State of the Meta

by Yung Warrior

A self-insert in which a competitive player from 2016 finds himself warped into the world of GX. Between adjusting his deck to make up for the inverted power creep, making grades, and saving the world, there's much to do, but all good players know how to adapt to their circumstances. SI-OC, 1st Person POV

26. The Last Firstborn

Chapter 26: The Last Firstborn

A/N

Hey guys, I'm switching things up a bit and doing an author's note at the beginning. This chapter will conclude the Shadow Riders arc. I would label the arcs so far as the New Beginnings Arc, which lasted from Chapters 1-13, and the Shadow Riders arc, which lasted from Chapter 14-26. The arc after this will be the First Summer Arc, which will last for probably eight or nine chapters. I can't wait to write it for you guys, because now is really when we start to diverge from the canon stuff and start seeing more of the Yugioh world.

In the First Summer Arc, we'll see old characters from the original Yugioh series, we'll catch up with Chazz and Jesse's plotline, we'll travel to all sorts of new locations, and we'll delve into Jamie's relationship with his "family", and how he'll move forward in his new life. It's gonna be so much fun!

This chapter in particular was one of the duels I had envisioned when I first started plotting out State of the Meta. I sincerely hope that it turned out on the page as it did in my head, and I hope you all enjoy it. There will be some surprises ahead, I'm curious how you guys react to them. Here are some tunes that I listened to while writing:

Celldweller – The Last Firstborn

Papa Roach – Face Everything and Rise

Blue Stahli – The Pure and the Tainted

The Glitch Mob – We Swarm

Dragon Ball FighterZ OST – Merged Zamasu's Theme

There's one more song at the end, and you'll know it when you see it! Enjoy, and thanks for reading! I'll see you in the First Summer Arc!

(Jamie Lancaster POV)

The sky was crimson, the sand was black, the water purple. Though the Starving Venom Fusion Dragon was destroyed for the time bring, the perverse effects it had on the environment remained, like oil in the ocean years after a spill.

But in the center of it all was Kagemaru, who was full of vitality and life, and growing stronger all the time. In a cloud of toxins, he remained unblemished and in perfect health, a bizarre contradiction.

I looked at Erin, who laid unconscious behind us, her very life force used as fuel for this man's ambitions, and the fire in me lit up again. I don't know if I feel the same way about her as she does for me, but I did care for her a great deal. I couldn't help but feel as though I was partially to blame for this empowered Kagemaru somehow. I had to find out the source of new cards! This might not be the last I see of cards from my timeline, if whatever technique Kagemaru used to obtain them could be replicated.

As I brooded, Jaden was right beside me, smiling as if this were simply a normal day.

"Draw." Kagemaru said casually. "I shall play Fusion Sage to add a Polymerization to my hand."

"Oh, here we go again." I grumbled.

"And what's more, I'll play my field spell, Fusion Recycling Plant." To add to the general sense of pollution and decay, mounds of scrap metal and garbage piled onto the sands, rising from nowhere like a dark secret from the past.

"As you might guess, this card allows me to recycle one material used in a fusion summon during my turn. Once I fusion summon, I get the material of my choice back during the end phase. But you'll see that soon enough. Now, for something more impressive." Kagemaru explained. "I summon Predaplant Chlamydosundew (600/200)."

"How does he pronounce these names?" Jaden wondered while scratching his head. "I bet he can't spell it to save his life though."

Onto Kagemaru's side of the field appeared a vibrant green frilled lizard, with bulbous red spores growing from its skin and claws. "I know it's not much for looks, but it makes up for it with its effect. You see, this monster's effect allows me to fusion summon Dark-attribute fusion monsters without using Polymerization."

"Damn, he's lucky he drew that." I cursed.

"Why? You can just take it down with that Bloom Diva of yours, right?" Jaden asked naively.

Kagemaru chuckled. "I'm afraid not. You see, my sundew allows me to use any monster on the field with a predator counter on it as a material…" Jaden's eyes widened as my Bloom Diva was pulled to Kagemaru's side of the field.

"Jamie-kun, what's happening? I don't wanna go!" She cried, and I winced. My diva and his lizard merged together, and a wholly unique creature emerged, completely lacking any resemblance to its materials.

"I fusion summon Predaplant Dragostapelia (2700/1900)!" An enormous dragon flew unto the field. It was smaller than the Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, but it was still intimidating in its own right, its scales made of hard leaves and its claws carved from thorns. Its wings were deep violet, and sacs of poison could be seen running along its tail.

"This deck can summon all sorts of fusion monsters – its capability is nearly limitless! Now, my dragon will launch an attack on Jaden's face-down monster!" The green creature shot out a stream of venom at Jaden's monster.

"Don't use your face-downs." Jaden quickly commanded, and I chose to trust him. The attack landed on Wroughtweiler (800/1200) a mechanical hound that I assume was the Elemental Hero equivalent of Ace the Bat-dog? I never read that many superhero comics to be honest. Either way, this was actually a good thing.

"Nice! When Wroughtweiler is destroyed, I can add a hero and a copy of Polymerization from my grave to my hand!" Jaden added Burstinatrix and Polymerization to his hand.

"And now, I'll play my face-down card, Hero Signal! When a monster of mine is destroyed, I can summon a level four or lower hero from my deck! And I choose to play Elemental Hero Stratos (1800/300)!"

In this timeline, Stratos was free and ready to do some damage. The wind Elemental Hero descended to the field using his weird propeller jetpack. His effect was so damn useful that it didn't matter what he rode in on.

"And when Stratos is summoned, I can add an Elemental Hero from my deck to my hand!" Jaden chose to add Elemental Hero Woodsman – an interesting decision, but there was no doubt he had some serious hand advantage now. Jaden doesn't just rely on luck like many claim he does, he uses decent cards as well. The fact that he was keeping up at all was impressive in its own right.

"Hmm. Well met, boy." Kagemaru seemed to mull something over in his mind before continuing. "I end my turn, and this my Fusion Recycling Plant activates, allowing me to retrieve Predaplant Sundew from my graveyard and place it in my hand."

I took a deep breath. "Alright, I'm up. Draw." Swallowing, I looked over my cards carefully. One wrong move meant death, and I was never the type to go in guns blazing.

"I cast the First Movement Solo. Since I control no monsters, I can special summon a level four or lower melodious diva from my deck to the field. I choose to summon Aria the Melodious Diva (1600/1200) in attack mode!" A slim, flighty songstress with her hair in a violet bob and draped in a dark purple dress took the field. She gave me a placid smile, the same one that a famous idol singer would give a fanboy.

"When this monster is special summoned, as long as it's on the field Melodious monsters cannot be targeted by card effects or destroyed by battle!" I declared – this was a great defensive card, and she had a nice voice as well. Most importantly, he wouldn't be able to put predator counters on my monsters now.

