Hey, guys! One of you guys came along and explain further about Aster's revenge and how it kinda contributes to his character development. What I was trying to explain is that I hated that when people try to go down the path of revenge, they tend to harm a lot of innocent people in the process, or worst, even ruin their lives or kill them. That's one of the main reasons why I hate revenge and why I stated that it was pointless. Well, I guess it's more like I hate vengeful people dragging innocent people down like that. And don't worry, I'll have Jaden call out Aster on this.
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own any Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!
It was late at night that Aster finally arrived at The D's own private yacht, which, in his own opinion, resembled more of a large cruise ship than a yacht, but whatever floats his boat, no pun intended.
After making his stop nearby, Aster climbed out of his own yacht and managed to get onboard The D's yacht. Afterwards, as he walked down the halls and, eventually, entering inside the yacht, Aster noticed that things were...out of place. Like, why wasn't The D out to greet him? Why were there no lights posted? Granted, thanks to the moonlight, he could see his way through, but it would have been nice to have some lights guiding his way.
Shortly after heading inside, it didn't take long for Aster to finally spot The D, his foster father and one of the few people he trusted, across the room. "D!"
"It's been a while, Aster. I'm so glad to see you," welcomed The D heartwarmingly, though suspiciously in a dark tone.
"So, how did your match today turn out?" asked Aster.
"Right, you don't know, do you? Do you want to know how the duel ended?"
"Of course I do! I take it you won?"
"Yes, I won," The D confirmed confidently. "No duelist in this world can win against me. Oh, and one more thing. Doctor Collector is dead."
The startling revelation shocked Aster, enough to send even the littlest bits of chills down his body. "...What?"
"He was engulfed by the flames at the venue and burned to death. No...No, perhaps he may have died before that from the shock of the blow I dealt to him."
Aster's mind was still spiraling and trying to get over the fact that a duelist actually died during The D's last match. "W-Wait, wha-"
Before he could finish his sentence, the doors behind Aster suddenly shut suddenly, leading The D to chuckle darkly.
"The only doorways lie there and behind me. And that door behind you will no longer open."
Swiftly turning to The D, Aster demanded, "What do you think you're doing, D?!"
"Don't you remember?" The D said, stepping forward. "We made a promise a while back, didn't we? For you to have a Title Match with me? I've kept the promise of protecting the title of Champion until you grew up. And since I did you a huge favor, I believe it's only fair that you do the same to me."
"What are you...?"
Holding up an unknown card right between his fingers, The D continued, "You've been searching for your father's killer, correct? You eventually came to the conclusion that your father's killer must have his most prized card with him since the killer killed your father for it, right?"
Aster's eyes widened. "No, it couldn't be...That card couldn't-!"
"I believe this is the card you've been looking for. The ultimate Destiny card?"
"You can't mean to tell me...!"
"That's right...The one who killed your father..." The D held nothing back in his face; his expression revealing his true nature to be that of a demon's. "IS ME!"
A combined expression of horror and shock filled Aster's face, and he couldn't help but back away, using all of his strength just to remain standing. "D...why did-"
"Why? Such a foolish question, Aster," said The D. "It was clearly to win, no matter what methods were used."
"To win?"
The D began to explain. "I wanted to be a legend, the next Yugi Muto, the next King of Games! And so, I aimed to be a Pro Duelist, taking the first steps to becoming a duelist with the most glory and prestige in the world. And yet...the Pro League World wasn't all that indulgent. Everything I did, everywhere I went, it all resulted in failures over and over and over again! I was at the end of my rope, but then a miracle from the heavens came to me, in the form of a young boy holding the prototype of a Duel Monster in a drawing. Yes, you were that young boy, Aster."
"H-How?"
The D went on to reveal that he was out on the streets when he saw a piece of paper flying towards him. Amazed by the design of the new Duel Monster, The D was intrigued and further studied the design when the young Aster came up to him, having tried to chase after the paper. Aster excitedly explained that it was his father, a card designer from Industrial Illusions, who designed the Duel Monster, and, upon getting an idea, The D handed back the paper to Aster and forged a plan to steal the card.
However, on the night that The D pulled the heist, he was discovered by Aster's father, and before anything else could happen, The D heard a voice call out to him from within the Duel Monster's card, controlling him and enabling him to kill Aster's father as to make sure there weren't any witnesses.
"Everything went smoothly after I got this card," continued The D. "Fortune and victory, both much like lies until then, swooped in. I gained a big sponsor and ended up getting non-stop victories in the Pro League. I've become the Champion and defended my throne for about a decade, and I knew that eventually, I would become one of the greatest duelists in history. Eventually, I would have dueled against Yugi Muto himself."
"If...If everything you've said is true, then why did you go and adopt me?!" questioned Aster.
"Admittedly, I didn't want to at first, but that incident attracted the world's attention more than I expected to. That's why I needed a helper to tell me how far the police had moved their investigation along. That, and nobody would ever suspect a kind and generous 'old friend' of your father to ever be the killer, especially after generously going out of his own way to adopt his own son."
Aster gritted his teeth, now knowing that The D lied to him about a lot of things, including the fact that he was a 'close friend of his father's.' "Did you really use me just for your selfish needs?"
"Oh, it was more than just that," said The D. "I wanted to know whether or not I was a chosen one. Just look at history. Legends who seized authority would always commit some number of sins. Some small, but more famous legends commit countless sins. I guess I'm one of the lucky famous legends whose killed a few. After all, I killed your father and became a legend. I proved that just like all other legends, I am a chosen one."
"Chosen-?! Don't bullshit me!" yelled Aster.
"Aster...even though you've experienced much, you're still a naïve child in my eyes. I wouldn't expect you to understand. After all, the path of a legend is an untrodden path in which laws and common sense are pointless," said The D, activating his duel disk.
"D...in order to avenge my father...I'll make you PAY!" growled Aster, activating his own duel disk.
"Then, shall we begin our duel to the death?"
The two opponents stood still, ready to face off in their first and final duel to the death against each other. They both knew the stakes and risks of this duel, and gladly accepted. One would remain standing, the victor, while the other, the loser, would remain dead.
"DUEL!"
Later, up in the skies...
"Was it alright for you not to bring in your other friends, Jaden? I'm sure they could have provided support just as much as you and Aster need right now," questioned Sheppard.
Jaden shook her head. "No, I feel like this is something I have to on my own. Aster is my friend, and he's helped me a lot through this whole Society issue, so it wouldn't be fair if I didn't help him myself."
