Syrus was stood outside the classroom. Why? Even he didn't know why. But lesson had ended and now he waited for the class to empty. Was he waiting for Jaden? No he wasn't nor any of his other friends. He was waiting for someone he hadn't talked to before.
He opened his mouth to speak as she walked past him before it shut all of a sudden. He couldn't bring himself to do it; he couldn't bring himself to talk to Gale.
"Why did you pause Syrus?" Jadens friendly voiced asked from behind him. He yelped before turning round his eyes wide.
"Jaden don't do that!" He yelled at him his fists clenched.
"So Syrus looks like you got your eyes on a girl hmm?" Jaden asked with a wide smirk on his face, Syrus's face grew hot before he took a step backwards.
"Hey it's not like that I! Erm! I!" Syrus stammered a heat rising in his cheeks.
Bastion suddenly stepped out of the class room followed by Tyranno and tapped Jaden on the shoulder, "Jaden we need to speak to you"
"Really? All right Syrus I'll see you later" Jaden said with a small wave. Syrus at that point seemed to look around nervously before running off in one direction down the corridor.
"So what's up you two?" Jaden asked looked from Tyranno to Bastion.
"It's Chazz something's wrong with him" Bastion said with a frown on his face.
"Like what?" Jaden asked an eyebrow raised.
"He's staying locked up in his room" Tyranno explained watching as Jaden's face dropped "He refuses to come out except for meals and he keeps…laughing"
"Laughing?" Jaden asked in surprise, if Chazz had been through what he had then the last thing he would do is laugh.
"Well it's like a strangled life…like he's half laughing half in tears" Bastion added knowing exactly what Jaden was thinking.
"So he's been through the same thing as me" Jaden cursed his eyes lowing to the ground "It should have been me not him…"
"Well there's something else we need to tell you he is actually coming out today" Tyranno's words made Jadens head snap up in surprise.
"He is?"
"Yeah because that Rox guy has an announcement for duel academy and says Chazz needs to be their because of some bet they made?" He said before shrugging, "May as well go see what's up"
The two were about to turn and walk towards the duel arena when Jaden barged past them breaking into a run. The two looked at each other in a clueless way before shrugging and following on.
---
"Good evening my dear duel academy!" Pegasus called out cheerfully into the microphone. He was dressed in a sparkly red tuxedo. It made him look like a cheesy game show host but something about him allowed him to pull it off "I would like to welcome you all and thank you for turning up we have a very special match today!"
Once again the duel arena was filled up cheers and chants echoing around the audience. Pegasus sighed clearly loving the publicity as duellists chanted his name. Crowler stood in the audience grumbling, "I'm the guy that makes the announcements" he muttered bitterly.
"I am pleased to introduce Queen Axiss!" Pegasus called out. The lights in the duel arena suddenly dimmed and a spotlight appeared next to him before suddenly Axiss appeared in a poof of smoke still wearing her long hooded cloak. She dropped the hood before smiling as the audience roared, well to be exact the male audience who clearly enjoyed looking at the face of the beautiful woman.
"Hello boys and girls I'd like to thank you again now I must warn you that today is not a day for the faint of heart!"
As she went on Jaden followed by Bastion and Tyranno ran into the duel arena entrance in awe of the huge crowd that had flocked to the seats of the arena. He looked out towards the duel arena centre and watched as the raven haired woman finished her speech...
"…so let me introduce to you Rox and Chazz!"
Jaden's face lit up in confusion looking towards Bastion and Tyranno for some explanation.
The arena lights went up and in the blink of an eye Rox was now standing in the middle of the stage with a dangerous blood red duel disk that was covered in threatening black spikes.
"Good Evenin" He spoke with some enthusiasm but his face was still blank, "I'm sure I don't need to introduce Chazz" he gestured next to him.
Sure enough Chazz stood next to him. He looked terrible, his clothes were tattered and his hands were bandaged. Even though no one else knew it he was still wearing the same clothes as he had yesterday, the same clothes that he had worn during the shadow game.
