Heya, guys! Just as I predicted, you guys all expressed interest in this remake version of my Cherished Evolution fanfic! But, at the same time, some of you also complained about spoilers or how Elize died and all that stuff. Yeah, I kinda expected that as well. Well, never fear! Because now that the prologue's ended, we can get started with this fanfic!

Also, I hope you all adore Elize's new character design! Even I find myself squealing myself at her adorable cuteness!~ All special thanks to my friend, whom she has requested to stay anonymous, but it was thanks to her that I got ahold of her new character design! I dunno all the details, but she just sent it to me and that was it! Hope you enjoy!~

Disclaimer: Mage of hope doesn't own any Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!


Before the end, everything has a beginning. As such, every beginning has a tale to be foretold through an origin. An origin point as to what eventually came to the end of a journey.

Everything started around 3 years ago, when young Elize Konami applied for the entrance exams to enter Duel Academy...


Around 3 years ago...

'...I dunno if I passed or not,' a petite young girl thought, slumping back against her seat within the stands tiredly. She had finished going through the written exam and practical portion of the exam, which took a long while. That meant that she was downright exhausted, but waiting for results for her...peculiar situation.

While she was certain that she obtained at least an above average on the written exam, she knew that to truly be accepted into Duel Academy, it was absolutely required to pass the practical portion of the exam. In other words, a duel. However, the issue within her situation was that her duel ended up in a tie. Instead of issuing a re-duel, the young girl was instead told to await for her number to be called, which she thought that might mean a new duel with a different proctor this time.

She kept her ears out as she glanced around the several duels taking place right before her forest green-colored eyes. With one hand, she fidgeted and gently twisted one of her chocolate-colored braided pigtails as she waited patiently, yet nervously as well. This was the entrance exam to the most, if not, at least one of the most prestigious dueling academy in the world, after all.

This young girl's name was Elize Konami, and while she may seem an average, normal teenage girl, there is one factor that makes her stand out from most people.

And that is the ability to communicate and see Duel Spirits.

With her applicant ID number being #51, she knew it would take a long while before her ID number would be called up. Therefore, she decided that perhaps getting a drink from one of the vending machines she spotted earlier wouldn't be a bad idea, especially since she might be waiting for a while.

As she got up and headed up the stairs, she heard an announcement going off, though it was for something else entirely...and rather hilariously ridiculous as well.

"Attention, duelists! My mullet is telling you that a Mokey Mokey has been found! If you are the owner, please collect it at the office!"

A bunch of people within the stands muttered amongst themselves before their conversation quickly turned into a wide argument. It started off with one person shouting, "Oh, that's mine!"

"No, it's not! It's mine!" another person shouted back.

"Are you kidding me?! I lost it when I was 7!"

'...Right, I...probably shouldn't be involved in...whatever that was,' Elize thought, sweatdropping before turning away and heading towards her destination. She found herself within a hallway, spotting the vending machines near some restrooms. After inputting some coins to obtain her desired drink, Elize bent down to grab it, but just as she did, her fingers slipped, and she accidentally dropped it, causing the soda can to roll away from her.

Before Elize could give chase, however, the soda can came to a halt when it came into contact with someone's shoes. A young teenager bent down and picked it up before looking up. Smiling, he walked towards Elize and handed her the soda can.

"Here! I think you dropped this!" he said with a cheeky grin.

"Oh! Thank you very much! I-I'm sorry for troubling you," apologized Elize, bowing her head.

"Hey, no need to worry! It was no trouble at all! Oh, and I'm Jaden! Jaden Yuki! What's yours?"

"Huh?" Looking up, Elize took in Jaden's full appearance from head to toe before introducing herself. "Oh, my name is Elize. Elize Konami. It's nice to meet you too, Jaden! I'm guessing that you managed to get into Duel Academy?"

"Actually, not yet," Jaden admitted, handing Elize back her drink. "I haven't dueled anyone yet because I was a teensy-bit late, but I'm pretty sure they'll call for me pretty soon!"

"Oh, well, I wish you luck, then, Jaden," encouraged Elize, clasping her hands around her drink.

"Yeah, thanks! By the way, I'm gonna head to the auditorium where all the awesome duels are taking place! Wanna come with and watch the duels with me?"

"Sure, I don't mind. I think I have to go back there, anyways," Elize said, walking alongside Jaden all the way back.

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"Well, I just think that I might get a re-do for the dueling part of the exam."

"Huh? They allow redos for students who lost their duel?"

"No, I don't think so. I mean, I didn't really win my duel, but I didn't exactly lose, either. My duel...kinda accidentally landed in a draw. Instead of dueling the same opponent again, they just...kinda told me to stay put and await for my number as they did a re-duel for me," explained Elize.

"Huh, kinda weird that they didn't let you duel again immediately, but hey! At least you got a second chance out of it! Good on you!" said Jaden, patting her on the back. "I'm sure you'll do great!"

"Y-yeah..."

"Mr. Ryuga, I don't understand! Why should I still give up my precious card?!" An angry voice bellowed, no far from their location. Curious, and because it just so happened that the source of the voice was coming from the same path that they intended on walking through to make it back to the auditorium, Elize and Jaden hurried to see what was happening.

It didn't take long for them to discover one of the applicants angrily yelling at what appeared to be a coolheaded and calm proctor, unfazed by all his yelling. It appeared to be a one-sided argument from the looks of things.

"I already lost the duel, and the chance to apply to Duel Academy this year! So, why do I still have to give up my ace card?!" the applicant continued to yell.

The proctor, who was called Ryuga, only pushed up his glasses. "But that's simply the way things are. You, the weak loser, lost to me, the much stronger winner. Therefore, it's only natural that you give up much more to me than just your chance to enter the prestigious Duel Academy."

"Grrrr-! Why you, bastard-!"

"Hey! That's enough!" yelled Jaden, having heard enough as he marched up towards the two, though he was glaring at the proctor.

'Jaden-! What are you trying to do?! P-please don't get in trouble!' thought Elize, startled as she did nothing but watch silently from not too afar.

"Hmm? And who are you supposed to be? Pah, probably nothing more than another nameless applicant trying to get into Duel Academy," muttered Ryuga.

"Hey, I'm no nameless applicant!" Jaden shouted, pointing to himself. "The name's Jaden Yuki! I saw the whole thing! How dare you try and snatch cards from people who lose to you?!"

"Hmm? 'Snatch' is such a strong term. You make it seem like I'm a thief of some sorts," Ryuga spoke calmly. "The truth of the matter is that I'm a card collector, and as such, it's only natural that I have an interest in collecting a lot of...interesting cards. That young man over there had some cards that I did not have, and, well, he generously handed them over to me."

"Oh, you are such a lying bastard!" the applicant from earlier cried out. "You tried to threaten me into giving my ace card to you, you bastard! You said that if I didn't, you would use your connections to ruin me!"

"See?! You really are trying to steal other peoples' cards!" Jaden yelled, clenching his fist. "You can't just force people to give up their cards your own selfish needs! Cards are the SOUL of the duelist! One can't give up their own soul that easily!"

'Their...soul?' thought Elize, surprised to hear such a statement from Jaden as she touched the area where her heart was. Not many people thought the same way as him...or her, so she felt rather...touched when he declared such a thing.

"Oh?" Intrigued, Ryuga informed him, "Just to let you know, with the winning rate I have, it won't be long until I become a teacher at Duel Academy. If you keep your ego in check and give me your best cards now, I'll go easy on your grades when the time comes. Actually, I think that your cards will be in much better hands with me than a leftover like yourself."

The first big red flag should have been when witnessing Ryuga calmly insulting the other applicant like he was nothing but dirt at the bottom of his shoe. The next big red flag should have been a bigger hint when it was clear that Ryuga was lying about being generously handed cards by someone who angrily denied him and revealed how Ryuga threatened him. And now, with the fact that Ryuga was insulting Jaden in a..."kind" manner, it frightened Elize.

Were teachers like Ryuga really accepted within Duel Academy?

Angered, Jaden spat out, "Someone like you doesn't deserve to be called a duelist! You're nothing but scum!"

A visible vein popped onto the side of Ryuga's head as he silently regained his composure upon being insulted. "...I'm going to make sure your life at Duel Academy is absolute hell when I finally become a teacher. And, as luck would have it, I only need 1 more win before I officially become one."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Hmph. Of course a nobody like you wouldn't know," Ryuga scoffed. "Very well. Allow me to enlighten you with a fun fact, then. I'm striving to become a Duel Academy teacher, and as such, one of the employment conditions is to duel 50 students. But, in this case, applicants count as well, hence why I'm here at the entrance exams today. So far, I've had 49 consecutive victories. Impressive, is it not?"

Jaden would have been impressed if it weren't for the fact that the potential teacher was a huge jerk. "Pfft! So what? That's only 49 wins! That's not enough for you to be guaranteed a teacher!"

"...Tell me something. Have you dueled anyone yet?" asked Ryuga, curiously.

"No. I'm still waiting for my number to be called! I really hope that my opponent's you, so that I can shove your face in where it deserves! In the dirt!"

"Well, I sure hope that your ID number's 51, because then, I'll relish in the sight of your defeated figure by the time I'm done with you!" said Ryuga.

"51...?" muttered Elize, recalling that her ID number happened to be 51. "Um...excuse me! I...happen to be #51, and I was waiting for the announcer to call for my number, so..."

Ryuga smiled, stepping forward. "Ah, I see. That shortens things, then. Young lady, congratulations. I'm offering you the opportunity to attend Duel Academy freely without having to take the practical portion of the exam. In other words, all you need to do is agree to allow me to handle that lowborn over there, and I'll put in a good word about you. That means that not only will you be able to attend as a new student, but you'll automatically be an Obelisk Blue!"

A proctor, no-a teacher trainee willing to allow an applicant like her into Duel Academy through such an offer? In any selfish person's eyes, that'd practically be a one-way golden ticket, but for Elize, she thought that it was just another form of cheating. Plus, she already felt uncomfortable around Mr. Ryuga.

