State of the Meta

by Yung Warrior

A self-insert in which a competitive player from 2016 finds himself warped into the world of GX. Between adjusting his deck to make up for the inverted power creep, making grades, and saving the world, there's much to do, but all good players know how to adapt to their circumstances. SI-OC, 1st Person POV

61. Is it wrong to pick up cards in a well!

Chapter 61: Is it wrong to pick up trading cards in a well?

(Jamie Lancaster POV)

"I say old bean, this was a positively smashing idea!"

"Thanks, man. I just hope we're the first ones who have thought of it."

I held the ladder as Bastion descended the well, the two of us clad in loose black garb for sneaking about at night. As much as I would have much preferred a moonlight outing with Alexis, she apparently needed to sleep for an exam tomorrow. Classes were back into full swing now and we were close to rounding out the semester. I hadn't learned much, nothing of an academic nature at least. Regardless, I needed someone to accompany due to Sonata being on a mission and there were few I trusted like Bastion.

"The well of abandoned cards…" The idea should have occurred to me sooner. While we didn't get much of a look at what was in the well in canon apart from the Ojamas, there was bound to be something useful in here after the astral blast that happened during Jaden and Aster's first battle. For all anyone knew, there could be several powerful archetypes as well as strong Synchro and Exceed monsters in there. Hell, there could even be Pendulum or Link monsters for all we knew. I was surprised that neither of those summoning methods had shown up in this world yet, but with the way things were going it was only a matter of time. If I'm to surpass Kaiba, I need to explore as many options as possible, and this was one of them. It was easy to convince Bastion, as he was naturally curious about how the blast affected the area.

"Alright, you're good to go." Bastion held the ladder at the bottom as I slowly made my way down. Withdrawing flashlights, twin bright beams illuminated the well's bottom.

Sure enough, there were cards strewn about, some in piles while others were scattered far and wide. The wet ones would be useless but luckily the well was fairly dry, having not been used in some time. Silently, we both began looking around.

Unfortunately, most of the cards were not life-changing by any stretch. Although they were newer by the standards of my original timeline, they were either too weak for our purposes or didn't work without a host of additional archetype support.

Bastion was having better luck than me. "Ah, this is quite something. A few Magnet Warrior cards that may prove useful."

"Nice." I said absentmindedly. I had found a few solid floodgates, but nothing too crazy until a level four monster caught my eye. Dark attribute, spellcaster, 1000 attack. It was Aleister the Invoker, a very strong card that could synergize with my current strategy as long as I found the right support.

I briefly wondered who could possibly throw this card away, but for all I knew it was transformed from another card that was previously in the well. Focusing my search on the immediate area, I found more and more Invoked cards.

"Awfully quiet over there. I hope this hasn't been disappointing for you." Bastion said half in jest.

"Nah...I think it was worth the trip. I'll definitely need to spend some time in the lab. Keep all of this to yourself for now."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The next day, Kaiba briefed myself, Aster, Zane, and Jesse on the details of the mission to rescue Jaden. Although we were given the choice to refuse, all of us accepted for one reason or another. Jesse wanted to rescue Jaden, and Aster wanted to save his wayward mentor Sartorius, although whether the cult leader survived the journey or not didn't bother me. Although outwardly Kaiba ordered us to rescue both Jaden and Sartorius, he had a very specific purpose in mind for the man who made a fool of him in battle and brainwashed him to boot. If anything, Sartorius should be hoping we don't find him.

Whether Aster would stick his neck out for Sartorius in the face of the white dragon's wrath, I had no idea. Regardless, our alliance with the destiny duelist was tenuous at best. Zane accepted mainly because he had nothing better to do and wanted to face strong opponents in the spirit realm. At least someone is sure to get his wish. As for me, I wanted to rescue Jaden as well but I really didn't have a choice one way or the other. Kaiba had me by the balls and we both knew it. For now, I have to do what he says, or he's going to tell everyone, including Jamie's real parents, the truth. The thought of Tobias and Joanna knowing sent me to a place of deep shame and disgust. What would I do if a stranger wore the face of my child?

It was decided that a fifth duelist would join us. I was surprised to find that Erin would be joining us as well. She was graduating at the end of the semester and would be extremely well-paid for participating in this mission. Her name would be well-known if we succeeded and she didn't seem to really know what she wanted to do after graduation anyhow. Always eager to prove herself, I hoped she wasn't biting off more than she could chew. But then, I was in the same boat as her…

Three months remained until school was out for the summer. During that time, Pegasus has hired a team of theoretical physicists headed by one Dr. Eisentstein to construct the dimensional gate to the spirit realm. Apparently this was a legitimate branch of science in this world. I was beginning to learn that the more implausible something is by normal logic, the more likely it is to happen around here. Until then, we were supposed to train and prepare for our journey. Our parents were to be informed that we were going on a "summer internship". What they would tell our parents if we got killed out there, I had no idea. I welcomed that I would not have to face "mom" and "dad" for a while.

The gate was to be powered by duel energy. Two duels will help cause the initial jump - a game between Zane and I as well as a game between any of the other three. Zane and I insisted on fighting each other. During the match, we would all have bio-bands attached to our ankles to channel our energy towards the gate. Probably Viper's idea. At the beginning of the summer, there were plans for a grand tournament between all of the five great duel academies as well as many of the minor schools. Interest in the subject was sparked by the international coalition against the Light of Ruin, and it would also power the gate for continuous dimension hopping, within reason. The five of us would be unable to participate in the tournament, but I hoped for a Central Academy victory alongside our survival.

Although we practiced a great deal during the days, I was determined to actually enjoy life as well. The ever-present sense of impending doom grew as time ticked away, but simultaneously the little pleasures in life grew sharper and more vivid as well. I spent much of my time with Alexis. Despite claiming to dislike surprises, she was often pleased when I gave her a gift or proposed something to do "spontaneously" although in reality it was anything but. Likewise, she did the same, and over time things grew more serious between us than they were before. Jaden's disappearance weighed on us both. We filled the days with activity and fun but the silences invariably rang with melancholic emptiness. The "new relationship energy" had long been depleted by this point, and although I was initially dismayed our bond seemed stronger for it.

Tonight we stargazed. Although I generally do not find outer space very interesting, there is something deeply natural about looking at the little pinpricks of light...especially since there really was life out there in this reality.

"Do you know your zodiac sign, Jamie?" Alexis asked as we relaxed on a grassy slope.

"Uh, I think it's Capricorn." I floundered.

"No, your birthday is November 30, so it would actually be Sagittarius." She corrected me. I gulped - my real birthday made me a Capricorn, but Jamie's didn't.

"Ah, right. I'm surprised you're interested in such things." I deflected, tracing fingers gently through blonde locks.

"Jasmine and Mindy are, and they told me all about it. My birthday is May 5, so I'm a Taurus, apparently." She shrugged. "It's a shame, Taurus is highly compatible with Capricorn, but not as much with Sagittarius." A wry smile quirked at her lips.

She spoke the words casually, but they pierced me. Or was I assigning too much meaning to it? They're just astrology signs, it's all bullshit anyways! But then again, there was so much magic and mysticism in this world that I couldn't really know what to write off. "It's hard to sum up people so easily. There are many aspects of a person's heart that they keep secret - many even deceive themselves instead of facing the truth."

"I don't know...at the end of the day, a person's either good or bad as far as I'm concerned." Alexis mused, the silence stretching before she continued, "There's some things you just don't do, for any reason, ever. People only lie and steal and cheat because it's easy, not because they have to. Funny thing is that doing that stuff only makes things easier in the short term. In the long term, it only makes your life worse."

Although I thought of many replies to that, I chose not to say any of them.

"I wonder what the deal was with Mackenzie...do you think Chazz was telling the truth about her?" About her being a demon-possessed schemer?" Alexis went on.

"Yes, I believe he was." I nearly snarled.

"What makes you so sure? I don't think Chazz can be trusted. I tried being kind to him, and he insulted me in return. You should have heard what he said about you, for that matter. He's not your biggest fan." Alexis' brow furrowed.

"I know. It doesn't matter what he said...just forget it." I rubbed her shoulders absentmindedly. "Chazz is all talk. But Mackenzie...she's deep in the dark arts. During my duel with her, as well as the time we cooperated against Sartorius' sister, she showed me glimpses of her true self, as if to tempt me. But I couldn't prove anything about her from those little moments." What I didn't tell Alexis was that I spared her outright or otherwise avoided facing her because I found her attractive...it was a weakness I regretted. My only solace was that I avoided caving into the siren's call, but only just!

"She is still out there somewhere. Just like Jaden is. And Sartorius as well. There is so much beyond our control…" Alexis' voice fell to a whisper. "You and Zane and the others will be leaving soon to go find them."

"Yes. We will succeed. I promise I'll return to you before the next summer's end." I said with as much confidence as possible. Before we leave for the spirit world, I should tell her the truth about me...I should...should….

"Meanwhile the rest of us will be prancing around in this absurd tournament. I don't care at all about glory or prestige. Even being strong is pointless without something to protect." She said as we snuggled closer. I said nothing - she did not understand the warrior's ways and never would, despite her strength. It was a neutral observation, and I did not judge her for lacking the mindset of one who chases the summit. "I don't want to play such silly games while you guys are out there risking your lives."

Alexis never had a choice - Kaiba and the others never asked her to join the mission. "I think you'll win the tournament. Show Chazz and those other schools what the Obelisk Force is made of, okay? You're a strong fighter and a wonderful woman." I smiled. The tournament had a hidden purpose that I was instructed to keep secret.

She was silent for a time, until she sat up and wrapped her arms around me from behind. Emotions welled from within. "I like when you hold me." I said through a lump in my throat.

Her tears wet my shirt. "I wish you didn't have to leave." She whispered.

I didn't have a choice either, but her words were loaded. Even if I did stay, she would never respect me if I refused a chance to save Jaden to be with her. But again, I could not judge - she was frightened. The future was uncertain and the few rocks in her life were slipping beneath the waves. Atticus hospitalized, Jaden gone and maybe dead, enemies in the shadows, on all sides...I had to be strong for her. "It's ok...you're ok…" I lulled, trying to convince myself as well.

