Just as Jaden Yuki was about to declare an attack—he hesitated.
Zane Truesdale had been right: lately, he hadn't been himself.
Not just because of the strange events in the alternate dimension... but something deeper. A creeping doubt about the future.
And now Zane had said he was "relieved"...?
Was this really the moment to attack?
"Jaden!"
A voice snapped him out of his trance. He blinked and looked up to see Hikaru Amagi, who had been quietly seated until now—suddenly standing, calling out to him with a voice that rang across the stadium.
"Hikaru?"
Even Jaden's friends looked surprised.
When had anyone ever seen Hikaru shout like that from the audience?
"One day, we'll all go our separate ways!" Hikaru called. "So before that happens—learn how to say goodbye to Zane!"
Jaden blinked again, stunned.
Nearby, Zane's gaze shifted. Hikaru's words echoed in his mind—and he gave a small nod. "So... that's what it is, huh?"
"What did Hikaru just shout?"
"Whoa, even Jaden's stunned?"
"Heh..." Atticus Rhodes couldn't help but laugh. "I always thought Jaden was all carefree and upbeat, but turns out he's got a lot on his mind too."
"Jaden," Zane said, raising his Duel Disk, "like Hikaru said—sooner or later, we'll all walk our own paths. Before that happens... learn to part ways with me. And even then, parting doesn't mean we'll never meet again."
Being called out like that, Jaden looked a little sheepish—but the fire in his heart reignited.
"All right, Zane! Then I'm gonna beat you here and now! That way, you can walk away in peace!"
"Battle! Elemental HERO Nova Master—direct attack!"
"Molten Nova!"
The fiery warrior leapt into the air, flames igniting around him as he descended.
Zane Truesdale LP: 4000 → 1400
"I set one card face-down and end my turn!"
Watching from the sidelines, Hikaru felt a strange relief wash over him. The weight in his chest finally eased.
In the original timeline, he knew today's duel would shake Jaden's focus—but that was because Jaden was trying to be "perfect" for Zane.
But here, this version of Jaden didn't carry that burden. He always dueled from the heart.
Which meant... the reason he'd been distracted earlier had nothing to do with the duel itself.
In the original series, Jaden and Zane had respect for one another, sure—but they only shared a few significant moments. Most of the time, it was Zane silently acknowledging Jaden's potential.
But in this world, they'd spent almost a year together in the Fusion Club. Jaden truly saw Zane as an older brother figure now. The attachment ran deeper—and saying goodbye would be harder.
If Jaden let that get in the way of a true duel, Zane, who valued the integrity of dueling more than anything, might never want to face him again.
And that wasn't something anyone wanted.
"Beautiful, Jaden. Now it's my turn!"
"My draw! At this moment, the effect of Time Capsule activates—it's destroyed, and the card it banished is returned to my hand!"
As he spoke, the capsule slowly cracked open—revealing the card he'd chosen earlier.
"Different Dimension Capsule's hidden card...!"
"Wait—it wasn't Power Bond?!"
Zane smiled. "Against you? I can't afford to risk using Power Bond recklessly."
"Different Dimension Capsule's effect—both players draw two cards!"
They each drew two cards, and both glanced down at something that gave them pause.
"Next, I activate Pot of Avarice—returning five monsters to the Deck to draw two more cards!
I shuffle back two Cyber Dragons, Cyber Dragon Drei, Core, and even Cyber End Dragon!"
The graveyard emptied, the Deck shuffled, and Zane drew.
"I Normal Summon Cyber Dragon Vier! On the field, it's treated as Cyber Dragon!"
"Then I activate my Set Trap Card—Cybernetic Revolution! I tribute a Cyber Dragon on my field to Special Summon a Fusion Monster that lists Cyber Dragon as material!"
"There's only one monster for that!"
Cyber End Dragon!
Electricity surged as the mechanical dragon returned, its three heads roaring.
Cyber End Dragon – Level 10 / LIGHT / Machine / ATK 4000
"But the monster summoned this way can't attack directly and will be destroyed at the end of my next turn!"
"Battle! Cyber End Dragon attacks Elemental HERO Nova Master!"
"Not so fast! I activate my face-down card—Absorb Shield! I negate the attack and gain Life Points equal to that monster's ATK!"
Jaden Yuki LP: 2400 → 6400
"Hah, impressive as ever, Jaden. I Set three cards and end my turn!"
