My apologies for anyone who received two emails about this chapter. I managed to overlook some notes that he been left behind during editing and came back to snip them out and restore the mysteriously disappearing arrows.

When the Slifer Reds had retired for the previous evening, Yugi had found himself lunging for grades to sake his growing panic. Eight students with failing grades weren't too unexpected when four of those eight were being taught in a foreign language. Six of the eight admitting that they barely understood some of the fundamental rules of Duel Monsters was more concerning. All his students had passing grades in the core curriculum that the government mandated – languages, mathematics, sciences, social studies. In any other academy, that would not only have been impressive by itself but would have probably earned some sort of award with half the students being foreign transfers and still not being the worst in the class. In Duel Academy, they also had to accommodate levels of strategy not taught in schools since a Carthaginian general took a look at the Alps and said he had 'a good idea about these elephants'.

Effectively, he had to pass eight students through three subjects. Thanks to Ziesmer, that was down to two subjects. All that remained were five students across Field Spells Fundamentals and four more across Level Foundation. That and a few outstanding exams and they would pass into second year without further problems. Level Foundation was all about control of the higher-level monsters – Ritual, Fusion, Special Summoned, Tribute. All of that could be difficult depending on the circumstances, Yugi had decided to leave it while he got them up to speed on how to use Field Spells. It couldn't have been harder than teaching Joey. Ha ha ha.

Thirty minutes into the lecture and he was wondering if the glowing red point in his vision was an aneurysm or the shoddy projector failing to project Molten Destruction onto a heavily stained curtain. Ziesmer – and any attempt he was making to cover up any involvement in the burning of the Slifer Red's card designs – had as much access to their marks and remaining classes as any member of staff. By complete 'coincidence', he had also blocked off the main teaching halls to run several concurrent lectures to an average attendance of half a student each. Yugi and the other Reds were forced to use what had to be the only working leftovers from the recycling they hadn't claimed for the dorm. The projector 'screen' had more stains than a battlefield doctor, the projector was old by Yugi's standards and powered by a light so dim that they had to turn off the lights and huddle in the dark while trying to ignore the smells of what could be the only damp room outside the Slifer Dorm.

"If it's like an Equip Card, then does it get destroyed if the right type of monster gets sent to the graveyard?" Miguel was all the statistical irregularities for the year in a single hyperactive figure. As the only student to have been failing both classes (three including Basic Card Design), anyone would have thought that he was a poor student but he was somehow top fifteen in every other class.

"No. Field Spells only get destroyed by a card effect or the activation or another Field Spell." Fourth time. Please let four be the lucky number. "Otherwise, they remain where they are." Yugi had tried to explain that Field Spells operated like a universal Equip. That had been twenty minutes ago.

"Do all your monsters have to be the right type for the Field Spells to work?" Hashi had the same sort of energy as Miguel with none of the focus.

"No," Yugi said shortly. "It only affects the ones stated in the text." Another hand shot up in the gloom. "Yes?"

"What happens if I summon a monster that isn't mentioned on the card? Does it stop working?" A strong desire to jump from the nearest window would have gripped him had the classroom not been another subterranean abode. (Yugi was privately starting to wonder if Duel Academy planned to bury the shame of the Slifer Dorm by simply locking the door and walking away.)

"Jaden! Where are you, you Slifer Slacker?!" A voice echoed in the hallway right before someone booted the door open. "I'm here for Jaden Yuki!" Outlined by the radiant lights of the hallway, a dark coat flapped dramatically below crossed arms as a slight breeze carried it forward. "And I won't accept any excuse!"

"You see, class." Setting down his pointer, Yugi carefully lowered the glare of the lamp over his notes. While letting him see the light filtering in from the door much easier, it made trying to see the dim corner from the door a lot harder. "This is why understanding the field can help identify the advantages and disadvantages it brings."

"I'm not here for a third-rate replacement." An arrogant sneer felt appropriate as he looked down on the ragtag bunch of unfortunates needed only to provide a counterpoint to the power of Obelisk Blues. "I was told the head of Slifer Dorm would be here. Or is Jaden too cowardly to face me himself?"

"He's actually been delayed a bit." Placing the intruder had taken a minute. That aura of superiority had felt far too similar to Kaiba for him to shake in a hurry. "But I promised to cover for him until he could get back."

