Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Rising Knight

by ThatSaiyaGuy

Just like any other boy his age Kolt Knight dreams of becoming a pro duelist. But to become one, he'll have to attend one of the greatest dueling schools in the world. Duel Academy! Join him and his new friends on their journey through Duel Academy and the dark events that unfold around them. Cover art by AliceKuroCross on DeviantArt.

4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: First Day

Bandi Town…

Knight Family Home…

"Sewing kit."

"Check."

"Clothes."

"Check."

"Swimsuit."

"Check."

"Toothbrush."

"Check."

"School supplies."

"Check."

Kolt was placing all the things he needed in his bags, checking off each item when he listed them. After the Duel Academy entrance exams, summer seemed to go by in a flash leading to today. The day he would be shipping off to Academy Island to start his journey through Duel Academy.

It felt like he would shake from anticipation and excitement at any moment, but Kolt decided to remain calm. He didn't want to be too giddy around others as they might find him weird. Then again, when he thought of Jaden, he doubted he would stand out compared to him.

Though he had only met the boy twice, Kolt could tell he was very excitable. He wouldn't be surprised if he was jumping with joy at the moment. Still, it was better to keep himself calm to make a good first impression on his new classmates.

"Alright. That's everything." Kolt smirked as he zipped up his bag.

"Can't believe it's finally happening," Kolt murmured as he stood up, grabbed onto his deck, and placed it in the holster on his belt.

"It almost feels weird being excited to go back to school." Kolt laughed as he grabbed onto his duel disk and made for his door.

"Oh wait," Kolt murmured before looking at his duel disk.

"I guess I don't need to bring this," Kolt noted as he returned to his desk and gently placed his old duel disk down.

Since every Duel Academy student was gifted an Academy-issued duel disk upon entry, he didn't need his old hand-me-down anymore. He still remembered when Joshua gifted him this duel disk before he left for his first year of school.

It's been nearly eight years since then, and after coming back due to their parent's untimely passing and working to provide for them both while attending school when he could. Now it was his own turn to head off for school.

"Let's just hope nothing bad happens when I leave." Kolt sighed as he exited his room.

"Ready to go?" Joshua inquired, waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yep! Let's get going!" Kolt nodded as he ran down the stairs.

Once downstairs, he quickly put on his shoes before springing out of his home toward Joshua's car. After loading it up with his things, the two soon departed, leaving their home behind along the gravel road.

"So, how do you feel going out to live by yourself?" Joshua teased, giving Kolt a small nudge.

"I'm both excited and terrified," Kolt laughed, thinking about what life at Duel Academy will bring.

"Well, promise me you won't forget to do your laundry. I don't want to receive complaints of you wearing the same filthy clothes for days on end." Joshua insisted, confusing Kolt.

"When have I ever done that?!" Kolt questioned, making Joshua laugh.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe when you went to your written exam." Joshua reminded as Kolt sweatdropped.

"Right…that was an accident." Kolt sighed as he looked out the window at the passing trees.

Once they were well on their way, silence befell the two brothers, with the only sound being heard being the hum of the car's engine and the sound of the tires against the road. Though neither wanted to admit it, both would be sad to be apart for such an extended period.

This would be the longest the two would be apart since their parents passed away, and Joshua had to come home to take care of Kolt. True Kolt would be back soon for the winter holidays and summer. But it was still a huge change.

Throughout the drive, the two remained silent as the trees turned into buildings and the gravel road turned into a paved highway. In no time at all, they arrived at their destination, Domino City Port. There, a large cruise ship was docked where a large crowd of new students waited to get on.

"Whoa, I've never seen a boat so big." Kolt gasped as he leaped out of the car for a better look.

"Yeah, that's pretty impressive." Joshua agreed as he exited his car.

"I'm almost jealous." Joshua chuckled before opening the trunk.

"Best get in line now so you don't need to wait all day," Joshua suggested as he tossed Kolt's bag at him.

Catching his bag, Kolt swung it over his shoulder as Joshua shut his trunk. With his bag in hand, Kolt turned toward his older brother, knowing this was where they would part ways for the time being.

"I guess I'll see you during winter break," Kolt said, looking a bit down.

"Yeah, but you can call my phone whenever you want." Joshua reminded, placing his hand on Kolt's shoulder.

"Yeah." Kolt nodded as the two shared a small hug.

"Well, I better be off. I don't want to be waiting in that huge line for too long!" Kolt snickered as he ran down toward the dock.

When Kolt arrived, he joined the crowd that waited to enter the boat. Looking around the crowd, he was impressed by the number of students there. There had to be at least a few hundred in the crowd, and they were just the new students.

Kolt couldn't imagine what the boats for the returning students would look like. Still looking at all his fellow students, he was excited to see all the dueling styles he would find at the school. Though he had to wonder if he could find any familiar faces around.

"Hey, Kolt!" An Excited Voice exclaimed, catching Kolt's attention.

"Speak of the devil." Kolt thought before turning around

"Jaden?" Kolt questioned as he watched Jaden approach him.

"It's good to see a familiar face! Quite the crowd, am I right?" Jaden laughed as Kolt nodded.

"Tell me about it, and I hate normal lines. This is just so much worse." Kolt sighed, glancing at the line in front of him.

"Yeah, but hey, it'll all be worth it once we get to Duel Academy. Plus, we get to ride on that sweet boat!" Jaden exclaimed as the two looked at the large cruise ship.

"Good point." Kolt nodded as Jaden looked around the crowd.

"But man, I didn't think this many people got in. There weren't that many around during the written and practical exams." Jaden commented, making Kolt laugh.

"That's because you showed up late for both." Kolt reminded, causing Jaden to sweatdrop.

"Oh, right." Jaden laughed, not embarrassed in the slightest about that fact.

"I'm actually a little surprised that you managed to wake up on time," Kolt admitted as Jaden scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, but my parents had a neighbor wake me after they heard about me being late," Jaden explained as Kolt looked at him, shocked.

"Does he have that much of a problem with sleeping in?" Kolt wondered as he kept the thought to himself.

"So, have you seen anyone else yet?" Jaden inquired as Kolt shook his head.

"You're the first. I just got here myself." Kolt answered, taking a quick look back at the parking lot, seeing that his brother had left.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Bastion is already on the boat since he seems to be the punctual type. As for Syrus, well, I can't see him anywhere near us, so maybe he hasn't arrived yet either." Kolt added as he looked back at the crowd.

"Still, I wonder if everyone will be able to fit on the boat. Who knows how many are already on it." Kolt noted, rubbing his chin.

"Who cares? Worse comes to worst. We can sleep in the same room!" Jaden pointed out, seeing no problem with the idea.

"Yeah. I guess you're right." Kolt nodded in total agreement with Jaden.

"Oh, thank goodness!" A Voice cried, causing both Kolt and Jaden to look forward.

No sooner did the crowd in front of them part, and Syrus pushed through, looking as if he would collapse at any second. Before he could say anything, he fell over, breathing heavily and catching his breath.

"Syrus?" Kolt questioned as he and Jaden helped the boy up.

"Are you okay, Sy?" Jaden inquired, worried that Syrus was hurt.

"I'm just so glad to see some familiar faces!" Syrus cried out, confusing both Jaden and Kolt.

"You see, I've been getting glared at by nearly everyone here, so being around people who I know just feels better," Syrus explained, taking a glance at the students behind him.

"Why would everyone be glaring at you?" Kolt questioned, wondering if Syrus had done anything wrong.

"Don't tell me you don't know?" Syrus gasped, confusing Jaden and Kolt once more.

"Know what, Sy?" Jaden asked as Syrus sighed.

"There's a reputation for the first-year boat. People use the overnight stay to show off their skills to the other first years. So everyone on the ship is dueling to impress one another." Syrus began as Jaden and Kolt listened carefully.

"So it's only natural to go after the weakest link to make yourself look good, and that's me!" Syrus cried, finally allowing Jaden and Kolt to understand his plight.

"So everyone is sizing you up for a duel, huh?" Kolt murmured, glancing at the crowd ahead of them.

"Honestly, I wouldn't mind it. That sounds like a whole lot of fun!" Jaden smirked, shocking Syrus.

"You're excited! Aren't you scared?!" Syrus questioned as Kolt placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I think Jaden isn't the type to be scared of a duel," Kolt noted as Syrus sighed.

"Honestly, I'm not either, but I don't like dueling just for the sake of showing off," Kolt admitted crossing his arms.

To him, dueling was something to do for fun. Using dueling as something to up your status just seemed wrong. Sure, people can make a career out of dueling hell. That was the reason Kolt was going to Duel Academy in the first place. But was that how everyone viewed it?

"I guess only time can tell." Kolt thought as Jaden slapped Syrus on the back.

"But don't worry, Sy, I'm sure everything will be just fine! All you have to do is just give it your all!" Jaden encouraged as Syrus turned toward him.

"I guess," Syrus replied, reluctantly agreeing with him.

"Now that I think about won't it be hard to show off on tabletop? I mean, it's not like everyone brought their duel disks. At least I didn't," Kolt wondered as Syrus turned toward him.

"They don't need it. Because the ship has several duel fields installed all around it." Syrus revealed, causing Kolt to gasp.

