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

67. The Devil Made Me Duel It

Chapter 67: The Devil Made Me Duel It

(Chazz Princeton POV)

"For the fourth and final round of the quarterfinals, Pierce Viper of West Academy will duel Chazz Princeton of North Academy!" Crowler tried to put some verve into the announcement, but it was clear he wasn't excited to referee a tournament match that didn't involve a Central Academy student. Chazz's cadre of Northerners more than made up for this lack of enthusiasm, with each of them boisterously shouting his various titles at the top of their lungs. Conversely, the Westerners belted out "HOO-RAH!" three times exactly at the mention of their representative.

"Finally, I'm tired of waiting!" Pierce couldn't contain his excitement no matter how many times Axel reprimanded him. And in this case, Axel had no sharp words for the underclassman, inwardly glad to see him confident in the face of the enemy. Behind the younger boy's back, Axel allowed himself a small smile before resuming his normal stone-faced expression.

"Princeton is a notoriously unpredictable opponent. Somehow, he's been able to incorporate Ojamas, Armed Dragons, and the A-to-Z union monsters in his deck and it's still been able to function. It flies in the face of all logic and consistency." Axel said. Chazz's capabilities were well-known by the larger duel community due to the widely available footage of his battles. His victory over Jaden Yuki as well as his loss to Reggie Mackenzie were studied intensely by the other academies prior to the tournament. This was encouraged by the man himself as Chazz was determined to be famous. However, poring over the tapes had produced little fruit for the scouts out there – Chazz's deck had been copied by others to little success, suggesting that the mix of cards seemed to work particularly well for him for some reason.

"Maybe there's something to that heart of the cards crap after all." Pierce suggested, only for Axel to scoff.

"They love mysticism around here. That Sartorius guy apparently kept a deck of tarot cards on him at all times. We do things differently. We stick to training and discipline. That's what's going to win the day, nothing else. Now get out there and show him the results of your hard work!" Axel encouraged, clapping Pierce on the back and knocking the wind out of him in the process.

The sandy-haired boy attached his duel disk. While Pierce's was a custom model like Axel's, the alterations made were minor in comparison. In terms of shape, it was similar to the Central Academy duel disk, with rounded edges and a short activation period. However, the center console was more akin to the old KC Battle City models, and the entire frame was skinned in standard green and brown military camouflage paint.

"Dad, I know you're watching. I'll make you proud today!" Pierce thought, only to look up to the central tower and not find his dad there. The seat between Kaiba and Pegasus where Thelonious usually sat was empty. "Maybe he just had to step out for a bit…" The boy rationalized, although he couldn't help but feel a bit dejected as he took the stage.

"Good, now it's finally time for the real champion to ascend to his proper place." Chazz boasted as he attached his sleek grey duel disk. "Hey, where are you guys going?" He sputtered upon seeing Alexis, Bastion, Chazz, and Jim walk away, his dramatic entrance swiftly deflated.

"We're getting hungry, gonna go grab some food. Do you want anything?" Alexis turned and asked with a yawn.

"What?! You can't leave, my match is about to start!" Although now that they mentioned it, Chazz felt his stomach growl. He often forgot to eat, and realized the only things he had for breakfast were an iced coffee and a pack of smokes.

"Sure we can, there's no regulation against audience members leaving and returning during a duel." Jasmine replied.

"But…but…" Chazz didn't know why he wanted them to stick around so much, but it hurt him that they were ignoring him so casually. Turning to Bastion, he pleaded, "Don't you want to see how my deck has changed? You'll be dueling me next round for Ra's sake!"

"I already have the data I need from your battle with Aster. Besides, I only might duel you next round. I try not to make any rash assumptions, for it tends to taint the dataset. For all I know, this Pierce fellow might be the best duelist here." The Obelisk Force third-seat pointed out.

Chazz fumed, "My ass he is!"

"Let's get going mates, I'm knackered for a churro right now, with plenty of cinnamon!" Jim led the way cheerfully, and they were off. Alexis briefly gave Chazz a second glance, her dark blonde hair flowing in the wind. For a moment, it seemed like she wanted to say something – Chazz hoped it was well-wishes even though he spit on her kindness repeatedly – but she remained quiet.

Wanting to eradicate the uncomfortable silence, Chazz awkwardly blurted, "I'll take whatever you're having. If you're offering, that is."

She nodded. "Sure. And uh…yeah." Oddly enough, her own awkwardness made Chazz feel a bit less self-conscious as he silently bounded up the stairs to cheers from his countrymen. Pierce's solid frame was much larger than his opponent's, and he had a few inches of height over Chazz as well, aided by spiked, sandy hair. While Pierce wasn't nearly as muscular as Axel, it was clear that West Academy was feeding their students well.

Putting forth his usual bravado, Chazz taunted, "Why don't you surrender now and run back to daddy? I don't know how a freshman like you made it this far, but I assure you this is the end of the line."

"I'm fine with losing, the most important thing is getting experience. The only problem I have is losing to an undisciplined brute like you. From what I've seen, you wouldn't last a day at West Academy." Although Pierce felt nervous, he would not roll over in the face of such brazen aggression.

"Ha! You're lucky I don't go to West Academy, otherwise I would run the place just like I run the North! And if you need further demonstration…" All Chazz had to do was raise a fist and thousands of North Academy students sounded off, "CHAZZ IT UP!" and "KING IN THE NORTH!"

Pierce snorted, "You could have all the groupies in the world and it wouldn't matter. In the ring, it's just you and me." After Roshambo, Pierce decided to take the first turn. Considering his choices carefully, he decided to silently set a monster and one card face-down.

