Jason stood tall on the opposite platform, the edge of his white lab coat fluttering slightly from the arena's overhead vents. His gaze was cold, sharp—and far too calm. The Millennium Ring on his chest shimmered with a malevolent gold light. He raised a wrinkled hand, adorned with a thick silver ring, and adjusted the Millennium Scale dangling from his belt.
"You're lucky I can only use one Millennium Item effect per item I carry," he said casually, his voice slow, deliberate, and somehow condescending all at once.
My hands clenched at my sides. So he really does have multiple Items. This guy isn't a duelist—he's a walking glitch in the system.
The Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon roared, its power now amped to 3000 ATK thanks to the Mountain field spell. The crackling energy around it buzzed with danger.
"Not so fast," I snapped, slamming a card down. "I activate Creature Seizure! We each select one monster to give to the other."
Jason raised an eyebrow.
"I choose your Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon," I said.
The dragon disappeared in a flash of golden light and reappeared on my side, snarling, crackling with lightning. My Jerry Beans Man vanished in its place.
"It's not like you had any other options," I said, glaring. "You only had one monster."
Jason's face didn't change. "A small loss," he said. "But the duel continues."
He drew a card. "I play Pot of Greed. And what a surprise… my spell effect drew me two more Pot of Greed."
My jaw went slack.
"What the fuck?" I muttered. "No one in the anime ever thought of playing three Pot of Greed in one deck. Who is this guy?"
My mind raced. This has to be some butterfly effect of this altered reality… or maybe he's a character from the manga I never read. But this guy is on a whole different level.
Jason drew six cards total without breaking a sweat. His old hands moved with the smoothness of muscle memory. Then he smiled.
"I normal summon Lord of Dragons. And then, I play the spell card The Flute of Summoning Dragons."
The arena trembled.
"Come forth—my two Tri-Horned Dragons!"
Twin beams of blue light erupted from the floor. Two titanic dragons descended with deafening screeches, each radiating overwhelming pressure. Their horns shimmered in the overhead spotlights, each one now boosted to 3050 ATK by the Mountain spell.
I felt a bead of sweat roll down my temple.
"Next, I play Heavy Storm," Jason said, his tone like a judge passing sentence.
Winds erupted across the field, shattering my back row into pieces.
"There goes my Creature Swap and Mirror Force," I muttered. "Useless in the graveyard."
Jason looked at me again. "I held back to give you a chance to play. But now…" He sighed, as if disappointed. "You're different. Not like the rest of these… subjects."
He sneered. "They're all like rats, you know."
The crowd roared with excitement. "Go Rat King!" someone shouted.
He didn't call them that affectionately, I thought, my stomach twisting. This isn't a show to him. He means it.
"Now, my first Tri-Horned Dragon, attack his Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon!"
The thunderous blast struck hard. Sparks exploded around me as the dragon I'd stolen was vaporized. My life points dropped to 3150.
"Second Tri-Horned Dragon, destroy his Charcoal Inpachi!"
A fireball barreled across the field, blowing my monster to ashes.
Jason gave a bow as if performing on stage. "I end my turn by setting two cards face-down. Your move, Connor."
My lip curled. "Very well."
I drew a card. Pot of Greed.
"Let's see if this game can even the odds. I play Pot of Greed! Then I activate Enchanting Fitting Room, paying 800 life points."
My counter dropped to 2350. The top four cards of my deck appeared in shimmering light.
"I special summon Bunilla, Charcoal Inpachi, and Giant Soldier of Stone. Defense, defense, and attack."
My monsters took their places. Giant Soldier rose with a stone-cracking roar.
I need to deal with that Jerry Beans Man, I thought. Without it, my Amulet is wasted.
I glanced across the field. Jason stood motionless, his hands behind his back like a retired general.
"I switch my first Bunilla to attack mode and equip my Giant Soldier of Stone with Amulet of Ambition," I said.
Jason raised an eyebrow. "You sure you want to attack me? It's not going to work, Connor."
My hands clenched into fists. I want to kick him in the nuts. That smug grin is driving me crazy.
"Now, Bunilla, attack his Jerry Beans Man!"
The fluffy rabbit dashed forward.
"Trap card—Mirror Force," Jason said calmly. He wagged a finger side to side. "You're going to need to do better."
My Bunilla exploded in a burst of light.
I groaned. "I activate Amulet of Ambition's effect to return it to the top of my deck."
I placed one monster and one spell/trap card face-down.
Beads of sweat dripped from my forehead.
This is the toughest duel I've had so far. Even if I don't win the grand prize, I won't let this guy waltz into victory.
Jason's eyes sparkled as he drew. "My turn. I play Graceful Charity."
He calmly drew three cards and discarded two—Sangan and Mystic Tomato.
"I switch my Lord of Dragons to defense. That Creature Swap of yours will be a problem."
My heart skipped. How does he know what I've set? Does he have another Millennium Item?
"I'll set one card in my back row and end with an attack."
"First Tri-Horned Dragon, destroy his set monster!"
A fireball erupted and obliterated my Giant Soldier of Stone.
"Second Tri-Horned Dragon, destroy Charcoal Inpachi! Send it to the graveyard!"
I shielded my eyes from the explosion, teeth clenched as my defenses fell one by one.
Jason stood there, completely composed, like he was orchestrating a symphony of chaos. His expression hadn't changed—still calm, still smiling, still completely in control.
I've got to turn this around, I thought, staring down at my cards. Otherwise, this "Rat King" is going to drown me in dragons.