Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX or it's characters and stuff.

So, here's the rest of the duel against Banner/Amnael.

Enjoy!

Amnael's Endgame - Part 2

Last time on Yugioh GX - The Samurai Kid…

Jaden:

So, Jeremy, Syrus, Chumley and I saw a sign that brought us to the abandoned dorm, and we ended up going down into some tunnels and found a door that wasn't there before.

Jeremy:

Naturally we decided to check it out, and we found this creepy secret lab with a coffin and what appeared to be the mummified body of Professor Banner.

Jaden:

Then right after that Jeremy and I were challenged by the last Shadow Rider, a creepy alchemy dude named Amnael.

Jeremy:

And since that creep had all our friends trapped in a wacky magic book, obviously we accepted his challenge so we could free them.

Jaden:

We had a bit of a rough start at first, with the Alchemy Beasts and that Elemental Absorber, but eventually I managed to land a solid hit with Burstinatrix and Burst Impact.

Jeremy:

Then Amnael revealed his identity, that being…

"Professor Banner?" Jaden said, staring at their former teacher now Shadow Rider. "You're behind all this?"

"Of course," he replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But… you were a key-keeper," Jeremy pointed out. "What about your duel with Sean?"

"Like Chancellor Sheppard said, for the spirit keys to work, they must be won in a duel. Now, before I defeat you, I will tell you the whole story." Banner cleared his throat and began recounting his tale. "Like yourselves, I was once a young duelist with unlimited potential. I scoured the world in search of the rarest and most powerful cards. Finally my travels led me to the ultimate prize… a lost tomb, hidden and buried in an ancient desert. Within… was a duelist's dream, for it held the very first duel cards. Like Pegasus years before, I sought out their powers. Unfortunately… I found more than I was looking for. The tomb was cursed, and science had no answer to the magic that ravage my body. I tried everything, but soon I realized that there was only one thing to be done. I had no choice but to create a new body. Therefore, I created a homunculus, and placed my soul inside of it."

"Umm, say what?" Chumley asked.

"A homunculus is an artificially created life-form brought into existence by means of alchemy," Jeremy explained.

Syrus blinked. "… Did you get that from Banner's alchemy class?"

"No. Full Metal Alchemist."

Banner scoffed at this. "Of course. Heaven forbid any of you pay attention in class. Regardless, despite my efforts, this new body is only temporary. It won't be long before I'm nothing but dust in the wind." Banner gently tapped his cheek, causing a crack to appear in his skin. "As you can see, I don't have much time left."

"Hang on, just wait a second," Jaden spoke up. "You're saying… you're a clone?"

"To live, I need the power of these cards, the three divine Sacred Beasts. And once you lose, the cards are mine." Banner leaned down to set Pharaoh on the ground. "Before you get any ideas about abandoning this duel, don't forget that your friends are still my prisoners. If you walk away, their souls will be mine for all eternity! You have no choice, you must duel me!" Banner gave them a smile that might have been comforting, except for the situation they were in. "Pretend it's your final exam."

Jaden and Jeremy looked at each other for a moment, then nodded and stared at Banner/Amnael with determined expressions. "Bring it on!" "Bring it on!"

Banner: 6800

Jaden/Jeremy: 6700

"Now, I believe you hadn't finished your turn yet, Jaden," Amnael reminded him.

"Then I'll just throw down a couple of face-downs and turn things over to Jeremy."

"Hey, can I borrow Burstinatrix?" Jeremy asked. "It's for a good cause."

"Of course," he replied. "What's mine is yours."

"Thanks. I play the Polymerization I got from Jaden to fuse the Six Samurai Zanji with Burstinatrix, a fire attribute monster. Now I give you… Bushido's Apprentice - Firestorm." The two monsters rushed into the fusion portal, then out came a woman with red hair in a ponytail, wearing fiery colored armour, no helmet, and a katana on her left hip. (6/2200/1300) "And guess what? When she's fusion summoned, Firestorm automatically destroys all trap cards on the field." Firestorm drew the kanji symbol for fire in the air, then slammed her hands on the ground, unleashing a blast of fire that destroyed Swiftstrike Armor and Elemental Absorber. "Sure, I may have lost a card too, but it's worth it to get rid of that Elemental Absorber."

