So this is the 14th and final chapter of Yu-Gi-Oh! vs Zexal. Writing this duel was PRETTY STRESSFUL, but since I'm on vacation, I was able to manage. For our grand finale, we'll have the main characters of our respective YGO series duking it out in a children's card game. Probably the hardest part of this duel was knowing where to begin. Yuma will have access to all of his cards before the final duel of Zexal (including cards he can only use in Zexal III, but no Future Number 0), while Yugi will have his cards from all over the series (except Timaeus), but I'll mainly focus on regular Yugi, so no cards that were exclusively used by Atem, like Palladium Oracle Mahad, the Egyptian Gods, or The Tricky, but I will consider cards he's used while they were together. I will also consider the cards he used at the end of GX, as well as the cards Dmitri stole. So w/o further delay, let's get started one more time.

Final Chapter: Yugi vs Yuma

"Welcome back to our Crossover Battles! These are duels between duelists from two foreign areas, each with different styles of dueling", said the nameless announcer. "For our last duel we'll have the beloved winner of the Battle City and the King of Games, YUGI MUTO!"

A teenager with unconventional hair walked into the stadium.

"And on the other side, we have the winner of the World Duel Carnival, YUMA TSUKUMO!"

A kid with slightly less unconventional hair walked into the stadium.

"This is so cool! I'm about to duel the King of Games!"

A strange spirit appeared next to him. "Be careful, Yuma. This person sounds like he will be powerful."

Yuma responded with, "Don't worry, Astral. We're only here for fun!"

Yugi couldn't see Astral, so he was confused. But that wasn't going to stop him. "Get ready Yuma, cuz' it's time to duel!" He readied his Duel Disk.

"Alright! Duel Disk, set. D-Gazer, set."

"DUEL!"

Yugi: 4000

Yuma: 4000

"I'll go first." said Yugi. "I activate Card Destruction. This card makes us send our entire hands to the GY, and then we draw equal to the number of cards we discarded. Next I activate Monster Reborn to bring back my Dark Magician (2500/2100)!"

"Awesome! He's actually using Dark Magician!"

Astral reminded him, "Yuma, Rokujuro also had access to that card."

"I place one card face-down and end my turn."

My turn, I'm gonna bring it to 'em! I summon Gogogo Giant (2000/0)! With his effect, I can Special Summon Gogogo Golem from my GY. Now I overlay my two level 4 monsters. With these two monsters, I build the overlay network, XYZ SUMMON! Appear, Number 39: Aspiring Emperor - Hope (2500/2000)! Now Hope, attack Dark Magician! Hope Sword Slash!"

"I figured you might try that, so now activate my face-down card, Dedication through Light and Darkness! By sacrificing Dark Magician, I can Special Summon Dark Magician of Chaos (2800/2500)! And when he's summoned, I can add one Magic Card from my deck to my hand, and I choose Monster Reborn."

"Darn, I place one card face-down and end my turn."

"Then it's my turn. I summon Electromagnetic Turtle (0/1800). Next I play Magical Dimension. If I have a Spellcaster, I can sacrifice one of my monsters to summon another Spellcaster. So goodbye, Electromagnetic Turtle, and hello Apple Magician Girl (1200/800)! Then, one monster on your side of the field is destroyed!"

"Trap Card open, Xyz Reflect! When an Xyz Monster would be destroyed by a card effect, that effect is negated, and you take 800 points of damage!"

Yugi: 4000-800 = 3200

"You're tough, but beating me won't be that easy. Dark Magician of Chaos, attack Aspiring Emperor - Hope with Specter Strike!"

"Hope's effect activates! By detaching one overlay unit, I can negate one attack, Moon Barrier."

"This could get interesting. I end my turn."

"My turn, draw. Aspiring Emperor - Hope attacks Apple Magician Girl! Hope Sword Slash!"

"Not so fast, Yuma. I activate her special ability! Since you attacked her, I can Special Summon another Spellcaster from hand as the new target, and I choose Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700). Also, your monster's attack points are halved (1250/2000)."

"I activate Hope's effect! I negate my attack! I place one card face-down and end my turn."

"My turn, I draw. I play Dark Burning Attack. If I have Dark Magician Girl, all of your face-up monsters are destroyed!"

"I activate Reborn Puzzle! If exactly one monster on my side of the field is destroyed by a card effect, it's Special Summoned back to the field!"

"Darn, now its attack points are back to normal. I switch my Magician Girls to Defense Mode and end my turn."

