Chapter 7: Against the Shadow Riders
"So that's pretty much the story. Sweet huh? So now I just wait" Jaden said as he finished explaining what was going on.
"But aren't you scared?" Syrus asked.
"No joke! Creepy shadow guys who want to beat you so that they can destroy the world?! I mean that's pretty intense!" Chumley replied to the unconcerned boy.
"And not to mention exhausting!" Jaden said, still unconcerned, "Which is why I'm gonna hit the hay!"
"What?!" Syrus cried, "Wait a sec! You can't just go to sleep right now! I mean, what if a shadow rider shows, Jay?"
"I'm sure they'll wake me up," Jaden said as he put his arms behind his head, "Hopefully not before ten. No, make that eleven so I can have time to shower."
"Wow Jay! You sure seem chill." Syrus said in amazement.
"No wait! Maybe twelve so I can have breakfast too!" Jaden replied.
"The fate of the world is at stake! Maybe you could skip breakfast." Syrus said.
Jaden gasped in shock.
"That's right!" Chumley said, "And I'd be happy to look after it for ya."
"Yeah, sure Chum. Well, now that that's settled, I'm going to settle myself between the sheets." Jaden said as he got into bed, "I'll see you guys tomorrow. When I save the world."
"At least he'll be well rested." Chumley said to Syrus.
…
Later that night, as Jaden and his roommates were sleeping, Alexis was making her way to the Slifer dorm.
'If what Chancellor Sheppard said is true and that they are the ones who decide who to duel first, then odds are that they will go after who they think is weakest. And with that Slifer red jacket, that's Jaden. I have to warn him!' Alexis thought as she got a determined look on her face.
…
As Alexis made her way to the dorm, Nightshroud stepped to the edge of the forest behind the Slifer dorms. The red eyes of the mask began to glow.
…
Inside the room, Jaden, Syrus and Chumley were all sleeping soundly. As they slept, a bright white light began shining through the window. Winged Kuriboh appeared and gave a frantic coo as it began nudging Jaden.
Jaden groaned as he opened his eyes, "Ugh, Winged Kuriboh? Could you keep it down? I'm trying to sleep."
Kuriboh gave another frantic coo and flew to Jaden's other side. Jaden turned over and his eyes went wide as he saw the light.
He jumped out of his bed and went tried to wake Syrus and Chumley. His attention was distracted from that however when his half amulet began to shine.
…
As Alexis neared the Slifer Dorm, she saw the light and gasped. She cried out, "Jaden!" and began running towards the dorm.
…
She reached the door and threw it open just as a voice began to laugh and the light in the room began to go almost solid.
"What's happening?!" She cried.
"The first duel is happening!" the voice replied gleefully and everything went dark.
…
"The first duel is starting Drake." Paige called up.
Drake gave a shrug as he settled into the limb that he was planning to sleep on, "So what?"
"Shouldn't we try to keep a watch?" Ryder asked from another branch in a nearby tree.
Drake was silent for a moment as he tried to feign sleep, but he eventually grew tired of it and sat up, "Fine! We can go watch."
He jumped down and led the other two towards the volcano, marking the way back to his tree as he went along.
…
The first thing the two of them felt when they finally became aware again was the heat.
"Where are we?" Alexis asked.
Jaden moved to the edge of the glowing platform and said, "In one very weird dream," just as a dragon made out of flame flew out of the lava of the island's volcano.
"Or a nightmare." Alexis said, worried.
It's neither!" said the same voice from before as the fire dragon slammed onto the platform and a dark figure began to walk out of the flames.
"What's going on?" Jaden demanded.
"You mean you don't know?" The man asked.
"Eh…Call me a slow learner." Jaden said.
"And call me Nightshroud." The dark figure replied.
"Nightshroud?" Jaden asked with a look of confusion.
"I'm the one who will be taking that key around your neck." Nightshroud continued.
"Wow. You guys don't waste much time." Jaden said.
Nightshroud held up his medallion and Jaden's lit up in response, "Nice medallion. The Gravekeeper must be getting sloppy, but if you think that you can beat me as easily as you beat him, then you've got another thing coming. I'll get that key and I'll get it now. Oh, and to make sure of that, I brought friends."
