Doomsday Day
It was dark at night, with the full moon glowing in the sky, almost hidden behind the clouds. Somewhere, in a dark cave, 12 shadow figures were gathered close to each other. They were all listening to a voice that sounded like it belonged to an old man. "Our enemies have been tested. Our allies are in place. The hour is upon us. It's time to cover the world in shadow. Which of you will lead us to battle?
"I'll be the first to go, master." A young man spoke up.
"And so will I." Another person said, sounded like another young man.
"Nightshroud… Death... So be it." The voice approved.
"We will not fail." The first young man said as he stood up and put a Duel Academy themed duel disk on his arm. He had long brown hair, and was wearing a heavy black trench coat. He was also wearing a mysterious mask that resembled a dragon's face.
"Academy island's prize will be ours.". Death added. He was someone wearing a dark-purple cloak with magic circle patterns. Due to him wearing the hood of the cloak, it was difficult to see his face.
One night, rain poured down endlessly, thunder boomed, and lightning flashed above the Academy Island. The Chancellor found himself standing still in his office, the lights turned off. He stood at the window, staring outside, and observed the ongoing storm. He was troubled by something.
...
Something extremely important.
...
Something that would change things very, VERY, drastically.
And then suddenly, another flash of lightning occurred. But when that happened, he noticed something in the air. He spotted two figures that soared through the sky. Each one of them was flying on a wing shaped glider.
"And so it begins." Sheppard muttered to himself. "The fight... the war…"
The two people Sheppard spotted turned out to be the mysterious Nightshroud and Death. Once they landed on the mountainside, just below the rim of the volcano, they stepped off the gliders as they somehow were enveloped in flames. They chuckled evilly, both wearing a faint smirk.
Around Nightshroud's neck was the half of an ancient looking medallion, which suddenly glowed, catching his attention. He clasped it with one hand before glancing off the horizon. At the same time, Death noticed something glowing from within his cloak. He raised his right arm to reveal it and saw what was glowing. It was the half of an armlet made of gold. After staring at their mystical items, the two dark figures looked at each other, knowing the other half was on the island somewhere...
At the same time at the Slifer dorm, Jaden was asleep, snoring the night away, completely oblivious to the storm. He didn't even notice that his medallion half was glowing.
And neither did Syrus or Chumley. But, the reason those two didn't notice that, was because they were cowering under the blankets, both of them frightened by the intensity of the storm. They were even more frightened every time lightning struck.
"Room for one more?" Chumley asked his smaller friend.
Syrus looked down at Jaden. The only reaction the brown-haired Slifer did was mumbling in sleep. "I really don't get it, Chum. There's thunder, lightning, how can Jaden sleep?"
"Uhh, Sy? Forget the guy who can sleep. Think about the guy who can't! Hold me!"
At the Ra dorm, Andrew was sleeping in his room. But sleeping wasn't easy for him, all thanks to the storm. He grunted as he got up in a sitting position and rubbed the back of his head.
"Geez! How can someone sleep with this storm going on?" He moaned.
It was then he noticed something glowing on his desk.
"Hm?"
He walked over to it, and saw that it was the half armlet that was glowing.
"That's strange. Why is it glowing like that?" He mused. "I thought it wouldn't be able to do anything at all without the other half." It was then a thought crossed his mind. "Could it be… it's nearby?"
The storm was over, and it was now clear sky in the morning. The students had progressed with the usual routine. In order words… class. Inside one classroom in particular, many students had Alchemy with Professor Banner. And of course, Jaden was sleeping through the lecture as usual. And as a twist, he was wearing a paper mask with a smiley face, acting as his face.
Andrew wasn't paying much attention either, which isn't like him at all. But who could blame him? After all, his armlet was glowing last night, and that didn't stop bothering him. Shiori noticed this and was concerned.
"Hey Andrew. Are you okay?" He whispered.
The Masked HERO duelist snapped out of his musing and turned to his fellow Ra student. "Oh, it's nothing…. I'm fine."
Shiori wasn't convinced. "Come on, man. I can tell something's wrong. You're not listening to the lecture, and that's not your style at all."
Realizing that the ritual duelist wouldn't let him off the hook, Andrew sighed before he spoke up. "Okay, you got me. You see, last night, I had trouble to sleep. And just when I woke up by the noise of the storm, I noticed my armlet glowing."
Shiori widened his eyes. "You armlet was glowing?"
"Yeah, it never did that before. I never thought it would do anything at all."
"That's really strange. How could a half armlet do anything without the other half."
"I was thinking the same thing last night. And then, it occurred to me... what if the other half is nearby?"
"So you think the person who's got the other half is here?" Shiori asked worriedly. "If so, then you're lucky nothing else happened last night."
"Couldn't agree more…"
Meanwhile, Jaden woke up and yawned as he stretched his arms. "Time to get up."
"For the next class?" Syrus asked.
"Of course not…" The brown haired Slifer replied as he picked up a lunch box. "For lunch." He opened it and was ready to chow down. "Oh yeah, the one subject I can't get enough of."
"Don't you think it's too early for lunch?" Matt, who sat next to him, asked.
"Just a moment there, Jaden!" Banner called out just as the named Slifer stuffed his mouth with a piece of fried food. "I'm afraid your lunch will have to wait. It seems Chancellor Sheppard wants a word with you."
"Hm?" Jaden hummed with the piece of food still sticking out of his mouth.
Chumley leaned forward behind him. "Jaden, I'll watch your lunch for you. Especially if you have a side of grilled cheese in there."
"You wifsh.(You wish)" He replied.
"Chancellor Sheppard?" Syrus replied worriedly. "Aww, Jaden, what'd you do?"
He let the fried food fall from his mouth. "Maybe it's good, like an award."
"Hehe! No way!" The small group turned to Chazz rising from his seat, which was found a couple rows higher and off the side. And just like he declared after he returned to Duel Academy, he wasn't wearing a Slifer Red Jacket. He was still wearing the same black jacket he had since the School Duel. "It's never good news with Sheppard. You are so busted!"
"Actually, Chazz, he wants to see you too."
"He wha...!?" He snapped his head to Banner, with a shocked expression.
"And six others…" Banner the different sections of the classroom. "Bastion, Alexis, Jenny, Michael, Shiori and Andrew."
The last mentioned person in question frowned as he and the others stood up.
"This doesn't sound good." Jaden said.
Andrew nodded. "Not good at all."
And so, the group of the students who were called headed toward the Chancellor's office. And apparently, Banner was leading them.
"Uhh, we're not gonna make a run for it, Professor Banner." Jaden said. "You don't have to escort us to Chancellor Sheppard's office."
"Yes I do. You see, he wants to see me as well."
