their hands. Pharaoh stood by Daitokuji's side, lapping up the sake that was poured into a small sakazuki for him.
"You don't say!" said Kumazo.
Kumazo laughed and poured in more sake into Daitokuji's ochoko as the professor held it out.
"Well then, it has to be damn rough on you, Professor," said Kumazo.
Daitokuji shook his head and brought his ochoko closer to himself after Kumazo finished filling the cup up.
"Oh, no, no," said Daitokuji. "I wouldn't say that…"
Kumazo looked at Pharaoh as the tabby cat continued to lap up the sake, not once showing any signs of intoxication.
"But anyway, this cat can sure put it down," Kumazo said, taking a drink from his ochoko.
"He isn't 'cat'," said Daitokuji. "He's Pharaoh-nya…"
Kumazo placed his ochoko on the table and started to get up from the floor.
"If you'll excuse me, I'll just be steppin' out to the bathroom," said Kumazo.
Daitokuji nodded and stopped as he remembered something.
"Please watch out for Jaden-kun," said Daitokuji.
Kumazo arched his eyebrow at Daitokuji and walked out of the room. Kumazo left the door open behind him as he walked down the corridor. He stopped when he overheard some students talking in their room, one of them he immediately recognized as his son and his friends.
~meanwhile in a certain room within the dorm~
Hayato reach over at Jaden, who currently resided in Shou's bunk bed. She pressed her back against the wall as she stuck out her tongue at Hayato, a deck of cards in her hand.
"Give me back my cards, Jaden!" said Hayato.
Jaden shook her head and looked at Hayato's cards.
"Pfft…no!" said Jaden. "I need to look at your deck and…what is this? All of your cards are koalas, Hayato."
Hayato growled and crossed his arms.
"It's a Koala deck," said Hayato. "And you could've asked!"
Shou sat on the floor as he watched Hayato pull Jaden out of the middle bunk bed. Jaden was about ready to punch Hayato while said person was about ready to snatch his deck away from her.
"Aniki, Hayato-kun…can we do this later?" asked Shou.
Hayato and Jaden looked at Shou, blinking at him a few times. Jaden gave back Hayato his deck as said person pulled her down and propped her onto the ground standing up. Shou sighed as both his roommates walked up to him and sat on the floor with him. No one said anything so as a result…it was silent.
A few moments had passed before Jaden broke the silence.
"Do you think you stand a chance with this 'Koala deck' the way it is?" Jaden asked Hayato.
Shou stood up from the ground immediately as he pulled out a card from his pocket. Hayato and Jaden stared at Shou as he handed the card to Hayato.
"Right!" said Shou. "Then, I'll give you this."
Hayato and Jaden looked at the card. The card was of a green kangaroo-like monster.
"It was in a pack I bought the other day, but I can't use it," explained Shou.
Hayato looked up at Shou, astonished.
"You're giving it to me?" asked Hayato.
Shou smiled and nodded
"See, if you add a kangaroo to your koalas, you'll get an Australian Deck, right?" said Shou.
Hayato looked at Shou, his eyes starting to water as he was almost brought to tears by his roommate's action. Jaden blinked and got up from the ground.
"All right!" said Jaden.
Hayato and Shou looked at Jaden, who was currently making her way toward her bed.
"In that case…just wait a sec," Jaden said as she began to look around her bed's mattress for something.
Hayato looked at Jaden questioningly as he accepted the card from Shou.
Listening to their current conversation from outside was Kumazo, who had heard everything. He stared at the door the trio had accidentally left opened a bit, wondering about the conversation.
~the next day~
After a surprisingly early wake-up call from Jaden,
Daitokuji, Kumazo, Shou, Jaden, and Hayato had made their way into one of the Main Academy Building's many rooms. The room was somewhat big and had a large scroll hanging on the wall with writings on it. The writing was written in big, sophisticated letters and read, 'To-kon'.
Kumazo and Hayato took their respective spots in the room, their duel disks on their arms. Jaden and Shou sat by Daitokuji and Pharaoh, the four of them facing the duel that was about to begin between father and son. Pharaoh meowed as Daitokuji stood up and started to talk.
