Hey friends and fans! Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter for Era of Spirits and Shadows! Drake has invited Zane into the ‘magic class’ to learn the ways of Ba and Ka. With his naturally powerful Ba, Zane shouldn’t take long to get at least the basics down, probably. However, there are other issues within Duel Academy that aren’t magical or spirit-based at all. Any ‘class-based’ system is bound to have those that become arrogant and those that’re looked down on. Of those that are looked down on, there is often one that gets fed up with it and tries to strike back at their bullies.
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So, without further delay, please enjoy.
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Chapter 22 – Zane’s Initiation, the Duel Giant
In the forest near the main campus at night, shortly after curfew for all students, a flash of bright light illuminated a small area.
“Auuugghh!” An Obelisk Blue student cried out as he staggered backwards and fell on his ass, his Deck falling from his Duel Disk and scattering his cards on the ground around him.
A much larger person, covered in multiple Obelisk Blue blazers tied and stitched together haphazardly to completely obstruct their identity, walked closer to the defeated student, towering over the nearly cowering young man. Reaching down, the person in the haphazard coat of blazers picked up a specific card from the ground.
“I’ll be taking your rare card.” The tall and mysterious person said in a muffled voice. “If you’ve learned from this, you’ll fix your cocky attitude.” Not saying another word, the large figure turned and walked into the darkness of the forest, leaving the defeated Obelisk student to hang his head in defeat and fear of the stranger that had beaten him so thoroughly.
Unseen by the defeated Obelisk Blue, a small figure hiding up on the branch of one of the trees overlooking the small clearing that the Duel had taken place in smirked before hopping down and following after the much larger figure.
-Next Day-
Jaden, Bastion, and Drake were walking to their next class when they came upon three Obelisk Blue students talking amongst themselves.
“Last night…the Duel Giant.”
“Again?”
“His rare card, yeah.”
Jaden cocked an eyebrow at hearing the partial conversation. “What’s up?” He asked the three other students curiously.
The three Obelisk Blue students looked over at the three Ra Yellow students with annoyance.
“Oh look, three Ra Rejects.” The tallest of the Obelisk students said.
Bastion let the insult roll by. “How mature.” He said quietly, still amazed at how childish some of the students of Duel Academy could be given they were all their tertiary education.
Drake looked at Jaden and a small grin appeared on his face as he mouthed ‘follow my lead’ to his best friend. “What?! You wanna say that again! You wanna repeat that?! You fuckin’ prick! Huh?! You wanna start something?! Come on! Let’s go! Three on three! Yellow versus Blue! No cam kills! I’ll fuck you up!”
All three Obelisk Blues were nearly gaping at Drake’s sudden outburst.
“J-Just calm down…” One of the Obelisk Blue guys said.
“Shut the fuck up, Ted!” Drake snapped, not even knowing the other student’s name. “We’re all pumped! We’re ready to fuckin’ go! Let’s do this!”
“Yeah!” Jaden barked out, putting on his best ‘threatening’ expression.
Drake nodded at Jaden’s agreement, his eyes never leaving the three Obelisk Blues. “That’s right, prison rules! Jaden hasn’t eaten in days!”
Jaden leaned forward, his eyes locked onto the tallest Obelisk Blue. “I want the one in the middle…”
“Me too…” Drake agreed, staring the same Obelisk student dead in the eye.
All three of the Obelisk Blue students quickly turned and speed walked away and around the nearest corner as fast as they could.
“Yeah, that’s right! You better fuckin’ walk away! Ya blue bastards! Huh?! HUH?!” Drake raised his voice just to make sure the three fleeing Obelisk guys heard him before they got too far away.
There was a beat of silence before Jaden spoke again. “I wonder what those blue bastards were talking about?”
Bastion couldn’t hold back his curiosity anymore. “Where did all of that come from?”
Drake and Jaden looked at each other before cracking up into laughter. “Internet video.” They said at the same time.
“Of course.” Bastion shook his head, but the amused little smile on his face was clear. “I was wondering, given that we just had lunch an hour ago, and I know for a fact that Jaden hasn’t missed a single meal since coming to Duel Academy.” Jaden grinned at that. “Not to mention such a sudden outburst is unlike you, Drake.”
Drake shrugged, the grin still on his face. “Maybe, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.”
“What’s this Duel Giant they mentioned?” Jaden asked his friends curiously.
Bastion answered when Drake shook his head to show that he didn’t know. “A rumor that’s been going around just recently. Apparently, the Obelisk Blue students were keeping it under wraps, but it finally leaked out to the rest of the school.”
Jaden and Drake both leaned in a bit, now interested in this rumor since the Obelisk Blues were apparently hiding it.
“According to the rumor, there’s a Duelist of significant stature inciting the Obelisk Blues into accepting challenges at night and using the banned Ante Rule as well.” Bastion explained to his friends. “If the rumor is to be believed, the Duel Giant has never lost since these challenges began.”
“And no one knows who this person is?” Drake asked curiously. There were only about four-hundred student in Duel Academy and adding in the faculty and staff, that was only about five-hundred people on the island on average. It would be difficult for NO ONE to know who this person was.
“It seems the ‘Giant’ covers himself in a coat of various Obelisk Blue blazers that they’ve taken from some of the students that they’ve defeated. No one has ever seen the giant’s face.” Bastion said, as the rumor wasn’t very detailed and it had only just slipped out of the Obelisk Blue dorms a very short time ago.
Jaden narrowed his eyes at the new information. “Hm… You don’t think Alexis, Jasmine, and Mindy are going to be targeted, do you?”
Drake looked thoughtful for a moment. “Possibly, but we’d need more information on this Duel Giant and their previous targets to try and make a reasonable guess as to who they’ll target next.”
Walking down the same corridor, but in the opposite direction, as the three Ra Yellows, Dr. Crowler was lamenting the current situation of his Obelisk Blues. ‘What an absolute nightmare! Some rogue Duelist is roaming the campus making a mockery of MY Obelisks, making a mockery of ME!’ He thought angrily, wanting to find this troublemaker and toss them off the island. ‘Not that we can do that, since even Campus Security hasn’t been able to catch them in the act! What’re they good for if they can’t even find one rule-breaking student?!’ It was clear that Crowler’s anger and aggravation was entirely because it was HIS dorm that was being beaten repeatedly. “And worse yet,” He raised his hands in front of him, anxiety filling his voice. “This ‘Duel Giant’ is breaking Academy rule with these Ante Duels! Under my watch!” As the Head of the Obelisk Blue male dorm, and all those challenged and defeated by the Duel Giant being under his direct supervision, Crowler was on thin ice since his students were accepting after curfew duels AND the banned Ante rules. “If this doesn’t get resolved soon, Chancellor Sheppard is going to fire ME!”
It was then that he spotted Jaden, Drake, and Bastion.