"Hmph, that's all? My move now!" Chazz drew, the Ojama spirits cooing at the combination of cards in his hand. "I summon Armed Dragon, the Armored Dragon (1900/1400)! And yes, I realize the name is stupid beyond belief, but tremble in fear anyways!" In a crackle of electricity appeared a pale yellow dragon standing on stout hind legs, its torso fitted with vermillion pauldrons while its wings were adorned with matching accents. "Now, I attack the set monster!" Chazz declared, confident that he would be able to push through Pierce's defenses.

However, his confidence was misplaced as he found his dragon's outstretched claws repelled by the hexagonal energy shield projected by Pierce's monster. The creature was an anthropomorphic rhinoceros clad in steel-gray armor much the same as Chazz's own beast. "My Gladiator Beast Hoplomus (700/2100) eats attacks like that for breakfast, and without any milk to boot!" With a heave, the rhino sent the dragon skidding on its heels back to Chazz's side. (Pierce 4000/Chazz 3800)

"Gladiator Beasts, huh?" Chazz had no idea what to expect from his opponent, as the freshman had no tournament results to his name. He scoured his memory trying to remember if he had seen Pierce during the battle against Society of Light, but nothing came to mind. But even then, seeing cards like these were not totally unexpected. Gladiator Beasts were a popular and powerful archetype with a great deal of support and potential options. Still, Chazz was confident his deck could deal with them.

Pierce's gray eyes flashed. "From that look, I can tell you're familiar with my cards. There's a good reason the Gladiator Beasts are so well-known, for they have a special ability that few other Duel Monsters share! Hoplomus, tag out!" With a wave of his hand, Pierce dispelled the rhino into pure duel energy, the monster returning to his deck. "Each time a Gladiator Beast battles, I can switch it out with another Gladiator Beast in my deck! Come out, Gladiator Beast Murmillo (800/400)!"

After shuffling back Hoplomus into the deck, Pierce's next monster was a vibrant blue fish with wide, thick fins on either side of its torso that could contract and clench like hands. Despite wearing similar armor as Hoplomus, Murmillo moved with fluid ease. "And whenever a Gladiator Beast is summoned from the deck, their effects activate! In Murmillo's case, that means destroying one of your monsters!"

Murmillo swiftly swam through the air towards the Armed Dragon. Once it was above the dragon's head, Murmillo shot a volley of bubbles from its mouth, slowly raining them down on the enemy. Thinking them harmless, Chazz's monster swiped at one of the bubbles with its tail, only for the sphere to explode on contact and vaporize the dragon instantly. "Tch! I set two cards and end my turn."

"Good, Pierce's all-out offensive strategy is getting started." Axel thought with approval.

Up in the control tower, Viper had finally returned, his bulky frame struggling to fit through the small entryway. Kaiba immediately locked onto him, seemingly examining for any sign of indiscretion. "Did you get lost on the way to the bathroom? You were gone for some time."

Seeing no reason to outright lie to him, Viper responded, "I had to take a call."

"Oh? A call to whom?" Pegasus asked with considerably less hostility than Kaiba, always preferring a subtler approach.

"My wife is just nervous for Pierce, she was wondering how he was doing." Viper said smoothly before realizing that the duel between his son and Chazz Princeton had already begun. Seeing Pierce's apparent, if slight advantage, a genuine smile seemed to bloom on his normally strict face. "You can do it, Pierce!" He waved, forgetting for a moment about the immense pressure brought on by the various schemes at play.

Although he couldn't hear his father's words, something compelled Pierce to turn his head towards the tower, where he saw his dad cheering him on. "My worries were unfounded. My dad's always gonna have my back." A warm fire filled him up as he drew. "This one's for you, dad!"

The audience "aww' d" at the words, many of them swaying to Pierce's side. Chazz scoffed, but simultaneously he scanned the crowd for his brothers. Chazz had informed them that he would be competing in the Genex Tournament appropriately as they still had a financial interest in his success. But whether they cared at all beyond that, he could not say. Chazz hadn't heard from either of them in weeks. Peering at face after face, Chazz determined that they weren't in the crowd, at least not where he could see them. Glancing down at the arena floor, Chazz saw no one in his corner there either. Reminding himself of the adulation held for him by his fellow Northerners, Chazz steeled himself and tried not to dwell on his lack of close ties.

"I'll start by casting the spell card Gladiator Beast's Respite! In exchange for shuffling two Gladiator Beasts from my hand into the deck, I can draw three new cards!" Cycling out beasts was helpful as Pierce's strategy relied on summoning them from the deck. However, it was still helpful to have a solid normal summon in the hand. "Then, I activate Gladiator's Proving Ground. This spell lets me add a level four or lower Gladiator Beast to my hand." Finally assembling the cards he needed, Pierce called out his next monster. "I play Gladiator Beast Darius (1700/1400)!" The monster was half-man, half-horse, an electrically charged whip clasped between its disturbingly humanoid hands. Its burnished orange armor was complemented by the harsh sunlight. "Now, I launch a direct attack with both monsters!"

However, Chazz was ready. "Appear, reverse card! Storming Mirror Force! This trap will bounce all of your attacking monsters back to the hand!" A wall of wind appeared between the black-haired boy and the approaching creatures, causing his charcoal coattails to billow up.

