I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or anything created by Kazuki Takahashi. This work of fiction is just for fun.
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Mental talk with Duel Spirits"
"Announcements/ messages"
. . . - flashbacks/ what if's?
Author's Note: Hey, guys! Soo, recently there's been a rumor going around that fanfiction . Net is shutting down. I have been asked if it's true, and I have no idea. From what I've seen it's just a rumor.
BUT I'll be playing it safe, I made an Ao3 account with the same name as I have here. There's nothing there currently. So, the plan is to continue till the end of this story here before I start posting there.
And no, I won't be abandoning things here, I'll just be posting on both platforms.
ToMyMaster: Yeah, you asked about Goka's effect a while back. Just remember there's a handful of HERO fusions with changed effects. As for the Belowsky and Chazz episodes... They are unnecessary to me, Chazz's journey at North is exactly the same, while Belowsky I just don't like him or the episode in general.
Anyways, enjoy the read!
It had been a week after the School Duel where one of Jaden's biggest secrets was revealed. And just as he had predicted it… Jaden couldn't say "no" enough times to his fellow classmates for them to get the hint to leave him alone.
"Come on, man, it's just one duel!"
"Nah, he's gonna duel me first!"
"Pfff, like he'd wanna duel scrubs like you two!"
Jaden let out an audible sigh. They weren't even trying to listen to him anymore. All he wanted was to get to his dorm and relax. But, sadly, a group of people approached him, all wanting to duel him. And now they were arguing amongst each other about who's going to duel him first… even though he hadn't even agreed to duel anyone in the first place…
Although… now would be a perfect chance to slip away undetected.
"Alright, boys, move along," he heard Erina on the other side of the group. She managed to push past them all and grab Jaden by the arm, pulling him along. "He's dueling me and only me today, so you'll have to wait for another time." She brushed them off as they went down the path towards the Slifer Dorm, leaving a disappointed group of students behind.
Jaden breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you!" He gave her a quick hug. "They just can't take no for an answer!"
Erina couldn't help but giggle. "No problem. At least these guys only wanted a duel out of you." She frowned slightly. "Unlike those idiots yesterday. Trying to act all chummy now as if they didn't make fun of you before…" she grumbled, causing Jaden to smile.
"Well, I hope I can rely on your trademark sass again in the future to help me." He mused.
"Of course," the bluenette smiled. "And if you want to get rid of any girl that tries to flirt with you now, you can call upon the 'Rhodes death glare' as well." She laughed and Jaden joined her.
Jaden heard his PDA go off. Picking it up and seeing he got a message from Syrus.
"Hey, Jay, me and Chumley are gonna snack down on a tub of ice cream with chili sauce. Wanna join?"
He suppressed the urge to gag at the ungodly combination of foods he just read. "Man, these two have the weirdest taste buds on the planet!" He groaned followed by a laugh.
"Who?"
"Syrus and Chumley," he said, "they're gonna try another weird food combo. This time it's ice cream with chili sauce." He laughed when he saw the grossed out look she got. "I know, right? And after last time when Chumley forced me to try grilled cheese with anchovies, I wanna avoid these kinds of get-togethers for a bit."
"Oh, god! I don't wanna know what that tastes like!" Erina shook her head. "But… looks like I gotta save you once again today." She smiled at him. "Wanna hang out till they're done?"
"Yes, please," he nodded rapidly, causing the bluenette to giggle.
"Alright, we're goin' explorin'!" She pumped her fist. "And we begin with heading in… that direction!" She pointed to the forest on the side, pulling him along with her.
"Ugh… this is the last time I mix ice cream with chili sauce…"
Syrus climbed down the ladder of his bunk bed later that night, his stomach tearing itself apart due to the combination of food he'd consumed. "Jaden was lucky to skip out…"
He walked out of his dorm room and went down the stairs, heading to a door he thought was the bathroom in his sleepy stupor. He twisted the doorknob and opened the door. All he could see was the glowing light coming from the desk at the far side of the room.
"Whoops," Syrus rubbed his sleepy eyes, "this isn't the bathroom." He was about to leave when he heard a sound coming from the desk. He rubbed his eyes again, seeing that it was Banner who sat in front of a computer monitor, his back facing the open door.
"You are not here to ask why, you are here to obey."
Banner shifted a little in his seat. "But, Jaden is one of our best students, he could be buried alive!" He protested to the strange, synthesized voice.
Syrus blinked. "Buried?" He whispered. What was Banner talking about?
"If the tomb shall be the end of Jaden Yuki-Muto, then so be it. His true potential must be tested!"
'Tested? In a tomb? Where he could be buried alive?! Something's telling me this isn't midterms...' Syrus thought as he silently closed the door and ran up the stairs back to his room, no longer needing the bathroom after hearing all of that.
The next morning, the gang were all attending Banner's alchemy class.
Well, attending would be a strong word for some. Jaden was sleeping soundly, Syrus was having trouble concentrating due to what he heard last night, and Erina was staring off into the distance, watching in amusement as Felgrand closely inspected Banner's alchemy tools. Safe to say, only Alexis was paying any attention.
"So you see, children, we can learn a great deal from alchemy that applies to dueling." The professor went on, picking up two vials filled with different colored liquids in them.
"Just as we fuse two monsters to create a more powerful one, we can mix two compounds to create something equally impressive." He poured one of the liquids into the large vial and shook it gently. "As you can see it's rather-" the liquid began to bubble and sizzle suddenly.