"Well, allow me, Daitokuji, to serve as the official witness to this duel-nya," Daitokuji said, looking over at Kumazo. "Kumazo Maeda-san, if you lose this duel, you shall allow Hayato-kun to stay at this Academy, right-nya?"
Kumazo stared at Hayato with a slight grin, his duel disk on his left arm.
"That there is fine," said Kumazo. "My word is as good as my bond."
Daitokuji smiled and nodded.
"Mm-hm," Daitokuji said, turning over to Hayato. "Hayato-kun, if you lose this duel, you'll gracefully drop out from school, and succeed in your family's sake brewery. Okay-nya?"
Hayato held up his fist as he looked at Kumazo with determination in his eyes.
"It makes no difference to me," said Hayato.
"Mm-hm," said Daitokuji. "Very well, then."
Daitokuji held up his hand in the air.
"Well then, fight with all you have, without any regrets-nya!" he said.
Hayato activated his duel disk and said, "Duel!"
Hayato:
LP
4000
Kumazo grinned and did likewise.
"Now!" he said. "Duel!"
Kumazo:
LP
4000
Shou sat on his knees while Jaden sat cross-legged with her arms crossed. Both of them stared at Kumazo and Hayato, silence filling the room. Pharaoh broke the silence with a loud meow and it was then the duel began.
"My turn!" Hayato said as he drew a card from his deck.
Hayato stared at the card in his hand and looked up.
"All right," he said, holding up the card. "First, I'll attack with this! I summon Death Koala!"
Death Koala, a large brown and white koala with eucalyptus leaves in its pouch and some in its mouth, appeared on the field in attack mode.
ATK 1100
Jaden's jaw dropped as she stared at Hayato and his Death Koala, shocked.
"W-What?" exclaimed Jaden. "He put Death Koala in attack mode?"
Shou looked at Jaden questioningly.
"Huh?" said Shou. "Something wrong, Aniki?"
Jaden literally got in Shou's face as she stared at him sternly. Shou yelped and stared nervously at Jaden, uncomfortable with how close she really was. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face as his light grey eyes met Jaden's chocolate brown.
"Damn straight there's something wrong!" snapped Jaden. "Death Koala's a Reverse Effect monster!"
Shou's eyes widened and he immediately forgot about his discomfort due to the news Jaden told him.
"Wha?" exclaimed Shou.
Two small beads of sweat rolled down the side of Hayato's face as he stared nervously at Kumazo. Kumazo looked at Hayato sternly.
"You damned fool!" snapped Kumazo.
Jaden blinked and diverted her eyes away from Shou. Shou stared nervously at Jaden, her face still literally in his face, their distance practically a few centimeters apart.
"Aniki…" said Shou.
Jaden diverted her eyes on Shou's anxious form. She stared questioningly at him.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "Is it uncomfortable when I'm this close to you?"
Shou diverted his eyes away from Jaden, his cheeks turning red.
"Y-Yes…" he said shyly.
Jaden blinked and her eyes widened in realization. Of course Shou would be uncomfortable when she was this close… she was a girl. A blush tinged her cheeks as she immediately distanced herself from Shou and sat back down in her spot cross-legged. She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.
"S-Sorry, Shou…I forgot," Jaden apologized meekly.
Shou looked down, his cheeks still red.
"N-No, it's okay," said Shou.
Jaden sighed and quickly busied herself by watching the duel. Kumazo stared sternly at Hayato, angry for the careless move.
"Death Koala is a card that deals 400 points of damage for each card in the opponent's hand when it's reversed!" explained Kumazo. "The fact that you wasted it by summonin' it in attack mode proves you haven't studied enough!"
Jaden crossed her arms and turned her head away, her cheeks slightly puffed up as she pouted.
"What's there to study when the effects are written on the damn card?" thought Jaden.
Shou looked at Jaden and blinked, focusing his gaze back on the duel. Hayato looked down, regretting his first move.
"Y-You're right," Hayato said reluctantly. "I'll finish my turn…"
"You dummy, you're gonna hurry n' quit school and come back home!" Kumazo said, reaching for his deck afterward. "My turn!"
