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

48. IF YOU'RE READING THIS CARD EFFECT

Chapter 48: ...IT'S TOO LATE

(Reggie Mackenzie POV)

She couldn't believe those idiots were dumb enough to let her out of the hotel. Now, as soon as she lost her "honor guard", she would have the chance to track down Jaden and relieve him of his Winged Kuriboh. Then, the two sides of Ma'at would be gathered. Even better, she had a ready-made excuse for the boy's death that she lacked before – Aster Phoenix or these Monarch duel spirits would make fine scapegoats. All she had to do is lose the dead weight sent with her by Alexis Rhodes and everything else would fall into place.

Said dead weight consisted of Dino DNA memelord Tyranno Kenzan, the seething, envious Jasmine Makurada, and finally the lovesick twat Atticus Rhodes, whose voice reminded her unpleasantly of Sonic the Hedgehog. Oh, he wasn't bad to look at, but she failed to see this infamous charm that he was apparently reputed to have. And yet, she sensed a bizarre energy from him, or at least from one of his cards – it was deep, dark and old, even older than the likes of Winged Kuriboh and Tragodeia. But Atticus showed no such power when she saw him duel, so it was easy for her to dismiss him.

They made their way to the Grand Kuriboh Hotel, weaving through throngs of people and seemingly unending lines of cars in the heart of town. As an American familiar with the greater Los Angeles area, Mackenzie knew how to walk in a big city and how to deal with traffic the best, so she lead the group, looking for some way to give them the slip all the while.

"Keep an eye out for the Sarge and Jamie." Kenzan needlessly reminded them. However, at least his short interjections were preferable to Atticus' ceaseless prattling.

"So then, like, our uncle was pulling us behind his boat on a tube, and he made a super sharp turn so we were like woah, and he was like oh yeah, I just did that, and then we both went flying into the water, and I was like oh man, that just happened –" Atticus was regaling some childhood story to Jasmine, who was listening while her eyes darted to and fro on the busy street.

Deciding to stir the pot a little, Mackenzie leaned over and spoke to Jasmine, "So, I heard you were dueling mister Lancaster just the other day. He's a skilled fighter, isn't he?" She probed.

Predictably, Jasmine grew defensive. "Tricky is the better word for it. He was playing a deck that was made to hard counter mine. Where he learned to play in such a way, I have no idea."

"Indeed, I wonder where he learned that from as well." Mackenzie agreed. Of course, Jamie was merely using basic prediction and logic to prepare for Jasmine's strategy – any American duelist from back home would have done the same. However, Central Academy and Obelisk Blue in particular had bizarre notions of what dueling should be. Their idea of honor seemed extremely close to stupidity in her outsider's opinion. She expected some cultural differences between the schools, but Mackenzie had no idea that everyone around here expected a duelist's cards to neatly correlate with their personality, aesthetic and motivations! She amused herself imagining whoever's personality matched with Exodia Stall or Chain Burn. In any case, the notion was untrue as it related to her, for she was no angel.

"How fares the Obelisk Force otherwise?" She added.

"It's been alright. Erin has really been running most of the meetings lately, it seems. Alexis always seems busy with something, and Jamie claims to have a lot of work for mister Kaiba to do." Atticus said. "I wonder what sort of work he's doing."

"He's fucking your sister, that's what sort of work he's doing, as you're well aware." Mackenzie desperately wanted to say it aloud just to see the look on his face. "Yes, I know about your little entertainment habit, Atticus." The three of them made for quite the comedy, albeit a raunchy one. It almost seemed like Alexis wanted to be caught at times. She could be so reckless. Behind the lighthouse, in the woods, in the dorms – it was as if she had a checklist of places she meant to tick off before the year was out. Considering how cautious and sensible Alexis was in the other areas of her life, Mackenzie found this deceit delightfully charming. And Jamie, for all of his supposed cunning, was equally heedless in this matter. He didn't seem as enthusiastic about it as her, but he went along with it anyways. The true spice, though, was Atticus, who always seemed to know where they were and always seemed to have his camera on hand, ready for filming unbeknownst to the lovers. Part of her wondered to what use he was putting the film, but even her sensibilities shuddered at the implications. Besides, at the end of the day it was banal amusement, nothing more. Jamie would die soon, either by her hand or by this prophet Sartorius, and the matter would be moot. She supposed it could be used as leverage over the Rhodes siblings, although she had no doubt she could destroy either of them by force if needs be.

Kenzan, who was blissfully ignorant of these tangled webs, could at least discern that something was going on beneath the surface of what seemed to be still waters. "Man, ya'll Obelisks are a bunch of drama queens. That's why I'm stayin' in Ra. Erm, beggin your pardon ma'am." He added at the baleful look Jasmine sent him.

She couldn't argue with him on that. "Let's keep moving, we're almost at the Kuriboh hotel."

However, the hotel didn't seem to be getting any closer, no matter how far they walked. And come to think of it, they had just seen that same cop walking a while back…and why the hell were they still on 24th street after walking for twenty minutes?

Mackenzie summoned the darkness, the tendrils grasping greedily within her as they awoke. It always wanted more, and if Mackenzie did not control it carefully it would dominate her completely. As her powers rose from their slumber, the illusion began to crumble in her sight. They had been tricked into walking around the same block multiple times through some weird magic involving the refraction of light. Mirrors. Using the shadow magic granted to her by the power of Tragodeia, Mackenzie dispelled the glamor, revealing that they were in an entirely different part of town, even further away from their destination than when they started out.

"Hey, what in the sam hill?!" Kenzan exclaimed, the group suddenly feeling disoriented by the special displacement. Mackenzie feigned surprise just in time. "Egad, we've been misled!" She exclaimed blandly.

Jasmine clenched a fist. "Come out, whoever you are! You'll regret messing with us!

