Hey everyone! Hope you are all having a great day! I'm back with another chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it!
I'm trying something a little different today by replying to reviews first as per a suggestion from a reviewer. Let me know what you guys think of this. I'll do my normal signoff at the end of the chapter. On that note, let's reply to all you lovely people!
To Bob: You are very right about how terrifying Monarchs can be. I'm looking forward to when I get the chance to write them.
To the guest who gave their sympathies to Chazz: Thank you, I'm glad you're liking Dimitri's inclusion. I've got big plans for him going forward so I hope you look forward to it :)
To Random guy: Not quite. You'll see what I mean soon.
To West: Thank you very much for your kind words. Got to be honest with you, your review and analysis for the last chapter were scarily on point. It is always a pleasure to read your reviews. I can't say too much more unfortunately due to spoilers but looking forward to what you have to say this time.
To Middernacht: You'll see how close you were in this chapter. You may be pleasantly surprised.
To A Synchron Fan: Thank you very much! It's good to update :) I'm glad you enjoyed Sadie and her duel. I had a lot of fun writing her. Your analysis about Ren and Logan is also pretty spot on. They are definitely both more selfish than they realise about themselves.
To Blackdrake: Thank you for your review. I've got to admit, I agree with you about Dimitri. However, everything that I do is done for a reason to advance the story. You'll see how things go in this chapter in regards to Logan's plan.
To the Guest who suggested I try answering reviews at the start of chapters: I hope this is what you meant. Personally, I agree with you about Dimitri. That is one way he could improve his duelling.
To JustARandomGuy: Always a pleasure to get a read your thoughts. Thanks for pointing out those mistakes for me. I'll make sure to make the changes soon. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It should answer your question. For your pitches: You definitely don't have to say any more in regards to Alexis's deck. It is pretty good. As for the one about the Inter-School duels, I do like your suggestion. Got to admit, I have been thinking about how to make that arc unique. I'll definitely take that under consideration. I also like your headcanon for Rex. It definitely makes sense.
To E: Thank you for your review! You'll see part of what Logan is up to soon. You are right about Logan being an idiot but it is all a part of his character development.
To GuestWithIdeas: I'm glad you gave this a chance too :) I'm glad that you are enjoying the story and it's great to see that you like the dynamics. Your analysis of the story is pretty spot on. I'm really happy that you are engaging with the characters and the story. I hope that you enjoy this chapter.
To JustaRandomKid: That's okay. I'm just glad you are enjoying the story.
To PeterKim: You'll be finding out part of the answer to your questions in this chapter. You're right about a brainwash deck but I'm unsure about a Kaiju one though but we'll see how the story goes.
To Dude: I'm glad you are enjoying the story. I like your analysis of Ren. It's pretty accurate. Part of the reason I like writing Ren is that he is a flawed character. I can't say too much about future pairings but we'll see how they go in time.
To the Guest who reviewed a few minutes ago: The ride is long from over. Still going strong!
Staying in the Background
Clash of Ideals - The Curse of Humanity
I woke up the next morning groggy, exhausted and feeling downright terrible. Bastion, Sadie and I never did end up going to the café. After Dimitri's disappearance, the mood was rather ruined. We agreed we'd try another day before going back to our respective dorms.
I spent the evening wallowing in my sorrows by working on a new deck. It was incomplete, mostly due to missing cards I still needed to acquire, but when finished I was certain I'd be ready for threats like Nightshroud. As much as I hated Logan, he was right about one thing. I needed to be stronger.
My eyes darted over to the corner of the room where my full suitcases sat where I'd left them. I hadn't had the time to unpack anything other than my clothes. At this point, depending on what happens, there may not be much point in unpacking anything else.
Shaking my head, I ran my hand through my hair and stifled another yawn. Why is it that no matter how much sleep you get, you always wake up tired? It was like evolution's cruel joke. Not that I had managed to get any sleep. I was far too worried about Dimitri. I'd tried messaging him, but he wouldn't reply.
I'd well and truly messed up. I knew Dimitri was on a downward spiral and had done nothing about it. Now he had blocked himself off and wouldn't let me do a thing to help him. "I should have done something sooner," I sighed. "At this rate, Dimitri will be worse than he was in the canon. He's spiralling faster than I could have imagined. I need to talk to him."
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Figures. Who the hell is here this early on a Saturday?
"Hang on, I'll be there in a second!" I called, lazily making my way to the door. I opened it to find four men in green uniforms and berets. "Oh, hello there."
"Ren Cambell, we are members of the Academy's Disciplinary Committee. We need you to come with us."
"Uh…" I looked down at my body. I was still only wearing my sleep clothes, a grey tank top and black pyjama bottoms. "Can I change first?"
Once in a clean uniform, the Disciplinary Committee publicly led me through the halls of the dorm out to a waiting van. The committee members were quiet as we drove the short distance to the main academy building. From there, I was guided to the top level of the building where all the administrative rooms and private offices were located.
They led me to the end of the hall where there was a lone, singular metallic door. In front of standing in front of an uncomfortable looking bench were more members of the Disciplinary Committee. They stood guarding two familiar Slifers in case they tried to run, not that they would. Jaden and Syrus were sat down, the latter looking extremely worried, his head darting to each of the committee members surrounding them. Jaden on the other hand, held his head high, his eyes locked on the wall in front of him. He seemed a little distant, not doing anything to reassure Syrus. That was rather strange for him. Chumley was nowhere to be seen. But then again, he wasn't punished in the canon so maybe he had been spared here as well.
I also noticed the lack of presence of a certain Lightsworn user and Obelisk Queen. Now, where were they? They had been the ones to originally go to the dorm. Shouldn't they be here as well? Either way, the moment the two boys heard our approaching footsteps, they turned towards us.
"Ren!" Syrus called out, breaking out into a smile now that there was another friendly face.
"They got you too, huh?" Jaden asked, budging up on the bench so that I could sit next to him. The committee members gestured for me to take the seat and I did so without complaint.
"Are you two alright?" I asked, shuffling uncomfortably. The bench was hard and metal. Then again, it probably wasn't designed with student satisfaction in mind.
"All good. These guys just came and woke us up pretty early." Jaden let out a tired yawn. "Kind of wish they'd given us another hour."
Ha, classic Jaden. More concerned with his beauty sleep than the punishment he could face.
"How are you guys so calm?" Syrus squeaked. "We could be in serious trouble here. Can't you see that?"
"It'll be fine, Sy," Jaden said, turning to roommate and giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm sure this is all going to blow over. All we have to do is tell the truth, right?"
"Maybe," I said with a shrug. "Although I find that when adults say they want to hear the truth, they rarely like what you say next."
Jaden and Syrus shared a glance before silence fell on our little trio as we waited. After a couple of minutes, the door opened, and another uniformed man came out. "Come in now," he commanded. The three of us rose but as I got up, two of the other disciplinary committee members stood in my way.
"Not you. Just those two," the first guard stated.
"But-"
"They'll get to you. Now sit back down."
I looked past the committee members towards Jaden and Syrus. The two sent me an apologetic look but there was nothing they could do. The two were led inside and the door shut, leaving me outside with the rest of the committee goons. With nothing else to do, I sat back down.
For fifteen minutes, I sat tapping my foot impatiently as I kept my eye on the door, just waiting for it to be my turn. I imagined Jaden and Syrus were getting the same talk they had received in canon. Sure enough, when the door did finally open and the two boys left, Syrus looked like he was about to shit a brick. The poor kid looked terrified. Jaden remained a cool as a cucumber, casually strolling up like nothing had happened.
Before we could talk, one of the guards nudged me in the back. "It's your turn," he grunted.
I cast a quick look at the two slifers and gave them an apologetic shrug. "I'll catch up with you guys later. Wish me luck." With that, I was led inside.
My first impression of the room was that it was too big. It was wide with the walls curving up to make a dome. It was dark except for a singular spotlight that shone down on the middle of the room. Along the wall were six large screens, each depicting a different person. Of course, I immediately recognised Crowler. My head of house was looking remarkably more solemn than I remembered. He looked down with a frown on his lips and bags under his eyes. He looked tired. Maybe he was losing sleep over his involvement in the kidnappings.
