The crowd packed into the blimp's dueling arena had the jittery hum of a storm brewing. On one side, an older man in a pristine lab coat adjusted the collar with a gloved hand, his silver hair combed back like a well-oiled hypothesis. He wore matte black sunglasses that hid his eyes entirely; the lenses were so dark they looked like tiny event horizons.
Opposite him stood a boy wrapped in borrowed friendliness: "Namu," all toothy smiles and soft angles, pretending at harmless. But those who knew better—Yugi Muto, his tri-colored hair catching the neon light; Joey Wheeler, who stood with his fists tucked into his jacket but a grin breaking through; Mai Valentine, freshly freed from the shadows and standing near Rebecca Hawkins with renewed confidence; and Rebecca, who held tightly onto her cousin Connor's hand—watched from the sidelines.
There was a brief flicker of joy among them—relief, even—as Mai smiled back at the group, alive and herself again after so long trapped in darkness. Joey clapped her on the shoulder with genuine warmth, Rebecca beamed, and even Yugi's stoic expression softened. For a moment, they let themselves enjoy it: Mai was back, free, and choosing to stand with them.
But that moment didn't last.
As the lights dimmed and the duel's aura thickened, their smiles faded into wary focus. All eyes turned toward the arena, where "Namu" shifted uneasily under Jason's steady gaze. The twitch at the corner of his mouth, the way his eyes slid away from Jason's face, and the tension running through his posture betrayed the storm beneath his carefully crafted grin.
Odion stood behind him like a silent pillar, his stoicism masking deep unease. The life point counters blinked to life—4000 each—as the overhead camera glided to center. Jason's lips curved just enough to be called a smile.
"Shall we test a hypothesis, Namu?" Jason's voice was velvet wrapped around voltage—smooth, deceptively gentle, and humming with hidden power.
He sounded kind. That was what made it worse.
Namu's grin twitched but didn't reach his eyes. For all his composure, the false warmth in Jason's tone scraped at him like a knife drawn along glass. He'd known Jason long enough to recognize the performance—the mentor act, the reassuring hand on the shoulder that always led to a knife in the back. Jason had been there when his father died, had taken him in, taught him the art of Dueling, tutored him in strategies that blended cold logic with cruelty.
He also remembered his sister, Ishizu, lying in a coma—her body preserved in sterile white light after Jason defeated her in a Battle City duel and claimed her Millennium Necklace.
Namu's smile faltered, though his words came sharp and smooth. "Funny, Jason. You always did like your experiments."
Jason chuckled softly, his hands resting in the pockets of his lab coat. "Observation and iteration, Marik. They're the foundation of progress." Then, as if catching himself, he added in an affable tone, "Ah, forgive me—Namu, isn't it? I wouldn't want to ruin your disguise."
He said it kindly—too kindly. The sort of kindness that was colder than malice.
The spectators could feel it: a strange familiarity between them, a history deeper and darker than the surface rivalry of two duelists. Even Yugi's brow furrowed; he could sense the tension beneath the polite exchange, the sense of unfinished business wrapped in pleasantries.
Joey muttered under his breath, "That guy's creepin' me out already…"
Jason's head tilted, as though he'd heard the words from across the arena. He smiled faintly.
"Don't worry," he said, almost warmly. "This is just a friendly test between teacher and student."
Namu's eyes narrowed—cold, violet steel beneath the mask of his boyish face. "Then let's see what kind of teacher you really are."
"Duel!"
"I'll take the first turn," he said, voice calm and precise.
The projection field flared to life around them, blue light streaming upward to form a holographic arena of circuits and energy lines. Static danced in the air, crackling like electricity waiting for command.
"I summon Destiny HERO – Diamond Dude!"
From a whirl of dark particles, a sleek, black-armored figure descended onto the field in a three-point landing. Metal plates glinted beneath the arena lights as the hero straightened, visor glowing with a cold blue hue.
(ATK 1400)
Behind Jason's sunglasses, the faintest hint of satisfaction curved his mouth. "Now, I'll activate Diamond Dude's special ability. Once per turn, I can send the top card of my deck to the Graveyard. If it's a Normal Spell, I can use its effect next turn."
