Hello everyone, Raydark and Leengard here, and we both want to thank each and everyone of you for reading our story. I know it's not the best Yu-Gi-Oh series, but it does us good to know that there are those who like it. I hope you'll continue to be patient with us as we continue writing these for everyone to read. We'd also like to thank Eneko95 for her continuous work in being our beta and her patience.

Chapter 18

Initial Order Arc:

Wolf's Broken Path

Evening

Dirt Path

November had arrived at the academy, meaning it was now significantly cooler despite it being in the middle of the ocean. It mostly meant people now were wearing slightly longer shirts under their traditional uniforms, including a small group that was on their way home. After the ordeal with Eugene and learning the truth, the group decided they needed more information. They'd spent most of their free time in the academy library, poring over every book about Duel Monsters history and mythology it had (which was quite a lot), but nothing had come of it.

"Ugh, all that reading made my brain hurt. I can't believe some of you do this for fun," Nick remarked.

"It wasn't so bad, there was quite a few things I didn't know about," Takashi commented.

"If reading's causing you pain, either you're dumber than I originally thought or you're doing it wrong," Barclay said, still reading a book he checked out from the library.

"Hey!"

"Think of it this way; you know how something becomes a total pain when it's an assignment no matter how much you loved it before?" Sera added. "Reading's like that. If no one's making you do it, it counts as fun."

"Say the history nerds," Laura grumbled.

"I'm surprised that we found anything on the Duel Spirit World at all," Atsuko said. "Granted a lot of it was just throwaway references and conspiracy theory bashing, but it's better than nothing."

"And even those were just müll authors trying to be funny." Erhard sighed in annoyance.

"I hope that isn't a bad word," Takashi commented, and everyone laughed.

Soon enough, the group found themselves at the fork leading to the Slifer and Ra dorms as they went their separate paths.

They all continued walking, casually talking about random things to get their minds off of what they read. Though it didn't last long as they heard what sounded like someone yelling.

The group looked around and spotted three Ra students harassing one of their dormmates a few feet away. Two were holding him by the arms, and the other had pulled his victim's shirt over his face.

"God, you're even skinnier than you look!" said the ringleader, and began to hit the unfortunate Slifer in the stomach. "Go ahead and squeal, rat-face, see what it does for you!"

"Nick, hold my book," Barclay said, pushing the tome into his roommate's chest.

"Wha- why me?"

"Because I'm not at risk of getting suspended. Just stay there until I'm done," he answered, then headed towards the other group.

Once he got close enough, Barclay put a seemingly-friendly hand on the ringleader's shoulder. "'Scuse me."

He turned around. "What do you want?"

Then Barclay swept his left leg forward and pushed the Ra to the ground in one quick move.

"Ow! What the hell was that?!" the ringleader gasped.

The other two dropped the Slifer and went straight for Barclay. As far as Nick could tell, all his best friend did was duck and maybe jab someone in the ribs; whatever else had happened, the end result was the offending Ras on the ground, so he decided not to sweat the details. Then the ringleader tried to grab him, but Barclay dodged around and got him in a classic chicken-wing hold.

The rest of the group caught up shortly after that. While Takashi lifted the other two off the ground by their jackets, Erhard and Nick helped their fellow Slifer to his feet.

"You all right?" asked Nick.

The tanned young man pulled his shirt back down with a wince, revealing light blond, almost silvery, hair and striking blue eyes. He had an old red scarf around his neck and a small silver bracelet on one wrist.

"Erhard, have you met Anakin? He knows more about Beast cards than anybody else I've met in Slifer," said Nick.

Erhard smiled politely. "I only wish we could've met in better circumstances."

"Don't worry, I-" Anakin gasped from the pain "-I'll be all right."

"It's odd to see you being caught, Anakin," Atsuko said, looking for something in her bag.

"I was coming back from the woods when they blindsided me," Anakin replied while massaging his sore stomach.

Atsuko pulled out a travel-sized first aid kit, opened the box, and took out an equally tiny icepack. "Here you go," she said, passing it to Anakin. "It's not much, but it should help until we get back."

"Now, about these three," Takashi remarked as the boys looked back to the ra's still in the clutches of their friends.

"You assholes mind explaining what's so funny about this?" Nick asked with a glare.

"Oh, like it's our fault you can't take a joke," the leader retorted, trying (and failing) to loosen Barclay's grip on his arm.

"Forgive me if I don't find beating and mocking another student an acceptable joke," Erhard commented.

"Come on, man, we didn't really mean any of that!" one of the two Takashi was holding said. He struggled uselessly to reach the ground. "I swear we didn't!"

"I see. Well, I guess it's fine then." Barclay's tone and face were almost dangerously neutral.

"See? He gets-" Whatever the ringleader would've said got lost in his howl of pain as Barclay twisted his arm a little harder and put pressure on his elbow. "OH GOD YOU'RE GONNA BREAK IT!"

"Not so funny when it happens to you, eh?" Barclay asked calmly before releasing the Ra student. "Let them go, these jokes are rather dull."

"You sure?" Takashi asked. "Won't they just go report you?"

