Ok, this chapter does take place between episodes 95 and 96, but more towards the aftermath from episode 95, like right after Syrus' duel with Zane, and since I didn't really like a lot of things done to Zane, even if he did get a badass new appearance and a deck, I decided to make things a bit better from the anime into right here, starting with this chapter!

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

The feeling of shock wasn't the only sort of emotion going through Jaden right now. No, it was far worst than that just that.

A tornado of feelings swirled inside of Jaden as she tightly gripped Syrus' palm onto hers. Ever since he suffered a heavy loss from dueling his big brother, Zane, as well as literally suffering from wearing electrodes, shock-amplifying collars that sent shockwaves to a duelist whenever they suffered Life Point loss. Even though the electrodes did massive damage to Syrus' frail body, Jaden had a feeling that his loss towards Zane hurt far worst than the shockwaves.

After all, no matter how much he did, no matter how hard he fought, Syrus failed to bring his big brother back.

Ever since the big duel from a few days ago, Syrus was still bedridden from his grave wounds suffered from the shockwaves. Miss Fontaine had commented that had Syrus continued further with the electrodes on, then he would have been comatose, or worst, his heart would have stopped beating, meaning that he was very close to death with the electrodes.

The sight of Syrus so much in pain, as well as the thought of Zane angered Jaden so much, she was trembling in anger. Never before had she ever imagined herself to be this angry before. She couldn't remember the last time she was this angry. Oh, there were the Shadow Riders, Aster being a prick at times, and Sartorius brainwashing her friends, but never had she ever held much hatred towards Zane for causing this much damage to his little brother and her best friend.

Aster must have noticed her newfound motivation to grow stronger, strong enough to beat Zane, because he suddenly started moving their training to a whole new level. More strictness, more rough dueling, more lessons on new strategies, and much more. The most surprising thing out of all this wasn't Jaden's new knowledge of dueling, but her more...stern and serious attitude compared to her normally childish and playful attitude for dueling.

It was almost like seeing a completely different person, and seeing Jaden so focused like this, even if it meant her improving, it just...felt wrong.

Aster deactivated his duel disk after winning yet another duel against Jaden and turned around. "We're done for today."

Jaden, panting and exhausted, shook her head. "No, I can still go another round! I-"

"Jaden, it's already late and frankly, you're wasting my free time by constantly asking for another duel," told Aster. "Just-Go take a walk or something like that. We've been at this ever since this early afternoon. I need my beauty sleep, and you need to rest, too."

Jaden sighed and put away her duel disk. "Fine..." She turned around and left, leaving a very suspicious Aster whose gut feeling told him to follow after Jaden just in case.

As she was heading back to her dorm, it was mere coincidence that she happened to run into Zane in the middle of the forest, where the moonlight shined down on both of them in the open forest plains. If it weren't for the animosity Jaden felt towards Zane, the entire setting would have almost felt romantic.

"You..." hissed Jaden, activating her duel disk.

Zane smirked. "Jaden. How have you been? It's been a while, hasn't it? Almost a year?"

"This is all your fault!" Jaden yelled. "Because of you, Syrus is in the infirmary!"

"He challenged me to begin with and even accepted the condition that he wear the electrodes. It's his own fault that he ended up in the infirmary. And besides, why care for such a weakling?"

"He's my friend! One of my best friends!" shouted Jaden. "Syrus will make it, but he barely survived because of you! Zane...just what happened to you? Why did you change so suddenly?"

"Power, Jaden. Power, and the cruel reality of the world," answered Zane. "You just can't see it because you're still a student, but I've been out in the world, and I've witnessed things that changed me, that made me question and change my views on dueling, and I've never felt so much powerful!"

"Hurting people and gaining victory through dirty methods isn't like you, Zane!"

"You're right. That's what I thought at first. I thought respect was the most important thing in the duel, but the past me was wrong. And if you're so adamant at proving me wrong, then why not settle our beliefs with a duel?"

"Fine with me!" agreed Jaden before she noticed Zane dropping a rather familiar briefcase on the ground. "What's-? No...Don't tell me-!"

"That's right, Jaden. Since you bore witness to Syrus' humiliating defeat, you should know all too well what's inside that briefcase!" said Zane. "If you want to duel me and avenge Syrus, then you're just going to have to go through the same conditions he went through! If you don't, then I might as well leave!"

Physically, Jaden had no chance against Zane and would surely lose against him in a physical fight, especially from how well-built he appears to be. If she wants a shot of snapping Zane out of it, she'll have to agree to his terms no matter how harsh they may be.

Soon, Jaden was facing against Zane; both opponents having equipped themselves with the electrodes that would give off painful shocks every time one of them lost Life Points. Both of their lives were literally at risk, but the fruits of labor would be rewarded should one of them win.

