Chapter 25: The History That's Not Written Down
Professor Patty Dise stood in front of the lecture hall with arms akimbo. What little Matt knew about her came from online ratings for Duel Academy professors. In Pr. Dise's case, she was a no-nonsense teacher who "could be your best friend as long as you followed her rules". That was weird to read about a teacher. Who wanted one of them as your best friend? A smaller portion of reviewers said she was a hard-ass who graded too harshly and didn't understand what it's like to actually duel. That line of thinking was understandable, though Matt seriously doubted that any of the professors at Duel Academy could be credibly accused of not understanding what it's like to duel.
On the exact tick of eight o'clock, Pr. Dise asked, "Who remembers the name of the publishing company that produced the original storyline for Yu-Gi-Oh!?"
A dozen hands went up, but Mikey Brittle just blurted out, "Shueisha".
"Hands, Mr. Brittle."
"Yes, ma'am."
She continued quizzing the class. Every question was a short recap of what the students learned during the first week: When did competitive dueling become mainstream? A Slifer answered that question. Who was the first grand champion? A second-year Ra student knew it. Which company holds the licensing rights today? Literally everyone in the class knew that answer. Name at least three media channels apart from playing cards where Yu-Gi-Oh! spun off successfully. A third-year from Obelisk listed off books, television, movies, and video games.
In the first two classes, Matt was disappointed that History and culture of dueling never addressed the existence of Yugi Mutou. The question came up—Matt made sure of that—but Pr. Dise pointed out that historical records could not prove any of the oral histories which fueled the game's vigorous popularity, but they would be covered throughout the semester anyway.
"New question: Who knows what culture is?"
Only the students who already read the textbook raised their hands. Fortunately, Matt was picked first. "It means to maintain in conditions stable for growth." In the corner of his eye, he saw Cary close her eyes as if in pain, Fats smiled brightly, and Jade pressed her hand to her forehead. Overall a pleasing return on a biological definition of the word. "But it can also refer to the collective manifestation of human intellect, or to the customs and social institutions of a particular people."
Pr. Dise furrowed her brow as she nodded. "All correct answers, though maybe leave that first one for Dr. Apple's classes. We're going to discuss how Yu-Gi-Oh! Gaming has developed to influence both entertainment culture and consumer culture. Obviously, the original story publication went beyond its original medium to become an international obsession, starting in Japan. Would anyone care to share how it affected you or your friends growing up?"
Kasumi raised her hand. "It helped me learn to talk to adults. My friends and I would play with our cards instead of playing sports. Some adults were curious what we were doing, and those who already knew the game would ask questions about how we picked our favorite cards. It felt like something that adults understood why it was important. I always loved finding a rare card because some of the adults would buy it from me for maybe two thousand yen, which made me feel like a millionaire." She grinned at that comment.
So did Nick Sims, who sat next to her. Matt wouldn't have cared except that Nick's eye stayed on Kasumi even as the conversation moved around the room.
Jade raised her hand. "London's not Japan, of course, but learning about the value of cards was a big draw for me, too. It was like a basic introduction to investments: Some of them are junk cards, but others are expensive when resold."
Mikey added, "Like buying a pack for three dollars and finding a hundred dollar bill inside."
"Hands, Mr. Brittle." Wow. He stepped out of line twice and she hadn't even punished him yet. What a hard-ass (sarcasm).
"Dueling cards do come with their own economy," said Pr. Dise. "How many of you have seen tables full of teenagers rifling through boxes looking to pawn off their unused cards for money or trade?" Almost everyone had.
Jack raised his hand. "My grade school frowned on selling cards, but they had after school clubs that encouraged us to duel each other. There were a lot of cards donated by volunteers or community members that kids could use to build decks, then they just use dueling to teach us strategy, basic math, and communication skills."
Pr. Dise held out her hand as if praising Jack's comment. "Everything you just described is a huge portion of how dueling changed culture in both North America and Europe. As Ms. Kincaid pointed out, the monetary aspect teaches how money moves through the economy—buying, selling, and investment. But European countries were also drawn to the strategic complexity. While we see international sports to be more common today, the popularity started with dueling: a sport where you don't actually need to be face-to-face to compete."
Bryan raised his hand. "Gambling is prevalent in dueling, too." Suck up, using a piece of his own experience to push the conversation in a darker direction.
"Very true. No matter the country or the activity: If there's money to be made, someone will do it." Pretty grim outlook from a professor, which is why Matt loved it so much. Pr. Dise flung herself straight into the Top 5 teachers at Duel Academy.
