Chapter 14 - Advent of the Blizzard Siren
. Bold words: Name Introductions; Card names; Monster Stats; 'Special Attacks'; Player(s) Life Points; Keywords / Change of Tone.
. (A) / (FM): Anime / Fan-Made - Cards used in the Anime/Manga; Cards created by the author.
. Italic: Non-English words; Epilogue and Prologue.
. " " - Normal Talk
. ' ' - Thoughts; Summon Chants
Special Thanks: Zeon Paralysis Crystal; Lonly Wanderer (Story Proof-Read);
- PROLOGUE -
(Alexis' Flashback: 1 year ago)
Location: Alexis' House, Domino City; Time: Midnight
A luxurious but spacious bedroom, thanks to the table lamps, wall sconces, and crystal chandelier adorning the huge ceiling, was also littered with decorative frames of Alexis' childhood pictures with her family portrayed on one of the three walls. The other wall had a giant polished mirror to reflect the high-class room.
The flooring was covered with an expensively soft rug, the covering comfortable enough for the blonde girl walking barefoot. Not only for Alexis but to her surprise, the girl wasn't alone, covering herself in thick black and blue blankets at the intruder, unsure and certainly scared as the said intruder was observing the bedroom of the 15-year-old girl.
Alexis, in the meantime, couldn't help but think…
"T-This has to be a dream?" She asks more to herself aloud, her head waking up a bit better to fully take in the strange and alarming sight with a shocked expression as she gets a full view of her "guest". She is a tall, tranquil-looking woman with chillingly pale skin to the point of being ivory white, her body language exudes a chilling air of ethereal elegance complemented by her billowing snowflake-shaped aura as if a testament to her magical skill and power.
Alexis fearfully took a step back as she noticed the intruder's magical staff with an intricate crystal-like design resting next to her. She is clad in a white flowing gown decorated rather intricately with layers of magical crystalline-like ice and lavender snow crystals; adoring her head was a gleaming teal-colored headpiece made of ice that gave a further sense of inhumanity to the beauty; her hands adorned with white gloves that matched her outfit.
"I thought this stuff only happened in those weird Fairy Tales, but I can't help but ask… Are you the Snow Queen?"
The intruder of a spirit gave an impressed but soft laugh as she was almost nostalgic at the blond's question, her hands delicately hiding her lips like a noble woman akin to those Ojou-Sama from a lot of anime Alexis watched.
"Your observation is only partly correct, little Alexis. I'm more the… daughter of the Snow Queen or in the realm I hail from, her true title the "White Night Queen's" daughter, her heir to be exact but I am no mere princess… My title, as my lovely homeland the "White Night Kingdom" of the Spirit Realm bestowed upon me, is the "Ice Queen". But between us, I'll allow you the privilege to call me Icy."
Alexis was hesitant, her voice trembling.
"... This can't be real. You broke into my house and just dumped on me the knowledge of another dimension! There's no way you're real! And why are you here in the first place!?"
"Correction… I manifested my beautiful royal presence into your house, be certain to remember that difference. Now calm yourself, my little host.", Icy calmly retorts, her ethereal but melodious tone of voice seeming to lessen Alexis' fretting. "Let's just say that I'm not just a royal spirit, I'm also one of many spirits of nature itself although less powerful than my mighty mother. And I've come here for one simple reason, oh little Rhodes. You. Need. Me."
"I need you?", the blondie muttered to herself questioning the claim from the arrogant spirit, her face starting to look angry, signified by her squeezing the pillow. "How can you tell that I need you, I'm fine by myself. Thanks but go away."
"Truly? With a heart as lonely as yours, its beat does not match your mouth's resolve." The Ice Queen said, easily seeing through Alexis' tough front and seeing something far more vulnerable, the air around them growing colder. "I can easily see through you. The rejection of the many boys who sought your hand, the mask of strength you wear for your friends, your rage at a certain gift of your mother being stolen, and the feeling of powerlessness that permeates your entire being. But most importantly… how you truly miss your big brother after the news of his disappearance came to you."
Alexis grits her teeth in response to the glacial royal's assessment, her heart clenching just remembering the gentle face of her big brother, Atticus. Despite how goofy he was, his more playful tendencies had led to many girls wishing to date him; and despite his more annoying flaws and traits. They were family, Alexis felt like a part of her soul was missing and wanted to fill it with… something. She had missed him dearly but refused to show outwardly those feelings to the haughty spirit. But she was very angry at the Ice Queen for trying to verbally dissect her.
"You don't know a damn thing about me! Are you trying to make me feel guilty about my brother!? What do you want from me!?", she exclaims with tears pouring out, Alexis hitting a breaking point with all the losses and pressure she had undergone. Those tears made the Ice Queen drop her haughty demeanor and hug the crying girl immediately.
"I'm here because of a promise given by a brother. Your friend, the one you call Zane. He was the one given the card from your older brother so that he could give it to you. Atticus spoke of you - both highly and how much he feared you would grow cold and alone; so he requested me to aid you, should the time come."
"So you DO know about my brother.", Alexis realized, her crying slowing down before thinking Icy was trying to mess with her. But her desperation won out through Alexis wearing a tear-stricken pleading expression on her face to the queen. "Do you know where my brother is!? Please, I'm begging you! Please… tell me where he is…"
"Patience, child. I cannot tell you where he is, for that is a revelation that eludes even my ability but I can tell you only that he's beyond your reach for now.", Icy solemnly but softly answered, trying to comfort Alexis through their hug but also toying with her long blonde hair. "However, I can help you become strong enough to find the answers to his disappearance. I can lend you my assistance…"
"And your powers… are they the real deal?" Alexis asks with a growing glint of determination in her eyes, her tears starting to dry. "Not just 'Solid Vision' from the duels filmed in tournaments, right?"
"My dear little Alexis, do not compare me to lowly hard light", Icy couldn't help but huff out, her prideful demeanor returning in short order. "As you can tell by the pressure my lovely soul exudes, I could easily flash freeze you in here in a moment's notice and you wouldn't have a chance to react. Although I'm feeling too kind for my own good tonight and this a personal favor by your brother to keep you company, but I can sense your potential little Lexi, we could advance further than this and I can make you my apprentice if you truly desire strength, grace, and control. This path is open for a limited time only, care to be under my guidance as my apprentice?"
Alexis cautiously watched Icy's hand extend to her, while her fist was clenching nervously. It could mean a once-in-a-lifetime chance that could never happen again even if she threw her pride and dignity away and begged on her knees…
"I… I'll do it. I'll accept your offer. I want to become a stronger duelist, I need to find my big brother, whatever you have I'll learn with all my heart and soul."
