Alright, everyone I am back with a new chapter for this story. I want to first apologize in advance, this chapter may not be as good as some of my previous chapters. This reason being that my internal clock has been going out of whack recently: I stay up until dawn, fall asleep, and end up waking in the middle of the night. Two nights ago I slept for a straight 15 hours: 6 am to 9 pm. When I try to set my clock right, I end up waking up to early or going to sleep too late.

Getting off topic, going back on topic: I recently got my hands on a few new cards-not just for Yu-Gi-Oh, but also for Magic: The Gathering (yes, I play both). On the Magic side I got a Temur Intro Pack, a couple boosters (one of which yielded Sorin, Solemn Visitor), and a 2015 Core Deck Builder's Toolkit. As for Yu-Gi-Oh, I got my hands on a Noble Knights of the Round table box set (with Limited Edition Gold Sarcophagus), a Geargia Rampage structure deck, and three boosters from the set The New Challengers. I ended up getting quite a few Fluffal monsters, some Superheavy Samurai monsters, and two Shaddoll Hounds (along with three copies of Qlimate Change, a Fusion Substitute, and some other Deck filler). And yes, these are also at my disposal (although I may take out Gold Sarcophagus, just because it seems like a "too rare" card).

Until then, Read, Review, and I'll see you at the bottom!

Chapter 19

After returning home from Academy registrations, it was 6 pm and Jacob decided to spend some time in Duel Net after dinner. Once he was up in his room, Jacob sat down on his bed and took his deck out of his pocket. He began to look through them, stopping to look at a few cards before continuing. 'If I'm going to get stronger, I'll need to improve my deck. I'll probably need to rebuild it from the ground up, maybe even switch them out altogether, but I don't want to lose any of them at the same time.' He once again heard the familiar coo of Kurigoh, remembering that he had swapped it out prior to his duel with Kaiba and he hasn't put a single one back in his deck since. He found them again and looked at them, noticing that one of them had both eyes open. He put them back, thinking he was starting to go crazy again. 'I need to get some help, both with my deck and with whatever's going on with Kurigoh. I think I know who I can ask about my first problem.'

He got up from his bed and went over to his desk, opening his laptop. After opening his account on Duel Net, he found that he could purchase Duel Points with money, and made a mental note to ask his father about how to do this. He then wrote a message to Skyler, "Hey, meet me in the City Zone. Same cafe as before. We need to talk."

After sending the message, he put on the Duel Net visor and began the network link. After entering Duel Net, he found himself back in the same spot where he dueled Mark. There were quite a few players roaming around, some of them talking, some of them just lounging around, and even a few who were dueling. Jacob opened his menu and found the inventory, which held the Duel Academy uniform and X-1 Duel Racer he recieved. Jacob figured he would try them out and equipped the Duel Academy set first. His menu moved away from him as his body began to glow with blue and white polygons. After it died down, Jacob found that his gear had been equipped and he looked himself over. He found that he could change the position of his jacket using the menu as well: worn over the shoulder, worn with the jacket open or closed, or just taken off entirely. He decided on the open jacket and it reshaped over his arms and shoulders.

He then equipped the Duel Racer and there was another glow of light at his hip. After it died down, he found that he had two rings hanging from his belt and pulled them off. Instructions on how to activate the gear was displayed on the menu and Jacob tried it out. Jacob threw the rings in front of him, like he was throwing a pair of dice, and the rings began expanding as metal and rubber formed around them. Both rings turned into tires, which split in half and created a pair on each end. The metal surrounding the rings connected with each other, and soon it was fully formed. Jacob got on and revved it up. The engine purred like a kitten and roared like a tiger as he got a feel for the vehicle. A helmet appeared around his head and more instructions appeared on how to control the vehicle on his visor, Jacob closing them once he had them memorized.