‘Ah! There’s an idea! If I can get either of those two to handle this, even if they lose, they’re not from MY dorm and it won’t affect me in the slightest!’ Crowler smiled at that before approaching the three Ra Yellow students. “Jaden, Drake, Bastion… How would you three like to assist with a special task for the sake of the school?” Seeing the suspicious looks on all three of their faces, Crowler continued on quickly. “If you succeed, I’ll personally give you extra credit in my class worth five percent of your final grade!”
“Really?!” Jaden exclaimed with a grin. Crowler’s class wasn’t impossible, but the man practically had a vendetta against Slifers, and only JUST treated Ra Yellow students better, normally.
“Of course! Why would I lie?” Crowler asked with a smile…that looked slightly creepy to the three young men.
Drake asked the important question though. “What, exactly, is this special task?”
Crowler put his hands together, the smile staying on his face. “Oh, nothing too difficult. You see, there’s been reports of someone going around after curfew and using Ante rules when challenging students. Both are clear violations of the rules and we must find out the identity of the perpetrator and punish them accordingly.”
“The Duel Giant, huh?” Drake said flatly. ‘This must’ve been going on for a while to have Crowler anxious enough to ask for assistance from students…especially students that he clearly doesn’t like very much.’
“Ah,” Crowler almost flinched. “I see that you’ve heard of this rulebreaker already.” He continued on swiftly, trying not to let his anxiety about the situation show. “Well, if you already know that much, then I’m sure that I can count on you.”
Bastion looked at Crowler like a puzzle for a moment before closing his eyes and nodding just slightly. “Dr. Crowler, sir. I believe a written agreement for this ‘special task’ is warranted. After all, the Duel Giant only comes out after curfew…which would mean that any student trying to apprehend them would also be breaking the curfew rules. Defeating the Duel Giant would also mean agreeing to the banned Ante rule, which would be another offense. If we might get some signed documentation of assisting with this special task, it would make doing so much simpler.”
“That would be helpful.” Drake agreed with a small grin.
Jaden nodded in agreement. “Yeah, otherwise we could get in trouble for rule-breaking too.”
Crowler looked slightly put out at the—reasonable—request. “Oh, ah, yes…of course.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small notepad. “Let’s see…” Crowler flipped open the notepad and pulled the pen from the top of it and began to writer in his neat script. Once done a minute later, he signed his name with a flourish and then tore the paper out of the notepad and handed it to Jaden. “I believe that will be satisfactory.”
Jaden, Drake, and Bastion all quickly read over the note.
I, Dr. Vellian Crowler, Department Chair of Techniques, grant the students holding this waiver permission to be out after curfew and to duel against the rule-breaker known as the ‘Dule Giant’ as assistants in apprehending the troublemaker.
In accordance with this task, should the students succeed in apprehending the rule-breaker, they will be granted extra credit to my class worth five percent of their final grade.
It was simple, but covered the bases, and with Crowler’s signature at the bottom, no one could call it fake.
“Thank you, sir.” Bastion nodded to Crowler who only gave a brief nod before walking off quickly.
‘Whether they win or lose, this way I look good for bringing in the ones to apprehend the Duel Giant, or I have nothing to do with their failure as I was simply asking for extra assistance. It’s a win-win for me!’ Crowler thought to himself with a smirk as he walked away.
Jaden grinned at Bastion. “Quick thinking asking for a written agreement, Bastion!”
“It’s a good thing to have. Crowler hasn’t exactly hidden how much he dislikes us.” Drake nodded as he took the paper and folded it up before slipping it into the inner pocket of his golden blazer.
“So, how do you intend to find the Duel Giant?” Bastion questioned his friends.
Jaden and Drake looked at each other, then back to Bastion. “Not sure yet.”
Bastion let out a sigh, not that he didn’t expect that answer.
“Maybe we should ask the girls what they know about the Duel Giant? They’re in Obelisk Blue and they’ve probably heard more about the rumor than the rest of the school has.” Jaden suggested what seemed like the best way to get some kind of lead on the Duel Giant.
“Then let’s get to our next class. We can ask them about it while waiting for our Duels.” Drake said as they started walking again. Practical Dueling class was perfect for chatting since Duels were done one by one and took some time.
-Practical Dueling Class-
“The Duel Giant guy, huh?” Mindy hummed after Drake and Jaden had asked about the rumor. “I don’t think any of the girls have been targeted yet.”
Alexis nodded once. “Whoever they are, they seem to be targeting the male Obelisk dorm specifically.”
“I wonder why?” Jasmine tilted her head slightly. “Are they just making their way through all of the guys in Obelisk at random, or is there some kind of grudge going on?”
“Come on! Make a move!” A shout got the group’s attention, making them all look back to the Duel that was going on.
An Obelisk Blue was dueling a Ra Yellow.
The Ra Yellow was a short guy—about the same height as Syrus—called Brier. He had semi-long, dark green hair and was visibly nervous as he looked at his hand and then the state of the field.
“Brier’s timidity is getting the better of him again.” Bastion said as he watched the Duel. “Every time he has to Duel in front of a crowd, he falters and ends up losing. When Dueling without spectators, he’s rather skilled.”
Jaden squinted a bit to see Brier’s hand since they were sitting in the stands surrounding the Duel arena and the group of friends were behind Brier. “Is that ‘Earthquake’ he has in his hand? This Duel is his!”
The field was practically barren now as the Duel was in its final stages. Each of the two Duelists had only one monster and the Obelisk Blue had a single face down card as well.
On Brier’s field was the monster Mad Sword Beast.
Mad Sword Beast – Level 4 – EARTH – Dinosaur/Effect – 1400 ATK/1200 DEF
And on the Obelisk Blue’s field was Marauding Captain.
Marauding Captain – Level 3 – EARTH – Warrior/Effect – 1200 ATK/400 DEF
“Will you make a move already?!” The Obelisk Blue demanded loudly of Brier.
Mindy tasked at the loud guy. “I see Mason’s still annoying, as always.”
Jasmine rolled her eyes at the Obelisk Blue guy as well. “He’s a Seto Kaiba wannabe with that haircut.”
Drake cocked an eyebrow and noticed that Mason did indeed have his brown hair cut and styled very similarly to Seto Kaiba’s.
“If Brier does have Earthquake in his hand, then he should play it and use Mad Sword Beast’s effect to inflict piercing damage on Marauding Captain to win the Duel. But that’s assuming that Mason’s face down isn’t something like Mirror Force, Magic Cylinder, or Sakuretsu Armor.” Alexis said as she took in the state of the Duel.
“I’m gonna…” Brier said as eh looked at the field and then his hand. He took a short, raspy breath as he felt the entire class’s eyes on him. Sweat started to lightly bead on his forehead as the anxiety of dueling in front of others had been growing since he stepped foot onto the Dueling Arena. He glanced at the Life Points again, his mind starting to being mired in a fog of doubt and anxiety.
