All right! Another chapter finished sooner than I expected! I mentioned this story's connection to another story in the first chapter. Those stories belong to lordsoftheroses under Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. Please read the stories Duelists of the Roses, Searching for Eden, Niagara Falls Academy, Judgment of Anubis, Petals of the Rose, How Stars Were Made and The Silver Cup in that order, as those stories will have a connection to this story at starting at the next chapter. Please enjoy the chapter!
*Tokyo Shining Hotel, Lobby*
Camaru was about to head toward the elevators when a group of familiar guys caught his eye. Spiral, Naoto and Shroud were all in the lobby and walked up to Camaru.
"Hey, guys. What's up?" Camaru greeted them.
"Well, we can't go back to our dorms because the academy is closed today for some reason." Naoto told his friend. "We're still going back tomorrow, but they wouldn't let anyone into the school today at all."
"Why?" Camaru asked.
"They didn't explain." Spiral answered.
"Yes, they did." Shroud said. "They said they were doing cleaning up."
"Shroud, they have never closed the school before." Naoto pointed out. "I doubt it's something as simple as that."
"Anyways, Naoto was wondering if we could stay over here for the night." Spiral asked.
"That's not what I was… Actually, it was." Naoto admitted.
"Well… okay, just for tonight." Camaru agreed to give them a place to stay. "I'm the only one whose here most of the time. The owner and employees check up on me from time to time, but that's about it."
"It's not like we're destructive party animals." Spiral jokingly stated. "Hopefully for your folks, this is the only time we have to do this."
"Didn't you guys stay at that church yesterday, though?" Shroud questioned. "Why not stay there?"
"Because the girls are staying there again and I don't want another 'incident' to happen again." Spiral responded.
"I'll tell you about it later." Naoto chuckled to Camaru.
"Must you tell everyone about it?" Spiral felt agitated.
"Yes, I must." Naoto jokingly answered.
"What happened?" Shroud asked.
The guys took the exclusive elevator to Camaru's family's penthouse, which felt like a mansion was placed on top of the 55-story hotel.
"Ho. Ly. Crap." Spiral simply said in awe at the size of the penthouse. "You live here?"
"Yep." Camaru simply replied. "Hey, wanna watch some TV?"
The group looked at the TV and saw that it was a huge-plasma screen. So big that you could see programs clearly from any point in the room.
"Again: Ho. Ly. Crap." Spiral stated again.
"Before we watch anything, I suggest we partake in seating arrangements." Shroud suggested as he tried sitting at various points in front of the TV.
"What's he doing?" Camaru had to ask.
"He's trying to find 'his spot' here." Naoto sighed in exasperation.
"More specifically, the place where I can be emerged in any TV programs or gameplay without any glares or drafts bothering me." Shroud further explained as he seemed to have found his ideal spot. "This is it."
After everyone had taken a seat and started watching TV, Shroud once again spoke up.
"This program is hopelessly derivative." Shroud criticized the TV show. "I don't see how anybody could like this show."
"… I like it." Camaru gave his opinion.
"I do, too." Naoto said.
"Yeah, me three." Spiral said.
"I propose that all arguments over what to watch should be solved by a unanimous guess and I settle all ties." Shroud was clearly against watching the show.
"It's three against one." Naoto pointed out.
"But I have infinite power, any number possible." Shroud continued to be impossible.
"That's it!" Naoto got up and started arguing with Shroud. "It's one thing to pull off crap like this at our dorm, but you cannot do this in someone else's home! Which you have no dominion over! It's like you're trying to have us under your tyrannical thumb and I will not tolerate it anymore! I am FINALLY putting my foot down!"
Naoto slammed his foot down onto the floor to emphasize his point and Shroud was silent for a moment. When Shroud spoke up, he said something completely unexpected.
"Camaru, I suggest that we banish Naoto from the premises."
"WHAT? !" Naoto suddenly became furious and confused.