"I challenged Chazz to a wager and said if he could beat a certain duellist then he would be able to duel me" He declared beginning to pace in front of Chazz. The audience began to cheer in anticipation.
"But Chazz failed his end of the wager and thus cannot duel me" The audience fell silent immediately; some sounds of disappointment went through the crowd.
"But there is hope for him yet because today I'm going to play that duellists partner who as I have heard is even more dangerous than the one Chazz faced" Jaden was now sure he saw Rox smirk a little as he paced.
"I plan on duelling this person with the score of eight thousand life points and I can beat him without going under the total of five thousand life points Chazz may duel me" He declared causing a stir in the audience. In a game of eight thousand life points he was bound to go under five thousand somehow.
"And I'm sure that persons here right now isn't he?" Rox asked aggressively. All the lights in the arena suddenly changed to a red colour.
Something appeared opposite Rox and Chazz in a ring of flames.
"You killed my sister" it spoke slowly as he got to his feet. Unlike Rai this one wore no face mask; he had pale skin and black hair that was slicked backwards. His mouth was covered by a red scarf that wrapped round his head, he wore a black ninja costume and there was a red duel disk on his arm.
"I will avenge her" he spoke slowly his eyes narrowed on Chazz "You will burn in hell on this night"
"He may do" Rox said as he took his place in front of the ninja "If you can beat me you get Chazz"
Chazz didn't flinch at how his life was being wagered. He was too busy cowering. The moment the ninja had appeared he had fallen over and curled up. He began muttering to himself telling himself it wasn't his fault.
"What are they saying?" Jaden asked Bastion even though he knew Bastion's guess was as good as his, they had no idea that a shadow game was about to take place.
"So be it" The ninja replied before the duel disk activated, the arena suddenly darkened. The only light being the red spot lights on the ninja and Rox and Chazz.
Jaden felt a trickle of fear run down his spine. He now knew what was going on, "Oh my god…" he spoke slowly his fists clenching as his breathing picked up.
"So what's your name?" Rox asked his red and black spiky duel disk activating as he drew five cards.
"My name is Yarou" he replied as he drew five cards. There was a silence before suddenly the sound of laughter filled the room. Rox was laughing. The originally stone cold looking duellist was now laughing to no end.
"You find my name amusing?" Yarou asked with a touch of venom in his voice.
"Yes because I already know what you're going to use!" He said with a chuckle, "Your going to use pyro monsters aren't you Yarou? Like the monster? Fire-Yarou" He chuckled. The ninja fell silent not answering as he stared at Rox.
"Oh come on it's obvious you wear a red scarf, the lighting of the shadow realm is red, your duel disk is red and even your name is a fire monster like Rai's name came from the magic card Raimei" He chuckled before the look vanished from his face into that same stone cold gaze, "Admit it"
"I won't admit anything" The ninja replied looking at his cards as if embarrassed.
"Then you can go first and prove me wrong" He said his gaze never faltering.
The ninja drew a card before slapping one onto the duel disk, "I play Molten Destruction" he called out and a magic card of a volcano appeared on the field, "This makes all my fire monsters-"
"Told you" he interrupted with a slight tone of humour in his voice, the ninja ignored the comment.
"I now can increase my fire types by 500 attack points and lower their defence points by 400" The ground beneath them rumbled before suddenly a giant volcano emerged from behind Yarou.
"And now I summon The Thing in the Crater" A miniature volcano suddenly rose from the ground in front of Yarou, darkness formed in the centre of it before two blues eyes appeared in it. A body of shadow formed from out of the volcano looking down on Rox. (1500/800)
"Your move" he called out Rox drew a card without blinking twice at the creature that was now swaying from side to side.
"I summon in attack mode" he placed down a card on his disk, a red pattern suddenly appeared on the field before him "My Blood Clan Luster Dragon"
The pattern flew off the ground and formed into a ball of red liquid before it formed into a creature. A dragon with a thin body and a beak like head with a black marking on it, it landed on the ground in front of the shadow creature before roaring. (1900/1800)
The crowd whispered to each other. Yet again a new form of card had been introduced; yet again the opponent would have no idea how to combat it.
