Wings of Cerulean

by BlackfyrePhoenix

(A/U) Alice Fenix just wanted to study designing holograms at Kaiba Corp. Instead, she finds herself whisked away to Duel Academy to follow in her older sister's footsteps and be a pro duelist. But as soon as she lands, she's ambushed by a group of thugs who wish to take her two rarest cards. And they are not keen on asking politely. What kind of place is this?

8. Dance of the Flaming Gods

Duel Academy - Main Campus

Feeling pumped after seeing Zane's duel earlier, Alice headed for the gymnasium with high spirits. She felt like she was running faster than she ever did before, even longer. The island felt like it was going by in a big blur of a thousand colors only slowing down when there was someone in her way so she could move out of the way. Besides people, she didn't seem to care who was in her way. Not even the two monsters in the middle of a duel.

"Fiend Skull Dragon attack Freed the Matchless General!" shouted the duelist controlling the underground beast.

"I activate my trap card, Inspiration, now that will increase my warrior's attack by seven hundred points!"

"I activate my trap card, Seven Tools of the Bandit! Now your trap is huh —"

Alice ran right between the two monsters as they tumbled around fighting for dominance. "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" she called out as she sprinted down the white-stone road back to the academy, leaving a trail of dust behind her.

"Hey, you can't do that!" shouted the other duelist.

After a long run through the academy, Alice found a building perched on a small cliff over the academy itself. It had a glass honeycombed dome with fountains and lush gardens around it. It was a private arena where the Red Arrows practiced, meaning that whoever funded the team had deep pockets.

Two Red Arrows were heading inside. Alice hurried after them. "Excuse me," she said. The girls stopped and greeted her. "I'm here to try out for the team. Do you know where I have to go?"

"Sure," said a short-haired red arrow. She tilted her head toward the door in front of them. The rhinestones on her bow twinkled as she moved. "It's right through here, kiddo."

"Oh, it's not through the main entrance?"

"No, that's just for staff and guests," said the second Red Arrow, a girl with green hair. "These doors lead to a section of the building that's only for members of the team. Did you get a temporary pass?"

"Yes. But I didn't know it was temporary."

"Yeah, it's just for today," said the green-haired Red Arrow. "But if you impress the judges in your duel, you'll get a permanent one. You must be that Alice girl that Enora keeps talking about."

"Oh, so you're Sara Fenix's sister," said the short-haired girl. "Yes, yes, Enora speaks highly of you. We both look forward to your performance. Come on in."

They went inside the building through the sliding smoked glass doors. "Wow!" Alice breathed. The atrium to their quarters was huge. The symbol of the team was emblazoned on the floor. Cherry blossoms lined the halls and there were waterfalls and beautiful fountains. The fountain at the center of the atrium had a black obelisk with a gold plaque displaying the names of the winning teams from years past. The walls had photos of girls holding trophies, celebrating a huge victory in Paris, posing with their monsters, and a large one showed the 2008 Champions holding the coveted jeweled cup in Tokyo.

"This is so amazing!" Alice said. "I didn't think you were so legendary."

The green-haired girl shrugged. "Meh, this facility is small compared to the one for the official school team. They got a football-sized stadium on the west side of the island. Since the concept of an all-girls dueling league is still new, we're not very looked at as fondly as they are. It's only thanks to one megacorporation that we have this facility. But I'm not complaining. And here is where you'll be dueling, Alice."

They passed through two metal doors leading to an arena that wasn't as big as the main arena back in the main campus, but it was still spacious enough to fit more than six expensive-looking arenas equipped with the latest in holographic technology. The walls were made of white limestone and it had a giant reef inside with thousands of colorful fish, including sharks. Above, on the round ceiling, were two giant crystal chandeliers giving the gymnasium such elegance.

There was a balcony over the field with fellow students spectating the tryouts. Alice noticed a blonde Red Arrow waving to her boyfriend up there. He waved back and she blew him a kiss.

"So people can come in and watch, huh?" Alice said.

"Get used to it," said the short-haired girl. "We may not be as popular as the school's main team, but we can raise up the heat with our matches. Wow, looks like we've got a special guest in the house tonight."

"Huh?" Alice said.

The green-haired girl pointed to the railing nearby. Jaden was leaning over it, watching the matches with a big smile on his face. "Next match! Next match!" he cheered. "Wow, these Red Arrows sure know how to get their game on!"

"Shhh!" said Bastion. "You're going to get us thrown out."

"Jaden Yuki!" Alice gasped, her face turning red.

"Uh-oh," giggled the green-haired girl. "Looks like somebody's got a crush on the Ace of Slifer Red."

"What?! No! I do not. Um, where do I go so I can get registration done and over with."

"Over there," said the short-haired girl. She pointed to a small office where there was a nurse sitting behind her desk and scribbling down a few notes. She was a very pretty woman, with long black hair highlighted with gray and she had brilliant green eyes giving off a friendly appearance.

"Good luck in your match," said the green-haired girl and they left for the locker room to change and equip their gear.

Alice headed for the doctor's office at once. The sign outside her door read Dr. Kendrix, who she guessed was one of the school nurses. Instead of a white coat, she donned a black one with intricate white patterns and gold triangle designs on the sleeves, and she had three chokers around her neck. Alice sniffed the air coming from her office. It smelled so sweet it was pungent and there was a radio on the top shelf playing old opera music.

Alice approached the office and knocked on the door. "Excuse me? I was told to come here."

Dr. Kendrix finished scribbling a few more things before she set her pen down and looked up at Alice. She smiled and said: "Oh, are you here for the tryouts?"

"Yes, do you know where I must go to sign up for my duel?"

"I do, but you need to see me first." She got up from her seat. As she passed by Alice, she gave the scent of strong lavender perfume. The doctor closed the blinds to the one window by her desk and then shut the door and locked it. "Okay, sweetie, if you could go into that room in there and get undressed, I'll begin your examination. Let me know when you are ready."

"What's all this for?" Alice asked.

"Take off your clothes," the doctor said, sitting down on her chair and taking out a few pink papers and other documents from her desk. "Come on, spit spot. There are going to be others who need to take this physical."

"A physical for a duel?" Alice said, taking off her blazer and undoing her tie. "Seems a bit much don't you think?"

"Not around here it doesn't," Dr. Kendrix said, flipping through her stacks of papers. "There's a bit of an epidemic around here. There's a plant the students are taking advantage of called Blue Dragon. It's a toxic flower that can only be found on this island. It's usually found pretty high up in the mountains, which many of our students are prohibited from going to. However, we're not the only ones living here. There's a resort town on the other side of the island called North Point. It's where our students go to get loose and enjoy some free time at the beaches and clubs. However, there are a few individuals out there who venture to the mountains to find the flower, turn it into pills or powder and then sell it to our students."

"What does the flower do?" Alice took her blouse off and reverently folded it before placing it on a chair.

"It's highly praised by our students for their effect on the mind. It can boost your intelligence, your creativity, how fast you think. What a perfect drug for a school. The flowers have a powerful nootropic that increases memory-related functions and speeds other mental processes. Sadly, the effect of the flower is ephemeral, leaving the user tired and sluggish and even depressed with suicidal thoughts once it wears off. It also causes the heart to beat rapidly. Sadly, a student here died from cardiac arrest after he overdosed on some powder. Since that tragedy, the Chief Nurse, Fonda Fontaine, and I have worked together to set up a task force and send them on expeditions to the mountains so they can find the Blue Dragon flower and destroy it. It's an invasive species anyway, which kills other plants around it, much like a sea urchin does."

"Ah, I see." Alice took her skirt down. "Um, I'm ready. Or should I take my underwear off too?"

"No, darling, you're fine. Hurry now. I'm going to require a urine sample from you."

"What for!" Alice cried out.

"Now, now. It's just to make sure you haven't used the plant. Understand?"

Alice nodded timidly and did as she was told. When she was done with her exam she put her clothes back on and waited for her results, which came by a lot quicker than she had anticipated.

A little too fast. She had heard that Kaiba Corp had developed cutting-edge technology in the fields of medicine but never anything like this. After a few things were signed, Alice was given a clean bill of health to join the team. She put on her backpack and shook hands with Kendrix before walking out into the gymnasium where there were already some duels taking place.

"BELTZER!" she heard some Red Arrows shouting. "BELTZER! BELTZER!"

Alice looked around to see who it was they were calling. She looked to the stands and saw a beautiful young man with long and curled lavender-colored hair. His skin was milky white. One of his eyes was dark purple and the other was blue. He wore his custom, high-collared Obelisk Blue Coat over his shoulders, kept in place by a silver chain. Underneath he wore a white loose shirt opened to reveal his chest. He took a rose from his coat, kissed it, and threw it over the railing. A bunch of Red Arrows crowded around and reached out their hands, pushing and shoving the catch it.

"Who in the hell is he?" Alice asked.

"Beltzer von Drogon," swooned a girl sitting on a stool, waiting for her turn to duel. "He's a second-year Obelisk Blue student. He's not only skilled with Duel Monsters, but he's also a model, an opera singer, and the greatest piano player in the whole world. My friends and I saw him perform last year! If he makes it a habit of coming here to watch the Red Arrows play, then I hope I make it on the team. Maybe he'll notice me. What about you?"