"Sir, do you know who that is?" Jun was too formal for anything but proper titles. It was polite yet a bit grating when tensions were high.

"Unless you know a person wishes to do you imminent harm, there is no reason not to be polite." Keeping the same level tone, Yugi could feel the attention flowing back out of the room since Jaden wasn't present. "Now, is there anything I can do for you?" Turning his focus back to the top of the steps, he was amazed the intruder had waited this long.

"If I needed anything from a Slacker, I'd have asked one of the whelps in the front row." That rage reintensified. "Honestly, the only surprise is that it took Jaden this long to realise how little talent the Reds have. Maybe he saw what he had to work with and decided to skip this"

"Stop talking." Unbidden by brain, that smart mouth slammed shut on instinct. Few people could resist when he spoke in that voice. In another life, he had been a king in more than name and a lasting gift from Atem was being able to speak with such authority when he had to. "I don't care what remarks you have for me and Jaden considers you a friend but you will not speak that way about my students."

The embarrassed intruder took a moment to find his voice as embarrassment reignited his rage. "You're nothing but another replacement for the biggest slacker out there!" Raising his voice slightly, he tried to control the apprehension in his gut. All that bluster and power should have overwhelmed any of the usual characters yet this one remained unbowed. Probably because he was hiding in the shadows, the coward! "What are you going to do, complain to Crowler? Your words mean nothing. Just like you and all the other Slifer Reds."

"Hey, boss. I don't think that's such a good idea." A green blob floated by his right ear as a yellow drifted down from the ceiling.

"Yeah, there's something weird about this guy, don'tcha know?" He could feel the veins on his temple start to pound but resisted the urge to swat them away like the annoying pests they were.

"Students, I think it's time I gave a practical demonstration on the capabilities of using Field Spells." Cutting the projector entirely, the only light in the room came from the illuminating doorway. "If Mr Princeton would be willing to assist me?"

"I can spare a few minutes to show these fools the gap between us." He'd come to finally beat Jaden but it looked like the interim head of the Slifer Dorm would have to do. "Don't bother giving me your name, it'll be over before I have the chance to remember it."

"Don't worry." Lights flickered and spluttered into life as he idly flicked the switches over. "Everyone here already knows about Chazz Princeton. And that's what's most important, isn't it?" Seeing the definitive hero of Duel Monsters gradually illuminated in the corner shook Chazz so much that he only realised later that Yugi Mutou had known who he was without introductions.

Speaking with Jaden was an oddly spiritual experience. He could tell you everything about a person, in every corner of their life, remain factual and give you absolutely no direct information about who they were or what they were doing. Yugi had managed to translate that 'Chazz has really been doing well in the tournaments lately like he always said he would' to infer that he was probably a globally ranked Duellist. As he led the journey back up to ground level, he carefully listened to the frantic whispers of his students and learned quite rapidly that Chazz was currently vying for the Japanese National Championship and had a substantial backlog of titles under his belt already. All of which meant that he had the perfect excuse to visit the main Duel Arena and politically snub Ziesmer's attempts to impend the Slifers in the process.

The main arena had everything Yugi could dream of in a competition, even the ability to set different rules for each player and he planned to take advantage of that functionality to grant both Chazz and himself different Field Spells at the same time to let his students better understand how they could be used both for and against the players. Personally, having different field advantages took Yugi right back to the Duellist Kingdom. Despite the blackmail and coercion, the actual tournament remained one of the greatest he had ever known. Calmly explaining this to his students in the stands, he moved on to the more applicable part of the exercise in case Alexis showed up.

"As we go through the Duel, I want all of you to give your best estimates of who is winning." It was a simple system: if they thought Yugi was about to win, a red token would appear on his side of the screens above the arena. If they opted for Chazz, a blue token would appear on his sides. "And I won't hold it against you if you vote against me, the results are completely anonymous." Three tokens instantly appeared behind Chazz.

"Apologies, I think that Chazz's more recent experience will give him an advantage." Either because he doubted the claims of anonymity or because he simply didn't mince his words, Jiro was faster to explain his choice than Steve and Jun could shuffle uncomfortably and give themselves away as the other two votes.

