An alarm echoed throughout the bedroom, causing the occupant inside to stir in his bed. He was a teenager with messy brown hair which had a patch of lighter brown on the top of his head. He groaned, turning to the other side and slamming his hand around the bedside table in search of the pesky machine that had woken him up. After a few slaps he finally found it, hitting the snooze button and turning around to go back to sleep. Five more minutes won't hurt anyone, right?
Well… there were some who thought otherwise.
"Should we go in and see if he's up?" The concerned voice of a little boy came from the other side of the door.
"His alarm went off like," a little girl said, briefly pausing to count, " …four… times, right?" She said in a confused tone.
There was silence for a few moments before the doorknob turned and the two children let themselves in. A boy with spiky light brown hair, who looked to be around eight years old, and a black-haired little girl, who was no older than five.
"Jay-Jay! Are you awake?" The little girl asked cheerily as she bounced over to his bed, her pigtails bouncing along with her.
The boy groaned again, pulling the covers over his head. "Just five more minutes, Sachi…" He moaned, hoping that the pillow would swallow him back to dreamland.
"But, Jaden!" The eight year old exclaimed as he jumped on the bed, trying to pull the covers off his older brother. "You said you had to wake up early today 'cuz you had those important exams!"
"What time is it?" Jaden relented, annoyed that his siblings had woken him up fully now.
"It's…" His sister peered over at his phone, reading the time. "Nine… forty-five-"
"I overslept by almost an hour?!" The teen shouted as he jolted up from the bed. The sudden movement caused his brother to roll backwards off the bed and on the floor. "I'm gonna be so late!" He literally jumped out of the bed and over his sister and began to search for his clothes.
The two children just stood by the bed, staring in amazement at how their brother went from half-asleep to frantically running around the room, dressing himself, brushing his teeth and stuffing things in his backpack. It was quite impressive, and something only he could do.
"Ken, pass me that deck box on the table!" Jaden said as he shoved a Duel Disk in his backpack while simultaneously trying to put on a gray jacket.
"R-right!" The boy shook out of his stunned state, taking the box and tossing it to him.
"Thanks!" He grinned as he caught it and swung the bag over his shoulder. "Wish me luck!" He gave them a two-finger salute before he sprinted out of the room.
"There you are!" A woman with short black hair exclaimed in relief as she saw him running down the stairs. "Wait, I packed you a sandwich!" She said when he passed her and went to the front door.
"Sorry, mom! Late! Not having breakfast! Gotta go!" Jaden rambled as he forced his feet into a pair of sneakers and charged out of the house, almost falling face first on the pavement. "Wish me luck!"
"Honestly," The woman sighed, placing a hand over her cheek as she watched him run down the street. "I swear, this boy sometimes…"
The Kaiba Dome was bustling with teens. Each simultaneously eager and nervous about passing the Duel Academy entrance exams. There were also those fortunate enough to already be accepted into the Academy from the private dueling schools, and were there just to watch the duels.
Such were a group of three boys who were seated in the bleachers around the arena where the practical part of the exam took place. All three of them were already wearing the Academy's blue blazers.
"Gotta say, some of these guys seem to be pretty good." The boy with spiky hair commented, leaning forward in his seat.
"Yeah, some of them might even provide a miniscule challenge." The boy next to him said, fixing his glasses. "What do you think, Chazz?" He turned to ask the dark-haired boy between them, who was leaning back in his chair with his arms stretched behind his head.
"Meh, all these guys are amateurs." He spat, keeping the bored look on his face he had from the beginning of the day. "We went to duel prep school for three years. None of these guys pose a challenge for us."
"Well, I can tell you who definitely does," The first boy spoke, head turned to the side, looking at something. "It's her." He pointed, causing the two boys to look at who he was pointing at.
There sat a tall girl with long dark azure hair tied in a ponytail. Her metallic blue eyes, which gave off an annoyed and cold feeling to others, were transfixed on her phone. She was too occupied with it to pay attention to anything going on around her. She sighed, crossing her legs and propping her hand on the backrest of the seat next to her to rest her head.
"Wait, is that-" The boy with the glasses' eyes almost bugged out of his head.
"Yup, it's Erina Kaiba." The other boy confirmed for him.
"Wow, she's hot!"
"Yeah, just look at those legs!" He exclaimed, practically drooling. "I'd definitely want to get my head crushed by those!"
"Ugh, you two make me sick…" Chazz gagged.
"I heard she was the first one to duel today." The first boy said to the one with the glasses. "She beat the proctor in two turns. He didn't even manage to touch her Life Points!"
"Damn…" He whistled, "guess that explains why she looks so bored right now. What do you think, Chazz?"
