Now that the monkey episode's done, here goes the new chapter with a couple added things!~
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!
"Wow! It's snowing! It's snowing!" cheered Jaden, pressing her face against the glass window. Syrus and Chumley were sitting on the ground criss-crossed, playing a simple Duel Monsters card game only without the duel disks. Jaden was busy watching the little feathers of pure white fluttering down and covering anything they touch with their color and coldness.
It's been a few days since Duel Academy closed down for winter vacation, so most of the students went home already to spend time with their families. The others who remained didn't have any classes, so it was a free no class vacation for a few weeks.
Syrus, looking up from his cards, called, "Hey, Jaden? You've been looking out there for about an hour. Aren't you getting bored?"
Jaden shook her head and prompted down besides Syrus, watching the both of them duel. "Nope! I love the snow! Winter's my second favorite season of the year?"
"What's first?" wondered Chumley.
"Summer, of course! You don't have to do homework, go to school, and stuff like that! It's awesome!"
Chumley nodded, knowing full well the wonderful feeling of summer, even though it may get hot at times. "I get how you feel. One times, I went to this really wicked vacation with my Dad."
"Really? I wanna hear! Me! Me! Me!"
"Okay! It all began with..."
Meanwhile, in the Spirit World...
"Target lockdown. #2 and #3, you guys there?"
"Definitely. #2 here."
"Me three! The arsenal is set! Target currently speaking with Avian and Burstinatrix!"
"Alright! Everyone, got your weapons?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Alright, on my mark, get ready to fire, alright?"
Meanwhile, while Flame Wingman was engaged in conversation with his two teammates, Burstinatrix and Avian, Avian tapped the two in the shoulders. "Just letting the two of you know, the Hero Kids are right on top of a building above us with some snowballs."
"I know. Since it's the time of winter, I knew they would plan something like this," replied Flame Wingman, holding a large sack before taking out the object inside; a bazooka. "That's why I came prepared."
"Isn't that overkill?!" demanded Burstinatrix, overexaggerating. "All they're doing is throwing snowballs! Must you shoot them down?!"
"Calm down. There's no explosions in this one. It's just a snowball-filled bazooka that me and Bubbleman worked on last week. I advise the two of you to step back. This might end up...messy."
Hero Kids #1, 2, and 3 were all present on the rooftop, spying on their target with binoculars before preparing to launch their snowball assault. Hero Kid #1 raised his arm, ready to throw it down to signal the start of the ambush.
"Ready...aim...AND FIRE!"
At that moment, Flame Wingman twisted around, placed the bazooka onto his shoulder, and pulled the trigger before any of the Hero Kids could even think of unleashing their attacks. Seeing how he was a better, experienced fighter than the Hero Kids, his aim was perfectly accurate, hitting Hero Kid #2 in the face and causing him to fall on his back.
"Oh no! Big bro #2's been knocked out!"
"The enemy knows we're here! Fire back! Fire back!"
"Oh, boy," said Burstinatrix, rolling her eyes as she watched from afar. A grown Duel Spirit involving himself in a petty quarrel such as a snowball fight with children using a snowball shooting bazooka that he prepared on ocasions. My, how the times have turned.
"Hot cocoa?" Avian offered, holding a cup for himself and the other to his lady friend. She accepted it and both watched the snowball fight commence.
"Hello, Avian. Burstinatrix, good day to you too."
"Oh, hey Clayman."
"...Snowball war again this year?"
"Yup. I think Flame Wingman's gonna win again."
"Maybe he'll go easy on them this time?"
Unfortunately for Clayman, he should know better that Fusion Monsters like Flame Wingman have a tendency to uphold their pride and not hold back any power, even if it's against children.
"Ha! You children thought you could take me on because of numbers? Learn your place! Never underestimate a Fusion Monster!"
"Gyah! I've been hit!"
"Noooo! Bro #3! Don't dieeeeee!"
"I...can't! I'm sorrry! Tell Jaden...I have the hots for her! Bleh."
"Noo! I'll avenge you! Flame Wingman, today is the day you-"
"Ha! Hit you! I win!"
"Gaaaaah! I couldn't avenge anyone! Bleh."
Avian, Clayman, and Burstinatrix sweatdropped as they watched Flame Wingman laughing like a villain over his triumph in battle. 'Flame Wingman...the guy who doesn't even hold back on kids.'
Later, at night...
"Go, go! I summon Elemental Hero Clayman!"
The respectful Elemental Hero appeared right in front of Jaden, relieved that he was used for offensive instead of defensive this time. He was getting a little tired, even if his defense was much stronger.
Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)
Syrus prepared himself for any tricks Jaden was about to unleash with two Monsters on his side of the field; Cycroid and Gyroid. Chumley and Banner watched from one of the tables in the Slifer Red dining room, grilling rice cakes to freshen and heat them up.
Smelling the faint, but delicious scent of the rice cakes, Jaden's mouth watered. "Professor Banner! Chumley! If you're done with the rice cakes, can I have one, too?"
"Hey! Me too!" said Syrus, feeling a bit hungry himself.
"Sure!" Chumley noticed that his portion of the rice cakes was finished and placed one of them onto his hands, trying to cool it down by tossing the rice cake from one hand to another repeatedly. "Hot, hot, hot, hot..."
"Yay! I can't wait to-"
CRASH!
Suddenly, the dining room door crashed down and shattered glass all over, causing Jaden and Syrus to cease their duel as they stared wide-eyed at the intruder. Chumley and Banner turned off their griller and rushed over to see what was happening.