Jaden had begun to slowly wake up, when he heard someone shout "Duck!" and Erina dragged him under the desk as a loud explosion was heard.
"Well… thanks for that." He laughed sheepishly, causing the bluenette to shake her head.
"That's three times in two days I saved you. You owe me now." She grinned
They all emerged from under their desks to see Banner sway side to side with his face smudged from the black smoke cloud that was dissipating. "And… it could be equally devastating as well." He coughed before falling on his rear.
He quickly brushed himself off and rose to his feet. "Ah, I almost forgot! I'm …uh… planning a small field trip!" He said, pulling out a stack of papers from under the desk.
"A field trip?" Jaden perked up. "Sweet! Where're we going, Professor?"
Banner smiled at his excitement. "We're going on a ten mile hiking trip to the excavated ruins, where we'll be taking geologic core samples!"
"Ruins?" Erina muttered. "We've explored most of the island, and we never came across any ruins…" she frowned. Where is this place? On the other side of the volcano or something?
"It's this Saturday at 7:00 AM, so don't be late." He smiled as the bell rang, dismissing the class.
Jaden, being the closest to the stairs, went up to wait for the others by the entrance when a group of girls approached him.
"Hey, Jaden, wanna join us for lunch?"
One of the girls in yellow said, inching a little too close for comfort.
"No, I'm good…" He awkwardly took a step back.
"Eh? Why not?"
'God, does no one understand the meaning of the word "no" here?!' He groaned inwardly.
And just like yesterday, someone came to his rescue. This time it was Alexis, who hugged his arm rather possessively as she beamed him a smile. "Jaden! We're gonna have lunch at the card shack today, right?" She asked, side-eyeing the girls, who took the hint and backed off.
'Damn, that look can really send a shiver down your spine.' Jaden mused as gave her a peck on the lips, ignoring where his arm was comfortably snuggled between. "Thanks. I've really started to depend on you guys to save me from these people…"
"Well, you're welcome." She smiled, a tinge of pink on her cheeks. "And I don't mind coming to your rescue…. They're gonna learn sooner or later that you're off limits…" she mumbled, letting go of his arm and intertwining her fingers with his.
"Told you she can kill people with a look." They heard Erina giggle as she and Syrus joined them.
"So… is anyone else still wondering why we have alchemy?" Syrus asked the gang as they went down the hallway.
"Same." The bluenette nodded. "I thought that here, in a dueling school, I can finally escape chemistry, but no, we have duel alchemy!"
"Yeah, and given how often stuff blows up in Banner's face you'd think alchemy is cursed or something…" Jaden chuckled.
"Well, if Banner's stories are at least partly true, then it is cursed." Alexis laughed, and so did the others at their professor's comedic misfortune during class.
And so, Banner's students arrived at the meeting place for the field trip. However, it wasn't what the Professor was expecting. Only a handful out of the entire class had shown up… At least they were prepared with backpacks filled with the necessities needed for a hike.
Out of the entire class, only Jaden, Erina, Alexis, Syrus and Chumley had shown up.
"Only five of you? Where is everyone else?" Banner asked disappointed.
Syrus yawned. "They're all probably sleeping, Professor. You know… in their nice, warm beds… and their soft pillows."
Chumley nodded, yawning as well. "Yeah, just like I would be doing if Banner hadn't threatened us with detention if we didn't show up… It's too early… I need my beauty sleep."
Erina sighed, shaking her head. "I swear, you two are such babies at times."
"Cheer up, guys!" Jaden smiled. "These kinds of trips are always fun! And you usually find cool things while exploring old ruins!" He tried to get them at least partially excited about this.
"By the way," Erina turned to him. "Didn't you say you were gonna wake up Chazz? How'd that go?"
He grinned at her. "He threw his alarm clock at me and said he'd rather get detention for a whole week than wake up this early."
"Of course…"
"Alright, children, do a quick check on your backpacks and let's get going." Banner urged as he pulled out a paper map for a quick refresher on the path they would be taking.
Jaden, however, didn't need to check his bag as he already had a certain Spirit ask him three times if he brought everything before he even left his room. So he busied himself by just looking around. Spring was in full effect so there were a lot of flowers blooming around them. He spotted a patch of daffodils and smiled, deciding to take one.
Alexis was just about done double checking her bag, when she felt Jaden slide something behind her ear. "What are you doing?" She asked in amusement and turned to him.
Jaden grinned goofily in response, hands still in the air. "A pretty girl needs a pretty flower during Spring, y'know?" He said, causing the blonde to snort and giggle.
"You're such a dork!" She said affectionately, adjusting the flower better.
"Yeah, but you like that about me." He grinned when Alexis gave him a peck on the cheek.
The sudden noise of a camera clicking caught the couple's attention. They turned to see who the culprit was, and unsurprisingly to them, it was Erina. "God, you two are gonna give me a cavity one of these days," she shook her head with a smile, scrolling through her phone. "And that's coming from a sugar addict."
"What are you doing?" Jaden narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"What? We're on a field trip, can't I take pictures?" She frowned, hands on her hips.
"That's all?" He prodded some more.
"Yes!" The bluenette responded in an exasperated tone before looking to the side. "I mean… your mom might've said to take a few pics of you two together, but still…"
"Ha! I knew it!" Jaden grinned in victory. It wasn't that surprising to him that his mother would ask for something like this. Although, she could've just asked him in the first place.
"Be sure to send them to me later." Alexis said before Banner got their attention.