Icy let out a challengingly chilling laugh, her hand glowing with magical energy with a cryokinetic tint as it enveloped the appendage offering the apprenticeship, once Alexis extended her hand as well. The handshake signifying the pact's creation and the resultant 'neuro-link' between the haughty Ice Queen and the determined blond teenager was created and further symbolized with one of Alexis' hands having a white snowflake-shaped symbol manifest with a bright silver flash.
"Very well, Alexis Rhodes. Then let us tread forth; Your path to power will not be an easy one, feel fortunate for the forewarning I will grant, for it will be a hailstorm of an endeavor. I pray you won't regret it."
The temperature in the room drops further, but there is a newfound chill in Alexis' hardened eyes—for a moment the color of her eyes had changed to a silvery white and then back to her normal hazelnut color. A certain determination and a newfound clarity appeared in her eyes that hadn't been there before.
The "Siren of the Dancing Blizzard" was born on that night.
Location: Pacific Ocean (West); Time: 5 am
"Aerial Escort 2260 Eagle, here! We'll be converging with them in three minutes." The man on the radio speaker reported to the swarm of helicopters over the Pacific Ocean.
"Roger, Eagle. The main ship has acquired the target in visual range"
"8030, preparing to land", other men on the helicopters reported, flying straight to Duel Academy Island. Under the helicopters, a lot of ships were also crossing the Pacific Ocean, going to the same destination.
Inside one of them, a military member was holding a briefcase with the Duel Academy symbol.
"All ships re-enter alert status! We must protect our objective… no matter what!"
Location: Hot Springs - Girl Section; Time: 7 am
Located next to the giant lake where a Slifer Red and an Obelisk Blue were on a crash course to duel, a concerningly high amount of steam freely rose through the morning sky, the sun itself rising slowly but steadily.
The one responsible for the literal steam cloud was an extremely relaxed Alexis Rhodes who was almost blissed out of her mind; her eyes closed as to savor the time enjoying the extremely comforting heat of the hot spring after waking up and doing morning stretches to steady her mind for the exam ahead before coming to the hot spring.
Thanks to her spirit energy being augmented by the Ice Queen spirit her body had acquired a notable sensitivity to heat, but this also had the side effect of causing Alexis to fill the Hot Spring with thick clouds of steam to help clear her mind of most worries whether she came to relax; the steamy mist emitting from her body threatening to cover half the area if given time.
"Today... is the day, isn't it~?", she drowsily muttered to herself feeling a yawn threatening to slip out her mouth; the siren's greatly dazed state caused her resultant unawareness that another girl also joined in the spring. "… A double dose day of exams, thank goodness for the springs to handle days like this …",
A set of footsteps she didn't pay much heed to, the blondie thinking the sound was coming from one of her friends, Mindy seemed the most likely to come. But to her slight surprise, it was the recently ordained Obelisk Girl's Council Student, Sedusa Isley, with a long towel covering her body trying to find a place to put it.
"Well Howdy, Lexy. It's good seeing ya this morning, isn't it?", the brunette chirps as she waves to the Obelisk Queen, expecting a wave back from her blissful dorm mate.
"Heeeeey Sedusa. Didn't think… you were the Hot Spring type of Gal."
Sedusa, surprised by the Obelisk Queen's stark mood shift, couldn't help herself but shrug after she found a dry bench near the tranquil Alexis' general vicinity to put her towel onto. They kept taking the hot bath for almost 10 minutes; only silence between them, since Alexis wasn't used to talking to any other girls, except her two friendly roommates.
"Exams… got your nerves?" Alexis asked suddenly, trying to come up with some topics to talk with the Girl's Council Member. She couldn't find any other interesting topic she could talk about with her.
"Only the unprepared are overcome by the pressure; And you seem to be taking a break from being an ice sculpture", Sedusa chides idly while entering the steamy water and enjoying the soothing heat flowing through her body. "Wish I was you right now, just able to clear my mind with a single dip here just before back-to-back exams like now."
"Pays to go the extra mile I suppose. But I'm curious about the cards in your deck…", Alexis idly ponders with a blissful smile to the budding artist, her focus increasing slightly to not completely slur her speaking patterns. "I haven't seen you duel much and you've been rather frugal with your cards. Maybe a hint for the Queen?"
Setting her eyes with a curious glance at the remark, Sedusa's face gave way to a merrily challenging smirk.
"Sure. Beware the Fey, they prey upon the careless. Paying attention to your duel against that lucky birthday boy, I somehow felt like my deck could play well with yours."
"As a tag duel, you and me? Why?", Alexis asked curiously.
"Well… That's the hint I can give you, princess.", Sedusa winked, leaving the water and covering herself again. "Uff… this heat is making my head fuzzy. Which won't help me on this upcoming exam, so next up is a delicious breakfast."
Just before Sedusa could leave the Springs, she looked back at Alexis with another hint…
"I saw the weather report for today. A bit of a spring breeze is coming today. Flowers are blooming, the ocean will be sparkling, and if we happen to have animals inhabiting this island… Let's just say they're in for a rude awakening."
"Oh…don't threaten me with a good dance?" The Obelisk Queen idly retorts, watching her newfound acquaintance merrily walking away. Leaving Alexis alone again and her hands forming a little pool of translucent water showing her reflection. "The Fey… reminds me of a certain someone."
"Well, aren't we a worrywart?", a pleasantly cold tone of voice couldn't help but deadpan snapped Alexis of her train of thought, the siren reacting with a quick shift of the eye looking behind and watching her Spirit partner looking over her sitting on the bench fanning herself. "Slept well today, Lexie?"
"Good, thanks for asking, Icy.", Alexis deadpans back, a fair bit annoyed by Ice Queen's surprise appearance cutting into her sacred alone time. "Were you watching me the whole time or just after Sedusa went on her way?"
"Was that the name of that tattooed lady?", Icy asks, confirming to Alexis to her relief that Icy had just arrived while looking at the way Sedusa walked off. "Shame really, you should've let her stay a bit longer so that I could make an ice sculpture of her for my… royal collection."
"Which is a good thing that she left earlier." Alexis sighed and looked the other way with a hint of annoyance. "... It would've taken an eternity and I can have so many excuses to burn through. But I don't remember inviting you to the Hot Springs. How are you even okay with the heat in the first place? Thought you would melt."
