In the hills outside Domino City, a woman wearing priestess robes was standing in a cave lit by candles, when suddenly a gust of wind and flash of lightning appeared out of nowhere along with two cloaked men, kneeling before the woman. "You called for us, Lady Sarina?" one of them asked.
"Yes, our targets will arrive in the town of Domino today, which is why I called you, Frost and Thunder. You are to begin the operation to lure Jaden to us," Sarina informed. "I'm all over it. Those punks are walking on thin ice," Frost assured, and Thunder told him to reign it in as they were supposed to work together. "That is enough from both of you. Do not underestimate your opponents," Sarina said as she tossed them both sealed envelopes.
Frost asked what they were, and Sarina said that if their skills weren't enough to defeat their opponents, then they should use the cards in the envelopes. Frost and Thunder vanished, leaving to fulfill their assigned task. Meanwhile, in Domino City, the Duel Academy ship arrived at the harbor, and everyone disembarked. "All right, we're finally here. When I took the entrance exam, I didn't have time to look around," Jaden said, excited to tour the city.
Jaden turned around and saw Hassleberry and Michael helping Bastion off the ship. Bastion apologized, saying he didn't do well on boats, and when Michael said he did fine when they came to Duel Academy by boat their first year, Bastion said he forgot to pack his motion sickness medicine.
They all heard a bullhorn turn on and turned to see that Crowler was getting ready to speak. "Alright, everyone listen up while I review our schedule for today," Crowler said, but Sartorius said he had something important to attend to, so he had to act independently, and Crowler asked him to just stay with a group. Sartorius assured him they would remain together, and he and the other Society of Light members left.
Once they had gone, Crowler and Bonaparte turned to Jaden and the others, telling them they could do as they pleased for the afternoon, but to stick with each other and be careful. Lily assured them they would be careful, and Crowler nodded before he and Bonaparte walked off.
Bastion wondered what Sartorius, and Alexis said that whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Michael said there wasn't much they could do about it, so they may as well try to enjoy themselves, Jaden agreeing. Just then, Aster walked off the ship and began moving past them "Aster wait. Do you have any idea what Sartorius is up to? I mean he is your manager," Bastion pointed out, but Aster said that wasn't the case anymore.
Flashback
Aster walked into Sartorius' room as he was preparing a tarot reading. Sartorius said he'd been expecting him, and Aster just asked what he was up to. "Straight to the point I see. Let me ask you something, if you hate Duel Academy so much, why did you remain here?" Sartorius asked, and Aster said it was because he knew he'd see him again if he stayed.
"That's not the real answer. You stayed because it was your destiny. You came here for the same reason I did. Your destiny and mine, once stagnant, have become drawn into a whirlpool of sudden change. The one who overcame the destiny I foretold… he is at this school," Sartorius said, and Aster asked if he was talking about Jaden.
"Yes. The pieces are taking place, with him at the center. In the face of destiny, I am merely a single piece. As long as we both remain pieces, Aster, our relationship must remain equal as well," Sartorius advised, but Aster said that wasn't what he was talking about.
"I was asking you about the Society of Light. Why didn't you tell me about it and make me your little pawn in your plan? Did our friendship mean so little to you?" Aster asked, but unknown to him, a stream of tears began to flow down Sartorius' face. "Aster, if you are my friend, then just know that I did what was required of me by fate," Sartorius answered, and Aster said he should've expected an answer like that before saying he would find out what was going on himself.
End Flashback
Bastion asked what Sartorius was thinking, and Aster said a duelist of his caliber couldn't understand how Sartorius' mind works. "What? I may be in Ra Yellow now, but someday I will enter Obelisk Blue," Bastion assured, and Aster asked that if that were the case, why hadn't Sartorius tried to recruit him.
"Sartorius told me he was letting duelists join the Society in order of their skill, so he must not think much of you," Aster commented, but when Bastion asked his friends to back him up, he realized they had already started to leave without him. Further down the harbor, Syrus was dragging everyone along, pointing out the spot where Yugi and Joey dueled each other while chained to an anchor.
Lily said they were about the closest friends ever, Alexis adding that made them exact opposites to Syrus and Hassleberry. Jaden said there was somewhere he wanted to see, and he led them through the streets until they reached a shop with a sign that read "Kame Game".
