Tales of Academia

by Magi Mana

Talesverse. Legacies are a challenge to live up to. Especially when those legacies involve the King of Games. Ready to forge a new path, Mana joins her brother Atem at the prestigious Duel Academy and soon meets the Hero who will lead them on adventures not unlike their parents'. It must be a Muto thing.

25. Injustice Among Us

I'm alive. Granted, if you saw me update The Story of Atlantis you saw that. But for those of you who didn't, I still breathe. I owe you guys a massive apology for taking so long on this chapter. Real life was hectic, and I was without a computer for a few months, so that severely inhibited my ability to write. This chapter, for whatever reason, also just kept giving me fits when I tried to write it. But anyway, I'm back, I'm plugging away at my writing, and I hope to keep a consistent pace for you guys. Thank you again for sticking with me.

As usual, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did, I would have expanded more on Aster's dad.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Injustice Among Us

"Are you going to be ready?" Mana asked Jaden as they left the main Academy building.

"You already beat him once," Syrus pointed out.

"But now he's got his real deck," Alexis countered. "It's not just a bunch of spare cards."

"Phoenix is the highest ranked duelist of our age group," Max added. "I mean, the fact he's ranked that high while only fifteen is a massive feat on its own."

"I say it's time to get my rematch on," Jaden clenched his fist with a grin. "This time we'll see who's really the best!"

"Jaden, were we not watching the same duel?" Mana smacked her forehead. "This guy took Zane down like it was nothing. Not even Atem's been able to do that!"

"Mana's right," Syrus looked down. "The only other time Zane lost like that was… well…"

"That wasn't your fault, Syrus," Mana insisted. "Camula's the one who cheated in that duel."

"Guys, it'll be fine," Jaden assured them. "This duel will be no sweat.

"I hope you're right," Mana sighed, "because I've got a bad feeling about something."

"I should have some research on him back in my dorm," Bastion offered up. "If you don't mind Sterling's gadgets everywhere, I can share that to help you prepare."

"My gadgets are not everywhere," Sterling protested. "Half of them are at Joan's dorm."

"We've noticed," Alexis and Mana said at the same time.

The group decided to head to the Ra Dorm until lights out. Bastion and Sterling quickly booted up their computers, using both machines to sort through the second-year's files.

"That's a lot of research," Max commented.

"I gather all the data I can to prepare for any possible scenario," Bastion smirked, his fingers moving quickly over the keys. "And I have specific files on all the top duelists in the Pro League. I even have a file on each of your parents."

"You know, out of context that's really creepy," Max frowned, sprawling on Sterling's double bed. Jaden flopped down next to him.

"So what do you have on Phoenix?" Joan asked, peering over Sterling's shoulder at the screen.

"Well, there isn't a sport he hasn't mastered," Bastion read. "And he's got a high IQ and photographic memory."

"Not to mention two doctorates," Sterling added. "A genius for sure."

"No wonder he could go toe-to-toe with my brother," Syrus read the data over Bastion's shoulder.

"What about his actual dueling?" Alexis asked, taking a seat on Bastion's bed. "We know he uses Elemental Heroes, but to what end? Are any the same ones Jaden uses, or are they all the alternative versions, like Phoenix Enforcer?"

"That's a good point, Alexis," Mana nodded. "I could run to my dorm and get my lore binder, but that might not help with specifically Aster."

"I actually don't remember what all fusions he uses," Max chimed in, shifting on the bed. "I want to say he only uses the fusions when necessary and sticks to the basic Heroes the rest of the time.

"Will you guys chill out?" Jaden sat up from the bed. "If you guys want to do some research, I have some homework that needs finishing." He started shuffling his deck. "Cool it with the spy mission."

"This is important!" Syrus insisted. "Bastion's trying to find you a weakness, and so far there isn't any!"

"Syrus, you're my best bud, but you're taking all the fun out of this, bro," Jaden sighed. He sprawled back again, rolling onto his side. "You gotta love these Ra Yellow beds." Within seconds he was asleep.

"Hey!" Sterling protested. "Don't sleep on my bed."

"I don't think either of them can hear you," Joan sighed, noticing both Jaden and her cousin had officially crashed. "Syrus, you and Hassleberry still technically have a room here, right?"

"Yeah," Syrus winced. "You can use that, Sterling."

"Mana," Dark Magician Girl appeared next to her.

"Yeah, Partner?" Mana turned to her Ka.

"I visited with Blake in the Spirit World," the blonde looked at each of the others, even though they couldn't see her. "Aster Phoenix may be more dangerous than he appears."

Mana used her magic to allow her Ka to fully cross over. Dark Magician Girl relayed what Blake had told her about Zane and Phoenix's duel as well as the assailant Atem and his friends had come across. "Atem wanted to tell you himself, but by the time a letter arrived it would have been too late."

"And there's no proof," Bastion tapped his chin as he processed the information. "The connection between the assailant and Aster is circumstantial at best. Even if the assailant was dressed like Phoenix Enforcer—which Atem isn't even sure of given it was dark and from a distance—that doesn't mean it was him."

"And he was taking down a thief, someone who had already tried to rob Atem and the others," Alexis added. "It's almost like some brutal Batman."

"A dark hero," Mana mused.

An explosion outside made them jump. The slumbering Slifers jolted awake, nearly banging their heads into each other. "What was that?" Alexis peered out the window.

"We'd better go find out," Bastion led the way out of the room.

Outside, someone screamed. "It sounded like it came from the main building," Joan pointed. Nodding, the group ran in that direction.

They arrive at the front of the building just seconds before Chancellor Crowler and Vice Chancellor Bonaparte. "Halt! Who goes there?" Crowler called to the person standing in their way.

Mana tensed as she made out the figure in silver. "Aster Phoenix," Jaden identified him.

"How did you get to the island?" Bonaparte demanded. "We've been waiting at the pier for hours!"

"Who's that?" Syrus noticed the fallen figure behind the professional duelist. He pushed past Phoenix to check on the person. Bastion and Sterling followed.

"Just some punk who though crime paid off," Phoenix shrugged. Mana could now see the card shop packs scattered around the guy. "Turns out he was wrong."

"So you beat the heck out of him?" Mana glared at him. "I'm all for criminals getting their just desserts, but in an actual jail cell, not the hospital!"

Phoenix ignored her and the kiss-up attempts of Crowler and Bonaparte. He leveled his azure eyes on Jaden. "I'll see you bright and early for our duel tomorrow," he stated. "Oh, and by the way, other than your friends, there are no spectators allowed."

"No spectators?" Bastion repeated.

"Are you serious?" Alexis frowned.

"I'm a pro," he shrugged. "People pay money to watch me duel. If I'm not getting paid, then all it is a chance for others to snoop at my deck."

"Technically you're the one issuing the challenge," Mana crossed her arms. "If you don't like it, you can always back down. After all, going pro means we have to deal with stuff we don't like. Also applies to the families of the pros."

He glanced at her with that. "I get it now," Phoenix smirked. "Thought I recognized you from somewhere. You're Mana Muto, Yugi's magical little princess. You think you got it all figured out because Daddy's so famous?"

"Excuse me?" Mana's fist clenched. Oh she so wanted to punch that grin off his face!

"Mana!" Joan grabbed her arm, holding her back.

"Down girl!" Max grabbed her other arm.

"I thought being a pro was for the attention," Sterling stood up, giving Phoenix someone else to focus on. "That and a genuine love for the game."

"You really are an amateur," Phoenix rolled his eyes.

"I don't even play," Sterling scowled, leaving the thief to Bastion and Syrus's care. "I work on the holograms that make your duels so exciting. But I've seen the true love people have for this game, more so than you seem to have. So I think you owe Mana an apology for that remark about her dad."

"Please," Phoenix turned away. "Someone who rides the coattails of their family to get ahead isn't worth my time. So I couldn't care less what she or any relative thinks. Heck, Yugi Muto himself is barely worth my time."

"Say that again!" Mana dared him, an inch away from summoning her wand to blast him.

"Mana, you're going to yank my arm off," Max tightened his grip. "Chill out!"

"I don't think you have much room to talk, Phoenix," a new voice chimed in. Airi stood to the side, one hand on her waist and the other gripping her silver briefcase. "After all, you're the adopted the son of Kyle Jables."

"Who's Kyle Jables?" Sterling looked to the Slifers and Ras.

"The D," Airi stated. "The only duelist to seriously rival to Joey and Mai Wheeler in the Pro League. And one fans eagerly want to see face Yugi Muto or Seto Kaiba." Her lips curled into a smirk. "So you're in the exact same boat that Mana, the Pup, and I are in, Phoenix."

"How do you know about that?" Phoenix narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm the daughter of Seto Kaiba," Airi tilted her briefcase so the little bit of light left reflected off the embossed KaibaCorp logo on it. "I have to know everything that goes on in Duel Monsters. It's part of the job."

"Cute," Phoenix smirked. "Maybe another day you would actually be worth my time."

"Funny," Airi snickered. "I'm not sure you're worth mine."

"Whatever," Phoenix returned his focus to Jaden. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Count on it," Jaden stared him down.

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"Good luck, Jaden!" Mana called to her friend as the duelists took their places in the arena.

"Knock him down a peg or two!" Max added.

"Normally, I don't care who win in these exhibition matches, but this time I might," Airi leaned back in her seat, her sapphire eyes carefully studying the two duelists. "Logically speaking, the odds are in Phoenix's favor. Hero Boy has his work cut out for him."

"Wait, you're actually rooting for Jaden this time?" Mana blinked at the Obelisk girl.

"If I have to pick," Airi admitted. "Didn't know it at the time, but he did save me during that Sacred Beast incident last semester. Mom and I were particularly affected when those things started absorbing cards. So in a way, I do owe him."

"Aster!"

Everyone in the group rolled their eyes at Jasmine and Mindy squealing their support of Phoenix. "I regret inviting them now," Alexis sighed. "I'm going to go have a word with them."