Adjusting the gears and twisting the right handle, the Duel Racer roared to life and, true to its name, raced down the streets of the City Zone. Jacob decided on making a few laps around the Zone to get used to his new vehicle. He made a few sharp turns, some which almost resulted in the vehicle flipping over or nearly running over a duelist who walked through the streets, but soon learned how to handle it. He finally adjusted his course so he could go to the cafe and meet Skyler, and along the way he was challenged by a few duelists who also had Duel Runners. Jacob politely declined, each one veering off course to search for new combatants, and Jacob eventually caught sight of his destination.

As he neared it, he saw a certain gray-haired girl sitting at one of the tables and revved up his engine. She looked in his direction as Jacob slowed the Duel Racer and parked right next to the table she was sitting at. After coming to a complete stop, the helmet around Jacob's head disappeared and Skyler whistled as she looked it over. "Nice set of wheels," she said, nodding as Jacob dismounted the Racer and it returned back to its original state. Jacob hooked the rings on his belt and walked into the cafe grounds, allowing the NPC waiter to approach the table and ask for an order.

"I'll have an iced tea, sweetened," Jacob said.

"Coffee, black, cream and two sugars," Skyler added. The waiter left and the two sat down. "So, what do you need to talk to me about?" Jacob decided to get right to the point.

"I want to learn how to get stronger so the next time I face your brother I won't lose." Skyler sighed, as if expecting the question, and her usual smile flattened out.

"Look," Skyler said, "I understand why you want to get stronger, really, but my brothers are like that all the time, okay? It's no big deal."

"Maybe not to you, but to me it was like he was insulting you. What right does he have to tell you that you're not good enough?" Skyler was internally conflicted at this point: she knew that his words were true, that her brothers have no right to tell her these things, but what could she do? "Look, I understand if you're mad at me," Jacob continued, "but I am serious about dueling him again, even if I lose in front of millions of people."

The waiter returned with their drinks and Jacob immediately took a drink from his glass while Skyler just stared at him with a mixed expression. After setting his drink down Skyler said, "Very well, if you want to get stronger then find me in the Jungle Zone." She took a drink of her coffee, then stood and left, bringing out her Duel Runner as soon as she entered the street. Jacob looked on as all of this transpired, and as soon as she sped away he thought to himself, 'Maybe I shouldn't have said anything in the first place. Well I can't change anything now.'

Jacob finished the rest of his drink and brought out his duel runner as well. He took off after Skyler, using his map to find his way towards the new zone. He eventually made a turn and saw Skyler leaving the City Zone towards what he figured was the Jungle Zone. As he got closer, he noticed that the buildings were gradually getting smaller until it reached the Jungle, which replaced the steel skyscrapers with wooden ones. Jacob had to swerve quite a bit to avoid a collision with the trees, and eventually he came into a clearing.

It was very open, with a few trees here and there along with a lake near the edge of the treeline. Jacob found Skyler waiting for him just like back in the desert, leaning on her Duel Runner. However, unlike last time, she had a frown on her face instead of a smile, and when Jacob dismounted Skyler immediately brought out her Duel Disk. He knew what was coming and brought out his own. "Use your orignal deck this time," Skyler quickly said. Jacob went to his menu and selected his original deck, and their duel began. Neither of them activated the Field Power bonuses and Skyler claimed the first move.

Skyler: 8000
Jacob: 8000

"First," she said after drawing her card, "I activate the Continuous Spell, Hysteric Sign. This Spell card allows me to add an Elegant Egotist Spell from my deck to my hand." The card slid out and she added it to her hand. "Now I summon Harpie Queen (ATK/1900)!"

There was a tornado of wind and feathers to her left, and once it died down there was a female humanoid with wings and claws instead of hands and feet. She wore what appeared to be a blue and cyan unitard, and her green hair was done up in a ponytail. "Normally, I'd discard this card to add a Harpie's Hunting Ground Field Spell, however when I summon it to the field it's name is treated as Harpie Lady. Now I activate Elegant Egotist!" The spell appeared on the field and Skyler explained how it worked.

