Chapter 2: GX Era
Some years after Yugi's tale ended with a tearful farewell, we find a young boy with two-tone brown hair running through the streets of Domino City. His name is Jaden Yuki.
"All right, I got my deck, I got my gear, and I got about two minutes to get to the Duel Academy entrance exam before they start! Oh, well, at least since I'm not a student yet, they can't throw me in Detention hall for being late!" Jaden said as he continued sprinting towards the Academy entrance exam.
But as he continued rushing towards the exam, he suddenly bumped into a mysterious young man.
"Sorry!" Jaden apologized as he picked up his cards.
"You're a duelist, aren't you?" The young man asked, strangely sounding like Atem.
"Yep. I'm just going to try out at the academy." Jaden told him.
"Heh. You don't say…" The boy spoke as he reached into his deck box.
"Yeah…" Jaden chuckled nervously before noticing something familiar about him. "Hey, hey, you're-" If he had continued, he'd have known that he bumped into an older Yugi Muto, who gave Jaden a card.
"Why don't you take this... something just tells me that it belongs with you." Yugi gave him the card.
"Huh? Wow, for real?!" Jaden asked.
"Good luck." Yugi wished him luck as he walked away.
"Thank you! I'll make you proud!" Jaden promised him as he glanced at the card.
And Jaden had every intention to keep that promise but when school got hard, Jaden hardly studied. During tests, without fail, Jaden always failed. He might not have been the most studious student, but when it came to dueling, he was at the top of his class. Jaden had the rare and special power to communicate with duel spirits, such as Yubel and Professor Banner. Jaden used that power to help his friends, which was a good thing because they had a tendency to always get in trouble. But it's when the stakes were really high that Jaden truly got his game on, like the time he took on the fiendish Kagemaru.
(Flashback: Jaden vs Kagemaru)
"I like this new body, but something's still missing." Kagemaru admired his youthful body, but noticed something was missing. "Oh, I know. It's your soul, Jaden. Now let's finish this duel."
"I play Sabatiel – The Philosopher's Stone, so Electrum's attack points are now-"
"14,500?!" Kagemaru gasped in shock.
"Now go, hero Electrum! Seal his fate!" Jaden commanded his monster to attack. With a single swipe of the blade, the Sacred Beasts are defeated.
Or when he fended off the depraved Sartorius, who wanted to turn the world into mindless zombies.
(Flashback: Jaden vs Sartorius)
"In mere moments… the people of Earth will worship me!" Sartorius smiled with malice.
"Hey Neos! Let's save the universe, shall we? Punch his lights out and end this duel!" With Jaden's command, Elemental HERO Neos destroyed Sartorius' monster, causing a grand explosion. Sartorius screamed as the Light of Destruction was purged from his body.
And when he schooled Professor Viper, an instructor who had a sinister agenda.
(Flashback: Jaden vs Viper)
"It's time to get your game on, Viper!" Jaden shouts.
"Come forth, Vennominon the King of Poisonous Snakes!" Viper chants as his monster emerges from the murky swamp. "Go, Fanged Venom!" Vennominon's attack destroys Plasma Vice.
"Meteor Meltdown!" Elemental HERO Magma Neos unleashed a gigantic meteor that destroyed Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes.
But his greatest challenge yet was when he faced the vicious Nightshroud, whose immense power can pull innocents into a world of eternal darkness.
(Flashback: Jaden vs Nightshroud)
"Prepare to embrace the true power of darkness! Come forth, Darkness Neosphere!" Nightshroud chanted as his best monster emerges.
"Divine Neos, let's end this once and for all! Attack with Legendary Strike!" Jaden commanded his attack. Divine Neos destroyed Darkness Neosphere and Nightshroud with it.
After graduation, Jaden traveled the world and once again, he met the person who gave him the card that started his journey: Yugi Muto, the King of Games. The two had an exhibition match, yet no one knows which of them reigned supreme. After the match, Jaden continued on his adventure with Banner and Yubel. Three months later, Jaden decided to return to Duel Academy.
"Man, it's been three months and everything's still all the same, don't you guys agree?" Jaden asked as the spirits of Yubel and Professor Banner appeared beside him.
"Couldn't have said it better myself, Jaden." Yubel agreed with a light chuckle.
"Everything is still the same as it was during the battle with Nightshroud." Professor Banner noted.
"Meow!" Pharaoh meowed.