The boy who was staring at her the whole time just scoffed and turned back to watch the duels. "She's probably used to dueling pros. Watching these scrubs duel is even more boring for someone like her." He said, making the two boys nod and go back to watching the duels.
But it wasn't boredom that had Erina Kaiba glued to her phone screen. It was anxiety. Thankfully no one could tell. They always assumed she was pissed off due to the way her eyes looked, so none of them noticed the way she was fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. What was she worried so much about? Well…
Hey where are you?!
You're late!!!
*Missed Call*
HELLOOOO?!?!?
*Missed Call*
*Missed Call*
?!?!
Answer me jackass!!
You better get your ass here soon or I swear to god you're gonna get it this time!
Registration is almost closed!
Where the fuck are you?!
She bit her lip, resisting the urge to chuck the phone across the arena. 'Dammit… Where are you, dummy?' She sighed in exasperation, attempting another call. 'You almost missed graduation… you better not miss this…'
"Shit, shit, shit!" Jaden cursed as he sprinted through the streets of Domino, sweat trickling down his face. "Out of all the times the bus could blow a tire, why did it have to be today?!" He screamed, turning right in order to take a shortcut through the park.
He could see it now. The top of the Kaiba Dome was in view! He was almost there! Just five minutes tops and he'd be-
"Oof-!" He collided with something, falling on his back, which caused a few of his cards to fly out of his deck box.
"I'm so sorry!" Jaden apologized as he scrambled to pick up his cards. "I'm running late and I wasn't looking!" He sputtered.
"It's quite alright," the man he bumped into said, chuckling in amusement.
"Wait, that's…!" The teen's eyes widened, recognizing the voice. Picking up his last card, he stood up and spun on his heel, facing the man. "M-Mr. Muto…" He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He just had to slam right into him, didn't he? Embarrassing…
"How many times do I have to tell you, Jaden?" He sighed. "Yugi is just fine."
"R-Right…"
"Good," Yugi smiled before noticing the state Jaden was in. "What's gotten you in such a hurry?"
"Oh, the entrance exams for Duel Academy are today and I'm running very late." He chuckled sheepishly.
"That was today, wasn't it?" The King of Games mused, reaching into his jacket pocket where his deck was and took out a card. "Why don't you take this then?" He offered.
"You… you're giving me one of your cards?" Jaden stared in amazement as he took it.
"My card?" Yugi chuckled. "No, it was yours for a long time. I was just holding on to it. Besides, he's been wanting to be with you for a long time now." He said, confusing Jaden until the spirit of the cute fuzzball with wings appeared before him, happily spinning around his head.
"Now, you better get going before you're actually late." He clapped a hand over his shoulder, smiling. "Good luck." And with that he went on his merry way.
"Thank you, sir!" Jaden bowed slightly before resuming his run, feeling even more motivated to get into Duel Academy now. 'I'll make all of you proud! Promise.'
"Phew…" Jaden breathed a sigh of relief as he entered the main arena. "Thank god that lady out front was so understanding." Even though she was terrified for a moment when he jumped the fence next to her covered in leaves and sweat.
He approached and leaned against the railing next to a short, turquoise-haired boy with glasses to watch the duels happening down below.
"Alright, new guy, you got three options. Do you: A) Throw in the towel, B) Beg for mercy or C) Run home to mama?" The proctor taunted the boy on the other side of the field with a Vorse Raider.
"I'll go with D) None of the above!" The dark haired boy retaliated and activated his facedown. Ring of Destruction. "With this, I sacrifice my Vorse Raider and you lose!" A collar with bombs appeared on the monster and exploded, bringing the practor's life points to zero.
"Clever move, applicant." The proctor praised. "Welcome to Duel Academy."
The boy bowed in respect. "Thank you."
Jaden smiled, impressed by the clever method the boy won. He had to face him once they were at the Academy. "Wow, that guy is pretty good!"
"Yeah, that's Bastion Misawa." Jaden blinked, looking at the short boy next to him. "Word is he got the second highest score on the written exam."
'No reason asking who got the highest one.' He mused to himself. 'Knowing her she definitely showed off during the practical so everyone would know what's up.' He shook his head. "Huh, and here I thought I did pretty well? What about you, bro?" Jaden asked.
"Ah, I barely passed myself… Oh, I'm Syrus by the way." Syrus' face faltered as he sighed. "To be honest, I don't know how I won my duel. I always get test anxiety"
"So, you're in! Congrats!" He clapped him on the back, which almost made the boy topple over the railing. ""I'll be in too, as soon as they call me down to duel, that is. The name's Jaden." He grinned cheekily.
The small boy's eyes widened. "Wait, you haven't dueled yet!?"
"Yeah, why?" Jaden asked, a bit confused by the reaction.
"That was supposed to be the last one!"