"Well played," Banner admitted. "But I'm afraid it will take a whole lot more if you want all your friends back."

"You want more? Firestorm, give 'im what he wants." The female warrior drew her sword in one swift motion, which lit on fire as soon as it left its sheath, then charged across the field and slashed at the Shadow Rider.

Banner: 6800-4600

"Take that, professor clone dome," Jeremy shot out as Banner recoiled from the hit.

"Actually, I'll take this… the monster known as Gren Maju Da Eiza." A large crack appeared in the ground in front of Banner, and the red armoured draconic fiend clawed its way onto the field. (3/?/?)

"Unknown attack points? Again?"

"If you thought Golden Homunculus was bad, then you're in for a surprise. Because Gren Maju gains 400 attack and defense points for each of my cards that's removed from play. And since I currently have 26, that's 10400." The fiend suddenly grew in size until it's head almost touched the ceiling. (3/?-10400/?-10400)

Syrus shook in fright at the sight of the monster. "Aww man, that's a whole lotta points."

"If this hits, they're done for," Chumley said.

"Gren Maju, attack Firestorm and end this duel!"

Jeremy inserted a card into his disk just as the fiend reared its arms back. "I play Return of the Six Samurai to bring back Zanji." The golden brown warrior returned to Jeremy's field. (4/1800/1300)

"But you have no cards face-down," Banner pointed out.

"Exactly," he replied. "Thanks to Firestorm's other effect, when I don't have any spell or trap cards out, I can play trap cards straight from my hand."

"It is of no consequence. I continue my attack."

"But wait, I've also got Covering Fire. When you attack one of my monsters, this let's me pick another monster I have out and add it's attack points to the monster you're attacking."

"I hate to interrupt," Jaden butt in. "But I've got a card of my own, Emergency Provisions. And by sacrificing my face-down and Covering Fire, we gain 2000 life-points."

Jaden/Jeremy: 6700-8700

An aura then shone around Zanji, which spread to Firestorm, empowering her. (6/2200-4000/1300) Despite this, Gren Maju still brought it's claws down, crushing Jeremy's warrior and knocking the two Slifers to the ground.

Jaden/Jeremy: 8700-2300

Banner slowly clapped his hands as Jaden and Jeremy stood up, both feeling a little battered. "Well done. You've survived another turn." With Banner's turn over, Zanji returned to the graveyard.

"Yeah, and now it's my turn again," Jaden announced. "I summon back my Bubbleman." The blue hero appeared on the field again. (4/800/1600) "And since he's alone again, I get to draw two extra cards. And here's one of them, Polymerization. So I'll fuse Clayman with Sparkman to summon… Elemental Hero Thunder Giant." A bolt of lightning struck Jaden's field, and a moment later Thunder Giant was standing tall. (6/2400/1500) "And his effect destroys one monster whose original attack points are less than his own. So you can kiss big ugly goodbye." Thunder Giant put his hands together and fried the oversized monster with a lightning bolt. "By the way, since that was just his effect, he still gets to attack. Go, Voltic Thunder!" Jaden's hero thrust his arm out, hitting Banner with a blast of electricity.

banner: 4600-2200

"And don't forget Bubbleman." The blue hero raised his arm and fired a stream of water at Banner's face.

Banner: 2200-1400

"Now that that's done, I'll play Burial from a Different Dimension to put three of your monsters in your graveyard, including big ugly."

Chaos Distill spat out Gren Maju, Golden Homunculus and Spirit of Flames, and Banner placed them in his graveyard.

"And that's all she wrote. You're up Jeremy."

