Chapter 21 : Then I Can Be at Ease

“If it happens, it happens.”

Yide, who had been observing without speaking, said indifferently.

He hadn’t expected that this young master’s duel spirit would have such similar effects to Enshir’s – both conjuring a card out of thin air.

He really hadn’t intended to target him like that.

“Since we’ve met, we can’t just hold back, can we?”

“Besides, Enshir didn’t do anything to you last time, did he? He’s still at the Duel Academy now, in broad daylight, would that young master, who holds family honor so highly, really dare to mess around?”

“Hmm…”

Sonia drooped her cowlick, still struggling with the simple moral code of a righteous card player in her heart.

But Edward had no idea what Sonia was thinking.

“Hmph, you’re not thinking of stalling by not playing cards, are you?”

Edward crossed his arms, looking disdainful: “Don’t dream about it. At this point in the duel, there’s no way I’ll allow you to surrender midway.”

“After seeing my full power, go back to your slum’s trash heap and tremble!”

Sonia: (｀д´)ゝ

This person is so annoying!

Why so much talk!

“I’ve decided, Mr. Yide! I must teach him a good lesson!”

Yide quickly interjected: “Don’t rush, first deplete his hand.”

“I know!”

Sonia puffed out her cheeks and spread her palm: “I sacrifice a card, release magic, [Thunderclap]!”

[Thunderclap ★★★ (Three Stars) E-rank]

[Fire]

“Deal four damage to your [Juvenile Dragon]!”

Since you’re so proud of your duel spirit, I’ll start by shooting down your duel spirit first!

The thunder descending from the sky struck directly onto the flying wyrm, causing it to let out a painful shriek and fall to the ground.

“At the same time, because I cast a spell card, Mana Wyrm gains one attack.”

“Mana Wyrm, go!”

Sonia extended her index finger, and the floating creature sped forward as if swimming in mid-air, coming to a sudden stop and tail whip in front of Edward, fiercely striking his life barrier.

Edward HP: 20→18

“End turn.”

After doing all this, Sonia had nothing else she could do, so she ended her turn.

However, the audience below the stage became a little restless because of the scene just now.

“The first to lose health in this duel was actually Edward?”

“That Sonia, she has the advantage in minion trades after three turns?”

Many people found it hard to believe.

With neither side playing charge minions, the first to lose health was actually Edward!

Could there really be a chance?

“Tsk, you even brought this kind of removal card?”

Edward took the damage without much fuss, then looked at Sonia’s graveyard, where the played [Thunderclap] lay.

“A three-cost removal card, I can’t believe you brought it.”

A Fire-type deck, even if it leans towards late-game power, is still an aggro deck.

Spending three mana to remove a minion is fine in decks of other elements, but in Fire-type, it’s simply unreasonable.

A somewhat dejected Edward drew a card, looked at it, then discarded one of his hand cards into the mana zone as a sacrifice, then played two cards in quick succession.

“I summon [Volcano Hatchling] and [Dragonkin Guard].”

[Volcano Hatchling ★ (One Star) E-rank]

[Fire]

[Dragon 2/1]

[Dragonkin Guard ★★ (Two Stars) E-rank]

[Fire]

[Dragon 2/2]

Looking at the small dragon and the dragonkin guard wearing simple armor that appeared on his field, Edward lowered his voice: “End turn.”

Two cards, they shouldn’t be so easy to remove, right?

At least it should waste one attack opportunity for Mana Wyrm.

Although these two cards were just filler for him to increase the density of Dragon-type minions, their strength was only that of common vanilla cards.

But if he could play [Dragon’s Breath Flame], that slight lack of strength could be immediately compensated.

It doesn’t matter, I still have the advantage!

Thinking so, Edward ended his turn.

“Mr. Yide, should I play this card?”

Sonia gently tugged at a card in her hand, and Yide shook his head: “No rush.”

“These minions can still be removed, so let’s remove another wave of his.”

“I understand!”

Sonia answered earnestly, then looked back at the field: “My turn, draw card.”

“I sacrifice a card, I cast [Troublemaker Flames], dealing a total of three damage to your two minions. This damage can be distributed as you wish.”

“I deal one damage to your [Volcano Hatchling] and two damage to [Dragonkin Guard].”

Boom boom boom!

Three fireballs precisely targeted and directly eliminated Edward’s two minions.

Edward’s face immediately turned ugly.

How did they all get removed again!

Ignoring the change in Edward’s expression, Sonia continued her operations.

“Because I played [Troublemaker Flames], Mana Wyrm’s effect activates, increasing its attack by one.”

“Next, I cast a spell, [Electric Shock], dealing two damage to you!”

[Electric Shock ★ (One Star) E-rank]

[Fire]

A small ball of lightning poured towards Edward, striking his life barrier and leaving some scorch marks.

Edward HP: 18→16

“Because a spell was cast, my Mana Wyrm’s attack increases by one again!”

