Yu-Gi-Oh GX: Gender Generation!

by Mage of Hope

Starts in Season 1 rewritten! What if fate could change had Jaden been born a girl? Not just any girl, but a naive tomboy with an awesome Elemental HERO deck? Join her as she duels bad guys, save the world, and have overprotective Duel Spirits protecting her from a harem of hot boys who wants to win her heart! Fem!Jaden pairing undecided! Abridged jokes from Little Kuriboh!

36. Amnael's Endgame

That was a pretty good break, I must say so!~ And now, as a reward for all your patience, I have decided on an extra long chapter today! Who knows, maybe the next chapter will involve more romantic stuff? Oh, and I decided to skip Episode 43 since I really didn't find any point of doing so.

Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!

---

One bright and early morning, just when the sun was halfway up and the skies were a mixture of pink, orange, and yellow, it would have been a fine day to go out jogging or at least walking for some exercise in the early spring day. Of course, that is, if it weren't for the fact that the usual Slifer Red trio haven't overslept and were rushing things in order to eat and get to classes on time.

"Aaaaah!"

"We overslept!"

"Breakfast! Don't tell me that they ran out of food yet!"

"I'll die if I don't get any breakfast!"

With messy hair, ruffled clothes, and bodies out of breath, Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley slid the door towards the dining hall open, relieved to find three trays waiting for them. Chazz was the only other person inside, finishing up his own breakfast, but the trio didn't paid any attention to him as they settled down to dig in.

"Noooo! My special chocolate chip pancakes aren't here!" cried out Jaden, lifting up her tray in some miraculous hope that the food was just hiding underneath.

"My buttered toast isn't here, either!" spoke Syrus.

"Neither is my egg omelet!" Chumley said.

Smirking in amusement, Chazz laid against his chair as he took a sip of his brewed tea. Twitching in anger, the trio got up and marched in front of Chazz with demanding looks, blocking his every exit out as they confronted him.

Chazz sent a smug look towards the trio, infuritating them further on as he held no attempts of hiding the truth. "Should have gotten here earlier, dweebs."

"Give us back our breakfast!" demanded Syrus, slamming his palms onto Chazz's table. "Do it or else!"

"Or else what?" spoke Chazz confidently, taking another sip. "You can't even do anything to me anyways, since it's all in my tummy. And it was good."

"PROFESSOR BANNER! CHAZZ IS BEING MEAN AGAIN!" Chumley, Syrus, and Jaden complained out loud before remembering that the Slifer Red dorm leader was still missing. Just thinking about him made them all nostalgic and sadden, almost as if the professor had actually died, though they refused to come to an horrible conclusion like that.

"Professor...just where are you?" muttered Jaden.

---

Later, in class...

It's already been half an hour since Alchemy class begun and Banner still hasn't shown himself. This didn't appear like much of a problem to most of the students as they began playing games or texting on their phones, chatting amongst each other, or doing something else to pass the time.

For once in her life, Jaden wished for the teacher to come. She missed Banner and his lessons, even if they were somewhat confusing and she slept through a couple of them and other things she'd rather not mention.

Seeing Jaden in her depressed state, Syrus attempted to cheer her up. "Aw, don't worry, Jaden! It'll be alright!"

Chumley nodded, backing up Syrus. "Yeah! Chancellor Sheppard's already gotten a team together to try and find the professor! I'm sure they'll find him soon!"

Even when they tried to reassure her, Jaden didn't feel completely better and merely nodded her head. "Y-Yeah..."

Smiling, Chumley patted her back. "But hey! Look on the bright side! At least we won't have to worry about class today! There's no way any other teacher is available today!"

Unfortunately, Chumley's own words backfired and caused a jinx as Crowler entered the classroom. Groans and complaints filled the room as students put away their electrical devices and straighten up, not wanting to get in trouble with Crowler, of all people.

"Everyone's seated, yes? Yes? Good!" Crowler spoke before settling down at the teacher's desk, placing his files and papers on top. "Due to Professor Banner's absence, I, Dr. Vellian Crowler, will be hosting as your temporary substitute teacher until he returns! And he better return, because when he does, I'm gonna give him a long lecture on not driving me crazy ON MY DAY OFF!"

It didn't even require a genius to know that Crowler was ticked off as he slammed some books onto the desk before arranging things to start the projectile about some strange symbol. Groaning, the students took out their notebooks and proceeded to write down any and all notes.

"Students, pay attention!" ordered Crowler, searching through the symbol on one of the books. "This is the Mark of Amnael, and according to literature, it seemed to represent a mark of alchemy. Hmm...Okay, let's see here...No, that one's too hard...What lies at the bottom is like what lies at the top? What lies at the top is like what lies at the bottom? Aren't they the same thing?"

For the next couple of minutes, Crowler spent his time attempting to figure out a good subject involving alchemy to talk about, but it seems his efforts for his search only riled him up and made him more frustrated. Unable to take it, Crowler pulled on the sides of his hair, gritting his teeth as he threatened to pull out his blond hair.

"GAAAAHHH! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! HOW DID YOU STUDENTS BARE WITH SUCH A TEACHER!? INEXCUSEABLE TEACHINGS!"

As Crowler childishly ranted on and was very close to ripping his hair out, the others sweatdropped as they watched. It appeared as though Crowler really wasn't good with alchemy, so therefore, he didn't believe in occults or magic. It certainly was strange of him, considering that he already witness the Shadow Riders and their own share of strange magic.

Eventually, Crowler gave up on the manner of learning things through the book and decided to experiment on the 'so-called alchemy.' Gathering together test tubes and various other liquids hidden within Banner's desk drawers, Crowler decided to conduct an experiment on his own while everyone watched. Muttering to himself from reading the instructions, Crowler dipped a iron spiral object onto one of the cups containing a chemical pink liquid. The instant he did, the iron spiral object lit up from overheating and the chemical exploded all over Crowler's face, creating smoke that clouded the room until it vanished seconds later.

Luckily, nobody, especially Crowler, were harmed from the explosion. Well, the iron spiral object stuck onto Crowler's forehead and it took him half a second to register the pain onto his mind. Screaming, Crowler hurried to pull the object out of his forehead before taking out a mirror from his pocket, checking out his forehead and trying to use his bangs to cover up the mark on his forehead.

Several students laughed as Crowler shrieked and rambled on about how much he despised alchemy and all about how alchemy ruined his good looks. Some even enjoyed the show Crowler was acting in, which was him proceeding to stomp his foot onto the ground while rubbing away furiously at his forehead to ease the pain.

Normally, Jaden would be crackling along with the other students, but her mind was too fixated on Banner to notice anything else. This heavily worried Chumley and Syrus, as they knew Jaden would be the type to take advantage of the situation and laugh just like the rest of them...and possibly get in trouble, because that's what Crowler lives for.

"MISS SLIFER SLACKER!" yelled Crowler, having managed to "solve" the situation for the time being despite there still being a mark on his forehead.

"Huh? Y-yeah?"

"After class, you are to report to Chancellor Sheppard's Office, immediantly!"

"But I didn't do anything!" cried out Jaden. No...could it be? Did Crowler find out about her putting a woopie cushion in his own classroom's seat? It was well over a week again, and it was super hilarious, but since Crowler didn't really have proof it was Jaden, he couldn't exactly shift the blame on her.

"Oh, hush! And it's not just you! Alexis Rhodes, Bastion Misawa, and Chazz Princeton! You three are coming along with her as well! The Chancellor demanded the four of you specifically! Along with Zane! I don't know why, but I'm sure you'll know soon enough!"

The four students exchanged worried glances at each other. Could this be more information about the Shadow Riders? Did Sheppard find a lead about Banner, who's been missing for a while? Or did he find him at last? They'll find out soon after they head for the office.

---

At the Chancellor's Office...

"Eh?! Even after all this time, you still haven't found Professor Banner?!" exclaimed Jaden, surprised.

Sheppard nodded; a grim look on his face. "Yes, we searched all we could throughout the entire island, but not even a single trace of his whereabouts remained."

Crowler had to agree, given he was involved with the investigation as well. "And before you asked, we already confirmed that he hasn't left the island, so he must still be somewhere around here."

"If he hasn't left the island, and if he hasn't been found yet, then there's really only one solution," replied Chazz. "He probably lost a duel with a Shadow Rider and his soul is somewhere in the Shadow Realm."

"What?! No!" cried out Jaden, horrified.

Knowing how much she cared for the carefree teacher, Alexis glared coldly at Chazz. "Hey! Knock it off!"

Luckily, Sheppard shook down such an omnious idea. "No, only three of the Spirit Keys have been activated. If he had been defeated, another Spirit Gate should have responded, but so far, nothing."

Jaden couldn't help but be relieved, despite the dire situation still at hand. "Well, if that's the case, then Banner must be in trouble somewhere! He's probably waiting for us to rescue him! We can't just give up on him! We have to continue looking!"

The others glanced at each other, knowing that Jaden was right. Still, what if the Shadow Riders took Banner hostage? No, there would be no point since the only way to acquire a Spirit Key is to defeat the Key Keeper in a duel. Still, they would standby and await for anything significant to their situation.

---

Later on...

"So, how should we look for Banner?" wondered Chumley, discussing the problem with his two friends outside of the building. The trio seemed determined as ever to figure out where Banner was, as evident as they were thinking hard.

"Hmm...Well, Chancellor Sheppard said he's still trying everything he can to track down Banner," said Syrus. "Maybe we should wait a little longer?"

"Look, not that I don't trust our Chancellor, but even he has a problem with this. I agree that we should wait, but I also want to help out. Even a small hint would be nice!"

Crossing her arms, Jaden sighed. "Look guys, I know it seems hopeless, but we have to keep trying! It's like...like in those detective stories where the kids figure it out than the adults! They're like junior detectives! So, let's be teen detectives and figure this out!"

"NOW you're speaking my language!" complimented Chazz, suddenly being right behind the trio with his arms crossed.

"Aaaaah! When'd you get here?!" questioned Syrus, startled.

"Uh...I've been here the entire time, idiot! Tch..." Shaking his head, Chazz changed towards the main topic and pointed to himself confidently. "But, never fear! Chazz is here! Detective Chazz Princeton, to be exact! With my super awesome detective skills, we'll solve this case in no time!"

"..." The three Slifer Reds glanced at each other in silent, not bothering to send Chazz so much as a second glance.

"Are you guys ignoring me?!"

"...Maybe?" spoke Jaden. This, in turn, received her a huge bump in the head by Chazz's fist. "Owwieee!"

"That's what you get, idiot! Now, get moving and follow me!" ordered Chazz, ticked off as he walked away.

Syrus rubbed Jaden's bump softly and with affection before glaring at Chazz's back, snarling at him. If needed, Chumley will try to hold Syrus back in case he tries a sneak attack from behind on Chazz. Jaden didn't seem to mind the bump anymore before she and her friends followed Chazz, wondering what idea he had in mind.