"Now, children, before we advance I must warn you. When we enter the ruin site, you must be careful. Because inside there was an ancient tomb. Now usually…"
Syrus froze as he heard him mention a tomb. 'A tomb?!' He then pulled Jaden to the side, earning a look of confusion from him. "Jaden, I think Banner wants to bury you. He was talking about that tomb and you in it."
Jaden snorted, not taking him seriously. "Just because I fell asleep in class? Does the school board know about this?" He joked.
"Jaden, I'm serious!" Syrus frowned. "I heard him talking about it last night!"
"Sy, this is sounding like another one of your chili sauce nightmares." The HERO duelist waved him off. "You worry too much."
"Alright, class, let's move onward to the ruins." Banner said as everyone got going.
'Don't say I didn't warn you…' Syrus worriedly thought as he walked after the rest of the party.
As they walked, climbed and crawled for many hours, Chumley kept whining and complaining about everything related to hiking.
"Are we almost there?"
"My feet really hurt!"
"I hate climbing!"
"I hate crawling!"
"I hate hiking!"
"I'm hungry!"
"We're finally here!" Banner laughed as they entered a clearing, secretly glad that he wouldn't have to hear Chumley complain for at least a while.
'Good, because I was just about to knock Chumley out…' Erina thought in annoyance.
They looked directly ahead, looking at what looked like a broken archway, covered in moss.
"Cool…" Jaden breathed. "They're all ruined." He commented, looking around.
"Way to state the obvious." Alexis smiled slightly.
"Right…" He nodded, chuckling sheepishly.
Banner sat his backpack down and looked around. "Marvelous!" he exclaimed in excitement. "You can still see the fated remains of the oculus, oh, and the fastigium! No doubt inspired by a meniment of Seka'Ra."
He sure looks excited over seeing some rocks." Syrus commented in a whisper so their professor couldn't hear them.
"Well, I'm just happy to finally sit down." Chumley groaned, rubbing his legs. "My legs hurt…"
Jaden shook his head in amusement before turning to their professor. "So, Professor Banner, what's so special about these ruins?" He asked, looking around and noticing Yubel slowly approach the archway to inspect it.
"Ah, well, you see, children, these ruins here were supposedly built by a king from a foreign world thousands of years ago." Banner explained with a smile.
"Come again?" Erina's eyes widened as did Jaden's. He couldn't be talking about him, could he?
"By a foreign land you mean a far away kingdom, right, Professor?" Alexis asked, taking interest.
"No, no, no," Banner shook his head with a smile. "I mean as in from a different world than ours."
Jaden took a slight step back, eyes darting back to Yubel, who looked completely engrossed in the almost faded writing on the walls, a melancholic look in her eyes. That alone proved that Banner was right… What were these ruins actually? And were they built before, or after he-
"Jaden?"
He blinked, realizing that he had been spacing out while Alexis was trying to get his attention.
"You alright?" The blonde asked in concern.
"Y-yeah, I'm just feeling a bit hungry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I guess the hike took more out of me than I thought. Hey, Professor, how about we have lunch before we continue?"
Banner nodded. "I don't see why not. Afterwards, we can check out the rest of the ruins. Maybe there's some well preserved sarcophaguses around… or is it sarcophagi?" He dropped his bag and knelt down. "No matter, time to eat. I just love pizza, I can barely wait!"
The gang turned around, all sitting on a large blanket, staring at their professor.
"Pizza?!" Jaden exclaimed. "You get pizza while we're stuck with some rice balls filled with god knows what?" Jaden whined, holding up a rice ball in each hand.
Banner inched away from them, holding his bag close. "I am your teacher, I need pizza so I can uh… teach you properly!" He said in his defense.
"Actually, Jaden," Alexis got his attention as she put down a bento on the blanket and pulled out a second one. "I uh… packed another bento just for you." She revealed, causing Jaden to stare at it in amazement.
"You're the best!" He squeezed her in a hug before taking the bento and opening it, salivating at the delicious food within.
"That's funny," Banner murmured, rummaging through his backpack. "I don't remember having a fur topping on my pizza."
Much to his horror, Banner pulled his cat instead of a pizza. Although, he saw the remnants of it on Pharaoh's whiskers.
"Pharaoh!" The Professor gasped. "You were supposed to stay home, not hitch a ride in my bag and eat my lunch!" He hung his head in dismay, slowly turning to his students, a hopeful look in his eyes. "Maybe… you could share your lunch with me, children?" He asked, hands together.
Everyone looked at him, mimicking his usual facial expression.
"Sorry," Jaden replied. "But we need this so we can learn better!"
The gang all nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, and besides you weren't gonna share with us, Professor." Chumley pointed out.
Banner facefaulted. "But of course I was going to share!"
"Share what?" Alexis asked. "Pepperoni breath all day?"
"Sorry, Professor," Erina shrugged, a sly grin on her face. "Bring your own food day."
They all began eating, Jaden opting to give Syrus and Chumley his rice balls now since Alexis brought him lunch. Banner still begged for some food, so Erina decided to take pity on him and threw him a small bag of chips she packed.
Pharaoh had decided to explore while they ate, spotting something sticking out of the dirt. He walked over and dug a bit, shoveling dirt as the object became clearer. It was a large disk with symbols carved into it. And in the exact middle of it, a green gem. Pharaoh mewed, prodding the disk.
At the touch of the cat's paw, the green gem began to glow. Pharaoh shrieked and ran back to his owner, while beams of green light shot into the sky from the ground.
"What's going on?" Jaden rose to his feet alarmed, the others rising as well.
