☆24: Burdened Heart & Walking Shadows

"Goodbye Everyone!"

Jaden and Yuji waved their hand on the boat, smiling as to reassure their friend.

"Big Bro! Yuji! Ukh- huuuu... I'm waiting for your return!!", screams Syrus as he was crying.

"Don't cry, we're going to meet again!", shouts Jaden.

Chumley took a step forward, "This is my final year! After my graduation, let's hold a Barbecue party, it's my treat!!", yells him.

Alexis clenched her hand in front of her bountiful chest, watching them with a complex expression.

[Jaden, Yuji... I'm... I'm truly sorry!]

"...", Misawa crossed his arms, watching both of them attentively on the moving boat.

[Jaden, Kusanagi, it's really unfortunate. I really hope that the both of you can stay in The Duel Academy]

Misawa then waved his hand, "Jad- number 1, Yuji, Goodbye. I'm glad I met you both".

He then turned his head, searching or looking after someone.

[Where is Sakura? Why didn't she come?!], wonders Misawa.

"Take care, all of you!", said Yuji waving his hand, eyes kinda watery.

The six of them waves their hand for the last time, promising to meet each other again.

Syrus and Chumley stops waving their hand as the boat is getting far away until it's become a dot in the horizon.

"They're gone... Big Bro and Yuji", said Syrus with a dejected tone.

"Don't worry Syrus-nya, I'm sure you're all going to meet them again, isn't that right Pharaoh-nya?", cheered Lymann Banner as he's carrying a cat named Pharaoh in his arms.

Pharaoh: "Meow!"

Syrus nods, smiling, "Um! I hope... I hope we will!"

On the cliff overlooking the harbor, a silverish white haired girl with beauty akin to the thousand moon, stood silently watching the farewell between them.

"Until we meet again, Yuji"

.....................................

Jaden-Yuji |500>0|

Both Jaden and Yuji laying on the floor motionless after Starving Venom's attack.

Jaden blasted into the air, his body crashing to the floor with loud noise, and rolled 3–4 times before he stops.

Meanwhile, Yuji got blasted directly crashing the wall creating a loud noise and cracks like spider's web pattern by the strong force, and then fall with his face hitting the floor first.

"Jaden!!! Yuji!!!", Syrus, Alexis, Misawa, and Chumley screams, terrified as they are witnessing their defeat.

"Ukh...", groaned Yuji in pain.

They had lost, he... lost. Yuji was very tired at the moment, his body was itching with pains as every cell in his body scream, even holding his consciousness is rather difficult.

Tak... Tak...

He heard an approaching footstep.

"Yo, are you alright pal?", asked Jaden holding his left shoulder.

"Can't you see?!", replied Yuji in a tired and slightly unkind tone.

Yuji grits his teeth, and slowly get up with the help from Jaden.

After he managed to stand up, Yuji held his head high, staring at the ceiling with dull eyes like a dead fish.

"We lost...", a single tear drops from his right eye, and can't help but to grit his teeth and clenching both hands in frustration.

Yuji already experiencing defeat so many times in the past, but this particular defeat is the most frustrating. He felt as the moon itself crushing his body to bits.

Looking at him, Jaden opens his mouth, but then immediately closed it.

Duels were supposed to be fun, that was what he believed. But after looking at Yuji's expression, and defeated by Aster and Sakura with their expulsion on the line, made him felt a bitter feeling, a strong bitter feeling called frustration for the first time.

This particular frustration almost felt like the chords of his heart being tightened, and made him realized

[So frustrating! I... I never knew that a defeat can be this... frustrating]

In the past, Jaden heard a saying that a duel can't always be fun. Sometimes, winning the duel is much more important than enjoying the duel or the duel itself.

The time he heard that words is when he was little, maybe 6 or 10 years ago, but who knows how long.

At that time he was very confused by it, and wondering why people say so, then he gives up to understand the topic as it were complicated for his mind.

But right now, Jaden seems to understand a little the meaning behind the words.

He walks toward Yuji, then pats him in the shoulder.

"Sorry Jaden...", Yuji bites his lower lip, as he apologizes to him.

Jaden, who witness Yuji's frustrated expression, shakes his head, "No, it wasn't your fault Yuji. Me too, if I-"

Just when he wanted to said something to Yuji.

Countless Thunderous applause and shouts from the spectators burst in, filling the Duel Field with encouragement, surprising both Jaden and Yuji.

"This is...", Yuji were stunned as he was watching the spectators stood up, applauding and shouting at them.

The color of his eyes become brighter, he quickly swept the tear away, and waving his hands enthusiastically to them.

"Jaden, tell me... are we doing good?", asked Yuji staring at him.

"Ou! Of course, we're doing goo- no, we're doing best!", answers him.

"Heh... it's really a Good Game!", grins Yuji.

"Um! It was an interesting duel!"

Jaden smirks looking at Yuji, and quickly imitates him by waving his hands to the spectators while laughs.

"Here's your card", said Sakura giving Aster his Destiny HERO Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer card which Aster then took it with caution.

Aster retracted his Duel Disk, and begin to walk away from the Duel Field and his tag partner after waving his hand and saying his thanks to the spectators present.

Sakura then stops Aster before he completely exits from the place.

"Where are you going?", asked her, looking at his back.

Aster glanced at Sakura, and says.

"My job here is done, I must quickly come back to America for another competition in The Pro League"

She nods, "Do you want to say something to them before you go?", asked Sakura, looking at Yuji and Jaden.

Aster turned his gaze toward Yuji and Jaden.

"Tell them, the next time (if Destiny allow), we're going to settle which one of us is the best HERO user and which HERO series is the strongest, and... rather than Tag Duel, it'll be one on one!"

Told him, after that, he shifted his gaze from them then continue walking from The Duel Field.