---

"It's more beautiful than I imagined." Kolt smiled with stars in his eyes as he looked at one of the duel fields from a balcony above.

After about an hour of waiting, the three finally got on the ship and immediately went to look at the duel fields. Kolt was enamored watching his fellow students use them to duel as they were a relic of Duel Monster history.

Though it was for only a short time when Duel Monsters first came about, professionals would use duel fields to play against one another in tournaments. The large display allowed for a more dynamic show for audiences of matches which helped grow the game's player base.

Of course, after Duelist Kingdom, when Seto Kaiba invented the duel disk, these machines became obsolete. After all, duel disks allowed people to have dynamic duels in their own backyard, which exploded the game's popularity worldwide.

But duel fields still held a special place for Kolt as he grew up playing on tabletop until his brother gave him his first duel disk. Duelist Kingdom was among his favorite tournaments to watch on VHS.

"Is this the first time you've seen one in person?" Syrus inquired, surprised at Kolt's reaction.

"Yep! I never got to go to places that had them installed." Kolt answered, not taking his eyes off the duel field.

"I've only seen one once at Kaiba Land," Jaden noted as he watched the ongoing duel.

"Maybe we should find an open one and try it out!" Kolt suggested as Jaden nodded.

"Great idea! All three of us can duel!" Jaden agreed as Syrus looked at them, concerned.

"Well, I uh…might sit this one out." Syrus insisted while he reluctantly followed the two.

"Come on, there's no harm in a friendly duel Sy." Jaden pointed out as they sought an open duel field.

"Yeah, plus maybe this way, people won't try to target you. But if you feel that strongly, we could always find a more secluded field." Kolt suggested as Syrus mulled over the suggestion.

Suddenly a large pillar of flame exploded next to them, and the three looked over to see the end of a duel. The loser nearly fell off their podium as the flames disappeared along with the other holograms while the victor shuffled her cards without a care in the world.

The victor was a tomboy who had short orange hair and red eyes. She wore a black uniform with shorts instead of a skirt. Currently, everyone around them was staring in awe and discussing the end of the duel as Kolt attempted to figure out what just happened.

"Did either of you catch what just happened?" Kolt inquired as both Jaden and Syrus shook their heads.

"Nope." They answered simultaneously as they watched the duelists lowered to the ground.

"But I really want to find out!" Jaden smirked before running off toward the nearby set of stairs.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going?!" Kolt questioned as he and Syrus followed.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to challenge her to a duel!" Jaden exclaimed as the three flew down the metal stairs.

Upon arriving at the lower floor, they found a crowd they were unable to see from above. Each had an expression of shock and nervousness placed upon them as the girl walked off her pedestal.

"Does anyone else want to challenge me?" She questioned, glaring daggers at everyone.

"Uh, Jay, I don't think she's in the mood to be challenged," Syrus commented, attempting to hide from her gaze.

"I would think not. That was her fifth duel in a row." A voice agreed, catching the three off guard as they turned to see Bastion.

"Bastion!" Kolt exclaimed, walking over to his new friend.

"I figured you've been on the boat already." Kolt laughed as Bastion nodded.

"Indeed. It's been interesting watching all the duels that have been going on." Bastion replied as Kolt glanced over at the girl.

"So, who is she anyway?" Kolt inquired, curious about her.

"Her name is Lailah Flare. She's the daughter of a large beauty corporation called Merrymay." Bastion explained as Syrus gasped.

"I've heard of that place! But what's she doing here?" Syrus wondered, looking back at Lailah.

"Uh, to become a duelist. Obviously." Jaden laughed as Syrus shook his head.

"It's just that from what I've heard about Merrymay, they aren't ones to even touch dueling," Syrus noted as Bastion nodded.

"Indeed. Which is why so many have been challenging her. To test her out and see if she really belongs. As you can imagine, this has put her in a bad mood." Bastion added as he watched Lailah walk down from the duel field.

"Well, maybe she needs a friendly duel to cheer her up," Jaden suggested as Kolt placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'd give her a bit before you try to challenge her," Kolt advised knowing it wouldn't go well.

"You think so?" Jaden questioned as he watched Lailah walk off, not sparing anyone a glance.

"Well, I guess you're right." Jaden sighed before turning around with a smile.

"But hey, there's a free field now, so who wants to throw down?" Jaden inquired before a loud horn shook the air around them.

"It seems we're about to disembark," Bastion noted as the sounds of the humming engines could be heard through the walls.

"We are! There's no way I'm missing this!" Kolt exclaimed as he ran back toward the stairs.

"Wait, didn't you want to duel?" Syrus questioned as Kolt stopped.

"Yeah, but I also have never been on a boat before. I really want to see it move a little." Kolt smirked as he rushed up the stairs.

"He makes a fair argument," Jaden noted as he quickly followed.

"Come on, let's check it out!" Jaden insisted before running up the stairs.

Bastion and Syrus soon followed Jaden as Kolt ran ahead. It didn't take him long to get outside as the smell of the ocean air filled his nostrils. Pressing through a small door, Kolt stepped outside, seeing that he wasn't the only one who had wanted to watch the boat depart.

Moving up to the railing Kolt watched as the boat slowly departed from the dock. The breeze blew against Kolt as he looked over the railing and watched the water brush against the side of the ship in waves.

"So what it's like being on a boat, huh? Not as exciting as I thought it'd be." Kolt noted as he was joined by the others.

"Yeah. Still nice, though." Jaden agreed as he looked at the distancing dock.

"We move pretty slow, though. Will we really make it to Academy Island in just under a day?" Jaden wondered, making Bastion chuckle.

"I can assure you the boat will arrive on time. Bar anything going wrong," Bastion assured before turning toward Jaden.

"But if you're worried, there's plenty of things to do on the ship besides dueling, like a pool and a movie theater," Bastion explained, catching Syrus's attention.

"A movie theater! Hey, what if we have Bastion show us around a little…you know, before we duel." Syrus insisted, hoping to postpone the duel for a while.

"Sure, I'm in no rush. Plus, it would be nice to drop my stuff off in my room." Kolt agreed, glancing at his bag.

"Yeah, plus the fields are probably going to be full now." Jaden nodded, realizing they had missed their chance at an open field.

"Since I've already explored, I can show you around." Bastion offered as Kolt nodded.

"Sounds like a plan," Kolt replied as they began to walk back inside, but not before Kolt took one last glance back at the dock.

---

A few hours had passed since their tour began, and the ship was far bigger than Kolt had initially imagined. Not only was there a pool and movie theater but a library, food court, shops, go-carts, and more. Kolt wouldn't have believed such a boat could have existed if he wasn't on it.

It made him wonder how much a stay on this ship would have cost if it was a commercial cruise instead of a boat to transport students. When they finished their exploration, the four decided to watch a movie in the theater, which was playing the Kaibaman movie.

"Huh, the Kaibaman movie was better than I imagined," Kolt commented while he and the others exited the movie theater.

"The promos made it really seem like it was something forced by Seto Kaiba." Syrus agreed as Jaden walked backward, still looking at the theater.

"Man, that theater ruled! This boat is such a first-class experience. Makes you wonder what the academy will be like." Jaden smiled as he turned around to face forward.

"From what I hear, the conditions of the academy all depend on what dorm you're placed in," Bastion noted as Syrus nodded.

"My older brother is a senior and said the same thing. Apparently, the dorm you're placed in depends on how you performed during the entrance exams." Syrus explained, causing the others to turn toward him.

"Your brother's in Duel Academy?" Kolt questioned, surprised at Syrus's statement.

"Wow, Sy, he must be pretty proud of you for getting in!" Jaden exclaimed, only to cause Syrus to look down.

"Yeah. Sure." Syrus murmured, confusing Kolt.

"Are you ok…"

Before Kolt could complete his sentence, the sound of a loud crash caught the group's attention. Curious, the four sought out the source of the crash moving down the hall before they found a crowd surrounding two girls.

The first was the girl from earlier, Lailah, on the ground with several bits of food strewn over her clothes. Behind her was someone else Kolt recognized as the red-headed girl who had bumped into him during the practical exams.

"Do you have some sort of problem?" Lailah questioned, glaring at the red-headed girl.

"N-N-No…I-I-I…" The Girl stuttered, unable to get words out.

"What is it? Let me guess, you want to pick a fight with me too?" Lailah asked, her gaze hardening as the red-headed girl shook her head.

"This isn't going to end well, is it?" Kolt wondered, looking between the two.

"No. It seems that Ms. Flare is still in a bad mood." Bastion replied as Lailah stood up.

"Let's get this over with and duel. Or do you just want to toss more food on me?" Lailah demanded as the red-headed girl shook her head.

"Wait, this is a misunderstanding!" She insisted, but it seemed that Lailah wasn't listening.

"I can't just stand here." Kolt thought as he moved in to intervene.

"Hold on, please don't act rashly." Kolt requested, getting in between Lailah and the girl.

"It's clear that there's been some misunderstanding, so let's just calm down," Kolt added as the girl got back to her feet.

"Who are you, her friend? Maybe a partner in crime?" Lailah questioned, turning her gaze toward Kolt.

