"Talking"
"Duel Spirit Talking"
'Thoughts'
"Loud Speaking!"
"Selected Position (ATK/DEF)"
Chapter Seven: Luck Be A Lady!
Jaden sighed as everyone made their separate ways, leaving the brunette on his own. Thinking about it, it had been one of the few chances where he could simply relax by himself... not that he didn't want the company he always had but it was nice to be by himself and let his thoughts wander for a little while. It was during the little intermission that Jaden soon perked up with an interesting idea running across his imaginative mind as he quickly ran inside and into his room. Pulling out a large sheet of paper, he began jotting down several ideas he reminisced from his pranking days...
While everyone was busy doing their own thing, two of the final eight contestants decided to stay with each other before they had to make their way over to the Exhibition Hall where the last few matches would take place. Grabbing a few trays of food, the two figures made their way over to an isolated table before taking a seat across from one another.
"Y'know... this is one of the rare moments we've gotten to actually sit down and talk." Jenny mused as she stabbed a piece of chicken before bringing it to her lips. "Ya know, without the kidnappings and the unusual activities that seems to be happening around us." she winked.
"Yeah. It's weird, thinking about it," Alexis replied, tapping the side of her fork against her finger in contemplation, "We've always been around Jay and the others so we've never had much time to ourselves. Of course, the Dorm incident doesn't count." she replied, amusement underlining her tone.
"Lex?" Jenny asked, taking a pause from her food.
"Hm?" the blonde-turned-redhead replied, chewing a slice of pizza.
"Be honest with me: what do you think of Jay?" she smiled warmly. Alexis had to finish her mouthful before speaking but she allowed herself some time to gather her thoughts together about the Ra Yellow.
Since day one, he had shown to her that he was completely different from the rest of the boys that were joining the Academy. Unlike everyone else who was arrogant, cocky and downright disgusting when they sent lusting leers her way, he regarded her as just another person. Normally, she'd be mad at this fact but she honestly couldn't be more thankful for some sense of normalcy. Jaden has been completely fair to her and had often charmed her with his demeanor, something she liked about him; being able to play around and just be free.
She then recalled the duel the two of them outside the Obelisk Blue Dorm... inwardly giggling at the 'Fairy Tale of Duel Academy' moniker the duel had been given for it's popularity. He had complimented her several times but not for the same reason as many did so before... she had been complimented on her dueling ability. No-one, apart from her brother and Zane, had ever complimented her on her dueling abilities before and she couldn't help but relive the feeling she got from it: the relieving burden off her shoulders and a genuine smile appearing on her face as she reminisced. The smile soon turned into a blush as she recalled the kiss she initiated when she pulled Jaden down with her. That kiss... she never knew a kiss could be so passionate or pleasurable. She would feel the familiar heat in her loins whenever she dwelt too much on it, so she soon passed over the sensations, much to her disappointment.
Then she recalled the mischief he had gotten up to; OTK'ing Crowler in his induction exam, OTK'ing Chazz after being taunted into a duel, her duel with him, the second duel with Chazz which he won (even giving him some of his cards as a better challenge... and not even using his own deck), teaching Crowler's class for a month, the kidnapping rescue from Titan and everything that stemmed from that...
Alexis couldn't bring herself to deny her inner feelings for the boy as she came to the same conclusion that Jenny had made few days prior...
Jaden Yuki was too good of a man to let slip under their radars. Simply put, he was the diamond among the coal and she'd be damned if she let that diamond slip out of her grasp.
"I don't even know where to begin..." Alexis sighed as she placed her fork on the side of her plate, allowing her free hand to rest her chin on. "Since day one, he's proven to me that he's nothing like the rest of the guys here; he doesn't tag along with the flow if it means going against his beliefs, he never breaks his promises and he never allows himself to sit by when he can make a difference... no matter how insignificant. He put his neck out for us when he heard our screams and came to rescue us when he could have simply walked away and drained himself just to make sure us two were alright." she warmly smiled as she looked Jenny dead in the eyes.
"Simply put, Jaden's ticking all the right boxes for me and I can't help but have these feelings for him. I'm not ashamed to say that I don't care how many girls he may be with, I will do whatever it takes just to be by his side. I... I truly love him but I don't know how to tell him." she finished, slightly disheartened.