"Wow, I'm convinced now! Those cards are mondo cool!" Jaden gushed.

"That's right, boys." I said wryly. "Mondo cool. Next, I can special summon Canon the Melodious Diva (1400/2000) from my hand, since I already have a diva on the field." I summoned my next singer in defense mode. She had a shock of blue hair, a gold masquerade mask, and a checkered blue and black dress.

I could have exceed summoned with the two level fours I had on the field, but the First Movement Solo only let me special summon Melodious monsters on the turn it is played. "I shall end with that."

"Shoot, you don't have any face-downs?" Jaden inquired. I didn't, but I did have a hand trap which I meant to use. But I couldn't tell Jaden that without revealing it to Kagemaru, so I said, "Nope."

Kagemaru looked at me warily. "Do not take his words at face-value, Jaden. Your teammate is fond of deception." The immortal said darkly, trying to poison the well.

"Who, Jamie? Yeah, he can be a tricky fighter. He's fun to duel because of that! Makes me use my brain and stuff." Jaden replied blithely.

"Indeed, and his tricks are not limited to the dueling fields-" Kagemaru insinuated before I cut him off.

"You were the one impatient with us earlier, and now you try and distract us with prattle? But then, I suppose if it weren't for double standards, the likes of you wouldn't have any standards at all. Take your turn, sir." I said coldly, knowing what he was getting at. If it came down to his word against mine, I would think that Jaden would trust me. But if he succeeding at planting doubt in the Slifer's mind…that would be really bad. The others admired Jaden and I was sure that if it came down to him versus me, most would choose him. And if more spectators showed up to this duel…things would get even more complicated. This game needed to end, and fast. Harrying Kagemaru could also lead him to making a mistake, although that was a faint hope at best.

He knew that I had impaled him on his own blade, logically speaking. "Hmph. Fine. I draw. First, I'll use my dragon's effect to place a predator counter on Elemental Hero Stratos." A cocklebur latched onto the hero's jetpack. Stratos turned to it with confusion, looking to Jaden as if he was going to pry it off with his own two hands.

"And I'm sure you can guess what I'm going to do next. I summon the Predaplant Chlamydosundew that I got back with Fusion Recycling Plant!" The frilled lizard returned, looking to spread more of its pollen.

"Ok, can you say that again?" Jaden was bewildered.

"And then I'll-erm, what?" Kagemaru caught himself. "Say what again?"

"The name of that one monster." Jaden said. I rolled my eyes.

"Which one?" Kagemaru wasn't feigning ignorance, sadly.

"The little lizard guy you just played."

"Oh, that? It's pronounced Chlamydosundew." Kagemaru said quickly.

"Ok, I think I get it…" said Jaden, even though he clearly did not get it.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "GO!"

"Right, sorry." Kagemaru actually appeared contrite for a moment, even though he was trying to kill us. "Anyways, I'm going to fuse my Chlamydosundew with your Stratos!"

Calling on a deep well of energy, Kagemaru clapped his hands together. "You call yourselves heroes, but what I represent is true justice. The predator's will is law in nature – it is the natural way of things. You ask why I seek immortality, but I have no sophistry to offer. The answer is simple. Because the strong do what they will! The notions of the weak, the opinions of the many – they are meaningless in the face of a true predator! That is why the Shadow Riders follow me- they know that it is natural to bend the knee in the face of a superior beast! I fusion summon Predaplant Chimerarafflesia (2500/2000)!" From the sea emerged an enormous flower with five bright pink petals. Several growths spouted from the flower, vines which gained sentient mouths and vicious snarls.

"Aw man, I'm wide open!" Jaden said nonchalantly, which was a rather hilarious response to Kagemaru's speech in my opinion. I personally had little to add to that. We are men, not beasts, and there is no point in attempting to reason with an animal.

"Indeed you are! And now, Chimerarafflesia will attack you directly!" The giant venus flytraps raced towards Jaden with spines bared.

"Well, maybe that wasn't completely true! I still got this! Go, Flute of Summoning Kuriboh! This lets summon Winged Kuriboh (300/200) from my deck in defense mode!"

The winged furball leapt to Jaden's defense, its little arms crossed defiantly. "As if I would let such a trifle stop me!" Kagemaru roared, continuing his attack. The rafflesia devoured the Winged Kuriboh in gruesome fashion, but Jaden's duel spirit successfully defended his life points.

"And now I won't take damage for the rest of the turn, due to Winged Kuriboh's power! Thanks, pal." Jaden grinned at his duel spirit, who did not look pleased at being destroyed so quickly.

"That may be true, but Lancaster is a different story! Predaplant Dragostapelia, attack Canon the Melodious Diva!" The dragon flapped its wings and lifted off, taking a swipe at one of my girls.

"Not gonna happen! From my hand, I activate the quick effect of Score the Melodious Diva (200/200)!" A tiny fairy appeared in the air next to my arm, a sheet of notes in her miniscule hand. "During damage calculation, I can discard this card to the graveyard to reduce your attacking monster to zero!" The sprite belted out some pop music ("Circus", by Britney Spears) to weaken the plant dragon tremendously. I could relate, hearing Britney as my "battle theme" was starting to weaken me as well.

"I figured you would have something like that." Kagemaru smirked. "Activate Counter Trap, Ultimate Providence! Since you activated a monster effect, I can discard a monster from my hand to graveyard to negate it!" He sent Predaplant Squid Drosera to the graveyard in order to snuff out my pixie, sending her unceremoniously offstage.

The attack went through, the dragon suddenly twisting and striking my diva with its tail. She was flung across the field, although my Aria's effect protected her from destruction. I felt the same force, and the wind rushed from my gut as I hit the ground. (Jaden 4000/Jamie 2700/Kagemaru 5200)

I growled – the attack hurt, but it just made me angry more than anything, and I didn't lose a lot from the exchange. "So you saved your counter trap just for that, huh…"

"It worked exactly as intended. You boys ought to know that the predator is always the smarter animal. Prey like yourselves should not question me!" He added back his Chlamydosundew with Fusion Recycling Plant as he ended his turn. Kagemaru looked jubilant now that he damaged me – it showed that I was not as invincible as I appeared the night I vanquished Camula. Seeing the smile on his face stoked prideful rage within me, and I could feel my heart pounding in my ears. We faced down two powerful fusion monsters, and Jaden had nothing on the field. This next move could make or break us, literally.

Jaden drew, and looked confused for a moment, until he seemed to remember something. "I can't believe it, that I would draw this card in this moment…was this what you meant for me, professor?"

What did he mean? "What do you mean?" Kagemaru asked as I thought the question simultaneously.

