Chapter 13 - Tri-Colored Lightning Rod, INSTALL!
. Bold words: Name Introductions; Card names; Monster Stats; 'Special Attacks'; Player(s) Life Points; Keywords / Change of Tone.
. (A) / (FM): Anime / Fan-Made - Cards used in the Anime/Manga; Cards created by the author.
. Italic: Non-English words; Epilogue and Prologue.
. " " - Normal Talk
. ' ' - Thoughts; Summon Chants
Special Thanks: Zeon Paralysis Crystal; Lonly Wanderer (Story Proof-Read)
Author's Notes: Koshien (two annual Japan baseball tournaments).
- PROLOGUE -
(Jaden's Flashback: 6 years ago)
Location: Domino City Hospital, Infirmary Room Floor 2D
After a month of prolonged treatments on the grievously injured child; from the application and renewing of bandages and wipes to clean the wounds; a therapist trying to help ease Jaden's little mind from the traumatic ordeal he had recently experienced; no plaster needed thankfully for further healing and protection due to some form of mysterious healing factor from the Hospital Staff's point of view.
… Although not much had changed for both of Yubel's priorities; the main goal was to get her liege out of that wretched situation which did succeed but unfortunately, Jaden's injuries and her reckless sadism put a snag on that plan forcing them to stay in the hospital for a good amount of time. For the demoness, this was a double-edged sword, she had time to breathe and devise a plan of where to hide Jaden, but the downside was their nightmares. Yubel for her near failure to rescue Jaden. And Jaden of the monsters in human skin that had recently accosted him, especially of the monster clad in a white shroud.
From outside the room where Jaden was resting, Detective Tristan was waiting for someone to come and meet with Jaden. An old friend of his, Yugi Muto; a legendary figure of the Dueling World. To handle a similar situation akin to what happened at the beginning of the end of their international conflict with the currently defunct Cult of Doma of so long ago.
One of their elite operatives who were christened The Musketeers of Doma. Had an immensely powerful and skilled but indoctrinated duelist under their banner, "The Revenant Crusader" Raphael, someone who had temporarily usurped the King of Games himself. But Raphael had carried an immensely troubled soul that was laid completely bare in his second duel with the "Dethroned" King of Games where the latter had won in the rematch, regained, and cleansed the title. Carrying and displaying the same natural ability as Jaden, to see Duel Spirits without any magical trinket in play. And like Raphael's bond with his monsters specifically with the angelic Guardian Eatos, this kid also had a spirit partner tagging along but they were certainly more…demonic looking in contrast.
The detective was certainly startled by her jump scare, her hair wild and colorful like an ancient haggard witch, her demonic gargoyle-like wings spread wide, her arms crossed and her heterochromatic eyes glowing idly and her claws tense; but after a moment she had gained a laugh at his fearful expense and gave her gratitude for rescuing her liege, she was tight-lipped about why the child was important to her. Tristan was understanding of this, he was still a stranger to her after all but she seemingly wasn't too interested in him. He then tried to question the spirit, the ability to see them on his end, a mere byproduct of many of the adventures he had been wrapped up in with his close friends.
He had passed it off thanks to the constant but heavy exposure to magical energy acclimating his and his friends' bodies to get better used to the pressure of just even watching the duels over the years. Tristan mused inwardly to himself was more often than not on the sidelines than a major player in the past. And the time he stepped up… his consciousness was stuffed into a robot monkey in an attempt to protect a certain redhead. The nightmares of that experience still linger.
But during the small conversation with this… Yubel individual, he couldn't help but muse further on his role in things as his questions turned to how Jaden was wrapped up in what seemed a grievous sting of bad luck by the spirit's admission by even his friends' standards. But thanks to Yubel's mounting stress and irritation with Jaden's situation knew the demoness was keeping a lot more inside from him but she talked at great length about their time in underground stuff was what she had mainly divulged in but everything else was locked up tight.
He had viewed the gift of spiritual sight as a mere participation prize for all the trials they went through, but he noted that he was mostly on the sidelines of the Dueling World's most influential and decisive battles. While two of his friends, brothers all but blood had bore the weight of the world on their shoulders. He gave a sad look toward Jaden as if lamenting another case of some force's morbid sense of amusement of a young child being thrown to the deep end with their only lifeline being the game the world was entranced in. As Tristan stewed in these uneasy thoughts, the conversation was going nowhere when he questioned how Jaden got to one of the Underground facilities, and an important one at that. Yubel's only response was silence for a few moments, before carefully responding with the words "A desperate plea to the wrong person, the rat Shroud"
The last part, while he didn't show it to the demoness in question, had sent a sharp chill down his spine as he left the room to wait for a certain friend of his. Tristan had heard his fair share of the villains of the Duel Monsters' Community and various kinds of criminals declaring their desire for revenge on him and the rest of his friends, colleagues, and allies. But it was always the tranquil ones that creeped him out the most, second to the crazies with a particularly vivid imagination, as if it was a simple fact or how much they would savor tearing your world apart.
Further investigation and questioning by people far more ruthless than him in the force, when the fire was put out had laid bare the revelation that the facility had been connected to a ring of trafficking of sorts. They had to rescue quite a few gravely exhausted, drugged, and scared children and teenagers in the much lower parts of the facilities and Jaden was nearly the next victim if not for Yubel's interference.
A series of calm footsteps came from the other side of the hallway shaking Tristan from pondering the implications of the crime's far-reaching consequences; the footsteps caused the detective to look at his old spiky haired friend clad in a black sweater and dark-blue pants, an open blue jacket resting upon his shoulders. Tristan saw the facial expression was serious but calm. The small smile is a tense one considering the circumstances.
"Good to see you, Champ," he says, trying to keep things relatively light.
"Tristan, I hoped it would be under better circumstances" Yugi responded with an even but calm tone of voice.
As the two men looked at the closed door wondering what was the relationship between the patient and the surprise guest in the form of Yubel. Said spirit with a raised eyebrow had sensed that man's aura. The sheer strength and density of the energy was immense, she wagered that this would give both her if she was 100% and the previous incarnation of the Supreme King in his prime an arduous fight, with an equal chance of victory for both sides. But the Aura of the man called in for Jaden wasn't just immense and aligned to the Darkness as well but it was rather soothing to be around but it had something more to it, a certain weight to it. Something… fundamentally similar to the previous Supreme King but yet different.
'Although I refuse to distance myself from my liege, the strength of this Darkling is great. What manner of warrior did they bring to me?'
In a quick moment Yubel vanished into the shadows of the infirmary room just before the door opened again; to find out who Yugi Muto was walking next to the officer to set their eyes on Jaden.
"Is this the first kid you rescued in the Underground Incident? If I remember correctly, his name's Jaden, right?"
"Yeah. This kid has been through a lot so be careful, I would hate for a fan to have a bad first impression of you.", Tristan warned Yugi, the latter letting out a soft snicker.
"I can handle things from. Just tell me one thing before you go… was Jaden alone while you were waiting for me?"
The apprehensive detective gives a small huff at Yugi's comment as if he had understood the whole situation about the incident.