I recognised many of the other people on the screens too. There were the other head of houses, professors Sartyr and Banner and Nurse Fontaine. There was also a woman with shoulder-length black hair wearing a green beret who seemed familiar, but I couldn't place. Through the screen, I could see she wore a uniform similar to the Disciplinary Committee so I assumed she was their leader. Finally, there was the big man himself, Chancellor Sheppard. This was the first time I'd seen him since the opening ceremony, and even then, that had been through a screen too.
Sheppard was a bald man with a brown goatee. While one wouldn't be able to tell through the screen, I knew him to be a large man who always wore a maroon coat when at the academy.
These adults stared down at me as I entered the spotlight. I suddenly felt rather hot under the neck and pulled at the neck of my uniform. Anxiously, I waited for them to speak. It was the committeewoman who spoke first.
"Ren Cambell, this inquiry is called to order. You are accused of knowingly and willingly entering the forbidden dorm on the edge of the forest. We have already questioned the other parties involved but we wish to hear your own testimony. Why did you enter the abandoned dorm?"
The other teachers watched silently, waiting for me to speak my piece. So, I did. Or at least, I told them a version that would make sense. I told them that I had heard from a student that they had seen Logan entering the forest at night. When seeing that he wasn't in class the next day, I spoke with Jaden and his friends, and they told me about the abandoned dorm. We reasoned that it was possible he'd gone there to investigate alone and had gotten hurt, so we went to investigate.
From there, I could be honest about how we found Titan and Jaden engaged him in a duel. About how I interrupted the duel, claiming to just be acting rashly as I didn't believe in magic at the time, and were sucked into the shadow realm. I spoke of the battle with Nightshroud and how the woman seemed to be 'freed' from some force upon my and Logan's victory.
At this point the screens muted and the teachers began to discuss my story. Have to say, they didn't as shocked as I thought they'd be. I could only assume Jaden had mentioned our trip to the shadows as well. I waited patiently before all the heads turned back to me.
This time, it was Sheppard himself who spoke. "Mr Cambell, who is the student that saw Mr Evans enter the forest?"
"I don't know. It was someone from the Ra dorm. I only heard it in passing and recognised Logan's description." It was a lousy excuse, but they couldn't really check. Ra had the largest number of students, and it would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack trying to find the one who could collaborate my story.
"I see. And I must ask; you say that the reason you interrupted the duel in the dorm was that you were sceptical of the events taking place. What made you so sure?" His eyes were narrowed, and he watched me closely.
"Until that day, I didn't believe in magic, Chancellor," I answered, trying to sound as honest as I could. "It wasn't until I was dragged into… that place… that I even considered the possibility. I can't believe there is something like that at this school." That last part was a dig at the teachers. It was my turn to gauge their reactions. I took notice of how Sheppard turned his head slight and how Crowler bit his lip. Both weren't the best actors, but I wasn't surprised. Banner remained stony-faced. Now he had a talent for stage performance. He was the double agent after all.
"You were certainly brave," Sheppard continued, "however, no one is exempt from the rules. Normally the penalty for trespassing is suspension, but it would seem today you are lucky. We have seen fit to give you, Jaden and Syrus a chance to defend your position at the academy. In order to remain here, you will need to prove yourself in a duel. Jaden and Syrus already know they will be competing together in a tag duel."
Ah, so it would be just like it was in canon then.
"I see. And since I'm on my own, I assume I will be duelling on my own."
"Not quite," Crowler suddenly interrupted. I turned to him. "By all accounts, it seems that you are the ringleader in the decision to enter the dorm. Therefore, that has been taken into account with your punishment."
Uh, what?
"Mr Cambell, you will also be participating in a tag duel. However, you will have to find your own partner," Crowler explained, his voice worryingly monotone. "If you win the duel, all charges will be dropped. In the event you are unable to find one, you will face your opponents alone. Finally, if you lose the duel…" he stopped, struggling with the next part of his sentence. "If you lose, not only will you be expelled, but your partner shall also face a suspension of up to five weeks from school."
"What?" I cried, my anger sparking. "That's not fair! You can't punish someone for helping me! No one will want to partner with me with those conditions! What about Logan? He went to the dorm of his own volition!"
"Mr Evans' situation was taken into account," Crowler said quickly. "He and Miss Rhodes only entered the dorm as a result as a result of the actions of the masked assailant in your descriptions."
That makes even less sense! This is some bullshit anime logic and – oh wait, forgot where I was for a second…
Even the other teachers seemed shocked by the rules of this challenge. "That does sound a bit extreme," Nurse Fontaine suddenly cut in.
"Yes, why not just have him participate alone?" Sartyr interjected.
"I can see your concerns," Crowler spoke out. "However, his punishment must reflect the severity of his actions. As his current head of house, I know this may seem harsh, but we need to set an example for the school. If you break the rules, the consequences are harsh. Similarly, anyone who helps someone who breaks the rules is equally as guilty."
The disciplinary woman nodded her head, seemingly agreeing with the punishment. That was two who agreed and two who didn't. Banner and Sheppard were yet to speak.
"I must say, while the punishment does seem harsh, I have faith in the abilities of Mr Cambell," Banner suddenly spoke out. "As for the punishment for anyone helping him, I'm sure that can be discussed and refined, but for now it should do."
My hope that this was a joke was quickly dying. I turned back to Sheppard, my last hope that his need to protect his students would override this decision. However, he was solemnly nodding his head. "I agree with Professor Banner's assessment. The punishment will need to be changed for his partner, but Crowler is right that we need to show students they shouldn't break school rules. Crowler, I assume you can also find some opponents for the duel."
"It will be done," Crowler said, his tone still lacking its normal flair. I looked towards the man, but he turned his head away, unable to meet my eye. If he had suggested this, why did he look so guilty?
"Mr Cambell," Sheppard called out. "The duel shall take place one week from today. I suggest you spend the time refining your deck and finding a partner. We wish you luck. This meeting is adjourned."
"No! Wait!" I cried fruitlessly. The screens all turned off at once and the door behind me opened, the members of the Disciplinary Committee gesturing for me to leave. I moved robotically as I walked out. They made no move to stop me, merely letting me go about my business.
I wandered through the halls of the academy, my mind whirling trying to work out how Crowler could come up with such a harsh punishment. Okay, it was completely in his character at this point to stack the deck against someone he didn't like. But not to one of his own Obelisks. Plus, the way he had looked, he seemed like a ghost.
Leaving the main building, I was immediately hit by the fresh island hair. It was somewhat therapeutic. At least for about five seconds anyway.
"So how did it go?"
My head snapped to the side. Logan was waiting for me by the door. Forgoing his uniform, he was wearing a white shirt and black jeans. His smirk only served to make my anger grow.
"What are you doing here?" I growled.
"The committee was fairly loud when they took Jaden and Syrus away. I figured they'd go after you too," he said smugly. "I thought I'd wait."
"Oh good. This day just keeps getting better and better." I just couldn't today. However, the moment I tried to walk away, he stepped out in front of me.
"Hang on now, I just want to talk again. After all, you're in a bit of a difficult situation, aren't you?"
I stopped, my eyes narrowing. "What was that?"
"You got punished, just like the others, right? I imagine that Crowler was quite harsh," he said. "He was in the canon after all."
Oh, this bastard.
"What did you do?" I growled.
"Me, I did exactly what you wanted. I got the canon back on track. You know, Crowler was having a change of heart before I went to talk to him. He was going to let you three off. We couldn't have that. After all, Syrus needs his character development, right?" His grin never left his face as he spoke. "I saw Jaden and Syrus as they left. They're duelling right now over at the Slifer Dorm. By tomorrow, Jaden will be going after Zane."
"You spoke to Crowler?" I repeated, my eyes going wide.
"Oh yeah, we had a great talk. I think we came to understand each other pretty well. In fact, I know all about your punishment."
And like that, the pieces snapped into place.
"You're behind this? What the hell were you thinking? Are you trying to expel Jaden again?"
"No, I told you I was done with that. This is about you."
"Me?"
"Oh yeah. You see, after our discussion the other day, I've had something of an epiphany. Unless we work together, we are never going to get anywhere. Believe it or not, I don't want to fight you, but I can't have you getting in my way either. So, I'm going to force you to choose."
"Choose what?" I growled.
"What you actually want from this place. You claim you want to stay in the background so prove it. This is your opportunity to get as far away from the canon as you can get. Lose the duel and leave Duel Academy. There are other academies out there if you want to get into the pros."
"Yeah, that's not going to happen."
