Okay, so this isn't exactly a filler chapter, but it's kinda still an important chapter to point out. I feel so bad for Bastion in his episode! I mean, I heard that in season 1, he was supposed to have a bigger role, as in, he was going to introduce that fire dragon compared to his water dragon card, and if you want evidence, there's season 1's theme song. Seriously, I'm no fangirl, but even I want him to have a bigger role! I feel like the GX group didn't put that much effort into the series!
Well, enough of my rant, here's the episode!
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!
"What?! Are you three really entering the Society of Light?"
Bastion stood inside the Ra Yellow dorm, appalled as he watched the last three remaining Ra Yellow members, besides him, pack their bags to leave for the White Dorms. He learned from them that as part of their condition for losing against Chazz, they were forced to be Society of Light members. It was bad enough that the Society of Light easily got most of the Obelisk Blues, but now, all that was remaining of Ra Yellow was him! Well, that and Syrus and Bastion, but they weren't even trying to defend their dorm!
"Yeah, we won't find happiness here," spoke one of them.
"It's in the Society of Light that we'll find our happiness there."
"Hey, look on the bright side. At least you get the whole place to yourself."
"I don't care about that!" shouted Bastion. "I'm more concerned about you guys! I thought you were my friends!"
One of the former Ra Yellows turned to Bastion and offered, "Look, if you want, we can talk to Master Sartorius about letting you into the Society of Light. The Society of Light is always eager to have new members on board."
Shocked at such an outrageous offer, Bastion denied, "W-What?! The last thing I need is your charity, gentlemen! I'm the top student of Ra Yellow, after all!"
Heading towards the exit, the other Ra Yellows expressed their disappointment and annoyance to Bastion. "More like the only duelist in this dorm."
"If you reconsider, you know where to find us."
After seeing his friends go out the door, Bastion could only stare at them with further shock that they actually would be going through this before returning to his room. He wandered around aimlessly inside, trying to come up with a solution to his agitated behavior, looking out at the window for some fresh air.
"That Society of Light took everyone! Sartorius offered invitations to all of the strongest! ...Except for me. But why? I'm the best! And it's time I proved it!"
The next day...
"Got one!" cheered Jaden, catching a sardine with her fishing pole before her face fell in disappointment. "Awww! It's just a plain old small fish again!"
"Wait, wait, wait-! Aaaand she already threw it back into the water," groaned Syrus, who tried to stop Jaden only to fail so easily. "Don't throw it back! It's the first fish we've got since the past two hours!"
"But I'm tired to eating the same sardines everyday!" whined Jaden.
"I used to be a lot more carnivorous, and these small fry just aren't doing it for me!" said Hassleberry. "And where I'm from, we WORK for our meals, unlike rich and silver boy over there!"
Meanwhile, Aster was enjoying his steak lunch outside of his cruise boat with a happy expression on his face. He had invited Jaden, but she said that she preferred to eat with her friends. While the two were still on an alliance to take down the Society of Light, she hasn't completely warmed up to him. Understandable, considering he did insult her and take away her ability to see Duel Spirits that one time.
"Hmm...Getting us some big catches will earn us a big feast..." said Syrus, eyeing the delicious, tender steak on Aster's plate.
Jaden sighed. "I know. It's just hard to get to get some big fish around here."
Hassleberry caught on to what Syrus was saying earlier. "Oh, the big fish is way closer than you think..."
"Really? I don't really feel a tug in my-"
"You know what? Screw it. Let's do this together, Truesdale! He can't take us both at once!" said Hassleberry, readying his fishing pole. "Ready?"
"Ready! 1..2...3!"
At the same time, both of them flung the lines of their fishing rods towards Aster's direction; their hooks hitting Aster's steaks simultaneously. Grinning madly, they tried to reel it in, but at the very last second, with sharp skills, Aster cut the line with his knife, prompting both boys to fall over onto their backs as Aster easily retrieved his steak back. When dealing with a Pro Duelist who knows and has mastered a variety of sports, it probably wasn't a good idea to go up against one.
