"Aniki…"
Syrus's voice came out tight.
"I quit."
Mash froze.
For a moment, he just stared at Syrus, like his brain had refused to process the words.
"You what...?" Mash asked slowly.
"Yeah, you heard what I said..." Syrus said, forcing himself to meet his eyes. "I quit—"
"YOU WHAAAT!?!??"
Mash snapped.
Cards flew up into the air as he stood to his feet. He glared down at Syrus like a tiger eyeing its prey, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white.
Syrus flinched, his shoulders tightening, but he didn't take the words back.
"What about the three days I taught you?!" Mash suddenly shouted. "Was all of that for nothing?!"
"Of course not!" Syrus said quickly. "It's just that…"
He hesitated, his fingers curling into themselves.
"Aniki-no… Mash…"
Syrus corrected himself with his voice shaking from anxiety.
"I don't think I can play Speedroids in the tag duel-"
"NONSENSE!!!"
Mash slammed his palm against the study desk, Which surprised Syrus to his core. Mash then pointed a finger straight at Syrus.
"YOU. learned Synchro Summoning and memorized every single card in your deck in ONE. SINGLE. DAY! And it's only been day three, there are still three days left until the tag duel!"
"You still have time to master it!"
Mash leaned forward as if sheer force of will could push the confidence into him, but Syrus only frowned harder.
"Well how would you know!?" Syrus yelled back. "You've seen how I've been these past two days! I can't execute the combo! Let alone do Synchro climbing, Mash!"
"That's because I gave you a long ass hard combo!" Mash shot back. "I should've started you on short, easy, bread-and-butter combos, which is what I'm about to teach you right now!"
For a moment, Syrus looked like he wanted to believe that.
Then he hesitated.
"B-but..."
"But what?!" Mash pressed.
"I still think I can't-"
"OOOHHHH MYYYYY GOOOOODDDDD!!!!!" Mash groaned loudly, dragging a hand through his hair before leaning against the study desk beside him. "Why can't you see the potential in yourself…?"
He sucked in a breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Syrus just sat there, watching dejectedly like he was waiting to be yelled at again.
"Fine," Mash said at last, straightening up. "Let's say you quit my teaching. Then what? Are you still gonna use Speedroid?"
"N-No!" Syrus stood up suddenly. "I won't use Speedroids!"
"Then what are you gonna use?" Mash asked, genuinely confused. "You know your old deck is Speedroids now, right?"
"I know..." Syrus said, as he pulls out {Power Bond} from his pocket, staring down at it. "which is why I'm gonna make a new deck from scratch with the packs from the card shop."
Mash paused for a second.
Mash had this terrible feeling in his chest that somehow, he knew what deck Syrus was about to make.
But he had to make sure.
"S-Sy…" Mash said slowly, cold sweat forming. "What deck… are you making?"
Syrus hesitated. Then he looked at Power Bond one more time and made up his mind.
"I'm... Gonna go and make my Vehicroids deck again-"
"Are you fucking shitting me right now, Sy?"
Mash cut in, his voice and expression was dangerously calm.
Syrus startled hearing this.
Mash stepped closer, with rage boiling with each word. "Are you seriously fucking shitting me right now, Sy?"
Syrus stayed silent.
"You realize how much stronger Speedroids are compared Vehicroids, right?"
Syrus nodded.
"Then you do realize you just wasted three days of learning... just to crawl back to Vehicroids?" Mash added.
Syrus mouth opened, but it quickly close. Though inside Syrus, something was brewing.
"Vehicroids are pathetic, clunky, and worthless deck compared to Speedroids."
Syrus hands curled to a fist, now something inside of him was now boiling.
"Because-!"
"WHY WOULD YOU EVER GO BACK TO THAT FUCKING PIECE OF TRASH DECK!!" Mash cut Syrus off. "WHEN THERE IS SOMETHING LIKE SPEEDROIDS WHICH IS BETTER THAN-"
"BECAUSE VEHICROIDS THE CLOSEST THING I'LL EVER HAVE TO MY BROTHER'S CYBER DRAGONS!!!"
Syrus suddenly snapped at Mash.
Which took Mash by surprise while also calming him down because of Syrus sudden outburst.
Then Mash paused to process what Syrus said.
