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.

74. Dawn of the New Millennium

Chapter 74: Dawn of the New Millennium

(Aster Phoenix POV)

He beseeched God first to light his ascent, and then to give him fortitude to face the darkness.

With Sartorius beside him, Aster slowly made each step out of the dungeons, careful not to let his old friend out of sight for fear he would be snatched away in the night, or simply vanish into thin air. Aster's gaze was as steadfast and silver as the moon, the light of destruction shifting the hue of his irises and guiding his vision as he slowly made his way towards the room Yubel was in. Perceiving her energy signature was not difficult once Sartorius described it - it was like imagining how a meal must taste from someone else's words, his sharply attuned senses to duel energy like those of a master chef towards food.

And Yubel's energy was unmistakable indeed, far beyond anyone else's in the castle, beyond most powers that Aster had ever sensed. But that did not give him pause. He knew that someone had to end this scourge before it claimed another life and brought more misery into the world. He had the faith and conviction to see it through, as well as the strength.

Strangely enough, the scent in the air felt…cleaner as he steadily approached the chamber Yubel was dwelling in, easily swatting aside any duel spirit that crossed his path. Aster spared none, putting them down quickly and mercilessly like a force of nature. He expected the air around Yubel to be rancid and thick with filth, but as he paused with Sartorius outside of a wooden door that seemed to lead into a guest bedroom, it seemed like a freshly cleaned suite at a luxury hotel. Taking a breath to steel himself, the silver-haired man opened the door and entered.

He expected many things, but definitely not the sight of Yubel on hands and knees scrubbing away at the stone floors with a sponge and bucket. Her appearance was striking, demonic yet undeniably alluring, body bifurcated precisely down the middle with a shock of white hair on one part of her head and deep purple on the other. She wore no clothes, a female breast and a male pectoral on either side of her chest. Her talons were sharp and pointed, and a third eye roved on her forehead. One blue eye and one orange eye were both alight in devotion.

"Hm?" Yubel paused and turned around at the sudden entrance. They both awkwardly made eye contact. "Who the hell are you? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Aster overcame his startled reaction and remembered the depth of his rage. "Are you Yubel?" He asked slowly, nearly growling.

Smirking, Yubel looked a bit nonplussed as she put the sponge in the soapy pail and stood up, unfurling her bat wings. "I can't remember the last time someone has asked me that. Are you lost, little boy?"

Aster's frown deepened. "Are you responsible for torturing Sartorius?"

Glancing behind him, Yubel saw Sartorius not quite hiding behind the door frame, his expression fearful in such proximity to her once again. "So what if I did?" Pausing, realization dawned on her face. "Wait a second, I know you! I didn't recognize you with that beard on your face. You're that guy always prattling on about destiny or something. And you use heroes too…just like my Jaden."

Aster's white aura exploded, sending the chair near the bedside toppling over. "Answer the question! Did you torture Sartorius or not?!"

Yubel lowered her head and chuckled for a moment before facing Aster again. "Well, I am feeling a little pent up from being stuck in this room for so long. As long as we fight in here, I won't be disobeying my king's orders, technically." Pausing, she finally said "Indeed, I did have my fun with Sartorius."

"RAAAAA!" Aster bellowed at the top of his lungs, the window glass shattering as he powered up. "I won't let you get away with that, you heartless demon! I'll kill you!" A small part of him knew that this was reckless at best, foolish at worst. He had no chance of retreat now - this was the point of no return. For better or worse, Aster was totally dedicated to any goal he set his mind to. And right now, the only objective on his mind was ending Yubel. There was no choice but to succeed or perish. This was when life burned the brightest, when he was the most aware of it. If he was to die here, Aster would die in service to a just cause, out of loyalty and love. That was good enough for him, and this was the duel of his life.

"Such a temper, little boy. Well, I have been bored for a while here. Why don't you show me what you've got…I want to see if you're actually worthy of using those Destiny Heroes you're always yammering on about." Yubel mocked as Aster took the initiative. She slowly flexed and stretched, a duel disk growing on her left arm made seemingly of her own skin, the sight faintly disturbing to Aster and Sartorius. Sartorius considered fleeing, but he couldn't leave Aster. He was as good as dead without his protection, and Yubel would track him down if Aster fell anyways.

"You won't be smiling for long!" Aster roared. "I'll start things off with Destiny Draw, discarding Destiny Hero Celestial from my hand to draw two cards!" He was glad to see the ever-reliable draw card in his opening hand. It was as if his deck realized the depth of his rage, and the intensity of his focus, and rewarded him for it. "I'll follow that up with Allure of Darkness, drawing two cards before banishing the dark-attribute Destiny Hero - Malicious from my hand."

"Then, I normal summon Destiny Hero - Drilldark (1600/1200)!" Aster's first monster was a slim, armored man whose face was fully covered by a hard black mask. One of his forearms was outfitted with a spinning silver drill. "Its effect lets me special summon Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude (1400/1600) from my hand!"

Alongside Drilldark, the bejeweled armor of Aster's next hero glimmered in the low light, its ratty green cape flapping in the winds furling in from the open window. Yubel's three eyes widened as she detected those same white waves of energy sifting from the two Destiny Heroes, identical to the aura of Aster himself. "Cosmic energy…the Light of Destruction's energy…" She felt it within herself, and wondered how it was that Aster could harness the equal and opposite power to her beloved.

More than that, Yubel had never seen those heroes before…Jaden had certainly never played them back in his younger days. It was possible they had been printed during those long, hard years when she was in outer space, but her king did not have them in his deck now. "Curious…where did you get those cards, boy?" She asked.

"My father made them for me, and me alone. They're the Destiny Heroes, and they're one of a kind. No matter where you've gone and what you've seen, you've never faced a power like this before. And you never will again!" Aster could almost feel his mother and father smiling down at him.

"Hmph…no, I don't think so. My sweet Jaden is the only one who deserves to wield hero cards…I will make a gift of these cards to him, after I've had my fun with you." She smirked.

Aster's eyes narrowed in rage. "We'll see about that! I activate Fusion Destiny! This spell sends Destiny Heroes from my deck to the graveyard for a fusion summon!" Aster swiftly retrieved and pitched Destiny Heroes Drawhand, Denier, and a second Malicious, their shadowy apparitions briefly materializing on the field before swirling together, the violet smoke hardening and forming into thick steel. "Come forth, Destiny Hero Dominance (2900/2600)!"

With a thud, the castle walls shook as Aster's dark hero reared up, bearing heavy metal armor and a flat, long sword. Atop its oversized mantle draped a black cape, and the sigil of destiny on its chest burned red like its eyes. "Fusion Destiny ensures that my Dominance is destroyed at the end of the next turn…but I'll make sure that feels like an eternity for you. By banishing my Destiny Hero - Malicious (800/800) from the graveyard, I can summon a third copy from my deck!" With a fanged snarl, Aster's horned, demonic "hero" knelt in defense mode.

"I must say, the looks of your heroes are more to my taste than Jaden's. Perhaps I will simply use these Destiny Heroes myself." Yubel mused, igniting Aster's fury even further. With a mighty effort, he ignored her barbs and refocused, needing to concentrate in order to make his cards work together as best they could.

"Since I control a Destiny Hero, I can revive Destiny Hero - Denier (1100/600) as well!" Aster commanded his next creature rise forth, a man in a violet suit wielding a long, spiked chain as a weapon. His face was partially hidden by a white masquerade mask, and his blonde hair was tightly coiffed. "Upon summon, Denier returns my banished Malicious to the top of the deck." Just like that, Aster had gathered five Destiny Heroes to his side of the field.

"And from there, I'll activate the effect of Dominance! You see, my Destiny Heroes control the flow of time itself, and tip the scales of fortune irreversibly in my favor. As soon as I played my first card, you were already at the mercy of forces far greater than yourself. Dominance will change the order of the five cards at the top of my deck." The five brown backs of those cards appeared on Aster's field, and he reorganized them with a wave of his palm.

"I happen to agree, in a way. Destiny is real. Man's insistence on his own free will is but a futile struggle against the tide. We are who we are. We don't choose who we love, or the depths of talent that lie within us." Yubel glanced towards Sartorius, causing him to quiver. "The only trouble comes when humans mistake their place in the natural order of things…servants who believe themselves entitled to rule are the cause of all the misfortune in the world."

Aster felt faint shame as he realized Yubel's absolutist dogma was not so different from what he himself used to believe, before he had learned more about the world and the variety of perspectives that inhabit it. "I wonder if you'll speak those same words when I prevail!" He responded, cursing himself for the weak reply. "I activate Diamond Dude's effect, revealing the top card of my deck! If it is a normal spell, I can send it to the graveyard and copy its effect next turn."

Aster arranged the top five cards of his deck to ensure that Magical Stone Excavation was atop the pile. Next turn, it would let him retrieve any spell of his choosing from the grave. Best of all, Diamond Dude's effect allowed him to bypass Magical Stone Excavation's normally prohibitive cost.

"And now…merge together, my monsters! Fusion Substitute, combine Malicious and Diamond Dude!" The fresh-smelling air from where Yubel had been cleaning was swiftly replaced by thick, iron-smelling blood mist, a dusky orange glow bursting forth from Aster's duel disk. "Come on, Destiny Hero - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer (2500/2100)!" Its pulsing red wings surrounded the chamber, the grin on its face as sharp as the claws it wielded. Its effect caused the enemy monsters to lose 200 ATK per hero in Aster's graveyard, sapping their will to fight. But Yubel had no reason to worry about that. More important was its effect to destroy two cards on the field every turn, as long as one of Aster's cards was destroyed as well. Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer would revive itself at each standby phase like a phoenix rising from ashes.

This finally got Yubel's attention, and she leaned forward in interest, knowing better than to underestimate the powerful card. "I'll activate my enforcer's effect right now, destroying itself alongside Dominance!" In a sudden conflagration, both fusion monsters burned up.

"You went to all that trouble to summon your fusion monsters only to throw them aside?" Yubel questioned.

"As a matter of fact, I did. That's another difference between my Destiny Heroes and the rest. My monsters gain a second life in the graveyard! When Dominance is destroyed, I can revive three Destiny Heroes! Return to the field, Destiny Hero - Drawhand (1600/1600), Destiny Hero - Denier, and Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude!" Alongside the two he summoned before, Aster's third hero was a man in a warm lavender suit, coat and tie, a scarf trailing from his neck and a fedora topping his head. In his hand glimmered a little pistol, easily obscured within the coat. "When Drawhand is summoned, both of us draw a card." Aster needed the additional resource, and prayed that the extra card didn't benefit Yubel too much.

"My Diamond Dude's effect resets since it left the field and I brought it back. I can look at the top card of my deck a second time!" Aster revealed the normal spell Legacy of a Hero, sending it to the graveyard to use next turn along with Magical Stone Excavation. "Then, I banish Fusion Substitute from my graveyard to return Destiny Hero - Dominance to my extra deck before drawing an additional card."

