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

39. Destiny Still Arrives

Chapter 39: Destiny Still Arrives

Songs

Drake – God's Plan

Ping Pong the Animation OST – Like a Dance

Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix OST – Organization XIII Theme

"Aster, you look…tired." Sartorius said, even though Aster was to his back as he entered the overly bright chamber. Almost absentmindedly, he turned over a tarot card, revealing the Chariot.

"I'm fine." Aster said tersely.

Sartorius glanced at him. "Do not be careless with these nighttime excursions of yours. I am aware that you can take care of yourself, but you are an important piece of God's plan. And your pro career will surely suffer if you neglect your sleep."

"I'm not a child." Aster protested petulantly. "And they are more than excursions. I have a mission."

"I do not believe you will find what you seek in the inner city alleyways. Your quarry does not operate at such a level." Sartorius calmly reprimanded. "or could it be that these games are meant to relieve some anger on your part?"

Aster hated it when Sartorius asked rhetorical questions. Of course, since his mentor was awakened to a deeper reality, able to perceive God's plan, almost every question he ever asked was rhetorical. He could always find the answers in those tarot cards he liked so much.

Aster didn't answer the question, and Sartorius didn't turn around fast enough to hide the blossoming smirk on his doll-like face. He picked up the tarot card and displayed it to Aster. "I have been shown the Chariot – the symbol of perfect victory, and a familiar sight by now. Regarding your battle with Zane Truesdale tonight, I have no advice. Simply fight as you always have, and he will fall like all the rest."

Aster nodded, expecting this. "What's my schedule look like for next week?" He said, suddenly changing the subject.

"An interview with Duelist Network on Monday morning, but otherwise, nothing other than the usual training." Sartorius answered smoothly, unaffected by the abrupt change of topic.

"I will head back to Central Academy late next week, then." Aster said decisively.

Sartorius paused for a moment. "You desire another battle with Jaden Yuki." He said placidly.

"For him to walk around with the title of hero is an affront to my image. The two of us should not be placed on the same level in any respect, and I wish to make that clear. Do you disapprove?" Aster demanded.

However, Sartorius was as calm as ever. "Not at all. This is in accordance with God's will. The bond you and Jaden have will only help you grow stronger."

"That, I doubt. A duelist of his caliber will hardly help me improve. I merely wish to make clear the difference between us." Aster would never admit it, but Jaden's carefree attitude got under his skin immensely.

"As long as you continue on the path the light has illuminated for you, it matters little." Sartorius said dispassionately. "Take care that your pride does not lead you astray. It can be a powerful weapon, but only when tempered by faith. Jaden Yuki was a rival to the Kaiser, though Truesdale always stayed a step ahead of him in most respects. Keep that in mind during your duel."

Aster shrugged. "I will." Inwardly, he felt himself beginning to grow tired of plotting and waiting. He was a man of action, first and foremost.

XxXxXXxxXxXxXXxxXxXxxXXX

"Where's the lamb SAUCE?! WHERE'S THE LAMB SAUUUCE!" Chef Gordon Ramsey screamed from the television. As he was preparing to leave for his pro match against Aster Phoenix, Zane Truesdale was trying to finish the episode of Hell's Kitchen he had recorded a couple of days ago.

"Oh Gordon, you never cease to entertain me." Zane chuckled as he finished eating a hastily thrown together meal of gratinated eggs with parmesan cheese in a truffle sauce (it was only a hasty meal by Zane's insane standards). "Being a pro duelist has its own challenges, but at least I don't have to worry about the location of the lamb sauce."

He wasn't worried at all about his match tonight. In fact, he rather relished the chance to go up against a strong opponent. Aster Phoenix was undefeated, currently at a record of 30-0 in official matches. Zane was also undefeated, at 10-0. Tonight, only one of them would remain undefeated tonight, and Zane felt at the top of his game. He was totally confident in his deck, and his skills. As long as he didn't give into anger and dueled with his stated principles of honor and respect, he felt sure he could emerge with a victory.

He was finished getting ready. Zane's pro outfit was a simple black jacket and jeans – he preferred a simple, striking look, and his agents agreed that it would set him apart from the flashier rookies in the league. Zane didn't need frivolous aesthetics – his aggressive, beatdown style created enough of a spectacle for the audience.

