It was a few days after Hassleberry moved in with Jaden and the others, and to say things were tense would've been an understatement. Chazz was currently climbing up the steps of the Slifer dorm heading towards Jaden's room with a camera in his hand. "This is the true story of three losers picked to live in the same room and have their dorky lives taped. The Chazz presents 'The Lame Life'," he narrated before opening the door to yet another argument between Syrus and Hassleberry.
"I've got one word for you Serge: shower. Try using one, it actually gets you clean," Syrus snapped, and Hassleberry told Syrus he talked in his sleep before asking why he still sleeps with a night light and telling him he showered the day before. "Come on, you guys gotta chill out. If we're gonna be roommates, you two need to learn to get along. Now, I think we can settle this with a group hug," Jaden suggested, but Hassleberry said he didn't do hugs.
"There you have it folks, the dweeb in its natural habitat," Chazz commented, drawing the others' attention. Jaden asked him why he had a camera, and Chazz explained he was going to pitch his life as a reality show. "It's got a great premise: one talented young duelist forced to live in a dorm full of slackers. Talk about a ratings grabber. It's gonna make me a big star," Chazz said, Syrus adding he'd have a big head to match.
Jaden said it sounded interesting, but his show could use a plot twist, but before the conversation could continue, Alexis arrived at the door to the room, a suitcase in hand. Jaden asked if everything was alright, and Alexis told them she left her dorm before asking if she could stay at the Slifer Dorm. Jaden told her they'd love to let her stay, but there were no empty rooms.
Just then, Professor Drake walked up to the group and said that wasn't entirely true before asking them to follow him. They all walked out of Jaden's room and followed the professor, who led them to Chazz's room. Drake opened the door and revealed a space the size of a small house.
Drake told them that as part of Chazz's punishment for building this add-on without permission, he's required to share it with excess students. "Just one question Ms. Rhodes, what's wrong with your dorm? I can get in contact with a contractor if your room needs repairs," he offered, but Alexis told him it wasn't her dorm that was the problem, but the people in it.
Jaden asked what she meant, and Alexis reached into her bag before pulling out a red dress, telling them Crowler wanted her to wear it and sing while she duels. Syrus asked if she was serious, and Alexis nodded, saying he had the crazy idea to turn her into a dueling pop star. "That's just ridiculous. I mean who would want to see you wear that ridiculous thing?" Jaden asked, and Alexis wasn't sure whether to take it as a compliment or not. Chazz then knocked Jaden on the head, telling him it wasn't about the dress, it was about Crowler.
"I get that Crowler wants to make the school look better, but he's taking things too far if you ask me," Alexis said, but before anyone could respond, Bastion came in the door. His eyes locked on Syrus and he told him that he had been searching for him, and when Syrus asked why, Bastion told him Crowler had arranged a duel for him.
Everyone sat down and Bastion explained that tomorrow, Syrus would duel against an Obelisk girl named Missy, and if Syrus won, he'd advance to Ra Yellow. "Missy? Okay, that girl totally creeps me out, but I've seen her duel and she's really good," Alexis informed, and Chazz looked at Syrus before identifying him as Crowler's next publicity stunt.
"Wait Sy, this duel could be your big break. You're gonna win and prove to everyone you're a great duelist. You're gonna show everyone the brave Syrus," Jaden assured, but Syrus didn't have the faith in himself that Jaden did, saying he was only going to embarrass himself in front of the whole school before running off, Hassleberry chasing after him.
When Hassleberry finally caught up to him, he found Syrus in the room wrapped up in his bedsheets. "Come on soldier, up and at 'em. You can't hide in there forever," Hassleberry said, and Syrus responded "Of course not. Just for a few days, a week tops. Don't worry, I've got everything I need in here: bottled water, a canned ham, Mr. Fuzzy Bear."
Hassleberry decided not to press questions and just grabbed the sheet before ripping it away from Syrus, causing him to drop to the floor. "Listen up, fear is your mortal enemy, and fear needs to be destroyed. Now get up and fight that fear," Hassleberry encouraged, but Syrus said he didn't have it in him.
"Then you've already lost the war. Is that what you want? Or do you wanna win? Not just against this Missy girl, but against your own fear. Now what scares you the most, Truesdale?" Hassleberry asked before leaving. That night, Syrus was on the coast thinking about his talk with Hassleberry when he pulled out his Power Bond card that Zane gave him.
