I really should stop promising to be faster. I just can't seem to get to get back to the speed I had at cranking out chapters. Anyway, Happy Birthday, Tales of Academia!
I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did, we would have seen original series characters reacting the the Sacred Beasts' mayhem.
Chapter Eighteen: The Sacred Beasts
"Hey, boss! Wake up!"
Chazz glared as the nasally voice of Ojama Yellow interrupted his dream. A dream that had his heart racing. Alexis was about to confess to him; he was sure of it. Chazz needed to win her over, to make her his. It wouldn't be easy. She always hung out with her brother or, even worse, Jaden or…
"Hey, Mana!"
Chazz looked down from his perch on the Academy's roof to see the younger Muto surrounded by a handful of male students. "Right, Mana," he said to himself. "I bet she would know how to get Alexis's attention. And she's not competition." He climbed down from the roof, hearing the conversation surrounding the Slifer girl.
"Mana, you were awesome as the Dark Magician Girl on Spirit Day," an Obelisk said.
"I could dress up as Dark Magician if you'd like," a Ra cut in.
"Boys, I'm flattered," Mana tried to break away from the crowd. "I had a lot of fun, but this isn't Spirit Day."
"Come on, Mana," another Obelisk pleaded. "You flirted with me so much then. Don't lead me on."
"I flirted with a crowd," Mana corrected him. "You see my hair? It's brown. I was blonde when I was playing a character. I am not playing a character now. Okay?"
Another Obelisk grabbed her hand. "Just go out with me," he insisted. "I promise I'll show you a good time."
"Boys, you're trying my patience," Mana pulled her hand away. "I'm not interested, and if you keep pestering me, I'll show you how Princess Leia keeps away unwanted suitors." She gave a devious smile and pushed her way out of the group.
"You like Star Wars?" a Slifer asked.
"Yes, I like Star Wars," she answered. "And my favorite character got someone to leave her alone by hitting him in the face with a lightsaber. See where I'm going with this?"
"Come on, Mana—" a guy placed his hand on her shoulder, and Mana pulled him forward and over her shoulder. He landed on the ground in front of her.
"I said no," Mana glared at him. "And if I have to knock each of you on your butts to prove it, I will. Word of advice, boys, don't chase a girl because she looks good in blue and pink. Chase her because you like who she is. And always remember no means no." She walked away.
"Mana, wait!" the guys moved to follow her.
"She said to leave her alone," Chazz stepped between the brunette and the other guys.
The group grumbled and dispersed, each heading to his dorm. "I had that under control," Mana told him.
"I'm pretty sure you were holding back," Chazz said. "But I didn't have time to wait for you beat them up one by one."
"What's so urgent?" she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Well…" Chazz began to reconsider his idea to ask Mana for help. He did not want to end up on the ground like that one guy. "I need help impressing Alexis."
Mana sighed and rubbed her temple with her right hand. "You do realize Alexis hates the idea of winning her heart, right?"
"But—" he protested.
"No buts," she cut him off. "Tell me, what do you love about her?"
"She's awesome," he answered. "She's beautiful, strong, an amazing duelist."
"None of that is specifically her," Mana said. "That is a trophy girl. All those things, how do any of those make her different from, say… me?"
Chazz didn't have a response. He never looked at Mana that way, but she did fit the description he gave. She was a good duelist, and she was definitely strong enough to deal with whatever was thrown at her… and she looked amazing when she dressed up as Dark Magician Girl. But she wasn't Alexis. "It's not you I've fallen for."
"I know that," Mana said. "But what you have isn't love—it's attraction. There's nothing wrong with that. It can't be love until you learn more about her. What's her favorite color? Movie? Duel Monsters card?"
"Cyber Blader," Chazz answered the last one.
"Can't be sure on that one," Mana countered. "My point is you won't know that stuff until you go talk to her."
"So you're saying I might have a shot?" Chazz dared to let his hopes rise.
"I can't say for sure what your odds are," she answered. "I have an idea, but I won't share that. Just promise me you won't pull a Magnum if she says no."
"Isn't that some ninja actor?" Chazz asked. "What does he have to do with this?"
"Jean-Claude Magnum is one reason I know several different ways to hurt a guy who won't take no for an answer," Mana told him. "Yeah, he starred in a lot of ninja movies, but he was also obsessed with my aunt Mai and had trouble accepting no for an answer. Aunt Mai was the one who encouraged us to learn self-defense."
"Okay…" Chazz began reassessing his friend. He knew she was mischievous, but he never took her for a fighter. Those Dark Magician Girl fans better be careful.
"And if you do harass her after she says no, I'll really have to show you what my uncles taught me," Mana warned him.
Chazz gulped. "Why would you do that?"
"Because it ticks me off when guys think being overly charming or using a cheesy pickup line will automatically make a girl swoon over them," she answered. "Or that because they are supposed to be the best, any girl they want should automatically be theirs. Some girls will go for that, like Jasmine and Mindy, but not everyone. Not me, not my friend Airi back home, and not Alexis. Believe me, if you tried it on Airi, landing on your butt is a more favorable outcome."
"Okay," Chazz sighed. "So what should I do?"
"Have a normal conversation with her," Mana said. "How about we go over some conversational questions to try?"
"Sure," Chazz decided on an easy question she had suggested. "What's your favorite movie?"
"Star Wars," Mana answered without hesitating. "Especially Episode VII. I love Rey; she's my favorite character."
"That explains your Force comments," Chazz mused.
"What can I say? It works in mysterious ways," Mana laughed. "Okay, what's your favorite song?"
"Don't really listen to a whole lot of music. What's yours?"
"Anything Disney," Mana answered. "Top three would have to be 'Son of Man,' 'Let it Go,' and 'I'll make a Man Out of You.' Gotta love the army montage."
"Somehow I'm not surprised," Chazz sighed. He went for another of Mana's suggested questions. "Favorite color?"
"Say, what you will, but mine always has been, and will always be, pink," she said. "Okay, what's your favorite Duel Monsters card?"
He had to think about that one. "Right now I think I have to pick Armed Dragon. You?"
"Dark Magician Girl, no doubt," she answered. "Though I have a special fondness for Mirror Force."
"Who doesn't?" Chazz smirked.
"See?" Mana grinned. "This is what I'm talking about. Just have a conversation with her. That's your best bet to getting into her good graces. It's why my brother and Zane are such good friends with her."
Would Chazz have to compete with the top two duelists for his love? "Do either of them…?
"No," Mana answered before he finished his question. "They bonded with her because of Atticus. And I can promise Alexis isn't interested in either of them."
"Okay," Chazz said. "Thanks for the advice."
"Good luck, Chazz," Mana turned to head back to the Slifer dorm. "See you later."
Chazz went in search of his love, but he couldn't find her. "There's Jasmine and Mindy," he recognized Alexis's two friends. "Maybe they know where she is."
"Hang ten, Chazz-dude!" Chazz turned to see Atticus come ashore with a surfboard.
