Turn 04 – Connecting Souls and Entrance Exams
It was a beautiful brisk October day in Domino City. The city was filled with its usual hustle and bustle of people doing their daily routines during the fall season. The day appeared to be a normal one, which considering the city's history for abnormal events was a blessing in disguise. Yet this was an exception for the now fifteen year old Yuki Judai. Judai who was currently walking peacefully through the city toward his destination was soon deterred when his spiritual senses picked up a powerful aura. Judai not being one to ignore such a thing changed his course in direction and started following the trail of the peculiar aura. When he was getting closer to where the power was, Judai recognized that it was a very familiar presence of light that was leading him towards the park.
"At least I'm sure that it's not the Light of Ruin, but I still need to be sure it's the real deal. Better to be safe than sorry after all," thought Judai as he entered the park.
Judai halted for a moment as he closed his eyes and concentrated more on the power that he was searching for. Like the first time he felt it, the light was powerful yet there was no evil in it. However now Judai could feel warmth and goodness radiating from this light confirming to him more that it was the same good light of the Holy Spirit that was inside of him. Now more curious than cautious, Judai ventured further into the park and resumed perusing the other source of light. As he continued sprinting towards the source of light, Judai took quick note that the trail was leading him into the more secluded area in the park as the number of people around grew fewer. Going deeper into the park Judai soon stopped in his tracks when his eyes saw the person up ahead.
"No way, he's the source of the light!" thought Judai in shook before the person's kind masculine voice spoke.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," joked the man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties and was currently sitting on a park bench feeding the birds.
The man hadn't looked in his direction, yet Judai knew that the comment was directed at him. However Judai was completely speechless and shocked to respond back. An amused smile came to the man's lips as his eyes turned to the stunned teenager.
"Would you like to join me in feeding the birds?" the man asked Judai now turning to face the teenager.
The man's words had quickly registered to Judai as he was beginning to get over his shock. Judai's face soon became impassive despite knowing who the man was since he had learned a long time ago to never let his guard down no matter how harmless things looked. Gaining back his composure, Judai simply nodded as he sat down beside the man. The man handed Judai the small bag of bird seed from his hands and Judai cautiously took the bag from the man. Judai then poured some of the bird seed into one of his hands and tossed it to the ground before the birds swiftly went over to the fallen bird seed and started eating it. A small smile appeared on Judai's lips as he watched the birds eating and decided to throw some bird seeds a few more times before giving the bag back to the man. The man took back the bag gratefully before continuing to throw more food to the birds. Judai and the man continued taking turns feeding the birds which managed to break the tension Judai had first put up when he saw the man. There were several minutes of silence between them while feeding the birds before the man finally decided to break it.
"Are you a duelist?" asked the man causing Judai to jump slightly from the man's sudden interruption.
Seeing Judai's reaction made the man chuckle a bit.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he replied apologetically making a slight frown briefly cross Judai's face.
"That's ok; I shouldn't have gotten so distracted in the first place. And yes I'm a duelist," answered Judai seriously as his eyes focused intensively on the man beside him.
A slight frown came to the man's lips when he heard the tension rise in Judai's voice and seeing the suspicious look back on Judai's face made the man even more disappointed.
"I don't bite you know," he told Judai returning the boy's intense gaze with one of his own.
"Actually I don't know," Judai quickly retorted as his features hardened just a bit.
The man didn't seem offended by this; in fact a look of understanding soon crossed his features as he regarded the boy beside him.
"I apologize. Sometimes I forget what it's like to always have to be on your guard, especially when it comes to meeting new people. I've sure learned that lesson many times," stated the man as a nostalgic look momentarily crossed his face before he focused back on Judai.
Then to Judai's surprise, the man brought his open hand out toward Judai with a small smile on his lips.
"I'll let you see everything about me if it's the only way to gain your trust," the man announced causing Judai's eyes to widen in shock.
Judai knew exactly what the man was offering to him and that it wasn't something to take lightly at all. There were also two serious issues with the man's offer. One was that it went both ways, not only would he know everything about the man but the man would know everything about him. Since Judai wasn't one who liked divulging information about himself, especially given whom he was, he was very vary to do it. Yet the second reason was probably the most important one. If he agreed to this he would create a bond with the man that would be almost unbreakable. They would be connected by their very souls and Judai had no idea what kind of effects that would have on him. Not to mention the fact that if the man turned out to be untrustworthy being under the soul bond with him would be disastrous. He knew the Light of Ruin had attempted to trick him into something similar before and knew it would probably try the tactic again. So it was no surprise that Judai was very reluctant to take the man's hand.
The man could easily sense Judai's reluctance to take his hand which made him become more determined to gain the boy's trust even more.
"Judai, what made you come and find me in the first place?" he asked seriously.
Judai was instantly on high alert when the man said his name, knowing that he never told the man that piece of information. The man realized his mistake when he saw Judai's body tense and appear as though ready to attack him at any second. The man knew he had to fix this and quick before things turned bad between him and the teenager. The man turned his whole body to face Judai and placed his hands on Judai's shoulders.
"Please Judai, just answer my question," pleaded the man with a hint of desperation in his voice.
When the man had touched Judai, he had been ready to go on the offensive, yet hearing the sincerity in the man's plea had stopped Judai from making any further movements. Judai was still a bit unsure of the man but decided to adhere to his request and answer his question.
"I sensed the powerful light that's in you," he answered in a calmer tone which relieved the man greatly.
"Did you sense any evil from the light in me?" he asked Judai causing the said boy to turn his gaze from him.
"No," curtly answered Judai knowing that it was true.
"Do you sense any evil in me at all?" the man questioned as he finally took his hands from Judai's shoulders now sure that Judai would not be hostile towards him anymore.
Judai turned his gaze back to the man as his eyes turned a golden color. The man had been momentarily caught by surprise by the color change of Judai's eyes but it was not out of fright more so out of unexpectedness.
"It's been a long time since I've seen those eyes," the man thought lightheartedly.
The main remained quiet and still as Judai continued to search his soul for any trace of evil. When Judai was finished his eyes turned back to their chocolate brown and a small smile crossed his lips.
