"I end my turn there," Jason said, brushing invisible dust from the shoulder of his lab coat. His eyes narrowed slightly. "You're going to need some luck, Connor. Otherwise, you're done for."
I met his gaze with my own, sharp and unwavering.
"I don't need luck," I replied, voice rising. "You'd know that if you had a knockoff Millennium Eye."
Jason smirked, the deep lines on his face folding into something almost predatory. "I don't need a Millennium Eye to know what you're doing. I'm an expert cold reader."
Cold reader? I scoffed inwardly. This guy really is on another wavelength. Is he a duelist or a magician?
A knot of suspicion twisted tighter in my gut. This has to be some kind of butterfly effect. No way someone this dangerous flew under the radar. If he existed in the original timeline, someone would have spoiled him in a YouTube lore video by now.
I snapped myself out of the thought and drew my card.
"I switch Bunilla into attack mode," I said calmly. "And now, I normal summon Sonic Bird."
The feathered beast swooped onto the field with a high-pitched screech, its wings folding neatly as it landed. I held up another card.
"He's going to be equipped with my Amulet of Ambition."
Jason sighed loudly, his expression shifting into a mask of theatrical impatience.
"You're not going to win, you know. If you can speed this up, I have a big announcement to make regarding a tournament Seto Kaiba is going to host. Hurry up."
I narrowed my eyes. Seto Kaiba's next tournament? That's not public knowledge yet. What the hell is this guy talking about?
"Bunilla, attack his Jerry Beans Man!" I commanded.
The oversized rabbit pounced, landing a direct hit. Jason's monster shattered in a burst of digital energy.
"Sonic Duck, take down Lord of Dragons!"
Feathers blurred as the duck streaked forward and sliced through Jason's monster with a gust of wind.
"Next," I said, sliding another card into my disk, "I activate Creature Swap. I'm giving you my Bunilla."
Jason arched a brow, curious.
"Looks like I get one of the Tri-Horned Dragons in return."
A thunderous roar shook the arena as the dragon landed on my side of the field.
"Tri-Horned Dragon, attack Jason's Bunilla!"
A fire blast roared from its maw, turning the bunny into nothing but pixels. Jason's life point counter dropped, red numbers flashing.
1100 life points remaining.
Jason chuckled softly, and for the first time, I noticed something subtle—his posture straightened, his eyes sharp but... respectful?
"I can tell you know this game far beyond the level of most players," he said. "You've played this game for a long time."
I froze.
My heart skipped a beat. The words cut far deeper than they should have. Because Jason wasn't wrong—he had no idea how right he was. I wasn't just some kid fumbling through the rules. I had been a teacher once, an adult with years of experience, before some mad scientist's twisted experiment had ripped me from my life and trapped me in this fragile five-year-old body.
And that was the problem—five years old. There was no way, no natural explanation, for me to have played this game "for a long time." Not unless I had lived another life entirely.
So how the hell did he figure that out?
I forced myself to stay still, but inside, my stomach twisted. His smile widened, calm and confident, as if he were reading something directly off my soul.
It felt like he could see straight through me—through the mask of innocence, through the borrowed flesh, down to the truth I desperately needed to keep hidden.
A chill spread through my veins.
Before I could respond, Jason flipped over his two face-down cards.
"I activate Reckless Greed, twice. I draw four cards... and skip my next two draw phases."
He looked up from his hand, voice louder now.
"Now, for my announcement!" Jason's voice boomed across the arena. "I call Seto Kaiba a coward! He plans to crown himself the world's greatest duelist—but without inviting the actual best duelists from around the world!"
The crowd gasped. The tension in the arena thickened like a storm about to break. You could cut it with a kitchen knife.
Jason spread his arms wide. "I will force him to acknowledge every worthy player. I will show him what it means to earn the title!"
Whispers rippled through the audience.
"I've been waiting for a strong duelist," Jason continued. "Someone who can withstand the pressure of my strategy. Everyone else here is too weak. But you, Connor... you're worthy."
He looked directly at me.
"A worthy subject to test my final move."
Jason slid a card into his graveyard. "I discard King of the Swamp. Its effect lets me search for Polymerization."
I tensed. "What are you trying to pull off? I doubt just summoning a fusion monster is going to change Seto Kaiba's mind."
Jason laughed.
"I use Polymerization. I fuse Black Luster Soldier and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon—"
My jaw dropped. "You don't have a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon on the field!"
Jason's eyes twinkled. "Ah, but I'm glad you asked." He shows his copy of the King of the Swamp. "King of the Swamp can act as a substitute for Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. And look here..."
He held up another card—Black Luster Soldier.
My breath caught. "That means..."
"I fuse them to summon... Dragon Master Knight!"
