Yugioh GX: Beyond the Academy

by cypher32

It's been 2 and a half years since Jaden and his pals graduated from Duel Academy. Over that time span, Jaden has been using his powers for the good of mankind, with the help of Jesse and Axel, as part of a 3-man cell. Tired of the constant fighting, Jaden only wants to see his friends again. After his employer makes a shocking announcement, will he get that chance? Or maybe ...

15. The Rampaging Feelings

A good day to you all. I'm back after a long while. It's been a rough few months for me, both physically and mentally. Swamped with work, moving to a new country, being swamped with work again. Every time I think that I have some free time to myself, work comes out of nowhere. A man's life is hard.

I'm sorry I couldn't keep up the pace on releases, and for my loyal readers, sorry to keep you waiting for so long. Hopefully know that I've settled into my new life, I can finally make could on my promises. To my loyal readers, thank you for sticking with me despite my shortcomings. An extra long chapter awaits you now!

As soon as this chapter ends, the real main battle of this arc kick off, from now until the end of the arc in chapter 20. I know that they'll be a few questions you would like asked, and actually, I am planning a series of shorts for just such an occasion. If you have any questions or suggestions for the shorts, please let me know in the reviews. Oh, and I changed this chapter's title to a more appropriate one. Thanks again, and enjoy!

Last time on Beyond the Academy:

Jaden arrives at the academy to find that things haven't changed all that much, to his happiness. He meets his dear friends after all this time, and things seem like they couldn't get any more exciting, until the Chancellor makes a shocking announcement...

So what are you waiting for; GET YOUR GAME ON!

---

Chapter 15: The Rampaging Feelings

Part 1

"And that's the story of how I came up with the idea for this grand duel of mine, and why I set it as the climax of this reunion of alumni. I know that you two have a lot of questions about this, especially you Jaden, but I just want to point out that I am not forcing either of you to participate in this little duel; Both of you have the right to turn me down right now, whether for personal reasons, or because I never consulted you in this matter before taking any decisions... is what I want to say, but Zane had already given me his approval a month ago, and you look like the type of person who'd riot if I were to take that privilege away, Jaden. However, you still have a chance to back down right now, and I can give your seat, or seats if Zane wishes to follow suit, to Alistair's students, like he always hoped for. Plus, you'll have to deal with your sad, angry and very disappointed fans who are really looking forward to this duel, but I digress. So, what'll it be?"

After the shocking yet exciting announcement that the chancellor had made, the hall was bathed in excited gossip and chatter, while fans of both duelists began to have heated arguments with each other, and fans of pro duels in general were simply smiling in anticipation. Their friends on the other hand, were either very pumped up themselves (as was the case with Syrus and Hasselberry), or had excited smiles on their faces (like Aster and Jesse). All the while, Crowley simply looked on in disinterest, although if one looked close enough, a tinge of anger could be seen or felt from him.

After the chatter settled down, the chancellor bid the rest of the guests a good night, as he had a lot of matters to attend to, and informed them that they should enjoy the rest of the party, then left. The aftermath, however, was not that calm, as Jaden and friends were surrounded by swarms of students wishing to chat with them, take selfies, ask embarrassing questions and even sign a few autographs (there were also a few crazy requests in between).

The gala continued like that for 30 minutes, with Crowley and his students remaining surprisingly docile, something that surprised Jaden a little, though he was too busy with the other students to pay much attention. At that point, Atticus decided to head on stage, and start singing, something he had promised to do the night before, but was stopped and dragged off stage by Mac and Alexis, despite the pleas of his fangirls. Atticus did not show up after that for the rest of the night. It was around that time, that one of the staff members approached Jaden and Zane, and asked them to head over to the chancellor's office, at his request. Once they arrived, Sheppard talked about how he conceived the idea for the tournament, leading up to the current point in time.

"You know very well, chancellor, that I agreed to participate in this duel under several conditions," said Zane.

"Of course I do, and I've managed to fulfill all of those conditions so far," replied Sheppard. "Well, depending on Jaden's answer of course. Am I right, Zane?"

"Yes, so far," said Zane, then he turned to face a confused, yet excited Jaden. "Well, Jaden that's the gist of it. The chancellor called me about a month ago, and asked me to take part in this duel. At the time, I was looking for a window to announce my comeback to the pro leagues, though at the same time, I thought that I would be better off waiting for the next pro dueling season, so I initially refused the chancellor, even after all of his promises for a big crowd, sponsors, a proper venue and so much more. However, he then promised me one more thing that got my attention: A worthy opponent, and more specifically, an opponent I had always wanted a rematch with. There are quite a few duelists that I would love to have a rematch with, but none come close to your level of skills, and as if answering my expectations, he mentioned you. He said that he would do whatever it took to get you to attend the reunion, and subsequently, the alumni duel. At that point, it was obvious; If he could get you to participate, then I would gladly do so as well, and a few days ago, when you called Syrus to announce your attendance, that sealed the deal for me."

He smiled for a bit, then sighed. "But if you want to back out of this duel, then so will I. It'd be a real shame, but Sheppard did announce you as a participant without your prior consent, so I won't really hold it against you if..."

"Are you kidding me?!" shouted an excited Jaden, cutting into Zane's explanation. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime! I finally get a chance at a rematch with you after so long, so there's no way I'll back out of this, and like the chancellor said, if you take this chance away from me, I might actually riot... well not really, but I'll be really sad. So, if you're down for it Zane, then I'll happily oblige!"

"Then it's settled," said Sheppard. "You two will duke it out on the final evening of the reunion, December 23rd to be more specific. I'm sure that not only the students, but even your friends will be looking forward to this duel with great anticipation. Ah, I can even picture it now," said Sheppard happily.

"Well then, if there's nothing else, I'll be heading back to my room. Parties aren't really my thing," said Zane. "Chancellor, I'll see you later, and Jaden, I guess I'll see you on the day of the duel. I don't think it's right for two duelists facing off against each other in a grand duel like this to interact with one another, so forgive me if I seem distant or aloof to you. Well, good night gentlemen."

After Zane walked out of the chancellor's office, Sheppard began talking about a particular problem regarding that night's duel: Crowley.

"Jaden, you realize that after tonight's events, Crowley has placed his students in positions particularly close to you and your friends, and given the circumstances, I can't really deny him his request. The good news is that on the days leading up to the duel, I doubt he or his subordinates will make any moves; In fact, his willingness to place his students so close to you is a sign that he potentially has finished planning for whatever scheme he intends to unleash down the road," explained Sheppard.

"Finished planning? Then why not execute his plan now?" asked Jaden.

"Well, Alistair always had a passion for the dramatic and theatrical performances. Most likely, he's waiting for the big duel to unleash his plans, partially to get back at me, I presume," laughed Sheppard bitterly. "Unfortunately, I still haven't been able to pinpoint the location of his base or anything about said plan, though I hear that Axel has already found the location of their base. For security reasons, I asked him not to tell me though."

"Yeah, he said that the double-agent gave him the location, and that he was going to check it out tonight. In fact, I think that he left the venue after the announcement, and that's probably where he's headed right now," said Jaden.

"That's right. Just in case, I've assigned a team of my finest security agents, all trained by Kaiba Corp., and experts in their respective fields, to back him up should he need it. Hopefully, he can infiltrate the complex and figure out whatever the hell is going on in there," said Sheppard grimly, before smiling. "Until then, I want you to go and enjoy the rest of your evening, Jaden. Relax, take a dip in then hot spring, start preparing for your duel with Zane, the choice is yours. Don't worry about Alistair for now; Until Axel has some concrete information, you might as well forget about him for these next couple of days."

"But chancellor..." began Jaden, before Sheppard put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. Just trust in your friend Axel, and focus on your big duel. We'll take care of the rest," he said with a smile.

Jaden smiled in return. "Alright chancellor, like you said, I guess i'll just believe in my friends. It's one of the things I'm good at, I guess," he said, then turned to leave. "Well chancellor, I guess I'll see you later," he said, then went back to the gala.

As soon as Jaden left, Sheppard sighed, then sat down. "You know, I've been working hard myself. Perhaps I should go on a vacation or something after all this is over. Maybe to the Bahamas or somewhere warm. I can always leave Crowler in charge, since that worked well last time... Well, almost did anyways," he thought, them frowned. "But first, I deal with Alistair."

---

"Alright, focus. Clear your mind of any distractions, and think happy thoughts, okay. Keep your eyes open, because what you see will seem imaginary, but it'll feel as real as any of us are, though you already know that. Dig deep into yourself, and feel that power surging from within."

A couple of hours had passed since the end of the gala. The rest of it had gone predictably as soon as Jaden returned to the hall, while Zane excused himself and left to train in solitude for their upcoming match. Jaden met with a large group of the current students, all of whom wanted to either complement him, wish him well, ask for an autograph, or even get the chance to duel him, and spent the next hour or so listening to all of their requests, signing autographs or accepting presents from fangirls, until Alexis pulled him out of that group, reminding him about their deal from yesterday. The two of them went to Jesse, and after Jaden got something to eat after all that time, they left with the rest of their friends, and headed back to the guest house. From there, Jaden, Jesse and Alexis all headed up to Jaden's room, to begin teaching Alexis about controlling her newfound powers.

"I don't get it. I mean, why can I see duel spirits just fine, but I can't seem to do the other "crazy" things that you two are able to do?" asked Alexis.

"Well, Jay and I have been connected to the spirits for years, while you only recently got your powers. Give it time, and you might be able to do the same "crazy" things we do," said Jesse. "Well, either that, or it's just that your powers aren't as potent as ours, which is why we're training you. That's a pretty good way to check."

Alexis nodded. "Alright, let me try it," she said, then sat down and closed her eyes. As instructed, she cleared her mind and entered a trance-like state. For what seemed like an eternity, nothing happened. No powers surging from within, no voices calling to her, and no bright lights, just her and the void that is her inner, clear self.

"This is hopeless," she thought. "I've been trying to draw out these abilities, but nothing seems to come up. Maybe I should just call it quits for tonight, or maybe I should take some more advise from the guys, not that it'll really help right now. I am a little tired from today, so maybe a little rest will do me good."

Suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of her inner-self. Alexis was startled, as this was completely out of her expectations. "What is that? Is that... a duel spirit?" she thought. The light began to change, until it took the form of a petite being with angelic wings, whose true figure was hidden deeper in the light. At that moment, she began to hear a voice.

"... me," came the distorted voice.

"Huh? Are you talking to me?" she asked, confused.

"You must ... ..," came the voice again.

"I must? What must I do? More importantly, who or what are you?" she asked.

Suddenly, the light shone brighter, making it hard to see, as the figure grew in size, and approached fast.

"YOU MUST HELP ME!" the voice bellowed as it approached. Alexis jumped at the sound, and began to escape, but in the end, the light engulfed her as she began to scream.

Alexis opened her eyes and stood up in a panic, her body shaking. Jaden and Jesse who were both on the nearby chairs, were looking at her with their eyes wide open, before Jaden reacted and rushed over to her side.

"Lex, you okay?" he asked. "You were silent for about five minutes, then you started muttering something, and all of a sudden, you screamed while opening your eyes. What did you see?!"

"Jaden, it was crazy!" she said in a panic. "There was nothing there for a while, then this light popped up, and inside the light was this mysterious... figure, that kept saying 'You must help me' over and over, then it got close and engulfed me. It was all just... just... crazy!"

"Alright, easy Alexis," said Jesse. "Just breathe slowly. In and out. In and out. Calm down, and maybe take a seat. We'll take ten, then discuss what we saw. In the meantime, Jaden and I will get us all something to drink," he added, motioning to Jaden with his head to follow him.

"Yeah, that sounds great," she replied weakly, then slumped into the nearby couch, while the two guys walked over to the kitchen.

"So, what do you think, Jay?" asked Jesse.