They went until they reached the door to the Chancellor's office. And at the same time, two other people arrived at the same door. Those two were none other than Zane and Dr. Crowler.
"Well well." The Obelisk Headmaster spoke up delighted. "Look at this congregation of students. Some of the best duelists in the school, I see!" He then glanced at a certain Slifer student. "Uh oh! Which one of these is not like the other? Clearly someone here is a little bit lost!"
"He is not. Chazz was invited." Jaden replied.
"He means you!" The black clad boy said annoyed.
"You sure? Because you stand out not wearing an Academy jacket." Michael said teasingly.
"Shut up, Grape-head!"
The purple-haired Obelisk boy blinked before he looked insulted. "Grape-head?"
"Let's calm down and walk inside, okay?" Andrew said exasperated. Everyone agreed to his relief.
Once inside the office, Sheppard stood behind his desk, and explained the reason they were all here the best way he could. Once he came to a certain point of his explanation...
"Three Sacred what cards?" Jaden asked.
"Beasts." Sheppard repeated. "And due to their immense power, their colossal might, they were hidden here."
"Sweet…" Jaden looked up at the ceiling in thought. "Like under someone's mattress, or in a cookie jar?"
"Hey, let him finish!" Chazz glared at him.
"Do you seriously think that someone would hide powerful cards in those kind of hiding places?" Andrew asked with a sweat drop at his head, while Shiori shook his head.
Sheppard smiled, almost like he was amused by Jaden's ideas of hiding places. "They're not in a cookie jar. They're actually much closer than you'd ever think…. Right below you."
The group of ten gasped at those words.
"You see, this academy was built in part to protect the Sacred Beast cards. They were buried deep underground, their powers sealed safely away. After all, legend says if these cards ever see the light of the day, terrible things will happen! Buildings will crumble, light will fade, souls will fall, our world will be no more!"
The girls gulped at what the Chancellor said.
Bastion stood in place in shock. He could only utter two words… "No more?"
"Damn." Michael whispered.
Shiori's mouth opened, but couldn't form any words in response to this revelation.
Jaden appeared to be the only one being un-phased by this revelation. "So where are these cards? I say we take them out for a spin!"
"HAVEN'T YOU BEEN LISTENING!?" Crowler snapped at him.
"Obviously not." Andrew remarked.
"So this is why the ten of you are here." Sheppard continued. "To protect these three cards from the wicked ones."
"Wicked ones?" Zane asked curiously.
"That's right. 12 duelists known as the Shadow Riders who covet these cards. And I'm afraid two of them are already here. They arrived in the thick of last night's storm."
"Naturally." Bastion said, realizing the cliché of this.
"Okay, so how do we protect these cards?" Alexis asked.
"By protecting the ten spirit gates." Sheppard answered. "To get the cards, one must unlock them. And to unlock them, one must gain the 10 keys for each gate. That is how we will protect those cards. By protecting the keys. And here they are." He brought out a small, black box. "One for each of you to guard."
"Wait." Bastion spoke up. "So, we hold these keys? Won't that make us targets?"
"It's true." Sheppard said with a sorrowful expression. "With these keys, the Shadow Riders will seek you out."
"Uhh, seek us out? You mean take us out." Chazz corrected.
"Only... in a duel."
"A duel?" Jenny asked, surprised by what Sheppard said. And so were the rest of the group.
"That's right. Fortunately for our side, the keys can't simply be stolen. An ancient edict commands the keys must be won in a duel. And so I've called on our school's ten best to take up this challenge and fight the good fight." He cleared his throat as he glanced up, turning to Banner and Crowler. "Well, 9 best really, but I needed ten, so, you know."
"He certainly doesn't mean me." Crowler said to Jaden who pouted.
"Of course, if any of you don't think you're up to it, and feel like backing out, I won't blame you. After all, these Shadow Riders play for keeps. So, who feels like saving the world?" Sheppard opened up the box, showing what seemed like ten golden pieces with symbols painted in black, arranged together like a puzzle.
Everyone looked at each other, pondering about the stakes. Jaden broke the silence as he smiled and took one of the pieces. "Count me in!" He placed it around his neck. "How about that? It's my size."
Andrew hesitated at first, but due to Sheppard asking him and the others for help, he couldn't resist, despite the stakes. "Me too." He grabbed another piece.
Zane smiled and followed suit. "I too accept."
"It would be my honor." Bastion said, grabbing the fourth piece.
"Same here." Michael said as he grabbed one as well, along with Chazz who smirked.
"If you guys are up to it, then so am I." Shiori declared and took his own key.
"I don't want you boys having all the fun." Alexis joked as she grabbed her own key.
"Me neither." Jenny added as she grabbed another key.
"How could I refuse?" Crowler spoke up. "I mean, our very world is at stake. Our way of life... the future of the school... and if I said no, I wouldn't get this very posh piece of jewelry!" At that, he took the last Spirit key.
"Yes… well... good to know you're doing it for the right reasons... kind of." Sheppard commented.
"Well, I guess that's all of them." Banner said as he turned to the Chancellor. "Since I'm not really needed, I would like to go and finish paperworks."
"Of course." Sheppard dismissed, allowing the Slifer Headmaster to leave the office.
"Well, let's get started!" Jaden said. "I think that the best duelist should go first. So that would mean… well, me."
"YOU!?" Crowler shouted, startling Jaden and caused him to fall over. "You couldn't beat a drum!" He then turned to Sheppard. "Obviously, I should go first. If not, I say Zane. After all, he did beat Jaden." He then sneered at the named Slifer. "Yes, that's right. I know all about that little match you had with Zane. And I say little because I heard you lost to him in no time at all. How pathetic."
"Seriously?" Andrew muttered while Michael shook his head at Crowler's elitist attitude.
"Ah, forget them both. I'm clearly the best choice!" Chazz said confidently.
"There's no choice." Sheppard said, stepping in the argument. "This isn't some tournament where we choose who goes first. This is war! You could be attacked by the enemy at anytime and anyplace. So, my students, be on guard…!"
"WHAT!?" Clover exclaimed.
After the meeting with Chancellor Sheppard, the group split up to do whatever they wanted/needed to do. Andrew and Shiori were on their way to the Ra dorm until Clover, Matt and Xander met up with them in the hallways. They asked them what Sheppard wanted with them and the others. Deciding that they deserved to know, Andrew and Shiori explained everything to them. The Sacred Beast cards. The Shadow Riders. Everything. Of course, they found the story unbelievable.
"You heard me right. Those Shadow Riders are after those cards, and we were chosen to protect them." Andrew said.
"Crazy, right?" Shiori asked.
"Tell me about it." Matt said. "Shadow Riders? That sounds scary."
"Not as scary as the risks of the world getting destroyed." Xander replied.
"Seriously Andrew? How could you even accept this?" Clover asked worriedly.
