Chapter 17

-- A Couple of Days Later, Winter Break, Slifer Dorm, General POV --

'With winter break starting, almost all the students have gone home, because of that, the island is mostly empty, but for the ones who stay behind, it's the best time there is. We can duel anywhere, and anytime we want.' Jaden Yuki thought to himself while Konami, Dr Banner, Chumley, and Pharaoh were making marshmallows.

Konami had come to 'hang out' with them, and they were watching Jaden and Syrus Duel.

"I summon Clayman in attack mode" Jaden said as he summoned Clayman against Syrus and was about to attack him for the game, but then a boy around a year older than them, wearing an Obelisk Blue jacket and glasses dropped through the door as he falled down on his stomach.

Everyone in the room was freaked out, bar Konami who couldn't help but grin.

"Wh- What?" Syrus asked as Jaden deactivated his duel disk,

"Wow bro, you look like you've seen a ghost," Jaden said

"I- I have," the Obelisk said "Jinzo…"

"What about Jinzo?" Jaden asks to the freaked out teen

"He- He's after me," the Obelisk said as he was now on his knees,

"What the heck does that even mean?" Konami asks despite knowing the answer

"You're Takedara from Obelisk Blue, aren't you?" Banner said as he walked towards the student who then crawled to him and held Banner's legs

"Professor Banner, Sir! You've researched duel spirits, so you understand, don't you?" Takedara said

"Calm down, Takedara, why don't you explain everything from the start?"

"Ye- Yeah," Takedara said as he took a deep breath, "It started right before the winter break, we, the Occult Club were-"

"Occult Club?" Jaden asked

"A group for studying the occult side of dueling,"

"Oh, you are the weirdos who try to summon Dark Magician girl, and then jack it to her pictures," Konami said and then Takadera turned beat red

"Really? Syrus, are you part of their club?" Jaden asked with a grin, and now Syrus had turned beat red

"ANYWAY!" Obelisk spoke in a loud voice "We were researching the spirits that enable duels, not just Dark Magician Girl!" He glared at Konami before looking at everyone. "On that day, to test the results of our research, we decided to reach out to a spirit. Using an Ouija Board, we chanted 'Lord Jinzo, please come forth'. I don't know what was different this time, maybe because we were wearing capes, or were using Dr Crowler's bath candles, but the board moved, and it spelled 'Provide me three tributes, and I shall be reborn,' "

"That isn't good, you shouldn't mix duel spirits with parapsychology," Banner genuinely looked concerned at this point, and Jaden and Konami were no longer grinning.

"So what did you say to him?" Syrus asks

"Okay,"

"EH?!" They were all shocked

"We thought he was talking about cards… Moreover, the next day, one of our members, Mukoda, went missing. And the next day after that, Isaka did, too. They were both taken as tributes," he said and Syrus fell on his ass, while Jaden looked unsure.

"Well, it is winter break, maybe they just went back home," he suggest but Takadera shook his head

"I called both of their homes, but their parents said they weren't back yet. I got scared, tried to take today's ferry home, but- but Jinzo was there," he said and then lights went out

"AH!" Syrus screamed and grabbed onto Jaden while Chumley grabbed Konami

"Calm down guys, it was probably the fuse," Jaden said but then Jinzo, dressed in a trench coat and fedora appeared before them, grabbing Takadera,

"Or was it?" Jinzo said

"Let him go Jinzo," Konami said

"We have a deal," Jinzo said as he ran away,

The others ran after the duel spirit,

"JADEN!" Syrus screamed trying to catch up to Jaden, "Where'd he go?"

"I lost sight of him," Jaden said,

"Hey where is Konami?" Chumley asked and noticed he was not with them,

-- Power Transmission Facility, Konami's POV --

I took a deep breath as I walked into the area, I could see Takadera.

"Jinzo! I have come to bargain," I said and electric currents flared from the transmission lines, and a semi-transparent form of Jinzo appeared,

Jinzo stayed silent for a moment "Speak,"

"My name is Konami Kujo, if you let go of Takadera, you can take me as the tribute,

"Hm… Very well, the power and wavelength you emit are out of the ordinary, perhaps you would make a more suitable third tribute-" he was about to move but I stopped him

"BUT! There is a catch, you have to duel me first, if you win you take me, if you lose, you let Takadera and his friends go, and more importantly become my spirit partner," I said

"Spirit Partner?! Do you even know what you are talking about?" Jinzo asked with wide eyes,

"Of course," I said as Treeborn Frog appeared next to me, "Either way, you get to stay connected to this world, it is a win-win situation for you. So what do you say? Do we have a deal,"

"HA HA HA! INTERESTING! Very well, if you can beat me I'll be your partner, but if you lose, I'll tribute you to summon myself," he said and I released a sigh I did not know I was holding.