Suddenly, Aster's Diamond Dude, Denier and Malicious began going up in golden pillars of light, their energy forming a circular moon in the night sky. Silhouetted against the golden disk appeared a broad-shouldered, dark-winged warrior, a long and sharp blade attached to his forearm. "By sacrificing three of my Destiny Heroes, I can bring forth Destiny Hero - Dogma (3400/2400)!"

Although the formidable creature provided him great strength, Aster was even more glad to have his next card, especially from what he knew of his opponent. "Then, I activate the field spell Clock Tower Prison!" The night sky remained the same around them, but the gothic, stark castle faded towards more modern architecture, brick buildings and skyscrapers all around them while a navy blue clock tower loomed behind Aster. "This will count down the remaining moments of your life, demon. All in due time…but before I end my turn, there's one last thing I need to take care of." Aster's eyes gleamed silver as he revealed his next card. "My Destiny Hero - Dark Angel (0/0). If I have three or more Destiny Heroes in my graveyard, I can discard this card to summon it to your field in defense mode."

Flying forth on muted grey wings, the blonde-haired vigilante winked at Yubel as it settled on her side of the field. "While my Dark Angel rests on your field, all of your spell cards will be negated at resolution. That includes any of your fusion spells, so don't even think of using my monster as material." Unbeknownst to Aster, this even included Super Polymerization itself, which only a few cards could stop.

His destructive white aura briefly calming down, Aster growled, "I set two cards face-down and end my turn…" Dogma loomed overhead while the hands of Clock Tower Prison ominously ticked down.

Sartorius hung back, fearful of his torturer, but hope threatened to spark in his mind nonetheless. "Brilliant, Aster. Yubel won't be able to get rid of Dark Angel by battle either without dealing lethal damage to herself. And even if she tries to stall you out, the Clock Tower Prison ensures the long game is in your favor…" Maybe they could get out of this with their lives after all. However, Yubel's expression inspired little confidence.

"My, my. It will be difficult to play without using any spell cards. They make up quite a significant portion of my deck, you see." Yubel clapped her hands mockingly at Aster's efforts.

"That's the idea…" Aster was tense as she drew her first card, ready to jump at the smallest provocation. "And your problems are just beginning! At the standby phase, Dogma will cut your life points in half! Go, divine dividing!"

Yubel laughed as Dogma's silver blade fell upon her, the slice of energy launched from its blade sending her into the wall. (Aster 4000/Yubel 2000)

Before she could recover, Aster pressed on. "Additionally, my Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer and Drawhand return to the field during the standby phase!" As his monsters rose from the grave like the morning sun, the hands of Clock Tower Prison settled at the three o'clock hour, signaling that it had gained one counter. Both players drew again due to Drawhand.

"I can't let up the pressure…if I give her even a moment to breathe, I'll be finished off in an instant!" Aster fretted, a vein in his forehead pulsating with stress. "Next, I reveal my face-down trap, Break The Destiny! By destroying my Destiny Hero Dogma, this card skips your main phase one!" Dogma was crushed by an invisible hand, and Yubel shielded herself with one wing to keep the ensuing red mist off of her.

When she pulled the wing back, Yubel's expression was as calm and relaxed as ever. "Darn, that's really too bad. I was hoping to build my field up before going to my battle phase. Now I won't be able to summon any monsters."

"Yeah, that's kinda what I was going for!" Aster fumed, something in her tone really getting under his skin. He preferred it more when she was outright threatening him.

"Well, I guess I'll just go to main phase two then." Yubel shrugged. "Oh, before I continue playing, I just wanted to confirm something. Your Dark Angel negates my spell cards on resolution, isn't that right?~"

"Um, yeah…" Aster felt a bead of sweat drip down the side of his face as fear grew in him.

"Oh goodie! In that case, my Tribute Doll spell should be just perfect!" She cooed as she revealed the card in her hand. "The cost of this card's activation is to simply tribute one monster on my field. And in doing so, I can special summon a level seven or higher monster from my hand! It can't attack this turn, but since you've already put me in main phase two, I guess it's not a big deal…" As Yubel spoke, Dark Angel was gradually melted down into a pool of black sludge. Rising and animating into the air, the slime reformed into a doppelganger of Yubel herself, down to the individual strands of purple and white hair. "I'll summon myself, Yubel (0/0)."

Aster shivered as the clone fixed him with the same stare as the original, the six eyes gazing upon him like a delectable cut of meat. They stood half-covered in the shadows of the clock tower, their eyes burning through the darkness like the headlamp of an angler fish. "I'll follow that up by normal summoning Samsara D Lotus (0/0)." Blooming inexplicably through the concrete sidewalks of the yard, Yubel's next creature was a wicked, unnatural plant, its pink petals slowly unfolding while the veins of the lilypad beneath pulsed intermittently. It had a mischievous expression on its face, and one of its arms was red and scabrous.

"By sacrificing my Lotus, I can summon forth Spirit of Yubel (0/0) from my deck…" A third vision of the dichotomous demon took the field, this one's body pale and transparent. Its stare burned all the same, however. "Upon summon, Spirit of Yubel will add a card that mentions my name from deck to hand…" She said slowly, enjoying the feeling toying with her opponent.

"Then, I'll cast the magic of Tokusano Shinkyojin, sacrificing my original monster form in order to draw two cards." A circle of runes and glyphs suddenly erupted around Yubel, her grin remaining even as the spell sent her up in smoke.

"And now I'll show you one of my favorite cards…Nightmare Pain!" Upon activation of the continuous spell, long spires of ivy burst forth from the floor, aligning to form a wide cell that enclosing both duelists within it, cutting Aster off from Sartorius. "This spell does many wondrous things, but the first of its effects allow me to destroy a dark monster in my hand or field to add a monster that mentions my name from deck to hand." She smirked, adding Gruesome Grave Squirmer by destroying Spirit of Yubel on the field. The vines were somehow able to constrict around the apparition, squeezing tight enough that she eventually burst in an explosion of purple blood. Just as soon as she was destroyed, though, Spirit of Yubel's effect triggered, summoning the original Yubel from the graveyard. Her corporeal body appeared in sharp relief.

"It's alright…I'm guaranteed a next turn." Aster told himself to stay calm. He still had the opportunity to use Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's effect to destroy one card on both sides of the field. He intended to wait until the end phase, or use it in a chain if Yubel played something that would get rid of his enforcer preemptively.

Baring her fangs, Yubel seemed to briefly hesitate, as if debating whether to draw things out or not. "Unfortunately, this next card of mine is not quite at full power…but soon enough, it will be, and the duel energy generated from our fight will help very much in that objective."

Aster stayed quiet, hoping she would reveal more information by her propensity for chatter. "Yubel needs to generate duel energy for some reason…but why?"

Unfortunately, she did not say more before revealing the card in her hand. "By discarding Gruesome Grave Squirmer, I'll call upon the ultimate fusion spell, far beyond anything in the human world…the power of Super Polymerization!"

Opening her free palm, Yubel manifested a harsh, golden light, the electricity from it unfurling outwards in jagged bolts. The gravity it held was immense, and Aster's feet gripped the pavement as he felt his monsters suddenly being sucked in and swallowed up by the vortex. His Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, Drilldark, and Drawhand swirled together alongside Yubel herself in what was unmistakably a fusion summon. "That can't be! I should have been able to chain my Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's effect!" Aster protested.

"Oh, I'm afraid neither of us can do anything in response to Super Polymerization once it activates!" Yubel laughed as Aster's monsters faded into pure duel energy, golden aura surrounding her monster form's body. "This spell lets me use monsters on both sides of the field as fusion material. And I alone have the ability to use any monster I wish as material…all matter in the universe is mine to play with as I wish!"

On the field above both players suddenly emerged Yubel's fused form in a shower of golden sparkles. Though initially she appeared similar to before, this version of Yubel was much broader and taller than her original form. A writhing tail slithered behind her, and one of her hands was replaced with a draconic maw that unpleasantly reminded Aster of Jaden's Elemental Hero Flame Wingman. "This is the strength that my heart grants me…envelop the world with your eternal devotion, Yubel - The Loving Defender Forever (0/0)!" The air sparked between Aster and Yubel as the fused fiend slowly hovered down to the ground.

A gulf of tense silence ensued before Yubel suddenly broke it, unleashing a torrent of black flames from the dragon's mouth on her arm. The hero duelist screamed as the speed and force of the attack sent him off his feet. "Aster!" Sartorius cried as his friend slammed against the bars of ivy that separated them, the flames burning away the beard he had grown over the past few months.

"The Loving Defender Forever deals 500 points of damage for each fusion material used for its summoning. Since I used three of your monsters alongside myself, you'll lose half of your life, the same as I have." She smirked. (Aster 2000/Yubel 2000)

Aster writhed in agony on the floor. Yubel made sure to imbue as much destructive force in the attack as possible. She grinned as he spasmed, choked cries escaping his lips as his twitching fingers dropped the cards in his hand. It was far worse than any shadow magic he had ever felt before, and he could practically hear the pained souls screaming within Yubel's frame that she had absorbed over the years.

But his focus, his absolute determination to protect what he loved kept Aster grounded, and he was able to pick himself up faster than Yubel expected. When his blurry eyes regained clarity, he saw that Yubel had set two cards. Oddly enough, Spirit of Yubel was back on her field in defense mode as well. "You probably didn't hear me when I said it earlier. I banished Gruesome Grave Squirmer (0/0) from my graveyard to revive Spirit of Yubel." Licking her lips, Yubel rasped, "It's your turn, false hero."

Breathing heavily, Aster realized that his exhausting efforts only served to just barely stave off his demise. If Yubel had access to her main phase one, he would have lost for certain. Steadying his grip, the grey-haired pro drew his next card.

"You can do this, Aster. I know it hurts, but you're stronger than this. I know you are!" Sartorius supported him from behind the walls of ivy, and it was true. Aster had never been one to avoid pain nor embrace it. He viewed it as essential to life as water and air, and judged himself by how much of it he could stand, refusing to be broken, not since that black day in his childhood.

"It's easier to tolerate when you have someone, isn't it? Someone who loves you. And yet, the more we live and love, the more we suffer. It is the true nature of this life we have been cursed to." Yubel intoned, unknowingly echoing some of her adversary's thoughts.

"No…it is only when we rise above that we find the true meaning!" Aster replied with renewed fire. Unfortunately, since his Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer was not destroyed last turn, he didn't have the option to revive it. Aster could have brought back his Drawhand if he so chose, but didn't want to, a plan forming in his keen mind, sharpened and honed through countless nights on the professional circuit.

"That Nightmare Pain card is dangerous…it'll force me to attack her loving defender, which will only reflect the damage back at me. I need to take care of that before I enter the battle phase, or I'm a goner." He thought.

