Chapter 29: Spirit Day Festival
Bryan had known this was coming all semester, but seeing it in person was so much more vibrant than he ever imagined. Every step he took was heavier than usual as he took in all the sights and scents of his surroundings. The Duel Academy Spirit Day Festival was a combination of so many events rolled into one. First and most obvious: It was a school festival. The students and staff had built out booths and attractions all around the central grounds in front of the main Duel Academy building. The smell of takoyaki was overpowered only by the incredible cacophony of teas brewing everywhere. Booths promised tastes and demonstrations of traditional tea ceremonies, origami workshops for folding paper cranes, and ikebana displays to prove the harmony wrought by artistic flower arrangements.
"Dude, I am going to drink the hell out of some tea today," said Jack.
"Those flowers are really pretty," said Fats, staring off at the ikebana display. He waved to Rikuto and Chika, his OTK teammates who were behind the booth, assembling a couple of artistic flower arrangements. Chika was dressed in a big, colorful kimono decorated by flowers along her sleeve and torso. Rikuto wore green foam armor in the shape of a boar's head, and deer antlers on his own head, and a big-ass bracelet that looked like a butterfly.
Which was the second event for the festival: It was a costume festival. Everyone was encouraged to dress like the characters and creatures from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Gaming cards, though any costume was acceptable as long as it was appropriate.
"They didn't follow the theme, but their outfits go really well with the flowers," said Bryan.
Fats laughed. "What do you mean? Chika is dressed as Flower Cardian Moonflowerviewing, and Rikuto is dressed as Flower Cardian Boardefly. They're cards."
Bryan never would have put that together, not with thousands of cards to memorize and an archetype he never played. Most of the people walking around wore kimonos or yukatas, or maybe a shirt with some kind of reference to Duel Academy or to Yu-Gi-Oh! Gaming. Personally, Bryan chose to go shirtless, paint some fake tattoos around his chest and shoulders, strap a toothy necklace around his neck, and tie on some wrist wraps. Even though he wore his uniform pants instead of a loincloth (the outdoor temperature was rising but not that much), he still thought he made a decently convincing Elemental Hero Wildheart. Maybe his muscles weren't quite as defined as they were last year while playing football, but showing off his body was the first thing Bryan did at school where he didn't feel inferior to literally everyone else.
Fats also went halfway with his costume. He wore a hat that looked like a small potted plant with a single flower blooming. The rest of his outfit was a massive gray shirt that draped all the way to his knees. "I'm Naturia Rock," he had said before they left the dorm. So maybe halfway was an overstatement.
Jack did not go halfway. He had spent weeks assembling and painting a cardboard suit of armor until he looked exactly like Gearfriend the Iron Knight. He even wore a helmet with it, swearing that he could "totally see without help" and that the helmet was plenty comfortable to wear it all day. Never mind that even Fats moved faster than Jack could.
"Are you sure you don't want to take the helmet off for a little while?" asked Bryan.
"The helmet completes the look. Without it, I'd just be an iron boy who can't shrug without hitting himself with his giant shoulder guards."
"That just rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it? I hope that's what you wrote on your introduction card," said Bryan. There was a costume contest on the second day of the festival, and everyone who participated had to write a short introduction to explain who they were and what costume they wore. There wasn't a huge expectation that people would spend time and resources on the costumes because they all lived on an island in the Pacific Ocean. It's not like they could pop out to the craft store for supplies. Bryan's costume pieces had come from the drama department. There was an entire closet devoted to Spirit Day costumes, many of which had been donated over years of time by alumni.
Which was a good segue to the third event for Spirit Day: It was a homecoming festival. Well, it was similar to Homecoming as it happened in the US. Duel Academy alumni and parents of current students were invited to attend the festivities, dress themselves up, and tour the school for a few days. Because the dorms were full up, the visitors lived on the Duel Academy cruise ship during their visit—the same ship that ferried the students to and from the island at the beginning and end of the semester. There were even more visitors than permanent residents, so the grounds were more crowded than Bryan had ever seen.
"Okay, I'm starving!" Fats exclaimed. His stomach audibly grumbled.
Jack asked, "Didn't you just finish breakfast?"
Bryan shook his head. "Don't listen to him. That was thirty minutes ago!" Jack was probably just disappointed because he'd need to remove the helmet if he wanted to eat. Meanwhile, Bryan and Fats indulged in an assortment of festival foods, sampling everything from savory yakitori to sweet taiyaki. Despite his enthusiasm, Bryan really wasn't super hungry yet. To make up for it, he took slow bites, savoring each taste as if it could be his last. He was surprised to see Fats eat the same way.
"This is a special occasion," he explained. "We don't usually have enough time between classes, chores, and studying to put together treats like these." He smiled at Abel Shinzou, who worked the yakitori grill. "Abel's food deserves as much reverence as Duel Academy itself."
Abel laughed. "You know what? Have another, Fats."
Fats graciously accepted the offering. "You're amazing."
As he walked away with a second stick, Jack asked, "Are you at all concerned that there could be limited supplies with all the visitors and you just took twice as much?"
"You remember my motto: It's rude to decline an offering of food."
Bryan looked out toward the harbor and saw the cruise ship docked there. "I'd imagine they brought lots of supplies on this trip. We're probably fine as far as food goes, even if Tamah has seconds once in a while."
As they continued their stroll, Bryan felt uneasy seeing all the unfamiliar faces walking around. For every student he recognized, there were four people he didn't. Usually two of those people were parents, such as when Cary walked by with a man and woman who looked like older versions of her. (Fats had waved at her but she never responded, maybe because it was really crowded, relative to non-festival time.) But a whole bunch of guests were alumni instead. They were even easier to spot because they always looked mildly disgusted when they saw Bryan's housemates wearing Slifer Red. More than once he overheard specific insults about why the staff still lets Slifers attend. He struggled to "just ignore it" because even though he wasn't wearing his uniform, he knew in his heart that all of these people were better than he was. They had their own homes and made adult money, sure, but they were also better duelists: Each of them had graduated from the same rigorous curriculum that Bryan was currently struggling with.
Finally, Bryan saw a familiar face in the crowd. Not a current student but an alumnus: Howard Urizar, the same Duel Academy alumnus who had attended the Deck Limitations tournament in Italy over the winter break.
Howard happened to glance up from the calligraphy booth as they got close. "Bryan Knight!" he said, looking happier than any other alum to see someone from Slifer. He started with a handshake and then pulled Bryan into a bro hug, which really accented how much taller Bryan was. "I was hoping to find you soon. How are you, man? Are you still in Slifer Red?"
"No immediate promotions for me," he said.
"Where's Matt?" Despite asking, Howard didn't seem too excited about the idea of Matt joining them.
No risk of that. "He pulled Day 1 duty. He's stuck manning the booth for the card shop until suppertime."
A small group of unfamiliar people had been near Howard. The same black cloaks with chains around the neck covered all of them, though only two had the hoods up, showing the Eye of Wadjet. They drew closer, attracted by his excitement. "Bryan Knight," repeated one of the guys who was tall and rotund. "The guy from Deck Limitations?"
"Yeah-yeah," said Howard. For a moment, Bryan felt proud that people knew who he was.
One of the girls asked, "The regular one or the backup?"
Bryan's pride disappeared before it could swell. "The backup."