"Fair enough." In all honesty, Yugi knew that he was bearing a slight advantage over his opponent. Jaden had been wildly unrealising that Chazz hated his guts yet all his stories detailed the perfect balance that resonated through his Deck. Multiple combinations could lead to one another but that meant he didn't lend himself towards any one particular type of monster. If he had to guess, Yugi expected that Chazz would lean towards either the Union Hanger to support his immense VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon or Mountain to support his Dragon monsters.

"Mr Princeton, are you ready?" A lot of that pompous air had gradually deflated as Chazz stalked ahead like the proud idiot that he was. Although being treated to a Duel with the King of Games was a rare honour, he was still being used as little more than a training dummy for the Slifer Slackers currently trudging up into the stands.

"I choose the Mountain Field Spell." Mountain would give all Dragon, Winged Beast, and Thunder monsters on the field 200 ATK and DEF. So, dragons it was. Yugi knew better than to dismiss the limitations of the Duellist across the field. By all accounts, he was nearly as proud, stubborn, and talented as Seto Kaiba. Going for Mountain could easily be a bluff as readily as it could be a boost to the typically powerful monster type.

"I choose Yami." Spellcasters and Fiends would receive a powerful boost from the powers of darkness to equal the edge that Chazz's Dragons could gain from his Mountain while also weakening any Fairy monsters by the same margin. It also reminded Yugi of his long-departed partner and bore a comforting familiarity. As chilly mountains obscured the far entrance with frozen sunlight, Yugi could feel the tunnel behind him being obscured in a comforting blanket of darkness.

(Turn 1)

Chazz: LP: 4000 Hand:6 Field: None Graveyard: None

Yugi: LP: 4000 Hand:5 Field: None Graveyard: None

"I summon Masked Dragon (L3/1400/1100 1600/1300)!" Getting a power boost from the wind rising from the vaunted peaks was a red dragon safely cocooned within bone-white armour on its upper sides and wings.

(Turn 2)

Chazz: LP: 4000 Hand:5 Field: 1 Monster Graveyard: None

Yugi: LP: 4000 Hand:6 Field: None Graveyard: None

"From my hand, I summon Skilled Dark Magician (L4/1900/1700 → 2100/1900)." With the ability to eventually transform into his ace monster, this less experienced version was not as heavily adorned nor wielding as lengthy a staff. It did, however, still receive an enhancement from the darkness around them.

Of course, the Masked Dragon was a trap. But it would be boring to simply play through the Duel by numbers. That was, it wouldn't benefit his students as much. Not that Yugi was revelling in the opportunity to Duel against a future deck without having to worry about the fate of history hanging on his every mistake.

"Skill Dark Magician, attack!" Gathering the miasma, the trainee mage shot a tiny thread of light with unerring accuracy through the distant reptile. Tiny vapour trails followed the wings as they smashed into the uncaring ground. Chazz Life Points: 4000 → 3500.

"Because you destroyed Masked Dragon, I can summon another dragon with 1500 or fewer ATK. I choose, the Armed Dragon LV3!" Softly breaking out from the shattered remains of the shell was a much smaller creature. Except for the swap from a red undercoating to an orange one, it could have been a younger form of the Masked Dragon.

(Turn 3)

Chazz: LP: 3500 Hand:6 Field: 1 Monster Graveyard: 1 Monster

Yugi: LP: 4000 Hand:5 Field: 1 Monster Graveyard: None

Stupid Jaden, the slacker, ditching his responsibilities and forcing everyone else to clean up his mess afterwards! Chazz wouldn't be in such an embarrassing situation if the idiot would be where he was meant to be once in a while but nooo! Had to ditch at the last second even though Alexis had promised him the chance for a rematch. And even Chazz knew that his chances of winning were slim, even if he had three tokens backing him at that moment.

"For my Standby Phase, I can tribute Armed Dragon LV3 to summon Armed Dragon LV5 (L5/2400/1700 → 2600/1900) from my deck!" Growing drastically in size and stature, the bumbling baby was a lot less friendly when hefty blades stretched from chin to stern. Even without the Mountain backing, it was more than enough to strike down the shrouded mage and bring Yugi down to an even score. Yugi Life Points: 4000 → 3500. "Since Armed Dragon LV5 destroyed a monster, it now evolves into the Armed Dragon LV7 (L7/2800/1000 → 3000/1200)!" Those jutting blades and protruding spikes blossomed into thick plates of armour and deadly scythes. Coupled with the effect of the Field Spell, Armed Dragon LV7 swelled to equal the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in terms of raw power. "I set one monster and end my turn."