"Come on…" Jeremy muttered as he drew his card. Unfortunately it wasn't a monster like he hoped, causing him to grimace. "I place a card face-down. That's it. Perfect opening and I couldn't take advantage of it. Nuts!"

"Hey, no worries, Jeremy," Jaden reassured him. "We can still win this."

"So sure of yourself…" Banner said with a dark laugh. "I will soon dissuade you from such notions. Now, as this is my third standby phase since I played Ledger of Legerdemain, I get to add the other two cards cards I removed from play. And both cards I place face-down."

"Our life-points may have taken a hit, but in case you forgot, we're still in the lead," Jaden pointed out. "Thunder Giant attack!"

"I activate the effect of Swift Scarecrow from my hand. By simply discarding this card, I can negate your attack and end the battle phase." A metal scarecrow appeared in front of Banner, blocking Thunder Giant's attack.

"Hmm… I switch Bubbleman to defense mode…" Bubbleman crossed his arms and went down on one knee. (4/800/1600) "Then I'll throw down a face-down. Come on Jeremy, take it to 'im."

"You fool!" Banner interrupted. "It it I, who will be taking you off to the great beyond! I activate Macro Cosmos." Chaos Distil began to turn red and shake violently. "This allows me to remove Chaos Distill from play, and now I'll be removing you from this world." The giant alchemic kettle shook even more violently and turned white as pressure built up until it finally exploded. The Slifer boys raised their arms as they were blinded by the brightness of the explosion. When the sound of the explosion subsided, lowered their arms. Surprised looks popped up on all their faces as they saw that they were surrounded by the vastness of space, with planets and far off stars.

"Whoa…"

Banner smirked at their shocked expressions. "The power of alchemy flows through me. It has broken our earthly bonds and taken us here. And due to Macro Cosmos, I can summon this card, Helios - The Primordial Sun." A thin feminine figure partially wrapped in bandages appeared before the alchemist, with a small sun floating above the space where her head would've been. (4/?/?) "As for her points, she gains 100 attack and defense for each of my monsters removed from play." (4/?-1200/?-1200)

The boys paid less attention to Banner's newest monster, as they were distracted by the planets floating around them. They could see a figure trapped inside one of them. "Chazz!?" Jaden exclaimed. "Alexis!?" As they looked around, they saw that Christine, Erik, Sean and Atticus were also stuck in their own bubbles, though only Chazz was conscious, banging against the walls of his prison.

"They can't hear you," Banner explained. "They're my prisoners. And soon, you will be as well. For all eternity." He then pulled his magic tome from his robes. "Face it, this tome is your destiny now. Soon you will both be locked in its pages. Prisoners… a pathetic footnote to my saga, to my ascension to greatness! Don't you see? You cannot beat me. Even together, you don't have what it takes. You and your friends are finished!" Banner lowered his arm and tucked the tome away. "I paid for this book, with my flesh and blood. I won't lose it to a pair of Slifer Red Slackers."

"Hey, are you forgetting about all the matches I've won?" Jaden questioned.

Banner laughed at this. "Oh Jaden, you poor deluded fool. Those matches you're so proud of yourself for winning… they were fixed." The hero duelist stood still at this, shocked by the revelation. "It was all part of my plan, so that you would be given a spirit key and face me."

"So… Crowler, the Gravekeeper Chief, the Shadow Games… it was all just a setup to make me seem like a great duelist so I'd get a spirit key to protect?"

"That is correct, Jaden."

"And what about Jeremy? Apart from that time we took on Kaibaman, he only lost against Seto Kaiba."

"Like you, he was nothing but a puppet, not even knowing I was pulling the strings. And like you, I wanted him to get a spirit key so I could beat you both, claim your keys for myself, and unlock the power of the Sacred Beasts. The truth is, you're not even real duelists, you're nothing but a pair of losers!"

