Chapter Text
Prologue
As you all know, in the years of Ancient Egypt, the pharaoh, Atem, locked away the power of the shadow games in the millennium items for all eternity. But when our hero, Yugi Moto, discovered the secret of the millennium puzzle, 5,000 years later, he unknowingly released the power of the other items as well. He discovered that when Pegasus and Bakura attacked him and his friends at Duelist Kingdom, and when he fought Marik Ishtar at Battle city. Not to mention stopping Dartz and the mighty Leviathan, eventually leading him into assisting Atem with his battle in the past against Zorc. But they aren't the only people that posses millennium items and magic. For soon, in this chapter of the shadows' rebirth, a new character with great and unexploited power, will appear. He will make himself known to the world. The question is, will he bring order to the shadows, or reign chaos over all?
Chapter 1
“Yugi, where are you?! What's taking you so long?” Joey hollered to his friend upstairs. “We only got fifteen minutes! Any longer than that, and we'll miss the train for the Neo-GX tournament!”
“I'm coming, Joey! Just needed to find a couple cards!” The young king of games was excited as he hurried down the stairs of his home, the local card shop. This tournament was going to have the best of the best duelists, and with Joey dueling, and the rest of his friends helping him on, this was going to be an event for the ages, rem embed by all in the game. Finally, he thought. A regular tournament! No evil demented villains, no psychopaths with plans for world domination. Just a regular, fun, worry-free tournament, where he could relax and have fun.
It is a shame that our hero's prediction was completely wrong.
Our mystery character, also bound for the Neo-GX tournament, was at the domino train station waiting for his own two close friends.
“Man, where are they?” He muttered. “They said they'd be here at ten o'clock sharp. They're late.”
“Hey!” A voice said behind him in a gruff tone. “Duel me if you got the guts!”
“Hi Korben,” The mystery character said.
“How'd you know it was me?” Korben whined in his normal voice.
“Because, one: you're the only one that does that to me. Two: you gave yourself away, like last time. And three: you've tried it a hundred times, so I know it’s you. Where's Derek?”
“Right here, Matthias.” A serious voice said from behind a pillar, submerged in the shadows.
“Derek, come on! Step into view! A little sunlight's not going to kill you!” Matthias snapped. Sometimes he wondered why he hung out with this paranoid Gothic, not to mention Korben the joker. But, as people say, you can't choose your friends. On the bright side, he, Korben, and Derek were going to own this tournament. After all, they were part of the “best of the best.” But soon, he would be at Academy Island, dueling in the Neo-GX tournament, and proving it. He could imagine it right now….
Yugi and Joey were making a sprint for the train station. If they didn't get there soon, they would miss the train to the dock! And then the cruise liner to Academy Island! But as they were nearing the platform, the train was getting ready to leave!
“Hurry, Yugi! The train's pulling out!” Joey called out to his friend, who was beginning to trail behind. But from what it looked like, Yugi was not going to get there in time! The train began to depart. Joey was on, but Yugi wasn't! The door closed right in his face. Joey thought fast, then ran to the back of the train, to try and catch Yugi when the train went by.
Yugi was running with the train, trying to find a way on before it overtook him. Then, at the end of the train, someone grabbed his hand, and pulled him onboard. Yugi was trying to catch his breath.
“Whew! Thanks, Joey….” He began.
But when he looked up, It wasn't Joey. Instead, it was a complete stranger. A guy in his late teens. He wore a gray jacket, a t-shirt underneath the jacket, blue jeans, and skate shoes. But that wasn't what gave Yugi chills. There was something about this teenager that seemed to be off about him. That rubbed Yugi the wrong way.
But in the end, he seemed friendly enough. “Hey, don’t worry about it. It wouldn’t be a proper tourney without the King of Games, you know!” The stranger said, smiling.
And he walked back into the passenger car, leaving our hero with these thoughts.
Even though he just saved Yugi Moto from being left behind, Matthias left him at the back of the train. Still, he couldn't help but feel a tad sorry for the King of Games. It must be hard, with all the publicity, the cameras, the news crews chasing you wherever you went….
But the most difficult thing was probably trying to escape a crowd of rival duelists. It actually seemed funny, thinking about it. He nearly laughed, something he had not done in six years….
“YUGI!!” He heard someone yell. He immediately looked up, and saw a charging Joey Wheeler rampaging down the aisle! Matthias instantly dived into an empty seat, to prevent from being trampled over. Then, when Joey passed, Matthias actually began to go into a laughing fit.
“Now that was a close call,” Matthias thought out loud as he laughed happily.
Joey was running top speed down the aisle, almost knocking down a guy in a jacket. He practically speed-sprinted down the aisle like an Olympics runner, not stopping for anything. If Yugi missed the train, then all their plans for the tourney would be ruined! They wouldn't be able to duel together in the tournament! He began to sprint faster than he thought he could. He was nearly on the verge of panic! When Joey finally reached the last car, he saw Yugi standing in the aisle.
“Yugi!” Joey cried. “You made it! But how?”
“You wouldn't believe me if I told you….” Yugi sighed.
“Well, Tell me anyway.” Joey pestered.
Yugi looked up. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. So tell me what happened!”
“Ok. Well, when I was running….”
“So you saved the soon-to-be former King of Games from missing the train. Big deal.” Derek rolled his eyes. “You should've left him.”
“Well, I thought I'd be nice for once.” Matthias retorted. “Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to catch some Z's before we get to the Dock.” And with that, he reclined his seat and dozed off.
Chapter Text
Meanwhile, on Academy Island, there was a big duel going on, involving Bob, one of Matthias's friends. He was a Ra Yellow student in the academy. Not the best, but definitely not the worst, either.
Bob thought hard as he looked at the cards in his hand. Then at the field. Jaiden had his Elemental Hero Tempest and Wild edge on the field and no cards face down, along with Fusion Gate. Bob had his Red Eyes Black Dragon, along with two faces down traps. It was his turn.
“Well, Jaiden, it's been fun, but you lose.” Bob said.
“Dream on!” Jaiden boasted. "Your Red Eyes can't defeat my Tempest!"
"It doesn't need to." Bob smiled. "I ACTIVATE THE MAGIC CARD RAIGEKI!"
"What?!" Jaiden gapsed. “Raigeki?!”
"You better believe it! Your Tempest may not be beaten in battle, but it's a different story for magic and trap cards! And this one destroys every monster on your field!" With that said, the magic of Raigeki activated, and flaming bolts of lightning rained down from the
top of the stadium, sweeping across the playing field. Tempest and Wildedge were practically vaporized from the blast. Jaiden stood his ground.
"I still have more life points, and more than enough to withstand your Red Eyes' attack."
"But this card changes all that, too!" Bob said. "And thanks to you, I can summon it! You see, all this card needs is a fusion of five dragon-type monsters! And I have just the five to fuse!"
Bob then sacrificed a Luster Dragon, Spear Dragon, Komori Dragon and his Hirozanru, along with his Red Eyes, taking advantage of Jaiden's Fusion gate card.
"Now I can summon the FIVE GOD DRAGON!!!" And what a summoning it was! There was a searing fire blast from the sacrifice. Then, it appeared. The Five God Dragon in all it's glory. Poised, and prepared, ready to attack. The student's went wild, screaming and cheering. Jaiden was completely dumbstruck. In the crowd, Bastion nearly fell out of his seat! Syrus hid behind Chumley. Alexis Nearly fainted. Not even Zane, who had come to the academy with Jaiden and the others for a reunion, could resist watching this! The Five God Dragon made a roar like thunder, adding to the suspense.
"Sick 'em." Bob snapped his fingers.
Back on the train, everything was going well. Matthias had woken up from his nap, and they were nearing the Dock.
“We're almost there!” Korben said.
“This is going to be fun!” Derek snickered.
Finally, Matthias thought. The time has come. The time to show Me and my friends belong with the best of the best! I won't let anything, or anyone gets in our way to the top. We will finally get some respect! The respect we deserve… Not to mention I will be able to show the world that the slacker flunkie who bragged about beating the King of Games’ battle city deck how much of a fraud he is...
“Matthias, quit daydreaming. We're at the Dock.” Korben said.
“Oh! Right.” He got up as the train stopped. They took their bags and got off the train. When they got to the dock, they turned in their cruiser tickets, and boarded the carnival cruise-liner destined for Academy island. The weird coincidence was Matt and his friends were in separate rooms in first class. And even weirder, Matthias's room was right next to Yugi's! He found that out when he bumped into Yugi when they were going to their rooms. But no fighting words were exchanged, unless you count "excuse" and "me" as fighting words. The fact that they were next door bothered Matthias though. Was this a coincidence, or was it fate? He wondered. It made him uneasy for the whole overnight trip.
Matthias tried to get some sleep, but it was futile. His mind was in overdrive. He finally sat up on the bed in his room, got up, then walked through the ship out to the top deck. There was someone laying on the deck, looking exhausted. He was surrounded by a crowd, murmuring.
That someone was Derek! It looked as if he'd lost a duel, since he still had his duel disk on. Matthias ran over to Derek.
“Who's responsible for this?!” Matthias snapped.
Then, he saw a familiar Seto Kaiba.
“Nobody did anything, unless you count him losing to me in a duel. He was so kind as to help me test my latest Solid-Vision system prototype.”
“Figures. Seto Kaiba. You're as much a snake as ever.” Matthias sneered, putting on his own duel disk.
“Don't make me kick you off the boat, Matthias. My company is providing for half of this tournament.” Kaiba warned.
“And who's providing for the other half?” Matthias challenged.
Kaiba went silent.
“Did you forget already?” Matthias asked, a taunt in his voice.
Kaiba recovered. “Does it matter?”
“I'm sure it does to many people.” Matthias countered again.
Kaiba began to walk away, but Korben stopped him.
“Isn't running away from a challenge against the rules?”
“Yes. It is.” Kaiba growled.
“Then you're breaking them Kaiba, because I challenge you to a duel! Right here, right now, as I shall now demonstrate how to properly use the power of one of the prize cards I won in the international leauge: The fifth Blue Eyes White Dragon!!” Matthias activated his duel disk and slid his deck into the slot.
Bob stood on Academy island's pier, watching the sunset.
He was proud and happy that he had tied with Jaiden. He was the top in his class back in the day. If Bob kept dueling like this, he would be moved up to Obelisk Blue.
He knew that Matthias and his friends were coming to academy island sometime. When they did, they would share all the new strategies they made for their decks, and everything they had learned. But this was also his last year at Duel Academy, and he didn't want to leave. Especially with his new teachers that started this year. How would life be without hearing his teacher’s advice on dueling? Without his more memorable classmates’ carefree personalities and humor? Without his many rivals’ harsh chastising insults? He didn't know how things would be when he left, but he knew he would miss everyone. Then, he heard some explosions.
And saw the cruise liner heading to the dock.
“And now I activate two copies of OOKAZI!!! You take 1,600 points of damage!! And thanks to Rapid-fire Magician's Effect, you take 800 more points of damage!” Matthias held up both Magic cards as meteors flew from the sky. Kaiba shielded himself from the flaming rocks with his arms. He was now down to 3,500 life points. Matthias was still at full, thanks to his Solumn Wishes trap card.
“You should've destroyed my Kaibaman last turn!” Kaiba laughed. “Because now I can summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Attack his Rapid-fire Magician with white lightning!” Then, the destructive dragon fired its white lightning directly at Matthias's magician.
“Big mistake, Kaiba! I activate my trap card, Magic Cylinder! And since you've dueled Yugi before, you should know what this does. But I'll refresh your memory, anyway. When an enemy monster attacks, Magic Cylinder negates it and diverts the attack to the attacking monster's owner as damage!” Then, the Cylinder appeared, absorbed the attack, and redirected the blast of white lightning back to Kaiba! He screamed in pain as he was hit by the white lightning. Then, it stopped. Kaiba tried to catch his breath.
“I…. Play two cards face down and…. End my turn.”
“Good!” Matthias said. “Now, Time to fry me some Dragon! I sacrifice my second monster, Dark Magician to bring forth the DARK ERADICATOR WARLOCK!! And you should know his effect too! Every spell played from now on will give you 1,000 points of damage per spell STRAIGHT TO YOU!” The Dark Warlock then appeared on the field, confident and ready.
“And I'm not done there! Next I activate the LIGHTNING VORTEX MAGIC CARD! All I need to do is discard one card in my hand to destroy every monster on your field! Plus, you take 1,000 points of damage thanks to Dark Eradicator Warlock’s effect!” The warlock raised his staff, and bolts of lightning shot from it and rained down from the sky, striking Kaiba and his Blue-Eyes. The Dragon was vaporized on the spot!
“Now I activate Monster Reborn, to deal 1,000 more points of damage and bring back you old friend, who will now be your enemy…. Your Blue-Eyes WHITE DRAGON!!”
“No! Impossible!!” Kaiba gasped.
“Kaiba, you've been schooled! Blue-Eyes, ATTACK!!! WHITE LIGHTNING!!!!”
And with that, the Dragon launched its attack. Kaaba's life points dropped to zero. Kaiba collapsed on his knees. He couldn't believe it. He had lost…. To the international champion.
Though Kaiba had to admit, this upstart did have some skills. He lived up to his title, at least.
Yugi couldn't believe his eyes! That guy on the train had just beaten Kaiba! No sweat! Not only that, but he had powerful cards, and a well-constructed deck! Joey was also stunned by this duelist's skill and power! At first, everyone just stared. Then, the other duelist came up to meet him, along with someone else.
"Wow! Nice work, Matt! You gave him the boot, and in seven turns!" The first said.
"So what?" Began the second, dusting himself off from his earlier duel with Kaiba. "Anyone can beat that over-rated upstart."
"Well, I didn't see you beat him in your duel." The first sassed.
"Your point is?"
"Your point is nothing!" Matthias snapped. "Now forget the argument and get your bags ready. We're at our destination. It's time for the Neo-GX tournament… It’s time for us to take the world by storm!"
He pointed to the bow of the ship as Academy island came into view.
Bob began to run away from the pier to get Brittany and Alex. They were here! At long last, they were here! Bob remembered the E-mail they sent to him, The E-mail said they would arrive on a boat, but not on a cruise liner! This was awesome! Finally, they would be here, after three years of only seeing their faces through video feeds! And he hoped that they would have their best of luck in the Neo-GX tournament.
Little did he know they would all need it.
Chapter Text
Chapter 3
As Yugi, Matthias, and all the other duelists got off the cruise liner, they were greeted by the pearl-white pier and lighthouse of Academy Island. This was Yugi's first time seeing the island up-close. It was amazing. The main school building itself had the appearance of some sort of ruin. It must have been based off a similar structure. Matthias, however, was not surprised He had been there before, when he had to leave behind Alex, Brittany, and Bob. Three more friends in his group besides Derek and Korben. Soon, all of them would be reunited, and just in time for the tournament. However, when they got off the boat, they saw a familiar figure.
Maximillion Pegasus himself.
"Ah, Yugi boy! Hello again! By the way the way, no hard feelings about Duelist Kingdom? And I see the new International Champion is here as well, eh, Mattie boy?"
"Greeting, Pegasus." Matthias said, smiling. “I look forward to the tournament.”
"Matthias!" A familiar voice yelled. It was Alex, Brittany, and Bob. They were running down the pier to greet him.
"Al, How've you been?" Matthias said. "It's been a long time!"
"It sure has!" Alex said, slapping Matthias a high-five.
"Hey, don't forget me!" Bob said.
"Yeah, we missed you guys!" Brittany said.
"Family reunion..." Derek said nonchalantly.
"Bob! Try any of the new pranks I emailed?" Korben asked.
"A couple..." Bob answered.
Matthias then noticed three people running up to them. One was in a old Slifer red blazer, another in a Obelisk blue blazer, the lowest and highest classes in duel academy, and one was in a suit. The Slifer duelist had brown hair, and an obvious look of overconfidence in his eyes. Matthias had heard of this duelist. It was Jaiden Yuki.
"Wow!" Jaiden said. "It's really him!"
"And the international champion, too!" The Obelisk student said. This student was very short, about Yugi's size, and had turquoise hair, and wore glasses. The third however, was plump and had black hair and eyes. He was stricken in awe.
"Great..." Derek muttured. "The disgraces are here..." However, Matthias remained silent, anger and agitation building up in him. This was the guy that beat Yugi’s deck when it was here?!
"Hi! I'm Jaiden Yuki. You're Yugi Moto?" Jaiden asked.
"...Yeah." Yugi answered. “...I hear you are the guy that out-dueled my old deck...
“Yep! That’s me!” Jaiden said proudly. “No offense, but I slaughtered it...”
"Really?" Matthias said, losing his temperament. "Then let’s see you slaughter some of this!" He got out his duel disk. "Now prepare yourself, Slifer Red, because as the king of games says, IT'S TIME TO DUEL!!!" And with that, he slid his deck into the disk.
“Well, okay!” Jaiden said, cocky as he activated his own duel disk and inserted his own deck of cards. “Get your game on, champ!”
“Oh, goody!” Pegasus said. “A little bad-blood exhibition match to spice things up… Not a bad evening.” He turned to the crowd on the dock. “Make room! Make room!”
Kaiba couldn't believe what he was seeing! The International champion was getting ready to crush a Slifer red! And it was just starting! Though Kaiba was entertained by this sudden challenge, he now knew that the international champion needed to work on strengthening his temperament.
"I’ll take the first turn, thank you very much!" Matthias said. He drew a card.
"I summon the Blast Magicain in attack mode! Next I will activate the Terraforming magic card! This card allows me to bring out a Field spell from my deck!" He got his deck, searched through it, found his card, shuffled, and put the deck back into the disk. "And to finish my turn, I set two cards face-down. Now let's see what you're made of, Jaiden!"
"Alright! Here I go!" Jaiden drew his card. "Sweet! I activate Fusion Gate! This allows me to summon fusion monsters without using Polymerization! Next, I will use fusion gate to summon Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"
"Actually, no you don't!" Matthias interrupted. "Reveal trap! Bottomless trap hole! Flame Wingman is destroyed, and removed from play for the game!" The trap hole then appeared and enveloped Jaiden’s Flame Wingman! Jaiden was shocked.
"Are you done?" Matthias asked.
"...I'm done." Jaiden said.
"Good. To be blunt, I expected more from the Academy’s so-called red ace! What a complete waste of an opening move..." Matthias drew his card. "Now to teach you a few things you won’t learn from a classroom… I activate the Field spell, Yami! Which replaces your Fusion Gate!" Matthias played the field spell card, as it replaced Fusion Gate. "And since I doubt you know about Yami, I'll tell you what it does: First, it boosts the attack and defense of all Fiend and Spellcaster type monsters by 200 points. And it has the exact opposite effect on fairy types! Next, I sacrifice Blast Magician for the Chaos Command Magician with an attack of 2600 thanks to Yami’s field spell boost! Don’t be fooled by his strength, either! His special ability is about to throw some discord into your strategy! You see, monster card effects that target him are automatically negated! And you're wide open, Jaiden! ATTACK HIM DIRECTLY, CHAOS COMMAND MAGICIAN! USE YOUR CHAOS BLAST!" The magician then fired a magical energy wave directly at Jaiden. He yelled in pain as the blast hit him. He was now down to 5,400 life points! And Matthias was still at full!
"To finish my turn, I set two cards face down. Now quit holding back and show me what you're made of!" Matthias snarled. "I don't like wasting my time!"
"Fine!" Jaiden said drawing his card.
"You can still win, Jaiden!" Syrus said.
"Please!" Korben said. "He's already lost!"
"Says who?!" Chumley snapped.
"Says the stats!" Kaiba said as he walked down the pier from the crowd. "Jaiden's duel level is only two stars: Matthias's is seven. And the current standings are glaringly obvious. Jaiden lost this before it even began.”
"I'm not giving up!" Jaiden said. "I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in attack mode! And since he's the only one on the field, I get to draw two cards! Next I activate polymerization..."
"I don't think so!" Matthias cut him off. "Reveal! Cursed seal of the forbidden spell! I discard one card from my hand to negate Polymerization, and you cannot use it for the rest of the duel!" Everyone was shocked. Jaiden couldn't use his fusions anymore! Period!
"I... I throw down two face downs. That's all..."
"Pathetic!" Matthias sighed in disgust, drawing his card. "But then again, It's not like I should expect more from a wannabe Slifer red with a two-star ranking. I guess it's time to take out the garbage! I summon the SKILLED DARK MAGICIAN! And I also activate one of my face-downs, a spell card! Magical Dimension! This card allows me to special summon a high level Spellcaster, by sacrificing one lower one from the field! And I get to destroy your Bubbleman by this effect as well! Now, I sacrifice Skilled Dark Magician to destroy your Bubbleman, and to bring forth the monster that will seal this duel! COME FORTH, DARK MAGICIAN!" And as Bubbleman was eradicated, the Dark Magician appeared. This was a different variety than Yugi’s well-known magician: It wore midnight blue robes rather than royal purple, and it’s skin was bluish-pale! It also seemed as if it was staring down Jaiden! With the same distrust as Matthias had! It was almost if it wanted to get rid of Jaiden, just as Matthias did!
"Next, I'll lay down three cards, and activate another face-down spell, Mage Power!" Matthias said. "And if you paid attention in any of your classes, you would know what this does. It adds 500 Attack Points per spell or trap card on my field to any monster I choose! And I equip it to Dark Magician! And thanks to Yami, he gets 200 more attack points! Next, I’ll get rid of your traps if you have any! I activate from my hand the Dark Magic Attack spell card, which destroys all your face-down magic and trap cards on the field!” The spell the flew from Matthias’ side of the field, wiping away Jaiden’s face-down cards! His only defenses left! “I now lay down one last face done card."
"WOAH!" Joey said. "That's a total of 7,100 points combining both monsters! And he still has that Chaos Command Magician!"
"And they're all aimed at you, Jaiden Yuki!” Matthias smirked. “ATTACK HIM DIRECTLY, COMMAND MAGICIAN!" Jaiden braced himself for the attack. It hit him with great force!
"And now you're as good as done!” Matthias said with a glare.”FINISH IT, DARK MAGICIAN! ATTACK HIS LIFE POINTS! DARK MAGIC ATTACK!"
The Dark Magician closed in on Jaiden, unleashing it's devastating attack. Jaiden was hit by it head-on! It sent him sliding backwards several feet, as his life point meter hit dead zero. He had lost.
"Hmph! It's obvious now that you need to study more..." Matthias said. He then deactivated his duel disk and began to walk away.
"Wait!" Yugi ran up to Matthias.
"Yes, Yugi?" Matthias asked.
"Why did you do that?" Yugi asked. "What did he do to you to deserve that?"
"I have my reasons. Please don’t ask me to explain, because I won’t." Matthias said bluntly. With that, walked off to the main building.
“Seems someone’s pissed off that Jaiden beat your old deck, Yuge...” Joey said.
