Sorry, guys! I'll try to be more into Yu-Gi-Oh series, but on that note, there are two new things coming up!
First, Shadyvox which is the voice actor for Jaden in the Yu-Gi-Oh GX Abridged series, has announced a few days ago that he will be returning to be Jaden's new voice actor! It's thanks to his hard efforts along with Digital Hat Productions that inspired me to create this fanfic, so I'm so excited for the next episode!
Also, Valentine's Day is coming up, and soon, it'll be like 2 and a half years since I published this fanfic, so I'm so excited! I remembered last year that I managed to create a Valentine's Day chapter, so as a bit of a late gift for you all and for all wishing for Jaden x Hassleberry chapter, here it is!
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!
Laying three facedown tarot cards right in front of him, Sartorius was making yet another one of his daily predictions to make absolutely sure that his upcoming plan would be 100% in success with no guaranteed failure.
'Within the wheel of fate exists both the indecisive Fool and the Hierophant,' thought Sartorius, flipping over the middle and right cards. 'Jaden represents the Fool, while Aster is the Hierophant, and both have the power to influence destiny.'
However, the third card, which happened to be the leftmost of the three, was a new mystery for Sartorius as he flipped it over to reveal the Strength Arcana. 'Strength...it always represents unyielding power, but just who represents the Strength? Will the one with the Strength Arcana influence my destiny as well? If Aster and Jaden are in Duel Academy, then there's a high chance that the one representing the Strength will also be a student there. It seems that all sources are now pointing to that school.'
With his decision made, Sartorius stood up and started arrangements to fly towards Duel Academy.
The next morning...
"Nah nah nah naaaaahhh! Nah nah nah! Nah nah nah naaaaahh! Nah nah naaah naaah naaaaaahhh! Nah nah nah naaaah naaaah naaaah naaaaah! Nah nah naah nah nah nah naaaahhhh...And, I forgot what the rest of the song was!" cried Hassleberry in a sort of explorer's suit, having previously sung a familiar song from an infamous adventure's movie series.
Currently, he was being chased by a large boulder along with multiple dinosaurs, and they weren't just any dinosaurs, but his favorite Dinosaur-Type Monsters, such as Black Tyranno!
Soon, he found himself completely cornered like a mouse being cornered by a cat. In this case, it would be him being cornered by multiple dinosaurs. Where did the boulder disappear to? It didn't matter at this point because the hungry predatory dinosaurs were more dangerous than a huge hunk of rock!
Using as a last resort, Hassleberry magically pulled out a whip from the back of his pants and began lashing out aimlessly with his eyes closed. "Agggggghhhhh! Get back! Back! I say! Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!"
"-AAAAAAHHH!"
Hassleberry, who had been asleep that whole time, fell from his bed and crash landed on his back with a blanket covering him. Apparently, he had woken up when he made an abrupt landing on the floor; the pain causing him to awaken.
While it was sorta his fault for crash landing, he never expected to see a complete strange with white clothes and long bluish hair to be in the room he was sharing with Jaden and Syrus.
"Uh...who are you?" asked Hassleberry, confused.
"Apologies for trespassing into your room," apologized Sartorius. "Is this Jaden Yuki's room, by the way?"
Eyes peering in suspicion, Hassleberry further questioned, "Why? What's it to you?"
Hassleberry was hostile towards him, which was to be expected, but Sartorius could sense a greater power emitting from him. 'I can feel it...He has the Strength Arcana? The power to oppose me?' he thought.
"Hey! Hey!" called out Hassleberry. "Who are you, anyways?"
Despite his busy schedule, Sartorius knew he must mind his manners and introduce himself as a way of apology. "I apologize once again. I am Sartorius, Aster Phoenix's manager."
Upon hearing Sartorius name and recognizing it, Hassleberry was surprised. "Oh! You must be that 'Master Sartorius' that Chazz keeps talking about over and over! He keeps saying you're the mastermind of the whole White Society or something involving the light!"
Knowing full well that Hassleberry meant, Sartorius decided to feign a bit of ignorance. "Pardon me? He said that?"
"Yeah! I bet he got brainwashed by you! And then he went and brainwashed Alexis and all of Obelisk Blue! And it's all your fault!"
"Young man, I can hardly be blamed for something others have done," replied Sartorius. "While it may be true that they might have done it under my name, I can assure you that I have not forced them into joining the Society of Light. What they do or have done is of their own free will."
However, despite Sartorius calmly defending himself, Hassleberry didn't believe him as he growled and his eyes pierced like a mad dog. "Grrrr! Quit lying! That's it! You're gonna split apart this group of your and then leave Duel Academy! Right! Now!"
