Chazz clenched his teeth, his fist trembling as his vision burned red and his blood boiled.
His epic comeback had just been thrown right out the window.
Now, all he had left was his massive 3000 ATK Armed Dragon LV10… and a completely useless Ojama Yellow. Across the field, Yumi commanded three Dinomorphias: two standing tall at 3000 and 3500 ATK, one crouched in defense with 2500 DEF, and a single ominous face-down.
"Battle! Armed Dragon LV10, attack Dinomorphia Rexterm!" Chazz roared. He could've chosen the weaker 2500 DEF Stealthbergia, but Rexterm's effect was too dangerous. If he could at least force mutual destruction, it'd somewhat even the playing field.
His dragon bellowed, wings thrashing as it lunged at the cybernetically enhanced dinosaur.
"Rexterm's effect activates!" Yumi announced coolly. "By paying half my Life Points, I make all of your monsters' ATK equal to my Life Points."
The entire North Academy side nearly coughed blood from rage.
That toxic monster… has an even more toxic effect!?
But Yumi wasn't done. "And Stealthbergia's effect! When my Life Points are 2000 or lower, I can no longer pay Life Points to activate card effects!"
A small change to Stealthbergia, which only worked with Trap Cards and Dinomorphia monsters. This change makes this overall a better monster that can work well as good support for other cards and archetypes.
Rexterm roared, and Armed Dragon LV10's power was crushed under its oppressive aura.
[Armed Dragon LV10, 3000 -> 500 ATK]
The two monsters clashed, but Rexterm shredded the mighty dragon with ease.
[Chazz, LP 4000 -> 1500]
With only Ojama Yellow in his hand, Chazz's expression twisted. Reluctantly, he slammed it onto the field.
"I… Normal Summon Ojama Yellow in defense mode. Turn end."
[Ojama Yellow, 1500 DEF]
"My turn, draw." Yumi slid the top card off his deck, only for his brows to rise in surprise.
The Fang of Critias.
Not the absurd, anime-busted version that could cheat out godlike monsters from thin air. No, this was the real-life version, the toned-down card that only helped him summon certain Extra Deck monsters. His spirit energy wasn't nearly enough to print a reality-bending trap-fusion engine.
Honestly, the only reason he bothered making this version of Critias was because he expected Chazz to be far stronger than his original anime counterpart. Maybe even rocking his famous manga boss monster, Light and Darkness Dragon, the Duel Spirit said to be his true ace. But… apparently, Yumi was giving him too much credit.
Light and Darkness Dragon wasn't something North Academy handed him on a silver platter. It was his to begin with.
Yumi sighed inwardly. His expectations came from how much everyone else had been powering up lately.
Momoyo added the Swordsoul and Tenyi archetypes to her deck.
Celina is looking for more cat-themed cards and Warrior-Beast monster supports.
Rio is trying to master the Ice Barrier.
Jaden has added the Omni-HERO series to his deck, giving him more plays.
Even Zane is looking for the Cyberdark archetype.
Everyone was evolving their decks, becoming stronger duelists. Naturally, Yumi thought Chazz's journey would've leveled him up, too, surpassing his anime version.
Wait… wasn't he forgetting someone?
Alexis: "…"
Yumi shrugged. If it was important, he'd remember.
"I set two cards face down," he said, sliding them onto his field before raising his final card. "Spell card, Card of Sanctity! Both players draw until they have six cards."
The duelists refreshed their hands, the tempo quickening.
"Battle! Rexterm, attack Ojama Yellow!" Yumi commanded.
The cyber-enhanced dinosaur let out a thunderous roar, charging straight for the trembling yellow blob. Ojama Yellow flailed and screamed, pure terror written across his goofy face.
"I activate the Electromagnetic Turtle from my grave, and end your Battle Phase!" Chazz shouted, causing one of the cards in his grave to pop out.
