Chapter 17: As Above, So Below
I gave Adam the necessary plot summary as we drove to the Slifer Red dorm, where I knew the duel of darkness was taking place. As we got closer, I saw flashes of light and color that were surely byproducts of the battles. The worst-case scenario would be Banner standing over the fallen duel academy students and Crowler with five keys in his possession. At the very least, however, he was the one working against the clock and not us. In some ways, Alexis being in the hospital was a slight comfort as well. Even if by some miracle Banner defeated me, he would have to wait until Alexis was recovered before he could get his hands on the last key. That the keys required duel energy to function was a strange rule, but it worked in our favor in this instance.
"So the headmaster gave you guys a choice with taking these keys? I wonder what he would have said if you turned him down." Adam commented dryly. The revelations I dealt him did not seem to throw him off his groove at all. Then again, I supposed a gambler like him would be skilled at containing any surprise he felt. It was a virtue born of vice.
My throat felt dry. "Something tells me there was never really a choice. Life would most likely have gotten difficult if I refused him, and we'll just leave it at that. Apparently, Sheppard takes his orders directly from Seto Kaiba himself." I answered as we drove along the western coastline, our cart leaving rapidly fading tracks in the sand.
"You probably would have had to transfer to North Academy. Could you picture Chazz's face when he sees you getting off the plane?" Adam joked. Alexis would scold him for not taking this seriously if she had been here, but I didn't really care. In fact, it helped me take my mind off things for a second. I gave a laugh, but it faded quickly as we arrived at our destination.
Crowler hung suspended in an imprisonment sphere similar to the one I was stuck in earlier. The sight of it caused my brow to furrow. It seemed that the esteemed professor lost, but Banner decided to spare him anyways for the time being. I could not say that this was a surprise, as Banner was supposed to be the strongest of the shadow riders. And yet, I found it hard to imagine that his canon deck would be capable of beating an Ancient Gear user. Perhaps he was using different cards?
Jaden has stepped forward to face Banner, just as the treacherous professor intended. Somehow, Banner was able to perceive the dark powers that lurked within the boy. If he wasn't aware of the Supreme King and the Gentle Darkness (which I personally doubted he was) then at the very least he could tell that there was more to Jaden than meets the eye.
The Slifer Red had one card face-down and a set monster. It appeared to be the end of his first turn, judging by the fact that Banner had five cards in hand but nothing on the field. Either way, the two enemies put their match on pause at our arrival.
"Adam, Jamie! You're all right!" Jaden smiled, his anger dulling at the realization that at least one of his stolen friends was alive and unscathed. The others seemed taken aback at our unorthodox method of transportation, but were glad to see that I was ok nonetheless.
"I knew you and Rhodes could beat that smarmy prick!" Erin cheered crudely, putting aside her feelings about Alexis for the sake of presenting a united front.
"Sorry to interrupt the dramatic showdown." I said, dismounting the cart. Adam did the same, brushing some dust off his pants. "The first of the Seven Stars has been defeated. Before the night is out, another will fall." My droll tone belied rage as I glared at Banner. For his part, the last duel seemed to have put some strain on his artificial body. His black hair was slowly turning to grey, and a vein could be seen in his left temple. This news was unnerving to him, his lips pursed in a frown.
"Where's Alexis? And how did you get here, Sugihara?" Zane asked.
"Alexis won, but the duel injured her greatly. She needed medical attention, so Jamie called me over to get her to the hospital wing. This was the fastest way to get there at the time. Sweet ride, huh?" Adam answered, patting the top of the golf cart with mock affection.
"But she will be all right?" Jaden practically glared at Adam, the moonlight causing his eyes to seem much brighter than usual. As I would've expected, Adam kept a poker face.
"Yeah, we think so. And don't kill the messenger, Slifer." He replied coolly. Taking note of the difference in rank was a bit harsh in my opinion, but Jaden snarling at the guy was also harsh. Tensions were high among all.
"Uh, sorry. Something weird just kinda came over me…" Jaden straightened himself out, sounding sheepish. Banner watched the exchange with interest – Jaden in particular caught his eye.
Deciding to interrupt his gaze, I spoke up. "So, it seems you defeated Crowler, but did not kill him. A curious choice." He did not respond to me. He didn't even look my way. I knew he was trying to spur me to anger, but I managed to quell my temper.
