A new life at duel academy

Kai: [4000 LP]

Alexis: [4000 LP]

Jaden: [4000 LP]

Bastion: [4000 LP]

Syrus: [4000 LP]

"How's the duel gonna go exactly?" Jaden asked, looking puzzled.

"What do you mean?" I shot back.

"I mean, what's the turn order?" He clarified.

"Ah, well... Alexis goes first, then you, then Bastion, then Syrus, and finally, it's my turn. Sounds good?"

"Fine by me!" Jaden replied, nodding.

DUEL

"I draw! I'll start by summoning Cyber Gymnast (800/1800) in defense position. Then, I activate Polymerization to fuse Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater from my hand to summon Cyber Blader (2100/800) in attack position."

"I'll set two cards facedown," Alexis added, ending her turn.

"My turn!" Jaden declared.

"I activate Polymerization to fuse Burstinatrix and Avian to summon Elemental Hero Flame Wingman (2100/1200) in attack position."

"I set a card facedown and end my turn," he concluded confidently.

"My turn, I draw," Bastion said, quickly assessing his hand. "I summon Hydrogeddon (1600/1000) in attack position."

"Next, I activate Double Summon, allowing me to summon again. I'll bring out Oxygeddon (1800/800) in attack position. Now, I activate Graceful Charity to draw three cards, but I have to discard two."

He drew and discarded, his mind racing with strategy.

"I then activate Monster Reborn to special summon another Hydrogeddon in attack position."

"Now, I'll activate Bonding - H2O to tribute my two Hydrogeddons and one Oxygeddon to special summon Water Dragon (2800/2600) in attack position. I'll set a card facedown and end my turn."

"I draw," Syrus muttered, clearly feeling the pressure. "I summon Cycroid in defense position. Then I set a card facedown and end my turn."

"Alright, it's my turn now!" I exclaimed, ready to take control.

"I draw. I start by activating the spell card Nekroz Cycle, allowing me to summon any Nekroz ritual monster using the required materials. I'll use Djinn Releaser of Rituals (3 stars), Djinn Demolisher of Rituals (3 stars), and Djinn Disserere of Rituals (1 star) to ritual summon Nekroz of Gungnir (2500/1700) (7 stars) in attack position."

"Next, I activate Card of Sanctity, allowing all of us to draw until we have six cards in our hands."

The players drew cards:

Kai: 0 cards - 6 cards (6 drawn)

Alexis: 0 cards - 6 cards (6 drawn)

Jaden: 2 cards - 6 cards (4 drawn)

Bastion: 0 cards - 6 cards (6 drawn)

Syrus: 4 cards - 6 cards (2 drawn)

"I then activate Gungnir's effect to discard a Nekroz card from my hand and destroy a card on the field."

"Which card should I destroy...how about Cyber Blader?"

"Gungnir, destroy Cyber Blader!" I commanded.

"Not so fast! I activate my spell card Defusion to split my Cyber Blader back into Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater!"

To her shock, only Cyber Blader was destroyed, and its materials stayed in the extra deck.

"What just happened?" Alexis exclaimed, bewildered.

"That's strange," Bastion added, equally confused.

A smirk crept across my face as I enjoyed their reactions.

"What did you do?" Alexis asked, suspicion creeping in.

"Nothing. You did it yourself," I replied with a grin.

"What? I don't understand," she said, her frustration rising.

"You see, as long as Gungnir is on the field, you can't special summon in any way. So using Defusion only sent your monster to the extra deck, and none of its materials returned because that's a special summon."

Their eyes widened in realization.

"And since Gungnir wasn't able to destroy Cyber Blader as you destroyed it first, I still get to destroy a card on the field. Say goodbye to your Water Dragon, Bastion."

"Gungnir, destroy Water Dragon!" I declared, relishing in Bastion's disappointment as his monster vanished.

"I then activate the spell card Spell Reproduction. I discard two spell cards from my hand to bring one spell card from my graveyard back to my hand."

"Next, I activate Nekroz Mirror, allowing me to ritual summon any Nekroz monster from my hand, as long as I pay the required sacrifice."

