Chapter 36: Arrivalrivals
(Jamie Lancaster POV)
The plane touched down, and it was time to move. There was no time for fond returning speeches or nostalgic memory of school years past. Hastily, I dropped my things off at my room, locked the door, and rushed to the Headmaster's office. Someone knew would be sitting in that seat this year, and believe it or not he was actually an improvement over his predecessor, in my opinion.
"Headmaster Crowler, I hope your summer was pleasant."
"Signore Jamie, what a surprise!" Crowler looked the same as ever, though sitting behind that desk did lend a certain air of authority to him. "I'm flattered that you would visit me, your favorite teacher, upon arrival! And my summer was indeed pleasant, albeit busy." He chortled.
"Right." I smiled blandly. "It's good to be back." Being busy with school at least kept me from settling into bitter nostalgia.
"Yes, it's good to get back in the swing of things. I'm sure you and Signore Misawa learned much from your internships at KaibaCorp. To work with the top management at such a company must have been an incredible experience." Crowler flattered.
"It was. I'd love to talk with you about it, but I really should go unpack and settle in. I just wanted to drop this form off here. I believe the request form for the formation of a new school club should go through you, isn't that correct?" I slid a piece of paper across the desk.
"It should, but officially, it is supposed to go through your head of house first." Crowler corrected, much to my confusion.
"Oh, I take it you aren't the head of Obelisk Blue anymore?" I didn't think of that before coming in.
"That's correct. Since I am now headmaster, I can no longer be a head of house, due to conflicts of interest and whatnot." Crowler, biased? What? Next you're gonna tell me the sky is blue!
He anticipated my next question. "I can't tell you who the new head will be. There has been some restructuring in that regard. You'll find out at orientation tomorrow, though!"
"Should I take this to…whoever that person is, then?" I asked, growing impatient.
"Hmm…I don't think that will be necessary. I think that I am capable of processing this particular request. It sounds like a worthy club for the right sort of students – I am in full support of it." Crowler winked. It sometimes made me uncomfortable how brazenly corrupt he is, but ultimately, what could I do about it? Such behavior was in his nature. Besides, I've got enough problems without making Crowler an enemy too. Best to stay on his good side.
"Thank you, doctor. And congratulations on the promotion." Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. "I would also like to extend a welcome to the new vice-principal."
Crowler looked at me quizzically. "Hmm? What do you mean, Jamie? There is no vice-principal position open at this academy, to my knowledge. Mister Sheppard had no vice-principal."
"Huh?" Wait, what? So that means that Bonaparte guy isn't around? Thank god, that's one less problem to worry about. Without him around, Crowler probably won't have the balls to try demolishing the Slifer Red dorm. Then again, my own knowledge was incomplete – I did not know why Bonaparte was hired in the original timeline while he was not in this one. Was there some new ripple formed along the way that escaped my notice? Or is this the result of some previous change, whose scope has expanded as time has gone on?
"My apologies, sir, I just heard a rumor."
"I see." Crowler seemed to accept that excuse. "Well, it's only natural for teenagers to engage in such antics. Stay vigilant, signore Jamie."
"I will, sir." I excused myself and departed shortly thereafter.
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Students arrive on the island on Saturday, while classes and orientation aren't until Tuesday. Welcome Weekend, as it was called, was a rather tumultuous time for freshman while otherwise a rather relaxed period for upperclassmen. It blurred by last year, as I was still grappling with the reality of my existence in this world. But now, it would be a suitable time to settle in and start planning for the semester.
It was nice to return to my old room. The searching gazes and odd looks that Tobias and Joanna sent me were starting to drive me insane. Hell, maybe I was already there. You have to be a little crazy to fight a cosmic force like the Light of Destruction and actually expect to succeed, right?
Still, I was least comforted by the knowledge that the bonds I made here at Duel Academy were truly my own, maintained by my own efforts. I put on some music and began to put away my clothes, school supplies, and other items I brought from the Lancaster home.
"I wonder where Sonata is." I had really started to miss her over the summer. I hope her mission was going well. I had a feeling that the Predaplants were not in friendly hands – if she come to be in danger because of me, I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle it. She was the only one who knew the secrets, warts and all, and she chose to stay by my side anyways. In time, I had started to understand what Jaden had meant about having a bond with his cards.
"Bah, this reflection does nothing to help me. I shouldn't be so indulgent. But it's so hard to leave the past behind…to move forward. Why is it so damn hard?"
I heard the door open and swiveled around to face the visitor. In the split second such an act took, I narrowed down the potential visitors to a few people. One of my guesses turned out to be correct.
"Hey, Atticus." I was hoping to see his sister rather than him, but still, it was nice to see Atticus looking well. I had seen Alexis a few times over the summer, but she had always been in a rush, looking over her shoulder constantly. I assumed Atticus didn't know about our relationship since I hadn't received any of the bog-standard big brother death threats yet. Actually, now that I think of it, he would probably congratulate me instead – the guy was a bit weird when it came to such things.
