So, this has been an idea mulling in the back of my mind for years now. I've always wanted to write a Yugioh GX fanfic, and now I'm finally have enough time to do it. Chapters will come when they come, I'm working with work, school, and internships at the moment, so this is something fun for me to do in between work and school. I hope everyone enjoys the ride and is ready to Duel!
A clear blue sky and a warm breeze graced the day as people went through and enjoying their days. Families, students, and passersby were out and about, enjoying the day to the fullest. A middle-aged woman was setting up tables outside a restaurant until a voice caught her attention and a figure barreled towards her.
"Hey Mrs. Durham, passing through!" The voice belonging to a young man with tan skin and dark eyes ran past the woman, who immediately recognized him and raised a hand to call out.
"Ken, you're on your way now?! You better not be late for your exam!" The woman lightly scolded, the young man stopping with a skid and turning back to give her an embarrassed smirk while he jogged in place.
"I know, I'm heading there now, I'll do my best, bebackfordinnerlaterSEEYAH!" The boy spoke quickly as he turned heel and sped ahead to his destination. He darted through crowds as he did his best to hold onto his gear, an unzipped leather aviator jacket and simple blue t-shirt flapping in the breeze as he ran. A duel disk clipped to his jeans rattled against his side while his dark brown hair was covered in an orange bandana to keep it from getting in his face. The boy didn't waste any time slowing down as he darted across the street and towards the park, keeping his eyes on a tower growing ever closer to him.
KaibaCorp. Home to the Duel Academy Practical Exam, and the first step towards his goal.
"Alright, it's just past the park. Almost there." Ken muttered to himself as he rushed past people passing through, shouting out apologies as he bobbed and weaved through the crowd. The KaibaCorp building still in sight, Ken hopped over a rail and onto the grass as a shortcut. Sliding down the grass, he stumbled as he reached the bottom of the hill and made a quick turn, the momentum leading him to crash into someone. Ken tumbled as the other person stumbled back, waving his arms in the air in an attempt to stop himself from falling. While the boy was able to find his footing and stop falling, Ken wasn't so lucky as he fell face first into the pavement. Pain stung his face and body as he shook his head and started to push himself up.
"Hey, you okay?" Ken heard a voice say from above him as he saw a hand offered to him. "That was a nasty fall." He looked up to see the source of the voice, a boy around his age with bushy brown hair dressed in black and red, his warm brown eyes and cheeky smirk showed a mix of concern and amusement. Ken shook his head when he realized he had collapsed on the ground, pushing himself up and getting quickly back to his feet. Ken ignored the hand as he brushed all the dirt and grass off his clothes and face.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Ken grumbled as the boy withdrew his hand, though the smirk hadn't faded away. "You mind watching where you're standing? I'm in a hurry."
"Hey, you were the one who ran into me. But man, talk about karma." The boy laughed at himself while Ken just glared at him, not liking the accusation. "I bump into someone, someone bumps into me. Round and round it goes, I guess."
"Look, I don't know what you're going on about, but if you're going to stand somewhere, at least do it where someone won't bump into you." Ken countered as he straightened his bandana, taking his eye off the boy as he did. "Seriously, the point of a shortcut is to not deal with people getti-." Ken stopped as he saw several cards scattered around the ground, several he recognized. "My deck! Not now…" Ken crouched as he started to pick up his cards, ignoring the boy as he made count of each card he picked up as he added them back to his deck. "One short, where did you…?" He muttered as he looked around for his missing card.
"Hey, sweet card." He heard the boy say, turning Ken's attention towards him. In his hand was a card he recognized, a warrior clad in orange armor wielding a glaive, the tip seemingly made of energy. "So you're a duelist too, huh? Name's Jaden, good to meet ya."
"Hey, give me that!" The boy called Jaden didn't have hold of the card for long as Ken had swiped it from his hand before getting a chance to react. Ken gritted his teeth before taking a step back and took a deep breath. "If you have to know, yes. I'm heading to my practical exam for Duel Academy. It's being held at KaibaCorp and I'm running behind." Ken explained as he slipped the card back into his deck, shooting an accusatory look Jaden's way.
"Well, small world. I'm heading the same way for mine." If Jaden was put off by Ken's attitude, he didn't show it as he cradled his head in his hands. "I was up all night getting my deck ready for it too. My written exam wasn't what I was hoping for, but I'm sure I'll ace the dueling part. I seriously can't wait to see what kind of duelists I'll go up against once I pass, ya know what I mean?" Jaden's smirk turned into an enthusiastic grin as Ken put his deck back into his pocket, still staring at the boy.
"Well, you still have to do well on the duel exam itself." Ken muttered as he shook his head at Jaden. "And shouldn't you be heading there instead of wasting time talking to me?"
"Would you quit worrying? We have plenty of…" Jaden stopped that train of thought as he looked around to see a nearby clock tower. Surely enough, he saw that it was dangerously close to missing his test. "I'm late! Oh no, oh no!" Jaden exclaimed as he turned back around in the direction of the KaibaCorp building. "Don't worry about bumping into me, it's all good! See you at school!" Ken couldn't get a word in edgewise as he saw Jaden sprint down the street.