But Yumi only smirked, waving his hand, activating the face-down card he had set the previous turn. "Quickplay Spell, Turn Jump. During the Battle Phase, both players skip to their next three turns."
The entire North Academy side nearly fainted. Their eyes bulged as the duel itself seemed to lurch forward in time, bypassing the Turtle's protection like it was nothing.
Still, Chazz refused to quit. As the turns blurred past, he slapped down a card. "Quickplay spell, Armed Dragon Flash! Special Summon one Level 3 Armed Dragon monster from my deck in defense position!"
A glow lit his field, summoning a small orange dragon clad in bone-like armor, arms crossed with forced bravado.
[Armed Dragon LV3, 900 DEF]
As the skipped turns resolved, it swiftly evolved into LV5.
[Armed Dragon LV5, 1700 DEF]
But when the world snapped back to Yumi's turn, his assault continued mercilessly.
"Rexterm, tear down Ojama Yellow!" The cyber-dino shredded the tiny monster to pieces.
"Kentregina, finish Armed Dragon LV5!" The enhanced dino-girl lunged forward, crimson blades slashing through the chubby dragon.
Yumi glanced at his hand, calm as ever. "I set two cards face down… and activate Card Destruction."
Both duelists discarded their entire hands, then redrew the same number.
Yumi followed up immediately. "Trap card, Jar of Avarice! I shuffle five cards from my grave back into my deck, then draw one more."
He picked out his choices, shuffled smoothly, and drew without hesitation.
"Turn end."
Chazz swallowed hard, sweat forming at his brow as he looked down at his dwindling resources. His hand and deck felt unbearably heavy, while Yumi's side of the field still radiated oppressive control.
"My turn, draw!" Chazz yanked the top card from his deck, his eyes flashing with sudden hope as he looked at what he had pulled.
Ring of Destruction, and he also held a Ring of Defense, the perfect comeback combo!
Even if Rexterm shut down monster effects, that didn't stop him from using a trap to burn Yumi out. And with Ring of Defense, he could shield himself from the backlash. His heart pounded, this was it, the miracle comeback!
"This is my win!" Chazz shouted, confidence surging, only for Yumi's calm voice to cut through like a knife.
"At this moment, it's your fifth turn. Due to Card of Demise, you have to discard your entire hand."
The color drained from Chazz's face. Thanks to Turn Jump, three of his turns had already been skipped, meaning the clock on Demise had run out.
Chazz: "…"
His miracle combo, his last shot, slid helplessly into the graveyard. His hand, his field, his deck, empty. Stripped bare.
He had nothing left.
"Turn… end," Chazz muttered, head bowed in bitter defeat.
Yumi drew without hesitation. "Draw! Kentregina, direct attack!"
The cybernetic dino-girl lunged forward, crimson blades gleaming, as the duel ended with brutal finality.
[Chazz, LP 1500 -> 0]
This year's Duel Academy exhibition match had drawn far more attention than ever before.
Mainly because of the Princeton Corporation's involvement. With their money and influence, the duel was broadcast nationwide, hyped up with ads and teasers until anticipation was sky-high.
So, a lot of people were watching live.
Ordinary duelists curious to learn, bored office workers sneaking a peek, even professional duelists ready to scoff at the rookies, all of them got hooked almost immediately.
Especially from one name: Yumi Uzushi.
How could they forget him after this?
His plays were equal parts ridiculous and brilliant. Blowing up Chazz's entire field with five Kuribohs reminded older fans of how Yugi Muto once turned a fluffy furball into a match-saver.
Then came the poisonous combo of Talisman of Reversal, Trickstar Reincarnation, and Droll & Lock Bird, which had viewers howling. And just when people thought they'd seen it all, Yumi casually summoned three boss monsters during his opponent's turn, something that even seasoned pros couldn't help but respect.
But Chazz earned his share of admiration too. His desperate top-decks, clawing his way back from nothing, made the duel feel like an underdog story in the making. The kind of match where the entire country leans forward, whispering, could he actually do it?