"Shroud, do you realize what you're suggesting is unfair and selfish?" Camaru asked.
"… No." Shroud gave a simple response. "Things must be controlled and they must be done my way."
"Shroud, if anyone deserves to be banished, it's you!" Spiral spoke up.
"… What?" Shroud was confused.
"That's right." Spiral clarified. "You're being unreasonable, inconsiderate and rude! You might be smarter than all of us, but that gives you no right to control our actions!"
"Someone has to." Shroud continued to protest.
"That's it! Get out!" Camaru said. "If you're not going to treat us like equals, maybe you shouldn't be here!"
"… Very well then." Shroud started to walk out. "I'll just sleep in the lobby."
Shroud had left, leaving a somber and tense atmosphere in the penthouse.
"I know that he had to hear that, but I feel bad now." Spiral sulked a little.
"If he's going to the lobby, I'm sure he'll be fine unless someone robs him." Naoto said.
"Let's watch TV to get our minds off of it." Camaru suggested.
"Okay." "Sure." Spiral and Naoto respectively agreed as they sat on the couch.
The next morning, all of the students were gathered in the auditorium, as well as most of the teachers and the vice principle. The only teacher missing was Mr. Madaro. Spiral, Naoto, Momo, Aura, Chan, Chun, Hikari, Camaru and Lee were all together in the audience.
"Momo, have you seen Shroud at all?" Spiral asked.
"Huh, I haven't seen him all day. Why?" Momo responded.
"That's weird, since he wasn't in the lobby like he said he was doing." Naoto recalled. "Do you guys think he ended up getting lost in the city?"
"Shroud is the type of person who prefers to stick to familiar territory." Spiral explained. "The only place he probably would have gone was here. I wonder where he is."
Vice Principle Chino was about to speak.
"Good morning. Or rather, not so." Chino started speaking. "As you know, the school was closed yesterday for undisclosed reasons. However, some of you also may know why. Yesterday morning, one of our teachers, Genji Madaro… had passed away."
There were gasps and questions fluttering about the auditorium. Hikari started praying and chanting when she heard this news.
"For those of you who belonged in his homeroom class, I will be overlooking your classes until a substitute can be found." Chino announced. "It is sad, even though I doubt any of you liked him, that he is gone…"
The speech continued as the group started talking with each other.
"What do you think could have happened?" Aura asked.
"Hopefully, it was just a health problem." Spiral said.
"Really?" Chan wondered. "He didn't look sick or unhealthy the last time I saw him.
"Maybe it was something that became noticeable at the last minute." Naoto said.
"Let's hope that's all that is." Camaru spoke up.
"Yeah, I mean, sure, he was a jerk, but he didn't deserve to die." Lee admitted.
"Only really bad people like those dictators deserve to die." Chun tried to lighten the conversation, but to no avail.
"Chun, this isn't the time for that stuff…" Chan told her sister, causing Chun to feel even sadder.
After their homeroom class with Tsuneko as their substitute, everyone got up and started talking to each other.
"This is weird." Spiral just said without any real warning. "Shroud should have been here by now. Did he really get lost?"
"I hope not." Momo said.
"I hope he returns, but he had better learned his lesson." Naoto stated. "He was acting like such an ass last night."
"Maybe he ran away." Chun suggested a thought.
"Shroud's from England and Tokyo's not even his home." Chan realized something. "Do you really think he'd run away without a plan first or leaving one of us girls a message?"
"Excuse me, Spiral?" Tsuneko walked up to Spiral. "The principle would like to see you in her office."
"Really?" Spiral wondered.
"Wait, can I go with him? I still need to ask her a question." Momo asked.
"I'm sorry, but she only requested an audience with Spiral." Chino told Momo.
"What is it you're trying to ask her?" Hikari asked Momo.
"Um, don't worry about it." Momo simply answered.
Spiral had entered the mostly dark principal's office.