"Don't worry ab– you just stood there!" Ken shouted before closing his eyes, taking a deep breath in and out. As he opened his eyes, he saw another card on the ground and picked it up. He definitely didn't recognize it from his own deck, so it could only belong to one other person. "Hey kid, you forgot your… card." Ken called out, the kid in question already hightailing it out of view. "And he's gone. Perfect." A groan left his lips as he checked out the card. It was definitely a head-scratcher: a demonic looking monster with pink skin, leathery wings and claws. One side of its head had blue hair and a green eye while the other had white hair and a gold eye. A third eye in the middle of her forehead gave the entire card an intimidating glare. "Didn't think a guy like that'd have such a creepy looking card." He took a moment to read over the card itself and actually let out a whistle. "Strong one, though." As he held the card, he felt a shiver down his spine, as if something had just gotten ahold of it. Ken quickly turned around but saw nothing close to him. He shook his head and just pocketed the card. "I'll just give this back to him when I see him. He should be at the tryouts." Ken muttered to himself before his thoughts stopped dead in their tracks. "Wait… the tryouts! The exam! I'M LATE!" Ken took off in a mad sprint towards the KaibaCorp building, now cursing Jaden between labored pants as he made his way into the city.
"When I see that kid again, he's dead meat!"
At KaibaCorp, a man in a black suit was standing outside with two women, both wearing white and yellow uniforms. The three seemed to be cleaning up the check-in area they set up for applicants.
"Alright ladies. Mark all the no-shows 'no-shows'." The man said as the two women began to put away the gear before hearing a voice from the nearby street.
"I'm here! I'm here!" Ken yelled at the top of his lungs as he sprinted full speed towards the registration booth, skidding to a stop before he could crash into the staff. "Kenji… Kenji Shirogane, ready to… ready to duel." He panted with his hands on his knees.
"Oh hey, you made it!" Ken could hear Jaden call out. Turning his head, he could see that Jaden was for some reason hanging from the nearby fence with twigs in his hair. "For a second, I thought you were gonna be late."
"Yeah, late because you wanted to shoot the breeze!" Ken pointed a finger at him, somehow finding his second wind. "And why are you… you know what? I don't want to know." Ken turned back around to the staff and did his best to straighten himself out. "Like I said, I'm ready to take my exam." The man and his assistants looked to each other in apprehension before they turned to the boys.
"I'm sorry to say this, but you're both awfully late." One of the women let them know, causing both to get worried at the implication.
"Wait, this is all just a mistake!" Ken panicked at the mention of being turned away. "I was just a few minutes late, I'm ready to duel!"
"Yeah, same he-woah!" Jaden's grip slipped before he caught himself and managed to climb over the fence. "We just want our shot."
"Sorry kid. We're past the cutoff time and you two are late." The man was clearly less concerned with being diplomatic. "There's always next year."
"Oh, come on!" Jaden complained. "We both came all this way just to prove ourselves! Just give us a chance." Ken was shocked that Jaden was actually including him, but he didn't question it.
"I know I'm going to catch flack for this…" The man muttered to himself as he looked at the boys. Jaden and Ken turned to each other in confusion before looking back at the administrator. "Both of you head to the stands. Both of your numbers will be called shortly."
"Thank you so much sir, I appreciate it."
"Sweet! Thanks a lot!"
"Just be ready to duel. And do your best, both of you." The boys were led inside by the ladies and the man in the black suit watched and lamented.
"I just hope Crowler doesn't make this complicated."
Inside the KaibaCorp stadium, applicants crowded the halls and seats. Jaden wasted no time rushing to see his fellow applicants dueling below in the arenas, being spectated by both applicants and students wearing blue uniforms. The boys had been led in and Jaden wasted no time running towards the arenas, Ken taking a slower approach.
"Wow, look at 'em go!" Jaden exclaimed as Ken caught up to him, hands in his pockets and not saying anything in response. Next to Jaden was a boy short in stature with light blue hair, his small glasses and nervous demeanor only helping to make him appear smaller. The two had focused on one match in particular, a proctor dueling against a boy with slicked back black hair. His neat gray track suit and perfect posture almost radiated discipline.
Applicant: 3200
Monsters:
Vorse Raider (1900/1200)
Proctor: 1900
Monsters:
Big Shield Gaurdna (100/2600)
Gear Golem the Moving Fortress (800/2200)
"Alright new guy, multiple choice:" The proctor exclaimed as he stared down the applicant. "You have two monsters staring you down. Do you A: Throw in the towel, B: Beg for mercy, or C: Run home to mama?" He asked, but the applicant was unperturbed.
"I'll go with D: None of the above." The boy answered as he revealed his facedown card. "You see, with Ring of Destruction, I can destroy any monster on the field in attack mode and then we both take damage equal to its attack points." The boy smirked as a collar of red bombs materialized around Vorse Raider's neck. A second passed before the bombs detonated and took the monster with them, along with the proctor's remaining Life Points.
Applicant: 1300
Proctor: 0
"Clever move, applicant. Welcome to the Academy." The proctor congratulated the boy.
"Thank you, oh wise proctor." The boy replied while bowing.
In the stands, three boys dressed in blue blazers had seen the results of the match.