Jasmine and Mindy ran up to him screaming in adoration. "Autograph, please!" Jasmine held a notebook out to him.
"No prob," Atticus signed the pad.
"He wrote B.F.F.!" the two girls cheered.
Atticus pointed to the sky. "That's right ladies! It means best friends… forever!" The girls squealed and fainted, falling backwards into the sand.
"What the?" Chazz couldn't believe the effect the senior had on the girls.
"That always seems to happen," Atticus commented on his unconscious fans.
Mana's advice fell away with the success Atticus had with the girls. "Atticus, you've gotta help me," Chazz begged. He explained his feelings for Alexis.
"So you want a date with my sister?" Atticus summed up Chazz's feelings. "Well keep dreaming." Chazz's hopes dropped. "Kidding!" the Obelisk grinned. "Look, Chazz, if you want to date her, you've gotta impress her. Yeah!" Atticus grew more excited as he spoke. "In a duel!"
"A duel?" Chazz repeated.
"Yeah, she loves dueling," Atticus grinned. "If you beat her in a duel, she'll be all yours. That is if you let your cards tell her just what you're feeling."
"Really?" Chazz pulled out his deck.
Atticus took the cards and flipped through them. "No, no, no," the senior did not approve of the deck's construction. "This is not cool at all. Chazz, you need some love cards."
"Love cards?" Chazz took his deck back. Mana's advice came back to him. "But Mana suggested I just talk to her."
"Pfft," Atticus brushed it off. "You think I don't know my sister? Trust me! This will work! I'll help you get there. The only question is how we get her to duel you."
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I wonder how it went for Chazz and Alexis. Mana mused as she walked to class. Odds were Alexis would turn him down. Mana was almost certain Alexis liked Jaden, but it wouldn't hurt for Chazz to try to ask her out. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
She didn't make it to class before a message came from Chancellor Sheppard to her PDA. A glance to Jaden saw he got the same message: the Spirit Keys were missing. The culprit left a note saying he would be at the beach. Without a word, they raced from the building with the other Key Guardians.
Chazz stood there waiting for them, all eight Spirit Keys hanging around his neck. "What are you doing, Chazz?" Mana asked.
"Joke's over," Alexis chimed in. "Give us the Keys."
"Not yet," Chazz refused.
"So when?" Alexis asked.
"When you and I duel," he answered. Mana could hear the stammer in his voice. "So let's go, Alexis!"
Everybody just blinked at his request. "Why do you want to duel her?" Jaden asked.
"Because I'm in love!" Chazz declared. "And Alexis is too! She just doesn't know it yet! But soon she will!"
"And how is that?" Jaden asked.
So he's doing the opposite of what I suggested. "Hey, Chazz," Mana glared at him. "Remember that really nice conversation we had yesterday when I warned you not to pull a Magnum or I'd show you all the ways I know how to hurt people who won't take no for an answer? Because I'm ready for a demo."
"Honestly!" Alexis spat at the duelist in black. "Why would you think that?"
"Because I told him so!" Atticus floated on a raft towards the group wearing khaki shorts and a red Hawaiian shirt. He strummed a ukulele and gave them a smile that showed he was pleased with himself.
"How would you know?" Zane asked. Mana glanced to him and her brother. Atem rubbed his temples. She guessed he wasn't entirely surprised by Atticus's stunt.
"Because I know her," Atticus answered. "And dear little sis needs a helping hand with her love life. Come on!" he pleaded his sister. "He stole the Spirit Keys just for you!"
"And that's romance?" Syrus asked. "News to me."
"I second that," Jaden said.
"If either of you guys try something like this, I won't hesitate to knock some sense into you," Mana glared at them.
"Anyone up for just tackling them?" Zane pinched the bridge of his nose. Mana never thought she'd ever see him annoyed.
"On three?" Atem suggested.
"You're going to wait till three?" Mana asked.
"What's the hold up?" Chazz yelled.
"Fine!" Alexis stepped forward. "I'll duel. Whatever."
"You got her now, Chazz!" Atticus cheered as Chazz pumped the air with his fist.
"Alexis, you don't have to," Mana said. "You don't have anything to prove to them."
"Yeah, I do," the blonde told her. "Chazz is going to learn just what Pierre and Harrington did—that I'm not a prize to be won."
I'd have loved to see her put Harrington in his place. "If you're sure," Mana let the blonde deal with the thieves. (1)
"I am," Alexis nodded. "One thing—even if I lose this, the Keys go back."
"All right," Chazz grinned. "But I get something to take their place: you as a girlfriend."
Mana started to charge at the offending duelist, but hands on both shoulders stopped her. Atem and Syrus stood on either side of her. Their grip tightened as Chazz listed all things he wanted to do with Alexis once she became his girlfriend. They don't have Netflix in prison. They don't have Netflix in prison. Mana repeated in her head over and over. It usually helped reign in her temper when her friends didn't.
"Fine," Alexis powered up her duel disk. "But it's not going to happen! Now let's do this, Chazz!"
"I will," Chazz powered up his own duel disk. "And I'll show you how much you love me!"
They don't have Netflix in prison. Mana silently repeated her mantra again.
"Let's duel!" both duelists yelled at the same time.
"All right," Chazz took the first draw. "I'll start with Ojama Yellow (0/100)." The yellow creature danced back and forth in his zone. "And after two face-downs, I'll play the spell card Love Letter." An image of the spell materialized on his field. "And here's how it works: first off, if I got face-down and a monster sitting on my field, you get a gift. You see, either my monster or my face-down card becomes yours. Aren't I sweet? Yeah, I know it, and that's just the first of lots of gifts you'll be getting from me. The Chazz knows how to treat his ladies."
"I'm not your lady, Chazz," Alexis glared at him. "But if I have to take your gift, fine. I'll take one of your face-downs."
"I can't believe Atticus put him up to this," Mana frowned.
"I can," Atem said. "I never thought he'd sick someone on Alexis, but Zane and I both had outduel fangirls who thought they were going to date us. Many of which Atticus sent our way."
"One thing I didn't miss," Zane added.
The hologram of the face-down moved to Alexis's field. "But there's more!" Chazz continued his move. "Next I play the spell Giant Trunade. What it does is bring all spells and traps back to our hands. So I'll take that face-down back now." Both face-downs returned to Chazz's hand. "Aw, that's so sweet of you to give me this back so soon," he held up the card. "And now I think I'll play it: Hidden wish! When hidden wish returns from my opponent's field back to me, it deals 1000 points of damage to you. Then I regain 1000 LifePoints." The score stood with Chazz at 5000 LifePoints and Alexis at 3000 LifePoints. "So I guess I should say thanks, Darling. I just knew that us dueling would bring us closer. Are you feeling the sparks?"
"Of rage," Mana muttered. Judging by her expression, Alexis was also creeped out by Chazz's words.
"I'm feeling nauseous," Syrus said.
