Chapter 6: Ectomancy
I woke up at 11:30 in the morning, feeling extremely parched. I stumbled into my bathroom and filled up my thermos to the brim with water before drinking it completely. My eyelids still felt heavy, and I considered going back to sleep. I decided against it- sleeping in too long tends to leave one more tired in the long run. With a stupid grin, I recalled Erin's kiss. It appeared that I had suitably impressed her somehow. How in the hell did I manage that? Before traveling down this line of thought, I elected to get some food. Throwing on a pair of shorts and a hoodie, I moseyed down to the Obelisk dining hall. The cafeteria was co-ed, the location situated in the wing connecting the male and female dorms.
As one might expect, the dining facilities were top of the line, fancy enough to make Gordon Ramsey himself blush and mutter "fuck me" under his breath. The center of the enormous hall was lined with a dozen granite-topped long tables, with the benches hewn from finely sanded wood. Smaller round tables were situated near the walls, which allowed for more private affairs. Despite the place having an extremely high ceiling, the cafeteria itself wasn't as large as the Ra Yellow mess hall. Since Obelisk Blue housed far less students, this seemed to make sense.
Lunchtime hours were in effect, so I decided to forgo my usual breakfast food. Instead, I ate an absolutely succulent cut of chicken along with some broccoli and edamame beans. Finally, I polished off the meal with a rich piece of chocolate. I couldn't believe how good it was, especially considering the lion's share of the ingredients had to be shipped in from offshore. I closed my eyes and reveled in it all. Things were working out swimmingly.
"That was my reaction too." A voice startled me from my food-induced reverie. Turning around suddenly, I saw who else but Zane. He was alone for once, a sight that immediately made me wonder what was up.
Hey." I said, somewhat unbalanced.
"The chefs do a great job here. In the Slifer and Ra dorms, the food is mostly cooked by students. They have talent, yes, but most hope to earn a little spending money and get out. Here, our meals are cooked by professional chefs from America, Japan, and Western Europe. You can practically taste the passion they infuse into each dish…truly awe-inspiring." Zane said pithily, sitting down across the table from me.
"I had no idea you were so fascinated by the culinary arts." I say, finding this side of Zane interesting. Now that I was in Obelisk Blue, he showed very little of the disdain he previously expressed towards me.
"Well, I'll have to make my own meals once I'm out of school and in the pro leagues, so I've started taking some cooking classes in the summer. I'm nothing special, but I can whip up some mean fettuccine Alfredo." Zane continued. "Syrus acts as my guinea pig whenever I try out a new recipe."
Now that was a hilarious thought! "I shudder to imagine how many failed recipes the poor kid has been subject to."
"Very few. I will say that between him and Alexis, he usually ends up getting the slightly burned chicken or the somewhat overripe berries- completely by accident, of course." Said Zane. I couldn't believe it- the man had a sense of humor!
"So much for brotherly love. Well, the food's good." My tone is slightly expectant. I'm unsure of why he's decided to act all buddy-buddy now.
"So I'm sure you're wondering how our mutual friend Chazz is adjusting to his new lodgings." Zane changed the subject in less-than-subtle fashion.
"Actually, I haven't thought about him at all." I say truthfully. Why was Zane speaking so conspirationally to me? I thought such gossip was beneath him. It appears the Kaiser is full of surprises.
"That's just as well, because he's gone missing. Somehow, he snuck out in the middle of the night. We were the only ones awake at the time, and obviously we were too busy with your initiation to notice him. He was supposed to be Bastion's roommate, but according to Bastion, he never even entered the Ra dorm." Zane explained. I nodded grimly, already knowing that this would happen.
"That's alright- Bastion and Chazz would probably kill each other if they were forced to be roommates." I quipped.
Zane gave me a withering glare. "He wasn't the nicest guy, but the fact is we have no idea if he was kidnapped or if he left the island willingly. Either way, there's an issue. If he was kidnapped, then obviously we have criminals operating on campus. If he left on his own, then we have a potential threat floating out beyond our reach."
"He hasn't been kidnapped. And what do you mean by a potential threat? How is Chazz a potential threat to anyone? His brothers have probably washed their hands of him by now." I reply in confusion.
"You don't know that. If anything, Chazz is probably working his ass off to get back in their good graces. The Princeton family is a force to be reckoned with, and they may set their sights on Duel Academy if Chazz chooses to take revenge on you and Jaden." Zane said grimly.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Don't you think this is a bit paranoid?" I ask him. Zane schemed like he was straight out of House of Cards.
"It's more than a bit paranoid, actually. Anyways, Sheppard's heard reports claiming that Chazz is on a frigate heading north, nowhere near any known Princeton holdings." Zane responded.
"Perhaps he's transferring to North Academy." I say, and I relish the brief look of incredulity that crosses Zane's features.
"They're free to have him for all I care. Still, I doubt they'll take him, considering he never filled out any formal paperwork that would actually make such a thing legal. Even with their low standards, I doubt they'll let him in."
"If he impresses the administration enough, they'll make it official regardless of the paperwork. He's not our problem, besides. Don't you usually talk about this sort of thing with Alexis or something?" I ask with one eyebrow arched.
Zane had the good grace to look bashful. "I normally do, but Alexis left the dorm early this morning. She's really gotten into tennis recently, she's been playing it a lot with Jaden and Erin. I haven't been able to talk to her about it as much lately."
It was good of Zane to let me know about Chazz, but it was a bit funny that he missed his little lighthouse buddy. As I thought about it further, this type of behavior made a bit of sense. Zane was a real person- not a character on a screen. Real people don't always act aloof and mysterious all the time like he did in the anime. People tend to be more three-dimensional than that. Real people sometimes act erratically or in ways that don't make sense. It was an important distinction to consider.
"Do you play?" I ask.
"No…I'm not very good at it. Frankly, I'd rather be dueling. Alexis was wondering if you play, though." He said, seeming somewhat pensive.
I smile rakishly before clapping him on the back. "We're definitely playing. I know you don't want to give up that "stoic badass" persona you've established on campus, but it's always fun to try something new. You seem like you need to blow off some steam."
Zane seemed to disdain the idea for a moment, but relented in the end. "Look at this freshman, he's got a big head just because he's finally an Obelisk Blue. I'll beat you at tennis just like I beat you in Duel Monsters."
"You didn't beat me in Duel Monsters, we tied." I reminded him.
"Well, I guess we can use this tennis game as a tiebreaker, purely to see which of us is better of course." Zane replied.
I saw it clearly- Zane thought himself above the idea of having fun for its own sake. Now, when that same fun was re-framed in the form of a competition…then he was raring to go. Hey, I couldn't fault him- I loved a good competition as well. I loved an opportunity to take Zane down a peg even more.
We decided to change into some gym clothes and hurry down to the courts. Zane didn't have much in the way of workout gear, wearing a wrinkled, baggy black t-shirt with what appeared to be borrowed navy blue basketball shorts that were clearly dug out of the bottom of his closet. I threw on a gold cutoff shirt with black shorts before leading Zane to the tennis courts. Funny how things can change so quickly- last night, Zane was making dramatic initiation speeches, now we were going to the gym like two old pals.
