So!
Happy 2022, and 2023 for all it's worth!
Last chapter seemed to be rather well-received, which is a huge plus! I was somewhat worried about the situation and how you would've taken the new changes to the story into account! With that said; more review responses!
Zanuk: - To be fair, most of the story was done as a collaborative effort so the readers have as much input as I do! I enjoy getting feedback from others as it helps me improve! c:
SuperNeos2: - GOOD GRIEF it's been a while, my friend! So amazing to see you swing by again for the reboot! (This is the author who inspired this fanfic in the beginning so PLEASE check them out and drop the follows/favs!)
Mr. Hey You:- Why does everyone have to make huge posts asking me multiple questions in one sitting? xD
In order!
You do make a solid point for the Spellcaster-typing but Supernova wasn't wholly my idea. All I did was come up with the name and the effect, while they came up with the overall concept of the card. Since it was the first one I ever received, I was more than eager to include it! True, she seems overpowered in comparison to others but considering how YuGiOh! has come to be in terms of play and special summoning? It doesn't strike me as odd and ultimately decided to keep the card the way that it is.
Supernova, Cosmic Champion, and [REDACTED] are the only three Heroes I'm including that are OC. Otherwise, it's a matter of using the cards that exist already now and introducing them. Cosmic Champion is also a small tribute to SuperNeos2 since Jaden has a twin in his story, called Jace. As such, I wanted to add that as a small little easter egg~
Already answered the second one prior, so I won't go back to it.
Yeah... Crowler does deserve better than what I made him before. Hence you get to see the improvement in his attitude and being more realistic in his responses. I do have plans for him this season but I'm not gonna reveal what they are. You'll have to stick around to discover exactly what's in store for him.
This has always been something I've debated, and your words have some merit to them. I honestly didn't have a plan when I originally started writing this story; I went with the flow and thought that any old thing would suffice. As the years went on I continued to read, learn, and write. I realized there was so much more to a character's development than something shoddily slapped together.
Now? I've got experience on my side as I work into just what it was I wanted Jaden to have experienced to make him the way he did without making it either too unrealistic or too personal. Remember, I wrote Jaden with elements of myself into the character and there is some sensitive stuff I will NOT disclose online. To answer your question though; again, there will be changes but I will not disclose what they will be.
As for the new support cards, no. They'll be introduced slowly into the new seasons, where the decks begin to come to "life" as it were. Something more akin to today's standards of dueling but even then, it won't be until maybe the last season or even the OC season I have planned for after that. Plus, a lot of the characters will have their decks changed in this one; Bastion, Chazz, and even Syrus being the main focused three in that regard.
So, no doubt many of you are curious about the huge changes to the chapter! I just felt that there was "too much Jaden" and not enough "everyone else" in the old fic. Wanted to change that in this retelling! The first half of the chapter originally sat at just under nine thousand words. It is now just under thirteen thousand! xD
This is what I've been dealing with for so many chapters; just adding so much more and fleshing the story out that the words just appear out of nowhere! I will also be adding some new chapters after the end of the Eight-Stars Arc, to give something that will involve the old generation with this new generation of duelists.
So technically… when that kicks in, it's gonna be a crossover of Yu-Gi-Oh! X Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. But that isn't for a loooooooooong while yet!
Also, if you think about it; Yu-Gi-Oh! Is an Isekai. Soul passed away, trapped in a Puzzle, to be rediscovered by a young teen who inhabits the soul of a long-dead prince. Just saying, it's an isekai! xD
Also, please read the notes at the end of the chapter as well for this one; just a small ask to you all~
Chapter Three-Point-Five! Go!
~Enter The King: Redux!~
~Starting on the Wrong Foot!~
(~Part II: Fighting or… Flirting?~)
"Do you think I need a reason for Jaden to want to hang out with someone like me!? Newsflash! I ain't nothing special! I'm not a superstar celebrity, I'm not a girl who has a well-off lifestyle with a comfy family; I'm just another girl in the millions who looks up to Jaden for who he is! Not the pro-duelist, the man he is! I'm just luckier than most girls that he enjoys hanging around me, and he enjoys my company!
So don't you dare tell me that I need a reason to hang around someone who understands me on a foundational level, and someone who understands him the same way! Know your fucking place, you selfish bitch!"
"So you wanna know why Jaden thinks so highly of someone as inconsequential and broken as me? Then let me show you why! It's time to knock you off of your high horse and show you that you're not heaven's gift to the rest of us mere mortals! Be prepared because you are about to have your ass handed back to you!"
"Game On!"
~Alexis: 4000~
~Jenny: 4000~
"They say 'ladies first', so I'll take the first move!" Alexis sourly retorted, making the first move of the duel and adding a card to her hand. Everyone immediately zoned their attention to the duel now that it started. "I'll go easy on you and summon my Etoile Cyber in attack mode, play two cards face-down, and call it a turn."
A small white portal appeared over the card, watching as a curvaceous womanly figure appeared on her side of the field; donning a scarlet full-body outfit made out of a combination of latex and smooth silk, soft golden trims on her knees and followed by a baby-blue frilly skirt that hung off her hips.
Her upper arms were exposed but remedied by the pair of leather gloves that reached past her elbows. Enchanted by the moonlight, her pale blue skin and long orange hair gave her an elegant grace, not being taken away by the plain red blindfold that covered her right eye.
(Etoile Cyber: Warrior / Effect / Earth / 4* / 1200 ATK / 1800 DEF)
"Wooooow… real original insult there! Couldn't possibly have heard that before! Whatever, it's my turn…" Jenny sarcastically drawled, annoying Alexis as she drew her first card of the duel, letting the previous comment wash over her. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to insult her, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. With a somewhat roguish grin on her face, she glanced over toward her opponent.
"I think I'll start by summoning Elemental Hero Bubbleman to the field in defense mode! If I remember correctly; since he's the only monster currently on my side of the field, I can draw a bonus two cards thanks to his ability. Right, Marco?"
Jenny turned towards Marco, who had just appeared in a slimmer version of his original two-toned blue armor that covered the majority of his body, in response to his ability. Allowing a smirk to appear on his face, he nodded in response to her while deftly grabbing the two pipes that were melded into his gauntlets. With the gun grafted into the gauntlets and connected via the tubes up to the large tank currently sitting on his back, he turned to her and shot two globs of water at Jenny, revealing to everyone that the two extra cards were protected inside said bubbles.
"Correct-a-Mundo! Here ya go, Jen! Hope they help!"
(Elemental Hero Bubbleman: Warrior / Effect / 4* / 800 ATK / 1200 DEF)
(AN: I know it isn't his card effect but meh, Anime Rules~) xD
"Thanks, dude! I'll play two cards face-down and end my turn as well," Jenny finished, crossing her arms under her bust. She glanced emotionlessly toward Alexis, not seeing what the hype was about her. "Well, nice to know you're holding out on me I guess? Don't appreciate the kiddie gloves after saying such big words; it wouldn't look good for you to skimp out now, would it?"
"Oh? You're bored, are you?" Alexis taunted, drawing another card to add to her hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you had such high standards for a Ra Student!"