"What happened to the Shadow Rider, Jamie?" Zane asked, interrupting the silent battle of wills. "He looked familiar…too familiar."
"That's because Nightshroud is the name of a demon that was possessing the body of Atticus Rhodes, Alexis' brother." Saying the name shocked Zane and Erin in particular.
"No way…he was thought to have died at the abandoned dorm over a year ago..." Zane, for once, was truly unbalanced by this new information.
"Yeah, I remember that. Eight other students disappeared that day too, but no one ever learned the exact circumstances of what happened. You wouldn't happen to know anything about what happened to the others, would you Banner?" Erin turned towards the rogue alchemist with a false sweetness.
Banner's expression was unreadable as usual. "It doesn't matter now. To my knowledge, the other students are well and truly dead." He replied.
"I seem to recall that Atticus and those other Obelisks were told to meet at that dorm for an extra credit duel exam. I was invited as well, but I couldn't attend because I was sick at the time. Are you sure you don't anything about the circumstances I just described?" Zane interrogated.
Banner chose to be honest. "Yes. My master instructed me to gather a powerful group of students and harvest their duel energy as a way of bypassing the Spirit Gate keys and take possession of the Sacred Beasts. That is the truth." He spoke solemnly.
"How could you!? I used to respect you as a man of knowledge, a fellow scholar. That you would stoop this low just for sake of achieving immortality…those were your students!" Bastion roared.
"So you tried to kill my best friend…tried to kill me. You did all this solely for the sake of achieving immortality." Zane's voice was low with rage. "You're never going to get your wish. Tonight, you will die, Banner."
"Why did Atticus live while the others didn't?'" I demanded, trying to head off Zane before his anger got the best of him.
"His will was particularly strong… far stronger than the others. He was able to resist the darkness for quite some time, and in the end, we were not able to completely destroy him. That's why the darkness instead took over his body and mind and molded him into a tool for our cause." Banner recalled with a grimace.
I balked. "You're a fool if you think the darkness serves you and your master. I saw the incarnation of darkness firsthand. It was only using an infinitesimal fraction of its power to control Atticus. Alexis had to bring that fraction to near death before Atticus could fight back from the inside. Its full power is surely far beyond our comprehension…"
Banner finally turned to regard me. "Even if what you say is true, that fragment was defeated by a mere schoolgirl. Alexis Rhodes is most likely the weakest of the key keepers. Once the Sacred Beasts are ours, then Nightshroud will no longer be a threat to humanity. We are only using the darkness to achieve our goals. Locking the beasts away is a waste; they should be used to serve humanity against the cosmic forces that wish to destroy us!"
"I'd say you're doing a fine enough job of destroying humanity without the help of any demon. We will handle Nightshroud and whatever else is out there without your twisted definition of 'help'! Now let's duel!" Jaden growled.
"Very well, Jaden…I sense your anger, your frustration. Use it. Draw on the darkness within you and show me your full potential!" Banner goaded. I still wasn't sure if was aware of the Supreme King and the Gentle Darkness, but it was looking more and more like he did.
However, Jaden's first turn was finished, having a set monster and his face-down. "Your turn." Jaden barked. In the background, Zane's stare was boring holes in Banner. Adam and I stood on either side of him, ready to hold him back in because things got nasty. Then again, if Banner kept flapping his gums, I wouldn't be able to contain my rage either.
"I set a card. Next, I'll summon D.D Warrior Lady (1500/1600) in attack mode." A woman with straggly brown hair and tight black garb took the field, wielding a dagger cloaked in bright white energy.
"Next, I'll attack your face-down monster." The woman rushed forward and plunged the knife towards Jaden's unknown creature. However, her strike was rendered ineffective, her sword sinking harmlessly into the arms of a wooden statue Elemental Hero Woodsman (1000/2000) was Jaden's face-down monster.
The warrior recoiled back to Banner's side of the field, the traitorous professor receiving a small shock of pain from his failed attack. (Jaden 4000/Banner 3500)
I was surprised that Banner went for such a strike. Surely, he could have imagined that Jaden would've set a monster with high defense points. Even if he used D.D Warrior Lady's effect to banish both monsters, it would leave his own field bare. Perhaps his fight with Crowler exhausted him more than any of us could initially perceive, which was good. A few more mistakes would be all Jaden needed to win. I only hoped that the boy would not let his anger overtake him.
