Staying in the Background

by Emblemfan1

Ren Cambell awakes in the GX universe. However, why should he get involved with the plot? Everything's going to be fine anyway if he stays away from the protagonists, right? He's just a background character in this world. He's got a second chance to live his best life. Become a pro duelist, get a girlfriend and get rich off card games. Wait... Who's that other guy? (Self-Insert/OC)

16. Chapter 16

Hey guys! Before we start today, I just want to say that unfortunately the Discord server still isn't up. There has been... a lot going on this week. I won't go into it but it has been fairly emotional. Thankfully writing is fairly therapeutic so this chapter came out of it. I hope it's better than the last one.

Updated:10/03/2022 - Changed part of the duel to correct the previously wrong card effect.

Enjoy :)

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Staying in the Background

Clash of Ideals - To Be The Best

"You called for me, Chancellor," Zane said as he entered Sheppard's office. As the academy's top student and the representative of the third years, the cyber duelist often visited the chancellor to discuss school matters. However, this seemed different. There was an immediate tension as he entered the room. His former master was stood looking out the window. Night had long since fallen over the island. Classes had been ended early for the day after the power cuts during the break. Rumour was there had been an incident with some of the students and they were sent to the infirmary. If that was the case, Zane doubted Sheppard would request him for that.

"Zane, thank you for coming. Please, take a seat. There is something we must discuss." The man gestured towards the sofa in the corner and Zane immediately knew something was wrong. The only time they had ever sat down to talk was after… His eyes widened ever so slightly, and he complied with the man's request.

Sheppard followed, taking a seat at the other end of the sofa. He bowed his head, resting it atop his entwined hands. His expression was grave, which only served to further worry Zane. While they never talked about the time he had spent under his tutelage, he knew Sheppard was proud of what he had accomplished and treated him as an equal more than a student. He had always spoken plainly with him. And yet it seemed now he was hesitant to speak his mind. After a few moments of silence, where Sheppard gathered his nerves, the man finally dared look Zane in the eyes. "It's about Eve," he said, A light gasp escaping the Obelisk for he hadn't heard her name for a long time. "We found her."

---

I tried to focus my mind as I stared at the girl in front of me. I was back in the infirmary, for the second time in three weeks. The only light source was a small lamp by the side of my bed. My mind was still fuzzy, but I remembered trying to save Torrey from the duel spirit Jinzo. However, he'd attacked me. That was where my memory failed me, but I remembered how drained I had felt, and the agony Jinzo had inflicted upon me. It was completely different from my experience with Nightshroud. It felt like my very being was being ripped away.

And now… now I was here. And none other than Nightshroud's former host was standing before me. Eve Pechman was standing by my infirmary bed. She was wearing a green hospital gown and her long brown hair messy. She seemed nervous, continuously side glancing at me when she thought I wasn't looking. This was a far different image to the girl I had met previously. Thankfully, unlike the last time I was here, my clothes hadn't been removed so I didn't feel as awkward.

"Um… are you feeling okay?" Eve asked, shying away. "You're staring at me. Is there something on me?" Her eyes went wide as she looked down at her body. "Is it a bug?"

"No, no! Don't worry. I was just thinking about how different you are," I reassured her, pushing myself up in bed. My movements were slow, and my body felt heavy, but I managed to get upright somehow.

However, my words made her pause. She looked me over and cocked her head questioningly. "Do I… Do I know you?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No, I'm sorry. I suppose you could say I was the one who found you."

"Oh! So, it was you!" She bowed her head gratefully. "Thank you so much."

"I'm just glad you're okay," I said, waving my hand. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, do you know how I got here?"

"Oh! Your friend and some of the teachers brought you in earlier. They said you had been in an accident."

"My friend?" And then it came back to me. Bastion had been there! Right before I was knocked out, I remembered seeing him in the doorway of the classroom! My head spun around, but the other beds in this wing were empty. "What happened to Bastion?" I asked Eve, my voice probably a bit harsher than it needed to be, startling the shy girl. If he had brought me here, he must have beaten Jinzo, but it would have been in a shadow game. He could have been severely injured, and he was still hadn't recovered from his fall. I didn't even wait for her to reply, I was already trying to get out of the bed, much to Eve's panic.

"No! Don't go! The nurse said you needed rest!" she said, rushing around the bed to try and stop me from leaving. Not that she could have done. Her attempt basically boiled down to gently pushing on my chest in the hope it would stop me. "Your friend is fine!" she squeaked hurriedly. "He stayed here for a little bit with this girl and other boy and then when visiting hours closed, they went home! Oh, and those other boys were taken to another ward with more beds. They're staying the night too."

I paused, my mind processing what she had just told me. "Did you say other people were here?"

Eve backed up, visibly relaxing now that I had stopped trying to exert myself. "Um, yes. When they first brought you in, the boy in yellow made two calls. A few minutes after that, this girl wearing a pink shirt and an apron came in and a little after that, a guy with really spiky hair. I saw them through the crack in my curtain. I was a little too nervous to say hello."

A loud groan escaped me as I sat back down on the bed and ran my hands over my face. That had to be Sadie and Dimitri. Fantastic… They must be so worried right now. And if Bastion told them, I had no doubt the rest of the group knew I was back in the infirmary as well. My PDA was probably full of messages asking me to call them. "I didn't want to worry them again," I murmured.

"I think it's sweet," Eve suddenly interjected. It seemed she had heard me. "If they're worried about you, it means they really care, right?" she asked with a smile. "It must be nice to have people like that."

It took a moment for her words to sink in before I realised I was being a bit of an ass. Here I was complaining about having people care about me and this girl supposedly barely remembered her own name, let alone her own personal connections.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I must sound selfish to you."

She shook her head. "No. It seems like you care about them too. You're all so lucky."

"I haven't even introduced myself. It's nice to meet you. I'm Ren. Ren Cambell," I said, giving her the best smile I could manage.

"Um… I'm Eve, or at least that's what everyone tells me," she said with a light-hearted laugh. "I can't… I'm kind of struggling with my memory."

"I'm sorry to hear that. If you don't mind me asking, is there anything you do remember?"

She shook her head again, her head turning away. "Not really. The nurse said she thinks I'm suffering from something called dissociative amnesia. I have my basic knowledge. I can read, do maths and know these random facts that just come to me sometimes, but nothing about myself. The nurse said it could have been in response to trauma-related to my disappearance." She suddenly turned back to me with eyes filled with hope. "You said you found me, right? Where was I? What happened to me?"

"Oh… uh…" My mind went blank. Had the teachers not already said something to her? What was the right thing to say in this situation?

'Well, you see, I found you in an otherworldly realm which is basically hell. You almost killed me because you had been possessed by an eldritch deity who wants nothing more than to pull our world into a world of darkness. But it's all good now. I beat you in a children's card game and now you're free.'

Yeah… Maybe not. Quarter truth then.

"There's this dorm on the island, it's something like an abandoned house. I found you there. I don't know why you were there, or how you came to be in that situation, but as I said, I'm just glad you were okay. I'm sorry though, I don't really know anything else."

"Oh…" she said dejectedly, her shoulders slumping.

"But the teachers will know more. If you were a student here, there should be a file on you. That might answer a few of your questions."

"I've already read them," she said, gesturing over to her own bed. I turned around and saw that on a table next to it was a stack of files and books. She had been surprisingly proactive. "There's only so much I can learn from them. I'm told there's someone coming tomorrow who knows me. But…" She gave a large sigh before shaking her head and looking towards the window at the far end of the room. "It's pretty late now. You still need your rest. We should both try and get some rest. Do you think you'll be alright now?" she asked, flashing me her best smile.

"Yeah… I think so. Thank you for checking on me."

"I was happy to," she said. "If you need anything, I'll leave my curtain open a little. It's… It's nice having company." With that, she turned and made her way back over to her own bed and drew the curtain. True to her word, she left a small gap so that it would be easy to call out if I needed her.

Lying back down on my own bed, I reached out and turned off the lamp, plunging us both into darkness. However, as I rested my head against the travesty that the infirmary called a pillow, my mind was too active to sleep. My thoughts were filled with questions about Eve and just who she was. From that conversation, there was no evidence that she was also a reincarnate, but then again, with her condition, she wouldn't even know herself. Her entire life was now just as much a mystery to her as it was to me. I had no idea if I should leave her to remember on her own, or actively try to restore her memories so I could get some answers.

I made a mental note to check my PDA as soon as I could so that I could let everyone know I was okay. Bastion and Sadie must be losing their minds right now. I had to also remember to get the details out of Bastion as to exactly what had happened with Jinzo, and what he had told the others. In the past, I'd asked him to keep Sadie out of the supernatural, but would he have told her now? Eve hadn't said anything about spirits being mentioned, so maybe he'd come up with a story?

It also bothered me that Jinzo had been so quick to attack me and had managed to 'drain' me without making a deal. In the anime, Jaden had to offer himself up in Torrey's stead for the spirit to agree to duel. However, he had gone straight for my neck so to speak. And he had mentioned there being a 'darkness' inside of me. What the hell was that? Was he talking about the Gentle Darkness? Could that be what summoned me to this world?