In the anime Jinzo had accepted Jaden's challenge, but I was not entirely sure he would accept mine, and not sacrifice Takadera without a duel, but I suppose everything in this world requires a duel, (AN: He had already confirmed with Treeborn Frog that Duel Spirits can't sacrifice a soul without their consent unless the spirit is VERY powerful)

Then, suddenly electricity circled the are, "Now there is no turning back," he said and 5 cards appeared behind him, and I activated my duel disk and drew 5 cards.

"Duel!" We shouted, as Jaden and others arrived,

"Konami! What's going on?!" Jaden shouts

"I am dueling Jinzo to free Takadera," I said and they all looked at Jinzo and were shocked, Banner fake flinched and Syrus really hid behind Chumley

Turn 1 (Jinzo)

"Since you seem to be too busy chatting, I'll take the first move… Draw," he said as another card appeared behind him, "Excellent, I summon Malice Doll of Demise in attack mode," he said and a very creepy doll who looked like Chucky's nightmare appeared behind him,

Malice Doll of Demise - Level 4/Dark/Fiend - 1600/1700

"And then I will activate Ectoplasmer!" and the continuous spell appeared on the field.

"What does it do?" Syrus asked,

"Why don't you find out?" Jinzo said with a chilling chuckle in his voice, "I end my turn, and during my End Phase, I have to tribute one monster from my side of the field, and you will take damage equal to half his original attack point,"

The ghost of Malice Doll got out of its body, and flew into mine. And this time, I actually felt the damage, it felt like getting punched in the stomach by a pro boxer, sending me down to one knee.

"What's wrong, the duel has just begun, HUAH HA HA!"

"Konami," Syrus muttered worriedly

Konami LP: 4000 => 3200

Jinzo: 4000 x4

Turn 2 (Konami)

"That hurt like hell," I muttered as I got back to my feet. It felt like getting punched in the gut by a guy twice your size. I took a couple of deep breaths before I drew my sixth card. "Draw!"

MC Hand: Treeborn Frog, Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, Bottomless Trap Hole, Mystical Space Typhoon, Granmarg the Rock Monarch, D.D. Warrior Lady

Not the best hand, but I suppose it could have been worse.

"Alright, first I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, to destroy your Ectoplasm!" A strong typhoon appeared and shattered his continuous spell.

"My Spell!" Jinzo bellowed,

"Then I summoned D.D. Warrior Lady in attack mode," I said, and my cool warrior appeared on the field,

D.D. Warrior Lady - Level 4/Light/Warrior - 1500/1600

"Now my D.D. Warrior Lady will attack you directly!" I screamed and my monster slashed Jinzo, who gruntled. I suppose the damage also hurts him… or he is faking it like everyone else.

Jinzo LP: 4000 => 2500

"I am setting a card, and ending my turn," I said as I set Bottomless Trap Hole

"Alright Konami! / Way To Go / That Was Delicious!" Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley cheered, the other two finally got out from hiding behind Jaden.

Konami: 3200 x3

Turn 3 (Jinzo)

"Hmph, as if something of that level would be enough to take me down," Jinzo said as electricity circled his body, and Syrus and Chumley hid behind Jaden once more, "My Turn! Draw!" he exclaimed as a card appeared behind him, and from the grin on his face, I could only guess it is trouble for me,

"Huah Ha Ha, on my Standby Phase, Malice Doll of Demise is Special Summoned from my graveyard as he was sent there due to the effect of my Ectoplasm (Continuous Spell Card)"

Malice Doll of Demise - Level 4/Dark/Fiend - 1600/1700

"Not so fast Jinzo, Trap Card open," I exclaimed as I opened my trap, "Bottomless Trap Hole, since you summoned a monster with over 1500 Attack Points, I get to remove it from play," I said.

Normally I would wait longer to play this trap, for a more powerful monster, but I felt like it is only a matter of time before he plays himself, therefore making Traps useless.

"Good Job Konami!" Syrus said but he shut up after Jinzo glared at him,

"You believe a simple trap would be enough to defeat me, Jinzo, Master of Traps!" he said before activating a nasty spell card, "D.D.R. Different Dimension Reincarnation, this card, at the cost of a discard, allows me to Reincarnate a monster that was originally removed from play," he said as he threw away Spirit Caller, "Comeback, my monster,"

Malice Doll of Demise - Level 4/Dark/Fiend - 1600/1700

God Damn, this doll does not know how to stay down, "Then I will summon another monster, come forth, Emissary of the Afterlife," a reaper like creature appeared in front of me, the air around us got slightly colder,

Emissary of the Afterlife - Level 4/Dark/Fiend - 1600/1600

"Alright Malice Doll, attack his Warrior," Jinzo said and his Doll attacked my warrior, destroying her,

Konami LP: 3200 => 3100

Losing 100 LP, felt like getting slapped by a woman, it hurt but not enough to daze me,

"Too bad for your Doll Jinzo, because once a monster battles with the D.D. Warrior Lady, she can remove both of them from play," I said

"Growl, Regardless, my Emissary gets to attack you directly!" The reaper slashed me, and the pain I felt was indescribable.