"Are you alright?" asked Bastion, having waited for them to cease whatever they were doing to talk to them.
"Huh? Bastion? How long were you here?" wondered Syrus.
"Are you serious?! I've been-" Inhaling some air to calm himself, Bastion said, "Never mind! Look, I mentioned it earlier, but it's about the Society of Light!"
"Oh, those guys? Yeah, they're really annoying. I've had them duel me like, I dunno, 5? Six times a week?" said Jaden.
"Yeah, it's not just you, Jaden," added Syrus. "Just yesterday, I had them duel me before, too!"
"Same here!" said Hassleberry. "They're really pushy!"
"Pushy? They've gone to you guys but not me?!" cried out Bastion.
"Oh, yeah! They haven't gone to you, have they, Bastion?" wondered Syrus.
"N-not really, no."
"Well, at least they aren't being so noisy all the time," muttered Jaden. "I thought everyday they would be hoarding me 24/7, but luckily, nothing's happened that's so extreme."
Concerned, Bastion said, "W-Well, even so, half of those in the academy are already in the Society of Light! Aren't you guys even a little worried? What if eventually, all of Duel Academy becomes part of the Society of Light? What if Sartorius recruits other strong duelists from other lands to his sides? Then we'd-"
"Then, we'll deal with it when the time comes," assured Jaden, resuming her fishing after checking out the hook to see if it was stable.
"Don't worry, Bastion. Think of it like this way," said Syrus. "If they're not targeting you, then obviously, it means you're not worth their time!"
"Yeah! I mean, if they don't target you, isn't that kinda a good thing?" pointed out Hassleberry.
Bastion was irritated enough from thinking he wasn't strong, but to hear that Jaden and the others weren't even concerned of what was happening along with the fact that they unknowingly acknowledged that he was weak was enough to make his heart break. He knew they would never state he was a weak duelist as he's had his own share of duels, but it still hurt.
"...I see..." His response being more like a weak whisper before he turned around to leave.
Unknown to any of them, Aster had stopped eating because he was somewhat intrigued by Bastion's conversation with the others. Bastion did bring up several good points, but it did seem like he was unsure of himself and that he had some sort of ulterior motive behind that conversation. Aster should know; he's been dealing with the media and politics for a long time to notice something was amiss with Bastion.
The next day...
"Maaaan! I can't catch anything decent!" whined Jaden, who was in yet another one of her fishing adventures with Syrus and Hassleberry. This time, they were currently sitting by the sea rocks, hoping that they would catch better fish somewhere close to the sea.
"We'll just make some curry when we get back," sighed Syrus, laying against the cool sea rocks.
"So...hungry...need...meat...!" groaned Hassleberry before finding himself staring at Syrus. "Oh...that delicious, tender skin..."
"Uh...Hassleberry?"
"Those...legs..."
"Uhhhhhh…."
"And...so much meat..."
"I feel...like you're referencing so-"
"I MUST EAT!"
"AAAAAAHHHH! GET OFF ME! ONLY JADEN CAN DO THIS KIND OF STUFF WITH ME!"
"NO WAY! SHE'S MINE!"
"AGAIN WITH THE RIVALRY! THAT'S IT! WE'RE DUELING! GAH! DUELING! NOT DROOLING!"
"...Aaah! I give up! I'm so hungry and bored!" complained Jaden, dropping her fishing pole. "Please tell me you guys caught something!"
Syrus, who successfully pried the hungry Hassleberry off him, informed her, "Nope! Besides, we've been with you this entire time, Jaden! But...if we have some time after we catch some fish, I wonder what we should do..."
"Yeah...Ooh! I know! We should have a movie marathon!" suggested Jaden. "Like, starting from Yugi's adventures! I've got Volume 1 - 3!"
"And I have the remaining volumes!" said Hassleberry. "Definitely a good chance for a movie night! With just me and you, Sarge!"
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! If you're watching, I'm going, too!" said Syrus. "I'm not missing this, one bit!"
