Sorry this took so long, I was in a creative slump. Writing the duel took forever… Hope ya like it. I could've written more commentary in the duel… And the duel's length probably could've been increased… but I was too tired to add anything else, and the Chapter and duel seemed good enough to me. For everyone's information: Hope to make a double Update next week. I attempted to this week, but just got lost in all the writing. Hopefully that won't be the case next week. Anyway… Here's the next Chapter. Bastion begins his reign as 'King' over the new White Dorm. … Until Seth starts issuing orders and, eventually, 'enrolls' at Duel Academy in the next couple of Chapters. On with the Chapter.
The doors to the Ra Yellow cafeteria were opened wide when Bastion made his 'grand entrance.' Today would be the day that the White Dorm would take its place at Duel Academy. Crowler and Bonaparte were just waiting for Bastion to make the conversion of the Ra Yellow Dorm.
The Ra Yellow Dormitory had some renovations done by Professor Sartyr, obviously. The newest addition was a giant stone statue of Ra overlooking all of the cafeteria, which was made slightly bigger in recent months. All eyes in the room were on Bastion when he marched into the room, proudly bearing his White blazer.
One Ra decided to speak up.
"It's Bastion! Looks like he did go through with the wardrobe change after all…"
Another Ra spoke up.
"Don't interact with him, he might bleach your clothes, too!"
All the Ras in the cafeteria laughed at that, but Bastion didn't seem to mind. They were 'unenlightened', after all. Bastion chuckled as the laughter died down.
"Well… I may seem like a fool to you now… But duel me! And I won't seem so foolish after we've dueled. I assure you, it will be quick, easy… and painless."
One Ra scoffed at his claim.
"What? Are you trying to start a new trend or something? Dude, get over yourself."
Bastion chuckled again. The Ra was spot-on.
"Well… You could say that it will be a new 'trend'… See, I've become infused with the Power of the Light, gents. I am an elite member of the most powerful organization in the world, the Society of Light! One perk of being an elite member of said organization… entails possessing the power to dominate anyone in a duel. Of course… if you are all too SCARED to face me in a duel…"
Yet another Ra spoke his mind.
"WHAT! You're gonna take on ALL of us! There's gotta be at least a hundred of us here!"
Bastion laughed evilly. He pulled out a white fob watch and opened it to look at the time.
"Why not? I have all the time in the world. But to be completely honest and open with you… It won't take more than five minutes to beat each and every one of you."
The Ra who had just spoken narrowed his eyes at Bastion.
"Just what are you trying to say…?"
Bastion snapped his fingers, and all the doors that led into and out of the cafeteria automatically shut. Bastion smirked and activated his duel disk.
"… No one is leaving until they've had a duel with me… And believe me: I will KNOW when you've had a duel with me… Ahahaha…"
One Ra screamed in terror.
"Wh-What's happening!"
The Ra was referring to see a spinning 'Wheel' above Bastion, along with someone that he didn't recognize hovering over said wheel and cackling maniacally. Bastion shook his head and smirked proudly.
"You're beginning to see the Light!" Bastion was ready for a duel, and no one was leaving until someone dueled and beat Bastion, or so all the Ras thought. One Ra was brave and activated his duel disk. That was the beginning of the end, regrettably. Bastion laughed gleefully. "SHOW TIME!"
In mere minutes, on the outside, Light could be seen emitting from the inside of the Ra Dorm because of the large windows. And the screams inside got louder and louder as brilliant displays of Light got more frequent and larger. Other than the screaming, the only sounds were explosions and Bastion's maniacal laughter. Eventually, the screaming died down, and there was nothing but silence…
Meanwhile, at the Slifer Red Dorm, Jaden hadn't even gotten up yet. Chazz and Alexis were already up, and had already eaten breakfast. And Syrus and Hassleberry had just snuck down to get a bite to eat before it was all gone. By the time Jaden DID get up, breakfast was nearly all gone.
Jaden stared at his plate in horror. He had one strip of bacon and a side of burnt toast. Also, his cup of orange juice wasn't even half full. Jaden began to tear up.
"Ah, man… Why'd no one tell me breakfast was being served early…"
Alexis was with him and she was staring at him, feeling sorry for him.
"Well, ya snooze ya lose, Jay. There wasn't all that much to begin with."
Jaden looked up at Alexis, his lips trembling and his eyes making a 'puppy' stare.
"Could I have some Obelisk Blue breakfast… pleeeaaassseee…?"
Alexis shook her head and sighed.
"Sorry, Jay… but Obelisks eat even earlier, and I'm sure there's even less of that food left…"
Jaden looked down at his poor excuse for breakfast dejectedly, and Alexis looked away, not able to take the looks he was giving her.