"DUEL!"

- DUEL -

Zane - 4000 LP

VS

Jaden - 4000 LP

"I'll start!" Zane said. "I activate the Spell, Different Dimension Capsule! By selecting 1 card from my deck and removing it from play facedown, I get to add that removed card back from my deck to my hand after my 2nd Standby Phase! Next, I set a Monster facedown and set a card before ending my turn!"

'What kind of Monster did he just set?' wondered Jaden. 'From what I've seen in his duels, he normally goes on the offensive, so something must be wrong! No, I'm overthinking this just like my last duel with Zane! It nearly cost me the duel, and Zane's respect! No, I just have to play as myself and hope for the best!'

"What's the matter? Afraid?" taunted Zane harshly. "I'm a little disappointed, Jaden! I've seen you face tougher opponents, so you shouldn't be hesitant in the wake of battle!"

"I'm not scared, Zane!" shouted Jaden. "In fact, I'm just about ready to take you on! My draw! I summon Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird!"

Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird - (WIND/Winged Beast) - LV3 - (800/600)

"Air Hummingbird's effect activates! For every card in your hand, I gain 500 Life Points for each! And since you have 3, that means I gain 1500 extra Life Points!"

Zane - 4000 LP

Jaden - 5500 LP

"Air Hummingbird, attack his Set Monster!"

Air Hummingbird took the skies and swooped down, piercing through the Set Monster's defenses. No, more accurately, the Set Monster flipped over to reveal to be Exploder Dragon, who, despite trying to put up a good defense, was taken down by Air Hummingbird.

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

Suddenly, the moment Exploder Dragon was defeated, an explosion overtook both the Dragon-Type himself and Air Hummingbird, dragging both of them down to the Graveyard where they had both been destroyed simultaneously.

"Gh-! Air Hummingbird!"

"If you thought that I always thought to attack like a brute, you must not know me that well, Jaden! Allow me to clear any doubts!" shouted Zane, smirking as though he had anticipated this. "When Exploder Dragon is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can also destroy the very same Monster that destroyed him! You thought that since you watched my duel with Syrus and Atticus, you had me all figured out? Then clearly, you've deeply underestimated me."

"Grrr...I set two cards facedown and end my turn!" Jaden finished.

"My turn, draw," Zane said. "I activate the Spell, Graceful Charity, to draw three new cards, but discard two! The two cards I happen to be discarding are Cyberdark Cannon and Cyberdark Claw! Next, I summon Cyberdark Horn in Attack Mode!"

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

"And Cyberdark Horn, when Normal Summoned, equips himself with a Level 4 or lower Dragon-Type Monster in the Graveyard and gains Attack Points equal to the amount of Attack Points that Dragon-Type has! I choose Cyberdark Claw!"

Cyberdark Claw was momentarily revived from the Graveyard before landing beneath Cyberdark Horn as tendrils attached themselves to the Dragon-Type. Cyberdark Horn then began absorbing Cyberdark Claw's strength, roaring triumphantly as the immense amount of strength absorbed.

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

"Time to battle! Cyberdark Horn, attack Jaden directly! Show no mercy!"

"I have no choice!" grunted Jaden. "I activate the Continuous Trap, Call of the Haunted, to revive Air Hummingbird in Attack Mode!"

Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird - (WIND/Winged Beast) - LV3 - (800/600)

"Fine. It makes little difference to me. Cyberdark Horn, aim your attack at her Monster, instead!" ordered Zane.

Cyberdark Horn unleashed black lightning from his horns and electrocuted Air Hummingbird from mid-air, sending the fried Winged-Beast plummeting to the ground in a near-death manner.

"And, Cyberdark Claw's effect activates!" said Zane. "During damage calculation, if a Monster equipped with Cyberdark Claw battles, I can send 1 Monster from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard!"

Zane - 4000 LP

Jaden - 3900 LP

"GAAAAAAHHH!" screamed Jaden as the effect of the electrodes activated, literally shocking her body. Stumbling back, she thought, 'So...this is the same pain that Sy felt when he took damage the first time! I have to be careful!' "I activate my other Trap card, Hero Signal! When a Monster of mine is destroyed in battle, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Monster from my deck with Elemental Hero in its name! I Special Summon Elemental Hero Woodsman in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Woodsman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/2000)

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

"My turn, draw!" Jaden said. "I now activate Woodsman's effect! Once per turn, during my Standby Phase, I can add 1 Polymerization from my deck to my hand! I activate Polymerization and fuse together Necroshade and Liquid Soldier in my hand in order to Fusion Summon Escuridao!"

