State of the Meta

by Yung Warrior

A self-insert in which a competitive player from 2016 finds himself warped into the world of GX. Between adjusting his deck to make up for the inverted power creep, making grades, and saving the world, there's much to do, but all good players know how to adapt to their circumstances. SI-OC, 1st Person POV.

71. Reign Man

Chapter 71: Reign Man

(Blade Knight POV)

After Jaden departed the castle, Blade Knight immediately turned to Jinzo and Hank. "Where do you suppose our good king is going in such a hurry?" The knight postulated.

"Hell if I know. Hard to believe that Yubel would just let Jaden leave like that…" Hank stroked his chin, his violet eyes furrowed in thought.

"Heh, indeed…" Jinzo's voice dripped with sarcasm, even through the voice modulator. "Maybe Yubel doesn't wear the pants in that relationship after all. Although I suppose Yubel never wears pants at all, come to think of it." Jinzo risked the mockery, despite the fact that out of all the spirits on the royal council, he was most often the target of Yubel's sadistic whims. He was confident that neither Hank nor Blade Knight would report him.

Ideas rapidly took shape in Blade Knight's mind as well. "Jinzo, put a tail on Jaden, one of the smaller Meda Bats will do. I believe several opportunities have presented themselves, but we must not act rashly. Give the scout his orders, then wait here. Hank, take a squad of fighters – the beasts or beast-warriors are strong, but not smart enough to question orders from you - and watch the vault. If the lion and his friends have learned about the tunnel system, they will most likely try and enter the castle through there. Beyond the obvious risk presented by their evasion of our defenses, they will be even more irksome to deal with if they obtain cards from the vault. If you see them, capture the lion and kill the rest."

"I will go at once." Hank replied and walked off. He was liable to use the tunnels to escape himself, but the accompanying duel spirits would either prevent him from doing so or alert Blade Knight if Hank tried it. Blade Knight could sympathize with Hank's desire to break his chains and take control of his own life…but simultaneously, he could not allow the rogue Ishtar to be another wild card in this scenario. Afterwards, the man could go free, but not at this critical precipice.

After Hank left, Jinzo turned to the knight. "…What are you thinking, Jamie?" The spirit called the lost soul by his old name.

"I'm thinking that Jaden is just the man we need to earn our freedom…and reclaim my true self once more. The boy is powerful, but none too bright…a useful combination of traits, as long as that strength is properly directed. I'll be back soon." Blade Knight strode with a purpose, knowing that with every passing moment, doorways opened and closed. Using his keen senses, he was able to find Yubel in one of the guest bedrooms on the castle's third story. The knight was surprised that Yubel wasn't in the torture chambers – that was usually where she spent her free time.

Opening the door without preamble, Blade Knight was surprised to see Yubel on all fours, determinedly scrubbing at the stone floors with a wet, soapy yellow sponge. He inhaled sharp lemon and pine scents through his helmet – the room was so pristine it seemed to sparkle. Every so often, Yubel would sniff the floor like a crazed gerbil before scouring the surface once again.

"I must say, of all the things I thought you'd be doing in here, I didn't expect this. Have you killed all of the dust bunnies yet?" He found the sight of the mighty demon performing such pedestrian work highly amusing. In the corner was a mop and bucket, along with a variety of sanitation products.

"This is no laughing matter. I am following an order from my king." Yubel didn't even bother looking up at him, instead focusing on a particularly stubborn spot of dirt between two bricks.

"Oh, really? And what is the objective of this royal command?" Blade Knight raised his eyebrows. "Perhaps Jaden is smarter than I thought."

"My lord ordered me to clean this room, and I am not allowed to leave until he returns and re-assigns me to another task." Yubel said.

Blade Knight held back laughter and stepped back into the hallway. Looking both ways, he saw that no one else seemed to be coming, for now. "And why did the good king order you to do this?"

"I can only speculate. He forbade me to ask why. All I can do is trust in him. Jaden will lead us all on the right path, you'll see!" Yubel's voice grew thick with tiresome emotion. "Have you seen him? What is he doing now?"

"She's been in here for hours. Clever, Jaden." Blade Knight shrugged. "He is in the castle, overseeing some of the army's training now." Lying to Yubel carried great risk, for she could sense deception if she truly focused. But for now, she was too busy with cleaning and did not bother reading into Blade Knight's words.

"That is good to hear. He is finally accepting his divine rights, and the responsibility that comes with them. Did he mention when he might come and let me out?" She wheedled.

"No, but then I did not ask. I was not aware of your…current assignment." Blade Knight was smiling wide. "But I will inquire about it the next time I see him. Until then, have a good time! I will be sure to inform him how seriously you take your duties."

"Ok, goodbye for now!" Yubel went to put the sponge back in the bucket before waving at Blade Knight. He closed the door and managed to make it to the second floor before busting out laughing. His wheezing caused some of the duel spirits walking by to look at him strangely, but Blade Knight did not care.

"This is absolutely perfect! If Yubel had succeeded in seducing Jaden…there would be no hope of ever escaping. But now, she is imprisoned and I hold all of the cards. Jaden is in the city, and so is the lion. There is no way that pathetic interloper could possibly stand against our combined powers. Once he is defeated, I will retake my old body and return to the human world through whatever means the lion used to get here in the first place. Then, I will return to my old life at long last…Yubel, you miserable, ignorant creature! Did you really think you could chain me forever?"

Breaking into a run, Blade Knight returned to the feasting hall to find Jinzo waiting at the entryway. "The scout is following Jaden now. What were you doing?" The cyborg rasped.

"I wanted to keep tabs on Yubel. I assumed she would be in the torture chambers, but you won't believe what she was actually doing." Blade Knight explained, and Jinzo simulated a laugh through his vocoder.

"That is valuable information. Yubel will never disobey an order from the king, regardless of how inane or ridiculous the order is. So, to control the king is to control Yubel." Jinzo surmised, and Blade Knight nodded.

"More than that, to hold the king is to hold dominion over all duel spirits. That's why we're going after him, right now. Come on, let's go!" They remounted and galloped towards the dark city.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

(Jamie Lancaster POV)

I couldn't believe the sheer luck of it. We had spent months, or however long it took time to pass in this strange dimension, searching for any sign of Jaden without success. And now, he was here, alive and whole! I was overjoyed that my mission was (mostly) complete, and to see my friend once again. He wore a black t-shirt, khaki pants, and a pair of sneakers, apparently having lost his penchant for red.

A wide smile erupted on my face. "Jaden! It's great to see you, man! Come on, bring it in!" I went in for a hug – slightly embarrassing, but I really was happy to see him.

"Chill for a second. Where are the others?" Jaden held up a hand, and I eased up. It was an understandable question, but something in the way Jaden said it made me hesitate.

"They're not far, I can go get them. Zane, Aster, Erin, and Jesse are with me. We're a rescue team sent by Kaiba and Pegasus to extract you and Sartorius. Is Sartorius with you?" I half-hoped that Jaden would confirm Sartorius' demise – it would make things much easier.

"Ah, Jesse and Erin are here as well. Sartorius is in the castle. Last I saw him, he seemed to be doing ok." Jaden replied curtly.

Damn! "Ok, we can work with that. We heard from some of the guards at the city gates that you've been named king of this realm, is that true?" It could have been some misdirection from Yubel for all I knew. "You look good, by the way." I added. He looked healthier, taller, more muscular. More than that, the duel energy teemed within him – it was rich, dark, potent. Jaden's hair had grown slightly longer in the time since I last saw him, resembling his season four appearance more closely.

