Wow. I can't believe it's been…(looks at last date of update) HOLY –beep-! I haven't updated in over two months! DAAAAAAAMN! Shame I can't say that updates after this one are gonna be fast because they aren't. I wanted to update one more time before the New Year but my next update won't be for a while since I still want to get, at least, to the Field Trip in prewritten chapters before I update again.
Anyway, wow, 24 people reviewed the last chapter. Thank you to Phantom Flickering Gundam-Ryuu, Guest x3, Tom, Copper001, bobmanv2.0, reven228, Guest, GuardianOfTheUniverse, Lilyqz, JxA fan 2000, midnightscar17, Numbuh24InsaneBrain, EndlessNight025, decode9, DanelerH, Sorcerer of the Stories, DisneyOUATgirl1437, Team5dsforever, KiritoKirigaya-SAO, iloveyugiohGX93, ShadowSpirit020, and Kamen Rider Dragon Knight for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome!
And, as usual, a huge thank you to EndlessNight025 for being an awesome beta-reader.
Once again, there are two duels in one chapter, plus the introduction of a new OC of mine.
The next chapter probably won't be out for a while, as I already said earlier, definitely after the New Year (duh) but, hopefully, it won't take me as long to get the next chapter out as it did this one. Here is the next chapter, I hope you like it, reviews are much appreciated, and a Happy New Year to everyone!
11
Illuminated
I wonder why Sartorius asked to see me so suddenly, a young, dark-haired man mused as he continued to walk down the brightly lit hallway that led to his older brother's room. While he had admittedly been rather surprised by his brother's abrupt request for an audience with him, he, by no means, was complaining. After years of helplessly watching Sartorius grow more and more distant from him and their sister, Sarina, and turn into almost a completely different person, Sachio was just glad that Sartorius was the one finally reaching out to one of them for a change.
Who knows; maybe that was a sign that Sartorius was beginning to act more like his old self. Could it be that he wanted to connect with him to try to amend their estranged relationship? Sachio certainly hoped that was the case since he wanted nothing more than for his brother to be the person he used to know and love when they were younger, and to feel like a real family again.
When he finally entered his brother's room, he was instantly met with the haunting purple eyes of its lone inhabitant.
"Sachio…" was the only greeting he received from Sartorius before his gaze fell back to the pile of tarot cards scattered over the table he was seated in front of.
"Big Brother," the younger man replied. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes," he affirmed. "I wanted to inform you that I will soon be making a visit to Duel Academy, and I would like you to accompany me there."
"Duel Academy?" Sachio couldn't help but question in surprise.
Sartorius glanced up at him. "Will that be a problem for you?"
"N-no. Of course not," Sachio shuddered, shrinking away from his brother's piercing gaze ever so slightly. "I just noticed that you seem to be interested in that place a lot these days… Didn't you just send Aster there, for some reason, not that long ago?"
"I did," the fortuneteller admitted, making no effort to hide his past actions, nor elaborate on them, however. "As for my interest in Duel Academy… Given how it is an institution that attracts and trains talented young duelists, it seems like the perfect place to discover potential clients to one day manage. As a fellow manager, do such things not interest you as well?"
"Well, yes, but…" Sachio trailed off, feeling rather disappointed that this conversation had turned out to only be work-related, instead of the brotherly heart-to-heart he had secretly been hoping for. Maybe he should just try to talk to Sartorius about his concern for him? Sure, all the other times he tried had failed, but maybe this time—
"'But?'" Sartorius pressed, his intense stare almost burning a hole into Sachio's skin.
The younger brother shook his head, suddenly losing his nerve to speak up. "Forget about it. It's nothing," he said instead. "I would be happy to go with you on your trip, Big Brother."
His answer earned Sachio a small smirk from his sibling, though it was nothing like the kind-natured ones he would give when they were kids to cheer up him and his sister… "Excellent. We leave tomorrow morning, so be sure to ready by then."
"R-right…"
…
Once his brother had finally left the room, Sartorius returned his focus to the tarot cards before him, lost in thought.
Sachio… While Sartorius didn't doubt his brother's loyalty to him, the young man had begun to prove to be somewhat of a problem, as of late. Between his and Sarina's constant attempts to appeal to Sartorius's better nature, there were times when it became difficult for him to carry out his plans without interruption. If it wasn't for the fact that the future he foretold regarding his upcoming trip to Duel Academy was to somehow involve Sachio as well, Sartorius surely wouldn't have risked having his brother getting so close to him.
The fortuneteller turned over the top two cards of his deck and gazed down at then, knowing that these two cards represented the special individuals he and his brother would soon encounter at Duel Academy.
The first card, The Hanged Man, told Sartorius of an individual who processed similar gifts as Jaden, albeit much weaker. Still, this person would be useful to Sartorius's plans, at least until he found another way to convert Jaden to his cause.
The second card, however, represented someone with the power to not only potentially shape Sartorius's fate, but also that of his brother, Sachio's, as well.
Justice… Sartorius mused, reading the card's name to himself. Let us find out if this man truly is someone capable of setting the Wheel of Fate into motion…
…
The plane ride from the mainland to Duel Academy was boring and uneventful, much to Sachio's displeasure. And what was worse was that his brother had spent the whole trip locked up in another room, meaning that he didn't see Sartorius again until after they finally landed.
As they exited the plane, Sachio noticed two strange men near the docks that were apparently there to greet them. One was a tall, bony, rather effeminate-looking blond man, while the other was short, fat, and obviously losing his hair.
"Mr. Sartorius, Mr. Sachio, what a pleasant surprise," the tall man exclaimed. "It's an honor to meet you both."
"Thank you very much, gentlemen," Sartorius replied calmly.
"What brings you two here, monsieur?" the portly man asked.
"Well, my brother and I manage several top-ranking professional duelists," Sartorius replied, speaking for the both of them. "We're always looking for fresh talent. With Aster making appearances worldwide, I thought it best to search for new clients, while my brother is looking to expand his list as well."
"Terrific," the first guy said. "I can even point you in the right direction."
"Or, rather,I can," the other one threw in, holding up a big piece of paper. "I have a list of our top ranking students, right here."
"You're too kind," Sartorius admitted. "But I won't need any assistance. I've always made it a point to find talent on my own. So, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do. Good day, gentlemen." He walked past the two men, leaving the docks and Sachio behind.
"What about you, monsieur?" the little French man inquired from Sachio, still waving around his stupid list.
"Oh, that really won't be necessary," Sachio insisted whilst attempting to make an escape in a similar fashion to his brother's, but was quickly intercepted by that ugly blond man.
"Nonsense! I insist we give you the grand tour. You're our guest, after all!"
Sachio sighed, seeing no way of getting past these two jokers at the moment, but he would be sure to ditch them the first chance he got, count on it.
…
A while later, over at the Slifer Red Dorm, Jaden was seated with his back, resting against the trunk of a tree, gazing up at the sky. He felt tired, which was mostly Haou's fault, and was wondering why Haou had spoken to Chazz as he had. Haou wasn't telling him anything, which made Jaden wonder just what was going on with him. He also wondered just why he wasn't kept awake when Haou took control.