Suddenly, they heard the sound of something being tugged in violently, caused the three to grab ahold of Hassleberry's fishing rod and tug as hard as they could. To their happiness, what they caught was a decent, hug fish big enough for all three of them and then some.
While the three were celebrating their catch, Aster had been spying on Bastion from his cruise boat, watching him through his binoculars as Bastion was planning formulas and mathematical equations all over his room. Whatever Bastion was doing, he had been up to it ever since yesterday and didn't stop for a moment. When he finally completed his task, it was late at night and Bastion had completed a new and improved deck that he was certain would defeat Sartorious and earn him the respect he desired.
Upon running out of his dorm to head towards the White dorms, Aster stopped him. "Bastion."
Hearing his name being called out Bastion stopped and saw Aster leaning against a pole with his arms crossed. "Aster! Oh, good evening!"
"And where are you off to this late at night?"
Bastion didn't hate Aster, in fact, he respected the Pro Duelist prodigy. However, he had heard what he had done to Jaden, and although he was still hurt by Jaden and the others' incapability to seeing the bigger picture of the Society of Light, he was angered by what Aster had done and distrusted him. "Answer me this first; what are YOU doing?"
"Oh, just taking a stroll in the middle of the night," answered Aster.
"Aster, don't tell anyone else, but I'm marching into the Society of Light to challenge Sartorius!" proclaimed Bastion boldly.
"Oh? How brave. But, I've known the guy for years, and trust me when I say this: He is WAY out of your league in ways you've never expect."
"Hmph. I'll make you eat those words," spoke Bastion confidently, leaving for the White dorms. He had little to no trouble entering through the dorm's grand doors and bypassing the several Society of Light members, although they were surprised to see a Ra Yellow enter their great halls.
"It's Bastion Misawa!"
"Why's he here?!"
"Wrong dorm, dumbass!"
"Master Sartorius will hear all about this!"
"Where is Sartorius! I'm here for him!" declared Bastion.
"How dare you disrespect Master Sartorius!" yelled Chazz as he and Alexis appeared. "Not calling him by 'Master,' and showing up in your...ugly, dreaded, yellow rags! You should be ashamed!"
"Master Sartorius is extremely busy, and he won't meet with an unexpected guest," informed Alexis.
"Then, give him a message!" demanded Bastion. "Tell him that Bastion Misawa, Ra Yellow's top student, has come to challenge him!"
Everyone gathered in the White dorm halls laughed at Bastion, thinking him as a fool for even daring to challenge Sartorius, their great leader. Even Chazz couldn't help but wonder whether Bastion was serious, or just trying to make a sad attempt at a joke.
"What's so funny?!"
"Ahahaha! Hear that, everyone?! Word has it that he's Ra Yellow's top student!" announced Chazz, mockingly pointing at him. "Bastion, it's a surprise that with brains like yours, you still come out as the dumbest student on campus!"
"What do you mean? Answer me!"
"Gladly! See, we've been letting students into our Society for one main purpose: they're strong! But you? Your strength could hardly be equal to that of a pebble!"
Angered, Bastion yelled, "How dare you-?!"
"Ah! I'm not finished yet! Isn't it strange that all students from Ra Yellow except you, have joined the great Society of Light? Huh? If you're such a genius, why don't you explain the reason?"
"What?!" Glancing around the room, Bastion recognized several faces that originally belonged to Ra Yellow, including some of his former friends that lost to Chazz just a few days ago. Now, instead of looking all glum, they all had smug and confident smirks on their faces.
"When have we ever thought of you as the top student, Bastion?"
"You're only being delusional!"
"Yeah, you're nothing more than some genius duelist with no real talent or skills!"
Having had enough mockery towards Bastion, Chazz told him, "Just go home, Bastion. It's clear nobody wants someone as lower as a pebble like you around here. Hell, I wouldn't want someone like that even amongst our lowest ranks!"
"Why you-!"
