I am alive, people! I have been fighting against my laziness, work and university, but I have overcome! I'm not sure when the next chapter will be, though...
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[3rd POV]
In the Headmaster's office at Duel Academy, Zane Truesdale sat in composed silence, his sharp gaze fixed on the woman across the desk.
"Good afternooooon, Zaneeee," Yuna drawled, her voice trailing off like a sigh. A weary smile tugged at her lips. "How are you finding things at the academy?"
"It's been well," Zane replied, his tone steady as ever. But then, a note of concern slipped through. "Headmaster… are you alright?"
Under his watchful eyes, Yuna let out a long yawn, the fatigue etched deep into her expression. She rubbed at the dark circles under her eyes, blinking slowly as if each movement took effort. Her hand gripped the edge of the desk for support, and her head bobbed unsteadily, threatening to surrender to sleep at any moment.
"Me??? I'm fiiiineeee," Yuna slurred, waving a limp hand. "My daughterrrr threw her first tantrum last niiiiight... My husband and I didn't get any sleeeeeep..."
"I see…" Zane murmured, just as her head dropped onto the desk with a dull thud. "…Headmaster?"
Silence.
Zane blinked, unsure whether to speak or leave. He cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, until he suddenly felt a presence behind him.
He turned. A tall maid stood there, silent and composed, balancing a silver tray in her gloved hands. Her glasses glinted under the office light as she stepped forward and gently shook Yuna's shoulder.
"Whuh?" Yuna blinked awake just as the maid handed her a steaming cup of coffee.
Zane blinked. She was gone. No footsteps. No sound. Just the faint aroma of roasted beans lingering in the air. Yuna downed the coffee in one swift motion, then sat up straight with a sudden burst of clarity.
"Ahhh, that's better," she said cheerfully, as though she hadn't just passed out mid-sentence. "Sorry about that! Where are we?"
"I must say, Zane… I'm very proud of you," she began, her tone now clearer, steadier with the caffeine finally kicking in. "You've held the top spot academically year after year and continued to stand as the strongest duelist in the entire academy."
"I'm honoured by your praise," Zane replied politely. But despite his composed voice, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, betraying a quiet pride.
Yuna's smile deepened. "As the top third-year, you've earned the right to the Ceremonial Graduation Duel," she said, tapping the folder. "You know the tradition before graduation, our best student is granted the honour of challenging anyone they choose within Duel Academy. A final duel to mark the end of your journey here."
She leaned forward, eyes glinting with curiosity. "So, have you decided who you'll challenge?"
Zane gave a solemn nod.
Yuna's expression brightened. "Wonderful! And who might that be?"
"I…" he began, choosing his words with care. "I wish to challenge you, Headmaster."
"Me?" Yuna's eyes widened in surprise. She stroked her chin thoughtfully, muttering something under her breath. "This wasn't how it was supposed to go…"
Then, a sly smirk curled across her lips. "Interesting…" she said, her tone shifting as her gaze sharpened with sudden curiosity. "What makes you want to challenge me?"
Zane didn't flinch. His voice was calm, but a quiet determination lay behind it.
"I know I have no real chance of defeating you," he admitted. "But ever since that time… when I was a child… I've always wondered how far I've come. I want to test myself against the one who inspired me." He bowed low, holding his breath as he awaited her answer.
Yuna tilted her head, observing the normally stoic Zane now trembling with sincerity. She let out a light laugh before smiling warmly.
"Alright, Zane. I'd be happy to duel you."
Relief washed over him. "Thank you," he said softly, standing tall once again before excusing himself from the office.
As the door closed behind him, Yuna leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingers on the desk with amusement.
"Let's just hope that boy doesn't fall into darkness," she murmured to herself. "Maybe I should visit him after graduation…"
The moment of peace didn't last.
Her phone buzzed sharply. Glancing at the caller ID, she smiled and picked it up without hesitation, "Hey, Seto. Everything okay?"
"Yuna… Miyuki's throwing another tantrum," came Seto's drained voice on the other end. "Please help."
Yuna sighed, already grabbing her coat. "Ah… I'm on my way."
She slumped back into her chair for a brief second, her earlier energy vanishing. Reaching over to the computer, she groaned, "Noah, reschedule anything left for tomorrow. I'm heading home early. Raising a baby is harder than any duel."
A few Days Later...
