Deep within the Labyrinth, in the war room carved from ancient stone and layered with countless spells, silence reigned.
Atem stood at the head of the table, arms crossed, his crimson eyes fixed on the hovering projection. The image showed everything—Velgrynd's fury, Rudra's arrogance, Velzard's failed warning, and finally their decision to advance on Eterna.
No one spoke at first.
Then Benimaru exhaled slowly.
"…It seems Velzard couldn't convince them."
Diablo's lips curved into a sharp, amused smile, his golden eyes glinting with something dark.
"Such fools," he said calmly. "They mistook mercy for weakness. Our lord extended his hand… and they chose to spit on it."
His smile widened, cold and elegant.
"They will pay for that misunderstanding."
At that moment, space rippled.
Velzard appeared inside the war room, her expression grave, traces of fatigue lingering in her eyes. The room stiffened instantly. Several presences flared in response, but Atem raised a hand, silencing them without a word.
He looked at Velzard.
She met his gaze and shook her head.
"I tried," she said quietly. "My sister is stubborn. Rudra is the same."
Atem said nothing.
He turned away from the table and stood.
"Keep monitoring every movement," he said, his voice calm, firm, absolute. "I will take care of this."
No anger.
No hesitation.
Just certainty.
Before anyone could respond, Atem vanished.
Not with a flash.
Not with sound.
He simply ceased to be there.
Velgrynd and Rudra were mid-flight when the air stopped.
The world didn't shake.
It paused.
Then—
A presence appeared not far ahead of them.
A lone figure, standing calmly in midair, arms relaxed at his sides, cloak barely stirring despite the violent currents around him.
"…What?" Velgrynd muttered, eyes widening.
Rudra's expression darkened. "He came alone?"
Atem looked at them, his gaze steady and unreadable.
"I see," he said evenly, his voice carrying authority that pressed down on reality itself. "You refused my mercy."
The space around them grew heavy.
"You chose to continue this foolish war," Atem continued, "and to attack my country."
He raised his hand.
"But today," he said, "I will show you what true power is."
The world shattered—without breaking.
A massive barrier unfolded in an instant, forming faster than thought. It wrapped around Atem, Velgrynd, and Rudra, swallowing them whole.
Yet Eterna remained untouched.
Buildings stood intact. The sky remained whole.
They were still there—
And yet, not.
They now stood inside a special dimension, layered atop reality itself, sealed perfectly so that not even a ripple of destruction could escape.
Velgrynd stared around them in disbelief.
"This… this space—"
Rudra's eyes narrowed sharply. "He isolated us… without severing the world?"
Atem lowered his hand.
"Velgrynd," he said, turning his gaze to her. "You are a True Dragon. You believe yourself to be the strongest."
His eyes burned.
"Then let me show you beings that stand above you."
The air changed.
"The real dragons," Atem said.
He lifted his hand higher.
"The Egyptian Gods."
Far below, deep in the Labyrinth, alarms screamed—not mechanical, but magical.
Mana surged wildly, overflowing every measurement.
"What is happening?!" Shuna cried.
Souei's eyes widened. "This pressure… it's not hostile—but it's overwhelming."
Shion swallowed hard. "I can't breathe…"
Gobta clutched his head. "B-boss… what did Lord Atem just do?!"
Even Geld fell to one knee.
Zegion stood perfectly still, his carapace humming violently.
"…This power," he murmured. "It is not of this world."
Apito trembled, wings buzzing uncontrollably. "It feels like… like the sky itself is screaming."
Adalmann's hollow eyes glowed faintly. "Gods… these are gods."
Hakuro gripped his sword, knuckles white. "To think… such a summit exists beyond dragons."
Veldora suddenly burst into laughter, eyes shining with manic excitement.
"Hahahaha! He did it! He really did it!"
Everyone turned toward him.
"He called them," Veldora said, almost vibrating. "The Three Egyptian Gods!"
Diablo's smile vanished.
"…Egyptian gods?" Testarossa repeated slowly.
Ultima frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Carrera crossed her arms uneasily. "Since when do gods answer to anyone?"
Velzard stared at the projection, her breath caught in her throat.
"…No," she whispered.
Ramiris floated backward, pale.
"Oh no. Oh no no no no," she muttered. "Last time… last time they weren't this strong…"
The Primordial demons felt it too.
For the first time in their existence—
Fear.
Back inside the sealed dimension, the world roared.