"That's quite enough, my fellow members," spoke Sartorius, announcing his presence to everyone in the room as he descended down from the stairs.
"Master Sartorius!" cried out all other members as they bowed to him.
"My apologies for my subordinates' behavior, Bastion Misawa," said Sartorius. "I take it you've got business with me?"
"Yes! A duel between you and me! Let's do it!"
"Oh? I'm sure you are aware what a duel with a Society of Light member such as me, would be like, yes? You do understand the risks, correct?"
"Of course!" said Bastion. "If I were to lose, I'd have to join the Society of Light like a man! But, what's my prize if I win?"
"Simple. You do not have to join, and I will leave this island peacefully."
"Master Sartorius!" cried out Chazz. "You do not have to duel this low-life! Not when your own personal deck is still being adjusted!"
"You're right, Chazz," said Sartorius. "That's why you're going to duel in my stead, instead!"
"What?!"
"All will be well! I believe your strength rivals mine, Chazz!"
"Very well." Chazz turned to Bastion, more confident in himself as he now had a reason to beat down Bastion. "You heard him, you're dealing with me!"
"Hmph. It would be my pleasure!"
Everyone quickly gathered inside the Duel Arena for the official match between Chazz and Bastion, with the stakes at risk should one of them lose to the other. Unknown to Chazz, his Duel Spirits were watching over the duel, and normally, they would be cheering for their owner, but considering the sudden change he's been through because of Sartorius' brainwashing, they thought that if Bastion defeated Chazz, Chazz would snap out of it and return to normal. Thus, just this once, they would cheer on the enemy...er, the person who would return Chazz back to normal.
'This is a duel I cannot afford to lose,' thought Bastion. 'This is a duel with my pride and the meaning of my existence at stake!' A fire burnt within Bastion's soul as he felt determined to win against a tough opponent right in front of him. If he couldn't defeat Chazz, what hope did he have against Sartorius?
"DUEL!" both duelists proclaimed loudly.
- DUEL -
Bastion - 4000 LP
VS
Chazz - 4000 LP
"Let's go! My draw!" shouted Bastion. "I summon Magnet Warrior Σ +!"
Magnet Warrior Σ + - (EARTH/Rock/Plus) - LV4 - (1800/1400)
"Then, I place a card facedown and end my turn!"
"My turn!" said Chazz. "And now, I summon Beetron - 1 Bettletop in Attack Mode!"
Beetron - 1 Bettletop - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1700/1400)
"Then, I activate a Continuous Spell known as Frontline Base! Now, once per turn, I get to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Union Monster from my hand! And now, I Special Summon Beetron - 2 Beetleturbo!"
Beetron - 2 Beeturbo - (EARTH/Machine/Union) - LV4 - (1500/1800)
"Once per turn, I can equip Beeturbo to my Beetletop as an Equip Spell card, and then Bettletop gains 400 extra Attack and Defense Points! Now, combine yourselves, Beetrons 1 and 2!"
Beetron - 1 Bettletop - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (2100/1800)
"Now rush at him, Beetletop!"
"I don't think so!" shouted Bastion. "I activate the Continuous Trap, Magnet Force Plus! I now equip it onto your Beetron Monster and treat it as a Plus Monster! And because of my Magnet Warrior Σ +'s effect, as long as your Monster's a Plus Monster, both cannot attack each other!"
'Avoiding battle, are we? That's a cheap-shot move to use!" taunted Chazz. "I end my turn!"
"Using intelligent strategies such as these are key to winning a duel!" informed Bastion as he drew his card. 'Chazz's deck has changed into quite a powerful one thanks to Sartorius, but he's not the only one who's gotten stronger!' "By sending Magnet Warrior Ω－from my hand and Magnet Warrior Σ + from the field to the Graveyard, I'm allowed to Special Summon Conduction Warrior Linear Magnum ±!"
Conduction Warrior Linear Magnum ± - (EARTH/Rock/ Plus Minus) - LV7 - (2700/1300)
"Now, fire, Linear Magnum! Railgun Magnum!"