When we arrived, Alexis was in the middle of what seemed to be a heated back-and-forth with Erin. A tennis game that is, not an argument. Upon closer inspection, however, it was clear that Alexis was only barely managing to keep with Erin. Alexis wore a light blue, form-fitting shirt and white shorts. Erin wore a similar outfit, only in hot pink rather than blue. The blonde's breathing was much heavier and her stance was far less refined than her rival's. Erin looked positively radiant- it seemed that she was at home in any kind of sport, not just surfing. They seemed to be taking this game rather seriously, almost as if the extent of their rivalry was not limited to merely tennis…
Jaden sat on the sideline, swigging from a water bottle. Unlike Alexis, the Hero duelist didn't seem very winded at all. It amazed me how much energy this kid had, especially since I knew he didn't like tennis very much.
"What's up, guys!" He greeted exuberantly. He wore a white polo shirt with red Nike basketball shorts. I guess Nike was apparently a brand in this world- little curiosities like this always delighted me. He chuckled a bit. "I didn't expect to see you guys here, especially you, Zane!"
"Yeah, me neither." Zane replied dryly. I went over to equipment checkout station and grabbed two rackets from the bored-looking guy behind the counter. I was never exactly a beast at tennis in my old life, but I could hang.
I handed Zane his racket while watching Erin score the winning drive against Alexis. Once their game was finished, they greeted both of us, seeming somewhat shocked that Zane was here.
"How'd you manage to bring Zane with, Jamie? I've been trying to get him into tennis for weeks now!" Alexis questioned playfully.
"My natural charm, I suppose." I answer briefly, drawing a startled laugh from Zane.
"Didn't expect to see either of you around here. Are either of you any good?" Erin asked, immediately getting to the point. She and I both knew we had unfinished business, but this wasn't the place for it. Alexis looked between the two of us, and her eyes narrowed perceptively. I gulped- something tells me my problems were only just beginning.
"Not really-" I began, before she interrupted with "I'll be the judge of that, come here Lancaster.", beckoning me with her index finger.
Guess I had little choice in the matter. Sighing, I performed a few stretches and warmups before taking my place on the other side of the net from her. I had the feeling Erin was out for a little revenge. I would figure out what was going on between us later, after this little outing.
As one might expect, I got soundly thrashed. I hate to lose at anything, but Erin was a good sport about it, and I did at least manage to get a few shots past her. Meanwhile, it seemed that Jaden and Zane were playing a even match, mainly due to the fact they both sucked at the game. Still, it seemed that Zane was enjoying being challenged, judging by the exhilaration on his normally stony face. I began to wonder if he would be happier if he stepped out of his comfort zone more.
We all had a truly fantastic afternoon putting each other through our paces. By the time the sun was starting to set, I felt like a tennis champ. Erin pushed us all to be better, which I appreciated. Alexis in particular seemed very interested in beating her. As for me, Bring on John Mcenroe!
I was still breathing heavily by the time we returned our rackets and left the gym. We bid Jaden goodbye and began walking back to the Obelisk dorm in relative silence.
"Say, are either of you guys getting cell service right now?" Alexis asked, clearly having just checked her own phone.
Zane, Erin, and I promptly checked as well, sending short messages to each other to verify if the connection was live or not. Sure enough, it wasn't. "How strange…perhaps the systems are undergoing maintenance." Zane postulated.
"Yeah…usually they wait until late at night to do maintenance. Hopefully it's fixed soon." I said, and we decided to put it from our minds. However, once we got back to the dorms, we realized the issue went much deeper.
The entryways were dark and no one was out and about for whatever reason. Alexis and Erin left to see if the lights were out at the girl's dorm as well. Erin gave me a meaningful look as she left, and in that moment I rued Zane and Alexis' presence.
Zane and I quickly saw that the electricity was out. I'm sure any student with a mini fridge was pissed right now, but there were bigger problems to be had than warm beers and spoiled milk. Something about this whole situation seemed vaguely familiar, but I was having difficulty connecting this to any significant point in canon.
Sneaking behind the front lobby desk, we opened a back door that lead to the fuse box, heating units, air conditioners, and water pipes that connected to the entire building. "I'm going to Sheppard's office. He should able to contact the campus electricians to fix this. I don't think a mass outage like this has happened before. You stay here and make sure no one messes with the fuse box. I should be back soon." Zane ordered. I appreciated that he seemed to know what to do, because I was completely lost. I numbly nodded and he took off to find the proper authorities.
I went back to the lobby, taking a seat near the front door. This was bizarre, and yet as I racked my brain, I began to get an idea of what was going on.
Ignoring Zane's directive, I sprinted towards the library. I only hoped it wasn't too late.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I quickly scanned the floor map in the lobby in order ascertain the location of the library. I had a horrible feeling that some weird shit was going down in there.
I pushed aside the large wooden double doors that led to the library, the swinging sound the only source of noise in the dark room. The obelisk library was truly something to behold. There were two floors, each filled with comfy study spaces and long bookcases. What was normally a cozy space was now inordinately frightening, the long shadows of the bookcases stretching across the room. Slowly, I made my way in.
"Hello?" I roared, keeping my back to the hallway in case I needed to make a sudden escape. "Who's in here?"
"Oh my god, someone's here!" A scared, trembling voice called out. My eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and my attention was drawn to the center of the chamber. Spread out across a round table were several sheets of notebook paper, upon which some arcane language was scribbled. Runes were inscribed on stone tablets, faintly glowing with a sickly green shine. A well-used Ouija board moved without any outside influence acting upon it. The room smelled faintly of piss and blood as well as the disgusting scent that occurs when one goes without showering for three days.
Two bodies lay crumpled on the floor, and I knew for sure that my suspicions were correct. Oh sure, being a self-insert in Yugioh GX's world would be fun, they said! Nothing strange at all about Yugioh, just a children's card game, they said! I remember Season 0 and the first manga volumes well- this series was originally a horror manga, and darkness still lurked beneath the surface of this world.
Those dumbasses from that one filler episode managed to summon the duel spirit of Jinzo. I imagine the spirit was responsible for the power outage, doubtlessly using the excess electricity to tie itself to this plane of existence. I was confident that Jaden could defeat the spirit if it came down to it, but I still wanted to do everything I could to neutralize the threat as soon as possible. This wasn't a game- for all I knew, those boys on the floor were dead.
"Please, you have to help me!" The voice drew closer, and I saw the last of the three stooges emerge. His long, oily brown hair and pale, milky skin signaled to me that this man did not get enough sun. I suppose he must have been a good duelist if he was in Obelisk Blue, and yet I had my doubts nonetheless.
"What the hell is going on here? Who are you?" I legitimately did not remember the guy's name. I liked GX, but not to that level.
"I know you, you're Jamie Lancaster, the newest Obelisk! You and I dueled last night! My name is Torrey, please you have to help me!" He shouted, his voice cracking in the process.
"What is going on?!" I nearly yelled back, his panic infectious.
"Oh god, it's too late! Run-" He shuddered and convulsed, his glasses falling to the floor as he collapsed. Every fiber of my being commanded me to run, but fear rooted me to the spot. Torrey's jerky movements stopped after nearly a minute, his muscles suddenly becoming extremely tense. Hard veins bulged from his throat, and his eyes glowed fiery red. Mechanically, he rose to his feet.