"Me? I don't know what to think. I mean, to think that a spirit would call out to her so soon. I mean, she's only had her abilities for a few days, so I never expected this. I just... don't really know how to process this," said Jaden.

"I agree that it's unusual, especially given the circumstances," nodded Jesse. "Well, you and I have seen a lot weirder stuff before, so I propose we just monitor the situation over the next few days, you know, see how things play out. For now, I say we give Alexis a little R&R, and call it a night."

"That's fine, but you know, I think she's going to surprise us with something unexpected. Well, either that, or that was just a one-time coincidence,"said Jaden.

"Well, somebody's got faith," smiled Jesse, as he grabbed a few drinks, and headed over to Alexis, with Jaden in tow.

"So lex, you feelin better now?" he asked her.

"A little. I mean, I'm a lot more calm, but I'm still trying to grasp what I saw," she stated, while accepting the drink from Jesse. "I still can't believe that you two deal with this on a daily basis."

"Sucks, doesn't it?" teased Jesse. "Anyways, in light of this, Jaden and I feel like we should call it a night, and that you should get some rest."

"Really? We've only been at this for a half-hour, at best. Still, I see your point. I guess we'll continue this later," she said.

"Hey, don't get down Alexis," said Jaden. "You made great progress. I mean, we weren't really expecting anything to happen today, let alone you contacting a spirit. We just wanted to ease you in, little by little, but you've actually contacted a spirit on your first real attempt. That's amazing."

"Well, if you say so, Jaden," she replied with a small smile.

"Oh, right! I completely forgot!" exclaimed Jesse, as he scrambled to grab the TV remote.

"What's wrong, Jesse?" asked Jaden.

"Don't you remember? Today's the day Kaiba's gonna make his big announcement!" said Jesse excitedly, as he switched on the TV, and switched over to the Domino City news channel.

"Oh yeah," remembered Jaden. "Wait, wasn't the press conference during the gala?"

"Yeah, but the news channel's bound to have some footage of the conference," said Jesse.

"Wait, what announcement?" asked Alexis.

"Oh yeah, we never told you. Well, just sit around for a bit and watch. It's better if you hear it from the big man," smiled Jesse excitedly.

---

The three of them were silent as the announcer began speaking. "Big news out of Domino this afternoon, as Seto Kaiba, owner and CEO of the Kaiba Corporation, announced a major tournament, dubbed by Mr. Kaiba as the "Kaiba Corp. World Duel Carnival", that'll be taking place this summer. Based on Mr. Kaiba himself, the scale of this tournament will surpass not only the classic Duelist Kingdom, but even the grandiose, action-packed Battle City tournament. For more on this, we bring you footage live from the press conference at Kaiba Corp. that took place a few hours ago."

The screen then cut to the face of Seto Kaiba standing in front of a wide podium, dressed in a formal navy blue suit and black tie. The conference hall was jam packed with reporters from all over the world, each of them seemed eager to hear what Kaiba had to say, and once he began to speak, all eyes were glued to him.

"Greetings, and welcome to everyone who came here today," he said in a formal tone with his usual, stoic expression. "For many years since I've taken over as CEO here at Kaiba Corp., we've never stopped in our everlasting quest for innovation, especially with regards to the gaming industry, and more specifically, the Duel Monsters trading card game, evident in our great success in hosting the Battle City tournament, our heavy sponsorship in the Duel Monsters League One championship, and more recently, the development and great success of the illustrious Duel Academy, created to raise and shape the duelists and citizens of the future, and I'm positive that we will continue to develop and harden the Duel Monsters card game moving forward."

"Man, he sure is different in public then with us," commented Jesse. "Well, everything besides his facial expression and choice of clothing."

"In light of all of that, I would like to announce a brand new event, one so grand that it will take hold of the world's attention and envy, and make the Duelist Kingdom and Battle City tournaments look like ancient history."

Kaiba took a pause for dramatic effect, then continued. "As of today, I extend an invitation to duelists from all over the world to come to Domino City, to come join us and compete in the Kaiba Corp. World Duel Carnival, a festival and tournament that I can guarantee will be like no other!"

The room turned into a complete uproar, as reporters began chatting loudly and snapping pictures at a faster rate. Kaiba waited calmly for the chatter to die down, feeling proud inside having calculated the response from the people inside, people who will indirectly gather the attention of the world to him. After a couple of minutes, he cleared his throat, and the room grew quiet again.

"Originally, I meant to name the tournament after the city of Domino, but I decided to make some slight alterations to the rules and conditions before today. The finals of this tournament will take place here in Domino, but only a set number of finalists will be selected from a variety of qualifiers, taking place worldwide, to participate in the final rounds. The winner of this tournament will receive a grand prize of ten million dollars, as well as the prestige of being the strongest duelist in the world. The winner will also have the exclusive right to design his or her very own unique card, courtesy of our partners at Industrial Illusions, and one final grand prize; Direct entry into the pro leagues with an exclusive sponsorship by us here at Kaiba Corp.!"

The final prize resonated with the reporters the most. A Kaiba Corp. sponsorship? Previously, it was unheard of. Kaiba Corp. had sponsored major tournaments and championship matches, but individual duelists? That was a first. The question in all of their minds was: Why now? Why, after all this time, did Kaiba decide to sponsor an individual duelist? Unfortunately, today was not the day they'd get that answer.

"I know that a lot of you have questions, but unfortunately, that's all for today. The rules and regulations, as well as further details about the qualifiers and prizes will be uploaded to the Kaiba Corp. website in a few days, until then, I ask of you to be patient," he finished, then left the podium, amidst a flurry of questions thrown his way.

"As you just saw, we'll have to wait a few days for more details, but it seems like, for now at least, Mr. Kaiba has stolen the world's attention as planned. We will keep you updated as soon as information becomes available..."

---

Jesse switched off the TV as soon as he was sure that they'd heard enough. "So, he just shows up on stage, boasts about his new tournament, then takes off whenever he feels like it while confusing and pissing everybody off. Yup, that's Kaiba alright," he said, then laughed.

"A tournament, huh," said Alexis. "You know, after everything I've been through and seen, a big tournament like this is just kind of normal for me. I honestly half-expected you to tell me something to top everything from yesterday. Then again, I doubt anything can."

"Oh come on Alexis, this tournament is gonna be the biggest one ever!" he said loudly. "The best in the world will be competing, and if the title of 'strongest in the world', that must mean that the title of king of games is gonna be up for grabs, which means that Yugi Muto is gonna compete!"

"Wow, that would be amazing!" said Jaden excitedly.

"Wait, I thought you already dueled Yugi and lost?" she asked.

"I did, and I lost pretty badly, but who cares. That was then, and this is now. This time, I'll be sure to beat him!" he declared.

"Well, that's one way to look at it," she sighed, then got up to leave. "By the way, where's Axel? Shouldn't he have come back by now?" she asked.

"That's right, he showed up to the party eventually, but left after seeing the knights there. It's a golden opportunity to sneak into their base for recon, but why is he taking too long?" asked Jaden. "Could something have happened to him while he was there?"

"Oh come on, Jay," said Jesse. "It's Axel we're talking about. If anything, he'd take as long as he could for recon, to get as much information as possible. Plus, if he was in trouble, he would've sent us or his backup a signal, in whatever shape or form, right?"

"But still..." Jaden started, but Jesse interrupted him by putting his hand on Jaden's shoulder.

"It's alright, Jay. He's probably fine. Just in case though, if he's not back within the hour, I'll go look for him. You just need to relax, and prepare for your big duel with Zane. That's your priority now, at least until we have some concrete evidence," said Jesse reassuringly.

"Oh, that reminds me," said Alexis as she walked up to them. "Jaden, Zane's style has changed since you last saw him. Technically, he went back to using cyber dragon again, but he's got new strategies and new monsters, including a new fusion that was created specifically to finish his opponents in one turn. Of course, that's just what he would tell me, and said that he intended to use it against you in the duel. Unfortunately, even I don't exactly know what new monsters they are or what they can do."

"A new fusion, huh. Damn, now I really wanna duel him!" said Jaden, as the vigor returned to his body.

"Yeah, yeah, of course you want to," sighed Jesse. "For now though, you need to rest. I'll head back to my room and wait for Axel. Come on lex, I'll escort you to the elevator."

"Yeah, sure," she said, then faced Jaden. "Well, good night, Jay. I don't think I'll be able to see you tomorrow morning, so I guess I'll see you in the evening for lessons."

"Yeah, alright. See ya tomorrow," said Jaden with a smile. His friends then left the room, and he dropped onto his bed.

Yubel appeared above him. "Jaden, please give me permission to watch Alexis tomorrow," she requested.

"Sure, but can you tell me why?" he asked.

"I find it strange that she would refuse to talk to you until the evening, especially since you haven't done anything that bad ...yet, but I believe that something happened to her, or rather, someone got to her," she said.

"You think it was that guy, Ray?" he asked.

"Doubtful. Despite his obviously unsavory ability, he does seem like a gentleman, and with only the women allowed on the girl's floor, I find it hard to believe me that he'd deliberately break the rules and expose himself just to get to her. No, I believe that your yandere admirer is behind all that," she explained.

"Please don't call her that," sighed Jaden. "Still, it's true that she was pretty hostile to Alexis, but isn't she our guide tomorrow to the Slifer Red dorms?"

"Yes, but I'm more concerned about the morning time," she replied.

"Alright, do what you can. In the meantime, I guess I'll try and convince her tomorrow somehow," he said.

"You probably won't be able too, but you can most certainly try," she said. "Just be yourself, and be sensitive, because I won't be there to bail you out this time."

"Don't know what you mean by sensitive, but alright," he said the yawned. "Well, good night," he said, then went under the covers.

Yubel moved towards the balcony, then sighed. "Of course you don't know what sensitive means. Atticus isn't exactly a sensitive person after all. Still, maybe I'm just overthinking things," she thought, as she stared at the moon.

---

"So, this is the base, huh? He sure picked one of the least obvious place on the island," muttered Axel, as he stood on a branch.

During the time Jaden and Jesse were instructing Alexis, Axel was staking out Crowley's base, the entrance of which was in the patch of forest right next to the Obelisk girls dorm on the island. He had told the agents with him to wait somewhere nearby for his signal to move in. It was then that he began to recall the conversation he and Jesse had with the female informant last night.

"You're joking. The base is right under the girls dorm? That's not exactly very secret."

"No Jesse, it's actually quite ingenious. A live, bustling dorm acts as a great camouflage. I mean, why not have a base in a location that seems open and exposed, yet at the same time, it isn't."

"I see what you mean, but there's still an obvious problem, which is the fact that it's a girl's dorm!"

"A very deductive point , but being a girl's dormitory only makes it more secure. You see, with any other dorm, the chancellor and his team of bodyguards could storm in and conduct a thorough search of the area, but with the female dormitory, it's a lot more complicated. A lot of the girls here are from rich or influential families, so there's a lot of extra protective measures taken to ensure the girl's secrecy, comfort and privacy. The chancellor simply can't enter the place without a proper reason, and with no concrete evidence, or at least, nothing that could be made public, it's pretty hard to find a good reason to enter, isn't it?"

"Exactly. The same could be said of practically any male on the chancellor's payroll or otherwise."

"Alright, but aren't Crowley and his male followers in the same boat? I mean, unless he's got only women working for him at his hideout."

"Which is also plausible by the way, but no, that's not really the case. Most of the people who work for Crowley never leave the facility once they step in, not to mention the fact that they don't have to move very far. By the way, the exact location of the entrance is in the basement. As for how they get in there, well, I'm sure you both know the answer to that."

"I'm guessing with their abilities. As for which ones, you want us to discover that for ourselves."

"Of course, I'd love to sit and chat some more, but I've got to be heading back soon. A person in my standing can't be out for long, after all."