"And I'll play one card face down" he called out before playing a card face down card, "And I'll attack"
He pointed at Yarou's creature before Luster dragon flew at it and fired a crimson fireball from its mouth. It ripped through the shadow creature before blowing up the miniature volcano on the ground. The lava flew in different directions before reforming on the spot where the creature had been blown up.
Yarou's life points: 7600
"Now I activate my monsters ability to summon another fire type from my hand when it's destroyed!" The lava formed into a rock like body with a huge metal gauntlet for an arm, two green eyes peering from a menacing head "Molten behemoth in defence mode" (1500/1800)
"I activate my face down card" Rox declared and a card with a metal ring on it with several flaming blades on it "This is my own version of ring of destruction called Sword Ring of Self Sacrifice it destroys the monster we each take half of it's original attack power to our life points now seeing as your cards original attack power is 1000 we each take 500"
The same metal ring appeared around Molten Behemoth. It tightened around it before the rock body of the behemoth was sliced up by the multiple blades on the ring.
A blade from the ring flew off in both directions and hit both of them in the chest. Yarou was thrown backwards clutching the blade with a cry of pain; Rox just stood his arms folded as it embedded itself in his chest before reaching around the blade and pulling it out. He didn't even wince.
Rox's life points: 7500
Yarou's life points: 7100
"What the hell" Tyranno murmured in shock. There was blood! Actual blood on those blades and yet Rox hadn't even batted an eye lid.
"Now we can special summon a monster from our hands with the same level or lower as the destroyed monster" Rox explained looking through his hand.
"I now special summon my Blood Skull Dragon Level 5 in attack mode" He called out not even recognising the pain, a new scarlet symbol appeared next to the Luster dragon before it formed into a new dragon. The dragon that appeared had a muscular red body and giant wings, its head had two sharp red eyes that looked out from a black skull with two huge horns, the creature definitely looked bigger and more threatening than any of Chazz's Armed Dragons. (2500/2000)
Yarou got to his feet slowly before looking up at the dragon with a small groan of discomfort as he clutched the blade that had embedded itself in the side of his rib cage, "I summon my Mr Volcano in attack mode" (2600/800)
A red haired man dressed in a white shirt and black trousers wearing a cloak. The man clicked his fingers and a flame appeared on the end of his finger.
"Now just try and attack me"
"Well I could or I could end my battle phase and play two more cards face down"
"I now sacrifice Mr Volcano to summon Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch in attack mode!" (2900/1000)
Like Zaborg the creature that appeared from the flames of the volcano had armour similar to a samurai's armour. It had huge spike covered arms and there was a fireball glowing in both hands.
"And he has an effect by being summoned I can select one card at random from your hand and discard it! If it's a monster then I can decrease your life points by 100 per level of the monster" Yarou declared, the monster landed before Rox and pointed to his hand of three cards.
"I select the one of the right" He declared. Rox didn't seem bothered as he put the card in his graveyard, "Now inflict the damage Thestalos!"
Thestalos didn't do anything except take a step backwards and land in front of Yarou.
"Who says the card I discard was a monster? And who says I didn't want that to happen?" Rox called out his voice filled with a little delight "The card you discarded is called Grave of the Dragon Slayer"
The ground shook beneath them before a giant golden tomb stone appeared on the field in front of Rox. It had the head of a dragon on the top of it with a sword through its head.
"Now usually if I activate it I can add a certain monster to my hand…but if it's discarded by your card effects I can special summon it to the field"
"Special summon what?"
"My Skull Knight Buster Blader" The tomb stone shattered in a stream of red light before it formed into a white armoured knight, well it would have been white armour if it were not for the blood that painted its armour in different tints. Its helmet was V shaped and broken in from one side to reveal a starch white skull beneath it. In its hands it held a menacing black blade that was even bigger than the creature that wielded it. It landed on the ground gripping the blade between both hands and raised it above its head. (2600/2300)
"Why should I care it's no match for my Firestorm Monarch?"
"True but the thing is he does come with an effect first of all he gains 500 for every dragon on your side of the field and graveyard"
"And I have none" Yarou replied his face blank.