"What must I do, lord?" He uttered in a dark, demonic growl.
"Give all of yourself to me, child. Allow me full access to your mind so that I may exact the vengeance you so desperately desire! Jinzo will walk the mortal plane once more!" A harsh, metallic growl echoed through the library. Torrey crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Where he once stood, I saw the apparition take form.
He looked much like he did in the show, as I remembered. Jinzo's form was not quite corporeal, but not quite ethereal either. He looked like a recording off of a VHS, a low-quality video with frequent glitches and frame skips. He was easily eight feet tall, and was disturbingly lanky in his green armor.
Jinzo looked at his hands, and although his mask rendered him relatively expressionless, I could tell that he seemed confused.
"So I feel like I'm missing something here. Care to fill me in?" I seem glib but in reality I'm more than a little scared. This is my first-ever brush with the supernatural- nothing in my previous life ever prepared me for something like this, nothing at all. I couldn't even see duel spirits normally, or at the very least I couldn't see Jaden's Winged Kuriboh normally. I wondered if Jinzo's reliance on human energy is what allowed me to see him.
"How is this possible?! I should be at full power now that I've consumed three souls…perhaps they were too weak to provide proper sustenance." Jinzo muttered to himself.
"Tell me, what does a soul taste like? Does it depend on the person, or do all souls have uniform flavor?" I ask, my blabber masking my fear. Now there's a meal you won't see prepared on Rachel Ray!
Jinzo chuckled, a sound comparable to grinding gears. "I have not tasted food in centuries…so it is difficult to draw such a comparison. I know this much; strong souls bring me greater nourishment than weak ones…and I sense that your soul is strong indeed, mortal."
"Well, that's very kind of you to say. If you don't mind me asking, how can you possibly tell?" I ask, feeling my palms get sweaty.
"Your soul is old. Still infantile compared to mine or any other duel spirit, of course, but much more developed than the rest of the whelps around here. Yours is a hardened soul, worn down by the tribulations of life. And yet still it lingers, like a stubborn tree leaf in late autumn…your soul will be more than enough to return me to life. What is your name, duelist?" Jinzo advanced on me, but I stood my ground, looking directly at the cold red lenses that covered his eyes.
"My name is Jamie Lancaster…or least it is now. My old name is no longer anyone's concern. My soul, however, is of great concern to us both. It was meant to be lost to the throes of death, and yet I am here, in this world. I don't know why I am here, or why I live on. I'm still trying to find that reason." I say.
"There is no inherent reason for existence other than to continue existing. And to exist, I require the soul of a strong duelist. Since you do not seem to desire yours very strongly, I will gladly assimilate you into my being, Jamie Lancaster." Jinzo intoned, a terrifying mixture of ghost and machine.
I smiled and shook my head. "I appreciate your kind offer, but I must live still. There is too much joy to be had in life, too much to do and see. I can't leave without experiencing it, since I have been given a second chance to."
"I wish for a second chance as well, child. It would seem we're at an impasse." Jinzo said politely. This whole conversation was strangely polite, come to think of it. I guess this demon's mother taught him some manners.
"I take it those three fools are responsible for summoning you. Nothing against you, of course." I quickly add.
"Yes, Torrey and his friends were very eager to reawaken me from the depths of the Duel Dimension. They've spent weeks hunched over that ridiculous Ouija board, and yet they could never manage to summon me until today." Jinzo explained.
"And why is that?" I still couldn't believe this conversation was still going on. Jinzo was a pithy son of a bitch, to be sure. Then again, I shouldn't throw stones from glass houses.
"Torrey added a key ingredient to the mix- rage. You'll recall how you humiliated him during your initiation to Obelisk Blue last night." Jinzo said.
"Actually, I don't recall that. I was pretty tired at the time, but I do recall that that the person mainly being humiliated last night was me. Yet you don't see me attempting to summon demons from the nether realms. Again, no offense meant." I reply, beginning to get irritated. Was this kid for real?
"He does not care for your struggles! All that matters was that you defeated him, and soundly at that. In a short three turns, you made him feel weak and unworthy of being an Obelisk Blue. His wounded ego was just the ingredient I needed to return to life. As usual, humanity's pride is its undoing!" Jinzo cackled, exultant.
"You got that right, at least…I'm gonna kick that guy's ass once I'm done with you. I know you need the energy produced from a duel in order to continue your existence, and you've got one! Let's do this!" I declared boisterously, only to realize that I didn't have my duel disk on me. Jinzo simply stood there, his silence taunting me.
"Say, you don't mind if I run to my room real quick to grab my duel disk, do you? Also, is it cool if I take a shower as well? I just got back from the gym." I chuckle, figuring that Jinzo would not acquiesce to my requests, reasonable though they might be.
"No, human. Torrey's duel disk will suffice for you. I do not require one of these ridiculous devices to fight." Jinzo tossed Torrey's duel disk to me. Having to use the slimeball's device irked me, but beggars can't be choosers.
Jinzo vanished, appearing on the opposite side of the table. Five card holograms appeared in front of him, and I knew that it was time for a real battle to begin. At least I still had my deck with me.
"Prepare yourself for a real shadow game, mortal! Your soul will be mine!" Jinzo screamed, electricity crackling around his body. There was a certain weight to this conflict that none other could emulate- the weight of knowing that someone's soul would be banished to the depths of hell this day.
"I will begin! I summon Malice Doll of Demise (1600/1700) in attack mode!" A puppet rose from the shadows, the horror of its bug-eyed look on its face only matched by the rusty axe it held in its wooden hands.
"Next, I'll activate the continuous spell card Ectoplasmer! By sacrificing the soul of a monster, I can inflict damage to you equal to half its attack points! Now, I'll tribute my Malice Doll of Demise to trigger the effect!"
"I see you're wasting no time." I mutter. Suddenly, the doll goes limp once again, a misty white substance leaking from its back and floating in the air. Without warning, the weaponized soul of the monster struck me directly. It was a uniquely painful experience- it felt like a cold blast of wind, chilling me to my very bones. Unbelievable- so this is what a real shadow game is like! (Jamie 3200/Jinzo 4000)
I staggered back, my vision swaying just from this small attack. Balancing myself once more, I began my first turn. "If that's all you got, then this duel will be over soon! I set three cards face-down. Then, I'll summon Blade Knight (1600/1000) in attack mode!" My trusty warrior, clad in silver plate, arrived at my side. Unfortunately, I still had two cards left in my hand, so he wouldn't get his attack boost for now.
"Attack him directly!" Wordlessly, the knight leapt forth, jumping over the table to slash through Jinzo's half-real body. (Jamie 3200/Jinzo 2400)
I was allowed to use the effect of Ectoplasmer as well if I so chose. I briefly considered it, but the benefits of the field presence outweighed the benefits of the extra damage. I decided to end my turn.
"Ha! You'll never defeat me with moves like that, mortal! My turn!" Jinzo cackled again. "During my standby phase, the effect of Malice Doll of Demise activates in the graveyard! Since it was sent to the graveyard by the effect of a continuous spell card, it returns to the field!" Sure enough, that freaky doll did come back.
