Hello everyone! It's good to see you again! It's been so long. I'm so sorry about the wait on this chapter. I'll go into more details at the bottom but it is honestly down to a lack of free time and an instance on making this chapter exactly the way I wanted it to be.

I hope you all enjoy it and again, I'm sorry about the wait.

Staying in the Background

Breakdown in Communications

"This cannot happen!"

Zane managed to suppress a wince as Crowler's shrill cry offended his ears. It was far too early for this. As he stood to the side of the meeting room, he could see that the other teachers were just as exasperated. The dorm leaders: Professors Banner, Sartyr and Nurse Fontaine sat on one side of the table whilst the other professors such as Professor Stein, Caden and the other standard academy professors sat on the other.

Chancellor Sheppard and Crowler sat at each end of the table. Well, Sheppard was sitting. Crowler was stood up, his chair having been knocked over when the good doctor had violently stood up, his face red with outrage and, almost definitely, manicured nails near digging holes in the table.

Whilst the other teachers avoided Crowler's gaze, Sheppard smiled politely and waited patiently for the Ancient Gear user to finish his spiel. Having been trained by him for years, Zane knew how tolerant Sheppard could be, and even he didn't understand how the man hadn't fired Crowler years ago. He had some skill as a duelist, but his personality was near insufferable. Somehow, the man still managed to produce the best academic results.

"Now, Crowler, it is only right that we use a freshman," Sheppard said good-naturedly. "North Academy is using a new student after all."

"Using a freshman is not the issue," Crowler signed, falling back into his seat. "It is the options."

"You disagree with them?"

"I disagree with one of them," Crowler huffed. "Why do we need a Slifer? You made a perfectly good second suggestion."

"Everyone deserves a chance, Crowler. And Jaden has made a fair name for himself since he started at the academy," Sheppard reasoned. "I'd go as far as to say he is one of the most promising in his year."

"I agree," Zane said, finally deciding to weigh in on the discussion. "He has earned the right to prove himself." Crowler seemed to shrink into his chair, the word of both the chancellor and the top student weighing him down. But of course, as the man always seemed to do, he bounced back.

"Then I put it to this, a competition. We have two potential candidates. Have them duel and the winner represents the academy."

He seemed quite proud of himself for that idea, but Zane couldn't help but feel that Crowler had overlooked that was exactly how this meeting would have ended. Still, if it brought this meeting to a quick conclusion-

"I would like to say something."

The room went silent, all eyes falling upon the man with his hand raised. Even Zane was surprised. Sitting at attention, his face full of determination was Professor Sartyr. This was seemingly unprecedented. Zane had never heard the man speak in one of these meetings before outside of his regular report on his own dorm. In fact, the man was so quiet, he often forgot the man was in the room. Even Sheppard seemed slightly unsure of how to proceed, looking at the man with unmasked confusion.

"You have… something to add Professor Sartyr?"

"I do," the man said, much quieter than before. It seemed now that all eyes were on him, his initial confidence had fled from him. "If we are speaking of the first-year elite, I would like to put forward Bastion Misawa. Academically, he is ahead of all his peers. I'd go as far as to say ahead of many of his betters. His duel skills are exemplary. We would be foolish to overlook him."

Zane had never heard the professor speak so passionately. It seemed in recent days he had gained more confidence. In fact, now that he thought about it, he had been hearing Sartyr's name mentioned more in the corridors. The good professor had been taking more of an interest in his students, running study sessions that were open not only to those in his own dorm but also to Slifers and Obelisks. From the gossip he'd heard in passing, it seemed this new behaviour had happened soon after the first promotion exams. Perhaps the successes within his dorm had pushed him to be more active. Either way, Zane couldn't help but feel that this new determination suited the man.

"Misawa? Hmm… yes, I have been hearing good things about him," Sheppard said, stroking his chin. "He would be a good option."

"Well… If we can't have a competition between three people," Professor Banner suddenly interjected, a cat-like smile spreading across his lips. "I would like to put forward someone as well."

"We already have a Slifer," Crowler interjected quickly.

"Ah, but why not even out the numbers?" Banner smoothly dejected. "If we treat Jaden as Zane's personal choice, then there is room for a fourth, is there not?"

Crowler opened his mouth to retort, but the chancellor quickly interjected. "I think that is an excellent idea. It would make for more of a spectacle for the students. All agreed?"

"Agreed," the teachers, with the exception of Crowler, said quickly, leaving the good doctor no option to refute.

"Then it is near unanimous," Sheppard smiled. "Lyman, who do you have in mind."

"Logan Evans. He has also shown himself to be an exceptional duelist, if not a bit rough around the edges. I believe he could represent the school as well as any other."

Zane couldn't help but disagree. He admitted that Logan had some skill, but he overly relied on his unique archetype and did not seem to truly respect his opponents. However, he couldn't object. It was not his place to do so. Sheppard, on the other hand, seemed satisfied with the choice.

"Then it's decided. We shall have the matches at the end of the next week. I'll let the students know."

"If we are going to do this, I would suggest having the Slifers play against one another and have our Obelisk and Ra representatives duel," Crowler suggested. It was a strange choice, but he was probably angling to eliminate at least one of the red dorm candidates eliminated to reduce the chances of a red victory. However, once again, Banner denied the man.

"Actually, Bastion and your house's candidate seem to know each other quite well. Would it not be a better test of skill if the opponents were not too familiar with the other's strategies?"

"An excellent point, Lyman," Sheppard said. "Do you have a suggestion for the matchups?"

Banner brought his hand to his chin. "Well, from my understanding, Bastion and Jaden have not duelled to date. That would leave Logan to duel-"

"Ugh!"

I rubbed my eyes for the umpteenth time that morning, trying to soothe the feeling of soreness. Ever since that morning, I'd had the worse headache. A sharp pain focused against my forehead that refused to go away. From behind, my companion rubbed my back gently.

"Aw, are your eyes still hurting?" Sadie asked, giving me a sympathetic look. "I told you not to stay up so late watching tv."

"I wasn't watching anything," I said tiredly.

"Reading then?"

"No."

"Deck building?"

"…Yeah…"

She shook her head. "It's good to be passionate about your education, but you shouldn't wear yourself out. If you were working by that lamp, it's no wonder your eyes are hurting."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Clearly, my eyes are hurting because your light shines just…so brightly," I teased, flashing her the most charming smile I could handle.

She was having none of it.

"That was sickeningly cringey," she deadpanned.

"Yeah… it wasn't my best."

"I appreciate the effort though," she said, giving me a small nudge.

The two of us were on our way to the academy. This had become our daily routine. I'd wait for her each morning in front of the dorm, and we'd walk to the shop together so she could help Dorothy with setting up for the day. It gave us a few extra minutes a day to be with each other. It was nice and I normally couldn't keep the smile off my face.

As we entered the academy grounds, Sadie turned to me and smiled. "So, I've got to work late tonight. A new shipment of cards is coming in. Do you have any plans?"

"Bastion and I promised Dimitri I'd help him out with his deck," I told her.

"Ah, so a night of card games and drinking lemonade then?" she laughed.

"Not just lemonade. You're forgetting the finest biscuits duel academy has to offer," I said proudly. "Chocolate chip."

"Biscuits? Not cookies?"

"What can I say, I'm a posh person," I said. I still slipped up with my language sometimes. But as a (former?) British citizen, cookies would always be biscuits to me. "So, what are your plans?"

"Oh, I've got plans with the girls after school," she said.

"Kami and Yuma?" I asked, the names popping into my head from the conversations we'd had. We both had our own friend groups, Bastion being one of the in-betweens for us. From what I'd been told by both sides, mainly from Sadie, the two of them had become quite the study buddies. From the times I'd managed to get Bastion to spill the beans, he had talked about how he was happy to have someone who shared some of his academic interests.

"That's right. They've noticed my good mood recently and want to know all about 'the fella' in my life."

"Should I be worried?"

"No, no. After all, it's just a bunch of girls getting together to talk about our personal lives and who we may or may not be seeing. What could go wrong for you?"

"Oh, you really know how to comfort me, don't you?"

"It's part of my charm."

"True."

She bumped my side playfully. "You have your charms too."

"Yeah, but mine are related to card games."

We laughed and shared a few more words before coming into the school. After a quick peck, we went our separate ways, with me heading towards the classroom so I could get a little reading done. The new volume of Rosario + Vampire had come out recently and it had arrived the previous day. I was determined to get through the first chapter before class started.

Unfortunately, I found myself disappointed. The first lesson of the day was chemistry and it seemed Professor Banner had been eager to prep. I found him already sitting at his desk, setting out his equipment in front of him. Pharaoh the cat was nestled comfortably on his lap. The moment I entered, he turned his head snapped round and smiled.

"Ah, Mr Cambell. I see you are fashionably early," he said cordially.

Being alone with him filled me with unease. He was a shadow rider. A double, technically triple, agent. If he even suspected I knew his true alignment, I was screwed. In situations like this, I was walking on eggshells. The others I could lie to, make light of slips, or even play dumb. Banner would see through it. Because of everyone on this island, he was by far the most devious. So instead, I spoke the truth.

"I've been walking to school with someone recently," I said, making a beeline towards my seat.

"How nice," Banner said, continuing his work. "If you do not mind me asking, is this perhaps a female friend?"

"Strange way of asking, but yes," I replied.

Banner's smile grew, giving me chills. "I see. I am happy for you. Finding companionship is something to be treasured." I'd hoped that would be the end of our small talk, but Banner continued to speak. "It's been a while since we last spoke. Back at my dorm, I believe. How have you been finding Duel Academy?"

"It's certainly been an experience."

"A good experience from what I understand," Banner said. "Your name is becoming more commonplace amongst the teachers. Great things are expected from you."

Oh, I don't like where this was going.

"You… you exaggerate sir. I'm not all that impressive. Just a good study."

Banner looked at me curiously before shaking his head. "I suspect it is you who underestimates yourself. There are many in your year who show remarkable skill, yet you are still turning heads."

If that had come from anyone else, it would have been a comfort, however, I got the distinct feeling Banner wasn't talking about just the normal faculty. I could feel another headache coming on. Still, burying my mistrust, I put on my best smile and said, "That is very kind of you, sir. I hope to live up to your expectations."

"Oh, I'm sure you will. I'm sure you will."

He finally left me be, putting his whole focus into his lesson setup. I didn't feel comfortable reading my manga in front of the professor, so I just did some deck work. Soon enough, the other students began to walk in, and the lesson began.

One thing I immediately noticed was that Logan didn't come to class. In fact, the Lightsworn didn't show his face all day. After the Banner's class, there was an announcement that a special assembly was to be held after the day's lessons came to a close. Given the timing, I had a pretty good idea as to what it would be. Naturally, I kept my eye on Jaden and Bastion throughout the day, looking forward to seeing their reactions.

Soon enough, we found ourselves packed into the main assembly hall. As per normal, we were told to stand within our dorms, so I quickly found myself surrounded by a bunch of Obelisks who I knew weren't particularly fond of me. I could feel their glares digging into the back of my head. Nonetheless, I kept my gaze ahead and focused on the teachers as Sheppard walked onto the stage.

He looked out at us with a gentle smile. "My dear students, it is that time of year again for the interschool duel between ourselves and those of one of our fellow sister sites from around the globe. For the past two years, our top student, Zane Truesdale, has defeated accomplished representatives of South and West Academy. However, this year, our opponents at North Academy are putting forward a freshman champion, and in the spirit of fairness, we have decided to do the same."

The atrium became abuzz with whispers of awe, especially among the first years. The excitement that they may be chosen and the admiration it would bring them. Others were those of annoyance, mainly those from the third years who for many, had lost their last chance to show off their skills on a public stage before their graduation.

Sheppard allowed the whispers to continue for a few moments more before holding up his arms. "Settle down now," he said, his voice just as jovial as normal. "I understand this is an exciting time. Now the staff has spoken at length on the matter, and we have decided to have a little competition of our own."

"Here we go," I thought, looking over towards the Ras to see if I could spot Bastion. I was looking forward to seeing his reaction.