"I…I normal summon Destiny Hero - Dread Servant (400/700)!" The dark warrior possessed the ability to expedite the flow of time, adding a second counter to Clock Tower Prison and setting the hands of the clock at six. "And with my trap card, Eternal Dread, I'll place two more counters on my field spell!"

With four counters and the hands back at midnight, the clock tower's bell sounded, its reverberations almost visible in the cool, still night air. "Now that four counters are on Clock Tower Prison, I no longer take any battle damage." He said, causing Yubel to lean forward in interest.

"And now, I can use one of the two spells I excavated with Diamond Dude last turn! First, I'll copy the effect of Legacy of a Hero! Normally, this card requires me to return two hero fusion monsters back to my extra deck. But Diamond Dude lets me bypass that cost, and I can draw three cards for free!" Aster replenished his resources.

"Then, I'll activate The Warrior Returning Alive! This will add Destiny Hero - Dogma from my graveyard back to my hand. But he won't be there for long. With Polymerization, I'll merge together Destiny Hero - Dogma and Destiny Hero - Plasma in my hand!" Aster had commissioned this card's creation when he learned he would be traveling to the dark dimension, and it had cost quite a pretty penny. But now, it may be the difference between life and death. "Arrive, the final D-Card - Destiny End Dragoon (3000/3000)!" The monster appeared in a mass of hard black and magenta armor, the warlord possessing Dogma's silver blade on one arm, while the other arm held a draconic mouth much like Yubel did, and Flame Wingman as well.

"The final D-Card? So is that the end of your turn? It's rather unfortunate that your monster's effect won't be of much use against me…" Yubel grinned, and it was true. Destiny End Dragoon could target and destroy a face-up monster once per turn and deal damage equal to its attack points. In this case though, Yubel - The Loving Defender Forever could not be destroyed by card effects, and destroying Spirit of Yubel would only replace it with the original. In any case, both had zero attack points, so Dragoon couldn't inflict damage anyways.

"I'm just getting started! I'll now copy the effect of Magical Stone Excavation, which I excavated with Diamond Dude last turn!" Normally, Magical Stone Excavation required the player discard two cards, but just as before, Diamond Dude let Aster bypass the cost, using the effect to add his Fusion Destiny spell from the graveyard to his hand.

"I'll activate Fusion Destiny a second time, sending Destiny Heroes Dreamer, Dasher and Dynatag from my deck to my graveyard in order to summon Destiny Hero - Dominance once more!" The iron titan crashed down on the field again, causing the stone walls to rattle.

"Then, I'll use the effect of Break The Destiny in the graveyard! By banishing it, I can add a spell or trap that mentions a Destiny Hero in its text from deck to hand…" Aster retrieved the cad quickly, then looked over the remaining two cards in his hand. "I'll set two cards face-down. And now that my hand is empty, I can use Destiny Hero - Celestial in the graveyard as well. I can banish it and my Dogma in order to draw two more cards!" With great relief, Aster saw that his next two cards would let him extend much further. He was playing off the top of the deck in a free-flowing way that was unlike him. Perhaps those battles with Jaden, and the voyages with his new sort-of friends in this desert had a greater influence on him than he imagined.

Although Aster wasn't interested in using the pendulum monsters found in the castle's underground vault, he did find a few that piqued his interest, and this was one of them. "Go, Rapid Trigger! This spell will allow me to fusion summon by destroying my monsters on the field!" With two loud, cracking sounds, Aster's Dominance and Dread Servant were suddenly blasted apart, their steel armor fragments gradually pausing in midair before swirling together and reforming. "My Dominance and Dread Servant will merge together. Hero of the utopic twilight, let your light shine brightly through this world of darkness and death! Come on, Destiny Hero - Dusktopia (3000/3000)!"

Donned in golden armor from head to toe, Aster's warrior was clad in a helm emblazoned with the red D symbol of the destiny heroes. Contrails of pixelated white light streamed from its slim figure, forming a protective barrier around Aster and his side of the field. "Since Dominance was destroyed, I can revive three destiny heroes from my graveyard! Return to the field, Drawhand, Diamond Dude, and Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer!"

With that, Aster's field had five heroes on it once more, but he wasn't nearly finished. "More, I need to bring more!" Suffering Yubel's assault last turn drove home that much worse was in store for him if he lost. It wouldn't be a quick death, and that knowledge filled him with a primal desperation that pushed Aster beyond his limits, like a mother lifting a car to save her child trapped beneath. "Beyond that, Dusktopia's effect triggers on its summon, allowing me to fusion summon again! I fuse Drawhand on my field with Destiny Hero - Departed in my hand!"

Next to Dusktopia materialized a dark warrior with similar golden armor, violet orbs of energy swirling in his hands. "Fusion summon, Destiny Hero - Dystopia (2800/2400)!"

Yubel had started to nod off while Aster was proceeding through his plays, finding the whole affair rather dull. However, she was rather forcefully stirred from her reverie as a dark purple blast of energy collided with her midsection, sending the winged demon flying outside one of the castle windows as smoke trailed behind her. "URGH!" With a flap of her wings, Yubel halted her momentum and smoothly returned to the parapet, rubbing her abdomen in mild pain. "Wait, what just happened?" She questioned.

Aster frowned, having to repeat himself. "When Dystopia is summoned, I can deal damage to you equal to the attack points of a level four or lower Destiny Hero in my graveyard. My Drawhand has 1600 attack points, so you took that much damage. Count yourself lucky. If it was a level five or higher, you'd have already lost!" He raged, white flames furling around his feet. (Aster 2000/Yubel 400)

Yubel reared up, smoke still cooling from where the blast had struck her. Her look was more intense and focused now, knowing that she had to take the grey-haired man more seriously. "I see…continue, if you are so sure if yourself."

"I will! First, I'll use Diamond Dude's effect again!" Revealing the top card of his deck, it was yet again a normal spell, this time Doctor D. Aster sent it to the graveyard in case the fight was prolonged another turn, but he didn't want that to happen. "Then, I'll flip over one of the cards I set earlier - the continuous spell D - Force!" A burning orange insignia in the shape of the letter "D" appeared above Aster. "Upon activation, this spell will add Destiny Hero - Plasma from my graveyard to my hand."

At that point, Dystopia, Diamond Dude, and surprisingly Destiny End Dragoon began to melt down into burgundy pools of thick blood, the stench permeating the air around them as steam rose up from the liquid. It contrasted sharply with Aster's clean, white energy. "Now, Yubel…I'll pay you back in blood for all the misery you've caused. I'll wipe this world clean of you with the life force of all things! By tributing three of my monsters, I special summon the unstoppable Destiny Hero - Plasma (1900/600)!"

The moon itself was briefly blotted out in darkness as Aster's ultimate hero, the one he had fought so hard to reclaim from his former caretaker The D, bubbled up from the depths of the blood pool. Its wings flapped outwards, staining the castle stone red as the eyes of its dragon arm glowed.

At first, Yubel was less than impressed. "Wowzers, I've never seen a duelist sacrifice their own fusion monster to summon one of its materials before." However, she was soon silenced by the pressure that Plasma was exerting over her field, the air seeming to vibrate under the strain of some unseen weight.

"That's because few fusion materials are as powerful as my Plasma. While it's on the field, all of your monsters are negated. That means that your monsters are wide open!" Aster raised his coiled fist, and the mark of the "D" burned there. "And not only that, but Plasma is powered up by the souls of our fallen monsters, gaining 100 attack points for each one in both graveyards. None of my cards can be targeted by your card effects, and Plasma cannot be destroyed by card effects. Not only that, but my Plasma can attack twice per turn. But this power comes at a cost, and I cannot draw at the start of my turn so long as D - Force and Plasma are out." Aster explained.

"Not bad." Yubel had to admit, only to be surprised further as Plasma extended its hand towards her.

"Not only that, but I can use my Plasma's ability, equipping it with your loving defender forever!" The fused demonic spirit was absorbed into Plasma's webbed wings, its form initially struggling in the imprisonment only to be fully subsumed within the dark hero's essence. Normally, Plasma would gain half of the absorbed monster's attack power, but in this case, Yubel - The Loving Defender Forever had zero points. Plasma roared proudly alongside Dusktopia and Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, but Aster wasn't satisfied with that, not yet.

He had a crucial decision to make. By keeping Clock Tower Prison on the field, he could protect himself from battle damage, and when he thought of the misery Yubel had visited upon him earlier, a bestial part of Aster would have done anything to avoid that pain again. But he also feared the idea of giving Yubel another turn. From what had been communicated to him from Yugi's battle with her in Egypt, Aster had some vague notion that Yubel could regenerate and evolve into different forms if destroyed. Making up his mind, he realized that he would have to muster up his full power to rip through Yubel's defenses and win this turn. It was his only chance.

"I activate Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's effect, destroying my Clock Tower Prison in order to get rid of your Nightmare Pain!" The tricky spell was bound to trip him up at some point, so Aster was glad to be rid of it. The modern houses, prison yard and clock tower crumbled around both duelists, leaving them atop the dark castle's parapet once again.

"Brave of you." Yubel mockingly congratulated, seemingly reading Aster's every thought.

"When Clock Tower Prison is destroyed, I can release its most dangerous inmate! This is the dreadnought predator, Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster (?/?)!" Bursting forth from the floor, Aster's next monster was a muscled berserker, long black hair trailing from an iron-masked, scarred face. Shattered chains clinked from its handcuffs and foot bindings. "With him on my side, all of my Destiny Heroes are protected from destruction by battle for the rest of the turn, and I take no battle damage from them either. And not only that, but I can summon a Destiny Hero from my graveyard, filling my fifth monster zone. Return, Dominance!"

With that, an oppressive aura weighed upon Yubel as she stared down Aster's five Destiny Heroes. To her left was the golden Dusktopia next to the crimson Plasma. To the right, Dominance and Dreadmaster's steely figures. And in the center, Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's dusky orange wings promised burning vengeance. Dreadmaster gained attack and defense points equal to the combined original attack points of Aster's other heroes. With four powerful creatures alongside it, Dreadmaster's battle power rose to 10,300, among the most powerful forces Yubel had ever witnessed.

"This is for Sartorius, and everyone else you've ever hurt!" Aster roared, entering the battle phase. "Dreadmaster, destroy Spirit of Yubel!" Plasma's negation allowed Dreadmaster to run over the apparition, though Yubel was spared lethal damage due to it being in defense mode. Still, the echoes and aftershocks of Dreadmaster's fists caused even the fearless Yubel to shake.

"When my spirit is destroyed, I can summon my physical form once again!" Yubel cried, hastily summoning her monster spirit to the field in defense mode.

"Plasma, wipe this filth off the battlefield with blood rain!" In a torrent of crimson, Yubel was washed away too, although she didn't stay down for long, rising from the pool of red in her evolved form, twin dragon heads keeling as their golden eyes glowed.