Kumazo glanced at the card in his hand and diverted his eyes on Hayato. He grinned and laughed a bit, earning Jaden's and Shou's full attention. Daitokuji looked at his two students.
"Be sure to observe his mastery, you two-nya," said Daitokuji.
Jaden stared at Kumazo with a serious look in her eyes.
"He's going to show us the one-hit kill dueling that uses the secrets of Satsuma Jigen-style," said Jaden.
Shou focused his full attention on Kumazo after hearing Jaden's comment. Kumazo held the card he drew in his hand.
"Here goes, Hayato," said Kumazo.
Hayato stared anxiously at Kumazo.
"Here it comes!" yelled Kumazo.
Hayato closed his eyes and looked down, his teeth clenched. Jaden continued to watch the duel, more alert than ever. Shou did likewise, only in an anxious manner. Daitokuji, wearing his usual smile, chuckled.
Kumazo held his card up in the air.
"I summon Drunken Tiger!" said Kumazo.
A yellow, black-striped tiger appeared on Kumazo's side field holding a sake bottle in one hand as he kneeled. He wore black shades, a sleeveless white T-shirt, and tan-colored pants with a very wide, olive-green waistband with thin, vertical stripes on it.
ATK 1800
At first glance, the tiger was very intimidating…that was until he stood up and exhaled deeply as he staggered back in an inebriated-style. Hayato stared at Drunken Tiger with shock and disbelief, a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his head.
"Drunken…Tiger?" repeated Hayato.
Jaden stared at Drunken Tiger with wide eyes and shrunken irises in disbelief.
"Eh?" said Jaden.
Shou looked questioningly at Drunken Tiger.
"Is that his one-hit kill?" asked Shou.
"N-No, don't let his appearance fool you," Jaden said, not once moving until she finished her statement.
Jaden tightened her fists and looked at Drunken Tiger with a serious glint in her eyes.
"He may not look it, but I'm positive he has some frightening moves," remarked Jaden. "Oh, who am I kidding? The tiger's freakin' drunk!"
Kumazo tightened his fist as he readied a punch.
"Drunken Tiger attacks!" Kumazo exclaimed, directing his punch in Hayato's direction. "Dead-Drunk Punch!"
Drunken Tiger swung his free hand up as he groaned, turning around and stumbling towards Death Koala afterwards. Drunken Tiger managed to knock Death Koala into the air, destroying it. Hayato gasped as Drunken Tiger reached out for him with his suddenly over-sized paw.
Hayato shielded himself as Drunken Tiger's fist passed right through him, leaving an aroma that made the koala-resembling boy gag. Hayato pinched his nose, showing a great dislike of the scent.
"It reeks of liquor…" Hayato gagged.
Hayato:
LP
3300
Jaden stared at the duel, shocked and perplexed at what just happened.
"Dead-Drunk…Punch?" she said questioningly.
Shou moved over to Jaden's side.
"Or in other words, a cat punch…" said Shou. "Blegh…it does stink!"
Shou covered his nose, not wanting to smell the alcohol fumes from Drunken Tiger's attack. Jaden blinked and sniffed curiously, immediately regretting it as she covered her nose.
"Ugh!" said Jaden.
Daitokuji looked over at Jaden and Shou as he petted Pharaoh. He noticed their disgust from the fumes and chuckled.
"Low tolerance for liquor-nya?" asked Daitokuji. "Try not to smell anymore."
Shou and Jaden nodded, earning a laugh from Daitokuji. Kumazo laughed at Hayato's dislike of the aroma as Drunken Tiger staggered around, trying to regain his unstable balance.
"A drunken cat's punch is more than enough for you!" said Kumazo. "I end my turn!"
Hayato let go of his nose, the fumes having drifted away…unfortunately seeing as Shou and Jaden had to put up with it. Thankfully, Daitokuji had a fan in hand.
"Never knew how convenient having one of these would be-nya," Daitokuji said as he fanned away the fumes.
Jaden and Shou couldn't help but nod in agreement. After a few moments, they took their hands on their noses and sighed.
"Now, it's my turn!" said Hayato.
Jaden looked at Hayato and tightened her fist.
"You have to relax, Hayato," said Jaden.
Both Jaden and Shou looked over at Kumazo.
