[Two minutes before the announcement]
High above the dueling stadium, within a sleek viewing box overlooking the arenas, several instructors observed the matches in progress. Among them was none other than Counselor Sheppard, seated calmly as he monitored the duels below.
Not far behind him, however, one teacher was clearly... less composed.
Slam!
Dr. Crowler slammed both palms against the glass with a furious scowl on his face.
"Mamma mia...! How is that Slifer slacker this strong!?"
"Ha ha ha. Careful, Crowler," Counselor Sheppard said with a light laugh. "You'll crack the glass at this rate."
"Ugh... Yes, Counselor Sheppard..." Dr. Crowler grumbled as he pulled himself together.
Sheppard walked closer to the glass, hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on one particular duelist down below. "So... what do you think of him?"
"Who?" Crowler blinked.
"Jaden Yuki," Sheppard clarified. "The student you tried to reject for arriving late during the entrance exam. The one you challenged with your personal deck instead of the standard test deck... and lost to."
Crowler groaned, shoulders slumping.
"And then," Sheppard continued with a faint smirk, "it happened twice."
"I get it, alright!?" Crowler snapped, red-faced.
Sheppard chuckled warmly. "Ha ha ha! Well then, what do you think of him now?"
Crowler sighed, defeated. "Being able to summon two high-ATK monsters in a single turn... achieving a one-turn kill by Turn Two... and coordinating so many combos to make it all work..."
"Indeed," Sheppard said with a nod. "In fact, I believe Jaden Yuki doesn't just deserve a promotion to Ra Yellow, no... he's the first student ever to earn a double promotion straight to Obelisk Blue!"
"HUH!? Wha—wha—uhhh—uhmm..." Crowler's mouth opened, then closed, then opened again as if trying to form a protest. But no words came. After seeing that duel, even he couldn't argue.
"Ahahaha! Truly inspiring, isn't it?" Sheppard beamed, his hands resting on the back of a chair. "This new generation of duelists..."
"quite wonderful, don't you think?" He turned around, this time addressing a shadowed figure standing in the back of the viewing box.
The man stood still, arms crossed, voice flat and cold. "Hmph. How boring. You said there would be a student here who would surely pique my interest. Was that it? I'm a busy man, Sheppard. I don't appreciate having my time wasted."
Sheppard only smiled. "Well, while Jaden is one of our top students... I promise, the next one will surely grab your attention."
Just then, a low electric buzz rang through the stadium, followed by the scratchy voice of the PA system.
"Krssk—In Arena Number Three... Justin Mash... versus... Chazz Princeton."
"Oh ho~!" Sheppard raised an eyebrow. "And as if things weren't interesting enough... it seems someone has been scheming behind my back?"
He slowly turned toward Dr. Crowler, who froze mid-step and laughed nervously.
"Ah-uh-it seems I... need to go explain a few things! Good day!"
And with that, Crowler bolted from the viewing box.
The mysterious man scoffed. "An Obelisk dueling a Slifer? And this is what you claim is so special? Your 'chosen one' is dueling a Red?"
Sheppard gave a light chuckle. "Actually... it's quite the opposite, sir. The 'special' someone is the Slifer. And he's dueling an Obelisk."
The man's eyes narrowed slightly. "...Did you plan for this?"
"Of course not," Sheppard replied, hands raised with a slight shrug. "I was just as surprised as you when I heard the announcement. But now... let's just watch and see how this unfolds. I trust you're comfortable... Sir Seto Kaiba."
[Back down at the Arena...]
At Arena Number 3, Mash and Chazz stood face-to-face beneath the afternoon sun. Mash wore his signature smug grin and arms crossed with relaxed confidence, while Chazz was looking way too serious like he's preparing to fight a boss.
Up in the spectator stands, tension was already building.
"Jay, who do you think's gonna win?" Syrus asked nervously.
"Obviously Mash!" Jaden didn't hesitate while chucking down some popcorn. "No way he's losing this one!"
"I agree." Bastion nodded. "With the way he's been taking down Obelisk Blues left and right during his... 'hunts,' it's hard to imagine him losing. And not to mention his deck..."
Alexis, arms folded, kept her eyes on the field. "Well... it could go either way. Judging by Chazz's expression, it looks like he's got some strategy planned that might actually have give him a chance."
The boys paused and thought for a second upon hearing her words.
"Or Mash could just wipe the floor with him again like last time." Alexis added dryly.
