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

53. Mad Mokuba: Beyond Thunder Dragon

Chapter 53: Mad Mokuba: Beyond Thunder Dragon

(Seto Kaiba POV)

"What is thy bidding, father?" Seto kneeled immediately upon entering Sartorius' private chambers. The room was incredibly bright, so much so that no shadows could be seen, even in the corners. Sartorius lived a simple existence, his home devoid of any unneeded possessions. Compared to the light's bounty, what was material pleasure? Nothing but a meagre distraction, in his opinion.

"My young friend," Sartorius liked to refer to him as such even though he was actually Seto's junior by six years, "I believe we will soon be ready to conduct our final attack on the island. The day's conclusion will see the destruction of this planet, and of the cursed game of duel monsters will finally end as well. Does this excite you, Seto?" As he spoke, Sartorius gazed upon his tarot cards, before shuffling them together.

"Of course, Father." Seto, the pioneer of Duel Monsters in its modern form, answered quickly. Sartorius was relieved to hear this – he had to use several layers of arcane mind control techniques to ensure Kaiba's compliance, whereas a simple mind wipe was all that was normally needed. He was confident that Kaiba's will was as locked down as it could possibly be, but Sartorius worried how much energy it required to accomplish such a thing. Even with his added contingencies, a momentary lapse in concentration could spell disaster. Seto's subconsciousness was tirelessly straining against the chains, not once giving in. Frankly, the affair was almost more trouble than it was worth, but Sartorius knew that having a duelist of Kaiba's power on his side would all but ensure victory, especially after Jasmine's preparations on the island. "I only hope that Yugi will be there. With the lord's providence, I will finally be able to defeat him!" Kaiba added.

"Abandon your pride, for it is a sin. It is enough that we will be completing our great work." Sartorius sharply reprimanded, and it pleased him to see the once-arrogant man shrink at his words. Seeing the proud brought low was one of life's great pleasures for Sartorius. He loved making Seto say and do things he would never consider as a free man – bowing, begging. Sartorius toyed with the idea of making the man wear a dog costume, but his only one was borrowed out at the moment, so the option was unavailable. "You don't get to stand on top of the world forever. In the end, God always wins. Sinner." Sartorius thought viciously.

"Nevertheless, the lord's providence will be welcome, for our opponents will be prepared. Perhaps Yugi will be there, as you said. There is also the heathen Reggie Mackenzie, whose powers hail from an ancient source…it is imperative that we extract as much information as possible before disposing of her. Old powers cloud her presence to my eyes. Of course, our great foe, the Supreme King of Darkness will also be present. Leave him to me. Jaden is the enemy I was born to fight. Perhaps once he is finally defeated, Aster will return to my side. If Aster engages you, do not hesitate to meet his force with your own. The boy needs a firm hand." The blue-haired man said, repressing a smile. He allowed Aster too much independence…the boy was always willful. Sartorius took him in, gave him a purpose, and this was how he was repaid?! Aster would have to be broken at every level this time.

Sartorius stood from his chair. "But none of these are so mysterious as this Lancaster boy."

"Jamie Lancaster? He was my personal intern last summer. Talented, but utterly ordinary. His dueling style is inhibited by practicality, and he lacks any ability to channel duel energy." Kaiba sneered.

"Be that as it may, his energy signature is utterly foreign to my perception. I have not sensed an aura like his in all the universe, certainly never from a human. More than being merely dark, it is unknowable, deep, eldritch. Is it possible that his cunning has allowed him to merely take on a human's guise, and in truth he is an abomination whose true form is beyond even my awakened comprehension…I advise caution, Seto." Sartorius warned.

"Not necessary, father. Lancaster is a child grown too big for his britches, that's all. I can handle him, along with the rest of his silly little clique, alone." Seto declared. None of Sartorius' admonishments could ever dim his incorrigible pride.

"I have no doubt that is the case, but I have reinforcements nevertheless." As Sartorius spoke, three visitors entered the room, as if on cue. A slim man with russet hair framing aristocratic features stood at the front, wearing a white and red blazer with a mysterious insignia on the breast. Behind him stood a woman with demure posture, carrying a heavy silver briefcase. Off to the side, there was a man in a sharp charcoal suit with a similarly smart haircut, his harsh expression accentuated by a black goatee and thin spectacles.

"Seto, this is Prince Ojin of Misgarth, along with his aide Linda." Ojin smirked, clearly expecting Kaiba to bow in recognition of his royal person. Kaiba only barely inclined his head to the pair.

"And this is the pro duelist known as DD." Sartorius smiled at the black-haired man.

"Yes, I know this one from the circuit." Kaiba seemed to regard him with slightly more respect. "If we are to be allies, so be it. Just don't get in my way. I am more than capable of defeating the entire island myself, including Yugi." From anyone else, it would be an absurd boast.

"We have our own reasons for coming along. Rest assured, you will have ample space to do your work, mister Kaiba." The dark-haired man replied unctuously, while the prince seemed to chafe in Kaiba's presence. Linda, on the other hand, maintained an even-keeled composure.