"Guys! Look up!" Syrus pointed at the sky.
Everyone's gaze followed where the Slifer was pointing to and saw the sun split into three.
"Is anyone else seeing triple?" Erina asked.
"Something isn't right…" Alexis whispered, subconsciously backing into Jaden.
Chumley's jaw dropped as a veil of different colored lights appeared, moving in a circular pattern. "Man… this is the most lishus field trip ever!"
"Jaden , you guys should probably run." Yubel advised as Felgrand appeared next to Erina, advising the same.
Thunder suddenly boomed above them as lightning flashed, making everyone jump in their skins.
"Quick, children! Run for cover!" Banner shouted.
Everyone started to run in the same direction. Lightning rained down quicker and quicker each time, frightening them even more.
Banner spotted a place they could take shelter in. "We'll find safety in that sepulcher!" He screamed.
"The what?!" The kids shouted.
"The building with the hole!" He pointed at the thing ahead of them.
Jaden's eyes flashed gold for a moment, causing him to skid to a stop. "Magic…?" He breathed, turning to the others, seeing that they huddled into a hole. He hoped that it would protect them from the storm. He had an idea, but had to get away so the others wouldn't see.
"Jaden, come on!" Erina yelled.
"Hurry, the storm's getting worse!" Alexis added in worry.
"Stay in there, I'll lead the storm away!" Jaden shouted as he ran off in the opposite direction. As he ran the light became brighter and brighter.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
He turned and saw Erina for a brief moment before the light engulfed them.
Jaden awoke suddenly, slowly propping himself up and looking around. It was strange. They weren't at the ruin site, that was obvious. But… it looked similar, and vastly different at the same time. In front of him were what looked like the ruins, only… they were whole? He stared at the tall pyramid before him, wondering where he was.
"What the hell happened?" He muttered.
"We're not in our dimension anymore." Yubel appeared next to him. "That light has transported us to another world."
"Wait!" Jaden gasped. "Erina! She was right behind me!" He whipped around, seeing her passed out on the ground. "Erina!" He ran to her and shook her awake.
"My head hurts…" She whined, opening her eyes slowly. Once her vision focused fully, she forcefully shoved Jaden, causing him to land on his back.
"Ow!" He winced. "What was that for?" He snapped.
"I'll tell you what," The bluenette grit her teeth, standing up. "What the hell were you thinking back there?!" She yelled, shoving him again once he got to his feet, but this time he didn't fall.
"Tried to make sure you guys were gonna be okay?" He stated, frowning.
"You could've gotten hurt, idiot!" She jabbed a finger on his chest. "What if you got struck by lightning, huh? I don't care that you have a cosmic force in you, use that damn head of yours!"
"Children!" Yubel thundered. "Now's not the time to argue! We need to focus and find your friends. There's a good chance that they're here as well."
Both teens' eyes widened, realizing something. "Wait, you're solid!" Jaden exclaimed. This wasn't his doing, so how?
"Of course I am," The Spirit shrugged. "This world has an abundance of Duel Energy flowing everywhere, meaning I can manifest completely on command here."
"That's… kinda cool." Erina blinked. "Felgrand, don't," she warned her own Spirit before he materialized as well, "we don't know if there are people here, and we don't know if they're friendly or not. Sorry, buddy, we don't wanna give ourselves away." She gave her reason, feeling the dragon's disappointment.
"Ahem…"
Both turned at the forced cough, taking a defensive stance. Behind them were two dark-skinned women, who dropped their backpacks at their feet. One had ashen hair tied in a high ponytail, blue eyes, and wore golden plate armor. While the other had brown eyes, black hair tied in a low ponytail, and wore dark robes.
"This is sacred ground!" The one clad in gold told them. "You must leave immediately!"
"Or you shall be imprisoned in the tombs of this land!" The other one threatened.
Both teens took a step back from the threat. "Okay, then, we are happy to leave you be once we find out friends and-"
Erina was interrupted as the ashen-blonde grabbed her and pushed her against the shadows of a nearby stairway. The black-haired girl did the same with Jaden. Yubel disappeared, hearing footsteps coming their way.
"Ow! What gives?" Erina growled, her head hurting slightly from the collision.
"Quiet!" The black-haired girl spoke. "The soldiers are coming!"
And on cue, they heard footsteps on the stairway above them. They all wore the same style of robes as the girl that had pinned Jaden against the wall. Although, each one of them held spears in their hands.
"What's going on here?" Jaden asked after a few moments, making sure the guards were gone.
"There are others who share your dress." The black-haired girl said as they let the two teens go. "They've been taken to the Gravekeeper's Chief."
"What?!" Erina shouted, while Jaden stared in shock.
"It is true." The blonde nodded. "They'll be punished for trespassing."
"I won't let that happen!" Jaden grit his teeth. "Take me to this Chief!"
"It's not that simple-"
"Now!" He demanded, his eyes turning golden which caused the robed woman to take a step back.
The two women looked at each other briefly before handing the teens their bags, which they slinged on their backs.
"So be it, you were warned." The raven-haired girl said as she led them inside the tomb.
They stopped in an empty room inside the temple. "You two must wait here." She told them.
"For what?" Jaden shouted. "We said we'd get them, and leave you people be!"
"We shall get them." The blonde assured. "If you two get caught, then you will be of no use to them."
"No! I will not play your games!" He growled, taking a step forward, eyes turning gold again. "You will bring us to them just like you said!"