"Wow, that guy's pretty good, don't ya think Chazz?" A boy with dark blue hair and glasses asked.
"Guess the rumors about him being some kind of wiz kid were true, huh Chazz?" Another boy with short, spiky brown hair added.
"He's a punk. We went to Duel Prep School for the past three years, we're ready for the academy." The boy in the middle dismissed their comments. He had paler skin and large black hair, a cocky smirk plastered on his face. "These kids don't know what they're getting into. But they'll learn the hard way, the Chazz Princeton way."
Across from him in another part of the dome, Jaden and Ken had just finished watching the duel with the shorter boy.
"Wow, that last guy really tore it up." Jaden commented on the duel, Ken only answering back with a nod.
"Yeah, Bastion Misawa." The smaller boy clarified. "They say he got the highest score on the written exam out of all of us applicants."
"Good to put a face to the name." Ken muttered loud enough for the two of them to hear.
"You've heard of him?"
"From what I've heard, he seems like the favorite to be the number one student for the freshman class." Ken explained as he took stock of Bastion. "With his scores and moves like that, I can see why someone would think that."
"Wow, I just barely passed." Jaden mentioned as he crossed his arms before turning to Ken. "What about you?" Ken blinked at the question and let his hands rest on the rail.
"I got pretty high up myself, but that Bastion guy blew my score out of the water." He answered after a second before turning to Syrus. "I'm Ken, by the way. I guess we'll be classmates?"
"Seems so. My name's Syrus. Nice to meetcha." Syrus timidly introduced himself to the two before looking back at the field. "I kinda have a thing where I get test anxiety. I don't know how I won my match." He explained before he felt a pat on the back.
"So, you're in!" Jaden piped up with a smile. "Congratulations. Ken and I'll be in too once we win our duels."
"Wait, you two haven't dueled yet?"
"Naw, I kinda got distracted. Ken bumped into me and we got to talking about the exam."
"You stood still in the middle of the park instead of moving and started chatting away like you weren't just in a hurry!"
"Then you two might have a problem. I think that was supposed to be the last one." Syrus explained, causing Jaden to flinch and Ken to gasp in shock.
In another part of the stadium, high above the rest of the students, several proctors chatted about the candidates they tested. Many hums of approval filled the air as they spoke. In the center of them all was a beanpole of a man with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail, dressed in a blue blazer with pink frills. Arms crossed as he gazed out at the field, the man looked incredibly pleased with himself. Behind him was a rather handsome young man in a standard blue blazer, his blonde hair meticulously styled and framed lightly in front of his striking green eyes. The young man was looking over a clipboard and writing down notes, a smug look mirroring the man in front of him adorning his face.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but two last applicants have to take their exams, Mr. Crowler."
"Did you just call me 'Mister?'" Crowler asked with a thin tone of indignation. The boy behind him had to stifle a snicker with his free hand.
"Oh sorry, I'm new here Missus-."
"I have a PhD in dueling. I have earned the title 'Doctor', thank you." Crowler corrected the administrator, clearly annoyed by the situation. "Now, tell the truants that they'll just have to come back next year." The comment earned several looks from the other proctors.
"Oh, come on Dr. Crowler, we have time for two more."
"Yes, let's give these duelists their shot."
"They were just a bit late, that's all."
"LATE IS RUDE!" Crowler shouted, catching everyone off guard.
"I'm sure you all understand that Dr. Crowler's time is precious." The young man behind Crowler suggested with an arrogant smirk. "We can't afford to waste time on students who don't bother to show up for a test on time, wouldn't you agree?"
"With all due respect Mr. Wolfe, that's for Dr. Crowler to decide, not you." One proctor rebutted, clearly not interested in the argument.
"Yes, it is my decision. And I decide that these slackers will not be tested this year! End of st-!" Before Crowler could put his foot down all the way, his rant was interrupted by the ringing of his cellphone. Crowler calmed down enough to dig for his phone and answer. "Hello? And who may I ask is-"
"It's Sheppard."
"Ahhh, Chancellor Sheppard…" Crowler's tone immediately switched to reverent with a hint of annoyance, a tone everyone recognized as Crowler talking to his boss.
"Just calling to make sure everything's running smoothly, Crowler. We wouldn't want a repeat of what happened last year." Sheppard mentioned, making Crowler flinch at the memory. "When you cut a third of our student applicants for some ridiculous reason? What was it? Calling you 'Mister' or 'Missus'?" Sheppard questioned before letting the accusation go. "Whatever, just make sure that everyone gets a fair shot."
"Of course, of course sir…" He relented as he ended the call. "That furry-chinned windbag." Doesn't he realize that there are enough talentless flunkies at this academy? Crowler thought as he looked around. But he's the boss. And if he wants to give these scrim-shankers a duel, then fine. "Pardon me, gentlemen. Mr. Wolfe, come with me. I have an assignment for you." Crowler said as he got up, prompting the young man to rise out of his chair to follow him.
"But sir, who will be their dueling proctors and which exam decks shall we use?" A proctor asked, holding out a case of test decks.
"Leave that to us." Crowler replied, not looking at the proctor as he walked away. Wolfe, however, sent the man a smug smirk as he followed Crowler in step.