"Zane, you've really lost it this time!" Alexis threw her hands up in exasperation as she marched into the waiting room. Her eyes locked on her friend, who sat calmly on the bench, hands folded, eyes focused ahead.
"Why on earth would you challenge the Headmaster?!"
Zane didn't flinch. He looked at her with his usual composure, as if this were all just part of his plan.
"Then who else should I challenge?" he asked calmly. "This is my graduation duel. It would mean nothing if I chose someone mediocre."
Alexis groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Zane... we're talking about the Queen of Games!"
She paused, trying to offer an alternative. "Wouldn't Professor Crowler have been a safer pick? Heck, even Jaden seems like a better idea!"
"If I have the freedom to choose," Zane replied, rising to his feet and adjusting his jacket, "then I'll choose the strongest."
He glanced down at his watch. "It's time."
Alexis sighed, crossing her arms as she watched him head for the arena. "Good luck," she called after him. "Just don't come crying when the Headmaster wipes the floor with you!"
Zane paused for a moment, then offered a small, rare smile over his shoulder. "I won't." He muttered and slowly walked ot his destination.
Word of the duel spread like wildfire, and soon the stadium was packed. Students and teachers alike filled the stands, eager to witness the spectacle. All eyes were on the calm, determined boy who dared to challenge the strongest duelist in the world.
Yet no one called him arrogant.
They knew how hard Zane had worked. They knew his strength, his discipline. This wasn't the pride of a fool; it was the resolve of someone who had earned the right to aim for the top.
As Zane stepped out from the entrance tunnel, the crowd hushed. At the centre of the arena, Yuna was already waiting, arms crossed. She turned slightly at his approach.
"I'm sorry if I kept you waiting," Zane said, trying to steady the nerves beneath his composed exterior.
"Don't worry," Yuna replied with a smile. "You arrived just in time."
Gone was the exhausted woman slumped over her desk days earlier. In her place stood a figure of authority and power. She wore a thick, white coat over a tailored black vest, a crisp shirt, a red tie, and white pants, a sharp ensemble that gave her the presence of a final boss straight out of a game.
With one swift motion, she shrugged off the coat and tossed it aside.
Beneath it, a sleek Duel Disk extended from her right wrist, unfolding into a polished arm-blade configuration. Around her waist, several compact deck boxes gleamed under the stadium lights.
"Then let's begin, shall we?" she said.
Sliding a deck into the slot with practised ease, Yuna locked eyes with her opponent and smirked.
"Let's duel!"
[Yuna Kaiba: 4000 LP]
[Zane Truesdale: 4000 LP]
"Looks like I'm going first!" Yuna declared, her voice carrying across the stadium, "I summon Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio to the field!"
The crowd erupted in cheers as a bizarre, plant-like scorpion emerged with a low hiss, its tail coiling menacingly. Zane narrowed his eyes at the unfamiliar monster.
[Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio: 1200 Attack]
"This probably isn't what you were expecting," Yuna said with a playful grin. "But don't assume I'm going easy on you."
"When Ophrys Scorpio is summoned, I can discard one monster to special summon another Predaplant from my deck! I discard Predaplant Byblisp to summon Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra!"
Another twisted creature bloomed onto the field, its vines slithering as it took its place beside Scorpio.
[Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra: 1500 Defence]
"Now I activate both their effects! Byblisp lets me add Predaplant Pterapenthes to my hand, and Darlingtonia Cobra allows me to add Predaprime Fusion!"
She held up the Spell Card between two fingers, her Duel Disk flashing.
"Next, I activate Predaprime Fusion! I fuse Darlingtonia Cobra and Pterapenthes to bring forth, Predaplant Ambulomelides!"
A swirling vortex of vines and spores erupted as a massive, armoured plant-beast stomped into the arena.
[Predaplant Ambulomelides: 2500 Defence]
"When Ambulomelides is Fusion Summoned, I add Predaplant Spinodionaea to my hand. Then I activate its effect, by tributing Ophrys Scorpio, I can special summon Predaplant Chlamysundew from my deck!"
A lithe, sticky-looking vine creature with glassy petals appeared briefly.
[Predaplant Chlamysundew: 200 Defence]
"Now I activate Chlamysundew's effect, using itself and Ambulomelides as Fusion Material to summon… Predaplant Dragostapelia!"