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2000)

"Liquid Soldier's effect activates! When he's used for a Fusion Summon, I can draw 2 cards, then discard 1! I just discarded Wildheart! And now, Escuridao's effect activates! She gains 100 extra Attack Points for every Elemental Hero in my Graveyard! Right now, there's a total of 3 Elemental Heroes, so she gains 300 extra Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2000)

"Escuridao, destroy Cyberdark Horn!"

"I activate my facedown, the Quick-Play Spell, Battle Fusion!" said Zane. "It activates during battle whether my Monster attacks or is attacked, and it ups my Monster's Attack Points by an amount equal to the opposing Monster's Attack Points until the end of the Damage Step!"

Cyberdark Horn - (DARK/Machine) - LV4 - (5200/800)

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion, and not only bring back my Fusion-Materials Monsters, but cancel out the battle!" cried out Jaden hastily.

Escuridao unleashed a dark energy ball and hurled it at Cyberdark Horn, who used his horns to absorb the power of the dark force and render the energy ball into nothing. Then, he counterattacked quickly by unleashing rays of black lightning back towards Escuridao, who reverted back to the two Fusion-Materials, Necroshade and Liquid Soldier, who were both in Defense Mode.

Elemental Hero Necroshade - (DARK/Warrior) - LV5 - (1600/1800)

Elemental Hero Liquid Soldier - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1400/1300)

"At this moment, Cyberdark Horn's Attack Points return to normal," said Zane. "I have to admit, that was impressive. It looks like you really have improved since our last duel, which will make this duel all the more thrilling!"

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

Jaden gritted her teeth. "There's nothing thrilling about this duel at all!"

"Awww, what's the matter? I thought you loved dueling! You practically did it everyday!" Zane taunted. "Why not add a little more excitement to it?"

"If you're talking about these stupid electrical things, forget it!" shouted Jaden, addressing to the electrodes. "You know the only reason I had to wear these stupid things was to get you to agree to duel me! And I would never add this sort of 'excitement' to my duels at all! I'm not like you, Zane! I would never hurt anyone in a duel!"

"...Oh, I get it. This must be about Syrus, isn't it?" Zane asked before smirking. "How pathetic. Here, I was having more respect for you especially since you were getting stronger, but here you are, worrying about some weakling!"

"Syrus isn't a weakling! If anything, he's much stronger than you!"

"Oh, really? If he's 'stronger than me,' then how come he lost to me? Simple, because his heart was too soft! His willpower wasn't enough at all! That's why he couldn't beat me! In fact, he could NEVER beat me!"

"You shut your mouth!" snapped Jaden. "The only reason you won against him is because...Because..."

"Because what?" Zane questioned, amused. "Tell me! I'm eager to know your opinion! Tell me why I was able to beat my weak little brother, who's nothing more than dirt at my feet!"

"...Because you got lucky."

And just like that, the air stilled. The winds shifted sharply to a rather cold climate as tensions rose between the two. A dark expression formed on Zane's face, and while normally anyone would be scared and run for the hills, Jaden stood her ground and gave back an equally dark expression.

"...What?"

For a moment, Jaden's eyes turned golden as she continued. "That's right. The only reason you won was because you got lucky. It wasn't skill. It wasn't your strength. No, you were just lucky, in my opinion."

"...I'm warning you, keep talking. Keep talking, and you'll see just how capable-!"

"I thought you wanted me to explain! After all, you were eager to hear my opinion! Didn't you say that?!" Now it was Jaden's turn to taunt the ever-growingly angered Zane. "If Syrus is dirt at your feet, then you're nothing more than garbage at his disposal! You know, I kinda feel bad for Syrus! He lost not to a great and powerful opponent, but to someone who was only lucky enough to wi-"

"DON'T YOU DARE PUT ME TOGETHER WITH THE LIKES OF HIM!" roared Zane, a vein cracking in his forehead.

But Jaden didn't dare back down, only glaring back at Zane. "IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO, THEN BEAT ME! Try and win against me, and we'll see whether or not your 'strength' is the real deal! I end my turn! Let's see what you've got!"

"Draw!" yelled Zane. "Now the effect of Different Dimension Capsule has worn off, and now, I get to add the removed card back to my hand! I suppose I'll be saving it for later! Now, I summon Cyberdark Edge!"

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

"He has the same effect as Cyberdark Horn! I equip him with a Dragon-Type from my Graveyard; Cyberdark Cannon!"

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

"Cyberdark Edge's effect activates! By halving his Attack Points, he can attack you directly, Jaden!"

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

Cyberdark Edge send whirling gusts of wind at Jaden, who stood her ground and was only forced back by the heavy winds. That, combined with the electrical aftershocks of her equipped electrodes only caused more serious pain to Jaden. Zane didn't hesitate to show joy at seeing Jaden in pain, presumably because of her earlier comments towards him.