Syrus, Hassleberry, Bastion, and Chazz blocked her in. "We're not falling for that," Syrus stated. "You just want to sit near Aster." The others nodded in agreement.

"As if!" the blonde snapped. "After how he acted last night, I don't want to be any closer to him than necessary."

"How about we both go get them then?" Mana stood up. "Or do you guys think I only want to sit by him?" She gave them a scathing glare.

"By all means," Bastion gulped, and the guys dropped their arms.

"Thank you," Alexis huffed.

The two of them headed over to the other girls arguing over who was getting Aster's attention more. "You know the rest of us are over there," Mana pointed to the group sitting on Jaden's side.

"And I invited you to help support Jaden," Alexis added.

"But Aster's so dreamy," hearts appeared in Mindy's eyes.

"And he's so cool," Jasmine followed suite.

"I though you two liked Atticus?" Mana raised an eyebrow at them. "And I can tell you he's much nicer."

"But Aster…" the two drifted further into Fantasyland.

"You know he's a total jerk, right?" Mana waved her hand in front of the enraptured girls. "He insulted everything we stand for as duelists, and he put a guy in the hospital last night!" She scowled as the girls ignored her.

"We tried," Alexis sighed. "Let's go back to the others."

Mana's scowl deepened as she followed the blonde, the sting of Phoenix's comments coming back. How dare he say those things about Yugi!

"Hey," Alexis nudged her. "Don't let him get under your skin."

"Yeah," she took a deep breath. "Easier said than done."

They took their seats as Bonaparte announced the start of the duel. Mana watched Phoenix carefully, her brother's suspicions filling her with worry. Next to her, Airi tensed as the pro duelist inserted his deck into his duel disk. "What is it?" Mana asked.

"I…" the white-haired girl hesitated, a rare occurrence for her. "Never mind. It's nothing."

"All right!" Jaden powered up his duel disk. "Time to take off your tie, roll up your sleeves, and get your game on!"

"I won't even break a sweat," Phoenix scoffed, powering up his own.

"Show him who's boss, Jay-man!" Max called to the Slifer.

"I'll start things off," Phoenix drew his card. "Check this out; look familiar?" He summoned Elemental Hero Clayman (800/2000) in defense mode. "I'll let you off the hook for now."

"Pretty sweet opening move," Jaden grinned. "Now check out mine. I play Polymerization!"

"Time for some fusion action," Syrus clenched his fists in anticipation.

"Now he can summon a higher-ranking monster," Hassleberry agreed.

"Five bucks says he summons Flame Wingman," Mana looked to her friends. "What do you think?"

"I fuse Avian with my Burstinatrix," Jaden held up the cards. "So Elemental Hero Flame Wingman (2100/1200), come on down!" A green and red warrior with a white wing on its left shoulder blade and a red dragon on his right fist flew onto the field.

"I'm not paying you five bucks," Max rolled his eyes.

"And now, Flame Wingman!" Jaden continued his move, "Infernal Rage!" Flame Wingman shot forward, flames shooting out of his dragon arm. Clayman's hologram shattered under the heat of the fire. "And that's not all," the Slifer grinned. "Thanks to Flame Wingman's superpower, your Clayman's attack points come out of your LifePoints." Phoenix's score fell to 3200.

"What do you know?" Chazz smirked. "Looks like the pro took the first blow."

"It's still early," Airi scoffed. "Like the first blow actually determines the final outcome."

"Airi and I don't agree on a lot, but she's right," Max nodded. "This was only the first round."

"Don't let your guard down, Jaden!" Mana called to her friend.

"You can beat him!" Alexis added.

"Lucky shot, but that'll change," Phoenix started his turn. "Guess what I got?" he smirked, playing a spell.

"How should I know?" Jaden blinked.

"Easy," Phoenix chuckled. "You just played the same thing: Polymerization!"

"Here it comes," Alexis tensed.

"What fusion do you think it will be?" Joan asked.

"I'm not confident enough to bet on his fusions," Mana bit her lip.

"Like you, I fuse Avian and Burstinatrix," Phoenix continued his move. "But unlike you, I'm forming Elemental Hero Phoenix Enforcer (2100/1200)!" A green and red warrior, with white wings edged in green and clawed gauntlets on his hands landed on his field.

"I was hoping to see him!" Jaden grinned. "This is so cool!"

"Is that so?" Phoenix mocked. "Then how's this for cool?" Phoenix Enforcer launched forward, firing a ball of iridescent energy at his counterpart. Flame Wingman countered with flames from his dragon arm. The attacks collided, filling the arena with smoke. Flame Wingman's hologram exploded.

"Wait, that should have been a draw!" Hassleberry protested.

"One small technicality," Bastion spoke up.

"Phoenix Enforcer can't be destroyed by battle," Airi crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. "Hero Boy is lucky it didn't also have the same ability as his Wingman, or he'd be down a lot of LifePoints."

"Too bad Jaden didn't have his Kishido Spirit," Mana commented. "That combined with Flame Wingman is a real pain."

"Way to one-up me," Jaden complimented his opponent.

"What'd you expect?" Phoenix smirked. "Our decks are similar, not equal. Think of our cards like a mirror. They reflect who we are and what motivates our actions."

"There is some truth to that, though I hate to agree with anything Phoenix has to say," Mana grumbled.

"How so?" Sterling turned to face her.

"A true duelist puts their heart and soul into their deck," she explained. "So it's natural that their deck will reflect them in some way."

"And their deck will respond to them too," Max chimed in. "Our family calls it the Heart of the Cards. Mana's great-grandpa taught it to our dads, and then to us."

"My turn!" Jaden drew his card. "I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman (800/1200)!" A blue-clad warrior with a white cape materialized on his field. "And since he's alone on my field, his special effect kicks in, allowing me to draw two cards."

"That's a good hand boost," Joan commented.

"And next I'll play the spell The Warrior Returning Alive!" Jaden continued his move. "So if you don't mind, I'll be bringing a warrior back from my graveyard." He reclaimed his Avian. "And then I'll fuse Avian with Bubbleman and Sparkman to form Elemental Hero Tempest (2800/2800)!" A warrior with blue and gold armor, white wings edged with green, and green hair that stuck up around his blue visor flew onto the field. "Now attack with Glider Strike!" Tempest fired a torrent of water at the other Hero, drowning him. Phoenix's LifePoints dropped to 2500.

"Aster's monster may be invincible, but the same can't be said for his LifePoints," Alexis smirked.

"Don't celebrate just yet," Bastion warned. "This duel still has a long way to go."

"And Jaden may be able to damage Phoenix, but that Enforcer still poses a threat," Joan added.

"Here's a card we haven't seen in a while," Phoenix held up a copy of Polymerization. "I take one part Phoenix Enforcer and add a pinch of Sparkman, and out comes Shining Phoenix Enforcer (2500/2100)!" His Hero's armor shifted to shining silver covering his arms, torso and head. "And thanks to his special ability, he gains 300 attack points for every Hero in my graveyard."

"That means that Enforcer gains another 1500 points," Airi did the math.

"That bad boy's going to be all over Jaden like flies on a cow pie," Hassleberry commented.

"You're way out of your league," Phoenix continued his move. "Shining Phoenix, go! Attack with Shimmer Kick!" The Enforcer's left boot glowed white, and he flipped in the air and slammed it into Tempest, shattering the blue Hero's hologram. Jaden's LifePoints fell to 2800. "That'll do," Phoenix smirked. "I'll put this face-down and call it a turn."

"How is Jaden supposed to take down that beat stick when it can't be destroyed?" Sterling asked.

"Can't be destroyed in battle," Bastion corrected him. "Jaden will need to use a card effect to get Shining Phoenix Enforcer off the field. Assuming Aster doesn't have a counter for it."

"I activate Pot of Greed," Jaden played his spell. "So now I can draw two cards. Sweet," he grinned at his draw. "Next I activate Miracle Fusion!"

"Guys…?" Sterling looked to the rest of the group.

"Normally when you fusion summon, the monsters have to be either on the field or in your hand," Joan explained. "But Miracle Fusion lets Jaden use the monsters on the field or in his graveyard, but they're removed from play."

"I combine my Flame Wingman and Elemental Hero Sparkman," Jaden continued his move, "to play this: Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman (2500/2100)!" Pearly silver armor covered the new green hero, filling the arena with light. "And if you think he's strong now, just wait 'til he gains 1200 points for the Heroes in my graveyard."

"The Hero variations really do match up," Max commented.

"No kidding," Syrus agreed.

"Are you done?" Phoenix rolled his eyes, waiting for Jaden to finish. "I was hoping after that big production you'd play a monster that can actually accomplish something. But, no, you spent all that time summoning a monster weaker than mine."

"Not exactly," Jaden grinned. "You see, attack points aren't everything." He pulled a card from his hand. "So if you don't mind, I'll continue by playing Light Laser!" A black futuristic hilt materialized in Flare Wingman's right hand. "You see, when Shining Flare Wingman attacks, your Hero is automatically removed from play." A sky blue blade of light shot out from the warrior's hilt.

"Not bad, Slacker, not bad," Chazz gave the move a rare compliment.

"Jaden's got the upper hand," Bastion agreed. "What would Aster's fans think? It's no wonder he insisted the arena be empty."

"Next I play a field spell," Jaden inserted the card into his duel disk. "It's called Skyscraper!" Tall buildings rose from the ground around the two duelists. "I figured we could use a change of scenery. And it boosts my Wingman by 1000 points."

"All right!" Mana cheered. "Now Jaden can definitely take out that Enforcer!"

"Keep it up, Jay-man!" Max yelled.

"Now, Shining Flare Wingman, attack!" Jaden commanded his monster.

"Fine, we'll go out with a bang," Phoenix sent his monster into battle. Shining Flare Wingman's blade pierced Shining Phoenix Enforcer's torso, shattering the hologram. Phoenix's LifePoints fell to 1800.