Zane had watched the duel from a distance. He couldn't believe the cruelty and harsh reality that Matthias made Jaiden bear witness to. He didn't know this duelist' background other than from news reports, but from watching, he knew he was colder than he seemed.
"Wow, that guy's good. He didn't even try!" Zane thought out loud.
"Oh, thanks for the support, Zane, that's really helpful!" Syrus said.
"It's no biggie," Jaiden said. "I was happy to fight someone strong..."
Matthias then stopped walking and turned to face Jaiden. "I'd show you more butt-whoop now, but scumbags like you aren't really worth my time." Matthias then resumed walking away. "Come on, guys, we need to sign up." He motioned to his friends.
"Hey, bro! I'm just..."
"I'm not you're 'bro' ok?" Matthias snarled getting in Jaiden's face. "If you call me 'bro' again, you'll be in for a lot of pain! Got it?!"
There was a sacred like silence.
"What is your problem?" Jaiden demanded.
"You're the problem!" Matthias snarled. "You're a disgrace to duelists everywhere! Nothing but a lucky loser! I would've had a better challenge playing solitaire, or even Uno for that matter!"
"...Then wait for the tournament! I'll show you there's more to my wins than luck!" Jaiden said.
"Sure..." Matthias then walked away, rolling his eyes, his friends following.
"Man, that guy has a serious attitude problem..." Joey said.
"...But why did he do that?" Yugi puzzled. Then, he saw a gold glimmer underneath Matthias's jacket. It looked like a millennium item! Could it be?
Unknown to Yugi, Matthias,'s nephew, Damion, and his friend Kevin, were also on the island. Waiting in the main hall for Matthias and his group.
"You're here!" Damion said happily as Matthias and his friends arrived.
"Yeah, and you're early." Derek growled. "We were supposed to meet at exactly seven o' clock."
"Sorry we came too early. Little Dami here was impatient."
Kevin began.
"It's no biggie..." Alex said.
"Of course, It's a biggie!" Derek snapped. "Did you not learn anything from the media coverage of Duelist Kingdom or Battle City-"
"Put a sock in it!" Matthias smacked Derek across the back of the head. "No crazy kidnappers or psychopaths haven't struck yet, have they?!"
"...No." Derek Grumbled, rubbing his head.
"Yeah. So, chill out. I came here to expose Jaiden Yuki for the fraud that he is and rocket us to the pro leagues, not to worry about a bunch of crazies skulking around that probably aren’t even there!" Matthias said as he and his friends finished filling out their entry forms.
“You assume too much, Matthias." Derek said. “Not to mention you are letting your narrow vision of the final prize cloud your judgment...”
"Derek, don't start." Matthias warned.
The tournament had progressed through many matches. It was down to the final.
"Final match! Jaiden Yuki Vs Matthias Cruz! Competitors, report to the arena!"
"Looks like you're up." Derek said.
"I believe you’ve been looking forward to this..." Alex laughed.
"It doesn't matter..." Matthias growled. "As long as he doesn't get the chance to duel Yugi and fall by my hand, I will be satisfied..."
"Does that even matter?" Alex laughed. "He's just a guy that likes to duel. Besides, Matt, you got to cut him some slack, he isn't all that bad..."
“…And for the last damn time: I don’t care!” Matthias said.
"LAST CALL! MATTHIAS CRUZ, REPORT TO THE ARENA!" The announcer said.
"It’s time…” Matthias said as he walked off.
The duel area was lit up with many lights, surrounded by aisles of seats filled to the brim with duel fans. Jaiden was confidently standing at the other side of the arena, his duel disk and hand ready when Matthias arrived. But when Jaiden saw Matthias, his confidence vanished, replaced by fear. If Matthias's duel stars were truly seven, what was he really capable of?
“I’ve been looking forward to this moment…" Matthias leered Jaiden. "I hope you’re ready for this."
"I... Of course I'm ready!" Jaiden tried to hide his fear.
“Don’t even bother trying to hide your fear, fake king!” Matthias activated his duel disk. Jaiden then noticed it was the same type of duel disk that was used in Battle City, upgraded by using kits sold by KaibaCorp! “Duel to your maximum extent, Jaiden, so I can crush you with totality and wipe the slate clean!”
“I will go first!” Matthias drew a card. “I summon the Skilled Dark Magician, and activate the field spell, Magic Citadel of Endymion! Now, I can collect spell counters from all spell cards put into play! It also gives Skilled Dark a spell counter, since he gains one every time a spell is played. I end with two facedown cards.”
Jaiden drew his card. “I activate Polymerization…”
“No you don’t!” Matthias corrected. “I activate the Cursed seal of the Forbidden spell in response! Polymerization is removed from play, and other copies cannot be used! By the way, thanks for another spell counter for Skilled Dark Magician and the Citadel!”
Jaiden quickly adapted. "I can still summon normal monsters! I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman, and equip him with the Spark Blaster, and activate the Banner of Courage! Now I can change the battle position of a monster on your field, specifically your Skilled Dark!"
"Again, thanks for another two spell counters. Is that all?" Matthias asked, losing his patience.
"Not quite! Now I will attack! And thanks to Banner of Courage, I get 200 extra attack points during the battle phase! Sparkman, use your shining surge flash!"
"Well, thank you, Jaiden, and not just for the spell counters!" Matthias smiled. "Reveal trap! Draining Shield! Your attack is negated, and I gain life points equal to your monster's attack power, so basically you just gave me 1800 life points on a silver platter!" The shield then appeared, absorbed the surge blast, and diverted the energy to Matthias's life points.
"So, is that all you're gonna do?" Matthias asked.
"...Yes." Jaiden finally said.
"Thought so." Matthias drew his card. "I set one more card face-down and activate Skilled Dark Magician’s ability! By sacrificing him with three counters, I can special summon Dark Magician from my deck or hand! I also summon the Blast Magician, and equip him with the Black Pendant Spell Card, which of course gives me another counter for the Magical Citadel, along with Blast Magician for his ability as well! So, now Blast Magician now has an attack of 2200! Blast Magician, attack! Give Sparkman a blasting burn he won’t forget!”
Sparkman was then enveloped in an explosive flaming ball of fire launched by the Blast Magician.
Yuig couldn't take his eyes off this duel! He didn't fully understand why Matthias was dueling with such hatred and determination, with a burning passion for the cards, and much more. But he did know a lot about the game and was using his deck to the full advantage. This duel was also reminding Yugi of Atem, the Pharoh. His friend that he truly missed. Unfortunately, his thoughts were interrupted.
"Excuse me, may we sit here? We had a bit of a hold-up with our seat tickets..." Three strangers motioned to the empty seats by Yugi and Joey.
"Uhh... Sure." Yugi said. They then sat down. The first one was taller than Kaiba's tallest body guard! He was also wearing a strange mask, making his head look like a jackal's. He looked a lot more muscular and stronger than Kaiba's body guard, too! Heck, the guy was even a foot taller than Kemo, maybe even two! Not a guy you would want to meet in a dark alley! He was dressed in robes and silken pants, with a cloak, all of them colored dark as night. Even though his cloak could cover them, he left his arms and chest exposed. He also was wearing gold wristbands, and golden collar.
The second, however, had a leaner figure than the first, about two and a half feet shorter than him. He was wearing a mask that resembled a falcon, one of the eyes replaced by a blood-red ruby, his crimson robes shrouding him in mystery. He also wore gold jewelry, just like the first.
The third figure was the shortest in the group, yet he was taller than Yugi. He had a large, royal blue cloak, which covered his appearance. His figure looked very familiar. The thing that was noticed, however, was the object hanging around his neck: The Millenium Puzzle itself! Was it Atem?
"It's been a long, time, Yugi." The figure in the blue cloak said. He took off his hood. If there was any other doubt in Yugi's mind, it was crushed by the man's face. It was the Pharoh, Atem!
"...Atem!" Yugi was stunned, as was Joey. But who were the other two? Yugi got up the courage to ask as he wiped tears away from his eyes, holding in the sobs. "...How did you get here, and who are they?"
"...They came with me to observe and try to prevent the prophecy of Set." The one with the jackal mask said. "I am Anubis, keeper and god of the dead, guardian of the underworld." He then took off his mask. The harsh, stone-like face, the dark hazel eyes, the long locks of golden-blonde hair... It was no joke! That was Anubis!
"...What are you doing here? What is he doing here?!" Joey Wheeler hissed at the one with the falcon mask.
"Like he said, we're here to stop the prophecy. Though I don't understand how you can stop something destined to happen." The falcon-masked one took off his mask. He had short, spiky red hair aside from the back of his head, which had a long, braided ponytail. The man had dark green eyes, piercing, like a hawk's. "I am Horus, the god of justice, executor of vengeance."
Yugi was afraid, though he didn't show it. Anubis and Horus, however, clearly sensed the boy's fear.
"Need a change of pants, boy?" Anubis snickered. "You'll need a lot more than that, I'm afraid..."
"Quit trying to give them a heart attack, and focus on the game, Anubis!" Horus snapped, pointing to the arena. "If it's true and he does summon the.…" The arena was then engulfed by a large explosion from one of Jaiden’s monsters.
"ENOUGH!" Matthias yelled in the arena as Jaiden decimated his Dark Magician. "I'VE COME TOO FAR TO FAIL! YOU SHALL NOT DEFEAT ME, JAIDEN YUKI! I WILL NOT BE BEATEN BY A TWO-STAR, LAZY, SECOND-RATE PIECE OF TRASH!! IT'S TIME TO SUMMON THE BEAST THAT WILL FINISH THIS!” Matthias drew his next card, whipping it from the top of his deck with aggression! “I ACTIVATE MY TRAP! DNA SURGERY, AND USE IT TO CHANGE ALL MONSTERS ON THE FIELD TO THE MACHINE-TYPE! NEXT, I ACTIVATE THE SPELL CARD POWER BOND! NOW I CAN COMBINE THE BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON ON THE FIELD WITH THE CYBER DRAGON IN MY HAND! COME FORTH, BLUE EYES CYBER DRAGON!!!"
Matthias held his Power Bond spell card high in the air, as it activated, his face more serious than ever. Immediately, there was a blinding vortex of light, wind whipping through the arena. Then, Matthias's ultimate monster appeared. The Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon made a loud battle roar, practically shaking the arena to its foundation! It's cold, steel armor glistening in the light, It's cold blue eyes ablaze like wildfire!
"Just to let you know, Jaiden, my Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon starts off with an attack of 5,000, while you're Tempest has only 2,800!" Matthias snarled. "And don't forget his ability, which I shall educate you on: He gains 600 Attack points for every lever 5 or higher monster in my graveyard! Now, since you've destroyed some of my most powerful cards; Chaos Command Magician, Chaos Sorcerer, Dark Red Enchanter, Endymion the Master Magician, The Sorcerer of Dark Magic, Dark Eradicator Warlock, and Dark Magician, and since now both my dragons I used to summon Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon are now in the graveyard, my mighty cybernetic beast gets a 5,400 point boost, and thanks to Power Bond, his attack is doubled! That makes a grand total of 15,800 Attack points!"
“Someone tell me that attack meter’s off...” Joey said in the crowd, nervous.
"Your forgetting one thing!" Jaiden smiled. "Tempest can't be destroyed in battle! And right now, he's in Defense Mode, so my life points are safe! You on the other hand, left yourself open due to Power Bond’s nasty side-effect! In one turn, Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon will be destroyed, and will wipe out the rest of your life points!"
"Who says I need to destroy Tempest?" Matthias said. "For you are judging my dragon too soon. You see, he has another special ability: If I discard three cards from the top of my deck straight to the graveyard, my dragon can attack your life points directly!"
And that's exactly what Matthias was going to do. Jaiden couldn't believe it! He had no spell or traps to stop it!
"No! Wait!" Jaiden began. But it was too late. Matthias had discarded his three cards… sealing the duel, and the events to come.
"Consider this a message from a real champion, Jaiden! YOU LOSE!!!!" Matthias yelled. "BLUE EYES CYBER DRAGON, ATTACK JAIDEN DIRECTLY! STRIDENT BURST-STREAM PARTICLE NEUTRON BLAST!!!"
The Blue eyes Cyber Dragon then launched it's deadly attack. Flaming lightning bolts that the dragon spat out in a torrent from it’s maw rained across the arena, striking Jaiden with deadly accuracy, engulfing him as he cried out in pain. The power of Matthias's dragon clearly had overloaded the safeties on the duel disk system! Jaiden's duel blazer was heavily singed, his shirt nearly in the same condition. When the lightning stopped, his duel disk overloaded, exploding! All his cards were scattered, some burning to ash. Jaiden, burns and all, collapsed on his knees, tears in his eyes. He had not only lost: He had been completely humiliated! Crushed...
“… I don’t belive it!” Dr. Crowler gasped in shock. “Somebody beat him! At long last, somebody has beaten him!”
“Jaiden!” Syrus ran forward, followed by Tyranno, Jessie, and Aster Phoenix.
“No… I’ve lost.” Jaiden said, tears streaming from his eyes.
“Yeah, you have.” Matthias said, staring down Jaiden with a scowl. “This time, you’ve lost more than just the duel, I’m afraid. Though to be blunt, you should have seen this coming. Unofficial or not, beating Yugi’s deck put a bullseye on your back that left you open for a challenge from the entire world...”
But that was the least of their worries.
At that moment, an explosion flared in the arena right next to Jaiden. It threw him and his friends in all directions. The explosion also started a fire, which began to generate a giant cloud of smoke, and threw a materialized Yubel into the stands. The fire spread throughout the arena, setting off the alarms.
"What the..." Kaiba coughed. Even Matthias was surprised by this. People began to evacuate the arena as it burst into flames. Anubis, Atem, and Horus, however, knew exactly what was going on.
Set had arrived.
Chapter Text
Chapter 4
"Jaiden!" Syrus choked on the smoke. "Where are you?" He, Jessie, Aster, and Tyranno wandered through the haze looking for their friend, knowing he was in danger
“Jaiden! Where are you?!” Tyranno cried out. “Say something!”
However, they didn't know how much danger he really was in.
Jaiden was now face to face with Set, the Egyptian god of chaos, guardian of the red desert.
"A pleasure to meet you at last, Jaiden Yuki..." Set smiled, hiding his true intent.
"Just go away..." Jaiden looked away. "I'm not even a duelist anymore. I doubt I ever was..."
"Not true, Jaiden." Set reassured, getting on one knee and placing a powerful hand on his shoulder. "You are an excellent duelist, and a supreme king in your own right as well. You were just... Misplaced. Just as true talent always is."
"But my deck..."
"That wasn't your true deck, child. It was merely a tool you trained with. I, however, possess your true deck..."
Set then reached into his gray-colored robes, and held out his hand, a deck of duel monster cards in his palm.
“I can help you unlock your potential, and claim your place in history as a true champion. You however, need to make the choice. I cannot make it for you...”
"Horus! Have you found him?!" Anubis demanded.
"I have, but I can't get to him! Set has isolated him and the child behind a dimensional wall!" Horus kept trying to break though, his efforts futile.
"What the heck is going on?!" Kaiba demanded.
"For once we agree on something, Kaiba." Matthias stepped forward. "What is going on, Jackal-Mask Robes?"
"Fool!" Anubis growled, leering Matthias, trying to break the barrier with his magic. "You may have started the next apocalypse!"
A blinding light flashed, followed by another explosion, knocking them all back! Matthias and Kaiba were sent sliding back across the area on their feet!
Standing in the smoke of the explosion, was Jaiden. He was now wearing a blood-red overcoat, his duel disk repaired to perfection with new cards! What was shocking, however, was his face! He had Egyptian hieroglyphics on his right cheek, and his eyes had lost their bright enthusiastic luster. Now, they were spheres of darkness, cold and numb to any emotion. Jaiden also now had streaks of shiny silver highlights in his hair! The smile he wore was devious with intent.
"Well, champ? What do you think of me now?" Jaiden laughed. "As they say, you can't keep a good duelist down..."
Matthias was clearly annoyed. "Okay, Jaiden. Here's what I think: 1: You're now a freak show, and 2: you were never a 'good duelist'. You couldn't even master a decent card combo if you tried."
Jaiden laughed, holding up a card. "Really? It sounds to me like your jealous... Well then, maybe I should show you one of my new friends! CHAOS HERO AVIEN! I SUMMON YOU!" There was a blinding flash of light as Jaiden slapped the card onto his now-activated duel disk, and the new Avien was standing in the arena. However, this wasn't the hero everyone had expected. Avien was now Black, his feathers colored a bright crimson. He had also bulked up, gotten a vampire-pale complexion, and his talons looked like they could crush solid steel, which he demonstrated by picking up a steel beam, and snapping it in half like a twig!
“Holy crap!” Joey exclaimed. “That thing is real?!”
"The shoe's on the other foot now, eh Mattie?" Jaiden snapped his fingers. "Sick 'em Avien!"
Avien then charged for Matthias, claws extended. Matthias, in response, held up three cards from his deck.
"GO! MAGICAL DIMENSION!!" There was immediately another flash of light, and Matthias's Dark Magician appeared. It blocked Avien's attack and throwing the beast into the wall in which Avien left an indent, also showing that it was real!
"What?! Impossible!" Jaiden was dumbstruck.
"You're not the only one who can manipulate shadow magic, Jaiden!" Matthias smiled, an Egyptian eye symbol glowing on his forehead. "I don’t know how you managed such a feat, but personally, you don't deserve it! Oh, and Avian's now history, thanks to Magical Dimesion’s effect!"
Avien was then surrounded by an aura. It howled, as the aura vaporized him.
"Now, to finish this for good!" Matthias leered Jaiden with rage. "DARK MAGICIAN, FINISH IT!!! DARK MAGIC ATTACK!!!"
"NO!!" Syrus then jumped in the way. Matthias immediately waved his magician off. It canceled its attack.
"Jaiden! What's going on?" Syrus asked. "This isn't like you!"
"I've been reborn, Syrus." Jaiden smiled. "Reborn, thanks to a new friend..." Set then stepped out of the smoke and shadows, making himself known to all.
Anubis was infuriated. "SET~!!!!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THAT YOUNG MAN?!!!" He roared.
"It was his choice to accept the new deck, Anubis." Set snickered. "He wanted to use his talent to its fullest..."
"Hey, it's true, Anub." Jaiden shrugged his shoulders. "I chose to take my new deck, I wasn’t forced. I wanted to do better, fully unlock my potential… Show to the world that I have more than enough of what it takes to be a true champion, and a modern king of games."
"Unfortunately, we don't have time to stick around, Anubis." Set said. "Jaiden has the world to take by storm, and demonstrate his skill and power..."
They then vanished in a flash of light. Anubis tried to get to them but failed.
Anubis was completely enraged. So enraged, he was shifting to his true form: A human-like jackal. He turned around, teeth bared, leering Matthias, his eyes ablaze, pointing at him.
"YOU!!!!!!" His voice thundered in the Arena.
"....Oh, You got to be kidding me-" Matthias didn't even get to finish his sentence as Anubis rushed him, slamming him into the wall.
"Ow! Hey!" Matthias snapped. "Watch it!"
"Mortal, do you have any Idea WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!?!" Anubis snapped.
"What the... All I did was whip a wannabe card-shark into next week!" Matthias said. "Wait a sec... Alex!"
"What did I do now?" Alex snapped.
"You didn't tell me the whole story behind the pendant, did you?" Matthias leered Alex. "Holy crap, ALEX, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!!!!!" He yelled. "This is so TYPICAL!"
"...What pendant?" Anubis narrowed his eyes. He reached inside Matthias's jacket, retrieving it from a pocket. It was a Pyramid-shaped crystal and gold pendant! "I should have gathered you had a Pyramid Of Light. How else could you have summoned a real monster?"
"Hey! Give that back!" Matthias grabbed for the pendant, Anubis holding it just out of his reach, looking it over.
"How did you get this, boy?" He asked.
"It's a family heirloom, if you must know!" Matthias answered. "My ancestral great-great-grandfather found it on one of his expeditions in Egypt! He was an archaeologist!"
"Horus, why did you have to hide it along with all the millennium items in Egypt?" Anubis asked. "Wait, no, never mind! I don't want another one of your excuses. You probably got so sloppy as to store all of them in a single tomb... Anyways, you say your ancestor found it? You mean Antonio Cruz?"
"Yeah!" Matthias snapped. "Now give it back!"
"I had Shadi give him this Item, boy. He was to be it’s guardian, for safe-keeping... Tell me, just how much do you know about this thing?”
“I know it’s from Egypt, and that it was used in rituals called Shadow Games in which the Duel Monsters card game is based off of! I also know enough to use some of it’s magic, not that it’s any of your business!” Matthias snapped.
"So that's why you didn't let me duel Jaiden!" Yugi said.
"I should have known something was up..." Alex sighed, feigning innocence.
"Well, you should have explained in more detail about the damn PROPHECY, YOU NITWIT!!!!" Matthias yelled.
“Oh, don’t even start Matthias!” Alex said flatly. “I tried to warn you, but did you listen? Nooo~ you were too busy with your obsession on beating Jaiden in this tournament and catapulting yourself to the big leagues with all of us in tow!”
This caught Anubis's attention. He let go of Matthias, letting him drop to the ground on his rear with a thud.
"Brother, bring that boy here." Anubis told Horus, who gladly dragged Alex over to him.
"So, you know how to read Egyptian?" Anubis asked. "Where did you learn to read the language, boy?"
Alex looked up as if in thought. "In a black market library..."
"This is not the time for humor, you dolt!" Matthias snarled.
"Well, if you must know, a man in a cloak gave me this while I was in Cairo, accompanying Matthias on a trip." Alex then pulled out the Dagger of Fate from under his overcoat, the blade inscribed with hieroglyphs. "Ever since then, I've been able to read the hieroglyphics. Got anything more to ask of me?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." Anubis said. "Of both of you, and your friends." He then turned his attention to Matthias, spawning a chain to go with the pendant. He then placed the pendant around Matthias's neck via telekinesis.
"I now pass my judgment on you, Matthias Cruz." Anubis said, as he spawned a tattoo of the millennium symbol on the boy's hand. "Until you find Jaiden Yuki, stop my father, and seal him away, you shall bear this marking, this curse. You shall never die, never age, never rest, never even sleep until this task is complete." And with that, he let go of Matthias, grabbing up Alex by the collar.
"I also pass my Judgment on you, Alexander Everstone!" Anubis then gave him a tattoo on his hand as well. "You shall aid Matthias in his task, and not rest, age,sleep, or die until he completes it!" He then put Alex down on the ground, turning to the rest of Matthia’s friends, spawning the same symbol on their hands! “...All of you shall bear this curse! None of you shall rest, age, sleep, or die until Set is stopped, sealed away, and Jaiden Yuki is free! Let it be written!”
"Great, now I'm cursed. Smooth move, Alex..." Matthias said.
“Oh, quit your bitchin’! You’re not the only one…” Alex replied.
