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.

19. Graduation

Hey, guys. First of all, I owe you all a massive apology. It was never my intention to go so long without updating this, and I hope this super long (31 pages) chapter makes up for it. Long story short, things have been busy on my end between work and conventions I was attending, and my laptop charger died, so I have to share my family's desktop until I get a new one. I'm starting to get caught up now, and hopefully I'll be able to get all my stories updated in the next week or two and get back on track. I hope to push myself back to being able to update this with no more than a month or two between chapters. I thank you guys for sticking with me, and I'll have a longer note at the end of this regarding some aspects of this moving forward. Don't worry; I'm not abandoning this or any of my other stories.

Now, despite all that, I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did, Zane and Chumley would have had full-on ceremonies like what Jaden's class got at the end of the series.

Chapter Nineteen: Graduation

Mana's head pounded. Groaning, she sat up and placed a hand on her head. Blinking, the dark infirmary slowly came into focus, illuminated only by the moonlight from the window.

"Good to see you're okay," Atticus stretched out in the chair next to her bed.

"Wait, what are you doing here?" Mana rubbed her eyes, unsure if she was really seeing the elder Rhodes.

"I'm here looking after my buddy and his little sister," Atticus grinned.

Mana looked past the brunet to see her brother sleeping in the next bed. "Atem!" she reached for him.

"He'll be fine," Atticus pacified her. "Or, he said he'd be fine before he passed out. I didn't really get it, but he said you guys burned through your Ba? I guess it has something to do with what you did against the Sacred Beasts."

"Pretty much," Mana sighed. "Let's just say picking a fight with the Sacred Beasts is a bad idea."

"Atem said the same thing," Atticus glanced to his sleeping friend.

An idea came to Mana, and she bit her lip to keep from laughing. I really shouldn't. Atem was in the infirmary because of her half-cocked idea to protect the Duel Spirits. But it would be so funny.

"What are you thinking?" Atticus raised an eyebrow and grinned at her. "Something good I hope?"

"I'm torn," she admitted. "I'm really, really tempted to mess with Atem, but I don't think it's a good idea.

"That just proves it is," Atticus grinned. "What do you got?"

"Do you have a marker?"

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"MANA!"

She jumped awake at the sound of her brother's yell. Rubbing the remaining sleep from her eyes, Mana found her brother standing next to the infirmary's sink. He'd obviously discovered her and Atticus's handiwork when he looked in the mirror. She stifled a laugh at the monocle, goatee, sideburns, and third eye drawn on his face.

Atem fixed amethyst eyes on her. "Why?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Very funny," he didn't flinch. "This," he motioned his hand over his face, "has your signature all over it."

"Hey, the Elvis sideburns were Atticus's idea!"

Atem slapped his forehead, his palm covering the third eye. "I should have known. This is why I don't want you two hanging out. You just encourage each other."

"Oh, come on, Prince," Mana stuck her tongue out at him. "We both know this is not the worst prank I've ever done. And I get the feeling it's not the worst Atticus has ever done either."

Atem sighed. "Airi and Joan better keep you in line next year. I know Max will just join in."

"Yeah, yeah," Mana rolled her eyes. Atem turned to the sink and grabbed a rag. "Hey, Atem?"

"What?" he turned to face her again.

She snapped a photo with her PDA. "Nothing. I just wanted a picture."

"Delete that." Atem glared at her.

"No!" Mana held the PDA close to her. "This one's going in the archive."

"Mana…"

"You know the rules, Atem. Any documented footage is protected under the Fair Pranks Act, not to be distributed except in cases of blackmail or revenge."

"I will get you," Atem promised. "You won't know when; you won't know how, but I will get you."

Mana grinned. "You can try."

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Mana stuck her tongue out as she painted in the teeth of her blob creature. Art was definitely not her specialty. The limit to her skills was washed off her brother's face that morning.

"Hey, check this out," Syrus held up his attempt at Dark Magician Girl. "What do you think?"

"Not bad," Jaden glanced to it. He finished filling in the lines on his own picture. "But check out my card design. "It's a work of art… it's pure genius… it's Sparkman!" He gestured to the awkwardly drawn warrior in blue.

"If you say so," Syrus nodded. "What'd you make, Mana?"

"About the only Duel Monster I can draw and still have people know what it is," Mana frowned. "Marshmallon." She held up the marshmallow creature with too many bulges and teeth sticking at unnatural angles. "I can't draw to save my life."

"I think that's more terrifying than the real thing," Syrus sighed.

"So what did you do, Chumsters?" Jaden turned to Chumley behind them.

"Well…" he showed them his beautifully painted sunrise over rocks taller than the forest.

"That's amazing," Mana breathed. "I wish I could draw half as well as that."

"Cool!" Jaden grinned. "So what is it?"

"What is it?" Syrus repeated, throwing their fearless leader an exasperated look. "You've never seen Ayers Rock?"

"Uh… no," Jaden glanced to each of them, silently seeking an explanation.

"I've heard of it, but I've never been there," Mana answered. "Have you, Chumley?"

"Yeah," Chumley looked down at his painting. "You see, a long time ago, I went camping with my dad in Australia and saw it."

"That's so cool," Mana smiled. Other students crowded into see Chumley's handiwork.

"Yeah, I'm going to use for my—"

"Attention!" Dr. Crowler's voice rang over the intercom. "Will Chumley Huffington please report to Chancellor Sheppard?"

Panic filled the koala duelist's eyes. "Can you come with me?" he asked Mana.

"Sure, but why me?" she asked.

"Because you've been to see Chancellor Sheppard more than any of us."

"I wouldn't call that a good thing," Mana left her art supplies at her spot and followed Chumley out the door.

Chumley grew more agitated the closer they got to the office. "It'll be okay," Mana said. "Whatever's up, it can't be worse than the punishment I got for drenching those Obelisks. Remember when I had to clean the Obelisk arena every day for a week?"

"But you at least knew what you did," Chumley gave a small smile before knocking on the door.

"Come in," Sheppard's voice called to them.

They stepped into the room to find Dr. Crowler waiting for them as well. "Hello, Chumley. Mana, I wasn't expecting to see you as well."

"I'm just here to support Chumley," Mana stayed close to the door. "I promise I did not do anything to warrant punishment this time."

"Yeah, I asked her to come," Chumley kept his gaze on the ground. "So, am… am I busted or…?"

"What?" Chancellor Sheppard burst out laughing when he realized what the Slifers were expecting. "No. I've called you here because I have some very good news for you, Chumley. You might as well come and see too, Mana." He held out a card to the koala duelist.

Mana moved closer to see it better. "Hey, that looks kind of like what you were painting in class."

"It's my card," Chumley breathed.

"Congratulations," Sheppard beamed. "Your design won Industrial Illusions' contest. It's now official."

"Cool!" Mana grinned.

"But who chose—" Chumley started.

"I did, Chumley-boy!" The question was cut off by the silver-haired man dressed in a red suit on the video phone. Mana hadn't even noticed it was on. "There were so many cards and so little time to decide."

"Mr. Pegasus!" she waved at the screen. "Hi!"

"Hello, Mana-girl!" Maximillion Pegasus waved back at her. "I do hope you and Atem-boy can visit Duelist Kingdom again soon. I have more stories for you. But back to the matter at hand." He turned his amber eye on the Slifer senior. "Chumley-boy, your card was a gift from the angels themselves."

"Really?" Chumley smiled and looked down at the card in his hand.

"Yes! And there's more!" Pegasus gestured excitedly as he spoke. "I want your big brain working on more cards for me at Industrial Illusions. If your teachers concur. After your graduation, you'll fly right over to our headquarters. See you then." With that, he ended the call.

"What an opportunity," Sheppard smiled. "Well, my dear boy, you have my recommendation."

"Chumley, this is awesome!" Mana threw her arms around her friend.

"Pegasus really wants me?" Chumley turned back to the teachers.

"A moment," Crowler turned to the chancellor. "I'm troubled.

"What now?" Sheppard rolled his eyes. "Just say yes."

"But Chumley hasn't passed his exams," Crowler protested.

"So?" Mana glared at the Obelisk head. "Pegasus obviously thinks he's good enough. Besides, do you seriously think all the card designers at Industrial Illusions are duelists?"

"But what kind of school would we be if we send Pegasus some flunky?" Crowler countered.

"Crowler, come on," Sheppard urged the professor. "Give the kid a break for Pete's sake."

"If Chumley can beat me in a duel, then I'll let him go," Crowler stated.

"A duel?" Chumley repeated.

"But if he loses," Crowler pointed at his opponent to accentuate his point, "he'll be expelled immediately!"

"That is too far!" Mana glared at the professor. It took all her self-control not to launch herself at him. I bet if Chumley were an Obelisk, Dr. Crowler would approve him no problem!

"I think it's a fine idea," Sheppard smiled. "Good luck, Chumley, you'll need it. Crowler plays to win."

"And win is what I'll do tomorrow," Crowler sneered.

Mana's temper rose again, and Chumley grabbed her shoulder and dragged her out of the office. Jaden and Syrus were waiting for them. "What happened?" Syrus asked.

They gave the other two Slifers a rundown of what happened on the way back to Slifer. "Man, why does Crowler make everything so tough?" Jaden grumbled.

"One of these days, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind," Mana punched her palm to prove her point.

"Don't worry, Chum," Jaden placed a hand on the taller Slifer's shoulder. "You'll just take out that creepy Crowler. I did." He smirked. "So you can too."

"We're with you all the way," Mana said as they arrived at the dorm. "Actually, I think I have a card that could help. Give me a second."

She ducked into her room, and flipped through the spare cards she'd accumulated from Dorothy's shop. While Mana was never short of cards she needed, her friend Amane had a goal back home to collect every card in existence. Mana did what she could to help, though some were easier to find than others. It was the nature of the game.

"Found it!" she popped over to the guys' room and held out the trap to Chumley. "Joan may not be a duelist, but Max and I do occasionally get her to play. When she does, she likes to use this. It's a bit of a gamble because of the cost, but it has gotten her out of a few tight pinches. You should see Max's face when she uses it on him."

"Thanks," Chumley accepted the card.

"You're going to do great, Chum," Syrus grinned.

"You're right," the koala duelist smiled. "As long as you guys are with me, I just can't lose."

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Mana bit her lip as the duelists powered up their duel disks. "Take him down, Chumley!" she called.

"Let's go, Chumley! We're with you!" Jaden added.

"Hey, we're all rooting for you!" Alexis joined in.

"We are?" Chazz said from the other side of Mana. She elbowed him. "I mean, yeah, we so totally are."

"Don't be nervous," Dr. Crowler sneered. "This duel will simply affect the rest of your life."

"Uh, okay," Chumley took a step back.

"Well what are you waiting for? An invitation?" the professor asked.

"I got one right here!" Chumley drew his first card. "Let's see here. I think that first I'm going to lay down one face-down." The monster card appeared on his field.

