It was the middle of the night at Duel Academy, and inside the Obelisk Dorm, Chazz was on a call with Bonaparte. "What do you mean you won't acknowledge the dorm?" Chazz asked angrily. "Listen Chazz, new paint job or not, that's still the blue dorm. That's Crowler's opinion on the matter," Bonaparte informed before saying that if another dorm were to disappear, then his dorm might be approved.
Chazz asked what he meant, and Bonaparte said that if he got rid of the Slifer dorm, and Jaden in particular, he would see to it that the dorm was made official. "You don't have to pull my leg. I intended to crush him from the start. Jaden Yuki, you're through," Chazz said, and in Jaden's room, he was reading when he suddenly sneezed.
Meanwhile, Sartorius was doing a tarot reading and he revealed The Fool. "Jaden Yuki. I must know if the limitless potential this card represents will be of use to me, or will be a threat to me. I trust everything is ready?" he asked over the phone, and Miranda confirmed they were ready. She took a seat in the Obelisk dorm and looked at a file of one of the society members. "Once this guy is through with Jaden, he'll see the light," she said to herself.
The next day, Miranda and Chazz were in the room of the society member Miranda checked out last night. He was Lorenzo, the former world video game champ, and he was in the middle of a game when they walked in. "Quit wasting quarters Lorenzo. There's business to take care of," Chazz informed. "Yeah, I heard youse want me to take care of that Jaden kid, right?" Lorenzo asked in a thick Italian accent.
Chazz told Lorenzo all he had to do was beat Jaden in a duel, and then the Obelisk White dorm would be made official. "Hey, you get him to me, and then fuggedaboudit!" Lorenzo said, and Miranda assured him they had that covered, and that he just needed to be sure to win. "I'll do what I gotta do paisans. Jaden is goin' down," Lorenzo said as he beat the game.
Meanwhile, Jaden was sitting with Syrus, Hassleberry, and Bastion when he sneezed again. "Bless me. I'm starting to think I'm allergic to something," Jaden said, and Hassleberry said it might be the new body spray he put on, Syrus asking what he put it on for. "Alexis sent me a message asking me to meet her at the Obelisk planetarium for a duel, and I just wanted to make an effort," Jaden informed.
Bastion said he hoped the two had a nice time before asking when the date was. Jaden said he wasn't sure he'd call it a date, but she asked to meet at 2 o'clock. Syrus told Jaden that was five minutes from now, and Jaden panicked, grabbing his stuff and running to the planetarium, telling the others he'd talk to them later.
Bastion said he shouldn't have expected better, and Hassleberry asked if they wanted to grab a bite to eat, Syrus and Bastion agreeing. They all went down to the card shack to grab a bite and found Michael, Lily, and Alexis there. "What are you doing here Alexis? I thought you had a date with Jaden," Bastion asked, but Alexis said she didn't know what he was talking about.
"Jaden told us you sent him a message asking him to meet you in the planetarium at 2 o'clock," Syrus informed, but Alexis said she couldn't have sent the message because she lost her pda that morning, saying she had come out of the showers after gym class, but when she checked her bag, it was gone. Lily said someone might have stolen it to send a message to Jaden, which meant he was probably walking into a trap.
They all ran to the planetarium to try and stop Jaden, but he had already arrived. "Alexis? You here? Sorry if I'm a little late," Jaden apologized, but he was shocked when a group of members from the Society of Light walked in through another one of the doors, Chazz saying he was right on time. "Chazz? Where's Alexis?" Jaden asked with his fist clenched, and Miranda told him she was fine, and that she was the one who sent the message.
Chazz said he was there to battle for the fate of the Red dorm, and Jaden told Chazz to bring it, but Chazz said his opponent was someone else, pointing to Lorenzo. "Hey J-man, how you doin'? What say we dim the lights and get started?" Lorenzo asked before he snapped his fingers and the lights dimmed, the projectors activating and beaming an image of outer space onto the room's walls.
"Nice view, but who are you?" Jaden asked, and Miranda said he was Lorenzo, former world video game champ. Chazz added that if Jaden left, he would forfeit the duel and the dorm would be torn down. Jaden agreed to duel, moving to stand on the opposite side of the room as Lorenzo. "Hey, fuhgeddaboudit. Badabing, you know what I'm sayin'?" Lorenzo asked, and Jaden said that in truth, he didn't.