At another part of the arena sat a bunch of Duel Academy's upper chairmen and teachers. "Looks like we've got a pretty good crop this year." One of them said with a smile.
"Yes, indeed." Another agreed.
Right next to them, a teacher sat there silently, not paying attention to the conversation next to him. He's male, but could easily be mistaken as a woman due to the makeup he wore for some bizarre reason. He wore a blue Academy blazer with gold epaulets and a puffy pink collar. He also had his long blond hair tied in a ponytail. This was Dr. Vellian Crowler, headmaster of the Obelisk Blue Dorm and Vice-Chancellor of Duel Academy. He was just about ready to leave when he noticed someone coming his way.
"I'm sorry to interrupt." A man in a black business suit approached the flamboyant teacher. "But we have one last applicant that just arrived, Mr. Crowler."
"Excuse me?" Crowler scowled. "Did you just call me 'mister'?"
"I'm sorry. I'm new here, Miss-"
"I have a PhD in dueling and have earned the title 'Doctor' and shall be addressed as such!" Crowler snapped, full of pride for his PhD. "Now tell the applicant to come back next year!" The others looked at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"Come on, Doctor Crowler, we have time for one more."
"Yeah, he was just a bit late, that's all."
"Late is rude!" The Doctor snapped again, slamming his fists on the table, freaking the others out. "I don't have time for slackers!" Just then his phone rang. He answered it. "WHAT?!"
"It's Sheppard."
"Oh, Chancellor Sheppard." His tone did a complete one eighty as it switched from angry to bubbly pleasant, causing the others to sweatdrop.
"Just calling to make sure everything is running smoothly, Crowler." Sheppard said. "We wouldn't want a repeat of last year, would we?" Hearing this made Crowler's eyes bug out as he became nervous. "You cut a third of our applicants for some ridiculous reason. Calling you 'mister' or 'missus'? Whatever, make sure everyone gets a fair shot!"
"Yes, of course, sir!" Crowler said as he hung up. 'Furry-chinned windbag! Doesn't he realize that there are enough talentless flunkies at the Academy? But... he's the boss. If he wants these slackers to duel, then fine!' He got up from his seat. "Pardon me, gentlemen, I'll be right back." He said as he started to walk away.
"But, sir, who'll be the boy's dueling proctor? And which exam deck should we use?"
Crowler just huffed and walked away. "Leave that to me." He pulled out a deck from his blazer and grinned evilly.
Jaden and Syrus were casually talking when they noticed Bastion take a seat in the row below them. "Hey, sweet duel, Bastion!" The brunet said.
The boy turned around. "Thank you." He replied politely.
"By the looks of it, you might be the third best duelist here." Jaden grinned, causing Bastion to raise his eyebrows. He was about to ask him to elaborate when a voice over the loudspeakers called out.
"Will Jaden Yuki please report to Exam Field Four! Jaden Yuki to Exam Field Four!"
"That's my cue!" He grinned, rushing off down the steps.
Bastion watched as he went down the stairs. "Well, let's see if you're as good as you say you are."
Jaden was slowly riding up the platform that would take him to his due, impatiently fidgeting with his Duel Disk. Why was this thing so slow? He wanted to duel already!
"Are you ready, Jaden?"
He stopped what he was doing and looked to his right where his Guardian Spirit was hovering above the ground, arms folded at her chest.
Jaden's Duel Spirit was an odd one. She had sickly-pink skin, heterochromic eyes with a third eye vertically placed on her forehead. Her hair was wild and unkempt, reaching down to her shoulders. One half of it was silvery-white and the other dark purple. She wore a black skinsuit that covered about half of her body. To finish off her demonic visage was a pair of large black wings.
"You bet, Yubel!" The teen grinned briefly before fixing her an annoyed look. "Don't think I've forgiven you for not waking me up on time."
"Please, if I ever thought you'd be late I'd have awoken you. Your brother and sister woke you up, didn't they?" She waved him off and looked down at his Duel Disk where his deck was. "And besides, we got a new member of our little family because you were late."
Jaden raised his arm and looked at his Disk when she said that. "Yeah," He smiled, still not believing it really happened. "Although, it sucks that I forgot my phone. She's probably been worrying about me the whole time…"
"She'll get over it after she gives you an earful later." The spirit cackled at his pale expression.
The platform stopped as it reached the top. And it seemed that his opponent was already there with two women strapping a modified Duel Disk on their vest.
Jaden blinked a few times, not exactly sure if his opponent was a man or a woman. He was kinda weirded out by it if he was honest.
"Is... Is that a cross-dresser?" Yubel asked in confusion besides him. Jaden fought back a laugh at his guardian's comment as he took in his appearance carefully. "If he duels as well as he dresses, this won't take too long." She said as she disappeared, letting his opponent have her ward's attention.
