Yu-Gi-Oh! Generation Fusion!

by Autismo555

A masked man, known as the Controller, has plucked the major focal points of Duel Monsters history and gathered up the biggest villains from each timeline to destroy the history of Duel Monsters itself! Now with the help of their friends and allies, Yugi Muto, Jaden Yuki, Yusei Fudo and Yuma Tsukumo join forces to prevent the threat from destroying the game they love!

13. The Underworld Mage! (Part II)

Hi, guys!

Sorry I'm late, but things have been busy here on my end!

I got a job as a dishwasher in a cafe, so I'm working from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, nine a.m. to four p.m., cleaning dishes and running them through. I had to work a few weekends too, and that cut my time with myself and my mom down significantly. If you think that's busy, then wait! There's more! I just started my new semester in college, so any free time I have with this story has been cut down, too. I won't be done with this class until December (which isn't too far away, all things considering how fast the time flies), so any free time I have from my studies, I'll work a bit on my story.

I'm actually thinking of splitting each chapter into two parts, like how they separate the two halves of a single episodes to reduce the waiting time. I'll have to remember that soon.

Also, how about those Legendary Duelist packs, huh? Those new 'roids', 'Cyberdarks', 'Red-Eyes', 'Amazoness', 'Bonding' and 'Umi' cards inspire me greatly for cards to be used in this fic in later dates, and giving the upcoming second pack which includes the new 'Eyes Restrict' archetype plus additional support for the 'A-to-Z', 'Armed Dragon', 'Ancient Gear', 'Rainbow Dragon' archetypes, as well as the Bandit Keith DARK Machine monsters and Weevil Underwood's Insect monsters, I'm really looking forward to using them later on. But for right now, I'm focused on getting this chapter published to tell you all I'm not on hiatus. Just busy is all.

Anyway, here's the second part to the Duel between Jaden/Yubel and the High Mage Zamar.

Hope you all enjoy!

From your friendly neighborhood Yu-Gi-Oh! lover!
~Autismo555

---

It was dark all around Jaden.

He wouldn't know that because he was asleep.

He wouldn't know that he was asleep because his mind was sent to the Shadow Realm.

His entire mind felt like he was adrift in a peaceful sleep, cradled in the comforting embrace of the darkness like it was one universal-sized mattress. His body had been put at ease through the High Mage's hypnotic music, like he was put into stasis while his nerves and muscles rejuvenated themselves by the minute. There was no possibility of Jaden able to be woken up by an outside party. The ancient Egyptian magic of hypnosis was strong; able to slip anyone or anything within the hearing range of that mesmerizing melody was definitely a magic to be reckoned with, and only people of equal magic or higher would be able to break it.

It was at that moment that in the middle of his hypnosis-induced nap, Jaden's eyes suddenly slammed open, revealing a pair of glowing yellow irises within them.

And with it, Jaden jolted up from his slumber, feeling a lingering shock to his nerves and breathing heavily like he just had some kind of night terror. After a moment when his nerves finally settled, Jaden's yellow eyes returned to their natural brown coloration, as well as the state of weariness they were in like he had just woken up from a three-hour night's rest, struggling to stay awake. His eyelids drooped heavily halfway over his eyes, so Jaden was basically half-asleep and half-awake.

"Huh? Hey, what's going on? What's happening to me? How did I get here?" the former Slifer Red asked no one in particular.

Then his eyes widened up fully, and all he could see was pitch black with mixed swirls of violet all over the area.

"And where in the world am I!?" Jaden screamed, his voice echoing off into nowhere. "Correction. Make that, where out of the world did I get here!?"

Jaden shot up to his feet and looked around his surroundings. The ground he stood on was as solid as Duel Academy's tile floors. The shadowy space looked like it stretched on for eternity, almost like a little pocket dimension compared to the endless Void. And somewhere, in this endless plane of lightless dark creeping everywhere he looked, Jaden was standing alone, wondering exactly where he was and trying to remember how he got there in the first place.

"Oh, man, this looks like it goes on forever," Jaden commented. "How did I even get here? All I can remember before is I was Dueling this creep who took my 'Kuriboh' and then..."

The sudden rush of memories smacked him in the head like it was a wave splashing him during a high tide. Images of his Duel against his latest opponent, the High Mage of the Underworld, Zamar, flashed through his head, when he was subjected to Zamar's initial Zombie Burn/Beatdown combination that he managed to steer his way around so quickly. Then, when Zamar Ritual Summoned "Anubian, the Spirit Piper" that infernal flute music somehow made him drowsy that Zamar's suggestions reverberated through his head like an echo before he blacked out.

"Oh no, that's right! I was Dueling Zamar because he used his hypnosis magic to take away my Winged Kuriboh! And while he was hypnotizing me, he told me that my mind was going so deep into the dark that not one little speck of light can reach it!" Jaden gasped when the realization sunk in. "If that's true, then Zamar must've sent my mind to the Shadow Realm! Oh no! If I'm down here, then I might've lost the Duel by forfeit! Tristan could be in trouble! I can't get Kuriboh back! Worst of all, if I lose, then I'll disappear into the Void!"

Then it occurred to him. "Hey, hold on. If I'm here, then that means I'm not disappearing, am I?" Jaden asked himself. "So how am I still here?"

From above in the darkness, a little orb of light descended towards Jaden, with movements comparable to a falling leaf or a falling snowflake.

"Hey, what's that?" Jaden asked as he got closer to the ball of illumination.

The orb hovered in place when the former Slifer Red got close enough. Upon closer inspection, the orb's illumination dissipated, revealing a certain brown-haired Fairy with white wings.

"Kuriboh?" Jaden asked, recognizing his chirping friend. "Aw, man alive, am I glad to see you!"

Winged Kuriboh happily cheeped, bouncing in the air with his little wings.

Something at the back of Jaden's mind nagged at him. "Hold on a minute, something's not right here. The last time I saw you, your mind was taken over by Zamar's hypnosis magic. So how are you here?"

Suddenly, Winged Kuriboh's face melted from a gentle, friendly spirit to a twisted and evil apparition. Kuriboh's ovular yellow eyes was twisted to monstrous red eyes, his angelic white wings grew demonic black, and fangs grew from behind his brown fur. Jaden drew back a couple of steps, frightened by the appearance of the fiendish spirit as he expanded two sizes from his original size, fangs widening up to chomp his latest victim.

"Wah! You're not Kuriboh at all!" Jaden yelped as he jumped out of the path of the clamping jaws. With a spring in his step, Jaden sprinted ahead into the endless darkness, pursued by the evil ball of fur.

"Talk about living your worst nightmare! First my mind is trapped in the Shadow Realm, now my Winged Kuriboh is trying to eat me!" Jaden screamed, pushing every bit of strength in his legs to escape the wicked Winged Kuriboh. "If I don't see every one of my monsters that isn't trying to destroy me, then it'll be too soon!"

Jaden suddenly stopped at the sight of six of his Main Deck "Elemental HEROs", all of them standing as high as a four-story building, looking down on their owner with disgust and superiority. "Elemental HERO Neos" headed the sextet of titans, followed by "Avian", "Burstinatrix", "Clayman", "Sparkman", and "Wildheart". Their colors, once bright and vibrant outside of the Shadow Realm, took on a darker tint which all gave Jaden another reason to cower before them.

"Uh-oh! I guess I spoke too soon after all!" Just as Jaden gawked at the enormous "Elemental HEROs", "Neos" lifted his right foot in preparation to stomp him.

The Slifer Red quickly caught on to his ace monster's intentions and quickly jumped away just as "Neos" brought his foot down in a earth-shattering stomp.

"Hey, 'Neos', what gives!?" Jaden yelled. "After all that we've been through together, you picked now of all times to play Benedict Arnold with me!?"

Another raised foot from the celestial-born giant answered that for him.

"Yikes! Poor choice of words!" Jaden yelled again as he sprinted away from the foot before it crashed down on him.

The gigantic "Burstinatrix" gathered a ball of red fire in each of her hands and threw them down towards Jaden, both of them not hitting the boy but making the ground explode where the shockwaves sent him flying forward. Taking advantage of the hang time, "Avian" flapped his wings and sent Jaden flying along the unexpected air current while "Clayman" and "Wildheart", using the former's masoned fist and the latter's unsheathed sword, struck at the dark ground, created a fissure which jutted rock formations from the foundations, making Jaden's landing all the more painful.

A crushing pain spread through his spine as Jaden his his back against the wall of a risen earth. "Oh, I'm gonna feel that one in the morning."

Jaden was thoroughly crippled by the attack. He couldn't move much as he laid on the floor, well aware of the approaching giants but unable to run away from them.

"Really, you guys? You're gonna stomp a guy while he's down?" Jaden asked the gigantic versions of his "Elemental HEROs", joined in by the demonized Winged Kuriboh.

"I should've expected this much," Jaden whimpered, looking up into the darkness above. "If there's somebody out there who can hear me, then please help me! I don't think I can last here much longer!"

The pleas of the former Slifer Red rang out in the seemingly endless plane of darkness.

Actually, Jaden was trapped deep within the recesses of his mind, his existence minute in the pupil of his eye, and the color of his eye's iris was glowing red.

-ELSEWHERE-

Turn 6: High Mage Zamar (1600)

Hand: 1

The chamber in the Underworld Temple felt far scarier than it did before.

Every Duel Monster Spirit currently inside watched the Duel unfold in a new cowering horror.

Tristan watched with shock when the Duel took a new frightening turn, and he didn't know if it was for better or for worse.

And the man who was responsible for it all, the High Mage of the Underworld, Zamar was facing off against his young opponent - no longer the same opponent who called him out to Duel - but the shadow creature who was taking control of his body. All it ever took was a few hypnotic suggestions to knock the human named Jaden Yuki out, and in turn, his body was now a like a puppet, the strings pulled by a feminine-sounding Fiend with heterochromic red and green eyes with a third single diamond-shaped eye melded onto his forehead.

The match was even. Each of the Duelists's Life Points were at 1600. On Zamar's field, he controlled "Anubian the Spirit Piper" (2800/2600), an old, decaying Zombie-Type Ritual Monster who was also responsible for the emergence of Jaden Yuki's Spirit Partner taking possession of his mortal husk. The skeletal flute that it played took control of the mind of "Winged Kuriboh" (300/200) whose eyes were as lifeless as a doll. On the other side of the field, his opponent had two face-down cards Set in his Spell & Trap Card Zones, both of them Traps ready for him (or her) to spring against him.

"So, Zamar, you wanted to see the power I kept hidden within me?" an unnatural feminine voice spoke through Jaden's mouth. "Well, here I am."

Tristan reluctantly called to his possessed friend. "Jaden, is that really you?"

"Jaden" responded by turning to his friend. "No, Tristan, Jaden is too deep in his subconscious to hear you now. I am Yubel, the Spirit Partner who Jaden fused into his soul."

Tristan raised his eyebrow with curiosity. "You're a spirit that's fused to Jaden's soul? How is that even possible?"

"It's a long story, Tristan, so allow me to break it down to a few key points," Yubel said. "In my time, I tried to fuse the Twelve Dimensions together under the influence of the Light of Destruction, and my own delusions that Jaden abandoned me in my card form as a child. I sought to bring him back to me to the Duel Monsters Spirit World so I would have my revenge for being discarded like I was a worthless card, but after he fused his spirit and mine, I was free from the Light of Destruction and now all of my power has resided in this body since then."

"I guess that makes a bit more sense, but it's still a bit hard for me to swallow," Tristan said. "Is it possible for a Duel Spirit to use their owner's body like a timeshare?"

"Your friend Yugi shares the same vessel with the spirit of the Pharaoh through the Millennium Puzzle," Yubel pointed out. "Perhaps that is self-explanatory enough?"

Tristan grew a gigantic sweat drop, signifying him being flustered. "I guess so..."

Zamar watched with shock and awe as he watched the shadow creature possess her host's body so easily. The eyes of the spirit, including the one on her forehead, gleamed in an unnatural color; and the voice, he couldn't forget the voice. Not once did he hear the words come out of Jaden's mouth that sounded so evil or distorted. No, it sounded like something else entirely, something among the tone of a gentle, firm, motherly mannerism. Shadow creatures weren't supposed to act friendly to their masters! They were tools for war, nothing more, and nothing less!