"I'd rather you see for yourself. She's mischievous…yet overprotective"
Yugi gave an affirming nod to Tristan while walking into the room, closing the door as well, treating this situation with a good amount of calmness and a delicate hand. As he had predicted, Yugi could feel the force residing in Jaden's soul. It felt nostalgic to feel that tingly sensation again, but while his eternally resting partner's aura was more reassuring and hopeful, just remembering him only made Yugi's interest in Jaden grow further. Jaden's aura while its potency was immense is tinged with ripples of great trauma and more concerningly the aura of great primordial darkness tinting the young boy's soul.
The energy's quality reminded the King of Games of the "Great Evil God" Zorc Necrospades, especially when Yugi tried to sense the source of the energy. The force connected to Jaden's soul while certainly more ruthless than his former partner thankfully was a more noble feeling but more importantly, mostly asleep. As Yugi was sensing him, someone crept surprisingly close behind him.
Yugi's guard shot up instantly as a sharp golden aura began to wash over him, its pressure unrelenting for the King of Games as it billowed ferociously. Yugi defends himself by flaring his immense aura, the energy of a shining violet. The pressure was familiarly suffocating for Yubel, it bore a similar heaviness to her Prince's previous incarnation as the aura casually stalemated hers. And the battle of wills lasted for a while. Yugi and Yubel silently stood back-to-back as their respective auras clashed.
"Think carefully about your next choice… Champion", the demoness purred sadistically to the King of Games with a tone resembling poisoned honey lacing every word out her mouth. "If you know what's good for you. Would hate to spill more blood on a fine day."
"Why hello there," Yugi replied with a tense but easygoing tone, his hands near his pockets ready for a duel. "I can certainly sense an honest soul from you, mind telling me your name?"
She raised an eyebrow at the seemingly simple request, her guard still up, somewhat surprised that someone wasn't initially intimidated by her appearance or her aura's pressure. Yubel took a quick but cautious look into the spiky-haired adult's eyes and sensing his energy up close her suspicions were confirmed, but not in the way she expected. His aura was touched by a similar darkness yet carried the presence of a divine blessing. Sensing this had brought a measure of comfort to the winged demoness. Taking a moment to calm herself she cautiously answered.
"...Yubel, and what matter of darkling are you?"
"What can I say? Just someone here who wants to help a kid out, my name is Yugi Muto. And I can see there's more to this than just a child's recovery." The spiky-haired man calmly answers.
Yubel remained stoic at this vague reading of her intentions. Her eyes and Yugi's staring into each other's as if trying to catch a glimpse of the other's ulterior motives. The moment felt like an eternity before one of them had to break the ice. And the King of Games spoke first…
"I only ask you to give me a chance.", he gently asked. "I understand that you two have been through a rough time, I'm not asking for your trust. We could never talk to each other again if you wish after this conversation but you need to cooperate with me."
Taking a moment to consider her options, Yubel with a sigh letting out more fatigue than she intended to show anyone, conceded with the request. At least this Yugi person seemed to be the trustworthy sort.
"Very well then, what do you wish to inquire from me?" Yubel finally reluctantly responded to Yugi. She could see the other adult wearing a small smile. And feeling like they've gotten somewhere more comfortable, socially speaking. Yugi feels he could respond with…
"How did this happen and what do you plan to do with this kid once he recovers," the King of Games questioned, a bit blunter than he would've liked, but his tone of voice was careful. Yubel looked at him with increased tenseness and her face grew more solemn as she answered honestly as if it were a courtesy to a fellow King.
"An ambush conducted by a Herald of Light one night had severed Jaden's familiar connections to this world with extreme prejudice; the Herald nearly killed me when I confronted him." Yubel started her tone of voice regaining a bit of the hatred when recalling those events, a grimace had appeared on her face as she took a too-quick-for-comfort glance at the sleeping child as if she wanted to make sure her liege didn't disappear again. Yugi covered his mouth in shock with one hand at the ongoing summary.
"My little prince was all alone and desperate for help when I was searching for him and then a certain piece of excrement named 'Shroud' had conned my little liege into his Underground Dueling Circuit. After all the efforts I made to get him out of that wretched place with some assistance from the authorities that inhabit this land. It's clear he needs a place where he can be protected, I planned to take him to the Spirit Realm where he can learn about his heritage and what he IS to prepare for a great calamity in the future," Yubel bitterly concludes, her course of action bringing a about a look of resolve on Yugi's face.
"Would Jaden be fine with leaving everything behind for this…destiny?" Yugi questioned in a knowing tone. The bitterness in her tone signifies to him that she hasn't been looking forward to the decision.
Yubel went quiet, herself unsure how to even approach the subject with her liege when he fully recovered. The memory of her nearly complete failure to protect her Prince from the Light's ambush and her near failure of Jaden's rescue in the Underground Circuit weighed heavily on the demoness to the point of being metaphorically suffocating for the demonic guardian. But then she spoke with almost dead eyes as if to convince herself once more.
"Stand in the oceans of blood spilled through war, hear and see swarms of screaming souls, glimpse the results of a Kingdom-wide sacrifice, and breathe in the ashes of a dying kingdom with your loved ones near death's embrace. Then have the gall to tell me if there's a better way?!"
A dark dull utterance morphing into a vicious snarl at the end with clenched teeth as she regains the fire in her eyes, glaring fiercely at the startled King of Games, while her thoughts involuntarily turn to see her little prince face the horrors of that cosmic nightmare, she continues her venting but with a louder tone of voice but coming with a glint of protective mania.
"Remember this warning… I care not if you are a human, monster, demon, or God. Any who threaten my prince's safety will be met with a very terrible fate. Any who stand in his path to take him away again will perish in flames black as midnight."
Yugi took note of how sad even frightened Yubel's eyes were from even recalling the tale and even her threat, how the near-apocalyptic implications of her story had made the spirit turn a great deal protective but somewhat insane even to hide her scars. Heck, if it wasn't for his Spirit Energy… he would've been at Yubel's mercy, whether he could make it out alive would be the real question to ponder.
He then had a darkly humorous thought at how Tristan encountered her, but it was clear that Yubel was playing with the detective if the encounter amounted to Tristan looking at her as just mischievous rather than dangerous. Although Yugi never meant for Yubel to relive a personal tragedy, he took note of their current situation and wanted to offer a… creative solution to this problem.
"I'm sorry for intruding into delicate territory for you… I should've been more aware of how you feel about trust right now; I could only imagine the fear you felt when Jaden was missing. But that's why I was thinking to myself… what if my wife Tea and I took you in at least for a bit so you two could have a break from all this."
"... Is this a jest?" Yubel questions her face deadpan and her guard slowly rising again. Her eyes slowly went gold as darkness billowed lightly but threateningly in response to the request. However, a quick flash from her memory of how she found Jaden after days of searching after the break-in brought her somewhat frayed sense of reason back to the situation at hand.
"Without anything in return? Let myself and my liege trust the word of another stranger, whose aura is touched by a rather strong god at that. What's your game?"
"What I care about is Jaden having a good home on our planet. I already have everything that I would want - family, and friends, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. Can't let another catastrophe destroy everything my friends and I fought to protect. I mean no harm to either of you. Just please… let us help you. Not just to stop the Herald and this threat you call 'The Light of Destruction'... but also for Jaden's sake as a team."
