Using Fortress to eat Fortress!
Watching his own Fortress Dragon land, Zane couldn't help curling his lips upward—an unprecedented wave of satisfaction and exhilaration surged through him.
He was beginning to understand Kira's joy.
Having Cyber Dragon devour the opponent's monsters—especially that Fortress Dragon which had once made him question his life—this kind of duel was truly delightful.
Unfortunately, the delight didn't last.
"Counter Trap—Black Horn of Heaven," Kira responded immediately. "When your opponent Special Summons a monster: negate that Special Summon, and destroy that monster."
Zane: "!"
"Even if it can descend by eating the opponent's monsters, Fortress is still a Special Summon," Kira said. "So that Special Summon is negated, and Fortress is destroyed."
Boom!
Zane's poor Fortress Dragon had just touched down, hadn't even found its footing, before it blew to pieces.
Zane's happy smile vanished, his face turning stern again.
"Fine—but my offensive doesn't end there," Zane said. "Quick-Play Spell—Cybernetic Fusion Support!
I pay half my Life Points. This turn, for one Fusion Summon of a Machine monster, I can banish monsters from my hand, field, or GY as substitutes for materials!"
[Zane, LP 4000 → 2000]
"Then I activate Polymerization!" Zane declared. "By Cybernetic Fusion Support, I'll banish three: two I discarded with Graceful Charity and one that your Fortress used up—conduct the ultimate Cyberdark fusion!
Cyberdark Edge!
Cyberdark Keel!
Cyberdark Horn!
Triple Fusion!"
Even Chancellor Sheppard lost his composure on stage: "You're summoning that, Zane!?"
Three Cyberdark monsters surfaced on Zane's field, then were sucked into a surging fusion vortex. Electric fury erupted as they merged into a steel behemoth that thundered onto the field!
"The Cyberdark's strongest secret art, counterpart to the Light path—Cyberdark Dragon—summon!!!"
[Cyberdark Dragon, ATK 1000]
"This is the Cyberdark counterpart to Cyber End Dragon—their ultimate art…" Syrus murmured.
Jaden was even more excited: "Ooh—its presence is incredible!"
He wanted even more to duel the current Zane…
"Cyberdark Dragon can equip any Dragon from the GY and gain that monster's original ATK. No Level limit."
Zane smiled softly, drawing a card back from the GY.
"So of course I'll equip this—
—Five-Headed Dragon!"
Using the dragon with the strongest printed stats as Cyberdark Dragon's equip!
Five-Headed Dragon was dragged from the GY, covered in cables. Its power channeled as roaring currents into Cyberdark Dragon. Dazzling serpents of lightning spilled out as its strength skyrocketed!
[Cyberdark Dragon, ATK 1000 → 6000]
"Six thousand ATK!" Jaden blurted.
"Not done—Cyberdark's other effect: it gains 100 ATK for each card in your GY." (Anime effect)
In print, it became +100 per monster in the GY.
"Obviously, most of my earlier cards this duel were banished by Macro Cosmos," Zane said. "But I still have thirteen cards in the GY now.
Cyberdark gains 1300!"
[Cyberdark Dragon, ATK 6000 → 7300]
"Reaching 7000 with ease—that's Cyberdark's power!" Zane shouted. "Cyberdark Dragon—direct attack!"
Surging currents gathered in its maw, spinning like a vortex, then spewed forth endless chaos!
"Counter Trap—Negate Attack," Kira said. "Negate the attack and end the Battle Phase."
A transparent cyclone sealed the blast; the battle phase was forced to end. Both duel disks flashed "M2," entering Main Phase 2.
"Tsk… then I set one and end."
"My turn—draw."
Kira drew, then revealed a card from his hand.
"Spell—Monster Recovery. Shuffle all cards from my hand and field into the Deck, then draw five." (Anime card)
The cards slid in and the Deck auto-shuffled; Kira redrew.
After a pause, he glanced at Cyberdark and smiled.
"Looks like you finally broke through your limit. Congrats, Zane. Cyberdark—that's the power that should've been buried in Cyber-Style's lineage, isn't it?"
"Power is just power—there's no right or wrong. Every card exists to win. If it wins, it's a good card," Zane said.
"True—I agree," Kira nodded. "A hunger for victory is a step every duelist must have. Without victory in your eyes, you can't stand at the end. You've taken that step.
But that alone isn't enough. If you desire victory too much, seeing nothing else, you'll overlook other important things—and still never reach the summit."
Zane blinked.
"Things more important than victory…"
Kira smiled and left it there.
That was something the original "Hell Kaiser" realized near the end of his life—beyond the lust for victory. His duel with Jesse under Yubel's influence was a shining moment—the proof of his completion as a duelist.