"Right!" said Shou. "Your father might not be as great as you expect!"
Kumazo overheard Shou and diverted his eyes at the blue-haired boy. Shou cried out in distress and quickly crawled behind Jaden to hide. He whimpered a bit from shock as he tried to avoid Kumazo's stare. Jaden patted the top of Shou's head reassuringly to calm him as she spoke to Hayato.
"Just hang in there, Hayato!" said Jaden.
Hayato stared at his deck.
"R-Right!" said Hayato. "Draw!"
Hayato drew a card and looked at it before redirecting his eyes on his hand.
"All right, then, I'll use this…" Hayato said, grabbing a card in his hand. "I activate the Magic card, March of the Koalas!"
Death Koala's card popped out of Hayato's Graveyard as a result of the Magic card. Hayato picked up the card as he explained March of the Koalas' effect.
"It special-summons a Level-4 or lower 'Koala' monster from my Graveyard!" explained Hayato.
Death Koala appeared on Hayato's side of the field in attack mode. Shou stood up behind Jaden and had his hands on her shoulders as he stared out at the duel.
"Hayato-kun went and summoned another Death Koala in attack mode," said Shou.
Jaden turned to Shou, noticing his concerned expression.
"It's okay," reassured Jaden. "March of the Koalas has another effect."
Daitokuji nodded as Pharaoh walked over to Jaden.
"Indeed, it does," said Daitokuji. "It can special-summon a monster identical to the monster special-summoned from the Graveyard from your hand-nya."
"I special-summon Death Koala from my hand!" said Hayato.
Another Death Koala appeared next to the one that was already on Hayato's field.
"Next, I sacrifice both Death Koalas to summon Big Koala!" said Hayato.
Both Death Koalas jumped into the air as smoke enveloped them. The smoke cleared, revealing a bigger and blue-colored Koala monster.
ATK 2700
Kumazo stared at Big Koala as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his head.
"Well, I'll be…" Kumazo said, astonished slightly.
Hayato tightened his fist as he stared at his father, determination in his eyes.
"Here I go, dad!" said Hayato. "I use Big Koala to attack Drunken Tiger!"
Big Koala got on all fours and dashed towards Drunken Tiger.
"Surekill!" yelled Hayato. "Eucalyptus Bomb!"
Big Koala lifted up Drunken Tiger in one hand into the air. Drunken Tiger struggled and yelled as Big Koala threw him onto the ground, destroying Drunken Tiger. Kumazo shielded himself from the aftermath of the attack.
Kumazo:
LP 3100
"My turn's finished," said Hayato.
Jaden and Shou smiled ecstatically at Hayato as they cheered him on.
"Nice!" Jaden said as she pumped her fist into the air. "Way to go! Keep it up!"
At the same time, Shou had his fists tightened as he moved them up and down, alternating with the other as he laughed. He continued to do this as he grinned ecstatically and had his eyes closed.
"Go!" shouted Shou. "Go!"
A/N God, Shou was so adorable in this episode…and ooh! My favorite part of the episode is coming up! Ha! Take that, 4kids!
"It's not over yet!" Kumazo said as he reached for his deck. "My turn! Draw!"
Kumazo drew a card and looked at it. He grinned and held the card up.
"I summon Drunken Angel!" said Kumazo.
Drunken Angel, a young man with long, blonde hair, jumped into the air and stretched out his big, white wings.
"Awright!" he called out, laughing afterwards.
Drunken Angel landed on the floor, kneeling down on one knee before he stood up. He wore a white suit with a black shirt underneath and a red necktie along with a black hat. At first glance, he looked rather formal…that was until he stood up straight, showing off his slightly disheveled form as well as the bottle of sake he held in his right hand. He exhaled deeply, laughing afterwards as he wobbled in place.
ATK 1800
Hayato stared at Drunken Angel questioningly.
"Another drunkard?" he asked.
Drunken Angel swung his hand with the bottle of sake up into the air, his body moving around from his unstable balance. He smiled as he stared at Hayato slightly confused.
"Whazzat?" slurred Drunken Angel. "I ain't drunk just yet, bro!"