"Well, what do we do now?" Yugi asked.
"We kick Set’s butt and get Jaiden out of his claws, that's what Yuge!" Joey held up a fist.
“That’s a no brainer, Sherlock Holmes.” Matthias said. “Me and Alex need to seal Set away, if we’re ever going to get a good night’s sleep again.”
“How hard could it be?” Joey asked, brimming with confidence.
"A lot harder than you think, Joseph." A voice said behind him. Everyone turned to see Marik! “Set is the keeper of chaos, and a divine being. It won’t be easy to take him down.”
"Well, at least he didn't get these." Alex then pulled out three cards out of his pocket. The Egyptian God cards! "Can you tell if these are the real deal, Anubis?"
Anubis examined the cards, then stood there stunned. "Those are the "real deal" child…" He then gave the god cards to Atem. “Pharaoh, take these. For safe keeping, and for your use should you need them.”
Chapter Text
Chapter 5
Matthias facepalmed. “Is there any more good news?”
“Hardly.” Marik replied. “We’re just going to have to figure out what he plans to do from here.”
Atem frowned, putting the God Cards into his deck. “Knowing Set, he may have Jaiden issue followers of his own. That would prevent us from getting to him without going through them first.”
That’s when it clicked! Matthias ran back to the evacuation point of the stadium.
“Woah! Where are you going?” Joey demanded.
“We may be too late!” Matthias yelled in panic. “He’s going after his own friends! He plans to form his own little court of power!”
The others ran after him. They quickly came up onto the docks. Sure enough, Jaiden was there, as was his friends from Duel Academy. He had put up a wall of fire between the boat and the evacuees, preventing them from escaping as he stood on top of a set of large crates, overlooking the crowd!
“Well?” Jaiden asked Syrus and company. “Who’s willing to join me in my quest? Just think: All will be right with the world again! There will be no more injustice, no more suffering… Best of all, you will be on the winning side, and go down in history as champions! Besides, you do trust me, don’t you?”
“Oh, shut up!” Matthias snapped. “It’s all honey and lies! Don’t you see that?! He’s conning you! You guys are insane and beyond redemption if you accept his offer!”
Jaiden smirked. “Really? That coming from the one who caused this to happen in the first place? Your credibility is sketchy at best, Matthias. After all, you’re the one who made the move. You summoned the Blue-Eyes Cyber Dragon in our duel and used it against me. Therefore, you are the one responsible for bringing forth Set in the first place! Which I should be thanking you for, to be honest. It makes perfect sense when you think about it.”
Syrus, Chumley, Alastair, Jessie, Alexis and the others looked back and forth, confused as of which side to take.
“Please, think about it guys.” Jaiden said, holding out his hand. “Syrus, who would you trust at a time like this? A friend you’ve known through thick and thin since you got here? Or a complete stranger, filled with jealous envy, hypocritical accusations and a lust for power?”
Matthias glared at Jaiden, his eyes ablaze with a red glow as he was engulfed in a dark aura, the eye symbol glowing on his forehead again. “Watch the words that fall from your mouth, Jaiden Yuki!” He snapped, pointing his finger at Jaiden. “You may have been given some power by Set, but that doesn’t automatically give you the title of lord over all things! You are still mortal, and have yet to prove your skill, so don’t you forget it!”
Syrus looked to Matthias, then to Jaiden. “…He has some good points.” Syrus spoke. “I would trust those I’ve known, and helped through hard times, as well as those who helped me in return. Putting your faith in a complete unknown is a bad idea, in my opinion… Jaiden, I’m accepting your offer.” He reached for Jaiden’s hand.
“Syrus, no!” Matthias started to run forward to stop Syrus.
“Matthias, wait!” Atem called out. But it was too late. Jaiden had taken his hand, and enveloped them both in a brightly lit electric field as Syrus let out a yell and the field threw Matthias back!
“That’s… not normal.” Seto Kaiba said, eyes wide.
After a few moments, the field changed into a bright light, then it faded. Syrus stood there with Jaiden, only now he had the same Heiroglyphic symbols on his face as Jaiden, as well as wearing a fancy two-tone academy jacket, colored red and blue.
“You’ve made the right choice, Syrus.” Jaiden smiled. “Welcome to my circle.”
Syrus looked up to Jaiden, smiling. “Thank you for opening my mind to the situation. It’s clear now what’s going on, and what must be done.” He turned to the rest of Jaiden’s group. “I know all of you are scared, but soon you will have to take sides. Do yourselves a favor and choose the right one.”
Matthias completely lost it after those words. He ran up to Jaiden, jumping through the air as the aura around his body became electric, tackling Jaiden off the crates!
“You rotten, lying sack of shit!!” Matthias yelled in rage, picking up Jaiden by the neck with a tight grip, leaving Set’s new ally struggling for air. “Now you have gone too far with your slander and scheming!!!”
“Temper temper, champ… You’re only helping me in the long run…” Jaiden wheezed out a laugh.
“Jaiden!” Syrus exclaimed, summoning a Cyber Dragon to try and protect his friend! “Cyber Dragon! Turn Matthias into mince-meat!”
Unfortunately, it got ensnared by a magic card Alex activated: Swords of Revealing Light!
“Try and make another move on my friend, I dare you!” Alex said, holding a card in his hand at the ready, his Gagagigo monster at his side equipped with the Sword of Deep-Seated and the Black Pendant. “Go on, Truesdale! Make my day!”
“...Looks like great minds think alike, eh Matthias?” Jaiden continued to taunt. “After all, got to get through the pawns to checkmate the king...”
Matthias’ temperament was eviscerated by that point like the blast of a nuclear warhead burning sheets of paper in the wind. He ripped out a switchblade from his jacket, flipping out the blade and held it to Jaiden’s neck, right next to his jugular with a red-eyed glare.
The next words Matthias spoke sent everyone’s tension into overdrive, his voice laced with a demonic, enraged reverb:
“I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!” Matthias screamed, his voice carrying on the wind.
Chapter 6: Chapter 6
Chapter Text
Everyone watched wide-eyed as Matthias held the switchblade up to Jaiden’s neck, pulses racing!
“No, Matthias!” Yubel shouted, stumbling forwards! She nearly collapsed, Marik running up and helping her balance herself. “Be warned… If you do anything to Jaiden, I will make sure you suffer eternal pain for harming the Supreme King!”
Matthias let out a frustrated scream. “Does it matter?! I am already suffering eternal pain thanks to your little royal buddy-buddy!! I will never age! I can never sleep! Never rest! I am cursed to walk the earth for eternity!! Do you think anything you can dish out will be worse?!!”
“Matthias! Think about what you are doing!” Yugi shouted. “If you kill Jaiden, we have no links or leads on Set!”
Matthias let out a loud snarl, turning to face Yugi, relentless in his grip.
“Matthias, please!” Yugi pleaded. “You already have a bad enough curse on you! Do you really need to make it any worse?!”
Matthias turned from Yugi back to Jaiden, grudgingly putting his switchblade away and throwing Jaiden over to Anubis’ feet.
“You have a lot of crap to answer for, you little shit.” Matthias growled with bared teeth, reverb still ringing in his tone. “Also, I advise that you tell Syrus to call off his Cyber Dragon before I really get pissed off, and do more than just destroy his little robotic pet.”
“I think you’re bluffing, Matthias!” Syrus shouted boldly.
Matthias then whipped two cards from his duel disk, the cards starting to glow. “Endymion, nuke that draconian scrap sculpture! Blast Magician, shut him up!”
Endymion and the Blast Magician then came to life from the cards, and did as they were told. Endymion sent a blast of magical energy at the Cyber Dragon, shattering it into pieces of shrapnel! Blast Magician then grabbed Syrus by the arm, holding it’s scythe in front of the young Trusdale’s face menacingly.
“...Okay, you weren’t bluffing.” Syrus said before Blast Magician slapped a hand over his mouth.
Matthias then turned back to Jaiden, Endymion standing at his side. “Now listen closely, because my patience is dangerously thin right now, Jaiden! Tell us where Set is, and his plan! Make it quick, because I’m not in the mood for any more mind games! Because right now, I have two Egyptian gods from the afterlife breathing down my neck, along with an ancient Egyptian Pharao! Me and my friends are under an eternal curse where we can never age, rest, sleep, or die until Set is sealed away and no longer a threat, along with Kaiba and Pegasus waiting for this to be done and over with! So they can tally up the results of the tournament, then all of us can all get on with our lives and what is next! So I’m really, really, really, really, REALLY not in the mood for this bull crap right now!”
The skies then darkened, as mist rose up from the sea itself! There was a short flash of light, and Set was standing in between Matthias and Jaiden!
“Boy, you are becoming a very annoying thorn in my side.” There was a flash of light from Set’s eyes, and Matthias’ body went rigid! So did Blast Magician and Endymion! They were as still as statues, petrified! Set turned to face Anubis, holding up a Gorgon’s eye card. “As always my son, you end up choosing the most irritating try-hards to do your bidding. In the end, it is all in vain. Now me, Jaiden, and the ones he chooses shall take our leave. We have a new future to mold, even if it means changing the past…” Set then opened a time portal in front of him and Jaiden. “Now we shall go back in time, and set things right from the start. We shall fully re-write the history of Duelist Kingdom, and make sure everyone remembers the name ‘Supreme King!’”
Set and Jaiden then started to step through the portal. Alexis, Chazz, Zane, Jessie, Tyranno, and Aster then started to follow, but then Alex whipped out a spell card! “Go! Remove Trap! Negate the Gorgon’s eye curse!”
With that, Mattias and his monsters regained control over their bodies! “You are not going anywhere!!!” Matthias then ran forward, tackling Jaiden just as he, Set and the otheres entered the time portal! Anubis ran forward, stabilizing the portal and ran in after Matthias, followed by Horus, Yubel, Marik, Atem, Yugi, Kaiba, Mokuba, Joey, Pegasus, Alex, Korben, and Derek!
The portal then closed as quickly as it opened!
# # # # # #
As they flew wildly in the time vortex, Anubis grabbed Set by the arm and they wrestled with each other as they flew through time and space! Matthias gripped onto Jaiden’s arm, trying to pull himself up to do the same, but the force of the Vortex made it difficult just to hold on!
“Horus! Use your magic to alter our course! Get us away from the destination that Set chose!” Anubis yelled.
“Where should I redirect it?!” Horus shouted, powering up his spell.
“Anywhere else!!” Anubis yelled in irritiation! “Just get us out of here!!!”
Horus then powered up the spell, yelling out the incantation and they flew away from the past, going the opposite direction and into an unknown year in the future!
# # # # # #
New Domino City
The Tops – Leo and Luna’s Penthouse Apartment
Yusei Fudo stood on the fancy patio area as the reunion party among Team 5Ds began. He still remembered going back in time to stop Paradox, as well as stopping Z-ONE, and the events afterward that led to him making the Fortune program and saving the world from the Ener-D Crisis. He still remembered Yugi Moto and Jaiden Yuki fondly, which saddened him slightly. He would never speak to them again, never see them except in history archive pictures…
Yusei would often imagine himself standing next to Yugi and Jaiden in many of those pictures. He wished he could have stayed for a little longer, and gotten to know them both. But he was needed here.
Yusei let the dread slide off his shoulders, and tried to focus on enjoying the party as Akiza walked up, taking Yusei’s hand.
“Are you ok, Yusei? You look depressed.” Akiza asked.
“I’m just thinking of that time I met Yugi and Jaiden in the past.” Yusei said. “I wish I could have got to know them better. They were both the top duelists in their days, and I feel we could have been very good friends. All of us. They would be amazed how far dueling has advanced. They even might be amused by the Dueltainers that use the new ARC system. Dueling has become more than just tournaments anymore… It’s now a high-octane motorsport, a career path, even a type of Shakespearean art form.”
Akiza smiled, understanding. “I’m sure they are looking down from... wherever we go after this life, and are happy they were part of it.”
“Agreed.” Jack said. “Now come on over here and dish up some Pizza, Yusei! Before it gets cold-”
Suddenly, a blinding light erupted above them!
The next thing they knew, Yugi Moto, Jaiden Yuki, and a bunch of other people began tumbling out of a magic vortex, right down towards the patio area of the penthouse!
Yusei didn’t have time to even shout as Yugi Moto slammed right into him, knocking Yusei off his balance and sending them both tumbling straight into the pool!
Chapter Text
Kaiba fell down from the vortex with Derek and Mokuba, landing next to Atem, Korben and Chazz on the food and refreshments table! Alexis, Sairus, Yubel and Zane got tangled up in the reunion banner hanging from the trees, while Matthias, Alex, Jessie and Jaiden were the only ones lucky enough to land on soft surfaces, which consisted of cushioned lawn furniture! As for Anubis, Horus, and Set… They landed right smack-dab on the concrete of the patio, leaving large cracked indents.
“Mokuba, are you alright?” Kaiba asked as he pulled his head out of the spilled fruit punch bowl.
Mokuba sat up, pulling his head out of the potato chip ranch dip. “Yeah, I’m good bro… Hmm, this dip isn’t too bad! Just the right amount of seasoning...” Mokuba licked some of the dip from one of his fingers.
“Augh! What the hell?!” Chazz exclaimed after looking at his overcoat, standing up as large globs of salsa ran down the fabric. “This is brand-new Amani leather and satin! The Chazz is not happy about this-”
“Stuff a cork in it, Princeton!” Kaiba snapped, slapping Chazz hard enough on the back of the head that would have given anyone else whiplash. “We have bigger things to worry about!”
“Agreed.” Atem said after pulling his face out of the reunion cake platter. “At this point, designer clothing is several dozen rungs down on the priority ladder.”
Yusei surfaced in the water of the pool. “What the hell was that? What is going-”
It was at that moment that they all heard Yugi screaming and splashing in the pool. “Help! Someone help!” Yugi yelled, coughing as he flailed about in the pool. “I can’t swim! I can’t swim!” He sank into the water shortly after.
“Yugi!” Atem yelled out, running over to the pool and diving in the water in a dramatic fashion.
Yusei quickly joined in, diving below the water once more as they both swam towards Yugi. They pulled him to the edge of the pool, Atem hoisting Yugi up to the edge as he coughed up water, catching his breath.
“Yugi, you ok?” Yusei asked. “Also, you now reveal to the world after setting sail for Duelist Kingdom, and flying over the ocean from Battle City to KaibaCorp Island, and even going to America to participate in the Grand Championship, that you never learned how to swim?!”
“I always had a life vest handy…” Yugi sheepishly explained. “That, and I’ve always had bad hydrophobia. It’s one of my biggest embarrassments… Besides, when I ran into you after exiting the vortex, I hurt my leg pretty bad.”
“Hydrophobia, eh?” Kaiba formed a grin at the corners of his mouth. “Noted.”
“Now, what’s going on, Yugi?” Yusei asked. “What are you doing here? For that matter, how were you able to get here?”
Set, Anubis, and Horus then pulled themselves from their indents in the concrete. None of them looked happy.
Set turned to Anubis and Horus. “Horus! Your ill-timed redirection spells never cease to irritate me in the worst ways… I will deal with you lot later. Be warned, you are starting to test my patience. Mark my words: your days, and the days of your chosen minions will be numbered!”
“Oh, no you don’t!” Anubis charged a lightning spell with what little magicka he had left. “You are not going anywhere! Not until you release Jaiden!”
Jaiden stood up from the chair he landed in, whipping out a card from his duel disk. “Sorry, but you are not holding me down this time, Anubis! Go, Shadow Spell!”
At that point, chains spawned from portals around Anubis, wrapping around his limbs and anchoring themselves into the concrete of the pool area!
“Time to make our exit, guys!” Jaiden, Sairus, and Set then ran and jumped off the roof, carried off by Chaos Hero Avien, Chaos Hero Sparkman, and Chaos Hero Berstinatrix after Jaiden summoned them. “Later!” Jaiden laughed as they flew off.
“Hey!” Matthias jumped up from the futon he landed on. “Get back here!” He got ready to whip a card from his deck and pursue Jaiden before Alex grabbed his arm.
“We have bigger things to worry about right now!” Alex said, motioning to Anubis and Yusei. “Besides, I don’t think they are going anywhere in the time stream soon.
“Agreed.” Horus said, using a counter-curse to break the Shadow Spell chains on Anubis. “We’ve exhausted most of our magical energies, it will take some time before we regain enough strength and magicka to time travel again.”
“Magicka?” Jack asked as he and the other members of Team 5Ds stepped forward. “So you used some sort of spell?”
“Of course.” Anubis said. “But we have little time to explain. If we don’t find Jaiden and my father in one month, Set will have enough energy to time travel again, and they will jump to another time zone.”
“Uh… Guys?” A voice said from the patio door. “What’s going on?”
The group turned to the patio door. Standing there was Yuya Sakaki and Yuma Tsukumo. Two guests of honor that Yusei had invited to the party.
Chapter 8: Chapter 8
Notes:
Author's Warning: Obligatory "Teasing fan service" Sauna Scene is present in this chapter. You have been warned, fan girls!
Chapter Text
Chapter 8
Yuya and Yuma looked on at the new arrivals, silence reigning supreme for several moments until Yuya noticed the ruined food spread, specifically the three-tier cake he made for the party.
“AAAUGHH!!” Yuya ran over to the table, looking at the ruined cake before breaking down in a full-blown shakesperian fashion. “The cake symbolizing the first meeting of Team 5Ds during the New Domino City Fortune Cup! A tasty culinary confection of art, spoiled before anyone could have a taste! Alas, the world can be so cruel!”
Atem walked forward, a deadpan expression on his face. “The entire timeline of your world, and the world you as you know it hangs in the balance by a thread, and you are shedding tears over… Over a three-tier pastry dish?” Atem struggled to suppress his laughter after the last four words.
Yuya looked over at Atem, ceasing his over-blown dramatic breakdown like the flip of a switch. “Hey, it helps me keep in practice for my dueltainer events. Speaking of which, who are you? Because with all due respect, I don’t recognize you. Did Yusei invite you as a guest of honor as well?”
Yuma, who had whipped out a tablet as soon as he laid eyes on all the new arrivals and brought up their files, quickly smacked Yuya across the back of the head. “Yuya Sakaki, you space case! Do you have any iota of who that is?!”
“OW!” Yuya exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head. “What warranted such a swift smack like that?!”
“The fact that the person you are talking to is Yugi Moto, the King of Games!” Yuma snapped, shoving the tablet in Yuya’s face showing Yugi at the end of the Grand Championship.
“Um, first of all, you are mistaken.” Atem spoke. “I am Atem, a pharaoh from Ancient Egypt. Yugi Moto is over there with Matthias and Yusei. I am a close friend of Yugi’s, and we share a… Complicated friendship.”
Yuya and Yuma then looked over to where Yugi was, the king of games still soaking wet from the pool incident moments before. Then, they looked back to Atem.
“...Are you sure you are not related in some way?” Yuma asked. “Because you both look like near identical twins.”
“I’d probably better explain.” Yusei said. “Let’s all go inside.”
“I do hope that by ‘going inside’ you are including an offer to get cleaned up?” Chazz asked brazenly.
“Of course!” Leo spoke up. “What kind of people would we be if we didn’t’? Come on, there’s a built-in bath house and a sauna inside.
“To be honest, I think everyone right now could use a nice sauna right now, judging by how tense everyone looks.” Luna agreed.
# # # # # #
After everyone had showered, the entire group was sitting in the sauna, towels covering their bodies and trying to relax after Yusei explained everything that had transpired with help from Yugi and Matthias.
“Yikes!” Yuma said. “Set has brainwashed Jayden, given him souped-up evil elemental heroes, and now they both plan to rewrite history?”
“That’s the gist of it.” Matthias said. “Now Anubis has put a curse on my and my friends so that until Jayden is free and Set is locked away, we can never sleep or age. The sauna is helping me relax, but I don’t feel tired at all.”
“Because of the curse! Duh!” Anubis said.
“We guessed as much, Sherlock.” Kaiba quipped, sitting next to Mokuba, his little brother’s hair wrapped up in a towel turban.
“The big question is, how do we fix it?”
“Well, according to what Horus and Anubis told us, Set will need thirty days at the least to recover enough magic energy to time-travel again. If he does, he’s going to go back to Duelist Kingdom with Jaiden, and they are going to try and rewrite history.” Yugi explained.
“We obviously can’t let that happen.” Akiza said.
“Agreed, but there’s little we can do about it tonight.” Jack said. “For now, I think it’s best that everyone take it easy and get some rest-”
“Excuse me?!” Matthias sneered, becoming high-strung. “What part about ‘Immortal Unresting Curse’ went over your head, Jack?!”
“Well, sorry, let me rephrase that just for you Matthias,” Jack sassed back with zeal as he corrected himself. “Everyone that can should take it easy and get some rest, and for those that can’t, I politely ask keep the noise level down for everyone else.”
Matthias leaned back against the wall of the sauna, rolling his eyes to look up at the ceiling with an irritated grunt.
“Hey, he did it for you.” Yusei chuckled.
“Yes, now please calm yourself, Mattie-boy.” Pegasus said. “With all due respect, the entire point of a sauna is to relax via therapeutic steam and heat, and getting angry in a sauna would not be good for anyone’s health, immortal or otherwise.”
“Anyway, if we are going to have any chance of tracking down Jayden and Set, all of the recent arrivals from the past will need to overhaul their decks and play strategies.” Yusei explained. “Duel Monsters has evolved greatly since it’s early days. It’s now used in a high-octane motorsport, and even in shakspearian entertainment. I, myself am a participant in what’s known as ‘Turbo Dueling.’”
Yusei instantly had Kaiba and Pegasus’ undivided attention. “Do tell.” Kaiba said.
“Indeed.” Pegasus agreed.
“Yes, I intend to. But first, I have to agree with Jack. Those than can rest, should. And for those that can’t, I can only suggest trying to brush up ahead of time on all the changes in the game via computer link. We’ll show you how after we’re out of the sauna.”
“Very well.” Pegasus agreed. “It does feel like it’s getting rather late, anyway…”
“Yeah, I’m getting sleepy, big bro.” Mokuba said with a yawn.
“No worries.” Luna said. “We will have the guest bedrooms ready for all of you.”
# # # # #
3:00 AM
Yugi woke up from his slumber, sitting up in the bed he had to share with Atem, not that he really minded. He blinked a few times, and carefully slid out of bed, needing to use the restroom. After completing his trip to the lou, he was walking back to his bedroom when he caught sight of Matthias with Alex and Derek at the bar in the kitchen, looking over computer terminal touchscreens displaying various changes to Duel Monsters since their day.
“Matthias, you and the others doing ok?” Yugi asked.
Matthias jumped when he heard Yugi’s voice, and turned around. “Yugi? Yeah, I’m fine. Just trying to get a head-start on all the changes. What are you doing up so early? The sun does not rise for three more hours…”
“I had to use the bathroom.” Yugi said, walking into the room. “Do you mind if I join you guys, see what you’ve found?”