'Could it be?' The blonde stared in wide-eyed amazement as she got a better look at his eyes. "Please! You can trust us!" She held up both her hands, sensing the boy's anger rise. "We only wish to avoid unnecessary conflict."
"Jaden," Erina placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We can trust them to help us. They had no reason to hide us from those soldiers earlier, but they did, right?" She reasoned with him.
"Fine…" Jaden reluctantly agreed and the women left them.
After some time had passed, Jaden had become inpatient, pacing back and forth from one wall to the other.
"What's taking them so long…" he growled.
Erina was all too focused on staring at him to hear what he was saying. Something was wrong with her best friend, and she couldn't explain what. He was being aggressive, which is very unlike him. And she felt it earlier, he used his powers to intimidate the women who wanted to help them.
"This might be a really stupid question," she spoke up, getting his attention, "but are you okay?"
"No," replied instantly. "We're in a completely unknown world, and our friends and teacher are in danger because some nutjob wants to punish everyone who enters some stupid temple of his! So, no, I'm not okay."
"No, I get that." The bluenette stood up from her spot against the wall. "Are you feeling okay?" She asked, concern in her voice and face.
Jaden's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you m-"
"Someone! Help us!"
The scream of a girl startled them.
"Alexis!" Jaden turned and looked up at the window. He jumped and pulled himself up. Down below he saw a deep pit with four coffins levitating above it. Erina followed suit, jumping up and looking out the other window. Their eyes widened, seeing that their friends were inside those coffins, each wrapped in bandages like a mummy.
"You bastards!" Jaden snarled. Erina mirrored his expression.
"Take one more step and I will end you!" They heard Yubel threaten someone.
Both teens jumped down and turned to see a group of robed men, holding spears and daggers in their hands. Yubel was standing between them and the teens, eyes narrowed and wings outstretched. She was ready to act if needed.
The soldiers in front moved to the side as a man wearing white robes with gold embroidery, and a thick beard moved to the front.
"And who are you?" Jaden raised an eyebrow.
"I ask the questions here, boy!" The man snapped. "You speak to the Gravekeeper's Chief! You have trespassed on the sacred tomb that I protect!"
"Sorry about that," Jaden decided to try and resolve this peacefully. "We were transported here by accident. So if you don't mind, we'll just take our friends and head back to our dimension."
"That is not possible…"
"And why's that?" Jaden glared at him.
"Because, fools!" The Chief chuckled. "You tread in my domain, and you will be punished along with your friends!" He motioned with his hand, and the guards began to close in on them.
True to her word, as soon as they took a step forward, thorny vines shot out of the stone floor, wrapping themselves around the guards' bodies and lifting them in the air.
"You were warned." Jaden sighed in disappointment as Yubel squeezed them just enough so they dropped their weapons. "And if you plan to escalate this…" his eyes turned golden, and a group of his HEROES appeared beside Yubel.
"Wait!"
They all turned to the doorway as a dark-skinned and out of breath woman entered the chamber. She wore a white dress that reached to her knees, her chest, wrists, head, and boots were all decorated with gold pieces.
"Please!" She gasped, catching her breath and fixing her black and white hair. "There is no need for violence! Let these poor souls down, they won't attack you, I promise!"
Yubel stared at the woman for a moment before turning her head to Jaden, who nodded in response. "Fine…" She flicked her wrist, dropping them to the floor.
"I'm disappointed in you, Chief. Do you not value your men's lives?" She scolded him.
"I'm only enforcing the rules we live by." He tried to argue with her.
"We have visitors from a different dimension! They're not some thieves who came to raid our temple!" She shot back.
"Whatever…" the Chief scoffed before turning to Jaden. "But… I like the spirit you display, strangers. I shall pardon your trespassing… given that you can survive my challenge…" He offered. "What do you say?"
"And what challenge is that?" Jaden asked, eyes reverting to normal as his HEROES disappeared.
The Chief smiled as he held up a deck of Duel Monsters cards.
"A duel, huh?" The boy grinned. "Now you're speaking my language. But, if I win, you set all of my friends free."
"If you I win…" the Chief nodded. "So be it."
"Such a pig-headed man…" The woman muttered under her breath, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Very well… if this is the way we shall settle this, then, I wish to test the girl as well." She said, turning to leave. "Please, follow me."
Fully knowing that she had no choice here, Erina took her backpack and was about to leave, but not before turning to Jaden. "Jay, I want you to keep a level head, okay?" She squeezed his shoulders. "Remember that everyone will be alright in the end because you'll win, got it?"
With that she left the very confused Jaden and followed after the woman.
"Now," the Chief began, "I hope you are ready, because if you lose, you and your friends will be punished. You will all be buried alive!" He stated.
"Buried alive, huh?" Jaden smirked, pulling out his Duel Disk from his backpack. "Good thing I'm not gonna lose."
The Chief chuckled in response. "We shall see…"
Jaden stood on the top of the building surrounding the pit where his friends and teacher were. Him and the Chief stood opposite each other on small platforms that stuck out over the edge.
"Good luck, Jaden!" Banner said. "We're all rooting for you. Very, very much so!"
"Jaden!" Syrus and Chumley cried out.
"Jaden, save us!" Alexis said.
He looked down at the coffins and gave them a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna lose." He looked back at the Chief as their Disks came to life.
Jaden: 4000
Chief: 4000
"Since you trespassed on my ground, I will have the first move." The Chief said as he drew his sixth card. "I set one monster facedown, and end my turn." He declared.
"That's it?" Jaden muttered, drawing his card.