"I think Chazz is trying way too hard," Atem sighed. "He'll be lucky if Alexis still considers him a friend after this."
"And now I'll activate my other face-down," Chazz held the other card that had returned to his hand. "The card known as treasure map! Once I send it to the graveyard, I get to draw two more cards. And I'll lay them face-down and end my turn."
"All right, Chazz, let's go!" Alexis glared at him and drew her card. "Let's go! I summon Blade Skater (1400/1500) in attack mode! Now take out that Ojama Yellow! Whirlwind Slasher!"
"Boss?" Yellow looked to his duelist.
"Aw, don't worry," Chazz revealed his face-down card. "Go, Ring of Destruction!" The metal ring latched itself around Blade Skater's attack points. It detonated, destroying the Skater and taking her attack points out of both duelist's LifePoints.
"Isn't it romantic?" Atticus commented on the Ring's symbolism. "After all, what's love without pain? Nice work, Don Juan!" He gave Chazz a thumbs-up.
"You got it, Atticus," Chazz returned the gesture.
"Can you feel the love?" Atticus shouted to Alexis.
"Puh-leeze," Alexis scoffed.
"Not without Nala and Simba," Mana said. Jaden and Syrus gave her confused looks. "What? I like Disney!"
"Then maybe this will work," Chazz drew his card. He played Graceful Charity to boost his hand and then drew two more cards with Pot of Greed. Then he revealed his face-down: Ojama Trio. The three brothers appeared on Alexis's field dancing in their zones, wiggling their rear ends at the blonde. And if they were destroyed, she would lose 300 LifePoints for each one. Chazz continued with Polymerization to fuse Yellow on the field with Green and Black in his hand into Ojama King (0/3000). King's effect treated Alexis's remaining monster zones as occupied, leaving her unable to summon anything normally. Chazz ended his turn with a face-down. "So tell me, are you feeling the fuzzies yet?" he asked. "After all, I filled up your field to show how my heart is full of love. Right?"
"He is so gone," Syrus said. Jaden and Chumley nodded in agreement.
"They don't have Netflix in prison," Mana said aloud.
"We don't have Netflix here," Atem rolled his eyes.
"Shut up and let my mantra do its thing," she told him. "Unless you want me to actually kill them."
"I think I got it!" Alexis suddenly exclaimed. Mana suspected she figured out how to beat Chazz. "I'm laying a face-down, and that is it."
"Fine, my turn," Chazz drew. "I play a little card I like to call Dress Up." A white suit materialized on Ojama King. "The new duds give Ojama King an extra 300 attack points. And it's got another bonus. I get to switch another one of your monsters to attack mode. Another gift for you." He smiled.
"Hey, Prince," Mana turned to her brother. "If this doesn't end well, will you help hide the bodies?"
"No," Atem answered.
"Let's see here," Chazz looked over his options. "On one hand, I could win this duel right now and win a girlfriend." He folded his hands as he thought out loud. "But what would Chazz having a girlfriend mean if she wasn't really madly in love with me?"
"Magnum," Mana muttered.
"So he's not going to force Ojama Black into attack mode?" Jaden scratched the back of his head. "He keeps defending?"
The Black token deflected King's attack, knocking Chazz down to 2900 LifePoints. "See what a sweet guy I am?" Chazz grinned. "But there's more. Next I play Dramatic Crossroads!" he revealed his trap. "It's decision time. Now pay attention. Option Number One: you discard one random card. Option Number Two: you show your entire hand to me, and then I am allowed to take one of your cards for myself."
"Why would she do that?" Syrus asked.
"Because," Chazz drew the word like it should be obvious, "if Alexis really loves me, then she'll trust me and let me see her hand. She'll give me her very best card as proof of our love. Then she and I will live happily ever after!" His eyes widened in excitement.
"You're reading way too much into this," Mana rolled her eyes.
"Agreed," Zane and Atem said at the same time. Mana bit back a laugh.
"Okay, Chazz, listen up," Alexis sighed. The blonde was very much done with the entire situation. "You're not going to ever see my hand, you got it?"
"I'm shot down?" Chazz recoiled at her words.
"Listen," Alexis pressed on. "You want to know who I love?" Jaden? Mana glanced to Slifer, watching his reaction. Mana was sure Alexis liked him. Would she take the opportunity to finally tell him? "I'm in love with Dueling." Guess not.
"Ooh, ouch, Chazz," Atticus hopped onto the shore and ran to the rejected duelist. "Crash and burn, dude."
"Yeah, so what," Chazz shook off the rejection. "Don't forget: if I win this, you'll still be mine! If I defeat you, then you'll have to go out with me!"
"Dude, it's over," Atticus told him.
"Magnum," Mana called to him, eliciting a flash of fear from him.
"You told him about Magnum?" Atem raised an eyebrow at her.
"Yeah," she rolled her eyes. "Believe it or not, Romeo asked me for advice before talking to Cupid. I said he should just talk to her. And respect whatever decision she made or I'd show him what Uncle Joey and Uncle Tristan taught us."
Alexis shuffled her hand and sent one card to the graveyard. "All right, Chazz," she drew her card. "If you really want a wedding, here's your one chance."
"Yeah?" Chazz turned hopeful eyes to his opponent.
"I play the spell Ritual Sanctuary!" Alexis activated the field spell. A bell rang as the beach transformed into the inside of a church, complete with pews and an altar. "Now by discarding a spell from my hand, I'm able to add any ritual spell card from my deck back into my hand." She revealed her selected spell. "And now I'll play it: Machine Angel Ritual!" Metal coated every inch of the sanctuary. "Now any monster with Cyber Angel in its name, I can summon." A red vortex hovered above the pews.
"No way!" Chazz shot her down. "You've got no monster zones because of those Ojamas! And you can't get rid of them either!"
"Oh, yes, I can!" Alexis countered. "Remember this is a ritual summoning."
"What's that got to do with anything?" Chazz scoffed.
"Everything," she answered. "Because that no-sacrifice rule doesn't apply to ritual summonings. And the monster I'm ritual summoning calls for me to sacrifice all three Ojamas. Plus, since they're not being destroyed, I don't lose any LifePoints. But you sure are going to Chazz. Now, come on out, Cyber Angel Benten (1800/1500)!" A female warrior emerged from the vortex. She had long black hair and was dressed in red, white, and black. She wielded a pair of tessen fans, and her mechanical green eyes glared at the Ojama King. "Cyber Angel Benten, attack his King! Angel Flight Fury!" Benten shot forward and slashed the white Ojama with her fans, shattering his hologram. Chazz's LifePoints dropped to 1400.
"Go, Alexis!" Mana cheered for her.
"Now for Cyber Angel's special effect," Alexis smirked. "You take damage equal to the defense points of the monster that was destroyed in battle. I'm sorry, Chazzy."
"That can't be," Chazz stepped back ward. "That would leave the Chazz with nothing." His LifePoints fell to zero. The holograms faded, revealing the beach. Chazz sank to his knees in defeat.