If Elize chose to do so, then it would be guaranteed that she would enter as a new Duel Academy student. Plus, she would get a free pass at being an Obelisk Blue, and Obelisk Blue is the highest rank within Duel Academy. Obelisk Blue students get to experience the prestigious life; nobility-life environments, grand foods, and so much more.

But, even so...

"P-Please don't!"

"Hmm? What was that?" questioned Ryuga, surprised.

"I..." Elize already felt nervous, but she knew deep down that all of this wasn't right, no matter what. "D-Don't give me such a selfish offer! I-I-I won't become a Duel Academy student this way! I-It doesn't feel right! No, it feels wrong! I don't like this! I-I won't accept your offer!"

Elize was shaking, tightening her fists as she clasped them close to her chest. She really, REALLY didn't want to anger the teacher trainee and she didn't want to lower her chances of becoming a student, but at the same time, there was no way she wanted to become a student this way!

"...Young lady, I'm afraid that you don't quite understand how big of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this might be for you," Ryuga said calmly, and yet, his hand clasped on her shoulder that was meant to comfort her only tightened his grip. "So, my suggestion is: Take the offer, or regret being another worthless being for denying my offer."

"S-Stop-! You're hurting me-!" cried out Elize, grimacing and winching from his grip on her shoulder.

"Hey, stop it!" Jaden, upon witnessing how uncomfortable and in pain Elize clearly was, stepped in, slapping Ryuga's hand off her shoulder, shoving him away, and then getting in front of her, shielding her from him.

"You-! How dare a lowlife like you touch me?!" Ryuga angrily shouted, clenching his hand as if it was the most delicate thing in the world.

"Who cares about that?! It was clear that you were hurting her!" Jaden argued. "Not only do you not deserve to be a duelist, but if you're going to resort to threats, then you don't deserve to be a teacher, either!"

"More insults from a brat like you-?!" Ryuga swiftly turned to Elize, who flinched and yelped when she caught sight of his rage-filled expression. "And you! I'll pretend that I didn't hear your defiance towards me and forgive you if you allow me to force this lowlife into dueling me! I'll make sure he suffers from hearing even a little bit of the prestigious academy he'll obviously fail to attend!"

For Elize, this could be her second chance to change her mind and accept Ryuga's deal. And all she had to do was say yes and do nothing else. But...even so, even thinking of accepting left a nauseating feeling inside her. That and she didn't want Jaden to suffer from such a horrible person, especially since he protected her just now.

Elize, clenching onto one of Jaden's arm for comfort, shook her head frantically and tried to avert her gaze away. "N-No...I won't...I'll...I'll still take you as my opponent..."

"...What a foolish, stupid decision," Ryuga proclaimed, keeping his rage in check for the time being. "Very well. I'll take your challenge, #51. I only need one more win before I officially become a teacher, anyways. And as for you-" He turned his gaze towards Jaden. "Even if you do become a student, I'll make sure your life there is hell before I personally expel you myself! You should be grateful that I'm warning you, you worm."

Having said all that he needed, Ryuga whirled around and left.

Just as Elize sighed in relief that the scary teacher trainee was gone, the applicant from before spoke up. "You should have taken his deal."

"H-Huh?" Elize asked, turning towards him. "W-what?"

"Yeah, what gives?! I think she did a good job turning down a jerk like him!" Jaden protested.

The applicant shook his head. "Look, that Ryuga guy is crazy strong. You're an absolute moron to turn down that sweet deal of his. I know I wouldn't have turned him down if I was given the offer. But now, thanks to your stupid heroism, he's not going to show you even the slightest hint of mercy when it's your turn to duel him."

"I...I-It wouldn't feel right, accepting his offer," admitted Elize. "He wasn't a really nice person."

The applicant scoffed. "Oh, so that's it? Not only because of your heroism, but also because he wasn't a nice guy? What are you, 5? News flash! A lot of students at Duel Academy are just as 'mean' as him! You really think that just because you're a cute girl, you're going to be treated nice? Well, maybe a few will treat you like that, but the rest? They'll hound you like wolves. This school is for the elite of the elites, and if you can't handle that, then maybe you don't even deserve to go to Duel Academy!"

"Hey, that's enough! Stop it!" Jaden shouted, defending an even more saddened Elize. "Jeez, we try defending you and this is all the thanks we get?"

"...Ugh, I didn't ask for your help," the applicant said before turning to Elize. "Alright, fine. Since you were stupid enough to turn down his offer, the least I could do to offer my thanks is to tell you how his dueling style works."

"W-what?" Taken aback, Elize began to protest. "B-But wait, wouldn't that technically be chea-"

"Hey, rules didn't say anything about not being allowed to know your opponent's deck. Plus, if there's even the slightest chance of that prick losing, then I'd take it, whether it's giving information or not," the applicant said. "So, here it is. His dueling style definitely involves a lot of brute force, plus he uses a Dinosaur deck. So that's double the trouble since Dinosaur decks are known to use mainly brute strength to win."

"Brute strength and brute force, hmm...? ...I think I can handle that. I mean, I used to be involved dueling a lot of kids that always uses high-strength Monsters," admitted Elize.

"Yeah, in the playground, but Ryuga is a completely different story. He's smart with his brute strength Monsters, and being smart with large amounts of strength is always dangerous," advised the applicant. "Gah! If only my duel disk didn't short circuit on me, I would have won!"

"Huh? Is something wrong with your duel disk?" asked Elize.

"Yeah, I think so, but it shouldn't have any problems! For some reason, my duel disk started acting up when I tried to activate some of my cards during. my duel! God, why today, of all things?! And this was supposed to be the latest model, too! What the hell?!"

"C-can I see it? Your duel disk, I mean?" Elize requested, extending her hand out.

"Why?"

"I'm...well, I'm really good with tinkering with machines, and I've got a lot of experience fixing a bunch of machines, including duel disks, so maybe I can at least figure out the problem," Elize offered, putting her soda drink in her pocket. "A-As a thank you for telling me all about Mr. Ryuga's dueling skills, of course!"

"Whoa! Does that mean you're some sort of mechanic, Elize?" Jaden asked, watching Elize being handed the applicant's duel disk before she began examining it.

"Well, not an official one. I've still got a long ways to go," admitted Elize, pressing a few buttons on the duel disk that opened parts of the duel disk contraption.

With skillful but careful fingers, she delicately examined every bit of the the duel disk that she could gain access to. If she had her tool kit with her, she would have far more access, but at the same time, she didn't want to risk ruining someone else's duel disk just because of her vast curiosity. Her eyes scanned every bit of the technical machinery within the accessed parts of the duel disk.

Finally, after a few minutes, she shook her head and handed the duel disk back to the applicant. "I...I really can't find any problems within the duel disk. Your duel disk seems perfectly fine to me. I mean, if I had my tool kit, maybe I would search for the problem some more, but for the most part, it seems that your duel disk is fine to me."

"Yeah...I expected much," sighed the applicant. "Truth be told, before a few days before the entrance exam, I even checked with a mechanic just in case there weren't any problems with my duel disk, because I didn't want any errors suddenly happening during my duel today, but he said it was fine. Well, thanks anyways, and good luck."

Having said his thanks, the applicant turned to leave.

"...I only wish I could do more," admitted Elize, clasping her hands together worriedly.

"Nah, I'm sure you did all you could!" assured Jaden, patting her on the back. "After all, it isn't everyday that you get to have a mechanic look at your stuff for free!"

"W-well, I'm not really an official mechanic. I just like tinkering with things, that's all...But, we should hurry back to the auditorium. Our numbers might get called up any minute!"

"Oh, you're right! Ah, I think the way back is right through there! Let's go!" Grabbing Elize by the hand, Jaden hurried his way down the hallways to reach the auditorium.

Unbeknownst to them, however, someone was lurking in the shadows behind a wall, having eavesdropped on the scenery earlier. What just happened perked his interest enough to make him wonder what would happen next.

"Hmm...interesting..."


Later...

Fortunately for the both of them, the practical dueling exams were still commencing, as there were still multiple duels taking place as they stood by and watched several of them. In fact, it just so happened that the two of them were watching another young student's duel with an examiner.

A student named Bastion Misawa.

Bastion - 3200 LP

VS

Examiner - 1900 LP

On Bastion's side of the field, he has 3200 LP, one Set card, and a Monster named Vorse Raider in Attack Mode. Whereas the Examiner has 1900 LP, as well as two Monsters in Defense Mode; Big Shield Gardna and Gear Golem the Moving Fortress.

Vorse Raider - (DARK/Beast-Warrior) - LV4 - (1900/1200)

Big Shield Gardna - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (100/2600)

Gear Golem the Moving Fortress - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (800/2200)

"Alright, new guy! Multi-choice! You've got two Monsters staring ya down!" announced the examiner. "Do you A) throw in the towel? B)Beg for mercy? Or C) cry home to Mama? Face it, kid! You've got no chance of winning! Why don't you run home and have a little tea party? Oh, and I suppose that could count as D!"

Determined and unwilling to surrender, Bastion declared, "Then, I choose E! None of the above! And besides, what if I activate Ring of Destruction?"

Knowing full well of Ring of Destruction's well-known effects of destroying one Monster, and then having both players taking Effect Damage equal to that Monster's Attack Points, the examiner had this to say. "Well, then, you'd probably win, but it's a good thing you don't-"

And then, Bastion revealed his Set card: Ring of Destruction.

"Aww, come on!"

With a loud explosion, that signaled the depletion of both players' Life Points, but because Bastion's Life Points were much higher than the Examiner's, and since the Examiner's Life Points just so conveniently happened to be the same as Vorse Raider's Attack Points, it was clear who was the victor and who was the loser by the end of that section.

Bastion - 1300 LP

Examiner - 0 LP

Winner: Bastion

Instead of sulking like most of the applicants who failed their exams, the Examiner took his loss calmly in a professional manner. "Clever move, applicant! Welcome to the academy!"