"Relax, my dear apprentice. Don't need to be so cold to me; Although such glacial words are a decent appetizer for one such as myself. But I've come here to…question you on something", Icy idly responded, enjoyably taking in the humid air of the Springs.
"What's it about? It's almost time for me to leave and get dressed and eat something before getting to class."
"Jaden Yuki, Syrus Truesdale…", Icy answers with those two names, making Alexis turn her attention to the haughty spirit. "Such interesting people you've met are they not?"
"... Your point? What made you take interest?"
"Oh my, the Hot Spring really must be sending your head into a haze for you to not remember? How that delightful battle between your beloved Knight and that poor excuse of a tyrannical bull continued. And how Jasmine was on her knees and her morale greatly shaken to the core, asking… nay begging for anyone's help; while being jeered and mocked by the crowd who only cared to watch her tear up, mainly her own dorm no less. Which was the impetus for you to invoke my name to 'attempt' lending aid." Icy recalls, her gesturing being akin to a Storyteller for a high-budget stage play.
"Attempt? Wait… you didn't reach Jasmine back there?" Alexis responds confused.
Icy gave an irritated huff over Alexis' misunderstanding…
"I see… Things are getting more interesting on the First Year Front?"
Location: Outside Slifer Red Dorm; Time: 7:30 am
Syrus had finished eating his breakfast at the Red dorm, now making his way towards the Main School. Checking through his small notepad to do some last-minute review on most of the contents he may have missed or didn't fully understand that might appear on the Writing Exam, the red student felt fairly nervous about the challenges ahead...
Usually, Syrus would wait for both Jaden and Chumley to walk alongside the two dorm mates along the hall to make their way to the classroom to wait for the teacher to get inside, and start the session. But since it was Exam day, he instead woke up feeling his body being a complete bundle of nervous energy that either a very prolonged hug from Dee or a long hot shower could hope to calm him down. The nervousness manifested, not just because of the Writing Exam… Syrus was greatly fearful of the Duel Exam, and that he would not just fail but choke miserably and against the challenge that would be placed in front of him.
He had taken a refreshing shower, and left the usual breakfast next to a slumbering Jaden's bed; When Syrus' usual routine was done with, all too soon for the blue-haired teenager's liking to keep his mind off the upcoming event. But before he could inwardly stress about that, a certain long-used fact came to mind to better enhance his deck for the upcoming Duel. The Card Shop to look at the selection of card packs. Hoping that maybe getting a Rare card would be in his future to help with his deck's faults.
Speaking of which, Syrus also wondered what Dee said back during the studying session last night; about her being his first-ever partner and helping him with the inner machinations of his deck. Even going so far with his starting hand, on a deck that consisted of 40 or more cards; Syrus was feeling really nervous, now that he had a partner…mentor? Alongside to help with his people.
He DIDN'T want to ruin this chance of a lifetime, dueling with Dark Magician Girl's spirit by his side as an advisor. The thought… of him taking the King of Games' throne with her by his side and cheering for him couldn't help but pop into his head.
'No… no, no, NO. Not that thought again.' Syrus shook his head trying to clear his mind, thinking about the promise he made with a reluctant Jaden. "Great, the day just started and my mind is already running a mile a minute"
While walking closer muttering a lot of complaints under his breath, something or rather someone caught his attention. And surprisingly, it was a girl… None other than Jasmine Makurada, from Obelisk Blue.
She was tightly holding onto a daisy with fewer petals, murmuring to herself the words 'Loves Me' and 'Loves Me Not' while picking off each petal one by one… until she saw Syrus, and with a blush of embarrassment on her face she quickly tried to hide the flower behind her back.
"H-Hey, Sy. Didn't think… to see you here!", Jasmine frets as she tries to cover up her panic with a too-quick-for-comfort laugh with a hint of tension tinging it all too tight.
Syrus noticed the way she laughed and nervously tried to hide the flower; maybe showing up alone and stumbling upon the redhead was maybe a bit intrusive on his part and causing distress. The boy decided to turn his back to lessen that kind of pressure.
"Sorry, I think I must've forgotten something back in my dorm…"
"Ah! P-Please, wait! Pleeeeease don't go!" Jasmine begs with a twinkle in her eyes and sporting a pleading expression on her reddening face as she extends her arm to Syrus' shoulder, resulting in him stopping to hear what she has to say.
"I'm sorry if I startled you. I just didn't see you there, just needed to pass the time doing something, honest. But… is it okay if we walk together to the classroom… just the two of us?"
"Y-You sure?" Syrus nervously questions, his cheeks growing redder when Jasmine utters out the 'two of us' part. "I mean, I-I don't mind at all. It just felt unexpected for me too, seeing you this early."
"A lady needs her beauty sleep, and I like taking my naps early when I can. Early Morning Breeze does wonders for the skin, ya know? Don't compare me to certain 'Duelist Fanatics' we have to deal with in our dorms…", Jasmine says in a somewhat annoyed tone, certainly remembering how… intensely Mindy and even Alexis on some occasions would go over their cards with Zane over a few summer vacations.
Ever since the news of Alexis' brother being missing was brought to them by Zane himself, it turned out to be a fateful night during a sleepover during the first few days of a winter break. But as Jasmine's thoughts lingered in the more bittersweet parts of memory lane as she and Syrus decided to accompany each other to the Main Campus of the Duel Academy. She wanted to change subjects before she let slip personal information by accident.
"Are you doing okay? Did you study everything you needed to?"
"So, so. I'm still in the middle of looking at the Reptile and Insect-Type of the card effects. Unfortunately, they're a bit complicated for me because I don't know too much about these cards in general. How about you, Jasmine?"
The girl in question grinned at the opportunity to better package her bit of baggage into her mind.
"Now that you mention it, I didn't have as much trouble with the monster types. I tend to think of those classes as the same thing in some sense if they can all share the same strategy. You should better focus on the Spells and Traps that support those Monster Types instead. That way, you have an easier time in deckbuilding in seeing how those monsters play off each other."
"... Wait, that makes sense. Thanks for the advice.", Syrus smiles as a result of Jasmine's explanation of some of her methodology. "How about you, Jasmine? Any part of the exam you'll feel you're struggling with?"
'Jasmine, really? He hasn't used a nickname yet? Well, isn't he courteous?', the girl inwardly gushes. "... Maybe you could explain more about Machine-Type monsters, also perhaps the Spells and Traps that can better enhance them. Because I'm pretty sure Dr. Crowler will pull up a few questions about his passion for his medieval machines. And that would put you at an advantage since your deck consists of Machines but a more cartoony sort. Right, Sy?"