Ugh… there's too much to think about. I'm not getting any sleep, am I? Ugh, tomorrow is going to be crap.

I closed my eyes and tried to will myself to rest, but under the covers, I could still feel my right-hand tremble.

---

Zane walked briskly out of the dorm that morning. He normally enjoyed spending time embracing the cool, salty breeze. It had a therapeutic effect on him, allowing him to clear his head and ready himself for the day. Today, he didn't have the time. His conversation with Sheppard was still fresh in his mind. It was all he had been able to think about. Eve had been found. He could hardly believe it. And Sheppard had kept that from him for weeks.

The chancellor had been honest with him. He told Zane how students who had entered the abandoned dorm had encountered Eve in a… precarious state. They managed to bring her home, but when she was unconscious for a long time. She woke up recently but was suffering from amnesia. Sheppard had told him in the hopes that Zane could jog her memories, and potentially bring some light on what happened to the other students.

If he said he wasn't angry with his former master, he'd be lying. Sheppard knew how much he cared for Eve and Atticus. When they had disappeared… No, he didn't need to think about that. And now, he had only told him the truth because the situation demanded it. Despite the anger, he understood why Sheppard hadn't told him. It was because he'd let his emotions get the better of him and rush to see her. He'd only end up scaring her that way. That was the last thing she needed. Sheppard had said he could visit today, but to take it slowly as she wouldn't act like the person he knew.

He turned his mind back to happier times, where he and his friends would hang out and challenge each other in the hopes to make themselves better. They had shared laughs, challenges and rivalry. No longer. Those days had disappeared with them.

He knew what the other students said about him. He heard their hushed whispers as he passed through the halls. They called him 'Kaiser'. The German word for emperor. He stood at the top of the summit of academy duellists. And yet, despite their admiration, most dared not to approach him. And those who did were arrogant, seeking him out only because they believed themselves greater than they were. However, they did not have respect. Neither for their opponents or their own cards. And, due to Zane's own disposition when duelling, they labelled him cold, like the machines he used.

'They only see the surface,' he thought bitterly before shaking his head, banishing the thoughts. This was no time. He had to remain strong, as he always had before. He held himself a little higher and continued on

The academy was silent when he entered. The halls were pleasantly empty, free from the hurried bustle of students that normally roamed the halls. It would be another couple of hours before class began. If she wasn't awake now, then he'd come back later. However, as he got closer to the infirmary, it became increasingly clear that he was worried for nothing.

"No! Get that slop away from me!" The cry echoed through the empty hallway.

"But you need your strength!" Zane heard Nurse Fontaine press. "Just eat it so we can get on with the sign out process." Their voices were coming from the room at the end of the hall, the room that Sheppard had said Eve was staying.

"You're worried about my health, but that stuff will kill me," the student she was treating insisted.

"So, you said the last time you were here. You're too dramatic. Seriously, two visits within three weeks. You sure like to get yourself into trouble. You're lucky this time you only had to stay overnight."

At this point, Zane had reached the door. He peered inside to see in the bed closest was Ren Cambell, the recent addition to Obelisk that he had watched duel Alexis. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, trying his best to lean away from Nurse Fontaine, who was holding a white bowl filled with what smelled like porridge. The two hadn't noticed him yet and continued lively discussion.

"It's not like I'm seeking it out," Cambell protested.

"Yes, well, if this becomes a trend, I will have to hold a bed in reserve for you. And then you'll be able to have all the hospital food you can eat. In fact, if you don't eat this now, we won't be able to discharge you until after lunch. You'll have to have a meal prepared for you then as well. What's your preference? Swede or Durian?"

The obelisk freshman's face paled before he reluctantly held out his hand and took the bowl from the smug nurse. He gingerly took a small spoonful of the 'food' and his face wrinkled in disgust. Nurse Fontaine only looked only with a smug smile. It almost made Zane chuckle. He'd experienced her bedside manner before, and she had been just as forceful with him. It was somewhat therapeutic to see she was like this with all her patients.

Finally, Nurse Fontaine turned to the door and her eyes widened when she noticed the third year. "Oh! Zane, how long have you been there?" At the mention of his name, Ren stopped eating and turned towards with a look of pure bewilderment. He looked from the porridge and back to Zane before his face gained a tinge of red.

At this moment, he didn't seem like much. His attitude and general decorum painted a poor first impression. However, he seemed a different person when duelling. He had seen him duel a teacher, Alexis, and also the tag team of Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor; two former pros. He had a knack for strategy that was unlike the other students in his year. In some ways, he reminded Zane of…

"You're here to see Eve, right?" Fontaine asked, gesturing towards the closed-off curtain on the far side of the room. "I told her yesterday you would be coming. I suspect she will be awake now." She shot Cambell a dirty glare and he looked away, pretending he hadn't noticed. Zane gave the woman an appreciative nod before heading over to the drawn curtain.

However, before he could pull it back, he paused, his hand outstretched and yet frozen in place. He didn't know if he had the right to suddenly come back into her life like this, especially since she was probably still trying to make sense of her present. He could feel the eyes of both Nurse Fontaine and Cambell on him. They were waiting to see what he would do. He looked back to them and wordlessly nodded his head towards the door.

Nurse Fontaine seemed to get the message. She quickly helped Cambell up from his bed and guided him out of the room, undoubtedly into one of the other wards. The Obelisk seemed hesitant to leave but was powerless before the nurse. Now finally alone, Zane took a moment to steel himself, he gently tugged at the curtain but didn't open it just yet. He just wanted her to know he was there.

"Hello," he called gently.

"You can come in." The voice was quiet, shy and withdrawn, but it gave him chills nonetheless. The breath got caught in his throat as he moved the curtain aside and stepped in. The girl inside was sat upright in the infirmary bed, her long, mousy brown hair strewn messily around her face. She was a little skinnier than he remembered, so was the effect of being confined to a sickbed. She looked up at the third year with wide, innocent eyes that were so unlike the girl he had once known.

"H-Hello," she said meekly, her eyes darted to the side and her face-tinged red. "Nurse Fontaine said your name is Zane."

"That's right. Can I sit?" He gestured to the chair that had been left out by the far side of the bed. She nodded and Zane took the seat, moving it a little back from the bed. Zane watched her, studying Eve's demeanour as she kept side-eyeing him. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her posture was tight and withdrawn. She didn't seem to know what to say, so for once, Zane made the first move.

"How have you been holding up?" he asked.

"Good… Nurse Fontaine has been very kind. She's been helping me get in contact with family. They sound like nice people." Her eyes were down. "I didn't even recognise my mother's voice. She started crying when she heard me. I just couldn't feel anything. She was a stranger to me… I don't even know what she looks like…" She shook her head before finally turning to Zane and giving him a half-hearted smile. "Sorry, that was a bit bleak."

Zane shook his head. "No. It's important to voice your thoughts. No matter how people change, at their core, the things that make them who they are, always remain. Even if it becomes suppressed. If you keep talking, you may rediscover things about yourself."

"Heh… that's pretty wise," Eve chuckled. "Nurse Fontaine said that we knew each other. We weren't… um…"

"We were friends," Zane affirmed. "There were fo- excuse me, three of us. You, me and Atticus. You two were actually…very close."

"Oh. Is Atticus-?"

"He's still missing," Zane said grimly. "I can tell you about him and our school lives. His sister also attends the academy. I'm sure she'd be happy to tell you more about him."

"I'd like that," Eve said, flashing him a small smile that made the Obelisk's chest tighten. Zane couldn't help but find her to be so quiet. His fondest memories from the academy included her being loud and brash, constantly striving to do better than the day before. It was strange talking to her like this. But if reminiscing like this would help her, it was worth the hurt.

"How did we meet?" she suddenly asked, breaking his train of thought.

A rare smirk graced Zane's lips as he leaned forward in his seat. "That is quite a long story."

"There's time, isn't there?" she asked with a cheeky smirk. For a second, Zane saw an echo of the girl he used to know. Her posture was a little more relaxed now, her arms now resting on her lap and her body posture more open.

He looked at the clock on this side of the room. Classes would still not begin for some time. "I suppose there is," he said with an irregular chuckle. "Atticus and I knew each other before coming to the academy. We had been in the same school and grew close. He was… better with people than I was. It was through him that we met. He came to me in the dorm one day early on, raving about a duelist who had pushed him to his limits. He insisted that I take you on myself. I was reluctant, but let's just say I'd never been good at saying 'no' to him. He practically dragged me along to the duel field. That was when I first saw you. You stood tall on the field, your monster at your side. You were surrounded by dancing crimson flames. We watched you duel. The strategies you used were…unique to say the least."

"Good unique or bad unique?"

"Good," Zane said with a hint of a smile. "You spotted us soon after defeating your opponent. When you finished the duel, you spotted us and came over. Heh, I can remember you saying you were glad you didn't have to come looking for me."

"That sounds a little arrogant," Eve said, her lips thinning as she looked away in embarrassment."