At the stands, Bastion found a seat to rest and took his duel disk off his arm. His demeanor still rigid and his thoughts on the duel he finished, ignoring everything else around him.
"Tight duel, Bastion." Bastion heard a voice say, turning back to see Jaden smiling at him while Syrus was laughing nervously. Ken didn't butt in, but was leaning on the railing by his forearms.
"Thank you." Bastion replied politely, yet dismissively.
"From the looks of it, you might be the second-best duelist here." Jaden remarked with a cheeky grin, getting a surprised look from the three.
"Then who dare I ask is the best?" Bastion asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"If he's the second-best, then that has to make me the best duelist here." Ken said, looking at the three with a barely hidden grin. "Don't worry, third-best is still admirable."
"Hate to break it to ya, but the best has gotta be yours truly." Jaden refuted with a grin, pointing at himself with his thumb. "You'll see once I finally get to duel." Bastion and Syrus just stared in disbelief at the frankly juvenile argument playing out. Though Ken was hardly convinced as he pulled out something from his coat pocket.
"If you're gonna be in such a rush to make a fool of yourself, at least have all your cards." Ken held out the card from his pocket, the sight of it making Jaden blurt out a gasp and blush in embarrassment.
"Wait, you have- I dropped it?! Oh man, I'm sorry about that." Jaden looked legitimately embarrassed about his blunder as he took his card back and inspected it carefully. "I really must've been out of it. Thanks man." He rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously.
"Seriously, you should really be more mindful of your own cards. What would've happened if I didn't pick it up?" Ken chastised Jaden and to his surprise, seemed to take heed of his words as the brunette actually bowed his head a little in shame. "Just keep a better eye on it. It looks like a special card."
"Yeah, she is." Jaden admitted, earning a strange look from Ken at the comment. Before he could voice his thoughts, an announcement was heard over the intercom.
"Kenji Shirogane, please report to Dueling Field 3." The voice lazily announced, prompting Ken to roll his shoulders and straighten his bandana.
"Well, looks like I'm up." Ken said to the three as he started to walk towards the arena.
"Hey, good luck out there!" Jaden called to the boy, prompting him to give a lazy wave behind him.
"Don't worry, I'll be sure to put on a show." Ken simply replied as he made his way towards the ring, through the tunnel and stopping just before the entrance to the arena. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he did his best to steady his nerves. "Well… it's showtime." Ken muttered to himself as he stepped through the threshold to the dueling arena. It was much larger than he was used to, surrounded by both applicants in street clothes and students wearing blue blazers. The students of Obelisk Blue. All of them glared down at him with judging stares, but he only grinned an excited grin. He was more than willing to show what he could do now that he was finally here.
"Well hello there, Duel Academy!" Ken shouted out to the crowd before looking straight to the other side of the arena. "So… who's the lucky victim?" No sooner than he said that, the doors on the other side of the arena opened and his excited grin gave way to utter confusion as a young man in a blue blazer entered instead of a proctor.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Ken's opponent said charmingly as he took his place opposite of Ken. "My name is Raymond Wolfe and I'll be your proctor today. I hope you're ready to duel."
"Oh you cannot be serious right now." Ken said loud enough to hear, but Raymond paid no mind.
"Congratulations, applicant." Raymond smirked. "For your entrance exam, you get the pleasure of facing a tried-and-true student of Obelisk Blue. Aren't you a lucky one?"
"Hey, what gives?" Ken shouted back. "I thought I'd be going up against a proctor or a teacher. Or someone a little more impressive looking." That comment got a narrowing of the eyes from Raymond.
"Dr. Crowler will be taking care of your friend, so he asked me to test you instead of a proctor. As his teaching aide, I assure you, I'm more than up to the task." Raymond couldn't keep the satisfied grin off his face as he explained. All the while Ken did his best not to grit his teeth at the situation.
I'm late by a couple minutes and now I'm being made an example of. Ken thought as glared down at the rich boy. Of course, I couldn't just get by. Oh well, might as well make the best of it. Ken took a moment to compose himself, taking his eyes away from Raymond and onto the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, duelists of all ages!" Ken called out to everyone in the stands as he held his arms out, a cocky grin plastered on his face. "Thank you for your patience! I apologize for the delay, but now we can get on to the main event!" Pointing a finger to the Obelisk Blue that stood in front of him, who could only look utterly confused by what he was seeing. "A duel guaranteed to rock you to the core!" Everyone in the stands began to murmur and chuckle at the display, most finding it rather silly.
"I guess some people can't help but show off, it seems." Bastion dryly commented with Syrus nodding along.
"Relax you two, something tells me this guy isn't all talk." Jaden added as he leaned forward over the railing, waiting to see what would happen.
"Is this guy for real?" Chazz scoffed as he saw the fool on the field. A condescending smirk grew on his face as he watched. "This might actually be good for a laugh. Little punk's gonna get creamed, even if Crowler's little toady's the one doing it." Higher in the stadium, a boy and girl were watching the beginnings of the match play out. The young man was tall and lithe, wearing a white a blue blazer with coattails barely touching the floor. Blue trousers and black shoes gave the young man a very well put together look, contrasting his shaggy teal hair. His sharp blue eyes peered past his bangs at the boy showing off. His companion was shorter, a young woman wearing a sleeveless white a blue blouse with a small blue cape attached behind her neck. Her short blue skirt and blue heeled boots completed the look, making her long blond hair stand out. Her hazel eyes had a spark of amusement to them as she was watching Ken make a fool of himself.