"Welcome." The principle's voice echoed through the room. Like with Momo, she kept herself hidden by having her chair pointed toward the lone open window. "Let's get straight to business. You already know that Mr. Madaro had perished yesterday, but what you don't know was… that it was murder."
"Murder?" Spiral muttered before thinking to himself. *Well, if it was murder, that pretty much narrows the suspect down to… everyone here.*
"But there was something strange about the condition of his corpse." The principal continued. "It was dangling from a rope like a warning. And there was something else."
The principal snapped her fingers and the room lit up, blinding Spiral for a moment. She then turned her chair around, revealing herself as the woman who had investigated the old house the other day.
"Mr. Madaro wasn't the first who had died this way." She continued. "Momo's grandfather perished in a similar way, aside from the 'dangling from the rope' part."
"How do you know this?" Spiral interrogated her.
"I was the one who told Momo in the first place." She responded without hesitation. "To continued, both of their corpses had similar autopsy results. But when both of their corpses were found, a mirror was alongside them. A have a feeling this is the key to solving this mystery."
"So, it's like a calling card?" Spiral asked.
"I experimented with it a little bit, but that appears to not be the case." She stated as she pointed to a huge mirror that was next to Spiral. "Try putting your hand on the glass."
Spiral cautiously placed his right hand on the mirror and his hand dipped through it like it was a pool of water.
"The Guardians grant their wielder powers which you cannot possibly imagine." She clarified. "A mirror reflects a person's appearance, as well as their personality. But the mirror hides many things. Go on. Put your whole body in the mirror. I promise you that if anything happens, I will pull you out."
Spiral was a bit hesitant to go further.
"I have a feeling that you're friend Shroud might be the next victim."
Spiral couldn't believe that something like that came from her mouth.
"… Are you responsible for this?" Spiral interrogated her and he was not joking around.
"I am not." She simply answered before clarifying. "Momo's grandfather was an old friend of mine and Mr. Madaro did not deserve death. I had no reason to kill either of them."
Spiral felt a certain degree of sincerity from her and went all the way into the mirror.
When Spiral entered the world within the mirror, he looked around. It wasn't really much of anything except a platform and an elevator.
"What the hell is this place?" Spiral muttered to himself.
"It is a place that reflects humans."
A voice came out of nowhere that sounded like a little girl. Spiral turned around to see that there was a very little girl, but something was incredibly off about her (clearly, since she came out of nowhere).
"Who-Who are you?" Spiral seemed a little scared.
"I am a spirit of vengeance, of someone who no longer exists." The mysterious girl said. "If you are looking for the person who was sent in here, take the elevator and go to floor B1."
The little girl then vanished into thin air.
"That was creepy." Spiral said to himself.
Spiral carefully (with a hint of paranoia) went inside the elevator and pressed the button that said 'B1'. The elevator then went down until it hit the designated floor. When the doors opened, it revealed the particular section as a deserted city street with puddles of blood and tombstones everywhere. It was so creepy, that Spiral wasn't sure whether or not he fell asleep in class and is experiencing a nightmare. But then Spiral looked at one of the tombstones and saw a name inscribed on it.
"Why?"
Spiral heard Shroud's voice, but it echoed and felt distant.
"Shroud, is that you?" Spiral called out to him.
"Why did you all have to die? I'm all alone because of the decision you made. We planned for us to go to the zoo first, but then you suggested we should go to the mall. Look where that decision took you all."
"What are you talking about? !" Spiral didn't understand what was going on; thinking Shroud himself was saying those things.
"You're all nothing but shrouds of my past now. Shroud… that is my new name. It's perfect for me… because it'll be ironic."
Spiral was completely confused, but he looked at the tombstone again. It read 'Here lies Alicia Cloud, loving daughter and doting sister'.
"New name…" Spiral thought for a moment. "So, did Shroud change his name after something…"
Spiral couldn't find the right words to describe what was happening around him. But something was creeping up behind Spiral and when it tapped Spiral on the shoulder, Spiral was startled by it.
