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

34. Runnin' Through The Six

Chapter 34: Runnin' Through The Six

"Answer me. Who is Yubel? What does this person want?" Jasmine asked with duel disk active.

"Yubel is one, Yubel is all. Male and female, darkness and light, love and hate, dragons and the heroes that slay them. Yubel is the form of the external and the spirit of the internal. Yubel exists at the interstice of your understanding and at that which lies beyond it. Yubel is the true balance." Command Knight answered cryptically.

"That's nice, but I was looking for a more straightforward answer." Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"Twas a most stirring sentiment, thou must admit." Bastion piped up, the drunken intern currently splayed on the hood of Jasmine's car.

"Not helping, Bastion." Jasmine muttered. "Okay, maybe something more specific will help. What does Yubel want from Jaden?"

"His love, nothing more or less."

"Stop bullshitting me!" Jasmine ticked.

"I have presented the truth, but you choose to look out of only one eye. Those who see the totality of it understand. But my job is not to proselytize. It is to fight. And it is a job I rather enjoy." With that, the blonde knight took the first turn.

"I summon Goblindbergh (1400/0)." The spirit's first monster was a goblin dressed like an old pilot flying a bright red propeller plane. Hardly intimidating, but Jasmine had never heard of it before. Then again, she rarely paid attention in class, as Bastion would always pick up the slack for her.

"When this card is summoned, I can immediately specials summon a level four or lower monster from my hand at the cost of changing Goblindbergh to defense mode. I choose to summon Heroic Challenger – Spartan (1600/1000)." The next creature was a soldier garbed head to toe in golden Spartan's armor, holding a silver pike in one hand and an oblong red shield in the other.

Okay, she definitely hadn't seen that before. "This is bad…I'm fighting for my life and I don't know what I'm up against!" Jasmine thought frantically.

"Now…bear witness to duel energy manifested from beyond the stars! I call upon the Overlay Network!" Command Knight raised a hand skyward, her russet cape billowing in the wind. A galaxial portal opened in the sky, streams of bright yellow photons scattering out of its maw.

"I overlay the level four Goblindbergh and Spartan to exceed summon Heroic Champion – Gandiva (2100/1800)!"

Out of the vortex galloped a rider in golden armor, a steed covered in futuristic russet steel plate its mount. The rider, its gender impossible to perceive, held a bow in its hand, a quiver of arrows strapped across its back.

"Wha…did I miss something in class? Bastion, what the hell is that?" Jasmine gaped in shock.

"My memory fails, fair Jasmine. I hath not seen such a summoning in all my years. Tis not fusion summoning, though it looks similar…it seems to require monsters of equal levels. And the card is black as the night sky, not purple as fusion is. This is utterly unfamiliar!" He exclaimed.

"Consider this a practical lesson, though the cost for failure is more than an academic demerit. I set a face-down and end my turn." Command Knight finished. For a fighter, Jasmine noticed that she had a sharp wit. It was bad enough to face an obviously sharp opponent with life itself at stake, but to fight creatures of unknown power…it was a tall order to ask of anybody.

"Okay…at least its attack points aren't so high. No choice but to go in guns blazing! I cast the spell Shien's Smoke Signal, letting me add a level three or lower Six Samurai monster from deck to hand!"

A cloud of purple haze rose into the air as Jasmine searched her deck. The smoke itself even smelt like jasmine, the vine, funnily enough. "Wait a minute, I shouldn't be able to smell anything, it's just a digital projection…" Jasmine thought with mounting apprehension. Shaking it off, she continued.

"Next, I activate the continuous spell Gateway of the Six!" The card was currently limited to one in this format, but Jasmine was lucky enough to open with it. She had a feeling she would need as much luck as she could get. Behind Jasmine rose an old-style gong with a glowing blue rune on its face.

"Now, since you control a monster and I don't, I can call forth Elder of the Six Samurai (400/0) from my hand!" A mechanical litter, containing a mysterious masked old man inside, lumbered onto the field.

