So, just as I expected, you guys were really surprised and wondering what exactly was that last chapter, and I can only say is for you guys to be patient for Season 3 because of that reveal! Well, there is going to be some more info around the end of this season, but we'll get to that later!

Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own any Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!

"Okay! Just give it another day or two, and your arm should be fine!" assured Miss Fontaine, checking over Elize's arm and gently but carefully removing the cast on her arm. "Just don't move your arm too much and do less activities on it until you're certain that it's alright!"

"Ok. Thank you, Miss Fontaine!"

It took a few weeks, but Elize's arm was almost fully recovered from her last duel with Alexis. Ever since then, Elize was unable to participate in any sort of duel training with Aster, but luckily, he understood the necessity of her recovery and would keep her updated if there was any news of any movement from the Society of Light. So far, Aster has fended off members wishing to reclaim his satellite key. For safety measures, Elize entrusted her satellite key to Aster since she was in no condition to duel, and this was proven correct when some Society members tried to challenge her only to quickly realize that she didn't have the key with her.

Alexis recovered faster than Elize due to having more minor injuries than her, and the others took Alexis up to speed over what's been happening, along with what she did to Elize, even though she was brainwashed. Their reunion wasn't a...tearjerking one, as Elize, despite accepting Alexis' apologies and forgiving her, was somewhat awkward with her. Given the things her brainwashed self had done, Alexis was understandable and noted that Elize may need some time to get used to her before leaving, often visiting her at times to talk or give her get-well or apology gifts, though their relationship was still somewhat awkward with each other.

Jaden, Syrus, and Hassleberry often visited Elize as well to check up on her and sometimes give her gifts. However, their relationship was more strained than hers and Alexis due to the amount of screw-ups they've done, Elize was still mad at them for withholding information about the satellite, but nevertheless, still let them in on any and all information about the Society of Light through Aster's own information.

Now, Elize was taking a walk in the forest for some exercise, being given permission by Miss Fontaine to finally leave the infirmary. She was lost in thoughts about one thing: Zane. He's now a Pro Duelist, but he's taken a very dark and horrible path to becoming stronger. It was almost like he was an entirely different person.

Disrespecting his opponents and his own cards...tossing out the weak cards for the strong...even referring to his own cards as nothing but tools...The new Zane was almost an entirely different Zane compared to the strict and stern Zane from a year ago.

What's worst is that recently, Syrus challenged his older brother to a duel. Despite his best efforts, he still lost and was confined to an infirmary bed right next to hers. Nobody knew when he'd recover, but from the sound of it, he was injured really badly from the electrodes, also known as shock collars, he was forced to wear.

Pushing aside a tree branch out of the way, Elize found herself in a large forest clearing...with Zane looking out in the distance until he noticed her as well.

"...Shit."

Zane smirked, a little amused. "A curse word? You've certainly changed since the last we met."

Zane was right, Elize realized. Ever since her first confrontation and her letting loose on Jaden and the others after the Bastion incident, she had been changing. Oh, she was still the kind and shy girl everyone knew, but she had also been forcing herself to grow stronger, all while gaining confidence in the process. The old her would have been horrified and would have apologized for cursing.

"Gah! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to blurt that out loud!"

...Never mind, she still is. But, it seems she's more instinctively cursing than the old her would have.

"Hmph. Whatever." Zane turned around to leave.

"...Why did you change, Zane?" Elize asked, clenching her fists.

Zane stopped. "I've told Jaden and your other friends this before. For power. For recognition. To no longer be weak. And, to obtain victory."

"The old Zane would never want those sort of things."

Turning his head to face her, Zane replied, "I'm not the old Zane anymore, though. I've changed for the better. When you've experienced things like I have, you'll understand."

"Changed?" questioned Elize. "Changed into what? Changed from the old Zane to a horrible person? A horrible person who'll happily hurt others to get what he wants? Why would I want to understand that?"

"What I seek isn't to hurt others, but to gain victory," corrected Zane. "But...since I haven't been dueling any good opponents lately, and since you were second runner-up in the graduation duel last duel, maybe you'll provide me with some entertainment."

"Are you saying...you want to duel me?"

"Do you refuse?"

'If I duel him, then there's a possibility that I might snap Zane back to his senses! I mean, he hurt his little brother! He can't be that far gone! And I have been improving, so there's a chance I might win!' she thought. "Okay, Zane! I accept your challenge!"

"Good. But before we start, we'll have to equip these on." Zane opened a briefcase containing the electrodes, and even though Elize has never seen them before, she had a good guess as to what they were."

"Those?! But why?!"

"If you can endure the pain from these electrodes, then that proves just how strong you are," said Zane, clipping one on his neck. "Or, if you refuse, we can just discard the duel entirely."

Determined to help Zane back to his senses, Elize reluctantly decided to put the electrodes on before getting into position to duel Zane from a fair distance. "Okay, let's go!"

"DUEL!"

- DUEL -

Elize - 4000 LP

VS

Zane - 4000 LP

Elize spoke up. "I'll let you go fir-"

"And give you the advantage of knowing which Attribute of the Monster I'll summon? No thanks," scoffed Zane. "I know your little game, and I'm not going through with it. Now, you begin the duel!"

"Alright! Alright..." sighed Elize, knowing that that little plan didn't work. Regardless, she didn't always rely on her Charmers' Flip effects to win her duel so she still had a chance at winning this. "I set a card facedown and set a Monster before I end my turn!"

"My turn!" said Zane. "I activate the Spell, Foolish Burial, and send 1 Monster from my deck to my Graveyard! I choose Cyberdark Claw!"

"Cyberdark Claw...? But, you didn't play that card during your duel with Syrus," pointed out Elize.

Zane smirked. "Rest assured, I have more Cyberdark cards than you can imagine! Now, I summon Cyberdark Horn in Attack Mode!"