Howard said, "No way. Don't sell yourself short. And none of you should mock him. He and Matt are both Slifers and they won the tournament. This guy right here is the one who knocked Darcy out of the game."
"I remember that," said the lanky guy with his hood up. The sun was bright enough to show skin as smooth as a K-Pop star. When the guy shifted his stance, his cloak opened enough to show that he wore slacks, a button-up shirt, and a tie underneath. He said, "I've been eager to meet you ever since I saw Darcy's post."
Howard rolled his eyes. "This is Fusayo Yamakawa. He's not really as tough as he's acting right now."
Fusayo grinned. "Guilty." He extended his hand to Bryan. "Nice to meet you. And your friend."
As he shook, Bryan said, "Right! This is Tamah Fatu."
"Call me Fats," he said. Bryan felt as awkward as most of the group looked. Only the stout guy laughed at that name, but Fusayo and the blonde girl did smirk.
"And that's…" Bryan trailed off when he realized Jack wasn't there. Jack had apparently abandoned them to attend one of many tea booths. It was for British tea instead of Japanese tea, which is why Bryan started looking for Lucy. Sure enough, she was working the booth while Jack chatted away. Every time she smiled or laughed at him, it brightened the festival but left Bryan feeling sick. Lucy was becoming one of Bryan's best friends, so he was starting to feel guilty about that deal he had made with Jack—the one where Jack wanted to pursue Lucy without any interference. Bryan's stomach churned with a mix of jealousy and disappointment.
Turning back to the cloaked group, Bryan said, "Well, that's Jack back there."
"Talking to a very pretty girl," said the dark-haired girl.
The stout guy frowned. "Too fat for my taste." Fusayo nudged him in the ribs and laughed at him.
Howard said, "You probably guessed that we're all alumni. Fusayo actually graduated before I started here."
"Five years ago," he confirmed. "Alister's in the same class." Alister was obviously the quiet one, the only guy in the group who hadn't spoken yet. He had the longest hair of the whole group, including the girls.
Continuing, Howard said, "Brad Nguyen was a senior my freshman year." Brad was the stout guy who apparently believed he was out of Lucy's league. "Lana and Lori both graduated last year, same class as me."
"As I," said Lori, the blonde girl. Looking to Bryan, she said, "Three years at Duel Academy and he can't remember basic grammar." Unless she had two lazy eyes, she was looking at Bryan's chest and not his face. This must be what girls feel like, he thought.
Fats pointed to the dark-haired girl, Lana. "Lana Tao?" She nodded. "You're the former Guardian for The Winged Dragon of Ra. I watched all of your replays from last year."
She smiled. "I was pretty decent."
"Pretty decent," repeated Howard, dripping with sarcasm. "This chick dueled against Dr. Aseel and won right before graduation. She didn't even have Ra anymore by that point."
"You beat a faculty member?" asked Bryan.
Lana made a face. "It's not like I beat Dr. West."
That comment triggered Bryan's memory of all the time he spent learning about Dr. West's duel style, how being headmaster of Duel Academy meant he had his own, special rules. He was the Boss, and he played like one.
"You think there's any chance that he loses today?"
Howard said, "He's dueling against Dave Strickland, Andy Matsuura, and Justin Nussbaum, right? If anyone finally knocks him off the throne, it's those three."
Cary's heart pounded as she surveyed the school grounds, filled with more hustle and bustle than she was used to. Even the School Duel Festival had been lower key than this—only a handful of students visiting from four other schools instead of all the Duel Academy parents and alumni visiting at once. Cultural stalls adorned with streamers and lanterns stretched across the grounds all the way from the harbor to the lake, beckoning visitors to their colorful plumage. The aroma of fried food and sweet treats wafted through the air, exciting Cary more than she cared to admit. Outwardly, she was above the level of eating fried food, but inwardly, she couldn't deny how the scents made her mouth water.
"This festival gets bigger every year," said Aunt Jill. She and Uncle Bill had come to visit Dave's third homecoming as a Duel Academy student. They weren't into dressing up, but at least they had enough spirit to wear Duel Academy-branded shirts.
"You say that every year," said Dave. In a school filled with nerds who obsessed over a card game, Dave was the biggest. He wore a hoodie and pants both colored orange, with an image of a decorative ankh on his chest, a brown skirt around his waist, and bronze chains around his wrists, ankles, and neck. Dangling from each chain? An Exodia card.
Cary's mother said, "It can still be true. Everything looks amazing. So many activities to check out!" She wore another Duel Academy shirt to match Aunt Jill's.
"How much of your study time was taken up assembling this festival?" asked Cary's father. He was struggling to balance his enthusiasm to be surrounded by so much dueling culture against his desire to ensure any school that cost so much in tuition had limits on the amount of fun that was available. Case in point: He wore the same Duel Academy shirt as Uncle Bill, but he also wore a suit and tie underneath it, only missing his trademark blazer.
Cary said, "Only nine hours over two weeks. A lot of the other students were more excited to spend time building things and cutting out streamers, so they took on extra work."
He hummed appreciatively. "Just make sure you're volunteering enough of your time. School spirit is also important."
She should have expected that response. Every answer was the wrong answer.
"When is your work assignment?" asked Aunt Jill.
Dave said, "Tomorrow. I'll be working at the fry bread booth in the morning until lunchtime."
"But when's your big duel?" asked Cary's mom.
He grinned widely. "Today. In two hours." If Cary had been forced to repeat herself four times in an hour, she wouldn't be grinning like that. Dave had too much patience.
"We'll be fine without him for a few hours tomorrow," said Uncle Bill. "That's the same time we have that walking tour of the island."
Cary looked to her mother. "I thought you weren't taking the tour."
"Jill called and asked us to join them. We figured you'd be busy anyway."
I'm leading the same tour on Thursday! Cary screamed internally.
Maybe Dave heard her scream. "Cary's leading that tour on Thursday. You should have signed up for her group."
Dad said, "You volunteered for physical labor?"
"Yes," she said, maybe too forcefully. "It's just hiking."
"And she memorized the script in a day," said Dave. "'Course, it was easy for her because she studied ahead of time and already knows more about the history of the island than even Dr. Lankford does." He was trying to make her look good, but he should have skipped the part bout it being "easy for her", which made her sound lazy.
Uncle Bill said, "We were only looking for an activity to fill that time that you were working," talking to Dave. No one cared that Cary would be working without them on Thursday morning.
Their family meandered through the festival grounds, stopping at various stalls to sample the mouthwatering treats on offer. All four parents eagerly tried everything from traditional Japanese snacks to quirky fusion creations, delighted by each bite.
"This takoyaki is amazing!" Cary's mom exclaimed. Her eyes never sparkled like that, even when one of her stories took a dramatic turn.
Aunt Jill carried a satisfied smile. "I still want to go back for more of those taiyaki. I could eat a dozen of them!" Cary and Dave both chuckled at their family's enthusiasm. They acted like children in a candy store. If they weren't careful, they'd go back home fat and sick.
All too soon, Dave's phone buzzed. "I'm being paged to head over to the arena. Got to meet up with Andy and Justin and get our Duel Disks all set up."
"We'll go with you," said Aunt Jill.
Of course we will, Cary thought to herself.
Dad added, "I'd love to meet the headmaster before your duel."