"Closest thing...?" Mash repeated.
Then Mash realized something.
Mash remembered, that in the GX world, Cyber Dragons are actually exclusive, one-of-a-kind cards from the Cyber dragon dojo. The only way for you to get Cyber Dragon's is to be the dojo representative like his brother Zane is.
"I-If I'm not like my brother Zane…" Syrus said quietly, voice shaking, "…then I'm not a strong duelist."
"That's... just how it is."
Syrus looked down at the floor. His hands clenched into his pants, trembling. Tears welled up in his eyes, threatening to spill, and his whole body jittered like he was barely holding himself together.
Mash didn't say anything.
He just stared at Syrus, a quiet knot of guilt twisting in his chest. For a brief moment, he almost apologized.
Almost.
Then his thoughts began to drift, as he begin piecing together everything he'd seen over the past few days.
How Syrus picked up Synchro Summoning with surprising ease. How he memorized every single card in his deck in one night. How confidently he could explain each effect, each interaction, right up until Mash told him to actually use it in a real duel.
[So why…] Mash wondered, eyes narrowing slightly, [Why does he struggle so badly with a combo he's already seen a dozen times?]
And then it finally clicks.
[It's not that Syrus isn't able to do the combo...]
[It's just that his mind blocked him from even doing the combo!]
[Because he's scared that if he were to learn Speedroids, he wouldn't be like Zane no more!]
[So Syrus isn't afraid of failure... He's afraid of change!]
Mash analyzed and concluded in his head all the information, but then he sighed as he realized something.
[Ugh... Is every problem this kid have go back to Zane...?]
Mash squirmed internally while trying to keep a straight face.
[Well... There is one thing that I could do right now that could help Syrus.]
Mash looked at Syrus again, who was still looking down but now there was some tears dropping down towards the floor.
Without another word, Mash turned and walked toward his bunk bed. Syrus stiffened, thinking he already gave up on him. Until Mash sit down at the side of his bunk bed.
"Hey, Sy."
Mash called out to Syrus
Sy turned to Mash with a surprised face, and was even more surprised seeing Mash gesture for him to sit beside him on the side of the bunk bed with a warm smile.
"Just come here and sit with me for a minute." Mash said in a rare warm tone. "We need to talk."
"T-Talk?" Syrus repeated.
Syrus hesitated for a moment, heart pounding, before slowly walking over and sitting beside Mash on the bunk.
Syrus took a glance at Mash.
Truth be told, Mash had always felt… odd to Syrus.
He had an annoying, smug, and arrogant personality, paired with a mouth that spat profanity as if it were second nature. On top of that, Mash had a habit of swinging wildly between moods. One second he could be furious over something trivial, and the next he would calm down as though nothing had happened at all.
Jaden once pointed this out to him, but Mash only shrugged and said it was something he picked up from playing a control deck, though he admitted it had weakened badly over time. That explanation only confused Syrus further and cemented Mash in his mind as a very odd person.
However, if there was one thing Syrus was certain of, it was that Mash was a really good friend.
He always helped whenever there was a problem. Not too long ago, he had even risked his life to save his friends. And now, while teaching Syrus, Mash had been nothing but patient.
No matter what kind of mistake Syrus made, Mash would point it out, correct him, and even give him hints instead of scolding him. Over the past few days, he had been like a genuine teacher to Syrus, just like that time when Mash coached him against Jaden.
[And I betrayed him.]
Syrus started to feel the guilt of his actions.
[I betrayed his trust.]
[His expectations.]
[And worst of all… his effort.]
Syrus stared down at the floor, his hands clenched tightly in his lap.
[And now he wants to talk to me.]
His chest tightened painfully.
[He's going to tell me how useless I am.]
[How I'm a coward for running back to my old deck.]
[How I'll never-ever-become as good as my brother.]
[How such a failure... I really am-!]
"So..." Mash suddenly started.
"When you said Vehicroids were the closest thing to Zane's Cyber Dragons…" Mash continued, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Why Vehicroids specifically?"
Syrus blinked.
"I mean, there are tons of Machine archetypes out there. And after some though, some of them are way closer to Cyber Dragons in playstyle than Vehicroids. So why stick with Vehicroids?" Mash went on casually, like nothing happened.