"Are you on your period or something? Cause it feels like you're especially bitchy today, given how you've been acting~" Jenny grinned darkly as she shot the insult back at the Obelisk Queen. "Or it could just be your true nature coming out, either way~"
"I think it's time I start shutting you up! You think I'm gonna stand here and let you run your mouth at me, huh!? I'll tribute my Etoile Cyber to summon my Mind on Air in defense mode!" she yelled. Everyone watched as yellow pieces of armor covered her Etoile Cyber and cocooned her in a metallic shell. A few moments passed before bits of it floated away, leaving another female in her previous place. Remaining the pale-blue tint to her skin, her hair had changed from her previous ginger to a somewhat sickly mixture of yellow and green hair which flowed down to her waist. Attached to her body was a top-range cybernetic armor that connected with the scanner device that was currently on her head.
(Mind on Air: Spellcaster / Effect / Dark / 6* / 1000 ATK / 1600 DEF)
"Thanks to her being on the field, I'm about to bring down the mystery on Jaden's deck! Her effect allows everyone here to see your entire hand, as long as she remains on the field! Seems like you're already doing his deck a disservice playing like the amateur you are, hmmm~?"
While Alexis smirked, getting another dig in at her opponent as the purple camera in her duel spirit's headpiece flared to life; shooting a beam straight into Jenny's hand of cards, watching as holographic copies of her hand appeared a few feet above her:
Jenny's Hand: Turn Two:-
Elemental Hero Burstinatrix (Monster), Fusion Sage (Spell), Elemental Hero Clayman (Monster),
Pot of Greed (Spell), Elemental Hero Wildheart (Monster).
"Huh. Not a half-bad hand you have there," she smirked, her hand resting on her cheek with her other arm crossed under her bust. "I'll finish up by activating my Trap card: Back to the Front! I choose a monster in my graveyard and special summon it back in defense mode! So with that, I bring back my Etoile Cyber, and call it a turn!" she finished, watching as her Etoile burst out of the grass beneath them and landed gracefully to her partner.
(Etoile Cyber: 1800 DEF)
"Gee, thanks," Jenny retorted sarcastically, picking up another card to add to her hand. "Ever the benevolent bitch~ Well, no point worrying over the fact you can see my hand so I guess I'll play Fusion Sage to quickly add a Polymerization to my hand," she commented, activating the deck scanner, and looking for the lowest-positioned Polymerization in the deck. Grabbing said card, she placed it directly on her disk; watching as a portal appeared above the field that started swirling inwards on itself.
"If I remember right, there should be a specialized fusion for both Trix and Dwayne... so I'm gonna go with that!" Jenny commanded with an arm outstretched in determination as she recalled some of Jaden's deck from what she saw on TV.
"Let's go!" the two duel spirits shouted as they both flew into the swirling vortex before re-emerging a few moments later and landing next to his Bubbleman. It was Burstinatrix but now outfitted in a metallic dull-grey and red armor similar to Clayman's, fitted with a large polygon-shaped red shield and rocket launcher integrated into her right arm. She decided to forego her usual red and gold helmet, letting her ebony hair flow in the wind as her emerald orbs locked onto Alexis.
(Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster: Warrior / Effect / Fusion / Earth / 6* / 2000 ATK / 2500 DEF)
"I don't know what's worse," Alexis butted in, keeping an eye on the new fusion monster that took to the field. "The fact that you think you can beat me, or the fact that you're using someone else's deck without even knowing how to play it!"
"Says the bitch who thought it'd be a grand idea to try and gaslight two lower-classmen into a duel or have the alternative of facing disciplinary action when they're not to blame," Jenny retorted heatedly, rolling her eyes at the small jab.
"Jen! Don't let her get to you! Focus on the duel, everything else can come after! Trying to egg Alexis on isn't doing you any favors, and it's making you look like a bitch!" Trix commanded, bringing everyone's attention to her as she shifted her shield slightly.
"As for you, Alexis? You don't have any ground to stand on after what you've forced Jenny to do regarding Syrus. She might not fully know the ins and outs of Jay's deck, but she's earned our respect by stepping up to the plate and doing her damn best!"
That stunned the blonde into silence, visibly recoiling at the point and huffing through her nose in response; she didn't have any response to give and conceded the point to the duel spirit. Jenny, meanwhile, took a deep breath and nodded gratefully and understandingly to Trix who returned the gesture with a grin and a wink.
"Now, I think I'll take the lead from Jenny for the moment~ Now that I'm in a defensive position, I'm able to pull a little doozy on ya!" Trix smirked, lifting her arm to rest her gun arm on top of her shield. "As long as I'm in defense, I can halve my attack and attack you directly! Should knock a little sense back into that head of yours!"
She grinned in response whilst she took aim at Alexis and fired a rocket that flew in between both of Alexis' monsters and landed the hit directly, causing a small explosion and smokescreen.
(Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster: Attack Penalty; 2000 / 2 = 1000)
~Alexis: (4000 - 1000) = 3000~
Rampart Blaster: Attack to Life Points from the card's effect.
"Hey, Trix?"
Said duel spirit turned back around to find Jenny standing beside her. Humming in response, she regarded the redhead.
"Why didn't we just attack?"
"She has two face-downs, and it looked like too easy a bait to try and attack her power play right now since I'm the only one on your side of the field right now with offensive capabilities~ No offense, Marco~" Trix winked, explaining the reasoning.
"Nah, you ain't wrong! None taken Trix!" Marco grinned an easy smile, waving the comment off since he only had eight hundred attack points compared to her two thousand right now.
"Plus, with this? You have the advantage and also the momentum in the duel, so it means you're able to ease yourself more into the duel and plan more calmly now you don't have the added pressure~"
Seeing the confused look on the redhead's face Trix shook her head in amusement and lifted a finger into the air.
"Think of it like this; you might have an even playing field with two monsters each, even if Mind on Air can reveal your hand continuously, but she's now on a countdown. She has three more turns to pull something out of her sleeve to prevent you from winning the duel~ So she'll be more pressed to make me a priority and not back up any other potential plays you can make, see?" Trix explained sagely, flashing her pearly whites and adding another wink for good measure.
"Hmph, not bad," Alexis conceded, having heard what had been explained and inwardly cursing herself since Trix was right on the money... much to her chagrin. Deciding to pull her thoughts back to herself, she pulled another card from her duel disk to check… allowing a confident smirk to cross her face.
"I'll admit that I was worried about the situation I'm in… but now I've drawn this? I don't have to worry so much~ So I'll take a page from your book and use Polymerization myself! I fuse my Etoile Cyber and my Blade Skater in my hand to summon my Cyber Skater!"
A spotlight shone down on her Etoile Cyber as it engulfed her entire frame, and shielded her from the light and everyone's eyes. Soft sparkles of twilight appeared around her as soon as the light dispersed; revealing a new female, who took her place center stage. The night breeze swirled around her, mesmerizing everyone as her violet hair flowed behind her in the wind, while her rose-tinted spiked glasses prevented her hair from obscuring her view. Unlike her previous outfit, it had changed slightly to a red-purple mesh outfit that covered the entirety of her body from neck to her toes, which had skater's blades sewn into the material at the bottom of her feet.
(Cyber Blader: Warrior / Effect / Fusion / Earth / 7* / 2100 ATK / 800 DEF)
"So here's the thing with my Cyber Blader; she has a possible three effects to choose from but it all depends on how many monsters you have on your side of the field. Seeing as you have two monsters at the moment, her second effect kicks in, and my Cyber Blader's attack points are doubled up to forty-two hundred!" she grinned as her Cyber Blader clasped her hands close to her chest and absorbed a small amount of the moonlight into her, coating her in a beautiful ethereal glow.
(Cyber Blader: Attack Boost: (2100 x 2 = 4200 ATK)
"Cyber Blader! Attack Rampart Blaster and take out the main threat!" she ordered as she directed her attention to the sole female Hero. Her skater nodded in affirmation as began to glide across the grassy plain and leap gracefully into the air, ready to strike her opponent down with her bladed feet.