"No, I just think this is blowing out of proportion," Kolt answered as Lailah's gaze hardened.

"You haven't seen blowing out of proportion." Lailah hissed as she got in Kolt's face causing him to slink back in fear.

"Why is she so scary?" Kolt questioned as the others watched the ordeal.

"She seems to be in a worse mood than earlier," Syrus commented, feeling bad for Kolt and the girl.

"Yeah, we should back Kolt up!" Jaden declared as Bastion nodded.

"Indeed." Bastion agreed before the two moved in to join Kolt.

"Right…sure…I'll just be way back, is all," Syrus replied, slowly following behind.

"Now, now let's be civil about this." Bastion insisted as he and Jaden stood side by side with Kolt.

"That time passed when I had food tossed on me," Lailah stated, flicking some food off her shoulder.

"It was on accident." The Girl murmured, but her voice was too low for Lailah to hear.

"I've been hassled all day, so I'm in no mood for pranks. If you're too scared to duel, then buzz off." Lailah shouted as Jaden stepped forward.

"Well, if it's a duel you want, then…" He began before Kolt interrupted him.

"I'll duel you," Kolt stated, taking the duel just before Jaden.

"Are you sure?" Bastion asked, seemingly apprehensive about this move.

"I don't think she'll calm down, so it'd just be better to solve this with a duel," Kolt explained as Jaden nodded.

"Exactly, he even beat me to the challenge." Jaden laughed as the three turned their attention back to Lailah.

"Fine, let's get this over with. I need a change of clothes." Lailah muttered as she pushed through the crowd toward the duel fields but not before grabbing some napkins to clean herself.

"Well, I guess we'll finally see her duel." Kolt sighed as he felt a tug on his jacket.

"Thank you." The Girl thanked, looking relieved. Taking a closer look, Kolt noticed that she primarily wore male clothing with a green jacket and blue pants.

"It's no problem. I'm Kolt, by the way. Kolt Knight" Kolt smiled, introducing himself.

"I'm Nia. Nia Brave." Nia replied as Bastion stepped forward.

"We shouldn't keep her waiting. She's angry enough." Bastion insisted as Kolt nodded.

"Right." Kolt agreed, quickly turning around to chase after Lailah.

It didn't take him long to catch up with her before they entered a room with an empty duel field. Without a word, Lailah quickly took her side, placing her deck on the console. Kolt took a second to take it all in as the duel field was far larger up close than from above.

"Awesome," Kolt whispered before walking up to his side.

Stepping up to the console, Kolt inspected it seeing to get a decent understanding of how it worked. After seeing what he needed, he took out his deck from his holster, giving it a quick shuffle, and placed it on the console turning it on. No sooner did his deck touch the console did the platforms begin to rise above the field.

"It's too late to back down now," Lailah muttered as Kolt sighed.

"I don't plan on backing down. Though I do wish we could have just talked this out." Kolt replied as Lailah rolled her eyes.

"Sure you do. I just want to get this over with, so I'll be going first," Lailah stated, drawing her hand.

"If you insist," Kolt replied as he drew his own hand.

"DUEL!" The two shouted as the duel began.

Lailah: 4000 LP / Kolt: 4000 LP

Turn 1: Lailah

"Draw!" Lailah announced, picking up a sixth card.

"I'll start off by activating the field spell Molten Destruction to increase the attack points of all FIRE-type monsters by five hundred points at the cost of four hundred defense!" Lailah declared, placing the card in the field spell area.

Field: Molten Destruction

As the card was placed on the console, the field around Kolt and Lailah began to change, turning into a burning volcanic wasteland. Even on the console's display, it showed the card's artwork around the field.

"Now I'll summon Solar Flare Dragon in attack mode!" Lailah continued slapping her monster onto the field.

Solar Flare Dragon (ATK: 1500 / DEF: 1000) -Pyro/Effect- (FIRE) (LV: 4)

"And don't forget the five hundred bonus he gets." Lailah reminded as Solar Flare Dragon's body burned brighter.

Solar Flare Dragon (ATK: 2000 / DEF: 600) -Pyro/Effect- (FIRE) (LV: 4)

"Talk about firepower," Kolt commented as he watched the dragon rise to the field from the flowing lava around them.

"I'll end my turn with one card face down," Lailah stated, finishing her turn with three cards in hand.

"And thanks to my dragon's effect, you now take five hundred points of damage," Lailah added, causing Kolt to go wide-eyed.

"Oh please, no, not another burn deck." Kolt prayed as Solar Flare Dragon shot out a fireball that hit his platform.

Kolt: 4000 LP

- 500 LP

Kolt: 3500 LP

"Not bad…but I've seen better." Kolt chuckled, wiping off some sweat.

"What a first move," Jaden commented as Syrus nodded.

"Yeah, even though she can't attack on the first turn, she still dealt damage to Kolt." Syrus agreed, glad he wasn't dueling against Lailah.

"Indeed. Not only that, but she's made her field quite powerful, which will make it hard for Kolt to get past it." Bastion noted as Jaden turned to him.

"What kind of deck does Kolt use anyway? I never got to see his duel?" Jaden inquired, curious about his new friend's cards.

"From what I saw, he uses a Gemini Warrior deck, and depending on the cards he gets, he might actually be able to use Lailah's field against her," Bastion answered, waiting to see Kolt's next move.

"Right, my move," Kolt stated as he placed his hand on the top of his deck.

Turn 2: Kolt

"Draw!" Kolt declared, adding another card to his hand.

Kolt took a good look at his hand and was fairly satisfied with what he had. Moving his gaze to the console, Kolt got a better look to make sure he understood how it worked. Thankfully it seemed easier to operate than a duel disk, meaning he could begin his move.

"I'll start by summoning Evocator Chevalier in attack mode!" Kolt began as fire shot out from a nearby pool of lava revealing his monster.

Evocator Chevalier (ATK: 1900 / DEF: 900) -Warrior/Gemini/Effect- (FIRE) (LV: 4)

"Oh, and thanks to your field spell, he gains five hundred attack points," Kolt smirked, making Lailah growl in annoyance.

Evocator Chevalier (ATK: 2400 / DEF: 500) -Warrior/Gemini/Effect- (FIRE) (LV: 4)

"It doesn't matter if my field spell helps your monster because I activate Spellbinding Circle!" Lailah declared as a magic circle appeared around Chevalier, trapping him.

"Which means he won't be attacking anytime soon," Lailah stated as Kolt grabbed onto another card in his hand.

"We'll see about that! I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Spellbinding Circle!" Kolt countered, causing Lailah to gasp as her trap was destroyed, freeing Chevalier.

"Since you don't have any other cards face down, that leaves me free to take out your Solar Flare Dragon!" Kolt added as Chevalier charged in toward Solar Flare Dragon and plunged his sword into its body.

"Gahhh!" Lailah hissed, shielding herself as Solar Flare Dragon's body exploded, covering her side of the field in flames.

Lailah: 4000 LP

- 400 LP

Lailah: 3600 LP

"Alright! Go, Kolt!" Jaden cheered, pumping his fist into the air.

"He actually managed to turn it around so easily." Syrus gasped, astonished at Kolt's work.

"I wouldn't say it was precisely easy, but he did play well. But the duel isn't over yet." Bastion reminded as he watched Kolt finish his turn.

"With that, I place two cards face down and end my turn." Kolt finished leaving two cards in his hand.

"Well, you're more competent than the others, but I'm far from done," Lailah muttered as she placed her hand on the top of her deck.

Turn 3: Lailah

"Draw!" Lailah declared, placing her fourth card in her hand.

"I'll start by activating the spell Dark Hole to destroy your Chevalier!" Lailah began shocking Kolt as a singularity appeared on the field, pulling in his monster before both disappeared.

"Then I'll summon a second copy of Solar Flare Dragon!" Lailah went on placing her second Solar Flare Dragon down.

Solar Flare Dragon (ATK: 2000 / DEF: 600) -Pyro/Effect- (FIRE) (LV: 4)

"Back to square one, then." Kolt sighed while he eyed one of his face downs.

"Next, I'll play my own copy of Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face down to the left!" Lailah stated, destroying Kolt's face down Gemini Ablation.

"Now then, Solar Flare Dragon, attack him directly!" Lailah ordered as her dragon shot a fireball at Kolt.

"Sorry, but that's not happening because I activate my trap, Dimensional Prison!" Kolt countered as the space before his platform broke open, protecting him from Solar Flare Dragon's attack.

Soon the tear in space grew and encompassed Solar Flare Dragon swallowing the monster whole before disappearing, leaving both sides of the field empty of monsters. Lailah slammed her fist against her console before letting out a sigh.

"Your move," Lailah muttered reluctantly, ending her turn with one card in her hand.

"Thank you." Kolt thanked as he placed his hand on his deck.

Turn 4: Kolt

"Draw!" Kolt announced, adding another card to his hand.

"Alright, as much as I like the attack boost, It's gotten way too hot in here. So I think we can use a change in scenery." Kolt stated as he placed the card he just drew down.

"So I activate the field spell Catalyst Field!" Kolt declared as the molten field began to disappear and was replaced with a field filled with moving strands of energy that collided all around them.

