Most of the time, Jamie enjoyed being surrounded by familiar people, laughing together and sharing whatever chaos happened to be going on.
Every now and then, though, he also appreciated being alone.
There was something relaxing about spending a quiet night by himself while playing games online with complete strangers.
With people who liked real-time strategy games, he could play StarCraft II and bring them joy with a cheerful twelve-pool, prompting all sorts of affectionate greetings in the public chat.
With MOBA players, he could jump into Heroes of the Storm as Abathur or Murky and let them experience the warmth only adorable little creatures could provide.
And with card-game players, he could always play Duel Monsters using wonderfully interactive Decks such as Altergeist, Eldlich, Traptrix, or any number of other control strategies designed to ensure both players spent plenty of quality time together.
As Jamie grew older, however, he discovered on his eighteenth birthday that the simple joys of childhood were becoming harder to experience.
Fortunately, the adult world offered far more sophisticated entertainment.
Jamie’s family circumstances had meant he rarely lacked money while growing up, but perhaps because he had never needed to worry much about it, he also never developed particularly extravagant spending habits.
Except for occasionally buying several booster boxes at once because cracking packs felt good.
That was different.
Probably.
His material desires were generally limited, which meant Jamie placed far more value on entertainment and personal enjoyment.
His upbringing had also been relatively relaxed.
As a result, his personality was easygoing, adaptable, and rarely inclined toward unnecessary tension.
The simplest way to describe his philosophy was that he did whatever he wanted so long as he did not cross the lines that actually mattered.
An even simpler description would be: Jamie was a professional shit-stirrer.
So when he emerged from the underground passage and found Seto Kaiba standing directly in his path, looking down his nose at him with enough arrogance to power a small city, Jamie understood immediately.
Today’s entertainment had arrived.
Kaiba had been in the area for nearly an hour before Jamie finally emerged from the building.
This exit was nowhere near the hidden entrance Jamie had originally used, and the surrounding streets saw a fair amount of pedestrian traffic.
Naturally, Kaiba’s dramatic white coat, tall frame, and striking appearance had attracted plenty of attention.
It had also attracted challengers.
During that single hour, Seto Kaiba had already defeated four Duelists.
Start Duel.
Go second.
Draw.
Fusion Summon.
Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
Quick Attack.
Battle over.
Locator Card acquired.
The entire sequence was performed so smoothly that it almost looked rehearsed.
There was no point asking why every Duel had somehow followed exactly the same pattern.
The answer was obvious.
The heart of the cards.
As a result, Kaiba needed to defeat only one more Duelist to complete his map to the Battle City quarterfinals.
And now the final person he had been waiting for had arrived.
“Jamie St.
James?” Jamie stopped.
“Hm?” “Who sent you?
What is your objective?” “Huh?” “Don’t bother pretending.
You can’t fool me.” “Mm-hm?” “You may possess some ability, but your methods are crude.” “Oh?” Kaiba’s chin remained lifted as he continued.
“You appeared here without leaving any identifiable trace.
Then you defeated several third-rate opponents using third-rate tactics and fourth-rate Decks, before deliberately displaying technology that might barely qualify as second-rate.” Only after finishing his assessment did Kaiba lower his head enough to look directly at Jamie.
“Whatever trick you’re attempting, strength is the only thing that ultimately matters.” His gaze sharpened.
“You have two choices.
Explain exactly who you are, who sent you, and what you intend to do here, then leave.” Kaiba paused.
“Or I defeat you first, and afterward I decide what happens to you from the position of the victor.” When he finished speaking, Kaiba said nothing more.
He simply stared at Jamie, who still had his arms folded and looked more like someone watching an amusing stage performance than someone being interrogated.
Seto Kaiba was a genius.
Without extraordinary ability, he could never have taken control of KaibaCorp while still a teenager and transformed what had once been a military-industrial corporation into a gaming company.
Once he entered the gaming industry, he had developed Duel Disks and an entire range of related technology at an astonishing pace, giving KaibaCorp an enormous advantage throughout the Duel Monsters market.
That also meant Kaiba, who had personally designed the Duel Disk, understood its technology better than anyone else.
Any organization capable of reproducing his device, improving upon it, and perhaps even surpassing it could not possibly be insignificant.
Kaiba knew of only one major organization in the East that might possess that sort of ability.
One whose corporate mascot happened to be a penguin.
Coincidentally, a former KaibaCorp personnel executive had also possessed an unhealthy obsession with penguins.
Kaiba had taken over the company before reaching adulthood, and plenty of senior employees had resented being forced to answer to him.
That particular penguin fanatic had been one of the most notable.
During the hour he had spent waiting, Kaiba had already constructed what he considered the most logical explanation.
That former executive was probably connected to the eastern corporation infamous for copying successful ideas and then attempting to improve them.
And Jamie, carrying a Duel Disk that appeared more advanced than Kaiba’s own, was likely one of their agents.
Perhaps a liaison.
Perhaps an advance scout.
Jamie stretched his arms over his head and enjoyed the warmth of the sunlight.
Then he looked at Kaiba.
“Why so serious?” Kaiba blinked.
For once, he seemed genuinely caught off guard.
Jamie repeated himself.
“Why so serious?” He lowered his arms.
“Why did you decide from the beginning that we’re enemies?
Why not consider the possibility that we could cooperate?” “Cooperate?” Kaiba turned his head away with obvious contempt.
“Hmph!
There can be no cooperation with anyone attempting to seize KaibaCorp.” Jamie clicked his tongue.
“Too small.” Kaiba’s eyes narrowed.
“Your perspective is way too small.” Jamie waved dismissively.
“What makes you think we’d even be interested in your little KaibaCorp?
In our era, KaibaCorp is nothing more than a subsidiary.
The only reason it was allowed to keep its original name and logo was because its founder made enough important contributions to history that people wanted to preserve the legacy.” Kaiba’s expression changed for an instant.
“Our era?
A subsidiary?
What are you talking about?” The reaction vanished almost immediately as he regained control.
“If you think ridiculous lies like that will deceive me, leave now instead of wasting my time.” Seto Kaiba trusted science.
Given his education and technical knowledge, he naturally understood that traveling through time belonged overwhelmingly to the realm of theoretical speculation and fiction.
Jamie smiled.
“Why would I bother lying to you about something this pointless?
You don’t have anything worth deceiving you for.” He spoke casually while his mind raced ahead, constructing the most entertaining possible story.
Then an idea came together.
“All right.
Since you’re so desperate to know where I came from, I’ll tell you.” Jamie unfolded his Duel Disk and silently communicated with the System.
Then he began the performance.
“We tore away the veil covering the future…
and found only oblivion waiting on the other side.” His voice deepened, gaining a deliberate rhythm as he recited the nonsense he had invented approximately three seconds earlier.
“So we exhausted everything we possessed in search of one surviving possibility hidden somewhere within the river of time.” Jamie lifted his hand from the Duel Disk.
Emerald light flowed across it.
The crystal integrated into the device separated and returned to the pendant around his neck, while the Duel Disk itself transformed until it looked almost identical to the ordinary KaibaCorp model on Kaiba’s arm.
“We come from the future of the present and the past of what is yet to come.
We have crossed countless timelines in search of the one future where hope still exists.” Sunlight struck the emerald crystal against Jamie’s chest, scattering a soft glow across its surface.
“We are Aeon.” Jamie’s eyes met Kaiba’s.
“And we came here to save the world.”