For a moment, he found himself contemplative. People tended to react differently to leaving high school – there are many things about such an environment that cannot be reclaimed as one enters adulthood, for better or worse. Some rejoiced to be gone, others longed for those days.

Zane went out the best way he could have ever hoped to, the top ranked student in his class and the school. His dream of becoming a pro duelist was now a reality, and he even got to push his limits against the likes of Jaden and Jamie. The world was larger than he imagined, and so much more uncertain than school was. What was his place here, in the wild frontier?

Atticus was able to come to the game. Hopefully later, Zane would have time to hang out with his old friend before he had to return to the island. Atticus was always good for a laugh, if nothing else. He also wanted to hear how the others were doing – he regretted not getting to know some of them more. But these are the sacrifices that must be made in the service of the god named dream.

"Let's do this." He strapped on his duel disk and left for the arena.

XxxXXXXXXXXXXXXx

(Jasmine Makurada POV)

"Six Samurai Irou, attack her face-down monster!" Jasmine declared. The Obelisk Force was holding an optional third meeting for the week for those who wanted to get some extra practice in and watch Zane's big match afterwards. Although he was infamously aloof during his time as a student, Zane still commanded a great deal of respect from the second and third year Obelisks nonetheless. He was certainly an inspiration for Jasmine, though she would be lying if she didn't find him rather handsome as well.

"I'd rather he head the Obelisk Force than that prick Lancaster…" In her mind, there was no way that the arrogant, glory-seeking Jamie could ever eclipse the level-headed, calm charisma that Zane exuded effortlessly. Showboating in front of the dorm via his evisceration of Seika and Harrington only compounded that fact for her.

However, she had to grudgingly admit that his leadership style was beginning to become more accepted by the other Blues. Well, maybe not his leadership style so much as his undeniable power. Almost everyone in the dorm tried their luck against the Lion of Obelisk in a duel, and although some came very close (Jasmine herself being one of them) the only ones able to take games off of Jamie were Erin and Alexis. That was enough to keep the others in line. Jasmine wondered how his image would fare if someone were to discover a weakness…

But while many accepted the way things were run now, some were still discontent. Mindy, Jasmine's opponent, was one such example. Irou was able to destroy he Man-Eater Bug without triggering the flip monster's effect using its own ability. "Kamon, attack directly for game!" The red samurai lobbed a stick of dynamite at Mindy's feet, depleting her life points and ending the game in Jasmine's favor.

"Aww, not again!" Mindy pouted. "We used to be more even than this!"

"Sorry Mindy, but you know I've started taking dueling more seriously lately. I guess Bastion and the others have been a bigger influence than even I realized." Jasmine said with uncharacteristic patience while deactivating her duel disk. "I don't want to be just a follower of Alexis anymore. She's a great friend, but I need to be my own person."

"Man, I wish I had a hot boyfriend skilled at card games…" Mindy uttered a sentence no woman in real life would ever utter except for maybe the first half.

"Well, Lancaster is single, though I've noticed some of the girls around here eyeing him lately. Who knows, maybe that stupid joke about him being a harem protagonist might actually become reality." Jasmine tilted her head over to the Lion of Obelisk, who was currently watching the practice matches from the stairway with a stern gaze. By his side, Alexis was speaking to him in a low voice.

"Oh, I don't know Jazz, those two seem to be rather cozy lately…" Mindy said with a devious lilt.

"Tch!" Jasmine dignified the remark with a snort. "As if. If anything, Alexis probably likes Jaden. You remember how silly she was acting that night she dueled him at the lake? Bizarre was what it was." Despite her words, Jasmine suspected that Jamie and Alexis were perhaps more than friends as well, though she was loath to admit it even to herself.

"Hmm, maybe. But Jaden always seems so weird when it comes to that sort of stuff. I tease him all the time and he never even reacts." Mindy said absentmindedly, not realizing the implications of such a statement. "Either way, Lancaster's been kind of a dick lately, I wouldn't want to date him either. Come on Jasmine, don't you think that this whole Obelisk Force thing is a waste of time?"

Jasmine frowned. She couldn't agree with that. "What do you mean? We are at duel academy. Surely practicing and learning how to duel better is a good use of time. What else would we be doing?"