I never ended up telling her the truth.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxxXxXxXx

Although the days were quiet for me, the rest of the island was experiencing another crescendo of hustle and bustle. Teams of scientists, engineers, and tradesmen were working discreetly on the dimensional gate, setting up their workspace in the same labs where they worked on Wheeler.

Bastion's brief tussle with the dueling monkey was a humorous and bittersweet memory. It was the day he and Jasmine began to grow closer, and it was when she began to grow more interested in dueling as well. It was also the day I attached myself to KaibaCorp, for better or for worse. Should I have made a different decision that day?

The week before we were scheduled to depart, I learned who the fifth member of our party was. Aster, Zane, Jesse and I sat in an empty classroom, convening to talk to our newest teammate. "Congratulations." I said awkwardly to Erin Reid, who had an easy, confident smile on her face. "Erm, I'm not sure what to say, actually."

"Don't sweat it, Jamie." She chuckled. "Jaden's my friend too. Someone needed to step up and my time at school is almost over. When will I get another chance to go on an adventure like this?"

"It will be dangerous. We could easily die at any time and no one will be coming to our rescue once we're in there." Aster warned grimly.

"Ya know just how to warm a guy's heart, Aster." Jesse joked.

"We've faced life-threatening battles before. I know I can handle it. I wanted to prove it during the Shadow Riders attack, but I didn't get the chance. Now I will." The sun filtered through the window slats, accenting her dark skin. Blue eyes glimmered with determination, their gaze defiant towards Aster, who crossed his arms as he leaned against a desk. As usual, his silver tuxedo was tightly buttoned in.

"I can understand wanting to prove oneself. The fighters in the spirit realm will be a whole new challenge. It'll be good to get more help." Zane gazed out the window, not seeming bothered by this development one way or another. A black t-shirt hung loosely on his tall frame, and somehow he was able to wear jeans on this humid-as-hell island.

"Well, it's nice to meet ya Erin!" Jesse was sitting on the teacher's desk, his legs swinging idly. He greeted her with a smile and wave. "I can read your energy. You're strong, ain'tcha?"

"You remind me of Jaden. You said your name is Jesse Anderson, right? Why are you on this mission anyways?" Erin asked.

"I got to know Jaden when Chazz and I saved him back in Domino City. On our journey to the island for the battle against the Light, I learned that he can see duel spirits, like me. And our personalities really jive, so we made for fast friends!" Jesse said, a bit sadly. Erin nodded in understanding both of what was said and what was implied.

"Well, we should have a badass team name, right? What do you guys think?" I proposed, leaning back into my chair.

"How about Team Satisfaction?" Zane offered. After a moment's silence, we all burst out laughing, even Aster. "No, definitely not. What about The Enforcers?"

"A bit generic, but not bad. We could go with the Jaden Retrieval Squad. After all, that's our mission." Jesse piped up.

Aster ticked, "Don't forget that we're searching for Sartorius as well. The last time their energies could be detected, they were both still alive. It may not matter to you guys, but it does to me."

"Last I checked, Sartorius was trying to brainwash our friends and use their energy to destroy the planet because some freaky alien god told him to. The only reason we're trying to find him is to bring him to justice, that's all." I sat up. Erin nodded in agreement. I was glad to have her along for many reasons, but having support against Aster if he proved to be a problem was near the top of the list.

He met my gaze evenly. "He's my friend. I won't abandon him. The Light misled him as it did me. He wasn't acting of his own free will!" Aster protested. "You presume too much and claim leadership prematurely. We may be on the same team, but I am nothing of yours and will not subordinate myself to you. I have my own reasons for doing this mission and I can leave at any time if my conditions aren't being satisfied."

"While you have no choice because your master ordered you to, Lancaster." This was left unspoken, but I caught the implication well enough. This guy was starting to piss me off, but it was better for now to present a harmonious front. At any rate, he had some valid points. I had mixed feelings on the matter as a whole. Sartorius really didn't have a choice, but having him around is a bit of a liability considering he got brainwashed twice in the canon series and may have some capacity to control fate even without the Light's possession. Still, rescuing him only to deliver him to the dragon's tender mercies didn't sit well with me either. Kaiba will want Sartorius dead for wounding his pride, but he can't get his own hands dirty without risking Yugi's disapproval. As a result, he's made several overtures towards me to arrange an accident. Although it wasn't a direct order, failing was risky. I haven't agreed to anything, but Kaiba knows that I understand what he wants. If I defy him too much, he may decide keeping me around isn't worth it. Without a powerful network my chances of survival decrease exponentially.

Zane's eyes darted between Aster and I, wondering how I would handle the slight. "You're right Aster, he probably was possessed. However, he almost destroyed the planet and still has the potential to do so, which makes him dangerous. It's not my place to decide what to do with him, my job is just to bring him back along with Jaden. Finding one will probably lead us to the other. They probably went to the same place, if I had to guess. They may decide to stick together for the sake of mutual survival." I deflected the confrontation and gave him some ground in hopes that he would play nice long enough to work efficiently on the team. Afterwards all bets were off.

"That would make things easier." said Zane. "Now, as for the name…." He wisely tried to guide the conversation to safer waters.

"How about the Dark Harbingers of Justice?" Aster said, his temper cooling.

"The Obelisk Force! Oh wait, we already used that…" Erin jumped in.

"Team 10?" I trolled.

"The Card Sharks!"

"Five for Fighting!"

"The Ultimate Super Elites!"

"The Destiny Soldiers!"

"The Lancers!"

And so the debates went, with a satisfactory answer nowhere in sight. Still, it was a fun way to lighten the mood as darkness lurked just beyond the edges of our vision.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXXxxXxx

The Genex Tournament was scheduled to begin just a few days after our team was to depart for darker pastures. The energy generated by the tourney duels would power the gate enough for multiple trips from and to the spirit realm. This way, we could return once our supplies started to run low, or if finding our quarry takes longer than expected. It would have been really fun to participate, although I knew I couldn't. I hoped either Alexis or Bastion mopped up the competition. There were bound to be some interesting fighters coming from abroad. The only ones I knew were Axel Brodie, Jim Cook, and Adrian Gecko. The latter was bound to be a problem at some point, although at least two of the Sacred Beasts were out of his grasp. Hamon was with Jesse and Raviel was in the hands of Hank Ishtar, wherever he was now. There was still no trace of Uria...whoever found it must be laying low.

The danger presented by Adrian could be managed as long his exposure to the supernatural was limited. That would be difficult as the "magical" side of things was slowly unraveling any remaining sense of normalcy in the human realm. He would rise as high as he was allowed to. Despite his being an unpopular character with the fandom, I enjoyed him as a diet version of Griffith from Berserk. But now that he and I were in the same world, he was certainly going to be a problem. Especially since he got new cards from the blast.

Axel was a known quantity...at this point, he would follow whatever orders Viper laid out for him. His character only began to change upon contact with Jaden...who is missing and possibly dead at the moment. I don't believe I have the ability to change people's hearts, nor I am inclined to. It's not as easy as it looks when Jaden does it. The real question was what Viper was up to. Everything depended on whether he'd made the bargain with Yubel. If not, then he's just some prick. If so, then things grew murkier. Viper and Adrian could potentially be pitted against each other as long as someone from our side was ready to pounce on the weakened victor, but I would be too far away from the situation to monitor it effectively. However, Yugi, Kaiba, Pegasus, and others will also be present at the tournament. Those two may not have the guts to try anything funny in front of the world's strongest duelists. Too many damn question marks!

Jim was a cool guy and would probably be a great help for our side. I looked forward to meeting him...and finding out the capabilities of his Orichalcum Eye. Its abilities were vaguely expanded on in canon, but it proved only marginally effective against Jaden. I was more interested in hearing about how he got it in the first place...I didn't remember. Beyond that, he just seemed like an interesting person who has had some unique life experiences.

So many thoughts at the beginning and end of each day...

XxXxXxXxXxXxx

(Jamie Lancaster? POV)

Blade Knight, the young man formerly known as Jamie Lancaster, strode purposefully through the halls of Yubel's castle. After the battle with Brron, Yubel had taken to redecorating the fortress to her own liking. Flowers hung in pots on the walls and in rooms, partially due to her aesthetic preferences and partially to obscure the stench that arose from having so many duel spirits crammed together. The grounds were overflowing. Even with scouts, foragers, and platoons on the move every day, there was barely enough room to accommodate Yubel's ever-growing army. Even peaceful duel spirits were flocking to the banner of the Supreme King, for they knew what happened to those that resisted.

The castle smelled like a floral shop on the surface, but just beneath that was the tinge of blood, of death. Yubel herself was still convalescing, the king of games having brought her to the brink of death. She would be deader than disco if not for his interference, even though Yugi gave her every chance to go in peace.

"Once there's the smell of blood in the air, that's all she can think about…" Yubel's vicious, relentless nature had won them many battles over the Dark World forces, but it was proving to be a liability against the crafty humans. With a start, he realized that he was thinking of "the humans" as if he himself wasn't one. "I am a human being too!" He mentally reaffirmed.

He entered Yubel's chambers unannounced to find her asleep on a bed, cared for by two Gellenduo spirits. "Apologies my lord, we weren't expecting any visitors." The fairies said obsequiously.

"It's no problem." Blade Knight removed his helm, teasing his mud-brown hair with a gloved hand. "Send for me once Yubel wakes up, there is much to speak of."

"I'm awake." Yubel's wavering voice told him she wasn't at full strength yet. Good.

"Wait outside." Blade Knight said coldly to the nurses, who scurried out frantically. Once they were gone, his piercing green gaze settled on Yubel. "How are you feeling?"

"Can't say I'm at a hundred percent." She replied sarcastically. "Even after I absorbed so many spirits...Yugi swatted me aside! He had answers for everything I did. It's maddening!"

"If you strike at a king, strike to kill. He is favored by the gods, yes, but he is still human. There were ways of handling that mission better. A touch of subtlety works better than force at times. If we did things my way, we might have the god cards at this very moment. As is, the operation was a complete loss. Do you know what that means?"

Yubel chuckled weakly. "No, but I'm sure you're about to tell me." Bandages covered her abdomen, and her gaze was directed murkily towards the ceiling.

"It means we need to do things differently. If we become too predictable, the enemy will have no trouble countering our actions. We can't beat them in a battle of brute force, so we need to be smarter. While you heal, I will be commanding the main forces. We will consolidate our strength further and force the humans to venture into our domain."