"Next, I'll play the spell card Double Summon! I would hope that its effect is obvious, but you never can be sure with you mortals. I mean, considering you troglodytes put pineapple on pizza, anything's possible." Jinzo taunted.
"Oh, don't start with that, asshole!" I roared.
"Very well, I won't. Instead, we'll move onto your demise. First, I'll sacrifice Malice Doll of Demise to tribute summon none other than one of the most illustrious monsters in the game- I, Jinzo (2400/1500)!"
Suddenly, blue electricity surged through Jinzo's body, briefly lighting up the room in a bright white flash. To my horror, I saw that now, his body looked just as corporeal as my own. The papers that Torrey and his friends were writing on went flying, the wooden table split in two by the lightning.
Jinzo flexed his fingers, getting a feel for his newly realized body. "I'm one step closer…it would seem that I have nearly subsumed Torrey's soul completely. You'll be next, traveler of dimensions." He growled.
"Jamie! Is that you?" I heard a female voice behind me. I couldn't turn around to see who it was- in fact, I couldn't move at all. I was scared about what would happen if I took my eyes off Jinzo for even a moment.
"What the hell is going on here?" This time, I could make the voice out more clearly- it belonged to Alexis.
"You have to get out of here, Alexis- it's not safe!" I warbled. Jinzo cackled at my fear, leading me to think that he wouldn't do anything while my back was turned. I briefly met Alexis' eyes. She tried to put on a brave face, but her eyes gave it away- she was utterly terrified.
"I can take care of myself. I don't need anyone looking after me! Who are you dueling right now, anyway? Shouldn't we be looking for a way to fix the electricity?" She questioned, seemingly missing, or more likely ignoring, the supernatural phenomena occurring right in front of her.
"You will have much greater problems than the electricity once I have regained my full power, mortals! All of you will become part of me, and then I shall wreak my ultimate vengeance!" The mad demon exclaimed, releasing waves of bio-electric power from his body.
"What is that?!" Alexis screamed, quickly retreating from the battleground.
"That is the main reason why the power is out. See, I'm being productive after all!" I said sarcastically.
"Wha-what is this? I don't get it!" Alexis shouted, somewhat threateningly this time. Hey, I would be a bit unbalanced as well if my entire worldview just got upended like this.
Giving her what I thought to be a consoling gaze, I continued. "Long story short, a couple of dumbasses thought that summoning an evil duel spirit would be a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, it would seem that they succeeded. Now I'm the one stuck with cleaning up the mess."
"This can't be real! Duel spirits can't really exist, can they?" Alexis questioned, still in shock.
"Well, it's either that or he's a hell of a cosplayer. It looks like this game is more rooted in fantasy than we thought." I said gruffly. "Whenever my life points drop, I feel real pain, like a part of me is being burned away."
"No way…that means if you lose-" She began.
"-the brief candle of my life is snuffed out accordingly." I finish poetically. Perhaps the fact that I had already died once had made the idea of death somewhat more grounded to me. "Of course, that won't be happening." I tired to flash her a reassuring smirk, only for it to come out as a pained grimace.
"My turn is still on, human! Since I am on the field, trap cards can no longer activate their effects! Next, I'll use my second normal summon to call forth Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast (2800/1400)!"
Next to Jinzo appeared an enormous tank, its body in the shape of a red dragon. It was large enough to nearly reach the ceiling of the two-story library, and I prayed that there wouldn't be too much damage to the place. As it was, I should have taken this outside. Of course, considering that lives was on the line here, I really wasn't concerned about a few books falling off their shelves.
"I can summon this monster without any sacrifices, but it's attack and defense values are cut in half." The dragon suddenly became much smaller, now not much taller than Jinzo himself. At only 1400 attack points, the dragon no longer seemed such a huge threat. Still, I knew that he had a larger strategy at work.
"But you see, that hardly matters at all, because I'm going to tribute it for the effect of Ectoplasmer!" The dragon mech suddenly dissipated into a white orb of energy. I don't know how a machine could have a soul, but I'd leave that question to the philosophers. For now, I had to focus on this duel.
"Actually, it will matter, because Ectoplasmer takes half of the monster's attack points, meaning you'll only be dealing me 700 points of damage." I say, trying to throw the rulebook at him.
"Ha! That's what you think! Ectoplasmer deals damage equivalent to half of the monster's original attack points- meaning that you're taking 1400 points! Now take this!" Jinzo thrust his hand out, and the white sphere crashed into me once again. The cold was almost too much to bear- it felt like my whole body had been exposed to frozen steel. The initial convulsions died down to shivers soon enough, but I still barely had enough time to prepare myself for the next attack. (Jamie 1800/Jinzo 2400)
"Now, I'll destroy your Blade Knight with psycho shocker!" Jinzo held a ball of violet energy between his hands, charging it for a moment before launching it directly at my knight, blasting it apart. (Jamie 1000/Jinzo 2400)
I barely bit back my laughter in time. Jinzo might have have defeated me this turn had he attacked with his dragon mech first before sacrificing it. He would have failed to kill me, still- I had a Shrink in my hand that would have still saved me. It was comforting to know that even Duel Spirits can still misplay slightly. It was my only comfort as I felt another part of my soul succumb to the chills.
"Oblivion creeps ever closer!" The demon hissed. I was starting to grow tired of this.
"Do you congratulate yourself every time you successfully make a play?" I hissed, the pain fraying my mind.
For a moment, it seemed that Jinzo sobered. "It's been too long since I've held an enemy in the throes of defeat; forgive me if I take any undue pleasure from this fight, mortal."
Between this and his earlier mention of revenge, my interest was piqued. "What are you talking about?"
"There's no reason to explain anything to a dead man! You will know the truth soon enough when your soul has been assimilated into my being!" The spirit shook with rage, my question clearly triggering him.
"Well now I have to know. Aren't you curious to hear the full story behind this, Alexis?" I ask. She was shaking with fear, so I'm guessing she's rather more curious about how we're going to escape this little predicament with our lives. She didn't even bother to respond to my aside.
Turning back to Jinzo I said, "She doesn't seem very curious, but why don't you humor me anyways? Call it my last wish."
"Hmph, very well, then. I suppose I should begin with how I found myself stuck inside this machine, deprived of my senses, yet inextricably bound to life nonetheless. It is truly a special sort of hell. It all started hundreds of years ago…" Jinzo was speaking wistfully, and I found myself entranced into his narrative.
"The forces of the Dark World were threatening the other eleven universes in which we duel spirits live. A mad scientist by the name of Kozaky built gateways by which the demons could freely cross the spaces between realms. They sustained themselves off of the pain and suffering of others, and ate the souls of other duel spirits for their own pleasure. They were outnumbered by other duel spirits, and that made everyone who wasn't them an enemy." Jinzo paused, reflective, before continuing.
"I used to be a human just like you two. I had a wife, and a child on the way. My son was born a month after I was drafted to join the war against the Dark World. I never saw his face…not even once."
"That's terrible!" Alexis spoke up for the first time, seemingly developing sympathy for Jinzo.