Syrus could only stare at Mash in disbelief, as if the question had detonated right in front of him.
"Hey."
Mash snapped his fingers inches from Syrus's face.
Syrus jolted. "Ah-! Uh... s-sorry! I was just… um… spacing out!" He rubbed the back of his head, and his cheeks was burning with embarrassment.
"?" Mash stared confusedly at Syrus.
"Oh-uh... about your question," Syrus force himself to calm down to explain. "Vehicroids... Are the first ever deck that I created seriously to imitate my brother's deck."
"I found the archetype by accident," Syrus went on. "I was just opening random packs, not expecting anything. Until... I pulled {Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill}"
"I don't know what came over me that day," Syrus said quietly. "But the moment I saw it, I decided... this is it. These are the monsters I'm going to use."
Syrus paused.
"I'm gonna be using these Vehicroids monsters to make my own deck."
Mash raised an eyebrow, amused.
"After that, I kind of went crazy," Syrus said with a small, sheepish laugh. "I broke open every piggy bank I owned, used all my allowance, and even spend some money on individual cards."
"I didn't stop, until... The deck was finally complete."
As he spoke, a genuine smile appeared on Syrus's face one filled with pride and nostalgia.
"It was my own deck, that I made by my own effort. I still remembered how happy I was when I finished the deck."
Mash nodded slowly, smiling back without even realizing it.
"So... With the new completed deck, how did it go?" Mash asked, keeping his tone light, "How is the winrate?
Syrus's smile faded, as he let out a long sigh.
"I lost..."
"So many times..."
"That I honestly stopped counting..."
Mash eyes widened. "Oh..."
Mash looked away instinctively, feeling pretty guilty for asking that question.
"But..." Syrus added.
Mash glanced back.
"The times that I did win, whether by using {Power Bond} or just brute force..."
Syrus smiled warmly.
"They were... the best experience of my life."
Mash stared at Syrus a bit shocked.
This was a side of Syrus that has never been shown in the anime, and even all of this minor info was new news to Mash.
[Sheesh...] Mash thought. [ In the anime, I saw you as a pathetic fucking loser that can only cling to Jaden like a glue.]
[But now… I'm seeing you in a whole different light.]
Syrus noticed Mash staring and flinched slightly. "Ah! I-I forgot your second question!"
Syrus straightened up, taking a breath. "Uh... I-I never really tried any other Machine decks besides Vehicroids. So… I guess that's why I kept sticking with them. Sorry if the answer was a but mediocre..."
"Hm…" Mash nodded thoughtfully. "It's fine, you don't have to apologize.."
Mash was cal on the outside.
But inside his head, he was ecstatic.
[YES!!!] Mash practically pumped his fist in his head. [This is going way better than expected.]
[I knew Syrus was the type to overshare once you get him talking.]
[Which means... That MAsh PersoNal TherApy TaLking session or ANAL Session for short, is super effective on Syrus.] Mash nodded in his head feeling proud, even though this is the first time he's ever done this.
Ever since he was a kid, Mash had always been sharp when it came to other people's emotions. He possessed a surprisingly high emotional intelligence (EQ), able to notice changes in tone, subtle expressions, and even the slightest hesitation in someone's voice. Things that most people would overlook stood out clearly to him.
Unfortunately, Mash usually used this talent for the wrong reasons. More often than not, he weaponized his awareness to provoke people, pushing their buttons until they snapped or broke down in tears.
This moment, however, was one of the rare exceptions. For once, Mash chose to use his talent for something good.
[And now…] Mash smirked inwardly. [I'm going to use this talent to shatter that mental block of yours.]
[Prepare yourself, firewall in Syrus's brain.]
[Because I'm about to mentally hack the hell out of you.]
[GYAHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO]
Back in the real world, Mash glanced sideways at Syrus.
"Uhm... Syrus." Mash called out, and Syrus turned his head to see him.
Mash paused for a moment, hesitating.
Because the question he was about to say was pretty... personal, which means that the questions has a chance to fail when asked.
But it also meant that said question can damage the mental block very effectively.
So... Mash has no choice, but to go all in.
"Syrus..." Mash called again nervously.
"Hm?" Syrus tilted his head.