"Trix!"
Just as her attack was about to take Trix out, Trix simply smirked as she threw up her shield, standing strong against the attack, and successfully blocked it. Alexis' eyes widened in shock, not knowing if she had activated one of her bonus effects but soon noted that one of Jenny's unknown face-down cards slowly rose, revealing a trap she had set in place before she could see what it was.
"I might not know how to play Jay's deck all that well, true," Jenny smirked in response, feeling a swell of confidence rising within her chest as she took the lead once more. "But I still got accepted here for a damn good reason! I'm using Draining Shield to buy Trix another round, and bump up our life points to a much more comfortable sitting!"
"So, thanks for the forty-two hundo donation babyyy~" Jenny tauntingly blew a kiss, despite knowing it could potentially bite her back in the ass later on but meh~
A blue burst of energy emitted from Trix's shield; having the effect of blasting Alexis' Cyber Blader back over to her side of the field, before Trix turned and tossed her shield back over to a waiting Jenny. As soon as her hand caught the shield, she fiddled with it for a moment or two before she pressed the button hidden by the grips; taking delight in the annoyed look on her opponent's face as her life point counter ticked upwards on her duel disk.
~Jenny: (4000 + 4200) = 8200~
Draining Shield: Negate an attack and gain Life Points equal to the attacking monster's Attack.
Cyber Blader's attack: Absorbed by Jenny and negated.
"Oh for fuck sake!" Alexis cursed in frustration, annoyed by the sudden twist of fate and also the taunting attitude from her opponent right now. "Of course, she has a freaking trap card! Why wouldn't she have one!?"
Jenny would've risen to taunt her opponent a little more but Trix's words rang in the back of her mind, which gave her a moment to pause and think. She had recalled what was said that kicked all of this off and something was bugging her, and beginning to eat at her.
"Seems like you're showing her the ropes, huh?"
Everyone was startled by the sudden voice that broke through the crowd, everyone spinning on their heels to find Jaden watching on with a smirk on his face. He had forgotten the Ra blazer and settled for wearing a black polo shirt and blue jeans combo that helped him blend into the nighttime scene. Everyone began clambering, shocked to find him watching on all this time without anyone being the wiser. Moving swiftly out of his way, they watched him walking towards the duel field and glancing at the current situation with a knowing look.
"She's got the potential, even if she's a little bit wet around the ears~" Trix complimented, giggling at the undignified yell from the redhead behind her. "Love you, sweetie~ But she's doing well, I gotta admit~"
"Welp! If you think she's got the potential, then I'm just gonna sit by and watch how this goes out then~" Jaden grinned, making Jenny's jaw drop from how confident he sounded in her abilities. Alexis decided to interrupt with a huff, crossing her arms under her bust.
"You haven't been watching the duel all that long then, no disrespect–" Alexi butted in briefly, only to find her halting her words the moment his eyes snapped onto hers.
"I haven't, have I? I've been watching the entire time, even if I only found out a couple of minutes ago about what exactly led up to this duel," Jaden turned serious, his back straightening up slightly as he regarded Alexis. "First off; wasn't it you who said that it was forbidden to duel late at night? And yet we find ourselves here outside the Obelisk Female Dorm doing exactly that!"
Strike one. Alexis flinched as her words were spun back on her from the unofficial duel with him and Chazz.
"Second; you knew that this whole thing was a potential set-up, given how this letter was faked and you even confirmed the fact! And yet you continued to place both a Slifer Red student and a Ra Yellow student in potential disciplinary danger to… what? Try and bait me into coming to the dorm and having a duel with me?"
Strike two. Alexis couldn't keep eye contact any longer as her eyes drifted to the floor in shame.
"Thirdly? You consider yourself better than Jenny because why? Do you have more experience? Knowledge? Smarts? You might very well have each of those characteristics in you, and I've seen them before in the classroom," Jaden continued without a hitch, knowing that he was about to deliver a knockout blow with his next statement.
"But last time I checked? Jenny did better than me on the written exam part of the initiation! Might've only been by two percent, but she still showed enough promise to be accepted into Duel Academy! I've gotten lucky to know her not only as a duelist but as a person behind the deck, and I'd rather hang out with her than a narcissistic, confidence-shattering bully who doesn't like to be called out for her shitty behavior!"
Strike. Three.
Alexis crumpled to the floor, her knees hitting the grass underneath her as she gritted her teeth. Not in anger, but rather in startled realization and shame. Meanwhile Jaden sighed to himself as he watched the Obelisk duelist lose all her momentum and strength to even try and continue the duel, biting the inside of his cheek in response.
"Don't blame yourself, Jaden," Trix called out, moving from her position momentarily and taking off one of her gauntlet-covered hands before moving it up to his face to cup. "While… a tad bit blunt, you didn't say anything wrong. Okay?"
Jaden looked into the emerald orbs gazing worriedly at him, and sent her a small smile that spoke volumes to her alone. The sweet smile she gave was a good thing, as she leaned in and kissed his forehead in front of everyone there.
"Good boy~" Trix complimented before moving back to her side of the field and getting ready in case the duel would resume. Meanwhile, Jenny looked a little down since she also reflected on her actions… before using her hands to signal Jaden to come towards her. The moment he reached her, she gently pulled him into a hug and buried her head on his shoulder; to keep anyone from seeing the small trail of tears that escaped her. Jaden didn't say anything but held her in return, having a good idea as to why she called him over like that.
"Do you still wanna continue?"
"I dunno…" Jenny whispered back, her voice shaking slightly. "I… could've handled myself better, not rose to the bait she laid out–"
"Jen."
Said Redhead froze up once she heard her name called by him, all before she relaxed once she felt his hand rubbing her back.
"You know what you did wrong, and you know how to do better next time~ Take this as a learning experience, and keep that fiery temper for someone who deserves it, eh?"
A snort of amusement was her response, alongside a tightening of her arms around him before she pulled back and wiped her tears away. Nodding to his response, she flashed him a smile full of teeth as she silently thanked him.
"You wanna carry on this duel, Lex?" Jaden called out to the other side of the arena, to the blonde who hadn't moved from her spot on the grass. She lifted her head and contemplated it for a moment or two…
"Don't even think about surrendering now or so, help me, I'll pull you by your hair and drag you kicking and screaming till I throw you in the lake!" Jenny yelled, stopping Alexis in her tracks from surrendering the duel. Jaden, the spirits on the field, the onlookers, and even Crowler who was hiding in the bushes nearby were stunned by the outburst.
"You're the one who wanted this duel, so the thought of you surrendering right now after doing everything to make this happen in the first place! I'm calling a quick time out, 'cause I gotta ask something," Jenny interrupted, making a 'T' with her hands and staring Alexis down. "Do you have a problem with me?"
"Excuse me?" Alexis blinked, a little taken aback from the lack of previous heat or bitterness from Jenny since the duel started and a lot more muted from the sudden realization of what Jaden had said to her.
"Is there a problem with me hanging out with Jay?" Jenny asked a little more seriously and explained her thoughts. "Something isn't sitting with me and I wanna get it sorted out before we continue. So what is your issue?"
"I don't-"
"Okay, I'll say it straight then," Jenny sighed, partly from annoyance by her sudden attitude. "Why are you so hung up on the idea of Jaden hanging out with me? What is it that you can't stand the idea of someone as 'low-class' hanging out with him?"