"Jimbo, just the guy I wanted to see! I dropped by earlier, but you weren't here yet." Atticus appeared easygoing and free-spirited – I think the summer did him a lot of good with regards to recovery. Though his growing habit of referring to me as "Jimbo" was increasingly annoying.
"What's up?"
"Just letting you know that we're throwing a party down by the lake tonight, a last hurrah before the homework and classes start to weigh us down. For me, it's gonna be really hard since I "took a year off" so to speak." Atticus said jovially. I'm surprised he could be so blithe about that one time he got possessed by an ancient cosmic demon and forced to serve at the pleasure of an immortality-seeking madman.
"Uh…yeah. So does that you mean you're considered a sophomore like us then?" I awkwardly asked.
"Yeah, pretty much. It's a bit of a pain, but it'll be nice to graduate alongside my sister." Atticus shrugged.
"Speaking of which, have you seen Alexis?" I asked as innocuously as possible. I moved to take a drink of water from the bottle I brought on the plane with me.
"Huh? Oh yeah, she was down by the lake talking to a new transfer student from America. She's a real cutie!" Atticus said casually.
I stiffened, slowly setting the bottle down. "Oh yeah, I heard something about that. The American Duel Academy, isn't that right?" That had to be Reggie Mackenzie. In my last week at work, Kaiba gave me a heads up that she would be transferring to Central Academy for the 2005-2006 academic term. I wasn't sure if he knew the truth about her and her brother – that they were both acting on behalf of Tragoedia. Of course, I would be keeping a close eye on her regardless of Kaiba's order, but at least now I had an excuse for it in case anyone got suspicious.
"Yeah, it's pretty wild. She's an incredibly strong duelist, too. She picked apart Chazz Princeton in that exhibition match, and I'm told he beat Jaden last December!" Atticus decided to partake in some rudimentary power scaling. Of course, just because Mackenzie beat Chazz once doesn't mean that Jaden couldn't beat her, but she was still dangerous any way you slice it.
"You said they were down by the lake, right? I'd like to meet her. It'd be great to have more strong opponents around!" I said with fake enthusiasm. In reality, I wasn't exactly thrilled about having dangerous threats surrounding me from all sides, as you might imagine.
"Sounds good! I'll go with you. Maybe I can get her number!" Atticus said with the customary goofiness of a teenage horndog.
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(Jaden Yuki POV)
"Aw, yeah! This is the best way to start off a new school year!"
Jaden was happy as a clam – he had barely gotten a chance to duel all summer. He had gotten his first summer job – a driver for Domino's Pizza (the premier pizzeria of Domino City) shortly after earning his driver's license, and he had picked up many hours there.
When he wasn't working, he would either spend his free time catching up on his favorite superhero comics, or just sleeping. The Hero of Slifer had been sleeping much more soundly ever since the duel with Kagemaru. He had no idea why, but he was no longer plagued by nightmares of that strange voice and its dark promises. It had taken a while, but he was starting to feel like his old self again.
Jaden and his best friend, the diminutive, blue-haired Syrus Truesdale, were just finishing unpacking their luggage when a mysterious challenger knocked on their door.
"As my esteemed senior, I believe you have much to teach me in the ways of battle." He had said. The challenger had a striking appearance. His silver hair seemed messy, but was actually meticulously styled and formed to appear as unruly as it was. He wore a similarly silver suit and tie, perfectly fitted and pressed. Despite him being rather short, the arranged appearance did much to make him seem mature and composed. His eyes were a plain, unremarkable blue, but there was an underlying intensity to them that made it hard to hold eye contact with him.
Syrus narrowed his eyes upon first meeting this new arrival, seeming to recognize him from somewhere. Jaden, on the other hand, was only too happy to jump into battle first and ask questions later.
And so, the two boys stood apart on the coastal shelf under the southern cliffs where the Slifer Red dorm was. Their disks at the ready, both boys were thusly entwined by strings, spun by fate.
"Alright, let's do this thing, freshman! I can't wait to have a fun duel with you!" Jaden said boisterously.
"Me as well." The silver-haired boy replied.
"Awesome! By the way, what did you say your name was?" Jaden often lost sight of such details when dueling was on his mind.
"Ed." The freshman said simply.
"Ok, Ed! The first turn is all yours!" Jaden magnanimously offered.
"Thank you. I'll begin by summoning Ojama Yellow (0/1000) in attack mode." Ed summoned the little yellow gremlin, the creature standing with no defense to back him up.
Jaden let out a startled laugh that soon turned bittersweet. "What is it? Did I do something funny?" Ed asked patiently.