"I just couldn't help it. You know how I am."
Clover sighed. "I know. You're always intending to help people in need. Even if that would get you in trouble. But this is different. You can actually lose much more than some key! I just…" She lowered her head. "I just don't want anything happen to you."
Andrew placed his right hand on her left shoulder. "Listen, I know the risks. I know what might happen if I mess things up. But, it has to be done. Someone has to do it. Otherwise, we won't have any future."
Clover looked up, still worried. "Yeah, but…"
"You don't have to worry. I'm not doing this alone." Andrew continued with an assuring smile. "Shiori, Jaden, Jenny, Michael and many others are in this. You know how good they are. Heck, Bastion is extra prepared with his six different dueling decks. With all of us together, we won't go down that easily."
Shiori nodded. "He's right, so you don't have to worry."
Clover sighed again, but smiled as well. "Yeah, I know. It's just that... you know."
"Yes, I know." Andrew nodded. "I promise I'll be careful. Now, if you excuse, I'm going to head to the dorm and prepare my deck." At that, he walked away.
"Same here." Shiori added and followed him.
The trio of Slifers looked at the two Ras. Clover looked at Andrew specifically. 'You better be careful.'
As for Andrew and Shiori...
"So what's the plan?" The latter asked.
"Well, I think we should split up in groups." Andrew suggested "If one Shadow Rider shows up, then it'll be better for two key keepers facing him."
"Works for me." Shiori replied. "So are you and I gonna team up?"
"Actually, I was about to suggest you to stay in the Ra Dorm with Bastion."
Shiori blinked. "What about you?"
"I'm gonna head over to the Slifer dorm and meet up with Jaden…"
Later that night, Andrew was in Jaden, Syrus and Chumley's dorm room, just like he decided to. He was sitting on the floor right in front of the door. He was also wearing his half armlet. He sat there in silence while Jaden told his roommates about the whole situation.
"So that's pretty much the story, guys. Pretty sweet, huh?" Jaden finished. "And now we'll just wait."
"Aren't you scared?" Syrus asked.
"No joke." Chumley added. "Creepy shadow guys looking to beat you so they can destroy the entire world? I mean, that's pretty intense."
Jaden nodded. "And not to mention exhausting." He said before yawning. "Which is why… I'm gonna hit the hay."
"What!? Wait a sec!" Syrus spoke up. "You can't just go to sleep now! I mean, what if a Shadow Rider shows, Jaden?"
"He's right." Andrew added. "Especially since two of them are lurking around somewhere on the island. Who knows what they'll do?"
Jaden shrugged and put his arms behind his head. "I'm sure they'll wake me up. I only hope… it's not before ten. Actually, make that eleven, so I have time for showering and stuff."
"Wow, Jay! You sure seem chill." Syrus noted.
"Hey, no wait!" Jaden spoke up again. "Maybe twelve. So I can have breakfast."
Andrew sighed. "Okay, first of all, twelve o'clock is way too late for breakfast. Secondly, you should take this seriously, Jaden. This is the fate of the world we're talking about."
"He's got a point there, Jay." Syrus agreed. "Maybe you can skip the breakfast?"
"Sy's right." Chumley added, eyes glazed over. "And I'd be happy to look after it for ya."
"Yeah. Sure, Chum." Jaden replied. "Okay, now that that's settled." He turned around and climbed onto his bed bunk. "I'm gonna settle myself between the sheets. I'll see you guys tomorrow…" He yawned as he rolled over his side and pulled the sheets overtop of himself. "... when I save the world."
Chumley stared at the sleeping Jaden before turning to Syrus. "Well, at least he'll be well rested."
"Let's hope so." Andrew muttered.
Later on, Alexis and Jenny were walking along towards the Slifer Red dorm. And for very good reasons...
"If what Chancellor Sheppard said was right and it's these Shadow Riders who decide who to duel, then odds are they'll go for who they think is the weakest first." Jenny assumed.
"And with that Slifer Red Jacket, that's Jaden." Alexis added, seemingly worried. "We've gotta warn him."
"Not just him. I saw Andrew head to the Slifer dorm earlier today. I think he's there to back him up." Jenny added, also worried.
Unbeknownst to them, someone was hiding in the forest near the Slifer dorm. A certain masked individual, whose eyes glowed red.
Meanwhile, the boys were sleeping peacefully in their beds. In Andrew's case, on the spare mattress. It was then a bright light was shining through the window. This alerted Winged Kuriboh and Phantom Magician. The former flew toward Jaden and hooted so very much that he eventually woke up, though slowly.
As for Phantom Magician, he poked Andrew on his chest with his staff. "Andrew, wake up! Andrew!"
His attempts succeeded as Andrew jolted. "Wait! What What what!"
"Whoa, Kuriboh... Can you keep it down?" Jaden groaned.
Andrew noticed the light from outside and stood up. "Jaden, look!"
The Slifer followed his gaze and saw the light as well. He widened his eyes before rubbing them, making sure he wasn't dreaming. Once he did, he realized he wasn't dreaming and tried to wake his roommates up. "Hey, guys! Wake up! Sy, come on! Chum, you gotta check it out!" It was then his medallion suddenly glowed.
As the girls began to approach the dorm, they noticed the light coming from their friends' room. They ran the rest of the way until they came to the room in question. By the time they entered the room, the whole room was bathed in a strange whitish light. Jaden and Andrew were standing in the middle of the room.
"Jaden."
"Andrew."
And then, a maniacal laughter echoed through the room.
"What's happening!?" Andrew asked.
"The first duel is happening!" The voice who laughed answered.
After that, the light suddenly blinded them when they were somehow teleported.
When the light died down, Jaden, Alexis and Jenny found themselves on a platform made of light, hovering inside a volcano, rock walls on all sides and a pot of lava below.
"Where are we?" Alexis wondered.
"In one very weird dream." Jaden said as he crawled closer to the edge of the platform to see if the lava was real or not. It was then a pillar of lava shot up from the lava, startling the trio as it took the form of a serpentine dragon.
"Or a nightmare!" Jenny corrected.
"It's neither!" The unknown voice spoke from the lava dragon. It twisted in the air a few times before it crashed into the platform. And then, a figure walked out from the blazing remains, laughing sinisterly. A young man with long brown hair, wearing a heavy black trench coat. He was also wearing a mysterious mask that resembled a dragon's face.
"What's going on!?" Jaden demanded.
"You mean you don't know?" The masked man said.
"Call me a slow learner."
"And call me Nightshroud."
"Nightshroud?" Jaden repeated.
"I'll be the one taking that key you have around your neck."
"Wow, you guys don't waste much time, don't ya?"