Matthias looked at Yugi with a pain his eyes. “Yugi… You need to rest. It’s okay, I will go over everything with you and the others in the morning…”
“Then can you and your friends do me a big favor, Matthias?” Yugi asked.
Matthias nodded. “Yeah?”
“Take a break from all the Duel Monster studies, and do something fun.” Yugi said. “Just because you can’t sleep doesn’t mean you can’t unwind in other ways.
“But Yugi… It’s important that we know what to expect. Jaiden’s probably catching up too…
“Just take a break, Matthias. Please?”
Matthias instantly caved from Yugi’s plea, unable to resist as he shut off the tablet. “Alright. I’ll listen to some music instead.”
Atem then stepped out from the room he and Yugi were sharing, groggy-eyed. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah.” Alex said, he and Derek shutting off their tablets. “Yugi just needed a drink of water after a bathroom trip.”
Derek then got Yugi a glass of water, and sent Yugi on his way back to bed with Atem.
Once they were out of sight and earshot, Alex looked at Matthias with a deadpan. “So much for that idea! Man, you can’t say ‘no’ at all to him! He sure suckered you good, huh?”
“Seal it, Alex.” Matthias said flatly, getting out a set of headphones.
Chapter 9: Chapter 9
Chapter Text
Chapter 9
7:30 AM…
One Hour after Sunrise…
The ragtag gang of duelists all awoke to the smells of smoked sausage, sweet maple syrup, fresh coffee, tea, and pancakes. Everyone stepped out of their rooms to see Matthias and Alex in the kitchen, cooking up said foods while Derek sat at the table with a tall cup of dark tea in his hand, reading over some new Duel Monsters regulations on a tablet.
“Good morning,” Matthias said, he and Alex bringing in platters of cooked food from the kitchen.
“That’s a matter of opinion.” Derek snipped crankily, drinking some of his tea. “I don’t know how the owners of this apartment can stand the mornings! The sun shines in through those giant windows out to the patio like a supernova, and the reflection from the water of the pool only makes it worse…”
Leo raised an eyebrow.
“Just ignore Derek, he hates sunlight like a vampire.” Matthias said.
“He actually uses a vampire lord/zombie-based deck.”
Derek just rolled his eyes.
Yugi looked on at the platters of hot food, amazed. “You cooked enough for everyone!”
“Well, after listening to some chillhop music for a few hours, I decided to start cooking some food. It’s another way I relax.” Matthias explained. “Plus, the sun was starting to rise at that time, anyway.”
Chazz poured himself some coffee with Kaiba, both drinking it black. “At least it’s good to know that coffee still retains its kick in the future.”
“So, did you guys have any ideas on how we could find Jayden?” Yugi asked. “I know I told you guys to relax last night, but knowing Matthias from what I’ve seen of him, I’m sure you had that on the back burner.”
Matthias nodded. “I have a feeling that Jayden’s going to try and enter a tournament or something once he and Set have the gist of the new Duel Monster card types down. I skimmed over them last night before Yugi came to get his glass of water, so I have a bit of info.”
“Such as?” Kaiba asked.
“Well, there are now several different play-types of monster cards now: Synchro, XYZ, and Pendulum cards.” Matthias explained. “Synchros function on a similar concept to fusion monsters, only you don’t use polymerization to summon them. Instead, you have to have monsters on the field that total level equals the level of the synchro monster you want to summon. XYZ work in a similar manner, where you have to have monsters on the field with enough levels to equal what you plan to summon, and then you ‘overlay’ the tribute monsters to summon the XYZ monster.”
“And the Pendulum types?” Pegasus asked.
“Pendulums are very special cards.” Alex explained. “Basically, you use one lower-level pendulum monster and another higher-level one to set what’s called a ‘Pendulum Scale’ and when that scale is set, you can summon out as many monsters as you can that levels are within that scale. For example, a scale of level 2 to level 8 would allow you to summon anything from in between those levels that you had In your hand at the time. Also, a lot of Pendulum cards have field effects once the scale is set, which adds even more twists and turns.”
“Oh, joy...” Kaiba said with a deadpan expression. “That means that everyone’s going to need to completely overhaul and rebuild their decks, as well as quickly adapt to new play styles.”
“Such fun,” Chazz added in.
“No worries, we can help.” Yusei said. “I can contact a local card dealer, and have them deliver the cards we need right here to the apartment.”
“At least we don’t have to go running around on the streets in danger of being challenged to a random duel and risk losing everything.” Yugi said.
“Anyway, let’s have some breakfast.” Matthias said, sitting down at the table. “Won’t do any good dueling on an empty stomach.”
Everyone joined Matthias at the table shorty after, dishing up pancakes, sausage, and other things such as hash browns and toast. Yugi enjoyed the fluffy pancakes, especially combined with the warm maple syrup. Pegasus was even impressed, too. He complimented Matthias, saying “You could be a chef as a side gig,” which Matthias nodded in agreement too. Atem and Anubis, like Kaiba and Chazz, went rather liberal with the amounts of coffee they drank. No one argued or questioned it, though.
“Anyways, we’re also going to need to find some clothes for Anubis, Horus, and Atem.” Jack added in. “After all, no offense but running around in those Ancient Egyptian Clothes would only be asking for trouble, and it would be a dead giveaway for Set and Jayden if he saw you.”
Horus gave Jack an irritated mein. “Excuse me? This is our traditional garb!”
“Maybe they could add some bits onto their outfits, then? Combine their traditional garments with new clothes and accessories? Who knows? They may start a new fashion trend.” Akiza said quickly, defusing the situation instantly.
“I would have no problem with that.” Anubis agreed.
# # # # # #
Breakfast came and went, along with everyone updating their cards and strategies. Atem, Anubis, and Horus also got updated outfits so that they were no longer conspicuous. With that, everyone left Luna and Leo’s apartment at the tops to meet up with Crow, who hadn’t arrived last night at the party.
“I hope he’s not wandering about again, especially if he’s looking for trouble.” Jack said as he and Yusei rode around on their Duel Runners with Atem and Kaiba. Kaiba rode with Jack, while Atem rode with Yusei. The rest of the group followed along in a van that was refitted with hologram projectors and duel disk links, with Alex driving the van.
“That’s the last thing we need, finding Crow in trouble.” Akiza said flatly. “Don’t Jinx it, Jack-”
A short time later, they saw Crow fly by on his Duel Runner with some of his Blackwing monsters, with Jaiden and Set chasing him along with some of his Chaos Heroes on a souped-up Runner of their own! They were in a turbo duel!
“What the hell’s going on?!” Jack exclaimed. “They’re not in the duel lane, and it hasn’t even been activated!”
“Duel lane?” Kaiba questioned.
“When a Turbo Duel is underway, it is confined to a special ‘Duel Only’ Lane on the highway, otherwise it endangers traffic and pedestrians!” Yusei explained as they all joined in pursuit. “What I don’t understand is why it isn’t active! Whenever a Turbo Duel commences, a special KaibaCorp and Leo-Industries computer network is supposed to detect the duel, and automatically confine it to the Duel Lane…”
“Set must have disrupted it!” Anubis exclaimed. “This is typical of him! Always sowing chaos wherever he can…”
“Then let’s put a stop to it, right here and now!” Matthias shouted. “Let’s give chase, guys! Kaiba, is that Turbo Duel link-up program ready?”
“As ready as it’ll ever be.” Kaiba said. “I’ve been waiting for a chance to test it. Might as well test it now.”
“Good! Patch me, you, Yuma, Yuya, Atem, and Yusei into the duel between Crow and Jaiden!” Matthias, Yuma, and Yuya quickly threw on some magnetic grounding straps to thier shoes, then climbed up through a hatch on the van’s roof as Kaiba activated the patch in program, linking Matthias, Yusei, Jack, and Atem into the now active duel! The upgraded duel disks by the group turned on and activated, their decks being auto-shuffled.
It was then that a separation barrier rose, isolating everyone in the duel to a set of two lanes, as side banners of the highway shifted, displaying a digital marquee, reading “Duel Lane Active!” A synthesized voice then came from loudspeakers along the route:
“Alert! Duel lane activated! All non-duelists and non-essential personnel, please slow down and exit the highway immediately! Repeat: All non-duelists and non-essential personnel, please vacate the highway and the duel lane!”
“Kinda late for that, don’t you think?” Kaiba quipped.
“At least we’ll see how the new card types work, Kaiba-boy!” Pegasus said cheerlily.
“Well, well… Look what we have here!” Jaiden slowed his and Set’s Duel Runner down slightly, pulling up beside the van. “Kinda joining in a bit late, don’t you think?”
“Don’t even start that crap, Jaiden! You know why we’re here!” Matthias snapped as everyone readied their hands of cards, their life point counters lighting up and displaying scores. Yuesi went wide-eyed, seeing Crow down to 4200 life points out of 8000! While Jaiden had somehow gained an extra 6000 life points, totaling his up to 14000! The duel had already gone on for six turns! Jaiden had used several magic card effects, as well as luring Crow and his monsters into some traps, which explained the big gap!
“Crow, be careful!” Yusei snapped. “You’ve lost too many life points! No spontaneous or flamboyant moves! We can’t risk giving Set a victory!”
“We also can’t let this play out for too long, Yusei!” Jack shouted. “According to some programs Kaiba set up, Set is feeding off of the Ener-D that’s being generated by the turbo duel! He’s using it as a quick-charge to get his magic energy back up!”
“Then let’s cut ‘em off now!” Matthias snapped. “Yuya, you go first!”
“Gladly!” Yuya plucked two pendulum moster/effect cards from his hand and showed them to the world as they glowed brightly. “I use Stargazer and Timegazer Magician to set the Pendulum Scale! With these two in play, I can instantly summon monsters level 3 to level 7 from my hand to the field, regardless of tribute requirements! Go, Gene-Warped Werewolf, Pitch-Black War Wolf, and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Swing into Action!”
Chapter 10: Chapter 10
Notes:
Some creative liberties are take with more made-up cards in this chapter.
Chapter Text
As Yuya set Stargazer Magician and Timegazer Magician in the Pendulum areas on his Duel Disk, the sky lit up with a glow, and a pendulum appeared above them, swinging back and forth in it’s arc as Yuya’s wolves and the Odd-Eyes Dragon appeared on the highway, Yuya jumping onto Odd-Eyes back in a dramatic fashion.
“Woah!” Kaiba exclaimed. “How can he be riding on that thing? Isn’t it just a hologram?!”
“It’s the Solid-Vision system that is used in every duel these days.” Akiza explained. “It’s been in use for some time, now. Yusei and some researchers he knows actually improved on the design.”
Kaiba was in awe! This was what he had been working towards, his entire view of the Solid-Vision system! To reach out, touch, and interact with the monsters in the game! Not just watch and play the duel, but live it!
Yuya then looked at all the monsters and cards in play. Crow had the Blackwing Armor Master out on the field with an attack of 2500, as well as the Black-Winged Dragon with it’s attack power of 2800! Crow didn’t have any magic or traps in play, though. Jaiden had out two of his Chaos Heroes: Avien and Berstinatrix, both with 1800 attack power. Jaiden also had out a card he no doubt aquired from Set: Chaos Hero Barrier, which explained how he had managed to keep his weaker monsters from getting wiped out! According to the move history in the duel, Jaiden had one card face down, and already used two Draining Shield traps beforehand when Crow tried to attack with his monsters, thus Jaiden’s higher life point count.
Yuya knew what he had to do: Be patient. He didn’t like it, though. “I place one card face-down from my hand, and end my turn. Matthias, you go next!”
Matthias drew one card from his deck, looking over his hand. He had a combo he could use, but it was risky! It could possibly backfire, but Matthias knew he could not afford to just sit idle.
“I place one card face-down, and activate from my hand the Pot of Greed Spell Card, allowing me to draw 2 cards from my deck!” Matthias drew his cards, and a grin went across his face. “Looks like it’s time for your ass-whipping, Jaiden! I play from my hand, a Spell Card known as Ransacked Safe! When this is activated, I can bring out 2 monster cards of any level or type from my deck to my hand, at the cost of skipping my next draw phase and re-shuffle!” Matthias then retrieved the cards from his deck, and the duel disk auto shuffled his cards. “Now, let’s amp this up right! I activate the Magic Card, Polymerization! I fuse Blue-Eyes White Dragon with Cyber Dragon to bring forth the world’s salvation and your worst nightmare: ARISE, BLUE-EYES CYBER DRAGON!!!”
There was a sudden burst of light, and emerging from the fiery corona was the Blue-Eyes Cyber Dragon, piercing the skies with it’s mighty roar, as it flew along the highway!
“Of course, it doesn’t get as much of a power boost this time since I used Polymerization instead of Power Bond, and since I don’t have that many monsters in my graveyard over level 5 aside from the monsters used in the fusion summon. But it’s still more than enough to take care of those eyesores you call Chaos Heroes!” Matthias snapped. “Even with just two high level monsters in the grave, Blue-Eyes Cyber Dragon gets a 600 point boost from each! That’s a total of 1200 points off the bat! Add that onto his regular attack of 5000, which totals it to 6200, and he can still blast you into next week! Don’t think your Chaos Hero Barrier card will help, either! Of course, since we are new arrivals to this duel between you and Crow, I can’t attack. But rest assured: When I do, you will wish you had not crossed the line and angered me!”
“Blah, blah, blah!” Jaiden rolled his eyes. “Even with your dragon’s pathetic bonus, it makes no difference! Chaos Hero Barrier makes it so that any Chaos Hero-archtype monsters cannot be destroyed by battle, and that all battle damaged directed toward me is cut in half! You will have to do better than that, Matthias!”
“I don’t know the full extend of what happened between you two, but enough is enough, Jaiden!” Yusei snapped as he drew his card. “It’s my move! I activate the Spell Card, Double Summon! This allows me to perform two normal summons this turn, and I use it to summon Speed Warrior and Junk Synchron! But they won’t be here for long, at least in their present form: Because I’m tuning them together!”
“Tuning?!” Alex raised an eyebrow.
“He’s performing a Synchro Summon!” Atem exclaimed.
“Now, I can summon to the field one of my favorites!” Yusei exclaimed. “Junk Synchron and Speed Warrior! Unite to Synchro Summon Junk Warrior! Let’s rev it up!”
Several rings of energy then formed around Speed Warrior and Junk Synchron as they bounded up in the air, and were engulfed in a conduit of energy! Once the conduit vanished, Yusei’s Junk Warrior appeared on the highway, flying next to his duel runner!
“Sadly, Junk Warrior doesn’t have any special abilities, but with this Spell Card, he will have to do! I activate the Spell: Synchro Blast Wave! With this card, as long as I control a Syncho-type monster, I can choose and destroy one monster card my opponent controls! So I choose to destroy Chaos Hero Berstinatrix!”
“I don’t think so!” Jaiden shouted. “Reveal Trap Card: Spell Shield Type-8! I can activate this trap when you use a Spell Card’s effect on one of my monsters, then I can negate the activation and destroy the Spell Card as well!”
“No you don’t, Jaiden!” Yuya interrupted. “I reveal my Trap Card: Wiretap! When you activate a trap card, I can use Wiretap to negate it’s effect, then said trap is sent to your deck, then the deck is shuffled!”
Jaiden and Set braced themselves as the Spell/Trap chain resolved, and Jaiden’s Chaos Hero Berstinatrix was destroyed.
“I know I cannot attack, but I’ve at least left you at a disadvantage!” Yusei said.
“Very well!” Set laughed. “Keep chaining in your combos, keep summoning your monsters! It only serves to recharge my power!”
“I don’t think so!” Anubis said, he and Horus getting on top of the van with Matthias and Yuma, a spell charged in their hands. “If you’re regaining all that power, why not share?!”
Anubis and Horus then fired the spell ad Set, linking them all via an energy chain. “We may not be able to prevent you from feeding off the energies generated by this duel and all the new technology of this age, but we can at least slow your recharge to a dull, slow crawl and reap the benefits as well!”
“No!” Set struggled against the syphon chain, but he couldn’t break free of it! “Damn you, my son! I will see you burn for this!”
“Get in line.” Anubis said flatly. “I hear that from random dead spirits every day… It’s your move, Yuma!”
“You got it! Here I go!” Yuma drew his card. “From my hand I activate a Spell Card: Spell Duplication! When this is played, I can bring back a Spell Card that has been used during the duel, and activate it straight off the bat! The Spell I choose is Yusei’s Double Summon! Now, I use Double Summon’s effect to summon Gagaga Magician and Gogogo Giant! With that, I can now call upon the Overlay Network to perform an XYZ Summon!”
A vortex then appeared off in the sky to the side of the highway as the Turbo Duel went across a suspension bridge, the vortex shining with stars and shimmers!
“Woah!” Mokuba exclaimed. “We’re seeing all the new card types at work, all at once! They’re holding nothing back!”
“I’m feelin’ the flow now! I XYZ summon Number 39: Utopia!” With that, a monster that looked like a knight with shiny metal wings in gold and silver armor descended from the vortex, flying next to the van near Yuma.
“I throw one card face down. That’s all.” Yuma said with confidence.
“So I guess it’s time to make your move, Jaiden!”
“I’m all too happy to oblige!” Jaiden drew his card. “Ahh… Perfect! I activate from my hand, the Spell Card known as Perfect Chaos! With this card, I can not only bring back a Chaos Hero that was destroyed this round, but I also get a Chaos Monster Token for every monster card in play!”
“What?!” Matthias exclaimed.
“You heard me, Champ!” Jaiden said. “And since all of you were so kind to bring your friends to the party; Blue-Eyes Cyber Dragon, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, Pitch-Black War Wolf, Gene-Warped Werewolf, Junk Warrior, Stargazer and Timegazer Magician, Black-Winged Dragon, Blackwing Armor Master, and Number 39 Utopia, that makes for a grand total of ten Chaos Tokens! Which I will now use to great effect! First, I will tribute 2 of my Chaos Tokens to activate Chaos Hero Berstinatrix’s special ability: When I sacrifice either two monsters or tokens with her in play, I can retrieve a Spell Card from my deck, place it in my hand, and shuffle! The card I choose is Polymerization!” Jaiden’s card then popped out of his deck, and the deck was shuffled. “Next, I will activate Polymerization, fusing Chaos Hero Berstinatrix with Chaos Hero Avien to form a new monster, one that made Elemental Flame Wingman look like a joke! Come forth, Chaos Hero Hellfire Knight!”
The two over-powered Elemental Hero knock-offs then fused, forming a brutal looking beast! Chaos Hero Hellfire knight had four wings on his back with Black, burnt-colored feathers, claws that extended from his knuckles as well as fingers, and a dragon-like head!
“Chaos Hero Hellfire Knight starts with an attack of 2800, unlike Elemental Hero Flame Wingman, who only started with 2500! He also has two special abilites: One, if he targets and destroys a monster, then the difference between his attack and the target’s defense is dealt as damage! Also, he gains half the attack of every monster he destroys, so get ready for your monsters to feed my Knight’s power!”
Atem looked on, wide-eyed! Set had twisted Jaiden’s Elemental Heroes into something unworldly and cruel!
“Now, who will be Hellfire Knight’s first victim…” Jaiden looked over the field, then chose. “Chaos Hero Hellfire Knight! Attack Number 39 Utopia with Hellblaze Cleanse!”
The Hellfire knight then charged a fireball in it’s hands, and shot it at Yuma’s Number 39 in a fiery stream!
“Not so fast, Jaiden!” Yusei shouted. “I activate my Trap! Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, and use it to defend Yuma’s Number 39! Your attack is redirected to my Scarecrow, then negated! After that, it gets put back in face-down position, ready to use once more!”
“Big deal!” Jaiden said. “I still have eight counters left, and I sacrifice three of them to draw three extra cards!” Jaiden drew his cards. “Now, I sacrifice two more counters in exchange for some monsters from my hand! Using the Chaos Counters for tribute also makes the summons treated as special summons! So now, I bring out Chaos Hero Surger, and Chaos Hero Granite Golem!” Jaiden then summoned the counter-parts to his usual Elemental Hero Sparkman and Clayman. “Next, I will equip Chaos Hero Surger with the Lighting Harpoon Gun Spell Card! With this, I can target one monster on the field, and immobilize it so it is unable to attack or defend!”
“Big whoop!” Matthias sneered. “Did you forget about my dragon’s ability? Blue-Eyes Cyber is not affected by Spell and Trap cards that target it!”
“Who said I was targeting Blue-Eyes Cyber?! Your narrow vision once again prevents you from seeing all the options, Matthias!” Jaiden said with a wicked smile. “Surger! Use the Lightning Harpoon, and target Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!”
Matthias’ heart skipped a few beats as Surger fired the Lightning Harpoon at Yuya’s Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Yuya was nearly knocked off by the impact, only managing to grab onto Odd-Eyes horns at the last second!”
“And that leaves him wide-open!” Jaiden laughed. “Sadly, I already ended my attack phase, but that still leaves Yuya open for attack! Let’s see what you plan to do about it, Champ!” Jaiden said, grinning at Matthias.
Matthias, baring his teeth let out a snarl! “Jaiden Yuki, that’s it! Now you’ve pissed me off!” Matthias drew his next card, his eyes glowing red again from his rising anger! “I lay two cards face-down, and activate the trap card Ultimate Offering! With this active, anyone on the field can perform an extra normal summon or set at the cost of 500 life points each! Luckily however, I won’t have to pay the price due to this handy Spell Card: Trap Design Efficiency! With this in play, I do not have to pay any life points to activate or maintain any trap cards that call for it! Now, I use Ultimate Offering to Summon my Skilled White Magician and Apprentice Magician to the field, then I use it’s effect again to tribute them for my Dark Magician!” Matthias then summoned his Dark Magician in the blue and red robes that rival Yugi’s purple and lavender robed magician. “But he won’t be sticking around for long, because I’m giving him an upgrade! Now, I tribute Dark Magician to summon the Dark Eradicator Warlock! With him in play, every spell card played by all players will deal 1000 points of direct damage to you! So I suggest you don’t get sloppy with you timing, Jaiden! But first, I’m going to remind you of who you are messing with! Due to Dark Magician being tributed for Dark Eradicator Warlock, my Blue-Eyes Cyber Dragon gets another 600 attack points, boosting it up to 6800 total attack! 6800 points of attack that I will now turn on your glorified Energizer Bunny! BLUE-EYES CYBER DRAGON, ATTACK CHAOS HERO SURGER!!! STRIDENT-BURST STREAM PARTICLE NEUTRON BLAST!!!”
The Blue-Eyes Cyber Dragon then let out it’s overpowered energy blast from it’s mouth, showering Chaos Hero Surger, Jaiden, Set, and their duel runner in it’s attack! Jaiden’s life points fell from his lead of 14000 to 11000!
“The odds are now evened, Jaiden!” Matthias snarled. “I end my turn!”