"I'll use Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz (3 stars) to summon Nekroz of Brionac (2300/1400) (6 stars) in attack position."

"Wait, you used a 3-star monster to summon a 6-star monster??" Syrus asked, perplexed.

"Exactly. When I ritual summon a single Nekroz monster, Shurit counts as all its materials regardless of level."

"And since Brionac was summoned, I can shuffle at least two special summoned monsters from the extra deck. So, goodbye, Flame Wingman, Jaden!"

Jaden gasped, watching helplessly as his Flame Wingman was banished.

"No! Flame Wingman!" he cried out.

"I set a card facedown and activate Card of Sanctity again."

Kai: 0 cards - 6 cards (6 drawn)

"I then activate Nekroz Kaleidoscope, allowing me to ritual summon again. I'll use Ariel, Priestess of the Nekroz (4 stars) to ritual summon Nekroz of Unicore (2300/1000) (4 stars) in attack position."

"I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards."

"Oh come on! Is your turn ever gonna end?" someone from the crowd shouted.

"I activate a second Nekroz Cycle to ritual summon Nekroz of Trishula (2700/2000) (9 stars) using my second copy of Shurit (3 stars) in attack position."

"And since I haven't summoned normally yet, I'll normal summon Unchained Twins - Rakea (1500/1500) in attack position."

"Since Trishula was ritual summoned, I can banish three cards from one of you. Let's see... I'll choose you, Alexis."

"!!"

"I banish Cyber Gymnast, Etoile Cyber, and a card from your hand," I announced, my grin widening.

"I set a card facedown."

"Gungnir, Rakea, attack Bastion's life points directly!"

Bastion's life points plummeted as my monsters surged forward.

Bastion: [4000 LP] - [0 LP] (4000 LP lost)

"Trishula and Unicore, attack Alexis's life points directly!"

Alexis: [4000 LP] - [0 LP] (5000 LP lost)

"Looks like it's just you and Syrus left, Jaden," I taunted.

"Yeah..." Jaden said nervously.

"I activate Rakea's effect to destroy a card from my side... so I'll destroy itself."

Both Jaden and Syrus looked confused.

"But why?" Jaden asked, baffled.

"Why not? Anyway, I end my turn."

"You know, Kai, you're good, but I'm still better. I draw."

"I activate my trap," 

"A trap?" Syrus declared, his voice shaky.

"Yes! I activate Exchange of the Spirit. Since I have 16 cards in my graveyard, I can pay 1000 LP to swap my graveyard with my deck, and you guys will have to do the same."

GY Status:

Kai: 16 cards (GY)

Jaden: 3 cards (GY)

Syrus: 0 cards (GY)

"Wait, that means that Sy—"

"Yes, when your turn ends, Syrus will lose by deck out," I finished, watching Syrus's expression fall.

"I'm sorry, Sy," Jaden said, guilt evident in his voice.

"It's alright, Jaden," Syrus replied, resigned.

"I summon Avian in defense position, then set a card facedown and end my turn."

Syrus: [loses by deck out]

"My turn then. I draw."

"I summon a second Rakea to the field."

"Rakea, destroy Avian!"

An explosion shook the field as Rakea obliterated Avian.

"Ahh..." Jaden groaned in despair.

"Gungnir and Trishula, end this duel!"

A massive water ball surged toward Jaden, culminating in a cataclysmic explosion.

Jaden: [4000 LP] - [0 LP]

"Well, that's game, huh?" I said, feigning disappointment.

"Yeah... it was fun," Jaden replied, trying to hide his dismay.

"Damn, this guy is strong."

"Yeah, who is he??" someone exclaimed from the crowd.

"He's from Slifer?? I need to tell Chazz about this."

"Handsome and strong, huh? I guess he isn't just a pretty face!" another added.

Whispers erupted around us as people began to murmur their thoughts.

However, I brushed aside their murmurs, uninterested in their admiration. I had achieved what I set out to prove.

"You guys are weak," I declared, my voice dripping with disdain, before turning on my heel and walking away.

They're still not the one I'm searching for.