"No evil. Only light…the good one," replied Judai feeling more at ease now that he was sure the man would cause him no harm.
"And I can tell that you have the Holy Spirit inside of you too," commented the man with his own smile forming on his lips making Judai do a double take as he looked at the man.
"You believe in the Holy Spirit?" Judai asked with clear astonishment shown on his face causing the man to chuckle.
"Surprised?" he said with a grin to which a discomfited expression came on Judai's face.
"Well, honestly I would've never guessed you were a Christian considering…" Judai began though was quickly interjected.
"Well, I'm sure no one would ever guess you were one either considering…" the man retorted with a raised eyebrow, gaining a smirk from Judai.
"Touché," complimented Judai realizing the man had a point.
The tenseness had completely left and a friendly connection was now forming between the two, which is exactly what the man had been hoping for since Judai sat down beside him on the bench. Hoping for a better reaction this time, the man decided to remind Judai of his earlier proposal.
"The offer is still available if you're interested," the man told Judai bringing a thoughtful expression on his face.
Judai had almost forgotten about the man wanting to form a soul tie with him. However now that Judai was sure the man wasn't an enemy, he took the offer with more positive consideration.
"Why?" questioned Judai, now out of curiosity than suspicion.
"Let's just say it has something to do with why I know your name," he responded with a grin that let Judai know he had a secret that he couldn't wait to get out.
Judai turned away from the man as he subconsciously began twiddling with his fingers while he contemplated the situation more. A frown appeared on his tentative face as he voiced his uncertainty.
"I still don't know," Judai admitted, not looking at the man at all.
The man smiled with understanding as an idea came to his mind that would help Judai make his decision.
"You could ask the Holy Spirit about it," suggested the man causing Judai to look at the man in wonder once again.
"He talks to you too?" Judai couldn't help but ask which made the man's smile grow bigger.
"Of course, He has been talking to me for a long time. That's why I knew I had to be here waiting for you," the main proclaimed earnestly.
"I see," replied Judai, taking in what the man just revealed to him.
Deciding to take the man's advice, Judai closed his eyes and focused on the benevolent light residing in him. After a few moments, Judai opened his eyes and looked straight at the man's.
"He says I can trust you," Judai announced with a warm smile now forming on his lips.
"Will you?" the man inquired of Judai, holding his hand out for Judai to take.
Judai stared at the man's hand for a few seconds before finally making a decision.
"I will," stated Judai as his hand met with the man's in a strong grip.
The second their hands touched, Judai immediately felt the man's soul reach out to connect with his own. Judai's first reaction was to block the man's soul from touching his, but he quickly remembered that he could trust this man and so allowed their souls to link together. Judai was almost blown away when a part of the man's soul entered his own. Judai could now feel the absolute goodness pouring off the man's soul that completely warmed him from the inside out.
"The sheer amount and power from the Holy Spirit inside of him makes me feel like I'm about to burst!" thought Judai as he was gaining a spiritual high from the connection.
The man noticed that Judai was starting to become overwhelmed with all the light that was being poured into him and quickly stopped pouring his soul into the teenager. Judai could sense the cease in flow from the man's spirit, which he was grateful for since he wasn't sure he would've been able to handle any more of the man's powerful spirit inside of him. It took Judai a few seconds to gain his senses back under control and was now used to the amount of power the man's soul had deposited in him. Yet the second Judai thought it was over, visions began to play heavy in his mind.
"Why am I getting visions?" wondered Judai as scenes of events started appearing before his mind's eye.
Judai saw a seven year old version of the man receiving a small golden sarcophagus with the Eye of Horus on the front of it. Judai could actually feel the young boy's delight and excitement from receiving the gift as though it was his very own. The next image was of the seven year old in his room with scattered gold puzzle pieces all over his bed as the boy tried to put the pieces together. This time Judai felt the boy's frustration and determination to work on solving the puzzle.
"These are his memories!" realized Judai as more images flashed through his mind.
Judai saw the boy now at the age of eight playing with a girl that had brown hair and blue eyes. It only took a few seconds for Judai to recognize who the girl was and that this must have been the first time they meet as Judai could feel the boy's happiness at making his first real friend. Yet as more memories were shown to Judai, he realized that the ones he just saw were going to be the man's only happiest memories until he solved the golden puzzle. From age nine to fourteen Judai was in absolute shock when he witnessed what went on in those years for the man. Judai saw how the man's father had used and exploited him in no ways a parent should ever do. How the boy's father had forced him into a life of prostitution all so the guy could get more money and business. Judai had to watch the young boy learn how to do demeaning things for cruel and twisted people's enjoyment and amusement. He also saw the boy being stalked and threatened by those same people constantly while his father did nothing but reap the rewards.
When Judai saw all this he wanted to beat the crap out of the boy's father and make him pay for what he did to such a pure soul. Yet his anger soon turned into surprise when he witnessed the boy's rebellion and how he fought back against the ones that hurt him. Though the surprise soon turned into satisfaction every time the boy had taken someone out with a sharpened arrowhead being pierced in their chest. Judai admired seeing the boy's amazing archery skill with each target he took down.
"Looks like he is good at more than just games after all," pleasantly thought Judai.
However the boy's escapade of retaliation came to an end at the age of fourteen when his father had demanded the boy to stop getting rid of his clients or else. That confrontation had ended with the boy almost killing his father out of anger in response, which had ended up scaring the man not expecting that his son would and could end him so easily. The father had been scared to the point that he quitted his underhanded business for a decent one and thus stayed far away from the boy as possible. He also saw how that confrontation with his father had changed the boy as well and witnessed how he was converted to the Christian faith. He witnessed how the boy soon struggled with how to deal with bullies from that point on. How he tried not to fight back when he easily could. How he learned to take his received beatings without a complaint or grudge toward the person. He continued his new life with humbleness and meekness despite all that he had went through.
"I think I have more respect for him now more than ever," Judai thought in admiration.
Judai was now watching the fifteen year old alone in his classroom as he was taking the familiar gold casket out of his schoolbag before two familiar faces decided to torment him.
"Well now I see why it really took him eight years to complete the puzzle. With all of that mess going on in his life it's no wonder he didn't have any time to work on it," reasoned Judai as he saw the fifteen year old in his room easily putting the puzzle pieces together.