Unfazed by his threats, Sartorius was more interested in the power behind his aura, especially from his eyes. 'What is this power emanating from his body? How interesting...'
Nodding, Sartorius replied, "Very well. I'll heed your request and speak to Chazz Princeton about this. But in exchange, I propose we duel."
Hassleberry didn't have a problem with dueling, but to hear a proposal like that coming from the mastermind was a little unexpected. "O-okay...A duel, then. Alright...Wait, does that mean, if I win, then you'll disband that Society of Light club?"
"No, because Chazz chose to participate in the Society of Light all by himself," corrected Sartorius. "I can, however, persuade him and this Alexis friend of yours to leave should you beat me in a duel."
"Well...Alright."
Later, Jaden and Syrus were returning from the cafeteria with Dorothy accompanying them; the two students carrying huge bags of sandwiches that they bought and pulled out from the mysterious sandwich cart because today was Sandwich Day.
"Will your spending money be alright after buying so many sandwiches?" wondered Dorothy.
"Well, I'm not gonna eat all of the sandwiches! I'll just open them all up, and then see which one is the Golden Egg Sandwich, and if several of them aren't, I'll give them to some students!" replied Jaden.
"I don't know whether that's smart or cheating," muttered Syrus. "Well, I mean, you did buy them with your own money, so..."
"Yup! So, it's not cheating if I check them all first!" chirped Jaden happily before spotting Aster near the Slifer Red dorm, hiding in plain sight behind a steel-like machinery. "Huh? Hey, Aster! What are you doing here?"
Noticing Jaden and her friends, Aster gestured his head towards what he had been staring at for a while. "I found someone I wasn't expecting. Look."
"Hmm?" Jaden noticed Hassleberry about to duel against a strange, mysterious man she's never seen before. "Who's that guy about to duel Hassleberry?"
"Sartorius," answered Aster, with a bit of a hostile tone. "He's my manager, but just recently, I found out that he's leader of the Society of Light. I was just surprised to see him here of all places. I'm guessing that your friend, Chazz, became strange because of Sartorius. Sartorius probably had a hand in those other former Obelisk Blue students as well."
"Wait, what?!" Knowing that she had to warn Hassleberry, Jaden quickly shoved the bag of sandwiches into Dorothy's arms and rushed off. "Sorry, could you hold those for me, Miss Dorothy? Thanks, gotta go!"
"Wait for me, Jaden!" called out Syrus, unable to keep up with her speed since he wanted to maintain a good condition for his sandwiches.
'Just why is Sartorius here, anyways? If he wanted to contact me, he should have tried by the phone, but he came here personally on his own. What's his game?' thought Aster, taking out a sandwich from his back pocket before opening it up and taking a bite. He could feel the tasty sensation of the crunchy bite before looking down to see a sort of golden egg within his sandwich. 'Huh, I just picked a random sandwich way earlier, but I guess this must be the rumored Golden Egg Sandwich? Eh, doesn't matter to me.'
"Duel!" declared Hassleberry, activating his duel disk. He noticed Sartorius examining his duel disk out of curiosity and asked, "Uh...What are you doing?"
"Oh, my apologies!" called out Sartorius. "I'm just wondering how to use this duel disk. This is my first time dueling with a duel disk, after all."
"Wait, seriously?" mumbled Hassleberry before deciding to offer a friendly hand. "Okay, you see the red button behind your duel disk? Press that there!"
Sartorius obeyed, and much to his surprise, his duel disk activated. "I see! I see! I believe I am ready now!"
"Finally! Now, let's do this!"
"DUEL!"
- DUEL -
Hassleberry - 4000 LP
VS
Sartorius - 4000 LP
"My turn! Draw!" said Hassleberry, starting things off just to get an advantage as well as show Sartorius how to duel properly using the duel disk. "I summon Giant Rex in Attack Mode!"
Giant Rex - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV4 - (2000/1200)
"What a powerful Monster you have summoned. It'll be quite a challenge for me to defeat for now," replied Sartorius, sounding impressed.
"I'll end my turn!"
"Hassleberry! Wait!" cried out Jaden, arriving just in time alongside Syrus. "That's Sartorius you're dueling against! You know, evil guy? Mastermind behind the Society of Light? You don't know what sort of tricks he might have, so call off the duel!"
"Oh, I know that. That's why I accepted his duel," said Hassleberry casually. "Well, just watch like you were riding on a brontosaurus' back."
"That...That makes no sense!" called out Syrus. "Don't use dinosaur puns at a time like this!"