"Alright, test time!" Crowler adjusted his Disk. "So, son, what's your name?"
"Jaden Yuki, sir."
"So, Jaden Yuki. I'm Doctor Vellian Crowler, Department Chair of Techniques at Duel Academy."
Jaden rolled his eyes. "Wow, a Department Chair? From the way you dress, I thought you were the Academy's weird mascot!" He laughed sheepishly, causing the doctor to seethe.
"You know, now that he mentions it..." The boy with glasses said as he gazed at the Doctor's appearance.
"This guy's got some lip, huh, Chazz?" The other one commented.
Chazz scowled, not liking how disrespectful this guy was towards Dr. Crowler. "I think I'm gonna enjoy watching Crowler mop the floor with our mouthy little friend here." He smirked. "I just wish he'd treat all these second-rate scrubs that applied this way."
"Duel Vest, on!" Crowler snapped, activating it and drawing his five cards. Jaden had stars in his eyes as he saw the tech the teacher was using.
"Wow! That's some cool tech you got there, teach! How do I get one?" Jaden asked excitedly.
"Oh, you know... a lot of hard work and extremely high marks." Crowler answered. 'Of course, you first have to be accepted. And I'll make sure of it that you're not!'
"Extremely high marks?" Jaden asked disappointingly before shrugging. "Oh well, guess I won't be getting one of those." His carefree attitude and quick dismissal caused Crowler to fume even more. This solidified that he was a slacker.
"So are we gonna duel, or what?"
Jaden: 8000
Crowler: 8000
"I'll go first." Crowler said as his Vest shot out his sixth card. 'And since I'm using my own personal deck, I'll make quick work of you, slacker!'
He held up a card. "I start by playing the spell card Confiscation! Now, by paying 1000 life points, I get to destroy a card in your hand."
Crowler: 7000
Holograms of the cards in Jaden's hand appeared in front of him. "Ah yes, I remember these cards when I was a rookie. Monster Reborn to the Graveyard!"
Jaden was shocked. 'Did he... did he really just do that? Out of all the cards in my hand, he chose that one?'
"Next, I play two cards facedown." Two cards appeared in front of Crowler's feet. "And then, I'll play Heavy Storm!" A heavy gust of wind swept across the field, destroying Crowler's facedowns. This confused many until two golden and hideous worm-like tokens suddenly appeared on the field. "And since the trap cards that were destroyed were Statue of the Wicked. I get two tokens on my field." (ATK: 1000/ DEF: 1000)x2
"Wait, what just happened?" Syrus asked, leaning over the railing.
"The two trap cards that Dr. Crowler had on his field were called Statue of the Wicked." Bastion explained. "When destroyed by a card effect it summons a token to your field. That's why he played Heavy Storm."
"A card that strong can't be in the test decks. Crowler must be using his own." The boy with the glasses next to Chazz said.
"Then this duel is over." The other boy said. "No one can beat the deck of an expert like Dr. Crowler."
Up on the stands two people were watching as well, a boy and a girl, who had a different reaction to Crowler using his own deck for the exam.
The boy had dark blue hair and gray eyes, he wore the white version of the boys' blazer. The girl had long golden blond hair and hazel eyes. Her uniform consisted of a blue and white sleeveless blazer, blue mini-skirt and blue heels. She also had long, blue fingerless dueling gloves.
"What an elitist snob!" The blonde scowled. "Bullying him with his very best cards."
"You're too soft, Alexis." The boy spoke up, causing the girl to look at him. "I just hope we'll get to see that legendary monster he has hidden in there… What?" He asked, seeing her surprised look.
"She's finally off her phone." Alexis pointed out.
He knew who she was talking about. Erina Kaiba was finally watching a duel today. But what caught her interest? It couldn't be that the Vice-Chancellor was the one dueling, could it?
"And now for your next lesson! I sacrifice my Wicked Tokens!" The two tokens disappeared just as fast as they appeared. "To summon the Ancient Gear Golem!" A giant mechanical golem made of rusted metal and gears appeared. It's one glowing eye fixated on Jaden. (ATK: 3000/ DEF: 3000)
Alexis gasped. "There it is! The legendary rare monster!"
The boy nodded. "Now, we'll see what makes it so legendary."
"And with that, I end my turn!" Crowler said smugly. "Well, Mr. Yuki, I hope you're not too disappointed that you are going to lose. After all, most tremble when they're face to face with my Ancient Gear Golem." He taunted, attempting to intimidate the boy.
But much to the good doctor's dismay, it seemed that Jaden was having the time of his life right now. "Nah, I've faced stronger. But, I have been itching to take one down!"
The whole stadium gasped in surprise at his statement.
"Either Jaden is brave, or he's nuts!" Exclaimed Syrus.