"True but here's the thing my Skull Knight Buster Blader lets me sacrifice one of my dragons during my turn to also increase his attack by 500" Rox called out and pointed from Buster Blader to the Luster Dragon, "So next turn I'll sacrifice Luster to raise his attack power….unless.."
"I destroy him this turn" Yarou answered looking at the Buster Blade as it swung it's sword in a threatening manner.
"Yes and if you even try to do that then I will destroy you" He motioned to the two cards he had face down looking at him with a small smirk teasing on the corner of his mouth.
"I play Mystical Space Typhoon on…" He looked from right on left at both of the cards before pointing at the one on the right "The right one"
A tornado appeared around the right face down card sending a bolt of lightning through it which disintegrated the card.
"Good you got rid of my Magicians Slight of Hand trap card!" He called out, "When this is destroyed by a magic card then I can draw cards until I have five cards in my hand"
Yarou watched as a trap card with two gloved hands shuffling a deck of cards appeared before shattering. Rox drew five cards from his deck, "And before you ask yes…yes I did set you up"
Yarou gave a growled of frustration before Rox threw up his hand to silence him, "But I am telling you the truth if you don't destroy my monster your going to lose next turn"
Yarou seemed to be struggling with his answer. Should he withhold an attack and hope he wouldn't be killed in the next turn? No that would be playing into his hand, he wanted him to not attack so that he could spare his buster blader for the next turn when he would use the ability to increase its attack points.
"I attack with my Monarch! Monarch Fire Storm Attack!" He yelled out and the Monarch rose its mighty arms, a ball of intense heat forming between its hands before it fired it in a spiral of fire.
"You were good to think your move over but I was prepared for either out come" Rox said the smirk on the corner of his mouth growing wider "I now activate my Blood Clan Vamperic Shield!"
A card with a picture of a vampire knight on it in black armour and holding a shield with a wicked face on it appeared. The same shield appeared on Buster Bladers arm, it shot a wave of darkness out which met the firestorm head on and forced it back towards the monarch.
"With this shield I can negate your attack and add half the attack power to my life points on top of that its attack is now halved until the end of your turn" The darkness wrapped around the Monarch turning it a darker shade of colour. (1450)
Rox's life points: 8700
"Fucking kid..." Yarou muttered bitterly looking through his hand. This was the difference between him and Rai, while she had relied on powerful strategies he worked on powerful offence. He was already feeling overwhelmed.
"I play two cards face down and end my turn" he spoke bitterly the colour returning to his Monarch as two cards appeared behind it. (2900)
"Well then" Rox began as he drew a card from his deck. He smirked before looking towards Chazz who was still collapsed on the floor, "Feel lucky that you're not going to die today"
He turned back towards Yarou before placing a card in his graveyard, "First I'm going to use my Blood dragon's ability and discard The Blood Clans Three Headed Behemoth to the graveyard (1500/900) so I can destroy any monster on the field with higher attack than my blood dragon!"
Yarou looked at his Monarch in alarm as the dragon rose above him its mouth opening and charging a ball of crimson flame in its mouth. It threw its head back letting out a deafening roar before throwing his head forward the fire ball launching at the Monarch and blowing it into pieces, shattered armour plates flying in all directions.
Yarou looked uneasily at the line of monsters ready to attack him, but it wouldn't matter how many they had he knew he would still be able to come back from this with the two cards he had face down.
"Those cards of yours aren't going to help you know" Rox called out his arms crossed. Yarou glared at him for a moment before suddenly noticing that the two dragons on Rox's side of the field were beginning to glow in a purple light.
"What's going on?" Yarou asked uneasily, Rox began to grin as he watched Yarou stir.
"Tell me Yarou did you and your sister ever plan on challenging the king of games himself?" Rox asked the grin widening as Yarou blinked at him confused, "Did you ever plan on taking down Yugi Moto?"
"In time we did!" Yarou snapped at him his fist clenched "But now I must be the one to do it because of that murderer!"