"I have a special honor to bestow upon you, my friend." Sartorius nodded at Linda, and she opened the briefcase, revealing, among other things, two odd-looking crystalline pendants.

"The purpose of these two keys will become apparent in time. For now, I am entrusting one to you for safekeeping, while I hold onto the other one. I am confident that between the two of us, they will be safe." Sartorius tucked one into his jacket pocket while handing the other one to Kaiba.

"What's this for?" The White Dragon demanded.

Pain tickled the edges of his mind as Sartorius tightened his control. "The exact purpose is irrelevant at the moment, as I have already said. Take it." Sartorius said forcefully. "Every little thing is a trial with him. It's worse than parenting…at least babies are cute. And I fear with distance, my control may weaken. I will have to stay close at all times."

The satellite that would destroy the earth was fully operational with regards to the framework, but it would require much more duel energy than currently present to power it – every student and teacher's forcible contribution would be enough. Then, the game of duel monsters would be gone forever, and the Light of Destruction would be free to spread throughout the universe. "I sense a contingent of powerful duel spirits have arrived to the planet…if they are on the surface when the satellite is powered, then all the better. Nothing like killing billions of birds with one stone." Sartorius thought.

Once Seto finally took the key, Sartorius announced, "We will depart for the island shortly. The enemy will doubtless meet us upon arrival, so be prepared. May the Lord's Light shine bright within us."

"For the night is dark and full of terrors." The other four finished.

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(Jamie Lancaster POV)

"I've heard word from Roland at sea. They're on their way and will most likely land within the next four hours." I said stoically to Alexis. The two of us watched the sunrise, both realizing that the day's end could also spell the end of earth.

Alexis nodded, staring forward at the morning sunrise with a warrior's grim resolve. "Well, at least we don't have to wait any longer. People are starting to get a little stir-crazy around here."

"Yeah, no shit. You could probably sell cigarettes to Mokuba for five bucks apiece right about now." I said, and we both laughed, a sudden release of the enormous pressure we were both feeling. Sadly, our usual methods of stress relief weren't quite working, though not for lack of trying last night.

"We're united, as much as possible anyways. We have all the students, the teachers, Aster, the Northerners, and Mokuba here. That's gotta be enough to beat back whatever Sartorius is bringing with him. I'd feel a lot better if Zane or Yugi were here though." Alexis worried.

"I tried calling Zane, but wherever he is, he's not getting cell service. He might end up missing all the fun unless someone else has filled him in." It was amusing, in a weird way, to think that my friend/rival (I guess) might end up missing out on a climactic battle due to something as mundane as communication channels. No one would be more pissed about it than him, although the rest of us came close.

"As for Yugi, apparently the Ishtar clan has called upon him to help out regarding some business in Egypt, although what could possibly be more important than this, I cannot fathom." It was frustrating, that our most powerful duelist (the most powerful duelist, in fact) wasn't going to fucking be here for the end of the world. Apparently, the prospect of rematch #798445 with Kaiba didn't entice him. It struck me as negligent, unless whatever was going on in Egypt really was that bad…he didn't seem to mind keeping us out of the loop.

I thought of Yubel. Is it possible she found some way to bring her army to the human world? Did they discover some way to unearth the dormant powers in Egypt for evil ends? The thought of Yubel's forces wielding the Egyptian gods was a scary one, even though they really weren't very good cards at the end of the day. These people had ways of bypassing practicality that I couldn't seem to grasp.

"We'll just have to fight with the people we have." Alexis frowned, but accepted the situation for what it was. "I just hope it's enough."

Why even say that? It has to be enough, or we'll all die with our minds enslaved and our life force harvested. "I hope so too. You'll be alright. You're one of the strongest, and you didn't need any magic powers to get there. It was all because of your own efforts."

"You helped me, along with the others. I wish they were more grateful, but maybe today's battles, when life or death is at stake, will ground their perspective. I bet we Obelisks can do anything when we stand together." She rubbed my shoulder. Her presence was stable, soothing – Alexis was modest, centered and kind. Too kind, at times. "You're so tense all the time, baby."

I barely heard her comforting words as I stewed in thought. "I'd take one of Zane over fifty of these treacherous Obelisks." As usual, the trite platitudes about unity and friendship failed to bear out in reality for those without the magic aura of the shonen protagonist. Training the Obelisks was probably worth it in the long run (or so I told myself), but it was a tremendous expenditure of time and energy that I will be glad to dispense with once this battle is finished. A small group of elites may be better served to handle Yubel, but that was a matter for another day. This upcoming battle will determine not only the fate of planet Earth, but whether anything I had done in the past two years had made any impact at all.