"They were chosen based on multiple factors, whether that be their aptitude for duelling or persistence for academic excellence. This Friday, after normal classes, we shall decide who will be our champion. As I speak out your names, please step forward. From the Ra Yellow Dorm, Bastion Misawa!"

Immediately, there was a round of cheers from the Ras. It was not often that they were selected for a school event over an Obelisk and their excitement was palpable. Bastion quickly took his place at the front of his house, standing tall and proud with arms behind his back. His military-like posture sort of reminded me of Axel Brodie.

Sheppard waited until the cheers had died down before calling the next name.

"From the Slifer Red dorm, Jaden Yuki!"

This time the reception was less enthusiastic with the exception of the reds, who hooted and hollered. A few of the yellow clapped but they were otherwise resoundingly quiet. Less than six people clapped amongst the blues, me included. I suspected Alexis and Sadie to be the others. Zane probably saw himself as too professional to join in with the cheer.

The energetic Slifer practically skipped to the front of his house where he turned and waved to his friends before giving Bastion a competitive two-fingered salute. I couldn't help but smile at the display and it looked like some of the teachers also found his antics humorous. Well, except Crowler. He looked like he was ready to strangle the Slifer.

I let out a sigh of relief. The canon was still intact. With everything that had been going on recently, I'll admit, I was terrified that they might have chosen-

"From the Obelisk Blue Dorm, Ren Cambell."

My body chilled. The cheers of my fellow Obelisks barely registered. They clapped me on the back, trying to share in a delusion that my supposed choosing was their own victory. They ruffled my hair and began to push me forward until I had taken my place out front among Bastion and Jaden. The two looked over and gave me a thumbs up, congratulating me. All the while, my right hand trembled.

I looked back amongst the Obelisks, trying to find a friendly face. I saw Sadie somewhere around the middle of the girls. She saw me looking and smiled widely, mouthing the words 'congrats.' Even though she didn't share a love of duelling, like the rest of the school, she knew how important this duel was, especially for someone's career. She was happy for me, oblivious to my inner turmoil.

I spotted Alexis as well. She was frowning at first but spared me a small nod when she noticed my gaze. Kind of her considering this was an honour she undoubtedly felt overlooked for. I'd be happy to trade places if she asked.

And just when I felt the situation couldn't be worse, Sheppard twisted in the knife. "And finally, also from the Slifer Red Dorm, Logan Evans."

The reds began to clap again, although the sound was far more strained than it had been for Jaden. By comparison, the happy clapping of Mindy amongst the blues was far more rigorous. It seemed Logan hadn't been nurturing his relationships with his peers. His reputation was abysmal amongst the yellows as well.

The strained clapping quickly died, but Logan did not step forward. After a few moments, Sheppard called again. And then a third time. And still, he did not appear.

"It would seem Mr Evans is unwell today," Sheppard finally said, stopping anyone from beginning to murmur. "I trust his head of house can inform him later," he continued, sparing a glance over to Professor Banner. The chancellor waited for the professor to nod before turning back to us. Behind him, the screen lit up, showing each of our pictures. Bastion and Jaden's were next to each other whilst mine was next to Logan's. "This Friday, these four shall duel. Two matches to decide who shall represent our school. My best wishes to our challengers." He made to leave before stopping and looked back at us with a sly smile. "And before I forget, this year, we have invited a special guest to attend the school duel. I hope you all look forward to their arrival."

With that bombshell, the jolly chancellor turned and left the hall, Doctor Crowler nipping at his heels. Immediately, the remaining teachers set about dismissing us. As I was ushered out into the hallway, being greeted by an excited Dimitri, Bastion and Sadie, I couldn't help but feel sick.

Mindy couldn't stop humming as she hurried to the Slifer Dorm. It wasn't a place she normally frequented, but she wanted to deliver the good news before anyone else. She'd tried messaging Logan when she noticed he hadn't come to school and received no reply. While they hadn't put any labels on things yet, she still wanted to do right by him.

From their date, she got the feeling that Logan hadn't really had a lot of interactions with girls. He hadn't said as such, but she could tell. He seemed to be overcompensating. Constantly checking she was having a good time, shying away from her at times when she got too close. Overall, just being overly respectful. She could instantly tell he was inexperienced, so she tried to take it slow. He seemed happy when he went home and that made her happy too. He was cute. She had gotten too used to guys who knew how to talk to girls. It was nice to find someone who she could teach.

As the smell of sea salt became so strong it tickled her nose, she came to the glorified shack that was the red dorm. She'd never really thought about it before, but it was a tad unfair that those who weren't so good at a card game had to stay in such an ugly place. A student's school experience should be fun. This place was just likely to cause trauma. Especially if the rumours about the mice and cockroaches were true.

As she approached the steps, she caught a brief whiff of something that made her want to wretch. She looked around and noticed a foul mess of undigested… grossness. Another reason why she never came here. So unclean.

Quickly, she scaled the stairs and made her way to the end of the bannister where Logan's room was. However, as she got closer, she heard a sudden cry.

"No! I can't do that!"

The sheer anger in the cry made Mindy jump. It took her a moment, but when her senses came back to her, she recognised the voice as Logan's. She edged closer. She knew she shouldn't listen in, but her curiosity got the better of her. Slifer's had roommates. Maybe Logan was arguing with them? But there wasn't another voice.

"I know I asked to know, but this… it's too much…" Logan went on. There was another pause, but still no voice.

"Is he on the phone?" she whispered curiously, leaning in a little closer to try and hear the other side of the conversation.

"But what you showed me… How can I stop it?" There was another pause. "I know I need to get stronger… but where do I… Hmmm… What do you mean?"

There were rapid footsteps and the door was thrown open. The first thing that came to Mindy's mind was how awful Logan looked. Black bags hung under his eyes and his purple hair was a mess. In fact, now that she looked closer, she could see his dark roots. He was as white as a sheet and as she peered into the door, she noticed that the curtains were drawn. He must have been in the dark all day.

"Mindy?" he questioned; his voice hoarse. "What are you doing here?"

Immediately, the obelisk snapped out of her stupor. "Heya…" she said with far less enthusiasm than she initially had. "I… I just came to check on you. You weren't at school today."

"I… I think I caught a bug. I didn't feel up for being in a crowd."

Mindy couldn't help but frown. While his appearance said otherwise, she couldn't help but feel she'd just been lied to. Guys always lied in the same way with an attractive girl. Vague details, avoiding eye contact and he seemed anxious, like he'd been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to.

"Oh, you poor thing. Do you want me to come in? My mom taught me this great soup recipe."

For the briefest moment, a smile spread across the boy's face before his head snapped back to the inside of the room. Mindy took his moment of hesitation to poke her head forward and get a good look inside. The room, much to her relief, was empty. However, it looked like Logan had been busy. Papers were strewn all over his desk, wild notes pattered across each. It was too dark to make out what though.

Logan was quick to in front of her, his face filled with worry. "That's really kind of you, but you don't need to do that. I don't want you catching my bug," he laughed nervously.

"Oh, but I want to help. And I've got some really good news for you," Mindy said.

"Good news?" Logan repeated, his eyes lighting up for the first time in the conversation.

"Yeah! You've been chosen to potentially represent the school!"

For a moment, Logan's eyes lit up. "Potential? So, it's not for certain?" he seemed strangely happy about that.

"Yeah… Zane's not duelling this year, so they want to use a first year. You were one of the people who made the cut. You're duelling this Friday."

"Really?" he placed his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "If it's first years, then I'm guessing the other guy is Jaden."

"That's right!" Mindy chirped. "He's one of them."

Logan froze, his happy expression disappearing. "One of them?"

"Yeah… Bastion and Ren are also in the running. Ren is your first opponent." She was sure he'd be happy but instead, Logan took a step back, his expression darkening. "Logan… are you okay?"

He didn't answer at first. It was like all words deserted him. Once more, his head turned to his room. He stayed quiet for another moment before turning back to Mindy. "Thank you for letting me know, Min. I really appreciate you coming to tell me. I… I'm going to need to prepare. Ren… Ren will be tough."

"I could help you!" Mindy said, her excitement growing. "I've been practising recently, and Alexis has been teaching me. I've got a few ideas that could help you."

She honestly did. She'd discussed Logan's deck with Alexis, and she'd gotten a few ideas from cards she'd found in packs from the shop. She wasn't all that skilled yet, still losing most of her matches, but she was noticing patterns and synergy.

Her hype grew until it was immediately shattered as Logan shook his head. "I'd appreciate it, but I'm still not feeling great. I don't want you catching my cold."

"Oh… okay then. Maybe another time. There are still a few days before the match."

"Yeah. Thanks for coming," he said sadly. "You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

While still feeling a little low, Mindy couldn't help but smile a little. Even acting strange, he was still like a little puppy dog. Putting on her best grin, she waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. Always happy to. I hope you feel better. I'd best get back before it gets too dark. See you later. When you're feeling better, we should totes meet up again."

"Yeah," Logan said. "I'll… I'll see you soon."

"See ya!"

Logan gave a wave before heading back inside, closing the door. While she held her smile, she couldn't help but feel her heart was a tad bit heavier than before. Of course, this was quickly interrupted when she noticed a man in scuba gear pull himself out of the water on the rocks below.

"I'm sorry, Mindy."

Logan remained at the door, listening to the receding steps on the metal of the balcony until they faded away. He felt bad for lying. He wished he could have taken Mindy up on her offer. But with what he had learned… there was work to be done.

He looked back to the other woman in his life. She remained in the same spot, floating just a little off the ground. Lumina had been with him all night and she showed no signs of going away.

"You could go after her," she said simply.

"I know."

"But you will not?"

"I can't bring her into this right now," Logan sighed, finally stepping forward. "Besides, we have a goal. It's almost time for the school duel. After that, it's the shadow riders. I need to make a mark."

"And if the other tries to stop you?" Lumina asked, her head cocked to the side.

Logan didn't initially answer. Instead, his eyes shifted to his desk where he knew his deck was buried under the mountain of notes he'd spent the night frantically scribbling. Another reason why Mindy couldn't come in. Written was every significant occurrence that happened in the GX timeline, and even some of 5Ds just in case. If she had seen these… that would have been a whole other mess. He must have disassembled and reassembled his deck at least a hundred times, trying to find the most ideal deck to combat every challenge. And now, he had to start over again.

"Another reconstruction?" Lumina asked, looking over his shoulder. They'd been going back and forth on this all night.

"I need to be prepared," Logan said for the umpteenth, taking out his card trunk from under the desk. He kept it there for easy access. Opening it up, he took out some of his recent purchases and thumbed through them, taking out cards he believed would be useful. "The last time I duelled Ren, I didn't know I was taking on someone like me. This time, I'll be ready." Suddenly, his PDA began to beep. "Speak of the devil."

"The other wishes to speak to you?"

"Undoubtedly about the duel." He let the call go to voicemail.

"Why did you do that?" Lumina asked curiously.

"How can I talk to him now? After…"

"So, you would throw away your partnership with him?"

Logan paused, momentarily placing his cards down. The horrifying images she had shown him. The vision had been so vivid. He still remembered the feeling of the cold penetrating his skin, making him feel like he'd never be warm again. The smell of the bodies as they rotted into the grass, all the while still alive. The shrill cry of monsters as they circled over the ruins of what had once been the academy. And… his friends… his friends…

"No. It'd be more valuable to keep him close. But we can't continue as we are. Something has to change."

"C'mon… pick up you bastard…" I hissed under my breath as I looked at my PDA again. Thankfully, the others didn't hear me. I'd been trying to reach Logan ever since the announcement, but it looked like my fellow reincarnate was ignoring me, too sick to pick up the phone or just plain had his phone off. Either way, I couldn't reach him.

We had to talk about strategy. If we were going to duel, we'd both have to lose or throw the game or back out so that Jaden could be the representative. This was one of his defining moments and would lead to Chazz's return to Duel Academy. Chazz would be instrumental in the events to come. We couldn't risk losing such an asset. Especially since he had Light and Darkness Dragon. If Tragoedia was also in this universe, it'd be better to keep Chazz and his spirit close.