Alexis called out to Jaden, and he turned to the entrance and saw everyone running up to him. "Hey guys. You're just in time for the duel," he greeted, and when Syrus asked who he was dueling, Bastion identified his opponent. Miranda told them if Jaden lost the duel, the red dorm was to be torn down. "By the way Alexis, you should keep a closer eye on your gym bag," she added as she reached into her back pocket before tossing Alexis her PDA. "Okay Lorenzo, let's throw down," Jaden challenged before they started their duel.
Lorenzo: 4000 LP
Jaden: 4000 LP
"I'll take the first move. Armored Core, get over here, will ya?" Lorenzo asked.
Level 4/Light/Machine
ATK 1300/DEF 2000
"Not bad, right? This ain't just any intergalactic star cruiser ya know. This baby's got leather seats, tinted windows, the whole shebang. Next, I place one card face-down and activate my Boss Rush continuous spell. I'll end my turn there," Lorenzo finished, and when Jaden started his turn, he summoned his Elemental Hero Burstinatrix in attack mode.
Level 3/Fire/Warrior
ATK 1200/DEF 800
"And next I play the field spell Skyscraper! While this card is in play, when Elemental Heroes battle monsters stronger than they are, they gain 1000 attack points for the battle," Jaden explained.
Burstinatrix: 1200-2200 ATK
Jaden ordered Burstinatrix to attack, and the fiery heroine created a ball of fire in her hands before launching it at Armored Core, destroying it.
Lorenzo: 3100 LP
"Not bad J man, but I play the continuous trap Cyber Summon Blaster. With this card, every time I special summon a machine-type monster, you take 300 points of damage, capiche?" Lorenzo informed, and Michael said that wasn't good for Jaden. Syrus asked why that was, and Lily told him that due to Boss Rush, at the end of a turn one of Lorenzo's monsters was destroyed, he could summon a B.E.S. monster to take its place.
"In that case, I'll place a card face-down and activate the Climax Hour spell card. In three turns, if the card I draw for my normal draw is a monster, I can special summon that monster ignoring any summoning conditions," Jaden explained, and Lorenzo said he wasn't going to let Jaden get that far. Jaden ended his turn, and Lorenzo activated Boss Rush's effect to summon B.E.S. Tetran from his deck.
Level 6/Wind/Machine
ATK 1800/DEF 2300
Lorenzo pointed out that since Tetran is a machine monster, his Summon Blaster's effect activates, and a beam of energy shot from his trap, striking Jaden in the chest.
Jaden: 3700 LP
"It'll take more than that to beat me. After all, thanks to Skyscraper, Burstintrix has 2200 attack points," Jaden pointed out. "Oh man, even if Jaden destroys his monsters, he'll just summon another one to take its place," Syrus lamented, but Michael pointed out it wouldn't happen until the end phase, and Jaden had one other advantage.
"Michael's right. The B.E.S. monsters all have a fatal flaw. They're destroyed after they battle unless they have counters to remove, but since Lorenzo is special summoning them, they won't gain those counters," Bastion explained, but Lorenzo said he had anticipated that. "It's my turn, and I play da Shield Recovery spell card, and just like that, my Tetran gains three counters," Lorenzo informed as three barriers appeared on Tetran, protecting its core.
"And now by removin' one of those counters, I can activate Tetran's special ability, lettin' me destroy one of your spells or traps, so say goodbye to your Skyscraper," Lorenzo mocked as the buildings surrounding them were destroyed. Lorenzo ordered Tetran to attack, but Jaden said she would be taking one of Tetran's counters with her, and Burstinatrix launched a fireball at Tetran, destroying one of its shields before Tetran slammed her with one of its tendrils, destroying her.
Jaden: 3100 LP
"I activate the trap Hero Signal! Since one of my monsters was destroyed in battle, I can activate this card and summon a level four or lower Elemental Hero from my hand or deck, and the hero I'm pickin' is Bubbleman!" Jaden declared.
Level 4/Water/Warrior
ATK 800/DEF 1200
"And there's more. Since there are no other cards on my field, Bubbleman's special ability lets me draw two more cards from my deck," he explained, but Lorenzo said it didn't matter how many cards he drew because Tetran couldn't be destroyed as long as it had its shields, ending his turn. "It's my move. And I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman in attack mode!" Jaden shouted.
Level 4/Light/Warrior
ATK 1600/DEF 1400
"And next I play my Element Sword equip spell and give it to Sparkman. Now when he battles a monster that's a different attribute than he is, he gains an extra 800 attack points."
Sparkman: 1600-2400 ATK
Jaden ordered Sparkman to attack, and the electric hero flew towards Tetran and slashed the last shield with his sword, destroying it.
