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

45. A Familiar Song

Chapter 45: A Familiar Song

(Jamie Lancaster POV)

She insisted that we shuffle each others' cards before beginning. This was indeed consistent with tournament regulations (that or an official would shuffle them) but it was a custom usually unobserved in casual play.

Of course, this was not casual play. Jasmine was not here for a casual match between friends – indeed, her monologue there (the part about my wiping Kaiba's ass all summer was a clever touch) made it clear that she hated me and wanted to see me toppled from the ranks of Obelisk Blue.

"Man, what did I do wrong?" I thought. Surely this was avoidable, somehow. I know that I had made some snide remarks to Jasmine on occasion, but I did that to everyone, and usually they returned the favor twice as hard. I guess I underestimated how much my words might have hurt her. Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.

"But she's never liked me, that's the weird part." Maybe it was because I was taking up more of Alexis' time. Jasmine was smarter than many often gave her credit – maybe she suspected Alexis and I were in a relationship. Or maybe it was as simple as just wanting power. It could be that my little speech to the Obelisks inspired disgust, rather than a sense of improvement from her.

"'Course, I'm pretty good at pissing women off without even trying sometimes…" I thought back to my first girlfriend in my old life, the recollection sending a chill through my veins. But more than that, it made me realize that I really don't know Jasmine all that well. She was the most minor of minor characters from an anime I had watched once over a decade ago. The series itself certainly didn't go out of its way to develop her character. And since she avoided me so often in this life, I never got to know her like the others either. Even then, I never suspected she was capable of this.

"I guess it wouldn't make sense for me to be surprised that still waters run deep." I thought with a wry chuckle. How could I be so amazed at Jasmine's deception when I myself was an untrusting, secretive creature on the inside?

"No more talk, Lancaster. I've wanted to humble you for a long time, and I'll waste no more time with words." Jasmine snarled.

"As you wish. I do not wish to waste time either." We crossed over to decide the first turn, Jasmine choosing paper to cover my rock. "So if it's alright with you, let's just skip the warmup. I have other things I want to do today." I said, forming my features into a cold mask. The lower ranks of Obelisk Blue made a ring around us, salivating to see who would become the new alpha of the pack. Defeating me would bring Jasmine great respect and adoration within the force.

"Fine by me. Let's see the results of your new deck, Lancaster!" Jasmine drew. "I'll start by activating the continuous spell Shien's Dojo." Behind Jasmine rose a rusty orange pagoda, lanterns shining within.

"Next, I play the continuous spell Six Samurai United!" On the top of the dojo, the distinctive insignia of the six samurai lit up in a sky blue glow.

"Then, I'll normal summon Legendary Six Samurai – Enishi (1700/700)!" At Jasmine's side appeared a warrior clad in elegant forest green armor, wielding an enormous, superheated orange sword that was taller than the man itself.

"This places a Bushido Counter on both of my continuous spells. And when I have enough counters on the spells, I gain access to certain effects. Shien's Dojo has one such effect. I can send it to the graveyard at any time, and depending how many counters I have on it, I can special summon a Six Samurai monster with the same number of level stars from my deck. Since I have one counter on it, I can special summon the level one Secret Six Samurai – Fuma (200/1800) from my deck!"

From the dojo's sliding doors emerged a lithe, slim figure clad in flamboyant neon pink and indigo robes. In its hands were, and I shit you not, glowing pink shuriken the size of dinner plates. Regardless of the circumstances, it was always fun to see what sort of crazy stuff could happen in this game.

Jasmine gestured to her new monster. "Fuma is a tuner monster. If a tuner monster and a non-tuner monster on the field, I can use them as materials for a Synchro summon."

The crowd began muttering. Synchro summoning had proved to be more difficult to master than Exceeds for most of the student body. "If I have a tuner and a non-tuner monster on the field, I can potentially synchro summon a monster from the extra deck by sending the materials to the graveyard. It all depends on the level stars. I can only synchro summon a monster that has the same level as my combined materials. Since Enishi has four stars and Fuma has one, I can synchro summon a level five monster!"

As she explained, Jasmine's two monsters rose into the air, dissolving into light particles. Fuma's body transformed into a bizarre neon green ring, hanging suspended in the air. Meanwhile, Enishi had taken on the form of four shining points, most likely meant to represent the level stars. The four stars lined up vertically, passing through the ring. In a flush of energy, a white pillar heralded the arrival of the synchro monster.