"Since you destroyed my monster form, I can summon Yubel - Terror Incarnate (0/0) from my deck!" Yubel responded, thrust back by the force of Aster's attacks even as she narrowly avoided damage by summoning her beasts in defense mode. Just as soon as it appeared, Terror Incarnate was chewed up by Plasma's dragon arm, the ultimate Destiny Hero given a second attack due to D - Force, reflective of Aster's single minded desire for revenge.

"Grr…Yubel - The Ultimate Nightmare (0/0) follows!" She hastily slapped down meatshields on the field in a desperate bid to stay alive. Even the horrifying form of her level 12 evolution appeared small before Aster's onslaught, his Dusktopia easily carving it apart with its golden blades. And just like that, Yubel was left with no monsters to defend with, while Aster still could attack with Dominance and Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer. She was reeling, her head down and her arms limp as she barely remained standing.

Aster's eyes were as silver and bright as the full moon. "Meet your end, demon! Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, attack directly and end this nightmare for good! Shining Phoenix Strike!" With a triumphant cry, Aster's hero charged forward, flames gathered around its boot as it inexorably raced towards Yubel for the finishing blow.

However, as it approached, its momentum inexplicably slowed, until the enforcer seemed frozen in place, its form straining to strike Yubel. She was only a few meters away, but he just couldn't seem to reach her, somehow.

"Hehe…" Yubel reared her head back up, three eyes staring at Aster. "Oh, what a beautiful moment! After all I've done, the righteous hero is going to make me pay for my wrongdoings…a lovely fantasy, but no, I don't think so." Aster paled as her face-down trap revealed itself. "I'll use Fusion Duplication…this will copy the effect of a fusion card in my graveyard." Slowly, her palms charged with the golden power of Super Polymerization once again. With a wave of her hands, Yubel mashed together Aster's Plasma and Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer like a child making two action figures fight each other, treating the prized monsters as nothing more than meat for the grinder as they reformed into a new creature entirely.

Pulsating vines and pink flowers bloomed along the castle walls as the two dark-attribute warriors somehow formed a large, writhing dragon, its purple body smooth like an eel's, while pink and red orbs hung from its wings. "By combining any two dark monsters on my field, I can summon this. Illuminate the night, become a new compass and point to the future, Starving Venom Fusion Dragon (2800/2000)!"

The serpentine dragon coiled in midair like a snake ready to strike at any moment, particles of poison dust suspended around it. Aster was filled with a primal dread as he saw the beast, knowing that there was something deeply wrong about Yubel being in possession of this card, though he couldn't exactly place why. But he couldn't dwell on it for long, as the monster's attack points were rising dramatically. "Oh, and when my dragon is summoned, it gains attack points equal to one of your special summoned monsters. Your Dreadmaster lost some strength without Plasma and Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer on the field. But with Dusktopia and Dominance still around, it has 5900 attack points, so I'll just go ahead and add those to my dragon! You don't mind, do ya?" Yubel cackled as Starving Venom Fusion Dragon increased to 7700 attack points.

Not all was lost. Aster could protect himself from Starving Venom Fusion Dragon's attack using his Dusktopia's effect, and he had traps to set as well. "I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn…" He panted, hoping to survive the next turn and having only a limited idea of what Yubel's deck was capable of.

For her part, a flicker of relief also passed over Yubel's face at surviving Aster's onslaught the prior turn. "My move…" Smirking, she immediately revealed the drawn card. "I play the continuous spell, Opening of the Spirit Gates! This will let me add a card that mentions one of the Sacred Beasts from my deck to my hand."

"What the hell? I thought that one of your subordinates had Raviel, not you!" Aster protested, highly on edge.

"Oh, he does…indeed, Raviel is of little use to me. But the same cannot be said about their vassals, such as this one! Dark Beckoning Beast (0/0)!" Yubel called upon the same monster as Hank had, the little winged drake hiding great utility within its fragile frame. "Its effect allows me to add Chaos Summoning Beast from my deck to my hand. Then, I'll activate the second ability of my Spirit Gates, discarding my Chaos Summoning Beast to bring back a fiend with zero attack and defense points from my graveyard!"

The effect was non-targeting, but it wasn't hard to guess which of her fiends she was going to bring back. "Return, Spirit of Yubel!" Yubel responded, the air around her seeming to distort in color like a photographic negative as her astral clone returned to the battlefield. Upon summoning, Spirit of Yubel granted Yubel another search.

"Then, since I control a level ten monster, the third effect of my Spirit Gates activates, allowing me to add Nightmare Pain from my graveyard to my hand, then play it once more!" She cackled, the cage of ivy enclosing them both.

"Finally, I'll return my original form along with Terror Incarnate from my graveyard into the deck. This will allow me to special summon a fusion monster known as Phantom of Yubel (0/0)!" The ensuing creature was a pale shade of Yubel's original form, a ghostly being made of bubbling orange duel energy, with only its scaly red arm holding physical presence. And yet, it had a power all of its own, beyond its added ability to reflect battle damage through Nightmare Pain. With the ability to nullify even the effects of monsters unaffected by card effects, Yubel summoned this in case Aster had some cheeky reprisal lurking in his hand.

"Time to end this. Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, vanquish his Dusktopia with acid downpour!" A hail of toxic spikes coated in liquid poison shot from the dragon's wings. This attack alone would be enough to end the game.

"No, I won't…I won't give up! Dusktopia's effect prevents it from being destroyed by battle and protects me from taking damage!" Aster's hero blocked the attack with a golden energy shield, Yubel not even bothering to negate the effect with her Phantom's ability.

From there, she sent the Spirit of Yubel after his Dreadmaster. Aster shivered in fear, but stayed on his feet, unwilling to give in even as he felt the walls closing in. "I won't back down! I'll use my trap, D - Counter, to destroy your Spirit of Yubel!" A shockwave of blinding white light dispelled Yubel's encroaching spirit form, but it was for naught, as it was soon replaced by Yubel's original form, who continued to advance upon him.

"Silly boy, you can't kill me that way…no human can kill me." With the twisted tricks of Nightmare Pain, Yubel laughed as Destiny Hero Dreadmaster was compelled to strike her, only for the 5900 damage to be reflected upon her enemy. Aster could only watch as the afterimage of his monster's fist crashed into him, sending him flying from the room and embedding him in the opposite way of the outside hallway, the wind fleeing his lungs. (Aster 0/Yubel 400)

Sartorius could only gape in silent horror as Yubel easily regenerated the pounds she took from the battle, bruised skin smoothing over, cuts closing up as if in a reversed time-lapse video. "Well, I suppose I must express my gratitude. You helped me burn off a little excess energy from being stuck in that room for so long. More than that, all of you humans have served your purpose in the grand design of destiny. Your role was to nurture Jaden's development, and you have fulfilled that objective with aplomb."

With a sadistic gleam in her eye, Yubel walked towards the entombed Aster and whispered in his ear, "You, and all the rest of them, are nothing more than stepping stones to guide my king towards his rightful seat as lord and master of all duel monsters. That was the reason you were born and the driver behind every thought and action you ever took. And now that you've done that, there's no point in your existence continuing a moment longer."

Faster than the human eye could detect, Yubel closed the distance between them and drove a clawed fist into Aster's torso, causing him to double over. Spittle and blood flew from his mouth before a hard backhand slap sent him reeling.

Aster knew only pain as the beatdown seemed to go on endlessly, Yubel raining down fists and kicks as he was pressed into the wall. Every part of him screamed out in agony until eventually, the wall was painted rusty burgundy from where he had bled. For good measure, she gave Sartorius a few strikes as well, although it didn't take much to leave him sprawling on the ground, gasping for air.

As he stopped resisting, Yubel finally pulled back. Her third eye saw Aster's duel disk, which had slid off of his arm during her rampage. "I'll be taking this." She pulled out Aster's dueling deck from the machine. "My Jaden is the only one worthy of using hero cards." Approaching her fallen foe once again, the demon smiled. "There will be no return from the ashes this time, Phoenix."

Before she could deliver the finishing blow, however, Yubel's keen senses picked up on a sudden fluctuation. "Ah, Jaden has returned to the castle…and his energy has recovered fully as well. Whoever he fought out there must have given him a fun time." A flicker of guilt passed over her beautiful face. "But by fighting you, I've disobeyed his orders. He told me specifically to stay in the guest bedroom…I must go beg for his forgiveness. He is the king."

Before taking off, Yubel paused and looked back at the fallen Aster and Sartorius. "I'll be back for you two soon. Don't go anywhere. Until then, just know that everything you've ever fought for or believed in has been utterly meaningless. Bye-bye!" Giving them a cheery wave, Yubel stalked down the hall, descending dozens of floors to reunite with her beloved. The two men reeled in abject agony.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

(Chazz Princeton POV)

Like black shadows they approached him from behind, Slade and Jagger wearing identically cool, disappointed expressions. He was prepared for another tongue lashing from them, already prepared with a response. The fight had cleared his head a great deal. It felt as though a fog had been lifted, and Chazz truly felt the need to reflect and re-assess his priorities for the first time. Chazz also thought of his late father, and wondered what he would have thought of him at this moment. The three of them found a private space to talk near Slade's private helicopter, the sound of the whirling blades obscuring their speech from any lurking reporters or eavesdroppers.

"Little brother…it would seem you have came up short this time. Nonetheless, a runner-up spot in the tournament is…acceptable, given your performance in the earlier rounds. Our family still stands to benefit from this day." Jagger intoned, his longer hair moving in the wind.

"It is salvageable, though losing to one of your former classmates, and a woman no less, is less than ideal." Slade repeated. The two of them always seemed to be on the same page, as if they could read each other's minds. They were of one, united purpose, and in that way Chazz envied them as he felt himself at a crossroads in his own life. It seemed like they were taking a different approach this time, sweetening their words as opposed to berating him as they always had.

But it was too late. As he thought of all the battles that had come before, and those yet to arrive, Chazz began to find some clarity at last, like unearthing a diamond hidden beneath mounds of mud. The brothers noted his silence, Slade adding, "Well? Don't stew over this. You have to move on and prepare yourself for the next opportunity. Do what you can to keep in Foster's good graces, and -"

"Enough." Chazz said calmly, interrupting them with a firm clear voice that seemed to cut through the haze hanging between them. "Tell me, when will it ever be enough? After our family achieves 'world dominance', what would you two even do with your lives? Huh? Have you ever thought of that?"

The unexpected question gave them pause, confirming to Chazz that they had never thought of this before, as he suspected. "The game of life is always going to continue. The only end is death, and then we can reflect on what we have done. Our only regrets will be what we have not done. Can you say the same, little brother?"

"I agree." Chazz felt a well of something, perhaps hope, or a new confidence forming within him, solid and strong unlike the hot air of arrogance he put forth into the world before. "I already regret what I have not done. I wish I had laughed more as a young boy, and been more outgoing, and made more friends. I wish I had explored different skills, hobbies and interests apart from this card game. And I wish I had the courage to be my own man and forge my own path from the beginning."