Cyberdark Horn - (DARK/Machine) - LV4 - (800/800)

"Cyberdark Horn's effect activates! When he's Normal Summoned, I can select 1 Dragon-Type Monster in my Graveyard and equip it onto Horn! And then Horn will gain Attack Points equal to the Dragon-Type's Attack Points! I choose Cyberdark Claw!"

Thrusting his wire-like tendrils deep in the ground, Cyberdark Horn dug up Cyberdark Claw and attached the Dragon-Type to him, absorbing his power and forcing him to become one with him.

Cyberdark Horn - (DARK/Machine) - LV4 - (2400/800)

"And don't think I forgot about your little facedown card. I activate the Spell, Night Beam, to target and destroy 1 Set card you control!"

With the moon, a beam of light emitting from the moonlight shined down on Elize's facedown card and destroyed it in a small explosion.

"Cyberdark Horn, destroy her Set Monster! And during damage calculation, if Cyberdark Horn, whose equipped with Cyberdark Claw, attacks, I can send a Monster from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard! Now, commence the attack!"

Cyberdark Horn unleashed beams of darkness from his horns just as Elize's Set Monster, revealed to be Mystical Elf, flipped over and attempted to defend herself with a shield of light. This time, however, the darkness prevailed as it was too much stronger and overwhelmed Mystical Elf.

Mystical Elf - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"Hmph, so not a Charmer Monster. At least my Monster's offense was much higher than your pathetic defense! Oh, there's one more thing to point out! Cyberdark Horn can deal piercing damage! Have a taste of unbeatable power!"

Elize - 3600 LP

Zane - 4000 LP

"AAAAAAAHHH!" Elize screamed, feeling for the first time, immense amount of pain from the electrodes. She stumbled back, nearly falling but managing to lean against a nearby tree to support her. 'T-THAT'S the sort of pain Syrus has had to endure? Oh man...it's nothing like in the movies or cartoons where one gets electrocuted and they're immediately recovered! This is real, and really, REALLY painful!'

"Feel that? If you felt that much pain, then it's clear like so many others, you are weak!" taunted Zane. "Only the strong can withstand or even nullify the effects of these collars!"

"Zane, hardly anyone has ever gone through this cruel treatment," protested Elize, trying to steady herself. "I doubt anyone, even the strong, would ever take this cruel treatment."

"Oh? Then how am I still here?" questioned Zane. "You don't know because you've never experienced the real, harsh world out there, but I've had to go through many trials. Trials that's tested me in various ways and made me into this!"

"Zane...I know that's not the real you, and that all that stuff you probably suffered from? I'll do my best to help you return," promised Elize.

"You can try, but I like the me that exists. The old Zane was weak and pathetic. Talking about respect and honor in a duel...Pah!" scoffed Zane. "But I, on the other hand, respect only one thing! Victory! And I'll easily claim it in this duel! I end my turn! Make your pathetic move!"

"My...turn!" stammered Elize, still trying to recover from the shockwaves. "I activate...Monster Reborn, and Special Summon Mystical Elf back in Defense Mode!"

Mystical Elf - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"Next, by Tributing a Spellcaster-Type Monster on my field, I can Tribute Summon Blizzard Princess through her effect!"

Blizzard Princess - (WATER/Spellcaster) - LV8 - (2800/2100)

"Blizzard Princess, attack Cyberdark Horn, please!"

Raising her arm, Blizzard Princess summoned a large glacier before dropping her arm, allowing the glacier to descend onto and crush Cyberdark Horn, only for Cyberdark Claw to pounce upwards and take the crushing glacier assault instead.

Elize - 3600 LP

Zane - 3600 LP

Electricity ran through Zane's body because he, too, received damage from the electrodes, and yet, he showed no painful reaction to it. In fact, he seemed amused by the electrical pain. "That almost felt something."

Taken aback by his lack of reaction, especially over something as painful as the electrodes, Elize asked, "H-How can you withstand such pain?"

"Like I said, only the strong can handle something like this! And now, Cyberdark Horn's effect kicks in! If he was about to be destroyed, the equipped Monster takes his place instead!"

Cyberdark Horn - (DARK/Machine) - LV4 - (800/800)

"Ok, I set a card and end my turn!" said Elize, knowing there was nothing else she could do at the moment.

"My turn, draw!" shouted Zane. "I summon Proto-Cyber Dragon onto the field!"

Proto-Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV3 - (1100/600)

"While on the field, his effect makes it so that he counts as a 'Cyber Dragon!' And now, I activate the Spell, Polymerization! I fuse together Proto-Cyber Dragon along with the Cyber Dragon in my hand in order to Fusion Summon Cyber Twin Dragon!"

Cyber Twin Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2100)

Elize couldn't help but let out a breath of relief. "Oh, that's it? For a second there, I was worried it was going to be Cyber End Dragon!"

Zane smirked. "Oh, you'll see him soon enough. If you can't get past Cyber Twin Dragon, there's no way in hell you'll ever be able to take on Cyber End Dragon, or any of my other dragons for that matter! I attack, and then activate the Quick-Play Spell, Battle Fusion! When my Monster attacks, it gains Attack Points equal to the amount your Monster has until the end of the Damage Step! Now, Cyber Twin Dragon, attack!"

Cyber Twin Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (5600/2100)

"I activate my Trap, Waboku!" countered Elize. "I take no Battle Damage this turn, and all Monsters I control aren't destroyed in battle, either!"

Cyber Twin Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2100)

Cyber Twin Dragon, who had been charging up for a double collision laser blast, ceased their charging. Zane scowled, "You and your annoying defenses...Whatever. No matter how many defenses you put up, I'll just bring them down over and over and over again until you have nothing left! My offense against your defense...I wonder which one will prevail most?"

"Um...Mine?"

"That was a rhetorical question!" snapped Zane. "I activate the Continuous Spell, Future Fusion! By sending Monsters from my deck to the Graveyard that count as Fusion-Material Monsters, I can Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck in my 2nd Standby Phase!