"SHUT UP!" Jeremy shouted. Despite having stayed silent until now, Banner's words had struck a nerve with the blond boy, who almost ripped out his next card as he drew. "I summon Spirit of the Six Samurai!" The ethereal being in armour appeared before Jeremy. (5/500/500) "Then I play Six Scrolls of the Samurai and sacrifice Summoner and Spirit to bring out Great Shogun Shien!" Jeremy sent his monsters to the grave, then slapped Shogun's card onto his duel disk, calling forth the red warlord. (7/2500/2400) Banner laughed at this, apparently unconcerned by the powerful warrior. "What's so funny!?"

"I play Planet Alignment." The planets nearby lined up with Helios in the centre, exerting such force that the space around them became distorted. "This card's so powerful, it actually warps space." As Banner spoke, his face seemed to swirl and his voice was deep and distorted. "And with Helios, it destroys all your monsters, while dealing you 300 points of damage!" Great Shogun Shien, Bubbleman and Thunder Giant cringed as they were subjected to an invisible force, until they exploded into nothingness, then Jaden and Jeremy fell to their knees as that same pressure was applied on them.

Jaden/Jeremy: 2300-2000

The pressure was released as the planets moved away. "So predictable…" Banner said as the boys slowly got to their feet, Jeremy glaring at him. "Why do you think I used Macro Cosmos on Jaden's turn?"

"I… end my turn," Jeremy said slowly, still fuming.

"Oh man, Jeremy does not look happy," Chumley said in a low voice.

"Things look bad enough already, I really hope this doesn't mess with his head," Syrus added, sounding worried.

"My turn now," Banner declared. "And I play a spell, one that is a mouthful. Yellow Process - Kitolenics! But it's also a handful. For with it, I can sacrifice Helios - The Primordial Sun, for Helios Duo Megistus." The headless mummified woman grew bigger and wider, and a second sun appeared orbiting her celestial head. (6/?/?) "And for each of my monster cards that have been removed from play, Megistus gains 200 attack points. That's 13 cards, which means 2600 extra attack points!" (6/?-2600/?-2600) "Now attack! Solar Singer!" Helios was suddenly wreathed in flames, which shot upwards.

"Suck on this! Go Mirror Force!" Jeremy called out as the flames curved until they were coming down towards them. "Now your monster's attack goes right back at her!" A transparent barrier materialized around the two Slifers, blocking the incoming attack and sending it back at Helios, destroying her in a huge explosion.

"And now I will activate her ability! You see, when Megistus is destroyed, she is immediately resurrected with an extra 300 attack points!" The celestial mummy then returned with even more power. (6/2600-2900/2600)

Jeremy seemed to deflate at the sight of this. "… Shit."

"Helios Duo Megistus, attack again, with Solar Singer!"

"I don't think so!" Jaden interrupted. "I play a spell card, The Flute of Summoning Kuriboh!" Jaden's faithful winged fur ball appeared on the field… (1/300/200)… just in time to take the hit instead of the two duelists. "See, thanks to my friend, all of your damage this turn goes to zero."

Banner smiled in amusement. "Not bad, Jaden. Jeremy on the other hand…"

"Hey, lay off of him!" Jaden demanded. "We're both in this duel together. And I've got a feeling he's gonna be the one to take out Ms Tall Bright and Fiery."

"Is that so? Well then, let's see, shall we?"

"My turn. I summon Avian in defense mode." Jaden's feathered hero appeared before him, kneeling down and arms crossed. (3/1000/1000) "Now come on Jeremy, our friends are counting on us."

Jeremy closed his eyes and took a couple deep breaths. "You're right, Jaden," he said, opening his eyes again. "Here goes… I summon Specter of the Six Samurai." A wail heralded the arrival of the arrival of the ghostly samurai. (3/1200/400) "And since I have 5 Six Samurais in my graveyard, I get to draw that many cards. Then I activate Shien's Blessing, which allows me to summon two samurais from my grave in defense mode. And I choose Irou and Spirit." The dark samurai and armoured spirit returned to Jeremy's field. (4/1700/1200) (3/500/500) "Now I can play Polymerization to fuse Specter, a light attribute monster, with the Six Samurai Irou to create… Bushido's Apprentice - Radiant." Irou and Specter were engulfed in white lights that merged together. When they faded, in their place stood a woman wearing white armour, a helmet with a sun ornament on the forehead, and wielding a naginata with a gleaming blade. (8/1000/1000) "Finally, I use Spirit's effect to union equip him to Radiant." The spirit floated over to the warrior woman and transferred it's armour onto her. (8/1000-1500/1000-1500) "Now attack Duo Megistus!"