Then suddenly, the memories came back.

"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 day has made you stronger."

"We are all fish swimming in an ocean of paths, and the path we choose to embark on colors our destiny."

"Part of growing up is figuring out which of the infinite paths available you will choose to walk."

A pair of crimson irises and a catlike grin filled my mind's eye. Professor Banner, a man I ratted out and did my level best to destroy, had helped us in this crucial moment. I knew what card Jaden had just drawn, and I felt some guilt as I recalled the professor's body crumbling into ash and dust.

"Heh, I'm a lucky man." Jaden said humbly. "When I was a kid, there was a long time when I seemed to repel people. Friends and babysitters would play with me and care for me, but horrible things always seemed to happen to them and I don't remember why."

"That sounds like the opposite of luck, unless you mean bad luck." Kagemaru snarked, but Jaden wasn't finished. It was the worse for me because I knew the reason for his "bad luck", which in fact was not bad luck at all. It was a planned isolation.

"But things are different now. I have friends and teachers who have helped me out here. I may not be the best student, but I've learned a lot, and I wouldn't be half the duelist I am if not for them." Jaden was getting fired up now, his voice rising steadily. "And professor Banner was a part of that! He may have been my enemy, but he gave me this – a card meant to defeat you! I activate Sabatiel – The Philosopher's Stone!"

A shimmering orb appeared in Jaden's free hand. It held its shape like a solid object, but had the clarity and surface tension of a liquid. It held all the colors of the rainbow, shimmering a different hue form each and every angle. "You talk of the ultimate fusion, but your plants, powerful though they are, are not the Philosopher's Stone. By paying half of my life points, I can add any fusion card from my deck to my hand." (Jaden 2000/Jamie 2700/Kagemaru 5200)

I gazed in awe at the stone. It wasn't the best card in terms of utility, but its visual spectacle was beautiful beyond description. Even Kagemaru's expression softened, knowing that he was witnessing something truly unique and incredible. The knowledge that Banner betrayed him did not seem the bother the immortal, for the man was dead and he thought that he would live forever regardless.

"Everything is ready!" Jaden added Miracle Fusion to his hand, but did not use it yet. "I play Polymerization to fuse together Elemental Heroes Ocean and Woodsman in my hand!"

Spires of water from the sea flew skyward while cottonwood trees were uprooted from the eastern forests. In the air, they merged together and formed the totality of nature itself.

"I like to duel for fun, but today I'm dueling for the people of the Earth! And we won't lose to someone who only fights for himself! I summon Elemental Hero Terra Firma (2500/2000)!"

The pollution all around us evaporated completely and utterly, as though it had never been. In fact, everything looked cleaner and clearer than before – the ocean was disarmingly transparent, the sand devoid of trash and dirt, and the sky a cloudless blue. The very air I breathed in was clean and full of oxygen, giving me a rush.

In the air stood a muscled warrior in pure white armor. Blue nodes adorned his head and shoulders, and a vermillion crystal stood in the center of his chest. His blank eyes gazed down at Kagemaru's two fusion monsters, which suddenly seemed small in the purified space.

"It is too weak still!" Kagemaru snarled.

I regained my wits just in time. "Don't attack the rafflesia. It has an effect that can stop you and destroy your monster. We can't let that dragon keep giving out counters. You have another monster, right?" I advised quickly.

"I got this." Jaden affirmed. "I normal summon Elemental Hero Sparkman (1600/1400) in attack mode!" One of Jaden's old standbys, the blue and gold plated hero appeared in a flash of electricity.

"But he won't be around for long, because I'm gonna use Terra Firma's effect! By sending a hero on my side of the field to the grave, I can boost his attack points by half of that hero's attack points until the end of the turn!"

Sparkman disappeared, and a strike of lightning struck Terra Firma dead on, giving him an electric blue aura. With the boost, Terra Firma was at 3300 attack, more than enough to wipe out the dragon.

"Now, Terra Firma! Give him the old one-two!" Dropping fast from the air, the hero reared back an earthshaking punch, white energy coalescing around his hand.

"Grr…I use Dragostapelia's effect to place a predator counter on Terra Firma!" A bunch of pollen was released from the dragon's wings, latching onto Terra Firma. However, that was not enough to even slow down the white hero, and its punch split the dragon in two.

Kagemaru braced himself, his feet digging into the sand as he took the damage. (Jaden 2000/Jamie 2700/Kagemaru 4600)

"Phew, that's one down…" Jaden said, breathing a little hard.

"You've done well, Jaden. I can take out that rafflesia next turn." I said. Any number of my Exceed monsters could do the trick. Castel or Number 101 would be good picks. Jaden and Kagemaru both were in for a few more surprises from me this day.

"Draw." Kagemaru snapped his next card off the top of his deck.

Sonata reappeared by my side. "Do you see it, Jamie? The spirit is beginning to grow displeased with our foe. Despite his words, Kagemaru's not the biggest predator in the jungle."

I strained my vision and saw Starving Venom Fusion Dragon roiling and twisting in the air like a caged beast. It looked like it wanted to do nothing more than devour all three of us like chicken nuggets, no dipping sauce necessary.

"So why don't you know about this spirit? I thought you would." I ask, my curiosity piqued.

"With the power this one has, it may be that it is either immeasurably ancient or from another dimension entirely, but I can't be sure." Sonata shrugged – it would seem that the duel monsters realm is not one seamless universe, but split into different universes and timelines like the human world is. I would suppose that Starving Venom Fusion Dragon came from Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V's fusion dimension, where characters like Yuri and Serena originate from. But how and why is it here? It all came back to the same question – what exactly did Kagemaru get up to these past few months?

"Well, it's not like it is good for us if that thing gets loose anyways. Kagemaru is just a man, and he's playing my game right now, but I don't see how we're supposed to stop a feral dragon. That is, unless you girls are even bigger badasses than I was aware of." I said dryly.

Sonata preened under the praise. "You know just the right thing to say to stroke a girl's ego, Jamie-kun." At this point, I had given up on stopping her from adding the ridiculous Japanese honorific to my name. "We have plenty of songs left to sing, and not all of them are radio-friendly, if you catch my drift."

"Uh, actually I don't. What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. There won't be any need to demonstrate if you put this guy away soon." She said.

"You know, the fact that you're cute makes that statement scarier than it really has any right to be."

"And again I say that you always know just how to stroke my ego." She flirted.

"You shouldn't waste your breath on that one, girls. Once we're done here, you'll know what it's like to serve a real man." Kagemaru interrupted. He flexed his muscles, presumably to accentuate some sort of virgin/chad comparison between the two of us. I had some musculature, but this guy literally looked like Broly, so I could hardly compete in that department.

