Chapter 601: Dark Demon Handles with Ease (12k)
“Tick!”
The round switched.
“Battle Phase (3)” [30s]
…
Dak drew two new Mana Guidance Cards from the top of his deck while observing the battlefield.
“Isn’t that the Mana Golem of the third tier?”
Dak furrowed his brows slightly, recalling the Mana Golem that had caused an anomaly in the thick forest.
Although he hadn’t witnessed it firsthand, he was quite certain it should be the Mana Golem summoned by Wit Gold, with at least third-tier strength!
Honestly, he very much wanted to see the true form of that Mana Golem.
But upon closer reflection, it was highly likely… that it wasn’t a Mana Golem personally crafted by Wit.
Just as he had “Paradise,” it was normal for Wit to have a Mana Golem not personally crafted by him.
“So, is this six-star Mana Golem his ace?”
Thinking this, Dak added the newly drawn Mana Guidance Cards to his hand and pulled out the “Bliss III” he had held since the beginning.
Being another six-star Mana Golem, the “Nine-Tailed Fox Beast” naturally wouldn’t fall short compared to Wit’s Mana Golem.
But suddenly, his heart stirred as he saw the “Demon Fox Beast” looking up at him.
Their gazes met, and Dak immediately understood the Demon Fox Beast’s intention, putting down the Mana Guidance Card in his hand and nodding at the Demon Fox Beast.
Afterwards, the Demon Fox Beast lowered its head, its fox eyes brightening.
Though evolving into a “Nine-Tailed Fox Beast” would grant higher stats and stronger ultimate skills, it lost its approachable physique.
It didn’t like tearing things apart in beast form, not just because evolving into a “Nine-Tailed Fox Beast” would occupy more of its mind with “Bliss.”
Standing on two feet and fighting like a human was its favorite and most natural stance.
As for the stat gap between it and the six-star Mana Golem… it could compensate through transformation!
“Demon Fox Beast, use your ultimate skill—Fox Transformation Illusion!”
The command from its master came from above.
With clear permission granted, the Demon Fox Beast placed the green leaf it had secretly condensed atop its head.
Then, a flash of light appeared, and the slender body of the Demon Fox Beast began to rapidly expand!
Two meters, three meters… and even higher!
…
When the Demon Fox Beast completed its transformation, it was almost indistinguishable from the humanoid Mana Golem engulfed in blood flames.
Only its body lacked the blood flames, which clearly indicated a passive ultimate skill.
And the Demon Fox Beast’s “Fox Transformation Illusion” could only replicate the opponent’s body structure, unable to copy mana or ultimate skills.
But for the Demon Fox Beast, this was enough.
It took a big step forward, feeling the sudden surge of power, and its boiling fighting spirit was no longer suppressed!
“Roar!”
The Demon Fox Beast suddenly let out a fierce roar, rushing ahead of the humanoid Mana Golem!
Its legs were extremely long after transformation, each step covering several meters, and its stride speed was incredibly fast, approaching the humanoid Mana Golem in an instant.
Until its fist slammed hard into the abdomen of the humanoid Mana Golem, Wit Gold on the Red Side stage suddenly woke up, urgently shouting, “Bleeding Beastman, quickly dodge!”
But there was no way to avoid it.
With a massive impact, the punch was like a terrifying battering ram, fiercely striking the “Bleeding Beastman’s” abdomen, even leaving a clear fist mark from behind!
The “Bleeding Beastman’s” body instantly hunched over, and a pained moan came from beneath its mask.
“Cursed!”
Wit clenched his fists tightly.
He had been distracted by the Demon Fox Beast’s transformation, failing to give timely commands.
Such a low-level mistake could be fatal in a Mana Duel.
But fortunately, the opponent was only a three-star Mana Golem—could something be called a three-star Mana Golem?
Wit truly had grievances he couldn’t express, hurriedly commanding, “Activate Whirlpool Mask!”
The Demon Fox Beast originally intended to follow up on its success, but the mask on the Bleeding Beastman’s face suddenly started rotating inward.
The red-and-white whirlpool mask instantly produced a strange, terrifying sensation, as if it could suck in one’s soul.
The Demon Fox Beast instinctively stepped back half a step, its eyes showing caution.
But the “Bleeding Beastman” did not counterattack—it was sucked into the swirling mask, disappearing and reappearing instantly.
“Attack Mana Guidance Ball!”
Wit shouted loudly!
He had never used this Mana Golem in front of others; no one knew the specific effects of the “Whirlpool Mask.”