In the air appeared four mirrors, each perfectly circular and pristine. "At last, one of the ones I seek." The image of a woman with black hair, crimson lipstick, and lavender eyes appeared in the looking glass. "I have already found your compatriot, Unseeable One."

"Speak plainly! We're on a mission to find our friends, and we don't have time for this!" Atticus protested.

"The night is only so long, and I must move quickly. Forgive my rude dismissal, but I only require one of you." Suddenly, the air between the four students shimmered and changed almost imperceptibly. Jasmine was separated from Mackenzie who was separated from the duo of Kenzan and Atticus by invisible walls, as if they were mimes. The barriers were completely impermeable, very little sound passing through the glass.

"What sorcery is this!? Who do you think you are!? Do you work with Sartorius?" Jasmine bellowed, but she was paid no heed.

"Mackenzie! Just hold on, I'll find a way through!" Atticus fruitlessly called. How noble of him to come to her rescue – she looked forward to the day he realized the true depths of her power, and despaired. This magician's trick did not intimidate her, not when the true dark magic, the ancient powers tracing their lineage to the days of Atem and Bakura, were at her beck and call.

Suddenly, the four duelists fell through the ground, tumbling through an endless cavern of mirrors, multi-faceted reflections showing a million tiny images of the same objects. Falling, falling….and they were each somewhere else. While the others screamed, Mackenzie smiled silently and enjoyed the ride.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

(Seto Kaiba POV)

"Fuck, that was a long elevator ride." Kaiba stretched his arms as they exited onto the hotel's roof. It was flat, with a few air conditioning and heating units scattered around the plane. The distinguishing feature was the enormous golden Kuriboh statue at the center of the roof, the structure spinning around slowly as lights flashed from underneath the foundation.

"I agree with your sentiment, if not your foul language." Sartorius yawned before activating his duel disk, taking his place across the makeshift field from his adversary.

"Oh, gag me. You brainwash children and scheme against my company, but saying the word fuck is beyond the pale? But then, I suppose if your like didn't have double standards, you'd have none at all."

"The hypocrisies of humanity are certainly fascinating, mister Kaiba. I, for one, find it interesting that a man who claims to only look to the future still holds a petty grudge over being beaten at a card game once."

Kaiba refused to let the admittedly cutting slight affect his composure. "All people are hypocrites to some degree, it's true. I am what I am, and pretend to be nothing else. That is the difference between us."

"I think in this duel you will find more than that separates us. I will grant you the first turn, to demonstrate. I thank God that I have been granted this opportunity to show a man such as yourself the right path."

"Very well! I was getting tired of talking anyways. Believe me, you'll wish you were facing Yugi after this!" Kaiba's blood roared at the prospect of a real battle, one where he could go all out without hesitation or delay. "I'll start by activating this spell - The Melody of Awakening Dragon! By discarding a card, I can add two dragons with 3000 or more attack and 2500 or less defense to my hand!" What Kaiba was searching was no mystery. "The card I discarded to activate this effect was The White Stone of Legend (300/200). When it is sent to the graveyard, I'm allowed to add another Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my deck to my hand!"

"From there, I'll play the spell Trade-In! By discarding a level eight monster, I can draw two more cards!" Looking upon his two new draws, Kaiba smirked before exploding into a full-on cackle. "Sartorius, if you are truly blessed by divine providence as you claim, then this move should only be a minor hindrance, no? Activate ritual spell, Advanced Ritual Art!"

Kaiba was not known for frequently ritual summoning, but the blast had brought about powerful new creatures that required such sacrifices. "By sending a level eight normal monster from my deck to the graveyard, I can ritual summon a level eight ritual monster from my hand!"

Shadowy chains made of black fire interconnected in the sky, forming a pentagram seal through which chaos energy could flow with reckless abandon. "Through the power of chaos magic, my pride and joy, my truest love transforms into an unstoppable force of nature! I ritual summon Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon (4000/0)!"

Even the beautiful and sleek Blue-Eyes White Dragon would look positively pedestrian when placed next to this creature. It was far larger than an "ordinary" Blue-Eyes, and its scales were inlaid with glowing alien neon blue gemstones, reflective and almost holographic in the city lights.

"Don't blink, because I'm only getting started! By revealing a Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand, I can special summon Blue Eyes Alternative White Dragon (3000/2500) to the field!" This dragon was more similar to the original in looks, although its scales were steely and almost mechanical in comparison.

"Then, for my normal summon, I'll play Sage with Eyes of Blue (0/1500)!" This was not a dragon, but a young man with long white hair and piercing azure eyes, his raiment a similarly deep and striking blue. His expression was haughty and aloof. "When this monster is normal summoned, I can add a level one Light Tuner from deck to hand."

"And now, I'll tune the level one Sage with the level eight Blue-Eyes Alternative Dragon for a level nine synchro summon!" Kaiba had practiced the new technique with his brother and Yugi, along with the black Exceed summoning art. Yugi's new cards seemed more conducive to Exceed summoning, while Synchro monsters fit his new strategy better.

"You should have battled me before these new summoning arts came around, Sartorius, because now there is no stopping me! I synchro summon Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon (2500/3000) in defense mode!" Through a pillar of green rings emerged a dragon of pure, spectral white. It looked just like a normal Blue-Eyes, only faded and translucent in form, like the morning mist. Against the light of the moon, it was almost impossible to distinguish.

"Then, I'll play a face-down and end my turn!" Kaiba ended with two enormous dragons on his side of the field, each fearsomely strong and packed with strong effects. However, Sartorius' expression remained eerily still, even his eyes not moving. He did not speak as he drew his first card.

"Well, how about it?! If you are a true duelist, this much shouldn't be a challenge for you!" Kaiba provoked.