"Oh, hush up! Besides, I've got a really good reason to duel him!" stated Hassleberry. "He said that if I win, then he'll convince both Alexis and Chazz to leave the Society of Light! Might not be the same as disbanding the cult, but it's better than nothing!"
While Hassleberry was arguing with his two friends, Sartorius knew that Aster was nearby, watching the duel. 'Aster...I know you have many questions for me, but for now, stay patient a little bit longer. It's best that you watch, anyways,' thought the fortune teller.
"My turn, now!" said Sartorius, catching Hassleberry's attention. "I summon Arcana Force I - The Magician, in Attack Mode!"
Arcana Force I - The Magician - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV4 - (1100/1100)
The second the strange Fairy-Type Monster appeared, an image of the card itself appeared above the Monster's head, rotating in a timely pace.
"Uh...what is that?" wondered Hassleberry. It was only natural that he'd be confused over such a strange occurrence.
"Destiny is that which has been decided," said Sartorius. "However, fortune and misfortune are both present in any given event."
"Uh..."
"Perhaps you do not understand. That's fine. In other words, destiny is something that changes greatly in the mere speck of an instant. Whenever you're ready, please say 'stop.' The orientation of the stopped card will amend its effect in accordance with whether it's upright or reversed."
"So, basically, it's a game of chance!" summarized Hassleberry. "A 50/50 chance, huh? Alright, then stop!"
At Hassleberry's declaration, the card ceased to a stop, facing right side up.
"When the Arcana is faced upright, during a turn when a Spell card is played, its Attack Points became double its original points," explained Sartorius.
"...Aww man! Guess I got some bad luck this time!" joked around Hassleberry, shrugging off his bad luck as only temporary.
"Bad luck? Just what do you think destiny is? You've got a lot to learn in your naïve little mind," Sartorius lightly scolded.
"Destiny? Who cares about all that? It's all about luck, that's all! Sure, I had some bad luck this time, but I'll get something good next time!" argued Hassleberry. "At least, i hope so."
"Do you know why I had you choose from that previous little 'game?'" questioned Sartorius. "Because I wanted to give humans the illusion of 'choice.' It comforts us, but the harsh reality is this; nothing happens by chance. The entire future is determined in accordance with the wheel of fate. For example, those dinosaurs you love so much was destined to go extinct for mankind to triumph further."
It was one thing for Sartorius to brainwash two of his friends, but him insulting the dinosaurs was crossing the line for the dinosaur-loving duelist. "Hey! Dinosaurs didn't die away! They still live inside of me! Don't you dare insult dinosaurs!"
Sartorius merely chuckled. "My apologies. I have forgotten that you must cherish dinosaurs so much, that I indirectly insulted them. Well, it matters not. I activate the Spell card, Future Vision! If there's a Monster on your field, I have to turn over cards in your deck until a Monster appears."
"Huh?"
Walking towards Hassleberry to check his deck, Sartorius prattled on. "Will your next Monster be a Warrior-Type? Or perhaps a Spellcaster? Maybe, your deck is a combination of both Dinosaur and Insect-Types?"
Handing over his deck to Sartorius, as required by the current conditions, Hassleberry was confident in himself. "Heh! I already know what the Monster will be! A Dinosaur, of course!"
After flipping over a few cards, Sartorius came across a Dinosaur-Type card and handed the deck back to Hassleberry. "Well, what do you know? You were correct. Another effect of Future Vision is that should the Type of the Monster on my opponent's field be the same, you gain 1000 Life Points. Also, the turned-over cards are returned to the deck in the same order they were in."
"Heh, told ya my luck would turn around! Thanks for the Life Point boost!" said Hassleberry, smirking.
Hassleberry - 5000 LP
Sartorius - 4000 LP
"There really is no need to thank me," assured Sartorius, returning to his previous position to gain distance between him and his opponent.
"Wait, I don't get it!" said Jaden. "If he knew that Hassleberry's deck was all about dinosaurs, why'd he go and give Hassleberry such a huge advantage?"
"It's simple when you think the facts over," explained Aster. "Sure, Hassleberry got 1000 Life Points for free, but there was a huge cost. Since Sartorius got to see some of Hassleberry's new cards, he can start plotting counterattacks! Additionally, since he did activate a Spell card, Magician's effect will now double its own Attack Points!"
"Oh, yeah! I totally forgot about that effect!"
Arcana Force I - The Magician - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV4 - (2200/1100)
"Oh, shit!" cried out Hassleberry, now remember Sartorius' Monster's effect.
"Now, Magician! Destroy Giant Rex!" ordered Sartorius.
The Magician pressed its hands together as its body glowed green for a moment. A swirly mist of poisonous miasma spread and whirled around Giant Rex before destroyed the dinosaur completely by obliterating him from within the mist.
