It was the last few days of school, and the results for third year students had just been tallied, with Zane having the most at 1000 points.
Crowler: Congratulations Zane. As the top ranked student, you will headline in the Graduation Match, and as per tradition, you have the right to choose your opponent. So who will it be Zane?
Zane: I have just the opponent in mind Professor.
Later on, Syrus and Jaden were sitting in their room, relieved final exams were over.
Syrus: How do you think you did Jaden?
Jaden: Well I certainly hope I passed after all the help Alexis, Michael, and Lily gave me studying.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Jaden: I wonder who that could be.
He opened the door and found himself face to face with Zane.
Zane: Mind if I come in?
Jaden: Sure.
He stood aside to let Zane in, who took a look around the room.
Zane: In my three years at the academy, I've never once set foot in this dorm. It's nice I finally found a reason to come out here.
Jaden: And what reason is that?
Zane: A duel.
Syrus: What?
Zane: Jaden, I want you to be my opponent for the Grad Match. I want to see how much you've improved since our first duel.
Jaden: Really Zane? Well, how could I say no? Of course I'll duel you.
Zane: I thought you'd say that. I'm looking forward to this. See you then.
He left without another word.
Jaden: I don't believe it, the Grad Match, the last duel of the year, and I'm going to be in it.
Syrus: Yeah, but you're going to be dueling my brother. Think about it, he's the only student you've never beat and you're going to be dueling him in front of the whole school!
Jaden: Your point is?
Syrus: My point is that if you don't win, you'll be stuck in Zane's shadow forever. You'll never be the next King of Games.
Jaden: Then I just have to win.
Syrus: That's easier said than done Jay. You're good but Zane is on another level. The only person to beat him was Camula, but he intentionally threw that duel to save me. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't believe in you, I just don't want you to get hurt. This is coming out all wrong. I don't even know what to say.
Jaden: How about "Good luck?"
Syrus: Okay. Good luck Jaden.
Jaden: Thanks, I have a feeling I'm gonna need it.
Meanwhile, their friends were talking to each other about the grad match.
Alexis: I just heard that Jaden is going to be Zane's opponent.
Bastion: My, that has the makings of a fantastic duel.
Michael: No kidding. They've dueled each other before, but there's no telling who'll win this time.
Lily: No matter who wins, it'll be an amazing duel.
Chazz: It should be the Chazz dueling.
Atticus: As if Chazz. With Zane and Jaden, it'll be cool, calm, and collected versus fast and furious.
Alexis: Don't know if I'd call Jaden furious, but he certainly duels with more passion than Zane does.
Bastion: True, but sometimes that can hurt your game.
Chazz: Should be my game.
Michael: Well you can't deny that Jaden's spirit has gotten him out of tight spots before.
Lily: Not to mention the rest of us as well.
Alexis: I know. I really admire that about Jaden. No matter how bad the odds are, he always keeps fighting.
That night, Jaden was sitting on the cliff looking out over the ocean when he heard someone walk up behind him. He turned around and saw Zane walking up to him.
Zane: Came out to think?
Jaden: Yeah. You?
Zane: The same. I just wanted to say Jaden, that no matter who wins our duel tomorrow, I look forward to our match.
Jaden: Same here.
The next day, everyone was in the arena waiting for the duel to start.
Michael: It's starting soon.
Atticus: Jaden and Zane battling it out in the last duel of the year. Who could ask for a better match?
Bastion: More like a mismatch. According to my calculations, Zane is the favorite to win.
Alexis: There are some things you can't calculate Bastion.
Lily: Especially Jaden.
Jaden and Zane then entered the arena and walked onto the stage.
Syrus: Jaden looks serious.
Michael: That's a first.
Alexis: Maybe he's nervous?
Bastion: He has every right to be.
Atticus: I gotta agree with you there Bastion. This is the biggest duel of the year, and you know Zane's not gonna hold back.
Michael: Holding back would be an insult to Jaden. Zane wants to see how much better Jaden has gotten since the start of the year, and going easy on him would defeat the purpose of this duel.