A few minutes passed, and Chazz opened the door to the Slifer cafeteria.
"Uh… Slacker? 'Lex? You guys might want to come see this…"
Alexis and Jaden looked at each other and then back at Chazz. Jaden blinked.
"What's up…?"
Chazz motioned for them to follow him.
"C'mon… It'll be quicker if you just come see for yourselves…"
Alexis and Jaden were out of the Slifer cafeteria and right behind Chazz in a heartbeat…
Before Chazz had run off to fetch Jaden and Alexis, Syrus and Hassleberry had decided to visit the Ra Yellow Dorm to cheer up Professor Sartyr. By the time they go there, though…
Bastion chuckled darkly.
"It's good to finally be acknowledged and admired! And soon… I will see to it that the entire world sees the Light!"
Bastion was seated on a mobile White throne, carried by four former Ras. The Ra Dorm looked like it had gotten a new paint job… and had gone through heavy renovations recently. Having completed the new paint job and made the new renovations, all those in the White Dorm had opted to take a break and relax outside. Every single member seemed to acknowledge Bastion as some kind of King, hence the throne he was sitting on.
All the students now in the White Dorm pumped their fists into the air.
"All hail the Society of Light! All hail Bastion! ALL HAIL BASTION!"
Bastion chuckled again and gazed admiringly at his adoring public.
"Thank you all! But… we must give credit to the person who is responsible for all of this! And that's Seth Phoenix!"
Again, as one, the crowd pumped their fists into the air and grinned like mad.
"ALL HAIL MASTER SETH!"
Hassleberry and Syrus, who had been watching the group up to this point, looked at each other, shocked.
"Wh-What's going on!"
Syrus exclaimed, clearly confused. Hassleberry only shrugged and stared at the group of students in White.
"I don't know… but Private Bastion has gone too far! Going insane is one thing… but spreading it around? Something needs to be done, ASAP!"
And that's when Chazz walked up. The new White Dorm piqued his curiosity.
"Hey, dorks! What's going on…?"
Syrus turned to Chazz and gesticulated madly.
"Bastion's gone off the deep end! And everyone in Ra seems to have followed his lead!"
Chazz rolled his eyes and looked at Bastion seated on his throne in spite.
"… Hmph. Well, you dorks seem to be fine. Let me duel him… He'll be back to normal in no time."
Hassleberry shook his head and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Getting Private Bastion back is a Ra's job! Let me and Private Truesdale handle him."
Syrus twitched and stared at Hassleberry, like he was nuts.
"Are you NUTS?" Syrus motioned to the crowd and gesticulated again. "If THEY didn't stand a chance… What makes you think that YOU can make a difference?"
Hassleberry smirked mischievously. He jabbed a pointer finger into Syrus's chest and a thumb into his.
"You and me! If we double team him, we're sure to bring Private Bastion to his senses!"
Syrus fell backward and crawled away from Hassleberry slightly.
"N-NO! I'm not strong enough to take on Bastion! I'll be brainwashed within the first two turns!"
Hassleberry rolled his eyes and hoisted Syrus up off the ground.
"On your feet, Truesdale! Forward march! Our tag team is our last chance to redeem our Dorm!"
Syrus groaned and turned to Chazz and sighed.
"Chazz… could you go get Jay? I don't think I can do this without his support…"
Chazz sighed, nodded, and began to walk away. Meanwhile, Hassleberry began hauling Syrus to the White Dorm…
Jaden didn't know what he was staring at, but he was sure that something wasn't right. By the time he realized what he WAS looking at, Alexis spoke for him.
"Wh-What happened to the Yellow Dorm?"
The 'Yellow' Dorm was now all White. It sparkled in the harsh sunlight, and it was hard to stare at for too long. As Chazz was about to explain for Alexis, Aster walked up and gave an explanation.
"Bastion happened. He marched into the Yellow Dorm this morning and took out all who were in Ra. It was a massacre, dude! And now… everyone in Ra is apart of the Society of Light. They're all mindless robots!"
Jaden clenched his teeth and shot Aster a determined look.
"And you just let him do this? What were you thinking! What about Syrus and Hassleberry?"
Aster shook his head and crossed his arms in front of his shoulders.
"… It's not like I had a choice. By the time I tried to make a move and stop Bastion, the doors to the place slammed shut and no one could get in! … Or out. As for your friends… well… they entered the lion's den right before you showed up. They're probably dueling him – Bastion - right now. They said something about trying to make him 'come to his senses'."