Judai continued to watch as the teen frantically searched for the last missing puzzle piece until he was confronted by his latest bully. He watched in fascination how the two tormenters from earlier had a change of heart and defended the boy. When the boy clicked that last puzzle piece into place and saw the outcome of that Game of Darkness, Judai could tell that the things he was about to see from then on would be very interesting.
From all the Games of Darkness, to Duelist Kingdom, and to Battle City, Judai was beyond impressed. He briefly wondered if his body was bouncing with excitement at seeing all the inside and personal happenings during these amazing yet dangerous adventures the man had gone through. When the memories came to where the boy's soul was being taken by the Oreichalcos after that duel, Judai didn't know what to feel. Yet seeing how his soul had been protected the entire time despite him being taken made Judai relieved and in awe at how the Holy Spirit shielded him.
"One thing's for sure, he has plenty of evidence of how real God is," thought Judai with a bit of amusement as he continued to see the rest of the things this man had went through.
The KC Gran Prix seemed like a mini vacation compared to what happened in the Memory World of the Pharaoh. As far as Judai was concerned, the Ceremonial Duel had to have been the most exciting yet sad duel he had ever seen. Judai could even feel a tear threatening to escape his eyes as he watched and felt the pharaoh's departure to the afterlife. After that Judai didn't expect to see any more supernatural events in the man's life, but the next memories proved that to be completely wrong.
"What is the world?! No way…is that me?" wondered Judai as he had a hard time grasping what he was seeing.
Judai saw an older version of himself along with an unknown male meeting up with the now seventeen year old boy. He watched as the three of them traveled through time to stop a man from altering the time stream to get rid of the game of Duel Monsters. Judai watched as the three of them went through any lengths in order to protect Pegasus J. Crawford from being killed by their enemy.
"Wow, I would have never seen myself as a mercenary. Though apparently I'm good at it…or am going to be good at it," supposed Judai as saw how the three of them made themselves Pegasus's personal bodyguards.
Judai watched how the three of them fought and killed numerous assassins their enemy sent to try to take out Pegasus. There were times when they even had to fight duel monsters that the enemy used against them without dueling. It was during those fights that it was revealed to the present Judai that the unknown male with them was not normal himself. A strange dark blue glowing mark resembling a dragon's head with a cross embedded in it that was on his right arm would light up every time he would use his powers. Though even when not using those powers, the male was an amazing fighter. With the seventeen year old boy, Judai admitted it was nice seeing his amazing archery skills in action once again. The fact that he also displayed certain powers of his own without the Egyptian artifact around his neck was also quite a treat. As for Judai's apparent future self, the level of maturity, knowledge, strength, and power he was going to have was simply inspiring for the present Judai. He had also been pleased to see a certain growth in Yubel and his relationship as well. In the end the three of them managed to keep Pegasus and the game of Duel Monsters safe.
"The three of us make a really good team," Judai commented, now beginning to understand why the man wanted to bond with him so much when he first meant him.
It was after that adventure that things in the man's life had truly settled down. Despite that it seemed the last escapade had kindled a craving for more as he followed his grandfather in archeology. He saw how the man began traveling from place to place and found personal discoveries of his own. Because of this choice of lifestyle it seemed the man had no plans on settling down with a family any time soon with ideas of dating, marriage, and children being far from his mind. The last thing Judai saw was the man heading back to Domino City after being told by the Holy Spirit that he was to meet an old friend there.
"Um…wow," Judai muttered to himself after the visions ended and the man removed his hand from his.
Apparently the man heard him as a chuckle escaped his mouth.
"A lot to take in isn't it?" asked the man already knowing the answer.
Judai stared at the man with a new found respect and openness in his eyes before responding.
"Yeah it is, especially about the whole time travel thing," answered Judai honestly.
"At least now you know why I know your name," joked the man causing a playful smile to form on Judai's lips before it soon was replaced with seriousness.
"It's my turn now right?" Judai asked gazing at the man while this time outstretching his hand for the man to take.
The man simply nodded in reply before grabbing the boy's hand in a strong grip. The man began to feel the Gentle Darkness course through him as it immediately merged with his soul. The man could sense how his light and the Gentle Darkness were interacting powerfully together almost causing the man to gain a spiritual high of his own. However the man was more used to the intensity of having more than one powerful entity inside of him so he was able to keep himself in control easier than Judai had. Soon after the bond was formed like Judai, the man received visions of Judai's memories.
"Well I certainly wasn't expecting to see these memories," thought the man, seeing a young Prince Judai playing around a castle's grounds.
The young prince wasn't alone however, as there was another child playing with him. Just by seeing the two children together, the man could tell they were really close. The next memory was of the young prince bursting into a room where the other child from earlier was going through a painful ritual. The man could feel the young prince's pain and sadness at seeing his best friend go through such a thing for him. The scene then changed to the prince and the now transformed child in an affectionate embrace as the prince promised to love only her and she promised to always protect him. There was so much genuine love from their declarations that the man was greatly moved by it.
"So that's how their love began. No wonder they were so close," the man thought thinking back on the occasions that he witnessed how the two acted with one another.
The rest of the memories came in snippets making the man realize that it was due to the fact that he was only being shown what Judai could actually remember from his past life. He was able to see how the prince became the king of the kingdom when he turned fifteen. He saw the many battles Judai fought for his kingdom. Lastly, he witnessed how the king died after winning a ferocious battle against a powerful creature. The man did take quick note that those memories greatly involved Yubel in some way or form.
"This just shows how important she is to Judai. He may not remember everything about his past but he certainly remembers everything about Yubel," the man deduced before Judai's memories of this life were shown to the man.
He saw Judai at age five getting Yubel's card from his father and how the connection between them had easily formed. Seeing Yubel's protectiveness over the boy to the point that she was willing to hurt others gave the man a serious case of nostalgia.
"It must be a spirit thing to become overprotective over your charge. Mou Hitori No Boku sure had his moments of protective insanity," affirmed the man in amusement.