"What!?" Syrus exclaimed in surprise. "But she's got way less attack points!"

"Don't worry Sy, I know what I'm doing," Jeremy reassured him. "See, whenever Radiant battles an opponent's monster, she gains 400 attack and defense points for each Six Samurai in my graveyard. And with five of them right now, that's an extra 2000 points." (8/1500-3500/1500-3500) Radiant flew across the field in a single leap and fell down on Duo Megistus, slashing through her celestial head and cleaving her body in two.

banner: 1400-800

(8/3500-1500/3500-1500) "And here's the fun part. Not only do I get to draw a card because of Spirit's effect, but any monster that's destroyed by Radiant has its effect negated. So Duo Megistus isn't coming back."

"Impressive," Banner remarked. "Perhaps you're not the loser I thought you were."

"Oh please," Jaden spoke up. "You're the one who doesn't know how to use moisturizer."

"Jaden… all you ever do is make jokes. And Jeremy… you let your temper get the best of you too easily. Neither of you will ever be great duelists. You lack the discipline, the strength. Look at me, at my power… it's cosmic! You cannot defeat me! You'd be better off joining me. Yes, as my servants perhaps. What do you think?"

"Dude, you can eat my shorts," Jeremy shot back.

"Yeeeeah… no thanks," Jaden added. "I've got enough friends already."

"Yes, and very soon, you'll be joining these friends of yours, in oblivion. Just watch… I play Spellbook inside the Pot, so each of us draws three cards. Then I activate Different Dimension Reincarnation. Now, at the mere cost of a card from my hand, I can summon a monster that was removed from play. Rise again, Helios Duo Megistus!" As Banner got rid of Card from a Different Dimension, the celestial twin headed monster returned to his field. (6/2900/2600)

"Again?" Jeremy said. "Fine. Next time I knock it down, I'll make sure it stays down."

"I'm afraid you won't have that chance. You see, as formidable as Helio Duo Megistus may be, I have something even better. I play Red Process - Rubedo! And with it, I sacrifice Duo Megistus to summon Helios Trice Megistus." Duo Megistus went up in flames, and its place stood three copies of its previous form, each with a blazing sun for a head. (8/?/?) "Now, for each of my monsters removed from play, Trice Megistus gains 300 attack points. Since I have 14 monsters currently removed from play…" (8/?-4200/?-4200)

"4200 attack points?" Jaden exclaimed.

"It's a shame you don't duel as well as you add. Now Megistus, attack Radiant with Phoenix Flare." Pillars of fire erupted from each of the celestial mummies, merging together into the form of a giant phoenix. The fiery bird dived down at Jeremy's warrior… (8/1500-3500/1500-3500)… who withstood the attack at the cost of the armour provided by Spirit of the Six Samurai.

Jaden/Jeremy: 2000-1300

(8/3500-3400/3500-3400) "Sorry, but because Radiant was union equipped with Spirit, it takes the hit instead of her," Jeremy explained.

"And because she's still on the field, I can attack her again."

"What!?"

"That's right Jeremy. Due to Trice Megistus' very special ability, after she attacks, if my opponent controls a monster, she's allowed to attack once more. Phoenix Flare!" Trice Megistus called forth another flaming phoenix that dived bombed Radiant, safe that this time she did not survive.