And then, the half medallion around Nightshroud's neck started to glow. He then noticed Jaden's half was also glowing, which he and the others noticed as well. "Nice medallion. The Gravekeeper must be getting sloppy. But if you think you'll be able to beat me as easy as you beat him, you have another thing coming. I'll get that key and I'll get it now. Oh, and just to make sure of that, I've brought friends."
"What's that mean?" Jaden asked. The group were then startled by two serpentine dragons that appeared around them, dancing among the molten lava.
"Here, say hello to Syrus, Chumley!"
"Oh no!" The Slifer gasped.
"Jaden!"
"Help us!"
Jaden looked in the direction his friends' voices came from and saw a rock with claws holding up an orb of blue light. Inside this orb were Syrus and Chumley who were still wearing their pajamas.
"No!" Jaden exclaimed.
"Hold on!" Alexis and Jenny called out.
"Looks like they're in hot water. Or maybe I should say hot molten lava." Nightshroud joked. "But then, such is the nature of a Shadow Game, key keeper."
"Shadow Game?" Jaden gasped. "Listen, just duel me, but let them go!"
"I don't think so. I need them to ensure a speedy match. After all, that protection orb they're in… well, let's just say that it's not exactly built to last."
Jenny suddenly noticed that something was missing... or rather 'someone'. "Wait! Where is Andrew?"
Jaden and Alexis gasped when they heard her.
Nightshroud's reaction was a smirk forming on his face. "Oh, right. How rude of me. We can't let him miss all the fun." He then snapped his fingers. And then, something glowed brightly from above. Everyone looked up and gasped when they saw what is was. It was another orb, like the one Syrus and Chumley was trapped within, floating in the air. And the person inside this one was Andrew who smashed his fist against it, trying to get out.
"Come on! Let me out!" He said as he kept smashing.
"Andrew!" Jenny called out.
He stopped his smashing and looked down to see his friends. "Hey, guys!"
Jaden gave Nightshorud a glare. "Why are you keeping him up there!?"
"Just giving him a good view for your defeat. After that, I'll let a friend of mine deal with him."
"A friend?" Andrew repeated. "Why won't you duel me yourself?"
"Because you got something he wants."
The Ra clasped his spirit key with his right hand, thinking Nightshroud was referring to it. But then, his eyes turned to the object on his right arm. The armlet. "Could it be….?" He muttered as he held it up.
"That's right. He's got the other half. And I'll let him have some fun with you later. But first…" Nightshroud turned to Jaden. "… I'm gonna take care of you."
Jaden gritted his teeth.
"Oh, and I'm afraid that there's more too." Nightshroud said as he held up a Duel Monster card with a pitch black image. As soon as he held it up, it released a black aura. "For you see, also at stake, is your soul. Which will be sealed in this card when you lose. Of course, if I lose, then my soul will be sealed. But hey, let's be honest with ourselves. Me lose... no way! Now then, shall we?"
"You can't agree to this!" Alexis warned him.
"This duel has so much at stake!" Jenny added.
"Tell that to Syrus and Chumley. They're about to become meatballs in a lava stew. And I wouldn't want to see what this 'friend' of Nightshroud will do to Andrew."
Speaking of the mentioned 'friend', if someone were higher up, then one would notice the cloaked individual called Death standing at the edge of the volcano crater and watched from above.
"They're my friends and I'm not gonna let that happen to them or us. Besides, it's not like this is my first shadow game. I'm just hoping... it doesn't hurt as bad as the others." Jaden said as he remembered his previous shadow games against Jinzo and Gravekeeper's Chief. "Okay pal, you want a duel? You got it!"
"Good luck, Jay!" Syrus called out.
"And just let us know... you know, if we can help!" Chumley added.
"Uhh, yeah, thanks Chum. But I think I've got all the help I need right here in my deck. Alright, let's throw down!" Jaden inserted his deck into his duel disk. And so did Nightshroud. "Get your game on!"
Jaden: 4000
Nightshroud: 4000
"You want to see game? How's this!?" Nightshroud asked as he drew his sixth card, looked at it an placed it on his duel disk. "He's called Troop Dragon, and I'll have him defend me." A short, green humanoid dragon armed with a sword and shield appeared and kneeled down in front of him. (ATK: 700 DEF: 800 LV: 2) "Plus, I'll place a facedown while I'm at it." A facedown card appeared at his feet.
"Not bad." Jaden admitted and drew a card. "But how's he gonna stack up against my dragon slayer? Elemental HERO Wildheart!" The muscular tribal hero appeared in front of him. (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1600 LV: 4) "Show him that big bad sword isn't just for show! Attack!" The brown-skinned hero rushed up to Troop Dragon and slashed him with his sword, causing him to shatter into pixels.
"Oh, you know, there was something that I forgot to mention." Nightshroud said. "The Troop Dragon's special ability lets me summon another Troop Dragon, whenever he's sent to the graveyard." And in a flash, an exact copy of the first dragon appeared. (ATK: 700 DEF: 800 LV: 2)
"Hence the word Troop." Jaden commented.
"That's right. And I'm not done yet." Nightshroud began his turn. "Now, I'll play my facedown, Call of the Haunted." His facedown card flipped up. "This lets me dig from my graveyard a monster that was previously destroyed. Such as, the Troop Dragon." The first dragon joined the other one (ATK: 700 DEF: 800 LV: 2). "But wait. There's much more where that came from. Now I'll trade in my Troop Dragons to summon…"
"Summon what?" Alexis wondered.
"Oh boy." Jaden said.
"I don't like this." Jenny muttered worriedly.
And then, another serpentine dragon shot out from the lava and flew around in the air. "The Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
The dragon roared as it passed in front of Syrus and Chumley's orb, surprising them enough to fall over. "It's cool, Sy. The wall's still in on piece." Chumley said before he knocked against the orb a few times, but yelped when his arm passed through on the last. "Though it's a smaller piece."
"It's disappearing!" Syrus realized.
The serpentine dragon passed Andrew's orb, causing him to jump due to how close it flew around it. Finally, it crashed into the platform behind Nightshroud and changed form. The lava faded away to reveal a thin, yet tall and fierce looking black dragon with wings. (ATK: 2400 DEF: 2000 LV: 7)
Jaden gasped at its appearance.
"Not that dragon!" Jenny said.
"Now, Red-Eyes! Attack Wildheart! Inferno Fire Blast!" The dragon roared and fired a huge ball of flaming red energy from its mouth. The tribal hero was destroyed in no time. The attack caused an explosion strong enough to cause Jaden skid across the platform.
Jaden: 4000-3100
"Jaden!" Alexis exclaimed.
"Hey, that hurt." He said as he clutched his chest in pain.
"That's right. And it's about to hurt a lot more, key keeper." Nightshroud warned him. "Because the true pain is about to begin."
