Era of Spirits and Shadows Chapter 11 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans! Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Era of Spirits and Shadows! Zane and Syrus meet face-to-face in a tense family moment. What will be the reaction? Can this situation be helped by others? The Promotion Exams are upon the students as well! Slifers hoping to Rank Up, Ras hoping to become Obelisks, and Obelisk Blue students wanting to improve their overall ranking within the school, or trying not to drop down into Ra for a lack of victories in their Duels.

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 11 – Family and Promotion Exams

“Brother…” Syrus looked at the floor, unable to meet Zane’s eyes.

“Syrus.” Zane’s response wasn’t exactly warm. Flat would be a better term to describe it.

“Let’s just go…” Syrus was barely heard as he moved towards the dorm room that Chumley shared with Jaden and Drake.

“Uh, sure thing.” Chumley agreed, feeling the tension in the air as the two headed for the room and closed the door behind them.

The tension noticeably lessened once the two brothers were separated and Zane’s mood had clearly declined, even if he didn’t show it on his face. Jasmine and Mindy looked at each other, then between Zane and Alexis. Jaden and Drake shot each other a look, both asking the other what was going on.

“Zane…” Alexis sighed just as the Top Student took a step away from the group.

“I just feel like being alone for a while.” Zane answered the unspoken questioned.

“Here I was thinking that maybe you’d feel like that less once your brother joined the Academy.” Alexis mentioned and Zane stopped moving after his second step.

“Maybe that’s because my brother shouldn’t be here.” Zane replied, not facing the group.

“Geez, that’s pretty harsh.” Jaden couldn’t help but speak up. “He’s your little brother, right?”

“My brother that doesn’t know the difference between using a card and playing it.” Zane looked over his shoulder at the group. “Until he learns the difference, he’s not fit to be a Duelist.”

“So, what is the difference?” Drake asked, curious as to Zane’s philosophy as a Duelist.

“You should know, you play your cards very well, Drake.” Zane turned to face the Red-Eyes user that he’d just had a satisfying Duel with.

“Are you talking about synergy and combos?” Mindy questioned with her brow furrowed as she tried to parse Zane’s meaning.

“That’s only part of it.” Zane shook his head at the ravenette.

“Then the cards themselves aren’t the issue?” Jasmine looked confused now. “He made it into the Academy, so he definitely knows how to play the game. But you said that knowing how to create synergy and combos between your cards was only part of it.” She looked at Zane before shaking her head. “I’m not getting what you’re trying to say.”

“Did Syrus do something in the past that changed your opinion of him as a Duelist?” Jaden realized, his brown eyes widening slightly.

“It’s not important.” Zane shook his head and turned to walk away again.

“He wasn’t acting like a proper Duelist.” Drake and Alexis both spoke at the same time. The two turned to look at each other, blinking, before Drake yielded the floor to her with a chuckle.

“Did Syrus act overconfident, cocky, arrogant, or disrespect his opponent?” Alexis wouldn’t normally ask, but Zane had opened up a bit now and it felt like the right time.

“He looked down on his opponent, underestimated them, and didn’t properly understand his own cards.” Zane didn’t turn to face them, but his posture practically exuded disappointment with whatever he’d seen.

“And yet…instead of telling him that, you told him that he didn’t know the difference between using a card and playing it?” Drake stared at Zane’s back with a mixture of disbelief and confusion. “Why would you use such cryptic phrasing on your younger brother?”

“I’m an only child…so, I don’t want to tell you how to be a big brother; but I think you might’ve given Syrus a complex that’s crushed his self-confidence entirely.” Jaden spoke up after processing what he’d just learned.

“How long ago was this?” Mindy wondered, looking at Zane’s back. “Because if it was even four years ago, wouldn’t most of us have still been in Elementary School?”

“Yeah, not gonna lie, if my older sibling had told me some cryptic stuff about not knowing the difference between using a card and playing it, I would’ve definitely taken that literally when I was an Elementary Schooler.” Jasmine admitted with a nod.

“Zane…you should’ve just told Syrus what you meant.” Alexis couldn’t believe that Zane would be so cryptic with his Elementary School aged brother. “The guy is a walking bundle of nerves with zero confidence and I’ve only met him once.”

“I’ll think about what you’ve all said.” Zane walked off after that, heading back up the dirt road that led to the main campus. “It was a great Duel, Drake.” He waved over his shoulder before he was too far away to be heard. In his mind however, some serious questions loomed. ‘Did I destroy my little brother’s confidence? Is what’s happened since then my fault?’