Lorenzo: 2500 LP
"Sorry about this Bubbleman. Attack Tetran!" Jaden ordered before Bubbleman launched a blast of water at Tetran's core, destroying it, but he was caught in the explosion, causing him to be destroyed as well.
Jaden: 2100 LP
"You forgot about my spell card, didn't ya?" Lorenzo asked, and Jaden just ended his turn, Lorenzo summoning his B.E.S. Crystal Core.
Level 5/Water/Machine
ATK 2100/DEF 1000
Jaden: 1800 LP
"It's my move. And now I activate Crystal Core's special ability, which means your Sparkman is changed to defense mode. Now Crystal Core, attack!" Lorenzo ordered as his monster fired an energy beam at Sparkman, destroying him. Bastion pointed out that since Crystal Core battled without a counter, it was destroyed, the spaceship sparking before it exploded. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn, so since Boss Rush is still on my field, I can summon B.E.S. Big Core from my deck!" Lorenzo shouted.
Level 6/Dark/Machine
ATK 2300/DEF 1100
Jaden: 1500 LP
"Alright, my move. Sweet. Meet my Neo-Spacian Grand Mole!" Jaden exclaimed.
Level 3/Earth/Rock
ATK 900/DEF 300
Jaden ordered Grand Mole to attack, shocking everyone. "If he does that, he'll take 1400 points of damage," Michael pointed out, Hassleberry adding that since Lorenzo's monster will be destroyed, Boss Rush will summon another monster from Lorenzo's deck, and that if that happens, Cyber Summon Blaster will activate again, dealing 300 points of damage and making him lose.
Grand Mole covered his head with a giant drill and flew towards Big Core, but when he made it in front of it, a vortex appeared, pulling both monsters inside. Lorenzo asked what happened, and Jaden said it was Grand Mole's effect. "You see Lorenzo, when Grand Mole battles, he can return both our monsters to our hands before any damage is dealt," Jaden informed.
Bastion said it was a great move, especially since Boss Rush won't activate since Big Core wasn't actually destroyed. Jaden then placed a card face-down and ended his turn. Lorenzo started his turn and was about to summon a monster to protect himself, but he remembered that Boss Rush's effect wouldn't allow him to normal summon.
"You may not be able to summon, but I can still play my cards, like the trap Hero Call! With this card, I can choose a monster from my deck and put it on top, and I choose Elemental Hero Neos," Jaden explained. "I play one of my face-downs, the trap Left Arm Offering. By sending all the cards in my hand to the graveyard, I can add a spell card from my deck to my hand, and the card I choose is Spell Books from the Pot, so we both draw three cards," Lorenzo explained.
Syrus asked why Lorenzo would make Jaden draw cards, and Michael said it was so Jaden couldn't summon Neos using Climax Hour's effect. "Next I play da spell Soul Charge! Now I can summon any number of monsters from my graveyard that I want, but then I take 500 points a damage for each paisano I summon. I'm bringing back Crystal Core, Tetran, Big Core, Covered Core, and Big Core MK-2!" Lorenzo shouted.
Covered Core
Level 7/Earth/Machine
ATK 2500/DEF 800
Big Core MK-2
Level 6/Fire/Machine
ATK 2400/DEF 1100
Jaden: 1200 LP
Bastion pointed out that since Lorenzo summoned 5 monsters, he takes 2500 points of damage, which was exactly how many life points he had left. "Not so fast. I play the Chaos Life trap! With it, if I would take damage that would finish me off, I gain that many life points instead. How ya like that J man?" Lorenzo asked as his life points doubled.
Lorenzo: 5000 LP
Lorenzo refused to let Jaden beat him, but Jaden told him to calm down as it was just a duel. "This is more than just a duel for me. If I beat you, Sartorius may finally help me join the pro league," Lorenzo informed, and Jaden was surprised that was why Lorenzo was dueling him. Chazz noted that Lorenzo hadn't seen the light, Miranda adding that Sartorius wouldn't be pleased.
"You're through Jaden. You can't beat this lineup. I go full tilt from the get-go," Lorenzo said, but Jaden told him that's where they differed. "You use your best cards at the start, but me? I like to save the best for last. Makes the duel more exciting," Jaden said, but Lorenzo said he didn't need his advice. "No offense kid, but I've met canollis that are tougher than you," Lorenzo insulted, but Jaden said that despite what Lorenzo said about him, the duel they were having was the kind of thing he lived for.