"Should've guessed you'd want to visit Yugi's home," Michael commented, but when he did, a short old man came out of the store. Everyone couldn't believe what they were seeing, as standing in front of them was Yugi's grandfather. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Michael greeted, and Solomon told them to just call him by his first name.
Jaden asked if Yugi was home, but Solomon informed them that Yugi was traveling, and he wasn't sure where he was. "Yugi always had a bit of a strange presence to him. I thought I felt it just now, but I guess I was mistaken. Oh, where are my manners? Who are all of you?" Solomon asked, and Jaden said they were from Duel Academy and they were in Domino City for a field trip.
"Oh, I've heard talk of that place. Well, Yugi might not be here, but you're all welcome to have a look in my shop," Solomon offered as he led them inside, and Hassleberry said he had never so many rare cards in one place before. Lily said he had an amazing collection, and Solomon thanked her before offering to take them all on a tour of the town himself.
Syrus said that sounded great, and Solomon led them through the streets to a fountain plaza, saying this is where Battle City began. Lily asked if this was where Yugi had his first battle against the Rare Hunters, and Solomon confirmed it was before led them to an overpass over a river.
"This is where Yugi first battled an egyptian god card," Solomon informed, and Alexis said this was where he fought against Marik's puppet duelist Strings and won Slifer the Sky Dragon. Jaden said it would've been so cool to see the duel in person, and Solomon said there were plenty of other sights to see, Jaden saying they should get going.
They all ran off, unaware that Frost and Thunder were watching them. They continued running, but due to his old age, Solomon fell behind. Michael picked up on it and circled back to help him. Michael asked if he was alright, and Solomon assured him he'd be fine. "Your friends sure are energetic. But I guess that just goes to show how much they look up to Yugi," Solomon said before Thunder walked up behind Solomon.
Michael asked if they could help him with something, and Thunder said that while Michael couldn't, Solomon could. Before Michael could wonder what he meant, Thunder unleashed an electric shock on Solomon, causing him to fall unconscious. Michael moved to help Solomon, but before he took two steps, a freezing gust of wind blew past him, encasing his body in ice.
"Looks like you need some time to chill, man," Frost jested, and Thunder told him to drop the jokes and help with Solomon, the two carrying Solomon off while Michael could only watch, wondering who they were. Shortly after, Jaden and the others realized Solomon and Michael were missing.
Syrus said he didn't like it, and Hassleberry said they probably just fell behind. Jaden said they should split up and look for them, and everyone split and began looking for the two, while outside Domino City, Sarina was sitting in her cave. "Let my words come to pass. Let misfortune fall. Let it be so!" she shouted, and suddenly, dark clouds rolled in overhead, completely blocking out the sky over the city.
Jaden asked where the clouds came from, and Air Hummingbird appeared next to him, telling him to look to the edge of the city. Jaden shifted his gaze upwards and saw a giant creature standing outside the city. "And he's not the only one. Look around," Air Hummingbird advised, and when did as he was asked, he saw three other giant creatures standing on the edges of the city.
Jaden asked what they were, and Air Hummingbird said they were ancient duel monster spirits. "They are creating a spiritual barrier. If the person controlling them isn't defeated, we will be trapped within this city forever," he informed, and Jaden asked who was controlling them.
Suddenly, Jaden's pda went off, and when he pulled it out of his pocket, he saw that Alexis was trying to call him. He answered and could see she was clearly worried. Jaden asked what was wrong, and Alexis told him they found Michael, turning her PDA to face him, showing Jaden that he was still trapped in ice.
Jaden asked what happened, and Alexis said that Ceruli had led Lily to Michael, telling her that two guys froze him and took Solomon away. Jaden said he would be right there, and across town, Hassleberry and Syrus met up with each other. Syrus asked if Hassleberry found any sign of him, but Hassleberry said he had no luck.
Before they could decide what to do next, a strange black spike went flying through the air, embedding itself in the pavement next to them. "What in Sam Hill is that?" Hassleberry asked, and when Syrus examined it, he realized it was Solomon's bandana, but it was frozen solid.
They heard someone approaching them, and when they turned, they saw Chazz walking up to them. Syrus asked him what he did with Solomon, and Chazz said while he hadn't done anything, if they wanted to see Solomon again, they had better head to the top of one of the buildings close to them, pointing to the building in question and telling them not to try and call the others for help.