"A true duelist…I don't believe I am one. To be honest, I dislike dueling. This game was birthed in blood, starting out as an unholy ritual by your Egyptians, the battles waged only to sate the sinful cravings of your so-called gods. It is the same with those accursed Millennium Items, such as the Rod wielded by your ancestor, the Pharaoh's priest. I know they were made with blood magic and human sacrifice. And in return, the pharaoh and his retainers were granted demonic powers with which to rule a country, Atem turning a blind eye to the butchery that granted such power in the first place. If that is what a duelist is, I vowed never to become one. But the Lord of Light, the true god, has called upon me to be a warrior, so that is what I am now. Dueling is the only way anything changes in this world. It is the only way to save this world from the sinners."

"None of that ancient Egyptian bullshit matters to me anymore – it's your sanctimonious performance that really pisses me off. I know what true evil is, Sartorius. I know it better than most." For a moment, Kaiba thought of Yugi's grandfather sprawled on the floor. He thought of a chamber filled with falling blocks, and a chainsaw dipped in oil. The regret stung sharply, like lemon juice squirted into a wound. "So for the last time, shut the fuck up about this savior business and show me your power." Kaiba could not stand the blatant farce.

"Be careful what you wish for, mister Kaiba." Sartorius drew. "I'm going to take everything, you know. Everything. I activate Cup of Ace."

A golden chalice appeared on his side of the field. "To use this spell, I must flip a coin. If it lands on heads, I draw two cards. If it lands on tails, you get to draw two cards." Sartorius made to retrieve a coin from his jacket pocket before Kaiba interrupted.

"I'll supply the coin, motherfucker." The CEO pulled out a coin from his wallet and threw it at Sartorius. Sartorius tried to catch it, however – the throw was a little too high and he failed to get it before it went tumbling over the edge of the hotel roof. "Sorry." Sartorius mumbled.

"Fuck! Here's another one." This time Kaiba awkwardly walked over and palmed the penny into Sartorius' palm before grumpily walking back over to his field.

"Anyways…" Sartorius flipped the coin into the air. However, the winds were intense this high up, and once again the coin went clattering down the side of the building. "Oh, forget it. Let's just use the duel disk." The machine had a simple randomizer than simulated a coin flip – it was less dramatic than a real coin, so neither duelist liked to use it unless necessary. Luckily (ha), Sartorius' powers worked just as well on the duel disk as they would on a coin.

"Heads." Sartorius slowly plucked two cards from his deck.

"Lucky. Don't think those gimmicks will get you far against me." Kaiba sneered. He knew the duel disks had several safeguards that would require a mastermind to hack – there was no way Sartorius could afford to hire the sort of talent that could crack the disk. It had to be luck, that's all.

"Then, I'll set a monster and two face-down cards before ending my turn." Sartorius' move was subtle in comparison to Kaiba's ostentatiousness.

"Is that all? FINE!" Kaiba roared. "When Chaos MAX Dragon attacks a monster in defense position, it inflicts doubled piercing damage! Now take this! I attack with Super Ultimate Chaos MAX Burst Stream of Ultimate Destruction!"

Despite the silliness of the attack name, the actual thing was no joke – a pulsing, seemingly living blast of dark flame. "I see." Sartorius said calmly. "I activate my trap card, Spirit Barrier. While I have monsters on the field, this trap prevents me from taking battle damage."

"And my defensive monster is Arcana Force 0 – The Fool (0/0), which cannot be destroyed by battle." The creature was a bizarre, grey-skinned alien wearing the clothes of a medieval court jester. The fool danced around the flames, making light of the once-fierce attack.

"Spirit Barrier? That's odd." Kaiba mused. The card had some use but it was a niche choice to main deck. "Oh well. During my main phase 2, I set another card and end my turn." Next turn he would find a way around that trap.

"It's my turn. First, I summon Arcana Force VI – The Lovers (1600/1600) in attack position." This was another strange creature – it was another alien, vaguely curvy like a human woman, but with abnormally large hands. Kaiba found the monster uniquely disgusting.

"When this monster is summoned, I can flip a coin to decide its effect, as with all Arcana Force monsters." Sartorius showed Kaiba the duel disk's mini-screen, the randomizer again showing heads. "Now, I can treat this monster as two tributes for an Arcana Force monster. Then, I'll play the spell Double Summon, its effect being rather obvious."

The Lovers was offered up immediately as a tribute, its life force being used to construct a gigantic alien machine, its steel tendrils curling around a wedged base, powered by an orange energy core. Yellow lights light up the metal surface of the Light of Destruction warship. "I tribute summon Arcana Force XXI – Za Warudo – erm, sorry, I just had a bit of a cough, I meant to say The World (3100/3100)!"

"Damn it…that thing is even stronger than a Blue-eyes!" Kaiba snarled.

"Yes, but I would have no way of destroying your Chaos Max Dragon normally. 4000 attack points is still quite a lot, even in this brave new world, mister Kaiba. So I will require an additional spell – Shield and Sword. This magic switches the attack and defense values of all monsters on the field. Your Chaos MAX dragon cannot be targeted or destroyed by any card effects, it's true. However, Shield and Sword affects all monsters on the field and does not target, so it bypasses your defenses quite handily. And I believe Chaos MAX Dragon's defense value is zero, isn't that correct?" Sartorius asked calmly.

"Who the fuck plays Shield and Sword?" Kaiba couldn't believe it – this deck was completely random, it seemed, using cards that even a rogue strategy wouldn't attempt, and yet it was stifling him, HIM, at every turn!

"The World's defense is the same as its attack value – 3100. Regardless of the inversion, it is the same – much like how destiny must arrive, regardless of man's efforts to impose his will on the world." Sartorius threatened to go into another long speech before Kaiba's groans cut him off. "Oh very well, I will just attack Chaos MAX Dragon then."