"Huh? Oh, yeah I guess. I don't really get it, but the duel spirits around here seem to think I should be king or something, so I kinda just rolled with it." Jaden shrugged.

"Perfect, that makes our job even easier. Let's link up with our people, grab Sartorius and get the hell out of here." I'd have to decide what to do with Sartorius, but that was a moral dilemma, not a logistical one. I moved towards the back door, where the garden and its secret tunnel awaited.

Jaden frowned. "Don't tell me what to do."

I froze for a second before turning around, standing up straight. "Excuse me?" I said firmly. House Dragonmaid glanced awkwardly between us and took a few steps back as the silence thickened.

"You must think I'm some kind of joke. Ever since the day we've met, you've been lying to me, manipulating me. Did you think the game could last forever? Did you think I would never find out about you, and who you really are?" Jaden clenched a fist. "I've seen everything, and I know the truth."

My eyes widened. Impossible! How could he know? "What truth is that? Has Yubel been whispering in your ear?"

"She has, but I learned the truth from someone else. The real Jamie Lancaster, trapped in the spirit of Blade Knight."

White noise filled my head as my most existential fears were realized. I had always wondered what happened to the original Jamie Lancaster. I had hoped and prayed that he was gone forever, dead or in a place where he could never reach me. But how else would Jaden learn of this? The only other person who knew was Kaiba, and Jaden was out of his reach for the time being. Denial was the most immediate, natural response.

"What the fuck are you talking about, are you crazy? That guy was trying to turn you against me, that's all. Now come on, let's go, before the others get too far ahead-"

"I'm not crazy and I'm not stupid. I fought him, and I verified the truth of his words for myself using my powers. I saw memories that only one person could have. I saw things no one else could possibly know. Do you think I wanted this to be true? I didn't want to believe that someone I considered a trusted friend and comrade could lie to me like you have. You knew my future, and instead of telling me you decided to use that knowledge to help one person and one person only – yourself. Not cool, dude!" Jaden grew angry, and flickers of black flame sparked around him. The tables and chairs in the atrium wobbled as some of Jaden's aura leaked out.

"Jaden, I am your friend. We've fought side-by-side. We've had good times together, all of us. I've never done anything to intentionally hurt or disrespect you, and I never will. When we get home, we'll sit down and I'll tell you what's really going on." I took on a conciliatory tone, although a large part of me grew excited at the prospect of fighting Jaden. Still, I could not afford do that here, in enemy territory, with Yubel and the real Jamie Lancaster skulking about somewhere.

"You don't get it, do you? I am king here, not some helpless child to be guided along the path by someone like you." Jaden replied. "From now on, I'll decide my own destiny. I'll decide for myself if you're telling the truth, because a duel is the means by which people can understand each other. No more words - fight me, Lion of Obelisk!" His aura exploded, jet streaks of energy coursing through the air.

I didn't realize it at first, but my smile had changed to a manic grin, even as I was inwardly panicking at how horribly sideways the mission had just gone. "Fine! I won't back down!" Azure bolts of energy began to coalesce around me until House Dragonmaid stepped between us.

"Woah, woah, woah, what the hell are you two idiots doing? You will not fight in my hotel! Are you kidding me?" She babbled, waving her arms back and forth like an air traffic controller.

Jaden chuckled, remembering his duel against Aster. "Right, sorry. We'll step outside. Come on." He went through the doorway without even checking if I had followed.

"Right behind you." I growled, stepping past the Dragonmaid until she put a hand on my shoulder.

"Jamie, that's the king of all duel spirits! Do you actually think you can win?" She sounded a bit worried, perhaps because my payment wasn't completely processed yet.

"I am aware of his capabilities. Now stand aside." I spat.

"If you do beat him, you'll destabilize this entire country! Yubel's reign of terror will continue! There will be untold suffering, you must think about this! I don't know what sort of squabble you two have, but it's meaningless in the face of -"

"It's not meaningless, but I wouldn't expect you to understand. He's not giving me much choice, anyways. Now stay inside, where it's safe." Of course, if the duel got out of hand, Jaden and I could easily raze this entire city and the surrounding mountain range, so it wouldn't be a great deal safer inside the hotel than outside. But she didn't need to hear that. I brushed her aside and walked without another word. Jaden had withdrawn a duel disk from a pack he had been carrying on his horse, which was tied to a post near the entrance. The morning light had painted the sky a dull blue. The stars and lampposts had gone out, and rumblings of activity could be heard from nearby apartments and businesses. We were going to attract quite a crowd with this fight, which would blow my cover but hopefully take some pressure off the rest of the team as they went through the tunnels.

If Yubel or this "real Jamie" got wind of this fight, I was probably not going to survive…normally, the close proximity to death would be thrilling, but I was not the only one at risk this time. "Jaden, we don't have to do this. Your family misses you, and so do the rest of our friends. If you really want to fight me, we can do it at the academy."

"Another manipulation." Jaden waved away my plea dismissively, contemptuously. "We do this my way."

My anger boiled over. "I've risked everything to help you! I killed people to get here! And this is the thanks I get? You ingrate! How dare you talk to me that way?!" My voice rose from a low growl to a roar.

Jaden stood unflinching in the face of my rage. "I did the same thing to the real Jamie, and he didn't complain, even when I won."

"I'm the real Jamie!" I screamed. I deserved to live, damn it…or did I? "So let me get this straight. We've been fighting nonstop for weeks for your sake and have risked death several times. And now that we've finally found you, you're gonna try to take me down? Are you fucking kidding me?" I was so mad I nearly giggled.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Indeed, Jaden was the most grim I had ever seen him, and I felt my own resolve firm in kind.

"This is betrayal!"

"You've betrayed my trust all this time, so I don't want to hear it. Get ready!"

Sonata appeared beside me. "I've heard everything, Jamie…I'm sorry it's come to this. Do you want me to warn the others?"

"I'm sorry as well. But don't go yet. I'd like your help in this fight. I need all the help I can get, and we can't afford any additional missteps." My brown robes whipped in the wind as I donned my duel disk. Jaden did not have his Slifer Red disk. Instead, he had taken what appeared to be a standard dark gray disk from his castle's armory. Unlike the rounded academy units, Jaden's duel disk was more angular, and activated with a similar motion to the Battle City KC models.

Jaden won the first turn. "My draw! I'll start by playing E - Emergency Call to add an Elemental Hero to my hand. Then, I'll summon Elemental Hero Solid Soldier (1300/1000)!" The warrior's steely metallic plate glinted in the dawn's light. "He lets me bring out another pal from my hand – Elemental Hero Blazeman (1200/1800)!" Conversely, the next hero wore loud orange armor, with torchlight emanating from his palms. "Blazeman lets me add Polymerization to my hand, and you know what comes next!" Jaden raised a hand to the sky, and his two heroes leapt into the air, their forms seeming to merge together in a swirl of violet light.

The light grew hotter and brighter, changing from purple to blue to burning orange. "My heroes fuse to form Elemental Hero Sunrise (2500/2100)!" The masked warrior struck a rather dramatic pose in the air, its vivid red armor accompanied by a rich, flowing cape. I threw up an arm to shield my eyes from the intense glow it emitted.

