Chapter 22 : I Will Defeat Your Strongest!

“What did this woman just say?”

“Hand… back to the deck?!”

Edward’s pupils trembled violently as if experiencing an earthquake.

On the other side, Sonia still wore a sunny smile, extending her hand in a friendly gesture.

“Come on, shuffle it, Edward.”

“You shuffle it back and draw one card, I’ll shuffle it back and draw three cards.”

“Don’t draw too many, okay?”

I don’t want to draw, and I definitely don’t want to shuffle!

Hearing that last “friendly” reminder, Edward was so angry he nearly flipped the duel stage.

No, how can there be such a disgusting effect!

On the other side, Yide, in his soul form, also felt a chill seeing the brilliant smile on Sonia’s face.

She was smiling even more brightly than him.

Naturally, those who appear wholesome on the outside are truly dark within.

The effect of [A Brand New Destiny] activated, and both players’ hands were shuffled back into their decks and re-shuffled.

After shuffling his hand back, Edward still had thirty cards in his deck.

With a one-in-thirty chance, he no longer held out hope.

But upon seeing a one-star minion drawn, his eyes immediately went black.

Even if he didn’t have hope, it shouldn’t be the worst possible outcome!

Give me back my [Dragon’s Breath Flame]!

“Because I used a magic card, [Mana Wyrm]’s stats are now 5/3.”

Compared to Edward’s despair, Sonia was in a very good mood at this moment.

She didn’t know why, but after seeing Edward’s [Dragon’s Breath Flame] shuffled back into his deck, she suddenly felt happy.

However, she quickly shook her head.

No, no, why would she feel happy?

She wasn’t some great villain, after all (^(エ)^).

“[Mana Wyrm], attack.”

Edward’s Life Points: 12 → 7

“Hmph…”

Edward grunted again.

But this time, the grunt wasn’t because he looked down on Sonia.

A thick tail whipped against Edward’s life barrier, causing his body to shake even more violently.

And seeing his life points drop to single digits in one go, Edward began to panic even more.

Me, lose?

Lose to this commoner?

Lose to this underachiever kicked out of the Duel Academy?

What a joke!

Edward sharply pushed back, stopping his retreating steps.

Then, he extended his right hand towards his deck.

“My turn, draw card!”

With a roar, Edward drew a card.

Edward Faulkner is really holding up under pressure.

Watching this scene, the teacher serving as a judge beside them couldn’t help but shake his head.

Although he couldn’t speak, he wasn’t a machine, and he had his own judgment of this duel.

Sonia’s move was indeed difficult, something even he hadn’t anticipated.

But even after playing [A Brand New Destiny], Edward still had the advantage.

That [Volcanic Dragon Mother]’s base stats weren’t good enough; it definitely had some special effect.

Considering how eager Edward was to play [Dragon’s Breath Flame] just now, the card’s effect was very likely to be spawning offspring upon death.

This meant that even after [Volcanic Dragon Mother] and [Mana Wyrm] destroyed each other, Edward would still maintain the advantage on the field.

As long as he kept his composure, didn’t make reckless moves, and simply completed minion trades, he would still win.

It’s just a pity for this girl.

The teacher’s gaze turned to Sonia, showing regret.

It had to be said that this girl had given everyone too many surprises in this duel.

Not only had her deck undergone a transformation, allowing her to go back and forth with a top student like Edward.

She even came up with her own solution to Edward’s duel spirit’s effect.

It’s just a shame that duels only recognize the winner.

Even if Edward used a C-rank card, which was suspicious of cheating, as long as it wasn’t stated beforehand, he couldn’t be ruled in violation for that.

Therefore, even though Sonia Seth’s life points were still full.

This duel was already over.

Edward: “I summon [Dragonman Warlord], and at the same time, I summon a second [Volcanic Dragon Whelp]!”

[Dragonman Warlord ★★★ (Three Stars) Rank D]

[Fire]

[Dragon 3/3]

A long-spear-wielding dragonman and a not-yet-fully-grown dragon whelp entered the battlefield together.

Edward stretched out his hand: “[Dragonman Warlord]’s effect: as long as he is on the field, other Dragon-type minions on my field gain +1 attack!”

“All the minions on my field are Dragon-type, so all minions’ attack power increases!”

The Dragonman Warlord roared to the sky, and all the Dragon-type minions, as if encouraged, glowed red.

After doing all this, Edward looked at the [Mana Wyrm] on the opposite field, revealing a sinister smile.