"Join the club, sister." Jenny nodded as she crossed her arms underneath her bust. "I can't help but feel what I do when I'm with Jaden. First, it was an admiration for his dueling prowess but it soon turned into admiration for how strong a person he is, emotionally and mentally. You don't know the full story, do you?" she asked. Alexis briefly shook her head in the positive before the blunette continued. "Ah, fair one. Well, as I look back... I've seen how far I've gotten since joining the Academy and how much I've improved my game by sticking around and listening to Jay's advice."
"The way he walks, the way he talks, the way he acts and the way he selflessly provides for others if it meant he went without... I mean, could you name anyone else who could be compared to how amazing Jay is?" she smiled, closing her eyes as she reflected on her moments. "The feeling I have when he holds me close to him... I-I... I just can't begin to say how amazing it is. I don't often sleep next to him but there are a few nights he'll be restless as his memories return; those are the times I slip in with him as a support for him and I allow him to hold me close to him for comfort. An amazing guy shouldn't have gone through what he did but I can't help but love him more for rising above everything and carrying on like a trooper." she finished.
The two smiled at one another as they began eating the rest of their food, much happier now they've gotten the main talk out of the way. Jenny glanced up and smiled towards Alexis. "Yeah, if you want to have a shot at Jaden, I'm more than happy to share him with you." she winked playfully.
"Thanks, Jen." she nodded, feeling incredibly relieved at the news. The two ate the rest of their food in a comfortable silence: no more words needed to be said between them. Unbeknownst to the two of them, a figure began walking away with a smile on his face. Smoothing the creases out of his green jacket, Zane nodded to himself before leaving the girls in peace.
(Exhibition Hall)
The time soon passed by as the students began filling the stands in the Exhibition Hall, a minority of the people having taken off their fancy dress costume and were currently wearing their leisure clothes. While the audience continued to talk among themselves, the eight quarter-finalists were lining up against the wall near the arena; each with different thoughts.
Zane looked as stoic as ever but if you were to know his expressions well, you could see that he was excited for the upcoming matches and he was determined to go all out and win a copy of Jaden's Deck. His opponent was far from please as Mindy knew she had no chance of going against Zane and winning the tournament. Despite that, she'd go down swinging.
Syrus and Jenny were both grinning like madmen at one another as they bumped fists together. Since the two of them had been taking lessons from Jaden outside the Academy curriculum, they had progressed by leaps and bounds in several of their weaker areas. Syrus' improved in card-timing and counter-effects which helps him bring out his stronger monsters but turning the advantage to him with his trap combos that follow. Jenny showed that she was absorbing all his advice like a sponge and had drastically improved her game: even going as far as to adding synchro and exceed monsters to her deck after learning how to properly summon them. Their match would be one of the many rematches they'd have to prove who was the better of the two of them...
Chumley and Jasmine didn't really say much, verbally or expressively, but Jaden couldn't help but wander what the deal was with them two... the sneaking glances, the lingering gazes, the charming smiles...
The proverbial light-bulb switched on and Jaden soon found himself grinning like a cat that caught the canary as he just found a new reason to tease Chumley about. After that revelation he turned to Alexis and Chazz. The former gave him a warm smile and wave, which he returned. Chazz simply looked up and gave an acknowledging nod towards Jaden, who responded in kind. He glanced over to the side to see Professor Sartyr give him a thumbs up about the little surprise he was going to add; the cue for Jaden to get things started up again as he walked back onto the stage.
"Yo! Welcome back, guys and girls, to the final stretch of the 'Fancy-Dress Duel Monsters Tournament'! We've had a long day so far but we've narrowed things down to our final eight contestants and you can be sure that these next few matches will really show off their gameplay! Before we start the first quarter-final match, I'd like to add a little spin to the line-up..." he smirked as the lights soon cut out, leaving the hall in complete darkness. The students began looking around, a little startled, before the lights switched back on.
Behind Jaden was something they could relate to as a roulette. The circumference of the wheel was covered in multi-coloured lights that flashed in an erratic pattern, interweaving between the metal hand grips that was placed. There were a number of 'slices' that were decorated in pictures and writing, all on different coloured backgrounds.