Bowing his head in respect, Bastion thanked him. "Thank you, O wise proctor."

Impressed, Jaden complimented, "Wow, that last guy really tore it up! That was some mighty fine duelin'!"

A blue-haired boy with glasses standing nearby overheard Jaden and turned to him. "Yeah, that's Bastion Misawa. I heard that he got the highest score in the written exam of all us applicants."

"Wow, and I barely passed."

"I-I don't mean to brag, but I think my score was above average," admitted Elize.

"No worries. I think the practical exam is what really matters anyways," Syrus assured. "My name's Syrus, by the way. Nice to meet you two. I kinda have a thing where I get test anxiety. I dunno how I won my match."

"So, you're in!" chirped Jaden, happily slapping him on the back. "Congratulations! I'll be in too as soon as I win my duel!"

"Wait, you haven't dueled yet?"

"Nah!"

"Then, I think you might have a problem. I think THIS was supposed to be the last one!"

"Gh-!"

Placing a hand on his arm, Elize told him. "It's okay. You already registered your name, right? Well, I don't think they'll end the exams yet without going through every applicant, so you and me still have a chance."

Jaden instantly brightened up. "Hey, that's right! Thanks, Elize! You're the best!"

"So, your name's Elize?" asked Syrus. "That's a cute name! I-I mean, of course I'm not saying that you're cute! I mean, you are cute, and your name's cute, but-! I...um...never mind!"

"Oh, no! It's alright!" Elize said. "My name is Elize! It's nice to meet you, Syrus."

"Yeah! And I'm Jaden! But my friends know me as Jadenman!"

"...That's kinda lame," muttered Syrus.

"Shut up!"

"A-Anyways!" Elize spoke up, trying to calm down Jaden. "I know you and I haven't dueled our matches yet, Jaden, but I was wondering just how strong our opponents are?"

"Well, I hope mine is plenty strong!" Jaden chirped. "Oh! I sure hope he's one of the Academy's best! That way, I'll have a sweet duel with him! I'm just itching to know who he is!"


Meanwhile...

"Looks like we have a pretty good crop this year!"

"Yes, indeed!"

While the other Examiners and proctors were muttering amongst themselves the results of the exams that each applicant undertook, a tall, flamboyant-looking blond-haired man was sitting amongst his fellow co-workers, staring unimpressively at the duels presented before him. Others assumed that he was a silent and calculating person, observing everything around him, when in reality, he was thinking something rather...off.

'Hmm...What rhymes with 'golem?'' thought the blond-haired man in deep thought. ''Molem?' No...'Tolem?' No...'Mary-Palolem?' ...That's not even a word...'Solemn?' Solemn! Yes! Solemn! I must write it down!'

Just as the blond-haired man was writing down his thoughts on his parchment of papers, one of the officials came up to him. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but one last applicant has arrived to take his exam, Mr. Crowler."

"Did you just call me 'Mr.?'"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm new here, Missus."

Biting back a snarl, the man known as Crowler explained, "I have PhD in Dueling! I am entitled to the title, 'Doctor,' thank you! Now, tell the truant that he'll just have to come back next year!"

However, some of his coworkers seemed to disagree, seeing as it was only one measly duel. "Oh, come on, Dr. Crowler! We have time for at least a few more duels!"

"Yes, let's give this duelist his shot!"

"He was just a bit late, that's all!"

"LATE IS RUDE!" shrieked Crowler, startling everyone around him. "I HAVE NO TIME FOR SLACKERS!"

The official that talked to Crowler earlier hesitated to speak up. "...But, it's only one applicant, sire. I mean, Dr.!"

"Goddamnit, Gertrude! How dare you interrupt me when I'm being artistic!" Crowler scolded before letting out a sigh, calming himself. "But it's not your fault. You wouldn't understand what it's like being a great poet like myself."

"...I don't think poetry is really important right now-"

"POETRY IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT YOU FRICKIN-!'"

Crowler's cellphone ringing interrupted him mid-sentence before he fished it out and answered it. "Hello?"

Heavy breathing could be heard on the other line of the phone, almost as though it came from a horror film. "I can see you, Crowler..."

"Sheppard, I know that's you," Crowler said, deadpanned.

"Awwww! Anyways, just calling just to make sure everything's running smoothly, Crowler! Wouldn't want a repeat of what happened last year! When you cut a third of our student applicants for a ridiculous reason! What was it? Calling you 'Mr.' or 'Missus?' Just make sure everyone gets a fair shot!"

"Absolutely!" After hanging up, Crowler mumbled under his breath. "Furry-chinned windbag...Now, where were we?"

The official named Gertrude answered, "Um...something about poetry?"

"Oh, yes, you're absolutely-POETRY IS VERY IMPORTANT, YOU FRICKIN-!"


"And THAT'S the real reason why the chicken crossed the road!" Jaden said, finishing the punchline of his joke to both Elize and Syrus. He noticed the applicant from earlier, Bastion Misawa, just sat down near them, and couldn't help but approach him. "Tight duel there, Bastion!"

"Huh?" Looking behind him, Bastion saw Jaden and relaxed his shoulders. Just another applicant complimenting him on his dueling skills from his duel earlier. "Thank you."

"From the looks of it, you might be the second-best duelist here! Sorry, Elize!"

"Huh? Oh, I'm not offended at all," Elize assured. "But, why is Bastion the second-best?"

"Heh, simple! Yours truly is in first place!" Jaden said, pointing to himself confidently. "It's what I'm best at!"

"Will Applicant ID #51 please report to Exam Field 3? And Applicant ID #110 report to Exam Field 4?" called out the announcer, indicating that it was now both Elize and Jaden's turns for their duels.

"Go time! Wish us luck, guys!" Grabbing Elize by the hand, Jaden helped escort her down the stairs before the two of them split, eventually heading towards their destined exam fields.

When Elize arrived in Exam Field 4, her opponent, Ryuga, hadn't arrived yet, but she knew that soon, he would be. After all, her re-assigned duel was with him, and he just needed one more duel before he officially becomes a Duel Academy teacher. She already experienced a little bit of firsthand dealing with him, as with her previous encounter earlier, and, understandably, she didn't want to face him again.

It was like the burden of a lot of potential students' fates were resting on her shoulders should she lose.

Well, on one hand, if she does happen to lose, then she won't have to take the entrance exam ever again. She would just have to apply to a technical school like she originally planned before her grandmother made her change her mind. It was part of the deal she made with her, after all. But, on the off-chance that she DOES manage to beat Ryuga, then she'll beat his record of winning and thus stop him from being a teacher!

'But wait,' thought Elize, visibly shaking as she came to a realization. 'E-Even if I do stop Mr. Ryuga, and that's a BIG if, then what's stopping him from enrolling next year? Oh, no...Maybe this is a bad idea, after all! Maybe-maybe I should lose on purpose! No, no! I can't do that! I promised Grandma that I wouldn't cheat nor give up easily on the entrance exam! She'll figure out that I might throw in the towel early! She always does! B-but even so, I-I really don't want to face Mr. Ryuga! He's really scary, and-and-'

"Elize! Just calm down, alright?" A young girl with long green hair tied in a high ponytail that was around Elize's age appeared near her spiritually, as nobody else could see her. Although she couldn't physically touch her friend, just placing her hands on her shoulders was enough for Elize to calm herself a little and start taking deep breaths. "Easy there...deep breaths...1...2...3...1...2...3..."

"I..." After taking a few more deep breaths, Elize finally calmed herself. Telepathically communicating to her Duel Spirit, Elize thought, 'Thank you...Wynn. I think I really needed that..."

"I'm always happy to help, but Elly, I don't think you need to worry. Just do your best like always, alright? Me and everyone else will be supporting you!" assured Wynn. "I mean, we'll still be supporting you in your important duel, of course! But we'll also be cheering you on! I mean, that'll be a bit difficult, since we'll also be fighting, but we'll do the best we can to help out!"

To emphasize her point, Wynn's familiar as well as another one of Elize's Duel Spirits, Petit Dragon, appeared before flying around Elize in a playful fashion to distract her from any distressful thoughts. Giggling, Elize felt a bit more better, especially after seeing the adorable display before her.

Feeling a spiritual hand placed on her other shoulder, Elize assumed it was just Wynn again, but in actuality, it was another one of her Duel Spirits, Lyna. Smiling, she hugged Elize from behind, even though her owner couldn't physically feel her warmth. "It'll be alright, Elly! We'll be there right with you all the way to the end!~ Do you feel alright now?"

Elize gave a curt nod. 'Y-Yeah...I think I'll be alright now...'

Then, her opponent and new examiner for her dueling exam, Ryuga, appeared through a special podium underneath the floor. "Hmph. You appear as though you're nowhere near capable of beating me. But, at the very least, I do applaud for your...well, rather foolish bravery against me, I suppose. But, I suggest that you spare yourself the humiliation of losing in front of so many peering eyes and instead, have the grace to leave quietly and quickly."

Ryuga's sharp words bit through Elize like they were shards of blades striking at her. Although his words stung, Elize tried to think back on the encouragement her Duel Spirit friends tried to provide for her, and some of that remedied the pain behind his words. Taking another deep breath, Elize shook her head.

"I-I'm going to stay in this duel! I-I'll still duel you, Mr. Ryuga!"

Pushing up his glasses, Ryuga's confident expression didn't change in the slightest. "Hmph. What an idiot. Very well, then. I only need one more win before I officially become a Duel Academy instructor, so prepare yourself, because I will not hold back!"

Having said that, Ryuga momentarily retreated to more sinister thoughts. 'Hehehe...That's right! As soon as I finally gain entrance into Duel Academy, I'll eliminate any pesky obstacles in my way, starting with that Crowler! His own arrogant and flamboyant attitude annoys me to no end! As soon as I gain status at Duel Academy, that means I'll also gain a voice over the dueling community! And when the students who received my teachings spread across the world, the dueling community will be controlled by MY thinking! And all I need is just one more win before I take the first step to accomplishing my goal!'