(Turn 4)

Chazz: LP: 3500 Hand:4 Field: 2 Monster Graveyard: 3 Monster

Yugi: LP: 3500 Hand:6 Field: None Graveyard: 1 Monster

LV monsters, eh? Yugi knew a thing or two about the subset and knew that the next iteration would be even more powerful than this one. Okay then, Chazz could have the lead for now and he would shift to a more cautious position. "I set one monster and two cards." That was it for his turn. One defence for the next turn, another for the turn after that. He would be fine.

(Turn 5)

Chazz: LP: 3500 Hand:5 Field: 2 Monster Graveyard: 3 Monster

Yugi: LP: 3500 Hand:3 Field: 1 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 1 Monster

Chazz looked at the card he had just drawn. He couldn't remember when he'd added it to his deck but it was definitely his. Right? Glaring back across the field, he pushed the concern from his mind. This was no time for self-doubt. "From my hand, I summon Beetron-1 Bettletop (L4/1700/1400)!" A mechanical insect whirled onto his side of the field. "Beetron, attack his monster!" There was a screech of tires and the android shredded the card into so much smoke in the tire tracks. "And now, I,"

"Time!" Tapping his hands together in a friendly 'T', anyone else would have been accused of poor sportsmanship as Yugi brought the game to a screeching halt. "Who can explain to me what happened in that move?"

"You can't just," Chazz tried to drag events back on course.

"It's fine," Yugi flapped a hand dismissively. "You'll still get your turn, once I've heard some answers from the kids."

"He destroyed your monster!" Zaw knew the eyes of implicit violence from the police officers back in Myanmar. Chazz had that same expression as he glared towards the bench.

"Yes, but what was my monster?" Silence echoed from the stands. Clearly, his tactics were a bit dated for the failing class. "It was the Obnoxious Celtic Guard. Can anyone tell me why I chose it even though it had a low DEF?" Frantic movements could barely be made out behind the holograms as his students searched up the card.

"Because it can't be destroyed by a monster with more than 1900 ATK?" Misreading the text slightly, Steve was still the first to answer in the right area.

"And why did I expect it would protect me? Shouldn't be long," He apologised to the fuming opponent. "They'll figure it out in a minute." The boards above the arena were already filling with blue tokens as they realised what the next move would be. Only a couple of holdouts remained on Yugi's side.

"Mountain boosts the ATK of his dragon monsters," Jiro intoned. "And you expected it would make his monsters too strong to destroy it."

"Twenty points to Jiro." Yugi didn't quite agree with the scoring system but it certainly made teaching an easily rewarding experience. "Right, let's get back to it. You were about to attack me." Somehow, being kindly reminded that he was meant to be delivering a crushing blow took a lot of fun out of it.

"Armed Dragon," Chazz grunted impatiently. "Go for it." Jaden would have been risking a physical beating but Yugi was being so nice about it all. He'd nearly have preferred to be fighting Jaden as Yugi's Life Points plummeted to a mere 500 points.

"Good job!" Yugi had ducked behind the onslaught of metal shards and gusting winds. A decade of upgrades had made the holograms so realistic that he nearly leapt from the edge of the stage and his coat was still fluttering in the breeze.

"I set one card and end my turn." Chazz slid the powerful card into hiding above his wrist. Although he appeared to be winning now, Yugi Mutou had a history of fighting hardest when the odds were against him. Fearful instincts told Chazz that his Armed Dragon wouldn't survive long enough to reach LV10. The waiting Limiter Removal might have to force Beetron-1 to become powerful enough to take down whatever Yugi retaliated with.