Whenever he asked, Haou would never respond, which was frustrating.
"Judai?"
Jaden lowered his gaze as Raiden walked over to join him. "Hey," he greeted his brother.
"Are you okay?" Raiden asked.
"I'm fine."
Raiden didn't look like he believed him. He said nothing, though, as he moved to sit next to Jaden and curled an arm around him. "You know I'm here for you, right?" he asked quietly.
"I know, Rai," Jaden assured him.
"But you've been avoiding me. Not just me, but everyone," Raiden said.
"I just…need some time to come to terms with all of this," Jaden said, pulling his cards out and staring at the blank white pieces of paper. "Dueling has been something that has been part of my life for years and my duel spirits have been with me since I was a kid, especially Yubel. It's just…it's hard not being able to hear her or see her anymore."
"I know," Raiden said.
Jaden felt irritated by his brother's words. How can he possibly know what I'm going through? But he bit his lip to keep from responding. He knew his brother was just trying to comfort him and he didn't want to snap at his brother. He was getting better at doing that.
"You still have your family, though, Judai," Raiden reminded him. "We're still here for you and we'll still support you, no matter what."
Jaden smiled a little at his brother and sighed, returning his gaze to his blank deck. "I know," he murmured. "It's just…I can't duel and I don't know why. I just wish that I did."
"I wish I could help you out with that, but I'm at a loss, too," Raiden admitted. "Look, why don't we go join Kasumi and the others? They've been worried about you."
'We need to do some more training, Jaden,' Haou's voice echoed in the back of Jaden's head. 'We don't have much time left before the Light makes its next move.'
Jaden knew Haou was right. "Just tell them that I'm fine, Rai. I just need some more time."
Raiden didn't look like he liked the idea, but he said nothing about it. "All right," he said softly. He paused, then added, "Have you been talking to Dr. Nakamura?"
"I missed our last meeting," Jaden admitted. "But I've been talking to her. It's helping." He studied his brother and added, "You should consider speaking to her. I mean, she won't mind. She's talking with Kasumi, too."
"I'm fine, Judai."
Jaden didn't believe him. "Rai…" he began.
"I'm fine. I don't need help, Judai," Raiden snapped irritably.
"Okay, okay, no need to bite my head off," Jaden said, irritated since he was just trying to help.
Raiden sighed. "I'm sorry, Judai, but, really, I'm fine," he said. He placed a hand on Jaden's shoulder and stood up. "I'll go let the others know that you're fine. If ya need to talk, though, you know where to find me."
"Okay." Jaden said and watched his brother walk away before he returned his gaze to the sky above his head.
…
Meanwhile, in the forest just out of sight, Sachio, who had finally managed to get away from those two overzealous school officials, had just watched that entire interaction between brothers. At least, he assumed they had been brothers, mainly because something about their interaction reminded Sachio of how he and his brother used to talk when they were younger.
Speaking of Sartorius, where had he gotten off to? Sachio figured that he should really start trying to look for him, or, at the very least, maybe some potential new clients, since that was kind of the whole reason he was even here, after all…
…
Jaden had decided to take a walk after his talk with his brother. He was wandering along the edge of the forest and finally found another place to sit near the tree where he had dueled Wheeler the year before. He sat down and, crossing his legs, returned to studying the sky.
"Yo, Slacker."
Jaden glanced to the side as Chazz walked over to join him. "Chazz, what brings you here?" he asked.
Chazz shrugged. "Just decided to take a walk. You still can't talk to Yubel, can you?" he asked.
Jaden shook his head, pulling out his blank deck for the second time that day. "No," he said. He sighed. "If I can't duel, then why should I stay here?"
"Your family and friends are here, duh," Chazz said, rolling his eyes.
Jaden frowned. "Yeah, but, by remaining here, I might be putting them in danger again," he murmured, thinking back to what he had learned right before his duel against Aster, about the return of the Light of Destruction, and about what Haou told him. He needed to find a way to regain his connection to Yubel and his ability to see his cards. Haou was trying his best to help but Jaden didn't think he would find answers to this problem at Duel Academy.
"What do you mean?" Chazz asked.
Jaden glanced up at him and then shook his head, deciding that he didn't want to drag Chazz into his problems. The Light of Destruction was his enemy and Jaden wasn't about to put his friends in danger. "It's nothing," he said and got to his feet before wandering away.
Chazz watched him go and stuffed his hands into his coat pocket, his thoughts drifting to what Haou wanted him to do. I wonder if he told Jaden about this, he wondered silently. Didn't seem like it.
He did still feel a little guilty at keeping such a secret from Jaden, if he truly didn't know, since Jaden was his foster brother, his family, but if Haou didn't tell Jaden then it was obvious the former king didn't want Jaden to know.
He shook his head to clear it and jogged off to find his girlfriend.
'Hey, Boss, whatcha thinking about?' Ojama Yellow asked, materializing in front of Chazz.
"Nothing. Get lost," Chazz said, swatting at the Ojama and then walking over to join Arina, where she was talking with the others.
"Hey, Chazz," Arina greeted him cheerfully, slipping her hand into his. "Where'd you go?"
"Just for a walk," Chazz replied.
"Oh."
…
That evening, Syrus was panicking as he ran into the lounge area of the new addition to the Slifer Dorm, shouting for help.
Everyone who was currently living at the Slifer Dorm—all of them had moved into the newer portion while the renovations of the other half were being finished by Chazz's construction crew—filed out of their rooms at Syrus's shout.
"Syrus, what's going on?" Bastion asked.
"Jaden's gone missing!" Syrus shouted.
"What?!" Raiden said. "But I just saw and talked with him a couple of hours ago!"
Kasumi's eyes widened. "Are you sure?" she asked.
"Positive. All his stuff's gone," Syrus said.
"So he retreated?" Hassleberry wondered.
"That doesn't sound like Jaden," Kasumi said with a shake of her head. "Why would he leave? And why wouldn't he tell anyone?"
Raiden started pacing worriedly. "Judai leaving like this...I'm worried. We have to go look for him," he said.
"I doubt he's left the island," Alexis said.
"Why do you say that?" Bastion asked.
"Jaden can't stand being near the ocean for a long time," Alexis said. "He gets anxious and sometimes has flashbacks. That's why he spent all of his time in his cabin during the cruise ride here at the beginning of the year."
"So he's still on the island?" Syrus asked.
"Probably."
"But where could he have gone?" Arina asked.
"Let's search for him," Raiden said immediately. "We can split up. Some of us can go into the forest, some can check out the main building, and so on."
"Sounds like a plan, soldier," Hassleberry approved.
The group then split up and headed in all directions, searching for Jaden. Kasumi, Alexis, and Hikari headed for the main building, Kira, who had offered to help them look, Raiden, and Bastion headed for the woods, Chazz, Arina, Kyle, and Celina, who they had run into when they started the search, were looking around the dorms.
. . .
Chazz, Arina, Kyle, and Celina, who the couple had run into while they were searching around the dorms, were looking through the woods near the main building.
"So, he just left?" Kyle asked, pushing aside a low-hanging branch. "I mean, I know he hasn't been himself since he lost to Aster, but I didn't think he would leave 'cause of that."