I'd have gone to the Slifer dorm to confront him if it weren't for the fact Sadie, Bastion and Dimitri insisted we meet up to celebrate. We grabbed some baguettes from the shop and went out and sat by the stone effigies of famous duel monsters on the front walkway.

Dimitri and Sadie sat side by side atop the one carved with Baby Dragon whilst Bastion and I sat against the Vorse Raider. Despite normally being quite reserved when it came to the matter of duelling, Sadie was quite enthusiastic and couldn't stop smiling.

"I'm honestly so happy for your two," she cheered.

"It is only a qualifying duel," Bastion said humbly.

"True but think about it. You're in the running to represent your school in your first year. That is exactly the kind of thing that would look great on your résumé. You'll be turning heads in some circles."

"It is quite exciting," Dimitri agreed. "Although, you two are rivals now. Doesn't that make things awkward?"

Bastion and I shared a look before shaking our heads. "I'm always up for friendly competition," Bastion smirked.

"Same, but if we want to duel each other, we'll have to beat our opponents first."

"Only a technicality," Bastion said cheerfully. "However, it would seem I have a strategy to develop. Jaden is an extremely talented duelist with an extraordinary amount of luck. I will need to be diligent in my research."

"Jaden overly relies on fusions," Dimitri cut in. "Maybe if you can find a way around them, you gain an edge?"

"Hmm… going around them… Not a bad suggestion…" Bastion mumbled, bringing his hand to his chin. He'd clearly gone into his 'thinker' mode. After a moment, he suddenly shot up off the ground. "Eureka!" he cried excitedly. "There is much to do. I will see you all later. Excuse me." He quickly ran off, leaving the three of us to watch as he undoubtedly went back to his dorm.

"If he's that excited, I feel bad for Jaden," Sadie said as she stretched out her back before hopping off the stone epitaph. "I've got to go too. Dorothy will need help making the eggwiches for tomorrow."

"Have fun," I said with a small wave. "Be sure to mark the golden eggwich for me."

"Ha, I'll make sure you'll get the grilled tongue," she said, sticking out her tongue teasingly. We smiled at each other before she reluctantly headed off, leaving me and Dimitri.

"Have you got something to do too?" I asked him.

He gave a shrug. "I was thinking about doing some deck building. I just can't decide on a style I like. I've already built three test decks, but none of them call out to me."

"Three decks, huh? Don't tell Bastion. He'll think you're trying to challenge him," I half-heartedly laughed, sneaking another glance at my PDA. Still no message.

"You expectin' a call or something?"

"Something like that?"

"Oh, does Sadie know?"

My jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

"I mean… it is kind of obvious. You two aren't exactly subtle," he explained.

"True… I suppose. I just can't believe you'd have the audacity to say it like that." We stared at each other for a moment before both of us began laughing. He was only taking the piss. I was honestly happy we could laugh like this again. It had been too long.

"So, who are you waiting for?" he asked once our chuckles had subsided.

"Logan," I answered honestly.

"Conspiring with the enemy?"

"Not quite. There's just something I need to talk to him about."

He waited a moment before speaking again. "Are you okay?"

"Huh, what?"

"For a guy who's just been offered a great opportunity, you are exactly… I don't know… as excited as I thought you'd be."

"I'm just compartmentalising. Getting pumped."

"You're deflecting," Dimitri chuckled. "You have a bad habit of that."

"I've got many bad habits apparently," I sighed. "Honestly, I'm nervous."

"What are you nervous about?"

"The future." It just came out. And in response, my good friend Dimitri laughed right in my face. "Oh. Charming."

"No, I'm sorry, it's just… 'the future?' You said that way too seriously," he laughed. "We're still in school, man. We've got our whole lives. I mean, the future isn't written. Who knows what's going to come tomorrow?"

"Yeah… ha ha… Who knows…"

Dimitri watched me curiously before jumping up. "C'mon, let's go and hang out. I managed to get a hold of that new Spider-Man game. I hear it's good."

"Heh… Just wait for 2018," I thought, feeling a nostalgic pang. "You know what… I'll take you up on that."

"Yeah! Let's beat up some bad guys! I love playing the good guy!" Dimitri cheered, already on the move. I trailed behind.

Before I could answer, my PDA dinged. Logan had left me a message.

"Yeah… Go good guys…"

The night air sent a chill up my spine. Even dressed in my thickest hoodie, I could still feel the cold bite against my arms. Logan had chosen one hell of a meeting spot. After sneaking out of the dorm, I made my way out into the middle of the forest. I had to be extremely careful of campus security. For some reason, they were more active than normal tonight. I had to bush dive just to make sure I wasn't seen. This is why you always leave up to half an hour early when breaking curfew to make an appointment.

Logan had selected a rather secluded area to meet by the side of a spring that was relatively close to the Slifer Dorm. Figures he'd chosen a location a stone's throw away from him while I had to trek. He was there waiting for me. As I approached, I saw him pacing back and forth, muttering something under his breath. He looked ragged, his clothes a dishevelled mess and hair not its normal neat quiff.

I thought I was being stealthy but as I came close, his head snapped up and around, but he relaxed a little when he saw me. "You came. I'm glad you did."

"You say that like I wasn't trying to call you," I said, joining him by the side of the water. "While I like the scenery, we could have met sooner."

"Not for this. What we have to talk about, I think we would both appreciate having no one overhear."
Oh, I didn't like where this was going.

"I guess that's true. You know we can't win, right?" May as well get straight to the point. My fear was proven true in a moment. Logan wanted to dip his toes into the canon again, and this time he was gunning for the school duel. "It may not be what you want to hear, but Jaden has to win. He's the one who will be able to convince Chazz to stay here. You know we need him for what's coming."

"No, we don't."

"Huh?"

"We don't need Chazz." Logan looked out across the spring, his tone serious and level. "And expecting him to come back just because he did in the canon is foolish."

"But-"

"But nothing." Logan snapped his head around, staring me straight on. "I know you don't want to admit it, but this isn't the world we knew. Sure, events are similar but things have already spiralled out of control. Titan, Eve, Weevil and Rex, even right now, all of it has changed, and that's just the small stuff. Us being here has caused ripples that will turn into a tsunami. You want your peaceful life? You should be fighting to keep Chazz away. He is the catalyst for not one, but two villains running rampant throughout the school."

"We've had this discussion before-"

"Sure, he helps fight back against the Shadow Riders, but after that, it's all downhill," Logan interrupted. "He brings in the society. He becomes a duel ghoul. He succumbs to Nightshroud along with the rest of the world. Let Chazz live his own life, we can pick up the slack and be more useful. We can save more people."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I couldn't believe I didn't have a rebuttal. "And Chazz? He'll never escape his brothers. He will forever be under their thumb."

Logan immediately shot me down. "You don't know that. From what I saw, Chazz was already choosing his own path. He earned his right to stay in Obelisk and decided to leave anyway. But I bet you put that down to him following his 'destiny'. I don't know why you're so scared to deviate from the canon, but sooner or later, you'll have to accept that what you know no longer exists." He paused for a moment, running his right hand over his face, and wiping his eyes. For a moment, I didn't see him as Logan Evans. I saw a person who was like me. Someone who was tired after living two separate lives and having it wear them down. He gave me an earnest look. "I'm sorry Ren, I really am but I've tried it your way, and I've come to realise it's just not sustainable."

"Sustainable?"

"Look at yourself, you've been burning yourself out. You're exhausted. How you handled Dmitri just proves it." Rich coming from him. Now that I was close enough, I could see that his hair was darker than normal, his roots showing his natural black hair. "Sure, it worked out that time, but what about next time? What happens when your need to control this world's flow blows up in your face because you made the wrong decision trying to preserve something that died a very long time ago?"

Again, I found myself unable to argue. Everything he said made sense. I couldn't deny I had been having some similar thoughts. Everything with Dimitri had forced me to re-evaluate some of my priorities. But still… my gut instinct screamed at me to keep Chazz close. My head… my head was telling me to listen though. It was like a split in me, and I couldn't decide where to fall.

"Ren, I know you may think I'm being selfish, but please believe me when I say I'm not trying to showboat and I'm not trying to usurp anyone. All the key keepers have already proven themselves in some way. Even you've shown how capable you are. But I still need to prove myself worthy of being a keykeeper. I need to make sure I'm chosen because I want to fight too."

"I know you want to fight. You've done more to prove yourself."

"Not compared to the other. Not compared to you," he trailed off, before giving a small, bitter chuckle. "It really is ironic. You wanted nothing to do with this Ren, and yet you've somehow ended up at the centre."

"That's partially your fault," I pointed out. "If it weren't for you, I would never have been put on display against pros."

"True… but that just goes to show how far behind I am. Anyone can beat Obelisks, Ren. You, Jaden and all the others have already proved themselves in one way or another. I haven't. I have to do this. If you still want to stop me, even after this, then I'll have to prove my resolve to you."

"Prove your resolve?"

"Let's use the duel. If I win, I move on to fight Jaden and have a fifty-fifty shot at getting what I want. If you win, I back off, but you will have to make a serious decision about what you want to do with the future."

"You're serious? I'm not going to leave something this serious up to chance, Logan."

"I'm not either. Things have changed, Ren. Nothing you can say will stop me."

"Then what was the point in calling me out like this?" My disbelief was turning to frustration. I thought this would be more of a discussion, but it was like talking to a wall.

To his credit, Logan genuinely seemed conflicted about our discussion. At first, he tried to avoid my gaze, but finally, he turned back to look at me. "We have our differences Ren, but over the last couple of months, I have honestly come to respect you, even if you are a pain in the ass. But you've made it clear you still don't trust me… and honestly, I don't think I can trust you."

What did he mean by that? Something was off with Logan. He seemed… almost scared. He was withdrawn, his posture tight and protected, his arms crossed.

"Hey man… what's brought this on? All of this, it doesn't sound like you."

Logan paused, giving a small, sad smile. "I've been given a wake-up call, that's all."

Yeah, because that statement really boosts my confidence.

"There is still time before the duel," he continued. "I really hope that you will see things my way, but I know you probably won't. So, we'll settle things on the duel field." He looked around for a final time before giving a shiver. "Yeah, it really is cold tonight. Should have brought something warmer. I don't have anything more to say, Ren. I just wanted to be honest with you."

"Hang on, we're not done talking about this. You can't just lay this all on me and then walk away," I said, moving to block off his path. Logan merely smiled.

"There is nothing else to talk about and campus security will be checking this area soon. You best make your way back to the blue dorm before they catch you. Good night, Ren. I really hope you consider what I've said to you. If you really plan to stop me, bring your best cards. I'll be ready for you."

He moved around me, quickly making his way through the trees, leaving me in the clearing alone. I watched him disappear beyond my eye line before beginning the long trek back to my own dorm. However, I found myself distracted.

Logan had been so strange. More worryingly, I found that I couldn't disagree with his arguments. Everything Logan had to say made sense, his argument strong enough to sway my head, and yet something within me screamed that everything he proposed was wrong. Again, my head began to ache with a sharp pain against my forehead.

"Not another one…" I moaned. "I need to focus. How do I respond to this…?"

The week passed by quickly, and in that time, the school became a buzz with activity. The naming of the potential freshmen seemed to light a fire under the student body. The first years who now felt they had something to prove, the second years who felt overlooked, and the third years who felt spurned of their final chances to be noticed on a national stage.

All of them came into the shop, scouting for cards. It had been the same last year, and Sadie had no doubt it would happen for years to come. All the bright-eyed students who felt that they could make a name for themselves playing a children's card game, and those who recognised the obsession of a rich fanatic who had the power, technology and genius to change the world.

So many had fallen for the simplicity of the promise that now normal life seemed like a bittersweet dream for Sadie. Among those who fell for the allure of Duel Monsters was her boyfriend, who had been coming to the card shop even more frequently since the announcement.

Sadie knew he was quite the collector, and she, secretly, admitted that she respected his tenacity to enhance his deck and his… ahem… education. Although, she couldn't help but wish that he would put that level of attention elsewhere. They had barely had the time to meet up.