He drew a card off the top of his deck and flicked it toward the Graveyard slot. The card image shimmered in midair for a brief moment before fading. Pot of Greed.
Jason's smile deepened—small, controlled, but there. "A fortunate result," he murmured. "Next turn, I'll gain the benefit. For now…" He slid another card face-down onto his Duel Disk. "I'll set one card and end my turn."
Across the field, Namu—no, Marik—let out a small, airy laugh. "Playing it safe, as always, Professor?" His tone was teasing, but there was a flicker of unease in his eyes.
"I'm just observing," Jason replied, voice calm and almost friendly. "After all, data comes first."
Marik drew, the card sliding smoothly from his deck. His smile sharpened as he held it up. "I summon Revival Jam!"
A shimmer of blue gel rippled into existence, the ooze rising into a vaguely humanoid shape. Its surface gleamed wetly, bubbles rising through its translucent body as it let out a low, bubbling groan.
(ATK 1500)
"And now," Marik said, raising his hand dramatically, "Revival Jam—attack Diamond Dude!"
The jellylike creature surged forward with a splash of light, slamming into the armored HERO. The impact sent a shockwave through the arena. Diamond Dude grunted, sparks flying from his chest plate before he shattered into glowing fragments.
Jason stood motionless as his Duel Disk calculated the result.
Jason's Life Points: 4000 → 3900.
Marik's smirk widened. "Your Diamond Dude was too fragile for my Jam," he said mockingly. "Looks like your little experiment failed."
Jason only tilted his head slightly, unbothered. "Failure is a necessary variable, Marik. It helps refine the next result."
Marik's eyes narrowed slightly at the tone. "Still hiding behind that teacher act, huh?"
Jason didn't answer. He merely adjusted the cuff of his lab coat and smiled, the reflection of the arena's light sliding across his dark lenses like lightning behind glass.
Marik gave a low chuckle, then set two cards face-down behind his Revival Jam. "I'll set two and end my turn. Let's see if your data can save you next round."
Jason drew, and the corners of his lips twitched upward—the slightest sign of pleasure breaking through the scientist's calm.
"Destiny Draw," he said smoothly, his tone even but charged with quiet confidence. He slid a card from his hand, letting it fall into the Graveyard slot with a sharp click. "I discard Destiny HERO – Malicious to draw two cards."A gust of dark wind spiraled around him, the edges of his lab coat fluttering in the energy field. He pulled two cards from his deck in a precise motion, almost reverently, like a researcher examining new data.
The shadows twisted briefly, and then he continued without pause."Now, the effect of Malicious—from my Graveyard, I banish him to Special Summon another copy directly from my Deck."A black vortex opened behind him, shimmering like a rift in reality. A second Destiny HERO – Malicious stepped out, crouched low in a battle-ready stance, twin blades forming out of his gauntlets.
(ATK 800)Jason's tone was clinical.
"Replication complete."Then he pointed to his Graveyard. "And now I'll activate Destiny HERO – Diamond Dude's effect from earlier. Since he sent a Normal Spell to the Graveyard last turn, I can now activate it this turn—without cost or condition."He held up his Duel Disk, and the hologram of Pot of Greed shimmered into life, its eerie grin reflected in the black of Jason's sunglasses. "Pot of Greed—allowing me to draw two additional cards."
Marik's smile faltered for a heartbeat. He hated that expression on Jason's face—that perfect calm, that air of someone ten steps ahead.Jason drew again, his movements fluid, deliberate. "Next, I play Reinforcement of the Army," he said, his voice smooth as oil. "This allows me to add one Level 4 or lower Warrior-type monster from my Deck to my hand."He scanned his deck, the Duel Disk humming softly as he plucked a single card free. "I'll take Destiny HERO – Drilldark."
