"Watch closely—this is humanity's struggle to survive! Fusion Summon—Roar, Chimeratech Fortress Dragon!!"
[Chimeratech Fortress Dragon ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][DARK][Machine/Fusion/Effect][ATK 0/DEF 0]
["Cyber Dragon" + 1+ Machine monsters. Cannot be used as Fusion Material. Must first be Special Summoned (from your Extra Deck) by sending the above cards from either field to the GY.]
Gathering around the Cyber Dragons, every Machine monster on the field converged, fusing into a colossal mechanical dragon that rivaled a fortress in sheer scale.
If Dovelgus's five Machine monsters had been massive enough to fill the entire academy grounds, then Chimeratech Fortress Dragon—having absorbed and fused every Machine on the field to become Zane's final bastion—completely blotted out the sky above the academy with its titanic mechanical body alone.
"He fused all of the opponent's Machine monsters too… and created a fortress dragon that huge?!"
The academy students stared up at the heavens in stunned silence. It was the first time they had seen Zane perform such an overwhelmingly crushing Fusion Summon.
"Effect of Chimeratech Fortress Dragon! Its original ATK becomes the number of Fusion Materials used for its Summon × 1000!"
With seven Machine monsters used as materials, the gigantic Chimeratech Fortress Dragon roaring in the sky saw its original ATK skyrocket to 7000 in an instant.
[Chimeratech Fortress Dragon ATK: 0 → 7000]
"Next—double the damage!"
Continuing to slam cards onto his Duel Disk, Zane declared:
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell I searched earlier—Limiter Removal!!"
A Quick-Play Spell that doubles the ATK of all Machine monsters you control, at the cost of destroying them at the end of the turn. But now, Zane had no need to worry about the consequences.
"—Shine with the glorious light of the Cyber Style! Chimeratech Fortress Dragon!!"
[Chimeratech Fortress Dragon ATK 7000 → 14000]
Already monstrously beyond reason, the gigantic dragon doubled in size once more under the effect of Limiter Removal. Its twisted mechanical body stretched across the sky like a mountain range in flight.
"Fourteen thousand attack points… Is this the full power of King Kaiser?!" Misawa gasped.
[Dovelgus LP 14200]
"But… it's still not enough!" Alexis, so tense she barely dared to breathe, pressed her hands against her chest and gazed at the blazing Cyber Dragon radiance in the sky. "Zane… is this your resolve? To prove your will to survive, even if you must give everything?"
"I activate my Set Trap Card—!!"
Steam burst from Dovelgus's overheating mechanical arms as cracks spread across them. Enduring the overwhelming pressure of Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, he flipped his final face-down card.
"The one who stands superior is me, human—no, Zane Truesdale!"
For the first time, he addressed Zane by name. In this final battle against a king, Zane had earned Dovelgus's recognition.
"Trap Card—Draining Shield! I negate your attack and gain Life Points equal to its ATK!"
A water-blue barrier unfolded before Dovelgus, perfectly absorbing the explosive brilliance of Chimeratech Fortress Dragon and converting it into electronic energy that surged into his body.
[Dovelgus LP 14200 → 28200]
"The duel is decided. I win, Zane!"
With his Life Points skyrocketing and his battle-damaged body restored to a gleaming, pristine state, Dovelgus declared victory.
"No—Zane is the one who won!"
Akasha suddenly cried out, unable to contain herself.
"Zane still has his trump card! Have you all forgotten? The card he searched on the very first turn with Cyber Dragon Core's effect!"
("With Cyber Dragon Core's effect, I add to my hand—Cyberload Fusion!")
Having stayed by Hoshino and Zane throughout spring break and witnessed the entirety of his hellish special training, Akasha knew better than anyone the hope that card represented.
"That Overload Fusion is Zane's true finishing blow! It's not even thirty thousand Life Points—go, Zane!!"
"—I activate my Set Quick-Play Spell: Cyberload Fusion!"
Answering Akasha's expectations, Zane flipped the face-down Quick-Play Spell at his feet.
[Cyberload Fusion – Quick-Play Spell: Return the Fusion Materials listed on a Fusion Monster Card that includes a "Cyber Dragon" monster from your field and/or banished cards to the Deck, and Fusion Summon that monster from your Extra Deck.]
"You can fuse using monsters on the field and in the banished zone?!"
Dovelgus swung his massive hammer. "Stop bluffing! You only have two Dragons banished!"
"Then what about this card?!"
Almost simultaneously, Zane flipped his final face-down card.
"I chain the Quick-Play Spell—Cybernetic Fusion Support!"
[Cybernetic Fusion Support – Quick-Play Spell: Pay half your LP; once, if you Fusion Summon a Machine Fusion Monster this turn, you can banish monsters from your hand, field, and/or GY as the Fusion Materials.]
Zane flung open the Graveyard slot of his Duel Disk and violently grabbed every Cyber Dragon card within, scattering them into the pitch-black night sky.
"Go! This is the final chapter of Cyber Style! I use two Cyber Dragon Zwei, Cyber Dragon Drei, Cyber Twin Dragon, Cyber Dragon Nova, Cyber Dragon Infinity—six Cyber Dragons in total, including the very card that holds my soul—as Fusion Materials! This is my struggle to survive—!"
The six cards Zane hurled into the night transformed under the drive of Cyberload Fusion. Each became the roaring head of a Cyber Dragon, intertwining as surging overload currents exploded across the field.
"This is the last monster you will ever witness! Overload Fusion Summon—Chimeratech Overdragon!!"
[Chimeratech Overdragon ★★★★★★★★★ (Level 9)][DARK][Machine/Fusion/Effect][ATK: ?/DEF: ?]