Jaden: Alright Zane. I guess may the best duelist win.
Zane: Indeed.
The two shook hands before going back to their sides of the ring.
Crowler: And now ladies and gentlemen, we commence with the Grad Match between Zane Truesdale and Jaden Yuki.
Zane: Enough small talk.
Jaden: Agreed.
Both: Let's do this!
Zane: 4000 LP
Jaden: 4000 LP
Zane: You can choose who goes first Jaden.
Jaden: In that case, I choose to go second.
Zane: That's an interesting choice.
Jaden: By going second, Zane won't be able to summon Cyber Dragon in his first turn.
Zane: Looks like Jaden is using his head.
Jaden: Alright Zane, time to throw down.
Zane: Very well then, I draw. And I play Polymerization to merge my three Cyber Dragons into Cyber End Dragon.
Level 1/Light/Machine
ATK 4000/DEF 2800
Chazz: Cyber End Dragon on the first turn?
Alexis: Zane's really not wasting time this duel.
Michael: Which means if Jaden wants to win, he'd better not waste time either.
Zane: Next I play the spell Different Dimension Capsule. Now I can take a card from my deck and place it in the capsule, and in two turns, I can remove that card and place it in my hand. Lastly, I'll place one card face-down and end my turn.
Jaden: Wait a minute, this is just like our first duel. I bet the card he banished is his Power Bond and his face-down is De-Fusion.
Zane: What are you waiting for? It's your move Jaden.
Jaden: Alright then, I draw! And I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart in attack mode!
Level 4/Earth/Warrior
ATK 1500/DEF 1600
Jaden: Now I play the spell Wild Half! Since Wildheart is on my field, the attack power of Cyber End Dragon is cut in two, and then a half token is summoned to the field with the same stats as your monster.
Cyber End: 4000-2000 ATK
Jaden: Next I play Cyclone Boomerang and equip it on Wildheart, giving him 500 more attack points.
Wildheart: 1500-2000 ATK
Jaden: Now attack Cyber End Dragon!
Zane: I don't think so. I play De-Fusion, which means Cyber End Dragon returns to the extra deck and my three Cyber Dragons are revived.
Jaden: I might not be able to get rid of Cyber End Dragon, but I can still get rid of the half token on your field.
The boomerang changed course and crashed into the token, causing it and Wildheart to be destroyed.
Jaden: And now the effect of Cyclone Boomerang activates, destroying all spells and traps and dealing you 500 points of damage for each.
Zane: 3500 LP
Shepperd: Looks like Jaden has done his homework on Zane.
Crowler: Done his homework? Well, I suppose there's a first time for everything.
Jaden: You may have gotten the drop on me before Zane, but this time I'm playing with my head, not my heart. I'll place one card face-down and end my turn.
Zane: Very well, I draw. And during my standby phase, the card I banished using Different Dimension Capsule returns to my hand.
Jaden: Wait, you mean it wasn't Power Bond?
Zane: No it wasn't. Looks like you over thought this one Jaden. The card I banished was Card from a Different Dimension.
Jaden: What's that do?
Zane: During my next standby phase after this card is banished, it returns to my hand and we both draw 2 cards.
Chazz: I get it. Summoning Cyber End Dragon left him with only 2 cards in his hand, so he used it to replenish his hand.
Bastion: A well calculated strategy.
Michael: I have to agree. Zane is being flexible with his strategy.
Syrus: I just hope Jaden can do the same.
Zane: Now I'll have one of my Cyber Dragons attack you directly with Strident Blast!
Jaden: Not so fast Zane, I play the trap Draining Shield, so your dragon's attack is cancelled, and I gain life points equal to its attack points.
Jaden: 6100 LP
Zane: Lucky for you, because now my remaining Cyber Dragons are going to attack you directly. Go, Dual Strident Blast!
Jaden: 1900 LP
Zane: Next I'll place one card face-down and end my turn.
Alexis: Jaden just barely got out of that round.