"In which case, win. But then get off my back about what I want to do. Because if you really wanted your normal life, you'd have never come here in the first place. So, you have two choices. Lose, and stick to your ideals, or win, and accept mine."
"I could just tell everyone you're blackmailing a teacher," I shot back. "You'd be expelled on the spot."
"But then you'd also expose Crowler," he countered. "And Crowler is needed for the plot isn't he?" My eyes narrowed, fighting every urge to punch him in his smug face.
"I know someone who isn't," I seethed.
"Oh, very scary. Let's face it, you're not doing anything to me. You don't have it in you. You could challenge me to a duel to 'decide whose method is better' but I think we both know that no matter the outcome, neither of us would be dissuaded." I remained silent. He took that as his chance to continue. "Personally, I think you leaving would be better for everyone. It certainly would for Dimitri."
At the mention of my friend's name, my body began to shake with rage. "And what do you mean by that?"
"Just that his life would probably have been better never meeting you. He had a role to play and despite everything you've said, you've disrupted it by making him feel like even more of a failure than he did in canon. You know the entire school already knows about his duel with Chazz the other day. Dimitri picked that fight, y' know?"
"He did?" I gasped; my anger momentarily forgotten.
"Yeah. From what I hear, he heard Chazz mocking you to his cronies and he stepped up to defend you. Look where that got him. He's become the laughingstock of the school. And rumour is he hasn't left his room since yesterday. Let's face it; if he hadn't met you, that wouldn't have happened, would it?"
I couldn't reply to that. Not when he was right.
Seeing my hesitation, Logan smirked victoriously. "I told you before, every move we make causes ripples that will turn into tidal waves. No matter your intentions, they can cause others to spiral. And it seems your actions have done just that. Not mine. Now, I think you need to get a move on. You've got to find a partner after all. Then again, you like being alone, right?"
I was silent. Anything I had to say would only serve to make him even smugger. Turning away, I quickly walked away, making my way towards the yellow dorm. As much as Logan was a pain, he was right about one thing, I needed to stop avoiding the issues I'd created under the pretext canon would fix it.
Logan watched Ren until he rounded the path before turning to the side.
"So, he couldn't see you?" he asked.
"No, my Saviour. He does not possess the sight."
"Good, that makes things easier."
Logan smiled as he looked towards his ethereal companion. She was a beautiful woman with short blonde hair and a white dress. She hovered a little off the ground with her arms crossed, also looking in the direction the Obelisk had gone. While she looked human, Logan knew her to be the spirit of his card, Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner. She had always been one of his favourite cards in his previous life and having her now as a spirit companion made him ecstatic.
Initially, he had asked why he couldn't see her before that point. She had told him that his exposure to the Shadow Realm had caused him to awaken some of his latent abilities. She told him that in time, he would grow more powerful. Powerful enough to bring great change to this world. That was why she called him 'Saviour'. However, she couldn't tell him what he was meant to do. Apparently doing so would prevent the destiny that fate had in mind for him. It annoyed him somewhat, but he supposed fate did have a will of its own in this universe. He shouldn't argue.
"My Saviour," Lumina called, snapping the Slifer out of his thoughts.
"Y'know, you can just call me Logan," he said, giving the spirit a friendly smile. She seemed obsessed with calling by the title.
"My apologies, but it is my duty to assist you. I should not be too familiar," she said, disappointing Logan a little. "I was just wondering about your thought process? Going to the teacher, confronting the other reincarnate, what are you planning? I would have thought that keeping your involvement in such matters a secret would be more beneficial."
Logan shook his head. "Maybe, but I disagree. Cambell is smart. If I left him be, he'd work out Crowler was doing this unwillingly. Confronting him like this will leave him a little disoriented. He's also stubborn. He won't be quick to risk the students here, especially any friends he's made. That'll only force him to fight harder. And then, maybe, he'll see that my approach isn't so bad."
"That seems like a long stretch. Your plan has many holes."
"It's supposed to. Cambell needs a reality check about our situation. If this even makes him consider my approach in a better light, I'll consider this a success."
Lumina regarded him with a monotonous look before turning her head back to the path. "I shall trust your judgement. However, I should warn you that you play with fire with that boy."
"What do you mean?"Logan asked with a quirked brow.
"When you corner an animal, they're likely to strike out unpredictably."
I managed to get into the Ra dorm without issue. Someone recognised me and let me in. From there, I made my way up the stair to the second floor to where I knew Dimitri's dorm room was. However, when I found myself in front of it, I paused. Was this really a good idea? He more than likely wouldn't want to see me.
No.
I needed to do this; consequences be damned. In the event I was going to have to leave the school, I wouldn't let this hang over me. Firmly, I rapped my knuckles against the door. "Dimitri, It's Ren. Are you in there? Look, I know why you duelled Chazz. I want to talk."
I heard shuffling within, so he was inside. After a few moments, he called out, "I'm sorry, can you go away, please? I just… I don't want to see anyone right now."
I thought as much. But I wouldn't be dissuaded. "It's fine if you don't want to see me. I just need you to listen." He didn't tell me to stop so I took it as my chance to keep talking. "Something's happened, Dimitri. Something that… well… let's just say my days at the academy could be numbered. But after everything that's happened, I need you to know that I have really valued our friendship. As cringey as that sounds," I added with a laugh. "I know you've been struggling and… I'm sorry I didn't offer help. When it comes to your duelling, I know you can be fantastic. You have the knowledge and diligence to go so far. But as harsh as this may sound, you need to change your approach to duelling. Learn to not just rely on the moves of other people, because that will only get you so far. I… I can't really explain it myself but if you need any help, with anything, just message me and I'd be more than willing to help. Bastion too. We're… we're both worried about you."
I waited but nothing happened. He didn't say anything in reply. The door didn't open. I couldn't even hear him moving inside the room. It seemed I hadn't gotten through to him. Shaking my head, I let out a tired sigh. "Look, I've said my piece. You're my friend man, and that's not going to change. Seriously, message me if you need anything. Hopefully, I'll see you later."
I turned away and headed back towards the steps. For a brief moment, as I reached the top step, I thought I heard the door creak. I looked back, but it was still shut. My eyes down, I left the dorm behind.
I ate dinner in my room that night. As I walked through the Obelisk halls, I received looks of disapproval from my fellow Obelisks. Many of them gave me a wide birth. I knew why. I'd been publicly escorted out by the disciplinary committee, something that was almost unheard of amongst their elitist ranks. Even though they didn't know what I had done, I had effectively become a black mark on the 'spotless' record of the Blue dorm.
While I was eating, I received messages from Bastion and Sadie. It seemed that my removal from the dorm had become public knowledge among both Blue dorms. Sadie had found out and had messaged me. I'd missed the text and so she had messaged Bastion to see if he knew anything about the matter. Now they were both prying me for answers.
I quickly sent them messages back that I'd tell them all about it tomorrow. I really didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. Instead, I focused on something else. My new secondary deck was in front of me. I had been designing it in mind of the more supernatural threats that I may end up facing but it seemed a little pointless now. In a week, it may not be my problem anymore. From the beginning, that is what I had wanted though, right?
My plan to avoid the plot had almost immediately gone out the window, no matter how hard I fought to stick to it. Outside of Chazz, I was friends with almost all of the main cast. And, while I couldn't exactly say Alexis and I were 'buddies', we certainly weren't on hostile terms anymore. Not to mention my connection with Dimitri and Sadie. They'd quickly become people I wanted to help and protect. That made it all the harder to ask one of them to risk their education to duel with me.
As I added a copy of Skill Drain to the deck, I let out a sigh and put down the cards. This really shouldn't have been as hard as I was making it out to be. Logan's plan had so many holes in it, it may as well have been Swiss Cheese. And yet, I couldn't decide how I wanted to proceed.
Logan was right in that if I wanted to stay away from the plot, losing was the easiest option. I could get away from all the magical bullshit and get on with my life. But that would mean leaving Logan to his own devices and that was just a terrible decision. Speaking of the Lightsworn user, what was with his unbridled confidence? Even before our encounter with Nightshroud, he hadn't been this cocky. Had our talk really reassured him of his own ambitions that much?
And then there was Eve. She still hadn't woken up. I couldn't leave until I knew if she really was another reincarnate. Reaching into my coat, I pulled out the charred picture of Atticus and Eve. I stared at this a lot while in the infirmary, hoping it would give me an answer it obviously wouldn't present. In truth, I should probably just give this to Alexis. It would do more good for her than it would for me.