Jaden/Jeremy: 1300-500

"Now, I activate Card of Heaven and Earth. And on a turn when I summon a high level monster, this allows me to draw two cards. However, I can't use them this turn, and I must place one of them face-down." Banner then set one spell/trap card. "Your turn Jaden."

"Alright. I play The Warrior Returning Alive to grab my Bubbleman. And now I'll play Polymerization to fuse Bubbleman and Avian together to create… Elemental Hero Mariner." Jaden's heroes merged together, forming a muscular aquatic man with long black hair, wearing in a blue speedo, boots with fins, and a pair of anchors with chains strapped to his arms. (5/1400/1000) "And next, I'll throw down a face-down so I can use Mariner's special ability. See, if I have any spells or traps on my field, the hero Mariner get's to attack you directly. So go get 'im. Anchor Away!" Mariner leapt into the air and hurled one of his anchors at Banner.

"I play a spell, Grand Convergence." Banner spell flipped up and for the second time, the space around them was distorted. "It's powerful gravity waves destroy all monsters on the field, and deal 300 points of damage to you." Mariner and Trice Megistus exploded from the pressure, while Jaden and Jeremy were left barely able to stand.

Jaden/Jeremy: 500-200

"Now Megistus returns with 500 extra attack points." The solar trio rose again on Banner's field. (8/4200-4700/4200)

"Man, that hurt," Jaden said, clutching his chest. "I…" Jaden paused for a moment as he looked over his cards. 'This is bad. We've got no monsters, and only one card on the field. Sure, it might buy us one more turn, but what's the point? Even if we summon something to the field, that thing will just stomp it like it's nothing. I don't see how we can win. What if everything Banner said was right? Maybe I never was a good duelist. Maybe it was all just a setup so Crowler and Sheppard would have no choice but to give me a key… a key that held the fate of the world.' "… I've got nothing."

Banner smirked as he watched Jeremy look down at his deck. "Goodbye, Jaden, Jeremy. This has been quite a year."

"Hey, we're not done yet," Jeremy insisted. 'Then again, Radiant was the ace up my sleeve, and she still got blasted. If Jaden and I can't come up with a winning strategy, we're screwed. What if I can't do this? What if Banner really was pulling the strings all along? Was it all a lie? Maybe I really am just a dueling monkey…"

"Coo!" Jaden looked down and saw Winged Kuriboh's spirit perched on his arm.

At the same time, Jeremy realized Shien's Footsoldier was knocking on the side of his head. "Don't give on yourself. Never give up on yourself."

"Coo!"

"Remember, you're not alone. Have faith in your friends, in each other, and in your cards."

"Coo!"

"Yeah, that too."

The two spirits nodded to each other, then winked at their respective duelists and faded away.

Jaden and Jeremy looked at each other. "They're right," Jeremy said. "We can't give up now just because things are tough."

"Our friends wouldn't give up if they were in our place, so we can't either," Jaden agreed.

"Even if we are just pawns, I still trust in my deck."

"And I trust in mine. I'll watch your back…" Jaden raised his fist in Jeremy's direction.

"And I'll watch yours." Jeremy raised his fist and the two of them did a fist bump from a distance.

A small, barely perceptible smile crept up on Banner's face as he watched them. 'All of your training, all of your matches have lead up to this. The moment of truth is upon us. Now make me proud.'

"Here goes!" Jeremy exclaimed as he drew his card. 'Hey, I can finally play the card Isamu gave me. Might not be enough to beat his monster, but I just have to trust in Jaden.'' "I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Great Shogun Shien." Jeremy's spell glowed, and the red samurai warlord stepped out from it. (7/2500/2400) "Then I play Six Samurai Summoning, to fuse Shogun on my field, with Shien's Guard, Shien's Tactician, Shien's Footsoldier and Shien's Pet in my hand."

A blond warrior woman appeared next to Shien with her crossbow armed. Next came a dark haired man in blue robes with a simple katana. Then it was Jeremy's monkey companion wielding his spear. Finally, they were joined by a solid looking dog with thick dark fur, wearing a helmet fitted for its head and armour over its back that displayed the symbol of the Six Samurai. A huge fusion portal opened up, sucking them in one by one. A growl shook the portal for a moment, and when it stopped, they could see a dragon's silhouette.