"I wonder if the old gang's waiting for me." Jaden wondered. Then Jaden's duel pad started to beep.
"Hm? I wonder who's calling me." Jaden answers this and it was recorded message of his friendly rival Chazz Princeton.
"Hey slacker! Hope you enjoyed your little vacay because I'm challenging you to a duel at the Duel Arena. Better get moving!"
"Heh. Well, that's Chazz for ya - headstrong as always." Jaden chuckled.
"Should we get moving then?" Yubel asked.
"Of course, let's go!" Jaden nods as he rushes to the Duel Arena.
At the Arena, all of Jaden's friends were waiting for him. Chazz however, was pacing back and forth, waiting for Jaden.
"Well, it looks to me Jaden isn't coming." Dr. Crowler noted.
"Oh don't worry, Crowler. I'm sure he'll be here give everyone a show, just like how he defeated you in in his entry exam." Chancellor Sheppard said.
"Please don't remind me." Crowler groaned.
"I'm sure Jaden's taking his time - he'll be here soon." Syrus spoke up from the stands.
"Yeah, all it takes is patience." Aster Phoenix agrees.
"Yeah, it always does." Alexis Rhodes nods.
"I'm sure he'll be here any second now." Blair Flannigan added.
"Well, in the event that he doesn't show, why don't we make Chazz the winner by default?" Crowler suggested.
"No, Crowler! I want this to be a fair duel, got it!?" Chazz barked. Crowler reeled back, scared by his reaction. "Besides, Jaden's a coward. He's not man enough to beat the Chazz." Chazz laughed triumphantly before hearing a voice he did not expect to hear.
"So, you wanna rethink your words, Chazz?"
Chazz's face turned to shock when they saw Jaden exhausted from all that running.
"Jaden!" Syrus and the others shout in surprise.
"You're back!" Syrus started to cry.
"And I made it just... just in time!" Jaden said between breaths of exhaustion.
"Welcome back, Mr. Yuki. We honor your return to Duel Academy." Chancellor Sheppard welcomed Jaden.
"Heh, thanks sir. So Chazz, you ready to get your game on?" Jaden asked.
Chazz shook of his shocked face and gained a smirked face. "You bet I am!"
"Very well, let's get started." Crowler said as he took the stage with a microphone in his hand. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, thank you coming to our three-month anniversary of Duel Academy's victory against the fiendish Nightshroud! On my left, we have a former North Academy student, the heir of the Princeton Group and one of the best duelists in his class and with great style to boot…"
"Get on with it already!" Chazz Princeton shouted. "You're starting to put the audience to sleep!"
The audience shared a laugh from Chazz's heckle. Crowler simply cleared his throat, adjusting his cravat. "Give it up for Chazz Princeton!"
The stadium became awash with the usual "Chazz it up! Chazz it up!" mantra. Chazz thrusts his fist up in the air as the crowd went wild.
"That's right! Time to Chazz it up!"
"He really went with that catchphrase?" Aster asked unamused.
"Well, he does like to be a show off, Aster." Alexis' brother Atticus commented.
"All those years and he's still the same Chazz that I know." A new voice spoke up. Jaden's friends turn around and see Zane Truesdale, clad in his signature black and silver outfit.
"It's Zane!" Atticus identified him.
"You're back! But you shouldn't be here! What about your heart?!" Syrus asked his brother.
"No heart condition can keep me from seeing the ultimate rematch." Zane replied. "Besides, it was the Underworld deck that caused it. But when you took those cards and incorporated it into your own deck, I knew that I can trust you with them."
"Zane..." Syrus whispered.
"And on my right, we have the Slacker from Slifer Red, the top-ranked duelist from the lowest Academy dorm-"
"MRROOOWW~" Crowler froze when heard that all too familiar sound. He looked down and saw Pharaoh nudging his legs affectionately.
"HELP! Someone call animal control! The exterminator! The Air Force! This campus is crawling with rats!" Crowler shrieked like a frail woman and climbed the pillars, clinging to them like a startled cat.
Everyone, including Chancellor Sheppard laughed at his misfortune while Crowler hung onto the rafters like the same animal he feared the most. Shepard picked the microphone Crowler dropped.
"And on my right is Chazz's opponent, Mr. Jaden Yuki!" Sheppard announced as the spotlight shone on Jaden.
"Now we're talking!" Jaden smiled.
"Chazz, Jaden, I know you two haven't dueled these past three months, so all I can say is may the best duelist win!" Sheppard wished them luck.