Zane - 4000 LP

Jaden - 2700 LP

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

"Cyberdark Horn, attack Elemental Hero Woodsman, now!" ordered Zane, not willing to give Jaden an advantage from Woodsman's Standby Phase effect.

Cyberdark Edge fired rays of black lightning at Woodsman, obliterating him in the fires of an explosion.

Satisfied, Zane smirked. "I end my turn!"

Still trying to endure and get over the pain of being electrocuted, Jaden stumbled around her feet as she weakly drew her card. "My turn...draw...I set a card and...and end my turn..."

"What a weak move!" Zane shouted. "My turn! I activate Cyberdark Edge's effect again to halve his Attack Points so that he can attack you directly!"

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

"I activate my Trap card, Windstorm of Eraqua!" countered Jaden. "Now, the battle positions of all the Monsters you control are switched, so they're forced into Defense Mode!"

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

"Tch-! How annoying," scoffed Zane. "I end my turn!"

"My move!" said Jaden. "I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Then, I sacrifice both Necroshade and Liquid Soldier in order to Tribute Summon Elemental Hero Elemental Hero Bladedge!"

Elemental Hero Bladedge - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

"I attack with Bladedge first! Neos, attack Cyberdark Edge!"

Bladedge, with his golden, razor-sharp weaponry, slashed and hacked at Cyberdark Edge, causing a huge explosion. When the smoke cleared, Cyberdark Horn remained, but there was no sign of Cyberdark Cannon, the Monster he equipped, anywhere.

Zane explained, "I activate Cyberdark Horn's effect! When he's about to be destroyed, the equipped Monster takes the blow for him, so my Cyberdark Horn is safe!"

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

"Cyberdark Cannon takes the blow for Cyberdark Edge, so Cyberdark Edge still lives for another round!" reminded Zane. "Also, Cyberdark Cannon's effect makes it so that when the Monster equipped to it battles, I can send 1 Monster from my deck to the Graveyard!"

"But you forget Bladedge's effect!" shouted Jaden. "He can inflict piercing damage, so even though your Cyberdark Edge was in Defense Mode, you still take damage!"

Zane - 2200 LP

Jaden - 2700 LP

For the first time since the duel started, Zane experienced the painful shockwaves of the electrodes, and yet despite that, he showed no signs of suffering under the effects and only smirked in amusement. "That almost tickled," he chuckled darkly.

"How are you not even hurt? Not even a little flinch?" questioned Jaden, taken aback.

"It hurt at first, I'll admit," said Zane, touching the collar. "But eventually, you learn to adapt to the pain! In addition to Cyberdark Cannon's destruction protecting Cyberdark Edge, Cyberdark Cannon's effect lets me draw a card!

Knowing there was nothing else she could do, Jaden said, "I set a card and end my turn!"

"My move!" Zane said. "Excellent! I activate the Spell, Cyberdark Impact! I return 1 Cyberdark Edge and Horn from my field, along with the Cyberdark Keel in my hand back to my deck in order to Special Summon, or rather, Fusion Summon Cyberdark Dragon!"

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

'There it is! Zane's new ace Monster!' thought Jaden, preparing herself for what's to come.

"Cyberdark Dragon's effect activates!" announced Zane. "When Special Summoned, I can equip a Dragon-Type Monster from either of our Graveyards onto him! Earlier, with Cyberdark Claw's effect, I sent a very special Dragon-Type Monster from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard! And now, I've chosen his power to be absorbed by Cyberdark Dragon!"

Jaden was confused for a moment before she realized just what Monster Zane sent. "Zane...you didn't-!"

"That's right! Cyber End Dragon, come forth!"

Zane's former ace Monster appeared on the field, and its normally gallant light had dimmed once Cyberdark Dragon forcibly absorbed his strength, making Cyber End Dragon struggle and roar before growing silent under Cyberdark Dragon's command.

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

"Cyberdark Dragon's additional effect also lets him gain 100 extra Attack Points for every card in my Graveyard! There's a total of 8 cards n my Graveyard, so he gains 800 extra Attack Points!"

Cyberdark Dragon - (DARK/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (5800/1000)

"Zane...you used to respect your cards...But now-!"

Zane said, "Like I told Syrus, respect has nothing to do with a duel anymore! I've experienced that all too well out there in the world! Respect means nothing in a duel! Only victory matters!"

"Zane!" yelled Jaden.

"What? You're going to rant off at me about how wrong I am? Give me some lame-ass friendship speech about how respect still has a purpose in a duel? You're only wasting your time, Jaden! In fact, you're so blind to your own ideals that once you've graduated and set out to the world, you'll see just how right I am!"

"I would never use dueling to hurt people! Especially for fun!" Jaden argued.