"If I didn't have this card in my deck, I'd be nothing. Power Bond is my ticket to the pro league so that I can be like Zane someday. But what if I'm not good enough? Wait, that's my biggest fear, that everyone else will move on and leave me behind. I won't get left behind. I'm gonna fight my fear!" Syrus promised himself before going back to his room.
The next day, everyone was filing into the arena to watch the big duel when Chazz was stopped by Syrus, who had an envelope in his hand, asking Chazz to give it to Jaden. Chazz asked Syrus if he wrote his will or something, and Syrus asked him just to give it to Jaden, telling him not to open it.
Syrus gave him the envelope, and as soon as his back was turned, Chazz opened it and found a familiar card inside. "What in the world?" he asked himself before going to the arena. "Face it, all the odds are against that little runt," Bonaparte said, but Crowler told him size wasn't everything, a fact he should be aware of.
Chazz made it in and sat by the others, and when Jaden asked him where he was, Chazz told him it was none of his business. Meanwhile, Missy was sizing up Syrus, but she was less than impressed. "So you're Zane's brother? Don't take this too personally hun, but you're not what I expected. I mean just look at him. I guess the hottie gene skipped you," Missy insulted as she opened a locket with Zane's picture inside.
Jaden wondered what Missy's problem was, and Alexis told him that Missy was borderline obsessed with Zane. "Look kid, I'm a girl who gets what she wants, and once I win, Zane is gonna be mine, 'cause this duel happens to be my ticket to the pro league," Missy informed, telling Syrus that if she won, Crowler would help her enter the World League. Missy told Syrus she wouldn't be going easy on him, but Syrus assured her he didn't need a handicap.
Missy: 4000 LP
Syrus: 4000 LP
"Ladies first, and I summon Prickle Fairy in defense mode," Missy declared.
Level 4/Earth/Plant
ATK 300/DEF 2000
Hassleberry noted that was a good start, and Alexis agreed, saying that since Prickle Fairy keeps Syrus from attacking any of Missy's insect-type monsters, he was already at a disadvantage. "My move. I play the spell Shield Crush, which means your monster is destroyed," Syrus explained as Prickle Fairy exploded. "And now I summon Steamroid in attack mode!"
Level 4/Earth/Machine
ATK 1800/DEF 1800
Syrus ordered his monster to attack and Steamroid rushed forward, blowing a big cloud of steam in Missy's face.
Missy: 2200 LP
The whole crowd erupted in applause for Syrus. "People are actually cheering for me. I finally have fans. Do you hear that? The crowd loves me. I end my turn," Syrus said, and Jaden lamented that Syrus' bad habit of getting cocky had resurfaced. "Big deal. That'll change once I go. I play Pinch Hopper in attack mode," Missy declared.
Level 4/Earth/Insect
ATK 1000/DEF 1200
"Next, I play the spell Multiplication of Ants, which sacrifices my Pinch Hopper to summon two Army Ant Tokens."
Level 4/Earth/Insect
ATK 500/DEF 1200
Syrus pointed out that no matter how many weak bugs she summons, Missy can't beat his Steamroid, but Missy said he had a lot to learn. "I activate Pinch Hopper's special ability. Since it was sent to my graveyard, I can summon an insect monster from my hand, so I summon Insect Princess in attack mode," she explained.
Level 6/Wind/Insect
ATK 1900/DEF 1200
"Here's the deal: my Princess gets 500 attack points for every insect monster she destroys in battle, and all insect monsters you control are forced into attack mode," Missy informed, but Syrus was quick to tell her that effect was worthless as he didn't have any insect monsters in his deck.
Missy just smirked and activated her Insect Garden field spell, explaining that as long as she had it, all her level four or lower insect monsters were moved to Syrus' side of the field as her ant tokens moved to stand beside Syrus' Steamroid. Missy then equipped her Insect Princess with a spell called Insect Pheromone before ordering her monster to attack, Insect Princess flapping her wings and sending a cloud of pheromones at one of Syrus' ant tokens, destroying it.
Syrus: 2600 LP
Princess: 1900-2400 ATK
Missy then told Syrus that due to her equip spell, her Insect Princess was allowed to attack Syrus' remaining token, her monster sending another cloud of pheromones from her wings.
Syrus: 700 LP
Princess: 2400-2900 ATK
Missy then ended his turn, and Syrus began wondering if he could even win the duel. "Truesdale, you'll never defeat your enemy until you defeat your own fear!" Hassleberry shouted, and Jaden told him to have faith in Syrus. "Hassleberry's right. Whenever things get tough, I start to doubt myself, well not anymore," Syrus thought to himself before starting his turn, switching his Steamroid to defense mode before summoning his Submarineroid in attack mode.