Pierce was equally quick to respond. "I reveal my counter trap, Parry! By returning a Gladiator Best from my hand to the deck, I can negate one of your trap cards!" The blast of air prepared to launch the Gladiator Beasts back, but Darius and Murmillo stood their ground and dispelled it with an open-palmed burst of duel energy. Once that task was finished, Darius pressed the attack, the lash driving Chazz back with a hiss. Then, Murmillo succeeded in striking Chazz directly with another flurry of bubbles. (Chazz 1300/Pierce 4000)

"That's the way Pierce, keep putting the pressure on!" Viper spurred on without a hint of embarrassment, standing up from his seat and shaking both fists despite the looks he was getting from Kaiba and the other headmasters. Foster, the principal of North Academy, always looked a little sweaty and disheveled. However, at the sight of his champion getting routed by a freshman, he was positively nervous, patting his sweaty bald head repeatedly with a hand towel.

"Since my monsters battled, I get to tag them out again! Return, Darius and Murmillo!" The Gladiator Beasts were a rare strategy that actually benefitted from keeping cards in the deck. "Then, I'll summon Gladiator Beast Retiari (1200/800) and Gladiator Beast Bestiari (1500/800)!" Retiari was a reptilian warrior wielding a trident, garbed in a wavy silver tunic. Meanwhile, Bestiari was a green-feathered avian, with scarlet plumage decorating the top of its head as well as the twin blades attached to its forearms. "When summoned, Retiari allows me to banish a card, while Bestiari pops a spell or trap on your field!"

Chazz frowned as he removed his Armored Dragon from play. "Not so fast! I flip over my set card, Ojama Duo! This will summon two Ojama tokens (0/1000) to your side of the field." While the trap apparently seemed useless or even counterproductive, it had a hidden purpose. Chazz realized that description could apply to all of the Ojama cards as two small gremlins, one a ruddy red and the other a deep beryl, sat on Pierce's field in defense mode.

"Haha, alright well if you want to give me more monsters that's your prerogative. But I gotta say, I could use a little more strength on my side. Luckily, my Gladiator Beasts have another special power – the ability to fusion summon without the need of a spell!"

"What the hell?" Chazz grit his teeth. Just how many unique capabilities did these damn cards have?

Delighting in his adversary's frustration, Pierce continued, "Yes, as long as I have the right materials on my field, the Gladiator Beasts can return to the deck and I can fusion summon! I've heard some people call it contact fusion – now observe it in action! I tag out Retiari and Bestiari to summon Gladiator Beast Essedarii (2500/1400)!" The monster was a fusion in name only as it bore no resemblance whatsoever to the lizard or bird that came before. Reading the card, Chazz saw that it could use any two Gladiator Beasts as material. Rumbling loudly in a golden chariot, the rider was a bulky gorilla wielding a spiked club. "My turn is over."

For his part, Chazz was kicking himself for how easily he underestimated his opponent. Frankly, he was surprised at how skilled Viper's son really was. After hearing how Pierce had learned the ways of dueling directly from his father, Chazz had no doubt that Viper could easily dispatch Crowler and certainly Foster, who was a skilled administrator but not necessarily good in a fight. Then again, Crowler had probably upgraded his deck to some degree since the blast, and Chazz hadn't seen him duel firsthand since then.

"I need to turn this around, and fast. If this next card isn't good, I'm screwed." Chazz's worries were interrupted by the imminent return of Alexis, Jasmine, Bastion, and Jim.

"Hey Chazz I got you a churro with extra cinnamon, and oh wow you're getting your ass kicked real good, aren'tcha?" Alexis impishly announced. Luckily, the wider audience couldn't hear her, and the cameras only saw Chazz leaning over to address someone on the arena floor.

"I'm kinda sorry I missed the duel now." Jasmine piled on. Bastion wasn't paying attention, as he was deep in conversation with Jim.

"So, you said you were a geologist as well, Misawa?" Jim queried.

"I said I was a geometrist, not a geologist." Bastion corrected with slight exasperation.

"Oh, well that's like the same thing right?"

"Uh…well I guess rocks are also shapes…" Bastion mumbled.

Pierce chuckled. "Wow Princeton, with friends like those who needs enemies?"

"These islanders are all ball-busters, you'll see." Chazz seemed to shrug off the comment, but inside he seethed, "Of course they came back at the worst possible time!" "But I'm glad they're here. As I defeat you, they'll get a firsthand look at what's in store for them…I will be the most famous duelist of all time, and this tournament is nothing more than a step along that path!"

"You're talking like that while playing Ojamas…what a weird guy." Pierce mused mostly to himself. "Well, let's see it then."

"With pleasure!" Chazz began his turn. Feeling the power within his drawn card, his confidence rose exponentially. "First, I'll use the effect of Ojama Duo in the graveyard! By banishing it, I can summon two Ojamas from my deck! Come forth, Ojama Pink (0/1000) and Ojama Red (0/1000)!"

Ojama Pink appeared near the edge of the arena, slowly crawling to the center of the battlefield where summoned monsters usually appeared. Along with its hot pink hide, it had five lazy eyes and a buck-toothed, slack-jawed expression. Ojama Red, on the other hand, was a hot tamale constantly speeding around the arena, seemingly incapable of moving at any pace slower than a sprint. The red one's eyes were constantly wide as dinner plates, darting around while constantly sniffing. Pierce resisted the temptation to mock the ugly creatures, knowing that Chazz's play was only just beginning.

"And now, bear witness to the greatest of my dragons, returned to its rightful partner! I sacrifice my Ojamas Red and Pink to tribute summon my ultimate beast – Light and Darkness Dragon (2800/2400)!"