"Uh, I don't know." Alice looked toward the duels that continued despite Beltzer's appearance. One of the duelists was Enora; she was taking on a new recruit.

The new girl, a young thing with long brown hair tied into a ponytail with a red ribbon, started her turn by placing a card face-down and summoning Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner. After that, she ended her turn.

"I draw," Enora said. She added her card to her hand and looked at her cards to weigh her options. "Okay, I think I can cook up something with this. I activate, Charge of the Light Brigade. With this spell, I send three cards from the top of my deck to the graveyard. I will add a Lumina of my own to my hand and summon her."

She placed the card on her card on the golden holographic blade of her Duel Disk, which looked like scrollwork. Everything about her machine looked regal.

"I activate my trap card," said the other girl. "Paleozoic Canadia! Now your monster gets flipped face-down."

"Disrupting my plays," Enora said with a confident smile. "Not bad. Well, I guess I have no choice but to end my turn. Your move, Rachel."

"Okay, I draw! Now, from my graveyard, I special summon Glow-Up Bulb!"

Her field flashed with a bright light, which formed into a strange-looking plant with an eye at the roots.

"Then, with Lumina's effect, I discard a card and special summon Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn!"

Lumina clasped her hands together and prayed. Then, Raiden appeared next to her. He was a tall tan-skinned man, wearing no shirt, but he had an indigo cloak over his neck and blue pants underneath white and gold grieves. He carried an oddly-shaped golden dagger.

ATK/1700 DEF/1000

"Perfect. Now, I discard to cards from the top of my deck, and if any of them were Lightsworns, he gains an extra 200 attack points. Ah, what do you know, there's one. So now his attack increases to 1900. But Raiden won't be around for long. Watch. I Tune him and Lumina to Synchro Summon the mighty Michael, the Arch-Lightsworn!"

Alice covered her eyes with her forearm to shield them from the bright flash created by the Synchro Summoning. The light subsided and she heard something large roaring in the arena. She lowered her arm and saw an angel armored in gold riding a white-feathered dragon. It was so large it took over the entire arena's ceiling space.

ATK/2600 DEF/2000

"Wow, that's impressive," Enora said.

"And you haven't seen anything yet," said Rachel. "I pay one-thousand of my Life Points to banish a card from your field."

The white dragon Michael was riding on blew flames at Enora's face-down Lumina. The Lightsworn Summoner screeched as her body was set ablaze and she shrunk down to mere cinders. Then Michael jumped off his dragon at Rachel's command and slashed Enora across the chest, dealing 2600 points of damage. Her Life Point counter plummeted to 1400.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," Enora said, rubbing her belly. "You have what it takes to be a Red Arrow after all."

"Um, thanks. Well, I set a card and end my turn."

"Haven't you forgotten something, little one?" Enora said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Oh, yeah. Michael mills three cards from the top of my deck. Ah, but one of them is this card. Felis, Lightsworn Archer. I'll summon her in defense mode."

She summoned a girl with green hair and cat ears. She carried a golden bow, which she used a shield to defend herself.

ATK/1100 DEF/2000

"Well, I take it Michael is your ace, correct? Well, let's see how he fares against mine. I activate the ritual spell, Super Soldier Synthesis."

"And I activate the trap, Solemn Warning!"

"Oh no!"

"Yeah, I know about your Black Luster Soldier, Enora. And I came prepared. Now, your spell is canceled out and you can't summon your soldier."

"Damn!" Enora sighed. "Well, I end my turn."

"Yay! I'm gonna win! Micahel, the Arch-Lightsworn, attack, and end this duel!"

"I don't think so! From my hand, I use Kiteroid!"

"Aww no! Now you take no damage!"

The strange kite creature flew out of nowhere and took the hit, saving Enora's Life Points.

"Aw, darn it, I was so close! I send three cards from the top of my deck to the graveyard and end my turn."

"I draw!" Enora said. The heartbeat monitor next to her Life Points was growing red and the line was getting straighter. She smiled anyway. "All right. Rachel. Do you trust your deck?"

"Well, I built it pretty well —"

"—No, do you trust your deck? You know if you do that, it will almost always lead you to victory. I trust my deck so much that I've developed a bond with my cards. Yugi Muto taught us all to do that. The Heart of the Cards. And here's the proof."

Enora held up a card.

"No! Another Super Soldier Synthesis card!"

Alice gasped. "Now way! That had to be one of the luckiest draws I've ever seen!"

A cauldron of purple fire erupted behind Enora. "Now, I must sacrifice Evening Twilight Knight and Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn from my deck to summon the Black Luster Soldier!"

The girls in the Red Arrows cheered as soon as the soldier armored in black and gold emerged out of the cauldron's flames. He stepped out with strong, loud, clanking footsteps. There were still flames flickering off his armor and a dark-red plume swung back and forth from the top of his helmet. Black Luster Soldier stopped directly behind Alice, who took her phone out and started taking selfies with her knight. She gave a V for victory with her fingers and stuck her tongue out.

ATK/3000 DEF/2500

"Now, let's see what we can do here," Enora said, putting her phone away. "Ah, yes. Black Luster Soldier's special ability activates. I'll banish a card from your hand face-down."

Rachel opened up her holographic help screen on her duel disk to research the card. "Hey, wait a minute. Black Luster Soldier doesn't have any effects. He's a normal ritual monster."

"Not anymore, he's not," Enora said with a tease. "See, I used Evening Twilight Knight as a sacrifice for the ritual." She held up the card for her opponent to see. "Does he look familiar?"

"Hey, he kind of looks like Black Luster Soldier."

"That's right. Because he's new support for the soldier. Now, as I was saying, when he's sent to the graveyard for being used as a sacrifice for a Black Luster Soldier, it gives that Black Luster Soldier special abilities. Two very neat abilities. First, I banish a card from your hand, face-down. Next, I will banish your Michael, the Arch-Lightsworn."

Black Luster Soldier's sword started glowing purple and he swung it, tearing a hole in the dimension. Michael's dragon tried to hang on tight, but they were both sucked in and banished from the game.

Rachel was in complete disbelief at what she saw.

How could that be? Monsters that gave monsters abilities from the graveyard? And such powerful ones too.

"NO! Aww, that's not fair!" she whined.

"Now, it's time to start cleaning up your board! Black Luster Soldier, attack Raiden!"

Black Luster Soldier ran towards the Hand of the Lightsworn and slashed him across the chest. Raiden gurgled and then shattered like glass.

"I'm not giving up!" said Rachel. "Ha! Wow, this is great. Looks like some of your luck has rubbed off on me, Enora. I use Pot of Greed and draw two cards. Next, I use the spell, Charge of the Light Brigade, and add a card to my hand. Here comes Lumina and with her effect, I call upon Raiden! You know what that means. I'm going to use them to bring back Michael, the Arch-Lightsworn!"

"He's back," Alice whispered, her legs wobbling with excitement.

"Now, I pay a thousand Life Points to banish your soldier!"

"I don't think you will, Rachel. It's not going to be that easy. When you summoned Michael again, I activate the effect of Ghost Mourner and Moonlit Chill. When you special summon a monster, I can discard Ghost Mourner and negate that monster's effects."

"So what! I'm still taking down your soldier! Michael, attack!"

"You're not fit to join our team," said Enora. "From my hand, I activate the effect of Envoy of Chaos! Now, Black Luster Soldier gains 1500 attack points, rasing him to 4500."

"NOOOO!"

Black Luster Soldier jumped up high, stepped on the dragon's head to give himself a boost, then slashed Michael across the chest, destroying him and a good chunk of Rachel's Life Points.

"This is your last chance, Rachel. Can you make a comeback?"

"I draw!" she said nervously. She shook her head and sighed. "I end my turn."

"Then I'll attack you directly with Black Luster Soldier and end the duel!"

The soldier charged forward and swung his sword, slashing Rachel across the chest and knocking her down. Her Life Points went falling down to 0.

Enora snapped her fingers at a Red Arrow sitting on the benches near the arena. The girl reached into a cooler and tossed Enora a green energy drink. Enora chugged down almost half the bottle before she looked at three girls at a nearby table who were judging the results.

"What do you say, ladies?" she asked.

"You really built a solid deck," said Denise, an olive-skinned physically-fit young lady with a blue hairband in her jet-black hair. She tapped her pen against her clipboard wondering what else to say. "Ah, yes. You seem to know what cards to play as well. You make up great combos and the Lightsworns are a pretty tricky deck to get used to, especially for beginners. You have a lot of energy in you and I like that. There's a lot of fire in you! We need more girls like you on the team. But unfortunately, all that skill, all that potential, and all that beautiful spirit are ruined by…"

She moved her hand in circles. "I don't know what to say. You seemed eager. You just rushed in, ready to smack at your opponent's Life Points. That's not a good thing to do on the field. That kind of mindset of rushing in can lead to a lot of problems. Duel Monsters is a very complex game and there are cards made to get you out of any situation as you've seen with Enora's Envoy of Chaos. Even in our hands, cards are deadly. Look, baby, I'm not going to say yes but I'm not going to say no. I'm going to put you on call."