Brier – 300
Mason – 200
“Get a move on! I’d like to win before class ends!” Mason shouted at Brier.
Brier visibly shook at the taunt.
“Play what you want, shorty! You still won’t win!” One of Mason’s Obelisk Blue friends yelled out from the watching class.
“You’re just gonna lose anyway! Hurry up!” Another friend of Mason’s called out from next to the first guy.
Brier reached for his hand, but hesitated as he practically felt the weight of everyone’s eyes on him and the murmuring of the crowd nearly drowned him. Every call to hurry up, all the looks, everything felt like it was needling into him all at once. “I…uh…”
“Are you attacking or not?! Do something!” Mason yelled, annoyed at the Ra Yellow for wasting his time with his indecision.
“O-Okay!” Brier relented, just to make the looks and the shouting stop. “I attack Marauding Captain with Mad Sword Beast!”
The large, rhino-like monster with a tough green shell on its back and large sword blades emerging from its snout, it jaws, the sides of its shell, and its forehead charged straight at the armored knight that was Marauding Captain. So long as the attack landed, Brier would win the Duel.
“What?!” Jaden nearly balked at the play, given that playing Earthquake beforehand would’ve cost Brier nothing.
“About time!” Mason said as he hit a button on his Duel Disk. “I activate my face down card, Reinforcements!” The Trap card flipped up and showed a group of knights rushing forward into battle. “This boosts my Marauding Captain’s ATK by 500 points!”
Marauding Captain – Level 3 – EARTH – Warrior/Effect – 1700 ATK/400 DEF
Marauding Captain glowed with an orange aura as it leapt forward and cut the Mad Sword Beast down, making the dinosaur explode into pixels and taking out the last of Brier’s life points.
Brier – 0
Mason – 200
With the Duel over, the holograms faded away and Brier dropped to his knees in defeat, his body shaking slightly.
“I didn’t think it was possible; but on his knees, he’s even smaller than he was before!” Mason mocked his defeated opponent.
Several of the other students watching laughed, almost all of them Obelisk Blues.
Brier growled from his hunched over position, his eyes narrowed int a sharp and hateful glare. The whole time more mocking jeers were being thrown at him from the Obelisk Blue students sitting in the stands.
“Congratulations, Mr. Harris…you just earned a deduction to your grade for this class.” The Professor overseeing the Practical Dueling today called out, instantly making Mason shut up. “Unsportsmanlike conduct can get you removed from official tournaments and Dueling events. Remember that next time before you mock your opponent.”
“B-But…” Mason tried to speak, but the Professor simply waved him off the Dueling Arena. The Obelisk Blue and his friends were noticeably quieter now.
Brier walked off to one of the entryways with his hands balled into fists at his sides. He was met by a very tall and broad-shouldered Ra Yellow student that got both Drake and Jaden’s attention just from his size. But that was before they felt a spike of negativity coming from Brier.
‘Kuri, kuri?’ Winged Kuriboh cooed through the bond he shared with Jaden.
‘Yeah, I felt it too, partner.’ Jaden thought back to his Ka.
Drake looked closely at the two Ra Yellows at the entryway. He’d felt the sharp spike in negativity and given Brier’s friend’s large size…they certainly looked like two big pieces of the ‘Duel Giant’ puzzle.
“If you’re thinking that Beauregard is the Duel Giant, you’re barking up the wrong tree.” Bastion said, seeing where Jaden and Drake were looking. “He’s at Duel Academy on the game design path. Not the Professional Duelist path.”
“I don’t feel much of any Duelist Spirit from Beauregard, that’s true.” Drake mentioned as his eyes followed the other two Ra Yellow students as they left the arena. “Still…”
-After Class-
The group were walking out of the arena and making their way down a corridor towards the nearest exit when they came across an altercation between Brier and Beauregard and four Obelisk Blue guys.
“A pair of Ra Yellows taking up the entire hallway?” The seeming leader of the four Obelisk Blue guys said with a sneer as he looked at Beauregard’s large frame.
“Hm?” Beauregard looked down at the other young man, his expression impassive as the four Obelisks all had to look up to look into his eyes.
The ‘leader’ of the Obelisk Blues visibly flinched at the size difference, but regained his bravado with a glare. “This is where you clear a path!” He raised his left fist in front of him. “That makes sense, doesn’t it?!”
Beauregard didn’t seem inclined to move aside, but neither did he become aggressive at all. He looked down when Brier tugged on his sleeve.
“Beauregard, let’s just move.” Brier was already stepping to the side.
Before the larger Ra Yellow could move, Jasmine spoke up, tired of the lowest rung of Obelisk Blue throwing their weight around. “Or… You four could simply walk on the other side of the hallway and have some manners.”
The four Obelisk guys were about to retort, but stopped when they saw Jasmine, Mindy, and Alexis. Not only were the three of them considered the most desirable girls in Obelisk Blue—and the majority of the school—but they were also in the top five Duelists within their year, easily eclipsing the four Obelisk guys.
“Ah… Uh, yeah…sorry.” The four Obelisk boys stumbled over their words. Not only were they in the presence of girls they crushed on, but the looks of disdain on Jasmine, Mindy, and Alexis’s faces was like a spike through the chest. Getting caught being an asshole to others by your crush was a quick way to bring down any guy’s mood. The four Obelisk students quickly sidestepped Beauregard and walked on the other side of the hallway, their head down a little and making sure not to look towards the girls, lest they see the same disdain in their eyes directed straight at the four of them again.
Brier didn’t even say thank you as he started to walk off, Beauregard following behind him.
“Hey, Duel Giant.” Jaden called out, making both Beauregard and Brier stop in their tracks.
“What’s your deal?” Brier turned around to snap at Jaden. Beauregard looked stunned for a second when he turned around, but quickly schooled his expression.
Drake raised one eyebrow at their reactions. “Well, that’s a bit telling.”
Jaden took a step forward. “Don’t just hunt the Obelisk Blues, Duel me too!” He pointed at his chest with his thumb as he looked up at Beauregard.
“I don’t know what you’re on about, but don’t bother my friend!” Brier said tersely to Jaden. “Come on, Beauregard.” He turned to start walking away again with Beauregard shadowing him.
“That was a bit much, Jaden.” Bastion said as the group watched Brier and Beauregard walk away. “As I said, Beauregard is here to learn game design, not to become a professional Duelist. I’ve dueled him before, he has the basics of the game down, but he’s not more than average at best.”
“There’s still something going on.” Mindy said, her eyes sharp as the two Ra Yellows disappeared around the far corner. Something about that two was setting off her Duelist instincts, even if Beauregard couldn’t Duel beyond a passable level, Mindy just felt like something else was afoot with the pair.
Alexis looked at Mindy for a moment before speaking. “I didn’t feel any Duelist spirit from the big guy. I think Bastion has the right idea.”