"R-Really? Wow, I'm flattered, it would be a pleasure. T-Thank you, Jasmine.", Syrus gratefully responds, eagerly accepting the Blue student's request. And said Blue student feeling a light surge of warmth run through her chest at how adorably skittish the shy teenager was being with her.
"You're welcome, I'll gladly lend a hand, you just need to ask…", the female Blue gave a confident huff to the boy who in turn felt his unease turn into confidence. As Syrus and Jasmine continued their journey towards their destination, a certain magician spirit watched from behind the wall as the whole scene played out between the two students; said Magician Girl couldn't help but pout at the interaction.
When Dee had awakened from her slumber, she missed her little apprentice leaving the dorm room after waking up at such an early hour, she had rushed her morning routine to freshen up for the day to look her best for Syrus and sorceress clothes, preparing her make-up, and fixing her long blonde hair with the magical hat.
"Syrus, you… I guess I miscalculated how stressful the upcoming Exam has made you feel like a second opinion was needed. Was I not a good enough teacher?" Dee muttered to herself equal parts irritated toward herself for not being sufficient at soothing his stress and certainly empathetic towards the bluenette's plight due to her experiences with trying to live up to her mentor's expectations.
But she couldn't help but feel a small dark selfish part of her flare-up that was fearful that she was potentially pushing Syrus away. While not the first time Dee watched Jasmine smiling and being fairly forward with her affections for Syrus. It was obvious throughout the fiasco with that blowhard and during the ending of the duel between them resulted in the redhead's victory and her surprisingly hugging her 'Knight in Shining Armor' in front of their friends and the crowd to enjoy the view including Syrus' Big Brother no less as well.
Maybe Dee was being unfair towards Jasmine. Envious and certainly feeling like her pride was dented a bit, a selfish part of herself on the inside flaring up couldn't deny it, but second opinions are there for a reason. She couldn't be mad at her; since she was helping Syrus with last-minute preparations for the Writing Exam they would have in an hour. The more assistance her apprentice has, the better. Heck, even Dee could learn more from Jasmine; it would benefit her learning about the Warrior-Type strategy that the redhead uses for her search.
After all, her Master had acquired and studied numerous mystical items, weapons, artifacts, and etc with plenty of assistance from herself, Silent Magician, Magician of Faith, Mystical Elf, Witch of the Black Forest, Magician of Black Chaos, Cosmo Queen; and many of the Magical Warriors residing in Yugi's deck and certain others. Jasmine was completely harmless in comparison and well-meaning if her actions so far from where she had seen them had anything to say about it, and it wasn't like she was incompetent, since she had Phoenix Gearfried as her ace monster and used it pretty well. Recalling her time within King of Games' deck and seeing the comeback of a shackled warrior through assisting a completely unaware rookie at the game was a rare sight to see…
Dee started to feel a little bit silly about her musings. The magician's fretting felt unfounded about the girl taking advantage of him. Acquiring a new friend and another source of info was needed to thrive in this school, after all her little brother seemed to do that naturally much to her envy.
"You got this, Sy… you've been working your hardest for this Writing Exam, you won't mess this up. And I'll make sure our Duel Exam will go as planned.", the Magician spirit reassured more to herself than Syrus with a confident grin following her apprentice.
Time: 8:30 am
"I'll get to the Exam on time. Yo, Yubel you with me?" Jaden huffed hurriedly to his guardian spirit as he was rushing along the trail towards the School Campus.
"Always, my Liege. But take care to thank Syrus for routinely giving you breakfast. I'd ponder if you were being ungrateful to him by being late again if not for him calling you 'Big Bro'.", chides the spirit with a playful sigh with her arms crossed; humorously thinking carefully about how her Prince would compensate Syrus for assisting in the day to day routines.
Because her prince would most certainly be in debt to Syrus today if this recklessness was conducted back then in the olden days; but ever the loyalist, the demoness took her time helping Jaden rush through his usual morning routines. While Yubel appreciated the more casual demeanor and dress wear and had certainly garnered a fair share of amusement the last time this happened, she didn't want her prince to always be a scruffy mess.
That pleasure would be reserved for holidays and weekends, and consistent disorganization and a lack of impulse control and good time management skills lead to him waking up late and needing to rush to the classroom on an empty stomach…
"Please don't remind me. But could you help me review a few things I had trouble with before this big shindig ahead of me starts?"
"… As you wish then my prince. But a warning certainly feels needed here, this exam will be a fair bit more challenging compared to any average Test and even a few Exams you had trouble with before arriving here. Be certain to take heed of the prestigious status of this school, one of the best in the realm if that 'Master of the Blue Eyes' boasts were anything to go by. There's a high chance this exam will be far more difficult than you'd expect. No wonder Syrus felt like he had to wake up earlier than anticipated to better prepare himself. So please my liege; Take. Caution."
"Oh Sweet Christmas! It's just one Exam, not the end of the world here… yet", Jaden couldn't help but joke in a somewhat panicked tone to his Guardian Spirit.
"You're being a bit careless, my Liege.", Yubel playfully retorts.
"... And I just want a quick review of what I learned so far here, not a caution sign. Is that so hard to get these days?" Jaden snipes back, notably calmer.
It took them another fifteen minutes before Jaden and Yubel almost reached the Main Academy of the Island, while the Spirit gave a quick warm-up quiz to make sure her liege was ready for the endeavor ahead and Jaden thought surprisingly carefully about his answers.
While Yubel had the utmost faith in her Prince, she wasn't confident he would fare too well given the potential difficulty spike in store even with some last-minute tutoring from Yugi and Tea separately before leaving for Duel Academy. Yubel had the thought of getting Syrus and Dee's assistance for the Exam due to their invisibility, but Jaden had a point; It's only the first exam and it wouldn't be a good look for her Prince if he cheated.
Just as they could see the gates that reached the Main Campus, they also noticed a heavy cargo van with one portly woman trying to push it. Miss Dorothy struggled to give it her all just to slowly move it up…
"Need a hand?" Jaden instantly offers, before the lady could even say yes the Slifer Red was quickly pushing the van together with Dorothy, helping move the vehicle using the open front door as leverage. All while Yubel was rather bemused and withheld the urge to facepalm about her Liege's luck with school attendance; perhaps Jaden was cursed and she didn't notice. But before she could voice her concerns to her prince…
Someone in Blue from further up the trail unknowingly beat her to the punch.
"Yo Jay, long time no see. It's been a while…", Kassidy greets the red Slifer amicably, visibly glad she has the chance to play catch while getting her bit of exercise for the day by helping push the van upwards. "You should've seen how grumpy I got after an early meeting."