“So, what should we do now?” Jaden questioned the group, looking between everyone.

“Well, we can always work on your Ba.” Drake looked at his four students in Shadow Magic. “Not like our dorm room is free right now.”

“I don’t mind.” Alexis agreed easily. “I’d like to progress further.” Her golden eyes shone with that desire.

“We might as well.” Jasmine shrugged, not really hiding the fact that she wanted her own Ka.

“As long as we do it in the usual place, Chazz won’t find us.” Mindy giggled slightly.

“What’s going on with Chazz?” Drake raised an eyebrow as they all started heading for the small clearing in the forest that overlooked the ocean.

“Nothing much, he just doesn’t seem to like that we’re hanging around with Slifers.” Jasmine waved it off.

“He’s just another Obelisk giving our dorm a bad name.” Alexis sighed at Chazz’s attitude. “What does it matter who we hang out with?”

“We all know it’s because he has a crush on Alexis!” Mindy teased, a bright giggle escaping her.

“Hah…” Alexis rolled her eyes at Mindy. Jasmine merely grinned teasingly at Alexis.

“A lot of the guys do…according to the rumors.” Jaden placed his hands behind his head as they walked. “But I rarely see anyone wanting to challenge her to a Duel.” That was weird to Jaden, who knew firsthand how good of a Duelist Alexis was.

“I wish I received as many Duel Requests as I do confessions or date offers.” Alexis remarked, her eyes on Jaden’s back. “It would be preferable, really.”

“That’s our Lexi…no time for romance.” Jasmine sighed forlornly, adding a little dramatic flare by putting her hand to her forehead s if she was about to faint.

“So sad…” Mindy lamented, barely suppressing a smile.

“Ha ha…” Alexis fake laughed as sarcastically as she could. This caused Mindy and Jasmine to burst into giggles.

“Never a dull moment with you three.” Drake chuckled and even Jaden was grinning at the girls. “After you.” He moved aside a low-hanging tree branch for the girls and Jaden.

“Thanks, Drake.” Jasmine gave him a smile.

“Such a gentleman.” Mindy winked at him.

“Down girls.” Alexis playfully pushed them forward.

“You’re popular, dude.” Jaden laughed as he passed Drake and the Red-Eyes user followed behind, dropping the branch and once more obscuring the semi-clear path towards the clearing.

“I wish.” Drake joked with his buddy.

-Promotion Exam Day ~ Morning-

“Up!” Drake nudged Jaden with his foot.

“I played…a Trap card…” Jaden rolled over in his bed on the bottom bunk.

“I play a Counter Trap called dragging you out of bed.” Drake grinned, grabbing Jaden’s arm and hauling him out of the bunk and onto the floor.

“Ah! What?! Where?!” Jaden looked around blearily at the abrupt wake up.

“It’s time to head out.” Drake mentioned with a grin at the downed Jaden.

“Oh, why didn’t you say so?” Jaden hopped to his feet with a laugh. “Just need to get changed and grab a quick breakfast.”

“I’ve already made breakfast, so change and come down to the dining area.” Drake mentioned as he left the room.

“Heck yeah!” Jaden weas all smiles at getting a breakfast cooked by Drake. His buddy had some serious skills in the kitchen!

-Path to the Main Building ~ Later-

“We should have plenty of time.” Drake mentioned as he and Jaden headed up the path at a relaxed pace.

“That breakfast was great.” Jaden patted his stomach with a wide smile.

“Glad you liked it, but it was just rice, grilled fish, miso soup, and some dashimaki.” Drake shrugged at the meal he’d made; it was the basic breakfast set at his mother’s little restaurant. Traditional, filling, and easy to make.

“And it was delicious.” Jaden praised his friend. He cocked his head slightly as he saw a woman struggling to push a keitora truck up the hill. “What’s going on?”

“Looks like something’s wrong with the truck.” Drake deduced just from what they could see.

“To be on time or be a gentleman?” Jaden was already walking over to help even as he asked the question. Drake laughed as the two Slifers moved to help the woman.

“Hmm?” Dorothy from the Card Shop made a noise when she realized that her struggle to push her small truck up the hill had suddenly gotten a lot easier. She looked back only to see Drake and Jaden pushing the vehicle from behind. “Oh, aren’t you such kind boys.” Dorothy beamed at the two.

“No problem, Miss Dorothy.” Jaden smiled back as the three of them pushed the keitora up the hill much easier.

“Looks like something went wrong with your truck.” Drake mentioned as he and Jaden did the bulk of the pushing. A strong Ba led to a strong body, if you knew how to apply it.