‘Well, there’ll be time to watch both of them.’ Drake thought to himself before the group continued on their way.
-After Classes ~ Hidden Practice Area-
As Alexis, Mindy, Jasmine, Jaden, and Drake entered the clearing that was at the edge of the island, everyone but Drake got a shock at who was standing near the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea.
“Zane?!” The chorus of confusion from the girls almost made Drake grin.
Zane turned away from looking at the ocean and gave a nod to everyone. “It seems I was a little early.”
Drake waved it off. “Nah, we just took our time getting here.” Feeling both Mindy and Jasmine put their hands on his shoulders, Drake did grin as his girlfriends pulled him back a step so that they could step in front of him and look into his eyes.
“Drake…” Mindy drew out his name.
“Explain, please.” Jasmine requested with a flat look.
Alexis and Jaden were both looking to Drake for an explanation as well.
“Sure.” Drake gently took Jasmine and Mindy’s hands into his own with a smile, placing a soft kiss on each of their knuckles. “Zane has a powerful Ba and, after the Jinzo incident, I decided it was time to stop putting it off and invited him to learn Shadow Magic.”
“And you didn’t tell us earlier, because…?” Jaden asked his best friend curiously.
Drake cracked a smile. “I thought it’d be funny to surprise all of you.”
“Drake…!” Jasmine and Mindy both whined dramatically, nearly matching the same tone and speed in their voices. It was clear they weren’t actually upset, but they were going to ‘get him back’ a little.
Alexis walked a little closer to Zane, their eyes meeting for a long moment. “Zane… I…” It was hard to find the words. But Alexis had known Zane since he and her big brother had become friends and she knew he wouldn’t have agreed to this without a reason. One that was very obvious after looking at him. “Thank you.”
“We’ll find Atticus, Alexis.” Zane said simply, giving her a firm nod, his eyes telling her that he’d give all of his support to getting her brother, his best friend, back from wherever he’d been taken.
Jaden smiled at the almost sibling-like relationship between Alexis and Zane. It was good to know that there was another person that was dedicated to trying to get Atticus Rhodes back to his family. ‘We’ll all do our best to find him as soon as Drake says that we’re ready.’
Drake began Zane’s education in the magic of Ba and Ka the same way that he’d done it with Jaden, Alexis, Mindy, and Jasmine. By having Zane sit and meditate so that he could find his Ba and become consciously aware of it, and therefore able to use it. “You’re doing well, Zane. Breathe in, hold it, and then exhale slowly,” Drake walked Zane through the steps of basic meditation. “Open your mind. Focus on what lies within the self.” It had taken Zane almost no time at all to settle himself, his calmer personality certainly not hurting his progress. “The first step is to block out the world and look within. As you sink further within, you’ll begin to sense that which is wholly and uniquely you.” Zane exhaled lightly, his breath becoming a slow and even pattern.
Jaden, Mindy, Alexis, and Jasmine were all meditating as well, slowly refining their Ba further and strengthening their bond with their Ka.
“Ba influences the magical expression of Ka and therefore the kind of Monster Spirit manifested by the individual. The Monster Spirit reflects the true nature of the person it comes from as the Ka is given form by the energy of the Ba. They are two sides of the same coin, complementary energies to one another.” Drake continued to explain in a soft tone that would help ease his newest student deeper into his meditation. “If one has an inherent attachment to a specific monster or Archetype, they’ll find that their Ka will most likely develop as that specific monster or as the weakest monster of the Archetype that they hold great attachment to.” Seeing that Zane was in a fully meditative state now, Drake stopped talking and just watched over his ‘students’ as they meditated.
‘I hope nothing happens for a while longer.’ Drake thought to himself as he looked towards the horizon. Zane would definitely make good progress; he could already tell that much. But the more time they got to practice and grow stronger in Shadow Magic, the better off they’d be should they need to use it.
-Ra Yellow Dorm ~ Night-
“Brier just left.” Jaden said as Winged Kuriboh came floating straight through the wall and ‘spoke’ to Jaden through their bond. The see-through spirit would be invisible to anyone without a sufficiently strong Ba, so it made watching Brier and Beauregard all too easy.
Drake stood up from his desk chair and stretched slightly. “And Beauregard left a few minutes ago. I’d say that’s enough suspicion to follow after them both.”
Jaden agreed with a smile. “Yep! Let’s see what they’re up to!”
The two were out the window of Drake’s dorm, using a manifested Winged Kuriboh to float down to the ground safely, and took off after the two wayward Ra Yellow students that they were now sure had something to do with the Duel Giant.
-Forest between the two Obelisk Blue Dorms-
The Duel Giant, wrapped in his cloak made of the various blue blazers of defeated Obelisk students walked into a clearing where he’d told Mason to meet him. Instigating the prideful and stuck-up Obelisk Blue had been easy, so, just like all the others before him, the Duel Giant was certain that the arrogant Mason would come out after curfew to Duel him with Ante rules.
Only, the Obelisk Blue that showed up wasn’t Mason.
“Well, looks like Mindy’s instincts were right on the money.” Jasmine said as she stepped out of the darkness of the treeline and stood across from the infamous Duel Giant. Unseen to her soon-to-be opponent, Harpie Girl glided down from the sky to land beside Jasmine. The Ka smiling at her partner for tracking their ‘prey’ so easily.
“Wh-Who are you?” The Duel Giant questioned Jasmine with a short stutter.
Jasmine cocked an eyebrow at that, given that she already knew that it was Beauregard beneath the cloak. “You already know who I am…everyone in our year does.” That wasn’t an exaggeration either. Every Duelist in Duel Academy knew who the top five Duelists in their own year were…unless they simply chose not to ever look at any of the ranking lists or talk to anyone ever. “Mason won’t be coming tonight. He’s recovering from being defeated in a Duel about ten minutes ago.”
Mindy had not been kind to the arrogant ass that gave Obelisk dorm its bad reputation.
“I have no reason to Duel you.” The Duel Giant said as he turned away from Jasmine, only to stop in his tracks as both Jaden and Drake were standing at the edge of the clearing, blocking the path back to the Ra Yellow Dorms.
“You don’t have a choice.” Jasmine said with a sharp look as she slid her Duel Disk onto her forearm.
Alexis and Mindy stepped out of the forest as well, flanking Jamine’s sides and making a loose circle with Jaden and Drake around the clearing.
“Took things too far, and now you have to deal with the consequences.” Drake said with shrug.
“Both of you do.” Alexis said as she looked right at a specific tree.
Mindy was also looking at the same tree, and Melffy Rabby was at her feet, the pink bunny not visible to either Beauregard or Brier, which had made it easy for it to find them and then return to Mindy with their location and lead her to them. “Do you need help down, Brier?”