This sudden attack was impossible to dodge under normal circumstances.
Moreover, there was always a delay between the Magus issuing a command and the Mana Golem executing it.
Excitement flashed in Wit’s eyes.
Although Dak’s Demon Fox Beast shocked him, he had the upper hand now!
[Card Name: Bleeding Beastman]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ??????]
[Race: Avian-beast Kin]
[Attributes: Fighting Type/Evil Type]
[Mana: 2600]
[Attack: 3000]
[Defense: 2500]
[Ultimate Skills: Blood燃烧战法, Secret Beast Curse, Whirlpool Mask]
With the “Bleeding Beastman’s” basic attack of 3000 points, plus the Blood Burning Technique that increased attack and speed, this punch alone could deal at least 3500 points of damage!
In the “Silver Cup” competition, the Life Barrier of the Mana Guidance Ball had only 4000 points of mana.
If successful, only one more hit would break the Life Barrier!
However, hidden behind the “Bleeding Beastman,” he didn’t see Eevee, who had already retreated to the Mana Guidance Ball.
After reaching two stars, Eevee had already used three ultimate skills, and its 500 mana value had been greatly consumed, making it impossible to charge forward.
Therefore, protecting the Mana Guidance Ball became its mission.
When the shadow of the “Bleeding Beastman” fell, it suddenly stood on its hind legs, using its tail to support itself, its two pink claws tightly holding the Mana Guidance Ball.
Then, a strange mist appeared on its face.
The mist twisted like a vortex, as if it could suck in one’s soul.
When the “Bleeding Beastman’s” fist fell, Eevee and the Mana Guidance Ball it held were suddenly sucked into the vortex and disappeared.
“Grrr!”
Eevee, who had used its last ultimate skill “Mimic,” hugged the Mana Guidance Ball in the center of the field, breathing heavily, but its eyes were exceptionally bright.
“Zzzt!”
“Huhu,” preparing to use its ultimate skill, gave its approval.
On the Blue Side platform.
Dak Daimon also withdrew the mana from his fingertips.
Unlike what Wit Gold had anticipated, Dak only guessed that the “Whirlpool Mask” was likely a teleportation-type ultimate skill when it was activated, thus responding quickly.
There was no choice, as he had also considered such tactics before.
Perhaps, this was the result of broad experience!
He looked at the cards in his hand.
[Fairy Eevee]
[Moon Pendant]
[Bliss III]
[Netherworld Soul Ring]
[Solo Sword Sheath (Weapon Form)]
The “Netherworld Soul Ring” and “Solo Sword Sheath (Weapon Form)” were the two Mana Guidance Cards he had just acquired.
“In the name of Dak Daimon, Mana Summoning—’Solo Sword Sheath’!”
With the completion of the summoning incantation, a longer “Holy Sword” materialized before him compared to the original “Solo Sword Sheath.”
[Card Name: Solo Sword Sheath]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ?????]
[Race: Undead Kin]
[Attributes: Steel Type/Ghost Type]
[Mana: 1500]
[Attack: 2200]
[Defense: 1800]
[Ultimate Skills: Weaponization, Continuous Slash, Sword Dance, Holy Sword]
This time, he did not give the “Solo Sword Sheath” to the “Demon Fox Beast” as a weapon, but softly said, “Solo Sword Sheath, Elementalize.”
Thus, the “Solo Sword Sheath” rapidly transformed from its weapon form back into a Mana Spirit.
“Clang!”
It let out an excited cry.
Although it was happy being controlled, sometimes it still wanted to have some initiative.
Dark watched the excited “Solo Sword Sheath,” then raised his hand, pointing towards the Mana Guidance Ball in the red summoning zone, saying, “Do you see that Mana Guidance Ball over there? Slash it apart!”
“Clang!”
“Solo Sword Sheath” sharply shook its sword body, blinked its eye in the center of the hilt forcefully, and shot out like a long ribbon!
“Hu!”
The wind lingered.
Dark suddenly felt as if he were controlling a sword to kill the enemy, causing his heart to slightly rejoice.
During the interval of his summoning, the “Demon Fox Beast,” after being hit by a spear from the “Whirlpool Mask,” had already turned around and pounced, fiercely attacking the “Blood Beast.”
Two Mana Spirits, identical except for their blood flames, began a fierce battle in the red half-zone.
In the “Foggy Battlefield,” although the “Blood Beast” still had blood flames, they were actually just visual effects and could not continuously burn life (Mana) to enhance its attack.
Both sides’ strength was completely on the same level.
Under these circumstances, the “Demon Fox Beast” easily gained the advantage!