"My turn, draw. I equip Hope with Ultimate Hope Sword. This card boosts its attack Points by 800 (3300/2000). Now attack Dark Magician of Chaos! Ultimate Hope Sword Slash!"

Yugi: 3200-500 = 2700

"Ultimate Hope Sword's second effect activates! By sending this card to the GY, all other monsters are destroyed (2500/2000)! I end my turn."

"Not good, I need to make a comeback. It's my turn, I draw! I activate Pot of Greed. This lets me draw two more cards. I play Monster Reborn. Break free from your iron prison, Gandora-X the Dragon of Demolition (0/0)! When he's summoned, I can destroy all other monsters on the field, and you take damage equal to the strongest monster's attack points!"

Yuma: 4000-2500 = 1500

"Then Gandora-X gains attack points equal to the damage you took (2500/0). Now attack directly!"

"Rainbow Kuriboh's effect activates! If this card is in the GY when my opponent attacks directly, I can Special Summon this card in Defense Mode, but it's banished after being destroyed!"

"Then I'll just destroy your monster. Since keeping Gandora-X means I have to pay halve my Life Points, I sacrifice it to Tribute Summon Silent Swordsman LV5 (2300/1500). With this I place one card face-down and end my turn."

"My turn, draw. I activate Re-Xyz! I select one Xyz monster in my GY, then Special Summon monsters in my GY equal to the number of Xyz Materials required, and Xyz Summon using those monsters! I bring back Gogogo Golem and Gogogo Giant and build the overlay network, XYZ SUMMON! Be reborn, Aspiring Emperor - Hope! Next I activate Rank-Up-Magic Numeron's Force! This lets me Rank-Up an Xyz Monster into a Chaos Xyz Monster that's one Rank higher! With Hope I rebuild the overlay network, CHAOS XYZ CHANGE! Appear Chaos Number 39! Seize the victory shining in the future, overlapping thoughts, connected hearts shall change the world! Aspiring Emperor - Hope Ray Victory (2800/2500)! Now Hope Ray Victory, attack Silent Swordsman LV5! Hope Ray Victory's effect activates! By detaching one overlay unit, it gains attack points equal to the monster that it's battling, Victory Charge (5100/2500)! Go Hope Ray Victory, Hope Sword Double Victory Slash!"

"I happen to have my own GY monster effect, remember Electromagnetic Turtle? By banishing him, your Battle Phase is cut short!"

"With this I end my turn."

"I draw. I play Card of Sanctity. This lets us both draw until we have six cards. Next I summon Lemon Magician Girl (800/600). And now I activate Mystic Box! This card lets me destroy one of your monsters and replace it with one of my own. So that means your Hope Ray Victory is finished, and my Magician Girl is now yours! Silent Swordsman, attack Lemon Magician Girl with Silent Sword Slash!"

Astral panicked at Yuma, telling him, "Yuma! This is bad! If this attack hits, the damage will be exactly enough to end the duel!"

Yuma, taken off guard by what just happened, replied with "Um-um, I activate Lemon Magician Girl's effect! When this card is attacked, I can Special Summon a Spellcaster from my hand as the new attack target with its effects negated, and your monster's attack points are halved (1150/1500)! Come, Gagaga Mancer (100/100)!"

Yuma: 1500-1050 = 450

"So you actually had a monster to summon? You might actually beat me."

"It's thanks to your Spell Card letting me draw too. That was too close."

"Well then, I think I'll place a face-down and call it a turn."

"My turn, draw! I activate Monster Reborn! With this, I bring back Hope Ray Victory!"

"Don't be so sure. I activate the Trap Card Mystical Refpanel! This card lets me steal your card's effect and use it for myself! With Monster Reborn, I once again resurrect Dark Magician!"

"Yuma, he's proving to be quite formidable. If this keeps up, we'll lose. It's time we got serious."

"Alright! Me with-"

"With me!"

"We'll bring it to 'em! I overlay myself with you! The two of us build the overlay network! When the power of hearts linked by their bonds become one, The Legend with the Miracle of Light is born! XYZ Change, ZeXal! I activate Gagagadraw! By banishing three Gagaga monsters from my GY, I can draw two cards. A duelist guides his cards! Let ourselves be one with the Light emitting from our Aspiration! Come, card of Victory and Hope! Shining Draw! I activate Xyz Revival! This lets me Special Summon an Xyz Monster from my GY, and I pick Aspiring Emperor - Hope! Next, I activate Rank-Up-Magic Astral Force! This card lets me Rank-up an Xyz monster into another that's two Ranks higher. This is all off our power! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Smash through the limits, Aspiring Emperor - Hope! Reveal yourself, Number 39! When people embrace a dream that exists beyond hope, a new future appears far off in the distance! Go beyond the limits and seize that future with your own hands! Aspiring Emperor - Beyond the Hope (3000/2500)! Beyond the Hope attacks Dark Magician! During my Battle Phase, all monsters you control have 0 attack points! Now Beyond the Hope, Hope Sword Beyond Slash!"