With a roar, a monstrous reptilian plant hybrid rose from the shadows. Vines twisted around its limbs and wings, buds bloomed along its tail, and red eyes gleamed across its neck like a living crown of thorns. Its body shimmered with emerald scales and a deep violet underbelly.
[Predaplant Dragostapelia: 2700 Attack]
"It's got a pretty strange appearance, don't you think?" Yuna chuckled, clearly enjoying the reactions from the crowd.
"I'll set two cards and end my turn."
Staring down at the hissing fusion beast across the field, Zane drew his card with a sharp motion, "It's my turn!" he declared. "I summon Cyber Dragon Core!"
A compact machine emerged onto the field, its body glowing with a faint, blue pulse.
[Cyber Dragon Core: 1500 Defence]
"When Cyber Dragon Core is summoned, I can add one Cyber Spell or Trap from my deck to my hand!" Before the effect could resolve, Yuna raised her hand.
"In response, I activate Predaplant Dragostapelia's effect. I place a Preda Counter on your monster."
A bulbous green bud formed on Core's metallic shell. It twitched before erupting into a grotesque, pinkish flower. Its roots latched onto the machine's plating, draining it of energy. The machine sputtered and collapsed weakly.
"While Dragostapelia is on the field," Yuna said calmly, "any monster infected with a Preda Counter has its effects negated."
The dragon above her hissed and spat venom on the arena floor.
Zane narrowed his eyes.
"Then I activate Foolish Burial to send Cyber Dragon Herz from my deck to the graveyard. Since Herz was sent there, I can add one Cyber Dragon to my hand."
He slid another card into his Duel Disk. "Now I activate Polymerisation! By fusing the three Cyber Dragons in my hand… I summon Cyber End Dragon!"
Lightning cracked overhead as three metallic dragon heads burst from the swirling fusion vortex. A massive, chrome titan descended with an earth-shaking roar.
[Cyber End Dragon: 4000 Attack]
The audience exploded in cheers. Even Yuna smiled, clearly amused. "This brings back memories, doesn't it?" she asked.
"Yes," Zane replied, his voice steeled. "But I'm not the foolish child I once was! Cyber End Dragon, attack Predaplant Dragostapelia!"
The massive fusion dragon charged forward, power gathering in its mouth. But Yuna's expression didn't change.
"How exciting," she said. "But it won't be that easy. I activate my face-down card, Super Polymerisation!"
A golden vortex tore open the field as she discarded one card.
"By discarding, I can fuse using monsters from both sides of the field! I fuse Cyber End Dragon and Predaplant Dragostapelia to summon… Starving Venom Predapower Fusion Dragon!"
[Starving Venom Predapower Fusion Dragon: 3600 Attack]
From the portal emerged a monstrous fusion, pulsing with eerie plant-like energy. Yellow orbs lined its segmented body, each glowing like ripe fruit, and its chitinous armour reflected a mix of vines and insect exoskeleton.
"You'll have to try harder than that, Zane," Yuna said with a nonchalant smile.
Zane exhaled, unfazed, "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards."
He paused, eyes narrowing, "Then I activate Cyber Eternal to revive Cyber End Dragon from my graveyard!"
A burst of energy reignited across the field as the chrome titan returned, standing tall once again.
[Cyber End Dragon: 4000 Attack]
"I'll set one card face-down," Zane said, sliding them into place, "and end my turn."
Yuna tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Not bad… this might be fun after all"
She drew her card. "It's my turn. I'll activate the Spell card Predapractice! This lets me Special Summon Predaplant Spinodionaea from my hand, and then I can add another Predaplant monster to my hand. I'll choose another Predaplant Chlamysundew."
[Predaplant Spinodionaea: 1800 Attack]
As the hulking, spinosaur-shaped plant emerged, its petals pulsed with eerie life. "When Spinodionaea is summoned, I can place a Preda Counter on your Cyber End Dragon, reducing its Level to one."
[Cyber End Dragon (Level 12 → 1): 4000 Attack]
Zane's eyes narrowed as the once-majestic machine flickered, destabilised by the creeping vines that latched onto its frame.
"Then, I'll Normal Summon Predaplant Chlamysundew."
[Predaplant Chlamysundew: 600 Attack]
"Now I fuse Spinodionaea and Chlamysundew to summon Predaplant Chimerafflesia!"
