"Hey, Manjyome-kun!"
The sound of the all-to-familiar voice exclaiming these words alerted Manjyome's senses. "It's Manjyome-SAN," he muttered, inaudibly almost, realizing trying to get Judai to call him that was a losing battle. He closed his eyes as he closed his locker door, waiting for his rival to show himself.
It took an oddly long time for Judai to approach him. Of course, while trying to look cool and maintaining his "too-good-for-you" attitude, he had little ability to look around for him. He was almost starting to hope Judai had just called out to him in passing and that Judai by now was already sitting in his next class, when he felt a gentle, though clear, tap on his shoulder.
"What?" Manjyome opened his eyes, turning his head just enough to be able to produce one of his signature glares, so fierce, it would even make Seto Kaiba blink. Many a student had been victimized by this glare, often with permanent results.
The person he saw, however, seemed to have developed an immunity system for the glare, as he just smiled warmly back at him, deflecting the look. Manjyome just sighed and took his time turning around to face him.
"What do you want?"
"Oh nothing," Judai said, "just seeing how my old pal Manjyome is doing."
"Again with that moronic smile. What keeps this brat from falling over!"
The thought flashed through Manjyome's mind, followed by an image of Judai trying to shuffle his deck before a duel, dropping them on the floor, bending over to pick them up and by doing so falling over and landing on his head. It was very amusing to Manjyome and had he been alone, it would have been enough to draw out an actual chuckle. However, he'd die before he'd have Judai think he actually liked him.
"Get lost," Manjyome said, trying to sound intimidating.
"Why is it not working on him!" His mind couldn't comprehend why, of all people, an Osiris Red student could be so carefree around him.
Judai took the comment as a joke and just laughed. "Hey, we're all going out for some drinks, do you wanna come?"
"I'll pass," Manjyome sneered.
Judai shrugged, "Alright, but you look like you could use some time to relax. It doesn't hurt to open up every now and then, you know?"
By this point, Manjyome had chosen to ignore the boy; he simply grabbed his bag and walked off.
"What did he mean by that anyway? I'm perfectly relaxed," Manjyome thought. But he knew very well that that wasn't true. In fact, ever since he and Judai first dueled, he had been unable to relax.
"I'll just sleep it off, I suppose," Manjyome said to himself.
He headed for his dorm room, changed into his bedclothes and got into bed, where he stared at the ceiling for some time. He looked to his right, at the deck he had left on his night stand.
"Don't worry, Manjyome, you'll be back on top in no-time."
Manjyome usually had a vast group of classmates who would say these things to him. However, the only one he'd ever believe was himself, so he'd talk to himself at night. It was almost therapeutic to him.
Manjyome closed his eyes and waited for sleep to come and take him away.
Manjyome got up, but he was no longer wearing his comfortable shirt. He was wearing his official Obelisk Blue uniform and a duel disk was strapped tightly around his left wrist. It didn't strike him as odd, however. There had been days before when he'd be so tired he didn't even bother to take off his duel disk before crash landing onto his bed. He glanced at his mirror, making sure he looked like his usual, cool self.
He opened his door and stepped outside, walking down the corridors, heading for the food court to have a meal. He walked past the courtyard, enjoying the sunlight in private; he even looked up to admire the clear blue sky.
However, this small pleasure was denied to him, as an all-to-familiar voice uttered an all-to-familiar cry: "Manjyome! Wanna duel?" He turned around and saw Judai, also wearing a duel disk, ready to duel.
But before Manjyome could even ridicule Judai, someone else challenged him as well: it was Sho. This surprised Manjyome, as he didn't even know he was confident enough to challenge an Obelisk Blue member.
"Not before you duel us, too!" Ryo, Asuka and Daichi walked up to Manjyome and the others, simultaneously sliding their decks into their duel disks. "We also want a piece of you, Manjyome-kun," Daichi said.
"So… You all wish to duel me, huh? Well… It'd be rude of me to decline. I'll duel all of you, but on my terms: I'll duel all of you at the same time!" The others looked a little surprised at Manjyome's arrogance, thinking he could take all five of them on at once. Manjyome, however, smirked confidently, as if he had already won the entire duel.
Manjyome and the others walked to the middle of the court, where there was an obundance of space for them. As he readied his duel disk along with the others, he determined turn order.
"Because this is a five against one duel, turn order will be as follows: first one of you twirps, then me, then me again, until all of you have had a turn. No player can attack until whoever of you is last in order has made their turn. Got it?"
The others nodded in agreement. Simultaneously they exclaimed "Duel!"