"Nyaahh!" Spiral exclaimed as he turned around and saw that who tapped him was Shroud. "Please tell me you're the real Shroud and not a ghost."
"What are you talking about? I'm not a ghost." Shroud said. "Where are we? I don't want to be here. It scares me."
"More like it brings back really bad memories." An eerie but familiar voice said.
Spiral and Shroud turned around to reveal that the thing that just said that… was Shroud.
"Wait, why are there two of you?" Spiral became even more confused. "Is one of you an imposter?"
"No, neither of us is an imposter." The thing that looked like Shroud said. "Who is right next to you is the person people believe is Shroud. I am the truth about him, who Shroud truly is."
"What?" The Shroud next to Spiral didn't entirely understand.
"How long are you going to delude others? Including yourself." The other Shroud asked. "Your family died and you changed your name so you could erase your own past; to forget about what happened and start over again to make amends. 'Shroud' is what you call yourself now because you blind others only to bring them on the proper path. Your family didn't follow the agenda and as a result, they died. You tried to keep everyone on the path you deemed right so no one else would have to die again. We can't expect a deity to save us because they don't exist, that's why none of us were baptized. That's also why I must take matters into my own hands. If people don't follow that path, they are sure to die… just like the others. But this is causing people to dislike you, making you farther from them on an emotional level."
"What makes you think I think like that? !" Shroud argued with his doppelganger. "I have a very complex mind! People like me! They're grateful about what I've been doing!"
"Stop deluding yourself; they kicked you out of their home! But you're right about your mind being complex." The doppelganger said. "That means there's only one logical explanation as to how I can understand it: I am you."
"How can you be me? !" Shroud became more agitated.
"I am your Demon. The emotions that make you suffer." The doppelganger enlightened Shroud. "The suffering that occurs deep within your heart."
"No! NO! This can't be true!" Shroud seemed to be suffering.
"No matter how you slice it, I am the truth."
"NO! YOU'RE NOT ME!"
There was a silence in the area… until Shroud's Demon smirked.
"That's right… I'm not you… not anymore…" Shroud's Demon said as he started to glow a scary red aura. "I'm me now!"
The Demon looked at Shroud with an evil, murderous look in his eye that made Shroud tremble and shiver to the point where he was frozen in place.
"And that means… you can't exist anymore." The Demon snickered as his hand turned into a pistol and pointed it at Shroud. "Goodbye, whoever you are."
BFOOM!
The gunshot went off, but Shroud didn't have a bullet in his head. Spiral had knocked Demon Shroud's hand out of the way so that the gun fired off into the air.
"If you want to get to him, you'll have to get through me first." Spiral pretty much challenged the Demon.
"Are you suggesting that we duel?" Demon Shroud asked.
"I am! If you win, you're free to do whatever you want." Spiral confirmed.
"Very well then. You'll die just like the 'real me' will." Demon Shroud stated as the red aura enveloped his left hand and left eye, which became a Duel Disk and Duel Gazer.
"Let's Duel!" They both shouted, ready to start the duel.
Spiral (LP 4000) Demon Shroud (LP 4000)
"I'll start!" Spiral said as he drew his first card. "I'll set a monster face-down in defense mode and one card face-down!"
"My turn now!" Demon Shroud drew his card and smirked. "I first activate the Field Spell Demon Circle! Now when I Normal Summon a Demon or Demonic monster, I can Special Summon another one! I now summon Demonic Destroyer (Lv.4 1750/1550) in attack mode!"
A toy robot with red eyes and a red aura appeared on the field.
"Now I use Demon Circle to Special Summon another Demonic Destroyer!" Demon Shroud said. "Now I use the other effect of Demon Circle. By paying 500 Life Points, I can Special Summon a Demon or Demonic monster from my hand! I summon Hive Mind Demon (Lv.2 650/200)!"
A small baby with a large device on his head appeared on the field.