Cary groaned. "You know you can't buy Dave's victory, right?"
"Mind your tongue," said Cary's mother. But she betrayed her own manners by saying, "Everyone has a price." She laughed at her own joke as if nothing could be funnier.
Uncle Bill said, "Nah, Dave doesn't need the help. He probably doesn't even need his two friends."
"I might," said Dave. "Dr. West has the school's Boss deck. That means he gets to follow a wholly unique set of rules. None of my opponents have ever had a deck as powerful as his will be."
Cary knew Dr. West's deck was the strongest in the school. She watched all the flashbacks on the Duel Academy server and never saw him lose. But none of the previous challengers were as good as the Guard Trio. When the three of them converged on the main arena, they immediately pulled into a huddle, whispering vigorously while their Duel Disks warmed up and paired to the arena. Dr. Aseel played the IT Support role, making sure the arena recognized all four duelists with the correct team assignments.
Dr. West wore a really long, white robe with a red cape over it. The cape had a frilly pink collar, and he wore a graduation cap. It took a moment to click, but she realized that with his glasses and white facial hair, he didn't have to do much to look exactly like the Mathematician card.
Justin and Andy both dressed more like Dave—hinting at the essence of cards instead of wearing actual costumes. Justin's hoodie was mostly gold-colored around his shoulders, wrists, and neck, with extra horns and scales drawn in. The rest of the hoodie was shaded to resemble gray muscles. In all, he was pretty clearly going for Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World. Andy wore a pearly purple onesie with two little wings sticking out of his back and a tail with a bow tied around the end. When he had the hood up, he also had tiny antennae and the number 1 on his forehead. Cary couldn't figure out what he was trying to be.
"This is so exciting," said Cary's mom. "Imagine being related to the Number 1 duelist and watching him duel against the headmaster of Duel Academy!"
"We couldn't be prouder," said Aunt Jill.
As happy for Dave as Cary was, she wished the praise would relent for just a few minutes. Though part of her would miss her cousin after graduation, another part of her believed graduation couldn't come soon enough. Dave's upcoming graduation from Duel Academy would clear the way for Cary to take his throne and shine the spotlight on herself for once.
When all systems were active and Dr. Aseel gave the thumbs-up, Dr. West gave a short welcome speech. "Thank you all for attending the Spirit Day Festival this year. Whether you're a parent or alum, your support keeps this school going. As a treat, we hold these special duel events which no one outside of Duel Academy and its sister schools have access to.
"In case this is your first time, these are unofficially called Boss Duels. As the headmaster, I own a specialty deck which was developed by Kaiba Corp as homage to the legends that built the Yu-Gi-Oh! Gaming in-game lore. My deck is intentionally more powerful than all other decks. My cards resemble real cards but with special abilities.
"The Guardian Duelers are currently in first place in our intramural duel team league. My three opponents were selected to represent that team in this Boss Duel. They are the best among a school of all-stars, and today, we find out whether their teamwork is able to defeat a legendary deck." Following a round of applause, he turned toward the duel field and shook hands with the Guard Trio.
"As the Boss, I get to go first." Dr. West gave a proud little smile, like a five year old who just won a gold sticker for cleaning his room. He separated a card from his hand, then with all the enthusiasm of a kitten watching a hair tie cocked and loaded for flicking, he said, "I activate Toon World!" He grinned again. "That's what it says on my card." All three of his opponents failed to fully suppress their amusement. If Dr. West was trying to break the tension, he succeeded.
When he finally played the card, a cartoonish book appeared on the field. The book opened to reveal a pop-up town, filled with buildings that could have been towers in a single, combined castle. It looked a lot like the regular Toon World card except Cary could swear the cover was originally green, not purple.
Dr. West's monsters also looked mostly the same as the original cards, although she might have to see them side by side to tell if anything changed. First, he summoned Toon Gemini Elf (1900|900). Like the regular card, his monster was actually two monsters, with elfin ears and toonish proportions, including obnoxiously round breasts and tiny waists to give them perfect hourglass figures.
Next he summoned Toon Masked Sorcerer (900|1400), a tiny monster with a face that was supposed to be iron, but thanks to Toon World, it looked more like rubber. And finally, he summoned Toon Summoned Skull (2500|1200). Like its namesake, it was a cartoonish demon with oversize eyes, pointy fangs that seemed to move independently of each other and its jaw, and a body that stretched and bent like rubber. It didn't come with any legs, instead looking like Aladdin's Genie from the waist down.
"I guess each of those counts like a Special Summon," said Dr. West. According to the rules that circulated the student body, it didn't matter: Bosses could Normal Summon as many times as they want each turn, and usually without Tributes. Consider it a Special Summon or multiple Normal Summons; the effect is the same in the end. "I'll also place one card face-down to end my turn."
Dr. West: 24,000 LP, 0 cards
Dave: 8000 LP, 5 cards
Justin: 8000 LP, 5 cards
Andy: 8000 LP, 5 cards
Dave looked at his partners and nodded. He had a wicked grin on his face, meaning he must already have the cards he needed to summon Slifer on his first turn.
"I'll summon Royal Magical Library (4: 0|2000)." His card wasn't much of a monster except to people who watched too many movies about haunted books: literally just a tower made of seven bookshelves, each offset and angled slightly away from the next, with viewing platforms instead of ladders.
But Cary knew that card. It was an old one, and it didn't belong in the Slifer deck. Dave was using his original strategy instead: He wanted to summon Exodia. She smiled to herself, thinking how clever it was to use an instant win effect to negate Dr. West's insane Life Point counter.
Dave was a combo player just like Cary was, and the sheer string of cards he looped together proved it. "I'll equip Royal Magical Library with Cursed Bamboo Sword. But that's only here so I can play Golden Bamboo Sword to draw two cards." The sword with the evil aura remained on the field, but the one with the golden aura flashed briefly before disappearing. Each time he played one of his Spells, a green ball of magical energy appeared inside the Royal Magical Library card.
"Foolish Burial Goods sends another Cursed Bamboo Sword from my deck to my Graveyard. Sending it there lets me take another Golden Bamboo Sword from my deck to my hand.
"If you've been counting or just looking at Royal Magical Library, you'll know I have three Spell Counters. By removing them, I can draw a card." He did so. "I'll play another Golden Bamboo Sword to draw two more. Now I'll activate Trade-In, which lets me discard Destiny Hero – Dreadmaster to draw two more cards. And another Trade-In so I can discard Destiny Hero – Plasma and draw two more. Again, that's three Spell Counters on my Royal Magical Library, so it's time to remove them and draw another card."
Cary couldn't hold in her amazement. Dave was truly masterful with his deck. Watching him make it all look so easy made her wonder why Exodia wasn't the strategy all professional duelists used. It took remembering her own experience trying to master it before she realized that consistency was a real challenge for Exodia decks. Dave was special.
He shot Justin and Andy a smile. "Let's mix it up just a little. Destiny Draw means discarding Destiny Hero – Dogma so I can draw two more cards." His new cards were something interesting enough to make him react. "Something different now. Into the Void has me draw just one card, but at the end of my turn, I discard my hand."
Dr. West smiled. "I suspect what matters most is what's in your hand before you discard."
Dave tapped his nose. "Right you are. So I'll use Upstart Goblin to draw another one."