Field: Catalyst Field

"What the hell does this card do?" Lailah questioned, looking around confused.

"I'll show you," Kolt smirked as he grabbed onto another card.

"Firstly, it allows me to summon a level five or higher Gemini monster to the field without a tribute. So come forth, Phoenix Gearfried!" Kolt began as he slammed his ace onto the console.

Phoenix Gearfried (ATK: 2800 / DEF: 2200) -Warrior/Gemini/Effect- (FIRE) (LV: 8)

Suddenly a large explosion occurred above the field, and from it, Phoenix Gearfried appeared before crashing onto Kolt's side of the field. The spectators gasped and looked in awe at Kolt's monster as Jaden leaned further over the railing.

"Wow, talk about sweet!" Jaden exclaimed, staring at Kolt's Phoenix Gearfried.

"Indeed, that monster is impressive, much like the one he used against his proctor," Bastion commented, remembering Kolt's Gilti-Gearfried.

"I can't believe he's managed to bring out such a strong monster so fast," Syrus noted, impressed with Kolt's moves.

As the three talked about the duel, Nia remained silent, watching the duel carefully. She had been too nervous to talk to the others and chose to focus on the duel. The girl was impressed with how Kolt was doing, as she would have been a nervous wreck due to the pressure.

"Now for my field's second effect, which allows me to Gemini summon my Gearfried, granting him his effects!" Kolt continued as Gearfried glowed.

"You've got a lot of fire monsters. I'm almost glad you destroyed my field spell." Lailah muttered, glaring at Phoenix Gearfried.

"Well, I'm not a fan of burning wastelands. Regardless of the attribute of my monsters." Kolt replied before turning toward his monster.

"Now Phoenix Gearfried, attack her directly!" Kolt ordered as the flames on Phoenix Gearfried's shoulders propelled him toward Lailah.

Phoenix Gearfried raised his large sword over his head before covering it with flames and bringing it down on Lailah. When Gearfried's sword made contact, it covered Lailah in a pillar of flame.

Lailah: 3600 LP

- 2800 LP

Lailah: 1200 LP

"Tsk…damn…" Lailah cursed as she looked down at her console.

"I refuse to lose to punks like you." Lailah hissed, glaring at Kolt.

"Again, everything earlier was a misunderstanding." Kolt reminded, only for his words to fall on deaf ears.

"Everyone's full of excuses," Lailah muttered, tapping her fingers against the console.

"All they want to do is defeat me in a duel because 'dear' old Mom believes girls shouldn't duel." Lailah hissed, causing Kolt to raise a brow.

"Really?" Kolt questioned, curious to hear more, but Lailah simply ignored him.

"Is your turn over?" Lailah questioned as Kolt grabbed onto the last card in his hand.

"I'll end it with one card face down," Kolt responded, leaving no cards in his hand.

Turn 5: Lailah

"Good," Lailah replied as she drew a card.

"I'll start by playing Pot of Greed to draw two more cards." Lailah began adding two cards to her hand.

"Then I'll play the spell Dark Room of Nightmare." Lailah declared as her side of the field transformed into a dark room of brick.

"Uh…what's this do?" Kolt inquired, having never heard of the card.

"This card deals three hundred points of damage to you whenever you take card damage unrelated to this card. Allow me to demonstrate with Meteor of Destruction!" Lailah explained as a giant meteor appeared overhead.

"Oh no." Kolt cried as the meteor shot down and crashed into his platform.

Kolt: 3500 LP

- 1000 LP

Kolt: 2500 LP

"Now that you've taken effect damage Dark Room of Nightmare deals another three hundred!" Lailah reminded as the shadows from the room behind her shot into Kolt.

Kolt: 2500 LP

- 300 LP

Kolt: 2200 LP

"I hate burn decks," Kolt muttered, rubbing his chest.

"What. Got some problem with my deck?" Lailah questioned as Kolt shook his head.

"No. Just had a bad experience with another one." Kolt explained, remembering his duel with the cheater Sloane.

"Well, it's only going to get worse from here on out," Lailah stated as she grabbed onto the final card in her hand.

"I place one card face down and end my turn." Lailah finished as she placed her monster on the console.

Turn 6: Kolt

"Alright. Draw!" Kolt announced as he drew a new card.

"I'll start my turn by placing one card face down." Kolt began placing the card he just drew down.

"Now Phoenix Gearfried will destroy your face down monster!" Kolt declared as Phoenix Gearfried raised his sword and plunged it into the face down monster.

"The monster you just destroyed was my UFO Turtle! Thanks to this little guy, I now get to special summon a fire monster with fifteen hundred or less attack." Lailah explained as she slid UFO Turtle to the graveyard.

"So I summon my Flame Ruler!" Lailah announced as her new monster took to the field.

Flame Ruler (ATK: 1500 / DEF: 1600) -Pyro/Effect- (FIRE) (LV: 4)

"That card," Kolt murmured, trying to remember its effect.

"If I recall correctly, that monster counts as two tributes for fire monsters rather than one. But with no cards in her hand, it's doubtful she'll draw a monster to use that effect." Kolt thought before placing his hands on the console.

"I end my turn," Kolt stated, finished with his turn.

Turn 7: Lailah

"Draw!" Lailah announced, adding one card to her hand.

"I sacrifice my Flame Ruler!" Lailah began shocking Kolt.

"To summon Pyrotech Mech – Shiryu!" Lailah declared, slamming her monster onto the console.

Pyrotech Mech – Shiryu (ATK: 2900 / DEF: 1800) -Pyro/Effect- (FIRE) (LV: 8)

"Okay. That's a problem." Kolt noted, looking up at the large burning beast.

"It is a problem. For you, since my Shiryu is stronger than your Phoenix Gearfried." Lailah replied as she stared daggers at Kolt's ace.

"So Shiryu. Destroy Phoenix Gearfried!" Lailah ordered as her monster opened its wings and let loose a storm of purple flames on Gearfried.

Kolt: 2200 LP

- 100 LP

Kolt: 2100 LP

Kolt's ace was bathed in flames, which burned so hot and bright Kolt was forced to shield his eyes. Before long, the fire ceased, and his Gearfried was no more, leaving Kolt's side of the field completely empty of monsters. But soon, Lailah's would be empty too.

"I activate my trap! Gemini Trap Hole!" Kolt declared as one of his face down cards flipped up.

"Gemini Trap Hole?" Lailah questioned, confused about what the card did.

"Allow me to explain since you destroyed a Gemini monster on my field who had its effects granted to them, all monsters on your field are destroyed," Kolt explained, shocking Lailah.

"Leaving you. Wide open!" Kolt shouted as a large hole opened beneath Shiryu, sucking it in and destroying it.

"This…this isn't over." Lailah hissed, glaring at Kolt.

"Even if my field is empty, you have no cards in your hand. Unless you draw a monster on your next turn, then this duel isn't over." Lailah stated as Kolt placed his hand on his deck.

"I don't need to draw a monster next turn," Kolt stated, confusing Lailah until she remembered Kolt's second face down.

Turn 8: Kolt

"Draw!" Kolt shouted as he drew his card.

"I now activate my trap! Call of the Haunted!" Kolt declared as a large tombstone appeared on his field.

"I'm sure you already know what this card does, so I'll skip the pleasantries and bring back my Phoenix Gearfried!" Kolt stated as the tombstone broke apart, revealing Kolt's ace beneath it.

Phoenix Gearfried (ATK: 2800 / DEF: 2200) -Warrior/Gemini/Effect- (FIRE) (LV: 8)

"N-No…" Lailah stuttered, looking at Gearfried in disbelief.

"Phoenix Gearfried. Finish her off." Kolt ordered, allowing his resurrected monster to dash forward and drain the last of Lailah's life points.

Lailah: 1200 LP

- 2800 LP

Lailah: 0 LP

Duel End

Winner: Kolt

The second Lailah's life points struck zero, both platforms began to descend, and the holograms disappeared. Once the platforms reached the ground, Kolt picked up his deck and placed it back into his holster before moving over to Lailah's side of the field.

Though she had been antagonistic during their duel, he could tell it was only because of the misunderstanding. So hopefully, he could clear things up now to avoid any future conflict that might arise due to the misunderstanding. Once there, he found Lailah sitting on the platform's steps.

"What do you want? Come to gloat?" Lailah questioned once she spotted Kolt.

"No, I'm not one to do that. I just wanted to say that it was a good duel and to clear up this whole misunderstanding." Kolt responded, confusing Lailah.

"Eh? What are you talking about?" Lailah asked, not understanding what Kolt was getting at.

"The misunderstanding that started all of this," Kolt replied as footsteps approached behind him.

"That duel was sweet!" Jaden exclaimed, slapping Kolt in the back.

"Yeah, you had me on edge! Well, I guess Jaden a little more so since he nearly fell over the railing." Syrus commented as Jaden laughed.

"Indeed. Well played." Bastion complimented, giving Kolt a thumbs up.

From behind the three, Nia slowly walked up, looking fairly nervous as she looked toward Lailah, who avoided her gaze. Though she seemed nervous, Nia got closer before taking in a deep breath.

"I'M SO SORRY!" Nia apologized, bowing down before Lailah, to everyone's surprise.