Judai opened the duel by drawing a card. "I'll summon Elemental Hero Sparkman!" the warrior was summoned onto the field in a crack of thunder. "I'll also set 2 face down cards. Your turn, Manjyome-kun!"
Manjyome drew a card. Immediately he noticed something.
This is not entirely my own deck!
He studied the cards in his hand and thought up the play that would suit him best.
"First, I'll play Heavy Storm!"
Judai's face down cards turned out to be a Bottomless Traphole and an Emergency Provisions, which he chained to gain 1000 LP.
Judai: 5000 LP
"Next, I summon Armed Dragon LV 3 and I'll place one card facedown. End my turn."
Sho drew his sixth card and studied his hand briefly. "I will summon Steamroid!" The cartoonish locomotive puffed his way onto the field.
"Next, I play Fissure, to destroy your Armed Dragon!"
"Heh, not so fast, sport," Manjyome said in his usual confident voice, "I'll chain Interdimensional Matter Transporter!" An alien looking device appeared and teleported Armed Dragon LV 3 to safety.
"I'll end my turn," Sho said, still holding four cards in his hand.
Manjyome drew his fourth card.
"I'll activate Armed Dragon LV 3's effect and send it to my graveyard to special summon Armed Dragon LV 5 from my deck!" Following Manjyome's command, the Armed Dragon disappeared from the field, making room for the larger, more ferocious looking Armed Dragon LV 5.
"Next, I'll use Armed Dragon's effect and discard Red-Eyes Black Dragon to destroy Sparkman!" It was clear that Manjyome feared Judai as a duelist more than he did Sho.
Elemental Hero Sparkman gets hit by Armed Dragon LV 5's ability full on and is destroyed.
"Furthermore I'll set one card face down and end my turn."
Next up was Asuka, deep inside Manjyome a part of his soul cringed at the sight of her as his opponent. Her willingness to beat him caused a strange painful sensation inside his chest.
"I'll first play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face down card, Manjyome-kun."
Manjyome could only flinch as his Call of The Haunted was destroyed by the vortex.
"Next I'll play Polymerization, fusing my Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater to summon Cyber Blader!" The graceful monster was summoned and responded with a quick spin, smiling the same way Asuka did now; not kind and warm like usual, but confident, borderline arrogant.
Something's not right
For a second this flashed through his mind. He could not put his finger on it, but something was wrong here. He shrugged it off and awaited her next move.
"I'll also play Smashing Ground, to destroy your Armed Dragon!"
This isn't right… This isn't Asuka!
The large Dragon got flattened by a huge fist from the sky, destroying it.
What's going on here? Ryo isn't himself either, he's way too 'perfect' to just come out and challenge me!
"And I'll now play my last card: Autonomous Action unit! I'll pay 1500 Life points to revive your Armed Dragon LV 5!"
As Asuka's life points dropped to 2500, Manjyome was convinced.
"You're not the real Asuka! What's going on here!"
Asuka fell silent, as did her partners in this duel. Then in unison, they spoke:
"How did you find out? We were all perfect copies of the ones you call 'friends'."
Now it was Manjyome's turn to have no reply. He honestly didn't expect his hunch to be correct. "I have no friends, what are you talking about?"
Sho disappeared, the others continued unphased. "I know all about you, Manjyome-san. Actually, I am you."
Daichi now disappeared.
"We all are you."
"Shut up! I don't believe you," Manjyome said as Ryo faded from sight.
"I'm not lying. I am your subconscious mind. I have found out you are harboring new feelings, Manjyome-san. Feelings of friendship. We can't have that, Manjyome-san, I am all you have in this world.
The only one you can count on is you. The only one you can call your friend, is you!"
Asuka now also disappeared, leaving Judai.
Manjyome knew that deep down he believed and agreed with what had been said. After all, that was what he had learned while growing up. His brothers weren't there to play with him and his parents only arranged for the finest in education. He learned to play by himself, secretly hoping that if he did well enough, he'd get the love and attention he craved for.
But it didn't matter much that he got straight A's, or if he was on top of his class. All he got from his parents was a list of he was expected to achieve. That's how it's always been.
But that was then… This is now. Look forward, Manjyome-san, look at what's ahead and let go of your past!
Where'd that come from? The voice came from inside me but it wasn't mine!
Manjyome looked at Judai, who looked shocked. "What did you say, Manjyome-san!
Look forward? Ridiculous!"
Manjyome was surprised now. He was certain he didn't say anything.
But you are. In a way. I was you and you will be me. Let go, Manjyome-san and look forward. Dare to live! Dare to make friends! You know who your real friends are. Open your heart and welcome them!