A sweet-looking girl with long wavy light blue hair took her chin off the palm of her hand and gave Rachel her views. "I agree with everything Denise said. You're energetic, you have great deck-building skills, and you know how to make use of your cards. But you are very impatient. And that can make or break a duelist, honey. We want to win. But we have to keep a cool head and think about our options. I see in your hand that you had a Dark Hole. Why didn't you use it?"

"She did?" Enora said. "That really could have turned things around."

"I'm sorry. I was so discouraged when she took down Michael that I guess I wasn't thinking straight."

"As Aqua said," commented a girl with short, fiery red hair named Lilly. "You need to keep a cool head. You've got great skills, but they're never going to evolve if you keep on playing with a fogged mind. Aqua, what's your verdict."

"I'm with Denise on this one. I'm going to have to say On-call."

"On-call for me as well," said Lilly, stacking her papers. "You know what that means, honey?"

Rachel shook her head.

"It means that you have a second chance. We're holding one more tryout next week for girls marked as On-Call. Keep practicing and show us what you've got next time. Okay?"

"Oh, yes. Thank you very much!" Rachel bowed then shook hands with Enora before packing her things and leaving the arena.

When she left, Enora looked down and spotted Alice. "Ah, there you are. My duelist of cerulean wings. I've been looking forward to this. Sit right there while I find your opponent. If things go well, this should be really interesting."

As she left, she felt a pat on her back. Alice turned around and saw Alexis, already wearing the red, white, and black rhinestone bow of the Red Arrows. It sparkled brightly on the top of her head, making her look so regal.

"Hey!" Alice said hugging her. "You signed up too?"

"Of course, I did. I'm ready to show the world what I've got by fighting for this team. We're the cream of the crop, Alice, the best female duelists in the region. And we have to work hard to keep that title in the upcoming competitions this year. Check this out."

She led her down the hall to a trophy room. The shelves were filled with golden plaques, tall, golden, decorative trophies, and championship cups. Pictures hung on the wall with teams from the past posing together at the end of a big tournament.

"Wow, this is amazing. They did all this?"

"You can thank Fonda Fontaine and Superintendent Irmella for this. They fought hard to give us girls a chance to prove ourselves. If the guys can go out into the world and display their dominance, why can't we? Seto Kaiba was quick to allow it. As cold as he is, even he believes everyone has an equal chance to prove themselves. Before long, lots of schools all over the world joined in on the program and formed all-female teams of their own. You know, Alice, for many years, a lot of jerks have said that Duel Monsters is a man's game. We're just cheerleaders with pretty monsters to ogle at. Or female duelists are just some prize for a hotshot duelist to use as arm candy."

Alexis narrowed her eyes. "Well, not anymore. I'm sure as hell am done being looked at that way. You have no idea how many guys out there see me as some treasure to be claimed. A piece of ass to tap at night. Some party favor to squeeze when they win their duels. Pfft. Those days are over! We can duel just as good as Zane or even Yugi. Maybe even better. Now it's our time to shine, Alice. Welcome to the revolution."

Duel Academy Gardens

Feeling horribly broken by his devastating loss to Zane, Evan decided to take a long walk across the Dueling Gardens. He was surrounded on all sides by hedges with beautiful flowers. Colorful butterflies flew around from flower to flower, and gentle birds hopped on the branches of the trees as they sang a gentle tune.

Swift! Swift! Their little wings flapped as they soared around. There were even peach trees where students could help themselves. Evan wasn't in the mood. He instead munched on a chocolate bar. The place would have been a paradise had it not been for it bustling with activity.

The head of a Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss reared over one of the hedges and blew fire at a defenseless Neo the Magic Swordsman. Across the pond, filled with green water, Evan saw two players from Ra Yellow going at it. One of them had a Mother Grizzly out on the field and the other player was boasting about the power of his Twin-Headed Fire Dragon.

He wanted to join in on the action, but he sadly gained a less than favorable reputation. Even though he had acquired some power for his deck, he was still feeling miserable. Beating people up, scaring them, and taking their things. It made him sick to his stomach. And his loss to Zane earlier made him feel even worse. Even if he was winning games, he was still a loser because he stole cards and cheated by ganging up on unsuspecting players. But duelists like Zane and Jaden Yuki got to where they were through sheer skill. And honor.

That's what was bugging Evan. If there was no honor, there was no joy in his victory.

He stopped by a fountain and sat down to ponder what in the world he had gotten into. Maybe coming to this school wasn't such a good idea. He thought he made a friend with Alice, but that ended terribly because of a freak accident. He tried his hand against Jaden, but that didn't work. He thought his new cards could help him stand a chance against Zane, but that didn't work out, and he lost in front of Alexis and the rest of her friends. Alice included.

He could not get over that. Losing in front of the Queen of Obelisk Blue cut his ego into bits like someone using a flaming hot sword to slice through butter. He sat down by the edge of the pond and sighed, watching the limestone fountain with the statue of a revered doctor standing on the top of it. Evan read the copper plaque at the base of the statue.

Dr. Roland Rhys

He must have been quite the contributor to the academy in order to have a statue of himself erected on the school grounds. Evan sighed sadly, wishing that someday he would be important enough to have a big statue erected in his honor. He took a coin out of his pocket and wished for good luck as he tossed it in.

Suddenly, the water near the edge of the pond started to bubble. Something was rising up to the surface. Evan gasped and backed away, thinking it was some kind of monster. But as he looked closely at it, he could see long hair waving underneath the sparkling surface of the water. And then he lost his breath when he realized it was a girl! She had been swimming in the water. She gracefully climbed out of the water and sighed. She wore a heart-stopping gleaming white bikini outlined with blue. The girl stretched and pulled the back of her bikini with a snap before she fixed her bright yellow hair, which glittered like a prismatic rare card.

Evan couldn't believe what he was seeing. He looked down at the coin he tossed into the water and whispered: Thank you.

But he did not whisper this quietly enough. The girl heard him and turned her head to look at him. Evan expected her to start screaming and calling for help but instead, she smiled at him.

"Hi," she said, digging around behind a rock to find a towel, which she used to pat herself dry.

Evan said nothing and just watched her dry her arms, belly, and legs. She had very nice legs and a plump rump, which he could not stop staring at. The girl looked back up to see if Evan had answered. He did not.

"What's the matter?" she asked, finding a pair of denim cutoffs to slip into. "Cat got your tongue?"

There was an iridescent sparkle in her purplish-blue eyes that just made them look like the shimmering foil of a secret rare card. That's how Evan could describe her. She was like a rare card crafted into human form. She just seemed rare as well. A girl who was too good to be true. Someone you didn't meet every day.

Evan couldn't stop smiling. The girl noticed this and giggled. Evan realized he was staring for too long and shook his head and slapped his cheeks to wake himself up. "I uh...I'm sorry. I didn't know there was anyone here. I'll head somewhere else. Sorry."

"No, it's okay. It's no bother really." Her secret rare eyes shimmered as she put on a white tank top. A diamond star pendant around her neck jingled and sparkled. "What's your name, buddy?"

"M-my name's Evan."

"Evan, huh? You wouldn't by any chance be the same Evan who got trounced by Zane Truesdale earlier today, would you?" She tied her sparkly hair with a blue rabbit ear headband.

Evan went red and he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm guilty as charged."

"Well, I'm not one to leave a noobie on the ropes, so I think I have just the right thing for you." She opened her Kitchen Sink backpack then dug around her things. Evan heard a lot of stuff clanking dangerously against each other in there, but the girl didn't seem to care.

"Ah," she said when she found what she was looking for. It looked like a polished wooden cigar box, and it had all sorts of compartments to keep her best cards. She searched around for some cards to give just for him.

"What's your name?" Evan asked.

"Priscilla. Ah, here we are. I think this guy will come in handy in a tight spot."

Evan thought she was going to hand him a few cards but to his shock, it was a whole deck.

"All of those? For me?"

"Uh-huh."

"Um, thanks," said Evan. He took the deck from her fingers. "But why are you giving these to me?"

Priscilla picked up a pair of denim cutoffs and wiggled into them. "Because I like you, buddy. Something about you just screams future elite duelist."

"Me? Elite?" Evan laughed at that, for even he thought that was ridiculous. "I appreciate your confidence in me but..."

"But what?" Priscilla asked, buttoning up her shorts.

Evan extended his arms, holding the cards towards her. "I'm sorry but I don't deserve this. I don't deserve anything."

"What do you mean?" Priscilla asked. She placed her hand on her hip and cocked it to one side. "Did you get into some trouble?"

Evan felt tears welling up in his eyes. He sniffed and his lips started trembling.

"Aww, what's wrong, buddy?"

"I...I did some terrible things."

"Oh, I see. Did you get into some trouble?"

"A lot of trouble. The deck I have right now. I...I stole all the cards from other people."

"Did you now?"

"Yes. I joined up with a duel gang known as the Red Crusaders."

"Uh oh. That's not good. Those guys are nasty and cause lots of trouble around here."

"I know. I didn't want to join them but I was getting so sick and tired of losing. And I don't people to make fun of me anymore. I'm a loser." He sniffled and wiped his nose with his sleeve. "And so long as I'm in this gang, I always will be. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I never wanted this."