Konami LP: 3100 => 1500

I nearly spit blood. I had never felt anything like this before, I fell on my back and did not want to get up. Shadow Duels… Are far more dangerous than I thought!

"Konami…" I heard someone mutter, "KONAMI GET UP!" Huh… Was that Syrus? "Don't give up, all you need is one right card! Isn't that what you said!"

Jinzo: 2500 x2

Turn 4 (Konami)

"You know what Smurf… You are right!" I said as I slowly got up, holding my shoulder where the Emissary had slashed through before slowly drawing a card "Draw!" Perfect!

"Did he call me Smurf?!" Syrus was slightly dejected, but I ignored him.

"I activate Back to Square One," I said

"What? What does it do?" Jaden's morbidly obese friend asked

"I am glad you asked Chums, you see, I discard one card, and send 1 monster on the field to the top of its owner's deck! Can you guess which monster I will be sending" I threw away Treeborn Frog, and then Jinzo's monster disappeared to the top of his deck,

"WHAT?!" Jinzo exclaimed,

"Do your worst Jinzo," I said before summoning a monster in face down defense mode, "And with this, it is your turn,"

Konami: 1500 x1

Turn 5 (Jinzo)

"You have done well… for a human, allow me to show you a REAL spirits power!" he said as he drew the card we all know what it was,

"I activate Premature Burial from my hand, by paying 800 life points I get to summon a monster from my graveyard!"

Jinzo LP: 2500 => 1700

"But Jinzo doesn't have a monster in his graveyard," Chumley said, but Banner corrected him,

"No Chumley, I believe the card he discarded to activate D.D.R. Different Dimension was a monster," Banner said

"That is correct, human!" he said and an elderly man in brown robes appeared

Spirit Caller - Level 3/Light/Spellcaster - 1000/1600

"But he won't be staying for long," Jinzo chuckled in a sinister tone, "I will tribute him, to summon myself to the field!" And then Jinzo materialized,

Jinzo - Level 6/Dark/Machine - 2400/1500

"What?! How could he summon himself," Chumley asks dumbly.

I think Banner said something but I couldn't hear him, staring at the powerful Duel Spirit in front of me made me terrified for a second, if he somehow managed to attack me directly I- I would die.

"And now, I will attack your monster!" he said and my monster revealed himself to be

"Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, is flipped summon, I- I get to draw a card," I said in a shaky tone and drew the perfect card.

"That's the card I gave Konami!" Syrus said with a small squeal.

"Hmph, regardless, this will be your last turn, make it count," Jinzo said and I couldn't help but smile, my worries were all gone,

Turn 6 (Konami)

"I have to agree with you Jinzo, this will be my final turn, Draw!" I didn't even bother looking at the card I drew

"First, during my Standby Phase, since I do not have any cards on my spell and trap card zone, Treeborn Frog gets to special summon himself!" I sadi and my favorite monster made his appearance

Treeborn Frog - Level 1/Water/Aqua - 100/100

"You believe your weak Spirit will be able to defeat me, Jinzo!" he exclaimed but I just grinned,

"Don't underestimate him Jinzo, he might not be as powerful as you, but he can make you take the knee," I said as I activated a spell card, and a video game controller appeared in front of me,

"Do you know what this card is Jinzo? From the look on your face I assume you do," I said "Now, Enemy Controller allows me to use 'cheat codes', Up, Up, Down, Down, Left Right, Right, Left, Left, B, B, A, Start!" I exclaimed

"What does that do?" Syrus asked

"It allows me to tribute a monster," I said and Treeborn Frog flew away and disappeared "To gain control of one of your monsters until the end of the turn!" I said and Jinzo started walking towards me, he grunted a little before kneeling in front of me, "And now Jinzo, attack yourself and end this Duel!" I said, and Jinzo attacked himself with a dark ball of energy and dropped his Life Points to 0!

Jinzo LP: 1700 => 0000

Shortly after that, Jinzo disappeared from view, leaving behind the three that had originally summoned him, and a card for me to pick up

"Do you think they will remember what happened?" Syrus asked

"I don't know, but I sure as hell will," Jaden said, and I agreed with him, I suppose this is the second time he had witnessed a Shadow Duel, solidifying his belief dueling is not JUST for fun, and I have to agree with him, this duel… it was too close for comfort.

I need to improve…

I need to create…

Perfect Circle!