It was noon recess when Mash's voice suddenly exploded across the classroom.
"HOLY SHIT, YOU DID WHAT!?????"
Several students turned with annoyed looks at the outburst, only to stiffen when Lovely shot them a sharp glare that could have cut glass. One by one, they wisely looked away.
Then Mash leaned in far too close to Syrus's face, eyes wide with disbelief. "So you're saying that you somehow managed to build an end board that finishes on four boss monsters?"
"That's… literally what I said," Syrus replied, leaning back as Mash invaded his personal space. "Though technically, that one was more like two boss monsters and two really strong monsters."
"Which is why I also came up with another version that actually ends on three proper boss monsters!" Syrus added brightly.
Mash stared at him, completely flabbergasted.
"Damn, Syrus. Just a few days ago you were struggling to even get through the combo, and now…" He dramatically wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Boy, you really outdid yourself."
"Mm!" Syrus bounced slightly in his seat, unable to contain his excitement. "Praise me, Aniki!"
"Alright, alright. Here you go." Mash laughed and reached over to pat and ruffle Syrus's hair. "You did an excellent job, Syrus. I'm proud of you."
"Ehe…" Syrus couldn't stop the blissful smile spreading across his face.
"Aw~ No fair, Darling~!" Lovely suddenly popped up in front of Mash's desk with an exaggerated pout. "I want head pats too~!"
Mash sighed in mock exasperation but used his other hand to pat Lovely's head as well. "There you go, Lovely. You're really clingy, though that's what I like about you. Good girl~"
"Ehe~" Lovely smiled just as blissfully.
On the other side of the desk, Jaden, Chumley, Winged Kuriboh, and even Alexis stared at the interaction with confused and shocked expressions.
"Hey, you three…" Alexis leaned in toward them and lowered her voice. "What happened yesterday? I don't remember Syrus being this close to Mash…"
The three glanced back at Mash and Syrus again.
"Me too, Alexis," Jaden replied, also shocked. "You know, usually at breakfast, Sy sits on my side of the bench, while Chumley sits on the other side with Mash."
"But today… Sy sat right next to Mash at breakfast!" Jaden said as if it were the most groundbreaking thing he'd seen that morning. "Something sus is definitely going on between those two!"
"Don't forget he started calling Mash 'Aniki' out of nowhere," Chumley added.
"Kuriboh!" Winged Kuriboh nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, and there's that too!" Jaden said, pointing a thumb at Chumley. "He thought we wouldn't notice at breakfast, so we acted like we didn't. But at this point, it's impossible not to notice."
"Hmm…" Alexis tapped a finger thoughtfully against her chin. "Well, Mash has been helping Syrus prepare for the upcoming tag duel. But even then… this is a pretty drastic change overnight. Something must have happened between them. Probably last night."
"But what could it be…?"
Alexis thought about it for a moment, but before she could reach a conclusion...
"Hey, you three!" Mash shouted.
They all looked at him.
"You thought I wouldn't notice you guys talking behind my back, huh?!" Mash shouted angrily before slinging an arm around Syrus's shoulders. "C'mon, Sy! Let's go somewhere else where they're not gonna bother us while we train!"
"Uh… okay," Syrus said, more or less resigning himself as Mash led him out of the classroom.
"Waaah~ Wait for me, Darling~!" Lovely cried as she hurried after them.
Watching the trio leave, the remaining four exchanged looks before sighing.
"Well… as long as the end result is positive, I don't think there's a problem," Alexis said with a small smile, crossing her arms.
Chumley nodded. "I don't mind either. What do you think, Jay?"
"I don't think it's a problem at all!" Jaden gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "After all, he's training Sy for our tag duel, right?!"
"So I say, let him cook!"
Meanwhile, Mash, Syrus, and Lovely walked down the academy hallway.
"Sy-chan~ You've been calling my Darling 'Aniki' this whole time, right~?" Lovely said sweetly as she leaned closer to Syrus. "So why don't you call me Ne-san from now on~?"
Syrus stiffened slightly. "U-uh… okay then, Labri-neesan…"
"AAAAH~!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT~!!! I HAVE A CYUTE WITTLE BWOTTHER NOW~!!!" Lovely couldn't handle her excitement as she jumped up and down, clasping her hands to her cheeks.
Mash and Syrus looked at her with wry smiles.