Making their way towards the Slifer Red Dorm, Chazz explained, "Okay! In missing people cases, the first thing you have to do is search their room first in case they left a clue or something!"

"Wait, we're gonna search through Banner's room? Wouldn't that be considered trespassing? Not to mention, invasion of privacy?" wondered Syrus before sneering. "But...we can always blame Chazz if something goes wrong-"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" bellowed Chazz, getting all up on Syrus' face. "If I go down, you guys are too! Besides, in case like this, it's necessary to search in his room! We'll just clean up any messes we make later! Come on, already!"

"...Aww," pouted Syrus.

Jaden grinned and whispered to both Syrus and Chumley. "Don't worry! Let's pull a prank on Crowler and blame it on Chazz!"

"I HEARD THAT! NOW HURRY UP OR I'LL STEAL YOUR IDEA AND USE IT AGAINST YOU!"

"You wouldn't, jerk!" gasped Jaden, running to catch up to Chazz.

Surprisingly, the door to Banner's room was unlocked and unguarded, granting them full access inside Banner's room. Their search commenced as they split up to check separate areas in the room, trying to find any clues leading to Banner's whereabouts.

"There's nothing here!" called out Chumley.

Jaden placed the books back on Banner's booksheld and sighed. "Man! You'd think he'd leave a note or som-"

"I found something!" Holding up a note in his hands, Chumley waved it around the air, gaining the attention of his three other friends.

Jaden took the note and unfolded it. "Hey! This is Banner's handwriting! But, it's so messy! I can only make out a few words..."

"What does it say?" asked Chazz, sitting on a chair.

"Uh...something to do with Miss Dorothy and a tree-"

"Aha!" Suddenly, Chazz snatched the note from her hands, reading it over before a smirk ran across his face. "Haha! Just as I thought!"

"You know, you could have just asked for the note!" scowled Jaden.

Ignoring Jaden's previous comment, Chazz announced boldly, "Attention, my assistants-!"

"Since when were we your assistants?" demanded Syrus, wrapping his arms around Jaden's arm protectively. "I'd rather be Jaden's! She should be Head Detective in this case!"

"No! I'm more experienced, plus I even solved that one case! You know, the one with Don Zaloog and all that stuff!"

"No, you didn't! You just got lucky, that's all!" pointed out Chumley. "Besides, all I remember is you and him pointing fingers at each other and saying 'Objection' or so-"

"ANYWAYS!" Having enough distractions, Chazz continued with his announcement. "This note was just the key to everything! Hell, I even know who the 7th Shadow Rider is!"

"No way! You deciphered all that from just one note?!"

"Correct! You see, this note was actually a letter sent by Professor Banner! Something must have happened to cause him to be in the forest! And the culprit as well as being the 7th Shadow Rider is none other than Miss Dorothy herself!"

"Miss Dorothy?!" exclaimed Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley. No...there was no way kind Miss Dorothy could ever been a wicked and cruel Shadow Rider; the very same enemy they've been fighting! But, at the same time, they couldn't exactly back out on the possibility as well.

"Here, I'll prove it!" Dialing the number to the academy's cafeteria from his own PDA, Chazz placed it on speaker phone and awaited Dorothy to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Dorothy! I caught you red-handed!" declared Chazz loudly. "I know you're the 7th Shadow Rider!"

"You know, I think it's only going to get worst if you declare it like that," told Syrus deadpanning. "Do you even have proof that she's a Shadow Rider?"

"Shut up!" hissed Chazz before turning back to the PDA. "Anyways, tell us all about the note involving you, Banner, and a tree!"

"Tree? Oh, you mean the bonsai tree! Yes, well there was a package delivery mistake and I ended up with Banner's package of cat food while he had my package which had a bonsai tree. He probably made a note to remind himself before making the switch with me. Ahaha!"

Hanging up, Chazz remained as calm and cool as he could. "Well...looks like one mystery's solv-"

"YOU DIDN'T SOLVE ANYTHING!" yelled Jaden, Chumley, and Syrus angrily.

Despite the first failed attempt of solving the mystery, they still continued to cooperate with Chazz, trying to find useful clues that led to dead ends. It didn't help that Chazz was the "supposed leader" because he kept being bossy to everyone else, much to their annoyance.

Unscrolling a map, Syrus stared at it with awe. "What's this? A clu-"

"A CLUE!" cried out Chazz, pushing Syrus out of the way and examining the map closely. "This time, I'm sure I've got it! I've solved the case for sure!"

"Ow! Jerk! I'll get you back for this!" Syrus promised, shaking his fist at him. "But anyways, what did you find?"

Pointing to a familiar symbol on the map, Chazz spoke, "Isn't this the Mark of Amnael we learned from class? Seems way too convenient for it to be marked here, so that has to be where Banner is! Plus, it's related to alchemy, making it more reasonable for us to go there!"

"Oh yeah!" agreed Jaden. "I mean, we have no other clues right now, and that last clue Chazz made up clearly didn't help-"

"HEY!"

"But yeah. Let's check this place out! Operation Rescue Banner is on the go!"

"Yay!" cheered Syrus and Chumley, pumping their fists in the air. "We're with you all the way, Jaden!"

"Hold it!" yelled Chazz, proudly posing with his index finger out. "If we're gonna be a rescue team, there has to be a leader! Obviously, I have to be the leader!"

"Give us one good reason why," demanded Syrus, annoyed. Yeah, there couldn't be any possible way Chazz could convince them to change their minds.

"I could always tattle on you guys for breaking in here," replied Chazz.

"It's three against one! We could always say you're lying!"

"Fine, I'll steal Jaden's stuffed animals, take one of Syrus' cards, and even steal Chumley's grilled cheese sandwiches if you don't make me leader. How about that?"

"You're evil," hissed Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley, crackling their knuckles as they prepared to kill Chazz. In the end, they had no other choice but to follow Chazz's lead.

Considering Chazz had the map labeled with the Mark of Amnael, he had to lead the others as they wandered inside the forest with him. Eventually, Syrus raised his hand and questioned, "Chazz! I have a question!"

"First, you will refer to me as Captain Princeton! And second, what is it?"

Annoyed, Syrus still continued, "Well, I was wondering how exactly are we going to find Professor Banner? Do you have a plan or something?"

Chazz chuckled confidently before pulling out from his pocket a wheat grain which so happened to be catnip. "Yours truly's scheme is absolutely flawless! With this, we can track down Pharaoh, thus finding Banner!"

The others sweatdropped, not bothering to mention the possible flaws to his scheme. "Chazz, last time you did that, it didn't really go so well," reminded Jaden. "What makes you think it'll work this time?"

Raising his hand once more, Syrus eagerly cried out, "Ooh! Ooh! Chazz! I have an idea!"

"It's CAPTAIN PRINCETON!"

"...Tch..."

"Did you just 'tch' me?!"

"Anyways! I have a plan that's ten times more better than yours!"

Frowning, Chazz obliged to hear him out. "Alright, what is it?"

Grinning wickedly, Syrus suddenly pounced onto Chazz, tackling him to the ground as he scrambled to grab a black marker out of his pocket, popping the cap off with his teeth as he hurried to scribble all over his face. Chumley and Jaden merely watched out of interest.

When Syrus finished, he was out of breath, but proud of his accomplishment as he stared down at the cat marks he made on Chazz's face. Chazz was twitching madly and looked ready to strangle the boy at any second.

"What's wrong, Chazz? Cat handle it?" giggled Syrus before scrambling to his feet. "Okay, go, go, GO!"

"I'M GONNA KILL YA, SYRUS!" yelled Chazz, chasing after him and his friends while they faked fear and ran into separate directions, confusing Chazz as he didn't know who to go after first. "Damnit, guys!"

Unknown to any of them, a mysterious cloaked figure stared from above a tree menacingly before disappearing back into the shadows.

---

Later...

"Noooo! Get away from me, scary kitty!" teased Jaden, continuously being the target of Chazz's chasing game.

"No way! Get back here already so I can deal with the others later!" yelled Chazz, edging closer and closer to her. Extending his arm, Chazz attempted to grasp at her jacket collar to capture her.

Still, Jaden was a speedy demon as she increased her pace, thus getting further and further away from Chazz with a cheeky grin on her face. "Hahaha! You'll never take me alive!~" she bragged before crashing head first into a tree and collapsing on her back.

Eyes widening, Chazz picked up the pace and soon kneeled down at Jaden's side. "Jaden! Hey, Slifer slacker! You alright?!"

Of course, it was a pretty stupid question to ask, seeing that Jaden's forehead was bleeding a little and she was groaning in pain. Crashing into a tree was sure to have deliver a concussion to Jaden, so Chazz had to tend extra carefully to Jaden.

Placing her head on his lap, Chazz took one of the ends of his black coat and ripped enough fabric for a temporary head wound. It should seal the wound and stop the bleeding as he wrapped it around Jaden's head. Knowing that tightening the bandage would cause a bit of a blood rush,he carefully tried not to tighten nor loosen the knot.

"Mmm...Chazz...?" groaned Jaden, waking up and looking up at him.

"Yeah?"

Instantly, as if she recovered quickly, she sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Awww! So you do care for me! Thanks, best buddy!~"

Eye twitching, Chazz brought up a fist before smashing it at Jaden's back. "YOU IDIOT! DON'T GO SITTING UP SO QUICKLY!"

"OW!" shrieked Jaden, rubbing frantically at her back. "What the hell?!"

"That should be my line! Watch where you're running! And you owe me a new coat!"

"Never!"

After a while, the two calmed down and wandered together, venturing deeper into the forest in search of not only Banner, but their other two missing companions as well. As if Banner was hard enough to find, the two just had to get separated from the other two at a time like this.

"Banner! Chumley! Syrus!" called out Jaden and Chazz in unison, glancing around one area after another. It's already been a couple of minutes and they were starting to get a little worried, especially since it was almost time for the sunset.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Jaden gasped as she and Chazz turned towards the direction of the source of the scream. "A girl's screaming for help!"

That "girl" happened to be Syrus as he, along with Chumley, ran past bushes and trees to get away from something they feared. Upon spotting Chazz and Jaden, the two runaways were relieved as Syrus leapt into Jaden's arms before Chumley collapsed to his knees, exhausted.

"Jaaaaddddeeeeen! I was soooo scared!" cried out Syrus, burying his head into her chest as he embraced her tightly. Jaden, feeling pity for the small guy, ruffled his hair a little to comfort him.

Chumley was wheezing back and forth; his face hot red as he sputtered out, "S-S-S-Snakes...I really hate snakes!"

"Wha, all this fuss over snakes? Grow a pair, both of you!" scoffed Chazz, crossing his arms. He expected something a little bit more serious than this! Well, he had to admit, snakes were a little bit serious, but still, Syrus and Chumley should have been more braver than this! He can't have wimpy cowards on his detective team!