"And how do you know he hasn't left the island?" Celina asked.
"He gets very anxious whenever he's near the ocean and sometimes has flashbacks," Chazz explained.
"Understandable," Kyle said, knowing the entire story behind what happened after he lost to Kaage in Honolulu.
Celina looked confused.
"Long story short, Jaden...nearly drowned in the ocean," Kyle explained to Celina.
"Oh." Celina looked horrified. "That's horrible and definitely explains why he would get anxious when he's near the ocean. How'd he get to the island?"
"Spent the entire trip in his cabin," Chazz said with a shrug and looked around, shouting out, "Yo! Slacker! Where are you?"
There was no answer. It was starting to get late, but Chazz knew that the sun would remain up for a little while longer.
"I don't think he's here," Celina said. "I'm sure he would have heard us."
"He could've moved to another part," Kyle suggested.
"Maybe we should split up," Arina suggested, looking around the forest.
The four of them agreed. Arina and Celina went on ahead while Kyle went left and Chazz went right.
Chazz made his way deeper into the forest, calling out for his foster brother, though he had a sinking feeling he was already gone, but that didn't stop him from calling for him. "Damn it, Slacker! You, of all people, should know you can't just run from your problems," he shouted, but, again, got no response.
'Boss, that was so deep!' Ojama Yellow exclaimed, appearing.
Chazz rolled his eyes as the Ojama spirit. "Oh shut up," he growled, kicking a stone. "I didn't want the opinion of the peanut gallery."
'Gees, no need to be mean,' Ojama Red muttered as he also appeared.
'He's just worried about Jaden, Red,' Ojama Green said, popping up as well.
Chazz would never admit it out loud, but Ojama Green was right. He knew that Jaden could take care of himself, and that Haou wouldn't let anything happen to him now that Yubel couldn't protect him, but that didn't stop him from feeling a little worried. The depression that Jaden had sunk into right before he disappeared was enough to make Chazz worried, especially after what Jaden said to Chazz.
Yeah but, by remaining here, I might be putting them into danger again.
Was that why he left? Chazz thought.
'Uh, Boss? You okay?' Ojama Black asked.
"I'm fine. Now get outta my way. I'm trying to find the damn Slacker," Chazz growled at the Ojamas.
'But we're trying to help,' Yellow said.
"If you wanna help, get lost," Chazz snapped and the spirits vanished.
"You really should be more attentive to them. It's very rare for monster spirits to interact with the common folk," a new voice said.
Chazz froze at the new voice and then, schooling his face into a mask of indifference, he turned into a clearing and saw a strange man in white clothing.
"But when they find someone they can trust, they can be quite loyal," the man went on. "You have a gift, Mr. Princeton."
"How do you know my name?" Chazz asked, honestly curious.
"Because I have a gift as well," the man said with a bow. "I am called Sartorius and I've traveled quite a ways to meet you."
"Why do you want to meet me?" Chazz asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Simple. I can use someone like you, someone with the power to see monster spirits," Sartorius replied.
"It's one of my talents," Chazz said with an indifferent shrug.
"Impressive. Talent and confidence," Sartorius said with a smile. "Tell you what. I would like to see these talents of yours, and, perhaps, I could sign you on as a client."
Now I definitely know something is fishy about this guy. Who the heck wanders through a forest, waiting for a specific person and offering to sign them on as a client? Chazz thought. "Really?" he said.
"Yes. I manage several professional duelists, like Aster Phoenix," the manager said. "And I can see if you're ready for the pros or, at least, gain the proper guidance for it."
Chazz decided to play along for the time being until he got a better read on this person.
'I don't like this guy. There's something sinister about him,' Ojama Yellow said worriedly, materializing again.
'Yeah, he doesn't seem like a good guy,' Ojama Green agreed, also show up once more.
'Agreed. Boss, I don't think you should duel this guy,' Ojama Blue said, materializing.
"All right, I'm in," Chazz said, ignoring the Ojamas, though he remembered Haou telling him that duel spirits were a very good judge of character. If the Ojamas were wary of Sartorius and saw him as sinister, then…
"Time to show you my skills and you'll forget all about Aster Phoenix," Chazz said.
"I can't wait. As a matter of fact, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Sartorius said just as a blanket of thin, white fog enveloped the ground.
. . .
In another part of the forest, Raiden, Kira and Bastion were still searching and calling out for Jaden but, so far, there was no answer.
"I'm sure he's just fine, though," Kira said.
"I hope so," Raiden murmured, feeling worried again.
"The forest is too big to cover all together. Perhaps it would be best if we split up," Bastion suggested. "We don't have much light left and we won't be able to search at all when it gets too dark."
Raiden nodded in agreement. "True. All right, I'll go this way." He pointed to the right.
"I will keep going straight," Bastion said.
"Guess that leaves this way for me," Kira said brightly, pointing to the left before walking off while Bastion and Raiden headed off in their own directions.
Rogue materialized next to Raiden as he moved. 'You're really worried,' she noted.
"Of course I am, Rogue," Raiden said. "My little brother is out there and he's depressed. He can't speak to or see Yubel, and he's got a psychotic former king living in his head."
'He will be fine,' Rogue said.
Raiden glanced at the silver-haired duel spirit. "I hope so. It's just...there are times I wish this summer and what happened over nine years ago never happened," he murmured, his thoughts going back to what happened in Hawaii. He shivered at the memory of getting stabbed by Kaage, of that sadistic look in Kaage's wild eyes.
'Raiden, shh, calm down,' Rogue said gently.
Raiden shook his head, trying to clear it, his hand almost self-consciously going to the scar that was on his stomach. He clenched his hand into a fist and lowered it. "I'm okay," he said, glancing at Rogue and giving her a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Rogue didn't look like she believed him. 'Raiden, are...?'
"I'm fine, Rogue!" Raiden insisted, sounding a bit irritated.
Rogue sighed. 'You know, I'm just trying to help, Raiden. I honestly think it would help if you went to speak with Dr. Nakamura,' she said.
"I don't need to see a therapist. I'm fine," Raiden said.
Rogue shook her head. 'Raiden, you have nightmares every night...' she began.
"So? It's just nightmares. It's not like I'm the only one who gets 'em," Raiden retorted.
'Yes, but having nightmares every night is affecting your sleep, and...' Rogue said.
"Look, let's just focus on finding Jaden," Raiden snapped and started walking again, pushing away Rogue's words because, deep down, he knew she was right but he was more concerned about his brother at the moment. His little brother was the one who needed help, he was the one who was affected the worst by what happened this past summer as well as what happened over nine years ago. Raiden wanted to help his little brother and protect him and keep him safe. He was the big brother. That was his job.
He didn't need help. He was fine. He had gotten over what happened over the summer. Yes, he still remembered what happened but that didn't mean anything. Raiden was sure he would always remember what happened, but that didn't mean he needed to see a therapist. He was perfectly fine.
That didn't stop him from jumping when a figure with dark-hair stepped into the clearing he had just stepped into, though.
"Hello," the figure greeted him in a soft voice.
"Who are you?" Raiden asked with a frown.