Andrew was worried about his friend. "Come on, Jaden. Don't let him get you. I know you can win this."
Despite the distance between the platform and the edge of the volcano crater, Death was somehow able to hear his words. "Wrong. Nightshroud is about to crush your friend like a bug. And once he's done, you're next."
"Come on, hurry up and make your move!" Nightshroud urged. "I got a doomsday to start!"
"Jaden!" Syrus yelled.
"Doomsday? I'm too young!" Chumley said.
"Come on." Alexis whispered.
Jaden grudgingly stood up on his feet, not willing to give up. "Sorry, Nightshroud. But the only doom that's coming around here is to your monster! My draw!" He drew his next card. "Alright! I play the spell card, Polymerization! And with Clayman and Burstinatrix in my hand, I'll fuse them to create the Elemental HERO Rampart Blaster!" The two named heroes swirled around each other until becoming the armored female hero. (ATK: 2000 DEF: 2500 LV: 6) "And even in defense mode, she can still blast you with half her attack points. So go ahead and let him have it Blaster!" The hero aimed her cannon arm at Nightshroud. (ATK: 2000-1000) "And don't pull any firepower! Rampart Barrage!" She shot a series of missiles at him.
Nightshroud: 4000-3000
"Yes!" Alexis cheered.
"Nice shot!" Jenny added.
"Way to go, Jaden!" Andrew cheered.
Nightshroud grunted as his body was a bit tattered. He glared at Jaden for getting damage like that.
"And don't forget she's still in defense." Jaden reminded him. "So if you want to get to me, you'll have to get through her. Pretty sweet there, don't you think?" He waited for an answer, but all he got from his opponent was more grunting. "Okay, maybe not so sweet for you, but, you know what I mean…"
"Enough!" Nightsroud snapped as he drew his next card and looked at it before he smirked. "You fool. That Blaster doesn't change a thing. But you can bet this next card will. It's going to change your life points, Jaden. Oh, and not in a good way. You see, Jaden, your Blaster can't protect you from my Red-Eyes' attack!"
Jaden found it hard to believe, but decided to entertain him. "Alright, I'll bite. Why not?"
"Because this time, his attack is an actual card!" And to prove it, Nightshroud held up the card he just drew. And it looked like a spell card. "Inferno Fire Blast!" And just like that, Red-Eyes Black Dragon fired the same attack from before.
Jaden gasped.
"A card!?" Alexis and Jenny exclaimed.
"Oh no!" Andrew yelled.
"Look out!" Syrus cried.
"Not lishus!" Chumley added.
And that wasn't the worst of it. The attack that was launched, bypassed Rampart Blaster and directly hit Jaden, causing a massive explosion.
"Nice card, huh?" Nightshroud asked. "It's just as strong as my Red-Eyes' attack. The only difference is it hits your life points directly."
Jaden recovered, but was quite injured by the blast.
Jaden: 3100-0700
"And I'm not through with you yet, key keeper. Next I summon Attachment Dragon!" A small turquoise-colored dragon with bat-like wings appeared. (ATK: 100 DEF: 100 LV: 1) "But, don't worry. He's not the attacking type. See, like his name suggests, he's a lot more of the attaching type. Show him, Dragon!" The small dragon suddenly disappeared. Jaden looked around, wondering where it was, until he saw it was flying right above Rampart Blaster. It grabbed her shoulders in its talons and used all its strength to force her to stand up. After that, it wrapped its wings around her to keep her in place.
"Blaster's made a new friend." Nightshroud said. " A friend that forces her into attack mode. And because she is, no more direct attacks."
"Oh no." Alexis said worriedly.
Syrus and Chumley leaned against the orb's walls, looking at Jaden with concern. But the concern was replaced with panic as their upper bodies passed through. The flailed for a few seconds before they managed to get back inside the orb. But they started to get more worried as the orb dispersed more and more.
"This thing is going gonzo, fast." Chumley pointed out.
"Aw man." Syrus moaned.
"So hot! Now I know how grilled cheese feels like."
"Jaden!" Alexis called out worriedly.
Jaden panted before he could make his move. "Alright, my turn!" He yelled as he was about to draw. 'And from the rate that orb is disappearing, it may be my last chance to save my friends...' He drew his next card. '…and the world.' But right after he drew his next card, Jaden panted a little, still hurt from the last attack.
Andrew noticed Syrus and Chumley's situation. "Hurry, Jaden! Time's running out! That orb is disappearing really fast!"
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." He replied.
"Unless you get a move on, it will." Nightshroud taunted. "So do your friends a favor, and make your move, now!"
"If you knew what I was packing Nightshroud, I don't think you'd be so eager." Jaden said with a smirk as he glanced at his new card before inserting it into his duel disk. "I play the spell card, Pot of Greed. It lets me draw two cards." He drew his extra cards. "And if that's not enough for ya, I play De-Fusion too! Come apart, Rampart Blaster!" The armored female hero separated into her two fusion materials. (ATK: 1200 DEF: 800 LV: 3) (ATK: 800 DEF: 2000 LV: 4) "And Attachment Dragon, attach yourself to the graveyard."
The dragon in question turned into red light and entered Nightshroud's graveyard slot.
"Next from my hand, I'll activate Fusion Sage! It lets me add a Polymerization from my deck to my hand." Jaden searched through his deck and then held up the card he wanted. "And that means I can now fuse the Clayman on the field with the Sparkman in my hand to create the Elemental HERO Thunder Giant!" The stone hero merged with the blue and golden, electric hero and stood now on the field as the yellow giant electric hero. (ATK: 2400 DEF: 1500 LV: 6)
"It's an even match up." Jenny noted.
"Yeah." Alexis agreed.
"Alright, time to see who blinks first!" Jaden declared. "Elemental HERO Thunder Giant, attack Red-Eyes Black Dragon with Voltic Thunder!" The hero monster fired a blast of electricity from his hands.
"Go, Inferno Fire Blast!" At Nightshroud's command, the black dragon released a raging fire breath from its jaws. The attacks collided with one another, and both monsters tried to take each others out. When they both got close enough, they ended up falling through the platform and then right into the lava pit.
"Both of them are destroyed!" Andrew gasped.
"But what was the point, Jaden?" Alexis asked.
"The point is, now that that Red-Eyes is gone, Nightshroud is directly in Burstinatrix's line of fire! And I do mean fire! Attack! Flare Storm!" The red fire heroine held up her palms and fired a stream of fire at Nightshroud. He held up his right arm for protection. But besides that, he didn't show a reaction.
Nightshroud: 3000-1800
"Aw, come on." Jaden complained. "Aren't you gonna flinch or anything? How about a wince? Can I get a cringe?"
Nightshroud smirked. "Sorry, but I leave that to my opponents."