"I set two cards and end my turn." Even Banner himself seemed perturbed that he made this mistake.
"Okay, my turn! I'll start by summoning Elemental Hero Sparkman (1600/1400)!" The familiar golden boy took the field. "Now, I'll attack your D.D Warrior Lady with static shockwave!" From the nodes on his palms, the hero unleashed waves of blue electricity.
"In response, I'll use D.D Warrior Lady's effect! When it is involved in a battle, I can banish both of our monsters involved in that battle." Before the lightning bolts could strike her, the woman plunged the dagger into the ground, opening a dimensional portal into which both her and Sparkman were swallowed. However, Banner still took another glancing blow from the battle. (Jaden 4000/Banner 3400)
"Alright, that's it for now." Jaden, like Crowler before him, was unsure of how well he was doing. Even though he had seen many of Banner's cards in the last duel, Jaden was generally unfamiliar with decks that focused on banishing. However, Jaden had powers beyond the average duelist, and that was the wild card here.
"Let us once more go beyond the stars! Activate reverse card, Macro Cosmos!" A backdrop of stars and galaxies framed the duel. The hyper-realism of the spacial environment was mind-boggling. This was more than a hologram, it was an illusion generated with dark energy. Adam and I gaped while the other key keepers were unfazed. I imagined Banner probably played this card in his last duel.
Now that all cards were to be banished, many of Jaden's cards, such as Wroughtweiler and Fusion Recovery, would be dead. Even his Woodsman's effect on the field would be useless, since Polymerizations would now never go to the graveyard. Hopefully he wouldn't draw them. I'm sure his "faith in his cards" or some such bullshit would see him through. Then again, is it bullshit if it works?
"Next, I'll set a monster and end my turn." Banner ended with little fanfare. It seemed as though both duelists were merely sending out feelers to see how the other would respond before bringing out the big guns later. Like wolves, they circled each other and watched attentively for a faltering.
Jaden took a breath and drew, focusing on it as though it were some kind of skill that could be mastered. Perhaps it was – I couldn't be sure how much of this duel was left to the winds of fortune and how much was influenced by the two duelists' latent dark powers.
"I activate E-Emergency Call, letting me add an elemental hero from my deck to my hand. Next, I'll summon Elemental Hero Stratos (1800/300) in attack mode!" A male warrior, garbed in blue armor and a jetpack powered by twin fans, flew unto the field.
Jaden's lucky that card hasn't been banned here, although I believe it was limited to one. Then again, it really should be off the list in my own world by now. Before I died and found myself in the world of GX, Elemental Hero Stratos had been banned in the card game I knew for almost four years, despite the fact that Heroes were not powerful enough to warrant the card getting hit. It had gotten to the point where saying "free Stratos" had become a meme on Youtube comment sections and forums.
"When Stratos hits the field, I can either add a Hero from my deck to my hand or I can destroy a spell or trap for each separate Hero I have on the field. I think I'm gonna send your Macro Cosmos packing early!" Gusts of wind burst forth from Stratos' jetpack, blowing away the celestial environment and returning us to the front of the Slifer Red dorm, our trip to space cut short. Humorously, I caught Bastion looking somewhat disappointed – he clearly enjoyed looking at the various nebulae and galaxies.
"Now, Stratos is gonna attack your face-down monster!" Jaden grinned, having seemingly foiled Banner's strategy. However, Stratos found itself flung back by a slimy pink tentacle. Although everyone was a bit grossed out by this, Bastion seemed particularly disgusted – can't imagine why. Hastily, the hero managed to halt its momentum by activating its jetpack and lowering itself to solid ground. Stratos had attacked Necroface (1200/1800) and since the monsters had equal attack and defense values, both survived the battle.
"Shoot! I almost had him! But at least you won't be able to banish our cards anymore!" Jaden said.
"For now." Banner shot back. Clearly, Jaden was proving to be more of a challenge than he anticipated. A subtle shift occurred as both duelists realized the time for testing each other was over. Another factor to consider was fatigue – it was nearing one in the morning, and everyone got up early the day before for class. Both players had an increased likelihood of making a misplay. As the adrenaline from the night's events subsided for the time being, even I felt a distinct weight on my eyelids.