Syd had a look of annoyance on her face as she raised her hand. "Did anyone actually come here because they think there's money to be made buying and selling cards?" She looked around the room to see no one drawing attention.
"Fair question, but to what end?" asked Pr. Dise.
"Collecting rare cards doesn't have to mean selling them. Sometimes you want a rare for the honor or the prestige. Look at the god cards, for example." She motioned toward the side of the room where Yul, Gima, Jade, and Mikey sat in their green jackets. "Would any of you sell your cards?"
"We're not allowed," said Mikey.
Again, Pr. Dise said, "Hands, Mr. Brittle."
"Sorry. But we're not. The school owns the cards. We just hold them for now."
Pr. Dise paced toward her lectern. "You've connected us to a key moment in dueling history, and one that had just as much impact on dueling culture as anything else: the pivotal introduction of the Egyptian God Cards. These cards almost defy preexisting notions about gaming. In particular, they are all unique. They were never mass-produced. Any ideas why?"
Syd raised her hand. "To be the ultimate collectible."
Matt raised his hand emphatically, shaking his head. "They're conduits."
"Interesting claim. To what?"
He hesitated for only a beat. It was enough time to wonder whether he should keep Leona Moxley's information to himself. But he couldn't just not answer a direct question. "Imaginary space."
Bryan groaned. "Really?"
"Hands, Mr. Knight." Turning back to Matt, she said, "Some stories do say the god cards can tap into energy from a dimension we can't comprehend. That's one of many stories about the origin of dueling cards as a whole."
Jade raised her hand. "There is something… different, though. What?" She was looking at Mikey, who tried hard to hide the fact that he had been making a face at her. Matt didn't have a good enough angle to see it, so he assumed that Mikey was trying to stop her from divulging secret information. "I'm not saying they're actually magical. Just that it's easy to understand why people think the god cards have mystical properties. They feel ethereal, like it wouldn't be surprising to find out that a piece of a god was actually sealed inside the card."
Matt's eyebrows sprang upward. Clearly he needed to spend more time with Jade if he wanted to know about the god cards. Even the Guard Trio weren't that blunt.
Kai raised a hand. Which was an event all on its own. Like watching a new big bang happen in the middle of the Kazama lecture hall. "What if the god cards were nothing more than another advertisement?" He phrased it like a question, but he asked it matter-of-factly, like it was a foregone conclusion.
"Many believe that," said Pr. Dise. "As the god cards rose to prominence, their power reshaped the very fabric of dueling strategy. Some people revered them and weaved oral histories, tales of duel spirits from another realm. They believed that these spirits were the essence of the gods themselves, transcending the boundaries of our world. Scientifically speaking, I can't definitively say that duel spirits and other worlds don't exist. But there is little evidence. Oral histories like that add a layer of mystique. It reminds us that dueling is more than a game: It's a tradition, a sacred art, shaped by the stories and beliefs passed down through the ages."
Mikey added, "And sometimes you just need new characters to spice up the storyline."
"Hands, Mr. Brittle."
Nick raised his hand. "Why do we study oral history when so much of it sounds made up?" Stupid question, but at least he stopped staring at Kasumi long enough to ask it.
Pr. Dise looked around the room to a half dozen hands. "Mr. Fatu? You have an answer?"
Fats said, "Oral history might be embellished or distorted over time, but my grandma tells me stories all the time as part of our cultural heritage. Our tala le vavau are how we share the importance of conservation and ecology. My village, at least, really emphasized that ecological balance is the most important thing we can do to enrich our lives and that of nature."
"Can you provide an example?"
Looking a bit nervous, Fats said, "The story of Alo and Metotagivale is a little long, but basically, Alo was supposed to build a house for Meto. He needed coral to finish the roof, so he went to Falelatai. Some stuff happens, but a woman Faufau helps him gather coral. When they're sailing back to Meto's island, she sees Faufau and turns Alo to stone in anger. All the coral they gathered fell into the sea, which is why we have so many reefs in Amoa."
"Do you learn any moral lessons from the story?"
"Of course. There's some deception in the story that creates unnecessary problems, so it shows why honesty is best. And it shows us why hospitality and generosity are so important. Plus, hearing stories about how the reef came to exist creates a sense of belonging, like it's part of my own story."
Motioning toward him, Pr. Dise said, "That's why. Oral history is often a primary means of preserving cultural heritage, traditions, and stories through generations. It provides insights into the beliefs, practices, and values of communities that may not be documented in written records."
Matt raised his hand. "What if the oral traditions contradict the story that historians tell?"