"You see, I used to have a bit of a pranking streak when I was younger and I thought I'd bring it back out... for a little while. At the beginning of each duel, I'll spin the roulette. There are a total of sixteen stipulations on here which will take effect during the duel, possibly allowing the match-ups to be a little better balanced. Now, with that explained, would Chazz Princeton and Alexis Rhodes please make their way to the stage?" Jaden grinned, lifting his sword into the air as the crowd went wild for the two duelist who made their way to their designated spaces.
"I still don't know why I have to face Alexis." Chazz moaned. "I mean, we all know who's gonna be winning this thing!" he smirked.
"Chazz, I hate it when your ego crawls out of the woodwork from time to time. Remember when Jaden took you down... twice, I might add?" Alexis grinned back, giggling to herself as Chazz's face turned pale. He humphed before fixing his gaze on Jaden, who watched the banter with amusement.
"Now that they're in place, let's spin the wheel!" Jaden chanted as he grabbed one of the metal handles and spun the roulette wheel, the arrow constantly clicking against the metal bars. After a few seconds, the roulette slowed down before landing on a picture that revealed several drawn figures that showed less clothing than the last. "Now this will be interesting! Before we start, can both duelists count the number of articles of clothing they currently have on?" Jaden asked, earning confused glances from everyone. Chazz and Alexis both shrugged and did as they asked, not taking into account their underwear.
"Chazz?" Jaden hinted.
"I got ten. What's this gotta do with anything!?" he yelled, slightly nervous about what's in store.
"I got eight. For once, I agree with Chazz; what's going on?" Alexis asked, curious more than anything. Jaden grinned a smile which made a shiver run down Alexis' spine...
This would not end well.
"Think of this as a game of 'Strip Poker', except that it'll be Duel Monsters instead! As Chazz has ten pieces, he will lose a piece of clothing for every four hundred points of damage to his life-points. As you have eight, Lex, yours is every five hundred points. Before you ask, no. I'm not that cruel to make you take everything off, which is why you will be left in your undergarments." he continued, getting a large 'ooooooh' from the audience.
Alexis sighed in relief as she was perfectly prepared for it as well. It wasn't the first time she had to parade around in a bikini in front of a large group of people. "That's fine with me, I have my bikini on underneath this so I'm good to go." she shrugged, getting a large cheer from the male population.
"Heh, like Chazz Princeton will back down from something like this! Let's go!" he yelled back, getting a cheer from a few of the female students.
"There's just one more addition..." Jaden winked to the two of them. "I also have eight pieces of clothing on me. You both have a grand total of four thousand points, meaning there's eight thousand in play. Every thousand points that's gone from the game, I lose an article of clothing." he shrugged, getting a thunderous roar from the girls of Duel Academy. "Oh, and increasing life-points? You're not allowed to put on any of the clothes you've taken off until the end of the duel. You get this?"
"Got it!/Whatever!" the two duelists replied in unison. Jaden smirked as he lifted his sword up into the air, letting the sunlight reflect off the edge of the blade.
"One of the main reasons why the Pro Circuit is so popular is because the duelists give the crowd what they want so how will these two fare with the added pleasure of pleasing the crowds? Will Chazz's 'Chaos Dragons' crush his opposition or will Lex's 'Cyber Bladers' make a show of Chazz and take the lead? There's only one way to find out..." he grinned as the room chanted as one:
"Let's Duel!"
Chazz : 4000
Alexis : 4000
"I'll make the first move!" Chazz yelled as he drew his sixth card and added it to his hand. "Ha! I'll place one card face down in defence position and two face downs. End my go!" Chazz smirked. "You know, I might enjoy this duel... I always wondered what you look like in a bikini." he shrugged, getting glares from girls in the stands. However, Alexis giggled into her hand before returning the confident smirk.
"Like you're gonna get the chance to do so?" she taunted as she drew her first card of the duel. She glanced down at her deck and smiled, slightly shocked at the fact that the cards she needed were already in her hand. "Oh Chazz... I wish I was sorry but I'm really not. I'll place a monster in defence mode and I'll place three face down cards. That's turn." she shrugged.