"You say that now," Zane commented. "But, take it from advice from a Pro Duelist to a potentially strong duelist: The real world is cold! The real world doesn't care about friendship or kindness or any of that bullshit! It only cares about one thing: Power! And that's exactly what I did! I snatched power, mastered it, and now, as a result, I've made my way to the top in the Pro League world! And all it took was removing some sentimentality out of the picture!"

"...No," Jaden growled, glaring at him with golden eyes yet again. "All you did...was remove part of what you used to be."

Zane smirked. "So, you're finally getting it! Yes, I removed my own weakness! In the real world, there's no need for any weaknesses!"

"That's not what I meant. Yes, you removed something...and without that special something, you became weak." The evil smirk formed on Jaden's face didn't suit her at all, along with the golden eyes, but she continued. "Removing your need for respect and empathy? You thought it only hindered you? No, you only took the easy way out! Instead of figuring a way to work your weakness to your advantage, you simply gave in the others, pretending that you're 'strong.' It's pathetic, really."

Zane never would have imagined Jaden actually saying all these things to him, nor did he ever think he would ever get this pissed off at her, but she succeeded in both, and now, he was hell bent on making her pay.

"Jaden..." Zane growled; his expression even more dark than ever. "You're going to be wishing for death by the time I'm done with you..."

Jaden had snapped out of her golden-eyed state and blinked, a bit confused as to what was going on. But, she managed to get the gist of the situation when she saw how serious Zane was. "Bring it, Zane!" she challenged.

"Cyberdark Dragon, destroy Elemental Hero Bladedge! Show no mercy!" yelled Zane.

Knowing that if she didn't do something soon, she was going to get it, Jaden shouted, "I activate my Trap, Elemental Recharge! For every Elemental Hero out on my field, I gain 1000 extra Life Points for each!"

Zane - 2200 LP

Jaden - 4700 LP

Cyberdark Dragon, following his master's orders, unleashed a dark beam filled with nothing but immense power and malice raining down onto both Bladedge and Jaden. However, because Zane's hatred was more towards Jaden, the power was more focused on Jaden, who was sent tumbling around the ground, dirtying her clothes and ripping a bit of her jeans which coated her knees with blood and dirt.

Zane - 2200 LP

Jaden - 1500 LP

As Jaden struggled to get up, she was struck with the after-effects of the electrodes, forcing her back on her back as her body began spazzing out. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to move despite the pain.

Zane showed no hesitation in laughing at Jaden's misery and pain. "How does it feel, getting a taste of reality?! If you're going to face the real world, THIS is what's coming your way, Jaden! I set two cards facedown and end my turn!"

Despite his neutral expression, nothing could hold back the immense amount of hatred seething within Neos as he bared witness to what was happening. Not only did this...monster harm Jaden in more ways than one, but he insulted and cruelly took pleasure in her pain! So far, out of all of the potential suitors, Zane was the most unsuitable and most dangerous!

"My...turn!" Jaden drew her card and knew what to do next. "I play the Spell, Fake Hero, to Special Summon an Elemental Hero from my hand! However, he can't and he returns to my hand during the end turn! I Special Summon Neos!"

Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (2500/2000)

"Next, I activate the Spell, Contact Soul! If I have Elemental Hero Neos out on my field, I can Special Summon 1 Neo-Spacian Monster from my hand, deck, or Graveyard, but in exchange, during my End Phase, all Monsters I control are returned to their respective decks! I Special Summon Neo-Spacian Dark Panther!"

Neo-Spacian Dark Panther - (DARK/Beast) - LV3 - (1000/500)

"I then summon Neo-Spacian Grand Mole!"

Neo-Spacian Grand Mole - (EARTH/Rock) - LV3 - (900/300)

"Lemme show you my power, Zane! It's time for a Contact Fusion! I fuse Neos, Grand Mole, and Dark Panther in order to Contact Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Nebula Neos!"

Elemental Hero Nebula Neos - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV9 - (3000/2500)

"I'll admit, you've summoned a very powerful Monster, but he's nothing compared to the power of my Cyberdark Dragon!" boasted Zane.

"That's where you're wrong, Zane!" shouted Jaden. "I activate Nebula Neos' effect! If he's Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, I can draw cards equal to the number of cards you control, which are 3! Then, I negate the effects of 1 face-up card on the field until the end of this turn! And I choose Cyberdark Dragon!"

As though being laid to rest, Cyber End Dragon descended back into the Graveyard as Cyberdark Dragon began to spazzing, roaring in pain as electrical currents ran across his cybernetic, draconic body, negating his all-powerful effects until he was reduced to a weakened state.

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

"My Cyberdark Dragon!" cried out Zane angrily. "Tch! Even if you got rid of Cyberdark Dragon, it's still not enough to defeat me!"