"I'll set a monster face-down and end my turn." Banner snapped. It was clearly a bait, but Jaden knew he had to take it on anyways.
"Okay…" He liked his draw. "I'm going to activate Polymerization, fusing Elemental Hero Stratos with the Elemental Hero Lady Heat in my hand to summon Elemental Hero Nova Master (2600/2300) in attack mode!" Streaks of flame burnt black lines across the grass as a hero draped in bright orange armor took the field. Like fireflies, the sparks that emanated from its body flit through the air.
"How many of these fusion monsters does he have, anyway?" Erin asked the question everyone was thinking. Well, I was thinking it anyways. Okay, I was the only one thinking it, alright?! Geez!
"How does his deck even work? It's like he just draws whatever he needs, when he needs it!" Bastion said with a grimace, no doubt recalling his loss in the School Duel prelims.
"Now, I'll attack your Necroface with nova flare!" Jaden's fiery hero let loose a stream of white fire towards the horrific babyface.
"I activate my trap card, Interdimensional Matter Transporter! This banishes my Necroface until the end phase. And this goes on to trigger Necroface's effect, causing each of us to banish the top five cards of our deck!" The monster vanished in a blip, as though someone had just turned off a television.
"Damn! Guess I have no choice but to redirect my attack towards your face-down monster!" Jaden's monster jumped into the air and sent down a rain of fire towards Banner's remaining monster. For a brief moment, I saw a tattered yellow piece of cloth with two crossed red marks on its surface. It was Mask of Darkness (900/400)!'
"Let me guess, that thing has a special effect." Jaden muttered with uncharacteristic snark.
"You do learn quickly when you apply yourself, Jaden. Mask of Darkness allows me to add a trap card from the graveyard to my hand. Think, Jaden. I have need of ways to banish my cards. Which card do you think I'll pick?' Banner asked, indulging in a pop quiz.
"Macro Cosmos…" Jaden frowned. "Well, I'll find a way to get rid of it again, that's all! Besides, when Nova Master destroys a monster, I get to draw a card. That'll end my turn." As Jaden spoke, Necroface reappeared on Banner's side.
"Hmm, that was a little better, but that is not your true power, Jaden. You must gain control of your inner shadow."
"What are you talking about!?" Jaden blurted. "You keep talking about the so-called darkness in me, but you've never bothered to explain what you mean by that! I don't have any crazy dark powers in me! I'm just a normal guy!"
"You know what I speak of, you are just denying it. Everyone has a dark side, a monster capable of horrible atrocities. Those that deny that side of themselves are weak. In your case, however, it's a bit more…literal." Banner replied. The shadow game was putting him through his paces – his hair was now completely white, and his skin looked extremely dry. I caught Banner's eye and mutual understanding passed between us. He had no idea how I knew about the darkness in Jaden – I had to wonder what theories his head was cooking up.
"You don't know anything about me! And I won't do what you want me to do!" Jaden declared fiercely.
"You fail to understand now, but one day, you will. I draw. First, I'll set two cards. Then, I'll set another monster and end my turn." Banner said, each turn seeming to be a repeat of the last.
"What is this guy's endgame? This is a very strange deck." Adam asked, having not seen the duel between Crowler and Banner.
"Well, he's a strange guy." Bastion answered, of course. "Essentially, he's trying to banish as many cards of his as possible to pump up his Helios monsters. Their attack points are determined by the number of banished cards he has."
"Huh, well there you have it. I remember I pulled some card that had an effect based around banished monsters during an unboxing video. I forget what it was called though, it had a weird name…" Adam pondered.
"Say, how's your DuelTube channel faring, anyways?" Erin asked, overcome by curiosity.
"Just got my 50th subscriber yesterday! I think I'm catching onto something with these unboxing videos I'm doing." Adam puffed his chest, thinking this fact would impress Erin.
"I don't get it. Why would people watch a video of some random guy unboxing duel monster cards? How odd." Zane scratched his head, unable to comprehend the appeal of such a channel.
"At least it isn't light novels, eh?" I say with a cheeky grin, enjoying the reprieve from the tense duel.