"W-What?" Lailah questioned, confused at Nia's sudden apology.

"I'm sorry for getting food all over you! My shoelace was untied, and before I knew it, I was on the ground, and my food was on you!" Nia explained as Lailah looked at her with a blank expression.

"So…you weren't with all the others who've been hassling me all day?" Lailah inquired as Nia shook her head.

"No," Nia answered as Lailah turned toward Kolt.

"T-Then you challenged me…." Lailah began before Kolt cut her off.

"Because I thought it was the best way to de-escalate the situation," Kolt revealed, causing Lailah's face to turn red in embarrassment.

"Ah, god, I'm so stupid!" Lailah groaned, rearing her head back in frustration.

"I've never really got the chance to interact with others my age, so I'm bad at picking up certain things," Lailah murmured, confusing everyone.

"What do you mean? Didn't you talk to others in your school?" Kolt inquired as Lailah sighed.

"I was homeschooled, and I don't have any friends. The closest I have was, I guess, a family acquaintance I was forced to interact with." Lailah explained as she fixed her posture.

"I heard he was also coming to this school, which is just perfect," Lailah stated, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

"You've never had any friends?" Jaden gasped, surprised that anyone could have no friends.

"That's really sad," Syrus commented, earning a glare from Lailah.

"Don't pity me." Lailah insisted, giving Syrus a look that sent shivers down his spine.

"Well, I can be your friend…if you want." Kolt offered, holding out a hand toward a shocked Lailah.

"You. Want to be. My friend?" Lailah questioned, looking curiously at Kolt's extended hand.

"Yeah, why not? You're a pretty good duelist, and you seem…nice enough." Kolt responded, holding back his words as Lailah turned her gaze to Kolt's eyes.

"Nah." Lailah declined, shocking Kolt, who froze in shock.

"N-No?" Kolt asked, confused at her sudden dismissal.

"I've heard about how boys pretend to be a girl's friend for ulterior motives, so I'm going to pass," Lailah stated as Kolt deadpanned.

"But I…I wouldn't ever…that's fairly rare…just how sheltered are you?!" Kolt questioned as Lailah stood up and walked past Kolt.

"Either way, I should apologize too. I've been hassled all day, so I was in a foul mood. So I'm sorry for how I acted." Lailah apologized as she stepped down from the platform.

"Especially to you. I'm sorry for yelling and being all threatening." Lailah added, stepping up to Nia.

"It's fine. I should have spoken up sooner, but…I'm not that good under pressure and…" Nia replied before drifting off.

"You're a little scary," Nia admitted causing Lailah to deadpan.

"Why does everyone say that?" Lailah wondered, oblivious to her own actions.

"You guys don't think that everyone who challenged her was just trying to be nice, and she just misunderstood, do you?" Syrus wondered, keeping his voice at a low whisper.

"I can see it." Jaden nodded as Bastion rubbed his chin.

"While the theory is nice, I do believe that, at the very least, the first few did intend to challenge her because of her status," Bastion noted, having been around during some of her duels.

"Well, I'm sorry again." Lailah expressed giving Nia a small bow.

"Thanks, and I'm sorry about your situation too. It must have been hard to deal with everyone challenging you." Nia replied, feeling sympathy for Lailah.

"It wasn't all bad. I mean, it was fun mopping the floor with them, but it got old after the third time." Lailah explained, her voice sounding exasperated.

"At least now they'll think twice before challenging you, and now we can talk on friendlier terms." Nia pointed out as Lailah gasped.

"Friendlier terms? Does that make us friends?" Lailah inquired, causing Nia to pause and Kolt's brows to twitch in frustration.

"I-I-I…if you want to be, I wouldn't be opposed to it. I don't have many friends myself." Nia answered nervously.

"Ughh, whatever. At least everything's calmed down now." Kolt sighed, walking over to his new friends.

"So what was it like using the duel field?" Jaden asked, allowing Kolt to change his thoughts.

"It was pretty cool. I mean, I guess these are the updated versions compared to the ones used in Duelist Kingdom, but I like it a lot!" Kolt smirked as Jaden glanced at the console.

"Man, talk about sweet," Jaden exclaimed as his smile widened.

"After watching that duel, I'm pumped! Anyone up for a duel?" Jaden inquired as Lailah rolled her eyes.

"I'll Pass. I've dueled enough for today." Lailah stated before turning her attention toward Kolt.

"But I will challenge you again one day, and when I do, I'll win!" Lailah declared before turning toward Nia.

"See you around!" Lailah smirked as she walked off.

"Thank you again for your help." Nia thanked before making her own exit.

"Well, that was certainly something," Bastion commented as Kolt nodded.

"Yeah tell me about it." Kolt sighed as Jaden turned toward them.

"So, anyone still up for a duel?" Jaden asked, pointing toward the field in front of them.

"After all that business, I'm good for today." Kolt declined, having enough dueling for now.

"As for me, I'm still working on my deck. Perhaps next time." Bastion smiled as Jaden turned to Syrus.

"Guess that leaves just you and me, Syrus!" Jaden exclaimed as he ran up to the duel field before Syrus could answer.

"You know you don't have to if you don't want to." Kolt pointed out as he turned toward Syrus.

"Yeah. But better him than someone else. It's not like Jay will gloat over my defeat." Syrus replied, looking a little down.

"Don't be like that. Who knows, maybe you'll win." Kolt encouraged as Syrus began to head over to his side.

"Yeah. Sure." Syrus murmured before walking up to the platform.

"He's not that confident in himself, is he?" Kolt asked, watching as Syrus's and Jaden's duel began.

"Doesn't seem that way. But perhaps Duel Academy is just what he needs to get him to believe." Bastion responded before silence befell the two as they watched Jaden and Syrus's duel.

In the end, the duel went about as well as they thought, with Jaden winning in the end, but he managed to get Syrus to have a little fun. When their duel finished, the four decided to call it a day and head back to their rooms for the night.

Kolt was still in disbelief about how luxurious his room was. It was far bigger than his room back home and was about the same size as his kitchen. The bed alone was several sizes bigger than his one at home and looked far more comfortable.

"If everything at Duel Academy is like this, I might end up spoiled." Kolt laughed before jumping into bed.

"It all starts tomorrow." Kolt smiled as he drifted off to sleep.

---

The Next Day…

"Whoa! That's Academy Island!?" Kolt gasped, staring over the boat's railing at the approaching island.

"It's even bigger than I imagined," Jaden smirked as Syrus looked warily at the volcano.

"Uh, am I the only one concerned that our school is built on the base of a volcano?" Syrus questioned, concerned about their safety.

"Honestly, a little." Kolt nodded as Bastion spoke up.

"I can assure you that the volcano is dormant with no chance of going off in our lifetime," Bastion assured, allowing Syrus to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Well, that's reassuring," Kolt smirked as the boat inched closer to the dock.

As it did, Kolt began to make out more of the buildings on the island beside the main school building. From what he could tell, there were three no four other buildings in close proximity to the central school, each with different colored roofs.

He could only assume that they were the dorms for each rank in the school though it confused him why there were four and not just three. Ultimately, it didn't matter to him, but he was interested in knowing which he'll be placed in.

"I'm so stoked! Hey, Sy, you said your brother was a senior, right? Do you think he could give us a tour?" Jaden asked as Syrus shook his head.

"I don't think so. He's normally pretty busy." Syrus stated, declining the idea.

"Oh well. It's more fun exploring things ourselves." Kolt commented as the ship docked.

"Then let's get started!" Jaden exclaimed, running toward the stairs.

"Man, I really want to know how he keeps up all that energy," Kolt commented as he followed.

Unfortunately, a large crowd formed around the stairs halting her descent onto the island as their fellow first years went before them. As the crowd descended, Kolt took a closer look at the Island where he would live for the next school year.

"It's so weird thinking about how this will be our home for the time being." Kolt laughed as Bastion nodded.

"Indeed, it will be quite the change." Bastion agreed as the four reached the top of the stairs.

"I'm stoked! We get to duel all we want, and we can even hit the beach every day!" Jaden smirked, pointing toward the beach areas.

"Not bad. I wish I had packed more swim trunks." Kolt chuckled before checking the water.

"I just hope it doesn't go that deep," Kolt murmured, confusing Syrus.

"Why, what's the problem with deep water?" Syrus questioned, curious about what Kolt was getting at.

"Nothing, really. I just don't like the deep ocean." Kolt explained, remembering when his proctor played the Legendary Ocean field spell, causing him to shiver.

"But we were just over the deep ocean for over a day." Jaden pointed out as Kolt shrugged.

"True, but I was on a boat. Not in the water." Kolt replied, pointing back at the boat as he stepped on the dock.

"Attention! Once you are off the boat, please make your way to the main building, where orientation will proceed, and you will be sorted into your respective dorms!" An Attendant announced, gesturing toward the main building as several students walked past.

"Wow, the auditorium must be huge to fit all of us," Kolt commented, looking at his fellow students around him.

"Well, the school itself seems far larger than it did on the boat," Bastion noted as they grew closer to the building.

As they walked along the path, Kolt noticed the red-roofed dorm by the coast. It seemed to be the smallest building Kolt could see and the worst maintained. It stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the other buildings Kolt saw, but it seemed comfortable enough.