"This is absurd! My hypnosis magic was intended to draw out the power of the shadow creatures from their hosts and into their physical form!" Zamar screamed furiously in his head. "Every time that I do draw them out, I always take control of them as easy as I took control of that boy's monster! But somehow... somehow, this shadow creature in particular has taken his host's vessel over like it was nothing! There can be no logical explanation for this... unless, what that creature says is true, and their spirits are combined!"

Zamar jumped a bit when Yubel turned her narrowing gaze towards him. "And as for you, High Mage. Did you really expect that you would control my power through your hypnotic magic? You have too much to learn when it comes bringing Duel Monster Spirits under your influence."

At this, Zamar growled. "How dare you presume that I do not know how to use my hypnosis magic on you! You face the man who has created the art of hypnotic music!"

"You may be the man who has invented hypnotic music," Yubel said, furrowing her brow, "but now you face a Duel Spirit, one you've angered by sending her friend's mind to the Shadow Realm."

"Ha! As if that mind was yours to share with, creature!" Zamar retorted. "You are nothing but a shadow growing within the soul of that petulant body! You do nothing but feed off of his negativity, growing stronger with each passing day! A shadow creature worthy of serving me in my army of shadow creatures against the Pharaoh!"

"I don't serve anyone like a sick mutt like yourself. My loyalties lie with Jaden and his friends, and I will never turn back on them; not again."

"So you would rather face your so-called friends, eh? Let's how well you can take being attacked head-on by your own monster! Now, 'Winged Kuriboh'! Attack your former friend directly!"

Subconsciously complying to the order, "Winged Kuriboh" went in for the attack.

"You are a fool, Zamar, and this yet another time you'v e proven it to me!" the possessed Slifer Red shouted. "I activate my Trap! 'The Horn of Summoning Yubel'!"

The Trap Card flipped upwards, revealing an artwork of a demonic dragon horn, complete with the silhouette of the humanoid demon in the background. "Thanks to this card's tune, since you have so foolishly attacked me directly, I can call forth myself from my hand or Deck! Now come forth, 'Yubel'!"

In a flash of light shining from the middle of her Deck, Yubel had called forth herself in her true monster form. In a brief eclipse of darkness, a familiar diamond-shaped vertical eye shone in its ugly yellow gleam, following with the opening of two feminine heterochromatic eyes glowing red and green like Christmas lights shining on a dark winter's night. The form of Yubel's magenta face with black markings at her nose and under her eyes was then revealed, her wild hair split down the middle into grayish lavender and white as she pulled herself back to exhibit a slim magenta body that was both male and female, marked in black like a sash while also having demonic features on her left side, including the wings on her back that framed her entire body. (0/0)

Zamar was initially taken aback at the appearance. "So, this is what you look like in your real form," he muttered, then breaking out in laughter at the sight of her Attack Points. "But what good is a shadow creature like yourself if you do not have any Attack Points to spare!? Your 'Winged Kuriboh' will make short work of that weakling soon!"

"That may be so, but what I lack in my strength, I make for with my own special ability," Yubel informed, making Zamar's face drop. "You see, my true form cannot be destroyed in battle, and any battle damage I would've taken becomes yours instead!"

"You what!?" Zamar shrieked as the eye on "Yubel's" forehead began to glow.

The glow then enticed "Winged Kuriboh" into flying headfirst towards the Fiend. A thorny vine emerged from the ground and made a protective spiral around "Yubel's" body, encasing her in a shield to keep her from being destroyed. With a rapid flutter of its white wings, "Winged Kuriboh" slammed right into the vine. "Now that you have damaged my true form," Yubel said, waving an arm out, "you will feel the same pain that I feel! Go, Nightmare Pain!"

All of a sudden, another vine emerged and swatted the side of Zamar's face, leaving him with a little cut. (High Mage Zamar: 1600 - 300 = 1300)

The attack, while weak from "Winged Kuriboh's" attack, left the High Mage staggering and rubbing the stinging sensation on his cheek where the attack left its mark.

"So that is your own power; to take any pain dealt to you and redirect to your opponent as damage," Zamar noted. "Perhaps I was too hasty to take your 'Winged Kuriboh' away from you. Instead, you would have made a much more valuable addition to my army that this flying ball of fur."

"Maybe, but in the end, it wouldn't do you much good, anyway," Yubel said.

"Oh, and why is that?"

"Because I intend on using my doppelganger for something greater than serving your own selfish purposes."

"Selfish purposes?" Zamar parroted, followed with a mocking scoff. "The only people here who have selfish purposes here are the same people who took my shadow creature from me!"

"You're referring to the Pharaoh and the Sacred Guardians, correct?"

"Yes! When the Pharaoh ripped the shadow creature out of my own essence and sealed it in stone, I was left weak and without power! Then they left me out alone in the desert like I was a sick dog for the spirits of the desert to claim! But in doing so, I was found by the High Mages and practiced in the art of the shadow magic, and even they feared my power! That is why I will be taking your power and use it against the Pharaoh and the Sacred Guardians!"

Yubel gave a gentle smile followed by a light snicker. "Is that all? It sounds to me like you're as much in the wrong as the Pharaoh is."

Zamar drew back from the implied accusation. "Excuse me!?"

Tristan cocked his head curiously. "What does she mean by 'in the wrong'?"

"You were a criminal back where you came from, weren't you?" Yubel asked him rhetorically. "Oh, I'm sure you were. After all, no one goes to see the Pharaoh and the Sacred Guardians unless they were a servant, on royal official business, or they were brought in by the soldiers. You must have committed some kind of crime that had you caught and brought forth to the Pharaoh. He extracted your shadow creature and banished you from his city never to be seen again. You were cast out into the desert and was on the brink of being carried away by the spirits until the High Mages found you and trained you in their magic. But then you were too power hungry to be a part of the High Mages and they feared you would take over, so they put you down here where you could never harm another soul again."

"Oh..." Tristan pondered the facts. "I guess that makes sense, then."

"You are bluffing!" Zamar shouted. "I bet this is one of your mind tricks!"

"I do not need to read your mind to see your history right in front of me, Zamar," Yubel said. "You were a crook. A criminal. No different than the Shadow Bandits you called savages. It's no wonder why the Pharaoh decided to banish you from his city."

Zamar then let out an eerie snarl. "That is it! When my next turn comes up, I will make you regret using those words against me, creature!"

"You will only have to try," Yubel said, placing her possessed puppet's fingers on the top card. "That is if I can survive to make him try. After all, once a turn, 'Spirit Piper' can use his horn to take control of one of my monsters. And since my physical copy can redirect any battle damage it takes back to the opponent, if he takes control of my copy, then he'll most likely use her as a shield against my attacks, and worst of all, the perfect way to ensure his victory. I know I can beat him if I draw the right card. Hopefully, Jaden's Deck can answer to my call like it has to him in the past. If not, then we'll both disappear in the Void together."

Turn 7: Yubel (1600)

Hand: 0

"It's my turn. I draw!" Yubel said, drawing her card. "Now, since it's my Standby Phase, I can activate the effect of my 'Horn of Summoning Yubel' Trap in my Graveyard."

"What!?" Zamar yelped. "You can play your Trap from your Graveyard!?"

"Yes, and I can only use it when my doppelganger is on my field," Yubel stated as the Trap Card disappeared from void of darkness and dark violet. "Now I can take one monster in my Graveyard of my choosing, and I can shuffle it into my Deck. I believe the card that I will be taking is the 'Elemental HERO Sparkman'."

The Graveyard inside of Jaden's Duel Disk began to glow as the aforementioned card slid out of the pit and was then plucked by Yubel. She then placed that monster into the top of the Deck, where the automatic shuffling system shuffled it altogether. "And now that 'Sparkman' is back inside my Deck, I can activate the Trap, 'Fusion Reserve'!"

The remaining Trap card of Yubel's field was flipped face-up. The artwork depicted a Fusion Monster Card exiting the a deck of Duel Monsters cards in a singular curve, the little orange imp from that Fusion Monster Card escaping the artwork.

"Now I can reveal one Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck and add one of the monsters required to Summon it from my Deck to my hand, and the Fusion Monster I'm revealing to you is the 'Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman'!" Yubel explained, revealing the brightest Fusion Monster in the Extra Deck to her opponent. "And since my 'Elemental HERO Sparkman' is listed as the required monster to Summon it, I can add him from my Deck to my hand, making your chances of victory slim."

"You know, I am starting to tire of your obsession with lightning," Zamar deadpanned.

"But wait, there's more," Yubel interjected, making Zamar gasp. "I get to also add 'Polymerization' from my Graveyard to my hand as well."

Zamar drew back in shock. "Oh no! If that shadow creature uses that magic again, she'll call forth a combined monster just like last time!"

"Oh, I get it," Tristan gasped from the epiphany. "Jaden must've placed that 'Horn of Summoning Yubel' because he wasn't just trying to call that monster out as a shield against any attacks, but he could combine it with 'Fusion Reserve' so that he could replenish his hand. But I don't there's a Fusion Monster in Jaden's Deck that lists 'Sparkman' and 'Yubel' together to form a monster to use against Zamar's monsters!"

"Next, I activate the Spell, 'Graceful Charity'!" Yubel shouted, revealing a card with an angel holding a glowing card hovering over her palms. "First I draw three new cards, but then I must discard two of those cards to the Graveyard" she said as she drew the three new cards, revealing them to be "Elemental HERO Necroshade", "Fusion Tag", and "Necro Gardna". Yubel plucked "Fusion Tag" into her hand and sent the other two cards to the Graveyard, something she would save for later.

"Next, I activate the Spell, 'Fusion Tag'!" Yubel declared, revealing a Spell Card depicting the "Elemental HERO Sparkman" in card form along with two dog tags, one with an engraving of "Elemental HERO Flame Wingman" and another with "King of the Swamp" on each of them. "Now I can choose a monster of my choosing and reveal one other Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck. Then, when I use my chosen to Summon my 'Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman', I can treat her as that Fusion Monster to be used in my Summoning."

The possessed boy gestured towards "Yubel's" monster form, they could swear that the Fiend's grin changed to a different toothy grin. "Now I choose my 'Yubel' to be the lucky contestant, and then I reveal the 'Elemental HERO Flame Wingman' from my Extra Deck," Yubel said, revealing the imp-like Fusion Monster. "Now 'Yubel' will adopt the identity of the 'Flame Wingman' once I activate the Spell, 'Polymerization'!"

Yubel slapped the Spell Card onto the Duel Disk. "Now I can fuse the 'Elemental HERO Sparkman' in my hand with my recently adopted persona of the 'Elemental HERO Flame Wingman'!" the possessed Slifer Red declared as "Yubel's" monster form transformed into the imp-like humanoid, complete with the dragon head and the white draconic wing. Then the pseudo-"Flame Wingman" ascended into the air along with "Sparkman", both bodies twisting and swirling in midair, casting a light that flooded the darkness of the chamber.

"Prepare yourself, Zamar, because I'm about to bring light into this dismal darkness of yours!" Yubel barked at her opponent. "I Summon the 'Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman'!"

From the light came the Fusion Monster that was an upgraded, more powerful version of the "Flame Wingman". Though the new Fusion Monster was literally the "Flame Wingman" in shining armor, it was still more powerful than its base Fusion Monster. The armor was shimmering silver with streaks of yellow running through the chest armor, shoulder plates, leg plates, and its elongated helm. The shining gauntlets was half-yellow at the top. Yellow orbs were studded in the chest and the base for its wings, the "feathers" like shimmering blades that made it appear more angelic than before. (2500/2100)

The "Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman" landed near Yubel, fitting as how the feminine fiend once held the power of a destructive force of light to be used against an agent of evil darkness.

The High Mage of the Underworld observed the monster with fear, the burning of the "Shining Flare Wingman's" blinding brilliance into his corneas. This brilliant gleam of light reminded Zamar of a certain event long lost in the shadows of the past, but the memories were as clear as a perfect summer day. Visions swam through his head of his first point-of-view inside another temple, a grander one than his current hiding hole in the desert, inhabited by seven figures in white robes with glowing artifacts, right behind the shadow of a menacing dragon gathering blinding raw energy in its mouth.