…
In the red half-zone.
“Huhu” tried to shrink back as much as possible to avoid being caught up in the battle.
It clearly understood its own value and knew that its ultimate skill had a very long cooldown, so it could only be used once in each duel, hence needing to be reserved for critical moments.
For example, when the “Demon Fox Beast” gave another heavy punch to the “Blood Beast,” it used “Power Trick” + “Defense Split” to reduce the “Blood Beast’s” defense!
…
On the other side, Lil’Eevee sat down with a thud, holding the Mana Guidance Ball and looking at it from all angles.
…
On the red competitors’ platform, Wit Gold failed to intercept and hurriedly began summoning the next Mana Card.
In the Mana Duel, the transitions between offense and defense were extremely fast. After every failed attack, one must prepare for defense.
Therefore, when “Solo Sword Sheath” shot out, his summoning zone also manifested a new Mana Spirit.
That was his initial three-star Mana Spirit — “Gigant!”
Similar to the “Blood” series of Mana Spirits, his “Gigant” also possessed the “Rampage” ultimate skill.
However, “Rampage” was different from “Blood Fighting Technique.” Its abnormal state was switch-type.
As long as it was activated outside the “Foggy Battlefield (Bliss),” it could enter a rampage state.
[Card Name: Gigant]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ???]
[Race: Sub-human]
[Attribute: General Type]
[Mana: 1200]
[Attack: 1500]
[Defense: 1400]
[Ultimate Skills: Self-Sacrifice Impact, Rampage]
“Roar!”
“Gigant” opened its blood-filled mouth and roared angrily at “Solo Sword Sheath.”
But “Solo Sword Sheath” did not stop.
It drew its sword from its sheath in mid-air, revealing a sharp blade, and then, using the central line of the blade as an axis, it suddenly spun.
“Solo Sword Sheath, use ‘Sword Dance’!”
Under Dark’s command, the spinning speed of “Solo Sword Sheath” further accelerated, with a violent aura wrapping around the blade, forming a terrifying storm.
Its eyes narrowed, concentrating its mental energy to the limit, and its aura kept rising during the spin.
Finally, at the moment it approached “Gigant,” its aura reached its peak.
In another blink.
The storm already pierced through “Gigant’s” body, expanding from within and exploding violently.
“Bang!”
“Gigant’s” huge body exploded into Mana fragments under this single strike.
Wit on the red competitors’ platform suddenly changed color.
Perhaps because Dark had not driven the “Solo Sword Sheath” in front of people for too long, many people subconsciously forgot that it was a powerful offensive Mana Spirit with an attack exceeding four-star elites.
Under the “Rampage Sword Dance,” its originally high attack of 2200 doubled.
That one strike was enough to instantly kill the thick-skinned “Gigant”!
…
“Oh!”
Announcer Zach Wilson’s strange voice still lingered in the air.
“Solo Sword Sheath” continued to follow Dark’s command, chasing after the Mana Guidance Ball on the red side.
“Go!”
Wit Gold hastily released Mana, controlling the red Mana Guidance Ball to soar upward.
For some reason, whenever he fought against Dark Demon, he always felt an extraordinary pressure.
Even though he faced Robert in simulated duels and was in dire straits, he could still remain calm and make decisions.
But when it came to Dark, it was extremely difficult.
“No!”
He suddenly let out a mournful cry.
Just a momentary distraction, and the Mana Spirit emitting a holy sword aura had already chased to the tail of the red Mana Guidance Ball.
“Bang!”
The red Mana Guidance Ball’s Life Barrier was pierced, with “Solo Sword Sheath’s” tip almost drilling through.
[4000-2600]
Despite flying in the same direction reducing the full damage to the Mana Guidance Ball’s Life Barrier, the HP plummeted by 1400 points!
“Two strikes!”
When “Solo Sword Sheath” caught up again, the red Mana Guidance Ball could only withstand two more strikes!
Wit furrowed his brows, his expression becoming increasingly nervous.
If he could endure two strikes, he would still have one normal summon opportunity.
But what should he summon this time?
What did he have left to clear the field? “By Wit Gold’s name, Mana Summoning — ‘Forbidden Love’!”
A pink mist shaped like a girl emerged from the Mana Card, flying towards the red Mana Guidance Ball at high speed.
Wit controlled the red Mana Guidance Ball to fly back, and while summoning, he took a direct hit.
The red Mana Guidance Ball’s Life Barrier appeared with fine cracks.
Mana Value dropped from 2600 points to 900 points again!