"My draw—"
"Cyber End Dragon will self-destruct at the end of the turn," Alexis murmured. "Anyone could win at this point... but I honestly don't want either of them to lose."
"Yeah," Chazz said, "but knowing Jaden, he won't just sit around waiting."
"You got that right! Let's go, Sparkman!" Jaden declared. "A HERO never backs down!
I use Fusion Gate's effect! I fuse Avian from my hand with Clayman!"
"Fusion requirements—an Elemental HERO plus a WIND Attribute monster!
The wild winds return! I Fusion Summon—Elemental HERO Great Tornado!"
Great Tornado – Level 8 / ATK 2800
"Upon Fusion Summon, all opponent monsters' ATK and DEF are halved!"
Cyber End Dragon ATK: 4000 → 2000
"Nice one!" Bastion slammed the table. "If this hits, Jaden wins!"
"Go, Great Tornado—attack Cyber End Dragon!"
"Not happening! I activate Counter Trap—Attack Nullification! It negates the attack and ends the Battle Phase!"
"Ugh—he dodged it!" Alexis let out a sigh of relief.
"But during the End Phase, Cyber End Dragon's destroyed—" Chazz started.
"Only if that effect isn't stopped," Hikaru said casually.
"What do you mean?"
"Quick-Play Spell—De-Fusion! I return my Fusion Monster to the Extra Deck!"
Cyber End Dragon vanished in a flash of light.
"As expected of Zane. No holes in his strategy." Jaden stared at the card he'd drawn earlier from Different Dimension Capsule…
"I Set two cards and end my turn!"
"Interesting—this is fun, Jaden." Zane drew and immediately activated a Spell. "I Set one card, then activate Card Destruction—both players discard their hands and draw the same number!"
Jaden and Zane discarded and drew again.
"Now, I reveal my Set Spell—Power Bond!"
"Finally! It's here!"
"But wait, he only has a few cards left—"
"I also activate Overload Fusion! By banishing materials, I can still Fusion Summon!
I banish Cyber Dragon, Vier, and another from my hand to Fusion Summon once more—Cyber End Dragon returns!"
Cyber End Dragon – ATK 4000 → 8000
"Even with 8000, it's not enough to end the duel!" Atticus noted.
"Then let's raise it higher! Quick-Play Spell—Limiter Removal!"
Cyber End Dragon ATK: 8000 → 16000
It grew so large, the arena trembled.
"Sixteen thousand ATK!?" gasps echoed through the crowd.
"Battle! Cyber End Dragon attacks Great Tornado!"
"This would be an OTK even against full Life Points!"
"Jaden!" Great Tornado panicked.
"I got it! I activate Quick-Play Spell—Final Fusion!"
"When my Fusion Monster battles an opponent's Fusion Monster, its ATK increases by that monster's ATK!"
Great Tornado ATK: 2800 → 18800
"Eighteen thousand!?"
But Zane smiled.
"Same goal—but different timing!"
"I activate Final Fusion too! Cyber End Dragon gains ATK equal to your monster's!"
Cyber End Dragon ATK: 16000 → 34800
34800!?
The entire crowd was silent. No one blinked. Mouths hung open.
Thirty-four thousand attack!?
Some kids had never seen a monster over 3000!
"Zane... you really are the best!" Jaden shouted in excitement.
"Same to you, Jaden. I can tell—Fusion Club's really taught you a lot."
"So... I don't wanna lose!"
"Oh, and Zane—you discarded a purple card just now, didn't you?"
"Purple—?"
"That's right!"
"This is my graduation gift to you—from one Fusion Club member to another!
I activate—Ultimate Fusion Clash!"
The card depicted two giant dragons locked in battle.
"When a Fusion Monster you control battles an opponent's Fusion Monster, negate the attack, and both players take damage equal to the combined ATK of both monsters!"
Great Tornado: 18800 ATK
Cyber End Dragon: 34800 ATK
Total damage: 53600!
The arena went completely silent as blinding light engulfed the stage.
Hikaru had already put on his sunglasses and was watching calmly.
Amid the brilliant light, Zane and Jaden exchanged a final glance.
"Then... goodbye, Jaden. I hope we meet again on the pro circuit."
"Yeah. And don't worry—Fusion Club will keep defending Duel Academy!"
BOOM—!
A blast like thunder tore through the arena.
Result: Draw. Both Life Points reach 0.