Brier, knowing the ruse was up, descended the tree with his head low, his fists at his sides. “You Obelisks just can’t stand it when someone beats you for how you act, can you?” He looked up at Jasmine, Mindy, and Alexis with a glare. “So you’re gonna turn us in now and get praised by the staff. Get both of us expelled without a care and go about your night like it doesn’t even matter!” He was working up a head of steam as his repressed anger was finally verbally vented, even if at the wrong targets.
“I never said any of that.” Jasmine cut Brier off when the short young man took a second to inhale. “We Duel, if you win, you two run off and we pretend this never happened.” Brier and the still disguised Beauregard both straightened up at that. “If I win, we turn you in and you can explain yourself to Professor Satyr, Chancellor Shepphard, Camp Sec, and whoever else. Sound good?”
Brier and Beauregard looked at each other for a second and then nodded. “Deal!” But when Beauregard stepped forward to Duel, Jasmine held up her hand.
“No, none of that.” Jasmine shook her head once. “Brier duels…since he’s the actual Duelist behind the Duel Giant.”
Brier flinched, but blinked when Alexis, Mindy, Drake, and Jaden all turned to face the other direction, removing the ‘audience’ from the equation. “Wh-What’re you doing?”
“You get nervous when a crowd watches you Duel, right?” Jaden asked and everyone could hear the smile in his voice, even as he faced away. “So, we’ll start like this and work up to having people watching the Duel.”
“Jasmine wants to Duel you at your best.” Mindy said with a giggle, still facing away. “So, make sure that you give it your all, one-on-one.”
Brier blinked at that, never having thought that any of the Obelisk Blues that had treated him so harshly since he’d started at Duel Academy would ever be understanding like this. “B-But… You… I…”
Beauregard gently placed his large hand on Brier’s shoulder while removing the cloak of blue blazers to show his face. “Brier… You’re a great Duelist.” He handed him the Duel Disk with a smile. “Show them what you can really do.”
“R-Right.” Brier took the Duel Disk from his friend and gave a short nod as he slipped it on and turned to face Jasmine.
Jasmine, seeing the Duelist Spirit flaring in Brier’s eyes now, grinned as she heard Harpie Girl let out a shriek of challenge beside her. “Ready?”
“DUEL!!!” Brier and Jasmine called out at the same time.
Jasmine – 4,000
Brier – 4,000
“I’ll go first!” Brier said as he drew for his turn. “I summon Giant Orc!” He placed the Monster card onto his field and in a flash of light a hulking humanoid appeared. It had grey skin, a bald head, pointed ears and it wore green shorts with brown furs over them. A massive club made of the bone of some equally huge animal was swung through the air as the orc roared at Jasmine.
Giant Orc – Level 4 – DARK – Fiend/Effect – 2200 ATK/0 DEF
“I’ll set one card face down!” Brier slotted one card into his Duel Disk, the hologram appearing on the field behind his Giant Orc. “Your move!” He passed the turn over to Jasmine.
“That’s a big monster.” Jasmine said as she drew for her turn. “Too bad about that negative effect!” She looked at her hand and smiled. “I summon Harpie Lady #1!” She placed the card onto her Duel Disk and in a simulated gale of wind and the well-known Harpie with the long red-pink hair appeared, flaring out her wings and claws.
Harpie Lady #1 – Level 4 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1300 ATK/1400 DEF
“And as soon as my Harpie hits the field, her effect activates, raising the ATK of all WIND attribute monsters by 300!” Jasmine pointed at her monster with a smile as the Harpie glowed a faint green.
Harpie Lady #1 – Level 4 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1600 ATK/1400 DEF
Brier looked at Jasmine suspiciously. “That’s still nowhere close to enough to defeat my Giant Orc!” He knew that Jasmine had to be up to something. ‘Harpie Decks usually swarm the field, so she’ll probably try to use a Spell card next. But my face down will make sure that my Giant Orc survives this turn no matter what!’
Jasmine placed a card into her Duel Disk with a smile. “I activate, Elegant Egotist!” The Spell card appeared on the field to show a kaleidoscope effect with the very Harpie Lady on the field having her image scattered and duplicated within the fragmented view. “As long as I have a ‘Harpie Lady’ on the field, I can summon this card from my Deck!” She pulled her Deck out and quickly found the card that she wanted. “I special summon, Harpie Lady Sisters!”
A whirlwind appeared on the field, feathers scattering about in the breeze. Claws tore through the wind and dispersed it, revealing three Harpies, one a match for the Harpie Lady #1 that was already on the field, but the second Harpie had bright orange hair cut short and styled, while the third Harpie had spiky blue hair. All three were covered in golden, corset-like metal armor that showed off a bit of cleavage and their feathered wings flapped as they brandished their claws threateningly at the Giant Orc.
Harpie Lady Sisters – Level 6 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1950 ATK/2100 DEF
“And the sisters also get a boost from Harpie Lady #1, of course!” Jasmine’s smirk was just as predatory as the ones on the faces of her Harpies.
“Reeeaaaggghhh!” The three Harpie sisters cried out in a thrill as they were enveloped in a soft green glow.
Harpie Lady Sisters – Level 6 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 2250 ATK/1400 DEF
“Let’s get rid of that backrow while we’re at it!” Jasmine placed another Spell card into her disk. The hologram appeared on the field to reveal a blue cyclone with a bolt of lightning striking the center of it. “I play Mystical Space Typhoon!”
“I chain my Trap card!” Brier hit a button on his Duel Disk. “Threatening Roar!” The purple card flipped up and showed the monster called Manticore of Darkness unleashing a powerful roar at Behemoth the King of All Animals. “Now you can’t declare an attack this turn!”
Giant Orc let out a bellowing roar that made everyone wince slightly at the volume. All four of the Harpies on the field shrieked and took flight before landing back in place.
Mystical Space Typhoon unleashed a tornado of wind and lightning that blasted Threatening Roar to pixels, but the Trap card had already resolved.
“I’ll set two cards and end my turn.” Jasmine placed two more cards onto the field, the face down holograms appearing behind her Harpies.
“Draw!” Brier drew for his turn and looked at his hand. “I’ll summon Second Goblin!” He placed the Monster card on the field and in a burst of light a short little goblin wearing an eyepatch, a dark yellow shirt, black pants, and a brown haramaki around its waist appeared with a towel in its hand.
Second Goblin – Level 1 – DARK – Fiend/Union – 100 ATK/100 DEF
“As a Union Monster, I can equip Second Goblin to Giant Orc as an Equip Spell card!” Brier pointed at his Giant Orc while moving the Second Goblin card from his Monster Zone to his Spell/Trap Zone.
On the field, the small goblin climbed up the back of the Giant Orc and stood on its shoulders while swinging the towel in its hand around.
Brier placed another card facedown on the field, the hologram appearing to the left and behind of his Giant Orc. “I set one more card and then I’ll attack your Harpie Lady #1 with Giant Orc!”