The audience sitting in the stands created a bit of a commotion at the two remaining duels for the entrance exam. Both were garnering quite a lot of attention due to who the two instructors were; Dr. Crowler against Jaden in one Duel Field, and Ryuga against Elize in another.

Dr. Crowler was fairly well-known for being one of the most powerful dueling instructors in Duel Academy, especially with his famous Gear Golem deck that's already proven too many times how merciless and powerful it was against many students that earned him both fear and respect from the students. Ryuga was a young man that's currently a teacher trainee, and naturally, he's won 49 out of the 50 required duels he needed to accomplish, but his reputation makes him one as a stern, calm headed, but fearsome opponent with his all-mighty Dinosaur deck intact.

One applicant against a powerful dueling instructor, and another applicant versus a well-respected teacher trainee...It would definitely shift a lot of attention.

Amongst those intrigued with the turn of events were two Duel Academy students: Alexis Rhodes and Zane Truesdale. They were just as curious as everyone else to see what changes or twists and turns would occur from these events.

"Dr. Crowler and Mr. Ryuga, huh?" mumbled Zane, crossing his arms. "Well, we know Dr. Crowler definitely won't show any mercy to his opponent. For the time being, the one duel that's more interesting is the one involving Mr. Ryuga. What do you think, Alexis? Any thoughts?"

"Well, I've heard all sorts of rumors about him," Alexis said. "They're not good ones, though. Apparently, he takes cards from the students he wins against! If that's true, that's horrible! Doesn't Duel Academy have some sort of rule against Ante Duels?"

"Yes," confirmed Zane, nodding his head. "It's normally between students, but teachers are forbidden from doing Ante Duels as well. As much as I would enjoy watching Crowler's duel, this duel with Mr. Ryuga seems interesting as well."

"You're right. I guess we'll just have to switch back-and-forth between duels to see what's up."

Although two separate duels were about to commence, they were still two duels that would ultimately determine the future, depending on the win or loss of the duels. Although they were separate from each other, it almost felt like a Tag Team Duel for Jaden and Elize versus their opponents, Dr. Crowler and Ryuga.

Simultaneously, as though in sync, all four opponents shouted their signature battle cry to initiate the duels. "DUEL!"

- DUEL -

Elize - 4000 LP

VS

Ryuga - 4000 LP

"Hmph, since it's clear that you're going to lose, I'll at least give you a fair advantage and allow you to do first," spoke Ryuga cockily, pushing up his glasses.

"A-are you sure about that, Mr. Ryuga...?" wondered Elize hesitantly.

"Certainly. I insist."

A red-haired spirit popped up besides Elize with her hands on her hips. "What the hell are you talking about, El? You should take full advantage of this! That way, you'll be able to summon us a lot easier! Don't hesitate! Definitely take care of that loser!" Even though Ryuga couldn't see the Duel Spirit, the red-haired spirit still pointed at him while sticking her tongue out.

"Hiita...O-Okay, then!" Elize nodded; any signs of hesitation fading as soon as she drew her card. "I'll go first! Draw!"

Having acquired her full hand of cards, Elize paused her play and tapped her chin, wondering which strategy she should do first. 'Hmm...I know that Mr. Ryuga has a Dinosaur deck, and from what I know, Dinosaur-Types are usually EARTH-Attributes. Well, I know some are also WIND-Attributes, too, but there's a good chance that he'll summon an EARTH-Attribute Monster on his next turn, so I should prepare myself!'

"I set a card and then set a Monster before I end my turn!"

"Hmph. What a simple and boring strategy you have there," Ryuga spoke.

"H-Huh?"

"Look at your field," Ryuga explained, pointing at Elize's side of the field. "Nothing but a Set card and a Set Monster? It's pretty obvious that you're trying to aim for me to attack, only to trigger a trap that will spell my doom. Simply one of the most basic tactics in all of Duel Monsters! If you want to pass, you'll have to do MUCH better than this!"

"He's right," commented Zane, expressing his disappointment at such a play. "Any talented duelist could see it was an obvious trap just waiting to be sprung. All that girl did was prove that not only was her move a total waste, but that she has a long ways to go before actually being a better duelist."

"Come on, give the new girl some credit," said Alexis. "We haven't even see what sort of deck she has yet. I'm actually interested in what kind of deck she has. Although, I do wish that she doesn't summon any Monsters for the sole reason of them being 'cute.'"

Zane smirked and turned to Alexis. "Bad experience?"

Alexis rolled her eyes and groaned. "Ugh, tell me about it. About half, if not, most of the girls back at Duel Academy are like that. I get that the small and adorable Monsters are cute and all, but just admire them at your own leisure, not during a duel! And even when I try to help them improve, they're just more concerned about their nails or how their makeup will look, or any other useless thing to worry about during a duel! Honestly, with all of the girls I dueled with, I wish I could just throw them all at the Slifer Red dorms!"

"You know it doesn't work like that, Lex. The school system makes it so that all female student are automatically transferred to Obelisk Blue, regardless of their grades or dueling skills."

Sighing, Alexis turned back to Elize and Ryuga's duel. "Well, then I guess that girl will be lucky once she gets in."

"IF she gets in. Applicants like her still has to pass this part of the exam before passing. No exceptions," reminded Zane.

"My move!" said Ryuga. "And I believe I'll begin by summoning my Hyper Hammerhead in Attack Mode!"

Hyper Hammerhead - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV4 - (1500/1200)

"And of course, I could attack and destroy your mystery Monster right here and then, but as I said before, I won't be falling for your trap. Therefore, now's the perfect opportunity to activate my Mystical Space Typhoon card! This card will automatically destroy 1 Spell or Trap card on the field, and of course, there's only one on the field!"

A twister whirled around the field in a frenzy until it came into contact with Elize's Set card, destroying it in the destructive form of blistering winds. However, everyone could see as it was rapidly lost in the winds that it was a Trap card, Mirror Force, a well-known Trap card usually sprung for much stronger Monsters.

"Ha! I knew it!" Ryuga said. "Now that all obstacles are cleared, it's time to attack! Hyper Hammerhead, destroy this applicant's Monster!"

Hyper Hammerhead charged forward, each stomping step creating rumbles on the ground the closer he grew towards Elize's field. Just as he was about to lash out his wrath, however, his hammer-like head crashed into several stone walls that were just conjured up by an unknown force, throwing Hyper Hammerhead back before he tried to nurse his injured head.

"What?!"

The unknown, earthly-like force's source came from Elize's Set Monster, which flipped over to reveal a brown-haired girl with glasses; Aussa the Earth Charmer. Holding her staff high, she was casting earth magic as a defensive mechanism, conjuring up just enough power to block Hyper Hammerhead's assault. In addition, rings of magic power spread out from the tip of her staff before they all came into contact with the Dinosaur-Type, prompting him to stomp over to Elize's side.

Aussa the Earth Charmer - (EARTH/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (500/1500)

"Phew! That was close!" Elize sighed, placing her hands on her chest in relief. "Oh! I guess I should explain myself! Aussa's Flip effect just activated! So, as long as she stays face-up on the field, her Flip effect allows her to take control of one EARTH-Attribute Monster on the field, and naturally, I chose your Monster!"

"Oh? So, you did have a backup plan, after all. I have to admit, I'm quite impressed," stated Ryuga. "However, you miscalculated one tiny thing. My Hyper Hammerhead also has a special ability, which I will now activate!"

Suddenly, Aussa's body glowed before converting into a ball of light. That ball of light then flew towards Elize's hand and back into her own Monster card. With Aussa off the field and no longer active, Hyper Hammerhead marched back to his original owner's field.

"Whoa! What just happened right there?" wondered Syrus. "Why did Elize's Monster suddenly-?!"

Bastion narrowed his eyes. "There's a good chance it's likely because of Hyper Hammerhead's ability. If I remember correctly, after that Monster battles an opponent's Monster, and if that opposing Monster isn't destroyed as a result of that battle, then that Monster is returned to its owner's hand by the end of the Damage Step. And because Elize's defensive Monster held back Hyper Hammerhead, nobody lost any Points. However, since Aussa wasn't destroyed, she was returned back to Elize's hand."

Syrus' eyes widened in realization. "Wait, but then that means that Aussa's Monster takeover ability won't be in effect!"

"Correct. Sure, Elize may have survived the Battle Phase this turn, but now, without any Monsters, this duel's just become a lot more difficult for her."

"Drats! I thought for sure that new girl would actually turn things around, especially with her Monster's really interesting effect," admitted Alexis.

"You know, I actually thought the same thing, but proctors, or in this case, teacher trainees, have to be more prepared to take on the unexpected," Zane pointed out before turning his attention back to Jaden and Crowler's duel.

Confident, Ryuga said, "I believe I'll set one card facedown and end my turn now. I'd like to see how you'll get out of this, Miss Konami."

"Elize, there's more than simply one strategy to defeat him. Think deeply and carefully, because every move counts!" advised Aussa, appearing as a Duel Spirit near her.

"R-right! My turn!" Elize drew her card, and at the moment, she didn't have any stronger Monsters to take on his Hyper Hammerhead, so naturally, the next best thing was to do what she always did best; play defense. "I summon Gigobyte in Defense Mode!"

Gigobyte - (WATER/Reptile) - LV1 - (350/300)

"Hmph! And here I assumed that you were going to play that Flip Monster earlier, but you brought out a much weaker Monster! Are you underestimating me, or is your IQ simply low?" insulted Ryuga, smirking.

"N-No! Neither! And I'm going to further enhance my defense by equipping Heart of Clear Water onto Gigobyte!" announced Elize, activating the card.

However, the moment she did, for some strange reason, the Equip Spell card itself wouldn't activate. She tried sliding the card in and out carefully and even slowly, pressing the activation button several times, but no matter what she did, her Heart of Clear Water wouldn't work.

"W-what?! What's going on?!" exclaimed Elize, shocked. "W-Why isn't it activating?"