(Turn 6)

Chazz: LP: 3500 Hand:3 Field: 3 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 3 Monster

Yugi: LP: 500 Hand:4 Field: 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 2 Monster

He hadn't expected to be using the card this early but that was the problem with volunteers – they never knew what script to follow. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain but the one coming through it." Spreading out between them was a sinister fluttering wave of lavender velvet. "Appear, Dark Magician!" Stepping out was the more evolved version of his earlier monster. Resplendent in royal purple, the green gem embedded at the end of his lengthy staff glowed menacingly from within the dark mists that swirled at his arrival. "Dark Magic Curtain costs half my Life Points and summons Dark Magician from my deck. Now, can anyone explain why I didn't summon Dark Magician earlier?"

Frantic muttering broke out in the stands as Chazz seethed with barely contained rage. Eventually, a disguised voice piped up. "Because you couldn't risk losing more Life Points?" It cost half his life points at any one time: one turn ago it would have been 1750 and the Duel would have been over. Now it was a fraction of the tiny edge he was balancing on. Yugi Life Points: 500 → 250.

"Correct... Steve?" There was an embarrassed silence as the American considered fleeing for his own country. "Fifty points. Anything else?"

More concentrated muttering preceded a hesitant answer. "Because you have another card you didn't have earlier?"

"Botan!" Snapping a thumbs-up, Yugi could feel the envy thronging the bench. "A hundred points to you. Fifty more to anyone who can explain why Chazz still has an advantage?" A few more hurried answers screamed out and he duly awarded points to Miguel (who kept shouting answers until he got 'Life Points' by accident) and Zaw for realising the spare monsters meant Chazz could summon several of his more powerful beasts.

"From my hand, I equip Magic Formula to Dark Magician." Reaching into a voluminous sleeve, the master magician pulled out a book bigger than the sleeve had space. "With his tome of knowledge in hand, Dark Magician gains 700 ATK." Between the Field and Equip spells, the sorcerer now stood at 3400 ATK. Striking out one palm cracked space in spasms of dark energy and shattered Armed Dragon LV7 into thousands of twinkling fragments. Chazz Life Points: 3500 → 3100 LP

Behind him, six red coins glowed in righteous support.

(Turn 7) – Confirmed

Chazz: LP: 3100 Hand:4 Field: 2 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 4 Monster

Yugi: LP: 250 Hand:2 Field: 1 Monster, 3 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 2 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap

Even with the Limiter Removal in effect, Beetron-1 wasn't going to be strong enough and Pitch-Dark Dragon needed the absent Dark Blade to finalise the union which would still be too weak.

"Boss, I don't like what you're thinking." Ojama Yellow was the most persistent of the trio.

"Yeah, we've not seen that one before." Ojama Green was easily the most idiotic.

"Huh, wazzat?" And Ojama Black spent so much time drooling off after fantasies that it barely realised what was going on.

Chazz endured the group because he couldn't bring himself to throw away cards but there had been more than one occasion where he found himself staring at open flames with callous intentions. Now more than ever, they were making no sense. This was his partner, always had been and always would be. "I sacrifice Pitch-Dark Dragon and Beetron-1 Beetletop. Appear from the rift between light and darkness! Light and Darkness Dragon!"

Light from behind the distant Mountain peaks coiled down onto the field as miasma drifted across the field from Yugi's Yami. Reality tore a hole through itself as the illuminated shadows etched themselves into being. Obsidian membranes spread to Chazz's left while marble feathers unfurled to his right. Twin tails in opposite colours slammed through the skies as the heterochromatic eyes glared down from above. Split perfectly down the divide between darkness and light, the creature rolled back its head and screamed an exultant cry.

Across the field, Yugi tried to restrain his irritation for Jaden (a skill that all his friends had in abundance). He'd never mentioned this monster and the intimidating aura spreading around the room marked it as a cut above the rest of the deck. "I activate Dragon's Evil Eye!" Behind Yugi, the Dark Magician raised a defensive hand only to drop his mystical tome as it burst into flames.

"Since you destroyed the Magic Formula, I regain 1000 Life Points." Even the extra thousand wasn't going to be enough against this monster. Yugi could feel that certainty curling in his gut as the hairs on the back of his neck warned that something was going wrong. On the boards around them, Yugi could see his students fleeing en masse to support Chazz. He'd be less irritated if they'd waited for him to make his move. At least one of the students had enough sense to stay the course and was providing a single supportive token. Yugi Life Points: 250 → 1250.