His amusement instantly died when he witnessed what happened to Judai's parents and how the boy ended up in America. Yet the boy only stayed with his relatives for a few months before leaving out of worry that the same thing that happened to his parents could happen to them. The ten year old had ended up living on the streets for three years. Judai traveled from place to place and learned many survival skills that the man knew would benefit him later on. The thing that did surprise the man was when Judai had found and dueled someone that the man had recognized for possession of his powerful card. The man wasn't sure how he felt about Judai having that card especially when he saw how Judai used it to revive its other two members. However the man trusted Judai and knew those cards were in safer hands. When the man witnessed how Judai used the three cards to help him defeat the tyranny that was causing havoc in the other dimension and reclaimed his kingdom, the man saw that his trust was not misguided. He saw how Judai became king once again and with Yubel's guidance they were in the process of bringing the land back to the way it was before.
"You really are something else Judai," the man thought in admiration after seeing all the good Judai was trying to do as a king and the herald of Gentle Darkness.
Judai consistently made trips between dimensions when and wherever he was needed. It was during his latest trip back to Earth that he saw Judai being confronted by someone who asked for his assistance in his goals that made the man worry greatly. The man's worry grew more when the person explained exactly what he wanted Judai's help with and that Judai eventually agreed to help the person accomplish what they wanted. After Judai's agreement with the person, Judai had made plans of his own which the man understood and accepted, yet he still couldn't help the concern he felt with Judai having to make a deal with someone like that.
"A lot of things could go wrong if Judai isn't careful," the man thought knowing how risky and dangerous the situation was.
The man continued to watch as Judai made preparations for his kingdom during the time of his absence. Next he saw Judai applying for Duel Academia and taking the written examination to which the man noticed Judai was purposely answering some questions wrong. The memories ended with Judai making final arrangements for his departure before he ended up in Domino City.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" was the first thing the man asked Judai after the visions had ended.
Judai sighed as their hands once again were released from the grip. He knew exactly what the man was talking about and understood his concern.
"I don't exactly like it myself but it's the best course of action for me to take right now," answered Judai seriously.
The man knew Judai was right but that didn't mean he had to like it. Yet seeing how Judai was determined to carry this through, the man decided to be as supportive as he could.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked earnestly, surprising Judai.
Judai didn't expect the man to ask that, but was secretly honored that he wanted to help him. Understanding that the man's offer wasn't something to take lightly and was probably a rare case, Judai thought really hard about it. Having seen the man's memories, Judai knew they already made a good team and worked well together. In fact the man himself was a powerful asset alone. The man could tell that Judai was deciding very hard about this and was grateful that the boy didn't just blatantly refuse his help.
"I have been offered a position at Duel Academia. I haven't decided whether to take it yet," the man added, which quickly caught Judai's attention.
"Really?" asked Judai in surprise.
But then Judai remembered that he had in fact seen the moment when the man had been asked to be a part of Duel Academia when he was shown the man's memories. Regardless the man nodded to his question and continued.
"So it wouldn't be suspicious that I'm there if that's what you're worried about," answered the man matching Judai's serious gaze.
Judai bit his lip at this as it was one of the things he felt would be an issue if the man did go with him. Of course there were other problems too, which Judai voiced to the man.
"How would you be able to help me in secret? No doubt you would be flagged by fans the moment you set foot on the island," stated Judai though there was a bit of humor in the statement as well.
The man cracked a smile as he too thought of that problem, which was why he hesitated to take the job in the first place. The last thing he needed were a bunch of students hounding him as he was never one for wanting attention. However when this matter was brought up he had been given a solution.
"That's why it will be keep a secret. Only the principle and a select few staff will know that I'm there. That way I could do my job without any hassle and I would be easily accessible to you if you need me," he explained calmly causing Judai's mind to work overtime.
"What about your main career?"
The man grinned at the question glad to hear that Judai was showing some concern towards his life as well.
"That's the beautiful part about being an archeologist; we can take our job anywhere. Besides there have already been strange things going on at Duel Academia which is the real reason why I was chosen for this position. Kaiba wouldn't admit it, but he's worried that this could lead to another "world saving" thing and he would feel better if I was on top of it. Especially since it involves his school," he admitted to Judai to which the teenager added his own input.
"I've felt the disturbances too, that was the other reason I choose to go to Duel Academia. Hopefully it's something that can be nipped in the bud before it causes too much problem," Judai said with some apprehension in his voice as the man agreed with him on that a hundred percent.
Judai then thought of something that had also been on his mind regarding the man's willingness to help him.
"If I say no, what would you do?"
The man was a bit caught off guard by the question but realized Judai asked a very relevant one. He gave the question some thought before finally giving his answer.
"I wouldn't take the job because I trust in your judgment and I wouldn't want to get in your way. Though, if things become too serious I might have to step in anyway," he stopped for a moment before looking intensively at Judai as he said his next words.
"This is your time and generation's turn to save the world. Yet even though my time of world saving is done, it doesn't mean that I can't still help. Judai, I'll support you however you want me to. So just tell me how you want me to play a part in this," he proclaimed strongly making Judai see just how serious the man was about this.
Judai didn't dare speak after hearing all of that. He knew that his answer would impact him in ways he couldn't imagine. Realizing this, Judai did what he always did when these tough decisions came up and he needed an immediate answer. He prayed and then gave his answer.
BREAK
Judai rushed as fast as he could after realizing that he was now late in getting to the entrance exams. Judai was grateful that he was in very good shape or else he was sure he would have passed out from exhaustion with all the running he was doing. When he saw the doom shaped building ahead, Judai ran even faster to make it to the place. Judai didn't even stop when he saw the fence in his way as he made a leap from the ground over the fence and landed perfectly on his feet a few feet from the front entrance of the building. It was only when Judai landed that he noticed his little stunt had attracted attention from the ones who were at the registry table outside the building. Seeing a man in a business suit and two women in yellow uniforms gaping at him, Judai realized his mistake and quickly tried to defuse the little mishap.
"I'm here to sign in, I'm number one hundred," Judai told the adults, which successfully brought them out of their stuffer.
"You're late," the man had stated in a matter of fact way causing a slight grimace on Judai's face.
"My train was late," answered Judai secretly hoping they believed his little lie.
"Very well, we'll mark you in and see if you can still take the practical exam," one of the women replied with a smile.