Suddenly, a couple of snakes rained down on them, descending from the trees above. The strong winds around their area must have rustled the tree branches the snakes were in, causing enough force for the snakes to come flying down and all over the group.

Seeing snakes on top of their heads and shoulders, despite not knowing that the snakes were actually harmless, the four of them screamed before making a run for it.

---

That evening...

After the group's constant adventure of obstacles and aimlessly searching throughout the forest, they decided to call it quits for the night. For the time being, they had gathered around a campfire, eating snacks they had packed for their trip to find Banner, using the snacks as a sort of small dinner.

Nobody said a single word; the flickers of the ashes from the fire and the munching from the snacks being the only sound that pierced through the dark night as the moonlight shined on them as a source of light besides the fire. Perhaps they were still troubled by the fact that they couldn't find a lick of a clue inside the forest besides the Mark of Amnael that was spotted on the map.

Speaking up to encourage the others, Syrus said, "H-hey, now! It's only the first day! We've got plenty of time in our hands! I'm sure Professor Banner's out there somewhere!"

Feeling a nostalgic smile on her face, Jaden nodded. "Yeah...I remember the time when he gave me some soybeans. Soybeans are one of my favs! It really was a sweet thing for him to give me all of his soybeans! I remember it like it was yesterday..."

---

Flashback...

"Wow! Really? Soybeans are my favorite! Are you sure you're going to give me this much?!" gasped Jaden happily as she was holding some chopsticks and a bowl of rice.

Banner, who held a container full of soybeans, nodded, smiling at her before ruffling her hair. "Of course! Soybeans are especially good for the body, and I want all my students to grow up strong and healthy! You need it more than me, after all!"

---

"Those were some good, old times..."

"Actually, I don't think he actually gave them to you because he was being nice," said Chumley. "I learned that he just really disliked soybeans."

"Eh?!"

Thinking he was making Banner seemingly like a bad person, Chumley stammered, "W-wait! Well, he might not like soybeans, but I'm sure he gave them to you out of the kindness of his heart!"

"Well..." Believing Chumley, Jaden smiled and nodded. "Yeah! Banner was always nice to us, after all!"

Sighing, Chumley continued, turning to Syrus. "Come to think of it, didn't I remember him forcing you to drink milk, Sy?"

Syrus nodded, grimancing at the memory. "Yeah...I don't think he really liked milk, either. I'm not sure if he just doesn't like the taste or if he's lactose intolerant, but that doesn't change the fact that he tries every single time to get me to drink milk!"

"Milk is supposed to be good for you," reminded Chumley.

"I know! I just don't like the taste!"

---

Flashback...

"Nooo! I don't wanna drink milk!" complained Syrus, trying to get the carton of milk away from him as Banner increasingly insisted that he drink it.

"Come now, Syrus! Milk is good for the soul and it'll help good little boys like you grow up strong and tall! And I'm sure you'd want to be like your big brother, right?" encouraged Banner.

"Well, yeah...but that's not the point!"

---

"Come to think of it, I don't think he liked veggies that much. I mean, he's like a little kid inside a grown man's body!" joked Chumley.

"Hmph! I guess so. But you really want to know what irritates me the most?" spoke Chazz, scowling. "Carrots. Those disgusting, little...little orange things! There's a reason why I hate the color orange!"

"Ooh! If you want, you can give me your carrots, Chazz!" offered Jaden.

"You like carrots, Jaden?" asked Syrus, surprised.

"Well...I don't necessarily hate them. I guess they're okay, but I really want to feed the rabbits the Animal Club has! I'm sure Atticus would let me!"

"You know do that carrots are considered candy bars to rabbits, right?" said Chumley. "I don't think giving them too many carrots is such a good idea-"

"AHEM! Getting off topic, here!" coughed Chazz. "We were discussing about Banner and his time with me, which was TERRIBLE!"

"Aww, come on! It couldn't have been that bad!" giggled Jaden.

"Oh, you have NO idea!"

---

Flashback...

The entire dining hall...was a battlefield. Tables and chairs were scattered all across the room as if a tornado had corrupted and blown around in a raging fit. Only two combatants remained, being enemies on one side and the other. One was defending himself with a fork as his sword and a chair as his shield, while the other held a plate full of carrots and a fork.

Yes...this truly was...deemed the Carrot Catastrophe.

"Damnit, Banner! I said I'm not gonna eat the goddamn carrots!" hollered Chazz, trying to inch away from Banner as Banner crept closer and closer with a creepy smile on his face.

"Now, now, Chazz! It's only proper for you to eat your vegetables!'

"Then eat your own goddamn share! Don't force your platter on mine!"

"Hmm...Then would it be okay if I took your dessert instead?"

"You already do that! And the answer's still no!"

---

"Damn that guy...When I see him, he'll get what's coming to him!" swore Chazz with a raised fist.

Worried, Syrus added in, "Yeah! And there's that time when he made me go fishing for Pharaoh! That was not a fun time!"

"Plus, he was a coward. Every time there was a cockroach, he'd make us kill it," said Chumley. "And when he found a nest of cockroaches in his room...boy, that was a field day."

Jaden nodded. "I'd catch him sleepwalking and singing in his sleep. Something about a purple dinosaur?"

"Ugh!" groaned Chazz, covering his ears. "Thanks to him, that stupid song's been stuck in my head ever since! "

"Hey, come to think of it, all we've been talking about are really...dislikable traits about Professor Banner," recalled Syrus. "It's starting to sound like he was a bad teacher."

Jaden shook her head. "Well, even if he had those traits, he's still a kind and good person! I mean, I couldn't think of anyone more deserving of the Slifer Red leader than him!"

Chazz smirked. "Yeah...and we're still searching for that lovable guy. Annoying, but still likeable. Knowing him, he's probably crying in the back of a corner, hungry for anything, even carrots."

"When we get him back, let's force him to eat and drink all of the food he hates!" suggested Syrus.

Everyone's eyes lit up with glint as sinister grins formulated on their faces. "Yeah...let's help him recover by having him eat those things...after all, they're supposed to make him healthy, right?" agreed Chumley.

"I couldn't agree more," stated Chazz, standing up. "But now, our break's over! Let's go!"

"Yeah!" The Slifer Reds cheered together, more pumped up than ever to find Banner.

A soft meow sound not too far away caught their attention, and since there was only one cat residing in the island, it was quite obvious who that cat could be.

"Pharaoh?!" exclaimed Jaden before she and her companions lit their flashlights and rushed together. They made it towards a small clearing and flashed their lights around in searched for the tubby cat who meowed before.

"Pharaoh!"

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"If you can hear us, meow again!"

"Hurry up and get out here, you fat cat!"

Seeing that their yells weren't effective, Chazz turned to the others and ordered, "Let's split up! I'll go ahead and search through this way, and you three should go towards the other side!"

"Wait!" called out Jaden. "We have to make our teams even! It's just like in those horror movies! If one guy's away from the group, that guy's gonna be the next one killed!"

"Please, this isn't even a horror movie! I'll be fine!" assured Chazz before taking off deeper in the dark depths of the forest. Before long, he resumed calling out for Pharaoh while waving catnip around.

"Boss! I'm scared!" cried out Ojama Yellow, leaning against Chazz's cheek.

Not wanting to deal with Ojama Yellow at the moment, Chazz chose to ignore him and continued. "Fatty! Fat kitty cat! Where are you?!"

"Ah! So cruel, ignoring me!"

"Yeah, whatever," said Chazz, swaying Ojama Yellow away with a single swipe of his hand. "Just stay out of my way for now and-huh? Pharaoh!"

At long last, Chazz managed to track down Pharaoh, who was sitting besides a pair of glasses. But, more importantly, there was a familiar green, glowing symbol on the grass before it vanished completely, leaving no traces of its existence. However, just the sight of it within a few seconds was more than enough for Chazz.

Kneeling down, Chazz picked up the glasses as Pharaoh wandered off. "Professor Banner's glasses? Plus there's the Mark of Amnael thing...looks like my hunch was right. Huh?"

The Mark of Amnael appeared before Chazz once again, right near a familiar necktie, whom Chazz recognized it belonging to Banner. The Mark of Amnael kept reappearing and disappearing every few seconds, leading Chazz towards something, even to Banner's shirt and his...trousers.

"...Yeah, for my own sake, I'm not gonna bother asking why these were here in the first place," said Chazz, disgusted as he awkwardly picked up Banner's belongings. The Mark of Amnael led him away further and further until Chazz reached the lake, where, standing on top of the lake, was a mysterious cloaked figure.

Giving off a rather sinister aura, the cloaked figure activated his duel disk. All of this arrangement was almost as if the mysterious man was inviting Chazz to come and duel him. His sinister aura was even making Chazz's Duel Spirits to cower before him, which rarely happened, so Chazz could tell he was an extremely strong opponent.

Checking the water, Chazz deduced that the water was as solid as the ground thanks to the cloaked figure. Nodding, Chazz walked closer until he made sure there was enough distance between the two before getting his duel disk ready.

"Let's do this! I'm gonna Chazz you up!"

---

Meanwhile...

Relaxing against the soft patch of grass, Pharaoh let out another meow sound before being scooped up in Chumley's arms. "Hey! It's Pharaoh!" announced Chumley as Jaden and Syrus walked up to him.

"About time!" sighed Syrus, happy that they were about to accomplish at least one feat.

"Hey, Pharaoh? Where's Professor Banner?" asked Jaden, bending down a little.

Pharaoh's only response was a simple meow, which afterwards, triggered Jaden's Shadow Charm pendant. The pendant glowed, lighting up like their flashlights, just like back with Jaden's duel with Camula where she had unknowingly used it to fight against Camula's own Shadow Charm.

Eventually, the glow ceased, leaving the only lights coming from their flashlights. Jaden did wonder what caused it to be like that, but knew that they were wasting time just thinking about what occurred. They got Pharaoh, so the best plan right now was to report back to Chazz, wherever he is.

"Let's go!" ordered Jaden, stepping past bushes and flashing her light around in search for Chazz. This continued on for about several minutes later, where not only Jaden, but Syrus and Chumley were also calling out and looking for Chazz.

"Chazz, where are you?"

"We got Pharaoh! Call us if you can hear us!"

"Chazz! Come out, come out wherever you are, you no-good, money-hogging, card loving, big egocentric, small-tempered, Ojama humping, butt-munching asshole!"

"Why do you keep calling Chazz that?" wondered Chumley. "Where'd you get that insult anyways?"

Jaden shrugged. "Eh, it seems more appropriate that way! But seriously, where could he be?"

"Hopefully nowhere too far," sighed Syrus. "I mean, he couldn't hav-"

"GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

A well-known scream pierced through the night, echoing throughout the forest and reaching the ears of the trio Slifer Reds. Just the scream was enough to shake them to their cores, but luckily, the scream was very close, so they have a chance of saving the one who screamed.