"My turn!" Elize said. 'That last turn was a real close-call! I think I would have lost if I hadn't activated Waboku! I have to think of some way to turn this around!' "I activate the Spell, Element Chime! By targeting 1 Monster on your side of the field, I can add a Charmer Monster from my deck to my hand whose Attribute is the same as the Monster being targeted! I'll add Dharc the Dark Charmer because I targeted your Cyberdark Horn!"

"So, you plan on taking control of Cyberdark Horn in your next turn, correct?" asked Zane. "Well, you can go ahead and take him if you want! I have no need for such a weakling at this moment."

Elize blinked in surprise. "Wha-? But, he's a really strong Monster who can equip-"

"Only when he's Normal Summoned, and nothing else. But, since you destroyed him the first time, Cyberdark Claw had taken the fall, thus weakening Cyberdark Horn, so he's useless to me. By all means, take him off my hands."

'I originally wanted Cyberdark Horn to prevent Zane from making him stronger with another equipped Monster, but if he's telling the truth, then I should save Dharc for some other Cyberdark Monster just in case,' Elize thought. "I set a Monster and then equip Blizzard Princess with Bound Wand! Now, Blizzard Princess gains 100 Attack Points x the number of levels she has! She has 8, so she gains 800 extra Attack Points!"

Blizzard Princess - (WATER/Spellcaster) - LV8 - (3600/2100)

"Blizzard Princess, please attack Cyber Twin Dragon!"

Blizzard Princess raised her flail and brought it down onto the Cyber Twin Dragon, and once her weapon made contact with the two heads, it didn't merely crush them, but rather froze the draconic machinery body from the two heads to toe. Another slamming assault from Blizzard Princess utterly shattered the ice, destroying Cyber Twin Dragon.

Elize - 3600 LP

Zane - 2800 LP

Just like before, black electricity shocked Zane's body, and yet he held no painful reaction to it, troubling and somewhat scaring Elize due to his lack of reaction. The first time would be bad enough, but a second time showing the same results of no reaction? It would scare anyone.

Anyone except a certain duelist named Zane Truesdale, that is.

"I-I end my turn!"

"You're getting scared, Elize," pointed out Zane, amused. "Good. I draw! I switch Cyberdark Horn into Defense Mode and then summon Cyber Valley in Attack Mode!"

Cyber Valley - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV1 - (0/0)

"I end my turn."

"My turn, draw!" Elize examined both fields before her and tried to make a good decision based on what her choices were. 'Blizzard Princess has more than enough Attack Points to defeat Zane if she attacks Cyber Valley. But, then why would Zane purposely place it in Attack Mode? ...Unless he wants me to attack, in which case, he'll activate some hidden ability of Cyber Valley! He has no more use for Cyberdark Horn! He told me that much. And, I can't forget about that Future Fusion effect that'll start at the start of his turn! If he's going to summon Cyber End Dragon, none of my Monsters has any chance! I should defend instead!'

"I switch Blizzard Princess in Defense Mode and then I end my turn!"

"Why?" questioned Zane. "You had the perfect opportunity to take me out last turn by targeting my Cyber Valley. You could have ended this all."

"No, that was still a bit of a risk," explained Elize. "Zane, why did you put your Cyber Valley, a Monster with 0 Attack and Defense Points, in a very vulnerable position? You were practically baiting me to attack, and if I did...I suspect that your Cyber Valley would have had some sort of hidden ability that would have made me lose or something. There was no way I could do that. And..."

"And?"

"Well, there's your Future Fusion card. Now that two turns has passed, you should be able to use it. I don't know the entirety of your new deck, Zane, but I know that your Fusion Monsters are extremely powerful."

Zane smirked. "Wow, maybe you're not as stupid as most of the duelists in this island after all. It's about time I dueled someone smart."

"Syrus wasn't enough for you?" questioned Elize, feeling insulted for Syrus.

"He was good, but not that good. And, from your earlier statement, you're right," commented Zane. "My Cyber Valley has three choices to it. The first effect can be activated during the Battle Phase only, as it'll remove Cyber Valley from play, which will end the Battle Phase and let me draw 1 card."

"What are the other two choices?"

"You'll just have to find out in my next turn. I draw!" began Zane. "You didn't forget, did you? During this turn, thanks to Future Fusion's effect, I'm now able to Special Summon that Fusion Monster I so desired! Using the Fusion-Material Monsters I used from my deck, a second Cyberdark Horn, Cyberdark Edge, and Cyberdark Keel, I Fusion Summon Cyberdark Dragon!"

Cyberdark Dragon - (DARK/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (1000/1000)

"His special ability activates! When Special Summoned, Cyberdark Dragon, by equipping himself with any Dragon-Type Monster on the field, gains that much Attack Points! Combine with it, Cyber End Dragon!"

"What?!" exclaimed Elize. "Just when did you-?!"

"Cyberdark Claw's effect, if you recall," answered Zane. "Sometime during the start of this duel, when I first destroyed your Monster with Cyberdark Horn, I used Cyberdark Claw's effect to send a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard. It shouldn't take even an infant to figure out which one I sent!"

As Zane was bragging about his achievements, Cyberdark Dragon took the opportunity to absorb Cyber End Dragon's power for his own, thus increasing his own power immensely.

Cyberdark Dragon - (DARK/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (5000/1000)

"There's more!" said Zane. "Now, for every card in my Graveyard, Cyberdark Dragon gains 100 extra Attack Points! In total, I have 11, so that means he gains an additional 1100 Attack Point bonus!"

Cyberdark Dragon - (DARK/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (6100/1000)

"Next, I activate Cyber Valley's secondary effect! I remove from play both Cyber Valley and Cyberdark Horn in order to draw 2 more cards! Next, I activate the effect of Cyberdark Inferno!"

Suddenly, the scenery around them changed dramatically as spiky, sharpened pillars rose high in the sky as the skies darkened, towering over them as though they were pillars belonging to a dark kingdom, added in with the hellfires spreading and surrounding the two of them to prevent any means of escape or entry.

"A Field Spell?" wondered Elize.