Hassleberry - 4800 LP
Sartorius - 4000 LP
"I now set two cards facedown and end my turn. With the End Phase coming up, my Magician's effect now ends for the moment."
Arcana Force I - The Magician - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV4 - (1100/1100)
"Finally! My move!" said Hassleberry, wanting vengeance for his dinosaur's demise after drawing his card. "I summon Archeonys in Attack Mode!"
Archeonys - (WIND/Winged Beast) - LV3 - (300/1300)
"Next, I activate my Spell, my New Ultra Evolution!"
"Thus, you've activated The Magician's effect! Every time a Spell card is used, its Attack Points double for the turn only!" reminded Sartorius.
Arcana Force I - The Magician - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV4 - (2200/1100)
"Fine, whatever!" shouted Hassleberry. "I offer up one Winged Beast-Type Monster on my field as a sacrifice to Special Summon one Dinosaur-Type Monster from my hand! Therefore, I Special Summon Dark Tyranno!"
Dark Tyranno - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV7 - (2600/1800)
"Ahaha! Even your doubled-up The Magician won't be able to withstand an attack from my Dark Tyranno! Now, attack!"
Charging ahead, once the large Dinosaur-Type got in close, all it took was one swing from his massive tail to finish off The Magician.
Hassleberry - 4800 LP
Sartorius - 3600 LP
"I end my turn! Hearing you yap on and on about destiny was getting real annoying, so I'm glad that attack helped take my frustrations out on you!" taunted Hassleberry confidently. "My destiny changed from meeting Jaden! I've woken up to the strength of the dinosaurs, so any words that threaten me won't work!"
"As if having the brains of a dinosaur will help you get closer to my Jaden..." mumbled Syrus.
"I HEARD THAT!"
"Now, now. I suppose it's my turn again," said Sartorius. "Hmm...Interesting. I activate the Spell, Pentacle of Ace!" Just like with The Magician, the image of the exact card was rotating above Sartorius' head. "Now, shall I explain the two effects should you happen to choose one of the two?"
"Stop! Stop right now!" shouted Hassleberry, leaving his chance to luck once more.
Again, the card stopped exactly just like last time; right side up.
"It's right side up effect activates," Sartorius began explaining once more. "I will draw one card from my deck, recovering 500 Life Points."
Hassleberry - 4800 LP
Sartorius - 4100 LP
"Heh, you were just lucky. That's all," said Hassleberry.
"Lucky? You still don't get it, do you? Destiny guides each man equally," spoke Sartorius. "As I will show you right now. I summon Arcana Force VII - The Chariot in Attack Mode!"
Arcana Force VII - The Chariot - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV4 - (1700/1700)
Once again, an image of The Chariot's card emerged from above the Monster's head. "I don't need to explain, do I? You know what to do."
"Alright, alright! Stop!" said Hassleberry, watching the image as closely as possible.
Once the image landed upside, Sartorius had to give another explanation. "Since it's upside down, I'll explain that effect. When The Chariot is destroyed in battle, it'll be Special Summoned onto your side of the field."
"Wow, really?!" Hassleberry grinned, thinking he was on some sort of good luck streak. "No complaints here! I'll happily take that effect!"
"And it'll activate as soon as I do this," said Sartorius, smirking. "The Chariot, engage in battle with Dark Tyranno! Now!"
"Wait, what? Why?" Even Hassleberry was baffled by such a command that obviously had his Monster a clear advantage over The Chariot.
"Yeah, why? Hassleberry's Monster is way stronger than Sartorius'!" said Syrus.
"Is Sartorius planning something or just going for a suicide charge?" wondered Jaden.
"No, nothing like that at all," said Aster, having witnessed his former manager duel before. "It may seem that way, but I've known Sartorius for a very long time, and he would never purposely do drastic moves without a calculated and precise strategy in mind."
The Chariot moved in closer in front of Dark Tyranno, spraying some sort of acidic liquid from its hoses.
"Fine, you wanna be that way? Bring it on!" roared Hassleberry, accepting Sartorius' reckless retaliation.
Dark Tyranno merely swung his tail at the precise timing of The Chariot's spray attack, reflecting it back at the Arcana Monster before it exploded from its own attack.
Hassleberry - 4800 LP
Sartorius - 3200 LP
"Like I mentioned before, The Chariot will now be Special Summoned to your side once it's destroyed," recalled Sartorius.
Arcana Force VII - The Chariot - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV4 - (1700/1700)
Hassleberry didn't mind an additional Monster to his side, but he was surprised to see the whole right side up and upside down effect applying to him as well once he spotted the exact image rotating over and over.