"You're a delusional" Rox replied ignoring the comment about Chazz "You don't have the talent to beat Yugi Moto if you can't beat the card I'm going to summon next…" Rox said as he placed down the card on his duel disk carefully.
"What have you just played!" Yarou demanded.
"Yugi Moto's favourite card"
"What? You mean the dark magician?" Yarou asked the tone of his voice suddenly changing to a mix of confusion and fear. The crowd around them began to chatter in excitement, they were going to see the Dark Magician.
"Well yes you are…but let me tell you that in my deck the Dark Magician went under a little change just like Buster Blader" Rox's smirk faded from his face "In my deck the two were reborn from the graveyard" He began to run his finger along the edge of his duel disk "One as an un dead warrior and one…as a vampire"
"A Vampire?" Bastion choked in shock the three of them now running down the stairs of the duel arena to get a closer look as fierce purple light enveloped the stage.
"I now sacrifice my Luster and Blood dragon to summon the legendary magician who has now been both blessed and cursed with the Vampire's bite!" The light tore away the two dragons now forming a figure in the middle of the light.
"I play The Vampire Magician" (2500/2300)
The light faded and revealed the dark magician himself. Dressed in his usual spell caster outfit but yet something was different. Instead of being purple his costume was completely black. His skin was deathly pale and eyes were red. He twirled his green staff in the air before bringing it down his mouth twisting into a grin to reveal a set of fangs.
"He really is a vampire!" Jaden exclaimed his eyes wide "This guy's deck is even more powerful than the last!"
"I feel hurt" A voice came from besides Jaden causing him to jump as he noticed that Al had appeared besides him. His Black Labrador at his feet who seemed to be watching the duel with interest.
"Well I mean it is impressive that's all-" Jaden began before noticing that Al wasn't paying attention. His face was blank as he watched the scene before them.
"Rox always liked the Dark Magician and Buster Blader but since Yugi Moto is perhaps the only one to possess such creatures Rox needed a new set…something to make him as much of a legend as Yugi Moto" He looked towards Jaden, Bastion and Tyranno still watching the display.
"Impressed?" Rox asked "Well you should also know this card comes with an ability that I can add any magic card with 'blood' in its title to my hand"
He looked through his deck before placing the card in his hand the smirk on his face now a wide grin, "But before I activate it I now play Polymerization to fuse both my monsters together…"
Yarou looked up in alarm as both monsters flew into the orange spiral merging together into purple and white light. It began to form into a figure before turning completely red and exploding in the air.
"From these two I've now created Blood Dragon Vampire Dracoia!" The new warrior fell onto his feet in front of Rox. Yarou's eyes widened.
"The Dark Paladin?" He called out confused. Sure enough the fusion looked exactly like the dark paladin minus the fact that instead of grey hair his was jet black and longer, his eyes were the same blood red and his teeth were all fangs as he grinned. His armour was blood red and he wore a tattered black cape. In his hand he held a long jagged dark red sword that he sliced through the air. He looked towards Yarou his tongue licking at his fangs. (2900/2500)
"By the way you should know that like the Dark Paladin he gains 500 for every dragon in my graveyard and your graveyard" The spirits of the former dragons began to swirl around Dracoia before they dived and plunged into the blood red sword.
(4600/2500)
"That's a lot of attack power…" Yarou breathed but kept reminding himself he still had the face down cards to rely on and his life points were still higher.
"True but remember when I brought a blood magic card to my hand? Well it's time I used it I play Possession Of The Blood Count" A magic card with a picture of a human being with glowing red eyes, bite marks on his neck and a shadow like creature in the background appeared.
"This can only be equipped to Blood Monsters and my life points have to be higher than yours…because you see with this I can take the spirit of the Blood Count himself and put it in Dracoia's body and raise his attack power by a number of life points I want to give up"
The shadow of Dracoia suddenly had two glowing red eyes. The very shadow itself suddenly rose from the floor becoming a silhouette creature. It opened its mouth to reveal fangs and bit into the neck of Dracoia. Dracoia didn't scream as it bit into him, he welcomed it.
