It had only been a few days since the tournament, but for Connor Hawkins, it felt like an eternity. The days bled together in a haze of tension and frustration. He sat stiffly in a cracked, faded plastic chair, the uneven edge of it digging into the backs of his legs. The classroom around him buzzed with the chatter of children—brats—laughing, poking, throwing paper balls. The smell of dry erasers and cheap soap clung to the air.
Connor leaned forward, resting his chin on one hand, eyes glazed with irritation. He thought he was done with this life. Being surrounded by brats. Teaching them. Babysitting them.
His piercing blue eyes glanced out the window, hoping for something—anything—to distract him. Thank god he'd taken the accelerated placement tests. Once the paperwork cleared, he'd be out of here. No more screeching. No more poking.
Speaking of which…
A finger jabbed at his shoulder.
Connor flinched, his eye twitching slightly. He turned, glaring at the boy sitting beside him. The kid looked up at him with wide, eager eyes.
"I heard you played against Jason," the boy whispered. "Was his Tri-Horned Dragon really that strong in person?"
Connor's lips curled into a scowl, his brow furrowing deeply. His response was a sharp, whispered, "Leave me alone."
The boy's smile faded, his expression twisting into disappointment as he turned back to face the front of the classroom.
Connor let out a slow breath. When I get better cards, I'm going to beat the living hell out of Jason, he thought, his fists tightening in his lap. That bastard is going to undo what he did to me, even if I have to drag him through fire to do it.
His thoughts were interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream echoing down the hallway.
"Someone help me!"
Connor tensed.
What now? he thought bitterly, grinding his teeth. Can't I get five minutes of peace?
The classroom door exploded off its hinges with a thunderous crash. Screams erupted as something massive and grotesque entered—a grotesque chimera of human bodies, flesh stitched together in a perverse mockery of life. Tentacles slithered from its core, writhing through the classroom. Students shrieked as the tendrils pierced their skin and drained their blood in seconds. What remained were empty, withered husks.
The creature wore a decayed Napoleonic-era French military uniform, the gold trim faded, buttons missing.
Connor froze in horror. He felt bile rise in his throat but forced it down with effort.
The creature's voice was deep and slimy. "You know, it's such a shame you brought your cards," it crooned. "The Egyptian Gods frown on violence unless it follows the rules. Such tedious rules."
It grinned, its stitched face twitching. "I am George Felix," it declared. "If I win this duel, I eat your flesh. If you win, I explode into a lovely pile of guts."
Connor felt a cold sweat break across his skin. The creature's words were unreal, horrifying. A duel… to the death. Just like a horror movie.
"I need to stay calm," he thought, swallowing hard.
George squinted at him. "Wait... I know you. You're that Connor brat. My creator told me to expect you."
Connor blinked. "Let me guess," he said through gritted teeth. "He told you not to harm me, right?"
George chuckled, his jaw hanging at an unnatural angle. "Actually, he said go ahead. Just let him know how the duel went."
Connor's stomach twisted.
"He also said to give you the first turn—as a courtesy. You'll need the head start."
That gutless bastard, Connor thought, fists clenching. Jason sent this freak to a school. A damn school.
He exhaled slowly. "Fine," he said aloud, stepping forward. "Let's resolve this with a duel."
The creature grinned, teeth yellow and rotting.
Connor grabbed a desk and dragged it into the center of the blood-soaked room. He sat across from George, the other students' bodies cooling around them. His fingers trembled slightly as he shuffled his deck.
"I play one monster face down," Connor said evenly, sliding the card into his disk. "And set two cards in my back row. I end my turn."
George giggled, drawing a card.
"I summon Gaap the Divine Soldier in attack mode," he said. The fiend emerged in a shimmer of black light, its blade glowing with infernal energy.
"I activate Gaap's effect—all monsters switch to attack position."
The look of glee on George's distorted face made Connor shiver.
"Gaap attacks your Labyrinth Wall!"
Connor remained stone-faced. "I activate Shield & Sword. All monsters switch their attack and defense points. Labyrinth Wall now has 3000 attack."
George's grin didn't falter. "I chain Fissure. It destroys the monster with the lowest attack on your field."
The Wall shattered before it could retaliate.
"Gaap attacks your life points directly," George declared.
The air shimmered as the fiend lunged forward. Connor's life point counter dropped to 1800. He grimaced but didn't flinch.
George set two cards. "Your turn, Connor. You might as well give up."
Connor drew his card with a flick.
"I activate Pot of Greed," he said. "Draw two cards."
His eyes flicked over his options. A plan formed.
"I activate my face-down Rock Bombardment," he continued. "I send Revival Golem from my deck to the graveyard to deal 500 damage to you."
George grunted as his counter dropped to 3500.
"Revival Golem's effect activates—since he was sent from deck to graveyard, he's special summoned."
The hulking rock monster took the field with 100 ATK.
"I play Creature Swap. I give you Revival Golem, and I take Gaap."
George snarled.
Connor wasn't finished.
"I summon Giant Rat. Now, Gaap, attack Revival Golem!"
But George activated his trap. "Zero Gravity—all monsters change to defense mode."
Connor's attack halted as the monsters shifted posture.
"What happened to Gaap's effect?" Connor demanded.
George's voice was gleeful. "Card effects like Zero Gravity bypass his ability. He can't change their position back."
Connor clenched his teeth.
"I set one card face down. End turn."