"Oh yeah? Well we'l just see what we can do about that, Nightshroud. I play Mirage of Nightmare!" The named spell card appeared. "With this spell card, during your standby phase, I get to draw cards until I have four in my hand. But then during my standby phase, I have to randomly discard the same number of cards I drew to the grave."
"Do whatever makes you happy."
"In that case, I'll throw down a facedown too! And that's it!" A card appeared at Jaden's feet.
"Good. My draw!" Nightshroud drew a card.
"Yeah, and mine too, thanks to my Mirage of Nightmare! Here I go!" Jaden drew his extra cards.
"Whatever, just don't forget to discard the same amount cards you draw next turn, okay?"
"Actually Nightshroud, I was kinda thinking that maybe I wouldn't." Jaden said, confusing his opponent, until he revealed his facedown card. "I play Emergency Provisions! Now, by destroying one spell card on my field, I gain 1000 life points. And the card that I think I'll destroy is Mirage of Nightmare." The named card disappeared.
Jaden: 0700-1700
"Now Mirage of Nightmare's discard rule is no longer in effect!" Jenny said impressed.
"Nice one, Jaden." Alexis said.
"So you were able to avoid that Mirage's unpleasantness." Nightshroud commented. "But you won't be avoiding this one's! Mirage Dragon!" A yellow snake-like dragon with blue hair appeared. (ATK: 1600 DEF: 600 LV: 4) "And despite his name, his attack is no illusion. Go, Spectrum Blast!" The dragon reared back its head and fired a multi-colored blast of light that struck down Burstinatrix. Jaden was hit as well, and ended up collapsing on one knee from the damage he received.
Jaden: 1700-1300
"No... I can't let it end here." He groaned, getting back up.
"You don't have to." Nightshroud taunted. "Mirage Dragon will end it for you."
As the duel kept going, the orb's protection around Syrus and Chumley was weakening.
"Chum, if we don't make it through this…" Syrus said as he was sweating. "I just want you to know that... you've been a great friend. I love you."
"Hurry, Jay! Sy's getting mushy!" Chumley called out.
"Jaden, that orb's disappearing fast!" Alexis reminded him.
"Yeah, well not as fast as that Mirage Dragon's about to!" Jaden said and drew a card. "I summon Elemental HERO Bubbleman!" The water hero in blue armor with a white cape appeared. (ATK: 800 DEF: 1200 LV: 4) "And I activate his ability. See, when he's summoned out all by himself, I can draw two more cards." He drew his extra cards. "One of which I'm gonna use right now. Silent Doom! It lets me summon one monster from my graveyard to the field in defense mode." The monster that appeared next to Bubbleman, was Sparkman. (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1400 LV: 4) "And next I'll play the field spell card known as Fusion Gate!"
"What?" Nightshroud said as Jaden placed the spell card into the field spell tray, making dark, swirling clouds appear above them.
"Oh yeah! A storm's coming, and it's coming for you, Nightshroud! Cuz now that Fusion Gate is out, I can fuse Bubbleman and Sparkman, who are on my field, with Avian, who's in my hand. to create the mighty Elemental HERO Tempest!" The water and electric heroes merged together, along with green hero with feather wings. And then, they emerged in the form of the powerful man with armor and wings. (ATK: 2800 DEF: 2800 LV: 8)
"Perfect!" Andrew said, smiling at this.
"Alright, way to play, Jay!" Syrus cheered.
"Yeah! 2800 attack points. That's more than Mirage Dragon!" Chumley pumped his arm into the air, but pulled it back into the orb due to the heat.
"Now, go Tempest! Attack Mirage Dragon with Glider Strike!" The named hero spun around before firing a blue thunder-like blast from his silver cannon. The blast destroyed the dragon completely. The blast was so strong that it even hit Nightshroud, causing him to groan in pain and stumble back.
Nightshroud: 1800-0600
Jaden noticed his reaction and smirked. "There's that flinch I was looking for."
"No, it wasn't." Nightshroud corrected. "That was a twitch. It's not the same. I had something in my eye, that's all. You got that? It was a twitch!"
"Hey, call it what you want. But there's one thing you can't argue. I'm winning this Shadow Duel now, Nightshroud! And I think I'll end my turn leaving you with that thought, plus a facedown!" A card appeared at Jaden's feet.
"Hmph! You chump!" Nightshroud drew a card. "Life points don't decide who's winning the duel."
"Huh?"
"It's the cards you hold. And, if you don't believe me, I'm quite certain that this one here will prove it to you."
"Yeah right! I bet that you're just bluffing!" Jaden scoffed.
Death, who was still standing at the crater's edge, shook his head. "You have no idea how wrong you are, key keeper."
Moments later, a group of dragons rose up from the lava pit, the molten rock dripping off their bodies as they roared behind their master. "Or not." Jaden said.
"Did you honestly think, key keeper…" Nightshroud spoke up. "... that you could get rid of all my dragons so easily? That you could simply banish them all to the graveyard, and then be done with them?"
"That's kinda what I was hoping for." Jaden admitted.
"Well you can just keep on hoping, because I summon the Red-Eyed Black Chick!" A small red egg emerged from the lava pit and rose up through the platform. And then, a bit of its shell cracked away, to reveal a pair of glowing red eyes.
"So then… that's your big card?" Jaden asked, wondering how that puny thing could stack up against him.
"That's right... until I use Chick's special ability, that is. You see, by sending Chick to the grave, I'm allowed to summon from my hand, his daddy, the full grown Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" The egg exploded and the creature inside was now in the form of the named monster. (ATK: 2400 DEF: 2000 LV: 7)
Jaden gasped at the dragon's return.
"Actually, that's not quite true. As big as this Red-Eyes is, they can still get bigger! Red-Eyes, I know sacrifice you to bring out…" The dragon dove through the platform and disappeared into the lava pit. "Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!" The lava began to bubble and shake violently as another lava dragon emerged from it and flew up into the air. Also, the lava was flowing near the orb Syrus and Chumley was in. And finally, the previous lava dragons were floating behind the new one. (ATK: 2400 DEF: 2000 LV:9)
Jaden and the others were startled by its appearance.
Death on the other hand, chuckled evilly, enjoying this turn of events.
"Now, the molten ashes of my fallen dragons boil up from their fiery graves. A blaze with new life! Each granting my Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon 300 additional attack points!" (ATK: 2400-4500)
"No way!" Andrew exclaimed.
"4500!" Alexis said surprised.
"Jaden can't possibly withstand that!" Jenny added.
The lava covering the new dragon's body faded away, revealing its true form to everyone. It looked similar to the original, but with lines and gems of fiery colors over its body and shaped more fiercely and metallic than its previous form. And on top of that, its arms were gone and its old wings were replaced by six new, steel-like ones.