After making a phone call to Sheppard, after getting the information from Crowler and Bonaparte, claiming it was an emergency, Jaden waited for Sheppard to return on his helicopter. Of course, if it weren't for the fact that the Society of Light were already guarding the boats and ships all across the docks, then she would have taken one already and headed towards wherever Aster was. And her patience had been rewarded by the sight of Sheppard allowing her to search for Aster in the helicopter. An additional bonus would be that Sheppard knew the exact location of The D's yacht, which is where they were heading.
Sheppard sighed and placed his hands on his head. "Aster...I understand his need for revenge, but this isn't right...this isn't right at all..."
"Chancellor Sheppard? Why does Aster want revenge so much anyways?" wondered Jaden. "I mean, I get that he wants to avenge his Dad, but none of this is right..."
"It's much more than that," admitted Sheppard. "To Aster, his greatest inspiration, much more than anyone else in the world...is his father. But, his father's dead; his life taken before him in the blink of an eye thanks to some killer. And now, Aster believes that if he catches the killer, not only will he find solace, but he'll have surpassed his father...But I believe that Aster will go beyond that."
"What...do you mean?"
"At this point, I'm willing to believe that Aster won't just try and avenge his father, he will go so far as to kill his father's killer."
Silence, except for the sound of the beating winds and helicopter flying coursed within the helicopter. Jaden moved in to protest, "B-But that can't be! Even I don't think that Aster would-!"
"Jaden. Do you truly think that? Did you not inform me earlier that Aster had injured countless duelists? You yourself witnessed this, remember?"
"W-Well, I only remember him dueling and then hurting one duelist! But that doesn't necessarily mean-!"
"No, Jaden. It means exactly what it means," sighed Sheppard, looking at her with a stern and serious expression. "Jaden, this isn't the first time Aster has harmed innocents just for more information on his father's killer. Ever since this tournament started, whenever he dueled someone, they usually ended up hospitalized. It's quite fortunate that they haven't been comatose. But the main point is that Aster has been going on, acting like a vigilante and harming people, whether they be innocent or not. Don't you think that's wrong?"
Jaden slumped back against her seat, unable to find anything to support Aster, given the evidence being revealed to her. "Y-Yeah...Hurting people, especially innocents, is always wrong..."
"And yet, Aster continued to do so, regardless of the consequences. This sort of behavioral trend is both wrong and abnormal, and if he isn't stopped soon, I fear that he'll cross a line that once crossed, can never be reclaimed again..."
"You mean, Aster might be more willing to kill?" wondered Jaden.
Sheppard nodded. "Precisely. What's even worst is that due to his status as a Pro Duelist, he may be able to cover up the crime and even falsify evidence, claiming that he was acting in self-defense. If he even goes that far, there's almost no certainty for him. I may not know Aster's father personally, but from what President Pegasus informed me, he was a very kind and gentle person. If Aster's father were to be alive today, I think he would be disappointed and ashamed of his son..."
Jaden looked down. "I...I said something similar to Aster the third time we dueled. I told him that the Destiny Heroes that he got from his father must have been created to make him happy. I told him that his father probably wouldn't have wanted him to use them to hurt people. But, here he is, using them to hurt people. It's...sad and frustrating, and I...I wish I can do more to stop him!"
"Chancellor, we're here, right above the yacht," called out the pilot. Jaden and Sheppard glanced out their windows and saw that they were indeed above in the skies of The D's personal yacht.
"Jaden," spoke Sheppard, bringing her attention. "If you truly wish to save Aster from the path he's trending, then you'll have to listen to me carefully. I fear we may only have one chance at this..."
Meanwhile...
Aster - 200 LP
The D - 2000 LP
Aster panted heavily before gritting his teeth, trying to regain his composure and stay focused on the duel. He was both fatigued and injured, as evident of his clothes being slightly torn and bloody from assaults from the one Destiny Monster now under the possession of The D.
Destiny Hero - Plasma.
Not only did Plasma absorb his Dogma, but Aster also learned of Plasma's special ability to be given the special abilities of the Monster he absorbs, meaning that Aster suffered Dogma's effect during his turn. Not only that, but he was also on the losing end of the duel, despite learning more about Plasma's abilities and The D gaining more and more of an advantage. If he doesn't think of something soon, he'll lose more than his life; his opportunity for revenge!
Luckily for him, he still has Clock Tower Prison out, so if he played his cards right, then he'll be the one to gain the upper hand in this duel! 'Just two more turns, and I'll have a chance to win this!' thought Aster.
Chuckling, The D said, "Aster, it seems you've yet to realize something very important..."
Although he hated the man before him, Aster couldn't help but be intrigued by what he had to say for himself. Just what was it that he has yet to understand?
"Believe in your Destiny Heroes' power to see the future all you want, but it will never change the fact that time has always stopped still inside you."
Aster gritted his teeth down harder. "Shut up..."
But The D continued, if only to see Aster's normally composed expression twist itself up even further. "From the moment your father died...YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED AT ALL! YOU'RE STILL THE NAIVE LITTLE BOY THAT YOU ARE TODAY!"
Even if it was for an instant, all of Aster's anger and hatred vanished at the sudden realization that The D may be...right.
The D, taking advantage of Aster's guard being down, proclaimed. "I activate the Spell, Drain Time!"
Aster's Clock Tower Prison instantly froze in a heartbeat, snapping him out of his thoughts to realize just in time what had happened.
"When I have Plasma out on the field, Drain Time allows me to select any single phase in a turn, and both of us must skip that phase of that choice! I choose Standby Phase, which means you can't activate that Clock Tower Prison's effect that you admire so much! And now, both figuratively and literally, time has completely stopped for you! Go, Plasma! Destroy his Doom Lord!"
"I activate my Counter Trap!" shouted Aster. "D - Counter! D - Counter destroys any Monster that's attacking one of my Destiny Heroes! Wait, what?!" Suddenly, the D - Counter that should have protected his Doom Lord and retaliated against Plasma got destroyed.
The D's expression widened with sadistic glee at the destruction of D - Counter. "IT'S POINTLESS! Spells and Traps won't affect Plasma, either!"
Embedded by a red aura of blood, Plasma then continued his bloody assault on Doom Lord, literally raining down needles of blood onto him, thus causing his destruction. "You're kidding me! Spell, Traps and Monster effects won't have any effect on him?!" growled Aster. "How can that be?! How can I win?!"
"That's the whole point. You can't. But, perhaps you should be honored," chuckled The D. "The ultimate Destiny card that your father created...IT TRULY IS ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS!"