"Crimson armor to obscure the blood of the slain! Sword of the moon's silver, I beg of you to sully your blade upon this foe! Most honored blade of the legendary six, take your command and lead my forces to victory! Synchro Summon, Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En (2500/1400)!"

Resplendent in full crimson plate with an impossibly sharp katana, Shien made for a fearsome sight, a white cape flowing behind him, a field of snow soon to be bloodied. He still had the impressive helm of the great Shogun Shien, only more prominent and practically glowing with some bizarre energy.

"I am impressed. You have learned your deck's new mechanics rather quickly. Many are still having trouble with the concept of Synchros and Exceeds." I granted her. Inwardly, I was confused as to why she seemingly felt no pain upon summoning the monster. I was struggling to breathe after Exceed summoning against Kagemaru. Was something different with Synchros, or was it because Jasmine was a native duelist of this world? I couldn't be sure.

"People dislike change and learning new things. I am lucky that I have had Bastion's help, or else perhaps I too would have wallowed in my old ways. Perhaps I would never have become a serious duelist at all." Jasmine admitted. I wondered where Bastion was at this moment. Surely he must have figured that Jasmine and I would face off eventually. I had no doubt he would support her over me – men are fools when it comes to their first girlfriends. I would know…

"Indeed, it's no coincidence that those who face life with curiosity and wonder tend to prosper." I spoke the words absentmindedly, thinking back to that day on the beach when Bastion found Adam and I after a hard day's work. I remembered giving Bastion advice on asking out Jasmine. That led to Bastion helping Jasmine improve her dueling, which then lead to this little debacle.

"Wowzers, the arrogant Jamie Lancaster hoist by his own petard! What amazingly plotted dramatic irony! NOT!" I thought wryly, amusing myself.

"What's so funny, Lancaster? Always smiling." Jasmine sniped.

"I was just thinking, and you might want to sit down for this, about how I gave Bastion advice when he was nervous about asking you out last year. If you never met him, you may not have become as strong. So, really you should be thanking me for your improvement in a way." My smile broke into full-on laughter.

"I suppose it is rather poetic that you sowed the seeds of your own downfall. I'll set a card and end my turn." Jasmine was more well-spoken than I remembered.

"I draw." I would have liked to play the Divas, truly I would have. I was too scared to face the Six Samurai without a hard counter. I played those damn cards back when they were Tier 1 meta alongside Infernity in my old life, wasn't it 2011? Anyways, if I play the game Jasmine's way and try to go blow for blow, she would win.

So I'm not doing it her way. "I set a monster and three face-down cards before ending my turn."

Jasmine squinted suspiciously before drawing. "Since I have two counters on my Six Samurai United, I can send it to the graveyard to draw two cards from my deck. Now, I'll play the continuous spell Gateway of the Six!"

Oh, shit! That card was banned for years in the real game. It gave the deck insane searching power, as well as the ability to revive Shien over and over. It would probably be banned soon in this world as well once Industrial Illusions figured out how useful it was. The blue runic insignia of the samurai lit up the floor, casting waves of azure light over the atrium.

"Next, since I have a Six Samurai on the field, I can special summon Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan (1800/600) to the field at no cost." The next warrior was clad in dark blue armor and wielded a glowing lightsaber pike that I had to admit was pretty sick.

"Every time I summon a Six Samurai, I get two counters on my gateway. So I'll get two more by special summoning Grandmaster of the Six Samurai (2100/800)! Like Kizan, he can be special summoned for free if I have another Six Samurai on the field." The third warrior on Jasmine's field was a grizzled old man with long white hair and beard. He wielded a simple, scratched up chokuto that had seen countless battles.

"And since I have four counters on my gateway, I can activate one of its effects. By removing the counters, I can add a Six Samurai from my deck to my hand." She searched a copy of Kagemusha of the Six Samurai, a level two tuner. She was planning on Synchro summoning either this turn or the next.

"They should rename the archetype. It seems like there's way more than six of these guys."

Jasmine ignored my lame joke. To her credit, she did not overextend her resources. "I'll now attack with Shien!" I couldn't activate any of my face-downs yet – Shien's effect let it negate a spell or trap activation once per turn. Luckily, she had nothing to negate monster effects…

Shien's steel bit into my face-down monster, which was revealed to be Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo (1200/1300), a hard-headed dinosaur skeleton with a deadly useful effect. The onlookers collectively sucked in a sharp breath.