"I never even said that!" Alexis retorted, getting back up to her feet and yelling at the redhead. "I said, and I quote; 'I see you hanging around Jaden quite a lot, Jenny! I wanna see why Jaden considers you a friend, and what he sees in you!'"
"Do you not see how insulting that is!?" Jenny huffed once more. "You're wording it in the way that all I'm doing is hounding Jaden because of what he is and not who! Add to that, you're questioning Jay's judgment on what he thinks of me while also dissing me because I'm only in Ra Yellow!"
"That's not what I meant at all!" Alexis returned the sharp response, looking a touch offended. "I meant it as why he was going through so much effort for you, and why he's invested in mentoring you at Duel Monsters!"
"Do I really need a reason?" Jaden interrupted, throwing the attention from Alexis from Jenny onto him. "Last time I checked, Lex? I'm a grown adult and I'm capable of befriending who I like, and what I choose to do. Jenny…"
"I have a part to play in this," Trix spoke up, sensing the discomfort radiating from Jaden right now and sensing something was going wrong if not handled properly. "The reason Jay hangs out with Jen so much is because I manipulated things so that he opened up to her about something he has been carrying for most of his life."
"Also, there's a long and complicated story as to what's happening right now and I think that all of this is a serious misunderstanding," she continued, seeing the bigger picture right now and seeing the dots connected. "Alexis, your tone did sound accusatory towards both Jen and Jay-"
"Why would I judge someone for that?" Alexis responded a little hurt, crossing her arms under her bust for comfort more than anything else right now. "I'm not the kind of person to judge someone by their status! Not everyone is as fortunate as myself but I don't lord myself over them just because I was born into a wealthier family!"
"Sure, Obelisks have a bad reputation because a majority of the people here have families who have bought their way in but that's not fair to the people who've worked for the chance to be in our dorm!" Alexis passionately argued back, small droplets of tears threatening to fall.
"So what right would I have to demean them and take all the hard effort they've put on away from them when I'm 'rich blood'!?"
Jaden's and Jenny's eyes both widened before taking on different gazes.
"I could have worded myself better, so I am sorry for not correcting myself," Alexis apologized, now understanding why Jenny responded the way she did before the duel started. "But it wasn't meant in an accusatory manner: it was a curiosity as to why you and Jay are attached at the hip."
"... I'll tell you if you're able to beat me," Jenny smirked, the idea popping into her head and her mouth speaking before she could process the words or thoughts. "We're already playing with one set of stipulations on the line, may as well up the ante and even the field out with one of my own~"
Jenny looked over to Jaden, who looked surprised but a more charming grin took over his face as he winked in response to her silent question. Alexis paused for a moment before she processed the counter-ante before a playful glint entered her eyes.
"... you know what? Sure, I'm game~" Alexis nodded, standing up straighter and allowing her duel disk to flare up once more. Both her Mind on Air and Cyber Blader looked back at their duelist and friend, giving supportive smiles of their own before focusing once more on the duel.
"Since it's now my Main Phase Two? I'll set two more face-downs and call it there~"
"Alright! Now I can start enjoying the duel a little more!" Jenny whooped, drawing her next card before she paused. "Hoooooo boy… this should be an interesting idea if it works~"
Jaden snorted in amusement, seeing as Jenny pulled his only copy of Card of Sanctity in his deck and glanced at the cards in her hand right now. 'Not a bad hand, and a lot of fusion potential right now… it all comes down to how well she knows my deck from memory!'
"... fuck it, I'm gonna go full chaos! Starting off with a Card of Sanctity! May as well extend an olive branch for the misunderstanding earlier, so you get to draw four cards free of charge! I'll help myself to five extra cards though, cause I'm tagging on my Pot of Greed for an extra two on top~"
~Jenny's Hand: Turn Three:~
Elemental Hero Sparkman (Monster), Fusion Recovery (Spell), Elemental Hero Avian (Monster),
Elemental Hero Wildheart (Monster), Polymerization (Spell), Foolish Burial (Spell), Miracle Fusion (Spell).
"... that's not good," Alexis groaned while the cards updated above Jenny's head, showing her now seven-card hand. "That's really not good."
"Oh! I just remembered something! Jay has a fusion for Avi, Jack, and Marco! Oh boys~?" Jenny sang, getting the attention of Avi, Jack, and Marco as they turned to her. Looking at one another, they all grinned devilishly and turned to face her.
"Yes, Mistress?"
"Bwahahahaha!" Jaden burst out laughing, enjoying the massive blush on Jenny's face as all of them used their 'sexy voice' on her as retaliation. Alexis even joined in with uncontrollable giggling, and the spectators both laughed and applauded the trio for their response.
"Motherfuckers, all fucking three of you!" Jenny cussed playfully, grinning widely as she bantered with them. Flipping them the bird before launching her Polymerization card into the air, the card disappeared in a show of light before a fusion portal appeared once more. "Get your asses in there before I sic the girls on ya!"
"Yeah, yeah~ C'mon lads, let's not keep the Mistress waiting~" Avi grinned, the other two male Heroes laughing along as they all flew into the portal.
"Wait… Jay has a fusion that takes three Heroes!?" Alexis blinked rapidly before she realized what was happening.
"Yup~ Think the first time people saw it was two-ish years ago, when Jay went up against Joey Wheeler," Jenny responded though she looked over to Jaden at the end for clarification. Earning an approving nod for her memory, he grinned.
"Okay, that's impressive that you even remember that duel! Yeah, Joey wanted to be a part of the tournament Seto Kaiba was hosting and put a stipulation down: if Joey could beat me in a prelim, then Kaiba would let him take part!"
"Unfortunately, Joey thought that playing Time Wizard in attack mode against me was a good idea. He's somehow managed to win every other duel in his entire career using that strat… but a well-timed Forbidden Chalice sealed the deal~"
The silence was deafening before a snort of laughter broke it, and one redhead fell to the floor and hysterically laughed.
"That's…" Alexis trailed off, utterly stunned by the sheer dumb stupidity of one of the (arguably) best duelists of the generation before them. She was so dumbfounded that she couldn't find the words, not even noticing Jenny wiping her tears of mirth away and composing herself again.
"Sorry, but he deserved the 'L'!" Jenny giggled again before turning back to her opponent. "Anyways! Time to bring on the storm with Elemental Hero Tempest!"
No sooner had she said the name, a huge hurricane wind ripped through the arena and across the grounds: the girls watching on all holding onto their clothes and/or towels to preserve their modesty. Once the winds died down, however…
Avi could be seen standing proudly beside Burstinatrix, a strong flap of his wings cutting the last few slipstreams of air into nothingness. The first noticeable thing was that the card art… didn't match his current look.
"I hate the original armor, and I've asked a few favors to update the card design to match this look," Avi explained, seeing the confused look on Alexis' and most of the onlookers' faces, and decided to elaborate a little bit. "The first thing that needed to go was the metallic exoskeleton on my wings: it not only threw off my flying skill, but the impact of metal on my wings makes it both uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing if I accidentally hurt myself."
"So I came up with the idea to melt off the metal wings, smelt them down, and get Dwayne's help with shaping out some molds to use. Similar to something that the Greek god Apollo would use: I figured small metallic wings on the shoulder pauldrons and both boots would add the aesthetic depicting the form he preferred," Trix took over, reaching up and wiping the left shoulder wing with her thumb after noting a small smudge.
