Chapter 17: Dark Prince
It had been about a week since Jaden had met Kaori’s ghost in the Strawberry Dorms. Thing on the island had been quiet after that incident, but there was one bit of gossip that the students of all three academies had been talking about. It seemed that Amane, Spica’s prince and the favorite to win the Etoile Tournament, seemed to disappear. Rumors about what happened to Amane spread like wildfire. Some thought that she had dropped out of the academy in secret because she got tired of being pressured to enter the tournament. Others thought that Amane was on the outskirts of the island training for the tournament in secret. The most outrageous rumor though was that Amane was in some sort of accident on her horse and was unconscious out in the woods somewhere. That was a rumor that had greatly worried Hikari.
As many rumors as there were however, nobody knew the truth. Whatever the truth was though, Jaden wanted to find out. Though the two didn’t really run into each other that much, Jaden considered Amane a friend and a good rival. He wanted to know what happened to her. So that afternoon, Jaden went off to find Amane. Chikaru, Kizuna, Remon, and Kagome went with him. They decided to try looking out by the Spica stables first. Hikari had mentioned to them all once that Amane would often spend a lot of time out there. On their way to the stables however, Jaden and the others saw Tsubomi running towards them with a frightened expression on her face.
“Jaden, come quick! You have to help!” Tsubomi called out.
“What’s the matter Tsubomi?” Jaden asked in a worried tone.
“It’s Yaya. She’s… she’s…” Tsubomi was having trouble finishing her sentence. Tears were welling up in her eyes.
“Is Yaya in trouble?” Jaden asked sounding more concerned. Tsubomi nodded. “Where is she?”
Tsubomi started to lead Jaden to where Yaya was. Chikaru and the other three girls quickly followed after them. Jaden and the others were led into the small forest near the stables. There they found Yaya, laying on the ground unconscious. What was even more surprising however was that Kaname and Momomi were also there in the same condition, laying on the ground not far from where Yaya was. Jaden and the others tried in to wake Yaya, but their efforts were in vein.
“Don’t waste your time.” A voice suddenly said. “She won’t be getting back up. Serves her right for getting in my way.”
Jaden and the others looked around and saw that the voice had come from Amane. She was leaning against a nearby tree with her arms crossed. On the surface, the woman prince looked normal, wearing her usual Spica uniform. A smile was on Amane’s face, but there was something sinister about it. Jaden took a good look at Amane, and felt the same sense of danger that he had felt from Chikaru when The Wicked Eraser was corrupting her. Lying on the ground near Amane was Hikari. The blond girl was still conscious, but had a frightened expression on her face.
“What’s going on here Amane?” Jaden asked as he narrowed his eyes on the woman prince. “What happened to Yaya and the others?”
“It’s like I said, they got in my way.” Amane answered with a sinister smile.
“What do you mean?” Jaden asked.
“It’s quite simple.” Amane replied as she stepped forward. “They all tried to take Hikari. They made a mistake though, because she’s mine!”
At that point Amane forcefully grabbed Hikari by the arm. Hikari cried out from the pain of Amane’s tight grip.
“Put Hikari down!” Jaden demanded.
“I suppose you want Hikari for yourself too Jaden.” Amane responded, still holing a firm grip on Hikari. “I don’t blame you really. After all, who could resist such a pretty girl? But only I can posses her though.”
“I said put her down!” Jaden demanded again with more force.
“Fine, I can see that I’m going to have to teach you the same lesson that I taught those other three.” Amane said as she threw Hikari to the ground and activated her duel disk.
“Jaden, Amane has one of the Wicked Gods, doesn’t she?” Chikaru asked in a fearful tone. Jaden didn’t answer her. He didn’t have to; they both knew that what Chikaru’s theory was right.
“Chikaru, you and the others look after Yaya and the other two.” Jaden commanded. Chikaru and the others nodded. Jaden stepped forward and activated his duel disk. “You want to duel, fine with me.”
The life points of both duelists were set to 4000, and the duel began.
“I’ll start things off!” Jaden announced as he drew his first card. “I summon Elemental Hero Clayman in Defense Mode and end my turn!”
Jaden’s stone armored hero appeared on Jaden’s side of the field in a crouched position.
“So you’re starting out with that pathetic defense again, I see.” Amane taunted as she drew her first card. “I activate the Spell card, Zera Ritual! I tribute Archfiend Soldier and Dark Crusader from my hand to summon Zera the Mant!”
Appearing on the field was a warrior sitting on a dark throne. Jaden recognized the monster on the throne as Warrior of Zera, Amane’s favorite monster. In front of the throne were two other monsters. One was a demon wearing a green cape and grey armor, and the other was a warrior wearing black armor, a red cape, and a white skull mask. Two beams of yellow light shot from the Warrior of Zera’s eyes and vaporized the other two monsters. At that point, black energy erupted from the throne that Zera was sitting on. The energy cleared, and Zera had transformed into a large blue demon with a dragonhead and large claws. A cape was on the demon’s back.