"Hehe, Bastion ever shown you this card?" Judging from her frustrated expression, I'd say she knew what it did. "When this is flipped up, all specially summoned monsters on the field are destroyed."

Jasmine thought fast. "That may be, but by destroying another Six Samurai, I can protect Shien from destruction once per turn!" In order to defend her boss monster, she sacrificed Kizan while Grandmaster was then destroyed by Fossil Dyna's effect, leaving only Shien on the field.

"I end my turn." Jasmine said sharply, frustration showing through now that she knew I was playing anti-meta.

Once Shien was off the field, I should be good. Until then, I'll need to play through at least one negation, along with whatever her face-down is. Shien can negate a spell or trap activation for free. As for the face-down, maybe it's that trap that bounces two cards back to the hand…what was it called again?

Anyways, first I would need to try baiting out Shien's effect. Actually, never mind, I have something else that will work. "I'll activate the effect of Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju (2200/3000) in my hand!"

"What does that do?" Jasmine wondered, not familiar with the card. Adding to her confusion, Shien began to slowly disappear from her side of the field, eventually going to the graveyard.

In its place emerged an enormous blue sea monster, its floppy limbs flailing in rage. The beast's back was covered by a hard black turtle shell, but its face resembled a dragon's more than anything.

"What?! No way, how!" Jasmine exclaimed.

"Gameciel here is one of many Kaiju monsters. I can summon them to your field by tributing one of your monsters. They're like Lava Golem, only more useful since I don't need to offer up two. Besides, Gameciel here only has 2200 attack points, so it's easier to beat over." I explained. Furthermore, none of her Six Samurai cards would have any synergy with the Kaiju since it wasn't part of the archetype, which made me more comfortable about facing her unknown trap.

The crowd was not pleased with this development, and they began whispering amongst themselves more than they were before. Jasmine said nothing, continuing to look over her hand.

"Now, I'll activate my trap card, Compulsory Evacuation Device, letting me bounce a monster on the field back to the hand." Since Gameciel was the only monster on the field, the target of the trap was obvious. The Kaiju returned to my hand for a later use, and now her field was clear for attack.

"For my normal summon, I play King Tiger Wanghu (1700/1000)!" Despite my nickname, the cat on my field was a white tiger, not a lion. The beast was covered in silvery metallic plate on its back, and it had two long tusks protruding from its maw.

"Ohohoho, it's funny because wang means penis." One of the onlookers cleverly observed.

"That joke wasn't funny the first time, Dave."

"King Tiger Wanghu…shrewd." Jasmine noted. The Jasmine of a year ago wouldn't have known what this card did, but she seemed to now.

"That's right. As long as this monster is on the field, no monsters with 1400 or less attack points can be summoned." This would prevent her from summoning her tuners, since they were all low in battle power. The trick is that I can't summon any of my weaker monsters either.

"Now, I attack directly!" The tiger made a pass at Jasmine, delivering a punishing blow. I suppose one could say that Jasmine got an up-close and personal view of my wang…hu. (Jamie 4000/Jasmine 2300)

"I end my turn." With two more face-downs and my tiger's effect, my field was decent.

However, Jasmine did not look worried. "Draw. I activate Reinforcment of the Army to add a Warrior from deck to hand. Then, I'll summon Legendary Six Samurai – Mizuho (1600/1000)!" Jasmine's next warrior wore similar crimson armor to Shien, raven black hair flowing from her helm.

Hmm…. does she have some way of bypassing backrow?

"Mizuho attacks!" Brandishing two smaller blades, the female samurai rushed at my tiger.

"I activate my trap, Mirror Force!" I hate to waste it on one monster, but my other trap wasn't for battle. A translucent wall of energy rose from the ground, ready to destroy her monster.

"Activate counter trap, Musakani Magatama! This negates any effect that destroys a Six Samurai monster!" A golden bangle emerged from the card's hologram, flying towards the oncoming Samurai. Mizuho grabbed the medallion and fastened it around her neck, allowing her to break through the wall and cleave apart my tiger.

"Damn it!" I cursed under by breath. So much for keeping the tuners under control. (Jamie 3800/Jasmine 2300)

"I set a card and end there." Jasmine straightened, giving me a sidelong glance. "I'm not gonna let your tricks stand in my way, Lancaster. I'm gonna be a great duelist, no matter what you say!"