"All this time you've been teasing Syrus, and now you're this affectionate toward him…" Mash chuckled. Then a thought crossed his mind. "Hey, Lovely. Now that Syrus is reaching a solid level in his Speedroid mastery, why don't you help him train by dueling him yourself?"
"Ooh~! I get to help Sy-chan train now~? Of course I will~!" Lovely cheered.
Mash nodded and turned to Syrus with a grin. "So, are you ready to start the next level of your training?"
Syrus met his gaze and nodded firmly. "Mm! Of course I am."
"Aniki!"
The three continued down the corridor, unaware that they had just passed a three-way intersection.
But standing in the adjacent hallway…
Was Zane.
Zane looked at the three of them walking away. Though he overheard only a fraction of their conversation, it was just enough to catch something crucial.
"Aniki…?" Zane repeated flatly.
Then suddenly, for reasons he couldn't quite name, his chest tightened with a strange feeling of pain. Though he quickly dismissed it and turned away, heading toward Alexis's classroom as if nothing had happened.
Probably.
---
Sunday night, 9:26 PM.
"WAAAA~!!! I LOST AGAIN~!!! I can't believe Sy-chan is this strong nowww~!!!" Lovely cried dramatically before throwing herself at Mash and clinging to him like a pillow.
"Y-Yeah… me too," Mash muttered, awkwardly patting her in her back. Even as he comforted her, his eyes remained fixed on the field in front of them, still stunned by Syrus improvement in his dueling skill.
He exhaled slowly, then looked at Syrus with a crooked smile. "Even I am starting to lose to you regularly now... Even when using my HERO deck."
Syrus's face lit up instantly, though he tried to play it down. "O-Oh, it was nothing, Aniki… I just got lucky, that's all." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, unable to hide the pride creeping into his grin.
Mash only smiled warmly at him.
It was the sixth day of Syrus's training for the upcoming tag duel. Inside Mash's dorm room, the three of them sat on the carpeted floor amid scattered cards and deck boxes. Syrus and Lovely had just finished another mock duel. True to her word, Lovely wasn't using her signature Labrynth deck this time; instead, she had switched to Dragonmaids to give Syrus a better chance and experience at improving.
Syrus could build his end board now. That much was certain. But if he lacked real duel experience for example, he couldn't adapt, read the field, or recover under pressure then he would be nothing more than a one-trick pony.
That was why, for the past several nights, Mash and Lovely had taken turns dueling him relentlessly. They pushed him into awkward position, interrupt his combo, and forced him to think ahead. They made him lose. They made him win. And slowly, steadily, Syrus had begun shaping his deck and his instincts into something uniquely his own.
"Now…" Mash said at last, breaking the comfortable silence. "I think this marks the end of our training sessions."
Syrus froze.
He looked up at Mash and Lovely with wide eyes, his mouth parting slightly before closing again. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
"So..." Mash continued, a faint smirk tugging at his lips, "I think I should give you something to celebrate."
He reached into his pocket and slid a single card across the carpet toward Syrus. He picked it up and was shocked at what he got.
"T-This…! This is such a-"
"Summon it ONLY in an emergency situation," Mash said quietly, the teasing tone gone from his voice. His expression was serious now.
The two of them locked eyes.
After a brief pause, Syrus nodded firmly.
"Mm! Thank you so much, Aniki and Nee-san!" Then he suddenly bent forward into a perfect ninety-degree bow. "Thank you so much for training me this past week!"
Mash and Lovely exchanged a glance before nodding in unison, smiling at him.
Still bowing, Syrus quickly wiped at his eyes before straightening and adjusting his glasses. But when he looked up again, his expression soured.
"I'm sorry if I've been a hassle to you guys during training. Especially in those first few days…" His gaze dropped to the carpet. "And also, that I may not be like my brother when it comes to- Mph!?"
Suddenly, Lovely hand shot forward as a slender finger pressed firmly against his lips.
"Sy-chan~ Please never utter those last words again~" She said with an pressuring smile. "You are strong now. Strong enough that comparing yourself to anyone else is an insult to your own growth. So don't you dare shrink yourself like that again, understand~?"
Syrus stiffened, now feeling a bit guilty inside. "Ah- Uh- S-sorry. I-it's just that-"
"Syrus."
Mash's voice cut in.
Syrus turned toward him as he saw Mash sigh.
"Throughout this whole training session, I was never training someone named 'Zane's little brother.' I wasn't training 'Zane's shadow.' And I definitely wasn't training some fuckin 'Zane's disappointment.'"