The intruder happened to be an Obelisk Blue student glasses, and he was stumbling back and forth, standing in front of the doorway. He seemed dizzy and exhausted, but still consciousness. "Okay...Okay...I think I'll be alr-Ohmygod!"
CRASH!
It appears that there was another invisible glass door in his way, but his heavy weight made it so that door collapsed once he stumbled forward and landed on the ground, a few scratches on his body due to the glass.
Looking up, the Obelisk Blue student struggled to get up. "W-why would you have t-two doors there?!"
"Ouch..." Jaden winched, walking up to the student with Syrus. "That looked like it hurt. A lot. Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah...I'm fine...B-but someone-No, something's after me! It's-It's Jinzo!"
"Jinzo? The Duel Monster's card?" asked Syrus, confused.
"Yes! He's real! And he's after me!"
"Uh..." Jaden's brain wasn't functioning properly for her to understand what the Obelisk Blue student meant.
"Wait...I know you! Your name's Torrey! You were in one of my classes," spoke Banner, walking up to the Obelisk Blue student to examine any wounds.
"Yeah! That's right, Professor Banner! A-and everything you said about Duel Spirits being real was true!"
"Um...Professor? What's he talking about?" wondered Syrus, thinking that this Torrey fellow was being delusional or just acting crazy.
Banner walked off, only to return with a med kit for Torrey. "Just calm down, and tell me everything that's happened."
"Y-yes, Professor..." With that said, Torrey began his story of the whole Jinzo incident as Banner was cleaning up any sounds and pulling out glass shards while Chumley got a plate of rice cakes to feed to Torrey since he needed it more than anyone.
Torey's P.O.V.
Flashback...
A while back, I told some of my friends about Banner's classes and how under certain conditions, Duel Spirits could come to life! Well, we started trying to create some of those conditions, even though we knew the Academy forbids it. We did try several different ways, but nothing ever worked, until yesterday...
Maybe it was because we used our bedsheets as cloaks, or we stol-I mean, borrowed Crowler's bath candles. However, last time, we decided to contact a spirit using an Ouija Board. So, we all put our hands on the board, said the mystic chant, and it happened!"
"From vapor to flesh, wind to aroar! Come, Jinzo to the land of your!"
After that, the Ouija Board spelled out for us, "GIVE ME THREE AND I'LL BE FREE."
We thought that it meant trading cards, so we...we agreed.
Banner shook his head, concern of the current situation which he unintentionally caused. "Oh, dear me. I'm afraid that wasn't what Jinzo meant. He'd never be satisfied with cards."
"So, what did the three mean, Torrey?" asked Syrus.
"...People as sacrirfices."
'What?! Wait, what happened to your friends?"
"T-they're both gone!" sputtered Torrey, his body shaking from fear. "I looked everywhere for them, but no such luck! First it was my friend, Ken, and then my other friend, Zack. And now, I know it's going to be me!"
Syrus shrieked from the sudden omnious words Torrey spoke, as if Syrus was going to be the new target. Wait, what was he scared about? Duel Spirits don't exist! That's impossible!
"Hey, you sure your friends didn't go home for winter break or anything, Torrey?" suggested Jaden.
"I thought of that too, so I called their parents. But, they said they never reached home. I doubt that they would have made it home anyways. I mean, I did try leaving the island, but I couldn't."
Torey's P.O.V.
Flashback...
I had already packed my bags and was ready to leave with the other students on the ferry. That was when I saw a cloaked man with a hat up on deck. When we met eyes, he revealed his face to me, which was Jinzo!
"Hello, Torrey..."
I...I hate to admit it, but I literally screamed like a little girl and ran away.
"Hahahaha! That's right, Torrey! Run away! But, I will find you and catch you! And when I do-"
BEEP! "Attention, passengers! The ship is now leaving the docks!"
"AHAHAHAHAHA! ...No, wait! I have to get off! NOOOOOO!"
"Martini, sir?"
"Ooh! Yes, please!"
"T-there's just n-no escape!" cried out Torrey, close to breaking down at any moment.
While Banner tried to figure out what to do, Syrus and Chumley glanced at each other with concern. Jaden may seem calm, but in reality, she was terrified, though not at the level of Torrey's fear.
'He's scared, and so am I. But, as long as we're safe in here, we should be-'
Just when things couldn't get worst, the lights in the dining room switched off, and everyone knew the switch was far across the room away from them.
"WOW. That's just really bad timing!"
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Syrus, calm down!"
"That wasn't me!"
"What? Then, who was it?"
"Sorry, that was me."
"Chumley? Look, can somebody just turn the lights back on?"
"Ow, you're crushing my hand!"
"Oh, sorry! Ooh! Ohhhhh! I think I reached it!"
"No, that was the-Ooh! Yeah! I got it!"
"Syrus. Chumley."
"Yes, Professor Banner?"
"Please stop messing around and making such...references."
"What?! No! It's not what you think, Professor Banner and-I think I got it!"
A few seconds after the lights turned back on, everyone spotted the famous Jinzo garbed in clothing and carrying an unconscious Torrey onto his underarm.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Jaden screamed, hiding behind Banner and clinging onto Pharaoh so tightly, the poor cat felt like he was suffocating under the girl's unbelievable, unknown strength.
Jaden wasn't the only one frightened; Chumley and Syrus were hugging each other, unafraid to let go of one another. "AAAAH! I-IT'S JINZO!"
Trying to prove her bravery, Jaden stumbled forward with shaky legs. "L-let go of Torrey, J-Jinzo!"
