Chapter 1 : This Is Where We End

“It’s over, Yide.”

“If fate allows… no, it’s better if we never meet again.”

On the outskirts of the capital, inside a moving carriage.

Yide looked at the girl in a black dress sitting before him, her delicate features striking, yet his heart remained calm.

Loveland Sissel, the second princess of the Sissel Kingdom.

Yide’s host.

Once, Yide’s closest friend in this world.

Once.

“Give me a reason.”

“A reason?”

Loveland furrowed her brow.

“Have you forgotten how badly I lost a few days ago?”

“Just because of that?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

Loveland slammed her hand on the carriage seat.

“That woman, Kaelra, is one step closer to S-rank!”

“She summoned her Duel Spirit when she was still E-rank!”

“If I hadn’t summoned you back then, I would already be a duelist with a Duel Spirit of my own!”

Loveland grabbed the inverted triangle pendant hanging from her chest, staring at Yide, who resided within it, and sneered, “A so-called ‘spirit guide’? In the end, you’re just an ordinary soul, not even half as good as a real Duel Spirit.”

Indeed.

Yide was not a living person.

He was a transmigrator from another world, summoned by Loveland as her spirit guide.

Three years ago, he arrived in this world where everything was decided by card games.

Duelists were the most respected profession here, wielding the ability to create and command cards in duels. From small-scale matches to the struggle for the throne or conflicts between great nations, everything was settled through card duels.

In his previous life, Yide had been an elite card player.

While completing his studies, he dominated various card games, winning national and even world championships in games like Magic: The Gathering, Hearthstone, Shadowverse, and Yu-Gi-Oh!.

But he never expected that the day after winning a national tournament, his luck would run dry. As he stepped out of the card shop, he was tragically hit by a truck and transmigrated to this world.

Of course, coming to this world wasn’t entirely unlucky.

His free time had always been consumed by card games, and later, preparing for tournaments left him with little time for anything else.

He had already claimed nearly every accolade available in his old world.

No matter how he looked at it, arriving in this world should have been like a fish returning to the sea, even if the card game rules here didn’t perfectly align with those of his previous life.

Unfortunately, though he came to this world, he didn’t reincarnate. Instead, he became someone else’s spirit guide.

And unfortunately, his relationship with his host wasn’t as harmonious as the bonds in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime.

“Are you even listening to me?”

“I’m listening.”

The carriage moved slowly through the forest.

An angry voice rang in Yide’s ears again.

Hearing Yide abandon his usual curt, infuriating responses, Loveland calmed slightly.

“Yes, you helped me before, but now, you can’t keep up with me.”

“That crushing defeat a few days ago is proof.”

“Is that so?”

Yide smiled faintly, saying nothing more.

As a spirit guide, he had some unique abilities.

Anyone who touched the pendant he resided in—host or not—could communicate with him telepathically. He could even temporarily possess someone’s body, controlling it if needed.

When facing tough opponents, Yide would usually take over Loveland’s body to duel in her place.

But in that duel a few days ago, he remembered clearly: Loveland not only refused his possession but also ignored his advice.

He had warned her that the opponent’s feigned weakness was a trap and that she shouldn’t play her trump card on the fourth turn. Yet Loveland succumbed to temptation and played it, only to be outmaneuvered.

“And that duel against Kaelra a month ago? You were completely useless!”

At this, Yide couldn’t help but want to laugh.

Kaelra was a duelist who commanded fire and nature elements.

Duelists who command fire elements follow their instincts, living in the moment, while nature, under fire’s influence, leans toward its wilder side.

Thus, any duelist with a bit of experience knows that a fire-and-nature combination typically forms an aggressive rush-down deck. The correct strategy is to stall, wait for the opponent’s momentum to wane, and then counterattack.

And what did Loveland choose?

She chose to go toe-to-toe with Kaelra.

That duel was fought as if whoever cleared the field first was a coward, each side more ferocious than the other.

But Loveland’s deck wasn’t built for rushing.

Yide still couldn’t believe that an A-rank duelist would make such a rookie mistake.

Yet he had no choice but to believe it.

Because.

“I lost both of those duels.”

Loveland stared coldly at the pendant.

“And the only reason I lost is because they had Duel Spirits, and I don’t.”

Hearing her explanation, Yide shook his head within the mental space of the pendant.

If it had been an unwinnable match, he wouldn’t have said a word.

But Loveland could have won—she threw it away with reckless decisions.

And it wasn’t just Yide being a backseat strategist; he had noticed her misplays during the duel itself.

“So, you’re just going to ditch me?”

“Exactly.”

Loveland narrowed her eyes.

“I’ve already found a way to summon a new Duel Spirit. With this ritual, my A-rank strength guarantees success.”

“The only thing standing in my way now is you.”

“Only by breaking our contract can I summon a new Duel Spirit.”

“Are Duel Spirits really that important?”

Yide couldn’t help but ask.

“Are you joking?”

Loveland shot back coldly.

Neither of them was new to dueling; they both knew how much a Duel Spirit could help a duelist.

A card hosting a Duel Spirit could be drawn at will, whenever the duelist desired.

In other words, a duelist with a Duel Spirit started every match with the power to pull off a god-draw.

And that wasn’t all.

Outside of duels, duelists needed to craft cards to strengthen their decks.

Those with Duel Spirits could craft not only standard cards but also unique derivative cards exclusive to their spirit.

While other duelists struggled to find their path forward, those with Duel Spirits could methodically craft derivative cards to reach B-rank or even A-rank.

Both of them knew this.

Yet Yide looked at Loveland with disappointment.

“Duel Spirits are powerful, sure, but their advantages can be overcome.”

“I thought you’d already realized that.”

Loveland’s expression darkened.

“There’s never been an S-rank duelist in history who didn’t summon a Duel Spirit.”

Yide shook his head.

“Miracles in duels are created by the duelist’s own hands.”

“But there’s no point saying this to you anymore.”

“All you can think about is Duel Spirits, isn’t it?”

Seeing the coldness in Loveland’s eyes, Yide fell silent.

For the first time, he saw her emotions so clearly through her gaze.

It was anger at a servant’s incompetence.

It was frustration at a faulty tool.

But not a trace of the camaraderie that should exist between partners.

No guilt, no concern, not even sympathy…

Nothing.

Had he been bound all this time by such an ugly gaze?

“How… pathetic.”

Loveland’s eyes widened.

“You…”

Looking at his former friend, Yide’s tone turned icy.

“I gave you the best moments of my life.”

“And you’ve shown me your ugliest side.”

“I’m ashamed that our relationship has come to this…”

“Enough!”

Loveland furiously cut him off, her once-delicate face now twisted with rage.

“Who do you think you are?”

“You’re nothing but a burden I’m about to cast aside!”

“Do I have to spell it out for you?”

“I’ve already learned all your tricks, all your knowledge!”

“You’re useless—get lost, along with that millennium puzzle you’re stuck in!”

As the carriage crossed a bridge, Loveland impatiently hurled the pendant into the river below.

Yet Yide’s final expression—calm, yet tinged with mockery—lingered in her mind.

“You’re right. This is the end for us.”