Aster's rage was only further fueled and increased by The D's words alone. The ultimate Destiny card was never meant for this...this killer! It was meant for HIM! How dare he...going around, impersonating as a kind father-figure only to be a ruthless, coldhearted murderer?!
"I set a card and end my turn!"
"I DRAW!" yelled Aster. "Damnit, damnit, DAMNIT! I set two cards and end my turn!"
"That's unlike you, Aster, losing your cool like that. Then again, I guess it'll hardly matter in a few more seconds," The D stated. "No monsters on the field means no defenses for you! I'd say this duel has already settled! But don't worry, Aster, you'll be able to see your father again...IN HELL! PLASMA! FINISH HIM-!"
Suddenly, from above the ceiling's skylight window, two canisters crashed and landed right in the middle of their duel, hissing out different gases that also acted as smokescreens and filled the inside in mere seconds.
Shocked, Aster peered around to try and see what was happening. Unfortunately, he accidentally breathed in the two gases through his nose and mouth, and seconds later, he passed out thanks to the effects of the gases, though there doesn't appear to be any poisoning within his body.
The two canisters that were suddenly dropped from quite literally the sky, were two canisters filled with different gases, and luckily, none were lethal or harmful. The first canister was a fog-like smokescreen that provides as both cover and a wide distraction. The second canister reacted differently, as while it does also provide a smokescreen effect, it was more of an anesthetic gas. In other words, sleeping gas, so if one were to inhale or breath in the gas, they'd be knocked out in no time.
Quickly after the canisters were thrown, the gases were spread around and filled the halls, and with Aster was knocked out, the duel ended not in a draw, but with no conclusion. Then, multiple things came crashing down from the skylight window. They weren't canisters, just random junk, but it was irrelevant as to what junk they were, as the purpose of the random junk was to completely shatter and destroy the skylight window to make space for at least a person to fit through the skylight window unharmed.
Next, a rope ladder from above fell down, and climbing down the rope ladder from the helicopter high above the yacht and successfully infiltrating the inside of the main halls was Jaden herself. To protect herself from the anesthetic gas, she has a gas mask covering her face as she searched around for her main target: Aster.
Together with Sheppard, both him and Jaden formulated a plan as to how to rescue Aster from his predicament. If they saw Aster in any sort of danger, they were to interrupt the duel by throwing down two canisters of different gases that Duel Academy kept for emergencies like keeping intruders out or arresting them, and luckily, the helicopter had plenty of supplies. Next, they had to throw useless junk down the skylight windows to make space and to avoid being cut by sharp window shards before using the distraction as a way to retrieve Aster. Jaden was chosen for the rescue mission as she was both the lightest and agile person they had. After rescuing Aster, Jaden was ordered to send a signal after boarding the rope ladder. That would be the signal for the helicopter to fly away, as Jaden wouldn't have time to climb up the rope ladder all the way to the top while carrying a sleeping Aster along the way.
Any normal man would have succumbed to the effects of the anesthesia, but unfortunately, The D was no ordinary man.
After The D fell unconscious from breathing in the anesthesia gas, The Light of Destruction had possessed his body and was utterly enraged over the interruption of their duel-no, the EXTERMINATION OF A CHOSEN ONE! It was seen even further when its malicious light spirit grew in size and power. Jaden, having found Aster, was in the midst of picking him up when she saw the Light of Destruction looming over her in a threatening manner.
"YOU-! YOU DARE TO GET IN MY WAY! YOU SHALL SUFFER AND DIE FOR YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS!"
The Light of Destruction swooped down towards her, and the last thing Jaden remembered before blacking out was seeing her own reflection on some glass shards. The glass shards seems to have reflected back on her golden eyes...
Later...
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
Jaden flinched from being yelled at by Aster, who wasn't hesitating to let her have it. Upon arriving on the grounds of Duel Academy, Aster had woken up before being informed of the entire rescue operation. Now enraged over the interruption of the duel and missed chance of avenging his father, Aster was proceeding to yell at Jaden.
Jaden wasn't completely aware of what happened after she had blacked out so suddenly during the rescue operation, but according to Sheppard, there was a large explosion that caused a huge fire within The D's yacht, and Jaden had made it out while carrying Aster and climbing up the rope ladder at the same time, though when questioned of the events that occurred below and why she didn't use the signal to get away faster, Jaden proved unresponsive. It was only after a few minutes after their escape that Jaden managed to snap out of it, though she seemed to have no memories of her actions. Sheppard assumed that the stress from a dangerous rescue mission along with somehow being affected by the anesthetic gas must have done something to Jaden and left it at that.
But right now, Jaden and Sheppard's efforts to calm down Aster were proving fruitless, as he refused to accept their excuses and was taking his anger out on them.
"HOW DARE YOU?! YOU HAD NO-NO RIGHT TO INTERVENE!" yelled Aster, unable to contain his rage any longer, whereas his usual composed self would have held it in. "THIS WAS MY ONE CHANCE! MY ONE CHANCE! AND YOU BOTH BLEW IT! WHY?!"
"Aster," spoke Sheppard calmly. "What exactly were you planning to do with The D should you defeat him in a duel?"
"Isn't it obvious?!" Aster growled, clenching his already tightened, white-knuckled fist. "Make him pay for everything he's done! To me and my father!"
"And how exactly were you planning on doing that? How exactly were you going to pay for everything he's done?"
Jaden stepped up and asked almost nervously, "Aster...were you planning to...you know, kill The D for what he's done?"
"...I don't have to answer to you. Just stay out of my way." Aster said before stomping away.
But Jaden wasn't willing to let him go that easily, as she dashed forward and got in his way with her arms spread. "NO! Aster, answer me! Were you-"
"I don't have to answer shit to you!" Aster yelled. "Because of you, you've effectively ruined my chances of avenging my father! And now, The D's probably off somewhere far away where he'll be safe and never be found again! AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"
Jaden flinched further from the yelling, but still held her ground, refusing to yield. Swallowing, as though to swallow her own fear, Jaden told him, "Even if you said all this, if you tried to take revenge again...I wouldn't hesitate to stop you no matter how many times it takes."
"...Of course...Of course you would say something that STUPIDLY NAIVE!" Aster hollered, gripping her by the shirt collar. "You don't get it, do you?! That man-no, that MONSTER has to pay for what he's done! He has to SUFFER for what he's done! To me and my father! It's because of him that my life is ruined! Because of him, he stole my father's best card! And now, because of YOU, he's gotten away, and-!"
"Aster, enough!" shouted Sheppard, forcing both Aster and Jaden apart by separating the two by arm's length. "Yes, the incident that happened around a decade ago was due to The D's actions, but you're not entirely innocent, either!"