"I was an engineer before the war, and my expertise soon landed me in the army's trap disposal unit. Perhaps that is why my card's ability allows me to negate the effects of trap cards…it is quite funny, isn't it?" Jinzo let out an embittered laugh while Alexis and I were stone silent. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Cyber Commander was my superior officer on the battlefield…I've never seen a man kill with such efficiency. Alongside another warrior by the name of Grepher, we were the most effective three-man squad in the entire army. Entire legions of demons would flee on sight when we arrived to the battlefield. It took a supreme general of the Dark World to finally bring us down…a demon clad in golden armor."
"What happened, then? How did you survive?" I asked, dumbstruck.
"Cyber Commander was ripped to shreds right in front of me…as you might imagine, it was a horrifying thing to witness. I have no idea what happened to Grepher…I only pray that his death was swift. As for me…I was struck unconscious by a stray blast and was found later. For a moment, I dared to hope that it was one of my comrades that had found me. Imagine my horror when I opened my eyes to see Kozaky standing above, his arms overflowing with spoils from the battlefield. I felt a needle inject something into my neck before I took leave of my senses for the very last time."
"What do you mean, the last time?" Alexis asked numbly.
"When I awoke, I was strapped to an operating table with this horrid green suit covering my body. The madman told me it was necessary, that without it I would die due to the injuries I sustained from the battle. From this point on, I was to serve a new leader- the leader of the Dark World. I would put my talents to use for the forces of darkness."
"Did you?" I ask, unsure of how he would answer.
"Of course not. I broke free and slaughtered Kozaky using the same technology he so graciously gifted me. He was so hasty to test out his new technology he forgot about the man inside of the armor. That mistake cost him his life." Jinzo sounded especially satisfied at this point- clearly he relished the memory of killing the mad scientist.
"So what happened? How did you get to be in this state?" I asked, feeling that a few links were still missing from his story.
"The suit Kozaky outfitted me with can reach new levels of power by absorbing duel energy as well as souls. After escaping Kozaky's lab, I began my vengeance on the rest of the Dark World army, assimilating their souls into my being. But before long, I was seen as a common enemy by both the Dark Army and the other duel spirits, the same ones that I had once sworn to defend. I fought Archlord Kristya and the overlord of Dark World at the same time. They were unable to kill me, so instead the Archlord sealed me inside that book. I stayed there for centuries, until your friend Torrey released me using a ritual he doesn't even understand."
"So, you need the power of souls to exist, then?" I ask, hoping to get to the truth of the matter.
"I need souls in order to maintain a corporeal body. Otherwise, I do not need them in order to exist as an apparition."
"What? Why would you kill other human beings so callously?!" Alexis demanded.
"You don't have to do this, Jinzo! There's still a chance for you to resist your programming!" I pleaded.
"You don't understand, nor could you understand what it is like to be trapped between life and death, as I have…it is the worst sort of pain imaginable. Every time I've seen one of you humans squander the lives you were given, my disdain for this pitiful race only deepens. I will not rest until every last human knows pain!" Jinzo spat hatefully. Clearly, the transformation Kozaky forced on him destroyed his sanity completely.
"You would take away the lives of others because you feel the worth of your existence outweighs the worth of theirs. I thought I saw a spark of hope within you…I thought you could be redeemed. I see now that is impossible. You're completely insane!" I say, and only at this moment did I understand how incredible Jaden's ability to redeem his foes was. I tried to, I really did. But it couldn't be done anymore- am I wrong to give up on this wayward duel spirit? Or is it more merciful to end his suffering now? Alexis looked at me questioningly. She probably thought me a fool for even trying in the first place.
"Do not look down on me! I have seen the darkness that lies in the heart of man- it is mankind itself that is irredeemable, and yet you judge me! I will make sure you suffer for your arrogance!" I cringed- it seemed that remark only made Jinzo angrier.
"Fine, I'm done talking! There's only one way to deal with a mad dog like you!" I growled, drawing my next card. Since my three face-down traps were negated by Jinzo's effect, I was forced to rely on a more unconventional combo.
"First, I'll destroy Ectoplasmer with my Mystical Space Typhoon!" I said, glad to be rid of the irksome spell.
"Next, I'll activate Scapegoat, allowing me to summon four sheep tokens to the field in defense mode." As I spoke, the adorable little fluffballs popped into existence, each one floating lazily in the air.
"Finally, I'll use the spell card Metamorphosis! By sacrificing a monster on my field, I can summon a fusion monster with the same level from my extra deck!" In a pillar of light, the blue sheep token disappeared to be replaced with something far more terrifying.
"Rise, Thousand-Eyes Restrict (0/0)!" The monstrosity returned, a truly horrifying sight. If not for its undeniable usefulness, I would have ditched the card for aesthetic reasons alone. Alexis seemed shaken by the summoning, knowing intuitively that this was different than some regulated academy-sanctioned match. The terrors this monster could inflict would be all too real for its victim.
"My monster's special effect allows me to absorb another monster into its being- and I have the perfect candidate already picked out! Come here, Jinzo!"
My monster's psychic powers ensnared Jinzo, the malevolent android now trapped within the Thousand Eyes Restrict's frame. "Now, my monster gains your attack and defense points! Now, I'll attack you directly and end this game once and for all!"
I wasn't sure how this attack animation would work, but I quickly learned as Thousand Eyes Restrict's grip tightened over Jinzo, who was stuck helplessly in the monster's thrall.
"Not quite, fool! I activate my own Mystical Space Typhoon! Since I am attached to your Thousand Eyes Restrict as an equip spell, I can use the typhoon to destroy my incarnation on the field!" Sure enough, Jinzo's physical body disappeared from my monster's grasp. The android returned to his side of the field, this time in the form of an ethereal being.
"You gave up your physical body, huh? That must have been difficult for you. Still, I suppose if my attack went through, you would have lost it along with the rest of your fleeting consciousness." I was no longer concerned with trying to reach out to this demon. Now, it was time to put him to rest.
"I end my turn." With my Thousand Eyes Restrict still in attack mode, I would be sure to lose to duel if he summoned a monster. I had to hope he didn't have a way of negating my traps.
Luckily for me, it seemed that Jinzo was frustrated at his latest draw. "I set a monster as well as a face-down card." He looked over his hand once more, growling. "I end."
"And slowly, the lion encircles its prey…" I grin wickedly. "First, I'll activate Thousand Eyes Restrict's effect to absorb your face-down monster!"
The creature was revealed to be Spirit Caller (1000/1000). Not a whole lot of attack points, but I didn't have anything else to attack with. The decrepit old man was encased within my monster's shell- it definitely gave off a creepy vibe. I had to wonder why Jinzo didn't attack with his monster, but I suppose he was probably scared of my traps now that he couldn't negate them.
"Now, attack him directly!" Thousand Eyes Restrict rushed forward with unnerving speed, clawing at Jinzo. The android let out an unearthly cry, clutching his stomach. (Jamie 1000/Jinzo 1400)
"Just a little more…" I muttered. Alexis looked fearfully between Jinzo and I, her eyes occasionally darting towards the door. She was nervously chewing on her nails, and her posture was closed and defensive. Something about this behavior seemed off to me- Alexis always seemed rather headstrong in canon, especially with regards to supernatural threats such as these.
"Alexis, it's going to be alright. I'm gonna finish this guy and we can get on with our weekend. Just hold on, ok?"