"Even so, this'll be good enough!" shouted Jaden. "Nebula Neos, attack Cyberdark Dragon!"

Raising his arms, Nebula Neos conjured up a dark energy ball before hurling it at Cyberdark Dragon, making a direct hit. The dark energy ball wasn't meant for destruction, but for restriction purposes, immobilizing Cyberdark Dragon in place so that he couldn't escape. Then, raising his giant, drill-like arm, Nebula Neos rushed towards Cyberdark Dragon and pierced through its tough hide, drilling through and escaping the explosion that came afterwards.

Zane - 200 LP

Jaden - 1500 LP

Electricity coursed through Zane's body as the effect of the electrodes attached to his body pulled through, and yet, his own inner rage concealed the pain as his own rage far surpassed the pain this time.

"If you thought that my dragon was going down alone, you've got another thing coming! And it's in the form of revenge!" called out Zane. "I activate my facedown, the Quck-Play Spell, Revenge Sacrifice! It activates when a Monster I control is destroyed in battle! I get to sacrifice your Monster, and in exchange, I get to Special Summon a Monster from my hand! I Special Summon Cyber Ouroboros in Defense Mode!"

Cyber Ouroboros - (DARK/Machine) - LV2 - (100/600)

"...I set a card and end my turn!" finished Jaden.

"My move!" Zane said before smirking. "Perfect. Jaden, if you though that my Cyberdark Dragon was my most ultimate Monster, then you're solely mistaken!"

"What do you mean?" asked Jaden. "Don't tell me-! You had another Monster even stronger than that?"

"That's right! I'll activate the card I removed from play earlier with Different Dimension Capsule: The Quick-Play Spell, Cybernetic Fusion Support! By paying half my Life Points, if I Fusion Summon a Machine Fusion Monster this turn, I can banish Monsters from my hand, field, or Graveyard! I'll banish Cyberdark Keel, Horn, Edge, Claw, and Cannon in order to Fusion Summon my ultimate Monster! Cyberdarkness Dragon!"

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

Zane - 100 LP

Jaden - 1500 LP

Even though the electrodes electrocuted Zane due to his loss in Life Points, the pain from the electrodes paled in comparison to Zane's own ego and pride for his ultimate Monster making its grand entrance.

'This is it-! The final obstacle to defeating Zane!' thought Jaden, feeling sweat dripping down her forehead.

"Cyberdarkness Dragon's effect activates!" said Zane. "If he's Special Summoned, I can equip a Dragon or Machine-Type Monster from my Graveyard to him, and he'll gain Attack Points equal to the original Attack Points of the Monster equipped to him! I choose Cyber End Dragon! That means that Cyberdarkness Dragon will be even stronger than ever with 4000 extra Attack Points!"

Roaring in pain, Cyber End Dragon thrashed around as his entire three-headed body was absorbed within Cyberdarkness Dragon, and the power along with the size of such a powerful Fusion Monster only increased immensely due to stealing and absorbing the power of Cyber End Dragon.

Cyberdarkness Dragon - (DARK/Machine/Fusion) - LV10 - (6000/2000)

"And, just to be safe, I activate the Field Spell, Cyberdark Inferno!"

Upon the activation of Zane's Field Spell, the entire scenery was devoid of the forest scenery and instead replaced by a large wasteland, surrounded by spiky, spear-like pillars that reached the heavens as the grounds lit up by the fires of hell. The entire setting was the perfect appearance for a kingdom fit for the underworld, as suited from Zane's own Underworld Deck.

"Cyberdarkness Dragon, finish her off! End this once and for all!"

One may call this overkill due to how low Jaden's Life Points were, as well as how ridiculously high Cyberdarkness Dragon's Attack Points were, yet neither the Monster nor his master seemed to care. Cyberdarkness Dragon began charging for a full-out blast filled with both darkness and destruction, intent on leaving nothing but destruction in his path.

But Jaden wasn't done fighting no matter the odds. "I activate the Trap card, A Hero Emerges! Now, you have to pick a card from my hand, and if it's a Monster, I get to Special Summon it!"

"Hmph. Fine, I'll play your worthless little game. I choose...The one on your left!" shouted Zane.

"Alright, it was Elemental Hero Flash, and I Special Summon him in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Flash - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1100/1600)

Despite Jaden putting up a defense, it still wasn't enough. Cyberdarkness Dragon still released a devastating laser beam at both Jaden and Flash even though her Monster was in Defense Mode. Flash was instantly obliterated, but Jaden was sent flying through the air by the laser beam attack, causing her to crash down with a near, half-burnt body.