Priscilla beamed at him and patted his head to soothe him. She was cool to the touch, like a gentle spring breeze. "You know, it takes a lot of heart to admit when you're wrong. And that's what draws me to you, buddy. You have a big heart. Call it a sixth sense, if you want. I overheard Zane saying you've got a ton of potential in you. And let me tell you, it takes a lot to impress Zane."

"But those cards weren't even mine. I don't deserve his praise."

"Aww, I appreciate your honesty. See, that just proves you have the makings of a future champion. You want to duel with honor and respect. But given your current situation, I imagine getting the cards you need to get on that road is hard. Did you grow up in a family with little money?"

"Yeah. The only reason I'm even in this school is because my grandma has connections. She figured I could at least get into the Slifer Red dorms by the coast, but I failed all my exams and did poorly in my entrance duel. So I was stuck in the swamp with Boris and his gang. And my deck is terrible. I'll never get any DP for rare cards or packs if I don't win."

"Well, I guess you can call me your guardian angel, Evan. Because of your heart, your honesty, and your determination, I have bestowed upon you a brand new deck. Use it well. However, you must promise me you'll return the cards you stole to their rightful owners."

"Uh, I will. Of course, I will. I promise. You have my word I'll return every card I've stolen. I'll never run with that gang again. Just one day with them and already I'm unhappy."

"Well, you know what they say, Evan. Never cast diamonds before swine. And your budding skills and your heart are two very precious diamonds indeed. And if nobody else doesn't seem to think so, rest assured that I do. From the bottom of my heart." She winked. "So...wanna see what you got?"

Evan nodded and unwrapped the plastic around the deck. He sniffed the cards. Ahh, the sweet scent of brand new, unopened cards was the best. He flipped through the deck eagerly to see what he got. "Whoa, what's this? Wow! Flash Knight! But...he's a Pendulum Monster. How do I use a Pendul—"

He looked up. Priscilla was gone. She just vanished into thin air. "Priscilla?" He moved his head left to right. "Priscilla? Ah, nuts. The cute ones always get away from me."

He searched through the cards that Pricilla gave him. They all were very wonderful cards, but the one that stood out the most was…

"Wow! Number 44: Sky Pegasus. Really? This is a rare Number Card. Why would she give me this?" He sprinted into the gardens looking for Priscilla. "Hey! Hey, where are you? I want to thank you for the cards. Hey, Priscilla! At least let me give you something for —"

"There you are!" shouted a member from Boris's gang. He had three more thugs beside him. "We heard what you did earlier today. What the hell were you thinking going up against Zane Truesdale!"

"Hey, relax! I almost beat him! I was this —"

Before he could finish a big guy with orange hair punched him in the stomach. Evan gasped and fell to his knees.

"Almost don't cut it, dumb ass! We've got a reputation to uphold around here. Everyone, even the Blues, fears us! And if they see the big dogs like Zane taking us out one by one, they'll figure out that we're not to be taken seriously! The boss wants to have a word with you, Evan. Come on!"

Two Crusaders picked Evan up by the arms and dragged him away.

Red Arrows Arena

It seemed to take forever for Enora to find her opponent but after a long wait, Enora arrived with a young lady sporting long brown hair with golden streaks. She had a bright smile on her face and extended her hand at once to greet Alice.

"Cynthia Von Bismark," she said with a bow. "Daughter of Lord Revan of the Kingdom of Misgarth. So nice to meet you. Enora said she sees a lot of potential in you. And I have no doubts. She's never wrong about these things."

"That I am not," said Enora. "The moment I met her I just had this feeling in my gut that this girl was something special. Never mind she had an unfortunate 'accident' at the hands of a few bullies (Alice looked away and blushed) but she stood strong and held her ground. Not long afterward, she defeated said bully in a duel, and she did so beautifully. She's Red Arrow material, Cynthia, I can feel it."

"Well, now it's time to test that out, don't you think?" She slapped on a custom-made duel disk made specifically for the Red Arrow team. It was black with glowing red accents, glowing red orbs, and the Solid Vision blade was shaped like a molten red longsword (ARC-V design).

Jaden jeered with excitement. "Wow, I can't get enough of those custom duel disks, the Red Arrows got!"

"Nothing but the best for them, I suppose," said Bastion. "Because of their impressive history here at the academy, they receive massive charitable contributions from large gaming corporations. Kaiba Corp, so I hear, donated ten million to the team for their outstanding performance in the 2008 Championships in Tokyo."

"That's a lot of money," said Syrus. "And with a lineage like that, the Red Arrows dueling down there are going to be tough."

"Of course," said Jaden. "They're going to want only the best on their team. And that means we get to see some really awesome duels!"

Down below, a girl gave a thumbs up to Cynthia, letting her know that all the systems on their arena were green and their duel was a go.

"Wow!" Alice said, marveling at the architecture and bright red holographic decor of the Red Arrow duel disk. "That's so amazing!"

"You want one of these? Well, you'll have to earn it. Come on. Let us begin."

They took their positions. Alice breathed heavily and crossed herself. This was it.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

LP 4000

Turn 1

"I shall start first if you don't mind," said Cynthia. She drew. Her cards were protected with very elegant black sleeves with scrollwork designs shimmering in gold. "I set a monster and end my turn. All right, Alice, the judges are watching, so play your best. Just pretend this is any other duel at school. Okay?"

"Thank you! I draw!"

Turn 2

Alice examined her hand. She smiled and felt confidence warming her chest with a fuzzy feeling. Maybe she could do this after all.

"I play Pre-Preparation of Rites! This lets me add a ritual spell and a ritual monster to my hand. Now, I use the spell, Rebirth of Nephthys!"

A cauldron standing in front of a statue of a large bird appeared behind Alice. A lovely monster called Hand of Nephtys was hovering over the flames. She extended her arms and let the flames consume her.

"Now, I ritual summon, Devotee of Nephthys in defense mode!"

The Red Arrows watching the duel clapped when Alice summoned a woman dressed in beautiful garbs resembling the Cerulean Phoenix.

ATK/1200 DEF/1200

"All right, things are all set. I use Devotee of Nephtys's effect to special summon Hand of Nephthys. Next, I use Hand of Nephthys's effect. By sacrificing her and Devotee of Nephythys, I can special summon Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys from my deck!"

Both priestesses were taken by flames, which rose up and took the form of a giant golden phoenix with fiery hair, a fiery tail, and fiery blades coming from her elbows. She screeched into the air and spread her wings to show everyone in the arena her glory.

ATK/2400 DEF/1600

"There's one of her best phoenixes!" Syrus exclaimed.

"So it would seem," said Bastion. "Let's how well she uses it. Remember, Cynthia was in with the team in the championships last year. They didn't win, but they got into the top three. She's no dueling reject like Boris. She's a real opponent for Alice."

Alice slipped a card from her hand to the GY slot of her duel disk. "Now, I destroy a Nephthys card from my hand to the graveyard and special summon Devotee of Nephthys in defense mode." Her priestess returned, surrounded by blue embers. "Next, I set a card face-down and attack your monster with Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"

The phoenix screeched again and flapped her wings, creating a firestorm that incinerated the monster in defense mode. A Kidmodo Dragon!

"Why, thank you, Alice," said Cynthia. "Now, with Kidmodo Dragon destroyed, I can summon a dragon from my hand. Say hello to Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 4!"

A vortex of purple fire burst in front of Cynthia, sending bright, violet embers into the air. Then the flames gave birth to a falcon-like dragon with a body made of platinum.

ATK/1600 DEF/1000

"Oh, this is gonna be good," Enora said, stuffing a cherry lollipop into her mouth.

"Wait, Level 4?" said Syrus. "What does that mean?"

"I've heard of the LV monsters before," said Bastion. "They evolve and get stronger if the right requirements are fulfilled."

Back on the field, Alice said: "Oh dear. I'd hate to see what kind of surprises he's got in store. I end my turn."

Turn 3

"I have to admit I'm very impressed by the way you duel," Cynthia said. She drew her card. "You have wonderful synergy. Each of your cards works well with one another and you know just what to play. But will it be enough for this? First, I use Stamping Destruction! When I have a dragon on the field, I can destroy one of your spell or trap cards! Go Horus! Do your stuff."

Horus let out a high-pitched metallic caw and took to the air. He soared around the arena and then extended his left talon. He smashed the card to pieces. Dimensional Prison.

"Oh no! Her trap!" said Syrus.

"Bummer," said Jaden. "Dimensional Prison would have banished an attacking monster had Alice activated it."

"That's not all, dear," Cynthia teased. "Now you take 500 points of damage!"

Alice gasped and looked up at Horus. He opened his beak and from deep inside his metallic throat, she saw a horrifying orange glow. Alice shrieked and crossed her arms over her face. Horus blasted her with purple flames. Alice could feel the heat kissing her flesh, stinging it.

Alice 3500 LP

"Normally, when Horus the Black Flame Dragon attacks a monster, it levels up. But in this case, why wait to see my baby chick grow. I sacrifice him and summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 6!"

The purple flames returned and turned into a twisting cloud of violet embers. When it subsided, Horus appeared in his new form. He was taller and his wings were wider and his eyes were burning red.