“[Volcanic Dragon Mother], attack! Destroy that dragon!”

“Victory is still in my hands!”

Roar!

The Dragon Mother, lying on the field, flapped her wings and flew into the air, continuously spewing scorching breath onto the ground like a bomber.

The next moment, the breath was about to engulf [Mana Wyrm], burning it to ashes.

Everyone also thought the plot would unfold this way.

But just then.

“—Edward is really confident in his own strength.”

“You’re right, after all, you’ve always been one of the top students in our grade.”

Hearing the girl’s voice, everyone looked to the other side of the duel stage.

Edward looked over and saw Sonia with her hands behind her back, leisurely as if she hadn’t noticed the impending crisis.

After hearing the girl’s words, he frowned instantly.

Was this… sarcasm?

But it didn’t quite sound like it?

The girl didn’t pay attention to Edward’s reaction, talking to herself, as if complimenting her opponent, or perhaps just speaking her thoughts aloud.

“I used to envy your confidence because every time I stepped onto the stage, my legs would turn to jelly, and it was hard to even play cards.”

“It wasn’t until today, standing on this stage as your opponent, that I realized I no longer need to envy.”

As Sonia spoke, she lowered her head and looked at herself.

The reason she suddenly said this was because she had a strange feeling from the very beginning of the duel.

No shaky hands.

No weak knees.

No dizziness.

Yet, these were all reactions she used to have every time she dueled on stage.

But now, Sonia felt incredibly good.

So good that she even wondered if it was just her imagination.

And now, as the duel was nearing its end, she was even more certain that her feeling was not wrong.

It had only been a few days since Mr. arrived.

But something had already changed.

“Sonia Seth, what exactly are you trying to say?”

Stuck at a crucial point, Edward was a bit annoyed.

Sonia took a deep breath: “What I want to say is that I have mastered the formula for victory.”

“And now, is the moment of truth!”

At this point, the girl no longer hid the surging emotions in her heart.

She took a step forward, looking directly at her opponent.

All her former timidity, fear, and hesitation vanished, replaced only by a burning passion for dueling in her chest.

The next moment, the girl poured out her passion without reservation.

“Edward Faulkner, I will defeat your ‘strongest’ with my ‘weakest’!”

Everyone was struck by the girl’s aura.

Even Tivia was a little stunned.

Little Sonia, she could say something so cool!

Edward laughed in anger: “You really dare to say that, Sonia Seth.”

“But what can you even do?!”

“If the duel hadn’t paused at this step, your [Mana Wyrm] would already be dead!”

Yide, in his soul state, smiled and shook his head: “It seems he still doesn’t understand why the duel paused at this step.”

“Then give him the final blow, make it something he’ll never forget, Sonia.”

Sonia drew a card from her hand: “At the moment of your attack, I cast a spell, [Counterstrike]!”

“Playing a card on my turn?”

Edward’s smile suddenly froze.

[Counterstrike ★ (One Star) Rank D]

[Fire]

“[Counterstrike]’s effect: It can only be used when my minion is attacked, dealing damage equal to the attacked minion’s attack power to the attacking enemy minion!”

“After playing this card, my [Mana Wyrm]’s attack power is six, so your [Volcanic Dragon Mother] directly takes six damage!”

Bang!

Under the effect of [Counterstrike], a phantom Mana Wyrm appeared, lashing its giant tail at the [Volcanic Dragon Mother] first, causing the latter to shriek.

“H-how is this possible?”

Edward’s eyes were splitting with rage.

But what was even harder for him to believe was yet to come.

“The duel is over, Edward Faulkner!”

Since there was nothing more Edward could do, it directly became Sonia’s turn.

Sonia drew a card, then played it directly: “I cast a spell, [Temporary Armament], granting [Mana Wyrm] +3/+1 for this turn.”

“Before that, [Mana Wyrm] gains one more attack point due to its own effect, so its final attack power is this!”

[Mana Wyrm]: 6/3 → 7/3 → 10/4

“Ten… ten points?!”

Edward looked up, trembling as he uttered the number.

Could a two-star minion reach this much attack power?!

Sonia finally spread her palm: “[Mana Wyrm], end this duel!”

Roar!

The Mana Wyrm, which had grown larger than a real dragon, charged forward, opening its abyssal maw at Edward.

And that was the last sight Edward saw in this duel.

The next moment, his entire life barrier was swallowed whole.

“Aaaaaaaaaah!!”

Edward’s Life Points: 7 → -3

[Edward Defeated]