Chapter 10: Winter Has Begun
Slowly, I managed to free myself from the clutches of sleep. I cracked one emerald eye open at a time, unsure of what time of day it was. A red baseball cap kept the sun from my eyes as I napped on the beach, my backpack making an impromptu pillow. It's hard to believe it was December- it seemed as through the weather here never changed.
"Finally, I've found you. What are you doing here, Jamie?" I heard a familiar voice say.
Removing the cap from my head, I stretched out a bit and realized that the person talking to me was Bastion Misawa, who appeared to be fresh out of another doubtlessly excruciating study session. He was still in full uniform with the top button of his shirt fastened. In contrast, I was wearing a white cutoff shirt, dark gym shorts, and sandals. Behind Bastion, the sun was beginning to sink below the waves. The light scattered across the surface of the sea like a million diamonds. The sky was dappled with a blend of hues, from scorching orange to pale blue.
"Rosewood let us off an hour early, so Sugihara and I decided to head down here and play some volleyball. You'd think more people would be here on a Friday afternoon. After everyone left, I decided to sit here and get some reading done. You can see how well that turned out." I said with a smile. Despite my failing to read, it was turning out to be a near-perfect day.
"Indeed." Bastion said with a similar laugh. "It appears your friend had the same idea." He jerked his arm over to Adam, who was sleeping a dozen meters away with a grey flat-brimmed hat over his head. Wearing a tight maroon tee shirt with bright white trunks, he clutched our volleyball protectively under his arm like a child would a teddy bear.
"Shouldn't you two be studying for finals instead of taking naps here like a couple of beach bums?" Bastion lightly reprimanded as I woke Adam up.
"Nah, I like being a beach bum better." Of course, I had also gone through high school once before, so I doubted the semester exams here would be very challenging, especially considering it was freshman material. Of course, who knows, maybe the tests would be extremely hard and I would fail all my classes. There's a plot twist! Then again, Jaden always seemed to make it through just fine, and that kid's textbooks were still in their original wrapping.
I nudged Adam again, but he was unwilling to get up. "So, it looks like Jaden's going to be facing off against this 'black thunderbolt' from the North." I said. Bastion's game against Jaden had been a few days ago, and although Bastion was able to stymie Jaden's strategies tremendously at first, the Slifer managed to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat using Cyclone Boomerang's burn effect.
"I know." Bastion said with a sigh. "I was wrong to solely focus on preventing fusion summons…Jaden's strategy was more unpredictable than I could have anticipated."
"Sometimes I think he puts cards in his deck randomly. It doesn't hurt that heroes have so much support that he can afford to alter the makeup of his deck radically. It's almost as if some cosmic force delivers the right cards to him at the right time. Maybe use the dark deck on him next time, see how he likes a bit of Dark Armed Dragon action." I reply as Adam finally wakes his ass up.
"I just might." Bastion said. "At any rate, it's a load off my back. Finals and the school duel in the same week can be a bit much. I don't know how Jaden handles it so well."
"He might be the craziest one out of us all." Adam said groggily. "It's good to meet you formally, Bastion Misawa. I'm Adam Sugihara."
"I see, you must be Jamie's coworker. I hope you two don't have to deal with Rosewood every day." Bastion commiserated.
"He barely stops by the store, actually, which is fine by me." Adam says casually. "For some reason, he's always asking this guy relationship advice." He jerked his thumb towards me while spinning the volleyball on the tip of his other hand's index finger.
"It's probably because you're the only freshman around here who can actually speak to girls normally. Most guys in our class seem to have an irrational fear of girls for whatever reason." Bastion said.
Oh, Bastion, you shouldn't throw stones from glass houses. "What about you? Are you thinking of asking any girls out soon?" I asked.
The genius of Ra Yellow suddenly looked unbalanced. "Umm, well…you know…yeah."
"What's the matter?" I ask with a catlike grin. I remembered that these boys were actually only fifteen years old, sixteen at the most. Girls were certainly going to be mystifying to these boys, even someone as intelligent as Bastion. Adam looked vaguely confused, although that may be because he just woke up.
"Oh…nothing." Bastion replied unconvincingly.
"Who is it?" I ask, cutting straight to the point.
"What makes you think I would be interested in romance?" Bastion said haughtily, crossing his arms.
"Oh, out with it already! It's Alexis, right?" I assume. Bastion did have a crush on Alexis in the manga, so it was an educated guess at least.
"No, actually, although you're close." Bastion responded coyly.
"What are you talking about? This isn't really something you can be close on. Either you guess the right girl or not." Adam, who knows much about the nature of guessing, chimed in.
"Someone close…" I pondered, before it hit me. "Mindy or Jasmine?" I asked, hoping I remembered their names correctly.
"It's Jasmine." Bastion replied, a blush staining his face. Adam and I raised inquisitive eyebrows in unison. "Wasn't she just trying to get with Rosewood-" Adam began before I shushed him.
This was interesting to me. I figured Bastion would be into more brainy girls, but hey, more power to him. "So, you're actually having trouble talking to her? Why?"
"It's not that easy, alright? There's no equation, no method that lets one talk to girls effectively. I don't understand it…it's just not logical!" Bastion protested. I'm sure he spent many late nights trying to find some sort of nonexistent love equation, but to no avail.
"You were just talking about irrational fears of girls! What is all this about?" I ask incredulously.
"I never said I didn't have an irrational fear of them!" Bastion shot back. "I actually came here hoping for some advice." He said, more softly.
Adam leaned forward in interest. I'm sure he was curious what sort of advice I was give. "Umm, well to be honest Bastion, you may not like what I'm about to tell you." I begin.
"Why?"
"Because I'm about to spout a cliché; just be yourself. But I don't mean that in the dumb way most people mean it. What I mean is that you'll have better luck approaching Jasmine if you just talk to her like a normal human being. Don't take any damn advice from movies or dating websites or any of that bullshit. Just be who you are, unapologetically. Make your intentions clear or you will the friend who does her homework for her in exchange for a peck on the cheek. That's a guarantee." I say as frankly as possible.
Bastion nodded, soaking it all in. "But if I speak without a filter, I'll just end up talking about academic subjects." He complains.
"Well, before you dive into stuff like that, throw out a feeler to see if she's interested in that sort of thing. I doubt she will, but hey, maybe she might be into astrophysics or calculus." How I managed to say that with a straight face is beyond me. "The important thing is to make sure she's interested in the conversation, That means you should spend more time listening than talking. If she's talking, she'll be interested in the conversation. Don't talk about yourself that much, leave a bit of mystery for her. And just let things flow naturally." I really hoped things turned out well for Bastion. Often, I felt the man was overeducated and underloved.
Bastion looks bolstered now that he has a bit of a game plan. "Thank you, Jamie. Anyways, I was also looking for you because Professor Crowler wants an end-of-semester meeting with each individual Obelisk. Sartyr is doing the same for the Ra Yellows." Bastion said, nodding at Adam.
"How do you know what Crowler wants? You're not in Obelisk." Adam pointed out.
"He said so at the end of yesterday's class." Bastion replied, bemused.
"Oh, right. Probably should have went to that class, but I was probably too busy doing literally anything else." I grunt as I stand up, brushing the sand off my legs. "Thanks for letting me know, I'll go schedule an appointment with him immediately and get this over with."