"That's right!" said Zane. "And here's how it works! Cyberdark Effect Monsters I control equipped with any sort of Equip card can't be destroyed nor targeted by your card effects, so if you were planning on using any of your Charmers to turn against me, you'll have to think again!"

Elize thought as she glanced at her Set Monster, 'That completely blocks off Dharc's Flip effect! I can't use him next turn! Well, I suspect that Zane might attack Dharc instead of Blizzard Princess because he might still be more of a threat than Blizzard Princess, even if her stats are higher than his.'

Zane wasn't finished with his turn. "Now, I activate Cyberdark Cannon's effect from my hand! By discarding him to the Graveyard, I can add a Cyberdark Machine-Type Monster from my deck to my hand! I choose Cyberdark Edge!"

Cyberdark Edge - (DARK/Machine) - LV4 - (800/800)

"And Cyberdark Edge, when Normal Summoned, equips himself with a Level 4 or lower Dragon-Type Monster in my Graveyard to add its Attack Points to its own! I choose Cyberdark Cannon!"

Wrapping his wire-like tendrils around Cyberdark Cannon, Cyberdark Edge roared in triumph over absorbing a considerate amount of power.

Cyberdark Edge - (DARK/Machine) - LV4 - (2400/800)

"Cyberdark Dragon! Go! Destroy her Blizzard Princess!" ordered Zane.

That surprised Elize. "You're not going to go after my Set Monster?"

"Why should I? I already know that you chose Dharc the Dark Charmer as your Set Monster, and more importantly, did you forget? Cyberdark Inferno's effect will prevent any of your Monsters or any other card effects from affecting my Monsters at all. Now, continue your assault, Cyberdark Dragon!"

Blizzard Princess concentrated all of her ice and water magic into one huge defensive-type magic, displaying a large shield consisting of the two elemental magics as Cyberdark Dragon unleashed a devastating blast of darkness that not only shattered her defenses, but annihilated her in the process.

'Blizzard Princess!' thought Elize. 'I hope she's alright! I mean, it's a good thing I placed her in Defense Mode, but she did get pretty hurt from that powerful blast! I'll have to check up on her later!'

"Now, I activate Cyberdark Edge's effect!" said Zane. "By halving his Attack Points, I can have him attack you directly! Go, Cyberdark Edge!"

Cyberdark Edge - (DARK/Machine) - LV4 - (1200/800)

Cyberdark Edge flapped his wings rapidly, sending powerful gusts of wind at Elize, who held onto a tree and braced for impact, winching from all of the powerful winds before using one hand to hold onto her red hat.

Elize - 2400 LP

Zane - 2800 LP

Elize had forgotten about the electrical effects of the electrodes until she was literally shocked from them. She screamed in pain and fell down on her back, gasping for air once the harsh electrical treatment was over.

"Pathetic. You can't even handle that much," scoffed Zane.

Elize was panting as she held onto a tree branch and clutched her chest. "I...I activate the effect of Bound Wand...If the Monster equipped to it was destroyed in battle, I get to Special Summon...that Monster at the end of the Battle Phase...Come back, Blizzard Princess!"

Blizzard Princess - (WATER/Spellcaster) - LV8 - (2800/2100)

Zane said, "I set a card and end my turn!"

"I draw..." panted Elize. "I...I activate Pot of Greed, so I draw two more cards! Then, I activate the Spell, Polymerization, and fuse together Eria and Wynn from my hand in order to Fusion Summon Squalla the Tempest Charmer!"

Squalla the Tempest Charmer - (WIND/Fusion/Spellcaster) - LV7 - (2400/1500)

"I now activate the Spell, Healing Wind! For every Monster on the field, I gain 200 Life Points for each! Right now, there's 5 in total, so I gain 1000 Life Points!"

Elize - 3400 LP

Zane - 2800 LP

"Now, I activate Squalla's effect! By discarding a certain amount of cards from my hand, I can destroy Traps/Spells up to the number I just discarded! I choose to discard only 1, which means that I'm destroying only one Spell/Trap on the field, and I choose Cyberdark Inferno!"

Squalla raised her weapon, summoning forth raging winds and storms, surrounding the entire playing field. The hellfires were all extinguished by the combination of wind and water, whereas the raging winds destroyed and blew away the pillars coming from the Field Spell, leaving the two opponents in an open field devoid of any Field Spell.

"And, after this happens, Squalla gains 300 extra Attack Points for every Trap/Spell destroyed until the end of this turn!"

Squalla the Tempest Charmer - (WIND/Fusion/Spellcaster) - LV7 - (2700/1500)

Before Elize could do anything else, Zane was quicker to react. "I activate Cyberdark Inferno's effect! When it's destroyed, I get to add 1 Fusion card from my deck to my hand! Then, I activate my Quick-Play Spell, Dimension Explosion! I return 1 face-up Fusion Monster back to my Extra Deck, and then, it has both of us Special Summon as many of our removed Monsters as possible!"

"What?!"

BOOM! At Zane's declaration, Cyberdark Dragon was instantly destroyed by a self-destruction made by Zane, also taking down the Cyber End Dragon that the Cyberdark Dragon had absorbed simply for its power alone. In exchange for Cyberdark Dragon's destruction, Zane had chosen his 2 removed Monsters, Cyber Valley and Cyberdark Horn to both return in Defense Mode.

Cyber Valley - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV1 - (0/0)

Cyberdark Horn - (DARK/Machine) - LV4 - (800/800)

"W-Why would you do that?! I thought you cherished your Monsters, especially since you got a new deck!" questioned Elize. She was also upset by the fact that she couldn't Special Summon any of her Monsters since none of her destroyed Monsters were removed from play.

Zane answered, "Since when have I ever 'cherished' my Monsters? Doing so is a weakness. I'm not here to coddle our own Monsters! I'm here for victory! And besides, I knew you were going to Flip Summon your Set Monster, thus activating his Flip effect to take control of Cyberdark Dragon, so I did the logical thing and disposed of him before he could be worked against me!"