"Good, that's exactly what I want!" I replied, frustrated. "That's why I made the Obelisk Force, to help you guys get better. And look how much it's done for you already! You're putting up a great fight! I'm trying to help you!"

"You think too highly of your skills – we do not need your patronizing lessons to be great. That's all." Jasmine said coldly, and I was surprised again at the depth of the resentment there. It struck me speechless, wondering where I had gone wrong.

I suppose in life you can't please everyone, no matter how hard you try. It's a hard thing to accept. I know I'm flawed, but I'm just doing the best I can. "She doesn't see it that way. It's funny how people with good intentions tend to cause the most pain, whereas those who pursue their own ambitions and leave others alone don't. I caused these new cards to rain down. I should just worry about myself. Isn't that the lesson you taught me, in my old life? You remind me of someone I used to know, Jasmine…" Jasmine's face blurred, becoming her face.

Sometimes I wish I could go back, just for one day… I would know what to say to her now.

"What are you doing? Take your turn!" Jasmine barked. I quickly snapped off my next card. Still so weak.

"I summon Thunder King Rai-Oh (1900/800)." My next monster was an eerily still thing, a semi-humanoid semiconductor with twin rings orbiting its frame. "With this on the field, neither of us can add cards from our deck to our hand, except by drawing them."

"Now, I'll attack your Mizuho!" The two rings coursed with electricity, charging blasts for a moment before firing them off, the two bolts converging on their path to form a single beam.

"I activate my trap card, Six Style: Dual Wield! Since I only have one Six Samurai on the field in attack mode, I can bounce two of your cards back to your hand! I choose your Thunder King and one of your face-downs!" Resplendent in her crimson armor, Jasmine's lithe warrior now held two glowing katanas in her hands. With a swipe, she sent two waves of green energy hurtling towards me.

No choice. "I activate my face-down, Solemn Judgment! I pay half of my life points to negate your trap!" Although it was a costly move, I needed to establish a chokehold on the board so I could lock her down. The waves dissipated, crumbling away while my attack stayed its course unimpeded. It landed successfully, zapping away her samurai. (Jamie 1900/Jasmine 2000)

"I'll end with a set card." I said, releasing a breath I didn't realize I was holding in. Solemn Judgment was always costly, but in a format with only 4000 life points, it was way better than risking Warning or Strike. I wonder if Pegasus or whoever organizes the official rules will change it to 8000 soon.

Jasmine didn't look happy than Thunder King was still on the field, and her next draw didn't seem too helpful. She couldn't search for anything with Gateway, so she needed to hard draw something that could be normal summoned. Six Samurais were fierce aggressors, but without hand advantage they had a hard time making comebacks.

"This has to work…I normal summon Kagemusha of the Six Samurai (400/1800)." This Samurai was slight of build, wielding a glowing futuristic lance and verdant green armor. This let her add two more counters to Gateway, though it didn't matter as long as Thunder King was out.

"Then, I'll play the quick-play spell Asceticism of the Six Samurai! If I have a Six Samurai on the field, I can summon another Six Samurai from my deck with the same attack point value but a different name. I choose Elder of the Six Samurai (400/0)!" The shrouded sage of the Six Samurai, carried in a litter by faithful servants, took the field.

"Now, I'll tune the level three Elder with the level two Kagemusha for a level five Synchro summon! Protector of borders, noble sentry that balances ice and fire, shadow of the northern lights, I summon you! Come forth, Armades, Keeper of Boundaries (2300/1500)!"

The onlookers cheered, and Jasmine's second Synchro monster of the duel came forth.

…. or at least, it would have come forth, but even though Jasmine sent a tuner and a non-tuner to the graveyard, nothing had shown up on her field, nothing at all except for a sudden burst of static. "What on earth? What's happening?"

"I chain Thunder King Rai-Oh's second effect – by sending him to the graveyard, I can negate a special summon of any kind – from the graveyard, from the deck, from the banished zone, even from the extra deck. So, I'm afraid the epic summoning chant was for nothing. Sorry about that." That really seemed to have taken the wind out of her sails, as well as her collaborators.

"That's all I got...your turn, Lancaster." Jasmine, despite her pouty tone, didn't seem to give up yet. Considering I ran a low number of monsters in this deck, it made sense that I probably wouldn't draw one that could close out the game. I did have one though, and my luck saved me from a matchup I probably would have lost most of the time.