"Since Harpie Queen is treated as Harpie Lady, I can activate this card, which allows me to Special Summon another Harpie Lady from my Deck." Her deck glowed with a soft green color and a card slid out. "I Summon Cyber Harpie Lady (ATK/1800)!" There was a momentary flash of light before another female humanoid appeared on Skyler's field: this one was more intimidating as it wore metal armor and it carried an electric whip in one of its clawed hands. "Next, I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Skyler: 8000
Jacob: 8000

As Jacob drew he examined his hand and spotted an instant ace. "Since you control a monster and I don't, I get to summon Cyber Dragon (ATK/2100)!" The mechanical dragon appeared on the field but Skyler didn't seem phased at all by it. "Next, since Cyber Dragon was Special Summoned, I summon Goblin Attack Force (ATK/2300)." The group of goblins appeared to the left of his dragon, and the laughed amongst themselves at their opposition. "Okay, Cyber Dragon attack her Harpie Queen!"

Cyber Dragon began to charge for the Winged-Beast, but Skyler called out, "I activate my Trap Card! Mirror Force!" As her face-down flipped up, Jacob's confidence turned into fear. "Now Mirror Force will destroy all face-up attack position monsters you control." A barrier of light was brought up between Cyber Dragon and Harpie Queen and when Cyber Dragon struck it, the barrier sent out a shock wave that shattered the Dragon and Goblins.

'No, how could I be so stupid!' Jacob thought to himself, wishing he could take back his move.

"You acted without thinking," Skyler called out. "A move like that, espescially against someone like my brother, is a fatal mistake. You probably thought I was making a bluff, but you didn't even consider the possibility of my face-down being something that could cripple you." As Jacob took in her words, he began thinking to himself again. 'Her personality made a 180, she's totally focused and determined to win. All I can do now is do the same and hope for the best.'

"I set two cards face-down, and then end my turn."

Skyler: 8000
Jacob: 8000

"I summon Harpie's Pet Baby Dragon (ATK/1200), but don't let the name fool you." The new monster that appeared was a hatchling dragon, about the size of both Skyler's Harpies combined. It was mostly colored magenta-red and black, and also wore a green crest on its forehead. Next to it, holding it by a chain, was a young Harpie girl with blonde hair and pink wings. "My Pet Baby Dragon gains effects when I have at least one Harpie monster on the field other than itself. As long as I have one Harpie you can only attack my Pet Baby Dragon, and as long as I have two Harpies it's ATK is doubled." The Baby Dragon roared as it was let off its chain, the young Harpie vanishing, and it's points spiked to 2400.

"Next, I activate Magical Stone Excavation. By discarding two cards from my hand, I can add Elegant Egotist from my Graveyard and back to my hand." Skyler's two cards momentarily glowed before turning into a single card. "And next I activate Elegant Egotist and Special Summon Harpie Lady 1 (ATK/1300) from my Deck!" Skyler's Deck began to glow again, and with another flash of light a third Harpie appeared on the field. This harpie wore a purple and black unitard and had magenta hair and green wings. "With her on the field, all WIND attribute monsters on the field gain 300 ATK." All of Skyler's monsters glowed with a soft green light as their attack points were bumped up (Cyber Harpie: 2100 ATK)(Harpie Queen: 2200 ATK)(Harpie Lady 1: 1600 ATK)(Pet Baby Dragon: 2700 ATK).

"Now that I have three Harpie monsters on my field, my Baby Dragon gains a new ability: the ability to destroy one card that you control!"

'No!' Jacob was helpless as the right-hand face-down was revealed to be Magic Cylinder and Skye's Dragon shot a fireball at it.

The trap exploded and Skyler called out, "But I'm not done there, as I use Harpie Queen and Cyber Harpie Lady to build the Overlay Network and Xyz Summon Lightning Chidori (ATK/1900-2200)!" The two monsters turned into streams of green light and they disappeared into a red vortex, which exploded and changed into a blue electrical monster in the shape of a bird of prey. "I'm afraid it only gets worse because, when it's Xyz Summoned, one face-down on your side of the field is placed at the bottom of your Deck."

Jacob's second face-down faded away, leaving him totally defenseless. "Now all three of my monsters get to attack you directly!" Harpie Lady 1 attacked first, flying towards Jacob and then striking him with her claws; the Baby Dragon was next, shooting a small fireball at Jacob from a distance since its ATK went back to normal; finally, Lightning Chidori unleashed a wild lightning bolt, striking Jacob and making him cry out in pain.