Yubel could feel her tenseness lessen greatly at Yugi's offer of companionship, the demoness thinking over the offer carefully. If it was Jaden; his young mind would stare at his idol the same way he saw his Heroes whether on paper or a flatscreen, he would nod and agree in an instant. But the demoness had a different way of judging one's character through energy sensory. And even then, Yugi's aura carried a great deal of nobility and even comfort to the demoness. And with a reluctant sigh, Yubel had her answer.
"... I sense the sincerity in your words. However, the amusing man with the pointy hair was the main reason why I even heard you out, he is the one who brought my liege to a place of recovery after all.", she says formally and extends her hand to the King of Games, but when she grabs Yugi's hand.
"But one wrong step…"
The softly somber but formal tone of voice suddenly darkened heavily as the demoness' grip on Yugi's hand swiftly tightened and it took the spiky-haired man a great deal of effort to keep calm even with his spirit energy augmenting the limb's durability.
"One mark of malice, one scratch of abuse for any damnable reason. I won't care if you're the champion of the damned realm or ordained by the Gods themselves given your aura. Not even the deity that sees fit to bless one as yourself won't save you from me."
"Alright then… Wow your grip is strong." Yugi grits out, being reminded of how intense Seto Kaiba can be thanks to Yubel's demeanor, letting go of Yubel's hand after a moment and shaking it to relieve himself of the pain but glad Yubel was able to see reason. "But regardless, Tea and I will be happy to help you and Jaden."
A surprising alliance was formed that day. One that would bring great relief to the Demoness as the years rolled by. And the start of a journey for a newly made family.
Time: 2 Days after the Azure Giant incident, 11 am; Location: Slifer Red's Dorm
On a sunny day, birds chirped along the wind breezing through the clear sky on the lone island of the Pacific Ocean, where Duel Academy was built. It just so happened to be a Wednesday, another day for class time to continue for most; well…aside from the usually lackadaisical 1st-year brunette snoring away the morning peacefully at the middle bunk bed in their dorm room.
Syrus had thanks to Yubel's retelling learned the truth behind Jaden's visceral reaction with Brier and Beauregard yesterday; Jaden was in turn understandably nervous at how Syrus would react to the aftermath of his extreme change in demeanor that night, when he had let loose his anger, nearly turning a late-night duel into a torture session as a result of his loss in composure. And he did sense hesitancy in Syrus when he came by for a chat on the field but the bluenette didn't judge him for it; there was instead some level of understanding between the two Slifer Students which deepened their bond enough for Jaden while a bit reluctantly, acquiesced to Syrus' request to be his Big Bro.
The Slifer Red had mixed feelings about this, not helped by Syrus when the bluenette mentioned Jaden's declaration to be the next King of Games. Specifically, Syrus eagerly forfeited his claim to the "King of Games" title to duel under Jaden's banner. Even seeing the idea as a way to have his new brother gladly dedicate his skills to help make Jaden's dream a reality…
Even being nice enough to let him sleep in late.
"… Prince Jaden. My liege…", a soft sleepy voice purred near the teenager's ear making the boy slowly open his eyes, groggily waking up. And he had awoken to a familiar sight, a pair of hands pulling his groggily head closer to the very warm and generous chest of a sleepily affectionate Yubel, cuddling Jaden like a teddy bear.
Jaden was almost lulled to sleep again in her warm embrace and couldn't think straight due to her rubbing his head in just the right way to soothe him when he was having nightmares as a little child to bring him back to the land of dreams; precious energy being sapped away trying to move his droopy arms, feeling like molasses; his legs, feeling like jelly. His body and the demonesses were familiarly closer than usual, in a delicately crafted embrace between the Prince and his Eternally Loving Guardian.
"…Yubel? You… awake, right?", Jaden muttered tiredly with a little yawn that was a sweet lullaby to Yubel's ears.
"My Prince… please… just five more minutes~. I don't wanna wake up.", Yubel purred pleadingly to her prince, her beauty sleep taking priority, her left cheek rubbing Jaden's. "...Please, I love it when we do this~."
… He had to give a resigned groan that the trick needed to get Yubel up and off him was also helped by his Big Sis Dee's absence.
"Yubel, do you want Dee to tell Mom about this? She probably has a picture already of this as blackmail for her.", he said tiredly but bluntly, just waiting for the explosion. The resulting banshee-like screech could crack bulletproof windows if it was magically enhanced and most certainly woke up any likeminded sleepy stragglers at the dorm.
"OH, THAT DAUGHTER OF A BASTARD!"
(15 minutes later)
What a sight a lot of Obelisk Blue would've paid top dollar to see, the sight of a panicking Jaden running for dear life hastily dressed up in his Slifer Red jacket and certain he had his undershirt on backward, a starving gut that missed breakfast, and after making the mistake of waking up a fair bit too late for classes. He couldn't think of a great excuse for staying up for almost the WHOLE night after checking through his deck multiple times through the various types of monsters, spells, and traps that would guarantee a great time in the duels of the upcoming exam.
And yet… Jaden was running ragged to get to the classroom.
"Dang it, why didn't you wake me up earlier like you usually do, Yubel? Did you want me to get an earful from the teacher for being late? And what about Professor Banner? Isn't he going to punish me as my headmaster for missing classes?" Jaden spoke somewhat jokily but a bit raggedly.
"It's far too late to think about that, my dear liege.", the demoness deadpanned with crossed her arms, a bit prickly for Jaden ruining their sleeping in with the knowledge of Dee's little nest egg of blackmail. "Besides, I've asked Syrus if he could let me borrow his notebook for later on to check up for the Writing Exam. As moonstruck as Dee's been giving the assistance needed to make sure he's not missing anything… I hope not."
"Is that so…", Jaden thought aloud, slowing on his pace now that he was less worried about the class itself. "Still, why didn't you wake me up earlier? I thought it was one of your… 'duties' as my guardian."
Yubel stopped and her deadpan expression somehow got even dryer after 'duties' slipped out of her Prince's tongue.
"My liege… with all due respect, I'm your guardian, not an alarm clock. This was ninety percent your fault for how many cards you wanted to work out strategies. You do know I have limits, even after I warned you multiple times to go to bed. Remember what you said? 'After this Combo' about seventeen times. I need sleep to function too. Unless you want to team up with a demon as haggard as her hair. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
"N… No, I wouldn't. That's my bad, sorry." Jaden said sheepishly as he was rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment at the admonishment and partial fear of 'Cranky, Stressed, and Lack of Sleep' Yubel coming back again… took Mom, Dad, Aunt Godmother Mai, and Uncle Godfather Joey tag teaming her to calm her down that day
… She was terrifying and he didn't even see it.
"And…", the demoness insisted her face was a bit lighter so that Jaden could hopefully learn his lesson.
"And I'll be sure to go to sleep on time so that we get up early for class."
Yubel wryly smiled at Jaden's nervous words.
"Only after passing the trials of basic mathematics, did I witness such growth in your strength of character in you, my Prince?"
"That's a low blow and you know it!"