"What? I've got 5000 life points and a whole army of monsters, and you got nothing. I place two cards face-down and end my turn," Lorenzo finished, and Jaden told him that sometimes all you need to turn the duel around is one good draw. Jaden started his turn, and he looked at the card he drew before smiling. "Looks like I was right," Jaden noted, and when Lorenzo asked what he could've drawn to get him out of the mess he was in, Jaden flipped the card around, showing Slifer the Sky Dragon's dark counterpart. Chazz asked how Jaden got the Wicked Eraser, and Michael said it was his doing.
Flashback
Jaden stepped into Michael's room, asking what he wanted to see him for. Michael told him that he and Lily had been talking, and he wanted Jaden to take the Wicked God cards for now, holding them out to Jaden. Jaden asked if he was sure, and Michael said he was, and that the Wicked Gods told him and Lily that they wanted Jaden to use them after what almost happened to Alexis, Jaden saying it was amazing.
End Flashback
Lorenzo said that he still couldn't summon Eraser without a sacrifice, but Jaden said not to be sure as a light shone in his graveyard and his Climax Hour was ejected from it. Syrus remembered that this was the turn Climax Hour kicked in, and Jaden said that since it was, he could special summon Eraser from his hand.
Level 10/Divine/Divine-Beast
ATK ?/DEF ?
Lorenzo asked why its points were undetermined, and Jaden explained that due to Eraser's effect, it gains a thousand points in both attack and defense for every card on Lorenzo's field.
Eraser: 0-8000 ATK/DEF
"Not so fast, I play the trap Nightmare Wheel! With this card, your Eraser can't attack, and during each of your standby phases, you lose 500 life points," Lorenzo explained, and Syrus lamented that Jaden was so close. "I activate the spell Fake Hero. This card lets me special summon an Elemental Hero from my hand, like my Elemental Hero Neos!" Jaden shouted.
Level 7/Light/Warrior
ATK 2500/DEF 2000
Jaden explained that due to Fake Hero's effect, Neos couldn't attack this turn, and at the end of his turn, Neos would return to his hand. Lorenzo asked what good he was if he couldn't attack, and Jaden told him that Neos' strength lies in more than just his attack points. "Here goes. I join Neos and The Wicked Eraser with Contact Fusion! Meet Wicked Hero Eraser Neos!" Jaden shouted.
Neos and Eraser flew towards each other and created a bright light, blinding everyone, and when it faded, Neos was wearing armor that resembled The Wicked Eraser, Eraser's head serving as Neos' right arm.
Level 10/Divine/Warrior
ATK 2500/DEF 2000
"I don't believe it! Neos merged with a god!" Bastion exclaimed, and Michael and Lily both admitted they didn't know it was possible. "Due to Eraser Neos' special ability, he gains 1000 attack and defense points for every card on your field, Lorenzo," Jaden explained.
Eraser Neos: 2500-9500 ATK/2000-9000 ATK
"Sam Hill! One attack and Lorenzo is done for!" Hassleberry exclaimed, but Lorenzo refused to lose, activating his Shadow Spell continuous trap, explaining that as long as he had it, Eraser Neos loses 700 attack points and its ability to attack.
Neos: 9500-8800 ATK
"No sweat. I've got one last trick up my sleeve. I activate Eraser Neos' other special ability. By discarding a card from my hand, I can activate one of his effects depending on the type of card I send. I send Mirror Gate from my hand to the grave, and since the card I sent is a trap, all the spells and traps on your field are destroyed. Go, Dark Flame Wave!" Jaden shouted as Neos sent a wave of black flames at Lorenzo's field, destroying Boss Rush, Summon Blaster, and Shadow Spell.
Neos: 8800-6500 ATK/9000-6000 DEF
"Next, I play the spell Common Soul, letting me summon Grand Mole to the field and power up Eraser Neos by the same amount as Grand Mole's attack points."
Neos: 6500-7400 ATK
"Go Neos! Attack Covered Core with Neo Dark Flare!" Jaden ordered as Neos created a ball of black flames in Eraser's mouth before launching it at Covered Core, destroying it.
Lorenzo: 0 LP
Winner: Jaden
"That's what happens when you're not loyal. You can't hide from the light," Chazz commented. "It's my fault. Guess I was lookin' for the fast track to the top. A little bit of patience never hurt a guy," Lorenzo admitted as Jaden walked up, saying it was a good duel. Lorenzo agreed, saying it was the most fun he'd had in a while. Jaden offered to duel him again sometime, but as friends.
Lorenzo began to accept, but Sartorius invaded his mind, saying his fate was with him. Just then, Lorenzo's hair turned bleach-white like what happened to Aster. "Thank you, Master Sartorius. Through you, I have finally seen the light!" he shouted. Jaden felt bad for Lorenzo, and Chazz assured him that soon they would all be reborn like Lorenzo.