"I give up 3700 of my life points" The shadow of the creature suddenly merged with Rox's shadow. A glowing red aura surrounded Rox before the shadow dove into the bite mark on Dracoia's neck.
Rox's life points: 5000
Dracoia's attack power: 8200
Yarou's life points: 7100
"Now I can take away all your life points! Dracoia attack!" The knight raised his sword a maniacal look on his face before he ran at Yarou with his sword out in front of him.
"First I activate poison of the old man to increase my life points by 1200 so even if you do attack me then I'll manage to survive with 100 of my life points!" A magic card with an old man holding strange vials appeared. One of the vials appeared above Yarou.
"I discard one card to the graveyard to stop the activation of your spell!" As he placed the card in the graveyard Dracoia held out his free hand. The same multicoloured light shone around the vial before it was smashed to pieces.
"And since I discarded my blood dragon level 4 he gains an extra 500 attack power" The spirit of the dragon appeared over Dracoia before it merged with the blade he held.
(8700)
"So your monster really is just like the legendary dark paladin" Yarou said trying hold back the stunned expression from behind his scarf.
"Yes he is but in most ways he's better" Rox answered his eyes narrowing on Yarou.
"It doesn't matter because I now activate widespread ruin that can destroy the monster on your side of the field with the strongest attack!" A trap card with a gigantic explosion on it flipped up. A bomb suddenly appeared before the card its fuse running out.
"Now you'll be defenceless! Blow him up!" The bomb exploded sending a massive explosion flying towards Dracoia. The crowd screamed as the explosion echoed through the duel arena, covering their ears or eyes as the explosion engulfed Dracoia.
"Now were even-" Yarou was cut off; the explosion was beginning to swirl as if it were caught in the middle of a tornado.
And then a clean hole was blown straight through its centre revealing an unharmed Dracoia standing with his sword held out in front of him. The explosion withered away as he swung his sword once more.
"What the hell just happened?" Yarou yelled out in alarm.
"This is why he's better Dracoia lets me discard cards not only to negate magic but trap cards as well" He placed his last card in the graveyard before looking towards Dracoia "I'll send to the grave another Blood Clan Luster dragon meaning he goes up by 500 more attack points"
(9200)
He pointed at Yarou his eyes narrowing on him; Dracoia swung his sword once more before pointing it towards him.
"Now attack" He commanded and Dracoia leapt into the air. The blade of his sword turned to a bloody red before he swung the sword. The red blade flew towards Yarou before exploding into thousands of blood coloured spears.
They flew towards him at an incredible speed. He screamed as he watched them fly towards him.
"Hit the lights" Rox muttered to one side.
The duel arena lights suddenly shut off. Screams of alarm echoing through out the darkness.
----
When the lights lifted Rox was holding his duel disk high, Yarou was lying on the ground in front of him. He did not move.
Yarou's life points: 0
"Well that's the end of that" Al sighed before walking away from Jaden.
"Hey wait a minute who the hell are you guys?" Jaden yelled after him, "That was a shadow game! Did he just kill Yarou? Why do you guys know about Shadow games?"
Al paused before turning slowly. His Black Labrador at his feet nuzzling against him. He blinked twice at Jaden before looking towards Bastion and Tyranno and the back at Jaden.
"Just who are you guys?" Jaden asked again his eyes narrowed on Al. Al took a breath before crossing his arms.
"We are the representatives of God, the symbols of divine punishment sent down to dispose of all heretics that oppose the word of our Lord" He said his face blank and emotionless as he stared at Jaden Yuki who now looked taken back by the sentence, Bastion and Tyranno looked towards each other with a clueless expression
"R…really?" Jaden asked his voice shaky.
"No I just like saying that" Al said turning his back to them, the three duellists looking at him blankly before growling in frustration.
Al looked back over his shoulder at Jaden, his eyes narrowed before he murmured; "Jaden Yuki I hope you are prepared to face the shadows one more time…because if any of you aren't ready then you shall die"
He left the three in silence. His Black Labrador at his heels. They couldn't help but shudder a little as the dog trotted past them at his side. It was like something cold had hit them in the spine.