“RAAAHHH!!!” Giant Orc bellowed as it rushed at the Harpie with its huge bone club raised high to crush the winged-beast. With a thunderous crash, the bone club shattered the Harpie Lady #1 into pixels.
Jasmine – 3,400
Brier – 4,000
“Great, and with your Harpie Lady #1 gone, your Harpie Lady Sisters lose their boost!” Brier said with a smile, not even realizing that Mindy had turned back around to watch the Duel.
Harpie Lady Sisters – Level 6 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1950 ATK/2100 DEF
Brier was happy that the Harpie Lady Sisters were no longer strong enough to defeat his Giant Orc. With his set card still ready to go, his strategy was coming together. “I’ll end my turn there.”
“At your End Phase…” Jasmine grinned as she hit a button on her Duel Disk, flipping up one of her two face down cards. “I activate the Trap card: Harpie Lady Elegance!” She shot a grin at Drake who’d turned around upon hearing the name of the card that he’d traded to Jasmine. “I return my Harpie Lady Sisters to the Deck…” She picked the card up from her field and in a brief tornado of wind the three Harpies disappeared, leaving only feathers falling to the ground. “Then I get to special summon a ‘Harpie’ monster from my hand, my Deck, and my graveyard!” She picked out the card she wanted from her Deck and switched it with the Harpie Lady Sisters card, then let the Deck be auto-shuffled. “From my Deck I special summon Harpie Oracle!” She placed the Monster card onto the field.
In a gust of wind filled with black feathers a new Harpie appeared, She was just as lovely as the rest of her kin, with soft features, pointed ears, and a curvy figure with skimpy clothing that showed off her body. But in her taloned hands was a large crystal ball with a golden ring surrounding it with two more, smaller, crystal balls on either side of the ring as they orbited the larger crystal.
Harpie Oracle – Level 4 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1300 ATK/1400 DEF
“From my graveyard I summon Harpie Lady #1!” Jasmine pulled the card from the graveyard and placed the monster back onto the field.
The breeze swirled through the field and the Harpie Lady with the long pink-red hair appeared again, scattering her light purple feathers about.
Harpie Lady #1 – Level 4 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1300 ATK/1400 DEF
Jasmine grinned widely as she put the last of her three special summoned monsters onto the field from her hand. “And from my hand I special summon Harpie Perfumer!”
A gentle breeze, lightly tinted with a pink mist, blew through the area, tickling the nose with a soft, pleasant scent. Another new Harpie fluttered down from the air, her body accentuated by a skintight leotard that left her sides bare and her cleavage and shoulders on display. Her light green feathers fluttered about with every gentle flap of her scented wings, while her long, light purple hair flowed in the breeze behind her.
Harpie Perfumer – Level 4 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1400 ATK/1300 DEF
“Now comes the fun part!” Jasmine declared with a wide grin. “First, Harpie Perfumer’s effect activates, allowing me to add a Spell or Trap card from my Deck to my hand that specifically mentions ‘Harpie Lady Sisters’ in its text!” She swiftly searched her Deck and then showed Brier what she’d chosen. “I add Triangle Ecstasy Spark!” Harpie Oracle’s crystal ball glowed next. “At the End Phase of the turn that Harpie Oracle is summoned, I can add one Spell or Trap card from my graveyard to my hand as long as it also mentions ‘Harpie Lady Sisters’ in its text!” She pulled the only matching Spell card from her graveyard. “I add Elegant Egotist back to my hand!”
“And all of your Harpies get a boost now…” Brier realized as all three of the newly summoned Harpie monsters glowed with a faint green light.
Harpie Lady #1 – Level 4 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1600 ATK/1400 DEF
Harpie Oracle – Level 4 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1600 ATK/1400 DEF
Harpie Perfumer – Level 4 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 1700 ATK/1300 DEF
“REEEAAAHHH!!!” The three Harpies all called out as their ATK increased.
Jasmine had a sharp look in her eyes and a grin on her face as she began her turn. “I draw!” Looking at the card, she couldn’t help her grin becoming a smile. “First up, I’ll activate Elegant Egotist!” She placed the card onto the field and the hologram appeared. “To special summon Harpie Lady Sisters from my Deck!”
The tornado of wind and feathers spun into existence on the field as Jasmine searched her Deck for the card and then put it onto the field. In a slashing of claws, the wind was dispersed and the three armored Harpies appeared again.
The same soft green glow enveloped the sisters as their ATK was boosted.
Harpie Lady Sisters – Level 6 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 2250 ATK/1400 DEF
“Reeeaaahhh!” The Harpie Lady Sisters called out as they joined their kin on the field, all of the Harpies looking at the Giant Orc as their target.
“Now, normally that Giant Orc and Second Goblin combo would force me to attack twice to destroy it, but that only works by battle, and I’m sure that face down card is something to stop that from happening, right?” Jasmine asked Brier and he did his best to keep a poker face. “So, let’s do it this way!” She placed the card that she’d just drawn onto the field. “I summon Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon!”
In a small burst of flame followed by smoke that a breeze blew away, the smaller version of Harpie’s Pet Dragon appeared. Jasmine’s Ka let out a cute squeal at seeing the baby dragon, even briefly flying over to rattle the golden chain hanging from the collar. The red baby dragon had the same ornamented metal head armor as its adult counterpart as it flapped its wings once and then looked at all of the Harpies around it.
Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon – Level 4 – WIND – Dragon/Effect – 1200 ATK/600 DEF
“Grrraaauuuhhh!!!” The Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon roared cutely as its body glowed.
“Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon’s effects activate! Depending on how many Harpies I have on the field, it gets more effects!” Jasmine said brightly, always enjoying when she could summon this card. “With four Harpies on the field, none of my other Harpie Monsters can be targeted for attacks, the ATK and DEF of my Pet Baby Dragon doubles, and once per turn I can target one card on your side of the field and destroy it!”
Brier couldn’t hold back the look of shock this time.
Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon – Level 4 – WIND – Dragon/Effect – 2400 ATK/1200 DEF
“And since my Baby Dragon is a WIND Attribute monster, it also gets the boost from Harpie Lady #1!” Jasmine declared while pointing at her first Harpie.
Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon – Level 4 – WIND – Dragon/Effect – 2700 ATK/1200 DEF
Jasmine pointed at Brier’s face down card. “I use Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon to destroy your set card!”
“I activate Scapegoat!” Brier wasn’t about to let Jasmine just take him down so easily.
The Quick-Play Spell flipped upwards and glowed and the famous Sheep Tokens appeared on the field.
The small fireball that Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon launched at the previously set card blasted it into nothing, but the effect had already resolved, so it didn’t remove the four tokens on the field.