"Wrong. I activate Gandiva's effect. By detaching one of its Xyz materials, I can negate the special summoning of a level four or lower monster and send it to the graveyard." Command Knight interrupted. In an instant, the caravan was set ablaze by a flaming arrow, courtesy of the robotic centaur.

"By Jove! The beast can activate a most powerful effect at the cost of getting rid of one of its materials?" Bastion quailed. Just as quickly as the fire appeared, it was artificially snuffed out, the centaur smoothly readying its bow.

Jasmine scanned the remaining cards in her hand. "Alright, I normal summon Six Samurai – Zanji (1800/1300)!" Her next monster was a robust warrior in russet armor, waving a glowing yellow naginata. Behind her, two sections of the Gateway lit up. "I set a face-down and end my turn."

"Draw." Command Knight drawled. "There's no doubt that a trap lies in wait for me if I attack. But if I wait, I can negate her next summon with my Gandiva's effect. Six Samurai rely on swarming, not defense If I exhaust her options, I can take her down in one strike! Best to wait and accumulate field advantage."

"I summon Heroic Challenger Assault Halberd (1800/200) in attack position." The emerging soldier was covered in indigo colored armor, with a long trident extending from its mechanical arm. "With that, I set another card and end my turn."

"Perfect! The bait worked!" Jasmine thought, careful not to show any outward signs to her adversary. She recalled a valuable lesson Bastion told her once – "Understanding how your opponent thinks is like having a weapon specifically forged for that battle." It was one of the rare times he indulged in poetic device while sober.

"I can do this! She may be a duel spirit, but she's playing by the same rules I am." Jasmine thought, but her efforts to convince herself weren't working – her hands shook unthinkingly. "But this pressure…is this what Bastion and the others have been fighting against all this time?"

Jaden's goofy smile and Lancaster's self-amused grin appeared unbidden in her mind. "How can they fight these life and death battles and still smile like that?" Buy there was no time to think on it further – it was time to move!

"I draw." This had to work. "I activate my Reinforcement of the Army." Quickly searching through her deck, Jasmine found the right card. She knew this deck particularly well – it was one of the first she made solely on her own, without Bastion's help. She refined and made it better with his assistance later, but the core strategy was hers alone.

"Since I have a Six Samurai on the field, I can special summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai (2100/800) from my hand!" Leaping down from the gateway of the six was an old man outfitted with futuristic armor, carrying a simple guarded katana in his calloused hands.

"Hmph, not quite. I activate my trap, Bottomless Trap Hole, destroying and banishing your monster upon summon!" Command Knight replied quickly, a hellish portal opening beneath the old samurai's feet.

"I chain the counter trap Musakani Magatama, negating that effect!" Jasmine shot back. Before the Grandmaster could fall through, an ancient talisman materialized around him, sealing off the trap hole. Command Knight frowned, but otherwise said nothing. Jasmine smirked.

"With four counters on Gateway of the Six, I can activate one of its effects! By removing four counters, I can add a Six Samurai from my deck to my hand!" The lights on the large rune dimmed as she gained another card.

"Now, I'll summon The Six Samurai – Irou (1700/1200) in attack mode!" The next of Jasmine's warriors seemed a direct opposite to Zanji. He had long, flowing black hair and glowing purple armor that seemed of the night in the same way Zanji seemed to suit the day. Unlike Zanji's large, sweeping naginata, Irou held a slim, efficient nodachi covered with a cane-like sheath.

"I now have two more counters on my gateway. By removing two of them, I can boost a Six Samurai's attack points by 500 until the turn's end! Zanji's attack power rises to 2300!" A flaming blue aura took hold of the naginata-wielding swordsman.

"Now, my monsters will attack! Grandmaster of the Six will attack your Halberd!" he declared.

"I play my other trap, Attack Guidance Armor, to force your attack towards my Gandiva!" Command Knight responded, redirecting the samurai's path.

Having the same attack points, both monsters would be destroyed by the move, but Jasmine had no other choice. With twin slashes, the old man and the robotic centaur were slain.