"Well, he's certainly not lacking in enthusiasm, if nothing else. It's a shame that he's going up against that creep Raymond of all people." The young woman quipped as she looked over to her friend, now eyeing the boy curiously. Her friend's lack of an answer didn't go unnoticed. "Zane, you there?"
"Shirogane, huh?" He murmured to himself as he took in the boy's features, his eyes narrowing a fraction as he saw something no one else could. But as soon as his companion saw this, Zane immediately schooled himself, his curiosity the only thing keeping him from leaving. "Here's hoping this isn't a complete waste of time, Alexis."
"If you're done showboating, can we get on with this?" Raymond sneered, having put on his duel disk and inserted his deck. "I prefer to end this quickly, if it's all the same. Duel Academy should only accept the best." The comment only made Ken chuckle as he readied himself.
"That a fact? If you're supposed to be one of the best, I almost feel bad whipping you in front of all these people." Ken bit back, his eyes narrowing and his grin growing. "Guess they couldn't have given me someone good, huh?" That only made Raymond grit his teeth in annoyance as they stood ready, the crowd starting to pick up from the insults flying.
"Oh, the application has some backbone. Well, let's see if you can back it up!" Raymond shouted as Ken unclipped his duel disk from his side and slid it onto his arm, placing his deck inside.
"Then try it already!" Ken fired back as the crowd started to get excited.
"DUEL!"
Raymond: 4000
Kenji: 4000
"I'll be generous and let you go first. Make your move, applicant."
"Don't mind if I do." Ken shifted his stance down low and into his left as he drew his card with a large swing (Hand: 6). "I'll start by playing the spell card Pot of Greed!" Ken's cocky smirk was on full display as he played it. "A smart guy like you probably knows what it does, but just in case you don't, I can draw two more cards from my deck." Ken mocked him as he drew his cards. "Next, I'll set a monster in defense mode." A horizontal facedown appeared before Ken. "And one facedown will ends my turn." (Hand: 5)
"All that talk and that's the best you can do? I'll show you a real move. I draw!" (Hand: 6) Raymond drew his card and looked over his starting hand before smirking at Ken. "I'll start by summoning my Mechanicalchaser in attack mode!" A large mechanical ball with various limbs holding weapons appeared before Raymond, all aimed at Ken's facedown monster (1850 /800). "But it's not going to stay here for long, since I'll be playing Double Summon! This lets me Normal Summon again this turn. So, I'll sacrifice my Mechanical Chaser to summon Cyber-Tech Alligator!" Mechanicalchaser dissipated in a flash of light and in its place stood a bipedal alligator clad in red armor, matching mechanical wings protruding from its back (2500/1200). "And next I'll play Monster Reborn to summon the Mechanicalchaser I sacrificed!" Next to Cyber-Tech Alligator stood the sacrificed Mechanicalchaser, ready for battle (1850 /800). "And now to destroy your facedown monster with Mechanicalchaser!" Mechanicalchaser rushed for the facedown monster, revealing itself to be a male clad in dark samurai armor and two mechanical limbs, crouched defensively with both arms protecting his face (200/ 2000). The attack connected, but Mechanicalchaser was knocked away.
Raymond: 3850
Kenji: 4000
"Sorry, but you struck my Chamberlain of the Six Samurai. I'm afraid your little tinker toy isn't tough enough to get through him." Ken taunted as he sent a satisfied smirk Raymond's way.
"Well Cyber-Tech Alligator is more than tough enough! Wipe out his Chamberlain with Supersonic Slash!" Cyber Tech Alligator took off into the air, dive bombing towards Chamberlain with claws pointed out." Unfortunately, Chamberlain wasn't strong enough to survive the attack and was destroyed.
"Your defense is now gone." Raymond sneered as his creature returned to its spot. "I'll set one card facedown and end my turn." (Hand: 1)
"Before you do, I'll activate my facedown card. Swiftstrike Armor!" Ken's facedown card flipped up at his command. "During my Draw Phase, if I happen to draw a Six Samurai monster, I can Special Summon it so long as it's level 4 or below." Raymond only glared at the card before silently waving at him to take his turn.
"My turn then. I draw!" (Hand: 6) Ken assumed the low stance again and drew with a wide swing before looking at his card. "Well, lookie here. I just drew another Six Samurai monster. So give a big hand for…" Ken pulled another card from his hand onto the duel disk with a flourish. "The Six Samurai - Yaichi!" Before him stood a warrior clad in gleaming yellow armor and pointed helmet, holding in his hands a large bow (1300/800). "And since that was a Special Summon, I can still Normal Summon without any problem. So, here's The Six Samurai – Zanji!" Next to Yaichi appeared another samurai, this one in glimmering orange armor and holding a glaive without a blade. The samurai spun the glaive into a stance, a blade of energy materializing onto the glaive hilt (1800/1300).