Their charcoal grey eyes narrowed. "A late-blooming romantic, I see." Jagger mocked. "I see you're still reeling from your defeat. Trying to speak sense into you is a waste of time right now. We'll talk later." Already, they began to turn their backs on him.

"You guys don't get it!" Chazz raised his voice. "I'm done with this! With everything! I'm striking out on my own!"

"Yes, yes." Slade dismissed. "You still have a year until you reach the age of majority, kid. You'll change your tune soon enough. Most would kill to have access to our family's resources. You'll understand in due time. Until then, lick your wounds, get back up and fight again like a good dog. We have business to attend to, and we'll reach out again when the time is right."

They stepped into the helicopter and closed the doors, barely sparing him a second glance before the craft took off, leaving Chazz disheveled and confused. He didn't expect that sort of response from them. "They think I'm a kid…I need to do something to prove them wrong. I need to make it on my own without any of their help or money." Chazz thought. He wished Jesse was here. His warm support and guidance would have been welcome to sort this all out. But he wasn't. He may have been dead for all Chazz knew.

"I need to make my own way and achieve something I can call my own. But no man is an island." His senses returned to Adrian, who was on the far side of the island. The islanders were closing in on him. If he got a start now, they might able to catch Adrian after all. "I think I know where to start."

Alexis and those fools wouldn't get far without his help.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

(Alexis Rhodes POV)

They found him with a small armada of fleet, maneuverable ships, the golden lion insignia of the American Duel Academy on their sides mixed with the grey falcons of East Academy on others. Adrian was gazing upon the island as the watercraft slowly retreated, seemingly in no hurry.

"Oh, no!" Alexis let out a sharp breath as she saw Syrus and Kenzan's fallen bodies on the beach. Jim, Bastion and Jasmine trailed close behind her. They were almost too late. "Those idiots…what were they thinking? You guys go check on them." She hastily bid before running to the water's edge. "Adrian! What have you done?!"

"Ah, there you are." Adrian stepped off of the ship, which hastily braked and banked at his directive despite David and Mackenzie's protests. Alexis thought the move baffling, only for her confusion to be replaced by shock as Adrian effortlessly walked atop the whitecaps, his feet hovering an inch above the water as he hovered towards her, cape flapping in the sea winds.

"I was hoping someone more interesting would show up. Those two," Adrian waggled a finger between the prone Ra Yellows, "fell much too quickly to test out my new powers. Tell me, is Seto Kaiba with you? I'd like to see the look on his face when he sees what I can do."

Alexis was utterly gobsmacked at the audacity of those words. "You're telling me you hurt my friends just to…test your power? What's wrong with you? What are you even after?" A million questions shot through her mind. And the idea that he would actually want Kaiba's wrath to fall upon him was most shocking of all.

"Yes, I wonder that as well, Gecko." A smoky rasp called out from the treeline. Chazz Princeton emerged a moment later, not too delayed by his brothers after all. Alexis hoped that Chazz would do the right thing…something told her they all would need to band together to face this new, unknown force. Jim, Jasmine and Bastion's hackles were raised, but she calmed them with a look.

"Ah, the princeling is here too. That is good…a human with the ability to see spirits is quite rare, even though magic has returned to the world." Adrian mused. Meanwhile, Mackenzie and David stewed on the boat, seemingly unhappy with Adrian going into business for himself.

Glancing down at the unconscious Syrus and Kenzan, Chazz frowned before glaring back up at Adrian, who hovered above them. "Don't tell me you're satisfied with swatting flies like them. I guess a guy like you needs any victory he can get." He declared before letting his Light and Darkness Dragon spirit free. With a protective furling of its wings, the dragon shielded Syrus and Kenzan, ensuring no collateral damage would befall them from the upcoming battle. The gesture was not lost on Bastion, whose analytical eye caught Chazz's foresight and was silently thankful for it.

"It doesn't seem like any more will be joining us, so I'll humor your question, Alexis. It's a fitting prize for the tournament winner." Adrian smirked, before continuing.

"This world is rotten to the core, and the power to change it is greedily hoarded by the same people who benefit from the unjust kratocracy we live in. Duel Monsters was created as a mere hobby, but it is built on atrocities, and culpable for perpetuating them. It is no hobby, but the lens through which we experience all conflict, another weapon to spill each other's blood with. And since anyone can use a duel disk, anyone can wage war on a scale immeasurable, bending the abilities of demons, ancient spells and primordial energies towards selfish ends. The power should be concentrated in the hands of those responsible enough to wield it well…those who are capable of rising above the base urges of humanity. Those who can sit atop the clouds on the throne of Heaven." The Eye of Wdjat burned in golden light behind Adrian, casting him in silhouette.

"The last worthy one to occupy that throne was the pharaoh Atem, but he is long dead, and his successors are woefully inadequate. The world burns with warfare between human and duel spirits, and cosmic forces like the Light of Destruction threaten humanity at every turn, and yet people still cannot unite towards unity and prosperity. The decentralization of power has created confusion and chaos. The common folk were never made for times like these, and I do not blame them. No, instead I shall guide them…as god of the new world."

The words chilled Alexis and Chazz. "That's why you took Exodia…but how did you know it was even there, and how did you learn to unseal it from the volcano?" She asked breathlessly.

"The Gecko Corporation has vast resources at its disposal, far more than the Princetons." Adrian said, causing Chazz to fume. "It took years of research and study to piece everything together from the leaks and secondhand accounts. Many people are curious about Exodia. After all, the greatest duelist on Earth started off his career with it, and yet no one has seen or heard anything about it since Weevil tossed them in the ocean. Pegasus selfishly refused to reprint them for the general public, but many speculated that he would at least hold prototypes in reserve…and the island is a seemingly perfect place to hide them." Adrian casually explained.

His expression grew colder. "What I found down there was far beyond the mere five pieces…Exodia is much more than that. Perhaps it was a consequence of that energy wave that emanated from this island a year ago, but any limits the Forbidden One may have had no longer exist. And I paid the price for that unlimited power in blood, I assure you that."

Alexis and Chazz vaguely recalled the short-haired, tall woman that accompanied Adrian at the tournament sign-in…and noted that she was no longer present. "No…you…" Alexis' hazel eyes widened.

"Echo was willing to pay the ultimate price to see the world cleansed of darkness and evil…she was a hero who stood by her convictions, and mine, to the very end." He answered, as if reading their thoughts. "It is no different than what the pharaoh's court did to forge the Millennium Items in the first place, if you know your history."

"You scum…" Chazz snarled. Alexis felt nauseous, and suddenly fearful. If this man was willing to engage in blood sacrifice, there was no talking their way out of this, and the power he wielded was surely great indeed. She was starting to regret giving chase to Adrian, but knew there was no turning back now.

"You judge me so harshly, when I am the only one who acknowledges the severity and gravity of the violent acts I commit in order to realize my vision. You two, and so many other duelists, do not grasp even that. You simply view battle as an extension of what you must do to maintain the order by which you live. You think nothing of it." Adrian replied.

"Adrian, we need to go!" David protested from the bow, but the russet-haired man shot him a dismissive look. Men from Industrial Illusions and Kaibacorp could set upon them at any moment.

"This won't take long. I feel a great connection with my deck…perhaps it is the power of trust." He smirked. "Come, attack me both together. Whichever of you takes the first turn doesn't matter."

"Let's do this, Chazz!" Alexis turned on her duel disk. Jim, Bastion and Jasmine took many paces back, fear in their faces but hopeful the combined pair would find some way to win.

"I'm with you!" The northerner replied, nodding at her to go first.

For a deadly moment, Alexis wondered if Adrian had somehow drawn the five pieces of the Forbidden One in his opening hand, but that didn't appear to be the case. Adrian kept his arms folded, the cards suspended in front of him as he seemingly used telekinesis to keep them frozen in midair.

"My move…" With a gulp, Alexis tried her best to overcome the fright that gripped her. "I normal summon Revealer of the Ice Barrier (1700/1000)!" As they stood on the shore, Alexis' red-haired sorceress froze the oncoming waves with her mere presence.

"With her effect, I'll discard a card to summon an Ice Barrier tuner from my deck! I play Georgius, Swordsman of the Ice Barrier (2000/1200)!" With a silvery fur coat and a curved silver blade, Alexis' next monster knelt on her side of the field, its talons gripping the frozen sand.

"Upon summoning, Georgius lets me bring back an Ice Barrier from my graveyard. Return, Spellbreaker of the Ice Barrier (1200/2000)!" Alexis brought back the monster she discarded earlier, a white-haired witch who wore a red cloak adorned with golden bangles and necklaces. "And you'll like her effect a lot, I think. By sending the Hexa Spirit of the Ice Barrier from my hand to the grave, I can prevent all three of us from activating spell cards until the end of my next turn!" She desperately hoped the powerful floodgate effect would ward off Adrian long enough to secure victory. Alexis briefly gave her tag partner an apologetic look, since he would be locked out of spells as well, but Chazz shrugged as if to say it was no matter.

"And now…I'll tune the level six Georgius with the level four Revealer for a level ten synchro summon! Reign over the frozen sky! Lancea, Ancestral Dragon of the Ice Mountain (3300/2700)!"

The ensuing beast loomed over Adrian and his getaway cruiser, blotting out the sun and causing cool shade to fall upon the beach. The surrounding ocean became cold as the Arctic Sea, and the dragon's red hide and wings were like raw meat from the freezer. If Adrian special summoned a monster, Lancea's effect would allow Alexis to summon an Ice Barrier monster from her deck - specifically, she planned to summon General Raiho of the Ice Barrier. That monster would force Adrian to discard a card whenever he activated a monster effect, which surely would stop his designs on gathering Exodia. "I end my turn…" She said with a wintry gaze.

In a two versus one match, it was customary for one of the duelists paired together to go first. Then, the solo player would take their turn, followed by the remaining player. Adrian and Chazz could draw, but neither could battle on their first turns. Adrian took his first draw, and it was with another sigh of relief that he hadn't somehow gathered Exodia yet.

"No spell cards…troublesome." Adrian set two face-downs and ended his turn there, wordlessly passing over to Chazz with a wave of his hand.

"Good…he's stopped right in his tracks!" Chazz assumed as he started his first turn off. "Take this! By banishing Dark End Dragon from my extra deck, I can special summon Light End Sublimation Dragon (2600/2100) from my hand!" Above Alexis' stolid Lancea appeared an angelic, white-winged beast with downy feathers, its golden helm gleaming in the island sunlight.

"And since I summoned a level five or higher dragon, I can also play Knight Armed Dragon, the Armored Knight Dragon (1400/1900) from my hand!" In a burst of electricity, a smaller beast flew over the cold ocean waters, clad in red plate and wielding a broadsword in its claws. "Not only that, but I can make its level and attribute the same as one of my banished dragons, ensuring my Knight Armed Dragon is now a level eight dark dragon, rather than the level three wind dragon it was originally!"