The two cannons attached to the powerful Monster's body unleashed a devastating attack from each as the two blasts consumed Chazz's Beetron Monster, resulting in a huge explosion.
Bastion - 4000 LP
Chazz - 3400 LP
"Even so, if a Union Monster, like my Beeturbo, takes an attack, only the Monster used as an Equip card will be destroyed!" said Chazz.
"What?!" While it was good that he lowered Chazz's Life Points, as long as that troublesome Beetron was still around, he wouldn't get anywhere in the duel. "I set a card facedown and end my turn!"
Beetron - 1 Bettletop - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1700/1400)
"My turn!" said Chazz. "I play the Spell, Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Next, I play the Spell card, A Feather of the Phoenix! If I discard a card from my hand, I get to return a card from my Graveyard and return it to the top of my deck! I discard Ojamagic in order to bring back my Beetron -2! And because I discarded Ojamagic, its effect activates, which lets me add Ojama Black, Green, and Yellow from my deck to my hand! And now I activate the Spell, Ojama Ride! I discard the three Ojama brothers from my hand so that I can Special Summon up to three Level 4 or lower Machine - type Union Monsters from my deck!"
At first, the three Ojama brothers were happy that Chazz had added them to his hand because they thought they were finally going to be of some use to him, but it seemed he had an ulterior motive all along! He only needed them as some sort of discarded tool to summon more powerful Monsters than themselves! As they complaint, Chazz paid no heed as he easily discarded them in favor of the other three Union Monsters he planned to summon.
"Come out! Beetron -2 Beeturbo! And, Beetron - 3 Spider Base!"
Beetron - 2 Beeturbo - (EARTH/Machine/Union) - LV4 - (1500/1800)
Beetron - 3 Spider Base - (EARTH/Machine/Union) - LV4 - (1000/2000)
"Fuse and combine, my Beetron Mechs! Come forth, Assault Cannon Beetle in Defense Mode!"
All three Beetrons, starring from 1 to 3, flew upwards and as though acting like machines, combined together like robots to form a fusion of all three bug-like Machine-type Monster.
Assault Cannon Beetle - (EARTH/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (2400/2800)
"Fortifying your defense, are you?" wondered Bastion, impressed. Now that his Fusion Monster was in Defense Mode, not even his Conduction Warrior Monster can penetrate through its strong defenses!
"Well, there's that, and this!" said Chazz. "I activate the Spell, Ojamandala! I pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon the three Ojama brothers from my Graveyard! And I'll summon them in Defense Mode!"
Bastion - 4000 LP
Chazz - 2400 LP
Ojama Yellow - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV2 - (0/1000)
Ojama Green - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV2 - (0/1000)
Ojama Black - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV2 - (0/1000)
"And then, due to Assault Cannon Beetle's effect, each time I Tribute a Monster on my field, it inflicts 800 Points of Damage to you!"
"What?!" exclaimed Bastion.
Grabbing the three Ojama brothers by its pincers, Assault Cannon Beetle then unloaded all three of them onto the cannon part of its body. Ignoring the Ojama brothers' protests, Chazz had his Monster fired three times at Bastion, one for each Ojama Monster that hit Bastion accurately.
Bastion - 1600 LP
Chazz - 2400 LP
Meanwhile...
"Wow, Hassleberry! I never knew you were such a good cook!" exclaimed Jaden as she and Syrus were practically drooling over the fresh smell of grilled fish outside of the red dorms.
"Hold on! It's not done yet!" said Hassleberry, who was slicing away parts of the big fish they caught earlier.
"Okay..." both Jaden and Syrus groaned; their stomachs grumbling in hunger.
Continuing his cooking, Hassleberry said, "Just wait a sec. It'll be ready soon."
"You three," called out Aster, walking up to the trio. "If you have time to be eating...whatever that is, then why aren't you at the Duel Arena?"
"Aster? Why'd you come here?" asked Hassleberry. "Did you come here because of the smell of the feast we're making? Because we're not giving you any!"