"That move was absolutely… oh, what's the word? Yes, lame," Crowler scoffed. "I play the spell Magnet Circle LV2. And thanks to this, I get to summon this: my Ancient Gear (100/800)." A little gear monster materialized on the field. "And its special effect lets me summon now let's me summon another one." A second gear appeared on the field. "Not too shabby, eh?"

"Is that bad?" Syrus asked.

"Big time," Jaden answered.

"Both were special summoned, so I'd say yes," Mana added. "Dr. Crowler can pretty much bring out whatever monster he wants now."

"Now I sacrifice my two Ancient Gears," Crowler continued his move, "to summon my Ancient Gear Golem (3000/3000)!" The large mechanical monstrosity that terrorized everyone since he first used it on Jaden towered over of the field. "Ancient Golem, attack! Mechanized Melee!" The Golem launched its fist at Chumley's monster.

The monster flipped over revealing Des Koala (1100/1800). The Golem's fist flew through the koala, knocking Chumley down to 2800 LifePoints. Before its hologram shattered, Des Koala slashed at the fist, using its effect to deal Crowler 400 points for each card in his hand. Crowler's LifePoints dropped to 3200.

"He remembered the effect this time," Mana smiled, remembering when Chumley went straight on the offensive against his dad instead of using the flip effect.

"Yeah, he's a lean, mean dueling machine!" Jaden grinned. "Okay, maybe not lean."

"Jaden!" Mana elbowed him.

"What?"

"I summon Eucalyptus Mole (800/1300) in defense mode," Chumley made his move. "And next I'll be laying down another face-down."

"Come now, Chumley," Crowler drew. "That's your move?" He looked over his hand. "Ancient Gear Golem, attack Eucalyptus Mole! Mechanized Melee!" The Golem's fist smashed into the green and white mole, shattering the hologram. Chumley's LifePoints fell to 1100.

"Let's just wait one minute, okay?" Chumley countered. "If you take out my Eucalyptus Mole, I get a Koala from my deck." He pulled out a card. "And guess who wants to say hi—my little friend Big Koala (2700/2000)!" The large, blue beast materialized on the field and roared.

"More like a big waste," Crowler scoffed. "I, on the other hand, will be summoning Ancient Gear Soldier (1300/1300)." The Soldier knelt on Crowler's field.

"Whatever," Chumley drew his card. "Lishus," he smirked. "I'm going to play Wild Nature's Release!" His monster shimmered with blue energy. "And all of a sudden, my Big Koala's defense points are added on to his attack points." The blue koala's strength rose to 4700.

"When did Chumley get so good?" Alexis asked.

"From watching me," Syrus grinned.

"Yeah, that's it," Jaden rolled his eyes.

"Keep it up, Chumley!" Mana cheered.

"Okay, Koala," Chumley commanded. "Take out that pile of rusty bolts! Takedown from Down Under!" Big Koala charged forward and slammed into the Golem, destroying it. Crowler's LifePoints fell to 1500. "Now check out my face-down," Chumley activated his trap. "Isn't it totally awesome? Beast Soul Swap lets me bring back a monster to my hand, and then I get to summon another beast with the same level. It's switch-a-lishus!" He looked over his hand. "And I guess I'll call… another Big Koala!"

He really has come far. Mana grinned at Chumley outmaneuvering the side effect of his spell and using the second Koala to destroy the Ancient Gear Soldier.

"And I'll be laying down two face-downs," Chumley ended his turn.

Is one of those the card I gave him? Mana eyed her friend's cards. Don't get ahead of yourself, Chumley. Save that for when you really need it.

"Let's see how you handle this," Crowler drew. "I activate my Pot of Greed, which, of course, allows me to draw two more cards." He smirked at his result. "Such as the ultimate spell card—Ancient Gear Factory!"

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Mana said as a mechanical structure rose behind the Obelisk professor."

"Ditto," Jaden agreed.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Crowler sneered. "It allows me to summon any Ancient Gear card I hold. Such as my friend the Ancient Gear Golem."

"But what about the sacrifice?" Alexis asked. "Golem kind of needs one."

"Not quite." Mana jumped at the sound of Chancellor Sheppard's voice. When did he get here?

"You're here?" Jaden voiced everyone's confusion.

"Why not?" Sheppard shrugged. "I just love a good duel. Though it doesn't look so good for Chumley."

"He's right," Crowler turned his head to the audience, indicating he'd heard their conversation. "I don't need to sacrifice a card. All you need to do is look into my graveyard. If it holds Ancient Gear monsters whose levels are twice that of my Golem, they become the sacrifice." The machine started up, grinding up old parts as the stars on the side lit up. "So, please, let's all welcome back Ancient Gear Golem!" The massive mechanical menace towered over the field yet again.

"What a move!" stars filled Jaden's eyes at the combo. He caught himself. "Wait, I mean, you know, I guess."

"Hey, just whose side are you on?" Syrus glared at his friend.

"Stay strong, Chum!" Mana called out.

"Dear Chumley, how can I recommend you?" Crowler mocked. "I mean, come now. You can't even win one easy duel. Ancient Gear Golem, attack Big Koala! Mechanized Melee!" The mechanical fist slammed through the koala and shattered the hologram. Chumley's LifePoints fell to 800.

"I play a trap!" Chumley revealed one of his face-downs. "And it's a totally lishus one called Animal Trail. Now Des Kangaroo jumps right into my hand."

"A kangaroo?" Crowler scoffed. "You'll have to do much better than that, Chumley." He played his card. "Something like Ancient Gear Drill. Thanks to this 'lishus' card, I get to take any spell card and place it face-down." He set the card from his deck.

"Oh man," Syrus muttered.

"Did he say any spell?" Alexis eyed the card.

"This is not boding well," Bastion sighed.

"Give it a rest already," Chazz rolled his eyes. "He's through."

Mana elbowed him. "It's not over yet."

"Yeah," Jaden agreed. "Remember your friends are with you, Chumley!"

"All the way to the end!" Mana added.

Chumley's face broke into a grin, and he raised his fist. "You can't beat me, Crowler! Because it's more than just me! It's all my best buds too!"

"Right on!" Jaden nodded.

"Look at him," Alexis smiled.

"He's happy," Syrus said.

"That's a first," Bastion commented.

"Yeah, big deal," Chazz muttered.

"Thanks for everything, Jaden," Chumley nodded.

"Jaden can't save you," Crowler sneered.

"But this card just might," Chumley drew. He grinned at the card. "I play Ayer's Rock Sunrise!" The rock from Chumley's painting materialized behind him. "You can't stop the sun from rising—just like you can't stop my dream. I will be a famous card designer, and now let's see one of my first cards in action! First it lets me summon one beast from the graveyard. Think you can guess who? The one, the only, Big Koala!" The large, blue beast stood up on the field. "Then turn your eyes to my graveyard, and you'll find for each beast, plant, or winged-beast, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Rusty loses 200 attack points." Golem's attack points fell to 2600.

"Go, Chumley!" Mana cheered.

"Now, how about we try something fuse-a-lishus with Polymerization," Chumley continued his move. "I'm melding Big Koala and Des Kangaroo to create Master of Oz (4200/3700) in attack mode!" A large, green, koala-like monster with a kangaroo tail and wearing red boxing gloves and a purple vest jumped onto the field.

"That's Chumley's best monster," Syrus grinned.

"Go get him, Chum," Jaden encouraged his friend.

"Knock that menace into next week!" Mana yelled.

"All right, Master of Oz, attack Ancient Gear Golem!" Chumley commanded. "Outback Attack!"

"I activate the spell Limiter Removal!" Crowler countered. "With it, the attack points of all my machines are doubled!"

"Not today," Chumley revealed his face-down. "I play Solemn Judgement! By paying half my LifePoints, I can negate the activation of your spell." Light shot from the trap and struck Crowler's spell, shattering it.

"He played it!" Mana squealed. "I can't wait to tell Joan!"

Without the spell's power boost, Ancient Gear Golem couldn't stand up to the Master of Oz. The green marsupial slammed its gloved paw into the golem's chest. The machine fell apart, its pieces dissolving as they hit the ground. Crowler's LifePoints fell to zero.

The holograms faded, and the room fell silent as everyone took in the result. Chumley won. He actually defeated Crowler.

Mana was the first to break the silence. "That was awesome, Chumley!" she screamed, pumping both of her fists. "You did it!"

"Way to go, Chum!" Jaden cheered next to her.

The rest of the audience broke into applause, making the moment even more real for the victor. "I actually did it," he said.

"Yes, you did," Crowler walked up to him. "But you should know the duel was not to win or lose, but to prove your ability. And you have exceeded all my expectations. As promised, I will recommend you for the position at Industrial Illusions." He extended his hand to Chumley. "You're graduating." Chumley accepted the handshake. "Farewell and congratulations, Chumley."

"He is going," Syrus bit his lip. "I don't know how I should feel."

Mana's heart froze. I didn't even think about that. Chumley won't be with us next year. Neither will Atem or Zane.

"Hey, Chumley gets to follow his dream," Jaden pointed out. "Let's not be sad. We should be all parties and hugs."

"You're right, Jaden," Mana steeled herself. "Doesn't make it any easier though. But we have to be happy for him. Besides, Pegasus is awesome. Chumley's going to love working for him."

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"Hey, Chumley," Mana asked as she spun wheel for The Game of Life. "Where did you get the idea for your card? You mentioned yesterday something about camping in Australia." She moved her blue car forward six spaces.

"Well, it was more I ran away," Chumley admitted. "I was pretty down, and ran off after flunking my second advancement exam. I went to toss my deck off the highest rock I could find to give up dueling for good."

"What?" Syrus's eyes widened.

"It's okay," he looked down and spun the wheel. "Before I did, I saw the most awesome-lishus sunrise ever. That's when I realized, things may seem to be at their darkest, but they're not going to stay that way for long." He slid his white car three spaces.

"That's a great way to look at it," Mana smiled.

"We're proud of you, Chum," Jaden grinned and spun. The red car rolled past the fork in the road. "And you're going to do great."

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Atem stood with the rest of his class as the computer calculated their class rankings. There wasn't really any doubt for most of it. The only question was the top spot.

Would it be Atem or Zane?

The rankings finally appeared on the screen, and everyone started buzzing. Atem looked to his best friend to gauge Zane's reaction.

It was a tie.

Dr. Crowler looked between them. "WHAT?"

"Well this is unusual," Chancellor Sheppard grinned. "Well, boys, what do you think?"

"I think Fate plays a strange game," Atem answered. Zane nodded in agreement.

"Then they'll have to duel for it," Crowler reasoned. "We've never had two on top."

"But that takes out the spirit of the match," Sheppard countered. "The winner gets to choose their opponent. Unless they want to duel each other." They looked to the students.

Atem glanced to his friend. If he had earned the graduation match, Atem hadn't really considered going against Zane again. They'd likely face each other on the Pro-Circuit in the future, so deciding who truly was better seemed pre-mature. And there were two others he considered more. Ones he hadn't gotten to duel this year.

"We don't need to," Zane answered.