“Yeah, it’s been reliable for the last fifteen years, but it could use some TLC.” Dorothy commented as they pushed. To her surprise, she barely had to exert any effort at all as the two young men moved the small truck up the hill. “Thank you very much for your help, boys. I’ll remember this!”

“No problem, Miss Dorothy.” Jaden laughed, just happy to help.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Drake shrugged it off. So what if they were a few minutes late? It’s not like they had too much to worry about on the written test.

-First Year Written Exam Hall-

“Where are they?” Jasmine whispered lowly, just able to be heard by Mindy and Alexis.

“It’s not like Drake to be late like this.” Mindy worried, briefly glancing around the room.

“I’m not sure.” Alexis barely shook her head. “I hope everything is okay.”

“Their roommate showed up, even if he was the last one through the door.” Mindy noticed Chumley sitting a few rows down taking his test next to Syrus.

The sound of the door opening caught the classes attention.

“Speak of the devil.” Jasmine let out a relieved sigh at seeing Drake and Jaden walk into the room.

“Ah, Mr. Yuki, Mr. Roth…please come get your tests.” Professor Banner smiled at the two boys. The man was as chill as always and simply gave the two their tests without an issue.

“We’re already fifteen minutes into the test. They’ll be lucky to finish.” Alexis looked at Jaden and Drake with some concern. “I hope they know what they’re doing.”

‘Strangely lackadaisical for showing up late to the written exam.’ Bastion thought to himself, almost halfway through his own test already. ‘If they do get promoted to Ra Yellow, then I should impress upon them the seriousness of our classwork.’ The genius teen nodded to himself as he went back to his test. Being in separate dorms had made it harder to develop their budding friendship. But if Drake and Jaden were promoted to Ra Yellow, then Bastion hoped to become even better friends with the two talented Duelists.

At the door to the room at the back of the lecture hall stood Crowler. The blonde man was peeking in with a scowl at Jaden for his tardiness. ‘If you think you can just slack your way through this Academy then you have another thing coming, Jaden Yuki!’ He’d make sure the boy lost his practical exam! That would put him on track to being expelled!

Forty-five minutes later and Professor Banner called time on the written exam.

“Alright students, pencils down, the written exam is now over.” Banner watched the students comply. Some of them had been done for a while, while others looked distraught at running out of time. “Now, please walk, do not run, to get in line for the delivery of new rare cards from Industrial Illusions at the Card Shop.”

“They’re here?!” Half the class called out in excitement.

“Oh dear…” Banner realized that his words were about to be ignored.

The loud ruckus of the entire roomful of students all charging out of the classroom in a stampede was the exact opposite of what he’d said. He did notice a few students that hadn’t bolted with the rest. Seeing that they were some of the best of the new First Years wasn’t a surprise to him as he started collecting all of the written exams on the desks.

“Not in a rush?” Bastion asked Jaden and Drake as they walked up the stairs towards the doors at the back of the room.

“Nah, I’ll see what they have when I get there.” Drake waved it off. Having an Archetype that’s main Monster was as rare as Red-Eyes Black Dragon meant that there weren’t likely to be many cards in the new shipment that would synergize with his Deck.

“Same, I haven’t heard about much in the way of new HERO support coming out.” Jaden smiled, said smile widening as he spotted Alexis, along with Mindy and Jasmine, waiting by the door for them.

“You’re not rushing either, I noticed.” Drake looked at Bastion.

“Please, one errant card and my Deck’s delicate balance would be completely thrown off.” Bastion grinned at the Red-Eyes user.

“Hey, girls, no rush either?” Jaden grinned as they got to the door.

“My order came in, but beyond that, I’m not really interested in the new shipment.” Alexis replied, a small smile on her lips.

“There’s rumors of new Harpie Support in the works going around online, but it’s not supposed to come out until this summer.” Jasmine pouted cutely. Her Archetype only saw new cards every few years, so it could be difficult to stay on top of the game.

“I’m good with what I have.” Mindy’s little smile was cute, but also radiated confidence. “My cute little beasts will make chew toys out of whatever my opponent uses during the practical exam.”

“I’ll see you all at the practical exams then.” Bastion nodded to the five of them. “Before the cafeteria is overrun, I think I’ll get some lunch and prepare.” He walked off with a confident look, knowing that he was ready to prove his skill during this exam.

“Shall we check out the Card Shop together then?” Drake chuckled as the group of five walked from the room.