At that moment, my PDA buzzed. Another message had come through. Although looking at the ID, I could have laughed.
"Think of the devil and she'll appear," I mumbled as I read through Alexis' message.
"I heard about how you, Jaden and Syrus are facing expulsion. Do you have to duel too?"
Very direct. I quickly shot back an "I do." I got a reply fairly quickly.
"Do you think you can handle it?"
"We'll see."
"Take this seriously. Remember your promise. No running."
That made me chuckle. Was this way of showing concern? It came off as cold and yet it at least showed she worried. Although it may be more worried I'd leave before we could discuss the events of the abandoned dorm. I suppose I'd have to spend this week clearing up my loose ends just in case.
"I won't. Gonna head to bed now. Good night."
I didn't get a message after that. I assumed she was satisfied. Looking back to my cards, I began putting them away before getting ready for bed. It was going to be a long week.
The first thing I did the next day was go to the card shop. I arrived just as Sadie and Ms Dorothy were opening up shop. The moment the former saw me, she immediately took the counter. "Good morning," I said as cheerily as I could.
"Good morning? That's all you have to say?" she asked, a worrying frown on her face.
"Ah, you're right. Could I get some cards please?" I asked with a small smile. I tried to joke and ended up paying for it. Sadie hadn't yet put on her apron. It was still in her hand. With a single movement, she whipped it out and struck my arm. I rubbed where it hit, trying to offset the sting. "Ow! Do you treat all your customers like this?" She whipped out again, but this time I jumped back just in time. "Okay, okay, not in the mood for jokes. I get it."
"Good," Sadie said with satisfaction, finally putting on her apron. "Now then, what happened yesterday?"
"You're not going to let me buy my cards until I told you everything, are you?"
"No," she said. Her face was sweet but her smile was eerie.
"Fine. Long story short, I've got to participate in a duel. If I win, I stay. If I lose, I'm expelled. Simple as that."
"That is not simple!" Sadie countered. "Is your opponent going to be another student? A teacher?"
"More than likely a pro," I said succinctly.
Sadie looked like she was going to say something. She opened and closed her mouth several times, words apparently escaping her. I waited patiently for her to find her voice. "How are you so calm?" she finally asked.
"Who says I'm calm?" I asked, flashing a strained smile. "Now, about those cards?"
She looked shocked for a moment before remembering why I had originally come in. "Dark Revelation Volume 3?" she asked a little in shock.
"Yep." I nodded.
"How many?"
"How many are left in the box?"
I ended up buying sixteen packs. I took them to the side corner and opened them there and then. I got a fair few useful cards, including a few new fusion support for my main deck, and some of the cards I needed for my secondary. However, I was still missing a crucial card.
"Why is it that certain cards in this universe are rarer than in my old?" I groaned, laying my head down on the counter.
"Ah, I thought I'd find you here," a familiar voice came from behind me. Keeping my head against the counter, I pivoted my head around to see Bastion looking at me with a mixture of worry and bemusement. "That is a lot of cards. How many packs did you buy?" he asked upon seeing the wrappers and cards scattered around me.
"Sixteen. And still didn't get the card I wanted," I groaned, sitting up. Bastion walked over and peered over my shoulder at the cards I had split into different piles. Cards I didn't need, cards for my main deck and those for my secondary. Upon seeing the cards in the second pile, his eyes widened. "Oh, you're looking for that series. Which packs have you been buying?" he picked up one of the wrappers and immediately shook his head. "Ah, you see that is your mistake."
"Hmm?" I asked, finally picking up my head.
"There are too many cards in this pack series as it is made up of cards from lots of different packs. The series you should be buying is Soul of the Duelist."
"And how do you know that?" I asked. It was a stupid question.
"I keep up to date with all the booster pack lists," Bastion replied proudly.
"Ah, in which case I have some more cards to buy," I made to get up when Bastion placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Hang on. First of all, I want to know what all the hullabaloo was yesterday. I hear you were taken off by the disciplinary committee. Was it about-" he looked around to see who was listening despite the fact it was so early, we were the only ones in the store, "you know what?"
"Yes, it was about the abandoned dorm."
"Well… what did they say?" he pressed.
Again?
"Long story short. I've got to duel, possibly pros. I win, I stay. I lose, I'm expelled."
I took a moment for Bastion to reply when I noticed he was looking at me strangely. "Did you say pros?" he asked.
"Pros? Plural?"
Both of us turned to see Sadie standing behind us with a cup of coffee in her hand. She was giving me a very dirty look.
Shit.
"Did I not say that before?" I squeaked.
"Pros?" Sadie repeated. "It's a tag duel?"
"I mean, technically, yes."
"Do you have a partner?" Sadie asked.
"Well… not yet. I've got to find one myself."
She and Bastion shared a look before both stepped forward. "I'll be your partner," they said in unison. They paused, looked at each other again in confusion before turning back to me.
"I'll do it," Bastion pressed. "If you need a partner, I'll be more than happy to meet the challenge. I'm sure that if we work together, we'll be able to come up with the best strategy to defeat your opponents. If they are pros, it will be a tough fight, but I'm sure we can prevail."
"I don't normally like duelling, but I can make an exception in this case," Sadie added. "I've got a year of extra learning on you two."
They both continued to list off reasons why I should choose one of them, but I quickly held up my hands. "Woah, Woah, Woah! Before you guys throw yourselves into the fire, you would probably like to know that if I lose, it's not just my butt on the line, whoever my partner is will be punished too. They were saying that they could face a five-week suspension!" That made them pause. "Sadie, you want to be a teacher. I don't want something like that on your record. Bastion, you love this school. How could you face your family if you got suspended? Look, you guys are probably my best friends here, and quite frankly, I don't want you to jeopardise yourselves for a guy you've only known a couple of months. Besides, if I can't find a partner, I'm allowed to duel alone. It'll just be a tougher fight."
"But-" Bastion tried to say.
"I appreciate it, I really do. But I'll find a way out of this. Don't worry about me. I've got this?" The two once again shared an anxious look.
They then once again turned to me with fierce looks of determination. "That's not good enough," Sadie said.
"You're going to need a partner, Ren," Bastion agreed. "At least consider one of us."
I looked between the two of them before bowing my head. "Fine. I'll consider it," I finally said.
Bastion nodded before he stood up. Reaching into his uniform pocket, he fished around before producing a deck of cards. From it, he pulled out two cards and handed them to me.
"No matter your decision, if you won't let me join you on the battlefield, at least make use of these. They should go well with your deck."
"Bastion, I can't…"
"Take them," he insisted, putting them down in front of me. "And I think we should start training right now. You're going to need all the practice you can get. Perhaps through that, we can at least learn each other strategies just in case."
"That's a good idea," Sadie agreed. "I'll come and join you guys after I finish my shift."
"Wha- wait," I tried to say but it was already too late. Bastion was gathering up my cards for me and putting them into the bag I had brought with me.
"Excellent. We'll meet you at the bottom of the hill outside the Ra dorm," he said, forcibly picking me up by the arm. Why was everyone in this universe so strong?
"I'll see you both later then," Sadie said with a smile as Bastion dragged me out the door. Just like that, I'd been roped into an all-day training session. What a way to spend a Sunday.
Bastion and I ended up duelling for hours down on that cliff. Victory went back and forth as he helped me fine-tune my deck. After each duel, we'd go to the side and make changes and evaluate strategies before going at it again. I won the majority of the time, but Bastion was able to steal back a fair few victories. He cycled through each of his six decks to keep things fresh and me on my toes. I had the most trouble against his water deck and his Water Dragon. He got more than one win with that thing.
Halfway through the day, Sadie joined us in our training session, and I ended up playing a couple of games against her too. I had more trouble with her. Her playstyle was unorthodox and volatile and her own disposition when duelling made her hard to read. I found that swarm tactics worked better against her more often than not, she didn't have enough recourses for a full field. That's not to say her burn deck wasn't a bitch to play around though.
As the sun began to set and the sky took on that beautiful orange hue, the three of us found ourselves sitting on the rocks, Bastion going through his own cards while Sadie and I looked out at the sea. While I hadn't expected to be having an all-day training session, I couldn't say I hadn't enjoyed it.
However, my mind kept drifting back to what Logan had said. How it was my fault Dimitri had fallen as low as he had in this universe. I had affected Alexis' life negatively too. Maybe some things were out of my control but if I had truly stuck to my guns about avoiding the plot, none of it would have happened. And my actions would only continue to ripple across the timeline. For all my grandiose about keeping the canon in fact, I really hadn't been good at it.