Sakura sighs, "Okay, I let them know", told her, nodding.

Aster walks away from the Duel Field, but then he stops and glance at Sakura.

"Of course, the same thing applied to you as well... senior", told him one last time before exiting the room.

The applause and shouts from the spectators gradually fading away, and most of them begun to sit back.

Jaden and Yuji lost, but unlike before, Yuji expression and mood is much better after the cheers and applause from them.

"It's time..."

Chancellor Shephard stood up, then walks on to the stage.

The whole venue become silent, witnessing The Chancellor stood up in front of Yuji and Jaden with a stern look.

Sakura bows her head when Chancellor Shephard walking past her, and then she silently walks away from the stage, giving the chance for The Chancellor.

Both Slifer students took a deep breath, and staring at The Chancellor with a stern and accepting expression.

"Hmm...", Chancellor Shephard break down his stern expression into that of relaxing smiling expression.

"How's the duel? It is fun?", asked him.

Jaden and Yuji look at each other, and nods.

"It was incredible! You see Aster-", Jaden clenched his hand and continue to talk about the duel, Sakura and Aster, their monsters, specifically Destiny HERO Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer.

Chancellor Shephard laughs, hearing Jaden's words. After Jaden stops talking, he turned his gaze to Yuji.

"What about you?"

Yuji nods, "Like Jaden has said, it was... truly Incredible, and... exhausting"

He paused for 2–4 seconds, then continues.

"Among the times I've been dueling, I think this duel is the most exhausting yet at the same the most exciting"

Chancellor Shephard nods his head, then opens his mouth.

"A duel where the stakes mattered comes with a lot of tension. There is a huge anxiety like you'll drown to the bottom of the ocean if you lose, but... you'll also gain a mind-blowing elation if you won the duel"

He continues, "Once you've tasted this, a simple duel won't be enough anymore"

Chancellor Shephard closed his eyes, then slowly opens it, staring at Jaden and Yuji's face.

"I hope that both of you... no, all of you would continue enjoying a duel no matter the stakes, and no matter how casual and simple it is"

Jaden, Yuji, and everyone present nods.

"No matter what kind of duel, I will always enjoy them!", exclaimed Jaden grinning, and Yuji nods smiling.

Chancellor Shephard widened his eyes, then nods his head, "I hope you both will..."

He continues.

"Also, I hope that this defeat won't make the two of you quit from dueling anymore. But to give you a pointer to improving yourself", told him, which Jaden and Yuji nods.

After he spokes, his relaxing and caring atmosphere vanished, then turned into a stern and intimidating one like a commander of an army.

"Jaden Yuki! Yuji Kusanagi! As the agreement goes between the two of you and The Duel Academy..."

Jaden clenched his hands, Yuji closed his eyes and take a deep breath, then both of them staring at Chancellor Shephard with a courageous expression belonging to a kamikaze soldier.

Chancellor Shephard nods, as he amazed looking at these two students' expression.

Among The Slifer students, since he takes over as The Chancellor; Even when the new Duel Academy was inaugurated, there aren't any promising student with the same skill or impact like the two of them does from The Slifer Dormitory.

It'll be a loss for The Duel Academy to lose them. But, for a duelist, a promise or agreement isn't that simple of a matter.

With a burdened heart, he declares.

"Both of you are expelled!"

.....................................

On the boat, after the farewell.

"There goes The Duel Academy", said Jaden, looking at the island that kept shrinking in his eyes.

Yuji nods, "Yeah, but it won't be the end for us", replied him while typing on his laptop.

"So many things happens in this short amount of time, I hope we can stay a bit longer", said Jaden with a dejected tone.

Yuji nods, "Then, we just need to enroll again"

"Yeah!", but then Jaden tilt his head, and turned his head toward Yuji, "Wait, what do you say?", asked him curious.

He continued to asked, "You don't mean enrolling next year, right?"

Yuji snorted, "Hah! Like I wait for that long!!", then shakes his head.

Jaden gulped his saliva, and then grabs Yuji's shoulders, "Tell me, Yuji!", asked him smiling while shaking Yuji back and forth.

"Wait! Let go of me first!", insisted Yuji with eyes rolling, nauseous from Jaden's strong shaking.

Jaden released his grips, "Oops!", told him as he's watching Yuji's nauseous expression and apologized.

Yuji sat back down, after that drank a glass of water to relieve his nausea.

Jaden continues questioning him, "Yuji, what you said before... do you have any plan for us to come back to The Academy?"

"Yeah, I do", nods him, "and we don't need to take another exam for us to enrolling next year, or even waiting for the next year to come"

The corners of Jaden's mouth curled up, his eyes twinkling like glittering diamond.

"Tell me! Tell me!! Tell me!!!", insisted him.

Yuji grins as he's looking at Jaden's lively expression, he then moves his laptop for Jaden to see, after that points his index finger at the monitor.

"Hey Jaden, do you like America?"

.....................................

Slifer Dormitory, Nigh time.

Professor Lymann Banner is sitting in the dorm's cafeteria with his cat named Pharaoh alone.

"Eat a lot, and grow healthy-nya", smiles him, looking at his chubby cat as Pharaoh munching the food.

Lymann then sighs, "What happen to the both of them is unfortunate-nya, I hope-"

Just then, his phone ringing, disturbing him and Pharaoh the cat.

"This is..."

Lymann widened his eyes which usually shut or squinted, as he creased his eyebrows slightly as to imply he was irritated by the call, or maybe... the one behind the call.

Without further ado, he pushed the replied button.

"Yeah, it's me, what do you need?", asked him with frown expression.

"Amnael..."

The caller calling his true name. Sweats begin to drop from his forehead, no matter who it is, Lymann seems to be afraid of someone behind the call.

"The time for us to act, has begun!"