Are you guys ready?! Ready?! It's the rematch we've been waiting for!
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!
"Look, it's Chazz!"
"Yeah, I heard he's been acting strange, lately."
"Why's he wearing all white? Doesn't he usually wear a black coat?"
"Heh, I bet he actually bleached his clothes! Should have worn pink, instead!"
The newly reformed Chazz, who had somehow and mysterious changed for the crazy worse ever since Jaden disappeared, was minding his own business, walking past a group of Obelisk Blues who were teasing about his strange set of white clothing. Considering he was already being tormented before from demoting into a Slifer Red and suffering losses from Jaden, the teasing certainly gotten a new low.
Somehow, Chazz wasn't getting all irritated and yelling at his former Obelisk Blue colleagues, but instead, he was maintaining his cool composure while holding some anger inside.
"You know, I'm not afraid to get this outfit dirty," threatened Chazz, smirking as he was basically challenging his teasers. "I've got three more."
It was bad enough that Chazz can beat their sorry asses in a duel, but in a fight? There was no way they stood a chance! They tried that once, and...well, it was an experience they would never forget. Frightened, the Obelisk Blues ran for it, bypassing Chazz as he calmly walked away.
Well, it didn't matter if he dealt with them right now or not because eventually, even those Obelisk Blues will be wearing white soon enough. Well, even if they do dress as white, it still won't be as grand as his.
Meanwhile, Bonaparte was contemplating on the next move on how to take down the Slifer Red dorm when a bright idea popped into his head. "I got it! A chance to take down the Red Dorm!"
Crowler, who was signing stacks of paperwork, questioned, "What do you mean?"
"Well, Jaden's whereabouts are still unknown and Princeton's been acting weird. We'll take this opportunity to wipe out the whole Slifer Red dorm business and raise this school's reputation!"
"And how do you suppose we do that?" wondered Crowler, still focused on his paperwork before finally signing the last of the paperwork. "Yes! Mama mia! I've finally finis-"
"There's still more," interrupted Bonaparte, piling another stack of paperwork onto Crowler's desk. "Now, would you please pay attention to my plan?! We'll solve this with the same way we deal everything around here!"
"With a duel!" gasped Crowler, realizing what Bonaparte was trying to say. "A fight for the fate of their dorm! But, even if Jaden and Chazz aren't around, that dorm still has Alexis Rhodes, and we all know she's the best amongst the female students! There are almost no duelists that can stand up against her, and even if there are, they've all resolved themselves to protecting the Slifer Red dorm!"
"I know. That's why I've made arrangements to have her challenge duel her tonight. You'll be surprised to know who it is."
Meanwhile, with Sartorius...
Sartorius barely had to turn around to notice Aster walking in his private white room. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, Aster. Last month, I went to Duel Academy and found something interesting within that school. For now, I've booked you a last minute match at Duel Academy, so your flight to Duel Academy will leave at exactly 10 P.M. sharp."
"Wait, why make me go there? Isn't my business done with that place?" questioned Aster.
"Not exactly. The cards are telling me something of dire importance. At the school, something against my predictions are happening."
"Something that was even impossible for you to predict?"
Sartorius nodded. "There is someone who can overcome the fate I predicted. If you're interested in such a person, then go to Duel Academy to find your answers."
Unsatisfied, yet curious, Aster turned around and left, wondering who might it be to overcome fate. After all, it's impossible to simply twist around destiny like that!
That night...
"What's this? A notice?" wondered Alexis as she, Chazz, and Hassleberry stared at the wooden post standing right in front of the Slifer Red dorm.
"It says, 'The dormitory leader of this dorm and the representative of the school will duel. If your side loses, we will mercilessly crush this dorm,'" read Hassleberry. "Figures the enemy in charge of all of this would use this to their advantage!"
Chazz merely chuckled at the amusement of such a duel. "It doesn't matter which side wins or loses. In the end, the Society of Light will triumph! I don't really care about this dorm anymore, so you can do whatever you want."
Watching him leave irritated Alexis, but she figured Chazz might act this way. "Fine, whatever. This duel, I will accept. Aside from me, there is nobody else who can defend this dorm."
It was a little different for Hassleberry since he can't duel in Alexis' place because she was more experienced than him, so he was sobbing in joy at her pure words. "Alexis, thank you so much! Man, where did the Serge go at a time like this?!"
The message did also state that the duel would take place early tomorrow morning, so Alexis and Hassleberry arrived at the entrance of Duel Academy, where it was a foggy morning that day, awaiting for the Bonaparte, Crowler, and that mysterious duelist Alexis had to face.
"Alexis! Alexis!" called out Syrus as he and Bastion ran towards where Alexis and Hassleberry were.
"Alexis, we heard the news," spoke Bastion. "I can't believe they would still continue to do this!"
"That just goes to show how persistent we can be!" laughed Bonaparte as he and Crowler emerged from the entrance of Duel Academy.