Much to his amazement, Manjyome caught himself saying out loud the last words that were said to him. He understood, now.
"In order to grow as a person, I have no choice but to accept others to affect my life. I am no longer alone!"
Judai's expression changed from shocked to outraged.
"How dare you! Weakling!"
Much to Manjyome's surprise, Judai's hair changed into his own hair.
"You will always be by yourself! Allow people in and you'll only get hurt!"
Judai's eyes now changed into Manjyome's own eyes, as his outfit turned into an Obelisk Blue uniform.
Manjyome wasn't surprised that his subconscious was starting to look like himself; after all, if it wasn't him, who would he be?
Manjyome himself, found himself changing as well, instead of his uniform, he was now wearing his usual black pants, with a red shirt and a long black leather coat. He had grown just now and he knew it.
His other self wasn;t finished though. At first glance, his eyes seemed to be burning with rage, however, closer inspection revealed that they were actually turning red, as small horns grew out of his forehead.
"Manjyome!" His voice had changed as well… It had become both deeper and raspier, befitting a demon, not Manjyome himself.
"Hmm… so you were never my subconscious to begin with, but rather something like a bad habit I really should get rid of."
Manjyome's tone wasn't arrogant, or mocking. He was speaking from his heart, something he had never done before.
"Then I will do so. I banish you from my soul, you are no longer a part of me!"
As Manjyome spoke these words, a shining white light engulfed him, making his other self back away some, covering his eyes.
As quick as the light had appeared, it disappeared again, however, in Manjyome's right hand now was an entirely new deck.
Manjyome smirked as he loaded the deck swiftly into his duel disk.
"Taste the power of my soul, demon trash!"
The demon Manjyome grinned as the earth began to shake. Behind him two large, spiked columns rose up from the ground behind him. They reached up about ten feet from the ground. The spikes then connected to each other, forming a wall. Behind Manjyome two more columns rose up, connecting with each other and finally with the two other pillars.
Both Manjyome and the demon were now trapped in this cage of spikes.
"This is so that this duel finishes no matter what, Manjyome-san," the demon said.
"We wouldn't want you to run out of this duel, would we?"
"I have no intention of running," Manjyome replied. "Let's just get this over with, trash."
"Fine," the demon said, chuckling. It was quite obvious to Manjyome that the cage served another purpose, other than keeping them in. It didn't matter, he'd soon find out what this purpose was.
"I'll go first and show you how it's done," the demon spoke.
He drew his six cards and after a short pause, to think his strategy over, he made his play:
"I summon Scarr, Scout of Dark World in attack mode!" In front of him a grey beast, covered in a red armor appeared.
"Also, I'll set two face down cards. That's all." The two cards appeared face down behind Scarr.
Manjyome drew his sixth card and smirked. "No doubt your face down cards are traps that would protect Scarr from being destroyed. No matter, I'll just blow them away, with Heavy Storm!"
Manjyome placed the card in his duel disk and a huge tornado came onto the field, ready to destroy all of the demon's defenses, however, his opponent raised his left hand as the face down card underneath it rose up as well.
"Not so fast, Manjyome-kun. You allowed me to activate my face down Dark Deal! It's effect actually helps you as well! Instead of destroying all spells and traps on the field, Heavy Storm's effect now forces me to take 1000 points of damage to my life points and it also forces me to discard a card from my hand at random."
Manjyome was surprised, he thought his opponent would surely use cards that would hurt Manjyome, instead of himself.
"Fine, discard the middle card in your hand!" The demon laughed as he revealed Manjyome's chosen card.
"You forced me to discard Sillva, Warlord of Dark World!"
"So what? It's gone, you moron." "Oh, but that's where you're wrong. You see, Sillva's effect activates when he is discarded from my hand by an effect of a card you control. Sillva is special summoned and you will be forced to randomly return two of your cards in your hand to the bottom of your deck!"
The fiendish warlord appeared next to Scarr, wearing an evil looking silver armor.
Manjyome could only watch as Shining Angel and Return From The Different Dimension were returned to his deck.
His other self's life points by now had dropped to 3000.
Manjyome studied the rest of his hand: an X-Head Cannon, Sakuretsu Armor and Graceful Charity.
"I'll play Graceful Charity next." His opponent did not respond so he drew his three cards and examined his new hand: X-Head Cannon, Sakuretsu Armor, Bazoo The Soul Eater, V-Tiger Jet and Lightning Vortex.
"I'll discard X-Head Cannon and V-Tiger Jet. Next, I'll summon Bazoo The Soul Eater!"