"Like, I'd be interested in that."
"Why did you mention the Duel Arena?" wondered Jaden. "What's going on, Aster?"
"Well, if you must know, Bastion out challenging the Society of Light to a duel. More specifically, he's dueling Chazz."
"Wait, Bastion is?!" exclaimed Syrus.
"What do you mean?" asked Hassleberry.
"How more specific do I have to spell it out for you guys?" questioned Aster. "He went to duel the Society of Light. My guess is that he wanted to duel Sartorius, but he somehow managed to get into a duel with Chazz."
"But why?" wondered Jaden.
"Why? Now you're concerned for him?"
"What do you mean?! You're acting like we don't care for him!" accused Hassleberry.
"That's because, from my perspective, it seems you really don't," stated Aster. "I knew you guys weren't that smart, but I didn't think you'd be this stupid."
"Then, make us understand!" said Jaden. "Bastion's our friend! Of course we would care for him!"
"Really? And when he expressed his worries over the Society of Light, did you listen to him?"
"Well..."
"No, you didn't. I saw everything. If I had time, I might have actually allowed Bastion to be my ally against the Society of Light. After all, compared to you all, he actually had the brains and the smart idea of trying to think of a plan to stop the Society of Light. But, unfortunately, he's too shallow and this time, he was reckless and stupid enough to charge straight in. For a smart guy like him, he's not very smart in this situation. And in this situation, he'll surely lose."
"What do you mean?" asked Syrus.
"Look, he has the skills, and given his current position, there's a good chance he'll defeat Chazz. But that's not what he's after. Defeating Chazz isn't his primary goal. He wants to be recognized for his strength and intelligence. I should know, I've faced opponents like him. All that lies in the depths of his heart is the idiotic elite sense of wanting to get noticed by others."
"...Where is he right now?" asked Jaden.
"At the Duel Arena. Like I mentioned. If you had been paying attention. Just like you should have paid more attention to your friend."
"Hey!" yelled Syrus as he and Hassleberry practically got all over Aster's face, willing to defend Jaden. "Don't talk that way to-"
"Let's go!" shouted Jaden. "Bastion needs our help!"
Syrus and Hassleberry wanted to protest in order to yell more at Aster, but they knew it was just a waste of time and that Bastion's safety was more important. They nodded and headed towards the Duel Arena, with Aster following behind them to see things through to the end.
Back to the duel...
"Like there are between 3 and 10,000, there are only about 9,997 differences between you and me!" said Chazz cockily. "I end my turn!"
"...I have no idea why you choose specifically those numbers, but know this! I am Number 1 of this academy!" shouted Bastion, drawing his card. "By sacrificing a Level 7 or higher Monster, like my Conduction Warrior, I get to Special Summon Plasma Warrior Eitom!"
Plasma Warrior Eitom - (LIGHT/Thunder) - LV8 - (3000/2500)
"Thanks to his special ability, he's allowed to wage a direct attack by halving his Attack Points until the end of this turn!"
Plasma Warrior Eitom - (LIGHT/Thunder) - LV8 - (1500/2500)
"Now, attack him directly, Eitom!"
From the core located in the middle of his chest, Plasma Warrior Eitom fired a blast that bypassed Assault Cannon Beetle and hit Chazz, reducing his Life Points greatly.
Bastion - 1600 LP
Chazz - 900 LP
"I place one card facedown and end my turn!"
lasma Warrior Eitom - (LIGHT/Thunder) - LV8 - (3000/2500)
Amused, Alexis muttered, "He played an obviously fatal mistake. Because his Monster was stronger than Chazz's Monster, he should have aimed straight for the Monster. I know I would have."
"And that is where you're wrong," said Sartorius, confusing Alexis. "For you see, his last move just now guaranteed his win whether it happens in the next turn or later on. Perhaps one of the two cards he laid facedown on his field is a Trap that will surely wipe away the rest of Chazz's Life Points."