Spiral (LP 4000) Demon Shroud (LP 3500)
"For every other Demon or Demonic monster I have, Hive Mind Demon gains 1 Level!" Demon Shroud explained his card's effect. "Since I have 2 Demonic Destroyers, Hive Mind Demon gains 2 Levels! Now I overlay my Level 4 Demonic Destroyers and Hive Mind Demon!"
Rather than enter a cosmic vortex, the three demon monsters fused with Demon Shroud and his form began to shift. An explosion of red energy briefly blinded everyone and when it subsided, Demon Shroud had transformed into a huge mech equipped with Gatling guns on its shoulders and a cannon on its back. But the strangest thing about it was that in the center was a cockpit with a baby in it.
"I am a Demon… from within your heart." Demon Shroud said. "I Xyz Summon Demon Mech Embryo Ironmonger (Rank 4 2700/2100)! Now I activate my effect! Each turn, I can use an Xyz Material Monster to destroy one of your monsters and inflicted with damage equal to its attack points!"
Embryo Ironmonger (aka Demon Shroud) aimed his cannon at Spiral's face-down monster and fired. It was incredibly powerful, but Spiral's monster was Legendary Herald (Lv.2 500/500), an orange ball with wings. The blast inflicted Spiral with 500 points of damage.
Spiral (LP 3500) Demon Shroud (LP 3500)
"Since Legendary Herald was sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Legend-type monster with 2000 or less attack points! I summon the Tuner Legendary Guardian Wall Golem (Lv.2 0/1800) in defense mode!"
"Then I'll just pay 500 more Life Points to summon a third Demonic Destroyer!" Demon Shroud responded to the attack. "And another 500 to summon Demonic Wizard (Lv.3 1600/900)!"
Spiral (LP 3500) Demon Shroud (LP 2500)
Demon Shroud had summoned a wizard with red eyes and a black cloak, but there was a red aura around him.
"For each Spell and Trap on my field, he gains 200 attack points!" Demon Shroud stated as his Wizard gained 200 attack points for his Field Spell. "Now I'll destroy your Wall Golem!"
*If Spiral doesn't do something to avoid those attacks, he's finished! And I'm finished!* Shroud thought.
"I activate the Trap Guarding the Future!" Spiral retaliated. "Since a Legend-type monster was destroyed this turn, you can't destroy any Level 4 or lower Legend-type monsters on my field until the End Phase!"
Wall Golem barely withstood the barrage of bullets from Embryo Ironmonger's Gatling guns.
"Since I have no other cards in my hand, I have no choice but to end my turn!" Demon Shroud ended his turn.
*I have to think about this next move carefully!* Spiral thought as he drew his next card. "Since I have a Legend-type monster in my Graveyard, I can Normal Summon Legendary Guardian YX-19 (Lv.5 2100/1500) without a Tribute! Since I Normal Summoned a Legend-type monster successfully, I can Special Summon the Tuner Legendary Guardian Aviary (Lv.3 1500/700)! And since I control a non-Tuner Legend-type monster like YX-19, I can Special Summon the Tuner Legendary Guardian Flame Lancer (Lv.3 1200/700)! Now I equip Wall Golem with the Synchro Boost Equip Spell to increase both his points by 500 and his Level by 1! Now I overlay Level 3 Wall Golem and Flame Lancer to Xyz Summon Legendary Guardian Blade (Rank 3 2100/2000)! Since I used Wall Golem as a Material Monster, Blade gains 1000 defense points! Now I tune Aviary with YX-19 to Synchro Summon Legendary Guardian Cosmos (Lv.8 2900/2300)!"
Out of the Synchro Light appeared a majestic woman with black hair, a shiny crown and a dress that sparkled like the stars.
"Now I use Cosmos' ability!" Spiral activated an effect. "Each turn, I can banish a monster from my Graveyard and at the turn's End Phase, I can Special Summon it! I banish YX-19! Now, Cosmos, attack Embryo Warmonger!"