Drunken Angel held out his hand with the bottle of sake as he looked at Hayato. While Drunken Angel might've denied being drunk, the blush tingeing his cheeks and his inebriated composure said otherwise.
Hayato gasped as he understood what Drunken Angel just said.
"There it is again!" thought Hayato. "I heard a spirit's voice again!"
Pharaoh meowed and rubbed against Jaden, to which she responded by scratching behind the cat's ears. Jaden stared questioningly at Drunken Angel.
"I wonder if Hayato heard that…" said Jaden.
Kumazo held a card in his hand.
"Next, the Permanent Magic, One Bottle of Sake!" said Kumazo.
Drunken Angel let out another sigh when a bottle of sake appeared right in front of him. His eyes widened as he leaned closer to the bottle of sake.
"And then, the Permanent Magic, Flipping the Table!" said Kumazo.
Hayato gasped as the floor underneath him to where Kumazo was changed into the top of a table. Kumazo got off the table and placed his hands underneath it as he started to lift it up. Kumazo had managed to flip the table up into the air, sending Drunken Angel, the One Bottle of Sake, and Big Koala along with it while Hayato was thrown back onto the ground.
Hayato looked up, his eyes widened as Big Koala headed downwards, landing right on him. Big Koala was destroyed by th fall as Kumazo laughed at the sight.
"See that?" Kumazo asked Hayato. "The Permanent Magic, Flipping the Table, destroys all other cards on my field…and then destroys that many cards on my opponent's field! It's a One-Hit Kill card!"
Shou stared at Kumazo while Jaden picked up Pharaoh.
"So, that's what 'One-Hit Kill' meant?" Syrus said questioningly.
Jaden blinked a few times, her expression somewhat dreamy as she stroked Pharaoh's fur.
"Then it has nothing to do with the Satsuma Jigen-style," remarked Jaden. "Basically, it's an almost unfair reset move."
Hayato scowled.
"You're always like this when something goes against your interest, dad!" said Hayato.
Kumazo laughed.
"There's nothing that won't let the head of the house get his way!" stated Kumazo.
Drunken Angel floated to the left, sighing in an inebriated-like manner. He stopped and started alternating which foot he stood on with the other. Hayato stared at Drunken Angel perplexed as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his head.
"Huh?" said Hayato. "Why did he come back? Flipping the Table destroyed him, didn't it?"
Kumazo laughed and smirked at Hayato.
"You're too naïve, Hayato," said Kumazo. "Let me tell you Drunken Angel's Monster Effect. He can't be destroyed by Flipping the Table's effect."
Hayato gasped.
"W-What?" exclaimed Hayato.
Drunken Angel looked around relentlessly for something.
"The hell?" he said, hiccupping as he floated in place. "That sake bottle disappeared?"
Drunken Angel looked around and spotted Jaden. Pointing at her, he called out to her.
"Oi!" said Drunken Angel.
Jaden blinked and looked at Drunken Angel.
"Oh, crap…" thought Jaden. "He's back…"
Drunken Angel smiled at Jaden in a drunken-like manner and winked at her, earning a wide-eyed stare from her.
"Have you seen where that sake bottle disappeared to?" Drunken Angel asked, hiccupping afterwards.
Jaden shook her head as she stared wide-eyed at Drunken Angel. Drunken Angel hiccupped again and looked around for the sake bottle.
"Next, by destroying the Magic card, One Bottle of Sake, and sending it to the Graveyard, its Magic effect activates," said Kumazo. "You'll receive 500 points of damage!"
Alcohol fumes surrounded Hayato, whom reacted by pinching his nose due to his dislike of the scent.
"Reeks of alcohol!" coughed Hayato.
Hayato:
LP
2800
"Brace yourself, Hayato!" said Kumazo. "I attack directly with Drunken Angel! Bottle Cannon!"
Drunken Angel laughed and wobbled around as he held his bottle of sake with both hands. He aimed at Hayato, surprisingly with perfect accuracy despite his drunken state.
"Go buy me some booze!" yelled Drunken Angel. (2)
A blast of alcohol fumes blasted out of Drunken Angel's bottle like a cannon. Hayato was hit with the full blast, gagging at the retched scent.
Hayato:
LP
1000
Shou and Jaden gasped.