On the day before the match, Sadie manned the till in the card shop alone. Ms Dorothy had left to see the headmaster about preparation for the school duel leaving her to her lonesome. Not that it mattered much. Friday afternoons were their least busy time. One grace of normalcy at this academy is that no one wanted to spend money on cards on a Friday night when they could be relaxing with friends. Well… except Jaden Yuki. As he put it, 'Any time was a good time for new cards.'

However, he and his fellow Slifers had already been and gone, leaving Sadie to read the teaching magazine she had brought to work with her. That is until she heard footsteps. Putting down her reading material, she turned to face the newcomer, listing off her normal greeting. "Hello and welcome to the card shop. Feel free to br- oh, hey there you two."

The people who had entered the shop were none other than Alexis and Mindy. The former led confidently while Mindy tagged along, as normal, looking a bit like a lost puppy to Sadie. These two had been making rather regular trips to the store recently. Alexis had always been a repeat customer, but Mindy was quickly becoming a regular too.

"Hey there, Sadie. Do you still have our usual?" Alexis asked, giving her natural thin smile.

"I think we still have a few packs left." She gestured to the side where a box of Dark Beginnings 2 rested. "Your normal three?"

"Hmm… I'm thinking five today. Mindy, what are you getting?"

The dark-haired girl looked intently at the cards behind the counter before turning her head towards the cases lining the rest of the shop. "I think I'm gonna look around first."

Alexis's smile grew, apparently happy with Mindy's decision. "Okay, I'll wait here."

Mindy hesitated briefly before nodding and walking over to the cases, leaving Sadie alone with Alexis. "How's her deck coming along?" Sadie asked curiously as she began packing the Obelisk Queen's order.

"She's getting there. She's definitely noticing patterns," Alexis reported, looking over to her friend.

"She reminds me of Dimitri," Sadie observed. "Ren's been helping him out a lot since… what happened. Dimitri is still choosing the deck he wants, but he's been making strides with his building."

"Is he still basing his decks on other people?"

"Hmm… more like he's trying to make them his own style." From the few practice duels Dimitri had had with their small group, herself included, he had come a long way, nearly winning a fair few of the duels. She could tell he was almost there.

"And… how is Ren doing?" Alexis asked, her tone suddenly a lot more guarded. "He's seemed… a bit off the last few days."

"Off? He's seemed perfectly fine to me," Sadie answered. "I mean, he's been coming into the shop a lot but that normally means he's looking for something specific."

Even though Sadie was confident in her boyfriend's behaviour, Alexis's conflicted expression told her she still thought otherwise. "He must be taking things seriously," she said finally. "It's tough to prepare for one opponent, let alone three. Especially when one of them is Jaden."

Oh yeah, Sadie kept forgetting the rumour was Alexis had a thing for Jaden. When the topic of romance had come up before during their girl talks, Alexis had always waved off the notion of romance, claiming she wasn't interested in it, that duelling was the thing she was in love with. Mindy and Jasmine kept trying to get her to be more open about a love life but she was having none of it. Personally, from what she had seen, Sadie didn't believe Alexis was being entirely honest.

If the rumour was true and she did have a thing for Jaden, good luck to her. Jaden seemed to be the most oblivious boy on the planet. He was more in love with his cards than anything else. Was this her way of seeing what trouble Jaden had ahead of him then? How sweet.

"Honestly, from the packs he's been buying, I think he's most focused on Logan. When he comes in, he's always muttering about counters to Logan's Lightsworns."

Alexis's brow furrowed. "That could cost him when it comes to Jaden."

"Or Bastion," Sadie pointed out. Loathe that he be forgotten. Sadie knew exactly how hard the Ra worked to keep up with his peers.

Alexis's brows furrowed in thought. "Bastion is strong, but I think Jaden will have him beat. Not that it won't be tough, but Jaden has more passion."

"Passion, huh? I always thought Duel Monsters was more about strategy. Knowing your opponent's cards makes that easier."

Alexis shook her head. "That's only a small aspect of it. There is honestly so much more to a duel than the breakdown of numbers."

"I'll have to take your word for it," Sadie said. She'd had this argument too many times before. She liked Alexis though and did not want to upset her and so chose to take the high road. "So have you got any other plans today?"

"Not really. Truthfully, we've just been to see the chancellor."

That made Sadie raise her eyebrows. "The chancellor? Why?"

"Mindy thought she saw someone climb out of the sea the other day, and last night, I ran into a rather strange Slifer."

"What was strange about him?"

"He had a beard."

"Ah. So, there's a trespasser on the island?"

"Not for long hopefully. After what happened at the Abandoned Dorm… I didn't want to take any chances."

Sadie's expression softened. Alexis had told her about her brother, and she knew how much it pained her not to know what happened to him. She wanted to give her some words of comfort, but Mindy chose that moment to return.

"I'll take these please," she said with a chipper smile. Her head swivelled between the two of them before cocking her head. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No," Alexis said quickly. "Did you find what you wanted?"

"I think so. Hey, are you excited about the duels, Sadie?" she asked suddenly, blindsiding Sadie.

"Umm… yeah. They should be good."

"You should sit with us," Mindy said, briefly looking towards Alexis as if for approval. "Don't you think it'd be nice to watch the duel together?"

"I certainly don't mind," Alexis said.

"Thanks for the offer," Sadie said honestly. "I'll have a small bit of work to do but I can join you after."

"We'll save you a seat," Mindy said ecstatically.

"I appreciate that."

After that Mindy paid for her packs and the girls left, leaving Sadie alone once again. She tried to return to her magazine, but Alexis's words kept coming back to her. Had Ren been off the last week? He seemed relatively normal to her. He was a bit too enthusiastic about duel monsters sometimes, but Sadie personally liked that he was relatively level-headed about it.

Maybe she should check on him… they would have a moment alone before the duel after all…

I woke up that morning to a knock on my door to find Crowler waiting for me. Seeing that man's face first thing in the morning… yep… I knew the day was going to be awful. After ushering me to get ready, he led me to the school and an unoccupied room. When Crowler let me in, I found the room to be quite small, with nothing but a small table, a chair, and a bottle of water.

I briefly considered this was where the man planned on killing me. I quickly realised that was just idiotic and merely a delusion of my sleep-deprived mind. Thankfully, Crowler was quick to explain.

"The faculty have seen fit to give you and your opponent's time to make final preparations. I advise that you use this time wisely, Mr Cambell. I'm sure that you will put on a display that will make your fellow Obelisks proud."

No one could accuse him of not having a favourite for this…

"Yes, Doctor Crowler," I said quietly, finally walking into the room. Crowler shut the door behind me, and I was left alone. I immediately started prepping. Logan had avoided me ever since our talk all week. He seemed to be honouring his word to give me space whilst I had nothing to say to him. So, instead, I put my efforts into deck-making.

I wasted no time and took out my cards, fanning them out across the table. I spent a couple of minutes testing my opening hand. I knew the Lightsworns. I'd played them in my past life. I'd go as far as to say they were my first step in building meta decks. Before that I'd just played what I wanted, mainly Blue-Eyes because I'd bought the Saga of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon starter deck and combined it with the Dragon's Collide structure. When I started losing more and more, I changed my deck-building strategies. I kind of hated myself for that… I was young and it felt like a betrayal to those monsters that had fought with me.

I was way too sentimental.

Anyway, the Lightsworns were strong for this time period but they had glaring weaknesses I planned to exploit. But that wouldn't get me what I wanted. Logan was like me. I chose to play those cards because he'd also had knowledge about them. He'd been sloppy so far, relying on their raw power to win. But recently, he was playing smarter. His strategies evolving. He wanted this win. The way he'd been acting… he needed it. And now I stood between him and his goal.

For the umpteenth time that week, I felt another headache come on, momentarily distracting me. "They're getting stronger," I groaned. "I should have asked Nurse Fontaine for aspirin…"

Too late now.

After one more test hand, I felt satisfied and slotted my cards back into my deck box. I still had a while, so I sat down and just took the time to think. About Logan, about the current state of canon… about how despite my best effort, I was exactly where I didn't want to be.

Where did I go wrong? Was it accepting Bastion's duel offer? Getting closer to the protagonists? No… even coming to the academy was asking for trouble. So why did I come?

"I knew I'd be dragged into things, so it doesn't make sense… Didn't I want to go to one of the international academies? Why did I…?"

It was like a fog. I tried to focus and still got lost. The answer was so close on the edge of my mind… and just when I was about to grasp it…

KNOCK KNOCK

"Ren?"

"Sadie?" I walked over, opening the door to see my loving girlfriend dressed in her work uniform. She held a tray with onigiri and a bottle of water. A very welcome site.

"Hey there, I thought you might be hungry," she said, walking in and placing the tray on the table.

"All for me? Isn't that favouritism?"

"Well, Dorothy is offering food to Jaden and Logan, and I've already seen Bastion, but you could say I saved the best for last," she teased.

"Oh… So, it is favouritism," I grinned, walking towards her.

"Maybe…" she said, taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. "But it would be unprofessional to admit. And you have a duel to focus on."

"Wow… I thought it was the guy who was supposed to ruin the mood?" I laughed.

"Someone has to keep you focused," she said with a grin. "You want to be a professional duelist, right? This is a massive step. If you represent the school, people will notice."

"Right, yeah. Very exciting." I walked around her, sitting back at the table.

I wasn't hiding my discomfort very well. Sadie must have noticed it as the next thing I knew she was at my back with her hands resting on my shoulders. "That doesn't sound like a perspective rep. What's wrong?"

"Just the pressure, I guess." I didn't like lying to her. My compromise was half-truths. The pressure was high, just not for what she thought. I leaned back into her, shifting my head so I could look at her eyes and put on the best smile I could. "Having you here helps."

She laughed but still offered her hand. I took it and gave it a squeeze. "You'll be fine," she said, cutting right through my bullshit. "Now, is this about the pressure, or about having to duel your friends."

"Hmm?"

"Bastion is one of your best friends and you seem close with Jaden too. It's understandable you'd be nervous."

It seemed she'd mistaken my lethargy for concern about what this duel might do to my friendships. Considering I'd just repaired a relationship with Dimitri, it was easy to think that'd be a concern.

"What about Logan?" I asked.

"Logan… hmm… well he always struck me as a weird one," she admitted. "He never used to come into the store until recently. He always struck me as quite stuck up… way too cocky for his own good."

"True…"

"But he's been different recently. Sure, he's still a little cocky, but more considerate. Happier. I think you did that."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you invited him into the group. It was clear you didn't like him, but you made him feel included. Before that, he was too much of a loner."

"I didn't do much," I murmured.

Immediately, I felt her arms wrap around my neck in a gentle embrace. "You did enough," she whispered, planting a peck on my cheek. "Everything will be fine Ren. Go out there and do your best. Okay?"

"Okay," I whispered, reaching up and taking her hand. "I'll try…"

"You'd better."

From her position, I couldn't see her face, but I liked to think she was smiling. I wished we could have stayed like that longer, but sadly, as with all things, it had to end when she pulled away. "Now then, I think I've lingered long enough. I should get back to the others. I'll be cheering for you so you'd better win."

"Yes ma'am."

With one last smile, she turned and walked out, leaving me alone again. I watched the door a little longer before turning to the left-behind treats. Finally feeling hunger setting in, I took one in hand and bit into it, savouring the flavour of chicken, the fluffiness of the rice and the saltiness of seaweed that wrapped the treat together. I couldn't stand these in my past life but now I couldn't get enough.

"How things change…" I mumbled.

"It is time."

Lumina broke the silence of Logan's waiting room seconds before the knock. Logan stood up from the desk solemnly, leaving the mostly uneaten plate of onigiri. He felt bad for leaving it, but he was neither hungry nor was he particularly fond of seaweed.

He'd spent his time collecting himself. He'd spent enough time focusing on his cards in the past week. He knew he was ready. As he stepped out into the corridor, he found that Banner already had Jaden with him. The hero user gave him a wave as Banner gestured for him to follow. Logan quickly fell into step with Jaden as he tried to make conversation.

"This is going to be sweet! I can't wait to see what Bastion has up his sleeve. What about you, Logan? You excited? Ren is a tough customer."

"Something like that…" Logan murmured.