"That light! I thought I could hide away from the same bright light that ruined my life," Zamar silently recounted as he vividly recalled the force of that raw energy that defeated him long ago. "Now I am forced to face a similar light again, this time at the hands of a child who holds a powerful shadow creature within himself and uses a magic similar to the same people who took my shadow creature away! But I refuse to let that light defeat me once more!"

"You'd better not be daydreaming, Zamar," Yubel said, "because I want you pay attention for when my 'Shining Flare Wingman' activates his special ability! He gains 300 Attack Points for each 'Elemental HERO' in my Graveyard!"

"For each one!?" Zamar yelped.

"You catch on quick," Yubel commended dryly, holding up the Duel Disk which glowed on the inside. "So far, I count four 'Elemental HEROs' in my Graveyard. If you multiply that many number of monsters by three hundred, that means my 'Shining Flare Wingman' gains an additional 1200 Attack Points."

The body of the "Shining Flare Wingman" seemed to glow yellow as the ethereal images of "Avian", "Clayman", "Sparkman", and "Necroshade" appeared around the gleaming warrior, boosting its Attack Points exactly by 900 points. (Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman: 2500 + 1200 = 3700/2100)

"Oh no! That monster is too strong!" Zamar panicked.

"You make an astute observation, Zamar. Tell me, how would you like to observe how much power that my 'Shining Flare Wingman' can use against your monster!?" Yubel said, throwing her host's arm out and pointing at the stronger monster. "Now go, 'Shining Flare Wingman'! Destroy that 'Spirit Piper' with Solar Flare!"

Spreading its razor-sharp bladed wings, the "Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman" leapt up into the air, reaching near the ceiling with a grunt. Reeling up its fist to the side, the "Flare Wingman" swooped down towards the hypnotic Ritual Monster, intending to shatter it into gold dust by striking it with a thrust uppercut. It was then that Zamar was snapped out of his trance by the incoming brightness.

"You fool! Have you forgotten the special ability of my 'Spirit Piper'!?" he shouted. "Any monster it takes control of instantly becomes its shield to prevent it from being destroyed by battle!"

And with that command, the "Spirit Piper" played a tune much different than the usual tunes it played to hypnotize the Duel Spirits. In compliance to the hypnotic suggestion in those tunes, "Winged Kuriboh" fluttered into the path of the "Shining Flare Wingman's" attack, just before it connected with its real target. The brainwashed Fairy squeaked when the "Shining Flare Wingman" slugged it with an uppercut, destroying it and scattering its physical form into golden dust which was then sprayed back into Zamar's face.

The High Mage quickly covered his face against the spray of dust and then uncovered it, revealing a creepy toothy smile. "And in case you have already forgotten, since you destroyed your own 'Winged Kuriboh', I will take no further battle damage for the rest of this turn!"

"That may be so, Zamar, but you forget one critical thing," Yubel said firmly.

"And what is that?"

"When my 'Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman' destroys a monster in battle, you'll take damage equal to that monster's Attack Points."

"I... what!?" Zamar drew back in slight panic when the "Shining Flare Wingman" descended before him. As per his super power, the "Shining Flare Wingman" suddenly flashed a brilliant glow, one that was as bright as the sun itself. Zamar whimpered briefly as the glow of the Fusion Monster felt like it was burning him to the core, making him stagger only barely. (High Mage Zamar: 1300 - 300 = 1000)

Zamar wiped the side of his mouth, glaring at Yubel with a raspy guttural growl. "You think that by destroying your own monster, you have beaten me," the High Mage said, "but that is where you are wrong. By banishing the 'Spirit Piper's Ritual' from my Graveyard, I can resurrect your monster back on my field!"

Within the swirling vortex of darkness and dark violet, the phantom of the "Spirit Piper's Ritual" Spell (which depicted the front view of a familiar altar of bones with the skull-decorated cauldron at the top, the bony flute of "Anubian the Spirit Piper" hovering just over the rim) disappeared from existence. "Now by banishing my 'Spirit Piper's Ritual' from my Graveyard, I can Summon your 'Winged Kuriboh' that you have destroyed in your last battle!"

Yubel gasped when the Graveyard portal appeared on her field. The "Spirit Piper" played a few hypnotic notes, and from the depths of the dark portal, "Winged Kuriboh" was lifted from the Graveyard and dragged over to Zamar's field, his eyes still as lifeless as they were the last time anyone saw the poor little Fairy. When Tristan saw what had happened, he threw himself back and stressfully noogied his own hair in frustration.

"Aaaahhh! I can't believe it! I almost thought you had him, Yubel!" Tristan yelled from the top of his lungs. "You went through all that trouble to survive last round and now it's all wasted thanks to that 'Spirit Piper's' special ability! Come his next round, that heinous High Mage can use that 'Spirit Piper' to take control of your 'Shining Flare Wingman'! You've only set up his field to use your monsters as the perfect offense and defense!"

Zamar chuckled darkly. "Your friend is correct, creature of the shadows. I have set myself up for the perfect field. Not only do I have your precious 'Winged Kuriboh' in my possession to prevent me from taking any battle damage, but once I take control of your strongest monster, I will unleash your own monsters against you and finally take control of you and the power that you possess! Then the Pharaoh and his loyal Sacred Guardians will fall before my feet!"

Yubel growled from behind her grit teeth. "You just need to beat me first," she challenged him, slapping a card face-down in her Spell & Trap Zone. "I place one card face down and end my turn."

Yubel's eyes wandered away as she gave an apology to her little fairy friend. "I am sorry, Kuriboh. I thought the only way to get you back was to destroy that 'Spirit Piper', but instead, he used you as his protection against my attack. Without you, Kuriboh, we may never have a chance of saving Jaden's mind from the Shadow Realm. I only hope that you can forgive me."

-ELSEWHERE-

It was strange to Akiza to hear the clippity-cloppity of horse hooves batter the sand beneath them.

Especially since Black Tuscany's hooves were backtracking the very same tracks the giant black stallion trailed to where his previous rider had left him alone in the desert. Through the speed of the horse's gallop through the desert, the wind whipped back into Akiza's face, cooling her and her unconscious passenger off a little. She clutched the leather reins in one hand, kept her other arm wrapped around Tori's waist and secured her tight so the motion of the horse's gallop wouldn't bump her off his back.

With a sharp eye and an objective that she was bound and determined to complete, Akiza Izinski made it her point to find the boy the little bird-of-paradise sketched in the sand. Said little bird-of-paradise flew alongside the horse as fast as its little wings beat, trying to keep up with the green-haired girl that it's own abnormal and supernatural protective instincts compelled it to. With Black Tuscany, the stallion that Akiza named after the Tuscany superb, another name for a black rose, the party of four set out to find the boy and any allies that might've gotten roped into his adventure. The trail led on for miles, almost with no end in sight, but Black Tuscany distinctively remembered the trail he made like he knew the front of his muzzle.

Akiza noticed the trail up ahead with close precision. She noticed how the usual hoof tracks have spread a little further apart in distance. "Hmm... it seems that you must've broken out in a sprint here and ran about a quarter of a mile from here," Akiza deduced, squinting her eyes. "I'm guessing that during the sprint, your rider couldn't hold on to you much longer and he got flung off of your back. Then he left you alone for some reason and you had no reason to wait for him anymore, so you backtracked here trying ti find your way home."

Black Tuscany let out a little whinny and bobbed his head, indicating that Akiza's deductions were nearly spot-on.

"Well, now we know what happened with you and your rider," Akiza concluded. "Now the remaining question is why he left you alone? That's what I intend to find out."

With a single whip of the reins and little cry, the stallion's pace quickened even further to his new mistress's command. In a few long miles, when Black Tuscany led the two girls on his back down the same path he took at the same speed he once ran, he came to a stop when the tracks ended exactly where he left off the last time. The sudden stop made Tori jerk in her seat, but fortunately Akiza's arm kept her from falling off as a result. When Akiza looked over, she saw the exact same thing the stallion stopped for and examined it closely.

"Okay, this is definitely where you and your rider parted ways," Akiza said until she saw more than one wide track rolling down the side of the sand dune almost the size of human bodies, stopping at the bank at the bottom. "Correction, make that two of your riders. One of them must've provoked you into sprinting, hence why your tracks seemed wider right after your trot, and all of a sudden, you knocked them down there. Judging by the footprints in the sand where they landed, they must've lingered before they turned..."

Akiza trailed the footprints with her finger and her sharp eye, tracing the footprints up over the horizon of the sand dunes. "...and headed up there? Now what could've possessed them to run all the way up there in the middle of the desert?" A silence feel upon the Psychic Duelist like the passing desert winds blowing the stream of hot air in her face. "What were they looking for?"

-ELSEWHERE-

Turn 8: High Mage Zamar (1000)

Hand: 0

"This is your last round, creature!" Zamar shouted as he drew his card. "First, I activate the Spell, 'Pot of Greed'!" This allows me to draw two cards!"

Zamar drew his two cards, and inspected them. "Poison Mummy" happened to be the first card that popped into his hand, and his eyes squinted in eerie glee. "I Summon 'Poison Mummy'!"

Emerging from the soil with its decaying, decrepit arm, a mummy tattered in red rags climbed up from the ground, letting out a low, guttural growl. (1000/1800)

Yubel narrowed her eyes. "He's trying to engage in a direct attack. He must think my face-down can negate an attack."

Zamar then swung his arm out. "Now, I activate 'Anubian the Spirit Piper's' ability! Once every turn, I can take control of a monster on your field, and that is very bad news for your 'Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman'! Go, Mesmerizing Melody!"

Raising that bony flute to its cracked, lip-less mouth, the "Spirit Piper" played that egregious tune again, causing the "Shining Flare Wingman" to grunt in some kind of discomfort. With Jaden's body, Yubel quickly clamped his hands of his ears, muffling some of the music, but still feeling it course through her host's entire body. The "Shining Flare Wingman" continued to grunt and wiggle until it suddenly stopped and hauntingly hovered over to Zamar's field. The silence and the sudden cease of the "HERO's" physical actions were proof enough that it was completely under the "Spirit Piper's" control.

"Oh, no! Now Zamar can wage a direct attack using Jaden's own monsters!" Tristan panicked.

"Correct, and now I can start by using his strongest monster!" Zamar shrieked, pointing a bony-thin finger at Yubel. "Now, 'Shining Flare Wingman', attack your former master directly!"

Spreading its razor-sharp wings, the "Elemental HERO Flame Wingman" swooped upwards and reeled its fist back up to strike Yubel.

"Oh no!" Tristan screamed.

"I don't think so, Zamar!" Yubel screamed as her Graveyard glowed. "By banishing my 'Necro Gardna' from my Graveyard, I can negate your attack!"

Materializing at Yubel's rear was a masked humanoid warrior with long white hair, garbed in samurai-like armor and gigantic spiked shoulder plates. Leaping in the air, "Necro Gardna" thrust its arm up and blocked the "Shining Flare Wingman's" oncoming fist, creating static sparks upon impact. Shortly afterwards, the "Shining Flare Wingman" drew back while the defending monster disappeared into thin air.

Zamar growled when his stolen monster returned to him. "A lucky play, but it still won't prevent you from taking any more direct attacks! Go, 'Winged Kuriboh', attack your master directly!"

With a quick flutter of its white wings, "Winged Kuriboh" boosted itself directly at Yubel and slammed into her midsection, causing her to cringe as the pain subsided in her gut. (Yubel: 1600 - 300 = 1300)

"And now you must prepare yourself, creature, for my next move!" Zamar shouted. "'Poison Mummy', attack that creature directly!"

With a raspy growl, the "Poison Mummy" went in for the attack. The mummy swung its arm back and scratched Yubel at the torso, making her flinch back until she slipped and fell on the ground. (Yubel: 1300 - 1000 = 300)

"Yubel!" Tristan screamed for the spirit inside Jaden's vessel.