Adrian watched silently, while Alexis was impressed that Chazz was able to muster up the resources for a fusion summon without using any spells. The black-haired boy roared, "Then, I'll use Light End Sublimation Dragon's dragon, fusing it with my Knight Armed Dragon!"

Swirling together in midair, the two monsters merged while Chazz clasped his hands together. "Bridge the gulf between galaxies, Khaos Starsource Dragon (2500/2500)!"

On Adrian's left side sat Lancea, its unyielding, fixed gaze staring down on him. On his right side, Chazz's dragon rose from a thick, swirling violet nebula, its pristine white hide perfectly symmetrical. Its forked tail slithered over the water's surface, spikes lined along its top. The two dragons glared at him, looking as if they were likely to fight over which would eat him first. However, Adrian maintained no expression on his face, not even bothering to look at the two beasts.

Chazz growled, "Since I used Knight Armed Dragon as fusion material, its effect boosts my dragon's attack points by 1000!" Neither player could respond to the effect, and the monster roared proudly as it grew to 3500 points. "And when it is fusion summoned, Khaos Starsource Dragon can destroy two of your cards since it used a light and a dark monster as material!" Twin energy discs burst forth from the monster's wings, racing towards Adrian's set cards.

"Perfect!" Alexis cheered. "He won't be able to come back from this!"

The East Academy duelist's staid grey eyes keenly followed the disc's path until they were almost upon him. "If it's alright with you, I think I'll try flipping over my traps now. I'll start with Legacy of Yata-Garasu. This will let me draw one card."

"Tch! Whatever. You better hope that the other trap is something good!" Chazz bit out, the energy blades so close to slicing apart their target.

"In that case, I'll chain my other trap - Reckless Greed. At the cost of skipping my next two draw phases, I'll draw two cards."

All of the sudden, Chazz and Alexis' duel disks began flashing that the game was over due to an alternate win condition. "No, that can't be…" Alexis gasped. He would have already needed at least three pieces in his opening hand to gather them that fast!

"What the? My duel disk is malfunctioning!" Chazz refused to accept the truth, even as their fearsome monster spirits dissipated into nothing.

"How unfortunate. I was hoping to show off more of what my deck can do. Oh well." Adrian shrugged carelessly as he revealed the five pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One in his hand. Then, without warning, two astral limbs projected from Aster's body, thick, muscular and seemingly hewn from sandstone. The wrists were adorned with broken handcuffs, and were quicker than they seemed. In an instant, both hands lunged out and gripped Chazz and Alexis in a chokehold.

"Grk…" Alexis panicked, smashing her fists against the arm, but it was futile. It was as if they had been seized by two tree trunks. Dread suddenly seized her as she realized she was about to die. Chazz was the same, kicking and thrashing, but there was nothing he could do to escape the monster's grasp, Adrian seemingly able to manifest the limbs of Exodia at will.

"I guess this is all I could expect, since the real duelists are gone." Adrian mocked. "A fitting end for those who live by the sword, wouldn't you agree? You knew this might happen when you chose to become duelists, so you have no reason to complain about your fate."

"Adrian, kill those two and let's go! We're out of time!" David shouted from the speedboat, already turning it around and revving the engine.

Glancing between the blonde girl and the black-haired boy, Adrian seemed to weigh the idea out in his mind for a moment. Then, he tossed them onto the sand next to Syrus and Kenzan before neatly stacking the four of them in a pile, finding faint amusement in it as Chazz and Alexis rubbed their necks gingerly. "It appears I've worn their throats out." Adrian smirked, eliciting an unexpected laugh from Mackenzie. "No, there is no need to stamp them out yet. They are witnesses to the cradle of the new world, and they will spread the word far and wide."

"But we've already extracted the necessary duel energy from Chazz's Light and Darkness Dragon! At least crush that roach!" David bid, but Adrian ignored her.

"I dislike unnecessary bloodshed." Adrian said calmly, but firmly before floating back onto the skiff. "Do let us know if your friend Jaden comes back to the island though. We are very interested in meeting him."

"Oh, and the next time you see Jamie, tell him I can't wait to play with him again!" Mackenzie waved at Alexis, causing even further doubt and insecurity to take root in her. No, that must be a lie, Jamie would never cheat on her…would he?

"Farewell, fools!" Adrian stared them down as the fleet took off at last, the noisy cacophony of engines gradually fading as the boats of East Academy and the American Duel Academy took to the open sea, their forms growing smaller as they approached the horizon.

"Ah…argh…" Chazz slowly extricated himself from the top of the dogpile, although a part of him did enjoy the chance to lay atop Alexis, if only just for a moment. However, that was soon overpowered by blinding rage. "ADRIAN! THAT WAS A FLUKE AND YOU KNOW IT!"

Alexis put her hands over her ears at Chazz's raging. His raspy yells also served to wake up Syrus and Kenzan while Jim, Bastion and Jasmine ran over to check on them. "Hey, are you ok?" Jasmine went over to help Alexis up, giving Jim a scolding glance as she beat him to the punch. Even now, Jasmine always liked to run interference on men showing interest in Alexis.

Bastion helped Chazz to his feet. "It was noble of you to protect them with your duel spirit." He said.

"Yeah…thanks, Chazz." Syrus reluctantly added, Kenzan nodding alongside him.

"What were you two thinking, anyways? You could have been killed!" Chazz barked, uncomfortable with their gratitude.

"We knew something was up with Adrian…I could smell something rotten about him." Kenzan replied, his vaunted Dino DNA seemingly granting him intuition even beyond the abilities of ordinary sensors. "You guys were busy, so I wanted to do something about it. Don't blame Syrus, I dragged him along. It was my idea."

"It was brave…" Alexis consoled the dinosaur duelist. "No one is to blame, except for Adrian and the two blonde twins. We'll make them pay, don't you worry. And now that doctor Eisenstein's gate is charged up, we'll have the rest of our friends to back us up next time."

"With the gate charged, they can return at any time…" She added, yearning for them, for some security and comfort amidst these tumultuous times. It had been a long day. "We should rest and regroup…we can make a plan later. If Jamie and the others aren't back for a while, we need to be prepared to strike back on our own."

"I agree. That's what I told my brothers." Chazz assented, causing flickers of surprise to run through the group. "I'm done being their lapdog. From now on, I'm doing my things my way. And what I want to do first is figure out what those guys are really after, and how we can stop them. If it's alright with Crowler, I might end up staying here a little while…but don't be mistaken, it is solely in the interests of stopping our enemies." He said, frowning a bit at the notion but accepting of it nonetheless.

"Me as well. South Academy's headmaster should permit me to study here while we train and plan for our next move. I'll keep you lot updated." Jim added, Shirley letting out a little cry that could be interpreted as agreement, as much as anything could be from a crocodile.

The others nodded. "Well, it'll be like old times, Chazz." Alexis smiled faintly, trying to put Mackenzie's words out of her mind and not quite succeeding. "They probably want me back at the fairgrounds to make some media appearances. With Jamie gone, I'll need to coordinate all of the Obelisk Force meetings and activities as well. We'll meet up later." She already felt the weight of leadership on our shoulders.

"I hope you return safely and soon, Jamie…" She thought.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Axel and Kaiba faced each other down on the southern shoreline, sizing each other up as Axel took the first turn. If he had the chance to get his Sacred Beast on the field, that would be something. If not, there was the chance to potentially end this duel before it even really got started, depending on how well he could use his Volcanic cards. It would be his best chance against a force like Kaiba.

Carefully looking over his cards, Axel rapidly developed a strategy. Confronted with one of the most powerful duelists in the world would be enough to melt most students, but Axel was more than a student. He was a soldier, one of West Academy's finest recruits. He had been forged in flames, the product of endless training in the jungles under headmaster Viper's strict eye. It wasn't by accident that Viper entrusted him with this task now. Kaiba taunted him, implying it was abandonment, but he wouldn't know the first thing of duty. Axel knew there was always a chance he would be entrusted with a seemingly impossible feat like this, and he would carry it out to the best of his ability. That was what it meant to be a man of West Academy.

"I normal summon Volcanic Trooper (1000/1000)!" A blazing paratrooper outfitted in golden armor from head to toe took the field, a thick-barreled pistol twirled between its gloves. "Upon summoning, this monster adds a Volcanic card from my deck to my hand. Then, I can discard a card to special summon one Bomb Token (1000/1000) to your field, Kaiba." Axel said, his calm voice hiding his frayed nerves. Kaiba frowned as a burning ball of igneous stone materialized on his side, the grass beneath it browning and furling.

"I'll then use the card I just added - Volcanic Blaze Accelerator! I can activate this by sending the original Blaze Accelerator from my deck to my grave." A tripod set itself up in front of Axel, a gold and red cannon mounted atop it. "This continuous spell lets me send a Volcanic monster from my deck to the graveyard in order to target and destroy one of your monsters!" Axel quickly pitched Volcanic Rimfire to the graveyard, the cartridge loading itself into Axel's mounted firearm. Pressing a button on the side, Axel shot at Kaiba's Bomb Token, blowing it up and sending a plume of smoke skyward. When the Bomb Token was destroyed, Kaiba took 500 damage due to the effect of Volcanic Trooper. (Axel 4000/Kaiba 3500)

"Yes, I see…Volcanic cards focus on inflicting effect damage. With the right hand, you can win the game on your very first turn, without even giving the opponent a chance to play. It's quite a ruthless way to play this game." Kaiba said in a faux-admiring manner as the dust cleared.

"I don't see it as a game. If I can't carry out my assignments, people's lives are at stake. The lives of the troops under my command." Axel ground out, not even wanting to justify himself to this man.

"At least it's for a good cause, right? Advancing the interests of your headmaster." Kaiba mocked. "Tell me, do you really believe Viper gives a flying fuck about you? You're as disposable as anyone else under his purview, regardless of your ranking. I prefer to make the most of my resources and preserve them as long as possible. It's how I got so rich."

"Shut up!" Axel barked before continuing his move, trying to concentrate. "When Volcanic Rimfire (300/0) is sent to my graveyard, I can banish the Blaze Accelerator in my graveyard in order to play another Blaze Accelerator card from my deck - Blaze Accelerator Reloaded!" Axel's next turret was a chrome-plated, triple-barreled implement also mounted on a tripod.

"Next, I'll use the magic of Foolish Burial, sending a second Volcanic Rimfire from my deck to my graveyard. And when I do, I can use Rimfire's second effect, banishing itself to send Volcanic Shell to my grave from the deck!" Axel rifled through his cards, gradually thinning his deck. "And when Volcanic Shell (500/0) is in the graveyard, I can pay 500 life points to add a second Volcanic Shell to my hand!" (Axel 3500/Kaiba 3500)

Kaiba watched coolly as Blaze Accelerator Reloaded began to heat up, its barrels glowing orange. "With Blaze Accelerator Reloaded, I can discard my Volcanic Shell to draw a card! Then, I'll pay 500 life points again to add a third Volcanic Shell from deck to hand!" Axel felt himself getting fired up, despite his commitment to maintaining soldierly discipline. (Axel 3000/Kaiba 3500)

"It seems like you're burning away more of your own life points than mine. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" Kaiba chuckled.