"It wasn't the best first impression," Zane agreed. "You went on to challenge me to a duel, saying you wanted to 'defeat the best the school had to offer."

"What did you do?" Eve asked.

"I had always been taught that respect towards an opponent was necessary. That initial interaction painted a… negative view. I left. Atticus tried to talk me out of it, but I refused. I had thought you were like the other Obelisks, too confident in their own abilities. I have never been fond of the Obelisk pride. When the academy started, Obelisk Blue was a rank you had to earn through your own skill and prowess. As the years went on and the wealthy realised the prestige and position the dorm held, the rules and requirements changed soon the halls were filled with those no respect. Only ambition."

"And you thought I was like that?" she didn't sound offended, only curious.

"I did. But then, you came back. And kept coming back, issuing challenge after challenge. Finally, I accepted, if only to make you stop. Only Atticus saw that first match. We duelled under the lighthouse by the pier. It was then that I realised that I saw your true skill. Your tenacity. And your wit."

"Who won?"

"I did." He said it not with confidence, not with arrogance. He was only stating a fact. "I thought that would be the end of it. A week later you challenged me again. And again, I defeated you. A won all our matches. But you kept coming back stronger than before. Eventually, the three of us began meeting on a regular basis. You and Atticus became closer, the two of you were near inseparable…" he trailed off, emotions he'd long since pushed down threatening to worm their way to the surface. "It took a while, but in the end, we all became friends and rivals. We each made the other better."

"It sounds like had fun," she said.

"We did," Zane agreed, his tone laced with melancholy.

"But then we disappeared…" she trailed off sadly. "Do you know what happened?"

"Unfortunately not. One day, you were just gone. No explanation, no note," he said grimly.

"Oh, I see. But, if I could come back, that means there's hope for Atticus, right?" She had said that with such hopefulness that it made Zane give a thin smile. Up until yesterday, he had almost given up hope on the idea his friends would return. Now, one of them was back.

"It's entirely possible," he said.

"Good." Eve gave a small, satisfied hum before looking back to Zane. "Thank you for talking to me like this. I know it must be a bit hard to speak like this."

"It's no problem," Zane affirmed.

"If you've still got time, could you tell me some more stories about the past?" she asked a little shyly.

Zane only smiled. She wasn't as he remembered but talking like this and reminiscing also made him feel a little better too. "Of course. As many as you want to hear."

---

Once the sign out forms were done, Nurse Fontaine hurried me out of the infirmary so she could check in on Torrey and his friends. She was insistent that I don't disturb Zane and Eve's conversation, going as far as to block the door to give them their privacy. A bit disappointing honestly. Yes, it was rude to listen in on a conversation, but the only reason Zane would be here is if he personally knew Eve from his first year. That meant he had knowledge as to what Eve was like. He could have the clues I needed to work out if she really was another reincarnate.

However, I couldn't exactly disobey Nurse Fontaine. I tried asking her about what had happened in the classroom, but she said she didn't know much herself. Apparently, Bastion and some of the other teachers had brought me and the others in and couldn't divulge much. Nurse Fontaine checked us over and when she found no issues, she had left us all to rest. It seemed on this occasion she was not privy to the more supernatural nature of the event. It made me wonder just how much information Sheppard kept back from his staff. Maybe she'd be filled in later and there just wasn't time in the moment? Either way, I'd probably never know.

With little else to do, I was left to head off into the main academy building. I considered heading to the card shop to grab an unhealthy breakfast but quickly thought better of it. Sadie would likely be there for morning re-stocking, and I didn't really want her to see me unwashed and in a day-old uniform. No, it was better to just head to class and wait it out until classes began. Plus, I still needed to check my PDA. It was probably almost out of power and would need charging. I knew that Bastion brought his with him to class in case of an emergency. Maybe he'd let me borrow it? He had to be worried too. It'd be good to hear what exactly happened with Jinzo. I needed to know if he had mentioned anything else about me.

I was so preoccupied with my thoughts; I didn't notice that I was approaching a corner in the corridor. I turned without thinking and walked straight into someone, knocking me backwards to the ground with an audible 'oof'.

"Ugh… that hurt," I groaned as I started to push myself back up. Just what I needed.

"Ren?"

"You're already out?"

My eyes went wide as I looked up to see Sadie and Bastion both looking down at me with looks of relief on their faces. Bastion offered me his hand and hoisted me back up. "Uh… Hi guys…Funny seeing you here," I managed to say. My mind had done a blank. Sue me.

"It's good to see you're alright!" Bastion said energetically, clapping me on the shoulder.

"We weren't expecting to see you out and about until tomorrow," Sadie added, flashing me a smile that made my heart melt.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't about to spend another day in there with the quality of their food," I quipped awkwardly. "Were you guys on your way to see me."

"Mhmm," Sadie confirmed. "We both wanted to see if you'd woke up. We thought it'd be good to catch you before classes started. I still find it hard to believe that the blackout caused an electrical fault in that classroom you were in. Bastion told me that the lecture screen had exploded. You were lucky he found you when he did."

"Huh? Wh-Ow!"

"Oh, sorry about that Ren. My leg is still playing up a bit. I didn't mean to step on you," Bastion said quickly. He was shooting me one of those looks that said, 'just go along with it'.

"That's… alright. But yeah, electrical fault. Don't really remember much of what happened. I don't suppose you could fill me in later?" I asked Bastion. He gave a nod and that put the matter to an end. Hopefully, he'd had more answers than Fontaine.

"What were you even doing in there?" Sadie asked, continuing with her line of inquiry. "Everyone says you were running after another Obelisk who was having a meltdown."

"That was Torrey," I said. She seemed to recognise the name. "He was the guy who showed me around the blue dorm on my first day. When I saw him running through the halls like that, I just had to make sure he was alright, y' know." My explanation didn't seem to satisfy her as a frown quickly crossed her features.

"Well, that's certainly nice of you, but you need to be more careful. I told you before, you should rely on the teachers to deal with things like that. It's their job. You shouldn't risk yourself just because you're worried."

"I know, but sometimes you don't have a choice," I remarked.

"There is always a choice," Sadie said firmly. "Always…"

"I'm sorry I worried you," I said softly, feeling extremely guilty. I didn't exactly agree with her statement, especially since I knew the teachers would never have been able to deal with what was actually going on, but her warnings came from a place of care.

She shook her head before leaning forward and giving me an unexpected hug. "I'm just glad you're okay," she said softly. Her grip was firm and warm. She was a little smaller than me, so I got a good whiff of her hair. Whatever shampoo she used, it smelled like coconut. It was heavenly. She quickly released me and gave me a beaming smile, her arms behind her back. "Let's not make this a regular habit though. Sooner or later, Nurse Fontaine will start reserving you a bed."

"She already beat you to that joke," I remarked. Sadie only shrugged.

"Great minds think alike."

"It would seem they do," Bastion complimented. He had the tiniest amount of red on his cheeks that he was trying to hide by scratching his face like he had an itch. "Anyway, now that we know that Ren is alright, perhaps we should all head to class?"

"I've got to quickly check in with Miss Dorothy," Sadie said. "With the break coming up, we've been really busy. I told her I'd be happy to help with restocking in the mornings. I just wanted to check on you quickly beforehand."

"Okay. Tell her we said hi," I said, giving her a small wave.

"Have a good day," Bastion added quickly.

"Will do. I'll catch you both later. Ren, take it easy today. No more trips to the infirmary."

"I promise nothing."

Sadie laughed, giving us both a wave before heading off back the way she and Bastion had come, leaving me alone with the boy genius. I waited until she was out of sight before turning back to the teen.

"Electrical fault? Really?"

"It was the story the chancellor said I should tell people if asked what happened," Bastion defended.

"You spoke with Chancellor Sheppard?" I asked curiously.

"Only briefly. I told him everything that happened. I'm sure you'll be called to give your side of the story soon."

"Wonderful…" I groaned. Just what I needed, more attention. I quickly shook off my pessimism as my early questions re-entered my thoughts. "Anyway, what happened with Jinzo? Are you okay? You weren't in the infirmary, so I assumed you were okay, but-"

"I'm fine," Bastion assured me. His expression turned grim as he let out a long sigh. "That spirit, the two of us duelled. It was… unlike anything I've ever experienced. The power of a shadow game. It defies all that logic teaches, and yet I can not deny the effect it had. The pain, the exhaustion, the terror, it was all real. I felt all of it. I was truly duelling for my life. I will admit, when you told me of your own experience, I was sceptical. But now… Ren, I can't help but wonder what else is out there that cannot be explained by normal means."

'You have no idea,' I thought bitterly, the images of the Shadow Riders, Kagemaru, Sartorius and Yubel played through my mind. All challenges that we would eventually have to face.

"It's scary," I admitted. "Can you tell me what happened with Jinzo?"