"It's over! The spirit key, your friends, your soul!" Nightshroud spoke. "With Darkness Dragon's attack… they're all mine! So go, Inferno Dark Fire! END THIS!" The powerful dragon was surrounded by a dark aura as it opened its maw and let loose a stream of darkened flames towards Tempest. Jaden's friends braced themselves as the attack drew nearer to its target.
"Don't think so!" Jaden interrupted. "I've got a trap! Go, Negate Attack!" Once his facedown card flipped up, a green barrier appeared around Tempest, blocking the attack.
"What the!?" Nightshroud watched as his attack failed.
"That's right! Your attack's been cancelled. And Negate Attack ends your battle phase, so you can't attack me anymore this turn."
"Hmph. Oh well. till next time."
Meanwhile, away from the shadow duel, Zane was standing next to the lighthouse by himself, gazing out at the sea. He then felt a light shaking on his chest. He reached down and grabbed the cause of the shaking: his spirit key. His eyes moved toward the volcano behind the academy. "Hm, there's something amiss. A Shadow Rider. This key's telling me... one's close."
And he wasn't the only one feeling his key reacting. At the Ra dorm, Shiori and Bastion were in his dorm room, the latter typing on his computer, until they suddenly felt their spirit keys go off.
"Bastion! This is…" Shiori said.
"The spirit gate key! It's shaking!"
At the Slifer dorm, Chazz was trying to sleep, but was bothered by Ojama Yellow who were dancing in front of his face. "Stop dancing!"
"Sorry Boss. Just trying to keep rhythm with that spirit key."
Chazz sat up, making the yellow spirit fly off. "Actually, what is that trembling?" He grabbed his key, feeling it's vibration.
At the Obelisk dorm, Michael was lying on top of his bed, thinking about everything he learned from Sheppard. His musings were interrupted by the sudden vibration from his spirit key. He frowned as he grabbed it. "Don't tell me… A Shadow Rider?" At that, he instantly jumped off his bed and ran out of the room.
Dr. Crowler on the other hand wasn't disturbed by his key. He was sleeping peacefully in his room. His bed was large and he had a frilly blanket covering him while he wore a sleep mask and a nightcap.
Sheppard was sitting in his office, and was obviously worried about the decision he made. 'What were you thinking, Sheppard? Getting your students involved in a battle with such stakes? But then, what other choice did you have? After all, if those Shadow Riders get hold of those Sacred Beast cards...' He lifted his head from his desk, a solemn look on his face. "They'll be destroyed no matter what. We all will."
Back to the volcano, Jaden began his turn. "Alright, my draw! First off, I summon Wroughtweiler in defense mode!" The visor wearing metal dog appeared next to Tempest. (ATK: 800 DEF: 1200 LV: 3) "And, I'll switch Elemental HERO Tempest to defense as well." The hero monster kneeled down and crossed his arms. "Then I'll call it a turn."
"That's funny. You know what I call it? A waste of time!" Nightshroud insulted. "And time, in case you forgot, is very much of the essence right now. Well, at least for your friends who're about to be deep fried, that is."
Syrus and Chumley held onto each other. "Don't listen to him, Jaden!" The former called. "Just concentrate on winning the duel."
"Deep Fried? I'll never be able to look at French Fry again! Though, I'll probably still be able to eat them."
"Jaden! Hurry up!" Andrew urged.
Jaden nodded. "Yeah... I know! That lava is beginning to look really restless!"
"It's hotter than my dad's hot sauce in here!" Chumley cried in panic.
"La di da~. What to do? What to do?" Nightshroud pondered loudly.
"How about you make your move!?" Jaden asked rudely.
"Oh, right. It's my turn. Sorry." Nightshroud drew. "I summon Spear Dragon in attack mode." A blue and beige dragon with leathery wings and a long, sharp beak appeared next to Darkness Dragon. (ATK: 1900 DEF: 0 LV: 4) "Now, Spear Dragon! Give that Wroughtweiler something to chew on! Attack! Cyclone Blast!" The dinosaur-like dragon opened up its mouth and fired a green energy beam which struck down the metal dog.
"Wroghtweiler doesn't roll over that easy! See, by sending him to the graveyard, his special ability now activates." Two cards came out of Jaden's graveyard slot. "One that lets me fetch an Elemental HERO and Polymerization from the grave and put them into my hand." But as soon as he put those cards into his hand, he cried out when he suddenly felt pain in his chest. And the cause of that was... another energy beam from Spear Dragon.
Jaden: 1300-0600
"Ahaha! Don't get ahead of yourself!" Nightshroud taunted. "When Spear Dragon attacks a monster in defense mode, if his attack points are greater than the defending monster's defense points, the difference is dealt to you as damage. However, as you can see, Spear Dragon must then switch to defense mode." The dragon wrapped itself with its own wings.
Jaden glared at him.
"And now for the matter of your Tempest and his special ability. Since you can save him from being destroyed in battle by sending one card on your field to the graveyard…" He then held up a certain spell card. "I'll get rid of the card on your field, by playing this: Mystical Space Typhoon!" The card created a whirlwind that struck Jaden and forced the field spell tray on his duel disk to open up, making the dark clouds disappear. "Now, key keeper. Just try saving your Tempest! Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, attack! Inferno Dark Fire!" The dragon fired another stream of darkened flames. This time, the attack was successful as Tempest was by the flames, leading to a massive explosion which even caused some damage to Jaden. Damage to his body, that is. "It's your move, if you have any strength left to make it.
Due to all the stress and damage he suffered until now, Jaden collapsed and fell face forward.
"Jaden!" Andrew and Jenny exclaimed.
"Oh no!" Alexis cried out.
"Jaden!" Syrus and Chumley called out.
Nightshroud laughed at Jaden's state. And so did Death from his place for view.
Unable to see Jaden like this any longer, Alexis turned to Nightshroud. "Enough! This duel is over!"
"Says who?" He questioned.
"Says me and this!" The blonde held up her own spirit key. "I have a spirit gate key too. Let my friends go and I'll let you duel me for it and have my soul either way."
"Alexis, no!" Jenny gasped.
Nightshroud was just staring at her. For some reason, seeing the blonde in front of him, caused something inside his mind to click on. ' I know you...'
"You can't lose." Alexis continued. "So just let them go and deal with me!"
"…no…" Jaden pushed himself up. "I won't let you Alexis. I mean, after all, I'm just about to win this." He said with a faint smirk.
Alexis stared at his friend. "He's delirious."
"I am not! What I am... is about to get my game on!" He drew a card.
"Wel you better hurry!" Cried Syrus as the orb protecting him and Chumley was being splashed with hot lava
"I don't want to be a French Fry!"
Andrew gasped in fear at this. "Jaden, if you're gonna win this duel, do it now!"