At that moment, Sadie nudged my shoulder with her own.
"You alright?" she asked softly.
"Of course," I lied, putting on my best smile.
She gave me a dubious look before looking back out towards the sea. "You should rely on us more, y'know," she said. "You were right earlier when you said we've known each other only a short amount of time, but that doesn't mean you can't lean on us if you need support."
"I know. I guess I just want to protect you guys," I say quietly. "You shouldn't have to risk yourself for me."
"We don't need protecting, Ren," she replied, her voice a little wistful. "From what I've seen, you are a good duellist. You belong here just as much as any of the other students. Don't let your future be decided just because you were unwilling to take a risk."
She looked up at me, the light from the setting sun making her eyes shine. I was mesmerised. No words could describe how I felt sitting there with her. Yeah, it sounds corny, but I've always been something of a romantic. It was easy to see why I found myself drawn to her. The moment would have been perfect if not for a sharp cough that snapped us both back to reality, my face heated and her cheeks red.
"Um, sorry to interrupt," Bastion cut in a little nervously, not meeting our eyes. "I was just thinking it may be best to pack up for the day. It's going to be night soon."
"That's probably a good idea," Sadie agreed quickly, standing up. "We should all get some rest."
"Yeah… I guess so," I said, feeling a little dejected. The mood had been so good too…
We made our way back up the hill, Bastion leading the conversation between the three of us as Sadie and I stole awkward glances at each other. However, considering that the Ra dorm was at the top of the hill, Bastion was gone pretty quick, leaving Sadie and I to make small talk as he walked back to our respective dorms. By the time I got back into my dorm room, I was crimson with embarrassment.
Good at card games, yes. A smooth operator I am not.
I spent the next couple of hours moping around my room, catching up on some reading when my PDA beeped. I was expecting Bastion with another pitch about why I should let him be my tag partner. What I wasn't ready for was a message from Jaden.
"Hey man, you up for a chat?"
Once again, draped in my uniform and my backpack over my shoulder, I left the dorm and made my way over to the Slifer dorm. I found Jaden waiting outside, sitting on the steps leading up to his room. He gave me a half-hearted smile when he saw me.
"Hey man," he said with much less enthusiasm than I normally saw him with. "Thanks for coming out. I know it's late."
"Late? Nah, it's barely past nine," I waved off casually. "What's up?"
He looked down, seeming a bit defensive. "It's about what happened at the dorm."
"I thought as much," I said with a sigh. I sat down next to him on the steps, putting my bag at my feet and waited patiently for him to find the words he wanted to say.
Jaden took a deep breath before starting. "I've always thought that duelling was solely for fun. A way of connecting with people making new friends. But what happened the other night, it… I just can't explain it. When I took damage, it was like my soul was being ripped from my body, leaving me cold. I had to fight with everything I had just to survive. And then… when I won… I felt even more empty. I mean, that Titan guy was probably no saint, but now he's… I practically killed him…." He trailed off, his emotions threatening to overtake him. His body shook just remembering the shadow duel. It came as somewhat of a shock.
In my mind, Jaden was this indomitable hero. Sure, in the early days, he was childish and overconfident, but he always seemed to shake off all the horrible things that happened to him, at least until the third season anyway. But now, here he was, near the edge of tears. It reminded me that despite everything else, he was still just a teenager. In the canon, Jaden that when he defeated Titan, he thought it had all been part of an act. In this timeline, because of Logan and my interference, he knew the truth of what had really happened.
"I feel like a hypocrite," Jaden continued. "I try to act the confident hero, but when push came to shove… I pushed it off. I knew what would happen, and I did it anyway. The last couple of days I've been telling Syrus he needs to believe in himself more and yet I'm struggling to trust myself. Heck, I had duelled the academy's top student earlier tonight and I struggled to enjoy it." So, he'd duelled Zane already. He paused to look up at the sky and the bright, shining stars. "I can hear him in my dreams, y' know. Begging me to help him as he's pulled into the darkness. How do I move past that?"
"You don't," I answered honestly. He turned to me with a confused expression, so I explained. "You're never going to be able to fully move past it. That unfortunately just human nature. We're prone to fixate on the negative. But we should never let it hold us down. Make it part of you and use it to push you on. Personally, I wouldn't waste a second thought on the guy. He tried to do horrible things and has probably done worse. He got what he deserved."
"No one deserved that," Jaden suddenly cut in, a frown on his face.
"Maybe," I admitted, a small smile on my face. "But the fact you think that shows just how good a person you are. I'm afraid to say you suffer from the curse of humanity."
"The curse of humanity?"
"Yep. You honestly care about people, even those who wronged you. That makes you one of the best of all of us."
"Pfff!" For the first time in the conversation, Jaden cracked out in a smile as he tried to hold in his laughter. "Oh man, that was so corny! Did you come up with that just now?"
Just the brutality of his honesty made me laugh too. "Was it really that bad?"
"Oh, it was like something out of a cartoon," Jaden laughed. For a minute, we just chuckled to ourselves as we sat there enjoying the night breeze. "You're a good guy Ren," Jaden finally said.
"You are too," I said with a smile. Despite everything that had been said, as I looked at Jaden, I saw that his expression was still a tad solemn. He may have felt better, but he wasn't back to his old self just yet. In fairness, no amount of words would be enough for Jaden. At his core, he was a guy who personified the term, 'actions speak louder than words'.
"It's a nice night," I remarked, looking up at the stars.
"Yeah," Jaden agreed.
"So how about it, you up for a duel?"
"Wha?" It took a second for my words to register with the Slifer. His expression was hilarious.
"Why so surprised?" I practically laughed. "You've been bugging me about a duel for weeks. With everything that's happening, we may not get another chance. You up to throw down?"
A wide grin spread across Jaden's face as he stood up. "Hell yeah! Just let me grab my disk!"
I chuckled to myself watching him scale the steps. No matter how Jaden was feeling, he loved duelling down to his core. He said that he'd struggled to enjoy his duel with Zane, but now that he had someone to talk to, he seemed a bit peppier. Hmm, actually, I think that was the first time I'd initiated a duel with one of the main cast.
'I definitely should have talked to Dimitri sooner… I won't make the same mistake now. I refuse."
A couple of seconds later, Jaden came rushing back with his duel disk on his arm. "Syrus and Chumley have already hit the hay," he told me. We should take this down to the hill."
"You're right," I agreed. "Lead the way."
A familiar rush flooded through Jaden as he led Ren down to the rocky beach that rested below the Slifer Dorm. He and Syrus had duelled here the previous day to try and work on understanding each other's strategies. He found it somewhat ironic now how he had lectured Syrus on holding back using the Power Bond card his brother had given him when it seemed he'd been holding back the last few days as well.
He and Ren took their places across from each other on two large rocks with plenty of space in between them. Ren was on the left whilst Jaden had taken the right rock. After a quick roshambo, it was decided that Jaden would take the first move.
"You ready, Jaden?" Ren called, activating his duel disk.
Jaden took a deep breath and focused his mind as he activated his disk too. "Never better. Get your game on!"
"DUEL!"
Turn 1: Jaden – 4000LP – 6 cards in hand – 0 on field
"Kuri!"
As Jaden drew his first card, he felt the now familiar presence of his new friend, Winged Kuriboh. Indeed, the card he had drawn was the furry little fluff ball. He had been hearing the voice of the monster ever since he'd first received it from Yugi Muto on the day of the entrance exams. However, now as he looked at the card, the ethereal image of the monster appeared in front of him. It seemed to be something new that the little spirit could do. It had done the same thing earlier when he'd been looking for Syrus. It was less of a shock now.
"Hey there, Bud," he said affectionately.
"Kuriii," the little monster cooed.
"You were worried about me too, weren't you?" Jaden said. Kuriboh nodded its head. "Thanks. I really appreciate it. Don't worry, I'll be alright." The creature cooed again and moved to his shoulder where it found a comfortable spot to perch and watch, making Jaden smile.
He turned back to duel and suddenly became extremely aware that Ren was still waiting for him to make his move. He stood patiently with his duel disk held up at his waist. Although, he had a bemused smile on his face like he knew what was going on. Ren couldn't see spirits as far as he knew. To him, it would have just looked like he was talking to himself. Maybe he was just amused?