"Erase the darkness with Shining Breath!" Throwing out an arm, the black coat sent a plume of white force pummelling across the field. Dark Magician was instantly eclipsed and erased inside the gleaming beam of destruction. Yugi Life Points: 1250 → 950.

As the tattered shreds of darkness swirled to fill the void, they revealed a single card left standing in the wake of the attack. "Natural Selection." Whatever this monster was, it was Chazz's unrevealed ace. He wouldn't have let it charge into an uncertain battlefield if there was a chance it could have been destroyed and left him undefended. "This trap destroys your monster and leaves you a copy – until the end of your turn."

"Nice try." That creature was glowing again. "It can negate the activation of any Spell or Trap at the cost of 500 ATK and DEF points." L&D (3000/2600) → (2500/2100). Though slightly shrunken in size, the dragon was still more than powerful enough to crush any hopes of victory. With that crippling blow to his plans, Yugi watched his final supporter flee the sinking ship and head for the sunny beaches of Casa del Chazz. Now was the right time to start doubting his chances.

(Turn 8)

Chazz: LP: 3100 Hand:2 Field: 1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 6 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap

Yugi: LP: 950 Hand:3 Field: 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 3 Monster, 3 Spell/Trap

It had backfired on him. He, Yugi Mutou, had been outplayed. But he couldn't help that smile - this was the sort of Duel he lived for!

Remember the students, you're here to teach them. Don't forget that it's all a lesson, part of the cover to save Jaden.

Taking a steady breath, he looked over his options. Putting up a meagre defence and hoping that Chazz didn't summon another powerful monster was all he could do. Light and Darkness Dragon was powerful for now but it would soon be weak enough with that ticking clock on its ability. Hang on...

"I set one card and end my turn." If there was a cost to blocking any other effects, there might be a chance for Yugi to take advantage of that mechanic.

(Turn 9)

Chazz: LP: 3100 Hand:3 Field: 1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 6 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap

Yugi: LP: 950 Hand:1 Field: 1 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 3 Monster, 3 Spell/Trap

Pathetic. Was this the standard for the King of Games? One trap that wouldn't work, a monster that would be crushed in a single blow and a single card in the hand? Chazz could finally see his path to the top and it was at the end of his next turn. "Light and Darkness Dragon, destroy his monster." Shards of darkness permeated the card and embedded themselves in the spongy form that lay beneath it.

"Thanks to your attack, Marshmallon's effect now activates." Swallowing the attack into itself, the inverted smile above those cheerful eyes opened to reveal teeth to rival any shark. "The owner of the monster loses 1000 Life Points and Marshmallon cannot be destroyed by battle."

"Don't celebrate yet." Casting radiance one way and shadows the other, his monster shrank down once again. "Light and Darkness can also negate monster effects – your card does nothing." L&D (2500/2100) → (2000/1600).

Too late did he see that look of determination. "I activate Ground Erosion!" A single red token appeared behind him as a hopeful student guessed that he wouldn't waste a trap unless it was part of a bigger plan. "By selecting a spot on your field where there's a monster, I can destroy Ground Erosion to negate the effect of the monster currently occupying it and have it lose 500 ATK for each standby phase Ground Erosion has been on my field." Three more students showed their support for him, leaving the two Duellists tied in backing.

"Good try but Light and Darkness Dragon can easily erase it." Chazz sneered his rebuttal. True, it would leave his monster severely weakened but he could always switch it out for a stronger candidate.

"Your dragon loses points every time it stops an effect, meaning it has to be an active ability. And active abilities can only be used once in each Chain." Referring to the action of reacting to another effect or activation with a card – or 'chaining' it – Yugi was forced to reveal his next play early if he was to have any chance of succeeding at all. Light and Darkness Dragon was a formidable creature and capable of keeping the field sterile enough to satisfy laboratory conditions but it could only negate the activation of Spell and Trap cards and not their effects. This was why it received a boost from Chazz's Mountain and how Yugi planned to slip his next move past the barrier.

Across the field, Chazz sullenly slipped his own card into place. If Yugi was going to lift the ban on effects then he'd be ready with a Spell of his own.