They didn’t notice that Chazz had stayed behind. The Obelisk Blue was nearly grinding his teeth as he saw the two Slifers being all buddy-buddy with Alexis. He had no idea what she saw in them, especially Jaden! “Just you wait.” Chazz muttered under his breath as he stood up from his seat.

-Card Shop-

“Wooo~” Drake whistled at the deserted state of the shop. “They practically cleaned this place out.”

It was true. All of the new cards were gone. But the shelves had almost been completely cleared out as well. Only the cards in the locked display cases seemed mostly untouched, but even there, a few bare spaces were noticeable.

“Miss Sadie, looks like you’ve been busy.” Jasmine grinned at the young woman behind the counter.

“Yep.” Sadie smiled at the first calm students she’d seen all day. “It’s always like this when exam time rolls around. The fact that a new shipment came in at the same time just made it more hectic.”

“I’m here to pick up my order, please.” Alexis requested politely and Sadie went into the back to get it for her.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my two nice auto club helpers.” Dorothy laughed, smiling at Jaden and Drake as she came out of the back. “I really want to thank you two boys for helping me out this morning. I hope I didn’t make you late for your exam.”

“It was fine, Banner was watching over the First Years, so everything was chill.” Jaden waved it off with a laugh.

“Yeah, helping out was the right thing to do.” Drake smiled at the kind older lady.

“What did you two do?” Mindy questioned, curious about what had made the two of them late.

“My old truck broke down on the hill leading up to the main building.” Dorothy smiled, praising the two boys. “These nice boys helped me push it up the hill and get it into the garage so that the mechanic could look it over.”

“Wow, such gentlemen.” Jasmine grinned at the two of them. “Helping someone in need even when it would make you late.”

“Aren’t they though?” Dorothy smiled at Drake and Jaden. “In fact, as a little thank you for helping me, I have something for you boys.” She reached beneath the counter and the sound of something that might’ve been a small safe opening was heard. “I hope these help you out.” Dorothy beamed at the boys, holding a card in each hand. Handing the left one to Jaden and the right one to Drake, the kind woman nearly burst into  laughter at seeing the looks on the boys’ faces.

“Elemental Hero Absolute Zero!” Jaden cheered after getting over his shock. “I didn’t have this guy yet!”

Elemental Hero Absolute Zero – WATER – Level 8 – Warrior/Fusion/Effect – 2500 ATK/2000 DEF

1 ‘HERO’ monster + 1 WATER monster

Must be Fusion Summoned. Gains 500 ATK for each WATER monster on the field, except "Elemental HERO Absolute Zero". If this card leaves the field: Destroy all monsters your opponent controls.

“Nice card.” Alexis mentioned after Jaden let her look it over. The Slifer boy had the brightest grin she’d probably ever seen before.

“What did you get, Drake?” Mindy and Jasmine were each looking over one of his shoulders.

“Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning.” Drake showed the two girls with a grin. “Aside from it already being fairly good with ATK/DEF, it also has a brutal special effect if I activate its Gemini feature. Not to mention it’s a piece to another powerful Red-Eyes Fusion Monster on top of that!”

Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning – DARK – Level 6 – Fiend/Gemini/Effect – 2500 ATK/1200 DEF

This card is treated as a Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. While this card is a Normal Monster on the field, you can Normal Summon it to have it become an Effect Monster with this effect.

● Once per turn: You can destroy all face-up monsters your opponent controls with DEF lower than this card's ATK.

“Oh damn…” Jasmine whistled lowly. “That’s not an effect I want to go up against.”

“No kidding.” Mindy shook her head, reading the effect again. “How many Monsters, outside of Fusions and high level Boss Monsters, even have 2500 DEF at all?”

“I have one.” Jasmine mentioned, thinking to the specific Monster in her Deck. “But it’s the only one.”

“Welcome to the Deck, new friend!” Drake happily added the new Monster to his Deck Box. He’d worry about siding it in later.

“Hmm, if I can get either Ocean or Bubbleman, then I’m totally set…” Jaden was clearly already plotting to use his newest Fusion Monster. Alexis had a soft smile on her face as she watched him plan.

“Here’s your order, Miss Rhodes.” Sadie returned from the back with a smile and handed a small box to Alexis.

“Thank you very much, Miss Sadie.” Alexis thanked her and happily accepted the box.

“What did you order, Alexis?” Jaden was just as eager to see what she’d gotten as receiving his own new card.

“Some more cards for my new Deck.” Alexis grinned at him and opened the box before removing the cards inside. “Two Cyber Petit Angel, one more Cyber Egg Angel, three copies of Manju of the Ten-Thousand Hands, two more copies of Machine Angel Ritual, and two Ritual Sanctuary cards.” She laid them out as she went over them.