"Alexis!" Atticus chastised his sister. "You could at least let him down easy!"
The blonde said nothing as she walked over to the downed duelist. "Still be friends?" she offered.
Wow, she's faster to let things go than I am. Mana bit back one last urge to thrash Chazz for the stunt he pulled.
Before Chazz could answer, the ground shook under them. An explosion sounded in the distance. "It's what Banner warned us about," Jaden realized.
"Look there," Mana pointed at pillars rising out of the forest.
"Eight," Atem counted them. "Eight Spirit Gates."
The Keys around Chazz's neck glowed and started pulling him along. "Where are you going?" Alexis asked.
"I don't know!" he answered.
"Can we come?" Jaden asked.
"Help me!" Chazz yelled at them.
"Wait a second," Mana eyed the trajectory of the Keys. "Chazz, you idiot!" She chased after him, followed by the others.
"What is it?" Atem asked.
"Chazz wagered the Spirit Keys in a duel," she answered. "Since he lost, I bet the Keys are going to unlock the Gates."
They slowly gained on the black-clad student. The Keys, nearing their destination, pulled upward, carrying Chazz with them until he slammed into a tree and the chords snapped. Free of their human tether, the Spirit Keys continued their path to the Gates. Each one was absorbed by a pillar.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Mana said.
"Ditto," Atem agreed.
"Way to go, Chazz," Alexis and the others glared at him.
"It's not my fault!" he protested.
"You wagered the Keys," Mana told him.
"Enough," Atem cut them off. "Pointing blame won't solve this. We need to find a way to reseal the Spirit Gates."
"Children, what's happening?" Chancellor Sheppard and Dr. Crowler ran to join them.
"I'm sure it was your fault, Jaden," Crowler eyed the brunet Slifer.
"Hey, I didn't steal those Keys," Jaden pointed at Chazz.
"I was just borrowing the Keys," Chazz held his hands up in defense. "For Alexis."
"Don't you dare drag me into your mess," Alexis rolled her eyes.
The ground shook again, and a black pedestal rose in the center of the pillars. Its top opened, revealing a silver box. Four prongs folded out, and a golden sphere with three cards in it appeared between them.
"The Sacred Beast cards," Jaden and Chazz said at the same time. They led the group to retrieve them.
"Those cards do not belong to you," a mechanical voice filled the clearing. Mana jumped and grabbed onto Atem, nearly knocking him over. A plane flew into the clearing. Its door opened, depositing some kind of silver container.
"What is that?" Jaden asked.
"Yeah, ask me like I'm going to know," Chazz said.
"Why are we standing here?" Mana asked. She let go of her brother ran to the cards.
White parachutes shot out from the container, slowing its descent. It landed between Mana and the cards. Legs folded out from the sides, propping it up and revealing a very old man inside a tank. A breathing mask covered his face. "The cards belong to me!"
"Wait a second," Sheppard's eyes widened. "I know that man."
"I'm so glad you recognize me, Sheppard, even though the years have not been kind," the man said.
"It's Kagemaru—our superintendent!" Sheppard said.
"The one who refused to tell Uncle Seto about the Sacred Beasts," Atem narrowed his eyes at the container.
"I built this school!" Kagemaru declared. "And now I've returned for my Sacred Beast cards."
"No, you didn't," Atem spat. "Seto Kaiba built this school. And the Sacred Beasts are too dangerous to release."
"If you want them, you have to go through us," Chazz said. "That's how this works."
"So get your game on, test-tube," Jaden added.
"Fools," Kagemaru scoffed. "I am Kagemaru, Master of the Shadow Games."
"Want to bet?" Mana stared down the old man. "The master of Shadow Games was Pharaoh Atem.
"Ah, but the great Nameless Pharaoh isn't here," Kagemaru said. "It was I who first sealed the cards here. It was I who gave Sheppard the eight Keys. Alone, they are worthless to unlock the Spirit Gates. All that is required is dueling energy—energy you expended trying to protect those Keys."
"See, this isn't the Chazz's fault," Chazz said.
"This is why I arranged for all the best duelists in the world to come here!" Kagemaru continued. "I hoped, year after year, class after class, a student would arise with enough dueling spirit to unlock the power of the cards. My Shadow Riders were sent to test you, and only one of you passed—one with the potential to finally unlock the Sacred Beasts and give me the strength to rule the world."
"Not if I can help it," Mana darted around the container and sprinted to the cards. A claw extended from Kagemaru's pod and smacked her, sending her sprawling in front of the group. "Ow," she muttered.
"Mana!" Atem was by her side.
"I'm fine," she pulled herself up. "That smarted."
"It's a cute story," Alexis glared at the superintendent. "So why all the tricks? Were you too weak to get the cards for yourself?"
"Alexis, don't make the scary man mad," Syrus backed away.
"He don't look so tough," Chumley said. "More like some kind of reject science project."
"Listen up," Zane stepped in front of the Muto siblings. "There is no way you're getting those Beast cards so long as I'm here. You got that, Kagemaru? You'll have to duel me for them."
"I'll Chazz you up big time," Chazz declared.
"No way, it'll be me," Atticus cut in. "After all, we're old friends. He transformed me into one of his Shadow Riders."
"It should be you or Jaden," Mana whispered to Atem. "You two were the only ones not defeated by a Shadow Rider."
"No!" Kagemaru rejected all the challenges. "My opponent will be Jaden Yuki."
"Excuse me, what?" Jaden blinked.
"You have proven to be the only duelist with the power to unlock the Sacred Beast cards," Kagemaru chuckled. Blue lightning sparked between the pillars, creating a circle around the area. "And if you refuse, I will see to it that this island and everyone on it sinks to the depths of the ocean deep."
"You can't!" Jaden protested.
"Not if we have anything to say about it," Mana's wand appeared in her hand. "You're not the only one with power."
"But I can do anything with these," Kagemaru's claw extended to grab the Sacred Beast cards. "Your magic cannot hope to combat the power I wield. Let the Shadow Game begin!"
"Catch!" Syrus tossed Jaden's backpack to him.
Jaden caught it and pulled out his duel disk. "I hope you brought your A-game, Kagemaru." A book fell from the bag.
"The Emerald Tablet," Mana identified Banner's book. A spell fell out of it.
Jaden picked up the card. "Banner must have wanted me to have this," he said, adding the card to his deck. "All right, Kagemaru, let's do this!" Jaden inserted his deck and powered up his duel disk. Another claw extended from the superintendent's tank and attached a duel disk to the one on his left.
"Jaden, if you lose, he'll take over the world!" Syrus reminded him.
"And that's really bad!" Chumley added.
"In that case, time to get my game on," Jaden grinned.
"Just keep your cool, and you'll be fine," Mana backed away from the arena to join the group.