The ground trembled violently. The sky cracked like glass, tearing open in jagged seams of light. Wind screamed, sunfire distorted, shadows twisted unnaturally.
Atem's voice rang out, clear and commanding.
"O Dragon of the Heavens," he intoned, his words carrying divine weight,
"Born from thunder, crowned by the sky—
Hear your king's call."
Lightning exploded across the torn heavens.
"Descend, Slifer the Sky Dragon!"
A colossal serpentine form emerged from the storm, red scales gleaming like molten blood, thunder rolling with every movement. Its roar shattered the sky itself.
Velgrynd staggered back.
"…What… is that?"
Atem raised his other hand.
"O Titan of absolute might," he declared,
"Embodiment of domination and destruction—
Answer me."
The ground split open.
"Rise, Obelisk the Tormentor!"
A towering blue god clawed his way into existence, muscles like living mountains, eyes burning with merciless authority. The space trembled just from his presence.
Rudra's smile vanished completely.
"…Impossible."
Finally, Atem closed his eyes.
The light dimmed.
The heat intensified.
"O Sun that devours all," he whispered, voice reverent yet commanding,
"Source of creation and annihilation—
Reveal your true form."
A golden blaze erupted.
"Awaken, the Winged Dragon of Ra!"
The sun itself seemed to bow.
Golden wings unfolded, radiating unbearable heat, reality bending around its divine core. Existence screamed as Ra emerged, blazing brighter than stars.
Velgrynd's knees buckled.
Rudra felt it.
For the first time—
True dread.
Back in the Labyrinth, silence fell.
Even Diablo was motionless.
"…To command gods," he said softly, "with such ease…"
Ultima swallowed. "Even we… are insignificant before that."
Testarossa closed her eyes. "This is not a king."
Carrera whispered, shaken, "This is judgment."
Veldora laughed weakly. "Yeah… I fought them once."
Everyone stared at him.
"…Once," he repeated. "And I barely survived."
Velzard trembled.
"I knew he was strong," she whispered. "But this…"
Ramiris hugged herself.
"We're all going to die…"
The projection showed Atem standing calmly beneath three divine gods, his cloak unmoving, his presence unshaken.
He looked at Velgrynd and Rudra.
And spoke.
"This," he said, "is the difference between rulers… and gods."
The game was over.
Inside the sealed dimension layered over Eterna, the air locked.
Not froze.
Not hardened.
Locked—like reality itself had acknowledged a superior rule set.
Rudra tried to move.
Nothing happened.
His fingers would not twitch. His mana would not circulate. Even the act of breathing felt delayed, as though the world needed permission to allow it.
"…This pressure—!" Rudra growled, forcing power through his body. "This isn't domination!"
Atem stood before him, calm, distant, absolute.
"This is Pharaoh Authority," Atem said evenly. "You are not being controlled. You are being judged."
Rudra's knees trembled.
Velgrynd felt it instantly.
The moment she sensed Rudra being pinned by an invisible, absolute law, rage erupted inside her like a supernova.
"You DARE—!" she screamed, her aura exploding outward in a crimson shockwave. "If you won't fight me yourself, then I'll tear your so-called gods apart!"
Her body ignited.
Space cracked open as Velgrynd abandoned her human form. Bone reshaped. Flesh tore and reforged. Mana screamed as scales like molten crimson steel burst outward. Wings vast enough to blot out the sky unfolded with a thunderous detonation.
Her roar shook the entire dimension.
"I AM A TRUE DRAGON!"
"I AM DESTRUCTION AND REBIRTH!"
The projection flared violently.
Benimaru slammed his palm onto the table.
"…She transformed. Full True Dragon."
Ramiris shrieked, spinning in place.
"BAD! THIS IS BAD! THIS IS WORSE THAN BAD! This is end-of-the-world bad!"
Velzard stared at the image, eyes wide, voice shaking.
"…She still doesn't understand. Even now… she thinks this is a battle she can win."
Veldora leaned forward, grinning wildly.
"HAHAHA! YES! THERE IT IS! She went all in! This is turning into a full-blown anime finale!"
Diablo's smile was sharp, predatory.
"Indeed. But she has already lost the moment she mistook gods for opponents instead of rules."
Testarossa narrowed her eyes.
"They're not reacting emotionally at all."
Ultima whispered, unsettled.
"…They're waiting. Like it's not their turn yet."
Carrera crossed her arms.
"Like monsters already summoned onto the field."
Geld dropped to one knee, gasping.
"I can barely breathe… even through the projection…"
Gobta shouted in panic.