"Chazz?! Was that Chazz?!" questioned Jaden, her heart thumping like crazy. Wasting no time, she pushed past branches and made her way to a clearing, where the others trailed behind.

The clearing also had a large lake, but what was more interesting and noticeable was the Mark of Amnael along with a few familiar wet cards floating on the surface of the lake water. Noy only that, but the Ojama brothers were sobbing over the loss of...their owner.

Putting two and two together, Jaden dropped her flashlight, realizing what happened. Chazz's cards, his Duel Spirits, and the symbol of what appears to have been belonging to the enemy.

"No...No...! CHAZZ!"

To make matters worse, the entire island began shaking roughly before six pillars of transparent light fired upwards towards the skies, seemingly signaling a strange power was about to be awaken. Nobody had a single idea what to do at this situation, but they knew something was going to happen, that's for sure.

"W-what's going on?" wondered Chumley, hugging Pharaoh tightly out of fear.

Syrus looked around. "Just what are those six pillars of light? They just came out of nowhere!"

"Six...six..." The number six ran numb in her mind, but Jaden instantly figured it out at the next second. "No way...! Seven Spirit Gates...only six unlocked! Someone must have used the six Spirit Keys! But if that's the case, then Banner...the Professor truly is...!"

No, she didn't want to believe it, but there was no other coincidence. Banner's disappearance must have meant that a Shadow Rider really did kidnap him and take his key, thus sending him to the Shadow Realm. Now that the pillars of light were up, six to be exact, she has no other choice but to believe that he truly is gone.

"Waaaaahhh!" sobbed Ojama Yellow. "I-It was that seventh Shadow Rider! He made Chazz disappear! Boss lost to him! Waaaaahh!"

Feeling bad for the poor Duel Spirit and his brothers, Jaden decided to at least collect Chazz's cards, stacking them into a single small deck since Chazz must have been able to keep most of the cards in his possession.

"Me, Chazz, Alexis, and Banner...we were the only ones who had the Spirit Keys left..." muttered Jaden, staring absently at Chazz's deck. "Bastion, Zane, and Crowler already had their keys taken long ago, so that means..."

"Only Jaden's left fighting?" gasped Syrus.

"No, not just Banner...But Alexis and Chazz, too?" spoke Chumley, feeling more frightened.

Gripping his own jacket and trembling nervously, Syrus cried out, "Jaden! Let's just focus on getting out of here, then! You need protection! If the seventh Shadow Rider gets you, it's all over! The bad guys will awake the Sacred Beasts and bring the end of the world! We gotta keep you safe!"

"No!" shouted Jaden, gritting her teeth as she stared straight forward; her shoulders tense. "There's no way I'm abandoning the Professor and the others! We gotta try and help out some way! If we can do that, maybe we can get them back!"

Being reminded of his friends in peril, Syrus quickly nodded. "Y-yeah! You're right! They do need our help!"

"That's why, if this is the seventh Shadow Rider, then obviously, I need to beat this guy in one final Shadow Game!" replied Jaden.

Even though his friends were right, Chumley still couldn't help but feel unsure. "Yeah, I know...but Jaden, you've only got the last Spirit Key left. If you go down, then the world's doomed, remember?"

Full aware of the tough consequences, Jaden was still raring to go. "Yeah! But still, if I do nothing, nothing's gonna change! And anyways, I can't help but feel excited! After all, this'll be the last battle between the Key Keepers and the Shadow Riders!"

---

In the Abandoned Dorm...

In another unknown room where darkness reside, the only living being happened to be the mysterious cloaked man, standing before a coffin. Smirking to himself, the cloaked man chuckled before declaring proudly, "Yes...All is according to plan! Now to deliver the bait to my precious alchemist! Jaden Yuki!"

With that declaration, in the center of the room laid the Mark of Amnael, which not only resided in the floor, but high above the Abandoned Dorm outside as well.

---

With Jaden and the others...

Piercing not only the skies, but dark clouds as well, the pillars of light barely reacted when the sky rumbled and lightning shot out from the clouds, targeting a tree close by the ground. The lightning bolt blasted most of the tree bark, causing it to slowly collapse right towards the group. Startled, the trio screamed when they saw the tree about to close in on them before scrambling out of the way, watching the tree crash into the lake water instead.

Even though they were safe from harm's way for now, the three of them were still a little shaken up. "Man, that was close!" said Jaden.

"Y-Yeah! No kidding!" agreed Syrus, hiding behind Jaden.

Their troubles weren't over quite yet, as lightning crackled from the spot where the fallen tree's remains were. A second later, the mysterious Mark of Amnael was shown before them clearly and in large form as well.

"That's the Mark of Amnael! The same one from the map!" cried out Chumley.

The Mark of Amnael disappeared from the tree remains before reappearing in a separate spot on the ground, then deeper into the forest so that Jaden and the others could see it clearly.

"It's like...it's like it's trying to lead us somewhere," spoke Syrus shakily.

Jaden took this as a good chance to find the culprit behind everything. "Then, let's go! If I'm right, this'll lead us to the seventh Shadow Rider! Are you with me, Syrus and Chumley?"

"Yeah!"

"R-right!"

With the enemy's help, Jaden and her friends had little to no trouble following the Mark of Amnael, which eventually led them to the Abandoned Dorm, the last thing that was on their minds with what's been going on.

Fearlessly entering inside, they roamed the halls and searched through the rooms, but they couldn't find a trace of the Mark of Amnael, much less Banner or the enemy. Still, there were a few signs of someone having wandered in here before them, such as the footprints and several doors opened that should have been closed.

Using their flashlights as light to wander the Abandoned Dorm, they reviewed the entire dorm but couldn't find a single clue as to where the enemy currently is. "Damn...just when I thought we were close...!" cursed Jaden. "Just where's the last Shadow Rider, anyways?"

BOOM! From outside of the broken windows, lightning crashed down; the sight and loud noise startling everyone. Well, it appeared the lightning scared Pharaoh the most because he squirmed out of Chumley's arms and rushed down a pair of staircases.

"Hey, isn't he going towards the basement where I first fought Titan?" wondered Jaden. Deciding to follow after the cat because he was really the only lead they had to finding Banner, the team tried to trail after Pharaoh, but eventually lost him through the midst of the darkness.

With their flashlights, it was much easier walking down the passageways, but they still had to be cautious. Soon, they spotted a pail that was laying on the ground with pink paint spread all over. From their right, the wall was broken down, providing another path that wasn't there before.

"Hey, look! Those small pink pawprints! They have to be Pharaoh's!" Chumley said. "I bet Pharaoh knocked over the paint by accident, stepped on the paint, and wandered over that path!"

"Good thinking, Chum!" complimented Jaden before stepping towards the broken wall pathway. "Let's go!"

The new passageway presented before them had a short path and before long, they were standing at the grand entrance. Behind the door were high chances of the seventh Shadow Rider being there.

Even though the final threat was right behind the door, Jaden couldn't help but be a little bit nervous. "H-hey, don't you feel like this is one of those final bosses' dungeons or something?"

"S-sure?" Even Syrus and Chumley were unsure as they hid behind Jaden and allowed her to go in first.

Gulping, Jaden kicked opened the door and jumped inside, hoping she had at least a good dramatic entrance. "Prepare yourself, Shadow Rider!"

Her efforts was for naught as it was dimly dark inside, but still enough for the others to see that the room appeared more of a...laboratory. Test tubes, large containers, and other experimental supplies surrounded the area, with the middle of the room being an entire clearing.

"Whoa...This place looks like a laboratory!" commented Syrus, moving his flashlight around until he came across something that made him shriek and nearly drop his flashlight. "EEEEK! W-W-W-WHAT IS THAT?!"

Turning their flashlights towards the direction Syrus saw, Jaden and Chumley were also freaked out that what they discovered was...a coffin.

"A-A mummy's inside?!" exclaimed Chumley.

"No, wait!" said Syrus. "Maybe there's a zombie! Or maybe, a real life dead person! Why would the seventh Shadow Rider have something like this?!"

"I bet it's some sort of weird fetish! Bad guys always have weird fetishes!"

Curious of the coffin, Jaden started to approach it, something her friends noticed and frantically advised her not to go near it. Ignoring their warnings for her own curiosity, Jaden grabbed hold of the coffin and used all of her strength to push the rocky coffin, managing to open it.

"Whoa...you guys were right, there is a mummy here!" gasped Jaden, examining the corpse inside. "Well, without the bandages, of course."

Shaken by the fact that their theory was right, Chumley and Syrus clinged onto each other for safety, not wanting to know what scary part would happen next. "S-S-so what now? We should go back!" cried out Syrus.

Noticing something amiss with the corpse, Jaden reached out a hand, not bothering to check behind her. "Hey, could one of you give me a flashlight? I wanna see the dead body."

Syrus cringed. "Why'd you have to go say it like that?! B-But fine! Here!"

After being handed the flashlight, Jaden found it easier to look at the corpse with the clear light, although the face was entirely unrecognizable. The clothes and height of the corpse, however, were awfully similar, and her thoughts on the person's identity were confirmed by the name tag.

Shocked, Jaden fell down and covered her mouth, resisting the urge to puke as her body rattled. No...the name tag was as clear as day and she couldn't imagine anyone else with the same name. She could barely hear her friends calling out for her, shaking her body and trying to get her to talk.

Finally, Jaden spoke the name of the corpse she identified. "I-It's Banner...That dead guy's Banner!"

"What?!" Checking out the corpse for confirmation, it didn't take long for Chumley and Syrus to find the name tag. They were as shaken up as Jaden was, but knew they couldn't lose faith, not when they've come this far!

"H-hey! This can't be Banner's corpse!" said Chumley, helping Jaden up on her feet. "I mean, he's only been missing for a few weeks! I read that corpses can only become in this state after many months later! There's no way he could have been in this state after a short while!"

Having calmed down a bit, Jaden wondered, "Then...how do you explain the body?"

"Maybe...maybe this was an effect from losing a Shadow Game?" suggested Syrus. "It's possibly that Banner looks like this, but he's just in a coma!"

The lights in the laboratory lit up, making it brighter for all occupants in the room to see clearly. "Welcome to my laboratory, Jaden Yuki and friends," welcomed the cloaked man from across the room. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the seventh Shadow Rider, Amnael. Prepare yourself!"

"What?! Amnael?!" exclaimed Jaden. "So...you've got to be the guy who took my friends away, didn't you?"

Amnael solemnly nodded, taking out an ancient, strange-looking book from his cloak. "I have dueled each and every one of them. They all had exceptional talent and were quite skilled, but even so, that was not enough to defeat me. Their overconfidence led to their demise."

"Hey, what about Professor Banner?! Were you the one who did him in?!"

"Unfortunately, you're wrong about that," corrected Amnael. "That mummy has been here for a very long time. But enough about that. More importantly, if you wish for me to answer all of your questions, beat me in a Shadow Game! Behold the power of the Emerald Tablet, composed of the very truths of this world!"