Pr. Dise tilted her head. "Oral history can offer alternative perspectives on historical events, for sure. History is written by the winners, as they say. In some cases, written records could be incomplete for various reasons. Oral history can help fill gaps in the historical record by providing firsthand accounts and personal stories that may not have been documented in official records. And telling stories instead of giving lectures adds a human dimension to historical events. Personal narratives, emotions, and anecdotes contribute to a richer understanding of the past, allowing history to be more relatable and engaging for future generations. I assume most of you are familiar with the Hamilton musical?" Heads nodded and hands rose. "Many examples abound in that play. In fact, you could even consider the musical to be an oral history in its own right."
Mikey said, "Historical records are useful to know, but oral history is more fun and colorful."
"Hands, Mr. Brittle. And yes, that's a good synopsis."
While an interesting discussion that actually drew engagement from some of the more withdrawn students, Matt didn't get any wild relevations or epiphanies that he had hoped for. And apparently he didn't hide it well. After class, Bryan asked, "Were you thinking about the Denkard and the Spirit Tree?"
"Basically, yes. World history says that most instances of people seeing ghosts is the result of psychosis. But Leona Moxley and her staff maintain their oral history about the existence of imaginary space. It allows them to assert their own narrative and reclaim their history in defiance of the official records."
"But it's hard to tell what information is worth believing and what's worth ignoring, isn't it?"
"Exactly. That's why at a certain point, you have to stop reading and start doing."
"What does that mean? How do you 'start doing' ghosts and spirits in a plane of existence that doesn't follow the laws of physics."
"Doesn't follow the laws that we know," he corrected. "The god cards are the most likely place to find a connection. I think I'll start with Jade."
Bryan smirked. "Because of her bust size?"
"Why? Is something wrong with her bust?" He tried to look confused, like he couldn't understand Bryan's comment. But he let the facade slip. "She seems most likely to talk about the weirdness and the spiritual aspects."
Trudging through the wooded path, Matt was tired of the complaints. "When does it get warm again?" asked Bryan. He rubbed his arms so vigorously that Matt could hear the fabric rustling even without being able to see it.
He grumbled, "No one forced you to come along. In fact, it'll probably be easier to talk one-on-one."
"I know that's the crowd size you prefer, but don't you think people are more receptive to your particular brand of discourse when you have someone less caustic around?" said Jack.
Matt glanced back long enough to frown. "Why are you here?"
"He's been with us since we left the dorm," said Bryan.
Jack laughed. "I'm so stealthy that he only noticed just now. All that time you and I talked out loud about the stats project was part of the silent ruse."
Bryan said, "No, he knew you were there."
"I really didn't," Matt lied. Of course he knew. How could he not know? Every step Jack took echoed across the island. It wasn't all his fault, of course. The supposed tropical island had invited a layer of snow. Not enough to worry about transporting resources, but enough to give a crispy crunch! each time a foot planted. And enough for leaves to dump a clump of snow on top of passersby whenever the wind shifted.
The Guardhouse still looked like the type of haunted shack a sixteen-year-old would come across right before the guy with the machete shows up, but it was shelter. Bryan pressed the doorbell, then pressed his gloved finger to the camera lens. He thought he was being funny, but he didn't realize there was another camera on top of the door. To see it required Bryan to look up, which he didn't do too often around other people. Matt, on the other hand, was quite accustomed to it.
Lucy was the one to open the door. She wore a padded jacket that was probably super-warm but made her look wide enough to have two of her in there. Smiling brightly, she said, "Hey, guys!" Her expression shifted slightly. "Hey, Matt. I didn't know you'd be here."
"Why did you know they'd be here?" asked Matt. He narrowed his eyes at Bryan. "This wasn't planned, was it?"
"Don't worry about it. We're going to the gym," said Jack.
Matt's eyes grew even narrower. "You're actually going to the gym? Aren't you already required to go tomorrow morning?"
Lucy said, "That's for class. We all decided to be accountabilibuddies. We're going to motivate each other to keep exercising. And Bryan's going to teach me some resistance training."
"I've spent two weeks getting my butt handed to me in area duels. Lucy thought that lifting would be a good way to relieve stress that doesn't involve even more dueling. Plus, you told me I needed to start working out again," said Bryan.
Matt's eyes were practically closed at this point. "I can't believe you left out the part where you and Lucy are going to the gym together."
"Me, too," said Jack, but Matt ignored that.
He turned to face Lucy. "Do you take your shirt off when you exercise?"
Bryan laughed. "No way. It's way too cold for that."
