He was nervous. Arashi was standing outside the Kaiba Dome simply looking at it. He'd been in the underground for so long he almost forgot what the place looked like. He could still remember the roar of the crowd as his sister dueled. And now he was here...preparing to go to the place where his sister got her start. Duel Academy. But first...the examinations needed to be taken care of. What if he failed? He couldn't go back to the underground. The rest of his family had slowly moved to America.

Arashi didn't know what to do. And as for Ayano...he still couldn't figure her out. The conversation they had the night prior was puzzling to him. It just didn't make sense.

The day before...

"So wait...you were her manager?" Arashi asked with a confused expression.

"That's right...she was one of the best duelists I'd ever had the privilege of managing. She had heart...determination and a will to succeed. She had such a love of the game like none I'd ever seen before," Ayano said as she glanced down at Arashi.

"I see...that explains why you know her...so, how come I never met you?" Arashi inquired.

"I was usually off on business...or managing her matches and things of that nature. If anyone ever saw me it was after the match or before it. Your sister was a pretty popular duelist. Someone had to guard her," Ayano chuckled.

"Okay...that still doesn't explain how you know who I am. I wasn't exactly the most talked about in my family," Arashi mumbled.

"Talkative aren't you? Contrary to what your sister says, you can be quite the conversationalist. But I'll indulge you. She actually spoke a lot about you. Lin loved you very much. She always bragged about how you'd make a great duelist one day. You just needed a deck that fit you. And from what I understand...you have made a friend with one of your cards" Ayano said with a faint smile, glancing over Arashi's shoulder at a few duel spirits.

One was Guardian Eatos, the one who was closest to Arashi. The other was a new spirit. This one had long beatiful green and orange hair. She wore light armor with tights and black boots. In her hand was a staff and she wore a headress of sorts with a sapphire jewel in the center.

"Looks like there is another this time...I see you favor the wind," Ayano observed with a soft smile.

"I was under the impression that you'd prefer the dark but after seeing your duel spirits I am inclined to believe something else," Ayano laughed, causing Arashi to blush.

"Originally...I liked fiends," he began "I don't know why, but there was something about the power they possessed that drew me in. Then one day...as I was going through my sisters binder, I saw Eatos. I don't know why I did this but I took her card out and looked at it for the longest time," Arashi continued.

"Then, after a what seemed like ages...I heard my name. At first I thought I was just imagining things. That was...until I looked up and saw her standing right in front of me. I glanced down at the card and then over at the binder because I heard more voices...and well, as you can see..." Arashi motioned behind him with his thumb.

"Ah...so you once favored dark monsters but the wind chose you...fascinating," Ayano said with a chuckle.

"The wind 'chose' me?" Arashi questioned. "What does that mean?" Arashi inquired, tilting his head slightly as he awaited an answer.

"Oh it's nothing Arashi, you'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, you need to get some rest, you have a big day tomorrow. I hope you like the outfits I got you. They'll go along well with the bandaged look you've got going on there..." Ayano said with a wink as she walked out the door.

End flashback..

Arashi shrugged as he looked down at himself. He wore a long-sleeve sapphire jacket that stopped at the waist. The jacket had a black collar and it was zipped up part way so that the white t-shirt could be seen as well as the necklace which was in the shape of a pair of wings that hung low. The necklace had a sapphire jewel in the middle of a pair of silver wings. He wore faded jeans and a pair of white and blue sneakers. His hair was neatly combed instead of mangled.

I guess it's time for me to go inside, Arashi thought as he looked down at his deck holster.

I know you all will be with me, Arashi thought, watching as the green and orange haired spirit from before appeared and wrapped her arms around his neck before returning to her card.

"Thanks Sphreez," Arashi smiled, making his way into the building.

This would be difficult for Arashi. Most underground duelists have their activity on their record. Arashi never intentionally got into trouble, but with the lot he hung around with it would be no surprise if he did. Not many trusted him, and with good reason. He had the bandages to show where he'd been.

