Zane's expression twisted into a grim smile. Then, to the shock of many, he suddenly laughed aloud. Straightening his posture, he looked across the field at Atticus.
"You said you wouldn't allow me? Interesting, Atticus. Then let's see how you plan to stop me.
My turn, draw!"
He ignored the murmur of the crowd, eyes fixed on his card.
"If my opponent controls a monster and I control none, I can Special Summon this card. Appear, Cyber Dragon!"
A surge of light, and the familiar silver Machine roared onto the field.
[Cyber Dragon — Level 5 | LIGHT | Machine | 2100 ATK]
The spectators gasped. Everyone knew this monster.
"And it's not over yet!" Zane continued. "When my opponent controls a monster, I can Special Summon this card from my hand, Cyber Jormungard!"
A serpentine machine coiled into view, plating glinting like polished steel.
[Cyber Jormungard — Level 5 | LIGHT | Machine | 1000 ATK / 2100 DEF]
"Cyber Jormungandr, if my opponent controls a monster, I can Special Summon it from my hand. Then I take 1 'Cyber Dragon' from my Deck and either Special Summon it or equip it to this card, and for the rest of this turn I can only Special Summon Machines."
"Come, the second Cyber Dragon!"
Light surged; a second Cyber Dragon dropped beside the first. Three Level 5 Machines now faced Atticus across the field.
"Witness this, Atticus, the power I learned from the Other Dimension!"
"Photon Mode, activate." As Zane spoke, his black coat gleamed and bled into white, becoming a stark uniform.
"It's Xyz! He can really do it!"
Only Zane could pull off an Xyz Summon here.
"I build the overlay network with my two Cyber Dragons!"
The pair transformed into orbs and spiraled into a vortex. A metal dragon clad in radiant armor rose from the void.
"Xyz Summon! Cyber Dragon Nova!"
[Cyber Dragon Nova — Rank 5 | LIGHT | Machine | 2100 ATK / 1600 DEF ]
The arena erupted.
"Cyber Dragon Nova's effect, detach 1 material, then target a 'Cyber Dragon' in my GY; Special Summon it! I detach, and Special Summon Cyber Dragon Core from my GY!"
A drone-like unit materialized.
"Now, Cyber Jormungardr, return 1 'Cyber Dragon' I control to the hand; add 'Polymerization' from my Deck or GY to my hand. I return Cyber Dragon Core to my hand and add Polymerization!"
"This turn I haven't Normal Summoned. I Normal Summon Cyber Dragon Core in Defense Position, Core's effect adds Cyber Emergency to my hand; I activate it to add Cyber Dragon!"
"Spell Card, Polymerization! I fuse the Cyber Dragon in my hand with Cyber Dragon Core on my field!"
The two machines twined and merged into a twin-headed juggernaut.
"Fusion Summon! Cyber Twin Dragon!"
[Cyber Twin Dragon — Level 8 | LIGHT | Machine | 2800 ATK ]
"I activate Pot of Avarice, I shuffle back Cyber Dragon ×2, Cyber Dragon Core, Cyberdark Cannon, and Cyber End Dragon to draw 2."
Zane drew, a wild glint in his eyes.
"Cyber Dragon Nova, once per turn (Quick Effect): banish 1 'Cyber Dragon' from my hand or face-up field; Nova gains 2100 ATK until the end of this turn! I banish Cyber Dragon from my hand!"
Cyber Dragon Nova roared as its systems overloaded.
ATK: 2100 → 4200.
"Wow, at this rate, his ATK even surpasses Meteor Dragon!"
"And Cyber Twin Dragon can strike twice!"
After Zane's chain of searches, Fusion, and recursion, anyone could see he was lining up a one-turn kill.
"Battle! Cyber Dragon Nova, attack Meteor Black Comet Dragon!"
The steel dragon spread its wings; arcs of electricity flashed across its frame and gathered into a blinding surge. The magma-dragon refused to yield, colliding head-on, lightning cracked, fire roared, and with a thunderous blast, the comet dragon shattered.