"Now I can summon… The Great Six Samurai Dragon!" A long, majestic, serpentine dragon with shimmering blue/green scales, a white underbelly and an orange mane and tail emerged from the portal. It flew over the field for a moment, settling above Jeremy, then let out a powerful roar. (10/4500/1500) "I end my turn."

"Impressive beast," Banner commented as he drew. Card from a Different Dimension then returned to his hand, prompting the three of them to draw "But it's still no match for Helios. Go, Phoenix Flare." Pillars of fire erupted from the solar trio, but just as they merged to create the phoenix, Jaden revealed his face-down.

"I play my trap! Negate Attack!" The flaming bird suddenly faded away and the fires died down.

"Very well. I place one card face-down. Make your move Jaden. Your last move."

"I've got a feeling that one last move is all I need." Jaden drew, then looked at his card and smiled. "Ha! Check this out. It's Miracle Fusion." Clayman, Burstinatrix, Avian and Bubbleman emerged from Jaden's graveyard, then swirled together in a mesh of rainbow colored lights. "Pretty tight, huh? See, Miracle Fusion fuses Elemental Heroes in my graveyard and creates the one and only… Elemental Hero Electrum!" The rainbow light faded, revealing a tall, muscular man in golden armour with a large 'E' in the centre of his chest. (10/2900/2600) "And Electrum's got one sweet ability. See, when I summon him, all cards that's removed from play return to their owner's deck."

"Not before I play my own trap, Torrential Tribute! When a monster is summoned, this destroys all monsters on the field!"

"Don't bet on it!" Jeremy cut in. "I use my dragon's ability. Once, he can protect himself and any monsters that share an attribute with him from being destroyed or removed from play."

Banner's card flipped up and released a tidal wave, but Jeremy's dragon spat out a torrent of flames from its mouth, evaporating all the water that came out.

"Alright!" Jaden said excitedly. "Now Electrum's effect goes off, which means your Megistus' attack points go way down!" Electrum began to glow, at which point all Banner's removed cards flew back into his deck. (8/4700-500/4200-0) "And now, I attack! Elemental Radiant Burst!" Electrum's aura expanded, bathing the field in light and destroying Helios.

Banner cried out as the light washed over him. His magic tome fell out as the field returned to normal, the golden eye shattering when it hit the ground. Banner then dropped to his knees, his life-points depleted.

Banner: 800-0

As soon as Jaden and Jeremy's duel disks deactivated, the room began to shake.

Outside, the eight pillars of light surrounding the island faded away, and in the secret underground chamber, the pillars around the lock to the spirit gates moved back into place. Christine, Alexis, Erik and Chazz reappeared where they'd been defeated, while Sean and Atticus returned to the latter's room, all blissfully unconscious.

Back at the lab, the room had stopped shaking, and Jaden and Jeremy approached Professor Banner. "That's game, Banner," Jaden said, lacking his usual levity.

"You said it, Jay."

"Jaden… Jeremy…" Banner spoke up, sounding weak. "Listen carefully to me my boys. I lied. You won all those other duels. I only said you didn't… to test you." He looked up at the two of them and the cracks in his face spread. "And to… prepare you for the real evil to come. That is why I became a Shadow Rider. Not to take over the world, but to stop the one who's truly trying to." The Slifer boys all had grave expressions as they listened to his final words. "I needed you to become better duelists, so that you could face him, and hopefully… defeat him." Banner coughed and pieces of his face crumbled away, but he continued his message. "You see, the threat's so grave, I had to deceive you. I hope… that you can forgive me. And now, my boys… take this." Banner grabbed his tome and held it out for them.

"But… it's your book," Jaden protested.