"Wait, what about Fontaine and the other female employees? Surely, they would've noticed?"

"Fontaine spends most of her time at the infirmary, and rarely comes back to the dorm. As for the other female employees, well... I'm sure that you'll find out from the documents I gave you. Now, if you'll excuse me."

The girl known to the Dragoons as 'Raven' left right after that, while the two of them headed back to Jaden's room to study the information they obtained.

Axel switched his binoculars over to night-vision, and peered at the entrance hall of the dorm, scouting out a certain tall, green-haired girl. In any other situation, Axel would have been considered a stalker or a pervert, but this girl was a special case; She was one of the six knights, Wendy, the 'WIND' knight, and right now, she was his target. She was ranked second in the knights hierarchy, and was one of the three students to have an almost complete access to Crowley's facilities and schemes. However, something was bothering Axel.

"She's a really whimsical person," he thought. From what he had gathered questioning students, she would always approach new people, and asked them if they believed in fairies. Although students found this weird, her mesmerizing face and free-spirited personality had eventually won over the student body, and now that side of her was actually a part of her charm.

"Why does he trust her so much? And for the record, why does she serve him so loyally?"

Of the six knights, she was probably the most loyal to Crowley, despite her personality. The reason Axel was tracking her was because of her supposed spirit power.

"Her abilities... she's able to make herself, and anybody she chooses, invisible to the naked eye, or in a worst-case scenario, non-existent. She can basically turn herself and others, into 'fairies'. The perfect ability for stealth, and the perfect way for Crowley to sneak into the girl's dorm unnoticed, along with all of his followers."

He then glanced at his watch to check the time.

"It's getting late. I should probably report back in, since there's nothing I can really do with her around. Thought she would be partying with the rest, but she's surprisingly a loner, and came around as soon as I did. Man, all of these knights have so much in common with Jaden and Jesse. Do spiritual powers really make you do crazy things? I fail to see the opposite," he thought with a smile, then looked through the binoculars one last time.

It was then that he felt something off. All of a sudden, Wendy supposedly began to talk to herself, but Axel knew better; She was talking to her duel spirit(s). All of a sudden, he felt a gentle breeze across his body. What was strange was that despite being in December, the breeze was surprisingly warm. Anyone else would have wrote this off as a coincidence, but Axel knew better; His instincts told him that something was wrong, and a sense of unease began creeping up inside of him. His instincts proved true, as Wendy suddenly turned her head and looked in his direction, her blank expression turned into a beautiful, yet eerie smile, causing him to drop his binoculars in shock.

"Damn it, she spotted me! Gotta run now!" he thought, then turned around quickly and jumped out of the tree, then made a break for it. Or at least, he tried to. As he began running, a hand grabbed him firmly from behind.

"Well, well. It seems like we've found our little rat," said a familiar voice in a sinister tone.

Axel tried to turn and defend himself, but all of a sudden, he was assaulted by huge waves of pain inside of his head.

"GAAAAHHHH!" he began screaming loudly. The pain was unbearable, unlike any he had ever tasted.

"Now now, please settle down, master Brodie, this will all be over soon. All you have to do is... LET ME IN!" The voice urged him to give in to the pain. Axel resisted as much as he could, but in the end, he passed out.

"I see, he passed out. Here I was thinking that a trained soldier like himself would be able to resist mind control, and it looks like I was wrong. You disappoint me, master Brodie, or rather, I suppose I should call you Axel now. The worst part is that I know owe Fang twenty grand. Honestly, I know he's a temple boy, so what use does a temple boy have with money anyway. He's a darn wanker, that's for sure. Anyways, I simply must get you inside, Axel."

The moonlight revealed the face of Axel's assailant, as the first ranked knight, Edward Sherwood, or as everybody knows him by, Ray. His face sprouted an ominous smile, as Axel was picked up by something, or someone, whose figure was invisible to the naked eye, and the two began to make their way back to the knight's hideout.

"Oh, and one more thing I suppose I need to say," said Ray, as he looked at Axel's face closely. "Welcome to the family!"

---

Part 2

An hour had passed since Alexis's lessons had ended, and now she was sound asleep in her own room. As she slept, she began to dream about meeting the duel monsters from her deck, like Cyber Blader and Cyber Tutu, as well as her more powerful Cyber Angel monsters, in spiritual form. She dreamt about hanging out with them, training with them, even going to a hot spring with them. It was fun, and was a manifestation of some of her inner desires to meet her own spirits. Other duel monsters joined the fray, and she recognized them as the beings from her new deck. They gave off a celestial vibe, and were dressed in heroic outfits. When she saw them, she told them to relax and take it easy, and the pleasant bliss of her dream continued from there for a while, until she saw something familiar.

"You! I saw you just a while ago. You're that spirit, the one who was speaking to me," she said at the approaching figure. The same figure shrouded in light had appeared before her.

"Wait, but I'm dreaming, so is this spirit just a part of my dreams?" she asked herself.

"I'm afraid that is not the case, Alexis Rhodes," declared the figure, stunning Alexis. The shroud then disappeared, and revealed a young, angelic figure, floating above her. The background faded to white, and everybody but Alexis and the spirit disappeared.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your pleasant slumber, Alexis Rhodes, but I require your assistance," said the female figure. She looked like a young teenager with six angelic wings sprouting from her back, dressed in a long, silky white garb. In her hand, she carried a small harp, and on her shoulder was what appeared to be a small, cute puppy. Generally, she looked like a young girl, despite the dignified aura surrounding her.

"Oh, apologies. It seems like I forgot to introduce myself. Why does this always happen when I try talking to someone?" the girl said, suddenly getting flustered.

Alexis who was surprised initially, now simply looked at the girl with a bitter smile. "So, what do you need me for? And more importantly, who are you, and how did you get us here, wherever here is?" she asked.

"Right, my bad," said the spirit, then she cleared her throat. "I am a celestial being, and my name is Zuriel, but you can call me the Harmony Angel! As for where, we're still inside your subconscious mind, just without that dream to hinder us from conversing. Like I've said before, I need your help, Alexis, to save someone very dear to me."

Alexis began to process what she just heard. "So this is my first real encounter with a duel spirit? I expected one of my own monsters, or at least a monster that I'm familiar with, but I've never heard of a monster called Harmony Angel. Well, at least she doesn't seem hostile, but I never expected a little girl of all things," she thought to herself.

"Hey, I'm not that young! I'm much older then you! Didn't anyone ever tell you that looks can be deceiving? Don't get cocky just because you're taller, and have a bigger bust!" Harmony Angel lashed out at her, while pouting.

"Wait, you heard that?" said Alexis, surprised.

"Of course I did. This is your subconscious, which is basically where your inner thoughts reside. Every thought you make can be heard in here, though I never expected you to make such rude remarks!"

"Sorry about that. I was just surprised about meeting a new spirit is all. Plus, if that was you in my thoughts last time, I think you can understand me being a little weary," said Alexis.

"Well, there was that, so I guess we're even," nodded the spirit. "I guess I'm sorry for spooking you like that, but I needed to get your attention."

"Yeah, what did you mean by help someone? Is that someone here on the island? How am I supposed to save this person?" asked Alexis.

"Well, the thing is that the person is indeed on the island, but..." the spirit began, but stopped, as if hesitant to say more.

"What's wrong? If the person is on the island, then that's great. We can form a plan, and go rescue that person," said Alexis.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Alexis," responded the spirit quietly. "How do I put this? I need your help, but the person I want to save isn't exactly a friend of yours."

"Well, that's unfortunate, but it's fine. If that person needs help, then it doesn't matter whether he or she is a friend or not, right?" said Alexis confidently.

Harmony Angel closed her eyes for a second, thinking about what to say, then as if steeling herself, she said, "Even if that person is the same girl who's out to hurt you right now."

Alexis stared at the spirit with a surprised expression a bit, before frowning. "I see, so you're the guardian spirit that she mentioned during her duel with Jaden. You're the duel spirit connected to Fira."

"Yes. I was originally a part of the deck presented to her by her parents all of those years ago. Back then, she was a really cheerful young girl with almost no cares in the world, and her smile was just so sweet, you'd feel like you would want to protect her forever. Then, her mother passed on, and her father was killed. A child abandoned so early in life by those she cared about the most, taken from her by the cruel realities of this world. It would drive even the most level-headed adults to the brink of insanity, so imagine what it could do to a little girl that did not even reach the age of ten. In secret, I watched over her happiest moments, even when she began to become aware of me in a way; She could feel someone watching her, someone looking out for her, and that's exactly what I did when those lowlife thugs came in to take her away and harm her. I spoke to her for the first time, and told her to run, then I blinded those men and together, we escaped into the night. It was then, that I revealed myself to her, told her about her abilities and attempted to calm her disrupted soul. We needed to keep moving, or those mafia thugs would catch up to us."

"We made it to Rome after several weeks of walking, begging and stowing ourselves away on passing trucks. By then, I had already felt that she was broken inside; She never believed or trusted anyone, endured painful abuse at the hands of the rich who saw orphans like her as trash, and sometimes, never even cared about eating or drinking. I did my best to help her through healing and warmth, guidance and knowledge, and by some miracle, we managed to survive the month. I suppose you know what happened next?"

"He came and spoke to her, and offered her a place with him," said Alexis.

"That's correct. That man... He recognized me as a duel spirit right away. His words seemed genuine, but I couldn't shake that feeling when I looked at him, a feeling of darkness and utter madness. I tried to warn Fira, but for the first time since we were together, she turned me away and ignored my advise and pleas. Maybe she was just tired of it all, or maybe she just wanted to be part of a family again. Either way, we went with the so-called professor to his home in London, where we met a couple of others like her. There, she began training on controlling her powers, just like you are right now, only the professor's methods were a lot harsher then anything you could ever imagine. Physical trauma, torture, isolation, you name it. That's how he trained his 'students' to master their abilities, and use them for nefarious methods. I tried to soothe Fira after every session, tried to tell her to escape, but she refused, believing this way to be the right one. It was then that it dawned on me; I thought that she had managed to overcome her difficulties and become stronger, but in reality, she was broken, her devotion to this training being the only way for her to stay sane. She believed that by getting stronger, she would never have to suffer again, so she listened faithfully to the professor's orders for a few years."

"During these few years, she began speaking to me even less, sometimes ignoring me altogether. When we did speak, we would argue with each other, which caused even more discord. I wanted her to escape that place, trying to convince her that the professor had nefarious plans, while she disagreed, saying that this way was the only way to live after everything that's happened, and that the professor was only looking out for us. Then, a couple of years later, the professor gathered his six students that he had trained over the years, and introduced to them to his real objective; The true revival of the supreme king. They were then shown images and clips of your friend Jaden, who was the incarnation of that king, and Fira was just enamored, stating that it was love at first sight. To this day, I still don't understand if she truly cares for that boy, or was it something the professor secretly planted into her thoughts and desires to make controlling her a lot more simplistic. Either way, she was fed lies, like she would get the chance to be his lover, or that she would be able to stand by him forever. It was then that I decided that this needed to stop."

"That night, I decided to give that professor a piece of my mind, but he was prepared with a duel spirit of his own, one so evil and nightmarish, it looked as if it came straight out of a horror movie. I fought as bravely as I could, and told him to stop poisoning her mind, but I was beaten very badly. I can still remember his laugh till this day, and the expression on his face, as he prepared to erase me, but suddenly, he changed his mind, and instead, did something much worse; He turned my lovely Fira against me, feeding her lies and exaggerated stories about how I attacked him and tried to harm him, and she bought every word. From that day on, she removed me from her deck, and shunned me at every turn, acting as if I didn't exist, and well, that continued to this day."