"How kind of you to give me even more Life Points," said Dr. West. Upstart Goblin's effect paid him 1000 LP in exchange for Dave's extra card.
"Hopefully it won't matter much in the end." Dave pointed to the field where his Royal Magical Library again held three glowing Spell Counters. "I'll remove the Spell Counters again to draw. Another Into the Void to draw again. No negative effect this time because it's not like I can discard the same hand twice."
When he looked at his next card, he hesitated. "Hey, guys." Justin and Andy stepped away from their positions. The three huddled around the last card Dave drew. Cary couldn't see it, and she was a bit surprised to see them all whispering about it together until she remembered that Boss Duels allow all teammates to collaborate. It was supposed to balance the game a little to counteract Dr. West's playing by his own rules.
She wished she could hear the conversation, but it was clear they came to agreement when Justin patted Dave on the shoulder, then he and Andy returned to their positions.
"Sorry for the delay. One Day of Peace means each of us draws one card, and then no one will take any damage until the end of your next turn." He pointed to Dr. West.
Dr. West nodded. "That's interesting. I like the extra card, but I was hoping to start my attack. I suppose I can wait one extra turn."
Dave grinned. Cary was sure that at this rate, there wouldn't be a next turn. Although at this point, Dave had already drawn so many cards. Was the last piece of Exodia literally the bottom card in his deck?
"I'll play Golden Bamboo Sword again and draw two more cards." Dave pointed to his field. "Royal Magical Library loses three Spell Counters to draw another card. And here's another copy of Into the Void for one more. Oh, now I have a different card: Allure of Darkness lets me draw two again at the cost of banishing Destiny Hero – Dreadmaster. And a second Allure of Darkness gives me two cards in exchange for Destiny Hero – Dogma. And now Royal Magical Library's effect again to draw one more."
From his position, Andy asked, "How deep did you bury those cards?"
"Apparently at the very bottom," said Justin.
Dave shrugged. "I guess so. I really hope it works. Allure of Darkness again to draw two and banish Destiny Hero – Plasma. Here's another copy of Trade-In, so I discard Destiny Hero – Dogma and draw two." He sighed. "Literally the last cards: Destiny Draw so I can discard Destiny Hero – Dreadmaster and draw the last two cards in my entire deck."
He was still shaking his head as he put most of his hand aside and placed five cards on the monster zones. "All that effort so that I can put together the five pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One." A pentagram appeared on the field. Out of each of the points, a piece of an armored, mummified god appeared. When all five were visible, the chains that bound them to the ground shattered, and the pieces connected into a single body. Exodia was massive, taking up as much space among the hologram projectors as Obelisk, if not more.
The energy that welled up between Exodia's palms was immense. It felt hotter than the sun in the middle of July and heavier than a weighted blanket dropped from the top of the Duel Academy building. The unsealed god thrust its arms forward and let that ball of energy erupt into a beam so strong and so bright that Dr. West disappeared behind it. Just a fucking hologram and it was strong enough to make a whole person disappear!
For a moment, anyway. When the light dimmed, Dr. West was obviously still standing, and the hologram didn't actually hurt him, but it also didn't drop his Life Points as much as it should have. The Life Point counter showed Dr. West as having 19,000 LP still.
"Oh, that was amazing," he said. "Leave it to our Number 1 duelist to summon Exodia on the very first turn. Unfortunately for your effort, my special rules mean that every instant win scenario deals only 8000 points of damage to me. It's almost like you beat me, but having three of you teamed up gave me enough of a buffer to resist. And your Upstart Goblin cards; those extra Life Points also help."
Dave had a gracious smile on his face as he groaned. "Ah, we knew it couldn't be that easy. There were just no records of anyone succeeding in an instant win situation against you, so we couldn't be sure what would happen. I guess that ends my turn, doesn't it?"
Exodia's massive form faded from the field. Into the Void took effect at that moment, turning into a black hole that absorbed the rest of Dave's hand into the Graveyard. Dave's field and hand were both cleared except for Royal Magical Library (with zero points, in attack mode) and the Cursed Bamboo Sword.
Dr. West: 19,000 LP, 1 card
Dave: 8000 LP, 0 cards
Justin: 8000 LP, 6 cards
Andy: 8000 LP, 6 cards
Justin wore the biggest grin on his face. "Now we know that Exodia wasn't powerful enough to end the whole duel on the first turn. But Dave's not the only OTK expert out here. Let's see if my strategy is any better.
"I'll start with Pot of Duality." That card immediately made Cary wonder what Justin had in mind. With the appearance of the two-faced ewer, Justin looked through his top three cards, kept one for his hand, and then shuffled the others back into the deck. But more importantly, Pot of Duality blocked him from Special Summoning monsters for the rest of the turn. Justin usually ran a Dark World deck, which relied on Special Summons to flood the field. So was he using a whole new deck theme?
"Next, I'll play The Gates of Dark World." Quick answer to that question. Now it just mattered what strategy he was using. Lightning filled the field as massive gates appeared between Justin and Dr. West. The doors slowly cracked open, showing nothing clear except for dark clouds, as if the world on the other side were covered in dry ice.
"Now I play Card Destruction so we all discard our hands and draw new cards."
Andy shook his head. "You know, I had good cards in that hand." Dr. West had just one card and only because Dave forced him to draw it.
Justin laughed. "You knew this would happen when we decided what order we would go in. Besides, I had two copies of Broww, Huntsman of Dark World in my hand, and discarding them means I can draw two additional cards." Andy nodded and just ushered him forward with the turn. "Just like my buddy Dave, I'm going to summon Royal Magical Library (4: 0|2000)." That was decidedly not a Dark World monster. Another small fortress of bookshelves appeared, mirroring Dave's "monster". Not much of a defense, but considering Justin played three Spell Cards already, maybe he was about to mill all the way through his deck, too.
"I'll actually use The Gates of Dark World now: I banish Broww from my Graveyard and then discard Snoww, Unlight of Dark World from my hand. Snoww activates and brings another copy of The Gates of Dark World to my hand. I'll go ahead and replace my current Gates with the new one." It was an odd visual to watch his hologram gates disappear only to be replaced by an exact replica. Like watching a video glitch in real time. "I'll activate the effect of this new The Gates of Dark World and do the same thing: banish Broww to discard Snoww. Then Snoww activates so I can take Grapha to my hand."
He pointed to Dave. "I'll use Grapha the same way you used all those Destiny Heroes, by playing Trade-In, discarding Grapha to draw two new cards. And then I'll also play Upstart Goblin." Justin was able to draw a card, but at the same time, Dr. West gained yet another 1000 LP.
Dave said, "You think that card's still worth it now that we know instant wins don't work against the headmaster?"
"It'll have to be," said Justin. "That's how I collect Spell Counters and mill through my deck."
Andy groaned, "You guys are killing me. I'll have to play an even bigger monster than I planned on to make up for this deficit." When he folded his arms and slumped his posture, a girl's voice shouted "You can do it, Andy!" That's when Cary saw Wikolia sitting in the stands on the other side of the arena. She wore a blue onesie that perfectly matched Andy's. From her angle, it looked like they were standing beside each other, which is how she finally recognized their costume: They were a couple's costume, together making up the two imps from Delinquent Duo.