"I'm with Zane," Atem agreed. "There's no need to settle our rivalry now."

Sheppard exchanged a look with Crowler. "There's no reason we can't have two matches."

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"Dimension the Dice!" Mana unfolded the plastic covering of her Mighty Mage and extended her blue Dungeon Path.

"Nice roll," Jaden smirked. "Now I'll show you mine. Go, Dice Roll!" He tossed his dice. "Sweetness. Dimension the Dice. Go, Celtic Guardian." He placed the Dungeon path and figurine on the board.

"What were its stats in this game again?" Chumley asked.

"Not as high as he would like," Mana smirked. "You'll need more than him to beat me, Jaden. I always cream Atem at this game."

"Oh really?" said player's voice sounded from the open door.

Mana jumped. She glared at Atem and Zane standing in the doorway. "What was that for, Prince?"

"For claiming I'm terrible at Dungeon Dice Monsters," her brother raised an eyebrow. "But that's not why we're here."

"I swear I didn't do it," Mana raised her hands in defense.

"Why would you think that?" Atem rubbed his forehead.

"Because you two never come to Slifer, and Zane has his scary face on."

Zane threw a confused look to the elder Muto. "Mana, he always looks like that," Syrus sighed. The elder Truesdale's glare intensified at his brother. "Zane, that's not what I meant."

"Have you even done anything that would get you in trouble?" Atem looked to his sister.

"Not today," Mana rubbed the back of her head and looked away. "But a couple of days ago Atticus and I did kind of make a doll that looked like one of Camula's and hung it outside Dr. Crowler's office. Atticus has all that evidence though."

Atem smacked his own forehead. "Why?"

"Because it was funny," Mana giggled. "So why are you here then?"

"You know, in my three years at the Academy, I've not once set foot in this dorm," Zane said.

"I've only been in here when we were dealing with the Shadow Riders," Atem added. "Until now."

"I'm kind of glad we found a reason," Zane continued.

"Like what? To invite us out to lunch?" Jaden asked. "Or to one of your hotshot Obelisk Blue functions?"

"To duel you," Zane answered.

"Say what?" the four Slifers asked.

"Have you heard of the Graduation Match?" Atem asked.

"Wait, you mean where the top senior gets to duel whomever they want in front of the whole school?" Chumley asked.

"Exactly," Atem nodded. "This year it's a tie. So we both get to choose someone to duel."

"I want Jaden to face me," Zane said.

"And I've chosen Mana," Atem looked at his sister.

"No no no no," Mana protested. "I've already dueled in front of the school three times."

"And now we'll make it four," Atem stared her down. "Zane may give Jaden a choice, but I'm not giving you one."

"Why?"

"For now, we'll just call it revenge for drawing on my face last week."

"That wasn't just me," Mana glared at him. "Atticus helped too. Are you going to make him duel in front of the school?"

"I'll get to him. And he likes dueling for a crowd."

"So what do you say, Jaden?" Zane ignored the Muto squabbling and turned to his desired opponent.

"I'm in," Jaden eyed the Obelisk. "How can I turn down a challenge like this?"

"Fine," Mana crossed her arms and scowled at her brother. "But I will get you back so hard for this."

"As long as it's during our duel, come at me as hard as you want," Atem smirked.

"Let's go," Zane pushed the door farther open. "By the way, I think this dorm's a good fit for you kids." He headed down the balcony.

"Good luck," Atem waved to the Slifers and followed his friend.

"Thanks," Mana sighed.

"Wow, this is sweet!" Jaden grinned. "The last duels of the year, and we're in them!"

"Yeah, the thick of it!" Syrus yelled. "This is Zane you're facing! One of the only duelists you've ever lost to! And you're going to be dueling him in front of the entire school!"

"Not to mention the only person to ever beat him is Atem," Chumley added.

"So if you guys don't win, you'll be stuck in their shadows forever!" Syrus continued. "You'll never be the next King of Games!"

"Enough, Syrus!" Mana snapped. The reality of her duel with Atem closed in. It was suddenly hard to breathe. "I need some air." She bolted out the room and away from Slifer.

She didn't stop running until she reached the beach. Panting, she dropped to her knees and stared into the water. Breathe, Mana, breathe. She forced herself to take deep breaths, allowing her heartbeat to steady. The waves lapped back and forth, creating a sense of calm.

"You okay?" Jaden sat down next to her.

"I will be," she answered. "Just give me a minute."

He leaned back, resting his weight on his hands. "You know, I knew you got nervous with big duels, but I wouldn't have guessed you'd snap like that."

"I'm sorry," Mana looked away. "I know Syrus means well, but…"

"Hey, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Jaden said.

"No, it's okay," Mana took a deep breath. "If it was a just normal duel, or like the duels Atem and I had back home, I wouldn't be this nervous. But whenever the Dad's legacy as the King of Games comes up, I just get so freaked out. I mean, I've gotten used to people here knowing I'm a Muto, but since the School Duel, no one has batted an eye about it. I know it's ridiculous, but I was less afraid taking on the Shadow Riders than this."

"I get it," Jaden said. He smirked. "You know there are three duelists who've beaten me since I got here: Zane, Kaibaman, and you. And you're the only one I've been able to beat since."

"'Cause I'm the only you've actually dueled since then," Mana rolled her eyes. "Though, believe it or not, I have beaten Atem before. Actually, everyone in our group back home has won at different times. Though when it comes to sheer numbers, Atem trumps us all. Airi, Max, and I probably have closer stats, but I'm not sure who's really on top. Airi's a little more determined about beating the two of us."

"Can't wait to meet her," Jaden grinned.

"Don't worry; I'm sure she'll hate you," Mana laughed.

"Why?" he threw her a confused look.

"She kind of hates everyone," Mana rolled her eyes. "Especially Max. Those two fight more often than Chazz and the Ojamas."

"Oh boy," Jaden put his arms behind his head and leaned back, sprawling across the sand.

Mana flopped backward and spread her arms eagle wide. "So what are you going to do about tomorrow?"

"I'm thinking of trying something different," he answered.

"Different how?" she turned her head to face him. "'Cause you not using Elemental Heroes is like asking Uncle Seto to not use Blue-Eyes."

"Would facing him be better or worse than Kaibaman?"

"I haven't beaten either, so I can't tell you," Mana rolled her eyes. "But Kaibaman did have a good point when we met him."

"Yeah," Jaden agreed. "But when I said I was doing something different, I was thinking of using my head a little more."

"Who are you, and what have you done with Jaden Yuki?" Mana sat up. "Jaden, going with your gut is one of your greatest strengths. You're not Bastion."

"Yeah, but that didn't work out so well for me last time," Jaden countered. "And what does Bastion say? If it doesn't work, try a different formula?"

"I think that's more what he does instead of what he says," she sighed. "But if you think it will work, go for it."

"I will," he grinned. "So what are you going to do?"

"Put something in Atem's bed when we get home," Mana answered. Jaden snorted. "He calls this revenge for a harmless marker prank? In all seriousness, I'm just going to have to ignore the fact it's in front of the school. But that can't be worse than the School Duel. Except that Atem is harder to beat."

"I don't plan on losing," Jaden smirked. "Just like I don't plan to lose that game we left back at the dorm."

"Okay, I get the message," Mana jumped to her feet. "But you're going down."

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"So what's your sister going to do to you for this one?" Zane asked as they made their way back to Obelisk.

"Something that'll be memorable," Atem rolled his eyes. He smirked. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Enjoy her revenge," his friend said. "And good luck tomorrow."

"You too, Zane," Atem gave his friend a thumbs-up. "And I'll get you the next time we duel."

"I'll take you on any time, Muto."

"Same to you, Truesdale."

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Mana paced the entrance to the arena. Just breathe. It's just like any other duel. I'm so going to get Atem for this!

"Calm down," a voice sounded behind her, making her jump.

She smacked her brother's arm. "Atem, stop doing that."

"Why? This might the last time I'm able to," he shrugged.

"Don't remind me," Mana peaked into the arena. It seemed like everyone was already there. "I'm going to miss you next year."

"Hey, it'll be okay," Atem pulled her into a hug. "It won't be any different than when I first enrolled and you had to stay in Domino. Besides, you've got Jaden and your other friends. And you'll have Max, Joan, and Airi with you."

"Like Airi's going to be friendly and supportive," Mana rolled her eyes.

"But you'll be the one leading them," Atem pointed out. "And I'll admit, I briefly considered facing Jaden or Zane, but really, there's no one else I'd rather face in my last duel here."

"I'll make you regret that," she smirked. "You're going down, Prince of Games."

It was his turn to give an eye-roll. "Just wait until you get a nickname."

"Not happening."

"Not your call."

"And now, let us commence with the first of our dual grad matches," Dr. Crowler's voice rang out over the arena. "We have Atem Muto vs. Mana Gardner-Muto!"

"Why are we going first?" Mana hissed.

"Because Muto comes before Truesdale," Atem answered. "And I asked if we could go first."

Mana sent her brother the iciest glare she could muster as he strolled into the arena. Scowling, she followed him, and they took their places on the field. Atem smirked and powered up his duel disk. "Ready?" he asked.

"It's time to duel!" Mana activated her own disk and drew her cards. "I'll start with Magician's Valkyria (1600/1800) in defense mode and play one card face-down." The dark blonde spellcaster knelt on her field, her hook-shaped staff held in front of her. "Your move, Prince."

So what's she planning? Atem eyed his sister's face-down as he looked over his hand. "I summon Breaker, the Magical Warrior (1600/1000) in attack mode. And when he's summoned, he gains a Spell Counter and 300 extra attack points." The red-armored swordsman held his blade ready; the emblem on his shield glowed with a faint light. Should I use Breaker's effect? No, it's too early for her to set Mirror Force or Magic Cylinder. "Breaker, attack Magician's Valkyria!"

"Not so fast!" Mana counter. "I play my trap Magicians' Circle. Now we each summon a spellcaster with 2000 or less attack from our deck."

"Then I'll bring out Skilled Blue Magician (1800/1800)." The blue-robed spellcaster materialized onto Atem's field.

"And I'll bring out a second Valkyria." This dark blonde stood tall, her staff raised and ready to attack.

"Ah, the attack lock," Atem smirked. "Not bad. I'll end my turn with two face-downs."

"My turn," Mana drew. "I summon Chocolate Magician Girl (1600/1000) in attack mode." A spellcaster with light blue hair wearing a dark blue tube top and mini skirt twirled onto Mana's field. She gave Atem an impish smile. "And I'll use her effect to discard Dark Magician and draw a card. Then I'll switch Valkyria into defense mode." Both Valkyrias knelt and crossed their staffs, protecting all the spellcasters from attack. "Next I equip Chocolate with Black Pendant."

"Because of your spell, Skilled Blue gains one Spell Counter," Atem pointed out. The charm on the magician's left shoulder glowed blue.

"I'll deal with him in a bit," Mana brushed it off. "Now, Chocolate, destroy Breaker!"