"I'm sorry to say this to you after your story, and although I sympathize with you... She tried to kill me. Her loyalty to the cause seemed genuine, and she looked like a person who would kill if asked to do so, but above all, I still can't forget what she did to me that night. The pain, the feeling of helplessness, the trauma that followed. I have a feeling that when that professor's plan comes into play, she'll probably come to finish the job," Alexis stated her mind, holding nothing back. "And even if I were to ignore all of that, how can I help someone that doesn't want to be helped? I mean, if she's doing this of her own free will, then nothing I say or do will change that. You're asking an awful lot from a person you just met."

"True, it might be too late, and yes, I understand that defending her at this point is meaningless, but you have to believe me, you're the only person I can ask for help," pleaded the angel in tears.

"Are you sure about that? Last I checked, there were two guys who've been with spirits all of their lives on the floor above us. I'm sure Jaden in particular would love to help you out," said Alexis, but Harmony Angel simply shook her head.

"While those two are more experienced, the boy known as Jesse would simply be ignored, while I fear that Jaden's help will cause her mental state to deteriorate even further, on top of him being the professor's primary target. Anyone else who could would also fail, but you, it's exactly because she'll come after you that you're the perfect person to help."

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't follow," said Alexis, confused.

"Her obsession with eliminating you, can ultimately be the cause of her defeat. What I mean is that if you beat her in your upcoming duel, which I know will happen soon, we might be able to undo the professor's damage, and I'll be able to get through to her," explained the spirit.

"So, you want to me to beat the person I'm supposed to save in a duel?" asked Alexis.

"Hm, you don't seem convinced, but yes. You see, when the professor sends his knights into battle, she will see you as an obstacle for her 'love', and will either lure you into facing her, or come directly at you. In that case, all you have to do is win, which should weaken the professor's hold on her, allowing me to get through to her." explained the spirit.

"Oh yeah, because that's going to be so simple," said Alexis sarcastically.

"It will, if you're willing to use that special deck of yours."

Alexis widened her eyes and stared at Harmony Angel. "How... How do you know that? The only other people that know of this deck are Chumley, Atticus and Mac, no one else."

"Well, the truth is, I've been shadowing you since after the duel on the bridge. Out of pity, I was going to heal your wounds, but since your friend and his spirit seemed like they would take care of it, I simply and silently watched from afar, so I had a look at it when you were looking through it the day you recovered. I must admit, the emotions and feelings you've poured into this deck are in full display. The spirits in that deck are all so happy and willing to serve you and help you achieve your dreams, kind of how it was with me and Fira in the old days. I'm actually kinda jealous."

Alexis closed her eyes for a bit, then stared at Harmony Angel. "I guess if what you say is true, then I guess a duel is unavoidable at this point. Fine, I'll help you, but not to save your master, but to redeem myself and overcome my trauma. If I beat her... no, when I beat her, you're welcome to do as you please. That's as much help as I'm willing to give right now."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" said the joyful spirit, as she grabbed Alexis's hands and waved them up and down in happiness. "That's all I ask. Beat her, and we can be a family again. This time, my darling Fira, I won't let you down!"

"I'm glad that you're happy about this, but I'm the one going to be dueling her, remember?" asked Alexis with a bitter smile.

"Of course, but I won't let you do this alone, which is why I'm going to be joining you until our objective is complete, as your guardian spirit!" said Harmony Angel while posing.

"What?" asked a confused Alexis.

"Like I said, I'll be joining you. Of course I wouldn't ask you to do something that risky for free, so I'll help you out. Despite my cute appearance, I'm actually pretty handy in a fight, and if you use me with your new deck, you'll definitely be able to win! Oh, but you need to do it without hurting her much, please,"

"You really adore her, don't you?" asked Alexis with a small smile.

Harmony Angel returned the smile with a bright smile of her own. "Of course! She's like my adorable little sister, and you and I are going to rescue her from that madman!"

Alexis sighed. "I just hope I can keep my emotions in check when I duel her."

"Okay, now that we've agreed on our course of action, I think I'll leave you to your dreams. Just make sure you check your deck whenever you can, and remember, I'll be watching," said the spirit with a wink as she began to fade along with the place they were in.

"Wait, I still want to know about...!" Alexis woke up and sat up in an instant. She began to process everything she had heard.

"That seemed so real. Was it real, or perhaps I made all of this up? But how can I tell... Oh right!" she thought, then got up and opened a small backpack hanging near the closet, and took out a golden deck box, then opened it. "Well, everything seems normal. She said to check my deck, but I just can't see...!" She stopped and grabbed a card out of the deck, then put the rest of the deck down, and stared at the card. "Well, it looks like I really had an encounter with a spirit. I just hope I can keep my end of the bargain."

In her hand was a card with the image of the same angel she had met in her dreams, the name 'Harmony Angel' written on top. Little did Alexis know, that this new card would be the difference in her upcoming battle with Fira.

---

Morning came, and Jaden was sitting in the cafeteria, chatting with Syrus and Hasselberry, enjoying a hearty breakfast while discussing the day's activities. The three of them were going to head over to the Slifer red dorm, for a trip down memory lane. While discussing their plans, Jesse walked up to the table.

"Morning guys. You seem to be psyched about today," he said cheerfully.

"Of course! We're heading back to the old hangout for the day. It's gonna be a blast," said Hasselberry excitedly.

"Yeah, and we'll do some nostalgic activities like fishing and stuff," said Syrus.

"Haha, sounds like fun," replied Jesse. "Wish I could join you, but I'm heading out with Axel, Chazz and Aster to the main building. Apparently, the chancellor wants us to give the seniors a workshop on pro dueling."

"Wait, why wasn't I invited then?" asked Syrus.

"Cause you're a nobody. Think man, why would anyone want a second-rate duelist to teach them?" mocked Chazz, who approached the group.

"I'll show you second rate!" declared Syrus as he jumped out of his seat, but was restrained by Jaden and Hasselberry.

"Relax bro, I'm sure that Chazz was just messing around," said Jesse with a bitter smile. "Right Chazz?"

"Sure, whatever floats your boat," shrugged Chazz, then he turned towards Jaden. "Still don't see why you're not coming along."

"Yeah, well I've got other things to do," he said.

"Alright, just make some time later this week. I wanna make this trip worthwhile by finally crushing you, once and for all," declared Chazz with a confident grin.

"Sure, I'm up for a duel. Just don't think that it'll be easy," replied Jaden.

"Hmph, I wouldn't have it any other way," said Chazz, then he turned his attention to Alexis who had just arrived. "And speaking of worthwhile, I'm gonna go get a date for this afternoon. See ya geeks later," he finished, then headed over to her.

"Man, two and a half years, and still an obnoxious prick. Well, most of the time, anyways," said Hasselberry.

"You don't know the half of it," said Syrus, then he sighed.

"Come on, lay off him guys," said Jaden. "He's just expressing his feelings differently. Deep down, I'm sure he really cares and likes all of us."

"Whatever you say, bro," said Syurs. "Anyways, if we're done here, I think we should meet our guide for today and get going."

"Yeah, I'll let you guys get to that, but first, I'd like to borrow Jaden for a few minutes," said Jesse, as he grabbed Jaden's arm, and took him over to a corner of the room.

"So, what's up? Did something happen?" asked Jaden quietly.

"It's about Axel. When I found him last night, he was really banged up and being chased by some of the knight's lackeys. I managed to drive them away, but Axel collapsed right then and there. Luckily, we were close by, so I carried him to my room to rest," explained Jesse with a serious look.

"Is that true?! Come to think of it, I never saw him this morning. Is he gonna be alright? Did you get a doctor or a medic to get a look at him?" asked Jaden frantically.

"Well, I was, but Axel said that he just needed rest, and that his injuries weren't that severe. I didn't believe him at first, but he said that we don't want to generate any unnecessary buzz by bringing in someone, so I handled the first aid procedures myself, and had my little friends help speed up his recovery."

"Oh, thank god," Jaden gave a sigh of relief, then he asked Jesse, "Well, what now? Do they know we're onto them or something?"

"Probably, but that's not my main concern," replied Jesse, who then thought for a second, then spoke. "While the crystal beasts were healing him, then detected something odd."

"Odd? What do you mean?" asked Jaden.

"I don't quite get it myself, but it's like there was someone else inside Axel's brain. A presence that felt like a part of Axel, yet at the same time, wasn't. I can't really explain it right now, but what I can do is keep a close eye on Axel these next few days," said Jesse.

"Wait, you can't be suggesting that..."

"Yeah, I am. I believe that good old Axel might have been compromised, but it's just speculation at this point, and he's been acting pretty much the same, so until I get some concrete evidence, I need you to avoid saying anything crucial or anything that could get leaked. I just hope that my hunch is wrong," said Jesse.

"Alright, my lips are sealed, but are you sure you don't want me helping you guys?" asked Jaden.

"It's alright, Jay," replied Jesse as he put his hand on Jaden's shoulder. "Just focus on teaching and guiding Alexis, your little match with Zane, and having fun. Have a little faith in me, and if it'll help put your mind at ease, I promise to let you know when I find something," he finished, then left the cafeteria.

"I just hope that they didn't hurt him," sighed Jaden. "Just why do these people like getting to my friends to get to me? Do they find it amusing or something?"

"Jaden, I'll be heading over to watch her now," said Yubel telepathically, to which Jaden just gave a soft nod, then he went back to his friends.

---

"Well, here we are! The former Slifer Red dorm, left in the same condition it was since you graduated, Jaden!"

A few hours had passed, and Jaden, along with his pals, had finally reached their destination. The trip would have taken a lot less time, had they traveled by trolley or cart, but they had insisted on walking to enjoy the surprisingly bright weather. Along with Fira who was their appointed student tour guide, they traversed almost half the island on foot, pausing to take selfies and visit nostalgic places briefly along the way. Not stopping for any breaks, yet not feeling any sense of fatigue, they were overjoyed as they walked along the path that led to the dorm. Although there was a sign preventing entry for unauthorized personnel, Fira said not to mind it and they entered into the vicinity of the dorm. That's when the sighs of utter admiration appeared from them.

"I really can't believe it! We're finally back!" Hasselberry shouted in admiration.

"Yup! I'm really glad they decided to leave it as is. Oh, the nostalgia!" Syrus echoed his friend's sentiments and feelings.

"Guys, we gotta go check it out!" said Jaden, then he turned towards Fira, and asked, "You don't mind, right? We're not gonna get into any trouble for going inside?"

"Sure, I have the chancellor's permission. Take your time, and enjoy it. I'll catch up to you after I report in," she confirmed with a wide smile.

"Alright! Let's start with our old room, right Sy?" he asked.

"Sounds like a plan, bro!" Syrus replied energetically.

The three friends raced in at an almost unnatural speed, and were quickly at the door to their old room. Jaden turned the knob, and they stepped inside while lightly shouting, "I'M HOME!" in unison. Inside, they noticed that the room was practically the same as they had left all those years ago; The bunk-beds were still in the same place, as well as their shared desk and appliances, and the furniture was left unchanged.

"Man, I feel like I'm a student again," said Jaden as he jumped into his old bed. Despite not being present in the dorm for a while, the bed sheets felt soft and new, almost as if they had been constantly cleaned and replaced. "Wow, it feels like it did a few years ago, soft and comfy!"

"Yeah, it seems like they're still taking care of this place, even though nobody seems to come here anymore," said Syrus, who climbed into his bunk, with Hasselberry following suit. The three of them let out a huge, relaxed sigh, then closed their eyes and relaxed, recalling all of their memories as high school students.

Fira stepped in a few minutes later. "Well, I made my report to the head, and he said not to..." she began, but stopped when she saw them. "Oh, am I interrupting something? Sorry, I'll let you guys finish up."

"No, it's alright. We were just reminiscing is all,' said Jaden as he got up. "Let's continue the tour."

The group then continued to search their old dorm, room by room, every nook and cranny, until they reached Chazz's old room, which looked like an empty, yet quite luxurious room.

"Remember when moneybags paid for this renovation? Man, he hasn't changed a bit," said Syrus.