"Awesome," Alexis smirked. "Who's the pro duelist now?"

"Jaden," Syrus grinned next to her.

"This is what I call a sweet duel," Jaden clenched his fist in excitement, a big smile drawn across his face. "What could be better than Hero monsters going head-to-head? It's so chill!"

Phoenix's expression darkened. "What is with you?" he snarled. "You think this is all a big joke? Well I've got news for you, Joy Boy. Dueling isn't about having fun." He spat the last word like it left a sour taste in his mouth. "At least not for me. But someone like you would never understand that. I duel for justice… and revenge." He spotted the confused look on his opponent's face. "Ah forget it."

"Too late for that," Jaden stared him down. "What is eating you?"

"Fine," Phoenix lowered his dueling arm. "I chose my Hero cards for a reason, and punks like you who use them 'cause you think they look cool make me sick."

"Chill out," Jaden sighed.

"You're the one who pointed out our decks are a reflection of ourselves," Mana called out to the silver duelist. "You don't get to dictate what is reflected in other duelists' decks. From what I've seen, Jaden is more of a Hero than you'll ever be."

"Don't pretend like you know anything, Princess," Phoenix snapped. "These cards are my life. They mean everything to me!"

"And ours don't?" Mana yelled back. "Some of us have cards connected to our very souls!" After all, she did. So did Jaden, Atem, and even Aunt K and Airi. "You're the one judging us without a clue."

"I told you that you wouldn't get it," Phoenix raised his duel disk again, his azure eyes filled with determination. "I was destined to build this deck. And as proof, I activate my D-Time card!" he revealed his trap. "So thank you. You triggered this when you destroyed my Phoenix Enforcer. When it leaves the field, I can unleash a new breed of Heroes from my deck. They're known as the Destiny Heroes!"

"Destiny Heroes?" Jaden repeated.

"I've never heard of those," Mana blinked.

"Neither have I," Airi's expression darkened. "He has to be making this up. There's no way the duel disks will allow it."

"It's time to open your eyes to the truth," Phoenix continued his move. "It's time to open your eyes to the true power of the Heroes."

"Enough with the dramatic speeches bro," Jaden braced himself.

"Then fine, I won't tell you my secret," Phoenix shrugged. "Unless you want to know the truth? About this secret series of Hero monsters created by Industrial Illusions but never released to the public. But why don't I just show you?" He pulled a card from his deck.

"Quit with the lies, Phoenix!" Airi yelled at the pro duelist, startling everyone else. "Even if these Destiny Heroes exist, if they really were never released your duel disk won't be able to recognize them. They're programmed to prevent unregistered cards from being played."

"Want to bet?" Phoenix smirked at them. "First I'll play my Clock Tower Prison field spell!" The skyscrapers surrounding them shattered, the scenery shifting to a castle courtyard with a clock tower standing behind Phoenix. Clouds hung above the tower, making the arena seem darker than the nighttime setting first appeared. "This clock is the key ingredient."

"It is?" Jaden glanced around the dark arena. "But why?"

"Oh, now you want to hear my speech?" Phoenix rolled his eyes. "Why don't we just say that with every tick of this clock, I come closer to victory! Now hands of fate turn! And usher in the doom!" As he pointed upward, the hands on the clock tower started moving backwards, stopping when they struck midnight.

The clouds above the tower parted, revealing a caped figure standing on the peak. "What is that thing?" Syrus asked.

"I've got a real bad feeling about this," Max leaned forward to get a better look. "I've never seen Phoenix use a card like that."

"Meet Destiny Hero Doom Lord (600/800)!" Phoenix grinned as his monster became more visible. It was a skeletal creature in a black body suit, with strange armored gray claws, and a tattered crimson cape flaring out behind him.

"It only has 600 attack points," Joan commented. "How can that stand up to Shining Flare Wingman's 3700?"

"This isn't possible," Airi gripped the seat in front of her. "That card isn't in the database, so his duel disk should be declaring it invalid." She pulled a laptop out of her briefcase and booted it up.

"No offense, but he seems weak," Jaden raised an eyebrow at the unknown monster.

"Oh, really?" Phoenix scoffed, clenching his fist. "Let's test that theory. Doom Lord, show him what you got!" The dark Hero leapt off the tower towards Flare Wingman.

"That was dumb," Chazz commented.

"I concur," Bastion kept his eyes on the battle. "Why would Aster activate that? He clearly has the weaker monster."

"Don't be so sure," Mana felt a sense of dread as Doom Lord got closer to his target. "Remember this is a card none of us have seen. And I regularly study card lore from Pegasus himself, and Airi knows the cards in the KaibaCorp database like the back of her hand. Not to mention you're a walking encyclopedia of card knowledge yourself, Bastion. Something none of us have even heard of is likely to have a few nasty surprises."

"Did I mention his special ability?" Phoenix grinned. "Doom Lord, send him packing with Impending Doom Grip!" The dark hero grabbed Shining Flare Wingman by the neck. Wingman disappeared in a flash of light, and Light Laser fell to the ground and shattered. "See you… in the future that is."

"What kind of ability is that?" Sterling asked. "Even I can tell the points didn't match up for that battle to destroy Wingman."

"He's not gone for long," Phoenix relished in everyone's confusion. "You see, each turn my Doom Lord can send one of your monsters into the future."

"That doesn't even make sense," Jaden eyed the monster.

"To you," Phoenix scoffed. "'Cause you got a lot to learn about Destiny. And unfortunately for you, right now I'm controlling yours. And your future's looking pretty grim." He set a card face-down and ended his turn.

"Jaden needs to take out that Doom Lord this turn," Bastion commented. "If he doesn't, it'll send away his monster again, and he'll wide open for a direct attack."

"If you think things are intense now, just wait," Jaden drew his card.

"Hold on," Phoenix interrupted him. "Don't you know what time it is? Good thing I have a clock that's ticking towards your defeat." The bronze hands on the Clock Tower Prison started moving forward, coming to a stop at three o'clock.

"What's the deal with that clock piece?" Alexis asked.

"Yeah, Jaden can't tell time," Chazz added.

"Not the time, Chazz," Mana chastised. "But if I remember the story of Cinderella, I've got a bad feeling about that clock striking midnight."

"No biggie," Jaden shrugged. "No matter what that clock does, I'm pretty sure I've got the cards in my deck to handle it."

"Wrong," Phoenix scoffed. "No one can stop the hands of fate."

"Don't be so sure," Jaden pulled a card from his hand. "I summon Wroughtweiler (800/1200) in attack mode!" The Elemental Heroes' mechanical hound materialized on the field. "Now sic him!" Wroughtweiler raced forward and tackled Doom Lord, shattering the dark hero's hologram. Phoenix's LifePoints fell to 1600.

"Thanks for the help," Phoenix revealed his face-down. "Since you destroyed Doom Lord, I can play this: Destiny Signal!" The trap looked like Jaden's Hero Signal, but with a D instead of an H.

"That's original," Jaden commented.

"You're just bitter 'cause I have the upper hand," Phoenix shrugged. "After all, since you triggered my trap, I can summon a new Destiny Hero to the field. Meet Captain Tenacious (800/800)!" Another Hero appeared on the field, this one a large muscled redhead with a bare chest and navy shield gauntlets. "And that's not all. Now that the introductions are out of the way, Captain can demonstrate his special ability. Hit it!" Light swirled around next to the shield hero, and when it faded, Doom Lord stood next to the captain.

"What's going on?" Hassleberry asked.

"Obviously that captain's ability is to resurrect another Destiny Hero," Airi said with barely a glance up from her laptop. "But I can't find it in my copy of the current cards in circulation. And it's not on the list of prohibited cards either."

"What does that mean?" Alexis tried to look over the white-haired girl's shoulder.

"It means these cards shouldn't exist," Airi answered. "Or at least, the duel disk alarms should be blaring."

"Alarms?" Syrus blinked.

"Do you know how many people try to cheat?" Airi glared at him. "Counterfeit cards, slipping cards into the hand from outside the deck and pretending they drew them, adding incomplete cards that were released for non-duel use, you name it. KaibaCorp duel disks are programmed with the strictest anti-cheat software, designed by Seto Kaiba himself. Anytime a duelist tries to break the rules, an alarm will sound and prevent the move from continuing. (1) A major infraction will end the duel and give the win to the opponent."

"So why aren't they going off?" Alexis asked.

"I don't know," Airi continued typing on her laptop. "But I intend to find out."

"What to do?" Phoenix continued his turn. "I know. I'll summon another Destiny Hero. Meet Diamond Dude (1400/1600)!" A platinum-haired man with yellow streaks, clad in a black jumpsuit and tattered green cape and diamonds coming out of his body landed on the field." And like his friends, he's got a talent. He likes to play card tricks. So I'll flip a card, and if it happens to be a spell, it goes to the graveyard until my next turn." Phoenix drew a card. "Would you look at that—it's my Misfortune spell card. And how appropriate, because Misfortune's in your future."

"Are you finding anything on those cards?" Mana turned to the Obelisk first-year. The lack of knowledge any of them had on Phoenix's Destiny Heroes was really starting to worry her. Atem's warning about the pro duelist lingered in the back of her mind, keeping her on edge with worry for Jaden.

"Does it look like I have?" Airi glared at her. "Believe me; you guys will know the second I find something."

"Now who should I sic on you next?" Phoenix glanced between his three monsters. "I know: my Diamond Dude." The crystal warrior thrust out his left fist and shot forward, impaling Wroughtweiler with his diamond shard. Jaden's LifePoints fell to 2200.

"This time you helped me," Jaden countered. "When Wroughtweiler's destroyed, his special ability activates!" He retrieved his Bubbleman and Polymerization from his graveyard.