"I look forward to seeing the fruits of your temporary command." Yubel emphasized the word temporary. They both knew the difference in strength between them.

When he was known as Jamie Lancaster, Jamie was shocked to wake up in the body of the duel spirit of Blade Knight in the duel monsters spirit realm one day. For months, he aimlessly wandered, trying to find a way home as he steadily developed his dueling abilities. His strength increased massively in a short time due to his need to survive. For a while, he used a dragon deck like he used to in middle school. After the blast caused by Jaden Yuki and Aster Phoenix's duel, he found his deck upgraded to a powerful Infernoble Knight build. While he wasn't big on warriors before, he couldn't deny the boost in power. Perhaps it would have made the difference back then...Yubel and a band of roving duel spirits found him as he wandered the dark wastes. He was surviving day to day, doing odd jobs for food and shelter. He needed someone to help him, a foundation to work from.

Yubel wouldn't have been his first choice. It was clear from the beginning she was half-mad, always muttering about some "Jaden" guy as if he was her own private god. That wasn't even mentioning her predilection for wanton violence and mayhem. But at the end of the day, it wasn't his choice. She saw something in him, and challenged him to a duel. He did what could with an underpowered deck, even managing to get the upper hand on Yubel a few times. But it wasn't enough - she beat him down and conscripted him into her army. Yubel was apparently impressed by his strength, and soon after he became one of her foremost lieutenants. Unlike the others, he was never cowed by her psychotic disposition, nor her overpowering energy. Perhaps it was because they were alike - they both single-mindedly focused on their chosen purpose. The clarity of his goal and his inner humanity kept him sane as he trained among demons. "I am the real Jamie Lancaster - I will see my family again one day!" He vowed.

It was only after gaining Yubel's trust that she showed him visions of the one who stole his body - her ties to the human world gave her limited ability to peer into the snatcher's movements. His duel energy took on the form of a lion - it was known to happen with some strong duelists. Seto Kaiba's obviously took the form of a dragon, Joey Wheeler's a dog (a Golden Retriever), Zane Truesdale's the mythological kirin. It was from this knowledge that he took to referring to the interloper merely as "the lion". Although he didn't see everything his body snatcher did, he saw enough. He saw the intruder taking an apprenticeship under Kaiba, kissing and more with some beautiful blonde, rising through the school rankings.

"It should have been me!" Blade Knight thought at first - it was his body, after all! First the enemy steals his identity, then he abuses his knowledge for his own self-enrichment. And yet, as the initial envy cooled, he came to a cold realization that the lion was better than his old self. His old self, the real Jamie Lancaster, he was an average student. He used a dragon deck because that was what all of the popular kids in middle school were using, and because he thought they were cool. He was timid, frequently shying away from girls and leadership opportunities.

In a way, Blade Knight was grateful. To be thrown into the savage wilderness made him lean and hungry. He had grown quickly under intense stress, every battle a struggle for survival. "What would the lion know about that?" He would think every time he narrowly prevailed over this or that demon. And yet, the interloper was constantly growing stronger as well. It motivated Blade Knight all the more - he would not refer to himself as Jamie until he took the name and body back.

He came back to the present moment after the indulgent spree of memories. "I assure you that we will only grow closer to our goals in the coming weeks. Soon, I will have my real body."

Yubel nodded. "He stands in the way of my king's hegemony...I'd love to kill the lion myself, but I understand that it is your fight. You have as much right to his head as I. Otherwise, I trust that you will keep to our common purpose. My only order is that you recall Jinzo's scouting party back to the castle as soon as possible."

While Jinzo had official command of the squadron, everyone knew it was Hank Ishtar who really called the shots at that level. Beyond his possession of Raviel, he had grown stronger as well from hard living and frequent battles. He was the one Yubel wanted. "She must want to absorb him sooner rather than later." He thought. That would complicate things, but Blade Knight was still confident in his control of the situation. He would make sure both Jinzo and Hank were properly informed about how to proceed.

"If you act like a mad dog, don't be surprised if you get put down like one." He thought as he turned away, his green eyes glimmering with hate. Donning his helmet once more, he said, "I will do that. We'll keep in contact. Please let me know how your recovery progresses."

"Thank you, trusted friend." Chills raced up his spine as he felt Yubel smile behind him.

XxXxXxXxxXxXxXxXxXxxXXxxXxxxXX

(Jamie Lancaster POV)

At long last, the day had arrived. Our supplies were packed, our cards at the ready. Two platforms stood with the dimensional gate set up between them. Zane, Aster, Chazz and I affixed the bio-bands to our ankles. While Aster, Chazz and I were highly uncomfortable with the device, Zane didn't seem to mind very much.

"What sort of sick fuck invented these anyways? Seems easily abusable." Chazz remarked.

"Last I heard, these came out of the research and development facilities at West Academy in South Africa." Aster replied.

"Same place where those stainless steel pistols were first mass-marketed, so you could take them into the shower with you. Nice area, but something tells me the spirit world will be a bit dangerous as well." I quipped as we took our places on the raised platforms. Chazz faced Aster, while I would duel Zane.

"Have fun, you two! We're right behind you, no matter who wins!" Alexis cheered.

"Yeah, right behind these blast shields!" Syrus squeaked from behind the steel and plexiglass barriers that served to both protect onlookers and absorb energy from the duel. All of our friends, as well as a gaggle of kids who didn't have class during this hour, were watching the proceedings from a safe distance.

"I hope you've been keeping up with your training." I bantered confidently. It was a probing remark as well - I really didn't know what Zane had been up to in the last several months. His duel energy signature suggested that he had grown much stronger, but he had been careful to avoid showing his upper limits. At least he hadn't jumped off the deep end into Hell Kaiser territory, though that side of him was closer to the surface than it was a year ago. My own duel energy seemed low because I used many spells and traps with generic utility. A Mirror Force or an Upstart Goblin do little to increase Duel Energy, but they do a lot to win a duel. Although our stated purpose was to power the gate, I cared more about winning. Zane, Aster, and Chazz would supply more than enough energy with ostentatious moves.

Zane smirked before activating his duel disk. "Of course. You know, I'm surprised. I dueled Jaden for my graduation match. I expected him to surpass you and become the number one ranked student."

"I actually haven't dueled him in a while. After we rescue him, perhaps I'll use him for practice." Considering Jaden has undergone massive power increases due to the blast and his developing darkness powers, he may have actually surpassed me at some point, but I couldn't be sure and I definitely wasn't going to voice my doubts to Zane. It was better to appear more confident in this type of situation. "If he decides to finally join Obelisk Blue, that is."

"Use him for practice…" Zane's eyes flared as he repeated my words. "I look forward to seeing how much of that confidence is warranted."

"I'm going all out, and I don't plan on stopping once the gate is fueled. Just try to make it last, it'll be more enjoyable for both of us that way." I tried countering with my own cool line, only to hear snickers from the back.

"That's what she said!" Kaiba jeered.

"Wait, I didn't mean it like that!" I hastily protested.

Chazz belted out, "Get a room, you two!". Even Aster was chuckling despite himself.

"Zane and Jamie sitting in a tree - D-U-E-L-I-N-G!" Mindy and Jasmine sang. I'm pretty sure they already used that joke on me before…

"They seem to think we'd make a good couple..." I grumbled to Zane, who wisely refrained from commenting. "Damn it, let's just play a card game already!"

"So, does anyone actually know how this gate works, anyways?" The thought occurred to Alexis.

"Well you see Alexis, it was made possible by utilizing a standard subprogram with adaptive circuits and magnetospheric warp compensators to take advantage of the decreased barriers between dimensions. However, the subatomic flux capacitors require a great deal of concentrated duel energy in order to power the dimensional jump, which is why Jamie and Zane, as well as Aster and Chazz, are attached to the level three diagnostic readers, known colloquially as bio-bands. Essentially, by concentrating released duel power, Professor Eisenstein is hoping to induce a highly localized distortion in the spacetime continuum. There's going to be a lot of power thrown out in these battles...I just hope the positronic receptors have been properly calibrated!" Bastion explained helpfully.

"Oh, just forget I asked." Alexis groused.

"I think I can help." Mokuba interjected, seated at a makeshift terminal. "First of all, that was a textbook definition, Bastion. I'd expect nothing less from our top R&D intern." The younger Kaiba complimented, Seto agreeing with a nod and a brief smile. "Bascially, it's like this. The energy generated from these two duels will power up the gate. Energy will mainly be produced by special summons and inflicted damage. Extra deck summons will produce way more energy than anything else. They produce enough power, they get to go to and from the spirit realm. Basically, they're charging the battery."

This elicited nods of understanding from the students. "It's ok babe, I knew what you were saying." Jasmine said the comforting lie to assuage her boyfriend's ego. Bastion blushed, a tad embarrassed.

Zane smiled as we moved closer to roshambo. I won and nearly took the first turn before I remembered who I was facing. Catching myself, I let him go. "I'll begin by summoning Cyber Valley (0/0) in attack position. Then, I'll set one card and end my turn."

An understated first move. "Draw. First, I'll activate Upstart Goblin, allowing me to draw a card. The spell also increases your life points by a thousand."

"Since you control a monster and I don't, I can special summon Solo the Melodious Songstress (1600/1000) in attack mode." The singer's red dress was adorned with bells. "Then, due to having a Melodious Diva on the field, I can special summon Canon the Melodious Diva (1400/2000) in attack mode." The masked dancer had a shock of blue hair. "Now, I'll attack!" Solo shot a pink energy blast in the shape of a sharp note.

"When Cyber Valley is targeted for an attack, I can banish it to draw one card and end the battle phase." The silver serpent vanished in a multicolored flash as my attack dissipated.

"No problem, chief. During my main phase two I'll overlay my level four divas for an Exceed Summon!" The two girls morphed into red and blue spheres of light. The spheres flattened into disks, and then changed shape once more into a beaten-up old couch. Plopped onto the cushions was a snoring, short-trunked animal that vaguely resembled an elephant. "I summon Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir (2100/2000) in defense mode." Since I got my hands on the uncensored version of the card, Bagooska was holding a bottle of booze rather than a pillow. It is a very important detail.

Jasmine chuckled. "Jamie is a dull duelist."