"Thank you," Judai said with a bow before heading into the doors of the building for the exams.
Once inside Judai let out a breath that he had been holding in during that moment. He hadn't been sure they would've bought that excuse and he certainly couldn't tell them the real reason why he was late.
"Besides I doubt they would've believed that I had lost track of time having a conversation with the Duel King," thought Judai in amusement as he entered the area where all the duel fields were at.
Once there, Judai noticed that there were still some duels going on and prayed that was a good sign that he could still take his exam. However before Judai could get comfortable, his spiritual senses suddenly flared up as he took note of all the people in the place. Judai could sense so many negative spirits around each person. Rejection, depression, fear, envy, prejudice, and pride, were the main ones that stuck out to Judai the most. This concerned Judai greatly as he could just imagine how easy it would be for something like the Light of Ruin to use these people.
"If almost every student that gets into Duel Academia have all these kinds of sprits on them then it's no wonder troublesome things have already been going on there," thought Judai with a frown.
Judai had already planned to avoid socializing with anyone when he would come to the exams, but now Judai was more determined to stay away from them to avoid being around all those negative spirits. Judai searched around the area for a place where he could wait peacefully for his number to be called and eventually found a seat where very few people were around. Normally Judai wouldn't mind watching a duel when he had some leisure time; nonetheless he also had many things to think about. Judai began to wonder how Yubel was doing back in the other dimension. They didn't like the idea of being separated from the other even if it would only be for a few days, yet they both agreed that it was best that she stayed in the kingdom for a while to make sure that everything would be taken care of in their absence.
"I pray that the kingdom stays safe while I'm at Duel Academia. I couldn't bear the thought of people getting hurt because I wasn't there to protect them," worryingly thought Judai.
"Number one hundred, report to Duel Field A," a voice over the intercom system announced, instantly bringing Judai out of his thoughts.
Judai wasted no time in heading to his assigned duel field after he heard the announcement. When he arrived on the field, Judai noticed that his opponent was already on the opposite side of the field. Judai saw that his opponent was a man that wore a blue academy uniform with gold trimmings and ruffled pink collars. The man's blonde hair was parted with a pony tail and his features carried a foreign look to Judai meaning the man was not originally Japanese. What did interest Judai was the unique duel vest the man had that no doubt functioned as his duel disk.
"Almost makes me want to use my own duel disk instead of this standard one," Judai mused as he looked at the classic Battle City duel disk that was strapped to his left arm.
Just then his opponent spoke.
"I am Cronos de Medici, the head professor and department chair of techniques of Duel Academia. I will be your opponent number one hundred," introduced Judai's opponent, which surprised Judai.
Seeing Judai's shocked face made Cronos smirk as he was hoping the boy would change his mind now that he knew he was dueling a professional. Yet Judai didn't let this news deter him for long, though a frown did make its way on Judai's face. For Judai now found himself in quite a predicament. Judai's plan involved him being able to blend in as a mediocre student that way no one would care or pay attention to what he did. But now in order for him to even get in to Duel Academia he would have to beat a professor which he was sure would gain him some unwanted attention.
Judai decided to use his senses to find out exactly what kind of opponent he was up against. Nevertheless to Judai's chagrin the first thing he noticed was the prejudice and prideful spirits that were all over Cronos. At this point, Judai's liking of going to Duel Academia became less and less.
"It's one thing for the students to be like this, but the teachers and staff make it even worse. They're the role models, they should be teaching students not to be this way," contemplated Judai as he started to realize just how many problems there were at Duel Academia.
However Judai had to return to the task at hand to determine how strong Cronos really was.
"Even though he doesn't have any spiritual connection with his deck, I can tell he is still very skilled in how to use it. I'm sure I could beat him but I need to do it in a way that shows my true dueling skills," pondered Judai, debating how he should play this duel.
Judai had been unresponsive for a while now, which Cronos took as a sign that he had successfully intimidated Judai.
"It's understandable that thoughts of surrender are crossing your mind. After all I am one of the best professors in Duel Academia na no ne?" confidently stated Cronos causing a flicker of annoyance to briefly cross Judai's face before it was replaced with a cheesy grin.
"I guess I couldn't hide my nervousness as well as I thought," laughed Judai as he scratched the back of his head in an attempt to make himself seem nervous.
"I might as well use this to my advantage. Hopefully I can pull this victory off to look like a moment of luck," reasoned Judai before speaking once more.
"Though you are right Cronos-hakase, I would be honored if I could still duel you anyway," Judai said, adding a bow to Cronos for good measure.
Cronos was pleasantly surprised by the boy's respect and decided to adhere to Judai's request for a duel.
"Very well, I will honor you with the chance to duel me and maybe next year you might get into Duel Academia," Cronos told Judai.
At first Judai wanted to throw the idea of holding back against Cronos just to show him exactly who he was dueling against, yet catching the actual sincerity in Cronos last statement had allowed Judai to calm down a bit. Judai guessed that his act of respect to him had more effect on Cronos then he thought.
"I suppose I could continue the respectful act for a while," Judai considered seeing how effective it had been.
"I'm ready when you are Cronos-hakase," Judai proclaimed with a smile while activating his duel disk.
"Then let us begin," Cronos declared as he too activated his duel disk.
"Duel!" they both shouted as they drew their five cards and the life point meter set to four thousand.
"I'll go first," Cronos said as a card ejected from his deck into his awaiting hand.
Cronos glanced at the cards in his hand with a grin, very pleased with what he got.
"I'll start by summoning Antique Gear Cannon (Machine/Effect/Earth/Level 2/ATK 500/DEF 500) in attack mode," he began as a huge machine like tank with cannons appeared on the field.
"Because I control a face up Antique Gear monster on my field, I can special summon Antique Gear (Machine/Effect/Earth/Level 2 ATK 100/DEF 800) from my hand in attack position," continued Cronos as another machine looking monster made of gears came onto the field beside the other machine.
"Lastly, I place two cards face down on the field. Your turn number one hundred, let's see how long you can last," ended Cronos. (2 cards in hand, 4 on field [2 –MZ, 2 – S/TZ])
"Alright then, let's see what I get. Draw!" replied Judai as he drew a card from his deck and placed it into his hand.