"I'm here, just as promised," assured Alexis in a serious tone. "Who's the opponent I'm supposed to face?"
"That's me!" announced Aster, stepping out from the fog and making a shocking entrance before turning to Alexis. "I'm your opponent, so let's just hurry and get this over with!"
While everyone else was shocked by Aster's appearance, Crowler pulled Bonaparte aside for a quick talk. "How and when did you manage to get Aster Phoenix here?!"
"Well, let's just say that I heard that he's looking for a person in order to avenge his father," mumbled Bonaparte. "Since I know the boss of the duel underground, I told him that if he won the duel, I'd tell him about the person he's been searching for."
"Bonaparte! I didn't think you knew some shady people."
"That's because I don't. I lied."
"YOU LI-"
Quickly, Bonaparte covered Crowler's mouth on time before he could babble anything else. "T-That's enough! Come on, everyone! Time to get moving! Let's head to the duel stadium!"
As everyone else headed inside, Aster stopped when he saw Chazz casually leaning against a large stone-like wall. "Have you come here on Sartorius' orders?"
Now that was an interesting way to start a conversation. "Wait, his orders? What do you mean?" asked Aster.
"The Society of Light's orders," answered Chazz.
"The Society of Light? What's that about?"
Standing up straight, Chazz was a little conflicted and confused as Aster. "What, really? I thought for sure that you came on Sartorius' orders to obliterate Jaden."
"Why would I need to duel her when I've already beaten her? There's no more reason for me to duel her when I have to duel that Alexis girl."
"When you fought with Jaden the other day, Sartorius' power slipped into your deck," revealed Chazz. "But even though Jaden lost to you, she didn't become a member of the Society of Light as planned. In other words, Sartorius' power doesn't work on Jaden."
"Wait, what do you mean when you said that his power slipped into my deck?" wondered Aster, growing suspicious. It's true that Sartorius did have some sort of fortune telling ability that was unlike any other fortune tellers in the world, but could there actually be more to his power?
"Do you seriously not know?" asked Chazz, a little annoyed. "Well, whatever. The school will eventually belong to Sartorius, anyways. Jaden will show herself soon enough, but if you don't duel her, I'll take over your place."
"What...Hey, answer my question!" yelled Aster, watching Chazz leave while maniacally laughing. 'Just what is with that guy? But...the person that Sartorius mentioned that will change fate...Could it really be Jaden?'
A few minutes later, everyone else seated at the auditorium seats, watching as Alexis and Aster got on the dueling platform, preparing for their match to decide the fate of the Slifer Red dorm, though Aster was mostly here for the deal Bonaparte promised him.
Upon meeting eye-to-eye with Aster, Alexis could sense the tension and focus behind Aster's fighting aura and knew she was in for a really tough duel, especially since she's about to face off against a Pro Duelist.
"The duel wagering the continuance of the Slifer Red dorm will not take place," announced Bonaparte.
"I'm ready!" said Alexis.
"Bring it on!" said Aster. Both fiercely glared at each other once more before inserting their decks in, ready to duel to determine each other's futures.
"WAAAIIIIIITTTTTTTT!"
Surprised by the outburst that interrupted the start of their duel, everyone looked at the intruder when their gazes changed to surprised looks. "JADEN?!" everyone exclaimed upon seeing the familiar girl burst in.
Panting and placing her dirtied hands on her knees, Jaden tried to say something but needed to catch her breath first. She was truly a mess; her hair all tussled up with a few twigs on it, her clothes a little ripped and caked with dirt, and her expression begging for a drink of water.
Once she recovered her breath, Jaden spoke up with a grin on her face. "Time out! Time out!" She rushed past Aster, giving a short "Hi!" at him before retreating to her friends' side, who rushed up to her.
"Jaden! I missed you so much!" cried out Syrus, leaping into Jaden's arms and snuggling into her...rather flat chest.
If it weren't for their happy reunion, Hassleberry would be snarling at Syrus and pulling him away, but instead, he had a better idea as he took a half-empty water bottle from his pocket and threw it at Jaden, who caught it. "Here, Serge! You need it! You deserve a drink!"
Bastion turned to Hassleberry. "Wait, didn't you drink half of that wat-"
"Shush! I'm enjoying the moment! Besides, every soldier can't complain when it comes to surviving!" said Hassleberry, dreamily staring at Jaden as she gulped down the last contents of the water bottle. 'If what girls say are true, then that was truly an indirect kiss!~'
"Where did you go anyways, Jaden?" asked Syrus.
"The truth is, after I drifted in the sea on a boat, I came across a new Hero deck!" squealed Jaden, unable to get over the fact that she got new, cool alien-like Monsters, especially a new Elemental Hero.
"Wait, how? I possess all of the available Heroes there are! Including the rare, expensive ones!" said Aster.
"Yeah, but this is different! See, a huge light went 'Pow! Powtch! Bam!' from outer space and once I got caught in the light, a new Hero appeared and breathed new life into my deck!"