"And when Sunrise hits the field, I get to call the Miracle Fusion spell to my hand." Jaden raised a hand, and the card simply flew from the deck to his fingers, causing my eyes to widen. Then, with another wave, Jaden shuffled his deck. "Not bad, huh? I told you I'm not the same guy as before."

Although I didn't plan on underestimating Jaden, so far these were the same sorts of plays he would usually make. As I pondered, Jaden went forward with his turn. "Since Solid Soldier was sent from the field to the graveyard through a spell effect, I can activate his other effect, reviving Blazeman!"

"But he's here for a good time, not a long time. Miracle Fusion is gonna merge Blazeman and Solid Soldier one more time for something totally new! Here comes Elemental Hero Flame Wingman – Infernal Rage (2100/1200)!" It was a new monster that I hadn't seen before, although it wore the familiar appearance of Flame Wingman. However, what set it apart from the original was the flames emanating from its draconic arm, and an unmistakable anger on the monster's face. "When Flame Wingman is summoned, I can add a specific spell or trap card from my deck to my hand, as long as it lists the word, 'Favorite' in it." Jaden called the card with telekinesis, and it flew to his fingers with controlled speed before the deck automatically shuffled itself. I thought the condition was odd and tried to think of what cards had that specific word in them, it couldn't have been many. Jaden was obligated to show me that he searched for the equipment spell Favorite Hero. However, he did not play it. "I'll throw down a face-down and end my turn."

The two Elemental Hero fusions gazed down at me from above, their bright red coloring in concert with the rage on their faces. Rage turned against me…I was their enemy, and their capacity for destruction was to be focused entirely on me in this instance. "Just try and forget about the way it was before…right now, he's just in my way!" "I draw!" Unfortunately, my starting hand was not awash with possibilities…

"I normal summon Aria the Melodious Diva (1600/1200). Then, I'll special summon Canon the Melodious Diva (1400/2000) from my hand since I control another Melodious monster." The girls materialized from thin air and slowly rose into the air, their pink and green auras vivid against the muted violet sky. "Then, I'll overlay my two monsters into Number 41: Bagooska, the Terribly Tired Tapir (2100/2000)!" Summoned in defense mode, the black-furred creature snored through its long snout.

"While Bagooska is in defense mode, all of your monsters will be switched to defense mode as well. Any monster switched to defense will not be able to activate their effects." I explained smugly as Bagooska took a swig from a nearby bottle of beer and burped. Both of Jaden's heroes fell to one knee, a wave of relaxation seeming to wash over them.

"Darn…that means I'm gonna need to special summon my guys in defense mode if I wanna use their effects. But then I can't attack you!" Jaden grit his teeth in frustration.

"Yes, that's the idea. Quite a predicament!" For a moment, I could smile as though this were a friendly game between us at school. But the moment passed, and I felt the weight of the situation again. "Jaden, this isn't right, just give it up!"

"You owe me the truth and I'm not gonna go easy on you! End your turn!" Jaden refused to listen to me, and the worst part was that I couldn't entirely blame him.

"I set two and pass." This was only a temporary solution…I needed something that could compete with Jaden's heroes in battle.

Jaden drew, but oddly enough did not seem to like his pickup. "I'll throw down another face-down and end my turn…"

While he didn't like his draw, mine was very opportune. "I activate Raigeki, allowing me to destroy all of your monsters!" I didn't always play the power spell, but it was definitely not a card to overlook. I decided to place it in my deck last night, but I didn't expect I would be using it on Jaden. Calling on duel energy, I raised my right hand high and gathered energy between my fingers, forming a ball of crackling electrical energy. With a hiss, I held my palm forward and fired the lightning directly at Jaden's field, the concentrated beam melting through both of the monsters on collision.

"Shoot, I forgot Jamie plays stuff like that…" Jaden cursed.

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough follow-up to secure the game. "I switch Bagooska to attack mode." Bagooska rubbed his tired eyes with a groan as he was forced to actually do something. "Now that he's in attack mode, his previous effect no longer applies. Instead, you no longer can target or destroy him with card effects. Now, attack!"

Bagooska lumbered over to Jaden and prepared a telegraphed, but powerful swing at him, leaving the Slifer Red plenty of time to reveal his quick-play spell. "I'll use the Flute of Summoning Kuriboh to summon Winged Kuriboh (300/200) to the field in defense mode!" The pleasant melody of the flute was accompanied by Kuriboh's soft purrs, purrs cut short by my monster's clumsy punch.

"Thanks, pal…" Jaden breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's the matter, Jaden? Afraid of a little damage?" I was ok with forcing him to use resources. My green eyes glittered, trying to get a bead on the opponent.

"Don't worry about me, Jamie…I mean, whoever you are!" Jaden caught himself, referring to me by that name out of habit.

"You'll feel that damage soon enough. When that happens, just remember that you started this fight."

"No, you started it. Way back in the beginning, when you first tried to maneuver me like a chess piece. I draw!" Jaden winced, as it appeared he would be forced to eat his words. "I activate the spell A Hero Lives, paying half of my life points to summon an Elemental Hero from my deck! Come out, Elemental Hero Stratos (1800/300)!" The familiar blue hero soared in on turbine wings. "I'll use his effect to bring another hero to my hand." Jaden's black aura contracted as he paid a hefty cost to summon directly from the deck." (Jamie 4000/Jaden 2000)

"Then, I'll use the spell card Legacy of a Hero! This returns two Hero fusion monsters from my graveyard back to the extra deck in order to draw three cards!" Jaden called back his Flame Wingman and his Sunrise in order to replenish his hand. "I'll fuse again, using Polymerization to fuse Stratos on the field with Elemental Hero Liquid Soldier in my hand to summon Elemental Hero Absolute Zero (2500/2100)!" Another reliable weapon in Jaden's arsenal, the white-cloaked warrior skated on ice that formed instantly beneath his feet, his cape flaring out. "Absolute Zero, put that Tired Tapir to sleep permanently!" Jaden cracked a smile as his hero froze my monster neatly into a block of ice before shattering it with a tap.

"Argh!" I felt the blow as if I had been punched in the face. Jaden set another card and ended his turn there. The sudden temperature shift caused by Jaden's attack had caused the cobblestone pavement to buckle with a loud crack, the sound reverberating through the morning air. (Jamie 3600/Jaden 2000)

I looked around and saw that we had begun to attract a crowd. The Dragonmaids had all stepped out to observe the fight and were watching beneath the canopy overlooking the hotel's entryway, but on the other side of the street duel spirits started to congregate in groups of two and three. In the front, I saw a Meda Bat spirit leering at me with its single eyeball. It reminded me of my duel against Kagemaru, a duel I would not have been able to win without Jaden's help…

"The king is fighting!" A Magician of Faith spirit spouted breathlessly, leaning over to a Dunames Dark Witch spirit and whispering hurriedly. By them were some Nemeses monsters, a few Resonators, and some Performapals…Performapals? Sonata was right, Pendulum monsters must be around here after all. Perhaps the rest of my party might find some in the castle…I was out of luck in that regard.

"Who is that? I do not recognize the king's opponent." Dunames Dark Witch questioned.

"His energy is not that of a spirit's…it is like the king's, another human." Dark Resonator tittered.

"Sire, is this an enemy of the crown? If so, it is our duty to assist you in battle however we can." A Battle Steer stepped forward with self-important swagger - I instantly felt a hunger for steak, but wouldn't be able to fulfill it at this moment.

"Relax, you guys. This is…personal. Just keep walking." Jaden tried to wave them away, but it was clear none of them were going to go back to their daily errands when their overlord was battling in the city streets.