'It hurts-! It hurts, but I survived, regardless!' thought Jaden, trying to get up. "W-When Flash is destroyed in battle, I can banish him, along with 3 different Elemental Hero Monsters from my Graveyard...I-I choose Necroshade, Liquid Soldier, and Bladedge, along with Flash...Then, I target a Normal Spell card from my Graveyard and add it to my hand...I choose Polymerization..."

"So you survived this round. Big deal," scoffed Zane. "I end my turn. Let's see how much more you can struggle, worm."

"M-My turn..." Jaden took a moment to breath before drawing her card. "I...summon Elemental Hero Prisma in Attack Mode..."

Elemental Hero Prisma - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1700/1100)

"I activate his effect...Once per turn, I can reveal a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck...then, send 1 of the Fusion-Material Monsters listed for that Fusion Monster from my deck to the Graveyard...and then Prisma takes the name of that Fusion-Material Monster...I'll reveal...Terra Firma to you, and then send one of the Monsters, Elemental Hero Ocean, from my deck to the Graveyard...now, Prisma takes his name until the end of this turn..."

Elemental Hero Ocean - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1700/1100)

"What? Are you planning to Fusion Summon this turn? No matter which Fusion Monster you summon, it'll never be enough to defeat Cyberdarkness Dragon!"

Panting back and forth, Jaden continued. "I activate the Spell, Miracle Fusion...! Now, I remove from play from my Graveyard Fusion-Material Monsters to Fusion Summon an Elemental Hero...! I remove from my Graveyard both Ocean and Woodsman in order to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Terra Firma…!"

Elemental Hero Terra Firma - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2000)

"Is this supposed to be it? How pathetic," scoffed Zane.

Jaden tiredly shook her head. "Now, I activate Polymerization...and fuse together Terra Firma along with Avian and Burstinatrix from my hand in order to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Core...!"

Elemental Hero Core - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV9 - (2700/2200)

"Now, I activate the Spell, R - Righteous Justice, to destroy Spells/Traps on the field up to the number of Elemental Heroes I control!"

Zane smirked, thinking he figured out Jaden's plan. "Oh, I see. You planned to destroy Cyber End Dragon, who, at the moment, is an Equip Spell card, right? That way, Cyberdarkness Dragon will be much weaker than Core, and you'll be able to finish me off, correct? Go on, try it. I dare you to."

Jaden shook her head. "No, I'm not aiming for that at all. In fact, I'm aiming...for your facedown card!"

Zane scowled before allowing R - Righteous Justice to destroy his facedown card, which was revealed to be Power Wall. "Nothing but a small loss, but oh well. And just how do you plan on defeating my Cyberdarkness Dragon, Jaden? Just one more blow and you'll be finished!"

"Not yet!" said Jaden. "I equip the Equip Spell, Lightning Blade, to Core, letting him gain 800 extra Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Core - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV9 - (3500/2200)

Jaden fell to her knees, panting heavily as she was trying to stay conscious. "That's...that's it for me...I end my turn."

"So, in the end, not only did you fail at changing my mind about respect, but you've shown to be nothing more than a pebble in my path. Pathetic," said Zane. "Cyberdarkness Dragon, finish off her Elemental Hero Core and end this duel once and for all!"

Cyberdarkness Dragon fired a larger, more powerful beam of darkness at Elemental Hero Core, and just as it was about to reach the weaker Elemental Hero...

Jaden snapped to attention and got to her feet. "I activate Core's effect! Once per turn, if he's targeted for an attack, I can double his current Attack Points until the end of the Damage Step!"

Elemental Hero Core - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV9 - (7000/2200)

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Zane, never expecting such a predicament as he watched Core deflecting the powerful beam of darkness with his reinforced body, using it as a means of defense. Knowing he had to act fast, Zane yelled, "I activate Cyberdarkness Dragon's effect! When you activate a card or effect, I can send an Equip Spell card I control to the Graveyard, negate the activation, and then destroy that card! Your Core is no more!"

In an instant, the reinforced power coating Core vanished and was instead replaced by a mist of darkness overtaking Core through the beam of darkness he was trying to deflect before he was destroyed in an explosion from Cyberdarkness Dragon's effect. The price for such a heavy effect was a large reduction of Cyberdarkness Dragon's power, as seen when Cyber End Dragon faded back into the Graveyard.

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

"It's over! Cyberdarkness Dragon, continue your attack!"

Jaden wasn't finished with her fight yet. "I activate Core's effect! When he's destroyed by battle or by card effect, I can target a Level 8 or lower Elemental Hero Fusion Monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it, ignoring its Summoning conditions! I choose Elemental Hero Terra Firma!"