"I should go talk to Sartyr as well." Adam stood, slipping on his sandals. "Thanks for letting me know, Misawa. Good luck on your date." He clapped Bastion on the back, causing the prodigy to cough.
"Indeed. You know, Sugihara, we should duel sometime. I'm interested in seeing how my formulas would fare against a deck based on chance." Bastion said, seeming like a scientist presented with an intriguing new variable.
"You might find that your calculations might be a little off when it comes to me. I just got some new cards with my last paycheck too…" Adam said with a wily grin.
"Ha! Coin flips and dice rolls…as I far as I have seen, those tend to fail more often than not." Bastion challenged, not out of aggression, but out of scientific inquiry. He couldn't understand why someone would leave victory and defeat to chance. Frankly, I agreed with Bastion. In this world, winning duels was of paramount importance, and for any duelist to succeed, they must construct their deck to be as consistently powerful as possible.
"There are ways to tip the odds on one's favor…besides, I like to win big and lose big. That's the way I duel. This game's no fun if you don't put a little of yourself into it." Adam replied.
And yet, I could understand Adam Sugihara's perspective the longer I stayed in this world. Dueling here was not merely a game, but a way of expressing oneself. Jaden played Heroes because he was a teenage boy who liked superheroes. Alexis played cards based around ice and dancing because she enjoyed the aesthetics of such cards and strived to build a deck around them. Adam enjoyed all sorts of games and bets, and that was reflected in his deck. More importantly, Adam was a normal kid, not burdened by the coming darkness like I was. He could afford to play whatever cards struck his fancy.
It would seem to me that Bastion and Adam represented two extremes: the inflexible planner and the reckless gambler. A balance between them would be best.
"You guys should duel sometime, I'd love to see it." I said, genuinely curious how it would turn out. Maybe seeing the two extremes battle it out would clue me in to which one I should lean towards in my own behavior.
"Perhaps." Bastion replied. "Frankly, before I duel again though, I want to spend some quality time in the lab first. My loss to Jaden has really opened my eyes…I need to be more adaptable if I want to succeed in the future. There are some variables that cannot be planned for."
"I believe that is wise." I nodded. "A fine balance between planning and acting must be achieved. Too much time planning, and no time is left to put those plans into motion. Too little time planning, and you leave the mission up to the whims of fate."
Adam and Bastion nodded. "It is something to think about. Well, next time I see you, I'll tell how well your advice worked." Bastion said with a smile.
"Sure thing!" I responded before breaking off from them and walking the path to the main academy building.
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"Signore Jamie, please come in."
"At once, doctor." Strangely, I was allowed into the office after a short five minute wait. It must have been a slow afternoon. Crowler's office was decorated in a noticeably French aesthetic. This confused me, as Crowler was an English name as far as I knew. Either his mother was French, or 4Kids goofed when they wrote his dub name. Who knows, really? Oh who am I kidding, it was probably the latter.
"Please, have a seat." Crowler gestured to the blue office chair sitting opposite his birch desk. I resisted the urge to swivel around in the chair as I sat down. "This will be a short meeting."
"Why?" I asked, somewhat on edge.
"It's because frankly, there is little I need to counsel you on. You have done very well here. Your grades are excellent, and your class attendance is good. Although you've been slipping lately in that regard." He said with a scolding look.
"My apologies, professor." I say, appearing meek.
"Just work on improving it in the future. Truthfully, it is no matter so long as your grades stay where they are. Your recorded duel performance is exceptional as well- you have one of the best win-loss records in Obelisk Blue. In fact, I daresay that only Zane Truesdale surpasses you in this regard. Very nice indeed. Tell me, how much do you anticipate your deck be affected by the upcoming banlist?"
"I imagine it will be affected greatly. Many of my cards are already limited or semi-limited. I think the new pack coming out in January will help me restructure my deck accordingly, though." I had a feeling my days of using Black Luster Soldier were coming to an end.
"Ah yes. Flaming Eternity, I believe it's called. The analysts say that Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys will be an extremely powerful monster." Crowler mentioned offhand, and his words were true. For a while, the Sacred Phoenix was a powerhouse in the post goat-control meta. With the money earned from my part-time job, I should be able to buy a box or two of this new pack and rebuild my public deck accordingly.
"So, are you excited for the school duel, mister Lancaster?" Crowler asked.
"Certainly. I look forward to seeing how these Northmen duel." I say diplomatically. I had a feeling I knew where this conversation was headed.
"Certainly. It's just a shame that our great school must represented by someone of Jaden Yuki's station and demeanor. It bothers me greatly…" Crowler snarled. Man, this guy does have a bit of a one-track mind, doesn't he?
"May I speak freely, professor?" I ask, careful of offending the mercurial professor. "Certainly, mister Lancaster." Crowler replied.
"I think Jaden will be more than enough to handle whatever the North throws our way. He beat Bastion Misawa fair and square, and to fight in this school duel is his right." I say firmly, defending my friend.
"Zane seems to share your opinion…I do not. If you must know, mister Lancaster, you were one of the names I brought up when the professors convened to discuss potential representatives for the school duel. I cast my vote for Zane at first, but I feel you or Miss Rhodes would have been better choices for this role. Unfortunately, Zane managed to sway Sheppard's mind, and that was that…" Crowler shared. It didn't seem very hard to influence Sheppard's decisions, judging from canon at least. Despite his name, he was more of a sheep than a shepherd in Crowler's estimation…and in mine as well, to be honest.
I was shocked that he held me in such high esteem. Then again, it's possible he was just throwing names out there in a last-ditch effort to prevent Jaden from taking the position. Still, it was quite the sign of respect from the imperious teacher. I wonder what he's buttering me up for. "Thank you, doctor. You do me a great honor. But I stand by my view. Jaden will bring this school glory."
"I hope you are right, mister Lancaster. That will be all. Enjoy your break, and good luck constructing your new deck." He dismissed me from the office quickly thereafter.
I went to the atrium, where many students sat studying. Frowning, I pondered what Crowler's aim was. I'm starting to think he's grooming me to be his top enforcer in the same way Chazz was. I took Chazz's spot, so I suppose he thought I would inherit his irrational hatred of Slifers as well.
He was wrong. I would not be Crowler's minion, nor would I pretend to hate Slifers for the sake of currying favor with him. Besides, I knew that Crowler's disdain of Slifers was on some level a façade. After all, he took great risks on several instances in the series to protect his students, namely from Camula and Bonaparte. Hopefully, I could keep him at arms' length until he got over his prejudice.
The time was coming soon when the duelists of this academy would have to band together to face the dark. I could hope Crowler could find the bravery hidden his heart when the demons descended from the shadows.
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The rest of the week passed by without incident. As it turns out, final exams were in fact incredibly easy. Not gonna lie, it was a bit fun cruising through the exams while the other students spent all hours of the night studying for them. Hey, I've been there and I've done my time. If I must go through the school system a second time, might as well enjoy it! Alexis in particular kept asking me to study with her. I agreed, but she seemed rather frustrated when I showed up with only my phone and a novel to read while her backpack was loaded down with textbooks. I carried her bag for her, but oddly that didn't seem to make her feel better as I played online blackjack on my phone. I think Adam's bad habits were starting to rub off on me.