“Not bad, but I’m not like those other Obelisk Blues you’ve defeated!” Jasmine placed a card into her Duel Disk. “I activate Triangle Ecstasy Spark!” The Spell card hologram appeared on the field showing the Harpie Lady Sisters each holding an sphere of white energy that crackled with lightning and connected to each other to form a triangle with a bright red ‘X’ in the center which unleashed a devastating red beam of energy. “Now my Harpie Lady Sisters ATK increases to 2700 until the end of the turn!”
Harpie Lady Sisters – Level 6 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 2700 ATK/1400 DEF
“Reeeaaahhh!!!” The Harpie Lady Sisters on the field flew into formation and created the image on the card, just waiting for Jasmine’s order to unleash the attack.
“I attack Giant Orc with Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon!” Jasmine declared as the little dragon blasted the Orac, only for Second Goblin to be grabbed by the Giant Orc and thrown into the path of the fireball.
The fireball exploded and destroyed Second Goblin; the Union Monster having been destroyed in place of the monster that it had been equipped to.
Jasmine nodded, knowing how Union Monsters worked. “Harpies Lady Sister’s attack Giant Orc!” The blast from Triangle Ecstasy Spark vaporized the Giant Orc in a beam of intense red light.
Jasmine – 3,400
Brier – 3,500
“Harpie Perfumer attacks a Sheep Token.” Jasmine continued her attacks as Perfumer slashed one of the tokens to nothing. “Harpie Oracle attacks another Sheep Token!” The claws of Oracle split the next token in two before it exploded into pixels. “Harpie Lady #1 attacks the center Sheep Token!” A swift swipe of talons scattered the second to last token into pixels.
“And, just in case you have anything that might destroy my Harpies on your turn…” Jasmine activated her only face down card. “I activate Alluring Mirror Split!” The Spell card flipped upwards to reveal Cyber Harpie Lady standing in the foreground with a mirror behind her that was reflecting the image of Harpie Queen, and the mirror in that reflection showed Harpie Channeler, and the mirror behind her reflected Harpie Dancer. “I’ll explain what it does if you manage to destroy one of my Harpies! I’ll end my turn.”
Harpie Lady Sisters – Level 6 – WIND – Winged-Beast/Effect – 2250 ATK/1400 DEF
The ATK of the Harpie Lady Sisters lowered as the effect of Triangle Ecstasy Spark ended.
Brier took a steadying breath, knowing how badly he was on the back foot. He only had one Sheep Token left and he needed the absolute best draw that he could get right now if he wanted to have any chance at a comeback. He didn’t even realize that he had a wide smile on his face as he drew his card…so how could he have ever noticed that Drake, Jaden, Mindy, and Alexis were all watching the Duel now. “I draw for turn!” he pulled his card and looked at it, his mind running as fast as possible to come up with the best play he could with the cards he currently had in hand. “I need extra cards, so I’ll activate, Pot of Greed!” He played the Spell card and the grinning green pot with red eyes appeared on the field for a moment before vanishing. “I draw two more cards!”
Jasmine couldn’t help but grin as she saw the smile cross Brier’s face. “Got something good?”
“Let’s find out!” Brier declared as he took one of the new cards. “I summon Goblindbergh!” A goblin flying a red biplane appeared and circled the battlefield once before hovering in front of Brier.
Goblindbergh – Level 4 – EARTH – Warrior/Effect – 1400 ATK/0 DEF
Brier pointed at his new monster. “When Goblindbergh is normal summoned, I can special summon a Level 4 or lower monster from my hand!” He placed another monster on the field. “I special summon Goblin King!”
A small goblin Monster appeared in a brief flash of light. It was wearing the resplendent red robe of a king with white fur along the hems and an ornate golden crown upon its head.
Goblin King – Level 1 – DARK – Fiend/Effect – 0 ATK/0 DEF
“A monster with zero ATK?” Jaden cocked an eyebrow at the choice.”
“I activate Inferno Reckless Summon!” Brier played the Spell card and the hologram appeared, showing a graveyard with five skeletons tearing their way out of the ground as white light erupted from beneath the earth. “When one monster with 1500 ATK or less is special summoned to my field while my opponent controls a monster, I can then summon as many monsters with the same name from my hand, Deck, or graveyard!” He searched his Deck and placed his other two Goblin Kings on the field.
Two more identical little goblins wearing kingly attire appeared.
Goblin King – Level 1 – DARK – Fiend/Effect – 0 ATK/0 DEF
Goblin King – Level 1 – DARK – Fiend/Effect – 0 ATK/0 DEF
“For every Fiend type monster on the field, other than itself, my Goblin King gains 1000 ATK/DEF!” Brier pointed at his new monsters as all three grew larger.
Goblin King – Level 1 – DARK – Fiend/Effect – 2000 ATK/2000 DEF
Goblin King – Level 1 – DARK – Fiend/Effect – 2000 ATK/2000 DEF
Goblin King – Level 1 – DARK – Fiend/Effect – 2000 ATK/2000 DEF
“Not bad. He prevented Jasmine from getting the special summon off Inferno Reckless Summon because her field is already full.” Drake noticed the play, though it was mostly luck on Brier’s part that Jasmine had swarmed the field with her Harpies.
Mindy titled her head cutely as she looked over the three Goblin Kings. “None of them are strong enough to take out Jasmine’s Pet Baby Dragon, and no Harpie can be targeted for attacks until it’s gone.”
“Goblindbergh goes to defense because of his effect.” Brier turned the card horizontal on his Duel Disk. “And none of my Goblin Kings can be targeted for attacks as long as another Fiend type monster is on the field.
“He made a lock.” Alexis said as she glanced between the three Goblin Kings. “They prevent any of them from being attacked and Jasmine only has one destruction effect per turn with Pet Baby Dragon.
Jasmine looked at the state of the board and narrowed her eyes. Brier still had two cards left in his hand, but his Monster Zones were full with three Goblin Kings, one Goblindbergh, and the last Sheep Token. “So, do you have a way to beat over my Harpies, or destroy them with a Spell card, perhaps? I hope you’re not planning to try and stall until one of us decks out.”
Brier shook his head once as he placed his second to last card from his hand into his Duel Disk. “I activate Malevolent Nuzzler!” The Equip Spell card appeared behind the center Goblin King and glowed a black color which quickly wrapped around the monster. “It gives a 700 ATK boost to my Goblin King!”
Goblin King – Level 1 – DARK – Fiend/Effect – 2700 ATK/2000 DEF
“Now I’ll crash my Goblin King with your Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon and free my other Goblin Kings to attack your weaker Harpies!” Brier pointed at Jasmine’s Pet Baby Dragon and his Goblin King bellowed as it charged forward to attack with its large fist cocked back for a punch.
“RAAAWWRRR!!!” The Pet Baby Dragon flew straight at the charging Goblin King to protect its Harpie masters, flames erupting from its jaws to burn the Goblin King to ashes even as the powerful fist slammed into it.