"Don't worry. My plan's still solid," said Justin, returning focus to the duel. He pointed to his Royal Magical Library. "I'll remove the three Spell Counters and draw a card." Cary had forgotten about Royal Magical Library until he used it. She wondered whether Justin should have used its effect earlier, but she reminded herself that despite the number of effects that resolved around The Gates of Dark World, only one of them was the actual activation of a Spell Card. "Now I'll also play Into the Void so I can draw a new card.
"And now I'm actually going to play a card that would fit in your deck." Dr. West looked surprised when Justin motioned toward him. "Toon Table of Contents lets me pull any Toon card from my deck, and I choose another copy of Toon Table of Contents. In fact, I'll play the second one and use it to bring the third one to my hand." He pointed to Royal Magical Library. "That's three more Spell Counters." Those green lights disappeared and he drew another card.
"Let's play another Upstart Goblin." Watching Dr. West's LP (21,000) rise again was clearly upsetting for Andy, who probably worried about the duel coming down to him vs. Dr. West. "Um, I think I'll play my other Toon Table of Contents now to get Toon Ancient Gear Golem, but only so I can play Trade-In to discard Toon Ancient Gear Golem and draw two more cards. And I'll use Royal Magical Library again."
When Justin finished draw those cards, he played, "Into the Void lets me draw another one. And then my last copy of Upstart Goblin. Now I'll play Dark World Dealings: We each draw one card and then discard one card." After Dr. West and Andy each discarded, then Justin explained, "So I'll discard Broww, Huntsman of Dark World, which means I draw one more card. And Royal Magical Library has three more Spell Counters."
Somehow, that wasn't enough cards to set up whatever play Justin had in mind. Was he also trying to summon Exodia? Dave already proved that it wouldn't work. But what other strategy benefited from having no cards in his deck?
"I'll play Spell Power Grasp, which gives me a bonus Spell Counter while giving me another copy of it from my deck. Oh, but the Spell Counters don't matter anymore because after I play Trade-In and discard Grapha, I'll draw the last cards in my deck."
"Good. No more Upstart Goblins," said Andy.
Justin laughed. "I'll just set three cards and end my turn. With the effect of Into the Void, of course, so there goes my hand."
Andy shook his head. "I really hope this works out."
"We picked this strategy as a group. It'll work."
Dr. West: 22,000 LP, 1 card
Dave: 8000 LP, 0 cards
Justin: 8000 LP, 0 cards
Andy: 8000 LP, 7 cards
Justin was still bouncing out of his skin with excitement, despite being in a position where he'd lose as soon as his turn started. Dave was in the same boat, which kept him much more sedate as he waited patiently. Only Andy looked upset about the situation.
"Just remember, I was never part of Team OTK. There will be no massive explosions of Life Points coming out of my deck."
"You're also not going to give Dr. West an extra 3000 Life Points that he doesn't need," said Dave with a laugh.
Dr. West asked, "Weren't you the lead scorer for the Duel Dragonists before you joined the Guardian Duelers?"
"I don't think so," said Andy. "A team member, yes."
"You're choosing this moment on this stage to be humble?" shouted Justin. "Just play your cards and show us whether or not you're a dragon duelist!"
Cary knew a little about Andy's previous record. Even as a freshman, he ended the first year with a win rate above fifty percent. Close to sixty, maybe? He was the third-ranked duelist now for a reason. But it was understandable how he was still so nervous. Dr. West was the literal boss of Duel Academy. As a spectator, Cary thought it looked impossible to beat him.
Andy spent longer looking through his cards, looking into the sky while he considered what to play, and then looking at his cards again. "Do you want to huddle?" asked Justin.
"When I'm ready to mill all the way through my deck, I'll ask for suggestions," quipped Andy. He smiled, though, and Justin laughed. That was just the way they interacted.
"I'll use Foolish Burial to send Jet Synchron from my deck to the Graveyard." His field opened up, and then an unseen card just fell into it out of nowhere. "Normal Summon my Junk Synchron (3: 1300|500)." Finally, the first monster on the field that wasn't a stack of bookshelves or a cartoon. Junk Synchron was more like an assistant robot from a Mega Man game. "Junk Synchron's effect Special Summons the Jet Synchron (1: 500|0) from my Graveyard." Maybe this monster could be from a Megan Man game, too, but given its appearance of a literal jet engine with cranky eyes, it definitely looked more like one of the evil reploids. "And when I Special Summon one monster, I can also Special Summon a Doppelwarrior (2: 800|800) from my hand." This monster looked like a man whose hologram was glitching because he had a fuzzy afterimage that wouldn't fade away.
"Time for Synchro Summons," said Justin.
"Yes, exactly," said Andy. "Junk Synchron (3) and Doppelwarrior (2) tune and Synchro Summon the T.G. Hyper Librarian (5: 2400|1800)." The two monsters became one, a tall man wearing color-coordinated outfit complete with a habit, a mantle, and a utility cap.
Cary smirked. T.G. Hyper Librarian was another draw engine. Maybe Andy wasn't set to burn his whole deck the way Dave and Justin had done, but he was still looking to draw some extra cards.
When Doppelwarrior disappeared, that fuzzy afterimage stayed. In fact, it doubled. Those weren't glitches: They were Doppel Tokens (1: 400|400). "Now Jet Synchron (1) and a Doppel Token (1) tune to Synchro Summon my Formula Synchron (2: 200|1500)." This Synchron looked less like a Mega Man character and more like a Transformer because it was mostly a robot vehicle. But maybe there was some overlap there that Cary didn't know about, so it could fit in both worlds. "I have some effects to resolve now: T.G. Hyper Librarian lets me draw because I Synchro Summoned, Formula Synchron lets me draw because he's what I Synchro Summoned, and Jet Synchron was one of the Synchro Materials, so that moves Junk Warrior from my deck to my hand." Andy waited for the electronics to catch up to him so he could retrieve his card and then shuffle the deck.
"Now I use Instant Fusion to summon Elder Entity Norden (4: 2000|2200) from my Extra Deck. Summoning him lets me Special Summon my Jet Synchron (1: 500|0) back from the Graveyard." Norden thrust his trident into the ground, which splashed as if it were water, and the ground drew back so the jet-like reploid could hit the field again. "And these two go well together to Synchro Summon my Jet Warrior (5: 2100|1200)." The new monster was another robot, except this one was an anthropomorphized version of an entire jet, not just the engine. It pointed its engine arms toward Dr. West. "When I summon Jet Warrior, he targets a card on your field and returns it to your hand, like your face-down card." An explosion of sound erupted from Andy's monster and blew Dr. West's card off the field.
Justin looked excited, though Dave's reaction was more tempered. Dave's One Day of Peace card really meant that no matter what Andy set up this turn, he wouldn't be able to deal any damage. Not until the end of Dr. West's next turn. Only Exodia was powerful enough to ignore that effect.
"Don't forget, I also draw a card because of T.G. Hyper Librarian. And now I'll have T.G. Hyper Librarian (5), Jet Warrior (5), and Formula Synchron (2) all tune together to Synchro Summon my Shooting Quasar Dragon (12: 4000|4000)." Andy's six-winged dragon was enormous and shone with a light almost as bright as Ra did. It was hard to tell whether the white light was coming from the dragon or being drawn into it. So Dave wasn't the only duelist on the field with a little-G god card in his deck.
"Should I bother destroying his monsters?" Andy asked without huddling.