"Fucking twelves again!" I would yell in the middle of a crowded library, much to her chagrin.
"Shut up! I'm trying to study!" Alexis said in a loud whisper as she looked over my shoulder at the game, her books lying unopened on the desk we shared.
"What do you think, should I hit or bust?" I ask glibly.
"Umm...what do those terms mean again?" She scratched her head with a look of embarrassment.
Sighing, I said, "Hit means I get another card. Bust means I quit and hope the dealer has less than me. I can't go over twenty-one, mind you."
"Why do they have to make these card games so complicated?" Said the Duel Monsters prodigy. She deliberated for a moment before answering "Hit."
"Bold one, aren't you?" I say before getting another card. An eight! That puts me at twenty, which was a near-optimal outcome. Sure enough, the dealer revealed his hand to total eighteen, meaning I just got another hundred dollars to spend on trading cards! What a glorious day this is.
"Hey, I think you're a good luck charm. Let's play one more game, then you can study or whatever." I say with a grin, turning my head so that we were suddenly face to face.
"And I think you're a bad influence." She replied shakily, her face flushed as she returned to her work. "Look, I really need to study, alright?"
"Sure thing. If you need help, let me know." I smirked before returning to my game.
I had taken my last test on Friday morning before going to work that afternoon. The contingent from North Academy would be arriving any hour now, so Adam and I were likely to miss their arrival. I wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing Chazz again, but it was good to know he would be joining Duel Academy again soon. A duelist of his caliber would soon be needed on our side.
I worked at the cash register, but the place was pretty much dead. Sure enough, Harrington Rosewood came out of the office after about 90 minutes. At the same, I saw the guys in the back come out as well, walking towards the punch clock.
"We're closing up for the day, Lancaster." Rosewood said glibly. "The Northerners are here, which means the school duel is just about to start. Hard to believe that Slifer Slacker made it this far, huh? Almost makes me want North Academy to win."
Suppressing my annoyance, I gave him a bland smile and clocked out as soon as possible. I met up with Adam and we walked with the rest of the Rosewood Sporting Goods staff down to the pier. Sure enough, two large iron barges were docked there. Their rough, warlike appearance stood in sharp contrast with the normally commercial ships that came around here.
A crowd of media representatives already crowded the area, with reporters for dozens of international television channels and news stations rolling their cameras already. I imagine more than a few amateur streamers were here as well, although I doubted a platform like Twitch had been invented yet. I underestimated just what a big deal this game really was- this event was getting damn near as much publicity as the Fifa World Cup did back in my world!
I saw Jaden in the center of a crowd of interviewers. To his credit, he seemed to be handling the attention with aplomb. In fact, he seemed by all appearances to acting as he did normally, as if he were speaking to Syrus or Chumley. Behind Jaden was Sheppard, who was all nervous chuckles and 'aw-shucks' gestures. I'm sure the reporters were doing everything in their power to wring some interesting story or drama out of him, but they'd have better luck squeezing water from a stone.
The iron ships opened up at long last to reveal the party from North Academy. Slowly and steadily, the chant could be heard from inside the barge, silencing the buzzing reporters.
"Chazz it up! Chazz it up! Chazz it up! CHAZZ IT UP!"
Chazz Princeton emerged, accompanied by at least eight goons on either side, with an additional horde of twenty more Northerners behind him. He was dressed in his distinctive black trench coat, and his hair had grown slightly longer since the last time I had saw him. His skin was pale as a ghost's- clearly, they got far less sunlight in the far north than here. He was certainly trying to look intimidating, but he was in fact still a rather gawky fifteen year old boy who hadn't filled out yet. It was his presence, the airs he put on that led to his kingly image. But what had changed most were his eyes- there was real rage there, and this time he had the power and ability to exact his revenge on one of the two duelists that had humiliated him so.
From across the lot, our eyes met- coal grey versus emerald green. My gaze was blank, careful not to betray any sort of surprise or shock. His eyes narrowed in unmistakable anger. It seemed that time only let his wounded pride fester. I refused to look away first- I would not be cowed by the likes of him.
"What's up, Jamie?" Adam asked, sounding rather bored. This affair held little fun or excitement for him, since he had no money on the line. I was forced to acknowledge him, and thus turned my head.
"Oh, I see." The gambler said slyly, despite my not answering him- he could catch onto things fast when he applied himself. "Princeton is the duel rep for North Academy. I bet he wishes you were the rep for Duel Academy right now."
"I'm sure he wishes for a great many things." I mutter. "But he would be better served focusing on the challenge laid before him."
At the front of the pack was Headmaster Foster, looking decidedly shabby and disheveled. "We have arrived!"
Sheppard wove his way through the crowd with deceptive speed. "Foster, good to see you again, you old so and so! How have you been?"
"I have been just fine, Sheppard. In fact, I am rather excited to get this duel underway. We have been preparing extensively since that rather swift defeat last year." Foster said unctuously.
"Oh, it was a close match." Sheppard offered charitably.
"No, not really. But the past is over and done with. We both should look forward to the results of today." The resentment rolled off of him in waves, but Sheppard either didn't notice or ignored it.
"Yes, to a spirited match between our two fine schools! I take it the usual wager is in effect?' Sheppard asked.
"Of course. That's what makes this all worthwhile." Foster replied, his sterling eyes strafing over the crowd until they finally settled on Jaden. "Ah, you must be the representative for the central academy. Jaden Yuki, is that right?"
"Yep, that's me!" Jaden said with an audacious grin. "So, what is Chazz doing here?"
Foster seemed somewhat taken aback by Jaden's casual attitude. Chazz strode up to his rival, a stony look on his face. "I'm here to duel you, Jaden."
"Woah! You're North Academy's duel rep? That's crazy! Why did you transfer?" Jaden asks in confusion.
"Because I stopped getting the respect I deserve here. Because my growth stagnated and caused me to be surpassed by my lessers. Because in the North, I am a king. And as a king, I have come to take back what is mine- the knowledge that my dueling skills are unsurpassed!" Chazz declared ostentatiously. I had the feeling he had been preparing this speech for months.
"Hail the king in the north! Hail The Black Thunderbolt! Chazz it up!" The northern students howled in adulation.
By this time, Adam and I had made our way over to Jaden. The hero duelist glanced over, happy to see us. Chazz stepped forward, leaning in so that none of the onlookers could hear.
"And once I'm done with Jaden…you're next, Lancaster." Chazz growled. I said nothing in response- speaking would only give credence to his threats.
I merely turned to Jaden and said, "Best of luck today. Just trust your instincts and don't overthink things. Do what you've always done and you'll come out on top."
Jaden nodded. "You bet! It's time to show what a hero is really made of!"
Before Chazz could reply, the sound of helicopters grew too loud to ignore. Everyone stared upwards at the new arrivals, arrivals that were most unwelcome in my opinion.
The area quickly cleared out to make room for the helicopters touching down. Swiftly, the doors opened to reveal none other than Slade and Jagger Princeton. It disturbed me how similar they looked- both men were in nearly identical three-piece suits, with Slade's a dark charcoal and Jagger's a navy blue. Otherwise, they both had similar expressions- haughty, arrogant, and dismissive. Their eyes were exactly the same as Chazz's- grey and stormy.