He could practically feel Jaden's eyes burning into him. "Try to show some excitement, man. Remember first things first is to have fun."

Fun…? He was so blind. He may learn in time, but the Jaden in this present had no idea just what surrounded him. The snakes in the grass. But he had to play along in this role he had trapped himself in.

"Yeah… it's just… nerves…"

"Nerves, huh? Yeah, I can kind of get that. I never really thought about it before. But… if you ask me… you should go all out and hold nothing back. Let everything your feeling in that moment out."

"Everything out?" Just how could he do that when everything about himself is a lie?

"Yep. I don't know about you, but I get this rush whenever I make a play. It's like everything becomes charged and I become one with my cards. Do you ever feel that way?"

"Maybe…" He'd been feeling something like that a bit more recently. Before, everything was like one of Bastion's formulas; focused and to the point. Things had been a bit more unpredictable recently.

"Look guys, can't we talk this out? Haven't you heard about freedom of the press?"

Banner stopped, causing Jaden and Logan to almost crash into his back. The two Slifers looked around to see two members of campus security leading a rather tall man with a ponytail and a small scraggly beard through the corridor by his arms. The chairwoman of the security committee trailed behind them, shaking her head.

"You trespassed on private property and tried to access confidential records. You are lucky the Chancellor is only removing you and making a formal complaint to your editor," she said as they passed the teacher and two teens.

"But my scoop!" the man cried out.

"I assure you, there is no 'scoop' to be found here."

"Ugh… but my plan was foolproof!"

Logan watched as they disappeared around the bend in the corridor, listening to the grown man's protests fade out. Jaden had his head cocked like a confused puppy. "What do you think that was about?"

"I couldn't tell you," Logan.

'Looks like Jerry… uh… Bernard… urgh… whatever. Looks like the reporter was caught. Wonder why though?'

He didn't have time to dwell on it as Banner was back on the move. They picked up Bastion next, the Ra yellow looking extremely confident and holding his head high. He had confidence in his strategies. Logan couldn't help but wonder what he had in mind for himself. Not that he'd find out. Jaden would surely beat him. And then he would beat Jaden. If he didn't…

As they moved to the final room, Logan's chest felt tight, constricting. He'd been anticipating this confrontation all week, holding it off as long as possible while he worked out what he needed to say. Ren was his greatest obstacle in achieving this goal. Logan knew he'd oppose any plan that would deviate from the history he had known. He clung to the canon like a precious lifeline, not knowing that the cord had already been cut. But if he could just make him see reason, they could-

"Mr Cambell, it's time," Banner called, knocking twice on the door. It opened almost immediately as if Ren had been waiting on the other side. He stepped out silently, his duel disk already attached to his arm.

"I'm ready," he said, his eyes meeting Logan's.

Satisfied with the answer, Banner turned on his heel and continued. Everyone fell into step, Logan with Ren and Jaden with Bastion. As they drew closer to the arena, the more anxious Logan felt. Soon, they heard voices which only grew in strength as they reached the arena doorway. Here, Banner stopped and gestured for the four duellists to enter without him. Jaden didn't hesitate, walking on ahead with confidence. Bastion waited just long enough to give Ren a nod before following suit. Before moving, Logan quickly cast a look over to Ren who immediately averted his gaze. "Let's go," he said quietly.

Words escaped Logan but he managed to nod. Together, they walked forward. The arena was packed with students from every year, no one wanting to miss the big event. As per normal, factions sat with their own, but Logan was able to quickly find Mindy, Syrus and Alexis and the rest of the usual suspects thanks to their white uniforms clashing so violently with the rest of the Slifer red. Jasmine and the girl from the shop also sat with them, the former looking very disinterested whilst the latter made idle conversation with Alexis. How'd they get so close?

The excitement of the crowd was electric. Again, Logan felt a twinge of anxiety. He knew he wasn't exactly popular with his peers, but he'd have to earn their respect to move forward. By earning the students' respect, he'd earn the teachers. As the four entered the arena, everyone went quiet, and Chancellor Sheppard stood up from his place next to Crowler in the stands.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Now that our contestants are here, we can finally begin. Today, these gentlemen will duel for the honour of representing our prestigious establishment in the upcoming school duel with North Academy. First, we shall have Jaden Yuki and Bastion Misawa duel. Please, will you both step forward? Mr Cambell and Evans, if you will wait over at the side. Take this time to analyse your duellists, as one of them will be your next opponent."

"Oh boy, you ready Bastion?" Jaden cried excitedly, turning to his rival with unending vigour.

"I should be asking you that," the Ra replied. "I think you'll find me quite the challenge."

"I don't doubt it. It's what I'm counting on," Jaden chimed as the two of them stepped onto the dueling platform.

Logan watched the two as they took their positions before following Ren over to a bench that had been set out for them. As the two sat in silence the duel began. Logan couldn't remember if the moves the two made were exactly the same as they had been from the anime, but Bastion was quick to use Curse of the Forbidden Spell to shut down Jaden's use of Polymerization.

It was around this time that Ren finally turned to Logan. He'd been quiet up until this point, but with everyone so engrossed in the duel, he must have thought it was safe to discuss the conversation that had obviously been eating at him.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked quietly, his eyes never leaving the duel.

"I think we both know we can't stop now. Even if we had agreed on his, we would have just disagreed on something else. Don't you think we should just sort our differences out now before things start getting out of control?"

Ren looked like he wanted to say something. Maybe to argue but Logan couldn't say. He instead maintained his silence. He stayed that way until, with a fearsome cry, Jaden's Elemental Hero Wildheart to his side of the field. The duel was at its climax. Jaden activated Cyclone Boomerang and Wildheart attacked Bastion's Litmus Doom Swordsman. Jaden's monster was destroyed, but the game was his. Boomerang's effect activated, destroying Bastion's trap cards and draining the remainder of his life points.

Jaden's fellow Slifers erupted into cheers, their first victory claimed whilst the Ras despaired. Jaden and Bastion shook hands and exchanged a few words that Logan could not hear over the applause. The anticipation in his chest grew, his feet lightly tapping as Sheppard stood up to congratulate the victor.

He would have appreciated Lumina's words of wisdom. She always knew the right thing to say to put him at ease. She could not appear now lest Jaden see her. But he still felt her presence within his cards. That would have to be comfort enough.

"Congratulations to Jaden," Sheppard said, breaking Logan's concentration. "Now it is time for our second pair of students to duel. Ren, Logan, please step forward."

Logan took a breath as he pushed himself up off the bench. It was finally time.

Logan was faster to move than I, almost immediately moving to the stage whilst I dragged behind. I would be lying if I said his words hadn't shaken me. I wanted to refute his claims, but I could see the truth in his words. Ironically, despite being a main character, if he were never to come back to the island, I couldn't see a downside outside of Sartorius having to find a new stooge.

And there were plenty of changes already…

My eyes drifted to the stands where I spotted Sadie sitting with the rest of the gang. I'd already changed her life, whatever its course may have been in the original timeline, it would no longer come to pass. I looked up to the highest point of the stands where I spotted Zane standing with Eve. The girl had a smile on her face, apparently having enjoyed the previous duel. She was an aberration too. I knew for a fact that she was spending more time with Zane as he helped her with her memories. Changes surrounded me. My knowledge was no longer accurate, and it made me shiver. Did I really have a right to stop Logan if this was really what he wanted?

Just thinking about it made my headache threaten to come back.

Jaden and Bastion passed me as I walked up onto the stage. The latter seemed a little down but managed to keep a thin smile on his features. I'd have to remember to find a way to cheer Bastion up later. As Jaden walked by, he clapped my shoulder with a cheerful chuckle.

"Best of luck man," he whispered cheerfully. "Break an arm out there… or however that expression goes."

"Thanks."

His optimism was as infectious as always. I was glad he could be as cheerful as he was now. As the two walked over to the waiting bench, I took my place on the field. Logan was already standing at the ready. This was probably the most serious I had seen him. He really wanted this. Whatever hope I had had of talking him down was gone. And maybe… maybe that was okay. Sadie was right. Logan had changed since the beginning of the year. Well… if he wanted to make this change so badly… maybe I could use this chance to test his resolve.

"I hope you're ready Logan," I said, raising my disk.

"I have to be," he replied.

"Duellists, when you're ready," Sheppard called out. At once, we both activated our duel disks.

"Duel!"

Turn 1: Ren - 4000LP - 6 cards in hand - 0 cards on the field

"I'm up first!" I cried, quickly drawing my sixth card. I was fairly happy with my opening hand. I knew Logan would be coming at me with everything, so a strong defence was imperative. "I'll start this off by activating Summoner's Art and add my Red-Eyes Black Dragon to my hand." I quickly fetched the card from my deck. "I now activate Polymerization! I fuse the Red-Eyes I just added to my hand with my Divine Dragon Ragnarok!"

The two dragons briefly appeared on the field before disappearing into a swirling vortex, their energies coming together to form something new. However, no beast emerged from the portal. Instead, the ground split as a serpentine dragon with large wings flew into the air, circling the arena. Its head and body were covered in spikes. As it came to rest, it coiled its body around me protectively.

"Meet First of the Dragons (2700/2000)!" I cried as my beast let out a deafening roar.

Logan didn't seem too surprised by my play. He looked at my dragon curiously before turning his attention to his cards.

"Your normal deck, huh?" he said with a small smile. "Maybe I shouldn't have been worried."

He was obviously referring to Horus. I still didn't know how he knew about my second deck but it seemed he thought that me not using it was a sign that my resolve in this duel was low. Maybe it was, but I had other reasons for not using Horus.

However, the crowd, specifically the Obelisks, began cheering. In their minds, I had already taken the advantage by summoning a powerful monster on the first turn. Never mind that I had used half my hand to do it.

Besides, there was more to this game than just powerful cards, and both Logan and I knew it. First of the Dragon's effect is what made it truly valuable to me. It couldn't be destroyed in battle except with a normal monster and it was unaffected by monster effects, making his Judgment Dragon relatively useless except to deal a little damage by attacking. I couldn't help but wonder how Logan would counter.

"I'll set a monster and call it a turn," I said, a horizontal card appearing to my left.

Turn 2: Logan: 4000 LP - 6 Cards in hand - 0 cards on the field.

Logan drew his first card silently, showing none of the pageantries he'd put on during the duels I'd seen him in previously. He was solely focused on his cards. "I'll start with Pot of Greed," he said, drawing two extra cards. "I'll then set a monster and activate Solar Recharge, discarding Wulf." He tossed a copy of Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, drew two more cards and then immediately went the next two cards on his deck to the grave. He took a look at his hand and gave a nod, apparently satisfied.

"I'll end with two face-downs," he said, lowering his arm.

I narrowed my eyes, my mind racing. That was surprisingly unaggressive. I had expected to see some of the combos the Lightsworns were famous for, but there was nothing. Had he bricked? Unlikely…

Either way, the ball was in my court now.

Turn 3: Ren - 4000LP - 3 cards in hand - 1 face-up monster and 1 set monster on the field.

"I've never known you to hold back, Logan," I called. "I thought you had something to prove?"

Logan didn't take the bait. I had hoped that by goading him, he might let something slip. Instead, he remained stony-faced. Good, if he was learning to keep his cool, he'd have an easier time in the future.

"Alright Logan, if you won't attack, I will. I summon Armed Dragon, the Armoured Dragon (1900/1400)!" On my field appeared a dragon adorned in scarlet armour, as per its name's sake. It was quite tall, easily standing over me. It twitched its sharp talons, just waiting for the command to plunge them into Logan's monster.

"Armed Dragon, attack!" I cried, not wasting a second.

My dragon gave a screech before soaring across the field and pouncing upon the set card In response, the monster flipped, revealing not the small white dog I had been expecting, but instead an ornate grey jar. The moment my dragon touched the jar, it shattered.

"You've just activated my monster's effect," Logan said calmly. "When Morphing Jar is flipped, we both discard our hands and then draw until we have five cards in our hands."