"I summon Inspector Boarder (2000/2000)!" A robotic police officer (a Robocop if you will) riding a futuristic hover board took the field, sirens blaring from the sides of the vehicle. I'm pretty sure I heard Dr. Dre blasting from the speaker on the board, but I couldn't say for certain. This card was particularly useful for negating monster effects, but right now I needed it for its attack power. Jasmine's field was clear, and I'm pretty sure I was in the clear as well.

"I attack directly!" For once, my assumption that things were well in hand paid off! The attack went through, and the game was ended. I had a feeling this wasn't over though. (Jamie 1900/Jasmine 0)

The victory was sour, but defeat would have tasted worse.

Jasmine staggered back, briefly dropping to one knee as her duel disk shut off. She rose quickly, a weary look on her face. That was odd – I expected more frustration, but for the time being she just looked tired. The crowd let out varying cries of disappointment. I turned off my duel disk, suddenly feeling tired as well.

"Hey," I called out to her. "That was a good fight. I mean it."

It was too close for comfort, actually. The Samurais were on the verge of overwhelming me even with an anti-meta deck I made specifically to counter opposition reliant on monster effects and special summoning. Of course, there wasn't really much of a meta in this world since most people seemed to play decks that "matched their personality", I guess.

"I wasn't prepared for you to switch up your strategy. Usually you don't go full lockdown like that. Were those the new cards you got from the blast?" Jasmine asked, an odd tone to her voice.

"It's like what we were talking about before. Those who are willing to adapt prosper. If I remained mired in my old strategies, I would have lost." I replied without actually answering her question at all. I actually didn't get diddly from that bizarre wave, which was fine since I still had my Melodious Divas. I wasn't sure they would do so well against Six Samurai, so I decided to use this instead. Going forward, I would have no choice but to use them. Most of these cards I bought from Adam, who was buying and selling cards whenever he wasn't eating or sleeping these days.

"I asked if those were from the blast." Jasmine probed.

"Perhaps I'll tell you if you promise to never rise up against me again. We need to be allies, not at each others throats." I clenched my fist and tried to keep my anger under control. It ran through my body like steam through pipes, hot and difficult to repress.

"Since you won't listen to Jamie, let me ask you a question, Jasmine." A confident voice sounded behind me. It was Erin Reid, third seat of the Obelisk Force. In the pale colors of the Obelisk Blue uniform, her tan skin stood out all the more. Her eyes, normally easy to read, were different, more mysterious now.

Jasmine was shocked by Erin's presence, her admiration of the water duelist well-known. The other Obelisks, while not paying homage per se, at least ceased prattling to hear her words.

"What are you doing here? This is between him and me." Jasmine protested.

"My question is this. What unforgivable offense has been done to you all to cause such hatred to fester towards Jamie?" Now she had the group's full attention, and mine as well.

"Jamie is not Zane, that much is obvious, and the difference lies in dirtied hands. Zane had no obligation to help any of us improve as duelists, and why would he? For his first two years on the island, he was completely unchallenged. Even I had no chance of defeating him. He soared higher and higher, and never looked down at any of us. I cannot blame him."

"Jamie is now in the same position as Zane, and he instead chooses to lift you up. He said as much, and he has delivered. We have everyone in Obelisk Blue coming to meetings. Indeed, Jamie has never failed any of you by word or act." Erin's eyes were hardened.

She pointed to a taciturn, yet scheming boy in the group, with lank blue hair and dark brown eyes. "Zachary Akiyama, what great evil has Jamie Lancaster done to you that you would regard him as a villain?"

"Is it for defeating you during his initiation to Obelisk Blue, Madison Takamura?" Erin spoke to a petite girl with close-cropped silver hair. "For holding one of the seven spirit gate keys and risking his life for this island, you would disdain his offered helping hand?"

"What horrible injury has he inflicted upon any of you? Name it, name it right now before Obelisk, Slifer, and Ra. Lift the fog from our eyes so that we may see this scum for his true colors." She finished.

The hall was silent with shame, and in my case admiration. Ironically, if Erin actually knew the whole truth about me, I doubt she would ever speak in my defense like this. For the moment though, I was nearly overcome by a swell of emotion. Friendship and loyalty are sweet things indeed.

"That's what I thought. I will take the liberty of calling you all what you are – cowards who lack the courage to admit your shortcomings. You have been told your whole life that you are elites, superior, bound for greatness, only for the buoyed words of your parents to crash upon the rocks of reality." Erin's words cut like a sword, and they weren't even directed at me. "If I am lying, then fight me now. I'll let you have the first turn."