Okay, everyone was understandably confused by what Jaden meant, especially Bastion, who was supposed to be the smartest of them all. "Jaden...we don't know what you're talking about."
"Wait, wait! Jaden! If you're back, then does that mean you can duel again?" asked Syrus.
"Yeah! Can you see your cards now?" Hassleberry asked.
Jaden nodded. "Yup, yup, yup! When I returned to the island, I heard a lot of voices calling out for me! Like, Winged Kuriboh, and Mr. Kitty, some alien girl who I thought was a guy at first, a bird man, a fire bug, a cute mole, and yeah! Oh, and before I met those guys, I met Aquos, a dolphin guy, and dueled this robot thing from the Society of Light! With new cards, I've got a new and improved deck that I can't wait to try out on!~"
"Wow, as whacky as that story is, I at least believe that she's got a new deck," admitted Syrus.
"Hey, Aster! I want you to be the first one to experience and see my new deck!" called out Jaden. "Even though you were a bit of a jerkish asshole who tricked me, I still want to thank you! It's thanks to you that I met this new Hero deck!"
"I should have told you already that there are no heroes stronger than the Destiny Heroes on Earth!" called back Aster, irritated.
"And I'm telling you that this deck came from space!" protested Jaden. "I won a card contest from Kaiba Corp when I was a kid and they sent my fanmade cards up in space, and that's how I got my cards!"
"Wait, that international card contest that was infamous a couple years back?" wondered Syrus. "Wow, you must have been a great drawer if your cards won! What'd you draw?"
"Hmm...A pink dolphin and a dandelion!"
"...How did I lose to those?!" cried out Syrus, falling to his knees in despair.
"Calm down there, Truesdale," sobbed Hassleberry, since he lost the contest as well. "You're not the only one experiencing from childhood loss."
Ignoring the two and their childish antics, Bastion turned to Jaden. "Um...Jaden? The existence of aliens hasn't been confirmed yet..."
"Then, why did Kaiba say that he wanted to send the fanmade cards up at space so that aliens could learn how to duel?" wondered Jaden. "And don't you try and tell me that's not possible! It was made on official international news, too!"
"W-Well..." He had to admit, Jaden was right. Why did Seto Kaiba make such a ridiculous proclamation to the world? "Actually, hold on! If that announcement was made when you were a kid, how did you remember it?"
"Oh, I remembered when I saw my new cards! And also about Seto Kaiba's helicopter finger cutting incident."
Ah, yes. Right after Kaiba made that announcement to Domino City, he was about to say more news when his ego accidentally caused his finger to be sliced off by one of the helicopter wings, making him stop the announcement to go to the nearest hospital. People proclaim it was actually his second time his finger was cut off.
Turning to Alexis, Jaden got on her knees and began bowing her head up and down. "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE LEMME TAKE YOUR PLACE! I WANNA TEACH THAT JERKISH ASSHOLE A LESSON!"
"Hey, you do know I'm standing right here, right?" called Aster.
"And you do know that I don't care, right?"
After listening to Jaden's pleading, Alexis sighed and allowed the girl to switch places with her, despite already deciding to let the girl switch places. This bothered Bonaparte, as this was not part of the plan. Alexis was supposed to duel Aster, not Jaden!
"Hold up! This isn't fair!" called Bonaparte.
"Actually, it is," spoke Bastion. "Remember, this is a duel risking the Slifer Red dorm, and Jaden is still technically a Slifer Red member, so she has every right to participate!"
Noting nothing was wrong in the argument Bastion presented, Crowler nodded. "Yes, I see! Very well, I approve of the duelist change! Is that alright with you, Vice Chancellor Bonaparte?"
Sighing and left with no other choice, Bonaparte nodded. "Fine, fine. I guess it wouldn't hurt."
"Awesome!" Smiling at Aster, Jaden told him, "I hope we can enjoy this duel together!~"
"We all know how this happened last time, so I'll make sure it happens again!" promised Aster.
"Jaden, catch!" called Alexis, tossing a duel disk over to Jaden, who thanked her afterwards.
Standing up, Crowler announced, "Alright, that's enough! Let the duel commence!"
"DUEL!"
- DUEL -
Aster - 4000 LP
VS
Jaden - 4000 LP
"My turn, draw!" said Aster. "I summon Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude!"
Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1400/1600)
"I then activate Diamond Dude's effect! I can check the top card in my deck, and if it's a Spell card, that card goes to the Graveyard and will be activated next turn. The card I drew was Graceful Charity, so I send it to the Graveyard and end my turn."
Excited to draw one of her new Monsters, Jaden quickly drew her card faster before anyone could blink. "MY TURN! DRAW! YES, YES, YES! Okay! I'm gonna summon one of my new friends! Here comes Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin!"
Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin - (WATER/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)
"He's part of my new friends, the Neo-Spacians!" announced Jaden, proudly looking at Aqua Dolphin. "Now, I activate the Spell card, Fake Hero! I get to Special Summon an Elemental Hero Monster from my hand, but he can't attack, and he returns to my hand at the End Phase! So, I Special Summon Elemental Hero Bladedge!"
Elemental Hero Bladedge - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV7 - (2600/1800)
"Next comes up Aqua Dolphin's effect! I discard a card, then I get to look at your hand and choose 1 Monster card. Then, I get to select another Monster on my side of the field and if that Monster's Attack Points are higher than the Monster card I've chosen from your card, your Monster card's destroyed and you get hit with 500 Points of Damage!"
To Aster's shock, Jaden had chosen one of his Destiny Heroes, Captain Tenacious, and selected her Bladedge, thus destroying Captain Tenacious and being inflicted with 500 Points of Damage.
Aster - 3500 LP
Jaden - 4000 LP
"I set two cards and end my turn!"
"My turn!" said Aster, drawing his card. "Now the effect of Diamond Dude kicks in, and I get to activate Graceful Charity from within my Graveyard! I draw three cards and discard two! Then, I activate the Field Spell, Mausoleum of the Emperor!"
The entire playing field exploded with bursts of mist that surrounded the field, fading away only when the new field appeared, resembling some sort of Egyptian, pyramid fortress with a bridge between both duelists as there were countless, old statues underneath them.
"According to this Field Spell's effect, each players can Normal Summon or set Monsters without sacrificing any Monsters by paying 500 Life Points x the number of Monsters needed for the Tribute Summon!"
Aster - 2500 LP
Jaden - 4000 LP
"Come on! Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster!"
With the monstrous entity slamming feet on the field and returning, Jaden's side took a turn for the worse since Dreadmaster is Aster's ultimate Destiny Hero.
Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (?/?)
"When Dreadmaster is summoned, I get to Special Summon up to two Destiny Hero Monsters from my Graveyard! I Special Summon Captain Tenacious and Doom Lord!"
Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/800)
Destiny Hero - Doom Lord - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)
"Now, Dreadmaster's Attack and Defense Points are equal to the combined original Attack Points of all other Destiny Heroes I control"
Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (2800/2800)
Pointing at Jaden, Aster declared, "It's a match between your new heroes and my Destiny- Heroes! Dreadmaster, finish off her Aqua Dolphin!"
"I activate the Trap, Negate Attack!" shouted Jaden. "It negates the opponent's attack and ends the Battle Phase!"
"Damnit! You just got lucky!" muttered Aster, gritting his teeth.
"My turn, draw! Hey, Aster! Thanks for letting me have use of your Field Spell, because now I can do this! I pay 1000 Life Points and sacrifice these creepy statue guys to summon a really strong Monster! Come on out, power that protects Neo Space, Elemental Hero Neos!"
"What?! There's no way there's such a thing! You're bluffing! There's no way-!"
Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (2500/2000)
"...Well, fine!" said Aster, accepting that there really was an unknown Elemental Hero right in front of him. 'How is this possible?! Even I, who uses Heroes, have never seen this Elemental Hero!'
"You know, there's something interesting with Neo-Spacians and Neos!" explained Jaden. "Elemental Hero Neos has already received the wave of the universe and can make contact with any Neo- Spacian to make a new Elemental Hero! Now I can fuse my Neo-Spacians and Neos without the use of Polymerization!"
"What?!"
"Here, lemme show ya a demonstration! Aqua Dolphin! Neos! Contact Fusion to create the new Aqua Neos!"
Emerging from the waters, Aqua Dolphin flew high into outer space with Neos, where their presences became a blur before a new powerful entity combined with their traits and bodies merged arrived.
Elemental Hero Aqua Neos - (WATER/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (2500/2000)
"This is Jaden's new deck?" wondered Alexis, amazed.
"I activate Aqua Neos' effect! By discard a card from my hand, I can randomly destroy 2 cards from my opponent's hand!" called out Jaden, wanting two random cards from Aster's hand vanish. "Then, I activate my facedown card, H - Heated Heart! Now Aqua Neos' Attack Points increase by 500!"
Elemental Hero Aqua Neos - (WATER/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (3000/2000)
"Now attack Dreadmaster!"
Raising his arms above his head, Aqua Neos summoned a powerful surge of water which sent Dreadmaster flying and burst into nothing but glass.
Aster - 2300 LP
Jaden - 3000 LP
"Wow, did you see that?!" cried out Syrus.
"Yeah! She just took out his ace Monster in seconds!" praised Hassleberry.
Shaking with anger at the defeat of his Monster, Aster growled, "How...dare you...?! My most powerful Monster, defeated by the likes of you?! I won't accept it! Other than the Elemental Heroes and the Destiny Heroes, nothing else can compared to them! Especially my Destiny Heroes!"
"But my Elemental Hero Aqua Neos just defeated yours. So-huh?" To Jaden's shock, right when her turn was just about over, Aqua Neos' body began glowing before becoming a trail of light that entered her deck, surprising everyone. "Uh, Aqua Neos?! What gives?! Hey! Hey! I still kinda need you!"