Jaden's eyes widened and he ran right into the White Dorm, leaving the others behind.
"Syrus! Hassleberry! Hold on, I'm coming!"
Alexis and Chazz ran in after Jaden, and Aster just walked in after them.
"Jaden… I hope you realize it may be too late…"
The interior of the Ra Dorm was just as White as the outside was. Despite how small the Dorm actually was initially, it was now like a labyrinth to Jaden, Alexis, and Chazz. Aster knew the reason behind the radical change in the Dorm, and that was because he witnessed the whole transformation of the Yellow Dorm. It amazed Aster how much could get done with so many hands and resources, and the backing of the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor. Thanks to Crowler and Bonaparte, they expanded the new White Dorm. The new White Dorm now rivaled the Blue Dorms in size, not to mention class. What piqued Aster's curiosity was a short, stubby man running about with Bastion, helping to organize the 'new and improved' facility. The man seemed familiar to Aster, and it bugged him. Badly. Aster admitted that he was in there just to see who the short man was, and nothing more. He was already used to high class luxury, and wasn't as easily impressed as Jaden and his friends.
Jaden, Alexis, and Chazz followed the sounds of cheers and found themselves in a ridiculously large arena. Painted entirely white, of course. Many seats surrounding the arena were taken up by students who had been apart of Ra Yellow initially, but it was obvious that not even half the seats were taken. It was almost as if… the arena was built to hold a bigger audience, as if they EXPECTED to be gaining more members soon. And overlooking the arena was a grand throne that was currently empty.
"YAAAY!
Jaden, Alexis, and Chazz shifted their attention to the center of the arena, where a short, bald man in a strange getup was quasi-dancing and waving at the audience as a lone spotlight shone down him. The man wore a red cape, a blazer similar to an Obelisk Blue Blazer, and white gloves and boots, along with a pair of glasses with swirls on them. The crowd seemed to be interacting with the strange man. The man had a strange high-pitched voice.
"HIII!" The man did a spin and leaped into the air. Then he held a palm to the audience. "Richter can feel it, can YOU feel it!"
The audience seemed to get more pumped.
"YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!"
Richter switched the palm he was extending to the audience.
"Richter is needing to FEEL it more! Richter SAID: Can you FEEL IT!"
The audience began pumping their fists into the air, clapping, and stomping, making small 'earthquakes'.
"YEEEAAAHHH!"
Richter nodded and jumped into the air again, elegantly landing on both feet.
"Richter feels it, too! It high fives Richter's face with pure AWESOMENESS! … But now it is being time for the Main Event!"
The audience's volume level was growing out of control now.
"ALL HAIL THE SOCIETY OF LIGHT!"
Richter chortled and expertly spun the mic in his hand. He extended a hand to one side of the arena, indicating that he would be making the introductions to whoever was dueling.
"First, we have our mighty Second-in-Command… BASTION!
The crowd erupted with applause as a dazzling spotlight shown down on Bastion, who had his arms crossed in front of his chest and was smirking. He gave no attempt to pump the crowd up further; Richter was doing a fine job doing that already. Richter made a motion for the audience to turn their attention to the other side of the ring.
"And our extra, super-special guests… The formidable duo… SYRUS AND HUCKLEBERRY!"
Both Syrus and Hassleberry were smirking up until the point that Hassleberry realized that Richter had mispronounced his name.
"Hey…!"
Richter chortled and twirled the mic again.
"Let us be giving the applause for our guests!"
The audience seemed to grant Syrus and Hassleberry an equal amount of cheer as an equally bright spotlight shone down on them in the ring. Hassleberry had to shield his eyes from the brightness, and Syrus just closed his eyes.
Jaden stared at his friends in disbelief, as they had to be crazy to go up against Bastion now. He beat Crowler and Bonaparte in one duel, and he had apparently dueled every single duelist that was a member of the audience now cheering him, and them, on. Jaden looked around and saw that Alexis and Chazz had already taken seats opposite those of the Society of Light, indicating that they weren't about to try and stop this duel. Jaden grudgingly joined them.
By the time Aster had gotten there, introductions were over, and Bastion, Syrus, and Hassleberry had activated their duel disks. Aster ignored them and focused on the figure that was getting off of the stage. He shook his head in disbelief. It was the briefest of glimpses, but Aster swore he'd recognized that man, and he was right.
"Richter… If you're involved in this… then HE is, too… Question is: What role does he play in the Society of Light…?"
Aster didn't bother sticking around for the duel. He got what he came for, now it was just a matter of confronting a certain someone…
Bastion: 4000
Syrus: 4000
Hassleberry: 4000
Bastion chuckled darkly and drew his first five cards. He stared at Syrus and Hassleberry arrogantly.