Level 4/Water/Machine
ATK 800/DEF 1800
"Now you're just desperate. There's no way that thing can take on my Insect Princess," Misty chided, but Syrus said it didn't have to because due to Submarineroid's special ability, it's allowed to attack the opponent directly. Submarineroid then dove underground before firing a torpedo that exploded at Missy's feet.
Missy: 1400 LP
"And now due to Submarineroid's special ability, it shifts into defense mode. Next, I place one card face-down and end my turn," Syrus finished. Jaden said Syrus was doing well, but he needed to draw Power Bond if he wanted to win, but he was surprised when Chazz told him Power Bond wasn't in Syrus' deck.
Chazz pulled out the envelope Syrus gave him before handing it to Jaden, who opened it and saw the card in question. The others asked Chazz why he took it, and Chazz corrected them, informing them Syrus wanted him to give the card to Jaden. Down at the duel, Missy shouted that she refused to lose before summoning her Magical Longicorn in attack mode.
Level 4/Earth/Insect
ATK 600/DEF 1600
"And because of my Insect Garden, he switches to your side, meaning he's a prime target for my Insect Princess. Attack with Pheromone Gust!" Missy ordered as her monster flapped its wings, but Syrus pressed a button on his duel disk. "I play the trap No Entry! This trap not only switches all your monsters to defense mode but also forces you to discard one card," Syrus explained before Missy groaned and placed the last card in her hand in the graveyard.
"Lucky break, but you don't win duels with luck, but on the other hand, I guess luck is all you've got," Missy insulted, and when Syrus asked what she meant, Missy said that he could practice all he wanted, but he would never be as good as Zane. Syrus shouted for her to take it back, surprising everyone with his outburst.
"My whole life I've been chasing after others. My brother, my friends, I was always running behind them. Well, no more. From now on I'm going to get stronger and walk with them! My move! And I play the spell Vehicroid Connection Zone!" Syrus shouted as he placed the card he drew in his spell and trap zone. Missy laughed and told Syrus he just wasted his card because when Magical Longicorn is in attack mode, it negates the activations of all of its controller's spell cards.
Magical Longicorn tried to devour Syrus' spell, but it was repelled, which is when Syrus explained that Vehicroid Connection Zone can't be negated by monsters, spells, or traps before sending the Steamroid and Submarineroid on his field along with the Drillroid in his hand to the graveyard to summon his Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill in attack mode.
Level 8/Earth/Machine
ATK 3000/DEF 2000
Syrus ordered Jumbo Drill to attack, and his monster burrowed its way underground. Missy said that since her monster was in defense mode, she wouldn't take any damage, but Syrus told her that due to Jumbo Drill's effect, when it attacks a monster in defense mode, it deals piercing damage. Jumbo Drill then resurfaced, striking Insect Princess with its drill and destroying her.
Missy: 0 LP
Winner: Syrus
Later, Syrus rejoined the others in Chazz's room, and they were surprised to learn that Syrus was moving up to Ra Yellow as Crowler wanted. Chazz asked why Syrus would play Crowler's game, and Jaden said it didn't matter as Syrus had earned the promotion. Jaden told Syrus to keep getting stronger before tossing him his Power Bond card.
"When my brother gave me this card, he told me to become a duelist who can stand on his own and respect his opponents, but I didn't realize I'd grown to rely on it. I need to get stronger on my own from now on, so Jaden, I want you to hold onto this for me," Syrus said as he held the card out to his best friend, but Jaden just shook his head.
"I hear what you're saying Sy, but I think you should still keep it, if nothing more than a keepsake of the memories you made with your brother. Well, I guess we've kept you long enough. Good luck Sy," Jaden said as he gave his best friend a thumbs up. Syrus nodded and walked out the door, heading to the Ra Yellow dorm.
That night, the Slifers were eating dinner when Syrus entered the meal hall in his new Ra Yellow blazer and walked up to Hassleberry, who was sitting in his former seat. Syrus said for Hassleberry to move, and the dino duelist asked why Syrus was there when he moved to the yellow dorm.
"You can't get rid of me that easy. Besides, I'll always be a Slifer at heart. And I expect my seat to be empty next time," Syrus stated before he sat down and started eating. "Well, guess you had to grow a backbone sooner or later," Hassleberry mused before returning to his own food.