Jaden: What's going on?
The whole island rumbled as seven stone pillars rose from the ground in the forest.
Michael: If I had to guess, I'd say the spirit gates just opened.
Suddenly, the spirit keys glowed and began pulling against Chazz, forcing him to run into the forest.
Alexis: Chazz, where are you going?
Chazz: I don't know. It's like these keys have a mind of their own.
Jaden: Then take them off.
Chazz: I would if I wasn't busy!
Michael: After him!
They all chased after Chazz, who wound up running face-first into a tree, the keys tearing free from their cords and flying into the pillars.
Zane: They were absorbed into them?
Jaden: They're opening up all the spirit gates!
Alexis: What did you do Chazz?
Chazz: It's not my fault!
Lily: You're the bonehead who stole the keys!
Just then Sheppard and Crowler ran up to the group.
Shepperd: Children!
Crowler: What's happened?
Michael: Chazz stole the keys and dueled Alexis wearing them, and now the spirit gates are opening.
Shepperd: Chazz did what?!
Chazz: It was in the name of love Chancellor.
The ground began to shake again as a black metal cube rose out of the ground before it ejected three cards which hovered above it.
Jaden: Are those the-
Michael: Sacred Beast cards.
SR Boss: Those cards do not belong to you.
A plane flew overhead before it opened its cargo bay, dropping a large metal object. It parachuted down to the ground, revealing a withered old man inside a life support tube.
Shepperd: It can't be!
Jaden: What is it Chancellor?
Shepperd: That's Kagemaru, the school superintendent!
Kagemaru: That's right, and now I've returned for my Sacred Beast cards.
Jaden: Not so fast test tube.
Michael: If you want those cards, you'll have to go through us first.
Kagemaru: I plan on it. You see, in order to unlock the power of these cards, I required an enormous amount of duel energy, energy you amassed protecting the keys from my Shadow Riders. All I need to do is defeat the two of you in a duel, and I shall rule the world.
Michael: Well it won't be easy. After all, it'll be god card against god card.
Kagemaru: I'm well aware that you hold the Wicked God cards, but you will fall before me just the same.
Michael: We'll see about that.
Syrus: Jaden catch!
He threw Jaden his back pack and he pulled out his duel disk, causing Banner's Emerald Tablet to fall out. When he bent over to pick it up, Jaden noticed a card sticking out.
Jaden: Banner must've left this card behind for me. Okay, I'll put it in my deck.
Michael: We won't let you walk away with those cards Kagemaru.
Jaden: You got that right. Let's bring him down Michael.
Michael: Right.
Kagemaru: I shall set the terms for this duel. You shall both hold 4000 life points while I hold 8000. Additionally, you two shall take your turns one after the other, and I shall have the first turn.
Michael: Fine.
Jaden: Sounds good to me.
All: Let's duel!
Jaden: 4000 LP
Michael: 4000 LP
Kagemaru: 8000 LP
Kagemaru: I draw. I shall start by placing three trap cards face-down on my field.
Chazz: What in the heck? Why would he tell them he just set three traps?
Kagemaru: This is the condition for summoning the first Sacred Beast. I sacrifice my three trap cards to summon Uria, Lord of Searing Flames in attack mode.
Level 10/Divine/Divine-Beast
ATK & DEF 0
Bastion: No attack points? What good is a monster like that?
Kagemaru: Uria gains 1000 attack and defense for every trap card in my graveyard, and I just so happen to have 3.
Uria: ATK/DEF 0-3000
Kagemaru: With that, I end my turn.
Jaden: My move! And I summon Elemental Hero Burstinatrix in defense mode!
Level 3/Fire/Warrior
ATK 1200/DEF 800
Jaden: I'll place one card face-down and end my turn. My face-down is Mirror Gate, so if he attacks with Uria, I can play this card and take control of it.
Michael: I draw. And I play the spell Bronze Knights. This card lets me discard any number of cards I have in my hand to summon an equal number of Bronze Knight tokens to my field in attack mode, so I'll discard three cards.
Knight Tokens
Level 1/Earth/Warrior
ATK & DEF 500
Kagemaru: Such weak monsters don't stand a chance against my Sacred Beasts.
Bastion: He's right. With only 500 attack points, they can't defeat Uria.