"It's not that." She corrected me sharply- I suspected she didn't appreciate being consoled. "I'm just worried about what will happen when you win- what will happen to Torrey's soul? Will it be returned to him, or will it be lost forever? What happens to a person when their soul is taken?"
I don't think she expected any definitive answer from me, so I stayed silent.
"You should be more concerned with your own souls!" Jinzo interrupted, beginning his next turn. "I summon Emissary from the Afterlife (1600/600) in attack position!" A ghoulish wraith in a dirty brown cloak descended from the dark ceiling. It looked every bit the image of the grim reaper, complete with scythe.
"A fitting monster to deliver you from this earth! Attack Thousand Eyes Restrict!" The reaper flew forward and slashed at my monster, which was taking quite the beating this match. A current of electricity coursed through me from head to toe, and I dropped to one knee in pain. (Jamie 400/Jinzo 1400)
"I've never seen something like this before…the pain from the duel is real!" Alexis, as well as I, were just now beginning to realize the full ramifications of a shadow game. I felt bile creeping up my throat- my insides felt like how a burnt piece of toast looks. I had experienced a fair variety of pain in my previous life, but this was different- this chipped away at my very consciousness. The longer this game went on, the nearer to death I felt. If I had to draw a metaphor, I would describe it as a cross between being blackout drunk and also running the last mile of a marathon.
"Get up, mortal! This is nowhere near the amount of pain that I experienced, and still you presume to judge me, to offer me redemption!" Jinzo cackled. "You have no idea what it's like to be a demon! You have no idea what a true shadow game is, and I intend to teach you, nice and slowly! Now, STAND!" The android screamed, completely unhinged at this point. Alexis shivered, the corners of her eyes beginning to water.
"That does it! I've had enough!" I needed to do everything in my power to end this duel. Luckily, I had just the card to do it!
"Thousand Eyes Restrict's effect activates! Give me your monster!" I roared.
"Not quite, mortal! Activate reverse card, Divine Wrath! By discarding a card, I can negate the activation of a monster's effect and destroy that monster!" A bolt of lightning struck down my Thousand Eyes Restrict, shattering it instantly.
"Well, well, I wonder what you will do now with only those pitiful sheep tokens to protect you. Your soul will be mine, and so will the girl's!"
"I'll show you what I intend to do with these sheep tokens, you brainless beast! First, I'll switch the orange one to attack mode."
Jinzo laughed at this. "Have you lost your mind?"
"Stop talking! I equip the sheep token with United We Stand! This equip spell boosts the attack of my sheep by 800 for every other monster on my field! With three sheep tokens on my field, the one selected gains 2400 attack points!" Humorously, the fluffy orange lamb suddenly swelled in size, easily twelve feet tall and wide by the time it finished growing. Steam billowed out of its ears- clearly, my friend was not happy. Fortunately, I had the perfect target for him to release some stress on.
"Now, let's see if the grim reaper can be killed! Attack his Emissary from the Afterlife now!" The gigantic sheep rammed forward, slamming into the ghoul with enough force to shake the building itself. (Jamie 400/Jinzo 600)
"Still…not…enough!" Jinzo huffed, staggering. "You are too weak to strike back when it counts! When my Emissary from the Afterlife is sent to the graveyard, we each can add a level three or lower normal monster from deck to hand." Jinzo added a Hunter Dragon, while I had no available targets for the effect.
I couldn't believe I was getting so many dead draws in this game. If I had even one more monster to summon, I could've boosted my Scapegoat's attack points enough to win. As it was, I had to hope he wasn't able to negate my traps.
"I end my turn." I said hurriedly. It took a disturbingly large portion of my concentration to stay upright. If I fell now, the duel would be decided in Jinzo's favor. I had no doubt that Alexis could defeat him if need be, but I didn't particularly feel like letting things reach that point.
Jinzo drew his next card, and it was clear that he was beginning to tire from this protracted fight. "I must admit, you've been a rather irksome mortal, but your pitiful resistance ends here! I summon Jinzo – Returner (600/1400) in attack mode!" What could only be described as a baby Jinzo took the field, as unnerving as that sounds. It had all of the characteristic machinery that comprised Jinzo's being, but the human body underneath was clearly that of a child's. Alexis shuddered in disgust at the sight of the monster, but I simply didn't have enough energy to do the same.
"This card can attack your life points directly, bypassing your monsters!" Immediately, the smaller android rushed forward, lunging at me with insane speed. "Time has run out for you, human!"
"Not this time! When your soul is scattered to the four winds, just remember that I gave you a chance to surrender! I activate Magic Cylinder!"
Alexis let out a startled squeak, overjoyed that I had a trick up my sleeve. Jinzo, on the other hand, seemed rather displeased at the way the game was turning out. Jinzo, defeated by a trap card! Oh, the irony was truly delicious- nourishing, even.
"NO! NO! THIS CANNOT BE! I AM JINZO THE IMMORTAL- THE MASTER OVER ALL TRAP CARDS! YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME LIKE THIS, DAMN YOU!" The demon screamed as his monster's attack struck him down. Steam rose from his holographic as the android was forced to one knee. Our cards began to disappear from the field, and I knew now that it was over. (Jamie 400/Jinzo 0)
As soon as the duel disk turned off, I fell to all fours, sweat dripping from my brow. Between the day-long tennis games and now this, I was incredibly exhausted. And yet, prevailing over this dark spirit imbued me with an undeniable surge of adrenaline. Alexis promptly arrived at my side, helping me up. I was very tempted to kiss her right then and there and damned be the consequences, but Jinzo interrupted me from exploring that option.
"You have deprived me of the duel energy necessary to exist in this plane…I must retreat to the dark dimension…and one day, when you think you're safe and happy…I will end you, Jamie Lancaster. Now that the portal to this world has been opened, all sorts of horrors will be visiting you soon." Jinzo's form was steadily disappearing, and only his head remained when he spoke these next words.
And then, all of the strength that allowed you to win today will become a part of me…" The android's spiritual body completely evaporated, leaving only Alexis and I as witnesses to its final, chilling indictment.
A moment of silence passed wherein I struggled to my feet with Alexis' help. Her eyes were inviting and warm, so unlike how they normally were. "I'm so glad you're safe..." She said softly before embracing me. We stayed like that for a while, enjoying the oasis of humanity we offered each other after this freakshow of monsters and shadows. I heard the slow humming of a generator in the distance, and before long the lights flickered back on once again. I could only assume that the rest of the building had power now as well.
"Thanks, I'm also glad I'm safe. More importantly, I'm glad that you're ok, Alexis. And it looks like the power is back on, too." I muttered dumbly. I was certainly not at my most eloquent.
"I know this must all be such a shock to you- props for dueling so well back there. Believe it or not, Jaden has dueled against supernatural forces like this before." She said.
"No kidding. I feel bad for whatever demon gets in that man's way. What happened?"
"I don't know the full story- I'll ask him tomorrow. It happened near the beginning of the year, when some hired thug kidnapped me and trapped me in the abandoned dorm. Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley were there as well, although I don't know why. Jaden dueled the kidnapper, and apparently near the end of the fight some dark force possessed the guy's mind." She explained in abridged fashion.
"Perhaps this apparition is also connected to the abandoned dorm. Either way, it seems odd that these two supernatural happenings have come out of the woodwork while you were close by." I postulate, now truly wading into unmarked territory.