"It's mine… no… longer." Banner's entire body began to fall apart and Jaden reached for the book. "And no longer… am I… of this earth…" As he spoke the last word, his body finally crumbled into dust, along with the mummy in the coffin.

"Professor Banner… He's gone…"

Jeremy looked down at the pile of dust that had once been their teacher. "I'm still pissed because of what he did, but… I guess I can understand why he did it."

The boys stood there silently, taking a moment to remember their former teacher.

"So… what now?" Syrus wondered out loud.

"Well…" Chumley spoke up. "From what Banner said, I guess we should be on the lookout for some terrible evil that wants to take over the world and probably destroy us all while he's at it."

None of the boys paid attention to Pharaoh chasing after a small ball of light that emerged from Banner's robe.

"Ok, but when aren't we, really?"

"Umm… yeah, good point there Syrus."

"No, this is different," Jeremy said. "Nothing we've faced before was on this level."

"You're right, this is serious," Jaden agreed. "Guys, Banner was willing to sacrifice himself to prepare us for this evil that's coming. I just hope we're ready for it."

Pharaoh playfully swatted the ball of light a few times, then opened his mouth wide and swallowed it.

"I just hope the big evil doesn't show up before tomorrow, because I could really use some R & R." Jeremy stretched his arms, then grunted and held a hand to his side. "A few days worth, actually."

Jaden let out a big yawn at this. "Good idea. Come on guys, let's get out of here…"

There you have it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter (I had fun writing this duel), and let me know what you thought.

Made up cards this chapter:

Bushido's Apprentice - Firestorm
Atk/Def: 2200/1300
Attr: Fire
Type: Warrior
Lv: 6
Fusion/Effect: 1 'six samurai' monster + 1 fire attribute monster
This card is treated as a 'Six Samurai' monster. When this card is fusion summoned, destroy all trap cards on the field. If you have no spell/trap cards on the field, you can activate trap cards from your hand.
Image: A woman with red hair in a ponytail, wearing fiery colored armour, no helmet, and a katana on her left hip.

Bushido's Apprentice - Radiant
Atk/Def: 1000/1000
Attr: Light
Type: Warrior
Lv: 8
Fusion/Effect: 1 'six samurai' monster + 1 light attribute monster
This card is treated as a 'Six Samurai' monster. When this card battles an opponent's monster, increase its attack and defense points by 400 for every 'six samurai' monster in your graveyard. Negate the effects of any monster destroyed in battle by this card.
Image: A woman wearing white armour, a helmet with a sun ornament on the forehead, and wielding a naginata with a gleaming blade.

The Great Six Samurai Dragon
Atk/Def: 4500/1500
Attr: Light
Type: Dragon
Lv: 10
Fusion/Effect: 'Great Shogun Shien' + 'Izura, Shien's Guard' + Shien's Pet + 2 other 'Shien' monsters
Can only be summoned by the effect of "Six Samurai Summoning". While this card is face-up on the field, its attribute is also treated as Wind, Fire, Earth and Water. Once, if a monster(s) would be destroyed (by battle or effect) or removed from play, you can select this card and/or any monster that shares an attribute with it. The monster(s) selected are not destroyed/removed from play.
Image: A long, majestic, serpentine dragon with shimmering blue/green scales, a white underbelly and an orange mane and tail.

Not played:

Shien's Pet
Atk/Def: 2200/1800
Attr: Earth
Type: Beast
Lv: 6
Effect: This card gains the following effect(s) when tribute summoned using one of the following monsters:
- 'Six Samurai' monster: When summoned, halve the attack points of all monsters on your opponent's field.
- 'Shien' monster: Whenever this card would be destroyed by battle, you can discard one card from your hand instead.
Image: A majestic dog with thick dark fur, wearing a helmet fitted for its head and armour over its back that displays the symbol of the Six Samurai

Manga:

Card of Heaven and Earth
Spell Card
On a turn when you have summoned a high level monster, draw two cards. You cannot use the cards you draw on this turn, and you must set one of them face-down.