I Refused To Be Reincarnated

Without wasting time, he emerged from the Academy of Summoning's Gate and walked to the venue.

Thunderous cheers erupted when he entered, blasting air in a cacophony loud enough to awaken the dead.

On the balcony, he saw Shepard's approving glance and the fuming Aurora seated by him.

Somehow, he didn't doubt his greedy mentor had set another outrageous bet and did his best to infuriate her until she accepted.

His gaze lingered on the other arcanists before Elisabeth stood up.

"Welcome to this battle monster's tournament's semi-final. I see how red your faces are, dear students. So, let's begin without wasting time!"

The crowd roared and stomped their feet. Today's duels promised extreme sensations and a spectacle they would remember for years.

"On the first duel, from the College of Alchemy and Transmutation, currently Shepard's disciple: Adam!"

The public rose in a standing ovation, chanting his name as Arun brought his giant drum again and struck on it with Julius.

"And his adversary coming from the School of Dark Magic and necromancy, Aurora's disciple: Arian!"

The arena burst into noise for an entire minute before mages proficient in sound spells forcefully calmed the roaring students and teachers.

As they did, he moved behind the duel desk and shuffled his cards, observing Arian do the same.

He also noticed her relaxed expression and the assurance with which she handled her deck.

'I'm confident, too.'

He grinned at her, fished a coin and threw it.

"Tail."

He revealed the result, twisting his lips in disappointment.

Meanwhile, she drew her three starting cards and giggled.

"What a shame. Luck saved one of your actions."

"I won't need all three to beat you. Don't worry."

He winked, his innocent smile hiding his narrowed eyes.

And he saw her play her first monster, her dark uniform wafting the odour of death.

"I discard my Jianshi to activate the underworld's smuggler's effect. By sending him to the graveyard, I can draw any undead from my deck."

He inhaled, the air whistling in his nostrils and his teeth clenching. He had seen this combo during Arian's previous duels and could summarise it in one word: devastating.

After selecting her card, she shuffled her deck and placed it back in its slot.

"I summon the underworld's corps collector. Use your effect, darling."

A shudder ran through everyone's spine at the way she called the horror who climbed from a crack in the plain.

A lethal mist accompanied its putrefied muscles, and a terrible odour assaulted their noses as if trying to blow it with pure disgust.

However, before the crack could mend, it plunged its hand inside and gripped onto something. Its exposed bones cracked, and flaps of green muscles fell into the abyss as it pulled with all its might.

And soon, the dreary creature everyone wanted to see except him made its grand entrance.

"I can summon a monster from my graveyard if I have exactly one card in my hand. Come back, Jianshi!"

Stiff limbs and pale skin clad in an oriental robe split at the waist and fluttering up and down registered in his eyes.

The rhythmical jumps echoed in his ears as the undead approached the plain's center, ready to fight.

Mana condensed above its head next, revealing an attack value rivalling his Dullahan.

ATK 2800

Yet, he knew her effects were the true game-breaker, not her attack, especially the first one.

Because just like the Dullahan before he killed him, the Jianshi was immortal.

"I use a boosting spell. The Jianshi is now immune to monster effects."

A blanket of swirling dead energy wrapped the jumping undead in a protective embrace.

"What a headache-inducing monster..."

His voice trailed off, and he shook his head, shoulders slumped.

Noticing her grin widen and a sense of superiority dancing in her eyes, he straightened his posture, holding his head high.

"That is if I hadn't seen it before. What a shame. Luck could have saved you if you started second."

Her triumphant expression froze as disbelief colored her face.

Her Jianshi could not die in combat, even after a defeat. It could also sap its adversaries' life force, making it a constantly evolving and unbeatable monster. The longer it stood on the field, the stronger it became. Yet, that fool tried to pressure her?

"You're bluffing."

She spat, her tone icy and eyes narrowing into slits.

"You'll see."

He shrugged, drawing his four cards and taking his sweet time to observe them, pressuring her with the silence settling after the crowd cheers died down.

Like a sloth, he raised his arm. His slow movement annoyed everyone, causing their loud stomps to reverberate on the ground. Even Shepard roared after ten torturous seconds.

"We understood you learned how to apply pressure. Play before I come down!"

"Tsk. I think I'll really end second because you're ruining my mood. Ah! I can't focus anymore."

With a dramatic display of bad acting, he leaned back, hiding his face under his arm in faked sadness.

"If you're too scared to play, give up!"

"Don't waste our time! Show us your ghosts!"

The public yelled in outrage, even insulting him as the other arcanists scowled at Shepard.

"Is he always like that?"

Maya giggled, finding Adam amusing.

"That? You've seen nothing Maya... nothing."

Shepard muttered, the sound of his palm striking his forehead echoing.

Incensed by the insults, Adam slammed his card in its slot.

"Come forth Poltergeist."

Amidst a ghostly fog, the invisible, giggling kid materialised on the plain.

"I discard the Pontianak to summon the haunted soul."

Using its evil energy, the Poltergeist opened a passage for the bone-chilling woman to appear on the plain as the crowd boomed in excitement.

Yet, Arian's mocking laughter forced them into silence.

"Hahaha. That monster won't help you. I already countered it with my spell."

"I have boosting spells, too. Sun's sovereign's might."

The sun hovering above the plain suddenly blazed, enlarging in everyone's eyes. Its color shifted from yellow to orange, then blue as it descended onto the haunted soul.

Nourished by its boundless energy, her ghostly skin cracked, letting bright lights filter through them. The dark abyss replacing her eyes burned as she roared in bliss.

"The boosted creature's true potential will shine brighter than the sun before exploding like a supernova at the end of my turn."

The haunted soul attack rose in a mad display of blurring numbers from 0 all the way to...

ATK 0->4000

"Oh! Did you know? My spell bypasses any protection."

A stunned silence descended on the arena as Morgane's eyes lit up in awe. The four thousand attack increase deceived everyone, making them think the spell focused on boosting it.

However, she could understand how intelligent Adam was by developing it.

Its actual effects were to reanimate a creature's fighting spirit and force it to fight by ignoring everything else. And when he coupled it with the evil ghost she considered the strongest but never engaged in battle, its genuine attack appeared!

"I knew I was right. Nothing under the fifth tier can beat haunted souls. See the horrors you've created, dark mages!"

As the crowd's screams drowned her enraged growl, Ariane's eyes and hands trembled a little more.

With each second crawling by, the haunted soul approached her Jianshi like a sun's avatar. Would she really lose Her undefeated monster right after summoning it?