"Reaper… Duelist?"
Jaden, Chazz, and Syrus gathered around the bed, looking at the unconscious duelist they'd hauled back from the wilds.
"This guy?"
Syrus stroked his chin.
"He looks pretty ordinary—nothing special."
"But there's a skull on his hand. Kinda creepy."
"I found it."
Chazz walked in with a terminal. The others leaned over to look at the screen.
On it was a photo of a man in a familiar school uniform. Compared side by side, the man on the bed looked more haggard, older, but he was definitely the same person.
"He's from the North Academy."
Chazz, who'd been there himself, said.
"His name is Lucien Grimley."
Before they could read more, the boy on the bed suddenly sat bolt upright.
"My deck—my deck! Where's my deck!?"
Jaden grinned and brought over his Duel Disk. "Relax, your deck's right here."
Lucien snatched it and started frantically checking card by card.
He'd heard the rumors about the Academy's main campus. Supposedly, in the last two years a twisted culture of ripping decks to steal rare cards had taken hold. If his key OTK card was stolen, he might as well be dead.
"You're a good guy," Jaden said with a sunny smile.
"Huh?"
Everyone in the room—even Lucien—stared at him in confusion.
I sold my soul to Grim Reaper, and I'm a good guy?
"Because you clearly love your deck," Jaden said, righteous and sincere. "Someone who loves their deck that much can't be a bad person."
Everyone: "…"
So many things to unpack, and yet, that was peak Jaden.
Lucien's gaze focused on Jaden.
"You! Jaden Yuki!"
Jaden pointed at himself, puzzled. "You know me?"
"Of course. The legendary natural draw saint—born with a monstrously strong draw power… damn it, a guy you can't help but envy. If I had talent, I could draw the cards I need too—so why would I…"
He bit his lip and stopped.
"You borrowed Grim Reaper's power?" Chazz said.
"That's right."
Lucien's face twisted with pain as if sinking into memory.
"It's always been this way. Every crucial duel in life—I never draw the cards I need!
If—if I could just draw what I need, I could be a strong duelist too!"
Jaden scratched his head. "But that's not a good reason to use something that dangerous…"
"I don't care! I'm the strongest duelist now, even Grim Reaper stands with me! Even the Duel King—I… huh!?"
He suddenly realized something was wrong and patted himself down in a panic.
"The Reaper… Grim Reaper is gone!"
He looked up, aghast.
"Where did you take my Reaper!?"
Jaden and Chazz exchanged a look.
"As expected—that card is the real 'Reaper Duelist' itself."
It was a card they found on Lucien.
Amusingly, the so-called Reaper was a spirit monster card, but it was an anime-original Level 1 normal monster. ATK 0, DEF 0, no effect, with the flavor text "Thee who pays with thy soul shall be bestowed upon drawing power that vanquishes foes in a single swipe.."
For a Level 1 normal, backed by a spirit, its fate-bending power was absurdly strong.
"That card is too dangerous. We can't let you use it freely," Chazz said.
"I've put it somewhere safe for you."
In fact, in Chazz's own room. The card was locked in a briefcase and guarded by the Ojama trio as wardens.
"What!? That's my card!"
Lucien panicked.
"I need Grim Reaper's power!"
"No. That's forbidden power. People have already been hurt—someone might die." Chazz said. "Whether it's others or you, we can't allow that."
"No!"
Lucien shot to his feet, the skull on his hand erupting with deathly black energy.
"You geniuses could never understand the agony of never drawing the card you need at a crucial moment!"
"I've had enough!"
"I don't care what happens to my soul. I want to win—I have to keep winning! For that, I need Grim Reaper's power!"
He raised his arm high, a terrifying aura bursting forth. Darkness coiled around him like a dragon.
"Reaper! If you still want my soul, then return to my side!"
As if answering him, a bolt of lightning cracked outside, followed by thunder.
Moments later, the door opened. In the doorway stood Professor Crowler.
But his eyes were empty, as if sleepwalking. He was shrouded in a strange, dark aura, moving like a puppet with its strings pulled, holding a card.
"Professor Crowler!?" Jaden blurted.
That card could directly control people's minds!?
The card floated from his hand as if alive, sailing precisely into Lucien's palm.
"What the—?"
Chazz was shocked.
"I clearly put those three on guard—"
Before he finished, the Ojama trio floated in. They were a mess—bandages, slings, one on crutches—like they'd just been thoroughly beaten.
"Sorry, boss, we really tried our best!" Ojama Yellow bawled, clinging to Chazz.
"Useless!"
Chazz snapped.
You three Level 2s got beaten by a single Level 1 normal with 0 ATK and 0 DEF. You each have 1000 DEF.
Three-on-one and you still got turned around on? Do you even play this game? Could you be any more worthless?
The trio hung their heads in shame.
What were they supposed to do? They're gag characters—he's Grim Reaper…
"Finally! Power! I can feel it again—the power of the one-hit-kill draw!"
Lucien laughed to the ceiling.
"With this power, I can dominate the Academy! Beat everyone who looks down on my deck—no, not just that. Even those legendary duelists—Kaiba Seto and the Duel King—none of them can touch me—"
"Is that so?"
Speak of the devil: Kira appeared at the door without anyone noticing, shaking his Duel Disk with a smile.
"If you're that confident, want to try me?"