Judai then took a look at Cronos's field and contemplated on what move he should make. Judai could already see through Cronos's strategy and knew that the professor was planning to make a double summon on his next turn.
"My best bet for now is to build up my defense until I know which monsters I'm going to be dealing with," deduced Judai, finally setting on his move.
"I play Gladial Beast Hoplomus (Rock/Effect/Earth/Level 4/ATK 700/DEF 2100) in defense mode and then equip him with Armaments of the Gladial Beasts – Manica," began Judai as the familiar rhino looking monster appeared on the field as a strange pink device attached to Hoplomus' his body.
"Lastly I set one card face down and end my turn," finished Judai. (3 cards in hand, 3 on field [1 – MZ, 2 – S/TZ])
Cronos had an amused expression on his face after Judai finished his turn.
"I'm afraid playing on the defensive won't save you from the might of my Antique Gear deck," Cronos told Judai as another card was ejected into his hand.
"First I play the Normal Magic Pot of Greed to draw two more cards," began Cronos as two more cards were ejected into his hand.
When he saw the cards he just drew a large grin stretched across his face.
"Reveal set card, Trap Gravity Release! This changes the battle positions of all face-up monsters on the field," Cronos stated as his monsters were switched to defense mode while Judai's monster was switched to attack mode.
"Next I activate the Magic Card Heavy Storm to destroy all magic and trap cards on the field," he said with glee.
The wind created by the card flipped all the set cards up revealing Judai's to be Dimensional Imprisonment while Golden Wicked Idol was shown on Cronos' field before they were destroyed along with the equip magic that was on Hoplomus. This made Judai cringe as he realized that he was now vulnerable and about to receive some serious damage to his life points.
"When Golden Wicked Idol is destroyed face down and sent to the graveyard, I can special summon one Evil God Token (Fiend-Type/DARK/Level 4 /ATK 1000/DEF 1000) on my side of the field," he continued as a golden statue looking monster came on the field in attack mode.
"But that's not all, I play the Magic Dual Summon which allows me to normal summon an additional time for this turn. Now I'll tribute Antique Gear to summon Ancient Gear Beast (Machine/Effect/Earth/Level 6/ATK 2000/DEF 2000) in attack mode and then tribute my Evil God Token and Antique Gear Cannon to summon Emes the Infinity (Machine/Effect/Light/Level 7/ATK 2500/DEF 2000) in attack position as well," proclaimed Cronos causing several surprised reactions in the audience as the two powerful monsters showed on the field.
Antique Gear Beast looked just like a vicious mechanical dog with gears around its body, while Emes had the appearance of a golden armored samurai with its weapons carried in four arms. When Judai saw the monsters, he knew his assumption had been right, yet Cronos still had more for him.
"And there's more, because I tributed Antique Gear Cannon you take five hundred points of damage!" resumed Cronos as a transparent form of Antique Gear Cannon appeared and shot at Judai, decreasing his life points to thirty-five hundred.
"Let the battle begin! Emes the Infinity attacks Gladial Beast Hoplomus!"
Emes wasted no time and used his sword to attack Hoplomus. Though Hoplomus would not go down without a fight and used his bulky arms as a block to stop Emes' attack. There was an actual struggle between the two as if they were evenly matched. Seeing this, Judai realized what was happening and knew he had to put a stop to it before people started to notice.
"Hoplomus don't fight back! This duel is harmless! I'll be fine!" Judai mentally told his monster urgently to which Hoplomus conceded to and soon allowed himself to be cut down by Emes.
Even though Judai's life points were now down to seventeen hundred, he was relieved that no one seemed to have noticed Hoplomus' behavior.
"Each time Emes destroys an opponent's monster and sends it to the graveyard as a result of battle, its attack increases by seven hundred," Cronos said bringing Judai's attention back on his opponent as he watched Emes' attack rise to thirty-two hundred.
"Looks like this duel is already over, Antique Gear Beast, direct attack!" commanded Cronos as Antique Gear Beast leapt toward Judai to make his attack.
Cronos ginned with glee as he knew he had won the duel.
"It's a shame this had to end so quickly, I was actually begging to like him," thought Cronos, but to his and everyone else's shock Judai took immediate action.
"I activate the effect of Kuribo (Fiend/Effect/Dark/Level 1/ATK 300/DEF 200) from my hand! By discarding him to the graveyard I take no damage from a monster this turn!" declared Judai as he took Kuribo's card from his hand and placed it in his graveyard.
The image of Kuribo then appeared in front of Judai with a protective stance as Antique Gear Beast slammed into it before the brown hairball was destroyed.
"Thank you Kuribo," Judai responded with gratitude, which caused the spirit of said monster to momentarily appear and make a happy 'kuri' before disappearing.
"That was close, now I'm glad he talked me into taking Kuribo for a while," thought Judai, realizing how close he was to losing the duel.
"I'm slightly impressed that you managed to avoid defeat and with a monster like Kuribo no less, however you've only merely delayed it na no ne?" Cronos commented bringing a smile to Judai's face.
"What can I say, I guess I'm just really lucky today, eh Cronos-hakase," laughed Judai causing Cronos to shake his head in amusement.
"Unfortunately luck will only take you so far, which I will teach you in this duel. I end my turn," finished Cronos. (0 cards in hand, 2 on field [2 – MZ], 7 in graveyard)(LP: Cronos 4000/Judai 1700)
"My turn, draw!" exclaimed Judai as he took a card from his deck.
"It seems Cronos is better than I thought, if I don't do something soon he could beat me in the next turn, Now I just have to make it look good enough to impress but not good enough to raise suspicion," Judai contemplated as he stared at the cards that were in his hand.
"I fuse E-HERO Necrodarkman (Warrior/Effect/Dark/Level 5/ATK 1600/DEF 1800) and Gladial Beast Sparticusfrom (Dinosaur/Effect/Earth/Level 5/ATK 2200/DEF 1600) from my hand to fusion summon E-HERO Gaia (Warrior/Fusion/Effect/Earth/Level 6/ATK 2200/DEF 2600) in attack mode!" announced Judai as a tall monster made of black metal came to Judai's field.