…
The situation suddenly turned for the worse!
Just now, both sides were evenly matched.
Wit Gold’s “Blood Beast” still posed a nearly fatal threat to Dark Demon’s Mana Guidance Ball.
But in the blink of an eye, Wit Gold’s “Gigant” was instantly killed, and the Mana Guidance Ball was pursued until it had only 900 points of HP left.
On the ground.
Without a Magus to command, the “Blood Beast” was thoroughly at a disadvantage.
Teacher “Huhu” even felt that using its ultimate skill on it was a waste.
The “Demon Fox Beast” struck the “Blood Beast” with every punch, making it howl in agony, and its Mana Value plummeted rapidly.
Seeing this six-star Mana Spirit about to be utterly destroyed by a three-star Mana Spirit, the Mana Guidance Ball in the sky — exploded first!
…
Wit placed his last hope on “Forbidden Love,” but “Solo Sword Sheath” was a Steel/Ghost-type Mana Spirit, inherently highly immune to this kind of charm control.
Moreover, it was crafted from “Greed,” a capital sin, and was immune to such tactics.
So when the pink mist of “Forbidden Love” embraced it, it simply passed through.
Magus操控Mana Guidance Ball进行移动的速度是有极限的。
Even if Wit’s Mana talent was high, it couldn’t break through this hardware limitation.
The Mana Guidance Ball was caught up again, and with just one strike, the remaining 900 points of Mana Life Barrier was shattered!
…
“Ding!”
At that instant, the “Battle Phase” switched from the third round to the fourth round.
…
“Boom!”
The “Demon Fox Beast” slammed the “Blood Beast” to the ground, then delivered a crushing elbow strike from above, shattering its chest!
This six-star Mana Spirit was completely obliterated by this fatal blow.
Standing in the Mana starlight, the “Demon Fox Beast” was invigorated.
As if all the pent-up emotions accumulated from being around Dak had finally found their release.
He narrowed his eyes, gradually shrinking back from an orc form that was over three meters tall to his original stature.
And at that moment, the applause from the commentators and spectators roared like thunder.
It instantly drowned out the voices of the judges and commentators.
“The battle has ended.”
“The victor: Dak Dimon!”
…
“Although I won, for some reason, it felt like I didn’t win at all.”
At the same time, Dak in the Blue Side Competitors’ Platform fell into deep thought about life.
Victory had come so naturally that he did not enjoy the fun he should have experienced.
So, where exactly did things go wrong?
Was it because Wit’s progress wasn’t obvious enough?
Or was it because… he failed to summon “Eevee” and perform with the “Moon Pendant”?
That couldn’t be right…
In fact, within the “Misty Field (Bliss),” every mana spirit with the “Bliss” attribute could gain additional “Charming Body” effects.
This meant that even if the two-star Eevee (Bliss) or “Demon Fox Beast” in the field were equipped with the “Moon Pendant,” they would still be effective.
But when things got intense,
he didn’t fully utilize this advantage.
“It’s here!” Dak slammed his palm and murmured.
“I could have won more easily!”
Yes, as long as the “Demon Fox Beast” wore the “Moon Pendant,” even that “Blood Beastman” wouldn’t escape its charm.
Then, there wouldn’t be such a fierce struggle, and he could easily win.
Dak suddenly realized that he had become accustomed to winning through overwhelming power, neglecting technique.
His eyes gradually brightened, and his heart became clear.
Winning through sheer force was indeed exhilarating.
But once faced with a stronger opponent, relying solely on brute strength would only lead to failure.
After comprehending this, he lifted his head, ready to say a few words to Wit, aiming to end the opening duel on a friendly note.
But just as he raised his head, he noticed something amiss with Wit’s expression.
“Is it because I lost?”
Dak didn’t dwell on it.
Since Wit was already in low spirits due to losing, speaking now would only make things worse. It was better to remain silent.
In any case, he still had some decorum.
So, he didn’t look at Wit again but instead took out his mana card and recalled all the mana spirits from the field.
“Back you go, Solo Sword Sheath, Demon Fox Beast, Eevee, and Huhu, who didn’t do much.”
Huhu: “? ?”
(Mudba Ziren!)
…
Once everything was neatly packed away, Dak prepared to leave the platform.
But a ripple suddenly arose beside him.
Instinctively moving aside, Judy appeared instantly beside him, her fragrance filling the air.
Dak was somewhat allergic to this scent, so he quickly pretended to cough and covered his nose.
Lately, the pressure had been intense; he couldn’t afford any more.