Zane grimaced. "I don't know where Syrus keeps hiding them…no matter how many I confiscate from him, they always come back!"
"He's clearly studying for when he becomes a harem protagonist one day." I laugh.
"Well, it takes one to know one." Zane replied, and I growled, knowing he got the better of me in this particular exchange. Erin looked over at us and rolled her eyes, but otherwise did not seem opposed to my status as a "harem protagonist", which I'm not by the way!
"First, I'll set a card." Banner's voice caused our little banter to halt. We all knew what the face-down was. Macro Cosmos would continue to be a thorn in our sides. "Then, I shall summon a monster with limitless potential, more than enough to wipe you out! I summon Gren Maju Da Eiza (?/?)!"
"Oh yeah, that's what it was called!" Adam's lightbulb moment was drowned out as an enormous red-scaled demon scuttled from a dark portal behind Banner. It was huge, easily five times taller than the Slifer Red Dorm and twice as thick. It could clutch any one of us in its claws like one would hold a French fry. Bastion and Erin recoiled in fear while Zane and I stood stoic.
Jaden stood tall and stared it down. "Limitless potential, huh? And why's that?" He questioned.
"This monster gains power for each of my banished cards. 400 each for attack and defense. Since I have six cards banished, the monster has 2400 attack and defense points." Banner noted. Jaden breathed a sigh of relief, as his Nova Master was still stronger.
"Next, I shall cast the spell Soul Release, allowing me to banish up to five cards from any graveyard. I shall choose the Necroface, Interdimensional Matter Transporter, and Mask of Darkness from my graveyard to power up Gren Maju by 1200 points." Sickly green energy coursed along the demon's body as it powered up to 3600 attack points.
"Now, attack!" The crimson creature lunged, slashing apart Jaden's hero with ease. (Jaden 3000/Banner 3400)
"This is only the beginning of my monster's power, as you'll soon see. I end my turn." Banner huffed.
"There's gotta be some way I can still win…let's see. I'll start by playing Elemental Hero Bubbleman (800/1200) in defense mode. Since he's the only card on my field, I get to draw two cards." The familiar blue hero took a knee next to Jaden.
Jaden did not look too pleased with his draws, however. "I set a card and end my turn with that."
"During your end phase, I activate the trap Macro Cosmos once more! Now, things are back under my control." Yet again, the duelists and spectators were flung into space.
"I summon D.D Survivor (1800/200)!" To Banner's field, a tall blond man wearing tattered beige robes and a cybernetic arm appeared. "Now, this game of ours ends! D.D Survivor, attack Bubbleman with special rend!" Opening the palm of his prosthetic hand, the D.D Survivor blasted the hero with a purple laser of mysterious origin. Since Bubbleman was banished, Gren Maju Da Eiza's attack points increased to 4000.
"This is the end, Jaden! You and your friends will all fail, and it will be entirely your fault! Gren Maju Da Eiza, attack him directly!" The red monster swiped at Jaden, intending to rip him to ribbons. The sidelines gasped, thinking that this was the end for him. I gulped, hoping that Jaden's face-down would be useful. Otherwise…
My fears were, for a time, abated. The swipe was blocked by Elemental Hero Stratos, who managed to hold off the claws for a second before being sliced up himself. (Jaden 800/Banner 3400)
"What is this?" Banner was not just shocked that Jaden had avoided death again. When he looked upon Jaden's face, he saw something horrifying. I moved to see Jaden's eyes for myself, a part of me already knowing what happened.
They were a bright, unmistakable gold.
"I activated my trap card, Call of the Haunted, to summon Stratos from the graveyard to take the hit. And since he was summoned, I can add an Elemental Hero from deck to hand." Jaden's voice was unlike before – now it had a distinctly metallic tinge to it that set everyone on edge. Jaden held out his hand, and the card he wanted to search materialized in his hand, digital particles coalescing to create the card.
"What the hell was that?!" Bastion gaped, reason failing him. No one had any explanation. It appeared that the extent of Jaden's powers were beyond even what I expected.
"Ah, I see you have finally shown some of your latent darkness, Jaden. Good…" Banner muttered, so quietly that I was sure that only I heard his words.