He nodded and recounted to me the tale of his battle with the malevolent spirit. I was thoroughly impressed with how Bastion was able to defeat Jinzo. I was even more surprised when he told me that as a result of the battle, his leg was almost completely healed. He theorised that the magic surrounding a shadow game, while it inflicted pain, also naturally made the body more durable so that the participants could continue as long as possible. It sounded a little out of character for him but Bastion became enraptured in his theory. I had to stop him from starting to ramble about what scientific explanations there could be for such phenomena. When he finished his recount, I was left with a feeling of awe. Bastion had really stepped up on this occasion.

"Wow man, that's impressive…" I said. "And you haven't told Sadie this?"

He shook his head. "The teachers advised I keep to the official story to avoid a panic. And you yourself said you didn't want Sadie to be worried about supernatural matters."

"I did…" I said quietly. I didn't like being dishonest with her, but I wanted to keep her safe. In this universe, anyone even remotely involved with the occult suffered greatly. Sadie deserved to keep her normal life. Shaking my head, I reached out my hand and placed it on Bastion's shoulder. "I probably should have said this before but thank you. You really saved my life."

He smiled before lightly clapping me on the back again. "Anytime. You'd do the same for me. We should probably make our way to class now. Your PDA must almost be out of charge, right? You can use my charger."

"Saving me again," I chuckled as the two of us made our way down the corridor.

---

When we had taken our seats, I was finally able to check my PDA. As I expected, there were various messages wishing me well, however, there was also a voice message from Alexis that made me pause. After listening to it, I realised that the Wheeler event had happened. There was a second message after that telling me the issue was resolved and not to worry. I initially assumed that Jaden had completed his canon actions before reading a message from Logan. It read:

Just had the Wheeler episode. I handled it but, don't get mad, I did it by blackmailing the scientists. Either way, Wheeler's free, everything's good and I saved Mindy. Will update you later.

At first, I had to re-read the message because I didn't quite believe what I had read. Blackmail? Again? Was that just his go-to move now? I mean, it was good he was able to help Wheeler and save Mindy (wasn't it Jasmine taken in canon?) but c'mon! This was becoming a bad habit. I suppose I should just be happy it didn't end with Wheeler back with the scientists and everyone was safe. Still, definitely a strange approach.

As students trickled in, I was approached by a few of the other students, asking how I was. Among them were Jaden, Syrus, Chumley, Logan (surprisingly) and Alexis. The latter had a fairly cool demeanour when she came over, as per usual. There was a bit of an awkward moment when she asked what exactly happened and I told her the official story. The look she had given me, eyes half-closed, frowning, arms crossed with her fingers drumming on her left arm. She clearly didn't believe me. My resolve failed me, and I said I'd tell her 'more' later. That seemed to placate her as she gave me a nod and went to take her seat next to Jasmine and Mindy.

I watched her sit with them and saw Jasmine giving me a dirty look. I shouldn't be surprised. In all the media for GX where Jasmine appeared, she was a bit of an Alexis simp, always claiming that no one from the lower houses should associate with her. I suppose I was just another name on her list of people to protect Alexis from.

Mindy on the other hand wasn't even looking in my direction. She was resting her head on her palm and gazing down towards the front rows with a dreamy expression. I followed the line of her gaze to see that she was looking towards Jaden, Logan, Syrus and Chumley. I couldn't tell exactly which one she was watching, but I had a pretty good guess if my recent messages were anything to go by.

Classes proceeded as normal; I wouldn't bore anyone with the details. However, just as classes ended, I received a message on my PDA. I had been expecting a message from Sheppard asking me to come and see him, however, when I saw the actual sender, my eyes went wide.

Zane Truesdale was the sender, and he wanted to meet. I could only assume it was about Eve. This was the opportunity I had wanted, but I suddenly found myself hesitant. I wasn't expecting him to call me out like this. I couldn't exactly say no to him either. Even with his calm and stoic demeanour, he was every bit as stubborn as Alexis or Jaden. If he wanted to talk, he'd just seek me out anyway. In that sense, this message seemed more like a formality than anything else. It had read:

I'd like to talk. Please come back to the blue dorm in a half hour. Room 3-24.

Even his texting was stoic. No room for argument. It was so blunt that it bordered on the edge of rudeness, but maybe that was just because he rarely messaged anyone. Either way, it wasn't exactly the best first impression. Nonetheless, I'd go anyway. Zane could potentially answer many of my burning questions.

"Are you alright?" Bastion suddenly asked, snapping me back to attention.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I'm just gonna head back to the dorm. Feeling a little tired."

"Fair enough. I can't imagine those infirmary beds are very comfortable," Bastion said. "I'll see you later then."

After wishing him goodbye, I double-timed it back to the dorm. I wasted no time in the walk. You do not keep the Kaiser waiting after all. In no time at all, I was back at the dorm. I had just enough time to make a quick detour to grab a clean uniform before making my way upstairs to the third-year wing.

Zane's room, or what I could only assume was his room, was at the end of the corridor on the corner. This was the first time I had been on the third floor. The wallpaper was lavish gold with a crimson carpet. It reminded me of royalty. It was a little hard on the eyes. I could definitely see Crowler having a huge hand in the design of the dorm. This seemed like his style.

I knocked twice and the door opened, Zane waiting for me on the other side. "Come in," he said, gesturing to enter.

"Were you… waiting on the other side of the door?" I asked, a bit perplexed by the speed it took for him to answer.

"You have loud footsteps," he said as he closed the door.

As he walked past me, I took in the Kaiser's room for the first time. The colour scheme of the room was similar to the hallway, although it seemed the colour was a bit duller, something my eyes were grateful for. Considering he was the academy's best duelist, the Kaiser kept fairly simple décor. In fact, it was similar to my own room. There was a large tv in the corner of the room and a queen-sized bed against the back wall. There was the standard 'L' shaped couch and desk with a laptop resting atop of it. There were two large glass doors at the end of the room that led out to a large balcony. Had to say, I was quite jealous of that. My room didn't have a balcony.

"Thank you for coming," Zane said, his tone strangely stern for someone showing gratitude. "I appreciate that you came so quickly."

"Well, your reputation proceeds you," I said a little uncertainly. "Is there something you needed?"

He nodded. "I know it was you who found the girl at the abandoned dorm," he stated plainly. "Alexis told me about the events that took place there."

Of course she did…

"You saved my friend, and brought back another I thought was lost," he said, offering me his hand. "You have my sincerest thanks."

I looked from his face to his hand before reaching out and taking it. His grip was strong and firm and yet his hands were rough. "It was my pleasure," I said. "Anyone would have done the same." He nodded but his eyes told me that he didn't believe that statement. As we let go, I took the opportunity to ask the burning question on my mind. "Sorry if this is rude to ask, but how do you know that girl?"

Zane's expression tightened, his eyes narrowing and his impassive frown intensifying. He took a moment to decide whether to answer before shaking his head. "She was someone I met during my first year. We met through a mutual friend. She… she was a good duelist. A good rival."

"What was she like?" I asked.

A small smirk graced Zane's lip. "Sarcastic, and something of a pain. But she was kind."

"I see…" I had wished for a bit more description, but then again, this was Zane I was speaking to. The dude was more a man of action than he was a linguist.

"You spoke with her," he stated. I assumed Eve had mentioned our conversation to him. "What was your opinion of her."

I smiled, giving a shrug. "She's still kind."

He nodded gratefully. "Thank you. I'm sorry again for calling you on such short notice. If there's anything I can do for you, let me know."

A favour from the Kaiser? Oh, that opened a lot of possibilities. But at that moment, there was something that immediately came to mind. "Funny you should mention that. There is one thing."

---

Zane and I made our way to the Obelisk duel arena. It was late now, so no one would be there to see us. Well, almost no one. Along the way, I had sent Bastion a message telling him to come to the arena. For what was about to happen, I wanted his analysis skills. Zane had sent someone a message as well. Sure enough, when we arrived, Alexis was there waiting for us. When she saw us coming, her brows raised.

"Well… This is something I wasn't expecting," she said as we walked in.

"I like to be unpredictable," I quipped as I fell into step with her. "You certainly got here quickly."

"I was in the library when I got Zane's message. There was no way I'm going to miss this. I'm more surprised by how long it took you two."

"I had to grab something from my room."

"And that takes a long time?"

"Zane's also a slow walker."

The Obelisk in question said nothing as he walked over and took his place at the right side of the duel field. There he waited patiently with his arms crossed.

"Your opponent is waiting," Alexis said, gesturing to the duel field.

I nodded and walked up to face my opponent. Both of us had our duel disks equipped. Zane's deck was already in the card slot whilst I unclipped the second deck holster and removed the red sleeved cards from within.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Zane asked as I inserted the cards into my duel disk.

"Yeah. I've been meaning to test this for a while. And now that I finally have the card I wanted, who better to go against than the best guy around?" It was something I did often in the games. Whenever I built a new deck, I'd challenge the strongest duelist in the game to see how it stacked up. Chances often were that if it could beat them, it could take on any of the other characters. That meant in the original Tag Force games, I ended up challenging Zane a lot.