The World blasted Kaiba's ritual monster, the yellow explosion pluming to the heavens and sending Kaiba sprawling to the floor. "ARRGH!" The pain was sharp and hot and real. He hadn't felt this since…Egypt. (Kaiba 900/Sartorius 4000)

"What the…what are you?! What is this?" He demanded, struggling to his feet after the mighty blow.

"The pain is needed, mister Kaiba. You'll understand once you embrace the light for yourself."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Kaiba's eyes widened.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxxX

(Aster Phoenix POV)

He rushed to the front of the hotel with Jaden, his former rival now his companion for the time being – he wondered how many more of these twists and turns the night would bring. Jaden himself was a strange one. Aster still didn't know what he was truly capable of, and his face, always smiling, never gave away anything.

"Alright bro, so here's the lowdown." Jaden stopped him before he could rush through the revolving door. "I should be able to get us up there undetected so long as I use a portal. It'll burn through my energy something fierce, but it will be faster, plus we won't have to deal with the hotel staff."

Aster cocked an eyebrow at him. "And you're certain you'll get us to the right place? You said before you couldn't control that…ability very well." The idea of actually traveling through portals was crazy, but Aster had already seen it done before, and he supposed the darkness had many such powers to those who would learn the black arts.

"Oh, that's only a problem over real long distances. Short ones like this are no sweat, my dude!" Jaden gave a cheesy thumbs-up.

"I am not your dude. Our goals are aligned in this instance, nothing more." He still didn't feel comfortable thinking of Jaden as a friend – it was merely an hour ago they were fighting tooth and nail against each other, and the Slifer Red was a sinner, a wielder of darkness!

"Haha, sure, my bad. Anyways, I'll set up the portal around the corner, so just walk forward and turn at the corner of the building. No, the other way." Jaden pointed Aster in the right direction, turning his shoulders. Aster recoiled from Jaden's touch and violently shrugged him off before the two boys stepped through the dark tunnel. After a short instance, they were standing behind a big temperature control unit that effectively obscured their presence from the duel happening on the roof. As far as they knew, Kaiba and Sartorius has no idea they were there. Which was good, because it appeared Sartorius was in the middle of a monologue – a common occurrence in these duels, but its contents were the remarkable part.

"I said, mister Kaiba, that you will understand once you embrace the light for yourself. All of these pathetic humans will understand, and true peace will be attained, once the light reaches every crack and every crevice. The scum will have no place to hide. Then, this planet will be wiped clean, and we will live in a world free of sinners." Sartorius was rapturous and spoke with deep conviction.

"What on earth is he talking about?" Aster muttered to himself. Sartorius had never talked about wiping the planet clean before, whatever that meant. Their mission was to spread the word of the Light through good deeds…wasn't it?

"Forgive me mister Kaiba, I know how badly you wanted me to stop talking, but it's just so wonderful! At long last, the bloody history of humanity and the cursed game of Duel Monsters will be washed away, the crimson replaced with endless, clean white! A clean world! And it will start with the clipping of the dragon's wings!" Gone was the eerie, calm façade of before – now, Sartorius' body was enshrouded in a violent white aura, the energy lashing out uncontrollably. His blue hair was flowing freely, chaotically. His teeth seemed longer and sharper, and his gaze became downright psychotic.

Aster was shocked speechless, nearly flattened at the intense killing intent Sartorius was exuding. He could barely breathe – the air itself seemed to vibrate with the weight of the power on display. To his credit, Kaiba did not seem to notice it, and Jaden, while clearly struggling, wasn't as bad off as Aster was. "Woah, his fighting spirit's something else!" Jaden noted, impressed. What had he seen in the Spirit World that this would not render him useless?

"I'll end my turn by activating the continuous trap The Material Lord!" Although the trap didn't have any effect upon activation, something told Aster that it would come in handy later.

Seto Kaiba had fully recovered from the intense attack, standing tall and proud in the face of his opponent. "I will never let that happen. I have people I need to protect, and more importantly, I won't let some trash duelist like you trample on my pride!" He roared. "It's my turn!"

Aster slumped against the metal box – what had happened to his childhood friend, who had helped him out when he needed it the most? Was this his true nature? Was their shared struggle really just for this? Jaden's expression had grown serious, but not surprised. Did he know this already?

"I activate Return of the Dragon Lords, allowing me to summon a dragon from my graveyard! I choose Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!" The metallic white dragon rose from the depths, fiercely defiant in the face of what was revealed to be a cosmic threat.

"I activate my dragon's effect! Once per turn, I can destroy a monster on the field, at the cost of Alternative Dragon not being able to attack this turn!" Kaiba was sweating, fighting on against a cosmic, godlike entity. The Blue-Eyes launched a ferocious stream of blue against The World, the metal sloughing into nothingness against the concentrated laser. It took a bit of time, but the machine was eventually broken down.

"Now, die!" The sheer mass of duel energy had pushed Kaiba into survival mode, and he was no longer mincing words or intent. Its like had not been seen since the days of Zorc and the Orichalcos. "Blue Eyes Spirit Dragon, attack directly!"

The rushing beam of astral energy struck Sartorius, and now he was the one reeling in pain, clutching his side as he dropped to one knee. Blood seeped from his mouth, dripping off at the chin and staining his white coat. "Damn this weak vessel…damn it!" (Kaiba 900/Sartorius 1500)

In between hitched breaths, Kaiba laughed madly. He felt the reason leave his body in the madness of combat, and he loved it! "Careful! It looks like you got some blood on your pretty white clothes!"

Sartorius stumbled, but he did manage to stand eventually. "Aaaaah….well struck. Destiny has great plans for your strength, when you serve the light."

"I decide my own fate! No one else!" Kaiba snarled.