"There! Stop now!" ordered Sartorius.
Everyone witnessed as the rotating slowly came to a close...upside down.
Hassleberry laughed with his hands on his hips, showing off more of his confidence. "Was there even a point to that move? Now, if my new Monster gets destroyed, it'll be the same effect as when you drove it to fight off my Dark Tyranno! For a guy who's making such a fuss, it looks like you're the only one hurting yourself!"
'No, everything is going according to fate,' thought Sartorius, keeping his cool. "I activate the Spell card, Suit of Sword X!"
Like all of Sartorius' other cards, this one kept rotating and seemingly has the same upright and downright effects.
Sensing Hassleberry about to protest, Sartorius stopped him by holding up his palm. "Hold on a moment, please. My, you're a hasty one. Allow me to explain the effects of this card. It will destroy all Monsters on your side of the field if it happens to be right side up, but will destroy all of mine if it's upside down."
"Wait, seriously?!" exclaimed Hassleberry. "So, I can't let it choose right side up...Okay...Stop!"
Unfortunately for Hassleberry, Suit of Sword X landed on right side up, so that meant that all of his Monsters were automatically destroyed.
"Next, I activate my Trap, Ace of Wand!" shouted Sartorius, watching it rotate over and over. "If this card lands right side up, I gain Life Points equal to the total Attack Points of the two Monsters that were just destroyed by a card effect! However, should it be upside down, then you receive damage equal to the total Attack Points of those two Monsters!"
"Oh, so that was what he was aiming at?" said Jaden, peering her eyes at Sartorius before trying to add up the calculations of the Attack Points.
"The Chariot had 1700 Attack Points, while Dark Tyranno had 2600," reminded Syrus. "Either way, it's a lot of Points to lose!"
"To be more precise, it's 4300 Life Points he'll lose if he happens to pick the upside down effect," added in Aster. "It's part of Sartorius' style. Because he tells them the effects, his opponents just can't help but try to predict the future. Hassleberry can no longer escape from the wheel of fate that Sartorius' turning."
Watching the Ace of Wand card rotate over and over was making Hassleberry's brain hurt, but if he didn't concentrate hard enough, then he might end up on the wrong end of the deal!
"Come on, what's wrong?" tempted Sartorius. "You yourself are the one who turns your wheel of fate."
"Grrrr...! Fine! STOP!"
As the rotation came to a close...it landed upside down.
"Unfortunately for you, you'll receive quite a lot of damage," spoke Sartorius.
Hassleberry - 500 LP
Sartorius - 3600 LP
"I end my turn."
Receiving that large amount of damage was heavy on Hassleberry, and if he hadn't receive the Life Point boost up earlier, he would have lost, so he should count himself lucky as he was recovering his breath.
'Damnit...I have to admit, he is good,' thought Hassleberry. 'I don't believe in fate...But...I just...'
Unable to witness anymore of her friend doubting himself, Jaden yelled, "Get ahold of yourself, Hassleberry! It's not the stupid wheel of fate you're falling for right now, it's all of his taunting! Dueling's fun because you don't know what'll happen until the very end! Didn't you say you wanted to become a stronger dinosaur duelist?! Then become stronger by facing destiny head on, and prove it wrong!"
"Jaden..." What had gotten into him? Jaden was right, Hassleberry was letting this weird psychic guy get to his head because he keeps falling for the same tricks and being too overconfident! Hassleberry didn't want to appear weak or vulnerable in front of the girl he likes! He wanted to prove himself as strong as capable, and he'll restart that right now!
"Thanks, Jaden! You're right! I can overcome my destiny, and my deck and my dinosaur DNA will help me through!" cheered Hassleberry; his eyes flashing a sudden predatory look. "Hey, Sartorius! Screw your destiny!"
It wasn't Hassleberry's words that surprised Sartorius, but rather the sudden change within his eyes that seemingly was the main source of his Strength Arcana.
"I summon Dyna Base in Attack Mode!"
Dyna Base - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (0/2100)
"Thanks to its effect, I offer up this card along with the Ultimate Tyranno in my hand as sacrifices to Special Summon Dyna Tank from my Fusion deck!"
Dyna Tank - (EARTH/Machine/Fusion) - LV7 - (?/2100)
"The Attack of this card's the same as the Attack Points of the Dinosaur-Type Monsters I used as sacrifices! Since Dyna Base didn't have any Attack Points, but Ultimate Tyranno had around 3000, Dyna Tank's Attack Points are now 3000!"
Dyna Tank - (EARTH/Machine/Fusion) - LV7 - (3000/2100)
"Attack him directly, Dyna Tank!"