Now Matt's eyes were closed. It was the only way to keep them from rolling out of his head. "You know that question will never be directed to you."
Lucy asked again, "Are you joining us?"
"Tempting, but I prefer to work out in the morning, before class starts." After Bryan asked "You do?", Matt added, "Before these two second-stringers even wake up."
"That's honestly impressive, to stay that disciplined without a buddy," said Lucy. "So why are you here then?"
Matt shivered. "I was looking for Jade. Any chance we can step inside for a few minutes to talk about it?"
"Jade's not here."
"What? I stalked her all the way from class."
Lucy rolled surprisingly well with the joke. "I can't vouch for who you stalked, but she's not here. Unless you think Andy and Jade are interchangeable."
Andy poked his head near the door. "Someone call me?" He had his full body hidden behind the wall with only his head hovering horizontally in the doorway. "Can we close the door yet? You're making it cold inside."
"We're just headed to the gym," said Bryan.
Matt quickly said, "They are. Can I come in for a minute?"
"Sure." His head disappeared from the doorway while Matt walked inside.
Instantly, the shift in temperature improved his mood. Before he shut the door, he said, "Remember to take pictures."
Bryan made a face. "You know you said that loud enough for Lucy to hear you?"
"She's the one I want pictures of. She's allowed to know about it." Then Matt shut the door before waiting to see which, if any, of the three were about the blush. Hopefully they saved all their blushing energy to conserve body heat.
"So what's up?" asked Andy. He folded his arms, probably because the foyer was still mildly chilled by having the door open so long. The fact that he never sat down or invited Matt further into the house resonated.
Matt said, "You're here with Wikolia, aren't you?"
Andy smiled.
"I hope I wasn't intruding on… private time."
"Not during daylight hours," said Wikolia as she poked her head out of Andy's room at the far end of the first floor. She had changed out of her uniform in favor of black leggings and a sweater that read, "It's not pink. It's lightish red." She looped her arm inside of Andy's as she smiled at Matt. "What brings you here?"
Matt hesitated. Again, he had been prepared to talk to one of the Guardians one-on-one about the history of the god cards. He had even made the crack decision to try talking to Andy without Dave and Justin around—even though Jade might be easier. But he wasn't sure whether Wikolia's presence would make the conversation easier or harder. Maybe he could try wording it in a way that made Wikolia equally curious so then they'd team up against Andy?
"I'm taking duel history this semester. One of discussions today was about oral histories—stories passed down but not written into official documents. Some… intense… oral histories related to dueling were passed on while in Italy. I wondered whether you might have been given any…" He hesitated to call it secret. "…extra information when you received The Winged Dragon of Ra."
Andy shook his head. "Mostly training about how it works during a duel." He put on a smirk. "Why? What kind of story were you hoping to hear?"
It was easy to tell that Andy was laughing at him. Matt wasn't mad about the laughing so much as the fact that laughter was meant to cover up a lie. And again, he wasn't mad at Andy. Andy was just following the rules not to share secret information—which meant that the secret was important enough that the professors could convince a bunch of students to keep it. Even Mikey wasn't walking around broadcasting hidden truths.
So maybe Matt needed to be the one to break the truth dam. Ironic, though it was.
"I expect that you were told a story in which the card you hold is actually a conduit that anchors energy from another plane of existence to this one. Maybe it's the energy of a god-like entity, maybe it's actually a legion of spiritual entities melded together. Either way, holding it probably gives you the ability to see spirits that other people can't see."
Andy tried hard to furrow his brow and look confused, but Wikolia didn't have the same practice playing Poker that he did. She went wide-eyed, mouth gaping and ready to start laughing, almost like she knew how close Matt was to the truth with that guess. So maybe Andy didn't keep the secret as close as he was supposed to.
"Sounds like you've read a lot of conspiracy theories about the god cards," said Andy.
"I have. Almost all of them, I'm sure. But that's not related to this conversation. Although I don't have a great deal of evidence yet, I don't believe this one is a conspiracy. For one thing, multiple people would have to know about it, and this particular story doesn't exist online."
Wikolia stared at the side of Andy's face, but he just continued holding that twisted gaze, like a guy torn between telling his girlfriend about his affair or setting his deck on fire. She broke the silence. "What did you hear in Italy?"
"Wait." Andy turned around and waved his hand. He and Wikolia led the way past Dave's room and the faculty advisor's office to find Andy's room in the far corner. Wikolia entered first, then Andy waited until Matt atepped inside before he shut the door.