"Oh? I suppose you have always been a skeptic, mister Kaiba. In truth, I am glad you were my first true opponent. Even after I have had my fill of toying with these humans, after I have destroyed this planet and this solar system and this entire galaxy, I doubt I will require the use of more power than right now, against you. So count yourself fortunate, for this is where it will all originate! The end of Earth, and the dawn of a new day!" Sartorius drew.

"I activate another copy of Cup of Ace!" Kaiba watched on tenterhooks as the duel disk signaled a coin flip result of heads again.

"You are a fucking cheater! There's no way that anyone could be so lucky!" Kaiba's voice was growing hoarse from the shouting.

Sartorius only response was a contemptuous smile as he slowly drew the cards. "Now, I'll play two cards face-down before activating the spell card Suit of Sword X!"

The card showed a hill of swords, each lined up and plunged into the earth against the backdrop of a crescent moon. "But this sword is double-edged, for its effect relies on a coin flip. If I call heads, than all of your monsters are destroyed. If I call tails, then all of my monsters are destroyed. Of course, since I have no monsters on my field, I only take a minus one if I call the toss incorrectly."

At this point, the whole ceremony was mocking, since everyone knew the coin flip would be whatever Sartorius wished it to be. "He's able to manipulate fate using the Light's power." Jaden whispered. "Talk about bad sportsmanship!"

"To use the Light's power to deceive like this…I never thought Sartorius capable of such a thing." If this was the real Sartorius, Aster was beginning to realize he never knew the man at all.

"The result is heads!" Sartorius declared as a storm of swords rained from the sky, their path set on Kaiba's dragons.

"From the graveyard, I use the effect of Return of the Dragon Lords! By banishing it from the graveyard, I can prevent the destruction of my dragons one time!" Kaiba swiped his hand, and a green barrier materialized in front of his two beasts, the swords harmlessly bouncing off of it. "You see! Even with your pathetic cheating, I can still outplay you!"

"Honor is merely the privilege of the strong, who know they can afford to weaken themselves with a cloak of false morality. The Lord's blessing is all I need, not the approval of sinful men." Sartorius replied easily. "Next, I'll set another monster before activating the spell One Day of Peace. Each of us gets to draw one card, but neither of us can inflict any damage until the end of your next turn."

"I draw!" Kaiba continued. This card wasn't very useful – and what a time to brick! "I'll use Blue Eyes' effect again to destroy your set monster." The face-down creature was Arcana Force I – The Magician (1100/1100) – it was easily blasted away, but the victory was hollow since Kaiba still couldn't inflict any damage.

"Then, I'll switch Blue-Eyes Alternative and Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon to defense mode. I set a card and end my turn." Kaiba huffed.

"My turn." Sartorius smiled. "First, I'll play Foolish Burial, allowing me to send Arcana Force XII – The Hanged Man from deck to the grave. This triggers my other trap card, The Spiritual Lord. Then, from my hand, I'll activate the third of the Lord Pillars – the continuous spell The Sky Lord!"

The three continuous cards weren't on the field for long, however. Almost immediately, their forms began to evaporate into mist and light. "By sending the three lord pillars – Material, Spiritual, and Sky – I can summon a particular monster from my deck to the field!"

Green, red, and blue spiraled together and took solid shape, forming a wall of light that eventually gave way to a tremendous creature. "I summon Arcana Force EX – The Light Ruler (4000/4000)!" The alien construct's main body was covered in dark blue alloy with crimson accents, a single eye unblinking out of its head. Two serpentine extensions coiled from its frame, their ends in the shape of dragon's heads.

"Is that your big bad boss monster?" Kaiba sneered.

Sartorius did not deign to respond. "Attack the Blue-Eyes Alternative Dragon!" In an instant, the Light Ruler let loose a wall of white energy that quickly engulfed the monster. "Urk!" Kaiba struggled to keep a lid on the pain as his monster was destroyed.

"When the Light Ruler destroys a monster, I can add a card from my graveyard to my hand." Sartorius retrieved a Cup of Ace, which he then immediately activated. For the third time, he got heads, letting him draw two. He set them quickly and ended his turn.

"Even with all of this blatant cheating, even with you drawing half of your deck off of that fucking Cup of Ace, you still won't beat me! " Kaiba declared. "I play Card of Demise – this lets me draw five cards, so long as I discard my hand in five turns." Of course, Card of Demise was far less powerful in Jamie Lancaster's reality, but no one present knew that.

Now, bear witness to true power, power that surpasses all of the so-called gods! I cast the spell Dragon's Mirror!"

In the sky, an enormous looking glass overlooked the dueling field, the lights of the city glaring off of it. "This allows me to fusion summon a dragon monster using materials from my graveyard! My three Blue-Eyes, take a new form – the ultimate creature of destruction! I summon Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (4500/3800)!"

The glass shattered, the holographic shards raining harmlessly upon the field. From the now empty mirror frame emerged the three-headed dragon, more a silvery chrome in color than white, and replete in metallic scales. The dragon could be seen from any point in the city, even from the sea. Jaden and Aster were frozen behind the A/C unit, speechless at the sight of the dragon that surpassed the gods. The Synchro Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon next to it looked like a puppy.

"Don't feel bad, Sartorius. You never really stood a chance against my power." Kaiba said quietly as each head of the dragon charged an energy beam.

"You and your ambitions are over – Lancaster has probably already defeated your puppet Aster, and once I find these duel spirits you've recruited, they will share your fate. Blame yourself for involving magic – otherwise, you might have lived another day. Oh well. Now be a good man and tell God this when you get to heaven – I plan on buying the place out someday, and I'll beat any price he names!" Kaiba thrust his hand outward, signaling the attack.

Only the attack the never came. Each of the dragon's necks were choked with black rings, bombs encircling the metal. "What?" He exclaimed before looking over to Sartorius' field, finding a flipped-over trap card.