"But, that means whether Chazz attacks or not, he'll lose!"
"This just goes to show how fearsome Bastion Misawa is with how much planning and his frightening intelligence can lead him," praised Sartorius, intrigued by Bastion's dueling.
'I just have to wait one more turn! And then, I can turn the tables on Chazz!' thought Bastion. 'Even he knows it, and he looks desperate!'
"My turn!" shouted Chazz hastily. "I activate the Spell, Front Change! Now, this Spell allows me to switch Assault Combat Beetle on my field with the Combat Scissor Beetle in my Extra Deck! Come forth, Combat Scissor Beetle!"
The Monsters that made up Assault Combat Beetle flew out and reassembled themselves into a different version of their combined forces, creating into the being known as Combat Scissor Beetle.
Combat Scissor Beetle - (EARTH/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (3600/1800)
'His Monster is surely much more powerful than mine!' thought Bastion. 'But even so, if he attacks, I'll just counter with Magic Cylinder and win the duel! So, come at me, Chazz! If my calculation come to fruition, then my victory will be assured!'
But then, Bastion came to a horrible realization. Should he win the duel, then Sartorius will uphold his end of the bargain and leave the island, which means he'll probably disband the Society of Light. But, if that were to happen, then he would never join the Society of Light, and being a member meant he's get recognition for his strength.
Without the Society of Light, he'd be nothing.
He could feel Sartorius' words and the purpose of the existence of the Society of Light weighing down on his shoulders. It was for the greater good that Sartorius leave along with the Society of Light, but should he do that, then all his hard work won't be recognized. He would be worth nothing to anyone.
While he was in conflict and pondering what to do, Chazz had begun his assault on Bastion. "Combat Scissor Beetle! Destroy his Monster now and end this!"
Jaden and her friends arrived at the Duel Arena just in time to see Combat Scissor Beetle's attack utterly destroy Bastion's Plasma Warrior Eitom. The blast sent Bastion flying in the air as his Life Points took a hit.
Bastion - 1000 LP
Chazz - 900 LP
"And now, my Monster's ability activates!" shouted Chazz triumphantly. "When it destroys a Monster in battle, he inflicts 1000 Points of Damage to you!"
Upon the depletion of the remainder of his Life Points, Bastion crashed back down to the ground as Jaden and the others just arrived to his aid.
Bastion - 0 LP
Chazz - 900 LP
Winner: Chazz
Sartorius smirked, having "predicted" the outcome of the duel beforehand. He started moving away along with Alexis and Chazz since the duel had reached an end. Bastion sat up, struggling to recover as Jaden and the others noticed something about his duel disk.
"Bastion had two facedowns on his field!" cried out Syrus.
"Then, he could have used them and he would have won the duel!" pointed out Hassleberry.
"He could have, but he didn't, which further verifies my point," said Aster. "Bastion's intellect would have made him a tough opponent, even for Sartorius. However, Sartorius saw the frailness within Bastion's heart and took advantage of it. Even if he had won, without acknowledgement, Bastion was destined to destroy himself."
Because he lost, Bastion was donned a Society of Light's white jacket, thus signifying his membership into the Society of Light. He glanced back at his former friends; empty, but proud eyes staring back at them.
It was then that Jaden realized just how horrible the situation had gotten, and that Bastion was right to fear the Society of Light.
Meanwhile...
As Alexis and Chazz were the first to leave the Duel Arena and head outside, Alexis scolded him, "You know, you were lucky this time, but next time, you should be more careful! Why do you even still keep those strange Ojama cards, anyways?"
Stopping, Chazz took out his deck and fished out his Ojama cards. "You're right...Why do I still have these worthless cards, anyways? Eh, I'll just get rid of them." He tossed the cards he saw as useless into the wind, and if he heard any of those cards cry out for him, well, he just ignored them and went on his merry way.
"This is all your guys' fault, you know that, right?" said Aster once they were all alone.
"What...?" wondered Jaden.