"The armor was based off of my normal design but Marco pitched the idea to streamline it like he did for better aerodynamic purposes, which was the better choice in the end!" Jack hummed appreciatively as he added his bit in. "Also made it more manageable to arrange the pipes that allowed Marco's gun to shoot water pellets to be soldered onto the metals well, meaning no risk of accidental self-asphyxiation~"
(Elemental Hero Tempest: Warrior / Effect / Fusion / 8* / 2800 ATK / 2800 DEF)
"So you're telling me… that duel spirits can change how they look?" Jenny blinked owlishly.
"Well, yeah! Why do you think Pegasus releases alternative art copies of the same cards?" Trix giggled at the innocent question, cooing slightly at the pout Jenny gave in response. On the other side of the field, Mind on Air looked like she had discovered the secrets of the universe for herself. She loathed her current look and the disgusting colors she was forced to wear. Now she could change her look!?
"I will do ANYTHING to get out of these disgusting colors and armor!" she begged, running over and falling to her knees in front of the Heroes. "Please! I can't beat these putrid looks anymore!"
"Sure! We'll call it a favour down the line but you deserve to have something fancy too! So we'll find a time to design something and get your input with what you wanna look like!" Jaden grinned, pulling out his PDA and sending a quick message and a note for her redesign. What nobody was expecting, nor ready for, was for Mind on Air to rush over to Jaden and immediately smack her lips over his own before crushing him in a hug: a mantra of repeated 'thank you's exiting her mouth before she zoomed back. Seeing all eyes on her and what she did, she deadpanned.
"I look disgusting! Just because I'm an older generation spirit doesn't mean I have to settle for looking like shit! I want a new set of clothes too, dammit! And if Jaden is gonna be the means of the new treads, then a kiss is gonna be the least I'd reward him with!"
"... I can't really blame her to be fair, glamours are the true end game!" Jenny shrugged, though a part of her was amused seeing Jaden's blushing face. "Back to the duel though! I'm gonna do a little doozie next by using Foolish Burial!"
"Just a sec Jen," Trix spoke up, quickly apologizing and jogging over. "What card were you gonna send to the grave?"
"Bladedge, and then fuse into Wildedge," Jenny explained, earning a small wince from the spirit.
"... I'm gonna advise you not to do so, and there's a good reason why," Trix explained, quickening her speech once she saw the retort ready on Jenny's lips. "By himself or any other Hero fusions, Wolf is fine. When he turns into Wildedge… he goes into a more primal nature and his bloodlust is not something you can handle right now. Trust me on this one, sweetie, I wouldn't have interfered if I wasn't looking out for you. Okay?"
Jenny was floored, both by the concern of the spirit in front of her and also the reasoning behind it. Feeling her cheek being caressed by Trix, she instinctively leaned into it and nuzzled it while nodding.
"Taking over for this bit, Lex, if that's alright?" Trix spoke up, seeing the blonde's questioning gaze on her. "Jenny was gonna play a rather powerful move but she's not ready to be able to play the card. I'm aware of the danger and I'm not putting her, you, or anyone else in harm's way."
"Is it that bad?"
A serious nod was her answer, no verbal response or cheeky response… making Alexis gulp slightly.
"Alright, you can take over. Thank you."
"You might not be saying that in a few minutes but I appreciate the sentiment~" Trix smiled warmly before she swiped her fingers in front of her. "Jen is gonna send the card of my choosing to the graveyard, which is gonna be Danny: our very own Elemental Hero Necroshade!"
"Now, you might know his effect back from Jay's duel with Crowler buuuuuut we're not using it! Yet, anyway~ See, Jen is gonna follow up with her Fusion Recovery! It allows her to pull a Polymerization back, alongside a monster card that is specifically named on a Fusion monster, and add them back to the hand!"
"So with Danny now in my hand, along with Wolf, it's time to bring out your dead when I fuse them to summon: Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman!" Jenny took over, working in tandem with Trix and her plan as both Heroes disappeared from her hand. The ground shook slightly, making everyone scream in fear before a figure burst out from the ground and landed on the other side of Trix: which was the form of Wolf, their Wildheart, but the main difference being the incredibly long blood-red hair that flowed behind him. Not to mention the monochromatic tribal markings painted onto his face, and shaman staff testing over his shoulder.
"Been a while since I took this form," Wolf admitted, preferring to crouch and hunch over slightly while resting his left fist on the ground. Glancing up to Trix, a small grin appeared on his face. "Good job on the call though, Jen wouldn't have been ready for Wildedge."
(Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman: Warrior / Effect / Fusion / Dark / 6* / 1900 ATK / 1800 DEF)
"Now that Wolf has been fusion summoned in this form: his effect kicks in-!"
"It doesn't~" Alexis smirked, interrupting Jenny before she could go any further. "Since your monster count has now bumped up to three? It means my Cyber Blader's effect shifts! She does go back down to her original attack… but it means that you can't activate any more card effects! Monster effects, spells, traps, nothing~"
"Wait, what!?"
Cyber Blader smirked slightly, the aura surrounding her shifting to a coral/pastel hybrid of pink as said aura began to swirl across Jenny's side of the field and rendering her effects locked down.
(Cyber Blader: Attack Penalty; 4200 / 2 = 2100 ATK)
"So that'd mean we just need to take out your Blader now that her attack's gone back down!" Jenny grinned, stretching out her arm ready as Trix tensed up. She tried to turn back and warn Jenny to stop her from declaring an attack but failed to do so in time.
"Avi! Take out her Cyber Blader!"
"Watch out!" Trix yelled the moment Avi took flight towards Alexis' Cyber Blader. He turned back to find a massive blade of energy colliding with him and knocking him back hard enough that he flew off of the field. Jenny froze in place, seeing everything happening in slow motion and her breath hitching in her throat. She remained frozen, as all the color left her face and her previous grin disappeared completely.
"...en…"
What had she done?
"...ny!"
She was reckless… she had gotten too cocky and now it hit her back hard.
"Jennifer!"
Her eyes snapped to the voice, looking up at a worried Burstinatrix staring her down. Worry and fear were evident in her emerald orbs as she kneeled–
Wait, when did she hit the ground? Why was she on the ground?
"Jen! You made us worried sick!" Trix doted on her like a mother worried for her child. "Are you okay!?"
"I-I…" Jenny stammered, her body beginning to shake as everything came rushing back to her once more. "It's… it's my fault…"
"Shhhhhh," Trix interrupted, bringing her into a fierce hug and rocking the redhead as she broke down and began sobbing. "It's okay… Avi is fine, you're fine~ You're safe, and he's not mad at you~ You got caught up in the moment, and that's okay~"
Alexis was worried seeing Jenny suddenly collapse like a puppet with its strings being cut at once. She turned to Jaden, to find a sad smile on his face with the sudden realization of what just happened.
"Probably the biggest drawback to getting so close and attached to the duel spirits: the synaptic feedback," he began, explaining for the benefit of everyone there. "There's a reason why Trix stepped in and stopped Jen from bringing out Wolf in his Wildedge form: the primal bloodlust would've hit her like a train and had some serious repercussions."
"Seeing what happened to Avi has happened to her, by the feedback. She felt the blow as if she was the one hit by your trap and not him because she hit a level of familiarity with my Heroes that only I have managed to do."
"... I feel bad now for calling her an amateur playing with your deck so I'll take that comment back, and I feel guilty for taking Avi out like that…" Alexis commented remorsefully, not believing that the feedback was an actual thing.
She had read articles and interviews where many other duelists had done the same thing that happened to Jennifer, but she never would have guessed the bond between them and their decks was so strong that a synaptic bond was formed.