After a while, they then passed a medium-sized yellow building that seemed infinitely nicer than the previous. He didn't look for too long as they continued on their way to the main building, which towered over them.

Kolt found it far more impressive than the skyscrapers in Domino City, as the design was far more exotic. The top of the building was covered by a white dome, while several smaller domes lay below it in various colors blue, yellow, and red. Once they got closer, they got onto a walkway lined with stone tablets, each with the carving of a duel monster.

He immediately recognized some famous ones like Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Dark Magician. But he also identified some lesser-known monsters on the tablets, like Great Maju Garzett and Breaker the Magical Warrior.

It seemed that Seto Kaiba, the man who created Duel Academy, spared no expense when building this school. Even after entering the building, Kolt was impressed with the high ceiling and halls made of marble so clean Kolt could see his own reflection.

"Well, I think they can definitely seat all of us inside," Bastion commented as more attendants shepherded the new students toward the auditorium.

"Are we sure this is an auditorium and not a concert hall?!" Syrus gasped as they arrived in the auditorium.

"Honestly, I think everything is just built to be the best," Kolt noted, not surprised anymore as the four found some seats.

After seating, they waited for half an hour for the rest of the first years to enter and take their own seats around them. Once everyone was inside, a large man in a red coat took the auditorium stage with a mic in hand.

"Greetings, new students." The large man greeted with his voice echoing throughout the auditorium.

"I am Chancellor Shepard, and I welcome you all to Duel Academy. I hope to see each of you prosper and work to become the next King of Games." Shepard continued as the screen behind him displayed three uniforms of different colors.

"Today, you'll each be assigned your dorms which will determine your standing within the school. But no matter what dorm you are in, your skills as duelists will be what truly determines your value!" Shepard went on as he gestured to the screen.

"Those who did well on their exams will be placed in Ra Yellow," Shepard stated as he gestured toward the yellow uniform on the screen.

"The ones who didn't do too well will be placed in Slifer Red." Shepard continued as he pointed to the red uniform.

"But those who excelled on each test will be at the top of the school in Obelisk Blue!" Shepard smiled as he moved to the blue uniform, which seemed fancier and longer than the others.

"Though for now, you'll be in the currently assigned dorms, you'll have every opportunity to move up throughout your tenure at Duel Academy," Shepard reported while the screen shut off.

"After you are placed in your dorms, you'll also be given an academy-issued duel disk. I'm personally excited to see all the duels you'll have during the school year." Shepard exclaimed, getting some cheers from the crowd.

Shephard continued on with the orientation, explaining several rules about the school and the disciplinary actions taken on those who break said rules. After what felt like forever, Shephard finished the orientation.

"Now then. Once you are assigned your dorms. Take the day to explore the island and see where your classes will be, and let's make this an amazing year!" Shepard finished, giving the crowd a wide smile before leaving the stage.

When he did, several school staff began to lead students out of the auditorium row by row to receive their dorm assignments. Before long, his own row was called on, and he and the others began to follow the staff until they were split up and led to different lines.

It was until nearly an hour later that Kolt saw the end of the line, much to his relief. The ending was a small table with several uniforms sitting in plastic bags. Each time students walked up, they were given a uniform and something Kolt couldn't see before leaving. The last two had been given red jackets, while the one in front of Kolt received a blue one.

"Next." The Attendant called, allowing Kolt to walk up to the table.

"What is your name?" The Attendant inquired, looking up from her laptop.

"Kolt Knight," Kolt answered as the attendant typed into her laptop.

"Congratulations, Mr. Knight, you've been placed in Ra Yellow." The Attendant congratulated before handing Kolt a yellow uniform.

"This is your school-issued PDA. It acts as a phone and notepad to keep track of your classes and assignments. It also has a map function to guide you to your dorm and room." The Assistant explained as Kolt took the items.

"Thank you." Kolt thanked before quickly leaving to the marked changing rooms.

Once inside, he found a private spot to take off his clothes and put on his new uniform, which fit fairly well. His uniform consisted of a yellow jacket with white highlights, a grey undershirt, black pants, and yellow shoes with black accents.

"Definitely an upgrade compared to my old school's uniform," Kolt smirked as he put his old clothes into his bag.

After zipping up his bag, Kolt took a few steps around the changing room to get a feel for his new shoes. They were the right size, but they needed to be broken into some to adjust to his feet, and what better way to do that than explore his new campus.

"I should check if there's a campus store that sells yellow thread," Kolt noted while leaving the changing room.

Making his way down the halls, Kolt followed the signs to return to the front entrance, where he would then follow the path to his new dorm to drop off his bags. As he traversed the halls, a set of footsteps approached him.

"Seems I'm not the only one who made Ra." Bastion chuckled, catching Kolt's attention.

"Bastion!" Kolt exclaimed, turning to face his new friend in an identical yellow uniform to Kolt's.

"I'm a Ra, alright! But so are you, which is surprising." Kolt commented, looking at Bastion's uniform.

"Yes, it is unfortunate. It seems my practical didn't impress as I thought before." Bastion sighed as Kolt shrugged.

"It could be worse. Besides, you have the chance to move up during the school year." Kolt pointed out remembering the information from the orientation.

"True, but I'll have to work on my deck during that time," Bastion replied as he adjusted his jacket.

"But in the meantime, my other five decks will have to do," Bastion noted, confusing Kolt.

"Other five decks? You have more than one?" Kolt questioned, shocked that anyone would have that many on hand.

"Indeed, one for any occasion," Bastion responded, impressing Kolt.

"Man, I can't imagine building so many decks. It took me forever just to build my own." Kolt commented, glancing at his deck holster.

"Well, to me, everything is a formula, even dueling. Building a deck around my formulas is essential for me to duel, and I need a formula for everything." Bastion explained as Kolt nodded.

"Well, I'm impressed it takes a lot to build a single deck, let alone six." Kolt complimented as the two reached the front entrance.

"Hey guys, it took you a while!" Jaden exclaimed, giving the two a wave as he and Syrus sat on one of the stone tablets messing with their PDAs.

"Well, I wasn't in any sort of rush," Kolt replied before noticing Jaden's red uniform.

"You were placed in Slifer Red!" Kolt gasped, surprised that Jaden had been placed so low.

"Yep, but it's no big deal. How about you, Kolt, you in red?" Jaden asked as Kolt gave him a blank stare.

"Is…is that a serious question?" Kolt questioned, unable to grasp how Jaden overlooked their different uniforms.

"Yeah, I realized it as I was saying it, but by that point, it was too late." Jaden laughed as Bastion hummed.

"Still, it's surprising that someone who defeated a teacher would be placed so low," Bastion noted, perplexed by Jaden's circumstance.

"Well, I did show up to the written exam pretty late," Jaden stated as Bastion sighed.

"That would do it, I suppose," Bastion replied, now understanding how Jaden was placed in Slifer Red.

"I don't really mind it, though. I think I look good in red." Jaden smirked, patting his jacket.

"Speak for yourself. Don't you get that we're the lowest on the totem pole? Everyone will only see us as future dropouts." Syrus pouted, clearly disappointed in his placing.

"Then we just have to prove them wrong, Sy! We're all here to improve, after all!" Jaden replied, giving Syrus a thumbs up.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Syrus nodded, looking a little bit more cheery.

"So you guys free to explore the campus?" Jaden inquired as Kolt shook his head.

"Sorry, but I'm going to get settled into my dorm first before I do any exploring." Kolt apologized, gesturing toward the dorms.

"I plan on doing the same. It takes a lot of time for me to prepare my long-term sleeping arrangements." Bastion added as Jaden shrugged.

"Suit yourselves. Syrus and I are going to check around." Jaden replied as he and Syrus began to head to the main building.

"Come find us if you want to join!" Jaden waved as he and Syrus went inside.

"So what do you think the dorm rooms will be like?" Kolt asked, turning toward Bastion.

"From what I've heard, the dorms at Ra Yellow are relatively standard room-wise. Especially when compared to the dorms at Obelisk Blue." Bastion responded as Kolt hummed.

"I've never seen a standard dorm room, so this will be interesting," Kolt noted, eager to see what the dorms would look like.

"Well, there's only one way to see what they're like." Bastion pointed out as Kolt nodded.

"Yeah, let's get going," Kolt replied as the two set off for the Ra Yellow dorm.

---

The Ra dorms were far nicer than Kolt could have imagined. When he and Bastion arrived, Kolt was in shock at how nice it was, to the point Bastion had to pull him inside. But the inside was even nicer than the out.

The dorm was split in two, with the right side being for the boys and the left for the girls. Everything was so clean and seemed modern especially compared to his old school. Once he was finally past the entrance, Kolt and Bastion split up to go to their own rooms and unpack.

"Everything here is so nice." Kolt gasped as he ran around his room which was easily twice the size of his room back home.

"It's not as nice as the boat, but this is really cool," Kolt commented, tossing his bag on his new bed.

Moving to the closet, he opened it up and found several more uniforms in his size, with plenty of room for his clothes and then some. So after placing everything in his closet, he moved around the rest of his room, giving it a close inspection.