Cosmos charged up a ball of space in her hands and shot it at Embryo Warmonger, but Demonic Destroyer got in the way and was destroyed, inflicting Demon Shroud with 1150 points of damage.
Spiral (LP 3500) Demon Shroud (LP 1350)
"I should have mentioned that as long as Demon Circle is out, you can't attack one of my Xyz Demon or Demonic monsters if I control another monster!" Demon Shroud pointed out. "So you can't attack me yet!"
"Fine, I'll just have Blade attack your Wizard!"
Blade used his swords to slash Demonic Wizard and destroy him, inflicting Demon Shroud with 500 more points of damage.
Spiral (LP 3500) Demon Shroud (LP 1050)
"I end my turn by placing a card face-down! That ends my turn and YX-19 is Special Summoned!"
"I now I'm going to obliterate you!" Demon Shroud stated. "I now use a Xyz Material to destroy your Cosmos!"
Embryo Ironmonger aimed his cannon at Cosmos and fired, but YX moved next to her and formed a shield that blocked the blast.
"What's happening? !"
"Both Cosmos and YX-19 have the effect to prevent other monsters from being affected by card effects!" Spiral explained. "Since I have both, you can't touch them with your effects, but I still take damage."
The blast almost hit Spiral and inflicted him with 2900 points of damage.
Spiral (LP 600) Demon Shroud (LP 1050)
"The Guardians are all about protecting each other." Spiral began to preach. "And since I have Blade out, you can only attack him."
"That'll still be enough to finish you off!" Demon Shroud boasted as he aimed his Gatling guns at Blade. "Time to die!"
"Not so fast! I activate the Trap Half Unbreak!" Spiral responded to Shroud's attack. "This not only prevents my monster from being destroyed, but the damage I take is halved!"
A bubble surrounded Blade and the Gatling gun bullets bounced off of it and hit Spiral with 300 points of damage. The bullet hit him in the arm and there was a bloody wound where it hit him.
Spiral (LP 300) Demon Shroud (LP 1050)
"AGH! This actually hurts! What the hell kind of augmented reality is this? !" Spiral exclaimed in pain.
"This isn't augmented reality." Demon Shroud enlightened. "This is a Shadow Game where even the damage you take is real."
"Doesn't matter! Because I'm still going to defeat you!" Spiral drew his card, but it hurt his arm. "Cosmos, attack Embryo Ironmonger!"
Cosmos charged up another ball of spatial energy and shot it at Embryo Ironmonger, inflicting him with 200 points of damage. Then Embryo Ironmonger exploded and his Life Points were reduced to 0.
Spiral (LP 300) Demon Shroud (LP 0)
"What just happened?" Spiral wondered as he looked at the effect. "Oh, when it's destroyed in battle, the controller takes 2000 damage. Well, that saves me a little time."
Demon Shroud returned to his previous state and stood up.
"Does it want more?" Shroud asked.
"Wait! If that thing went berserk after you denied it… why not just accept it?" Spiral suggested.
"… You know what?" Shroud spoke up. "… You're right." Shroud walked up to his Demon self. "I did want to control others so no one would have to die anymore. But deep down, I knew that all it really did was make people hate me. I didn't want to lose Spiral or anyone like I did my family."
"Shroud…" Spiral started to speak. "People are going to die and there's nothing you can do about it. I know… and Momo knows."
Shroud's eyes became teary and he sobbed. "I-I can't b-believe you guys still care for me after everything I did!" Shroud then dried his tears and looked at his Demon. "I'm going to change… so people will like me more… will like you more. Because… you are me."
Demon Shroud then transformed into a similar mech as Embryo Ironmonger, but this one had gear-like joints and armor on its body and was much skinnier and not as bulky. It then transformed into a Xyz Monster card that floated down into Shroud's hand.
"Gungear… Is this a new card?" Shroud asked.
"It looks like it…" Spiral answered. "But it's yours and no one else's… because this card is a part of who you are…"
Shroud then looked at the grave that listed Alicia Cloud.