"You're right. Well, I suppose we should go and rally the troops. If you could get the girls, I'll handle the guys." I said with a sharp nod. She recoiled as if struck, and I realized that I had just answered her attempt at comfort with a businesslike response. "Erm, I'm sorry. I'm just –"

"It's ok. I'll see you on the battlefield, Jamie…" Alexis always ended conversations on pauses, always seeming as if she had more to say. I tried to coax the thoughts out of her, but she was a deeply hesitant person in many ways. Some days I found it charming, others not so much. Today, there were bigger things to worry about, so I just donned my most confident smile and replied, "Try not to make the others look too bad, huh?"

I tried so hard to understand her, but sometimes it felt forced. We both have so many walls, and every time we pushed against the barriers, they grew stronger. The sex was always good, but it was also a way to avoid talking about our deepest feelings. Between everything else that was taking up my attention, I feared losing her. Perhaps she feels the same, and that's why we keep each other at this distance.

With a last kiss, we left for our separate missions, and I returned to my line of thought. The further I proceeded in the timeline, the plainer it seemed that the universe was like a rubber band – regardless of where and how it was stretched, it returns to its original position, perhaps slightly distended from the strain. Nonetheless, it retains its original shape. From what has happened so far, I can discern that my presence at least partially caused the early appearance of Synchro and Exceed monsters, but that wasn't even due to any agency on my part.

Damn it! It feels as if I am no closer to uncovering these mysteries than I was on my first day! It was maddening! I swelled unfruitfully on these things as I contacted the Obelisk Blue boys through a mass group chat. Then, I paid a visit to Chazz and Jesse's room.

"Thanks for the heads up, Jimster! We'll get ready here!" Jesse gave a friendly thumbs-up. I hadn't really gotten the chance to get to know him, but he looked fairly similar to how he was in canon, although in this timeline he seemed predisposed to wearing more rural clothes for some reason. Jeans, button-down shirts, and literal cowboy boots were centerpieces of his wardrobe. To each their own – he still seemed like a strong and kind-hearted duelist who would be a great asset to our cause.

Chazz looked somewhat more melancholy than usual, nodding in sullen fashion rather than snapping at me as he usually might have. A devious idea came to mind. "Say, I know you guys have tangled with Reggie Mackenzie in the past, but today, we're all on the same team. So if you've any scores to settle with her, please hold off for the time being until the main threat is dealt with."

"Oh, don't you worry about that. We can be team players, right Chazz?" Jesse, of course, would actually take my words at face value.

Chazz, on the other hand, had a calculating expression. "Hmph. Sure." He lied. I knew he would take the first opportunity to "betray" me in order to fight Mackenzie, hoping to use the chaos of the larger battle to obscure his movements. I was counting on it – regardless of the outcome. If he succeeded in defeating her in a shadow game, that was a problem dealt with. If Mackenzie defeated Chazz, then I would finally have evidence to oust her as an open enemy. The worst thing that could happen – outside of them joining forces against me – would be if Chazz actually heeded my directive. But that would involve subordinating himself to me in this instance, which he would find intolerable.

I left for Mokuba's guest room knowing that Alexis would be saying something similar to Mackenzie, although she was still unaware of Mackenzie's true nature. Although the primary focus was certainly Sartorius and Kaiba, perhaps a few other problems could be dealt with today, with luck.

Luckily, it was Saturday, so the only scheduled activities interrupted were clubs, detentions, and study hall. "Study hall," I thought incredulously, "it's hard to believe we're technically in high school."

The full force of Duel Academy was gathered at the pier, students and teachers from every class and every dorm prepared to meet whatever Sartorius had brought with him to the island. Mokuba stood at the front, assuming an outwardly calm and assured demeanor. I still wasn't exactly sure what deck he was playing, though I had a few guesses.

"Jamie, we'll take him together. Once he gets here, that is. That's the only way we'll have a chance." Mokuba muttered to me over the general din of the amassed crowd. I nodded mutely. It was the only way we had a chance, and Kaiba would probably agree to it, since his pride would be sated more quickly by the defeat of two foes at once. "Also, do you have a ciggie?" The younger Kaiba brother added, disrupting my train of thought.

Mokuba palmed me a fiver, and I happily obliged him, even providing a light. Across the front of the line were our best and brightest -Mackenzie, Jaden, Aster, Alexis, Atticus, Erin, Jasmine, Bastion, Jesse, and Chazz. Oh, Syrus and Kenzan were there as well. Wow, even Mindy showed up. The only one unaccounted for was Adam, but I assumed he was just in the back. I hated to say it, but he wasn't necessarily the best in a fight anyhow.

As our foes came ever closer, their ships growing larger and more defined, everyone dealt with the approaching storm differently. None of the academy's strongest duelists were strangers to life or death battles, but to most of the students this was totally unprecedented. Oddly enough, Syrus seemed to acquit himself well, his expression remarkably serene.

"It all ends here and now." The little guy spoke, his mantra of sorts.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm surprised you're so calm, Syrus. I expected you'd be a bit more…jittery." Bastion mused, his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. "I'm certainly quite nervous myself." So nervous, in fact, that he did not notice Syrus and Jasmine wore identical, peaceful visages.