Charged up with power from one of the sacrifices required to summon him, Dyna Tank used that power to fire a surging fire blast directly at Sartorius, who didn't seem affected at all; only his Life Points.
Hassleberry - 500 LP
Sartorius - 200 LP
"Heh, how's that? I end my turn!"
"Yay! He's winning! He's winning!" Both Syrus and Jaden high-fived each other, thinking that with the advantage Hassleberry had, he was going to win and retrieve their friends back.
Even though he seems to be in a losing position, Sartorius didn't falter as he drew his card. "My turn. I activate the Spell, Necro Sacrifice. Due to its effect, I can select a Level 5 or higher Monster in my hand and Special Summon one Monster from my Graveyard. The drawback is that they must appear in my own opponent's field. Plus, you get to decide their battle positions, Hassleberry. From my Graveyard, I Special Summon Arcana Force VII - The Chariot to your field!"
"Then, I choose Attack Mode!" decided Hassleberry.
Arcana Force VII - The Chariot - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV4 - (1700/1700)
Like before, when The Chariot was first Special Summoned to Hassleberry's field, the whole two sided effect occurred once more.
Smirking, Sartorius declared, "Stop right there!"
The Chariot's card twisted until it was upside down, just as Sartorius intended it to be from the calm look on his face.
"Now, its upside down effect is when it's destroyed in battle, it's Special Summoned to my side of the field."
"I know! I know that! You've already explained that before!" said Hassleberry, annoyed.
"My apologies," apologized Sartorius before continuing with his turn. "I now summon Arcana Force VIII - The Strength in Attack Mode, thanks to the effect of Necro Sacrifice!"
Arcana Force VIII - The Strength - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV5 - (1800/1800)
"And like before, it rotates just like the others. If it's right side up, then it'll grant me control of one Monster on your field. But, if it's upside down, then I can shift control of all Monsters on my field, except for this Monster, to you."
"...Stop!"
With Hassleberry's order, The Strength's card was complete still and right side up, meaning that Sartorius was allowed to take control of one of Hassleberry's Monsters.
"Now, after having explained, I will not take control of Dyna Tank!" decided Sartorius.
"And here's his effect!" countered Hassleberry. "He can change a Spell, Trap, or Monster effect aimed at him into an effect aimed at my opponent's Monster, instead! Since the target's changing, I'll bring The Strength right here!"
"You may think that you're winning, but sadly, destiny has already played their part in fate itself," assured Sartorius. "Just as there are many people who turned their lives into shambles with just one mistake. So, like in a duel, everything can turn for the better or the worst with just one card. Now, I activate my Reversal of Fate Trap card! It will switch around the right side up and upside down effects of all Monsters on the field with 'Arcana Force' in their names!"
Everyone glanced up to see both The Strength and The Chariot's card positions in reversal, with The Chariot being right side up, and The Strength now being upside down.
"With the Strength's upside down effect, control of all Monsters except for The Strength itself, belongs to me!"
Shocked at the sudden turn of events, Hassleberry could helplessly watch as his two powerful Monsters now shifted to Sartorius' side, leaving him with only The Strength, which just so happened to be his own representation of himself, even if he didn't know it himself.
"Now, attack!" ordered Sartorius.
Influenced by the Society of Light's power, Dyna Tank charged up and blasted away his original master, who yelled from the pain and collapsed facedown in utter defeat.
Hassleberry - 0 LP
Sartorius - 200 LP
Winner: Sartorius
Walking towards Hassleberry, Sartorius said, "This is your destiny. You may think of this as your new destiny. The path of light will now open your eyes. It is quite the straight, magnificent path of white."
"Hey!" cried out Syrus. "Don't touch him!"
"Yeah! Don't even think about going near him!" shouted Jaden, ready to charge in and defend her friend.
Glaring at the two, Sartorius' eyes flashed white as a white, glowing aura surrounded him; evidence of him using a bit of his powers as a warning for the two not to step any closer. Upon witnessing him, Jaden and Syrus' bodies began shivering, unable to move from fear and from Sartorius' power.
"That was...some great dueling out there...Sartorius..." grunted Hassleberry, regaining consciousness as he tried to get up.
"Oh no!" Jaden's fears grew into worry as she turned to Hassleberry. "Don't tell me...Is he brainwashed by that Society, too?"
"No! You can't! You're too strong to give into the brainwashing!" cried out Syrus, unwilling to accept the facts.
"Who...who said I was?" questioned Hassleberry, smirking as he glanced up at Sartorius with no hint of any corrupted power within him. "But next time we go at it, I ain't losing!"