“Good, then you won’t mind if I have another player join in!” Jaiden said.
With that, Sairus Truesdale rode up in the Duel Lane in his own Duel Runner!
“Sorry I’m late, Jay!” Sairus apologized.
“Your just in time, Sai!” Jaiden said, both giving each other dark grins. “Now, why don’t you spice up this duel?”
“Gladly!” Sairus said as he was linked in. “First, since all of you have a monster and I don’t, I can throw out one of my Cyber Dragons, straight off the bat without needing to tribute! Next, I activate a Spell: Sacrificial Altar! Sorry that it costs you 1000 points, Jay, but with this, I can use a trap card in play without paying life points for one turn, and I’m sure you which one I plan to use, Matthias!”
Matthias went wide-eyed, gritting his teeth! Sairus was going to use his Ulitmate Offering Trap Card against him! “Sairus, your timing is atrocious!”
“Thank you!” Sairus said, giving a bow as best he could while steering his Duel Runner. “Now, I use Ultimate Offering to summon my two remaining Cyber Dragons to the field! Next, I activate a card you should be familiar with: Power Bond!”
“Oh crap!” Kaiba exclaimed. “That means…”
“That’s right! Come forth, Cyber End Dragon!” Sairus then summoned the fused 3-headed variant of his mighty beast! “As you know, Cyber End Dragon starts with an attack of 4000, but with Power Bond, that gets doubled to 8000! More than enough to take on your stupid Blue-Eyes knockoff in it’s current state! Cyber End Dragon, attack Blue-Eyes Cyber with Super-Strident Blaze!”
Matthias’ wide-eyed glare then changed to a crazed, dark smirk of his own. “I believe you have miscalculated, Sairus! I’d think twice about attacking if I were you…”
“Not a chance!” Sairus was unrelenting. “Cyber End, proceed with your attack!”
The Cyber End Dragon then spat pulse bursts of firery energy from it’s three heads, engulfing Blue-Eyes Cyber Dragon in smoke!
But shortly after the attack finished and the smoke cleared, Blue-Eyes Cyber Dragon was still there! It was unharmed, still in the duel! Not only that, but it was separated from Cyber End by a reflective wall of energy!
“What?!” Sairus exclaimed.
“Again, Sairus: You are a complete and utter fool!” Matthias said with a crazed laugh of his own. “You and Jaiden obviously forgot about the two cards I still have face-down, one of which I have just activated: the continuous trap known as Mirror Wall!”
Jaiden’s face expressed panic. “WHAT?!”
“That’s right!” Matthias said. “Plus, if you actually did you studies, you would know it’s effect, but I’ll spell it out for you, since I know you are clueless: When Mirror wall is active, any monster that tries to attack me or my allies gets it’s attack power cut in half, and the attack is negated! So much for the boost from your Power Bond Spell! Also, I usually have to pay 2000 life points per turn to keep this active, but with Trap Design Efficiency in play, I don’t’ have to pay a thing and can keep it out as long as I want! Now do us all a favor, and make room for Pharaoh Atem to make his move next!”
“Then I guess I’ll just have to do this before ending my turn: I activate my quick-play Spell: De-Fusion!” Sairus said, playing the spell card. “With this, I can take a fusion monster on my field, and separate it back into the cards that formed it! I may have to give up my Cyber End Dragon because of this, but I also am saved from Power Bond’s side-effect by doing this, so my life points remain untouched! I end my turn… Let the mighty Egyptian King make his play!”
Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Chapter Text
Atem got ready to draw a card from his duel disk. “Before I make my move, I need to ask you something, Matthias: Why did you fight against Jaiden with such animosity and zeal in the Neo-GX tournament? This all started with those events, yet you still have not made it clear why you were so aggressive and over-zealous in that duel. I want to know: why?”
Matthias recoiled temporarily, but quickly got his bearings. “Atem?! You are choosing to do this?! Now?!?”
“I will not make my move until you explain yourself, Matthias!” Atem snapped. “This all started when you first played the Blue-Eyes Cyber Dragon, which set the stage for this entire ordeal! You went overkill on Jaiden in that duel, all the way with no quarter! Now explain why you did it!”
Matthias gritted his teeth. “You want to know why I was so hard on Jaiden?! Why I’m still harboring such animosity towards him, why I always have?! Fine! If it will get you to make your play, then so be it! The reason I despise Jaiden Yuki so much is because he made the game look too simple, too easy! He made it seem like you could just pick up a deck of any type or mis-match, head off to Duel Academy, slack off during every semester, and become a successful duelist just like that! It was that misleading lie that cost me the life of my niece, Evelyn!”
Everyone looked at Matthias with shock!
“Evelyn was only ten years old, and was ailing from cancer when she set off for Duel Academy! Her parents begged her not to go, even I implored her that she should stay home and finish her treatment first! But she wanted to do her part for the family, start winning duel tournaments, use the prize money to help her parents pay for her cancer treatments! Before I got into the game, my family was very poor! We could barely afford to pay for Evelyn’s doctor visits and keep food on the table! The entire family was heartbroken when she set off for Duel Academy, as she left home without our knowledge! She knew her parents would forbid it, but she would not stop chasing her foolish dream! Her foolish dream of making it into the pro leagues and meeting her so-called hero, the one duelist that she always kept tabs on even before getting into the academy! That duelist was you, Jaiden Yuki!” Matthias glared at Jaiden, tears falling from his eyes as he described the painful memories. “It’s because of you, the way you just cruised through the academy like nothing, the way you made everything look so easy and simple that Evelyn left home, and died! She had to register under Duel Academy’s roster under a fake name just to get in, which was during your final year at the academy: She entered under the name Esmerelda Alamillo!”
Jaiden let out a gasp, suddenly recalling the memories himself: The memory of a young girl with thin yet beautiful raven-black hair, who always wore a sunhat when she dueled or was outside of her dorm room! How she followed him from a distance during that year, and how she relentlessly cheered Jaiden on in each duel of his that she watched, and how she also used a spellcaster-type deck! The same type of deck that Matthias was using right now!
“Esmerelda was actually Evelyn?!” Sairus shouted, surprised.
“Yes! She was…” Matthias snarled. “She even used a spellcaster-type deck, just like the one I’m using now. You should know, Jaiden, because the cards I’m using right now were once hers!” Tears continued to fall down Matthias’ face, his enraged fury still ablaze.
“She was unable to finish her first year, because she fell terminally ill while she was at the academy! She was unable to get her regular treatments due to the fact that she didn’t use her real name at the academy, and her ailments eventually caught up with her. She had to be air-lifted home, and by the time she arrived at Domino hospital, it was too late… She was beyond the point of no return, she had to be put into hospice… All we could do was make her as comfortable and happy as we could, while we wept for her out of her sight and earshot. Before she died, she gave me her deck, the deck that started me on this journey to crush you, Jaiden! She had me promise to get into the pro leagues and meet the best duelists in the world, she made me promise on her deathbed! That is why I fought so hard to get this far, why I continuously and relentlessly clawed my way to the top! To make sure you knew how much pain you caused, to make you hurt, Jaiden! In all the worst possible ways! That’s why I’ve been so rough on you! That is why I must win, and you must lose: So that you never pick up a dueling deck and misguide another soul with your foolish bravado ever again!”
Matthias turned to Atem. “Now you know why I’m so hard on Jaiden, Pharaoh… I hate him with unbridled passion, for what he stole from me and my family! You got your explanation, now make your move…”
Atem looked on at Matthias for a few moments, seeing the pain engraved into his soul from the memories. “I know I may never fully relate with your pain, Matthias… But the scars from the past can be healed, if you allow them to be… Jaiden didn’t know anything of Evelyn’s condition because she never told anybody!”
“I hardly ever saw her talk to Jaiden at all, either!” Sairus agreed.
“He’s right…” Chazz said from inside the van. “Evelyn was always very reserved during his year at the academy… She would only watch Jaiden from a distance, as if she was frightened…”
“Oh, enough with the excuses!” Matthias snarled. “Think what you want, but I made up my mind on Jaiden long ago when I started down this path! Now make your move, Atem! Hurry up, so we can get this over with!”
Atem drew his card. “Maybe you don’t see it now, but maybe someday in the future, you will find a way to deal with your grief, Matthias… My move!” Atem looked over his hand, then began to make his play. “I activate two Spell Cards from my hand: Spell Economics, and the Dark Magic Curtain! With Dark Magic Curtain, I can summon a Dark-Magician archtype monster from my hand or deck at the cost of 2000 life points! Thankfully, Spell Economics negates the need for me to pay life points to activate or maintain spell cards. Now I use Dark Magic Curtain’s effect to Bring forth my Dark Magician, and the Dark Magician Girl!”
With that, the Dark magic curtain appeared on the field, and flying out from behind the curtain came both the signature magicians that the king of games was renown for!
“Now, I will set two cards face-down. That’s all.” Atem said, finishing his play.
Chapter Text
Jaiden let out a crazy laugh. “That’s the best you can do, Pharaoh? I’m dissapointed… I play the field spell, Fusion Gate! This allows anyone on the field to summon fusion monsters without needing to use a Polymerization card! Granted, since several spells have been played, it costs me life points, leaving me with 4000, but it’s well worth not having to risk playing a Polymerization card each time! Now, I will tribute Chaos Hero Granite Golem for a new friend of mine! One that won’t let me down like Yubel did… Come forth, Chaos Hero Neos!”
With that, Jaiden summoned the dark counterpart to his usual bright, light-based Elemental Hero! Chaos Hero Neos looked similar to Elemental Hero Neos, save for the exception that he was colored nightshade black and red, had blades coming out of his elbows, along with claws protruding from his knuckles! That, and he was several heads taller than his Elemental Hero Counterpart!
“Also, Chaos Hero Neos has several abilities, which I will explain right now: First, he can negate the effect of one spell or trap per turn, even though the card still remains in play! Second, every time a Chaos Hero is destroyed in battle, he gains their attack power, adding it onto his own, which starts out a 2700! But first, let’s make some room for my other Chaos Heroes to shine… Hellfire Knight! Attack the Dark Magician Girl with Hellfire Cleanse!”
The Chaos Hero Hellfire Knight then blew it’s stream of deadly fire at the Dark Magician Girl, only for it to get absorbed by Matthias’ Mirror wall!
“Do you ever pay attention?!” Matthias snapped. “As long as I have Mirror Wall in play, every attack your monsters make gets cut in half! Even the attacks you make on my allies!”
“Did you already forget about Chaos Hero Neos’ ability?” Jaiden reminded. “He can negate the effect of your Mirror Wall this turn, which he will gladly do now!”
With that, Chaos Hero Neos fired a beam of energy from his palm, breaking a hole through Matthias’ Mirror wall as the Hellfire Knight’s fiery attack hurtled towards the Dark Magician Girl!
“You are still forgetting about my Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!” Yusei shouted, activating his trap. “Hellfire Knight’s attack is redirected and negated! I’m sorry, but I’m not letting you hurt anyone else, Jaiden! Stop this now, while you still can!”
Jaiden just smirked. “You really think you can protect everyone with your Scrap-iron Scarecrow forever, Yusei? Soon enough, I’ll find a way to break through that, too…”
“Then you leave me no choice, Jaiden!” Yusei said as he drew his card. “I summon Hyper Synchron to the field! Next, I will use Hyper Synchron and Junk Warrior to perform another Synchro Summon! I now tune them together to summon the beast of salvation for this duel: Stardust Dragon, let’s rev it up!”
Two rings then encircled Hyper Synchron and Junk Warrior, as they were caught up in another energy conduit. Shortly after, the Stardust Dragon emerged from the light, flying alongside the freeway above them as bits of glittering dust scattered down below it’s wings like fine snow.
“Since I summoned Stardust Dragon using Hyper Synchron, it gets an 800 point attack boost! Leaving him with a total attack power of 3300! Next, I will activate another spell from my hand: All-Or-Nothing Attack! Using this spell, the total of all the allied monsters on the field is added to Stardust Dragon’s attack power, on top of it’s own!”
“Oh, crap!” Jaiden glared at Yusei. “That means Stardust Dragon gets an attack power of over 16,000!”
“Again, you leave me no choice, Jaiden!” Yusei said. “Stardust dragon! Attack Chaos Hero Surger, and end this duel! Cosmic Flare attack!”
Chapter Text
Jaiden scowled at Yusei as his Stardust Dragon unleashed it’s Cosmic Flare. “If I can’t win this duel, I guess I will just have to settle for a draw! I activate my trap, Ring of Destruction, and equip it to Stardust Dragon!”
Everyone’s hearts skipped a few beats.
“Stardust, no!!!” Yusei screamed.
“Jaiden, you snake!!!” Matthias yelled. “How dare you chicken out of this!!!”
“We all have to make sacrifices, Matthias!” Jaiden sneered. “Something that Yusei is going to learn very well from this move, due to Ring of Destruction’s effect! When this trap card is activated, it equips onto a monster of my choice on the field, then it’s destroyed and everyone loses life points equal to that monster’s attack! Nice try, but you will have to wait until next time to settle this! Next time, I will be the victor, and you will be the one on your knees with burnt cards and a shattered reputation! Ring of Destruction, destroy Stardust Dragon and end this!!!”
The ring of destruction then snared itself onto Stardust Dragon, then it went off with a loud, wide-reaching explosion, spreading smoke and dust across the highway and the city as everyone’s life points dropped to zero! Jaiden, Yusei, Crow, and Jack had to hit the brakes hard, struggling to keep their Duel Runners upright and avoid sliding or crashing into the wall, Alex wrestling with the steering wheel of the van as he also slammed on the brakes! Yuma, Matthias, Anubis, and Horus nearly fell off the top of the van, Yuma managing to catch Yuya in his arms as he fell off his Odd-Eyes dragon as it was decimated by the blast from Stardust Dragon and the Ring of Destruction!
Everyone’s vehicles then finally stopped, and after a few seconds the smoke cleared. Only Jaiden, Sairus, and Set were gone!
Matthias stood back up, seeing that Jaiden had once again vanished, and let out an enraged, cathartic scream. “JAIDEN YUKI~!!!! YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CANNOT HIDE FOREVER!!!! I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN IF I HAVE TO TRAVEL TO THE ENDS OF TIME AND THE UNIVERSE ITSELF!!!! YOU ARE NOT WEASELING YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS, AND WHEN WE DO MEET, I AM GOING TO MAKE YOU BURN!!!!”
Anubis and Horus gave their cursed hunter a wide berth, as Matthias’ reason dissolved like sugar in water, as he let out several loud screams of rage before getting a reign on his anger.
“One thing I don’t understand is how Jaiden could have learned and amassed all the knowledge to know about Turbo Dueling at all, let alone acquire his own Duel Runner…” Jack wondered.
It was then that Leo threw open the door to the van. “Guys! Jaiden’s friends are gone! Jessie, Tyranno, Aster, Alexis, Chazz… It’s like they all vanished! Went poof! It was as if they were never in the van!”
Atem and Kaiba ran over, looking into the van to confirm what Leo said: All of Jaiden’s friends were gone!
“He and Set must have somehow abducted them with a spell after the duel ended!” Kaiba said.
This bad news caused Matthias to go into another enraged screaming fit for a few more moments. This was, without a doubt, one of his worse days…
# # # # #
Later, back at Leo and Luna’s penthouse…
Back at the penthouse, the scattered remnants of the reunion party felt a world away. The grand living room had been repurposed into a makeshift operations center: a holochart of New Domino City hovered over a polished table strewn with datapads, empty soda cans, and a single, trembling deck of Duel Monsters cards. Everyone leaned in, racing to develop a plan for finding Jaiden and reining in Matthias’s fury—except Matthias himself, who remained barricaded in a bedroom, too volatile to include.
"We need eyes on Jaiden’s signal," Joey urged, tapping at a datapad. "Kaiba, can you tap into the Duel Disk network? You’re KaibaCorp’s CEO—this tech is your lifeblood."
Seto Kaiba paced behind the holochart, muscles tensing. "In theory, yes. I have a security protocol buried in the mainframe: voiceprint lockouts, duel history flags—anything that registers a Duel Disk outside the dock. With my credentials, I can override the standard clearance. But we’ve never tested it under operational conditions."
"Do it," Yusei said quietly, arms crossed. "Every second counts."
Atem straightened, nodding his approval. "If we track Jaiden’s movements, we’ll know exactly where to begin. Still, Matthias worries me. If he discovers Jaiden en route to KaibaCorp, he’ll charge in blind—no plan, no backup."
Kaiba’s brow darkened. "He’d lose by a landslide. His hate-fueled drive will cloud his judgment."
"We’ll watch him," Yugi said. "Alex and Derek, you’re on emotional containment detail. Keep Matthias calm until we’re ready—or at least prevent a solo rampage."
Alex rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. "Control him? You want me to manage a six-foot rage-beast locked in his room? What else can we use—puppy treats?"
Derek chimed in smoothly, voice level. "When Matthias’s anger spikes, it’s like unleashing Slyfer the Sky Dragon onto Revival Jam. It’s unstoppable."
Atem’s lip twitched. "A Duel Academy analogy?"
Derek shrugged. "It’s accurate."
Anubis, silent until now, spoke from his seat beside Horus. "Perhaps I should intensify the curse—something to tether his wrath."
Derek’s eyes narrowed. "Trust me, Anubis: no chain can hold Matthias back once his mind is set. He’ll defy any decree, even if it risks dragging us all into chaos."
Marik leaned in, hips swinging as he sipped an obsidian-colored drink. "Then we must rely on Yugi’s diplomacy—and perhaps a small miracle."
Yugi pressed his fingers to his temple, drawing a slow breath. "We have one chance: track Jaiden, guide Matthias away, and find them both before darkness claims them."
With roles assigned and tensions high, Yugi slipped away from the heated debate in the hall, a single paperclip folded into a makeshift lockpick in his pocket. Heart hammering, he crept down the corridor to Matthias’s room and quietly eased the door open.
Inside, Matthias sat on the edge of the bed, shoulders hunched, staring out through the open curtains at the glittering sprawl of New Domino City. Streaks of tears had dried on his cheeks, but fresh tracks glimmered in the moonlight as his eyes—no longer that icy champion glare, but raw and red—tracked the lights below.
Yugi’s voice was soft but unwavering. "Matthias…"
Matthias didn’t turn. The only sound was his ragged breathing.
Yugi took a cautious step forward and laid a gentle hand on his new friend’s shoulder. "I know you’re desperate to find Jaiden—and we will. But I need to know how you’ll handle it when you do."
Matthias’s voice cracked. "You don’t understand… this—this pain goes beyond any rivalry. Evelyn… she wasn’t just someone I loved—she was family, she was my tether to this world. I watched her fade, week after week, in that hospital bed. She asked me to promise her the pro leagues, to carry on her hope, and I swore I would—in her honor... and to prove Jaiden wrong, once and for all."
Yugi’s hand tightened, firm but kind. "I can’t imagine how heavy that grief must feel. You carried it alone, replaying those final moments over and over. You thought crushing Jaiden would fix it, make the hurt go away... but what would it truly change? Would Evelyn want you to be consumed by bitterness?"
Matthias’s breath hitched. He whirled around, eyes wide with shock and a glimmer of shame. "What else am I supposed to do? I had dreams for her—so many things we never got to share. Teaching her new decks, hearing her triumphant laugh when she won her first duel… You don’t know how much I miss her."
Tears spilled freely as Matthias pressed his face to his knees on the bed. He covered his eyes, trembling. Memories—her pale smile, the way she clutched a card between frail fingers—flooded him.
Yugi knelt beside him and gently drew Matthias up into his arms, cradling him like a lifeline. Matthias’s body shook as he wept into Yugi’s chest.
"We can’t change what happened," Yugi whispered, thumb brushing Matthias’s back. "Those moments with Evelyn, those happy memories—they’re yours forever. She wouldn’t want you trapped in anger. She’d want you to live on, to find joy again, not destroy another soul for her sake."
A strangled sob caught in Matthias’s throat. He clung to Yugi, his knuckles white against the black of Yugi’s jacket.
Yugi lifted Matthias’s chin so their eyes met—glistening, wounded eyes meeting steady kindness. "Forgiving Jaiden won’t be easy, I know. But it’s the first step to forgiving yourself. Only when you face that bitterness, and release it, can you begin to heal. Evelyn’s light lives on in you, Matthias—not in revenge, but in remembering why you fought in the first place."
For a long moment, there was only the sound of their breathing—two friends sharing a fragile hope. Finally, Matthias nodded into Yugi’s shoulder, tears rolling free, body trembling with the weight of his confession… and the first fragile taste of relief.
Anubis lingered at the threshold, every muscle in his jackal‑masked form still. Below him, Matthias trembled in Yugi’s arms, his body racked with sobs that echoed like distant thunder in the quiet corridor. The moonlight spilled across his bowed shoulders, and Anubis felt—despite himself—a tightening in his ancient heart.
He remembered the first time he had guided a lost soul through the Duat, the Egyptian underworld. He had seen Matthias there once, stumbling among the riverbanks of eternity, pale and alone. And in that place between life and death, Matthias had found Evelyn—her spectral hand reaching out, her smile as gentle as sunlight across the desert sands. How Matthias had wept then, relief and sorrow intertwined, before fate’s currents dragged him back to the world of the living, heavier than ever.
Now, watching Matthias grieve again, Anubis’s cold facade cracked. This young man had borne his burden long enough.
Steeling himself, Anubis stepped back into the hallway and moved silently to the far side of the table. He passed Derek and Korben—both deep in tactical debate—without a word, yet his eyes flicked to them with fierce reproach. How could they not sense the fracture in their friend’s spirit? He allowed himself a single, unseen frown.
He seated himself next to Horus, cloak rustling like desert wind. Horus’s gaze met his. Anubis inclined his head, then turned to the group.
"We still can’t risk Matthias doing something reckless," Yusei insisted.
"You need not worry," Anubis interjected, voice calm but carrying the weight of his vigil. "Matthias will not harm himself or another soul from this moment on."
Yubel arched an eyebrow. "How can you be so certain?"
Anubis’s lips curved in a ghost of a smile. "Look closely. Someone vital to our conversation is absent."
Joey’s face paled as he realized. "Yugi… he’s—"
Anubis raised a hand, stilling the murmurs. A soft, sorrowful keening drifted from the closed door: Matthias’s renewed grief.
"Matthias has shouldered a darkness far deeper than rivalry," Anubis explained. "He carried that pain alone, afraid to cry out. But Yugi has extended his hand into the abyss, and Matthias has taken it. He is drawing himself free of that crevice for the first time in years."
Derek glanced nervously at Korben. "I… I didn’t see it. How did I miss it?"
Anubis’s eyes, bright as obsidian, fixed on them. "He showed you only what he could bear to show. Pride and fear masked his wounds. Now that he has begun to forgive, you too must stand by him. Go to Matthias—offer your strength and compassion. Only then can we begin to mend what has broken.