"If they did, it would only get them in trouble for fighting," Barclay replied, still glaring at the ringleader.

Takashi shrugged and dropped the two he was holding, who scrambled over to the ringleader. The three ran off towards the academy.

"Where'd you learn moves like that?" Anakin asked.

"Our neighbors run a dojo, so I started going there every day after my family moved to Japan," he explained. "I'm surprised I had a chance to use my moves in the real world."

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," Nick remarked.

"How are you feeling?" Atsuko asked Anakin as she put her backpack on.

"Better, thanks to your icepack," he replied. "It'll be fine by tomorrow."

"You sure? We can get Kanoa to come check-"

"I said it's fine!" He handed her the icepack before walking off into the woods with a huff.

"W-what did I do wrong?" Atsuko asked.

"They injured his pride more than anything else," Barclay said. "For now, the only thing we can do about that is just let him be."

"I don't feel right about leaving him alone, though," Nick added.

"Me either, but Barclay's right. He just needs some space, and we need to get back before we accidentally break curfew," Takashi commented as they nodded in agreement.

They began their trek back to the dorm again, all except for Erhard, who kept looking in the direction that Anakin went through. Though he turned around and walked with the others.

Slifer Dorm

Nick/Barclay's Room

After the ordeal, the group entered the dorm and went to their separate rooms, wishing each other a good night.

When they entered, Nick all but slammed himself on his bed, tired from the rough day they had while Barclay laid back with his book still in hand.

"Ugh, whoever said school would be interesting lied," the red-haired teen commented with a yawn.

"School probably seems dull because of the extra insanity we've got to deal with," Barclay replied. "For most people, school's exciting enough on its own. But we've got a 'bigger purpose' to work towards."

"Of course it's a bigger purpose," Gwenhwyfar added as she and Blackwing Master appeared in the room. "The fate of the world lies in the balance."

"See what I mean?" Barclay remarked.

Master only nodded while he stood next to Nick then proceeded to point at him, then swipe his arm on his forehead, and then shrug.

"'Me being tired shouldn't be a big deal' is what you're saying?" the red-haired teen asked.

This earned a nod from the spirit.

"Buddy, you're basically a spirit and you've been hiding this whole time, you don't get to say stuff like that. I bet your hiding place is really comfortable, huh?" Nick added with a chuckle.

"We've been keeping your power masked from those who would seek to take it from you. Plus, we can't just show up whenever we want. If we're seen by others it would only cause you two problems, wouldn't it?" Gwenhwyfar replied. "So it's not like we've just been hanging out in your decks doing nothing."

"Calm down, Gwen," Barclay said, finally closing the book. "They're just joking with each other."

"Now is not the time for jokes." Gwenhwyfar sighed. "Darkness is moving closer now than ever before."

Master tightened his fist before slamming it against his other hand, then pointed outside the window as he held three talons towards them. "So there's three darknesses on the island? I thought you guys couldn't sense the darkness that well?" Nick asked.

"Just the traces of what you've already purified," Gwenhyfar replied. "We can't pinpoint the source of the darkness yet, and there's the foreboding aura that coats the whole island as well…"

"This foreboding aura just because there are members of this Order you mentioned on the island?" Barclay asked. "Or is it more that you're just worrying?"

"The Order is here on the island," Gwenhyfar answered. "They've been actively searching for the Key and the Gate."

With that, both spirits disappeared back to their homes, leaving Nick and Barclay to think on what they said. "Well, least we know we're on the right track. Each time someone has been possessed, it's either been before or after something bad has happened," Nick remarked. "If we can find them before that happens, maybe we can find out who they are."

"By that logic, we should be stalking Anakin right now." Barclay laughed. He glanced over and saw the look on his roommate's face.

"No?"

"You're not funny," Nick deadpanned. Then he smiled to show there weren't any hard feelings. "Though it is nice not to have to worry about lying to our friends anymore."

"They did help cut the research time down significantly," Barclay said. "It would've taken us a few days, at the very least, to get through as much as we did today."

Nick nodded, though soon had a disappointed look on his face as he sighed and looked at Barclay.

"Look, man, I…I just want to apologize for what I said before, about you not trusting the others. I know you care in your own way."

"Ah widnae worry aboot it." Barclay yawned. "Water under the bridge."

"Just like that?" Nick asked with a chuckle.

"Dwelling on the negative's not healthy. Besides, we've got bigger fish ta fry, don't we?"

Nick smiled while shaking his head and thanked Barclay as he decided to take a shower, this time with Barclay joining him as they headed towards the boys' bathhouse.

Main Building

Assembly Hall

The next day was one of interest to everyone since they were all called, from first years to fourth, for an assembly by the Headmistress. Most were unaware of why they were brought, but a few just saw it as an excuse to miss out their first period class. Amongst the muttering, Nick and his friends were sitting with one another, curiously wondering what was going on.

"Boring ass assemblies," Barclay muttered, echoing himself from the first day.

"Some things never change, do they?" Nick chuckled.

"Quiet down everyone," Headmistress Ward called as she walked onto the stage. "I've got a very exciting announcement to make." Slowly the cacophony died down to a murmur and then to silence as the Headmistress waited on stage.