"Not satisfied with your little garden's power, Kagemaru? That sounded like a concession to me." I shot back.

"I do not lack for power, boy. Your girls may be have other uses." He replied darkly.

"Okay, gross. You can destroy this guy now, Lancaster." Sonata was disgusted.

"What do you think I've been trying to do? Geez…" I grumbled good-naturedly.

"Jamie, weren't you just getting on my case about dragging things out?" Jaden asked facetiously.

I sighed – now I was the one impaled on his own blade. "Yeah…"

"I'll start by playing the spell card Predapruning! This lets me summon a Predaplant from my graveyard, and I choose Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio!" The green, veiny scorpion returned to the field, a hormone of some kind injected into its body via syringe.

"I wonder why he's not using its effect…" Jaden murmured.

"He probably doesn't have a monster in his hand to spare, especially since he's about to summon…" I growled.

"And now I'll normal summon Chlamydosundew!" Kagemaru finished for me. The frilled….is the description really necessary at this point?

"Haha, that little lizard is getting really annoying!" Jaden said, although he did not sound annoyed in the slightest.

"Well, at least you get to hear the pronunciation a couple of times." I commented.

"And I'm sure know what I mean to do since your Terra Firma has a predator counter on it, Jaden…" Kagemaru said. I was wrong in my eariler assumption. Kagemaru was absolutely punishing Jaden at every turn, as if to tell him that he is a boy interfering in a battle between two men. And infuriatingly, he seems to think he can kill me at any point he wishes.

"Don't you know that the Earth itself is my playground? As the apex predator, the imposition of my will…is justice itself! In the jungle, there is no higher law! I fuse your Terra Firma with my Chlamydosundew to summon forth my most powerful monster, a dragon that will devour everything!"

The pollution returned with a vengeance, and suddenly the landscape was returned to its perverse colorings – a hot purple sky, a crimson sea, a black shoreline. "Argh!" Jaden and I suddenly were forced to adjust from clean air to the acrid pollution, causing us to cough and wheeze.

"I will not be a page in someone else's history book! My legend will never die! Come forth, Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon (3300/2500)!" The dragon that appeared bore great resemblance to the Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, but it was even more powerful and intimidating than it was before. Red and purple carapaces adorned the dragon's leafy scales like armor. Bright violet flames burst from its back, taking the shape of butterfly wings. Its tail was now an ivory color, with jagged red spikes bursting from either side of it. It dwarfed Kagemaru's Chimera Rafflesia – in fact, it utterly loomed over any other monster that had been summoned thus far.

I knew this creature's power. "Jaden, do you have a good face-down?" I spoke numbly, my nose overwhelmed by the horrible, acidic stench in the air. My stomach was starting to turn, and I was very glad that I hadn't eaten yet today.

"Can that thing be destroyed?" Jaden asked.

"Yeah, but it's gonna…actually, just do it."

"Huh?"

"Just do it!"

"Enough of your planning and scheming! Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon, attack Jaden directly and deplete his remaining life!" The dragon let loose an even more corrosive beam of poison than anything seen yet.

"I don't care how many crazy fusion monsters you use, and I don't care how many of my monsters you steal to make them! We won't let you win! I activate my trap card, Mirror Force!" Jaden stood bravely.

"Oh, sure. Fair card. Lots of skill." Kagemaru grumbled. A shining wall of white light suddenly blocked Kagemaru's attack from connecting, and like a wave, the beam was returned to its sender. Both the Greed Venom Fusion Dragon and the Predaplant Chimerarafflesia was blown into a million pieces by the common trap card.

"But both of my monsters have effects when they're destroyed!" Kagemaru said without breaking stride. I knew that these effects would happen, but it was necessary to let them transpire. "When Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon is destroyed, all other monsters on the field are also destroyed!"

Aria's effect protected my monsters from targeting and destruction by battle, not from non-targeting destruction effects, so both Aria and Canon were destroyed by a venomous shockwave. Yeah, there's all sorts of bullshit like this in the modern card game, I can hardly believe it myself.

"And with the effect of Chimerafflesia, I can add back a Polymerization or a "Fusion" spell card to my hand from my deck." Kagemaru groused, quickly rifling through his deck until he found a suitable target. Considering he had already burned his normal summon or the turn, he was just about up shit's creek without a paddle. If I draw the right card next turn, I can strike him down-

"Oh, and I almost forgot about Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon's final special ability. Once every other monster is destroyed, I can banish a level eight or high dark monster from my graveyard to revive it!" Banishing Starving Venom from the graveyard, the upgraded version was brought right back, looking none the worse for wear.

Jaden didn't betray his fear with some inane babble like some would, but he did give me a pleading look all the same – he had nothing left to work with on his field.

"Jaden Yuki, vessel of the Gentle Darkness, know this as you die – heroes always get remembered, but legends never die! Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon attacks directly!" The villain cackled, looking at home on the battlefield, like a raging barbarian.

"Calm down. Activate reverse card, Enemy Controller. This will switch you dragon's battle position to defense mode, cancelling your attack." I said clinically. A good duel got me excited, but a fight like this, where the cord of life could be cut at any moment…I felt detached from it, even as my heart pounded all the harder. I was hardly thinking, just processing information and acting on instinct.

The beast was forced to curl up for the time being, buying us a brief reprieve. Jaden let out a low whistle. "Man, and I thought I was lucky. That was the perfect card to have."

"If we destroy it again, he can revive it by banishing his Dragostapelia, since it's level eight." I mutter quickly.

"Yeah, I know. No pressure or anything, but this needs to be the draw of your goddamn life, Jamie." Jaden was normally quite clean as far as swearing was concerned. I could tell the pressure was starting to get to him as well. Considering how close he came to defeat there, I was surprised at how well he was handling things, really

"Right, no pressure." I was so rattled even my banter was starting to suffer. I fought to keep my hand still as I drew my next card. It sounds silly, but it was that intense at the time.

"Alright. Here's what we're gonna do. Strap yourselves in for this one, boys and girls, because things are about to get weird." I could hardly believe my luck.

Kagemaru's brow furrowed even deeper. "What trick will he pull this time?"

"I'll start by playing my own copy of Card of Sanctity!" It was a risk, giving Kagemaru a new hand, but now Jaden got some new cards as well. And the cards I drew were enough to piece together a way to win.

"Next, I'll play Instant Fusion!" A steaming cup of what appeared to be ramen noodles popped into existence. Winged Kuriboh floated towards it, salivating, but Jaden held him back.

"By paying a thousand life points, I can special summon a level five or lower fusion monster, at the cost of it not being able to attack. It is also destroyed during the end phase." I explained. (Jaden 2000/Jamie 1700/Kagemaru 4600)

"Well, that's about as useful as a one-legged man in an asskicking contest." Kagemaru crudely sniped.

