Promotion Exams.

As its name implies, it is a kind of exam where students of the same dorm dueled each other, with the winner possibly being allowed to advance to the next dorm up, and the loser possibly being demoted.

Like the entrance exams, the promotion exams consist of two: Written test, and Practical test.

As so, this is one of the event that many students dreaded for.

Especially the short boy with light blue hair.

""Duel""

Syrus LP 4000

Yuji LP 4000

Syrus and Yuji were dueling, observed by Jaden, Chumley, and Misawa.

"I'm first! Draw!!" Shout Sy, as he draws a card, creating a perfect horizontal arc.

Syrus nods, having made up his mind, "Here I go, I summon Gyroid in defense position!"

A cartoonish anthropomorphic blue piston aircraft appears on his field, raising its hands to guard.

Gyroid (LV.3)

ATK/1000 DEF/1000

"Then I set two cards on the field, my turn end" say him.

Yuji smiles looking at the determination Syrus, "That's it Sy! Keep your confidence, and don't rush the thing"

Syrus nod, "Um" a smiles appears on his face.

...

A day before,

"Please help me!"

When it was dinner time, Syrus bowed his head to Yuji and Jaden who were eating.

"What is it Sy? *munching* lowering your head like that?" asked Jaden.

"Two days..."

"*munching* Two days?"

"Two days later it's a promotion exam!!" said Syrus.

Jaden tilted his head, as he really doesn't know/worried about it, "So? What about it?"

"Big Bro..." Sho eyelids drop slightly, seems to give up explaining it to Jaden.

"It's an exam with the chance to advance to the next dorm" explain Yuji.

"Is that so?" say Jaden as he grabs another tempura, "Oi! That's my tempura!" warned Yuji, as he blocked Judai's chopsticks with his own.

"Keh, cheapskate" told him, "This is mine! You eat yours! And I'm not a cheapskate!!" refuted Yuji, as he pointings his chopsticks to Jaden's face.

"So, what is the problem?" asked him again.

Yuji and Syrus let out a tired sigh, "It's mean that if one failed at promotion exam, he had the possibility to remain at the current dorm, failed to advance to the next grade, and worse case... expelled from the academy" explained Yuji.

"O- oh. Then, as long you didn't fail it's okay right?" say Jaden, as he grab a cup to drink.

Yuji sigh again, deeeply now, "That is the problem, what if you failed it? Sy here wants to ask for our help to prepare for his promotion exam"

Jaden nod, "I get it"

"That took you so long" said him tired.

"Then what can we do to help?" asked him, folded his arms.

What he means by we are Him, Yuji, and probably Chumley, a chubby upperclassman with a face like a Koala.

Syrus begin ti speaks, "You know... after the last time on DRS recruitment party, I was so sure that I would be expelled"

Yuji and Jaden nodded, they seem to remember the last event.

Unlike Jaden, Syrus and Yuji remembers it as something awful.

In Sy's case that he was lost, and even directly dragged by the teacher to get out, he even pleads to Professor Crowler, but he turned a deaf ear hearing his plea.

His brother didn't even help him, and rather suggested he should accept his expulsion, and try again next year.

For him, that is one of the current greatest betrayal, but after hearing Kei's words, Syrus realized that if he loses it was his fault only. The world of duelist is unkind. It won't wait or given him a chance to get up, only by becoming stronger he can stay on that world.

It's a miracle that he won't be expelled from The Academy, but what about next time? What about in the next promotional exam he failed? He didn't want to, he didn't want to cry like that again, he didn't want to leave his Elder Bro, Big Bro and friends that he made, It's enough to experience it once!

That is why he is determined to become stronger and better duelist.

But with his power alone it would be very hard, that is why he needs help and guidance from his friends.

"Big Bro, Yuji, and Chumley. Please help me!" asked Syrus, as he lowered his head.

Yuji looks at Jaden, and he nodded, "Alright, we will help you I mean... aren't we friend?" smiled Yuji.

Then, all of them agree to help Syrus.

...

Back to the present.

Syrus LP 4000

Yuji LP 4000

"Here I go Sy, draw!", Yuji look at his newly drawn card, "I summon Elemental HERO Stratos in attack mode!"

Whirlwind appears, then gradually disappear, revealing a HERO in a blue suit with mechanical wings.

"Stratos' effect activate, I choose to add one *HERO* monster from my deck to my hand. Do it! Air Signal!" a card ejected from his mounted deck, and Yuji took it.

"From my hand, I fusion summon Elemental HERO Stratos and Ocean"

"Here he comes!" said Syrus seriously.

"A HERO who wields the power of merciless winter and the coldest ice.

With your heart of Justice, bring avalanche upon my enemy!

Fusion Summon!

Lend me your strength! Elemental HERO Absolute Zero!!"

A hero clad in white armor appears, the ground he stood to is frozen.

E•HERO Absolute Zero

ATK/2500 DEF/2000

"Battle! Absolute Zero attack Gyroid, Arctic Blast!", say Yuji, as he pointed his index finger to Gyroid.

