Chapter 1249: An Opponent Fit for a King

"Aaaaaah—!"

Jack Atlas watched helplessly as his Life Points hit zero. His ace monster—Red Dragon Archfiend—roared unwillingly under the opponent’s final attack before shattering into data fragments and vanishing into the air.

The monster that had delivered the finishing blow on the other side was also Red Dragon Archfiend, roaring with flames pouring from its mouth.

An opponent with the exact same appearance, the exact same Phoenix Whirlwind, and even the exact same Red Dragon Archfiend. It felt like dueling a mirror.

No—it was exactly like dueling his past self, the Duel King Jack Atlas who had once been worshipped by the masses and had not yet been dragged down from his pedestal.

"Impossible... I actually... lost?!"

Jack’s pupils quaked. His body and mind were both deeply shaken.

He had lost to this imposter?

His Duel Runner "Phoenix Whirlwind" shook violently. The engine emitted a shrill whine from overload. The next second, steam burst from every part of the machine, white mist instantly enveloping the entire track. Jack gripped the handles desperately, but the impact was too fierce—the vehicle lost control at high speed, the front wheel smashing into the guardrail. The entire Duel Runner flipped into the air like a kite with a broken string.

"Ugh—!"

Amid the deafening screech of twisting metal, Jack was hurled out of the cockpit by inertia. His body traced a parabola through the air and slammed heavily onto the hard surface beside the track. Armor shattered, bones cracked audibly, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. He tried to push himself up, but the intense pain instantly swallowed his consciousness. His vision was gradually consumed by darkness.

In the distance, the opponent’s Duel Runner slowly came to a stop before him. Residual heat from the engine rose into the night wind.

Jack fought to hold onto the last shred of consciousness. Covered in blood and dirt, he lay on the ground and struggled to lift his head toward the imposter ahead.

"How is this possible..."

What a joke. Jack Atlas had actually lost to his own imposter. The opponent had used the exact same Duel Runner and an identical deck during the Duel.

A 100% identical setup had still revealed a clear difference in skill. Did that not mean the opponent’s strength as a Duelist was completely superior to his own?

In his mind, the words the imposter had spoken before the Duel began echoed involuntarily.

"The current you has already lost the glory of a King! Having lost all that, you are the fake now—and I am the genuine article!"

"There is only one King—and that is me, Jack Atlas!"

"..."

Jack’s heart wavered.

Could the other guy be right?

Having lost his status as King and the pride that came with it, the current him had fallen from the undefeated legend of New Domino City into nothing more than a clown. That was why he had lost to the shadow of his past self.

The agony still raged through his body. Jack’s consciousness struggled on the edge of darkness. Blood trickled from his forehead, blurring his vision. He gritted his teeth and tried to push himself up, but the sharp pain from his broken ribs sent him crashing back to the ground.

"Is it... ending like this..."

Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a gentle white light suddenly poured down. The light wrapped around his body like warm water. The pain miraculously began to fade. Broken bones emitted faint healing sounds, torn muscles reconnected, and even the scraped skin visibly regenerated at a visible speed.

Jack whipped his head around—

A silver-haired mage spirit in white robes stood quietly behind him. She floated just an inch above the ground, her pure white robe fluttering without wind. Star-like radiance flowed through her silver hair. The crystal staff in her hand emitted a warm white light, with tiny healing runes drifting in the glow. Every beam of light that entered Jack’s body took away a portion of his pain.

Jack stared in astonishment. "You are...?"

The spirit did not answer. She simply lowered her head slightly. Her emerald eyes reflected Jack’s battered figure.

The roar of an engine tore through the night’s silence. A pitch-black Duel Runner cut into the battlefield like a ghost. Tires screeched sharply against the ground as it came to a steady stop, positioning itself between the fake Jack and the real Jack, who was just beginning to recover from his injuries.

Jack’s brow twitched. "It’s you?"

Kira held the handlebar with one hand and casually removed his helmet with the other. A faint smile played at the corner of his mouth. His gaze passed over the fake Jack’s pure white "Phoenix Whirlwind" and pierced straight toward the identical face in the cockpit.

"I heard you’re the real ’King’?" Kira’s tone was light and teasing, yet carried a razor-sharp edge. "Then I must apologize for my rudeness."

The fake Jack narrowed his eyes. A cold glint flashed in his purple pupils. He did not respond, but the white Duel Runner’s engine emitted a low, threatening growl.

Kira paid it no mind and instead smiled even more brightly. He slowly pulled a deck from his coat and casually inserted it into the Duel Runner’s Duel Disk. The deck locked into place.

"Well then, O respected King..." He tilted his head slightly, his eyes suddenly turning sharp. "Would you care to accept a challenge from an ordinary Security Director?"

The night wind suddenly intensified. Two intangible auras clashed in the air.

The fake Jack stared at him with a solemn expression. After a long moment, he suddenly sneered.

"Hmph. I didn’t expect you to show up so quickly... but why not?"

"Do you think Jack Atlas would be afraid of you?"

The real Jack, still lying on the ground, clenched his fist in anger. "You bastard..."

This guy was seriously treating himself as the real Jack Atlas?

Kira glanced at the half-dead real Jack behind him, who had been kept alive by the Silent Magician’s healing. "Your companions and the ambulance are on the way. Just wait a little longer."

With that, Kira revved his Duel Runner and pulled up alongside the fake Jack.

The fake Jack sneered. "Perfect, Fujiki Kira. I’ve been wanting to test you for a long time too."

"Turbo Duel—Acceleration!"

[Kira, LP 4000]

[Fake Jack, LP 4000]

The fake Jack seized the initiative. His Phoenix Whirlwind shot forward at full speed, cutting through the first corner with transparent air currents swirling around it.

Kira murmured leisurely, "The driving skills of people in this world are all ridiculously insane..."

In a Turbo Duel, having to race for turn priority was far too unfair. Especially since the Phoenix Whirlwind was already one of the world’s top Duel Runners. Not many machines could beat it off the line.

Kira wondered if he should start practicing his own driving skills.

"First turn goes to this Duel King! Draw!" The fake Jack declared arrogantly. "I Set one monster in Defense Position, then Set one card. Turn end!"

Kira: "Then it’s my turn. Draw."

Kira drew a card at a leisurely pace. "This deck is the perfect match for a King—especially against you."

The fake Jack laughed loudly. "Is that so? No matter what you show me, this Jack Atlas will crush it with absolute power!"

Kira: "I Normal Summon ’Unifrog’ in Attack Position!"

...