"He's staring down that legendary rare monster like he doesn't have a care in the world." The boy said incredulously. "I guess youth and inexperience have their benefits after all."
"Give it a rest, Zane!" Alexis frowned at the stuck-up remark. "At least he's showing some backbone!"
"There won't be much to show after it attacks." Zane countered, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Alright, it's my turn!" Jaden drew his card and added it to his hand. He smiled slightly, forming a plan before he plucked a card and played it. "I start off with Elemental HERO Stratos!" Appearing on the field was a man with light blue skin, metal wings with propellers on his back and a helmet with a visor that hid his face. He landed on the field with a loud thump, ready to fight. (ATK: 1800/ DEF: 300)
"And thanks to his effect when he's Summoned; I get to add a HERO from my deck to my hand!" He explained as he fanned his deck. "I choose Elemental HERO Blazeman." He showed the card. "Then, I'll throw down these facedowns and call it a turn!" He concluded as three facedown cards appeared in front of his feet.
"Elemental HEROES…" Alexis muttered to herself. This was getting interesting.
Crowler's Disk beeped, shooting out another card for him. "A bit of an amateur turn, but what can you do? Golem, attack! Mechanized Melee!" The mechanical golem's red eye glowed as it pulled back its fist, aiming it at Jaden's Stratos. "And don't think those facedowns of yours will help! Spell and Trap Cards cannot be activated when my Golem attacks!"
"Yeah, that'll be a problem…" Jaden muttered.
The Golem hit Stratos, sending him flying through the air before he was destroyed into pixels.
Jaden: 6800
"Oh, man, Jaden's monster didn't stand a chance!" Syrus complained, shoulders slumping. "This doesn't look good."
Crowler noticed Jaden's body shaking and laughed. "Now, now, don't feel bad," he taunted, "this is the top dueling school in the country, some people… just… aren't…" His voice trailed off as he heard Jaden's laughter.
"Now I really wanna come to this school!" He exclaimed excitedly.
This took Crowler by surprise, causing him to scowl. 'Doesn't he take the hint? He will not be permitted to pass this exam!' He proclaimed to himself. 'And he will certainly not make a mockery of my deck!' He fummed, inserting a facedown.
"My turn!" Jaden drew his card and was about to begin his play when Yubel appeared next to him.
"Do you feel that?" She asked him, voice laced with mirth.
"Yeah," The teen nodded slightly. He felt uneasy for whatever reason, as if he was in danger. But, why? Deciding to bite into his curiosity, he searched above him in the stands. He felt it coming from somewhere above, so it was the only logical place to- "Ah…" He tried not to laugh out loud as his eyes fell on Erina, who was staring at him with the most menacing gaze he had ever seen. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"
"Definitely." Yubel laughed while he stuck his tongue out and winked at the bluenette.
"I guess we know what got her attention earlier." Alexis smiled, watching the girl try to glare even harder at the boy in an attempt to set him on fire with her gaze alone.
Zane just grunted, continuing to observe silently.
"Mr. Yuki, must I remind you that you are in the middle of an exam!" Crowler snapped, angered by the blatant disrespect.
"Yeah, yeah, calm down, teach!" Jaden grinned, plucking a card from his hand and playing it. "You should be more worried about your Golem! Cuz' it's about to be reduced to scrap! I summon Elemental HERO Blazeman!" Appearing on the field was a man in a silver and black spandex with red armor over it. His face was obscured by a red, faceless mask, and he had six flaming beads dangling from his back. (ATK: 1200/ DEF: 1800)
"Oh, a tiny little man in spandex is going to take down my Golem! I'm petrified!" Crowler mocked.
"Just you wait," Jaden kept grinning, "because when Blazeman's summoned, I get to add Polymerization from my deck to my hand!" He explained, adding the mentioned card and playing it immediately. "A hero's true power comes when he relies on his allies and when they rely on him! I'm gonna show you just that! I fuse Blazeman with Elemental HERO Clayman from my hand," A giant man in heavy stone armor appeared next to the fire hero before they both were sucked into a vortex, "to summon Elemental HERO Gaia!"
The ground shook as a HERO that rivaled the Gear Golem in size landed behind Jaden. The HERO wore black metal armor with gold accents and amber gemstones on it. He slammed his fists together, creating a shockwave that resonated around the arena. (ATK: 2200/ DEF: 2600)
Everyone gasped in amazement at the titan that appeared, while Crowler laughed.
"My Golem is still stronger than him! What a mistake!" He mocked the teen.
"I hate to say it, but he's right…" Syrus deflated.
"Not quite, Syrus." Bastion said, getting his attention. "Take a look at Dr. Crowler's monster." He pointed out, causing the small boy to gasp in surprise.