"I know there's no need for me to say it," Yubel appeared beside him in her spirit form. "But, don't forget we're in a world where Spirits can live freely…"
"Meaning that this duel is gonna hurt physically. I know." He nodded slightly, picking a card from his hand. "I begin with Elemental HERO Solid Soldier!" The silver-clad HERO appeared. (ATK: 1300/ DEF: 1100)
"And when he's Normal Summoned, I get to summon another HERO from my hand! I'm choosing Elemental HERO Stratos!" The HERO appeared in a gust of wind. (ATK: 1800/ DEF: 300)
"Now, thanks to Stratos' effect, I get to add a HERO to my hand!" Jaden explained, adding Burstinatrix.
"Stratos! Attack that facedown monster!!" He ordered and the HERO shot two tornadoes from his wings at the facedown.
"Fool!" The Chief thundered, waving his arm. "You attacked my Gravekeeper's Guard!" The monster revealed itself. It was a fat man holding a spear. The attack landed, but it didn't phase him. (ATK: 1000/ DEF: 1900)
Jaden: 3900
"Damn…" Jaden cursed under his breath.
"Damned indeed!" The Chief smirked. "Not only did you fail to take down my Guard, but he will retaliate! When he's flipped face-up, one of your monsters returns to your hand!" He explained as Stratos turned to light and returned to Jaden's hand.
"I end my turn…" He frowned, inserting a facedown.
The Chief drew his card, adding it to his hand and taking another from it. "I summon Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier to the field!" A tall man in robes, holding a spear appeared in front of him. (ATK: 1500/ DEF: 1000)
"Without your Stratos to defend you, you are outmatched! I begin with ridding you of your facedown! Mystical Space Typhoon!" A tornado blew Jaden's facedown.
"My Hero Signal!" He gasped.
"Wage battle, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier!" The Chief ordered.
The monster let out a battle cry as it lunged forward, stabbing Solid Soldier, and destroying him.
Jaden: 3800
"Now, Gravekeeper's Guard, attack him directly!" The fat man charged forward, bringing his weapon down on Jaden's shoulder.
Jaden: 2800
"Yup, I can definitely feel that…" Jaden groaned, clutching his shoulder.
"Oh, but there is more to this duel than just feeling pain." The Chief chuckled darkly, confusing the teen before he heard the horrified screams of his friends below.
His head snapped down, seeing the coffins slowly begin to close up.
"What?" Jaden gasped.
"You see, in this duel, your fate is tied with theirs! For every life point you lose, the coffins close more and more!"
"Leave them out of this!" He growled.
"Guys, I'm claustrophobic!" Syrus whimpered as it grew darker in his coffin.
"So am I!" Chumley cried. "If it gets me out of here, so am I!"
"Jaden!" Alexis called, fearing the worst with each passing second.
"I can't do that," the Chief chuckled. "For if I free them, there will be no stakes for you."
"I'll show you… I draw!" Jaden his next card. "I activate Polymerization!" He inserted the card and held up two. "With it I'll be fusing Lady Heat and Heat to summon Elemental HERO Nova Master!" A ring of fire appeared in front of Jaden as the HERO appeared inside it. (ATK: 2600/ DEF: 2100)
"Nova Master, destroy Gravekeeper's Guard with Scorching Napalm!" Jaden ordered and his HERO formed a giant ball of fire above his head. He hurled the ball, causing the monster to scream as it was engulfed in fire before it was destroyed.
Chief: 2400
"When Nova Master destroys a monster by battle, I get to draw one card." He explained, drawing his extra card.
"It's okay, guys, Jaden's gonna win this!" Syrus said in a shaky voice. "Way to play, Jay!"
"Make your move," Jaden's eyes narrowed, sliding a facedown in his Disk. "The quicker I win this, the quicker I can save my friends."
The Chief laughed. "Or the quicker they'll be sent to their doom!"
"How about I just know I'm gonna win?" He frowned. "Now come on!"
"It is foolish to speak of victory when you are yet to achieve it!" The Chief said, drawing his card. "I set one monster and one card facedown," the cards appeared on the field, "then, I'll be activating the field spell known as Necrovalley!" Their entire surroundings changed. The temple disappeared as vast stone spires took its place. The two duelists now stood on tall rock columns as a low mist crept up around the field.
"That ain't good…"
"While Necrovalley is in play, all Gravekeeper monsters gain 500 attack and defense." The Chief explained as his monster's power rose. (ATK: 1500-2000/ DEF: 1000-1500) "And for my final move I'll be switching my Spear Soldier to defense mode."
"I draw!" Jaden drew his card, a frown on his face as he scanned the field. His opponent is playing very defensively. Could it be because of the Field Spell? Well, whether it is or not, he's gonna get rid of it. "I summon Elemental HERO Stratos!" The HERO of the skies appeared again. (ATK: 1800/ DEF: 300) "And I'll be using his effect to destroy Spell and Traps equal to the number of all other HEROES I control!" He explained, shocking the Chief.
"A valiant effort, but fruitless nonetheless!" The Chief said, revealing his facedown card. "I activate Imperial Tombs of Necrovalley! I can activate this card while I simultaneously control Necrovalley and a Gravekeeper monster! It negates your Stratos' effect and destroys him!"
The card began to glow green before Stratos exploded into pixels.