"Zanji, attack the Assault Halberd!" With the added power from the Gateway, Zanji was able to prevail over the Heroic Champion, splitting its three-pronged blade with one swipe of the samurai's glowing pike. (Command Knight 3500/Jasmine 4000)

The path was cleared for Irou to move in, a swift shadow on the darkened summer street. Blood spurted from a real slash wound, causing Command Knight to fall to one knee while Jasmine's eyes widened in shock. (Command Knight 1800/Jasmine 4000)

"Oh, splendid! I do say, thou art struck a sound blow, sweet Jasmine!" At some point, Bastion had rolled off the hood of the car and fell into a bush. "Though I admit I can see but little through this foliage."

"Thanks, champ. Just don't strain yourself too bad. We'll get you home in a few minutes." Jasmine snarked, mainly to take her mind off of the blood seeping from her enemy's wound. A wound that she had inflicted, albeit by command rather than her own hand.

"Do they truly take pleasure in these battles?" Alexis had told her of Jamie's savage smile as he defeated the duel spirit Jinzo. And of course, everyone knew how unflappable Jaden was on the battlefield. He treated a life or death fight just the same as an academic test. Many found that attitude admirable, but Jasmine was starting to find it creepy. "To shed blood is nothing to smile about…"

"Your boyfriend is right. That was a pretty good attack." Command Knight stood up, the slice across her torso scabbing over with unusual speed. "I can tell that deck is powerful, constructed meticulously. But are you truly a fighter, like the others? I have my doubts."

The blonde warrior drew her next card. "Now, another round. I'll start by playing The Warrior Returning Alive, allowing me to add Assault Halberd from my graveyard to my hand. And since you have monsters on the field and I do not, I can special summon it from my hand." The indigo-armored warrior returned to the field, looking none the worse for wear from his brief stint in the graveyard.

"Next, I'll summon Heroic Challenger – Swordshield (0/2000) to the field." It was clear that this knight was defensively oriented, it's dark teal armor rounded and sturdy, and two shields with blades on each end its weapons. But it wasn't to be used for attack or defense in this instance.

"With two level four monsters on the field, I can build the overlay network once more. This blade will carve my path to victory, and my conviction will prevail! Xyz summon, Heroic Champion – Excalibur (2000/2000)!"

From a dark crimson portal in the air arrived a hulking warrior in similarly colored armor, wielding a sword nearly as long as Jasmine was tall. "What will its effect be?" Jasmine would never have thought this tactically before meeting Bastion. "Zanji isn't strong enough to beat it anymore…I'm just gonna have to take this attack!"

"I'll detach both of my monster's materials to use its effect! Now, its power is doubled until the end of your next turn, raising it to 4000!" The knight grew larger and larger until it towered completely over the scene. If onlookers weren't noticing the duel before, they had to be aware of it now.

"Now, face true steel!" The engorged champion cleaved Irou into tiny pieces with its sword, like a human cutting a piece of onion. Jasmine's eyes went white with pain as she felt the force of the blow. Her feet left the ground and she tumbled into a roadside ditch. Luckily, it was dry, and the grass made the landing less painful than concrete would have. (Command Knight 1800/Jasmine 1700)

Jasmine felt like she would never catch her breath, and her head was killing her. Spots danced in front of her eyes, and as they cleared she perceived that she had flown over fifty meters from her car.

"Jasmine, how in the name of Neptune did you end up over there?" Bastion called out from the bush. Sadly, she could not tell him to shut up because her breath had still not returned.

"Do you need a moment? I knew you hadn't truly fought in a shadow game before." Command Knight jeered. Jasmine also couldn't respond to that, as her breath had not returned yet still.

Slowly, Jasmine walked back over to the battlefield. "Alright, I think I'm good now." She wheezed.

"Good, cause I ended my turn like two minutes ago." The spirit snarked snappishly.

"Cool." Jasmine drew her next card. "Man, I'm lucky Gateway of the Six is such a broken card." She thought. "Let's see…I still have Zanji on the field, but no way to activate his effect without another Samurai on board. I'd lose the rest of my life points if I attacked, besides. Best play defense for now."