"...So, it's true. You really don't care about your deck so long as you achieve victory, do you?" questioned Elize, saddened.

"Don't give me that pathetic sympathy! I was weak, so I discarded my weak self for more strength! What's wrong with that?" asked Zane, too proud of himself.

"Because you gave up on your respectful side!" Elize protested. "I mean, I might not know you that well, Zane, but even I knew-no, the entire school knew you as someone respectful! Sure, you were strict and took no nonsense, but at least you still cared about people! I mean, you saved Syrus from Camula, remember?"

"A mistake."

"...What?"

"I said, that was a mistake," repeated Zane with no hesitation. "I should have never saved that weakling, because I would have won if he hadn't intervened! In fact, it was his own fault that I lost so pathetically!"

"Camula was the one at fault there!" argued Elize. "Syrus was forced to be a hostage! He didn't-!"

"I clearly remembered what happened, and while he was caught against his own will, that didn't change the fact that he was in the way of my victory!" said Zane before grinning maliciously. "In fact, now that I think about it, I'm glad that he's been hospitalized! Serves him right for trying to stand in my way!"

Elize began shaking, not just out of fear, but out of anger as well. What was once a great and powerful, respectful person, had now changed to something utterly...repulsive. Disrespectful. And worst of all, sadistically and willing to harm others no matter what.

Suddenly, a headache cracked inside Elize's head, causing her to grunt and clung onto her head. As she looked up and tried to focus on the duel, she hardly noticed her forest green eyes constantly changing from red to green, and then going on the same cycle for a while. This, however, didn't escape Zane's sights as he sensed something malicious whenever her red eyes popped in, but none whenever her green eyes returned.

Finally, the headache vanished, and Elize's eyes permanently went back to green. Elize groaned and leaned back against the tree. Was it fatigue and the continuous shockwaves that was making her like this? It was possible, and the only explanation, which she took.

"I-I'm sorry...was it still my turn?" she asked.

"...What was that?"

"Pardon?"

"I sensed something just now. You didn't notice?" questioned Zane. "Your eyes changed colors. What sort of power have you been hiding? Or rather, what kind of power have you acquired while I was gone?"

"Zane, I have no idea what you're talking about," answered Elize honestly. "I'm not feeling too good right now...I think it's from these electrodes..."

Zane narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but he could also tell that Elize seemed to be telling the truth when she said that she truly didn't know what power he was referring to. Just now, that malicious presence perked his interest, not just because how powerful that presence was...

But also, just like how his strength was birthed from the underground duels by him drawing within himself, Elize's mysterious power seemed to have been given birth within herself.

"...Continue your turn," stated Zane.

"What?"

"You have yet to attack, so continue your turn instead of wasting my turn!"

"R-Right!" stammered Elize, examining her current situation. She still had a chance of winning even though Zane has the highest Life Points right now. "I Flip Summon Dharc the Dark Charmer!"

Dharc the Dark Charmer - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (500/1500)

"And now, his Flip effect activates! As long as Dharc is out on the field, I can control one DARK Attribute Monster you control! I choose Cyberdark Edge!"

Dharc clasped his palms together before spreading his arms out; a wave of darkness spreading throughout the entire playing field. Cyberdark Edge was instantly enticed by Dharc's charmed spell and flew over to Elize's side of the field, now under hers and Dharc's control.

For a second, Elize felt her heart throb badly, making her grip her chest in pain. 'W-What is this pain...?! For a second, it felt like my heart was about to explode! It's okay now but...I've never felt something like that before-!' she thought before commencing the assault. "I-I attack with Dharc! Go, destroy Cyber Valley!"

"I activate the first effect of Cyber Valley!" announced Zane. "By removing from play Cyber Valley, the Battle Phase ends, and I get to draw 1 card!"

Having anticipated that due to Zane's earlier explanation, Elize knew there was nothing more she could do. "I...I end my turn. At this moment, Squalla's effect wears off and her Attack Points return to normal."

Squalla the Tempest Charmer - (WIND/Fusion/Spellcaster) - LV7 - (2400/1500)

"My turn, draw!" said Zane. "I switch Cyberdark Horn to Attack Mode and then, from my hand, I summon Exploder Dragon in Attack Mode!"

Exploder Dragon - (EARTH/Dragon) - LV3 - (1000/0)

"Time to attack! I use Exploder Dragon and attack Blizzard Princess!"

"Huh?!" Elize watched as Exploder Dragon soared above Blizzard Princess and dropped an egg-like bomb right on top of her that instantly detonated, taking out Exploder Dragon and, shockingly, Blizzard Princess as well. "But how?!"

"Did you forget from my turn with Syrus?" asked Zane. "When Exploder Dragon is destroyed, he can also destroy the Monster that destroyed it. In addition, when he's attacking, all Battle Damage becomes 0. Now, Cyberdark Horn! Attack Dharc the Dark Charmer! Cyberdark Edge, return to my field!"

Cyberdark Horn struck Dharc with a blast of black lightning, electrifying him before finishing him off. Once Dharc was destroyed, the charmed spell he had on Cyberdark Edge wore off, prompting Cyberdark Edge to return back to Zane's side.

Elize - 3100 LP

Zane - 2800 LP

Elize knew she would never get used to the electrifying sensation from dealing with the negative effects of the electrodes as she had to endure another round of being electrocuted. "AAAAAAAHHH!"

"Cyberdark Edge, destroy her Fusion Monster!"

"What?! But they both have the same amount of Attack Points! They'll be both wiped out!" pointed out Elize, still trying to recover from being electrocuted.

"I'm not going to let you have an advantage over me next turn, especially with her special ability being a threat," hissed Zane. "Do it, now!"

Cyberdark Edge released heavy storm-like winds at the same time Squalla fired a typhoon-like blast at Cyberdark Edge; the two attacks bypassing each other as they hit their intended targets, leaving no winners nor losers in that round alone.

"I set a card and end my turn," stated Zane.