"Hate to say it, but he's probably right, Jamie." Jaden shrugged.

"Well, it's pretty damn useful when you mean to summon Elder Entity Norden (2000/2200)!" Out of the ramen cup emerged a wizened old man riding the legendary hippocampus, a horse that could ride on water. Yeah, a pretty weird thing to come out of a microwave-able cup, but just roll with it.

"Woah, another surprise! This card isn't nearly as easy on the eyes as your divas, though." Kagemaru noted casually, unaware of my grander play.

"You'll see one of my divas soon, because when Elder Entity Norden is summoned, I can special summona level four or lower monster in my graveyard. However, its effects are negated, and it is banished when Norden leaves the field." Raising his trident, Norden resurrected a pale image of Aria the Melodious Diva, in a strange form between life and death.

For a moment, I weighed the consequences that my next action could bring, but ultimately, I knew I had no choice if I wanted to win this duel. My face soured as though I had just taken a shot of Kraken as I spoke these next words.

"With these two monsters, I construct the overlay network! From the inner walls of a black hole, antimatter forms and destroys all!" I raised a fist in the air, golden energy forming in an aura around me.

"Oh, what the fuck!" Kagemaru swore.

"I overlay Elder Entity Norden and Aria the Melodious Diva to exceed summon Castel The Skyblaster Musketeer (2000/1500)!" Completely incongruous with the rest of my deck, the Xyz monster was a red-plumed avian dressed as a cowboy, complete with flat-brimmed hat and musket.

"Wow, this is blowing my mind! How cool!" Jaden gushed.

Kagemaru's right eye twitched. "How…what is the source of your power, you damn monster?!" He snarled. "What is this Exceed summoning?"

"Xyz monsters are different than fusions, although they too require at least two materials. The only commonality needed most of the time is that the materials share the same number of level stars. Since Norden and Aria were both level four, I could conduct an Exceed summon using them as materials." I explained. I wanted to avoid using the black cards if possible, but Kagemaru was pushing me too hard, and I needed to use everything in my arsenal to win.

"No kidding! I wonder if there are any Hero Xyz monsters?" Jaden wondered.

"Hate to break it to ya, but – URK!" I suddenly felt a tight lurch in my stomach, and the ground began to sway as nausea reared its head. I felt like I had just run a hundred miles, such was the extent of this sudden bout of fatigue.

"Eat something bad, boy?" Kagemaru still managed to snark.

"What is this?" I thought frantically.

"That will happen if you Exceed summon like that without practice, Jamie. It is a technique completely foreign to this dimension, and calling upon the overlay network from here is going to be tremendously exhausting." Sonata scolded me.

"Why didn't you tell me that before?" I snapped.

"You had to do it to win…I didn't want you to hesitate." The diva said, contrite. But I was pissed that she held out that piece of information from me, and the duel was starting to fray my nerves a bit.

"It doesn't matter, this has to work!" I summoned all of the focus I could and continued my explanation. "Xyz monsters have powerful effects, but to use them, I must detach its materials, which are stored as overlay units."

"Man, this is really complicated…" Jaden chuckled nervously.

"Then allow me to demonstrate! By detaching two of Castel's materials, I can shuffle one face-up card on the field into its owner's deck. This will allow me to get past your dragon without destroying it!" Castel let off a round, but instead of a musket's ball, a mesh net was fired from the barrel of its gun.

Funnily enough, the net actually was successful at capturing the large dragon. The Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon morphed into a ball of light before returning to Kagemaru's deck, the villain capable of nothing but a shocked look as his field was suddenly cleared.

"And now, Castel, fire off another round directly at him!" My Xyz bird monster peppered Kagemaru with a round of pellets, not fatal yet but sure to sting nonetheless. (Jaden 2000/Jamie 1700/Kagemaru 2600)

But the shots barely seemed to harm Kagemaru, such was the durability granted to him by his alliance with the predaplants. But we were wearing him down, little by little. He was well within lethal range by now. Hopefully Jaden drew something killer – he's been a big help so far. Castel wasn't going to be that useful now, due to his lack of effect and low attack points, but he had served his purpose.

"I set a card and end my turn." I turned to Jaden. "You remember what we agreed on, right?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Jaden scratched his head.

"The thing about you not telling anybody else about these cards I'm using." My lips were drawn so thin they could scarcely be seen.

"Oh, that! I gotcha." Jaden gave me a thumbs up. Oh man, I am so screwed. This kid couldn't keep a secret for a day, let alone the rest of our lives like I'm asking him to do. But I was getting ahead of myself – we needed to actually win this fight first, and this game was not over yet.

Kagemaru drew, but was dissatisfied with his cards. "I set a monster and two cards. I end my turn." He said succinctly. I could tell by the sharp way he drew breath that he was still hurting from my last attack, despite how hard he tried to hide it.

Jaden drew his next card, and his eyes lit up. "Alright, I think I can win this right now, Jamie!" He grinned boyishly.

"Awesome!" I laughed wildly. "Not to jinx it, but I think we're in the clear!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

(Yubel POV)

"I have gathered enough energy." Yubel said to their group of companions. "Now, I can help the king achieve victory against his enemies."

"Erm, I'm not sure that will be necessary. It appears the boy in red has drawn a useful card." Mister Volcano noted awkwardly. He and Blade Knight were watching the orb intently, following every move of the game. Jinzo was still huddled in the corner while Chaos Sorcerer had gotten up to take a piss.

"No, I need to be by my king's side in this battle. I must be! He still does not realize that the lion is his true enemy. And with this usurper Kagemaru on the scene as well….I can quite literally kill two birds with one stone here, and then we are that much closer to placing Jaden on the throne." Yubel was talking more to themselves than to Mister Volcano.

Blade Knight turned intently to Yubel – even with his face covered, his gaze still seemed to bore into Yubel. Although he said nothing, the look was enough to garner a response from Yubel. "I assure you, I will do nothing to endanger the terms of our agreement, sir knight." Yubel said with sickening sweetness.

"Don't be reckless." Was all the knight said before turning his attention back to the crystal. None of the others would dare to speak to Yubel with such bluntness, but the knight had an unknown hold over the demon. But there wasn't a force in the universe that could contain Yubel's bloodlust in that moment.

"Yes, yes, of course. Now then, I will attempt to link more fully. Jaden, we will finally be as one!" They cackled.

XxXxXxXxXxXxxXxxXxXxXXxXxXx

(Jamie Lancaster (My) POV)

"Do it, Jaden! Let's end this here and now!" I cheered my friend on.

"Alright! First, I'll play…" Jaden's upbeat, hopeful voice trailed off horribly, into some deep dark place. He dropped his cards into the sand, the small sounds they made as they reached the ground seeming to echo in my ears.