"Why do you idolize your brother so much?" Mash asked carefully. "Even though he treated you pretty… coldly."
Syrus's eyes widened.
He didn't answer right away.
Instead, he turned his head, staring at the wall across from them. His expression went blank and unreadable.
The atmosphere inside the room suddenly became silent and tense.
And a sweat drop down from Mash cheeks.
[…Did I fuck it up?]
Then Syrus spoke.
"My brother…" he said slowly. "Didn't to be so cold to me all the time..."
Mash blinked. "Huh?"
"In the past… Zane was actually a kind older brother." Syrus continued quietly.
Mash eyes widened. [Holy shit it worked! And now... I'm getting some lore!?]
"And Zane... was the person who introduced and taught me how to play Duel Monster."
---
More than a decade ago...
Little Syrus who was in kindergarten sat cross-legged on the living room carpet, carefully shuffling and looking through his deck.
Until...
Click.
The sound of the front door opening snapped his head up.
"Ah!" Syrus's eyes lit up as he scrambled to his feet and sprinted down the hallway. "Big brother!"
"Hey, Syrus!"
Zane, still in his second-grade uniform, crouched down with a warm smile the moment Syrus reached him. He unzipped his backpack and pulled out several shiny Duel Monsters packs.
"Look what I got," Zane said proudly. "It's the newest packs of Duel Monster."
"Woooow!!" Syrus gasped, his eyes practically sparkling. "Do you think there's a Blue-Eyes in there!?"
"Hahaha. Maybe." Zane chuckled softly and ruffled Syrus's hair. "But first, you'll have to help me open them."
"I heard there are lot's of good cards in this pack, so we can use it to finally upgrade our decks."
"Mm!" Syrus nodded eagerly, bouncing on his heels.
Back then, Zane was the perfect big-brother figure to Syrus. Unlike the Zane of the present, he was kind, caring, gentle and always helping Syrus whenever he needed it. Every day after coming home from school, Zane would spend his allowance on card packs.
Syrus would eagerly help his brother open them, and whenever they pulled a good card, they would add it straight into their decks. Their decks were far from optimized, stuffed with random cards they happened to get from the packs and some were just monsters they deemed cool.
But once they were done opening cards and making small upgrade...
They would duel on the dinner table.
"I tribute {Armored Lizard} to summon the almighty {Amphibian Beast}!" Syrus shouted as he shove Armored Lizard to his Graveyard pile and dramatically slam a card down.
{Amphibian Lizard|6 Star|Water|Fish/Normal| ATK: 2400 DEF: 2000}
"Now I attack you directly and win this game!" Syrus pointed across the table.
[Zane LP: 1600 -> 0]
"Ahhh!" Zane clutched his chest and staggered backward theatrically. "I've been defeated! Curse you, Syrus the Champion!"
"Haha!" Syrus stood on top his chair and crossed his arms triumphantly. "In the face of the champion, you will never win!"
"Hahaha. I guess so." Zane laughed and gently rubbed Syrus's head. "Good job on defeating me, I really didn't expect that."
"I'm really proud of you."
"Hehehe." Syrus giggled, his chest swelling with happiness.
This was their routine.
Waiting for Zane to come home. Opening packs together. Playing Duel Monsters until bedtime.
To Syrus, it was heaven.
And surely...
It would last forever.
Right...?
---
One evening, while the two of them were opening packs as usual, Zane suddenly spoke up.
"Syrus, look."
He handed Syrus a neatly folded piece of paper.
"I joined my school's dueling club."
Syrus stared at it for a second before his face lit up.
"Woah! Really!?" Syrus clapped his hands. "That's amazing! Congratulations, big bro!"
To be a member of their school dueling club, one must challenge and defeat one of the member inside the club. This was no easy task, as each member in the club was the most skilled duelist on the school. (Though it was easily exploited by challenging the weakest member.)
"Well," Syrus said proudly, puffing out his chest, "if it's my brother, then beating them must've been a piece of cake!"
"Haha." Zane chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "It was… a close duel."
Zane lied. He absolutely destroyed one of the strongest member in the club without losing his Life Points even a single point.
"Afterward, they signed me up for a tournament this Saturday," Zane continued. "and I want you to come watch."
"A TOURNAMENT!?? MY BROTHER IS COMPETING IN A TOURNAMENT!??" Syrus screamed.