Michael: They don't need to. First, I activate the effect of the Card of Compensation I discarded to activate Bronze Knights. When this card is sent from my hand to the graveyard, I draw 2 cards from my deck. And now I sacrifice my tokens to summon the Wicked Eraser in defense mode!
Level 10/Divine/Divine-Beast
ATK & DEF ?-1000
Alexis: Alright, he summoned one of his god cards.
Lily: Maybe, but with only 1000 attack and defense points, it doesn't stand a chance against Uria.
Zane: But Kagemaru can't attack it.
Syrus: Why not Zane?
Zane: The Wicked Eraser holds an effect that when it's sent to the graveyard, all cards on the field go with it.
Chumley: But wait, why didn't he discard it to use his Bronze Knight spell?
Chazz: Duh, because all of Jaden's cards would've gone to the graveyard too.
Michael: I place one card face-down and end my turn.
Kagemaru: My turn. I draw. And now I activate Uria's special ability, Trap Destruction!
Uria roared, sending out a shockwave that destroyed Jaden's trap card.
Jaden: What just happened?
Kagemaru: Once every turn, Uria's special ability allows it to destroy a face-down spell or trap on my opponent's field, and spells and traps cannot be activated in response to its effect. Now, attack Burstinatrix with Hyper Blaze!
Uria charged a fireball in its mouth before firing it at Burstinatrix, vaporizing her on the spot.
Alexis: Jaden!
Chumley: At least since Burstinatrix was in defense mode, Jaden didn't take any damage.
Chazz: Yeah, but now he's got nothing on his field to protect him.
Kagemaru: I place one card face-down and end my turn.
Jaden: My move! And I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman!
Level 4/Water/Warrior
ATK 800/DEF 1200
Jaden: And due to his special ability, since I control no other cards, I can draw 2 more cards. And now I play Polymerization and fuse Bubbleman, Avian, and Sparkman to summon Elemental Hero Tempest in attack mode!
Level 8/Wind/Warrior
ATK & DEF 2800
Kagemaru: But with only 2800 attack points, he's no match for Uria.
Jaden: Which is why I'm not done. I play the field spell Skyscraper! While this card is out, Elemental Heroes gain 1000 attack points when they battle monsters who are stronger than they are.
Tempest: 2800-3800 ATK
Jaden: Now show him who's boss with Chaos Tempest!
Kagemaru: 7200 LP
Jaden: I place one card face-down and end my turn. Let him have it Michael.
Michael: You bet. I draw. I summon Blockman in defense mode.
Level 4/Earth/Rock
ATK 1000/DEF 1500
Michael: Now Wicked Eraser, attack Kagemaru directly! Wicked Inferno Cannon!
Kagemaru: I play the spell Command Silencer, which will cancel your attack and allow me to draw one card.
Alexis: That's weird. If he had a card like that, why didn't he play it to stop Jaden from destroying his monster?
Chazz: Like I'm gonna know.
Atticus: I'm guessing we'll find out why soon.
Michael: I place one card face-down and end my turn.
Kagemaru: My turn, I draw. And I discard a trap card from my hand to activate the effect of Uria from my graveyard.
Suddenly, a pillar of flames shot up behind Kagemaru.
Chazz: Don't tell me.
Bastion: There's no way.
Kagemaru: Be reborn, Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!
Michael: It can revive itself?
Zane: And what's worse is that with another trap in the graveyard, it gains 1000 more points.
Alexis: Which means if they don't stop it soon, Jaden and Michael will be in the graveyard next.
Kagemaru: Uria, attack Tempest with Hyper Blaze!
Uria shot a fireball at Tempest that reduced him to ashes.
Jaden: 3800 LP
Jaden: I play Tempest's special ability! By sending a card on my field to the graveyard, his destruction is cancelled.
Kagemaru: Very well. I end my turn.
Jaden: Alright then, I draw! And I play the spell Pot of Greed! So I can draw 2 more cards from my deck. And now I play the spell Heated Heart, which pumps up Tempest's attack by 500 for one turn.
Tempest: 3800-4300 ATK
Jaden: Now attack Uria!
Kagemaru: 6900 LP
Jaden: I end my turn.