But this Zane had progressed much faster than in the original. Given time, he'd find the next path himself.
"Equip Spell—Future Fusion," Kira said. "Fusion Summon using monsters from my Deck!" (Anime Card)
"The same card as mine…"
"Yup—and the target just so happens to match yours too," Kira smiled. "Using two Cyber Dragons from my Deck as materials, Fusion Summon—
—Chimeratech Rampage Dragon!!!"
The lab's latest Cyber product—Zane had completed it under Kira's guidance. Since Zane had it, Kira of course had a copy too.
"The same Cyber Dragon as my brother's!" Syrus exclaimed.
[Chimeratech Rampage Dragon, ATK 2100]
"But monsters summoned by Future Fusion can't attack this turn," Zane reminded. "Even Rampage's multi-attack effect won't help."
"I know. But Rampage has another effect." Kira smiled. "When Fusion Summoned, destroy Spells/Traps on the field up to the number of Fusion Materials used.
I'll destroy your set card, and the Five-Headed Dragon equipped to Cyberdark!"
"Nice!" Misawa cheered. "Five-Headed Dragon counts as a Spell/Trap while equipped. If the equip is destroyed, Cyberdark loses 5000 ATK in one go!"
Then it might be possible to beat Cyberdark head-on.
"So that's your plan," Zane snapped. "Then chain set Trap—Zero Hole!
When an Effect Monster is Normal/Special/Flip Summoned successfully: negate that monster's effects and destroy it!" (Anime card)
"Heh, you've started using traps that outright snipe a monster to cut a line," Kira smiled.
"I told you—I'm not the same," Zane smiled back. "Why not use a single card to do what only powerful Tribute monsters 'should' be able to do?"
"Fair."
"Quick-Play—De-Fusion," Kira said. "I'll de-fuse Rampage and Special Summon the two Cyber Dragons used as materials."
[Cyber Dragon, ATK 2100] x2
"Zero Hole loses its target and whiffs."
"But even two Cyber Dragons can't beat my Cyberdark," Zane said.
And your Fortress is spent—so you can't just eat Cyberdark. Since I joined your lab I know—you've only got one Fortress.
What, got a Mark II in there to nuke me?
He didn't.
But without hurry, Kira played his next card.
"Then I activate—
—Spell Card, Power Bond!"
Zane: "!!?"
Power Bond—his own soul card again.
"I don't need to explain Power Bond, right? A dedicated Fusion for Machine monsters," Kira said. "I fuse my two Cyber Dragons!"
Zane: "…"
Naturally, he immediately thought of the Cyber Twin Dragon he'd given Kira back in Battle City.
He also remembered saying he'd reclaim it with his own hands one day.
Back then, that duel had felt like prison, but now he was grateful—he realized the Duel King had been guiding him. Without that help, he couldn't have broken through his bottleneck.
And now the opponent had deliberately brought Cyber Dragon to fight him—Future Fusion, Cyber Dragon, Rampage, and now Power Bond…
That was his old style.
It gave Zane a strange illusion—like he was facing his past self.
Was the Duel King trying to tell him something through this duel?
Zane started reading between the lines.
Was he saying that while stepping onto a new path, he shouldn't completely deny his past self?
So he used Power Bond, intending Twin Dragon, to teach him…
He felt moved.
Then Kira spoke.
"Fuse two Cyber Dragons—emerge, the secret art of Cyber-Style—"
Zane tensed.
A Power-Bonded Twin Dragon at 5600 ATK that can attack twice.
Even that can't get over my Cyberdark…
"—Pair Cycroid, summon!!!"
Zane: "????"
Syrus: "????"
Everyone: "????"
Two Cyber Dragons… fuse into what!?
As every eye bulged, the two Cyber Dragons vanished in the vortex—only for the academy's infamous Bicycle to land on the field, confirming everyone hadn't misheard.
It really was a bicycle.
[Pair Cycroid, ATK 1600 → ATK 3200] (doubled by Power Bond)
Only then did people remember.
Oh right.
Pair Cycroid's materials are two Machine monsters with the same name—two Cyber Dragons qualify.
Zane opened and closed his mouth, again and again.
He seemed to want to say something—but couldn't.
Power Bond, huh?
Cyber-Style's ultimate secret, huh?
A bicycle, huh?
He didn't even know where to start roasting it…
"Pair Cycroid's ATK is doubled by Power Bond. Now, battle. Its effect… needs no introduction, right? An old friend—we all know it."
Kira grinned.
"This card can attack directly."
Zane: "."
"Pair Cycroid," Kira waved, "direct attack."
The bike took a stylish drifting turn, swaggered past Cyberdark, popped its front wheel, and went airborne.
It ran straight over Zane's face.
[Zane, LP 2000 → 0]