"Spiral, I know you saw this grave." Shroud said. "Alicia was my twin sister and possibly the person I was attached to the most. She cared for me and helped me through everything. Her death left me scared… but not anymore. I have you, Naoto, Momo and everyone else now."
"Yes, now let's get back to them." Spiral suggested as they left for the elevator.
Spiral and Shroud came out of the mirror in the principal's office and she greeted both of them
"Welcome back." The principal seemed glad that they were both okay. "I trust that you have discovered some new information that can shed some light on this investigation."
"Who are you?" Shroud asked.
"I'm your principal." She answered.
"I heard you kept yourself in the shadows or that you were killed by the vice principal so she could gain your position." Shroud said.
Vice Principal Tsuneko Chino overheard that last comment in her office. "I'm going to suspend whoever the hell started that rumor…" She muttered angrily.
"I simply wanted to keep my identity a secret." The principal put the rumors to rest. "The only reason you two are able to see me now is because you are both now a part of this investigation. Spiral, care to share with me any information on what was on the other side of the mirror?"
"First, there was nothing except another elevator then a little girl appeared and vanished out of nowhere." Spiral told her. "When the elevator reached the only other floor, it was a city street. But it was more than that… there was blood and tombstones everywhere. What's more… Shroud seemed to be connected to them. Then something called a Demon appeared that looked exactly like Shroud. It was saying how it was the 'real Shroud' and when Shroud rejected that idea, it went chaotic and tried to kill him, but if I wasn't there, he'd probably be dead."
"When I finally accepted that he was who I was, he became a card." Shroud said as he pulled out his new Gungear card.
"Hmmm… I think that provided enough information." The principal concluded. "Shroud, you know that Mr. Madaro and Momo's grandfather perished, right? Well, the world within the mirror explains how they died. Someone threw them into that world and they were killed by their inner demons. When they died, their bodies were released into our world again. But… they were only killed because they rejected themselves. In Shroud's case, he managed to accept who he was and gained a new power, both in your Deck and your personality. Also, there's something that I forgot to mention. Spiral, on Saturday night and this morning, did you notice that your bracelet emitting a glow on its bead?"
Spiral looked at the bracelet and saw that there was an orange bead on it. It wasn't glowing however.
"I… actually never noticed." Spiral answered.
"Well, pay attention to it from now on." The principal told him. "I was the one who sent you that bracelet. It connects directly to mine and I noticed that whenever someone entered the mirror, the bead glows. It will be imperative to this investigation as well as saving the lives of the victims. We will have to ask Shroud about how he ended up in there another time. I'm sure you've all had an exhausting day."
Spiral, Shroud, Naoto, Camaru, Aura, Chan, Chun, Momo, Lee and Hikari were all at a sushi shop with a huge spread.
"Today's was a big day!" Spiral announced. "Shroud has finally learned his lesson that you should never control people! Or condescend them. Or attempt to banish them like an exile."
"And to prove it, I'm going to do something I thought I'd never do." Shroud pulled out the contract that Spiral and Naoto had signed at the beginning of the semester. Shroud attempted to tear it up, but it was several pieces of paper and he could not tear it up.
"Are you making weakness so you don't have to tear it up?" Naoto asked.
"No!" Shroud rejected. "I really can't tear this up!"
"Let me try." Spiral was handed the papers and when he tried to tear them, he could barely rip them apart. "Wow, how many papers were in here again?"
Momo then took the papers and tore them up herself, without the need for anything other than her hands.
"Thank you." Shroud thanked Momo. "From now on, I'm going to be considerate, un-insulting and willing to try new things."
"That's very big of you." Camaru said. "What happened to bring about this sudden change?"
"Yeah, I mean people don't change like this overnight, right Chan?" Chun looked at her sister.
"Oh, huh? What?" Chan seemed to have been spacing out.
"Well, spacing out isn't like you." Chun started to giggle. "Is there something going on?"