"Kassidy, I told you I would be okay here.", Dorothy exclaims as she pushes the van to the top of the hill with the students. "And you as well, Jaden; you kids shouldn't worry about something like this, especially on an Exam Day."
"Just couldn't help myself, I wanted to help out.", consoles Jaden with a quick laugh. "Couldn't let someone struggle alone. And the more time with an old acquaintance the better… ain't that right, Lady K? Up for a duel later?"
Said girl gave a challenging smirk, remembering her old nickname from her jovial friend…
"Worry about the Duel Exam first and try to not get tunnel vision. It really skews your focus, or did you forget the first time we dueled?"
"Very funny, Lady K. But I've got plans to have fun during this Duel Exam."
Kassidy couldn't suppress a knowing huff at how flippantly Jaden was being at the upcoming challenge.
"You think this Exam will be a simple task, don't you? I didn't expect anything less from you." She chides the Slifer with bemusement in her voice.
"But I should warn you and those friends of yours; Apparently, this Duel Exam had undergone a bit of a revamp this year. And it appears you've been rather busy for a bit, right? Two of the incidents you had a hand in, or were close to ground zero in; like for example, the grudge match between Jasmine and Gerald, and the recent Azure Giant scandal; As a consequence, things have been rather… tense between dorms. So interestingly, to encourage and foster better interdorm relationships, the duels in the exam will be one heck of a hodgepodge… now that Student Council Members and the President have gotten involved with Dr. Crowler's idea."
"Quite a weird way to go about it, and the professor was behind this?" Jaden smirks at his old rival. "Wonder what happened to him, hope he's okay given how much of a grump he looked like in class. And I know that ain't just coincidence; did you have a hand in this, Lady K?"
An affirmative humming sound could be heard from Kassidy's lips as if Jaden's suspicions had metaphorically hit the nail on the head, but her face remained passive. Smiling a bit too innocently at her old friend, trying not to reveal too much, too soon.
"You know me Jaden; I just love an opportunity for a fun time but I have to share a quarter of the credit for this orchestration, this was mainly someone else's scheme."
"Noted loud and clear, Lady K." Jaden couldn't help but chuckle out. Dorothy simply raised a curious eyebrow in response to the students amicably catching up.
"Oh, this takes me back to the good old days", she murmurs with a delighted smile as the van almost reaches the gates.
It's been half an hour since the Writing Exam had begun. Stress, boredom, and an ever-tensing quiet couldn't help but fill the room as a great many of the students from different dorms from the 10 or more columns of seats focused on the exam. Some of them have an easier time than others.
That included Syrus, although he was far less worried about the Exam than he anticipated. Thanks to Jasmine's surprise assistance that led to them pooling their shares of knowledge before the exam could start, so as a result he wasn't as greatly concerned about the questions on the sheet. But what was the main thing worrying the Slifer Red student was Jaden's continued absence, Syrus could only look nervously and discreetly looking around the classroom for his friend for a few minutes at a time, hoping to not be accused of cheating…
"...Maybe I could've waited at the dorm a bit longer, he usually wakes up late. Sorry Big Bro…." The blunette couldn't help but whisper to himself.
"And why would I blame you?", a curious tone of voice responds to the stray thought spoken aloud and in turn interrupts Syrus' train of thought as he looks to his right and sees Jaden giving an easygoing smile to his roommate. "Come on, it's my own darn fault I'm late here. Honestly, I should be giving you props for being an early riser."
"Oi! For a Night Owl you're chirping an awful lot this morning aren't you, Slacker?", an irritated voice barked from the top row of seats; Chazz irritably sat up, a bit miffed that his focus was being disturbed. "Give us some peace and quiet, will ya? If you aren't here to take an exam, then at least tape that mouth shut!"
The Slacker in question quickly stammered out a surprised apology to the Blue student, with the Yubel spirit behind him rolling her eyes at her prince but waiting for the request to help him if things got worse.
"Whoops on my part, hey think you can be my alarm clock," Jaden sheepishly joked trying to calm him down.
Luckily before Syrus and a good amount of the class could hear any more banter and barbs between Jaden and Chazz, Professor Banner in a snap but with a calm tone of voice kept things in check lest this caused more students to talk and waste precious time for their exam…
"Jaden Yuki… Come get your Exam please - nya. You're already 30 minutes late, there isn't much time left - nya. And please be silent, it's only good manners and your fellow students are already nervous enough - nya."
Jaden hurriedly got down to the teacher's desk and quickly received the exam paper from the professor. But as he made the trip and back to his seat, the thoughts between the students and the tardy red had a sudden shift. Some of the eyes giving quick glances of varying emotions, the main two were annoyance and incredulity towards the jovial red.
'I see he's taking the pressure well.'
'Doesn't he care about the written exam at all?'
'How could someone like him have beaten Dr. Crowler? And palling around with the Obelisk Queen like it's nothing out of the ordinary… How?!'
The Class President, Bastion Misawa in contrast to the annoyance, was looking at Jaden with an expression of contemplation, like he was observing a new kind of variable. The faults, flaws, and all for a new science experiment in the works.
'You have so much talent, anyone can see that. Yet, why don't you take things more seriously to further cultivate your own ability; Take a few cues from your friends, Jaden. It may save your life one day.'
Last but not least, one of the self-proclaimed Azure Sirens, the Obelisk Blue student Mindy Hamaguchi, who was sitting between Alexis and Jasmine, also shared a similar expression of contemplation. The competitive blue student was still stewing a small bit due to her botched duel against Jaden, where she had lost because she was using the wrong deck; it would be tempting to say she would've won with her original deck but she had to remind herself of the details in Bastion's recollection about the Azure Giant incident where Jaden had easily dismantled the culprit despite the interference in the duel.
Since then, Mindy's desire to have a proper rematch with Slifer Red had only grown over time; Thinking on a good deal bitterly about the Tag Duel she and Jasmine had against Jaden and Syrus on the day when they both played hooky thanks to dueling that Giant guy the night before. It wasn't the duel she had craved, as she noticed Jaden's dueling skills were noticeably lower than usual and his demeanor less playful and passionate but more careful; And to her surprise, even thoughtful and a bit hesitant to go full throttle like in their last duel that was in more… private-ish circumstances.
Jaden had taken to primarily playing support for Syrus in their tag duel. This switch-up resulted in her and Jasmine getting surprisingly close to beating them. But Syrus had proven the praise her close friends, Jasmine and Alexis had given wasn't just for show; That damn Emergeroid Tripwire was an unpleasant surprise, and a damn Draw was the result.