…
Judy glanced at Dak and smiled. “Don’t worry, we’re in the post-match interview segment. Due to the tight schedule, we only have three minutes.”
Dak nodded. “Three minutes, here?”
That was plenty; the match hadn’t even lasted three minutes.
Judy replied, “Yes. I’ve always believed that interviews should be conducted on the competitors’ platform. For duelists, the platform is their battlefield.”
Then, she changed the subject playfully. “I recently created a mana spirit with teleportation abilities and wanted to give it a try.”
Dak asked curiously, “Where is it?”
Judy winked. “Guess?”
Dak glanced at her scar, shook his head, and said, “Can’t guess, nor do I want to. Let’s get into the interview. What do you want to ask?”
Judy raised the microphone and asked the audience outside, “Gentlemen and ladies, the first winner of this year’s ‘Silver Cup’ wants to know if you have any questions?”
The audience immediately began shouting and applauding, making it impossible to hear clearly inside.
But Judy pretended to listen attentively and then directed the microphone at Dak. “It seems the audience is very curious. What do you think about this year’s ‘Silver Cup’?”
Ah, this?
Dak instinctively felt this wasn’t a question for a student, but he replied anyway, “The Silver Cup is great. It provides a wonderful stage for our second-year students. I believe there will be diligent individuals who will stand out in this competition and gain recognition.”
Judy asked, “Is this also your wish?”
Dak looked at her and shook his head. “I don’t need it.”
Judy couldn’t help but smile. “I thought so too. So, can you talk about your goals in this year’s ‘Silver Cup’? I mean, reaching the top eight, becoming the runner-up, or even the champion?”
Dak thought for a moment and said, “It’s still early to talk about these things. There are many variables during the competition, and neither you nor I can predict them.”
Judy asked curiously, “What specific variables are you referring to?”
Dak said calmly, “Who knows? Maybe one day I won’t want to participate anymore.”
Judy was taken aback, then quickly responded, “Are you thinking of focusing on the ‘Golden Cup’?”
Dak looked at Judy and addressed the audience, “No. The ‘Golden Cup’ is merely an opportunity for us second-year students to experience high-level duels. This year isn’t my time yet.”
Judy blinked. “So, you are determined to participate in the ‘Golden Cup’?”
Dak stated, “Participating in the ‘Golden Cup’ is a task assigned by the professor.”
Judy exclaimed, “It looks like we truly have a chance to see Dak Dimon’s impressive performance in the ‘Golden Cup.’ I hope he can make history! That concludes the interview with the winner. Please welcome the next set of contestants!”
…
Dak slowly walked down from the competitors’ platform.
He didn’t mind saying more in the interview and had no objections to Judy’s warm-up remarks.
But this ‘Silver Cup’…
To be honest, he wasn’t sure if he could make it to the end.
For the preliminary rounds, he might only complete the minimum requirement of ten matches.
According to the rules, it would be normal for others to surpass him later.
If he was lucky enough to reach the top eight, he would consider vying for the championship.
As for the ‘Golden Cup,’ he naturally intended to participate.
…
When entering the competitors’ passage, Dak noticed Wit leaning against the wall, deep in thought.
He thought for a moment and approached him. “Wit, when did you create your Blood Beastman?”
Wit looked up; his expression had eased considerably, indicating that the loss had only temporarily dampened his spirits.
Seeing it was Dak, he said, “During the break. I worked as an adventurer for a while during the holidays and had some luck.”
“An adventurer?” Dak pointed ahead, gesturing for them to walk and talk. “What’s different between adventuring outside and within the academy?”
Wit replied, “How to put it? Outside the academy, magi are rare. If you show value, companions you meet during adventures will take good care of you. Of course, there are also those with ulterior motives. But I think I have decent judgment.”
Dak looked up and said, “Evil is in human hearts. There may be disputes within the academy, but everyone is at least classmates, with boundaries. People outside aren’t necessarily the same.”
“But life’s interest lies here. As long as you live long enough, you’ll encounter all sorts of people. Actually, I’ve considered going out alone, but I’m not settled yet.”
Wit asked curiously, “Do you have worries too?”
Dak nodded slightly. “I’m also human.”
Wit sensed something off in the conversation but didn’t dwell on it.
Upon realizing that Dak also had worries, he suddenly felt much lighter.
During their casual chat, he even asked, “By the way, did I cause you any trouble during our duel just now? I mean, did you ever think that this person is also quite formidable?”
Huh?
Dark opened his mouth, hurriedly racking his brains to say, “Yes, when your ‘Burning Blood Beast’ suddenly teleported to my Mana Guidance Ball, it really startled me!”