Atticus Rhodes LP: 4000 → 3900
"Beautiful! Now Zane can let Cyber Twin Dragon swing twice directly."
"Is Atticus about to lose?"
Whispers rippled through the hall.
"No," said Amagi, cutting in. "Cyber Twin Dragon can't attack directly anymore."
"Huh?"
"Why?"
Chazz's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me..."
"Too naïve, Zane!" Atticus snapped, halting Zane's next move with a sweep of his hand.
"What?"
"I activate an effect!" Atticus pointed to his Graveyard.
"Dragon Nails' effect: If the equipped monster is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can destroy this card and send it to the Graveyard. Then Special Summon that monster and re-equip this card to it. If this card leaves the field, it's banished!"
Gasps. Then Atticus continued:
"Next, Meteor Black Comet Dragon's effect! If this Fusion Summoned card is sent from your Monster Zone to the GY: target 1 Normal Monster in your GY; Special Summon it!"
Zane's eyes widened.
"—!"
Twin pillars of black fire burst up from the field. Even the Lightsworn spirits braced themselves behind hastily raised barriers, inching back under the heat.
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon — Level 7 | DARK | Dragon | 2000 DEF]
[Meteor Black Comet Dragon — Level 8 | DARK | Dragon | 3500 ATK → 4100 ATK ]
"He… rebuilt his field without a Trap," someone murmured.
Zane's face tightened. The air around him wavered with heat.
"Then, Cyber Twin Dragon, attack Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
The twin-headed machine tore through the black dragon's guard, clearing the board as much as it could, but with Red-Eyes defending, no damage went through. When the dust settled, Zane realized his entire offensive had boiled down to a mere 100 points of damage. The pressure coiled in his chest, and his heart pounded. How long had it been since he and Atticus fought this hard?
They had walked different paths, learned from different masters, and still ended up staring each other down at the same summit.
He glanced at his set card. He wanted to win, just as Hikaru had once told him he must.
Some people don't deserve your respect… just as Hikaru had never respected the Fusion Army's soldiers.
'Atticus… why did you end up like this?'
With no clean follow-up, Zane didn't force it. He placed a card calmly. "I Set 1 card. End Phase."
"You're ending it there? That chance was hard-won," Atticus said.
"?"
"This level isn't enough, Zane." Atticus's eyes flared scarlet, so intense that even Zane froze for a heartbeat in the middle of the Duel.
"My turn, draw!"
With his draw, the black flames behind him surged higher, darker. Even some of the Lightsworn spirits shuddered.
"Senpai looks terrifying today…" Bastion muttered.
"Brother…" Alexis whispered, worry in her voice. Her brother might be quirky, but he was gentle. Today, something savage burned in him.
"Cyber Dragon Nova can banish a 'Cyber Dragon' during the opponent's turn to gain ATK, right?"
Only then did the stands snap back to full alert. They'd forgotten that crucial line of text.
Cyber Dragon Nova's effect was "once per turn, during either player's turn."
In other words, if Atticus attacks directly right now without thinking, his ace gets blown up instantly.
No one expected Atticus had already accounted for that.
"But even then, he'd need Cyber Dragon in hand," Chazz said.
"Yeah, Zane recovered Cyber Dragon, but realistically his hand shouldn't support that line. Cyber Dragon Nova's boost needs a specific 'Cyber Dragon' by name to banish from hand or face-up field. The other 'Cyber Dragon' monsters don't count as 'Cyber Dragon' while they're in the hand."
He paused, then added, "But… it's not impossible. If Pot of Avarice drew him two Cyber Dragons, charging in would be reckless."
Bastion nodded. "Right. Xyz monsters are powerful, but they're still just monsters. We all know Nova's text by now. Atticus-senpai must have prepped a line to break through… the question is: what?"
Atticus chuckled, glanced at his hand, and calmly played his next card. "Spell Card, Cards of the Red Stone. This card can only be activated once per turn. I send 1 Level 7 'Red-Eyes' monster from my hand to the GY; then I draw 2 cards. After that, I can send 1 Level 7 'Red-Eyes' monster from my Deck to the GY.