ATK/2300 DEF/1600

Enora whistled. "Look at the size of that thing."

"Yeah, but Alice's Sacred Phoenix is still stronger," said Alexis.

Enora giggled. "For now."

"Wow! It evolved!" said Syrus.

"Not really," said Jaden. "See, Horus evolves during the end phase after it destroys a monster in battle. But that would take too long and Alice's phoenix would probably destroy it on her turn. So instead of using her ability to make it evolve, Cynthia just sacrificed it for the LV 6 one instead."

"She can do that?"

"Yes, she can," said Bastion. "There's no rule that says Horus's more powerful forms can only be summoned via his effect. It was a good play on her part, summoning the LV 4 monster during Alice's turn with her Kidmodo Dragon so she could sacrifice it for the bigger one next turn."

"Man, these Red Arrows don't play around," Syrus said.

They heard clapping not far from where they were. Beltzer was applauding Cynthia's strategy. "Well done," he said.

Cynthia blushed and dramatically held her hand out at Alice. "Now, Alice, I attack your Devotee of Nephthys with Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 6!"

The dragon flew backward with a flap of his mighty wings, creating a powerful gust of wind. His eyes flashed and he released a stream of black fire hued with red towards the Devotee of Nephthys. Her garbs turned to cinders leaving her half-naked as she bathed in black fire. She screamed and shattered into pieces.

"Now, I end my turn. And when I do, Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 6 evolves into Horus the Black Flame Level 8!"

"Now, it's evolving!" said Jaden.

"Ahhh," Beltzer crooned with interest, wrapping a lock of his hair around his finger.

A tornado of purple and black fire burst out of the ground and surrounded Horus. His transformation was quick and he spread his wings, dispersing the tornado. He revealed a colossal-sized creature whose body was made of glittering platinum. The Red Arrows oohed and cheered, while some snapped photos with their phones. Cynthia was sure quick to do that. She took a phone with a black case with a gold fleur-de-lis in the back, which she kept strapped to her belt, and started taking pictures of herself and the beast.

ATK/3000 DEF/1800

"Your move, Alice. Do you have what it takes to defeat my dragon?"

"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. I draw!"

Turn 4

"I activate the spell —"

"Hold on!" Cynthia said, brushing a few bangs off her face. "Sorry, sweetie. I'm going to be nice here and give a word of warning for you. Every time you cast a spell, Horus's effect activates. He's not a big fan of spell cards, so when you activate one, he'll negate it and destroy it."

It didn't take long for Alice to comprehend what was going on. She felt a bead of sweat go down her forehead. The negation of spells every time?

"Wait!? What!? That means I can't use any of my rituals!"

"Bingo," Cynthia said, tapping her forehead.

"Such power!" cried Bastion.

"No way! She can't use her spells!" shouted Syrus.

"Aw, hell!" yelled Alexis. "Alice's whole deck runs on ritual monsters. If she can't use her ritual spells, her strongest monsters are all but useless. What's she going to do now?"

"She's going to have to figure some way out of this mess," Enora replied. She crunched down on her lollipop to get to the sugary bubble gum at the center. "Remember, a Red Arrow knows what to do in any situation. Surely Alice has something in there that can aid her in this mess."

Alice nervously checked her hand. "I destroy a Nephthys card to special summon Devotee of Nephthys in defense mode. Then, I switch Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys to defense mode as well. Then I set a card face-down and I end my turn."

Turn 5

"All right, Alice. Looks like I'm in control now. I use A Feather of the Phoenix. I discard a card and send Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 4 back to the top of my deck. Next, I attack your Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys with Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 8!"

Horus reared up his head and fired a black jet of fire at the Sacred Phoenix. It shrieked from the horrible burning pain and shattered like glass. Alice grunted, shielding her face from the debris with her forearm.

"That was brutal!" cried Jaden.

"Beautiful..." whispered Beltzer.

"Your turn, my sweet," Cynthia teased. "Come on, don't go proving Enora wrong, now. She's on a winning streak when it comes to her gut instinct."

Turn 6

"Don't go celebrating just yet, Cynthia! This duel is just getting started. I summon Disciple of Nephthys!"

Alice called on a little girl in red, orange, and brown robes. Her ceremonial hat was so big, it drooped down her brow, covering her eyes. She was embarrassed by her oversized hat but giggled nevertheless, happy to be out on the field.

ATK/0 DEF/2000

"I know. She doesn't look like much. But wait till you see this. First, with my Disciple's effect, I destroy a card in my hand and add a Nephthys card to my hand. Now, the conditions are set for a Link Summon. I tribute both Devotee of Nephthys and Disciple of Nephthys to Link Summon Nephthys, the Sacred Preserver!"

The ground shook behind Alice and then a statue of the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys rose up until it almost touched the domed ceiling.

ATK/1200 LINK -2

"Now, I activate the Sacred Preservers effect!" Alice declared.

The flames in the cauldrons on either side of the statue burst violently upon the activation of the spell.

"I get to add a level-eight Winged-Beast and a ritual card to my hand! Next, I discard a Nephthys card to special summon Devotee of Nephthys to the field! And now, I'll activate the trap card, Torrential Tribute."

Cynthia gasped and stepped backward. "OH NO! Now all our cards are destroyed!"

A giant tidal wave rose up from behind Alice and washed all the cards off the field, wiping the board clear. Now, they were both back to square one.

"That's just about all I can do," said Alice. "I end my turn. Your move."

Turn 7

"You're pretty good, Alice. My congratulations. But let's see how long your luck will last. I draw. Ah, yes. Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 4, the one I revived with my spell card. I'll summon him and attack your Life Points directly!"

Horus appeared right in front of Alice. He flapped his wings, screeched, and showered Alice with purple flames. "AAAAUUUUGGGH!" she screamed.

Alice 1900 LP

Cynthia 4000 LP

Turn 8

"Oh man, this is getting tense," Alexis said with a shiver. "Poor Alice. She didn't even scratch Cynthia's Life Points."

"Not good," said Bastion. "Alice is now down to less than half her Life Points."

"And with that fully evolved Horus the Black Flame Dragon out, she can't use spells or ritual summon her stronger monsters," Syrus added.

Alexis shivered with dread, so much so that she rubbed her hands up and down her arm. "She's done for."

"Hold on, hold on," Enora chuckled calmly. "I have a feeling, Alice knew she was going to take damage for that play she just made. The card she used to special summon her Devotee was…"

BANG! Flames erupted behind Alice and she summoned her Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys to the field.

"What? How?" Alexis asked.

"Of course!" said Bastion.

"What? What happened?" Syrus asked.

"Because, when the Sacred Phoenix is sent to the graveyard due to a card effect, she can return to the field on the next standby phase. Alice knew she would put herself at risk of losing Life Points by wiping out the board with her Torrential Tribute card, but it played out well in the end. Not only did she get rid of Cynthia's Level 8 Horus, but she got her Sacred Phoenix back again, so she's managed to put herself back on her feet."

"Nice! Maybe she can win this after all!" said Jaden.

Beltzer chuckled coldly from the railing. "This is getting hot. Those girls certainly know what they're doing." He took out another rose from his coat and held it below his eyes so she could see the tips framing Alice. "That one. Her spirit burns with resolve as hot as the fires of the phoenixes she summons. She is truly a work of art."

Meanwhile, up on the arena, Cynthia smiled. "So your phoenix returns. You and that bird are inseparable, Alice."

"My Sacred Phoenix and I are like a team, Cynthia. When we're together, anything is possible. Now, I destroy a Nephthys card from my hand to bring back a friend who just hates saying goodbye. Come, Devotee of Nephthys! Next, I activate Pre-Preparation of Rites, allowing me to add a ritual monster and a ritual spell to my hand! And I'll activate it! Rebirth of Nephthys! I sacrifice Sacred Phoenix to ritual summon, Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"

The Sacred Phoenix's body was growing bigger and bigger, and her golden armor turned dark blue.

ATK/3000 DEF/1000

"Argh!" Cynthia could not believe she actually summoned her monster.

"Yes!" Alexis cheered. "That's it, baby! Come on!"

"All right!" Jaden exclaimed. "She's got her best monster out. And there's nothing Cynthia can do to stop the whooping she's about to receive!"

Jaden was right. Cynthia didn't have a single card to stop the oncoming attack. The Cerulean Sacred Phoenix summoned blue meteors that pummeled Horus to bits.

Turn 9

Alice 1900 LP

Cynthia 2600 LP

"I've never been outplayed like this before. Got to leave it to Enora. Always right about people. I summon a monster in defense mode and that will do it for me."

Turn 10

Alice smiled and pointed at the defensive monster. "I attack your monster with Cerulean Sacred Phoenix!"

Cerulean Sacred Phoenix blasted the monster with a beam from the crystal on her chest. It was a Masked Dragon, which let Cynthia summon another one in defense mode.

Turn 11

Cynthia drew, hoping to God the deck wasn't stacked against her. She needed just one card. One card. She looked at the card. Damn. It was another Masked Dragon. She set it down and ended her turn. At least her defenses were building and she could bide some time to counter Alice's ace monster.

"Come on, Alice," Alexis whispered, now stepping around on the tips of her toes.