"Well, I gotta agree, but at the same time, I think you're a little wrong, Sy," said Jaden. "I mean, while he still relies on money quite a bit, he entered the pro leagues through his own power, without anyone backing him up and without pulling any strings. Plus, even though he's sponsored by his family's company publicly, I hear that he's never accepted a cent from them, and all his earnings from his sponsors go to charity. That's why I think you need to lighten up a bit, and set your personal grudges aside, at least until the next time you two duel."

"Oh, speaking of dueling, I heard a bit of news last night when I got back to my room, something about Seto Kaiba sponsoring a brand new tournament or something. It was a bit confusing, so my brain fried out faster then a raptor chasing it's pray," said Hasselberry, rubbing his head. "I mean, he just talked about the thing briefly, mentioned the prizes, then got out."

"Oh yeah, I saw that too!" said Syrus excitedly. "Bro, you're participating, right? It's our chance to win what could be the biggest tournament of our lives, and who knows, maybe there'll be a new king of games!"

"Haha, that's really wishful thinking, Sy," laughed Jaden, then he smiled intensely. "Of course I'm in! I wouldn't miss that event for the world!"

"So, that makes us all rivals then," Hasselberry pointed that out, then the area grew silent.

"Well, I mean, just because we're competing against each other, doesn't mean..." Jaden began, but both Syrus and Hasselberry suddenly rushed over, each one hugging one of Jaden's legs in comedic fashion, screaming, "BRO!", while tears streaked out of their eyes.

"W-Wha? Guys, what's wrong?" asked Jaden with a confused smile, trying to escape their grip.

"We're really sorry, but in the tournament, we're going to have to beat you to achieve our dreams!"

"So we're apologizing in advance, cause we're not gonna hold back!"

The two of them made their declarations amidst the tears and snot, while Jaden simply closed his eyes and laughed slowly.

"Wow, you really are a group of close friends. I'm kinda jealous," said Fira with a smile, whilst observing the trio.

"Ya think so? Well, we've been together at this academy for all of high school, particularly Syrus, who was my first friends here. We've been through so many adventures, and we've grown together, through thick and thin," said Jaden with a nostalgic face, then he looked at his two 'brothers'. "Listen guys, if we all participate and face each other in that tournament, I want you guys to fight me at full strength with no regrets. Besides, whatever happens between us, you'll always be my best friends."

"BROOOOO!" Jaden was trying to calm them down, but the two of them cried with a bigger intensity then before, and tightened their embrace around his legs.

Jaden simply sighed with a smile, then looked at Fira. "Sorry, do you mind giving us a minute? I'm sure they'll calm down soon, and we can get back to our tour."

"Sure, I'll be waiting outside," said Fira gently, then she left the room.

"I still can't believe that she's the same person who attacked and kidnapped Alexis, even after all of this," he thought. "Even now, her attitude towards me is genuine, and not some weird act that she's being forced into doing. So why... Why does she support a guy like Crowley?"

It took Jaden, Syrus and Hasselberry a whole ten minutes before they finally left Chazz's old room. Next, they visited the old cafeteria, where Jaden spent most of that time lamenting and crying over the lack of fried shrimp, the dorm's signature dish, and his personal favorite. From there, they were supposed to head to their old fishing grounds nearby, but remembered that they had forgotten their fishing rods back at the dorm.

"Welp, looks like one of us is gonna have to go back and grab them," sighed Jaden.

"Please leave it to me, Jaden," said Fira confidently, pushing her chest outwards. "As your guide and volunteer, I won't disappoint you! I'll call a cart and head back there right away!"

"That's alright, Fira. Me and Syrus over here will go ahead and do that instead," said Hasselberry with a smile.

"We will?" asked Syrus, before Hasselberry grabbed him and took him aside. "What was that for?"

"Man, can't you read the situation. You're as dense as a brontosaurus," said Hasselberry.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked a slightly pissed Syrus.

"Didn't you notice what was going on with that girl the whole time while we were walking here?"

"What are you... Oh, you're talking about how she was trying to talk to him most of the time, and the fact that she was staring at him whenever we were conversing or just walking!"

"I actually thing that she's bro's fangirl, so why don't we do her a little favor by leaving them alone for a bit, you know, as a little favor to her for being such a great guide."

"Hm, I think that you have another reason for doing this though, but fine. If she's really bro's fangirl, I guess we could give them some time. Man, our big bro always seems to get the hottest fangirls."

"Oh, come on Sy, don't be jealous. Besides, you've got quite a few fangirls yourself."

The two of them returned to where Jaden was. "Well bro, me and Sy are gonna go grab the fishing rods and stuff, so please just relax here and wait for us," said Hasselberry, who looked at Jaden with a smirk.

"Yeah bro, enjoy your little 'alone' time," added Syrus with a similar smirk.

"Oh, then at least let me call you a cart or trolley. Walking back is going to be a pain, right? Not to mention that you've already lost a good portion of the day," suggested Fira, then without waiting for an answer, picked up her phone and called the main campus.

"Are you sure you two want to go back? I mean, we can all go together if you want," suggested Jaden.

"No, we can handle it bro, honest!" said Hasselberry while waving is hands frantically. "So just stay here, and enjoy the view!"

"Well alright, whatever you say guys," said Jaden, then he frowned. "Well, whatever the case, that gives me a chance to have a private conversation with Fira," he thought, as he recalled Axel's words from a couple of nights ago. "I guess I'll just play along then."

As soon as she got off the phone, Fira said that the cart would be here in 15 minutes, so Syrus and Jaden had a quick mock duel, which ended with a quick, swift victory for Jaden, using Neos to finish Syrus off. The cart arrived soon after, and Syrus and Hasselberry got on, then headed over to the guest house, leaving Fira and Jaden alone near the Slifer dorm.

Silence ensued, before Jaden coughed. "Well, now's the best time to do so," he thought.

"What's wrong, Jaden? Do you have a cold or something? Oh, should I call a nurse or someone?" she asked in a concerned tone, approaching him to check his forehead.

"No, no, I'm perfectly fine," he said, flustered. "More importantly, I really want to talk with you about something."

"Oh my, are you gonna ask me out? Wow, I really don't know what to say," she replied happily.

"No, it's about something else related to... Crowley," he said with a serious expression.

Fira stayed quiet for a second, then sighed. "I wondered what you were going to say, but it turned out to be this. If you're trying to persuade me to leave or abandon the old man's cause, then forget it. Despite my feelings for the old fart, it's thanks to him that I'm still alive today to be able to witness your revival and rebirth, and maybe get some action on the side, if you know what I mean."

"Well, this conversation is going downhill fast," he thought. "Still..."

"Fira, I'm gonna be honest with you; I'm not really good at reading other people's emotions, outside of dueling that is," he said with a serious expression. "What I'm trying to say, is that when we met last time, you said that you were in love with me, and that your actions were trying to prove that love, whether it was the toxin or hurting Alexis, which I still can't really forgive just yet. Like I said, I'm not really good with these types of things, and I'm not that smart, but I do know that love doesn't include trying to harm the innocent and to take over the world, or something along those lines."

"Well, you know what they say: Love makes you do crazy things," she replied. "I'm sorry about those rich bastards in the restaurant. Despite not having anything to do with my mission, I let my personal feelings get in the way, though to be fair, the old man said that I could use whatever methods at my disposal, and he actually recommended this method, saying that it would spur you into action. Of course, I don't regret what happened to that b****, no matter what you might say, or even if you never forgive me for it. She's a lousy, deceitful thief, and she got everything that was coming to her." Those last lines were spewed out in anger.

"Hey, don't call her that. Alexis is my friend, and if you want to be close to me, then you have to stop cursing everybody related to me that you don't like, okay," said Jaden fiercely.

Fira was taken aback, and it seemed like she wanted to retort, but simply sighed. "... I only promise to try, for your sake."

"Well, it's a start," he said with a wry smile, then he returned to his serious face. "I know that you're indebted to him, but he's just using you like a pawn. Believe me, I've met plenty of his type before; Once you've lost or outlived your purpose, he'll gladly get rid of you. He promised that you'll live to see the supreme king's rebirth, but honestly, he's just going to take your soul or kill you when this is over. Can't you see that?"

"You know, you're not the first person to tell me all this," she said with a low tone. "Remember that duel spirit I told you about, well, she used to say the same things... Right until she betrayed me."

"?!" Jaden tensed up at the sudden shift in tone, as she continued.

"We used to be inseparable, me and my spirit. She was like my older sister, my guiding light in the darkness. When the professor finally rescued me though, she began to change. She began asking me to quit, asking me to leave. We stopped talking to each other for a while, and then on one evening, she attacked the old man, telling him that she'll kill both him and you, and so, I locked her away and received a new deck, the same one I used to test you. It's pathetic isn't it; The one person who saved me from my darkness, who nursed me and looked out for me, turned against me like my papa. It cut deep into my heart, and tore me apart, and now, I can never trust anyone but the professor, no matter my feelings for him. I must be the most misfortune girl in the world." As she said those words, tears began streaming down her face slowly.

"I don't know what happened with your spirit, but I understand what it's like to feel betrayed, even if it doesn't show on my face, but that's all the more reason that I don't believe that the you I'm seeing now is the real you. I can tell that deep down, you're just crying, waiting for someone to trust, to pull you back from the darkness that's taken over your heart. Over time, you grew desperate, and in that desperation, you saw a ray of light, someone who's not that different from you; Me. To stay sane, you set a goal for yourself, and that was to be my aide, and possibly, my bride, if you could. Like I said, I''m not good with emotions, but even I can tell that yours are..."

"...Enough," she said in a small, angry voice, interrupting him.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked.

"I SAID ENOUGH! JUST SHUT UP!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Jaden was taken aback by her sudden action, as she approached him with tears in her eyes and a very threatening expression. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME? NOTHING, THAT'S WHAT! I ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU UNDERSTOOD ME, EVEN AFTER THE INCIDENT ON THE BRIDGE, BUT NOW, I SEE THAT YOU'RE JUST AS NAIVE AS THE REST OF THEM. YOU'RE JUST LIKE THEM, THOSE PEOPLE WHO WOULD SPEAK SWEETLY AND GENTLY, ALL THE WHILE MASKING THEIR TRUE FACE AND INTENTIONS. DAMMIT, IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN! AARGHH!"

She began screaming loudly while clutching her head on the grass. With no one else in sight, Jaden was the only person who heard the entire rant. He stood there, puzzled. He knew that he should be rushing to her side, helping her, but his mind was clouded by what just happened. He just wanted to show her the truth, to bring her away from Crowley, but it ended up having the adverse effect. Eventually, his urge to help won over, and he raced over to her.

"Hey, you alright? Should I call the infirmary?" he asked, but she continued to scream, clutching her head even more tightly than before. However, as Jaden was about to reach for his phone, she suddenly stopped and rose up. Jaden was about to say something, but she held out her hand to stop him.

"I'm alright, sorry for making for you worry so much, my lord," she said with a forced smile while staggering slightly. "I got a little carried away and said some things I didn't really mean to say. Please just forget about this conversation, okay."

"But I..."

"You know, I feel a little tired right now. I'm sorry, I think I'll rest a little in one of the rooms here, but don't worry, you guys have fun fishing, and I'll be with you when we complete the last leg of our little tour." Despite being a little wobbly, she bowed after she said that, and headed to the nearest dorm room to lie down, leaving Jaden to his thoughts.