"No. We had a deal!" With that, Jinzo turned back and started running right into the cold forests; Jaden and the others chasing after him to rescue Torrey and put an end to the visible Duel Spirit.
Since everyone was so fixated on locating Jinzo, they ended up splitting up in different pathways, thus separating from one another. What was worst, was that the forest was huge and it was nighttime out, so there was a very dangerous possibility of running into Jinzo alone. Luckily, no other animals besides monkeys and birds and whatnot lived in these forests, but still, anyone could get lost in parts like these.
Jaden was hugging herself, shivering not just because of the cold, but also of fear of running into Jinzo. Her Elemental Heroes and other Monster Spirits did warn her to stay away from dangerous Duel Spirits, and clearly, Jinzo was one of them. She remembered them telling her all about evil Duel Spirits like it was yesterday...
Flashback...
"Bursty! Bursty! Bursty! Tempty! Tempty! Tempty!" An energetic 6 year-old Jaden rushed towards two of her favorite Elemental Heroes, wanting to ask them something. "I wanna ask something! I wanna ask something!"
Burstinatrix kneeled down to reach the little girl's eye level. "What is it, Jaden?"
"I heard Avi and Bubbles talking about a tough battle with the Dark World Monsters! One of my classmates at school has a deck of those! What are they like? Those Dark World Monsters must be so cool!"
Burstinatrix and Tempest looked at each other, wondering what to say. To normal humans, thanks to the whole hologram system, the Monsters fighting one another and inflicting direct damage were nothing. However, in the Elemental Heroes last battle, the fight against the villainous Dark World group was indeed tough.
Should Jaden ever encounter an evil entity such as the Dark World or any othe Duel Spirits like that, it would be...disastrous. For all they know, the evil Duel Spirits could easily manipulate poor little Jaden and change her pure, innocent heart to evil. That's why they needed to warn Jaden about the sort of dangers happening.
The female fighter of the Elemental Heroes decided to take things slow and steady for Jaden. "Jaden...The Dark World Monsters are...powerful, that's for sure."
Jaden gasped, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "They're really strong! Coool!"
Tempest cleared his throat and decided to step in. "Jaden, you know about the superhero comics you read and the TV shows you watch?"
"Yeah! They're so cool!"
"Well...I guess, in a way, you could say that the Dark World Monsters are as evil as villains. Now, I know not every Duel Spirit is evil, but this certain group is."
"They're evil? Aww! I wanted to ask more questions about them!"
"What kinds of questions?"
"Like, what's Avi's weakness? How can I fly? Stuff like that!"
Okay, now Burstinatrix and Tempest were going to make sure that Jaden stays FAR away from villains.
"Jaden...You do realize villains can hurt you, right?" reminded Burstinatrix.
"I know! But, in a way, I'll be doing good things like you and the other Elemental Heroes are! First order of business! I'm gonna beat Tom tommorow at school!"
"And, who is this 'Tom?" asked Tempest, crossing his arms as he tried to restrain his overprotective instincts.
"He's the boy with the Dark World deck! But, don't worry! I'll defeat him like a superhero! For the sake of justice!"
Burstinatrix and Tempest sighed to each other, knowing the reckless dueling Jaden was going to present, trying to beat that boy down. Looks like they'll have to inform the others about the next battle they'll be enduring with.
Remembering the countless warnings she received from her Elemental Heroes, Jaden stood up straight, her fists tightening by her side.
"Alright, Jaden! Remember your training! Defeating villains helps everyone! Yeah! You should act like a true hero!"
"Kuri? Kuri kuri-" ("Jaden? What are you doi-")
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Winged Kuriboh flinched when he heard his female owner screaming. Once they locked eyes, Jaden sighed in relief before hugging Winged Kuriboh to her chest. "Ohh! Winged Kuriboh! I'm so glad you're safe! I need a buddy right now!"
Winged Kuriboh sweatdropped and simply tapped Jaden's chin with his tiny paw. "Kuri, kuri..." ("There, there...")
"Jaden!"
"Where are you?"
"There! She's right there!"
"Huh?" Releasing Winged Kuriboh, Jaden saw Banner, Syrus, and Chumley running towards her, holding long, sturdy sticks in their hands. "Why do you guys have sticks?"
"For protection!" answered Chumley.
"Where did he go?" asked Syrus, looking at Jaden like she had a clue of some sort.
"I...actually don't know. Huh. Guess I should have paid more attention, huh?"
Then, upon hearing Pharaoh's hissing, they turned to the alerted cat. Judging from his loud yowling and bristled fur, they can tell that Pharaoh had picked up something. After all, animals do have different senses than humans.
"Hey, where's he going?" wondered Chumley, watching as the cat rushed off on his own deeper and deeper into the woods. Not wanting Pharaoh to get hurt or worse, everyone followed after him, hoping he might lead them to Jinzo and Torrey.
Thanks to Pharaoh's senses, the group arrived near a small area that was secluded from the others parts of the Duel Academy; one where fences surrounded the aerea full of electrical generators.
"Hey, Professor Banner? What is this place?" asked Syrus.
"Hmm...From the looks of it, this seems like the island's central power station for the entire island. But I do not see Jinzo anywhere."
"Seriously?" Syrus couldn't believe that fact one little bit. "This massive island is powered by this small area? Come on!"
Spotting a lone body not too far away, Jaden recognized it as Torrey. "Hey! It's Torrey!"
The girl ran towards the unconscious boy when a strong, high-voltage current blocked her way. Jaden yelped, shielding her eyes from the illumination and stepping back for distance in hopes of not getting hit.