Surprisingly, Syrus spoke up. "It's the only way to play against my brother. Trying to beat Zane in a contest of brute force is fruitless. He will always be able to get monsters out with high attack power and destructive capability. Playing lame is how you win against him." The Ra Yellow spoke from experience.

Bastion nodded, his arms crossed. "Syrus is right, and Bagooska is a good way of accomplishing this goal. As long as it's in defense mode, all monsters on the field are automatically changed to defense mode as well. Furthermore, the monsters switched to defense have their effects negated. Zane can't mount an offense now. However, Jamie must detach a material from Bagooska during each of his standby phases, so this will only buy him two turns."

A brief pain wracked my body, but it was a manageable, dull ache. Finally, my body was getting used to exceed summons. "I set a card and end my turn."

Zane chuckled. "It reminds me of Chumley's dad." He did not appear troubled by my defense. "That is an amusing card, Jamie. I'll set a monster and end my turn." It seemed he had the resources to do more, but couldn't while Bagooska was out.

I detached one material from Bagooska. "I set a card and end my turn."

Zane drew. "I will also set a card and pass."

"A duel between these two is like a cowboy standoff at high noon." Alexis laughed. "The same thing happened the first time they fought."

Mokuba looked to his older brother with a furrowed brow. "This isn't doing much to charge the portal. The randomly colored bars are barely moving."

"All in good time, Mokuba." Kaiba replied dismissively, looking upon the game with interest. Pegasus was the same, his sole remaining eye never leaving the battlefield as he idly sipped wine from a flask.

I detached my second material from Bagooska. With no materials left, he was destroyed. Now, it was go time. "I activate Monster Reborn!" I slapped down the well-known staple, targeting Sonata in the grave.

Zane reacted quickly. "I flip over Solemn Strike, paying 1500 life points to negate the special summon." As I predicted, Zane used a counter trap. Now I could move forward with my true play. (Jamie 4000/Zane 3500)

"Fair enough. In that case, I'll activate the field spell card Magical Meltdown!" A burning red magic circle suddenly expanded across the platform in a manner that reminded me somewhat of the Seal of Orichalcos. The seal spun slowly as serpentine patterns ran along its surface. "This lets me add a monster known as Aleister the Invoker from my deck to my hand. Furthermore, cards and effects can no longer be activated in response to my fusion summons."

"Then, I'll go ahead and normal summon Aleister the Invoker (1000/1000)!" The bespectacled sorcerer appeared within a teal runic magic circle.

Zane's eyebrows raised. "Ah, so you have altered your strategy somewhat."

I smirked. "I bet you have as well. I activate Aleister's effect - when he is normal summoned I can add the Invocation spell from deck to hand." These cards weren't well-known yet, so Zane as well as the small audience was paying intense attention. "I'll then activate Invocation! This is a fusion spell that allows me to use monsters from either player's graveyard as materials, in addition to my own hand and field. I'll fuse Aleister the Invoker with Sonata the Melodious Diva from my grave! Come forth, Invoked Mechaba (2500/2100)!"

Towering blue magic obscured Aleister for a moment before vanishing. Inexplicably, the sorcerer and the dancer fused into a mechanical monstrosity, a centaur hastily built from piecemeal scrap and held together only by magic will. The rider's torso merged roughly with the aquiline lower half, and the spear it held was dull and chipped. "Now, I will activate the effect of the Invocation spell in the graveyard! I can shuffle it back into the deck from the graveyard while adding my banished Aleister the Invoker back to my hand." Next turn, I could do it all over again as long as I could successfully summon Aleister. "Mechaba, attack his set monster!"

The rider speared Zane's Cyber Phoenix (1200/1600), destroying it. "When Cyber Phoenix is destroyed, I get to draw a card." Zane explained. Pulling up a small holographic projection of Invoked Mechaba, he read the card text. "Very interesting."

"I end my turn." I stood up straight.

"Draw - I'll start by playing Future Fusion!" Zane slapped down the continuous spell, clearly hoping to both load up his graveyard and get out a beefy fusion monster.

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that. I activate Invoked Mechaba's effect! When you activate an effect, I can negate it by discarding a card. However, it has to be the same type of card as the one you're playing, so in order to negate your spell I need to discard a spell." I pitched a Polymerization from my hand.

"Ah, that's a strong effect. Only once per turn, yes?" Zane asked, and I nodded. "In that case, I have no worries about activating Foolish Burial, allowing me to send a monster from my deck to my graveyard." He sent Hunter Dragon, cluing me in to his next play.

"Next, I summon Cyberdark Edge (800/400) to the field!" The machine was little more than a cybernetic spine and a pair of sharp wings, but it had an undeniably harsh presence nonetheless. A ripple of surprise from Zane's former peers - they of course had no idea that the Cyberdark cards existed. I feigned shock as well, not wanting Zane to know that I already knew about these cards.

"That's a new one." I commented.

"Yes, I have been strengthening my deck as well. These Cyberdark cards were hidden away in the Cyber Style dojo, where I trained as a young boy. I knew I had to change my way of dueling, my way of thinking, after my loss to Aster that day in the Pro Circuit. Honor is important, but a duelist must be flexible and unpredictable to thrive now. Things are not as they once were, that much is clear. I once scoffed at your dueling style, but now I see that battles are won by more than brute force." Zane inclined his head in respect.

"Thank you, man." I was touched by his words and relieved that he didn't seem to be going down the path he went in canon. "I have learned much from you as well. Honorable conduct is important in a leader, and there are some matters in which a direct approach, or brute force as you put it, is preferable."

"This is one such time." Zane parried. "I use Cyberdark Edge's effect. This lets me equip a level three or lower dragon-type monster from my graveyard to it. Cyberdark Edge gains attack points equal to the equipped monster's attack, and if it is to be destroyed, I can destroy the equip monster instead." Zane thrust his hand forward. "I equip Hunter Dragon (1700/100) from my graveyard!"

The wings mounted onto Hunter Dragon, a small black wyvern. with bladed forearms. This boosted Cyberdark Edge to 2500 attack points. "Cyberdark Edge can attack directly as long as I halve its attack points during the damage step. Fly in!" Zane bellowed.

The roboticized dragon took a pass at me, successfully evading Invoked Mechaba to damage my life points for 1250. (Jamie 2750/Zane 3500)

"Alright, not bad." I grunted, picking myself back up quickly. Zane set another card and ended his turn. Sadly, my draw wasn't particularly useful. 'I attack Cyberdark Edge with Invoked Mechaba!" The mecha-centaur rode fiercely towards Zane's monster.

"Normally, they would tie due to both having 2500 attack points. However, I'll activate the final effect of Aleister the Invoker! By discarding him from my hand, I can boost Mechaba's attack by 1000!" Right before Mechaba's lance was poised to hit its target, the machine was imbued with a boost of azure energy that propelled it cleanly through Zane's Cyberdark Edge.

"Argh! Nice one. However, I can keep my Cyberdark Edge by destroying the card equipped to it instead." The winged chassis remained, bereft of its mount. (Jamie 2750/Zane 2500)

"I end my turn." It was better to keep my cards in hand as fuel for Mechaba's effect.

"Draw!" Zane was growing more excited. "I sacrifice Cyberdark Edge to summon Cyber Dragon (2100/1600) to the field!" The silver serpent was a familiar and unwelcome sight, even if he did have to waste his normal summon on it. "Then, I'll cast the spell Instant Fusion! By paying 1000 life points, I can summon a level five or lower fusion monster to my side of the field. However, it cannot attack and is destroyed at the end of the turn. Come, Panzer Dragon (1000/2600)." A cup of instant ramen appeared on Zane's field, briefly shaking before a dragon-headed tank emerged from the top. It was cartoonish in appearance, with silver and gold accents.

"Prepare yourself - you aren't the only one who has mastered the art of exceed summoning! I overlay my level five Cyber Dragon with my level five Panzer Dragon!" Zane raised his fist up as his monsters devolved into silver and gold spheres. Sitting atop each other, they became a chrome platform of energy through which a larger mech emerged. It resembled Cyber Dragon, but with black and red augmentations altering its body. "I exceed summon the rank five Cyber Dragon Nova (2100/1600)!" Zane briefly wheezed in pain, but recovered quickly. "From there, I can immediately rank my monster up into a rank six!" Summoning additional effort, his duel energy was a murky black tinged with red. Zane struggled to muster up more power, his hair floating up slightly. The black and red armor pieces on Cyber Dragon Nova shifted in size, growing larger until they covered the beast's body completely. Much bigger now, it rivaled Kaiba's Blue-Eyes in size. "Take this! I summon Cyber Dragon Infinity (2100/1600)!"

"Damn it, that card's going to be a problem…" I muttered.

"Hey, now we're getting somewhere! It looks like the new summoning methods really provide a lot of energy for the gate." Mokuba looked at the computer screen approvingly.

Zane's aura relaxed somewhat, his breathing labored. "The warm-up is over. Now, the real fight begins! Cyber Dragon Infinity's attack points are boosted by 200 for each material it has - with three, it sits at 2700. That's not all - once per turn, I can attach one attack position monster on the field to it to keep stacking materials. As a quick effect, I can detach a material to negate one of your card activations as well."

A bit later -

"Ah, now they're turning things up a notch." Kaiba nodded approvingly, echoed by Pegasus and Yugi.

"Good...I was beginning to wonder whether you still had it in you. It would have been disappointing if an attack like that ended this fight before I had my fill!" Zane's cool facade was rapidly slipping to reveal his true nature. For better or worse, he was a warrior at heart. "I have not had enough!" Deep blue aura rose from him like smoke, taking the shape of the mythical dragon-giraffe animal known as the kirin. Tinged with charcoal grey energy, the kirin glowered at me. Could the others see this?

Without realizing it, I had done the same, my pensive mien giving way to a manic grin as I lapsed into a child-like enjoyment of the fight. Looking above, my blue duel energy had morphed into a lion, the maned beast staring down Zane's kirin evenly. I had a feeling there would be plenty of power generated for the gate. "Now, the real fight begins!" We both chuckled like Beavis and Butt-head.

"I attack Invoked Mechaba!" Zane commanded, the dragon firing an array of orange lasers that carved through my machine like a turkey. (Jamie 2550/Zane 2500)

"I end my turn." Zane looked confident, and he should. I would need a really good draw in order to come back. It was a good card, but I needed to play around the potential negates he had available.