"I really thought you'd see this this coming," Atem revealed one of his face-downs. "Sakuretsu Armor will destroy Chocolate." Armor appeared around the blue-haired spellcaster, crushing her until the hologram shattered. "Better luck next time."

"I still get to damage you," Mana stuck her tongue out. "When Black Pendant goes to the graveyard, its curse deals you 500 points of damage." Atem's LifePoints fell to 3500.

"It's my turn now," Atem drew his card. Perfect. Turnabout is fair play. "I play Reinforcement of the Army, which allows me to add Marauding Captain from my deck to my hand." He held up his chosen warrior. "And since I played a spell, Skilled Blue gains another Spell Counter." The charm on the magician's right shoulder lit up. "Now I'll summon Marauding Captain (1200/400) in defense mode, and his effect allows me to summon a second one as well." Twin soldiers crossed blades, signaling their protection of Atem's warriors. "I'll end my turn there."

"So now you're copying my idea?" Mana raised an eyebrow as she drew. "I summon Berry Magician Girl (400/400) in attack mode. And when Berry's summoned, I get to add a Magician Girl from my deck to my hand. And I know just who I want: Kiwi!" She showed the green-clad spellcaster's card before adding it to her hand. "And that'll do it for now."

Atem drew. "I'll start with Pot of Greed to draw two cards." The charm on Skilled Blue Magician's chest lit up. "Now I'll discard a card and play Lightning Vortex to obliterate your field." Lightning rained down and incinerated all of Mana's monsters. "And now that Skilled Blue is at three spell counters, I can use his effect to sacrifice himself and bring back the monster I just discarded. Say hello to Gaia, the Fierce Knight (2300/2100)!"

"Hey, Gaia," Mana waved at the warrior. "Long time, no see."

"Very funny," Atem rolled his eyes. "Gaia, attack her directly! Spiral Spear Strike!"

"Nuh-uh," Mana activated her face-down. "I play Call of the Haunted to bring back Dark Magician (2500/2100)!" The purple-robed spellcaster spun his green staff and leveled it at the mounted knight.

"Gaia, stop!" Atem cancelled the attack. "I end my turn."

Okay, I need to get past Sir Tall, Fierce, and Pointy. Mana drew her card. This'll help. "I play Bond Between Teacher and Student! Since Mahad is on my field, I can summon Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700) from my deck. Good to see you, Partner."

'Glad to be here.' Dark Magician Girl twirled her staff and winked at Mana.

'Don't lose your focus.' Mahad gave both girls a reprimanding look. 'We've a long way to go.'

"I'll end my turn with a face-down," Mana played her card and passed the duel back to her brother.

"Very well," Atem drew. "I play Card of Sanctity, so we each draw until we have six cards." He smirked as his new hand. "I play Black Luster Ritual! By sacrificing my Captains along with the King's Knight in my hand, I can summon the almighty Black Luster Soldier (3000/2500)!" Atem's signature black and gold warrior brandished his sword at the Magicians.

"Oh shoot," Mana gulped at the Soldier.

"And I'm not done," Atem continued. "Now I remove King's Knight and Breaker, one light monster and one dark monster, to special summon Black Luster Soldier — Envoy of the Beginning (3000/2500)!" Another black and gold warrior leveled his sword at the magicians. "I'll lay one card face-down, and now that he's the only card in my hand, I can summon Swift Gaia, the Fierce Knight (2300/2100), in attack mode." A second mounted knight raised twin lances at the opposing monsters.

Mana stared down four of Atem's strongest monsters. "I think I'm in trouble."

"Yes, you are," Atem grinned. "Envoy, use your power to remove Dark Magician from the game."

"Not today!" Mana chained her face-down. "I play Dedication through Light and Darkness! I can sacrifice Mahad to summon the Dark Magician of Chaos (2800/2600)!" Dark Magician shifted into his chaos form and evaded Envoy's blade. "And since Dark Magician of Chaos was summoned, I can get back my Black Pendant. Also, now that Mahad's in my graveyard, Dark Magician Girl gets a power boost."

"Not bad," Atem eyed the new monster. "But he won't save you. Black Luster Soldier, attack Dark Magician of Chaos! Chaos Blade!" The original Soldier slashed through Mana's chaos mage. Her LifePoints fell to 3800. "I end my turn."

"Then it's my move!" Mana grinned. "You're going to regret giving me those extra cards, Prince. First I play Sage's Stone to bring back Dark Magician." Mahad materialized next to his apprentice. "Then I'll activate the spell Black Magic Ritual. I sacrifice the Silent Magician LV8 in my hand to summon the Magician of Black Chaos (2800/2600)!" A blue-skinned magician with wild black hair clad in black and dark red descended onto Mana's field. "You're not the only one who can make a big play with a fresh hand."

"A Dark Magician trio," Atem nodded. "Nice."

"You haven't seen anything yet," Mana continued her move. "I play the field spell Yami." Shadows filled the arena. "Now all spellcasters and fiends gain 200 attack and defense points. And I'll equip Magician of Black Chaos with Black Pendant." The chaos mage's attack points rose to 3500. "Now, Dark Magician Girl, attack Envoy with Dark Burning Attack!"

"Really?" Atem raised an eyebrow. "Envoy is stronger than her."

"Did you forget about the Kiwi Magician Girl I had?" Mana discarded the card. "With her effect, I can boost Dark Magician Girl's strength by 300 for every Magician Girl on the field and in the graveyard." Transparent versions of Kiwi, Berry, and Chocolate Magician Girl appeared behind Mana's spirit partner. Dark Magician Girl's attack points rose to 3400.

"It's a good thing I have this then," Atem revealed his face-down. "The Spellbinding Circle will ensnare her and stop her attack."

"Dang it," Mana scowled at the trap. "Oh, well. Magician of Black Chaos, take out Envoy! Chaos Scepter Blast!" The chaos mage charged his staff and slammed it into the ground, creating a wave of energy that crashed into Envoy of the Beginning. Atem's LifePoints fell to 3000. "Make your move."

"I shall," Atem drew. "I reveal Call of the Haunted, which will bring back Envoy." The second Soldier returned to the field. "Now Envoy, use your power to remove Magician of Black Chaos from the game! Chaos Strike!" The Soldier slashed through the air above the chaos mage, opening a vortex that sucked the mage in.

"You just activated Black Pendant's effect again," Mana countered. "Now you take 500 points of damage." Atem's LifePoints dropped to 2500.

"That's the last time that curse will hit me," Atem promised. "Now, Black Luster Soldier, destroy Dark Magician Girl with your Chaos Blade!" Atem's spirit partner charged forward and struck Mana's with his sword. Dark Magician Girl's hologram shattered, and Mana's LifePoints fell to 3000. "That just about evened the score, Sis."

"Not for long," Mana said. "I play Pot Greed to draw two cards." Heart of the Cards, help me! "Yes! I play Dark Magic Attack! Since I have Mahad on my field, this destroys all of your spells and traps—namely your Call of the Haunted. So say good-bye to Envoy once again!" Envoy of the Beginning faded from the field.

"Clever," Atem smirked.

"And I'm not done yet," Mana smirked back. "I equip Dark Magician with Magic Formula to boost his strength by 700." A silver tome appeared in Mahad's hand; his strength rose to 3400. "Mahad, take out Black Luster Soldier! Dark Magic Attack!" The purple-robed spellcaster fired his magic at Atem's partner, shattering the hologram and knocking Atem down to 2100 LifePoints. "Your turn."

Atem drew his card. "I play Graceful Charity." He drew three cards and discarded two of them. "Perfect. I activate the spell Polymerization to fuse Gaia, the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragon into Sky Galloping Gaia, the Dragon Champion (2600/2100)! And when Sky Galloping Gaia is summoned, I can add Spiral Spear Strike from my deck to my hand. And I'll play it now." The spell appeared behind Sky Galloping Gaia.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this," Mana said.

"You should," Atem smirked. "Sky Galloping Gaia, attack Dark Magician! And with his ability, Dark Magician will switch into defense mode." Mahad knelt on the field just before he was impaled by the dragon knight's twin lances. Mana's LifePoints fell to 2700. "And thanks to Spiral Spear Strike, I can draw two cards and discard one."

"Well I also get a bonus," Mana countered. "When Magic Formula goes to the grave, I gain 1000 LifePoints!" Her score rose to 3700.

"And you'll need them," Atem continued. "Swift Gaia, attack her directly with Spiral Lance Thrust!" The mounted knight charged forward and struck Mana with his lances, knocking her down to 1400 LifePoints. "I end my turn."

"Then it's my move!" Mana drew. "Yay! I remove Silent Magician LV8 and Dark Magician, one light monster and one dark monster, to special summon Chaos Sorcerer (2300/2000)!" The black-robed sorcerer descended onto her field, holding white fire in his right hand and purple fire in his left. "Chaos Sorcerer, remove Sky Galloping Gaia from the game! Distortion of Chaos!" The spellcaster fired his magic behind the dragon knight, opening a white and purple vortex that swallowed him. "And since Chaos Sorcerer can't attack when he uses his power, I'll end my turn there."

"Nice play," Atem commented. He drew. Nice. "I set a card and end my turn."

"The tides are turning, Prince," Mana smirked. "Chaos Sorcerer, remove Swift Gaia with Distortion of Chaos!" The vortex opened behind the mounted knight and swallowed him. "I'll play a monster face-down and end my turn."

Atem drew his card. "I set a monster face-down. Your turn."

"And I'll make the most of it," Mana grinned. "First, I'll flip summon my Magician of Faith (300/400). And you know what she does. I get a spell back from my graveyard, and I know just what I'm picking: Pot of Greed. But before I use it, I'll sacrifice Magician of Faith to summon Dark Red Enchanter (1700/2200)." A spellcaster with long blond hair clad in crimson robes materialized on the field. Two orbs of light hovered around him. "And when Dark Red Enchanter is summoned, he gains two Spell Counters, and he gets 300 extra points for each one."

"Bring it on," Atem eyed the enchanter.

"I will," Mana promised. "But first I'll play Pot of Greed to draw two cards. And since a spell was activated, Dark Red Enchanter gains another Spell Counter." A third orb hovered around the spellcaster. Mana eyed Atem's face-down. "I switch Chaos Sorcerer into defense mode. Now, Dark Red Enchanter, attack that face-down with Red Enchantment!" The enchanter fired crimson magic at the face-down. Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) revealed himself and deflected the magic with his sword.

"Nice try," Atem smirked. "But my Guardian can't be destroyed by monsters with more than 1900 attack points."

"Then it's a good thing I still have Chaos Sorcerer," Mana countered. "Say good-bye to your warrior!" Chaos Sorcerer's effect took out the Guardian. "I'll play a card face-down and call it quits there."

"My move!" Atem drew. "I set a monster and end my turn."

"I think you're running out of fancy plays," Mana teased her brother. "Dark Red Enchanter, take out his monster! Red Enchantment!" Crimson magic shot towards the face-down. Queen's Knight (1500/1600) revealed herself.