"Boss! Lord Atem hasn't even MOVED!"
Hakuro replied calmly.
"He doesn't need to. This duel was decided the moment it started."
Shion clenched her fists, shaking.
"This power… it's terrifying…"
Shuna whispered, awed and afraid.
"Lord Atem… is this really your true strength…?"
Souei's eyes narrowed.
"The gods aren't waiting for commands."
Zegion spoke slowly.
"They are waiting for turn declaration."
Apito's wings buzzed wildly.
"The air feels like it's screaming…!"
Adalmann's hollow voice echoed.
"This is not war. This is ritual combat."
Atem lifted his hand.
Not high.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
"Attack."
The sky answered.
Slifer the Sky Dragon surged forward, his massive coils ripping through the heavens like living lightning. Thunder crashed in perfect rhythm, each strike landing as if calculated.
Lightning didn't fall randomly.
It stacked.
One bolt.
Then another.
Then another.
Each strike amplified the last.
Velgrynd laughed and launched herself upward, tearing into the storm.
"You think lightning scares me?!"
She slammed into Slifer's coils, claws ripping divine scales apart. Dragonfire erupted, scorching the sky. Divine blood spilled like molten light.
For a brief instant—
She pushed him back.
Veldora shouted excitedly from the Labyrinth.
"OH! DIRECT ATTACK! SHE LANDED A HIT!"
Diablo chuckled darkly.
Slifer triggered his passive effect...
Slifer's eyes burned brighter.
The storm escalated.
Lightning doubled.
Then tripled.
Then multiplied beyond reason.
Velgrynd screamed as thunder speared through her wings, pinning her midair.
Ultima whispered, horrified.
"…His power is increasing in response to her presence."
Carrera clenched her teeth.
"That's not an attack—it's a continuous effect."
The ground shook.
Obelisk the Tormentor moved.
Not fast.
Not slow.
Inevitable.
Each step shattered the ground like a card slammed onto a duel disk. Space hardened around Velgrynd, forcing her downward.
Benimaru whispered, stunned.
"…He's forcing positional control."
Obelisk raised both arms.
When they came down, it wasn't a strike.
It was a declaration.
Velgrynd was smashed into the ground, the impact folding the dimension inward.
She tried to rise—
Obelisk struck again.
And again.
Each blow ignored defense. Ignored regeneration. Ignored resistance.
Pure attack value.
Ultima gasped.
"…He's bypassing durability."
Testarossa murmured.
"No damage calculation. Just resolution."
Veldora laughed nervously.
"Yup. That's Obelisk. Once he starts swinging, you're already in the graveyard."
Velgrynd roared, blood pouring from cracked scales.
"I… WILL NOT—!"
The light changed.
The sky turned gold.
Ra descended.
Heat bent space. Mana evaporated. The sun itself felt small.
Velgrynd screamed.
"…No—what is this?! My energy—!"
Ra was not attacking.
He was charging.
Every wound Velgrynd had taken.
Every ounce of pain.
Every fragment of power stripped from her.
All of it flowed upward.
Atem spoke calmly.
"Your strength feeds him."
Ramiris screamed.
"THAT'S NOT FAIR! THAT'S CHEATING!"
Diablo replied softly.
"No. That is the rule."
Ra spread his wings.
The light became unbearable.
Then—
Ra attacked.
A single beam of solar judgment erupted, swallowing Velgrynd whole.
Not fire.
Not heat.
Finality.
"I CAN'T—HEAL—!" Velgrynd screamed as her regeneration collapsed.
Slifer's coils tightened, lightning binding her wings.
Obelisk seized her broken body and held her in place.
Ra's light intensified, compressing, refining, erasing.
Rudra could only watch.
Frozen.
"…This isn't a battle," he whispered. "It's a verdict."
Velgrynd hung broken between the gods, her massive form trembling, pride shattered.
Back in the Labyrinth—
Velzard collapsed to her knees.
"I warned you…"
Ramiris sobbed.
"MAKE IT STOP!"
Hakuro spoke quietly.
"This is judgment."
Atem lowered his hand slightly.
"You believed immortality meant supremacy," he said calmly.
"You believed rebirth meant victory."
His eyes hardened.
"But power is not survival."
The gods paused.
"It is authority."
Rudra felt it then.
Not fear of death.
Fear of finality.
The Pharaoh stood unmoving beneath the gods.
The duel—without cards, without chance—was over.
The King had played his turn.
And there was no counter.