"I believe you already have some familiarity with this particular card. It's called Ring of Destruction. This game is over." Sartorius coldly intoned.

"Hmph, a draw? So be it, then. If you think you will escape my wrath just because of that..." Kaiba snickered.

"I activate my final set card. This should be familiar to you as well. Ring of Defense." A green shield materialized in front of Sartorius, protecting him from any effect damage."

Kaiba could only stare on in silence and shock as the explosions went off, the remains of the proud dragon disappearing like fog in the night air. "How dare you…how dare you?!" (Kaiba 0/Sartorius 1500)

Sartorius let out a sigh of relief, his features becoming calm and eerie once again as his white aura gradually cooled down. He stumbled for a moment before walking over to Kaiba, who was down on one knee.

"It appears I am the victor. By your logic, that makes me correct, and my ideology more legitimate, doesn't it?" Sartorius said as he caught his breath.

Kaiba's expression was of the purest rage. "You dare judge me?! ME!? You played trash cards, you cheated every step of the way with your parlor tricks, and even then it almost wasn't enough! How dare you!?"

"In the pursuit of noblest ends, any means are justified. Is that not also your belief? You certainly spare your enemies no mercy unless the King of Games is breathing down your neck. You believe yourself above judgment, when you have destroyed countless in your pursuit of power? The Light weighs all of our sins, even the mighty White Dragon's. But worry not, for in service you will atone." Sartorius opened his palm. "I told you I was going to take everything."

"I…I can't move! What have you done?" Kaiba shouted. "YOU FUCKING SCUM! You will pay for this in blood! I swear you will! You third-rate trash duelist!"

"Before your baptism, would you care to speak a final word as your former self?" Sartorius offered with a wide smile.

"You have no right to judge me." Seto Kaiba said, staring right into Sartorius' eyes.

"Fitting. Now be warned – this will be more painful if you resist." Sartorius cast a white veil over the defeated dragon's genuflected frame, and Kaiba screamed. The endless shrieks of agony echoed off the buildings and into the uncaring sky.

"I can't watch this any more!" Jaden moved to get up, but Aster forced him back down.

"No! It's too late – when this duel started, the wheel of fate was already spinning. There's nothing we can do, he'll destroy us both if we fight now. We have to get out of here." Aster shook his head.

"You don't want to help your friend?" Jaden asked seriously, evidently not sure how Aster would answer.

"Of course not. Whatever that thing is, it is not Sartorius. For my friend's sake, and for justice, I will offer you my assistance."

Jaden nodded, realizing that was about as good as he was going to get from Aster. "Okay, then let's roll out. I should be able to get us to the ground, but from there we'll have to escape on foot, so get ready to run in that suit of yours."

Kaiba's screams ceased, and the rooftop was utterly silent. "Whew, that took a lot of energy. He was tough to subdue. Anyways," Sartorius cleared his throat. "Arise and be reborn, child of the light." The Light duelist's voice was rich and satisfied.

Peering over the box, the two boys saw Kaiba stand, his eyes blank and cold. "Thank you, Sartorius. Where once I was blind, now I see. From this day forward, I will serve the Light humbly, to atone for my past misdeeds." He said robotically.

Sartorius smiled. "It gladdens my heart to hear that. Embrace me, brother, and let us reaffirm our mission."

They hugged, a sight that Aster found uniquely chilling.

"A clean world, free of sinners." They said simultaneously. "Do you sense the watchers, Seto? Now that the duel is finished, I've finally noticed them." Sartorius asked casually, causing Jaden and Aster to glance at each other nervously. Jaden clasped his hands together, summoning the power of the Gentle Darkness.

"I do, now that my eyes have been opened." Kaiba responded. Seeing that there was no longer any point in hiding, Aster and Jaden sprung out of hiding and began backing away from the two now-allies.

"Aster, I see you managed to deal with that Lancaster boy. I suppose he wasn't too much of a threat after all. But…what are you doing with Jaden?" Sartorius' voice was full of concern, but it all rang false to Aster now. He didn't particularly care to correct Sartorius' mistaken assumption about Jamie Lancaster either.

"We heard everything, and we're not gonna let you get away with your plan!" Jaden spoke up boldly, shaking his fist at Sartorius.

"Ah." Sartorius' smile faded. "That was not intended for you to hear. I'm sorry, Aster. I really am." He advanced upon Aster with a grim expression.

"You lied to me…all of these years you pretended to be my friend…why?!" Aster bellowed at him.

"I never lied about being your friend. I truly did want to help you find a better path…and that path is with the light. Please, join my side once more. You, along with the rest of the light's children will be the founders of a new world, one without the dregs of humanity." Sartorius' words sounded so sincere, so emotional, that it was hard for Aster to dismiss them.

But the truth was different – he could tell because it was so hard to face. "I can't. Not when I've just seen you brainwash someone, not when I've heard you talk of mankind's extermination. The true god would never approve of this, nor would Sartorius! Who are you and what have you done with my friend?" Aster accused.

"Very astute." Sartorius nearly growled. "Then there is little left to discuss. Especially if you've made common cause with Jaden Yuki, the Supreme King of Darkness."

"I answer mainly to my lord, but my liege is also acceptable." Jaden snarked before tugging on Aster's arm. "Come on, we need to go!"

Aster cried, "Sartorius…I will find a way to get you back!"

With a heave of effort, Jaden successfully opened the dark portal. The last thing Aster saw before falling through the gate were the placid, eerie faces of Sartorius and Kaiba. When he got his bearings again, they were on the ground, in front of the hotel's main entrance. Jaden looked visibly exhausted, but he pressed on anyways.

"Hurry! There's no time! We have to get somewhere safe!" Jaden urged, weaving through the throngs of people on the sidewalk in an effort to lose the surely pursuing Sartorius and Kaiba.