A transparent fuzzball with yellow mechanisms on its claws and side of its head appeared in front of the female knight and took the hit. "Not today, sis," Atem smirked. "By removing the Relinkuriboh I discarded from my graveyard, I can keep Queen's Knight from being destroyed. Better luck next time."

"Gosh, you are so hard to hit," Mana scowled. "I set a card and end my turn."

"That's kind of the point," the Obelisk grinned. "I sacrifice Queen's Knight to summon Curse of Dragonfire (2000/1500)!" A red-orange dragon flew onto the field, flames flickering across its scales. "And when Curse of Dragonfire is summoned, he destroys one field spell." The dragon roared, filling the area with flames that incinerated the shadows of Yami. Mana scowled as she moved her spell to her graveyard. "Go."

"Oh, I will," the Slifer promised. "First, I summon Maha Vailo (1550/1400)." A blue-robed spellcaster appeared in a strike of lightning. "Chaos Sorcerer, you know what to do with that dragon. Distortion of Chaos!" Curse of Dragonfire was pulled into another vortex of light and darkness. "And now that your field is wide open, Dark Red Enchanter, attack him directly with Red Enchantment!" The Enchanter fired crimson magic at the opposing duelist.

Brown furballs filled the field. Kuribohs cooed as they absorbed the hit and vanished. "Thank you, my friend," Atem looked to his duel disk. He smirked. "You really should ask Zane what he thinks about that combo."

"Probably similar to what I feel right now," Mana rolled her eyes. "But Kuriboh won't protect you from Maha Vailo. Attack with Sacred Lightning!" Maha Vailo pointed at Atem, and lightning struck from above, knocking the Obelisk down to 550 LifePoints. "I think this duel's in my favor."

"That's what you think," Atem countered. "How many times have Dad and I told you to think more than two moves ahead?"

"Who says I'm not?" Mana narrowed her eyes at her brother. What is he thinking?

She's completely forgotten about my face-down. Or I've convinced her it's nothing to worry about. Atem drew his card. Perfect. "I play a card face-down and end my turn."

"That's it?" Mana grinned. Okay, I'm definitely keeping Chaos Sorcerer in defense mode. That new card is bound to be nasty. But if I can land a hit with either Maha Vailo or Dark Red Enchanter, I'll win. "Maha Vailo, attack Atem directly! Sacred Lightning!"

"Go, Mirror Force!" Atem played the face-down he'd been sitting on the last few turns.

"Ah crud," Mana scowled. "You were sitting on that this whole time?"

"Yes, but I was waiting for this," Atem revealed his other face-down. "With Enemy Controller, I can switch your Chaos Sorcerer into attack mode. Just in time to get a taste of Maha Vailo's Sacred Lightning."

Mana stuck her tongue out at her brother as all of her monsters were destroyed. Well that blew up in my face. Luckily I can do the same to Atem. She looked to her face-downs. He's not the only one who can sit on face-downs for a while.

Time to turn this around. Atem drew his card. Just what I needed. "I play Monster Reborn. And I'll use it to bring back Black Luster Soldier." His spirit partner returned to the field and brandished his sword at Mana.

"Hey, Blake," Mana gave a two-fingered wave to the warrior. "No hard feelings for destroying you earlier, right?"

Black Luster Soldier looked to his human. 'No…?'

"You named him?" Atem raised an eyebrow at his sister.

"I got tired of saying Black Luster Soldier all the time," she shrugged her shoulder.

"We'll talk about it later," Atem rolled his eyes. Should I attack? He eyed his sister's two face-downs. Not yet. Knowing her, one of those is either Mirror Force or Magic Cylinder. I can't be reckless. "Make your move."

"I will," Mana drew her card. Magical Marionette. Not really what I was hoping for, but that'll help later. She glanced to the Black Luster Soldier and his large, curved sword. Right now, I need to deal with super-serious Blake. I think I'm okay for now. "I pass."

Atem flipped over his card. That'll end this. "Sorry, Mana, but this duel is over."

"Attack me if you dare," she challenged him.

"I will," he said. "But first I play Harpies' Feather Duster! It'll sweep away all of your face-downs."

"No!" Mana yelled. He got me.

"You put up a good fight, sis," Atem readied himself to attack. I hate to do this to you.

"Go for it, Prince," Mana held her arms out wide. "I got nothing. Just not the face." She closed her eyes and turned her head away.

Atem chuckled at how ridiculous she was. "Black Luster Soldier, attack Mana with Chaos Blade!" His spirit partner charged forward, slashing the brunette with his sword. Mana's LifePoints dropped to zero.

Mana sank to her knees as the holograms faded. He really is the best. He'll do awesome on the Pro-Circuit. It sank in that he was really leaving. She wasn't going to be able to rely on him next year. And she failed to step out of his shadow in front of the whole school.

I'm going to miss this. Atem glanced around the arena. I wouldn't trade my time here for everything. He walked over to her and extended a hand to his sister. "You did great, Mana," he said as the arena filled with applause from the spectators.

She took his hand and stood up. "You too, Prince," she threw her arms around him. "Don't think I won't get you next time."

"We'll see about that," he smirked and returned the hug. "I'll miss you too. But I know you'll be just fine without me next year. And I'm proud of you no matter what happens. Just don't lead your friends into trouble."

"I'm going to miss how well you can read me," Mana laughed. "And I led no one into trouble this year. So you just need to take the Pro-Circuit by storm!" She clenched her fist to prove her point. "So should we let Jaden and Zane duel now?"

"Yeah," Atem led the way off the stage. They passed the other participants on their way out.

"Nice work, Muto," Zane smirked.

"Top that, Truesdale," Atem challenged.

"You had some sweet moves out there, Mana," Jaden grinned. "You'll get him next time."

"You bet I will," Mana gave her friend a thumbs-up. "Go get him, Jaden."

Jaden gave her his signature two-fingered salute and followed Zane into the arena. "This is going to be an interesting match," Mana commented.

"And now for our second match we have Zane Truesdale vs. Jaden… is it Yucky? No, Doody? No, wait… Yuki!"

Mana slapped her palm against her forehead. "Seriously, Dr. Crowler?"

"Ignore him," Atem crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "The odds are in Zane's favor. He has more experience, not to mention one of the highest win records the school has seen. Every time I've faced him, victory was never certain until the match was over."

"But he's not unbeatable," Mana pointed out. "I mean, if I can beat you every once in a while, despite how today's match went, then Jaden can beat Zane."

"I never said he couldn't," Atem countered. They watched the duelists shake hands and power up their duel disks. "It just won't be easy for him. But if you don't mind, I'm going to root for my friend. You root for yours."

"Got it, Prince," Mana grinned.

"Get your game on, Zane!" Jaden drew his hand. "So who makes the first move?"

"You can choose," Zane answered.

"Then go right ahead," Jaden didn't blink. "I'll go second."

"Interesting," Atem commented. "I would have thought Jaden would charge right in."

"All part of his strategy," Mana smirked. "If he goes second, Zane can't use Cyber Dragon's special ability."

"Not a bad plan," Atem said. "But, speaking from experience, that won't faze Zane."

"But it doesn't give him that much of an advantage," Mana argued.

"I activate the spell card Polymerization!" Zane made his move. "Now by sending some select cards from my hand to the grave, I can summon a fusion monster."

"To the grave?" Jaden repeated.

"Why is he surprised by that?" Mana slapped her forehead.

"I don't know," Atem rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Jaden," Zane smirked. "There's more than one way to skin a cat. Or in this case summon a dragon. I'll send the three Cyber Dragons in my hand to the graveyard so I can summon the Cyber End Dragon (4000/2800)!" A metallic, three-headed dragon materialized on Zane's field. Each head snarled at Jaden.

"I wasn't expecting that on the first turn," Atem said. "Last time I saw Cyber End that early, it didn't end well for me."

"Don't let that metallic menace scare you, Jaden!" Mana yelled to her friend.

Jaden shook his head. "Anything else you want to throw at me?" he asked his opponent.

"As a matter of fact, yes, there is," Zane pulled a card from his hand. "Different Dimension Capsule!" A dark blue sarcophagus appeared on the field. "Now, Jaden, I select one card in my deck and remove it from play. But then in two turns it returns to my hand." The sarcophagus opened, and a hologram of the card disappeared inside. "Finally, I'll place one card face-down and end my turn."

Jaden stared at Zane's face-down and Capsule, not making a move. "Is he okay?" Atem moved from his place on the wall.

"What happened to rooting for your friend?" Mana bit her lip as she kept an eye on the Hero duelist.

"Just because I'm hoping Zane wins doesn't mean I don't want Jaden to put up a fight," Atem argued. "Is this part of his strategy? Or did the match get to him?"

"I don't know," Mana admitted. Come on, Jaden.

"All right, here goes!" Jaden finally drew his card. "I play Elemental Hero Wildheart (1500/1600) in attack mode!" The tribal warrior took a fighting stance on Jaden's field. "Then I'm going to activate the spell Wild Half. And 'cause of its effect, the points of your dragon are now split in half, and a Half Token with the same points as your weakened End Dragon (2000/1400) is summoned." A duplicate three-headed metal dragon appeared next to the original on Zane's field. "But I'm not done yet. Next I equip the spell card Cyclone Boomerang onto Wildheart!" A sliver boomerang appeared in Wildheart's hand, and his strength rose to 2000. "Now go, Wildheart, attack that Cyber End Dragon! Wild Walloping Boomerang!"

"I don't think so," Zane calmly revealed his face-down. "I play De-Fusion!" The original three-headed dragon split back into three separate Cyber Dragons (2100/1600).

"That's not good," Mana said.

"That's normal for Zane," Atem said. "I know Zane's deck better than anyone on campus. He can make those Cyber Dragons transform faster than an Autobot."

Mana raised an eyebrow at her brother. "Since when do you make Transformers references?"

"Since when do you get Transformers references?" he countered.

"Since I watched the first movie with Max and Joan while you were here," she answered. "What about you?"

"Zane, Atticus, and I watched the animated one when we took a break from studying last week," he rolled his eyes.

"Attack, Wildheart!" Jaden's command drew their attention back to the duel. The tribal warrior threw the silver boomerang at the token End Dragon. Both monsters were destroyed in the scuffle.

"Well he took down Three-Headed Scary," Mana commented. "That's something."

"Zane still has the advantage," Atem said. "And I'm not sure what to make of Jaden's current play-style."

"Don't count him out yet, Prince," she kept her eyes on the duel. Since Cyclone Boomerang was destroyed, all the spells and traps on the field were destroyed, and Zane lost 500 LifePoints for each one. His score dropped to 3500 since his Capsule was destroyed. Jaden set a card and ended his turn.

Zane drew his card. "First of all, the card removed from play using Capsule returns to me."

"Hey, wait a sec!" Jaden recoiled. "So then the card you had in there wasn't Power Bond?"

"No, it wasn't," the Obelisk smirked. "Seems as though you over-thought this one, Jaden. It was Card from a Different Dimension."