Having delivered his message, Chazz turned and left, and Hassleberry pointed out that it was obviously a trap, but Syrus said they didn't have a choice if they wanted to help Solomon. The two of them ran to the building Chazz pointed out, and when they got to the roof, they looked around but saw no sign of anyone.
Syrus said the place looked familiar, and Hassleberry said he was right, identifying it as the place Yugi and Kaiba had their tag duel against Lumis and Umbra.
Hassleberry: You're right. This is where Yugi and Kaiba had their tag duel against Lumis and Umbra.
They walked over to the skylight and saw two duel disks placed in the center. Hassleberry said things didn't look good, but Syrus said it wasn't like a bomb was gonna be under there, but when he lifted one of the duel disks, he was proven wrong. Frost and Thunder then made themselves known, advising Hassleberry and Syrus not to move.
Syrus asked what they did with their friends, and Thunder said they left Solomon in the alley below them, and Frost told them they left Michael to chill for a while. "If I were you though, I'd be more worried about yourselves. If I were you, I'd come along quietly," Frost advised.
Hassleberry asked why they should do that, and Thunder reminded them of what they were standing on. Syrus asked if they could settle the matter in a different way, and Thunder said if he meant a duel, they were welcome to try and beat them.
Frost: 4000 LP
Thunder: 4000 LP
Hassleberry: 4000 LP
Syrus: 4000 LP
"I'll go first, so I draw. Not a bad start. Peep this, I play the continuous spell Side Attack. This card only works in tag duels, and with it, we can only attack the player directly opposite of us. However, since we activated it, if one of you doesn't have any monsters out, we can attack your partner directly," Frost informed.
Syrus was surprised it was a card made specifically for tag duels, and Hassleberry said that challenging them to a duel like this wasn't fair. "We never said it would be fair, so why don't you just chill out? And I have just the monster to help you, my Ice Knight!" Frost declared.
Level 4/Water/Aqua
ATK 1300/DEF 1200
"And check this, my Ice Knight gains 400 attack points for every aqua-type monster on the field."
Ice Knight: 1300-1700 ATK
Frost ended his turn, and when Hassleberry started his, he immediately summoned his Gilasaurus in attack mode.
Level 3/Earth/Dinosaur
ATK 1400/DEF 400
"And ya see, when Gilasaurus is summoned, I'm allowed to treat it as a special summon, which means I can sacrifice Gilasaurus to summon Dark Driceratops in attack mode!" he declared.
Level 6/Earth/Dinosaur
ATK 2400/DEF 1500
"Next up, I'm activating the field spell Jurassic World, so my dinosaurs gain an extra 300 attack and defense points."
Driceratops: 2400-2700 ATK/1500-1800 DEF
"I'll place one card face-down and end my turn," Hassleberry finished, and he was feeling confident about the duel. "My face-down is Amber Pitfall, so as soon as he attacks, his monster will be forced into defense mode, giving me the perfect opportunity to land some major damage by using Dark Driceratops' piercing damage," he thought before Thunder started his turn and summoned his Thunder Knight in attack mode.
Level 4/Light/Thunder
ATK 1300/DEF 1200
"And due to Thunder Knight's special ability, he gains an extra 400 attack points for every thunder-type monster on the field."
Thunder Knight: 1300-1700 ATK
"I'll place one card face-down and end my turn, but believe me boys, this is just the calm before the storm," Thunder declared. "Okay then, it's my move. I summon Truckroid in defense mode," Syrus declared.
Level 4/Earth/Machine
ATK 1000/DEF 2000
Syrus ended his turn, and Frost said that now that they'd broken the ice, it was time for the main event. "I draw. Awesome, I sacrifice Ice Knight to summon Mobius the Frost Monarch in attack mode!" he declared.
Level 6/Water/Aqua
ATK 2400/DEF 1000
"I hope you're ready for the chills, because when Mobius is tribute summoned, his special ability destroys up to two spells or traps on the field. Freeze Burst!" Frost shouted as Mobius unleashed a gust of freezing air, destroying Hassleberry's field spell and face-down card.