"There's nothing to be nervous about, Bastion. We, the true righteous will prevail -our cause is just. Our enemies will perish once and for all against our combined strength." Jasmine spoke with alarming certainty, though nothing was outwardly wrong with her words.

"Well, your conviction is admirable. I will try to be courageous as well, for the both of us." Bastion leaned in to peck Jasmine on the cheek. He could do anything, no matter how frightening, if she was at his side.

I watched them with a smile. I'm glad Bastion found a great girlfriend, even if she was a pain in my ass. And speaking of pains in my ass…

"Are you prepared? Many suspect Kaiba will be gunning straight for you once they touch down." Mackenzie snuck up on me, causing me to nearly jump out of my boots.

"Yes!" My voice cracked. "I'll be fine."

"Famous last words." Mackenzie smiled. "It's too bad you're probably going to die today. I hoped such a thing would arise under different circumstances." Her voice was like lava slowly lapping away at my defenses.

"What's the point of all this anyways? Why do you even care about me? I thought your mission was to get Jaden's Winged Kuriboh." I said frankly. With the possibility of imminent demise, I didn't want too many questions left on the table.

"Life is full of mysteries and unanswered questions. I have a few about you that I know you will never answer honestly. Perhaps these exchanges of ours have simply amused me. Would that satisfy your curiosity?" Mackenzie said as if she knew my thoughts.

"No, not really. Maybe I'd get somewhere if I talked with your daddy." She seemed taken aback by that. "So don't die...yet." I said. Even if Sartorius or someone else defeated her in this battle, her family will surely lay the blame at the feet of Central Academy. Things would have to be done in such a way that plausible deniability could be maintained, but that was another matter for another time, for Sartorius' ships were landing.

For a time, the pier was silent, except for the mechanical sounds of the ship docking and the ambient din of the waves. After a most likely intentional pause (more and more I feel as though I am in a world of professional wrestlers), Sartorius exited the vessel, an entourage of familiar faces behind him.

There was Kaiba of course, but there was also that idiot Prince Ojin of Misgarth, as well as his assistant Linda, a beleaguered ginger-haired woman who mysteriously had a duel disk on like everyone else. Surely she wasn't intending to do battle on the Light's behalf as well? I wondered what sort of deck she might play, but only idly – I imagined our best duelists would be able to handle her. There was also a man with a black goatee whose name wasn't coming to me at the moment, but I knew him to be Aster Phoenix's legal guardian. In canon, the guy was the holder of the Ultimate Destiny card, Destiny Hero Plasma, but with the occurrence of the blast that may well have changed. Glancing, I saw a look of shock on Aster's face, but I couldn't glean much from that. A formidable group, with Kaiba being the most obvious threat, but it was only five against 1200. I was surprised that Sartorius hadn't brought any other duelists with him. Then again, without any Society of Light as a foothold, maybe this was the best he could do. Lucky for us!

"Ah, a most extensive welcome. Appropriate, considering the glorious work to be done here today. I appreciate it, Mokuba Kaiba." Sartorius, as always, spoke with inimitable serenity.

Mokuba stepped forward. "Your schemes end here and now. We know the truth. You want to harvest our duel energy to power this guy's –" he jabbed a thumb at Ojin – "satellite, destroying the planet!"

"I merely aim to restore balance. In their lust for power, humans have abused the powers of duel monsters for too long, allowing chaotic and dark forces to fester. Why else has this planet been plagued with supernatural events for the past eleven years? The creator of this card game, your ally Pegasus, drew upon such forces to create the imbalance in the first place. Light is the universe's natural state. Isn't that right, children?" Sartorius asked with a smile.

Everyone began frantically looking around, wondering if someone was going to respond to the oddly familiar tone Sartorius was taking with them. "Remember where your true loyalties lie, students of Ra Yellow. Fiat Lux."

Suddenly, my senses were flooded with a surge of impossibly clean, pure Light energy. "Fiat Lux!" hundreds of voices around me echoed. Confusion tinged with despair followed as I looked around to see almost all of Ra Yellow turn around and stand opposite of the Obelisks and Slifers. At the front of a sea of yellow coats stood Jasmine, Mindy, and Syrus, each wearing identical expressions of devotion.

"What trickery is this?! What have you done to them, Sartorius!?" Mokuba roared. The remaining allies – now down to four hundred students – stepped back, forming a circle against the tide of yellow coats.

"You accuse me of trickery as if it is a sin. Any deception done with the purpose of advancing the faith is more than permissible in the Lord's eyes. All I needed to do was turn the mind of young Jasmine to our cause. Your Obelisk Force sharpened her skills to the point where turning the Ra Yellows was an easy task. Hundreds of swords for the Light!" Sartorius said, exultant.

"Jasmine…I will not let them get away with this! I'll get you back!" Bastion, one of the three remaining Ras, stepped forward bravely.