"What are you talking about?" growled Aster, glaring at Jaden as though he hoped his own glare would make her suffer for her interference.
"Aster, don't think I haven't noticed your actions ever since the tournament begun," stated Sheppard sternly. "Going around and dueling other people is fine. What I cannot tolerate is the fact that you go around asking for Ante Duels, and not only taking the losers' decks and disrespectfully throwing them away, but you also heavily injured people in the process. Did you know that just about half of the people you injured were so heavily wounded, they had to be transported to the hospital?"
"What?" Jaden turned to Aster in disbelief, unable to believe that it was true. But then again, she did witness him hurting someone in a duel, but she never imagined it was to this extent! If Aster had pushed his power through even further, then the people he were dueling probably would have gotten far worst than being hospitalized!
They would have actually died, just as Aster had intended with The D.
That realization finally convinced Jaden that yes, Aster would probably go that far. If that were the case, then before he ever crosses a line that he'll never return from...
She'll have to stop him herself.
As Sheppard and Aster were in the midst of an argument, Jaden stepped between the both of them, facing Aster with a serious look. "Aster, duel me."
"What?"
"You heard me. Duel me. If you win, I'll let you...I'll let you do whatever you want to The D, and I promise, I won't get in your way."
"You...And just what in the world, makes you think that I'll comply? I could just ignore you and head off to find The D myself now that I know he's my father's killer!" stated Aster.
"Can't. All of the ships and boats here are guarded by the Society of Light to make sure no students make it out of Duel Academy," revealed Jaden. "Chazz told me."
"Grrr...if I hadn't abandoned my yacht back at D's own...Then, I'll just use a helicopter and-"
"Aster, with your current situation going on, do you honestly believe that I'll allow you access to any of the island's helicopters? One word from me, and nobody in the staff would ever allow you onboard a helicopter," told Sheppard.
Aster gritted his teeth. "I have other connections that'll help me escape this island! No matter how many obstacles you place in my path, I will surpass them!"
"Then the same goes to me as well!" shouted Jaden. "Aster, this path you're taking, the path of revenge, it isn't right! It's not right at all!"
"Shut up! You have no right in telling me what to do! What I do with my destiny is my own!"
"I thought you believed that you should follow destiny's path, no matter what," Jaden countered. "And anyways, if you say that you'll surpass any obstacle, then you'll have to surpass me! You'll have to go through me before you can even get to The D!"
"Ha! And why would I do that?" questioned Aster. "Why would I waste my time with the likes of you?"
"Because our dueling record is tied," reminded Jaden. "Not counting the first time we dueled since you were holding back nor our training sessions, our official record is that you and I both won and lost a match, so we're tied!"
"If you think that I care about our stupid dueling record more than my vengeance towards-!"
"But you do! Well, maybe not as much as your vengeance, but this seems pretty important to you, too!" Jaden protested. "Your pride as a duelist won't let you continue until you resolve this once and for all! And I know because I feel the same way! So, what do you say, Aster? One more obstacle, one more duel to settle your 'destiny' once and for all!"
"...You know what? Fine!" shouted Aster, stepping back and activating his duel disk. "We had to settle this eventually anyways! You win, I'll listen to whatever you have to say, but if I win, you let me do whatever the hell I want, and you stay away from me, got it?"
"Got it!" agreed Jaden, backing away for distance.
Sheppard sighed, but felt that this was probably necessary for the two of them. He can't stop the two from settling their conflicts and differences with a duel, so the least he could do as act as a referee for this duel.
"When you lose, I hope you won't be too disappointed in yourself, Jaden!" taunted Aster.
"Aster, trust me when I say that I am disappointed..." Jaden's eyes flashed golden for an instant. "Disappointed in you."
The sudden golden flash in Jaden's eyes shook Aster's down to his core, sending literal chills down his spine. For just that one second, he felt true fear, but shook it off, thinking he was just overthinking things and decided to distract himself with the duel instead.
"DUEL!"
- DUEL -
Aster - 4000 LP
VS
Jaden - 4000 LP
"I'll go first!" proclaimed Aster, drawing his card. "I summon Destiny Hero - Decider in Defense Mode!"
Destiny Hero - Decider - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1000)
"Next, I activate the Field Spell, Clock Tower Prison!"
Darkness engulfed the skies as it turned from daylight to nighttime, and walls along with a clock tower surrounded the two of them. There was no escape, no exits or entrances, just a battle between two opponents who wielded Hero decks of their own.
But even so, an ominous, enclosed Field Spell felt out of place; like it wasn't the proper setting for a battle of conflicts and morals.
"I set two cards facedown and end my turn!"
"I draw!" shouted Jaden, drawing and glancing at the card she drew.
"At this time, Clock Tower Prison's effect now activates! During each of your Standby Phases, Clock Tower Prison receives 1 Clock Counter!"
Clock Tower Prison - 1 Clock Counter
Jaden knew full well what would happen should Clock Tower Prison receive at least 4 or more Clock Counters and resolved herself not to let it reach that point as she saw the clock tower change to 3:00. "I activate the Spell, Graceful Charity, to draw three new cards but discard two! I then activate Polymerization! I fuse together Lady Heat and Necroshade in order to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Escuridao!"
Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2000)
"Escuridao's effect activates! For every Elemental Hero I have in my Graveyard, she gains 100 extra Attack Points!"
Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2700/2000)
"Now, I activate Monster Reborn to Special Summon Bladedge, one of the cards I discarded earlier, from my Graveyard!"
Elemental Hero Bladedge - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV7 - (2600/1800)
"Escuridao! Destroy his Decider!"
Escuridao flexed her sharp claws before unleashing devastating rays of black lightning embedded with darkness, only for them to be deflected by Decider.
"What?!"
"Decider's effect activates! Level 6 or higher Monsters can't target him for any attacks!"
"Then, I'll do this!" decided Jaden. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion, and defuse my Escuridao back to Lady Heat and Necroshade!"
Elemental Hero Lady Heat - (FIRE/Pyro) - LV4 - (1300/1000)
Elemental Hero Necroshade - (DARK/Warrior) - LV5 - (1600/1800)
"Then, I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Rush Recklessly, to target Necroshade so that he gains 700 extra Attack Points until the end of this turn!" said Jaden.
Elemental Hero Necroshade - (DARK/Warrior) - LV5 - (2300/1800)
"I'll continue to attack! Necroshade, destroy Decider!"
Raising up his clawed hands high in the air, Necroshade summoned forth claws of darkness that ensnared Decider, dragging him literally down the Graveyard.