"I didn't see that one coming," the Slifer grimaced.

"I did," Atem said. "Jaden thinks Zane's more predictable than he really is. If Zane really were that predictable, a lot more people would have beaten him."

"Shut it, Prince," Mana snapped.

"Due to this," Zane continued, "we now both get to draw two cards from our deck."

"A good hand refresher," Atem commented. "He gets more out of that than he would Power Bond in this case. And depending on those cards, he'll have an even greater advantage over Jaden."

"Jaden's face-down could change that," Mana argued. If it were me, I'd use Mirror Force to blast all those dragons. It works well enough on Airi.

"Cyber Dragon, wage a direct attack!" Zane commanded. "Strident Blast!" The center dragon fired electrical energy at the Slifer.

"Don't think so!" Jaden revealed his face-down. "I play the trap Draining Shield!" An orange barrier materialized around the Slifer and absorbed the impact. "Sorry, Zane, but now your Cyber Dragon's attack is cancelled, and I get to regain LifePoints equal to its attack points." His score rose to 6100.

"That's fine," Zane smirked. "You'll need them because now my remaining two Cyber Dragons are going to attack. Strident Blast!" The two dragons fired electricity at the Slifer, knocking him down to 1900 LifePoints. "Next I'll place one card face-down and end my turn."

"Okay, I don't envy Jaden right now," Mana bit her lip. "Those Cyber Dragons are brutal."

"Welcome to my world," Atem kept his eyes on the match. "Jaden is going to have to do better to beat Zane."

"Yeah, I'm starting to think this was a bad plan," Mana agreed. "But I know Jaden will find a way to deal with those dragons. They're nothing compared to the Sacred Beasts."

"I wouldn't call that an accurate analogy," Atem sighed. "The danger levels of the Sacred Beasts rivals that of the Egyptian Gods. I would rank the Cyber Dragons just below Blue-Eyes in terms of difficulty to deal with."

"I play the spell The Warrior Returning Alive!" Jaden's move drew them back to the duel. Now I can select one warrior-type monster in my graveyard and add it to my hand. So come on back, Wildheart! And next I'll activate Polymerization and fuse Wildheart with Elemental Hero Bladedge to create Elemental Hero Wildedge (2600/2300)!" A tribal warrior with golden armor covering his right leg and left arm took a fighting stance on the Slifer's field. "And now he's going to edge you out by attacking all the monsters you have on your field in one devastating attack. So do your thing, Wildedge, and go wild on those three Cyber Dragons!" The warrior drew his sword and lunged at the metallic creatures. He slashed all three of them, and their holograms exploded. Zane's LifePoints fell to 2000.

"All right!" Mana cheered. "That just about evened up the score!"

"Don't count Zane out yet," Atem said. "Jaden may have found a groove, but LifePoints don't matter to Zane's playing style."

"That was the sweetest!" Jaden clenched his fist in victory. "There's really something to all this strategizing stuff!"

"You're a fool," Zane shot him down. "I'm activating the trap card Return Soul. Now all monsters that were destroyed this turn come back and return to my deck." The trap card flashed with light, and three transparent Cyber Dragons flew to Zane's deck.

"Aw man," Mana frowned. "Did you know he could do that?"

"Yep," Atem answered. "Been there, done that. But Jaden seems to be more predictable than normal. Usually I can't tell what he's going to pull."

"What a shame," Zane said as he shuffled his deck. "I picked Jaden Yuki to be in my last duel. Wonder where he is." He eyed his opponent. "You're not being yourself. You're not playing with your heart."

"Zane hit the nail on the head," Atem commented. "Typical Zane."

"That's right," Jaden glared at the Obelisk senior. "'Cause to be you, I've gotta play with my head! Like I'm doing now!"

"What you're doing now is wasting my time," Zane scoffed.

"Sure I am," the Slifer scowled. "You can quit with the all mind games, okay? They're not going to work."

"I wouldn't have pegged Zane to play mind games," Mana said.

"He doesn't," Atem looked between the duelists. "Zane may come across as harsh, and I'll admit he crossed some lines I wasn't comfortable with after Atticus disappeared, but he's more brutally honest than malicious. He calls things how he sees them."

Zane said nothing as he drew his card. "I play the spell Future Fusion." Colors warped around the field. "But this is no ordinary fusion. You see, I'm allowed to fuse cards not in my hand. Therefore, I send three Cyber Dragons from my deck to the graveyard and summon the Cyber End Dragon!" His signature three-headed metal dragon returned to the field. "Of course, monsters that are summoned by Future Fusion aren't allowed to attack on the turn they are summoned. But I can wait." He crossed his arms and smirked.

"All right then," Jaden drew. "I'm throwing down three face-downs, and that's it."

"Still with your head," Zane frowned. "You can't win this way."

"Don't think so?" Jaden smirked. "Well we'll just have to see about that. Go ahead, Zane. Make your move."

"What a disappointment you've become," the Obelisk scoffed.

"Enough with that!" the Slifer snapped.

"Okay then, Jaden," Zane drew. "If you won't listen to my words, perhaps you'll listen to my cards." He glanced over his hand before selecting a card. "First I play the spell card De-Fusion! Now one fusion monster on the field returns to my fusion deck. Next my three normal Cyber Dragons are back." The three-headed dragon split into separate dragons.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Mana frowned.

"You should," Atem said. "I'm pretty sure I know exactly what he's doing."

"Now I'll activate my spell card," Zane continued. "Recognize it, Jaden? It's Power Bond. And with it, I can summon back an old friend." The three-headed dragon returned to the field. "You may be asking 'Why again?' Quite simple, really. If a monster is summoned via Power Bond, its attack points are automatically doubled." Cyber End Dragon's attack points rose to 8000.

"Magic Cylinder," the Muto siblings said at the same time. They laughed.

"That's probably one of the cards Zane hates the most in my deck," Atem said. "That and Kuriboh."

"Oh my gosh," Mana covered her mouth as she laughed. "Did you use Kuriboh on Cyber End?"

"Not that particular time," the elder Muto answered. "But Zane did use Power Bond, and because of Kuriboh, he wasn't able to deal enough damage to me before Power Bond's side effect took out his LifePoints. But if I didn't have Kuriboh, I would have lost that duel. After that, Zane became very cautious of using Power Bond when I had cards in my hand."

"I would have paid to see that," Mana grinned.

"And to think I admired you, Jaden," Zane's voice drew their attention back to the duel. I won't make that mistake again. Nor will anyone else. You're through!"

"Stay strong, Jaden!" Mana yelled to her friend.

"Show him what you're made of, Zane," Atem called to the Obelisk.

"So what now, Jaden?" Zane asked. "You think you can beat my dragon? You've got one monster, and he is about to be blasted into oblivion. It's over for you." Jaden remained silent. "Come on, what's wrong? Unless you're afraid. Is that your problem?"

"I suspect he's right," Atem said. "I should ask since you were so nervous. Was it really that bad?"

"Before the duel, yes," Mana answered. "And a little bit as we started. But once we got going, I kind of just focused on beating you. Everything else faded away."

"That's kind of what Jaden usually does," Atem said. "As far as I can tell anyway. You know him better than I do."

"Yeah, but even I can't guess what he's planning half the time." Mana sighed. "But I'm willing to bet he's got some strategy with those face-downs."

"Then I'll put you out of your misery," Zane pointed at his opponent. "Cyber End Dragon, attack!"

"Not so fast!" Jaden revealed one of his face-downs. I'm playing a trap: Soul Union! Soul Union takes Bladedge's attack points and adds all of them to Wildedge!" A transparent Bladedge appeared behind Wildedge, boosting the fusion hero's strength to 5200.

"That's pointless," the Cyber duelist scoffed. "With my Power Bond, I still have enough points to take out your Wildedge. Farewell, Jaden. Cyber End Dragon, attack and end this duel!" The three-headed dragon fired electrical energy at the Hero, filling the arena with smoke."

"Jaden!" Mana called her friend's name.

The smoke cleared, and Jaden stood with 100 LifePoints remaining. "Sorry, Zane, but we're not done yet," he said.

"I don't understand," Zane's eyes widened. "That attack hit you square on. This match should be done."

Jaden caught his breath before answering. "Talk about activating a spell just in the nick of time. Thanks, Emergency Provisions." The spell disappeared along with Jaden's Soul Union trap.

"Clever," Atem commented. "Since Soul Union was already activated, using Emergency Provisions to send it to the graveyard didn't affect it, and Jaden gained enough LifePoints to survive."

"That's Jaden for you," Mana smirked.

"Now I'll play Hero Signal!" Jaden revealed his last trap. "With this, I can summon any monster with Elemental Hero in its name. And who better than Bubbleman (800/1200)!" The blue-clad hero knelt on the Slifer's field. "And since he's alone, I get two more cards!" He drew.

"Very well," Zane pulled a card from his hand. "I summon Cyber Kirin (300/800)!" A four-legged metallic creature with a spikeball tail materialized on the field. "And if I should happen to sacrifice him, all card effect damage goes to zero for this one turn." The Kirin disappeared. "And of course, that means my Power Bond damage is negated."

"Classic Zane," Atem said. "If you ever face him, never count on Power Bond's effect damage getting him. It may occasionally, but not very often."

"Good to know," Mana grimaced. Don't give up, Jaden!

"Come on!" Zane challenged his opponent. "Where's the Jaden that almost beat me before?"

"He's right here!" Jaden insisted. "I think…" he faltered. "I don't know."

"Of course you don't," Zane frowned. "Because your heart is not in this.

Jaden suddenly clutched his stomach and sat down. "And neither is my stomach. Kinda skipped lunch." He started calling Dorothy for food.

Mana slapped her forehead. "Even I didn't forget that."

"If you did, I'd be very concerned about you," Atem rolled his eyes.

"At least Jaden's acting normal again," Mana smiled.

"You guys were right," Jaden stretched and glanced around the arena at the spectators. "I wasn't being me. And what better way to be Jaden than to have a big meal?" He grinned. "So how about it, Zane? Do you mind if I scarf?"

Zane schooled his face to his usual uninterested look. "Why not?"

"Great answer," Jaden's grin widened.

Dorothy and Sadie rolled by them with a cart full of rice balls. Mana snagged two as the cart passed. "Really?" Atem raised an eyebrow at her.

"Jaden's not the only one who's hungry," Mana said with her mouth full. "Want one?" She held the second one out to him.

"Sure," he sighed and took the food.

Jaden made quick work of the meal Dorothy brought, leaving nothing behind. "Okay, let's duel," he stood to face Zane again.

"Bring it," the Obelisk held his duel disk ready.

"Here goes!" Jaden drew his card. "I play Pot of Greed, which means I get to draw two more cards." He smirked at his draw. "And now I'll play one: Elemental Hero Avian (1000/1000) in defense mode." The green bird warrior knelt defensively on the field. "And here's the other: the spell card Spy Hero! It's activated when I discard two random cards from my deck." A black figure knelt on the field before turning invisible. "Now my Spy Hero cuts in and uses all his super stealth to take one of your spell cards."