"Throughout this whole session. The only person I've been training… is Syrus Truesdale."
Syrus's eyes widened.
"And the only thing I want from that person," Mash continued, placing a steady hand on his shoulder, "is for him to become the best version of himself and have pride in that."
The room fell silent.
Syrus felt his vision blur again as Mash's words replayed in his mind, one after another, sinking deeper than any strategy lesson ever had.
"So please, Syrus," Mash said softly, squeezing his shoulder. "stop doubting yourself… and start believing in yourself."
Syrus stared at him, eyes trembling behind his glasses as every word sank in. His vision blurred again, but this time he didn't look away.
He took a breath.
Then another.
Slowly, he wiped his eyes, straightened his back, and lifted his chin. When he looked at Mash again, there was a fierce, determined look on his face as if to say, "He's ready."
"Mm! Understood, Aniki!" Syrus shouted.
Before he could say anything more, Mash reached up and ruffled his hair firmly, a warm smile finally breaking across his face.
"Good. Now get your ass to bed. We're ending this final session early so you can have as much rest as you possibly can."
"Alright! Thanks again Aniki! And good night, Labri-neesan!"
Syrus gave them both one last grateful nod before heading toward the door. But just as his hand had just reached for the knob...
"Wait, wait, wait!"
Mash suddenly called at Syrus.
"I just remembered! There's one more thing I want to say!"
Syrus blinked and turned back around.
"Hm?"
---
Monday.
The single arena of Duel Academy loomed like a coliseum, its circular walls arching high above a raised dueling platform that stood at the center. Tier upon tier of spectator seats wrapped around the arena, already overflowing with students from Slifer, Ra, and Obelisk alike. Even the standing gallery above the highest row was packed, bodies pressed shoulder to shoulder in anticipation. On the far end, a lone corridor led inward, waiting to release the duelists who would gamble their futures in front of the entire academy.
Among the sea of uniforms sat Bastion Misawa, arms folded tightly across his chest, gaze fixed downward on the empty platform. His expression was composed, but his jaw was set. After a moment, he rolled back his sleeve and glanced at his watch.
It was 11:55 PM.
"It's about to start, huh?" he murmured under his breath. "The expulsion duel."
"Pretty harsh, isn't it?"
A girl voice came from his left. Bastion turned to see Alexis Rhodes seated two spots away, her legs crossed, chin resting lightly on her hand as she stared at the arena below.
"All they did was sneak into an abandoned dorm that definitely has nothing inside it." she continued, leaning forward slightly. "And now they have to duel to avoid expulsion..."
"What a joke."
"I see…" Bastion replied, though his eyes remained on the field.
Alexis exhaled softly. "If that's the case, I should've been called up there too. I went in with them, after all."
"HO HO HO~ Oh, Lexy, don't sell yourself short like that~"
The theatrical voice floated down from behind them. Both Bastion and Alexis turned at once.
Standing at the top of the row were Mash and Lovely Labrynth, both wearing identical smirks that suggested they were far too entertained for a disciplinary hearing. Without waiting for permission, they vaulted over the backrests with effortless coordination and dropped into the two empty seats between Bastion and Alexis.
"MASH!?" Bastion nearly leapt from his seat. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be in the waiting room in the corridor?"
"Who cares." Mash waved a dismissive hand, leaning back as if he owned the place. "I'm basically an unchained prisoner in this academy, I go where I want."
"What about your expulsion duel?" Bastion asked.
Mash turned slowly toward him, one brow lifting. "Look at me, Bastion." He gestured theatrically around his own face, his whole hand circling around it. "Does this look like the face of someone that is FUCKING worried?"
The expression he wore was almost mocking, lazy, unimpressed, and even faintly bored.
"Honestly," he added with a sigh, dropping his hand, "even I'm getting tired of that joke."
Bastion placed both hands over his chest in surrender. "Alright, alright. I understand."
"Anyway~" Lovely chimed in sweetly, resting her cheek against her palm. "I wonder who Jay-Jay and Sy-chan are up against~?"
"Haven't you heard?" Alexis replied. "Rumor has it that Crowler arranged them to match against a professional tag-team legend. One that once worked alongside the creator of Duel Monster."
"Hm. How unfortunate…" Mash murmured, wearing a sad face.
Before his lips curved upward.
"For them."
"HO HO HO HO HO~!" Lovely burst into delighted laughter.
Alexis couldn't help but smile faintly at that.