I had done my research on these two- they certainly made no secret of their exploits, and it seemed as though the Princeton family was always on the internet's top news sites. Slade was a high-ranking member of Japan's House of Representatives, and one of the youngest members in the House at that. He was currently enjoying his second year in office, and was a popular member of the Liberal Democratic Party, which was at this point in history was damn near unopposed when it came to matters of policy. Jagger, on the other hand, was one of the most affluent investors this side of Warren Buffet. Some said the man only saw the world in the form of numbers. He was currently a primary shareholder in Industrial Illusions, although rumor has it he aims to sink his teeth into Kaibacorp. Their entire lives revolved around the acquisition of power- the concepts of love and laughter were completely alien to them.
"Little brother!" Slade bellowed. "It's certainly been a long time, hasn't it?"
I didn't think it was possible, but Chazz became even angrier, a vein throbbing near his right temple. Boy, this day was like the perfect shitstorm for him. "What are you two doing here?" The king in the north snarled.
"Why so hostile, bro? We just wanted to see you compete. We were so worried we'd never see you again after you fled from Duel Academy. But look at you now! We heard rumors of some rising star in the North who called himself the Black Thunderbolt…let us catch up before the match starts." Jagger said with false cheer. Chazz's eyes narrowed even further, his arms tightly crossed. The Northmen stared at the older Princeton brothers warily. Sheppard and Foster were frozen- this was far beyond their pay grade.
"Wait, those two are Chazz's brothers?" Jaden questioned. "In the biological sense, yes." I muttered. "Man, these guys are pieces of work, that's for sure." Adam grimaced.
The tense scene was broken up by a cameraman, of all people. "Let's hurry inside people, we're live in twenty minutes!" He said. I nearly laughed at that.
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Seating was scarce- the main Academy duel arena was definitely at max capacity for this event. I said goodbye to Adam. He would be recording the match and posting it to his fledgling Youtube channel. He decided to take an upper level seat so as not to get caught by the teachers or any disciplinary figure. Considering I was one of his three subscribers, I had to wonder just how many views it would get. According to one of the cameramen, this duel was getting nearly twenty million views worldwide. Absolutely insane stuff.
I looked around for the crew, finding them sitting in some nice aisle-side seats. Syrus, Chumley, and surprisingly Zane were sitting in the row above Bastion, Erin, and Alexis. Strangely, Alexis and Erin sat a seat apart, even though it would have made more sense for them to sit together...I gulped audibly. Everyone seemed unusually quiet, as though they were watching me. I caught Zane's eye, and I noticed the barest hint of a smirk on his normally stoic face. Something tells me the bastard knew what was happening, and enjoyed it greatly. I'm not a harem protagonist, damn it! This shouldn't be happening to me!
Silently, I took my seat between Erin and Alexis. For "It's been a while since we've all been together like this. How are you all?" I say awkwardly.
"Jamie, the last time we were all together was the party last Friday." Syrus, the little thorn in my side, corrected.
"Oh, right." I said, clearing my throat. "So, how about that local sports team?"
"Oh look, there's Chazz! I'm sure he's happy to see you." Erin said, her mood seeming to lighten at my stilted attempts to break the ice.
"Yeah, he's really gone off the deep end. I don't think his brothers are helping the situation at all, either. They're putting enormous pressure on him to succeed today. I'm just glad he didn't see me in the Obelisk Blue uniform!" I reply, feeling more at ease now that the conversation had a bit of flow.
"Jaden's got this." Alexis said firmly, her arms crossed.
"You're right." I say gently. "Chumley, pass me some of those Skittles, my man."
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is finally time for the tenth annual Central Duel Academy School Duel to begin!" Professor Crowler announced. Why they let him of all people on the mic was beyond me, but oh well. "In this corner, representing Central Academy is the prodigy of Slifer Red, the Hero duelist, Jaden Yuki!" Having to talk up Jaden was probably causing Crowler chest pains. Still, Jaden received loud applause from the students, even the Obelisk Blues. Of course, no one was louder than our band, who had been supporting the Hero duelist since day one. Jaden smiled and waved at us, looking for all the world like this was simply a normal, everyday duel.
"And in this corner…" Before Crowler knew it, Chazz had snatched the microphone out of his hand. AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" started playing over the loudspeakers.
"The Chazz will introduce himself!" The North Academy students in the crowd all stood and cheered for their hero. "I am the king in the north! The Czar of North Academy! The Black Thunderbolt! And I'm here today to Chazz it up! Now let me hear you say it!" Chazz roared.
"CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP!" The Northerners shouted. Hell, I was tempted to cheer it myself. Let it never be said that Princeton doesn't know how to work a crowd.
"Man, I'm really excited to duel you again, Chazz! Let's do this!" Jaden said with his usual zen sensibilities.
"You shouldn't be so hasty to rush to your defeat!" Chazz, all bluster and arrogance, said as they both activated their duel disks. (Jaden 4000/Chazz 4000)
Jaden picked rock (poor, predictable rock) and Chazz picked paper, allowing the king in the north to start off. "I summon Masked Dragon (1400/1100) in attack mode!" The small dragon with bone-white mask and wings descended to the field. "Next, I'll set one card face-down and end my turn."
"My go!" Jaden drew. "I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart (1500/1600) in attack mode! And then, I'll attack your dragon with wild slash!" Jaden's vaguely Native American looking warrior leapt into the air, wielding a dull hunk of metal as a sword. With a mighty swipe, Chazz's monster was cleaved apart. (Jaden 4000/Chazz 3900)
"There you go, Jaden! Way to get the first hit!" Syrus cheered. I stewed in thought; something about this didn't seem right. I didn't remember the duel going this way in the show.
Then, it hit me. It was a minute detail, but somehow it stuck with me. Chazz summoned his dragon in face-up defense position in the show- a move that was illegal in the real game, and apparently here as well. Since Chazz was counting on his dragon being destroyed, he had every reason to put in face-up defense position if he was able- the dragon's lower defense points would make it easier to destroy, and he would take no damage from the battle as well.
What I realized from this conclusion is that now I could no longer fully predict the outcome of the duel, as a change was already present in the game state. I also had to wonder why Chazz didn't simply set the dragon. Maybe he was worried Jaden would choose not to attack if he didn't know what the face-down monster was.
"Are you feeling alright, Jamie?" Alexis asked. "Yeah, I'm fine." I reply shortly, trying to think about the potential moves both players had available to them. My fingers were steepled and my eyes were narrowed in thought. Two seats down, Bastion watched the game with an identical expression.
"Thanks for that, cause now I can summon my Armed Dragon LVL 3 (1200/900) from my deck!" Chazz declared. This new dragon was somewhat cutesy with its small frame and orange scales, and somewhat tough with its very sharp and spiked armor plate. Scanning the crowd, I noticed Slade and Jagger looking none too pleased. It looks like Chazz decided to use his own cards instead of the ones his brothers supplied for him. Generally speaking, I would have used whichever cards gave me the best chance for victory. In this case, the gesture was symbolically valuable- it represented Chazz choosing to fight on his terms, as his own man.
Considering the crushing pressure placed upon him, I found it a remarkable course of action.
"Alright, I'll set a card and end my turn." Jaden said, unfazed.