"Wha…what's going on? Something…is happening to me!" Jaden clutched the side his temples, overcome with a splitting headache.

I knew I jinxed it!

Jaden fell to his knees, one hand pressed against his forehead while the other scrabbled at the ground frantically. Kagemaru looked between him and I with wide eyes and a nonplussed expression, and I'm sure that expression was mirrored on my own face. What in the sweet fuck is going on here?!

I rushed to my friend's side. "Jaden, what's going on? Are you alright?!"

Suddenly, his movements stilled. His fingers quit scratching at the sand, and he flexed them as though those muscles had simply fallen asleep. Smoothly and sinuously, the red-clad boy rose to his feet. He removed his hand from his forehead and let it rest at his side.

"What is the meaning of this performance, boy?! If you think that this is enough to unsettle me, you are sadly mistaken!" Kagemaru blustered, and I was sure those words were meant to mask his fear and uncertainty.

"Performance…no. The real performer here is you, Kagemaru. That youthful body is naught but a costume that hides your frail and old soul. Your protest against death is as futile as it is unseemly. Jaden and I are two halves of one whole, we're meant to be together. It is as natural as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. It is a thing of beauty!"

Suddenly, black waves of energy erupted volcanically from Jaden's body, sending me flying near the water's edge. I landed roughly on my side, the wind knocked out of me. My Obelisk Blue jacket was wet and covered with sand on one side, and cuts were blooming inside my right palm.

Jaden opened his eyes. Far from their usual dark brown, his irises were heterochromatic – bright, acidic blue in the left eye, burning orange in the right.

I felt a thrill of fear shoot through me like a current of electricity. There was no denying who this was. "No, nonononononono. Not you. Anybody but fucking you!"

Golden and black energy surrounded Jaden's body – it was difficult to even look at him, so bright was this aura.

Yubel looked upon me with utter hatred. Then, their expression melted into insane laughter – the two-toned cackling of a spoiled little girl and a grown man overlaid on top of each other.

"This is impossible! Just who or what are you?" Kagemaru questioned in shock. His words could barely be heard over the laughter, which echoed across the beach.

"Hehehehehehe, hahahaha, ha, hehe, hee, ha. You want to know ho I am? I am…simply a loyal servant." Yubel laughed. "And I am here to destroy my king's enemies!"

Quickly picking up Jaden's cards, Yubel made their move. "I activate Miracle Fusion! This card allows me to fuse heroes from the graveyard by banishing them!"

A portal of light appeared in the sky as Yubel spread their arms. "By banishing the Flame Wingman and Sparkman from the grave, I can summon Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman (2500/2100)!"

A beam of light shot down from the sky, boring into the sand. From the blinding rays emerged a winged hero clad in luminescent white armor, its appearance angelic and vengeful.

"Aren't the hero monsters just amazing? Truly, they befit a king. For each hero monster in the graveyard, Shining Flare Wingman gains 300 attack points. With six in the grave, that puts my monster's attack points at 4300!"

Kagemaru and I were still in shock. I hoped that Yubel was here to defeat Kagemaru, and would forget about me until he was taken down. Perhaps while Yubel was distracted with him, I could backstab them and take down both them and Kagemaru in one fell swoop. Of course, I'm sure that Kagemaru was thinking the same thing in regards to me. The situation was so much more perilous now – Yubel was a complete wild card that I never could have accounted for, especially this early. What happened next all depended on Yubel's whim.

At the vicious glare they gave me, I knew what their whim was. "I'll attack your pitiful Xyz monster with Shining Flare Wingman!" The angelic hero turned towards my field and rose into the air.

"Oh, you stupid bitch!" I was cursing rather a lot today, although the circumstances were such that this was understandable. "Jaden and I could barely keep up with Kagemaru while we were working together! You won't have a damn chance against him without me!"

The Wingman continued to close in on my Castel. "Ha! I am not concerned about this smirking worm. I mean to kill you both here and now!"

"Smirking worm, am I? How dare you dismiss me, Kagemaru the Immortal!" The long-haired barbarian bellowed. "I am a predator, not a bystander! If you wish to destroy me, then face me head on!"

Hmm, this could actually prove favorable. It was the opportunity that was always available for one combatant in a three-way battle – simply stay back and allow the other two hostiles to wear each other down before swooping in on the survivor. Kagemaru fancied himself an apex predator, but I had no problems being a scavenger in this situation.

Sadly, Yubel was not to be deterred. They seemed to have a burning hatred of me for some reason, and I couldn't fathom why, beyond the usual antipathy Yubel held towards all of Jaden's friends. Can't say I was particularly fond of Yubel either, especially in this moment. But there was no time to dwell on the matter – the Wingman was nearly upon me!

"I activate my trap card, Negate Attack!" A violet shield stopped the Shining Flare Wingman's attack and ended the battle phase, sending it back to Yubel's side of the field.

"A lucky break, lion. Next time, I'll take your head." Yubel hissed.

"What's your problem with me? I've never done anything to harm Jaden if that's what you're getting your panties in a twist about." I fired. There was no reason to feign ignorance – Yubel knew all about me already, somehow. Kagemaru took a few steps forward to better hear Yubel's forthcoming response.

"You are an aberration of nature, lion. You aren't supposed to exist here, and in your doing so, you displaced the soul of Jamie Lancaster from his body. For reasons I cannot fathom, the Gentle Darkness has seen fit to bring you to this realm, and a portion of its power rests within you. That power rightly belongs to Jaden Yuki, the Supreme King of Darkness! As long as you continue to breathe, our king's legitimacy is threatened, and the balance of the cosmos itself is thrown off its axis." Yubel explained with vitriol.

"What? No way…the Gentle Darkness really brought me here? Why? Why me? There must be people who are more deserving, or more worthy in some way." I muttered, gazing upon my palms. They didn't look any different than they had before – was there really dark power coursing through my veins, the same power that Jaden has? No, it must be impossible.

"It doesn't matter why. One does not question the existence of mud tracked within one's home – it is simply cleaned up. And that is what I'm going to do now, because your existence is causing everything to unravel. You're ruining everything!" Yubel complained like a child.

They then looked to Kagemaru, who was nodding as though his suspicions were being confirmed. "That is why this man was able to manifest the Predaplants, and all host of different cards as well – it is because the dark power within you is weakening the walls between dimensions. Sufficiently powerful duelists can access these tears in reality, and they will only grow weaker over time. That is why you cannot exist!" Yubel's voice grew into a roar.

"That can't be true! I'm just a guy! Why would the Gentle Darkness bring me here if my very existence harms the universe?" I asked what I thought to be an astute question.