Vit left contentedly.
Dark shook his head and walked in another direction.
His next match was scheduled for the eleventh round. Considering that there were always interviews with winners after each match, he didn’t need to stay in the waiting room for too long.
When he returned to the spectator area of the circular platform, Pistons had already taken his seat next to Tudor.
Dark sat down in Pistons’ seat and asked, “Has the match started?”
“Just got on stage,” Pistons pointed toward the field.
On both competitor platforms, the two contestants had appeared one after the other.
The one on the red side was Diana Gretbail.
On the blue side was Vanessa Bolt, the class president of the Fool’s Academy!
Vanessa looked ordinary, with common brown eyes and hair, but her overall demeanor was still gentle and pleasant.
After she stepped onto the platform, she didn’t react particularly; she just casually greeted Diana.
But Diana, who was always outgoing, chattered warmly as soon as she spoke.
The atmosphere between the two girls was much better than between the two boys in the first match.
Since Vanessa was from the Fool’s Academy, the commentator had nothing much to talk about, and the atmosphere on site wasn’t very lively.
However, roars of excitement occasionally came from the audience outside, making people feel afraid.
…
Although the start was plain, this duel… turned out to be unexpectedly intense!
Dark originally only gave mana enrichment to the golems while watching casually, but later he couldn’t help but watch more seriously.
Vanessa’s deck was very standard, but indeed small yet complete, with almost every type of mana card.
Diana, on the other hand, still centered around the “Bear” series from her first year, but paired it with a large number of weapon cards and equipment cards… by the end, she even brought out an armed card!
Although that armed card quickly drained the golem’s mana, it produced extraordinary effects.
One could only say that Diana was silently working hard in places where Dark hadn’t paid attention.
Considering that Diana was not yet proficient in mana language, she might have obtained a unique method for crafting weapons or armor from home.
Dark became deeply interested.
But he quickly suppressed this inappropriate interest.
Although he felt that if he asked, he would definitely get an answer.
Diana couldn’t close her mouth.
But truly doing so would cross a line.
He couldn’t spy on her family’s secrets because of this.
…
Diana and Vanessa battled fiercely for a long time, and ultimately Diana won by a slight margin.
And the audience finally had their fill.
After all, although a three-round duel was exciting, a thirty-round duel was far more satisfying.
Audiences preferred longer and more exciting duels.
After the match, it was the winner interview segment.
But when Judy asked Diana questions, Diana praised Vanessa endlessly throughout, making her nervous and her heart pound, almost losing the match.
The atmosphere on site was warm.
…
After Diana left the stage, Dark continued to give mana enrichment to the golems, then raised his spirits to watch the match.
Diana and Vanessa’s duel made him realize that even the “Silver Cup” had things worth learning.
No duelist should be underestimated.
…
In no time, it was the seventh match.
The class president of the Mana Academy, Heidi Euphemia.
The class president of the Knight Academy, Justin Wayne.
They both stepped onto the competitor platform!
Justin Wayne had a good reputation within the Knight Academy and was well-known.
Heidi Euphemia was originally just a small follower behind Sarah Swati, but after becoming the class president, she began to show her potential and gained some fame.
Both of them were extremely similar in terms of academic performance and current positions.
However, to the audience outside, these were two very new faces.
The commentator, Zach Wilson, introduced them for quite some time, gradually making the audience familiar with these two individuals.
Their duel was splendid and did not disappoint the audience.
Dark watched attentively from the beginning, but he was distracted halfway due to Teddy Dolong’s constant noise beside him.
“You’re a class president, can you act a bit more composed?” he couldn’t help but scold.
Tudor blushed, embarrassedly saying, “I’m just cheering for the Knight Academy’s rival…”
Pistons also looked like he agreed, “Our friends are the Knight Academy’s rivals!”
Dark replied, “But this year, the Mana Academy is our biggest rival.”
Pistons’ tone faltered as he pondered, “It seems so.”
Tudor laughed dryly, pretending to continue watching the match intently.
Dark couldn’t help but smile.
Perhaps this is youth.
After losing their youth, humans always want to return to their teenage years.
But he, standing on this stage that should be full of youth, found it difficult to act.
Of course, his problem was special, but it showed that… memories and reality are two different things.
Memories are always more beautiful.
Reality is always harder to reach.
Thinking…
Perhaps Tudor likes Heidi?
…
The seventh match ended with Justin Wayne’s victory.