"Your move."

Skyler: 8000
Jacob: 3000

Jacob was a little unsteady after the attack, but he was still able to stand and draw a card. As he looked at it, he sighed sadly. "I surrender," Jacob said, placing a hand over his Duel Disk. The word 'Surrender' appeared between the two, and Jacob showed his hand. He only had three cards: Noble Arms - Caliburn, Phoenix Gearfried, and Nettles. "I don't have enough defense to stop you, so I choose to surrender." Skyler nodded, accepting the surrender, and her monsters disappeared. Jacob sighed as he sat on the ground. He opened his menu and looked at his deck list. "First loss I've had in quite some time," he said to himself. He noticed Skyler walking over to him and he looked up from his deck list. She stopped in front of him and Jacob added, "This is what I meant earlier: you're a strong duelist and that means your brother shouldn't be pushing you around like that."

"You don't get it, do you?" Skyler asked, shaking her head. "My brother isn't like the other duelists you've faced. He's a professional duelist, someone who has been doing this for years: studying, adapting, learning. If it only took me a few turns to beat you using that deck, imagine how fast my brother could beat you even when you take the first move." Jacob thought about it, and he knew she had a point.

"So what do you suggest, that I switch out cards in my deck? Or should I just trade it in for a new one."

"That's up to you," Skyler replied, sitting next to Jacob and looking at his deck list. "Wait, that's your Deck? The one you used in the tournament?" Jacob nodded and Skye shook her head. "How on Earth did you win with this thing?"

Jacob looked between her and his cards and asked, "What do mean?"

"Well, first of all-" Skyler was suddenly cut off by a sudden noise. It sounded deep and low and it also seemed to have a rhythm, almost like footsteps. The noise got louder and louder, and Jacob looked around to see some of the trees parting. Both of he duelists stood up and watched as a violet reptilian head poked through the tree line.

"Is that a Duel Monster?" Jacob asked, almost dumbfounded by the sight.

"I believe Kaiba mentioned something about roaming Duel Monsters," Skyler confirmed as a second head appeared. The first head seemed to notice them, growling to get the attention of the second head. Once it had noticed them both heads roared and crashed through the trees, revealing that both heads shared a body.

"Two-Headed King Rex!" Jacob shouted, and both duelists turned to flee. The two-headed dino easily matched their speed, and it was starting to gain on them. Just as they were about to reach the treeline, the water from the lake erupted into a geyser and another monster appeared. This one was humanoid in appearance, but also seemed to have fish characteristics mixed in. It had mostly blue skin, had a large fin on its head, a tail, and on its right arm it had what looked like a small crossbow.

The new monster, in mid-air, aimed the crossbow at the monster chasing the two and fired a harpoon. The projectile found its mark, piercing the monster's chest and making it shatter after roaring in defeat. The new monster landed on the shore of the lake, and the two duelists calmed down.

"That was close," Jacob said, "but why did it save us? It's a Duel Monster, right?" Skye nodded and confirmed the identity of the monster: Warrior of Atlantis.

"Is everything alright?" The two duelists turned to the direction of the new voice, and a girl stepped out from the treeline. She had short blonde hair with light blue highlights that stopped at her shoulders. She wore a light blue jacket over a white t-shirt had black shorts, along with white and blue tennis shoes.

"Yeah, we're fine," Jacob said. Jacob had this weird feeling that he had seen this girl before, but it didn't click until Warrior of Atlantis disappeared in a flash of light blue light and reappeared in the girl's hand as a card.

"Wait, Mikayla? Is that you?"

So again I apologize if this wasn't as good as previous chapters. If you thought it was good enough, then I'm glad you think so. I've just been so tired that my mind gets a little fuzzy at times. It's only half-past seven at night where I'm at and I feel like I might pass out. Anyways, be sure to comment, add this story to your favorites, and follow this story so you know when the next chapter comes out. I hope I can make it up to you guys next chapter, so until then.