"...Is something wrong?" asked Ryuga. "I believe that you said before that you were going to 'further enhance your defense,' but I don't see anything! How disappointing!"

In truth, it's not that Elize couldn't activate her Spell card, but that it was that she was unable to. Unbeknownst to everyone but Ryuga, the source of Elize's troubles came from Ryuga's own ring on his finger.

Although strangely designed, Ryuga's ring had a special mechanism in which it emitted an electromagnetic wave towards Elize's duel disk, freezing her Spell card system, thus preventing only Spell cards from being activated on her duel disk. Right when Elize announced her intent on using Heart of Clear Water, an Equip Spell card, part of Ryuga's ring rotated in a certain way, thus activating the mechanism. The only duel disk unaffected was Ryuga's own duel disk, due to being equipped with a special shield from the electromagnetic wave rays.

If Ryuga had this special ring this entire time, then not only was he cheating against Elize, but there was also a good chance that every single one of the 49 previous duels he won was due to his cheating skills.

"That's...certainly strange," admitted Bastion, watching Elize's duel now. "Her Spell card isn't working, and yet her move was legit and quite legal."

"What does her Spell card do? That Clear Water spell?" wondered Syrus.

"It's officially called 'Heart of Clear Water,' Syrus. And it's an Equip Spell card, that when equipped to a Monster, it will make that Monster unable to be destroyed in battle or even by an effect that targets only that Monster. Well, the Spell card is in effect so long as the Monster's Attack Points don't exceed over 1300. This makes it the ideal defense for low-leveled Monsters such as Gigobyte, but it's quite strange how it isn't working now."

"Why isn't her duel disk working?" wondered Alexis. "It does look like an old model...so, could it be broken? That'd be terrible luck if that was the case."

"Yes, it would...along with Mr. Ryuga's last opponent, who has a 'broken' duel disk," spoke up Zane. "As well as one of his other 49 opponents with a 'malfunctioning' duel disk. And another one of those opponents whose duel disk had some 'miscalculating buttons.'"

"Zane...? What are you-?"

"Alexis," spoke Zane. "Isn't it a little strange that the last opponent who dueled Mr. Ryuga happened to have a broken duel disk? Just as it so happened right now that that girl's duel disk just so happened to magically malfunction? Almost like it just so happened with a lot of Mr. Ryuga's past opponents whose duel disks were either malfunctioning under these exact same conditions?"

Alexis' eyes widened. "That...that sounds too much to be a coincidence."

"You're right. It IS too much to be a coincidence, which is why I started my own private little investigation," confessed Zane. "I couldn't talk to every single opponent that Mr. Ryuga dueled, but I got witness statements from a very good majority, and they all confessed to having 'technical difficulties' with their duel disks. It all sounded too big of a coincidence to me, and his latest duel is only confirming my suspicions."

"You...You think he might be cheating somehow?"

Zane nodded. "There is a possibility, but I don't know how exactly he's doing it. Under these circumstances, I honestly hope that that girl that Mr. Ryuga is dueling wins, because I fear that things might change for the worst if Mr. Ryuga actually becomes a new teacher..."

"Miss Konami! Could you please hurry up? We don't have all day!" shouted Ryuga.

"Yeep!" Startled by his outburst, Elize ran out of ideas of how to defend herself next turn. She had been hoping that Heart of Clear Water would not only protect her Gigobyte, but also buy her time to find and summon an even stronger Monster. But, that didn't seem the case now. "I-I set two cards facedown and end my turn!"

Ryuga's eyebrow raised. "Two cards now? Trying to set up the same strategy as before? Well, it won't work! My draw! Ah, now might be the perfect chance to activate my Trap, Mind Haxorz! With it, all I have to do is pay a measly 500 Life Points, and then I get to look at both your hand and all your Set cards on the field! So, I order you to reveal all your cards!"

Elize - 4000 LP

Ryuga - 3500 LP

Projections of the cards in Elize's hand, as well as her two Set facedown cards were shown high above the duel for any and everyone to view. From Elize's hand, the cards within were Aussa the Earth Charmer, Heart of Clear Water, and Mage Power. On Elize's field, her Set cards were exposed as Solemn Wishes and Defense Draw.

"Hmph. As I suspected, nothing but bluffs," said Ryuga after glancing at what Elize had in store. "I summon Mad Sword Beast in Attack Mode!"

Mad Sword Beast - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV4 - (1400/1200)

"Mad Sword Beast, destroy her Monster!"

Upon charging towards Gigobyte in a fitting rage, Mad Sword Beast's sharp horn pierced through the smaller and weaker Monster. The Reptile-Type Monster let out a weak cry of pain before exploding in an explosion that affected Elize as well.

Elize - 2900 LP

Ryuga - 3500 LP

"W-what?! Why did my-?!"

"Haven't you heard of Piercing Damage?" challenged Ryuga. "My Mad Sword Beast has a special ability that grants him Piercing Damage to a Monster with weaker Defense Points! And now, Hyper Hammerhead! Attack her directly!"

With Hyper Hammerhead rushing at her with as much speed as his large body could withhold, Elize knew she had to react fast. "I activate two of my facedowns! First is Solemn Wishes! With it, for every card that I draw, I gain 500 extra Life Points! And next, my Defense Draw Trap card! Now, for this battle only, the Battle Damage I'll receive is 0, and I get to draw a card!"

Once Hyper Hammer was close by, he attempted to slam his hammer-like head against her frail body, only for him to be blocked off by a barrier protecting Elize. However, the strength behind his blow caused ripples and impactful shockwaves within the barrier, causing Elize to fall on her behind in surprise.

Recalling that she still needed to draw a card, Elize did so, and the effect of Solemn Wishes rained down on her in the form of sparkling twinkles. A green aura surrounded her body as her Life Points were "healed" by a small amount.

Elize - 3400 LP

Ryuga - 3500 LP

"Ow, ow, ow..." she muttered, rubbing her back as she shakily stood back up. The pain would fade away soon, but it didn't really help the experience she just received.

"How pointless, but very well! Struggle more if you want! I'll end my turn!" said Ryuga. "A word of advice, if I may? If you don't come up with some better strategy soon, you'll find yourself on the other end of failure very soon, unlike me! It's useless to hide behind cowardly tactics such as defense!"

Alexis scowled. "What a jerk! Not only is he a cheater, but to go and boast his own ego while insulting his own opponent? I'd never enjoy a duel like that!"

"It's a shame, but there are a lot of people like that in the world, including our own school," said Zane, though he did silently agree with her own opinion.

"My turn, draw! A-And with the effect of Solemn Wishes, for every card that I-I draw, I gain 500 extra Life Points!" Having somewhat recovered from her blow earlier, Elize drew her card, thus activating Solemn Wishes.

Elize - 3900 LP

Ryuga - 3500 LP

When Elize saw her drawn card, her expression lightened up. 'Yes! A lucky break! Thank you!' "I summon Maha Vailo in Attack Mode!"

Maha Vailo - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1550/1400)

"Alright! She managed to summon a stronger Monster! A whole bunch stronger than any of Mr. Ryuga's Monsters!" applauded Syrus.

Bastion nodded. "Yes, well, not quite a lot stronger, but just enough to defeat Mr. Ryuga's strongest Monster on the field."

'Okay! Let's try this again!' Elize thought. "I equip the Equip Spell, Mage Power onto Maha Vailo!" Just as she did so and was about to explain the effects, the Mage Power card didn't appear nor activate. In fact, this was exactly the same result as when she attempted to use Heart of Clear Water earlier.

Alexis turned to Zane. "Zane-"

"Patience, Alexis. I know what you want to say, and as much as I want to intervene, there is no proof of cheating. But right now, I'm trying to figure out what Mr. Ryuga's trick is."

Mr. Ryuga appeared quite agitated. 'It's bad enough that this brat managed to summon an even stronger Monster, but it looked like she was about to further increase his strength with that Equip Spell! It's clear that she's no doubt going to destroy one of my Monsters now, but I refuse to allow her Monster to grow anymore stronger than it already is!'

'It's not working again! Why?! Is my duel disk broken or-?' Elize's line of thought ceased when she suddenly realized the peculiar situation she was in. 'No, wait...this situation...it has the same circumstances as the one that other applicant had! His duel disk wasn't working during his duel with Mr. Ryuga, and now mine isn't, either! I already checked his duel disk, and I don't think there are any problems, and my duel disk doesn't have any problems! Could...could there be a connection somewhere...?'

"Nothing's happening, Miss Konami! I strongly suggest that you hurry up with your turn and quit wasting everyone's time!" called out Mr. Ryuga.

'...If there is a connection, then I have to try and figure it out! But right now, Maha Vailo is strong enough to destroy one of Mr. Ryuga's Monsters, so I'll take this chance!' Elize thought. "Maha Vailo, destroy his Hyper Hammerhead!"

Palms crackling with lightning, Maha Vailo immersed himself with powerful lightning magic before shooting out bolts of lightning upon thrusting his open palms forward. The lightning bolts arced around and surrounded Hyper Hammerhead before closing in and electrocuting him at full power, rendering him into nothing but a roasted pile of dinosaur meat as he vanished.

Elize - 3900 LP

Ryuga - 3450 LP

"Whew! Okay! I end my turn!"

"My move!" Ryuga drew his card and then smirked. "I summon to the field Don Turtle!"

Don Turtle - (WATER/Reptile) - LV3 - (1100/1200)

"Next, I activate the Spell, Ultra Evolution Pill, from my hand! This allows me to sacrifice 1 Reptile-Type Monster on my field, which will then let me Special Summon 1 Dinosaur-Type from my hand in exchange! Therefore, I sacrifice Don Turtle in order to Special Summon Cyber Dinosaur in Attack Mode!"

Cyber Dinosaur - (LIGHT/Dinosaur) - LV7 - (2500/1900)

"That's Mr. Ryuga's ace Monster!" gasped Bastion. "Whenever he pulls out that Monster, it's very serious business!"