(Turn 10)

Chazz: LP: 3100 Hand:2 Field: 1 Monster, 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 6 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap

Yugi: LP: 950 Hand:2 Field: 2 Spell/Trap Graveyard: 4 Monster, 3 Spell/Trap

Two cards. That was all Yugi had. Meanwhile, Chazz had two traps, a monster which could negate any effect Yugi used (three times left on that count) and two cards in his own hand.

"I activate the Pot of Greed!" Appearing on his side of the field was the grotesque pottery that could be the turning point to the entire Duel.

"I activate the effect of Light and Darkness Dragon to negate your spell." Right on cue, Chazz tried to cut the lifeline.

"I activate the effect of Ground Erosion to negate Light and Darkness Dragon." With the cost paid in advance, that would leave the monster with only 1000 ATK. Chazz was too good a Duellist to leave himself in such a disadvantageous position, there had to be another layer of strategy.

The chain unravelled. Ground Erosion crippled the dichotomic dragon, Light and Darkness failed to prevent the Pot of Greed from shattering, and Yugi gained two cards. Still not what he needed but something he could use. Only then did Chazz strike. "I activate Cleansing Waters." Flowing down from the mountains came a crystalline stream of pure water that suffused his dragon in a gentle glow. "Light and Darkness Dragon regains its original ATK and DEF." And Ground Erosion would wear off at the end of the turn, restoring the mighty beast to full strength. For now, Yugi only had to overcome the raw power it held. L&D (2000/1600) → (3000/2600)

"From my hand, I activate the Spell Textbook!" It was an 'everything or nothing' gamble. Spell Textbook would allow him to draw one card at the cost of every card currently in his hand. "Let me add another lesson to this Duel." Collapsing the cards in his hands into a neat pile, he gently slid them into the abyss of the graveyard. "No matter how many clever tricks and plays you put into your strategies, there is nothing that can beat a Deck which resonates with its Duellist. Every hope I have rides on this next card being one that can help me." Looking at the students clustered in the stands, he hoped that they would understand the lesson that nobody could teach and everyone had to learn. "I draw." Multiple cards could have come to his aid yet they were only a small fraction that would have been of use and exactly one that was perfect. "From the great beyond, I call back the Dark Magician with Monster Reborn!" Arising from the great beyond was the spirit that had sworn to serve Yugi in his past life and continued to do so in this one.

"That's it?" Chazz had no reason to be frightened that he could see. Yugi had kept his land remaining face-down since before Dark Magician had first appeared. If he could have used it to save the monster earlier, it would have been a better move than risking it to try for Natural Selection. Like his leftover Limiter Removal, it was either a bluff or a card that no longer had a purpose and Chazz couldn't help but laugh. "It looks like I've still got the upper hand, thanks to my Cleansing Waters!" He'd done it, he'd managed to outsmart the King of Games! And not the Slacker, the real deal. Yugi Mutou, beaten by Chazz Princeton!

Why was he smiling?!

"I activate Disgraceful Charity." Chazz had called it wrong – that other trap hadn't been a leftover without a target, it had been waiting for the right conditions to activate. "With the effect of my Disgraceful Charity trap, any cards that were sent to the graveyard by a Spell this turn are returned to their owner's hands." Jaden had used that card as well. Even though he had been one of the loudest doubters that Yuki was suitable as the next King of Games, Chazz could feel the tide turning against him in an eerily familiar way.

"I hear Fusions are popular around here." Dangling between his fingers was Yugi's own Polymerization. "Beware dragons and beware those who hunt them. Ready your lethal magics, Dark Paladin!" Armour emerged from the darkness to cloak the magician as the sceptre of his staff transformed into a serrated glaive forged from the mighty sword of the Buster Blader.

No, it wasn't possible! Yugi's opponent failed to grasp reality even as the mage transformed into a dragon hunter. When had he even... Chazz suddenly recalled the cards that had been fed into the graveyard for the Spell Textbook. Three cards – one had to have been Polymerization while the other must have been Buster Blade! "Due to the effect of Yami, Dark Paladin gains 200 ATK." Originating as a magician, the monster was able to take advantage of the effect and go from having 100 ATK less than Light and Darkness Dragon to having 100 ATK more. That would have been survivable, Chazz could rally on his turn.