Dave shook his head. "He won't take any damage, unfortunately, and he'll just summon them all again on the next turn."
"True. But I will set two cards face-down."
Dr. West: 22,000 LP, 2 cards
Dave: 8000 LP, 0 cards
Justin: 8000 LP, 0 cards
Andy: 8000 LP, 6 cards
Dr. West smiled. "I'm so proud of the combo plays that each of you completed on your very first turn. I've been here a long time, and maybe you three are the strongest duelists we've ever had." Cary's offense was tempered when she finished mentally added the words "so far" to the end of that sentence. She had every intention of beating all three of them by the time she graduates. But she also found amusement wondering how all the alumni in attendance had taken that comment.
Dave said, "Don't start your turn yet. We're going to activate one of our special abilities." He looked at Andy for confirmation and received a nod in return.
Justin said, "Might as well. This duel won't last many more turns."
"Thanks for jinxing me," said Andy. To Dave, he said, "Do the draw effect. I think that will make the biggest difference."
"Makes sense. So for the rest of this round, each of us gets to choose a card from our decks instead of the normal Draw Phase." He chuckled. "Obviously Justin and I won't benefit, but Andy will."
Dr. West nodded. "Sure. Effect is activated."
"Thank you."
"Of course. So now my turn starts. First, for the sake of our viewers who don't know better, the Boss can't lose a duel by decking out, so it doesn't matter that there are no more cards in my deck. And since there's nothing to draw, I simply reclaim my cards that Justin sent to the Graveyard with Card Destruction and Dark World Dealings."
Cary was surprised to hear Dr. West remember exactly which cards had forced him to discard from his hand. He was so old and sometimes he forgot things when he addressed the student body. But he was easily able to keep up with all forty cards that Dave played and another forty cards that Justin played. Maybe it was coincidence, or maybe being headmaster wasn't just because of his age and seniority after all.
"It's a shame I won't be able to deal any damage this turn," said Dr. West. "I activate Comic Hand!" A box appeared beside his cartoon monsters. "This card takes one of your monsters and gives it to me." The box sprang open forcefully as a spring trap shot out with a large hand on the end of it.
Just as the hand touched Shooting Quasar Dragon, it began to glow. The light was so bright and hot that it disintegrated the Comic Hand. "Once per turn, Shooting Quasar Dragon negates an effect and destroys that card."
"Perfect!" shouted Justin. That was one of the effects that was known about Dr. West's deck, so it was smart that Andy planned ahead to counter it; otherwise, he'd have lost a pseudo-god monster instantly.
Dr. West was beaming. "It was very nearly perfect. Because I summon Relinquished (0|0)!" Toon Masked Sorcerer left the field to be replaced by a demon with the Eye of Anubis protruding from its body. This was the card Cary was waiting for. Everyone who knew about the headmaster's deck waited for it. The regular Relinquished was impressive but beatable, but the Boss Relinquished was on the level of a god card, just like Exodia and Shooting Quasar Dragon. And there was one simple reason it was so dangerous… "Relinquished will absorb your dragon as a sacrifice."
Cary waited with bated breath for Andy to negate that effect. Surely he had to know it was coming; it was the signature move for Relinquished. But he didn't respond.
Dr. West chuckled. "I'm surprised that worked. I expected you to counter me."
"I'll counter," said Justin. "I activate Wall of Revealing Light. I'll pay 7000 Life Points, so now none of your monsters can attack if they have fewer than 7000 attack points."
"Oh, my. In that case, Relinquished (+4000) will also reach into the Graveyard to absorb Destiny Hero - Dogma (3400)." As the demon absorbed Dave's massive monster into its other side, Relinquished (+7400) grew even stronger, absorbing attack power from each monster. "Well, now it's really a shame that One Day of Peace is still in effect. For good measure, Relinquished will destroy your remaining Doppel Token (400), even if you don't take any damage for it." Andy still jumped when Relinquished released an laser blast from its eye. He barely dodged 7000 points of damage, so his reaction made sense. "I'll also place two cards face-down to end my turn."
Dr. West: 22,000 LP, 0 cards
Dave: 8000 LP, 0 cards
Justin: 1000 LP, 0 cards
Andy: 8000 LP, 6 cards
Dave sighed as he looked at the field. "You know what both those cards are already. I hope you have everything set up." As soon as his Draw Phase started, he was set to lose the duel. As the Boss, Dr. West was able to keep dueling even when he couldn't draw anymore, but Dave wasn't protected against decking out.
Dr. West: 22,000 LP, 0 cards
Dave: Lost
Justin: 1000 LP, 0 cards
Andy: 8000 LP, 6 cards
"I'll chain my remaining cards," said Justin. "Life Equalizer changes the score so all of us have only 3000 LP."
Justin's points rose while Andy's points fell, but Dr. West's points didn't fall as far as they should. "Actually, you'll remember that I have two opponents remaining. I get to keep 3000 points per opponent."
Andy shook his head, nearly laughing to himself.
"Aw, bummer," said Justin. "I thought I was going to end it. I guess it's still on you, Andy. But I'll all least even the score again with Blasting the Ruins." Dr. West's side of the field exploded, and his Life Points plummeted. "I have more than 30 cards in my Graveyard, so you take 3000 points of damage. And I'd just like to emphasize again how crazy-impressive that would have been if you didn't have your own set of rules to play by." As he said that, Justin also decked out.
Dr. West: 3000 LP, 0 cards
Dave: Lost
Justin: Lost
Andy: 3000 LP, 6 cards
Maybe Justin was just tooting his own horn, and Cary could only take him so seriously considering he failed to win, but he did blast 16,000 LP off of Dr. West, which was twice as much damage as Dave dealt with Exodia.
Andy sighed as he drew. "Thanks for leaving me by myself, guys."
Justin said, "We can still huddle to help you decide which cards to play."
"No, I know what to do. I just wanted to let you know how stressed I am." He placed a card on the Duel Disk. "With Twin Twisters, I discard one card to destroy both the cards equipped to Relinquished." Sleek tornados blew across the field and converged on Relinquished, removing Dogma from one side and Shooting Quasar Dragon from the other side. "When Shooting Quasar Dragon leaves the field, I get to Special Summon my Shooting Star Dragon (10: 3300|2500)." Although smaller and with fewer wings, Andy's dragon continued to shine almost as brightly as before. "I use his effect to excavate five cards from my deck." He looked at the top cards. "Two of them were tuners, so Shooting Star Dragon can attack twice."
Dr. West flipped over one of his cards. "I activate Toon Briefcase!"
"No," said Andy. "Trap Stun negates all other Trap Cards for this turn, even if you're the Boss." Before Dr. West's briefcase could open, an electrical shock overwrote the locking mechanism and magnetized it shut.
"Now I Normal Summon Junk Synchron (3: 1300|300). His effect lets me Special Summon the Level Eater (1: 600|0) from my Graveyard. Together, I Synchro Summon my Armory Arm (4: 1800|1200)." As its name described, this monster looked like a robotic arm. It attached itself to Shooting Star Dragon (+4300). "Armory Arm gives my monster extra power as well as the ability to deal additional effect damage after battle." He pointed and said, "I already know that battling with Relinquished means we would both take damage. Instead, Shooting Star Dragon (4300) attacks Toon Summoned Skull (2500)."