"Wait, why did her Monster return to her deck?" wondered Syrus, panicking.
"Could it be that Jaden doesn't have extensive knowledge on her own deck?" theorized Bastion.
"If that's the case, then Jaden's in real trouble, because her field's empty!"
Aster didn't understand what happened, but if this sudden change of events would make his victory smoother, he'd gladly embrace it. Grinning sinisterly, Aster drew his card. "My turn! Oh, I am so going to enjoy this...Diamond Dude! Captain Tenacious! And Doom Lord! Attack her directly all at once!"
"N-Now hold on, I'm sure-GAAAH!"
Unfortunately, Aster wasn't known to show any hint of mercy, and neither do his Destiny Heroes as they mercilessly pummeled her with their blows, sending her crashing to the ground with less than a few Life Points left.
Aster - 2300 LP
Jaden - 200 LP
"I end my turn! My victory has already been decided!" declared Aster confidently.
"No way!" said Jaden, growing excited despite her disadvantage as she jumped to her feet to face Aster. "I still haven't shown you all the tricks my deck has! This is only the beginning!"
Despite her words, Jaden still felt a bit of pain from the three successful rough attacks laid onto her, and it didn't help that Aqua Neos had a serious weakness that only allowed him on the field for one turn. Guess there had to be a price to pay for every power.
With Jaden completely defenseless and having no cards in her hands, Aster thought that this might be his easier victory yet. 'Jaden, you don't understand the weight of faith that is carried by the Destiny Heroes. I swore to avenge my father's death and eliminate anyone that gets in my way, including you!'
"My turn, draw!" said Jaden, hoping for a miracle. "I drew Bubbleman, and if he's the only card in my hand, I can Special Summon him!"
Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)
"Also, if there are no other cards on my field, I can draw two more cards! Then, I activate the Spell, Pot of Greed, letting me draw two free cards!"
Why was it that fate always had to make things difficult for Aster? 'Jaden refreshed her hand in less than a few seconds! How?! By plain luck?!' thought Aster, growling lowly in frustration.
"Now, I equip Bubbleman with the Equip Spell, Bubble Blaster raising his Attack Points by 800!"
Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1200)
"And since I never got to Normal Summon this turn, now's a good time as ever to introduce my newest Neo-Spacian! The Neo-Spacian of wind, Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird!"
Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/600)
"Another one of Jaden's new Monsters!" gasped Syrus.
"Even after we already met, you're still cool-looking!" squealed Jaden to Air Hummingbird.
"Now that we can fight side-by-side, I can now support you! Use my special ability!" proposed Air Hummingbird.
Jaden nodded. "I activate Air Hummingbird's effect! For each card in your hand, I gain 500 Life Points each!"
Much to everyone's surprise, since Aster held three cards, three pink flowers sprouted in mid-air, allowing Air Hummingbird to suckle onto the three flowers and grant Jaden more Life Points.
Aster - 2300 LP
Jaden - 1700 LP
"Her new Monster has a life-recovering effect?" wondered Aster.
"Now it's time to attack! Bubbleman, shoot down Captain Tenacious!" ordered Jaden.
Unleashing a blast of water from his Bubble Blaster, Bubbleman succeeded in taking out one of the most troublesome Destiny Heroes, leaving no more room for revival anymore.
Aster - 1500 LP
Jaden - 1700 LP
"Air Hummingbird, take down Doom Lord, next!"
Taking flight up in the air, Air Hummingbird spread his wings and then swooped downwards towards Doom Lord, taking him out with one strike.
Aster - 1300 LP
Jaden - 1700 LP
"I set a card facedown and end my turn!"
"Unbelievable!" cried out Alexis, astonished by everything that's been happening thus far. "Under such a terrible situation, Jaden was able to turn things around in one turn!"
"Neo-Spacians...they truly uphold powers and strengths that we cannot understand!" muttered Bastion.
"I don't know what's going on, but if Jaden's winning, that's good! Go get him, Jay!" cheered Syrus.
"Yeah, go teach that guy a lesson!" agreed Hassleberry.
"My turn, draw!" said Aster. "It doesn't matter what sort of new Monsters you put into your deck, because no hero is better than the Destiny Heroes! I activate the Field Spell, Dark City!"
The monumental, pyramid-like setting with the old statues underneath vanished as darkness filled the skies above and dark buildings rose up around them.
"If a Destiny Hero's weaker than the opposing Monster, that Destiny Hero gains 1000 Attack Points!"
"So it's just like my Elemental Hero's Skyscraper?! Cool!" squealed Jaden.
"No, it's nothing like-Actually, you know what? It kinda is. But anyways, I sacrifice Diamond Dude to Tribute Summon Destiny Hero - Double Dude!"
Destiny Hero - Double Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV6 - (1000/1000)
"Double Dude, destroy Bubbleman! And thanks to Dark City's effect, Double Dude gains 1000 Attack Points because he's weaker than Bubbleman!"