Without the entire attire of the coat and hat, Jinzo revealed his whole body. Considering how famous dueling is, everyone knows who Jinzo is and who he looks like, so the group recognized the entity as Jinzo without a doubt. However, his body seemed...odd, like he had a ghost-like body.
"Mwahahaha! None of you are safe!"
Pharaoh yelped, leaping into his owner's arms and shaking like a leaf. Syrus turned to Chumley, confused and frightened. "C-Chum? Have any idea what's going on? Why is Jinzo appearing like that?"
Annoyed by his question, Chumley rudely replied, "Seriously? You're asking me? Sy, I don't have a clue how he's doing that! I'm still trying to come into the terms that you still use a Dark Magician Girl night-light while sleeping!"
"Wait, what?"
"I think I may know why Jinzo is like that," said Banner, quivering just like his cat. "Jinzo is using the electrical current to power himself up! He is a clever one!"
As much as she wanted to cower in fear of the evil Duel Spirit, Jaden knew better than that and stood her ground. "L-let Torrey go, Jinzo! Don't do this! If you need a sacrifice that badly, then...then take me instead! You hear that?! Yeah! Take me!"
"Jaden! No!" protested Chumley and Syrus. They knew how selfless Jaden can be at times like this, and sometimes, from the bottom of their hearts, they wished she wasn't like this.
"Oh?" Hearing her declare such a bold statement perked Jinzo's interest. Not many humans would be this willing to become a sacrifice. "You'd be willing to sacrifice yourself for this lowlife? Very well, I shall take upon your offer!"
"Not so fast!" interrupted Jaden. "I'll become a sacrifice, but under one condition! You have to duel me! If you win, I'll become your sacrifice! But, if I win, you have to release Torrey and his other two friends!"
"Hmph. Very interesting! I accept! The electricity around this area should be able to sustain my current form long enough for a match. You'll regret offering as a sacrifice, human!"
"Yeah? We'll see!" shouted Jaden, activating her duel disk and trying to avoid getting hit by the electrical currents. "Come on and get your game on, Jinzo!"
"DUEL!"
- DUEL -
Jinzo - 4000 LP
VS
Jaden - 4000 LP
"I'll go first," said Jinzo as he manipulated the electrical currents and his own Duel energy to manifest his own cards; all for only him to look at. Even though he had no duel disk on, when it was his Draw Phase, a different card manifested in front of him so he could look at it. "I summon Malice Doll of Demise in Attack Mode!"
A wooden doll-like Monster resembling a little boy showed up on the field, wielding a short axe that seem fitable for his size.
Malice Doll of Demise - (DARK/Fiend) - LV4 - (1600/1700)
"Wow! He looks cool in a creepy way!" said Jaden, glancing up and down at the Fiend-type Monster and wanting to pet him.
"You call that thing 'cool?!' He's scary-looking!" cried out Syrus, a bit scared of the doll-like Monster and hiding behind Banner. He once saw this movie about a killer doll before when he was little, and ever since then, he's gained a fear of dolls.
"And next, I'll activate the Spell card, Ectoplasmer! During the End Phase of their turns, each player can sacrifice a Monster on their side of the field and deal half of their Monster's original Attack Points as damage to their opponent. Since I activated this card, I choose my Malice Doll of Demise!"
Malice Doll of Demise hunched over as if completely lifeless before a ghost-like spirit flew out of his lifeless body before swirling around Jaden. Jaden grunted a little, feeling a bit of a headache once the ghost-like spirit did its deed before disappearing.
Jinzo - 4000 LP
Jaden - 3200 LP
"Oh no! Jaden's already lost Life Points in the first turn!" Syrus said, worried like Banner and Chumley.
'That's a continuous Spell card!' Jaden thought, regaining her strength back, even by a little. 'He'll be able to use that magic every turn! But, on the other hand, I can too!'
"I draw! ...Only one Monster, huh? And I summon Elemental Hero Avian!"
Quick on the draw, Avian emerged on the field, ready to use his full-fledged WIND powers on the opponent.
Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)
"Next, I place four cards facedown, and now, I'm activating a Continuous Spell of my own! Mirage of Nightmare! Once, during each of your Standby Phase, I get to draw four cards! But during my own Standby Phase, I have to discard four! But before all that, I'll have Avian attack! Go, Windstorm Strike!"
Avian flew towards Jinzo and slammed his fist onto the Duel Spirit's body, causing some damage to Jinzo, since he did grunted in pain.
Jinzo - 3000 LP
Jaden - 3200 LP
"Oh, but I'm not done yet! Next, I'll help myself to that Ectoplasmer you generously offered! Thanks, by the way! Now, I sacrifice Avian and use half of his Attack Points to deal damage to you!"
Having finished with his direct attack, Avian allowed his spirit to leave his current body to dealt more damage to Jinzo for hurting his mistress. In normal cases, spirits couldn't harm humans, but in this duel, it was a completely different story.
Jinzo - 2500 LP
Jaden - 3200 LP
"Yeah! Keep up with those combos, and you'll win for sure, Jay!" cheered Syrus and Chumley, feeling much more relieved for Jaden.
Banner simply hugged Pharaoh closer, knowing that this duel was far from over. "No...both of them are taking high-risking decisions. Neither of them have any Monsters on their field. Not yet, anyways. And there's a chance Jinzo could summon a powerful Monster. Jaden, be very, VERY, careful."
"Yay! I'm gonna win!" cheered Jaden, all pumped up for more action.