That held true here. There was little doubt that Zane was one of the strongest duellists in the GX franchise. There was almost no doubt that if Camula hadn't defeated him through dirty tactics, he could have taken on all the Shadow Riders by himself. As I looked down at my new test deck, I doubted I'd actually be able to defeat the academy Kaiser. No, this duel was to see how long I could last and just how much damage I could inflict. And to see the strengths and weaknesses this deck possessed when in an actual duel.

"Well then, freshman, shall we begin?" Zane asked, raising his duel disk. He had already assumed his natural position when duelling. Standing tall and dispassionately, staring at me with hard eyes that could have made a weaker man quake. At that moment, it truly felt like I was standing before a king.

I looked over to the side in time to see Bastion enter the arena. Much to my surprise, Sadie was with him as well. When the two of them saw me standing up against Zane, both of their jaws dropped. I gave them a friendly wave before turning back to the Kaiser

"Whenever you're ready. Don't hold back."

"Duel!"

After a quick game of roshambo, which Zane won, it was decided I would be going first. I took drew my first card and took a look at what I was working with.

Turn 1: Ren – 4000LP – 6 cards in hand – 0 on the field

My opening hand was decent. Parts of my main strategy were already in place. I would have preferred a few more, but beggars can't be choosers. "I'll begin by activating Pot of Duality. With this, I look at the top three cards of my deck and choose one to add to my hand. The rest are sent back to my deck. Although, this comes at the cost of not being able to special summon for the rest of this turn." I excavated my cards and took great joy in spotting a certain spell among them. I quickly added it to my hand before shuffling the other two back into my deck.

"I now normal summon Amazoness Swords Woman (1500/1600) in attack mode!" In deep contrast to the monsters I usually played, a muscle-bound woman appeared on my field. She was adorned in tribal leather armour and possessed long wild red hair. In her hands was a large and deadly sword.

This was one of the more important monsters in my new deck. While weak, any battle damage caused as a result of her battling was instead inflicted on my opponent. When facing a power duelist like Zane, this card was essential.

Zane's eyes narrowed when he saw my monster. He clearly knew of its effect and was probably trying to calculate a way to reduce the damage he could do to himself. I also heard a few murmurs from our small audience. From where I was stood, I couldn't quite hear them, but I suspected the talk was about my change from dragons to shredded amazons. Nonetheless, I continued on.

"I'll end my turn with a face down. It's your move," I said, gesturing for the Kaiser to make his move.

"Interesting move," he said plainly as he drew his first card. "You may think that your monster's effect may dissuade me from attacking. You are wrong."

Turn 2 – Zane – 4000LP – 6 cards in hand – 0 cards on the field

"You told me not to hold back, but you may end up regretting those words," Zane said, his voice cool and as steely as the machines he played. "I start by activating the spell card, Different Dimension Capsule." A green sarcophagus appeared on the field with its lid open. "With this, I take any card from my deck and remove it from the game. But during my second standby phase after this spell's activation, my chosen card is added to my hand." He fanned out his deck and removed a certain card from it, placing it in his deck holster to wait. With that, the sarcophagus sank into the ground. Since his capsule removed the card face down, I couldn't ask what it was. However, I suspected it might be his famous Power Bond fusion spell.

"I'll continue by normal summoning my Cyber Dragon Core (0/0)." My eyes went wide as a tiny, segmented, serpentine machine appeared on the field. Red wire fell from its form as it let out a squeaky chirp. This card shouldn't have existed in the original GX continuity. Once again, I was left unnerved by just how large the card pool was in this timeline. It also meant that Zane probably had a lot more cards for me to worry about. "When this monster is summoned, I can add a spell or trap with 'cyber' in its name from my deck to my hand," Zane explained, retrieving a card from his deck.

"And now, I activate the spell card, Machine Duplication. I can select a machine monster on the field with less than five hundred attack points and summon two more monsters with the same name from my deck. However, while on the field, my core's name is treated as Cyber Dragon. Therefore, I call two copies of this beast to the field!"

There were two bursts of flame, and from them emerged two, much larger, serpentine dragons plated in silver chrome. They towered over Zane, their long bodies curling around him protectively. These were the original Cyber Dragon (2100/1600), Zane's go-to monsters. While they lacked the splendour of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragons, they were beautiful in their own right.

"I now activate the magic of Polymerization," Zane continued, never missing a beat. "I fuse my Core and one of my Cyber Dragons in order to summon the Cyber Twin Dragon (2800/2100)."

Zane's two monsters entered a swirling portal, and from it emerged a new beast that was twice the size of his remaining fully-grown dragon. This mechanical hydra possessed two heads but kept its more serpentine features. As it took the field, it let out a powerful roar.

There, I could see what Zane was going for. He'd attack with his weaker dragon, taking less damage but leaving me open to his fusion monster, which I knew for a fact could attack twice each turn. It would be a one-turn kill.

"Cyber Dragon, attack his Swords Woman with evolution burst!" Zane declared, his weaker beast immediately going to fulfil his command. Opening its maw, it unleashed a torrent of flame that threatened to overtake my dragon.

"I activate my trap, Waboku!" I declared as a protective barrier formed around my warrior, protecting her from harm. "I take no damage and my monster can't be destroyed in battle this turn."

Despite the setback, Zane showed no sign of annoyance and merely ended his battle phase. "I'll set a card face down and end my turn."

I let out a sigh of relief before drawing my next card. Zane really was much more powerful in person. If it weren't for my trap, this duel would have already been over. It made me glad for all the card doubles I'd been able to collect over the years. It made it so much easier to build a deck when I didn't need to deconstruct the old one.

"That was a good move," I said good-naturedly. "You're just as good as your reputation. But I've got some tricks too. My draw!"

Turn 3: Ren – 4000LP – 5 cards in hand – 1 monster on the field

"It's time for a change of scenery. I activate the field spell, Mausoleum of the Emperor!" The scenery around us began to shift and change. Within moments, the two of us were standing within a large tomb on a bridge overlooking a literal army of terracotta soldiers. Zane took a moment to examine his new surroundings but didn't seem especially impressed. "With this spell in place, if we want to summon a high-level monster, we pay life points to make up the cost. Five hundred per tribute." In my world, it would be a thousand points per tribute, but with the decreased point gauge, this card shared its anime effect, something I was entirely grateful for.

"I now pay five hundred points to normal summon a new monster!" I declared (Ren: 3500LP). One of the terracotta warriors in the pit rose, only to dissolve pixels of golden light. "I normal summon, Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 6 (2300/1600)!" Suddenly, black flames erupted around me. From them emerged a mechanical monster that looked closer to a winged beast than a dragon. Much like Zane's own dragons, mine was plated in silver chrome but possessed two large wings and a tail. There was a blue jewel in the centre of its head and menacing crimson eyes looked out across the field at Zane, unflinching in the face of his stronger monsters.

"Now this guy is strong, but he could be stronger," I continued, taking hold of the card I had added to my hand last turn. "I activate the spell, Level Up! I evolve Horus to his ultimate form, Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 8 (3000/1800)!" My dragon let out a screech as its body ignited in dark flames, obscuring it from view. As the flames expanded, there was an audible sound of metal screeching and clanking. Finally, two large wings emerged from the flames and with a single flap, sent them fanning out across the duel field. As it glared out at my opponent before letting out a terrifying roar.

My dragon had grown much larger, matching Zane's twin dragon in height. It now bore an eery resemblance to the Winged Dragon of Ra. It had gained a pair of arms and its tail and wings were much bigger than before, making it look much more like a proper dragon. It still possessed the blue jewel in the centre of its head and the blood-red eyes that made it so intimidating.

To the side, I heard Sadie let out a cry of joy. And why wouldn't she? This was the card she had saved for me, the one I had been searching maniacally for since the beginning of this term. This, along with Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, was one of my favourite cards in the game. Not only did it boost high attack power, but its effect was devastating for an opponent because it allowed me to control with spells they could activate, which of course would be none. It was also the ace of this deck. I kind of wished I had a second one, but for now, I'd make do.

Zane's eyes narrowed upon seeing my new dragon. He clicked his tongue distastefully. "So, this is the strategy you have worked to go for. Monsters that punish your opponent for attacking and those that restrict their plays."

"It's not exactly honourable," I admitted, knowing exactly what his gripe would be. "However, I would be a fool for ignoring their potential and usefulness. You never know when a lockdown strategy could be useful."

Or life-saving.

"We shall see how far that gets you," Zane said ominously.

"I suppose we will," I agreed. "For now, Amazoness Swords Woman will attack your Cyber Twin Dragon."

Despite being weaker, my warrior leapt into the air, her bravery admirable as she faced the hydra. However, her victory was not to be. Zane's Twin Dragon opened both its mouths and let loose a powerful beam that disintegrated my Swords Woman. But her loss was not in vain, for before she was struck, she threw out her sword. While the weapon struck the side of Zane's monster and ricocheted, falling to the ground and lightly scraping Zane's side. (Zane: 2700LP)

"Thanks to my warrior's effect, you take all the battle damage I would have taken," I explained. I knew he knew but I felt like explaining it anyway. "

"That was a clever move, but I'm not about to let your dragon attack. I chain the destruction of your monster with my trap card, Attack Reflector Unit. With this, I can tribute my remaining Cyber Dragon to summon the Cyber Barrier Dragon (800/2800)."