She already knew the answer – watching television dramas, keeping up with celebrity gossip, talking about boys (even more than they were already), and all of the other useless activities they filled their days with before. Jasmine was growing increasingly uncomfortable with that life. She was a second year at a private school that her parents were paying out the ass for, and how was she using this opportunity? She was an average student and a far below average duelist before meeting Bastion, on track to a mediocre future.

She didn't want that now. Against her will, she had grown enamored with the intrigue and danger that seemed to surround the top students at the academy. While she and Mindy were talking about schoolgirl drama, Jaden became the hero of their class, Alexis took back her brother's memory, Zane soared to great heights in the pro leagues, Jamie and Bastion interned at Kaibacorp, even Syrus was advancing in rank. She wanted to be like them, somehow. Turning her back on the things she used to enjoy seemed a small sacrifice when she thought of who she could be with a little more effort.

"Finish up your matches, then let's head to the commons to watch the pro match!" Jamie called out. Mindy looked relieved to be finished, but Jasmine was just getting started, and would have rather enjoyed going longer. But soon, she gathered her things and left to watch the pro match as well.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

(Jamie Lancaster POV)

We set up as many couches and chairs as we could muster, gathered in front of the big flat screen television in the Obelisk Blue common area between the girls and boys dorms. A few Ra Yellow students even came over, having some connections among the Blues. Before I knew it, a party was in the works. Adam Sugihara, well-known amongst the top students, showed up about ten minutes before the game started and even made idle chit-chat with some girls. I meant to go talk to him, but I got caught up getting some food and refreshments ready for everyone. After getting some bowls of popcorn and glasses of (spiked) punch ready, I made my way over to him.

"Hey, how's it going, man! I'm sorry we haven't caught up much yet, I'm sure you've got some stories to tell about the summer." Adam said jovially, smoothly pivoting away from the group he was making conversation with just a moment ago.

"I'm sure you have your fair share as well. It's good to see you. Sorry about leaving you by yourself over at Rosewood's shop." I said with a grimace.

"Not a problem, I heard how you dusted his ass right after the opening feast. He probably would have fired you anyways after that, so it was a good thing you resigned. I wouldn't count on having him as a reference on your resume, though." Adam casually sipped on what appeared to be Sprite, the only real question being if it was mixed with Gin or Vodka.

"Heh, I guess I'll just have to rely on that little internship I did instead." I chuckled a bit arrogantly, but Adam didn't mind.

"I know what you mean. I actually quit working there as well." Adam casually flicked some hair out of his eyes as my eyebrows raised. "I came into a bit of a windfall this summer while I worked at my dad's casino."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with those new cards, wouldn't it?" He saved me the trouble of getting to that particular point. "I'm surprised you aren't getting a little more attention considering none of those cards have been released to the public. They haven't even been announced."

Adam leaned in conspiratorially. "Well, let's just say your assumption that I had an interesting summer was quite true. Now, you might find this hard to believe, but I actually won these cards in a bet of sorts."

I scoffed. "You really are a one-trick pony, you know that? You should get some other hobbies before someone schedules an intervention. Luckily for you, I'm too busy to do that."

"Nothing else would give me the same rush, and in this case, it paid off. I'm not the one practically drooling over some new cards." He countered, and I had no rejoinder in waiting. Pausing, he continued. "As I was saying, I won these in a bet. As you can imagine, I met many interesting people while I was waiting tables and dealing cards."

"I can imagine." I had an urge to say something a little spicier than that, but I held my tongue.

"My dad's casino also happens to sell duel monsters cards, and its not unusual to see some patrons trading cards or comparing binders while they're waiting for a table to open. I noticed a guy hustling some other players, making himself out to be bad while challenging people to ante games. I don't know why, but he was really on the hunt for rare cards, and I had never seen the cards he was using before. I watched it happen for a while, since I was just getting off my shift. Once I was sure he was not only hustling, but using what seemed to be counterfeit cards to do it, I called security to kick him out."

My brows furrowed more and more as he continued. "Security went to escort him out, but the guy threw them off with ease and sent them flying! It was insane, bro! This guy was actually a duel spirit, steeped in that weird duel energy like Banner and the Shadow Riders were."

"What?! What on earth was a duel spirit even doing there? And what duel spirit was it?" I nearly shouted, only keeping my voice down because of the present company.

"It was of Sand Gambler, and apparently he's an agent for someone named Mr. Volcano. Considering you and Bastion were attacked by duel spirits this summer too, I think they're all coordinated. This one was probably an agent of "Yubel" or whatever Jasmine said." Adam spoke casually, as if he didn't emerge victorious against an agent of a universal threat.