"You can threaten me all you like, that doesn't matter. But to threaten the lives of my friends like you have is unforgivable, Banner!" Jaden roared. "I draw!" His visage was hard, cold, and basically completely unlike any expression I had ever seen on Jaden's face before. Were the others seeing this? From where I was standing, I could easily see Jaden's face, while the others couldn't. Was this going to lead to the Supreme King being unleashed sooner than in canon? If so, why? Jaden hasn't undergone nearly the amount of trauma that led to those circumstances in the tv show. Was something about the duel of darkness bringing those powers to the surface? It was impossible to be sure – the nature of light and darkness, along with the other cosmic forces that rule the world of Yu-Gi-Oh, were ill-defined.
"I have just the card to defeat you! I activate the spell card Parallel World Fusion! This magic allows me to fusion summon using banished monsters. By placing Sparkman and the Winged Kuriboh banished off Necroface's effect back in my deck, I can bring forth a powerful hero! Flash forth, Elemental Hero The Shining (2600/2100)!"
A burst of light exploded in the starry night, blinding us with its intensity. In the center of a shining ball of energy came a humanoid figure, a man wearing gleaming white armor. Around its body hung six spears hewn from the purest gold, giving a heavenly appearance.
"Interesting…the power of darkness has let you call forth a being of light. Remarkable…" Banner murmured.
"Like your monsters, this hero also gains power from the banished zone. The Shining gains 300 attack points for each banished Elemental Hero I have, which is six in total since you banished four of my heroes with your Necroface effect! This brings my hero's power up to 4400!" The light became unbearably harsh, and each of the spectators had to look away from the battle.
"I see…you have managed to use my own power against me. The heroes are powerful cards indeed." Banner's statement was curious; he did not sound upset at this turn of events for reasons I could not fathom.
"Elemental Hero The Shining, attack Gren Maju Da Eiza with optical burst!" The light suddenly condensed and compressed into the Elemental Hero's hands, his fingers curled around the sphere of energy. Thrusting its hands forward, the beam of light struck Gren Maju Da Eiza with a devastating slam. When the regular night-time conditions returned, there was no trace of the enormous creature left. Despite Banner having a huge advantage in life points, it felt as though the tides had irrevocably turned. Banner had fallen to one knee, although with difficulty he managed to right himself once more. If nothing else, he was utterly determined to live on. (Jaden 800/Banner 3000)
"For the sake of the friendship we once shared, I will give you this last opportunity to give up and leave this place. Come on, Banner…I know you don't have much left in the tank. Don't make me do this." As Jaden spoke, his eyes glimmered and slowly returned to their usual brown shade. His voice softened with emotion, for he truly did consider Banner a friend at one point.
Banner closed his eyes and smiled, donning the mask that had deceived Jaden for so long. "You have a good heart, my boy. But I have struggled for years to find the secret to immortality. To quietly go into the night was never my destiny."
"I don't know if there's such a thing as destiny. I think that in the end, we have a choice. Today, I'm gonna choose to protect this island, and the people I care about." Jaden responded.
"We are all fish swimming in an ocean of paths, and the path we choose to embark on colors our destiny."
"Is it the winds of fortune that guides us?" Banner looked at Adam, who tilted his head noncommittally.
"Or is it our strength?" He looked at Zane, who did not visibly react.
"Is it the level of education we receive?" Bastion nodded, not realizing that this is what Banner expected of him.
"But perhaps our passions are what really matter." He said, Erin's smoldering gaze boring into him.
"But maybe it is the imposition of the individual will upon the world." He looked upon me. Those words would stick with me for a long time.
"And we can be sure that our pasts define us to a degree as well." Finally settling on Jaden, Banner continued. "All of these things contribute to fate, I feel. Part of growing up is figuring out which of the infinite paths available you will choose to walk."
Jaden smiled. "You always were hard to understand, professor."
"Then let us return to the language of dueling, which you understand so well. It is my turn. I switch D.D Survivor to defense mode and set a card face-down to end my turn." Banner finished quietly. I could tell that he drew a useless card.
Jaden drew a card, normally this time. For the time being, it looked like his dark powers had grown dormant. But his resolve remained strong. "I activate the spell card H-Heated Heart. This gives Elemental Hero The Shining 500 extra attack points and the ability to inflict piercing damage." The hero burned bright with the power of the equip spell.