"My draw!" he retorted, smirking as he revealed his card. "I'll think I'll go this way: I activate my Double Summon to summon my Double Coston to the field but he won't be staying for long. You see, Double Coston can count as two tributes if the monster I'm summoning is a Dark attribute... so I'll tribute both of my monsters to summon forth the embodiment of darkness: Chaos Dragon of the Eternal Night!" he cackled as the two monsters disappeared in a burst of pixels before glowing a pulsating purple glow. The aura of the pixels began converging together into one spot as the form of a dragon soon took shape; allowing the blood-red eyes to pierce Alexis' gaze as she couldn't help but shudder at the ferocious creature before her.
(Chaos Dragon of the Eternal Night: Dragon / Dark / 12* / 4700 ATK/ 2300 DEF)
"Well, I think we all know where this'll be going..." he smirked as he threw his arm out towards her. "Chaos Dragon, attack her face down!"
"Not so fast, Chazz!" Alexis smirked as she revealed her face down trap card. "I'll play my trap card, Disqualified! Your attack is negated and I can choose a monster on your side of the field and destroy it. Seeing as you only have your dragon, it goes bye-bye!" she waved mockingly before the 'X' smashed into the darkness and dispersed it.
"Damn!" Chazz cursed as he glanced over his hand. "I'll play one more face down and end my go."
"Back to me!" Alexis replied, drawing another card. "I'm going to activate a card I received from a friend of mine a little while back, Painful Draw." she smiled as Jaden's eyes widened a small amount as he glanced over to the redhead. Several of the girls gasped in recognition as it was the same card Jaden had used against her during the duel between them. "I can draw extra cards from my deck but each card will cost me five hundred life points. In this case, I need to strip down to pick up." she explained, rolling her eyes at the analogy she used as she heard several male students holler in delight.
"For now, I'll think I'll choose another three cards to add to my hand..." she trailed off as she began taking off her wings and the claws stationed on her hands and feet.
Alexis: (4000 - 1500) = 2500
"Now, I can play!" she winked. "I'm gonna reveal one of my hidden cards which no-one, apart from my brother, has seen... my Machine Angel Ritual! I'll tribute the Etoile Cyber and Cyber Gymnast in my hand to summon my Cyber Angel Dakini!" she grinned as everyone watched the field in suspense at the never-before-seen cards that she was using.
A burst of white light appeared on the field, next to the face down monster, as it blinded everyone for a split second. The light faded away to reveal a blue-skinned, four-armed duel spirit. In two of her arms were a pair of swords; one resembling a katana, which was decorated with a golden guard and a blue hilt which had a charm dangling off the hilt, and the other looked like a machette that had a variation of the gold/blue hilt design. Near the end of the blade, a near-circular shape was cut out of the sword. Her other hands were holding a wooden bo staff that guarded her frame. Her flowing red hair hair was hidden by a flat-top helmet that reached down her back, a golden galerus that guarded her bust and shoulders and finished off with matching gauntlets and navy/gold bottoms that stretched over her curvaceous frame.
(Cyber Angel Dakini: Fairy / Effect / Ritual / Light / 8* / 2700 ATK / 2400 DEF)
"Before we go any further, I think it's about time I reveal my face down monster... another addition from a friend of mine: Axle Blader!" she winked at Jaden. Unlike most of her duel spirits, she was dressed in a casual combination of a off-white tank top and a pair of blue jeans that hugged her hips. On her feet were a pair of roller blades attached, matching the colour scheme.
(Axle Blader: Warrior / Earth / 4* / 1500 ATK / 1600 DEF)
"Now, I'll equip my Dakini with White Veil! Now when she attacks you, all your spell and trap cards are negated and destroyed. The only drawback is that I take damage equal to her attack points the moment she's destroyed. For now? Why don't you get a closer look?" she smirked. "Dakini, attack Chazz directly!" she yelled. Her duel spirit stabbed the pole into the floor in an acrobatic flair as she somersaulted in front of Alexis. She grabbed her swords with two hands and reared them back before lashing out two crescent blades that collided with Chazz's side of the field.