"That's what I'm scared of- that the same thing that took away my brother is after me too…" Alexis murmured, the disappearance of her brother obviously being a sensitive subject for her. "I'm sorry, you must have no idea what I'm talking about…" I staggered slightly, and she seemed to be snapped out of her reverie. "Oh my god, we need to get you to the hospital wing! You look like you're about to fall over!"
"Yeah…just tell me the full story later…I'd love to hear it." I said, nearly keeling over once more. The Ice Queen of Obelisk Blue deftly threw my arm over her shoulder and held me up.
"We should get Torrey and the others out of here- hell, I don't even know if they're still alive." Alexis muttered, concerned.
They were fine in canon, they'll be fine now. "They're breathing, I can see that…it doesn't appear that they've suffered any physical damage. If anything's been done to their minds, they're beyond our help anyhow. We'll notify Miss Fontaine as soon as we can."
"Yeah…yeah, you're right." She muttered. Alexis was not particularly strong, but she managed to assist me out of the library and into the lobby, where we found Zane with a rather amusing look of confusion on his face. Beside him was the campus electrician, a tall and muscular man with a shaved head and a military build.
"What the hell, Jamie? I told you to stay here while I got help!" The Kaiser admonished. Once he got a closer look at me though, his tune changed. "What on Earth happened to you?"
Erin had arrived as well, her expression wide with shock. Immediately, she rushed to my side. "Geez Jamie, something put you through the wringer, huh?" She said, seemingly regretful that she missed me.
"It's a funny story- I actually helped turn the power back on, as crazy as that sounds. I guess dueling really does solve everything." My evasive non-answer does not amuse Zane, his crossed arms tightening.
Erin laughs it off in a more relaxed fashion. "What were you up to in there with Rhodes? You know, I bet every red-blooded male in this school would kill to spend an hour in a dark room with her…" She insinuated saucily.
"It's not like that!" Alexis sharply replied, finding the tanned girl's remarks crass.
"Mind telling me what the problem was, kid? I've messed with this main circuit breaker all I can, and nothing worked." The electrician stood up from behind the desk, straightening his back out as he did so.
Telling the truth in this case would probably do nothing but annoy the poor guy, but I was in no mood to lie. "Look, I know this sounds crazy, but this whole thing was actually caused by the awakening of a duel spirit." I said with as much sincerity as possible.
"Nice joke. Well, it looks like it was just a short glitch or something. Maybe the guys on the other side of the island were doing maintenance checks. Make sure not to call me unless there's a real issue, alright? I was watching the basketball game before this!" The worker said cynically. Hey, the year was 2004, that meant Kobe was still in his prime! Before I could ask if he knew the score of the Lakers game, Alexis interrupted me.
"He's not lying! I saw it with my own eyes! The spirit of Jinzo was absorbing all of the electricity into its being in order to revive itself! Jamie defeated it in a shadow duel, that's why he's so injured! We need to get him to the hospital wing, now!" Alexis fiercely defended me, which I didn't expect. Zane seemed shocked to hear of this. Clearly, the abandoned dorm held much significance to him as well.
The electrician didn't seem to be buying it, but he at least paged the campus medical response team to wheel me into Fontaine's ward. I luckily didn't require intensive care, but I would still need to be treated for first-degree electrical burns as well as some exquisitely painful muscle contusions.
I have to admit, I always thought of Fontaine as being a bit daft. After seeing the way she ran this infirmary, I now knew otherwise. The woman was razor sharp when she wanted to be, commanding her personnel and practicing procedure with remarkable discipline. I was laid up in the hospital bed within seven minutes of arriving, my burns loosely covered by antibiotic ointment and gauze.
"You're lucky that the burns are as superficial as they are, mister Lancaster. You're equally lucky that your friends saw you here so quickly." Zane and Alexis looked practically abashed, while Erin merely nodded. "As long as you stay here for the rest of the weekend, you should be fine to go to class on Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest."
"Yes, ma'am." I stammer, in no mood to test this woman's patience.
"Good." Fontaine nodded quickly before writing something down on a clipboard. "Now, in order to complete this report, I need to know the exact cause of injury. I assure you, I have full respect for my patient's confidentiality. I took the Hippocratic Oath just like everyone else before I took this job. Nothing you tell me will ever leave this room." The sheer weight of her words have me no choice but to believe her.
I gulped, my throat feeling unbearably dry. "Look, you have to believe me when I say this. These injuries were caused by a supernatural entity. You can ask Torrey when he wakes up." I inclined my head towards another bed down the hall where the boy rested. Zane and Erin heroically carried all three boys between the two of them up to the infirmary.
"That idiot and his friends tried to summon the duel spirit of Jinzo, and they succeeded. Unfortunately, they didn't take into account that Jinzo was an omnicidal maniac who was obsessed with revenge. Not to mention he was hungry for our souls in the same way a stoner's hungry for pizza. I dueled him, and he inflicted real damage on me during the duel. I sure as hell didn't do this to myself." I said with more than a little desperation.
"I was with him, I saw it. Jinzo's the reason the power went out today, the only reason. He was absorbing the electricity from the island's generator's in order to return to life." Alexis spoke up, similarly frantic to share the truth.
Fontaine pursed her lips, silently ruminating on the matter. Well, there's always been something fishy about that abandoned dorm…not to mention the strange happenings around Domino City ten years ago." The nurse muttered a bit too loudly.
"What kind of strange happenings?" Zane questioned.
"I suppose you were all a bit too young to properly remember it, but I can recall it well. I was sixteen years old when Seto Kaiba announced the beginning of the Battle City tournament in Domino City. I could not participate, due to a busy semester of school and work at the local walk-in clinic. Still, I remember watching the finals on television. The finalists all seemed to have some sort of unusual circumstances surrounding them…something about Ryo Bakura and Marik Ishtar in particular gave me a bad vibe. That, combined with the sudden disappearance of the Egyptian God Cards after the tournament made me a bit more willing to believe that something supernatural was occurring right under our noses. I don't know if I ever truly believed it, but in the back of my mind, I never ruled it out. I think Seto Kaiba in particular knows a lot more than he lets on., but nothing has ever been proven outside of fringe conspiracy theories."
This story was fascinating to me, but it was downright illuminating to my friends, who obviously didn't know as much about Yugi's era as much as I did. Fontaine's perspective was undoubtedly fascinating. "So you believe me?" I asked.
She sighed before nodding in the affirmative. "I do. It's just hard to believe that history is repeating itself so soon. Schoolchildren shouldn't have to concern themselves with such horrors."
Doesn't she know? Schoolchildren are the only ones that can handle the horrors in this story! "Jinzo told me that much worse things are coming, now that the medium between dimensions has been breached." I said solemnly. Alexis' expression paled as she recalled the android's final words. The gravity of these words did not affect Erin and Zane as much, for they had not seen my battle with Jinzo.
"No way…that can't be true. This sounds like some kind of messed up fantasy novel!" Erin protested.
"There's no point in arguing…we'll all learn the truth soon enough. For better or for worse, we'll find out. For now, I think it would be best to keep this on the down low." I say slowly. Of course, Sheppard already knew about the coming Shadow Riders, a fact I intended to confront him on as soon as I possibly could.