Turn 12

"Draw! I summon Matriarch of Nephthys! With her ability, I can summon Hand of Nephthys from the graveyard. All right, Cynthia, the conditions are set for a Link Summon. I offer Hand of Nephthys, Devotee of Nephthys, and Matriarch of Nephthys to Link Summon Nephthys, the Sacred Flame!"

The rest of the Red Arrows clapped again and cheered when scarlet flames erupted from the ground. Out from them rose Nephthys herself. Her armor was red and outlined with gold and decorated with blue gems. The flames pluming the top of her head, tail, and arms were the color of bright gold. She gave a mighty call that caused the arena to shake.

ATK/2400 LINK -3

Alice attacked with both monsters, wiping Cynthia's field clean. She didn't have any monsters to summon with her Masked Dragon's effect. It looked like she was out of options. But she wasn't ready to give up yet.

Turn 13

"I hope I can turn this around,' Cynthia whispered. She drew. "Ha! Perfect. Check it out, Alice. Your little miracle ends here. I use the spell, Level Modulation!"

"That's not good," said Enora.

Cynthia laughed and brushed some bangs off her face. "First, you draw two cards. Next, I can summon a LV monster from the graveyard, ignoring its summoning conditions."

Alice gasped. "Aw, shit!"

"That's right! Arise, Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 8!"

The tornado of black flames rose up again and Horus used his wings to disperse it so he could reveal himself. He was back with a vengeance.

Horus and Nephthys roared at each other and measured themselves out as they prepared for combat.

"It's back!" Syrus shouted.

Cynthia reared her head back and laughed. "Lucky for you, Horus cannot attack or use his effect the turn he's summoned with this card. I end my turn."

Turn 14

"I set a card face-down. That's it for me."

Alexis let out a heavy sigh. "So what do you think?" she asked Enora. "How's it looking?"

"It could go either way at this point. It all depends on what that face-down card is and what Cynthia is going to do about it."

Turn 15

"I may not have drawn anything that can help me take down your Cerulean Phoenix, Alice, but your Sacred Flame is the perfect target. And if you think about activating any spells to boost their power, think again. Remember, Horus will negate and destroy them. Now, Horus, attack her Sacred Flame!"

Horus blasted his beam of black fire at Sacred Flame Phoenix. She shielded herself from the attack with her wings. The attack still dealt 600 damage to Alice's Life Points, but the Nephthys of the Sacred Flame still stood.

Cynthia balled her fists, angry that the attack somehow left her phoenix unphased. "But wait, what's going on here? Your Sacred Flame is still standing? Horus should have destroyed your monster."

Alice waited for the dust to settle to finally start talking. She wiped beads of sweat from her forehead and sighed. "Nephthys of the Sacred Flame gains abilities depending on the number of ritual monsters I used to Link Summon her. Since I used one, the Sacred Flame will not be destroyed by battle."

Alice 1300 LP

Cynthia 2600 LP

Turn 16

"Your Horus the Black Flame Dragon is a powerful monster and a worthy opponent, Cynthia. You know how to use him well."

"Likewise with your Sacred Phoenix, Alice. I take it you've got something in store for me?"

"I do. Spell cards aren't the only way to increase a monster's attack points."

Cynthia smiled. "Yeah, Enora was right about you. I'd welcome you to the Red Arrows, but I think you've got to finish me off first."

Alice laughed. "Thank you. Well, here goes. I reveal my face-down card. The trap card, Awakening of Nephthys. Now, every Nephthys card on my field will gain 300 attack points."

Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys (ATK/3000 → 3300)

Nephthys, the Sacred Flame (ATK/2400 → 2700)

"Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, attack Horus the Black Flame Dragon!"

The monster screeched in reply and fired a stream of cerulean-blue flames at Horus, striking him in the chest and shattering him to pieces. Then the Sacred Flame attacked Cynthia directly ending the duel.

"SWEEET!" Jaden cried out.

"Well played," said Bastion. "Looks like Sara Fenix's sister truly does have some skill."

"YES!" Alexis cheered. "Way to go, Alice!"

The holograms disappeared. The Red Arrows cheered, whooped, and clapped their hands. Cynthia approached Alice and hugged her. "Congratulations. You beat me." She looked at the judges below. "What's the verdict?"

"Yes!" yelled Denise. "She's on fire! Just like her phoenix monsters."

"You dazzled me!" said Aqua. "You know how to get yourself out of tight spots, you were confident, you were strong, and you always kept that pretty smile on your face no matter what. I...I mean it! You are stunning, sweetheart! Your deck needs a little work. You know, add more support in case your ritual capabilities get neutered by monsters like Horus. There's always room for improvement on the team, not that you need much because you dueled beautifully. It's a yes for me."

Lilly stood up and gave two thumbs up. "Yes! Yes! And Yes! We need duelists like you on the team. Congratulations Alice, welcome to the Red Arrows!"

Alexis ran up to the arena and hugged Alice too. "Come on, come on," she said, leading her down the steps so they could make room for the next participant. They stepped into the hall, Enora followed. "You did it! I just knew you would!" Alexis said happily. She looked at Enora. "Well, I guess they weren't kidding about that intuition of yours, huh?"

"I have a knack for finding talent," Enora said, ruffling Alice's wild red hair. "Here." She handed her a parcel wrapped in white linen. "It's your uniform and your new gear. Wear it proudly. You're one of us now, Alice."

"Thank you! Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

"Oh, think nothing of it," Enora said with a smile. "After all, I haven't been looking for a recruit. I've been looking for a potential replacement as head of the team."

"You mean me?"

"There's still a long way before I make that decision, of course, but something tells me you're the one, Alice."

"You mean, you're leaving after this year, Enora? Oh, I'm so sad. I was hoping to be with you longer."

"Hey, we've still got plenty of time to be together. And that's plenty of time for you to learn and prove me right once again. Think you can do that?"

"I'll do my absolute best. I won't let you down."

"That's a big responsibility, Enora," Alexis said. "I mean you only just met her. How can you claim she's a potential captain just like that."

Enora tapped her nose. "Trust me. I know. Never doubt my gut instinct."

"If you say so," said Alexis. She sniffed the air. "Alice…"

Alice paused. She sniffed her blazer, then the collar of her blouse. "Oof, yeah. I sweat up a storm. I ran all the way here. And that duel made me so nervous."

"Come on," Alexis said, grabbing Alice by the wrist and led her to the showers. "Let's get you cleaned up."

"Oh, wait for me," said Enora. "I need to freshen up as well."

Once they stripped out of their uniforms, they placed them in the washing machine and stepped into cylindrical-shaped shower stalls. At the press of a button, a neon blue holographic screen with hexagon-shaped tiles materialized to conceal the girls as they showered. The screens automatically fogged up to blur their bodies.

"Oh, that feels so good," Alice cooed as she was soaked in hot water. "Oooh, it's like all my cares are melting away."

"Ahh, someone's enjoying herself in there," Enora chimed, rubbing peach-scented lotion on her arms. "Congratulations once again. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, Enora," Alice said, pouring her own lotion into her palms. "Hey, I never saw you duel before, Alexis. What kind of deck to you run?"

"Cyber Angels," Alexis replied, just standing under the water to calm her nerves, which were jumping with excitement. "You'll see them soon, trust me. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't duel. Say, are you still up for joining me and the girls at North Point tonight?"

"Oh yes, I'd love to. What about you, Enora?"

"I'd love to, but I've got work to do. I'm in the student council and they need me in regards to this Duel Gang problem we're going through."

"I don't believe it," Alexis said, furiously lathering shampoo in her hair. "Millions of dollars go to training and arming those Campus Security idiots, and they don't do anything about it. A handful of these guys are former Black Shield contractors who toured in the Red Desert Wars. You'd think handling a bunch of punks looking to rob people of their cards would be a cakewalk for them."

"Their excuse is this," said Enora. "If it's a duelist problem, then let the duelists handle it. They're not going to care that a bunch of bullies took your cards."

"Reminds me of that game where the guard teases if someone stole your sweetroll," Alice giggled.

"That's right. Unless armed pirates start shooting up the school or something, those guys are just posers with guns."

"What do you plan to do about it?"

"Well first off, I decided to increase the amount of DP students earn when they duel — it's so pathetically low. And I want to reduce the price of the packs as well so everyone has an equal chance of getting what they need. The packs and the cards individually are super expensive. And the jerks from our dorm love shoving that in the face of the lower-ranked and less privileged students. If we can give students more access to rare cards so they can improve, maybe the Duel Gangs will disband."

"It's worth a try," said Alexis.

"I'm also in talks with the class president about setting up more events with great rewards for participating. Easy DP and rare cards as prizes, you know."

"I'm all for that," said Alexis.

"By the way, Alice," Enora said with a smirk. "I heard you had a close encounter with Bishop today."

"Oh, here we go."

"No, no, no, don't go getting bashful on me. Alexis told me you were quick to start talking to him. Tell me, what do you think of him."

"He's not my type."

Alexis whooped. "Unless you're a gray-haired asshole who plays Destiny HEROES, I don't think our Alice wants anything to do with guys, Enora."

Enora laughed. "Oh, I see. What about that Evan fellow who's always following you around?"

