I Refused To Be Reincarnated

Besides Edgar's two disciples and Aurora's, he shrugged the other competitors off. They clearly wouldn't pose him much of a threat now that he balanced his deck and developed new spells.

And after five long and torturous hours watching them, his turn finally came.

Without wasting time, he stepped behind his duel desk.

Simultaneously, his adversary showed up, a teenage dwarf with lustrous brown hair and a smith's frame that would put culturists to shame.

Eyes glinting with fierce determination, the dwarf introduced himself.

"Dorn. We study at the same academy, and Moira sends her greetings. She hopes you won't be depressed after this defeat, though."

"And I hope she won't after the humiliation you are about to suffer."

He retorted, matching Dorn's cocky grin with his own disgustingly provoking one.

With a snort, the dwarf fished a shiny gold coin and tossed it.

Eyes closed not to cheat, he chose heads and got it right, earning him the right to play first... and end the duel on the second turn.

"I draw."

He snatched his deck's first three cards, a pensive frown creasing his brows as he scanned them.

The crowd watched with bated breaths, impatient to see the evil ghosts in action.

Unfortunately, he had to disappoint them.

"I summon Lala."

Selene's creation bloomed on the vast plain separating them, its bright petals illuminating his castles with a gentle wave of warmth.

"Once summoned, she makes another flower bloom on the field."

A lesser version of her sprouted in an elegant and mesmerising spectacle next to it, sending a wave of confusion and hushed whispers in the audience.

But his show only started, one that any duelist and game enthusiast will remember for years!

His voice chilled as solemnness replaced his relaxed expression.

"I use my field spell, thunder sovereign's imperial court!" Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire

As his wind and lightning mana melded on his fingers, a storm overtook the plain.

Dorn's prideful expression collapsed as he covered his ears with a grimace.

Meanwhile, the spectators gawked in shock as a sumptuous grand hall condensed. They could see the boundless sky and the ravaging storm deafening the arena through the windows, making them question their worldviews.

But what thoroughly terrorised them and forced the arcanists to stand was the blond woman's silhouette seated, eyes closed, and purple dress fluttering on the engraved chair.

"How did he know the sky guardian?!"

On the balcony, Maya yelped, leaping to her feed and jumping behind Zeph's large torso to seek protection.

The arcanists gazed at him in confusion, but Shepard's smirk enlarged to reach his ears.

"Hahaha! Moira dared to belittle you without knowing you dealt with our society's most feared individuals. Show her! Show her how you returned after a meeting with her and the beast emperor!"

His hearty laughter sprinkled the thundering booms of the storm as the others' jaws almost dropped to the ground. Even that maniac beast emperor?!

Yet, before they could question their exhilarated peer, Adam continued.

"Any monster summoned on the Thunder sovereign's imperial court must face her piercing eyes. They'll lose two hundred attack points. If the remaining points are lower than one thousand seven hundred, their effects are sealed!"

He noticed how Dorn's eyes trembled in disbelief and how his pronounced Adam's apple throbbed.

"It's your turn, my dear fellow student. Please, show me the cards you'll rely on to make me fall into depression."

Dorn's fists clenched, his joints popping in an arrangement of sounds as he smirked.

"What kind of wyvern shit is that spell?! The game should be interactive, not you sealing my effects!"

The dwarf's outraged roar sounded like music to his ears as he burst into laughter.

"It is interactive. Look! I'm having a lot of fun watching your face redden! Hahaha."

"Shepard! Did you share that grimoire with him?"

On the balcony, Moira yelled, as shocked as her disciple.

Because if he did, Adam's spell effect wouldn't differ from a weaker version of a sixth-tiered one!

"So what? He earned the right to read it for a week. I have nothing to do with what he understood, and it happened almost four months ago."

Shepard shrugged her question off, taking incredible pleasure in focusing on her decomposing expression and fuming eyes.

"You can give Adam the artefact directly. Who would have thought you would work for him? For free, no less and after your scene?"

His eyes narrowed into slits as he gazed at her.

"Make your disciple give up before he collapses in anger or worse: attack like the foolish Mia did."

Her mouth opened and closed a few times as the other arcanists observed them with rapt attention, enjoying the show.

But she knew her options were limited. The proud Dorn would never give up, making for a slow and humiliating defeat none wanted to endure. She couldn't ignore Shepard's warning either, even if she doubted her disciple would act like a savage.

A few seconds later, her proud shoulders slumped, and she sighed in defeat.

"Give up, Dorn."

She commanded, looking at her still lost on how to salvage the duel disciple before turning to Shepard.

"What a blunder to expose such a powerful spell in the first match."

Her eyes slipped to the other arcanists as she smirked.

"I'm sure they'll find ways to counter it before his next match. I may have lost today, but Adam won't win the championship!"

Yet, Shepard shrugged.

"They can counter it as much as they want. You'll see what a true crafting genius is and how you missed the opportunity I offered you on a golden plate to befriend him."

As his mentor's words lingered on the balcony, Adam gazed at Dorn's open jaw in disbelief.

The public did, too.

Would the duel end that fast? Because of a field spell?

Despite their best effort to remember, it was the first time they ever heard of or witnessed something like that happening.

Yet, it also opened a new world of strategy for them, one to prohibit their opponents from playing, and that would allow them to win, even with terrible cards!

'I shouldn't have listened to Shepard! I had no fun!' He thought as Dorn retrieved his deck and left, biting his lips and his head lowered.