Sonia spread her palm: “Now’s the time, attack, Mana Wyrm!”

Roar!

The Mana Wyrm, now grown to 4/3, spun around, whipping its thick tail against Edward’s life barrier.

Edward HP: 16→12

“Ugh!”

The sudden, continuous impacts made Edward lose his footing, stumbling backward until he reached the edge of the duel stage.

The onlookers, witnessing this, couldn’t sit still anymore.

“Edward can’t even establish a board now.”

“Sonia Seth can’t really win, can she? No way, right?”

Tivia, watching Edward being forced back, was already fired up.

“Go, Sonia!”

“Everyone shut up!”

Edward was already surprised and furious at being pushed back by Sonia’s minion.

Now, hearing such discussions behind him, his rage was practically igniting his chest.

He looked at Sonia, all reason gone from his eyes.

“Don’t think this will force me to surrender!”

“A thousand years too early for a bottom-feeder like you to defeat me!”

“Draw card!”

With endless fury and determination, Edward fiercely drew a card.

Then, he burst into maniacal laughter.

“Hah, ha ha ha ha ha!”

“Indeed, the Goddess of Fortune would never allow a genius like me to lose to a bottom-feeder like you!”

“I sacrifice a card, increasing my mana cap to five.”

“Next, I summon Volcano Dragonmother!”

Edward flung out the card he drew.

[Volcano Dragonmother ★★★★ (Four Stars) C-rank]

[Fire]

[Dragon 4/3]

The red giant dragon, dormant in the volcano, awakened and arrived on the battlefield from afar.

It looked no different from Edward’s other minions.

But the audience below was already in an uproar.

“A C-rank card!”

“How is that possible? Isn’t Edward Faulkner only E-rank?”

“I get it! It’s the original card of a tradable card! He directly put the original card into his deck!”

A voice directly revealed the truth.

Duelists can only refine cards up to one level higher than their own.

Therefore, a duelist’s deck can at most only contain cards one level higher than themselves.

This seemed like an easily deducible conclusion.

However, there was an exception: the original card of a tradable card.

Tivia clenched her fists: “This guy actually brought a tradable card beyond his refining level limit!”

“The academy’s practical combat test clearly prohibits such a practice!”

All students able to study at the Duel Academy came from noble families; almost every student could get C-rank or even B-rank tradable cards from home if they wished.

Even if there was only one original tradable card, the increase in strength was substantial.

But if victory relied solely on the strength of tradable cards, then the practical combat test would be meaningless.

Therefore, during practical combat tests, both parties were explicitly forbidden from carrying cards exceeding their refining level.

But Edward crossed his arms, unfazed.

“This commoner is no longer an academy student, so the practical combat test rules don’t apply.”

“To blame, blame this woman for being too stupid, for forgetting to state it beforehand!”

“I cast Blazing Power, giving Volcano Dragonmother an additional +1/+2!”

Watching the red giant dragon’s stats further increase, sighs once again arose from the audience below.

“It’s 5/5 now.”

“Sonia only has two cards left in hand, she can’t remove it, can she?”

“She can remove it; if she still has a magic card, she can make the Mana Wyrm 5/3 for a mutual destruction.”

“The question is, would a C-rank card be as simple as it looks on the surface?”

Of course, it wouldn’t be that simple.

Edward sneered inwardly.

Volcano Dragonmother’s death effect would also summon two 2/1 hatchlings.

If this woman chose to ignore Volcano Dragonmother and go for face, then next turn he could directly use Dragon’s Breath Flame to clear the Mana Wyrm.

And if this woman really tried for a mutual destruction, then he could even save Dragon’s Breath Flame!

At that point, with two hatchlings continuously attacking on the field, and Dragon’s Breath Flame in hand to suppress the opponent’s board, he didn’t know how he could lose!

Looking at Sonia, who had drawn a card but was now hesitating, Edward’s grin was uncontrollable.

Come on, commoner, choose!

No matter what you choose, you can’t escape defeat!

“—Um, can I confirm something?”

Suddenly, Sonia raised her hand as if asking a question in class.

“You only have one card left in your hand, right?”

Edward frowned.

Why was this woman asking that?

Hmph, does she think that since I only have Dragon’s Breath Flame, she can rest easy after removing Volcano Dragonmother?

Foolish, I’ll let you die knowing.

Thinking this, Edward generously showed the back of his hand card.

“Yes, I only have one card in my hand, and you know what it is: Dragon’s Breath Flame.”

“Is that so? Then I’m relieved.”

Sonia patted her chest, looking as if a weight had been lifted.

Then, as if with zero-frame execution, she pulled out a card.

“Then I can play this card with peace of mind.”

“I skip the sacrifice phase, and cast a spell, New Destiny!”

[New Destiny ★★★ (Three Stars) D-rank]

[Fire]

“Both duelists return all cards from their hands to their decks, shuffle, then draw cards equal to the number returned. After that, I draw one additional card!”

Edward’s smile vanished instantly.