"N-No! Of course not!" Chan said, slightly blushing.
"Well, you see-" Shroud was about to talk before Spiral tapped his shoulder. "AH! Why'd you scare me like that? !"
"Payback. When I found him, he did the same thing to me." Spiral responded before whispering to Shroud. "They won't believe that you changed because of a venture into another dimension."
"Right. I was… attacked by thugs and Spiral saved me from them." Shroud lied. "They beat me up because I did the same thing I did to you guys."
"Well, you finally realized where all of that would get you." Naoto said.
"I'm so proud of you, Shroud." Aura stated with a smile.
"Thank you for giving me a second chance, everyone!" Shroud never felt so happy in his life.
English Voice Cast
Todd Haberkorn Spiral
Maxey Whitehead Shroud/Demon Shroud
Kate Higgins Principal
Yuri Lowenthal Naoto
Kyle Herbert Camaru
Monica Rial Momo
Alexis Tipton Aura
Alison Viktorin Chan/Chun
Laura Bailey Hikari
Tom Gibis Lee
Preview
Shroud: I'm glad all of that's over!
Naoto: Yeah, and next chapter we get our new homeroom teacher. I heard it's supposed to be a dueling legend and… Wow.
Shroud: Who is it?
Naoto: …
Shroud: Naoto, who is it?
Momo: I think he's too distracted. Um… Spiral, what are you doing?
Spiral: … Uh, what? Oh, it's already time? ! The next chapter of Awakening of the Soul! New Homeroom Teacher's Appeal!
Momo: What do you mean by 'appeal'?"
Spiral: …
Momo: Spiral!
Spiral: Dah! What's happening to me? !
Spiral's Cards
Legendary Herald
Legend/Effect (ATK 500 DEF 500)
Level 2/LIGHT
When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 Legend-type monster with 2000 or less ATK other than "Legendary Herald" from your Deck in face-up Defense Position.
Guarding the Future
Trap
You can only activate this card during the turn a Legend-type you control was destroyed. Until the End Phase, Legend-type monsters you control cannot be destroyed.
Legendary Guardian Cosmos
Legend/Synchro/Effect (ATK 2900 DEF 2300)
Level 8/DARK
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Legend-type monsters
As long as this card remains face-up on the field, other monsters you control are unaffected and cannot be targeted by card effects. Once per turn; You can banish 1 monster in your Graveyard. During the End Phase, Special Summon that monster. If you control a Xyz Monster: You can attach the summoned monster to that Xyz Monster as a Xyz Material Monster.
Demon Shroud's Cards
Demon Circle
Spell/Field
When you Normal Summon a "Demon" or "Demonic" monster: You can Special Summon 1 "Demon" or "Demonic" monster from your hand. You can pay 500 Life Points : Special Summon 1 "Demon" or "Demonic" monster from your hand. If you control a face-up "Demon" or "Demonic" Xyz Monster and another "Demon" or "Demonic" monster: Your opponent cannot select a "Demon" or "Demonic" Xyz Monster you control.
Demonic Destroyer
Fiend (ATK 1750 DEF 1550)
Level 4/DARK
Hive Mind Demon
Fiend/Effect (ATK 650 DEF 200)
Level 2/DARK
Increase the Level of this card by 1 for each "Demon" or "Demonic" monster you control other than this card.
Demonic Wizard
Fiend/Effect (ATK 1600 DEF 900)
Level 3/DARK
Increase the ATK of this card by 200 for each Spell/Trap Card you control.
Demon Mech Embryo Ironmonger
Fiend/Xyz/Effect (ATK 2700 DEF 2100)
Rank 4/DARK
3 Level 4 "Demon" or "Demonic" Monsters
This card can only be destroyed as a result of battle. If this card is destroyed by your opponent: Inflict 2000 damage to the controller of this card. Once per turn; you can detach 1 Xyz Material Monster from this card to destroy 1 monster your opponent controls, and if you do, inflict damage equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster to your opponent.