"If you surrender now… I will spare you the humiliation of defeat! Though I must confess… I already know both of your answers…"
Syrus nervously shook his head. His voice was shaky, too.
"L-Let's duel!"
Hassleberry was more determined and gruff.
"Enough! It's time you got that suit dirty, Private!"
Bastion chuckled again and drew a sixth card.
"Not going to happen… This is the cleanest room in the facility, and you are not going to get very far… either of you.
Bastion played a monster.
"… But enough of that! I summon Enlightened Fool of Zenolite! And then I will end my turn."
(1100/800)
A jester clad in complete white garments skipped onto the field, took off his hat, and waved it at Hassleberry and Syrus. He smiled mischievously.
Chazz smirked as the clown appeared. He looked incredibly dorky.
"Heh… Looks a lot like Bastion!"
Bastion heard the snide remark and smirked back.
"Actually, Chazz… I thought he took after you in style!"
Chazz glowered at Bastion as he ended his turn. Chazz grumbled and said no more.
Bastion's Hand: 5
Hassleberry grunted and drew his next card.
"Attention troops, this is your drill sergeant speaking! I'll special summon Gilasaurus, but he won't be around for long, 'cause I'm dismissing him to summon Dark Driceratops! Yeehaw!
(2400/1500)
"And I'll end my turn."
Hassleberry's Hand: 4
Syrus quivered and drew his sixth card shakily.
"O-Okay! I'll summon… Steamroid!
(1800/1800)
"A-And that's that."
Syrus's Hand: 5
Bastion shook his head and drew his next card.
"Well, those won't last you long! Observe! For I am taking you both on a trip… a trip to Zenolite, the Ancient Sanctuary of the Light!"
Instantly, the duelists and the surrounding audience were transported to the foreboding structure bathing in a blinding Light. Hassleberry groaned at the sight. Syrus shivered.
"Again? C'mon, now! You used this against Crowler and Bonaparte!"
Bastion snickered and wagged his pointer finger at Hassleberry.
"And against every Ra that has been converted! This card is VITAL to the Enlightened Brigade! Without the Light from this sacred place… at least half of my deck would be rendered useless! … But enough on that. It is time to use the Fool's ability! By dropping its Attack points by 500, it can destroy one card on your side of the field! And I choose Dark Driceratops!"
Hassleberry shielded his face as Dark Driceratops exploded in front of him.
"Argh! W-Well… Private Truesdale still has a monster! He'll thrash your Fool!"
Bastion cackled and aimed his palm at the Enlightened Fool.
"Not quite! Whenever the Enlightened Fool and Zenolite, the Ancient Sanctuary of the Light exist on the field together… The Enlightened Fool gains 1000 Attack Points! Fool, take out Steamroid!"
Hassleberry raised an eyebrow as the Enlightened Fool leapt into the air and charged towards Steamroid.
"But… why? Steamroid's stronger! You've gone A-Wall, son!"
Syrus nervously laughed and rubbed the back of his head.
"N-Not exactly… Whenever Steamroid's attacked, he loses 500 Attack Points. Ehe… Whoopsy."
Hassleberry groaned as Steamroid exploded and Syrus took damage.
Bastion: 4000
Syrus: 3700
Hassleberry: 4000
Bastion set one card facedown.
"… I guess that's that. You're both back at square one. I must say… I'm not very impressed with you Ras. Good thing I'm fixing it so that Ra is null and void! Ahahaha!"
Bastion's Hand: 4
Hassleberry drew his next card vehemently and glared at Bastion.
"Not gonna happen! Your little Society of Light Club is outta here!
Hassleberry sorted his hand and extended the field spell part of his duel disk.
"I'm eliminatin' your key card! Here comes Jurassic World! And then… here to say a few words… Sabersaurus!
(1900/500)
"And due to Jurassic World, Sabersaurus gets a 300 point boost!
(2200/800)
"Now crush that Fool! And don't forget: Without your Temple-thingy, that Fool loses a few points! 1000 big ones!"
Bastion: 2600
Syrus: 3700
Hassleberry: 4000
Hassleberry smirked as Bastion's field was nearly empty. He turned to Syrus and grinned.
"It's your turn, Private! The War's nearly over!"
Hassleberry's Hand: 3
Syrus drew his next card and summoned it.
"W-Well… It's your turn, Gyroid! Come out and play!
(1000/1000)
"Attack Bastion directly!"
Bastion: 1600
Syrus: 3700
Hassleberry: 4000
Bastion smirked and revealed his facedown.