"Hmph! If that's all you've got, then I'm even more disappointed than I was before. But, now I draw! And, since Malice Doll of Demise was sent to the Graveyard due to an effect of a Spell card, he automatically resurrects!"
The creepy doll-like Monster showed up, his axe as sharp as ever and ready to take out his revenge.
"Well, speaking of Spells, mine now activates! Mirage of Nightmare! I get to draw four cards!" reminded Jaden, doing as she was told. "And now, I'll activate Emergency Provisions! And I'll have discard Mirage of Nightmare to regain 1000 Life Points!"
Jinzo - 2500 LP
Jaden - 4200 LP
"What a move! She got back Life Points AND discarded Mirage of Nightmare!" Chumley said, impressed. "Now, she won't have to suffer Mirage of Nightmare's after effect!"
"Hmph. No matter. I summon Emissary of the Afterlife in Attack Mode!"
A Monster greatly resembling a combination of the Grim Reaper and a ghastly ghost flew onto the field, wielding a deadly scythe that could possibly slice through anything.
Emissary of the Afterlife - (DARK/Fiend) - LV4 - (1600/600)
"Oh man! That's bad! Jaden doesn't have any Monsters on her field!" Chumley said, looking at Jaden's field that was completely deserted except for a few facedowns. Hopefully, those facedowns might help her out this turn!
"And since you have no Monsters left, I wage a direct attack! Scythe Slasher!"
"Not so fast! I play my Trap! A Hero Emerges!" shouted Jaden. "Now, you have to pick one of the cards in my hand at random! And, if it's a Monster, I can summon it!"
"Hmm...Far right!"
A bit of electricity crackled on one of Jaden's card, indicating that Jinzo chose that card. Looking at the chosen card, Jaden smiled. "Hey, good choice! For me, that is! Say hello to...Elemental Hero Sparkman!"
Flying to the scene, Sparkman's egotism and courage increased due to the amount of static electricity surrounding the area, Sadly, none of the electricity increased his power, but the electricity did make a dramatic effect for his entrance.
Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)
Both the Emissary of the Afterlife and Sparkman charged at each other, soon engaged in combat. They were equally matched, given the fact that they both had the same amount of Attack Points. Sparkman managed to land a punch straight through his opponent's chest before backing away. Emissary of the Afterlife wouldn't go down that easily, so he slashed at Sparkman's chest, defeating him before the both of them shattered into pieces together.
"Foolish mortal! By sending Emissary of the Afterlife to the Graveyard, his special effect is activated! Now, each of us can take a Monster from our decks and place them in our hands, so long as it's a Level 3 or below Monster. And I choose Thousand-Eyes Idol!"
"Well then, I'll choose good ol' Burstinatrix!" decided Jaden, showing Jinzo her most frequently used female Monster.
"So be it. Now, to continue with my turn! Malice Doll, attack! Go, Cleaver Heaver!"
Malice Doll of Demise, who wasn't used in the previous turn, decided to take his anger out in full-force at Jaden. He stepped back, raised his axe, and threw it straight towards the Slifer Red. Normally, the axe would just phase by, but it unexpectedly slashed through Jaden's shoulder before returning to its wielder.
Jinzo - 2500 LP
Jaden - 2600 LP
Jaden screamed and collapsed on her knees, clutching her bloody shoulder with one hand She hissed in pain when she tenderly tried to tap the wound with one of her blood-soaked fingers. Luckily, the wound wasn't that deep, but if she kept it as it is, she knew it would get infected.
Everyone else stared, gasping over what just happened. Wasn't this supposed to be a duel with normal, harmless holograms? Then, how did Jaden receive that nasty wound?
"Oh, and don't think I've forgotten all about my own Ectoplasmer!"
The ghost-like spirit of Malice Doll of Demise burst out from his original body before swooping by and spinning around Jaden. Just the sight of the spirit spinning made Jaden want to throw up since her headache was getting worse.
Jinzo - 2500 LP
Jaden - 1800 LP
"Are you done yet?" groaned Jaden, resisting the urge to vomit while struggling to stand on her own two feet.
"Not even close! Ectoplasmer!"
"Wait, what are you-"
BOOM! A shot fired from the faceup Spell card straight at Jaden's chest. Jaden coughed and bit her lip to endure the pain. None of her Life Points dropped, but that didn't stop the pain she was experiencing.
"W-wait...What the hell was-"
"Ectoplasmer!"
BOOM! Once again, another beam shot out and fired at Jaden's side, causing her to yell in pain. The visible wound on her shoulder was painful enough, and now two more shots to the chest area? What was his deal?
"Seriously, dude! W-what the hell happ-"
"Ectoplasmer!"
BOOM! This time, it was a shot to the knee, but Jaden managed to stand tall and strong...as well as hurt pretty badly.
"H-hey! I don't even have any Monsters lef-"
"ECTO FREAKIN' PLASMER!"
BOOM! The next shot made her wobble and stagger back, but she held on.
"Stop saying that!"
"Fine. I was finished anyways. I end my turn."
Syrus grew more and more worried for his crush-er, friend out there. Not only did she receive an axe to the shoulder, but she was blasted over and over by Jinzo's Ectoplasmer. Obviously, he had to be cheating with that card, but at least Jaden's Life Points didn't go down and-what happened to her legs?!
"Jaden! Your legs!"
Hearing Syrus's warning, Jaden looked down at her lower body. She was more than terrified when, not just her legs, but the lower half of her body seemed to have been...vanished. Technically, they were still there and she could move, but that didn't stop her from being scared.