"Sorry about that! Just addressing the troops," Jaden joked before looking over the rest of his hand. He had a few of his favourite staples but nothing to fuse just yet. He'd seen Ren's duelling style and knew he liked to play the waiting game and wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. Jaden's instincts told him he'd need to conserve his recourses.
"I'll start things off by setting a monster and playing a face down," Jaden said succinctly, playing the cards down. Once again, he felt the rush at the anticipation of battle. As Kuriboh cooed again on his shoulder, a confident smile spread across Jaden's face. "Your move."
Turn 2: Ren – 4000LP – 6 cards in hand – 0 on field
"Ah, there's a smile. That was faster than I thought it'd take," I mused as I looked over my cards. "Got to say, I'm feeling a little giddy myself."
In my hand, there were a few of my new staples for my main deck. I'd decided to go with this one as it was the one, I'd been practising with all day. I wanted to see how it would stack up against Jaden's elemental heroes.
"I'm gonna start with one of my favourites, Dragon Shrine! This spell lets me send a dragon monster from my deck to the grave. I'll choose my Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" I pitched the dragon but kept my deck out. "Since I sent a normal monster, I can also pitch one more dragon to the grave. This time I'll send Darkblaze Dragon." After sending the newest addition of my deck to the grave, I felt ready to go ahead with my main strategy.
"I now summon Assault Wyvern (1800/1000) in attack mode!" On to my field swooped a large, bat-like blue wyvern with two large wings and a long sharp tail. Its body was adorned with glowing blue orbs.
"Wow, that looks awesome!" Jaden cried with a distinctive amount of more passion in his tone.
"You haven't seen anything yet," I mused. "Assault Wyvern, attack his monster!" At my command, my beast swept in, its razor-sharp wing slicing Jaden's set monster into ribbons. I briefly got to see that it was Elemental Hero Avian(1000/1000) before it disappeared.
"My wyvern's effect now activates. By tributing it, I can special summon a dragon from my hand or grave. Revive, Darkblaze Dragon(1200/1000)!"
Assault Wyvern's body shone brightly before it dissolved into light, being replaced by a pillar of flame. From it emerged my demonic new monster. It was roughly the same size as Red-Eyes, its long body possessing obsidian scales with a red underbelly. Four flapping sharp wings kept it in the air. It glared down at Jaden hungrily as a low growl escaped it.
"Darkblaze Dragon's effect activates. When summoned from the grave, its stats double!" My dragon let out a deep roar as a dark aura surrounded it, empowering it. (1200-2400 ATK/1000-2000 DEF)
Jaden looked up at my dragon with wide eyes. "Oh, I'm in trouble," he groaned.
I felt a competitive smirk work its way onto my face. "Yes, you are. Especially since it's still my battle phase! Darkblaze Dragon, attack Jaden directly!"
Dark flames ignited in my dragon's maw as it unleashed a torrent of hellfire towards my opponent. However, before the attack struck Jaden, the ghostly apparition of Elemental Hero Avian suddenly appeared on the field. It crossed its arms and took the attack head-on, protecting Jaden.
"Sorry man, but I activated my trap, Hero Spirit!" Jaden called, pointing to his activated trap card. "The turn an Elemental Hero is destroyed, I can reduce the damage from one of your monsters to zero," he explained with a grin.
"Clever," I mused as Darkblaze Dragon's attack came to an end. "I'll set a card and call it a turn."
"Then it's my turn to take another shot," Jaden remarked as he drew his next card.
Turn 3: Jaden – 4000LP – 5 cards in hand – 0 cards on the field
"Cool! I play Graceful Charity! With it, I draw three cards, but then discard two." As Jaden picked up his cards, his grin widened. He quickly discarded two spare cards. From my place, I saw that they were a monster and a spell. "Next up, I summon Elemental Hero Stratos (1800/300)!"
Jaden's newest monster was a man with blue skin in blue and white armour. On his back were mechanical wings powered by turbines. I easily recognised the monster, both from having used it myself and from the meme, 'free Stratos' due to its long-running place on the ban list in my world.
"When Stratos is summoned, I can activate his effect. He has a few, but in this case, I chose to add a 'Hero' monster from my deck to my hand. And I'll choose good ol' Bladedge! Although, he won't be there for long. I activate Polymerization!" Behind Jaden appeared a familiar vortex. "I fuse the Elemental Heroes Wildheart and Bladedge in hand together to create Elemental Hero Wildedge (2600/2600)!"
From the vortex emerged a hero with tan dark skin. He wore almost nothing except solid gold armour over his right leg, crotch area, left arm and head. On his left arm were several deadly large blades. Slung over his back was a long sword that looked as long as me. He came to hover just next to Jaden with his right arm on the hilt of his sword.
"He looks sharp," I quipped. I was going to have to be careful with that out. It had the ability to attack every monster on the field at least once.
"Battle!" Jaden cried. "Wildedge, take down that dragon!" The armoured jungle man leapt forward, unsheathing his blade and decapitated my beast with a single swing. (Ren: 3800LP)
"I'm not done yet. Stratos, attack him directly!" Jaden continued, his voice practically a cheer. The winged hero flew up into the air and the turbines on its wings began to spin at a rapid speed, creating a whirlwind that flew towards me. My eyes went to my facedown. I could have activated it, but it would bring me more trouble than good. Rather, I braced myself, groaning as the wind crashed into me." (Ren: 2000LP)
"Nice move. You got me there," I said good-naturedly once I'd recovered from the attack. "You seem a little cheerier too."
"Yeah, haha," Jaden laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "What can I say? No matter what, I guess duelling really brings out the best in me. It's part of the reason why I keep doing it."
"That's why you duel, huh?" I mused to myself. However, I was quickly torn from my thoughts as Jaden set a card.
"I'll throw this down and call it a turn. Looking forward to your comeback," he said.
"Ha, famous last words," I said, drawing my card.
Turn 4: Ren – 2000LP – 4 cards in hand – 1 face down on the field
"Huh, finally get to play you then," I remarked upon seeing my card. I added it to my hand and took another. "For my comeback, I'll start by activating my own copy of Polymerization. I fuse the King of the Swamp with Divine Dragon Ragnarok in my hand! I fusion summon King Dragun (2400/1100)!"
Storm clouds formed above our heads. From them emerged a monster that looked to be the top half of a man fused with the body of a long, serpentine, golden dragon. The human half of the monster wore dragon-like armour reminiscent of the beast it was fused with. It wore a long dark cape that was spread out behind it like wings. In its hand was a golden flute in the shape of a dragon's head.
"Cool monster, but he's not stronger than Wildedge," Jaden remarked.
"You of all people know that attack points don't make the monster," I replied cockily. "I activate Dragun's effect. Once per turn, I can special summon another dragon from my hand. Come forth, White Horned Dragon (2200/1400)!
Dragun raised his flute to his lips and blew a solemn tune, creating a blue portal in the air next to him. From it emerged a western dragon with crimson scales. True to its namesake, in the centre of its head was a shining white horn. This was the card I had bought singularly on my first trip to the card shop. Seeing it now, my mind briefly drifted to Sadie, but I pushed those thoughts to the side, focusing my attention on the duel.
"When this dragon is summoned, I can remove up to five spells from your grave, and for each one, he gains three hundred attack points!"
"Nani?" Jaden cried, looking aghast.
"Since you only have three, I'll remove Graceful Charity, Polymerization and the spell you sent to the grave earlier." The three spells flew out of Jaden's graveyard slot, flying towards my dragon's horn. I was able to see that the third was R-Righteous Justice just as all three were absorbed into the horn. (2200-3100 ATK)
"White Horned Dragon, take out Wildedge!" I cried. Getting into the pageantry of the duel, I threw my arm out as my dragon unleashed a beam of white light from its mouth, skewering the armoured hero and shattering him into pixels. (Jaden: 3500LP)
"Dragun will follow up by attacking Stratos!"
Lighting gathered around the open mouth of Dragun's flute before a bolt flew out, striking Stratos head-on, knocking the winged hero out of the air. (Jaden: 2900LP)
"I activate my face down! Hero Signal!" Jaden shouted. As the trap flipped, it sent a spotlight up into the air with the letter 'H' stylised. "Since you destroyed my monster, I get to replace him with a new one from my deck. Come on out, Elemental Hero Clayman (800/2000)." The clay armoured monster appeared on Jaden's field in defence mode.