"What?! But how?!" Normally, when one fought against someone like him, who had such great powers, one would immediately be influenced and join the Society of Light. "You should have been bathed in the baptism of light!"
Getting on one knee, Hassleberry patted his leg and folded it up to reveal an old scar. "Don't peg me for some all-around weak human! Just look at this old scar! Long ago, during the summer, I spent my summer going on expeditions with my family, often discovering and digging up fossils and other bones in foreign lands. But one day, I broke my leg bone during a landslide accident. The surgeons then stuck a dinosaur fossil to replace one of my broken leg bones! Because of that, somehow, the dinosaur bone had some dinosaur DNA that mixed up with my own blood, making me the tough duelist I am today!"
"Whoa...something like that really happened?" wondered Syrus. Then again, it would make sense as to why Hassleberry was unaffected by Sartorius' spell.
"If that's the case, I guess that kinda explains a bit of his dinosaur obsession," commented Jaden.
Hassleberry's eyes flashed into slight slits for a brief moment as he confidently continued. "And it's all thanks to Jaden and the rest of my friends that helped me awaken this power!"
Syrus and Jaden rushed up to Hassleberry, both crying out their worries for him as they checked to make sure he was okay. Despite Hassleberry being completely immune to Sartorius' power, they were still worried for him.
Turning around, Sartorius proceeded to leave with some slight amusement in his tone. Sure, he wasn't able to influence someone for the first time, but that was only because fate had saved the young duelist long ago. Besides, he had no need for someone unwilling to bask in the holy light, and if he got in his way, then it would be simple to defeat him in a duel.
Later, that night...
"...Why am I here?!" exclaimed Aster, who was now stuck in the cafeteria kitchen with Jaden, Syrus, Dorothy, and Hassleberry.
"Because we're gonna cook a special dinner for Hassleberry!" declared Jaden. "A replica Golden Egg Sandwich!"
"Okay, why?"
"Yeah, why are we? I mean, he lost, remember?" reminded Syrus.
"This is a dinner to cheer him up!~" replied Jaden cheerfully. "I felt all bad that he lost, so in order to cheer him up, we're all gonna make dinner!"
Hassleberry, who was nearby, used a napkin to wipe away his tears. "*sniff* That's the sweetest thing you've ever done for me, Sarge! Thank yo-"
"What are you talking about? You're helping, too!"
"Eh?"
"Yeah, now hurry up and get into an apron! We're cooking!"
"Awwww!"
"I still don't get why I'm here! If anything, I don't want to be a part of this!" shouted Aster, about to leave.
"Noooo! You can't! Jaden will kill us all if you leave!" cried out Syrus, lunging forward and grabbing Aster's legs to prevent him from leaving.
"Hey! Let go!" But no matter how much Aster protested, Syrus held a tight grip on both his feet, refusing to budge one bit.
"Never!"
"Hey, what do you mean I'll kill you all? I'm not gonna do anything!" pouted Jaden.
Knowing what Syrus meant, Dorothy smiled and gently grasped Jaden and Hassleberry's arms. "Now, now. Why don't you two come with me to the storage closet? There are some items I need help carrying to the kitchen."
After witnessing Dorothy drag them off, Syrus pleaded to Aster, "PLEASE STAY! You have to! When Jaden gets cooking, you don't know how monstrous her cooking is!"
"So, she's a terrible cook. So what? That's nothing new. Lots of people aren't good at cooking," replied Aster. "I, on the other hand, am a professional at cooking thanks to cooking lessons."
"Wait, you can cook?" wondered Syrus before his face lit up. "YOU CAN COOK! YES! YOU'RE A LIFESAVER, ASTER!"
"Whoa, whoa, I'm not cooking anything!" said Aster. "I only cook for myself, and nobody else! And why would I do that?"
"Because we're all gonna suffer and die if Jaden actually cooks! It'll be like the Toxic Lake incident all over again!"
"Wait, the incident at Duel Academy in which one of the lakes were polluted and some animals died from drinking that water?" questioned Aster. "Didn't that happen like, a year ago?"
"YES! Well technically, me and some of my friends were the culprits, but Jaden was the one who made all of those chocolates! They were awful!"
"...You guys are idiots for not throwing them properly in the trash. Even I get chocolate from my fangirls, and I don't throw them away."
"Wait, you get chocolate?" wondered Syrus. "How do you eat all of them?!"
"I don't. I don't like sweets much. I just give them all to some orphans at an orphanage and they love it. Except, I don't really give them the...inappropriate kinds of chocolate."
"...What kind of inappropriate?"
"Stuff like alcoholic chocolate or naked figure chocolates. Yeah, I know my fangirls are crazy."