"W-what's happening?!"
"Oh, I'm simply collecting on our deal! You lost half your Life Points, so I'm taking half of your life force! Feels good, doesn't it?"
"S-shut up! I-it's my turn! My draw!" said Jaden, quickly making her move before Jinzo could do anything else with Ectoplasmer.
Jinzo, who crossed his arms, was perfectly calm and confident in his assuring victory. "It doesn't matter what card you draw! Face it, Jaden! You can't win as long as I have ECTOPLASMER-" BOOM! "-On the field!"
Jaden smirked, seeing her cards. "Yeah? Well, I have something you don't, Jinzo!"
"Hair that looks like a Kuriboh?"
"Wha-I-NO! I-Wait, does my hair look like a Kuriboh?"
"JADEN! Focus!" called out Syrus.
"Oh, right! Sorry! Anyways, as I was saying, I have Polymerization! But before I use it, I'm summoning Clayman to the field in Attack Mode!"
The golem-like Monster stood up, clenching his fists at his sides in preparation for a big fight.
Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)
"Oh, don't think I'm through yet! Next, I'll play Clay Wrap from my field and equip Clayman with it!"
A sort of gooey-like substance splattered onto Clayman, coating his body completely with the substance. Although he hated the...feeling of wearing this equipment, he knew its special effect and how it could help Jaden.
"Now, from my field, I'm gonna activate Polymerization! Now, from my hand, I use Burstinatrix, and from my field, I use Clayman and fuse them together to create Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster!"
Burstinatrix and Clayman jumped together before a portal absorbed the both of them and fused their powers and bodies together, creating a new being that took the form of a huge defender carrying a shield with a cannon-like arm.
Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2000/2500)
"Here's the sweet part! Since Clayman, who had Clay Wrap equipped to him, was sent to the Graveyard, that activates the special effect of Clay Wrap! And once Clay Wrap is sent to the Graveyard, it allows me to destroy a Spell or Trap on the field! Like that Ectoplasmer!"
"Nooo! Ectoplasmer!"
BOOM! The Spell card didn't fire anything, but managed to create one more loud sound before disappearing to the Graveyard like it was supposed to.
"Aw, 'licious! Now, Jaden won't take any damage from Jinzo's sacrificial Monsters!" said Chumley, finding hope in Jaden once more.
"And now, Rampart Blaster! Attack Jinzo directly! Rampart Barrage!"
Once getting into position, Rampart Blaster unleashed several missiles towards the Duel Spirits, creating explosions all over his side of the field that effectively brought down his Life Points by a lot.
Jinzo - 500 LP
Jaden -1800 LP
"Yeah! I'm not gonna lose to you, Jinzo!" declared Jaden. "I place a card facedown before ending!"
"My draw!" Using the electricity in the central power generators, Jinzo manifested another card. "And I couldn't have asked for a better card! With this card, my resurrection is almost complete!"
"What card?!"
"Hehehehehe...You'll see. But first, I activate Malice Doll of Demise's special ability to resummon him. But, I sacrifice him in order to call out my drawn card! Jinzo!"
As he was explaining all these things, Malice Doll of Demise had reappeared on the field only to vanish into thin air. The electricity around the power generators went out of control and were causing massive electrical currents in the air, which then connected and sent a bolt of lightning to crash down on the field. A few seconds later, some dust and smoke circled around where the lightning bolt had aimed for before Jinzo himself appeared, laughing maniacally.
Jinzo - (DARK/Machine) - LV6 - (2400/1500)
"Hang on a sec!" shouted Jaden. "If all you needed to do was sacrifice one Monster to revive yourself, why did you need THREE human sacrifices?!"
"Foolish human! My current form right now is temporary! In order to permanently regain a physical body, I need three sacrifices, which I'll have once I defeat you! Mwahaha!"
"I...I don't...I don't get it!"
Jinzo knew better than to argue with an idiot like her, so he began charging up a pink energy-like sphere in his palms. "Fine! Look at my glowy pink ball!"
"Ooh! Shiny!~"
"Now I attack your Rampart Blaster! Cyber Energy Shock!"
Jinzo flinged the energy sphere towards Rampart Blaster, and once the attack made contact, it had enough power to literally shock Rampart Blaster and then destroy her from the massive electricity.
Jinzo - 500 LP
Jaden - 1400 LP
"Your move..."
"Oh, man! Jaden's a goner now!" cried out Chumley. "And with Jinzo on the field, Jaden won't be able to use any of his Trap cards!"
"Alright, my turn! And I summon Wroughtweiler in Defense Mode!" said Jaden, seeing that it was all she could do. "Then...I end."
A dark, cybernetic dog creature showed up on her field, growling lowly at Jinzo and viewing him as an enemy. Seeing how he was in Defense Mode, the most he could do is stand back and defend his mistress.
Wroughtweiler - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (800/1200)
"Oh yeah! If Wroughtweiler's destroyed, Jaden can take Polymerization and an Elemental Hero from his Graveyard and put them in his hand!" said Chumley, remembering the effect of Wroughtweiler.
"Yeah...Just hope Jaden picks the right Hero to save the day," said Syrus.
"Ready for more pain, mortal?" Jinzo manifested yet another card he had drawn. "I summon Spirit Caller in Attack Mode!"
An old man robed in torn garments showed up, all weakened and pitiful-looking.
Spirit Caller - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (1000/1000)
Jinzo charged up another one of his energy spheres, preparing to launch another attack. "And then I'll attack your Wroughtweiler with Cyber Energy Shock!"