"First, I'll tribute your Cyber Dragon Infinity!" I grinned as Zane did a double-take.

"What? How can you do that?" He questioned, apparently not familiar with another tech choice I was running for this duel. I knew I would be going up against Zane, who preferred to rely on powerful boss monsters while using his other effects to protect them. However, it's hard to defend against cards that can use the opponent's monsters as tributes.

"This is a special type of monster that can use your monsters as sacrifices. They're kinda like Lava Golem, but a little more versatile. Please, accept my generous gift. I sacrifice Cyber Dragon Infinity to summon Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju (2200/3000) in attack mode!"

His black and red dragon vanished, and in its place appeared a fairly fearsome creature in its own right - a deep blue sea beast with four wings and a dense shell on its back. However, it benefitted me tremendously. I easily got rid of Zane's dragon, and gave him in return a monster that was not only weaker, but had no negation effects or protection.

This might work. "Next, I will activate Pot of Prosperity!" It was the latest in the series of "Pot of" cards that allowed for easy drawing. However, before I could explain its effect, Zane interrupted me.

"Wrong!" Zane immediately countered. "I activate the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring (0/1800) in my hand. When you activate a card effect that lets you draw cards, I can discard this monster in order to negate it." The apparition of a cute pink-haired ghost girl appeared on a wave of sakura petals, giving me a troll-ish wave before disappearing. I didn't think he would be running hand traps!

"Damn, nice one. But I still have the Aleister that I added back to my hand last turn. I'll summon him again now!" The hooded wizard reappeared with a light blue flash. "And now, his effect reactivates, letting me add Invocation to my hand." I cycled the fusion spell back. "Which I will then play, fusing Aleister the Invoker with the fire-attribute Ash Blossom in your graveyard."

The wizard rapidly weaved layers of runic spells, eventually disappearing in a blaze of blue-white fire. "Fusion summon - Invoked Purgatrio (2300/2000)!" From the hazy flames emerged three dancing demons, each chalk-white in color and accentuated by the blue fires. One was big, cyclopean, and fairly oafish, another was lanky, blindfolded, and frantic, while the third was an egg-shaped hooligan with beady red eyes. However, the trio only counted as one actual monster. "This monster gains 200 attack points for each card you control." Zane had the Kaiju and one set card, so Purgatrio sat at 2700. "Furthermore, Purgatrio can inflict piercing damage, and can attack all of your monsters once each." The minor demons clapped and danced in a manner partially comedic, but mainly unsettling.

"Alright then, come and get me!" Zane beckoned, and I obliged with an equally wolfish smile. "Invoked Purgatrio attacks Gameciel!" The blue sea monster was quick-roasted in a torrent of ghostly inferno. Zane took another bit of damage from the attack as well, the platform absorbing the energy. (Jamie 2550/Zane 2000)

"During my main phase two, I'll use the effect of Invocation in my graveyard, shuffling it into the deck and adding Aleister back to my hand." I explained before ending my turn. I noticed a few scuffs and frays on my uniform, the same light damage on Zane's clothing. The brief nips of pain were like pepper on a fried egg, heightening the senses sharply. This is living!

Zane struggled for a moment to keep his footing, pushed back slightly by the attack. "Done already?" I taunted.

He grinned. "No way...I haven't had nearly enough! I draw!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Chazz and Aster cut their decks, each stealing glances at the other platform as they did.

"It's too bad, I was hoping to fight Jamie. He and I have unfinished business." said Chazz, not realizing that Aster also would have preferred to fight the lion, albeit for different reasons.

"There will be other times. Have patience. Right now, the most important thing is powering the gate. Lives are at stake."

"What are you, my dad?" He didn't actually see his dad very much due to both of their busy schedules, but Chazz always thought that Richard "Dick" Princeton was an aptly named fellow. "Spare me the moralizing. I get what's going on."

"You just don't care, right? Living for yourself only takes you so far, and is meaningless anyways. At the end of the day, we all need a noble cause to fight and die for." Aster said judgmentally, "A duelist who fights without a strong purpose is doomed to fail against someone who does."

"Oh, really? Because Jaden just duels for shits and giggles and he beat you. Is there something in the air around here that turns people into hypocrites?" Chazz wondered incredulously.

"He was dueling to protect people - I was the one in the wrong. Besides, Jaden has the power of the Sacred Darkness. Now that he's awakened his abilities, he'd never lose to someone like you again. As far as I can tell, you're just a cutthroat who has gotten too big for his britches. But I don't mind dueling you. It will be a good test for my new deck, and the gate needs to be powered somehow." Aster replied, activating his duel disk. Although he hid it well, he was disappointed that his chance to gauge Lancaster's abilities would have to wait.

"Good luck! I know I can win against a hero deck, and I'll prove it now!" Chazz mocked, winning the first turn in rock-paper-scissors.

"Well, this throws a wrench into things. But I'm guessing Aster will win." Erin predicted.

"I suppose any outcome is fine, as long as the gate is charged. Neither of them go to our school, so at least our honor isn't at stake here." Bastion shrugged, clearly more interested in the other game.

"Chazz apparently was able to take down Mackenzie…I'm not sure I believe it." Jasmine added.

"I wouldn't mind seeing Jamie OTK this prick again, just for old time's sake." Syrus was vindictive, remembering how Chazz bullied him viciously back in middle school.

"You guys just watch. Chazz has worked really hard to stay relevant in the new meta. And his deck trusts him, so he may surprise y'all." Jesse smiled, unable to resist the banter.

Alexis coldly judged him. "How can someone like that really have a bond with his cards?" She knew that much of Chazz's nastiness obfuscated a wounded, emotionally stunted heart. "He must show a different side of himself around his duel spirits and Jesse." The thought made her melancholy. "Is it really possible to really know someone else's heart? Or can we only know what image someone projects out to the world?"

"My turn!" Chazz declared confidently. Drawing his first card, he stole a furtive glance at Alexis. She was the object of his dreams, and like a dream she was unreachable in his reality. She was with Lancaster...Lancaster, who didn't even seem to care about dueling him! Who felt that he, the King in the North, was unworthy of his time! The hunger growled again. Like a hyena, Chazz stalked the lion, forced to eat the larger predator's scraps. "I'll prove it! I'll prove my real worth here and now!" What he saw in front of him was not Aster, but the shadows of that which eluded him...

"I'll start by activating the quick-play spell Armed Dragon Flash! This card lets me special summon the Armed Dragon LV 3 (1200/900) to my field in defense mode." The light orange spiked dragon cub materialized in a burst of lightning. "But it won't be around for long. I'm sacrificing it to summon Armed Dragon Thunder LV 5 (2400/1700)!"

The dragon grew larger and a bit rotund around the middle, although it also sported a fierce black and red coat with a yellow lightning bolt pattern running down its belly. Spikes lined its knuckles. "But he's not going to be around long either! I activate my monster's effect! By sending a monster from my hand to the graveyard, I can level up to Armed Dragon Thunder LV 7 (2800/1000)."

The thundering aura around the dragon grew thicker, a permanently yellow barrier of static around its frame as it grew in size again. The new monster looked highly similar to the original Armed Dragon LV 7, only supercharged with lightning. "Furthermore, the monster I sent to activate Armed Dragon Thunder LV 5's effect was another copy of Armed Dragon LV 5. When LV 5 is sent for a dragon monster's effect, I can add an Armed Dragon monster from my deck to my hand." Searching briefly, Chazz found what he was looking for - a second copy of Armed Dragon Thunder LV 7. "Then, I'll use LV 7's effect on the field to level up once more!"

By discarding the other copy of LV 7, Chazz was able to boost his dragon up to its apex power. Steely armor covered the Armed Dragon's entire body, except for the wings, which were wide webs coursing with electricity. Its wingspan easily covered the dueling platform, the air now thick with static. With outstretched arms, Chazz declared, "I summon Armed Dragon Thunder LV 10 (3000/2000)!" Chazz raised one arm up, his index finger extended skywards while his dragon replicated the "cool" pose.

While most of the onlookers gaped at the intimidating creature, Aster's keen eyes took in the new monster. "An upgraded form of Armed Dragon based around leveling up quickly." He mentally noted. Pulling up the card data on his duel disk, Aster saw that control of the dragon could not switch, nor could it be destroyed by battle. During Aster's turn, Chazz could also discard a card to destroy another card on the field, and if this succeeded, Armed Dragon Thunder LV 10's attack points would increase by 1000. It also had an additional effect in case it reached ten thousand attack points, but Aster had no intention of letting things get that far.

Chazz smirked. "Since I discarded Armed Dragon Thunder LV 7 to summon this card, I can activate its effect to add another Armed Dragon card from deck to hand." Another deft search later, Chazz said, "I'll now activate the continuous spell Armed Dragon Lightning. This card has a few effects. If an Armed Dragon would be destroyed by a card effect, I can send this card to the grave instead. During my turn, if I control an Armed Dragon monster, I can use one of two effects. I can either increase my monster's attack points by one hundred for each of its level stars, or I can add an Armed Dragon with a lower level from grave to hand. I'll choose the latter." Chazz retrieved Armed Dragon Thunder LV 7 from the graveyard and added it to his hand.

"So he has fuel for his level 10 monster's effect." Aster analyzed as Chazz set a card and ended his turn. Ojama Yellow congratulated Chazz on a great first round, the black-haired northman grimacing in response. "At least he has a grain of talent to back up his boasts." Aster thought dismissively. "But nowhere near enough."

"Woah, summoning all of those dragons really gave us a lot of power for the gate!" Mokuba said appreciatively, although the new Armed Dragons were a bit too similar to Thunder Dragons for his liking.

"Let's see how grey-hair responds." Kaiba commented.

"His mother had silver hair." Pegasus' tone was somber. Somewhat surprised, Kaiba turned to him.

"You knew her?"

"Not well, but I met her briefly at an opera in Domino. Lovely woman, and a talented artist. Tragic how the best of us are gone too soon." "Chazz wants to break away from his family while Aster clings to the memory of his." Pegasus realized sadly. "Those boys deserved better, but they're older now, and have chosen the warrior's path. Pity does no good now."