[Predaplant Chimerafflesia: 2500 Attack]
The flower that emerged wasn't just ancient, it was monstrous. A rotting bloom with massive petals twitched as it rose from the ground, revealing a jagged maw lined with snapping jaws that formed its leaves.
"I activate Chimerafflesia's effect. Since Cyber End Dragon is now Level one, and lower than Chimerafflesia, I banish it!"
The corpse-flower opened, releasing a cloud of yellow spores. They latched onto Cyber End Dragon's armour, sizzling on contact. The machine let out a roar of defiance before it disintegrated in a blast of acidic light.
"I enter the Battle Phase! Starving Venom Predapower Fusion Dragon will attack your Cyber Dragon Core, and Chimerafflesia will attack your life points directly!"
Zane raised his arm. "Not so fast! I activate my Trap, Cybernetic Overflow! I banish Cyber Dragons with different Levels from my graveyard to destroy that many cards on the field! I banish two of my monsters to destroy Starving Venom Predapower Fusion Dragon and Predaplant Chimerafflesia!"
With a sudden surge of energy, the remains of Cyber End Dragon erupted from the ground like a rising spectre. It let out one last roar before violently exploding, engulfing the enemy field in a wave of destruction.
Yuna shielded her eyes as smoke and wind blasted across the arena. But when the dust cleared, Zane's breath caught in his throat.
Floating in the air was a massive, glowing cocoon.
"Impressive", Yuna said with a smirk. "But you should've accounted for Starving Venom Predapower Fusion Dragon's destruction effect. When it's sent to the Graveyard by an opponent's card, I can revive Predaplant Dragostapelia!"
[Predaplant Dragostapelia: 2700 Attack]
The cocoon cracked and split, and from within, the venomous, flower-covered dragon burst back into view with a furious hiss.
"Since your field is empty, Dragostapelia, attack the cyber Dragon Core directly!"
Dragostapelia lunged, raking its claws across the mechanical dragon. Sparks flew as Cyber Dragon Core was torn apart and sent crashing to the ground in a fiery explosion.
As the smoke faded, Zane remained standing, though visibly rattled.
"In my second main phase, I will set one card face down. Then I will activate Predapruning, targeting my Predaplant Chimerafflesia in the graveyard and special summon it!"
[Predaplant Chimerafflesia: 2500 Attack]
"I'll end my turn here," Yuna said with a casual shrug, her tone calm and relaxed, a stark contrast to the heavy tension surrounding the duel.
Zane glanced down at his dwindling hand, his jaw tightening. His eyes flicked toward the spectator stands, where his friends watched in silence. Their faces were laced with worry, and seeing that concern only deepened the weight pressing on his chest.
A sense of dread crept into his thoughts.
He understood now. Back when he was a child, Yuna had never shown him her full strength. Not even close. And even now, standing in a professional arena as the academy's top duelist… he couldn't shake the feeling she still wasn't going all out.
That thought gnawed at him. Frustration simmered beneath his composed exterior.
Up in the stands, Syrus Truesdale leaned forward, anxiously biting his nails. "This isn't looking good..." he muttered.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Jaden asked, arms folded behind his head. "Zane looks like he's doing fine to me."
Syrus shook his head. "It seems like that... but if you watch closely, you'll notice it. Zane's already burned through most of his hand. Meanwhile, the Headmaster's barely touched her cards. She's still holding onto nearly everything."
He hesitated before continuing. "It's like... she's predicting every one of his moves. No matter what strategy he pulls, she always has a perfect counter."
Jaden blinked, then gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah… classic final boss energy. Still, that Predaplant deck gives me the creeps..."
Back on the field, Zane clenched his fists around his cards.
They were right. He hadn't even taken damage yet, but the duel was slipping away from him. Yuna's plays were surgical, precise, calculated, and suffocating. Every card he used felt like a trap she had already set in motion. He wasn't losing by life points… he was losing by momentum, by control.
If this kept up, he wouldn't be able to mount a comeback. She would bury him under pure card advantage.
And she was still holding back.
"I will draw..." Zane muttered grimly while glancing at his hand. Staring at the newly drawn card, he frowned, trying to come up with a way to recover. Activating the card, he nervously faced Yuna and shouted.
"I will play the spell, Exchange! Both of us will each take a card from the opponent's hand!"
"This is quite unexpected... You're usually more calculative rather than relying on chances," Yuna commented.
"Does that mean I exceeded your expectations?"