"I know," I said unhappily. The cards in my hand would have been useful later in the duel. It was an unlucky loss but at least I now had a new hand to work with. As I drew my five new cards, I suddenly felt a pang of worry. Of these cards, only one was particularly useful now. The rest I would have preferred to have had later into the duel when they would have had a greater effect. Unfortunately, beggars couldn't be choosers.

Fortunately, Logan's monster wasn't the only one with an effect. "We both may have gotten a new hand, but I get the added bonus of a new monster. When my dragon destroys one of your monsters, I can special summon a level 4 or lower wind attribute dragon from my deck, so I'll be bringing out my good friend, Lancer Lindwurm (1800/1200)!"

The familiar green dragon emerged from a shimmering blue portal. It swung its spear in an arc, letting out a gust of wind. "Of course, it can't attack directly this turn," I said, "but First of the Dragons can." Like it was agreeing with me, my titanic beast reared back its head before unleashing a stream of fire.

"I activate my trap!" Logan cried. "Glorious Illusion! Return from the heavens, Wulf, Lightsworn Beast (2100/300)" A glowing magic circle appeared on the ground in front of Logan. From it emerged his iconic wolfman, its arms crossed.

"It's not strong enough to stop my dragon," I pointed out. The flames continued across the field, washing over Logan's monster.

"I activate Lightsworn Barrier," Logan countered. "I send the top two cards of my deck to the grave to negate your attack." Immediately, a shimmering barrier erected itself around the Lightsworn, dispelling the flames that threatened to consume it.

"I hate that card," I groaned. My dragon stood down, wisps of smoke still flowing from its maw. It growled unhappily but did not move otherwise. Unfortunately, Lancer Lindwurm wasn't strong enough to deal with his returned monster. I had few options. "I'll set a card face-down and end my turn."

Turn 4: Logan - 4000LP - 6 cards in hand - 1 face-up monster, 2 face-up trap cards

Logan took one look at his hand and a thin smile crossed his lips. He looked back at me, and I felt an ominous chill. His demeanour was so different from our first fuel. He was calm and collected and there was a drive to him, something I would have to be ignorant to deny.

I saw his lips move, his words too quiet to hear, but I could read lips well enough to recognise one of the words are 'ready'. But before I could even question what he meant; Logan began his move.

"I start by summoning Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner (1000/1000)." The blonde sorcerer emerged gracefully from a magic circle that appeared on the floor. As she rose, she held her arms out, magical inscriptions forming out of thin air. While her expression was initially serene when she saw me, a small, mischievous smile crossed her features.

"I activate her effect," Logan continued. "I discard a card and revive a Lightsworn from the grave." Logan tossed his card and the symbols surrounding Lumina glowed brighter. With a wave of her hand, a magic circle formed on the ground. From it emerged a familiar blue-haired warrior decked out in white and gold armour. Finally, Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior (1850/1300) took to the field, standing ready next to Wulf as he brandished his impressive axe.

"Now that my warrior's here, it's time for the fun to start. I activate Graceful Charity. I draw three and discard two. And taking that further, I'll activate Solar Recharge." He discarded a card, drew two and then milled two more. "Next, I play Charge of the Light Brigade! I'll add Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid to my hand." He milled the top three cards of his deck and added his selected card to his hand.

"And with another Lightsworn in my hand, I'll activate a second Solar Recharge and discard Aurkus so that I can draw two more cards." Again, he drew and again he milled, and finally, as he looked at his new cards, he smiled. He put them into his hand before pulling out another. "Finally, as I have two light attribute monsters on my field, I can now summon, Guardian of Order (2500/1200)!"

The light in the arena grew brighter until it was practically blinding. Even covered, my eyes still hurt. But as I strained my eyes to see, I saw the gold-plated warrior descend onto the field, its body glowing with pure energy. It was an impressive sight, but it felt off. Logan must have milled over half his deck before playing that card, and First of the Dragons beat it when it came to attack points. I refused to believe that after playing all those treasure cards that he had bricked. Where was Judgment Dragon? Where was the big boss I'd come to expect from Logan?

I didn't get time to think as Logan threw out his hand. "Battle!" he cried. "Guardian of Order, attack his Armed Dragon!"

The golden warrior raised their arm, particles of light forming within their palm. After a second, a laser bolt shot across the field, piercing my dragon before I even had time to register the attack. (Ren: 3400LP)

My beast barely had time to turn to pixels before Wulf was set upon Lancer Lindwurm. The two monsters exchanged blows with their weapons, but Wulf proved the superior combatant. Using his spear to knock Lindwurm off balance, the wolfman plunged his claws into my dragon's chest, shattering him into pixels. (Ren: 3100LP)

And yet Logan wasn't done. "Attack his set monster!" he cried as Garoth rushed forward, slicing his axe through my set monster. However, this time, the monster didn't shatter. As the card separated, whisps of shadow flew up from under the card, forming together to make an onyx-furred cat.

"You just activated my monster's effect," I said solemnly. "When A Cat of Ill Omen is flipped, I can take a trap from my deck and place it on top of my deck." I was quick to fan out my deck. My hand went for one card… and then stopped. Logan had been practically burning his deck. He barely had anything left. All of this so that he could stack his field? No… he clearly had something else in mind. The only question was, which of my cards would give me the best chance? My cat faded away the moment I placed the selected card at the top of my deck.

"I hope that was a good card," Logan said, taking a look towards his hand. "I'll set two cards, and then I'll activate one of your favourites, Card of Sanctity! You know how this one works." I nodded, drawing two more cards whilst Logan got himself an entirely new hand. He took one more look at his new cards before picking out one of them. "I'll set one more face down and end my turn. My monsters' effects now activate. First, because of Lumina, I mill three cards. Then Garoth's effect activates, and I mill two more." He sent five more cards to the graveyard; however, he didn't draw any, meaning he hadn't discarded any Lightsworns. "Finally, Glorious Illusion's cost activates. I send two more cards to the grave." With that, he lowered his duel disk. "Make your move."

As I went to draw my card, I found myself hesitating. My every instinct screaming at me that something bad was about to happen. Logan was many things, but wasteful wasn't something I'd call him. His move had been a surgery. Most of his deck was gone, with only a small pile remaining in his deck slot. No one does that without reason, especially a Lightsworn player.

Even the audience sensed the change in Logan's playing style. Many of the Obelisks would probably be used to having Logan's ace staring down at them right now. My eyes darted to the side where Jaden and Bastion sat. While the hero user was looking on with wide eyes, Bastion had a troubled frown, his head perched on his right hand as he mumbled something.

He'd realised the same thing. Logan had been setting something up since the beginning of the duel, and I'd stumbled into it. Gritting my teeth, I drew my card.

Turn 5: Ren - 3100LP - 7 cards in hand - 1 face-up monster, 1 set card

I waited, but Logan didn't respond. After another moment, I plucked a card from my hand. "I'll start by activating the effect of King of the Swamp. By discarding him, I can add Polymerization from my deck to my hand."

"Not so fast!" Logan interrupted. "I chain my trap, Exchange of Spirit! At the cost of a thousand life points, all the cards in our deck and graves swap places.!" The audience gasped as suddenly all the cards in both our duel disks shot into the air, flying around the arena. It was a hologram for effect of course, but still impressive. Finally, the two sets of flew back into the duel disks, leaving Logan with over half of his deck, and me with less than ten.

"So, this was your strategy?" I asked. "Burning my deck?"

"I told you, Ren. I was going to show you my resolve. I'll do whatever it takes to win this and prove my worth," Logan said solemnly. "Now, I believe you have a card to fetch."

I let out a growl as I took the Polymerization that had been returned to the deck, reducing my card pool even more. (Ren: 8 cards in deck). Before I made my next move, I paused. In one move, Logan had pushed me into a corner. If this was the strength he wanted to portray, the shadow riders would have much to fear. But he had made the mistake of showing this strategy too early. People would talk of this, and work would spread. Kagemaru was the super intendant. He'd be watching the duels in this glorified preliminary; of that, I had no doubt. Looking to see who his rider's future adversaries would be.

I had no intention of showing Kagemaru all my nicks and tricks. But misleading a future enemy today could bring about great benefits for tomorrow. So, I would play his game… and that meant playing Logan's too. The outcome of this duel relied on how well I could bring out the potential of the limited cards I had left.

The crowd around Sadie was beginning to grow restless, many of them Obelisk who were condemning Logan's trap. Personally, Sadie saw nothing wrong with the play. Decking your opponent out was just as much a viable strategy to win as bludgeoning your monsters against each other. The only difference was the showmanship.

"It's considered disrespectful."

Sadie's eyes darted toward the girl sitting next to her. Alexis's gaze was fixed on the match down below, her frown evident that she agreed with the majority of students around her. While Mindy and the others talked among themselves, Alexis's focus had been entirely on the duel this entire time.

"I didn't say anything," Sadie said.

"It was written on your face," Alexis replied with a wry smile. "Decking out your opponent is a legal way to win, but it's something of a duelist taboo."

"Why is that?"

"To a true duelist, your cards are an extension of yourself. Taking away someone's cards, by preventing them from fighting back, it's considered cowardly."

"It's just another type of strategy though," Sadie remarked.

"Maybe, but ever since Ishizu Ishtar used that strategy against Seto Kaiba, it's been frowned upon in the duelling community."

"It has? But wait a minute, Kaiba was renowned for burning his opponent's deck with the virus series. Why did it only become bad after that duel?"

"Well…" Alexis paused, momentarily losing her focus as she thought about the question. "Um… it just became opinion, I guess. People didn't like the idea of not being able to use their best cards. It's probably why they received such a heavy erratum."

'Or Kaiba just didn't like his own trick used against him,' Sadie thought bitterly. The main difference between Kaiba and other players with deck burn strategies is that they didn't have a fancy white dragon to back it up and make the plays be flashy.

Still, as Sadie looked down on the duel field, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry for Ren. He had paused, staring at the cards in his hand. If she squinted, she could see his lips moving. It was another habit she had noticed of his lately. Whenever deep in thought in a duel, he began mumbling his thoughts. Often in his practice matches with Bastion, she would see Ren begin talking his plan through to himself, luckily for him, incoherently. This is why when he finally looked up with his usual cocky smile, Sadie knew he had his plan.

"Have to say, you've really backed me into a corner. But I'm not out just yet." Even far away, his voice travelled around the arena. A little known fact about the academy duel disks, when engaged in a duel in one of the academy's arenas, the mic in the disk automatically connected to the arena's sound system, allowing everyone to hear the duellists as they spoke and really portray the monsters' cries.

"Thanks to your Card of Sanctity, I have Pot of Avarice! I return five monsters from my grave to the deck and then draw two." (Ren's Deck: 11 Cards)

As Ren returned the cards from the grave, Sadie let out a small sigh of relief. He'd be able to hang on a little longer now. Still, Ren didn't seem particularly happy with his new cards if his frown was anything to go by.

"I… I summon Keeper of Dragon Magic (1800/1300)," he said with a little uncertainty. Immediately, the blue-armoured dragon mage rose from a cerulean portal. He twirled his spear around his body. "I'll now activate Keeper's effect. I'll show you the Black Skull Dragon in my extra deck and revive one of the materials needed to summon it from the grave. Revive, Summoned Skull (2500/1200)."

Lighting struck the field as the legendary fiend briefly took the field before flipping over into set position, as per Keeper's effect.

"Next, I'll reactivate Summoner's Art, returning Red-Eyes back to my hand." (Ren's Deck: 10 Cards). "Finally, I activate Polymerization! Come forth, Black Skull Dragon (3200/2500)!"

Summoned Skull flipped back up as Red-Eyes materialised next to it. Both immediately disappeared within a swirling portal, only to be replaced by the fiendish dragon that Ren had become so well known for summoning.

Again, the Obelisk students cheered as one of Ren's aces took the field. With so few cards left, he must have wanted to reinforce not only his defence but also his offence. However…

"Black Skull Dragon, destroy Guardian of Order!" Ren commanded. Immediately, the dragon opened its maw as dark plasma gathered. Rearing back its head, it shot out a stream of energy that washed over Logan's shining warrior. Within moments, it was overcome, reduced to little more than ashes. (Logan: 2300LP)

"Now, First of the Dragons, attack Lumina!"