"My draw." Aster began. "I'll summon Elemental Hero Solid Soldier (1300/1100) in attack mode." The warrior was clad in granite-colored armor with prominent forearm guards.

"An elemental hero?" Chazz questioned.

"I'm not opposed to playing elemental heroes. I play a pure build of them sometimes in my pro matches. Even including a few of them in my Destiny Hero build helps with consistency, versatility, and certain combos, as you'll now see. When Solid Soldier is normal summoned, I can special summon a level four or lower hero from my hand. Come, Elemental Hero Shadow Mist (1000/1500)." The wispy, slim female hero wore a white mask. Although Shadow Mist had an effect on special summon, Aster chose not to use it.

"Now, I'll activate Polymerization, fusing Elemental Hero Solid Soldier on the field with the Destiny Hero Decider in my hand." He clasped his palms together in the customary stance for fusion summoning. In place of his Solid Soldier appeared a stream of black and violet ribbons, all of them trailing behind a black-cloacked figure with crossed arms. "I fusion summon Vision Hero Adoration (2800/2100)." While he made his play, Aster constantly had to worry about when Chazz was going to use Armed Dragon's effect to destroy a card. "Any response?" He queried.

Chazz's dark eyes darted. "Not now. Go."

"Good, because now I'll use Solid Soldier's effect. When it's sent from the field to the graveyard because of a spell effect, I can special summon a hero monster from my graveyard. I'll bring back Destiny Hero Decider (1600/1000), the other monster I used for the fusion." The destiny hero had a vaguely aquatic appearance, fins and spines accenting its streamlined costume. "When this monster is summoned, I can add one hero monster from my deck to my hand during the end phase."

Now that his searching was done, Aster felt free to use this card. "I'll now activate Destiny Draw, discarding Destiny Hero Dreamer from my hand to draw two cards." Smirking at his new cards, Aster felt his duel energy rising, white heat emanating from his slim frame. "I'll end this in one turn! I activate the spell card Fusion Destiny!"

His aura expanded into a raging white inferno. "This spell lets me fusion summon a destiny hero monster by sending materials directly from my deck to my graveyard!" Flexing his Light powers, Aster telekinetically sent Destiny Hero Malicious and two copies of Destiny Hero Drawhand to his graveyard, shuffling his deck with another mental impulse.

"This kind of strength only comes from a strong purpose! A strong faith that justice will be done!" A towering monster's silhouette loomed behind Aster. "Fusion summon! Destiny Hero Dominance (2900/2600)!" The knight's armor was a deep grey, his frame appearing larger than he really was because of an ornate mantle and cape hanging from his back. The blade he wielded was flat, meant for cleaving rather than piercing. A crimson "D" symbol lit up the front of his chestpiece.

Chazz's smug facade faded, his teeth grit as the imposing presence of Aster's two fusion monsters bore down on him like an iron weight. The two warriors were only a little smaller than his dragon, and he could feel his control over the game state slipping rapidly. "Damn it, I need to do something! I activate Armed Dragon Thunder's effect! By discarding a card, I'll destroy your Vision Hero Adoration! Go, static slicer!" Thrusting a hand forward, the Armed Dragon launched two discs of violent yellow energy. They sliced through all of the vision hero's ribbons before cleanly cutting him in half.

Exultant, Armed Dragon began powering up, the stench of ozone permeating the air. "Because this effect was successful, Armed Dragon gains 1000 attack points, boosting him to 4000! Plus, since I discarded Armed Dragon Thunder LV 7 for the effect, I get to search an Armed Dragon card again." Chazz declared confidently. True enough, Aster had no way of swinging over the dragon in battle.

"Alright, fair enough." The silver-haired duelist took it in stride. "I'll activate the effect of the Destiny Hero Malicious in my graveyard. By banishing it, I can special summon another Destiny Hero Malicious (800/800) from my deck to the field." The devilish hero knelt in defense mode.

However, his appearance would only be brief. "Now, I can offer up three monsters as a sacrifice for a special summon, as long as one of them is a Destiny Hero." Malicious, Decider, and Elemental Hero Shadow Mist each evaporated into vapor, swirling together as a base for a stronger monster. "Come forth, Destiny Hero Dogma (3400/2400)!" The bull-helmed avenger spread heavy wings inlaid with chains, his dangerous silver blade flashing from beneath his forearm. Unfortunately, even this was not strong enough to attack the Armed Dragon, so Aster didn't go into his battle phase.

"For my final move, I'll use one of Destiny Hero Dominance's effects. Once per turn, I can look at the top five cards of either of our decks and arrange those five cards in any order. Let's have a look at your destiny, little prince." Aster beckoned, walking over to Chazz's position as the black-clad duelist tensed.

"Tch, fine. It won't matter though. Every one of my cards are strong, because I'm the one using them." Chazz drew the top five cards of his deck and showed them. Aster's choice was obvious.

"That theory will be put to the test momentarily. Since you seem to like it so much, I'll put Ojama Yellow on the top of your deck." Aster arranged the other four carefully to disadvantage Chazz as much as possible. He walked calmly to his original spot, taking a moment to fix his tie. "I'll end my turn, thus gaining me a search off of Decider's effect as I explained earlier." Aster pulled another hero monster from deck to hand before shuffling once more.

"During the end phase, I activate my set quick-play spell, Reload! This lets me add the cards in my hand to the deck, shuffle the deck, then draw the same number of cards." Chazz returned two cards to the deck and got to draw two new ones. Aster looked a bit annoyed, but ended his turn all the same.

"Hell of a first turn." Erin said.

"True, but without a way to handle the Armed Dragon I don't know how much it will matter." replied Jesse.

"Using Reload at that time was clever. Chazz got to shuffle his deck so in a way he countered the Destiny Hero Dominance effect." Alexis grudgingly admitted.

"My move!" said Chazz.

"During your standby phase, the effect of Destiny Hero Dogma activates, cutting your life points in half! Go, divine dividing!" Aster interjected. In a flash, Dogma crossed the distance between the two duelists, slicing Chazz efficiently. (Aster 4000/Chazz 2000)

"I knew that was going to happen." The king in the north didn't sound too happy with it nonetheless.

"That's not all. During the next standby phase after it is sent to the graveyard, I can special summon Destiny Hero Drawhand (1600/800) to the field. And when it is special summoned by a hero monster's effect, we both get to draw one card." A masked gunslinger took to Aster's field in defense mode, his violet scarf swaying in the wind.

"That's not the last time I'm going to draw this turn. I activate Pot of Avarice! This spell lets me shuffle five monster cards from my graveyard back into the deck. After shuffling, I get to draw two more cards." Luckily for him, Chazz's grave was loaded up with Armed Dragons.

"Next, I'll play another copy of Armed Dragon Flash, allowing me to special summon Armed Dragon Thunder LV 3 (1200/900) from my deck to the field." The monster looked much the same as the normal Armed Dragon LV 3, although it balled lightning energy in its boxing glove-like fists.

"Like the other Armed Dragons, this card can special summon a higher-level Armed Dragon as long as I discard another monster from my hand." Discarding another Armed Dragon Thunder LV 3 from his hand, Chazz got to summon a second copy of Armed Dragon Thunder LV 5. "When Armed Dragon Thunder LV 3 is sent to the graveyard to activate a dragon monster's effect, I get to draw another card."

The black-haired duelist cackled, looking over his hand. "Next, I'll do the same thing I did last turn, sending another monster from my hand to the graveyard to special summon Armed Dragon Thunder LV 7!"

The dragon rapidly evolved again, the crackling electricity growing to an overbearing volume as it reached level seven. Not only that, but Chazz got to search another Armed Dragon from his deck to his hand due to LV 5's effect. "Then, I'll use Armed Dragon Lightning's effect to recur a copy of Armed Dragon Thunder LV 5 from my graveyard back to my hand."

"Which I can then use as fodder to special out a second copy of Armed Dragon Thunder LV 10!" In one swift motion, Chazz added the lower dragon to his hand only to immediately discard it again. A mirror image of the apex Armed Dragon took to the field, this one flying in the air with mighty flaps of its wings while the other one stayed on the ground.

"And I'm nowhere near close to done! I activate the spell card Armed Dragon Blitz! This card lets me special summon an Armed Dragon monster from my deck with the same name as one on my field, only it cannot attack directly. Furthermore, for the rest of this turn I can only special summon dragons."

"No way...do you have a third copy of Armed Dragon Thunder LV 10?" Running three copies of a boss monster seemed unwise in Aster's opinion.

"Not quite. You see, Armed Dragon Thunder LV 10's name also counts as 'Armed Dragon LV 10' while it's on the field." Chazz explained to mass comprehension from the onlookers. "That means I get to special summon the original Armed Dragon LV 10 (3000/2000) to the field!"

While this beast lacked the electrical aura of the others, it was just as powerful, its silvery hide gleaming in the sunlight as strong muscles coiled beneath its plating. Three enormous Armed Dragons now stared down Aster, and he struggled to brace himself against the overwhelming strength of the dragons. An aggressive onslaught of wind and lightning was barraging him, and they hadn't even attacked yet!

"Ha! Now you see! I'm glad you people keep underestimating me, it only makes me grow more powerful!" Chazz flexed his aura, black lightning racing through the sky. "My true destiny lies far beyond this - I will be the greatest duelist in all the universe!"

"Wow, do you hear that, Seto? Big mouth on this guy." Mokuba joked conspiratorially. "Although he's done a great job at producing energy for the gate. Chazz has been at max power since the beginning of the duel."

"He's nowhere near as strong as he thinks he is." Kaiba disparaged, before adding, "But he is pretty damn good. More than Lancaster gives him credit for. Perhaps he would be an asset to our mission after all."

"No, Kaiba boy," Pegasus contradicted. "He's too rash and only cares about glory. He might be a good tournament fighter, but how much does that carry over to a life-or-death battle? I wouldn't count out Aster yet."

Overcoming his trepidation, Aster's blue eyes hardened. "Bring it on Princeton, unless you're just going to keep talking."

Chazz's laugh faded to a squinting focus. "Oh, I intend to. You see, even though it cannot attack directly, Armed Dragon LV 10 can still do some damage. I activate its effect! By discarding a card from my hand, I can destroy all of your face-up monsters! Armed Punisher!" With a swipe of its claw, the dragon sent blades of wind to carve away Aster's three destiny heroes. Dogma, Dominance, and Drawhand were all cut apart.