"This is the end, Banner! Elemental Hero The Shining, attack D.D Survivor now!" Another blast of light ended the duel of darkness in a rather understated fashion, but that was simply the way the game turned out. (Jaden 800/Banner 0)
Banner fell to one knee, his artificial body at the very limits of its capacity. The energy ball that held Crowler dissipated, causing the professor's body to land on the grass with a thud.
"Well done! I knew you could do it, Jaden!" Bastion stepped forward to congratulate his friend. However, Jaden solemnly held up a hand, wishing us all to stay back as he approached Banner. I eyed the hero duelist warily.
For a moment, it seems the Supreme King's power broke free. Well, that's not the right phrase, I think. It's more like Jaden simply slipped into the dark as though he had wielded such power his whole life. I guess it probably comes with the territory of being a reincarnation of the literal King of Darkness. Of course, he gets the cool edgy dark powers and I get diddly dick except for some Melodious cards I probably can't even use.
Then again, the power is more of a curse than a blessing. I, at least, was seemingly free to determine my own destiny, discounting the possibility that this second life of mine was part of a video game or simulation. I hadn't been subject to any tedious stat sheets or level up screens, but one could never be too sure. But Jaden's life was surely not his own – he was a plaything of the universe. This made me angry - it wasn't right that Jaden's free will meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. In this moment, however, Jaden's will was enough to suppress the darkness – unless this too was a move in the universe's game.
Jaden knelt down to look Banner square in the face. I peeked again, and his eyes were still brown, not gold. "For what it's worth, I'll always remember the good times we had, Professor." Jaden's words were rueful.
Reaching inside his jacket pocket, Banner procured his Shadow charm, a mysterious tome with the Eye of Wdjat on the center of the cover.
"Take this, Jaden. It will prepare you for what is coming. I never wanted to see you dead...perhaps this will help you defeat the rest of the assassins."
Jaden grasped the book, a card falling from the pages as he did so. He picked up the card, but was not able to read it in its entirety before Banner spoke again.
"Many regrets weigh on my heart in these final moments, but knowing you was not one of them, Jaden. You have made me proud today. This duel has made you stronger." He said, grasping the Slifer's outstretched hands.
I shuddered when he spoke of dying regrets. I know that feel, bro. Banner's scarlet eyes settled on me for one last time, and in that moment he knew. Somehow, he knew everything about me in that one second. And we, who have both walked through the veil of death, understood each other.
Then, Banner's form crumbled into dust and sand, leaving only his clothes and glasses behind. A cold breeze blew in from the sea, scattering his remains to the four winds. Jaden stared at the card given to him, his eyes wide and unresponsive.
Hastily, I looked around for the cat Pharaoh, wondering if Banner was going to house his soul inside the animal as he did in canon. My eyes scanned the clearing, but the cat eluded my vision. I thought I saw something moving within the tree line to our backs, but I couldn't be sure if was a cat or something else. I doubted I could have seen Banner's soul sphere (?) flying around anyways.
"Hey, are you all alright, Jaden?" At the sound of Zane's calm baritone, I ceased my search, deeming it fruitless. Jaden looked numb for a moment, and I felt genuine fear that the darkness had overtaken him. The moment passed, however, and Jaden seemed himself again, albeit far more somber than usual.
"Yeah." Jaden answered. "I just wish it didn't have to be this way. Dueling is just supposed to a fun game, a way for people to come together. Fighting like this…it isn't right."
Jaden's Kumbaya, happy-go-lucky attitude could be a bit irritating sometimes, but it really was the glue that held this band together. Besides, he was a fifteen (or maybe sixteen, I forgot his birthday) year old kid. Kids were supposed to be capable of seeing and celebrating the good in life. Seeing him troubled like this is disconcerting. I didn't want him to go through the trauma he went through in canon, although I might not have a say in the matter if it really is fate for him to become the Supreme King.
"You did the right thing, Jaden. This is what Sheppard asked us to do. You saved us." I said, putting what I hoped to a comforting hand on the guy's shoulder.
He nodded. "Yeah, I know. I just can't believe Banner was really a Shadow Rider. He really kept a good disguise up. It was pretty lucky you overheard him talking to his boss like that, Jamie."