The HERO rush toward the cartoonish aircraft, his right hand were encased in a majestic gauntlet made from his power over ice.

"Trap activate! Supercharge! When my opponent's declares an attack while the only monster I control is a machine *Roid* type monster(s) on my field, I can draw two cards"

Explained Syrus, as he draws two cards.

Yuji nod, "Good, a card that can replenish your hand's resource is very useful"

Sy nodded, hearing his praise.

The HERO rush toward the aircraft, and hit it. But, the cartoonish aircraft didn't get destroyed. There is seems to be an invisible layer protecting it.

"Gyroid's effect, the first time it would be destroyed by battle each turn, it is not destroyed.

The white armored HERO, jumps back to his field zone.

"Then what about this?" Yuji took a card and shows it to Syrus, Sy narrowed his eyes then he was surprised, "De-Fusion?!"

The white armored HERO turned into two orb of lights, each of the orbs then morphed into a HERO with different appearance.

The moment Absolute Zero left the field, a Blizzard appears on his field, encasing the aircraft in a block of ice, then shatters it.

"Kuh!" Syrus grit his teeth looking at Yuji's field.

Misawa held his chin, looking attentively at Yuji, "Elemental HERO Absolute Zero... is a really troublesome guy"

Jaden nod, "Yeah..."

"My battle phase isn't over yet. Go! Ocean attack Syrus directly!" ordered Yuji.

A blue HERO with hair like a shark fin rush toward Syrus, then a flow of water generated from the blade part of his pole arm.

E•HERO Ocean: Breath of Ocean, Second form: Maelstrom

The HERO doing a rotating move resembling a maelstrom, then attacking Syrus, perfectly made a horizontal slash.

"Kuaaaak!!" screamed Syrus.

Syrus LP 40002500

"Ganbare Sy!" Cheer Maeda.

Yuji didn't stop and ordered Stratos to attack, "Stratos, Jet Stream Hurricane!"

The HERO with mechanical wing fly onward, he then looked at Syrus. From his fan propellers, two hurricanes were launched like a wormhole.

"Kuhaaaakk!!"

Syrus LP 2500700

"Set a card. Turn end" announced Yuji.

Sy's breaths become rougher, even so he still focused on the duel, his little finger trembles when he draws a new card.

[This is!]

Syrus look at his new drawn card, it's say Power Bond.

"Yuji, I got it!"

"The Power Bond?" asked him, and Sy nod in response, "Good, use it!"

Syrus' heart beats so fast, his hand were trembles holding the card.

"Remember! Breath!!" reminds Yuji.

Syrus takes a deep breath, "Ha...", and let it out, "Fu...".

[Here I go!]

"I activate Power Bond!"

A white portal appears on his back, accompanied by countless spark, "I fuse Steamroid, Drillroid, and Submarineroid from my hand"

The three cartoonish vehicles drives into the portal together.

Syrus begins to chant, "The Train that runs on the tricky track! The Vehicle that drills through the hardest wall! And The Submarine that dives through the dangerous ocean!"

Yuji's eyes twitched, seeing him chanting

[Since when everyone love to chants?!]

He continues, "Become one, and Drills through Victory!

Fusion Summon! Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill!!"

From the portal, a new cartoonish anthropomorphic vehicle passes through.

The body of a Submarine with color resembling of a Shark, the wheels of a tank, two mechanical arms with on each hand had a very sharp claws, and finally a snout like that of a Drill.

The image of the new vehicle resembling that of a Mole.

"Power Bond's effect, The fusion monster that use Power Bond as its fusion spell gains an attack equal to the fusion monster's original attack" explained Syrus.

[But, on the end phase as the cost of using this card I would receive 3000 attack to my Life Points] think Sy, as he closed his eyes.

Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill (LV.8)

ATK/30006000 DEF/2000

Sho then open his eyes, he then threw a punch to the air, "Battle! Attack Elemental HERO Ocean!"

The Drill begin to rotate, and The Drill Vehicle rush toward the blue HERO, "Reverse the card, Negate Attack" say Yuji.

The Drill Vehicle then transported to the way he comes, that is Syrus' field.

"Syrus... are you ready?" asked Yuji.

Sy take a deep breath, "Yeah!", he then waved his hand, "Reverse card open, Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment"

Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment's effect: Damage to you from card effects becomes 0 until the end of this turn.

"I... end my turn!" Shouted him, as he closed his eyes.

"Open your eyes, Syrus!" Shout Judai.

Syrus open his eyes slowly, his heart beating so fast, but when he saw his Life Points

Syrus LP 700

"H-Huh? This can't be real... right?" ask him, shocked.

Yuji nod, "We- you did it Sy, you can use Power Bond"

Syrus' body trembles, the corners of his mouth slowly bend upward, he can't contain his joy any longer, and then he jumps high five the sky.

"Yes!! I did it!!!"