The air between them crackled with pressure, invisible currents of heat and emotion rising off the holograms. The lights of the blimp flickered, catching across the gold of Marik's hair and the silver of Jason's. Both duelists stared across the field—teacher and student, predator and prey—and though neither spoke, the crowd could feel the weight of their history pressing down on every move.
The top of Marik's lip curled, his teeth flashing under the lights, a mixture of arrogance and unease glinting in his eyes. Jason, unmoving, lifted his chin slightly, the faintest trace of a smile forming once more.Marik's grin stretched wider as the light from his Duel Disk glinted across his face, shadowing his eyes with a feverish gleam.
"Don't forget, Jason," he said mockingly, his voice dripping with venomous delight. "Nightmare Wheel is still in play. Each of your Standby Phases, you'll take five hundred points of damage. I could just sit back and let you strangle yourself in my own traps."He chuckled, leaning forward slightly, the golden bangles at his wrist catching the arena lights. "Seems your so-called 'scientific precision' can't stop something as simple as torment. I'll watch you crumble piece by piece—slowly."
Jason's lips twitched, but not in anger. The faint smirk that formed beneath those dark lenses was… amused. "Observation is a flawed measure of control, Marik," he replied evenly, as if he were teaching a lesson rather than losing life points.The Duel Disk beeped, flashing red.
Jason's Life Points: 3900 → 3400.
Marik's laughter echoed through the stadium, loud and sharp. "How's that feel, Professor?"Jason's expression didn't flicker. He simply drew his next card, letting it rest in his hand with deliberate calm.
The card gleamed faintly under the neon glow of the holographic arena."Let's continue the experiment," he murmured. "I activate Allure of Darkness."He drew two cards, movements smooth and exact, the cards fanning neatly in his gloved fingers before one was sent silently to the Graveyard slot.
"I banish Destiny HERO – Denier for payment of my allure of darkness," Jason said softly. The screen above flickered as the image of Denier vanished into a vortex of black light.His tone stayed clinical, controlled, but the air around him began to hum with rising power. "Now, I activate Fusion Destiny."
The arena lights pulsed, responding to the surge of energy from his Duel Disk. The holographic grid shimmered, warping as a fusion vortex opened behind him.Even Yugi stiffened on the sidelines, sensing the power building. Joey sucked in a breath between his teeth.
"Oh man," Joey muttered, "that card again… things are about to get wild."Jason's voice remained calm, almost eerily so.
"By sending Destiny HERO – Celestial and Destiny HERO – Dynatag from my Deck to the Graveyard, I Fusion Summon—"The vortex erupted with a burst of dark red light, shards of energy scattering like glass. A towering figure emerged, armed with serrated blades and vents that hissed steam into the air. The hard-light tiles beneath it cracked from the impact."Destiny HERO – Dangerous!"
(ATK 2200)
Jason raised one hand, palm open toward the monster as its systems came online with a mechanical roar.
"I activate Dangerous's effect. I discard one card from my hand to increase the ATK of all my 'Destiny HERO' monsters by 200 points for each 'Destiny HERO' in my Graveyard."Marik's smirk faltered, just slightly.Jason's gloved fingers snapped. "I have four. That's +800 ATK in total."Dark power flared through the field like an electrical storm.
The HEROes' armor plates glowed with crimson light, circuitry igniting as their forms surged with energy. The sheer heat of it distorted the holographic space.Jason's tone was almost serene. "Dystopia's effect. When his current ATK exceeds his original, I can reduce it back to destroy one card on the field. Say goodbye to your Nightmare Wheel."The chains that bound Dystopia cracked, then burst apart in a blinding flash as the Nightmare Wheel trap shattered into burning fragments.
Jason lowered his hand again, expression unchanged. "You can't use your wheel to stall me anymore Marik."The crowd erupted with mixed gasps and cheers at the clean execution.Jason slid one more card onto his Duel Disk. "I'll set one card. End turn.
"The holographic field shimmered with the face-down card's arrival, like a quiet heartbeat waiting to strike.Across the field, Marik's lips pulled back into a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He drew his next card in a graceful, almost mocking sweep, his wrist twisting as though conducting a performance."Pot of Greed!" he declared dramatically, holding up the familiar green jar that leered from the holographic display. "Allowing me to draw two more cards!"He grinned, eyes glinting with dark satisfaction as he drew.
"Now I'll play Change of Heart."Jason's eyebrow lifted faintly behind his sunglasses."That's right," Marik said, laughter bubbling under his words. "I'll take control of your Destiny HERO – Dystopia. You've done such a fine job empowering it—it's only fair I borrow your creation for my masterpiece."The hologram of a glowing angel descended, wings spreading wide as its light fell over Dystopia. The HERO's blue glow flickered and changed, its visor flashing with the gold hue of Marik's control. It turned its head—obedient now—to face Jason."
And now," Marik said softly, stretching his arm outward with theatrical grace, "I tribute Revival Jam, Granadora, and your stolen Dystopia…"Marik's hand hovered over his Duel Disk as three golden tributes—Revival Jam, Granadora, and the stolen Destiny HERO – Dystopia—rose into the air, dissolving into spheres of blazing light. The arena darkened instantly, shadows spilling like ink over the stage. A hot wind whipped across the blimp's interior, the very air trembling under the weight of ancient power.Marik's eyes widened, pupils dilating to pinpricks of gold as he raised both arms toward the heavens.
His voice deepened, echoing through the dome with eerie reverence and unhinged passion."Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry!
Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight!
Envelop the deserts with your glow, and cast your rage upon my foe!
Unlock your powers from deep within so that together we may win!