"That's fucking crazy! Why didn't you tell us about this earlier?!" I demanded.

"Eh, I kinda forgot about it, to be honest, I mean it happened in June, a lot's happened since then." Adam shrugged. "The point is, he was using these cards – Desperado Barrel Dragon and stuff like that. He didn't have a use for them after I was finished with him, so I decided to pick them up. They already fit with my style anyways."

My indignity was mastered by incredulity – his audacity even surpassed mine at times. Perhaps that's why we got on so well. "Ha! Well done, you amaze me. But how…surely Industrial Illusions and the school must have something to say about you having one of a kind cards?"

"Well, it's not like people haven't had one of a kind cards before. We all know how Kaiba is with Blue-Eyes. Not to mention the three Egyptian God cards used in Battle City." Adam and I moved over the window for a bit of privacy. "So I struck a deal with Industrial Illusions. They're printing these cards in the next main set, which is coming out at the end of the month. Until September 30, I'm basically doing promo on their behalf, getting students excited about the new product. And I'm getting a decent stipend out of the deal."

"I see. So you're an ambassador of sorts, for this one instance at least." Shill could also be an accurate descriptor, but I wasn't one to judge – it was a good idea, and a good way to avoid any legal trouble in the process. I assume Pegasus or one of his men thought of this. If Kaiba didn't know about this, he would soon.

It got me thinking – if Adam could away with this shit, then maybe I could get away with using my Melodious cards in public as well if I made a similar deal with Pegasus. It would be a huge relief – at least one secret's weight would be off my shoulders.

But as I thought more on it, it didn't seem like such a good idea. If Kaiba found out that I had such powerful cards at my disposal, there's no way he would let me release them to the public. Hell, he would probably try to take them for himself and jealously hoard their power. And the questions I would get from my friends would be dangerous…I would have to be extremely careful either way. Perhaps I should wait for Sonata to return from the spirit world, which would hopefully be soon. She had been gone for a long time now…

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. I'm not really getting any credit for this, but I'm not bothered. Better to be rich than famous, in my opinion." Adam chuckled easily.

"Well, good for you man." I said lamely. His story served as a reminder of how limited my knowledge had become. Before the silence became awkward, the television announced the beginning of the match.

XxXxxxXxXXxxXxxxXxX

"Ladies and gentlemen, in this corner I present to you the heir to the Cyber Legacy, the Kaiser of Central Duel Academy, and a strong contender for rookie of the year, its Zane Truesdale!" The typically hammy announcer called out as the Cyber Dragon duelist took the stage of the Tokyo Dueling Center. A part of him still couldn't believe that he was selling out one of the biggest arenas in the country only four months out of school.

And yet…he felt calm. Since he entered the pros, the inner rage that had threatened to consume him during the battle with Titan had never once threatened to resurface. He was ready to fight honorably, like always.

"And in this corner, the sharp dressed and sharp tongued hero duelist that is also a strong contender for rookie of the year, Aster Phoenix!" The shorter introduction was deliberate – since Aster had been in the game longer, more people knew who he was and what he was about. Zane's adversary was quite a bit shorter than him, but he carried himself with an unshakeable sense of purpose and conviction. A ghost of a smirk played on his lips, and there was no doubt that this duelist was absolutely confident in his talents.

"Watch out, Truesdale! You fuck with Aster, you might as well fuck with God!" A heckler coarsely spat from the lower stands. Zane paid the words no mind. Everyone knew that Aster Phoenix was a religious man, though he identified with no denomination that Zane had ever heard of. Surely there's no way that God, fate, the universe, or whatever you wish to call it could actually be on Aster's side…right?

The two professionals met in the center of the ring to shake hands and cut each other's decks. "It's a pleasure to finally face you in battle, mister Truesdale. I apologize for some of my fans' behavior. They are very supportive of me, and in their enthusiasm, they sometimes treat my opponents rudely." Aster said, cool as a cucumber. His voice was annoyingly soft – Zane could only just make out his words.

"It's no problem." Zane said politely, handing Aster his cards back after shuffling them. "I'm used to such things. It's just a bit of hype, right?"