The Kaiser's smaller dragon let out a roar as it disappeared. In its place emerged a longer mechanical dragon with red accents. Unlike the base form, this beast possessed a thick metal guard around its head and possessed a large, pointed attachment at the end of its tail. "While this dragon is in attack mode, it can negate one of your attacks," Zane explained, crossing his arms.

"Which means it's pointless to attack with Horus this turn," I groaned. I looked down at my hand, but there was no other card I could use this move. At least I had stopped him from using his spell for now. That would buy me some time. "I end my turn," I said reluctantly. Zane nodded and drew his next card.

Turn 4: Zane – 2700LP – 3 cards in hand – 2 face-up monsters and 1 face-up spell on the field

Zane's impassive expression made it hard to tell whether he had a good hand or not. Considering he didn't immediately make a move, I assumed there wasn't a lot he could do. Which also meant his hand mainly consisted of spells. Sure enough, he only took one card out of his hand.

"I'll set a face down and end my turn," he said succinctly, passing the baton back to me.

Turn 5: Ren – 3500LP – 3 cards in hand – 1 face-up monster and 1 field spell on the field

I drew my card hoping for a monster I could use to dummy Barrier Dragon's effect, but it wasn't to be. The only monster in my hand could potentially leave me open to greater damage later on, so it wasn't worth playing for now. And since I only had Horus on the field, there was no point in attacking as Barrier Dragon would just negate his attack. There honestly just wasn't a lot I could do.

"I'll also set a card and end my turn," I said.

Again, the baton was passed without much-taking place. But that happened sometimes. Not every duel could be filled with spectacular explosions.

Turn 6: Zane – 2700LP – 3 cards in hand – 2 face-up monsters, 1 face-up spell card and 1 set card on the field

As Zane drew his next card, his Different Dimension Capsule burst out of the ground. It slowly opened and a shining card rose from inside. "It has now been two turns since my capsule activated, meaning the card I removed is added to my hand," Zane explained. I couldn't help but wonder again if that card was Power Bond. It wouldn't do him any good in this situation, but I wasn't about to put anything past Zane. he Kaiser continued with his move. "I will now set a monster. I end with a face-down."

He now had two face downs. I really needed a way to search my Royal Decrees so I could avoid situations like this. Best note that for later.

"It's your move, freshman," Zane pushed.

"I know," I groaned as I drew my next card.

---

"He's holding his ground," Bastion gasped in disbelief. "And with a deck he's only just built…"

"I'm not normally into this game, but even I'm a bit excited right now," Sadie agreed. "How did he even get Zane to duel him?"

"He didn't say. He just told me to come along."

"Oh, I didn't get that message," Sadie remarked, her tone very unamused. "I guess I was lucky to run into you then."

Alexis listened to them silently, her gaze focused on the game. She too was impressed that Ren was able to keep Zane at bay, however, she couldn't help but feel there was something wrong with the first-year obelisk. He was playing far too defensively. She had seen him duel with passion, she had seen his half-ass it, but this was something different.

"Does he seem a little off to you?" she asked.

"Hmm, what do you mean?" Sadie asked, looking over at her.

"The way he's playing… it's just not like him," she explained.

"I don't know, it's just a new deck. You've got to change your strategies to stay ahead in this game," Sadie said with a shrug.

Bastion didn't weigh in on their discussion, although Alexis noticed he was now focused on Ren a bit more than just the action. It seemed she wasn't the only one who noticed the difference.

---

Turn 7: Ren - 3500LP - 3 cards in hand - 1 face-up monster, 1 field spell and 1 set card on the field

"I'll start this off by playing Trade-In. I'll discard my Darkstorm Dragon and draw two cards." When I saw my new cards, a small smile spread across my lips. "To begin, I'll use Mausoleum of the Emperor's effect again and pay another five hundred points to normal summon Silent Swordsman Lv5 (2300/1000)." Once again, a terracotta soldier rose and disintegrated (Ren:3000LP). In its place emerged a swordsman with blond hair, draped in a long blue trench coat. In his arm was a giant sword the likes that would have made Buster Blader proud.

I'd played this fully knowing I'd get some 'Yugi card flak', but if I could get it to reach its highest level, then that was double the defence against Zane's spell cards. Thankfully, Zane was the strong and silent type and didn't make the joke. Now, I know I had to attack. I couldn't allow Zane to keep his dragons. There was too much potential for him to do something with them.

"Silent Swordsman, attack Cyber Twin Dragon!" My warrior made to move when Cyber Barrier raised its head. The guard around its head split open and a green barrier emerged, blocking my swordsman from attacking. His Barrier Dragon only blocked the first attack I made and it wasn't optional. All that meant was that my dragon was now free to attack.

"Horus, destroy Barrier Dragon!"

My beast opened its maw, black flames coalescing within them before unleashing a devastating torrent towards the cyber beast. They bathed over it, the dragon's metal beginning to bubble before melting down into slag (Zane: 500LP). To the side, there were audible gasps from our audience as the Kaiser's life points fell into the red. To his credit, Zane barely flinched from the damage. He stood tall and strong as his hair whipped back and forth with the – sigh – holographic wind. Seriously, these duel disks blur the line of reality.

But in all due seriousness, that felt too easy. Zane had two face-downs. I had been expecting him to do something with them. With little else to do, I set a card and ended my turn.

Turn 8: Zane - 500LP - 3 cards in hand - 1 face-up monster, 1 set monster, two set cards

Zane drew his next card wordlessly. As always, his expression was unreadable. "Alright kid, I think this it's time to stop playing around," he said, his posture straightening and . I braced myself for the worse. "I start by flipping my set monster. Meet Cyber Jar (900/900)." Zane's monster flipped to reveal a monster reminiscent of Morphing Jar, except this creature, was entirely made up of metal. Seeing it made my blood run cold. "When this monster is flipped, all monsters on the field are destroyed. We then reveal the top five cards of our deck and summon any level four or below monster."

As he spoke, the mouth of Cyber Jar opened and created a powerful vacuum, sucking in all monsters on the field. When everything was gone, it self-destructed. Together, we both drew our cards.

"I now summon Cyber Kirin (300/800) and Cyber Dragon Zwei (1500/1000)!" Zane declared a cybernetic dog and a smaller version of Cyber Dragon possessing green neon accents appeared on his field, both in attack mode.

"I summon my second Amazoness Swords Woman (1500/1600), Horus the Black Flame Dragon Lv 4 (1600/1000) and my Reflect Bounder (1700/1000)." On my field appeared a clone of my earlier Amazon, a smaller version of my lv 6 dragon and a red and blue machine monster whose body was littered with many mirrors, each reflecting Zane's field.

"You've used some impressive monsters," the Kaiser complimented. "However, while your level eight dragon may have helped you, it only granted me the opportunity to gather my recourses."

Uh oh.

"I now activate the spell card, Cyber Emergency. This card allows me to add one light machine monster from my deck to my hand, as long as it cannot be normal summoned or set. I add Cyber Eltanin."

Double uh oh.

"I shall also activate Cyber Repair Plant. This card allows me to add my final Cyber Dragon from my deck to my hand. However, it will not be there for long. I now tribute Cyber Kirin to summon it!" The mechanical dog faded, in its place was Zane's final Cyber Dragon. Just like the others, it coiled around him defensively.

"Finally, I remove every light machine monster on my field and in my graveyard from play in order to summon Cyber Eltanin (?/?)!" There was a gust of wind and the sound of releasing steam as Zane removed the two monsters on his field and six others from his grave from the game. Behind him, a shimmering blue portal opened. From it emerged a titanic machine. It was more like a fortress. Unlike the rest of his dragons, this beast was egg-shaped with shining sliver chrome armour. There was a giant face on its front with another head attached to a long neck poking out the top. Six floating cybernetic dragon heads floated around its frame.

I was left in awe, mainly because I thought he only had this card in the manga. Then again, if the last few days had taught me anything, it was that I should expect any of the protagonists to own cards from either continuity. The beast seemed a bit squashed in this arena, its head an inch from the top of the roof. As soon as it settled on the field, the floating heads shot out lasers that tore through my monsters, sending them straight to the grave.

"When Eltanin is summoned, all your face-up monsters are sent to the graveyard," Zane explained. "Also, for every monster that was removed to summon it, it gains five hundred attack and defence points." Eltanin let out a deafening roar that felt like it made the very arena shake. All its eyes glowed brighter as its power soared. (4000 ATK/ 4000 DEF)

I grit my teeth, taking an involuntary step back as I looked up at the titanic beast. It was now just as powerful as Zane's Cyber End Dragon. I could feel my body tremble, from fear or anticipation I didn't know. I wasn't one to believe in auras, but at that moment, with that behemoth standing behind him, Zane truly seemed like an untouchable king.

But still, I refused to go down.