"I'd rather not speak of him," Alice said at once. "He saw a little too much of me and didn't have the decency to look away. Disgusting pervert. I hope he gets what's coming to him soon."

Duel Academy Gardens

The two boys tossed Evan unceremoniously at the ground in front of the chair that Boris was sitting on.

"Zane Truesdale, eh?" Boris said, tossing a gumdrop into his mouth. "And you lost. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is for the gang, Evan? We promised you friendship, good cards, all the things you want, and you repay our kindness by challenging Zane Truesdale - which alone is a very stupid thing to do- and lose! We are not pleased, Evan. So far, you've been nothing but a pain in the ass. You always half-ass the work we assign you, you give us mediocre results. And now this. Do you realize — do you realize — that if the students see people like Zane taking us down, there goes our grip! Many might grow to rebel against us, and if they do, there goes our way of life! The way we want to do things! Our rules! Do you want to earn cards the sissy way, or the Crusader's way, Evan!"

"I…"

"Shut up! I don't care either way. You're done. Unless you're up for the challenge."

"What do I have to do?" Evan asked.

"You must duel, of course. In this case, my little brother, Zack."

Zack stepped forward, sniggering, hands in his pockets. He kicked dirt in Evan's face and cackled.

"If you beat Zack, you're still in the gang, and maybe I'll try to find a better use for you. If you lose, we beat the shit out of you and take all the cards you have! All of them!"

No! Evan thought. They're going to take the Sky Pegasus Priscilla gave me!

"So what is it going to be, Evan?"

"I...I accept! I'll do it! But even if I win, I'm out of this stupid gang!"

"What!"

"I'm through lying, cheating, and stealing! You may win a few games here and there, but it's not the same if your heart isn't in your deck. And your heart will never truly be one with your deck if the cards belong to someone else."

"What the hell is this? Mother Goose? Cards are tools to achieve power, Evan. If you don't seize those tools, you'll never be good."

"I'll never be good if I do things your way. I've had it. Now are we going to duel or what?"

"Good. Get yourselves ready, boys and girls. It's time to Duel!"

Zack stepped to his side of the field calmly and waited for Evan to make his way to his. He could barely move because of the punch he received earlier, therefore he was pushed to his side of the field.

"All your rarest cards are gonna be mine," said Zack. "I'm gonna crush you, Evan. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. Ha! I just knew you weren't fit to join us!"

Evan struggled to stand, but he couldn't. Zack was small but Boris was his older brother. Just what kind of shady tricks did he teach him? He would soon find out.

"Here, I'll go easy on ya," Zack teased. "Why not make our Life Points 8000."

Boris laughed. "Easy on him? Little brother, you just want to torture him as long as possible."

"Whatever!" said Evan. "I'll take you on! You'll see!... I hope."

"Then let's duel, Evan!" Zack shouted.

LP 8000

Turn 1

"I'll start first," Zack declared. "I set a card face-down and summon a Flamvell Grunika in attack mode!"

His shiny black duel disk hollered as the projections rendered a tall and well-built humanoid dragon, colored purple with a flaming mane on the back of his head, and he wore brown combat trousers.

ATK/1700 DEF/200

"Your turn, Evan. Although, I'm not expecting much. Heh, heh, heh."

Turn 2

"It's my turn," said Evan. "I summon Shiny Black "C" Squadder!" He summoned a superhero dressed in black with the motif of an insect.

ATK/2000 DEF/0

"So much for your dragon, Zack! My monster's stronger! Attack him now!"

The black-armored hero lunged forward with a great leap and held up his fist. All of a sudden, Flamvell Gurnika's wings grew longer and were glowing bright blue.

"What's this?" Evan gasped.

Flamvell Gurnika grabbed Shiny Black 'C' Squadder by the hands and they were locked into a battle of strength.

"Come on, Shiny Black C!" shouted Evan. "You can do it! Come on!"

Suddenly, the armor on his arms started to crack.

"No fair!" Evan cried.

Zack laughed. "You dunce. When you attacked my monster, I activated my trap card, Tyrant Wings! This will boost the attack of a dragon monster by 400 points, making my Flamvell Gurnika much stronger than you pathetic monster. Smash him!"

Flamvell Gurnika blew fire at Shiny Black C's head, melting to nothing. He tossed the body away and threw a fireball at Evan, dealing 100 damage. But then, he summoned another fireball at Evan, knocking him on his back and burning another 800 points.

Evan rubbed his stomach. He grunted as he struggled to look up. "What happened?"

"When my Gurnika destroys a monster, he'll inflict damage to you equal to the level of your destroyed monster times 200! Nice try, loser."

Boris and the others laughed. "Way to go, little bro! That's what I'm talking about!"

Evan 7100 LP

Zack 8000 LP

Turn 3

"All right, now it's my turn. And I'm gonna inflict more pain on ya, Evan! I sacrifice Flamvell Gurnika to summon Luster Dragon Number 2!"

Gurnika vanished and in his place was a colossal-sized dragon with a body made of emerald. He spread his wings, spanning almost 100 ft and then he reared his head in the air and roared.

ATK/2400 DEF/1400

"Uh oh, you have no cards to defend your Life Points, Evan! You're wide open for a direct attack. Go, Luster Dragon, burn his Life Points!"

The dragon took a deep breath and released a stream of lime-green fire at Evan. He screamed and scattered around in fear as if the flames were real. The solid vision technology was just too extreme. He could feel the heat from the flames.

"Aww, are you gonna cry, Evan? Ha, you don't have what it takes to be in this school! You're a loser! I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"No, I'm not!" shouted Evan. "I'll prove it! I just know I can! You just watch me!"

Evan 4700 LP

Zack 8000 LP

Turn 4

"Come on deck, I really need you to come through for me! I play Pot of Greed and draw two cards." He picked them up from the top of his deck and gasped.

Whoa! It's those Pendulum Monsters that Priscilla gave me! Dragoons of Draconia and Dragonox the Empowered Warrior. Oh, I forgot! Here's my Flash Knight, too. I think I can use these to really turn things around against Zack and his dragons. Somehow. If I can just use them properly. Oh, but I don't know how to use them. But I can't just stay here and let him take me down. All right, here goes nothing!

"I'm going to set the scales!" Evan announced.

"Set the scales?" said Boris. "What! You can't be serious!"

"I set Dragoons of Draconia (2) and Dragonox the Empowered Warrior (7)!"

"Uh oh, Boris! He was able to set the Pendulum Scales!"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he knows how to Pendulum Summon!" said Boris. "Don't lose your focus!"

"Okay," said Evan, holding up a card. "Next, I play the field spell, Sogen! Now my Warrior monsters will gain an extra 200 attack and defense points! And now I use the scales to Pendulum Summon two monsters! Behold the mighty Flash Knight and the mighty Flamvell Guard!"

"No!" Boris said, almost pushing the girls off his lap. "He can Pendulum Summon! How can this twerp Pendulum Summon?"

"And I'm not through yet!" Evan declared, pumping his fist confidently. "Flamvell Guard is a Tuner monster! And I'll tune him with my Flash Knight to become the mighty warrior of a thousand battles! Synchro Summon! Scarred Warrior!"

He summoned a tall, muscular, tan-skinned warrior wearing white robes and he had white mechanical limbs. He was terribly bandaged up, clearly, a warrior who had seen many battles. But not today. As soon as he stepped onto the field, he fell into a hole.

"What happened!?" Evan cried. He was so devastated he could cry.

"You activated my trap card. Bottomless Trap Hole!" Zack tried his hardest to explain, but the look on Evan's face was just too much for him. "Once a monster with 1500 or more attack points is summoned, my trap will plunge them into a hole of despair for the rest of the game. So much for your new skills, Evan. I'm always one step ahead, just like my big brother!"

"Oh, man!" Evan said. He fell to his knees. He wanted to cry. No matter what he did, someone always was two steps ahead and ruined his plans.

"Hey, Evan, come on, man, get up!" said a familiar voice.

Evan looked up. He searched around but couldn't find who it was.

"Up here!"

Evan looked up at a bridge that crossed over one of the rivers. It was Jaden. He was standing there with Syrus and Chumley.

"Come on, Evan, this is no time to back out now. You've got two sweet monsters out on the field. Read them carefully, and they'll come through for ya! Come on, get back up on your feet, and get your game on!"

"Hey, why don't you shut up and but out!" shouted Zack.

"How's about I come down there and shut you up with a fat lip! Chumley growled as he held up his massive fist.

Zack whimpered and backed away. "Whatever. It's not like he can do much now. I wiped out his best cards, while mine are just getting warmed up!"

Turn 5

"Get ready for the pummeling of your life, Evan! I use Monster Reborn to bring back Flamvell Gurnika! Now, I sacrifice him and Luster Dragon Number Two to summon the mighty Dragonic Knight!"

"Uh oh, that's not good," said Syrus as the giant, white-armored dragon flew down from the sky and crashed onto the field. "That's the monster Chazz used to beat you down, Jaden."

"Yeah, I know. It took my best cards to get rid of that thing, but even that wasn't enough. But the thing is, Chazz is good. This kid seems to be all talk. I know Evan can beat him."

"I hope you're right," said Chumley. "Because the dragon's heading straight for Evan's Life Points!"