["Cyber Dragon" + 1+ Machine monsters]
"When Chimeratech Overdragon is Fusion Summoned: send all other cards you control to the GY. Its original ATK becomes the number of Fusion Materials used × 800!"
[Chimeratech Overdragon ATK: 4800]
Crackling with catastrophic overload energy, Chimeratech Overdragon made its tyrannical entrance—its summoning condition instantly obliterating the gigantic Chimeratech Fortress Dragon. Six draconic heads turned in unison toward the Iron World King.
"Your fate ends here! Chimeratech Overdragon—direct attack! 'Evolution Burst Finale'!!"
The flames of overload that symbolized annihilation tore through the sky, split the earth, and bombarded Dovelgus's massive body with full force.
[Dovelgus LP 28200 → 23400]
"MUDA! MUDA DA!!"
"That level of attack is nothing more than a tickle!"
"This is the victory I've been pursuing—!!"
His black coat whipped wildly in the shockwaves of the Overload flames. At that moment, Zane had only one thing in his eyes—victory.
"Effect of Chimeratech Overdragon! During the same Battle Phase, it can attack a number of times equal to the Fusion Materials used—and I fused six Cyber Dragons into it!!"
Dovelgus gasped in disbelief.
"Six attacks… with that attack power?!"
Akasha shouted, "Cyber Dragon's ultimate finishing move! Go, Zane!"
"Second volley—!"
[Dovelgus LP 23400 → 18600]
Alexis: "So this… is Zane's true strength?!"
"Third volley—!!"
[Dovelgus LP 18600 → 13800]
Misawa: "Absolute power—enough to completely suppress even a king!"
"Fourth volley—!!!"
[Dovelgus LP 13800 → 9000]
"What kind of 'king' is the Nine Realms King? The true king of our Duel Academy is Zane!"
"Fifth volley—!!!!"
[Dovelgus LP 9000 → 4200]
Five finishing bursts of Evolution Impact slammed mercilessly into Dovelgus's mechanical body. His burning, cracking armor fell away in fragments of steel. Forced onto one knee, Dovelgus could only barely support his machine body with his massive hammer.
"To force a king to kneel… Human king, Zane Truesdale—this is your determination to live?!"
"Humans aren't as fragile as you think, scrap-iron king! This is the final blow! —Evolution End Burst, Sixfold Volley!!!!!"
Zane's desperate roar echoed beneath the sky that coexisted with the World Tree. At the same moment, all six dragon heads of Chimeratech Overdragon fired their killing flames, becoming the final strike that shattered the kneeling mechanical giant.
"So, in order to survive… in order to win… you obtained power that surpasses even a king, Zane Truesdale!!"
Within the blazing explosion, Dovelgus gave his final roar.
"If this is humanity's potential… then I acknowledge it! In the name of the Mechanical King of the Iron World, I bestow this glorious light of victory upon you, human!!"
[Dovelgus LP 4200 → 0]
[Duel End. Winner: Zane Truesdale!]
Dovelgus's completely paralyzed body could no longer even remain on one knee. Consumed by the Evolution flames of destruction, he released all the mechanical energy within his body and exploded into nothingness under Zane's final attack.
But facing the massive shockwave of that explosion head-on, the utterly exhausted Zane had no strength left to resist.
"I won… I proved the strength of Duel Academy's king with this duel… I protected this academy… In the end… I didn't let you down, Instructor Hoshino…"
Swallowed by the blast, Zane—already running on fumes in the latter half of the duel—finally relaxed. His body went limp like a puppet with its strings cut, and he was blown off the academy rooftop.
"Mamma mia! Falling from that height—you'll be smashed to pieces!" Crowler screamed in terror.
"So why did that idiot have to duel in such a high place in the first place?!" Akasha knew it wasn't the time to complain, but faced with this sudden crisis, even with so many people present, no one could do anything.
The brief joy of victory was instantly drowned by the tragedy about to unfold. Screams spread among the academy students; most of the girls covered their eyes, unable to watch.
"Zane—!!"
The roar of a Duel Runner engine thundered from behind the academy hill. Accelerating to its limit, the turbo used the cliff as a ramp and launched toward the falling Kaiser Ryo.
"Boss, I've said many times that safe driving is important—but in a situation like this, pushing to the limit is what matters!"
The one who could ride a Duel Runner like that obviously wasn't Hoshino. With Kintoki at full throttle, carrying Hoshino at top speed, they rushed back to the academy in the nick of time.
"Hoshino… Headmistress?"
In free fall, Zane felt as if he were dreaming, everything before him unreal.
"Zane, defeating the Nine Realms King with human power is amazing! But if Duel Academy's king ends like this, then all your fighting would be for nothing!"
Reaching out with all her strength, Hoshino timed the Duel Runner's leap with Zane's fall and grabbed his hand tightly.
"This is bad—I can't pull him up at all!"
The move looked cool, but Hoshino quickly realized gravity wasn't something her small frame could overcome.
"You idiot! Don't you know your own strength?!"
Scolding her sternly, Kaiba Man—materialized in spirit form on the Duel Runner—grabbed Zane's wrist in her place.
"Huh? Kaiba Man? When did you get on? The Duel Runner will be overweight!"
Three people on one bike—four including Zane—was basically stunt-motorcycle level, especially while flying through the air.
"Spirits have no weight!"
"AAAAAHHH!!"
With Kaiba Man's roar, Zane finally stopped falling and was flung back onto Duel Academy's rooftop.
"This isn't your final stage, Zane. Get back up there!"
Thud—
Zane slammed onto the rooftop floor. It sounded painful, but compared to splattering on the ground, it was ten thousand times better.
"We need to prepare for an emergency landing too, Boss!!"
"H-How are we supposed to land?!"
"Just trust my driving! —Golden Drive – Good Night!!"