Overall, Kolt liked his new accommodations, but what excited him the most was still sitting on the desk. His brand new Duel Academy-issued duel disk. Said duel disk was still in its box, ready for Kolt to open.

With bated breath, Kolt slowly opened the box revealing the duel disk inside. Kolt couldn't believe his eyes as he looked at his new duel disk. It was so clean and smooth he didn't even want to touch it for fear of leaving a mark.

"Amazing," Kolt murmured as he gently lifted his duel disk out of the box.

As he held it, his thoughts drifted to his old duel disk, which was given to him by his brother. It made him a little sad that he was essentially replacing it now, as it had served him well for many years.

But everything has to change, and this duel disk marked his step toward professional dueling. Placing it on his arm, Kolt turned it on to get a feel for the duel disk. Despite its bigger size compared to the original Battle City variant Kolt found the duel disk to be relatively light.

"Not bad. Can't wait to give it a test spin." Kolt smirked before turning it off and placing it back in the box.

"Now. Let's finish unpacking and check this place out." Kolt sighed as he began to put away the rest of his things in his room.

"I wonder if Bastion is close to finishing with his own room…I should have gotten his contact info before we split." Kolt murmured as he looked at his PDA.

He was still confused about how the PDA worked as he's never used something like it before. His brother had a cell phone, but Kolt never got to use it, and it seemed that his PDA was a little different.

"Well, practice makes perfect," Kolt noted, putting the PDA away as he finished up unpacking.

With his unpacking done, Kolt left his room to begin his little exploration of his new dorm. Retracing his steps back to the front of the door, Kolt began to look around. During his search, he saw many interesting places, such as a small gym, duel areas, a cafeteria, and a decent-sized library.

"Huh, this place has much more in it than I thought. I can only imagine how nice the Obelisk dorm must be." Kolt commented as a familiar face caught his eye.

"Nia," Kolt called, stealing the girl's attention from her PDA.

"Oh, Kolt," Nia replied as she turned to face him.

"I guess you're in Ra, too, huh." Kolt laughed as Nia nodded.

"Y-Yeah. I was relieved when I was assigned here." Nia replied, placing her hands on her chest.

"So, how are you holding up after yesterday?" Kolt inquired, the memories of his duel with Lailah still fresh in his mind.

"I'm fine, and thank you again. If it wasn't for you, Lailah and I would still be on bad terms. The last thing I need is the pressure of knowing that someone doesn't like me here." Nia answered, scratching her cheek.

"That's good to hear, and since she wants to be your friend, I'm sure everything will be fine from now on." Kolt chuckled as Nia sighed.

"Yeah. She's a bit odd but nice. Though last I saw, she was complaining about the sizes of the skirts on the girl's uniform." Nia replied, causing Kolt to sweat drop.

"That's almost not surprising," Kolt murmured before he noticed Nia's clothing.

"Speaking of uniforms, isn't that the men's uniform?" Kolt inquired, gesturing to the clothes Nia was wearing.

Indeed Nia was currently wearing the male uniform for Ra Yellow same as Kolt. Though when he thought about it, she did the same on the boat, mainly wearing male clothing. Now that he saw it again, it made him curious.

"Oh well, you see…I don't really like revealing clothes, so the school's female uniform didn't appeal to me." Nia explained, shivering as she imagined how little the girl's uniform hid.

"Huh, well, as long as it makes you comfortable," Kolt smirked, rubbing the back of his head.

"Uh…would you min…helping me with something?" Nia inquired, shifting nervously, looking embarrassed.

"You need help? Well sure. What do you need help with?" Kolt responded, curious at her request.

"I kinda…locked myself out of my room," Nia explained, gesturing to the door behind her.

"I left my key inside, and I'm too embarrassed to go up to the front desk alone," Nia added, hiding her face behind her hands.

"Sure, let's go," Kolt smirked as he began to walk toward the front desk, surprising Nia.

"Really? Just like that?" Nia gasped, confusing Kolt.

"Yeah? Don't tell me you think I'd have some ulterior motive or something like Lailah." Kolt replied as Nia shook her head.

"No, no, no, it's just that. Most people would have laughed or made fun of me." Nia noted as Kolt shrugged.

"I wouldn't do that. It'd just put you down, and I'm not that kind of person." Kolt explained, turning toward Nia.

"T-Thank you." Nia thanked as she quickly followed Kolt to the front desk.

After a quick explanation, the two headed back toward Nia's room with one of the front desk attendants. With the help of the attendant, Nia was able to regain access to her locked room. The first thing she did was attach her key to her room to her PDA.

"Thanks again! That's twice you've helped me." Nia smiled, happy to have access to her room once more.

"Don't mention it," Kolt replied, giving Nia a friendly smile.

"Well, I'm off to explore the campus. I'll see you around." Kolt smirked as he began to leave.

"Yeah see you." Nia waved, watching Kolt walk off.

"Haaa, thank goodness there are nice people like him here." Nia sighed before walking into her room.

---

DA Main Building…

"Ughhh, why does every hall look the same!" Kolt cried as he stormed through the halls of the main building.

He had been inside for less than twenty minutes before getting lost in the plain white halls of Duel Academy. If it wasn't thanks to the markings and room numbers, Kolt wouldn't have been able to figure out where he was.

"Getting to class on time is going to be a pain." Kolt sighed, rubbing his face as he pulled out his PDA.

"How do I use the map function?" Kolt wondered as he messed with the PDA.

"Oh, so that's how I search…" Kolt murmured, continuing to learn how to work the PDA.

Once Kolt managed to figure out his PDA, he made his way to each of his classes to hopefully memorize the path. He didn't want to use the PDA every day just to get to class, so it was better to memorize it now rather than later.

Still, Kolt found the classrooms a tad disappointing as they all looked the same. That didn't mean they were bad. He just felt like there could have been some variation, especially with classes like dueling alchemy. Whatever that was.

"Next is the gymnasium. After that is…whatever I want I guess. I wonder what else they have in this place?" Kolt muttered, scratching his chin.

"I think I remember the map showing a card shop, but…I doubt I'll be going there too much since I don't have much of an allowance." Kolt noted as he stopped walking.

"I probably should work on a budget for food and stuff." Kolt determined, thinking about his limited resources.

"A thought for later," Kolt said before continuing on his way.

Eventually, he found himself at the gymnasium, where he was surprised to see many other students already there. Many were conversing with one another, while others were in large groups in sports gear. No doubt they were clubs scouting new members.

From what he could tell, there was a track club, tennis club, basketball club, and volleyball club. It wouldn't surprise him if there were more, but he couldn't see any others around currently. But one face caught his attention.

"Guess she's done arguing about the uniform." Kolt sighed as he watched Lailah face off against a brown-haired boy in a match of tennis with a very serious expression on her face.

She was still in her uniform, which seemed to be adjusted just for her. Instead of the skirts, she wore a pair of blue shorts which matched her uniform, which was white with blue highlights. Her top also had sleeves added to it, which reached down to her elbows.

"I guess that means she's an Obelisk Blue then," Kolt noted as Lailah smashed her racket into the ball, shooting it back to the other side and past her opponent.

"Game set match!" The Judge announced ending the game as Lailah handed off the racket without a word.

"Wow."

"Amazing."

"She beat Harrington so easily."

"She kinda looked scary during it, though."

Ignoring the whispers around her, Lailah left the court, looking slightly irritated as she did so. As Kolt watched, he felt things wouldn't go well if she saw him, so he began to leave, but it was too late as their eyes met.

"Oh god, our eyes met! Oh no, now she's heading over! Now she's here! And I'm staring like an idiot…." Kolt thought as Lailah walked over to him.

"So, what brings you to the gymnasium?" Lailah inquired, looking oddly anxious.

"Just looking around. Not here to try anything if that's what you think." Kolt assured, hoping to avoid any further misunderstandings with Lailah.

"Wha…no, it's just…you're not joining any club?" Lailah asked, looking a little embarrassed.

"No, not really. I'm not that interested in sports, nor do I have the dedication to keep up my skills there, along with my dueling." Kolt answered, causing Lailah to pout.

"So that means I can't beat you in sports, huh…fine I'll find something else to beat you in!" Lailah declared, confusing Kolt.

"What?" Kolt questioned, not understanding what Lailah was getting at.

"I had an epiphany last night! I don't just need to beat you in dueling. If I can beat you at anything else, then I can get even." Lailah explained, causing Kolt to deadpan.

"You're really obsessed with winning, aren't you?" Kolt asked as Lailah shook her head.

"No, just getting even," Lailah stated as Kolt glanced over toward the tennis court where Laiah's opponent still stood there in shock.

"Then uh…what was that all about?" Kolt inquired, gesturing over to the tennis court.

"Oh, he wrote checks he couldn't cash. Flirted with every girl here and put them down by insinuating that we couldn't go against him." Lailah muttered, glaring at her opponent.

"So I decided to teach him a lesson," Lailah explained, impressing Kolt.

"Huh. I'm impressed. It must take a lot of practice to get good at tennis." Kolt complimented as Lailah shrugged.

"I don't actually play that much. But as long as you put your all into what you're doing, you can win." Lailah replied with a large smile.