"My turn, draw!" said Elize. "I activate the Spell, Card of Sanctity, meaning we both draw until we have six cards each! I then activate Fusion Sage, and this Spell lets me add a Polymerization from my deck to my hand! I activate Polymerization and fuse together Hiita the Fire Charmer and Aussa the Earth Charmer from my hand in order to Fusion Summon Lavonne the Lava Charmer!"

Lavonne the Lava Charmer - (FIRE/Fusion/Spellcaster) - LV7 - (2500/1500)

"I now summon Magician's Valkyria to the field in Attack Mode!"

Magician's Valkyria - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1600/1800)

"Let's battle!" declared Elize. "Magician's Valkyria! Attack Cyberdark Horn, please!"

Raising her wand, Magician's Valkyria fired a large orb of light that obliterated Cyberdark Horn, destroying him.

Elize - 3100 LP

Zane - 2000 LP

As Zane was experiencing the effects of the electrodes due to losing Life Points, Elize glanced at the playing field and the difference between hers and Zane's Life Points in disbelief.

'This...could be it!' thought Elize excitedly. 'Just one more attack, and I'll win for certain!' "Lavonne, please finish this!"

"I activate my facedown card, Power Wall!" yelled Zane, taking out his entire deck from his duel disk. He tossed aside a considerate amount of cards as though they were nothing, forming a barrier wall of cards in front of him to block Lavonne's attack on him, thus protecting his Life Points. "Power Wall activates only when I take Battle Damage from a Monster. I can send any number of cards from my deck to my Graveyard, and the amount will be reduced by 100 for each card. Since your Lavonne had 2500 Attack Points, I choose to discard 25 cards!"

'This is one of the cards that caused Zane to be so disrespectful!' Elize thought in anger. "The old Zane would never have used such a card!"

"You're right. He wouldn't have. But I'm not the old Zane, am I?" Zane corrected, smirking.

Elize knew it would only be a waste of time trying to convince him otherwise no matter how much she wished to. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Charmer Hymn! During either of our Battle Phases, I can target 1 Charmer Monster I control, and then I get to Special Summon 1 Monster whose Levels are equal to or less than that Charmer Monster's Level! In additional, the Monster I choose must be in Defense Mode! From my hand, I Special Summon Card Ejector in Defense Mode!"

Card Ejector - (EARTH/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (400/400)

"I activate Card Ejector's effect! Once per turn, I can target a card in your Graveyard and remove it from play! And I choose Cyber End Dragon!"

Zane gritted his teeth as Card Ejector fired a magic beam from her wand, targeting Cyber End Dragon in his Graveyard before it completely vanished. He had been planning on making some sort of use for him later on.

Out of caution, Elize decided to add one more defense before ending her turn. "I set a card and end my turn for now!"

"My turn, draw!" said Zane. "I activate the Spell, Overload Fusion, and remove from play from my Graveyard, Fusion-Material Monsters for a Machine-Type Fusion Monster! I remove from play Cyberdark Horn, Keel, Edge, Cannon, and Claw in order to Fusion Summon Cyberdarkness Dragon!"

Cyberdarkness Dragon - (DARK/Machine/Fusion) - LV10 - (2000/2000)

'Another new Cyberdark Monster?! And I have a feeling that this one is even more powerful than Cyberdark Dragon!' thought Elize.

"Cyberdarkness Dragon's effect activates! If he's Special Summoned, I can equip 1 Dragon or Machine-Type Monster from my Graveyard onto Cyberdarkness Dragon! And originally, I meant to give him Cyber End Dragon, but because of you, I'm unable to, so I have to go with the second option! I choose Cyber Twin Dragon!"

Cyber Twin Dragon struggled and lashed out hastily, trying their best to break free before Cyberdarkness Dragon completely absorbed their powers by practically devouring them whole.

Cyberdarkness Dragon - (DARK/Machine/Fusion) - LV10 - (4800/2000)

"Next, I summon Cyber Dragon Drei in Attack Mode!"

Cyber Dragon Drei - (1800/800)

"Cyber Dragon Drei, finish off Card Ejector!"

"Magician's Valkyria's effect activates!" shouted Elize. "You can't target any Spellcasters for any attacks except for her, meaning you have to get through her first!"

"Fine, then aim your attack towards Magician's Valkyria first!"

Cyber Dragon Drei lashed out and bite Magician's Valkyria, making her cry out silently before being destroyed in an explosion.

Elize - 2900 LP

Zane - 2000 LP

It took everything this time for Elize not to scream out in pain as she was electrocuted once more. Instead, she held her ground and gritted her teeth, hoping to recover from the tormenting electrocution she just suffered.

"Now, Cyberdarkness Dragon, destroy Lavonne!"

Lavonne, having figured since she was the strongest Monster on Elize's side of the field, summoned forth an eruption meant to shield her against Cyberdarkness Dragon's elemental blast, but unfortunately, it clearly wasn't enough as the darkness overwhelmed Lavonne, defeating her in the process.

Elize - 600 LP

Zane - 2000 LP

Elize was unable to bear the pain a second time shortly after having to endure another round of electrical pain, causing her to scream and nearly black out. If it weren't for her determination and strong will, she would have already fainted, and the duel would have won in Zane's case automatically.

"Fine. I end my turn," said Zane.

"My turn, draw!" said Elize. "I activate Card Ejector's effect to remove from play Cyberdark Dragon from your Graveyard!"

Zane glared angrily at her as he was forced to remove from play Cyberdark Dragon from his Graveyard; another great Monster lost to him.

"Next, I activate my facedown card, Chain Material!" Elize said. "Any time I want to Fusion Summon, I remove from play Fusion-Material Monsters from my deck, field, hand, or Graveyard! In exchange, I can't attack this turn, and the Fusion Monster summoned by this effect is destroyed at the end of this turn! From my Graveyard, I fuse Eria, Wynn, Hiita, and Aussa, in order to Fusion Summon one of my most powerful Monsters! Aeolos the Aether Charmer!"