"I do not know. Like I said before, I am just a loyal servant who wishes to protect my king. Someone with your power and spirit will never submit to the king's rule, so you must die. It's that simple!"

"Crazy bitch, did you ever consider that Jaden doesn't want to be king of anything?! He's just a kid who likes to play a card game! He doesn't want anything to do with you, that's why he sent you off into space in the first place!" My anger was peaking.

"Silence! I'll kill you for that, lion!"

"You were gonna kill me anyways, so it's not like I can really dig myself deeper, can I?" I shot back.

"Calm down, both of you. It is my turn." Unlike the two of us, Kagemaru was keeping a cool head. I had to hand it to him, the man was nothing if not adaptable. "I do not know where you have come from, Yubel, but I know that you are no friend of mine. So I will duel as I always have! I draw."

"First, I flip summon my Predaplant Squid Drosera (800/400)!" A small tree with many venus flytraps for leaves sprouted from the ground, snapping fiercely at us both. "Then, I shall summon Predaplant Flytrap (400/800) in attack mode!" The next creature was notable for how…unimpressive it looked. It was just a little weed, albeit one with fangs growing from its leaves. What could he do with this?

"This monster may look weak, but it is just what I need in this situation. You see, my flytrap can place a predator counter on a monster once per turn, and I think I'll put one on that Shining Flare Wingman!" A little green cocklebur shot from the Flytrap's mouth and attached itself to one of the hero's wings, marring its aesthetic appeal significantly.

"Annoying parasite…" Yubel sneered, and I happened to agree. At least there was something we had in common!

"You'll recall that any monster with a predator counter on it not only becomes a dark monster, but has its star level reduced to one. This effect works well with my Flytrap's ability. You see, it can immediately destroy any monster it attacks that has a lower level than it. And my Flytrap is level two!" Kagemaru's plants had no shortage of abilities to circumvent a difference in attack points. There was an irony in it, that the glorious, radiant hero would be taken down by a weed.

But such was the case, and Yubel did not activate their face-down against the flytrap. It launched itself at the Shining Flare Wingman, and suddenly, its mouth expanded large enough to swallow the warrior up whole. In a gruesome display, the plant gobbled up the Shining Flare Wingman, extinguishing its light for good.

"And now, my Squid Drosera will attack directly!" The bigger plant extended its vines, each of them snapping at Jaden's body. (Yubel/1200/Jamie 1700/Kagemaru 2600)

"Heheheh…that felt good. I must say, the aesthetics of the predaplants are truly a feast for the eyes. The organic turned demonic…I can resonate with that. I will enjoy using your cards in the future." Yubel laughed.

Kagemaru was stoic. "That won't happen with a performance like that. The Predaplants and I have a lifetime contract, which is to say a perpetual one."

"We get it, you want to become immortal. Isn't there anything else to you? Don't have hobbies, a family, some obscure interest or anything?" I snarked, his single-minded focus beginning to unnerve me.

"Speaking of cards changing hands, those Divas will be a most welcome foundation to my harem, lion." Kagemaru said lecherously. My eyes widened. "That's right, I will take your place as the harem protagonist, and my collection of smoking hot babes will span generations and continents!"

"Take my place…there's no place to take." I felt energy coursing within me. "because I…AM NOT…A HAREM PROTAGONIST!" I began my turn, and the card I drew was practically glowing.

Suddenly, I found myself confronted with a crossroads. I could attack Kagemaru and get rid of his potential fusion materials, but the damage wouldn't be enough to finish him. I could attack Yubel, who had no monsters on the field, but an unknown face-down which could spell the end for me. Furthermore, if I attacked her, I could seriously harm or even kill Jaden, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that. Yubel's words were already planting seeds of doubt anew in my mind.

"But if my attack goes through, then Yubel will at least be driven off for now…" I thought hurriedly. The urgency that Yubel felt towards killing me was certainly influencing my decision – I figured that once it passed to their turn again, Yubel would probably try and take me out again. Castel's gun was at the ready, pointed between Kagemaru and Yubel so that the beast could pivot to either one of them if it wished.

"Shit, there's no right answer…but I think I'm gonna attack Kagemaru, he's the more pressing threat, and this way I won't have to worry about hurting Jaden right away." I sighed and began my turn in earnest.

"I set a monster. Then, I'll…attack the Predaplant Flytrap with Castel!" I finally decided. The red-feathered winged beast took aim at Kagemaru's plant and blew it away. Kagemaru took a tumble as well, and it seemed that the duel was finally beginning to wear on him a bit, as I saw a bruise raise on his pectoral. (Yubel 1200/Jamie 1700/Kagemaru 1000)

"Urgh…Kagemaru slowly righted himself. "I see…so you were too afraid to risk hurting your friend…that decision may cost you."

"Any decision has consequences. This decision had the consequence of knocking on your ass, so I took it." I said, tired of his poisonous words. "I end my turn."

"Draw." Kagemaru said unsteadily, his next card bringing a tight smile to his lips. "Heh…I set a monster, then I'll switch my Squid Drosera to defense mode and set a card face-down. I end my turn."

"Draw." Yubel said airily. "And now, it is time for both of you to fall. In one stroke. The universe will be set aright this day, and Jaden will take his rightful place as king of all realms!"

"It all makes sense now…that twisted spiritual energy, those bizarre eyes, and now all this talk of different realms…are you a duel spirit?" Kagemaru asked, still breathing heavily.

Yubel cackled loudly, causing my arm hairs to stand on end. They gazed at us both cruelly, taking pleasure in our uncertainty and fear. "Who cares? I don't have to tell you anything because as soon as I'm finished with you, you're going to-"

"Disappear." Yubel's tirade was suddenly cut by an ethereal voice, a voice unmistakably belonging to Jaden.

"What? No, my king! Can't you see I was about to kill them both!" Yubel pleaded, as if the knowledge that I was about to die would please Jaden. "Everything would be fine if you just left it to me!"

"Get out of my head, I don't need you!" Jaden's body began to thrash around again as he fought to regain control of his own mind. "This is my duel!"

Strangely enough, Yubel seemed to come to some sort of revelation, and suddenly stopped resisting entirely. "I see, the timing is not right…I will leave you for now then, my love. But I assure you, any distance between us is only temporary…"

A weight in the air lifted, and although I had no concrete way of knowing, there was no doubt in my mind that Yubel had left us…for now, at least. Sure enough, I looked over at Jaden and his eyes were brown again, although he looked far the worse for wear. His skin was pale and pallid, a cold sweat on his brow. His usually buoyant expression was gone, replaced with a sullen fear. His gaze was unfocused, uncertain, and he looked like he might be sick soon. But Jaden was back, and that made things quite a bit simpler.