"Haha, no…that card just reminds me of a guy I know…knew, I should say." Jaden said. He always felt a little sad when he thought of Chazz. Although he had never been anything other than vicious towards him, Jaden could empathize with the pressure he must feel being under his brothers' thumb. Most of all, Jaden still felt that Chazz could have been a great friend and a powerful ally. At the very least, he could have been more than he was now – a mere attack dog serving on Slade and Jagger's behalf. But now was not the time to think of such things.
"I see." Ed seemed a little bemused, but otherwise betrayed little emotion. "In that case, I'll set a card and end my turn."
Watching from above, Syrus was feeling more and more confused. "He's not going to get very far using cards like that, unless there's something I'm missing."
"No, I think your suspicions are right." To Syrus' surprise, Miss Dorothy from the card had come to watch the game as well, her truck parked by the dorm. "This guy was my first customer when the card shop opened this morning. The new boxes for the school year hadn't come in yet, so we just had some leftover packs of Ancient Sanctuary in stock. He just bought eight of those packs and made a deck out of those. It was like those draft tournaments some card shops put on." She explained, also curious about this odd young man. "He said he just wanted to test his abilities with it."
Syrus scratched his head. "How bizarre…"
"I end my turn with that." Ed said humbly.
Jaden shrugged before starting his turn. "Alright, I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman (1600/1400) in attack mode!" the electric hero, clad in his signature blue and gold armor, took the field with a pose. "And without further delay, I think I'm gonna attack that Ojama!" With a weak blast of electricity, Sparkman was still able to completely roast Ojama Yellow.
"I'll throw down a face-down and call it a turn!" Jaden wasn't the most observant person by any means, but something about this seemed strange. "He doesn't seem to be very experienced at all, but there's a certain intensity to him that I can't ignore. Just how serious is he?"
Winged Kuriboh appeared by his side, on high alert for some reason. However, Jaden ignored his spirit's discomfort. "C'mon Kuriboh, I know it's a new face, but he's probably nothing to be scared of." Jaden blindly reassured.
Suddenly, a sharp buzzing sound could be heard from Ed's suit pocket. "Whoops! Sorry, I have to take this call!" The seemingly clumsy freshman apologized before answering his cell phone. He stepped a few paces away from Jaden for a bit of privacy. Over the sound of the waves, Jaden could scarcely hear him talk. He was done soon enough though, and their game resumed.
"Man, what kind of guy answers his phone during a duel? How immature!" Syrus was seemingly outraged at this breach of decorum.
"My my, it appears that you've become quite the grown-up over the past year, eh Syrus?" Dorothy gently poked fun.
"Hi, Syrus!" A feminine contralto greeted. Over the hill arrived Erin Reid, Syrus' senior by one year and one of the more powerful female duelists on the island. Over the summer, she had cut her hair, her messy brown bangs now hanging down to chin length. She was wearing her Obelisk Blue uniform, which probably meant that she was just getting out of some official function, as she hardly ever wore the uniform if she didn't have to. Her deep, dark blue eyes were alight with joy, and she seemed to be in ever better shape than before – clearly the summer had been kind to her.
"Erm…umm…hi there, Erin!" Syrus squeaked. "Good summer?"
"It was great!" She gave the blue-haired boy a one-armed hug, causing him to blush heavily. "It sure was busy, what with competitions and all. I spent so much time in the water I think I might still have some between my ears!" She laughed. "And how are you, miss Dorothy?"
"I'm well. I just thought I'd stop by and watch Jaden's first duel of the semester." The owner of the card shop smiled.
"Ha! His first of many, I'm sure." Erin barked. However, her good cheer quickly evaporated when she peered over the hillside to get a better view at Jaden's opponent. "Wha…what the hell? How did Jaden get a chance to duel against Aster Phoenix?!" She exclaimed.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Syrus questioned.
"Look at him, the silver hair and matching suit. There's no doubt about it, that's Aster Phoenix. You know, he's only one of the rising stars in the International Pro Circuit! Did you guys seriously not recognize him?" Erin scoffed.
"Uh, I guess I don't really watch many pro matches, now that I think of it…" Dorothy good-naturedly shrugged.
"I only watch the games my brother's playing in. Other than that, I don't keep up with the Pro Circuit at all." Syrus responded. "Besides, the guy told us his name was Ed for some reason."
Erin gave them both a weird look before cupping her hands around her mouth. "Oi, Jaden! How do you know Aster Phoenix?" She bellowed from above.
"Huh?" Jaden raised his eyebrows, while "Ed" looked genuinely surprised, almost as if he wasn't expecting someone to recognize him despite the fact that he was not wearing any kind of disguise, or even a hat and sunglasses. "Who the hell is Aster Phoenix?"
"You've gotta be kidding me! Am I the only one who keeps up with the pros at all around here?" Erin said with a bemused chuckle. "He's one of the rising stars, well-known for playing Elemental Heroes! Is that seriously not ringing a bell?!"
"Hmm…." Jaden squinted at his opponent, rubbing his chin. "Hey, now that you mention it, I do recognize him! I was just watching one of your games last night, bro! You were making some totally sick plays out there!"