As he walked inside, he was overwhelmed by the amount of people that were in the dome. There were tons of kids there just waiting to take their exams. He had no clue what to expect. As he was walking, he felt himself get bumped from behind.

"Watch it loser," a male voice said as he was shoved aside.

Arashi shot the boy a glare only to see the boy wasn't paying much attention. He was walking to the right of a beautiful young girl with auburn locks and dark chocolate irises. To her left was another male, and like the previous two, he was wearing a blue uniform.

Those three must have already passed...the girl in the middle is wearing a different uniform though...she must be a different year, Arashi analyzed as he watched them go out of sight.

Arashi watched as other kids simply ignored him and passed him by. He grumbled at this, knowing that people really didn't care for duelists like him. They were seen as dishonorable and barbaric.

Dusting himself off, he began to stand up. As he did, he came face to face with a set of pink irises. The girl was also quite good looking with fair skin and long dark violet locks. She wore a black long coat that trailed behind her like a cape. She had on boots as well. She simply stared at him for a while longer before turning away and heading towards the duel field, duel disk in tow.

What was that all about? Arashi pondered as he made his way to where he was told to go by Ayano.

Spotting the proctor that was handing out exams, he made his way to a seat so he would be given one. As the proctor neared him, he hesitated and then looked back at Ayano who was standing not too far away. Feeling the mans gaze, Ayano glanced his way and spotted Arashi. The man held up an exam as if to say 'seriously?' Ayano simply nodded and the man gave Arashi an exam.

Arashi took it with gratitude and made his way to the far corner of the Kaiba Dome, near the entrance. He didn't really want to associate with them. He already knew he didn't fit in. The looks some students were giving him already made him uneasy. It was a look of distrust. Public records were so easy to find these days and every student had the right to know if there was anyone 'dangerous' entering their school. Seeing as Arashi was an underground duelist, that set off enough red flags to warrant a strong dislike.

Arashi didn't need to speak to them to know that. He sat down and went over the exam. His sister had taught him everything he knew. While he couldn't hold a candle to her knowledge of the game, he could remember a few things which helped him out greatly on the exam. After a while he finished the exam and the proctor came around to collect it.

Afterwards, the duels began. Arashi simply watched the field nearest to him. He witnessed some failures and some victories as well as those who barely got by. As he was watching, the roar of the crowd caught his attention as an explosion from a duel rang out. Everyone seemed excited about something, especially the boys. Curiosity got the best of Arashi so he decided to see what the fuss was about.

He made his way to the stands and poked his head inside a gap between a few people and saw the pink eyed girl standing over her opponent. Her life points were 4000 still. She had just won her duel by the looks of it. The proctor stood up and shook her hand and directed her to the counter where she'd recieve her uniform. The girl walked over to the counter and was given a blue jacket, the highest rank to be given.

"That was amazing..." one of the students commented.

"She completely obliterated him in a few turns. She is definately a contender here...I wanna duel her to see how I stack up," another boy said with a confident grin.

"Are you kidding? You'd get destroyed dude," another replied.

Arashi couldn't help but feel a bit miffed for missing the duel. He didn't get a chance to see what she was packing.

The students, realizing Arashi was there, turned and glared at him. Getting the picture, Arashi made his way back to where he sat previously. As he was about to sit, a voice rang out over the loudspeaker.

"Arashi Tatsuya, please make your way over to Field 21!"

This was it, his first duel in public. He was nervous as could be. Dueling was something he usually found solace in, but this time there was no comfort to be found considering he was dueling in front of hundreds of judgmental students and proctors. The only one not judging him was Ayano.

"Miss Hibiki...are you sure about this? I know you have helped students out in the past but letting this...this underground duelist in is just borderline crazy. Do you realize it could threaten the reputation of the academy and put our students in danger? What if he's a ruffian?" One of the proctors grumbled.

Ayano raised a brow at the man and simply shook her head.

"Him, a ruffian? Please...we have enough trouble with the way Juro is, Arashi is hardly a threat to anyone's saftey. Do you mean to tell me that I'm not doing my job properly?" Ayano said with a glare, causing the proctor to sweat a little out of nervousness and fear.