"Thank you, Syrus! You've allowed me to bring back my key card… By Enlightened Rebirth, you shall be reborn! You see… when my Life Points are below the halfway point… that is, 2000… I can bring back Zenolite, the Ancient Sanctuary of the Light! In return, both you and Hassleberry may draw one card!"
Hassleberry and Syrus each drew a card, and Jurassic World vanished right before their eyes. In its place towered Zenolite, the Ancient Sanctuary of the Light. Hassleberry glowered at Bastion.
"You just HAD to bring that thing back, didn't you?"
Bastion laughed and crossed his arms in front of his chest and smirked at Hassleberry.
"I told you: It's my key card. Without Zenolite, half of my deck would be rendered useless. … Which is why the other 'half' is about bringing said card back, if it's ever destroyed. You don't stand a chance!"
Syrus held up a card and smirked for a change.
"I'd have to disagree with you there, Bastion… I play Mystical Space Typhoon! Which destroys your 'key card'! Too bad!"
Bastion's eyes widened slightly as Zenolite shattered to pieces. He glanced at Syrus and gave a small smile.
"… Not a bad move. Though it was foreseeable. In fact, I saw it coming. … Still. That move will not save you from the wrath of the Enlightened Brigade. It was all for naught."
Hassleberry pointed straight at Bastion.
"Son, you gotta move on! What's gone is gone. Don't go relyin' on a single card! It'll bring about your defeat!"
Bastion scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"Oh please. My deck has been precisely organized and constructed for any situation. You destroy Zenolite? I revive it. You remove it from play? I'll bring it back. There is no viable solution to your dilemma. … No permanent one, anyway. Zenolite is one card that cannot be bested, not in my deck."
Syrus laid a card facedown. He stared at Bastion warily. He really was nuts to protect a single card to that extent. But it was Bastion's deck, so he had no say in it.
"… We'll see. Your move, Bastion."
Syrus's Hand: 4
Bastion chuckled and drew his next card swiftly.
"Very well! Time to demonstrate that I am in control of this duel once more! And it starts with my Cost Down Spell! By discarding one card from my hand, I lower the Level of every Monster in my hand by two! In other words, a Level Six Monster is now a Level Four! Such as my Enlightened Knight of Zenolite!
(2500/2200)
"And here's my next Card: A deadly Card known as Enlightened Rejuvenation! This Card allows my Enlightened Knight of Zenolite to attack twice this Battle Phase! The only Cost is my having to discard my entire hand… Which won't be a problem. In addition to attacking twice, my Knight gets a slight power boost due to his Effect: Anytime a Spell Card is activated, he gains 300 Attack Points.
(2800/2200)
"Now attack! Your target: Syrus's Gyroid!"
Syrus backed up slightly.
"B-But… Gyroid won't be destroyed! He gets invincibility for one Attack!"
Bastion shook his head and pointed at his Knight.
"… But my Enlightened Knight of Zenolite can attack TWICE this turn, Syrus. Get ready, because this may hurt…"
Syrus cringed as he took massive damage.
Bastion: 1600
Syrus: 100
Hassleberry: 4000
Alexis stared at Syrus worriedly. That was a big hit, and Syrus didn't exactly look too good after that huge assault.
"I hope they can keep it together… Otherwise… Hassleberry won't have a partner for much longer… and he'll have to face Bastion… alone."
Chazz rolled his eyes and continued watching the duel.
"Uh… Duh? I dunno about you, but I don't think Syrus is gonna last much longer. Same with Hassleberry. Bastion just keeps comin' with combos…"
Jaden didn't say a word to Chazz or Alexis, but stared at Syrus with a LOT of concern in his eyes.
"Syrus…"
Bastion laughed maniacally.
"Syrus, you are nearly ours! You are SO CLOSE… One more push, and you will see the Light!"
Syrus quivered and was silent. He just didn't know what to say, he was scared of Bastion. Too scared. Hassleberry pointed a finger at Bastion's potent Monster.
"… But if I read your Card correctly… It comes with a price! When I end my turn, that thing is GONE! Leaving you WIDE open!"
Bastion shrugged and shook his head.
"… Your move, Hassleberry. Make it count. It could be your last."
Bastion's Hand: 0
Hassleberry drew his next card and smirked.
"It could be! Who knows? I might just crush ya before my next turn comes 'round. I activate my Big Evolution Pill! By sacrificing Sabersaurus, I'm allowed to summon any Dinosaur without making a sacrifice! … And I choose my Super Conductor Tyranno!
(3300/1400)
"Now Attack that Knight! Put him out of his misery!"