"And since you have taken the swipe from my 'Poison Mummy', I can activate my 'Sebek's Blessing' Spell!" Zamar declared, flipping up a Quick-Play Spell from his field depicting an anthropomorphic green crocodile garbed in Egyptian-styled clothes, holding a red orb-tipped staff, a bright glow emanating from the necklace that it wore. "Now all the battle damage you took from my direct attack becomes converted into my Life Points! Thank you for giving me "

The "Sebek's Blessing" card grew a green aura along the card's rectangular outline while Zamar was covered in the same aura, chuckling from his throat as he felt his Life Points and his life rejuvenate. (High Mage Zamar: 1000 + 1000 = 2000)

"Next, I place one card face-down and end my turn," Zamar said, slapping a card face-down on his DiaDhank, which then appeared on his field.

Yubel staggered trying to push herself up, the injuries of which she (and possibly Jaden's body) sustained made her grunt in pain while trying to trudge through her pain.

Zamar cackled. "What's wrong? I thought you liked taking the pain!"

"Yes, but it's dishing it back at you that's more enjoyable that way," Yubel grumbled, wincing as another sharp pain stabbed her in the side.

"Ha! Please, in your current state, you can't even move, much less return the pain back to me!" Zamar mockingly declared. "You might as well give up this Shadow Game while you still have what little Life Points remain! Once my next turn starts, I will destroy you with the very same monsters that you intended to use against me! And then, when your Life Points have been reduced to zero, your powers will be mine and mine alone to use!"

Yubel hissed in reaction to the pain. "I've got news, Zamar. You won't be able to obtain my power."

The High Mage's face fell into confusion. "And why not?"

"If you recall Jaden warning you before, all of Egypt is in a state of disarray," Yubel explained. "A madman with powers that would easily dominate those of yours has accidentally pulled this era into the Void. Any Duelist who loses a Duel in the Void will all but disappear from existence, never to be heard from or remembered again. Even if you do somehow manage to defeat us, you will never wield the power you are eager to steal, but I guarantee that your victory will never occur."

Zamar only cackled again. "Your bravado can only get you so far, creature. Look at you. You are down to 300 Life Points, and I stand with only 2000 Life Points left to spare. What hope have you to defeat the likes of me?"

"Very little," Yubel said, curling her fingers tight into her hands, "but it's that kind of hope that will keep me going in this Duel."

"Is it?" Zamar grew a wry smile. "Then tell me, creature, if you're so full of hope of regaining your 'friend', then how is it that I am winning and you are wriggling like a hopeless little worm?"

"A minor inconvenience," Yubel retorted, pushing herself up. "This always happens whenever Jaden is close to losing a Duel many a time before."

"But you Jaden is not here, is he? No, his mind and spirit has been sent forth deep into the recesses of the Shadow Realm."

A sharp gasp escaped Yubel's mouth, as did Tristan, too.

"The Shadow Realm!?" the remaining teenager yelped.

"Yes," the High Mage nodded. "While I Summoned your spirit to possess the body of the one you call Jaden, his very soul was locked away into the Shadow Realm. He is trapped so far deep into the shadows that nothing, not even a speck of light can reach him. Even as we stand here, your precious Jaden is being tormented by the nightmarish visions of his own monsters, and there is no power on Earth that can save him from such an unfortunate fate. It won't be very long until your friend finally succumbs to the shadows."

At this, Yubel's anger began to rise up inside her.

"No!" Tristan gasped, his heart rising to his throat.

"Yes..." Zamar held his hand out, palm facing upwards. "Anyone who has fallen into the Shadow Realm never comes out to tell the tale. Even if they do somehow manage to escape the Shadow Realm, they would never escape from the nightmares they encounter. Your friend, Jaden was foolish enough to challenge me to this Shadow Game. He was more than foolish enough to allow his body to play host to more than one shadow creature, and now his mind and spirit will pay the price by being crushed under the heels of the very monsters that serve under him. Trust me, there is no hope for a soul to escape from the Shadow Realm, and soon Jaden will be next!"

With those few carefully selected words spewing from the heinous High Mage, Tristan's shock suddenly turned into anger, pure and filtered, mixed with determination that burned every fiber of his very being. "I can't take much more from this guy any longer!" Tristan grumbled. Suddenly, he found himself the courage to break away from the monstrous spectators and jump onto the battlefield, surprising the two Duelists.

"Tristan?" Yubel inquired.

"What are you doing up here, boy?" Zamar asked grumpily. "You are interfering with the rites of our Shadow Game!"

"Rites, nothing! If you wanna talk about rights, let's start with you not having the right to talk about my friend like that!?" Tristan barked back, pointing at the cloaked coward. "You really think you're the hot shot here, Zamar!? You think you can just take all of these Monster Spirits for yourself just to compensate for the loss for your own Duel Monster!? Well, let me tell you something here, pal, you have no right to steal them all away for your own selfish reasons, and that includes taking Jaden's 'Winged Kuriboh' and then sending his mind to the Shadow Realm so you could draw Yubel out of him! I've seen some pretty messed up bad guys in my time, but you really take the cake!"

Zamar growled, his eye twitching a few times uncontrollably. "Are you quite done, boy?"

"Not in the slightest! In fact, I haven't even begun to tell you how badly you'll lose this fight!" Tristan answered. "Listen, pal, in the course of a few hours, I've had my hometown threatened by a madman, got thrown around in a tornado and away from my friends, got lost in the desert and chased down by the Shadow Bandits! Do you really think that on one of the worst days I've had so far, I'd let you keep Jaden's soul in the Shadow Realm!? Heck, no! You know why!? Because ever since I was stranded here, Jaden's been the only friend who saved my hide, so now I'm up here to return the favor!"

"Your attempts to repay your debt to your friend is in vain," Zamar interjected. "There is no way your voice can reach him while his spirit is forever remaining in the Shadow Realm."

"Look, pal, I'll be honest here and say that I don't know much about Jaden since he's not from my time, and I know he won't be able to hear me where he is now," Tristan said, "but he's a guy I've come to trust as well as any of my other friends. When the Shadow Bandits chased me down and just when I was about to be shredded, Jaden appeared out of nowhere and challenged their leader to a Duel, even if it mean he put his existence on the line. He's not the one who would hesitate to stick up for his friends, or any friends of friends, and I would never stand by while you make fun of the guy I owe my life to!"

Tristan swung his accusatory pointer finger at Zamar. "Mind or spirit, Jaden is stronger than you would come to believe! He's got a bigger role to play if the madman who threatened both of our timelines considered his Dueling to be legendary! Nothing, not even the nightmares you've subjected him to in the Shadow Realm can bring him down that easily! That's why he'll never lose to the likes of you! Because he's got enough grit to stop you and put you in your place!"

The entire chamber seemed to fall silent at the display of Tristan -an ordinary human being with no special talents or powers to speak of- standing up to the stunned High Mage. All eyes of the hypnotized Duel Monster Spirits feel on the pointed-hair teen, adding Yubel's heterochromatic widened gaze and gaping mouth.

Zamar's face twisted into a frustrated, borderline angry face. "You're wrong, boy. I already know my place in the world, and it is where I am now. It is you who does not know where his place is."

"That's where you're also wrong, Zamar. My place is right here with my friends, and I won't give up on them."

"Tristan, what are you doing?" Yubel hissed at the teenager.

"What does it look like? I'm trying to give you a little confidence boost."

"I appreciate what you're trying to do," Yubel said, finally getting on her feet, wobbling a little at first. "But I don't need you to put yourself into harm's way just for someone you've just met."

"Don't be silly. My friends and I have stood up for more people than you can ever think," Tristan said. "Besides, you're a friend of Jaden's so you're alright in my book, too. If you have any bright ideas as to how we can bring Jaden back from the Shadow Realm, I think now might be the best time."

"Easier said than done," Yubel retorted. "Anyone who's trapped in the Shadow Realm can't be reached by any means. It's like trying to call for a ghost to answer you back."

The Duel Spirit's eyes widened with an idea. "That's it! How could I have not seen this sooner!? Jaden and I are connected mind and spirit! If I can concentrate enough power into my third eye, maybe I can communicate with Jaden in the Shadow Realm! I just hope that I'm not too late."

Yubel squeezed her eyes shut, and the extra eye on her forehead glowed yellow as she emptied her mind and concentrated her psychic powers. Her powers of extrasensory perception was strong enough to breach through the borders of the Shadow Realm, and with it, she was making her psychic connection with Jaden.

-ELSEWHERE-

"Is there no other way we can talk this over?"

Jaden tried to converse with the gigantic dark counterparts of his beloved "Elemental HEROs" and "Winged Kuriboh", but even his own influential optimism couldn't sway them to his side. The monolithic Warriors and the truck-sized "Winged Kuriboh" all loomed over Jaden while he scooted backwards onto the floor of the Shadow Realm, looking up at them with defeat in his eyes. He was battered, he was beaten, and he was bruised all over, too sore to move an inch back further.

"Well, I guess this is it for me, then. I'm gonna be done in by the same monsters who I fought with through thick and thin," Jaden thought to himself. "Sorry, Kuriboh, I tried to save you, but it looks like I'm at the end of my road here. See you on the other side, pal."

The twisted versions of Jaden's monsters all approached the boy, each one readying themselves to attack him with their immense size. Jaden closed his eyes as he was ready to accept his end, but that all changed when a light shone in the darkness. Curious about the light, the former Slifer Red looked up at the golden glow in the sky and watched with amazement as the light pushed back the dark versions of his monsters. They groaned or screeched at the volume comparable to that of thunder and claws scraping against a chalkboard as they all dissipated into dark dust starting from the head all the way to their feet. The screams echoed into silence, but Jaden watched and heard it all pass, leaving him with a questioning look.

"Wow. Talk about a bad tanning," Jaden joked. "Looks like I won't be checking out soon enough."

"Jaden? Jaden can you hear me?"

The Slifer Red heard the voice from above and turned to the light.

From the light, a shape appeared in the form of a silhouette, taking into the familiar form of the humanoid fiend.

"Yubel! Man alive, am I glad to see you!" Jaden cheered as Yubel descended to him. "Wait a minute, you're not another Shadow Realm nightmare, are you?"

"No, I am not. I managed to establish a psychic link with each other, but I'm running low on my power," Yubel explained, growing a solemnly sorrowful look. "Jaden, I'm sorry. I tried to win your Duel for you, but every move I have made so far ended up in failure. Zamar has an onslaught of monsters ready to eliminate us in one fell swoop. And with 300 Life Points left, I practically led us to the road of ultimate defeat."

"Oh, don't get yourself down yet, Yubel," Jaden said with a slight chuckle. "Sure, things may not have gone the way you wanted, but I bet deep down, you paved the way down to our victory."

"How can you be so sure of that, Jaden?" Yubel asked him, surprised. "You have no idea what we're up against and how much I struggled to survive the last round."

"True, but don't forget, that no matter how bad things look for us, we always have a plan to push through and win."

"I suppose that's true, if only you knew how much the odds are against us."

Jaden winked. "That's only part of the fun. The real fun is when we face those odds head-on."

Yubel couldn't help but smirk; this was the optimism that she adored in her host.

"Yes, and I believe that it is time we faced those odds together."

"You said it."

Yubel and Jaden joined their hands together in a fraternal manner, a smile on both of their faces.

"Now let's get back to the real world. We've got a Duel to win," Jaden said.

"I couldn't agree with you anymore," Yubel said as her forehead eye glowed so bright, they vanished from the Shadow Realm.

-ELSEWHERE-

Yubel's eyes were still squeezed shut, and the eye on her forehead continued to glow yellow.

Suddenly, her third eye stopped glowing and it disappeared into thin air.

Zamar's eyes widened at the sight, and Tristan watched the display with suspense.

"Yubel?" he inquired.

The remaining two eyes opened, revealing a pair of brown irises, followed with a genuine smile.

"Hey, guys. Did you miss me?"

Tristan beamed at the sight. "Jaden!"

Zamar drew back in aghast horror. "No! That's impossible!"

Jaden took the time to look around the cavern full of Duel Monster Spirits, then his eyes fell on his friend.

"Hey, Tristan. What did I miss?" the Slifer Red asked his friend from another era.

"Would you like the extended version or just the footnotes?" Tristan asked, gesturing towards the opponent's field of monsters. "Apparently, Zamar's about to open a can of pain on you next turn!"