Hasselberry and Syrus arrived in a trolley about a half hour later with all of their fishing supplies, along with some lunch. After checking on Fira, the three of them headed down to their old fishing spot nearby, and had a wild time catching fish, or being dragged into the ocean, reminiscent of the old days, or at least, that was supposed to be the case. Both of Jaden's friends noticed that he was noticeably confused, as he stared hard as if contemplating something, sometimes ignoring their conversations and at other times flashing a small smile when they did converse. They tried to get some info out of him, but he simply smiled and said that he was worried about Fira who had collapsed suddenly, then got up. At that point, Hasselberry decided not to pursue the matter any further, while Syrus was more focused on not falling off the cliff. Eventually, they wrapped up fishing after a couple of hours, noticing how late in the afternoon it was, with a surprisingly bountiful haul.

After deciding to cook and eat their catch with the rest of their friends, they headed back to the Slifer red dorm, where Fira was waiting with a smile on her face, a cart waiting for them just down the road. Normally, they had plans to visit the main building, but seeing that it had gotten a little late, they wrapped up the trip by visiting the Ra yellow dorm, then returned to the guest house just before sunset.

---

Evening came, and Jaden was training Alexis on his own. Jaden had asked the kitchen staff to cook the fish he caught, to which they surprisingly obliged, ans so, he managed to enjoy a variety of seafood dishes with his friends, ranging from grilled mackerel (the majority of what he caught), fried fish, and even his favorite fried shrimp. The rest of the evening went off without any major incidents, other then Blair begging Jaden to let her come to his room to hang out since they hadn't been together for a while, to which Jaden obliged on the condition that they invited some of the others. After a couple of hours of merriment, story-swapping and light duels (as well as Blair's failed seduction attempts), all of the guests left Jaden's room at the exception of Alexis, much to Blair's chagrin, and so, with Jesse unavailable because of the incident with Axel, Jaden was sitting down opposite Alexis, who was in the same position as yesterday, sitting criss-crossed with her eyes closed, as if in a state of zen. After several minutes, she opened her eyes with a disappointed look.

"It's no use," she said dejectedly. "It's just empty. I can't seem to see, hear or feel any spirits at all. And no, you sending winged kuriboh next to me does not count as me sensing spirits."

"Hm, maybe yesterday was a fluke," he muttered, only to notice that Alexis had heard him. "W-Well, it's not lie it's gonna work every time, right? I mean, it does take time for these things. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day!" he said in a flustered manner.

"I'm surprised that you know that analogy given your academic reputation," she sighed, then looked down again. "I was doing pretty well yesterday, so maybe you're right. Maybe that was just a fluke, and I still need a lot of time. Or maybe I'll just never be able to get the hang of it, and I'll go berserk...!"

"I won't let that happen!" Jaden suddenly grabbed her hands and declared. The sudden action startled her while making her blush a little. "I promise you Lex that I will make sure that you can control your abilities and that nothing will happen to you in the process. It's my responsibility and my burden, and honestly, I'm really glad to have someone who can see the sights I can, so please don't give up!"

Alexis was caught off guard for a second, but she shook her head and smiled. "Then I'm counting on you, teacher. Or would you prefer sensei?" she said in a light, teasing tone.

"Please don't embarrass me like that," he complained while rubbing his head, then he smiled. "Plus, who said you haven't made progress? After all, we haven't even gotten to the really fun part yet."

Alexis tilted her head slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's better if you do it yourself," he said, as he stood up then beckoned her to do the same. "Now, I want you to activate your duel disk, but disable the hologram projectors," he instructed.

"What are you...! Oh, I see," Alexis realized the purpose of Jaden's instructions, and did as she was told. "It's the same thing he used to do in our last year when he was fighting darkness," she noted to herself.

"Alright, now pick a monster from your deck, preferably one that you use on a daily basis, or perhaps a special card that's close to your heart, like me and Neos, and try and summon it like you would in duel monsters," he said.

Alexis took a quick look through her deck, then pulled out one of her staples, a simple monster that she used on a frequent basis. "I'll use Cyber Tutu. Is that alright?" she asked.

"Sure, that's a great choice," he replied with a nod. "Now, I want you to focus your spiritual energy and channel it into the card, and once you're ready, summon your monster and if it's successful, well then I guess you'll get to watch the magic happen!"

"Alright, if you say so," she said, then concentrated her focus on the card in her hand. As soon as she started to feel something welling up from inside her, she placed her card on the duel disk, and declared loudly, "I summon Cyber Tutu!"

"Well, she didn't need to say the card's name like in a duel, but whatever, I'll tell her that later," he thought, as he continued observing her.

For a short while, nothing happened. Alexis sighed, while Jaden decided to comfort her, but as she was about to remove the card from her duel disk, it suddenly lit up, and Cyber Tutu began to materialize in front of them. Both of them were shocked and ecstatic at the same time, but their happiness was short-lived, as the spirit quickly vanished, and nothing but silence remained.

"..." Alexis stood in her place, staring at where her spirit had materialized, until Jaden spoke up.

"Wow, that was awesome! I mean, nobody I know of could materialize a spirit with only a couple of days of basic training. You must be a natural at this, so forget minor progress, you've probably cleared the first stage! Great job, Lex!" he said excitedly, his eyes sparkling in admiration.

"You know, if I didn't know you, I'd swear you were making fun of me," she thought with a sigh, then smiled. "If you say so Jay, considering that you are the expert. Still, something feels off."

"What do you mean?"

"I couldn't even attract any spirits at all, nor feel my powers throughout our training sessions, and yet all of a sudden, I made a duel spirit materialize? I'm sorry, but that doesn't make much sense to me," she said while dropping onto the nearby couch. "It's like I made a cake without following the recipe, or without using the right ingredients. It'll probably still taste good, but it feels off."

"Well, if you put it that way, then I guess you have a point," he said. "Still, the facts are obvious. You summoned a spirit, and it materialized, even if only for a short while. I mean, the evidence is there, right?"

"Is it?" Alexis responded, then she got up and headed out the door. "Anyways, I think we're done for the day, right? In that case, I think I'll leave you to your duel preparations. You've got a big game ahead of you in a few days, after all, but I'll be back tomorrow for my next lesson. Say hi to Jesse for me," she added, then left the room before Jaden could respond.

On her way to the elevator, she looked slightly upwards and said, "You were the one who helped make the spirit appear, right? It's the only explanation, considering I'm not skilled enough yet. The question though, is why on Earth would you do such a thing?"

"Oh come on, I didn't really do anything. For the most part, it was you who managed to summon that spirit, though I admit that I might have helped a little," said the angelic spirit that Alexis had encountered just the other day, Harmony Angel. The spirit then smiled warmly. "You know something Alexis, you really underestimate yourself, because you and your powers are so much stronger then you think they are. You were the one who summoned that duel spirit; All I did was simply help guide it a bit, though you still have a ways ago before you can manage a proper summon."

"Fine, let's leave it at that," said Alexis as they got into the elevator. "By the way, I haven't told Jaden about you yet, and for some reason, he hasn't been able to sense you. You'd better have a good reason for making me betray an important promise with him."

"I'm sorry for all of this secrecy, but I need to stay hidden from anyone else, particularly Fira, until the fateful battle. I also don't want Jaden to interfere for similar reasons, for I fear that his involvement would simply rile Fira up, though I have a feeling that it's already happened. I know that it doesn't make much sense right now, but trust me, this is for the best, plus it's only for a few days, then I promise I'll explain everything to Jaden. As for how I'm hiding myself, I think you can answer that question for yourself, right? After all, you have a grasp of my abilities."

"That's a really unsatisfying answer, you know? Whatever, I won't ask any more, but I will say this; I won't help you if you plan to hurt Jaden in any way."

"I told you that I'm not like that! I'm a harmony angel, you know, plus I did promise, right?"

The two of them continued bickering all the way to Alexis's room, puzzling the guards in the security room as to why the blonde girl on the screen was talking to herself.

---

"Well, have you confirmed that our little agent has infiltrated their ranks?"

"I did, but I still don't think that this little sub-plot of yours will work, in fact, I think it's going to backfire."

"Oh? And what makes you say that, love?"

"Why, the faeries told me. Oh, and they also said that if you call me 'love' again, they'll make sure you regret it."

"Wow, ominous. Still, I think this plan will work out great, my dear. Just you wait and see."

---

Part 3

A few days passed and as if on queue, the date of the duel arrived. The days had passed uneventfully, as Jaden and his friends passed the days attending fan events, visiting nostalgic locations, meeting with VIPs, and many other exciting activities during the day. In the evenings, Jaden (and on occasion Jesse) tutored Alexis on the use of her spiritual abilities, which unfortunately, yielded little results. And so, time flew forward until there were only fifteen minutes left before the major game. The dueling field was overcrowded with students, fans, scouts, guests and professors alike, everyone chanting the names of both duelists. Jaden was sitting in a waiting room allocated to him, with Syrus and Hasselberry discussing strategies with him, or at least they tried to, as Jaden wasn't focused on their conversation at all. He was trying to calm his excited heart and focus on the duel at hand, knowing that his opponent was doing the same.

"Jay, you listening? I'm trying to give you a few tips to win here. After all, my brother made some pretty big changes to his deck since your last duel, and I'm not talking about the deck he had, before he gave it to me," said Syrus.

"Oh, what was that? Sorry Sy, I didn't hear ya," said Jaden with a sheepish smile.

"You need to focus a little more, bro. After all, everyone's gonna be watching you, and you don't want to embarrass yourself."

"Don't worry about it, Syrus. Just relax, cause win or lose, I know that this duel's gonna be epic!" Jaden then rose out of his chair and stretched a little. "By the way Sy, do you know anything about this new ace of his?"

"Sorry bro, but he swore me to secrecy. He's been pretty strict about that, so I can't say a word," said Syrus dejectedly.

'Well, it doesn't really matter. All you gotta do is go out there and win, right bro?" asked Hasselberry excitedly.

"Yup, couldn't have said it better myself. I just have to go out there and win!"

"As expected of you bro, excited even in the face of a great challenge. Well then, me and Hasselberry will head back to the stands now. Oh, and don't worry, I'll be cheering for you, bro, even though I really want Zane to win at the same time."

"Seriously, make up your mind, Syrus. Well, like he said, we'll see you out there. I'll be cheering for you as loudly as I can, hopefully as loud as a T-Rex's roar!" Hasselberry and Syrus both waved and left the room soon after, as Jaden sat down.

"Jokes aside, it truly will be my first duel with Zane in a long while. I've probably said this a lot, but I can't wait to see how much he's improved, especially that new ace of his!" he thought.

"Well, I was not present when you first dueled him, but from your memories and my previous encounter with him, I could tell that he is a tough and ruthless duelist. I know I don't say this often, but please be on your guard," said Yubel, appearing next to him.

"Oh come on, you should lighten up a little bit, Yubel. It's just a friendly duel, and win or lose, it'll be a blast," he replied, then frowned. "Well, assuming nothing unexpected happens. So, did you notice anything suspicious?"

"Not really. It seems that they've gone silent these past few days, and if they're going to do anything, it'll probably happen during or after the duel. By the way, I checked the aura of your friend Axel like you asked, and it seems like Crowley might have done something to him. There's a thick, prismatic aura around him, shining like the colors of a rainbow. In any case, he hasn't done anything suspicious, and even continued surveillance as normal, plus Jesse was with him, so it should be fine... I hope."

"Well alright, I'll keep that in mind, but for now, let's go enjoy this duel!" he declared, them stood up and headed to the field.

---

Inside a room on the opposing side of the dueling field, Zane Truesdale simply sat in silence, even after his fellow friends like Atticus and Aster passed by to have a small chat with him. He simply sat down in silence, only replying when needed, as he tried to enter that same mindset he had before his first duel with Jaden a few years ago.

"A lot has changed since then. I entered the pro leagues, experienced both the joy of victory and the pain of defeat, and sunk to the bottom of despair as a result, before choosing to follow a darker, more ruthless path, one that nearly cost me my life on more then one occasion. I became a duelist who was void of emotion, except for the thrill of combat, and honestly, a part of me still is. Regardless, I recovered as quickly as my body would allow, and finally, after nurturing my brother and watching from the sidelines, I finally get a chance to duel again, against the ideal opponent," he thought, then stood up and opened his eyes. "And let my victory today become a stepping stone for my glorious return to the top of the dueling world! I hope you're prepared as I am Jaden, because I will crush you with everything I have!" With that, he picked up his duel disk, and made his way to the field.