"Is that supposed to scare me or something?" Phoenix scoffed. "Sorry, not going to happen." He sent Captain Tenacious to attack directly, knocking the Slifer on his back and sending his LifePoints to 1400. "I'll place this little number face-down and then call it a turn."

"It's about time," Jaden got to his feet and drew his card.

"Speaking of time," Phoenix pointed to the advancing clock tower. "It should does fly when you're having fun. Too bad time's on my side this time." The hands came to a stop at six o'clock.

"Enough with the clock references," Syrus whined.

"Disney definitely did it better," Mana added. "But I don't think his monsters will turn into pumpkins when the time comes."

"Time to summon my Bubbleman!" Jaden made his move. The blue-clad Hero returned to his field. "And just wait 'till he clocks you—see I can make witty puns too." He drew two more cards with Bubbleman's effect. "Then I play this: Bubble Blaster, which doubles my Hero's strength!" A navy blaster appeared over Bubbleman's right shoulder. "Now, Bubbleman, attack with Bubble Bombardment Barrage!" Water gushed from the cannon at Captain Tenacious.

"Sorry to burst your bubble," Phoenix revealed his face-down trap. "Go, D-Shield!" Debris swirled around Captain Tenacious, deflecting Bubbleman's attack. "My Heroes never leave home without it, and you can see why. Now Captain Tenacious switches to defense mode and can't be destroyed in battle."

"It's like Jaden's Hero Barrier combined with Mist Body," Mana commented.

"And now Jaden's in more of a jam," Max added. "Captain Tenacious is the one that resurrects the other Destiny Heroes. Now that he can't be destroyed in battle, Jaden's not going to be able to make any progress in clearing the monsters off Phoenix's field."

"The pro's annoying, but he's good," Chazz begrudgingly agreed.

"But that trap only protects Tenacious from battle," Alexis added. "Jaden could use a card effect to destroy it."

"Why don't you let me take over?" Phoenix smugly drew his card.

"Wait a sec," Jaden grinned. "Since two turns have passed, I get my Wingman back." Shining Flare Wingman returned to Jaden's field.

"Congratulations," Phoenix shrugged. "But if you remember, I get my Misfortune back too." He added the spell to his hand. "Or should I say your Misfortune? Because by skipping my Battle Phase, half the original attack points of one of your monsters comes out of your LifePoints. And I choose your Wingman." White energy shot from Shining Flare Wingman towards the spell, which then turned green and reflected back to Jaden, knocking him down to 150 LifePoints.

"That was low," Alexis scowled.

"At least he's not allowed to attack this turn," Max pointed out.

"There's more," Phoenix smirked. "Remember my Doom Lord? Well he's about to cut your little reunion short by sending your Wingman packing." The skeletal Hero shot forward and grabbed Shining Flare Wingman by the neck again, and the Elemental Hero disappeared in a flash of light. "He won't be going too far—just two turns into the future."

"Thanks to those Destiny Heroes, Jaden's lost control of his monsters," Alexis bit her lip. "I've never seen him like this."

"This duel is remarkable," Bastion couldn't take his eyes of the match. "It breaks every known formula, and Jaden can't make a choice because every move's been predetermined."

"Don't buying into his destiny nonsense," Airi snapped. "No outcome is ever predetermined."

"Airi's right," Mana spoke up. "We know a thing or two about Fate. And while it's sometimes Fate that certain duelists face off, it always comes down to the participants to write their own ending. The ending of this duel isn't written."

"Right," Max agreed. "What is that Jaden says? It's not over until the last card is played. And the last card hasn't been played yet."

"Let's try this again, shall we?" Jaden drew his card.

"Uh-uh-uh," Phoenix waved his finger to hold up the Slifer as the clock tower's hands progressed. "How many times are you going to forget the nine-story clock tower above your head?" The hands stopped at nine o'clock. "The countdown to your defeat is almost over." Jaden chuckled, irritating the silver duelist. "What's the matter? Pressure getting to you?"

"Are you kidding me?" Jaden laughed. "Guys like me live for pressure. It keeps me at the top of my game. And I've been looking for a serious challenge ever since the semester started. Plus with all these Destiny Heroes of yours, I'm picking up some sweet strategies."

"Gee, thanks, Jaden," Mana narrowed her eyes at her best friend. "You could have just asked."

"You could never handle a deck like mine," Phoenix scoffed. "So stick to your own Heroes. My Destiny Heroes are the rockin'est dudes in the game. They're way out of your league.

"Give me a break," Jaden brushed him off. "I mean, they're cool and all, but they're not the best in the game."

"Yeah, Red-Eyes is a way cooler monster," Max crossed his arms and nodded.

"You mean Blue-Eyes," Airi corrected him with barely a glance up from her computer.

"I'd watch what I'd say if I were you!" Phoenix snapped, his azure eyes narrowing in anger.

"Alright," Jaden shrugged and continued his move. "I'll watch myself with this: Bubbleman, Bubble Bombarding Barrage!" The blue Elemental Hero fired his blaster, dousing Doom Lord with frothy water and knocking Phoenix down to 600 LifePoints.

"See ya!" Syrus cheered.

"Yowzer," Hassleberry leaned forward. "Now that was a good old-fashioned hind-whupping."

"Way to go, Jay-man!" Max yelled.

"Keep it up!" Joan added.

"Think you're tough?" Phoenix raised his duel disk. "Well wait 'til my Captain's special ability kicks in." Light started to form on his field.

"Big deal," Jaden pulled a card from his hand. "I play Clayman in defense mode!" The earth warrior knelt on his field with his arms crossed in front of him. "Now give me your best shot."

"If you insist," Phoenix drew his card, and Captain Tenacious's effect resurrected Doom Lord. Then Diamond Dude's effect sent Magical Stone Excavation to be used on the next turn. And to continue, Phoenix sent Doom Lord to send Bubbleman into the same void as the Shining Flare Wingman. Bubble Blaster fell to the ground and shattered. "See you in two turns."

"This many effects going off in a turn is insane," Sterling looked to each monster on the field. "I have a hard enough time following just the battles."

"While it's not unheard off, it's scary because we don't know what all they can do," Mana turned to him. "I'm still waiting for the glass slipper to drop when it comes to that Clock Tower."

"Next I'll hook up Captain Tenacious with Ring of Magnetism," Phoenix played his equip spell."

"What does that do?" Sterling asked.

"It's bad news for Jaden," Joan gripped the hem of her white skirt.

"Ring of Magnetism forces the opponent to target the equipped monster," Bastion explained. "But it comes at the cost of 500 defense points. Not that that matters in this case."

"So Jaden will only be able to attack the monster that can't be destroyed in battle thanks to that D-Shield," Alexis scowled. "What's his problem? Let Jaden duel!"

"His lockdown has to have a weakness," Mana insisted. "After all, Bastion's did when we dueled."

"I've improved my strategy against you since then," Bastion commented.

"What's wrong?" Phoenix smirked as he mocked his opponent. "Feel like you've lost control?"

"Not quite!" Jaden didn't back down as he drew his card. "Now—"

"Sorry, bro," Phoenix interrupted him. "But I call the shots, and my time has arrived!" He raised his arm as the clock struck midnight, its bell chimes filling the arena. The whole field started to warp as the bell rang on.

"Here goes something," Jaden continued. "It's fusion time! So I'll combine my Elemental Hero Wildheart with my Necroshade in order to create my newest Hero! So give it up for Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman (1900/1800)!" A muscled, bare-chested warrior with beige pants, wild red hair, and a white mask covering his face leapt onto the field. He spun a staff with golden rings on it at the opposing Heroes.

"You really call that freak a Hero?" Phoenix laughed. "Sorry, dude, but that thing doesn't even register on the Hero scale."

"I want to punch him so hard," Mana scowled at the pro duelist's disrespect for Jaden's monsters.

"Don't you want to know his special ability?" Jaden smirked.

"No."

"Well I'm going to tell you about it anyway," the Slifer said. "I get to sacrifice a monster on your field, and summon a replacement monster from your graveyard." Necroid Shaman held his staff horizontal in both hands, and green light surrounded Captain Tenacious. "So good-bye, Captain Tenacious, and hello, Mr. Avian!" The red-haired Destiny Hero dissolved in the light, and green-feathered Elemental Hero landed on the field."

"That a boy!" Hassleberry cheered.

"Now he's making progress on clearing Phoenix's field," Max clenched his fist in excitement.

"Kick him to the curb Academy-style!" Syrus yelled.

"Finish him off, Jay!" Alexis added.

"Necroid Shaman, attack!" Jaden commanded his monster. The mystic warrior sprinted forward and struck Doom Lord with his staff, shattering the hologram.

Phoenix's LifePoints didn't move.

"That should have wiped him out," Mana leaned forward. "What gives?"

"I wonder if it has something to do with this clock behind me," Phoenix shrugged and pointed his thumb at the tower. "You know, the one I've been talking about for the last few turns. I think it's time I told you what it does."

"I knew I had a bad feeling about it," Mana gripped the seat in front of her.

"As long as it's here," Phoenix continued his explanation, "I can't lose a single LifePoint." He spread his arms out wide. "I'm invincible!"

"Nothing is invincible," Airi stated as she typed away on her computer. "And I feel like the relevant question is if it's all damage or just battle damage."

"What do you mean?" Sterling asked.

"Battle damage is what occurs when monsters do battle, hence the name" Joan explained. "Effect damage occurs with a card effect. Like how that Misfortune spell damaged Jaden earlier."

"So you're saying if battle damage won't work, an effect like that might?" Sterling turned back to the white-haired Obelisk.

"It's possible," Airi continued typing on her computer. "Fact is, the only person who knows the effects of that giant eyesore is Phoenix, and he's not exactly forthcoming on it. After all, why broadcast your cards' weaknesses if you can help it?" She clenched her fist and took a breath. "I'm going to have to make a serious call home when we're done here."

"I'll throw down two face-downs and call it a turn," Jaden ended his turn.