A hesitant silence followed Anubis’s words. The others exchanged wary glances before Derek opened the door a crack. He peeked in, then pushed it gently until it swung fully open.
Alex and Korben trailed behind him, each stepping into the soft glow of moonlight spilling from the window. Matthias and Yugi looked up in surprise as the three friends approached.
Derek closed the door softly behind them, offering Matthias a tremulous nod. "I’m sorry I got so wrapped up in the hunt for Jaiden that I forgot about you, Matty," he said, stepping forward. His voice wavered. "You deserve more than a tactical overview—you deserve a friend."
Alex cleared his throat and sank onto the edge of the bed. "And I’m sorry I treated you like some loose cannon. I know you better than anyone, and I never meant to shut you out. I just... didn’t know how to help."
Korben took a steadying breath and sat beside Alex. He laid a hand on Matthias’s other shoulder. "Same here. I was so fixated on stopping Jaiden, I didn’t see how much you needed us. Whatever you need—time, deck practice, or just somebody to sit with—you’ve got us."
Matthias’s chest heaved with sobs still fresh. He looked at each of them—eyes red, tears glistening. Slowly, he reached out and gripped their hands in turn, a trembling smile breaking through his grief. "Thank you," he whispered, voice thick. "I... I’ve felt so alone."
Yugi rose and joined them, placing a gentle hand on Matthias’s back. "We’re all in this together," he said, voice sure and kind. "Your burden is our burden now."
Matthias drew a deep, shuddering breath and wiped his eyes. While Evelyn’s memory still glimmered with pain, he knew he no longer carried it alone. Surrounded by Yugi, Derek, Alex, and Korben, he stood a little straighter—ready, at last, to heal together.
Chapter Text
The team reconvened in Leo and Luna’s penthouse living room, the holographic chart of New Domino City still flickering on the table. Fresh from Matthias’s emotional breakthrough, everyone was eager to turn their focus to rescuing Jaiden from Set’s grip.
“Good to see you’re back with us,” Seto Kaiba said, folding his arms. “I was this close to ordering you locked in transit.”
Matthias offered a wry grin. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Seto. We know how to locate Jaiden’s signal. But tracking him is one thing—freeing him from Set’s control is another.”
Yubel drifted forward, her eyes distant. “Jaiden forged an unbreakable bond with his Elemental Heroes and Neo-Spacians. Even after his disk was destroyed, their spirits linger. I can sense a faint thread connecting me to him still.”
A hushed murmur passed through the group. Derek leaned in. “You mean we can call his cards back into being?”
“Not just call them back,” Yubel corrected. “But reanimate their essence. He must remember the moments that defined him—his triumphs at Duel Academy, his friendship with us.”
Matthias swallowed. “Yubel, his deck was half-burnt in that arena blast.”
“Ashes can still carry memory,” Yubel replied. “I can restore the cards—but they need a conduit.”
The room turned to Matthias.
“I want to be that conduit,” he said quietly. “Let me fuse Jaiden’s Elemental Heroes and Neo-Spacians with my spellcaster deck—Evelyn’s deck. Those cards carry her light, her hopes. If we intertwine her magic with his, the combined resonance might shatter Set’s influence and bring Jaiden back to himself.”
Yubel’s gaze sharpened. “You wish to bond your deck with his—after the switchblade incident? You almost killed him in rage. Why should I trust you?”
Matthias flinched at the reminder, eyes downcast. “I was consumed by pain—and I’m still sorry. Evelyn would never have wanted me to harm Jaiden. She taught me compassion. I can’t undo the past, but I can use her legacy to save him.”
A tense silence followed. Horus and Anubis exchanged glances—and then Yubel’s expression softened, shadows of doubt receding.
“Very well,” Yubel said, voice low. “But I’ll be watching every step. One misstep, and I’ll sever the bond.”
Relief flickered on Matthias’s face. He nodded once, solemnly.
Yubel closed her eyes and raised her hands. In a swirl of violet light, three charred but intact cards materialized on the table—Elemental Hero Neos, Elemental Hero Bubbleman, and Neo-Spacian Grand Mole. From Matthias’s duel box came his spellcaster cards: Dark Magician Girl, Skilled Dark Magician, and Magical Dimension.
As he laid Evelyn’s cards beside Jaiden’s heroes, the two decks began to pulse in unison, threads of light weaving a bridge between them. Sage runes glowed on the table as Yubel chanted softly.
“Spirits of valor and hope,” she intoned, “join in harmony. Let memories awaken the heart you thought lost.”
Faint echoes of Jaiden’s laughter rang in the room. The heroes on the cards shimmered, colors brightening as if stirred by unseen will. The Spellcasters reciprocated, their staffs raised in welcome.
Yubel opened her eyes, a cautious smile tugging at her lips. “I feel his spirit stirring. It is fragile—but it is there.”
Matthias closed his eyes, breathing in shallowly. “Thank you, Yubel. Thank you all.”
Yugi stepped forward, resting a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll bring him home—together.”
With their new plan set—bonding decks, chasing memories, and shattering Set’s hold—the group prepared to depart for KaibaCorp. Every heart in the room pulsed with hope that, this time, their combined strength would be enough to save Jaiden.
The sleek towers of KaibaCorp loomed against the sky as the team arrived. Inside the gleaming lobby, every surface of polished obsidian reflected the neon glow of holo-advertisements. Security barriers slid open without a word as Seto Kaiba strode forward, cape billowing like storm clouds.
Kaiba approached the front desk—a minimalist platform of white marble—and paused, taking a deliberate breath. He leaned forward, one hand brushing a loose strand of dark hair from his face, eyes alight with trademark intensity.
“I’m here for a business meeting,” he announced, voice smooth as velvet. “Activate Contingency Protocol Alpha-370. Voice-print confirmation: Seto Kaiba, CEO of KaibaCorp.”
On cue, the receptionist’s console flared to life. A slender microphone extended upward. Kaiba continued, tone authoritative. “Name: Seto Kaiba. ID: 347-285-797. Security clearance: Alpha Blue.”
The grand lobby fell silent as monitors and holo-screens across the room dimmed to black. Silence held for a heartbeat—then flickered back to blazing brightness, displaying real-time duel statistics, stock graphs, and R&D breakthroughs all keyed to Kaiba’s personal profile. Behind the desk, a holographic Blue-Eyes White Dragon materialized, wings spread in icy majesty.
Kaiba offered a single nod of approval. “Impressive. I would expect nothing less from my own network.”
He turned, cape sweeping behind him, and fixed the receptionist with a cool gaze. “Secure the current Duel Disk management team and lead analysts. Inform them that KaibaCorp operations are on standby for the next hour—no exceptions. And find me the engineer who oversaw the hyper-accelerated synth protocol.”
The receptionist gulped and tapped furiously. Around them, employees and visitors whispered, craning their necks to glimpse the legendary duelist in their midst.
Atem, standing beside Yugi, raised an eyebrow. “You’re quite the spectacle, Seto.”
Kaiba smirked without turning. “Greatness deserves an entrance.”
Matthias stepped forward, checking his watch. “Now that we have the keycodes, we head straight to the synthesis lab? Time’s ticking.”
Kaiba clasped his hands behind his back, nodding sharply. “Lead the way.”
Together, the team moved down the corridor—Kaiba in the lead, every eye drawn to his unwavering confidence—ready to harness the Duel Disk network and rally their forces for Jaiden’s rescue.
Chapter Text
Kaiba sat down in the new high-tech office chair in the meeting room that was reserved for the owner and current executive.
“...It feels more ‘cushioned’ than what I’m used to.” Kaiba noted on the chair’s feel.
“It’s a completely new type of adaptive memory foam, sir.” The new Kaiba butler, Domovi said. “KaibaCorp’s R&D has perfected it, and we use it in our products that we distribute to computer gamers.”
“Interesting. It pleases me that the new owners have not veered away from my vision.” Kaiba smiled. “Any projects that I need brought up to speed on?”
“The one that you set up fifty years ago to reconstitute Noah Kaiba has been going well.” Domovi said. “We’ve already synthesized a new body for him to use. We are just putting the finishing touches on the download system. They will be done within the hour.”
Mokuba’s eyes lit up. “You found Noah’s backup file?!”
“Yes, Mr. Mokuba.” Domovi said. “Seventy years ago. It was written in your brother’s will that we reconstitute Noah and let him have control of the company. We’ve just been overcoming… Obstacles that have stood in the way of reconstituting him.”
“Oh, Seto! Can we talk to him?!” Mokuba exclaimed excitedly.
Kaiba sighed. “Well, we do still have forty-five minutes until the current executive arrives. Can you patch him through to this room?”
“As you wish, sir.” Domovi got out a tablet and hit a few commands on it. A short time later, a screen slid out of the ceiling, and Noah Kaiba appeared on it.
“Yes, Domovi?” He asked. “Did you need me for some- Seto! Mokuba! Is it… Is it really you?” Noah looked wide-eyed in disbelief. “I… I thought you died thirty years ago!”
“It’s complicated, Noah.” Seto said. “Though I am… Happy to see that your backup data was recovered after Battle City. We’ve come here from over one-hundred years in the past, due to a certain incident at the Neo-GX tournament.”
Noah brought up a data screen on his end. “...Yes, the Neo-GX tournament of 2018… The one where you suddenly vanished, then came back. Details on it are scarce in public archives, but I do have an old file that can only be accessed by family members… Yes, you’re here because of Jaiden Yuki and Set. You’re here with Horus, Anubis, and the Pharaoh, aren’t you?”
“Correct.” Seto said. “If I may ask, how much longer until you can join us in the land of the living?”
“Well, I was told that it would be done within the hour.” Noah said. “The R&D Devs are finishing up the final touches on my cyborg body.”
“In that case, you will look forward to it soon.” Kaiba said. “Domovi! Send a message to the R&D team. I want them to redouble their efforts on getting Noah back into the living realm at once! Tell the suppliers to get them whatever they need!”
“At once, Mr. Kaiba.” Domovi said.
Noah smiled warmly. “Good to see you still have not lost your authoritative touch, Seto.”
“That’s what I’m here for, Noah.” Kaiba said, returning the grin.
# # # # # # #
Fifteen Minutes Later…
Everyone waited around the pod that housed Noah Kaiba’s new cyborg body, waiting for the download process to complete.
“Download complete in five… Four… Three… Two… One…”
The pod suddenly whooshed open, and out stepped Noah! His new cyborg body had synthetic skin and hair that looked natural, and he was dressed in a white school blazer with the KaibaCorp Crest on the breast pocket.
Noah stretched his arms out, yawning. “Hello everyone! It feels like I’ve just awoken from a long sleep…”
“Noah!” Mokuba ran forward, hugging his step-brother. “Oh, man! It’s good to see you!”
“Good to see you, too.” Noah returned the brotherly embrace. “So, what’s the situation with Jaiden?”
“He got away from us in a Turbo Duel, Noah.” Yusei said. “We’re trying to find him by using KaibaCorp’s Duel Disk system. Kaiba said he could access it.”
“Very good.” Noah said. “If I may help, I know a lot about the modifications and upgrades Yusei and his team made to the system. I could help stream-line the search.”
“That won’t be necessary, Noah!” A voice boomed over the loudspeakers!
The next moment, one of the walls was blown out! Stepping through the giant hole, with Chaos Heroes at his sides, was Jaiden with Set!
“We have some unfinished business, Matthias!” Jaiden crooned, standing tall.
Kaiba passed Noah a new duel disk, complete with a deck of cards. “I gathered up the cards that you used in your old deck, as well as some new ones to update your strategy. You can access the new files through your new body’s wireless uplink to the duel disk.”
Noah put the duel disk on his arm. “Thank you, Seto. Now, why don’t we test it out?”
“In that case, let’s make this a team duel.” Sairus said, stepping out from behind Jaiden with Tyranno, Alexis, Jessie, Zane, and Chazz. All of them also had the heiroglyphs on their faces, like Jaiden.
Matthias scowled at Jaiden, this time with determination rather than hate. “Jaiden, you don’t have to do this.”
“Really? That coming from the one who set this all in motion? Don’t try to deny your hatred, Matthias!” Jaiden snapped. “I highly doubt you’ve changed your tune overnight, you don’t work that way! Now shut up, pick your teammates, and get your game on!”
Matthias sighed. “Very well… Yugi, Kaiba, Jack, Yusei, Noah, Yuya, Anubis, if you would please.”
Kaiba, Yugi, Yusei, Yuya, Noah, Jack, and Anubis stepped forward, Anubis spawning a golden-plated duel disk with card deck on his arm.
“Why Anubis?” Set asked.
“Because it forces you to participate in this duel, Set. After all, if you didn’t it wouldn’t be an even match, would it?” Matthias grinned.
Set stepped forward, spawning a silver duel disk with cards on his arm. “As you wish, mortal. Explain the turn process, then.”
“Simple.” Matthias said. “After the first player goes first, the next side will have a player go next. Then it switches back and forth, until everyone has taken a turn, and the process repeats in the same order. No one gets to make an attack on another player until everyone has made a move. Also, each side can play a field card, and stack said field cards on top one another to chain in multiple effects. Simple as that.”
“Alright, then! Make your move, champ!” Jaiden said as everyone drew their hands of cards.
“Actually, you are getting the first move, Jaiden.” Matthias said, surprising everyone.
“Really?” Jaiden said, drawing his first card from his deck to start. “Well, how generous of you!”
“Matthias, are you serious?” Kaiba asked with a deadpan.
“I want to see what he’s capable of.” Matthias said. “Better to let them reveal their strategy first.”
Kaiba smiled. “Smart move, champ.”
“More like a stupid move if you ask me!” Jaiden cut in. “Well, I won’t keep you in suspense, then! To start off, I will activate the field spell, Chaos Realm! This field spell lets me fusion summon with my Chaos Heroes without having to use Polymerization! It also gives all Chaos Hero-archtypes a 500 point boost to both attack and defense! It also lets me bring back a destroyed Chaos Hero once per turn, as well as make sure they cannot be destroyed by battle! Next, I will summon Chaos Hero Avien to the field in attack mode!” Chaos Hero Avien then moved into his position on the duel field. “And thanks to Chaos Realm, his attack and defense are now 2,400 and 1,900! Of course, I can’t attack, so I end by throwing down a face-down! Next!”
Matthias drew a card from his deck. “I play my own field spell, Magic Citadel of Endymion! With this field spell, I get a spell counter for each spell card played in the duel, and I can stack said spell counters on the Citadel, with no limit! Next, I summon the Skilled Dark Magician, and I will activate my Magical Dimension Spell card, which gives me one spell counter! With this, I can summon out a high-level Spellcaster by sacrificing a lower-level one from the field, as well as destroy an opposing monster! I choose to destroy Avien, and I use Skilled Dark as a sacrifice! I now bring out with this effect, my Dark Magician!”
Magical Dimension then vaporized Avien, as well as Skilled Dark Magician, making room for Matthias’ Dark Magician to appear a short time later. “I also equip Dark Magician with two spell cards: The Wonder Wand, and the Black Pendant, boosting his attack power by 1,000 points, giving my magician a total of 3,500 attack points! I also get two more spell counters from the spells I played! I end my turn.”
“Then I’ll pick up the pace!” Sairus drew his card. “And since my part of the field is empty, I throw out my Cyber Dragon in attack mode! Next, I will activate my Polymerization magic card, to fuse my Cyber Dragon on my field with another in my hand, to form Cyber Twin Dragon!” Sairus then summoned his mighty beast. “My dragon may only have 2,800 attack, but he also has a special effect! He can attack twice during the same turn! I also play my own equip spell: 7 Completed! With this spell, I can raise a machine-type monster’s attack or defense by 700 points! I choose to raise my Cyber-Twin Dragon’s attack, giving it a total of 3,500! Good luck trying to break through that, Matthias! I don’t even care if it gives your another precious spell counter, it’ll do you no good in the end! I end my turn! Who’s next?!”
“I’ll go next!” Yugi said, drawing his card. “I summon Silent Paladin, and activate her effect! Using this effect, I can seek out one Silent Swordsman LV3 or Silent Magician LV4 from my deck, add it to my hand, then shuffle! I will end my turn with two face-down cards, and activate the Forest Field Spell! With this field spell active, all Insect, Warrior, and Beast-Warrior archtypes gain 200 attack and defense points! I end my turn.”
“I’ll go next, then!” Alexis said, drawing her card. “I will start off by playing Polymerization, fusing Etolie Cyber and Blade Skater in my hand! Come forth, Cyber Blader!” Alexis’ two monsters fused, paving the way for her Cyber-Blader! “I will also set two cards face-down. That’s all.”
“I will go next, and you will regret challenging me to a match of dragons, Truesdale!” Seto Kaiba snapped, drawing his card. “I activate from my hand, a spell! Greater Polymerizaton! With this, I can fusion-summon a monster with material monsters from my hand! This monster can’t be destroyed by battle, and if I attack a defense position monster and destroy it, the opposing player takes piercing damage! Now, I fuse together the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons in my hand, to bring forth my ultimate beast! Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!” Kaiba’s duel field went bright, then the Blue-Eyes Ultimate dragon made a loud roar as it appeared on the field! “As you know, my Blue-Eyes Ultimate starts out with 4,500 attack points and 3,000 defense, but that will soon change as well! Because I activate an equip spell of my own: Mage power! With this, I can take advantage of every spell card me and my allies control, and add 500 attack and defense to my Blue-Eyes per spell card! Currently, I count three active spells from my allies, giving my dragon a 1,500 point boost! That totals my Blue-Eyes up to 5,500 attack, and 4,500 defense! I end my turn with two face-down cards.”
“Is that all, Seto? I’m dissapointed.” Zane said as he drew next.
“Your strategy is antiquated at best, as I will soon prove. I summon Cyberdark Keel, and activate my Polymerization Magic Card, using it to summon my Cyber End Dragon by fusing the three Cyber Dragons in my hand! Next, I activate Cyberdark Keel’s effect, and equip it with Cyber End Dragon, giving it a total of 4,800 attack points! I also activate a spell of my own: 7 Completed, and I use it to raise my Cyberdark Keel’s attack by 700! That gives it a total of 5,500, matching your Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon in Attack Strength! I end with a face-down card!”
“I’ll pick up where Seto left off, then!” Noah said, drawing. “I activate the spell, Shinato’s Sacred Arc! With this, I am allowed to draw an extra card every turn during my draw phase, and I also can re-summon monsters from the grave as if they were in my hand, as well as an extra summon during my turn! I now summon two monsters: Buten, and the Ancient Elf! Next, I will use said monsters to perform a Syncro Summon: I Syncro Summon the Explosive Magician, with an attack of 2,500 and a special effect: Once per turn, I can use 2 spell counters on my allies’ side of the field to destroy one opposing spell or trap card in play! I shall use that effect now, to destroy Zane’s 7 Completed Spell!” Zane’s 7 Completed Spell was then nuked on the field! “Sorry, but I’m not letting you one-up Seto! After all, he is family! I end my turn with one face-down of my own. Who will make their move next?”
Chapter Text
“I’ll make my move, next!” Tyranno snapped, drawing his card. “I’ll start off by activating Jurassic World, a field spell! This card gives all dinosaur-archtype monsters 300 extra attack and defense! Next, I will summon my Giant Rex in attack mode! And thanks to Jurassic World, his attack now becomes 2,300! But he’s not going to be here for long, because I activate Big Evolution Pill! By sacrificing my Giant Rex, I can now use this card to summon a level 5 or higher dinosaur monster from my hand! So I choose to summon my Super-Conductor Tyranno!” With a ground-shaking roar, Super-Conductor Tyranno appeared. “Again, thanks to Jurassic World, his attack and defense is boosted! Meaning his attack and defense become 3,600 and 1,700! I suggest you think your next turn through thoroughly, Matthias! Because when my Super-Conductor Tyranno is unleashed, he’ll lay waste to all of your magicians! I end my turn!”
“Then I’ll take my shot!” Yuya said, drawing. “First, I will use Stargazer and Timegazer Magician to set the Pendulum Scale! With these two in play on the Pendulum Scale, I can instantly summon monsters level 2 to level 7 from my hand! Go, Performpal Elephammer, Cardcar D, and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Swing into action!”
With that, Yuya’s chosen trio of monsters appeared on the field, ready for battle!
“Next, I will tribute Cardcar D to draw 2 cards, and activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw 2 more cards from my deck! Next, I will activate a spell card: Wonder Balloons! With this spell, all of your monsters lose 300 attack per card I discard to the graveyard with this effect!”
“Oh, no you don’t!” Alexis snapped. “You just triggered my trap! Magic Jammer! With this, all I have to do is discard one card from my hand to negate your spell!”
“I don’t think so!” Kaiba said. “I activate my own trap, Trap Jammer! With this card, I can negate your Magic Jammer and destroy it before it’s activated! Tough luck, Rhodes! You will have to do better than that! Continue with your move, Yuya!”
Yuya then smiled, discarding his remaining hand of four cards! “Looks like all the monsters on your side lose 1,200 attack points! Tough luck! I end my turn!”
“Dammit!” Zane exclaimed. “Yuya’s completely wrecked our offense, Jaiden!”
“Not to worry, children.” Set said, drawing a card with telekenesis. “I will go next. I play the field spell, Pandemonium! With this card in play, I do not have to pay life points for Archfiend cards, and I can also add 1 lower-level Archfiend from my deck to my hand for every one destroyed on the field! Next, I will activate Double Summon, allowing me to summon two monsters during this turn! With that, I summon Vilepawn Archfiend and Shadowknight Archfiend! Also, they have some special effects, so beware! Whenever you target either with a card effect, a Chaos Die is rolled, and if it lands on a 3, the offending card is instantly destroyed! I end my turn.”
“You could have summoned something with more attack power, Set!” Jaiden griped.
“Then I guess I am next, father.” Anubis said as he got fancy with his draw using telekinesis as well. “I discard my Gravekeeper’s Commandant to the graveyard in order to retrieve a Necrovalley field spell from my deck! Next, I will play Necrovalley, giving all Gravekeeper-type monsters a field boost of 500 for both attack and defense! It also negates any type of tampering by opponents with any graveyards, including monster banishment and revival! To finish off my move, I summon Gravekeeper’s Spiritualist in attack mode! With her on the field, I can instantly summon a spellcaster-based fusion monster to the field, which I will do now! I summon forth Gravekeeper’s Supernaturalist, with an attack total of 2,500 with Necrovalley in play! Also, while Necrovalley is in play, Gravekeeper’s Supernaturalist is immune to card effects! I can also use him to add 1 Gravekeeper-archtype monster to my hand per turn! I will end my turn with three face-down cards. Tread wisely.”
“Then make way for the Chazz to make his play!” Chazz drew his card. “First, I set one card face-down! Next, I summon Armed Dragon LV3, and activate the spell Level Up! Using this, I send my dragon to the graveyard, to bring him out in his prime form! Armed Dragon LV10! And beware of his special effect! All I need to do is send 1 card from my hand to the grave to destroy all face-up monsters on the opposing side of the field! Now, say goodbye to your oh-so-painstakingly put together strategies!”