"All righty, let's go," Jaden took the first move. "I summon Burstinatrix (1200/800) in defense mode." The silver-haired hero in red did a flip before kneeling on his field. "And one face-down. Now let's see if those Beast cards are all that."
"Yes, let's," Kagemaru laughed. "I shall begin by playing three trap cards face-down." The mechanical arm not holding the duel disk inserted the cards into the slots.
"Three trap cards?" Chazz repeated. "I think this guy's got his circuits crossed."
"Why would he declare what kind of cards they are?" Atem asked.
"Because I'm summoning a Sacred Beast," Kagemaru sneered.
"Good," Jaden brushed it off. "I always wanted to see one up close.
"You should be more careful of what you wish for," the old man said. "I sacrifice my three trap cards to summon the first Sacred Beast: Uria, Lord of Searing Flames (X000/X000)!" Flames erupted on his field, revealing a serpent-like red dragon with massive wings. The entire island shook as it roared.
"Am I the only one who thinks it looks like Slifer?" Mana asked.
"Not now," Atem shushed her.
"On second thought," Jaden said, "maybe I don't need to see it up close."
"Now I activate its special ability," Kagemaru continued, "Trap Destruction!" Uria roared, shattering Jaden's face-down Mirror Gate. "All traps are useless against my Sacred Beast and are destroyed. And if you were curious as to Uria's attack points, he receives 1000 per trap card in my graveyard, and at last count, I have three for a total of 3000 attack points. Now reduce Burstinatrix to slag! Hyper Blaze!" The red dragon breathed fire over the hero, destroying her. "Your turn, Jaden."
"Turn for what?" Zane asked. "That monster's too powerful. What can Jaden do?"
"The card is similar to Slifer, the Sky Dragon," Atem said. "When Dad defeated it, he turned the effect against his opponent and forced him to deck out. But in this case, Uria's strength comes from the graveyard. Aside from using sheer force, getting the traps out of Kagemaru's graveyard would help."
"You can do it, Jaden!" Mana yelled.
"Let's do this!" Jaden drew his card. "I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman (800/1200)!" The blue hero pointed the blaster on his wrist at Uria. "And when I call him out all alone, I get to draw two more. Now let's see what kind of cards we got."
"It's not going to make a difference, dude," Atticus sighed.
"What's Jaden thinking?" Chazz asked. "With Bubbleman in attack mode, he's got no defense. He can't be that card anyway."
"Okay, Atticus, I can forgive you for not Jaden's plays since you haven't been here," Mana said. "But, Chazz, you should know to wait and see his combo before deciding if it works."
"I can't watch this," Crowler looked away.
"Why not?" Zane asked. "This duel might be the last thing we see."
"When did I become the optimist?" Atem looked to the other spectators. "It's not over yet. If the Egyptian Gods could be reined in, then so can the Sacred Beasts."
"Yeah, don't give up on him yet," Syrus agreed.
Jaden looked over his cards before continuing his move. "Next I'll play Polymerization! And I'll fuse my Bubbleman with Elemental Heroes Avian and Sparkman to form Elemental Hero Tempest (2800/2800)!" The blue and green hero flew over the field and landed next to Jaden.
"He still doesn't have enough attack points to destroy Uria," Kagemaru chuckled.
"Not right now," Jaden grinned. "But that's why I got this to help even the playing field. You know, maybe 'even' isn't exactly right." The field spell slot popped open on his duel disk. "Check out the field spell Skyscraper!" Buildings rose from the ground and surrounded the area. Tempest stood on one of the towers. "Thanks to this, my Hero gets a 'wing up' on you. If he has fewer attack points than your Uria of Searing Flame-whatever, he gets an extra 1000 attack points. Tempest, show him who's boss!" Tempest fired the blaster on his right hand at Uria, shattering the red dragon. Kagemaru's LifePoints fell to 3200. "That's a hit!"
"Impressive," the superintendent said. "I see I made the correct choice in choosing you as my opponent, Jaden Yuki. Your dueling spirit will serve me well as I rip it from your body and use it to acquire the power of the Sacred Beast cards."
"I kind of like my dueling spirit right where it is," Jaden selected a card from his hand. "So let's see how you handle a face-down."
"Ha," Kagemaru scoffed as his claw drew. "And let's see how you handle this. I activate Uria's special ability. I merely send this trap card to the graveyard, and then…" He laughed as Uria burst from another pillar of flames. "As Lord of Searing Flames, one of Uria's special abilities is to be resurrected when I discard a trap to the graveyard."
"That's not good," Atem commented.
"Now say good-bye to your feathered friend, Jaden," Kagemaru said. Mana was sure if she could see his face, he'd be sneering. Uria breathed fire, engulfing Tempest in flames.
"Hold on, Test-tubey," Jaden's face-down faded away. The flames dissipated, leaving Tempest unharmed. Jaden's LifePoints fell to 3800. "I got tricks too. By sending a card to the graveyard, Tempest can't be destroyed in battle. And we'll follow that act up with our next performer," he drew his card. "One of faves: Pot of Greed! That's two cards for me and a whole lot of pain for you. 'Cause I'm playing this: Heated Heart! It gives Tempest 500 more attack points, which is just enough to take out Uria one more time." Tempest fired his blaster again, destroying Uria and knocking Kagemaru down to 2900 LifePoints.
"Waste of your turn," the old man mocked him. "As long as I have traps to discard, my Lord of Searing Flames will never be destroyed. Uria rose from another fire pillar, now at 5000 attack points. "And now I'll use my Pot of Greed." He drew two more cards. "Then I'll activate the field spell Fallen Paradise." The buildings faded away to a dark and desolate mountain range. "Not only is your Skyscraper obliterated, but this new field enables me to draw two additional cards every round, which gives me just enough to lay down three spell cards."
"Three spells?" Jaden repeated.
"I've got a really bad feeling about that," Mana said.
"Ha," Kagemaru laughed. "I see that, despite your grades, you are a quick learner. Now I sacrifice these three spell cards to summon the second Sacred Beast: Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder (4000/4000)." Ice rose from the ground; a large, yellow winged-beast burst from it.
"That's not good," Atem said.
"Let's show his Tempest a real storm," Kagemaru ordered the yellow beast to attack. Blue lightning rained down from the sky; one of the bolts struck the hero. Jaden's LifePoints fell to 2600. "And with Hamon's special ability, should he destroy a monster, you suffer an additional 1000 points of damage. Oh, don't worry. It won't hurt… me." Another bolt struck Jaden, and his LifePoints dropped to 1600.
"Jaden!" Mana called to her friend.
"Mana!" her spirit partner called to her.
"Dark Magician Girl," Mana pulled out the blonde's card. She hugged herself in her frame instead of appearing in spirit form. Her face was pale, and her cheeks sunken in. "That Beast is draining our energy."
"Boss." A glance to Chazz's cards showed the Ojamas in even worse shape. Everyone's cards began to fade away.
"I won't let this happen," Mana raised her wand and chanted a spell. A pink barrier materialized around the group. "Is that better?"