Connor Hawkins wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his sleeve, his blue eyes locked onto George Felix. The reanimated corpse of a man sat across from him, dressed in a torn Napoleonic-era uniform stained with dried blood and mildew. The stench of rot still clung to his every move. His pale, bloated face was split by a grin that reached unnaturally wide, the stitched seams of his cheeks barely holding together.
Connor tried to calm his nerves. His heart pounded in his chest like a war drum. This thing wants to eat me. Actually devour me if I lose.
He forced himself to focus.
"I play one card face down in my back row," he declared, slipping the card into his disk. His expression remained calm, but his leg bounced beneath the table. "My turn is over."
George chuckled, a wet, gurgling sound that sent shivers down Connor's spine.
"I normal summon Witch of the Black Forest in attack mode," he declared.
The monster shimmered onto the field, her four eyes all locked onto Connor. The witch's shriveled hands curled into claws as she cackled.
"She has 1100 attack points," George said with a shrug. "Looks like I drew bad luck this turn. I end it there."
Connor let out a slow exhale. His fingers tapped against the top of his deck.
"Looks like it's my turn," he muttered. "I normal summon Labyrinth Wall in attack mode."
George's brows furrowed.
"And now," Connor continued, his voice gaining strength, "I activate the spell card Sword and Shield. All monsters on the field switch their attack and defense points."
The massive wall now boasted 3000 attack points. Connor's eyes narrowed. It's time to finish off this zombie. This vile monster is going down.
"I switch Giant Rat to attack mode. Labyrinth Wall, attack his Witch of the Black Forest!"
But George raised a hand.
"Not so fast," he croaked. "I activate my spell card Dark Hole!"
A swirling vortex tore open the space between them, consuming all the monsters on the field. Connor gritted his teeth as his field was wiped clean.
"Say goodbye to all your monsters," George taunted.
The witch's destruction triggered her effect. George smirked. "Thanks to Witch of the Black Forest, I add Summoned Skull to my hand."
Connor's face tightened. His expression was a blend of controlled panic and determination.
"You'd better spend your last moments wisely, Connor," George said, voice low and mocking. "Not much time left before I win this duel."
Connor grunted. "I end my turn."
George's grin widened grotesquely.
"I normal summon Summoned Skull in attack mode."
The crimson-skinned fiend materialized, electricity crackling around its muscular form. It let out a shriek as it leveled its claws toward Connor.
"2500 attack points," George said. "You're done. I think I'll go for overkill. I like my meat well-cooked."
Connor's lips curled in disgust. "You're revolting."
George ignored the insult. "I play Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard two. Sphere Kuriboh and Earl of Demise, you've served your purpose."
George's expression turned euphoric.
"With Earl of Demise, Kuriboh, and Gaap in my graveyard, I now have the monsters I need. I banish them... and I special summon my ace: Dark Necrofear!"
A dark, feminine figure emerged in a swirl of shadow and flame, her eyes glowing with malevolence.
George raised a finger. "Summoned Skull, finish him off. Thunderbolt!"
The creature charged its attack.
Connor's hand snapped to his trap card. "Hold it!" he shouted. "I activate Waboku! No damage this turn."
The electric blast washed over a shimmering white barrier, dissipating harmlessly.
George's smile faltered. "Hmph. Lucky."
"I end my turn," George said. "But I'm going to savor devouring you." His tongue ran along his jagged teeth.
Connor swallowed hard. That was too close.
"I got lucky with that Graceful Charity draw," he thought. But I need to rethink my decks. The meta in this world is way different than what I remember.
He drew.
"I play Graceful Charity. Draw three, discard two."
He slipped two cards into his graveyard. "I send Revival Golem and Giant Rat to the graveyard."
"Now I activate Card of Sanctity. We both draw until we have six cards."
George sneered. "What are you up to, brat?"
Connor's eyes flicked over his new hand. His expression tightened, then sharpened.
I plan to deck him out. He's reckless enough to fall for it.
"I play Cup of Ace. If it lands on heads, I draw two. Tails—you draw two."
George raised an eyebrow. "Feeling lucky?"
The coin flipped. Tails.
"Looks like you lose this one," George taunted.
Connor smirked. "No. I got what I wanted."
He slammed three cards into his back row. "I set three cards face down. Then, I set one monster in defense. Finally—"
He flipped his three face-down cards.
"I activate all three copies of Card Destruction."
George's eyes widened. "What?!"
"Each of us discards our hand and draws cards equal to the amount discarded."
The cards in George's hand were sucked into the graveyard, and he began to draw rapidly.
"What are you doing? You just gave me more cards!" George demanded.
Connor smiled—tight-lipped, confident. "Exactly."
"I end my turn."
George snarled, drawing again.
"I summon Earl of Demise. Summoned Skull, attack his face-down monster!"
The bolt struck.
Connor's monster flipped. "You attacked my Morphing Jar. Its effect forces both players to discard their hands and draw five cards."
George's hand flew to his deck as his cards vanished.
He drew.
And drew.
And stopped.
"What... what?" he muttered. "I'm out of cards?!"
Connor stood slowly, his face calm, voice cold. "You lose. Deck out."
George slammed both fists on the table. "No! Impossible! I can't lose! Not when my creator—Dartz—is backing me!"
Connor watched as George's body began to twitch violently.
"What now? Are you going to leave?" Connor asked.
George let out a guttural scream. His skin split at the seams. His stomach ballooned grotesquely, bulging outward.
With a wet pop, his body exploded.
Chunks of meat and viscera sprayed across the classroom.
One particularly large chunk smacked into Connor's cheek.
His face twisted in horror as bile surged in his throat. He doubled over and vomited, retching as blood and gore pooled around him.
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