"Attack!" Zack shouted. "You're history, Evan!"

"I think not! I use the effect of my Dragonox the Empowered Warrior. I can destroy him and end your battle phase!"

Dragonox disappeared but not before he created a wall that stopped the attack.

"You just got lucky!" Zack pouted. "But it makes little difference. I've got the most dominant monster on the field. You got nothing. Now make your move!"

Turn 6

"I draw!" said Evan. "Lucky, huh? I'll show you I've got the skills to take you down. First, I summon X-Saber Anu Piranha!"

He summoned a lovely blonde warrior in tight black and red armor.

"Oooo, she's pretty," swooned Syrus.

ATK/1800 DEF/1100

"Is that wench the best you got to take on my dragon?" sneered Zack.

"She's no wench, and yes, she's just what I need. I equip her with the power of Bashing Shield! This card works on monsters that have been normal summoned. If they are, my equip-spell will boost their power by 1000! And don't forget that my field spell increases Anu's attack by another 200, raising her attack to a total of 3000!"

"Aw, crap!" shrieked Zack.

Anu Piranha raised her sword and sliced the dragon a hundred times in half a second. The dragon leaned to the left and fell to the ground with a smash.

"My dragon!" Evan shouted. "You just destroyed my dragon!"

"Yeah! Way to go, Evan!" Jaden cheered.

"Wow, I did it!" Evan said. "I can't believe I did it! Oh yeah, since a normal monster successfully destroyed one of your monsters, my Dragoon allows me to add a normal monster to my hand."

Evan 4700 LP

Zack 7800 LP

Turn 7

"You're starting to bug me, Evan!" Zack said coldly. "I was playing around before, but now it's time to get serious. I draw! Shit! Fucking deck! I never get what I want. I set a monster and end my turn!"

Turn 8

"So much for all that talk, huh, Zack!" Evan taunted. "Now I've got you on the ropes. I set a card and summon the mighty Flash Knight!"

Evan summoned a bright, shiny knight in radiant gold and white armor and a flowing, glittering, gold cape. He shined brightly like a star and swung his sword around.

ATK/1800 (Sogen → 2000) DEF/600 (→800)

"Flash Knight! Attack his face-down monster!"

The knight charged forward and sliced the monster in half. A Luster Dragon. Though a pendulum monster, Flash Knight was still normal, so Dragoon allowed Evan to add a normal monster to his hand. Then Anu Piranha attacked him directly for 3000.

Zack yelped as the slash from Anu's sword knocked him backward.

Zack 4800 LP

Evan 4700 LP

"The score is almost tied!" Syrus said, bursting with excitement. "Way to play, Evan! You can do it!"

Turn 9

Zack drew and laughed. "I think not! I activate Lightning Vortex! Now, I discard a card from my hand and destroy all your monsters!"

"Oh no!" Evan cried as a twister of bright lightning swirled down from the heavens and struck down all his cards. "My monsters!"

"Way to go, bro!" cheered Boris.

"Back to square one!" Zack laughed. "I end my turn."

Turn 10

"I draw!" Evan looked at his card and smiled. "Ah, Kanan the Swordmistress. My beautiful valkyrie. You'll lead me to victory, won't you? All right, I summon Kanan the Swordmistress!"

"Oooo, another pretty monster!" Syrus said, going red.

"Can someone get a bucket for this guy?" said Chumley.

Kanan lunged forward and slashed Zack across the chest and knocking him on his back.

Zack 3200 LP

Evan 4700 LP

Turn 11

Zack drew without a word. He looked at the card and smiled. "Your luck has just run out! I banish two normal monsters from my graveyard to summon World Legacy Guardragon Mardark!"

The sky turned gray and the wind blew fiercely around them. Suddenly, a massive black, feathered dragon flew down from the thick black clouds and landed behind Zack.

ATK/2600 DEF/3000

"Look at the size of that thing!" gasped Syrus.

"Totally not licious!" Chumley said, holding on to the railings.

Jaden clapped his hands once. "Come on, Evan, hang on, man!"

"Oh, there's no hanging on here, HERO," boasted Boris. "My brother's dragon will reduce the attack of all Evan's monsters by 500 for each dragon he controls. Your Kanan's attack is reduced to a mere 1100 points. Show them who's boss, little bro!"

"You got it, Boris! Mardark, attack his monster!"

Mardark heaved and released a powerful geyser of green flames at Kanan.

"I activate my face-down card, Wall of Disruption!" Evan said. "This will reduce your dragon's attack by 800!"

"But it still won't save your bitch!" cackled Zack.

BOOM! Kanan screamed and was reduced to ashes.

Evan 4000 LP

Zack 3200 LP

Turn 12

"Draw!" Evan sighed. It wasn't something he needed but, hopefully, it could stall long enough to gain some kind of a comeback.

"I set a card face-down and end my turn!"

Turn 13

"Your luck's run out," laughed Zack. "I summon Master Pendulum the Dracoslayer!"

Whiirrr went his duel disk as it projected a dragon warrior in beautiful white and gold armor. His scales shimmered in gold and he was as tall as a house.

ATK/1950 DEF/0

"Time to deal some major damage, Evan! Go, Master Pendulum, attack!"

"I activate the spell, Shrink!" Evan called, activating his spell. This will cut your monster's attack in half.

Master Pendulum still moved forward and bashed Evan with his shield, knocking backward and falling on the ground. Then, Mardark fired his green flames at him, reducing his Life Points to 1225.

"Your Life Points don't look too good, tough guy!" laughed one of the Crusaders. "Why don't you quit now while you've got the chance?"

"Don't quit, Evan!" cheered Jaden. "You've got this!"

Turn 14

"Yeah, yeah, I've got this. Draw! All right! Here comes Gene-Warped Warwolf! Yeah, your dragon may reduce his attack, but wait till I give my monster this. United We Stand! This will increase his attack by 800, now his points are back to normal!"

"No!" Zack cried. "Aw, man! There has to be something I can do!"

"Attack!" Evan commanded the white, genetically-enhanced wolf. It howled and used its claws to slash Mardark across the neck, decapitating him. With Mardark's effect gone, Gene-Warped Warwolf's attack increased to 3000. Again, Dragoon allowed him to add a normal monster to his hand.

Evan 1225 LP

Zack 3000 LP

Turn 15

"Ha! This will do. I sacrifice Master Pendulum for the power of the Millennium Shield and since it's a warrior monster, it gains another 200 DEF points so now it stands at 3200! Try and get past that!"

"Idiot!" shouted Boris. "What are you doing filling your deck with random cards again?"

"I got this, big brother! He can't get past my defense! I'll buy enough time to make a comeback!

Turn 16

"This is it, Zack. I use the spell, Pot of Extravagance. Now I discard six cards from my extra deck and draw two cards. True, your Millennium Shield is strong. But hiding behind walls and shields isn't going to win you this duel, Zack. Watch this! I summon another Flash Knight! Now, I play Monster Reborn to bring back Kanan the Swordmistress! Next, I Overlay Kanan and Flash Knight to Xyz Summon, Number 44: Sky Pegasus!"

"What!" Boris shouted. "A Number Card! Where the hell did he get one of those?"

Jaden smiled and nodded when the beautiful, mechanical winged stallion took the field. It reared up on its hind legs and whinnied.

ATK/1800 DEF/1600

"Now, I will remove an Xyz Material from my Sky Pegasus. It will destroy a card on your field unless you agree to pay 1000 of your Life Points."

"I'll do it," said Zack. "You guys can't get past my shield. I'll beat you next turn and that Number Card is going to be all mine!"

Zack 2000 LP

"There won't be a next turn for you, Zack. I use the spell, Raigeki! Now, I can destroy your Millennium Shield."

"Big brother!" cried poor Zack as bolts of lightning struck down and blasted his shield to pieces.

"Way to play!" cheered Syrus. "You took down his defense! Come on, Evan! Take down those bullies!"

"Bullies," Evan thought. "Zane was right. I was going about this all wrong. Stealing stuff. Cheating. Harassing my fellow students. This is not the way to be a real duelist. I don't need you guys anymore!" He stomped his foot on the ground. "You hear me! I'm through with being in your gang!"

"Who cares," said Boris. "You were too weak to be in the gang in the first place. Once my brother takes you down, we're beating the shit out of you and taking all your cards. Including your Sky Pegasus. That card will make a perfect addition to my collection."

"Not today he's not!" said Evan.

He attacked directly and ended the game. Zack whimpered and fell on his back, then rolled to a stop.

As the dust settled, nobody said a word. Evan won. Realizing what he had just done, he smiled.

Thanks, Priscilla.

Before the Crusaders could move, Evan gathered his things quickly and went up the bridge to join Jaden and be under the protection of Chumley, whose sheer size discouraged anyone from Boris's gang from attacking them.

"Let them go," said Boris. "I assure you, things are just beginning between us. Evan and Jaden are going to regret the day they messed with us. Send the word out to every Duel Gang on the island. I want those two taken down! And I want his Sky Pegasus, too. I must have that card."

"You got it, Boris. We'll make sure every pair of eyes on the island is on the lookout for them."

"Good. Enough playing around, boys. It's time we got serious."