"N...no Miss Hibiki...not at all. I was just worried about the saftey of the students. You can't blame me for that can you?" The proctor said as he pulled at his collar.

"No, I suppose not. I would however, advise you not to jump to too many conclusions about Arashi...he's a good kid...he's just been through a lot..." Ayano sighed, glancing back at field 21 as Arashi prepared his deck.

Arashi stood on the field with his duel disk at the ready. His proctor soon stepped onto the field. The man was rather tall with neatly combed brown hair and glasses. He wore a yellow coat that symbolized his rank as an instructor at the Academy.

There were several jeers coming from the crowd that were directed towards Arashi. His reputation as an underground duelist did not sit well with the students or the faculty for that matter, but Ayano was the boss and they knew never to cross her.

This man, however, seemed different. He actually had a concerned look on his face, not for the students, but for Arashi.

"Seems like they don't like you that much do they?" The instructor inquired, tilting his head slightly as he looked at Arashi.

Gee, where'd he get that idea? Arashi thought sarcastically as he glanced back at the instructor.

"My name is Katsu Suzuki, and I am the head of Ra Yellow. You will be tested on your skill and how well you handle certain situations. Should you manage to achieve victory you will be admitted to the academy as a Slifer Red. Since you are a first year that is how it will be. Now, without further ado, let us begin Arashi," Katsu said as he activated his duel disk, prompting Arashi to do the same.

Arashi (4000)

Vs.

Katsu (4000)

First Turn: Katsu

Katsu drew a card and placed it in his hand. After glancing over it he decided upon a strategy.

"I activate the magic of Call of the Mummy," Katsu declared, placing the card into the slot and activating the spell card.

"Now I will use its magic to summon Ryu Kokki!" Katsu said as he slapped the card onto his duel disk, summoning forth a creature made up entirely of skulls.

Ryu Kokki (ATK/2400 DEF/2000)

"I'll set one card face down and end my turn" Katsu finished.

Second Turn: Arashi

"I draw..." Arashi said as he drew from his deck. He glanced down hesitantly at his cards before realizing he had a way to destroy Ryu Kokki.

"I guess it's a good thing you went first...because now I can deal some damage this turn..." Arashi said with a smirk, his confidence returning to him.

"Let's see what you've got then...though 2400 attack points is pretty difficult to overcome on a first turn. So unless you've got something stronger I advise you rethink your strategy," Katsu replied, curious as to what the boy had planned.

"Well...since I have no monsters out...I activate the effect of a monster from my hand which allows me to summon said monster to the field, and I choose Guardian Eatos!" Arashi thundered, bringing out his companion from the get go.

The wind began to pick up harshly in the arena, pushing the proctor back a little with force. As the wind died down, the form of Guardian Eatos was before him. At that moment, Katsu knew he was facing a great threat.

Eatos...who knew I'd be facing down such a dangerous foe...this doesn't look too good, Katsu thought as he looked over at Arashi, knowing full well what was coming next.

"Eatos, blow Ryu Kokki to dust!" Arashi commanded, watching as Eatos spread her wings and released a powerful gust of wind towards Ryu Kokki. The wind cut straight through the beast, obliterating it.

Arashi (4000)

Vs.

Katsu (3900)

"To end, I'll set a card face down and a monster in defense mode," Arashi stated as he looked back at Katsu.

"Then it's my move..." Katsu said as he drew.

Third Turn: Katsu

"Once again I activate the effect of Call of the Mummy. I will use its effect to summon Vampire Lord to the field!" Katsu shouted, bringing forth a sophisticated looking vampire with azure hair.

Vampire Lord (ATK/2000 DEF/1500)

"Because that was a special summon I am allowed to normal summon, so I will now summon Regenerating Mummy in attack mode!" Katsu declared, bringing forth a mummy.

Regenerating Mummy (ATK/1800 DEF/1500)

Arashi wasn't liking the looks of this setup, considering Katsu had summoned twice this turn and he had a feeling the man wasn't done yet.