The critters happily offered themselves as sacrifices to bring forth the divided dragon, one half jet-black and the other gleaming ivory. One wing, covered in stony, hard scales, emitted umbral energy while the other, replete with downy feathers, shone soft light upon the field. The sheer beauty of the dragon was shocking to the crowd, who would not have expected such grace from the vulgar, snide Chazz. Even Pierce seemed momentarily entranced by its looks before remembering his focus.

Chazz did not activate Ojama Pink's graveyard effect, as it would be negated by Light and Darkness Dragon's mandatory effect. "Now, attack the gladiator beast, my dragon!" Chazz commanded, and his ace monster obeyed by firing a concentrated beam of dark energy directly upon Pierce's fused monster, shattering it apart and causing the Westerner to take a step back. (Chazz 1300/Pierce 3700)

"Ah, so that is Princeton's dragon…a magnificent creature. I can see why he was so eager to reclaim it." Kaiba commented, causing Viper to sweat a bit.

The larger man leaned over to comment, "Tell me mister Kaiba, whatever happened to the poor Mackenzie girl? I heard there was a dispute between her and Princeton over ownership of the dragon. I also heard reports she was killed in the battle against the forces of Light."

"That is technically true, to my knowledge…still, I have reliable intelligence that informed me her true intentions. She was not fighting for my side, I assure you that. I only wish I knew if she was allied with Sartorius, or someone else…sadly, she is dead and cannot be questioned." The white dragon mused.

"As for Sartorius, I will ask him myself when he is brought before me in chains." He added mentally.

"Dead, hmm? That's too bad." Viper seemed to doubt. "You'll be in for quite a surprise when you find her fighting for my side, then. Your precious Blue-Eyes White Dragons will be decorative pieces on my wall soon enough."

Surreptitiously checking his watch, Kaiba noted, "Mokuba's lost Gecko's position…that shouldn't be possible…unless some magical bullshit is at play." His map showed Mokuba's presence was still active, so he was alright at least. "It's fine, we can triangulate his position from there. It appears to be around the volcano, as I expected. I will need some evidence of wrongdoing before I can move against Adrian, so for now it's best to let things unfold. And when he does expose himself, I'll just destroy him."

Chazz clenched a fist, relishing the feeling of being reunited with his most powerful spirit partner. "I end my turn!"

Recovering quickly from the slight damage, Pierce could not help but quickly glance at Axel and his father before drawing. He knew that it would require tremendous resources to out the Light and Darkness Dragon. However, the dragon's undiscerning judgment worked against Chazz as well. Now he wouldn't be able to activate any effects as long as it was on the field, since they would just be negated immediately. "I set a monster and end my turn."

Chazz silently drew, mulling the situation. The two Ojama tokens still sat on Pierce's field, attempting to distract him through incessant giggling and humming. If Chazz were to destroy them, they would inflict 300 points of damage to Pierce. However, the king in the North couldn't let Pierce build up his field, or else he could contact fuse into a Gladiator Beast strong enough to defeat his dragon. It was more important to go after any Gladiator Beasts first. "I set a card. Then, Light and Darkness Dragon attacks the set monster!" A wave of light disintegrated Pierce's Gladiator Beast Torax (1400/400) as the dragon roared triumphantly.

"Alright, he's got a chance after all. I guess I probably shouldn't count Chazz out so soon." Alexis thought. After all, Chazz had managed to secure wins over Jaden and Mackenzie, two duelists who had defeated her. "Still, that was before the blast…I'm a lot stronger now!" She thought, trying to quell the doubts that had arisen from Adrian's cryptic behavior during their match, as well as the prospect of facing a Sacred Beast next round. Jasmine had also quieted, perhaps realizing it was unwise to mock another participant in the very same tournament she had already been eliminated from. They were both surprised to see the slow, methodical play exercised, assuming that Chazz would fly off the handle straightaway. "Maybe he learned something from that duel with Aster."

A lightbulb seemed to turn on for Pierce as he drew his next card. "I set one card, then summon Gladiator Beast Laquari (1800/1400)."

Chazz knew that Pierce was trying to bait him, but also figured that nothing good would come from letting his opponent accumulate resources. Time to put on the pressure. "I summon X-Head Cannon (1800/1500) in attack mode!" The blue and yellow mech floated on a demagnetized ring below its torso, twin barrels extending from its shoulders.

"Now, I'll first attack one of the Ojama tokens with X-Head Cannon!" With a resounding boom, one of the gremlins was blasted away by Chazz's machine, clipping Pierce with a parting shot as it went (Chazz 1300/Pierce 3400)

"And now, to spring the trap!" Chazz thought as Light and Darkness Dragon bore down on Gladiator Beast Laquari.

Pierce raised a hand. "I cast a quick-play spell, Gladiator Taming! This will change your Light and Darkness Dragon to defense mode!" A flurry of whips emerged from the card's face, flying towards the Light and Darkness Dragon only for its aura to repel them easily.

"My dragon automatically negates that card's effect!" Chazz declared.

"That's exactly what I wanted! As a chain link three, I activate my other face-down card, the counter trap Gladiator Beast War Chariot!" Before Chazz could blink, Pierce's Gladiator Beast Laquari had mounted a wood wagon with spears on the front windshield. The chariot took off into the air, weaving through the tangled web of whips generated by Pierce's prior spell activation. Then, with an artful dodge, Laquari waited until the dragon had finished dealing with the whips before plunging its spears into the beast's gullet. "This trap negates a monster effect and destroys that monster! The only catch is that I need a Gladiator Beast on the field to activate it!" The audience was taken aback at the brutality by which the beautiful dragon was felled, causing their fickle loyalties to sway with each passing moment. Chazz was angered, but was glad to force his opponent to use so many resources in defeating his monster.