"They don't seem to be obeying the royal directive." I drawled at them with empty confidence.

Magician of Faith regarded me cautiously. "My lord, who is this man?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out myself." Jaden said. "I won't order any of you to leave, but you should do everything you can to stay safe." Turning to me, he said, "I don't know about you, but I'm finished with my warm-up."

"Good - if you were going to stay at that level, you'd have no hope. I draw." As I considered my next move, I glanced around at the duel spirits, who regarded Jaden with nothing short of admiration and praise…and towards me, disdain and suspicion. Even if I won this duel and subdued Jaden, there was nothing stopping this growing mob from tearing me apart afterwards for assaulting the royal personage or whatever the fuck. "There has to be a way out of this…" I thought with mounting worry. Sonata was still by my side, but what could she do against dozens of other duel spirits? The Dragonmaids wouldn't help me, especially now that I had already paid. What would help was my next draw.

"I activate Ostinato! This spell allows me to fusion summon a Melodious Diva using materials from my deck! I'll send Soprano the Melodious Songstress and Shopina the Melodious Meastra to the graveyard in order to play Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir (1000/2000)!" In a shower of pink glitter and soft piano sounds appeared the waifish fairy, adorned in a magenta dress and ribbons.

"...BAHAHAHAHAHA!" The duel spirits were stunned silent for a moment until they simultaneously burst out in derisive laughter. "Wow, this guy was talking like a badass and then he summons that wimpy looking thing?" Battle Steer chuckled the loudest. At this point, I was used to the mockery, and didn't pay it much mind. You play the cards you're dealt in life, after all.

Jaden knew better than to underestimate what the Melodious Divas could do. Using his now well-honed senses, he reached out with dark tendrils of energy, searching. "These cards are strong, but they do not suit you…they never have. That should have been a clue something was wrong with you…I should have seen it."

"Is there some law that I must play certain cards, ones that fit my personality? I can play whatever cards I want, and there's nothing you can do about it." My fingers coiled into a fist - again and again, I am challenged on this matter, endlessly.

"It is natural for duelists to select cards which suit their true natures…to do otherwise requires a fundamentally different view on what this game is." Jaden nodded seemingly to himself in understanding.

"You're the ones who shackle yourselves with arbitrary limitations and rules, not me. I piss on your rules!" I snarled.

"They're not my rules. I support people playing this game however they want. But looking back, it was always a sign that you were different from the others." Jaden looked at me differently than before, and his gaze unsettled me.

"Good! I'm glad! I could care less what you, or anyone else thinks of me."

Jaden laughed. "That's what you want people to think of you. Your bravado has always been paper thin in that respect. But I guess I shouldn't worry about that when you're looking to end this game in the next attack."

"That's right. Bloom Diva's effect will burn you for 2500 points of damage once she makes contact with your Absolute Zero. You better do something! Bloom Diva, sing him to sleep!" She rushed towards Absolute Zero, her serene smile seeming threatening in this context.

"I'll stop your attack with Hero Barrier!" A wall of electricity stood between my diva and Jaden's hero, causing her to circle around to my side once again. Grunting in frustration, I ended my turn.

Drawing again, Jaden smiled. "I play Mirage of Nightmare! During your standby phase, this lets me draw until I have four cards in my hand. But I'm gonna have to discard my hand during my next standby phase. Then, I'll set a monster and end my turn."

"He must have a way to get rid of Mirage of Nightmare to avoid its downside, he always does." I frowned. As I drew, Jaden also picked up additional cards. Nevertheless, I had the game in hand, all I needed was Bloom Diva's attack to connect this time. "I won't waste any time - Bloom Diva attacks!" Her song was free of lyrics, a chilling piano elegy as her ribbons wrapped around Absolute Zero, binding him in place. Amazingly, the attack was going through!

"If you have no response, then this duel is over! Bloom Diva's effect will destroy your monster and deal damage equal to its attack points!" Clenching my fist, the ribbons grew tiger.

"I chain my quick-play spell, Emergency Provisions! By sending other spells and traps on my field to the graveyard, I gain 1000 life points for each one!" Of course he had it…Jaden sent his Mirage of Nightmare to the graveyard, not only saving his life points but ensuring he would keep his hand next turn. (Jamie 3600/Jaden 3000)

Bloom Diva's assault continued, and finally Absolute Zero was mummified by her finery dirge. Jaden was launched off of his feet by a sonic blast from my monster, flying dozens of meters before slamming into the wall of a nearby brick office building with a THWACK! (Jamie 3600/Jaden 500)

"My lord!" Many of the spirits were shocked to see their king seemingly at such a disadvantage, but I knew better…Jaden was at his most dangerous when backed into a corner like this. "How dare you harm the king?!" They turned to me with outrage. I stayed silent, not wanting to agitate the mob even further, although I had a feeling nothing I could say would make any difference.

Jaden was embedded in the brick, taking deep breaths as he weathered the damage. "Heh, you're as strong as ever, Jamie…I don't suppose you're going to tell me your real name, are you? I'll just keep calling you this, for old time's sake."

"That is my name." I stared at him firmly.

"I am disappointed that you aren't strong enough to tell the truth. I used to hold you in high esteem. And all the while, you only viewed me as a cartoon character. I would have joined Obelisk Blue, remember? We talked about it before the battle against Sartorius." With a heave of effort, Jaden freed one of his legs from the wall, then another, and finally dislodged his arms and fell to the ground on one knee. Rising slowly, he stretched his neck from side to side to work out the kinks and brushed dirt from his black shirt.

"I saw what happened, Adam got the video footage, and he's making a shitload of money off of it." I paced from side to side as Jaden slowly picked his cards off the pavement.

"Hehe, of course he is. He might be smarter than both of us." Jaden said, and we both chuckled, sharing our old camaraderie for a moment. "Sartorius tried to kill Adam, but I managed to save him just in time. Tell me, you said your mission was to save Sartorius and I both, right?"

"...Our mission was to bring you both back to the human world, yes."

"I appreciate that you all risked your lives for my sake, although I was never in any danger. But Sartorius? Why would you bother searching for him?" His brown eyes were searching again.

"To face justice. You don't try to blow up the Earth and get to walk away. If not for your efforts, every last human would be space dust right now." It was painful to think that all of our efforts on the ground would have been meaningless if not for Jaden's victory against Sartorius.

"I didn't realize you thought of yourself as a servant of justice. Is that really what this is about? I saw what Sartorius did to your boss. It was the ultimate humiliation, far worse than anything Yugi or Pegasus ever dealt him. Kaiba was made into Sartorius' servant and forced to praise the Lord of Light. Kaiba is a man of pride and a man of violence - is he really content to let the civil justice system decide Sartorius' fate? A life sentence in prison? No, that would not satisfy him." Jaden seemed much smarter than before…what happened to him out here?

"Assume whatever you'd like, but Sartorius is coming back regardless of your approval. Aster won't have it any other way." I dodged the question. "What does Yubel think of Sartorius, by the way?"

Now Jaden seemed uncomfortable. "Sartorius is currently kept under guard, but I haven't seen any signs of mistreatment."

"Really? Yubel has been feeding him cookies and chocolate milk, is that what you'd have me believe?" And yet, it didn't seem like Jaden was lying. Jaden didn't really have it in him to lie. "Jaden, I'm starting to feel like we're both being bamboozled here, but I don't know why…there has to be a better way to get to the bottom of this."