"Yeah, and we all know who's going to win." Chazz smirked.
"Alright, Chazz! Get ready to get your game on!" Jaden said as they smirked at each and shouted an all too familiar mantra.
"Let's duel!"
A few turns have passed and Chazz had Armed Dragon LV7 (7/2800/1000) on his side and all Jaden had to fight back with was Elemental HERO Bladedge (7/2600/1800).
"Armed Dragon LV7, activate your special ability!" Chazz shouted as he discarded Despair from the Dark from his hand. "Tear his Bladedge to shreds with your Serrated Sonic Discs!"
Armed Dragon LV7 spun its three vertical stomach disks, which glowed as they buzzed out of its stomach and shot at Bladedge, destroying the Elemental HERO upon contact. Jaden flinched from the force.
"Wow, I've seen my share of Duels, but this one tops them all!" Syrus commented.
"I know! Did you see how they battled each other!?" Hassleberry said. "These two haven't gone at each other since graduation!"
"I can tell you this: they have become stronger since the last time we met." Alexis concurred with a warm smile. "It almost feels like my first year of Duel Academy, back when Jaden had fun dueling.
"There's the one thing about Jay that hasn't changed, and it's his love for dueling." Syrus commented. "I've never seen Jaden this excited before."
"Well, hold on to your seat, Private!" Hassleberry said. "This duel's about to get more exciting!"
"How do you like that, Jaden?" Chazz asked. "Now that you've lost your monster, all I need to do is attack and I've finally have this duel won!"
"You think so, Chazz?" Jaden asked, making his opponent gasp. "I think you forgot about my face-down, but here, this shall refresh your memory! I activate Elemental Mirage!"
"Not that!" Chazz shouted.
"Oh yeah, now that you destroyed my Elemental HERO with your dragon's effect, I can return it to my field! Welcome back, Bladedge!" Bladedge re-emerges from the Graveyard in Attack Mode.
"Nice try, Chazzy! Bladedge won't go down that easily!" Jaden said, clenching his fist with excitement. "Not while I'm around to lend a hand, anyway!"
"You may have brought back that walking pile of scrap metal, but that doesn't mean your Life Points are safe from harm!" Chazz revealed the only card in his hand as it glowed with a mysterious light. "Especially once my Armed Dragon LV7 evolves all the way to LV10!"
A much larger version of Armed Dragon appears, with bulkier muscles, armored plating and a menacing stare (10/3000/2000). It bellowed a roar so loud it scared Pharaoh out of Alexis' lap.
"What a sweet move!" Jaden complimented. "Your dragon looks stronger than I remember!"
"Well, how about I show you how strong it has become!" Chazz shouted. "Armed Dragon, attack Bladedge with Static Orb Thrust!" A ball of static energy formed in Armed Dragon's claw and thrusts it at Bladedge, disintegrating the gold-armored warrior. Jaden shielded his face when the force of the attack created a wind that lowered Jaden's Life Points by 400.
"Not a bad move, Chazz." Jaden said. "You brought out a powerful monster and took down my Bladedge in a single move."
"Hmph, you know me. I always save my best for last." Chazz smirked. "I'll end my turn so you can get on with your last move."
"Trust me: one move is all I need to win this." Jaden said as he prepared to draw. "Say, Chazz. You wonder know how I won those duels against all those types of villains such as the Light of Destruction and Nightshroud?"
"I don't know, dumb luck?" Chazz guessed.
"Nah, sometimes, it takes a lucky card to turn the tide of the battle. I'm no King of Games, but I've got the heart of a king, so here goes!"
Turn ?: Jaden
Jaden glances at his card and smiles. "Oh yeah, just the card I needed! I activate Monster Reincarnation! By sending a card in my hand to my Graveyard, I can bring a monster in my graveyard to my hand, so I think I'll call Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird!" He slipped Elemental HERO Necroshade that was in his hand inside the Graveyard as Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird slipped out of the Graveyard. Jaden put the card in his hand.
"So what if you got your birdy back? It changes nothing! My Armed Dragon will just clip its wings!" Chazz laughed, but suddenly remembered something. "Wait a minute, the card he sent to the Graveyard was Necroshade and if he has that card in there, then-"
"I can see the look on your face and you're right!" Jaden said as the spectral image of a skeletal armored warrior appeared behind Jaden. "Now that Necroshade is in my Graveyard, I can summon a high-Level Elemental HERO without making a sacrifice! I bet you're wondering which one I'm referring to, but how about I show you instead?"