Aster raised his hands to guard against the wind, lowering them to say, "No problem. When Dominance is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, I can special summon three level nine or lower Destiny Hero monsters from the graveyard to the field. I'll bring back Decider, Malicious, and Drawhand, all in defense mode!" Despite the devastating board wipe, Aster was able to muster up a strong defense almost immediately in response. And since it was a new turn and Drawhand was summoned by a hero monster's effect, both players got to draw a card.

Chazz looked a bit annoyed that he couldn't win this turn. "I'm not going to let up! All of my dragons attack!" The original Armed Dragon LV 10 sent out more wind blades, while the Thunder dragons charged up strong attacks. One of them fired a concentrated lightning wave while the other one shot a volley of staticy orbs. Aster's field was completely cleared again, although his life points remained untouched.

"Heroes are durable. It takes more than battles and board wipes to put us down! I draw." Aster's breathing was a little hard, and sweat dotted his brow. "Alright, I'll start by activating Reinforcement of the Army, a spell that lets me search a level four warrior from deck to hand. Then, I'll summon another Elemental Hero Solid Soldier. As you already know, this lets me special summon another hero from my hand. Arrive, Vision Hero Vyon (1000/1200)." The cyclopean vision hero was more cyborg than organic, its circuitry audibly whirring as it moved. "When this monster is summoned, I can send a hero from my deck to the graveyard." Aster sent a third copy of Malicious as it was not useful to him any longer and he didn't want to draw it. "Then, I can banish a hero monster from my graveyard in order to add a Polymerization from my deck to my hand."

Aster carefully considered his next move. He knew he was in a bit of a tough spot with regards to summoning big monsters. Whatever hit the board could be sniped by the Armed Dragon Thunder immediately, so a bit of misdirection was necessary. "I'll activate Polymerization, fusing the Solid Soldier on my field with the Destiny Hero Disk Commander in my hand to summon a second Vision Hero Adoration (2800/2100)."

"Aster must be bricking a little. He has to use another Vision Hero Adoration just because he doesn't have the materials to fuse anything else." Jesse said.

"Destiny Heroes don't have as many fusion options as an Elemental Hero build does. But perhaps this is just a part of his plan. After all, he did dump Disk Commander to the grave, and Solid Soldier's effect activates again." Bastion noticed.

"What will you get back with Solid Soldier's effect?" Chazz questioned.

"I summon Destiny Hero Drawhand back to the field in defense mode, allowing each of us to draw another card." Recycling the card gave Aster more options, but it also gave Chazz more discard fodder.

"Thanks for the card! I think I'll discard it to activate Armed Dragon Thunder LV 10's effect, destroying your Vision Hero Adoration!" Charging a palmed energy wave, the Armed Dragon blew away Aster's hero, its attack power boosting to 5000 as a result.

"Damn, Chazz is all over him! I'm impressed he can keep up an aggressive push this long." Erin noted with some appreciation, although she preferred Aster to win.

"I activate a second Destiny Draw, letting me discard a Destiny Hero to draw two more cards." Finally, Aster found something that he could use. "I'll then activate the field spell Fusion Recycling Plant!" The duelists were surrounded by piles of junk and trash, their battle occurring in the shadow of a refinery.

"I hope its effect is better than it looks." Chazz snarked.

"Don't you worry, my friend. This field spell lets me discard a card to return one Polymerization from grave to hand." Doing so, Aster had two more useful cards in his hand. "I'll now play Monster Reborn to bring back Destiny Hero Dominance from my graveyard!" The dark grey titan rose from the earth, its metal plate clanking noisily. Chazz looked at the board impassively, confident he had the attack power to swing over anything.

"Now, I'll fuse Destiny Hero Dominance and Destiny Hero Drawhand!" A shower of violet and yellow light cast long shadows from the trash piles. Standing atop the smokestacks was a hero in shining gold armor, his aura rippling through the air. "I summon Destiny Hero Dusktopia (3000/3000) in attack mode!"

Chazz frowned, his arms tightly crossed. "Once per turn, that card can make any monster on the field immune to destruction until the end of the turn, at the cost of that monster being unable to inflict battle damage." He knew not to use his other Armed Dragon Thunder LV 10's effect, since Aster could essentially nullify it.

"Now, I'll activate the spell Fusion Destiny once again, this time sending a copy of Destiny Hero Dogma as well as my Destiny Hero Plasma to summon a new hero!" Aster's white aura had grown to an inferno by this point, his eyes a blazing silvery mercury. Light energy fell from him in waves, all absorbed by the platform.

Clenching his free hand, Aster cried, "This card is my father's will, and a representation of my conviction! Come forth, Destiny End Dragoon (3000/3000)!" A fusion of Aster's two strongest monsters, the mighty warrior stood bedecked in draconic armor, all in various shades of violet. On one hand, it wielded Dogma's silver blade, while the other was a sort of dragon-arm cannon (?) like Destiny Hero Plasma had, or ironically Elemental Hero Flame Wingman. Burgundy wings spread wide, bloody tears dripping from the edges.

Aster's eyes burned as he announced, "I activate Destiny End Dragoon's effect! Once per turn, I can destroy a monster on your side of the field and inflict damage to you equal to that monster's attack! Destroy the Armed Dragon Thunder with blood rain!" The Dragoon unfurled its wings further, sharp red droplets hardening into bullets as they sloughed from its body and raced towards the dragon.

"I'll use the effect of Armed Dragon Lightning. When an Armed Dragon would be destroyed by a card effect, I can send the continuous spell to the graveyard instead." Chazz did so, a wall of static dissipating the blood rain harmlessly.

Aster's frown deepened, now looking truly frayed. "I'll attack your Armed Dragon LV 10 with Dusktopia!"

The golden warrior flew towards the dragon raising a glowing fist. "During the battle step, I'll activate Dusktopia's effect to make itself immune to destruction. Both of our monsters have the same attack points, but mine will survive the battle while your dragon is destroyed!" Aster declared. The Armed Dragon swiped at the oncoming hero, Dusktopia punching to meet the strike head on. The two blows canceled each other out, Dusktopia sent reeling back to Aster's field while the second Armed Dragon LV 10 was crushed solidly.

Although Aster succeeded in destroying one of the three dragons, his expression remained distinctly frayed. "I set a card and end my turn. And during my end phase, the effect of Fusion Recycling Plant activates, allowing me to add a fusion material used in this turn back to my hand." Aster recovered Elemental Hero Solid Soldier.

"He wasn't able to get very far. I wonder if Aster really has a way out…" Erin wondered, while Jesse smiled lazily at his friend's command over the duel so far.

"Draw." Chazz drawled. "I'll set one card face-down. Then, I'll attack your Destiny End Dragoon and Vision Hero Vyon with my two Armed Dragon Thunders!"

The dragons sent a twister through Aster's field, vanquishing those two heroes with a thunderclap. "I activate Dusktopia's effect, preventing it from being destroyed for the rest of the turn!" His remaining hero stood strong against the gale force winds.

"That's fine…" Chazz considered carefully, but didn't have enough cards to push for a stronger attack. "I end my turn."

"Draw!" Aster was always walking on eggshells during his turn while those dragons were out - at any moment a lightning bolt could come down. "During my standby phase, I can revive Destiny End Dragoon by banishing a destiny hero monster from my graveyard." Since he had plenty of Destiny Heroes in the graveyard at this point, Aster could keep reviving Dragoon as much as necessary.

If Dragoon could resolve its effect once, it could burn Chazz for 3000 life points and end the duel in one fell swoop. Realizing the danger, Chazz responded immediately. "I discard a card to activate Armed Dragon Thunder LV 10's effect, destroying your Destiny End Dragoon!" A torrent of lightning bolts rained down at Aster's monster.

"I activate Destiny Hero Dusktopia's effect, protecting Dragoon from destruction for one turn!" Aster responded, a golden barrier forming around Dragoon. If he could just resolve the effect once…

"No way!" Chazz hissed in desperation, fighting tooth and nail. "Activate trap card, Infinite Impermanence! This card negates one of your monster's effects until the end of the turn - I negate Dusktopia!" By negating Dusktopia, Chazz ensured that Dragoon had no protection against his dragon's power. Sure enough, Dusktopia was temporarily drained of its strength and could not muster the barrier to protect his comrade. The lightning struck successfully and Dragoon was cast down into the graveyard once more, to stay there until Aster's next standby phase.

The duelists huffed and puffed, both racing towards their limits. Between halting breaths, Chazz smugly said, "The card I discarded to activate Armed Dragon's effect was the Ojamagic spell." The three spirits of Ojama Black, Yellow, and Green appeared vividly clear, hovering around Chazz's slight frame. "When it's discarded, I get to add the three Ojamas to my hand from my deck."

"So you'll always have plenty of discard fodder for Armed Dragon." Aster noted. "I have to admit, you have much more tenacity than I expected."

"An understatement." Pegasus half-laughed. "I've rarely seen Aster pushed this far, even if he hasn't lost any life points. Chazz is putting up a much better fight than Zane Truesdale did against Aster a year ago. To make such gains in a short time...both of these young duelists are prodigies, and yet Chazz feels inadequate."

"The more he drinks from the well of strength, the thirstier he gets. I used to be like that as well, but it is unbecoming of a true duelist. If he doesn't change his attitude, he'll burn out. All duelists have pride, but a warrior needs something to fight for beyond glory. Otherwise that pride becomes a cage that separates you from others...no man is an island, even if battles are fought alone. I find Aster's religious faith to be absurd, but at least it's something bigger than him. It nourishes his growth as a duelist more than naked self-enrichment would." said Kaiba.

"Why Kaiba boy, that was positively insightful! I'm rather impressed with you!" Pegasus cooed, much to Kaiba's annoyance.

Aster flipped over his set card. "I play my trap, Back to the Front. This lets me special summon a monster from my graveyard in defense mode. Return, Destiny Hero Disk Commander." The laser disc-clad ninja knelt by Aster's side, its effect allowing the silver-haired duelist to draw two more cards. "I set two cards and end my turn."