"This way suits me fine. I draw." Jaden closed me off again. "I special summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman (800/1200) to the field. Since he's my only monster, I can draw two more cards." Bubbleman's damnable anime effect was biting me once again, of course of all the cards he gets to keep his anime effect…then again, I have Card of Sanctity in my deck so maybe I shouldn't talk.

"This Elemental Hero stuff isn't working, Jaden. Your monsters are all based around fighting, but nothing can defeat Bloom Diva in battle." I was worried that he had Super Polymerization in his deck somehow, but apart from that I wasn't sure how he could deal with her. Turns out there was another way I wasn't thinking of.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Jamie! I play De-Fusion, letting me send Bloom Diva back to your extra deck! It's my choice whether to summon the fusion materials back to the field, and I choose not to!" Jaden extended his palm, and a swirling portal opened on the ground between us, sucking in Bloom Diva with tendrils of green and orange light. Just like that, my field was empty.

"Next, I'll throw down another face-down and attack directly with Bubbleman!" The blue hero peppered me with shots from his forearm-mounted water gun. It felt like getting hit with water balloons, more embarrassing than painful, especially since the onlookers were laughing at me all the while. (Jamie 2800/Jaden 500)

"That tickled, Jaden." I drew my next card, and didn't have much choice but to go for some damage. "I summon Canon the Melodious Diva (1400/2000) and launch an attack on Bubbleman!" The masked singer wasted no time, spinning at Bubbleman with a pirouette kick.

"I flip over my quick-play spell, Bubble Shuffle! This card lets me sacrifice Bubbleman in order to bring out another hero from my hand! Here comes Elemental Hero Bladedge (2600/2100)!"

Once again, the momentum shifted in Jaden's favor. Bubbleman disappeared in a geyser of sparkling water, bamboozling my monster as she retreated back to my side and knelt in defense mode due to the spell's effect. Soaring from the top of the fountain, Bladedge's golden armor glistened from the moisture. I was increasingly frustrated how Jaden was stifling my efforts with cards that really shouldn't be a problem. I had little choice but to end there.

Jaden drew, and seemed conflicted on what to do with the new card. Ultimately, he decided to go straight into the battle phase much as I did the turn prior. "Bladedge, take that singer off the stage!" Unfurling curved blades from his forearms, Bladedge leapt towards Canon and eviscerated her, the severed limbs a grisly sight until they faded away. Bladedge dealt piercing damage, and I skid back from the glancing blow. Bladedge had cut my left sleeve at the shoulder, making me look like some sort of experimental fashion model. (Jamie 2200/Jaden 500)

"This is ridiculous…but fun." I huffed, beginning to feel the familiar aches and pains of a good fight. "I stand corrected, your heroes are proving versatile as ever. But I've learned new techniques since we've last met, and they're more than enough to put you down! Draw!" The card glowed light blue as I slapped it down on the duel disk. "I normal summon Aleister the Invoker (1000/1000)!"

Accompanied by a runic tetragram of blue light on the ground, Aleister raised his ornate staff high. The hooded, bespectacled sorcerer looked pleased at the amount of potential fusion materials in Jaden's graveyard. "Aleister's effect calls the Invocation fusion spell to my hand. I'll then use that spell to merge Aleister with a material from your grave!" The magic circle grew larger on the ground until it enveloped the entire dueling field, the blue magic power sparking and clashing against Jaden's aura. While I had numerous options, I wanted to swing over Bladedge as well as deal with any future big monsters Jaden might pull out of nowhere. "I'll banish your Stratos and my Aleister to summon Invoked Raidjin (2200/2400)!"

Jaden was shocked as Stratos flew out of his graveyard and merged with my monster - Aleister was clad from head to toe in gray-green armor, his staff growing smaller in one hand while a wand crackling with electric energy appeared in his other hand. "It's weaker than Bladedge, but that's where its effect comes in. A quick effect that can switch a monster to face-down defense position!" I cackled as Raidjin touched its staff and wand together, summoning a gale of wind that flipped Bladedge on its back. From there, Raidjin fired off a bolt of lightning that vaporized the armored hero where it sat, causing Jaden to throw an arm up in surprise.

Smiling, I added, During Main Phase 2, I decided not to use the effect of Invocation to add itself back, as it would potentially interfere with my contingency in case Jaden had a way around Raidjin. "I set a card. Your move…"

"Okay, that's definitely new. Where'd you get those cards?" Jaden asked casually, his childlike curiosity rearing up again.

"Believe it or not, the well of abandoned cards."

"Huh? But those cards are way too good to be left in the well. I definitely didn't find anything like that when I went down there."

"It happened after the blast, the cards down there changed. By the way, do you have any idea why that happened when you dueled Aster? Because I'm stumped."

"It was due to the Gentle Darkness and the Light of Destruction in us…even now, I'm not sure why all of those cards were brought to our world at that time. It appears to be the will of the gods. I don't think I could replicate it, nothing happened when I fought Aster the second time. I was hoping you would know, since you're from a different dimension and all."

"I'm not from a different dimension." I maintained, disappointed that Jaden didn't seem to know how that happened any more than I did. The will of the gods…what tripe! My feeling of being manipulated returned, although this time I dwelled more on cosmic forces than earthly ones…the fucking gods, they want this to happen. They feed on the endless wars that humans wage with these cards…they brought me here to fight, but for what cause? For their amusement? Could I ever know the truth?

"I must know what would happen if the Gentle Darkness touched your heart…." Black smoke seemed to emanate from Jaden's feet, rising around him in spiraling plumes. Jaden closed his eyes, and he opened them again, they shone gold.

A chill raced up my spine. "You have obtained great control over that power…" My eyes were drawn to the sight of a prominent blue streak of light in the sky…a comet.

"And with mastery has come a broadened perspective. All our lives, we were taught that the darkness is merely a wellspring of evil, but that isn't so. It is a fundamental element of life, for humans and spirits. But I'm not quite sure what you are, Jamie, so perhaps it is something you should fear! In my hand, I activate the effect of Evil Hero Adusted Gold (2100/800)!" Briefly, the image of a towering warrior in ridged auric armor appeared, crossing his arms sternly and looking down at me. My face was agape in shock and fear - he had the Evil Heroes and was going to use them to…kill me? "This will search a card that mentions Dark Fusion to my hand…" Jaden's voice had grown deeper, and there was a metallic edge to it that wasn't there before.

"Next, I'll summon Elemental Hero Prisma (1700/1100) to the field!" Jaden's next monster was a humanoid constructed from shiny, reflective gemstone, difficult to look at even in the darkness. "This monster's effect lets me reveal a fusion monster from my extra deck - then, by sending one of that fusion monster's materials to the graveyard, Prisma can take on that monster's name. By revealing Evil Hero Infernal Sniper, I can send Elemental Hero Clayman to the graveyard, and Prisma is now treated as Clayman." Images of the stony warrior appeared on Prisma's various surfaces.

"And now that I have five heroes in the graveyard, I can use the spell card Fifth Hope! This will shuffle five heroes back into my deck so I can draw two cards!" Jaden shuffled back Clayman, Bubbleman, Bladedge, Absolute Zero, and Liquid Soldier in order to fortify his hand.

"And now…I use the power of Dark Fusion!" A pillar of golden energy erupted from Jaden, knocking some of the onlookers on their rear ends and even unbalancing me. Frozen in fear, I still noticed that the Dragonmaids had moved behind me…was this some show of support, or was it simply the best view they could get of the fight?