Until he remembered Battle City and all the blood drained from his face. How many was it? Masked Dragon, Armed Dragons LV3, LV5, and LV7, made four. Pitch-Dark Dragon had been sacrificed for Light and Darkness Dragon. Six altogether. "Dark Paladin," Yugi had kept a careful count of exactly how many monsters that had been and where they had all gone. Every detail had been parsed through to deliver a winning strategy. "Attack with Dark Magic Slash!" Six dragons, each granting an increase of 500 ATK. By the time Dark Paladin had raised the magical spear, it contained enough power to eradicate Light and Darkness Dragon. By the time it had carved directly through the divide between light and darkness, it contained enough power to overflow and wipe out the remainder of Chazz's Life Points.

Game Over

Winner: Yugi Mutou

His pulse didn't pound like this for many people. Chazz was every bit the rival that Jaden could hope for and then some. Flooding down from the stadium seats, the Slifer Reds thronged about him in clamouring congratulations. "Guys, guys!" Raising both hands defensively, he extricated himself from the mess. "We can go over it all late. For now, head back to the dorm. I want to have a word with Mr Princeton." Chazz was already heading down the far tunnel and Yugi knew he wouldn't have a chance to catch up once that black coat slipped around the corner.

Chasing him down at a brisk jog, he managed to catch Chazz before he dropped out of sight. "Good game." He meant it. Chazz was easily in the top ten of Duellists he'd ever fought. (Maybe top twenty if Yugi included all the ones involved with the darker side of Duel Monsters.) "You nearly had me a couple of times."

"Spare me your pity." That pride! How like Kaiba. Maybe there was a chance some of that seriousness could balance out Jaden's laid-back attitude.

"It's not pity – you actually got close." Those obsidian eyes relented the barest fraction. "I liked that dragon of yours. My friend has a similar one." Though Yusei's Stardust Dragon operated under a different cost mechanic, it had a notably similar effect.

"I doubt it. Mine's the only one out there." A strange look slid beneath the pride like a fish beneath a frozen ocean. "But I don't remember putting it in my Deck. Must have done it by instinct."

"You don't say?" Keeping his politically distant face – only a step lower than his game face – in full effect, Yugi wished that he was dealing with a more reasonable person. Chazz was as stubborn and unaccommodating as Kaiba ever was. Yusei had mentioned the sudden appearance of new yet familiar cards and Jaden had indicated something along the same lines. This was the first time he'd seen it for himself and was carefully weighing his options.

"Let me know if you ever want a rematch." Damn, he'd taken too long already and Chazz was heading off down the corridor. "I'll bring my best next time."

"I look forward to it." Depressingly, he was starting to see why people looked up to Kaiba – without that personal hatred, he was certainly at least as exciting a challenge as Chazz was. "Do me a favour," Chazz glanced back over one shoulder. "Let me know if you happen across any other weird cards – contact Jaden if you can't reach me directly. Call it my curiosity." Flicking a winger over one shoulder was the only reply as the defeated champion vanished around the corner.

As was to be expected, Yugi was treated to a hero's return to the dorm. Ever since their forage trip to the garbage containers, he'd assigned the students various chores to complete around the building. Nothing too strenuous – light cleaning, a few of the less risky repairs. Every item on the list had been completed and the building had been upgraded from condemned to merely neglected and was skirting the lower boundaries of liveable.

After letting the students shout chaotically for several minutes, he waved both hands for calm. "Okay!" One by one, they gradually fell silent. "Now, who can tell me how Chazz's Mountain could have worked against him?"

"Because you could have summoned the Curse of Dragon and used its effect to power up your monster even more!"

"Miguel, you've gotta learn to raise a hand." There was definitely a touch of hyperactivity in the Filipino. "I'll give you twenty points for getting the right answer. Fifty to the person who can figure out how Yami could have been used against my opponent?" Then he looked about the room and frowned, dismissing all the eagerly raised hands as instinct twigged that something wasn't quite right. One, two, three... seven?

Then his PDA chimed an incoming call and cold reality washed over him. "Dr Mutou." He didn't even need to listen to Alexis try to break the news gently. After all the attacks on the Slifer Dorm in the past few days, he should have kept paying closer attention to his students instead of chasing after whatever tangential mystery Yusei had noticed in the far future. But he hadn't kept focus and now he had to listen to the news that Suzuki had been found unresponsive outside the academy.

I'm ready to field those reviews.