(Location: Academy Main Classroom)
"Mmm… They're late. What is taking Big Bro this long to wake up?" Syrus whispered to himself as he quickly scribbled down information in his notebook while being a bit worried that Jaden would miss information for a lot of classes that would be important for the upcoming Writing Exam.
"If I were you, I would be more worried about note-taking, sweetie.", quickly muttered a transparent but hovering female Magician next to him, staring at the same notebook her apprentice was writing. "They'll be fine; Ah, just make sure to underline the card descriptions of the examples mentioned before. Highlight the cards that counter those card effects, got it?"
'I… Gotcha, I'll try.', the blue-haired kid thought to Dee while writing down some of the cards mentioned during class. "Let's see here… Monster Reborn is a Normal Spell Card with an effect to reborn a monster from each player's graveyard. A couple of card examples that can counter it… Counter Traps, like Magic Jammer, or the infamous Trap, Call of the Grave."
Dee gave a soft smile to her little apprentice's correct answer.
"Don't stop there, you can go higher than that; try to come up with ten to twenty more card descriptions, and let's give it… three cards that can counter them, if that's okay for you. Can you do with different card names, for more options?" Dee whispered supportively to Syrus.
'S-Sure, I guess I'll need to hit the library in a bit… darn, I just can't stop thinking about Jaden.', the boy gave a curt sigh, before letting one of his hands hold his face up in boredom. "Big Bro Jay… why are you making this so hard for yourself?"
"What's hard?", a somewhat carefree response made Syrus turn and give a sudden yelp from seeing his best friend suddenly standing next to him without him noticing. "Morning, Sy… was Big Sis good to ya?"
"... Uuuuuh, B-Big B-Bro!", Syrus stuttered out in surprise trying to respond, but then suddenly a teacher interrupted the small chat before it could gain traction. It was no other than Dr. Crowler.
"Signor Syrus Truesdale, save the chatter when you're out of class - no ne. And you, Signor Jaden; let's see… missed 2 classes and missed 20 minutes into this one - na no ne?", the teacher questioned with a raised eyebrow towards the surprisingly somewhat sheepish Slifer Red. The teacher even acted like he was checking his wristwatch. "Becoming the leader of the 'Legion of the Fashionably Late Superheroes', I see?"
Hearing the surprisingly clever quip spurred a good portion of the class into laughing, a fair few of the laughs from predominantly Obelisk Blue, Jaden himself had a good laugh about it surprised that Professor Crowler could even refer to that; even Mindy of the siren trio couldn't help but laugh at the verbal jab along with Jasmine holding back a chuckle with a good deal of effort. But the leader of the trio couldn't help but roll her eyes watching the whole circus with a disappointed look, as if the quip wasn't that great to her.
When the laughter died down whether on their own or the teacher making his authority known, Dr. Crowler once again asked the question but it wasn't in a mocking tone as per usual. Instead glancing at Jaden a bit more judgmentally and seriously than usual, awaiting an honest answer from the slightly unnerved Slifer Red.
"Professor Crowler, I'm sorry about being late. My alarm clock wasn't working today, and last night I was preparing for the exams; it was hard for me to sleep with that hanging over my head?" Jaden says his tone being a bit genuinely apologetic after sensing the professor's shift in mood.
"... Take your seat and open your notebook, Signor Jaden. The class is in session - na no ne.", Dr. Crowler simply requested the tardy student as no matter his personal feelings towards the red the teacher couldn't begrudge him for preparing for the exam or at least the explanation, and said student didn't hesitate to sit down next to Syrus and used his friend's notebook to catch up as fast as he could on the lessons from today's first class to the current one now.
"Huh… Sy, did something happen to Dr. Crowler?" Jaden silently questioned the bluenette, who shrugged in response.
"It's weird, but Dr. Crowler hasn't been acting like himself during this whole session.", Syrus nervously whispered. "To be honest, it's not just me, but some of the Slifer Reds were wondering why Dr. Crowler wasn't looking at the Obelisk Blues with the usual praise he usually has while congratulating them for their answers and he hasn't been insulting us reds as much either…"
"Really, wow, is that true?", a surprised Jaden whispers back as he took a look at a silent Dr. Crowler taking a look at his papers, and the Slifer Red couldn't help but ask himself what happened to the Obelisk Blue Headmaster to lighten up on the Slifer Reds as much as he despised them.
Only Dr. Crowler would know the disastrous embarrassment was the recent faculty meeting with the Professors at the Chancellor's Office…
(Professor Crowler Flashback; Time: 10 am; Location: Duel Academy, Professor's Office)
"Ladies, Gentlemen… I appreciate your attendance and patience for this surprise meeting.", Chancellor Sheppard calls starting this surprise facility meeting, summoning the headmasters from their respective dorms, and various teachers from different subjects - Music, Sculpture, Art, etcetera. The Head of Campus Security was also called in as well.
And last but surprisingly, two students of the school itself. The third-year Obelisk Blue student, the 'Kaiser' Zane Truesdale, and oddly enough another Obelisk Blue, a second-year Elite, Kassidy Davis. The former is relatively calm and curious while the latter has a grumpy look on her face inwardly and outwardly thinking nonverbally, really wishing her sister would switch with her for this meeting. Regardless of their personal feelings, they stood close to the Chancellor showing their respect the best they could towards the man who ran Duel Academy.
"As you're all well aware, an intruder who had called themselves the 'Azure Giant', were two 2 Ra Yellow students due to constant misconduct by a lot of the Obelisk Blue Student Body. As you can tell they went through a lot of Obelisk Blue Students and partook in the Anti-Duel Rulebook to an excessive amount. We're lucky they didn't have worse intentions." the Chancellor recaps, inwardly relieved the students in question didn't take more extreme measures for their catharsis.
Only Chancellor Sheppard and the Ra Yellow Headmaster Satyr, knew the identities of who pulled the Azure Giant stunt but they didn't want those two students undergoing more scrutiny and ostracization than needed; what mattered now was admittedly to the Chancellor's internal shame was years in the making, only pushed back seemingly indefinitely thanks to how busy the last few years have been but this incident had given a good window of opportunity to clean house up a good bit. After all, the last thing they all needed or much less wanted was a 'Civil War' between dorms thanks to constant poor treatment between students; the faculty members' tense silence heavily hung in the air as they awaited a response.
The first to answer unsurprisingly to everyone in the room so happened to be Dr. Crowler, the Obelisk Blue Headmaster standing up from his seat to defend his precious dorm.
"Obelisk Blue, POOR CONDUCT! EXCUSE ME!? - no ne?! Pardon my outburst, but with all due respect Chancellor, but such a thing doesn't match any of my darling students. Secondly, they were just attacked recently by those ruffians and had their property stolen, important school supplies mind you in the form of their ace cards being stolen just before the exam. Thirdly, accusing my dorm of being the sole source of the problem when two students who couldn't handle the pressure saw fit to dress up as burglars and run roughshod through my scared students at night. There's no excuse for that type of behavior. Especially towards the pride and soul of Duel Academy… and you have proof from the excellent grades and dueling aptitude they've showcased so far in the last few days and beyond."