Phoenix smirked as he drew his card. "Here's a blast from your past." Shining Flare Wingman returned to Jaden's field. "And here comes something else from the past: Magical Stone Excavation! So now I toss out two cards, and a spell cards returns from my graveyard." He grabbed his Misfortune spell.

"Speak of the Misfortune and it shall appear," Joan grumbled.

Phoenix activated his spell, targeting Shining Flare Wingman. "You are just so predictable," Jaden grinned. "I play my De-Fusion and my Burial from a Different Dimension!" he revealed his two face-down spells.

"I'm confused," Sterling looked to the rest of the group.

"When De-Fusion splits a fusion monster in half, it summons the materials from the graveyard," Max explained. "But since Jaden used Miracle Fusion to summon his Wingman, the materials are removed from play, not in the grave."

"That's where Burial from a Different Dimension comes in," Mana added. "Its effect is to take monsters removed from play and return them to the graveyard. So by chaining it to De-Fusion, Jaden gets Sparkman and Flame Wingman back in the graveyard just in time for De-Fusion to summon them."

"And because Shining Flare Wingman has been split apart, Misfortune loses its target and can't damage Jaden," Alexis finished.

"And," Max chimed in too, "because Misfortune skips the battle phase, Jay-man has another chance to turn this around."

"Who's the man?" Jaden smirked as he drew. "I am, and here's why, bro. I play Fusion Gate! Now I can fuse monsters without Polymerization. And since this is a new field spell, it cancels out Big Ben over there." Cracks formed all over the clock tower and courtyard. "Sounds like the bell is tolling for you now! How's it feel?"

"Awesome," Phoenix grinned. "I wanted you to do that."

"I got a bad feeling about this," Mana bit her lip.

"You've said that enough for three Star Wars movies," Airi snapped at her. "We know it's bad!"

"Did you honestly believe I'd let you make a decision of your own?" Phoenix laughed. "I wanted this to crumble—to release the monster hiding inside!" The clock tower crumbled into dust. "Come on out, Destiny Hero Dreadmaster (?/?)!" A large muscled monster leapt onto the field. It had long, wild gray hair, and broken shackles dangled from its arms and legs. A black and silver helmet covered its face, and a chain and padlock hung around its neck.

"It almost makes me think of the Hulk if he escaped from prison," Max commented.

"There's… something strange about that monster," Airi looked up from her laptop. "I don't like it."

"It won't be much longer now," Phoenix spoke with glee at his new monster. "If you thought my other Heroes were cool, wait 'til you see what he can do." Dreadmaster snarled at the Slifer. "The first thing he does is destroy any of my non-Destiny Hero monsters. They're not worthy to be in his presence." Avian's hologram shattered.

Mana clenched her fist. "How dare he talk about his monsters that way," she whispered through gritted teeth. "Calling them unworthy when they fought for him while he hid these other monsters away."

"Next I can bring back Doom Lord and Captain Tenacious," Phoenix continued his combo. "And Dreadmaster's attack points are equal to the combined power of every monster on the field."

"That makes Dreadmaster's strength 2800," Bastion did the math.

"Too bad for Jaden," Chazz commented.

"Not bad," Jaden grinned. "I gotta admit, your monsters just get cooler and cooler." He clenched his fist in excitement. "But I've got a cool hero of my own. So I fuse Clayman and Sparkman," the two heroes vanished into Fusion Gate's void, "to form Elemental Hero Thunder Giant (2400/1500)!" The Hero in bulky gold and purple armor landed on his field. "And he's got a special ability of his own—he destroys one of your monsters, as long as its original attack points are less than my Thunder Giant's."

"Jaden should have the duel won if this effect goes through," Joan said. "Not only would Phoenix be down a monster, but Dreadmaster's points would go down too."

"Assuming Dreadmaster doesn't take the hit with the effect," Max corrected. "Since Dreadmaster's attack points depend on the other Destiny Heroes on the field, that means its original attack points are treated as zero, so it'd be vulnerable to Thunder Giant's effect."

"Diamond Dude, you're out," Jaden pointed to the crystal warrior. "Thunder Giant, activate Static Blast!" Electric energy channeled through the Hero's body and fired at Diamond Dude."

"Sorry, dude," Phoenix raised his arm as he countered. "Go Dread Barrier!" Dreadmaster flung one of its chains at the blast, stopping it cold.

"What gives?" Sterling turned to the others. "Didn't you just say that effect could take out any of the other monsters?"

"Sorry," Phoenix's tone didn't give any inkling of a real apology. "But on the turn Dreadmaster is summoned to the field in attack mode, Dread Barrier kicks in, protecting all Destiny Heroes from damage."

"Great," Jaden frowned.

"It's hopeless, man," Phoenix smirked. "You see, your dueling skills may not be have bad; however, there's something I have that you'll never have: purpose. A reason to duel besides having fun."

"Okay, what stick is lodged up your butt?" Mana yelled at him. "Every duelist has their own reason, and unless someone's reason is hurting others, you don't have the right to judge. And I'd say our reasons are better than yours considering the dude recuperating in the hospital thanks to you!"

"I duel to bring justice to the world," Phoenix clenched his fist. "By punishing people who think they're above the law."

"Come again?" Jaden blinked.

"Someone really thinks they're Batman," Airi muttered, looking up from her computer screen to eye the silver duelist.

"My father was a duelist too," Phoenix looked down at his duel disk. "He worked as a card designer for Mr. Maximillion Pegasus at Industrial Illusions. My dad put his heart into every design he created. He was my hero."

"What happened?" Jaden asked.

"Some punk took him away," Phoenix spat. "They must have broken in. I went into his office and found nothing but broken glass and cards everywhere. It's been seven years. At this point he's probably dead."

"Now I feel bad about that stick up the butt comment," Mana ran a hand through her hair.

"Hold on," Jaden's eyes widened as he made a connection. "Did your dad design …?"

"That's right," Phoenix picked up on what the Slifer was going to say. "My father created the Destiny Heroes. They were the last cards he ever made." His expression darkened. "He taught me that justice would always prevail. But justice is a lie. They still haven't found what happened to him, and whoever is responsible is still out there. Yet another criminal whose actions have gone unpunished. It's not fair!"

"Poor guy," Alexis sympathized with the pro duelist.

"So I made a choice," Phoenix continued, a fire lit in his eyes. "I duel to bring lawbreakers to justice. And in honor of my father, I use the Destiny Heroes he created to punish these evildoers. And someday I'm going to find the scum who took my father away from me and make him pay for what he did."

"And how do you intend to find this culprit after seven years?" Airi challenged him. "Assuming I believe your whole spiel, what evidence do you have? Or do you intend to assault—which I should remind you is a crime itself—every thug who crosses your path?"

Phoenix gave her a cold glare. "I'll know him because he'll have a rare card—the one he stole when he took my dad. It was the last card my father made. Whoever has it is going to regret the day he was born."

"Aster," Jaden protested, "your dad made those cards so people could use them for fun. He wouldn't want you using them for revenge."

"Jaden's right," Mana stood up. "If your dad was really your hero, you think he'd want you using his creations to hurt people?"

"You don't know anything about him!" Phoenix snarled. "Butt out! My father deserves justice, and I'm going to make sure he gets it!"

"Dude, would you just listen?" Max yelled at him. "We're not saying you shouldn't find answers. But hurting people ain't the way to do it. You'll just end up hurting yourself even more."

"You're the ones not listening!" Phoenix's grew angrier as he shouted. "Didn't you hear me? He was my hero! And now I have a chance to be his!"

"What kind of hero lets his opponent be the better person?" Airi calmly said as she shut down her computer.

"Where were we?" Phoenix drew his card, ignoring the Obelisk freshman's comment. "Oh I remember, we were at the end. It's been a real blast, Jaden." Dreadmaster's eyes glowed purple as it prepared to attack. "Dreadmaster, send Jaden out with a bang!" The hulking hero leapt into the air.

Airi tensed as the monster slammed its massive fist into Thunder Giant, wiping out the rest of Jaden's LifePoints. "Something's not right," she whispered, barely loud enough for Mana to hear.

"Told ya," Phoenx smirked and turned away. "You can't hide from Destiny."

Jaden crumbled as his holograms faded, his cards flying out of his duel disk. He landed face-first on the arena floor.

"Jaden!" Mana leapt over the railing separating the spectators from the field and ran to him. "Oh, do me a favor and don't be in the Shadow Realm!" The others weren't far behind her.

"Something doesn't feel right," Jaden's speech was a little slurred as Mana helped him sit up. She pressed a hand to his forehead; he did seem a little feverish.

"Take it easy," she said. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Uh… two fingers and a thumb."

"I would have accepted three as an answer, so bonus points for accuracy," Mana relaxed a little. Maybe Jaden was just coming down with something, and the duel just exhausted him. Though if that were the case, she might have to send Syrus and Hassleberry back to Ra so they wouldn't catch the same bug. Mana looked to Dark Magician Girl hovering around them. "Now how many fingers is Dark Magician Girl holding up?"

"She's not here?" Jaden turned his to look around, his eyes not landing on the blonde Duel Spirit.

"Jaden, she's right in front of you," Mana's worry spiked. "You can't see her? What about Winged Kuriboh?" The fuzzball had started hovering too.

"I don't see them," Jaden shook his head. He glanced down at the cards around him. "What happened to my cards?"

"They fell out of your duel disk," Alexis answered as she gathered them up, handing him the complete stack.

"No, they're blank," he shakily flipped through them.

"Jaden, there's nothing wrong that the rest of us can see," Mana grabbed the deck before he dropped them again.

"Let's get him back to Slifer," Max said. "He obviously ain't well. And we could all do with a good night's sleep." He helped Jaden stand and then slung one of the second-year's arms over his shoulder. Mana took Jaden's other arm, and the group made the trek back to their dorms.