“That thing has 2800 ATK!” Remon exclaimed.
“Zera, slaughter Clayman!” Amane commanded. “Demon Dragon Claw!”
The demon dragon slashed Jaden’s hero to pieces.
“I’ll set one card on the field and end my turn!” Amane announced.
Jaden was filled with concern as he drew his next card. For one thing, Amane was using one of the darker forms of Warrior of Zera, which indicated to Jaden that her state of mind was in a dark place. What Jaden was even more concerned about however was the Wicked God that he knew was waiting in Amane’s deck. He decided that he needed to end the duel quickly.
“First I activate the Field Spell, Skyscraper!” Jaden announced.
The forest around them transformed into a large city at night, colossal buildings towered above them.
Now when an Elemental Hero monster attacks a monster with higher ATK, that Hero gains 1000 extra ATK points during the battle!” Jaden explained. “Next I summon Elemental Hero Captain Gold in Attack Mode!”
Appearing on one of the tall buildings was a warrior in gold armor and a flowing red cape.
“That monster only has 2100 ATK!” Kizuna explained. “How can it take down Amane’s monster?”
“You’re forgetting about Jaden’s Field Spell.” Chikaru said to Kizuna. “It gives Jaden’s heroes a power boost when they attack a stronger monster.”
“Captain Gold, attack Zera the Mant!” Jaden commanded. “Skyscraper Kick!”
The golden hero leapt off of his high perch and delivered a devastating flying kick to Zera, completely destroying the demon. The strike had reduced Amane’s life points from 4000 to 3700.
“I activate my facedown card, Fires of Doomsday!” Amane announced. “This lets me summon two Doomsday Tokens to my side of the field!”
Two small one-eyed demons made of black flames appeared on the field.
“Why are you doing this Amane?” Jaden demanded.
“To take what is mine!” Amane answered with an insane grin. “I will possess Hikari as my own and crush anyone who will get in my way! I don’t care who they are!”
“Even if they’re Hikari’s friends?” Jaden asked.
“Are you talking about that tramp Yaya?” Amane asked sounding rather amused. “She too desired Hikari for herself too. Even if she didn’t though, I would still destroy her. I won’t let anyone else get close to Hikari! I will lock her away to keep her all to myself!”
“How does Hikari feel about that?” Jaden asked.
“I don’t care about that.” Amane cruelly replied. “All I care about is possessing her! She is MY woman!”
Jaden looked over at Hikari and saw that tears were welling up in the blond girls eyes.
“Hikari, don’t listen to Amane right now!” Jaden called out, getting Hikari’s attention. “Right now she’s under the influence of a very dark power that’s messing with her mind! I swear to you though, I will bring Amane back to her old self!”
Hikari stopped crying and looked at Jaden with eyes of hope. She wondered if Jaden really could bring the Amane that she loved back.
“Shut up!” Amane cut in. “I’ve had enough of this talking. Now are you going to do anything else or can I go now?”
“…I end my turn!” Jaden announced somewhat reluctantly.
As soon as Amane drew her next card, her sinister smile grew even wider. A short maniacal laugh escaped her lips. Jaden knew that it could only mean one thing; Amane had drawn her God card.
“First I activate Fulfillment of the Contract!” Amane announced. “By paying 800 life points I can Special Summon Zera the Mant from the Graveyard!”
As soon as Amane’s life points dropped to 2900, Zera the Mant reappeared. Amane had three monsters on the field, which Jaden knew to mean that the second Wicked God was about to appear.
“Prepare yourself for my ultimate power!” Amane proclaimed. “I tribute Zera the Mant and my two Doomsday Tokens to summon The Wicked Dreadroot!”
Amane’s three monsters shattered and a pillar of purple light appeared in their place. The sky above became covered in thick dark clouds. The light finally vanished, revealing a giant muscular humanoid demon with green skin and massive wings framed by what looked like white bone. Bone like armor that was the same white color ran up the sides of the demon’s arms and over its shoulders. On its head it wore a helmet made from a demonic animal with curved horns. Amane began to laugh maniacally upon the appearance of the creature. Jaden found that he was filled with a sense of fear upon seeing the Wicked Dreadroot. Although who wouldn’t be intimidated by a creature like a Wicked God? Still, Jaden felt that there was more to it somehow.
“T-that’s the creature that Amane used to beat Yaya!” Tsubomi stammered.
“Behold, my ultimate power!” Amane proclaimed. “With this card, I will crush all who would take what is rightfully mine! And I will use this card’s power to become the strongest duelist in the world!”