"I was just getting to that!" Axel's duel energy flared around him. "By banishing my Volcanic Rimfire and two Volcanic Shells from my graveyard, I can play the ace monster of my deck, the master of magma, and the lord of all Pyro monsters! Volcanic Emperor (3100/2400)!"

"Hm?" For a moment, Kaiba looked surprised, as he wasn't overly familiar with this card, but noted it was stronger than even his Blue-Eyes. The ensuing monster had a lizard-like face, lined with rows of sharp teeth and purple scales. Steam shot from nodes on its back, and a cloak of flames curled around its wings and tail, which looked to be carved from igneous stone. Veins of lava ran through its body.

"And he has some real firepower! Upon summoning, Volcanic Emperor deals you 500 damage for each banished pyro monster! Then, I can set a Volcanic trap from my deck!" Kaiba was sent reeling as a sudden conflagration of thick flames launched him off his feet, panic suddenly seizing him as he realized Axel's plan. The CEO lost 2000 life points due to Axel having two copies of Volcanic Shell and two copies of Volcanic Rimfire banished. (Axel 3000/Kaiba 1500)

Through the smoke, Kaiba saw his opponent set the trap Volcanic Emission from the deck, and realized he had underestimated the champion of West Academy, perhaps fatally. "I'll set one more card and end my turn…you're up, boss." Axel indulged in the barest hint of trash talk, feeling his position was assured.

Looking over the cards in his hand, Kaiba gulped. He knew what Axel's trap did, and he had no way of stopping it, unless he drew the right card at this very moment. Stalling for time to gather himself, the executive asked, "Axel, what's your plan if you beat me anyways? You have no way of getting off of this island. My people will eat you alive."

"I wouldn't assume anything before knowing all the facts." Axel pressed a green button on the side of his belt, and an iron submarine surfaced a few dozen meters off the shore, water cascading off of the periscope as it rose. The watercraft was small and Kaiba had no doubt Axel knew his way around the cockpit of such a vehicle. "I'll be out of here as soon as I get you off my back. That submarine is cloaked well enough to hide from even your sensors. And I doubt that any of ''your people' will be eager to step up to me once they find out I've beaten you. Draw your last pathetic card so we can end this."

"My deck has no pathetic cards…!" Kaiba sharply inhaled, hoping against hope that the one card that would save him was atop his deck…

"In the standby phase, I'll flip over my trap - Volcanic Emission! This lets me deal damage to you equal to half the attack points of a pyro monster on the field!" Volcanic Emperor sent a rising tide of magma towards Kaiba, the wall of orange heat advancing inexorably upon him. Half of Volcanic Emperor's attack points would result in 1550 damage, just enough to end the duel in Axel's favor - and he was able to do it without Kaiba playing a single card.

Hastily, the dragon duelist flipped over the card he had just drawn. "Ring of Defense, reduce the damage to zero!" Just in time, a spinning barrier made up of four green shields centered around a ridged iron circle held back the advancing lava, halting its progress and cooling it down.

Both duelists caught their breath at the near-fall. Axel's face didn't show panic, but his eyes betrayed him - his plan to end Kaiba quickly was foiled by a lucky draw.

"Heh…hehe….ha!" Kaiba laughed. "Nice try! I summon The White Stone of Legend (300/200)!" The opalescent egg's light seemed soft, but it spelled doom for Axel now that Kaiba had a chance to play.

"Then, I'll use the magic card Successor Soul. This will sacrifice my White Stone of Legend in order to summon a level seven or higher normal monster from my deck! Appear, my love - Blue-Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500)!"

The blinding radiance of the legendary beast outshine even the island sun, causing Axel to shield his eyes by throwing him an arm. Apart from summoning the first Blue-Eyes, The White Stone of Legend allowed Kaiba to add the second from deck to hand. Then, the final effect of Successor Soul made itself known, the piercing beams of light melting away Axel's monster and leaving his field clear.

"Successor Soul also lets me target and send a monster from your field to the graveyard…" Kaiba smirked now that he was back in control and Axel's field was clear. But for once, he was in no mood to gloat, knowing he had other matters to attend to. "Blue-Eyes, vanquish him!"

Axel was sent tumbling into the water on his back, sputtering in shock as even he couldn't have anticipated that Kaiba would turn the tide so fast. Still, the Westerner had bought just enough time for Viper, Pierce and the rest of his comrades to escape…it was some consolation anyways, even as he struggled to fight down the fear of what was going to happen to him. (Axel 0/Kaiba 1500)

As Kaiba deactivated his duel disk, his expression darkened with rage. "You little shitter…you almost beat me with those burn cards of yours. If this were Battle City, I'd have banned your entire damn deck. Now hand over Uria, unless you want some more problems."

His fight or flight responses triggering, Axel leapt to his feet and began to sprint towards the waiting watercraft a few dozen meters to his side. However, he didn't make it far, as a tranquilizer dart shot from the tree line and made its mark on the side of his neck. The Volcanic duelist was incapacitated soon after, falling flat on his face in the wet sand of the shore.

"Target down, sir." Roland said crisply as he emerged from the bushes, keeping his sights trained on the fallen Axel. "Non-lethal suppressing fire, as you directed. Our sensors detect no explosives or dead man's switches on his person - approach should be safe."

"Thank you, Roland. Perhaps we ought to turn him over so he doesn't drown." Kaiba snarked, his blood still running fast from the adrenaline. Putting his boot beneath Axel's muscled arm, Kaiba flipped him over dismissively before detaching the duel disk from him. "Good…Uria is back in my possession at last, as will the other Sacred Beasts." He smirked as he looked upon Axel's deck, looking through his opponent's deck in search of the elusive phantom. For a moment, he worried that Viper may have taken with him. That would show just little he thought Axel stood a chance of winning. Finally though, he found Uria, Lord of Searing Flames resting at the bottom of the black boy's deck.

The sudden weight of the demonic energy emanating from the card gave Kaiba a moment of pause, but he swiftly tamped the ornery beast down. "I'll oversee the sealing procedures, and then I'm getting the hell off of this island. This place is a fucking death trap and a time sink. Besides, there's no reason for Jamie to have a job if I'm spending time around here anyways." The CEO mused. He looked forward to seeing his intern come back to his side. The boy's willfulness was always amusing.

"As you say, sir." Roland said as another suited Kaibacorp employee came out of the trees, a case in hand. Roland put his tranquilizer rifle away before turning to Axel. "What do you wish to be done with this one?"

"Find a suitable room for him here. I will put this man to use in my service." A duelist powerful enough to climb to the top of West Academy's ranks, and handle a Sacred Beast to boot, was not to be dismissed. Pausing, he added, "Who won the tournament, anyways?"

"Alexis Rhodes, sir." Roland answered as he and the other Kaibacorp security guard began to call a vehicle over to transport Axel to his new cell, most likely in Slifer Red since it had at least one bed known to be available. "The doctor's dimensional gate is at full power. Mister Lancaster and the rest will be able to return, if they survive their mission."

"Ah." A faint smile was on Kaiba's face for a flicker of a moment. "That's nice. Maybe the kids these days will turn out alright after all." Shaking his head at how soft he was being, he continued, "You get Axel under guard, and I'll go smash that Adrian punk. I think it'll be the perfect way to cap off a day like today. Also…you won't tell anyone how that Axel kid almost…"

Roland shook his head, his expression unreadable. "I only saw a dominant victory from you as always, sir."

"That's what I thought." Kaiba said before separating off from them and heading towards the volcano, still a bit rattled.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

(Blade Knight POV)

He and Jinzo rose from their kneeling stances after greeting Jaden. The boy-king was up and about sooner than Blade Knight expected – the life force seemed to flow so freely and naturally through his veins, and nothing could really keep him down for long. Jaden carried himself as casually as before, but there was a hint more poise in the way he stood, as if his neck and shoulders were getting used to the invisible weight of the crown. They stood in the castle atrium near the dining halls, hundreds of other duel spirits milling around them as they conducted the daily business involved in keeping the sanctum and city running.

"Sup, dudes." The hero duelist waved. "Thanks a bunch for bringing me back here. Jamie really rocked my socks, huh?" He chuckled weakly, rubbing his still-sore shoulder gingerly. Blade Knight was momentarily angered at using that name – his name – for that man, but decided to overlook it. Jaden was probably doing it out of habit, and it was difficult to refer to the interloper since no one knew his true name.

"It was the least we could do, my liege." Jinzo bowed, always quick to suck up to whoever was currently in power at the time. "Though the lion prevailed, we were able to bring you both to the healing chambers. He is still being held there, far as I know."

"Good. I'll need to question him later. Even though I can't trust a word that guy says, I want to get to the bottom of all this, and at least learn his side to the story." Jaden frowned. All of the good times and memories he and Jamie shared were poisoned now that he knew the truth, that the man was trying to manipulate him like a miniature on a board game.

"As you wish. Just keep in mind that his body must maintain in good condition." Blade Knight rumbled beneath his steel helm. When his plan would take shape and Super Polymerization was conducted, the 'real' Jamie wanted his old body to be in peak condition. "There are intruders in the castle of unknown origin, Jaden. I sent Hank Ishtar to head them off, but I believe he will need greater support. Jinzo and I will head down to the vaults now."

Jaden regarded them both cautiously. "How would these intruders have gotten in? Who are they, and what do they want?"

"Below us lies a system of catacombs that were tunneled in the event of war reaching inside the city walls." Blade Knight explained. "We will ascertain the identity of these foes and stop them."

That statement was a bit misleading. Blade Knight already had a good idea of who might be offering the accursed lion backup, but didn't exactly know who. Regardless, any of his comrades would have to be detained as well until the Super Polymerization ritual was complete and he got his old body, and life back.

Jaden nodded slowly, regarding them with caution. "Ok…if they're humans, I don't want them hurt. I doubt Jamie came here all by himself. He's probably with some of my classmates and friends. Lancaster is more snake than lion, but the others shouldn't pay the price for what he's done. They were misled like I was." He said seriously, regally, and in that moment even Blade Knight was compelled to kneel and voice his assent, though he resisted that urge.

"As you decree." Both of them nodded before breaking off. Jaden left the atrium and began scaling the steps higher, making Blade Knight wonder if he was seeking Yubel as counsel before making his next move. The thought worried him, but there was little time to ruminate.

"Only a small force would be able to make it through the tunnels." Jinzo mused as they went down to the basement. "If Hank and his boys couldn't handle them all, we should be able to pick off the stragglers."