"What's that mean?!" Jaden demanded.
"Here," Nightshroud replied, "Say hello to Syrus and Chumley."
"Oh no!" Jaden said as he looked over to where Syrus and Chumley were crying out in fear.
They stood on a rock that was surrounded by lava in a blue bubble that had three rock formations that held like they were in a dragon's talons.
"Hold on!" Alexis called to them.
"Looks like they're in hot water or more like hot molten lava, but such is the way of a shadow game key-keeper." Nightshroud said with that same gleeful tone.
"Shadow game? Look! You can duel me, but let them go!" Jaden shouted angrily.
"I don't think so. I need them to insure a speedy match." Nightshroud replied, "Besides, that protection orb? Well…let's just say that it wasn't built to last. Oh and one more thing," He said as he held up a card in two fingers, "Your soul will be sealed inside this card when you lose. The same also goes for me, but let's face it. Me lose? No way."
"Jaden! You can't agree to this!" Alexis whispered.
"Tell that to Syrus and Chumley." Jaden whispered back, "They're about to become meatballs in a lava stew! They're my friends and I'm not going to let that happen to them or us! Besides, it's not like this is my first shadow game. I just hope that it doesn't hurt as bad as the others." He suddenly had flashbacks to his other Shadow duels, "Okay pal! You want a duel? You got it!"
"Good luck Jay." Syrus called.
"And just let us know if, ya know, we can help." Chumley said.
"Uh yeah. Thanks Chum, but I've got all the help I'll need right here in my deck." Jaden called back as a lava serpent passed by Syrus and Chumley's prison, "All right! Let's throw down!"
They both readied their duel disks.
Jaden: 4000
Nightshroud: 4000
"Get your game on!" Jaden shouted at Nightshroud.
"You want to see game? How's this?!" Nightshroud asked drawing a card from his deck (6 cards in hand), "I summon Troop Dragon in defense mode and play a facedown while I'm at it." A vertical card appeared behind a green lizard holding a sword and shield.
"Not bad," Jaden said as he drew a card (6 cards in hand), "But how's he going to stack up against my dragon slayer? Elemental Hero Wildheart!" A scarred man with a giant sword on his back appeared, "And show him that that sword of yours isn't just for show! Attack!"
Wildheart charged forward with a cry and slashed the Troop Dragon, causing it to burst into pixels.
"There was something I forgot to mention about Troop Dragon. When he's destroyed, I can summon another in his place." Nightshroud said.
"Hence the word 'troop'." Jaden said with a growl.
"That's right! And I'm not done yet. Now I'll play my facedown Call of the Haunted." Nightshroud said as a reddish-purple card shot up to reveal a graveyard scene with a little smoke rising from one of the graves, "This card allows me to bring back a monster in my graveyard. Like my Troop Dragon." The green lizard that had been destroyed reappeared on the field, "But there's more where that came from. I now trade them in to summon…
"Summon what?" Alexis asked.
"Oh boy!" Jaden groaned.
A giant lava serpent shot up and twisted around the field and even passing over Syrus and Chumley before slamming onto the field and revealing a giant black dragon with red eyes and vicious claws.
"Ah!" Both Syrus and Chumley cried out.
"It's cool, Sy!" Chumley said, "The bubble is still in one piece." He lightly beat his fist against a few times until it suddenly opened up and his arm slipped through, "Though it's a smaller piece."
"… my Red Eyes Black Dragon! (2400/2000) Now Red Eyes! Attack Wildheart with Inferno Fire Blast!"
Red Eyes roared and shot a blast of fire at the hero. Jaden cried out as he was pushed back and his life points took a hit.
Jaden: 40003100
Nightshroud: 4000
Jaden groaned as he clutched his chest, "Ow! That hurt!
"That's right. And it's about to hurt a lot more Key-Keeper!" Nightshroud said gleefully, "Cause the true pain is about to begin! Now come on and make your move! I've got a doomsday to start!"
"Jaden!" Syrus cried out as Jaden stood back up.
"Doomsday? I'm too young!" said Chumley.
"Come on!" Alexis whispered as she looked on with worry in her eyes.