Chazz knew this turn would be his last chance to end the duel before Dragoon came back. "Draw!" Smirking, an idea occurred to him. "I activate Polymerization, fusing together Ojamas Yellow, Green, and Black in my hand! Drop in, Ojama King (0/3000)!" The white pajama-clad egg flew in with surprising speed, landing in a three-point stance a la Iron Man. Chazz summoned it in defense mode, the Ojama King kneeling between his two Armed Dragon Thunders.

"Very cool." Aster grimaced at the ugly creature. "Whatever that thing is, I'll be seeing it in my nightmares."

"When Ojama King is summoned, I can select three of your monster zones. While he's on the field, those monster zones cannot be used!" Chazz declared.

Three beeping red "X" marks flashed on Aster's duel disk. "And since I have Destiny Heroes Dusktopia and Disk Commander in my other two zones, all five of my zones are full. I can't summon anything." He frowned in frustration. "Meaning I won't be able to revive Destiny End Dragoon next turn…"

"That's right - can't park in a full lot, buddy!" Chazz cackled. "Face it, you can't win without summoning anything. Dusktopia may put up some defense, but once I find a way around it your goose is cooked. Or should I say your phoenix is cooked!"

"Funny guy." Erin said blandly, none of the crowd except Jesse amused at Chazz's over the top attitude. "His jokes may suck, but that was a creative way of working around Dragoon's revival ability."

"True, but now Chazz can't attack for the risk of freeing up a monster zone." Alexis pointed out, and sure enough Chazz ended his turn.

"Draw." Although Chazz had him in a bit of a corner, Aster knew that keeping faith with his deck would reward him in time. "I activate the spell card Misfortune. At the cost of not being able to attack this turn, I can burn you for damage equal to half of one of your monster's original attack points. Since Armed Dragon Thunder LV 10's original attack was 3000, you lose 1500 life points!"

A dark wave of energy rippled through the air, suddenly knocking the wind out of Chazz. However, Aster couldn't work with any of his other cards for now, so he switched Dusktopia to defense mode and ended his turn. (Aster 4000/Chazz 500)

"Tch, it doesn't matter, I can still win this!" Chazz drew, taking a shallow breath of disappointment at his draw. "Uh….well next turn I'll win! You'll all see!" He had to pass turn again.

"Looks like they're both past their limits, they're barely producing any energy now." Mokuba said with a sigh. "The randomly colored bars have slowed down quite a bit. Good thing we've already got all of the power we need. No thanks to Lancaster, I might add. He only contributed to six percent of the overall pool. Meanwhile, the other three have a little over thirty each."

"Lancaster's dueling style isn't suited for extravagance, but he wanted to fight Zane, so I indulged him. Besides, I knew the other three would make up for it." Kaiba roundly silenced his brother. "And if he has the most energy in reserve, it'll be easier for him to take a leadership role in the group. And from there, he can assert my will." Seto added silently. He knew that Jamie's fear of losing his support would override his youthful, arrogant desire to call the shots.

Aster looked like he was ready to break the stalemate. "Alright Chazz, prepare yourself. I'll start by activating the spell card The Warrior Returning Alive, allowing me to add a warrior back to my hand from the graveyard. I choose to bring back Destiny Hero Plasma."

"Big deal, you can't summon it. It requires three sacrifices." Chazz sniped.

"Ah, not unless I use this. The quick-play spell The Monarchs Stormforth! This magic allows me to use one of your monsters as a sacrifice this turn. I'll choose your Ojama King!" Both the Ojama King and Aster's two Destiny Hero monsters began to disappear into puddles of crimson blood. Aster's eyes looked almost indigo in the reflection of the red pools. With Ojama King sacrificed, all of his monster zones were open again. "By sacrificing my three monsters, I can summon Destiny Hero Plasma (1900/600) to the field!" The dark warrior's armor was the color of a bruised scab, its draconic arm roaring eerily.

The monster was large too, only a bit smaller than Chazz's dragons. "As long as Plasma is on the field, all of your face-up monsters have their effects negated." Aster smirked, predicting that Chazz would try to use Armed Dragon Thunder LV 10's effect to destroy Plasma. "And that's not all. Once per turn, Plasma can absorb one of your monsters, using it as an equip spell. And when it has one of your monsters in its grasp, Plasma gains half of that monster's attack points. Go, blood sucker!" The scaled hero unfurled its tattered wings, their ruddy webbing pulling in Chazz's powered-up Armed Dragon LV 10. Although it tried to resist, eventually he dragon was broken down into clumps of iron, which were swiftly integrated inside Plasma's wings. Since the stronger Armed Dragon had 5000 attack points, Plasma gained 2500 for a total of 4400, more than enough to take down Chazz's remaining Armed Dragon Thunder LV 10, which had 3000 attack points.

"No! I didn't know he had a card like that!" Chazz protested, as Plasma had only recently come into Aster's possession. Of course, Chazz had also switched up his deck recently, but the irony of this was lost on him.

"Plasma, end this duel with blood rain!" The drops came slowly at first, wicking from the beast's wings, only to grow faster as they sharpened into deadly needles, skewering the Armed Dragon and Chazz's hopes for victory at the same time. (Aster 4000/Chazz 0)

Chazz skid across the platform, tumbling over the edge in a heap. "Duel concluded - you may remove the bio-bands at this time." The computer's voice intoned from the boy's ankle bracelets. Aster hurriedly removed his, not wanting the damned machine on for a moment longer than necessary. "I had no idea technology like this was in development. I suppose they were used for good this time, but I still don't like them." The silver-haired boy turned to the Kaiba brothers and Pegasus. They gave him a thumbs-up, signaling that the gate was sufficiently powered. "Good, at least it wasn't a waste." As an afterthought, Aster turned to Chazz, who was climbing back up after removing his own bio-band. "Thanks for your help, Chazz. That was a good match. You even managed to get me riled up a bit there. But it'll be a while before you're ready for the pros."

Aster mainly said that to check Chazz's ego. In reality, the King in the North was already at the level of the lower-end pro duelists in the league. But to tell him so would only give him a false sense of security. This way, he would train harder and grow stronger. The league needed quality competition, not the current generation of nancies who were content to sit on their laurels. Looking at Chazz, though, Aster wasn't sure if this was the best approach.

"I lost again...without even dealing a point of damage!" The black-haired boy hung his head, voice full of self-loathing. "How? I trusted my deck, and did my best from the very beginning...how do I lose? What else am I supposed to do?"

"I seem to have bad luck, running into such sore losers all the time." Aster thought smugly. Jesse ran over to help Chazz up, no doubt whispering sweet nothings into his ear all the while. The other students waited neutrally at the sideline.

"Man, I could use a cup of coffee." He said nonchalantly as he walked up to them.

"None to be found, sadly. Hey, congrats on the win. I'm sure glad you'll be on our side when we go in there." Erin complimented. Aster found her warm, jocular personality a relief from the fangirls he was used to dealing with. Even Alexis, for all of her otherwise grounded nature, seemed a bit in awe of him, as did Jasmine. Erin was treating him like just another duelist. It was refreshing, in a way. The others murmured polite greetings, but quickly refocused their attention to Lancaster and Truesdale's duel. Lancaster's predilection for control-based strategy ensured that the fight would drag out longer. "This will be a good opportunity to assess his full power. Surely he wouldn't hold back against a schoolyard rival." Aster schemed idly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aster saw Chazz shove Jesse away and stalk off on his own, the black-clad Northerner apparently uncaring about the other duel despite how eager he was to fight Jamie earlier. The two Northerners passed by Alexis, whose gaze stopped Chazz in his tracks.

"What? You got something to say?" Chazz spat.

She looked long at him. "You provided more energy for the gate than any of the others. Thanks for your help."

"You can save your applause for when I win the upcoming tournament. Unless you plan on competing?" Chazz probed.

"With Jamie gone, I'll be Central Academy's top-ranked duelist. Crowler expects me to participate for the school's honor." Alexis explained dully.

"I'll be playing as well. I'm third rank in the Obelisk Force now." Bastion interjected.

"I hope we're matched in the first round. It'll be a good warm-up." He sneered, causing Bastion and Alexis to seethe at his nerve. Shrugging Jesse's arm away, Chazz turned to regard him.

"I know you can survive out there. You're one of the strongest people I know, and I'm not just talking about dueling. Don't let Lancaster and the rest of these pricks walk over you. You have a better reason for going than them." Chazz shook Jesse's hand. "Until next time, buddy."

Jesse smiled. "Until next time, pal."

With that, Chazz took his leave. Jesse slowly rejoined the others, sadness permeating his expression. Despite himself, Aster felt a grain of pity for him.

"I'm glad you taught that bully a lesson. He's always had a big mouth on him." Syrus was taking great vicarious pleasure in the moment.

"There's no shame in losing a valiant struggle on the battlefield. It is not the victory that defines the duelist, it is the fight." Aster replied, and Syrus grew quiet, reflecting on the warrior ethos that the elite fighters subscribed to that he could never quite cotton onto himself. From his vantage point, Syrus was able to see the next card Zane had drawn, which helped explain why his older brother seemed more confident. It was the spell Power Bond, the card that had helped propel Zane to greater heights as well as exacerbate the distance between them.

AN

Hope you all enjoyed.

I appreciate your patience - writing is on the back burner for me right now, as I am beginning the process of taking a series of important professional exams, which will probably take around a year and a half to conclude. Studying for them is important and I need to put a lot of hours in. However, I still plan on continuing to write, just at a temporarily lowered frequency. As always, your readership and support mean the world to me. I still will answer all PMs and respond to reviews. Also I've noticed the TvTropes page has been looking nice and beefy for this story lately - thank you to all who choose to contribute to it. I don't contribute to it myself because I feel it would be...I don't know...I don't have an objective view of my story, so I feel it's more valuable if others do it.

As I am writing this AN, I checked and saw that this story has recently surpassed a million views, as per the site's internal tracker. Just speechless...thank you again.

I wanted to wrap up Jamie vs Zane but the chapter ended up being long af, and there was another duel going on, so I'm going to split it. Since there are new Cyberdarks/Cyber Dragons coming soon anyways, waiting a bit will be good so that I can show those off in the next chapter. I have much of the second chapter for GTW (Great Teacher Wheeler) finished so that may be up fairly shortly. Cheers and I'll see you then, hopefully soon.