Jaden looked at Zamar's field and was shocked to see a few familiar monsters on his side, alongside a new monster that he must've Summoned out earlier, as well as the deficit between the two Duelists' Life Points. "Yikes! Talk about being in a tough pickle. I'm now facing down four different monsters who could slam me all the way to oblivion, and I've only got 300 Life Points while he somehow has 2000 Life Points left to spare. Looks like I've got my Dueling cut out for me."

"Don't I know it?" Tristan replied.

Jaden's eyes fell onto the High Mage. "Now about those monsters on your field, Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Creepy?"

Zamar took a step back, but was then paralyzed by fear. "It cannot be! How did you return to your body!? Your mind should have been ravaged by the Shadow Realm!"

Jaden rubbed the underside of his nose and chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint you, pal, but I'm still standing and I'm here to stay. Of course, I can't really say the same thing for you. After all, you kidnapped all of these Duel Spirits so you invade Egypt, you kidnapped my friend because he has the power to protect anyone, and you've sent my mind to the Shadow Realm where my own monsters tried to destroy me. Normally, I would feel bad for beating you in a Duel because your existence would be wiped out in the Void, but I might make an exception with you, Zamar. You can take how many monsters you want, but when you rely on taking what you want from people and use it all against them, then you're gonna lose big time."

Zamar scoffed. "With what? You have four monsters staring down at you, and two of them belonged to you and your shadow creature. You are down to a measly 300 Life Points and there is no card in your Deck that can save you now."

Jaden smiled. "You'd like to think that a lot, wouldn't you, Zamar?" he asked, slightly shocking the High Mage. "Sure, I feel like I have the entire world against me in one turn, but one turn is all I need to turn this Duel around, and it all starts with my next card."

He then placed his fingers on his cards and closed his eyes. "Yubel's gotten me through this Duel this far, but even she couldn't beat that 'Spirit Piper'. I've never let my Deck down before, and I'm sure it won't let me down the same. If there's that one little chance of me drawing the card that I need, I would take it. If not, then it's the end of the line for me."

Turn 9: Jaden Yuki (300)

Hand: 0

Jaden shot his eyes open.

"It's my turn now!" he declared drawing his card.

He glanced at the card, a Spell Card depicting "Elemental HERO Prisma" half-emerged from a dead, craggy ground which glowed a shade of purple just underneath the crust. The glass-like Warrior reached one arm up with four different lights trailing from its hand into the sky, converting into cards. With the sight of that card, Jaden instinctively knew his victory was literally in hand.

"Oh, sweet! This is just the card I need!" Jaden cheered as he revealed his drawn card. "I activate the Spell Card, 'Hero Treasure'!" he declared as his Graveyard slot glowed.

"Now I can banish one Level 4 or lower 'Elemental HERO' from my Graveyard and for each of that 'HERO's' Levels, I get to draw a card! And the lucky 'HERO' of my choosing is my good friend, the 'Elemental HERO Sparkman'!" The Graveyard slot ejected 'Elemental HERO Sparkman', to which Jaden plucked without hesitation.

"And since my 'Sparkman' is a Level 4 monster, I get to draw four cards," Jaden said, drawing the same number of cards from his Deck, "and with my Graveyard short one 'Elemental HERO' resting in peace, my 'Shining Flare Wingman's' Attack Points is down 300 additional Attack Points."

As it stood, the brightest "Elemental HERO" lost some of its gleam as 300 of its added strength was depleted. (3700 - 300 = 3400/2100)

"Now let's see what I've got here," Jaden said as he inspected his hand. Among the cards he drew was "Elemental HERO Captain Gold", "Contact Out", "Elemental HERO Neos", and "Hero Mask".

Yubel appeared by his side again. "Jaden, I have another card face-down on the field that might be able to help you."

"Well, your word is as good as mine, Yubel," Jaden said as the apparition disappeared. "I play my face-down!"

"What!? Hold up, Jaden! Yubel placed that card face-down on her turn!" Tristan yelled. "Even you don't know what kind of card that is!"

"Don't worry, Tristan. If Yubel says that card can help me win, then I trust her with all of my heart." Jaden motioned his arm towards the face-down card in his Spell/Trap Zone. "Now let's see what's behind face-down number one!"

The face-down card slowly opened up, revealing a Normal Spell Card, one that depicted an emblem with of silver with glimmering silver wings, a red jewel, green fuzz, and a crystal at the bottom. The sight of the card seemed to reverberate all across the empty chamber. "Sweetness! It's 'Monster Reborn'!" Jaden declared. "And thanks to it, I can Special Summon a monster that's just chillin' in my Graveyard, and I have the purr-fect monster in mind! My 'Neo-Spacian Dark Panther'!"

Jaden's Graveyard glowed, and rising from it came a familiar feral feline sporting a dark crimson cape. (1000/800)

"Ha! That pathetic pussy cat doesn't have the power to stop any of my monsters, boy!" Zamar mocked. "There is no way your 'Dark Panther' can win against my army of monsters!"

Jaden's smirk never faltered one bit. "True, my 'Dark Panther' doesn't have enough strength to take down my monster, but it's not about what it can do alone, it's about what it can do when its powers are combined with the power of his teammates," Jaden said. "But first, I activate my 'Elemental HERO Necroshade's' ability from my Graveyard!"

The apparition of Jaden's "Elemental HERO Necroshade" appeared just behind him. "Now I can Summon a Level 5 or high 'Elemental HERO' monster from my hand without having to sacrifice a monster!"

Jaden slapped his favorite Monster Card down on his Duel Disk. "So come on out, 'Elemental HERO Neos'!"

The muscular white humanoid alien appeared in a flash of golden light, striking a heroic pose that showed that he was ready for action. (2500/2000)

"And that's not all I've got!" Jaden said, discarding a golden-armored "HERO" with a horned helm and a red cape. "Next, by discarding my 'Elemental HERO Captain Gold', I can use his special ability to add 'Skyscraper' from my Deck to my hand!"

The aforementioned Field Spell Card jutted out from the midst of Jaden's Deck, to which he plucked without hesitation. "And guess what, Zamar? I'm activating it right now, so prepare yourself for a little culture shock!"

Jaden's Field Spell Zone opened up for the appropriate card, and the Slifer Red slapped the "Skyscraper" Field Spell onto it. As soon as the Duel Disk processed the card going into effect, a bunch of towering structured buildings, all of them brick, mortar, steel, and glass popped out of the grown like genetically modified daisies, reaching as far as the ceiling of the chamber allowed the tallest building to reach.

"Whoa!" Tristan exclaimed as he witnessed the sudden setting transition firsthand.

"What is the meaning of all this!?" Zamar demanded to know, shocked by how the buildings, so alien to him, appeared from the very same ground where raised the dead from.

"What's the meaning of this!? This is a Field Spell, a type of magic that can change the field!" Jaden said as the entire field was completed with a starry night sky, illuminated by the full moon.

The Duel Monster Spirits all growled, screeched, and snarled in a concoction of shock and fear at the sight of the unknown structures. Zamar turned at his feet and whipped his head around, feeling the fear of wide open spaces overwhelm him. He was starting perspire cold sweat, his breathing had become lost to him, and everything seemed to be moving around him in circles.

"Hey, Zamar!" the High Mage heard the annoyingly familiar voice of the boy on the other side of the field. "I don't mean to interrupt you when you're feeling intimidated, but I'm not done yet!"

Jaden pointed his finger up into the holographic sky. "'Neos'! Get ready to merge with 'Dark Panther' and initiate Contact Fusion!"

"Neos" and "Dark Panther" both nodded at the boy in acknowledgement and leapt up into the sky.

"Contact Fusion!?" Zamar shrieked.

"Sure! This is where I can take my 'Elemental HERO Neos' and fuse it together with another 'Neo-Spacian' I have on the field! And the best part is, I can use this trick without having to use 'Polymerization'!" Jaden explained as the background became the swirling figures of the Milky Way galaxy, rather than without the usual Fusion Summoning background, with "Neos" and "Dark Panther" flying to the center of the galaxy.

"Now by combining the greatest hero of the galaxy with the panther from the deep pitch-black reaches of space, I can create a galactic hero who can claw his way to victory!" Jaden chanted as "Neos" glowed bright yellow and "Dark Panther" glowed dark violet and black, both of them creating a spiral of contrasting colors the combined nicely. "I Fusion Summon! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the hero who leaves others in the dark! The 'Elemental HERO Dark Neos'!"

From the light came the Fusion Monster that resembled "Elemental HERO Neos" with a pitch-black suit, with claws at its knuckles and at the ends of its feet, and a hood that resembled that of a panther. Spreading its dark cloak-like wings outs, the "Elemental HERO Dark Neos" slashed at the air with its left hand, and then with its right until crossed its arms above its head and pumped its fists at its sides. (2500/2000).

"Wow. Just when I thought Jaden couldn't be any more impressive, he manages to pull that one out of the bag," Tristan commentated through breathtaking astonishment.

Zamar snarled. "So what? You managed to Summon a new monster, but even with that kind of power, the special ability of my 'Spirit Piper' will use your own monster to protect itself! And even if you did manage to destroy my 'Spirit Piper', on my next turn, by banishing one Zombie from my Graveyard, I can sacrifice one of my Zombie monsters from my field or my Graveyard to Summon it back! Then you will be sorry that you have angered the High Mage of the Underworld for interfering with my business!"

Jaden's face fell into a perplexed frown, scratching his head with one finger. "Business? You mean your Duel Spirit army that was going to fail anyway?"

"What!? What do you mean 'fail!?' I have an entire army of shadow creatures under my command ready to decimate and subjugate the entirety of Egypt!"

"That's just it, Zamar. How are you going to overthrow the Pharaoh and his Sacred Guardians when the only things standing in between you and them is an army of powerful Duel Monster Spirits they have themselves?" Jaden asked him rhetorically. "I mean, the Pharaoh must have some pretty powerful monsters by his side if he was able to beat your shadow creature, but do you really think that letting an army of hypnotized Duel Spirits on the Pharaoh would slow them down? I shouldn't think so, because if you couldn't beat his powerful monster before, what makes you so sure you'd be able to do it a second time around?"

Zamar snarled at the criticism. "How dare you think lowly of my power!? Whether or not I can defeat the Pharaoh, I can still ravage everything he holds dear in my path!"

Jaden just tilted his head, retaining his puzzled expression. "I dunno. If this Pharaoh really is all-powerful, odds are you'll fail quicker than you would succeed."

Zamar grit his crooked amber teeth hard until they grinded against each other.

"Not that it really matters anyway, because you're not going to win this Duel, and my 'Dark Neos' is gonna do just that!" Jaden said, motioning towards his galactic Fusion Monster. "You see, my 'Dark Neos' has the ability to negate any monster's effects you have on the field!"

"Any monster I have!?" Zamar shrieked.

"Yep, and guess who's the unlucky contestant?" Jaden bantered. "You give up? It's your very own 'Spirit Piper'!"

Just then, the giant jackal-hooded Zombie flinched back as a dark violet aura surged around it, sapping it's every effect out of it, rendering it useless.

"Oh, no! What is happening to my beloved 'Spirit Piper'!?" Zamar screeched.

"Isn't it obvious? My 'Dark Neos' is getting it to change its tune," Jaden replied, "and since your 'Spirit Piper' has lost its special abilities, that means that every monster under your control returns to me!"

To emphasize on that, the dark aura became so intense, the Ritual Zombie boney piper suddenly shattered into shards, raining bits of marrow all over the ground. This had an instantaneous profound effect on both the "Shining Flare Wingman" and "Winged Kuriboh" as the latter's once lifeless eyes was suddenly filled with life again. His head swimming with dizziness, "Winged Kuriboh" quickly shook it off and glanced around the chamber, curiously chirping about what was going on.

When Kuriboh turned around, he jumped and shrieked at the sinister and repulisive sight of Zamar.

"Hey, 'Kuriboh' over here!" Jaden yelled out to his Spirit Partner, to which "Winged Kuriboh" turned and, immediately after seeing his best friend, flew over into his open arms. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

"Winged Kuriboh" nodded a few times with a couple of happy chirps. He then turned to the cloaked man who kidnapped him, looking at him angrily with a few angry huffs and chirps.