"What's a book supposed to do with anything?!" demanded Jaden.

"This Emerald Tablet is the ultimate item that should be in the possession of an ultimate alchemist. Jaden Yuki, this shall be your final test! Come!"

"Gladly!" agreed Jaden, stepping into the middle of the room as she got ready for a duel. "Bring it on, Amnael! Let's throw down!"

Taking off his hoodie, Amnael revealed to have white hair, which proved very little importance as he activated his duel disk. "You realize the risks of this Shadow Game, don't you?"

"Please, I've fought like, three of you Shadow Riders before! I can handle this not problem!" said Jaden confidently. "So get your game on!"

"DUEL!"

- DUEL -

Amnael - 4000 LP

VS

Jaden - 4000 LP

"Alright, time to throw down! Time to beat you Shadow Riders once and for all!" promised Jaden.

"We shall see who becomes victorious in this Shadow Duel," said Amnael, drawing his card. "For now, I activate the Continuous Spell card, Chaos Distill!"

A gigantic cauldron popped up right behind Amnael, pumping up something liquifying inside as smoke exited from one of the holes it had.

"What is that?" wondered Syrus.

"I...I've seen it in my Dad's factory before! It was something called a distillery!" commented Chumley. "I bet it's got something to do with alchemy!"

"Because of Chaos Distill's effect, anytime any of my cards go to the Graveyard, they are instead removed from play!" explained Amnael.

Confused, Jaden thought, 'Huh? What's the point of doing that?'

"And now, I shall activate another Spell card, Steel Lamp! This Spell card can only be activated when I have Chaos Distill on my field! It allows me to Special Summon Alchemy Beast - Salamandra the Steel from my hand or deck!"

A part of Chaos Distill opened up, bursting out fire that took form in a flare tornado for only a few brief seconds before dissipating. A steel-like dragonic creature emerged from the flames and roared loudly upon being summoned.

Alchemy Beast - Salamandra the Steel - (FIRE/Rock) - LV3 - (500/500)

"This Alchemy Beast cannot be Normal Summoned nor set, and while his Attack Points are very few, he can still wage a direct attack upon you, along with the rest of my Alchemy Beasts! And now I shall activate both Spell cards, Bronze Scale and Lead Compass, which will greatly help in Special Summoning Ouroboros the Bronze and Leon the Lead from my hand or deck!"

Two more creatures appeared from Chaos Distill, resembling a serpent-like snake with three eyes and a lion-like creature.

Alchemy Beast - Ouroboros the Bronze - (LIGHT/Rock) - LV3 - (500/500)

Alchemy Beast - Leon the Lead - (EARTH/Rock) - LV3 - (500/500)

"I'll set a card facedown and end my turn."

Jaden clenched her fists, staying focused on the duel as she was still a little startled by the sudden change in tides. "Three Monsters at the very start?!"

"When faced with my alchemy, not even your own style of dueling along with your past experiences will save you this time, Jaden!" spoke Amnael.

"We'll see about that! Draw!" said Jaden, drawing her card. "I summon Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"

Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"Bubbleman's special ability is about to kick in! See, if I have no cards on the field other than him, I get to draw two more cards! Alright! I equip Bubble Blaster onto Bubbleman, raising his Attack Points by 800!"

Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1200)

"Attack, Bubbleman! Bombaring Bubble Barrage!"

Responding to the name of his special attack, Bubbleman fired away, sending a barrage of bubbles towards one of the Alchemy Beasts, and given their attack power, they wouldn't stand a chance against the rushing water blast.

"I activate the Continuous Trap card, Elemental Absorber!" yelled Amnael. "This card removes 1 Monster card in my hand to negate an attack by a Monster by the same Attribute! And I choose to remove from play Aqua Spirit, a WATER Attribute Monster! And since I have chosen a WATER Attribute Monster, you can no longer declare attacks using WATER - Attribute Monsters!"

A strange device with four spikes appeared and activated, spinning around as a blue triangular-like symbol formed in front of it. It ceased spinning before one of the spikes glowed blue, causing a wall of water to sprout upwards and block Bubbleman's attack.

"My attack failed?!" gasped Jaden before gritting her teeth out of frustration. "I...end my turn."

"Good choice. My turn!" said Amnael, drawing his card. "Now, my Alchemy Beasts! Attack Jaden directly! Salamandra the Steel, you're up first! Crimson Fireball!"

Salamandra the Steel pulled his head back, prompting up some firepower of his own in the form of a fireball before releasing it towards Jaden. Once the fireball made contact, it burst into a pillar of flames, striking Jaden.

"And now it's your turns, Ouroboros the Bronze and Leon the Lead! Attack Jaden as well!"

Ouroboros unleashed a laser beam from his jaws as Leo fired a barrage of needles from his sharp quill fur. As if the fire attack wasn't enought, Jaden now had to deal with two other attacks, making an explosion from all three combo attacks while Jaden's Life Points depleted greatly.

Amnael - 4000 LP

Jaden - 2500 LP

"Oh no! Jaden's Life Points took a massive hit! And she didn't even get a chance to try and hit Amnael's own points!" cried out Syrus.

"Hang in there, Jaden!" cheered on Chumley. "He only has one card left, so if you can hold on for at least one more turn, you can counterattack next turn!"

Amnael laughed ominously at Chumley's "so-called advice." "Oh, you really believe so? Do not underestimate me! I am unlike other duelists! When faced against me and my alchemy, all common knowledge may as well be thrown out of the window! Now I shall activate the card in my hand, the Spell card, Black Process - Negledo! If I have no cards in my hand and Chaos Distill is still on my field, I can remove all Alchemy Beasts on my field, and for each removed Monster, I can draw two cards for each!"

The three Alchemy Beasts in Amnael's field combusted into flames before exploding one by one, leading Amnael's field defenceless of Monsters.

"You would give up three Monsters for a heavy cost like that?!" exclaimed Jaden.

Amnael gave a swift nod. "Of course. It is only natural for an alchemist. To receive is to give, and to give is to receive. Equivalent Exchange, I might add. You must give something and you will receive something of equal or more value. Because I removed six Alchemy Beasts, I can draw six cards! I shall now activate three Spell cards! Tin Spell Circle! Mercury Hourglass! And Silver Key!"

With the three Spell cards revealed, they all flowed into Chaos Distill, causing the machinery to spew up three new Alchemy Beasts of equal power, yet different elemental Attributes.

Alchemy Beast - Aretos the Tin - (WIND/Rock) - LV3 - (500/500)

Alchemy Beast - Ekenas the Mercury - (WATER/Rock) - LV3 - (500/500)

Alchemy Beast - Moonface the Silver - (DARK/Rock) - LV3 - (500/500)

"With this, I have Special Summoned Aretos the Tin, Ekenas the Mercury, and Moonface the Silver! Naturally, all three of these beasts possess the ability to attack you directly! I shall now end my turn!"

Knowing that the situation had just worsen in her favor, Jaden ignored that fact and decided to focus more on winning. "My turn now! I summon Clayman to the field in Attack Mode!"

Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"Next, I'll equip Clayman with the Equip Spell card, Mud Max! With this, Clayman's Attack Points rise by 300!"

A vehicle fit for Clayman flew straight down out of nowhere, prompting Clayman to leap onto him and ride across the battlefield and back to Jaden.

Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1100/2000)

"You may have stopped me from attacking with WATER Attribute Monsters, but not EARTH! Mow down Aretos the Tin, Clayman!"

"Not quite! I activate Elemental Absorber's effect!" said Amnael. "By removing The Rock Spirit, a EARTH Attribute Monster, from play, I can negate your EARTH Attribute Monster's attack!"

Elemental Absorber spun around once more, stopping once another spike lit yellow and a triangular yellow symbol appeared. Spiked rocks burst from underground, blocking Clayman's path as he was unable to proceed any further.

'Jeez, what's with this guy?! He's pretty good, but something's awfully suspicious of him!' she thought. 'It's like he knows my deck inside out!'

Sensing that Jaden was getting both irritated and suspicious of him, Amnael replied, "I know what you're thinking, Jaden. Your expression says it all. It's not surprising that I was able to counter your attacks, given the fact that our decks are quite similar. How? Well, you'll just have to find the answer for yourself!"

"...Fine, I'll end my turn!"

"Then, it's my turn!" said Amnael. "I activate the Spell card, White Process - Albedo! This can only be activated when I control Chao Distill! With that condition completed, I can now Special Summon Golden Homunculus from my hand or deck!"

Golden Homunculus - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV6 - (0/0)

"This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. However, his Attack and Defense Points are determined by multiplying the amount of my cards that have been removed by 300. I have 13 cards removed, so 13 x 300 = 3900 Attack and Defense Points!"

Golden Homunculus - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV6 - (3900/3900)

'Jaden Yuki...are you truly worthy for...'that' or not? This turn will determine it all whether you surpass my expectations or not!' Amnael thought. "Now, my Alchemy Beasts! Unleash your full power upon Jaden Yuki!"

Aretos the Tin, Moonface the Silver, and Ekenas the Mercury combined their attacks together just like the other three former Alchemy Beasts, creating a special wave of crescent slashes, flames, and a burst of water that struck Jaden directly.

Amnael - 4000 LP

Jaden - 1000 LP

"Jaden!" cried out Syrus and Chumley, increasingly worried for the battered up Jaden as she was down to one knee and clinging onto her chest for support.

"This is the end! Golden Homunuculus, attack Clayman with Golden Harvest!" commanded Amnael, raising his arm to initiate the attack.

Bringing his golden arms towards his chest to create an x, Golden Homunculus thrusted his arms forward, unleashing shards of golden glass from his body, resulting in a huge explosion once the rain of shards pelted through Clayman.

Lowering his arm, Amnael relaxed his shoulders. "It is do-What?!"

The smoke from the explosion vanished, but Jaden was still standing, along with Bubbleman and Clayman at her side, whom the EARTH Attribute Monster was supposed to be destroyed.

Smirking, Jaden said, "Sorry, but I'm still alive and kickin'! Wanna know how? Well, it's all thanks to Mud Max's effect! When Clayman is selected as an attack target, I can send Mud Max to the Graveyard to negate the attack! Sure, making Clayman lose 300 Points is a small cost, but the other effect of Mud Max is worth it! It also lets me Special Summon a Level 4 or below Elemental Hero from my hand! And I'm Special Summoning Avian to the field!"

Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"I see...to think you could have blocked my attack with that..." muttered Amnael. "I end my turn, then!"

"My turn! Draw!" said Jaden. "I'm summoning out Elemental Hero Burstinatrix!"

Burstinatrix - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (1200/800)

"I attack with Avian!"

Swooping towards the air, Avian rapidly flapped his winds, sending feather-like arrows towards one of the Alchemy Beasts.

