Chapter 3

Alexis Vs Nightshroud

While held as Nightshroud's prisoner, Alexis looked at the mask in his bony claws wondering if he was going to keep his word but she remembered her brother in the Infirmary back at Duel Academy as she looked down and said,

"Do you promise to release my brother and his memories from your grasp if I become your new host?" she said as she was released from the shackles and fell down to the stone floor below her.

"Yes Miss Rhodes I will release your brother from my grasp if you become my new host," replied Nightshroud in his normal dark tone.

Meanwhile at the Slifer Dorm Blair grabbed her deck and duel disk and raced after Jaden as she followed him through the shrubs after Jaden until she trips over a root and sprains her ankle as she screamed,

"JADEN," she shouted as he heard her and raced back to see Blair sitting up holding her ankle.

"Blair, are you ok, come on I'll carry you," he said as he helped Blair onto his back and races through the trees and came to the Abandoned Dorm.

When Jaden had helped Blair to the Dorm he helped her walk inside as they looked around as Jaden summoned Yubel and told her to go and find Alexis as she flew in her spirit mode and led the way as Jaden helped Blair through to the underground area of the Dorm where the duelists once dueled and saw Nightshroud talking to Alexis who was now standing back on her feet. Sometime later Jaden shouted,

"ALEXIS!" as she turned her head and saw Jaden stand in the doorway and said,

"Jaden is it really you, I haven't seen or heard from you since we graduated," she said as Nightshroud stepped in between them and interrupted,

"So Alexis have you forgot our deal?" he said.

"What deal?" asked Blair.

"The deal is that I relief Atticus of my powers and grant him his freedom but in return Alexis becomes my new host," explained Nightshroud.

Just then Jaden looked at Alexis and said,

"Is this true Alexis?" he asked.

"It is Jaden but I haven't made my decision yet," replied Alexis as she looked into Jaden's.

"Well then Alexis, it's up to you to make the decision and whatever you choose remember that I we will always be friends," said Jaden as he looked into Alexis' eyes.

"Enough stalling Alexis what is your decision?" asked Nightshroud.

Just then Alexis closed her eyes and began to listen to her heart but then Nightshroud's dark influences entered her mind as she remembered when Jaden lost control and became the Supreme King in the Monster world as she became bitter and angry and turned her back on Jaden and looked at Nightshroud and said,

"I have made my decision, and that is that I duel you and if I win then you release my brother but if you win I'll become your new host body," said Alexis.

"You foolish Girl you will never beat me," he said as he agreed to the duel as Jaden was ordered by Alexis to not get involved in their duel.

Midnight struck as Alexis and Nightshroud shuffled their decks as Alexis placed hers in her deck slot and activated her duel disk while Nightshroud didn't have a duel disk as his wings acted like one as they both drew five cards but Nightshroud's cards appeared from the Darkness itself as both duelists said together,

"LET'S DUEL," as their life points set themselves to 4000 as Alexis began the duel by saying,

"I'll go first Nightshroud, I draw and summon Blade Skater in defense mode (ATK/1400 DEF/1500) and end my turn with a card face down and that will end my turn," she said as the duel went to Nightshroud.

"Fine Alexis I draw," he said as a card magically appeared in his hand as he continued,

"Now I summon the Darkness Eye (ATK/ 0 DEF/1000) and now I activate the Darkness Field Spell card and now by the effect of Darkness I set 5 cards from either my hand or my deck," he said as they appeared face-down on his wing like duel disk as they appeared face down in holographic forms as Alexis thought to herself,

'Why did he use up his entire spell and trap card zones up on his first turn?' she thought as she drew a card from her deck and said,

"I draw," as she looked at her hand and saw Etoil Cyber and Polymerization as she said,

"Now I summon Etoil Cyber in attack mode then I use my polymerization spell card and fuse together my two monsters to fusion summon Cyber Blader (ATK/2100 DEF/800), and now my Cyber Blader attacks your Darkness Eye," she said with confidence.

"Trap Activate, Zero. Zero activates another trap when it is activated. Activate Infinity. Zero and Infinity, When these two cards activate I activate every card that is set between these 2 cards," said Nightshroud.

"What?" said Alexis in shock.

"Zero and Infinity, the things which goes in between those two… That is Darkness. The card activates when by these 2 cards in the continuous trap Darkness 1. When Zero and Infinity have been activated, this card allows me to destroy one card on my opponent's side of the field every time a card with the name Darkness activates," explained Nightshroud as Cyber Blader was instantly destroyed before she began her attack.

Just then Alexis said,

"What… Is this effect?" she said confused.

Alexis Rhodes. This will be your last, Carve into your soul, the duel of a God," said Nightshroud as Alexis said,

"Now I play monster reborn and bring back my Cyber Blader in defense mode and end my turn with a card face-down," she said.

While on the sidelines, Jaden shouted,

"ALEXIS DON'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN, COMMON SENSE WON'T WORK AGAINST THIS OPPONENT," he said as he feared the worst for Alexis.

"I know who knows what could happen in this duel," she said as she looked into Nightshroud's steel blue glowing eyes.

Just then Nightshroud said,

"I activate the effect of the Darkness field spell. At the end of every turn, the trap cards will be randomly be re-set," he said.

'What?' thought Alexis.

"That means…!" said Blair who was leaning on Jaden's shoulder as her ankle was broken.

"My turn, I activate the effect of the Darkness eye. When Darkness eye is in attack mode, I can summon 1 monster without a sacrifice," he explained as his Darkness eye was changed from defense mode to attack mode. (ATK/0 DEF/1000)

"Come forth Darkness Destroyer (ATK/2300 DEF/1800), when this monster attacks a monster in defense mode, the opponent receives damage equal to the difference and it can attack twice.

"What? If he uses the destroying effect he used last turn, it will be all end here," said Blair from the sidelines being supported by Jaden as they looked on.

"But his cards have been randomly set. If he can't identify them, then there's a chance he might miss," said Alexis.

"Let's just see about that, Activate Zero! And Infinity, Awaken the power which sleeps between you. Darkness 2, rises the attack points of my monsters by 1000 until the end of this turn and it gains the same effect every time a Darkness card activates," he explained as Darkness Destroyers attack points rocketed from 2300 to 5300.

"A monster that has 5300 that can attack twice?" she said.

"This couldn't be worse," said Jaden on the sidelines to Blair.

"Darkness Destroyer! Attack Cyber Blader!" ordered Nightshroud as his monster readied an attack.

"If Cyber Blader is destroyed then there will be no monsters to protect her.

"Activate De-Fusion," said Alexis as her Cyber Blader separated back into Blade Skater and Etoil Cyber as she placed them in defense mode.

"It's not over yet! Darkness Destroyer's second attack!" as it destroyed Blade Skater as smoke covered Alexis as Nightshroud continued,

"Darkness Destroyer's monster effect. It gives the opponent penetration damage," he said as Alexis fell and landed on her back as she screamed as her life point's dropped from 4000 to a mere 200.

"ALEXIS!" shouted Jaden and Blair from the sidelines.