It had to have been the adrenaline. How else could she think clearly as her bones still rattled from the force of that last strike? Dueling like this was totally unlike how class made it seem – for once in her life, Jasmine wished she was back in the classroom. She never imagined that she would be faced with a real fight, and even as this bout wore on, she couldn't believe it still.

"I set a monster and end my turn." Jasmine was really hoping that Command Knight wouldn't be able to overpower her defense next turn. One more strike was all that was needed on both sides. Excalibur's attack points went back down to 2000, and since it no longer had materials, it couldn't use its attack-boosting effect again.

"I will not lose here. I have seen many battlefields before, and I will say many more – more than this! I draw! First, I'll set a card. Then, Heroic Champion Excalibur, destroy the set monster!" A silver flash, and Jasmine's set monster was cleaved apart. It was Shien's Footsoldier (700/300), an ape-like peon of the Six Samurai's Shogun.

"Perfect!" Jasmine clenched a fist. "When Shien's Footsoldier is destroyed, I can special summon a level three or lower Six Samurai from my deck! I call upon Six Samurai – Yaichi (1300/800). The next of the increasingly numerous samurai was a bowman clothed in glowing yellow armor, the insignia of the gateway on the back of his helm.

Jasmine smirked – everything was starting to come together. Command Knight seemed to realize this as well. "Have I underestimated this girl?" The spirit thought. "I'll have to set my other face-down." Doing so, now Jasmine had two hidden traps to contend with, as well as a powerful monster. "My position should be relatively safe for now…I just need to figure out how to regain control!"

As Command Knight panicked, Jasmine found that the adrenaline helped tremendously in letting her hit her stride. "My draw." The necessary pieces to the strategy were in place.

"The strength of the Six Samurai is not that they rely on a single, strong blade, but a storm of swords that overwhelm a complacent enemy in one strike. I could never have built this deck alone, and dueling you alone would have surely resulted in my defeat. But my friends have helped me become strong, and I won't sit on the sidelines any more! I refuse to surrender!" Jasmine's voice grew stronger as she spoke more, a triumphant crescendo. Where had the words come from? She had never spoken like this in her entire life.

Jasmine imagined herself climbing a set of stairs frantically, trying to catch up since she chose to lag behind the other climbers. Alexis, Jaden, and Lancaster were climbing as well, but they were so far ahead of her that she could barely make out their forms. "So far above…" She despaired. Jasmine just didn't have the drive they had…

Then, somehow, she caught a glimpse of Lancaster smirking near the top of the staircase. He wasn't looking at her, only upwards, but she could still see it on the corner of his face.

"Arrogant…always making it look easy. Mark my words, I will catch up to you, and I'll prove that I belong in Obelisk Blue!" They may have both been Obelisk Blues, but seeing Lancaster's meteoric rise through the Duel Academy ranks made it all too clear that he and Jasmine were in different leagues of power. She never did anything to earn the blue jacket. That realization lit a fire within her, and now Jasmine could not be content as just one of Alexis' followers.

"With two Six Samurai on the field, I can special summon Great Shogun Shien (2500/1400) from my hand in attack mode!" The swarming capabilities of the Six Samurai were seen even in their boss monster, an imposing warlord clad in maroon armor, a black cape billowing behind him. The katana in his hands practically glowed with heat, shimmering in the air.

"Next, I'll switch Zanji to attack mode. Then, I'll use Yaichi's effect! Since there is another Six Samurai on the field, I can destroy one of your set cards!" Yaichi notched an arrow, and at Jasmine's direction, the projectile landed on Command Knight's face-down Mirror Force.

There was still another face-down, but Jasmine decided to attack anyways, trusting her instincts. "Great Shogun Shien, attack the Excalibur!"

"Not so fast!" Command Knight exclaimed. "I play my other face-down, Widespread Ruin! This lets me destroy the monster with the highest attack point value on your field, which is Shien! Take this!"