"I merge together the Sparkman in my hand with the Prisma treated as Clayman on the field to summon Evil Hero Lightning Golem (2400/1500)!" Descending in a cacophony of violet thunder, the hulking beast was a dark reflection of Jaden's Thunder Giant, highly muscular and adorned in bulky raiment.

I hissed, "On summon, I use Invoked Raidjin's effect to switch Lightning Golem to face-down defense position!" Raidjin released a wave of lightning at Jaden's evil hero, only for the golem to swat it away with a backhand, sending the bolt skywards until it fizzled out.

"You must know what Lightning Golem can do if you're trying to stop it so quickly. But you must not have known that Dark Fusion prevents my fusion monsters from being targeted the turn they're summoned. Now, Lightning Golem's effect activates! Once per turn, I can target and destroy one of your monsters. Here's a taste of some real lightning!" Charging a voltic ball overhead between its big palms, Lightning Golem threw the sphere at Raidjin, the attack ripping away the cobblestone on its path. It collided with my monster with an ear-piercing ZAP that made me jolt from the static.

With a punch, Jaden announced, "It's over! Lightning Golem, end this duel!" Rising into the air, Jaden's evil hero fired bolts from its fingertips, raining down hell on me. With jittery fingers, I flipped over my trap card, "I reveal Alpha Summon! This trap lets me summon one of your banished monsters to my field, and in doing so one of my banished monsters will go to your field!" Hastily, I used Jaden's Blazeman as a meatshield, relishing in the sight of the hero soaking up damage from one of its own comrades. Simultaneously, Aleister knelt on Jaden's field in defense mode.

The attack ceased, but the air was thick with ozone, and Jaden appeared blurry to my eyes. "I guess I shouldn't criticize anybody for making a miracle escape…make your move…" Jaden glowered.

I drew silently and thought carefully, prompting Jaden to speak up with, "You don't seem surprised to see Evil Heroes…my character must have used them in your television program at some point."

"It is not so surprising to see people playing different cards. Some people actually play more than one deck in their life, if you can believe that." I snarked, but it felt empty. I was tired.

"I guess you're the one who is always looking at cards in terms of sheer utility…others would judge me for using these cards, because of their appearance and what they represent." Jaden lead on.

"Possibly because they have the word 'Evil' in them? Appearance means a great deal to people, it always has and it always will. They see whatever they wish to see, and not a speck more. Some have the ability to see things more clearly…others lack the capacity to understand, even if they had all the time, resources and energy in the world they could not see beyond themselves." I spoke, wondering what Jaden's point was.

"You're not what you appear to be, and your cards reflect that..misdirection."

"It's not a misdirection. The cards are not who I am. They are not what I believe. I think you could understand, Jaden, if you truly wanted to…but I should meet you halfway first if my words are to have meaning. Yes, I am from a different dimension, one where you and everyone else in the world exist only as a fictional story."

"It is the truth then…you know so much about me, and I know nothing about your true self…that is what unsettles me. But in all this time, you've never used your knowledge to harm me…" Jaden's expression was firm, but not completely closed off.

"You are my friend, Jaden. And I'm sorry I wasn't being forthright with you before." Airing the truth felt like relieving a great weight…it felt wonderful. "Maybe we could grab a cup of coffee and hash it out, huh? What do you say? I don't expect you to trust me, but if you heard my side of the story, it might help you make an informed decision." My expression softened.

"Yeah, I guess we could…" Jaden seemed to deflate. "Maybe there is a better way after all…" I couldn't believe my luck. If Jaden could see things through my eyes, then victory over Yubel, and eventual eradication of Nightshroud and Tragodeia was assured…and more importantly, I wouldn't lose a friend. That would be the greatest victory this day.

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In the castle, Yubel fastidiously kept scrubbing the floors, so focused on her task she did not initially sense the battle between the boys miles away. However, when Jaden began drawing on more of his dark powers to utilize the Evil Heroes, she took keen notice - they were connected by strings spun by fate. They should be of one body, one mind, one soul. In due time, they will be. How could she not notice?

"My king is fighting the lion…yes, everything is proceeding as I have foreseen. I wish I could help him, but he ordered me not to leave this room…I must obey him in everything, that is my duty." She muttered to herself. And yet, she remembered her lover's battle against Kagemaru, the fool chasing immortality. "I could send him my energy from far away then, and we are much closer now…if I could provide some help from this room, I'll still technically be obeying my orders. See, Jaden? I can be good!" She smiled wide, laying down the sponge and clasping her hands, wrinkled from the water and soap, together. Concentrating, she focused on his mind, transmitting her duel energy to supplement his reserves. Her power was supported by the thousands of beings she had absorbed over the course of her travels. She supposed Jaden might find the sensation of thousands of screaming souls to be a bit overwhelming, but she had to help somehow!

"Please accept this humble gift, my lord…"

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(Jamie Lancaster POV)

The duel spirits around us seemed disappointed. "What? They're just talking it out without finishing the duel? Lame-o!" Battle Steer heckled.

"Do not speak so hastily. If this miscreant is in fact an old friend of the king's, he may rise quickly in the court." Nemeses Corridor postulated.

"I gotta say, Jamie, I'm glad you two are starting to see sense. I was worried about you both…" Sonata appeared, green eyes watery. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to interfere with your strategizing.

"No worries." Even if Sonata gave her input, I was going to do whatever I was already planning anyways. "I'm glad too. As corny as it sounds, friendship truly is a great treasure." I didn't realize it, but my voice had grown thick with emotion.

"I think this place is finally starting to rub off on you, you softie." Sonata jibed gently.

"I just hope he doesn't expect me to surrender…although I guess I don't have much choice if it means getting through this mob unharmed. Maybe you should head through the tunnel and see if you can catch up with the others, tell them to turn back. There should hopefully still be time to get them and it appears the situation is under control here." I directed, although I felt uncomfortable about her leaving my side.

"Alright Jamie, let's pack it up -" Jaden began to approach me before suddenly falling over with a blood-curdling scream. "ARRGGHH! What the…what is this?!" He shrieked, fingers scrabbling at his face in agony. Above him, I sensed the intrusion - Jaden was receiving energy from someone else. An uncommon technique, mainly used for impromptu healing after a shadow game, not during. Blankets of suffocating, orange heat fell upon Jaden, I could feel it from where I stood. I remembered it from years ago…and my nightmares.

Just like before, Jaden's struggles stopped suddenly, and he rose quickly and quietly, eyes burning teal and orange. I stared at the eyes with hate, hate that was reflected back at me. "I see that you insist on invading your king's body despite your supposed love for him. I must not be smart enough to figure out how that makes sense. At any rate, it's been a while, Yubel.".

"Indeed, and in that time you have unraveled the natural order even further. Synchro, Exceed, Pendulum…these fell arts would never have polluted our universe without your odious presence." Jaden's voice spoke Yubel's words. "I cannot face you myself, but I will not pass up this opportunity to end your life while I still can. You will always be a threat to my king, and to this world, always. If only I knew why you were brought here…"

"We may never know…I suspect it's not for the reasons you think. I think the gods merely view us as a source of entertainment. Of course, some people must assign grand destinies to themselves in order to face life. I suppose you don't care that Jaden and I were just about to reach an accord."