Aster - 3300 LP
Jaden - 4000 LP
"I activate my Trap, Destiny Signal!" shouted Aster. "When a Monster I control is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon a Destiny Hero Monster from my hand or deck! Come on, Destiny Hero - Defender in Defense Mode!"
Destiny Hero - Defender - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (100/2700)
'His Monster's defenses are too high! I can't continue to attack!' thought Jaden. "Alright, I set two cards and end my turn! At this time, Necroshade's Attack Points returns to normal!"
Elemental Hero Necroshade - (DARK/Warrior) - LV5 - (1600/1800)
"Additionally, Lady Heat's effect activates! For every Elemental Hero on the field, including herself, she gets to inflict 200 Points of Damage each!"
"Decider's effect activates!" cried out Aster as a rain of fireballs descended onto him. "If a card or effect is activated that would inflict Effect Damage onto me during the turn Decider was sent to the Graveyard, I can make the Effect Damage 0, and then add Decider back into my hand!"
As Aster was returned his Destiny Hero Monster from his Graveyard and into his hand, a barrier blocked any sorts of fireballs, shielding him from Lady Heat's effect. One clear advantage that Aster had over Jaden was that he had more knowledge of both the Elemental Heroes, save for those involving Neos, and the Destiny Heroes far more than her because he has more dueling experience than her, especially since he's a Pro Duelist.
"My turn, draw!" said Aster. "I activate the Spell, Destiny Draw, so I discard a Destiny Hero Monster from my hand to draw two more cards! I'll discard Destiny Hero - Malicious! And then, I activate Malicious' effect! I'll remove him from play to Special Summon another Malicious Monster from my deck!"
Destiny Hero - Malicious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV6 - (800/800)
"Next, I sacrifice Malicious in order to Tribute Summon Destiny Hero - Dasher!"
Destiny Hero - Dasher - (DARK/Warrior) - LV6 - (2100/1000)
"I then activate the Spell, Over Destiny! By selecting a Destiny Hero Monster from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon a different Destiny Hero Monster from my deck whose Level is less than or equal to half of the selected Monster's! But it's destroyed by the end of this turn! I Special Summon Destiny Hero - Disk Commander!"
Destiny Hero - Disk Commander - (DARK/Warrior) - LV1 - (300/300)
"I now activate Dasher's effect! Once per turn, I can sacrifice another Monster to increase his Attack Points by 1000 until the end of this turn! I'll sacrifice Disk Commander!"
Destiny Hero - Dasher - (DARK/Warrior) - LV6 - (3100/1000)
"Attack, Dasher! Aim for Lady Heat!"
"Not so fast!" Jaden tried to stop Aster. "I activate my facedown Trap, Hero Barrier, to protect my Elemental Hero from being destroyed!"
"In that case, I counter with my Counter Trap card, Trap Jammer!" countered Aster. "This activates when you try to use a Trap card during the Battle Phase! It negates your Trap card and destroys it!"
Jaden grimaced when Hero Barrier, that was supposedly shielding Lady Heat, shattered after being weakened and crippling. Then, Dasher rushed towards Lady Heat and tired to take her out with a flying roundhouse kick, but not before Jaden did something first.
"I activate my other Trap, Half Unbreak! Now Lady Heat can't be destroyed in battle this turn, and any Battle Damage is halved this turn!"
Aster - 3300 LP
Jaden - 3250 LP
"If Dasher attacks, then he's switched to Defense Mode by the end of the Battle Phase," informed Aster. "I set two cards facedown and end my turn! At this moment, Dasher's Attack Points return to normal!"
Destiny Hero - Dasher - (DARK/Warrior) - LV6 - (2100/1000)
"My turn, draw!" said Jaden, drawing her card.
"At this moment, Clock Tower Prison gains another Clock Counter!" Aster announced just as the clock rotated to 6:00.
Clock Tower Prison - 2 Clock Counters
Jaden continued her turn. "I activate the Spell, O-Oversoul and Special Summon the Elemental Hero Neos that I just discarded earlier from Graceful Charity's effect to the Graveyard!"
Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (2500/2000)
"I then equip Neos with the Equip Spell, Neos Force! He gains 800 extra Attack Points!"
Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (3100/2000)
"Go! Bladedge! Destroy Dasher now!"
"At this moment, I activate my Trap, D - Counter!" shouted Aster as Bladedge rushed towards Dasher. "This activates when a Destiny Hero I control is selected as an attack target! This Trap destroys the Monster attacking my Destiny Hero!"
Right before Bladedge could reach Dasher, he exploded, thus halting him in his assault at Dasher as the Destiny Hero was kept safe by his master's quick thinking.
"Alright, then I'll have Neos destroy your Destiny Hero Defender! Go, Neos!"
Neos, filled with vigor and newfound power from one fist, rushed at Defender and smashed a hole through his defensive body, defeating him in a single blow.
"Neos Force's effect activates! When Neos, equipped with Neos Force, destroys a Monster in battle, you get hit with Effect Damage equal to the Attack Points of your Monster! And since Defender only had 100 Attack Points, that's how much you'll lose!"
Aster - 3200 LP
Jaden - 3250 LP
"I switch Lady Heat and Necroshade into Defense Mode and end my turn!" said Jaden. "At this moment, Lady Heat's effect activates! For every Elemental Hero I control, she can inflict 200 Points of Damage each! There's now 4, so you'll be hit with 800 extra Points of Damage!"
Aster - 2400 LP
Jaden - 3250 LP
"Additionally, at the End Phase, I have to shuffle Neos Force back into my deck!"
Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (2500/2000)
"I draw!" said Aster. "I activate the Spell, Doctor D! This removes from play a Destiny Hero I choose in my Graveyard, so that I can Special Summon another Level 4 or lower Destiny Hero in my Graveyard! I'll remove my second Malicious in order to Special Summon Disk Commander in Defense Mode!"
Destiny Hero - Disk Commander - (DARK/Warrior) - LV1 - (300/300)
"When Disk Commander is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I can draw two more cards! And now, I activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two more cards! From my hand, I activate the Spell, Polymerization! I fuse together Disk Commander and Dasher in order to Fusion Summon Destiny Hero - Dystopia!"
Destiny Hero - Dystopia - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2400)
"Dystopia's effect activates! When he's Fusion Summoned, I can use one of the Fusion Materials used for his summon and inflict Effect Damage to you equal to that Fusion-Material Monster's Attack Points! I choose Dasher!"
A mirage of Dasher appeared in front of Dystopia before dashing headfirst at Jaden, knocking her back at full speed.