"You said it, pal. He is much better looking in the dark," Jaden agreed with his companion as the "Shining Flare Wingman" descended back to his field.

"No! How dare you do that to my monster!" the High Mage shrieked.

"Oh, I dare because I happen to have a soft spot for any Duel Spirits who are being used and abused by creeps like you," the Slifer Red answered, his tone dropping from its usual friendly pitch. "You took my friend and you tried to take my monster, and now it's payback time!"

Jaden swung his arm out towards the biggest opposing monster. "Go, 'Elemental HERO Dark Neos!' Attack that 'Spirit Piper' with your Dark Fury Claw!"

The panther-themed clad form of "Neos" jumped up, groaning as he prepared to slash at the Zombie with its claws.

"What!? Are you crazy, Jaden!? Your 'Dark Neos' doesn't have enough Attack Points to beat that 'Piper'!" Tristan shrieked in pure shock.

Jaden smirked at him. "Don't worry, Tristan. That's why I have my trusty Field Spell 'Skyscraper'. See, whenever my 'Elemental HEROs' wages battle with a monster with higher Attack Points, they'll get an extra 1000 Attack Point boost!"

The "Elemental HERO Dark Neos" made a brief landing, squeezed in the tightest crouching position it could muster, and leapt straight up into the holographic night sky. It continued to soar higher and higher into the starry sky until the shape of the Fusion Monster was silhouetted by the glow of the full moon behind it. "Dark Neos" groaned as it felt a power surge course through its body, increasing its attack strength by one thousand. (2500 + 1000 = 3500/2000)

Tristan's face dropped in surprise. "Now that's power!"

"It sure is! Now watch as I use them all on that pesky 'Spirit Piper'!" Jaden said, pumping a fist forward. "Go, 'Elemental HERO Dark Neos'!"

With it, "Dark Neos" swooped towards the "Spirit Piper", the claws gleaming.

"I do not think so! I activate the Trap, 'Draining Shield'!" Zamar shouted as the Trap Card on his field flipped up, depicting "Giga Gagagigo" clashing with "Freed the Brave Wanderer's" shield. "Thanks to the draining power of my shield, your attack is blocked!"

"Dark Neos" swung its right claw-clad hand back and slashed it down on the Ritual Monster, only for the attack to fall short when the claws slashed at a protective dome, an invisible forcefield that glowed upon impact. "And that is not all, boy. Now I gain Life Points equal to your monster's Attack Points!" Zamar said with a half-crazed smirk as a refreshingly yellow glow encased the outline of his entire body. (High Mage Zamar: 2000 + 3500 = 5500)

Jaden wasn't fazed by this one bit. "No problem! I still have a couple of attacks left to spare!" the Slifer Red announced confidently. "Go, 'Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman'! Give that 'Spirit Piper' a proper sendoff with your Solar Flare!"

Once more did the "Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman" spread its razor wings before it leapt into the sky, flying up into the aerial space as high as the chamber's ceiling allowed it. Curling its hand into a fist, the "Shining Flare Wingman" swooped down towards "Anubian, the Spirit Piper" and slugged the Ritual Monster on the cheek with a right cross. In an instant, the short-lived bane of Jaden's existence disappeared in a bright explosion of golden glitter, sending it back to its owner as damage.

"No! My precious 'Spirit Piper'!" Zamar screamed as he protected his face against the glitter. (High Mage Zamar: 5500 - 600 = 4900)

"And now I activate 'Shining Flare Wingman's' special ability!" Jaden announced. "Since it destroyed your 'Spirit Piper' in battle, you'll take damage equal to its Attack Points!"

"Oh no!" Zamar yelped as the "Shining Flare Wingman" descended towards his area. "Not again!"

The "Shining Flare Wingman's" brilliant armor glowed a bright gleam, making Zamar flinch back at the damaging light with a frightened scream. (High Mage Zamar: 4900 - 2800 = 2100)

The former High Mage of the Underworld growled. "You have not won yet, boy! I activate the Trap 'Altar for Tribute!'" Zamar shouted as he opened his last Trap Card, depicting a shaded "Gagagigo" sacrificed at the altar of the "Pandemonium" Field Spell. "Now I can send one monster of my choosing to the Graveyard, and I will gain Life Points equal to the Attack Points of that monster! And I choose my 'Poison Mummy'!"

The decaying ragged mummy gave one last guttural snarl before it disappeared in a crimson glow. "And now I shall gain 1000 of his Attack Points and turn it into my Life Points!"

Zamar gave a closed smile as he felt slightly rejuvenated by a red glow covering the outline of his body, chuckling evilly. (High Mage Zamar: 2100 + 1000 = 3100)

At this, Jaden grit his teeth with a little growl. "Great. Just when we had him on the ropes, too."

Noticing his partner's fit of distress, "Winged Kuriboh" flew up to Jaden's shoulder and chirped in his ear.

"What's that, Kuriboh? You wanna get in the action too?" Jaden asked, which the little Fairy nodded feverishly. "Okay, pal, time to get your revenge for kidnapping you."

A flitter of his white wings and a little boost, "Winged Kuriboh" flew across the field to Zamar's side and slashed at him with his claws. (High Mage Zamar: 3100 - 300 = 2800)

Zamar only waved the direct attack off as weak. "How pathetic. For all of your spirit and enthusiasm, you still failed to defeat in battle," he taunted the young Duelist. "You may as well give up now and submit to your inevitable defeat while you still have the chance."

Jaden made a playful despondent face, looking at hus card with sad puppy dog eyes. "Hey, you're right. I don't think I have another card in my hand that can save me. I might as well give up now."

"What!? Jaden, you can't give up now! You've only just got here to...!" Tristan's cause for alarm was cut short.

"Nah, don't worry, Tristan, I'm only just joking!" Jaden said, revealing the last card in his hand, depicting "Elemental HERO Neos" surrounded by his six "Neo-Spacian" companions. "I play the Spell, 'Contact Out'! This card can return my 'Dark Neos' to my Extra Deck in exchange that I get to Summon all of the monsters that made it up directly from my Deck! First, let's give a fond farewell to my 'Dark Neos'..."

The panther armor-themed Fusion Monster in question glowed bright as it disappeared back into Jaden's Duel Disk. "...and give a warm welcome back to my 'Elemental HERO Neos' and my 'Neo-Spacian Dark Panther'!"

In two separated flashes of light, the muscular ivory spaceman (2500/2000) and the lean ebony caped feline (1000/500) appeared simultaneously onto Jaden's field.

Zamar felt his heart completely drop in a pure essence of terror. "Oh no! With their Attack Points, they can easily wipe out the rest of my Life Points!"

"That's right!" Jaden responded, pointing a finger at his opponent, "and they're about to go out on the offensive! Go, 'Elemental HERO Neos' and 'Dark Panther'! Attack Zamar directly!"

Complying with their master and friend's orders, the two remaining monsters pounced in the defenseless High Mage, the latter whimpering as he knew this was the final failure of his life.

First, "Neos" delivered a right cross on Zamar's face. (High Mage Zamar: 2800 - 2500 = 300)

Then the "Dark Panther" finished the Duel with a left paw slash across Zamar's face, sending him onto the ground by his back. (High Mage Zamar: 300 - 1000 = 0)

(WINNER: Jaden Yuki)

Like in his previous victorious Duels, Jaden put his first two fingers up to his forehead as the holograms disappeared.

"And that is game!" he said happily with a wink. "I hope you've learned your lesson here, Zamar."

"Alright, Jaden! That was the one of the most intense Dueling comebacks I've ever seen so far!" Tristan said with a chuckle somewhere. "And that's saying a lot coming from me!"

Jaden chuckled in response, rubbing his finger under his nose. "It's no problem, Tristan. I couldn't have done it without the help of my friends."

The incorporeal image of Yubel appeared to his side, arms crossed and smiling at the boy. "Well done, Jaden. Even when I couldn't manage to emerge from the Duel victoriously, you still managed to surprise me with your quick thinking."

"Aww, it was nothing," Jaden said, smiling up at his Spirit Partner gratuitously. "Hey, Yubel, I owe you one taking over the Duel and for saving me from the Shadow Realm. I would've made a real Slifer Red mess if you hadn't showed up to save me at the last minute."

"I am glad I was around to save you from such a fate, Jaden," Yubel responded with a single nod of her head. Then her smile fell into a serious business demeanor as she turned to the fallen High Mage on the other side of the field. "Now if only we could've saved a certain someone else from a fate as well."

Jaden turned to the pitiful sight, and he knew immediately what his Spirit Partner referred to.

He turned and went to check up on his foe, and Tristan became curious at what he was doing.

"Uh, Jaden?"

Grumbling and grunting from the final blows he took from the Duel, Zamar pushed himself up by his arms until he was sitting up by his thighs. His clothes were scuffed, his face was bruising a little in a few places, and his breathing became heavy. "No! No, this... this cannot be! My plans... my ambitions... my revenge... they are all gone! Gone and destroyed by an unwanted interference! And a meagre child no less!"

"Meagre child?" Jaden parroted. "Naw, I'm just a guy who was trying to do a good deed by rescuing his pal and all the other Duel Spirits you've kidnapped."

"Even so, my revenge on the Pharaoh and the High Mages were all that I have left," Zamar said, huffing at the pain. "Now I have no reason to carry on anymore."

"Hey, don't say it like it's the end of the world, pal!" Jaden begged him as he and Tristan approached him. "If you think about it, your isolation here should've given you some time to reflect on your mistakes and how you would've redeemed yourself from them. You don't need a big shadow creature or great power in numbers to prove yourself. You've had your entire life to do something for the greater good, not just for yourself, but for others, too! Maybe then would you have avoided this mess in the first place."

Zamar noticed a golden glow in his hand, and he knew from deep down this was it. The final moments of his existence. "It is too late for that now, Jaden Yuki. I am, as you would say, 'at the end of my line' and I can no longer return to this life now," Zamar lamented as the glow slowly dissipated his fingers upward. "Listen to me, Jaden, if you are brave enough to venture to the Pharaoh's palace, then you must heed my every warning."

Jaden looked at the disappearing former High Mage with concern. "Okay, what's up?"

"The guards of the city are strict and they are always watching for any intruder who would dare come through the gates. You will never get in unless you find a way to hide from the eyes of the guards, but that will not hide you from the eyes of the Pharaoh's Sacred Guardians," Zamar instructed the two teenagers. "Each of them carry the most powerful artifacts ever forged from the souls of Kul Elna. They are powerful yes, but the one person you must beware of the most is the Pharaoh!"

Jaden's eyes widened. "That Pharaoh?"

Zamar nodded his head once. "Yes. He holds an unstoppable arsenal of shadow creatures at his beck and call. There is only monster the Pharaoh calls upon in times of great danger. A monster that is so powerful that the Pharaoh was forced to divide its great power into three separate creatures, but even then, they are still powerful!"

Something about what Zamar said struck Jaden as familiar. "Now hold up a minute! Just take a deep breath and tell me kind of monster are we talking about here?"

The High Mage closed his eyes, remembering the vivid details of the same monster which changed his entire life. "A great dragon with wings that could create great gusts like a hurricane. Scales of white gleaming in the light of the torches like it rivaled the starlight itself. And great eyes as blue and clear as the clearest summer sky."

Tristan and Jaden felt their breaths being taken away and their bodies drawn back from the physical description.

"No way!" Tristan gasped. "Are you saying that the Pharaoh has..."

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon?" Jaden finished.

Zamar nodded his head. "Yes, the legendary white dragon of great power. Only the Pharaoh could wield its tremendous might against his foes."

"This is crazy," Tristan said to Jaden. "I mean, if we're talking about the Blue-Eyes White Dragon' itself, then do you think that...?"

"I'm not sure," Jaden said back, "but at least we have an idea as to who the Pharaoh could be."

"And another thing you must know, boy," Zamar added as his body dissipated from the limbs, his torso next. "The High Mages are among the most powerful sorcerers in Egypt. No one knows exactly who is in the clan because we all hide ourselves in the shadows cast in Egypt. Even as we speak, they are currently convening with each other in secrecy using their own magic to hide themselves from the power of the Millennium Necklace. Make no mistake; if the High Mages overthrow the Pharaoh, then they will have all of Egypt in the palm of their hand."