Elemental Hero Terra Firma - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2000)

Zane was too late to recall Cyberdarkness Dragon's attack as Terra Firma countered with a laser blast of his own. The two laser blasts, one filled with darkness and destruction, while the other compiled with light and earth elementals, clashed against each other. However, because Terra Firma was the stronger of the two, his laser beam eventually overpowered Cyberdarkness Dragon's before ultimately destroying him.

Zane - 0 LP

Jaden - 1500 LP

Winner: Jaden

Perhaps the concept of defeat was unbearable or too unbelievable for Zane, because as soon as he lost, an electrical shockwave much more powerful than all other shockwaves pressed throughout his body, making him roar loudly in pain from the multiple jolts of electricity.

Jaden wasn't certain what happened next, but due to all of the injuries and shockwaves she suffered throughout the entire duel, it didn't take much time for her to black out as soon as the duel was over.

Some time later...

Jaden groaned as she started to rouse into consciousness, and she quickly discovered that she was lying on a white infirmary bed, right next to Syrus. The details of what happened before she lost consciousness was fuzzy, but just as she was trying to recall her memories, a familiar voice spoke up right next to her.

"So, you finally woke up, huh?"

Turning her head, Jaden saw Aster sitting by her bed with his arms crossed. "What...happened to me?"

"I suspected something might be wrong after you left last night, so I followed you just in case and saw you dueling against Zane. Instead of intervening, I decided to watch and see how things played out," explained Aster. "Surprisingly enough, you held yourself pretty well against Zane. I was even shocked when you actually managed to beat him."

"I...beat Zane?"

"Yeah. Right after the duel was over, both of you lost consciousness, but Zane woke up shortly after. He walked up to your body, and I thought he was going to do something, but instead, he just dumped all of his Genex Medals near you and left. I was too occupied trying to carry you to the infirmary to do anything to stop him."

"Oh..." Jaden glanced down at her bed.

Noticing her downed expression, Aster asked, "What's the matter? Aren't you happy? I mean, you did avenge Syrus and you did beat Zane, so isn't that a good thing?"

"I mean, yeah, but I don't think I really got through to him. Even though I really wanted to kick his ass, which I did and I'm very happy about, I still feel like I haven't got through to him!"

Aster shook his head. "No, I think, in a way, you did get through to him, or at least, a little."

"How so?"

"Well, when he went near you, he had a...different expression on his face. Oh, it was still a scowl, but part of my instincts are telling me that there's something different that changed in Zane. Maybe you did get through to him. Who can tell? But, you know what?"

Jaden looked up at Aster, curious. "What is it?"

"If you really want to know more about Zane, if you really want to get through to him more, then it's clear that you have to be stronger. Stronger than you were last night. Last night, you definitely beat Zane with skill and everything else you've got, but at the same time, you were extremely lucky. If you two dueled again, I suspect that Zane might win the next duel, and then we'll be back with emo Zane all over again."

Jaden coughed, trying to hide her giggle. "Zane won't like that you called him emo. That name's reserved only for Chazzy."

Aster shrugged. "I don't really care what he thinks of me. I'll call him an emo as long as I want so long as he keeps acting like an edgelord." He got up and started to leave, intent on allowing Jaden to rest when he stopped. "You know, you weren't half-bad in that last duel, but...you should smile more. That suits you better."

After Aster left, Jaden couldn't help but smile at his last comment. Aster was rather strict and harsh with her during training, but out of all of the (rare) compliments he gave her, this one moved her heart the most.

FINALLY! It took me like, an entire week to finish this chapter because I've been trying to come up with a good dueling strategy against Zane! So yeah, GX never did entirely explain the sudden change in character for Zane in Season 3, but I intend to change that in this story by making Jaden the primary reason for this change, presumably due to her insults and win against Zane.

I know what you're all going to say. But, AUTHOR! We want to see more Zane x Jaden! Believe me, if I could think of more moments between them, I would, but there was barely any moments between them in Season 2. I'm not going to make Zane the cliché, yandere-like edgelord who wants to possess Jaden and only her! That'd be a bit too out of character for him and would annoy me greatly. I'm not gonna make him suddenly grab Jaden and hiss at her, saying that she was his and only his. I'm not doing that cliché bullshit even if I do enjoy that a little.

Yeah, so the reason why I had Jaden duel and win against Zane was to make a good reason as to the sudden change in Zane. I still feel like in Season 3, he's still his edgelord self, but he's changed, as evident of his deck consisting of both the Cyber Dragon archetype and the Cyberdark archetype, like a balance between both. I dunno if he's still respectful in season 3, but...I'll have to rewatch it and see for myself.

Also, I had to rewrite this chapter a little bit because I forgot to add a few things, and some of you were kind enough to tell me what errors I made during the duel. Thank you all so much for your support! Like, FrostFriday and misao1000! Thanks so much!

Read and review and Happy Father's Day, everyone!