"Damn right you will!" Chazz growled. "Now, during my standby phase, my Armed Dragon LVL 3 levels up to 5 (2400/1700)!" Suddenly, the small dragon evolved and grew rapidly, as though it were in a time-lapse film. It's scales darkened to a deep crimson, its spikes sharpened dangerously, and the armor turned black. However the creature was clearly not finished with its evolution; its arms were gangly, too long for its body, and it possessed a rather rotund belly.
"Now, I'll attack your Wildheart!" Chazz thrust his hand forward as his dragon reared back a spiked fist.
"Not quite, Chazz! I activate my trap card, Hero Barrier! This lets me negate one of your attacks so long as I have a hero on my field!" Jaden responded. Chazz's dragon was stopped by a blue shield of electricity, separating it and Elemental Hero Wildheart by only a few meters.
However, the king in the north was undeterred. "You think that can stop me? During my main phase two, I discard Axe Dragonute from my hand to activate my Armed Dragon's special ability. My dragon can destroy one monster on the field with equal to or less attack points than the one I discarded. And since Axe Dragonute has 2000 attack points, your Wildheart goes bye-bye!" A burst of shrapnel jets out of the Armed Dragon's fist and tore apart Jaden's hero. "I'll end my turn with that, slacker."
"So far, Jaden's managed to keep a good defense up." Bastion commented.
"Yeah, but he usually doesn't have to pool all his resources into holding out like this. Hopefully he can draw something strong soon- if he can stop that Armed Dragon before it levels up completely, he'll have a chance to win." Erin added.
"Jaden will win, he always does." Alexis said confidently, almost in opposition of Erin. Zane and I coughed. Alexis sputtered, "Well, he usually wins, I mean."
"Man, that's a powerful card- shame I'm gonna have to take it down! I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman (800/1200) in attack mode! Since he's the only card I have on the field, I can draw two cards!" Jaden said as his rather silly-looking aquatic hero took the field. It appears that Bubbleman has its anime effect as well, making him more powerful than he was in the real life game.
"Next, I'll activate the spell card E-Emergency Call! This card lets me add one Elemental Hero from my deck to my hand. I choose Sparkman!" Jaden quickly rifled through his deck, picking out the card he wanted before the duel disk auto-shuffled his deck again. That was quite the neat feature, although I had to wonder how hackers haven't taken advantage of it by now. Then again, Kaiba was probably able to make his own tech damn near impenetrable if his knowledge of hacking was taken into consideration.
"Now, I play Polymerization!" The crowd of Central Academy students cheered- Jaden's prowess at fusion summoning had gained him quite the reputation on campus. The only question was what the crafty Slifer was going to pull out of his hat this time. He was lucky- in this time period, the extra deck (or fusion deck as it was known here) had no upper limit. After the introduction of Synchro monsters, Konami elected to cap the extra deck size at 15 cards, due to the extra deck resources suddenly becoming much more powerful. But right now, the only caveat on the fusion deck was that one could only have three copies of the same card in it. Still, one could stuff the fusion deck with forty cards if they so desired, and something told me Jaden did just that.
"I fuse Elemental heroes Sparkman, Avian, and Bubbleman to summon Elemental Hero Tempest (2800/2800)!" Jaden's mighty hero descended to the field, its electric arm cannon pointed directly at Chazz's dragon. I always thought Tempest was a pretty cool looking card- shame it takes so many resources to summon.
"Now, I attack your Armed Dragon!" Tempest loosed a bolt of blue energy from his arm cannon, charring Chazz's dragon. Personally, I prefer my dragon meat medium rare, but to each his own. I scanned the crowed again, finding Chazz's brothers- they were starting to look agitated, which made me pleased. (Jaden 4000/Chazz 3500)
"I activate my trap card, Call of the Haunted! This card lets me revive a monster from my grave, and I choose Armed Dragon LVL 5!" Like a bad headache, Chazz's dragon returned to the field, good as new. Sighing in frustration, Jaden set a card face-down and ended his turn.
"C'mon Chazz, let's take it to the next level! Chazz it up! Chazz it up!" Headmaster Foster, forgoing all decorum, started up the chant again. The Northerners kept cheering for their hero, undeterred by the life lead.
"That's right!" Chazz looked momentarily bolstered by the support of his people, but before long, the stress set in again. I don't know about anyone else, but I noticed how he grinded his teeth, how tight and drawn his posture was, how his eyebrows were always furled. He couldn't be any more different from Jaden, who looked loose and limber. "It's my turn! And I'll start off by using my Armed Dragon's special ability! By discarding my Despair from the Dark from my hand, I can destroy a monster with 2800 or less attack points. Say goodbye to Tempest!"
Another volley of spikes was shot towards Jaden's Elemental Hero. Jaden grimaced. "I activate my reverse card, De-Fusion! As the name implies, this cards lets me de-fuse my Tempest into his original fusion materials!" As Jaden spoke, his hero disappeared, causing the shrapnel to miss. The heroes Avian, Bubbleman, and Sparkman all took the field in defense mode.
"Clever move, but my dragon still has his regular attack! Go, and destroy Sparkman!" Chazz's dragon easily shredded the voltic hero, but Jaden still had plenty of resources to work with. Honestly, Jaden was having a slightly better go at this than he was in canon. Wait a minute, did I just jinx him?
"You won't be able to defend against me forever, slacker, especially since my dragon is about to level up again! These are the very best cards North Academy had to offer, and I plan to unleash their full force on you!" Chazz boasted.
"I remember you saying something like that before, Chazz! You ought to know that every card has their strengths and weaknesses- what really matters is the duelist using them!" Jaden responded, and I wondered if he could see the Ojamas yet. I couldn't- I was unable to see purely ethereal dueling spirits like Jaden, Chazz, or Chumley could.
"Be quiet! I've had enough of your empty platitudes!" Chazz yelled. As he ended his turn, the Armed Dragon underwent another metamorphosis- its armor shone with a silver, metallic gleam, now covering nearly its entire body. It grew larger too, now easily five or six times Chazz's height.
"Strength is the only thing that matters in this world! Everything else is a delusion for the weak! Now meet Armed Dragon LVL 7 (2800/1000)!" The dragon screeched down at Jaden, an extension of his master's rage.
"This kid is starting to sound psychotic. What happened to him up North?" Erin seemed unsettled, a sentiment I could certainly understand.
"Sadly, I believe this anger has always been a part of Chazz. Alexis and I went to the same prep school as him, and even as a little kid, he was always obsessed with being strong. Strength and power are good qualities to have, but that was all he was ever concerned with. He always seemed to think everyone was looking down on him, and was hell-bent on proving them wrong, no matter what." Zane said solemnly.
"In the very beginning, it was different. I still remember the day I first met Chazz. We were ten years old at the time. He was kind…but he was always a little awkward and dorky around me. I pushed him away as gently as I could…my other friends didn't like him either." Alexis confessed.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Chazz had a crush on Alexis even back then? I wonder what would have changed if she chose to accept him. Would he have become a better person for it? Or would his worst traits have rubbed off on her for the worst? Part of me wanted to pass judgment on Alexis for this, but really, they were both little kids at the time, and it's not like she was obligated to be his friend. Still, it was a highly fascinating tidbit of information.