An incoming wall of flame rapidly approached Jasmine's warlord, threatening to overtake him.

"Jasmine, use Yaichi!" Bastion chimed in.

"Right!" She affirmed. "The Six Samurai's bond allows each to sacrifice himself for the other, for the mission. By destroying Yaichi, I can keep Shien on the field." The bowman nodded solemnly before leaping in front of his general, the fire immolating him instantly.

"And this allows me to continue my attack!" As the smoke cleared, Command Knight was utterly shocked. "How could this silly girl have such conviction?"

With a mighty upward slash, Shien bisected Heroic Champion Excalibur. (Command Knight 1300/Jasmine 1700)

The field was finally clear for one final assault. "Zanji, attack directly!" Jasmine's voice was suddenly hoarse, as the stresss caught up with her. Nontheless, her warrior swung his pike and ended the deadly game. (Command Knight 0/Jasmine 1700)

The knight collapsed in exhaustion and defeat. "I really am pathetic…or maybe it is you who are strong. Humans really will struggle tremendously if placed in a corner…Yubel will have to take note of that." Command Knight didn't even sound upset that she lost, just tired.

"We'll beat Yubel, just like we beat you! Don't underestimate humanity!" Jasmine roared, a fierce flame lit inside her heart in the wake of victory.

Command Knight let out a pained chuckle. "How could you ever hope to know the true nature of the threat you face when you have never walked in the dark places of the universe? You humans are so arrogant, believing yourself capable of mastering duel spirits, when it is us who have traveled to the outer limits, us who have carved a place in the universe through naught but the power of our own wills! You trap us in these shells called cards, and play at war like children. And you think you can defeat Yubel? Absolutely pathetic. It will take more than struggling to do that."

Jasmine could never have mustered a proper response to that, even if she had all the time in the world. Meanwhile, Bastion finally managed to extricate himself from the bush in front of Jasmine's car, perhaps sobering a little. He absorbed the words, let them wash over him and take root within.

"But it is not Yubel whom I truly serve, in my heart. I have died in service to a noble dream, and that dream is Blade Knight's. I only hope that a piece of me lives in his heart…the lion will pay for his crimes."

"What? Who is the lion?" Bastion questioned, brushing off a few stray leaves from his suit jacket.

Command Knight's body was slowly disappearing into light, becoming pure duel energy. "Who indeed? That is the question."

XxXxXxxXXxXXxxxXXXX

(The Vagabond POV)

The Vagabond was living minute to minute, adjusting plans by the moment, relying more on instinct than he ever had before. These were not skills that the clan cultivated. His work as a tomb keeper had progressed from day labor up to administrative affairs. It was a ladder that specifically dulled the wits, blunted the senses. At least this is how he felt. The other clansmen didn't seem to mind it.

They bore their duties with more dignity than he ever could. "I know that there are others within the clan that feel as I do! I cannot be the only one!" It was as he said to Odion – the human spirit can detect and struggle against that which is inhuman. This was the presupposition that Hank based his belief on. Others would follow his example. His spark would serve as the first step to a blazing inferno, and the fire of freedom would burn.

Thoughts like these kept him going as he slept with one eye open, as he donned the red clothes and hat that were becoming like a second skin as the days passed. "I may have abandoned the name of Ishtar, but that does not change the fact that they were once my flesh and blood…I want them to be free."

Hank made his way north as fast as possible, exhausting his savings on quick flights in an attempt to lose whatever scouts Marik and Ishizu doubtless sent on his tail. He knew that those two would never forgive him for his brutalizing of Odion. "A man has no choice but to make enemies in this world if he means to become someone of note…!" Hank rationalized.

His journey had taken him to Italy. He knew from one of Ishizu's offhand comments that Seto Kaiba was banned from ever setting foot in Italy again due to some mysterious "noodle incident", by order of the prime minister. It would make a suitable place to hide until he figured out his next move.

The trip had gone well. There were few questions from airport security or customs. A taxi waited outside to bring him to the hotel he would be staying in. For a few fleeting moments, Hank felt he could breathe easy.