The titanic dragon uncurled, rising high in the air, its underside briefly glowing red as flames channelled through its body before being released as an inferno that threatened to overcome the blonde Lightsworn.

"I activate Lightsworn Barrier again!" As Logan sent the top two cards of his deck to the graveyard, the barrier of hard light once again rose, protecting Lumina as Ren's dragon's flames. (Logan's Deck: 32 Cards)

And in there lay the problem. Logan's trap prevented Ren from attacking his monsters as long as he still had cards in his deck to burn. Having replenished his deck, Logan had an abundance to use. However, Ren currently had the advantage of monsters.

"Keeper, attack Lumina as well!"

At its master's command, the armoured mage leapt forward, plunging his spear towards the blonde woman. However, the attack met the same fate as Ren's dragon. The shield rose again, stopping the warrior before he could lay harm to Logan's monster. (Logan's deck: 30 cards)

Ren's shoulders slumped, his posture relaxing now that his battle phase was concluded. "I'll end my turn with four face-downs. Back to you."

"Four face-downs?" Sadie remarked. "He's already lost most of his deck, now his hand too?"

"He's being cautious," Alexis said. "Logan's aiming to take his resources. He may have something to take out his hand too."

"Equally he could have a card like Harpy's Feather Duster or Heavy Storm. Or worse, Logan could bring out one of his dragons," Sadie pointed out.

"All the more reason to ensure his own protection. Ren is already at a disadvantage. It makes sense he uses his remaining resources effectively."

Sadie couldn't say she agreed, but then again Alexis knew more about this game than she did. Maybe she saw something Sadie didn't? Before she could say anything else, Logan drew his next card.

Turn 6: Logan - 2300LP - 6 Cards in hand - Three face-up monsters, 2 face-up trap cards, 2 set cards on the field.

Worryingly, the moment he saw it, a grin broke out on his face. "Well, what a sweet turn of events. But first, I have some cleaning to do. I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your middle face down!"

"I'll chain with my own Mystical Space Typhoon and use it to destroy Lightsworn Barrier," Ren cried.

Two familiar blue hurricanes ripped across the field, blowing away Ren's set card, revealing it to be Mirror Force and Logan's barrier. Logan practically let out sigh of relief. If he'd fallen for that, he would have surely lost. Even Ren seemed anxious by the loss of his trap, giving an annoyed grimace as he moved it to the graveyard. In fact, he looked pained. Momentarily, he rubbed his left hand against his head as if nursing it.

Logan grinned. His victory was at hand. "Now that that's out of the way, the real fun can start. Your dragons are strong Ren, I'll admit that. And unfortunately, I don't currently have the cards needed to get around them. But you do."

The audience went silent as Logan pulled the card from his hand. "I activate, Monster Reborn! And with it, I return your mighty Buster Blader (2600/2300)!"

Ren's eyes went wide as the giant sword fell from the sky, embedding itself into the ground. An armoured hand burst from the arena floor and latched on to the weapon. Using it as an anchor Buster Blader pulled himself out of the grave, taking his place upon Logan's field and staring down its former master and the dragons that protected him.

"Your ace is now mine to command," Logan jeered. "And let's not forget his little trick. For every dragon on your field and grave, he gains five hundred attack points. Tell me Ren, just how many dragons did you keep in that deck?"

Ren didn't have to answer. Buster Blader raised his sword into the air and my graveyard and monsters began to glow with dull golden light. Spectral images of his monsters began to appear around the field – thirteen in total; Red-Eyes, Ren's three Masked Dragons, Mirage Dragon, Dragon Knight of Creation, Black Dragon's Chick, Luster Dragon, Blizzard Dragon, his second Keeper of Dragon Magic, Prime Material Dragon, White Horned Dragon and his first copy of Assault Wyvern.

Each of them hovered in the air before turning into streams of energy that were absorbed into Buster Blader's sword. Golden aura overtook the warrior as his attack points soared. (2600 -10600 ATK)

"I know it's cliché, but with your big beasty there, I'm left with little choice but to end this with your own monster," Logan said. Even though he was in such an advantageous position, his expression remained solemn. In fact, this entire game, Logan had been quite a buzzkill. His normal cockiness replaced with a stoic countenance. It didn't suit him. But with Ren's strongest monster at his side with attack points that could defeat a duelist twice over, it was enough to make even Sadie shiver.

"It's over!" Mindy cheered happily from her other side, making both Sadie and Jasmine, who was on Mindy's other side, wince. She had been strangely quiet all duel but now that Logan had the clear advantage, she had perked up. "Go get him!

"Hey, you don't have to shout," Jasmine chastised. Mindy didn't listen and kept on cheering.

While not prone to cheering, Sadie did bite her lip nervously as her hands clutched at the hem of her work skirt. "C'mon Ren."

Logan paused to take a breath. He had done it. Ren was for all intents and purposes crippled. His monsters were gone. His deck in shambles. His ace monster staring him down, empowered by all the dragons now stacking his graveyard. So why, why did Ren seem so calm?

Sure, he looked annoyed, but not out of his depth. His frown persisted, raising his duel disk, like he was daring Logan to attack him. It infuriated him. How clear it was now that Ren looked down on him. He claimed he took things seriously and yet seemed to treat everything like a calculated game. Logan was sick of it.

Maybe now he'd see the truth.

Throwing out his arm, he cried, "Time to end this. Buster Blader, attack First of the Dragons!"

The aura around the dragon warrior glowed even brighter as he charged forward, his sword raised high. And then the ground exploded.

"What?" Logan cried. His gaze shot to Ren, whose expression had turned grim.

"I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but you've left me with no choice," he said. "Reveal face down! A Hero Emerges!"

From where the ground had split, torrents of red flame burst, spreading out across the field until it covered it. A terrifying roar echoed around the arena as the new demonic beast clawed its way out of the ground. Its scales were as black as the night sky and its body was covered from head to talon in glowing blood-red orbs. In the centre of its body was a larger orb acting as a core that burned even brighter than its counterparts.

Logan's eyes went wide, recognising Ren's new creature immediately. "No way… Where did you get that?"

"It's a fairly recent addition," Ren said as his dragon took its place behind him. "Meet the last card in my hand, Gandora-X the Dragon of Demolition! (0/0)"

At the mention of its name, Gandora reared back its head and let out another boisterous roar, the shockwave extinguishing the flames in an instant. Logan could scarcely believe it. Just where had Ren found this? It was a Yugi card - had he got it from the exhibition? He had no time to think more as the orbs on Gandora burned even brighter.

"Gandora's effect activates," Ren growled. "When summoned, every monster on the field is destroyed, and not only does Gandora gain an attack equal to the attack of the strongest monster, but you also take the same amount as damage.

Again, Gandora reared back his head as beams of red lights shot out from every orb on its body. The beams burned everything they touched, searing the battlefield, the arena and all the monsters on the field. Even a few of the students let out screams as the beams washed over them, momentarily forgetting in the excitement of the moment that they were holographic. The monsters were not so lucky, each one bursting into flames as they were struck down by the beams. The only card that was spared the destruction was First of the Dragon's, which could not be destroyed by monster effects.

Finally, once all monsters had been destroyed, Gandora turned its head towards Logan, its maw brimming with dark energy. Leaning forward, the dragon unleashed it rage with a blast that was larger than anything Logan had seen before. Black Skull Dragon had been the strongest monster in play, meaning that a 3200-point blast was coming for him; far more points than Logan had left.

He could not allow it.

"I chain my trap, Hallowed Life Barrier! I discard a card, and all damage to me becomes zero!" Right before the beam could hit, a transparent holy barrier appeared before him, the dark energy washing around him. Finally, the attack came to an end as Gandora rested, smoke pouring out of its maw.

Logan took pleasure in seeing Ren scowl as the obelisk rubbed his head. Sure, Logan's monsters were gone, but since he'd taken no damage, Gandora gained no attack points, leaving its power at zero and making it effectively useless. However, he was now defenceless. Thankfully, he had the cards to bring about another turnaround. He just had to stall.

"I'll set two cards face down and end my turn," he said. It was all he could do for now, but it should be enough. Especially since unless Ren could get rid of his Gandora, he'd be suffering its nasty side effect.

Turn 7: Ren - 3100LP - 1 card in hand - Two face-up monsters, two set cards - 9 cards left in deck

As Ren drew his next card, he paused and took a moment to shake his head and nurse his eyes. He seemed momentarily confused, blinking repeatedly.

"Did your own monster leave you a bit frazzled?" he half-joked.

"Just a late night catching up with me," Ren groaned. He shook his head once more before continuing. "First of the Dragons, attack him directly."

The serpentine dragon rose its head and unleashed a fiery blaze. It was immediately stopped by a transparent barrier that rippled as the flames were absorbed. "Nice try, but I'll activate Negate Attack to stop your attack and end your battle phase right now."

First of the Dragon's stood down, lowering his head as it let out a low growl at being stopped in its tracks. Ren's face scrunched, clearly disappointed by the outcome. "For now, I'll set a monster and switch Gandora to defence mode. With that, I'll end my turn."

Gandora curled up, its numerous orbs dimming. However, before Logan could make his move, a single beam shot out of Gandora's back, striking Ren through the chest, causing the Obelisk to double over in pain. (Ren: 1550LP)

"Gandora's effect… unfortunately means that at the end of my turn, half my life points are drained," Ren gasped.

"Kind of screwed yourself over with that one, didn't you?" Logan jeered, feeling a small sense of pride.

"No more than I normally do," Ren grimaced, standing back up to his full height. "Have to say, you've really learned to cover yourself. I'm actually quite impressed. Maybe… maybe you do have what it takes. It's your move now."

Logan couldn't help but smile; finally, some leeway. Ren was coming around. Maybe the show was right. All it took in this world was to lay out your heart in a duel and your opponent would respond. With newfound pride, he drew his next card.

Turn 8: Logan - 2300LP - 2 cards in hand - 1 set card - 28 cards left in deck

Logan's grin grew wider as he saw his next card. "Well, would you look at that? From the grave, back to the deck, I activate Card of Sanctity. I'm sure you already know what this does."

Ren nodded regretfully as he drew a new hand, reducing his deck even further to the very precipice. So close. If Logan's next move didn't work, then Ren would deck out in just a few turns. (Ren: 3 cards in deck) (Logan: 23 cards in deck)

As for the cards Logan drew, while he was missing a card he would have liked, he'd drawn something far more symbolic. Lumina was also back in his hand and while she did not appear, he could feel her presence.

"The time of Judgment has come. There are now four Lightsworns in my graveyard. The conditions are met to call forth my greatest monster." As he raised the card into the air, the light in the arena began to gather around the card as the shadow of a titanic beast flew across the arena. Finally, a beam of light came down from the heavens as the white feathered dragon descended, its eyes bearing down on Ren and his monsters. Judgment Dragon had arrived. (3000/2600)

Ren looked up and winced, his eye twitching briefly as he shook his head again. "It looks like you need a rest. Well, this will soon all be over soon. I know your dragon can't be destroyed, but I can't have your traps in the way. I pay a thousand life points to activate Judgment Dragon's effect to rain down punishment on every other card on the field." (Logan: 1300LP)

As Judgment Dragon rose into the air, particles of light gathered around it so bright that it was near blinding. Logan's grin grew. So close to victory. So close to proving himself, not just to Ren, but to everyone else as well. Now was his time.

"My Saviour!"

Logan was snapped back to reality as Lumina suddenly appeared next to him, her normally monotonous expression etched in uncanny worry.

"Lumina? What are you doing?"

"Something is wrong," Lumina said, not answering his question. She pointed across the field. Ren was clutching his head once again. He looked across the field and his eyes went wide. However, he wasn't looking at Logan.

"It is impossible," Lumina gasped. "He has the gift…"

Ever since Buster Blader had taken the field, my head had been pounding, like something knocking on the inside of my skull. And it only got worse. As Logan continued to make his move, it only got louder and more painful as a continuous rhythm played out in my brain.

B-dum, b-dum, b-dum.

B-dum, b-dum, b-dum.