Airi was the last to leave the arena. I don't know what that was, but something tells me that last attack wasn't just a hologram.

ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ

The next morning, Mana knocked on the guys' door. "Come in," Hassleberry called.

"How are you feeling, Jaden?" Mana noticed Winged Kuriboh hovering around her fellow Slifer.

"Better than last night," Jaden answered. "But…" he stared at his deck as he flipped through it. "I can't duel. My cards are all blank."

Mana pressed her hand to her friend's forehead. "Well you don't have a fever, so that's a good sign. But maybe you should go see Professor Fontaine."

"I guess it couldn't hurt," Jaden pulled on his Slifer blazer.

"I'll let the other privates know," Hassleberry offered. "Private Truesdale went to meet Privates Wheeler and Taylor for breakfast."

"Come find us if we're not back by the end of breakfast," Mana nodded. "Unless you want to get food first, Jaden?"

"I'm actually not hungry," the Slifer shook his head.

"Okay, we're going to Fontaine," Mana pushed him out the door. "That just might be your worst symptom."

Luckily the head of the Obelisk girls' dorm was in her office when the two Slifers arrived. After a brief explanation of the situation, she took Jaden to be examined while Mana had to sit in the waiting area.

It wasn't long before Chazz, Alexis, and the rest of the crew arrived.

"Please tell me this is just another rumor," Syrus begged as he came barreling in, the last to join the group. "I heard that Jaden can't duel."

"Unfortunately, it might be," Mana looked to the Dark Magicians hovering next to her. Jaden didn't even register their presence as Professor Fontaine finished examining him. "I don't know what happened in that duel, but it affected Jaden in some way. Almost like he lost a Shadow Game, but…"

"It wasn't one," Alexis finished. "Right?"

"Right," Mana nodded.

"According to Jaden, he can't see any of his cards," Chazz handed Syrus Jaden's deck as proof. "He claims they're all blank."

"They look fine to me," Syrus flipped through them. "What's the deal?"

"They look fine to all of us," Max clarified.

"It's not the cards; it's Jaden," Professor Fontaine stated, putting her instruments away. "Something must have happened during his last duel."

"Are you messing with us?" Syrus asked her.

"Not this time, Sy," Jaden looked up, defeat in his brown eyes. He took his deck from Syrus and headed towards the door. "What are you going to do?"

"We're going to figure this out, Jaden," Mana blocked his way. "I promise."

"Look, I just need to chill by myself for a while," he pushed past her and left the gang behind.

"Poor guy," Syrus whispered.

"Mahad, Partner, do you have any ideas?" Mana looked to her mentors.

"Not at this point," Dark Magician Girl shook her head. "I am asking around in the Spirit World, but we don't have much to go on."

"It's pretty clear his bond with his Spirits has been severed," Mahad added. "It won't be easy, but I do believe it is possible to heal that bond. It will take time though, especially as we have never seen a bond fracture this badly before."

Mana relayed what the magicians said to the group members who couldn't see them. "We'll keep looking, but it sounds like patience is what we'll need the most of for now."

"It's horrible though!" Ojama Yellow wailed from Chazz's shoulder as the gang headed back to Slifer. "What if that was the Boss? It's too horrible to think about! I-I can't…!"

Chazz smacked him away, silencing the Spirit's wails. "Chazz," Mana sighed, her worry for Jaden dampening her usual chastising. "He is right to be worried. That could easily have been either of us."

"I hate to dampen the cheery mood," Bastion spoke up as they arrived at the dorm, "but we have another problem. With Jaden out, they might try to close Slifer down."

"Yeah, we're doomed," Syrus sighed, collapsing on one of the couches in Chazz's new lounge.

"Our headquarters will be gone," Hassleberry joined him.

"Uh-uh!" Chazz glared at them. "We may be one man down, but we're still eight men strong! Or, uh, five men strong and three lovely ladies."

"Smooth, Hotshot," Max rolled his eyes. "But for once you're right."

"I don't know if Sterling or I can really count though," Joan spoke up. "We're not going to be much help in the duel department."

"I'll be lucky if I can follow the score," Sterling added.

"No, Chazz is right," Mana chimed in. "Yeah, Jaden may be down for now, but he's not the only strong duelist in Slifer. As Slifers, Chazz, Max, and I are just as good as he is, and with the help of the rest of you, we can keep the dorm from being shut down. As long as we stick together, we can do this!"

"Here, here," Bastion grinned.

"I'm in," Alexis clenched her fist.

"We'll be cheering for you," Joan said; Sterling nodded next to her.

"How about a group yee-haw?" Hassleberry suggested.

"YEE-HAW!"

"Crowler, if you try anything, you'll crash into a wall of brotherhood," Hassleberry declared.

"Yeah, brotherhood," Syrus agreed.

"Sisterhood too," Alexis chimed in.

"Yeah, don't forget us," Mana added. "All for one, and one for all, right?"

"Right," Bastion nodded.

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Airi banged on the door to the chancellor's office. When she didn't get an answer, she pulled out a thumb drive from her pocket and inserted it into the electric lock on the door. After a minute, the keypad flashed green and the door opened.

"How did you get in here?" Vice Chancellor Bonaparte yelled from the desk.

"I'm a Kaiba," she answered as she strode into the office. "While I behave and act like a good little student, I can still access any system that runs on KaibaCorp technology. That includes all the security locks."

"What do you want, Miss Kaiba?" Chancellor Crowler glared at her.

"Have you reported the use of the Destiny Heroes to your boss?" Airi stared him down.

"Why should we?" Bonaparte asked. "Aster Phoenix beat Jaden Yuki fair and square."

"Phoenix was the better player last night," Airi conceded. "Fair is up for debate. Fact is, KaibaCorp duel disks are programmed to disallow any and all unregistered cards. If a card isn't in circulation, the system won't allow it to play. We even keep a list of forbidden cards to automatically block after the attempted hack using Golden Castle of Stromberg during the Grand Championship years ago."

She slammed her briefcase on the chancellor's desk. "Therefore, the unreleased Destiny Heroes, assuming Phoenix wasn't lying about that, should have been blocked by the duel disk system. The fact that they weren't means something isn't right. And I'm not willing to let a potential security risk to KaibaCorp stand. So either call Seto Kaiba, or give me the phone so I can do it myself."

"You're just a student," Crowler pointed out.

"Who is also the heir to KaibaCorp and your future boss," Airi countered. "So just give me the phone. I'll be contacting your boss either way, so you might as well make it easy. And maybe I won't tell them of your plots expel all the Slifer students for no reason, including Mana Muto, Puppy Wheeler, and the guy everyone considers to the be the top duelist, Jaden Yuki."

"Fine, make your call," Crowler hit the button on his desk, opening the cupboard for the video monitor.

"I will," Airi strode over to it and punched in the code to call her father's office, making sure to tag her own security code so he would know it was her.

After a minute, Seto Kaiba's face appeared on the screen. "What is it, Airi?" he asked.

"We've got a problem," Airi tightened her grip on her bag.

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"Jaden," Mana knocked on the guys' door as she tried the handle. Since it was unlocked, she opened it, letting herself in.

"Hey, Mana," Jaden didn't look up at her, keeping his eyes on his cards spread out around him on the floor.

"Feeling any better?" she stepped around the cards and sat down across from him.

"I still can't see my cards," he sat back on his hands. "I don't know what to do about it."

"We'll think of something," Mana assured him.

"What's the point?" Jaden frowned, sitting back on his hands. "I mean, if I can't duel, should I even stick around here?"

"Don't talk like that!" Mana flicked his forehead. "We'll figure this out. You have one of the strongest bonds with your cards that I've ever seen. That strength will pull through. We just have to take it one step at a time." She spotted a particular card and held it up. "Start with this one. Tell me which one it is."

Jaden took the card, frowning as he looked it over. The spirit came out, hovering around the two Slifers. Come on, Jaden. You know it. Feel his spirit. Mana bit her lip, willing Jaden to see the card's image.

"It's Winged Kuriboh," Jaden sighed, setting the card down.

"See! I knew you could do it!" Mana grinned.

"I still can't see the card," he shook his head. "I can tell it's him by the look on your face."

"Oh," Mana drooped, her gaze falling to the card. Winged Kuriboh fluttered between them, cooing as he tried to get Jaden's attention.

"Why don't you take him for now?" Jaden's hand hovered over the card, trying to tell which one it was.

"Jaden, he belongs with you," Mana handed the card to him. "Dad knew that when he gave it to you."

"He should be with someone who can see him," Jaden held it out to her. "Please, take him."

Mana's heart ached at the pleading look in his brown eyes. "Fine," she relented, taking in the card's image. "But only until we fix this. And I'll borrow a few cards to help him feel at home in my deck." She snagged three cards from the spread and added them to her deck. "Jaden, I promise you we will find an answer. Just hang in there, okay?"

Her PDA chiming kept him from answering. Her pulse raced at the message from Vice Chancellor Bonaparte. We've arranged a duel for you. Be at the arena at 2 p.m. this afternoon.

"What is it?" Jaden asked.

"Looks it's my turn to play the chancellor's game," Mana frowned. Bonaparte didn't mention shutting down the Slifer dorm, but she was sure it wasn't off the table. "I have to duel this afternoon." An idea came to her. "Hey! Maybe watching me duel will help!"

"What makes you think that?" Jaden leaned back on his hands.

"Come on, Jaden, it's worth a shot," she insisted. "If you can't see your cards as you duel, maybe you'll be able to see someone else duel."

"I don't know," he shrugged.

"Please?" she begged. "If you won't come for yourself, then come for me. I don't know what Bonaparte's got planned, but I could really use your support."

"Now you're guilt tripping me," Jaden rolled his eyes.

"Is it working?" Mana shrugged.

"A little," he admitted. He sighed, fidgeting with his cards again. "Look, I just don't know what to do. I haven't felt this lost since… I don't know."