"W-What is happening?!" Crowler croaked as his Golem made an ungodly screeching sound as its gears strained against each other. (ATK: 3000-1500)
"Come on, teach! I'd have thought you of all people would expect a Fusion monster to have an effect!" Jaden chuckled and pointed back with his thumb. "When Gaia is summoned to the field, he drains half the attack of one of your monsters and adds it to his own!" He explained as the amber gems on Gaia lit up one by one, absorbing Ancient Gear Golem's power. (ATK: 2200-3700)
"And now," Jaden continued his move while Crowler was freaking out. "It's time to fight, Gaia! Take down that Golem! Continental Hammer!" The giant HERO brought his fists above his head and brought them down on the Gear Giant's head like a giant hammer, smashing him to pieces.
"NO!!!" Crowler shrieked as the metal bits fell on him.
Crowler: 5800
Erina laughed lightly as she looked at the crowd around her. Everyone was enthralled by Jaden's dueling. Staring wide-eyed, not allowing themselves to blink in fear of missing something. 'Look at you, entertaining everyone as if this is some important match in the Pro Leagues,' she smiled, watching him in his element. 'Dammit, you make it look easy.'
On the other hand, Crowler wasn't having a good time like the others. He panted in rage, struggling to keep himself from screaming. 'This… this slacker! How dare he make a fool of me!' He watched Jaden look around the crowd with a stupid grin on his face. 'No, I'll make sure a tardy brat like you doesn't get anywhere near my school!'
"Gaia's attack reverts back to normal during the end of my turn." Jaden explained, still sporting his goofy grin. (ATK: 3700-2200)
"I draw!" Crowler said through clenched teeth as he drew his next card. "I begin with Graceful Charity! This card allows me to draw three cards, but then discard two!" He picked up three cards from his Vest and added them to his hand. He smirked, sending two of them to the graveyard. "You think you can celebrate just because you took down my Ancient Gear Golem, eh? Well, I'll show you something even deadlier!" He laughed, revealing his facedown. "I activate Ancient Gear Reborn!" The card flipped over, illustrating a mechanical skeletal arm burst through the ground. "This trap allows me to Special Summon one "Ancient Gear" monster from my graveyard and give it 200 attack points!"
"He's going to resummon his Golem, isn't he?" Alexis' eyes widened in surprise.
"No," Zane shook his head. "It can't be Special Summoned due to its effect. Whatever it is he's summoning was just discarded."
From the ground emerged a small human-like robot with a giant cogwheel on its back. (ATK: 500-700/ DEF: 2000)
"That can't be right?" Jaden sweatdropped. All the buildup for this tiny guy?
"This is Ancient Gear Gadget, and when he's summoned, I get to declare one card type and for this turn when one of my monsters attacks you cannot activate effects of said type." He explained. "So, just to cover all grounds, I'll say monster card."
"Next, I'll use a spell called Double Summon." He inserted the card. "And as the name suggests, I can perform another Normal Summon this turn. Like this," He played a card and a tiny machine made of gears appeared. "Ancient Gear!" (ATK: 100/ DEF: 800)
"And now for what you've been waiting for!" Crowler laughed evilly, playing the last card from his hand. The ground shook as something came flying out of it. Everyone looked up, seeing a gigantic dragon made out of rusted metal. It let out a roar that sounded like two sheets of metal scraping together. (ATK: 3000/ DEF: 3000)
"What is that?" Alexis gasped.
"Holy!" Syrus stared wide-eyed at the new monster.
"No way!" Chazz straightened in his seat. "That's another one of Crowler's rare monsters!"
"This is my Ancient Gear Reactor Dragon!" Crowler grinned spitefully. "And since it was summoned by tributing both an "Ancient Gear" and a "Gadget" monster, it gains a plethora of effects! And it also shares the same effect as my Golem, meaning you cannot activate spell and trap cards when it attacks."
"Figures…" Jaden sighed.
"Now, attack that lumbering oaf!" The doctor pointed at the HERO. "Reactor Plasma Discharge!" The dragon screeched loudly, unleashing a torrent of purple energy that melted Jaden's monster.
Jaden: 6000
"Oh, and don't think we're done. First off, after my Reactor Dragon finishes its attack, it destroys one spell or trap on the field." He revealed, shocking the teen. "Now, which one to choose? …The one on the left!" He pointed and his dragon let out a loud roar, flipping it over before destroying it.
"Hero Barrier? My, that could've saved your monster if you could've activated it!" He laughed mockingly.
Jaden on the other hand breathed a silent sigh of relief. 'Thankfully he picked that one.' He thought, looking at one of his legs remaining facedowns. He needed to find a way to activate it. If he did that, the duel would be over! He knows what card in his deck would allow him to do it. All he needed to do was draw it.