A purple baboon appeared in front of Manjyome, growling at his opponents, Sillva and Scarr.
"Next, I'll remove X-Head Cannon and V-Tiger Jet to raise Bazoo's attack to 2200!"
"Heh, that's still not enough to kill Sillva."
"Oh, I know. But I won't be attacking Sillva. Bazoo, destroy Scarr!"
The Bazoo obeyed Manjyome as he lunged towards Scarr, ripping him to shreds before Scarr disappeared into countless bits.
The other Manjyome saw his life points drop to 1300.
"This duel is almost over, loser," Manjyome proudly declared.
"Not by a long shot," his other self said, obviously annoyed. "Scarr's effect now activates, allowing me to add any one monster to my hand whose name includes "Dark World". I'll grab Brron, Mad King of Dark World."
"I'll set one face down card and that'll be all."
His opponent drew a card and examined his four card hand.
"First I'll play Dark World Lightning!" The spell appeared on the field and destroyed Manjyome's Sakuretsu Armor, much to Manjyome's annoyance.
"But this card's effect isn't over yet! I also have to discard one card from my hand. And I've chosen to discard Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World!"
Much like Sillva, this spear-wielding fiend also was summoned onto the field.
"I'll also summon Brron, Mad King of Dark World!" The fiend appeared in between Sillva and Beiige, laughing insanely.
"Sillva, destroy that ape!"
The warlord obeyed as he sliced the baboon mercilessly, reducing Manjyome's life points to 3900.
"Brron, Beiige, you two attack him directly!" Beiige stabbed Manjyome with his spear as Brron slashed his chest with his claws. Manjyome screamed in pain, trying his best to stay standing. He saw his life points drop to 500. He felt claustrophobic some how, as if his other self had surrounded him. He looked around to see that it was in fact true: The walls all around him had closed in on him, leaving but a few inches of moving space.
He did not want to find out what happened once his life points hit 0.
"I'll end my turn," the demon said, giving Manjyome a nasty smirk.
Manjyome wheezed as he drew his next card: Y-Dragon Head.
"I'll keep it simple and play Lightning Vortex… I'll discard Y-Dragon Head for it," he said, trying to mentally fight off the despair that had been seeping into his mind.
Fortunately for him, this time the spell went through and bolts of lightning destroyed all of his other self's monsters.
"And with that, I'll have to end…"
His formidable opponent drew a card. "Tch. I'll end my turn."
It was Manjyome's turn again. He drew his card and gratefully played it.
"I'll play Pot of Greed!" Manjyome drew his two cards: Z-Metal Tank and Soul Release.
"I'll summon Z-Metal Tank!" The yellow tank appeared before him, ready for combat.
"Z-Metal Tank, attack him directly!" The tank's weapons targeted his opponent and fired one shot each at him. But the target only smiled as he raised his last face down card: Negate Attack
"Sorry, Manjyome-san. But you won't defeat me!"
Manjyome sighed as he ended his turn.
His opponent drew a card, immediately summoning it: "I'll summon Flame Ruler!"
The blue haired pyromaniac appeared before the demon, grinning broadly. "I'll also set one card face down and end my turn."
Manjyome drew a card. Last Will. Perfect!
"I'll activate Last Will, a spell that al-"
"I know what it does, Manjyome-san. Just finish your turn already."
Manjyome glared at his opponent. He did not like being interrupted, especially not by some freak who was meant to look like him.
"Z-Metal Tank, destroy Flame Ruler!"
The Tank obeyed as it attacked the monster, however again he had triggered one of the demon Manjyome's traps, this time it was Waboku.
"Sorry, Manjyome-san, but the only one who gets destroyed, is your own Z-Metal Tank!"
"That doesn't matter, as I'll be able to special summon another monster to take his place.
And I've chosen W-Wing Catapult!"
The jet appeared in front of Manjyome, hovering three feet above the ground.
"I'll end my turn."
His opponent drew a card. "Flame Ruler, destroy that W-Wing, will you?"
The flaming man grinned as he created a large ball of fire and hurled it at the W-Wing Catapult, destroying it on impact.
Manjyome's life points dropped even further, to 300. The walls now grew spikes, pricking Manjyome's body in his legs, back and arms. A full 1000 points less than his opponent. Manjyome needed a miracle.
"I'll now tribute my Flame Ruler for the ultimate fiend! Ultimate Obedient Fiend that is!"
As Flame Ruler dispersed, a huge beast rose up from the grounds. Its body was a bright red, giving the impression that he was on fire. His head was large, complete with black horns and large, sharp fangs. The monster towered high above Manjyome, almost drooling with the desire to devour him.