"It's a hard lesson learned, and she will be a touch more careful in the future now she's experienced this. Just hope it doesn't mean she completely shuts herself off and breaks the bond out of fear…" Jaden spoke worriedly, keeping his eyes on the sobbing redhead. "Happened to me the first time I experienced it, and retriggered a lot of bad memories…"
"I won't pry, Jay. Just your tone tells me it's not a pleasant reminder," Alexis softly spoke, placing her hand on his shoulder and squeezing it for reassurance. He turned to her and smiled slightly, reaching up and squeezing her hand in return.
"You okay, kiddo?" Avi spoke up, kneeling beside Jenny and bringing her attention to him. She saw him and immediately began sobbing again out of guilt, but a hand ruffling her hair made her freeze.
"It's okay! I've taken a lot worse and I'm more durable than you think for being a three-star!" he joked, getting a half-sob and half-laugh from her. "It happens, and you weren't prepared for it since you've gotten so close to us. That just shows us how much you care for us, and that alone reaffirms what Trix said earlier about you earning our loyalty and respect~"
"Exactly. You went above and beyond and proved to us without a doubt that we can trust you, and that's no small feat," Wolf consoled as well, kneeling in front of her. "So take this as a lesson learned and move on from here. Don't let this one experience hamper your potential or your bond with us."
Not trusting her voice, Jenny nodded as she grasped Trix for a tight hug. One that was returned before both girls stood up and took care of one another's hair.
"S-Sorry for that," she apologized, earning a round of applause for getting back up and carrying on from the other girls watching the whole thing. Even Crowler paused, pondering all that he had seen and heard from this duel and just how much he still didn't know…
"You're good, Jay explained it briefly to me so you got nothing to be sorry for," Alexis smiled softly, earning one in return. "The trap card was Sakuretsu Armour by the way: it destroys an attacking monster and sends it to the graveyard."
"Gotcha~" Jenny nodded with a smile, taking a deep breath to recompose herself. "After what happened, could your Mind on Air step off the field? I'll use Wolf to 'attack' her if that's alright?"
Mind on Air was a little bit surprised she was being asked to step off the field but given what happened with her Avi, she understood why. Smiling at the redhead, she powered down her scanner and allowed the card holograms to fade away before stepping to stand next to Alexis.
"I'm also gonna use Trix's effect on you again, and call it that for this round. Your turn Lex~" Jenny sighed, a tired smile on her face as both Alexis and Trix nodded to one another.
(Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster: Attack Penalty; 2000 / 2 = 1000)
~Alexis: (3000 - 1000) = 2000~
Rampart Blaster: Attack to Life Points from the card's effect.
(Cyber Blader: Attack Boost: (2100 x 2 = 4200 ATK)
"My turn!" Alexis nodded, pulling a new card for her deck and nodding to herself. "This duel has… frankly? Thrown every expectation I'd expect from a duel out the damn window!" she joked, earning a couple of light laughs from everyone and a small cheer. "Despite how it started, it's been one of my best duels and one I'll remember for a long while yet! But I still have something to prove, so I apologize to your Heroes but I'm gonna play Raigeki!"
The sky above began to rumble, the sound of thunder approaching as the once-clear sky soon clouded over a little heavier from the elements that have been played in this duel. A sudden lightning bolt appeared out of nowhere and slammed in between both Trix and Wolf, forcing the two spirits to dodge and leave the field.
"Now that you have a clear field, I'm gonna show you one of the aces of my deck! You've earned the right to see her~" Alexis complimented, nodding in respect to the Ra student. "Most people think that Cyber Blader is the pinnacle of her form… but it isn't~"
"So I'm gonna use my own Fusion Recovery to pull back a Polymerization and my Cyber Blader to my hand, which I'll use right away! Take to the stage and steal this show: Cyber Prima Blader!"
A white flash slowly grew brighter before said light blinded everyone just for a moment, allowing everyone to turn their attention to the new female figure on the field. She looked similar to that of her Cyber Blader but the main differences being the white highlights that appeared in her hair, and the several levitating golden hoops that appeared on her arms and around her waist. She reached up and took the glasses off of her face, revealing her emerald eyes as the violet of her outfit was replaced with a bright pure white.
(Cyber Prima Blader: Warrior / Effect / Fusion / Light / 8* / 2700 ATK / 2300 DEF)
Jenny whistled slowly, a small blush on her face as she regarded the new duel spirit that took to the field. "Well, hot damn~ Talk about a show-stealer! Looks that even have me hot under the collar!"
The Cyber Prima Blader giggled in response to the compliment, blowing a kiss over to Jenny and winking with a small lick of her lips just to tease her a little more. Alexis shook her head in amusement before her hand stretched towards her opponent.
"Well, consider this bit of payback for the cards earlier on! Cyber Prima Blader– no, hang on," Alexis interrupted herself realizing something. "Would you tell me your name?" she asked, looking towards her newest fusion. Her eyes widened in response before they softened considerably, a warm smile spreading across her face.
"Of course I can~ My name is Kasumi, Lexi, and I'm so glad you finally asked~" she introduced herself, as the now-named Kasumi did a little twirl on the spot for Alexis. Nodding back in respect, Alexis resumed her previous pose and grinned widely.
"Let's do this again! Kasumi! Direct attack!"
Kasumi smirked, her eyes lidded slightly as a devious thought came to mind; one that would surprise everyone as she skated the entire length of the duel field, with odd little flourishes here and there, before she stood in front of Jenny.
Jenny didn't even register what was happening but she knew that she was being kissed. And what a fucking kiss it was! She fluttered her eyes open to find the mischievous orbs of Kasumi staring at her until the moment they made eye contact before both of them ended up in a small impromptu make-out session.
~Jenny: (8200 - 2700) = 5500~
Cyber Prima Blader: Direct Attack to Life Points.
Both pulled back after a little bit, ignoring the wolf whistles and cat-calls that were going on in the background as they regarded one another. Kasumi licked her lips, panting slightly and regarding Jenny with a playfully lusty look.
"How's that for hot under the collar, hmmmm~?"
"I think imma need a change of panties right now, not gonna lie here," Jenny laughed, the blush evident on her face from the surprise smooch. "That did… a lot of things to me and all of them good~ If that's how it feels to lose nearly three-thousand life points, I might not be cut for dueling after all~"
Kasumi burst out into peals of melodic laughter, blushing brightly at the compliment before landing one last kiss and making her way back to Alexis' side of the field. Said Obelisk duelist was flushing red and turned to Jaden who also had a small tinge of red to his cheeks.
"Are duel spirits just pent-up horndogs?" Alexis asked bluntly, earning laughter from Jaden from how she described it. "Cause I've seen less kissing in romance anime than I have here!"
"I dunno what to tell you, honestly! I'm as surprised as you are right now! Why? Are you feeling left out, Lex?" Jaden teased, delighting in the flustered look on her face as she swiftly turned her face away.
"End turn! J-Just go!"
"Awwww, kawaii~!" Jenny teased, shifting slightly and getting comfortable again as she drew the first card in a while that didn't need to be revealed. "Honestly glad I pulled this 'cause I need the cards! Just another Pot of Greed for another two cards~" she explained, allowing herself to draw another two cards without any extra madness this time.
"Huh. Didn't know Jay ran this card… but I'll take it! Considering what the last couple of turns have been like, this is gonna be a little boring in comparison! One set, two facedowns, and das it!" Jenny joked, earning some chuckles from the girls watching.