"Let the great feast begin! Seto Kaiba, dragon of light, I command you lead our forces to victory, and towards a clean world! Free of sinners!" Sartorius thrust a hand outwards, and immediately Kaiba strode forward, flaring his blue-silver duel energy.

"Ask of me, and I shall grant thee the heathen for thine inheritance. And for thy possession, the ends of the earth. I challenge Yugi Moto to face me in battle! Once and for all, I will prove that I am the greatest duelist to ever grace the universe! Come, fated rival, and accept your destiny!" Despite his brainwashing, Kaiba hadn't lost any of his penchant for theatrics. If anything, they were enhanced. The White Dragon began cackling madly, waiting for Yugi to step forward from the parted crowd.

"He's not here." At long last, I could act upon my urge to defy him, though I wish it were under different circumstances.

Kaiba paused mid-laugh. The silence was deafening. "What? What did you just say, Lancaster?"

"I said he's not here. Apparently, he felt there were more pressing matters to deal with in Egypt. You'll have to ask him about it sometime. He didn't explain much to us." I replied, inexplicably calm. I couldn't figure out why I wasn't quivering, frozen in fear. He should have terrified me, with the flagrant way he was exerting his duel energy.

"What?! You're lying! Impossible!" Kaiba loosed any restraint he still had and unleashed his aura, a smothering blanket of white heat. The only students that could even move were myself, Jaden, and Mackenzie. Even Sartorius was agape and seemingly impotent before the display. "Damn it! Come out and face me, Yugi!" Kaiba roared. Lightning briefly flashed across the sky and the ground seemed to tremble.

"Seto! Lancaster's telling the truth. Yugi's not here. You yelling won't change that." Mokuba was able to stop Seto's tantrum and recapture his attention.

"Then this planet is finished. No one else has any chance against my power. You could all come at me one at a time and it wouldn't matter. So you might as well give up now." Kaiba sneered, and Sartorius seemed to breathe a sigh of relief that his anger had cooled.

"You know that's not going to happen. Even though we have to fight our fellow students, even though we have face you and Sartorius and the rest of these crazies, we won't give in! Not until the last card is played! Are you with me, Slifer Reds?!" Jaden interjected, speaking on behalf of the red coats. The Slifers were characterized by what they lacked – skill, intelligence, diligence, and heart. But Jaden, their champion, made them believe there was something greater there, some hidden potential that had yet to be unlocked. "For the Academy!" The dozens of reds roared as they activated their duel disks.

Not wanting to be outshone, Alexis took a cue to look at the Obelisk Blues behind her. "What did we train for if not for this?! We have prepared for today knowing that the universe is full of monsters and spirits, knowing that the Shadow Riders were only one evil amongst many! Now is the time to create our story, our legend! Today, we show the world why the blue coat symbolizes the super elite! Today, we will put aside our petty pride and battle alongside Slifer Reds, Northerners, and Americans because today we are dueling for humanity!" Although Alexis wasn't normally a bombastic speech-maker, I guess today brought it out of her.

"FOR HUMANITY!" The Blues activated their disks and formed a line, facing off against the Yellows alongside the Reds. Hundreds upon hundreds of duelists met their opponents, and within minutes the island was populated with the holograms(?) of monsters, spells and traps.

Through the chaos, I was able to meet her eyes for a moment and smile. "You're incredible, Alexis." I said, though she couldn't hear me. A mere moment was all I could spare before I turned back to face the approaching form of Seto Kaiba. Despite the growing disorder, a clearing formed around him automatically, and there was no escaping from him.

"So, if Yugi's not here, you and Mokuba may be the last people I'll get the chance to use my full strength against. You should count yourselves blessed, wicked sinners!" Kaiba boasted. "Feel free to team up against me in any way you wish."

"Alright Lancaster, are you ready?" Mokuba turned on his disk as he fell in step with me.

"I guess, but it's not like I have a choice either way." I replied. "Best of luck."

"Don't worry, the heart of the cards will guide us…" Mokuba said before we both broke out into delirious, slightly insane laughter. "Oh, we're so fucked."

"Yep, pretty much! But what do you expect when a whelp and lion cub take on a true dragon?!" Kaiba added helpfully. I was starting to find these animal metaphors tiresome.

"Well, good thing we're all three humans, then. In the game, we're equals! That's right, you're no dragon! If I cut you, you'll bleed red just like me! So come on!" As long as I didn't think too much, the courage could flow.

"You've always been an upstart little sprog, Lancaster. Too ambitious for your own good. I'm going to enjoy serving you up humble pie for your last meal on earth." Without further delay, Seto drew his first card. He would start with 8000 life points, as would we.

Kaiba glanced at the two of us before smirking. "Bear witness, ye heathens! Henceforth, this is the monster that will embody the Light of Destruction's will! I play the spell Ancient Rules, allowing me to summon a level five or higher normal monster from my hand!"