"I activate Gaia's effect! When Gaia is fusion summoned, I can target one face-up monster my opponent controls. Until the end phase its attack is halved and Gaia gains the same amount of attack. I think I'll choose Emes the Infinity!" Judai excited stated before Emes's attack was lowered to sixteen hundred and Gaia's attack raised to thirty-eight thousand.
"Now Gaia, attack Emes!" commanded Judai with a grin.
Gaia obeyed instantly as its large fist smashed into Emes, destroying it and dealing twenty-two hundred points of damage.
"Turn end. How was that Cronos-hakase?" asked Judai in delight as Gaia's attack returned back to normal. (1 card in hand, 1 on field [1 – MZ], 7 in graveyard)(LP: Judai 1700/Cronos 1800)
Cronos was silent for a moment as he mulled over what had been accruing in the duel so far. He had been wondering something about Judai as the duel carried on and the fact that he had Kuribo made Cronos even more curious. It was at this time that Cronos decided to give in to his inquiries.
"Tell me something number one hundred; are you a fan of the Duel King?" Cronos asked with interest clear in his voice as he began his turn by another card being ejected from his deck.
The question stunned Judai for few seconds but he quickly pulled his act back together before it was noticed.
"Well yeah, who isn't right?" asked back Judai with equal amount of curiosity yet Cronos seemed to have ignored the question.
"I summon Strengthening Support Mecha - Heavy Weapon (Machine/Union/Dark/Level 3/ATK 500/DEF 500) to the field and then equip him to Antique Gear Beast. With this Antique Gear Beast gains five hundred attack," stated Cronos as Antique Gear Beast's attack went up to twenty-five hundred.
"Antique Gear Beast attack E-HERO Gaia!" commanded Cronos to which the mechanic beast immediately attacked Gaia and destroyed the hero causing three hundred damage to Judai's life points.
"Turn end," finished Cronos, keeping a passive look on his face. (0 cards in hand, 2 on field [1- MZ, 1 – S/TZ], 8 in graveyard)(LP: Judai 1400/Cronos 1800)
Judai wasn't sure what Cronos was trying to get from asking that question, but it did make him a little concerned. The last thing he needed was someone, especially a teacher already making a connection between him and the Duel King.
"But I can't worry about that now, I need to focus," thought Judai before drawing a card from his deck.
Looking at the two cards in his hand, Judai saw only one move he could do.
"I summon Gladial Beast Laquer (Beast-Warrior/Effect/Fire/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 400) in attack mode and then equip him with Armaments of the Gladial Beasts - Demon's Shield," Judai said as the fierce orange two legged tiger in battle armor came to the field.
"I end my turn," announced Judai. (0 cards in hand, 2 on field [1 – MZ, 1 – S/TZ], 8 cards in graveyard)
"It seems your luck it running out na no ne? Draw," declared Cronos a card ejected onto his hand.
When Cronos saw the card he just drew a smile spread on his face, to which Judai took instant note of.
"I play Equip Magic Early Burial! By paying eight hundred life points I can target one monster in my graveyard and special summon that target in face-up attack position equipped with this card. Of course the monster I'm choosing is Emes the Infinity (Machine/Effect/Light/Level 7/ATK 2500/DEF 2000)!" Cronos declared as the samara looking monster returned to the field.
Judai frowned when that monster came to the field, knowing that it could cause him some trouble; however he and everyone else were surprised by what Cronos did next.
"Turn end," proclaimed Cronos. (0 cards in hand, 3 on field [2-MZ, 1 –S/TZ], 7 in graveyard)(LP: Judai 1400/Cronos 1000)
Judai had quickly realized why Cronos didn't attack and was actually quite impressed with the teacher's cleverness, though for performance sake Judai pretended to act confused.
"Why didn't you attack?" Judai asked bringing a frown to come to Cronos' face.
"Don't take me for a fool; you know why I didn't attack," Cronos retorted with a scoff, outright calling Judai's bluff.
Judai sensed the irritation in Cronos as well as disappointment. Judai didn't like what he was sensing as it indicated that Cronos was starting to see through his little act. Not only that, but Judai had a feeling he was getting the wrong idea about him too, which didn't exactly make things any better for him.
"But it is better for him to think something false then him finding out the truth," concluded Judai as he began his turn.
"My turn," Judai calmly proclaimed as he drew a card from his deck.
"I play the Normal Magic Pot of Greed to draw two cards," said Judai as he drew two more cards from his deck.
"I activate the Magic Card Fusion Sage which allows me to get Fusion from my deck to my hand and then I have to shuffle my deck," he continued as Judai took the specified card from his deck before shuffling the rest of his cards and placing it back into the deck slot.
"Next I fuse E-HERO Clayman (Warrior/Earth/Level 4/ATK 800/DEF 2000) in my hand with Gladial Beast Laquer on my field to summon E-HERO Nova Master (Warrior/Fusion/Effect/Fire/Level 8/ATK 2600/DEF 2100) in attack mode!"
Nova Master was a warrior with red, yellow, and orange armor that made the warrior look much like his given element, Nova Master stood tall and proud as he waited for Judai's instruction. Judai took a glance at the two monsters on his opponent's field to decide which one he should go after.
"I have to admit he's definitely good, either monster left on the field is dangerous. But Emes is the bigger treat at the moment," deduced Judai, coming to a decision.
"E-HERO Nova Master, attack Emes the Infinity!"
Nova Master took immediate action and shot a stream of flames at Emes, successfully destroying him and causing one hundred points of damage.
"When E-HERO Nova Master destroys an opponent's monster by battle, I get to draw one card," explained Judai as he drew an extra card from his deck.
"Kuri! Kuri!" were the sounds the monster made causing Judai's eyes to widen slightly in surprise at the fact that he just drew the monster's card.
As Judai took a glance at the card, Hane Kuribo's picture winked at him. Judai allowed a brief smile to cross his face at seeing the other card Yugi gave to him.
"I end my turn," Judai said. (1 card in hand, 1 card on field [1 - MZ], 14 in graveyard)(LP: Judai 1400/Cronos 900)
"I draw," declared Cronos as another card came into his hand.