Destiny Hero - Double Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV6 - (2000/1000)
"Not so fast! Bubbleman's Bubble Blaster's effect kicks in! Instead of Bubbleman being destroyed, it's Bubble Blaster that does, and I take no damage!"
True to Jaden's word, Bubble Blaster did get destroyed the instant Double Dude managed to land an attack on Bubbleman, with the Elemental Hero still standing, yet have a reduction in strength."
Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)
"I know that!" said Aster. "But you should know Double Dude's effect! He can attack twice in the same Battle Phase! But I'm not aiming for Bubbleman anymore! Double Dude, attack Air Hummingbird!"
Switching targets, Double Dude, who had become a rad warrior, turned back into his gentleman-like state before slashing at Air Hummingbird, and since Double Dude's original Attack Points were higher than Air Hummingbird, the effect of Dark City didn't course through him.
Destiny Hero - Double Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV6 - (1000/1000)
Aster - 1300 LP
Jaden - 1500 LP
"I set a card and end my turn!"
"My turn!" said Jaden. "I play Graceful Charity, letting me draw three cards, but discard two! I then activate the Trap, Disgraceful Charity! This turn only, both players can all all cards from their Graveyards that were discarded by the effect of a Spell card! I then activate the Spell, Common Soul, and Special Summon another Neo-Spacian from my hand! Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab!"
Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (500/500)
"Hey, hey! Aster! It's another one of my hero Monsters! Sure, he doesn't have the Elemental Hero name, but he's still considered a hero to me!"
Angered, Aster questioned, "Jaden, are you really that happy with your own heroes? You're living in a childish fantasy! I don't acknowledge heroes with no destiny!"
"Jeez, there you go again, talking on and on about destiny!" complained Jaden, getting annoyed. "That's starting to get real annoying, you know! If you love destiny so much, why don't you make your own?"
"What...do you mean?"
"Look, the story with your Dad is really sad, I know. But he must have created the Destiny Heroes to make you happy instead of upsetting you. I mean, isn't it always nice to meet new heroes?"
Come to think of it, Aster's never thought of forging his own destiny before, but come to think of it, his card-designing father always wanted to make his own son happy, which is why he made the Destiny Heroes and other Monsters in the first place. His father was kind and never wanted any harm, but Aster's harmed too many people and never once used the Destiny Heroes for fun. What would his father say now if they ever met again?
Now that Aster was lost in thought, he glanced back at Double Dude, one of his Destiny Heroes. He practically burdened his Destiny Heroes with his own selfish goals and used them for himself, not for good. Yes, he was a professional Pro Duelist that used his cards to their fullest potential, but not exactly in a good way. He dealt with justice, yes, but he ended up harming people instead of doing any actual good.
"If you're not too busy, can we get back to the duel?" called out Jaden. "I activate Flare Scarab's effect! For each Spell and Trap card on your field, he gains 400 extra Attack Points!"
Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (1300/500)
"Neo-Spacians have the ability to support their allies! Now, Common Soul's effect activates, and Flare Scarab can share his Attack Points with Bubbleman!"
Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (2100/1200)
Bubbleman, attack Double Dude!"
With surging energy pouring in thanks to Flare Scarab, Bubbleman unleashed a volley of bubbles at Double Dude, taking him out.
Aster - 200 LP
Jaden - 1500 LP
"I activate my Trap, Destiny Signal!" said Aster. "When my Destiny Hero gets sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Monster from either my hand or deck! I Special Summon Destiny Hero - Defender!"
Destiny Hero - Defender - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (100/2700)
"Oh, cool! Your Monster has even higher Defense Points than my Clayman!" praised Jaden.
"Yes, but in exchange for such high defense, you get to draw an additional card in every one of your Standby Phases," explained Aster. "My turn, draw! Double Dude's effect activates! When he was destroyed last turn, I get to Special Summon 2 Double Dude Tokens on my next Standby Phase!"
Double Dude Tokens - (DARK/Warrior/Token) - LV4 - (1000/1000) X2
"Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon and destroy that annoying Common Soul card!"
A rushing wind blew onto the field and instantly destroyed Common Soul, returning Flare Scarab to Jaden's hand. "When Common Soul's removed from the field, the Neo-Spacian Special Summoned from its effect returns to my hand."
"Well, that just makes it better for me," said Aster cockily. "Because without that Common Soul card or your Flare Scarab, Bubbleman's Attack Points return to normal!"
Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)
"Go, Double Dude Token! Destroy Bubbleman! And second Double Dude Token, attack Jaden directly afterwards!"
Both Tokens set out to commit to their duties; one slashing and destroying Bubbleman, while the other attacking Jaden, leaving her with just as much Life Points as Aster has.
Aster - 200 LP
Jaden - 300 LP
"You're lucky none of my Tokens have the same ability as my Double Dude!" said Aster. "I end my turn!"