"I apologize for startling you," the young man said calmly. "My name is Sachio. I came to this island in an effort to scout out a few new duelists to, perhaps, take on as clients, but it would appear that I have somehow managed to lose my way quite a bit..."
"I'll say…" Raiden muttered, silently wondering if this guy was even better at getting lost than he was. "The main campus is in the complete opposite direction of where you were heading. But regarding what you said earlier… Does that mean you're a manager?"
"Indeed. I have managed a few professional duelists in recent times, though I only started about a year ago," Sachio calmly replied before suddenly appearing to be struck with an idea. "Say, since I've managed to run into you here, why don't I try testing your skills? After all, the few duelists I've managed to meet today didn't quite have what I was looking for, but something just seems different about you, I can tell. You can also think of it as an apology for me giving you that fright a few moments ago, Mister…?"
"Raiden Yuki," he provided. While Raiden really did that finding Jaden should be his top priority, from the sudden determined look in Sachio eyes, he had a sinking suspicion this guy might not leave him alone to search until he agreed. There was also the fact that Raiden did actually want to enter the pros and, even though he was going to graduate a year later than he was supposed to due to the fiasco with the Shadow Riders the year before, having a manager would help the process.
"But all right," he finally answered. "If you want a duel, you got one."
He activated his duel disk and pulled out his deck, glancing at it as he shuffled it.
He thought about his conversation with Rogue the night before when he had been given the newest cards to be added to his deck.
"What are these?" Raiden asked, glancing at the new cards that were resting on his desk next to his deck.
'Those are some of our upgraded forms as well as some new allies,' Rogue replied. 'We have waited until now to give these to you because we were waiting for a time when you were ready to handle these cards.'
"Handle these cards? What do you mean?'
'These cards are special, not unlike those Evil Heroes your brother uses. They are one of a kind. I cannot say where they come from yet, but you will find out eventually. It is time you used them, though, Raiden,' Rogue said.
Raiden turned back to the cards, frowning before he picked up one of them. "They feel...familiar. Why do they feel familiar, Rogue?" he asked, turning to the silver-haired duel spirit.
Rogue shook her head. 'I cannot say,' she said softly. 'I'm sorry.'
Raiden returned his attention to the card he was holding, wondering why Rogue couldn't tell him why these cards felt so familiar.
"Are you ready?" Sachio asked, breaking Raiden from his thoughts.
"Yeah," he said, inserting the shuffled deck into his duel disk.
"Then let's begin."
. . .
Chazz frowned when he noticed his opponent didn't have a duel disk. "So where's your duel disk?" he asked.
"Who needs a duel disk when you have this?" Sartorius asked as a white table and chair appeared with a deck of duel monster cards on it.
"You realize that's a table, don't you?"
Sartorius said nothing.
"All right, let's do this," Chazz said, drawing his opening hand and then raised an eyebrow when he saw Sartorius laying out his opening hand facedown on the table. "You know, it helps to look at your cards."
"Not necessarily," Sartorius replied.
Chazz: 8000
Sartorius: 8000
"I'll go first," Chazz said, drawing his sixth card. "I summon V-Tiger Jet in Attack Mode."
A yellow tiger jet appeared on the field (A: 1600/D: 1800).
"And next, I activate Frontline Base so I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Union Monster from my hand once per turn during one of my Main Phases and I'll use its effect to bring out W-Wing Catapult!"
The blue wing catapult appeared on the field (A: 1300/D: 1500).
"And now, I'll combine 'em to form VW-Tiger Catapult," Chazz declared, removing the two monsters from play and their forms fused together before landing on the ground in front of Chazz (A: 2000/D: 2100).
"And I set a card and end my turn," the black-coated Slifer added as a vertical facedown appeared at his feet. Now let's see what this guy has up his sleeve, he thought.
"Good then, it's my turn," Sartorius said, drawing a card before placing it facedown on the table and picking up another. "I'll activate my Vision Spell."
Chazz frowned. He never even looked at it. What's up with this guy? he thought.
"This lets me reveal the top card of my deck and anytime it's played during this duel, you lose 1000 Life Points." Sartorius placed a hand over his deck. "I will vision your fate with this card." He drew a single card and held it out without looking at it. "Arcana Force XII – The Hanged Man. This card is your destiny that I see."
"What do you mean? I thought you wanted to see my skills, but you're talking about fate now," Chazz said.
"Now, I return this card to my deck and you shuffle it with your own hands," the enigmatic man went on, showing no signs of answering Chazz's inquiry.
Chazz walked forward and picked up the deck. "I don't believe in fate. I explore my future with my own strength. Good or bad, it's my own choice," he said as he shuffled the cards.
"Are you so sure about that?" Sartorius asked.
Chazz kept his face expressionless, wondering just what his opponent was talking about. He did make his own choices, even if others might not understand the choices he made.
He shuffled the deck again and returned to his spot across from Sartorius as the tarot reader added, "Next, I play Suit of Sword X," and another card appeared on the field, facing Chazz before it suddenly began rotating. "Please call 'stop'. If the card stops upright, all the monsters in your field will be destroyed. However, if it lands upside down then mine will be destroyed."
Chazz watched it rotate. "Stop," he ordered and the card slowed down before stopping upright. "Damn!"
"Then it's yours that will be destroyed," Sartorius said and Chazz's VW-Tiger Catapult shattered.
"And next I summon Arcana Force IV – The Emperor in Attack Mode," Sartorius added and a mechanical-like fairy covered with reddish orange orbs with metallic black wings appeared on the field with its card rotating above it (A: 1400/D: 1400).
"The Emperor's effect depends on whether its card lands upright or upside down. Call out 'stop'," Sartorius said calmly.
"Stop," Chazz said and frowned when the card slowed to a stop in the upright position.
"Now the Emperor's upright effect activates, allowing all Arcana Force monsters I control to gain 500 Attack," Sartorius said as The Emperor glowed as his attack jumped up (A: 1400-1900).
Chazz gritted his teeth.
"Now, The Emperor, attack Chazz directly," Sartorius ordered, his voice remaining calm.
The Emperor shot forward before striking Chazz, causing him to wince.
Chazz: 6100
Sartorius: 8000
"I'll then set this one card and end my turn," the fortune teller concluded, sliding one of his cards upward a few inches to a section of the table that represented his Spell/Trap Card Zone. "It is your move, Mr. Princeton."
"All right," Chazz said, drawing a card. "I activate Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard two." He did so, discarding Ojama Green and Armed Level Dragon LV7 before adding, "Next, I activate Level Modulation. This allows you to draw two cards"—Sartorius moved two cards from his deck to his line of facedown cards on the table—"while I can Special Summon my Armed Dragon LV7 from my Graveyard, ignoring the summoning conditions!"
In a burst of light and with a roar, the armored red dragon appeared on the field (A: 2800/D: 1000).
"And next I tribute my Armed Dragon LV7 in order to Special Summon Armed Dragon LV10!" Chazz declared and his Armed Dragon vanished before it was replaced by a large more vicious and more armored looking dragon who roared (A: 3000/D: 1000).
"Then, I activate Ojama Trio," Chazz added, revealing his face-down. "This Special Summons three Ojama Tokens to your side of the field in Defense Mode."