Shooting Star Dragon was aptly named, streaking across the field like a meteorite until Dr. West said, "I activate Doppelganger!" A cartoon popped out of his card. Cary wasn't sure whether the card was supposed to be a cat or a coyote or something else. "Doppelganger mimics the effect of One Day of Peace." The coyote-cat transformed into a serene sunset. "Until the end of your turn, neither of us takes any damage. And you can draw an extra card, even though I have nothing to draw." His card didn't negate the attack: Toon Summoned Skull still disintegrated under Shooting Star Dragon's enormous power.
It was easy to see the disappointment in Andy's face. He was a synchro duelist, not set up to deal effect damage. That meant he would need to find a way to survive another whole turn.
"I'll set a card to end my turn."
Dr. West: 3000 LP, 0 cards
Dave: Lost
Justin: Lost
Andy: 3000 LP, 3 cards
Dr. West noticed the system triggering the start of his turn, but he didn't move. He was prepared already for Andy to say, "Triggering our special ability again. Give me an extra 4000 Life Points." It was the same special ability bonus as last turn when he got to pick the specific card he drew from his deck, but with a different effect. His Life Point counter rose to near-starting levels.
"First, I'll take all my cards back from the Graveyard. Now, I summon Toon Summoned Skull (2500|1200)." His monster bounced back onto the field as if it had never left, only hid in the shadows. "Now let's clear your field by having Relinquished absorb Shooting Star Dragon."
"I'll chain Forbidden Chalice," said Andy. "Relinquished (+400) gains 400 points, but its effects are all negated until the end of the turn."
"Very good," said Dr. West. "It really is a shame that my deck has so many repetitive effects. I activate Comic Hand!" Springing out of a toy box, the hand grabbed Shooting Star Dragon (4300) and pulled it over to Dr. West's side of the field. Shooting Quasar Dragon had been able to negate all effects, but Shooting Star Dragon was only able to negate destruction effects—if only Dr. West had wanted to destroy it. "You all combined your talents almost perfectly. You'll have surpassed me long before you reach my advanced years. That said, the Boss continues his winning streak."
With or without Toon World, Dr. West had an open field available for direct attacks from Toon Summoned Skull (2500), Toon Gemini Elf (1900), and Shooting Star Dragon (4300).
Dr. West: 3000 LP, 3 cards
Dave: Lost
Justin: Lost
Andy: 0 LP, 3 cards
Cary was confused at first. Wouldn't Andy be defended against damage until the end of his next turn? But even as she thought those words, she realized that One Day of Peace was Spell Speed 1, never intended to be played on the opponent's turn. So when Dr. West played it, the effect meant that Andy's next End Phase also ended the protection effect. In short, its effect only lasted that one turn.
Cary's family was nearly inconsolable. Her mother and Aunt Jill were distraught, tearing up at the loss. Uncle Bill was ready to bum rush the judge and demand a new duel with fairer odds. Cary's father was calm on the outside, but she could see the inferno behind his eyes. "Perhaps the Boss deck can't be beaten," he muttered. She wasn't sure whether she was meant to hear it, but she did, and she took it as another challenge: Before she graduated, she would be the first student to defeat Dr. West in a Boss duel.
She might even know the best person to team up with.
The Duel Academy card shop ran a booth at the Spirit Day Festival mostly with the intention to sell custom cards and pins commemorating the Spirit Day Festival and to remind people to visit the real card shop for more variety. Most of the cards being sold at the booth were there because someone's rich parents wanted to look especially rich by buying their kids whatever random, overpriced card tickled their fancy at that moment. Matt believed it was just as much power play by the students and their siblings to request a rare card as it was by the parents to show off how money was no object. Buncha jackasses.
Desiree had been in the throes of making a sale from the seat of a plush, rolling chair. She was dressed as Hexe Trude, complete with fluffing out her hair and coloring it black for a day, and surprisingly the war paint that looked like bloody tears never scared off any customers. Her would-be sucker… er, customer… was Lana Tao, the lady who used to hold The Winged Dragon of Ra before Andy beat her and took it away. Desire pointed out all the combo possibilities involved with Infinite Impermanence when Lana realized that Desiree knew so much that she must have been a secret grandmaster the whole time.
"That is definitely not the case," said Desiree, laughing at the idea even though it made total sense. She sold cards to the students and faculty at Duel Academy, so how could she not be at least a decent duelist?
Lana practically begged for a test duel against Desiree. "Please? I never even thought about how much I should have learned from you while I was at school."
"You're a professional duelist now. You don't need my help."
"Better late than never. And the best teachers are ones you haven't learned from yet."
Matt said, "I'll do it." Desiree loved the idea, but Lana frowned. "A minor league professional who used to live in the Guardhouse sounds like my strongest opponent yet."
Lana placed her hand over her deck and said, "No. Please, Desiree? I hereby issue this official challenge." Matt didn't realize those were the magic words at Duel Academy. Dr. Lankford had always hinted that the students couldn't reject a challenge without repercussion, but he never said anything about faculty duels or the word "hereby". But when Lana handed over her golden challenge card, Desiree reluctantly accepted the request.
Unfortunately Matt never had a chance to watch. A rather large family made such a fuss over the cards in one of the display cases that he had to keep his eye on the grabby toddlers, making too much noise to even hear the duel going on behind him. By the time he helped the family figure out what cards each person wanted and relieved them of their cash, Desiree had already lost her duel. Her expression made her look like a raccoon—long face with dark circles under her eyes. So maybe she spent so long in duel theory that actually applying that theory to a real duel was more exhausting than she realized. On the bright side, she made the sale: Lana bought three copies of the card.
Desiree didn't sit down. Instead, she looked fidgety. "Hey, Matt. Do you think you'd be comfortable manning the booth yourself for a bit?"
"Can I have the chair?"
"When you say 'have', are you still asking to take it back to the dorm with you or just to sit on your ass while I'm gone? Because one of those is acceptable."
"I still say the decor in the Slifer dorm would benefit in the long run, but for now, I'll settle for getting off my feet for a while."
"Should've worn better shoes," she said.
He nodded. "Duly noted and equally unhelpful as the first it was mentioned." He only had two pairs of shoes: one for formal attire and one for all other uses. "No doubt you're heading to the Boss Duel."
Desiree's voice was suddenly tinged with excitement. "It's the best event of the whole year. Corbin is always too busy to duel, so I make a point to always be there to watch."
"And you trust me alone with all these cards?"
"I've watched you all morning to answer that question for me. You've been so disinterested in this job assignment that I trust you with the keys more than I trust Roger. All year, in fact, you gave away more of your reward packs than you kept. I've never seen a freshman as confident and comfortable with his deck as you are."
She dropped the keys in his hand. "Plus, there are cameras all around, and nothing in this booth is as valuable as Duel Academy tuition and attendance."
He smirked, amused by the way she transitioned so smoothly from trust to blackmail. "I'm more jealous that you get to go watch the Boss Duel in person." His phone already had the Duel Academy Livestream website open, just waiting for the Boss Duel to begin so he could watch from the booth, as long as the internet signal stayed decent. With hundreds of extra endpoints visiting the campus, Wi-Fi had been spotty all day. He just hoped the Boss Duel would attract eyes away from their phones. "And get away from the constant smell of Japanese barbecue."