"And you didn't recognize him?" Erin's confusion was beginning to morph into full-on amazement at the Slifer Red's lack of wits.
"Hehe, it's alright." Aster spoke up finally. He clearly didn't anticipate that something like this would happen, but was rolling with it. "I am indeed Aster Phoenix. And thank you for the compliment." He said cordially, somewhat glad to drop the "naïve freshman" façade.
"You're welcome, but why bother with this whole "naïve freshman" façade?" Jaden wondered. "If anything, I would have been more excited to duel you if you were honest with me. And how come you aren't using your real deck?"
Aster sighed before answering. " Well, I was curious to see what you were capable of. You know, your name is already making the rounds in the professional dueling circles. After all, you've got some impressive credentials for someone going into their sophomore year – you even the Kaiser a hard fight during that graduation match. I just wanted to do a little undercover scouting, that's all."
Jaden bought the excuse, mostly. "Huh. That's kinda weird, but whatever. I wish you were more honest with me, but it's no big deal. Can we start this over so you can use your real deck? It's no fun unless both of us are going all-out, don't you agree?" The red hero was hungry for a good fight.
"Uh, I don't have it with me. I forgot it back at home, so I decided to draft a deck from some packs instead." Aster lied. "Besides, a duelist should always see the match to its conclusion, right?"
"I suppose you're right. In that case, it's your turn! Let's see what you've got!" Jaden punched the sky with a boyish grin.
"Good lord – not the brightest crayon in the deck, is he? Is this boy really the legendary harbinger of darkness that the scriptures warn of?" Aster thought in disbelief. "Could it be that Sartorius is mistaken? Perhaps the Lion of Obelisk is the true threat here on this island. But his predictions have never been wrong before…"
The two boys saw the game to its end. Although Aster did the very best he could with the mediocre resources he had, Jaden was able to get the best of him in the end.
"Hey, that was a sweet game, bro! You were able to make a lot of a little there." Jaden said with good sportsmanship. "I'm just glad my deck came through for me when I needed it."
"That's an interesting way of putting it. Would you call it a lucky break?" Aster poked.
"Nah, not necessarily. I believe that a duelist can have a bond with their cards, and if they cultivate that bond, then the cards pay you back in a fight. It's a lot more than just luck." Jaden explained with surprising eloquence. "It's kinda funny though – I have a buddy who believes that luck is the main factor in a duel. Of course, he plays a coin flip deck, so it's probably true in his case."
"Hmm. Well, I agree with you that dueling isn't about luck. In fact, I believe there is very little in life that can be attributed to luck. Rather, it is by the will of god, fate, or whatever you wish to call it that guides our hands." Aster intoned.
"Nah, I don't agree with that at all. Life and games are exciting because we don't know what's gonna happen next! Anybody can win, as long as they try hard enough!" Jaden countered, his tone still decidedly casual.
Aster's eyes narrowed for a moment, but soon enough his features became neutral once more. "It certainly is an interesting debate, but I fear I have to get going soon. Thank you for the match, senpai." The honorific was clearly intended to be mocking.
"Haha, well, have a good trip man! If you're ever in this neck of the woods again, I'd love to fight against your real deck someday!" Jaden waved.
"We both play heroes, but that is where our similarities end. This man is no threat to anyone, much less the Lord of Light. There must have been some mistake…" Aster frowned as he turned his back on the Slifer Red.
As he ascended the hill, Aster walked by Syrus, Erin, and Dorothy. "Thank you for earlier, miss Dorothy. Your card shop is well run." The pro said politely.
"Gosh, thank you, mister Phoenix! The pleasure was ours!" Miss Dorothy seemed a bit smitten by the young gentleman. Erin, however, was suspicious – the surfer was always rather fond of solving mysteries.
"Aster Phoenix…if you don't mind me asking, I'm still not clear as to why you decided to duel Jaden. After all, he's only a Slifer Red, and there are a few duelists on the island with higher ranks on the written or practical exams." She prodded.
He smiled blandly. "Like you, for instance?"
She grinned sharkishly, her blue eyes glimmering. "Exactly."
He laughed politely. "Well, you have the spirit of a fighter, at least. But I did not come here for merely the prospect of a challenging fight. I am motivated by a higher calling."
Syrus raised an eyebrow. "And what kind of calling is that?"
Aster seemed a man possessed. "In life, unrelated to one's grades or social standing as determined by man, there are some people who, by nature, are the keys that set destiny in motion. They are the true elite, as dictated by the golden rule of the universe!"
At the confused look they sent him, Aster continued, "Who are these keys? What are we destined for? That's what I want to know!"
"Did this duel help you find that answer?" Erin pressed.
He smirked. "I don't know yet. But in time, God will show me the truth."
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(Jamie Lancaster POV)
Atticus was right – both Alexis and Reggie Mackenzie were standing by the lake, in friendly conversation.