Ojamas Yellow, Black and Green appeared on Sartorius's field.
So these are some of the spirits connected to his soul, Sartorius thought, staring at the Ojamas, who shied away from him with a yelp.
'Boss, this guy is creepy. Beat him quickly!' Ojama Yellow exclaimed.
"I plan to," Chazz said with a smirk. "I activate my Armed Dragon LV10's effect and discard one card in my hand"—he discarded Ojama Yellow—"to destroy all of your monsters! Sonic Cutter Screech!"
Armed Dragon LV10 screeched out a sonic shockwave that crashed into and destroyed the Ojama Trio and The Emperor.
"And those tokens don't leave empty-handed. They take away 300 Life Points from you, each," Chazz added.
Three blows struck Sartorius.
Chazz: 6100
Sartorius: 7100
"Now, Armed Dragon LV10, attack Sartorius directly. Armed Big Burning Shot!" Chazz ordered and his armored dragon roared, unleashing another shockwave that struck Sartorius, causing an explosion to occur and conjuring up a large cloud of smoke.
Chazz: 6100
Sartorius: 4100
"And, with that, I end my turn," Chazz said.
"Very well," Sartorius said, drawing a card and placing it facedown on his table, looking unfazed by the last attack. "I play Selection of Fate. This means that you choose one card in my hand, and if it's a monster, I can summon it automatically."
Chazz narrowed his eyes but started toward the table again.
Ojama Blue appeared. 'No, it's not a good idea to go over there,' he said quickly.
I'm getting that feeling, too, but... Chazz thought, swatting Ojama Blue away. "Buzz off. I can handle this. It's just choosing a card, after all," he said before he came to a stop in front of the table.
"Choose wisely, Mr. Princeton," Sartorius said, laying out his four cards.
Chazz pointed to the fourth card. "That one," he said.
Sartorius smiled a little as he reached for the card and turned it over.
Chazz's eyes went wide with surprise. "Impossible!" he exclaimed when the card was revealed to be Arcana Force XII - The Hanged Man.
"So, you can't escape fate," Sartorius mused. "Since this was the card I chose according to Vision's effect, you will take 1000 points of damage."
A large green creature dangling upside down by a tentacle on a nearby tree appeared and unleashed a gust of wind that slammed into Chazz before the card appeared above the fairy monster and started to rotate (A: 2200/D: 2200).
Chazz: 5100
Sartorius: 4100
"And now, The Hanged Man's effect," Sartorius said. "When it's upright, during my End Phase, a face-up monster on my field will be destroyed and I will take damage equal to its Attack. When it's upside-down, a face-up enemy monster will be destroyed during my End Phase and the enemy will take a similar damage. Please tell it to stop."
The card continued to rotate and the spindly arms of the green fairy monster started to curl around Chazz, though he tried to ignore it.
"Stop," Chazz called.
The card started to slow down and landed… upside down, much to Chazz's horror.
Sartorius seemed unsurprised by the outcome, however. "With that result, I end my turn, which means The Hanged Man's effect now activates."
'Boss!' all the Ojamas shouted as Chazz's Armed Dragon LV10 blew up in his face and took out a good portion of his Life Points, leaving him momentarily stunned.
Chazz: 2100
Sartorius: 4100
"Because a monster was just destroyed by a card effect, I now activate my Trap Card, Ace of Wand," Sartorius said, revealing the card he had set earlier in the duel, and like just about all of the cards he had played, this one, too, began to rotate upon activation. "Should this card land right side up, the controller of the destroyed monsters will gain Life Points equal to the total Attack of the destroyed monsters. However, if this card falls upside down, the controller will take that same amount as damage instead."
While Chazz had heard the man's explanation of this new card's effect, he merely stared at in for a while, knowing in the back of his mind that he'd lose if that thing landed anywhere but right side up.
"The Hanged Man," Sartorius spoke suddenly. "Your fate read by this card is Stagnancy."
Chazz glanced at him.
"You can talk to your cards, Mr. Princeton, and you're trying to overcome your rival. But, somewhere in your heart, you've given up. More than that, you've gotten close to your rival in a friendly, even brotherly, way."
Chazz stiffened momentarily at that and forced himself to relax, wondering how the hell Sartorius knew that. "What are you talking about?" he demanded. "I don't fear Jaden."
Sartorius smirked, holding a hand above The Hanged Man card. "I see. That's the stagnancy caused by Jaden Yuki's victory," he said. "You can't make it now. But what you picked is the upside-down Hanged Man. It's the sign of advancement."
"Advancement..." Chazz echoed quietly.
"Yes. Fate can be chosen. This deck stands for your fate until now. But our new fate is going to begin," Sartorius went on and he picked up his deck and started to shuffle it. "I'll give you strength. I'll shuffle the deck of fate that you want. You want to defeat Jaden Yuki, don't you? You can. If you come to me, I'll create the fate for you."
Chazz swallowed. It wasn't as if he didn't want to beat Jaden. He did. Even though Jaden was his foster brother, they were still rivals and Chazz did want to defeat him.
"I want to defeat Jaden Yuki," he said.
"Then I believe you know what you must do…"
"S-stop…" Chazz finally uttered, leading Ace of Wand to halt in a clear upside down position.
Sartorius grinned and stopped shuffling as a series of vines suddenly shot out of nowhere and Chazz yelped as he was suddenly strung up until he was hanging upside down above the ground. Seconds later, the effect of Ace of Wand took effect, hitting Chazz with 3000 points of damage.
Chazz: 0
Sartorius: 4100 WINNER
'Boss!' Ojama Yellow, along with the other Ojamas, shouted and hurried forward.
Sartorius turned to them and his eyes glowed before a wave of dark light shot forward and slammed into the Ojamas, causing them to vanish into thin air.
That was the last thing Chazz saw before he blacked out.
. . .
Raiden and Sachio faced off against each other, their duel disks activated and their decks shuffled. "Let's duel," they declared as they drew their opening hands.
Raiden: 8000
Sachio: 8000
"I'll start," Sachio said, drawing a card and glancing at it before glancing at his hand. "I activate Cards from the Sky. Now, by banishing one Light Fairy-type monster, I can draw two cards, but I can't Special Summon or conduct my Battle Phase this turn." He pocketed a card and then drew two cards before inserting another one into his duel disk. "I also activate The Sanctuary in the Sky."
The area filled with clouds and a temple rose up behind Sachio.
So, he uses Fairies, Raiden thought.
"And now I summon Zeradias, Herald of Heaven in Attack Mode," Sachio added, placing the card on his duel disk.
In a burst of light, a green winged fairy with a green helmet on which were red horns, blue pants and wielding a spear appeared on the field (A: 2100/D: 800).
"Next, I activate the Continuous Spell, The Fountain in the Sky," Sachio added.
A floating pool of water surrounded by white marble ruins appeared floating above Sachio's head.
"Not bad," Raiden said. "Now you've got a way of padding your Life Points."
Sachio nodded and inserted two cards into his duel disk. "I place these facedown and end my turn," he said.