Michael: Which means I'm up, so I draw! And now I play my face-down card, the trap Pyro Clock of Destiny. This trap lets me move the turn count on our duel forward by one.
Syrus: What would Michael need to play a trap like that for?
Zane: For his Blockman.
Chumley: What are you talking about?
Bastion: Blockman holds a special ability that allows you to sacrifice it to summon a number of tokens equal to the number of your turns that it's been on the field. Since Michael played Pyro Clock, it's technically been on the field for three turns.
Michael: Which means I can sacrifice it to summon three tokens in defense mode.
Level 4/Earth/Rock
ATK 1000/DEF 1500
Michael: And now I sacrifice my three tokens to bring out my second Wicked God, The Wicked Dreadroot!
Level 10/Divine/Divine-Beast
ATK & DEF 4000
Lily: But due to its special ability, Tempest's attack and defense will drop since it's a warrior type monster.
Tempest: 2800-1400 ATK/DEF
Michael: I place one card face-down. Now Dreadroot, attack Kagemaru directly!
Dreadroot raised its fist and struck Kagemaru's tank, pushing it back a few feet.
Kagemaru: 2900 LP
Michael: I'll switch Eraser to defense mode and end my turn.
Kagemaru: I draw.
Michael: And I activate the trap DNA Surgery. This trap lets me declare one type, and as long this card is on the field, all monsters on the field will be treated as that type, and I choose Divine-Beast.
Chumley: Liscious! Now Jaden's monsters won't be affected by Dreadroot's special ability.
Kagemaru: I activate Uria's special ability. I discard Jar of Greed from my hand to revive him, and then I activate my Pot of Greed to draw 2 more cards.
Jaden: I don't like where this is going.
Kagemaru: Then you definitely won't like this. I activate the field spell Fallen Paradise, which means your Skyscraper is being torn down.
Alexis: Now Jaden's monster is a sitting duck.
Kagemaru: I activate the effect of Lost Paradise. As long as I control a Sacred Beast, I am allowed to draw an additional two cards every turn. And now I shall place three spell cards face-down.
Jaden: Three spells? Another Sacred Beast?
Kagemaru: I see that despite your grades you are a quick learner. I sacrifice these three spells to summon Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!
Level 10/Divine/Divine-Beast
ATK & DEF 4000
Zane: He has two out now?!
Chazz: Definitely not good.
Atticus: Understatement of the year Chazz. Both those monsters have enough attack points to mop the floor with Jaden, which will leave Michael by himself.
Kagemaru: Now Hamon, destroy Tempest with Cerulean Skyfire!
His monster fired a beam of blue energy into the sky before a massive thunderbolt struck Tempest, annihilating him on the spot.
Jaden: 2600 LP
Kagemaru: And now Hamon's special ability activates. When he destroys a monster in battle, you take 1000 points of damage. Strike Jaden with Lost Thunder!
Another thunderbolt dropped from the sky and hit Jaden, causing him to fall to his knees.
Alexis: Jaden!
Syrus: Are you alright?
Jaden: I'll be alright.
Jaden: 1600 LP
Ojama Yellow: Help us boss.
Chazz pulled out his cards and saw they were beginning to fade away.
Chazz: What's happening to my cards?
Everyone else looked at their decks and saw the same thing was happening to their cards.
Alexis: What's going on?
Kagemaru: The Sacred Beasts feed on dueling energy. Not just from the players, but from the very cards themselves.
Zane: That's why they were locked away. They have the power to destroy every card on the planet.
Bastion: But wait, why aren't Michael and Jaden's cards affected?
Kagemaru: Jaden's dueling spirit is beyond all of yours, and Michael is protected by the Wicked Gods. Once they are defeated, I will take Jaden's dueling spirit, allowing me to harness the Sacred Beasts and rule the world.
Energy from the Sacred Beasts began to pour into Kagemaru, restoring his body to a youthful state. He smashed through the glass and exited the machine, grabbing his duel disk off of it.
Shepperd: I don't believe it!
Jaden: This is the power of the Sacred Beasts?
Kagemaru: If you think that's impressive, just watch this.
He turned to the machine and threw it like it weighed nothing.
Chazz: No way!
Kagemaru: I like this new body, but something's still missing. That's right, it's your soul Jaden, now let's finish this!
To be continued…