"And who's leading them? Do you know?" Jaden asked.

"I do not know. We keep our faces hidden in the shadows, and the leader of the High Mages has magic beyond anything I have seen before," Zamar said. "That is how they were able to teach me in the art of dark magic and my hypnotism. Now that I am departing from this world to the next, every one of these shadow creatures will be released from my control, and they will all return to the stone tablet that sealed their wild spirits."

Zamar's body dissipated into gold dust, trailing all the way up to his neck. "Jaden Yuki, return to where you once came before the Pharaoh takes the shadow creature bonded with your own spirit, before the High Mages make their next move, and before it is too late for you and your friend."

Zamar closed his eyes, and his face fell peacefully as it dissipated from existence altogether.

All that was left floating from the dust was the "Anubian, the Spirit Pipe" Ritual Monster.

Suddenly, Jaden and Tristan felt they couldn't remember who lived here or who the Slifer Red was Dueling just now.

But Jaden knew there was a promised he had to make from deep within his subconscious.

"I promise we'll get home one way or another," the Slifer Red said, feeling remorse and mourning for some undisclosed reason.

In the instance, when the person who attracted the mass of Duel Monster Spirits inside the cavern was wiped from existence, the spell that was placed on them broke, and they were full of life again.

A cacophony of grunts, growls, and low snarls filled the echo of the underground chamber as they all looked around, and one such Duel Spirit spotted the two boys just standing helplessly in the cavern.

It was this kind of noise that brought the immediate attention of Jaden and Tristan to the large gathering of monsters.

"Uh, Jaden? Are they supposed to be looking at us like that?" Tristan asked.

"No, and I don't think that's a good sign," Jaden said, stepping forward, facing the monsters and spreading his arms out in a protective stance. "Now wait just a minute! Is this how you treat the guy and his friends who saved your lives!? Instead of trying to eat us, you should be thanking us! If we hadn't come around here like we did, you would've lived the rest of your lives as brainwashed puppets rather than having your own freedom back! You should be grateful that I freed your own minds back!"

Winged Kuriboh flew up to Jaden's side, chirping angrily at the Duel Monster Spirits, urging them to reconsider suppressing their most basic monstrous needs to feast on Jaden and Tristan's souls as a symbol of their gratitude towards the boys. Every Duel Monster Spirit inside the chamber continued to cast their gaze towards the two boys and the red-clad boy's furry Spirit Partner. After a moment that seemed to stretch on for a half-hour passed, the Duel Spirits converted into bodies of light one by one, which were reshaped and shrunk into tiny orbs before they began to fly out of the chamber, leaving behind golden contrails.

-ELSEWHERE-

Akiza was finally hot on the boys' trail.

She reckoned that she was about three miles away from where she suspected they were hiding somewhere.

As she rode past the nearest dunes, unusual shapes in the sand quickly caught her eyes, the boys' tracks camouflaging inside the strange shapes, their footprints blending in with the strange contours. The shapes highly resembled footprints, all in different shapes, sizes, and patterns, almost like the boys and the horse she rode in on weren't the only animals to pass through here. There were even some wave-shaped lines in the sand, comparable to the trails left behind by some manner of serpentine creature.

"These are definitely some strange tracks," Akiza noted to herself aloud, pieces of this mystery slowly coming together like a puzzle. "Either those boys found out I was following them down and they made these tracks to fool me, or someone or something else must've passed this way, too. Either way, they all lead in the same direction. Now what could there be in the desert that would draw such a large crowd?"

Sure enough, as soon as Akiza asked that question, she witnessed what she would consider the strangest light show she's ever seen. Behind a sand dune not too far from her location, Akiza quickly stopped her horse when she saw a golden glow expand over the horizon. All of a sudden, a multitude of streaming golden lights burst from the sand dune, resembling something akin to a beautiful fountain dispersing pure golden liquid. The Psychic Duelist gasped when some of the streams were headed towards her, and being on Black Tuscany, she had to hold on to the reins and Tori tightly as the streams passed her, scaring the stallion onto its hind hooves.

Akiza managed to remedy the horse's startling when she realized that she and Tori weren't being subjected to the light streams. She didn't need to have a diploma to guess that those lights were the spirits of the Egyptian desert returning to what vessel they were pulled from.

"Well, looks like I know what those boys were looking for," Akiza said, observing the lights and where the source of their dispersing. "And it looks like I know where they are now."

-ELSEWHERE-

Farther away, but not too far, the golden lights caught the attention of some certain cloaked miscreants riding on their red-eyes black stallions, grouped in seven people.

"What is that strange light?" one of the Shadow Bandits asked.

"I do not know, but let us investigate this matter immediately," the second Shadow Bandit said.

The third Shadow Bandit turned to two of his comrades. "You two. Report this to our leader immediately."

"Right," the fourth and fifth Shadow Bandits nodded before they broke off from the posse and turned back to their hideout.

"The rest of you will follow me!" the second Shadow bandit shouted, unsheathing his scimitar and charged towards the light, the others armed and following behind him.

-ELSEWHERE-

From atop of the palace walls, overlooking the village below and the great distance towards the sea of sand beyond the village limits, two armed guards, one standing in his post, one on patrol of the walls, spotted the strange gleam of yellow beyond the horizon. The patrolling guard stopped for a moment to watch the streams being drawn to the city, making them gasp. Suddenly, just as the streams reached the city, they were suddenly diverted into the nearby Shrine of Wedju and flew into the sanctuary, causing impact that strobed light as bright as the golden sun and making the ground tremor like a six-point earthquake.

The guards cowered and ducked away from the impact as it ebbed away, leaving them and everyone else who saw and felt it wondering.

"What were those strange lights?" the posted guard asked.

"I don't know, but this is something I have not seen the likes of before," the patrolling guard answered.

"Go and report this to the Pharaoh. He will need to know of this."

"Right," the patrol guard nodded before he ran back towards the main hall of the Pharaoh's palace.

-ELSEWHERE-

"Whoa, what was with that light show?" Tristan asked.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say those Duel Spirits are returning home," Jaden answered.

"Man, I wish I could return home like that," Tristan lamented.

"Hey, don't worry, Tristan. We can't give up now, not while we still have a ways to go left," Jaden assured his friend.

This somehow brought Tristan's hopes up. "Yeah, you're right. We still have a long way until we can find our way home."

"And nothing's gonna bring us down," Jaden said with a smile. "Come on, let's get out of this place already. It's creeping me out."

Tristan nodded, and the two boys turned to walk out of the Anubis Temple.

Suddenly, they were nearly knocked off of their feet by a strong tremor, one that rained dust and dirt into the chamber from the ceiling.

"Hey, what's going on!? Is this an earthquake!?" Tristan asked.

"I doubt it! Those spirits must've returned home, but the impact they created is causing this entire place to cave in!" Jaden answered.

"We've gotta get out of here, now! This whole place will drop on top of our heads!"

"Get to the stairs, quickly! It's the only way out of here!"

With time running out for the two teens, Jaden and Tristan picked up their pace and ran out of the chamber into a sprint, right before the ceiling started to crack and rain hardened sandstone on their heads. The entire chambers fell in just as the two boys exited the doorway and came across a familiar bridge, the same dangerous stretch of stone that connected from the chamber to the exit over an abyss with that eerie purple glow.

"There's the exit!" Tristan pointed out.

"Come on! We don't have much time!" Jaden urged him.

The two boys quickly crossed the bridge and they seemed to reach the other side with no problem at all.

Suddenly, a stalagmite as big as the roof of a hut cracked at the base and fell, falling right through the bridge just behind Tristan and crumbling the ground beneath his feet.

"Jaden!" Tristan yelled as he felt himself falling into the abyss.

"Tristan! Hold on!" Jaden yelled as he dove for the falling teen.

Quickly, both hands were clamped. Tristan's fall stopped as he dangled helplessly over the bottomless pit, watching as rocks and debris raining from the cavern's ceiling fell into the entrance to the Shadow Realm. He looked up to see Jaden halfway over the edge, holding his hand as tightly as he could and trying so hard to pull him back up. Winged Kuriboh held onto the hem of Jaden's red jersey and pulled as much as his little body could allow him.

"Whoa, that was close! Nice save, Jaden!" Tristan called up.

"Don't thank me yet, Tristan!" Jaden replied. "Just hold tight and don't let go!"

"Easier said than done! You're not the one who's hanging over the Shadow Realm!"

"Hang on! I think I almost..." With an ounce of strength, and some assistance from Winged Kuriboh, Jaden pulled Tristan up over the edge, the latter having the climb over that edge and backed a safe distance away.

"You okay?" Jaden inquired Tristan, his cute, fuzzy companion chirping how worried he was that he would fall.

"I'm fine," Tristan answered, huffing for breath, "but next time, Jaden, the next time we go inside a dark and spooky cavern that's caving in over our heads, leave me out of it."

"I'll remember that if we ever get out of here," Jaden replied, suddenly remembering the tremors threatening to topple the cavern and the Temple of Anubis over them. "Come on, we're almost there!"

With it, the two teens quickly jumped up on their feet and made their way towards the staircase leading to freedom. The timing couldn't he better because the two teens disappeared up the stairs, the entire cavern crumbled right behind them, obliterating any trace of the possible hideout for the new High Mage of the Underworld. The caving of the ceiling also forced a part of the Anubian Temple to collapse, creating dust clouds in the wake of its destruction.

-ELSEWHERE-

A quarter of a mile away, Akiza quickly had Black Tuscany stop in his step, holding Tori close as the movement made her wobble in her sleep like an oversized carnival prize doll.

The reason being that she witnessed sand spewing up in a dust cloud, accompanied by the rumble of tremors underneath the black stallion's hooves and the sounds of stone walls being demolished.

"That's not good. If this trail leads to those boys, then they could be in big trouble," Akiza told herself, flicking the reins and urging Black Tuscany to gallop.

-ELSEWHERE-

Up the long, winding stairs the two boys quickly climbed, escaping the perils of the crumbling cavern above and behind them.

Winged Kuriboh flapped his little white wings as he could, trying to keep up with the running pace with the two boys, gliding to and fro while dodging the falling debris.

It wasn't before long that the two teens perked up when they saw the doorway to the surface just up ahead.

"Quickly! We're almost at the top!" Jaden pointed out.

"I've never thought I'd say this, I'm just happy to see the sun again!" Tristan said as the two boys climbed over the first step and into the chamber.

Unfortunately, just as they were about to reach the exit, the cave-in beneath their feet managed to catch up with Jaden, Tristan, and Winged Kuriboh. The entire structure of the Anubian Temple began to crumble and shake, causing cracks to form in the sandstone walls, knocking huge chinks of them out of the wall. Unfortunately, another giant chunk of sandstone cracked at the doorway, collapsing it and blocking the doorway to Jaden and Tristan's freedom and trapping them inside.

"Oh no! The doorway!" Jaden yelled.

Tristan ran up and tried to use some of his strength to push the sandstone away.

"It's no use! This stone is too heavy for me to move!" the teen yelled, still trying to push it but not resulting in a budge.

"Nothing is too heavy for this guy!" Jaden said, quickly attaching his Duel Disk on his arm, activating it, and slapping down his favorite card with his eyes glowing red and green. "Give us a hand, 'Neos'!"

In a brief glimmer of light, the humanoid extraterrestrial hero was materialized in his life-sized form, solidified by Yubel's otherworldly powers. Tristan ducked away as "Neos" tucked his hands underneath the bottom of the sandstone and heaved ho, lifting the heavy chunk of sandstone up with the strength of five able-bodied men combined, but still a little heavier than "Neo's" strength altogether. Still, it did not stop him from being able to lift the sandstone high enough to make a gap big enough for the two teens to crawl under.

"There's our chance! Come on!" Jaden beckoned to Tristan.

"Right!"