Mackenzie was much taller than Alexis, as well as much more…well-equipped. Different from Alexis' long, dirty blonde hair, Mackenzie's reached the nape of her neck, and was the hue of beaten gold. She was an absolute stunner, no doubt about it. Of course, the fact she was in league with an ancient demon made her rather less attractive in my eyes. She was dressed in a casual t-shirt and shorts. Apparently she hadn't received her Obelisk Blue uniform yet.
They noticed us approaching. "Oh, nice! Mackenzie, this is my brother, Atticus Rhodes, and Jamie Lancaster, a good friend of mine." Alexis introduced. She already seemed to be getting along with Mackenzie. This could make things more complicated…
I tried to wipe the annoyance and suspicion off my face. Another enemy. Extending my hand, I said "Uh, hi there-" before Atticus swooped in.
"My lady, welcome to the beautiful academy island! Please, allow me, the great and very sexy Atticus Rhodes show you around! Can I take your bags?" The very suave and not at all thirsty third year offered.
"Thank you, but my bags have already been taken care of." Mackenzie gestured around, and Atticus noticed for the first time that she didn't actually have any bags. "And your sister showed me around earlier today. She's been a great help."
"I taught her everything she knows!" Atticus replied instantly. "Perhaps we could all get to know each other over a cup of coffee. The Blue-Eyes Café has great deals going on for the first week of school."
"Erm, maybe some other time." Mackenzie smoothly deflected. "Actually, I was about to have a little practice duel with miss Rhodes. I hear she is one of the finest duelists in this school, behind mister Yuki and yourself, mister Lancaster." She said politely.
"Hey, thanks." I said wearily.
"Well, it is the truth. In fact, I believe we have both defeated Chazz Princeton, so we have that in common as well. Sadly, I doubt it did much to deflate his ego. He was a rather arrogant boy." She said in a way that was supposed to be endearing.
"He's many things, but arrogance may well be his defining quality." I said succinctly. Never mind that I could be an arrogant bastard myself. In this world, it seems to come with the package of being good at this trading card game. "Your duel against him was just incredible."
"Thank you, that's very sweet. You know, I wouldn't mind going a few rounds with you sometime either. Seeing as we're both the number ones at our respective schools." She said with added charm, leaning towards me slightly. Alexis was beginning to look…displeased.
Something tells me that when we fight, it's not gonna be some practice match. I'd rather not kill her, if it could be avoided. She was redeemed in the manga, after all. I believe she also ended up with Atticus – that certainly didn't seem to be in the cards right now, but who knows what the future holds now?
"I'm sure we will at some point. But I wouldn't want to interrupt. You guys go ahead." I said with as much friendliness as I could muster. Mackenzie shrugged, but accepted this answer.
"Alright. Let's do this!" Alexis activated her duel disk, looking fired up and ready to go.
"Indeed. Best of luck!" Mackenzie said with good cheer. Atticus and I sat on a grassy slope. He had a dopey, lovestruck look on his face while my expression was intensely analytical. I wondered if Mackenzie would be forced to use the full extent of her deck's power in this match. If so, this could be a very helpful duel to observe. Alexis was no slouch herself, having defeated two of the shadow riders on her own – maybe she could pull out a victory.
After a round of roshambo, Alexis got the first turn. "I can tell you have a lot of drive." Mackenzie commented. "I like that in a duelist!"
"Thank you." Alexis said. "I hope this duel will give you a more complete demonstration of that. I'll start by setting a monster and a face-down." Alexis began with a cautious play.
"My turn. I'll start by casting the spell Cards from the Sky. By banishing a Light Fairy from my hand, I can draw two cards. However, I cannot special summon or battle on this turn." It was a steep cost for two cards, but she didn't seem to mind. Perhaps one of her cards can be useful from the banished zone.
"Then, I'll play the field spell Sanctuary in the Sky." In a blast of astral energy, we found ourselves standing on clouds, a wild blue sky above us as ivory structures rose from nothingness…it was a beautiful illusion. The holograms emitted from the duel disk were so detailed, I was beginning to grow quite fond of field spells.
"Next, I'll play Nova Summoner (1400/800) in attack mode." A small, bizarre-looking fairy took the field, its body orange in hue and shaped like a ring. "Then, I'll set a face-down card and end my turn."
Alexis knew what the card did – it was a searcher, able to summon a fairy monster from the deck. What's more, its power would be augmented with Sanctuary in the Sky on the field. But there was little choice but to go on the offensive.
"I'll start by playing the spell card Pre-Preparation of Rites! This lets me add a ritual spell from my deck to my hand, and then I can also add the ritual monster that spell summons!"
"Hmm, I suppose she'll be going into a Cyber Angel summon." I speculated.
Atticus chuckled and shook his head. "Maybe, maybe not. Alexis has been practicing hard over the summer, and she's picked up a few new tricks."