"Fine!" Jaden scowled. "Nova Master, destroy his facedown monster! Scorching Napalm!" The HERO threw a fireball at the card as it flipped over, revealing a dark-skinned woman clad in black robes. (ATK: 1200-1800/ DEF: 2000-2500)
"Gravekeeper's Spy!" The Chief threw his arm forward. "When she's flipped face-up, I am allowed to Special Summon one Gravekeeper's monster from my deck!" He explained, taking a card from his deck and playing it.
"I choose Gravekeeper's Curse!" Another male clad in black robes appeared. This one wielding a curved staff in his hands. (ATK: 800-1300/ DEF: 800-1300)
The fireball still connected, destroying the Chief's monster, causing Jaden to draw his card from Nova Master's effect.
"I activate the effect of Gravekeeper's Curse!" The Chief shouted. "When he is summoned to the field, he inflicts 500 points of damage to you!" The man's staff glowed yellow, covering Jaden.
Jaden: 2300
The coffins closed slightly more due to the damage. "You'll have to do better than that!" The teen taunted, unfazed by the Shadow Damage.
"Then, you shall witness my ultimate monster!" The Chief thundered, drawing his card. "I summon Gravekeeper's Spiritualist!" A young woman appeared on the field, wearing garbs that resembled the Goddess Bastet. (ATK: 1500-2000/ DEF: 1500-2000)
'That can't be right…' Jaden frowned. There's no way this was his ultimate monster.
"I activate Gravekeeper's Spiritualist's effect!" The monster in question was suddenly covered in purple light. "Since I control Necrovalley, I can activate her effect to Fusion Summon a Spellcaster monster using her and any other monsters from my hand or field!" The Chief revealed, shocking Jaden.
"A monster with a Fusion effect?" He gasped.
"What?!" His friends below exclaimed.
"I'll be fusing Gravekeeper's Curse along with her," the other man was enveloped in a green light before both were sucked into the vortex. "Appear, Gravekeeper's Supernaturalist!" A man with dark skin and long, messy white hair appeared on the field. He was dressed in black robes embroidered with gold and wielded a golden staff with an ornament that resembled a rising sun. (ATK: 2000-2500/ DEF: 2000-2500)
"Well… at least his attack is lower than Nova Master's," Jaden sighed in relief.
"That's incorrect," the Chief chuckled. "Supernaturalist gains 100 attack and defense points for every level of the monsters I used to summon him with."
"Wait! That means-"
"That he is now the strongest monster on the field!" The Gravekeeper was surrounded by a white aura, raising his power. (ATK: 2500-3300/ DEF: 2500-3300) "And while I control a Field Spell, he and the field spell are protected from destruction by effects! Now, Supernaturalist, attack Nova Master!" He ordered and the Gravekeeper pointed his staff forward, shooting a bolt of white energy at the HERO and destroying him.
Jaden: 1600
"You activated my Trap Card! Hero Signal!" The card flipped over, illuminating the sky. "This card allows me to summon a Level 4 or lower Elemental HERO from my deck!" Jaden explained. "I'm choosing Elemental HERO Shadow Mist!" The elegant HERO appeared on the field, kneeling with her arms crossed. (ATK: 1000/ DEF: 1500)
"And when she's Special Summoned, I get to add Mask Change to my hand!" The card popped out of his deck and he added it.
"But, she's too weak to defend you from my Spear Soldier!" The Chief chuckled. "Attack, Spear Soldier!" The Gravekeeper lunged forward, stabbing Shadow Mist and destroying her. A phantom spear also shot out, striking Jaden.
Jaden: 1100
"Jaden!" The four prisoners shouted as the lids almost closed completely.
"What the-?!" He hissed in pain. "He does piercing damage!?"
"Yes, so that you can't even guard yourself properly," the Chief chuckled.
"Oh yeah?" Jaden smirked, drawing his card. "Who said I'm playing defense? I activate Pot of Greed!" He added the extra cards to his hand. "I summon Elemental HERO Blazeman!" A circle of fire appeared in front of Jaden as the HERO appeared. (ATK: 1200/ DEF: 1800)
"And when he's summoned I get to add Polymerization from my deck to my hand!" He explained whilst taking the card from his deck.
"Time to show you one of my strongest monsters!" Jaden smirked, playing Mask Change. "Appear, Masked HERO Goka!" Blazeman was enveloped in a red light, giving way to the Masked HERO of flames. (ATK: 2200/ DEF: 1800)
"And much like your monster, he gains 100 attack points for every HERO in my graveyard! And with seven of 'em there, he gains 700 points!" The fiery ghosts of Jaden's HEROES appeared behind Goka before turning to fire and entering his body. (ATK: 2200-2900)
"He is still too weak to face my Gravekeeper's might!" The Chief smirked.
"Oh yeah?" Jaden cocked an eyebrow, plucking a card from his hand. "I activate H - Heated Heart! This card gives Goka the ability to deal piercing damage along with a 500 attack point boost!" He explained as a second fiery aura surrounded his HERO. (ATK: 2900-3400)
"Looks like I possess the strongest monster on the field now." He smirked. "Goka, destroy Gravekeeper's Supernaturalist with Blazing Twin Sabers!" The HERO formed two blades made of fire in each hand before charging forward, delivering two swift strikes on the Chief's monster, destroying him.
Chief: 2200
"Looks like your ultimate monster is gone," Jaden smirked, inserting a facedown, "and with Necrovalley's restriction, you can't bring him back!" He said, shocking the Chief. (ATK:3400-2900)
"So you knew about that… impressive," he admitted, drawing his card. "I summon Gravekeeper's Assailant!" A young woman in a long black cloak appeared on the field, a curved dagger in hand. (ATK: 1500-2000/ DEF: 1500-2000)
"Now, Gravekeeper's Assailant, attack Goka!" The Chief ordered.