Both Kassidy and Zane stood silently as the prideful Professor rambled on to everyone's annoyance, discomfort written on their faces, the former more obvious than the latter whose expression of discomfort was mixed with a bit of contemplation. While they concede the truth that Dr. Crowler's knowledge and teaching style had pushed them in varying ways over the years, doesn't help that his sheer belief in them to not only achieve but excel in their endeavors was a major confidence boost for a fair few, perhaps too much a boost considering many of them over time grew in skill but their code of conduct was stunted considerably or for some students had eroded over time and resulted in some of Obelisk Blue parts of the student body refusing to acknowledge their opponents on many occasions as worthy adversaries, hence why this incident even occurred in the first place.
Kassidy didn't care too much due to her lack of interest in much of the dorm politics but also knew from personal experience in the real world from a young age that the more spoiled Obelisk Blue students would meet a much-needed reality check after they graduated and ultimately it was amusing to see so many blowhards puff their chests. Zane on the other hand while seen as the best of Obelisk Blue also knows how tiring the position was, many of them shooting for the stars whether honorable or at times a bit underhanded. But it was a reliable way for him to keep sharpening himself, especially when unassuming duelists managed to surprise him. Even then it was becoming more noticeable and even embarrassing over the years, but as they were deep in thought they were reluctant to talk about it due to how uncomfortable it was but also wanting to get the meeting over with. Before they made their reluctant rebuke to their headmaster's claims and prolonged the meeting even further…
"Unfortunately, I must partly disagree, Dr. Crowler.", Nurse Fontaine sternly interrupts the Professor's rambling as she pulls out a few sheets of paper. "While you have a point about how they reacted… it doesn't tell you about how far this issue has escalated for other students. I didn't want to bring this bit of information to this office, but you more than anyone need to know first-hand about how many students of Obelisk Blue had many behavioral issues. And by that, I mean a massive amount of complaints from many 1st year and 2nd year students about the bad apples in your barrel."
'Thanks, Nurse…', the two students sighed inwardly in relief, knowing that talking to the Obelisk Blue Headmaster was a chore sometimes.
"How come? I was not informed of any of the misbehavior conducted by my students at all. I need proof of that…", A defensive Dr. Crowler says not exactly believing it as the nurse made her way to his location, the Head of Campus Security taking a quick but curious eyebrow-raising glance at the surprisingly high amount of documents the Nurse had on her person as she handed them to the professor. Not just any written documents, but complaints from students from different dorms.
"We didn't want it to end here. But as one of the headmasters of the Obelisk Blue Dorm, Dr. Crowler, we would recommend you to at least read some of the complaints our teachers have been receiving from the students you adore so much.", the Chancellor demands, his tone of voice heavy and a little bit irritated but ultimately a very warning tone. A familiar tone made the Obelisk Blue headmaster pause with a quiet gulp and sat right back down with his mouth figuratively glued shut.
"For your benefit as both their teacher and headmaster. We're not saying your teachings with your students are part of the problem, but rather what you inadvertently enabled through the constant praise and favoritism toward your dorm causing the rift between the other two, the results have been problematic, to say the least."
Dr. Crowler gave a reluctant but quiet nod at the riot act being read out to him while reading an almost literal one through the complaints given by his fellow Obelisk Blue Headmaster of the other dorm's thoughts on his dorm. And some were rather damning thoughts at that where his 'darling students' were mentioned…
'
Greetings Teach,
I'm writing to report that ever since the second day of school, I've been harassed by some group of blue students, older ones I think a mix of the 2nd and 1st years this time. I was too intimidated to call for help cause I felt Dr. Crowler as their headmaster would brush my worries off. But if I were him, I would be ashamed for not noticing or maybe condoning how some of his "darlings" are acting, like did their parents teach them how to act for pete's sake!? A lot of us are trying our hardest to get our dueling skills up to standard, and then here comes some group of 'bullies' who think themselves worthy of judging who's a weakling or an amateur, and crushing our hopes.
Didn't we get a presentation on the first freaking day to have fun and study our hardest to be able to pursue our goals? Or were we the fools with pie in our darn faces? Not only do we have to listen to long and ego-filled lectures and study subjects that are hard to understand sometimes, but also get mocked, harassed, and put down for not completing our weekly or daily challenges on time by a lot of Obelisk Blue Students.
We're 1 week away from getting the Writing and Duel Exams; I'm having a stressful time just readying myself to attempt to pass these damned tests to get a better ranking, let alone get to Obelisk Blue. But I can't deny a part of me refuses to enter that dorm even with two aluminum baseball bats and a barge pole. If elites act like that, I rather stay mediocre to keep my dignity.
Best Wishes,
Stilton Outlook
'
"E… Erm, I s-see?", Dr. Crowler stutters as rereads the complaint, the last part catching him off guard. If he wasn't in the meeting it would've angered him immensely, the thought of someone wasting their potential due to being unable to handle the competition just didn't sit right with him but he wanted to deny it a bit longer but reread the letter one more time to make sure he didn't miss any information that would benefit him. Harshly sweating bullets at the literary slap in the face and the dressing down of what was considered his 'pride and joy'.
"... I can't help but believe that this is made up, right - no ne? There… There's no way my students would be that tyrannical to the point of excessively stomping on peers of their own age range who have just as much a promising future in their hands as theirs. That's right - no ne. These complaints let us know that they need… something to make them stronger so they don't waste that potential…" hesitantly said a greatly deflated Crowler.
"Embarrass yourself even further why don't ya, Doc~.", Kassidy mutters to herself greatly annoyed at her teacher's denial and a light facepalm before giving the headmaster a deadpan stare and trying to give her honest thoughts about this.
"As you've heard, the PhD you've earned and how skilled we've gotten means your teaching skills aren't in question for Obelisk Blue. You are a remarkable teacher, certainly a reprieve from my previous taskmasters back home. BUT and it's a big one, your students have also taken your praise too much to heart and take how you act as an example, with different desires and intents with the lessons you teach. And… unfortunately, the name of the game is dorm supremacy through trampling those who can't as effectively fight back."
"I… signora Davis. There's nothing I know about a bully that entitled towards our fellow students"
Zane with a wry look opened his eyes, done thinking for now. As if the timing couldn't be more perfect for the thought that came to mind…
"Let's try a more solid example, shall we? Starting with my Little Brother? As I hope you are well aware, he's a first-year student from Slifer Red", he stated the look in his eyes glinting with a bit of anger for what happened to Syrus when he and Alexis were done conversating a few days back, which made Kassidy hold in a laugh but certainly smiling thanks his interjection in this conversation. 'Done being a statue too, are we?'
"Brother? My delightful 'Kaiser', of course, I do know about your brother." Dr. Crowler states in a tone of voice that was a mix of sweet and professional as he tried to regain some of that composure after being put on the spot to sound nice to someone, he respected but was seemingly tongue-tied when he realized. "... Slifer Red, first-year - no ne? Isn't he that one student that follows that ruffian Jaden Yuki like a lost pup?"
"The very same. His name's Syrus. Syrus Truesdale, Professor. The name should ring a bell to you.", he looked at Dr. Crowler again with his arms crossed, his stoic expression morphing into a stern glare that shook Dr. Crowler more than he was after reading the complaint. For a moment the people watching the conversation could've sworn hearing his teeth chattering like a Nut-Cracker.