Although Heidi Euphemia’s performance was impressive, Justin Wayne’s improvement was even more remarkable, leaving everyone in awe.
The matches continued until the tenth round.
After the winner interview for the tenth round concluded, Senior Judy announced a one-hour break.
The academy band also took the stage.
During this time, the various dueling halls around the world would provide food for the audience.
Audience members could choose to eat in the cafeteria while listening to elegant music, or they could leave with their tickets to eat elsewhere.
An hour later, it would be the evening session.
The first match of the evening session, which is today’s eleventh match.
Today’s outstanding performer, Dark Demon, will duel with Tudor’s family member, Teddy Dolong.
…
Within the academy, students naturally seize the opportunity to take care of their physiological needs.
An hour is enough for everyone to queue up for meals in the cafeteria.
Dark called Tudor and Pistons, then followed the crowd out of the outdoor dueling arena.
At this moment, the sky had darkened slightly, with only half of the sun remaining, and fiery clouds could be seen on the horizon.
Returning after dinner, it might be moonlight over the treetops.
This was Dark’s first night duel, so he was quite excited.
But Tudor beside him was somewhat nervous.
The three of them ordered their food and found a four-person table to sit at.
Dark sat opposite Tudor.
Tudor ate, suddenly picked up a meatball from his plate and placed it on Dark’s plate, then stared at him eagerly.
Dark looked at the meatball emitting a fragrant aroma, then looked up to meet Tudor’s gaze.
The two of them didn’t speak, just staring at each other for half a minute.
Tudor completely surrendered.
Pistons secretly chuckled at the side.
Dark shrugged and continued eating.
In short, he wouldn’t let up.
Tudor couldn’t bring himself to say it either.
Dark certainly wouldn’t say it.
If he really went easy on him, it would still be embarrassing…
…
After dinner…
Dark and the others returned to the outdoor dueling arena with the crowd.
There were no lights inside the dueling arena.
But there were huge light balls floating in the air at various locations within the venue.
Those light balls emitted
The light was just right, bright enough to illuminate the path without making the night as bright as day.
At the very center of the venue, on the dueling platform, eight light balls gathered their beams, illuminating the area in a dazzling white glow.
It was like the stage of a concert, always the focal point of the lights.
As students and professors gradually returned from the circular corridors, the spectator area outside began to fill up.
After Alvaraite had a simple meal with two viscountesses, she quickly returned to her seat.
She then noticed that the neighboring Prince Charles seemed to have not touched his food.
Thinking for a moment, she called over a nearby attendant and asked him to prepare a convenient dinner to be delivered to the prince.
The attendant did not dare to delay and hurriedly went to prepare it.
Soon after, a dinner prepared with magic appeared before Prince Charles.
The staff of the dueling branch in the capital city even brought over a meal cart to serve as a table for the prince.
Prince Charles frowned at the dinner in front of him, intending to scold someone, but when he learned it was sent by the Duchess, he could not help but glance over there.
Seeing him look over, Alvaraite nodded at him with a kind expression.
Prince Charles’s lips twitched as he quickly forced out a perfect noble smile, picked up his fork and knife, and began eating.
Despite being the center of attention, Prince Charles maintained an elegant demeanor, calm and composed, showing no unwillingness on the surface.
He dared not…
Even if Alvaraite’s intentions were clearly good, he had to eat it, regardless of whether it was malicious or not.
Otherwise, news of his disagreement with the Valkyrie would spread like wild birds throughout the city.
Perhaps by the next morning, it would reach every corner of the capital.
Although the Valkyrie was clearly on the side of the Big Princess, she had not openly broken ties with the Prince.
Prince Charles also could not afford the price of breaking ties with the Valkyrie.
…
This incident in the spectator area was merely a small interlude.
It was nothing more than an elder expressing concern for a junior.
The junior gladly accepted it.
And as the spectators outside the arena filled up, the evening session of today’s “Silver Cup” finally began.
Dark and Tudor both received reminders to prepare for their next matches.
There were many others with them.
Dark even spotted Robert among them.
The evening session lasted about two hours, starting from the eleventh match and ending around the twentieth.
Dark did not go to the waiting room for contestants but directly came to the competitors’ passage and waited at the entrance.
Tudor followed behind him, no longer as nervous as during dinner.
After all, as a member of a prominent family, Tudor’s ability to adjust mentally had been honed for a long time, making him quite capable.
Not only was he no longer nervous, but his fighting spirit was also beginning to burn.
Among the second-year students, almost everyone with ambition had Dark Demon as their goal.