Jaden seemed concerned as he heard Chazz's cold words. "Chazz, the only reason you should be dueling is to have fun, whether you win or lose! Dueling is a way to express yourself, it's not a way of war."
Unfortunately, Jaden's words seemingly fell on deaf ears. "That's easy for you to say, you always win! Always, without fail! But you're not going to win, not this time!" Chazz bit back. The Northerners greatly supported this statement.
"We'll see where that attitude gets you." Was all Jaden said as he drew his next card. "I'll set a monster and end my turn."
"Smart." I said suddenly, surprising my friends. "Armed Dragon's effect doesn't work on face-down monsters, only face-up ones. This will force Chazz to use up his regular attack if he wants to destroy all of Jaden's monsters."
"Are you certain?" Syrus asked. "When did you read the card's fine print?"
"Armed Dragon has an article on the Duel Monsters Wikia, Syrus. Its picture is also in the main card catalogs. After all, it would be silly if the exact wordings of card effects were unknown to the general player base." Bastion replied dryly.
"Oh, I suppose you're right." Syrus said hesitantly.
"I draw." Chazz paused, considering his strategy. "First, I play Pot of Greed." Good lord, this new banlist can't come soon enough. I mean really, Pot of Greed is still legal in this time period? And I say this as someone who plays Black Luster Soldier!
"Now, I'll discard Flying Kamikiri #1 to destroy your Avian and Bubbleman with my Armed Dragon's special effect!" With a furious swipe, Jaden's heroes were summarily destroyed. "And then, I'll use my regular attack to wipe out your face-down!"
Jaden smiled as his last monster was destroyed. "Thanks for that! You just destroyed my Wroughtweiler (800/1200)! When he's destroyed by battle, I get to add an Elemental Hero and a copy of Polymerization from the graveyard to my hand! I choose Bubbleman!" That was smart- now Jaden would be able to draw another two cards by his Bubbleman's effect, since he no longer had any cards left on his field. Chazz grumbled before setting a face-down and ending his turn.
Jaden drew, but seemed displeased with his new card. "Alright, I special summon Bubbleman, letting me draw two more cards. Next, I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn." Jaden must have bricked hard if that's all he could do with the number of cards in his hand.
Chazz snapped the top card off of his deck. "I activate my trap card, Ojama Trio! This card summons three Ojama tokens to your side of the field, each with zero attack points and 1000 defense points! Thank me later!"
As Chazz spoke, the three distinct gremlins touched down on Jaden's side of the field. Elemental Hero Bubbleman sweatdropped as the tokens began dancing around in lewd fashion. "Man, something tells me this little gift comes with some strings attached…" Jaden smiled ruefully.
Suddenly, Jaden and Chazz froze for no reason I could discern. "Wait, did you guys hear that?" Chumley said from the row above me.
"Hear what?" I asked sharply.
"I thought I heard one of those duel monsters talk!" Chumley responded uncertainly. Everyone looked at the koala like he was off his rocker, but I think I understood. One of the Ojamas must have said something that only Jaden, Chazz, and Chumley could hear due to their connection to duel spirits. The rest of us heard nothing- as if the speech never occurred at all.
"It was probably someone else in the stands, Chumley." Syrus placated. The rest of the group seemed to accept this makeshift explanation- it was the only way things made sense.
"Chazz, you have a duel spirit as well! That's really cool, man!" Jaden said loudly, and I imagined his Winged Kuriboh was probably floating next to his shoulder.
"Ha! Those foolish Ojamas are the least of your concerns. You haven't seen my real duel spirit yet…" Chazz smirked viciously.
"Wow, you have more than one! That's really something! What's your other one?" Jaden said with boyish excitement.
"You'll find out soon…" Chazz's tone was menacing, but Jaden only looked more pumped up to continue.
"What are they talking about? I can't hear them from up here, and their microphones appear to have stopped working." Zane observed.
I couldn't hear them either, but from what I had already deduced, it was highly likely that Jaden and Chazz were talking about duel spirits. It was probably no coincidence that the microphones attached to their shirts stopped recording right as they started to delve into that particular subject. I bet the duel spirits were interfering with the communications to prevent the crowd, and therefore the world at large, from finding out about their existence. I would also bet the guys in charge of the audio were freaking out right now!
Sure enough, the microphones began working again as soon as Chazz began announcing his next move. Many members of the group, Zane and Alexis in particular, seemed very suspicious. I imagined Jaden and Chazz would have some explaining to do after the game was over.
"I discard Ojama Yellow from my hand to activate Armed Dragon's effect, allowing me to destroy all of the Ojama tokens on the field!" With yet another swipe of its blades, the dragon ripped apart the helpless Ojamas.
"Those tokens weren't a free gift- they inflict 300 points of damage each when they are destroyed! Pay up, Jaden!" Small explosions went off in front of Jaden, although they were more annoying than anything else. (Jaden 3100/Chazz 3500)
"Now, I'll summon another Masked Dragon (1400/1100)!" The small red and white dragon looked rather intimidated next to the comparatively enormous Armed Dragon, but it would do its duty.
"Now, Masked Dragon, attack his Bubbleman!" The smaller beast destroyed Jaden's loyal hero for the second time around. "Finally, your defenses have been worn down, and my Armed Dragon can attack you directly at long last! Hit em with sonic shredder!" The large dragon's mounted blades glowed with green energy. The beast looked thrilled to get a direct shot at Jaden!
With a screeching strike, Jaden was flung back to the edge of the arena from the dragon's claw. The central academy students were distraught that their hero seemed to be on the edge of defeat. (Jaden 300/Chazz 3500)
"This isn't looking good." Bastion murmured, causing Alexis to give him a dirty look. I couldn't help but agree. Jaden was in a really bad spot, even though his hand advantage was really good considering it was the mid-late game. Granted, he had spot removal in his deck as well as an unknown face-down, but now he had a lot of ground to make up with no room for error.
Jaden slowly picked himself, but rather than looking worried as everyone expected, he was laughing. "Now this is what I like!"
"You like getting beaten? Man, you really are a hopeless case!" Chazz cackled, power-tripping.
"No, not necessarily. I like facing strong opponents- they bring out the best in me! And now you're gonna see just what I've got in store, Chazz!" Jaden said courageously.
"Let's go, Jaden!" I cheered with a fist bump, causing a chant of "SLIFER, SLIFER, SLIFER" to start up amongst the Central Academy students, at last rivaling the Northmen in volume.
"Now is the time to strike back! I play Special Hurricane! Now, by discarding a card, I can destroy all Special Summoned monsters on the field! I hate to say it, but it looks like your dragon's time has come!"
Chazz's Armed Dragon was suddenly electrocuted by a bolt from the blue, and the crowd supporting Jaden was thrilled. "Man, that was a good meta call. I didn't think Jaden had that card in his deck." Erin commented.
"He did so at my suggestion. I noticed that his deck was lacking in specific monster removal, so he picked up a copy of Special Hurricane on the cheap just in case. I'm just glad he drew it when he did." Bastion added.
"Yeah, you got that right. Now Jaden can fuse again and turn this thing around!" Syrus said with a raised fist.
"Next, I'll activate Fusion Recovery! This spell lets me add a Polymerization and a fusion material monster from my grave to my hand. I'll choose Elemental Hero Avian!" Jaden continued.