"So, you have two monsters on the field, so what?" Raymond taunted. "Neither of them can beat mine."
"You're right, they can't. But with my Samurai, there's strength in numbers." Ken explained as he pulled a card from his hand. "See, since I have at least one Six Samurai on the field, I can Special Summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai from my hand." Ken's new monster was a much older warrior in gray samurai armor, an eye covered by cloth and holding an ornate katana (2100/800). "And before you go on about how it's still not enough, I'll play The Allied Forces! For every Warrior and Spellcaster on my side of the field, each Warrior monster gains 200 attack points." Raymond flinched as he saw the spell card strengthen Ken's samurais.
The Six Samurai - Yaichi (1300-1900/800)
The Six Samurai - Zanji (1800-2400/1300)
Grandmaster of the Six Samurai (2100-2700/800).
"And finally, I'll activate Yaichi's special ability. You see, when there's another Six Samurai on the field, Yaichi can give up his attack to destroy one facedown Spell or Trap card." There was a collective gasp from several of the students as Yaichi took aim with his bow, a moment passing before the arrow flew and pierced Raymond's facedown card.
"No, my Mirror Force!" Raymond hissed as his facedown shattered, glaring back at Ken as Yaichi resumed his defensive stance.
"Now that that's out of the way…" Ken smirked before setting his eyes on his next target. "Grandmaster, attack his Alligator! Judgement Slash!" Grandmaster crouched into a low position holding his sword before stepping forward, disappearing from sight before appearing behind Cyber-Tech Alligator and slowly sheathing the sword. When he finished, several cuts appeared on Raymond's monster, slicing it to pieces.
Raymond: 3650
Kenji: 4000
"Now Zanji, wipe out Mechanicalchaser with Naginata Storm!" Zanji dashed towards the machine monster and swiped at it multiple times with his weapon, shattering the monster in seconds.
Raymond: 3100
Kenji: 4000
"One card facedown ends my turn." Ken announced as he examined his handiwork. (Hand: 1)
"This guy's not half bad." Alexis mused as he saw Ken's samurai make quick work of Raymond's monsters.
"Don't be too impressed Alexis." Zane countered, his tone still neutral. "Raymond may be Crowler's assistant, but that doesn't give him as much of an edge as he thinks it does."
"What's that idiot doing?" Chazz snarled as he watched the display. "He's making us look like chumps!""
"Enjoy your advantage, it won't last for long. My draw!" Raymond bit back as he drew his card (Hand: 2). "First, I'll set one card facedown. Then I'll activate Card of Demise!" Raymond shouted as he inserted the card into his duel disk. "Now I get to draw until I have five cards, but I have to throw my hand away after five turns!" Raymond wasted no time drawing his hand and a vicious grin grew on his face (Hand: 5). "First, I'll play my facedown Premature Burial Spell Card. By paying 800 life points, I can bring back a monster from my graveyard, so welcome back my Cyber-Tech Alligator!" In a flash, the cybernetic monster appeared and bared its claws at Ken (2500/1200).
Raymond: 2300
Kenji: 4000
"Next, I'll play Ancient Rules, which lets me summon a Level 5 or higher Normal Monster from my hand, such as my Summoned Skull!" Next to his Alligator appeared a demon, skeleton over purple muscle with wings keeping it aloft (2500 /1200). "And finally, I'll summon Vorse Raider in attack mode!" In between his two ghastly monsters then stood the monster Bastion summoned during his duel, now facing off against Ken (1900/1200).
"Aw man, this isn't looking good for Ken." Syrus groaned as he watched the duel. "Raymond's got three really strong monsters out in one turn!"
"And it doesn't look like he's finished yet." Bastion added as he eyed Raymond pull another card from his hand.
"I'm afraid you're not off the hook yet. I'll play Tribute to the Doomed! By discarding one card, I can destroy one monster on your field. So, say goodbye to your geezer." As Raymond's card activated, bandages rushed at and ensnared Ken's Grandmaster, crushing it into pixels. And with it, Ken's remaining monsters grew weaker.
The Six Samurai - Zanji (2400-2200/1300)
The Six Samurai - Yaichi (1900-1700/800)
"Vorse Raider, attack The Six Samurai - Yaichi!" Vorse Raider immediately pounced and swung its weapon at the bowman, destroying it in one swing.
The Six Samurai - Zanji (2200-2000/1300)
"Now Alligator, wipe out his Zanji!" Cyber-Tech Alligator sped towards the other samurai and destroyed it with several claw slashes. This time, Ken recoiled from the damage to his Life Points.
Raymond: 2300
Kenji: 3500
"Finally, Summoned Skull will attack you directly! Lightning Strike!" Raymond's third monster released a torrent of lightning from its body, directly striking Ken and bringing him to a knee from the attack.
Raymond: 2300
Kenji: 1000
"And with that, I'll end my turn." (Hand: 0)
"This isn't good. This may be Ken's last chance to turn this around." Bastion commented as his eyes were glued to the match playing out.
"Oh man, I can't watch…" Syrus closed his eyes and turned away from what was about to happen.
"Come on Ken, you got this…" Jaden muttered to himself, a simple smile on his face like he didn't doubt the duelist for a moment. A feeling that he felt reinforced as he saw Ken forced himself back onto his feet.