A massive beam of white and gold light shot into the sky. The arena trembled. The platform beneath my feet shook violently.
The beast that appeared was unlike any other.
Its wings spanned across the battlefield. Silver armor gleamed across its chest. Twin swords crackled with divine power, and its eyes were piercing pools of white flame.
5000 ATK.
The crowd went dead silent.
A child dropped their plush toy.
Even the announcer hesitated before speaking.
"D-D-Dragon Master Knight has entered the field...!"
Jason stood tall, chest out, arms slightly spread as if basking in the moment.
"This is the symbol," he said solemnly, "of true dueling power."
"Dragon Master Knight is such a graceful monster," Jason said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He adjusted the lapels of his lab coat, watching the towering fusion monster glisten under the arena lights. "I wonder if Seto would fly into a fit of rage seeing his precious Blue-Eyes monster summoned by someone else."
His voice dripped with smug satisfaction as he continued. "It was in a collector binder when I bought it off him. No one else could have brought it to life—but I'm talented enough to make the impossible happen."
His gaze drifted across the stunned crowd.
"Well, it's the first time the public has seen such a monster summoned in an official duel. You've been a decent road stop, Connor. You played a good game. Anyone else would've been crushed long before making it to this point."
The announcer, voice tinged with disbelief, broke in. "I was not expecting this... not at a local event. How will Seto Kaiba react to this challenge?"
The crowd had gone from excited to deathly silent—rows of people frozen, phones raised, recording every moment. Every twitch of the Dragon Master Knight's wings. Every glint of light from its armor.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime event," the announcer added. "People all over the world will be watching this replay."
Jason raised a hand slowly and dramatically, like a magician building to the final trick.
"If you're shocked by this monster," he said with a gleam in his eye, "then wait until you see my next surprise."
I felt my stomach tighten.
"I will finish this duel in one attack," Jason said, his voice practically glowing with pride. "And... I'll break a world record in the process."
"If I wasn't watching it happen," the announcer said breathlessly, "I would call him a liar. He's going for the highest attack point record. The current record stands at 5700 ATK, but that was during a staged exhibition match."
Jason slid a card into his disk with ceremonial care. "I activate the Equip Spell Megamorph. Since my life points are lower than my opponent's, my monster's attack is doubled."
The field trembled.
The Dragon Master Knight's body pulsed with a radiant white aura. Its power surged.
10,000 ATK.
The number gleamed in the air above it. The arena lights flickered slightly, struggling to contain the energy output of the summoned monster.
"It's over nine thousand! The world record has been broken in an official tournament duel! This is history in the making!" the announcer shouted.
The crowd couldn't breathe. Some had their hands over their mouths. Others simply stared.
Jason lowered his hand. "Dragon Master Knight, attack Tri-Horned Dragon! Destruction Burst Stream—end this duel!"
A flash of light so bright it seared my vision surged across the field. My monster didn't even cry out as it vanished in a storm of obliteration. The force of the attack echoed like thunder.
My life point counter plummeted.
Silence fell.
There's no way this guy is native to this world, I thought, still dazed from the magnitude of the moment. He's not just some card game genius. He's like me. He's been reincarnated.
"I doubt anything else tonight will top that!" the announcer said after a long pause. "Give a round of applause for Connor and Jason—for one of the most incredible games ever played!"
The crowd erupted into cheers.
He may give off a creepy vibe, I thought, trying to catch my breath, but it's not my problem unless he does something shady. Still... something's wrong with him.
As the duel platform lowered us to the ground, Jason stepped forward with his hand extended for a handshake. His face was calm. Polite. Perfect for public relations.
I hesitated.
Looks like I have to accept it, I thought bitterly. I'm not going to ruin my future career or chances in this world by looking like a bad sport.
We shook hands.
Then, Jason leaned in close. Too close. His voice was low, just for me.
"It's so nice to see my test subject brought here with me," he whispered in my ear.
My body stiffened.
"I always wanted to know if alternate reality travel was possible," he said. "I'm glad you'll enjoy my work—living a new life in a world thought to be fiction."
My eyes widened. My jaw clenched.
My hand tensed in his grip.
A spark of rage surged through me.
What a piece of fucking shit.
He killed people. He forced me into this brat's body. Just when I had gotten away from it all—won the damn lottery, left my teaching job—he dragged me into this nightmare.
Now I'm back to dealing with bratty kids and puberty all over again. Thirteen more years of starting from scratch? No.
I glared at him, rage bubbling in my gut.
I will make him fix this. I will force him to undo what he's done. Even if I have to beat the living shit out of him.
The crowd kept clapping.
The Dragon Master Knight vanished from the field, but its presence still lingered like a thundercloud.
And Jason's smile never faded.
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