"Seems the old Jaden's back," Zane smirked. A distortion grabbed a card from his graveyard and tossed it to Jaden.

The Slifer grinned at the card. "Hey, thanks, Zane." He activated the spell Future Fusion and sent Burstinatrix and Clayman to the graveyard. "Say hello to Rampart Blaster (2000/2500) in defense mode!" The armored hero knelt on his field, aiming her blaster at Zane. "Next I'll throw down a couple of face-downs.

"Too bad Jaden couldn't attack this turn," Mana sighed. "Rampart Blaster's effect would have been good to knock Zane down a couple notches."

"It wouldn't have made a difference," Atem pointed out. "Unless those face-downs can stop Cyber End Dragon, its effect will take out Jaden's LifePoints no matter which Hero Zane attacks.

"Impressive," Zane complimented his opponent. "But too little, too late." He drew his card. "I summon forth Cyber Phoenix (1200/1600) in attack mode!" A metallic bird materialized and screeched at Jaden. "With Phoenix on the field, any spells or traps targeting a certain monster are destroyed. Which means their effects get cancelled out. See where I'm going with this, Jaden?"

"Mirror Force," the Muto siblings said at the same time. They laughed.

"It doesn't target," Mana pointed out.

"Too bad I've never seen Jaden use it," Atem commented. "But that would help him."

"Yeah, yeah," Jaden grimaced at his opponent. "I can't mess with the Cyber End Dragon with spells or traps anymore."

"I'm glad you got to enjoy your lunch," Zane smirked. "But now just try not to lose it." He pointed at the fusion hero. "Cyber End Dragon, attack Rampart Blaster!"

"I activate my spell: De-Fusion!" Jaden revealed one of his facedowns.

"Sorry, Jaden," Zane scoffed. "Cyber End Dragon can't be split. Cyber Phoenix is protecting him, remember?"

"I'm not going after him," Jaden grinned. "I'm defusing one of mine!" Rampart Blaster separated into Burstinatrix (1200/800) and Clayman (800/2000). "Now that's a lineup!" He clenched his fist in triumph.

"But they don't come close to Cyber End Dragon's attack points," Mana raised an eyebrow. "What's he planning?"

"Time for a sacrifice," Jaden smirked. "And you'll see what I mean with this!" He revealed his other face-down. "It's one doozy of a trap card! Here comes Elemental Burst!"

"Good counter," Atem observed. "It doesn't target, and it'll wipe Zane's field. Too bad it'll cost Jaden all his monsters."

"But that's probably why he summoned Rampart Blaster in the first place," Mana added. "That way the materials were in his grave so he could get access to all the necessary attributes to play it."

Elemental energies filled the field, wiping out Zane's field and Jaden's monsters. "So long, Cyber End Dragon," Jaden laughed. "I can't really say I'm going to miss him."

"You won't have to miss him," Zane narrowed his eyes at his opponent. "Because by destroying Cyber Phoenix, I get to move one card from my deck to my hand. Don't you see? The way that I've calibrated my deck means Cyber Dragon's never gone long. I'll always find a way to bring him back."

"Yep," Atem agreed. "More often than not, the best way to beat him is to hold out until he exhausts all his options. And he has a lot of those."

"Now part of me wants to challenge him, and the other part wants to run the other way," Mana said.

"You're bluffing," Jaden argued.

"But I'm not, Jaden," Zane countered. "Because the card I picked was this one." He held up the card before inserting it into the duel disk. "A spell called Time Fusion. With it, time is most certainly on my side." The area above Zane shimmered with light.

"And how's that?" the Slifer asked.

"Because my removing one card in my hand from the game, it activates," Zane answered. "Meaning I can automatically call up a fusion monster to my field next turn without having to wait for a single summoning requirement." He smirked. "You can't win. And in just one turn, you'll see why. Don't feel bad. You lost to the best."

"Already writing your graduation speech?" Jaden stared him down. "Last I checked, you tied. And I'm still here."

"Show him what you're made of, Zane!" Atem called to his friend.

"Don't give up, Jaden!" Mana yelled to the Slifer. "Heart of the Cards!"

"All right, my turn!" Jaden drew. "And I'll throw down a face-down!"

"Brace yourself!" Zane pulled his card. "First off, this returns to me: Card from a Different Dimension! I removed it from play to activate Time Fusion, but now it's back, and it doesn't stop there. Next its special effect activates, and we both get to draw two more cards." The two duelists pulled the cards from their decks. They smirked at their results. "And now I call forth Cyber End Dragon!" The three-headed dragon returned to the field.

"Okay, do we use Blake and Partner as much as he uses that?" Mana asked.

"Eh, maybe," Atem shrugged. "Considering I did have two Gaias and two Black Luster Soldiers out at the same time during our duel, I don't think I can judge. And we need to talk about that nickname you gave him."

"What about it?" the brunette asked.

"I don't mind," Black Luster Soldier appeared next to them. "I only wish to assist where I am able."

"Glad you have you around, Blake," Mana grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. Atem rolled his eyes.

"And I'll finish by laying one face-down," Zane's move drew their attention back to the duel.

"My draw!" Jaden started his turn. "I activate Fusion Recovery! This brings back Polymerization and Burstinatrix from the graveyard. Sorry, Zane, but you're not the only one who can re-summon a monster." The fiery hero flipped onto his field. "Next I'll activate Miracle Fusion! Now if I just remove Avian and Burstinatrix from play, I can summon the Elemental Hero Flame Wingman (2100/1200)!" Green- and red-clad heroes melded into one. Flame Wingman pointed his flame red arm at Zane. "But wait! I'm not done yet. Go, Polymerization! Merge the Sparkman with the Flame Wingman to create the Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman (2500/2100)!" Sparkman melded with the fusion hero, coating the Wingman in shining white armor. "And here's the cherry on top: for each Elemental Hero I got chilling in my graveyard, Wingman gets 300 attack points." The Hero's strength rose to 4900.

"I do not envy Zane right now," Mana commented.

"That's because Jaden beat you with that monster," Atem pointed out.

She elbowed him. "Shut it, Prince."

"All right, now attack Cyber End Dragon," Jaden commanded his monster. Shining Flare Wingman charge forward and blasted through the metal dragon. Zane's LifePoints fell to 1100. "Oh yeah," the Slifer clenched his fist in triumph. "But Flare Wingman's not done yet. 'Cause when he destroys a monster, then you take damage equal to that monsters attack points! And that's 4000!" The shining hero towered over the Obelisk senior. "School's out, Zane."

"Not yet it's not," Zane revealed his face-down. "I activate a trap card: Damage Polarizer! Now all damage from a special effect gets reduced to zero." A barrier appeared between him and the Hero, absorbing the damage.

"Ah, that one," Atem sighed. "That would be what Zane uses to negate Magic Cylinder on me. I've lost more than once because of that."

"Yay," Mana rolled her eyes.

"I gotta hand it to you," Jaden frowned. "That's a sweet card."

"And as the 'cherry on top' we now draw one card each," Zane added. "And for your sake, Jaden, I hope it's a good one."

Both players drew their card. Both Muto siblings leaned in closer to see what would happen next. "I'll just throw down a face-down and call it a turn," Jaden played the card he drew. "I guess you're up. So what'll it be this time?"

"You'll see," Zane drew. He smiled at the result.

"I think that's the first time I've seen Zane smile during a duel," Mana frowned. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"With good reason," Atem added. "He only does that when he gets something really good. I suspect the duel will be decided soon. Both players are already reaching their limits."

"Jaden it's been fun," Zane said. "But now I'm afraid that it's over. I activate Power Bond, so now by sacrificing the right monsters, I can once again summon the Cyber End Dragon!"

"The heck?" Mana blinked.

"Wait for it," Atem sighed.

"I'm sorry," Zane grinned. "I forgot I don't need monsters. I activate Cybernetic Fusion Support! By trading half my LifePoints, I don't need to make any sacrifices to summon my fusion monster." His score dropped to 550 as the three Cyber Dragons were ejected from his graveyard. "So without further ado, let's welcome back Cyber End Dragon! And thanks to Power Bond, its attack points double." The three-headed dragon appeared with 8000 attack points. "And next I'll activate this: Limiter Removal! Thanks to this, all machine-type monsters out get their attack points doubled." Now the Dragon's strength rose to 16000.

"Jaden doesn't have Magic Cylinder, does he?" Atem asked. Mana shook her head.

"You're through!" Zane sent his dragon to attack.

"Don't think so!" Jaden countered. "Go, Battle Fusion! If used during a battle, my monster gains as many attack points as triple chrome-dome over there!" Shining Flare Wingman's attack points rose to 20900.

"That's insane," Mana whispered. "I thought only the Egyptian Gods could gain that many points."

"Keep watching," Atem said.

"Nice move, but it's all for naught," Zane smirked. "I use the spell card Battle Fusion! That's right, Jaden. I have one too." Cyber End Dragon's points climbed to 36900.

"Seriously?" Mana looked between the duelists. "Have you ever seen attack points go so high?"

"Not unless you count Grandpa summoning Exodia on us," Atem answered. "This is a record for Zane."

"Wow, Zane, you really are great," Jaden commended his opponent. "I'm going to miss you."

"And I you, Jaden," Zane nodded. "And that's why I'm passing you the torch. Once I leave here, you'll be the top student at this school. Except for maybe your Muto rival." He glanced to the siblings in the doorway. Mana waved at them. Zane rolled his eyes. "Despite your grades, or your rank, you'll be the best, so make me proud."

"I'll give it my all, Zane," Jaden promised. "And I'll start right here, 'cause this duel's not done! I still have one trick up my sleeve. And here it comes! I'm activating the trap card known as Final Fusion!" His last face-down revealed itself. "If this card's played, the both of us take damage to our LifePoints equal to our monsters' combined attack points. And you know what that means!"

"Sure do," Zane answered.

"That's how much damage?" Mana tried to add the total in her head.

"More than either of them have," Atem said.

The two monsters charged and destroyed each other, filling the arena with smoke. When it cleared, Zane was on his knees, and Jaden was flat on his back. Both their LifePoints dropped to zero. The spectators stood and applauded the duelists.

"Well, I may have won, but I think they outdid us in terms of dramatic finish," Atem frowned.

"Draws are always a dramatic finish," Mana rolled her eyes. "Shall we go congratulate them?"

"Yeah, we should," Atem followed his sister to the arena.

Zane walked over to Jaden as the sibling got close enough. "You okay?" he asked as he sat next to the downed Slifer.

"How's my hair?" Jaden asked. "Is it still there?"

"No," Mana let the sarcasm rip. "It got completely blown off by a holographic explosion."

"Hey, at least I didn't lose this time," Jaden pointed at her as he sat up.

"You're seem to like tying," Atem said to his best friend.

"Does that mean we gotta duel again?" Jaden looked to his opponent.

"Absolutely," Zane smirked. "And someday we will."