Bastion: Yes, and if Jaden doesn't find a way to dispatch of Zane's Cyber Dragons, he's going to lose on his next turn.
Atticus: No joke Bastion, but the question of the day is how, and more importantly when.
Syrus: Normally I'd say not to worry, but-
Alexis: What is it Sy?
Syrus: Jaden is overthinking things instead of just dueling like he always does.
Michael: This is Jaden's last chance to beat Zane before he graduates, and he wants to win more than ever before.
Jaden: I've gotta get rid of those Cyber Dragons before Zane has a chance to fuse them and bring back Cyber End Dragon. I draw! And I play The Warrior Returning Alive. This will let me bring back a warrior monster from my graveyard and put it in my hand, and I choose my Wildheart. And now I'll play Polymerization to fuse Wildheart and Bladedge to summon Elemental Hero Wildedge!
Level 8/Earth/Warrior
ATK 2600/DEF 2300
Jaden: And due to his special ability, he can attack all of your monsters in one turn. Now go Wildedge, and take out those Cyber Dragons!
Wildedge raised his sword and cut right through each of the Cyber Dragons, destroying them all at once.
Zane: 2000 LP
Crowler: Unbelievable! He defeated all three Cyber Dragons in one turn?!
Sheppard: This duel is really living up to its hype.
Jaden: What a shot! There's really something to all this strategy stuff.
Zane: You're a fool.
Jaden: What?
Zane: I activate the trap Return Soul. This trap card can only be activated during the end phase, and with it I can return up to three monsters that were destroyed this turn to their owner's decks, so I return all three Cyber Dragons to my deck.
Jaden: Great, just when I thought I got rid of them they're back. And now they're raring to get me.
Zane: What a shame. I picked Jaden Yuki to be in my last duel here. I wonder where he is.
Jaden: Say what?
Zane: You're not being yourself. You're not playing with your heart.
Jaden: That's right, because to beat you, I've gotta play with my head, like I'm doing now!
Zane: What you're doing now is wasting my time.
Jaden: Sure I am. You can quit with all the mind games, because they won't work. I end my turn.
Syrus: My brother's not the kind to play mind games, but he does have a point. Jaden is dueling differently.
Zane: My move. And I play the equip spell Future Fusion. This card lets me send monsters from my deck to the graveyard to summon a fusion monster. I send the three Cyber Dragons in my deck to the graveyard to summon Cyber End Dragon!
Level 10/Light/Machine
ATK 4000/DEF 2800
Zane: Of course, since he was summoned with Future Fusion, Cyber End Dragon can't attack this turn, so I'll turn it over to you.
Jaden: Okay, I draw. I place three cards face-down and end my turn.
Zane: Still with your head. You can't win this way.
Jaden: Don't think so? Well I guess we'll just have to see about that.
Zane: What a disappointment you've become.
Jaden: Enough with that.
Zane: Okay then Jaden, if you won't listen to my words, maybe you'll listen to my cards. I play De-Fusion to split Cyber End Dragon into three separate Cyber Dragons.
Level 5/Light/Machine
ATK 2100/DEF 1600
Zane: Now I activate the spell Power Bond, and in case you've forgotten what it does, I can fuse monsters from my hand or field to summon a machine type fusion monster, so I fuse my three Cyber Dragons to once again summon Cyber End Dragon!
Atticus: Again? But why?
Michael: To boost its attack points.
Zane: That's right. Due to Power Bond's effect, the original attack points of the monster summoned by its effect are doubled.
Cyber End: 4000-8000 ATK
Jaden: Just great. Looks like using my head has got me headed for a giant loss, one I may never be able to live down.
Zane: And to think I admired you Jaden. I won't make that mistake again, nor will anyone else.
Jaden: Oh no.
Zane: You're through!
To be continued...
Hey everyone. So the final chapter of the series goes up in two weeks, and I hope you'll all read it, and if you enjoy this series, feel free to check out my Zexal series. Have a great day and stay safe everyone.