Bastion blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"
On the field, Mash squinted at Chazz's unusually serious expression. Something about it didn't sit right.
[What's with him... This is not his usual behavior.]
"Well, well, well."
A familiar voice cut through the air as Dr. Crowler strutted dramatically into the center of the arena.
"Oh, Justin... you—"
"Please, Just call me Mash. 'Justin' sounds kinda gay." Mash interrupted flatly.
Crowler's eye twitched. "Ahem! Oh, Mash, then. You must be wondering why you've been matched with an Obelisk Blue student for this exam. You see, you're—"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Mash interrupted again, "I get it, with my higher than average skill (and deck). No one is Slifer Red is a balanced match for me, and since I've been hunting Obelisk Blue so much. You decided to pit me with the 'top dog' of Obelisk blue, isn't that right?"
Crowler sputtered. "Ugh… you could say that—"
"Cool, cool, great yapping. So now can we start the duel already?" Mash cut him off once more. "Pretty sure my opponent's just as impatient, as me."
Crowler glanced over his shoulder right into Chazz's cold glare.
"Urgh! Fine! Have it your way!" Crowler threw up his hands and stormed out of the arena in frustration.
Mash and Chazz turned back to each other, resuming their stare-down.
"You're looking pretty different, Chazz..." Mash said. "Not looking down on me this time, huh? Unlike the first time we met?"
"Oh... I will" Chazz narrowed his eyes. " After I trampled you." Chazz then readies his Duel Disk.
Mash grinned. "Ha! As if you could! Especially when you're dealing with me and..."
Mash paused.
He looked to his left.
Then to his right.
She was nowhere to be found.
"Sigh... LOVELY!!!"
Up in the spectator seats, Lovely Labrynth and Mindy were currently too busy applying makeup to a clearly struggling Jasmine.
"Let go!" Jasmine protested, squirming in her seat.
"Ehehe~ Looking pretty, eh~? Jassy~" Lovely cooed as she dabbed powder on her cheeks.
Mindy gave a thumbs-up. "Looking good~!"
"LOVELYYYYY!!!"
"HEY!" Jasmine shouted. "Stop it! I know your makeup's top tier, but your boyfriend's calling you in the arena!"
"Eh~!?" Lovely gasped, tossing her makeup kit aside. "Alright, Darling~! I'm on my way~!"
With a graceful "Hup!" she jumped high from the stands, soaring down like a swan and landing beside Mash with elegant beauty.
"Sorry, Darling~"
Mash smiled. "It's fine, Lovely."
Chazz's face soured the moment she arrived. But when their eyes met, Lovely's grin only widened.
"Ohohoho~! The brat wants a rematch~? My, my... How big is your pride, really? Oh, I know~ It's as big as your MOTHER!"
The crowd exploded in reaction.
"Look, look! It's Lovely Labrynth!"
"She's got so much sass!"
"I LOVE YOU LOVELY LABRYNTH!!!"
"Tch." Chazz feeling disgusted seeing the crowds.
"Ohohoho~!" Lovely twirled her hair. "Looks like someone's salty that I'm stealing the spotlight~"
"Alright, enough of that," Mash said, stepping forward. "How about we start this duel? And I'll... GO FIRS—"
"No," Chazz interrupted. "We'll let fate decide."
He pulled a coin from his pocket and Mash instantly gasped.
[Oh no... My one and only weakness... LUCK.]
"Heads," Chazz declared.
"Head- ugh, goddangit. Alright. Tails."
Chazz flipped the coin into the air. It spun, glinted under the stadium lights, and clattered onto the ground.
Heads.
"Dangit!" Mash groaned. "Ugh... This is your fault, Jaden!" Mash turned to point towards Jaden.
From the stands, Jaden blinked and pointed at himself. "What did I do!?"
Chazz pocketed the coin with a smug look. "Seems like I'm going first... Scared?"
Mash exhaled slowly, trying to keep his cool. "No. of course not." [FUCK!]
Chazz readies his Duel Disk, "Well then, let's get this started."
"Good luck, Darling~!" Lovely called out sweetly before dissolving into shimmering hologram particles as Mash calmly slotted her card into his deck.
Mash smirked. "Don't worry, I have none of it."
"DUEL!" they both shouted in unison.
{Chazz LP: 4000, Mash LP: 4000}
"It won't be as easy as last time, Mash. Draw!" Chazz declared, swiftly drawing his card. His eyes scanned it then narrowed into a grin.