The sphere he had thrown transformed into a powerful beam of light which pierced through Wroughtweiler's defenses and destroyed the dog-like Monster.
"Now, thanks to Wroughtweiler's ability, Polymerization and Clayman come right back to my hand!" reminded Jaden.
"But not the field! That means Spirit Caller can attack you directly! Go, Breath from Beyond!"
Eyes glowing red, Spirit Caller widened his jaws and emitted soundwaves at Jaden, thus causing more pain to her. In fact, the soundwaves were so strong, they even caused Jaden to fall right on her back.
Jinzo - 500 LP
Jaden - 400 LP
"GAH!" Crashing to the ground caused the pain on her shoulder to spring up. Soon, some parts of her jacket were absorbing the blood, as evident of her red Slifer Red jacket turning into a darker shade of red and the fact that a small puddle of blood was forming near the area of her slashed shoulder.
"Jaden!" Everyone desperately wanted to rush over and protect Jaden from Jinzo and this duel any further, but they knew they couldn't. One, Jinzo could intervene and use the electrical currents from the generators to block their way. And two, now that Jinzo himself had a physical body now, he could fire more of his attacks at them, causing severe damage. They knew Jaden wouldn't want them to risk their lives, so they stayed put for her sake. They planned to get her to safety once this was all over.
"Finally, I equip myself with the Equip Spell, Amplifier! With this, I'm no longer bound by my own special ability, and I can activate Trap cards however I please. So, I'll set a card facedown and end."
"It's not over yet! I draw! And I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two extra card! Next up, I'm summoning Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"
Bubbleman showed up as quickly as possible. He knew the status of Jaden's condition due to watching her duel with the others, so he had to obey her commands as fast as he could so she could get help.
Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)
"Next, I equip him with Bubble Blaster! This Equip Spell card increases his Attack by 800!"
Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1200)
"Now, let it rip! Bombarding Bubble Barrage!"
Bubbleman fired his blaster once equipped onto it, targetting Spirit Caller who immediantly got destroyed the moment he felt the force of the WATER Attribute's attack.
"Heh, well done! You just fallen to my Trap! Spirit Barrier! This keeps me from taking damage so long as there's a Monster on my field! And, in case you've forgotten, there is one! Me!"
"I'm not through yet! I play Fairy of the Spring!" said Jaden. "I can place one Equip Spell card from my Graveyard and put it in my hand! And I choose Clay Wrap! Then, I'll throw down a facedown and end my turn!"
"Hey, that's the Equip card that can destroy one Spell or Trap card if sent to the Graveyard once equipped to Clayman! Could come in handy!" commented Chumley.
"Heh, no matter! After I destroy your Bubbleman, your Life Points are history!" said Jinzo, once he had gotten through his Draw Phase. He fired a blast at Bubbleman, but it only destroyed his Bubble Blaster.
Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)
"Oops! Forgot to tell ya! When Bubbleman is equipped with Bubble Blaster, his weapon is destroyed, and all Battle Damage is reduced to 0!"
"That only lasts you one turn! I place a card facedown and end," finished Jinzo.
"My go, then!" After drawing her card, Jaden saw it was Winged Kuriboh that she drew. She was relieved to see her cute, little Fairy-type card in her hands, but she hissed in pain, remembering her bleeding shoulder getting worse and worse as time gone by.
Winged Kuriboh appeared right besides her, concern about her deadly wound. He flew around her and nuzzled his cheek against her, trying to cheer her up and distract her from the pain.
Jaden smiled happily at the sight of her furry little friend. If it weren't for this duel and her injuries, she would be fangirling all over Winged Kuriboh again. 'Awww! Winged Kuriboh's trying to cheer me up! I'm definitely gonna give him a treat next time!'
Jinzo, being a Duel Spirit himself, noticed the little winged Duel Spirit. "A spirit?"
"He's a friend first, and a spirit second!" defended Jaden, thinking Jinzo was trying to insult her cute little friend. "He doesn't need any sacrifices like you do! He's my partner and my cute little friend!"
"Kuri kuri!" ("That's right!") Winged Kuriboh bounced on top of Jaden's head, also agreeing with his current mistress/friend.
"With that said, it's my turn!" Jaden said, her excitement rising due to Winged Kuriboh's appearance. "I summon Clayman in Attack Mode! Next, I activate the Equip Spell card, Clay Wrap from my hand!"
After Clayman reappeared on the field, he felt the Clay Wrap pouring all over his body, and, ignoring the fact that it was slimy, welcomed it temporarily, as he knew what Jaden was about to do.
Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)
"I'm far from done! Next up is Polymerization! So, I'm fusing my Clayman and Bubbleman together to summon Elemental Hero Mudballman!"
Taking both heroes' places, a enormous Hero with a body as strong as a wall yet with Bubbleman's face landed on the ground with a huge thud sound.
Elemental Hero Mudballman - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (1900/3000)
"And since Clay Wrap was sent to the Graveyard, I can now use its special effect and destroy that Amplifier!"
Pointing to the Amplifier equipped to Jinzo, Jaden then used the magic of Clay Wrap to shatter the helmet into pieces. Jinzo grunted and gasped, his one true strong point at the moment now destroyed. Before he could do anything, he, being the Monster himself, exploded, causing smoke to fill the area.
"Awesome! The Monster equipped with Amplifier is also destroyed!" said Chumley, knowing that Jaden had a much higher increased chance of winning, especially since Jinzo didn't have any Monsters left on the field.