Jaden probably hoped he'd be able to use him to find a way to bring out Thunder Giant and destroy White Horned Dragon. No way I was going to let that happen.
"I activate my own face down, Call of the Haunted. I'll use it to revive an old friend. Return again, Darkblaze Dragon!" The earth cracked and my four-winged dragon soured back up into the sky. And since it was summoned from the grave, its attack points doubled once more to 2400. "Darkblaze Dragon, attack Clayman!" My dragon let loose another volley of flame so powerful that not even Clayman's mighty defence could withstand. It burned away, leaving Jaden defenceless. However, I wasn't done. "Darkblaze's second effect activates. Since it destroyed a monster in battle, you take damage equal to its original attack points."
"What?" Jaden cried as the flames that destroyed his monster washed over him. He let out a grunt as his points diminished further. (Jaden: 2100LP)
"I think that'll end my turn," I said proudly as my three dragons floated above me, each one ready to strike once more.
However, despite the perilous situation Jaden was in, he took one look at my field and cracked up snickering to himself.
"Oh man, it feels good to laugh like this," he managed to finally say. "It feels like ages…"
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," I said, his honest nature bringing a smile to my face. "However, unless you do something this turn, you're not going to last another turn."
Jaden's smile turned to a smirk as he placed his fingers over the top of his deck. "A duel isn't over until the last card is played! My draw!"
Turn 5: Jaden – 2100LP – 2 cards in hand – 0 cards on the field
"I'll set a monster and call it a turn."
"Really?" I eyed his cards suspiciously. He'd been mumbling to himself at the start of the match. I had a pretty good idea of what the monster was. "Draw!"
Turn 6: Ren – 2000LP – 1 card in hand – 3 monsters on the field, 1 continuous trap activated
"Battle!" I cried immediately. "Darkblaze, attack!"
Once more, my dragon unleashed a torrent of flame. Jaden's monster flipped to reveal that it was Winged Kuriboh (300/200). The cute little furball did its best to weather the blast but was soon overtaken.
"Sorry about that, bud," I heard Jaden say as he looked affectionately at his card before sending it to the grave. He then turned his attention back to me. "While you may have destroyed Kuriboh, his effect saves me from any more battle damage for the rest of the turn."
"Maybe, but you'll still take damage from Darkblaze's effect."
Jaden grimaced as a red aura surrounded him, draining Kuriboh's attack points from his own life points. (Jaden: 1800LP)
"I'll end my turn there," I said. I watched as Jaden took a calming breath before drawing his next card.
Turn 7: Jaden – 1800LP – 2 cards in hand – 0 cards on the field
"Looks like my lucks turning around," he said happily. "I'll start by setting a card and then activate Card of Sanctity!"
"Of course you do," I groaned.
"The power of the heart of the cards is bullshit! All you need is a 'Yu' in your name and you're golden…"
He didn't need to explain how it worked. We both drew our cards and Jaden's grin grew wider. "Oh yeah! I'm definitely going to get my game on now! I'll start by activating O-Oversoul! With this, I get to bring back an Elemental Hero from my graveyard. Come on back Avian (1000/1000)!" The winged, green suited hero soared onto the field, coming to land with his arms crossed. "Next up, I activate the spell, Reinforcements of the Army! I'll use it to add good ol' Sparkman from my deck to my hand! Finally, I'll activate my second Polymerization! I'll fuse the Avian on my field with the Sparkman and Bubbleman in my hand to call forth the mighty, Elemental Hero Tempest(2800/2800)!"
Jaden's three heroes briefly appeared before disappearing into the all too familiar swirling portal. From it emerged a warrior with their best traits. Tempest looked like Sparkman wearing the claws of Avian and wielding the weapons of Bubbleman. The wings on his back resembled those of Avian merged with the cape of Bubbleman. He had a stock of spiky green hair, and a slim laser cannon was equipped over his right arm.
I looked up at the hero in awe. Tempest was always one of my favourite hero cards as a kid. It was amazing seeing him now like this. "That guy is awesome," I remarked. It was more to myself but Jaden heard me.
"Hell, yeah he is!" he cried enthusiastically. "And he's only getting stronger. Especially when I play this! Skyscraper!" The moment the field spell activated, tall buildings shot out of the ground and ocean around us. By all accounts, it looked like we were now in the middle of a city. "Now this scenery isn't just for show," Jaden continued, his voice ecstatic. "Here, Elemental Heroes gain a thousand attack points when battling a stronger monster! Go, Tempest, take out White Horned Dragon!" (2800 – 3800 ATK)
The hero responded coolly, steadying its blaster taking aim at my dragon. With a sharp cry, it unleashed an electric beam of light. White Horned Dragon tried valiantly to counter with its own attack, but it found itself overcome by the beam, vaporising it. I grunted as I protected my eyes from the intensity of the light. (Ren: 1300LP) (3800 – 2800 ATK)
"Now that dragon may be gone I'll call it a turn. It's your move, Ren. Let's see what you got."
I was unable to keep the mad grin off my face. I felt so amped! The match had been so back and forth that I just wanted it to continue. Was this how Jaden felt most of the time? I could see why. The adrenaline with addictive and brought out the warrior in me.
"Gladly!" I cried. I looked at the Slifer across from me and felt something new. At least new in this universe. For the first time, I was facing an opponent who I truly wanted to duel, who I wanted to beat. Not out of obligation. Not because it was what was best for some stupid plot. But because I saw him as a wall I wanted to scale. That I needed to beat.
"Here I go!" I cried drawing my seventh card. "I'll make you regret letting me refill my hand."
"Bring it on!" Jaden replied, his grin just as battle mad as my own.
Turn 8: Ren – 1300LP – 7 cards in hand – 2 monsters on the field, 1 continuous trap activated
"Hope you're listening because this is going to get complicated. I start by summoning Skilled White Magician (1700/1900)!" The jewel adorned magician rose up onto my field, his staff held ready. "Now then, I'll active the spell, Foolish Burial to send Summoned Skull from my deck to the graveyard." The first jewel on my magician's cloak lit up. "Then, I'll activate Mystical Space Typhoon, and wipe out Skyscraper!" The blue tornado rocketed through our surroundings, reducing the high-rise buildings to rubble. They faded away and we were back by the salty sea. The second jewel lit up.
"And now, I activate Dragon's Mirror! This handy spell lets me fusion summon a dragon monster by removing materials from my field or graveyard. I remove both Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Summoned Skull from the grave!"
Red- Eyes emerged next to the famous fiend before both disappeared into the glass of an ornate mirror that rose behind them.
"Fiend of lightning, merge with the dragon possessing infinite potential and bring me victory! Come, Black Skull Dragon(3200/2500)!"
The mirror cracked and my dragon emerged onto the field, letting out a terrifying screech that sent ripples out across the surface of the ocean water beside us. As it appeared, my magician's final jewel lit up. I kept up the momentum of my move.
"Now that three spells have been activated, my magician has three counters. I use his effect! By tributing him, I can call forth my ace, Buster Blader (2600/2300)!" Skilled White Magician began to chant, a magic circle appearing beneath him. Slowly, he dissolved into it, only for my might warrior to burst from it, his sword already drawn and ready for battle.
My monsters assembled, Jaden finally looked a tad nervous. "You really don't hold back, do you?" he asked, a bead of sweat falling down his brow.
"Not when fighting someone like you."
"I don't know whether to be flattered or worried," he replied with another unsure laugh.
"I'd say flattered," I replied cheekily before regaining my stoic expression. "Battle! Black Skull Dragon, take out Tempest!" Dark energy collected in my dragon's maw before it unleashed the blast.
"Not so fast! I activate the trap, Hero Barrier to negate your attack!" As the card activated, a spinning disk flew out in front of Tempest. Its velocity was so great that it created a whirlwind that blew back our hair and the coattails of my uniform. Black Skull Dragon's blast dissipated before it even hit.
I clicked my tongue, disappointed by the turn of events. None of my other monsters were currently strong enough to take on Tempest. "I change Darkblaze Dragon to defence mode and then set a card. That ends my turn." As my dragon coiled up, covering its head with its wings.
"Heh, things aren't looking great for me. I'll just have to put it all down to this draw. Here goes something!"
