Lucas could not move. He was terrified of what he was seeing. The stranger's aura was ferocious, overwhelming. This aura was not the same as the aura that emerged from the smoke fire, but the amount of energy that was emitted, it could've been a close second. After a moment of silence, the stranger spoke, which regained Lucas's focus.

"Jackal. Seize this nonsense. Come face your trial with whatever honor you have left."

Lucas paid close attention to the stranger's words. Jackal? Lucas thought, What is he talking about?

I can not return.

Lucas turned around the second he heard a clear, rough, somewhat monstrous voice from behind him. What Lucas saw made him jump back startled and fell. As he looked up, Lucas couldn't believe what he saw. A human-like figure was standing before Lucas and the stranger. It wasn't completely human, the figure had the body of one, but the head of a dog. It seemed to be ancient, Egyptian even. The creature was hardly visible. It could be seen as bright as day, however, the creature seemed almost ghost like. With it's glowing, red eyes staring at the stranger, and it's royal blue cape flowing, Lucas recognized the figure instantaneously.

"Mystical Knight of Jackal?"

The spirit of Jackal looked down at Lucas and, for what seemed like a grin, the creature spoke, returning his attention back to the stranger.

I can not return. I must stay here.

Lucas turned to face the stranger, and noticed how the stranger stared intently into Lucas's eyes. The stranger chuckled and responded to Jackal.

"It's not your choice to make, Jackal. You know very well consequences must be met for all. What you've done is unforgivable. Do you really believe that now you are with a human, you are innocent all of a sudden. The gods will never allow this".

"Excuse me," Lucas spoke as he got up. Both Jackal's spirit and the stranger looked at Lucas intently. "But I am still at a loss. What is all this about gods and consequences."

"Silence," said the stranger, "This does not concern you".

"Actually it does," Lucas brought the focus back to him, "For starters, you came out of nowhere, startled me, decided to seal us in a white veil in an abandoned, burnt warehouse, and you are attempting to punish my partner here". Lucas looked at Jackal, gave him a wink, and continued his statement. Jackal was shocked as to what Lucas was saying. "Now, I don't know why you are here, or what sort of errors Jackal have made, but if you want to retrieve Jackal," Lucas pulled out his deck, drew the top card and revealed the Mystical Knight of Jackal card to the stranger, "You'd need to take him from me first".

The stranger was surprised to see how this predicament occurred. "So that is why you are here," the stranger pulled a deck out of his pocket, "Very well," The stranger held his deck towards Lucas, "We shall duel to decide the fate of Jackal. If I win, Jackal, you must come with me to face your trial willingly".

"But if I win," Lucas stated, "You must give Jackal his freedom and never target him again",

"If those are the claims, then shall we?" The two walked to their appropriate podiums, the stranger headed for the blue podium with the peculiar hole that was pierced into the side of it, where Lucas headed for the red podium on the opposite side.

You Do not need to this Lucas. This does not concern you.

"But it does," Lucas got onto the podium, it began to elevate up, his crimson eyes stared into Jackal's, "Whatever crime this creep is accusing you for, even though we just met, I doubt you would ever do such a thing". Lucas placed his deck onto the Deck Zone, the machine turned on automatically. "I've heard your voice before, but I always thought it was in my head. You've been by my side for some time, now that I think about it. And now I'll be by yours. You're my ace and I'll be yours. We are partners now". Lucas smiled at Jackal

Partners?

Lucas drew 5 cards from the top of his deck and looked at his opponent. Lucas was still able to see his opponent's aura, but did not lose his concentration. Lucas could not afford to lose this duel. His opponent also drew 5 cards and prepared for the game to begin.

(This duel follows Duelist Kingdom Rules. No tributes are required to summon a high level monster, and unless an effect is applied, no monster can attack an opponent directly. All players are not required to set a monster in order to summon the monster in Defense Position).

"Duel!" the two shouted and duel began.

(Turn 1: Lucas 2000 Mysterious Stranger 2000)

"I'll start this off. I draw!" Lucas drew a card from his deck and placed it in his hand. He picked another card in his hand and played it onto the field. "I will summon Nimble Momonga in Defense Mode," as he placed his card onto the board, one of the ten rectangular segments on the field lit up, and a flying squirrel appeared. "I will also set two cards face-down". Lucas placed two cards on his board, and on the field, two rectangular zones in the row behind Nimble Momonga blinked a bit and glew a bright yellow. "I'll end my turn".

(Turn 2: Lucas 2000 Mysterious Stranger 2000)

"I draw my card," the stranger also drew a card from his deck and played it right away, "I activate the spell card Painful Choice". One of the zones in the row closest to the stranger glew, and a card appeared out of the zone. "I pick out 5 cards from my deck, you get to select one of them to add to my hand, the remaining four will be sent to the card graveyard". The opponent revealed two "Skull Servants", one "The Lady in Wight", one "Pharaoh's Servant", and one "Pharaonic Protector".

They are all low level zombie types? Lucas thought to himself.

Do not lower your guard. His monster relies on those zombie types to be sent to the graveyard.

Monster? "Skull Servant will be added to your hand!" He couldn't mean. The stranger added the Skull Servant to his hand and sent the other four monsters to his graveyard. "I will set one monster and one card face down. It's your turn" declared the stranger.