"Well… knowing Jaden's strength," she said calmly, "and Syrus after training under you, Mash… I think things will turn out just fine."
"Huh?" Bastion blinked, staring at her in disbelief. "What do you mean by that-"
BZZZT!
A sharp burst of static exploded from the arena speakers, slicing through the chatter of the crowd and cutting him off mid-sentence.
"PLEASE COME FORWARD FOR TODAY, EXPULSION MATCH!!!" The speaker roared, the voice reverberating on the walls of the arena
"JADEN YUKI AND SYRUS TRUESDALE!!!!"
A wave of noise rolled through the packed stands as two figures emerged from the corridor. First came a messy brown-haired Slifer Red with his hands casually tucked behind his head, grinning as though he were walking into a festival instead of a match that could end his academic career. Beside him was a shorter boy with cyan hair and glasses, his posture noticeably tighter despite wearing the same red jacket.
Jaden squinted up at the towering rows of students. "Wow… look at all these people…"
Syrus followed his gaze and immediately felt his throat tighten. The sheer number of eyes fixed on them made his palms damp. "D-Do we really have to duel in front of this many people…?"
"Aw, c'mon, Sy!"
Jaden laughed and slung an arm around him, ruffling his hair with careless enthusiasm. "A crowd like this just makes me fired up!" With that, he walked toward the staircase leading up to the arena platform.
"Geez…" Syrus muttered, trying to smooth his hair back into place as he followed behind him. Yet as his eyes wandered across the sea of spectators, something... someone... caught his attention.
Standing alone along the concourse beneath the highest tier of seats, overlooking the arena with his arms folded, was Zane Truesdale.
Syrus's breath hitched.
[B-Big brother!?]
Zane did not wave. He did not call out. He simply stared down at him, with his usual cold and unreadble expression. His sharp eyes analyze him as though he were a test subject rather than family. Even from a distance, it's almost like Zane was saying:
[Let's see if you belong here… or if you're better off leaving.]
Syrus's steps faltered. The noise of the crowd starts to fade into a dull hum as thoughts began to coil around in his mind.
[What if you fail the combo, Syrus?]
[What if you missplayed again?]
[What if you lose the duel, Syrus?]
[And It's all because of you!]
His chest tightened. Sweat starts to drip down his forehead, these negative thoughts will start to affect him again... Just like usual.
But then, across the arena, Syrus saw another one that caught his attention.
Seated comfortably among the spectators was Mash, leaning back with a relaxed smirk that suggested absolute confidence. When their eyes met, Mash lifted a hand and gave him a slow, deliberate thumbs-up.
No pressure. No expectations.
Just a silent message:
[Do your best. That's enough.]
Syrus gripped his chest.
[Aniki...]
Almost like magic, the storm inside Syrus began to settle. The harsh whispers in his mind lost their edge and start to vanish. Syrus then drew in a steady breath, then another, before lifting both hands and lightly slapping his cheeks.
"Okay, Syrus," he muttered under his breath. "You've got this!"
By the time he caught up to Jaden at the top of the stairs, the hesitation in his step had hardened into determination.
At the center of the raised platform stood Dr. Vellian Crowler, cape fluttering dramatically as he thrust one arm skyward.
"NOW! WITHOUT FURTHER ADO! ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE OUR GUEST TAG-TEAM DUO!" he proclaimed, voice swelling with theatrical flair.
"THE PARADOX BROTHERS!"
Then almost on cue, two figures launched themselves from opposite sides of the arena. They soared into view in perfect synchronization, robes fluttering as they flipped once, twice, then twisted midair before landing in mirrored crouches on the platform. Without missing a beat, they rolled forward into a sequence of sharp backflips and acrobatic turns, until they came to a stop on the far end of the field.
The crowd erupted.
"Woah! They're so cool!"
Students leapt to their feet, applause rippling through the stands as the two men straightened and folded their arms across their chests.
They were unmistakably brothers, both bald, both sharp-featured, and both dressed in traditional Chinese attire. But there was a difference between the two. The one clad in bright orange silk, was Para. The other, dressed in deep green attire, was Dox.
Their gazes settled on Jaden and Syrus.
Not as rivals.
But as prey.
"Salutations, you fools," Para declared smoothly.
"Prepare yourselves to lose," Dox finished in a low, measured tone.
Then, as one, they snapped into identical martial stances.
"TO THE PARADOX BROTHERS!!!"