As the dragon collapsed onto the arena floor, its form dissolved into particles of soft, golden light. "When my Light and Darkness Dragon is destroyed, all other cards I control go as well. However, in return I get to summon another monster from my graveyard back to the field. Arise, Armed Dragon the Armored Dragon!" Chazz's X-Head Cannon was also destroyed, it too briefly disassembled into photons before reforming into the winged red wyvern.

"And last I checked, it was still my battle phase…Armored Dragon, take down the last Ojama token!" A hefty flap of the beast's wings cleared Pierce's field. (Chazz 1300/Pierce 3100)

As Pierce struggled to keep pace with the onslaught of attacks, Chazz cackled, "And it gets worse! When my Armored Dragon destroys a monster by battle, I can special summon a level five or lower Wind Dragon monster directly from my deck! Say hi to Armed Dragon Thunder LV 5 (2400/1700)" The air was thick with static as the paunchy, spiky red and black dragon flew in with a cry.

Jim whistled slowly. "This is shaping up to be a bloomin' slobberknocker!"

"Agreed. They're surprisingly well-matched. But Chazz's tactics are far more unorthodox than Pierce's, who is rather straightforward by comparison. If it just came down to numbers, Pierce should have the advantage…but this game is not all about numbers, for better or worse. A lucky draw by Chazz can close it out next turn." Bastion would be far more comfortable dealing with Pierce in the next round than the black-haired rogue, but only time would tell who his opponent would be.

"Ha! That ends my turn. Still think I'm full of hot air? I set a card and end my turn." Chazz boasted.

Pierce struggled to rise, the attack turning him around so he was facing the bleachers. Trying his best to ignore the masses, his eyes inevitably met with Axel's. The black squad commander's expression was hard and strict. "Don't stay on the ground! When you fall, get up as fast as you can! Show some damn discipline, son!"

In his haste to earn Axel's, as well as his father's approval, Pierce was on his feet the next moment. "This isn't over…he's got no negates or interruptions. I can win this turn!" His next draw helped assure him of this. "I cast the spell Card of Sanctity, allowing us to each draw until we have six cards in hand!" It was a desperate move that benefitted Chazz as much as it did Pierce. "Now, I play this! The spell card Gladiator Beast United! This will allow me to fusion summon once again by returning Gladiator Beasts from my hand or field back to the deck!"

The sky darkened to a rich navy blue as a storm of swords, lances, pikes, maces, and myriad other weapons rained from the heavens, the winds howling in advent of a storm. "By merging the Gladiator Beasts Retiari, Lanista, and Vesppasius from my hand, I can call forth the arena's greatest champion! Gladiator Beast Dominatus (3500/1200)!"

The assorted weapons rained from above, encircling the two combatants as they lodged in the arena floor. Chazz was astounded by how real it all seemed, but when he waved a hand at one of the spears nested close by, his fingers harmlessly passed through the hologram. "We've been getting so accustomed to magic that the holograms are what's difficult to believe now…" Chazz internally noted with black humor. The approaching beast was vaguely repitalian in appearance, although frankly found the creature hard to look at due to its overly busy armor and ornamental weapons. Nevertheless, he could discern it was a sea serpent walking on its hind legs, with a heavy tail trailing behind that was longer than the animal was tall.

The crowd roared as Dominatus raised its spear proudly. Chazz mocked reflexively, "I though soldiers weren't supposed to showboat like that?" Inwardly, he took note of the monster's effects. Once per turn, Dominatus could negate one of Chazz's monster effects and destroy that monster. Pierce was also allowed to choose the targets for Chazz's attacks while that behemoth was on the board.

"And now, since I special summoned a Gladiator Beast, I can activate this trap card- Gladiator Lash! This forces you to discard a card from your hand!" Pierce ignored Chazz's remark and pressed his seeming advantage.

"Oh, any card I want, huh? How about Ojamagic?" Chazz grinned and his minions cackled as the audience realized what the spell did. "When this card is discarded, I can add Ojama Yellow, Green, and Black to my hand from my deck!" Now Chazz had a tremendous amount of card advantage, although it wouldn't matter if Pierce dealt him a finishing blow this turn.

Axel's face pinched in annoyance. "Damn it…Pierce shouldn't even have that card in his deck. Too many opponents will either benefit from having cards in the graveyard, or they'll have no cards in their hand at all in the late game."

Missing a beat, Pierce blustered, "Who cares if you have those useless cards in your hand? This fight is over, right now! Dominatus, crush his Armored Dragon and end this duel!" However, he failed to notice that Chazz had revealed his face-down trap card already.

Chazz bared his teeth as his Armored Dragon began to cook, the beast crying in pain before erupting into flames. A demonic face cackled from within the fire, and like a living thing it raced towards Pierce's ultimate monster.

"In response to your fusion summon, I flipped over my trap, Chthonian Polymer. I knew that many of my opponents would be playing fusion monsters…they foolishly pool their resources into a big, bad boss monster." The fires engulfed Dominatus, Pierce watching in horror as his hopes similarly went up in smoke. "All I need is the right card, and I can turn the enemy's strength against him! By sacrificing a monster, I can take control of your fusion monster!"

When the tornado of flames subsided, Pierce saw that Dominatus stood opposite to him, the once-proud beast moving jerkily like a puppet on strings. Its vibrant teal skin tone became an ashy charcoal, just like that dirty jacket Princeton was wearing…

Disbelieving that his hopes could be dashed so quickly and ruthlessly, Pierce ended his turn without a word, and Chazz silently bid the possessed fusion monster to strike down its own master (Chazz 700/Pierce 0)

"I…" Crowler seemed shocked at how quickly Chazz turned the tables. It was as if he had decided to stop toying with his opponent to reveal his true strength. "Chazz Princeton of North Academy is the winner." He declared neutrally.