(Turn 3: Lucas 2000 Mysterious Stranger 2000)

"Draw!" If the monster I'm thinking of is true, then I need to make sure to beat him soon. Lucas picked a card from his hand and put it onto his field. "I summon Dream Clown," the monster zone lit up and an odd looking jester appeared, "And I'll attack your face-down with my Clown(ATK 1200)". That face down monster must be the Skull Servant. As the Clown striked the lit zone, a tower appeared and repelled the Clown's attack. "It's not Skull Servant?!" Lucas said in surprise.

"The Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower(DEF 1500)" said the stranger. Lucas took 300 points of damage. Lucas felt as though he took a punch to his stomach. He held himself up on the table with one arm and held his gut with another.

Are you alright Lucas?

"What was that?" responded Lucas.

"It was the effect of the special terrain we are in," the stranger said as he glanced at the white, misty barrier that surrounded the warehouse. "The Barrier of Ma'at. Not only does it ensure no interruptions from the outside, it will make it so that any damage our monsters take, we will take as well. We will share the wounds of our comrades in battle. They take damage, as will we".

"Real Damage, huh?" Lucas got his form back, his eyes shimmered a scarlet light. "It's your turn".

(Turn 4: Lucas 1700 Mysterious Stranger 2000)

"Draw!" The stranger picked an alternate card from his hand. "I normal summon the Sangan(ATK1000)". The small, round, orange creature appeared onto the field. "And then, I shall activate my face down trap card," the lit up zone where the stranger had set his card lighted up as a card came from beneath, "Ultimate Offering!"

"Ultimate Offering?" Lucas responded in shock. He plans to take out both my monsters this turn.

"And now I will pay 500 Life Points in order to summon from my hand the Ryo Kokki (2400

)!" as the stranger place his monster onto his field, an arm came out from the zone, the head of the monster appeared and let out a screeching roar. "I will also pay another 500 Life Points in order to summon Skull Servant in Defense Mode(DEF 200)". The Skeleton in a purple robe appeared. It laid on one knee, held it's arms up to it's chest crossed.

"He wasted 1000 Life Points all on his own," said Lucas.

"Now I'll attack your Dream Clown with Ryo!" Ryo Kokki let out another screeching roar as it began to rush over to it's target.

"I activate my trap card," a card appeared from the lit up zone on Lucas's field, "Shadow Spell!"

"Uh," The stranger was shocked as the chains wrapped around Ryo Kokki.

"Now your monster can no longer attack nor change its battle position," Lucas continued, "And Ryo Kokki loses 700 ATK".

"Hmph," The stranger kept his stance, "I will end my turn".

(Turn 5: Lucas 1700 Mysterious Stranger 1000)

"It's my turn," Lucas drew his card, "Now I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!" The card appeared onto the field, and a tornado was unleashed, "I will destroy Ultimate Offering". The tornado hit Ultimate Offering, shattering it into a million pieces. "And next I'll use Dream Clown's ability. By switching the battle position of of my Dream Clown from Attack Position to Defense Position, I can destroy 1 monster on your field".

"And I assume you will destroy the Ryu Kokki," the stranger responded as he was about to grab his Ryo Kokki card and send it to the graveyard.

"On the contrary," Lucas told the stranger, causing him to pause midway from reaching his monster, "The monster I select will be…" Lucas switched the position of his clown from Attack to Defense, "The Soul- Absorbing Bone Tower!" The Dream Clown laid itself on one knee, crossed his arms up to his chest, and at that moment, a surge of energy was released from the Clown and destroyed the Bone Tower. The stranger was curious as to why Lucas destroyed one of his weaker monsters.

"Now I think I'll summon my own Sangan(ATK 1000) and have it attack yours". As Lucas placed his own orange ball creature thing onto the field. It bear it claws, and charged into the opposing Sangan head first. The two Sangans shattered.

"By destroying both Sangans, you triggered both their abilities," said the stranger, "Now we both get to add a monster from our deck's to our hands".

"I will add my Witch of the Black Forest(1200)". Lucas revealed his card of a maiden in black robes to his opponent.

"And I shall add this card," the opponent revealed a card that looked very similar to the Skull Servant, but the difference with this card is that not only it is an effect monster, but it's Attack Points had a "?" on it.

"What kind of monster is that?" Lucas was confused. He never saw the monster his opponent had added to his hand. At this moment, Jackal's spirit began to fade.

It'll be my turn soon. won't it, Partner?

"It will be," Jackal had completely disappeared. The stranger was wondering as to what the two were planning. There weren't any ways for Jackal's spirit to flee. "I end my turn".

(Turn 6: Lucas 1700 Mysterious Stranger 1000)

"I draw my card," the stranger drew his card. The stranger looked at the card and made a grin. That's another thing, I do not think you want your opponent to know you have a good card. I swear, people who play this are illogical. At this instant, Lucas's eyes had widened. The aura that surrounded the stranger grew as he placed the card he drew onto his board.

"I shall set this card Face-Down," at this moment, the zone on the stranger's side field lit up. Lucas spaced out for just a moment. He saw an image of a pharaonic-like creature. The creature appeared to have objects on each of its shoulders, one in the shape of a bird, and the other in the shape of a dog. Its eyes glew a bright, crimson red, a shade of red that was not as rich as Lucas's, but resembled that of Jackal's eyes.

Stay on your guard Lucas. He's fully prepared to unleash his most treacherous creature.

"And if we're not able to take it down," said Lucas under his breath, "Then we're done for".

...