"For now," Dark Magician Girl answered. Her image returned to her normal vibrancy, but she remained in her card. The cards inside the barrier looked better. "You can't keep this up for long; the Sacred Beasts are too powerful.
"I won't let them hurt you," Mana insisted. She could feel the Beasts pulling at the barrier, trying to get to the Duel Spirits. "You've been protecting us. Now let me protect you."
"How long do you think you can stand up to the power of the Beasts?" Kagemaru asked.
"As long as it takes to protect my friends," she answered.
"You won't succeed," he mocked her. "The Sacred Beasts draw energy not just from the players, but from the very cards themselves. One magician can't hope to stand up to them."
"That's why they were locked away," Zane realized. "They have the power to destroy every card on the planet."
"Hold on," Bastion watched Jaden, outside the barrier. "Jaden's cards are unaffected."
"Jaden's dueling spirit is beyond all of yours," Kagemaru explained. "Time and time again, he has proven the heart and courage to win, no matter what odds. It is this force alone that can tame the Sacred Beasts and harness their awesome power."
"Not going to happen," Mana gritted her teeth. Maintaining the barrier was hard.
"So that's why you want me," Jaden glared at him.
"Yes," Kagemaru answered. "Once this Shadow Game ends and you lay defeated, I shall take your spirit. Finally, I will have the power to become the new master of the Sacred Beasts! Then they will absorb the energy of every duelist and deck across the planet, giving enough strength to rule the world! Allow me to demonstrate a mere fraction of their power."
The wrinkled and withered skin of the man inside the container smoothed and restored itself. Muscles and flesh built up as the clock turned backward; white hair regained color. The glass of the tank exploded, and a muscular man with long black hair stepped out and strapped the duel disk to his arm.
"He's been reborn," Sheppard's eyes widened, making the connection.
"I doubt it," Jaden scoffed. "It's all for show."
"Seriously, Jaden?" Mana's grip on her wand tightened. "After everything we've already seen and done, you think this is an act?"
"Is this a show?" Kagemaru asked as he tossed his tank over the pillars. "I like this new body," he smirked. "But something's still missing. Oh, I know." He glared at Jaden. "It's your soul. Now let's just finish this duel."
"We'll just see. My turn," Jaden drew. "And I summon a duelist's best friend. Go, Wroughtweiler (800/1200)! Good boy. Just heel for now." The mechanical hound curled up on his field. "Next I'll throw down a face-down."
"A face-down and a duel doggie?" Kagemaru laughed. "That's your big move? That's how you plan to stop my two Sacred Beasts? Please, don't insult them. After all, it's these monsters that will soon empower me to rule the world."
"Shut up and duel!" Mana yelled. The sooner he made his move, the sooner Jaden could beat him, and the sooner Dark Magician Girl and the other Duel Spirits would be safe.
"Where were we?" Kagemaru drew his card. "Ah, yes. Due to the effect of my field spell, once per turn I am allowed to add two cards from my deck to my hand. And next I'm going wage an attack with Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder. Go, Cerulean Skyfire!" Lightning struck the dog, obliterating it. "And now I'll activate Hamon's effect." Lightning struck Jaden, sending him sprawling and knocking him down to 600 LifePoints.
"Nice special effects," Jaden pulled himself up. "But I've got one too: my Wroughtweiler. It activates when he's sent to the graveyard. Now I can add one Elemental Hero and one Polymerization from my grave to my hand, and the Hero I'm picking is Bubbleman."
"Too bad you won't ever get the chance to summon him," Kagemaru scoffed.
"We'll see about that, Kagemaru," Jaden stared him down. "Now finish your turn."
"Fine, but it's not just my turn that's about to be finished," the superintendent grinned. "It's you as well, Jaden! Attack Uria! Hyper Blaze!"
"Hang in there, Jaden!" Mana yelled to her friend.
"Not so fast, Kagemaru!" Jaden revealed his face-down. "I play my spell card: Flute of Summoning Kuriboh! It lets me summon Winged Kuriboh (300/200) from my deck." The winged furball appeared to take the hit for Jaden.
The transparent form of the spirit appeared next to Jaden as he drew his next card. Come on, Jaden. Mana sent more power into the barrier protecting the groups' spirits. She hoped he could win soon. Her magic wouldn't hold out forever, and she really didn't want to think how much harder it would get if Kagemaru summoned the third Sacred Beast.
"I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman!" Jaden made his move. "And if Bubbleman's all alone when I summon him out on my field, I'm allowed to draw two more cards." He drew. "And now I'll play one of them: the spell card Metamorphosis! Now I can sacrifice my Bubbleman to summon up a fusion monster that's the same level as he is—such as Elemental Hero Neo Bubbleman (800/1200)!" Bubbleman's armor shifted, making more suited for underwater combat instead of land battle.
"You've just sacrificed one weakling for another," Kagemaru scoffed.
"Oh yeah?" Jaden smirked. "Guess it's a good thing I have this then: Bubble Blaster!" A large water cannon dropped into the aquatic hero's hands, causing him to kneel under its weight. It boosted Neo Bubbleman's attack points by 800. "Now go, Neo Bubbleman! Attack! Bubble Slamming Stream!"
"You think that little water gun makes a difference?" Kagemaru laughed. "Hamon, strike back!" The yellow fiend roared, but it was overpowered by the water from the Bubble Blaster. "Hamon's been destroyed?"
"You go that right," Jaden grinned. "It's Neo Bubbleman's special ability. When he battles with a monster, that monster is destroyed. And by just destroying Bubble Blaster, all damage you would have done becomes zero."
"That's what I would have done," Chumley said.
"Way to play, Jay!" Syrus cheered.
"Next I'll throw down a face-down and call it a turn," Jaden gave the group a thumbs-up.
"Your last turn," Kagemaru drew. "First, due to Fallen Paradise, I get to add two more cards from my deck to my hand. And now, Uria, finish him with Hyper Blaze!"
"Do your stuff! Bubble Illusion!" Jaden revealed his face-down. "See, when Bubbleman is on the field, and I use this, I can play a trap. And it comes straight from my hand. And I'll choose this one: Heroes' Rule One: Five Freedoms! Five traps now leave the graveyard!
"They what?" Kagemaru stepped back.
"That's right, removed from the game. So go ahead and say all your good-byes."
"Well done," Bastion said. "With those traps now gone, Uria's attack points will go down dramatically."
"All the way to zero," Atem added.
Uria's flames died, and Neo Bubbleman countered with his own attack, dousing the dragon completely. Kagemaru's LifePoints dropped to 2100.
"You're only postponing the inevitable!" Kagemaru said. "You can't stop the Beasts, especially with this! I play Resurrection Tribute! Since my monster was destroyed, I can destroy one of yours, meaning that Bubbleman will now burst." The hero's image shattered. "But there's more, Jaden. I also get to summon back a monster from my grave to the field in defense mode. So rise again, Hamon!" The yellow fiend returned to the field and roared. "And next I'll activate Uria's special effect." He discarded a trap, and Uria returned to the field in a pillar of flame.