Across the field, Jaden blinked, scratching the back of his head. "Uh… I've never heard of these guys."
"Me neither," Syrus admitted, adjusting his glasses as a flicker of relief crossed his face. "Maybe this tag match won't be so bad-"
"Perhaps."
Dr. Crowler suddenly appeared standing just behind them, cape swaying as he regarded them with a smug arch of his brow.
"But here is a delightful little fact for you two boys..." Crowler continued. "Did you know that many years ago, these two once crossed cards with a certain duelist by the name of Yugi Muto."
Jaden and Syrus gasped.
"T-THE KING OF GAMES!?" Syrus shouted, then slumped down. "Then… I guess it won't be that easy after all…"
Jaden, however, only grinned wider, eyes shining with excitement. "Cheer up, Sy! Not only do we get to duel the guys who once faced the King of Games, but I finally get to see what deck you've been training with!"
Syrus blinked, then with a steady breath, he straightened himself up.
"You're right…!" His shoulders squared, determination sharpening his expression. "With this deck Mash gave me… I won't lose!"
Back at the spectator side, Zane caught those words.
"A deck that Mash gave…" he repeated quietly.
His eyes lifted toward Mash's seat just as Lovely burst into delighted laughter, pointing excitedly at Syrus below.
"Look at how pumped up he is~! HO HO HO HO~!"
Mash, in contrast, remained perfectly still, arms relaxed, with a gaze steady on the arena. His expression held no tension or any concern, only calm confidence, as if he know that nothing bad will happen in the duel.
Zane's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What kind of deck did he give you... Syrus."
Back on the field, the Paradox Brothers lowered their stances, their theatrical flair giving way to something colder.
"Enough with the talking," Para said sharply.
"Let's have this match started," Dox added.
Para extended his arm, finger pointing straight at Jaden and Syrus. "We did not come here to converse."
Dox mirrored the gesture. "We came here to destroy you!"
Jaden and Syrus gritted their teeth.
Syrus felt his pulse spike, but he forced his voice steady. "W-We're not scared of you!"
Jaden grinned fiercely and pumped his fist forward.
"Yeah! Bring it on! There's no way you're beating us!" Jaden grinned fiercely and pumped his fist forward. "Let's get our game on, Sy!"
Syrus met his partner's energy, as his face become serious. "Alright!"
Crowler clicked his tongue, irritation flickering across his face. [Why are these two so confident...? I could expect that from Jaden, but Syrus as well!?]
"Tch. Very well," he muttered, stepping forward into the center of the arena. Then he lifted his hand high into the air.
"DUELISTS! PREPARE TO BATTLE!"
Thunderous applause answered him.
With synchronized motions, Jaden and Syrus activated their Duel Disks. Metallic blades shot outward with a sharp mechanical snap, locking into place. Across from them, Para and Dox did the same, but they also ready a fighting stance.
"Get ready, Sy." Jaden cast Syrus a sideways grin.
"I'm always ready!" Syrus replied, and this time there was no hesitation in his voice.
"Tch," Crowler muttered, mildly annoyed at their confidence. "The rules for this tag duel are simple! No sharing strategies, no offering advice, and no revealing cards not yet played!"
"HOWEVER!" He spun once for dramatic emphasis. "You may use cards that is on your partners fields, UNDERSTOOD!??"
The duelist nodded in understanding.
"WITH THAT...!"
All four duelists nodded.
Crowler raised his hand high above his head, allowing the tension to stretch thin across the arena before slicing it apart.
"DUEL!"
He hurried off the platform as the match officially began.
High above, at the top viewing gallery, a fatass in a Slifer Red jacket came barreling in, nearly tripping over his own feet. He stopped on the railing and clutched it, panting heavily.
"Am I… late…?" Chumley wheezed, eyes wide as he looked down at the arena below.
"Guess not."
_____________________________________________________
*WHEEEZEEEE*
Guys....! Give me more power stone please...! Uhuuuui....
I thought- Burp! These stones is useless...! But if you turn them into fine powder and then...!
*SNIIIIFFFFFFF*
Uoooh! WOOOOW!!!!
HOLY SHIT IT'S SO FUCKING TIGHT!!! IT'S FUCKING GOOD, MAN!!! GIVE ME MORE GODDAMMIT!!!!
THEY DON'T CALL THIS STONES 'POWER STONE' FOR NOTHING!!!
Fiuh...
Uhh... Anyway guys... enjoy chpater. Chiooao!
*SNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF*
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