"The worst is yet to come Arashi...I activate Call of the Haunted to bring back Ryu Kokki in attack mode, and I think he has a bone to pick with Eatos there," Katsu said with a smirk. Puns are terrible.

Arashi watched and true to his words the vicious skull bodied beast returned with a vengeance.

"One more thing Arashi...Vampire Lord is a rather special monster. Due to him being on the field I am allowed to bring forth my most powerful zombie. From the depths of the underworld, let fear of death be instilled in your enemies. Come forth, Vampire Genesis!" Katsu proclaimed.

Sure enough, a hulking purple vampire arose from the depths of the abyss. It flexed its muscles and roared, yes...roared at Arashi.

Vampire Genesis (ATK/3000 DEF/2100)

"Now Vampire Genesis, destroy Guardian Eatos! Underworld Fist!" Katsu commanded.

Arashi watched in horror as the mighty purple vampire cocked its fist back and then slammed it into Eatos who was no match for the beast. She exploded into a million pixels before Arashi's eyes.

Arashi (3500)

Vs.

Katsu (3900)

"Next I'll have Regenerating Mummy take out your face down monster" Katsu said as his mummy shot forth bandages and squeezed the life out of Arashi's face down monster.

"Ryu Kokki, attack directly!" Katsu said, watching as Ryu Kokki rushed towards Arashi and slashed across his chest with one of its claws.

Arashi (1100)

Vs.

Katsu (3900)

"I'll end my turn with that..." Katsu said as he turned it over to Arashi.

Fourth Turn: Arashi

I have to turn this around, Arashi thought as he drew a card from his deck. It occurred to him at that moment that he could indeed turn the duel in his favor, maybe even win it.
It was a long shot, but he had to try. Arashi closed his eyes and took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I activate the magic of Double Summon! This allows me to summon twice this turn and I think I have just the monsters in mind" Arashi said as he took out his two cards.

"I summon Gusto Gulldo and Gusto Codor in attack mode!" Arashi stated, slapping the two cards onto the field with purpose.

Gusto Gulldo (ATK/500 DEF/500)

Gusto Codor (ATK/1000 DEF/400)

A tuner monster...I'm not sure I like where this is going, Katsu thought as he gazed at Gulldo.

"Now I'll tune Gulldo and Codor together. Those who travel upon the wind hear my cry! Release your fury upon your foes, spirits of the wind! Let those who oppose you be blown away! Come forth, Daigusto Sphreez!" As the two monsters tuned together, the outline of a cute young woman appeared.

Her long orange and green locks flowed with the intense wind that was whipping about her slender frame. Brandishing her staff, Sphreez looked up at Vampire Genesis with unshakeable determination and without the least bit of concern.

Daigusto Sphreez (ATK/2000 DEF/1300)

"What was the point of that loser!?" One of the crowd jeered, causing others to join in the hazing.

"That monster is just as weak as the others, you might as well go back to where you came from!" Another one of the crowd said fiercely.

I'm not so sure about their claims...he wouldn't have gone through the trouble of bringing her out if he didn't know what he was doing...but with only 2000 attack points one would think he'd know better. What's he up to? Katsu contemplated nervously as he glanced over at Arashi.

"I think it's time I wrapped this duel up," Arashi said boldly as he looked down at the final card in his hand and at the one face down he had on the field.

This bold proclamation threw everyone for a loop. He was behind by 2800 life points and the field was clearly in Katsu's favor. There didn't appear to be a monster that Arashi could summon that could bring him any help. Some thought he was bluffing, however there were a few in the audience that could tell something big was about to go down. One of those duelists was the girl he'd seen previously with the pink eyes. Another individual wearing a Slifer Red uniform already was sitting in the audience watching the duel as well. He too was suddenly interested in what Arashi was planning.

"Although I'd say the odds are slightly in my favor at this point and for you to be making such a statement is rather ludicrious...I'll bite, whatcha got?" Katsu said as he awaited Arashi's next move.