"Alright, one last draw..." Ken steadied himself and took in a deep breath before assuming his stance one more time. "Here goes!" (Hand: 3) The young man drew his card with one last swing, and he looked at what he pulled. And he couldn't help but grin at his luck. "Hate to break it to you, but I've got this won now."
"Impossible, your field is empty, and you don't have a single thing to stop three of my monsters." Raymond smirked as he moved a stray strand of hair from his face. "You should just accept your defeat with some dignity."
"That's right, keep telling yourself that. First, I'll activate my facedown card: Double-Edged Sword Technique!" Ken's facedown card flipped up at the command. "This allows me to summon two Six Samurai from my Graveyard, but they get destroyed at the end of my turn. Plus, I'll take damage equal to their attack points. So, give a big welcome back to Zanji and Yaichi!" Ken's two samurai returned back to the field, both assuming a combat stance.
The Six Samurai - Zanji (1800-2200/1300)
The Six Samurai - Yaichi (1300-1700/800)
"So, you managed to shore up a defense, it won't matter." Raymond chuckled, his tone sounding somewhat nervous by this move. "My monsters and life points still outnumber your own."
"Man, do you ever stop talking? Just shut up and watch." Ken barked back as he pulled another card from his hand. "Now, since I have two Six Samurai on the field, I can Special Summon Great Shogun Shien from my hand without a sacrifice!" That got a gasp from the stadium as Ken summoned a large, imposing samurai in blood red armor, holding a long katana at the ready (2500/2400). "And don't forget about The Allied Forces boosting all their attack points."
The Six Samurai - Zanji (2200-2400/1300)
The Six Samurai - Yaichi (1700-1900/800)
Great Shogun Shien (2500-3100/2400)
"Then I'll use my final card from my hand to win this: The Warrior Returning Alive!" Raymond's eyes grew wide as the card was played, knowing what was coming. "This lets me bring back a Warrior monster to my hand, and I'll choose my Grandmaster!"
"Told you he's got this." Jaden grinned as Bastion and Syrus clued in on what was going on.
"And since I have a Six Samurai on the field, I can Special Summon him again!" Ken announced as he summoned his Grandmaster to join his comrades.
The Six Samurai - Zanji (2400-2600/1300)
The Six Samurai - Yaichi (1900-2100/800)
Great Shogun Shien (3100-3300/2400)
Grandmaster of the Six Samurai (2100-2900/800)
"4 monsters in one turn?!" Syrus exclaimed as his hands gripped the railing. "That's insane!"
"And they're more than enough to deal with Raymond's monsters and Life Points." Bastion added, having spelled out the endgame.
"What was that about being outnumbered?! Looks like your advantage has been cut down to size, along with you monsters!" Ken grinned as he saw the fear in Raymond's eyes.
"Wait, hold on a minute, let's talk about this!" Raymond started to plead, but it was only falling on deaf ears.
"Yaichi, destroy Vorse Raider with Snipe Shot!" Ken commanded as Yaichi knocked his bow and fired right Vorse Raider, destroying it instantly.
Raymond: 1900
Kenji: 1000
"Now Zanji, slice apart that Cyber-Tech Alligator!" Zanji wasted no time as he jumped into the air and brought his naginata down on the mechanical monstrosity.
Raymond: 1600
Kenji: 1000
"Grandmaster of the Six Samurai, take care of Summoned Skull!" As before, Ken's Grandmaster sped past his target and sliced it to ribbons.
Raymond: 1000
Kenji: 1000
"And Great Shogun Shien, attack his Life Points directly with Zantetsuken Slash!" Finally, Great Shogun Shien reared his blade up before slicing down hard towards Raymond, the shockwave colliding and pushing the shocked Obelisk Blue onto his back.
Raymond: 0
Kenji: 1000
"The end." Ken said satisfied with his work as he deactivated his duel disk and clipped it back to his side. Not paying Raymond anymore mind, he looked up to the crowd with an arm in the air. "So, I take it this means I'm in?!" He shouted loud enough for everyone to hear, earning reactions ranging from laughs to glares. The grin on Ken's face said all that was needed. Raymond himself was seen picking himself up with a snarl on his face, any pretense of sportsmanship now fully gone. Raymond let his glare linger on his opponent for only a moment longer before he straightened himself back up and walked out of the arena.
"What a waste of a duel..." Chazz hissed as he saw the cocky duelist walk out of the arena with a casual wave. "Little toady should spend more time dueling than bootlicking."
"He made us look like a bunch of amateurs." The blue-haired boy lamented before looking at Chazz. "You shoulda been the one to duel him, Chazz. You probably woulda won in two turns.
"Of course, I could've, Torimaki." Chazz snapped at the blue-haired boy, who only flinched in response. Chazz heard the sound of snickering behind him and looked to see the spiky-haired boy holding back a laugh. "And what are you snickering at Raizou?" Chazz snarled at the other boy, who raised his hands in defense before Chazz looked back at the dueling arena. The two boys between Chazz gave each other a pained look before looking back at the arena themselves.