Andy's room was mostly plain, although decorated with some of the most luxurious furnishings Duel Academy had to offer. His desk was actually made of oak, not like those generic hardwood desks with the oak finish in the Slifer dorm rooms. Not only that, he had a rolling chair in front and a stationary seat on the side, like they intended for two people to sit there sometimes, or like Andy was allowed to appreciate different upholstery settings at different times. Bookshelves on the interior wall were most likely pre-filled considering the ages of the tomes, but they gave the room an infinitely studious vibe. A single lounge chair was the size of a loveseat, colored to match the desk, except for the accent pillows. Matt stroked the arm of the chair and decided the fabric was polypropylene: durable, comfortable, and a lot more expensive than the polyester furniture at Slifer. The queen bed was less surprising since Matt had seen Justin's bedroom. Andy even got to have a fichus and succulents around the exterior walls, just to add color and oxygen. The plants might have been Andy's choice, however, because Justin didn't have any in his room.
"So what's this story you heard?" asked Andy.
Matt smirked. "It doesn't really do much good to lie at this point, even by omission. As soon as we started talking, you brought us to your bedroom, where no one else can overhear. That means you think there's something to overhear. Why not just get it out in the open?"
"You first," said Andy. "What did you hear in Italy that made you so curious about the god cards?"
With a nod, Matt sat down on the loveseat. Wikolia sat down on the bed, but Andy stood beside the desk. Matt started describing what he learned in Italy. "The way I heard it, our universe is paralleled by another one called the Spirit Realm. It's supposedly a combined entity, the source of all life. When someone is born here, their body is imbued with a piece of the Spirit Realm. When we die, the connection is severed so our spirits go back to the Spirit Realm, combining our experiences again with the collective entity."
When he paused, Wikolia said, "That's interesting. Sounds a bit like Heaven from Christianity. So does that make the god cards like Jesus?" She wasn't Christian, so her amusement was understandable.
"A little bit, I suppose. The cards themselves are the anchors for vast amounts of spiritual energy. It's similar to Jesus representing the physical form of 'the Father', where 'the Holy Ghost' is the spiritual energy that connects them. But in real life, a human body wouldn't be able to control the amount of energy that makes up a god. Inanimate objects can be sealed more easily: stone tablets, cards, computers, animatronics, etc."
Andy frowned, then he chuckled. "I get the animatronics joke. But wait. You explained what's going on in your story, but not why: Why would inanimate objects have souls?"
Matt shrugged. "I never really heard anything to say that the cards are connected to spirits, but it's something I've been thinking about. A duel can generate energy that counteracts a spirit's existence. It's how wayward spirits can be forced to merge again with the Spirit Realm. But some of them bear a resemblance to dueling cards. It makes me wonder whether their essence was captured at some point."
"Captured?" asked Wikolia.
"It's an imprecise word right now," said Matt. "I don't have enough information to make a better guess."
Wikolia went on. "So you're guess is… that the god cards represent an ancient effort to capture some powerful mass of energy?"
With a grin, Matt said, "It sounds so fantastical when you word it like that. But yes, I suppose that's currently what I believe."
Wikolia gawked toward Andy. "Andy, that's so very close, isn't it?" As if Matt needed more proof that Andy had already shared his secret information with his girlfriend.
Andy looked uncomfortable. "I guess it's not surprising that someone outside of Duel Academy has a similar story. I mean, it's not all the same, but there's enough similar parts to think maybe there's some truth to it." He sat down in the rolling chair and positioned himself where he could look Matt and Wikolia in the eye with almost the same neck position.
"There is information we hear when we become Guardian Duelers. We're not supposed to repeat it to anybody."
"Except your girlfriend?" asked Matt. Who knows why he thought that moment was the right time to antagonize the person about to break an oath to share information he wanted.
But Wikolia chuckled. "Andy's not where I first heard it. Jim Martel mentioned it one time while I was nearby."
Matt nodded. "Right. He's the one Lucy took Obelisk from, which means he would have heard this information previously. Man, I should have started with him. Probably just have to sneak him one alcoholic beverage to spill everything he's ever heard."
Andy laughed. "Maybe true. But Jim doesn't remember all of it. He's great with tactics and strategy, but he's an average student. So… if I agree to tell you what I'm not supposed to tell you, I want something in return."
"Not a kidney?" He grabbed his lower back defensively.
"No, not a kidney."
"Good. I'd give you one of Bryan's, but it's probably the size of a bowling ball. I'm not sure it would work for you as a backup."
Andy said, "Just help Wikolia with the stats project."
"Stats project?" she asked.
Matt said, "You mean the linear regression project? That's not due until midterms."