'T… That Slifer Red ragazzo I met in class on the 1st day, next to that arrogant showboat of a ruffian. HIM? Kaiser's younger brother - NO NE? The odds? The similarities? None… Not his looks or demeanor, nor the height… don't ever let Moi start with his comparatively mediocre dueling scores. The only two hints were from his aptitude for the technical side of dueling and the blue hair but even then, Zane was darker in comparison. Oh, the luck of it all?!'
A small laugh that broke the tension a fair bit coming from the more amicable Professor Banner interrupted Dr. Crowler's train of thought. But in contrast to the stern nurse, the Slifer Headmaster wore a calmer smile also comfortable in his chair, caressing the beloved pet cat on his lap, Pharaoh letting out relaxed purrs.
"Please calm down, Professor. We already know… your feelings about Slifers aren't too good due to past grievances you had the last few years - nya. It's understandable. The Slifer Red Dorm is rather known to be less knowledgeable and a minority of them simply don't care about the world of dueling. And since Duel Academy is associated with KaibaCorp which is a boost to their resume credibility, they find their ways of graduating and finding another subject or occupation to get them ready for their future endeavors in the wide world. It's just common sense to think that not everyone here is fit to be a duelist - nya."
"That is true…", Professor Satyr admits with a tired smirk before reminiscing. "It makes me remember my forays into the world of dueling back when it was new; I won a couple of tournaments before competition increased in difficulty and new rules were being figured out. Needed to find a hobby so 'Cuisine Chef' seemed to catch my eye then, and I don't regret a thing."
"I consider myself a nurse first and foremost before dueling.", Fonda smiled as well as the other faculty members started to reminisce about their other ambitions and dreams. "But we're dancing around the topic right now. Professor Crowler, you need to be careful. Try to be more considerate to students of other dorms. Just… start with Ra Yellow, if you feel more comfortable. And your dislike for Slifers will have to be on hold for a long while if it can't be productive. Maybe heading back to square one isn't the worst idea?"
"I… I have a lot to ponder about.", the 'proud' Doctor sighed in defeat. "Is that all I have to hear in this meeting?"
"Just one more thing, Crowler…", Chancellor Sheppard signaled, receiving his attention; then turning his way to Kassidy, whose only grin grew wider with joy.
"I know it sounds late from not doing this last year since I thought it wouldn't be necessary. But me and my little sister have been quite interested in the new students from this year, and this might come in handy for both of us and the teachers as well."
"Oh mio! And what would be the suggestion, Signora Davis?"
Kassidy crossed her arms and with a somewhat sinister laugh accompanying it Dr. Crowler could only feel the harbinger of mixed feelings and results incoming as his question was answered in the most frustrating way to get it from that office.
(End of Flashback)
Four boxes were placed on top of Dr. Crowler's table. It just so happened to be two blue boxes, and the last two were yellow and red. Not just that, as Dr. Crowler was walking, carrying a container holding sixty pieces of folded index cards, he got near the first student he could see in front of him, handing him one.
"Signor Ben. Write your name on the folded paper, and pass the next ones to the student next to you - no ne.", the teacher ordered the student, who didn't complain and quickly picked up his pen to write his name and gave the folded papers to the next student next to him.
And so did the other students, until all the folded papers were written with their names on them. Dr. Crowler clapped his hands for his students' immediate attention.
"Alright, my dear students. As you can see, each box on my table has the color that represents your dorm - no ne. For the Obelisk Blue's case, the Navy-Blue color is the male dorm, the Teal one is the female dorm. I'll be asking for all of you to place your cards inside your respective boxes. Any questions - na no ne?"
Again, no one asked or felt they could ask anything nor did they want to and did what the teacher requested. Even the usual band of clowns didn't have any idea about what was about to come. But they knew that it was something unexpected that would bite them hard later on. What kind of punishment was in store for them now?
The four boxes had their respective pieces of foiled paper to hide their names. And the suspense started - Dr. Crowler went to each box and picked a random foiled paper from the deep to make sure his pick wouldn't be too obvious. And for each foiled paper the professor revealed its name, the student got up from his seat…
"Signore Nate Washington!"
"P-Present, teach.", mumbled the Slifer Red student nervously as he raised his hand. Coming from an American family that travels around the world and primarily living around Japan, Nate is still a novice to learning Japanese, as to why he sometimes speaks and writes in his mother's tongue.
Wearing round and bigger glasses than Syrus, his long sharp brown hair that would bring to mind a pineapple; somewhat confused by his name being called and receiving the attention of the other Ra Yellow and Obelisk Blues and feeling a little embarrassed to be put on the spot like this. Was it because he was Slifer Red?! Being the target of the Professor's wrath was Jaden Yuki's job, not his!
"Next - no ne. I see, S-Signore … Stilton Outlook!"
"... Present, Professor.", a male formal tone of voice echoed from an annoyed-looking Ra Yellow boy with a subtle but sharp stink eye in the Professor's vicinity, Dr. Crowler being unamused by the but certainly understanding of the reason why, given his 'very flattering' performance review during the meeting. He also came from an American family just like Nate; however, in contrast, Stilton predominantly lived in Japan a great deal longer, sothere's very little wonder his current writing style and manner of speech were shown to be more precise.
For someone who sported an intimidating expression and certainly looked more impatient than Nate, he was more formal looking akin to Bastion, his sharp eyes carried a similar defiance akin to Jaden but more refined and patient, as if he felt confronting the professor directly was a wasted effort. But his body betrayed his intimidation factor as it seemed to be a late bloomer; his height was fairly shorter than his fellow students, unlike his IQ which was certainly quite high. An irritated 'hmph' could be heard as he turned his face from the Professor and made Dr. Crowler quickly reveal the next name on the folded piece of paper…
"Ah… Hum, next one, yes? Signore Jin Adam Alpin!"
"Yes, glad to be at your service. Just call me Adam, Professor", the Obelisk Blue student warmly states as he respectfully bows his head; He was quite tall for his age, and fairly muscular as well but also limber. A well-balanced blend of strength and flexibility. But while his posture was brimming with pride there was also a calm sincerity and casualty in his body language to match his warm expression. Academically, a student who reached the top-10 rankings back in his middle school; he was also the star batter of his baseball team, which had achieved second place in the last Summer Koshien.
The other students near him curiously and awkwardly whispered as to why his name was picked out, and a bit put off by how calm and respectful he was at the moment. However, Adam paid no heed to the white noise chittering about; his sportsmanship-like professionalism shone through the moment his head was raised back up, and gave a patient glance at the teacher awaiting new orders.
'My, quite the budding professional, points for writing his entire name for this… but he's certainly as casual as a certain Slifer Slacker - na no ne.'
The teacher then opened up the last piece of paper which belonged to the female Obelisk Blue dorm, and the name chosen was…
"Signora Sedusa Isley."