Yuna hummed in amusement as the two walked towards each other. Stopping at the centre, Yuna revealed her hand, and Zane sighed with relief, finding a card he needed.
"I will choose the Card of Scancity," Zane said resolutely, and Yuna nodded in approval.
"Then I guess I will choose Power Bond." Yuna picked logically, making sure to the best of her ability that Zane didn't pull off anything smart.
Walking back to his side of the field, Zane observed the Card of Sanctity that he received from Yuna. Lost in thought, he activated the spell.
"I will use the Card of Sanctity... This allows us to draw six cards from our deck!"
Zane stared at his deck, his hand hovering above it. His breath caught in his throat. Each heartbeat thundered in his ears like a countdown.
What if he doesn't draw the cards I need? Zane already knew the answer. If he failed now, there would be no next turn. No second chances. The duel would end here.
His instincts, so finely honed through years of disciplined strategy, screamed at him. This wasn't how he operated. Zane Truesdale never relied on luck. He prepared, calculated, and executed flawlessly. Leaving his fate to chance was everything he stood against.
And yet… here he was.
"That feeling in your chest..." Yuna's voice sliced through the haze. "It's exciting, isn't it?"
Zane blinked.
"When you're backed into a corner… when you can't afford a single mistake." She leaned forward, eyes alight. "So don't hesitate. Draw."
Zane's brow furrowed. He clenched his jaw. "What if they're not the cards I'm looking for?" he muttered.
Yuna shrugged. "Then it can't be helped." Zane stared at her, stunned by her indifference.
"You can't plan for everything. Even I lose to luck. That's the nature of the game," she said casually. "But what separates real duelists from the rest… is how they face that uncertainty."
She pointed toward him, her gaze sharp. "So, what kind of person will you be? Will you accept defeat with grace... or scream at the sky for your bad luck?"
"Or…"
She locked eyes with him. "Will you believe that your deck won't fail you?"
Zane stared at the cards. Believe? The very idea was foreign to him. Trusting in a variable? Trusting in uncertainty?
But in this moment, just this once, he pushed logic aside. With a sharp breath, Zane drew.
One. Two. Three.
He looked at the cards in his hand.
"…"
His eyes widened slightly. The weight in his chest lifted. Something shifted. From across the field, Yuna grinned. "So?" she asked, voice tinged with excitement. "How did it go?"
Zane exhaled. Calm returned to his features. The tension in his body dissolved.
"…Better than expected."
"Good." Yuna crossed her arms and nodded in approval, "Then show me what you got!"
"Very well!" Zane called out, the fire in his eyes reignited. "I activate the effect of Cyber Dragon Nachster in my hand! By discarding a Cyber Dragon, I can Special Summon it to the field!"
A compact, mechanical dragon sprang to life beside him.
[Cyber Dragon Nachster: 200 Defence]
"Then…" Zane's voice steadied. "I activate Overload Fusion!"
A dark vortex swirled behind him.
"By banishing Cyber Dragon, Cyber Dragon Hertz, Cyber Dark End Dragon from my Graveyard, and Cyber Dragon Nachster on the field, I fusion summon Chimeratech Fortress Dragon!"
From the fusion portal emerged a titanic machine, forged from scrap and metal. Its limbs groaned with weight, its jagged jaws snarled like a beast built for war.
[Chimeratech Fortress Dragon: 5000 Attack]
The audience erupted. Even the instructors leaned forward in their seats. "Now I enter the Battle Phase! And I activate the Spell Battle Fusion!"
Zane held up the card, eyes locked on Yuna. "When my Fusion Monster declares an attack, it gains attack equal to the monster it battles!"
"Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, attack Predaplant Dragostapelia!"
[Chimeratech Fortress Dragon: 5000 → 7700 Attack]
The mechanical juggernaut surged forward, engines roaring. But Yuna didn't flinch. "Not so fast!" she shouted. "I activate my Trap, Fusion Duplication!"
A purple glyph pulsed beneath her field. "By banishing Predaprime Fusion from my Graveyard, this Trap takes on its effect! I use your Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, along with my Predaplant Dragostapelia and Predaplant Chimerafflesia, to fusion summon, Predaplant Triphyoverutum!"
A portal ripped open mid-assault. The moment before Fortress Dragon could land its blow, all three monsters were drawn into the swirling vortex.