"All right, my move," Raiden said, drawing a card. He picked another card and inserted it into his duel disk. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy The Sanctuary in the Sky."
A small cyclone suddenly began to rage throughout the sanctuary.
"I activate the Counter Trap, Divine Punishment," Sachio said, revealing his face-down. "Since The Sanctuary in the Sky is face-up on the field, I can negate the activation of your Spell and destroy it."
From the Field Spell's temple came a barrage of red lightning that soon quelled the windstorm brought forth by Mystical Space Typhoon.
Drat. "All right. Then I'll bring out a new ally of mine to the field. I summon Shadow Reckoner Hellhound in Attack Mode," Raiden said.
A large shadowy black hound appeared on the field with a growl, red eyes fixed on Sachio (A: 1800/D: 900).
"Next, I equip him with Burning Aura. Now, he gains 500 Attack and Defense and can't be destroyed by battle."
The shadowy hound was surrounded by a flaming aura (A: 1800-2300/D: 900-1400).
"Now, Hellhound, attack Zeradias," Raiden ordered.
With a growl, the shadowy hound leapt at Zeradias and sank his claws in, ripping the fairy in half.
"I activate the effect of The Fountain in the Sky," Sachio announced. "Since Zeradias, a Light monster, was destroyed by battle, I can now banish it from my Graveyard to gain Life Points equal to its Attack."
"My Hellhound has an effect, too," Raiden said. "When it destroys a monster in battle, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Shadow Reckoner monster from my Deck, except Hellhound, and I'll go with another new ally: Shadow Reckoner Fallen Angel."
A beautiful, slender woman with long black angel wings and dressed entirely in black appeared on the field, her wings folded slightly around her (A: 1700/D: 1200). Then, water from the fountain cascaded down on Sachio.
Raiden: 8000
Sachio: 10100
"Oh, and when Fallen Angel is Special Summoned by the effect of a Shadow Reckoner monster, she gains 300 Attack," Raiden added as his Fallen Angel's power jumped up a bit (A: 1700-2000). "Now, Fallen Angel, attack Sachio directly."
Fallen Angel flew into the air.
"And that's where I stop you," Sachio said, pressing a button on his duel disk. "I play Miraculous Descent and target one of my banished Fairy-Type monsters and Special Summon it. I choose to Special Summon the Fairy I banished when I activated Cards from the Sky: Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin."
In a column of light, a giant fairy with metallic bronze, blue, and white wings descended onto the field (A: 2300/D: 2000).
"Also, while The Sanctuary in the Sky is on the field and my Life Points are higher than my opponent's Neo-Parshath gains Attack and Defense equal to the difference in our scores."
Neo-Parshath began to glow brighter as his power increased (A: 2300-4400D: 2000-4100).
"Fallen Angel, stop your attack," Raiden ordered and the black-winged angel flew back to the ground again. "Not a bad move. I place these two cards facedown and end my turn."
"Thanks," Sachio said with a small smile as he drew a card and glanced at it. "I summon The Agent of Mystery - Earth in Attack Mode."
In a burst of light, a silver skinned fairy with green wings and thick, long silver hair appeared on the field (A: 1000/D: 800).
"And when she's Normal Summoned, I can add one Master Hyperion form my Deck to my hand because The Sanctuary in the Sky is face-up on the field."
He retrieved the card and added, "And, next, I banish The Agent of Mystery - Earth in order to Special Summon Master Hyperion in Attack Mode."
Earth vanished and was replaced by a large gold-and-blue clad fairy surrounded by flames (A: 2700/D: 2100).
Raiden whistled. "Wow, that's a strong monster…"
"And it's got a strong effect, too," Sachio boasted. "But, first, I also activate Burial form a Different Dimension to add Zeradias and The Agent of Mystery - Earth back into my Graveyard. I then activate Hyperion's effect, banishing Zeradias again to target your Hellhound and destroy it."
He pocketed the card he had just retrieved and Hyperion released a powerful blast of fire that enveloped Hellhound, destroying it.
"And, since The Sanctuary in the Sky is in play, I can use this effect twice per turn, so I'll banish The Agent of Mystery - Earth to target your Fallen Angel and destroy it as well," Sachio added, pocketing the other card and another blast of flames shot across the field to envelope Fallen Angel, destroying her.
"I activate my Crosscurrent Trap," Raiden announced, revealing his face-down. "When a Shadow Reckoner is destroyed, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Shadow Reckoner monster from my deck and then return one Shadow Reckoner monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I'll Special Summon Shadow Reckoner Undertaker in Defense Mode and return Hellhound to my hand."
In a burst of shadowy mist, a short figure clad in a black trench coat with a black hat resting on its head and pale skin appeared and knelt down (A: 300/D: 300).
"Impressive," Sachio admitted. "Though I hope you don't think that that new monster of yours will save you from taking damage, because when Neo-Parshath attacks a monster in Defense Mode, it inflicts piercing damage. Go, Neo-Parshath."
"I ain't done yet," Raiden said, picking a card in his hand. "I activate the effect of Shadow Reckoner Frozen Princess in my hand. Since a Shadow Reckoner I control is being targeted for an attack, I can discard Frozen Princess to negate the attack and inflict damage to you equal to half of Neo-Parshath's Attack."
A burst of icy water appeared in front of Undertaker and then surged across the field to slam into Sachio.
Raiden: 8000
Sachio: 7900
Neo-Parshath also weakened because Sachio's Life Points were no longer higher than Raiden's (A: 4400-2300/D: 4100-2000).
"Not bad at all," Sachio commented. "You really do have potential."
"Thanks," Raiden said.
"Master Hyperion, attack Undertaker with Flare of the Sun," Sachio ordered and Master Hyperion unleashed a powerful wave of fire that slammed into Undertaker, destroying him.
"Undertaker's effect activates. When he's destroyed in battle, one other card on the field gets destroyed with him, so say goodbye to your Master Hyperion," Raiden said and Sachio's eyes widened as his powerful monster shattered into a million pixels.
"I end my turn," Sachio said.
"My turn," Raiden said, drawing a card and glancing at it. "I activate Graceful Charity." He drew three cards and then discarded two of them—Shadow Reckoner Curse Breaker and Escape from the Different Dimension—to the Graveyard. "Then I summon Shadow Reckoner Hellhound back to my field in Attack Mode."
His shadowy hellhound returned to the field (A: 1800/D: 900).
"And when I control a face-up Shadow Reckoner monster, I can Special Summon Shadow Reckoner Night Scout from my hand in Attack Mode," Raiden added and, in a burst of light, a short man clad in black with a black hat on his head appeared (A: 1500/D: 1500).
"Also, since I control a face-up Shadow Reckoner monster, I can activate the effect of Shadow Reckoner Curse Breaker in my Graveyard, banishing it to target and destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field, and I choose your Miraculous Descent."
The Trap Card shattered and, along with it, Neo-Parshath was also destroyed.
"Now, Hellhound, attack Sachio directly," Raiden ordered. Hellhound leapt toward Sachio and sank its claws into Sachio's duel disk.
Raiden: 8000
Sachio: 6100
"And, since a player took battle damage from a direct attack, I can activate my face-down, Shadow Dance, inflicting an extra 1000 damage to you," Raiden added and a burst of shadowy tendrils struck Sachio's duel disk.