I decided to speak up, ascending the stairs so Erin and I were on the same level. "Jasmine, please, I want no more hostility between us. We'll speak no more of this whole affair, and you can resume your place as fifth seat. The astral blast brings with it new cards and new foes. We need to be united if we're going to survive. That's what I've been saying this whole time." Perhaps I would have been harsher if this was a time of peace, but with so many enemies in the shadows, holding this kind of petty grudge was an encumbrance I could not afford.

Slowly, the rebellious Obelisks bowed their heads, the wind taken out of their sails by Erin's speech. Contrite, they offered apologies and agreed to forget everything. Inwardly, I made note of their faces and names. Perhaps Jaden could forgive and forget, but I usually could only manage the former, if that.

Jasmine looked around at her fair-weather compatriots before stiffly inclining her head. "As you say, Jamie. I accept your terms and apologize for my actions."

Her eyes brimmed with resentment still.

XxXxxXxxxXxxXxxxXxxx

A few days later, I sat in on our network's weekly meeting. Headmaster Crowler was on the call this time, so I sat with him in his office. It was six in the morning our time, the sun beginning to turn the sky from blue to pink to blue again. Meeting times were frequently changed to accommodate how busy everyone was, with the added bonus of keeping potential spies off the trail, so to speak.

Crowler, a late riser by nature, hadn't had time to put on his makeup yet. It was rather strange to see him without a shade of lipstick or blush on – he didn't even have his hair in a ponytail, his womanly blonde locks unruly and matted from sleep. I was rather startled upon seeing him, but I adjusted quickly.

"Your coffee, headmaster." I handed him a disposable paper cup before taking a drink of my own brew. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Crowler absolutely loaded his coffee with sugar and cream.

"Thank you, Signore Jamie. How are your classes faring?" He asked. In truth, my studies had flagged somewhat, my time spreading thin between my reports to Kaiba, the Obelisk Force, and tracking the prices of the new cards – the market was on fire.

Skype booted up, and I saw the face of Kaiba, and Yugi. Pegasus, Jesse and the Ishtar siblings were absent this time, cluing me in that this discussion would primarily revolve around Central Academy.

"Good morning, everyone." Yugi greeted kindly. "Doctor Crowler, congratulations on your promotion. Last time I saw you, you were getting ready for your dissertation."

"A most stressful time, but I believe the work paid off. Thank you, mister Moto." Crowler returned the courtesy smoothly – it appeared he and Yugi had met before. I wonder what a Yugioh-themed dissertation would even look like.

"Enough." Kaiba cut him off. "I don't have much time this morning before I meet with the shareholders, so we'll have to make this quick."

"Kaiba and I have an idea regarding the recent threats to Central Academy." Yugi said, nodding to Kaiba for him to explain.

"A field trip to Domino City." Kaiba proposed. "It appears many dark forces are circling around the island, waiting for some grand opportunity to present itself. This will serve as suitable bait to draw the foes out of hiding. The island is hard to get to, and I have begun monitoring the comings and goings more closely. In the city, our enemies will able to move undetected, or so they think. In reality, my people will be stationed strategically all over the map."

"Using the students as bait…" Crowler looked somewhat uncomfortable with the idea, as if he wasn't the same guy who put a hit out on Jaden in first year. Still, there was something commendable about his concern.

"Jaden Yuki is being hunted by Aster Phoenix, or perhaps more truthfully his agent, Sartorius. We know that they're connected somehow with the advent of these new Synchros and Exceeds. If they think they wish to fuck with my assets, they can try it in Domino City, where I will be around the destroy them if needs be." Kaiba clearly relished the prospect.

"Has anyone seen Jaden lately? I heard his Elemental Hero cards were destroyed by the astral energy from the blast." Yugi expressed worry for the boy he once gifted Winged Kuriboh to.

"He left a note with Syrus Truesdale, his former roommate, saying that he would be "walking the dark lands" for a while. I think it's just another excuse to ditch class." Crowler groused.

"Jaden was probably affected by the blast differently because of his dark powers. I saw them firsthand during our battle against Kagemaru." Hearing Yubel's voice from Jaden's mouth and those damn eyes still disturbed my sleep. "I suspect he is in the Spirit Realm, obtaining some new cards of his own." I chimed in.

"Walking the dark lands." Kaiba repeated drolly. "Did he study at the same drama school as you, Yugi?"