Chazz and Pierce shared the quickest handshake known to man before Pierce stomped off the stage, trying not to be overcome with emotion and failing as tears pooled. Chazz descended the stairs more slowly, clenching and unclenching his fists testily.

"Here you go, Chazz." Alexis offered him the stick of fried dough with extra cinnamon, which he accepted with a muttered, "Thanks."

Bastion coolly regarded him. "Yes, well done Chazz. But this outcome was well within my calculations. Next round, I will show you the formula I've prepared to solve your strategy."

Chazz's attempt to look intimidating was undercut by the sprinklings of cinnamon around his lips. "In this cold world, it's either Chazz or be Chazzed. And I plan on doing the Chazzing around here! Just wait until next round, Misawa!"

Misawa shrugged off the boasting, and Chazz instead turned to the rotunda, where he saw Pierce speaking with his father, Professor Viper. Viper had a hand on the boy's shoulder, and was seeming to reassure him while also giving frank advice on where he could improve. Chazz expected Viper to treat Pierce coldly after his failure, but that didn't appear to be the case.

"It's alright, you got out there and gave it your best, son. Keep training, and you'll get him next time." Chazz overheard Viper saying. Pierce nodded despondently, but Chazz could tell he would get over this quickly and come back all the stronger for it. A hollowness gripped him upon seeing the strong familial tie between the two men

"I don't have anything like that…" Chazz thought, knowing that his parents and siblings hadn't even bothered showing up to the tournament. "Who cares, I won the fight, and that's the only thing that counts!" The angry, prideful notions were like a salve.

And yet, when he saw Pierce and Viper share a handshake, the feeling of victory was empty in comparison.

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(Jaden Yuki POV)

He panted with exertion as he rose, his haggard breath echoing around the empty antechamber. Across the room was Blade Knight or Jamie Lancaster or whoever the hell he was, withdrawing his duel disk elegantly.

Jaden insisted that they duel, as a way of ascertaining the truth behind the masked knight's extraordinary claims. While dueling itself could provide no evidence, Jaden had an uncanny way of fishing out an opponent's true motives in battle. Although Jaden had fought his hardest, his limits were curtailed since he had not fully recovered from his harsh time on the road, and was starving besides. Blade Knight was able to best him this time, although it had been a close thing.

Jaden didn't mind the fact that he had lost. What did worry him was that Blade Knight's earlier words appeared to be true. He was the real Jamie Lancaster, displaced from his body by some mysterious dimensional interloper who chose to claim the true Jamie's identity. The thought made Jaden sick the more he dwelled on it. Did Jamie's parents know what had happened to their son? Did Jamie's childhood friends know what had become of him? And what else had the false Jamie Lancaster lied about over the years?

While Jaden and Jamie weren't that close, Jaden respected his unconventional dueling style as well as his efforts to reform Obelisk Blue. Once a hive of squabbling trust fund babies, Jamie had built the institution into a respectable fighting force that had actually earned their elite status by force. Hell, it was enough to make Jaden himself consider donning the blue coat as a way of constantly having access to strong opponents.

They had fought alongside each other as key keepers against the Shadow Riders and even cooperated directly against their leader, Kagemaru. Jamie's actions had proven that they were on the same side…but in that case, why would he lie about who he was? What did he gain from it? "And what else has he lied about?" The question echoed in his mind.

"Who do I trust? What should I do next? I don't know. If only I just had some time to think…"

Blade Knight strode over to him. "Well fought, but you were never going to beat me without resting and recovering. If you were at your full strength…well, it could have gone a different way. But that doesn't matter. I have granted your request for a duel. Now do you believe what I was saying earlier?" He offered a gloved hand to his fallen opponent.

Jaden took the help and stood up. Blade Knight was not wearing his helmet, and the face of Jamie Lancaster looked upon him, the expression familiar yet subtly different in dozens of little, discomfiting ways. "You are an honorable opponent. I didn't expect it, to be honest."

"Is it because the Jamie Lancaster you know is different?"

"No, he's usually a pretty good sport, at least when it comes to dueling. It's pretty easy to rile him up though, haha…" Jaden's chuckle died as he met Blade Knight's stony gaze. "Oh, sorry."

"He is the one who stole my body. It is no laughing matter to me. Someday soon, I will have justice for what was done to me." A shadow fell over Blade Knight's face, and Jaden could tell that this was a subject he dwelled on every single day.

"Listen man, I'm sorry, but I need to hear the other side of the story before I make any decisions. I wish I knew a way to help you, but I don't." Jaden tested the waters, unsure of how Blade Knight, who seemed calm in all things except for this, would react.

Anger seemed to surge for a moment, but Blade Knight gathered his emotions under control and replied, "Take what time you need, but in the end you'll see things my way. The impostor must die."

Jaden found that although these people seemed like villains on the surface, when he actually slowed down and talked with them, things were more complex than they appeared. Jinzo looked scary, but really was quite awkward and lonely beneath the surface. Hank Ishtar did betray his clan, but wouldn't Jaden do the same if he was born into such a repressive and barbaric institution as the tomb keepers? And Blade Knight's anger was understandable as well. His life had been completely derailed through no fault of his own, but rather through the capriciousness of wicked, mirthful gods.

A third voice roused him from his reverie, "Ah, you're awake at last!" and echoed across the empty atrium. Turning around, Jaden seized as he recognized Yubel, but this time managed to retain consciousness. Her form was familiar to him now that the memories had come back.