"Just know we're here for you," Mana looked him straight in the eye. "You've got me and Syrus and the rest of the gang backing you up."

"Yeah," he gave her a half smile.

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Mana took a breath to calm her nerves as she walked into the arena. Winged Kuriboh fluttered around her. "This'll work," she promised him. "It has to do something for him." She glanced up to the audience, trying to spot her friends.

Winged Kuriboh cooed patting at her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I don't understand you," Mana used a little bit of magic to stroke his fur. "But it'll be okay. We just have to get through this duel. And once Jaden sees the two of us in action, he's bound to see you again."

"Hey, Mana."

She tensed as the Ra Yellow took his place across from her, running a hand through his spiky, dark auburn hair. "Dimitri?"

"One and only," the former copycat smirked. "To be honest, I jumped at the chance to face you here. I'm ready to face you with my own deck."

"Is that all Crowler and Bonaparte promised?" Mana asked.

"They threw in a promotion to Obelisk Blue if I win, but honestly I don't care about that," Dimitri frowned, noticing her suspicion. "Why?"

"I have a sneaking suspicion I'm fighting for the fate of my dorm," the Slifer glanced at the chancellor and vice-chancellor conversing by the sound equipment. "They've made their feelings about those of us in Red abundantly clear."

"What?" Dimitri took a step back. "You're saying…"

"Don't have solid proof at the moment, but yes," Mana nodded. "So if you think I came at you hard last year when we dueled, prepare for me to fight harder. And I've also got a friend counting on me." She glanced to the stands again, trying to spot her friends.

"A duel with you is all I want," Dimitri promised. "I won't claim anything else as a prize when I win."

"Ladies and Gentleman!" Bonaparte's voice rang out over the sound system. "We have another exciting match-up for you folks. First from the Ra Yellow dorm and hoping to move up to Obelisk Blue: Dimitri Adler!" Dimitri waved to the crowd.

"And his opponent…" Bonaparte continued, "the Magician of Slifer: Mana Gardner!"

"I'm not holding back, Mana," Dimitri powered up his duel disk. "I've waited a long time for this rematch."

"And I've got too much riding on this to lose," Mana powered up her own. She looked to the audience again, still not finding her friends. Watch me, Jaden. This one's for you.

"Duel!"

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Alexis felt her heart sink when Syrus joined them without Jaden. "Something's wrong," he said, worry evident in his wide gray eyes. "I tried everything I could to get him to come."

"I'll go get him," Max got to his feet. "I'll drag him here if necessary."

"Is there time?" Sterling asked.

"Not before the duel actually starts," Bastion answered.

"I don't care," Max made to get out of their row of seats. "He promised Mana he'd be here. I'm going to make sure he keeps that promise."

"Then I'll go too," Alexis stood up. After all Jaden had done for her, bringing her brother back to her, even comforting her during her fight with Atticus, helping him through this was the least Alexis could do for him.

The doors closed before they could leave, shutting off their chances of bringing Jaden to the duel. Bonaparte's voice rang out as he announced the duelists. "Dang it!" Max slammed his fist on the back of his seat.

"Look, worry about Jaden later, Wheeler," Chazz crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat.

"He's right Max," Joan put her hand on her cousin's arm. "We can't help Jaden right now, but we can help Mana."

"So what's the scrimmage story with her and Dimitri?" Hassleberry asked. "They seem like they've met on the battlefield before."

"Dimitri is the reason Mana's secret was blown," Syrus asked.

"Does this have to do her sometimes going by Gardner?" Sterling asked.

"Yeah," Joan nodded. "You already know being compared to her dad stresses her out."

"Last year she pretended she wasn't related to Yugi or Atem," Alexis explained. "The only others on campus who knew were Atem and Zane."

"Zane knew?" Syrus turned to the blonde.

"I guess Atem told him before everyone else," Alexis shrugged. "He mentioned that after we found out."

"But what does this have to do with Dimitri?" Sterling asked.

"The abbreviated version is Dimitri used to be a copycat duelist," Bastion explained. "He stole Yugi's deck from a museum display that was here. When Mana confronted him, her secret slipped out."

"And pretty much the entire school heard because we all tried to sneak in early to see the deck and ended up watching the duel," Alexis added, remembering hiding with Atem and Zane that night. One look from the elder Muto was all it took to convince her of the truth.

"So that's how everyone found out," Chazz leaned back in his chair.

"And why Dimitri is so eager to duel her again," Max turned his attention to the Ra duelist.

"Yeah," Syrus nodded. "The only reason Mana and Atem chose not to turn him in was if he promised to stop copying decks."

"This is his chance to prove how far he's come," Bastion rubbed his chin as he analyzed the duelists powering up their duel disks.

"Duel!"

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"I'll start with Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands (1400/1000) in defense mode," Dimitri summoned his monster. "And Manju's effect will let add a ritual spell from my deck to my hand."

"Gee, where have I seen that before?" Mana raised an eyebrow at her opponent.

"Yes, I know your brother uses this combo," Dimitri rolled his eyes. "But I'm pretty sure he doesn't have Doriado's Blessing in his deck." He revealed his selected ritual spell. "I'll end my turn with a face-down card."

"My turn!" Mana drew. "I summon my Blast Magician (1400/1700) in attack mode!" A wizard in fire-red robes appeared and brandished a scythe at his opponent. "Blast Magician, take out his Manju!" Flames danced along the scythe as the mage shot forward, blasting away the multi-handed monk.

"Not bad, Mana," Dimitri commented.

"I'll end my turn with two face-downs," Mana finished. "Show me what you've got, Dimitri."

"I will!" he drew his card. "I summon Element Valkyrie (1500/1200) in attack mode." A maiden with long red hair tied in a single braid and clad in silver and red armor materialized on his field. "Valkyrie, destroy her Blast Magician! Maiden's Fire!" Element Valkyrie pointed her double-bladed weapon at the magician, one end igniting in flames. She charged forward, impaling Blast Magician as his hologram shattered. Mana's LifePoints fell to 3400.

"Hold on," Mana looked at her score. "Valkyrie only has 1500 attack points. How did I take that much damage?"

"I see I found a set of cards you don't know," Dimitri smirked. "My Element monsters gain different effects based on what attributes are currently on the field. Since Blast Magician was a fire monster, Valkyrie gained 500 attack points. Of course, now that your magician's gone, she loses that boost."

"Oh, I remember this series now," Mana grimaced. She was going to have to take caution with whatever monsters she summoned. Last time her opponent was playing with attributes on the field, she ended up defeated by a Shadow Rider. She smiled at the card she drew. "I summon Silent Magician LV4 in attack mode!" A blue and white robed child mage waved her wand at the warrior maiden. "Make your move, Dimitri!"

"Will do!" the Ra drew his card.

"And Silent Magician will get stronger," Mana said as the child mage grew a little taller. "Every time you draw, she gains a spell counter, and each counter will give her 500 attack points."

"Doesn't scare me," Dimitri smirked. "I summon Robotic Knight (1600/1800) in attack mode." A red and black machine materialized on his field. "And since Robotic Knight is a fire-attribute, Element Valkyrie gains 500 attack points." Flames ignited on one end of her weapon. "Valkyrie, take out Silent Magician!"

"I play my trap card!" Mana revealed her face-down card. "Negate Attack will stop your attack and end the battle phase!"

"Oh, fine," Dimitri ended his turn.

"Time to turn this around," Mana drew her card. "I summon Magician's Valkyria (1600/1800) in attack mode!" The dark blonde spellcaster twirled her hook-shaped staff as she landed next to Silent Magician. "Next I'll equip my Silent Magician with the Book of Secret Arts, boosting her strength by 300!" A book and quill appeared in the mage's left hand. "Silent Magician, destroy Robotic Knight!" The blue and white clad mage fired her magic at the machine warrior, shattering its hologram. Dimitri's LifePoints fell to 3800. "And now that you don't have a fire monster, your Valkyrie's attack points return to normal, low enough for my Magician's Valkyria to take it out! Mystic Scepter Blast!" The dark blonde spellcaster blasted away the warrior maiden, knocking Dimitri down to 3700 LifePoints. "I end my turn."

"And now your magician gets stronger," Dimitri said as he drew, giving Silent Magician another spell counter and letting her grow more. "And unlucky for me, she's going to get stronger as I play Pot of Greed to draw two more cards."

"Thank you very much," Mana smirked at her opponent. Now her Magician had 2800 attack points.

"Yeah, yeah," Dimitri rolled his eyes as he continued his turn. "I summon my Red Archery Girl (1400/1500) in defense mode." A green-haired mermaid sprawled in a clam, lazily holding a bow and arrow in her hand. "Your turn, Mana."

"And I'll make the most of it," the Slifer drew. "I summon my Apprentice Magician in defense mode." A purple-clad magician crouched on her field. "And when Apprentice Magician is summoned, she can place a spell counter on a card, and I choose Silent Magician." The mage grew taller, her strength now at 3300. "Now, Magician's Valkyria, take out Red Archery Girl with Mystic Scepter Blast!"

"Not so fast," Dimitri revealed his trap card. "Mirror Force will reflect your attack right back at you!"

"Not today!" Mana activated her own counter. "By paying 1000 LifePoints, Seven Tools of the Bandit will negate your trap!" Mirror Force shattered, and Valkyria's attack continued, vaporizing the mermaid. "Now finish him off, Silent Magician!"

"I'm not done yet!" Dimitri played his other face-down card. "Negate Attack ends the battle phase, remember?"

"Well, I'll definitely take that over Mirror Force," Mana shrugged. "I play one card face-down and end my turn."

"Time to turn this around," Dimitri drew his card, giving Silent Magician another spell counter. "I play Swords of Revealing Light!" Glowing blades rained down, holding back Mana's monsters. "Now you can't attack for three turns."

"Well that's annoying," Mana grimaced.