Fontaine silently nodded. "I will have to submit a report to the headmaster describing your electrical burns."
"I won't be so reckless around wiring from now on. I was just trying to fix the power, that's all." With that, the official story was established.
Fontaine sighed, "I don't like to lie like this…but when the truth is so unbelievable, there's no choice. Sheppard will find this much more believable. I'm going to go submit this report now. Stay here with your friends, a nurse will check on you again in an hour." Looking somewhat unsettled, Fontaine swept from the room.
"You would lie to the headmaster." Zane said emotionlessly, a simple observation of fact.
"Do you disapprove?" I ask neutrally.
"It is as Professor Fontaine said; the truth would be more harmful in this case. But I am more curious about this duel. I'm sure Erin is as well." She nodded eagerly at Zane's words. "Tell us everything. I swear that we will tell no one else if that's what you want." Zane requested.
I told them the whole story, down to Jinzo's last words. Erin was pissed at Torrey and his compatriots. "If we get invaded my demons because of this, that dumbass is to blame!"
"His access to the occult arts will be limited accordingly. I don't plan on letting Torrey do this again. He'll be kept on a tight leash. We'll see what happens in the future. For now, I suggest that we all refine our dueling decks as much as we can. Carry your cards around at all times and be ready to fight at a moment's notice." The Kaiser ordered. I nearly chuckled- Zane is much more paranoid than I thought.
"I should tell Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley about this." Alexis said quietly, and I agreed with her. They deserve to know, since they'll be involved in the battle with the Shadow Riders soon enough.
"The Slifers? Why them?" Erin asked. At first, I thought this remark to be insensitive, but I remembered that Erin had never seen Jaden's plot armor/skills in action.
"Jaden is a powerful duelist, Erin. He is easily one of the school's most skilled players, and the red coat causes many to underestimate him, to their peril." Zane answered. "It would be great to have him in the loop. If there's anyone else you all wish to tell of this, say so now. We all should be aware of who is in on this little secret."
"Bastion Misawa." I spoke up.
Erin nodded. "He seems like a smart cookie."
"He is. An extremely sharp duelist by any measure, and a good friend as well." I reply.
"Bastion is too skeptical, he would never believe us. He will need proof before he believes anything." Alexis countered.
"How else would he explain my injuries? He'll believe me." I say tiredly. Even if he didn't accept the existence of the supernatural now, he would later when the shadow riders invaded Duel Academy by night and started reaping souls.
Zane scoffed. "If you wish. I don't find Misawa to be very remarkable. He seems to believe that this game and its players can be reduced to mere numbers."
"Bastion is a trustworthy man, and he is more skilled than you give him credit for."
Zane regarded me testily- clearly he was not expecting me to rebuke him. "Very well then. But make sure he keeps it a secret." With that, he swept from the room.
Alexis gazed after Zane, fraught with concern. Erin smiled crookedly at me, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall.
"Jamie, try to be patient. Zane isn't used to people questioning him." Alexis softly rebuked.
I didn't acknowledge that. I didn't care if she thought I was an asshole. I'm on my second life, I just got put through the wringer by a duel monster spirit, and I'm done putting up polite facades, especially around the likes of Zane. "If you run into Bastion, please tell him about this. He's my friend."
She regarded me sadly before walking out, presumably to go inform everyone else about the day's tumultuous events. Erin was the last visitor left in my ward.
"I always hate it when injuries keep me laid up in a hospital bed. I'd rather be in the water, you know? I remember when I was a little kid, I broke my leg and couldn't surf for nearly eight months. It was unbearable at the time, but it made that first session back in the water all the better." She said, trying to lighten the mood. I appreciated the effort, but unfortunately I had to ask her a serious question.
"You believe me, right?"
She shrugged. "It's the only explanation that makes any kind of sense. But I'd believe you anyways. I bet it was a hell of a fight, huh?" She smiled. I smiled back. She really seemed to like me, and I would soon have to make a decision about where our relationship would be going. At least there would be less drama with her than there would be with most other girls in the school. I had to consider how Alexis felt about this as well.
"Yeah, yeah it was. I have to admit, even though I was on the verge of death at numerous points throughout the fight, some part of me was excited. Not in a bloodthirsty way, but…well, I don't know." I felt alive again. Obviously I didn't want to voice that part out loud.
Surprisingly, she nodded in understanding. "I've never been in a duel like that…I thought they were just legends. Still, I understand the feeling of pressure, and how it starts to feel good after a while." An unspoken meaning passed between the two of us, and I found myself curious. Where did she get this viewpoint from?
"I don't suppose you'd mind telling Bastion, would you? I don't get the feeling Zane will, and Alexis might just follow his lead, like she always does." I snarked.
"Sure thing. Now rest up, I'll see you in a few days." She gave me a two-fingered salute and a wink before leaving.
Smiling contentedly, I relaxed my head against the pillow and felt myself drift off.
A/N
Hope you all enjoyed. I know this was a fat chapter, haha. The next one won't be so long.
First off, I just wanted to thank you all for your continued amazing support. We just passed 100 follows, which is amazing since GX is a semi-dead fandom. Perhaps the inclusion of GX in Duel Links could draw more people to the archive and this fic. I know I've been enjoying the game lately, idk if any of you guys play it. Anyways, thank you so much for your support, it's great to know that people are interested in and enjoying the story.
I've been considering switching the rating of the story to M just to be safe...that's not to say that the story's getting uberdark any time soon, but I might just do it now rather than later. If you have any opinion on that, let me know.
With this chapter, the long-time question has been answered; Jamie cannot see duel spirits in the same way that Jaden, Chazz, Jesse can. He could see Jinzo because that particular spirit absorbed the electricity and the souls of the three Obelisks, but Jamie cannot normally see Winged Kuriboh or the Ojamas. This was a tough decision when I was first outlining this fic. I had a lot of ideas- making Marshmallon Jamie's companion, or even making Jinzo Jamie's duel spirit to create a sort of Kyuubi/Naruto dynamic.
Ultimately, I decided on this. I'm of the opinion that having too many characters able to see duel spirits would make the ability less special. It's just like the Super Saiyans in DBZ- the ability was only really cool when a few characters (specifically Goku/Vegeta/Future Trunks/Gohan) could do it, not when every Saiyan could. Besides, Jamie already has a very unique ability in the form of his canon knowledge and experience playing the card game. I felt that giving him the power to see duel spirits would edge him closer to OP/Mary Sue status. This wasn't an easy decision, and I'm sure it won't be an overwhelmingly popular one, but hopefully you can understand my thought process.
On another note, I hope you guys liked me fleshing out more of Jinzo's character and backstory, tying in a few Dark World plot elements in there. The circumstances of the war between the Dark World and the rest of the Duel Spirits will be explored much further down the line, but I thought I'd lay some vague groundwork here. It always surprised me that the whole Jinzo situation was over and done with after one episode- I get that it was filler, but realistically wouldn't Academy students knowing how to summon Duel Spirits through a ritual have some bearing on canon events? idk. Either way, Jinzo will one day return to wreak his revenge.
Next chapter, Jamie gets a part-time job, Alexis deals with an unwelcome suitor, and Jaden receives an anonymous warning.