"Nice work, Jay!" called Syrus.
"Yeah! I'm gonna win!" said Jaden happily.
"No!" The sharp mechanical voice coming from Jinzo disturbed their short victory. "I've come too close to give up! I won't let it end here! I REFUSEEEE!"
After the smoke faded away, everyone saw Torrey groaning and slowly getting up on his own. He seemed okay...for the most part.
"Torrey? You okay? Gah!" Jaden got a little bit too excited there, as she had forgotten the pain in her shoulder.
Torrey's body began moving on his own, as evident from the unfamiliar glowing red eyes he now possessed. "I am not Torrey...I am Jinzo...And I raise myself from the Graveyard using Call of the Haunted-"
Unable to allow that action to be accomplished, Jaden was quick to retaliate. "No, you don't! I activate the Trap card, Solemn Judgement! Sure, I have to give up half my Life Points, but that's okay! That's cause it'll destroy that Trap Card you were about to play!"
"Noooo!"
"Oh, yeah! Now, Mudballman! Finish him off! Do it!"
Red lightning crackled and surrounded the big palms of Mudballman before he cupped them together. Releasing all the power he's gathered, Mudballman fired huge red electrical wave currents aimed straight for the defenceless Jinzo, who was still possessing Torrey's body, making him scream as he was forced to take in the currents.
Jinzo - 0 LP
Jaden - 400 LP
Winner: Jaden
Jaden sighed in relief as her duel disk deactivated. "Thank God..." She grimanced in pain and fell down, clutching her bleeding shoulder before yelling in pain. This time, the pain felt worst than before, and when she pulled her hand back, it was already soaked and dripping with blood.
Torrey was still standing, though he was doing nothing. His chest heaved up a bit, and suddenly, he was engulfed in a energy force field. The light from the force field illuminated the area and spreaded even further, causing everyone else to black out.
Soon...
"Kuri, kuri! Kuri!"
"Ow..." Jaden tried sitting up, though she felt pain coursing through her body from her shoulder. Unlike before, the pain actually hurted less. She glanced at her shoulder and noticed that it was completely bandaged.
Winged Kuriboh nuzzled her cheeks, happy to see she was awake and alright. He couldn't bare to see her in such pain, especially against an intensive battle against Jinzo!
"Oh, hey Winged Kuriboh! Aww! You're so fluffy!~" Jaden giggled and happily embraced her little winged friend before realizing she was in her own dorm room in her bed. Although, Syrus and Chumley were nowhere to be found. "Huh? Chumley? Sy?"
"They've gone with that teacher of yours," spoke Avian, suddenly appearing near Jaden in his spiritual form.
"Aah! Avian? Whew! Glad it's you! I had this weird dream! It involved me dueling Jinzo, and then-"
"Actually, that wasn't a dream. That was real."
"Really? Kinda explains the pain in my shoulder. Huh?" Jaden spotted a tray of water, some nasty-looking soup with vegetables, and a note all sitting in a chair. She reached out and grabbed the note before reading it.
"Dear Jaden,
How are you today? It has been a few days since you went unconsciousness. Don't worry, because Torrey and his two friends are completely safe. Jinzo has been stopped and will never harm anyone again thanks to your hard work. Had we waited a bit longer, things would have become worse for that cut of yours! To help you recover, everyone helped make you some of my special, ancient vegetable soup that should get you up and going in a few hours! ...Hopefully. If you don't see us in your room, that is because I need help cleaning my room, so Syrus and Chumley are helping me put some boxes away.
Oh, and by the way, I already knew you were a girl from the moment I met you. I am smarter than I look. That, and I...dueled both Syrus and Chumley in order to force the truth out of them. Hoho! I wonder what other secrets the three of you are hiding? Besides the whole Abandoned Dorm incident. Nevertheless, this doesn't change my view that you are a great duelist. Hope you get better soon!
P.S. Please eat that soup and don't leave anything out or no fried shrimp for...three months. Sincerely, Banner~
"Noooo!" Anime tears were falling out of Jaden's eyes after reading the note. "No fried shrimp for three months?! I'LL DIEE!"
Winged Kuriboh and Avian sweatdropped. That was the reason she was upset? It seemed she was more worried about her appetite than the injury she received from Jinzo.
"Fine!" Fire ignited within Jaden's eyes as she got determined and took the bowl of soup. "If I want to eat fried shrimp, then damnit, I'm gonna eat the soup!"
After quickly taking a bite of it, however, her face turned...pale.
"Urk! It tastes like rotten cabbage mixed with garbage and stupidity!"
'That bad, huh?' thought Winged Kuriboh and Avian, relieved that they never have to eat the soup.
It took a while, but Jaden forced herself to swallow the entire soup before gulping down some water. She felt a little bit better, but yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Eh? I feel...so sleepy..."
"Well, healthy food can do that to you. Even if they do look disgusting," admitted Avian, crossing his arms.
Laying on her bed, Jaden tugged on his arm lightly. "Avi...? Can you stay here until I sleep?"
Avi...That was the nickname Jaden had given him when she was young, since she couldn't pronounce his name properly. It has been that long since she's called him that, huh? Now he was feeling a bit nostalgic.
Avian nodded, kneeling down with Winged Kuriboh floating near him. Jaden gently closed her eyelids, snoring lightly as her grip on Avian loosen. The two Duel Spirits decided to return back to their world in the deck...where it was currently being terrorized by villains...again.
Finished! Consider this an early Christmas present or whatever since this does take place in the winter vacation time! Read and review!