And then… Card of Demise backfired.
The moment everyone saw Chazz discard the perfect comeback hand because of his own card, the nation split between laughter and disbelief. It was poetic justice, cruel irony, and peak comedy all at once.
Even the TV studio erupted, staff pointing at the screens, crying with laughter, until the manager's furious voice cut through:
"Why are you laughing!? CUT! CUT!!"
The sponsor's golden boy was about to get crushed, and the last thing they needed was to broadcast his humiliation.
So, right before Yumi's dino-girl delivered the final blow, every screen flickered to static.
Then a sweet-looking weather host popped up, smiling brightly:
"Now, let's take a quick break for today's weather! Clear skies all across the nation!"
Everyone: "…"
The entire country: "WHAT!?"
Cutting the match at its climax only confirmed what everyone already knew. It wasn't to protect suspense, it was to protect Princeton's pride.
…
Chazz collapsed to his knees, stunned.
He had lost. Miserably. The only reason Yumi's Life Points dropped to 500 was because Yumi chose to pay them himself. From start to finish, Chazz hadn't even scratched him.
Strangely, he wasn't as crushed as he thought he'd be.
It felt… natural.
Why? Had his heart already accepted that he couldn't beat the Strongest Slifer Red?
The realization hit harder than the loss itself.
Worse than losing is getting used to losing.
He had lost to Jaden. Then to Misawa, who in turn lost to Celina. Both Slifer Reds. And now, after losing to Yumi, the strongest Slifer Red of all, he didn't even feel surprised or angry.
If he couldn't beat the weaker ones… how could he ever beat the strongest?
"Gotcha! That was a fun duel!" Yumi grinned, flashing his two-finger pose as he packed away his Duel Disk. "Come back when you're stronger next time."
Chazz: "…"
Chazz gave a bitter smile.
"What are you doing, Chazz!?"
His brothers came stomping down, the eldest barking like an angry boss.
"Do you realize what you've done?" Slade snapped. "You think this was just about you? This was our family's business! Do you know how much we invested, what this loss means for the company?"
Chazz hung his head. "...Sorry."
"Stop it!" Jaden couldn't stand it anymore. He hopped onto the stage like a hero.
"Chazz fought beautifully," Jaden declared. "He gave it his all, and everyone saw it, right?"
The eldest brother glared at the jellyfish-haired Red Dorm kid.
"We don't care about performance. All that matters is the result," Slade said coldly. "He lost. Our investment is gone. That's all. A duel without victory is meaningless."
"No!" Jaden shot back. "Dueling isn't just about winning or losing, it's about what you gain from it!"
The brothers frowned. While Yumi didn't look surprised, after all, during Season 4 of the anime, Jaden really goes above and beyond to help Chazz step into the world of pros and clear his name at the same time; even then, Chazz was nothing more than deadweight for him to carry.
Good for taking out some cannon fodder, but failed when the actual antagonist showed up.
"Chazz has always fought under the pressure you two put on him," Jaden pressed. "Even in pain, he kept going. His real opponent today wasn't AIBO, it was you two."
"What?" Slade scowled.
"But he lost without even scratching his opponent once," Jagger added flatly.
Chazz: "..."
"No," Jaden said firmly. "AIBO could've used any deck, but he chose this one, against Chazz, in the most important match. Do you know why?"
Chazz froze.
Celina squinted. "Because he's a sadistic, narcissistic bastard?" she muttered.
Rio: "!?!"
Alexis: "..."
Rio refused to believe it. Alexis wanted to disagree, but… mentally, she was kind of agreeing.
"Because this deck carries something AIBO wanted to tell you through this duel!" Jaden continued passionately.
Chazz: "??"
Yumi: "??"
Now both were confused.
Is that true? Chazz thought. If there was a message, all he got was: You suck.
I'm not even trying, and you're already down?