Aster's lips nearly formed a smile. "Well, I don't think so." At Zane's confused expression, Aster elaborated, "They are right. I have God's Light on my side. My faith has given me everything I have, and it has guided me true every single time. This duel will be no exception."

"Oh?" Zane chuckled in spite of himself. "You buy into your own hype, huh? I don't think that is wise. In any case, you shouldn't underestimate me. A half-hearted effort will result in a quick defeat."

Aster stared him down with an odd smile. "I'll keep those words in mind, mister Truesdale." With that, he turned about-face and took his position. Zane was utterly befuddled at his opponent's attitude. It was different than mere arrogance – it was born of zealotry. Just who was this guy?

He took his position as well. "BEGIN!" The announcer…announced the beginning of the match. Aster won the coin toss and elected to go first. "Surely he must know that my deck benefits from going second…what is his game?" Zane worried.

"I'll start by summoning Elemental Hero Stratos (1800/300) in attack mode." The blue-armored turbine hero took the field, the steady whir of the propellers on his back creating a tense white noise. "When this monster is summoned, I can add a Hero monster from my deck to my hand. Then, I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Zane was unsurprised at the presence of an elemental hero. "All in all, a rather bland first turn." Zane felt confident that he could prevail, as long he trusted in his cards.

"I'll start by activating Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy one of your face-down cards." Zane intoned, blwoing away Aster's face-down Guard Penalty with a sudden storm.

"Next, since you have a monster on the field, I can special summon Cyber Dragon (2100/1600) to the field!" Zane's familiar slithered onto the field, its chrome plating shimmering in the stadium lights. Just as he looked unsurprised at Aster's monster, the silver-haired duelist looked the same at the Cyber Dragon.

Fearless of the remaining face-down, Zane launched an attack with the Cyber Dragon, the wyrm shooting a strident blue laser at Stratos. Aster considered allowing the attack to pass through, and ultimately decided to, opting to conserve his face down. Sratos was vaporized by the blast, sending a spray of glimmering photons towards the upper seats. (Aster 3700/Zane 4000)

"And with that, the Kaiser takes the first blow!" With the announcer's words, Zane's side of the crowd lit up with excitement, but the man himself remained stolid. "He let me attack…that face-down might come up later."

Aster's placid smile never left his face. "A daring move." He said in that damnably soft voice. "I should have known that you would summon that Cyber Dragon." And yet, Zane wondered if Aster really didn't think of it, or if this statement was strategic misdirection.

"With a face-down, my turn ends." The Kaiser said brusquely.

Aster silently drew his next card. Neither duelist was indulging in very much showmanship, but the crowd expected this, and instead paid attention to the smaller signs that would give each of their positions away. "I activate Fusion Sage, allowing me to add Polymerization to my hand."

"Now, I'll fuse Elemental Heroes Avian and Burstinatrix together to summon…Elemental Hero Phoenix Enforcer (2100/1200)!" Now this was contrary to Zane's expectations. Rather than summoning Flame Wingman, Aster had decided to summon a new monster using the same materials – such a thing wasn't unheard of, although it was rare. This new monster, rather than having the dragon's head merged with one of its hands, had three sharp talons protruding from its knuckles. It was a decidedly masculine, human appearance compared to the more dragon-like look of Flame Wingman. Their battle powers were the same though.

Even beyond its resemblance to Flame Wingman, something about this monster seemed familiar…Zane could have sworn he saw something like this in the news these past few days – something about a vigilante dressed as a duel monster hunting criminals on the streets of Tokyo. Apprehending some, killing others. Before he could dwell on the connection his mind made though, Zane's focus was forcibly returned to the duel.

"Phoenix Enforcer attacks Cyber Dragon!" The hero monster's body became wreathed in flame, streaking wildly as he tackled Zane's creature. The Cyber Dragon's plating melted and its circuits fried, but the Phoenix Enforcer remained unscathed, despite the fact that they were of the same battle power.

"I could have summoned Flame Wingman, but Phoenix Enforcer is more suited for this, since he cannot be destroyed by battle." Aster explained, mostly for the audience's benefit.

Zane shrugged, getting his head back in the game. "A clever idea."

"Thank you. That is high praise from the Kaiser." Aster said in a voice that might have been sarcastic, but maybe not. It was as if the guy got his rocks off from being cryptic. "I end my turn."