"That's why you discarded the Polymerization in your hand for Special Hurricane- because you knew you'd get it back!" Chazz hissed.
"Hey, now you're catching on. You can probably guess what I'm going to do now!" Jaden said as the hologram for the Polymerization card appeared behind him. "I fuse Elemental Heroes Avian and Burstinatrix to summon an old favorite; Elemental Hero Flame Wingman (2100/1000)!" Jaden's favorite monster took the field with a mighty cry.
"I'm sure this card looks familiar, doesn't it Chazz? My Flame Wingman's been waiting for another chance to roast you, and here it is! Attack his Masked Dragon with infernal rage!"
The Flame Wingman swooped down and directed its dragon arm (?) towards Chazz's dragon, which shrieked in pain as it was engulfed in flames. (Jaden 300/Chazz 2800)
"You of all people should know about Flame Wingman's super power, Chazz! You take damage equal to Masked Dragon's attack points!" Jaden cried. Flame Wingman landed in front of Chazz and let loose another torrent of flame, blasting the king in the north back with a squeal of pain. (Jaden 300/Chazz 1400)
The flames died down, but the crowd didn't- the Northerners booed and hissed, while the Central students cheered. "Damn, damn, damn!" Chazz growled as he picked himself up. Even though the attack was a hologram, I could have sworn I could have smelled burning hair. If only!
"That certainly puts Jaden in a better position." Bastion said.
"No kidding?" I added with a smirk.
"Sorry, that was a bit obvious…I only hope Jaden has some protection for his hero." Bastion responded sheepishly.
"First we'll see what Chazz summons off his dragon's effect." Erin chimed in.
"I won't go down like this! My Masked Dragon's effect lets me summon a dragon from my deck! I choose Lancer Dragonute (1500/1800) in attack mode!" To the field, a green-scaled dragon holding a small white lance flew.
"Alright, I set two cards face-down and end my turn." Jaden said, looking a bit calmer about his position now that Chazz's Armed Dragon was destroyed. I wasn't sure how Chazz could come back from this.
Chazz looked uncertain, and if the stress was getting to him before, it seemed to be overwhelming him now. But that all changed once he drew his next card, which seemed to make him glow. It looked like this duel was far from over.
"I told you that you would see my real duel spirit soon…and that time is now! Prepare to fall, slacker! I summon Red Wyrm (1700/1600) in attack mode!" A bright crimson dragon descended to the field next to Lancer Dragonute.
"Now, I play the spell card Double Summon! And if I need to explain what that card does, you're dumber than you look!" Chazz gloated.
My eyes widened. In that moment, I knew what card he was about to play. But where did he get it…?
"I sacrifice my two monsters to summon Light and Darkness Dragon (2800/2400)!" Chazz chanted, calling forth his true ace monster. The dragon nearly blinded half of the stadium with its glowing white plumage and scales, while the other half looked at the pitch-black side of the creature and thrilled in horror. It was a beautiful beast, there was no doubt about it. In equal measures aesthetically pleasing and yet supremely disturbing in its divided nature, it wasn't hard to imagine this creature having some sort of larger significance in the realm of duel spirits.
"Ah, I see it. That's incredible…" Jaden said, awed by the dragon's grace and power, and yet brave in the face of it. "Let's see what kinda power it's got!"
"Now do you see? I have formed a bond with my cards just as you have, Jaden. These cards are not merely weapons to be used by me in battle- they are my loyal soldiers!" Chazz raised a fist, and the two dozen Northerners in the crowd did the same. "And together, we ride to victory! Light and Darkness Dragon, destroy the Flame Wingman along with the rest of his lifepoints!" From its mouth, the dragon unleashed a swirling blast of black and white at Jaden's hero.
"I activate the trap card Mirror Force! Sorry, Chazz. It's an impressive looking monster, but it's going down." Jaden said confidently.
"Jaden, that's not going to work!" I said with my head in my hands.
"Not this time! Light and Darkness Dragon instantly negates any spell, trap, or monster effect activated while it's on the field at the cost of 500 attack and defense points each time." A bright shine emanated from the dragon's body, and the Slifer's trap card was destroyed. A few moments later, the dragon's laser destroyed the Elemental Hero Flame Wingman. At the very least, Chazz's monster was weakened to the point where Jaden could survive the attack. (Jaden 100/Chazz 1400)
"Jaden's hanging by a thread…" Erin worried.
"He's got a few cards left. That dragon is powerful, but it has a weakness- Chazz can't choose when to negate card effects. That means that Jaden can potentially wear down its attack points to the point where he can attack it. Even if he fails, Jaden can still activate card effects in a chain. He might get out of this yet." Zane pointed out, and I had to agree with him.
"He'll need to chain something…" I murmured.
"Draw your last pathetic card so I can end this, Jaden." Chazz said smugly.
"My deck has no pathetic cards, Chazz. But it does contain the unstoppable O- Over Soul, which lets me summon a normal Elemental Hero from the graveyard! I choose Sparkman!" Jaden declared.
"Ah, Elemental Hero Sparkman! It's not possible! No one has ever been able to call him! Oh wait, your effect is negated by my dragon. Calling your card unstoppable was probably a bit of an overstatement, eh?" Chazz mocked, even as his dragon's attack points dropped to 1800.
"I was counting on that! To your dragon's effect, I chain the quick-play spell Flute of Summoning Kuriboh! This flute lets me summon…a Kuriboh. Specifically, Winged Kuriboh (300/200) in defense mode from my deck." Jaden's ever-faithful spirit companion emerged on the field with a cute little "poyo" noise. It was a remarkably intelligent move- by utilizing chain links correctly, Jaden was able to still activate at least one card effect.
Chazz looked between his Light and Darkness Dragon and the Winged Kuriboh, and the two monsters seemed to recognize each other as well- even I could see it. They seemed to be old friends- the dragon's behavior became gentler, and the Kuriboh's eyes looked sad.
"Hey, are you alright little guy?" Jaden asked his duel spirit as the rest of the crowd looked on in bewilderment. Chazz merely gave his dragon a strict look, clearly having no patience for anything that stood in his path to victory.
"Hey, I think our cards know each other from some place." Jaden said to his rival.
"So it would seem." Chazz said tepidly. "There is so much more to the world of duel spirits than I could have imagined…"
"Our cards have a bond, and through this duel, so do we. Come on Chazz, I know you have way too much talent to be held under your brother's thumbs. You belong here." Jaden said. I could only hope his words were having an effect.
"….is that the end of your turn?" was all Chazz replied with, and I swore I could have felt the temperature of the room fall a solid ten degrees.
But Jaden just kept on smiling. "Not quite. I set a monster in defense mode. Your go, Chazz. Man, you really have changed. If your convictions are so strong…then show me."
Chazz drew, but looked displeased at his new card. "I summon Flying Kamikiri #1 (1400/900) in attack mode!" A large insect with green scales and red eyes clicked and snapped its mandibles as it descended onto the field.
"Now, Light and Darkness Dragon, destroy his Winged Kuriboh!" Chazz commanded. However, his dragon did not move. It stayed stock still, in silent defiance of his master.
"Has something has gone wrong with Chazz's duel disk?" Bastion questioned.