"I activate my face down!" I called out. "Call of the Haunted! Revive, Reflect Bounder (1700/1000) Once again, my mirror equipped machine emerged on my field, unflinching in the face of Zane's titanic beast. I thought this would keep Zane from attacking. Reflect Bounder's effect meant that when he attacked, he would first take his monster's attack points as damage.

"I activate my own trap!" Zane suddenly called. "The card I added with my capsule, Return from The Different Dimension!"

What? It wasn't Power Bond?

"At the cost of half my life points, I can bring back any monster that has been removed from the game. I return all three of my Cyber Dragons and Cyber Kirin!" Zane's monsters burst onto the field. (Zane: 250LP)

"Shit," I growled.

"Language, freshman. I now activate the effect of Cyber Kirin. By tributing it, all effect damage dealt to me this turn becomes zero."

My Reflect Bounder was now useless. I was too pre-emptive. I should have waited until he'd actually declared his attack.

The Kaiser wasted no more time with his move. "Cyber Eltanin, attack his monster!"

The beast charged up, neon blue lights pulsing over its body as a large beam of blue plasma formed in the mouth in the centre of its body. All at once, it unleashed the gigantic beam of energy. It flew across the field, striking my monster head-on and throwing up a giant cloud of dust.

---

"Great heaven!" Bastion cried out as the titanic beam washed over Ren's field, obscuring him from everyone.

"He lost…" Sadie gasped. It was the outcome to be expected, but Ren had come so close that the others had been left on their toes.

Again, Alexis merely watched. She couldn't help but wonder if the outcome would have been different if he'd been using his other deck. However, as she contemplated these thoughts, she realised something. Cyber Eltanin was still attacking and none of the holograms were fading. Instead, she noticed something shimmering within the dust cloud, and then she heard a loud crack.

"Sorry Zane," Ren called out from within the cloud, "but this isn't over just yet."

"Hmm?"

The cloud faded to reveal that Ren and his monster were still standing. However, it appeared like there was a clear membrane in front of them, one that now had spider-web like cracks spreading across it.

"You activated my trap card," Ren said, a smirk on his face. "I'm sure you know this little number. It's Mirror Force!"

"Yes!" Bastion suddenly cheered, shocking both girls. Realising his outburst, he turned a little red before coughing into his palm. "Ahem. Sorry."

The shards continued on their path of destruction, ripping into Zane's monsters and easily piercing their armour and destroying them in a titanic explosion that sent out a gust that whipped everyone's hair back.

Bastion and Sadie both let out cheers, calling out their encouragement to Ren for overcoming Zane's final attack. However, Alexis noticed that her friend still did not seem worried. Even though he'd just lost the majority of his monsters, Zane remained calm. It was almost like he had been expecting his attack to go wrong.

"Clever," the Kaiser said simply. "You anticipated my move and prepared a two-layered defence. However, it takes more than a lucky card to beat me."

"I know," Ren said, his expression strangely grave.

Zane's gaze narrowed. "I shall set one card face down and end my turn."

"It's my go then," Ren growled as he drew his next card

Turn 9: Ren - 3000LP - 4 cards in hand - 1 monster, 1 field spell, 1 continuous trap on the field

"Let's get right into it!" Ren cried, throwing out his arm. "Reflect Bounder, attack!" The machine did as commanded, bringing up its arms and firing out a beam of energy that flew across Zane's empty field.

"Not so fast, freshman. I activate the trap, Negate Attack."

A clear barrier formed in front of Zane. Reflect Bounder's beam struck it head-on, however, it was unable to pierce through the barrier. Ren's expression fell as his monster returned to him. "Maybe next turn then. For now, I'll end my move by activating Swords of Revealing Light to buy myself some time." A horde of glowing swords fell from the sky, creating a wall between Zane's field and Ren's.

"Sorry, but you won't be getting a next turn. I'll chain with my final face down, Necro Fusion," Zane said, sealing Ren's fate. "I can remove monsters in my graveyard to fusion summon. I remove all three of my Cyber Dragons and fuse them together to create… the Cyber End Dragon (4000/2800)."

Zane's three dragons briefly appeared on the field before merging together. There was a burst of light as Zane's ace monster took the field. Alexis was always left in awe when she saw it. Cyber End Dragon towered high over Zane, its chrome body shining far more brilliantly than its weaker counterparts and possessing two large wings that had been manufactured to resemble feathered wings. Three heads gazed down, growling angrily at the obelisk freshman.

"Woah, that thing is more stunning in person," Alexis heard Ren say.

"You should see it attack," Zane said with a small smirk. "But all things in time. Have you finished your turn?"

"Yes..." Ren groaned, lowering his disk.

"Then it's time to bring this to an end."

Turn 10: Zane - 250LP - 3 cards in hand - 2 monsters on the field

"Perfect. I'll begin by activating my Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your swords." The familiar blue typhoon ripped through the field, blowing away all of Ren's swords, leaving his monsters open. "I now activate the spell, Forbidden Chalice and target your Reflect Bounder. It gains four hundred attack points, but its effects are negated." Reflect Bounder gained a red aura, however despite the power boost, its figure slumped. (1700-2100 ATK)

"Oh, great..."

"I now activate the quick play spell, Limiter Removal. This spell doubles the attack points of every machine monster on my field, so my dragon receives a power boost." Cyber End Dragon let out a roar, its eyes glowing brighter than before (4000-8000 ATK).

"Cyber End Dragon, attack with Super Strident Blaze!"

Zane's beast obeyed, opening each of its mouths as they crackled with cerulean plasma. As one, the three heads fired off one last titanic blast towards Ren's lone monster. It overtook the machine, obliterating Reflect Bounder and washing over Ren, devastating the remainder of his life points.

(Ren: 0 LP. Zane Wins)

The duel finally came to an end, the holograms fading away to nothing. Ren was down on one knee whilst Zane stood tall, his arms crossed and looking every bit as stoic as ever. For a moment, Alexis thought Ren would cry out in disappointment. However, he merely stood back up and gave Zane a smile.

"That was a good duel," he said a little disappointedly. "I learned exactly what I wanted to. It looks like I've still got a bit of work to do before this deck is ready."

"You'll get there," Zane said, the tiniest of smiles on his face. "Either way, if this battle helped you, then it served its purpose." He didn't say anything more before turning and walking down from the arena stage. He made to leave the arena, however, he stopped just before he passed Alexis. "Your friend has some skill."

"I suppose," Alexis agreed, although she still felt a hint of worry as she watched Ren descend from the steps, Sadie and Bastion already going to talk to him. Her gaze lingered on the Obelisk teen. He seemed alright now, but she couldn't shake the uneasiness she felt when watching the duel.

"Is something wrong?" Zane asked.

"I don't know," she answered honestly.

---

"When you called me here, I wasn't expecting you to be duelling Zane," Bastion remarked as he walked over to me. "Good show. I know it wasn't the result you would have liked, but you came close."

"Eh, I got what I wanted out of it," I shrugged, holding up my new deck. "I think I'm going to need some more searching power so I can get at the other useful cards in the deck. Oh, and a way to return Horus back to the deck from the grave. Considering I only have one, I need a way to get it back in desperate situations. Oh, and – ow."

I was interrupted by Sadie lightly slapping my arm. I looked at the older girl to see her frowning. "What is with you and duelling?" she asked. "You were in an accident yesterday. You should be taking it easy."

"In my defence, I wasn't exactly planning on duelling. Circumstances just led from one thing to another, and he agreed to help me test my deck." It was a simple explanation but at least it was true. However, if her continued frown was anything to go by, she wasn't satisfied. But she seemed to let it go as lips spread into a smile. "Still, that was really impressive. I've never seen someone push Zane so far before. We've got to work on that deck. I know a few cards that might give it more of an edge."

"I've also got a few suggestions for some additions that may benefit you," Bastion added. "We can go over them soon. But first, we do have exams to prepare for."

"And you have an essay to write still," Sadie reminded.

"Fantastic," I groaned, my good mood dissipating. "Thanks for reminding me."

"It's what I'm here for," Sadie chimed.

The three of us made to leave only to find that Alexis had waited for us. Zane, the loner he was, seemed to have gone on ahead. As we walked by, she fell into step with us. "Did you enjoy the duel?" I asked her.

"It was… interesting," she said. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah…" Bit of an odd question to come so suddenly. "Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing. Nothing at all," she deflected. She began walking faster, falling into step next to Sadie where the two girls quickly fell into a conversation. Bastion slowed his pace to match mine.

"She was worried about you," he whispered to me. He must have overheard our little exchange. "She thought you were acting strangely during the duel."

"Really? I was only using a new deck."

"That's what Sadie said too. But truth be told, I can kind of see what she meant. You were playing a bit more defensively than normal. A lot more tricks than you normally like to use."

"It's just a new strategy," I defended, shoving my hands into my pockets, a hard task with a duel disk attached to your arm.

"Okay, just wanted to make sure," he said.

Against my leg, I could feel my right-hand tremble again. Alexis was more perceptive than I thought. The truth was one of the reasons I had challenged Zane was because this was the deck I was building to battle the supernatural threats the island would face. It was a lockdown deck designed to stop them from using any of their tricks. Chazz's victory over Logan, Jinzo attacking Torrey during the school term, all of it proved to me the canon wasn't initially established. Things could change, people could get hurt. Their fates could be worse. I refused to let that happen. If Buster Blader would act as my sword, then Horus would be the shield. I will protect those close to me.