Both monsters exploded into pixels and simulated smoke and flames.
“Reeeaaahhh!!!” Harpie Girl cried out at the destruction of the Pet Baby Dragon. The young spirit seemed genuinely angry at Brier for destroying the little dragon.
Brier pointed at Jasmine’s Harpie Lady #1. “Goblin King, attack…” He trailed off when Jasmine held up her hand to show she had a response.
“I activate Alluring Mirror Split!” The Continuous Spell card glowed, but before Jasmine could explain, Brier played the last card in his hand.
“I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!” Brier placed the card into his Duel Disk and the hologram appeared, launching the cyclone of wind and lightning at Jasmine’s card.
“And because Alluring Mirror Split is a Continuous Spell, it has to be on the field to resolve its effect.” Alexis said as she watched Jasmine’s Spell card be destroyed before she could use it.
Jasmine didn’t seem bothered about the destruction of her card. In fact, she smiled. “Well, I can’t search my Deck for a new Harpie, but since my Alluring Mirror Split was destroyed by YOUR card effect, I can use its secondary effect to bring back a ‘Harpie’ monster from my graveyard.” She pulled her Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon from the grave and placed it back onto her field. “I special summon Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon!”
In the same burst of wind, flame and smoke, the small dragon returned to the field, much to the delight of Jasmine’s Ka.
“Reeeaahh!” Harpie Girl flapped her wings and flew around the newly returned dragon with a smile on her face.
“You still have all of your other Harpies…so all of the effects activate again.” Brier realized what was about to happen now.
Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon – Level 4 – WIND – Dragon/Effect – 2700 ATK/1200 DEF
“RAAAWWRRR!!!” The Pet Baby Dragon roared out strongly once more.
Brier still had a smile on his face even as he realized he couldn’t do anything else. “This has been the most fun I’ve had in a Duel since coming to Duel Academy. I end my turn.”
As the turn switched over, Jasmine nodded to Brier. “I definitely see how you beat those other Obelisks. It’s been fun!” She pointed at one of the two Goblin Kings. “I activate Harpie Pet Baby Dragon’s effect and destroy your Goblin King!”
The small red dragon inhaled before launching a fireball at the Goblin King on the left. In a blast of fire and smoke, the Fiend was destroyed.
Goblin King – Level 1 – DARK – Fiend/Effect – 0 ATK/0 DEF
With no other Fiend type monsters left on the field, the final Goblin King’s ATK/DEF fell to zero.
“Pet Baby Dragon attacks Goblin King!” Jasmine declared and the small red dragon flew forward to immolate the—once more—tiny goblin.
Jasmine – 3,400
Brier – 800
“Harpie Perfumer destroys Goblindbergh!” Jasmine pointed at the next target and Perfumer reduced the biplane and the goblin piloting it to chunks in only a second before it exploded into pixels. “Harpie Lady #1 destroys your last Sheep Token!” The retrained version of the original Harpie lady tore the token apart with a flash of her claws. “And Harpie Lady Sisters attacks for game!” The three armored Harpies descended on Brier and clawed through him, making him gasp and stagger backwards before falling on his ass.
Jasmine – 3,400
Brier – 0
Everything was quiet as the holograms faded away…until laughter was heard.
“Hahaha!” Brier laughed brightly while Beauregard approached his friend with confusion. “That really was the best Duel that I’ve ever had!” he looked at Jasmine while getting back to his feet. “You really are different than all those other Obelisks. I think you’re the first one I’ve ever met that actually deserves a spot in the top dorm.”
Jasmine stepped forward and the two shook hands. “Thanks! I know a lot of the Obelisks are arrogant dipshits. But if you duel them like you just dueled me…you’ll make them all shut up.”
Drake began to clap, followed by Jaden, then Alexis, and finally Mindy.
Brier and Beauregard looked around and saw the applause for the great Duel.
“That was great!” Jaden complimented with a big smile.
“She had you in a bit of a ‘no win’ situation, but you still tried and did your best. You’re a true Duelist.” Drake nodded to Brier with a small grin.
Alexis gave Brier a nod of respect. “You looked like you were having a lot of fun. That’s what Dueling is all about.”
Mindy giggled while hugging Jasmine. “You didn’t even notice any of us watching your Duel!”
“I really didn’t.” Brier admitted as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “I was having too much fun to worry about anyone watching me.”
Beauregard smiled at his friend for finally overcoming his crippling anxiety when it came to dueling in front of a crowd. “I think we have to turn ourselves in now.”
Brier nodded resolutely, not planning to try and get out of what he’d agreed to. “We do. If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to stay here.” He’d just found his courage and the true enjoyment of Dueling; there was no way he wanted to leave now!
“Just tell the truth about what you did and why you did it.” Drake advised Brier and Beauregard.
“Chancellor Sheppard is willing to listen at least. He gave us a chance to avoid expulsion before.” Jaden agreed with a chuckle as everyone began to walk towards the Ra Yellow Dorms, wanting to bring this matter up to Professor Satyr first, rather than Dr. Crowler.
None of them knew that hearing Brier and Beauregard’s experience at Duel Academy would see Chancellor Sheppard grilling Dr. Crowler about proper student conduct from the students of HIS dorm. The Chancellor had even gotten a stack of reports from Brier’s Duels in Practical Dueling class and noted down every one where the short young man’s opponent had been docked points on their score for ‘unsportsmanlike behavior’…and it was ALWAYS an Obelisk Blue student. Crowler had surprised the Ra Yellows—and even Mindy, jasmine, and Alexis—when he’d taken the list of names of the Obelisk Blue students and promised to ‘correct the inadequate conduct’ of all of them.
None of the students knew, but Crowler had come from a background of rather disciplinarian teachers through his own schooling. Those same lessons would be used as experience when ‘correcting’ the attitudes and behavior of the Obelisk students on the Chancellor’s list.
While that had been good news, Briar and Beauregard had broken Academy rules multiple times and were still suspended. The two wouldn’t be expelled though. So, while they went through their punishment, Brier had promised to help Beauregard get caught up on his game design coursework since he’d dragged his friend out late for so long and interrupted his studying.
It was a tired group of students that returned to their dorms, but Jaden, Drake, Mindy, Jasmine, and Alexis could at least feel good about what they’d done. Helping Brier find his confidence and courage, along with the love of Dueling was something to be proud of. The fact that they all got the five percent boost to their overall grade for Crowler’s class was just a very nice cherry to top it off.
-End Chapter-
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Well, the Duel Giant case has been solved and dealt with a bit differently than in Canon!
Brier and Beauregard got off with a light punishment overall and the Obelisk Blues that bullied Brier are going to be ‘corrected’ on their conduct and behavior…as they should be!
Zane has begun his instruction on Ba and Ka! Just how swiftly will a naturally powerful Ba manage to create a Ka?
Keep reading to find out!
Until I get your reviews, later!