To initiate a defensive move, Amnael quickly shouted, "I activate the effect of Elemental Absorber! I remove Garuda the Wind Spirit to not only negate your WIND Attribute Monster's attack, but to make it so none of your WIND Attribute Monsters can attack!"

Elemental Absorber whirled around its machinery once again, stopping once the spike lit green and a triangular green symbol appeared. A barrier of wind blocked the feather-like arrows, rendering them useless as they floated down to the ground.

"And because I removed Gardua the Wind Spirit, Golden Homunuculus' Attack and Defense Points increased by 300!"

Golden Homunculus - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV6 - (4200/4200)

"I'm not done yet!" yelled Jaden. "Burstinatrix, finish what Avian started!"

Pouring her firepower into a large fireball, Burstinatrix released a battle cry before tossing the fireball at one of the Alchemy Beasts.

Amnael wasn't quite finished as he held up a FIRE Attribute Monster card. "I remove Spirit of Flames to negate and cancel out anymore FIRE Attribute Monster attacks! Go, Elemental Absorber!"

When the machinery for the Elemental Absorber stopped, the final and fourth spike lit red with a triangular red symbol added in. A much stronger wall of fire sprung up and absorbed the flames of the fireball, negating the offensive assault.

"All four Attributes can't be used against him!" cried out Syrus. "What's Jaden gonna do?!"

"I dunno, Sy!" said Chumley. "The only Attributes left are LIGHT and DARK and I doubt Jaden can attack anymore now!"

Jaden smirked, revealing that she still wasn't quite finished. "Heh, if you thought that all I can do is play offense, you're wrong! There's more to my Elemental Hero deck than just attacking straight ahead! I activate the Spell card, Burst Return! While I have Burstinatrix on the field, all other Elemental Heroes return to my hand! Next up, a special Spell card called Burst Impact! Other than Burstinatrix, all other Monsters are destroyed, and you take 300 Points of Damage for each one!"

Spiral flames surrounded Burstinatrix in a sort of flame twister as she gathered immense heat power, charging up her power. Once fully charged, she placed all her energy into a single fireball; the red flames changing to the most hottest blue flames there is before she unleashed a massive explosion on the entire field.

Amnael - 2800 LP

Jaden - 1000 LP

"Yeah! Way to go, Jay!" said Chumley.

Syrus nodded. "It was a rough start at first, but Jaden pulled through like always!"

A meow sound surprised both spectators as they saw Pharaoh coming up to them. Confused, Syrus picked up Pharaoh, wondering if the tubby cat needed something. Raising his claws, Pharaoh slashed at Syrus' face, wishing to be released by the boy as Syrus shrieked and did so, covering his face in pain as he cried.

"OWWWW! MY FACE!"

"Pharaoh! Bad cat! Bad!"

Jaden ceased focusing when she heard the strange commotion from behind her. The source of the commotion zoomed past her as Jaden saw Pharaoh trotting up towards Amnael. "Ah! Pharaoh, no! That's a bad guy over there!"

Much to everyone's surprise, Pharaoh nuzzled his face against Amnael's leg, purring happily. Despite his pain, Syrus ignored such things and blinked at Pharaoh's strange behavior. "Huh? Pharaoh? What's he doing?"

"Yeah, Pharaoh's never acted that way towards a stranger before, much less a bad guy!" commented Chumley. "Aren't cats supposed to be good at sensing bad things or something?"

"...Ah. I knew that my secret would be out in my way, but oh well. Since you were going to learn who I was anyways, might as well reveal who I am right now," spoke Amnael before removing his mask with his very own hands.

Never in a hundred years would the others imagine that Amnael was someone they knew. Someone who had been missing for a while. It did connect together and would explain a lot of things, like someone who hasn't left the island, but remained hidden in the island. Yes...Amnael, in reality...

Is their beloved Professor Banner.

"HOW?!" exclaimed Jaden, glancing from Amnael, or Banner, or whoever she was dueling, to the corpse in the coffin. "I thought you were-That the Shadow Riders got you somehow and-But you were missing for so long-You couldn't have left the islan-Who is that in the coffin any-WHAT IS GOING ON?!"

Chuckling at Jaden's exasperation, Banner knelt down and stroked Pharaoh's fur. "To answer your previous question, that corpse is also me. I was brought back from the dead with the power of alchemy. It's amazing what alchemy could do, despite it not being well-known."

"Alchemy? He was really resurrected?" wondered Chumley.

"But...it's impossible to bring back the dead!" stated Syrus.

Knowing his students were naive, which couldn't be helped, Banner stood up with Pharaoh in his arms. "Oh, my children...You haven't even begun to handle half of the true mystery. But rest assured, it will all come towards you very soon."

Jaden was still confused after learning of the shocking revelation that Banner was both alive and dead. This was like something he once told her, something with the cat in the box and determining whether the cat is alive or not. Schrödinger's cat, was it?

"HOW?!" Jaden asked once again. "How and why?! The dead body and you! There is no way you can exist in two places at once!"

"Well, in order for all of you to better understand, I may have to start at the beginning," spoke Banner. "You see, my flesh was destroyed a long time ago. Thanks to the power of alchemy, my soul resides in this new body, very similar to my old, original one. Like you, Jaden, I was a very skilled duelist that grew powerful through each duel and experience. But at the same time, I was also originally an alchemist, traveling around the world not only to improve as a duelist, but also in search of the Philosopher's Stone."

"What's the Philosopher's Stone?" asked Jaden.

"It's a legendary jewel sought out by other alchemists such as myself. It contains the power to change all metals into gold, grant eternal youte, and even create medicine said to cure any disease, so you can imagine that it was a rare and valuable treasure. Consequently, history has shown people constantly searching for the stone and developing alchemy. I accept orders from someone and tried to find it as well."

"Someone?"

"Well, the minor details don't really matter, but it was someone from a real long time ago. Anyways, my search eventually led me to an lost tomb in some ancient deserts in Egypt. Like Pegasus, I discovered Duel Monsters on my own, but what I failed to realize was that the tomb I discovered was cursed, causing me to have an incurable disease! I still had much to do in the living world, so I entrusted my soul to a Homunculus, an artificial life-form created through alchemy."

"So...Professor Banner's body right now...is an Homunculus' body?" gasped Syrus, shocked.

Banner nodded, tapping his skin. Just the gentle tap of it was enough to form cracks all over his cheek. "Yes, well...this body is only temporary. It's starting to decay and reach its limits and it won't be long before I...succumb to it at last. But before that, I require the power of three powerful beings, the ones who supported my research."

"What? Three beings?" Jaden asked; her eyes widening. "Wait, are they-?"

"Yes, the three Sacred Beasts. If I had the power of all three of them, I would be able to create the Philosopher's Stone!"

Jaden's body started trembling, but not out of fear. More like quivering in sorrow and anger. All this time...Banner deceived her and her friends from the very beginning? Pretending to be nice just to gain power for himself? Were their memories together just...fabricated lies? The Professor...no, Banner, was just playing them at the palm of his hands?

Dipping her head down, Jaden appeared as though she was bowing to Banner, but in reality, she was just hiding her expression and face from the others. Her body was still quivering as tears dripped down, and it wasn't long before she started sniffling, but she did her very best to hide it.

"Jaden..." muttered Syrus sadly. He knew Jaden was trying to hold it in because right now, Banner was their enemy. But at the same time, he was...no, used to be their manipulative teacher. Still, if he was in Jaden's position, he'd probably react the same way.

Frowning, Banner knew that there wasn't anymore time to spare, so he placed Pharaoh down so that the cat could crawl away to safety. "We're resuming the duel!"

Jaden shook her head, glaring at Banner before wiping away her tears with her sleeve to hide any evidence of her crying. "No! I don't want to play anymore of your games!"

"I'm afraid you have no choice in the manner. You see, I still have your friends' soul in the Emerald Tablet. The only way to set them free is by defeating me! If you don't, I will use their souls as ingredients for my research! Think of this as your final exam for my class!"

Even though she hated this, she had no other choice but to cooperate. "Alright fine...I'll end my turn."

"Good choice! My draw!" said Banner. "I activate the Spell card, Chaos Greed! This can only be activated if I have no cards in my Graveyard while four or more of my cards are removed from play. I'm able to draw two more cards! I set both of them facedown and end my turn!"

Deciding to focus on the duel instead of her anguish, Jaden thought, 'Alright, Banner no longer has any cards, but with that Elemental Absorber out, I can't attack using FIRE, WATER, WIND, or EARTH Attribute Monsters! If that's the case...!' "My turn! I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two free cards! I summon Elemental Hero Clayman again to my field!"

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"Next, I equip the Equip Spell card, Clay Wrap, onto him and fuse him and Burstinatrix using Polymerization! I Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster!"

The thickly coated Clayman fused together with the hot-tempered Burstinatrix in one of their most commonly fusions ever; a combination of the two with a defensive Elemental Hero with some offensive as well.

Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2000/2500)

"Wait, why use Clay Wrap on Clayman if he's just going to go to the Graveyard for a Fusion Summon? Jaden could just easily fuse Clayman from his hand instead of wasting a precious Spell card!" said Syrus, confused.

Jaden nodded. "That's true, but there's a pretty good reason! See, if Clay Wrap is sent to the Graveyard, it has the ability to destroy a Spell or Trap card on my opponent's field! And I'm definitely choosing to destroy that annoying Elemental Absorber!"

Instantly, Elemental Absorber exploded, nearly causing Banner to fly back as he coughed from all of the smoke. "Very nice, Jaden! Nice combo! Truly a magnificent work of Fusion, since it is your absolute strong point!"

Jaden gritted her teeth, wanting to yell at the imposter before her not to act like her own teacher, especially since he betrayed her and the others. Still, now wasn't the time to argue, so she kept her mouth shut, but her anger visible.

Sensing her anger, Banner wasn't fazed about it one bit. 'Jaden, you certainly are young and growing, but you yourself do not know about the powers that lay dormant inside of you...a very dangerous power that I hope you will succeed in controlling one day.'

"Rampart Blaster! Blast this guy away!" shouted Jaden, allowing her Fusion Monster to open fire onto Banner.

Banner bellowed, "Even if you are strong, Jaden, there are traps which you must be cautious of! Behold, the fruits of all my research on alchemy! I activate the Continuous Trap, Macro Cosmos! By removing from play Chaos Distill, I can now Special Summon Helios - The Primordial Sun from my hand or deck!"

Rampaging out of control, Chaos Distill started shaking; the entire cauldron increasingly growing hotter as steam shot out. A bright light engulfed all of them, having come from Chaos Distill itself. When everyone regained full awareness, they realized they were no longer in the laboratory, but in outer space, possibly in the middle of the galaxy.

"W-where are we?" Chumley wondered.

"Aah! Outer space!" cried out Jaden, gripping her throat. "Can't...breathe...!"