'Lucky,' thought Syrus in a jealous mode before getting back in subject. "But you gotta help us! If you don't, another incident like the Toxic Lake incident is going to happen again! It might corrupt Duel Academy this time and I don't know what to do and waaaahhhh!"
"Jeez, fine! One meal!" groaned Aster. "Only because you refuse to let go of my legs!"
"Yeah! I love you now!"
"Don't push it."
At Syrus' unintentional declaration of love, Jaden, Hassleberry, and Dorothy managed to walk in at that very moment, carrying bags of supplies in their arms.
Jaden gasped in excitement. "You love Aster, Sy? Awwww! That's so cute!~ Don't worry, I support ya!~"
Grinning mischievously, Hassleberry put down the bag of supplies on the counter and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah! Both me and her support your relationship!"
Panicking, Syrus unwrapped himself from Aster's legs and stood up. "What?! No! It isn't like that! No! I'm not like that!" 'Damnit, Hassleberry! He just wants to get rid of me to have Jaden for himself! Nice try, but I'm not giving up!'
"Now, now! We should hurry up and prepare some food, alright?" suggested Dorothy.
A few days later...
"Attention! Attention, students! Shut up and listen!" yelled Crowler, having gathered everyone in one of the largest classrooms in Duel Academy to act as a sort of assembly meeting. "Thank you! Now, we have a new transfer student here today, so please make him feel welcomed!"
"Wait, all this for a transfer student?" wondered Jaden. "I mean, I'm thrilled to have a new friend, but I don't get why the news is so big."
"Yeah, it's like he's treating us like grade schoolers!" agreed Hassleberry before glancing at Syrus. "Well, at least one of us is."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" yelled Syrus, offended.
"I shall now introduce our new student! Please, give it up for Sartorius! He will be administered as a third-year student!"
"Wait, what?!" shouted Jaden, standing up in her seat as she fiercely glared at him. How?! Why?! Things in Duel Academy were about to get a turn for the worse, that's for sure.
Skit: Dinner Break
"Ugh..." groaned Hassleberry, clutching his stomach. "You were right, Private Truesdale...her cooking did suck."
"Who puts soy sauce in a sandwich anyways? And why olive oil with baloney too?" wondered Aster. "I'm starting to believe in that Toxic Lake incident of yours, Syrus."
"Wait, what?" questioned Hassleberry. "That infamous event at Duel Academy in which one of the lakes-"
"Yeah, that one," interrupted Syrus. "Let's just say that the cause was Jaden creating all sorts of Valentine's chocolates for all of us, and we all coincidentally threw them at that same lake, and somehow, the chocolates all merged together and polluted the lake."
"...You should thrown them in a trash can when she wasn't looking."
"My thoughts exactly!" said Aster.
"Yeah, well, weird thing is, Jaden had intended to create a really bad chocolate for Crowler, but somehow, it turned out to be the most delicious thing she's created," commented Syrus.
"...How?" wondered both Aster and Hassleberry.
"Nobody knows..."
"Still, it was kinda sweet for Jaden to arrange all of this for me," said Hassleberry, blushing. "I feel kinda honored right now!"
"Who knows, maybe the two of you will actually be a couple," commented Aster, crossing his arms.
"Oh, no! If anyone's gonna be a couple, it's gonna be me and her!" declared Syrus.
"Ha! I'd like to see you try!" scowled Hassleberry.
Skit: Matters of the Heart
"This truly is concerning," spoke up Neo as he and the rest of the Elemental Heroes and Neo-Spacians were gathered in another meeting. "Now that Sartorius, leader of the Society of Light, is here, we cannot ignore this."
"We aren't allowed to attack humans, even if he is one that threatens to tear the planet apart," reminded Aquos. "The only way we can officially settle this is through a duel."
"I agree. We all knew that someday, Jaden will have to face off the cause of our worlds collapsing, but to think it might be this soon...The best we can do is support her," replied Flare Scarab, receiving nods of agreement from others.
"What shall we do if Sartorius happens to use his powers on Jaden outside of a duel?" wondered Air Hummingbird.
"We protect her at all costs, even if it means breaking the rules," replied Flame Wingman. "Now, if we've got that issue out of the way, we must discuss about Jaden! I mean, we are, but on a different topic! She is making dinner for Hassleberry! The enemy!"
"Oh, not again!"
"Jeez, every meeting has to be about her! Well, that's not a bad thing, but still!"
"Sartorius is the enemy! We have no time for teenage love drama!"
Just another typical day in the Spirit World.
Finished! Sorry for the wait, but if you guys have any ideas for Jaden x Aster or Jaden x Hassleberry, I'd love to hear them! Read and review!