"Yeah, no kidding!" I scratched my head even as I felt Erin's eyes boring into the back of my head.
"You're absolutely right, Jaden. Secrets can really destroy a person." Erin chimed in. Ah shit, she was totally onto me. Man, being a self-insert is harder than it looks! I kinda regret trashing them like I did that first morning I woke up here. It seems like I'm always worrying about a ticking time bomb of some kind.
"So that's two down…" Bastion said to break the silence. "I wonder how we can prepare for the others…"
"What I want to know is whether any more of these assassins lurk on the island. Keep a close eye on any non-key keepers." Zane wrung his hands. Adam and Erin gave him a weird look, causing him to amend his statement. "Uh, besides you two of course."
"All we can do is wait for them to come to us in the meantime, I think. For now, let's get Crowler to the infirmary. Jaden, are you wounded as well?" I asked firmly.
The hero duelist shrugged. "I'm fine, Jamie. If it's all right with the rest of you, I just want to get some sleep."
I gave him a searching look, but he seemed…all right, I guess. "That's probably a good idea. The rest of you can go to bed as well, if you'd like. Adam and I can take care of professor Crowler." I spoke towards the rest of the group. Bastion, Zane, and Erin seemed to find this idea agreeable. They started to amble back to their respective dorms, Erin giving me a suspicious look as she left.
Adam gave me a sly look as they all got out of earshot. "What's got her panties in a twist?"
"Don't worry about it." I grumbled, wondering how I was gonna worm my way out of this one. Frankly, the night's events had left me at my wit's end.
"Look, I went to elementary school with Erin, so I know how she is. She's one of the only women I know that's actually bad at holding a grudge. Whatever you did to piss her off, she'll probably forget about in a couple of days." He said casually, and I hoped that his advice would prove correct.
"Heh, maybe." I shrug as we both gently lifted Crowler into the back of the cart. "We should go really slow on the way back, since it's uphill."
"Yeah, the last thing we need is Crowler falling out on us…hey Jamie, are you good to drive? Seeing what…happened…to Banner has got me a bit rattled. It's one thing to see somebody die, but to see someone crumble into dust like that…He may have been a scumbag, but that was fucked up." Now that the others left, Adam seemed comfortable enough to let some of his nerves show. If I were a normal sixteen-year-old, I would probably have felt the same way.
"Sure thing, man. But you'll need to take it back to Harry's tonight, ok?" I said gently.
"Yeah, I can. I just need to shake this off." He replied as we jumped in the cart and got going. Adam frequently looked back to make sure Crowler wasn't moving while I focused on the dusty path ahead.
"I wonder how it feels to…to die." Adam murmured, causing my blood to freeze.
"I guess that depends on how you go. There are surely some gentler ways and some…more painful ways." I said numbly. The circumstances of my own death rushed to the forefront of my mind. The sound of gunshots and police sirens rang in my head, drowning out all other noise.
"Sorry, that was a weird thing to say." Adam said quickly, immediately brushing off the topic.
"Uh, it's ok. I get where you're coming from. It's just that nobody can ever really know what it's like to die, ya know?" My throat was dry.
"I guess. Then again, we know there's a ton of magic powers out there in the world. Wouldn't surprise me if somebody reincarnated into this life from a previous one. I mean, anything's possible, right?"
"Yeah…" My grip tightened on the steering wheel. "Anything's possible."
A/N
Hope you all enjoyed.
Trying to write a fairly serious duel here in as believable a way as possible. I tried to have Banner's end be as fitting as possible for the character while also hinting at Jaden's darkness and a few other character progression points. It can be tough to advance character development during duels, but I think I'm getting better at it. I'd like to thank the guest who recommended me the Top 10 Duels in Yugioh (A Scientific Analysis) article, it was a good read and I'll think of it while writing duels in the future. This material was strangely difficult to write even still - I'm glad to be moving on to some new stuff. Now with that said, I've gotten a bit busier as of recently so updates may be a little laggy. I'll try to get chapters out fast while also keeping a good level of quality up. I will not drop this story. I have the plot mostly planned out from here, it's just a matter of putting it to page in a way that satisfies me and you. That can be difficult at times, but I really like to write this story and will not give up on it! Thanks to you all for reading thus far! Catch ya on the flippity-flip.