Yugi rolled his eyes, but otherwise did not engage in the banter. "Hopefully he comes back soon. We plan for the trip to be next weekend. We need Aster and Sartorius to believe that Jaden is not only back, but still playing Hero monsters. Aster is very prickly about that particular subject – with any luck, he will act rashly and rush out to face Jaden once more." The king of games said with a calculating demeanor.

"Only it's not going to be Jaden he's going to be fighting." Kaiba added with a smirk. "Lancaster, I'm going to keep a close eye on Aster's position if any of my people catch sight of him in the city. From there, you will intercept him and bring him to heel. I don't care about the Light of Desruction or any of that nonsense. Those two, along with the rest of these dogs, must be shown that my power is absolute."

"More importantly," Yugi briefly overpowered Kaiba's cock-stroking – it was rather like watching a man trying to tie a leash on an unruly dog. "this is about saving the world. I've heard of this Light of Destruction before. After high school, I had enough money from tournaments and publicity that I could afford to travel the world. In Argentina, I came across a group of cultists that also claimed to speak with the Light's voice."

Kaiba nodded, having heard this story before, while Crowler and I leaned forward with interest. I had never heard anything about this, and when the king speaks you listen, regardless.

"They recognized me despite my best efforts. They claimed that I wore a false crown, that I was a black mage using Egyptian sleight-of-hand tricks to win riches and fame at Duel Monsters. They sang songs about a great tide washing everything away, a truly clean world free of sinners." Yugi said casually, as if he were describing some day-to-day mishap. "The light did not repay their faith with strength, despite the loud prayers. Maybe they would have been good sport for the likes of Rex and Weevil, but sadly they overestimated their chances against me. Still, it is troubling to hear of the Light of Destruction once again." Yugi finished the tale, although frankly I was curious to hear more. What other crazy shit has Yugi been up to these past ten years?

"You should tell these two about the noodle incident some time." Kaiba suggested with an amused expression.

"You mean the one that got you a lifetime ban from Italy? I'd have to have a few drinks in me first, I think." Yugi said, and he and Kaiba shared a laugh, as if they were old friends. Which I guess they are, as odd as that is to think. "Can Mokuba still go there?"

"Technically yes, but it's highly frowned upon." Kaiba said sinisterly. "Anyways, I expect as many students to attend the field trip as possible. We'll need their parents to sign a waiver, so that will need to be done soon."

"I will prepare to fight Aster Phoenix, sir." I reopened that subject. I'm not going to lie; the idea was a bit scary. Aster had few weak points as a duelist, and with the Light of Destruction on his side, I knew that death was a fairly realistic possibility if I lost.

"I wouldn't ask if you couldn't handle it." Kaiba said. I was shocked to hear something like that from him.

"We need to anticipate other forces might attack. The duel spirits perhaps, or maybe this Reggie Mackenzie girl will finally make a move. Doctor, please make sure your strongest students are ready to fight." Yugi requested.

"I don't want them to duel, if they don't have to. They shouldn't have to." Crowler protested, albeit weakly.

Yugi nodded. "I don't want them to either. It would simply be prudent to have them ready, so that they may defend themselves if needs be. We want them to have a good time." He said to assuage the worrying headmaster.

"I intend on giving the students a free day pass to Kaiba Land. Believe me, their safety and enjoyment of the trip is paramount." Kaiba said.

"Wow, keep talking like that and people will think you've gone soft, Kaiba." I couldn't resist the joke.

"That doesn't mean you get to pussy out, Lancaster. You will serve Aster Phoenix a harsh punishment when the opportunity arises, and remind him what it means to go against my interests."

My veins burned with indignity, but I had no choice but to accept the order. I cracked my knuckles, the tops turning white. "I don't intend on backing out of anything. If I must, I will defeat Aster. But I don't want to…I don't think he's a bad guy, not really. Just a little misguided. Lord knows I've trusted the wrong people before.

"Many of my trusted comrades now were once my enemies." Yugi not-so-subtly jerked his thumb in Kaiba's direction. "I would be pleased if the matter could be settled peacefully."

"When your enemies defy you, you must serve them steel and fire. But when they go to their knees, however, they should be helped back to their feet. Otherwise, no one will ever bend the knee to you." My eyes got a far-away look to them for a moment.

"I agree completely. A wise sentiment." Yugi nodded.

"Is that from a book or something? Anyways, I'll leave the matter up to your discretion. If it works out that way. Depending on the circumstances, you might not get the chance. We may plan, but no plan survives contact with the enemy."