Silvery blue scales and shimmering azure eyes filled my vision. Although I had seen the creature many times now, it never got any less intimidating. Something was different this time, though – the dragon was in pain, acting against its will. "Kisara…" the name entered my mind as I heard the dragon cry, a nearly imperceptible tear in its eye. "She must not like where Seto's head is at, but she has to obey him." Thinking of the human soul inside the dragon was sad, but I couldn't afford to dwell on feelings.

"Erase the shadows! Blue-Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500)!" Kaiba summoned his ace monster right away. It was clear he really wasn't going to hold back, even against his little brother. "I set two cards and end my turn."

"Heh, I guess it's to be expected. I'll go ahead, Lancaster!" Mokuba said as he drew. "I hope I can get through to you somehow, Seto. First, I'll activate the effect of Thunder Dragon in my hand. By discarding it, I can add two additional copies from deck to hand." Mokuba slightly differentiated himself from his brother by focusing on Thunder Dragons, which was certainly a solid strategy. Thunder Dragons would go on to be a Tier 1 meta deck for almost two years in my timeline, although Mokuba was missing some of the key pieces that made that variant of the deck so strong.

"Then, I'll activate the effect of Thunder Dragonhawk in my hand, discarding it to summon another Thunder Dragon monster in my graveyard or banished zone. I'll summon back the Thunder Dragon (1600/1500) I discarded." Thick static pulsed in the air as a bright green serpent unfurled from the ground, its short wings quickly spreading out.

"Now, I'll sacrifice Thunder Dragon in order to summon Thunder Dragon Colossus (2600/2400) from the extra deck!" The green dragon grew in size, becoming more ferocious along with way. Its hide changed from virulent green to a deep purple, a constant coat of electricity coursing along its scales. "Although this is a fusion monster, I can summon it by sacrificing a thunder effect monster the same turn I use a thunder effect monster's effect in my hand. While this monster is on the field, you won't be search cards from your deck to your hand, Seto!"

Seto regarded the thunder dragon with a begrudging tilt of the head. "Not bad. But you forget I've taught you everything you know about dueling, little brother."

"Anything can happen in a duel! I may have some tricks you don't know about. I set two cards and end my turn." Mokuba finished. We shared a field, so I could theoretically use his set cards or his monster on my turn. Vice-versa in his case.

Of course, since he was on his own, Seto got two turns before I got my first one. He wouldn't be able to attack yet, though. "I summon the tuner monster White Stone of Ancients (600/500) in attack mode." A dazzling ivory egg hovered on the field, though its presence would be brief.

"I'll now tune the White Stone with Blue-Eyes for a level nine synchro summon! Come forth, Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon (2500/3000) in defense mode!" The original Blue-Eyes dissipated into formless energy, merging with the egg. The light from the white stone grew burning bright, eventually cracking and giving way to the synchro monster. It was a little bulkier than the original Blue-Eyes, with a color scheme that was more chrome than silver due to the brightness emanating from its body.

"I love synchro monsters…the clean white card background, the perfect utility of tuner and non-tuner, and the sheer power of their effects. Truly, they are a divine blessing!" Kaiba sounded like a 5D's fanboy. And god damn was this religious shtick getting annoying. I guess he was always a little irritating, but really!

Deciding to speed things up a little, I said, "So now your dragons cannot be targeted or destroyed until the end of the next turn."

"Right you are! And upon my end phase, the secondary effect of the White Stone activates! When it is sent to the graveyard, I can summon a Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my deck to the field!" Since it was summoning from the deck and not searching to his hand, the effect was able to bypass Mokuba's floodgate. Another damn Blue-Eyes took the field. I hadn't been this sick of seeing the same monster since the last time I dueled Zane. Man, I wish he was here now… "Let's see it, boy!" Kaiba's provocation brought me back. I still couldn't believe this was happening. Did I really have a chance against him, even with Mokuba's help? Damn it, I have to try!

Why was I reborn if not to surpass these challenges? Even if I really had no purpose in this world, even if I truly couldn't change the flow of fate, I still have to keep trying. I still have to do everything I can. And I'm going to enjoy kicking your ass, Kaiba!

"I draw." I said, feeling Sonata's presence in the cards.

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(Jaden Yuki POV)

"Looks like Mokuba and Jamie are going up against Kaiba. Darn, I was hoping I could get a shot at him. Some guys have all the luck!" Even in the midst of a gigantic battle, Jaden's demeanor was the same as ever. Seeing Blue-Eyes White Dragon hit the field, Jaden was reminded of that weird dream/hallucination duel against the spirit of Kaibaman he had in first year. He lost that duel, but nowadays it might be a different story.

"We'd better hope that we don't get a shot at him. Individually, none of us has any shot against him. The only possible advantage here is that Mokuba knows better than anyone how Kaiba duels. If they can't beat him, we're pretty much screwed. Even then, we still have Sartorius and the rest of these goons to deal with." Aster commented.

"Hey, that's not a very heroic attitude! Come on, we can totally win! Winning's what we do, right?" Jaden's optimism was just as relentless as Aster's cynicism. "Did you ever read comic books, Aster?"