Aeolos the Aether Charmer - (LIGHT/Spellcaster/Fusion) - LV10 - (2900/2500)

"I remember that Monster. You used it against Kagemaru last year," spoke Zane. "Ha, what a weakling. It wouldn't even last much in that duel, nor can it stand against my Cyberdarkness Dragon!"

"Not yet anyways," said Elize. "I activate Aeolos' effect! One of his effects is that if I remove from play a WIND Attribute Monster from my Graveyard, I can target 1 card on my field, and it's not destroyed nor affected by any card effects! I choose to remove Squalla, and now Aeolos is no longer destroyed nor affected by card effects! I end my turn!"

"So, you chose that effect to avoid your Fusion Monster from being destroyed by Chain Material," spoke Zane, realizing why Elize had done so. "Not bad, but not enough! I draw! Cyberdarkness Dragon, end this now! Destroy her Fusion Monster!"

"I activate another of Aeolos' effects!" Elize shouted. "By removing from play a WATER Attribute Monster this time, I can target a card on your field and place it back on the bottom of your deck! I choose your Cyberdarkness Dragon!"

Zane reacted quickly. "I activate Cyberdarkness Dragon's effect! When you activate a card or card effect, I can send 1 Equip card I control to the Graveyard, negate the activation, and then destroy that card!"

"Because of Aeolos' effect, he can't be destroyed nor affected by any card effects, remember?"

Zane's eyes widened before he gritted his teeth in frustration. "Damnit!"

Yawning, Aeolos raised his arms, casting a high-leveled water elemental spell that summoned forth a large tidal wave, consuming Cyberdarkness Dragon entirely before he glowed and vanished, disappearing back into Zane's Extra Deck due to being a Fusion Monster.

With nothing else, Zane said, "I switch Cyber Dragon Drei to Defense Mode, set one card facedown...and end my turn."

"Okay, my turn!" said Elize, feeling confident. "I activate Card Ejector's effect and remove from play Cyberdarkness Dragon! Next, I attack Cyber Dragon Drei with Aeolos!"

Aeolos casted a light elemental spell, raining down a beam of light from the skies that blasted away Cyber Dragon Drei, leaving Zane's field empty save for his set card.

"I now activate Aeolos' other effect! By removing from play a FIRE Attribute Monster from my Graveyard, you get hit with damage equal to the removed FIRE Attribute Monster's Attack Points! I choose to remove Lavonne, and you'll get hit with 2500 Points of Damage!"

"Not so fast!" shouted Zane. "I activate my Trap card, Prevent and Draw! If I were to take effect damage, I halve that damage and draw one card!"

A combined burst of fire from Aeolos and electricity from Zane's electrodes forced Zane to be thrown back, although he bore the pain better than Elize would have.

Elize - 600 LP

Zane - 750 LP

Due to the effects of their electrodes along with how everlasting their duel has been up to this point, both opponents were panting. They were tired, injured, but still determined to win against the other.

"I...I end my turn!" shouted Elize. 'This is it...! I'm close to winning!'

"I...DRAW!" Zane yelled before a thought hit him as he glanced down at his deck or rather, the empty spot of it. Oh, he drew a card, but it was actually the last card in his deck that he drew. Sweat trailed down his forehead as both opponents realized what this meant.

This would be Zane's last turn, and if he doesn't do something, then in Elize's next turn, she could automatically win because all she would have to do is end her turn swiftly, and Zane would be forced to draw in his next turn. If he doesn't draw a card in his next turn, that meant Elize would win the duel.

Elize normally wouldn't taunt anyone, but she felt this time might be necessary, considering the cruel things Zane's done. "...Are you that scared of losing, Zane?"

Zane gritted his teeth. "Shut. Up."

"...You're afraid. You're afraid of losing, because it'll only prove that your 'philosophy' of victory being the only thing you respect will be wrong," told Elize.

"I said, shut. UP!"

Elize continued, being more braver. "I defeated all of your strongest Monsters. I evaded and defended as many attacks as you can throw at me. All while still caring for others. I still have Monsters on my field, Monsters I can trust. But you? You don't have anymore cards on your field. Even if you summon a Monster now, it'll mean nothing once my turn comes."

"You're only being brave and cocky and confident enough to say all this bullshit, because you think you've got the upper hand!" yelled Zane. "But deep down, you're just a scared little girl, trying to play tough!"

"...You're right. I am scared. Even now, I'm scared of you," admitted Elize, shaking her head. "I'm not brave. I'm not cocky or confident, either. I'm still scared even now because of how scary you've become. Zane, last year, I used to be scared of you, but in a good way. You were strong, strict but also kind in your own way. I respected you back then not just because you were the top student of Duel Academy, but also because of your own respective ideals."

"I already told you, I'm no longer that person! The old Zane you knew is dead and gone forever!"

"...I know that. I wish...he was still around, and I still wish for that. I told you that I'm scared of you now, but...right now, I'm more scared of the old Zane than you."

Silence coursed between the two along with thick tension. What Elize admitted to held a hidden meaning as well: You're still scary, but I fear the old Zane than you. He's more respectful and stronger than you've become. You've become powerful, but that doesn't make you strong.

Zane blurt out, "Who do you think you are?! You haven't experienced the harsh and cruel reality of the world! Not things I've been through! You're just a naïve little girl, shaking in her boots! All talk and no bark!"

"Yeah, I'm scared," admitted Elize before a determined look formed on her face. "I'm scared, but at least I still kept to my ideals! I was scared, but I still had the courage to try and face you regardless of the outcome of the duel! Zane, I don't...I never cared about who won this duel! I was trying to duel you to get the old you back!"

Zane glanced at his drawn card. "...Then you'll be in for a disappointment. I activate the Spell, Ookazi, and deal 800 Points of Damage to you!"

Suddenly, an explosion erupted on Elize's side of the field, damaging her and effectively electrocuting her one final time through the loss of the last of her Life Points.

Elize - 0 LP

Zane - 750 LP

Winner: Zane

Panting heavily, Elize fell on her knees, hugging herself as she tried to ease the pain from being electrocuted and from suffering an explosion at the same time. She was fortunate to still be alive, but she needed time to recover.