"Oh, man! How's Elize going to handle this one?!" wondered Syrus.

"Cyber Dinosaur! Attack her Monster!"

After releasing a triumphant roar, Cyber Dinosaur charged ahead and snagged Maha Vailo in his jaws, crushing the Spellcaster Monster in half as his remains dissipated in a small explosion.

Elize - 2950 LP

Ryuga - 3450 LP

"Mad Sword Beast, attack her directly now!"

Mad Sword Beast slashed through Elize's side as he charged in a rampage, diverting directions once he was close to hitting a wall before slashing through Elize's other side as he rushed to return to his owner's side.

Elize - 1550 LP

Ryuga - 3450 LP

"Oooh! Elize took a lot of damage this turn! Is she okay...?" wondered Syrus, feeling bad for Elize.

"I believe so. In fact, she should be quite fortunate that she survived this turn," Bastion stated. "However, if she doesn't come up with something soon, then she'll be finished by next turn."

"I shall end my turn now," said Ryuga confidently. 'Ha! When it comes to my Cyber Dinosaur, no other Monster reigns superior to him!'

"M-My turn, draw...And Solemn Wishes' effect takes place," spoke Elize, being sprinkled with the visual effects of Solemn Wishes, restoring her Life Points a little.

Elize - 2050 LP

Ryuga - 3450 LP

When Elize glanced at her drawn card, she realized it was a Spell card, and as she recalled, for some reason, her Spell cards wouldn't work. While she could still summon Aussa from her hand to help with her defenses, there laid 2 problems.

1. If she summoned Aussa in her Set mode, then it would hardly take much for Cyber Dinosaur to destroy her with his much higher Attack Points. Plus, he's a LIGHT-Attribute so Aussa couldn't take control of him since she could only do so with EARTH-Attribute Monsters.

2. Even if Elize summoned Aussa in Defense Mode, whether it'd be Set or not, it'd be pointless because Aussa couldn't stand up against Cyber Dinosaur's power. Sure, Elize might survive one more turn since Mad Sword Beast couldn't destroy Aussa's defenses, but Elize would still lose a huge chunk of Life Points if Cyber Dinosaur attack first and then left Mad Sword Beast to attack her directly.

She decided to at least try activating her Spell cards again one more time. "I activate the Spell, Upstart Goblin!" Once again, just like the last two attempts, nothing happened.

'She must be getting more and more stupider or desperate. Hasn't she learned by now that her Spell card system won't work? So long as I wear the ring, nothing will go the way she wants to!' Ryuga thought.

While Elize was internally panicking, she also decided to take this time to think things carefully. 'Think, Elly! Think! What's going on? Why aren't my Spell cards working at all? That applicant said that some of his cards wouldn't work, but...why? His cards didn't work, and now mine can't. There has to be some sort of connection! Like...why is it JUST my Spell cards? Everything else seemed to be working just fine! My Traps and my Monster cards are still-!'

Something just clicked in Elize's brain the more she followed her line of thinking. Come to think of it, it really DID seem like only her Spell cards were affected. As she thought before, only her Trap and Monster cards didn't seem affected. But why just those two categories? Why target her Spell cards specifically? Could it be that some of the cards that the applicant had were Spell cards that didn't work during his duel with Ryuga? But then...how would that work?"

"Psst! Elly! Elly!" Turning to her right, Elize saw Lyna calling out to her. "There's something really strange happening with that Ryuga jerk! Like, really, REALLY strange! I've been sensing it sometime after the duel started, but now I know where the source of that strange feeling is!"

'Lyna? What are you talking about?' Elize asked, communicating telepathically with Lyna through her mind. Because she held the power to communicate with Duel Spirits, communicating telepathically towards only her own cards was a fairly common power she possessed.

"Well, you know how my elemental Attribute is LIGHT, right? It's true that I can use light elemental magic, but I have some slight affinity towards lightning magic, too. I'm not too skilled with lightning magic, but I could sense some snippets around that Ryuga guy. There's a slight electrical connection between your duel disk and the source of where the strange feeling is coming from."

Still confused, Elize further questioned Lyna. 'W-What are you trying to say? Where is the strange feeling coming from?'

"It seems that that strange feeling is coming from somewhere in Ryuga's hand. I think it might be that weird ring he's wearing. In fact, if I concentrate deeper, I can sense...much greater electricity focused on his ring!"

It was as though all of the clues clicked in Elize's head once she got confirmation from her Duel Spirit friend about the ring. Could the reason why none of her Spell cards were working was due to some sort of electrical interference? Specifically thanks to Ryuga's ring? Elize wasn't really one to criticize on appearances, but the ring did look odd and strange to her.

If what Lyna said was the truth, that the source of all her troubles came from the ring itself, then that meant that Ryuga was cheating!

"Lost in thought? You do remember that it's still your turn, remember?" reminded Ryuga smugly.

"...Mr. Ryuga, may I ask a favor?"

"A favor?" Ryuga raised an eyebrow, frowning. "I don't recall favors being accepted during an entrance exam duel, but at the very least, I'll hear you out. What's this favor of yours?"

Fidgeting with her hands nervously, Elize hesitated for a moment before breathing in and out, slowly relaxing. Once she calmed herself, her voice was a bit shaky, but she tried her best to steady her tone as she asked her question.

"F-For the rest of the duel, c-could you please remove your ring?"

Dead silence filled the Duel Field the two were in; no noises nor sounds were heard except for the light muttering amongst the spectators who were watching their duel. Elize was no expert at reading people's expressions, but she did start becoming suspicious when she saw the jaw-dropped, wide-eyed expression on Ryuga's face.

Elize wasn't the only one suspicious from Ryuga's reaction to her request. Some spectators actually were surprised and just as suspicious as Elize, including both Alexis and Zane. In fact, now that Elize pointed out her request towards Ryuga's ring, Zane narrowed his eyes and glared at the ring around Ryuga's finger.

He was certainly, DEFINITELY keeping an eye for that ring now.

"W-what?! Certainly not!" stammered Ryuga, trying to recollect himself. "THIS is a-a family heirloom! Yes, that's right! Therefore, it's my own property! Why should I abide to your request anyways?"

"I..." Technically, Elize is just basing this from her Duel Spirit's words, but she can't just up and say that it was her own Duel Spirit who spoke her suspicions. Nobody would believe her then, so Elize would just have to twerk her reasoning a bit for her request to be fulfilled. "I-I just want you to remove your ring! At-at least until the duel's over! That's...not a hard request, is it?"

"I-It's a personal one! Anyways, I'm not removing my ring! End of discussion!"

His denial at her simple request made him even more suspicious. Deciding to press on to confirm her suspicions even more, Elize asked, "Mr. Ryuga...is it possible that with that ring...are you cheating?"

Ryuga's breath hitched quietly, though he regained his composure and attempted to be intimidating and strict as always. "Cheating...me? That's an awfully serious accusation there, Miss Konami. Can you prove this claim of yours?"

Slightly frightened by his sudden, intimidating tone, it took all of Elize's willpower not to stand down. "M-Maybe, if you remove your ring like I asked before...? I mean, none of my Spell cards are working, so-"

"So your duel disk is just malfunctioning! I can see that it's an old model, so obviously, it's your own fault it has technical difficulties!" accused Ryuga.

"...But then, that wouldn't make any sense," Elize said. "I could understand if my duel disk has technical difficulties, but what about your last opponent? Me and Jaden, we talked to him, and he said that his own duel disk wasn't working, either. That's...well, I think that's a bit too much of a coincidence, don't you think?"

"E-Even so, what does my own ring have anything to do with this? You still haven't stated your basis on me removing my ring!"

"Honestly...I think that your ring is allowing you to cheat. Somehow, your ring is making my Spell cards-"

"Ha! That's ridiculous!" laughed Ryuga. "And how would my own heirloom ring do such as a thing?"

Elize shrugged. "I really don't know, but...one way to prove that you're cheating or not is by removing your ring for the rest of the duel, right? It shouldn't really be a problem...At least, I don't think so. I'm not asking you to destroy your ring or throw it away. Just...put it in your pocket or something."

Ryuga gritted his teeth, scanning his eyes around his surroundings to see if anyone was willing to defend him. Instead, he could hear mutterings and whispers about the audience's own suspicions as well. Ryuga found himself in quite the predicament, as well as dilemma.

If he agreed to take off his ring, then his opponent would be free to activate Spell cards to her heart's content. That would immediately make him even more suspicious than he already was. After all, being able to use Spell cards right after his ring was taken off? That would be grounds for high suspicion.

On the other hand, if he refuses to take off his ring, that would still raise his flags for suspicion from others. It was quite unfortunate that he was dueling in an area with lots of witnesses, including the proctors and examiners. They would no doubt question him and attempt to take away his ring before having him test out a duel without the ring. Worst comes to worst, he may be forced to duel 50 more students again, thus making him re-try his own entrance exam to becoming an Academy instructor.

No matter what he chooses, his fate is sealed, and it's all because of that troublesome brat!

While Ryuga was pondering on what to do next, two security guards appeared. One was quite tall and large, masking his face with the shadow of his security cap, whereas the other guard was scrawny and quite young, possibly an inexperienced rookie.

"W-What? What's going on?" questioned Ryuga. Without saying a word, the large security guard walked up behind Ryuga and held him in a Full Nelson position, restraining him. "What are you doing?! Let me go! I said, LET ME GO!"

"S-Sir, please stand still! It'll all be over, soon!" assured the younger security guard, reaching out for Ryuga's ring hand. Once he did so, the security guard slipped the ring off of Ryuga's hand and backed away for some space between before the large security guard released Ryuga.

Of course, Ryuga lunged forward, attempting to snatch his ring back when the large security guard whirled around and stood in his way. The intimidating posture and glare hidden behind the shadow of his cap caused Ryuga to reconsider his option before the teacher trainee backed off. Both security guards quickly left the Duel Field, thus granting Elize's request and leaving Ryuga ringless and no means of cheating.