"Sweet," the Slifer grinned. "I guess until then." He held out his hand.

"Until then," Zane clasped his hand, sealing their agreement to duel again.

"Good, I could use the break," Jaden sighed.

"Me too," Zane agreed. They both flopped on their back laughing.

The Muto siblings stared at them. "I don't think I've ever seen Zane laugh," Mana said.

"Very seldom in front of a crowd," Atem commented.

"But it's not a bad idea," Mana turned around and spread her arms wide, flopping onto her back to join them. "Ow!" she groaned as she impacted the metal floor. "Okay, that was a bad idea."

"That's why you don't flop from a standing position," her brother sighed. He waved to the rest of their friends coming down to congratulate the duelists.

It was a good time.

ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ

Atem glanced to the second year at the podium and then back to his notes. "Graduates, you have honored us with your time," the Ra, Ryan Collins, said. "You've shown us the ropes, given us higher goals to strive for, and helped pick us up when we fell. I started off barely making it into Ra, fearing I would be demoted to Slifer or expelled at any failure. But you guys helped me improve, helped me to be more confident, and now I no longer fear that failure or demotion. You taught me to believe in myself. So I hope you all will continue to believe in yourselves as you take the next step in your lives." He bowed to the room. "Good luck, graduates."

Everyone applauded Ryan as he took his seat. Atem stood up and walked to the podium. "Thank you, Ryan, and good luck to you as well." He looked over at everyone in the hall. Zane sat towards the back. Atticus sat with Mana, Alexis, and the rest of their group towards the middle. Atem stopped himself from frowning at the whispering between his sister and his friend. "Now, many of you know I generally don't like to be the center of attention. Especially when that attention comes from my last name. But when everyone in your class is telling you to do it, it makes it very hard to say no. So score one for peer pressure, guys." He paused to let everyone laugh at his joke.

"I wouldn't trade my time here for anything," Atem looked over each attendee, underclassman or graduate, to commit their face to memory. "I remember back when I was a freshman, I'd often hear some people as I passed by wonder why I was here when I should have learned everything from the King of Games already. And they did have a point. I learned how to duel from some of the greatest legends—legends that always soundly defeated me. But there are lessons in defeat. The easy answer is 'if you see Kaibaman, run the other way because Blue-Eyes isn't far behind.'" Everyone chuckled at that.

"The harder answers are ones that everyone can learn from. No two duelists are the same. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses—their own obstacles to overcome. And unless we go out and face them, we can never truly grow. I've spent a good chunk of my life being judged on my last name. So coming here, it wasn't just about learning new combos and cards, though I promise you I did," he glanced to the professors. "It was about standing on my own, getting people to see me as Atem, not 'Prince of Games.' And while I'm sure there are still plenty who will continue to call me that, it's not what matters most. What does matter is the bonds we make, the people who help us grow. I was not undefeated here. My friend and rival handed me some hard blows to my pride, and I like to think I handed him some equally powerful defeats." Zane smirked at him. "Another friend helped me branch out so people were able to see me for me. Or the me dragged into the trouble he found." Atem glared at Atticus who grinned at him.

"My parents told me the story about they and their friends drew on their hands to show their bond. And while that would be impractical to do now, I do know the bonds we forged here will stay with us forever. No matter what path we take, we will always remember our time here. So thank you, friends and classmates. May the Heart of the Cards guide you all."

Everyone applauded as Atem returned to his seat. "And now I ask all the graduates to line up," Chancellor Sheppard announced. The seniors clamored to do so, and he began reading off the names.

"Chumley Huffington," he called. The koala duelist stepped forward to receive his diploma. "Congratulations and good luck, Chumley."

"Thank you, sir," Chumley bowed with tears in his eyes.

"Atem Muto," he finally called. Atem stepped forward."Congratulations," he said. "You're a fine duelist."

"Thank you, sir," Atem bowed, his eyes locked on the paper handed to him. He stepped aside for the next person.

"Zane Truesdale." The navy-haired senior stepped forward. "I'm proud of you, Zane," Sheppard said.

"Thank you, Chancellor," Zane bowed and accepted his diploma. He stepped aside for the next person and joined Atem.

"Well we did it, Truesdale," the tri-colored graduate said.

"Yep," Zane smirked. "It's going to be different going forward."

Atem caught sight of Atticus flirting with a crowd of girls. "But somethings will never change."

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"Ah yeah!" Mana and Jaden cheered at the buffet set out for the graduation party. They worked from opposite ends to pile as much food on their plates as they could.

"Save some for the rest of us," Syrus protested and grabbed his own plate.

"Yeah, I want some of this lishus food too," Chumley joined in.

"Guys," Alexis sighed.

"Better this than other mischief," Atem commented. "Do me a favor, Alexis. Don't let my sister and your brother pull anything together."

"Oh gosh," the blonde rubbed her forehead as she considered the possibilities.

"Exactly," the graduate said. "You know how your brother operates. And I know how Mana does"

"I just hope he doesn't try to set me up with anyone else," she muttered.

"Been there," Atem rolled eyes.

Glass chinking drew their attention to Chancellor Sheppard and the other professors. "Congratulations, graduates," Sheppard grinned at them. "Now I know tomorrow you will be leaving the Academy, so make the most of tonight. You've all earned it." He held up his glass. "To Duel Academy."

"To Duel Academy!" everyone cheered.

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"Ready to go?" Atem asked as he knocked on his sister's door. The helicopter leaves in an hour."

"Almost," Mana shoved the last of her things into her bag. "You?"

"Yep," he looked around the room. "I am going to miss this place."

"Well I'll tell you everything that happens," Mana promised.

A meow drew their attention to their feet. Pharaoh the cat rubbed Mana's legs. "I kind of wondered where he went," Atem commented.

"Hey, Pharaoh," Mana scooped the chubby cat up. He nestled against her as she stroked him. "You probably miss Professor Banner, don't you? Yeah, I bet you do." She paused mid-stroke. "I wonder who's going to take care of you now."

"I don't know," Atem said. "I haven't even heard who's going to be head of Slifer. The only rumors I heard was maybe Professor Hibiki."

"Who's that?"

"She was the head of the Slifer and Ra girls' dorm," he answered. "When the dorm became unsuitable to live in, she left. I don't know who else might do it."

"Unless they hire a new professor all together," Mana said. "But that doesn't answer who's going to take care of this guy." She kept stroking the cat. "Actually, why don't we take him?"

"Do you think Mom's going to go for that?" Atem raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh come on, Prince," Mana brushed it off. "You think Dad's going to say no to a cat named Pharaoh?"

"Fine, but you get all the backlash if they don't like," Atem relented. "Now let's head for the ride home."

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Their friends were already there when they arrived with Pharaoh in a cat carrier the Mutos found in Banner's room. "Bye, guys," Mana hugged each of her friends. "Have fun."

"You too," Jaden grinned.

"We'll see you next year, Mana," Syrus said. "Good luck out there, Atem."

"Thanks, Syrus," Atem nodded. "And I'll try not to beat your brother too hard on the Pro Circuit."

"It won't be as easy as you think," Zane stared him down.

"Save it for the Circuit, you two," Atticus stepped between. "And don't forget to show your appreciation to all your adoring fans." He grinned.

"Only you would do what you're thinking," Alexis shot her brother down.

The boarding announcement rang out, and the group dispersed. So long for now, Duel Academy. Mana sat with Pharaoh's carrier on her lap as she stared out the window.

Thanks for everything. Atem leaned over her shoulder and watched the Academy get smaller and smaller.

It was the end of some things and the beginning of others.

I'm going to be honest, guys, part of this chapter makes me really said since we have to say good-bye to Atem, Zane, and Chumley as students. Don't worry; they'll still play into the story, especially Atem. But it is their time, and as I said in the disclaimer, they deserve their ceremony. It really bothers me that Zane's graduation match felt more like it was about Jaden than Zane. It's graduation! The biggest moment of Zane's life so far! Okay, cutting off my rant there. On the other hand, I am really proud of the Muto duel. That was a tough one to script, and I have to give a shout-out to my IRL friend Akumu22 for proofreading the duel script and catching a couple of mistakes I made before I put it in story form.

Now for the really long note I promised above. I know I've had guest reviewers and others suggest certain cards for characters' decks, and going forward I'm going to need some different decks/characters to use, mostly one-offs as other Academy students or Pro-Duelists for the main cast to face. So I will open the door for suggestions from you guys if you want to see a certain card or deck appear, either for characters to go against or actually use. I will not promise everything suggested to me will be appear, but I will consider it. I follow a certain criteria when choosing cards to use which is as follows:

Allowed:

1. Appears in either the Duel Monsters or GX series. This also counts those in the background display case or in someone's briefcase. The Pyramid of Light movie is also fair game along with some of Bonds Beyond Time. Dark Side of Dimensions cards will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis since that technically does occur before GX.

2. New support for an archetype that existed in either series. Examples: Harpies, Ancient Gears, Cyber Dragons. This applies as long as the support is not overpowered for the era or involves mechanics that don't exist yet. Harpies' Pet Phantasmal Dragon is right out. Same goes to Cyber Nova Dragon.

3. Any card that was actually in circulation when GX was airing.

4. Any other card that could blend into the era of GX.

Not Allowed:

1. Mechanics that did not exist in GX (Tuners, Syncros, Xyz, etc.)

2. Cards that are overall too powerful based on what the characters use in the show.

3. Signature cards/archetypes of other characters. Dr. Crowler will be the only Ancient Gear Duelist, Syrus the only one with Vehicroids, etc. This also includes cards that could not be in circulation in the canon. Examples of that include the Legendary Knights/Dragons, Palladium Oracle Mahad, Blue-Eyes White Dragon (outside Kaiba family). The only exceptions will be familial/personal passing of cards. Like how the Muto siblings have cards known to be used by DM cast members.

4. Custom cards. I have a handful that I have designed with my friend LoveGlutton, and while I may make some exceptions, I want to keep as close to the TCG/OCG cards as possible.

These criteria are subjective in some ways, especially with what would be considered overpowered, so I will ultimately have the final say on if a card appears in the story or not. The main reason I am opening the door for suggestions to give the duels a little more variety. I find myself (and I try really hard not to do it) turning to the same staple cards at times or the same style of combos, so by doing this will shake some things up and hopefully create some interesting challenges for the cast.

Also, there is still time to guess the canon identity of Joan Taylor introduced in Chapter 16. However, to guest reviewers, I will not be able to answer your guesses without a way of contacting you. If I say one way or the other in a note like this, everyone will know and it ruins the surprise if you are correct. At this point, the plan to reveal her canon identity (or at least highly imply it) is about 2-3 chapters away (depending on how things go) so that gives you guys time to try and figure it out. There are two users on the site who have succeeded, and their one-shots are in the works.

So that covers everything I needed to share. On a more fun note, this story has officially hit triple digits for followers! Thank you guys again for reading and sticking with me despite my super long hiatus. I hope to be posting here again before too long. See you then!