Bastion chuckled and closed his eyes.
"… You just activated a Spell Card. Enlightened Knight of Zenolite gains 300 Attack Points! So you'll barely cause any Damage!"
Hassleberry rolled his eyes and didn't let up on the Attack.
Bastion: 1400
Syrus: 100
Hassleberry: 4000
Hassleberry just laughed in Bastion's face.
"Well, you're wide open! So there! Private Truesdale'll finish you off, son!"
Hassleberry's Hand: 3
Syrus drew his next card. He didn't have anything strong enough to 'finish off' Bastion, though.
"A-Alright… I'll summon Submarineroid!
(800/1800)
Syrus pointed at Bastion.
"And now he'll wage a direct attack on you! Go Submarineroid!"
Bastion: 600
Syrus: 100
Hassleberry: 4000
Bastion chuckled as the small dust cloud that was generated from the assault dissipated.
"… Is that all you have, Syrus? I should hope not. All I need do is Summon a strong enough Monster, and I can wipe you out next turn."
Syrus frowned and set a card facedown.
"Submarineroid goes into Defense… It's your move, Bastion."
Syrus's Hand: 3
Bastion drew his next card elegantly and played it without looking at it.
"I summon Enlightened Pagan of Zenolite!
(1000/1000)
"By sacrificing my Pagan… I can get back the two cards I forced myself to discard last turn."
Bastion's Graveyard glowed as the two cards were extracted. Enlightened Pagan of Zenolite went to the Graveyard. Hassleberry blinked as Bastion just stared at his cards ecstatically.
"But… Why? What kinda cards are worth losing your only defense? They must be pretty powerful."
Bastion nodded. He activated one.
"And they are. Just look: My Enlightened Backup is now taking effect! Here's how it goes… I choose three of my Enlightened Brigade from my Deck… and then you choose which of them is to be sent to the card Graveyard. The other two are instantly Summoned to the field. The drawback is that I can't choose anything above a Level Four.
Bastion fished through his deck and pulled three cards out precisely, like he knew where they were already.
"… Now go and take your pick, Hassleberry. It's not hard. Plus, I know your choice anyway."
Hassleberry grunted and walked over to Bastion, eyeing the cards Bastion had chosen carefully.
"… Enlightened Sorcerer… Enlightened Soldier… Enlightened Monk of Zenolite… Hey! All of these are weak! Well… Whatever. Your Enlightened Sorcerer goes the Grave, I guess…"
(800/1000)
(700/600)
A Soldier and a Monk rose up from a portal of Light, both completely clad in White. Bastion chuckled as Hassleberry walked back to his original place in the triangle.
"… Wise choice. By sending Enlightened Sorcerer to the Graveyard, I am allowed to retrieve a single Spell Card from my deck. … And I have just the one in mind. Holy Initiation!
Bastion's two Monsters were engulfed in two separate pillars of Light, and Hassleberry's Monster was dragged over to Bastion's side of the field by a large field of Light. Bastion chuckled at Hassleberry's dismay.
"You seem shocked. By the effect of Holy Initiation, I am capable of sacrificing two Enlightened Monsters that make up half of the Level of a Light-Attribute Monster on your side of the field. … If I meet that requirement, I am able to seize control of your Tyranno until your next End Phase. The best part is… By sacrificing Enlightened Soldier of Zenolite, I inflict 500 Points of Damage to the two of you! … Terribly sorry!"
Syrus revealed one of his facedowns.
"Not so fast! By the effect of Barrel Behind the Door, I'm safe! … But you're not. See, Barrel Behind the Door reflects the Damage back to you! Tough break!"
Bastion chuckled as he took the damage.
Bastion: 100
Syrus: 100
Hassleberry: 3500
Bastion looked at Syrus, then he turned to Bastion.
"… And now to do some damage to you, Hassleberry. You've gone on long enough! Super Conductor Tyranno! Attack your former master!"
Hassleberry fell backwards while scooting away from the oncoming Monster that was formerly his. Syrus smirked as he revealed his second facedown.
"Don't worry, Sarge! I gotcha! Magical Cylinder will reverse the Battle Damage!"
Bastion wagged a finger as the dino continued its assault, not letting up. Magical Cylinder shattered.
"Not exactly. You see… Enlightened Monk was also sent to the Graveyard by Holy Initiation's effect. Thus, its effect kicks in now. It negates the activation of one Trap Card in the Battle Phase. … Sorry, but we're all nearly out of Life Points now."
Bastion: 100
Syrus: 100
Hassleberry: 200
Bastion set one card facedown.
Bastion's Hand: 0
Bastion laughed as he ended his turn.