The two boys quickly ducked under the sandstone, followed by Winged Kuriboh, leaving behind "Neos" who, thankfully, was only a hologram made in solid form. As soon as the boys and Winged Kuriboh made out of the crumbling Anubis-themed temple safely and far away from it as possible, the structure collapsed entirely on itself, spraying a giant cloud of sand into the air. Jaden, Tristan, and Winged Kuriboh watched as the once grand homage to the Egyptian god of the departed was reduced into a heaping mess of rubble and dust.

"Wow. Talk about a close call," Tristan said to Jaden. "If you hadn't summoned your 'Neos' like you did, we would've gone down with the temple."

"I know. We would've been a permanent part of an archaeologic find and placed in a display in a museum," Jaden sighed. "It's too bad we destroyed a temple, but at least Winged Kuriboh is back with us, safe and sound. Right, Kuriboh?"

Winged Kuriboh nodded twice and chirped in response.

"You know that is great and all, but, ummm..." Tristan looked around the desert, seeing an unending plain of sand as far as the eye can see. "How are we gonna get out of this desert?"

"That's easy. We just get on our horse and we follow Kuriboh out of the desert," Jaden answered.

"That's a good idea, Jaden, but there's one problem with it."

"Oh, really? What's the problem?"

"Where did we leave our horse?"

Jaden's face fell with shock. "Huh? But I thought you brought our horse along?"

"You mean to tell me that that we just left our horse back where it threw us off!?"

"Oh, like you were thinking about the horse at the time, too!"

"Great! That's just great! So how are we gonna survive this desert heat when have no horse to carry us!?"

Suddenly, Winged Kuriboh sensed a peculiar presence approaching their location coming right behind them. He chirped out a notice to Jaden and Tristan which got their immediate attention.

"Hey, Kuriboh, what's up?" Jaden asked.

Right behind them, on top of the sand dune hiding the now-ruined temple out of plain sight, there came the whinny of a stallion. Turning to the source, Jaden and Tristan spotted a black stallion on the apex of the sand dune, a horse very similar to the same black stallions the Shadow Bandits rode across the deserts with. Holding the stallion's reins whilst riding upon that his back, there were two girls of different sizes and ages. The tallest one had long rose-colored hair wearing Gothic-styled clothing and a metal spike tying off her bangs. The shortest one had green hair and was adrift in unconsciousness, accompanied by a tiny little bird with a plumage of blue, white, and tails feathers of fiery orange and dusky purple.

"So that's where you've been hiding all this time," the girl with the long rosy hair told the two teens.

Tristan leaned closer to Jaden. "Have any idea who that is?"

Jaden shook his head. "Don't ask me. I thought she was with you."

"You think she's a Shadow Bandit?"

"Only one way to find out."

With a flick of the reins, the rosy girl beckoned her stallion to trot down the side of the sand dune and approached the two boys. With a little tug, Akiza Izinski ordered the stallion to stop and looked down on Jaden, a hardened look on her face sending a message to the teens that she meant serious business.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," she said to the Slifer Red. "I think it's about time you tell me what is going on?"

In the gentle crimson eyes of Akiza Izinski, there was a fire that Jaden saw, formed in the shape of a rose with thorns.

TO BE CONTINUED...

---

FEATURED CARDS

JADEN YUKI/YUBEL'S CARDS

-NORMAL MONSTERS-

Elemental HERO Avian
(WIND/Level 4/Warrior/Normal/1000/1000)
A winged Elemental HERO who wheels through the sky and manipulates the wind. His signature move, Featherbreak, gives villainy a blow from sky-high.

Elemental HERO Clayman
(EARTH/Level 4/Warrior/Normal/800/2000)
An Elemental HERO with a clay body built-to-last. He'll preserve his Elemental HERO colleagues at any cost.

Elemental HERO Neos
(LIGHT/Level 7/Warrior/Normal/2500/2000)
A new Elemental HERO has arrived from Neo-Space! When he initiates a Contact Fusion with a Neo-Spacian his unknown powers are unleashed.

Elemental HERO Sparkman
(LIGHT/Level 4/Warrior/Normal/1600/1400)
An Elemental HERO and a warrior of light who proficiently wields many kinds of armaments. His Static Shockwave cuts off the path of villainy.

-EFFECT MONSTERS-

Elemental HERO Necroshade
(DARK/Level 5/Warrior/Effect/1600/1800)
Once, while this card is in the GY, 1 Level 5 or higher "Elemental HERO" monster you Normal Summon can be Summoned without Tributing.

Necro Gardna
(DARK/Level 3/Warrior/Effect/600/1300)
During your opponent's turn: You can banish this card from your GY; negate the next attack this turn from a monster your opponent controls (this is a Quick Effect).

Neo-Spacian Dark Panther
(DARK/Level 3/Beast/Effect/1000/500)
Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; until the End Phase, while you control this face-up card, this card's name and effects become those of that target.

Winged Kuriboh
(LIGHT/Level 1/Fairy/Effect/300/200)
You take no battle damage from battles involving this card. If this card on the field is destroyed and sent to the GY: For the rest of this turn, you take no battle damage.

Yubel
(DARK/Level 10/Fiend/Effect/0/0)
Cannot be destroyed by battle. Your opponent takes all battle damage from battles involving this face-up Attack Position card. During your End Phase: Tribute 1 other monster or destroy this card. If this card is destroyed, except by its own effect: Special Summon 1 "Yubel - Terror Incarnate" from you hand, Deck, or GY.

-FUSION MONSTERS-

Elemental HERO Dark Neos
(DARK/Level 7/Warrior/Fusion/Effect/2500/2000)
"Elemental HERO Neos" + "Neo-Spacian Dark Panther"
Must first be Special Summoned (from your Extra Deck) by shuffling the above cards you control into the Deck. (You do not use "Polymerization".) If this card is not already targeting a monster with its effect: You can target 1 face-up Effect Monster on the field; while you control this face-up card, that target's effect on the field is negated. During the End Phase: Shuffle this card into the Extra Deck.

Elemental HERO Flame Wingman
(WIND/Level 6/Warrior/Fusion/Effect/2100/1200)
"Elemental HERO Avian" + "Elemental HERO Burstinatrix"
Must be Fusion Summoned and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the GY: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster in the GY.

Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman
(LIGHT/Level 8/Warrior/Fusion/Effect/2500/2100)
"Elemental HERO Flame Wingman" + "Elemental HERO Sparkman"
Must be Fusion Summoned and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. This card gains 300 ATK for each "Elemental HERO" card in your GY. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the GY: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster in the GY.

-SPELL CARDS-

Contact Out
Quick-Play Spell
Target 1 "Neos" Fusion Monster you control; return it to the Extra Deck, then, if all the Fusion Materials that were used for its Fusion Summon are in your Deck, you can Special Summon all of them.

Fusion Tag
Normal Spell
Target 1 monster you control; reveal 1 Fusion Monster in your Extra Deck, and if you do, the targeted monster's name can be treated as the revealed Fusion Monster's, if used for a Fusion Summon this turn.

Graceful Charity
Normal Spell
Draw 3 cards, then discard 2 cards.

Hero Mask (in hand)
Normal Spell
Target 1 face-up monster you control; send 1 "Elemental HERO" monster from your Deck to the GY, and if you do, that target's name becomes the sent monster's name, until the End Phase.

Hero Treasure
Normal Spell
If you have no other cards in your hand: Target 1 Level 4 or lower "Elemental HERO" monster in your GY; banish it, and if you do, draw 1 card for each of that monster's Levels.

Monster Reborn
Normal Spell
Target 1 monster in either player's GY: Special Summon it.

Skyscraper
Field Spell
When an "Elemental HERO" monster attacks, if its ATK is lower than the ATK of the attack target, the attacking monster gains 1000 ATK during damage calculation only.

-TRAP CARDS-

Fusion Reserve
Normal Trap
Reveal 1 Fusion Monster in your Extra Deck, add 1 of the Fusion Materials whose name is specifically listed on that card from your Deck to your hand, then you can add 1 "Polymerization" from your GY to your hand.

The Horn of Summoning Yubel
Normal Trap
If your opponent declares an attack while you control no monsters: Special Summon 1 "Yubel" from your hand, Deck, or GY. During your Standby Phase, if you control a face-up "Yubel" monster: You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 monster in your GY; shuffle it into the Deck.

HIGH MAGE ZAMAR'S CARDS

-EFFECT MONSTERS-

Poison Mummy
(EARTH/Level 4/Zombie/Flip/Effect/1000/1800)
FLIP: Inflict 500 damage to your opponent.

-RITUAL MONSTERS-

Anubian, the Spirit Piper
(DARK/Level 8/Zombie/Ritual/Effect/2800/2600)
You can Ritual Summon this card with "Spirit Piper's Ritual". Once per turn, if your opponent controls at least 1 monster: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; take control of it. This card cannot attack the turn you activate this effect. While you control a monster that is owned by your opponent, they cannot target this card for attacks. If this card is destroyed: Return all monsters you control to their owner's field. This effect can only be activated while this card is face-up on the field. During each of your End Phases, if this card is in the GY because it was destroyed by battle and sent there: You can Tribute 1 Zombie monster you control or banish 1 Zombie monster from your GY; Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position.

-SPELL CARDS-

Pot of Greed
Normal Spell
Draw 2 cards.

Sebek's Blessing
Quick-Play Spell
If a monster you control attacked your opponent directly; gain LP equal to the battle damage inflicted to your opponent.

Spirit Piper's Ritual
Ritual Spell
This card is used to Ritual Summon "Anubian, the Spirit Piper". You must Tribute monsters from the field or your hand whose total Levels equal 8 or more. If you control no monsters, you can also Tribute Spells or Traps you control as Normal Monsters (Zombie/DARK/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) in addition to your Ritual Summoning. If a monster you control that is owned by your opponent is destroyed by battle by an opponent's monster and sent to their GY: You can banish this card from the GY then target that monster; Special Summon that monster to your field.

-TRAP CARDS-

Altar for Tribute
Normal Trap
Target 1 monster you control; send it to the GY, and if you do, gain LP equal to that monster's original ATK.

Draining Shield
Normal Trap
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Target the attacking monster; negate that attack, and if you do, gain LP equal to that target's ATK.

OTHER

-NORMAL MONSTERS-

Elemental HERO Avian
(WIND/Level 4/Warrior/Normal/1000/1000)
A winged Elemental HERO who wheels through the sky and manipulates the wind. His signature move, Featherbreak, gives villainy a blow from sky-high.

Elemental HERO Burstinatrix
(FIRE/Level 3/Warrior/Normal/1200/800)
A flame manipulator who was the first Elemental HERO woman. Her Burstfire burns away villainy.

Elemental HERO Clayman
(EARTH/Level 4/Warrior/Normal/800/2000)
An Elemental HERO with a clay body built-to-last. He'll preserve his Elemental HERO colleagues at any cost.

Elemental HERO Neos
(LIGHT/Level 7/Warrior/Normal/2500/2000)
A new Elemental HERO has arrived from Neo-Space! When he initiates a Contact Fusion with a Neo-Spacian his unknown powers are unleashed.

Elemental HERO Sparkman
(LIGHT/Level 4/Warrior/Normal/1600/1400)
An Elemental HERO and a warrior of light who proficiently wields many kinds of armaments. His Static Shockwave cuts off the path of villainy.

-EFFECT MONSTERS-

Elemental HERO Wildheart
(EARTH/Level 4/Warrior/Effect/1500/1600)
This card is unaffected by Trap effects.

Winged Kuriboh
(LIGHT/Level 1/Fairy/Effect/300/200)
You take no battle damage from battles involving this card. If this card on the field is destroyed and sent to the GY: For the rest of this turn, you take no battle damage.

-SPELL CARDS-

Crossover
Field Spell
At the start of this Duel; force this card's activation from your hand or Deck. If each player controls 1 copy of this card, this card gains this effect:
● Cannot be targeted by, or destroyed by card effects. If any player activates a Field Spell; that player can place that Field Spell underneath this card (min. 1). This card's name becomes the name of the card placed underneath this card, also it gains its effects. (Each player can only have 1 Field Spell placed under 1 copy of this card. During either player's turn, if a player activates a new Field Spell while a player controls 1 copy of this card with a Field Spell placed underneath it; that player must send that card to the GY.)