"My turn!" grunted Jaden. "And thanks to your Defender, I'm allowed to draw an extra card! I activate the Spell, Shallow Grave! Now, both players can Special Summon a Monster from their Graveyards in Defense Mode! And I choose Hero Kid!"
Hero Kid - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV2 - (300/600)
"And since he was Special Summoned, I can Special Summon any number of Hero Kids from my deck, so here's two more!"
Hero Kid - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV2 - (300/600) X3
"Big deal! I Special Summon Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster! And if he's summoned, I get to destroy all non- Destiny Hero Monsters on my field, like the two Tokens I have! But, I get to Special Summon 2 other Destiny Hero Monsters from my Graveyard! Diamond Dude and Captain Tenacious!"
Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (?/?)
Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/800)
Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1400/1600)
"And Dreadmaster's Attack and Defense Points are the sum of the Attack Points of all other Destiny Heroes on my field!"
Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (2300/2300)
"Fine, but I now summon Flare Scarab back to the field!" said Jaden.
Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (500/500)
"And because of the existence of the Spell card, Dark City, he gains 400 extra Attack Points!"
Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (900/500)
"Flare Scarab, attack Captain Tenacious!"
Rousing in power, Flare Scarab's fire power shot out arrows of fire that exploded all over the battlegrounds before finally hitting and taking out Captain Tenacious.
Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (1500/1500)
"I set two cards and end my turn!"
"My turn!" said Aster. "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards! Then, I sacrifice Dreadmaster, Diamond Dude, and Defender to Special Summon Destiny Hero - Dogma!"
Destiny Hero - Dogma - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (3400/2400)
"Dogma, destroy Flare Scarab!"
Energy charging within Dogma, once the new Destiny Hero prepared himself, he rushed head-on towards Flare Scarab, intending to finish this duel once and for all.
"I activate a Trap!" interrupted Jaden quickly. "Kid Guard! With this Trap, all I have to do is sacrifice one of my Hero Kids to negate your attack! Then, I can add an Elemental Hero Monster from my deck to my hand!"
Hero Kid quickly stood in front of Flare Scarab, glancing at him once before taking the full blow. Resolved by Hero Kid's sacrifice, Flare Scarab promised, "Your sacrifice won't be in vain. Jaden, it's time to harness Neos' power once more!"
Nodding, Jaden announced, "I add Elemental Hero Neos to my hand!"
"Then, I set a card and end my turn!" said Aster.
"Remember, for each Spell and/or Trap card in your field, Flare Scarab's Attack Points increase by another 400 points!"
Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (1300/500)
"My turn!" said Jaden. "Now-" Suddenly, she was engulfed by a beam of violet light that sprung from underneath her feet, bringing forth pain throughout her body.
"Dogma's effect activates!" stated Aster. "For each of your Standby Phase, Dogma takes away half of your Life Points!"
Aster - 200 LP
Jaden - 150 LP
"Oh no! Jaden only has a few Life Points left!" cried out Syrus.
"This is bad!" said Hassleberry.
"If Jaden takes one more sort of Damage, whether it's from battle or effect, it's over," said Bastion.
"Hehehe!~ This is so much fun, Aster!" giggled Jaden.
Smirking a bit, Aster admitted, "I didn't think you'd still find fun while you're on the verge of losing."
"Yeah! I've seen a lot of Heroes clashing against each other, but I feel bad, because you haven't seen all of my new heroes!"
"Wait, what do you mean?"
"You'll see! For now, I activate the Field Spell, Neo Space!" said Jaden; Dark City vanishing, or rather, illuminating as a strange aura of multiple colors mixed together surrounded the field. "Neo Space makes it so Neos and his Fusion Monsters gain 500 Attack Points! I sacrifice my two Hero Kids to summon Elemental Hero Neos!"
Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (2500/2000)
"And like I said before, Neos gains 500 extra Attack Points!"
Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (3000/2000)
"But even if you increased his strength, he still isn't any stronger than my Dogma!" reminded Aster.
"True, but I'm gonna show you the possibilities of Neos right now!" promised Jaden. "So Flare Scarab and Neos! Merge together using Contact Fusion!"
"Hey, wait! You can't fuse without a Polymerization card! That's against the rules!"
Jaden shook her head. "No, it's Contact Fusion! Contact Fusion makes it so you don't have to use Polymerization to fuse! But it's only legit with a Neo-Spacian and Neos!"
Covering part of his eyes as the shining light from the Contact Fusion was commencing, Aster felt warmth within himself as he was reminded of his past childhood. "Yeah...I remember that I always used to be excited over the new appearances of heroes! So, this is your new hero, Jaden?"
"Yup! This is just one of Neos' new brands of strengths! Elemental Hero Flare Neos!" announced Jaden.
Elemental Hero Flare Neos - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (2500/2000)
"For each Spell and/or Trap card on the field, he gains 400 extra Attack Points! And there are three out on the field! Plus, Neo Spaces makes it so Flare Neos gets an additional 500 Attack Points boost!"