"Why hello again, Professor.", a joking tone of voice coming from a tall girl with an elegant posture as she raised her hand; her playful expression complemented by her long, somewhat wild, and unkempt brown hair tied up a bit with a yellow hairpin. But she had a bejeweled earring on her right, had a moderate amount of makeup, and had large orange butterfly tattoos on the sides of her legs, a wing on each side, and a small sapphire star necklace adored on her neck. Along with being an all-rounder considering her good grades. Sedusa greatly enjoyed art, crafts, and the many fields of design ever since she was a young kid. She carries a lofty dream of becoming a famous artist one day and got her 'official' start when she was older by creating a small but notable website for her art, having many fine works to her name whether by commission or her original works, and at points collaborated with other artists in pursuit of this goal, sharpening her creativity and innovation. One of the teenager's art pieces was noticed by Industrial Illusion when she was finding a school to apply for and offered an invitation after an interview of sorts, paying her way there.
"Very well, class, it ends the roll call.", Dr. Crowler placed the papers open on his table and gave a very stern stare towards the remaining students. "That's because… for the Academy to better help bridge Dorm relations and due to a certain incident causing a stir, these four students will become the Class Council for 1st Year Students!"
It took three to five seconds for all the students to realize what Dr. Crowler had just said out loud. It was surprisingly quiet for a while as all the students processed the new information, especially the Slifer Reds, doubly so for Nate himself, as his brain desperately tried to reboot. But less so did Stilton as well, who was sporting a very shocked look towards the teacher, one that most certainly said 'Did he seriously read my advice?'. Both Adam and Sedusa… certainly didn't expect something like this to happen, but they weren't entirely against it.
But as for most of the class…
"EHHHHHHHHHH?!", they collectively screamed out in droves of surprise, disturbance; happiness, rage; determination, and distress… a deafening cacophony that washed over the room like a flash flood that thankfully wasn't enhanced by any magic, but almost could've cracked a window or two by Dr. Crowler's admission.
Said professor after the shock had died down had then asked his students to leave the classroom for 20 minutes, to let them choose WHO would become the Student Council's President.
"Man, do you believe this, Sy?", Jaden curiously muses as the jolly red lounges his arms to the back of his head in the hallway. "Things are about to get a bit more interesting now that we're getting some sort of elite four and champion deal with this class council stuff?"
"Big Bro… you don't expect them to let you slip out of doing homework, right? Which you barely finished in time for bed… and spent more time on making card strategies past midnight", Syrus muttered aloud while thinking back to last night after dinner, he was the one finishing up his homework in record time, while Jaden was rushing and struggling through even with Yubel's assistance to stay focused on the task but when it was done and Yubel had checked his work and gave the okay for the homework to be finished he was instantly back on the bed, completely giddily as he was once again absorbed into looking through the cards from the last packs he had bought.
Jaden sure took his sweet darn time to read all those cards and their effects but skims through the important stuff on his worksheets without too much a care. Syrus couldn't help but be a little irritated at how carefree his fellow Slifer Red was…
"Aww c'mon, I can still count on you to lend me a hand, right?"
Syrus couldn't help but roll his eyes at the question. "Yes, I'll keep my promise, Jay. Just please be more cautious with your time for now; But you don't see me with eight arms and a large supply of energy drinks just waiting to multitask now, do you?"
"Speaking of 'multi-tasking', have you decided on our Class President?", Jaden questioned his friend, making a nearby group of Ra Yellows listen very carefully to their answer.
"… I honestly don't know. Doesn't this seem a little suspicious?", Syrus scratched his head nervously. "We should be reviewing topics that will be on the Exams, not this. Don't you think all these Student Council guys getting picked for this seem a little bit just for show? I mean, think hard about this… Do we even know how they'll handle the next few days? What if we see more explosive confrontations between students of different dorms akin to Jasmine and Gerald? Or are they going to think we're going to forget the Azure Giant incident with one show of unity between dorms?"
"We'll do our best to quell hostilities", Stilton's answer interrupts Syrus' train of thought and causes both him and Jaden to turn their attention to the calm but recently deemed Ra Yellow Council Student. "I'm not exactly against violence to be clear with you; Honestly, I just despise cowardly bullies with no bite to their bark. I won't tolerate any foolishness from clowns clad in blue. Not this year I won't."
"Well, isn't that good news, Sy?", Jaden happily said to Syrus, who nodded in response seemingly placated by Stilton's sales pitch as Jaden held a hand to the Ra Yellow for a handshake. "You seem like a good guy, Stelly. Congrats on getting your position as a Student Council Member; Can't wait to see myself working with you… or against you depending on what we get into."
The Ra Yellow gave a wry smirk at the nickname from the quickly becoming infamous Slifer Red, and he couldn't help but be slightly impressed at how comfortable Jaden seemed to make other people, the teenager's casual charisma was evident as Stilton reciprocated the Slifer Red's desire for a handshake with one of his own.
"Jaden Yuki, you're certainly a student to count on around here. But, there's someone in my group who claims to owe an apology to you", Stilton formally states with a curious gaze towards a couple of incoming Ra students as he tried to give them some space, and two Slifer Reds could see Brier and Beauregard slowly approaching them with mixed expressions towards Jaden.
"Uhmm… t-this is…how should we say it?", Brier muttered to himself, feeling somewhat frozen as his stage fright and a bit of guilt spiked up again to seemingly have him tongue-tied, to the point he couldn't say another word out loud.
"Sup Brier. And sorry for the whole… fire shard barrage Beauregard", Jaden spoke bluntly and in a surprisingly sheepish tone while scratching his head in slight regret and trying to break the ice between him and the duo, making the two boys look at him in surprise; Jaden wasn't that tense with them, instead he was completely casual, even a bit sheepish.
"I won't say what happened and that bad night will be forgotten, but I must admit; Brier, you're no joke in a duel." Jaden continues, his tone steadily getting a bit more respectful.
"Wait…Really? You mean that?", Brier questions hesitantly.
"Don't worry, Big Bro doesn't really lie; Or if he does try, he's too obvious.", Syrus responds encouragingly to Brier as well, a relieved expression on his face seeing that night was seemingly 'water under the bridge'. "As for someone who saw you duel as well… you are really 'scary' in a good way. No wonder Scott sees you as his friend and a good rival."
"Jaden, Syrus… we thank you for your kindness and sorry for the dumb stunt we pulled. That's what we needed to hear after what happened back there.", the taller Ra Yellow bowed his head, and so did Brier; this time genuinely smiling at the two Slifer Reds.
"And we'll make sure to help out whenever you two need it, you hear us? Just give us a call."
"If that's the case…", an eager Jaden reaching for his deck saw an opportunity for a fun rematch.
"Big Bro… Don't!", Syrus interrupts, turning his attention back to Brier. "We'll keep the favor for now. Is there anything else you guys want to share?"
"We do.", Stilton responded standing in his place as a Student Council member. "There's someone we know, from the Ra Yellows; We want you to choose him as the Class President."
"Mind if we lend an ear to this?", Adam, the Obelisk Blue Student Council member asks with a group of some of the more respectful classmates in blue. "The more options we have to discuss, the better."
"Don't forget us~…", Sedusa says with a faux sing-song tone of voice, leading a smaller group of Obelisk Blue girls; by either coincidence or choice, a familiar trio of sirens was also in that very same group, Alexis standing next to Jaden and Jasmine trying to subtly hold Syrus' hand much to Mindy's silent exasperation but nonetheless staying right next to Jaden and Syrus for their viewpoint of this sudden change in operation.