"Got it! It's now or never! I summon Elemental HERO Wildheart in attack mode!" The tribal hero appeared once again. "Next, I'll activate the spell card Wild Half from my hand!" The named spell card appeared behind Wildheart. "And now Wild Half's gonna cut your monster in half!" (ATK: 4500-3300 DEF: 2000-1000) See, what it does is take the original attack points of your Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon and split it by summoning a monster Token with the same attack points to the field." The dark dragon glowed as an exact copy appeared next to it. (ATK: 3300 DEF: 1000 LV: 9)
"But because of all the dragons in Nightshroud's graveyard, they still have 3300 attack points each." Alexis noted.
"Wildheart is not strong enough to take down any of them." Jenny added.
"I'm getting to that. Next up is Polymerization. Which I'll use to fuse these two…" The tribal hero was joined by a certain golden hero. "Now Wildheart, merge with Bladedge to create…" They entered the fusion vortex. "The Elemental HERO Wildedge!" The brown-skinned warrior with the Bladedge-like outfit appeared. ATK: 2600 DEF: 2300 LV: 8) "And one of the things that puts him in the edge of being wild is that he can attack all the monsters you have out at the very same time."
"You just go ahead and do that then!" Nightshroud challenged. "He still has less attack points than my dragons!"
"Again with the attack points! Alright, I guess it's time I finally address that little issue for you guys. Or better yet, let Skyscraper do that for me!"
"What!?"
"That's right! I play the field spell card, Skyscraper!" The sea of lava didn't change, but the rest of the surroundings changed as tall buildings emerged from the lavva around them.
Nightshroud was almost startled by this. Death was quite surprised as well.
"And once Wildedge's done with your dragons, you're gonna be scraping them off the pavement. Cuz here, heroes gain a thousand attack points!"
"No way!" (ATK: 2600-3600) "Impossible!" Nightshroud exclaimed.
"Alright!" Alexis and Jenny cheered.
"Go get him, Jaden!" Andrew called out.
"Now, go Wildedge! Attack the Red-Eyes dragons and Spear Dragon with Scimitar Slash!" The powered up hero fired two blades from his left arm and they slashed the two Red-Eys, making them explode. Following up, Wildedge dashed forward, took the sword from his back and slashed Spear Dragon with it. As soon as the dragon exploded, Nightshroud grabbed his head and screamed.
Nightshroud: 0600-0000
"That's game!" Jaden said before his opponent fell over.
Nightshroud screamed as he was engulfed in a ring of fire.
Jaden started to fall over as well. "Sy… Chumley…!" He muttered before he collapsed.
"Jaden!" Alexis cried out and approached him, before they both were engulfed in flames as well.
"Guys!" Andrew called out as fire erupted from beneath him.
"Andrew!" Jenny called out and was about to reach him, but stopped and screamed as she was enveloped in flames as well. And then, everything went black.
When everything was clear again, they were outside the base of the volcano.
"What the!?" Chumley exclaimed when he looked around.
"We're alive! We're alive!" Syrus stated before he and Chumley saw Alexis, Jenny and Andrew, who were starting to wake up themselves.
"Are we... outside of the volcano?" Jenny wondered while rubbing her forehead.
"It looks like it." Andrew confirmed. "Then that means…"
"He did it." Alexis filled in. "Jaden did it."
"Yeah!" Chumley cheered.
"But where is he?" Jenny asked looking around.
"He's over there!" Andrew exclaimed pointing to the unconscious and battered form of their friend. The five of them rushed over to him.
"Jaden!" Syrus called.
"Jaden" Chumley called.
"Wake up!" Alexis begged.
When they reached his body, they checked his condition.
"He's not moving." Syrus noted. "Come on, Jay!"
"Sy, he's fine!" Andrew said, checking his pulse."
"Tired maybe, but who could blame him?" Jenny asked with a small smile.
"Not me." Chumley replied. "I'm tired I didn't do a thing.
"Jay, don't do this! Why!? Why!?" Syrus pleaded.
"He's okay." Alexis repeated. It was then she noticed a card lying on the ground next to Jaden's body. "Which is more than I can say for Nightshroud." She picked it up and noticed it was the same black card the Shadow Rider had. But it was then the image turned into Nightshroud's mask surrounded by chains. "At least we'll be safe from him now."
She then noticed another battered body a little further away. Assuming the cloths, she concluded it was Nightshroud. She walked over to him and knelt down. When she did, the Shadow Rider began to stir. Grunting, he opened one eye and looked straight at her.
"A-Alexis…"
The blonde gasped. "It can't be!" She said as she was shaking.
"What is it, Alexis?" Jenny asked as she approached her. But when she did, she got a look at Nightshroud and gasped as well.
"Jaden! Hold on! We're coming!" Bastion called out from a distance as he, Shiori, Chazz, Zane and Michael rushed towards the base of the volcano.
"What happened?" Chazz asked.
"One of the Shadow Riders challenged Jaden to a duel." Syrus explained.
"Really?" Michael asked. "Did he win?"
"He sure did." Chumley answered. "It was a lishus battle. There was lava, dragons, some talk about French Fries."
"Sounds intense. Though, I don't understand the French Fries part." Shiori commented.
"So is that him? The Shadow Rider?" Zane asked as he walked over to him. But then, he was surprised to see Alexis crying and hugging the Shadow Rider. Jenny kept a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Alexis?"
"It's him, Zane! It's him!" Alexis said with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I-I don't understand how, but... it's him! I-I thought I'd lost him, but he's back! He's finally back!"
"What are you talking about?" Zane asked. "Who's back?"
"Look at his face! It's my brother!"
The top duelist widened his eyes in shock as he got a look on the Shadow Rider's face. The same boy who's photo was found in the abandoned dorm. "Atticus?"
When the entire group gathered around them, with Chumley carrying Jaden, Alexis explained. "It wasn't him before, but that card took away whatever darkness was holding him. He's back now!" It was then the sun began to rise.
"Damn!" Michael said.
"No way!" Shiori gasped.
"And if this is how it is after you win a duel, just think what it's like when you lose." Zane said. "The sun may be coming up now, but night will fall again soon. And when it does, we must be ready."
Andrew's expression became serious, realizing how dangerous this was getting. He then glanced down, staring at his armlet, recalling the words Nightshroud told him before.
Flashback
"That's right. He's got the other half."
Flashback end
'We better be ready. Because something tells me the next Shadow Rider will show up very soon.' Andrew thought.
A distance away, the cloaked figure that arrived with Nightshroud watched the group. "I never thought Nightshroud would lose. And to a Slifer, no less." He muttered before walking away. "Oh well, guess I'll be the one finishing what he started. You better watch your backs, key keepers. Because soon... you will face Death."
And that's that. Until next time.