"I reveal my Trap Card, Magician's Selection! When my Spellcaster is attacked by an opponent's monster, the attack is negated, and your weakest monster, Lemon Magician Girl is destroyed!"

"Beyond the Hope's other effect activates! All cards I control are unaffected by my opponent's card effects, so my monsters are safe! I switch Lemon Magician Girl to Defense Mode and end my turn."

"He's pulling out all the stops. Making brand new cards in the middle of a duel is something I never thought I'd have to deal with. If he had attacked Silent Swordsman instead, I'd have lost. But I can still win, as long as I believe in the Heart of the Cards. It's my turn. I place three cards face-down, switch my Silent Swordsman to Defense Mode, and end my turn."

"My turn, draw. Beyond the Hope, attack Dark Magician! Hope Sword Beyond Slash!"

"I activate Dimension Sphinx! Since your monster has at least double my monster's attack points, you take damage equal to the difference!"

"Beyond the Hope's final effect activates! During the Battle Phase, I can detach one overlay unit, banish this card, and then Special Summon Aspiring Emperor - Hope from my GY, and gain Life Points equal to half of its attack points!"

Yuma: 450+1250 = 1700

"Just what I was hoping for. I play my next Trap Card, Dark Renewal! When you summon or attack with a monster, I can sacrifice a monster from both sides of the field, my Silent Swordsman and your Emperor, to Special Summon Dark Magician Girl from the GY!"

"Darn, I place two cards face-down and end my turn. These two cards are Half Unbreak to reduce damage and Xyz Reborn."

"It's my move. First I reveal the face-down Thousand Knives! With Dark Magician on the field, I can destroy Lemon Magician Girl. Next I sacrifice my two magicians to summon Sorcerer of Dark Magic (3200/2800)!"

"Trap Card open! Xyz Reborn! This lets me Special Summon an Xyz Monster from my GY, and attach this card to it as an overlay unit!"

"I'm afraid that's not going to work. My monster can negate all Trap Cards of my choosing!"

"Yuma, we have no way out of this!"

"Now Sorcerer of Dark Magic, attack his Life Points directly!"

Yuma: 1700-3200 = 0 (LOSE)

WINNER: Yugi

"And the winner of this duel is Yugi Muto!"

From the stands, Yugi's friends reacted with the utmost joy. "He won. YUGI WON!" Joey said, "Aw, yeah. I knew Yug could beat dat cheater! Who does he think he is, makin' up new cards in the middle of a duel?"

A little girl ran to Yuma and Astral. Yuma asked her, "Kotori, what are you doing her? The duel's over."

"What!? I wanted to see you duel!"

Astral responded with, "It doesn't really matter. We lost, and all you would've done is say Yuma's name whenever he took damage, like when Gagaga Mancer was destroyed."

Kotori whined, "I WANTED TO SEE YOU DUEL THE KING OF GAMES! AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN INVITE ME!"

From the other side, Yugi thought to himself, "Who is that girl? Probably a pain to deal with." He looked to the sky and said, "I hope you're watching, Atem. I wouldn't be here without you."

Author's Notes:

Fun fact: I was originally gonna end this duel with Catapult Turtle (whose effect can be used more than once per turn) since Aspiring Emperor - Beyond the Hope can't banish itself during the Main Phase, but that wasn't climactic enough for my standards. Thinking of an alternative was hard since I went w/Beyond the Hope's anime effect. I get the feeling Yugi losing to Yuma would've been controversial, but that had nothing to do with the end result, as I do prefer Yuma as a character,so the outcome was NOT biased. I could've even ended this sooner by having Mystical Refpanel be used to bring back Gandora-X instead of Dark Magician, but not only did I not think of that, the duel wouldn't have been super special awesome. Not gonna lie, that potshot at the end was pretty satisfying to write.

And with that, this fanfic is over with 14 chapters and 7 wins on both sides (that last part was always the plan). If I ever return to fanfic writing, it'll be a rewrite of Arc-V Season 3.