“No you don’t Princeton!” Kaiba snapped. “I reveal my second face-down card! Bottomless Trap Hole! Since you just summoned your Armed Dragon, I can activate this card and not only destroy it, but remove it from the game!”
Chazz covered his face as his dragon was enveloped in the trap hole. “NOOOO! Seto, you will pay dearly for that!”
“Get in line. I hear that phrase every day.” Seto said nonchalant.
Chazz grit his teeth. “I end my turn.”
“Then it’s my move!” Jack said, drawing. “First, since I have no monsters in play, I special summon my Crimson Resonator, a tuner monster! Next, I activate my own Double Summon spell card, allowing me to bring out two more monsters to my field! I summon Clock Resonator, and Dark Resonator! They won’t be here for long, though: Because I’m tuning them together for a synchro summon! Now I bring forth my ultimate beast: Red Dragon Archfiend! I suggest all of you lot watch your backs, because if Red Dragon Archfiend destroys a defense position monster, he also destroys all other monsters due to his special ability! I end my turn!”
Chapter Text
“I’ll make my play!” Jessie said as he drew his card. “I activate my field Spell: Ancient City – Rainbow Ruins! With this, I can activate several different special effects depending on how many Crystal Beasts I have in my Magic and Trap Zone! Next, I will summon Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger in Defense Mode!” The Topaz Tiger appeared on the field, letting out an irritated growl. “I set two cards face down and end my turn!”
“Then it’s my move!” Yusei said as he drew his card. “I activate my Double Summon Spell Card, and summon Stardust Synchron and Dopplewarrior! Next, I will tune them together for a synchro summon, and bring out Junk Speeder! Thanks to Dopplewarrior being used as Synchro material, I also get two Dopple Tokens that protect me from attack! Next, I activate Junk Speeder’s ability: When he is Synchro summoned, I can use his ability to bring out as many Synchro Monsters that are possible! So I bring out Junk Warrior, Turbo Warrior, Nitro Warrior, And I bring forth my hopeful beast to get you to remember who you are, Jaiden! Come forth, Stardust Dragon!”
The Stardust dragon then appeared on the field alongside the Junk, Turbo, and Nitro Warriors, showing everyone in the snow-like stardust that fell from it’s wings. “That ends my turn!”
Jaiden laughed. “That’s it? Well then, I guess it goes back to me.” He drew his card. “I now activate the Perfect Chaos Spell Card! As you know from our last duel, I can bring back a Chaos Hero that was destroyed on my side of the field!”
“Are you forgetting about Necrovalley?” Anubis said. “It prevents you from manipulating the graveyard!”
“Oh, please!” Jaiden scoffed. “You obviously didn’t know when I have Chaos Realm out on the field, it can override any negative effect of any opposing spells, including field spells! You’ll have to do better than that! Also, I will reinforce my field with Chaos Hero Barrier, so that none of my Chaos Heroes can be destroyed by battle, and all damage I take from battle is halved!”
Anubis grit his teeth, this sudden surprise throwing a wrench into his strategy.
“Now, come back to me Avien!” Jaiden shouted as Chaos Hero Avien came back to the field. “Plus, thanks to my Perfect Chaos Spell, I now get a surplus of Chaos Tokens from every monster that is active on my opponent’s field! So let’s count them up… Combining all the monsters you have active, I count 16, so I get 16 counters total! Next, I will sacrifice four of those counters to bring forth more of my Chaos Heroes! Come forth, Chaos Heroes! Berstinatrix, Surger, Granite Golem, and Chaos Hero Neos! Come to me!”
With that, Jaiden’s Chaos Heroes all took their places on the field!
“Now, Avien! Berstinatrix! Combine yourselves using the fusion ability of Chaos Realm! Form Chaos Hero Hellfire Knight! Surger, combine with Granite Golem to form Chaos Hero Thunder Master!”
With that, the Chaos Heroes fused, forming the said monsters!
“Now you’re really going to be in for a treat, Matthias! As you know, Hellfire Knight starts out with an attack of 2,800! But thanks to Chaos Realm, he gets a 500 point boost! That totals him up to 3,300! Also, since you’ve never seen Chaos Hero Thunder Master before, he starts out with an attack of 3,000! But thanks to Chaos Realm, his new attack is 3,500! Meaning I can sick him on your Dark Magician, then execute a direct attack on your life points with Hellfire Knight! Now go, Hellfire Knight! Destroy Matthias’ Magician! Hellblaze Cleanse!”
Matthias braced himself for the sudden attack! As Hellfire Knight’s attack locked in on Dark Magician, the magician countered with his own, and destroyed itself as Hellfire Knight was protected by Chaos Hero Barrier!
“Now, Thunder Master! Attack Matthias Directly!” Jaiden commanded. “Get ready to lose 3,500 of your life points, Matthias!”
“Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Put Thunder Master in his place!” Seto shouted. Suddenly, Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon flew in the way of Thunder Master’s attack, blocking him from attacking Matthias! It then blasted Thunder Master away with it’s Neutron-Blast Attack!
Jaiden covered his face as Blue-Eyes Ultimate attacked! His life points fell from 8,000 to 6,250!
“Sorry, but not sorry! Since this is a Team Duel, I can use my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to fend off your gothic knight! Try again, Jaiden!”
“Also, I activate the special effect of Shinato’s Ark!” Noah said. “Using it’s effect, I bring back Matthias’ Dark Magician on his field!”
“So? He still loses his power bonus from Black Pendant and Wonder Wand!” Jaiden Scoffed. Suddenly, he was hit with a blast from out of nowhere from Matthias’ graveyard!
“Indeed, but you also lose 500 life points from Black Pendant’s Effect!” Matthias said. “That leaves you with 5,750! Now, since you’ve wasted your turn, I will give you one more chance to stop this, Jaiden!”
“Not a chance!” Jaiden leered Matthias. “Not until I’ve proven myself superior to you!”
“Jaiden!” Matthias snapped. “It doesn’t matter anymore! Don’t you get it?! I don’t care!! I get it now, okay! I was wrong to freak out and hold such a grudge like I did, is that not enough-”
“SHUT UP!!!” Jaiden roared. “YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I HAD TO GO THROUGH TO GET TO WHERE I WAS AFTER DUEL ACADEMY!! YOU THINK IT WAS EASY TO GO THROUGH THE CHALLENGES I HAD TO FACE, MATTHIAS?!!?! I PUT A LOT OF MY SWEAT, BLOOD, AND EVEN MY OWN TEARS INTO ALL THE WORK I DID!! UNLIKE WHAT YOU THINK, IT’S NOT ALL JUST ABOUT STUDIES!!! I WILL NOT STOP, NOT UNTIL I TAKE YOU DOWN AND PROVE THAT I AM STRONGER, THAT I AM BETTER!! I end my turn, Make your move!”
Matthias sighed. Set really had done a number on Jaiden, and he knew it would take more than just defensive plays and pleading to get Jaiden to come back. “You leave me no choice… I activate my Polymerization Magic Card! I fuse together my Blue-Eyes White Dragon and my Cyber Dragon in my hand, to form Blue-Eyes Cyber Dragon!” The Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon then appeared on the field with it’s piercing roar, ready for battle! “Next, I will activate Card Destruction, making everyone discard their hands and draw five more cards to replenish them! I’m sorry if I threw a wrench into any of your plans, guys.” Matthias then looked over his hand. “Good! It’s here! Now, do you mind if I use the power of your Ark, Noah?”
Noah nodded. “Go for it!”
“Good! Now I will bring forth the beast necessary to end this and bring you back, Jaiden! Evelyn, this one is for you! I USE SHINATO’S SACRED ARC TO BRING BACK ONE OF THE MONSTERS I DISCARDED TO THE GRAVEYARD! COME FORTH, ELEMENTAL HERO NEOS!!!”
There was a bright flash of light, and descending from Shinato’s Ark, body ablaze with a silvery glow, arms outstretched as he landed, was Elemental Hero Neos, ready for battle!
“It’s time to free you from Set’s hand, and guide you back onto the right path, Jaiden!” Matthias exclaimed as his Pyramid of Light began to glow brightly, his eyes shining a vibrant golden-orange as the Millennium Symbol appeared on his forehead! The final act of Redemption had begun!
Chapter Text
The arena lights flared as the team duel reached its climax. Across the field, Jaiden—eyes glowing red under Set’s corrupt influence—loomed in silent fury. Matthias, deck trembling in hand, felt the weight of every life point, every bond, and every promise he’d made.
Jaiden slashed out with Elemental HERO Thunder Master, fists crackling with storm energy. "I won’t be stopped!" he snarled.
Kaiba clenched his other fist. "Then I have no choice… Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Defend Matthias and counter with Neutron Blast!"
A roar shook the arena as the three-headed dragon hybrid beast dove between Matthias and Thunder Master, scales glittering under the floodlights. Lightning crackled, then was swallowed by the dragon’s metallic hide. Moments later, a cataclysmic blast hurled Thunder Master backward in a shower of sparks.
Jaiden staggered, his life points dropping from 8,000 to 6,250 in a heartbeat.
"Sorry, but not sorry! Team Duel rule—my dragon protects my partner! Your attack fizzled!"
Noah gritted his teeth. "I activate Shinato’s Ark’s effect! From the graveyard… I bring forth Matthias’s Dark Magician!"
A swirl of arcane energy rebirthed the spellcaster on Matthias’s side.
Jaiden sneered. "Nice trick—but without Black Pendant and Wonder Wand, he’s powerless!"
Suddenly, a ripple of light burst from Matthias’s discard pile.
"Even more thanks to Black Pendant’s lingering curse—500 life points for you!" Matthias said calmly. "You’re at 5,750. Now, Jaiden… I give you one last chance to break Set’s hold."
Jaiden’s fist slammed the duel field. "No chance in hell! You don’t understand the hell I went through at Duel Academy! Every challenge, every tear—it wasn’t just study! I spilled blood and sweat to become stronger! I will prove I’m better than you! I End my turn!"
Matthias’s shoulders sagged—but beneath the weariness lay resolve. "If you leave me no path to reason… then I’ll forge one in battle. I activate Polymerization!"
He slashed the card into the disk. "I fuse Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Cyber Dragon—behold the Blue-Eyes Cyber Dragon!"
The metallic leviathan roared onto the field, gleaming steel sinew flexing as it took its place.
"Next… I activate Card Destruction. Everyone discards and draws five cards anew. I apologize, my friends, for shaking things up—but it’s necessary." Matthias reshuffled his new hand.
He found the card he needed and turned to Noah. "May I use your Ark once more?"
Noah’s nod was fierce. "Use it!"
Matthias held the card aloft. "Evelyn’s legacy guide me—Shinato’s Sacred Ark, restore what was lost. Reclaim one spirit I discarded—Elemental HERO Neos!"
A blinding column of light erupted from the Ark. Through the brilliance, the silhouette of a tall, heroic figure descended—arms outstretched, aura ablaze in silver-blue.
"NEOS, let's go!" Matthias cried as the Hero landed on the field, blades of light dancing in his hands.
The Pyramid of Light around Matthias' neck glowed, the Eye emblazoned on his forehead pulsing with golden energy.
He locked eyes with Jaiden, voice ringing out. "It’s time to free you from Set’s grasp, Jaiden—to guide you back to who you truly are. This duel isn’t about winning points—it’s about winning your heart back!"
The crowd held its breath. Across the field, the corrupted heroes hesitated—just as the final act of redemption began.
Chapter Text
Chapter 18
Lightning danced across the duel field as Matthias and Jaiden faced off, each card choice a life-or-death plea. Behind the corrupted Supreme King, Chaos HERO Hellfire Knight snarled, blades flickering red; Thunder Master’s storm crackled at Jaiden’s side. Matthias’s heart pounded.
"Jaiden," Matthias began, voice tight with urgency, "I know Set’s given you power—but at what cost? You’re breaking the bonds that made you a hero!"
Jaiden’s crimson eyes flickered. "Bonds? Those Elemental Heroes deserted me when I needed them most! Why should I heed their hollow words now?"
From the edges of the field, shimmering light coalesced as Elemental HERO Neos strode forward. His voice rang like a clarion. "Jayden—why have you forgotten who you are? Forgotten the friendship we forged? We stood by you in every challenge!"
A stab of agony tore through Jaiden’s mind. He clutched his head, memories flooding back—his first duel with Crowler, Yubel’s gentle guidance, the thrill of victory, the warmth of graduation day. Neos reached out, hope shining in his gaze.
"Come back to us, Jayden. Lead again as our champion. Let go of the control these deceptors have put you under..."
Just as Neos crossed the field, Chaos HERO Neos slammed into him, pushing him away in a haze of dark energy.
"You call me a deceptor," Chaos HERO Neos spat, eyes blazing. "But I carry the true fire of destruction, born from the chaos within his heart!"
Elemental HERO Neos steadied himself, light flickering in his gaze. "Chaos Neos, your flames burn only because the darkness in Jayden’s soul yearns to be cleansed! I stand for hope even you cannot consume!"
"Hope is a dying ember," Chaos Neos growled, claws flexing. "Witness how easily it extinguishes when true power calls!"
Jaiden’s hollow laughter cut through their voices. Jaiden’s laughter rang hollow.
"Out of my way, relic! You abandoned me—stood silent while Matthias’s dragon crushed me! Now I follow Chaos Heroes alone!"
Yubel stepped forward, voice trembling with righteous fury. "You brand them traitors—yet you’ve known them longer than these impostors! Loyalty isn’t born overnight!"
Set’s sneer cut through the tension. "Silence! The Chaos Heroes grant you true power. Elemental Heroes are obsolete."
Jaiden wavered, doubt flickering. But the roar of Hellfire Knight quashed his hesitation.
Matthias slammed a card to the field. "Enough! This duel ends now—by the power of fusion! Fusion Gate!"
Blue and purple energies swirled as Matthias invoked his final gambit.
"With Evelyn’s light in my heart, I fuse Elemental HERO Neos and Dark Magician… Elemental NEOS MAGE, Conjurer of Neo-Space!"
A new figure burst forth, clad in mystic robes and brimming with silver-blue power. Neos Mage’s gaze locked on Jaiden.
"Behold the merging of your past and our hope. Neos Mage combines the might of heroes and the wisdom of magicians to shatter your chains!"
Jaiden laughed, though uncertainty trembled in his voice. "Fancy theatrics won’t save me! Chaos Heroes rise again when destroyed!"
Matthias held his ground. "Abilities beyond spectacle! Neos Mage starts with 3500 ATK and 3000 DEF. His first power—once per turn, he can obliterate any opposing spell!"
With a gesture, Neos Mage unleashed a beam that dissolved the looming Chaos Realm field.
"Next—he can call upon an ally’s power! Blue-Eyes Cyber Dragon, lend me your strength!"
A thunderous roar echoed as Neos Mage’s power climbed to 8500 ATK and 7500 DEF.
Matthias drew another card, flames of determination in his eyes. "Now—Diffusion Wave Motion! Pay 1000 life points to equip it. Neos Mage, attack all foes at once with Diffusive Cosmic Magic!"
Waves of brilliant energy racked the opponents, sending Chaos Heroes and corrupted guardians alike crashing back into the shadows.
Silence fell—Jaiden, breathless, stared at his fallen champions.
Matthias advanced, voice soft but unyielding. "Jayden, look around. They came back because they never forgot you. Your bonds are stronger than Set’s whispers. Will you stand with us… or remain lost in darkness?"
For a heartbeat, Jaiden’s storm-forged eyes flickered with conflicting loyalty—power or friendship. The arena held its breath as the true test of the Supreme King’s heart began.
Jaiden staggered, chest heaving. He raised a hand, as if to make a choice—then threw back his head and laughed, a sound that echoed with manic delight.
"You think a few sparks and moral speeches can sway me?" he taunted, voice cracking with defiance. "I have tasted chaos, and it courses through my veins!"
He slammed his disk pad. "Chaos HEROES, Reborn!—I activate my Chaos HEROES special ability! Whenever my Chaos Heroes fall, they return stronger! Watch!"
The fallen Chaos Heroes—Chaos HERO Neos, Hellfire Knight, Thunder Master, and Dark Illusion Knight—rose from the graveyard in a burst of crimson energy, reforming in battle-ready stances. Thier attack points had raised by 500 each!
From the back of the group, Chaos HERO Neos moved up behind Jaiden, draping a massive arm protectively around his shoulders. His other claw rested on Jaiden’s disk pad, as if shielding him from Matthias’s next move. The sight was both menacing and oddly tender—a dark promise that he would never leave Jayden to stand alone.
"No matter how many times you put us down," Chaos HERO Neos snarled, eyes blazing, "we will always come back for more! It is impossible to subdue true chaos!"
A ripple of fear passed through the allies of Light, but Matthias steadied himself. He narrowed his eyes, drawing strength from every bond he’d reforged today.
"If chaos can rise again and again," he murmured, voice firm, "so can hope."
He drew deeply, activating a chain of spells. "Dark Magic Curtain! I send my Fusion materials—Neos Mage and Magical Dimension—to the graveyard to replenish my hand! Then I activate Soul Servant to search for a key Spellcaster!"
A pale blue glyph glowed at Matthias’s feet as he added Polymerization to his hand.
"Now I fuse again—Neos Mage and Dark Magician Girl… bring forth Elemental HERO Magi-Neos!"
A new hero shimmered into existence: clad in sparkling robes, dual wands at the ready.
"Magi-Neos, summon support from the Neo-Spacians!" Matthias commanded, discarding Dotscaper and summons Neo-Spacian Grand Mole from his deck. The massive mole burst from the ground beside Magi-Neos.
"And now—Double Spellbook of Judgement!" Matthias exclaimed, discarding two Spellbook spells to clear the field of enemy traps.
Chaos HERO Hellfire Knight charged, but Magi-Neos deflected his sword with a barrier of starlight.
"Final act—Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, burrow under Chaos HERO Thunder Master and disrupt his reign! Magi-Neos, finish with Constellation Blast!"
The combined assault sent ripples of cosmic energy across the field. Thunder Master was toppled, Hellfire Knight staggered, Chaos Neos blinded by the eruption.
When the dust settled, both duelists stood breathless—no monsters remained.
"This duel... is a draw," Kaiba said, voice echoing through the silent arena.
Matthias lowered his disk, heart pounding. "Then let it be a draw—but not the end. Jayden, I’ll keep fighting until you choose us over chaos."
Jayden’s red eyes met Matthias’s blue gaze for the first time in hours. The seeds of doubt had been sown.
Before anything else could be said, Set used what magic he had recovered to teleport Jayden, his brainwashed frinds, and the Chaos heroes away! It was back to step one for the allies of Light. Matthias, after getting so close to liberating Jayden from Set's control, sighed in disappointment, his head slightly lowered.
Yugi stepped up, placing a hand on Matthias' left shoulder. "This may have ended as a draw, but you've started Jayden on the path to redemption. We'll rescue him when we meet him next time."
Matthias knew then: He may have ended this duel with a draw, but he was far from out.
Chapter 20: Chapter 20
Chapter Text
The night wind whipped around the pinnacle of the tallest KaibaCorp skyscraper, the neon sprawl of New Domino City unfolding below like a sea of stars. Jaiden Yuki stood at the edge of the rooftop helipad—no arena in sight. Moments ago, Set’s teleportation spell had ripped them from the aftermath of the duel, depositing Jaiden and his corrupted guardians here, high above the city’s pulse.
The platform was slick with rain, and the skyline glared back in a thousand reflections. Jaiden pulled his jacket tighter as the wind carried faint echoes of the tie in the arena below.
Silence stretched… until a ripple flickered across the air before him.
From the empty space stepped Chaos HERO Neos, its obsidian armor spiked with crimson veins. For an instant, its form shimmered like a broken hologram—then solidified. It knelt beside Jaiden, one arm draped protectively across his shoulder.
"You did well, my king," Chaos Neos whispered, voice low and soothing. "A draw was no defeat—it was proof that chaos and light can stand toe-to-toe."
Jaiden’s gaze drifted to the floor, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. Chaos Neos lifted his chin.
"Do you feel it? The power coursing through your veins? The freedom of chaos unbound? Let me bolster you—let me fill the void where doubt still lingers."
Before Jaiden could answer, six shadows coalesced around him:
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Chaos HERO Dark Berstinatrix, wings folded and eyes burning with brimstone light.
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Chaos HERO Dark Avien, feathers turned pitch-black and talons dripping with ethereal flame.
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Chaos HERO Surger, crackling with violet arcs of pure entropy.
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Chaos HERO Brimstone, the mirror of Elemental HERO Clayman, embers dripping like molten rock.
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Chaos HERO Tidemaster, the mirror of Elemental HERO Bubbleman—darker, jagged, sinew pulsing with tidal fury.
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Chaos HERO Savager, mirror of Elemental HERO Wildheart, claws tearing at heartstrings.
They formed a circle around Jaiden, each hero’s hand or wing brushing his back or shoulder in a false show of solidarity.
"You are the chosen one of Chaos," Tidemaster intoned, voice like crashing waves. "Our power is your birthright. Why cling to memories that hold you back?"
Dark Berstinatrix’s grin glittered with cruel fervor. "The past is ash. Embrace the inferno of creation—let it purify you!"
Dark Avien’s feathers ruffled, sparks snaking off his claws. "True strength comes from breaking chains. Shatter your ties and rise with us!"
Surger’s arcs danced across the ground. "Fear is the only weakness—cast it aside and let chaos crown you supreme."
"From molten depths, our power rises with you—embrace the inferno within!" Brimstone snarled, embers dancing across his molten form.
"Your spirit is ours to sculpt in chaos—yield to strength beyond mercy!" Savager hissed, claws flexing with tidal fury.
Chaos Neos closed the circle, pressing a clawed hand to Jaiden’s heart. "Trust in us. We will forge you into a god of destruction. No heroism, no second-guessing—only raw, unending power."
Jaiden’s breath hitched. Around him, the specters of darkness whispered promises of ultimate might—tempting him to abandon every bond that once anchored his soul.
His hand trembled. In the periphery, he glimpsed the faint shimmer of an old memory: Neos’s outstretched hand, Yubel’s gentle smile, Matthias’s tear-streaked plea.
But chaos’s siren song was louder, more insistent.
Jaiden closed his eyes, his voice barely a whisper as he was engulfed in a dark aura:
"Show me… show me the true path of the Supreme King…"
Chaos Neos straightened, an apex predator’s grin spreading across his face.
"Then ascend, my king. Let chaos be your crown."
And in that moment, Jaiden’s fate hung in the balance—poised between the light of his past and the seductive darkness of his new guardians.