"Well, that was sure something." Alexis giggled as she relaxed her posture, an impressed grin on her face. "Never thought I'd see an applicant beat Raymond. The look on his face was priceless." Zane looked to his friend, who was currently calming herself down from the giddiness she was feeling.
"Glad to see you enjoyed yourself." Zane said with the hint of a smirk on his face.
"Oh, come on, don't tell me you didn't enjoy that a bit." Alexis shot back with a smile. "I can't tell you how many of the girls would be happy to hear the prep school creep got beat by a random applicant." Zane couldn't deny that claim as his smirk grew a bit wider. "So, are you going to tell me what you found so interesting about him?" Zane blinked at the question but turned back to the arena with a thoughtful look.
"It's nothing." He simply said, and Alexis chose not to pry. He would tell her when he wanted to.
"Alright! That's what I'm talkin' about!" Jaden cheered at the top of his lungs, with Syrus and Bastion looking stunned at the outcome.
"I must say, Ken does seem like he knows what he's doing." Bastion commented, his interest finally showing in his voice.
"That was amazing..." Syrus stood gaped. "I've never seen anyone use Warrior monsters like that before." Jaden turned around with an excited look towards Syrus.
"Well, you better hold on, 'cause you ain't seen nothing yet." Jaden said before being cut off by the PA system turning on again.
"Jaden Yuki, please report to Dueling Arena 4. Jaden Yuki, to Dueling Arena 4." The voice on the PA system announced lazily, catching everyone's attention. Jaden's grin grew wide as he slammed a fist into his palm.
"Sweet! looks like I'm up!" Jaden couldn't hide the excitement in his voice as he gave Syrus's shoulder a pat. "You guys make sure to watch, okay?"
"Jaden, was it?" Bastion piped up as Jaden started to walk down the stairs. "I'd advise caution. If they sent a student against Kenji, they may attempt something similar with you. Do not let down your guard." Jaden turned back towards Bastion and Syrus and gave them a thumbs up before turning back and walking back towards the arena.
Inside the hallway leading to the arena, Jaden strolled to the entrance with a sheepish expression. "So, you're mad at me, aren't you?" Jaden asked almost quietly to seemingly no one. "Hey, I said I was sorry! I got so excited about the exam, and you didn't say a word!"
"You should've known I was gone." Jaden turned to his side to hear the source of a feminine voice. "And that boy seemed like fun."
"And exactly what kind of 'fun' were you having with Ken, anyway?" Jaden asked a little bit louder, noticing a pause in the other voice's reply.
"I just checked to see if he actually had any backbone, that's all." The voice replied, the traces of amusement and mischief easily picked up by Jaden.
"You shouldn't mess with other people, we've talked about this." Jaden stopped in his tracks and turned fully towards the source of the voice, seeing a human-sized demonic figure floating behind him. The figure looked exactly like the card he recovered from Ken, only semi-transparent and looking at him with her arms crossed and an unamused expression.
"You promised me, Yubel." Jaden looked at her sternly, who met his gaze for a moment or two before letting out an exasperated sigh.
"I kept my promise, I didn't hurt him. I was just saying 'hello'." Yubel sidestepped, though Jaden could tell he wasn't going to get more out of her, so he let the issue drop, turning back to the arena.
"So this is it. My first real test to get into Duel Academy..." Jaden muttered with a grin as he clenched his fists. "This is gonna be awesome!"
"Considering we came all this way, it wouldn't kill you to take this seriously." Yubel chided the boy with a stern glare. "That other human may be right about you having a surprise opponent. Deal with this quickly and don't mess around."
"It wouldn't kill you to use his name, ya know." Jaden sent her back a disappointed look at how she mentioned Bastion. "We're gonna be classmates with those guys after this, so maybe you should try learning their names."
"Why bother if it isn't going to matter? I already hav-." Yubel was cut off by the feeling of claws nipping her cheek. Yelping and backing away, she saw a little, brown-furred creature with white wings floating near her. It let out a happy sounding 'coo' while closing his big, black eyes. "Wh-what's with you?! Leave me alone!"
"Seems like our new friend likes you." Jaden couldn't help but give Yubel a cheeky grin as he saw Winged Kuriboh happily float around his demonic-looking comrade.
"I've noticed..." Yubel grunted as she did her best to shoo the small creature away, to no avail. Winged Kuriboh simply floated away from her swats and quickly bumped his head against her cheek before floating towards Jaden and doing the same. "Why that monster of a human gave you this little furball, I'll never understand." Jaden couldn't help but laugh at how Yubel was acting, not used to seeing her flustered.
"Well either way, welcome to the team, Winged Kuriboh." Jaden smiled at the little monster, which Winged Kuriboh seemed to reciprocate with another 'coo'. Floating in between him and Yubel, the three looked out to the entrance to the arena, determination radiating between the three of them.
"You ready, partner?"
"Always."
And that's Chapter 1. I'm still getting used to writing duels, so any comments on how to improve the flow of them would be appreciated. Chapters are probably going to be around this length going forward, this was very much a setup chapter for Jaden and Ken. They may be shorter or longer depending on what I have in store. Having the anime free on YouTube definitely helped with writing this. Next chapter is Jaden's duel against Crowler, so I'm hoping everyone's looking forward to that.
Until next time.