"To make accords with you is to build on quicksand…you know nothing of honor, or love, or duty." To see Jaden's face look at me with such acrimony made my heart hurt.

"Why not face me yourself, dutiful servant?"

"My king has ordered me elsewhere, and I am forbidden to leave my current location." Yubel said hesitantly, causing me to laugh.

"If that's true, Jaden probably just wanted you out of the way. You're so clingy that Jaden would have to order you to give him some space. What's more pathetic, the fact that he had to give that order or the fact that you obeyed it?" I laughed louder into the void. I tried to build peace for once, but it turned to ash, and I could feel the claws of death sinking into me. The hope of somehow saving Jaden kept me going a little longer.

"I set one card. Make your move, then. Feel the heartbeats as they count down, and the warm blood coursing through your veins…" Yubel leered.

"Fine!" Unfortunately, my use of Alpha Summon precluded me from using Aleister again since it was on Yubel's field. I would need an excellent draw to get out of this. "I'll use Card of Sanctity in order to let us each draw until we have six cards in hand!" Both of us benefited greatly from the effect, but I hoped to end the game this turn.

As I drew, it seemed fitting to lay eyes on this card at least one more time… "I cast the spell Foolish Burial to send Witch of the Black Forest from my deck to the graveyard. Then, I'll play the Smashing Ground spell to break your Lightning Golem!" As the Evil Hero fell into the pit that suddenly opened beneath his feet, I was glad to have drawn the power spells.

"Finally, I'll banish the dark-attribute Witch and the light-attribute Aria from the grave! Alight, way to the dawn, knight of the morning, Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning (3000/2500)!" The sun had finally risen high enough behind me to send rays of light across the rooftops, casting my frame in silhouette. Above me, the knight raised his sword high, his armor glinting gold like the sun and blue like the sky. Yubel hissed at the intense, warm light that the monster was emanating - it was something different than the gold that Jaden wore.

I felt my power seem to return, a second wind at the sight of the monster. I had always been blessed to discover this card in the real Jamie's room…all this time, I had never truly appreciated how lucky I was. "Thank you for everything, my friend. I hope we will live on to fight several more battles." Speaking to the cards was unlike me, but the gesture was reciprocated - Black Luster Soldier looked surprised that I was addressing him, but acknowledged my words with a smile and a nod. "Now, let's end this! Attack Aleister the Invoker!"

Striding forward majestically, Black Luster Soldier spared Aleister the courtesy of a regretful glance, not wanting to slay one of its allies in my deck. Aleister accepted what must happen with a grim nod, and Black Luster Soldier dutifully lowered the blade anyways. "This is truly the end, Yubel! When Black Luster Soldier destroys a monster by battle, it can strike once again! Now, perish by the sword of the morning!" The Envoy was poised to land a debilitating lunge on Jaden to end the duel…hopefully it would be enough to break the possession.

"In response, I activate my trap card, A Hero Emerges! Now, we shall see what fate truly has in store for you. You must select a random card in my hand, and if it is a monster, it will join the fight. If it is not a monster, I lose…here is your chance!" The way Yubel taunted me made me think that all six of the cards in hand were monsters…all roads lead to my ruin. Not wanting to overthink it, I chose the leftmost card, her rightmost. Sure enough…

"Come to the field, Elemental Hero Avian (1000/1000)." The monster was familiar, the first one Jaden summoned…on-screen, anyways. Avian was no match for Black Luster Soldier and soon found its feathers clipped. However, there was nothing else I could do to press for the game - Yubel would have another turn.

"I'll set one and pass…" I felt white noise rushing by my ears…the end was not far away.

"How unfortunate that you chose poorly. In a battle between us, the gods will always favor me, along with my king, over an upjumped nobody like you. Draw." Upon seeing the card, Yubel erupted into throes of low-pitched laughter, causing the confused duel spirits to slowly take steps back.

"I activate the magic of Dark Calling! This will summon an Evil Hero by banishing materials from my hand or graveyard!" Flares of magma coursed behind Yubel, similarly casting Jaden's body into silhouette while the eyes burned into me. "I banish Avian from the grave and Burstinatrix from the hand to summon Evil Hero Inferno Wing (2100/1200)!"

Bursting from an edifice of igneous black rock, Inferno Wing extended rich, feathery wings. Bearing vague resemblance to Flame Wingman, this monster was a woman with spiky green hair, a visor that obscured most of her face but for purple-glossed lips, and thick, ugly hands with four claws apiece.

"That's not enough to beat me!" I roared, Black Luster Soldier standing firm with sword raised in a horizontal block.

"Then, I'll activate the field spell Supreme King's Castle!" Oddly enough, the field did not change as we weren't that far away from the castle, a decent distance but still in the same town. "When any of my fiends battle, I can send an Evil Hero from the deck to the graveyard in order to boost my attacking monster's battle power by 200 for each level of the monster sent!"

My eyes widened and I knew I was in for a beatdown. Yubel was exultant, as her long-awaited chance to destroy a rival to the king was about to be realized. "I send the level seven Evil Hero Malicious Edge to the graveyard to raise Inferno Wing's attack points to 3500! And when it destroys your monster, you'll take damage equal to its attack points! Now, you will suffer as I have suffered - die!"

Inferno Wing rushed towards me, moving so quickly she blurred through the air in a straight line of orange fire. My Black Luster Soldier attempted to defend, positioning his sword with a horizontal block, but it was no use - Inferno Wing ripped him in half and burned both sides of my monster to a crisp.

A heartbeat later, my world went red as Inferno Wing collided with me, the blow launching me off my feet and knocking the wind from my lungs. I realized that she was holding onto me, taking me higher and higher into the air until the city was a gray speck below, surrounded by endless swathes of desert. A massive pillar of flame was trailing behind Jaden's monster, a bright tower of light that could be seen for leagues around. The wind howled by me - I was helpless to move in the monster's grasp, and I had no breath to scream with even as the flames engulfed me.

For a moment, Inferno Wing disappeared, and I was left to tumble through the air, flailing as my life flashed before my eyes. A second passed, and Inferno Wing crashed into me from the other side, and I let out a wordless gasp of agony. Then, she disappeared again, only to take another pass at me from a different angle. Again and again, she flew circles around me, seeming to strike me from every direction at once. I was hit dozens of times - the creature's assault was relentless and seemingly unending. From below, the streaks of flame formed an intricate criss-cross pattern in the sky before finally, Inferno Wing struck me from above and sent me crashing down to the ground. Using every last ounce of duel energy I had along with what assistance Sonata could provide, I was able to survive the piledriver, which left me at the bottom of a ten-meter deep crater in the middle of the city streets.

Standing tall, Jaden's Evil Hero let her wings unfurl to their full length as she stood proudly over my scorched carcass. Taking a moment to revel in her work, Inferno Wing's lips quivered upwards in satisfaction before she flew out of the crater and back to her master's side. Yubel stood at the precipice of the pit, expression happy and satisfied. With a fluid leap she lowered herself down, slowly walking over to me. My clothes and hair were seared away by the attack - I was naked and covered in burns. The energy hidden within the cards seemed to protect them from any real damage somehow, I didn't understand it. The duel disk was fine as well - perhaps that was Sonata's doing. (Jamie 1700/Jaden-Yubel 500)

The throng of duel spirits looked over the edge of the hole, each silent and rapt with amazement at the display of Jaden and Yubel's power combined. "A great victory, sire, but it appears the enemy is still alive." I vaguely heard Battle Steer's huff over the sound of my ears ringing. "What is to be done with him?"