I send my third Red-Eyes Black Dragon to the GY and draw 2. Then I send Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon from my Deck to the GY."
"Next, Pot of Avarice!"
"What!?"
The same card Zane had used.
"Zane, just like your heart craves victory," Atticus said with a strange, icy smile that didn't match his words, "my heart craves every beautiful thing in this world.
I want a perfect bond with my sister. I want true friendship. I want juniors I can be proud of. I want countless cute girls cheering for me. I want spirits living in harmony. I want a flawless life. I want no one to suffer what I suffered."
Zane frowned. "I'm satisfied with what I have now. You don't have to say all that."
"No, it isn't enough. Not enough. Not enough."
"I shuffle back three Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon, and Meteor Dragon from my GY into the Deck, then I draw 2!"
He looked at his draws, then revealed one. "Red-Eyes Insight, I send 1 'Red-Eyes' monster from my hand or Deck to the GY; then I add 1 'Red-Eyes' Spell/Trap from my Deck to my hand, except 'Red-Eyes Insight'. I send Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my Deck to the GY and add Red-Eyes Fang with Chain!"
"That should be enough..."
Atticus lifted his eyes to Zane. "Zane, Hikaru told me: when you use Cyberdark, the Cyberdark spirits electrocute you during a Duel, don't they!?"
"What!?" All of their friends in the hall turned toward Hikaru.
"Zane?!" Alexis covered her mouth in shock.
"Brother!!!" Syrus bolted for the exit in a panic; the toughness he'd built over these months vanished in an instant. Tyranno and Jaden grabbed him and pulled him back.
"Tch. I told him to keep that secret," Zane muttered.
"How could he hide it from me?" Atticus shot back, waving a hand. "He's your best friend, am I not one, too? And did you think I wouldn't notice something like that!?"
Indeed.
"Is that all?" Zane shook his head, unimpressed.
"Is that all?" Atticus echoed. "I already drank an Electric Resistance Potion. So go ahead, use as many Cyberdark monsters as you like."
"?"
Zane stared, thrown for a moment.
Atticus continued, voice low and steady: "I only need victory. No matter what happens, I respect victory and nothing else. I'm tired of judging whether an opponent is good or evil. I won't waste respect on those who don't deserve it. I respect victory."
Clenching his fist, he looked up into the darkness above. "If there's even one moment...one moment where I seize the ultimate victory, the most magnificent victory, the strongest victory, then even death would be a Duelist's worthy price, wouldn't it?"
Transcending life and death, caring only about the Duel, that was Zane's creed.
His Duel needed only one form of respect.
Respect the Duel.
"Brother…?" Syrus whispered at the broadcast, stunned.
"That's why I said… this isn't enough."
"Hm?"
"You haven't mastered the spirits. You haven't surpassed them. And you still endure the Cyberdark spirits' backlash. Are you satisfied with that level?" The black aura around Atticus surged, and the Lightsworn spirits maintaining the barrier started to buckle, until a chorus of birds flooded in with shrill cries, wings beating as they shored up the failing shield around the arena.
"Don't forget, Hikaru's deck even houses spirits that are born evil."
"You..." Zane's expression finally changed.
For the first time, he looked at the brother-in-arms he'd spent so many days with and realized:
Atticus… might have already gone farther down the path of Dueling than he had.
"You want to win, right? Then surpass who you are now, otherwise, you'll never defeat me." Tiny crackles danced across Atticus's body, like sparks snapping in the dark.
"I Normal Summon, Simorgh, Bird of Divinity!"
A sharp intake of breath rippled through the hall.
'Divinity? Not Red-Eyes!?'
Zane's pupils tightened.
"Simorgh!?"
The crowd erupted. No one had ever seen Atticus use these cards.
Only Amagi lifted an eyebrow in silence.
After all, this was the Spirit Card Atticus obtained when the two of them visited the Mountain together.
...
Stones PLzzz