Aster - 2400 LP
Jaden - 1150 LP
"I activate my Trap, D-Soul!" shouted Aster. "I banish a Destiny Hero Monster in my Graveyard to target 1 Destiny Hero I control, and he'll gain Attack Points equal to the banished Monster's Attack Points until the end of this turn! I'll banish Disk Commander, so Dystopia gains 300 extra Attack Points!"
Destiny Hero - Dystopia - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (3100/2400)
"Wait, why 300? Why didn't you use Dasher?" wondered Jaden.
"Simple, because there's no point in continuing this duel any further. It'll be all over soon," said Aster. "I activate the effect of Dystopia! Once per turn, during either of our turns, if Dystopia's Attack or Defense Points have changed, I can target a card on the field and destroy it! I choose Neos!"
Dystopia puffed out his chest, and a large D signal emerged out and fired onto Neos, obliterating him.
"And now, Dystopia! Destroy Lady Heat!"
Dystopia pressed his palm forward and unleashed a laser attack, taking out Lady Heat in a similar way that he had taken out Neos earlier.
"I set a card and end my turn! And now, Dystopia's Attack Points returns to normal!"
Destiny Hero - Dystopia - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2400)
"My turn, draw!" shouted Jaden.
"Clock Tower Prison gains yet another Clock Counter!" reminded Aster as the clock rolled over to 9:00. "Just one more, and Clock Tower Prison will be completed!"
Clock Tower Prison - 3 Clock Counters
Jaden gritted her teeth, knowing she had to get rid of the Clock Tower Prison somehow. "I activate the Spell, Take Over Five! I'll send the top 5 cards of my deck to the Graveyard! Then, I play Pot of Greed to draw two more cards! I then activate the Spell, Double Fusion! By paying 500 Life Points, I can use Double Fusion's effect twice this turn!"
Aster - 2400 LP
Jaden - 650 LP
"From my hand, I fuse together Avian and Burstinatrix to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"
Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)
"Then, using Double Fusion's effect again, I fuse Flame Wingman with Sparkman from my hand in order to Fusion Summon Shining Flare Wingman!"
Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2100)
"Shining Flare Wingman's effect activates! He gains 300 extra Attack Points for every Elemental Hero in my Graveyard! There's a total of 8, so he gains 2400 extra Attack Points!"
Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (4900/2100)
"I activate my Trap, D-Shield!" shouted Aster. "This activates when a Destiny Hero I control that's in Attack Mode is selected as an attack target! I can switch him into Defense Mode and then equip D-Shield onto him!"
"But, Dystopia will still be destroyed even if he doesn't take any Battle Damage!" reminded Jaden.
"Wrong! Because D-Shield has another effect! The Monster equipped to it is not destroyed in battle, so Dystopia is safe!"
Shards of a barrier deflected the light ray fired by Shining Flare Wingman, protecting Dystopia as the barrier shards remained in order to continue protecting the Destiny Hero.
"I set a card and end my turn," said Jaden.
"My turn, draw!" Aster said. "I activate the Spell, D-Dragging Hammer! I target Dystopia, and then equip from my hand, Captain Tenacious, onto him! He loses Attack Points equal to Captain Tenacious' Attack Points!"
Destiny Hero - Dystopia - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2000/2400)
"I now activate the effect of Dystopia! Because his Attack Points were changed, I can destroy a card on the field, and I choose Shining Flare Wingman!"
Dystopia thrusted his palm forward, sending a D-shaped laser at Shining Flare Wingman which destroyed him.
"Alright, here we go! I summon to the field Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude in Attack Mode!"
Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1400/1600)
"Let's end this! Dystopia, take out the last of Jaden's defenses! Wipe out Necroshade!"
Just as Dystopia sent a laser-like beam towards Necroshade, Jaden intervened. "I activate the effect of Necro Gardna from my Graveyard! Earlier, I sent him to the Graveyard with Take Over Five's effect! By removing him from play, I can negate 1 attack from you!"
Aster gritted his teeth in annoyance. He knew that as long as Necroshade was out in Defense Mode, he couldn't attack Jaden's Life Points, and he couldn't attack with Diamond Dude because his Attack Points weren't enough to destroy Necroshade's Defense Points!
"Fine! I activate Diamond Dude's effect!" shouted Aster. "Once per turn, I can look at the top card of my deck, and if it's a Normal Spell card, I can send it to the Graveyard and then activate it on my next turn!" He drew his card, revealing it to be D - Soul Burst before sending it to his Graveyard. "I end my turn!"
"My turn, draw!" said Jaden.
"Now, it's time! Clock Tower Prison gains its 4th Clock Counter!" said Aster just as the clock tower had reverted back to 12:00, at its exact time right before it had gone through its first Clock Counter, as though nothing has changed.
Clock Tower Prison - 4 Clock Counters
Jaden knew what this meant. If Clock Tower Prison had 4 or more Clock Counters, that meant Aster didn't have to take anymore Battle Damage. That, or he'll just destroy Clock Tower Prison itself for its secondary effect. Still, she knew that she couldn't let this fact stop her. "I activate the effect of Take Over Five from my Graveyard! I remove from play another Take Over Five card from my deck in order to draw another card! I summon Liquid Soldier in Defense Mode!"
Elemental Hero - Liquid Soldier - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1400/1300)
"Liquid Soldier's effect activates! When Normal Summoned, I can target a Level 4 or lower Elemental Hero from my Graveyard and then Special Summon it! I Special Summon Lady Heat in Defense Mode!"
Elemental Hero Lady Heat - (FIRE/Pyro) - LV4 - (1300/1000)
"I now activate the Continuous Spell, Mirage of Nightmare! I set 2 cards and end my turn! At this moment, Lady Heat's effect activates! For every Elemental Hero I have, she can hit you with 200 Points of Damage for each one! That's a total of 600! Your Clock Tower Prison might be able to block Battle Damage, but not Effect Damage!"
Throwing her fiery arms down, Lady Heat unleashed another wave of fireballs onto Aster, who only covered with his arms and attempted to endure the pain.
Aster - 1800 LP
Jaden - 650 LP
"My turn, draw!" said Aster, regaining his composure.
"At this time, Mirage of Nightmare's effect activates!" said Jaden. "During your Standby Phase, I get to draw until I have 4 cards! And now, I activate my other facedown, the Quick-Play Spell, Emergency Provisions! I'll just destroy Mirage of Nightmare in order to regain 1000 Life Points!"
Aster - 1800 LP
Jaden - 1650 LP
Aster continued his turn. "I activate the effect of Diamond Dude to activate D - Soul Burst from my Graveyard! With D - Soul Burst, I can target a Destiny Hero Monster I control, its Attack Points becomes half its current Attack Points! I choose Dystopia, reducing his current Attack Points by 1000!"