The electrodes automatically fell off her body and down on the ground as Zane walked up to her. "Pathetic. I'll admit, you put up a decent fight, but in the end, I was right. Victory is the only thing that matters in a duel!"

"...A technicality."

"What?"

Elize looked up at Zane with a pained and exhausted expression. "A technicality. You only won...on a technicality. You were just lucky."

SLAM! Out of anger, Zane didn't hesitate to kick Elize across the face, making her cry out in pain as her head was thrown back. "A technicality, you say? You've got guts, saying that to me. Or, you're just acting like a sore loser just because you've lost."

Clutching her nose, which was bleeding badly from Zane's kick, Elize continued. "Or maybe...you're just taking your anger out on me, because you know it's the truth."

"I swear-"

"Zane," interrupted Elize. "Okay, I know I'm going to get kicked for this again, and I'm still scared of you, but I still wanna say this. Zane, you're not the best. You were the best last year, when you were more respectful of your cards, at least, in my opinion. The only reason you won is just on a technicality. You got lucky. And if you say I'm a sore loser, then what about what happened during this duel? When I defeated all your powerful Monsters, left your field completely empty, and wasted you down to your last card in your deck? Maybe you're right. Maybe I am acting like a sore loser, or maybe you're just lashing out, because of how you win."

Zane, as predicted, was about to kick Elize again when Aster popped out of nowhere and stopped Zane, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him back. "...I knew you changed, but I didn't expect you to actually hit a defenseless girl. My respect for you is dwindling by the day."

Zane pulled his arm back roughly, shoving it deep in his pockets before pulling out his Genex Medallions. He then tossed them at Elize before walking away.

"W-Wait! I lost!" called out Elize. "Why did you-?"

"This whole tournament was a waste of time," scoffed Zane. "I've got better things to do than this. I'm leaving."

After Zane left, Aster helped Elize up on her feet and handed her the Genex Medallions that Zane had given to her. "Thank you..." she said, covering her nose with the sleeve of her jacket, trying to stop the blood from flowing.

"...That was stupid of you."

"Excuse me?"

Aster glared at Elize sternly. "What were you thinking, challenging Zane like that? Worst, not only did you lose, but you also provoked him like an idiot!"

"I...I was only trying to bring him back-!"

"And look where that got you!" snapped Aster. "You lost! You got injured pretty badly! Even if, by some miracle, you won, we'd still be having this conversation! If you were only training with me just to involve yourself with something as stupid as this, then everything we've done was a waste of time!"

"...Aster, you don't mean that," said Elize, feeling hurt.

"I DO! You're no use to me injured! I let you off from your arm injury because I didn't actually expect Alexis to suddenly hurt you physically during your duel with her, even if she was brainwashed! But this time? This time, you were deliberately searching for trouble, when we should be focusing on the Society of Light! Pull another stupid stunt like that again, and we're through! I'll take on the Society myself if need be!"

"..."

Aster sighed and scratched his head. "Come on, we're going back to the infirmary."

"But, I thought you didn't-"

"What? Just because I said all those harsh things doesn't mean I'm a complete asshole," said Aster. "I'm not gonna leave some injured girl alone in the woods like that. Come on!"

With help from Aster, Elize was escorted back to the infirmary, where even though she was scolded by Miss Fontaine, she still received treatment for not only her near-recovered arm, but also for her electrifying wounds and bleeding nose, meaning she still had to rest for a while longer.

As she laid in bed, Elize's thoughts pondered back during her duel with Zane. She'd like to think that in some way, even though she lost, she did get through to him because...

Because there was a shred of doubt in Zane's expressions when he gloated about his victory.

Skit: Negative Secrets

"There! We've repaired the seal at long last!"sighed Aussa, wiping away sweat.

"Still, I can't believe there were cracks during that duel with Zane!" said Lyna. "Just what happened? I thought we've successfully pushed back that dark power within Elize!"

"It's because of the strong, negative emotions that she exposed every time she received a shockwave," explained Doriado. "We have told you that strong, negative emotions will attract the dark power and weaken the seal, remember?"

"I remember that," spoke Wynn. "But, I feel so bad for Elly! I wished she didn't have to suffer! Such a dueling method should never be allowed! It's just as bad as the effects from a Shadow Game!"

"...Even I have to agree that that was just as bad as well," agreed Dharc.

"Guys...When are we going to tell Elly about this hidden power of hers?" wondered Wynn. "I mean, it'll be good if it's sealed up forever, but I still think we should tell Elize about this, even if there's risk-"

"No, we already all agreed not to, remember? Not with the risk of that hidden power coming out," informed Aussa. "If she learns of that power, her curiosity will get the best of her, and she may end up accidentally weakening the seal enough to break that hidden power loose so that it can take control of her, just like it almost did today. And you don't want that, do you?"

"...No."

"Lyna, Wynn, I need you to continue collecting more magic power, so head back and grab some potions," ordered Doriado.

"Yes, Mistress Doriado!"

Once the two female Charmers left, Dharc said, "...When the time comes, and they, along with everyone else, discover what'll really happen to Elize, they'll never forgive us."

"...We know," sighed Eria with a sadden look.

Finished!

Did you guys really think I would let Elize win? No, I think I told you all before, but I'm making this differently. I'm not going to make the whole cliché 'main character always wins no matter what' thing, which is what the GX anime did with Jaden almost all the time. Actually, Vrains has it worst because not ONCE has Yusaku ever lost. So, I made her lose while also delivering a mental message to Zane.

I'd like to believe that Elize's duel with Zane is one of the main reasons why he changed in Season 3. Though, you guys told me in the reviews that another reason why he changed was because he discovered he was dying from heart problems from using his Cyberdark deck. Oh, maybe the anime could have clarified more on that? Because, it just seemed to me that he just suddenly changed out of nowhere while still maintaining a balance between his two personalities from seasons 1 and 2!

That said, read and review!