"Looks like I got myself one of the rare cards in my deck. Now, meet {Magical Mallet}!" The Spell Card appeared in front of Chazz. "It allows me to shuffle any number of useless cards in my hand and then draw the same number back!"
Chazz then shuffled 3 cards into his deck and draw 3 cards. [It's not here... But It's fine as I have this.]
"Heh! Now, I'll use this {Pot of Greed} to draw two cards from my deck!"
Mash let out a sigh, "...how fuckin' lucky."
Chazz examined the six cards now in his hand but is disappointed. [Tch. It's not here yet...]
"And next, I'll play this {V-Tiger Jet}! Sharpen your claws for attack mode!"
A blue and yellow tiger-shaped jet materialized on the field, its metal limbs gleaming in the light.
{V-Tiger Jet|4 Star|Light|Machine/Normal|ATK: 1600 DEF:1800}
"And now check this out I'll activate the spell card {Frontline Base}!" Chazz slipped another card into his Duel Disk. "It allows me to Special Summon another Level 4 or lower monster from my hand! And the one I will summon is {W-Wing Catapult}!"
A sleek twin-barreled plane shimmered into view beside the jet, hovering menacingly.
{W-Wing Catapult|4 Star|Light|Machine/Union Effect|ATK: 1300 DEF: 1500}
Mash raised an eyebrow. [So... it's the exact same opening from the anime. What a lazy author.]
"Now, with these two monsters on the field, I can now—COMBINE!"
The two machines roared into the sky and merged in a flash of light, forming a massive new weapon {VW-Tiger Catapult}.
{VW-Tiger Catapult|6 Star|Light|Machine/Fusion| ATK: 2000 DEF: 2100}
Chazz casually slid one more card face-down onto his Duel Disk. "I'll set a card, then end my turn."
{Chazz Hands: 3, Chazz fields: 1 Set, 1 Continous, 1 Monster.}
"Alright then, Draw!" Mash drew a card with a flourish, then put it with the rest of his drawn cards which is, {Mirror Force}, {Waboku}, {Magical Cylinder}, {Arias the Labrynth Servant}, {Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle} and {Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle}.
[The trap cards could be a bit better… But at least I am able to do this.] Mash grinned as he revealed one of them with flair.
"I'll activate the effect of Arias in my hand! By sending this card to the grave, I can Special Summon a 'Labrynth' monster from my hand! And just guess who I'll be sending out?"
Chazz scowled. "Tch!"
A towering silver door materialized on the field as Arias standing by it;s side. She then opened the door allowing a regal figure to step through with a smug elegance. Which is none other than-
"O HO HO HO HO HO HO~! Lovely Labrynth has arrived on the battlefield~!"
{Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle|8 Star|Dark|Fiend/Effect| ATK: 2900 DEF: 1900}
"Whoa! She's already here!?" Jaden leaned forward with wide eyes.
"It's early too," Alexis added, a little stunned.
"I'm really jealous of Mash," Bastion muttered. "Being able to summon a 2900 ATK monster that easily..."
"Reminds me of my big brother's deck," Syrus said with a small nod.
"Oh… I'm not done yet!" Mash declared. "I'll then activate Lady Labrynth's effect from my hand! When a Labrynth monster or Trap effect activates this turn, I can Special Summon her from my hand in Defense Mode!"
Another silver door appeared with a creak, and stepping through it came Lady Labrynth herself, crouched and poised with her twin silver blades crossed into an X.
"Hey there, other variant of me~!" Lovely called out with a grin.
{Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle|8 Star|Dark|Fiend/effect|ATK: 3000 DEF: 2900}
Chazz took a small step back, visibly shaken by the sudden power shift on the field two high attack monsters in a single turn.
"It's time for slaughter! Go, Lovely! Attack the runaway tiger on a catapult!"
"With pleasure~!" Lovely purred.
She charged, her silver battleaxe spinning wildly before leaping high into the air. "Take this!"
But just before her weapon connected—
"Not so fast!" Chazz roared, flipping his set card. "I'll use the Trap Card {Magical Cylinder}!"
"FUCK!" Mash shouted.
As Lovely swung her axe, a gleaming cylinder materialized in front of VW-Tiger Catapult, absorbing the force before blasting it back toward Mash in a searing bolt.
{Mash LP: 4000 -> 1100}
Mash staggered slightly but quickly steadied himself. "Dang... It's alright, because Lady Labrynth's effect will activate, because you activate a trap card, she letting me set ANY Normal Trap Card from my deck! And I'll be setting this {Big Welcome Labrynth}!"