Aster was momentarily nonplussed at the casual question. "Uh, yeah." He said, seemingly embarrassed. "You too, I assume? Who's your favorite character?"

"I like Superman! He's really strong, he fights for truth and justice, and he always saves the day! Talk about the complete package!" Jaden's response was no surprise to Aster, who immediately started gatekeeping.

"Superman is lame. He's too overpowered, and his personality is boring. Batman is superior by far."

"What? No way! I mean Batman is alright, but Superman can fly and shoot lasers from his eyes!" was Jaden's airtight defense.

"His character has no depth! Batman is much more courageous since he has no powers, but still risks his life to stop evil. Plus, Batman doesn't get bodied by green rocks!" Aster and Jaden were now getting in each other's faces, the debate becoming heated.

"At least Superman doesn't get bodied by bullets!" Jaden countered.

"Batman could beat anyone with prep time! Superman's just a meathead. Besides, Catwoman is way sexier than lame Lois Lane." Said Aster as the battle for the fate of the planet raged around them.

Jaden didn't have anything to say to that, since he didn't really find either of them attractive. Regardless, the debate was halted by Kenzan, who had just defeated one of the Society of Light Ra Yellows and was a little riled up.

"Sarge, mister Phoenix. With all due respect, IF YOU TWO DON'T SHUT THE FUCK UP AND HIT THE FRONTLINES, I'M GONNA STICK MY FOOT UP BOTH OF YOUR ASSES AND WEAR YOU AROUND LIKE A PAIR OF FLIP-FLOPS."

With that, Kenzan ran off to engage another opponent. Jaden and Aster were struck speechless. "I think his dad's a drill sergeant, so that's why…." Jaden muttered as a sort-of explanation to Aster. "Anyways, I call dibs on Sartorius! See ya!"

"That figures – wait, say what?!" Aster only just registered what Jaden said before the red-clad boy was jumping inside a dark portal. Before he could tag along, the portal closed.

"Hmph. Well, I might just get my shot anyway, if he messes it up. First, I have to find out why he's here…" Aster ran off towards the goateed man, who was descending from the ferry with duel disk in hand.

A few brainwashed Ra Yellows stood in his path. With an annoyed grunt, Aster activated his duel disk. "Get out of my way!" The destiny hero duelist growled as he prepared to battle the students.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The air behind Sartorius shifted and crackled with dark purple energy as Jaden's portal manifested on the deck of the ferry. While his minions dueled the remaining students and teachers, Sartorius was watching from a bird's eye view, confident that no one could reach him through the advancing wave of Ra Yellows. Thus, he was rather surprised when Jaden Yuki, of all people, suddenly appeared behind him.

"Hey, you must be Sartorius. I heard you were looking for me. Something I can help you with?" Jaden's casual address belied his ever-growing energy – black tendrils coiled around his feet.

"It is the eternal recurrence that has brought us together, Jaden Yuki. I, a loyal servant of the Light's will, and you, a harbinger of darkness. We are both merely vessels shaped to carry out a conflict eons in the making. So don't take it personally when I tell you that today is the day you die by my hand." Sartorius opened his eyes calmly, the blue irises fixed on his foe.

"I don't know man, it feels pretty personal." Jaden's red coat flapped in the fierce sea gales. "But either way, you're kinda trying to destroy the planet, so I've gotta stop ya no matter how I feel about it. But that doesn't mean we can't be friends, as long as you promise to give up your evil ways!"

Sartorius straightened further, his long blue hair billowing behind him. To fight was riskier for him than it would be for the others. If Jaden defeated him, his mind control over the Society of Light would disappear. This was just like the plot to Phantom Menace with Yuki as a slightly less annoying version of kid Anakin! But Sartorius knew he wouldn't lose. This was what his entire life, his destiny, had lead up to.

"I won't be giving up regardless of how nicely you ask, demon. Here is where the fate of the universe will be determined, Supreme King of Darkness!"

"Meh. This boat seems a little small if it's supposed to decide all that." Behind Jaden's glibness was a hint of danger, the darkness creeping into his voice.

"Hmm, I suppose you have a point there. We will duel at the volcano's peak, so as to be closer to God." Sartorius was mainly suggesting it just to see how Jaden would respond.

"Hey, no problems here, chief. I can take us there with my portal. Don't worry, I wouldn't try anything funny. I wanna see how good you are! Let's have a fun duel, Sartorius!" The darkness from before seemed to disappear as Jaden grinned and gave his mortal enemy a thumbs-up. Sartorius was somewhat taken aback, but recomposed himself quickly.

"Then let us depart."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

(Bastion Misawa POV)

Against the unending barrage of his classmates, Bastion was rapidly reaching his limits. Only by cycling through his many builds was able to keep an edge on the brainwashed Ra Yellows, and even then there were a few close calls.

"How could this have happened right under my nose? Am I really so unobservant? Jasmine…they took you away, and I didn't even know it was happening!" Although Bastion normally tried to stay detached from his emotions, a torrent of guilt, shame and anger was building in him.