"And now for the other effect," Crowler brought the teen's attention back to him. "Since Ancient Gear Reactor Dragon was summoned with a "Gadget" monster, he can attack twice each Battle Phase!" He revealed and the dragon unleashed another attack straight at Jaden this time.
Jaden: 3000
"And once again, he destroys another of your facedowns!" The dragon blew away another of Jaden's cards, this time it was a trap called Mirror Gate.
"Mirror Force?!" Bastion gasped.
"With that, Jaden would've turned the duel around!" Syrus exclaimed.
"Another trap that would've been beneficial to you… oh well!" The doctor grinned widely.
Jaden grinned as well. This duel has been totally awesome so far! "Wow, teach! That was awesome! I'm having so much fun dueling you! You sure know your stuff."
'This boy is insane!' Crowler thought before clearing his throat. "Yes, well… I suppose I do excel in my job."
Erina watched Jaden place his fingers on his deck, deep in thought as she realized what was going on. 'That facedown… you need it to win, don't you?' she noticed. 'And if I know you, you're banking on your next draw to allow you to finally activate it.'
"A big body, can attack twice and it prevents him from activating spells and traps when it attacks…" Alexis listed off aloud what Jaden was up against. "Is there any way he can turn things around now?"
"It also deals piercing damage," Zane added, meaning that he couldn't even defend himself properly, "and I doubt it. I don't think he has enough cards in his hand to take that dragon down on his next turn."
"Alright, here goes something!" Jaden said, confidently drawing his card. His eyes widened and a smirk appeared on his face as he saw it.
'He drew it!' Erina gasped in surprise, recognizing the telling smirk on her friend's face.
"I set one card facedown and summon Elemental HERO Avian in defense mode!" Along with the facedown appeared a man dressed in a green suit that resembled a bird with his large wings and a taloned hand. He knelt down with his arms over his chest. (ATK: 1000/ DEF: 1000) "And with that, I end my turn."
"That's it?" Crowler snorted as he drew his card. "Sorry to say this, but if that's all you've got then this duel is over."
"I don't know, teach," Jaden smirked. "A duel isn't over till the last card is played!"
"Hmm, we'll see where that gets you. Ancient Gear Reactor Dragon, attack!" The doctor ordered.
"Before any of that happens, I'm gonna play a quick-play spell," the teen pressed a button on his Disk, "Forbidden Chalice!" A cup appeared above the dragon, a drop of water hitting it and raising its attack. (ATK: 3000-3400)
"Why'd Jaden raise its attack?!" Syrus exclaimed in confusion, but thankfully Bastion clued him in.
"Because, while Forbidden Chalice raises Reactor Dragon's attack points slightly, it negates all of its effect until the end of this turn."
The small boy's eyes widened. "Wait, then that means-"
The dragon's attack connected, incinerating the feathered hero.
"So you managed to stall the game for a turn?" Crowler huffed, unimpressed. "This doesn't change the predicament you are in even slightly."
"Stall?" Jaden laughed heartily. "Who said anything about stalling? The whole point was for me to find a way to activate my facedowns! And I just have!" He gestured to the remaining card on his field as it flipped face-up, revealing a trap that illustrated what looked like a HERO laying on the ground and holding a blinking device in his hand. "I activate my trap card! SOS - Emergency Response!"
"And what does that do?" The doctor asked in a bored tone.
"Since you destroyed my monster, this trap allows me to summon another monster from my deck!" He explained, pulling the card from his deck. "And to be more specific, a Masked HERO! Appear, Masked HERO Ray!" He slapped the card atop his Disk.
Appearing in Avian's place was a HERO wearing a yellow, gray and black spandex suit and armor. His head was shielded by a helmet of the same colors that had a mirrored visor on it. (ATK: 1800/ DEF: 200)
"Masked HEROES?" Alexis tilted her head. "I've never heard of those…"
"They're a rare subtype of the Elemental HEROES." Zane shed some light on them. "And they are hard to come by. Very hard to come by." He narrowed his eyes.
"And when Ray is summoned by a card effect, I get to Special Summon one level four or lower "HERO" from my graveyard!" Jaden continued with his explanation. "So say hello again to Stratos!" The air man appeared next to Ray. (ATK: 1800/ DEF: 300)
"And you remember what Stratos does, right? I get to add a HERO from my deck to my hand!" He fanned his deck again, picking a card. "I choose Masked HERO Gust!"
"Another Masked HERO?" Zane noted.
Alexis nodded, feeling an odd sense of excitement all of a sudden. "Yeah, and in a few moments we'll see what they can do."