Zane drew, now feeling as if he had the pieces he needed to finish this. No more dwelling on meanings and strange words. Zane's style was to march forward and higher, heedless of the petty dramas and neuroses that limited most.

"It's my turn now! First, I'll play Card of Sanctity! Then, I'll start my combo off by playing Cyber Repair Plant, allowing me to add a Light Machine monster from my deck to my hand. Next, I'll summon Cyber Dragon Drei (1800/800)!" This Cyber Dragon was thinner than the alpha, with yellow electricity coursing through its body.

"And now…I'll cast the magic of Power Bond!" A roar followed the activation of Zane's infamous fusion spell, a card that had grown synonymous with total victory.

"I fuse the Cyber Dragon Drei on the field with two Cyber Dragons in my hand to summon this! The culmination of the cyber legacy, a shimmering silver beast that paves a chrome pathway to the future! Fusion summon!" Zane raised a hand skyward. "Cyber End Dragon (4000/2800)!"

The lights in the stadium seemed to flicker before the overwhelmingly bright and chrome body of the three-headed Cyber Dragon lit up the stage. A gust of wind blasted from the epicenter of the hydra's aura. Even as the crowd ooh and ahhed, Aster only mustered a wan smile in the face of an incredibly powerful boss monster, boosted to 8000 attack points due to Power Bond's effect.

"He is quite confident he can finish this in one blow." Aster spoke about Zane as if he wasn't right there.

The three heads of the Cyber End Dragon triangulated, each looking directly at the suddenly small Elemental Hero Phoenix Enforcer. "This is the end!" Zane didn't know what made him to go for the victory so soon. Was he possessed by some of Jaden's recklessness? Or had his opponent's strange words unsettled him to the point where he felt he must lash out? Zane could only hope that what had worked before would work again, and he could put this night behind him.

"Cyber End Dragon, attack Elemental Hero Phoenix Enforcer with Super Strident Blaze!" If the attack went through, Aster would be dealt a cool 5900 in battle damage, which would end the duel regardless of Phoenix Enforcer's survival. Three enormous laser beams converged into one gargantuan stream, slowly setting upon the hero like a comet headed for the planet's surface.

Aster nodded. "Enough. I activate the reverse card Magic Cylinder, negating your attack and dealing it back to you as effect damage." The trap had recently seen a price drop, and it had become a more common inclusion in some decks, oftentimes enough to steal a victory from the jaws of defeat. But when Zane saw the trap revealed, it reminded him of when Jamie used it to defeat Chazz in a single turn, and how that one move set the Black Thunderbolt on a irreversible, completely different path.

"A sudden reversal…this card can decide destinies. But it won't decide mine!" Zane vowed. "I activate my own trap, Barrel Behind the Door! This card can be activated in response to an effect that would inflict damage. Any damage that would be done to me is instead applied to you!" Zane suspected that something like this would happen, and decided to tech in a copy of this counter trap for a sudden reversal of his own.

"That was a clever idea." Aster said as if read Zane's mind. "But I anticipated that you would anticipate this. What enables a wise duelist, or a good player of games in general for that matter, is the ability to perceive what the opponent will do next. To know his mind is the key to victory. The academics call this ability "Yomi". Normally, it is something gained through mastery of a game's mechanics and taught by experience. However, my perception is beyond that which can be attained via earthly means. Logic, strategy, deception…all of these pale before the vision that the Light grants me." The silver-haired boy spoke calmly, even as the Cyber Dragon's attack roared. "Activate reverse card, Trap Jammer."

Zane couldn't remember the last time he had been so completely taken by surprise, so utterly dumbfounded. Cyber End Dragon's attack was purely holographic in nature, and yet it seemed to hit Zane like a freight train. The Kaiser was speechless in defeat. (Aster 3700/Zane 0)

The crowd was similarly stunned into silence for a brief period before Aster's fan brigade broke out into exultant cheers. The same rude fan from earlier shouted what seemed to be his favored catchphrase.

"You fuck with Aster, you might as well fuck with God!"

Aster turned around, and although Zane couldn't see his face, he could tell that he was smirking. "There is little either of us could have done about this outcome – everything was decided beforehand, the two of us little more than leaves swept along by the current of fate. But still, you should have known. After all, a half-hearted effort results in a quick defeat." With that, the hero duelist departed from the stage, never looking back at his fallen foe.

XxXxXXxxxxXXxxxXxxxXXXXXXx

(?)