"This is all turning out as Destiny foretold it would! We are reaching the climax! … No. The finale. We reached the climax a long ways back."
Hassleberry growled and drew his next card. He stared at his cards in frustration. Then he glared at Bastion, who was still in possession of Super Conductor Tyranno.
"… You're just pure evil. I ain't never gonna join your Society of Light Club! … Though there's nothing I can do to finish you off…
Hassleberry shot a glance at Syrus and smirked.
"… I leave the finishing off of Bastion in your hands, Soldier. You have the card to do it."
Syrus nodded as he drew his next card. Syrus turned Submarineroid to Attack Mode.
"Alright! Submarineroid's gonna bypass your Tyranno! It's OVER!"
Bastion chuckled.
"… Then go ahead and attack. I assure you: It WILL be over when you attack. For you, not for me."
Hassleberry pumped a fist in the air and shouted gleefully.
"Truesdale! This is our chance! We got the enemy to the point where he's BLUFFING just to survive the round! FINISH HIM OFF!"
Syrus nodded and engaged the attack. Bastion didn't budge as Submarineroid shot a torpedo at him. After the thick cloud of dust was cleared… Bastion's facedown was missing. Bastion was cackling maniacally.
"… Thank you! That move cost you the duel, gentlemen! I won't be taking the fall… but YOU will! AHAHAHA!"
Syrus and Hassleberry stared at their duel disks simultaneously and shrieked simultaneously.
Bastion: 100
Syrus: 0
Hassleberry: 0
Syrus was the first to collapse. Hassleberry was strong enough to remain standing and ask a very important question.
"B-But… How? Y-You…"
Bastion rolled his eyes and held up the single card he used to annihilate them.
"… It's called Light Reflection. As long as I remove five Enlightened Monsters from my Graveyard… I can cancel out the damage meant for me… and reflect back at you. … The both of you. Funny, isn't it? One more turn and you could have won. Syrus merely had to end his turn, and Super Conductor Tyranno would have returned to your side. … And due to the effect of Enlightened Sorcerer of Zenolite… I had no Draw Phase on my next turn. I would have been wide open… You would have had the chance to disarm my Light Reflection, and I would have been wide open… Fortunately, Destiny had my back and forced young Syrus to attack me, leaving me the victor. Sorry… but you were destined to lose from the start."
Hassleberry groaned and just collapsed from exhaustion. Jaden, Chazz, and Alexis ran up onto the Duel Arena as all the lights in the room came back on and members of the Society began to file out. Bastion stood there patiently and silently as they tried to wake Syrus and Hassleberry up, already presuming they had been 'Enlightened'.
"Hassleberry! Syrus! WAKE UP! Are you okay?"
Syrus was the first to get up and respond to Jaden's concern.
"… I'm fine… Jay…
Syrus stood up straight and almost saluted Bastion. He simply held out his hand to Bastion, though.
"… Thank you, Bastion! That was a nicely played Duel! I'm ready to join the Society of Light now! I wanna become strong and admired, just like my brother!"
Bastion chuckled and gave Syrus a firm handshake.
"… It would be my pleasure to accept you as an elite member of the Society of Light, Syrus. … Now what of Hassleberry?"
As if on cue, Hassleberry began to get up. He was slower than Syrus, though.
"That was some duel… Amazing tactics, Soldier…"
Alexis had a horrified expression on her face as all but Bastion and Syrus stared at Hassleberry getting up off the ground.
"Hassleberry! Not you too…"
Hassleberry smirked at everyone and stood up straight.
"Who… Me? Not on your life, son!"
Bastion took a step back, clearly flabbergasted.
"Wh-What? B-But… HOW?"
Hassleberry chuckled and rolled up his left pant leg, revealing a scar.
"See this here scar, fellas? I got this a few year backs while on a routine dig for dinosaur fossils. Almost immediately after I had found a fossil, a rock slide occurred and nearly broke my leg in two. The docs had to operate immediately, and they used a bone of the very dinosaur fossil that I had found… and the rest is history. Ever since that accident, I've had dino DNA. So I'm stronger physically and mentally than your average Joe."
Bastion shrugged like it was nothing, but it was abundantly clear he was ticked at Hassleberry's allegiance, especially after the duel he had went through to recruit him. He led Syrus away from his former friends, and Hassleberry just shook a fist at the two of them.
"… That's right! You run away! Try brainwashin' me again, and I'll make sure you come to your senses!
Hassleberry turned to his friends and sighed. He was frustrated.
"I'm sorry, guys… I thought with Private Truesdale as backup, we could knock some sense into that freak… But he turned the tables on us. … Oh well. Next time!"