"Now, now, it is just a local rookie tournament." Zane said humbly. "You don't have to be this excited."
"BUT STILL! My brother is competing in a tournament! How can I not get excited!?" Syrus was jumping with excitement.
"And I can't wait to watch it!"
Zane smiled warmly, watching Syrus practically vibrate with joy.
---
At the tournament day...
Zane was a monster.
He wasn't just good.
He was terrifying.
A completely new name in the tournament scene with a mismatched deck full of random and favorite looking cards, and yet... match after match, opponent after opponent... He tore through them all.
By the time he reached the finals…
Not a single person had managed to reduce his Life Points.
Even once.
And in the finals table of the tournament, Zane LP was still full.
[Manly LP: 1200 | Zane LP: 4000]
"My {Gaia the Dragon Champion} attacks your {Breaker the Magical Warrior}!" Zane declared. "And with the effect of the equip spell {Stim-Pack}, it'll raise my monster attack by 700!"
"Which will be enough to end this game!" Zane added.
{Gaia the Dragon Champion: ATK: 2600 -> 3300}
{Breaker the Magical Warrior: ATK: 1600}
The adult man across from him stared in disbelief.
"I… lost?" he muttered. "To a second grader… and I didn't even touch his Life Points?"
"THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!!!" Manly screamed.
{Manly LP: 1200 -> 0}
"AND THE WINNER IS...! ZANE TRUESDALE!!"
The announcer's voice boomed as the crowd erupted into cheers.
Zane stood up from the chair and raising a fist into the air.
"BIG BROTHEEERRR!!" Syrus screamed from the audience, jumping out of his seat, and hands waving wildly.
Zane spotted him and waved back with a smile.
"SUCH A PERFECT VICTORY FROM ZANE TRUESDALE!" the announcer exclaimed. "Not once during this entire tournament did Zane Truesdale lose a single Life Points, folks!"
"So how about the Rookie Champion tell to us folks...!" The announcer said as he walk to Zane side then lean to him with a microphone extended.
"how did you do it?"
Zane hesitated as he took the mic with an awkward smile, then he glanced toward Syrus.
"Well…" He smiled sheepishly. "I guess I had a really good training partner."
"Haha!" Zane chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.
Syrus froze.
[So… the reason my brother won… was because of me?]
Syrus smile stretched impossibly wide.
"Well, well, seems like whoever this training partner is... You're gonna have to split all of this rewards!!!"
The announcer then handed Zane a massive trophy the height of himself, a large check for ¥100,000 and...
An air fryer.
"Ugh..! Thanks...!" Zane awkwardly struggled to hold everything at once.
"APPLAUSE EVERYONE TO OUR ROOKIE CHAMPION OF THIS TOURNAMENT!!!" The announcer shouted to the mic.
The crowd roared in celebration, especially Syrus, who clapped his hand so hard it's getting red as an apple.
Everyone celebrated, all except one man.
A tall figure stood at the edge of the room, face hidden beneath a trench coat and hat.
He then raised a phone to his ear.
"Director Sheppard," the man said quietly. "I think I've found someone worth teaching..."
A grin curled beneath the shadows.
"For the Cyber Dojo."
---
A few days after the tournament…
Knock. Knock.
There was a knocking on the front door.
"Syrus!" Zane called from the kitchen, he was busy cooking Karaage. "Can you check the door for me?"
"Okay!" Syrus replied, already sprinting down the hallway.
Little Syrus swung the door open and froze.
Standing there was a tall man dressed impeccably in a black tuxedo, with a straight posture, and a polite but unreadable expression. He looked completely out of place in their modest home.
"G-Good afternoon…" Syrus said anxiously.
The man smiled faintly. "Good afternoon. My name is Joe Joeharajoe."
He bowed slightly.
"I come representing the Cyber Dojo."
Syrus blinked.
"And I'm here to speak with someone named Zane Truesdale."
After that, Joe was soon invited inside, sitting in the living room with Zane and their parents. Syrus lingered nearby, pretending to tidy up while secretly listening.
Joe explained everything calmly and professionally.