He slapped his monster card on his Duel Disk. "I summon my favorite space traveler, Elemental HERO Neos!" The muscular white warrior appeared with his black fists clenched and ready to fight (7/2500/2000). The crowd cheered, for everyone knew that Neos was Jaden's ace in the hole since his first return to Duel Academy after an unexpected loss to Aster Phoenix rendered him unable to see his cards in his eyes.
"Well, I hate to burst your bubble, Slacker, but my Armed Dragon has more attack points than your action figure!" Chazz informed him. "Face it, Jaden, one way or another, you're about to lose this duel!"
"Don't be so sure, Chazz." Jaden said, revealing a card in his hand. "I have a card that can fix that: the spell card Common Soul! Now I can pick a monster on the field and then I can summon a Neo-Spacian directly from my hand! And with Neos out on my field, I can call out Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird for a little support!" A red humanoid hummingbird with white-feathered wings and a belt with the letters "NS" on the buckle appeared beside Neos as it flapped its wings. (3/800/600)
"Oh, and did I forget to mention Common Soul's other effect?" Jaden asked. "It transfers Air Hummingbird's Attack power to Neos, giving him an extra 800 Attack Points." Neos' light blue eyes shined as he is enveloped in a light blue aura as his Attack Points rose (7/2500→3300/2000).
"GYAAAH! My Armed Dragon doesn't stand a chance against that!" Chazz panicked.
"I'm not done just yet!" Jaden replied. "I play the Equip Spell, Neos Force! Now my Neos gains an extra 800 Attack Points!" Neos' right fist glowed bright as his Attack Points rose once again (7/3300→4100/2000). Jaden's friends, Crowler and even the Chancellor all gasped, followed with Chazz, who went wide-eyed with complete shock.
"Chazz is in for it now." Aster said with a chuckle. "With Neos Force, if Neos destroys a monster, then the destroyed monster's Attack Point total is dealt to him as damage.
"And as I recall, Armed Dragon's Attack Point total is 3000. If he takes another 1100 from this attack, then it's all over for him." Bastion added.
"That's enough for Jaden to win the duel!" Syrus shouted.
"Go, Jaden!" Blair cheered. "Show that dragon what it means to mess with the best!"
"You heard the lady, Neos!" Jaden pointed to his opponent's monster. "Clean that Armed Dragon's clock and end this duel! Cosmic Crush!"
Neos leapt into the air and gazed down at Armed Dragon. He then began to swing his illuminating fist at the Dragon.
"Jaden! I won't let you win this so easily, you hear me!?" Chazz shouted with a burning anger in his eyes. "If I'm going down, then I may as well go down fighting!" It was then three spirits appeared before Chazz, known as the three Ojama Brothers.
"No boss, don't do it!" Ojama Yellow shouted.
"Yeah, he's not worth it, man!" Ojama Green cried.
"Think about what you're doing first!" Ojama Black pleaded.
"Buzz off!" Chazz shouts, swatting the spirits away. "Armed Dragon, intercept the attack with your Static Orb Thrust!"
Armed Dragon formed another static electricity orb before thrusting it towards the Warrior. The two attacks then collided, both pushing each other back with full force. With Neos' attack power practically dominating over those of Armed Dragon LV10, it looks like Jaden's walking out of the anniversary duel in victorious fashion.
Suddenly, Winged Kuriboh's spirit appeared next to Jaden, looking scared and ready to head for the hills. "Hey, what's wrong, little guy?" Winged Kuriboh chirped to him in warning. "Call off the attack!? But why!? What's gonna-"
But before he could finish, a chain reaction occurred as a strange wind suddenly blew across the room where the attacks collided. Everyone present covered their eyes as the wind blew stronger followed by a bright light forming in the center of the attack. Neos and Armed Dragon LV10 were the first victims of the mysterious light, the monsters wailing in pain as the light caused them to vanish into thin air.
"NEOS!"
"ARMED DRAGON!"
Jaden and Chazz began to scream as the light swallowed them, turning their pained cries into a ghostly wail as they vanished. Then all of Jaden's friends and the rest of the audience were caught by the blast, not given a chance to escape as the illumination covered them and the entirety of Duel Academy. The school and the island it stood on were caught in the ever expanding dome of light, followed by the oceans and the remainder of the world.