The classmates kept discussing their options to varying depths for the next ten minutes, as different names from Ra Yellow and Obelisk Blue and a few from Red would pop into their minds. More 1st year students of Slifer Red began to participate as time ticked down to add their opinions as well.
The only one who didn't participate in the chatter of the peanut gallery was the Slifer Red Student Council, Nate Washington. Why so? He was still processing the 'how and what' could he do or did for his dorm, to get such an important role slapped onto his shoulders; as the weight of his newfound and thrust 'responsibilities' and 'duties' of his new position weighed down upon him as the Slifer Red felt like he had to make his dorm a better place for him and his classmates.
Gathering all students back to the classroom in their usual spots, the environment looked quite mixed, with the same amount of joy and composure from the reds, yellows, and quite some blues; anger issues, and distress from those who still got upset from the Student Council news. And speaking of which… It finally came to the last important topic.
"Dear students. I gave you another foiled piece of paper to write the name of the student you think it's fit to become the 1st year Class President - no ne. Of course, none of the Student Council names can be written again; they've been already chosen, and the remaining 56 students can have their names included in the category. - na no ne", Dr. Crowler explained, while holding a good amount of trepidation behind his words, anxiously biting his upper lip.
'And hopefully we won't see a name from Slifer Red in the paper, especially the Slacker…', the professor couldn't help but think while shooting a pointed glance to the slacker in question, the stink eye much less harsh; Jaden genuinely looking like he doesn't notice it but yet the teacher feels as if a tidal wave of ice-cold pressure was condensed into a shiver creeping down when looking at oblivious red as if his neck was slowly being enveloped in ice. He was certain something or someone was giving him a death glare right back at him the longer he looked at the lackadaisical red and to rid himself of this feeling, he turned his head away trying to brush it off as another thought came to mind.
'Although if Kaiser's younger brother is chosen… I may have to consider letting him have an assistant just in case to aid him, to stifle any potential sway that Slacker has over him. Having that ruffian anywhere near a position like Student President is just asking for insanity. Non non…'
"We're finished.", a chorus of students echoed from behind a thoughtful Dr. Crowler, the teacher flipping back with a somewhat forced and relieved smile on his face. Inwardly praying nothing would go wrong…
"W-Well, let's not waste any more time - na no ne."
After what seemed like five minutes of checking through the names, and scoring the number of votes that name had on a paper on his table; the score looked positive in Dr. Crowler's eyes. He was indeed impressed and even grateful by the student chosen by the class, because… he was the one who helped with the Azure Giant incident and prevented any more disasters from happening to his dorm' students.
"Splendido, my dear students. Quite the surprise you students gave to me, a sun-colored ray of hope for all of us - na no ne. I'm proud to announce that the 1st Year's President… with a total of 30 votes in this surprising landslide of an election. It's no other than the Ra Yellow Signore Bastion Misawa."
Hearing that name made Jaden and Syrus both give a supportive grin as they couldn't help but do a high five in support of their friend; so did most of the Ra Yellows and Slifer Reds who supported the #1 rank genius student of the Ra Yellow dorm. Even some Obelisk Blue girls and guys congratulated Bastion's new title, and a certain Poki fan ate her sweet candy in delight and a proud smile on her face. She was glad her Big Sister came with this rather experimental idea for this class, things were about to get more interesting…
The student in question had his eyes wide open in surprise at how much faith his fellow students and friends had for someone like him. The faces of Jaden and Syrus came to mind when it would come to convincing their fellow Slifer Red colleagues and maybe a fair few Ra Yellows to make him the president.
And honestly, Bastion wasn't against it; on the contrary, he was astonished at their level of support and inwardly swore to himself that he would do a great job in this task asked of him. But he couldn't help but muse on how he had gained a lot of power and great responsibility in a short amount of time, but hopefully, he could mitigate the problems of dorms now that he was the Class President. And well, there was always faculty to rely on if this got too hot.
Time: The Next Day
"Uhm… Big Bro."
"Yeah, Sy?"
"... I think this Student President Selection was a bit too soon."
While Syrus and Jaden were chatting away the time in the hallway next to the classroom, they could see Bastion wearing student attire a fair bit different from the normal Ra Yellow jacket; a new cleaner yellow jacket with a star-like crest on the chest pocket, gold buttons; instead of the dark shirt, it was now a crisp white, followed with a formal tie. The black dress pants and polished shoes were the last elements that could reflect proper leadership and responsibility in the new uniform the genius student saw fit to clad himself in.
"...Yeah, I can see where you're going with that. I don't even know where Bastion got this outfit, maybe the good professor gave it to him. Is he going to a wedding or something?"
While Bastion was checking on the other students that were passing through the hallway with a fair few displaying awkward looks, Jaden's musings of the Ra's new attire made him look towards the two Slifers and walking close to them, leaving gasps coming from his two 'friends'.
"Gentlemen… good day to you."
"S-something wrong, President Bastion?", Syrus nervously gulped, rather apprehensive due to Bastion's new look and new position.
"Fortunately, not for you, Syrus. But our friend here on the other hand…", Bastion started looking over at the boy in question with a deadpan look complemented by a raised eyebrow. "Disheveled hair, semi-awake eyes, your jacket not ironed nor cleaned, ragged pants and shoes. You look like a mess. Jaden, you didn't sleep very well yesterday, did you?"
"...Oh yeah, that… I've been so busy preparing for the exams that I just couldn't sleep easily… I can always change to a new one.", the Slifer laughed with a sheepish look on his face after getting admonished by Bastion. He already has enough trouble with the noise complaint given to him by Professor Banner from the other Reds for what happened yesterday with Yubel.
"And be late for the class, again? Can't let that happen, Mr. Yuki.", Bastion counters a bit glibly, trying to grab Jaden's hand to drag him to class, but his friend swiftly dodges it and starts running away. "Get back here, Jaden!"
"Sy… we can talk later. I gotta juice!" Jaden quickly excused himself as he ran away from Bastion from the hallway, where some surprised and mischievous students had to move themselves and others away to not end the entertainment so soon.
Syrus could just see Bastion rushing after him, even keeping pace with the Slifer Red; a poker face hiding his admiration at how things would change quickly he expected yesterday to be granted a new role, and also, they had the fact of Writing and Duel Exams looming over them in the next few days. All he could think about was studying as hard as he could to prove himself becoming a better student for both his and Jaden's sake.
Luckily for Syrus, Dee was around with a beleaguered look at her little bro's antics, confident he'd get himself out of it with little harm done or Yubel would bail him out as usual. With that in mind, an irresistible opportunity to stay alone with her little disciple was more prudent to take, she politely asked Syrus if he wanted to go to the library so they could continue their studying session from yesterday; the boy didn't need to think twice, walking next to the spirit to their next destination.
"Jaden Yuki! No running in the Hallway!"
"You're also running, I know that's not allowed by that logic!"
"Stop complicating things, and get back here!"
"This is discrimination, did Professor Crowler put you up to this!?"
As the chase increased in hilarity with his spirit friend Yubel by his side running alongside him for the fun of it, they simply could laugh it off and take some joy in messing with the new Council Students. After all, it was a show of unity and security. They may as well give it a good stress test.
- END OF CHAPTER 13 -