"I was hoping we could finally talk after what happened in the courtyard. The exhaustion of the road must have been too much." The affection oozed in Yubel's tone while she addressed Jaden, only to drop just as quickly as she turned to Blade Knight. "Leave us." She commanded pitilessly.

The warrior paused, seeming to weight the consequences of a barbed retort, before thinking better of it. "We shall talk more later, Jaden." He said before swiftly exiting the antechamber, leaving Jaden and Yubel alone together. Yubel's gaze followed Blade Knight until she was sure he was gone.

Turning back to Jaden, she asked, "So, do you finally remember everything now?"

He believed he did. The images had come back to him intermittently, over the course of days. But now, he understood everything. "My parents…they gave me drugs to suppress my memories of you."

"Yes, they did, but that was not their biggest mistake. Their greatest error was that they should have made sure I was dead and gone. Sending me away…it was a coward's decision they foisted upon you. What goes around, comes around. They should have realized that at the time, but they will by the time I'm through with them. But that's far down on my to-do list."

"Osamu…you killed him…" Jaden forced the words out.

"Yes, or rather I used your body to do the deed. At the time, I did not have the power to manifest my body in the physical realm. And that was not the first or last time, either." The casual admission took Jaden's breath away. All he could say in response was, "Why?"

Jaden, without the two of us together, the world you love so much will fall at the hand of cosmic forces beyond comprehension. In order to combat the threat of the Light of Destruction, I chose to devote my life to yours, millennia ago when our reincarnation cycles first began. We are soulmates. You are mine, and I am yours."

The sheer conviction by which she said it gave the words a weight they would not have had otherwise. "I…I already beat the Light of Destruction without your help. And you've killed so many people…I can't abide that!"

"Jaden, you only defeated a fragment of the force's power that was within Sartorius. And as for my methods, I can change. Whatever you want me to be is what I am. And since my only reason for existing is to serve your will, I want you to be completely honest with me, and tell me what you want."

"Huh? I don't get it. Is this some kind of trick?" Jaden muttered, overwhelmed by Yubel's forceful duel energy.

"You are the supreme overlord of the Gentle Darkness. Everything in the universe is yours to possess. The truth is what you make it. Reality is in your hands. Pick something, and it belongs to you. Do you want a glass of water?"

"Yeah, that would be nice actually - " Jaden blinked, and a goblet was suddenly in Yubel's hand. He cautiously took hold of it, examining the liquid and taking a tentative sip before accepting that it was cold, clear water. Not realizing how parched he was, Jaden emptied the cup in a single gulp.

Yubel smiled. "Refreshing, yes? Now what do you want? Pick anything."

Jaden's head swam with confusion, not knowing where Yubel could possibly be going with this but deciding to humor her anyways. "Alright, then. Last summer I delivered pizzas, and it was a crappy job. I want so much money that I never have to worry about working again."

"Of course my liege, you have full access to the royal treasuries and their related accounts. Your job, if you choose to accept it, is governance of this dimension. You will never be subjected to such menial labor ever again." Yubel answered easily, her smile widening as Jaden realized the full implications of becoming "king".

"While we're at it, I want all of my elemental heroes in max rarity and mint condition." Jaden demanded.

"Funny you mention that, the castle vaults have collected cards from across the dimensions, including new hero monsters to power up your deck." Yubel replied easily. "As for your request…" Yubel placed one arm behind her back and seemingly pulled three cards from nowhere like a magic trick. Revealing them to Jaden, he saw they were Ultimate Rare versions of Avian, Burstinatrix, and Sparkman, the cards sporting alternate artworks he hadn't seen before.

"What? You can't just pull those out of thin air, those cards cost hundreds of dollars apiece!" Jaden protested, but he could not deny what his own eyes were seeing.

"I believe I just did. Take them." Yubel outstretched a hand, and Jaden shakily accepted the new versions of his heroes. "Anything else?"

"Yes, actually. I have a few questions."

"You need only to ask." Jaden hadn't realized it, but Yubel was slowly getting closer to him as they spoke.

"Where is Sartorius?"

Yubel's expression grew sad and apologetic. "I'm sorry, my king. He - he tried to attack me shortly after you fell unconscious. That awful white light energy empowered him, and it was all I could do to fend him off. We had to keep him in the dungeons, it was the only option."

"What? You must be talking about the Light of Destruction, but I hadn't sensed any of that from him after our duel. I want to see him after this." Jaden was suspicious, but he couldn't tell if Yubel was lying or not.

"Of course, of course. But be careful, he can get very aggressive." Yubel's tone was concerned. "I am happy to answer any other questions you have."

"This past summer, two duel spirits attacked my friends, Command Knight and Harpie's Brother. Both of my friends claimed they were working for you. Did you send them, and if so why?" Jaden was getting used to Yubel's presence, and his footing became more sure.

"I did no such thing. They were emissaries of Brron, the mad king. He was the tyrant who used to inhabit this castle, and he blamed me for many atrocities as I led the rebellion against his rule. Now that he's gone, peace and justice can return under your dominion." Yubel said. Jaden had no way to verify whether the claim was true or not, so he silently moved on to his final request.

"In that case, here's the last thing I want for now. I want you to end any and all conflict with my friends. I will find out the truth behind Jamie Lancaster's true identity, but I want to hear his side of the story. The one I know." Jaden half-chuckled. Differentiating the two Jamies was confusing. "Until then, you will give up any and all hostilities against humanity and especially my friends."