Standing directly in front of the inn was a man in knight's armor, covered from head to toe in impossibly shiny silver plate. He leaned casually against the brick building, but Hank could immediately sense an underlying intensity. Hastily paying the cab driver, Hank tried to smoothly walk past the knight, but a firm hand on his shoulder froze him in his tracks.

"I almost didn't recognize you with that hat on, Hank." The voice was dark, metallic, and yet…. familiar? Where had he heard that voice before?

"I think you have the wrong man." Hank coughed, trying to remove the knight's hand from his person, but it wouldn't budge no matter how hard he pushed.

"Let's go inside and get a drink. It gets dreadfully hot in my armor. Don't worry about payment, by the way." The knight effortlessly steered Hank inside, looking for all the world as if they were two old buddies.

A few minutes later, they were sitting in the empty hotel bar, each man quaffing a cold drink. The mysterious knight casually drank a dark ale while Hank helped himself to Qasab. He was surprised that this bar carried such a drink, but at the moment he was more concerned with this random assailant's intentions. Hank was armed, of course, but something told him a bullet wasn't going to get through that armor, no matter how medieval it appeared.

But more than that, something about this person…this being…instilled deep fear in him. Hank did not consider himself craven. He was only the second Ishtar in history to rebel against the clan, and he had no intentions of making the same mistakes Marik did. But this knight…even without doing anything, he exuded a powerful aura.

"I understand your trepidation. When a man is faced with something he truly fears, he cannot simply ignore it. He must either become subordinate…or strike out and erase the source of the fear. So which will it be?" He said blithely, and yet with melancholic wisdom.

"You don't seem scared of me striking out. So the decision for me comes to whether your outward appearance is a façade or not." Hank spoke lowly.

"Yes, that would be an accurate summation. Would you at least hear what I have to say first? That may make your decision easier." Somehow, the knight was able to drink without lifting his helm. Either that or the movement was so quick Hank could not perceive it.

"Take off that helmet first." Hank demanded. "And speak your name while you're at it."

"Blade Knight will suffice. I am a duel spirit, after all."

"Enough of this wordplay. What is your real name?"

Wordlessly, the knight took off his helmet. Hank gaped in shock. "What? How is this possible? You're-"

"I already told you my name. Now then, please listen to my offer, and your questions may be answered along the way."

"…what do you want?" Hank asked dumbly.

"A great many things. Bur from you specifically? The Egyptian Gods."

XxXxxXxxxXXxxXxxxXXxxXXXXxxXXxxXXxx

(Seto Kaiba POV)

"~DOOOOOOOON'T SAY IF I WERE YOU~"

"~OR TELL ME WHAT TO DOOOOOO~"

"~HOW THINGS WOULD BE IF YOU WERE IN MY SHOES~"

"CAUSE YOU'RE NOT ME! C'mon, sing along!"

"Sir, I have to focus on landing the plane."

"Oh shit, are we here already?" Kaiba saw they had indeed made it to KaibaCorp's Norway office in Oslo, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet descending to the rooftop helipad. Kaiba would have flown the plane himself, but he had work to do and the journey was too long to be so unproductive. Sadly, the pilot was even more of a cold fish then he himself could be at times.

"Time flies when you're working on expense reports, eh?" Kaiba quickly collected his things and made to depart the jet when it landed.

"How long should I expect to wait here, sir?" The pilot asked.

"However long it takes me to take a trading card from a high school student." Kaiba answered with the utmost gravity.

"Wait, that's what we're here for?" The pilot began to protest.

"Just wait here." Kaiba slammed the door on him and made his way to the parking garage. He ripped out of there in a white Maybach, kept there for specifically for his arrival.

"I cannot allow such power to exist outside of my control. Then again, it might be entertaining if this Jesse Anderson character decides to use the Sacred Beast against me. I could use a good battle these days…" Kaiba then maniacally laughed out loud.