"Chazz, when you came back from the Northern school, you didn't just gain new cards, you gained a new friend, right?" Jaden said.
Chazz blinked. At first he thought Jaden meant classmates. Then it hit him. Duel Spirits.
"Yeah, like me! Your most reliable partner!"
Ojama Yellow popped up, wiggling his red underpants on Chazz's shoulder.
Annoyed, Chazz wanted to shred the card on the spot.
"That's it," Jaden smiled. "I saw him appear at the end of the duel. That means you've got a precious Spirit partner."
"Precious? Partner?" Chazz stared in disgust.
Ojama Yellow whimpered. "Boss, did you forget our vows? Or have you moved on from me?"
"Get lost! I never made any promises to you!" Chazz snapped.
"So, you have the Spirit's power, but you never planned to use it, right?" Jaden asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Chazz sneered. "There's no way I'd use that trash in such an important duel."
"But AIBO runs an entire deck of Kuribohs. He still chose a powerful build for this duel, yet even then, he included Kuriboh. Doesn't that say something?"
Yumi: "…"
"There's no such thing as a useless card," Jaden said. "They're just waiting for the right duelist to bring out their potential. Chazz, you've gotten stronger, but you're still chasing power alone. AIBO used this duel to show you that power isn't everything."
He looked at Yumi. "Right, AIBO?"
"Uh… yeah," Yumi nodded, deciding to play along. No way could he admit he just did it to mess with Chazz.
"Yeah, that's right, Boss!" Ojama Yellow cheered, doing a victory dance. "I can be useful too!"
"But Chazz fought beautifully too," Jaden turned to the crowd, hands on his hips. "See? Everyone saw it!"
The Northern students erupted. "King! King! King! Chazz it up!!!"
The chant thundered through the hall.
Chazz was stunned. "But… why? I lost…"
"Because everyone saw your strength and effort," Jaden smiled. "Sometimes the process matters too."
Chazz: "…"
"Don't be ridiculous," Slade cut in. "Losing is losing. Our dream-"
"Correction, your dream. You want Chazz to conquer the Duel Monsters world, expand your empire, and build the Princeton legacy, right?" Yumi interrupted.
The brothers turned.
"You're not wrong. Sometimes results do matter more than process," Yumi said.
Jaden looked at him in surprise. "AIBO…"
"But to you, Chazz is a tool. To him, dueling has been his dream, but it was overshadowed and slowly drowned out under the pressure you caused. That's why he can't move forward. It's you two who limited his growth, making him a waste."
Chazz stared at both of them, eyes shifting.
Jagger opened his mouth, but Slade stopped him. With a final look at Chazz, they walked away.
The Princeton Group and their cameras followed.
It was time for the Academy's reward.
"Now then," Professor Crowler announced onstage, "it's time for the award ceremony for Duel Academy vs. North Academy!"
Everyone perked up.
"Let's welcome the Academy's special prize hostess!"
The students blinked. Academy hostess? That's a thing?
Then they saw Ms. Dorothy strut out in heavy makeup and a backless dress.
"What!?" The new students clutched their eyes, taking psychic damage.
"And now, the winning Chancellor, please step up!"
Sheppard waddled onto the stage, beaming. Ms. Dorothy planted a lipstick kiss on his cheek. He grinned like a fool.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Foster of North Academy collapsed against Chazz, bawling.
"Chazz! Next year, you must get stronger, even stronger!" He sobbed. "Next year, we must win! Ms. Dorothy… you may have to stay with that bastard Sheppard for now, but wait for meee! Uwaaa!!"
Chazz stood stiff as a board. "Uh, Chancellor… sorry. I've decided. I'll stay at Main Campus from now on."
"Huh!?"
Foster froze solid.
"Yeah," Chazz said. "I've got unfinished business here."
Foster: "…"
Not only did he lose Ms. Dorothy's kiss this year, his ace was defecting too.