"Hayato!" exclaimed Jaden.
Hayato recovered from the blast and stared at his roommates with determination in his eyes.
"I'm not done yet!" said Hayato.
Kumazo stared at Hayato.
"Hmph," thought Kumazo. "This is turnin' out to be pretty good."
Kumazo ended his turn as Pharaoh meowed loudly in Jaden's arms. Jaden blinked and placed the tabby cat down. Pharaoh walked over to Daitokuji, to whom picked him up.
"Only 1000 life points left…" said Daitokuji. "This will be a do-or-die situation for Hayato-kun-nya. Oh, and I recommend covering your noses right now."
Shou and Jaden both blinked a few times before realizing what Daitokuji meant. The latter reacted quickly to this, avoiding what the first was now going through. Shou's eyes drooped as a blush tinged his cheeks. He wobbled in his spot and ended up falling to the side onto Jaden. (3)
"Tired…" Shou muttered.
Jaden looked at Shou questioningly as she poked him idly.
"Shou?" she said.
Shou looked up at Jaden with hazy eyes.
"What?" he asked drowsily.
Jaden looked over at Daitokuji, who was currently fanning away the fumes.
"I told you-nya," said Daitokuji.
Jaden blinked and stared at Shou as he leaned on her. Shou was beginning to nod off, opening his eyes the second he drifted off. As Shou fought to stay awake, Jaden sighed and ruffled his hair as she focused her attention on the duel. She tried to ignore Drunken Angel's looks at her and looked away when he winked at her again.
"What is up with that angel?" thought Jaden.
"My turn!" said Hayato. "Draw!"
Hayato drew a card and looked at it.
"This card…!" thought Hayato.
Hayato stared at the card. It was the one that Shou had given to him last night.
"I…don't want to leave this school!" Hayato thought as he placed the card in his hand and grabbed a different one. "I activate the Magic card, Silent Dead!"
Hayato held the card in his hand as it glowed. He grinned as he explained the card's effect.
"It can special-summon a Normal Monster from my Graveyard!" said Hayato. "I'll use it on Big Koala!"
Big Koala appeared on the field in defense mode.
DEF 2000
"I don't want to leave this dorm!" Hayato thought as he wore a determine look in his eyes. "And next, I activate the Magic card, Polymerization!"
Kumazo grunted as Hayato's side of the field glowed. A green, muscular kangaroo monster wearing a purple vest and red punching gloves appeared on the field. The kangaroo monster punched the air a few times before jumping up into the air by Big Koala.
"I fuse Big Koala with the Death Kangaroo in my hand…to summon Master of Oz!" said Hayato.
Big Koala and Death Kangaroo merged with each other, creating a new monster that was part koala and part kangaroo.
ATK 4200
Kumazo's eyes widened.
"That card…!" thought Kumazo.
~flashback~
"All right!" said Jaden. "In that case…just wait a sec."
Jaden looked through her bed and turned to Hayato with a card in her hand.
"Right, then" she said. "I'll give you this."
Hayato looked at the card as Jaden explained.
"Its ATK points are 4200," said Jaden. "Use it well, and you'll win for sure!"
Hayato looked at Jaden with disbelief.
"You're giving me an awesome card like that?" he asked.
Jaden smiled at Hayato.
"I want you to win," said Jaden. "Now that we've managed to become friends…hell, we've become siblings! We'd be lonely if you went back home."
Hayato stared at Jaden, smiling at what she said and slightly blushing. Watching through the slightly opened door was Kumazo. He had seen everything.
~end of flashback~
Kumazo smiled.
"I use Master of Oz to attack Drunken Angel!" said Hayato. "And I don't want to be away from Shou and Jaden! I also especially don't want Drunken Angel flirting with Jaden!"
Apparently, Drunken Angel had taken a liking to Jaden, much to Hayato's displeasure and Jaden's annoyance. Drunken Angel had pretty much tried to keep eye contact with Jaden, which failed heavily. Shou, on the other hand, was still recovering from the alcohol fumes that had left him drowsy.
"Ayers Rocky!" yelled Hayato.
Master of Oz swung its fist back and punched Drunken Angel in the face, knocking him back. Drunken Angel slid to a stop before he was destroyed.
