Chapter 1040: Chapter 1040: Gave It All, But Still Lost to the Wicked God
A divine blow!
The Wicked Avatar, now angelic in form but still shrouded in black mist, wielded a colossal hammer that seemed to blot out the sky.
With a single strike, it unleashed pure wicked god energy. The black hammer fell in the sealed arena, as if the world itself screamed.
All sound vanished, as if the endless darkness devoured everything, leaving only suffocating silence. Then the light disappeared too, the blood-red sky stained with ink.
A crisp shattering sound—virtual space collapsing, like a mirror shattering, each shard reflecting a world’s destruction, refracting its final light.
Paradox could no longer feel his body. He was lifted into the air, weightless. At first, there was agony, as if countless blades in the darkness shredded him, but only for a moment. Soon even pain faded, as if his body no longer belonged to him.
Darkness surged in, erasing the duel arena, sky, and earth, as if the world itself had been wiped away. Virtual data struggled in the darkness, and through each fading fragment, he seemed to see burning worlds.
Ruins—civilization’s end. He and his last companions standing upon the remains, swearing to save everything, to turn the tide.
Yes, he had sworn to reverse the future, even at the cost of the world’s sins. Yet in the end, he still failed.
Duelists often believe in the power of will, of conviction, that these things can become strength and make you feel invincible.
But that’s just an illusion.
Belief can ignite your strength, but there’s always a limit. Not everyone is a protagonist. Sometimes, the gap in power is an unbridgeable chasm—sometimes, strength is simply despair.
Just like now.
As he collapsed, Paradox struggled to raise his head, looking at the Wicked God, now reverted from angel to black sun, that terrifying, towering presence... and at the man wielding it. For a moment, the two seemed to become one—so evil, so powerful, so terrifying. That image overlapped with his memories of the apocalypse, as if it was this Wicked God that destroyed the future.
Even the research team on Kira’s side, his own allies, fell silent.
"Wicked God..."
Someone licked their lips, their throat dry.
The last time Kira fought the Three Wicked Gods, it was in the spirit world, sealed away. Only a handful of people and spirits witnessed it.
So even Mokuba and the Kaiba Corp staff were seeing a Wicked God’s descent for the first time. Even through screens, the sight of that colossal form made everyone feel cold, as if their souls were gripped.
The power of gods truly defies reason. Back in the original Duelist Kingdom, when Yugi wielded Slifer the Sky Dragon and Kaiba summoned Obelisk, their clash in the Sky Arena was broadcast live across the city.
But the clash of gods was too intense—the terrifying power shorted out the live broadcast screens and TVs. Only later, when Kaiba Corp released the recorded discs, did people see the whole duel.
The power of gods cannot be measured by common sense. Ordinary people might suffer ill effects just from seeing their forms—even simple abstract sketches on ancient Egyptian tablets can instill dread.
And that’s just the Egyptian Gods. As terrifying as their power is, unless provoked, they don’t harm ordinary people. In contrast, the Wicked Gods are even more violent, their power utterly unrestrained, their influence far more severe.
"Kira can even control the Wicked Gods..." Mokuba muttered.
Of everyone, Mokuba had the deepest impression of the Wicked Gods. He remembered when Yako used the Wicked Gods to take over Kaiba Corp, locking both him and his brother out. His brother later challenged the Wicked Gods and suffered one of his most crushing defeats.
And now, Kira had truly subdued them...
Mokuba couldn’t help but sigh, "This guy just keeps getting stronger."
Was Paradox weak?
Mokuba hadn’t seen the movie and didn’t know Paradox was called "the bravest villain in history." He didn’t recognize him, but Paradox’s performance was impressive.
He casually summoned 4000-5000 ATK monsters, used legendary spirits from every era—even Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Such a deck was already beyond imagination for this era.
To have assembled the power of so many legendary spirits—his performance was at least not bad in Mokuba’s eyes.
Even after being suppressed and restricted, even in desperate straits, Paradox never gave up hope, tenaciously seeking a way to fight back...
This guy was strong.
As a duelist, as a deck-builder, as a spirit tamer, even his faith and will were strong.
But it didn’t seem to matter.
At least, what Mokuba saw in this duel was a duelist’s struggle—a warrior giving his all, burning every ounce of faith...
Yet still losing to the evil Wicked God.
Sometimes, the world really is that cruel. Reality doesn’t change for your will. If you can’t win, you can’t win. Sometimes, the light is destined to be swallowed by darkness.
This was a Shadow Duel, and he was hit by the Wicked Avatar with over 10,000 ATK. Even if he had LP left, that blow should have pixelated anyone.
But after the darkness, Paradox felt his body gradually regaining sensation. Every cell hurt, but his mind cleared.
He was still alive?
Realizing this, he steadied his breathing, sat up, and looked at Kira with a wary and confused expression.
"Why?"
Kira tilted his head. "What?"
"...You held back," Paradox said in a low voice. "Why?"
"Why not?" Kira replied matter-of-factly.
"Or rather, why would I kill you? Do we have a grudge?"
Paradox: "..."
...
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