He finished off another Ra Yellow with a vicious clobbering from his Red Ogre, perhaps putting force in the attack than was strictly required. Each victory helped turn the tide. Once the students came back to their senses, they helped to take down their brainwashed brethren. Of course, it was still an uphill battle. And if no one could take down Sartorius and Kaiba, the battle would be a foregone conclusion.

"Argh…damn, that hurt. I can't believe I'm saying this, but thanks for kicking my ass, Misawa." A square-jawed boy named Logan grunted as Bastion helped him up.

"No thanks are necessary. Are you alright?" Bastion tried to sound reassuring, but couldn't quite manage it.

"Yeah, I can still fight. Just give me a sec – oh shit, there she is!" Logan's eyes widened as the battlefield seemed to clear a path between Bastion and Jasmine, the Obelisk Blue girl zeroing in on him. Logan wisely fled the area and focused on reinforcing the Slifers, who were taking the brunt of the yellow's assault.

Looking in her eyes, Bastion tried to find something of the girl he had grown to deeply care for. But there was nothing – all of her color had been bleached away into dull, uniform white. "Jasmine…I'm so sorry."

Her gaze was intense and unblinking, much like Sartorius' own. "Please don't be sorry. This is the only way things could have gone. Our individual wills are meaningless before the Lord of Light. But in servitude, there is happiness and contentment. Please join me, Bastion."

"I refuse to believe that! Once Sartorius has all of the duel energy he needs, this planet is finished! He's just using you, cloaking his destructive aims in religious rhetoric!" Bastion didn't feel ready to do this – he couldn't bring himself to hurt her. He knew trying to talk was meaningless, but harming Jasmine was unthinkable.

"I see. Sartorius really is right about you, Bastion. I've learned all that I can from you. Your vision is dogmatic, shackled to science and materialism, divorced from the spirit. The student has surpassed the teacher." Jasmine turned on her duel disk.

"No…please, don't make me do this!" Through the pain, Bastion somehow found a core of iron resolve within him. Gritting his teeth, he switched out his deck of cards and prepared to turn on his disk when he felt a tap on his left shoulder.

He was so tense that he spun around quickly, crashing into Erin. Of course, since she was frankly more muscular than him, she easily righted him without losing her sense of balance. "Relax Misawa, I got this. I just finished cleaning up eight of those yellows, so I'm pretty warmed up by now." Her confidence was different than the others. Jamie's burned with the fire of ambition, while Jaden's was airy and carefree. Hers, fittingly, was relentless like the waves.

She was pretty in the rush of battle, cheeks flushed from adrenaline. "Ah – uh, yes. My thanks. I will go do…something else." Was his witty response.

"Right." She smiled understandingly. "It looks like that Prince Ojin guy is a pretty high-profile duelist. Think you can handle him?"

"Yes, I will!" Bastion easily took the directive. Before rushing off, he said quietly, "please, make sure she's alright. If she's really gone and I could have prevented it –"

"Shh, it'll be alright. Go put that nervous energy to good use." Erin said calmly. With another pained look at Jasmine, Bastion finally thrust into the throng of battling students.

"I owe much of my training to you as well, Erin. Someone like you should have been leading the Obelisk Force. How can you stand being Lancaster'slesser?" Jasmine barely seemed to notice Bastion leaving, instead sharply focusing on her former mentor.

"I've already told you why I don't see things that way. I'd rather run the fade first, then talk later once you've got your head on straight, kid." Erin quickly prepared to duel, not wanting to lose her momentum.

"I'll show you the training was worth it, Jamie."

A/N

Hope you all enjoyed.

Setting up a few big duels here. Next chapter will be pretty much wall-to-wall duels that have been a long time in the making, so I'm excited to write them. We have Jamie/Mokuba vs Kaiba, Erin vs Jasmine, and perhaps Jaden vs Sartorius, which will certainly be different due to Jaden's powers awakening earlier. There may some other differences as well. Appreciate your patience, this chapter wasn't coming out the way I wanted it to, so I made a lot of adjustments. Writing is, in my opinion, mainly a matter of discipline, but there are times when things just aren't clicking. You know how it is.

We will see why Yugi is in Egypt later on. It's happening concurrently to the events on the island, and it is actually something that requires his attention. Along with seeing the Ishtars again, we'll see another old face from the original series…

Other than that, not too much to say. Saw some leaks saying that Melodious are coming to Duel Links in a main box. Sadly, my talks with Konami about adding Jamie to the game fell through…I had the voice lines recorded and everything. All those hours on conference calls with their upper management wasted. Never say never tho lmao. Hope your 2020 is going great so far!

EDIT: Also, I would like to give a special thanks to CodeTalker69 as well as everyone else who has worked on the TvTropes page. It looks fantastic and I really appreciate the work put into it. You guys should absolutely check it out and contribute to it if you'd like! I'm lucky that readers of the story would feel inspired to create the page, so thanks again!