Destiny Hero - Dystopia - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (1000/2400)
"Next, both of us take damage equal to that lost Attack Points! So we both take 1000 Points of Damage!"
Aster - 800 LP
Jaden - 650 LP
Jaden panted, saying, "So...we're evenly tied..."
"We're not! Not when I still have the advantage!" Aster pointed out. "In fact, I think it'll be good for me to gain even more advantages! Because Dystopia lost Attack Points, his special ability activates, so I get to destroy a card on the field! I choose your facedown card!"
Jaden knew it was now or never. "I activate my facedown card, the Quick-Play Spell, The Flute of Summoning Kuriboh! I Special Summon Winged Kuriboh from my deck!"
Winged Kuriboh - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV1 - (300/200)
Aster said, "Fine, then I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Mystical Space Typhoon, to destroy Clock Tower Prison!"
Swirling tornadoes coming from the Spell itself started rapidly destroying and dismantling the areas surrounding them, destroyed and literally blowing away destroyed chunks of Clock Tower Prison, leaving the dueling field no Field Spell at the moment.
"When Clock Tower Prison is destroyed while having 4 or more Clock Counters, I get to Special Summon a Destiny Hero Monster from my hand, deck, or Graveyard! I choose Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster!"
Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (?/?)
"If Dreadmaster is Special Summoned this way, I can destroy all Monsters I control except for Destiny Heroes, and then Special Summon up to 2 other Destiny Heroes from my Graveyard! I choose Dasher and Diamond Dude!"
Destiny Hero - Dasher - (DARK/Warrior) - LV6 - (2100/1000)
Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1400/1600)
"Dreadmaster's Attack and Defense Points are the total combined original Attack and Defense Points of all other Destiny Heroes I control!"
Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (6300/5000)
"Now, it's time to attack! Diamond Dude, destroy Lady Heat! Dasher, take out Liquid Soldier! And Dreadmaster, wipe out her Winged Kuriboh!"
All three Destiny Heroes rushed into action; each respective Destiny Hero taking out their designated target in a fell swoop along with a combination of teamwork, and soon, all of Jaden's remaining defenses were down.
"I activate Winged Kuriboh's effect!" shouted Jaden. "On the turn that he's destroyed, I take no Battle Damage!"
Aster, who was originally intending to end the duel with Dystopia last, knew that there was no chance of doing that this turn. "Fine. I switch Dystopia into Defense Mode and then set a card before ending my turn."
"My turn, draw!" said Jaden. "I activate the Spell, The Warrior Returning Alive, to add Neos back to my hand! Then, I activate Necroshade's effect from my Graveyard! Only once this duel, can I Normal Summon a high-leveled Elemental Hero Monster without Tributing! I summon Neos to the field!"
Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (2500/2000)
"Next, from my hand, I summon Neo-Spacian Grand Mole to the field!"
Neo-Spacian Grand Mole - (EARTH/Rock) - LV3 - (900/300)
"It's time for Contact Fusion! I fuse Grand Mole with Neos in order to form Elemental Hero Grand Neos!"
Elemental Hero Grand Neos - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (2500/2000)
"Now I activate Grand Neos' effect! Once per turn, I can select a Monster you control and return it to the hand! I choose-!"
"At this moment, I activate my Trap, D-Chain!" announced Aster. "I can equip it onto Dystopia and raise his Attack Points by 500!"
Destiny Hero - Dystopia - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (1500/2400)
"And you know what that means, don't you, Jaden? That means that Dystopia's effect will activate, destroying a card! And I choose to destroy Grand Neos!"
Once kneeling before, Dystopia stood up before releasing his destructive ability onto Grand Neos, wiping him out before sitting back in a kneeling position in Defense Mode.
"No Monsters, no other cards on the field, this victory is guaranteed mine!" Aster confirmed.
"Not quite! I've still got one more trick up my sleeve!" said Jaden. "I activate the Spell, Miracle Fusion! I remove from play both Clayman and Prisma from my Graveyard in order to Fusion Summon a new Elemental Hero Monster! Meet Elemental Hero Gaia!"
Elemental Hero Gaia - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2200/2600)
"How?! When?!" demanded Aster.
"Take Over Five's effect allowed me to discard the top 5 cards from my deck to my Graveyard. Elemental Heroes Clayman and Prisma were just amongst them," explained Jaden. "Now, when Gaia is Fusion Summoned, I can target a Monster you control and halve its Attack Points before Gaia gains that same amount! But only until the End Phase! It's more than enough, though! Gaia, absorb half of Dreadmaster's power!"
Raising his mechanical arm, Gaia's body emitted a glowing yellow-brown aura with rocks hovering around him as Dreadmaster grunted in pain; his power forcibly being taken away by Gaia who was only increasingly growing stronger each second.
Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (3150/5000)
Elemental Hero Gaia - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (5350/2600)
"It can't be-!" gasped Aster, taken aback by the fact that he was going to lose. 'I'm going to lose?! Again?!'
"Gaia, destroy Dreadmaster and end this duel!" ordered Jaden.
Bringing his mechanical arm forward, Gaia started charging up an earth-elemental blast before firing at Dreadmaster, illuminating the entire dueling field in a massive explosion of earth and light before things faded down. Jaden was still standing with Gaia, whereas Aster was lying flat on his back with no cards nor Monsters on his field, signaling his defeat.
Aster - 0 LP
Jaden - 650 LP
Winner: Jaden
"Aster!" Once the duel ended, Jaden rushed over to Aster and knelt down by his side, trying to shake him awake. "Are you okay?! Say something!"
Snapping his eyes open, Aster regained consciousness, but pushed Jaden away rather roughly, clutching his forehead with one hand before slamming the ground with his other fist. "Damnit...DAMNIT! Why?! Why couldn't I beat you?! Why are you getting in my way, huh?!"
"Aster." Sheppard walked up to him and said, "Do you know why you lost? It wasn't because one side was more stronger than the other. Not in this case, even if you trained with Jaden. No, this time, you lost because of yourself."
"What are you talking about?"
"You felt as though you knew Jaden's deck inside and out, and that if you didn't introduce the other Destiny Heroes in your deck, you would have the advantage. Yes, you are talented and skilled in dueling, but that's not enough. I know because I learned that the hard way when I dueled Zane, who was my former and best pupil. I thought I knew him completely, but I completely underestimated him, and that's why I lost."