High above the city, far from Jaiden’s torment, Matthias stood alone on the edge of Daedalus Bridge. The roaring traffic below was a distant thunder, and the neon lights of New Domino City painted streaks of color across the rain-slick asphalt.
He gripped the cold railing, knuckles white. Doubt gnawed at him—could he truly save Jaiden from Set’s corruption? The weight of Evelyn’s memory pressed on his chest.
What if I’m too late? Matthias thought, eyes shadowed. What if this all just feeds the chaos?
A soft ripple of arcane energy cut through his musing, and before him appeared a radiant assembly:
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Elemental HERO Neos, light shimmering in his gaze.
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Elemental HERO Avien, wings glowing with radiant energy.
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Elemental HERO Berstinatrix, feathers bright as sunlit flames.
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Elemental HERO Wildheart, spirit fierce and agile.
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Elemental HERO Bubbleman, water droplets dancing on his form.
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Elemental HERO Flame Wingman, embers flickering in his fists.
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Elemental HERO Thunder Giant, crackling with neutralizing bolts.
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Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, earth rumbling beneath his massive paws.
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Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird, wings beating a gentle breeze.
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Dark Magician, robes billowing with ancient power.
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Dark Magician Girl, her staff glowing with empathic warmth.
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Mythical Beast Cerberus, jaws clamped in eternal vigilance.
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Chaos Command Magician, herald of wrath and judgment.
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Blast Magician, inferno forger of arcane fire.
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Endymion the Master Magician, guardian of arcane wisdom and power.
Their voices rose as one, an echo of Evelyn’s whispered encouragement.
"The skies bend to your command, Matthias. Our wings carry your conviction." Avien proclaimed, feathers radiating hope.
"In flame and fury, we stand with you. Let no darkness douse our light." Berstinatrix declared, her wings glowing like sunrise.
"With courage and heart, no chaos can overthrow your resolve." Wildheart added, spirit alight with determination.
Bubbleman splashed forward. "We fight with you—every step."
Mole thundered. "Chaos is strong, but bonds of light are stronger."
"Your heart bears Evelyn’s light," the Dark Magician intoned. "Her hope lives in every card you wield."
Magician Girl smiled. "Believe in us, as we believe in you."
"Jaiden may have started as your rival, but he will be your friend," Flame Wingman added, embers fading to embers of hope. "You can guide him back."
Thunder Giant’s voice rumbled. "The Supreme King once stood for unity—remember your promise."
"Matthias Cruz," Neos spoke, tone resolute, "you are not alone."
Matthias felt warmth flood his chest. The bridge’s chill wind carried their words straight to his soul.
Matthias straightened, determination blazing anew in his eyes. He raised his hand, as if touching each spirit.
"Thank you, all of you," he whispered. "I won’t fail—this ends today, one way or another. For Evelyn. For Jaiden. For all of us."
A surge of magic swelled around him, and with renewed resolve, Matthias turned from the bridge’s edge, ready to plunge back into the heart of chaos—and reclaim his friend’s soul.
Chapter 21: Chapter 21
Chapter Text
Hours later, the group gathered around Leo and Luna’s panoramic windows, the neon glow of New Domino City stretching below them. At the center sat a holo-projection of the rebuilt Duel Dome—an architectural marvel housing KaibaCorp’s advanced ARC system.
Yugi folded his arms. "We need to draw Jaiden, his allies, and Set into the open. And only one stage is grand enough: the Duel Dome's ARC-enhanced arena."
Yuya stepped forward, eyes alight with excitement. "Exactly. The ARC system amplifies Solid Vision, making every monster feel real. The added immersion will make the duel impossible to ignore—and dangerously exhilarating."
Atem nodded thoughtfully. "If we broadcast a special tournament, we can bait them out."
Seto Kaiba crossed his arms. "I can sanction it through KaibaCorp’s networks. A ‘Legends’ Invitational—featuring replicas of history’s greatest duelists. Yugi, Joey, myself... and Matthias of course." His lips curved in a smirk. "No one would resist testing their mettle against living legends."
Matthias’s eyes flickered. "Use me as bait…?"
Yugi placed a hand on Matthias’s shoulder. "You’re the hero of this story. When Jaiden sees you on the lineup, he’ll have to show up."
Alex tapped a datapad. "Leo Industries can underwrite the event—holographic flyers, holo-screens across the city, even press events. We’ll call it the ‘Kaiba–Leo Legends Cup.’"
Derek pulled up audience analytics. "Interest spikes whenever legends are involved. If we advertise the chance to duel ‘replicas’ of you, the buzz will be off the charts."
Mokuba spoke up next. “And when they arrive, we’ll be waiting. The ARC rig can isolate their presence—Set won’t slip away this time.”
Marik took a drink from a water bottle.. "Delightfully theatrical. I can’t wait to see their faces when we announce the prize."
Pegasus, in response, took a sip of wine from a glass. "Don't let us down, Mattie-boy."
Matthias exhaled, straightening. "All right. Let’s finalize the invite roster and schedule the broadcast. We go live citywide in one hour."
Kaiba tapped his comm-link. "Leo Industries partnered. Tournament announcement is go. Everyone, prepare for the biggest duel in New Domino’s history—and the last chance to save Jaiden Yuki from Set’s shadow."
As the team dispersed to their roles—Yugi to write the formal invitations, Yuya to coordinate the ARC specs, Kaiba to lock down security, and Matthias to steel his heart—New Domino City’s holoboards flickered to life:
KAIBA–LEO LEGENDS CUP
Face the living replicas of the greatest duelists. Win your chance to claim the legendary title.
Prize: A special duel against the Replicas—are you ready to forge your legacy?
High above the city, on top of Leo and Luna’s apartment, a single message blazed on a small, but visible banner:
“We’re watching you, Jayden. Join us… if you dare.”
The trap was set. Now all they had to do was wait—and hope Jaiden’s heart could be reached in time.
Far above, on the rooftop of the KaibaCorp skyscraper, Jaiden Yuki stood with Set and his corrupted allies—Syrus, Zane, Alexis, Chazz, Jessie, and Aster. The flickering holoboard’s announcement cast their faces in harsh light.
Jaiden’s gaze ignited with fury. "Legends Cup? A stage to parade these replicas? They think they can lure me out with my own past…"
Set’s lips curved into a predator’s grin. "Let them try. Their hero, Matthias, will be powerless to stop you in the end."
Chaos HERO Neos leaned in, whispering to Jaiden: "The crowd’s cheers will fuel your rage, my king. Watch them fall before your might. Let them try. Their hero, Matthias, will be powerless before true chaos."
Syrus’s voice dripped with loyalty and contempt, since Set had saved him from being trapped in the Shadow Real. "I’ll face any legend to prove my devotion to you, Jaiden!"
Chaos HERO Hellfire Knight roared in agreement: "My flames burn brighter with every foe I incinerate!"
Zane added, eyes blazing, "None of them can match our strength under Set’s guidance!"
Chaos HERO Surger crackled nearby: "Entropy will consume their every tactic, leaving only oblivion!"
Alexis laughed coldly. "The city will tremble when we arrive. They’ll regret ever challenging the Supreme King."
Chaos HERO Tidemaster surged forth: "My tidal fury will wash away their defenses!"
Chazz cracked his knuckles. "Let them come—our chaos machine runs on doubt and fear."
Chaos HERO Brimstone spat embers: "I’ll scorch their illusions until only cinders remain!"
Jessie’s calm tone belied dangerous intent. "We’ll show them that chaos cannot be bridled by mere legacy."
Chaos HERO Savager circled Jaiden: "My claws will tear through the façade of hope!"
Aster Phoenix snarled. "I live for the fight—and I live for you, Jaiden!"
Jaiden’s chest swelled. He slammed his fist into his palm. "If Matthias wants to put on a show for the world, then I’m not going to let him monopolize the spotlight! This time… the chaos will reign supreme!"
Jaiden threw his head back and let out a maddening cackle that rang like lightning across the rooftop, his laughter echoing into the night sky.
With that vow, Jaiden and his champions melted into the night, shadows poised to descend on the Legends Cup—and crush any hope Matthias and his allies held.
Chapter Text
The Duel Dome’s vast stands gleamed under sweeping ARC lights as thousands of spectators filled every seat. Media drones hovered overhead, broadcasting live feeds to every corner of the globe. Free-For-All booths, sponsor banners for KaibaCorp and Leo Industries, and swirling holo-advertisements for the “Kaiba–Leo Legends Cup” created an electrifying atmosphere.
A variety of duelists had singed up for participation, including:
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Marcus Cromwell (Neo Domino local champion) tested his new Synchro Turbo deck.
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Bronk Stone (5D’s Fortune Cup veteran) practiced his Speed Spell tactics.
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Z-ARC Carnival Champion Astin Kross (GX Duel Team Carnival) showcased his Elemental Beast partnership.
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Rio Fudo (ARC-V Maiami Cup finalist) tuned her Pendulum Summoner deck.
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Erika Lane (local champion) arranged her Trap Stunner control lineup.
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Hiroshi Tanaka (rookie phenom) nervously shuffled his Cyber Dragoncore deck.
Across the registration desks, dozens more minor duelists—university prodigies, corporate-sponsored “Duel Athletes,” and veteran street duelers—lined up, believing the headline “Face the Replicas” to be more than spectacle: a chance to battle living legends.
In the Legends’ Lounge, Yugi, Joey, Kaiba, Yusei, Yuya, Matthias, Anubis, Horus, Pegasus, and Marik watched from a raised glass-enclosed suite.
Yugi smiled at the crowd. “Look at that turnout—over a million online viewers, and the live seats are sold out!”
Joey leaned forward, thumbs twitching. “I’ve never seen so many duel disks in one place. Even I’m getting pumped!”
Yusei checked his comm-link. “Security grid is ready. ARC resonance tests are green—our Solid Vision rigs will handle full-scale monsters safely.”
Matthias ran a hand through his hair. “I just hope this bait works… Jaiden and Set won’t resist such a spectacle.”
Kaiba’s gaze was icy. “They’ll sign up as soon as they see your name on the roster, Matthias. Let the games begin.”
Anubis’s voice rumbled low: “I have witnessed empires rise and fall. This gathering of duelists is unlike any I have seen; guard your resolve, Matthias.”
Horus stood tall, wings of spirit flaring in arcane light. “Justice watches over this stage. May all who duel here uphold their honor.”
Pegasus clapped his hands, capricious grin wide. “Darling, I’ve curated Duelist Kingdom, but this extravaganza—there’s simply nothing like it!”
Marik exhaled a dark but consoling laugh, eyes gleaming. “Fate weaves its tapestry here. May the Supreme King’s true heart emerge from the chaos.”
Outside, thunder rolled—an ominous cue.
Down on the registration floor, minor duelists bantered nervously:
—Marcus Cromwell chuckled, “Think you can handle a replica, rookie?”
—Bronk Stone replied with a grin, “Bring it on, kid; I’ve climbed tougher mountains!”
—Rio Fudo adjusted her Pendulum deck, “Just hope the real legends don’t show up early.”
—Erika Lane rolled her eyes, “Legends, replicas—call ‘em what you want, the payoffs the same.”
Suddenly, the grand doors of the Dome burst open. A swirl of black mist poured in as Set stepped through, cloak flaring, the ARC lights dancing across his cold gaze. Behind him appeared Jaiden—helmet off, jacket drifting—but it was his silent confidence that stole every breath.
Flanking them, Syrus, Zane, Alexis, Chazz, Chumley, Jessie, and Aster aligned themselves like soldiers of chaos. The assembled spectators froze, eyes widening in shock and awe.
Set’s voice boomed: “Welcome, Duelists. Tonight, true chaos joins your spectacle.”
Participants parted as the duo advanced through the crowd; some backed away in fear, others whispered prayers to unseen deities. Cameras flashed, holo-cams pivoted—every eye was glued to their entrance.
Jaiden paused at the holo-scroll panel, quill drawn. His crimson gaze swept the terrified field.
Jaiden made his proclamation, loud and cold.
“I’ll storm through this tournament… then you are next, Matthias Cruz!”
He slashed his signature onto the roster, and a pulsing wave of tension rippled through the Dome.
Set smiled darkly.
“Let the final act of destiny commence.”
With that, Jaiden and his champions melted into the waiting lines—an unstoppable tide of chaos that no legend could hold at bay.
Chapter 23: Path of Desolation
Chapter Text
The Kaiba–Leo Legends Cup had begun.
Spotlights painted ribbons of golden light over the Duel Dome’s glass canopy as the ARC-V powered system activated its full Solid Vision grid. Thousands of spectators watched with mounting anticipation as duelists took to the field, but all eyes were drawn to one corner of the bracket—where the name Jayden Yuki glowed in crimson.
His Chaos Heroes stood poised in his deck, blood-slick and merciless.
“First Match: Jayden Yuki versus Hiroshi Tanaka!”
The crowd cheered as a nervous Hiroshi stepped onto the stage, his Cyber Dragoncore deck in hand. But Jayden didn’t speak. He didn’t bow. He didn’t blink. He activated his duel disk with a cold flick of his wrist and drew his starting hand.
“Duel!”
—Match 1—
Tanaka made the first move, summoning Cyber Dragon Core, setting a backrow defense.
Jayden countered without hesitation.
“I activate Chaos Realm. I summon Chaos Hero Avien. Then I use Perfect Chaos—you know the drill.”
In a single turn, he summoned Chaos Hero Avien, Surger, and Thunder Master. Each effect stripped Hiroshi’s board. Then came the fusion:
“I summon Chaos Hero Hellfire Knight. Burn.”
The duel was over in four turns. Tanaka’s deck was scattered across the arena, cards charred by the overloaded solid-vision feedback. He collapsed, clutching his arm where the blast had seared through his shield field.
Jayden turned and walked off without a word.
From the skybox above, Matthias’s eyes narrowed.
“He didn’t even flinch,” he muttered. “Didn’t blink when he crushed that kid’s strategy.”
Yugi stood beside him, hands clenched. “That’s not the Jayden I knew. He used to encourage rookies. Now he’s… hollow.”
Anubis frowned. “His aura is receding further into shadow. Set’s hold grows by the duel.”
—Match 2: Jayden vs. Erika Lane—
Erika’s Trap Stunner Control deck was methodical. She began strong, locking out Jayden’s spells with Solemn Judgment and Dark Bribe.
Jayden smiled—then, Chaos Hero Neos appeared on turn three.
“I banish three from my grave and activate Chaos Return. Your traps are meaningless when I summon Chaos Hero Darkblade.”
A slicing darkness consumed Erika’s back row in a single swing.
He then used Chaos Fusion to summon Chaos Hero Iron Revenant, a hulking brute with 3900 ATK and a passive effect that blocked any card activated from the hand.
“Finish her.”
Erika screamed as the Solid Vision system exploded in a flurry of black lightning. She fell, unconscious.
Jayden didn’t look back.
Pegasus sipped his wine silently in the VIP box, his eyes uncharacteristically grim.
“Such artistry… wasted on carnage,” he whispered. “This isn’t a duelist anymore. He’s a butcher.”
Kaiba’s voice was as sharp as his stare. “He’s showing us what chaos looks like when it learns control. No wasted movement. No hesitation.”
—Match 3: Jayden vs. Astin Kross—
Astin’s deck was built on elemental resonance—Elemental Beasts fused with Field Spells to create battle synergies. For a moment, the crowd dared to hope.
Then Jayden summoned Chaos Hero Tidemaster and flooded the entire board with a tidal wave of spell negation.
“You rely too much on harmony,” he said, activating Chaos Eclipse. “Let me show you what disorder looks like.”
Astin was ejected from the platform mid-duel as the ARC system detected an overload of mental shock and forced a safety lock.
Yubel stood behind Atem and Marik, her arms folded.
“He’s not just winning… he’s feeding on each victory. The more pain he inflicts, the stronger his Chaos Heroes grow. They’re evolving with him.”
Marik growled. “Set is pushing him to the brink. But this isn’t power. It’s dependency. He can’t breathe without that chaos inside him.”
Quarterfinals. Semifinals. Final Round.
Each duel blurred into the next: Jayden reducing decks to ash, shattering minds, ejecting opponents with the precision of a weapon.
No smiles.
No catchphrases.
No “Get your game on.”
By the time he stood atop the final bracket, the crowd no longer cheered—they merely stared in awed silence.
Then he raised his hand, and his voice echoed with terrible clarity.
“Enough. I’ve played your games. I want my prize.”
His crimson gaze locked directly onto the Legends’ Lounge above.
“Matthias Cruz… You and me. Right here. Right now.”
A stunned hush fell over the Dome.
Jayden’s duel disk flared open with black lightning as his Chaos Heroes emerged behind him—Avien, Neos, Brimstone, Hellfire Knight, Tidemaster, and Surger—forming a line behind their king, each one glowing with shadow.
“You said you wanted to settle this. Well, I’m still standing. You’re still cursed. Come down here and face me!”
The crowd erupted in confused whispers. Duelists parted like waves. Security hesitated.
Matthias stood slowly, his fist clenched.
Yugi touched his shoulder, gently. “It’s time.”
“Yeah,” Matthias said. “But not just to duel.”
He stepped toward the elevator, eyes locked on the arena where Jayden waited.
“It’s time to see if I can still bring my friend back… before there’s nothing left of him to save.”
Chapter 24: Duel of Reckoning - PT I
Chapter Text
The arena floor dimmed, the ARC system cycling its power. Then, a pillar of golden light cascaded from the center platform, and two duel platforms slowly rose from the ground.
On one stood Jayden Yuki, now cloaked in black and crimson, his eyes glowing with the poisonous luster of Chaos. Behind him, his champions—Chaos HERO Neos, Hellfire Knight, Tidemaster, Brimstone, Thunder Master, and more—materialized in a line of silent allegiance.
On the opposite platform, Matthias Cruz emerged, his Duel Disk snapping to life with a surge of white-blue light. Behind him, an unseen wind stirred his coat, as if Evelyn’s presence lingered near.
Above them, cameras broadcast the moment to every corner of the globe.
A hush fell over the Dome.
But even as the stage was set, the sounds of distant duels echoed like thunderclaps beyond the arena’s heart.
Elsewhere in the Duel Dome – The Battle Spreads
Yugi Moto vs. Syrus Truesdale
In a vault-like training chamber deep beneath the Dome, Dark Magician stood against Syrus’s Cyber Dragons. Magic clashed with machine as Yugi fought not just to win, but to awaken the memory of who Syrus once was.
“Syrus! You don’t belong in Set’s shadow!”
“You’re wrong, Yugi! For once, I feel respected!”
Kaiba vs. Zane Truesdale
A battle of titans raged in the rooftop sky garden. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon locked horns with Cyber End Dragon, each blow threatening to shatter the reinforced ARC sky panels.
“You’re just a Kaiba Corp relic!” Zane shouted.
“And you’re a broken imitation of my past,” Kaiba shot back. “Let’s see whose legacy holds up.”
Pegasus vs. Alexis Rhodes
In a holographic rose garden, Pegasus defended with Toon World and mind games, while Alexis stormed forward with a reformed Chaos Cyber Blader.
“Such beauty… wasted on darkness,” Pegasus muttered.
“Don’t mock what you don’t understand!” Alexis roared, her eyes flashing red.
Joey Wheeler vs. Chazz Princeton
A street-simulated duel chamber sparked with fire and smoke as Red-Eyes Black Dragon brawled with Chaos Armed Dragon.
“C’mon, Chazz! The Chazz I knew wouldn’t need power like this!”
“Shut up, mutt!” Chazz bellowed. “Chaos gave me what Obelisk never did—respect!”
Yusei, Yuma, Yuya, Jack, Akiza, Leo, Luna & Crow vs. Jessie, Aster, Chumley
A massive, multi-field Turbo Duel circuit around the Dome hosted this eight-way clash. Stardust Dragon, Number 39: Utopia, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, and Black Rose Dragon swirled through glowing lanes of light, locking in deadly combat with Chaos HERO Savager, Destiny HERO Tyrant Reaper, and Chaos Beast Ruby Infernal—a twisted version of Jesse’s original ace.
Flames, lightning, shadow bursts—all collided in brutal rhythm.
Duel Dome Roof – Set vs. Anubis and Horus
Far above, on the tallest spire of the arena, three ancient beings faced off beneath the moonlight. Anubis and Horus stood united, their divine duel disks shimmering with ancient gold. Set, unbothered, smirked with a deck that pulsed with raw destruction.
“You have no idea what you’ve unleashed,” Anubis warned.
“You cursed Matthias,” Horus added. “Now we’ll end your reign.”
Set’s reply was simple.
“Let the gods tremble.”
And their battle began—magic ancient as the stars igniting the sky.
Duel Arena Center – Matthias vs. Jayden
Back on the main stage, the air was electric.
Matthias stepped forward, microphone at his collar activating, broadcasting to every watcher. His voice was calm—strong—but haunted.
“Jayden… before we begin…”
Jayden narrowed his glowing eyes. The audience leaned in.
“I want to say something… in front of everyone. I owe you an apology.”
“Not just for what I said to you during our last duel—but for what I did. For the pain I caused. I see now that I fed my grief like it was firewood. I blamed you for Evelyn’s death because I couldn’t forgive myself for not stopping her.”
A hush fell. Jayden didn’t blink.
“I was wrong to hold that hatred in my heart. Wrong to turn it on someone who once stood for everything good in this game. And I’m sorry—for the duel we fought back then… and the one we’re about to fight now.”
“I don’t want revenge anymore, Jayden. I want forgiveness. From you… and from myself. I want to believe—win or lose—that after this, we can reconcile.”
A stunned silence settled over the crowd.
Then… Jayden laughed.
Cold. Hollow. Mocking.
He stepped forward, voice harsh and cutting:
“Apology accepted?”
“No.”
“You think a few heartfelt words can erase the path of destruction you set in motion?”
“You want to heal? You want to reconcile?” Jayden sneered. “Then why did you summon Blue-Eyes Cyber Dragon that day? Why did you humiliate me, publicly, before the world?”
“You don’t get to play the redeemer now, Matthias. Not when you were the one who started all this.”
He lifted his duel disk, power surging around him like black fire.
“It was your hatred. Your lust for vengeance. Your blind, selfish fury that gave Set the opening he needed.”
“You talk about healing? Stop pretending to be a healer when you’re nothing but a harbinger of pain.”
“You don’t get to walk away clean after this. You don’t get to play the hero.”
Jayden’s Chaos Heroes materialized in sync behind him.
“There’s no forgiveness, Matthias. Only truth. And the truth is—in this duel, only one of us walks away the winner.”
He pointed across the field, his red eyes flaring.
“Get ready. This isn’t a tournament anymore—it’s war.”
The crowd erupted in stunned gasps. The ARC field rose around them.
Both duelists raised their arms.
“DUEL!”
Minignu on Chapter 19 Tue 21 Jan 2025 03:49PM UTC
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moonlightkitsune on Chapter 24 Wed 16 Jul 2025 04:02PM UTC
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