Chazz rolled his eyes and stalked away.
"Yeah… Whatever. If anyone's powerful enough to take down Bastion… It's me! … But I'm not in the mood. Later!"
Jaden turned to Alexis and Hassleberry, smiling.
"Well… I'm just happy that YOU'RE okay, Hassleberry… If I lost you AND Syrus, I don't know what I'd do…"
Alexis placed a reassuring hand on Jaden's shoulder. She beamed at him.
"We'd rescue them both. That's what would happen, Jay. Don't worry, there's still time to duel and win back Syrus and Bastion. … For now we'd best keep our distance. We don't want to lose anyone else to the Society of Light… But it'd be foolish to attempt to free them now. We haven't studied Bastion's tactics enough. And Syrus is sure to get new cards as well. … When the time comes and we do need to duel them… Well, we'll do our best and beat them. It's all we can do. I'm not going to admit defeat to those Society goons anytime soon…"
Jaden nodded and smirked.
"Yeah… Let's get outta here."
Jaden, Alexis and Bastion walked out of the White Dorm together…
Meanwhile…
Aster had been attempting to phone Seth for over an hour now, and all he kept getting was a busy signal. … Meaning that Seth was NOT willing to talk to Aster. Aster hung up his phone angrily and groaned.
"Seth… Where ARE you? I want answers. And I want them NOW. What IS this 'Society of Light'…? Are you so obsessed with eliminating Jaden you've gone to this extreme to achieve that goal…?"
Richter chortled from a nearby opened doorway as he secretly watched Aster leave the White Dorm premises.
"You'll be finding out soon enough… And then it will be YOUR turn to see the Light!
Richter continued chortling and closed the door slowly.
"I HAVE… THE CHORTLES! HAHAHA!"
Next Episode: Last Ditch Effort!
Enlightened Fool of Zenolite: (1100/800) 3-Stars, Spellcaster, Light-Attribute. Effect: Whenever 'Zenolite, the Ancient Sanctuary of the Light' is face-up on the field, this card gains 1000 Attack Points. By lowering this card's Attack points by 500, you can destroy one card on your Opponent's side of the field.
Enlightened Rebirth: Normal Trap Card. Effect: If your Life Points are below 2000, and Zenolite, the Ancient Sanctuary of the Light is in your Graveyard, you may add it to the field. If there was a Field Spell present before activation of this card, your opponent(s) may draw one card.
Enlightened Knight of Zenolite: (2500/2200) 6-Stars, Warrior, Light-Attribute. Effect: If Zenolite, the Ancient Sanctuary of Light is not present on your side of the field, this Card is destroyed during your Opponent's next End Phase. This Card gains 300 Attack Points for each Spell Card played.
Enlightened Rejuvenation: Normal Spell Card. Effect: Discard your entire hand. For this turn only, an 'Enlightened' Monster may attack twice.
Enlightened Pagan of Zenolite: (1000/1000) 3-Stars, Warrior, Light-Attribute. Effect: Tribute this card to get back any cards that you discarded last turn.
Enlightened Backup: Normal Spell Card. Effect: Activate when you have no cards on your side of the field. Choose three Level Four 'Enlightened' Monsters from your deck, and your Opponent picks out one of the cards you have chosen. That card is sent to the Graveyard, while the other two are Summoned to the field.
Enlightened Soldier of Zenolite: (800/1000) 2-Stars, Warrior, Light-Attribute. Effect: When this card is sent to the Graveyard due to a Spell Card, inflict 500 Points of Damage to your Opponent(s).
Enlightened Monk of Zenolite: (700/600) 2-Stars, Warrior, Light-Attribute. Effect: When this card is sent to the Graveyard due to a Spell Card, negate the activation of one Trap Card in the Battle Phase of this turn.
Enlightened Sorcerer of Zenolite: (1700/700) 4-Stars, Spellcaster, Light-Attribute. Effect: When this card is sent to the Graveyard due to a Spell Card, add a Spell Card from your deck to your hand. If that card is not used by your next End Phase, Remove it from Play. If this effect is used, skip your next Draw Phase.
Holy Initiation: Normal Spell Card. Effect: Sacrifice two 'Enlightened' Monsters on your side of the field. If there is a Light-Attribute Monster on your opponent's side of the field with twice the Level of the two Monsters you sacrificed, seize control of the Monster until your opponent's next End Phase.
Light Reflection: Normal Trap Card. Effect: Remove five 'Enlightened' Monsters from your Graveyard. Negate the Battle Damage from one attack and reflect it back at your opponent(s).