"That's a nice saying," Kolt commented as Lailah gave a hesitant nod.

"Yeah…my Dad used to say it to me all the time," Lailah murmured, looking down before shaking her head.

"Either way, just wait. I'll beat you at something. Be it dueling or something else." Lailah declared before running off.

"Wow…okay then." Kolt sighed as he watched Lailah leave.

"The way she talked about her dad…could it be that he's…" Kolt thought before shaking his head.

"Not my place to make assumptions." Kolt determined as he went back to his tour of the building.

At this point, he had seen all that he needed in terms of classrooms he would be going to, so now he was just going to go around and hopefully get a feel for the building so that he wouldn't get lost. Plus, he hadn't seen Jaden or Syrus since entering, so perhaps he'd find them around somewhere.

Moving back through the halls of Duel Academy, Kolt passed by several of his fellow students who were touring just like himself. Looking at the other students made Kolt wonder what the second and third years were doing today.

He knew some were in the gym recruiting for clubs but what about the rest. Kolt assumed many were just settling back into their dorm rooms or with their friends, but he couldn't say for sure. The fact was many of the students around him might not be first years, and he wouldn't know.

Kolt can only guess based on how old everyone looked. Another possibility was that many were just going about their business around the island in places Kolt hadn't visited before. Shrugging the thought off, Kolt decided to check out the dueling courts attached to the main building.

With any luck, he'd find some familiar faces there that he wanted to see. It wouldn't surprise him if Jaden went there to test out his new duel disk once he and Syrus were done looking around. Pressing forward, Kolt made it to the duel courts in no time.

When he arrived, he was unsurprised to see many people already dueling all around as several courts were set up in the middle, with bleachers surrounding them for others to watch. Compared to the rest of the school, this area seemed far more recreational, as it allowed for several duels at once.

It was kinda like a place for people to duel one another amongst other duelists. If he recalled correctly, there was another duel court inside the main building, but that one was reserved for larger duels, and it was fashioned much like courts you see at tournaments.

While Kolt would like to see it, from what it said on the map, it was reserved for Oblelisks only to use at their leisure. If he wanted to use it, he'd have to make an official match, even then, only if it was with an Obelisk or someone with a big reputation.

Kolt didn't mind, though, as it didn't matter where he dueled. As long as he could have fun, he liked it. Still, it would be interesting to have at least one duel there. Perhaps one day he will, but for now, Kolt was fine with dueling wherever.

Since neither Jaden nor Syrus was here, and with no one for him to duel, not that he could without his duel disk, Kolt decided to head off. He needed to return back to his dorm anyway since the first-year welcome dinner was going to be soon.

"I'll see them around in class," Kolt noted as he turned to leave.

"Let's just hope I don't get lost right now of all times." Kolt sighed, moving down the hall.

---

Ra Dorms…

"Do you really need that much food?" Bastion questioned, staring at Kolt's plate that was filled with a pile of food.

"I couldn't choose what I wanted, and it all looks so good," Kolt whined, looking longingly at the food he didn't get.

Currently, both Kolt and Bastion were sitting amongst the rest of their dorm for the welcome dinner held for all the first years. After a nice speech from the dorm headmaster, they were free to pick what they wanted and eat.

"I wanted to try as much as possible while I had the chance," Kolt added as he began to eat.

"I'm sure they'll have food like this in the kitchen." Bastion pointed out as he, too, began to eat.

"Yeah, but my scholarship only gives me the basic breakfast and dinner, and I'm saving my allowance for necessities," Kolt explained, causing Bastion to pause.

"You're here on a scholarship?" Bastion inquired, having only just now heard of it.

"Yep, the National Scholarship, to be exact." Kolt clarified as Bastion looked intrigued.

"Truly? Tell me, what kind of strategies did you encounter?" Bastion asked, curious about the duels Kolt had.

"A lot of interesting ones, that's for sure. But the one that stuck out was used by a cheater." Kolt responded, shocking Bastion.

"Someone managed to cheat their way into the scholarship?" Bastion questioned as Kolt nodded.

"Yeah, but I made sure he never got the scholarship," Kolt smirked, giving Bastion a shortened version of his duel with Sloane.

"Interesting. While I'll never condone cheating, I always find it interesting seeing people outsmart and beat the cheaters." Bastion commented as he rubbed his chin.

"Just thinking about it makes me want to start a new equation to counter such strategies like this, Sloane," Bastion murmured, making Kolt deadpan.

"Didn't you spend half the day writing on part of your wall with one of your equations?" Kolt reminded as Bastion nodded.

"Indeed. But there is always room for more!" Bastion exclaimed, seeing no problem.

"Well, whatever makes you happy, man." Kolt sighed as he continued to eat.

"Just remember that classes start tomorrow." Kolt insisted, feeling that Bastion might miss classes if he got caught up in his equations.

"Of course, I wouldn't dare miss or skip a class," Bastion replied, disgusted at the very thought.

"Though I didn't check out where my classes are, so that might be a problem," Bastion noted before Kolt spoke up.

"I can show you where they are if you need it." Kolt offered as Bastion nodded.

"It would be much appreciated," Bastion replied as Kolt gave him a thumbs up.

"But do try not to eat too much. You'll give yourself a stomach ache." Bastion insisted as Kolt rolled his eyes.

"You sound like my older brother." Kolt sighed as he continued to eat.

After mentioning his brother, Kolt's thoughts began to drift toward him. He wondered what he was currently doing. It hadn't been a day, but Kolt already missed his brother, but he was still excited for the coming days.

He couldn't wait to tell Joshua all about it when he visited for the holidays. So he'll do his best to enjoy his time at Duel Academy, so he'll have a lot to tell. As long as nothing bad happened, his days at Duel Academy should be a blast.

"After all, what could possibly happen here?" Kolt wondered, glancing out a nearby window that showed the main building.

---

Author's Note:

Finally finished this chapter, and it came out way longer than I originally intended. At first, I was just going to have the cruise part to be shorter, but I found it to be the perfect scenario to introduce Lailah and officially introduce Nia.

Honestly, I'm glad I did, as it came out pretty good. So just for clarification, if any is needed, Lailah is the fourth OC I talked about in the previous chapter. So no more will come after his. Well, no important permanent ones. There will be the occasional small duel and, of course, Lailah and Nia's family members, but that's beside the point.

No more main character OCs, is what I should say, lol. Either way, I can't wait to write about both Lailah and Nia some more, especially Nia, as I haven't had her duel yet (the snippet with her proctor doesn't count), and I want to show off her deck. So throughout the coming chapters, they'll be popping up!

Definitely excited to write more about Kolt's school days, too, as I want to practice more with making chapters that aren't like 80% duels/action and 20% plot. Not that those kind of chapters are a bad thing, but I think I need to practice on doing more slice-of-life, so to speak.

Just something I've been meaning to do with a lot of my fics. Which is another reason this chapter came out so long, lol. Honestly, the hardest part was figuring out what was going on on the boat. Especially since, in the show, they flew to the island. Which never made sense, too, since they flew in on a helicopter that barely seated, I think, eight people.

Plus, we only saw the one, so did they go back in trips? Lol. Yeah, honestly never made sense, especially when in, during the holiday break and in Season 2, we see students arrive and leave on the big ass boat, which makes a whole lot more sense. So I decided to make the trip be on that boat.

I'm glad I did, too, because I had fun. Anyway, next chapter, we'll finally get more into the GX story, and Kolt will be meeting more of the other main characters. That's all I have for now, so I'll get to the reviews:

Astlexis – Thanks. I'm glad you liked the written exam. Yeah, I always thought about there being a written exam and decided to have fun with it. I think I might do more of that from time to time when Kolt is taking an exam, but only if it has story significance. Plus, yeah, I felt it best to introduce Bastion in a setting more befitting a genius like him.

I'm glad you liked the duel, as it took me a while to get it right. I wanted to make an exciting duel that would still technically be overshadowed by Jaden's duel against Crowler. When I was writing, I got the feeling that until Jaden and Crowler's duel, the practicals were fairly average, as I doubt they were as flashy.

So I wanted to have a duel that was still exciting but wouldn't stand out too much. I mean, I guess it would since Daedalus was pulled out, but not as much as a teacher dueling a student with his personal deck. Hell, originally, I was going to have Neo-Daedalus show up, but I decided against it.

Gearfried cards for Kolt are just as essential as his Gemini cards. When I was building his deck with Phoenix Gearfried as the ace, I wanted to also include the other Gearfried cards as it would add some variety. Unfortunately, there aren't that many out there, so I had to put all I could, leaving out two cards that wouldn't work with his deck (Red-Eyes and Lightray).

But I digress. Yeah, I always thought Zane wasn't like that. To me, he is only cold to those who treat dueling and others with disrespect. He's one who respects people's hard work and talent, much like Jaden. Well, that is until his personality changed in season 2. You'll be seeing more of the red-haired girl, aka Nia, soon, too, as I still have to show off her deck properly.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

649 – I'm glad you liked the chapter, and I hope to show more of Nia soon, especially when she and Kolt eventually duel one another. As for her being his love interest, well, you'll just have to wait and find out.

That's all I have for today. I hope you guys enjoyed and I'll see you next chapter!