Hazel eyes gleamed as Alexis raised the card in her hand. "I cast the ritual spell Dawn of the Herald!" Rainbow light shimmered around her body, causing her hair to float upwards. "By offering the level six Cyber Angel Benten in my hand as a sacrifice, I can ritual summon Herald of Perfection (1800/2800)!"
From the uppermost spire of the sanctuary descended a mechanical cherubim, oblong, yet ultimately humanoid in body shape. A large, perforated globe made up its head, with rainbow colors shooting out of its holes. A bizarre creature to be sure, but powerful, nonetheless.
Well, that's something! I wonder what made Alexis add this card to her deck. Not that I'm complaining, it's dead useful. "Wow, she used a ritual monster to summon another ritual monster!"
"And the Cyber Angels all have effects when they're sacrificed." Atticus finished. "Since Cyber Angel Benten was the tribute, the Herald's attack points are increased by one thousand." Sure enough, the counter went up to 2800. Mackenzie was unperturbed by this new arrival, however.
Alexis calmly looked over the rest of the cards in her hand. "Alright, now I'll activate Dawn of the Herald's graveyard effect. By banishing it, I can add the Cyber Angel Benten that was used for the ritual offering back to my hand."
"Now, I'll attack!" Herald of Perfection formed a shining energy ball in-between its oddly shaped hands, shaping it for a moment before firing it at the Nova Summoner. The lesser fairy was effortlessly disintegrated by the blast, though the Sanctuary prevented any life point damage from being done. (Alexis 4000/Mackenzie 4000)
"Very well. I activate Nova Summoner's effect. When it's destroyed, I can special summon a fairy with 1500 or less attack points from my deck." The American explained. As she spoke, heavenly energy was beginning to take the form of a monster in front of her.
"Not quite. By sending a fairy type monster from my hand to my graveyard, Herald of Perfection can negate that effect! Go, angelic seal!" A runic circle formed around Mackenzie's field, locking down the summon and scattering the astral energy like dust flecks in the sunlight.
"Ah, that's why she recurred the Cyber Angel Benten." Atticus voiced. I silently nodded. I still couldn't fathom the compulsion these guys had towards commentating every play of the game.
"That ends my turn." Alexis seemed more confident now, which was nice to see. I couldn't help but feel as though old Reg' had something up her sleeve.
"Hmm. I'll set another card before summoning Minerva, Scholar of the Sky (1700/400)." The next creature was another strange machine angel – Alexis and Mackenzie's cards had a very similar aesthetic, now that I saw them side by side. Constructs of man taking the shape of transcendent beings. This one had a steel "wizard's hat" on while surrounded by a green halo that also seemed to serve as a flotation device.
"That will end my turn."
Playing a weaker monster in the face of Alexis' herald seemed to indicate a trap, although that was obvious anyways since Mackenzie was playing Counter Fairies, a deck reliant on counter traps.
Alexis realized this too. The best thing to do was to attack. Making extra moves would only provide her opponent with a chance to activate a counter trap. "I flip summon my set monster, Cyber Gymnast (800/1800)." A beautiful android with blonde hair and a violet bodysuit flipped in the air before landing gracefully.
"Alright, I'll launch an attack with Herald of Perfection!" The bizarre angel shot a volley of multicolored energy blasts down at Mackenzie's monster. The attack went through successfully again, to my surprise. "Now, I'll attack directly with Cyber Gymnast!"
The cyber girl twirled in the air before landing a spinning kick on Mackenzie. Alexis finally landed a damaging blow, giving her the life point advantage. (Alexis 4000/Mackenzie 3200)
"Yes! I made it through!" Alexis took a moment for some preemptive celebration. "Maybe the face-downs are bluffs after all."
"Perhaps…perhaps not." Mackenzie never lost her doll-like, blank expression. It was a good trick – a poker face that was tough to crack. Of course, that's assuming it was intentional and not the byproduct of some fucked up shadow magic related shit. Hopefully Alexis didn't let it throw off her game.
"First, I'll use the quick-play spell Celestial Transformation. This lets me special summon a fairy from my hand, although its attack is halved. It's also destroyed during the end phase."
"Hmm, that doesn't sound very useful." Alexis thought about negating the effect, but ultimately decided against it. She only had one fairy left in her hand to discard, so that negation had to count.
"Oh, but it is, when I summon Gellenduo (1700 (950 after halving)/0)" Twin sprites, pink and green in color, floated down to the field like daffodils. Halos encircled them, like all of Mackenzie's monsters thus far.
"They may not look threatening, but they have a special power. They can serve as two tributes for a fairy monster!" Just as soon as they appeared, the duo vanished into light.
"By offering them as a sacrifice, I can tribute summon the legendary planet, master of the circle and the cross, the second world from the sun, Splendid Venus (2800/2400)!"