Raiden: 8000
Sachio: 5100
"Now, Night Scout, attack Sachio directly, too," Raiden ordered.
Sachio shielded himself from the attack from Night Scout as the scout leapt across the field and slammed a fist into Sachio's duel disk.
Raiden: 8000
Sachio: 3600
"Not bad. You just took out quite a large chunk of my Life Points in one move," Sachio complimented, "although I also can't help but notice that something appears to be troubling you at the moment…"
"Well, it's just that my little brother went missing earlier today," Raiden admitted softly. "No one knows where he is or what happened to him, and I'm worried. I mean…this isn't the first time he's tried to avoid us, but…to actually pack everything up and leave?" He shook his head, worry filtering through him again.
"You really care for him," Sachio noted softly, now recalling have overheard the conversation Raiden had had with his brother earlier that day, prior to the latter's disappearance. He couldn't help but sympathize with the Shadow Reckoner duelist since he, too, knew full-well what it was like to deal with a brother that insisted on keeping his distance…
"He's my little brother. Of course I care about him," Raiden snapped irritably. "I was out here, looking for him, until I ran into you."
"I see. I'm sorry that I interfered with your search," Sachio apologized. "If you'd like, we could end our duel here so that you may continue looking for your brother."
"No, no, it's fine," Raiden said with a sigh, pushing aside his irritation. Sachio hadn't meant anything by his words and yet Raiden still had snapped at him. He's been doing that a lot lately, he noted. "Anyway, it's your move now."
"If you're sure, then all right," Sachio complied and glanced at the card he had just drawn. "I'll start by activating Spellook Inside the Pot."
They each drew three cards.
"Next, I activate Monster Reborn to bring Master Hyperion back to the field," Sachio added and the complex Fairy surrounded by flames appeared on the field (A: 2700/D: 2100). "Now, by banishing Neo-Parshath, I can use Hyperion's effect to destroy your Hellhound."
A burst of flames shot forward and slammed into Hellhound, destroying him.
"I activate the effect of Shadow Reckoner Twilight Unicorn in my hand. When a Shadow Reckoner monster is destroyed by a card effect, I can Special Summon her to the field," Raiden said quickly, placing the card on his duel disk.
In a burst of light, a beautiful white unicorn with a purplish-blue star-speckled horn appeared on the field in Attack Mode (A: 2300/D: 1600).
"And if you were thinking about trying to destroy another one of my monsters with Master Hyperion's effect, you can forget it, because as long as Twilight Unicorn's on the field, all face-up Shadow Reckoner monsters I control can't be destroyed by card effects."
"Duly noted," Sachio replied with a short nod. "In that case, summon The Agent of Miracles - Jupiter in Attack Mode."
A dark-skinned angel with large dark red wings appeared on the field (A: 1800/D: 1000).
"Also, since The Sanctuary in the Sky is in play, I can activate Jupiter's second effect, discarding one Fairy-Type monster in my hand to select one Light Fairy-Type monster that was banished and Special Summon it. I choose my Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin."
In a burst of light, after Sachio discarded Tethys, Goddess of Light, the bronze-and-blue winged fairy returned to the field (A: 2300/D: 2000).
"Now, Jupiter, attack Night Scout," Sachio ordered and Jupiter leapt forward before slamming a fist into Night Scout, destroying him.
Raiden: 7700
Sachio: 3600
"Master Hyperion, take out Twilight Unicorn. Flare of the Sun," Sachio ordered and Master Hyperion released a wave of fire that obliterated Twilight Unicorn. Raiden shielded himself from the backlash of that attack.
Raiden: 7300
Sachio: 3600
"Neo-Parshath, attack Raiden directly," Sachio ordered and Neo-Parshath unleashed a blast of blue energy that slammed into Raiden, sending him skidding backwards.
Raiden: 5000
Sachio: 3600
"And since Neo-Parshath inflicted battle damage, its effect lets me draw a card," Sachio explained as he draw a card from the top of his deck. "I end my turn with that."
Raiden drew a card and then picked a card from his hand. "I summon Shadow Reckoner Illusion Master in Defense Mode and place two cards facedown, and that's it."
A tall man swathed in a cloak that allowed him to blend in with his surroundings appeared on the field and knelt down (A: 500/D: 500), along with two vertical face-downs.
"All right, my turn," Sachio said, drawing a card. "And I activate Master Hyperion's effect, banishing Tethys from my Graveyard to target one of your face-downs and destroy it."
He pointed to one of Raiden's revered cards and Raiden activated it.
"I'll chain that effect by activating that face-down, Call of the Haunted, and use it to bring back Shadow Reckoner Twilight Unicorn," Raiden said and his white unicorn returned to the field (A: 2300/D: 1600) before Call of the Haunted shattered. Due to Twilight Unicorn's effect, she wasn't destroyed along with it, however.
"I activate Jupiter's second effect and discard Nova Summoner to Special Summon my banished Tethys, Goddess of Light in Attack Mode," Sachio said.
A white clad Fairy with long white angel-like wings attached to her shoulders by blue orbs appeared on the field (A: 2400/D: 1800).
"And I'll activate Master Hyperion's effect again, banishing Nova Summoner to target your second facedown card and destroy it," Sachio added and Raiden's final face-down, Negate Attack, shattered.
"Tethys, attack Twilight Unicorn." Tethys unleashed a blast of bright light that slammed into Twilight Unicorn, causing the beautiful white unicorn to shatter.
Raiden: 4900
Sachio: 3600
"Neo-Parshath, attack Illusion Master."
Neo-Parshath unleashed a blast of blue energy toward Illusion Master.
"Once per turn, Illusion Master can't be destroyed by battle," Raiden said as Illusion Master vanished into thin air as the blue energy sailed where it had been moments before and slammed into Raiden, due to Neo-Parshath's piercing ability.
Raiden: 3100
Sachio: 3600
Now that Raiden's Life Points were lower than Sachio's, Neo-Parshath's power increased (A: 2300-2800/D: 2000-2500).
"I also get to draw a card, due to Neo-Parshath's effect," Sachio said, drawing a card and glancing at it. "And I also activate Tethtys's effect, revealing the Fairy-Type monster I just drew"—he turned the card around to reveal The Agent of Force - Mars—"and draw one more card." He did so and then pointed. "Now, Jupiter, take out Illusion Master."
Jupiter jumped forward and slammed a fist into Illusion Master, destroying him.
"Master Hyperion, attack Raiden directly. Flare of the Sun," Sachio ordered.
Hyperion answered by unleashing a wave of fire that slammed into Raiden, sending him flying to the ground.
Raiden: 400
Sachio: 3600
Once again, Neo-Parshath's power changed (A: 2800-5500/D: 2500-5200).
"And then I summon The Agent of Force - Mars in Attack Mode," Sachio added after entering his second Main Phase, and a tall, purple-winged angel with dark-red hair and wielding a hammer in its hand appeared on the field (A: 0/D: 0). "Also, since The Sanctuary in the Sky is in play and my Life Points are higher than yours, Mars gains Attack and Defense equal to the difference in our Life Points."