"Huh… that was pretty simple," Alexis murmured with a smile, keeping the duel going as she drew another card herself. "So, I should explain; Kasumi has upgraded her abilities a little in this form since her effects don't activate from how many monsters you control. Instead? Her abilities work on the total number of monsters on the field!"
"By her lonesome? She can negate one effect a turn. When there are two monsters on the field, she's immune to traps. Three monsters mean she can't be destroyed by battle. Four monsters mean double attack points. Five means she locks down your card effects. If there's more than five though?"
"Then she's hit the Jackpot and she can completely wipe your board!"
"So… still Cyber Blader but with a couple of upgrades added for survivability, along with being a badass bitch" Jenny simplified, though her mind began racing on how she was supposed to overcome such an incredible card like that.
"Pretty much," Alexis grinned, accepting the simplified generalization. "So by playing this little Monster Reborn of mine, and bringing back my Cyber Blader to the field? It means double trouble for you!" Alexis smirked, flipping her spell card around for everyone to see before a near-duplicate copy of Kasumi stood beside the advanced version; the main difference is the tone of hair changing from purple to a more violet shade and eyes becoming a turquoise rather than emerald.
"This would be my sister, Sumire~ She helps out filling in for me if both my forms are on the field at once," Kasumi introduced, as Sumire waved a little shyly compared to her sister.
(Cyber Prima Blader: Attack Bonus: 2700 ATK x 2 = 5400 ATK)
"With that out the way? Sumire! Attack Jenny's monster!"
Sumire nodded, picking up speed as she skated near-backwards before spinning herself around and slashing the redhead's set monster. What surprised everyone was the sound of a jar smashing, and laughter echoing through the arena.
"What the-?" Alexis yelled, watching all of the cards in her hand fade into pixels of white before a new set of five cards appeared in her hand. She spun her head over to the Ra duelist and saw the small smirk on her face.
(Cyber Prima Blader: Attack Penalty: 5400 ATK / 2 = 2700 ATK)
"That would be thanks to my little ol' Morphing Jar! It's a flip-effect monster that forces both players to discard their hands and draw five new cards~" she explained, waiving the hand that held her cards for emphasis. She then turned around to Kasumi and blushed a little bit as she fidgeted…
"I swear people are just perverts," Alexis groaned, waving her hand to let Kasumi do her thing and give the second makeout session of the night with Jenny.
~Jenny: (5500 - 2700) = 2800~
Cyber Prima Blader: Direct Attack to Life Points.
"So, no pressure buuuuut ya got one last turn, Jen!" Alexis smirked, cocking her hip as she brought the redhead's mind back into the duel itself; amber eyes sharpened slightly as she nodded in response to the Obelisk's words, taking a moment to look at her hand.
The problem was that she had some optional plays but it would mean only a possible stall that would end up with her losing. With both Kasumi and Sumire on the field, it really did make them a formidable combo when paired together; Alexis wasn't kidding when she said that. So now she needed to try and figure out where to go from here.
As it stands right now, neither of them could be destroyed by battle. So since Kasumi would be able to negate an effect if she took out Sumire first, it would mean that Kasumi is the bigger threat outside of the fact she is the more dangerous one right now.
She had one trail of thought as to what she could try but quickly found a snag with the outcome, so that was a no-go. She recalled their combined effects together–
Wait.
As they are right now, they both have mirrored their counterpart's effects! So she would need a minimum of three monsters to summon to take them out but would need to stagger them so their attack values wouldn't double.
"I think I got it," Jenny whispered to herself, eyes focused now in determination as she placed her hand on the top card of her deck. "I know Jay's mentor was Yugi. Yugi always had that mantra of 'Heart of the Cards', right? I know you guys haven't let me down yet, after all that's happened tonight, so let's win this one!"
A beaming grin overtook her features, an invisible wind surrounding her and forcing her hair to flail wildly around her as she pulled the top card with a flourish. Alexis narrowed her eyes, and guarded her stance in preparation for the sudden paradigm shift from her opponent; a move mirrored both by Kasumi and Sumire.
"Any comment I might have made previously about you not living up to your expectations? I'll take them back right now! You've defo shown you deserve to be in Obelisk, and people better watch out if they face you!" Jenny complimented honestly and openly, earning a wide-eyed response before a respectful nod in return.
"But I'm taking this win, and I'm gonna do it right here and right now! First order of business! To make sure I'm not gonna get interrupted, I'm gonna take out your back row with everyone's favorite Harpie's Feather Duster!"
The moment the card name was announced, a winged-shaped feather duster appeared in front of Alexis and swiped once; the holographs of her face-down back row cards bursting into pixels in front of her. A small noise of displeasure rose from the blonde's lips as she knew she'd have had her with her one-set trap and claimed the win.
"That noise alone tells me I made the right first move! So let's keep this going! To use Jay's line from her first introduction, I'm bringing sexy back in the form of Ayumi: everyone's favorite Elemental Hero Supernova; and I'm using Danny's effect to make it happen!"
The familiar shape of the newest Elemental Hero took to the stage once more, though accompanied this time by music playing out of nowhere that made many of the duelists there think about the Dungeon Dice Master himself; Duke Develin. There in all of her splendor, the bright contrast of her form against the moonlit night surrounding them made for an eye-catching distraction.
(Elemental Hero Supernova: 3500 ATK)
"With Ayumi now taking the stage, it means I can use her effect! So I'll pay a card and unfortunately have to ask Kasumi to leave the spotlight~" she joked, earning a small giggle from the spirit in question.
"I understand~ I know when I've been upstaged~" Kasumi teased back, cementing the respect she had for Jenny and how she was dueling with a deck that wasn't even her own. "I'll just go take a seat over here–"
"And where do you think your cute ass is going, hmmm~?" Jenny smirked, interrupting and confusing Kasumi mid-step. "I said for you to leave the spotlight, not to leave the field~"
"What!?"
"See, you seem to be forgetting I put two face-down cards on my last turn! One of which just so happens to be a rather useful trap card by the name of Graverobber!" Jenny explained, red hair swaying and amber eyes glinting in amusement and mischief in equal parts~ "I'll be taking a two-k hit to my life points but it lets me choose one spell card from Alexis' graveyard and lets me use it myself!"
~Jenny: (2800 - 2000) = 800~
Cost for Graverobber's effect.
"... Monster Reborn! You sly little minx!" Kasumi burst out with unrestrained laughter once she had connected the dots for herself, everyone following the sudden cry of confusion that escaped Alexis' mouth; before a raucous applause escaped the watchers on for the sudden reversal of play from the Ra Yellow student. "Couldn't stand to not have me for yourself, right~?"
"You know it, babyyyy~" Jenny stretched the last word out with a playful wink and kiss, watching as Kasumi giggled even more before skating up on the field and standing next to Ayumi. The two spirits bumped hips with one another before turning to the teary-eyed Sumire now standing alone on her side of the field.
"Don't worry, my darling Sumire, I'm not gonna be mean~" Jenny reassured, sensing the slight anxiety in the younger sister's eyes and soothing her worries. It seemed to do the trick if the relaxing of her shoulders were any response. Taking one step further, she moved from her position and moved onto the field before bringing the violet-haired skater into her arms and hugging her.
"I understand, you know? That fear you have inside of you. Whether it's the fear of not being as good as someone else, not being as well-liked as someone else, and thinking you're just doomed to be in someone's shadow. Am I close?"
A shaky nod was the response as a pair of arms wrapped around Jenny's frame. Said redhead moved a hand up to stroke Sumire's hair tenderly and nuzzled her affectionately.