Banner chuckled before reassuring her, "Do not worry. Our duel has descended into the cosmos and above the human world, but one of the benefits in a Shadow Game is that even if we are in space or underwater, we can breathe so long as we duel! Now, like I said before, since I already removed from play Chaos Distille, I can now Special Summon Helios - The Primordial Sun from my hand! And not only that, Macro Cosmos makes it to every card I sent to my Graveyard, it is removed from play instead!"

Helios - The Primordial Sun - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV4 - (?/?)

"Her Attack and Defense Points are equal to the number of Monsters I have removed from play times 100, and since there are 11 removed, she gains 1100 Attack and Defense Points!"

Helios - The Primordial Sun - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV4 - (1100/1100)

Soon after the appearance of Banner's new Monster, three planets grew closer to the field and visibly revealed a person inside each planet. In each planet, Chazz, Alexis, and Atticus were trapped inside, though Chazz appeared to be the only one of the three conscious as the other two were in a deep sleep.

"Chazz! Alexis! Atticus!" cried out Jaden. "What did you do to them?!"

"Simple, I dueled them and they lost," replied Banner. "What lies at the top is like what lies at the bottom, and what lies at the bottom is what lies at the top. These words are truth of the human world written in the Emerald Tablet! All things are created equal and connect to each other, conflicting with each other at times. People these days are too caught up with modern-age science to realize how much good alchemy can do! Of course, I would never expect a Slifer Red slacker like you to understand, Jaden."

"Hey!" shouted Jaden, feeling insulted. "In case you've forgotten, I've gotten ten times stronger than I was at the beginning of school!"

Grinning maliciously, Banner revealed, "It's a shame to tell you this, but all of your matches...were set up! Fixed so that YOU would win! Well, aside from your first duel with Zane, that is! All of this to make you feel stronger and gain experience! And it was all thanks to me!"

"What?!" Shocked at the new revelation, Jaden felt her heart drop suddenly. "You mean...all this time, I didn't win out of my own free will, but...? Why?!"

"So that you would gain a Spirit Key and face me eventually! I always love it whenever a newcomer thinks they're some hotshot, only to fall into despair at the depths and loss of reality!"

Gritting her teeth, Jaden tried her best not to break down and cry. Not only was Banner manipulating her and her friends, but he also rigged her duels?! Then, what was the point of all this?!

No, she couldn't think of something like that for now. Right now, she had to help out Chazz and the others because they were trapped in those stupid planet things!

"I don't know anything about magic or alchemy, except from video games, but all I want to do is free Chazz and the others, and if that means dueling you to set them free, then I'll do it!" declared Jaden.

"Excellent!" praised Banner. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Planet Alignment! This card can only be activate if I have Helios - The Primordial Sun out. If so, I can destroy all Monsters you control and inflict 300 Points of Damage to you!"

The force of the power was so powerful, space and the gravity waves surrounding them began to distort and get mixed up, causing Rampart Blaster to scream as the distortion was affecting her body before she exploded.

Banner - 2800 LP

Jaden - 700 LP

"I...set a card facedown and end my turn," said Jaden.

"My turn, draw!" Banner said. "I activate the Spell card, Yellow Process - Kitolenics! By sacrificing Helios - The Primordial Sun, I can now Special Summon Helios Duo Megistus!"

Helios Duo Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV6 - (?/?)

"For every Monster card removed from play, Helios Duo Megistus' Attack and Defense Points rise by 200 Points each! 12 Monster cards of mine have already been removed, so that's a total of 2400 Attack and Defense Points!"

Helios Duo Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV6 - (2400/2400)

"Take this! Solar Flare!"

Engulfed in flames, Helios Duo Megistus brought forth a tidal wave of flames downwards upon Jaden, who was stunned by the immense power the Monster contained.

"Heh, I'm not going down that easily! I play a Trap, A Hero Emerges!" shouted Jaden. "You have to randomly choose a card from my hand, and if it's a Monster, I'm allowed to Special Summon it!"

"Simple enough!" said Banner. "I choose the middle card!"

"Yahoo!" cheered Jaden. "Now I get to Special Summon one of my strongest Elemental Heroes, Elemental Hero Bladedge!"

Elemental Hero Bladedge - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

"Alright! Jaden's got a stronger Monster!" said Syrus.

"If this pulls through, Banner will have no more Monsters, and Jaden can win next turn!" commented Chumley.

Jaden smirked confidently, placing her hands on her hips. "Ha! Take that! Who's weak now?"

"Oh, you'll see," promised Banner. "But for now, I continue with my attack!"

Jaden's face fell. "Wait, what?!"

Defending against the sheering flames of hatred, Bladedge used his armed golden blades not only for defensive, but to fly through the flames. Once he saw an opening, he slashed through Helios Duo Megistus before flying back for safety, letting the Monster destroy in an electrical explosion.

Banner - 2600 LP

Jaden - 700 LP

"I activate the effect of Helios Duo Megistus," said Banner. "When destroyed, she can return to the field with 300 extra Attack Points!"

Helios Duo Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV6 - (2700/2700)

"I attack once more! Finish off Bladedge and exact your revenge on him!"

This time, Bladedge's defense couldn't withstand the more stronger flames of vengeance pouring from Helios Duo Megistus' powers, thus being utterly defeated as a result.

Banner - 2600 LP

Jaden - 600 LP

"I can't believe it! You made me take the bait!" accused Jaden. "So that's the reason why you didn't cancel your attack!"

Banner nodded. "But of course. It was a small loss to my Life Points, but well worth it. I end my turn!"

"My turn, then!" said Jaden. "I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman to the field in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"And because he's all alone on the field, his special ability kicks in and lets me draw two more cards! Now I activate the Spell card, Fusion Recovery! This lets me take out a Polymerization and a Fusion-Material Monster from my Graveyard to my hand! Now, I fuse Bubbleman and Avian to create Elemental Hero Mariner!"

One of Jaden's rarely called out Fusion Monsters zoomed upwards into space to reach onto the field. Appearing similar to a sea monster, yet holding the pride and ideals of a hero, the sea-loving Fusion Monster roared a triumphant cry before settling down for battle.

Elemental Hero Mariner - (WATER/Warrior/Fusion) - (1400/1000)

"Next, I'll set two facedowns and activate Mariner's effect! When I have any facedown Spells or Traps, I can unleash a direct attack on you! Go, Mariner! Attack him directly!"

Mariner pulled his arm back before thrusting it forward, using his gauntlet to release a sharp anchor-like weapon that stabbed at Banner. The wound wasn't there, but the pain definitely hit the spot for Banner as he grunted and winched in pain.

Banner - 1200 LP

Jaden - 600 LP

"Incredible...Truly, you are one of the finest Fusion users I've ever met!" complimented Banner. "You control Fusion naturally and its power flows in you in ways you've never imagined, and that would make you a top-notch alchemist!"

"What are you even saying right now?!" demanded Jaden, confused.

"It's simple, you take full advantage of your Fusion Monsters, strengthening them and using their potential to their full limits! Fusion is like alchemy! The Fusion-Material Monsters...just the correct combination will create a more powerful formula, just as alchemy is created through the correct properties! They're one and the same!"

"So...that's what you meant when you said I was like a strong alchemist?"

"Yes, exactly! To me, this duel isn't just a Shadow Game where we have to risk our lives, but also a duel to decide the ultimate alchemist! But it's not only me! Jaden, you must win as well, for your friends, correct?"

"Of course!" said Jaden. "That much, we can agree on! I end my turn!"

"My turn!" Banner said. "Helios Duo Megistus! Attack her Monster, now!"

As a scorching wave of fire headed towards Mariner, Jaden yelled, "Just in time! I activate my Trap, Mirror Gate! Mirror Gate switches control of the two Monsters that are in battle, so that means your strongest Monster is on my side!"

Like a mirror reflection, both Monsters had switched places despite one and the other not making a single step forward. Since Helios Duo Megistus was still firing her attack, it was aiming straight for the Mariner on Banner's side. If this worked, then Banner would literally and figurately be toast.

"Hmph! You didn't think I wouldn't anticipate that? You're wrong!" shouted Banner. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Grand Convergence! As long as I control Macro Cosmos, all Monsters on the field are destroyed and you get dealt 300 Points of Damage!"

All the Monsters on the field shattered and the gravity waves started to heavily affect Jaden's body. It was almost as if they were crushing her under their weight, her body nearly distorting, her eardrums screeching in pain, and her head feeling as though it was slowly ripping in two.

"Gh-! GAAAAAHHH!"

Banner - 1200 LP

Jaden - 300 LP

"And since Helios Duo Megistus has a revival effect, she comes back with 300 extra Attack Points!" reminded Banner.

Helios Duo Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV6 - (3000/3000)

"Now, attack once more!"

"Not so fast! I've still got a second trump card up my sleeve!" shouted Jaden. "I play the Quick-Play Spell, The Flute of Summoning Kuriboh! This Special Summons Winged Kuriboh from my hand or deck!"

Winged Kuriboh - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV1 - (300/200)

"On the turn that he's destroyed, I take zero damage! Well, it wouldn't have mattered anyways since he was in Defense Mode."

Impressed, Banner spoke, "You managed to save yourself this turn, but I'll come up with something next turn. I end my turn."

"My turn now!" Jaden said. "I summon Clayman in Defense Mode!"

Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"Then, I'll just set a card and end my turn!" 'That Helios Monster is really tough! Every time I beat her, she just keeps coming back, much more stronger than before! If I'm gonna win this, I'm going to have to deplete Banner's Life Points before he can destroy mine!'

"My turn!" Banner said before smirking. "This is it! If you thought Helios Duo Megistus was the only threat you had to face, you're dead mistaken! I activate the Spell, Red Process - Rubedo! This Spell sacrifices Helios Duo Megistus in order to Special Summon Helios Trice Megistus!"

Three Monsters resembling the one Helios Duo Megistus appeared, being as one Monster altogether.

Helios Trice Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV8 (?/?)

"Helios Trice Megistus' effect activates! For each card removed from play, they gain 300 extra Attack and Defense Points, and since 13 have long gone, they gain 3900 Attack and Defense Points!"

Helios Trice Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV8 - (3900/3900)

"Now attack her Clayman! Show no mercy!"

Three pillars of fire arose from each of Helios Trice Megistus' bodies before they all combined together to create a phoenix made of their fires, which soared and blasted through Clayman's defenses easily.

Covering her eyes from the bright shine from the fires, Jaden yelled, "I activate a Trap, Hero Signal! When an Elemental Hero is destroyed, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Elemental Hero from my deck! I Special Summon Sparkman in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

"Then I shall activate Helios Trice Megistus' second ability!" revealed Banner. "After they attack, they can attack once more if you control a Monster!"

"Wait, what?!"

The flames surged up from Helios Trice Megistus' anger and vengeance blocked out Jaden's surprised cry and wasted no time in burning Jaden's Monster to a crisp just as easily as they did with Clayman.