"Sorry Nightshroud," Jaden said as he stood up tall, "But the only doom that's coming this way is to your monster!"
…
"Interesting." Hayden said as he glanced over the rim of the volcano into the fires below where the duel was taking place, "I've got to say. This kid has guts."
"Hopefully, he can keep those guts." Drake said as he looked on stoically, "It wouldn't be good for the world if the one who is supposed to save them gets taken out so early."
"Geez, Drake. Lighten up!" Cinder said as her head popped up next to him, "You and John just have to be downers don't you?"
"Quiet, all of you." John said as he noticed the blue haired kid looking in their direction.
…
'Is somebody up there?' Syrus wondered as he glanced at the volcano's rim. He could have sworn he had heard voices up there. After a moment, he turned back to the duel and forgot about it.
…
"My draw! Hah!" Jaden shouted as he slid a card from his deck into his hand, "Alright! I play the spell card Polymerization and with Clayman and Burstinatrix in my hand, I can fuse them to summon Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster!" A female warrior appeared in defense mode with a shield on one arm and what looked like a Gatling gun on the other (A: 2000/ D: 2500), "And even in defense mode, she can still blast you with half of her attack points! So go ahead and let him have it Blaster! And don't pull any fire power. Go! Rampart Barrage!" The creature gave a cry as its attack points were cut in half and several bullets came out and hit Nightshroud.
Jaden: 3100
Nightshroud: 4000 3000
Nightshroud grunted as he took damage.
"And don't forget! Rampart Blaster is still in defense!" Jaden said with a glare which then changed into a smile, "So you'll have to get through her. Pretty sweet, huh?"
Nightshroud just stared at him.
"Okay, maybe not so sweet for you." Jaden said.
…
"He sounds almost happy." Ryder said with a shiver.
"Who knows?" Cinder smiled, "He might have a hidden bloodthirsty side."
"I hope not." Hayden said, looking at her, "We don't need another you."
Cinder pouted as they all turned their attention back to the duel.
…
"Enough!" Nightshroud cried out as he drew his next card and he smiled at what he saw, "You fool! You think you're safe? That Blaster doesn't change a thing! But you can bet that this next card will! It going to change your life points Jaden and not in a good way! You see Jaden, your Blaster can't protect you from my Red Eyes' attack!"
Jaden smiled, "Alright, I'll bite. Why not?"
"Because," Nightshroud raised a green card up, "Its attack is an actual card! Inferno Fire Blast!" The green card shined with a light as the Red Eyes let out a giant fireball that flew right past Rampart Blaster.
"A card?" Alexis gasped.
"Uh-oh!" Syrus mumbled.
"Not Lishus!" Chumley said.
Jaden cried out from the pain as the blast hit him.
"It's just as strong as Red Eyes' attack. The only difference is that it strikes your life points directly!" Nightshroud said with a sadistic glee.
Jaden: 3100 700
Nightshroud: 3000
"And I'm not through with you yet Key-Keeper! Next I summon Attachment Dragon!" A small blue dragon appeared on the field (A: 100/ D: 100), "But don't worry. He's not the attacking type see. Like his name suggests, he's a lot more of the attaching type. Show him dragon!" The small dragon gave a roar and swept across the field towards Rampart Blaster. It grabbed hold and suddenly, Rampart Blaster was forced to stand up and the dragon wrapped its wings around Blaster, "It seems Rampart Blaster has made a new friend! A friend that forces her into attack mode! And because she is, no more direct attacks!"
Jaden groaned in annoyance.
"Oh no!" Alexis whispered, worry filling her eyes.
"Jaden!" Syrus and Chumley cried out as they put their hands onto the bubble, which suddenly collapsed and they both went halfway through.
They frantically pulled themselves back in and Chumley said, "This thing is going gonzo!"
"Oh man!" Syrus gasped as two more streams of lava flew over them.
"So hot!" Chumley said as he looked over at Syrus, "Now I know what grilled cheese feels like."
"Jaden!" Alexis cried out.
Jaden gasped and stumbled for a moment, but he quickly recovered and said, "My turn!" and, with a cry, placed his hand on his deck as he thought, and at the rate that orb is disappearing it may be my last chance to save my friends! He drew a card, and the world!