"That way things are going, you'll be a Boss Duel participant soon enough," said Desiree. "I'll be reachable if there's an emergency, but nothing that urgent has ever happened on Spirit Day, so you should be fine. I'll bring some lunch back with me to kill your kushiyaki urges." Her jewelry jangled as she walked away. Jingling grabbed everyone's attention, but her dress is what kept it: Desiree was a bit on the big side, but that garnet-colored dress had a slit so high that everyone under age eighteen—ninety percent of the Duel Academy students—should look away.
Matt grabbed a bag of chips and hoped it would take the edge off his growing hunger. He hadn't considered the physical pain that would come from having his olfactory senses bombarded by the sweet, sour, and spicy scents of festival food all day long.
He leaned back in Desiree's chair and used one of the card cases to prop up his phone as the video flickered to life. He raised the volume as voices crackled through the speakers, realizing he should have brought ear buds. He was shocked to see how many people continued to wander the festival grounds even after Dr. West completed his first turn. Shouldn't literally everyone attending Spirit Day at Duel Academy want to attend the Boss duel? Several people who went all out on their costumes still floated between the stalls, even as Matt ignored them. The ones he looked up for tended to be the ones that scurried along the ground, but it's possible he was imagining those since he never got a good look at any of them.
Possibly a bunch of ninja toddlers? Perhaps Laotian spiders? Or maybe there were real spirits wandering around on Spirit Day. Some of the costumes seemed too elaborate to his eye, as if they were ethereal in origin. The idea distracted him from the ongoing Boss Duel as he considered whether it was truly school spirit that everyone was celebrating here. If what Leona said was true, and duel energy forced spirits to become tangible, then how dramatic would the effect be during a Boss Duel?
But here was a guy wandering the grounds in a decidedly normal outfit: jeans and a unbuttoned button-up shirt with a plain t-shirt underneath, not even Duel Academy themed. He started off this little stretch of the grounds by stopping at a tea booth. He smiled a lot as he spoke to Lakisha about the various blends she had to offer. Maybe he even thought he was being subtle every time he glanced in Matt's direction.
The man went to a takoyaki stand next. They were close enough for Matt to hear the conversation, how the takoyaki was on hold until after the Boss Duel but the man was encouraged to come back later. He walked away with another smile on his face. Now he was close enough to pretend that the whole reason he came over to the card shop booth was that Matt had made eye contact, a flawless and perfect sales tactic, after all.
"Hello," he said with the energy of a man who was trying too hard. "How are you?"
"Fine. What are you looking for?"
"Just taking a look at everything available while there's little foot traffic."
"Smart."
"Looks like you're selling cards here."
"Smart."
Confusion flashed across his face, replaced almost instantly with a grin as he realized how obvious his last comment was. "That's funny. I'm still high on festival energy, you know? I haven't been to the island for years, not since the second year after I graduated."
"Why such a long gap?"
He shrugged. "Life just got busy."
"Why come back now? Life stopped being busy?"
"Finally got some time off," he said. He extended a hand. "I'm Anand."
Matt completed the handshake but never took his eyes off of Anand. "You don't look like the type who still duels after graduation."
"What type do I look like?"
"More like someone from the programming concentration. Based on the stylus sticking out of the pocket where your phone is visible, I'd guess you use it to take a lot of electronic notes. Maybe you went from programming to journalism."
Anand didn't look at his phone. He just used his thumb to push both the phone and stylus deeper into his jeans. "Seems like a big jump to conclusions."
Matt grabbed his own phone, accepting that he was missing the Boss Duel by now. He searched the internet for "Anand", "Duel Academy", and "journalist". It didn't take long to find several social media pages and blogs for Anand Miyagawa, freelance journalist. "I have strong leaping muscles. So what are you really looking for?"
"You don't want to assume that, too?"
Shrugging, Matt said, "The obvious answer is that you wanted to interview the Slifer student who won the Deck Limitations Tournament. But a good while has passed since then, so it's not really in the cultural consciousness at the moment. How many people would really care about my story at this point?"
"You didn't win that tournament by yourself."
Matt smiled. "Oh. This is about Bryan, then." Anand finally looked uncomfortable, indicating Matt figured him out. "Why look for dirt on the other Slifer duelist who helped with winning the Deck Limitations Tournament except to stir up unnecessary drama?"
"Some people don't think either of you should have been given the opportunity to complete the tournament."
"Some people, such as…?"
Anand shrugged. "Have you seen what Darcy Purves had to say?"
"I make it a point to avoid social media. I'm at an impressionable age, and I wouldn't want to be cyberbullied by adults who get frustrated by children's card games."
The so-called journalist ignored Matt's sardonic comments. He had his phone out as he read: "Bryan Knight proved he's skilled enough to win any duel where Life Points don't matter. How unfortunate the rest of us are limited to only 8000 of them."
Matt smiled. "Not too shabby. Pithy, complimentary on the surface while keeping her disdain subtle."
"Care to comment?"
Laughing, Matt said, "What's there to comment? It was a tournament where every duel had special rules. One duelist followed those rules; the other didn't. Personally, I thought it was fun dueling outside the box, like a duel of wits. But not like at the haiku booth over there, where they've been challenging people to haiku contests all day? Those guys are nuts.
"Victory awaits /
The duelist's spirit burns /
Like the blazing sun."
He grinned. "Not bad, right? Took me all day to come up with that. Not gonna win me any Pulitzers for poetry, though. Anyway, you should report on something interesting, like how Duel Academy might be haunted."
Anand scoffed. "Haunted? You listening to stories about the Gravekeepers?"
Matt had not heard of them. But he said, "Fascinating story, don't you think?"
"Every location with a major connection to Yu-Gi-Oh! Gaming gets a piece of mysterious lore. It's all make-believe. There's definitely no portal to the Spirit World in the valley or the hot springs or the power plant or the fallen pillar or the volcano or any of the other places people claim to have seen spirits over the years."
"So you're not going to write a story about that?"
"I'd rather duel against Dr. West's Boss Deck."
Matt wasn't sure how to respond. "So would I, but not for the same reason. Seems pretty clear why you haven't been back to campus in so long. I hope you're able to find what you're looking for."
Obviously renewed appreciation for dueling wasn't it.
So... a bit longer than usual. I only learned about Boss Duels within the past two years—well after my previous versions of this story were underway. The usual duel takes me two weeks to write out completely; this Boss Duel took at least an extra week. Let's just say there's a reason Dave and Justin both delivered OTKs and then got knocked out. I'll admit that Dr. West had a little bit of plot armor here: You could easily argue that Justin's combo should have ended the duel successfully, but I needed the Boss Deck to win, and his defense is still logical within the crazy powers given to the Boss Deck.
I also had fun elaborating on the Spirit Day festivities that came from the anime. I decided to make it into Duel Academy's version of a Homecoming event as an excuse to pull a bunch of parents and grads to the island. In fact, I had so many ideas for Spirit Day that the festivities will continue into the next chapter.
Just a reminder: I'm plotting out the next arc now, and there's room for a lot of new characters. (New school year, after all, plus some visitors from another branch of Duel Academy.) Anyone interested in submitting an OC, please reach out. The basic form is in my profile, and I'm happy to answer questions.
* Jack Hansbury...(same name with a period instead of a space)
* Tamah "Fats" Fatu...Vstriker