At first, she had just brushed the comparatively lackluster performance from the usually jolly Slifer Red off as Jaden being a bit tired, he seemingly had slept the whole day away before she and her friends had walked straight into him for a check-in before Jaden and Syrus had roped them into a pretty tempting Tag Duel. Proper sportsmanship and the fact of her knowing that the Slifer duo had both gone through a lot the previous night had prevented her from asking Jaden about it at the end of the duel even if she held a dislike for the lackadaisical Slifer. Mindy didn't want Jaden flunking out before they got their proper rematch and hoped he'd recover from that night soon.
But after the Tag Duel, Mindy noted Jaden acted a bit like how Alexis had behaved back in their later middle school days when she was lost in thought, especially when her mind turned towards her missing brother. Seemingly lacking their usual energy, their passion being muted or hardened depending on the situation, and very lost in thought as if alone and lost in their own little world. She and Jasmine had observed two signals for when Alexis was in this state of mind, the first when the temperature dipped ever so slightly but all too quickly in her vicinity and the more unnerving but thankfully the more uncommon one, her hazelnut eyes gradually changing color to a silvery white. The two girls felt a bone-chilling presence for a mere moment as Alexis' silvery eyes peered into their souls on various occasions in the past.
As she looked toward the jovial red silently walking back to his seat to start his exam, Jaden's bravado during the Writing Exam of all times despite their rankings being at stake felt almost foolhardy yet he was seemingly free from the worry and stress that tightly gripped the students in the classroom. She mentally compared Alexis' similar acts of behavior in the past and Bastion's recollection, the mention of the cold pressure he had felt.
Mindy couldn't help but feel a little worried in this light that some of Jaden's carefree attitude was partly a facade, something deeper hiding in a happier mask compared to her friend's mask of focus. She was concerned, despite her interest in the prospect of a rematch and what could be revealed in an all-out duel to the finish between them…
"What are you hiding?" She couldn't help but mutter concerningly to herself.
Time: 1 hour later
"Students, time is up for the exam - nya. The practical exam will take place in the gym in the next 2 hours, so please take care to prepare yourselves - nya.", Professor Banner warned the students as the exam sheets were being turned in to him at his desk.
But while the tension in the room was lessened greatly it was still present even without the presence of the written exam, it hung over the classroom like a shroud, and a good amount of students who either had pre-testing jitters or didn't study efficiently or at all displayed visible signs of impending defeat and hopelessness, a good not even thinking about the Duel portion of the exam would go too well as they made their way out of the classroom. As for Jaden and Syrus…
"Finally…it's over…", the bluenette tiredly sighed as he stretched his arms towards the corner of the table, with his head planted on it. "I thought I was going to choke."
"I believe some of the questions that you answered were those we've reviewed. But throughout the exam you were cautious, you even triple-checked, and you were careful with your time. You performed admirably Sy." Complimented the magician spirit to her apprentice with a soft smile, observing the process; at one point when Jaden carelessly barged into the classroom like it was a regular class, she responded to her little bro in embarrassment by shushing him when he got back to his seat with a bemused Yubel making a quick jab of the magician spirit threatening to cast a mute spell on her prince.
"You… think I did well? I mean, I had the impression I made a mistake with one or two questions back there…", the boy anxiously mutters to himself, the self-deprecating and doubtful train of thought being interrupted by a familiar soft embrace. "Y-you don't need to go as far as hugging me, Dee. At least not now in class."
"Eh? I'm hugging' you now, 'cause you earned it, my Blue Star.", she cutely pouts, pretending like she didn't hear her little apprentice's complaints. But during the cuddling it stopped stone cold as the lovestruck practitioner of the arcane arts heard a small 'Snap' sound near her vicinity made her turn around to bear witness to the sight of a slyly grinning Jaden taking another picture using his PDA; Yubel herself bearing a vindictive cat-like grin as well at her circumstances.
"Jaden… please delete that"
"Oh, I will, just after sharing this image with dear old mom. She's been curious about who my new friends are", the brunette replies glibly after fiddling with his PDA a bit more. "... And send."
"Usually Yubel torments me like this…", Dee pouts in defeat, although for Syrus it felt like she set herself up to be tormented by her little brother. So he just smiled, reminiscing on the times he and Zane used to spend together in the past when they were much younger.
"Anyways… How was this daunting challenge, Syrus?" Yubel inquires to the blue-haired teenager, curious how someone without her wielder's bravado in contrast reacted to a challenge like this.
"Well, I wished I could have reviewed some of the answers more deeply. You know… I don't want to miss simple mistakes. How about you, Big Bro?"
Jaden gave a sly smile at Syrus, the little guy expecting a reassuring answer from him.
"I did put my name on the test, so I think I did well." Jaden couldn't help but joke instead to ease Syrus' nerves a little.
'BLAM!'
Unfortunately, that idea backfiring was signified through the sound of an incredulous Syrus slamming his face onto the table after hearing Jaden's careless answer; Syrus' thoughts were mired in the dread-filled hope that the Dueling portion of this Exam would hopefully save his grade much less his rank. But as Syrus' growing doubts about his chances spread through his mind like a contagious virus as a panicking Jaden and an irate Dee rush to his aid to better help him relax. A bemused Yubel couldn't help but feel someone else was watching them just like she watched over this scene…
From the back of the classroom doors in the hallways, said someone was a suspiciously thoughtful Dr. Crowler pondering to himself knowing how a certain red had gotten himself late to the Writing Exam; The 'good' professor barely wanted to know even if the morbid curiosity lurking in his mind was surprisingly alluring, how badly the Slifer Red performed in the written exam, a lot of the content inside being subjects he had taught in class.
Given the carefree Slifer Red's behavior and previous conduct in class, the professor thought he probably didn't push himself as far as he needed to in order to pass…
"As expected, the slacker slips up on the written portion of the exam - na no ne. All that remains is the practical exam… his bad influence is almost at an end here", the professor vindictively hums, the potential incoming catharsis acting like water for a particularly parched man in a desert for him, thinking over his later plans to use the Slifer Red as an example for those who've been slacking off.
"Ahem…"
The professor couldn't help but jump at his train of vindictive thought being interrupted. And when he turns around to the familiar deadpan tone of voice.
"What's up, doc?"
"Signora Kassidy… It is not what it looks like - no ne…", Dr. Crowler quickly responds to the girl while bumping his back on the floor with a bead of sweat dripping from his head. "You should be in class, correct? The 1st year classroom isn't your usual stomping grounds - na no ne?"