The Anderson residence was an hour's drive out of the city, humble and rural. The house was atop a hill overlooking a nearby valley and river, with distinctive red siding and a thatched roof. Sheep freely roved the range, and Kaiba had to swerve to avoid hitting one with his car.

"Where the hell do I park?" Kaiba eventually decided to park his extremely expensive sports car on a random side of the gravel road near the house.

Striding up to the front door, he was greeted by a rough-looking woman in denim overalls and a flannel shirt. "Hello?" She greeted somewhat impatiently.

"My name is Seto Kaiba, I am here to meet with Jesse Anderson regarding his recent exhibition duel in America. I discussed this over email with him and his parents." Kaiba said coldly in Norwegian. Languages were one of the many skills drilled into his brain as a child under Gozaburo's relentless tutelage.

"Oh, I see!" Her demeanor changed instantly. "It's an honor to have such a famous man visit our little house. My name is Anna, and I'm Jesse's mother. I will call Jesse back from the fields at once."

"These people must be shepherds." Many people would think that Kaiba would find such work beneath him, but in reality he respected it immensely. He knew that rural people had to work extremely hard to provide for themselves and their families, and if there was one thing Kaiba respected besides power and money, it was hard work. It was honest work too, far removed from the intrigue of international finance. In his moments of reflection, sometimes Kaiba wondered how he would have turned out if he were born into such a life…but now was not the time to think of such things.

Jesse rode in from miles away on a white horse, wearing a light checkered button-up shirt tucked into well-worn jeans. A wide hat protected his head from the sun, though it was fairly cool here compared to Japan.

After tending to his horse, Jesse strode over and took off his hat, extending a hand to Kaiba. "Mister Kaiba, it's nice to meet ya! I'm Jesse. Sorry for the wait!"

"Will your father be joining us?" Kaiba brusquely asked.

"Someone has to see to the sheep. Anders won't leave the hired help to do it without either himself or Jesse present. Let's go inside and talk further." Anna said casually, but roughly. Kaiba bristled at being ordered around, but decided not to say anything.

The kitchen was small and cozy. Jesse was drinking a glass of milk (weirdo, Kaiba thought), while Anna and Kaiba were having coffee, although Kaiba slipped some whiskey from his jacket flask into his cup while they weren't looking. Jesse's mother excused herself to go do some laundry, leaving the two of them alone.

"I saw your exhibition match against David Rabb. It was an impressive performance. Unfortunate that your opponent chose to surrender though – spoils the victory." Kaiba said before taking a long swig.

"Oh, that's not really that important to me. I'm just glad I got the chance to test myself against someone from a different country! Not every day a chance like that comes around. I had a lot of fun!" Jesse said purely.

"Listen, you can cut the nice guy act, it's just the two of us here." Kaiba lowered his voice.

"What act? I'm not sure what you mean." Jesse said, confused.

"Ugh, never mind." Kaiba waved his hand impatiently. "I noticed that a big part of your strategy was summoning that Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder. Where did you get such a card?"

"Well sir, I know that's exactly what you came here to ascertain. You might not believe me, but I'm telling the truth. It landed outside of North Academy's campus, in the ice fields. The crater's still there." Jesse said, clearly speaking carefully.

"Lancaster did say that Kagemaru scattered one of the cards to the North of Central Academy, which is obviously where North Academy would be…but how did he do that? And how did the card arrive undamaged?" Kaiba thought. "I suppose Anderson had to get the card somehow."

"I see. And I'm sure you're aware of why I would be interested in Hamon's whereabouts." Kaiba emptied his cup. Forgoing the coffee, he decided to drink straight whiskey from his flask.

"Actually, I'm not clear on that, sir." Jesse replied.

"The card is one of a kind, and very valuable. It was not made by Maximillion Pegasus. I have reason to believe that this card, along with the other two Sacred Beasts, are centuries old at least. They have immense historical value, so I'm afraid I must ask that they be returned to KaibaCorp's care." It was as fine a cover story as any in Kaiba's opinion. If this kid knew that he was carrying around a ticking time bomb everywhere he went, he would probably freak out a little.