'W-what the hell just happened?! Damnit! Those damn security guards took my ring! Now, I can't stop that brat from activating her Spell cards!' thought Ryuga, agitated from the sudden turn of events.

Meanwhile, as Zane was hanging up his phone, Alexis turned to him. "Zane...Not that I'm questioning your actions, but are you sure this was okay? Ordering some security to snatch Mr. Ryuga's personal possession like that..."

"It'll be fine," assured Zane. "I told you earlier; I've been suspicious of Mr. Ryuga's actions for a while. While I'm still uncertain whether or not that ring of his is the cause of his cheating, even if it's not, it's still a lead. Luckily, Chancellor Sheppard gave me some sort of emergency authority towards the security guards in case something happened, and I'm just taking full advantage of that to get rid of some cheating method. He'll understand once I explain things to him."

"Well, I hope you're right..."

Elize blinked, still stunned over witnessing the sudden change of events. But, at the same time, knew this was a huge lucky break for her. 'I-I don't know what just happened, but this is still good, right? Now, I might be able to concentrate on my duel if that ring's gone! I-I mean, I hope so! Only one way to find out! Please...work!'

"I-I'll continue my turn!" announced Elize. "I activate the Spell, Upstart Goblin! That means that that I get to draw 1 card, but you gain 1000 Life Points! Draw!"

Simultaneously, once Elize drew her card, two effects activated at the same time; Upstart Goblin and Solemn Wishes. Because Solemn Wishes grants the owner 500 Life Points for every card drawn, Elize gained that much, whereas Ryuga gained more Life Points.

Elize - 2550 LP

Ryuga - 4450 LP

Gasps and loud mutterings echoed throughout the auditorium. Elize's wide-eyed expression mirrored a lot of spectators. 'I-I was right! Mr. Ryuga really was cheating! No...No, that's not right! It was all thanks to Lyna that led me to the conclusion that his ring was the source of his cheating! If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have...'

"Elly!" called out Lyna, winking at her. "Nice job! Don't worry! Just focus on the duel now! You can still do this!"

"R-right! Okay, I summon Wynn the Wind Charmer in Defense Mode!"

Wynn the Wind Charmer - (WIND/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (500/1500)

"Next, I equip her with Heart of Clear Water, making her unable to be destroyed in battle! After that, I'll end my turn!"

A blue, translucent aura mixed in with Wynn's green aura as a raindrop-like symbol appeared above her head, symbolizing the protection magic around Wynn.

"So, it really wasn't a fluke? Mr. Ryuga really was cheating?" gasped Syrus. "I mean, Elize can now activate her Spell cards now that his ring is gone!"

"Disgraceful," scoffed Bastion in disgusting, narrowing his eyes at the adult. "How dare he try and exploit others by cheating? And he dares to call himself a teacher trainee, too!"

Ryuga was scowling, angered that now everyone was coming to the conclusion that he was cheating all this time. Well, he needed just one more win to get into Duel Academy and raise his reputation even higher than before! "My turn! Cyber Dinosaur, attack now!"

"H-Huh?! Why?! Wynn can't be destroyed in battle, and she's in Defense Mode!" reminded Elize, shocked. "So, why-?"

Ryuga smirked quite cruelly. "There's no need to destroy your weaker Monster, when I'm targeting YOU instead! I now activate Cyber Dinosaur's effect! By sacrificing one Monster on my field, and while you have only Monsters in Defense Mode, I can have Cyber Dinosaur attack you directly! I sacrifice Mad Sword Beast to activate Cyber Dinosaur's effect!"

This time, the Heart of Clear Water protection couldn't save Elize as she was thrown up in the air by a heavy, impactful head slam attack from Cyber Dinosaur, crashing down hard on her back. Not only was she injured, but her Life Points were barely hanging on by a thread.

Elize - 50 LP

Ryuga - 4450 LP

"Hmph. That'll do for now," spoke Ryuga. 'I don't even need the ring at this point in the duel! Just once more, and I can finally begin my conquest of Duel Academy!'

Panting as she stood back up, Elize drew her card. "D-Due to Solemn Wishes...I gain 500 Life Points." The feeling of her Life Points being replenished was always a relief to her, but it didn't exactly help the fact that she was facing some difficult disadvantages right now.

Elize - 550 LP

Ryuga - 4450 LP

Upon seeing what the drawn card was, all Elize could do was say, "I...I set a Monster, and then a card...that's it for now."

"For now, you say? You mean, for good!" taunted Ryuga, drawing his card. 'I'm not much of a gambler, but if I were to guess, I'd say that her Set card was that Aussa Monster from earlier. Not really a problem for me, especially since my Cyber Dinosaur is a LIGHT Attribute Monster. Just one more attack, and it's checkmate!' "I summon to the field Petiteranodon!"

Petiteranodon - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV2 - (500/500)

"Now, I sacrifice my weakling Monster to activate Cyber Dinosaur's effect again! Cyber Dinosaur, attack her directly and finish this duel once and for ALL!"

"Oh no!" shrieked Syrus, clutching the sides of his head in a panic. "Once was bad enough, but if Elize gets another direct attack, it's all over!"

As Cyber Dinosaur gobbled up Petiteranodon to gain his special ability boost and was making his way towards Elize, she knew the timing was now to activate her Trap card.

"I activate my Trap, Spiritual Wind Art - Miyabi!" she called out. "Thanks to this card, by Tributing a WIND Attribute Monster I control, I can target 1 card you control, and then that card gets placed on the bottom of your deck! Naturally, I'm targeting Cyber Dinosaur, your ace Monster!"

"WHAT?!" shouted Ryuga just as strong whirlwinds began kicking up.

Wynn closed her eyes and allowed herself to be swallowed up by the whirlwinds as her body dissipated, becoming one with the wind. The whirlwinds twisted around and engulfed Cyber Dinosaur entirely before the winds thrusted towards Ryuga's deck, forcing Cyber Dinosaur's card into the bottom of his deck.

Elize let out a gasp as she breathed in relief. 'Oh, thank God that was perfect timing! I thought I was off by a little, but I think this was good enough! Now he has no Monsters and I just got rid of his ace Monster! Things are finally starting to turn up!'

Ryuga's body trembled with anger as he steadied himself, trying to remain composed and calm. It was becoming increasingly difficult though, given his circumstances. 'That...that BRAT! Now, I can't use my Cyber Dinosaur! Damnit, I have no choice! I can still summon a Monster, but the cost...! I have to hold out for a bit!'

"From my hand, I activate Gilasaurus' effect! I can Special Summon him from my hand, but in exchange, you can also Special Summon a Monster from your Graveyard! I Special Summon Gilasaurus!"

Gilasaurus - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV3 - (1400/400)

After being given the opportunity to Special Summon a fallen Monster, Elize knew just who to pick. "Then, I Special Summon Maha Vailo to the field!"

Maha Vailo - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1550/1400)

'Shit! I forgot that she had a pretty strong Monster back in her Graveyard of weak Monsters! This is bad!' thought Ryuga, gritting his teeth. "I end my turn!"

"My turn!" Elize shouted with more confidence than before, drawing her card. "Solemn Wishes activates once again, giving me 500 Life Points!"

Elize - 1050 LP

Ryuga - 4450 LP

"Now, I Flip Summon Aussa the Earth Charmer!"

Aussa the Earth Charmer - (EARTH/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (500/1500)

"Aussa's Flip effect allows her to take control of one EARTH Attribute Monster so long as she remains face-up on the field! I choose Gilasaurus!"

"No!" cried out Ryuga, forced to witness his only remaining Monster being taken under control of Aussa's spell, thus making Gilasaurus Elize's 3rd Monster.

'We're almost set! Time for some more boost-ups!' Elize thought. "I equip Maha Vailo with Mage Power! Now, Maha Vailo gains 500 extra Attack and Defense Points for every Spell/Trap I control! Including Mage Power itself!"

Maha Vailo - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (2050/1900)

"But that's not all! Maha Vailo's ability activates! For every Equip card equipped onto him, he gains 500 extra Attack Points!"

Maha Vailo - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (2550/1900)

"2550 + 500 + 1400 = 4450! Just enough to wipe out the remainder of Mr. Ryuga's Life Points!" exclaimed Bastion after calculations.

"All of my Monsters! Attack Mr. Ryuga directly!" ordered Elize.

Gilasaurus stood on standby as Maha Vailo and Aussa began charging their magic spells before shooting their magic spells at Gilasaurus, combining their magical efforts into Gilasaurus. Gilasaurus' sharp jaws only sharpened under the earthly spell of Aussa's, while also magically crackling with lightning thanks to Maha Vailo's spell. Gilasaurus roared loudly, enough to echo throughout the auditorium before rushing at Ryuga as the teacher trainee tried to shield himself with his arms. It all proved futile as Gilasaurus scooped him up with his jaws and bit down, electrocuting and finishing off his Life Points.

Elize - 1050 LP

Ryuga - 0 LP

Winner: Elize

Cheers and applause rang across the auditorium at the signal of Elize's hard-earned victory. Through difficult obstacles such as facing some cheating methods, Elize managed to triumph over a teacher trainee, breaking his record of winning and ending his charade with her own skills and wits.

Stunned by the amount of applause and attention she was receiving, Elize grew flustered and tried to hid her red face with her palms. 'W-wow...this is...insane! I never received this sort of attention before! But...it feels nice, too...' she thought, a smile crawling on her face as she slowly looked up at the audience.

While many people were clapping for her, she spotted Syrus and Bastion applauding as well with happy looks on her faces. Hearing a wooing, cheer-like sound, Elize turned her attention downwards and saw Jaden in the lower seats of the auditorium, cheering her on for her victory. He must have finished his duel with Crowler much earlier and had witnessed the rest of her duel.

Elize expected to fail her entrance exam to Duel Academy. She expected to lose against a very tough opponent and lose her shot at going to Duel Academy. That way, she would at least have a plan for where she intended to go next if she failed. But...winning like this felt really special to her, especially since her win clearly determined which path her future would lead her towards.