With a laugh, Wikolia said, "Then we'll have lots of time to work through it." When she saw Matt's curious expression, she said, "I'm struggling more this semester than I thought I would. But stats will be important in helping me understand social research out there, so I really want to get it. That's one of the things we were talking about when you showed up."
"And this is not one of my best subjects," said Andy.
Matt shrugged. He wasn't eager to agree, even though he had read through the textbook already and felt confident about how to calculate correlation and linear regression by hand if he had to. He just didn't want to tutor people like he did last semester in the study group. He had assumed that everyone who bothered to take Stats II was already smart enough to figure it out themselves.
But Wikolia was easy enough to get along with. "Sure. I can work with her."
Wikolia smiled. "That is the biggest weight off my shoulders."
And right on to Matt's shoulders. "Okay, I didn't say I'm doing the project for you."
"No, I know. Just having a second person to study with who gets it is a big relief, though. Based on what I've heard about you, I'll bet you've already finished the project, haven't you?"
Matt shrank back. "Not yet. This semester has been busier to start than last semester was."
"It's all those duel challenges," said Andy. "You don't even realize how much time they add to your calendar until you start doing them. That's what happens when you have tournament prestige."
"I already know this information. Let's get back to the information I don't know."
Andy nodded. "Right. First, we should probably start with how I won The Winged Dragon of Ra. Right before midterms last year, I finally convinced Dr. Lankford to let me challenge Lana Tao."
"Hang on. Can we do a flashback?" asked Matt.
The senior boy made a face. "What does that mean? I can't remember the exact moves I made or all the cards she had."
Matt shook his head and reached for his phone. "But there's a video, right? Duel Academy always records the major duels at every duel station. If we're going to talk about a duel, let's pull it up."
As he logged in to the duel archive, Andy spun around in his chair to face his laptop. "Okay, that could work. But let's do it on the laptop instead of a phone." It was even quicker for Andy to find the video because the system put every duel he was in closer to the top by default.
The video started with an introduction to the two duelists. Andy skipped past it, offering a verbal description. "So, people always said that Lana was the best Ra wielder who ever came through Duel Academy. She could basically summon Ra on demand, even though it's such a challenging card because it doesn't have guaranteed attack and defense points like Hamon or Wicked Avatar do. But I think she was getting bored of it and that's how I managed to sneak in there."
"You're too modest," said Wikolia. "She was amazing, and you beat her anyway. Her history is only as good as her last duel with Ra, and you won it from her."
Andy blushed. "Yeah, sure. Dr. Lankford sure seemed surprised that I won." He turned to the laptop and started the video.
"Lana had the first turn," said Andy, narrating the video. Lana played Millennium Revelation almost instantly. While an ancient stone slab appeared on the field, an image of the actual card flashed in the corner of the screen so Matt could read the effect: Lana discarded a Divine-Beast monster so she could pull Monster Reborn from her deck. By the time the Duel Disk was ready for her next play, Lana already had Phantom of Chaos (4: 0|0) hovering over the plate so she just had to drop it.
As the amorphous mass swirled onto her field, Matt asked, "Was she always so impatient?"
"Not always. That's why I think she was getting bored. But watch this move. You know how Ra needs Tributes in order to have points? She found a way around that on Turn 1."
Phantom of Chaos was useless on its own, but as an amorphous entity, it could assume the properties of any other monster. Lana banished The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode from her Graveyard so that Phantom of Chaos could copy its effect for the turn. The effect she needed was to send "Ra - Sphere Mode" to the Graveyard so she could summon The Winged Dragon of Ra (10: 4000|4000) to the field with god-level attack and defense points despite the lack of Tributes. The massive dragon always occupied the entire width of the stage, but at least it wasn't truly as bright as the sun.
Lana: 8000 LP, 3 cards
Andy: 8000 LP, 5 cards
"Damn," said Matt. "That was fast. But that's how combos work."
"Don't downplay her skill," said Andy. "That Sphere Mode card is technically not considered a god card, but it's… Never mind. This is where I got super-lucky." He spoke at the same time as his video form enacted the plays. "You've got to hit fast and hard against god cards, so I was running an Eatos OTK. I didn't get any equip cards in my opening hand, but I found all three copies of Guardian Eatos (8: 2500|2000) on the first turn."
Wikolia said, "That's the perfect time to find them because you can Special Summon it as long as there are no monsters in your Graveyard."
"That explains why all three of them joined the field," said Matt. The women resembled identical Native American warriors adorned with the headdress and wings of an eagle. But they weren't as strong as Ra.