"Next I'll play the ritual spell Doriado's Blessing!" Dimitri continued his move. "By sacrificing my Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress, I can ritual summon Elemental Mistress Doriado (1200/1400) in defense mode!" A priestess in pale blue robes and long golden hair knelt on his field, her hands folded in prayer. "And just so you know, in addition to her natural light-attribute, Doriado also counts as water, earth, fire, and wind attributes. Which means my Element Dragon (1500/1200) benefits from her effect." A pale red dragon flew onto his field, flames dancing along its scales. "You won't slay this dragon so easily."

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Joan bit her lip as Dimitri's Element Dragon destroyed Magicians' Valkyria and knocked Mana down to 2000 LifePoints. "Mana still has the advantage, right?" Sterling turned to her.

"Mana's Silent Magician is much stronger than either of Dimitri's monsters," Bastion nodded. "Though now that Dimitri has Doriado out, it is much easier for him to use his Element monsters' effects."

"And he does have almost twice as many LifePoints as Mana," Alexis chimed in. "With the right move, he could take down Silent Magician."

"Hey, he may be good, but he's got nothing on Mana," Max smirked. "She'll beat him, no problem. Right, Joan?"

"Right," the youngest Slifer nodded.

"For once the three of us are in agreement," Airi kept her eyes on the match.

"Now, because Doriado also counts as a wind monster," Dimitri continued his move, "Element Dragon can attack again. And I'll have him take out your Apprentice Magician." The pale red dragon breathed fire, taking out the purple-clad mage.

"By destroying Apprentice Magician, you've triggered her effect!" Mana countered. "Now I can summon a level two or lower spellcaster from my deck in face-down defense mode. And I choose another Apprentice Magician." The card materialized in front of her.

"I end my turn with a face-down," Dimitri finished his turn.

"My turn!" Mana drew her card. "And with my standby phase, Silent Magician goes from LV4 to LV8 (3500/1000)!" Her mage grew into a tall woman with long white hair, clad in blue and white robes. "And I'll sacrifice my Apprentice Magician to summon Dark Red Enchanter (2300/2200)!" A crimson-robed mage floated onto her field. "Now, Silent Magician, destroy his Element Dragon!"

"Hold on, you can't attack!" Dimitri protested. "My Swords of Revealing Light are still in play, so you can't attack for three turns!"

"That only partially true," Mana smirked. "But Silent Magician LV8 is immune to all of the magic effects on your side of the field. So she's free to attack. Go, Silent Burning Attack!" The blue and white mage fired shining white magic at the dragon, shattering its hologram. Dimitri's LifePoints fell to 2200. "I'll place a card face-down and end my turn."

"Good work, Mana!" Max yelled out to her.

"I reveal my face-down card!" Dimitri activated his trap as he drew his card. "Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan! When I control Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth monsters, which Doriado counts as, I can activate one of its four effects. I choose to destroy all the monsters on your field! And since it's a trap card, your Silent Magician isn't immune to it." Winds carrying rain, flames, and debris blew across Mana's field and swept away Silent Magician and Dark Red Enchanter. "You're wide open now, Mana. Perfect for my Element Soldier (1500/1200)." A spear wielder in gold armor materialized on his field. "And I'll switch Doriado into attack mode too."

"I'm not scared, Dimitri," Mana stared him down.

"You should be," the Ra grinned. "Element Soldier, attack her directly! Earth thrust!"

"Go, Mirror Force!" the Slifer played her face-down. "You should know what this does. Say good-bye to your Soldier and Doriado!" The spear collided with the trap's reflective surface, destroying the warrior and the priestess. "Now you're wide open."

"No, I'm not," Dimitri pulled a card from his hand. "When Elemental Mistress Doriado is destroyed, I can summon this: Element Avenger (2600/2400)!" A knight in black armor with silver accents wielding a morning star landed on his field. The silver accents started shifting colors between green, blue, brown, and red. "Unlike my other Element monsters, Avenger gets the effects based on the attributes in my graveyard. And when Doriado is in the graveyard, he gains all the Element effects, including gaining 500 attack points for fire monsters." The black knight's strength rose to 3100. "Now, Element Avenger, finish her off! Elemental Smash!"

"I play my Waboku!" Mana revealed her other face-down card. Monks in pale blue robes appeared on her field, neutralizing the avenger's attack. "I don't take any battle damage for the rest of the turn.

"That only buys you one turn," Dimitri scoffed. "You won't be able to summon anything strong enough to beat my Avenger before he wipes you out."

Hang in there, Mana. Joan could only hope for her friend's victory.

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"It's not over until the last card is played," Mana drew her card. She had to turn this around. And thanks to Jaden, she knew exactly what she needed to draw. "I activate my Pot of Greed to draw two cards." She smiled, having a play. It was a little risky—if Dimitri negated even one of her effects, she was finished.

"Show me what you got," Dimitri challenged her.

"I play two cards face-down and end my turn," Mana set two of the four cards in her hand on the field. "Make your move."

"Oh, I'm definitely doing something about those traps," Dimitri activated a spell. "But first I'll boost my hand with Graceful Charity." He drew three cards and discarded two. "And now I'll activate Monster Reborn to bring back one of the monsters I just discarded. Come out, Jinzo!" A humanoid monster in metallic green armor and menacing chrome mask materialized on his field. Mana couldn't help but flinch, remembering her encounter with Duel Spirit who tried to feed on her soul. "Now those trap cards are useless, so you can't stop me from attacking. Element Avenger, finish her off!"

"I reveal my face-down card!" Mana countered.

"You can't!" Dimitri protested. "Jinzo negates your traps!"

"It's not a trap," Mana revealed the quick-play spell. "The Flute of Summoning Kuriboh will let me summon Winged Kuriboh (300/200) from my deck in defense mode!" Jaden's furball friend materialized on her field."

"That monster will buy you one turn at most," Dimitri scoffed. "Avenger, attack it!"

"I still have one more card to play," Mana revealed her other card. "Transcendent Wings! By discarding the two cards in my hand, Winged Kuriboh grows to LV10 (300/200)!" Kuriboh's wings grew larger and shone with golden light. "And now Winged Kuriboh's effect activates! By sacrificing him, all your attack position monsters are destroyed, and you take damage equal to their original attack points!" Golden light filled the field, shattering Jinzo and Element Avenger's holograms. Winged Kuriboh faded as Dimitri's LifePoints fell to zero.

"Nice work, pal," Mana praised the Duel Spirit who appeared next to her.

"Good game, Mana," Dimitri commended her. "I wasn't expecting that combination."

"I can't take all the credit," Mana turned to the stands to look for her friends. There, finally, she spotted Airi's white hair. With her was Chazz… Joan and Sterling… Max… Alexis… "Winged Kuriboh belongs to Jaden. I hoped seeing him in action would help Jaden find his…" Hassleberry... Syrus… Dread filled her as she didn't see Jaden in the group.

"What's wrong?" Dimitri noticed her change in demeanor.

Where is he? Why didn't he come? "I have to go." Mana powered down her duel disk and took off running, leaving the arena without an answer to Dimitri or the chancellors.

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Max knew the look on Mana's face as she fled the arena. "Let's go," he stood up, knowing exactly where his friend was going.

"We need to make sure he's okay," Alexis nodded, leading the way out of the arena.

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Mana's lungs were on fire as she raced up the stairs to the second floor of Slifer. She flung the door open to the guys' room, ready to knock some sense into her best friend.

The room was deserted.

Mana fell to her knees, frustration and exhaustion overcoming her. Why? She thought Jaden trusted them, trusted her. Why didn't he let her help him?

"Mana!"

She heard Max and the others catching up, but she didn't answer them. Not until she could get her emotions under control and speak without her voice shaking.

"Hey," Max put a hand on her shoulder, a glance in the room telling him everything. "Jaden's gone, guys," he told the others. "We need to go find him. Alexis, Airi, go check the Obelisk dorms, Bastion, the Ra. Hassleberry, Syrus, you two go look around the woods. He could have gone for a walk to clear his head. Sterling, Chazz, go check the card shop and the main building. Maybe Dorothy or someone else saw him. Joan and I will check the cliffs, beach, and pier. Jaden's got to be on the island somewhere.

Mana smiled at the way Max took charge of the situation, grateful that he had the clear head to start a search—and grateful that nobody argued for once. As the others left to search for their wayward friend, Winged Kuriboh appeared in front of her, his eyes downcast. "This is what you were trying to tell me earlier, wasn't it?" He cooed, nestling against her. "I'm sorry. If only I'd listened to you better, I would have realized it."

But what was done was done. Mana couldn't do over the day to make herself see just how bad Jaden was hurting, though she desperately wanted to. Now she could only hope he was okay. Wherever he was.

1. I'm pulling the alarm aspect from the Yu-Gi-Oh! R manga. In that, Bandit Keith makes a reappearance, and he tries to pull the same trick he did in Duelist Kingdom by playing a card concealed in his wristband. But the duel disk as an anti-cheat program which halts the move. Between that what Zigfried tried to pull in the Grand Championship arc, I wanted to expand a little on the duel disk protocols for enforcing fair play (at least when magic's not involved, such as cards like the Legendary Dragons).

I will be expanding a little more about unknown (to the public) cards being recognized on software in future chapters. Once it occurred to me, it really bothers me the inconsistency with unreleased cards getting played (and we can all assume nothing gets by Kaiba twice) after the Golden Castle issue back in DM. And the Destiny Heroes aren't the only cards in this boat (y'all get one guess to other major cards I'm thinking). So we'll be addressing some of that (and setting up a few things too) with that.

We will also be deviating from canon a little bit now that Jaden has bowed out for the time being. We'll still have focus on Syrus and Hassleberry (and of course Mana as the co-lead), but we're also going to focus on the other members of the cast to see how they cope with their friend being gone (and the other stresses of Academy life to come).

Thanks again for reading, and I'll see you all next time.