Elemental Hero Flare Neos - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (4200/2000)
"Flare Neos, destroy Dogma once and for all!"
Just as Flare Neos was about to initiate one more attack, Aster still had another plan in mind. "I activate the Trap, D-Shield! Now, when a Destiny Hero I control is attacked, I can switch that Monster into Defense Mode and D-Shield is equipped onto Dogma, making it so he can't be destroyed in battle!"
"Awww! I was so close, but good comeback!" praised Jaden. "I end my turn! Neo Space has another effect, making it so any fused Monsters with Neos won't disappear after one turn."
"I see. Jaden, Neos certainly is a great hero, but just because he is, doesn't mean he's undefeatable!" said Aster, drawing his card. "I switch Dogma into Attack Mode and equip him with Heavy Storm Blade!"
"Flare Neos' effect activates!" reminded Jaden. "For each Spell and/or Trap card on the field, he gains 400 more Attack Points!"
Elemental Hero Flare Neos - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (4600/2000)
"Here I go, Jaden! The last punch will determine the result between us!" promised Aster, determined. "Dogma, finish off Flare Neos!"
"Wait, why would he attack with a lower Attack Point Monster?" wondered Bastion.
"This is the fatal sword I've chosen to defeat you! Heavy Storm Blade's effect activates! The Monster equipped with Heavy Storm Blade will destroy all Spells and Trap cards on the field when he attacks except for Heavy Storm Blade!"
With most of the Spells and Traps being blown away by the spinning blade Dogma equipped with, Flare Neos' Attack Point significantly decreased a lot, making him the weaker one of the two.
Elemental Hero Flare Neos - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (2900/2000)
"Now, Dogma attack!"
When Dogma was about to slice Flare Neos in half, Flare Neos blocked with his arms, not only blocking the attack, but also coming close to shattering Heavy Storm Blade as evident of the cracks forming onto the huge blade.
"W-what?! How?!"
"Sorry, Aster, but Flare Neos' Attack Points are actually 3700."
"How?"
"With this!" said Jaden. "My set card was Spell Calling, and when it was destroyed by the effect of a Spell or Trap, I get to select 2 Spells from my deck and set them, granting my Flare Neos a boost!"
Elemental Hero Flare Neos - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (3700/2000)
'Wait, but then that means Jaden wins!' thought Aster, shocked. 'Neos and Jaden...could Jaden actually be the strength to overpower Sartorius' destiny? Is she the person Sartorius was talking about?'
Flare Neos, now having the power to defeat Dogma, overwhelmed him, destroyed the Destiny Hero for good as Aster fell to one knee, utterly being defeated.
Aster - 0 LP
Jaden - 150 LP
Winner: Jaden
"That's game!" said Jade, winking and doing her usual hand gesture.
"She did it! She won!" cheered Syrus, hugging Hassleberry.
"Yeah! My future girlfriend's growing up!"
"Hey! What do you mean 'your?' I'm gonna be her future boyfriend!"
"That was a splendid duel," said Bastion.
Alexis nodded. "Thanks to Jaden, the Slifer Red dorm's safe for now."
Waving to her friends, Jaden didn't notice Aster until he tapped her on the shoulder. "Hmm? What's up?"
"Jaden, I don't intend on losing next time," promised Aster. "So, enjoy this victory while it lasts. This doesn't mean that the Destiny Heroes are weak though, so keep that in mind."
"Yeah! Oh, and that first duel we had? We shouldn't count that one because you let me win!" said Jaden. "For now, we have a tie record, okay?"
"...Fine by me," agreed Aster before bending over and pecking her on the cheek. "I don't usually do this, but...I guess it's to make up for all the lying and terrible things I've done and said to you."
Glancing up a little, he could see Jaden's friends' shocked expression before Syrus and Hassleberry were snarling and hissing, angered while Alexis and Bastion were just plain surprised. Well, looks like Jaden's got a few fans of her own.
"I don't get it," said Jaden, confused as she wiped the kiss from her cheek, shocking Aster and making Hassleberry and Syrus happy. "Well, whatever! Next time you do something horrible, I'm gonna punch you in the face!"
"...You weren't supposed to actually wipe away the kiss," said Aster, dumbfounded. "Wow, you are unlike any of my fangirls, huh?"
"Who said I was your fangirl? I didn't like you that much until today."
Ouch. That's gotta wound on Aster's pride as he winched. "Okay, I deserved that. Well, I have to go. And maybe I'll see you again at school some other time, Jaden. After all, I will be attending here as a student, after all."
Jaden's face brightened as Hassleberry and Syrus' cries of "No!" were heard from the background. "Okay! I can't wait! See ya!"
Now that that business was over, Aster had a ton of questions to ask for Sartorius...
Finished!~ No skits today, but need more relationship bonding before anything happens! I think I'll do the whole Bonaparte vs Crowler duel episode, so we'll see! Read and review!