"Oh, really?" A voice called out from down the dark hallway, and even Jinzo's advanced photoreceptors couldn't make out who was lurking in the shadows until a moment later. Two humans emerged from the adjacent chamber, one a tall, navy-haired man clad in a jet-black cloak, while the other was a tanned woman with long chestnut hair in a ponytail wearing similar garb. On both sets of apparel was the sigil of the Dragonmaid Hotel.

"Wait a second…" Jinzo remembered their names and faces vaguely from the first incursion he made into Duel Academy. "I know you…"

"Jinzo. You brought a little excitement to our sleepy little island back in the day, remember?" The girl smiled cheekily. "Before Jamie beat your ass, that is."

"As for your boys, we've taken care of them." The other one looked like a bloodthirsty shark. "They weren't very much fun. I didn't even bother killing them. I'm not surprised to find you amidst such a sorry lot, Jinzo, considering you couldn't even beat Jamie, who I've defeated many times in our practice games." Turning to Blade Knight, Zane narrowed his eyes.

"It's funny, Jamie dressed up as Blade Knight for Duel Monsters Spirit Day, remember?" He jibed with his companion.

"Oh, yeah. That was such an awesome day. I remember surfing at the beach with him." She said fondly, as if recalling a precious memory. It filled Blade Knight with a well of envy. Duel Monsters Spirit Day. He had heard of it from one of his older cousins who had attended Central Academy ahead of him. A day of merriment, school spirit and carefree youth. Costume parties, food and drink, dancing and art. A day of Blade Knight's life robbed from him by the lion, along with so many other irreplaceable days and memories. Days that would never come back.

"I assure you, I'm not the same as your Jamie…I've seen you both before, Erin Reid and Zane Truesdale…" He looked upon them and hated. Erin, the lion's beautiful, sporty and cheerful former girlfriend…even when they broke things off, they remained amicable and were able to work together on this little rescue mission of theirs. He had seen them through Yubel's scouts and connection to the human world. Oh, how everything always seemed to go right for that impostor…

And then he looked at Zane. A young man of immense power and prestige at Duel Academy, nicknamed the Kaiser, the number one student for his entire tenure. The lion had earned his respect as well, to the point where they had become friendly rivals and sparring partners. The sickening thoughts sent Blade Knight into a spiral. It should have been him all along. That should have been his life. But it wasn't. It was taken from him. Beneath his helmet, he fumed. When he saw those moments of his doppelganger's life, all of the laughter he shared with those at Duel Academy sounded like mockery, contempt and jeering to his ears.

Jinzo noticed his duel energy rising precipitously. "Jami…I mean, Blade Knight, what's gotten into you?" He trembled.

"Yes, I know you two…" A fiery aura surrounded Blade Knight as he readied his duel disk. "I'm actually glad that you both are here, invading this castle. Here to rescue Jaden, eh?"

The intensity in the mysterious, armored spirit's voice gave Erin pause, but it energized Zane. "Heh, yeah. But I'm hoping to get some good fights out of the deal as well."

"Helping out Jamie Lancaster, eh?" Blade Knight bit out.

"…Do you know him?" Erin asked, her expression befuddled.

"You two are so ignorant of everything. You, and the rest of his friends. Your mission was a failure before it ever started. Jaden Yuki is the new king of duel spirits and is no need of rescuing. Your companion, Jamie Lancaster, is a liar and a fake. And you two are mindless pawns that I'm going to enjoy sweeping from the game board."

"You really want to fight them? Ok…" Jinzo sighed helplessly, turning his own duel disk. He decided to take on the girl, her previous jibe irritating him.

"Bring it on!" Zane faced off with the masked knight, while Erin faced down Jinzo.

XxXxXxXxXxxxXxXx

(Jamie Lancaster POV)

It was always night here, and the black stone of the castle walls surrounded me like the belly of a beast. As I rounded one of the corners, I continued making my way up the steps of the seemingly boundless structure. I figured by getting to one of the top spires, I could get a better idea of how big it was and what exactly the layout was. Although I got a view of the place from the city walls, I was unconscious when Jaden and his duel spirits brought me inside, so I didn't have much to go on. The place was crawling with hundreds of duel spirits, some of which were staff while others were part of Yubel's standing army. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to call them Jaden's army at this point…the ambiguity of it all was killing me, and I couldn't wait to find Jaden again and beat some answers out of him before dragging him back to the human world. At any rate, the populous building was clouding both my senses and Sonata's, although the traffic gradually filtered out as I reached the higher floors.

I thought I felt a trace of something familiar. It was faint, but unmistakable, and my feet carried me towards that energy signature as I felt dread curdle in my stomach. Sure enough, in an empty hallway, I found them.

Aster was embedded in one of the stone walls, the grey surfaces stained burgundy from his blood. He had clearly just been through a hellish beatdown and torture session, and I had a feeling it wasn't one of the Dancing Fairies that did this to him. The Destiny Hero duelist was still clinging to life, if only just. He would die soon unless someone intervened.

Meanwhile, I had finally found the other objective of this twisting and turning rescue mission. Sartorius was hunched over face-down on the floor. Although he hadn't gotten the bloody beating that Aster did, Sartorius was clearly not in the best of shape either. He had noticeably lost weight since the last time I had seen him, and he was thin to begin with. His blue hair was stringy and unkempt, and his scraggly robes smelt of piss. As I looked between him and Aster, I realized that no one else was around us, and no one seemed to be coming either. Their lives were in my hands.

Aster seemed to detect me, struggling to breathe as he opened up one dark blue eye slowly, then the other to meet my green gaze. "J-Jamie…" He rasped out. "You made it here…something held you up before we left the Dragonmaid's manor…"

"It's a long story. But I sensed the others. They're alright." I said softly. "You got separated from them…?"

"I went off on my own…I felt a trace of Sartorius' energy, and I knew he was down in the dungeons. I couldn't stand by another second without doing something about it…" Aster choked out. "Yubel was torturing him…"

I felt a sharp pang of disgust followed by confusion. Yubel might have been hurting Sartorius for her own amusement, but there may be more to it than that. Perhaps she was upset because Sartorius nearly killed Jaden and destroyed the Earth, brainwashing or not. But Jaden would never allow this…surely he was ignorant of the situation, but how could that be? Surely he would wonder how Sartorius was doing, if they both traveled together in the dark dimension and wound up in the same place. Jaden was supposedly the king around here, but this could not have been on his orders…could it? Jaden was not the sort of person who would allow such a thing. Hell, Jaden forgave Sartorius even after the man nearly got them both killed during Trueman's takeover of Domino City in canon. Something wasn't making sense here.

But there wasn't much time to dwell on it while Aster and Sartorius were in immediate danger in front of me.

"Here…" Sonata appeared alongside me, and we both shared portions of our duel energy with them, imbuing both men with enough life force to survive, although they were far from fully healed. A blanket of translucent green energy fell over them, the power streaming from my fingertips as well as those of my duel spirit. "Although I don't even know why I'm doing this, since you're probably going to cause me more trouble down the line. Is that why you broke off from the group, to piss me off?"

"That wasn't the only reason…" Aster let out a hacking, coughing laugh as he slowly recognized feeling return to his extremities, his wounds patching over. "Thank you, Jamie. You saved my life. Yubel…I thought I could take her, but she was too strong. She used a card I had never seen before…Super Polymerization. I thought my field was unbreakable, but that spell used my monsters as fusion material, and I couldn't even respond to it. I failed…" As he slowly disembarked from the wall, Aster fell to his hands and knees, tears beginning to well at the edges of his eyelids. "I nearly got Sartorius killed…"

I felt uncomfortable witnessing his emotions running over. "Erm…there, there." I awkwardly pat his shoulders. This was probably a bad time to bring up that I was under orders to hand over Sartorius to Seto Kaiba when we returned to the human world, and his suffering would last quite a long time before the sweet mercy of death was granted to him.

"I'm a failure! I failed my parents, my only friend in the world…even the cards my dad left me! She took them, Jamie! She stole them!" Aster wailed, unexpectedly holding onto me for comfort. And this time, I felt a twinge of empathy for him. Those Destiny Heroes cards were special, and Yubel took them…which meant that Aster wasn't going to be much use in getting us out of here, even if he was in a good enough state to fight.

"Son of a bitch…" I cursed, glancing over to Sartorius. It would be a mercy to put a bullet between his eyes right now compared to what my boss had in store for him. But I couldn't do that in front of Aster. He would tell the others, swear revenge on me, and ensure that Kaiba found out that I defied his orders.

Reluctantly, I gave Aster a hug until his tears subsided, rubbing his back gently as he shook, wracked with overwhelming sadness. Sonata gave me a warm look, which at least made me think I was doing the right thing, even though this could bite me in the ass later. I was careful not to give them too much energy. Not only did I have to maintain my own reserves for future battles, but I also wasn't about to let Aster and Sartorius backstab me with my own blade, so to speak.

Once Aster seemed like he had got out what he needed to get out, I spoke again. "We need to move. Let's find the others and regroup with them. Then, we can grab Jaden and get home." Going against Yubel right now wasn't a good idea. I didn't know what she was fully capable of, but what I did know gave me pause. Yubel never lost in canon. Yugi was able to drive her back when she and her army tried to steal the god cards, but he was far beyond my level. The foremost priority was separating Jaden from Yubel. If those two combined their powers, and Yubel was the dominant consciousness of the pair, I was a dead man.

Slowly, I turned to Sartorius. "Give your cards to Aster so he can fight." I didn't bother sparing the man any pleasantries. I theorized that separating Sartorius from the Arcana Force cards would also likely hamper his ability to manipulate fate. Of course, the Arcana Force cards weren't much of a gift for Aster, but at least he could somewhat defend himself with them.

However, the pale man shook his head. "Mine are gone too. Yubel had the same idea as you."

Frowning, I stepped away from Aster and got in Sartorius' face. "Listen well. You're coming with us. Neither you nor I have a choice in the matter. I swore a vow to your sister to return you home safely." Of course, what happened to him after he returned home to Earth was a different matter entirely. "But don't assume you're untouchable. Any funny business and you're dead."

To my surprise, Sartorius calmly nodded. "There is nothing worse you can do to me that Yubel hasn't already. But I shall do as you say…as long as I live, there is a chance I can do some good to atone for the suffering I've inflicted in the past."

"How very heartwarming to hear." I had Aster and Sartorius walk in front of me as we made our down the spiraling steps. Inwardly, I knew I had to decide what I was going to do with them both sooner rather than later.

I wondered if I could live with the consequences of that choice, if my other choices didn't kill me first.

A/N

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed and I appreciate your time. I believe in keeping the villains strong, I think it's something the yugioh series struggles with a bit if you look at characters like Bakura and Leo and such. But I think it's important. I don't know when the next chapter will be but I am still enjoying this and the process overall, for now. Jamie and Jaden will get back into focus soon. With the ensemble cast it's easy to get away from them, but they'll be back in action soon. Ok see ya!