The Cyber Dojo had taken notice of Zane's performance, especially on the very recent tournament. With his talent they wished to scout him, train him and mold him into a professional duelist. Someone worthy of inheriting the Cyber Style of the dojo, alongside the Cyber Dragons.
Zane's parents were stunned, even Zane himself starts to think that this is all a dream. He pinch his cheeks, and yep, it hurts.
To Zane, becoming a professional duelist wasn't merely a goal; it was his dream. His parents thought the same, knowing that a pro duelist could gain sponsors, endorsements, and a secure future.
The contract was signed without hesitation.
The living room filled with smiles as Zane shook hands with Joe, his parents congratulating him from both sides.
The only person in the room that wasn't smiling.
Was Syrus.
Because he know that his big brother.
Would be leaving home.
For a long time.
---
The next day, the day of departure.
Zane stood by the front door, with suitcase packed filled with his clothes, he was ready to leave. Their parents stood nearby, giving some final reminders and encouragement.
"Alright, Mom. Dad." Zane smiled warmly. "I'm heading out."
He waved at them goodbye and as he took a step forward, he felt something tug at his clothes.
Zane looked back to see Syrus had grabbed onto his jacket, his small hands trembling as tears poured down his face.
"Big brother…!" Syrus sobbed. "Please don't go…!"
"Syrus…" Zane knelt down immediately with a concerned expression.
"I'll only be gone for a little while," he said gently, rubbing Syrus's head. "I'll be back before you know it."
"B-but I don't want you gone!" Syrus said sadly. "I want you to stay here! I want you to always be here! Please...!"
Syrus then cried his eyes out, as his tears wet his shirt and floor.
Zane look at Syrus with concern, he rubbed Syrus's cheeks as he searched desperately for a way to calm him.
And he got it.
Zane reached into his deck box and pulled out three cards.
"Syrus." Zane said gently as he held out a card to Syrus.
Syrus sniffed, and slowly look at the card.
It was {Power Bond}
"Syrus." Zane said calmly. "Even if I'm not here... And whether I am at school or training in the dojo..."
He placed the cards into Syrus's trembling hands.
"We're still brothers, and nothing will change that."
"So I'll give you this card, to represent that bond. That no matter how far apart we are... We have a strong and powerful bond." Zane smiled gently. "And you'll always be my little brother, no matter what."
Syrus stared at the cards, his sobbing slowly quieting.
"Of course... I would have not one, but two of the card." Zane added with a grin as he hold out two {Power Bond} to Syrus.
"Because I am such a big bad older brother, and you can do nothing about it." Zane teased.
"Ah Big Brother is taking all the good cards again!" Syrus pouted. "You're always so greedy!"
"Hahaha..." Zane laughed. "Too bad."
With that, Zane stood up, picked up his suitcase, and opened the door.
Before leaving, he looked back one last time of his little brother.
"Goodbye, Syrus." Zane said with a subtle sad expression.
"Don't forget to help Mom around the house while I'm gone."
"Mm!" Syrus nodded firmly. "I will!"
Finally... the door closed.
Zane left.
And Syrus waited.
He stood by the door.
Everyday.
Waiting.
And waiting.
Hoping that his brother be back soon.
Syrus waited for...
---
A day later...
---
A week later...
---
A month later...
---
A year later...
---
3 years later...
Knock. Knock.
Syrus's head snapped up.
"IT'S BIG BROTHER!!" Syrus screamed.
Now a second grader, Syrus bolted down the hallway, feet slapping against the floor as he threw the front door open without a second thought.
There he was.
Zane.
His Big Brother was back!
For a heartbeat, Syrus's face lit up with a wide smile.
But then it faltered.
Something was wrong.
Zane stood taller than Syrus remembered. But it wasn't his height that froze Syrus in place. Because his usual warm, gentle and caring smile reserved for Syrus...
Was gone.
Replaced by a cold and stoic expression like it was carved from stone.
"B-big Brother...?" Syrus said with unease.
Zane turned and looked down on Syrus with a icy cold glare, so cold that it felt like the air itself has dropped.
"Hello, Syrus," Zane said flatly.
"…Long time no see."
__________________________________________
Sorry took too long, I forgot to brought my laptop on my vacation, and writing on the phone makes me want to kill myself.
Anyway, hope you enjoy I know I did, Chiao!
__________________________________________