When Neo-Spacian Grand Mole (3: 900|300) joined the field, Andy laughed. "I forgot about that. I used a Neo-Spacian to clear the field." The tiny rodent wrapped a drill around its head and then drilled straight through Ra, sending itself and Ra back to the players' hands. "It was perfect, too, because Ra went back to her hand. If I had destroyed it, that stone tablet card would have let her play Monster Reborn to bring it back."
"But instead, you hit her for three direct attacks."
And he set one card face-down.
Lana: 500 LP, 4 cards
Andy: 8000 LP, 2 cards
"Yeah. Really too bad I didn't have even one equip card there. Could have given Eatos another 500 points and ended the duel on the first turn."
Instead, Lana activated Numeron Wall's effect, where she discarded it from her hand to play Numeron Network from her deck. As the field transformed into a corrupted city, Lana also played Numeron Calling.
"Oh, yeah. That's where she covered the field in Numeron Gates. I tried to benefit from it, but she stopped me." Because Lana's Spell meant she was about to Special Summon, Andy discarded Maxx "C" from his hand to draw for each monster she summoned. But Lana discarded Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, negating the draw effect. Lana played Number 1: Numeron Gate Ekom (1: 1000|100), Number 2: Numeron Gate Dve (1: 1000|100), Number 3: Numeron Gate Trini (1: 1000|100), and Number 4: Numeron Gate Catvari (1: 1000|100) without further resistance. Although each took a distinct shape, they all looked like the kind of gatekeepers who would represent dangerous mid-level bosses in a video game.
But the real danger was when Lana played Ancient Chant. Three of her monsters disappeared into the light of the sun dragon, reborn to the field in the traditional way: The Winged Dragon of Ra (10: 3000|300) absorbed the attack and defense points of the monsters used to summon it. She didn't have spare Life Points to use Ra's other effects, so Ra immediately launched at Guardian Eatos (2500). It was only one of Andy's monsters, but the smoldering remains showed that Eatos didn't stand a chance against Ra.
Lana: 500 LP, 2 cards
Andy: 7500 LP, 2 cards
"I remember, I had a Mirror Force. No wait, that was forbidden at the time. Maybe Sakuretsu Armor? Something that would destroy any card that wasn't Ra. But I built my deck around Eatos, so all I needed was any equip card." The screen showed his meaning. He activated Fairy Meteor Crush and equipped it to Eatos, but Guardian Eatos sent the card to the Graveyard. By doing so, she also banished the three Numeron monsters in Lana's Graveyard. Each banishment gave Eatos (+4000) an extra 500 points, making her strong enough to deal the finishing attack to Ra (3000) and to Lana.
Lana: 0 LP, 2 cards
Andy: 7500 LP, 2 cards
Matt nodded at the laptop screen. "That was pretty wild. She summoned Ra against you twice, and you still managed to take her down. All that in spite of the fact that the gods cards are generally indestructible."
Wikolia said, "Yeah. Grand Mole's effect was a nice choice because it doesn't target, which Ra would be immune to. Destruction effects usually don't work, either, so bouncing is one of those loopholes to get around their power."
Andy nodded. "Sometimes I'm still amazed that I won. Especially because the score makes it look like I won easily, but I was actually on edge the whole time. Lana was one of the strongest Guardians ever. You saw it right there: Summoning god cards is like second nature to her."
"I've seen you summon Ra, too."
"Never like she did. She even challenged me back for it one time before the end of the school year. I managed to hang on to it. Dr. Aseel told me one time that the god cards actually pick their owner. So even though Lana was arguably the most skilled player to hold Ra, it still picked me instead."
"Is that the story you're afraid to tell me?"
He laughed. "No, that was just a mantra, like 'all things happen for a reason'. The secret stuff was deeper." He hesitated. "The thing is though… I don't want to be the guy spilling secrets."
"Just to me," said Wikolia, smiling. "What if I tell him?"
"Then it's still obvious it came from me."
Matt made a face. "I can keep a secret."
"From everyone? Even Bryan?"
"Yes!"
"Like what?"
That question caught Matt off guard. "I can't tell you that. Then I would be breaking the secrets that I just told you I could keep."
"It's like leverage," said Andy. "Tell me something that even Bryan doesn't know. If my secret leaks, then yours leaks."
"Why not just kill me instead, Mr. Franklin?" But Matt had a secret in mind that Bryan didn't know—one that was big enough to prove his sincerity about keeping secrets. "You'll keep my secret, too? Even after you graduate?"
"No one will hear it from me," said Andy.