For Elize, she felt...really, really happy that a lot of people were cheering her on. This was different from her Duel Spirits always cheering her on during her other duels. For her, this felt...special.

"You...YOU...YOU BITCH!"

All that hard-earned happiness and joy suddenly vanished when a seething, enraged Ryuga grabbed the back of her hair and yanked back harshly, as though attempting to rip her head off.

The cheers and applause quickly changed to screams and yells of horror and astonishment as the audience were shocked at what was transpiring. Even Elize herself was shocked for a moment before screaming in pain, trying to pry his hands off her hair while frantically squirming around.

Ryuga had completely lost his cool and temper the moment he lost. All his hard work, all his efforts, and all of his 49 wins...all plummeting to nothing more than a waste all because of some snot-nosed brat that chose to question him! He was going to change the dueling world! A revolution starting within Duel Academy, stemming from his ideals!

Now, he couldn't do that anymore thanks to Elize Konami!

Security guards flooded the Duel Field in an instant, and it didn't take much for them to overpower Ryuga and pull him away from Elize through strength in numbers. Though restrained, Ryuga struggled and lashed out in a fit of rage, demanding to be released and to teach Elize a "lesson," but nobody was having that. His screams faded away once he was led out of the auditorium, leaving the large area entirely silent and speechless.

The silence ceased when uneased murmurs coursed throughout the auditorium. Wide-eyed and clearly shaken from what happened, Elize remained sitting on the ground, unable to move. Any happiness that she previously had was completely wiped clean from her body due to being possibly traumatized from a crazed maniac harming her. The memory repeated itself over and over in her mind as she sat there in silence.

Suddenly, she felt warm engulf her and looked up to see Jaden holding her close, shaking her gently and...was he calling out her name? Shaking her head several times to snap out of it, Elize returned to reality and could feel her senses returning from the horrifying event she just experienced.

"J-Jaden...?" whispered Elize. "H-How long-?"

Worried for her, yet trying to remain calm, Jaden tried to answer her carefully. "R-right! Um...I just came! You looked really out of it, and since nobody was coming to comfort you, I just-well, you looked like you needed a hug! Like, really badly! Oh! And I won against Crowler, and good job winning against that Ryuga asshole-!"

At the mention of Ryuga, Elize shuddered and hid her face in Jaden's shirt, clutching onto his shirt and jacket tightly, surprising Jaden. "I-I'm sorry, Jaden, but...I...C-Can I stay like this...? For a while...? E-Even if it's for a minute, can I please...?"

Hearing Elize's frightened plea, Jaden relaxed and embraced her, bringing her closer. If a hug was what she desperately needed, then all the more for her. "Yeah...yeah, of course you can," said Jaden, gently rubbing her back. "...Do you want to know how my duel with Crowler went?"

Feeling a nod from Elize, Jaden started helping her feel at ease by talking gently to her, constantly rubbing her back and embracing her. Even after he finished his tale, he started telling short tales from his childhood to pass the time in hopes of making Elize feel better.

Meanwhile, while several spectators were leaving since the entrance exams were finished, some remained. Two of those people were Alexis and Zane, who were watching Jaden comforting and calming down a still trembling Elize to the best of his ability.

Worried, Alexis turned to Zane. "H-Hey...Shouldn't we do something...? I-"

"The security can handle Mr. Ryuga," informed Zane calmly, texting in his phone. "That kid that beat Crowler is already comforting that other girl, so they'll both be fine. As for me, I've got some witnesses and evidence to handle and take to Chancellor Sheppard. Rest assured though, after today, there's no way in hell Mr. Ryuga will ever be accepted in Duel Academy's doors."

If it was anyone else saying it, then Alexis would have shown signs of doubt, but she trusted Zane entirely. He was blunt but stuck to a good sense of justice. Plus, he was the most strongest and well-trusted duelist she knew, so if Zane said that everything will be alright, then she was positive that everything certainly will.


Meanwhile...

It really wasn't a surprise when Ryuga was kicked out of the building for physical assault towards an applicant. In fact, with so many witnessing his abusive behavior at the end of the last duel, as well as much suspicion towards him cheating, Ryuga had no doubt on his mind that he wouldn't even be considered to be a dueling instructor anymore.

"SHIT! Shit, shit, shit!" growled Ryuga, pounding his fist against a brick wall as he had wandered down an alleyway. "That bitch! That bratty bitch ruined EVERYTHING! Now, how am I going to be recognized for my dream?!"

Ryuga pursed his lips and thought as calmly as hie enraged mind could handle. This wasn't over! Not by a long shot! If he couldn't become an instructor at Duel Academy, then he'll have to try someplace else, like North Academy! He'll have to change his identity though and rearrange some things, but he will have his dream recognized, as well as get revenge on those who messed with him, starting with that girl!

"You there."

Ryuga froze, then turned around and saw the large security guard from before, the one who restrained him and helped take away his ring. Scowling, Ryuga questioned, "What? What do you want with me?! You already kicked me out of the building! What more could you want with me?!"

The large security guard fished out Ryuga's ring from his pocket before tossing it at Ryuga, much to his surprise. Then, the security guard activated his duel disk, letting out one demand.

"Duel me."

Ryuga honestly had no idea who this man was or why he wanted to duel him, but right now, he was in a bad mood, and he needed someone to take it out on. And what better than a volunteer himself?

Ryuga smirked as he activated his own duel disk, slipping the ring back into his finger. With his ring back and a whole lot of pent-up aggression, he was absolutely certain that not only was he going to win, but he was also going to teach this plebian a lesson!

It was too little too late for Ryuga to realize just how horribly mistaken he was.

Even with his cheating ring on, Ryuga lost, and he lost BADLY. Any move he made, any Spells or Traps he played, and even his most powerful Monsters, EVERYTHING was deflected and countered against him against this unknown, powerful opponent. No, in fact it was much more than that! Ryuga felt as though he was being played like a fiddle, like he was treated as nothing to this security guard!

Upon falling to his knees, Ryuga looked up at the security guard that walked up to him, humiliated and fearful of him. Even his large, imposing figure was more than enough to intimidate him, as well as the deadly killing intent emerging from the duelist.

"W-Who...are you?" stammered Ryuga nervously. He started choking when the security guard grabbed the front of his collar, holding him high in the air. Ryuga felt quite fortunate that the security guard grabbed only his clothing and not his neck, for he could have crushed his throat if he so desired.

"...Who I am is irrelevant. I'm here to give you a warning. A very, VERY stern warning," the large security guard informed, tightening his grip on his collar. "I could overlook you cheating with your other duels. I could overlook you pretending to be a well-respected former instructor trainee. I could even overlook your cheating methods. But, what I can NEVER overlook is the fact that you insulted and even dared to hurt someone I deeply cherish."

"W-what are you-?!"

"Therefore, I'm proposing a deal. Never show your face at Duel Academy again. Whether it's by somehow applying to be a teacher, a visitor, a reporter, or any other occupation, you will never stain your presence at Duel Academy ever again. I promise you this; if I catch even a single hint of your presence there, I will find you, and I WILL hunt you down myself and do...unspeakable things that you could never imagine...DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

The killing intent behind the large guard's words felt so honest itself that Ryuga feared more for his life than his dream, thus nodding frantically. "Yes! yes! I swear! I'll-I'll stay away from Duel Academy! J-Just don't kill me!"

Confirming Ryuga's word to be truthful, the security guard released Ryuga, who scrambled to his feet, turned around, and ran for his life. Satisfied with the result, the security guard turned around to leave, but then spotted someone else blocking his path.

"...Pharaoh? No, my mistake. Yugi," muttered the security guard, taking off his cap to reveal blond hair underneath as well as some scars on his face.

"It's fine. It's been a long time, hasn't it...Rafael?" spoke Yugi calmly. "May I ask what that was all about? I saw the whole thing, you know."

"..." The security guard known as Rafael looked away, as though uncertain how to answer him.

"And...are you working as a security guard now? I'll admit, I am surprised, but..."

Rafael shook his head. "No, I'm not a security guard. I...actually stole this uniform for today."

"What?" wondered Yugi, surprised. "Why would you steal a uniform? And why go all this trouble to impersonate a security guard."

"Today was...especially important. I wanted to look after someone...I wanted to protect that person in case something happened, and something did."

Yugi's expression relaxed. "Rafael...could you tell me what's going on?"

"...Very well," agreed Rafael. "But, only because I can trust you to keep this a secret between us..."

As all this was occurring, the gears of fate and destiny were turning, paving way towards an unprecedented future...


Hey, guys!

Whoa, I honestly didn't expect this chapter to be this long! Then again, I was planning out a lot of things and trying to be as detailed as possible! That, and not only did I wanted to add in the dub dialogue, but also parts of the abridged series as well, because they're so funny! But yeah, sorry, guys! I didn't expect the update to be quite for a while!

Before any of you are wondering, yes, Mr. Ryuga really is a character in the GX universe, but, he's a manga character, and originally, he was meant to duel Jaden, but since this was the first episode, and since Jaden was dueling Crowler, I decided, why not make Ryuga Elize's opponent? A manga character dueling against cute Elize? Why not? I did mention before that I was going to try and combine the anime, manga, and Tag Force games together. Well, I don't necessarily think the Tag Force themes were present in this chapter, but later in the future, they will be!

And yes, I did decide to make things a bit more violent for this version of my story, because sometimes, the violent things are actually realistic as well. I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I do plan on changing much of Elize's background and stuff, so she'll be suffering quite a bit in this fanfic to not only make her realistic, but also building up for something very important which I cannot say.

Oh and by the way, I hope the duel was good enough. In my old version of this fanfic, I focused too much on Fusions and offensive tactics with Elize, so in this version, I'm trying to have her dueling style be more on healing and defense. Of course, she'll still grow to have more stronger Monsters, but her main strategies are mainly defense.

That said, read and review!~