---

In the VIP seats sectioned in one of the top corners in the field, Alexis and her friends were seated, awaiting the start of the duel in anticipation, trying to decide who will emerge victorious.

"Sorry we're late, guys," said Syrus as he and Hasselberry got into their seats. "Just finished our preparations with Jaden, and it seems he's ready to go."

"I still don't understand why you didn't take me with you," said Blair, who was apparently sulking the whole time.

'We told you Blair, that Jaden specifically asked us not to let you near his dressing room, especially after that incident in the hot spring a couple of days ago. He's still feeling pretty... bitter about it," said Hasselberry with a sigh.

"I told you that it was an accident. I didn't know that somebody mixed up the signs!"

"Didn't stop you from going in when you saw him, did it? Plus, I distinctly remember him saying an hour afterwords that you got a little too close for comfort," said Syrus with a wry smile.

"It can't be helped. I mean, a girl always wants to be close to her loved one, no matter the time or place," she said, puffing up her chest, then she turned to the girls behind her and asked, "Am I right, girls?"

"Well, I mean technically speaking, yes, but I don't think that heading into a bath or hot spring or Jacuzzi with a guy you're not intimately dating or married to, is a situation that counts as one of those, as you put it, it can't be helped moments," said Jasmine with a bashful smile, who was next to Alexis.

"Yeah, that's best saved for when you're actually dating him or something. Not that I see that happening now," said Mindy with a wry smile.

"Shameless..." Alexis simply said, gazing at the arena, while Mac simply gave an embarrassed laugh, causing Blair to puff up her cheeks.

"Come on girls, what happened to our tight bonds of friendship? Shouldn't you have my back here? As long as there's love, nothing's too embarrassing or shameful!"

Everyone laughed wryly at the sight before them, except for Hasselberry who simply sighed internally.

"Well, you certainly seem quiet. Honestly, I expected you to freak out, even a little," said Mac teasingly to Alexis.

"Oh, I've already dealt with it accordingly, don't you worry about that," Alexis simply replied, though one could tell her words had a hidden intensity to them.

"A-Alright then," said Mac. "By the way, Syrus, I thought you would be helping your brother instead. I mean, you are supporting your elder brother in this, like Atty is, right?"

"Well, I'm not really sure. I mean, I want my brother's first duel in a while to be a spectacle, and while I would rather he won, I also don't want Jaden to lose, so I'm kind of conflicted right now," said Syrus while rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll reach a decision by the time the duel starts,"

"Yeah, or start pissing yourself while trying," snickered Chazz.

"Alright, that's enough everyone. Let's just enjoy a wonderful outing," said Atticus cheerfully. "Plus, you don't have to worry so much, Sy. Aster and I just checked on Zane, and he's actually pumped up for this duel, in his own special way."

"I'm honestly amazed that you could deduce that much, especially after he kicked us out after thirty seconds," said Aster, causing Atticus to sigh.

"Well, let's just take our seats and enjoy the show, alright." suggested Hasselberry as he took his seat next to Blair. "By the way, where are Jesse and Axel? Thought they would've been here by now?"

"Oh, I'm sure they'll be here. They said they just had an errand to run for the chancellor," replied Alexis.

---

"So, we've been watching Crowley for the past few days, and he really hasn't done anything. I mean, I want to believe it, but..." said Jesse. He and Axel were standing close to one of the corners of the arena, directly facing the seats where Crowley and his students were seated.

"Just don't lower your guard, alright. By my estimate, he should be planning to make his move during or after the game," said Axel, looking through a pair of high-tech googles.

"Don't worry, I'm ready for anything," said Jesse happily, before turning serious. "Hey Axel, I know that I've asked this several times already but... Are you alright? You sure that you're up to taking this guy out?"

"And I'm giving you the same answer. Never been better."

"It's just that you seem a bit off these past few days. I mean, you've always been serious and brooding, but it's like you're a lot less emotional then usual, almost like some sort of soulless freak or a machine. I know that I shouldn't be 'that' guy, but Jaden and I are worried about you and..."

"Don't worry, I'm fine," said Axel in a much higher tone then usual, surprising Jesse. Axel sighed while closing his eyes, then said, "Look, I'm sorry about all of this. I've been under a lot of stress because of this whole issue, and I haven't managed to enjoy any time off, while you and Jaden had bucket-loads of fun. You knw, I get pent-up too sometimes, and even I wanna let loose on occasion, alright." He looked up at Jesse to see his expression change into a sympathetic one. "Huh, what's wrong with you?"

"Wow, I never knew that side of you, Axel. I mean, you never really told us any of this, so it's kind of surprising to hear this from you," said Jesse, then he smiled and put his hand over Axel's shoulder. "Alright man, let's just get through this next couple of days, then we can have a little Christmas vacation, just the two of us, an dhey, maybe Jaden can tag along if he's free!"

"Actually, that sounds great," said Axel with a small smile, then he went back to scanning the arena. "Or a recipe for disaster."

"Haha, well I guess it could be. Oh look, it looks like the duel's about to start!"

---

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to one of the biggest spectacles of your life!" A glamorous announcer appeared from the side of the arena, apparently waiting for the time of the duel to appear. He was dressed in a white tux and sported a 1970's disco hairstyle.

"Before I call on our competitors for today's match, just let me know one thing. Are you ready?!"

"YES!" The crowd roared at his question.

"I can't hear you!"

"YESSSSS!" The crowd roared even louder.

"Excellent! Now then, let's introduce our two competitors!" The announcer passionately declared. "Our first duelist is a man of few words, but he makes up for that with incredible skill. He was once one of the finest graduates this academy ever produced, and even made it into the pro leagues despite his young age. After a career that was cut short due to illness, he became his younger brother's coach and manager for the past couple of years, but his fiery passion for dueling was never extinguished, and after all this time, he's finally healthy enough to return to the dueling stage. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Cyber Dragon master himself, Zane Truesdale!"

At the announcer's words, a large volume of smoke erupted from under the west entrance, and after several seconds Zane emerged, drawing a huge positive reaction from the crowd, and even causing a large number of them, Atticus included, to stand up. Despite the boisterous environment he walked into, Zane maintained his cool and collected composure, as he made his way to the podium, and after arriving at his designated spot, he stood in silence with his eyes closed, amidst the ongoing wave of cheers and praise.

"Wow, what a competitor, am I right?" the announcer asked the crowd passionately, netting a powerful cheer from the crowd. "And now, on to our second duelist for tonight's duel. He's an outspoken young man who has completely changed the way we view dueling. A true zero-to-hero story, this fearless competitor rose from the ranks of the once belittled Slifer red, to reach the pinnacle of duel academy, where he reigned as top dog until his graduation. He disappeared for a couple of years, and no one's heard from him until today, but now he's back, and ready to finish what he couldn't do all those years ago. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the one and only, Jaden Yuki!"

Just like with Zane, a large volume of spoke erupted, this time from the east entrance, as Jaden emerged, drawing an equally exhilarating reaction from the crowd. In response, Jaden began to wave to the crowd as he made his way to the podium, making sure to wave extra hard when he noticed his friends. Like Zane, he stood at his spot once he arrived, a wide, confident smile on his face. Zane opened his eyes and, to the surprise of almost everybody in the arena, smiled back, though more intensely.

"Alright everybody, settle down," said the announcer, who moved to the center of the podium. "Gentlemen, let's have a clean game, and may fortune favor the winner today. Alright, before we begin, do either of you want to say something to the other?"

"Well Zane, I just wanna say that I'm really grateful to be able to take you on today. I look forward to seeing how awesome you're deck has become," said Jaden.

"Likewise, I look forward to seeing how much you've improved. I could ask for no better opponent for my comeback duel, and I look forward to ending what I started all those years ago," said Zane.

The two of them exchanged sharp glances, while the announcer nodded and said, "Gentlemen, please activate your duel disks.", prompting both duelists to do as instructed. "It looks like we're ready, everyone! Alright, on your marks... Get set... DUEL!" he declared passionately, as he raced off the podium, his voice signaling the beginning of the duel.

(Jaden LP: 4000; Zane LP: 4000)

"I'll start us off!" declared Jaden, as he took a good look at his cards in hand, then suddenly cringed. "Wow, this hand's pretty bad. I've only got one monster, and four spells that I'd rather not use right now. Oh well, could be worse," he sighed in his mind.

"I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart in attack mode! (ATK: 1500), and I think I'll call it a turn," he said, as he glanced at Zane.

Zane gave a slight look of disbelief, before returning to his usual stoic self. "Alright, I draw."

He looked at his hand for a moment, then proceeded with his turn. "I play the pot of greed spell card, and draw two cards. Next I activate a spell you're pretty familiar with, Future Fusion," he declared. "I reveal Cyber End Dragon from my extra deck, and send my three cyber dragons from my deck to the grave, with the condition that in two turns, I'll be able to summon Cyber End. Lastly, I summon Cyber Dragon Core to the field (ATK:400), and activate it's effect."

"Wait, Cyber Dragon Core? I've never heard of that unit," said Hasselberry in the stands.

"Surprised, are you?" asked Syrus proudly. "Like I said, my brother's made some improvements since last time, and thanks to the latest expansion to the game, the Cyber Dragons got some pretty big upgrades. Core is just a drop in the ocean compared to what else Zane's got in store!"

"Wait, so you're cheering for Zane after all," said Alexis.

Syrus jumped slightly at her words. "W-Well, I mean... I can cheer for both, right?" he stuttered bashfully, causing the others to give a wry smile.

"Core allows me to add a Cyber spell or trap card to my hand the turn it was normal summoned, and I choose the spell card, Cyber Repair Plant," declared Zane.

"Oh, and what's it do?" asked Jaden curiously.

"You'll find out soon enough. Next I activate the Machine Duplication spell card, allowing me to special summon two more Cores in defense mode (DEF: 1500), seeing as Core's attack is below 500 points. With that, I end my turn."

"Alright, I draw!" Jaden frowned at the sight of the card he drew. "Damn, I got another monster that won't help me with my combos. Oh well, at least I'll be able to deal damage to him," he thought, then declared, "I summon Elemental HERO Sparkman in attack mode (ATK: 1600), and then, use him to attack your left-side core!"

A stream of thunder struck Zane's monster, which disappeared as a result.

"Then, Wildheart attacks your core that's in attack mode!"

(Zane: 4000 - 2900 LP)

"Well, I think you've had enough punishment from me, so I'll end my turn," Jaden made a bold, provocative statement, yet Zane remained unfazed, in fact, he suddenly opened his eyes, his expression full of disbelief and pity.

"Is that all you've got, Jaden? I'm gonna be honest with you; I'm very disappointed," said Zane, his words confusing Jaden. "I came here to play against a rival worthy of my talents, someone who can push me to my limits, and yet, it feels like I'm playing an old dog, who keeps using the same old tricks every time. I'm starting to wonder if you're even worth using my new monster on. Maybe you're just having an off-game, but still," he muttered.

"I'm sorry Zane, couldn't catch all of that. What'd ya say?" asked Jaden.

Zane sighed, then responded, "Nothing. I think you're turn is over, so I'll go ahead and start. I draw, then play a face down card and end my turn." The crowd was silent after Zane's turn, then the chatter started.

"Wait, what's he doing?" "Is he leaving his life points open to an assault? That core can't stop Jaden by itself?" "But doesn't mean that he's going to lose?" "No, he's just luring him in with that face-down card. He's still got that fusion monster coming out next turn, right?" Those were among the many topics discussed by the spectators as Jaden drew his next card signaling the start of the next turn.