As we went out into the cool evening air, we found the sky to be bathed in a stunning orange as the sun began to set. It was a common sight on this island, but it was nonetheless stunning. As we looked out, I felt someone reach out and hook their finger around my right little finger. I looked over to see Sadie flash me a smile, her cheeks a little rosy. I gave it a little squeeze and flashed her a smile of my own.

Huh, I guess today was a pretty good day after all.

---

"This will not stand!" Sheppard thundered, slamming his fist upon his desk. he glared at the man on the other end of the video call. "I don't care who you are or what you represent, you cannot just run experiments like this on my island!" Below him was a written report from a student, as well as photographic evidence, of an illegal experiment using a chimpanzee. "Why was I not told about this facility?"

"Calm down, Sheppard. I don't understand. What facility are you talking about? KaibaCorp would never engage in anything that would put anyone, let alone children at risk."

'At least not in a public place,' Sheppard thought bitterly.

"I have evidence. Pictures," he said, thrusting the images to the screen. Each showed an image of a chimpanzee wearing machinery. There were also images of three men wearing KaibaCorp uniforms.

"There are no active projects on that island," the man on the other side of the screen pressed. "My brother would never allow any of those children to be threatened.

Sheppard's anger gave way to confusion as he sat back down in his chair. "Then tell me, Mr Kaiba, how did this happen?"

---

Far away, the head scientist of the academy research lab entered a dark room. It was cold and near-silent. The only sound was the echoing of his footsteps, and that of bubbling fluid. At the end of the room, there was a small rectangle of light, a figure could be seen within another room.

The scientist approached it and gave a bow. "Sir, forgive me. Project SAL was discovered. The test subject escaped and-"

"I am aware." The old voice came through the speakers, echoing around the small chamber. "Were you able to complete the main objective?"

"Yes sir. We gathered enough research to make the carapace fully functional and responsive to duel terminology."

"Then you have done well. You will receive your payment. Leave me."

The head scientist, his eyes wide, bowed once more before quickly leaving the room. As soon as the door closed, the room was once again plunged into darkness. Almost immediately, holographic screens lit up, showing various footage from the island. The dorms, the students, the infirmary, even Sheppard's office as he spoke to the younger Kaiba.

Several screens then appeared, depicting various students. Jaden Yuki, Bastion Misawa, Alexis Rhodes, Ren Cambell and Logan Evans. The images of the latter two enlarged, coming closer to the figure in the other room.

---

Crowler was sat in his office within the blue dorm, marking homework on his card differences test. It amazed him how little some of the students knew about the difference between field spells and continuous spells. A short time ago, he would have just marked the paper a failure and moved on. Now, he was taking the time to write small suggestions in the margin and explain where the students went wrong. The process took hours, much longer than it was used to. At his side was a cup of camomile tea that had seen several refills. Just as he put down the latest paper, there was a knock at the door.

"Oh, who could that be at this hour?" Crowler seethed as he put the papers to one side. "Come in." The door opened and Chazz Princeton walked in. He stared at Crowler with a grimace on his face. "Ah, Chazz. How can I help you today?"

Chazz said nothing as he approached the desk and placed a slip of paper down. "I'm leaving Duel Academy," he said, making a chill run down Crowler's spine.

"What? But why? Chazz, you are one of our best duellists. If it is about recent events-"

"It's not about that," Chazz said, his voice totally indifferent. "I've just finally see through the lies this academy has been telling, and I've had enough."

"Lies? What lies?" Crowler asked, his voice turning squeaky.

"The lies you tell Obelisks. You tell us our position is an honour, but it's just a cradle that makes us complacent."

"But being in Obelisk is an honour. Being in this dorm as a freshman does wonders for your future career."

Chazz looked down at his blue uniform before undoing the buttons and removing the jacket. Carelessly, he threw it down on the desk, looking at it dispassionately. "This means nothing," he said before turning. "If I stay here, I'll just go back to being the way I used to be. I swear I will never be that person again."

With nothing else to say, he turned and walked out of the office, never looking back at Crowler, or the past he had left behind.

---

I hope you guys enjoyed :) This was just the first look into Ren's new deck. Much like his dragon deck, it will be going through several improvements.

Also, shout out to GuestWithIdeas who gave me the idea for the scene between Eve and Zane. It was such a good suggestion! The chapter is dedicated to you dude!

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, especially the duel. Although, I had to rewrite it a few times when I realised I had made mistakes with some of the effects. Some of you may be disappointed Chazz is leaving the academy anyway after his loss, but in this case, Chazz's journey is about taking matters of his own hand.

Just to let you know, I am going to be taking next week off to actually properly finish off this server because as long as I'm writing, I'm going to be distracted.

On to the reviews:

To: EXECZ - Well it was Bastion's POV at that point as I didn't see why he would know about the Jinzo/Nightmare Penguin connection so I, unfortunately, couldn't make it this time. It was not a Castlevania reference as far as I know. I just thought it sounded cool.

To Peter Kim: I'll give Trade Game a look, I haven't read that one yet. In terms of people's predictions, I am certainly enjoying reading them. In terms of Light and Darkness Dragon in decks, it is certainly hard but not impossible. Even if he isn't the main card, he is certainly a useful one. As for Jesse vs Chazz, anything can happen in a fanfic, even if it's not the way you expect. In terms of his deck, he's going to have a few that he will interchange between, so we'll see.

To Digmata: It won't be his main go-to move but it will become a running joke. If he did try to blackmail Seto Kaiba, it wouldn't go well for him, haha.

To Blackdrake: Thanks for your review! Glad you liked the chapter! In terms of Chazz's decks, he's going to have a few and interchange between them, just like in the canon. Although Light and Darkness Dragon will be a main feature. Good suggestions for card inclusions as well. I'll have to think about those.

To JustaRandomGuy: Yeah, I wasn't too fond of the jumps either. I tried to correct it this time but there were one or two moments where it was essential. As for the last chapter, I tried to do something different and ultimately it just didn't feel right. But I learned and I've moved forward. Hopefully, this chapter was better. Really glad you liked Chazz's bit with his development. I enjoyed writing that bit as it really felt like something he would realise. Even though he is brash, it felt like something he would realise. I personally agree with how you see Light and Darkness Dragon. It always did feel like that kind of a protector. For Jinzo draining Ren, I realise now I wasn't exactly clear, but what he drained wasn't Ren's soul, but something else. I have since gone back and added dialogue but it is still confusing without the main context, which I can't give due to spoilers. I'm glad you enjoyed Bastion's duel and Logan's quick thinking. They were both parts I enjoyed writing. Oh, nice suggestions for Mindy. I'm not saying that's where I was eventually going to go, but it also isn't where I was not going to go. Does that make sense? Hmm... double negatives are hard... Anyway, pitch time! Number 1: Morphtronics are a bit hard to do without their Synchro support. It'd be interesting to try at some point but maybe later on. Number 2: I do equally love and hate Wave Motion Cannon. With Sadie playing a burn deck, it is sure to pop up. Number 3: That will be difficult because her managing to sneak in did seem like anime logic but I will give it my best shot. Ironically enough, I've been thinking about it already and it is harder to explain than Kagemaru knowing about the Sacred Beasts. Number 4: I love this idea and as you can see, I have already started planting the seeds for it in this chapter. Very good suggestion sir.

To Kismet and Karma: Thank you very much. Lumina does indeed.

To AsianGuest: First of all, thank you so much! That was very kind of you to say :) You are right he won't be getting Light End and Dark End Dragons. Since both are synchros, they won't match, unfortunately. I'm glad you're liking the duality of Ren and Logan though. The two are opposites but I think they have a good dynamic. As for Eve, we got snippets of her backstory in this chapter but more will come with time. As for Lumina, who can say? In terms of decks, Ren will certainly be going through a few. Logan will also be changing here and there. In terms of Shaddolls, I'm currently avoiding them. They are a bit overplayed but who knows in the future when things become a bit more drastic.

To Bob: Interesting suggestions. I'd never considered a frog deck. Something to look into I suppose.

To A Synchron Fan: Thanks for your review and continued support! In terms of Chazz, I do have plans for him going into the far future. I don't just want him to have his basic character development and then remain static as he did in both continuities for ages. Still can't say too much about Lumina, unfortunately. I hope Eve's involvement in this chapter was satisfying for you. I've got more plans for her in future.

To the Guest who started the mob and is holding me against my will: I'll take a bacon sarnie for lunch and would love pizza on Fridays.

To West: I know you didn't review this one but just wanted to make sure you were okay. Hope you're doing alright bud :)

That's all for now, I've got a forum page to create, and sleep to get. It's about quarter to midnight over here and I'm knackered.

As always, please don't forget to fav, follow and leave a review! I love to hear all your feedback and hopefully, I'll see you all soon. Stay safe everyone!