In the purple and grey hellscape of the Dark World, Yubel's forces were on the march once more. Steadily and relentlessly, they marched west, encroaching ever closer to the Mad King Brron's citadel. Within the year, Yubel desired a vacant throne upon which Jaden would sit. "He will sit that throne," she vowed to the inner circle, "even if I must slaughter his friends and family to the last, even if every fiber of his spirit must be broken and built up again, we will be together again."

Blade Knight was not so starry-eyed about Jaden Yuki's prospects a ruler, his prospects as Yubel's lover even less so. But he fought not for the sake of those goals, but rather his own. And those that saw the knight on the battlefield knew that he fought with an unbending tenacity that rivaled even Yubel's. Blade Knight was far less…enthused about killing than Yubel was, but he was skilled at it nonetheless.

And so, after his recovery, he found himself back in the war tents, planning the movements of the force assigned to his command. Well-worn maps were laid about the center of a table, Blade Knight's expansive tent lit solely by candles. Strategizing with him were two burly ogres, identical in all respects but for color – one's hide a swampy green, the other a burnished red. Other duel spirits were in the tent as well, the council numbering about eight in total.

"Swamp Battleguard, Lava Battleguard." Blade Knight said neutrally. "We find our attention occupied between the nearby rebel holdfast and the Bloody Bridge. Yubel wants the rebels killed to the last man, but as we all know, her…ill humors often cause needless losses. I would have your counsel on how to proceed."

"You would disobey an order from Master Yubel?" Swamp Battleguard questioned, Lava Battleguard looking at the knight quizzically as well. The two ogres were fairly proficient warriors, but independent thinkers they were not.

"Yubel is not my master. And it was a strongly phrased suggestion, not an order." Blade Knight countered.

"I have heard that Master Yubel's war demons took heavy losses at the hands of general Silva. The townsfolk resistance has taken up arms against us as well, cutting our supply lines to the south. Time is not on our side. We should cross the bridge and work from there." Lava Battleguard spoke up. Before Blade Knight could respond to that, the tent flaps rustled, heralding visitors.

Two goblins hauled in a woman, who was hog-tied and gagged. She was slight of build, and yet immense power could be sensed by those few demons with the ability to perceive duel energy. The most striking thing about her was her vibrantly colored hair and clothes, especially in this dark place.

"Pardon, Blade Knight. We captured an enemy scout." One of the goblins said. Hastily, Blade Knight turned over the maps.

Swamp Battleguard rested a hand on the hilt of his spiked club, which hung in a sling at his hip. "Ha! Don't worry, Blade Knight. The bitch won't be leaving this tent with her head."

As Blade Knight got a better look at her, he seemed to stiffen. "Where did you find her?" He ground out.

"On the ridge to the southwest. She appeared to be counting." The same goblin reported.

Slowly, Blade Knight walked around the table to look at the captive squarely. His armor clanked as he did so, each step practically booming as the rest to the tent stayed silent.

"I see. I thought you looked familiar. I am surprised that we meet again so soon, Sonata the Melodious Diva."

(A/N)

Hope you all enjoyed. A Happy Valentine's Day to you all as well.

Now, I know what you're thinking – why write a canon duel if the result is the same? I normally don't like to do that, but here there are not only some crucial differences, but I also think this is important to develop Aster and Zane's characters. As you saw, Zane pretty much got bamboozled for the first time in a duel, and Aster really didn't have to do much. This was an enormously pivotal moment for Zane's character in canon, and it will be here as well, so I didn't want to leave it out. So what will he do from here, taking into the account the differences the character has shown from canon? Perhaps he'll drop out from dueling and become a chef, go on Gordon Ramsey's show, haha. And what will Aster do now? He's a strange one, even I don't know for sure. And finally, we hear back from Sonata after more than ten chapters, only to find she's seemingly been captured by Yubel's army. Definitely not an ideal situation, to say the least.

Also, maybe later on I'll write a side chapter about Adam's little encounter with a duel spirit over the summer. I mainly included that to show the walls between dimensions breaking down, as well as to highlight Jamie's lack of future knowledge as time goes on. But it could make a fun one-shot! If this were an anime, I'd call it State of the Meta OVA: Sugihara Shinden! But as is, I'd like to focus on the main plotline.

We're only two months away from Tax Day! Thank Ra!