"My sweetest Sumire~ You are enough~ You aren't just someone who is doomed to live in the shadows of your older sister; there is no doubt so much you have to offer that your sister never could! In the same way that your sister can only give what she can because of who she is~ Once this is over, I'd love to spend some time with you and see what makes you… YOU. Not the younger sister, not the stand-in; just Sumire in all her glory~"
A soft sob broke through from the heartfelt words as Sumire broke down in front of everybody, crying into Jenny's arms and clutching her for dear life. Kasumi looked on in both awe and wonder at the redhead she had spent the duel flirting with and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears from that one act alone for her dear sister.
'You couldn't prove yourself any more than you did tonight, Jen~ You've proven to everyone here that you deserve to be here, us included~' she thought to herself before skating over to the duo and wrapping them both up in her arms to hug.
They stayed like that until Sumire's tears ran dry and she pulled back of her own accord; a beautiful smile on the violet-haired skater's face and a grateful look in her turquoise eyes to the redhead before nodding happily at her request. Sumire then turned back to face Alexis, who was wiping her own set of tears away from the scene, and nodded with a gentle smile on her face to the unasked question.
"Well, after that? I'm just gonna say the rest of my turn since I'm pretty sure I've won it now," Jenny continued, turning to Alexis for confirmation and earning a confused tilt of the head. "Sumire's attack would go down to normal, then an attack from Kasumi's doubled attack to take Sumire out, then Ayumi's free to take the win~"
"... yeah, that all goes through~" Alexis conceded, a smile on her face at the turnaround play, and placed her hand on top of her deck to signify it.
~Alexis: (2000 - 1200 - 3500) = 0~
Battle Damage, and Direct Attack from Elemental Hero Supernova.
After such a back-and-forth duel like that, the girls still watching on couldn't do anything less than give a huge applause to the two female duelists for the amazing duel they had all just witnessed. They both watched as Jenny and Alexis moved past the spirits still in play before standing in front of one another, the two looking dead in the eye.
"I'm sorry," she started slowly, "You didn't deserve how I was acting in the beginning and my words were uncalled for. I didn't even realize how wrapped up I was in my own damn pride and I let my anger out on you when you didn't deserve or want it. I didn't know how badly it sounded, so I'll make sure to consider my words more carefully from now on."
Jenny shot a tired grin over and cocked her hip in response.
"I'm just as guilty, so shall we just… call this one over? Strike it from the books, and start again? Cause I really do like you, yanno? Just not a fan of the pompous attitude you had, or the fact you could dictate who someone could and couldn't hang out with regardless of status~"
"No, I… I know," Alexis sighed, walking over towards Jenny and holding her hand out. "Start fresh?"
"Yeah. Start fresh~"
Jenny smiled, clasping the extended hand and bringing the blonde into a one-armed hug. Alexis stiffened before she realised what was happening, and gave into the hug by returning the gesture. She was startled once she heard clapping, forgetting that the entirety of the female dorms had watched the entire thing and were still watching the aftermath.
"Well, I dunno about anyone else but I am really fucking tired," Jaden joked, earning a few gasps for his choice of words but soon devolved into light giggles. "Let's get to bed and sleep this off, yeah? It's Sunday tomorrow, so we can all get a well-deserved lie-in!"
That seemed to do the trick as everyone slowly murmured in agreement, all moving to retire for the night–
"Oh! Mind if you gals give Sy back?" Jaden grinned, watching a few of the girls unknowingly tugging him along with them back into the female dorms with them. "I understand he'd make a fantastic plushie but Academy rules, yanno?"
Two of the girls pouted but reluctantly gave the Slifer Red cyanette up and took the collar off of him. Syrus looked sheepishly at the two before they leaned in and whispered something only he could hear…
… which Jaden could only imagine since it left the boy blushing like a hormonal teen~
"Dorms are open tomorrow you two, so you can go see your Plushie tomorrow if you wanna spend more time with him~" Jaden joked once more, only to see Syrus turn to him and stomp his feet in indignation.
"H-Hey! That's not fair, Jay!"
Jaden simply ignored him and walked off, Syrus following behind as he continued to rant, while Jenny stayed back a moment more and giggled at Syrus' antics. Turning back to Alexis, she offered a small smile and shuffled her feet slightly.
"Would you mind if I borrowed the sisters and your Mind on Air for tomorrow? Wanna keep my promise with them all and introduce them to the others and have them hang out with us all~"
Alexis blinked before remembering what the redhead said during the duel to Sumire and nodded with a warm smile. Grabbing the cards in question, she handed them over to Jenny, who in turn tucked them into the inner pocket of her hoodie. Offering one last smile and salute, the remaining Heroes and Kasumi, Sumire, and Chikako followed suit; Chikako being the name of Alexis' Mind on Air they found out as they walked back to the Ra Dorms in tow all chatting with one another.
Meanwhile, Alexis looked on with a small pang of… something. She realized from that duel alone that she still had so much more to learn about dueling and building bonds with her spirits, so she made a note to speak with the rest of her duel spirits and begin creating a bond like Jenny and Jaden both had with the Heroes.
Over from the bushes, Crowler took the opportunity to sit down and began thinking about everything that happened tonight. From the bitterness in the beginning to the character building between both girls, the… frankly… stellar duel between them also shows that there is more to Duel Monsters than simply playing the cards.
Seeing the duel spirits interacting in such a way was something he had never thought was possible, but a response given to him a while back popped into his head the more he thought about it:
"If you believe that the game of Duel Monsters is simply a matter of who is better, or who has the stronger monsters is the key to winning? Then you should simply quit your profession and give up the game completely, Uncle. Because there is much more to it than that, and you would be a blind fool to not see it."
"It seems… I owe you an apology, dear niece," Crowler whispered to himself, deciding that he had caused enough trouble for one night and swiftly retired to his own chambers.
~Chapter Three: End!~
~Original Card List!~
Cyber Prima Blader (Cyber Blader + Cyber Prima)
(Cyber Prima Blader: Warrior / Effect / Fusion / Light / 8* / 2700 ATK / 2300 DEF)
Effect(s): A Fusion Summon of this card can only be done with the above Fusion Materials. This card gains the following effect, based on the number of monsters on the field.
●1: Once per turn (Quick Effect:) When your opponent activates a card effect, negate it.
●2: This card is unaffected by Trap cards.
●3: This card cannot be destroyed by battle.
●4: This card's ATK is doubled.
●5: Your opponent's activated card effects are negated.
●6+: Destroy all cards your opponent controls.
Author's Note:
So, as promised; I want to apologize to everyone for the MASSIVE hiatus/disappearance from the face of the earth. It's a combination of mental illness, lack of effort, life being… life and a lot of other things coming in and complicating everything.
It took a long while to get through the edits for this chapter; it took four total re-write attempts before I finally decided on this chapter as a finality and can say I'm happy with how this turned out~
More of a Jenny-focused scene this one but it begins to show a bit more of Jenny and her personas; fleshing her out more and giving her more of an individual personality than what I originally wrote her as. Which, personally? She deserved and needed sorely!
I originally wanted to release a bulk of chapters to make up for lost time, since it's been nearly two years since I touched this story... but with how I've become in terms of energy and creative blocks? I figured that just giving something would be better than nothing! And with Christmas around the corner too~
Nevertheless, thank you all SO MUCH for all the continued support during my absence~ Much love to every one of you for sticking with me and waiting so patiently for this new chapter~ c:
Kitsune, out~ \o/