"I activate Blessings for Gusto!" Arashi began, sliding the card into the slot and pressing the button to activate it.

"This allows me to select three Gusto monsters in my graveyard. And since the face down monster you destroyed with your mummy was Caam, Serenity of Gusto, and I used two Gusto monsters to summon Sphreez...I'll send Caam and Codor back into my deck and I get to special summon Gulldo!" Arashi said with a smirk.

True to his words, Gulldo reappeared onto the field, spreading its wings like before.

"Now I'm going to attack your Vampire Genesis with Gusto Gulldo!" Arashi said with confidence, surprising nearly everyone in the room, even Katsu.

"But...you'll destroy your own monster, not only that but you'll lose the duel. Are you sure about that?" Katsu said firmly, trying to reason with Arashi's apparent rash decision.

As he did this, he noticed Daigusto Sphreez began to illuminate a bright green aura as the wind picked up around her.

"I don't have to worry about suffering any battle damage thanks to Daigusto Sphreez. You see she's a special monster...one who I've made a pact with. She is special because I don't take any battle damage involving any 'Gusto' monster that I control, but you take all the damage that I would have taken!" Arashi pointed out, watching as Katsu's eyes went wide in revelation of the fact.

Gulldos collided with Vampire Genesis only to be eradicated on the spot by the might of the purple giant. At that moment, a harsh burst of wind shot from Daigusto Sphreez, sending Katsu back several feet from the force of the wind. A good chunk of his life points was just taken out.

Arashi (1100)

Vs.

Katsu (1400)

"And now for the big finish. Since Gusto Gulldo was destroyed and sent to the graveyard, I am able to bring one level two or lower Gusto tuner monster from my deck and special summon it to the field in any mode I choose and you can guess what mode I'm choosing..." Arashi said with a smirk.

"I choose Gusto Squirro!" Arashi called out after fishing through his deck for the card. He soon summoned the cute little green squirrel to the field.

Gusto Squirro (ATK/0 DEF/1800)

The squirrel was in attack mode and staring up at Vampire Genesis with fear in its eyes. However, the moment it saw Sphreez, it knew that its master's life points were safe.

"Go Gusto Squirro! Attack Vampire Genesis!" Arashi commanded.

Once more, Sphreez began to power up, the wind picking up heavily around her as the squirrel leapt towards Vampire Genesis on a suicide mission. The gigantic purple behemoth slammed its fist into Gusto Squirro with incredible force, shattering the squirrel. Sphreez whirled her staff above her head before slamming it down on the ground, sending a burst of wind from it, bypassing Katsu's monsters and slamming directly into him. The wind knocked him flat on his back, bringing his life points down to zero.

Arashi blinked at the sight of his instructor on the ground. Was he hurt? He'd seen this way too much in the underground and wasn't sure what to do. Knowing what the right thing to do was, Arashi made his way to Katsu and offered a hand.

Katsu couldn't help but laugh as he took Arashi's hand.

"Gotta hand it to you Arashi...that was some tactic you pulled back there. That Daigusto Sphreez is one incredible card," Katsu chuckled, patting Arashi on the back.

"Congratulations Arashi, you've made it into the Academy!" Katsu exclaimed.

Nothing else was said from the crowd after that duel. After all, what could they say? Arashi's strategy was brilliant and that was something nobody could deny.

Arashi returned the duel disk he'd been given for the exam and picked up his Slifer uniform. He had done it. There was no turning back now. A faint smile crossed his visage as he turned and headed for the exit.

Ayano couldn't help but smile as she watched Arashi walk to the exit.

I think things are going to get interesting this year...I wonder how he will fare against those who duel with heart rather than those who duel to survive, Ayano thought as she watched him head out of the building, most likely headed to the hotel in order to prepare for his first day at Duel Academy.

Arashi left the building with more confidence than he'd entered it with. He was just glad to get away from all of the people inside. Although he didn't show it, the snide remarks were getting to him and he needed some peace. He soon made it back to the hotel where he could prepare for the time he would be spending at Duel Academy.