Oh crap! If I don't draw something awesome soon, I'm done for! Come on, soul, we're better than this poser! No way we can lose to him!" "With that, I'll end my turn. Have fun, Manjyome-san," the demon spoke, laughing. Manjyome closed his eyes, his hand slowly reaching for the top card of his deck. The hand withdrew, holding it carefully. Manjyome was almost afraid to look at it, as his entire being depended on what that card was.He opened one eye, then another. Slowly he looked at the card he drew. He couldn't believe it! It was Card of Sanctity! The only card that could have saved him!
"Do what you wish, your death is inevitable, Manjyome-san."
"That's what you think, I'll play Card of Sanctity!"
The skies above them opened as two cards rained down from them, directly into his hand, as his only remaining card, Soul Release, was removed from play.
The cards revealed themselves to be Return From The Different Dimension and another Bazoo.
"I'll summon Bazoo The Soul Eater and for his effect, I'll remove W-Wing Catapult, Y-Dragon Head and Z-Metal Tank!"
"2500 Attack points, eh? That's honestly not too bad. But you're still MILES away from matching the awesome force of my Ultimate Obedient Fiend.
"Did I say I was going to attack? I don't think so. I'll set one face down card and that'll be all, why don't you try attacking me, eh?"
His opponent drew a card. "Now, now, we don't like filthy apes on our field. Down you go, with Smashing Ground!" The skies opened again, but this time a gigantic fist came down, flattening the baboon.
"Unfortunately, I need an empty hand in order for my Fiend to be able to attack. So I'll end my turn."
Manjyome's eyes grew big with excitement. The duel was his!
He drew a card, though it didn't matter. "It's game over for you, loser. I activate Return From The Different Dimension!"
Manjyome's life points were reduced to 150, but onto his field came the monsters he had removed. But something was odd. Instead of seeing the monsters, he saw his closest friends. Judai, Sho, Ryo, Daichi and Asuka, they were all there, standing in front of him, forming a front against his opponent.
"Don't worry, Manjyome-kun," Judai said. Trust us, we will always help you!" As he said that, he took the form of V-Tiger Jet.
"Yes, you're our friend, Manjyome-san," Sho said. "It's what friends do," his brother Ryo added, as they turned into Z-Metal Tank and X-Head Cannon.
"As long as we have our friends, no enemy can defeat us," Daichi spoke, turning into W-Wing Catapult.
"Besides, you'd do the same for us if we'd be fighting a huge behemoth, wouldn't you," Asuka said softly, winking at him as she took the form of Y-Dragon Head.
Manjyome was overcome by this. He never realized how good it felt to have people to trust, to not have to take on the entire world. Tears of joy ran down his cheek, but he didn't care. All he could do was smile. But this was a different kind of smile, it was a smile of pure happiness.
"Okay, freak. Time to kiss your ass goodbye! X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, Z-Metal Tank! Combine to form XYZ-Dragon Cannon! And V-Tiger Jet, W-Wing Catapult! Fuse to become VW-Tiger Catapult!
The monsters obeyed as before him the five monsters combined into two very powerful ones.
"Now, VW-Tiger Catapult, XYZ-Dragon Cannon, fuse as well! Become VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon!"
The awesome war machines fused, becoming the huge fighting robot Manjyome told them to be.
"First I'll have VWXYZ remove your Fiend from play!"
his other self panicked as Ultimate Obedient Fiend disappeared. He was now staring down Manjyome's ultimate monster!
"VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon! Annihilate that freak!"
The machine roared as it fired all of its weapons at the demon. When the smoke had cleared, he had disappeared completely, as had the cage.
The battle was over, Manjyome had once again emerged victoriously!
The world around him vanished, there was no more darkness surrounding him. His soul had opened its eyes and what they saw was the love of the people around Manjyome.
Manjyome found himself floating, laughing to himself as he thought about the duel.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. He was back in his bed, wearing the same clothes he went to sleep in.
"Heh… Weird dream, but I'm glad it's over. He sat up and looked around in the dark. As he looked down at his legs, still under the comfortable, warm, blanket, he saw some things shimmer.
He turned on the lamp on his nightstand and saw what had caused those shimmers. Spread around him, on the blanket, lay V-Tiger Jet, W-Wing Catapult, X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon head and Z-Metal Tank. Manjyome had no idea how they got there, but as he picked them up, he thought to himself that maybe he had changed that night.
He put the cards on his nightstand, looked at them, smiling a little and turned off the light.
Maybe having people I can trust ain't so bad at all…