"Oh great," Jaden sighed.
"Come on," Mana said through gritted teeth.
"How are you doing?" Atem asked her.
"I can keep going," she answered. "Are the Duel Spirits still safe?"
"The ones here," he told her. "I can't say for the rest of the ones on the island.
"Now I'll activate the spell Phantasmal Martyrs," Kagemaru continued his move. "When Uria and Hamon are both out, I can send two cards in my hand to the graveyard, and then I can summon three of these: Phantasmal Martyr Tokens!" Three small, black and purple fiends appeared on his field. One of his discard cards must have been a trap, because Uria's attack points rose to 2000. "Now I sacrifice the three Phantasmal Tokens to summon my last Sacred Beast. Behold Raviel, Lord of Phantasms!"
"Okay, definitely not friendly," Jaden said.
"Not good," Zane added. "He's got all three of them out at once."
"That one looks like Obelisk," Atem commented.
"Aaahh!" The pull of energy from the Beasts intensified; Mana staggered as the barrier shrunk around her, exposing the Duel Spirits of her friends' decks. She pushed back with her magic, but it was like pushing against a tidal wave. At this rate, the Sacred Beasts would absorb everything.
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Miles away, a CEO with brown hair sat at his desk on the top floor of the building. He looked up to see the long, white hair of his wife enter the office. "How's it go—" she stopped midsentence and pitched forward.
He jumped to his feet and lunged forward to catch her. "Kisara!" He cradled her in his arms.
"Something's wrong," she gripped his white trench coat. "Seto, it's… it's like something is draining the power of my dragon."
He pulled his deck out, searching for three certain cards. He was never one to really believe in the supernatural, but he couldn't deny the dragon spirit his wife possessed. A dragon whose image faded from the cards in his deck along with the rest of the monsters.
"Dad?" his daughter stumbled into the room. She leaned against the door frame, a hand running through her short white hair.
"Airi!" he reached for her, still holding his wife. At least she was still standing.
"What is going on?"
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Across town in a game shop, children browsed the glass displays of Duel Monster cards. "Let me know if you see anything you like," the tri-color haired owner with told them.
"Sure thing!" they laughed. The owner turned his attention to the inventory sheets, keeping one eye on the kids as they looked over the displays and the booster packs on the shelves.
He felt it the moment the children saw it. "Look!" one of them pointed to the display, to the fading images on the Duel Monsters cards. Instinctually, he reached for the presence that hadn't been with him for two decades to discuss a plan. What's going on, Yami? Are you taking the Kas back?
"Yuge!" His best friend charged into the shop. "Something's going on! Red-Eyes and the other cards in my deck are disappearing!"
"The Landstars are gone too!" His friend's son ran in behind him. "It's like all the monsters are just up and leaving!"
The shop owner took out his own deck. All the images were fading just like the display—except for two. The background of the card was still intact, but the occupants were gone. Hopefully they were protecting his own children, isolated on an island miles away from them. "Atem… Mana," he whispered their names. "I hope you're safe."
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A hand gripped her wand above her own. Mana turned her head to see Atem next her. "Together," he said. Gold mixed with the pink of her barrier, and it pushed outward, once again encasing the group of duelists watching the Shadow Game.
"Thanks, Prince," she panted.
"My Ba isn't going to be much use otherwise," he said. "No point in summoning a spirit if they're just going to be absorbed."
"Let's just keep it up as long as we can," she told him. "I refuse to let our friends be taken.
"The spirits sense you're close to defeat," Kagemaru grinned at Jaden. "Already they are surrendering themselves to me, yielding to me their might so that I can free the Sacred Beasts and rule the world with a new life that will be eternal. Even that pathetic barrier will fall eventually, and those spirits will join the rest."
"Sorry, Kagemaru," Jaden glared at his opponent. "But there's no way that I'm letting you do that to my friends."
"Spirits aren't for being friends with," Kagemaru said. "They're for using to get what you want."
"You couldn't be more wrong," Mana muttered, her grip on her staff tightening.
"Don't let him get to you," Atem told her. "Keep your focus."
"Right."
"Time to step up! My draw!" Jaden said. "I play the spell Dark Factory of Mass Production. So now I can take two monsters from my graveyard and add them straight to my hand. And the ones that I'm picking are Burstinatrix and Avian. And next I'm going to play Polymerization to create the Elemental Hero Flame Wingman (2100/1200)!" The green and red warrior flew onto the field.
"Very well," Kagemaru smirked. "But now Raviel's special ability activates. You see, when you summon a monster, I get to summon a Sacred Beast Token (1000/1000)."
"That's not good," Atem muttered.
"Jaden," a voice filled the area. Through the barrier, Mana spotted a gold orb being chased by Pharaoh the cat. "Not now, Pharaoh," the voice said. Is that Professor Banner's voice? Is that orb his soul? The orb floated next to the Slifer, just out of reach of the beige cat. "Jaden, you must use the card now."
"But use it how?" Jaden asked.
"That is for you to decide," the orb said. "For you see, it is only as good as its owner. It will grant you three card covets. That is, it will transform into whatever card you wish three times. Then, after the third covet, its true power will be revealed. And if you have played your card right, it will—" Pharaoh jumped up and swallowed the orb, cutting off the voice's instructions. Pharaoh raced out of the arena.
"You can do it, Jaden!" Mana cheered for him, ignoring the tension in her staff arm.
All right," Jaden finally decided on his move. "I'm activating the spell Fusion Recovery!"
"So what?" Chazz said. "That won't change a thing."
"It could," Alexis countered. "It all depends on how he plays it."
"It will if he's going for the combo I'm thinking," Mana glared at him. "I think he's going for the monster that did me in when we dueled."
"Now Polymerization and Sparkman return to my hand from my graveyard," Jaden continued. "Next I'll activate Polymerization, and that means the Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman (2500/2100) is created!" The two Heroes merged into a green, white, and gold warrior with one shining wing.
"Then I get another token," Kagemaru pointed out as the small fiend appeared on his field.
"Cool," Jaden brushed it off. "Because I get something too: 300 extra attack points for Flare Wingman for each Hero that I have in my graveyard. And right now there's a total of seven." The Hero's points rose 4600.
"That can't be," Kagemaru recoiled.
"That's right," Jaden grinned. "And he's got a special ability to boot. See, when Flare Wingman destroys a monster in battle, he deals damage to you equal to that destroyed monster's attack points. So go and get him, Shining Flare Wingman! Shining Emerald Orb!" The Hero vaporized Hamon, but its remains moved to block the effect.
"A good try," Kagemaru smirked. "But if Hamon is destroyed while in defense mode, all damage to me becomes zero.
"Okay," Jaden frowned. "I'll throw down a face-down and end my turn."