A look of delight crossed Cronos' face when he looked at the card in his hand.
"I detach Strengthening Support Mecha - Heavy Weapon from Antique Gear Beast to summon it in attack mode," began Cronos which gave him two monsters back on his field.
Judai realized right away why Cronos did this and could easily guess which monster Cronos was about to summon.
"I tribute both Strengthening Support Mecha - Heavy Weapon and Antique Gear Beast to summon my ultimate monster! Appear now, Antique Gear Golem (Machine/Effect/Earth/Level 8/ATK 3000/DEF 3000)!" exclaimed Cronos.
The two machine monsters were taken from the field and replaced with a giant bulky machine monster that had gears in its side and bottom and red glowing eyes. The appearance of the monster caused gasps in the audience, yet Judai remained unresponsive as he had already expected Antique Gear Golem's summon.
"Antique Gear Golem, attack E-HERO Nova Master!" Cronos commanded and so the giant machine monster did as told.
Its mechanical fist slammed hard into Nova Master, successfully destroying the fire warrior and causing four hundred points of damage to Judai.
"Turn end. Now what will you do number one hundred?" Cronos said with a satisfied grin. (0 cards in hand, 1 on field [1-MZ], 11 in graveyard)(LP: Judai 1000/Cronos 900)
Judai decided that this duel had gone on long enough. If he didn't end it now, he was certain that Cronos would beat him. With his mind made up, Judai closed his eyes as his fingers touched his deck. Taping into the connection he had with his deck, Judai willed the card that he needed to come forth.
"Draw!" shouted Judai with energy while drawing the card from his deck.
A pleased smile came to Judai's lips as the card he wanted indeed was now in his hand.
"I play the Magic Card Pot of Avarice! With this I select five monsters in my graveyard and return them to my deck," Judai announced, taking five monsters from his graveyard and putting them back into his deck.
"Then I get to draw two cards," he continued before taking two cards from the top of his deck.
Judai's smile grew seeing that he had the cards he needed to win this duel.
"To answer your question Cronos-hakase, I'm going to win," Judai replied confidently bringing a scowl to the teacher's face.
"Oh and how do you expect to do that?" mockingly asked Cronos, not believing that Judai really could beat his Antique Gear Golem.
"I'll show you. I summon Hane Kuribo (Fairy/Effect/Light/Level 1/ATK 300/DEF 200) in attack mode," replied Judai as the small brown fur ball with wings appeared on Judai's side of the field.
The appearance of Hane Kuribo made people surprised to see that Judai had another Kuribo in his possession. For Cronos, seeing the monster made him livid as it seemed his assumptions about Judai were confirmed.
"This boy is not only trying to exploit Duel Academia for his selfish goals, he dares insult me by playing such a weak monster!" Cronos thought angrily.
Judai was tempted to make a heavy sigh when he sensed the anger coming from Cronos, guessing that like most he was underestimating the power of lower-attack monsters. Yet Judai planned on showing just how useful they could be.
"It's time to say goodbye to Antique Gear Golem. I play the Magic Card Earth Crush. This destroys one face-up monster my opponent controls that has the highest defense. And since Antique Gear Golem is the only monster you've got, it gets destroyed," explained Judai.
Cronos was both shocked and furious that Judai had destroyed his powerful monster so easily; unfortunately for him Judai wasn't done.
"Lastly I use the Equip Magic Charge on Hane Kuribo giving him seven hundred more attack points!" stated Judai with a grin as Hane Kuribo's attack went to a thousand.
"Hane Kuribo, direct attack!" exclaimed Judai with enjoyment.
Hane Kuribo launched itself like a bullet at Cronos. The little monster hit Cronos in the chest, knocking him down on his rear and causing the remaining of Cronos's life points to drop to zero. With the duel over, the solid vision deactivated and Hane Kuribo soon vanished from the field.
"Gotcha! That was a fun duel Cronos-hakase!" Judai finished, giving a wink and pointing his index and middle fingers towards Cronos. (LP: Judai 1000/Cronos 0, Winner: Judai)
There were many reactions in the audience to seeing Cronos being defeated especially by a Kuribo. Judai could hear some of the spectator comments about how he probably cheated or that it was just dumb luck, though there were some he caught that had seemed to know that he was more than he appeared. Judai took a glance in the stands to find the ones that could tell he truly won the duel and noticed that three stood out. The male with dark hair and grey eyes that was wearing a white uniform sitting in with the crowd was the first to catch Judai's attention as he noticed the calculating and inquisitive expression the male was giving him. The second person was a female with blonde hair and light brown eyes already wearing an Obelisk Blue girl's uniform that had an intrigued expression on her face. The last person that caught Judai's sight was a male with dark blue hair and eyes that matched wearing a white Obelisk Blue male uniform who was staring intensively at him. Their eyes meant as a nonverbal communication was going on between them. Their eyes soon broke from each other and Judai started walking off the duel field with a light smirk on his face.
"I accept your challenge Marufuji Ryo," mentally proclaimed Judai as he left the duel field to head back to his seat.
However just before Judai reached the seats; he caught a glimpse of a shadowed figure quickly leaving the area. Judai couldn't help the smile that spread on his face as returned to his seat, knowing exactly who the figure that just left was.
"I'll see you at Duel Academia Yugi-san."
A/N: I enjoyed writing this chapter especially with the twists I added into the story. I also decided to do a whole different duel between Judai and Cronos because the original duel has been used way too many times already. I plan on making every duel Judai participates in different as he does have a slightly different deck.
I admit at first I didn't plan on Yugi going to Duel Academia as I was just going to have them meet here and then maybe much later in the story. However the idea of giving Yugi a slightly bigger role was too good to ignore and so he's going to Duel Academia with Judai. Please note though that this story is about Judai and he is still the main character. The way I plan it is that Yugi will be like a minor supporting character that will appear when necessary so don't expect to see Yugi in every chapter.
I've also given some hints of what I have planned for this story in this chapter. And for those who caught it I plan on doing an alternative story based on the Anniversary Movie which will include this Judai, the Yusei from my 5D's story "Choices", and a Yugi with a challenging past. This of course would be a future story so let me know if you guys would be interested in reading it.
Until next time!