Jaden-Yubel turned to the spirits with a stony look. "Let this be an example to all who would subvert his majest-" I grabbed her ankle, and she nearly jumped in shock.

"Jaden…if you can hear me…whatever happened to…the duel's not over until the last card is played?" I tried to laugh, but it came out as a pained wheeze. "Isn't that what you used to say? The life points haven't hit zero yet…"

"It is over. Inferno Wing's effect will inflict 3000 points of damage -"

KRRACK!

Again, she tried to speak but was cut off, this time by the ringing crack of a gunshot. With mouth agape in shock, Yubel looked down at Jaden's abdomen and saw a crimson flower blooming from a bullet-shaped hole.

"Counter trap….Barrel Behind the Door…makes you take the effect damage instead of me…" As Jaden was talking, I activated the trap card, and a golden pistol with a cobra design on the handle materialized in my hand. Without hesitation, I pointed and shot. There was no time for emotion or rational thought to impede my action - I was driven by raw instinct, the desperation to cling to life at any cost. (Jamie 1700 / Jaden 0)

Wordlessly, Jaden fell to his knees as the image of Evil Hero Inferno Wing began to fade behind him. Additionally, the presence of Yubel was quickly fading. "I cannot maintain the connection, but my lord will survive…this isn't over, lion…" Vaguely, I sensed the possession end, for what it was worth.

Likewise, the duel spirits were stunned into silence as their king fell over, unconscious. Digging into every reserve I had, I made my way to my feet, the uneven, rocky terrain hard on my soles. I had won the battle, but lost the war - the spirits would tear me to ribbons now, no doubt. But it was worth it, to die after a fight like that…I could understand how Zane felt now.

I looked upon Jaden. He writhed in pain from the gunshot wound I had just inflicted on him along with the other rigors of battle. At that moment, I remembered watching the first episode of Yu-Gi-Oh GX…it was a ridiculous cartoon, but something about it drew me in beyond the fact that I already enjoyed the card game. Jaden's smile and positive attitude were traits I found appealing, if somewhat simplistic, in a protagonist. Jaden always had a fresh-faced, youthful energy to him, and that had been true both as a fictional character and as a person when I met him. If only I could inspire happiness in others, if only I could be a leader, if only I could be resilient to life's challenges with a smile on my face. I had beat the shit out of him and put a bullet in his abdomen. The image of his grin in the first episode flashed in my mind, and was then replaced by the reality - his face now was a rictus of agony as he drew in jagged breath. The satisfaction of the fight subsided, and I felt a profound sense of guilt.

"Don't die, Jaden. You should keep living, even if you hate me. No matter what happens between us from now on, I'll always remember the good times we had together…in some ways, I miss the person I was when we first met. But there's no going back now."

"Jamie…" Sonata whispered, and there was some emotion there I couldn't recognize - was it love, or just worry?

As I stood, I gazed above at the crowd, the sentimentality I felt towards Jaden was burned away by raw hatred. The anger was more comfortable than sadness. "There…there's your king…now who's next?" My knees wobbled…I tried to stand…I had to stand…rivulets of blood ran down my face, and I wore a wide smile.

"What are you waiting for? Come get me!" My shout was hoarse, blood and spittle flying from my lips. At that moment, I wanted one of them to step forward and kill me so the pain would stop - the pain of the body, of the heart. But none of them made a move, and seemed to be frozen in fear. "It wouldn't take much, you cowards…just do it!" I tried to take a step towards them, but realized I couldn't. The world went sideways, and I fell unconscious as well - right next to Jaden.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxxX

"What should we do?" One of the resonators glanced at the other duel spirits - it was rare that they had the chance to take leadership and make such decisions. They were soldiers, followers at heart.

"We will care for them both." House Dragonmaid and the other hotel staff eased themselves into the pit. Alongside Sonata, they performed rudimentary healing spells that would serve to temporarily stabilize the combatants until further aid could be provided.

"Them both? Did you not hear what that Lancaster whelp just said? He's an enemy of the crown!" Battle Steer protested, only to be silenced by a withering look from the Dragonmaids.

"The king would want to keep him alive a little longer, for additional questioning if nothing else. Go about your business, nothing to see here." House Dragonmaid did not know where she had found the courage to address a throng of her fellow spirits so authoritatively, but something in her could not abide seeing Jamie die like a dog in the streets. However, she could not tell if the crowd was truly going to listen to her, for at that moment the throng parted to greet a fleet of horses from the castle, mounted at the front by two of the king's dark council - Jinzo and Blade Knight. The monsters bowed in the presence of two of their superiors, but neither councilor paid them any mind.

"We have arrived too late, the battle is over." Jinzo rasped. Turning to the crowd, he demanded, "Which duelist won?"

An uncomfortable silence ensued, broken once again by the brash Battle Steer. "The king was defeated in battle by the one known as Jamie Lancaster-"

"That is not his name." Blade Knight reflexively interrupted. Upon seeing Blade Knight again, Sonata quickly flew away. She felt guilty about leaving Jamie, but had to warn the others of what happened, and did not want to be captured by Blade Knight for a second time. To her fortune, Blade Knight did not discern her among the dozens of spirits present, and she was able to slip through the front door of the hotel undetected.

"Begging your pardon sir, but what is his name, then?"

"That is our concern, citizen. We shall take the king and this…man…back to the castle at once. The greatest healers in the realm preside there, and there will be no opportunity for this rogue to escape. I have business with him that needs to be settled." Blade Knight dismounted and made his way to the Dragonmaids, who surrounded both boys protectively. "I see you have stabilized both of them. You have my thanks, but let us take it from here. Load these two onto one of our caravans, time is of the essence."

House Dragonmaid's courage paled in the face of Jinzo and Blade Knight - she knew she was no match for either of them, and did not see the purpose of a fight in any case. "Yes, sir, we will do as you command. But you must know…Yubel hijacked the king's consciousness through some black magic, I do not know how. Do you know why?"

"I suspect it was Yubel's fault that the king lost, then…we shall handle this internally, thank you for informing us." Blade Knight vowed to put down the mad dog once he regained his true body. "I must heal the lion for now…he put my body through the wringer."

The crowd eventually dispersed, and both boys were brought back to the dark castle, laid side by side on the gurney as their bodies were repaired…as Jaden and Jamie slept, they dreamt of different lives, in different times…the memories grew further away in the waves of darkness and distance.

A/N

With this chapter, I am putting this story on indefinite hiatus. I'll be marking it as complete for now and updating the summary to reflect this. I thank every reader for their time and attention, particularly the ones who have followed since the beginning, you're the real ones. If you're reading this now you theoretically have read each prior chapter, that's crazy, I hope you found it entertaining. I understand I look foolish for my other author's notes saying I wasn't gonna quit, but I accept this. I may provide an outline of the story's conclusion later on, maybe.

I'm at a different place in my life than I was when I first started writing this story, and the process doesn't speak to me anymore, it's just not fulfilling, it feels like work. I'm interested in doing other things with my time and expanding my horizons. I want to explore other hobbies and ways of expressing my creativity. The right people will understand what I mean. While I may return to writing fanfiction someday it will not be for Yu-Gi-Oh, just the way it is. I still like this card game though, and my DMs are still open for the right people. I'll always be thankful for the phenomenal feedback this story has received every step of the way. This has been a valuable experience that has enriched the fabric of my life these past six years. Farewell for now!