Jaden blinked. "What, you got sand in your eyes all of a sudden? Goka has more points than your…" His eyes widened suddenly. "Unless-"
"She has a special effect?" The Chief laughed. "Yes, she does, actually. While Necrovalley is on the field, she changes the battle position of the monster she's battling from attack to defense!"
The Assailant's eyes glowed and Goka was covered in a purple aura that forced him to kneel down, arms over his chest.
"You're quite the duelist, huh?" Jaden muttered.
"The best is yet to come, boy! Assailant, attack!" He ordered again, causing the Assailant to leap into the air with her dagger raised to strike.
Jaden's eyes widened, noticing the reluctance in her eyes. "I activate Impenetrable Attack!" He responded quickly, a blue barrier forming around his HERO. "This Trap prevents my monster from being destroyed by battle till the end of this Battle Phase!" The Assailant hit and bounced off the barrier.
The Chief glared at her as she landed back to his side of the field. "You should've attacked faster!" He hissed, an angry scowl on his face. The Assailant bowed her head, returning to her spot.
"Hey!" Jaden frowned. "It's not her fault you messed up! It's your own fault for not thinking things through!"
"Shut your mouth, or better yet, Spear Soldier will shut it for you!" The soldier took that as his order to attack. Stabbing the barrier protecting Goka, but still damaging Jaden.
Jaden: 900
Jaden smirked as he drew his card. The Chief is all riled up… Too bad he's ending things right now. "I activate Goka's effect! During my Main Phase 1, Goka gets to destroy one of your monsters and deal damage to you equal to half of that monster's attack! Go, Flame Javelin!" He ordered and the HERO threw the flame spear, destroying the Spear Soldier before flicking the spear towards the Chief, damaging him as well.
Chief: 1450
"The only downside is that Goka can't attack when I use this effect, but…" He plucked a card from his hand. "It doesn't really matter. I activate Hero Mask!" He inserted the card, illustrating Avian's Mask on a shelf. "Now, by sending Avian from my deck to the graveyard, Goka inherits his name until the end of this turn!" Jaden discarded the card and the ghostly image of Avian appeared over Goka.
"Next up, I activate Polymerization!" He slapped the card on his Disk, "fusing Burstinatrix with Goka to summon… Elemental HERO Flame Wingman!" The two HEROES disappeared, giving way for Jaden's favorite card to appear. (ATK: 2100/ DEF: 1200)
"Sorry, Chief, but this is the end," his eyes turned golden as the wind around them picked up. Jaden took the opportunity since his friends couldn't see from the coffins to let loose. "You used my friends as hostages, and that's not something I'm willing to forgive. Now, you'll face the consequences! Flame Wingman, end this duel! Inferno Rage!" The HERO unleashed a torrent of flames from his dragon arm, scorching the Assailant.
Chief: 1350
"Flame Wingman deals damage to my opponent equal to the original attack of the monster he destroyed!" Jaden explained as his HERO fired a ball of fire at the Chief, causing him to scream in pain as his points dropped to zero.
Chief: 0
"That's game!" Jaden said, diactivatign his Disk as Necrovalley crumbled away.
The Chief groaned in pain, falling to his knees as the Assailant and a group of spear-carrying Gravekeepers ran to both of them.
"Is he okay?" Jaden ran around to the other side as the Assailant got her leader to his feet. He definitely got carried away with that last attack.
He stopped in his tracks when the other Gravekeepers pointed their spears at him. "No! He lives!" The Chief looked at Jaden. "He was a worthy opponent.. Of course, it was foolish to think otherwise of the Supreme King."
"You know who I am?" The teen exclaimed in shock.
"Yes, the more we dueled the more I saw it. The resemblance is uncanny. You fight in a way where you lead the battle without your foe ever realizing it. Just like he could…" The Chief said, taking a deep breath, still a bit shaken by that last attack.
"Only one other person has managed to best this challenge. Until now, that is. For overcoming this trial, I bequeath to you," he reached into his robes, "this mystic medallion." He pulled out the trinket and gave it to Jaden, who instantly noticed a problem with it.
"Not meaning to sound ungrateful or anything, but this is only half." He held it up.
"But of course," the Chief raised an eyebrow, "the other half is with the only other who passed this challenge. And as meaningless as it might be to someone like you… when the time comes for you to battle in another Shadow Game, this medallion will serve you well."
Jaden nodded, looking at briefly before putting it around his neck. "I'll be sure to remember that."
The Chief waved his arm, causing the coffins below to open and the bandages wrapped around the four to loosen completely.
"We're free!" Syrus cried happily.
"Ugh, someone turn down the light!" Chumley complained.
"Not me, I love light! Light is my friend!" Banner exclaimed joyously.
"Jaden did it!" Alexis cheered.
They all met up with Jaden, Alexis hugging him tight for saving them.
"Sorry I didn't find you sooner…" he muttered apologetically as he tightened his hug, causing the blonde to shake her head.
"No need to apologize. You saved us in the end, right?"
Jaden didn't say anything, he just nodded as they kept hugging each other. He also worried about his best friend. 'I wonder if Erina is also done with her challenge?'
And that's part one done. Next up we have Erina dueling.
I've finally settled in on my new routine, so I'll try to get the next one out faster for you guys.
Stay safe and I'll see y'all next time!