Chazz: (4000 - 2700) = 1300
As soon as the smoke faded, Chazz stood defenceless in front of his opponent with several pieces of clothing having been ripped to shreds. Jaden had to hold back a laugh as it was exactly seven pieces of clothing that got ripped... the same number he had to lose due to the last attack. "It's time to end this thing. Axle, finish this up with Trailblaze!" she beamed with delight as she watched her newest addition skate up to Chazz in a trail of flames before circling him several times before a small explosion occurred and blasted Chazz off the stage.
Chazz: (1300 - 1500) = 0
"Woah! What a move by Alexis! Her Cyber Bladers have upstaged Chazz's dragons and stolen his place in the semi-finals as the win goes to Obelisk's Alexis Rhodes!" Jaden proclaimed with delight as the crowd went wild in response of the impressive, if not quick, duel that took place. Chazz had scampered away at some point during the announcement while Alexis took a place near Zane and Jenny on the wall where everyone waited. "Now, we're going to head straight into our second quarter-final match up between Mindy Hamaguchi and 'The Kaiser', Zane Truesdale!" he continued as the two made their way to the stage, getting a respectful round of applause.
"Really not looking forward to this..." Mindy muttered as she walked past Jaden. Jaden rolled his eyes in response at her obliviousness to the roulette that was standing beside him. Zane simply nodded in his direction before activating his duel disk.
"Now, let's see what's in store for these two!" Jaden grinned as he spun the roulette wheel once more. This time, it landed on a drawing of a blank monster card; the only difference being that there were several crosses over the star level. "Ahaha! This will prove interesting..." Jaden mused as he pulled out a coin from his pocket, flipping it and catching it back in his hand. He slapped the coin on the back of his opposite hand as he walked over to Mindy. "Mindy, heads or tails?" he asked.
"Uh... tails?" she replied, confused. Jaden lifted his hand off to reveal that she had called it correctly.
"Good choice. Now, I want you to pick me a number from one to twelve." Jaden followed up.
"What?" she asked, totally lost. Jaden gave her a pointed stare that allowed a shiver to travel down her spine as she found herself looking into his brown orbs. "Okay! I'll go for... four!" she yelled. Jaden simply stared at her before walking away with an amused laugh. Zane raised an eyebrow as to what is going on but he had a feeling it would not end well...
"Now, I'll explain the stipulation. Thanks to Mindy's choice, neither player is allowed to summon monsters that are level five or higher! This means you'll have to put your wits to the test and see how you manage your way around your strongest monsters being unable to be played." he sheepishly grinned as several gasps broke out through the room. Zane's eyes widened a considerable amount, realizing that most of his deck had been shut down before the duel even started.
Mindy, on the other hand, saw this and was secretly cheering herself on. She knew about Zane's deck and his Cyber End Dragon, so having the stipulation meant that she had a better chance of winning this thing... and beating Zane in a duel! She cracked a beaming smile as the determination flared in her eyes. On the sidelines, Syrus' eye widened as well as he also realized the danger he could be in... however, he was secretly rooting for Mindy to prove that his brother was beatable. Sure, Jaden would have a good shot but this would be the icing on the cake.
"So, who's gonna come out of this one? Will Zane prove himself under the pressure or will the level cap throw him off his game and allow Mindy to snag the victory? We'll see how this pans out... Let's Duel!" Jaden chuckled as the sword was lifted into the air once more.
Mindy : 4000
Zane : 4000
"Ladies first!" Mindy taunted as she drew a card from her deck. "I'll play a face down and I'll summon my Mystical Elf in defence mode!" she yelled. The card glowed white as the figure of an white-clad elven priestess appeared on top of the card, kneeling down in front of Mindy in defence mode, praying.
(Mystical Elf: Spellcaster / Light / 4* / 800 ATK / 2000 DEF)
"My move." Zane replied, showing no emotion as he eyed his hand. He silently cursed Jaden's roulette as it had seriously hindered his deck's potential: no Cyber Dragons, no fusions and no real form of attack or defence. However, he began planning a strategy that may, or may not, work... it's all down to the cards he draws. "I'll start by placing a monster face down in defence mode. I'll place one face down and end my go." he commented, earning shocked gasps from the crowd at the defensive play. Mindy saw this and couldn't help but smile.