Shou snapped out of his daze from the loud sound and stared wide-eyed at the duel. Jaden watched with anticipation.
"Did he do it?" asked Jaden.
Kumazo:
LP
700
"Your endgame is weak!" remarked Kumazo.
Hayato scowled.
"My turn's finished!" said Hayato.
Shou tightened his fists.
"He's got 700 points left!" said Shou. "He was so close!"
Jaden smiled.
"So, he's no letting him win so easily after all, is he?" said Jaden.
"Hayato!" said Kumazo. "I applaud you for runnin' me down this far! But you're losing this duel!"
"Q-Quit bluffing me," snapped Hayato. "I have my 4200-ATK Master of Oz out!"
Kumazo smirked.
"Hmph!" said Kumazo. "Did you forget that I have Permanent Magic, Flipping the Table? Its ATK could be 4000 or 5000, but I'll flip 'em onto their backs along with this table!"
"Then what'll you do after that?" questioned Hayato.
Kumazo arched his eyebrow as he looked at Hayato perplexed.
"I know 'bout it too!" said Hayato. "I'm your son, after all. Flipping the Table's demerit!"
Jaden blinked owlishly.
"Huh?" said Jaden. "Flipping the Table's demerit?"
"After you use Flipping the Table's effect, you can't summon a monster," explained Hayato.
Kumazo gritted his teeth as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face.
"As long as you end your turn being unable to summon a monster after flipping the table…" Hayato continued, pointing his finger at Kumazo, "…on my next turn, your field will be wide open, dad!"
Hayato smiled and held his fist up.
"I win this duel!" said Hayato.
"Not a bad hunch," Kumazo commented as he closed his eyes. "To have understood Flipping the Table's effects that much…"
Kumazo opened his eyes and smiled at Hayato.
"You've impressed your dad a little," said Kumazo. "My turn! Draw!"
Kumazo glanced at the card he drew and grinned.
"I'm not finished yet!" he exclaimed. "You're about a million years to early to go n' surpass me! Two Bottles of Sake!"
Kumazo played two cards and two bottles of sake appeared by Master of Oz. Shou blinked and started to do the math from what he remembered earlier.
"When one Bottle of Sake is destroyed, it deducts 500 points…so, two Bottles…" said Shou.
Jaden finished for Shou, "Deduct 1000 points…He had that in reverse?"
"And the Permanent Magic, Flipping the Table!" Kumazo added as he flipped the table.
Master of Oz was sent into the air with the table and the two Bottles of Sake. Kumazo smiled and held up two fingers.
"Due to two Bottles of Sake bein' destroyed and sent to the Graveyard…the opposing player's dealt a total of 1000 points of damage!" said Kumazo.
Alcohol fumes surrounded Hayato again, who took no time to hesitate and covered his nose.
Hayato:
LP
0
Shou frowned.
"Hayato-kun lost!" said Shou.
"Hayato!" said Jaden.
Hayato fell onto his knees despondently and looked down.
"I lost…" thought Hayato.
Kumazo stared at Hayato.
~later in the Osiris Red Dorms~
Jaden and Shou ran up to Hayato as he continued packing, putting in the last of his items.
"Are you really going?" asked Shou.
Hayato stopped and said, "I promised, so I have no choice."
Shou frowned, about ready to cry.
"That's true, but…" Shou said, sniffing a bit.
Jaden patted Shou reassuringly on the shoulder.
"Even if you're going over there, make sure you take care," Jaden said, holding out her hand to Hayato.
Hayato turned and smiled at his roommates.
"You guys, too," Hayato said, holding Jaden's hand with both of his hands as tears started to stream down his eyes.
Shou wiped his eyes as he started to cry.
"Well, I'd better get going," said Hayato. "Dad's waiting for me at the foot of the bridge."
Jaden smiled.
"We'll walk you there, then…Koala-man," said Jaden.
Hayato blinked and smiled at Jaden.
A few moments later,
Hayato, Jaden, and Shou walked out of the Osiris Red dorms. They made their way towards the bridge and met up with Daitokuji with Pharaoh in his arms. Hayato looked around, noticing that Kumazo wasn't here and asked Daitokuji.