I grit my teeth and tried to bear it, but it was so hard to think. When Buster Blader was destroyed, it became a little better. But, just now, as Logan summoned Judgment Dragon, the pain came back in full force like a warning. I heard the clink of armour, and then… a distant chirp?

I looked up, trying to focus on my surroundings, hard to do when Logan's dragon was emitting such blinding light. But, straining my eyes, I saw her. Floating, just beside Logan was a very familiar, translucent woman dressed in a white garb with a short mop of blonde hair. Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner gazed back at me with an utter look of surprise.

For a moment, I couldn't fathom what I was seeing, but then everything made sense. Logan's recent confidence, his knowledge about Horus, and his change in attitude since our duel with Nightshroud. Logan had a card spirit. And he'd been using it to spy.

Disbelief became hot anger as my eyes darted between Logan and the spirit. There was another flare from Judgment Dragon's effect, momentarily blinding me. When I could see again, Lumina was gone, but Logan was still looking at me in shock.

"All this time…?" I gasped, my hands clenching into fists.

"You… you…" he stammered in disbelief.

"I… I activate my trap card," I finally said through gritted teeth. "Light-Imprisoning Mirror."

Immediately, a circular mirror suddenly appeared in front of me. The surface of the glass rippled before it began to suck in all the particles of light surrounding Judgment Dragon. The feathered dragon let out a surprised grumble as all at once, its powers were stripped away. It was a card I had slipped in for this very duel. I'd thankfully draw it before my deck and grave were exchanged.

An awkward silence fell between us Logan's Dragon returned to its place. Logan was still looking at me in absolute shock whilst was still trying to fathom what I had just seen. Lumina was gone now, but I knew she had been there. Logan's expression was proof enough.

"I… I can explain…" Logan said in quietly. He had turned pale. His body shook and his eyes twitched.

My gaze darted to the side where all the students and teachers were looking at us with a mixture of confusion and anticipation. Everyone was ignorant of how the dynamic between us had shifted.

I looked down to where Bastion and Jaden were sitting. While the Ra seemed to share the rest of the audience's confusion, Jaden was staring in awe at Logan, his visage the very essence of excitement. He had seen her too. However, I couldn't see Winged Kuriboh. I would have imagined that the little fuzz ball would be floating beside him at this point.

And then there was my head. It was like I'd been struck with this clarity. My head no longer hurt. I was focused again, and I was angry. So angry that it felt like my eyes were burning. "Everything was a lie?" I seethed. "Working together? Co-operation?" And then it hit me.

"What Bastion said… the day he fell. That bright light… it was you…"

"No, no it wasn't," he protested. "It's not what you think."

I couldn't listen to this. Not right now. There were far too many people here. Too many prying eyes. I didn't even know if I wanted to hear it. I couldn't help but think that everything Logan had said to me was a lie, said only to get what he wanted. It just… boggled my mind. I didn't know exactly what I was going to do with Logan. What I did know was that we were in a duel, and it was still Logan's turn.

"Make. Your. Move."

"Ren… Please…."

"Make your move," I growled. "Let's finish this."

Logan faltered, looking back to his side where Lumina had previously been. He lowered his head before taking a breath. "I'll set two cards and then reveal my other face down, Beckoning Light. I discard my entire hand and add the same number of light attribute monsters to my hand from the grave." After returning three cards, two more pillars of light came down from the sky.

"My dragon's effect may be negated, but it still has more than enough attack points to do you some damage. I summon two more Judgment Dragons! (3000/2600)" Two more white feathered dragons came down from the heavens. They came to rest alongside their brethren as the slifers exploded in excitement, their cheers echoing around the arena.

My patience was wearing thin. Just seeing two additional copies of the card that represented, in my eyes, Logan's ego made me desperate to bring it down. Logan himself still seemed hesitant but finally found his resolve.

"I attack First of the Dragons with all three of my monsters!"

Together, all three of Logan's dragons rose into the air, light coalescing in each of their maws. One by one, each unleashed stream of holy energy that struck First of the Dragons. Each blast blew the dragon back, First of the Dragons letting out a pained moan. (Ren: 1250LP) (Ren: 950LP) (Ren: 650LP)

Once the assault was over, First of the Dragons lowered its head, panting tiredly. I felt sorry for it. Just because a beast was indestructible, it could still feel pain. The accuracy of the holograms was both scary and impressive sometimes.

Logan let out a breath, seemingly relieved that I hadn't done anything to stop his attack. He'd put a priority on damage and therefore had brought me close to defeat. With only a few cards left in my deck and a dragon that would half my life points at the end of each turn, he must have felt secure in his position. Finally, he lowered his arm.

"Ren… It's your move. This is the end. Even with your dragon's effect, you run out of cards soon. All I have to do is wait. And thanks to your own trap, I don't have to worry about decking out."

"We'll see," I said as I drew my next card.

Turn 9: Ren - 650LP - 7 cards in hand - 3 monsters on the field - 1 Set Card and 1 Continuous Trap - 2 cards left in deck

"I'll start by flipping my face-down monster, Magician of Faith (300/400)." My set monster flipped up to reveal the elven magician in purple and red robes. She wielded a long staff with a crescent moon on the end. As she emerged, she raised her staff into the air.

"When Magician of Faith is flipped, I can return a spell from my grave to my hand, and thanks to you, I have access to my entire deck. And I'll go ahead and activate it right now. Monster Reborn! Revive, Buster Blader (2600/2300)!"

The ground cracked open as Buster Blader pulled himself out of the grave again, only on my field this time. As he took the field, his sword began to glow as my swordsman took in the energy from each of Logan's dragons. (2600-4100 ATK)

Logan's eyes narrowed but he managed to maintain his composure. "Well… that guy is a pain, but you can only attack one of my dragons, and your Blader doesn't have enough points to finish off my life points."

"Well… true," I admitted. "But unlike you, I work together with my monsters. I activate the equip spell, United We Stand and equip it to Buster Blader." Once again, a golden aura surrounded my warrior, flowing into him from my other monsters, significantly boosting his power. (4100-7300 ATK)

This time, Logan did look worried, biting the side of his lip. "Okay… well… that is significantly more."

As my warrior readied its weapon, I took a calming breath. This duel had started with me wanting to give Logan the benefit of the doubt, but now, after finding out he'd been lying to me all this time, there was no way I could trust him. So, I uttered the word that would end this duel.

"Battle. Buster Blader, attack!"

Buster Blader knelt down before launching himself into the air, propelling himself towards Logan's first Judgment Dragon. In response, the dragon tried to defend by unleashing a stream of light. The attack collided with Buster Blader's sword, slowing down the warrior as he descended, beams of light reflecting off the blades and once again blinding the audience.

"It's over, Logan!" I cried, protecting my eyes.

"Nothing's over!" Logan replied. "I activate my face down, Forbidden Scripture!" As the spell rose, the golden glow that was surrounding Buster Blader disappeared instantly, flowing away with the wind. "Forbidden Scripture negates the effects of all face-up cards on the field and reverts all their attack points to normal. Your Blader is done!"

The dragon's beam grew stronger, pushing back Buster Blader. His armour was becoming scorched, the intense heat threatening to melt the armour.

"I got you…" Logan said in disbelief before a dumb smile came over his face. "I got you. That was your last card."

"No."

"What?" Logan gasped.

"You seem to forget; your Morphing Jar forced me to discard my hand earlier. Well… thanks to Exchange of Spirit, it was put right back on top of my deck. And you just used your last face-down."

The colour drained from Logan's face, his eyes darting to my final face-down. "No…" he gasped. "You wouldn't…"

I clenched my fist as I cried out my final order; "I chain your spell with my final trap. Go, Ring of Destruction!"

"No! Not again!" Logan despaired.

The bomb collar appeared in mid-air before flying forward and attaching itself to the attacking Judgment Dragon. The tightness of the collar forced the dragon to ease up on its attack, allowing Buster Blader to push through. It closed the distance in an instant, bringing down his sword upon the explosive collar. The resulting explosion was so powerful it engulfed all the monsters on our fields and smoothed both Logan and me in flames and smoke, burning away the last few points of both our life points.

(Ren: 0 LP)

(Logan: 0 LP)

(Draw)

When the smoke cleared, we were both on our knees, the force of the explosion had knocked us down. Around us, our fellow students were giving us annoyed shouts about the lack of a clear winner. Many of my 'fellow' Obelisks were shouting jeers about how I was unable to defeat a Slifer. Meanwhile, the Slifers were calling out encouragement to Logan for having come so close to victory. Not that he currently appreciated it.

"No… Not again… Not again…" he murmured sadly.

Logan's head remained locked to the floor, his body lightly trembling. We both knew the truth of this duel. The outcome may have been a draw, but I had won the real battle. Right on cue, Sheppard stood up.

The headmaster cleared his throat before saying, "What a thunderous performance from our contestants. Both put there all this match and fought until the end. However, with the result of a tie, it seems we have a clear victor. Jaden Yuki will be the student to represent our academy in the school duel against North Academy. Please, let's all give them a hand."

Sheppard started clapping and was soon joined by the other teachers. The students of the red dorm quickly joined the applause with enthusiastic clapping before the Ras followed suit. The Obelisks reluctantly joined after.

I didn't join it. My focus was solely on Logan. He hadn't raised his head, defeat staining his features. I knew I had seen her. The duel spirit of Lumina had been there, which only meant that Logan had been lying to me. Worse, he'd been spying on me, and Ra knows who else. As I looked down on him, it was clear that whatever deal, whatever accord there had been between us had fractured and we could not go back.

In an instant, it felt like nowhere on this island was safe. Logan had lied to me about what happened to Bastion. I was certain his spirit was responsible for the bright light he saw that caused him to fall. I would now have to forever watch my back in case a duel spirit was spying on me. If I could even see her, that is. The way Logan had reacted, Lumina was still there even after I lost sight of her.

I went into this thinking we might be taking a step forward. Instead, we had just gone back to the beginning, and I was once again alone.

'Fan-fucking-tastic,' I thought bitterly. 'Never a break.'

His raspy breaths were the only thing that filled the silence his eyes watched the flickering screens showing various reports from various experiments and archaeological findings from his various pursuits around the world.

He had been reading through the information on the integration of the Wheeler program into his own personal mobile transport when a red light began to flash on one of the screens. "Speak," he commanded.

"Sir… At the Academy, we have had a strong reading. Stronger than anything detected in years." The voice was muffled by the fluid he was submerged in. A curse he had come to be used to. But this concoction helped to prolong his life and was a necessary evil.

"Display it on screen."

All screens shifted to show footage of a duel happening within the Obelisk arena between a Slifer Red and Obelisk Blue Student. As soon as the footage began playing, tabs popped open showing the students' names to be Logan Evans and Ren Cambell. While Evan's used a deck of one-of-the-kind monsters, Cambell utilised a hodgepodge of dragon and fusion monsters with an emphasis on the Buster Blader. Both of them seemed quite unremarkable. That is… until he saw the spirit appear alongside Evans.

"Another with the gift of sight?"

"Excuse me, sir?"

Ah, he sometimes forgot that his science team did not possess the ability to see duel spirits as he did. "It is nothing. Why are you showing me this."

"Skip to the end, sir. Observe the readings from the final turn."

The video sped up until the final turn was shown. As Buster Blader attacked the feathered dragon, the old man watched as the readings and his eyes went wide.

"My… How intriguing."

And there we go. I really hope you have enjoyed the chapter. It has been a long time in the making. I have literally rewritten this chapter five times trying to get it exactly the way I want it to be and have even changed the story plan in response. I want to thank everyone who has been so patient in waiting for the chapter. I, unfortunately, don't know how long it will be before the next chapter as my life will be going through quite a few changes soon and I will have to put a greater focus on work as I move towards the final assignments in my apprenticeship.

One thing I will say is that in the last few months, I have commissioned a fair few art pieces from the wonderful AliceKuroCross. All the art is on her DeviantArt page, including an image of the duel from this chapter and the new story artwork that will be used going into the new arc. I honestly cannot thank her enough for the hard work she put into each piece. Please give her support as she does amazing work.

Anyway, I shall leave you all be for now. Until the next time :)