"What's the matter, Zane? Did I throw you off your game?" she teased, smiling seductively. A monosyllabic 'Hn' was her response, a response Sasuke Uchiha would be proud of. She pouted as she drew another card. "Awwww, lighten up! I'll place a monster face down and end my turn." she concluded. Zane drew another card as his eyes widened in shock before a sly grin appeared on his face...
Mindy did not like that look. No sir.
"Now it's time to show why I'm called the 'Kaiser'!" he yelled as he slapped a card on his disk. "I flip summon my Cyber Kirin in attack mode!" he yelled as a metallic dog-like monster appeared on the field.
(Cyber Kirin: Machine / Effect / Light / 3* / 300 ATK / 800 DEF)
"Now I'll follow up with my spell card, Machine Duplication. I choose a monster with less than five hundred attack points and I'm allowed to summon as many copies of that card to the field." he explained as another two identical dogs appeared. "While I'm at it, I'll summon my Cyber Phoenix to the field as well!" he continued as a large metallic bird-dragon-hybrid appeared behind the three dogs, wings spread wide.
(Cyber Phoenix: Machine / Effect / Fire / 4* / 1200 ATK / 1600 DEF)
"Uh, Zane?" Mindy spoke up. "I know you're good but why have you summoned monsters that are better in defence mode than attack?" she asked. Zane chuckled to himself as he revealed another card in his hand, one that made her face lose all colour.
"I play the spell card, Raigeki. Say goodbye to your monsters." he replied as two lightning bolts struck the cards and blasted them into pixels. "Now, I'm taking something I learned from Jaden into account and Exceed Summon! I tribute my three Kirin to summon Number 34: Terror Byte to the field!" he finished. The three metallic dogs began floating before melting into three balls of liquefied metal. They soon merged together before taking the new shape of the monster he had summoned.
(Number 34: Terror Byte: Machine / Effect / XYZ / Dark / Rank Three / 0 ATK/ 2900 DEF)
"Now to drive the nail home into the coffin... I play the last two spell cards in my hand, Shield and Sword!" he smirked as several gasps broke free as Zane's monster's stats swapped.
(Cyber Phoenix: Atk; 1200 - 1600)
(Terror Byte: Atk; 0 - 2900)
"Now I play Limiter Remover. All my machine-type monster's attack points are doubled for this turn. At the end of the turn, they're destroyed... but they won't get there as I'm ending this now!" he yelled, throwing his arm towards Mindy who began shaking in fear. The two monsters began gathering two large balls pf compressed energy before letting them loose. During mid-flight, the orbs grew twice in size thanks to the Limiter Remover. A scream ripped from Mindy's throat as she took the hit dead-on before slumping to the floor, passing out from tiredness.
(Cyber Phoenix: Atk; 1600 - 3200)
(Terror Byte: Atk; 2900 - 5800)
Mindy: (4000 - 3200 - 5800) = 0
"That was incredible play from Zane Truesdale! Though, wasn't the last attack a little overkill?" Jaden asked, getting a slightly sheepish shrug from Zane. Meanwhile, Alexis ran over and carefully carried her fellow Obelisk bridal-style as she transported her to the medical bay. "Anyway, the second semi-final spot goes to Zane Truesdale! We'll take a five minute interval before we carry on with our next duel so don't go anywhere!" he winked as the crowd cheered once more before several made trips to the rest room.
OC List:
Axle Blader
(Warrior / Earth / 4* / 1500 ATK / 1600 DEF)
Apologies for the late update, I've got a lot going on at the moment and I'm in the process of moving. It's a massive shift in life for me as it'll be the first time I'm moving away from close family members and it'll take some adjusting to. I also apologize for the extremely short chapter... making this chapter the shortest yet.
A change of plans regarding this: I've decided on two duels a chapter instead of three. It'll make sense better so I don't have to compress the duels so much. The only duels I'll really pay attention to are the duels involving Zane, Alexis, Syrus and Jenny. Apologies for the favoritism but there we go.
For those Naruto Fans out there reading this, go check out 'Naruto: Legend Reborn!'. It's my other account, in case you're wondering and am currently updating the ninth chapter when I've got the time to do so. I've also begun the re-write of my Majikoi x Naruto fanfic so lemme know what you think! Well, they're there for reading material if you want it.
Golden Alpha Kitsune, signing out!