"Um, where's my dad?" asked Hayato.
Daitokuji looked at Hayato.
"If you mean your father, he went back home on his own-nya," answered Daitokuji.
"Huh?" said Hayato.
Daitokuji reached into his pocket and took out a folded piece of paper.
"And so, he asked me to give this to you," Daitokuji said, handing Hayato the paper.
Hayato took the paper and unfolded it…it was a letter from Kumazo. He looked over it and began to read what was written on it aloud.
"'This time…'" said Hayato. "I'll forgive you out of consideration for your friends.'"
Shou and Jaden tried to get a good look at the letter and stood up on their toes. Hayato reacted to this by lowering the letter, giving his roommates a better view of what was written.
"'You should take good care of those friends 'a yours,'" Hayato read, gripping the paper tightly afterwards.
Hayato suddenly broke into a run, surprising Shou and Jaden.
"Dad!" yelled Hayato.
A few moments later,
Hayato reached Jaden's secret spot, which was right on a cliff. He looked out at the ocean, spotting Kumazo's disappearing form on a small boat. Hayato placed his hands by his mouth and called out to his father.
"Dad!" Hayato called out, holding up his fist afterwards. "I'm…I'm going to get even stronger! And mark my words, no matter what, I'll beat you!"
Hayato continued to stare out into the sea as Shou and Jaden ran up to his side. The trio watched as the boat with Kumazo in it disappeared into the foggy horizon.
~later in the Osiris Red Dorms~
Jaden and Shou were back to building their decks again on the floor of their room. Hayato lied back in his bed on the top bunk as looked over at the letter again. There was something written on it that he didn't want Shou and Jaden…especially Jaden, to see. He read what his father had written in his mind.
"'And just so you know…tell that lady friend 'a yours, Jaden, that she has my blessing,'" Kumazo's voice said in Hayato's mind as he read the last sentence.
Hayato's face burned red. There were many things wrong with that sentence, one being that Jaden was his friend and two…
"How the hell did dad know Jaden's a girl?" thought Hayato. "And shouldn't this be the other way around?"
Unfortunately, Hayato's thoughts were interrupted by said gender-mistaken girl.
"What are you doing?" asked Jaden.
Hayato exclaimed and crumpled up the paper as he turned his head, coming face-to-face with Jaden. Jaden blinked owlishly as she stared at Hayato.
"Your face is red," Jaden said, brushing the hair off of her forehead before moving it onto Hayato's.
Hayato blinked as Jaden pressed her forehead against his and held it there for a while. There was an awkward silence between them until…
"You're a bit warm," Jaden said, pulling away from Hayato.
Hayato smiled nervously and covered his face. Jaden raised an eyebrow at him before shrugging and climbing down the ladder. Hayato watched as she climbed down, sighing when she went back to building decks with Shou.
"She's going to be the death of me, I swear…" thought Hayato.
A/N End of chapter and sorry for not updating yesterday! I got busy involving the dress I had to pick up for my friend's 15! Anyways, here's your chapter and yeah! Original version FTW! Take that 4kids and your damn hot sauce! As for that last part with Hayato and Jaden…I was feeling bored and this ended up coming out! As for Drunken Angel…that's what happens when you're up at 11 PM writing things down! Remember, constructive criticism and reviews are a yes! Flames are a HELL NO!
(1) Ochokos are small, cylindrical cups that usually come in with sakazuki, a flat saucer-like cup, and masu, a wooden box cup in a sake set. Yes, I looked that up.
(2) God, I just LOVE Drunken Angel! He's hilarious and I hate 4kids for taking that out!
(3) I just decided to do that because I was watching Case Closed (AKA, Detective Conan) and in the Case of the Hijacked Department Store, when Conan and the gang were in the liquor isle shooting liquor at the robbers, Mitsuhiko (AKA, Mitch) ended up getting drunk or dozing off from just shooting shaken sake at the robbers. Me being the devious little person I am… couldn't resist doing that since there were fumes and I even researched it and yes…you can get drunk off alcohol fumes.
That's about it and expect the next chapter up either today, which is highly unlikely, tomorrow, or maybe Thursday!