"Is that the only reason you want it back, sir?" Jesse seemed suddenly possessed by a forwardness he had not displayed up to this point.

Kaiba was surprised, though his cold mask did not slip for a moment. "Why else would I need them? I rarely duel anymore, and the cards are of no use to me in battle." The explanation was rehearsed. "Besides, it would not be fair for someone to use a one-of-a-kind card in tournaments and academic tests."

"Forgive my boldness, sir, but aren't you the same guy who destroyed all but three copies of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon so that you were the only one who could use it?" Jesse rightfully protested.

"That was different."

"How?"

"Because I'm Seto Kaiba."

Jesse sighed and pinched his nose for a moment. "My mistake. So I take it you want me to give the card back?" He said with a note of resignation.

Kaiba nodded. "That's right. Purely for posterity's sake." The line was wry, but Kaiba truly didn't care about using the cards – he cared more about depriving potential enemies a weapon to use against him. "Lancaster was right about the boy being humble." Suddenly, a whim occurred to Kaiba.

"Mister Anderson, do you know anyone by the name of Jamie Lancaster?" Kaiba asked.

Jesse thought for a moment. "I think I've heard that name somewhere before, but I'm pretty sure I don't know that person."

"I see." Kaiba emptied his cup again. "Curious. Lancaster had this boy's character pegged, but Anderson says that they haven't met before."

Deciding to let the matter rest for the moment, the White Dragon returned to the task at hand. "I don't suppose you have the card here with you?"

Jesse looked uncomfortable under Kaiba's cold, dead gaze. "Uh, yeah. It's up in my room. I'll go get it." The teal-haired boy quickly bounded upstairs, leaving Kaiba alone for the moment.

"Hmph. I'm surprised at his lack of defiance. I expected a duelist of his caliber to have a greater will than that. Then again, I suppose it is only right he return the card since it's not his." Kaiba rationalized. "Either way, with one of the beasts in my hands, the other two present less of a problem. For once, something went smoothly."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Anna quickly made her way through the small cottage and answered it, clearly not expecting another visitor. Neither was Kaiba, though he didn't think it would have anything to do with him.

Anna entered the kitchen with a shocked look on her face just as Kaiba was drinking the last of his flask. There was an awkward silence, but eventually she spoke up.

"Mister Kaiba, where is Jesse?"

"Retrieving what was promised." He answered cryptically.

"Oh. Well, while you're waiting, there's someone claiming to be an old acquaintance of yours in the entryway." She gestured behind her.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed as he strode over to the doorway. "Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me." He cursed upon seeing who the visitor was.

"Oooh, Kaiba Boy! It really has been far too long!"

A/N

Hope you all enjoyed.

Shorter chapter this time, but this felt like a natural end point. Just so everyone knows, this arc will be concluding in the next few (2-3ish) chapters. Super excited to write season two with a few of my own personal twists.

Writing Jasmine dueling was fun, I really like the chance to develop another female duelist, and I'm trying to make her distinct from Alexis and Erin. I am also a huge Six Samurai fanboy, it's one of my favorite decks in the game alongside Infernity, Blue-Eyes, and D/D/D, so I had fun writing them. Bastion using Six Samurai makes a lot of sense to me since he is known for playing six decks, and the Six Samurai have very diverse effects just as Bastion has a diverse playstyle. Jasmine using them here is meant to symbolize her bond with Bastion. She may get fed up with him a lot of the time, but at the same time she really appreciates that he takes her seriously as a person and a duelist.

How will this visitor affect the deal between Kaiba and Jesse? Something tells me he's going to ~spice~ up things up in yuuge ways.

Work and life have been busy lately, but I'm writing when I can. Writing this story has provided some nice balance for me lately, haha. Been dealing with some heavy stuff, so it's funny to sit down and write a little more of this SI story about Yugioh GX every day. I started writing this basically on a lark, but this story has become an actual part of my life now, I feel like. And I've loved every minute of it. Not to get too bogged down in sappy bullshit, just wanted to say that. Peace.