"I'll... then set 3 cards and, yeah, end turn."
{Mash hands: 0 Cards, Mash field: 4 set cards, 2 monsters}
Across the field, Chazz narrowed his eyes and drew a card with a sharp swipe. "My turn… Draw!"
He glanced at his new card. "Tch, it's not what I need, but… I still have a chance! I'll activate {Cup of Ace}!"
Mash's eyes widened. "WHY WOULD YOU HAVE THAT!?"
"Normally I wouldn't because it's too risky." Chazz replied coolly, already placing the spell on the field, "but I think luck is on my side when dueling against you."
"Bitch," Mash muttered through gritted teeth.
Chazz then take out the coin from earlier and flick it upward.
"Cup of Ace lets me flip a coin if it lands on heads, I'll draw 2 cards. But if it's tails, you draw 2 cards."
The coin spins midair, glinting as it spun and finally landed on… you guess it, heads.
"Better luck next time, Mash!" Jaden called from the spectator stands.
"Kys, Jay."
Meanwhile, Chazz's hand hovered over his deck, trembling with anticipation. [Please! I just need to draw that one card!] He drew with a dramatic flourish, then looked down and the moment his eyes met the cards, his lips curled into a wide, dangerous grin.
[I got it!]
Mash narrowed his eyes. He saw it that smirk... He could feel danger crawling up his spine. Lovely tensed beside him, sensing it too.
"Darling!" She shouted.
"Yeah, I know!" Mash instantly responded. "I'll activate my Trap Card Big Welcome Labrynth! It allows me to Special Summon a Labrynth monster from my deck, hand or graveyard, then bounce a monster I control back to my hand. So I'll summon another Lady in Attack Position and return the other one!"
A silver door burst open as a second Lady Labrynth gracefully stepped onto the field. At the same time, the first transformed into particles of light and returned to Mash's hand.
"Now, since a monster left the field due to a Trap effect," Mash explained, "Lovely's effect activates! I can destroy one card on your field or... in your hand! Go, Lovely!"
"O ho ho ho~ This is gonna be fun~" Lovely then gracefully walked towards Chazz, ignoring his monster like they are just stones.
The crowd instantly erupted into murmurs.
"Look, look! It's her infamous walk!"
"It's said she reads your expression to find your most important card!"
"No way, I'm sure she is able to see straight into your soul! I saw her pin point and destroys a guy's {Heavy Storm} even when he had a perfect poker face!"
Mash couldn't help but snort, because they all are WRONG! [Fools. That was so old-school, reading your expression and stuff. Lovely's now has leveled up, she can now just see through the the cards by the literal reflections IN YOUR EYES!]
As Lovely arrived before Chazz, he calmly held out the backs of the cards in his hand, letting her inspect them. But then she stopped... her expression changed.
"Darling…" she called, voice uncertain.
"Hm? What's wrong, Love—" Mash paused mid-sentence… and his eyes widened in horror.
Chazz… had simply closed his eyes.
"Hmph," Chazz scoffed. "I know that you're able to detect even the finest hint in a person's poker face. So to counter that… I decided to let fate decide and just not look."
Mash nearly screamed. [That's technically not true… but it works both ways for our strategy, which makes it worse!]
"Crap!"
Lovely hesitated. "Mash… what should I pick?"
Mash panicked. "Pick the middle one— WAIT, NO!"
Too late.
Lovely already snatch the middle card in Chazz hands which is {X-Head Cannon} and turns it into silver dust.
Lovely twirled back to her place beside Mash, shouting over his shoulder, "SORRY DARLINGGG~!!"
Chazz's eyes then slowly opened. He looked down at his remaining cards… and his face twisted with delight.
"Hehehe…" he chuckled and then burst out laughing. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! THIS DUEL IS MINE, MASH!"
A single word flashed through Mash minds, [Fuck.]
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Hey everyone IG here!
Hope y'all enjoyed it even if it takes too long because I was in a vacation with family.
But even in vacation I still work on this series because it become a passion project at this point alongside as a hobby.
I will promise you guys, at worst I ditch this series at 100 chapters, unfortunately I already planned everything in season 1 of GX of this fanfic so I've gotten too ambitious which should make me at worst, drop the series at the end of season 1 GX of my fanfic.
Anyway enough yapping, Chiao!
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