"To make this quick, I was waiting to pick up my little sis so we could go to the card shop and get a good look of the new additions that a certain someone requested for this day. Soooo… What about you, Professor?"
"Just seeing how my brilliant students from my dorm are doing - no ne. Ever since the addition of the Student Council… They were delighted… they've been praising me for my brilliant idea ever since, and were ready for the exams - na no ne."
"They weren't too fond of the idea, were they?" Kassidy guesses with crossed arms with eyes deflating the professor's composure. "First off, this was a plan I had discussed with You-Know-Who and Chancellor Sheppard before we started this semester. Cause I knew things would go wild just like they did last year, don't forget that I was one of those 1st year students that had to take care of the paperwork."
"…You've got a point there - no ne… But would you look at the time? I have to go!"
Before Kassidy could react, she watched the professor almost like a cartoon make like a tree and left the hallway in a hurry. She couldn't help but feel the phrase 'May you live in interesting times' ring about in her mind as she pondered what the heck is the professor planning now.
"Sorry to make you wait, Big Sis.", tiredly sighs Seisha from the classroom; snapping the purple-eyed girl turned her attention to her little sister, relieved that she was there. "The exam was a stress test for my nerves. Could you buy me some pocky?"
"Why not? I need some chips in the meantime before lunch, so let's do it to it. The new batch of cards will come in 30 minutes, so we still have time.", Kassidy walked away from the hallway with her hands on her head, Seisha following her along with a satisfied expression as she couldn't help but ponder aloud to her big sis. "How did you handle your test? Did you look over it carefully?"
"I believe so. I wrote my name correctly in the test; so that counts, right?"
"... You really need to lay off the games and study more for these kinds of tests, you know that?"
"Let me dream, Big Sis. Let a Lady Dream…"
Location: School Cardstore
A stampede of students could be heard as they raced to see who could reach a certain destination past the iron gates. The Practical Exam was quickly approaching, which was the most important exam equal to the written one; But the most important fact of all, the Cardstore had acquired a huge shipment of cards.
It was certainly a great opportunity for many students to buy new card packs to fix, buff, and reinforce their deck for the trials ahead; others were mostly curious about what new cards they had in store. Regardless of why and how it wouldn't stop the fact that the students were starting to resort to using their fists to knock down the iron doors, their patience being rather limited.
Things escalated rather too quickly for comfort or even safety, to the point where it was deemed necessary to call in the Academia Ethics Board (AEB) and security to prevent any further harm; the latter immediately commanding the rowdy students to stand back in two straight lines and then let an admiral carrying a briefcase of cards pass by.
"We've bought the main objective here" stoically spoke the admiral showing them the locked 'DA' briefcase, as well as ten more men behind him carrying the same containers; and receiving a bunch of grateful applause from the students who were glad that they came in on time.
"They're going to be on sale right about now."
The iron gates had finally opened, just so the students could see the first ever briefcase be unlocked and reveal the cards inside and…
'SOLD!'
"What's going on?!" shouts Stilton, the Ra Yellow Council member, who seemed to be a bit livid at the turn of events and certainly feeling conned. "Is this a prank, or do we pretend that those cards don't exist?"
"... Our apologies. But this person already bought all the cards from this briefcase.", the female cashier answers, pointing at a tall man wearing a dark cloak, vest, and hat to conceal his identity.
"Don't worry; you children will simply have to wait for the fine gentlemen in uniform to arrange the other cards from their briefcases.", stoically said the man while leaving with a smirk hidden away; receiving an immense amount of glares from the students for the selfish act.
It so happened that the Siren Trio, being accompanied by Kassidy and Seisha as well, saw the whole event… the concerns were only raised from there.
"Didn't know we had 'guests' making off cards from our Card Store like bandits…" pondered Jasmine while her hand was resting on her chin, her face thoughtful. "Something is really off."
"Stinks worse than rotten fish at a flea market.", Mindy couldn't help stew while looking at the marines placing the remaining packs of cards around the Store. "That guy knew we would have to wait to buy the rare cards. And just to make things even more frustrating, they're unknown cards that we have no info on, and who knows if any of the cards in those cases are similar."
"... If that's what you think, Mindy. Then maybe do a review of your deck." Alexis calmly recommends, her sour-faced friend looking over to her with a raised eyebrow, her temper somewhat subsided as Alexis continued. "Have faith in the deck you've been working on for years. You've been using it with all your passion and soul, and as far as I can tell, during the duels I've observed, you've performed admirably."
"Lexi, you believe me?", Mindy questioned in surprise, as if stars were in her eyes at the praise. "Even if we turn out to be enemies during this Duel Exam, you still believe I'll do well?"
"You shouldn't worry about that, girls…", Kassidy calmly reassures with an honest smile. "Jaden was probably occupied with playing catch up with the Written Exam, so I'll explain. Some of the duels that will happen today will be between different dorms. Using a randomizer to pick your opponents. Be sure to keep yourselves updated with your PDA, because they'll tell you who's going to be your next opponent for the next hour. But depending on the randomizer's analysis of your dueling ability, could have you facing off against a student from a different year group."
"Huh? Does that mean that one of us might have to face… say 'You' in the exam?" Jasmine could feel a bit slightly panicked, and concern buzzing about in her head due to hearing a few rumors about Kassidy's skill.
"Well, not necessarily." said the older student, with a more informative but teasing tone resisting the urge to spill more spicy details as she kept her tone light. "Don't you worry however, there will be an option in the PDA that can request another different opponent if you think the first opponent will be too strong for your exam. I must give a warning, each duelist will have only 1 chance to use the randomizer."
"Interesting tidbit for the PDA, Kassidy.", Alexis told her, her curiosity about Kassidy's knowledge about this new Exam process peeking. "Any other details we should know about?"
Before Kassidy could say more, she felt her little sis pulling her wrist.
"Big Sis, they arranged the cards. And I want to buy a pack with you. Can we?", she asked with a cute pout, expecting her sister to not reject her offer. Of course, Kassidy sighed at the sight of Seisha's cute puppy dog eyes.
"Just make sure you buy one pack, and you play the cards in it."
As the two girls left, the Trio of Sirens looked on at the scene.
"Kassidy and Seisha Davis." Alexis pondered aloud. "Two sisters of interest that have been tagging along with us, as well as with Zane; Does he know something about them that we don't? Or maybe… should I ask Syrus if he knows something?"