The golden seraphim dappled the landscape in a harsh, hot glow, its four wings sending a gale across Alexis' field. Splendid Venus was enormous, easily towering over the Herald of Perfection. It was as tall as the tallest towers of the Sanctuary in the Sky.
I had seen this one in action when reviewing the footage of Mackenzie's fight against Chazz, but to see it person was something else. This monster's sheer aura rivaled that of the Sacred Beasts! And unlike those cards, this one was actually rather useful in a duel!
Alexis, to her credit, stood her ground firmly, betraying no fear. "So, this is the monster that defeated Chazz…that's alright, I knew this was gonna be tough from the start!"
"Ah, that's the spirit!" Mackenzie seemed genuine. "That is how a warrior should respond to a challenge. The world of dueling is wonderful, with treasures to satiate desires subtle and gross. But it is not for the timid, nor the weak." In that moment, the blankness fell away to reveal passion, only for the doll to reconstruct itself as quickly as it fell apart.
"Uhh…thank you?" Clearly Alexis was somewhat befuddled by the suddenly grandiose speech. In fairness, so was I, and something tells me Atticus wasn't really paying attention to Mackenzie's words as he was her body.
"Oh, sorry. I appear to have gotten a bit carried away. Allow me to continue. I will attack your Cyber Gymnast with Venus' Holy Light!" The effect of Splendid Venus meant that non-fairies had their attack reduced by 500. This meant that Cyber Gymnast, a warrior, had only 300 attack points to work with. Alexis was blown back by the force of the attack, unexpected in its ferocity. (Alexis 1500/Mackenzie 3200)
Atticus and I had been reclining on the grass before, but at the sight of Alexis flying back, both of us instantly jumped to our feet. "Sis, are you alright?!" Atticus cried protectively.
"She's fine, goofball, she's dealt with worse than this." Namely, during her duel against you. Or rather, the demon controlling you. Still, that was a harsh thing to say, and I kinda felt bad for it. "Yeah, I suppose." Atticus grumbled.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine…I think I just lost my footing for a second there." Alexis looked a bit shaken up, but was otherwise good to go. "Let's keep going! It'll take more than that to slow me down!"
"Good, now this is a battle I can enjoy. I end my turn."
Alexis was normally of cool temperament in battle, but I could see she was getting a bit fired up by this fearsome challenge. She snapped the next card off her deck. If I were her, I would try and ritual summon something and try to swing over that Venus. Or maybe try and curl up the Herald and defend for a while. Due to the boost from Cyber Angel Benten, Herald of Perfection had 3800 defense points. It all depended on what sort of counter traps Mackenzie had. And to make matters worse, Venus' effect meant that none of her cards could be negated.
"Let's see…I'll turn Herald of Perfection to defense mode. Then, I'll summon Cyber Tutu (1000 (500 after Venus effect)/800) in attack mode!" A lithe, petite ballerina dancer skated onto the field, smiling even in the face of the legendary planet.
"Since your monster has higher attack points that Cyber Tutu, she gets to attack you directly!" The ballerina slipped by the golden angel and landed a swift pirouette kick to Mackenzie's torso. (Alexis 1500/Makenzie 2700)
"Pff, a flea bite." Mackenzie taunted. I subconsciously began chewing my nails, wondering if Alexis had a face-down that would protect her exposed Cyber Tutu. I shouldn't really have a reason to be worried because for all intents and purposes this was just a friendly practice match, but still…I did not trust Mackenzie in any respect.
"My go." Mackenzie barely glanced at her next draw. "I admire you wanting to inflict some damage, but you should have stayed on defense."
"No way. That would have given you all the time in the world to plan a decisive blow. This way, I can at least apply a little pressure." Alexis countered.
"I guess we'll see if it works out for you. Splendid Venus, attack the Cyber Tutu with Holy Light Beam!" Brandishing a pale scepter, the four-winged angel let loose a concentrated laser at Alexis' cyber girl.
"Ha! Got you! Reverse card open, Mirror Force!" Alexis called out. Atticus cheered and I grinned as a wall of energy threatened to reflect Mackenzie's strike right back at her.
Mackenzie closed her eyes for a moment and nodded. "Not this time. I respond with my face-down counter trap, Divine Punishment." Red peals of lightning shattered the Mirror Force's energy wall. "This lets me negate the activation of a spell or trap while Sanctuary in the Sky is on the field, letting my attack go through!"
The laser struck true, striking down Alexis' monster and finishing up the game. (Alexis 0/Mackenzie 2700)
Alexis grit her teeth and punched the ground. "Fuck!" She cursed in rather uncharacteristic fashion. "Maybe I should have stayed in defense."
In a moment though, she regained her composure and shook hands with Mackenzie, who looked perfectly calm and unruffled. "Thanks for the match. I still have a lot to learn…"
"You'll get there. I can clearly see you have some skill, and that attitude will get you far. Besides, this was only one game. Fortune has its role to play in all of this as well." Mackenzie consoled.