From the portal emerged a colossal, mutated dragon. Its lower half lumbered on four vine-like legs while its upper half stood upright like a twisted centaur. Green, leaf-like scales covered its hide, with clusters of blood-red bulbs pulsing along its necks. Three monstrous heads shrieked in unison.
[Predaplant Triphyoverutum: 3000 Attack]
The crowd gasped. Even Syrus clutched the railing in shock. But Zane remained calm. His expression didn't shift. "I expected that," he said, low but firm. "That's why I prepared this."
Zane raised another card.
"I activate Cyberload Fusion! I return my banished monsters to the deck to perform a new Fusion Summon!" Electricity arced across the arena. A massive distortion formed above the field, swallowing every trace of light for a moment.
Gears turned, and metal ground against metal. The arena trembled. From the shadows and smoke, something massive stirred.
The smoke cleared...
A monstrous mechanical serpent coiled through the air. Its segmented body twisted unnaturally, and five metallic dragon heads hissed and snapped at everything in sight. Chimeratech Overdragon had arrived.
[Chimeratech Overdragon: ? Attack]
"When Chimeratech Overdragon is summoned, it gains attack equal to the number of Fusion Materials used, multiplied by 800!"
Zane's Duel Disk flared as the system tallied the fusion count, "Chimeratech Overdragon will gain attack based on how many fusion materials were used, multiplied by eight hundred!"
"I used seven monsters! And that's not all… it can attack up to seven times this turn!" The stadium shook from the weight of that declaration.
[Chimeratech Overdragon: ? -> 5600 Attack]
"Chimeratech Overdargon, the duel ends now!" Zane yelled as the fearless dragon charged towards its opponents, "With Battle Fusion, Chimeratech Overdragon will rise as well!"
[Chimeratech Overdragon: 5600 -> 8600 Attack]
"Hmph, then I will also respond with my own Battle Fusion, allowing Predaplant Triphyoverutum to gain attack equal to the monster it was battling!"
[Predaplant Triphyoverutum: 3000 -> 11600 Attack]
"What now, Zane?! Is this all you got?!"
"Of course not, this is exactly what I'm waiting for... I will activate Limiter Removal, doubling my monster's attack!"
[Chimeratech Overdragon: 8600 -> 17200 Attack]
Seventeen thousand two hundred. A number that could wipe out an opponent more than four times over.
The stadium was silent, awestruck, as the colossal Chimeratech Overdragon loomed above the field. Zane stood firm beneath its shadow, his expression calm, his resolve unshaken.
But inside, he couldn't breathe. Something was wrong. And his instincts, once again, were right.
Across the field, Yuna smiled, not out of mockery, but pride. She saw the strength in Zane's eyes, the evolution of the boy who once followed her around the academy like a shadow. For a moment, she hoped… maybe, in this timeline, his fate could be different.
But fate had other plans. She exhaled softly and lifted her arm. "You fought brilliantly, Zane."
Her Duel Disk lit up, "But I still have a title to defend."
A trap card flipped up with a flash.
"This ends now! I activate my face-down, Predaplanning! This trap places a Preda Counter on every monster on the field!"
[Chimeratech Overdragon (Level 9 -> 1): 17,200 Attack]
[Predaplant Triphyoverutum (Level 9 -> 1): 11,600 Attack]
Zane blinked. "A Preda Counter? What difference does that make now?"
Yuna let out a soft laugh. "It matters because now, Triphyoverutum's true power activates. It gains the total attack points of all other monsters infected with a Preda Counter!"
Zane's eyes widened.
With a deep roar, a bloated flower bud sprouted from the back of Chimeratech Overdragon, glowing with an ominous pink aura. The energy bled from the mechanical titan and flowed into Triphyoverutum, whose body began to swell, growing taller, heavier, more monstrous by the second.
The audience could hardly believe what they were seeing.
[Predaplant Triphyoverutum: 11,600 → 17200 Attack]
Zane stood frozen, stunned into silence.
The three-headed monstrosity opened its maws, gathering blinding heat into a spiralling beam. With a deafening screech, Triphyoverutum unleashed the attack. The flaming blast ripped through Chimeratech Overdragon, melting its heads one by one until the great machine collapsed in a torrent of light and smoke. However, amidst the damage, Chimeratech Overdragon still crashed into the dragon, sending both monsters into a great explosion.
Zane's uniform fluttered violently as the energy barreled toward him. When the smoke cleared, he calmly faced Yuna with a resigned frown. The final push he made was still stopped, and with nothing left, Zane could only end his turn.