"I don't take orders from you!" Aster grumbled, though he did as Jaden bid anyways.

XxXxXxXxXxXXxXxxXxXx

(Reggie Mackenzie POV)

Mackenzie found herself alone in the downtown fervor. Here, the cars were moving faster, and the lights seemed brighter and more vivid, totally electric. In the heart of the concrete beast, everything became more intense. The steel obelisks sparkled violently, blocking out the sky but for a mocking patch of blotted, faint stars. The faces of the city dwellers seemed connected by electricity, except for one. This face did not belong, not here, not anywhere. The body language was curiously guarded and weird and thus it intrigued her tremendously. She was attracted to the energy within, if only because it was so bizarre and seemingly inexplainable.

"Well well, a wild Lancaster appears." Mackenzie drolly observed. Jamie was dressed in an inconspicuous hoodie and joggers, clearly planning on avoiding attention. But avoiding attention from whom?

His eyes flashed inscrutably upon recognizing her. "You move quietly, Mackenzie. You know, the city is full of danger tonight. You shouldn't be out by yourself." The neon lights above washed the street in fluorescent purple light.

"I could say the same of you. I did have some friends with me, but it seems we got separated. Would you believe me if I told you it was by accident?" Mackenzie enjoyed playing word games with him, and she knew he got a bit of a thrill from it as well. She didn't even care so much for "winning" the battle of wits, but rather she enjoyed playing for the sheer pleasure of harassing and sparring against a formidable adversary. It mattered little when she knew she could win the battles involving cards - that was the only battle that really counted.

"A happy accident, perhaps…" Jamie replied.

"So, are you out on business for mister Kaiba, or is this a personal outing? The city has many pleasures, as well as dangers." She warned playfully.

"A little business and a little pleasure. Destroying my enemies does bring me a certain sense of…enjoyment and the night is still young." Jamie admitted.

"I completely agree." Mackenzie answered with a smile. "I fear our enemies have found poor Jaden. He sent his little henchman Syrus a message that he was in this city, but nothing more after that. I hope he has not run afoul of wicked Aster Phoenix and his master Sartorius."

"Jaden does have many qualities that would inspire someone to seek him out. Did you know his Winged Kuriboh is a duel spirit? I didn't, until recently." Jamie teased. Her smile faded, realizing that Jamie somehow knew she wanted Winged Kuriboh. Did he know why? "Duel Spirits have frequently been a thorn in my side, but at least someone stole Chazz Princeton's Light and Darkness Dragon from him for me. That man has always annoyed me. I would thank the one who did the deed. If only I knew whom to thank." Jamie's eyes bored into her.

"Well, let me know if you ever find that person. So, you're out on your own. Does the headmaster know about this little indiscretion?" Mackenzie redirected the subject, stamping down the trace of nervousness within.

"Oh yes, the headmaster's disapproval would be incredibly damning." Jamie said sarcastically. "I was hoping to avoid Crowler's fearsome wrath by bringing back the missing Jaden – the two have always gotten along well -, but sadly I have no idea where he is."

"Really." The word slowly unfurled from her lips. "For some reason I don't believe that."

"He is a good friend. We fought Kagemaru the Immortal together, and have had many good times besides. I would never abandon him." Jamie's words were emotive, perhaps the first sincere ones he had said to her this night. "And I would never let anyone hurt my friends. Call that cheesy, call that corny, I don't care."

"We're friends, aren't we Jamie?" Mackenzie asked, putting a little extra sweetness into his name. She knew better than most that he wasn't made of stone when it came to the opposite sex. "I'd like to think we are."

"Oh, please." Jamie's face curdled with disgust, his patience with this charade clearly reaching its limits.

"We are, really! We have so much in common. Why, I think I understand you better than most of these silly schoolchildren. Far more than Miss Rhodes, despite her familiarity with your body." She enjoyed watching his eyes widen in shock and terror. "Oh yes, and I'm not the only one who knows. Trust me, the other one is enjoying the watching more than me."

"Who else?" Jamie leaned in and spoke lowly.

"Someone in blue." She chirped. "Oh come on, what's the big deal? Of all your little secrets, I'd wager this one is one of the less important to prevent getting out. And I confess, I've gotten my own certain sense of enjoyment from watching you and her play…" She quickly dragged him into the alleyway and pinned him against the wall, her fingers trailing along his neck. She was taller than him, and he couldn't prevent his eyes from staring at her breasts. "We are just the same, you and I."

After a moment of hesitation, he grew angry and shoved her away. "Leave me alone. You know nothing about me. Nothing!" His green irises were ablaze with a mixture of hatred and desire. Before she could respond, however, they both caught sight of another mysterious mirror shimmering into existence at the end of the alley. Behind them, an identical mirror materialized, trapping the both of them in the narrow passageway.

"Ah, there you are…the Unseeable Ones." The black-haired woman from before appeared in the glass. Strangely, Jamie seemed to recognize her, his anger still stoked.

"You! I know you!" He shouted.

"Come this way. Step into the mirror, either one. I wish to test your powers for myself, for they are neither the Light of Destruction nor the Darkness of Creation." The miko said cryptically.

"I imagine you have a certain incentive to ensure our cooperation with your experiment." Jamie said.

"Why, yes." The mirror's image warped and twisted until it showed two cartoon animals, one of which being a brown Tyrannosaurus Rex while the other was a black-scaled dragon with chibi-cute crimson eyes. "Kenzan and Atticus will be granted the opportunity to escape their Fursonas if your efforts prove satisfactory."

Mackenzie couldn't help but chuckle at the predicament the two simpletons were put in. "Very well – it seems we have no choice if we mean to rescue our dear friends, isn't that so Jamie?'

"…yes." He ground out. "It appears we will have to work together."