"Such busy thoughts, Queenie." Jasmine glibly says, making the blondie turn to her with a raised eyebrow. "And just before an exam as well. No need for you to make an interconnected web of conspiracies just yet. We should focus for now on the Dueling Exam, and I'm sure we're all curious about the new card packs, which I'm sure are going to be quite a menagerie of miracle makers. Let's take a look, shall we ladies?"
"Very well…"
Location: Academy's Main Front Room
It was thirty minutes till the Practical Exam could truly start. Everyone was waiting before they could get to the Gym to start their duel exam. But before they could start, the metaphorical roulette of who their opponents would be was still spinning via the PDA.
A chime sound was the signal for the moment of truth, every student checked their PDA's, getting a glance at their would-be opponents. Understandably there were a lot of mixed reactions to the results. Some were shocked by the opponent chosen, a great portion being the Slifer Reds and even Obelisk Blue for the opposite reasons, instantly used the one-time randomizer option; while the remaining portion had the mindset of "Let the cards fall where they may".
Took almost 2 minutes for the randomization process to be completed for everyone. It's just as Kassidy told Jaden before the Writing Exam started; the Practical Exam between the first and second years would commence at the same time. And that would mean some of the students from different year groups would be dueling each other, if possible…
And it so happened that for some of the students, their chosen opponents would be:
Randomization Matchup Selection Complete: Alexis Rhodes vs Goro Goodling
Randomization Matchup Selection Complete: Syrus Truesdale vs Jasmine Makurada
Randomization Matchup Selection Complete: Bastion Misawa vs Mindy Hamaguchi
Randomization Matchup Selection Complete: Jaden Yuki vs Chazz Princeton
"Goro… Goodling. Haven't met him before… A second-year maybe", pondered the blondie as she checked out her opponent's profile. His hair was styled back, jet-black, and his facial expression carried a dutiful sharpness through his piercing eyes. Yet carried a prideful smile on his face, wanting to look his best.
"Ooh, you got his smug face." Kassidy grimaces as she takes a look at Alexis' PDA desperately. "Oh darn it, this guy was so much fun to duel but his skill with his deck was hard to maneuver around back then. I may have won the match, but it was a close one. You could use his pride as an advantage."
"Reminds you of You-Know-Who?" questions a cautious Alexis, her demeanor understandably tense and cautious signified by a raised eyebrow on her face giving the two-year student a second to think.
"I only have two people I use that title for… and Gerald ain't one of them." Kassidy idly retorts and receives a relieved nod from Alexis, and then smirks. "Trust me, he won't bother you anymore. But foolish bulls who can't take a hint aside, and back to our man of the hour. Be real careful when facing the sharp-faced crypt keeper here; Goro's not the same as Gerald… but if he finds an opening, you're not gonna have a fun time. His attacking skills are nothing to laugh at."
The hint about the type of monster her opponent would use and the advice given by Kassidy had gotten the Obelisk Queen to think about the duel between herself and Syrus, the one between Jasmine and Gerald, and the duels she had between Mindy and Zane. The main thing Alexis observed was the way they carried themselves when they dueled, one notable trait shone through, Pride.
Syrus and Mindy's desire to prove themselves, Jasmine's will to uphold her name, Gerald's entitled claims for her hand, and Zane's supportiveness through his teachings under him over the summer. Normally Alexis would've, depending on her opponent's conduct, brushed them off and dueled them normally… but this time she really wanted to push herself a bit more and make a performance for all of the students to remember and to ensure they would take caution in this exam.
"I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine.", the blondie smiles at the older student, grateful to know that Kassidy was on her side for this. "After all, I walked a long path to get to my goal but as long as my friends are with me, there's no challenge we can overcome."
The second-year girl gave a thumbs up and a smirk while watching Alexis walk towards her Duel Exam. And something was telling Kassidy that the Obelisk Queen may have earned that title through not just how many hearts she had broken given the high number of her rejections in the first few days.
But there was something more ethereal about her presence in this moment, as if the pressure she exuded was billowing off had grown more luminous through her calm declaration of reassurance. Kassidy could feel a chill through her skin just from staying close to her, and the temperature had gotten back to normal again when the blondie had walked a good distance away. That long path Alexis had spoken of, Kassidy just couldn't wait to see the results.
Location: (Somewhere close)
"Is this for real!?" Syrus panicked when he looked at the flirty redhead profile on his PDA, her sweet carefree smile, contrasted a fair bit with his more skittish expression in his profile picture; the Shy Slifer Red would be truly facing off against one of the Azure Sirens. Oh, how the mighty have descended for him; His fingers couldn't help but twitch nervously…
He wasn't looking forward to having Jasmine be his next opponent. And the reason behind it was a simple one… Jasmine knows Syrus' deck. She knows Syrus' skills and strategy. And worst of all, Jasmine knows how shy he could be, thanks to their chat before they got to class early for the Writing Exam. He couldn't help but feel like he was in Brier's position.
Syrus was certainly feeling screwed today…
"Oh sweet, one of our buddies in blue is dueling you. You got luckier than me, getting a sourpuss instead." Jaden jokes trying to keep the mood light, after seeing Syrus' moonstruck face and his body twitching nervously.
"B-B-Big Bro… Please switch with me.", Syrus begs while pulling his friend's wrists in panic. "I don't feel too good about challenging Jasmine. And I'm scared of picking someone else. Luck isn't on my side at all today. I need your help."
But instead of the usual Jaden reassuring him, Syrus could only see Jaden's face being a bit deadpan towards him at the moment.
"You wanna duel Chazz instead, Sy? Because Jasmine is the nicer option compared to him, it should be a fun duel." Then Jaden's drier tone of voice had lightened to one of slight reverence for the upcoming duel and was brimming with faith in his friend as he continued.
"Just thinking how you two would play against each other… in such a fearsome battle of pyrokinetic warriors, knights, and dragons going up against wacky machines from old cartoons. And you have my Big Sis watching out for you here, it's gonna be fun."
"... Just how high is your faith in me again, Big Bro? I mean, think about it. Jasmine defeated Gerald, a 2nd year student. And compared to what I've achieved… I'm not on her level."
"Sy… she didn't do it without some help. And let's not forget your record so far, a draw against Alexis, also you managed to save my tail from losing against her friends, our buddies in blue appear to be the favorites amongst the Obelisk Blue crowd for 1st year. You and Jasmine are at the same level, you just gotta believe in yourself!"
"I… guess so…", the nervous but flattered teenager ponders over Jaden's surprise deduction of his ability.
- TO BE CONTINUED -