"Mark my words, I'll improve." Alexis vowed.
"Indeed." Mackenzie smiled. "Oh, by the way, I have a quick question. This may sound rather odd, but do you know of any cards with spirits living in them?"
I glared at Mackenzie, catching her eye for a moment. Alexis feigned confusion. "Spirits? What do you mean?"
"I see…" The American turned around. "Sorry, that was a strange thing to say…just forget about it." Plastering on a smile, she waved at the three of us. "It was very nice to meet you all! I'm sure we'll see each other around. We'll have to face off sometime, mister Lancaster."
"Count on it." I said stolidly.
With that, she went off in the direction of the Slifer Red dorm. I wondered what she would want there, but Alexis walking over interrupted my thought.
"God, she picked me apart, and with that strange calm look on her face the whole time!" Alexis mused. "I wish I could have put up a better fight than that."
"It's alright, that's just the way it goes sometimes with these type of games. Besides, we knew she was gonna be strong." I tried to reassure. I wanted to reach out and touch her shoulder, but with Atticus there I held back.
"That's right, sis! There's always gonna be challenges and stumbles in life. But if we pick ourselves up and try again, we can become stronger!" Atticus, the cheesy bastard, chimed in. "I think this Mackenzie could be a great friend in time!"
"I think you're interested in more than friendship, bro." Alexis giggled.
"No way! Am I really so transparent?!" Atticus bewailed. For a guy with a legion of fangirls on the island, he was thirstier than hell for Mackenzie. Grass is greener as they say, or should I say That Grass Looks Greener?
"Well, I'm gonna hit the hot springs. I'll need to unwind a bit before classes start. I mean, being possessed by a demon is one thing, but I'm taking Calculus 1 this semester! That's way worse!" Atticus joked. Have I mentioned he's really glib about the whole being possessed by a demon thing?
"Haha, maybe. See ya later, bro." Alexis waved, and I smiled and did the same.
As soon as he left, Alexis leaned down and snuck a quick kiss from me. "Finally, I thought we'd never get a moment alone. I wish I could have saw you more this summer, Jamie."
"Yeah, me too. It always feels like there's never enough time when it comes to our favorite things in life." I grinned.
"Good lord, did my brother teach you that line? I see I'm still taller than you, by the way." She laughed. We both gazed over the lake. "He really hasn't changed much. I'm just glad he's back. This year is going to be better."
"It will be." I nodded back. "By the way, good looking out back there about the whole "Spirits" thing."
"Yeah…that Mackenzie is someone to watch out for. I don't trust anything to do with duel spirits. And I don't want anything to do with them either." Alexis frowned. "Jasmine told me about what happened at that party. Whoever this Yubel is, they're clearly no friend of ours."
Jasmine had disseminated the name of Yubel to everyone in our friend group. I wasn't sure if Jaden had heard about that yet though. Even the spirit's name might cause some kind of reaction in him. From what I had heard though, he's been doing a lot better, although his memories of his past life were still suppressed to my knowledge.
"I wonder if Mackenzie has anything to do with this Yubel." I wondered falsely. I knew the two were unrelated, but obviously I wasn't supposed to know that.
"Who knows. We'll have to keep an eye on her. Man, I wish things could be simple. But like Atticus said, these challenges will make us stronger." Alexis smiled confidently.
"Right." I agreed, even as worry churned in my mind.
A/N
Hope you all enjoyed. Also, a merry Christmas and a happy holidays to all!
In this chapter, we have the introduction of Aster Phoenix, a character I am excited to write as time goes on. He definitely has a lot of potential and I hope you guys enjoy my spin on him as the story moves forward. I decided not to write out his duel with Jaden since it was not different than canon in any significant respect other than what was shown in the chapter.
To me, that whole plot of having Aster be "disguised" as a newbie freshman in his introductory episode didn't really make sense. Even if Jaden didn't know who he was, it seems highly unlikely that Alexis, Chazz (in canon), Dorothy, or Syrus would not recognize one of the top stars in professional dueling. Especially since Syrus' brother is in the pro league, so you would think Syrus would at least be fairly knowledgeable about the pros. Also, the plot had no payoff since they figured who he was by the end of the episode anyways. Sorry for the rant, but that episode was a bit odd lol.
To juxtapose with that we have Mackenzie on the island as well. She will be a third faction of sorts in the upcoming fight between the heroes and the Society of Light. Her actions and motivations are gonna be a bit of a wild card, to be sure. Alexis is a stronger duelist here than she is in canon, but Mackenzie was able to lock her down pretty fast. In this story and in canon, I would generally consider Alexis and Chazz to be around the same level from a power scaling perspective, although again it is a card game so the idea of power scaling is a bit sketch.
Apart from that, we have Jamie trying to create a new club on campus. What kind of club will this be? And who is the new head of Obelisk Blue? More on that in the next chapter. Have a blessed holiday!