Zane stood still, his breathing steady but heavy. Deep down, he had already accepted the outcome, but that didn't make it any less disappointing.
Yuna, seeing the conflict in his eyes, gave a small, knowing smile. She understood that feeling, well, doing everything you could, playing your best hand, and still falling short. It was frustrating. But it was also part of being a duelist.
"It was a great performance, Zane," she said sincerely. "I couldn't have asked for a better duel than this."
"…I see," Zane replied quietly, his voice laced with resignation.
Yuna looked down at the card in her hand. "Then let's finish it."
She held the card up. "I activate Monster Reborn. I'll bring back Starving Venom Predapower Fusion Dragon from my Graveyard."
A familiar roar echoed across the field as the twisted fusion dragon returned to the field in a flash of eerie violet light.
[Starving Venom Predapower Fusion Dragon: 3600 Attack]
"Since you have no monsters," Yuna said, "I'll attack your Life Points directly."
The dragon lifted off, a glow forming in its mouth before it fired a concentrated beam of energy toward Zane's side of the field. He exhaled softly and lowered his arms.
The blast struck cleanly.
[Zane Truesdale: 4000 LP → 0 LP]
A gust of wind and light swept over the stadium. As the air settled, Zane stood silently in the fading smoke, his Duel Disk powering down. Zane knelt in the centre of the crater, his Life Points reduced to zero.
Though he had braced himself for this outcome, Zane couldn't hide the weight in his chest. A long sigh escaped his lips as he remained kneeling in the crater left by the final attack.
The sharp click of heels echoed through the silence. Zane looked up. Yuna stood before him, smiling warmly as she extended her hand.
"That was a great duel, Zane," she said gently. "It was fun."
"Fun…" he echoed, the word foreign on his tongue. Then, quietly, he nodded. "Yes… It was."
She helped him to his feet, and as he rose, the stadium erupted into applause, not out of celebration for the winner, but out of respect. Zane may have lost, but in their eyes, he had never stood taller.
"You'll be missed, Zane," Yuna said, her voice sincere as she rested a hand on his shoulder. "You've been an exceptional student, someone the juniors should strive to become. I'm proud to have been your headmaster."
Zane bowed deeply, hiding the emotion threatening to surface. "Thank you…"
Yuna let out a soft laugh. "Of course, things will be very different in the professional league. You'll face opponents that will push you beyond anything you've encountered at the academy. But don't ever underestimate yourself."
She stepped back, eyes steady.
"If you face those challenges with the same conviction you showed today, I know you'll rise above them. Remember, defeat is not failure. It's a chance to grow stronger."
"I understand," Zane said, his voice firm as he met her gaze.
Yuna's smile softened. There was something lighter in her expression now, as though a burden had quietly lifted from her shoulders. With a final nod, she turned and began to walk away.
But before she could reach the exit, his voice called out to her, "Mrs. Kaiba… please wait!"
She stopped.
"The next time we duel," Zane said, his eyes sharp with determination, "I'll make sure you fight me with your true strength."
Yuna paused, then slowly turned back. A soft, knowing laugh escaped her lips.
"Fu fu fu… I look forward to it, Zane."
She turned once more, her coat fluttering behind her as she left the arena.
And Zane stood there, tall and unwavering, silently vowing that no matter the obstacle, no matter the trial, he would overcome it.
He would rise.
He would return.
And one day…
He would defeat the Headmaster he admired most.
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Fixed Errors:
- Call of the Haunted only summons monsters in Attack position, so that Zane couldn't summon Cyber Dragon in defence, and hence lost life points. However, the card has been removed because Cyber Dragon Core remains on the field.
- Predpalant Dragostapelia has negated Cyber Dragon Core's effect and can't be used as materials for Cyber End Dragon.
- Cybernetic overflow can only banish cyber dragons up to the equal number of cards the opponent controls. However, it was a typo error and it has been fixed.
- Final Fusion changed back to Battle Fusion, it was another typo error.
- Predaplant Triphyoverutum can only gain attacks equal to the original monster's attack. Due to this, the ending of the duel has been altered.
- Dark Honest doesn't gain attack, but lowers it so the card has been switched to Battle Fusion instead.
-Preadaplant Dragostapelia can't infect itself with a Preda Counter, so it has been changed