"Man, I feel like I just got run over by a truck…what just happened?" Jaden mumbled tiredly. "Who was that? That voice sounded familiar…"

Uh-oh. Looks like Atticus isn't the only one who is having his memories fucked with. I had no idea that Yubel had this mental link with Jaden, especially this early! The wheels were starting to come off the wagon here, I needed to be more adaptable. I was only a few steps from death there, and it was only Jaden's timely resistance that saved me – I certainly couldn't have fought the both of them off forever.

Was my existing here really the cause of all this? No, there's no time to wallow in unanswerable questions – the finish line is only a few steps away!

"Jaden," I said as gently as possible, "Can you still continue? It's your turn."

Jaden's eyes whirred to his hand. He had gripped one of his cards so hard that it bent, ruining its collectors value. Hopefully it was a common. Adam was probably having conniptions wherever he was.

"Yeah…I gotta go on just a little longer." Jaden did his best to stand straight, and I suddenly was reminded of Joey Wheeler's duel against Marik in the Battle City Finals. Here's hoping for a different result this time around. Jaden put a little too much weight on his right leg and hissed sharply.

"How…how can you still persist?" Kagemaru whispered, shocked at Jaden's determination.

"Because that's what heroes do."

I heard the Melodious Divas appearing all around me, warming up their voices for a final chorus. It was ridiculous and stupid and cheesy, but god damn it, their song choice was actually appropriate this time around.

"~Where have all the good men gone, and where are all the gods~"

"~Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?~"

"~Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?~"

"~Late at night, I toss and I turn, and I dream of what I neeeeeed~"

Despite his weakened state, Jaden still managed to crack a smile. "Haha, your duel spirits are funny."

Kagemaru bared his teeth in anger. "I won't lose to such cartoonish fools!" He roared, unleashing a torrent of violent duel energy.

We each crossed our arms in front of our faces and dug in our heels, refusing to be intimidated by lights and thunder. "You know what? Fuck it, I'm a cartoonish fool. But that's way better than being a selfish, heartless monster like you!"

"Nice speech, but I think I'm gonna pass out if I don't make my move soon. Can I use your monster for something?" Jaden asked with uncharacteristic politeness.

"Do it!" I said as my Divas broke out into the chorus.

"~I NEED A HERO, I'M HOLDIN' OUT FOR A HERO 'TILL THE END OF THE NIGHT~"

"Okay, here we go then!" Jaden said with fire in his eyes. "I play the spell Fusion Recovery to bring back Polymerization and a fusion material from the graveyard!"

Jaden quickly grabbed the two cards he needed. "Now, I'll fuse Jamie's Castel the Skyblaster Musketeer with the Elemental Hero Avian in my hand!"

Intense winds began to pick up, turning the sea an iron grey and blowing away the horrible stench Kagemaru's monsters left in the air.

"Fusion summon! Elemental Hero Great Tornado (2800/2200)!"

"~AND HE'S GOTTA BE STRONG AND HE'S GOTTA BE FAST AND HE'S GOTTA BE FRESH FROM THE FIGHT~"

Jaden's final hero emerged in a whirlwind, a dark brown cloak flapping furiously in the gales. He was tall and clad in verdant greed armor. "When this card is fusion summoned, I can halve the attack and defense of all your monsters!" Jaden cried, and Kagemaru's Squid Drosera suddenly shrunk in size.

"Attack now!" I commanded, and Jaden assented, figuring I had some way around Kagemaru's trap card. The hero let out a mighty blast of wind, much like Chumley does after eating too many burritos. But what this gale lacked in stench it made up for with sharpness and speed.

"Damn you! I won't go down like this! Activate reverse card, Chaos Burst! By sacrificing my Squid Drosera, I can destroy your attacking monster and inflict 1000 points of damage to you! It's over!" Kagemaru's plant disappeared, and in its place a stream of lave shot up from the ground, heading straight for the Great Tornado!"

"Jamie, do it now!" Jaden yelled over the wind.

"I got it! I chain my counter trap, Trap Jammer!" Hardly any need to explain what that card does, eh? A barrier was erected between Great Tornado and the magma flow, the lave dripping harmlessly away. Great Tornado flew around the shield and redirected itself to Kagemaru, who was now defenseless.

There was a horrible, long moment when I thought our foe might have another trick up his sleeve, but it seems he was finally exhausted. The attack struck true, and Kagemaru finally tasted defeat. (Jaden 1200/Jamie 1700/Kagemaru 0)

"No! How can this be?!" Kagemaru roared in futile rage.

"Your life points hit zero first. That's how. Your twisted scheme ends here. Thanks for playing!" I said viciously.

To my surprise, Kagemaru let out a bitter chuckle. "Such a clever little bastard you are, Lancaster. But what one-liner do you have in response to this?"

He slammed his palm upon the ground, his hand sinking into the sand. A pale aura fired up around him, his duel energy still alive with light despite his defeat.

"I won't gain control of the Sacred Beasts, it's true, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you keep them! Cards of such power do not belong in the hands of men like Sheppard and Kaiba!" He growled.

Jaden fell to one knee, utterly depleted from the tribulations the duel put him through. "How are you gonna take em? We still have our keys!"

"I only needed the keys to access the Beasts' full power, for the power of immortality. The Predaplants full power has granted me more than enough to do this!" Kagemaru declared spitefully.

The island began to shake violently, sending me tumbling ungracefully to the sand. From far away, I saw three separate pillars of light shoot up form the ground, one a dark blue, one a bright red, and one a burning yellow. It didn't take long to figure out what each color correlated to.

The three beams shot off in different directions – the yellow to the north, the red to the west, and the blue to the east. They were incredibly fast, disappearing over the horizon after only a few seconds. Kagemaru collapsed on the ground, a contented look on his face. I ran over to him with a furious expression on my face.

"What did you just do? Where did you send the Sacred Beasts?" I demanded, only half-expecting any serious answer.

He looked at me with facetious pity. "No idea. I simply used the last of my power to send them to random locations. They could be anywhere, anywhere at all on this planet."

"No! You lie! Tell me where they are right now!" Even as the words left my mouth, I realized how absurd my threats were. The man was already dying – what could I realistically threaten him with?

He seemed to recognize this as well, and laughed. "You are a fool, and you will never see the Sacred Beasts again. Enjoy your victory, oh great Lion of Obelisk!"

With that, he began to crumble into nothingness, much like Professor Banner did all of those…weeks ago? Had it really only been weeks? But it had seemed much longer. And here I thought we might have a moment of peace or two before the next enemy! Clearly I was wrong, as I had been about so many other things.

Kagemaru glared at me with spite and rage until the very end, when his body, the body that sought immortality so fervently, had finally died and faded away. And again I wondered what my purpose was, and if I ever made any of the right moves to begin with.