"Alright, time to end this duel!" Jaden declared confidently as he drew his card. "I summon Masked HERO Gust!" A man dressed in green appeared on the field. And just like Ray, his visorless helmet obscured his face. (ATK: 1500/ DEF: 1600)
"And when he's summoned, I get to dump a Masked HERO from my deck to the graveyard." He explained. "So I'll be sending Masked HERO Dusk Crow to the graveyard."
His graveyard began to glow as soon as he discarded the card, causing Crowler to exclaim in confusion. "What's going on?!"
"Dusk Crow's effect, that's what." Jaden smirked. "When he's sent to the graveyard he Special Summons himself to the field!" He explained as another HERO appeared on the field. This one's suit was dark purple and black, and his face was obscured by a visor. He also had a black cloak that fluttered behind him. (ATK: 1200/ DEF: 1000)
"And when he's summoned, I get to add a Quick-play spell from my deck to my hand with "Change" in its name!" The teen took a card from his deck and revealed it. "I'll be adding Mask Change to my hand!"
"One card allowed him to summon four monsters!" Syrus exclaimed in awe. "That's amazing!"
"If you think that is impressive, just wait for what he's about to do now." Bastion said, eyes fixed to the field.
"And I'll be activating it straight away!" Jaden inserted the card and Ray was enveloped in a blinding golden light.
"What's happening?!" Crowler sputtered, covering his eyes.
"Mask Change is happening," Jaden grinned, "by sending Ray to the graveyard, I get to summon one Masked HERO with the same attribute from my Extra Deck!" He explained. "Transform, Ray! And appear, Masked HERO Koga!" The light died out, revealing a man whose golden suit and armor shone brilliantly. He crossed his arms in an 'X' formation, causing two golden blades to extend out of his forearms. (ATK: 2500/ DEF: 1800)
"Ha! All that work just to summon a monster that is still weaker than my Dragon!" Crowler laughed. "You truly are just a rookie-!"
"Who says I'm done?" Jaden interrupted him. "First off, since Ray was sent to the graveyard, by a "Change" spell card, you must send one card you control to the graveyard!" Crowler frowned, removing his trap card from his Vest.
"Now… Koga gains 500 attack for each monster you control!" He explained as the HERO's power grew. (ATK: 2500-3000)
"Wait a minute!"
"And he also has a pretty sweet effect!" Jaden continued, ignoring the doctor. "By banishing Elemental HERO Gaia from my grave, Koga lowers your Dragon's attack by how much my Gaia has!" The light HERO sliced the air, sending an 'X' made of light towards the dragon that weakened it. (ATK: 3000-800)
"Wow, now Jaden can take down Dr. Crowler's monster!" Syrus exclaimed happily, while Bastion looked at the field thinking intently over something.
"Wait!" He gasped, eyes widening. "He has enough damage on the field to win outright!"
"Koga, take down that dragon!" Jaden threw his arm forward and his HERO charged.
"Time out!" Crowler squawked in horror as Koga plunged his blades in the dragon's head, causing it to explode.
Crowler: 3600
He coughed as a dust cloud fell over the field. "That was one of my best cards!" He cried.
"Oh, we're not done yet!" Jaden chuckled, gaining the doctor's attention. "Cuz now you're wide open for a direct attack from my HEROES!"
As soon as Jaden finished his sentence, the heroes charged forward as well. Punching or kicking Crowler around till his Life Points reached zero and he collapsed to the ground from dizziness.
Crowler: 0
"And that's game!" Jaden grinned, extending his middle and index fingers in Crowler's direction. "Guess this means I pass, huh, teach?"
"He won!" Syrus cheered.
'Nice,' Bastion smiled, 'I could use some competition.'
"There's no way!" Chazz stared in disbelief. "There's no way Crowler just lost to chump like him!"
Alexis smiled at the unexpected conclusion to the duel. "So, what do you think now, Zane?" She asked as she watched Jaden wave at some of the people in the crowd that were clapping for him.
Zane merely walked away without saying a word, much to the blonde's confusion.
'Yeah, he's gonna make things interesting.' She thought, an involuntary smile crossing her lips as she looked back at the teen.
Erina couldn't help but laugh giddily as she made eye contact with Jaden and he gave her his typical goofy smile.
Looks like they'll be off on a new adventure in a few days. And Duel Academy definitely isn't ready for them.
Hello, hello, everyone! Here I am with the "new" story if you would call it that. I know it starts off kinda the same as with the last one. I thought about it being completely different, but no matter what, I always came back to the anime's first episode. I don't know what it is about it, I just love it. But, don't worry I won't be posting the same thing just with updated dialog. You'll see what I have cooked up soon.
On to something important; updates will happen between 1,5 and 2 months, or maybe sooner than that, as chapters will very in size. All I'm saying that there won't be a set schedule.
With that being said, I'll see y'all next time where we'll be exploring the new Duel Academy!