'Damnit, this is really bad!' thought Jaden. 'I don't have anything on my field, hand, or anything! If I don't win this, Chazz, Alexis, and Atticus will...No, everyone will...! I just...I just can't seem to find a way out of this!'

Unconsciously, Jaden had spoken Banner's name, but not just Banner, more towards the name she preferred to call him. "...Professor Banner, when you said stuff about me being a skilled alchemist just as I was a skilled Fusionist...I think you're mistaken about that. I don't have any cards, my field's empty, and I have no strategy."

As if sighing in disappointment, Banner gently spoke, "So...you think you are the same as you were a year ago?"

"Huh?" 'A year ago?' thought Jaden, recalling back to the events of her old days. Even seeing the spirit of Winged Kuriboh brought nostalgic memories back to her head. 'Yeah...it was pretty fun and I got to experience lots of things...but Professor Banner said that he fixed all those matches so that I would win. Doesn't that make me a pretty lousy duelist?'

Come to think of it, everything kinda connects right up to one point and Banner could be right about him fixing all her matches. After all, there was that one time with the trip to the Gravekeeper's place, so Banner could have used his Shadow Charm powers to easily arrange that. Plus, all of her duels were located in one place; Duel Academy, so Banner could have taken full advantage of his position as Slifer Red Dorm teacher to arrange everything so that Sheppard would have no choice but to recognize her as a powerful duelist. Then...what was the point of all her duels thus far?!

No, she couldn't think like that! Maybe...maybe that's why Banner told her that! Maybe his involvement in her duels was a lie, and he wanted her to think like that to doubt herself, to make her hesitant and lose this match! Besides, at this point, it didn't even matter whether her matches were fixed or not. Even if they were, Jaden still gained a lot of experience from her duels and made tons of friends, so that should be enough. In a way, making friends her style is, in a way, another way of making alchemy.

"You can do it, Jaden!" cheered Syrus, jumping up and down as he and Chumley had gotten Jaden's attention.

"Yeah, we believe in you! Put an end to this so we can save our friends!" said Chumley.

The constant reminder that their captive friends were still in peril brought Jaden to her full senses. That's right! She can't be thinking selfishly! She had to win this not only to prove to Banner that she was strong all this time, but also to save her friends. Now was the time to act and think later.

"Alright, my turn! Draw!" yelled Jaden, no longer hesitating to draw her card. "This is it! The miracle I've been waiting for! I activate the Spell card, Miracle Fusion!"

Even Banner was shocked at the reveal of a card even he's never heard of. "An unknown Fusion card?!"

Strong winds burst from Jaden's Graveyard as a new light emerged and shined upwards. The spirits of Clayman, Avian, Bubbleman, and Burstinatrix were shown momentarily before the four Elemental Heroes' powers were combined in a swirling vortex of power, fusing them altogether.

"Miracle Fusion...it's a special card that banishes Fusion Material Monsters from my Graveyard to in order to perfect the ultimate Fusion Monster that's about to be created! And the Monster I'm summoning is the ultimate Elemental Hero! Come, Elemental Hero Electrum!"

Forged through the fires of life, replenished by the refreshing waters, cooled from the breezy winds, and strengthened by the tough earth, a golden Elemental Hero emerged from the vortex, prepared to stop the evil before him.

Elemental Hero Electrum - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV10 - (2900/2600)

"Electrum's effect activates! When Fusion Summoned, all cards removed from play are returned to our decks and shuffled!"

"What?!"

Like Jaden said, both of their removed from play cards glowed and flew back towards their decks, shuffling automatically. This meant that without the power of the removed cards, Helios Trice Megistus' power would decrease significantly towards 0.

Helios Trice Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV8 (0/0)

"Go!" commanded Jaden. "Attack him directly! Elemental Majestery!"

Radiating an aura that was as powerful as the sun, Electrum's power from all four elements aimed for his targets with such passion and willpower. Instead of crying out in despair and loss, Banner was in awe not only from the appearance of Electrum and his power, but also from the full potential being proven and shown to him by his own student, Jaden Yuki.

Banner - 0 LP

Jaden - 300 LP

Winner: Jaden

Banner fell to his knees, having been weakened by the sheer force of Electrum's power and having reached his limits in his Homunculus' body. The Emerald Tablet fell out of his hands and the eye in the middle shattered, having lost its power from Banner's defeat.

With Banner's defeat, the six pillars of light also vanished and the prisoners trapped within the Emerald Tablet were released from their prison, returning to their current position from where they were defeated.

Despite everything he's done or said, Jaden still couldn't find it in her heart to hate the Professor she grew to admire and care for, even if their memories together were fake. "Professor Banner?"

Knowing he didn't have much time left, Banner decided to use the last of his final moments to confess everything he's done up until now along with his regrets. "Jaden...I'm so sorry..." he apologized sincerely. "I lied...about setting up those duels. You won and lost them fair and square. You truly have passed my test of overcoming your own limits...I said all of that horrible stuff to prepare and test you...not just for yourself, but for the true evil behind everything..."

Just as Jaden thought deep within. She knew deep down that Banner couldn't be some bad guy! And just like that, her wish came true when he began confessing. But it appears that he wasn't quite done, as he still had a lot more to say.

"The one who supported my research has gained an even stronger power...And too much power can corrupt and cloud one's mind, which is exactly what happened to him. The reason why I became a Shadow Rider was to stop him, who has now become evil and is planning to take over the world...I had to do all of this, and choose one potential student to fight against him and win...Because even I can't stand up against him, especially since I'm at my limits..."

Grimancing, more cracks formed around Banner's skin as he was slowly dispersing into dust. His strength was quickly leaving him, making his body as light as a feather, and soon he would be no more. Still, he mustered up the will to smile at his students, the ones who brought him joy for the past year.

"I'm truly sorry for everything I've put everyone through. Please listen to the request of a poor old man such as myself one last time," he pleaded, handing out the Emerald Tablet to Jaden.

"Professor?! But isn't this yours?!"

Banner shook his head, causing more cracks to appear on his neck. Croaking out his last words while putting up a smile to the bitter end, Banner spoke his final words.

"The only person left to avert this evil...is you, Jaden. I hope you find happiness...in the person you chose to love...'

With that, the former alchemist/professor/Shadow Rider known as Lyman Banner was no more as his body succumbed and turned to dust. Behind the trio, his corpse also collapsed into dust, leaving no trace of the professor except for his clothes.

"Professor!" sobbed Jaden, unable to hold back any of her tears any longer. Gripping the Emerald Tablet close to her chest, she fell to her knees and openly cried, not caring who heard him.

Seeing their friend cry made Chumley and Syrus cry as well. After all, all three of them had grown a bond with the silly and carefree professor, so it was hard to accept his death so suddenly, even if he was technically the enemy all along.

Unknown to any of the three, Pharaoh was playing around with a ball of light he found floating upwards from Banner's clothes, He kept at it until he swallowed the ball of light into his mouth.

Sniffling, Jaden wiped away her tears and tried to stand up, knowing she was still crying. Even though all seven Shadow Riders are long gone and defeated, there was still that threat Banner kept warning her about, and she knew that from his last words that this wasn't over yet.

---

Skit: Nenenenenenene

"Nenenenenenene..."

"Jaden, what are you doing?" questioned Chazz, noticing Jaden pretending to sneak around.

"It's my own theme song when I wanna be a spy!"

"And why are you thinking that now?"

"Because I feel like one! We're searching for Banner, aren't we?"

"Spying and detective work are two different things!"

Ignoring Chazz, Jaden proceeded to have her fun. "Nenenenenenenenenene..."

"Seriously, quiet down! I'm trying to concentrate!" scolded Chazz.

Syrus snickered and decided to join in on the fun. "Nenenenenenenenenene..."

"Hey, both of you! Shut up!"

Chumley couldn't help but also participate, causing all three Slifer Reds to resound at the same time. "Nenenenenenenenenenene..."

"Gah! Screw it! We're taking a break! I'm going to that tree to think more!"

"Okay! Nenenenenenenene..."

---

Skit: Unexpected Hero

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" cried out Jaden, hopping forward on one foot. "Time out! Time out! Leg cramp! Leg cramp!"

"Huh?" Chazz stopped and turned around.

"Just gimme a minute! Ow, ow, ow!"

"We don't have time! Just drag your leg and-" Come to think of it, a leg cramp could be the best excuse so that Chazz could carry Jaden bridal style! Then, she might notice how admirable and handsome and cool he is and might like him and-

"Thanks, Chumley!" thanked Jaden, being carried piggy back style onto Chumley's back.

"No problem! You being light and being as flat as a pancake really helps!"

"I will hurt you!" yelled Jaden, practically throwing Chumley's head back and forth. While Chumley understood Jaden's anger from his teasing, he couldn't get why Chazz was glaring at him like he wanted to fire laser beams from his eyes.

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Skit: Regrets and Popsicles

The spirit of Banner, contained in the form of a ball of light, managed to escape Pharaoh and floated above, glancing over his students as they were grieving over his dead bodies. He couldn't exactly comfort them as he was a spirit, but he could watch over them before he headed towards the afterlife.

"Poor Banner!" sobbed Jaden. "We never did get the chance to tell him all the bad things we did behind his back!"

...What?

Now this was starting to get interesting for the former teacher. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to stay a bit longer.

"Like...Like how I sometimes take fried shrimp from his lunchbox and add it to mine!"

Okay, that was bad, but Banner was sure that Jaden learned her lesson.

"And how I stuff veggies in his own food secretly whenever he wasn't looking! Especially in his meatloaf!"

No wonder it tasted off that time!

"And how I thought he was a girl dressed as a guy because of his long hair!"

Truth be told, Banner had no idea why he never bothered to get a haircut to begin with if his hair kept being in the way despite being tied.

"I have a confession too!" cried out Syrus and Chumley, thinking they might as well confess as well. "We did so many horrible things! We messed up his laundry, accidentally got Pharaoh to catch fleas and even intruded in his room! We were even planning to pin the blame on Chazz! We're sorry!"

'I GAVE YOU POPSICLES!' Thought Banner, horrified at their actions before being swallowed up by Pharaoh once again.

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This was so long! Read and review! Oh, and one more thing! Remember the Valentine's Day chocolate foreshadowing I mentioned before? If you haven't figured it out by now, I'll tell ya!

Banner's chocolate, or rather his behavior when devouring it was somewhat inhumane, as you can tell that whenever Jaden tried to cook a perfect chocolate, it always went wrong. And when she purposely tried to make it worse, she ended up making it better, with an example for Crowler.

Anyways, most people wouldn't dare think of eating her chocolate, but Banner did, not for the taste, since he probably can't taste much since he was in an Homunculus form. Sure there were minor side effects, but Jaden unknowingly made a chocolate that extended her teacher's life a little. Plus I already hinted he was in a lab, which was the same room Jaden and him dueled, so you know.