Jason didn't even pause. "Now I activate Polymerization."Blue light swirled between his fingers, energy gathering like liquid flame. "I fuse Destiny HERO – Celestial and Destiny HERO – Malicious in order to bring forth the fusion monster that embodies both power and precision."The vortex above them deepened into a thunderous void. Two silhouettes rose into it and merged, twisting violently before bursting forth in a flash of crimson light. The figure that emerged landed with a heavy metallic thud, vents flaring across its armor, glowing in steady pulses like a reactor core."Destiny HERO – Dystopia!"
(ATK 2800)
Marik's hair whipped around his face from the surge of energy. He shielded his eyes and hissed through clenched teeth. Jason, meanwhile, didn't so much as flinch."Dystopia's effect," Jason intoned. "When he's Fusion Summoned, I can target a Level 4 or lower 'Destiny HERO' in my Graveyard—Celestial—and inflict damage to your life points equal to that monster's attack."A fiery beam shot from Dystopia's chest, the holographic HUD reading 1600 DAMAGE in bright red text. The explosion slammed into Marik's Revival Jam, then rippled across his field and struck his Duel Disk. He staggered back a step, throwing an arm up against the heat as his Life Points dropped.
Marik's Life Points: 4000 → 2400.
Marik's grin returned, strained but venomous. "Not bad for an old man," he said, flicking his hair back. "But I'm afraid your little machine's about to jam."Jason's head tilted slightly. "Oh?""Battle!" Jason called sharply, ignoring the taunt. "Dystopia, attack Revival Jam! End this experiment."The hulking HERO surged forward, arm cannons glowing crimson. But before the blow could land—"Not so fast!" Marik snapped, slamming a card open. "I activate my Trap—Nightmare Wheel!"Thick, spectral chains erupted from the trap, latching around Dystopia's limbs.
The mechanical HERO strained, the coils tightening like molten steel. "This card stops your monster's attack and locks it in place," Marik said, laughing. "And each turn, it'll drain your Life Points by 500!"
Jason's eyes behind the glasses were unreadable, though a single muscle along his jaw shifted. He didn't resist the trap; he merely adjusted his Duel Disk and continued, voice steady."I see. Limitation through constraint—inelegant, but expected."Marik wasn't finished. "I'll also activate Jam Defender!"A second trap flipped face-up, releasing a field of purple energy that wrapped around the gelatinous creature on his field.
"While this card is active," Marik declared proudly, "every attack you declare must target Revival Jam. Even if you destroy it, it'll reform again and again!"He grinned, the confidence returning to his voice. "You can hit it all day, Jason—but it will always come back."Jason regarded the field with faint amusement.
"Perpetual regeneration… inefficient, but fascinating." His voice remained low, measured, as if the game were an ongoing lecture rather than a battle of life and death. "You've made your defense clear, Marik. Let's see how long it lasts."
He straightened his coat with slow precision. "End turn."The arena's light dimmed slightly, signaling the change of phase.
Marik drew his next card with a flourish, the smirk already forming on his face again. "You'll regret leaving your monster shackled. I summon Granadora in face-up Defense Position!"A massive green reptilian creature with a serpentine neck and jagged fangs materialized, crouched low, its body coiled in thick scales.
(DEF 700)
"When Granadora is Normal Summoned, I gain 1000 Life Points!" Marik announced. His Duel Disk chimed as his total rose again.
Marik's Life Points: 2400 → 3400.
Jason's mouth curved slightly. "You've stabilized your vitals. Smart."Marik brushed hair from his face, his eyes glinting with pride—and perhaps something darker. "Oh, you haven't seen anything yet. Revival Jam's endless defense, my new monster's vitality… You can analyze all you want, Jason, but this duel won't go according to your experiment."
Jason simply stood in silence, the reflection of the field glimmering in his lenses. The faint hum of his Duel Disk filled the gap, steady and rhythmic, like a pulse. When he finally spoke, his tone was almost kind again—almost."Marik," he said softly, "a hypothesis only fails if one refuses to adapt."
Marik's grin faltered just enough for Jason to notice."I'll set one card," Marik said finally, snapping a card face-down, the motion sharp with irritation. "And I end my turn."
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