"Oh come now, you make it sound terrible." She grinned. "You had best be careful Lancaster…I'd like to have some fun with you, but if the opportunity arises to dispose of a potential threat…I just may have no choice but to take it. Nothing personal, sweetie."

She had no doubt he was thinking the same thing. Minus the sweetie part.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxxXx

(The Chazz Princeton POV)

Thick clouds blotted the coastline, unusually violet peals of lightning arcing along their puffy surfaces. The city looked calm at a glance, but he knew that battles of all sorts were taking place within. When he focused, he saw white dragons encircling the KaibaCorp headquarters. Near some hotel, he saw Crowler's Ancient Gear Golem looming over, its single red eye glaring. "The big bitch." He thought with a tight frown. And at each corner of the city, a translucent barrier impeded entry or exit to all but those with the sight and the strength to make their way through by force. There were petty kings on every corner, and the thought riled his humors. Two steely grey submarines docked quietly in Domino City, but inside the stereo systems were blasting 80's rock music.

"~I was born to run, I was born to dream – the craziest boy you've ever seen…I've gotta do it my way, or no way at all~"

"It looks like they're fighting duel spirits, the spirits of the Monarchs. If this Sartorius guy was able to recruit spirits if this caliber, he's gotta be pretty strong." Jesse Anderson surmised casually, his feet resting on an empty stool. Inside, the submarine was bathed in red light.

"Landfall in five minutes – please prepare for departure." The pilot intoned.

"~And I was here to please, I'm even on my knees, making love to whoever I please! I gotta do it my way, I gotta do it my way!~"

"Hmph! And would you look at the time – it's Chazz O'Clock!" The Chazz Princeton stood near the pilot's cabin, his arms crossed. In the other ships sat dozens of northerners – they had come south on a mission of mercy, though for whom…The Chazz was glad to keep them guessing until the last second. "My friend, I'm coming to your rescue. Mark my words, I won't fail this time." The Chazz outwardly boasted, but inwardly his vow was solemn.

"~And then you came around, tried to tie me down, I was such a clown…you had to have it your way, but I'm saying no way!~"

At the crack of thunder, The Chazz clenched his fists. "It is time to take back what is mine! Light and Darkness Dragon, once you are back at my side we will remind all of these people who the true successor to the title of King of Games is! It's not Jaden Yuki, nor Jamie Lancaster, not Aster Phoenix or especially Reggie Mackenzie! It is Chazz Princeton, the Black Thunderbolt and the King in the North! Come at me, you fucking virgins! I'll fight all of you!"

Jesse bemusedly chuckled at The Chazz's grandstanding, while the Ojama duel spirits chanted "Chazz it up! Chazz it up! Chazz it up!"

"~So why don't you turn me loose, turn me loose, turn me loose! I gotta do it my way, or no way at all!~" Loverboy's vocalist crooned as the Northerners made landfall.

"For the glory of The Chazz!" The northerners made their battle cry known.

A/N

Hope you all enjoyed.

I expect there will be some controversy with the result of the duel - believe me, as a Kaiba fanboy, parts of this were painful to write, but I believe it is in keeping with Kaiba's showings in the original Duel Monsters series. Everyone who has ever taken a W off Kaiba in canon or filler had to cheat in order to do – I know some people get triggered when I point out that Yugi is cheating when he duels characters without supernatural powers, so sure, he's not cheating. He's just utilizing a resource that his opponent doesn't have access to in order to secure an advantage. There, that's way better right? LMAO people get salty about that (because it's true) so I'll stop, but my point is that historically, Kaiba only loses against opponents who are cheating their ass off with supernatural powers, which is exactly what Sartorius is doing here. We'll have to see how Mokuba and Yugi, among others, step up in response to this. Yugi will certainly regret not being more active in this matter. I hope you found this duel convincing, this was actually one of my first concepts when I was first thinking of this story, along with Jamie and Jaden vs Kagemaru and another scene coming up.

I know there is a lot going on in the plot right now, I hope it really captures the chaotic feeling of a group being separated in a busy city. To refresh, we have:

- Jamie and Mackenzie currently en route to rescue Kenzan and Atticus from Sarina, Sartorius' sister. This is similar to the situation in canon where Jaden and Aster teamed up to rescue Syrus and Kenzan from Sarina. Kenzan and Atticus did try to duel Sarina in this story but obviously they were defeated rather quickly. Atticus in the manga is an extremely top tier duelist on par with Zane, and he even copped a W off Jaden. In this story, he is more at his anime level of skill. Sarina's motivations will be revealed more in depth next chapter but they are not too different from canon at the end of the day. Meanwhile, there is tension of all sorts between Jamie and Mackenzie that will certainly complicate matters.

- Chazz, Jesse, and a group of Northerners arriving in the city for reasons unknown. I have always had a soft spot for Loverboy's song Turn Me Loose, which is also the title of one of my favorite Harry Potter fics, so I thought to make it The Chazz's theme song. And I am strongly considering referring to him as "The Chazz" all the time from now on.

- Jaden and Aster escaping from Sartorius and a possessed Seto Kaiba.

- Jasmine has been separated from the rest of her group, and her location is unknown at the moment.

- There are at least four Monarch duel spirits left in the city, perhaps more.

- Mokuba and Roland are on the lookout for the Monarchs, although their plans will certainly change once they are updated on the recent developments.

- Yugi is chilling at home looking after his grandfather. He will also certainly act upon getting an update from someone.

- Crowler and the rest of the Duel Academy students are at the hotel. Crowler and Bastion are worn out from their duels against the Monarchs, but Alexis, Erin, Syrus, and Adam are still fresh. Btw I'm glad Crowler's characterization seemed to work for you guys last time, I wasn't sure about how that would play.

So yeah there is a lot going on but I hope to bring things together in a satisfactory manner. I hope you all continue to enjoy the story and thanks for your continued readership!