“Wow…” Jaden blinked at the order. “Do you have any DP left?”

“A little.” Alexis looked away for a second at the question. She was building up a new Deck! That cost money!

“Your building up a good foundation, that’s for sure.” Drake nodded after looking the cards over himself. “I’ve never played any Ritual cards before.”

“Me neither.” Jaden shook his head. “HERO cards are all about Fusion to get to the biggest Monsters.”

“Not to rain on your parade, kids, but the practical exam is going to start soon enough.” Dorothy reminded the teens with a smile.

“Time to ace these exams!” Jasmine grinned, full of confidence.

“Yep!” Mindy nodded, her own confidence shown through her deceptively cute grin.

“It shouldn’t be too hard.” Alexis mentioned, adding her new cards to her Deck Box, making sure not to mix them with her current Deck. She’d separate them out and into the new Deck that she was building later. The ‘Queen’ of Obelisk Blue was like a fountain of confidence as the group headed for the main Dueling fields together.

-Chazz-

“This guy showed up out of nowhere and took all the new cards. I mean every one of them.” Taiyou explained to Chazz.

“That’s why weren’t able to get you any of them, Chazz, sorry.” Raizou apologized to their defacto leader.

“You know what’s sorry? You guys!” Chazz turned to face them with a glare. “But it doesn’t matter. Because not one Duelist here can beat me, no matter what cards they have!” He was clearly ignoring the fact that he wasn’t even ranked in the Top Ten of Duel Academy.

“Even if that Duelist happens to be Jaden Yuki?” A voice called down to Chazz from the top of the nearby staircase.

“Who’s there?!” Chazz turned to face the speaker. No one should even know about his loss to Jaden from the after curfew match!

“Someone that suspects that you despise Jaden Yuki as much as I do.” The man spoke, dressed in a long black coat and with a ragged old school cap on his head.

“That’s the guy that took all of the new cards!” Taiyou pointed up at the man.

“Cards? What cards? Oh, do you mean these cards?!” The man opened the long coat to reveal dozens of cards stuck to the inside.

“Okay, now that’s style.” Raizou complimented, even though it was also a waste of cards.

“That’s way more than having a card up your sleeve.” Taiyou gaped at all of the cards.

“How about it, Chazz?” Crowler pulled off the cap covering his face in shadow. “Use these rare cards and crush Jaden in the practical exam!”

“We’re not even in the same Dorm.” Chazz pointed out to the Head of Obelisk Blue’s Male Dorm. “They won’t let me be his opponent for the exam.”

“They? I am they. I’ll make it happen!” Crowler stated clearly. “You just make sure to put Jaden Yuki in his place in front of the entire Academy.”

“You’ve got a deal.” Chazz grinned viciously. Just the thought of beating Jaden in front of everyone was more than enough. ‘Alexis won’t even look at you when I’m done, you Slifer slacker!’ He clenched his fists at finally getting the chance to claim victory over Jaden.

-Main Dueling Fields ~ Practical Exam-

“So, Jasmine’s up first, huh?” Drake grinned down at the field where the auburn-haired good stood confidently.

“They call the students up at random, and four Duels take place at the same time across the fields.” Mindy pointed out the other three fields were also in use.

“I can’t wait!” Jaden was practically vibrating in his excitement.

“You’ll get your chance, Jaden.” Alexis grinned at the boy. His love of Dueling matched her own. She was just much calmer about it.

“Who’s her opponent?” Drake asked, seeing the guy across from Jasmine.

“That’s Brandon’s little brother, Roy…he’s just as obnoxious as his older brother too.” Mindy wrinkled her nose at the brown-haired guy.

“Brandon?” Jaden looked confused before he snapped his fingers. “Right, one of the guys that tried to stop us from going to trade with you girls. He wasn’t bad.”

“Look like they’re starting.” Alexis focused on Jasmine’s Duel.

-Jasmine vs Roy-

“Say, Jasmine, how about we go on a date if I win?” Roy suggested with a grin as the two activated their Duel Disks.

“I’d rather date a Slifer.” Jasmine shot back with a roll of her eyes. She left out that a certain specific Slifer would be acceptable. He didn’t need to know that.

“Harsh.” Roy glared at her. “But let’s see how you feel after I win.”

“Losing to me won’t change how I feel in the slightest.” Jasmine had absolute confidence in her victory.

“Duel!” Roy and Jasmine began the match.