Appear in this Shadow Game as I call your name—
THE WINGED DRAGON OF RA!"A thunderclap shattered the silence.
From the void above the arena, a colossal sphere of golden flame began to form—its surface swirling with divine energy. The ball pulsed once, twice, and then burst open, releasing a wave of heat so intense it made even Yugi and Joey flinch on the sidelines.The golden light coalesced into shape: wings unfurling like burning banners, a serpent's neck curling upward, and eyes—two blazing suns—igniting as The Winged Dragon of Ra roared into existence.Marik stood beneath the inferno, his expression a mixture of worship and madness.
His voice broke into laughter as he looked across the field at Jason."Behold, Jason! The God of the sun itself answers only to me! The true power of Ra—unstoppable, eternal!"The flames surged higher, reflecting in his eyes as he spread his arms wide. "This… is the will of the gods!"The crowd could only watch in awe and terror.Marik stood bathed in Ra's golden light, his grin widening until it was almost feral. The divine radiance washed over him like molten sunlight, casting long, trembling shadows across the arena floor."This card's Normal Summon cannot be negated!" he declared, his voice shaking—not from fear, but from the thrill of power, from the ecstasy of command. "And when it is summoned, no other card effects can be activated!"
The hieroglyphs glowing beneath his feet flared even brighter as he raised his arms toward the blazing heavens. "The moment Ra appears, the world itself bows to its flame!"The Winged Dragon of Ra let out a roar that shook the entire blimp. Its wings unfurled in a burst of light, each feather a living ember. Streams of golden energy arced from the Graveyard toward its body—three distinct trails of power, each representing the monsters offered in sacrifice.
Marik's eyes gleamed like twin shards of amber as he extended his hand. "Ra gains the combined attack of all monsters used for its Tribute Summon!" he cried, voice echoing with near-divine fervor.The holographic spirits of Revival Jam, Granadora, and Destiny HERO – Dystopia rose behind him, their energy pulled violently toward the Egyptian God. Each was consumed in turn, absorbed into Ra's radiant core."Fifteen hundred from Revival Jam!" Marik shouted, voice trembling with exhilaration. "Nineteen hundred from Granadora! And twenty-eight hundred from your own Destiny HERO – Dystopia!"The arena's monitors flashed rapidly as Ra's power surged.
1500 + 1900 + 2800 = 6200 ATK!
The divine beast's entire body blazed like a newborn star, its wings spreading wide enough to blot out the virtual horizon. The holographic field warped under the heat.Marik's hair whipped wildly in the updraft. He threw his arms wide, eyes burning with fanatic devotion. "Behold, Jason! The fire of the gods themselves! With every soul you and I have offered, Ra rises in strength! The sun itself bends before me!"
The crowd could only stare, the reflection of Ra's inferno mirrored in their widened eyes. Even Yugi felt the ancient energy pressing against his spirit—a divine wrath that transcended the game's boundaries.The air itself seemed to quake under the God's roar. The Winged Dragon of Ra loomed over the field, a living sun encased in gold. The flames around its body were not just light—they were alive, twisting and writhing like serpents, each pulse radiating unbearable heat.
Jason's white lab coat rippled in the updraft, the edges singed by the simulation's intensity. He raised an arm to shield his face from the glare, though his expression remained eerily calm. Behind his dark lenses, he observed with silent fascination—as if recording divine fury for later analysis.Marik, however, basked in it.
He stood at the epicenter of Ra's radiance, his face glowing with sweat and madness in equal measure. The light caught the sharp angles of his features, turning him into something between a priest and a man possessed."Ra!" he cried, voice cracking under the force of his passion. "The God of the Sun obeys only the will of its master!"The golden aura thickened, forming sigils of ancient hieroglyphs that spun around him in burning circles.
His hair whipped around wildly as he threw out his arm toward the blazing beast."I offer my very life to the divine one!"Jason's brow twitched slightly behind his glasses. "Foolish," he murmured under his breath, though there was a trace of fascination there too. "He's sacrificing his vitality for temporary strength…"Marik's Duel Disk emitted a high-pitched warning tone as his Life Points began to drain at a terrifying rate.
5000 → 4000 → 3000 → 2000 → 1000 → 1.The digital numbers blinked crimson on his Disk, but Marik didn't flinch. His laughter grew louder, more unhinged, carried over the roar of Ra's flames."I pay my Life Points until only one remains!"The hieroglyphs on the floor exploded upward in columns of gold. Ra's entire form expanded, the light around it burning so bright that the blimp's holographic projectors strained to maintain rendering. Sparks flew from the ceiling mounts.
The Winged Dragon of Ra – ATK: 6200 → 7500 → 8900 → 9800 → 10,500 → 11,199!
The spectators gasped. Even the Pharaoh's spirit within Yugi felt the tremor in his chest, the ancient recognition of the God he once commanded."Impossible…" Rebecca whispered, clutching Connor's sleeve tightly. "The system's reading over eleven thousand attack points! It's off the charts!"Marik turned his eyes toward Jason, pupils dilated, face alight with feverish joy. "Do you see, Jason? You thought yourself a god among men, hiding behind your logic and numbers! But numbers are mine to command now—even your precious calculations mean nothing before Ra!"Ra beat its colossal wings, and waves of superheated air rippled through the arena.
The tiles beneath Jason's feet glowed white-hot. The spectators shielded their faces as golden fire consumed the stage.Jason, however, didn't move. His coat whipped violently behind him, yet he stood perfectly still—silent, analyzing. His expression was unreadable, the lenses of his sunglasses reflecting only fire and the silhouette of the beast.
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