Driceratops: 2700-2400 ATK/1800-1500 ATK
Hassleberry pointed out that even though his field spell was gone, since Mobius and Dark Driceratops had the same attack points, they'd both be destroyed if Frost attacked. "Maybe not. I play the continuous spell, Mobius Castle. While this card is in play, all your dinosaurs lose 500 attack and defense points," Frost explained as a layer of ice formed on his side of the field.
Driceratops: 2400-1900 ATK/1500-1000 DEF
"It's extinction time. Mobius, make a popsicle out of that thing. Ice Lance!" Frost ordered as Mobius created an ice spear in his hand before hurling it at Dark Driceratops, impaling the monster and destroying it.
Hassleberry: 3500 LP
"The iceman cometh, and your life points goeth. I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn," Frost finished. "My move. And I play the spell Pot of Greed. Alright, I play the spell card Earthquake, so all monsters in attack mode are changed to defense mode," Hassleberry explained as the ground rumbled and Mobius and Thunder Knight knelt down, crossing their arms in front of their chests. "And now I summon Archeonys in attack mode," Hassleberry declared.
Level 3/Wind/Winged-Beast
ATK 300/DEF 1200
"And last but not least, I play the spell New Ultra Evolution! By sacrificing my Archeonys, I can special summon a dinosaur monster from my hand, so come on out, Black Tyranno!"
Level 7/Earth/Dinosaur
ATK 2600-2100/DEF 1800-1300
"He may not be fightin' on all cylinders, but he's still strong enough to beat your monster. Go, Rex Bomber!" Hassleberry ordered as Black Tyranno let out a roar before it began charging at Frost's monster. "Like I'd let you. I play the trap Bit Shoot! This card lets me special summon a Reflector Bit from my hand," Frost explained as a small satellite-like monster appeared on his field.
Level 1/Light/Machine
ATK 0/DEF 0
Reflector Bit flew into Black Tyranno's path, causing it to strike Reflector Bit instead of Mobius. Hassleberry was astonished his attack target changed, and Frost explained that Reflector Bit absorbs all of the opponent's attacks and deals the damage he would take to his partner.
"Frost, that is not cool," Thunder said as Reflector Bit charged energy before firing at him. Thunder revealed his own Bit Shoot, explaining that due to Reflector Bit's other effect, when he would take damage from Frost's Reflector Bit, that damage is negated and his opponent would take 500 points of damage. Thunder's Reflector Bit absorbed the blast from Frost's before sending the blast at Syrus.
Syrus: 3500 LP
Hassleberry asked Syrus if he was okay, and Syrus assured him he would be fine. "You came to the party unprepared. Reflector Bit's a tag duel card. Since we have two out, they pretty much create an invincible barrier for our team. You can't touch this," Frost mocked, but Thunder wasn't too happy with his partner.
"Hey ice-for-brains, how about a little warning next time? If I hadn't been ready with Reflector Bit, I would've been nailed," Thunder commented, but Frost said he was sure Thunder was ready with Reflector Bit and not to sweat the small stuff. "Grr, whatever. My move. And I sacrifice Thunder Knight to summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch," Thunder declared.
Level 6/Light/Thunder
ATK 2400/DEF 1000
"Hope you're ready for a shock, because when Zaborg is tribute summoned, his special ability destroys one monster on the field. Take out Truckroid with Thunder Crash!" Thunder shouted before a bolt of lightning streaked off of Zaborg's body, striking Truckroid and destroying it.
"I wouldn't want to be you right now. Zaborg, strike that twerp with Rolling Thunder!" Thunder ordered as Zaborg created a ball of blue electricity in his hands before firing it at Syrus. "Sorry Thunder, but I'll be helping myself to that attack. I play the continuous trap Revolving Stage! This card lets me flip the script by shifting the damage to your partner," Frost explained as the ground underneath Syrus and Hassleberry rotated, putting the latter of the two in the way of Zaborg's attack.
Hassleberry: 1100 LP
"Sorry Thunder, couldn't resist," Frost said, but he was getting on Thunder's nerves. "Ice boy, did you forget what Sarina said? We're supposed to be working together here," the electric duelist reminded, and Syrus and Hassleberry asked who Sarina was. "Guess we never told you. Have either of you punks ever heard of Sartorius?" Frost asked.
Outside the city, Chazz was walking up the path through the woods when he spotted Sarina's cave. "So this is the home of Master Sartorius' sister?" he thought to himself as he approached the cavern.
To be continued…