"If Zane survives this turn, then Cyber End Dragon will come out, and it's lights out, so I hope this draw was worth it," he thought, as he looked at the card he drew, and opened his eyes in surprise. "Burstinatrix? But she's not going to be that helpful. Unless... Oh right, forgot that was in my hand."

"Alright Zane, if you've got nothing else, then it's game over for you. I summon elemental HERO Burstinatrix in attack mode (ATK: 1200), and play the spell card, H-Heated Heart, giving 500 attack points and the piercing battle damage effect to Wildheart!"

The crowd roared, both in anticipation and dissatisfaction, as Jaden launched his attack.

"Go Wildheart, cleave that core of his in half!" he declared, as Wildheart grabbed his sword and swung it down on the core, destroying it.

(Zane LP: 2900 - 2400)

"Now, it's time for Sparkman to..."

"Are you sure about that?" Jaden instinctively stopped after hearing Zane's voice. Once the smoke from the attack cleared, Jaden's eyes opened widely, as he saw one of Zane's Cyber Dragons (ATK: 2100) right accross of him.

"But how..." he began, then noticed an active trap card right behind Cyber Dragon.

"Call of the haunted, one of the oldest traps in the book. In fact, I don't even know why I bothered to stop you. I think I should have just left your Sparkman for dead, but no matter, I'll deal with that on my next turn," said Zane. "Now, do you wish to continue to attack, or do you end your turn?"

"Grr, fine, then I end my turn," said Jaden. "Damn it, thought I had him. Now, he's gonna summon his Cyber End Dragon. Hopefully, I should still have some life points after his turn, then I can launch my counterattack."

"You're thinking that you can survive the turn, right?" Jaden felt a chill at Zane's question. "It's obvious by looking at that expression on your face. It's really interesting that you think that, but..." Zane paused for a second, then stared intensely at him and declared. "This is your final turn!"

At his declaration, the crowd erupted into a cheer of astonishment. Jaden's friends meanwhile, were split as to what was happening in that duel.

"Man, Zane is holding nothing back. Even that declaration was fierce, and it's got me pretty fired up," said Atticus excitedly.

"Yeah, Zane's probably gonna win, but I'm more confused about bro. I mean, no disrespect, but don't you feel that his play's been, well, sloppy, or something like that," said a concerned Hasselberry.

"Sloppy's too kind a word. Horrendous is a lot more accurate," said Chazz. "This is probably the first time I've seen him play this bad."

"You're all overreacting. I think he's just been unlucky with his draws. It happens to all of us, right?" said Alexis.

"Yeah, but even so, it's like he hasn't even tried to make a proper move or defend himself. I know he's not the type to look down on his opponent, yet I get the feeling that he's a little overconfident, at least until the end of his most recent turn," commented Mac.

"You're all missing the point. Right now, I think you should you be a lot less focused on Jaden, and a lot more focused on Zane's declaration. Zane's confident, but to declare the end of the duel on his turn, well, for a comeback duel, he's really making a statement, and as for Jaden, well, let's just hope that these missed opportunities doesn't come back to bite him in the ass, right?" explained Aster, as they all turned their attention back towards the duel.

"My turn, and I draw," said Zane, while Jaden gulped, knowing what was coming next. "Future Fusions's effect activates, and I bring out my Cyber End Dragon!" In a large mix of bright lights, one of Zane's iconic ace monsters appeared on the field, a giant three-headed, mechanized dragon.

"Wow..." Jaden stared in awe at the monster he had seen several times before, then he smiled. "It never gets old, does it?"

The rest of the audience cheered at the appearance of the dragon, pumped for what was to come.

"It's nice to see you enjoying yourself Jaden," said Zane as he gave a sharp look at him. "Because I'm not. I really wanted to enjoy today, but unfortunately, it seems like I couldn't."

"Really, cause I'm enjoying myself plenty, Zane," said Jaden happily.

Zane sighed. "Well, let's finish this, shall we?" he declared, then said, "You must be very confident that you can survive the turn. Well, if it's only those two, then definitely, I think you'll make it, but..." he paused, then gave a dark smile. "What if I bring out something else!"

Jaden readied himself at Zane's declaration, while the rest of the audience was stunned. Of the group of friends, only Syrus was smiling at the declaration, while the rest were waiting in anticipation for his next move.

"Here we go, Jaden," said Zane. "Oh, before I go any further, I'm going to make another bold declaration to you; I'm only going to use one monster to attack you this turn."

"Oh, and how are you going to do that?"

"You'll see. First, I play a spell card called Cybernetic Fusion Support. This is a little newbie in my deck that costs me half my life points to use."

(Zane: 2400 - 1200)

"That's a pretty hefty cost," said Jaden.

"Oh, but it's worth it. You see, for the rest of the turn, I get to fusion summon any machine type monster by banishing materials from my hand, field and of course, from my graveyard. Meaning that I'm not really restricted to one place anymore! Next, I play a spell you're familiar with from the good old days, Power Bond."

"Wait, that card can only summon a machine type, which means..."

"Exactly, the monster I'm about to summon is a chimeratech monster!" declared Zane loudly. "Now, I banish my other two Cyber Dragons in my graveyard, to bring out my brand new mechanical monstrosity! Arise, Chimeratech Rampage Dragon!"

At Zane's declaration, a large reddish-black object which looked like a core surfaced, then out of it came two Cyber Dragons with different heads, a monster truly worth the Chimeratech name (ATK: 2100).

The audience was silent at the revelation of a new Cyber Dragon. Some were excited, others were fearful. The peanut gallery, except Syrus, were staring in admiration and awe. Jaden was feeling a little bit of everything as he prepared to face this new monster himself.

Then as if on queue, Zane continued his turn, grabbing everyone's attention back to the duel. "This monster requires at least two Cyber Dragons to summon it, and I could have used more, but I felt that two was enough to deal with you. Next, I play Cyber Repair Plant, which activates since I have a Cyber Dragon in my graveyard."

"But you banished yours..."

"An obvious guess, at first glance, but you see, my cores have a little extra ability while they're in the graveyard; They count as Cyber Dragons, and you my unaware friend, destroyed three of them during your turns." He smiled at Jaden's regretful expression, and continued. "Well, technically I can choose one of two abilities, but since I have three Cyber Dragons in there, I can activate both, though I only need one of them. Using the first ability, I add a Light machine type to my hand from the deck, and I choose Cyber Dragon Zwei. Next, I activate the card's second ability and shuffle one of my cores back in to my deck."

"Wait, why would you do that? That doesn't really help you here," said Jaden.

"Well, it's a little reveal for my future competitors up there. Alas, if you were a more worthy adversary, I would've told you my other reasoning."

"Oh, I see... Wait, what did you..."

"Normally, I would stop here, but you see, my Fusion Support is still active, and it just so happens that I have another power bond in my hand, and I use it by banishing the cores in my graveyard to summon another Rampage Dragon (ATK: 2100)!"

Another monster similar to the first appeared on the field, though Jaden was more confused then scared. "You used two power bonds, but that means that you'll lose your life points if your turn ends."

"I'm well aware, but like I said Jaden, this is your final turn. Oh, and don't forget that power bond also doubles my monster's attack, so both dragons are now at twice their original power (ATK: 2100 - 4200)!"

Up in one of the corners of the stands, Jesse and Axel were following the duel intensely. "Wow, that new monster of his looks fierce, and he hasn't even activated its skill yet. But isn't that overkill? I mean, three monsters over 4000 attack points, to me, that's just excessive," commented Jesse.

"It is, but you can also see it as a show of power, or a respect of power to a worthy opponent, but I guess the latter's off the table, given how both of them are acting," said Axel.

"Are you saying that Zane doesn't respect Jaden as an opponent?"

"I never said that, but from his actions, I'm just saying that it might be the case," said Axel, as he peered through his binoculars again. "Now that we've cleared that discussion, we should get back to...!"

"What's wrong?"

"Damn it, Crowley's gone!" replied Axel, as he got out his communicator. "Chancellor, do you copy? Crowley has left the building with his knights! I repeat, Crowley is on the move! Are you there?"

After a short silence, Axel picked up his binoculars and looked at the area where the chancellor was seated, and found no sign of him... or his guards. "So the chancellor knew about this and set off before us. That's great, and yet why isn't he picking up?"

"Calm down, Axel. For now, let's go look for Crowley and hopefully, we'll spot the professor along the way. Though I kinda wanted to finish watching this duel," said Jesse.

"You're right, let's get going. The duel's over anyways, and anyone with a half a brain would probably get up and leave at this point," said Axel sternly.

"Hey, you don't have to put it that way. Jaden did his best, but Zane's new cards are better. Still, we've got more important things to do."

Back in the stands, Jaden's friends were in awe at Zane's new cards and tactics, and were geting ready for the ending.

"Gotta hand it to Zane, he's gotten a lot better since last we met. Hell, he's probably stronger then he was before he went on his little emo phase," said Atticus excitedly.

"No kidding. I can't wait for the chance to battle him in the league next season," said Chazz with a similar excitement. "As for Jaden..."

"Yeah, that was a pretty bad game for him. Still, you win some, you lose some. I just hope he doesn't feel too bitter about it," said Alexis. "Then again, its Jaden we're talking about."

"That's right. I think bro's gonna say something like 'great game' or 'I'll win next time' like he usually does. Being optimistic was always one of his positive traits," smiled Hasselberry, while Syrus nodded.

"Ha, you would say that about him. Personally, I just think I'm going to be staying out of Zane's way for now, least until I've done a proper study," said Aster in a calculative manner, before turning his attention to Sartorius who was next to him. "Hm, what's wrong? You're shaking a little and you seem kinda spooked. What's wrong?"

Sartorius responded to Aster's question by looking him dead in the eye. "Aster, do you remember what I told you on the way here? About the premonition I had?"

"Yeah, the one about the shadow cast around the island. What about it?"

"Well, since we got here, I haven't seen it again, but during this duel, I suddenly got a feeling that this shadow has started to move, and that it has started to engulf the island with it's darkness. I fear our shadow is about to finalize his plan and put into motion. I just hope that we are not late."

Aster narrowed his eyes a little. "Sartorius, I think we should let everyone know about your premonition. If its coming to pass, then I don't think we should keep it bottled up any longer." After getting a nod from Sartorius, he turned around and faced the others. "Guys, I think you need to hear what Sartorius has to say..." he began, as the others turned their attention to him.

Back in the duel, Zane was preparing to finish off Jaden.

"So, which monster are you going to use to beat me with?" asked Jaden with a fierce smile.

"I activate my first Rampage Dragon's effect," declared Zane. "I select up to two light machine-type monsters from my deck and send them to the graveyard. Let's see, I drop two copies of Cyber Dragon Drei, another monster you've never seen before, and with that Jaden, the duel ends, because my rampage dragon gains an extra attack for every monster I sent to the graveyard!"

"Oh boy. How do I get out of this mess?"

"Now then, let's begin. Rampage Dragon will attack your Sparkman!" At Zane's declaration, one of the heads opened it's mouth and fired a powerful, concentrated beam at Sparkman, wiping it out.

(Jaden: 4000 - 1400)

"AARGH!" Jaden shouted as he withstood the impact of the blast. Everyone in the stands felt the impact as well. "Damn, well it looks like this is it."

"Now, for the finale!" declared Zane. "Rampage, attack again. This time your target is...!"

All of a sudden, the power suddenly shut down in the field, and the place went completely dark. Everyone in the stands were suddenly confused, and some began to panic, while others were trying to find whatever sources of light they could, whether from phones, tablets or otherwise.

On the field, there was one person who knew what was going on, and he sighed, then frowned. "Guess Crowley's finally made his move. I just hope I have enough strength to defeat him, cause after this duel, I have a lot more questions then answers," he said, then sighed again.