Yubel could not hide her unhappiness at this request, but also could not openly renege on her previous promise to him. "If that is your command, my lord…but in time, you will see that those you once called friends were deceiving you. They were holding you back, manipulating you for their own ends. Are you truly content to be a pawn of men like Kaiba and Pegasus?"

"I don't want to be manipulated by anyone, and that includes you!" A spark of anger crept into Jaden's voice, pleasing Yubel.

"Then do what you think is right. Make up your own mind. Give yourself permission to use the latent power within, and mold this world how you see fit." Yubel's sibilant tone caused shivers to race up Jaden's neck. A warm hand, a loving hand, settled on his shoulder and slowly rubbed back and forth.

"You say you can give me anything I want. What if I decide I want to end your life?" Jaden asked with a coldness he didn't know he had. "Would you give me that?"

"Yes." Yubel was so close she seemed to fill up the world, and he could see nothing else. "Eons ago, I willingly sacrificed everything to be in your service, because I love you. I've always loved you. And whatever you decide to do from this point on, I will always love you."

Suddenly, her lips took his, and Jaden was greeted with a bouquet of profuse flavors - rosewater, bloody meat, red wine, and a lush fire that seemed to ignite an identical blaze within him. "My first kiss." Jaden realized, and he understood now why so many songs and poems were written about them. He tasted her, and found himself wanting more, but Yubel pulled away.

"I can give you everything, you just need to decide to take it."

"I just don't know what to do…" Jaden whispered as darkness swirled in his soul.

"Think about it…Sartorius is dungeon block 3A when you want to see him." Yubel said. Jaden had closed his eyes, and when he opened them she was gone. In the haze of confusion, one course of action was clear to him.

"Jamie…or whatever your real name is…I will discover the truth behind this. Yes…we will fight, and I'll know the truth!" Jaden's eyes burned gold.

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(Jamie Lancaster POV)

At last, we were getting closer to our goal. In the distance, I could make out a faint outline of the castle, black spires jutting towards the heavens as civilization pooled out from the central grounds. Already, we were encountering other duel spirits on the road, and while most were content to leave us alone, it was only a matter of time until would be forced to take a quieter approach.

"Finally, I was getting tired of walking." I joked weakly as I knew everyone else could feel the smothering darkness that lay ahead. "What are you thinking about, Gandalf?"

Aster had left his dirty suit behind in one of the villages we visited, buying some light brown and white robes that were more comfortable to travel in. The rest of us had done the same, making us look like Jedi or Fremen, only less cool. "I can sense him, faintly…Sartorius is up ahead." White sparks occasionally lit Aster's fingertips as he focused. It was difficult to tell how much time had passed in this realm compared to our world's, but Aster's beard had fully grown in, rather bushy and a slightly darker shade of gray than the rest of his hair. And yet for some reason, the tournament hadn't ended in our world, so it's been weeks here but only a day or two on Earth. Thinking about it just confused me.

Erin was the only one who laughed at the Gandalf joke. She seemed to like Aster's beard, often seeming to find any excuse to touch it. The two of them were growing closer, or at least she was trying to get closer to him. I would say opposites attract, but it didn't seem like Aster was going for it. His walls were so thick and dense that Erin seemed to be taking it as a challenge to break them down. I didn't care as long as they could fight when the time came.

I saw Ruby Carbuncle perched on Jesse's shoulder, skittish as it perceived what lay ahead of us. Jesse's once-immaculate bishonen looks were marred by the harsh conditions we traveled in. His face was blasted with sand and dust, as I'm sure mine was. Bags were developing under his eyes, and stress lines framed his nose and cheeks. He was the hairdresser of the crew and had given us all cuts a few days ago. Unlike Erin, he despised Aster's beard and insisted he shave it, but to no avail.

Zane's pace had only increased while the rest of ours had slowed. "Finally, a real fight!"

As usual, I was on the same page as him, and despite my weariness, I found myself muttering, "Yes…a real fight…" It was exciting and frightening and it made me feel alive. Most of all, I was excited to see Jaden again. Circumstances and different priorities meant I hadn't spent much with him. But I really did value his friendship, and I hoped there were many more good times to come with him.

"Just hold on, Jaden, we're on our way!"

A/N

Hope you all enjoyed and thank you for your patience. The passion comes and goes, you know how it is.

I don't have much time to type out an author's note but I did quick want to shout out ToMyMaster, who writes the story Yugioh NGX. They reached out to me, we had a great conversation and they asked me to give em a shout which I am happy to do, as I like to support the yugioh fanfiction community when I can. I haven't actually read the story yet but I will fairly soon. That being said cheers to all on the Royal Magical Library Discord as well as the Staying the Background discord. Thanks for putting up with my incessant character deck postings lol. Discord wasn't really as much of a thing when this story came out, maybe I maek my own channel someday? I'm not sure. Frankly it'll probably just distract me more from writing lol. But it's fun to talk to my fellow human beings, I gotta say I should have jumped on this trend sooner.

Anyways, what else...? I forget. I'll try to upload again soon my frens. I forget if I posted it before but I am playing Master Duel on and off so if you want to add me my name is Yung_Jaime and my ID is 434-455-179. I'm F2P but I have some reasonable decks (Trizoo, Swordsoul, Shaddoll Invoked, pure zoo) so if you want to play message me here or on discord and we can make it happen. By the way I apologize for anyone who has added my Duel Links ID, I don't play the game anymore and I haven't for like two years. So it makes the author's note where I posted about that on whatever chapter it was kinda embarassing. Oh well lol. I guess the AN went long after all haha. Thanks again to you all for reading and supporting all these years!