"I don't know…but something is up here. Something about this duel is fishy." Erin said suspiciously. Alexis and I shared a glance- we both, on some level, knew what was happening, even if we couldn't strictly see spirits ourselves. Our experience with Jinzo (and my prior knowledge of the series) taught us that there was always more to this game than what meets the eye.
Chazz seemed to be engaging in a silent battle of wills with his rebellious dragon, knowing that he would look insane if actually talked to the monster mid-game. Of course, Jaden had no such reservations. For some reason, Light and Darkness Dragon refused to attack Winged Kuriboh.
Chazz was clearly confused and enraged by what was happening, but he couldn't voice it out loud at the risk of looking insane. "I've changed my mind. Instead, my Flying Kamikiri will attack!" The humanoid insect lunged forward and sliced the Kuriboh in two.
Jaden seemed confused as well, but there was no time for him to contemplate what was happening. "When Winged Kuriboh is destroyed, I take no battle damage for the rest of the turn!"
"Wrong, my dragon negates that effect as well! It's too late, Jaden!" Chazz said fiercely as his dragon's attack points dropped to 1300. Now that Winged Kuriboh was destroyed, it seemed that the dragon was willing to obey Chazz once more.
"I was counting on that! To your dragon's effect, I activate my own face-down Call of the Haunted!" Again, Jaden took advantage of chaining to keep up a defense, even in the face of the dragon's powerful effect. "I choose to bring back Wildheart!" Jaden's tribal warrior returned to the field with a grunt.
"Wait, how does that ruling work? I thought Wildheart was unaffected by trap cards." Syrus asked, and it was a good question. Frankly, I wasn't sure how that worked either.
"It's a curious ruling to be sure. How it works is that Wildheart is only immune from trap effects while he is on the field. He can still be summoned by traps from the hand, deck, or graveyard, however. The ingenious part, though, is that now even if Call of the Haunted is removed from the field, Wildheart will remain because he is unaffected by trap effects while on the field. And now he's strong enough to take down both of Chazz's monsters. Jaden may play the fool, but he knows the ins and outs of his cards. He's a genius at dueling, and these are the situations he excels in."
"Indeed." Zane agreed. "from what I've seen, Jaden's better at tactics than strategy. He trusts his instincts, for better or for worse."
"Let's hope his instincts lead him to victory." Alexis added hopefully.
I stayed silent, my green eyes calculating and my fingers steepled again. I glanced over at the elder Princeton brothers, and I noticed that they held similar expressions- they seemed placid, but intensity boiled beneath the surface.
"I end my turn." Chazz hissed, only one card left in his hand.
"I'm gonna keep on rolling, then!" Jaden said. "I know better than to try to use any of my remaining cards while that dragon on the field staring me down. Wildheart, attack the Light and Darkness Dragon!"
Bravely, the wild man leapt into the air, that blunt hunk of metal a generous man might call a sword heaved behind him. With a swing, Chazz's dragon was appropriately cut in half. (Jaden 100/Chazz 1200)
"Damnit! But you're not out of the fire yet, Jaden! My dragon has a special effect! When it's destroyed, I must destroy all cards on my field." Chazz's Flying Kamikiri was obliterated as he spoke. "But in return, I can target one monster in my graveyard and special summon it! Rise, Armed Dragon LVL 5!" The spiked red and black dragon returned once more, looking just as aggressive as ever.
"Man, that thing really is like a bad fucking headache!" I cursed. Jaden better have one more card up his sleeve, or else he's done. Erin sighed in agreement, and the mood was unbearably tense in the stands.
But Jaden still had one more trick in his arsenal. "I'm betting everything on this card! I activate the last card in my hand, Miracle Fusion! This lets me fuse elemental heroes on my field and in my graveyard!" I had to wonder what he was going to play. It was his main phase two, so he would have to create a hero that could survive the next turn.
"I fuse the Wildheart on my field with the Elemental Hero Bubbleman in my graveyard to summon Elemental Hero Absolute Zero (2500/2000)!"
"Brilliant!" I exclaimed. I had no idea Jaden was packing that kind of power! In a flash of snow and ice, a hero wearing pure white armor and cape descended to the field. In his hand was an icicle spear sharpened to a fine point. This was one of Jaden's best options. It was strong enough to swing at Chazz's Armed Dragon, and if Chazz got over it with a card effect, all of the monsters on his field would be destroyed. All Jaden had to do was last another turn, and he would pull out the big W.
"That's it for my turn." Jaden said, his expression hopeful.
Chazz took a haggard breath and took what was looking to be his last draw of the duel. With what seemed to be a great effort, he made his features blank. What was that card he drew?
"I switch Armed Dragon to defense position. Then, I'll set one card face down and end my turn." Chazz said neutrally. The crowd was so still one could hear a pin drop. That face-down had to be a bluff, and even if it did destroy Absolute Zero, Jaden could still win if he summoned another monster next turn. Things were looking almost certainly to be in Jaden's favor.
"It's time!" Jaden drew. "Now it ends! I summon Elemental Hero Heat (1600/1200) in attack mode!" A warrior with red and white armor styled after the appearance of a burning flame raced onto the field. As one might suspect, it seemed that Elemental Hero Absolute Zero didn't like the appearance of this fiery hero. But for the sake of victory, they put their axiomatic differences aside. "He gains 200 attack points for each hero on the field, including himself! That puts him at 2000 points."
"That's enough to beat the Armed Dragon! Jaden's won!" Syrus raised his fist in the air, causing many Central Academy students to do the same.
"It's over! Elemental Hero Absolute Zero, destroy Chazz's Armed Dragon now!" Jaden thrust his fist forward, and his fellow students began cheering for his great victory. "This can't be happening!" I heard one of the Princeton Brothers curse.
I looked at Chazz. The king in the north didn't look worried at all, and in that moment, I knew everything was about to change.
"I already told you, it's too late Jaden! Activate reverse card, Magic Cylinder!"
I felt chills, and my mouth hung open in shock as Jaden's attack was reflected right back at him, costing him the duel. (Jaden 0/Chazz 1200)
Chazz did not look upon his opponent, nor did he search for his brothers in the stands. He stared right at me with his right fist raised, with an expression that could only be described as vindication.
"THE KING IN THE NORTH! THE KING IN THE NORTH! THE KING IN THE NORTH..." The North Academy students cried.
A/N
Hope you all enjoyed. Sorry Jaden fans, but he'll get plenty of shine down the road.
To answer Chocolate Shaymin's question from the last chapter, the reason I gave Chazz the three Ojamas from the beginning, rather than just Yellow to start off with, is because it doesn't look like Chazz will be visiting Duel Academy in the forseeable future. In canon, he discovers Ojama Green and Black in the well of forgotten cards before his big duel with Slade. For the sake of expediency, I gave him the three Ojamas off the bat.
Chazz's character is at a crossroads, and what he will do from here will be seen in the next chapter. I hope I did this duel justice! In other news, Bastion is trying to get with Jasmine- who knows how that's gonna pan out. Jamie, meanwhile, is going to be rebuilding his "public" deck with respect to the new box coming out over the winter break. All of these plotlines and more will be explored in the next exciting chapter of State of the Meta! Cue the DBZ outro music!