"And I'll begin mine," Kagemaru drew. "First, due to the effect of Fallen Paradise, I add two extra cards from my deck to my hand. Second, I'll switch Uria from defense mode to attack mode." The red dragon roared with its new battle position. "And then I'll play Raviel's effect. By sacrificing two monsters on my field, for this turn only, I can add those monsters' attack points to Raviel's."
"So that's why he summoned those tokens," Bastion realized. "To power up Raviel and power down Jaden."
"That monster really is like Obelisk," Atem said. He gritted his teeth against the Beasts' pull on the barrier.
"Go, Raviel!" Kagemaru commanded. "Clean your claws with that Shining Flare Wingman!"
"I play a face-down," Jaden countered. "A face-down that happens to be the second card I wished for: De-Fusion!" Shining Flare Wingman split back into Sparkman and Flame Wingman, each kneeling on the field in defense mode." Raviel missed his target.
"Very well," Kagemaru conceded. "But De-Fusion counts as two summonings, which means I get two more tokens. Now then, Raviel, go on. Destroy the Elemental Hero Flame Wingman with Shimmering Scraper!" The blue demon slammed its claw into the red and green hero, shattering it. "And now Uria will finish off the other one. Hyper Blaze!" The red dragon breathed fire over Sparkman, obliterating it.
"Oh yeah?" Jaden drew his card. "I summon Elemental Hero Clayman (800/2000)."
"Another Beast Token for me," Kagemaru sneered as a third demon appeared on the field.
Jaden looked at the card in his hand before playing it. "I play Miracle Fusion! With this, I can take monsters from my field and grave and combine them to create a fusion monster. So I remove the Bubbleman, Avian, and Burstinatrix that are in my graveyard and the Clayman that's on my field to summon Elemental Hero Electrum (2900/2600)!" The heavily muscled Hero clad in gold and silver took a fighting stance on Jaden's field.
"Come on, Jaden," Mana held her breath waiting for his move.
"All right, next I play Sabatiel—the Philosopher's Stone!" Jaden activated the spell. "And it says here when it's equipped onto Electrum, his attack points are multiplied by the number of monsters you have on the field. And that would be five!" A double-bladed weapon materialized in Electrum's hands.
"That's insane," Mana breathed. "14500 attack points?"
"It's over," Jaden declared. "Now go, Hero Electrum! Seal his fate!" The golden Hero sliced Raviel in half, eliminating the blue demon and the rest of Kagemaru's LifePoints.
"Impossible!" Kagemaru denied what happened. "The Sacred Beasts can't be defeated!" Uria faded away as well, and Mana felt the pull of energy cease.
Atem let go her wand, and the barrier faded. Mana's head swam. "Are you guys okay?" she asked the Duel Spirits.
"We're fine," Dark Magician Girl told her.
"Good," Mana didn't hear what else her partner had to say. Her legs gave out, and she fell forward, darkness swarming her vision.
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Back at the card shop, the phone rang. "Yugi," the owner recognized the voice on the other end. "Tell me you and the dweebs aren't on some destiny mission again."
"Kaiba, it's not us," he told his friend. The images began returning to the cards. "Whatever it was, I think it's over." All the images returned to normal. Except for the two that hadn't truly gone. "Joey and I will be over in a little bit." He hung up.
"What do you think happened?" his blond friend asked.
He held up the two still-blank cards. "I think the answer is at Duel Academy."
"And now the next generation is finding trouble we though only we could."
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Atem reached for Mana when she collapsed, her wand clattered to the ground, but it was everything he could do to keep himself standing. Fighting the Sacred Beasts like they did took power they weren't used to expending. Syrus and Chumley caught Mana as she fell. When Atem stumbled, Zane and Atticus steadied him. "We got you, buddy," Atticus said.
"Thanks," he said. It was hard to believe just a few weeks ago their roles had been reversed.
"Are you two all right?" Sheppard asked.
Atem glanced to the transparent forms of Black Luster Soldier, Dark Magician, and Dark Magician Girl. "We'll be okay," he told the chancellor. "I don't recommend fighting the Sacred Beasts in a battle of wills."
In the arena, Kagemaru knelt in defeat, energy surging away from him. The color in his hair faded to white, and the flesh he built up in the duel shriveled away. "It's true," he said. "I'm an old man wanting simply what every old man wants: to be young again. And harnessing the power of those Sacred Beasts was the only way I found to do it."
"Yeah, and to take over the world," Jaden stood over the defeated old man.
"Can't you forgive a decrepit old soul for his delusions of grandeur?" Kagemaru clung to the Slifer, struggling to stay upright.
"Yeah, I guess," Jaden said. "But don't you see, old-time? Stealing power from something or someone isn't any way to feel alive again. You've got to find the strength in yourself.
"I can't," Kagemaru looked down. "It's too late for that."
"It's never too late," Jaden pulled the old man up. "Come on. Try and get up."
Pushing off the Slifer, Kagemaru managed to get to his feet, standing on shaking legs. "Hey look! I'm standing!" he grinned. "It might have been our duel! Yes, that's it! All the excitement put the spring back in my step! Thank you!"
"Sure!" Jaden threw his arms around the old man and hugged him tightly. Everyone winced when they heard bones crack.
"Oh no," Alexis said.
Sheppard dialed for a helicopter, and Kagemaru was loaded onto a stretcher and lifted out. "I guess bear hugs and old people don't go so well together," Jaden said.
"Hey, you may have bruised a few of his ribs," Atticus pointed out, "but I bet his heart is all healed up."
"Heh, some bruised ribs?" Chazz scoffed. "He's lucky that's all he got after all he's put us through."
"Later, Kagemaru!" Jaden waved to the departing helicopter.
"Get well soon, I guess!" Syrus added.
"It's over," Sheppard resealed the Sacred Beasts. "And it's going to stay over. From now on, the Sacred Beasts will stay under my guard and my guard alone." The black pedestal sank back into the earth as did the eight Spirit Gates.
"It's sure going to get quiet around here," Syrus commented.
"I wouldn't be too sure," Crowler said. "Next week is the Duel Academy Promotion Exams."
And Graduation for us is right after that. Atem looked to Zane. The end of their era was right around the corner.
1. Writing that duel would have felt forced for this chapter, but I will probably write that interaction as a one-shot at some point. I can see Harrington not quite being ready to give up on Alexis. I'd almost say he's GX's Magnum. Who, if you can't tell, I don't like.
Thanks for reading! And sorry for taking forever to get this out. On the bright side, this story is officially one year old. When I started this a year ago, I had only a vague idea of what I was doing and had never written fanfiction before. Now I have multiple OCs (two of which had cameos in this chapter), and this is the longest writing project I've done. I had no idea what to expect, and the amount of people reading this never ceases to amaze me. Thank you to everyone who reads, follows, favs, and reviews this. If it weren't for you guys, I'd be a crazy person sitting at home discussing theories with myself. You guys make this worthwhile.