"I just got the finalization notice an hour ago," She began. "Which means I can now tell everyone about the plan that your Academy staff have been organizing for the past few months. Everyone, we are going to have a friendly little competition with some of the students from North Duel Academy."

A few of them muttered at what she meant by it.

"Now we still have a few more issues to work out, but one or a few lucky students will have a chance to duel the students and show the academy how talented our students are. So sharpen your skills and build your decks well."

With that, she declared the assembly over as everyone started walking out of the hall.

While walking back to their class, the group were talking with one another about what they had heard. "I can't believe it… That's a huge duel to be part of," Nick said.

"No kidding. Hell, even Dracul would probably be scared by how many people would be watching," Laura added.

"Hey, you actually got his name right," Takashi noticed, making Laura huff and slightly blush.

"W-wonder how they'll determine who's going to duel," Atsuko asked, looking extremely worried that it could be her. "Either they'll just pick one of the top students out of Obelisk or they'll do some sort of lottery." Barclay shrugged. "Odds are, they'll go with a top Obelisk."

"If the school wants to make a strong showing, then probably," Sera agreed. "But the way the Headmistress was talking, it sounds like they're going with the lottery."

Before Nick could answer, he looked forward to see Anakin a few feet from them, walking with the other students. Though he looked like someone had told him his best friend had died.

"Anakin doesn't look so good," the red-haired teen said.

"Oh no… he must still have problems with bullies," Atsuko said sadly.

"Should we try to cheer him up?" Takashi suggested.

"Not knowing what's bothering him makes it pretty hard to cheer him up," Barclay pointed out. "Could cause more harm than good."

"He might be the type that needs to work it out on their own, too," Sera said. "Laura knows to leave me alone when I'm in a bad mood." Laura chuckled. "Learned that the hard way."

Atsuko still looked worried as they went back to class.

Mid-Afternoon

Dirt Path

After class had let out, most of the students were loitering around campus or heading back to their dorms early for the day due to the assembly.

Anakin, for his part, was relaxing in a patch of tall grass under a tree. If he laid down in it he'd be completely hidden (except from the birds, but he didn't mind them). The trees were just thin enough in this part of the woods for him to have a good view of the sky; today it was clear apart from the occasional cloud. A light breeze rustled the branches above him, adding an extra layer of peace to the area. He treasured every opportunity he got to experience and connect to nature.

Though the peace disappeared when he heard cocky laughter coming towards him. He looked up, and saw three very familiar Ra students' faces.

"Hello again, rat-face," said their leader. "Ready to pick up where we left off?"

"I've done nothing to you or your friends; why do you do this?"

One of the others laughed. "The strong consume the weak, nature boy. That's how it's always been!"

"So if it's survival of the fittest, why not just duel me?" asked Anakin. "Or do you think the only way you can win is by outnumbering and overpowering me?"

The leader scoffed. "We don't have to prove ourselves to a Slacker like you. Our jackets do all that for us and everyone knows it. It's the law of the Academy.

"Now then, let's get back to where we were before."

They started towards the sitting teen, but just as they were about to reach him, they all stopped immediately.

Anakin almost thought they were reconsidering (more likely planning a new way to hurt him), but then he noticed their eyes. All three students' eyes had gone eerily blank. One by one, they hit the ground face-first.

"Dummköpfe stürzen ein," Erhard said darkly.

"Wh-what?" Anakin stammered. "What was that?"

"The kind of power one can only obtain by making certain kinds of deals," Erhard replied, stepping over the unconscious Ra students.

All the tanned teen could do was breath shakily, trying to grasp the situation that happened. Part of him thought back to what his grandfather told him, about evil spirits that can do horrible things to others.

Though he didn't want to believe that his fellow dormmate was one of them.

"A…are they…?"

"Dead? No, though I'm sure they'll think twice about doing this sort of thing. I can tell from your face you'd like that kind of power for yourself. Make a deal with me and I'll grant it."

"A deal with Weesageechak or Coyote?" Anakin muttered.

"We…?" Erhard looked confused for a moment, then shook his head. "Anakin, I'm here to help you. If you agree to the deal I'm offering, you'll be able to prove yourself not just to your friends, but the whole Academy. Of course, some people have to do things the hard way, so if you'd rather continue your little…discussion with the Dummköpfe, I understand."

"…Name your price."

Oh no! Erhard's not their friend! Well… not that much of a shock, revealed that last chapter didn't we? But still! He's now spreading that evil! Is there no one they can trust who transferred in? Is there no one safe from their manipulative power offers? Will Anakin accept or will he turn Erhard down? What evils await our heroes? Turn in next- wait… this isn't a 60's Superhero TV ending… um, please keep reading! Thanks.

Translations:

"Ah widnae worry aboot it." - "I wouldn't worry about it."

"Dummköpfe stürzen ein." - "Fools rush in," literally "Fools are falling."

"Weesageechak "- benevolent trickster in Cree folklore, friend of mankind

"Coyote" - trickster deity in multiple Native American tribes, generally malicious