XxXXxxxXxXxxxXXxxx

(Seto Kaiba POV)

The discussion ended shortly thereafter. Kaiba stood from his desk and put on his customary white jacket. Turning his computer off, he made to grab his briefcase.

Yugi stared out the window, contemplative. "What was that boy's name again?"

"Oh, Lancaster? His first name is Jamie. Or maybe it's Jaime. I always forget."

"Ah. Odd little fellow. Can't really get a good read on him."

"I don't care about "getting a read on him" so long as he does what I ask of him, which so far is everything. Unlike most interns, he actually has some wits about him, albeit few. Him and Misawa might actually get full-time offers as long as they don't fuck up too badly." Kaiba responded glibly, not sure what Yugi was getting at.

"I'm glad to hear that. But what sort of duelist, what sort of person is he? He must be quite talented to have reached his position." Yugi pried.

"Why are you so curious?" Kaiba replied.

"I just felt a strange energy from him, that's all." The king said, wishing he could describe the feeling more clearly. Maybe if the puzzle, if Atem was still with him….

Kaiba snapped his briefcase shut. "Well, if you feel any more strange energies, whatever that means, let me know. Until then, I have to go."

"I'll speak to the others later. I know you don't like talking to Pegasus. Oh, and one more thing…"

Kaiba paused, his hand on the door.

"It's alright to be nice once in a while. Even basic human decency would be great. None of us will think you're weak or anything, you know."

Kaiba deliberated, shook his head, and left, coattails swishing down the hall.

XxXxxXxXxxxXxXXxxxxxX

(Jamie Lancaster POV)

I went back to my room and took a deep breath before sitting back on the bed.

"People can be tough to deal with, eh?" A familiar, musical voice echoed from the ceiling. A moment later, the bright colors filled my vision – glittering green, starry night blue, aquatic teal.

"Hey, there you are!" A wide smile broke across my face. "Sonata!"

The duel spirit twirled throughout the spacious bedchamber, leaving an afterimage trail of musical notes, each landing sweet on my ears.

"Hey." She said before embracing me. It was first I had seen her in over four months, but duel spirits never really tend to look different. The familiarity was a relief, and a reminder of how much things had changed in the interim.

"You look well." Pulling back from me, she blinked away a few tears. "Sorry, I don't mean to…but it's good to see a friendly face again.'

"Are you alright?" I asked softly.

"Haha, yeah. I just don't even know where to begin…"

"Me neither, to be honest. You go first." We laughed and began to share our tales.

A/N

Hope you all enjoyed.

The field trip mini-arc will begin next chapter, and I'm very excited for it, as a lot of duels will be going down. Many characters will get some spotlight and development, should be a great time!

I decided to go with the dynamic for Yugi and Kaiba being that of old friends, I think throughout the years they would have reconciled their differences, despite the fact that Kaiba never really went through a traditional redemption arc. Also, important thing to note, this story is set in an alternate timeline from canon GX (this is one of the reasons why some characters act a little different) but it is also a blend of sorts regarding the original series. It mostly follows the anime, so stuff like the Orichalcos arc happened, but everything that is compliant from the manga and season zero happened as well. So stuff like Death-T and Monster World happened as well. However, I have decided that Dark Side of Dimensions did not happen in this timeline, since obviously Kaiba needs to be alive in order for GX to even happen at all lmao. Dark Side of Dimensions was a good movie though, one of the better movies based off of a shonen property I've seen tbh. Mainly because my boy Kaiba was the main character, him summoning Obelisk through sheer force of will actually got me hype ngl.

Yugi's a hard one to get down, mainly because we're used to seeing play off of Atem. I do think the years would change him slightly. I mainly included that aside with the cult of Light worshippers as a small window into the sort of adventures Yugi would have had between the original series and GX, I bet he was doing some absolutely nutty stuff but that's just me.

The plan is for Jamie to track down and defeat Aster, but we know things never go according to plan. Someone else may interfere, and Kaiba may not be as in control of the situation as he thinks he is. Couldn't tell ya haha.

Hope you guys enjoyed the duel, I was worried about getting it right. Jamie will be using Melodious Divas more often from now on of course, but thematically I wanted him and Sonata to reunite first. I also thought this would be a good way to show that playing to win isn't always exciting or even respectable, but the game is the game. Don't hate the player haha.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you around!