"What are you talking about?! How is any of this our fault?" demanded Hassleberry. "The Society of Light brainwashed him!"
"Yeah, I'll admit that. They definitely brainwashed him after he lost. On purpose. In a duel he chose to participate in," Aster pointed out. "And why do you think he wanted this duel to begin with?"
"Well, you said it was because he wanted to be acknowledged for his strength," said Jaden. "But we all know he's strong! He doesn't need to prove that to anyone! Why didn't he just come to us? We could have talked things out and-"
"You could have. You should have, but you didn't, like the terrible friends you are," spoke Aster sarcastically. "Tell me, when you were out fishing a few days ago, did he come to you?"
"Well, I-Um...Yeah."
"Even if he didn't directly tell you about him thinking he wasn't strong enough, you should have acknowledged the fact that the Society of Light has bigger plans at stake. I mean, did the field trip not give out big hints that the cult was obviously planning something big?"
"We...I guess we should have noticed," admitted Syrus.
"Clearly. Now, let me tell you what I think," said Aster. "I think that you guys think this is all just some big game. That it doesn't matter whoever wins or loses, because as long as nobody gets hurt, everyone practically wins! Am I so close to the fire now?"
"That's not true!" protested Jaden. "I was really worried when Sy and Hassleberry were kidnapped, and I made a promise that Sarina that I'd get her brother back to normal!"
"And what have you've been doing? Just relaxing and fishing all day, is what you're doing. Now, I can understand if you're busy with schoolwork, but I know you guys skip classes. I'm no different, of course, but at least I actually do important things while skipping. Besides, I can always get good grades anytime I want."
"Will you just get to the point, or are you just here to brag about how good you are?" questioned Hassleberry angrily.
"My point is, you guys need to grow up and see the bigger picture. Jaden, you're not even upholding the promise you made to Sarina, nor are you even trying to disband the Society of Light."
"We've dueled plenty of members already!" said Syrus.
"Yes, you have," agreed Aster. "Only because they come to you. Not the other way around. You know, funny thing is, I ran into Bastion right before he went to confront the Society of Light."
"What?!" shouted Hassleberry. "If that's the case, why didn't you stop him? Or come to us sooner?"
"He had his mind set. I'm not responsible for his actions. I barely know the guy, anyways, so why do I care what he does? But you guys have known him longer. Why didn't you comfort him in his time of need. Yeah, it's true that the Society of Light have influenced his mind, but you guys are part of the main reason why he's now brainwashed."
Jaden and her friends tried to come up with a good retort, but found themselves speechless. Everything Aster stated was cruel, but the truth nevertheless, even if they didn't like it. He was right; they should have been better friends to Bastion, but instead, they left him in the dark, and now, because of them, he's now part of the Society of Light.
"...You know, I expected better from you, Jaden. I can't say the same for either Syrus or Hassleberry, but I thought you were better than this," sighed Aster, shaking his head. "I'm really disappointed in you."
Jaden flinched, not used to being told that she was a disappointment. It...hurt her feelings. Guess she now felt what Bastion was feeling when he wasn't acknowledged for his skills. "I'm...sorry."
Aster turned around. "I'm not the one you need to be apologizing to. If anything, Bastion's the one who needs help, but...I guess it's beyond him. Look, we're still allies, but the only reason we still are is because Sartorius still considers you and me the ones destined to defy fate. So, since you're a target, I guess we have to work together until this situation blows out. Well, I said my piece, and now I'm leaving."
"Good! Leave!" shouted Hassleberry, although he and the others felt the weight of their poor choices growing heavy on them as they felt immense guilt.
Aster shook his head as he walked away. "And to think I was starting to like her."
"What?"
"Nothing!"
Finished! Whew! Like I said before, I really did feel bad for Bastion! Poor guy! I dunno why the anime decided to decline his role like that! It was so unfair! I'm no Bastion fangirl, but I thought that having a rival that relies on intelligence would be nice! Plus, there was some bashing in here that I wanted to pour my frustrations in. And now I'm refreshed!
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