Turn 9: Jaden – 1800LP – 2 cards in hand – 1 card on the field
"Oh yeah! I hope you're ready because I'm activating Miracle Fusion!" The air behind Jaden flickered and a white vortex appeared. "Much like your Dragon's Mirror, this card allows me to remove monsters from the grave to summon a fusion monster! I remove Sparkman and Bladedge to call out, Elemental Hero Plasma Vice (2600/2300)!" The two heroes emerged and flew into the vortex. There was a loud bang, and then Jaden's new monster emerged.
Its body was that of Sparkman's but with much more muscle. It possessed the bulky golden armour of Bladedge. Electric plasma crackled between its golden gauntlets.
"That could be trouble," I groaned.
"Oh, you'd better believe. You see, by discarding a card, I can target one of your cards and destroy it!" As Jaden discarded his final card, Plasma Vice charged up a ball of electrified energy and threw it at Black Skull Dragon. The moment it hit; my dragon let out a scream before shattering into pixels.
"No! Black Skull Dragon!"
"You haven't seen anything yet. Plasma Vice, attack Darkblaze Dragon!" Jaden continued, pointing his hand towards my prone monster. The golden garbed warrior once again charged up another bolt. It flung it forward and it crashed into my monster. It screamed in pain and dissolved, just like Black Skull Dragon before it. But the attack didn't stop. The offshoots of the plasma reached out and struck me too. (Ren: 700LP)
"Oh, and when Plasma Vice deals piercing damage. Pretty neat, huh?"
"Yeah, very useful," I mumbled as I recovered from the attack. "Is that all you got?"
"Not even," he laughed. "Tempest, attack that Buster Blader!"
Time seemed to slow as Tempest flew up into the air, its laser cannon brimming with electric blue energy. For a brief moment, I hesitated. My mind torn by the adrenaline of the duel, and my allegiance to something that for all I knew was already shattered. My eyes flicked to Buster Blader and for a moment, I swear he nodded at me.
My mind was made up.
"I activate my trap card!" I cried, thrusting my arm forward once more as the card flipped. "Rebirth Judgement!" Within a year, this card would become one of Zane's staples to power up his Cyber Dark deck. And now I'd use it to serve mine. "This card allows me to change the type of all monsters in both our graveyards to anything I wish. And I choose dragon!"
As Tempest's attack came in, Buster Blader raised his sword and deflected the beam, particles of light spreading out everywhere.
Jaden's eyes widened, realising what this meant. "No way…"
"Oh yes!" The gems on Buster Blader's sword began to glow and a golden aura overcame my warrior. "Since every monster in the grave is now a dragon, my Blader gains 500 attack points for every monster you currently have there! Last time I counted, that was… uh… seven? Yeah, seven!" (2600-6100 ATK)
Angling his sword, Buster Blader refracted the energy beam until it rebounded on itself, striking Tempest's cannon, causing a huge explosion that sent out gusts of wind and dirt. Jaden cried out as he raised his arms up to protect himself but in doing so, he tripped over falling backwards. (Jaden: 0LP. Ren Wins)
"Oh crap. Jaden, are you alright?"
As the holograms faded, I rushed over to the fallen Slifer. However, he was not hurt, like I had thought he would be. Instead, he was on his back, laughing his head off.
"Man, that was a sweet duel!" His words were just giddy as they had been the day I had met him. It seemed the duel had done him some good. "It bites to lose but when it was worth it to have fun like that!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," I laughed as I sat down on the rock next to him. "Got to say, that's probably the best duel I've had since coming to the academy. I can't believe the luck you have with your draws."
"I just believe in my cards," he replied honestly. He paused and looked off to the side. I imagined that the spirit of Winged Kuriboh was over his shoulder cooing. Would have been cool if I could see him. "You pulled off some good moves yourself," he said with a smirk.
"Yeah, well, Bastion and Sadie have been running me ragged all day with training. Not to mention your Card of Sanctity was pretty useful. It really is a double edge blade that one."
"Useful though," Jaden laughed again before his mood turned solemn. "Y' know, I don't think I'll ever really get over what happened. But the past isn't going to change. I have to keep going. Keep having fun and duel the way I believe in."
"Good, I'm glad. You're definitely at your best when you do that," I said.
We both shared a chuckle as we leaned back on the rock and looked up at the stars. Even with the current threat of expulsion, this moment of peace was nice before the oncoming storm. "Hey Ren, do you mind if I ask you another question?"
"Mhmm."
"Why did you come to Duel Academy?"
"What? Where's this coming from?" I was not ready for that conversation.
"I was just curious. For me, it was recommended to me by… by a good friend. He told me I'd be able to face tough opponents here. That I'd be able to learn to become the best. I made a promise to him that one day, I would stand tall with the greats, and duel on the big stage, spending my days going from one challenge and to the next having fun doing it."
"That… that's quite the dream to have." As far as I knew, he would somewhat achieve that. He was going to become a great duellist who travelled the land, taking on any challenge that came his way. It was never covered in the anime what Jaden's dreams were in the early days. It was fascinating hearing him talk about it now. "Personally, I could totally see you doing that."
"Heh, cheers man," Jaden said bashfully, rubbing the back of his head. "So, what about you?"
I took a deep breath, avoiding his gaze as I looked out across the rolling tides. "The reason I choose to come to Duel Academy? Well… Um… I suppose it was because it was the best school for it. I wanted the challenge too. Maybe meet a nice girl. As for what I want… I think I'm still trying to figure that out."
"Well, this is the right place for it," Jaden said good-naturedly, lightly tapping me on the back. "You'll work it out. I know you will."
"Ha, you make it sound so easy," I laughed. "But your confidence is infectious."
"Just remember, we've got to win our duels first. After all; can't become the best if we're stopped before we really begin, right?"
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," I mumbled. I again turned my gaze out towards the sea. Maybe it was the fact the adrenaline still hadn't worn off, maybe it was the calming effect of the salty ocean breeze, or maybe it was just because I was sleep-deprived and wasn't thinking straight, but at that moment, I knew that no matter what happened, I wanted to stay. The hypocrisy of those thoughts against my actions up to now made me chuckle.
"Something funny?" Jaden asked.
"Nah. It's just that, I came out here to help you out, and I think I ended up solving some of my own problems as well."
"You don't say. Well, I'm glad I could help." As he said that, a large and long yawn escaped the Slifer. "Woah, that was a big one. I think it's about time I hit the hay." He pushed himself up, standing over me. "Thanks again for coming out tonight. I really appreciate it."
"Anytime. I think I'm gonna stay here for a little bit. I'll catch you around, Jaden," I said, giving him a two-fingered salute.
"See you later, man! Let's have another duel soon. I won't lose next time," he said as he ran off towards the hill leading back to his dorm.
"We'll see about that!" I called after him. I watched him leave before lying down on my back and looking up at the night sky. The stars seemed to be shining a little brighter tonight.
"This place really is beautiful."
"Ugh, what a cliché thing to say…"
Holding back a silent chuckle, I pulled out my PDA from my pocket and dialled my favourite genius. "Hey, Bastion. Sorry, I know it's late. I was wondering if you'd still be up for being my partner in the tag duel?"
Jaden was in too much of a hurry to see her as he ran back to his room. However, the joyful smile on his face spoke volumes about how his mood had improved compared to earlier. It made Alexis happy to see him back to his old self.
She had originally come back because she had sensed there was something wrong during the duel with Zane. However, when she had arrived, she heard the sounds of the duel coming from the rocks. She had watched from above as both Ren and Jaden duelled their hearts out. She had to admit, she had been surprised by the results. In her mind, Jaden was the strongest of the freshman. She hadn't expected Ren to win. He was normally a lot more reserved in his duelling.
This time, he'd been more passionate.
The barest of smiles graced her lips as she turned away and started the walk back to the girls' dorm. She could speak to Ren another day. To her, he finally looked honestly happy.
And there we have it! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! It took a little longer than normal because I had to rewrite part of the duel because I realised I'd made a mistake. Also, I managed to get a stomach bug this week which put me a couple of days behind.
Either way, the chapter is done now and I've got to say I loved writing the duel with Jaden. I felt like this was a really important stepping stone in the character progression of Ren. He's still discovering what he wants to do but he is slowly but surely coming to a decision. In the meantime, he's decided to go with Bastion as his partner for a tag team match. The only question is whether everything will go to plan? Mwhahahaha.
I will admit, things got a little too animey at the beginning there with Logan's plan, but that's just the kind of guy he is. Either way, I hope you guys are looking forward to more.
As always, please don't forget to fav, follow and review and I will see you next time.