"Your situation and mine are completely different!" shouted Aster. "You lost because you underestimated Zane, and honestly, I'm pretty sure a lot of people have! A calm, composed duelist suddenly changing into some mad, unpredictable and battle-crazed duelist? Nobody could predict that kind of duel! But me? I personally trained Jaden, so I knew her deck inside and out! I never even revealed all my secrets while training her! So why?! Why did I lose?!"
"Like I said, you underestimated her," said Sheppard. "Knowledge in another person's deck isn't enough to win. That, and you weren't completely focused in the duel. I could sense your anger, your hatred, a lot of emotions radiating during your duel with Jaden. You focused all that energy towards Jaden when it should have been focused on the person you despised most: The D. You pinpointed your target on the wrong person and the more closer Jaden was to winning, the more you were losing your cool. Your loss was entirely your own fault, and you cannot blame anyone but yourself for that."
Aster gritted his teeth, but didn't say anything else to Sheppard before turning to Jaden, seething that he now has to obey her orders. "...So what? You're going to order me to stop going after The D now? Humiliate me more?"
Instead, Jaden shook her head and said. "No. Actually, you can still go after D if you want."
That shocked both Sheppard and Aster; both who would never expect that she would say such a thing. "Wha-?! What?! Why?! You know what my intentions towards The D are now, so why let me do that?!" questioned Aster.
"I'm not done," said Jaden. "You can go after D. You can duel him and try to avenge your father, but there's going to be ground rules. I'm still not letting you go through your vengeance for your father."
With Jaden's request, it was hard to believe for Aster, but he decided to let Jaden talk to see what she was getting at.
"What I mean is, I won't let you kill D. Or rather, you're not allowed to kill him. After you duel and defeat him, you can arrest him. That way, a criminal will be put to jail, and you won't actually kill someone. I won't let you do that."
This sort of reasoning meant that Aster could still go after The D, but at the same time, he would be able to both fufill and fail his objective. "But-! To let that murderer go scot-free like that-! How can my father rest in piece if that bastard is in prison, but not dead?!"
"Aster," spoke Jaden. "I think I mentioned this in our last duel, but I said that your father created the Destiny Heroes not to hurt people, but for you to be happy, remember?"
"...Yeah, I remember that. And yeah, my father would be the type of person who would do that, but even so-!"
"No, Aster," Jaden said, frowning. "It's plain and simple. You're the only person who truly knows his Dad, so if you agree with me that he created those cards for your happiness, then you know I'm right, and that he would NEVER want you to use them to harm them."
"So, what your point?"
"My point is, why are you going around, disrespecting him like that?!" yelled Jaden, now gripping Aster by his collar and angrily glaring at him. "Dueling is meant for fun! It's never meant to hurt people! We both know that your father created the Destiny Heroes to make his own son happy, not to hurt people! But here you go, dueling people using the very cards your father created and hurting people with it! Do you really think your father would have wanted that?! To hurt innocent people with the same cards he created for your sake?!"
Aster opened his mouth to argue that not all the duelists he harmed were innocent. They were scum, selfish duelists who also cheated and used other tricky means to get to the top, to be the best of the very best. But...he also understood Jaden's point, and in this situation, it didn't matter if the people he hurt were scum. The fact is, he still hurt people, and it was even worst because he knew many were innocent and were students as well, so they never did him any harm, whereas he did that to them.
As painful as it was to admit it, Jaden was right. His father would be ashamed and disappointed in him if he were alive to witness his actions.
Taking a breather, Jaden continued, "So, here's the deal. I won, so you have to listen to me, remember? You can still track down The D, but you can't kill him. You can arrest him, but that's the most you're going to do. And, while you're searching for him, you can't attack or harm any duelists anymore. You've already caused too much damage, especially since a lot are in the hospital because of you! And if you don't do as I say, then you're only going to prove one thing to me."
"What?" asked Aster. "That my father would be disappointed in my actions?"
"Nope. Even worst."
"What could be worst than-"
"You're just going to prove one thing to me and everyone else: You'd be just like The D."
And just like that, Jaden's final words was the final nail to Aster's new path. Aster froze, wide-eyed and shocked at Jaden's accusation. There was so much he wanted to do to Jaden right now. Scream at her, demand that she take that back, deny that he was anything like that bastard, but, a part of him knew that she was right.
Should he continue his reckless and violent ways, he really would be no different than The D. And he'd be damned if he was anything like that father-killer!
"..." Aster stood up with an angered, but thoughtful expression on his face. "...I need time to think."
"Aster-"
"I JUST-! ...I need time alone," Aster muttered the last part quietly before turning around, pausing in his movements. "But, you have my word as a duelist that I won't...pursue The D. For now. At the very least, you can rest assured that I will no longer harm anymore people with my dueling while searching for The D. Just...don't bother me. At least, not for a while."
As Jaden watched Aster walk away, Jaden turned to Sheppard and asked worriedly, "...Chancellor, what should I do? I just hope Aster will be okay."
Clasping a hand on Jaden's shoulder, Sheppard said, "I hope so to, but, I'm proud of you, Jaden. You truly handled that with as much composure and as maturely as you could. It goes to show your road to being an adult even more. I believe that your words will indeed have an impact on Aster, and I hope that he'll make the right decision when the time is right. But for now, we should leave him alone."
"Yeah, you're probably right..."
Sorry if I made you guys wait a while! You see, my mother's birthday was coming up and I was using most of last week to make her a fantastic birthday present! That, and I was trying to figure out how to make a good confrontation between Aster and Jaden!
Yes, so I kinda interrupted The D and Aster's duel with the same approach as I did with Cherished Evolution, but with a major difference. Yes, it's as you guys guessed, I did use Jaden's Supreme King power to counter against the Light of Destruction, which allowed her to escape unscathed. Of course, Jaden doesn't know about this power, only that she managed to catch a look of her reflection of her golden eyes. And, to be fair, The Light of Destruction and the Gentle Darkness are natural enemies, and since Jaden possesses the Gentle Darkness, it wasn't too farfetched for the two to clash. In all honesty, I wished that in Season 2, there was at least some sort of confrontation between the Supreme King and the Light of Destruction to foreshadow Season 3's events!
Before you guys say anything, just know that I have plans for Aster and The D soon enough! I felt that this step I made in this chapter is necessary for Aster's own character growth. The D will return, just not right now. I understand Aster's desire for revenge, but I could never agree with him harming people in the process, especially innocents. That, and the concept of revenge never sat right with me, since I've seen numerous times how much suffering revenge could take rather than any good it'll do, besides killing off major threats like tyrants and stuff like that.
That said, read and review!