Roy – 4,000

Jasmine – 4,000

“I’ll start us off.” Roy smiled at Jasmine in what he probably thought was a charming manner. He drew for his turn and looked over his hand for a second. “I’ll set two facedown cards and then summon Obnoxious Celtic Guard in Attack Position!”

The holograms of two facedown cards appeared. A brief flash of light and Roy’s Monster appeared. It looked identical to the Celtic Guardian (seeing as this was a retrain of the classic Monster, that wasn’t surprising) and the Elf swordsman held his sword at the ready.

Obnoxious Celtic Guard – EARTH – Level 4 – Warrior/Effect – 1400 ATK/1200 DEF

“With that, I’ll end my turn.” Roy finished with a smile.

“I draw.” Jasmine drew her first card and looked over her hand. “I’ll start off by playing the Field Spell, Harpies’ Hunting Ground!” Jasmine placed the card into the Field Spell slot on her Duel Disk. Instantly the entire Dueling Field they were using became a flat land of dirt with some rocks and sparse grasses around it. One could occasionally see a small Monster peeking out from behind the rocks or from the grasses. “Now all Winged-Beast Monsters gain 200 ATK/DEF and every time a Harpie Lady or Harpie Lady Sisters are summoned, the controller of the said Harpie can target one Spell or Trap on the field and destroy it!” With a grin, Jasmine played her next card. “I summon Harpie Channeler in Attack Position!”

In a swirl of black feathers the Monster appeared on the field. Like all Harpies, she was a pretty woman, this particular Harpie having orange-red hair styled into loops. Her outfit was a skintight, strapless, white dress that revealed her cleavage, and stopped at mid-thigh. Black, lacy shorts peeked out from below the dress as well. In one of the Harpie’s taloned hands was a chain attached to a metal collar. In her opposite hand was a staff with a purple jewel on top surrounded by two white wings. Her wings had jet-black feathers that feel around her as her taloned feet touched the ground.

Harpie Channeler – WIND – Level 4 – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1400 ATK/1300 DEF

“Thanks to my Field Spell, she gains 200 ATK/DEF.” Jasmine grinned as her Monster immediately got stronger.

Harpie Channeler – WIND – Level 4 – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1600 ATK/1500 DEF

“Now that I’ve summoned a Harpie, let’s go ahead and destroy that facedown card on your left.” Jasmine pointed at her target for the effect of Harpies’ Hunting Ground.

“I chain Compulsory Evacuation Device!” Roy flipped the Trap card up with a smug grin. “I’ll send your Harpie back to your hand.”

“Fine by me.” Jasmine pulled the card off her Duel Disk and added it to her hand, the hologram fading away on the field. “I’ll just set two facedown cards and end my turn.” Two holograms appeared in front of Jasmine as she passed the turn back.

“My draw!” Roy drew for his turn. “I’m sure that you’re familiar with this card, Jasmine.” He slid a Spell card into his Duel Disk. “I activate Harpies’ Feather Duster!” The Spell card appeared revealing a feathered wing with a handle on the end sweeping a card away. From the hologram a gale of simulated wind blasted across the field.

‘Smug prick.’ Jasmine moved her two facedown cards and her Field spell to the graveyard. ‘Let’s wipe that smirk off his face.’ She held up her hand to stop Roy from continuing, showing that she had a counterplay to use. “By sending my two facedown cards to the graveyard by your card effect, both of their graveyard effects activate!”

“What?!” Roy cried out, not having expected graveyard effects.

“First the graveyard effect of my Harpie Lady Elegance is activated, allowing me to add one ‘Harpie’ Monster from my Deck to my hand.” Jasmine pulled out her Deck and picked the Monster she wanted before returning it to its place and letting the Disk auto-shuffle the Deck. “I choose Harpie Queen!” She showed Roy the card before adding it to her hand. “Next, the graveyard effect of my Harpies’ Feather Storm activates, letting me take one ‘Harpies’ Feather Duster from my Deck and add it to my hand!” Jasmine had a nearly predatory smile as she pulled out her own copy of the powerful Spell card. “That’s all.” She let Roy resume his turn.

“I summon Celtic Guardian in Attack Position!” Roy summoned the original first of his first Monster with a grimace. The green armored Elf swordsman appeared with his cape billowing behind him for a moment.

Celtic Guardian – EARTH – Level 4 – Warrior – 1400 ATK/1200 DEF

“I enter Battle Phase and attack you directly with Obnoxious Celtic Guard!” Roy declared and the retrain Monster charged across the field to slice Jasmine with his sword. Jasmine flinched slightly at the attack as her Life Points dropped.