Although Tudor had a good relationship with Dark, subconsciously, he regarded him as the target to catch up to and surpass!
Tonight, he was going to take another step towards this goal!
…
On the high platform.
Under the spotlight.
Host Judy briefly spoke before quickly advancing to introduce the evening session’s duels.
Since the academy would display the names of the next round’s contestants on a screen, the audience knew early on who the first two contestants of the evening session would be.
Therefore, Judy only briefly introduced them before announcing their entry.
When Dark and Tudor heard this, they walked out of the passage and soon arrived at the dueling area.
“Clap!”
They clapped hands and then walked away from each other, back to back.
In this duel, Dark was on the red side, while Tudor was on the blue side.
Once they reached the competitors’ platform, they almost simultaneously looked toward the audience seats.
Dark waved at Alvaraite again, and this time, more spectators responded to him.
He smiled slightly and turned back to Tudor after seeing Alvaraite’s response.
Tudor was clearly searching the audience, but his parents seemed to have chosen a less conspicuous spot and could not provide him with courage and support at this crucial moment.
“Ready.”
Only when Dark reminded him did Tudor snap out of it and quickly adjust himself.
Dark had already activated the spellboard and placed a total of twenty cards from his deck into the card slots.
…
For the second time today on the competitor platform, Dark didn’t feel much different.
After Tudor focused his attention, Dark quickly calmed down, temporarily putting aside anything unrelated to the duel.
Tudor’s progress must be significant; if he wasn’t careful, there was a possibility of failing unexpectedly.
But when Dark was fully prepared, Tudor suddenly said, “Dark, perhaps you don’t remember. But the first time I lost to you in Duel Class, I swore in my heart that one day I would win back. Today, standing on the duel stage again, my only goal is victory!”
Dark couldn’t help but smile. “Of course I remember. You went to the restroom, right?”
Tudor: “…”
Why do you remember so clearly!
Dark comforted him, “Failure is never scary, what’s truly scary is the lack of courage to overcome failure. I will always wait for you.”
With that, he placed his hand on top of the deck.
Silently waiting for the referee’s whistle.
“Beep—”
At the moment the referee blew the whistle.
On the spellboard, under the “Standby Phase,” a countdown of “30s” appeared.
The duel officially began!
Both contestants drew their cards at the same time!
…
By the time Dark had all five Mana Spirit Cards in his hand, he spread them out to examine them.
A quick glance and he memorized all the cards in his mind.
[Sumo Eagle]
[Primordial Dragon Egg]
[Sickle Dagger]
[Magic Beast: Ditto]
[Bliss III? Moon]
But at this moment, he experienced unprecedented hesitation.
“Dragon Egg…”
Among these five cards, three were Mana Spirit Cards, one was an Item Card, and one was a Capital Sin Card.
His luck was quite good.
Upon seeing them, he immediately had several opening strategies.
The most ordinary was to start with [Sumo Eagle].
With an attack power of 1500 points, wings to fly, and strong fighting spirit, the Sumo Eagle could handle most openings.
If faced with an unbeatable opponent, he could use [Magic Beast: Ditto]…
With [Bliss III? Moon], Ditto could copy any Second-tier Mana Spirit, which would be enough to hold the ground.
Finally…
He still returned to the [Primordial Dragon Egg]!
Dark grabbed the [Primordial Dragon Egg] with two fingers and slightly raised his head to look at Tudor opposite him.
Tudor looked serious, with a hint of joy in his brows, perhaps due to drawing good cards.
Dark didn’t know Tudor’s current deck or its strength.
“So, should we start with the dragon egg?”
No matter how much he talked, starting with the dragon egg was the best strategy for this hand.
Three seconds for summoning, three seconds for hatching.
As long as it wasn’t instantly destroyed during the hatching process, he could obtain a six-star Mana Spirit!
However, for a student who had only been in the second year for a month, it was slightly beyond the norm.
…
Thirty seconds might not seem like much, but it’s not insignificant either.
Dark didn’t think too long.
The words “Standby Phase” above the spellboard changed to “Battle Phase.”
The sound of the turn change echoed, like water droplets falling.
At this moment, Dark did not hesitate.
He quickly took out the [Primordial Dragon Egg] and began to cast the Summoning Spell.
“In the name of Dark Demon, Mana Summoning — ‘Primordial Dragon Egg’!”
Just three seconds later.
The magnificent summoning light appeared in the Red Side Summoning Area, and a huge dragon egg, about one meter tall, materialized in the light.
Though the dragon inside had yet to hatch, a faint aura of the dragon could already be felt.
…