Matt looked to Wikolia. She kept her expression stony as she shook her head. "I don't care about your personal gossip."
"Fine. Something that even Bryan doesn't know? I actually have had sex before."
Andy peered at him for a moment. "Didn't you say it was a girl in Canada?"
Matt laughed. "Did I? Oh, that's right. Melissa Yarbo. The name is made up. The act is not."
"Who was it?"
"I'm still not telling you that." Matt's turn to be expressionless. Or at least consistent. He hoped he was pulling it off. His expression shouldn't give away any extra information.
"Is it someone from Duel Academy?"
"I'm still not telling you that."
Wikolia said, "I believe him. He looks serious. He's cute enough, and the fact that he won't say who it was is just proof that he can keep a secret."
Andy pointed out, "He told me this secret before. I just didn't believe him because he was squirrelly about it."
"That's the best kind of secret-keeping! Everyone has a desire to confess. If you can do it in a way that everyone dismisses what you said? You get to confess and keep the secret at the same time. And even his best friend doesn't know."
"Yeah, Bryan also thought he was lying," said Andy. "Fine. I guess that's good enough. I don't really care who it was with, but Bryan will care relentlessly. If you break my secret, he'll find out about yours."
"Fair enough."
Andy took in a deep breath, then he started to blush. Almost like he was embarrassed to be taking this so seriously, perhaps?
"Remember that everything I'm about to repeat is just what I was told. Most of it sounds imaginary, probably just to make them even more intriguing and make us Guardians feel even more special."
Yep, definitely embarrassed.
He finally started. "Originally, the gods themselves selected three creatures as their living forms, each embodying a unique aspect of their omnipotence. Slifer, born of the skies, represented the limitless potential of the heavens. Obelisk, an indomitable force, embodied the power of the earth. And Ra, the sun god, symbolized the eternal flame of life itself."
Andy pulled The Winged Dragon of Ra from his deck and held it gently. Its shimmering image reflected the sunlight from the window.
"The creation of the Egyptian God Cards was a divine collaboration. When the living gods were ready to leave the human world, they infused stone slabs with their essence, supposedly to allow kings to call upon their power during Shadow Games. However much of it's true, the story is that evil spirits were more prominent back then. Shadow Games were how people fought back, by channeling their own energy into spiritual energy."
Matt nodded. Even though Leona never used the term shadow games, her description of spirits being intangible except when swarmed with duel energy was very similar in concept.
"Over time, these cards were made in the image of those stone slabs, and somehow the divine energy transferred into them. But all that means that the name Guardian Duelers is not because we guard the god cards but because holding the god cards makes us guardians against evil spirits." Andy laughed nervously. "At least, that what's we're told—that they're more than cards: They're conduits to a time when gods walked beside mortals." He placed Ra back inside his deck box. "The continued legacy of the Egyptian God Cards is a testament to the enduring connection between the mortal realm and the divine."
Matt said, "So if I were to put them in cultural context like Pr. Dise described: God cards come with an oral history where they enable humans to connect with divine entities, they hold historical significance as objects that changed duelist culture, and they have symbolic representation as the peak of dueling prowess. Only the best of the best get to have them, maybe directly chosen by the god cards, themselves."
"Maybe," said Andy, looking embarrassed that he even repeated such an outlandish claim. But at least he was fortunate enough to be caught somewhere between fantasy and reality. He believed in their significance while discounting the magical aspect. Though a part of Matt wanted to settle so imply, the thought of giving up there stressed him out. There had to be something more.
Cary had every reason to be thrilled when she read the notifications on her Duel Academy app. Her latest request for an area duel was accepted and scheduled: On Monday, before lunch, she would duel against Lucy Mercer and Obelisk the Tormentor.
I keep wanting to do some actual classroom time, but I inevitably sit in front of the blank page and remember that I don't know anything about teaching card games en masse and that people don't sit down to read lectures. So the lecture ended up being a lot more casual for the sake of storylining than what I'd expect to see in a real classroom. It was also a chance to throw in reminders that not every character is American or Japanese. And I managed to sneak around having a present-day duel by slipping in a so-called flashback. I would love to do the big, grandiose duels that happen in anime, but with a few exceptions, I've decided that realism is what I prefer. So a major player might end up basically defeating herself from time to time.
Thanks again to the readers who contributed OCs god-knows how many years ago. This chapter included the following contributions:
* Jack Hansbury...
* Kai Jackson...SketchyWolf
* Tamah "Fats" Fatu...Vstriker
* Jade Kincaid and Sydney King...TC-For-Short