Roy – 4,000

Jasmine – 2,600

“And next my Celtic Guardian makes a direct attack as well!” Roy pointed at Jasmine. The original version of the Celtic Guardian also charged and attacked Jasmine with his sword.

Roy – 4,000

Jasmine – 1,200

“Your Life Points aren’t looking so good, Jasmine.” Roy pointed out needlessly. “I’ll set the three cards in my hand.” He slid each of his remaining three cards into his Duel Disk, the holograms appearing one after another. He was so close to winning that he could practically taste it. “I end my turn.”

“I draw!” Jasmine drew for her turn and nodded at the card. “First, let’s see how your cards fair. I activate Harpies’ Feather Duster!” She played the same Spell that Roy had before.

“Damn…I forgot she had that.” Roy cursed as he moved his three facedown cards to the graveyard. He couldn’t even chain either of the Traps because Jasmine had no Monsters on the field to target. His Scapegoat card was also useless since he didn’t have enough free Monster Zones. He’d been so certain of his victory after dealing 2,800 points of Direct Damage that he already started acting like he’d won.

“Now, I’ll summon Harpie Channeler again!’ Jasmine played the same Monster with a grin.

In another swirl of black feathers the redheaded Harpie appeared again, staff in one hand and the chain with steel collar in the other.

Harpie Channeler – WIND – Level 4 – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1400 ATK/1300 DEF

“I activate Harpie Channeler’s effect!” Jasmine declared and took a card from her hand. “I send one ‘Harpie’ card to the graveyard,” She slid the Monster into the graveyard with a grin. “And in exchange I can Special Summon one ‘Harpie’ Monster to the field in Defense Position other than Harpie Channeler!” Jasmine quickly searched her Deck and found the exact card that she wanted. “I Special Summon Harpies’ Pet Dragon!” She placed the Monster card horizontally on her Duel Disk.

A blast of yellow-orange fire erupted from the field and a roar was heard. The beast that scattered the flames was a red-scaled dragon. It had an ornamented crest made of metal and gems covering the top of its elongated head. On each side of the dragon’s head was a wing-like protrusion, though they gave off an appearance like large ears. A gold collar was around the dragon’s neck connected to a long golden chain. The dragon roared loudly before taking up a defensive position.

Harpies’ Pet Dragon – WIND – Level 7 – Dragon/Effect – 2000 ATK/2500 DEF

“And for each ‘Harpie Lady’ on the field, my dragon gains 300 ATK/DEF!” Jasmine’s predatory grin had returned as her dragon’s stats increased. It was so handy that every new Harpie Effect Monster was treated as ‘Harpie Lady’ on the field and in the graveyard as one of their effects.

Harpies’ Pet Dragon – WIND – Level 7 – Dragon/Effect – 2300 ATK/2800 DEF

“There it is!” Jaden cheered at getting to see the Harpies’ Pet Dragon this time.

“That’s a neat way to get it onto the field too.” Drake chuckled at Jasmine’s ability to skip the tributes and simply bring the dragon out for free.

“She’s got this.” Mindy looked completely sure of her statement. As if it was a simple fact. That was how much faith she had in Jasmine.

“I can’t recall the last time that Jasmine got the Pet Dragon on the field and lost.” Alexis agreed with a little smile of her own.

“Next up, I’ll use the effect of my Harpie Queen from my hand.” Jasmine held up the card and showed it to Roy. “By discarding her to the graveyard, I can add a Harpies’ Hunting Ground from my Deck to my hand.” She placed the Monster into her graveyard and then searched her Deck to find the Field Spell card. “I activate Harpies’ Hunting Ground!” Jasmine once more placed the card into the Field Spell slot on her Duel Disk. The field returned to the flatlands interspersed with trees, rocks, and grasses.

Harpie Channeler – WIND – Level 4 – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1600 ATK/1500 DEF

Harpie Channeler’s ATK/DEF rose from the field and Jasmine knew exactly which Celtic Guard she was going to target. “I enter Battle Phase! Harpie Channeler attacks Obnoxious Celtic Guard!”

The Harpie launched herself into the air and dive-bombed the Obnoxious Celtic Guard. A swing of her winged-staff and the warrior Monster flew backwards before shattering into pixels. The black-winged Harpie flew back to Jasmine’s side of the field with a wicked smirk on her lips.

Roy – 3,800

Jasmine – 1,200

“I’ll enter Main Phase 2 and set one card before ending my turn.” Jasmine slotted the second-to-last card in her hand before handing the turn over.