Raiden swore as Mars' attack jumped up (A: 0-3200/D: 0-3200).
Boy, am I glad Sachio's Battle Phase is over. Otherwise, I'd be screwed, Raiden thought.
"I place this facedown, and that's it. Your move, Raiden," Sachio said.
Well, I've got nothing in my hand and nothing on my field. Gotta make this draw count, Raiden thought and drew a card and glanced at it. This will work. "I play Card of Demise to draw until I have five cards in my hand, but I have to discard my entire hand in five turns," Raiden said and, since his hand was empty, he drew five cards. He smiled when he saw what cards he drew.
"Drew some good cards?" Sachio asked.
"You could say that," Raiden said with a smirk. "First, I activate Heavy Storm, destroying all Spell and Trap Cards on the field."
A giant tornado was suddenly whipped up from Raiden's Spell, blowing away Sachio's Field Spell and his entire backrow. Without The Sanctuary in the Sky on the field, both Neo-Parshath and Mars's Attack and Defense returned to their original values, which was especially bad for Mars since both of his stats were 0.
"I'll now activate Foolish Burial to send Shadow Reckoner Ice Queen from my deck to the Graveyard." He did so and added, "Next, I activate Fatal Alliance. With this, I banish Shadow Reckoner Ice Queen and Shadow Reckoner Fallen Angel in my Graveyard in order to Fusion Summon Shadow Reckoner Fallen Ice Angel in Attack Mode."
Fallen Angel and a beautiful blue-haired woman appeared before merging together to create a beautiful blue-haired woman dressed in a black form-fitting dress with slits up to her knees. She had long black angel wings that jutted out of her back and cold blue eyes that peered out from beneath long blue bangs, and in her hand was an ice-blue wand (A: 2400/D: 1800).
"Next, I equip Fallen Ice Angel with Aura of Punishment."
Fallen Ice Angel was surrounded by an aura of blue light.
"Now, Fallen Ice Angel, attack Mars."
Fallen Ice Angel flew forward and unleashed a powerful blast of midnight-blue light that slammed into Mars, obliterating it.
Raiden: 400
Sachio: 1200
"And since Fallen Ice Angel destroyed a monster by battle, its effect activates, and I'll also chain that by activating the effect of Aura of Punishment. First, Fallen Ice Angel's effect deals 300 damage to you."
A blast of icy energy slammed into Sachio.
Raiden: 400
Sachio: 900
"And, next, due to Aura of Punishment's effect, Fallen Ice Angel can make a second attack during this Battle Phase," Raiden said. "Attack Jupiter!"
"But that means…" Sachio began, already able to guess the consequences of this battle as he watched Raiden's monster turn around in the air and fir off a midnight-blue shot at Jupiter, destroying him.
Raiden: 400
Sachio: 300
"Fallen Ice Angel's effect once again activates, dealing you 300 damage," Raiden added as another blast of icy energy slammed into Sachio, knocking out the last of his Life Points.
Raiden: 400 WINNER
Sachio: 0
Sachio lowered his duel disk and gave Raiden a small smile. "Very nice duel, Raiden," he said. "It looks like the feeling I had about you was right after all. I could sign you on as my client, if you wish."
Raiden smiled back at Sachio. "Maybe another time, Sachio. Right now, I just…I need to find my brother," he said softly.
"I understand," Sachio said with a nod. "I wish you the best of luck in finding him."
"Thank you."
No, Raiden, thank you, Sachio thought, watching as Raiden, after saying a goodbye, darted off into the forest to keep on searching for his brother. The way you support and care for your brother and your determination to find and help him has inspired me to help my own brother. Sartorius… He turned his gaze to the star-speckled sky above his head. I will find out just what's going on with you, and I will find a way to save you, to bring back the brother that I know and love. I promise.
. . .
Deep in the forest, Jaden paused in his walk before glancing over his shoulder. "I can't do anything now. I have to find answers," he said quietly.
'And you think you will find answers traveling through the forest like this?' Haou said dryly.
Jaden didn't respond as he gazed up at the sky. "I just...have this feeling that I'm doing the right thing, Haou," he murmured and started walking again.
. . .
Sartorius sat in his private room, once again studying his tarot cards, as the plane he and his brother, who he had met up with earlier, were on headed back toward the mainland. He reached out a hand and turned over the card to reveal The Hanged Man, though Sartorius knew that his success wasn't quite as complete as he thought it would be. "The spirit controller's mind is mine, but he still has some control over his soul. Hmm, I will have to keep an eye on him for the time being," he murmured and then picked up another card, revealing it to be Justice. "And him...hmm...It seem as though I must still keep my eyes on him as well."
He placed the card down before a single card fell off his desk and land, face up and upside down, on the ground. He glanced at it, stiffening. "The Wheel of Fate, upside-down," he murmured. "The downgrade of fate. It would appear you are the one who shall be my biggest threat to overcome. Not that I am at all surprised, Wielder of Gentle Darkness."
. . .
It was late and, already, all the other Slifers and other students had gone to bed. Raiden was still filled with worry due to his lack of success in finding his brother. He could tell by the looks on the faces of his friends as they gathered in front of the Slifer Red Dorm's cafeteria that they hadn't had much success finding Jaden either.
"We had to stop looking 'cause it was getting too dark," Celina said. "But we didn't find any sign of Jaden."
"Same here," Alexis admitted.
The others agreed.
"We'll just have to try again tomorrow," Syrus said determinably.
Raiden nodded in agreement and the gang walked into the cafeteria where they were met with an unusual sight.
Chazz stood there, dressed in a white variant of the normal black uniform that he had been wearing when they had started searching for Jaden earlier. He turned to face them as the gang stood, watching him in confusion.
"What's with the wardrobe change?" Kasumi asked.
Chazz closed his eyes and smirked. "Master Sartorius is the controller of the universe. And soon Duel Academy will see the Light and the Society of Light will paint this school white." He started laughing while everyone else just stared at him like he had finally gone off the deep-end.
Okay, something is definitely not right, Raiden thought with a frown.
. . .
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: (looks up from property damage bill she had just received for everything Bakura blew up) well, that was chapter 11. Kaiba, take care of this bill now!
Kaiba: why should I?
Blaze: (points bazooka at KaibaCorp Headquarters)
Kaiba: tch, fine! (snatches bill and stalks off to pay it off)
Bakura: (sets Mount Rushmore on fire)
Blaze: (smacks forehead) seriously, Bakura?
Bakura: (cackles insanely)
Yuya: what's with him and fire?
Yuto: he sounds crazy
Blaze: he is. At least he ain't throwing a temper tantrum like Kylo Ren
Yami: who the heck is Kylo Ren?
Blaze: (hands Yami tickets to go see Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens) Go and watch. You'll see what I mean. Awesome movie by the way.
Bakura: I'm not crazy! (Thinks about it for a moment) oh, wait, yeah, I am (cackles insanely again and walks off to rob Gringotts for the billionth time)
Jaden: how is there still stuff in Gringotts? (Bewildered)
Blaze: you'd be surprised at how much stuff is in that bank. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and, as usual, reviews are much appreciated.