“I draw!” Roy eyed the Harpies’ Pet Dragon warily. If that Monster was switched into Attack Position, then he would have a hard time dealing with it. Unfortunately the card he’d just drawn wasn’t going to get rid of it. ‘But I can try and bluff.’ He thought and tried to put on a confident face. “I’ll set one facedown and then switch my Celtic Guardian to Defense Position!” Roy slotted the card and then switched the position of his Monster on his Duel Disk. A hologram appeared behind the Celtic Guardian and the Elf swordsman took up a defensive stance. “With that, I’ll end my turn.”

“Great. I’ll draw.” Jasmine drew for her turn and smiled wickedly at the new card. “If you thought one dragon was bad, here’s another! I summon Harpies’ Pet Baby Dragon!” She placed the new Monster on the field.

A smaller blast of fire went off as the baby version of the Harpies’ Pet Dragon appeared. Holding onto the end of its golden chain was a Monster recognized as Harpie Girl, a younger Harpie and the weakest Monster of the Archetype. The little Harpie let go of the chain and then disappeared from the field.

Harpies’ Pet Baby Dragon – WIND – Level 4 – Dragon/Effect – 1200 ATK/600 DEF

“Cutie!” Mindy cheered so loudly that Jasmine heard her. The auburn-haired girl smiled at the ravenette’s reaction.

“Double dragons, double fun!” Drake joked and got a snicker from Jaden.

“I doubt that Roy feels that way.” Alexis spoke, though the grin on her lips proved that she didn’t much care.

“For every ‘Harpie’ Monster on my field, my Pet Baby Dragon activates another effect!” Jasmine informed Roy with her predatory smile. “With one ‘Harpie’ Monster on the field, you can’t target any ‘Harpie’ Monster for attacks except for Harpies’ Pet Baby Dragon. With two on the field, since Harpies’ Pet Dragon also counts, the Pet Baby Dragon’s ATK/DEF double!”

Harpies’ Pet Baby Dragon – WIND – Level 4 – Dragon/Effect – 2400 ATK/1200 DEF

“Now, I’ll switch my Harpies’ Pet Dragon into Attack Position.” Jasmine turned the card vertical on her Duel Disk and the dragon on the field stood to its full height with a loud roar. “I enter Battle Phase! Harpie Channeler attacks Celtic Guardian!”

Harpie Channeler flew upwards again, before dive-bombing the Celtic Guardian and striking him with her staff. The Elf swordsman went flying and shattered into pixels a second later. Roy could only watch the redheaded Harpie smirk viciously as she flew back to Jasmine’s side of the field between the two dragons.

“Harpies’ Pet baby Dragon attacks you directly! Petit Fire Blast!” Jasmine declared her attack.

“Raaarrr!” The Baby Dragon Let out a rather cute roar before flames gathered in its jaws. The little dragon threw its head forward and launched a fireball at Roy.

“Gah!” Roy cried out as the simulated flames washed over him.

Roy – 1,400

Jasmine – 1,200

“Now, I attack for game with Harpies’ Pet Dragon!” Jasmine announced with a satisfied grin. “Fearsome Fire Blast!”

“ROOOOAAAARRRR!!!” The Harpies’ Pet Dragon’s roar was loud enough to briefly drown out the rest of the fields. Yellow-orange flames gathered in it jaws before it blasted Roy directly with a stream of fire.

“Aaahhh!” Roy felt the heat through the simulation, even if it wasn’t anywhere near real fire.

Roy – 0

Jasmine – 1,200

“Jasmine Makurada wins!” Chancellor Sheppard announced over the speakers while the holograms faded away.

“You did great, Jasmine!” Mindy hollered down to her friend with a beaming smile.

“That was awesome!” Jaden cheered as well.

“Great Duel!” Alexis smiled at Jasmine.

“You’re great, Jasmine, thanks for showing off the dragons!” Drake applauded with a large grin.

Jasmine proved that she could hear her friends quite clearly as she gave them a little bow and then waved as she walked off the field.

“Man…I hope I’m called next!” Jaden was pumped up! He didn’t care who he dueled! He just wanted to throw down!

-End Chapter-

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Dragons are VERY burny! As Roy found out!

Jasmine wins her Practical Duel Exam without too much trouble!

Now, who goes next?

Zane just got some rather blunt comments on his method of being a big brother. Will that make the Number One of the Academy think and realize what he’s done to Syrus with his cryptic words?

The Promotion Exams are just beginning! Will Jaden and Drake earn their way into Ra Yellow?

Keep reading to find out!

Until I get your reviews, later!