Chapter 397: Dark Demon’s Opening Kill (31/233)
“Bang—”
As the Mana Guidance Ball’s Life Barrier suddenly shattered, the entire venue erupted.
Zach Wilson snatched up the microphone and passionately declared, “Although it’s unfortunate, the victor of this duel is still the third-year student from Fool’s Academy—Tom Nixon!”
…
“It’s still a loss.”
Maly Bond wiped the sweat from her forehead and slightly raised her head to gaze at the sky.
The sunlight was intense, making her eyes appear slightly yellowish.
“That feels great!”
Even though she lost, the exhilaration of the duel still brought her immense satisfaction.
This year’s Easter seems like it will bring some good memories.
…
On the other side…
After finally winning, Tom Nixon let out a sigh of relief and instinctively turned his head towards the castle.
His opponent’s unexpected tenacity had kept him alert.
He mustn’t let his guard down just because his opponent was younger. The rich teaching resources at Saint Maryan Academy meant students were constantly improving. After defeating Vini Scarlet, he had indeed become overly confident.
Fortunately, he realized this early on. It wasn’t too late to steady himself.
The next final match had another hurdle to cross.
Thinking about this, Tom Nixon slowly shifted his gaze from the castle to the Competitors’ Entrance, revealing a set of white teeth as he looked at his final opponent.
The Easter Duel Festival.
Models and Easter Eggs.
Identification Cards…
All these seemed to be planned by that first-year student.
According to the plan, if he continued to win, he would gain popularity and also obtain an Identification Card as one of the prizes.
His idea was certainly appealing.
Unfortunately…
“Thank you for your card!”
…
As the second round of the lower grades concluded, the two contestants from the higher grades stepped out from the Competitors’ Passage.
The atmosphere between “Baron of Night” Noah Sharp and “Dragon Slayer” Luke Beck became tense.
These two had faced each other before, and some people even called this a “fated battle,” stirring up excitement.
Of course, they had fought multiple times, so their fans were almost numb to it.
After they left, Maly Bond and Tom Nixon returned to the Competitors’ Entrance.
Maly arrived first, waved at Dark, wished him luck, and then continued deeper into the passage.
Tom Nixon entered the entrance, standing against the wall directly opposite Dark.
Dark wanted to ask about his earlier gesture, but seeing Tom Nixon close his eyes in deep thought, he decided not to bother.
When the second round of the higher grades began, the atmosphere in the Competitors’ Passage was not good.
But as the duel progressed, both were absorbed in the duel and no longer paid attention to each other.
The duel ended with “Baron of Night”逆袭 triumphing over “Dragon Slayer.”
The excited shouts from the higher-grade commentators.
The spectators’ usual enthusiastic cheers.
And the significant reaction caused by the “Baron of Night” ridiculing the “Dragon Slayer” during an interview with host Judy.
The atmosphere in the venue reached its peak.
At this moment, the low-grade finals of the Easter Duel Festival officially began!
…
After finishing the interview, the “Baron of Night” left the stage.
Dark Demon and Tom Nixon immediately followed and stepped onto the stage.
“Now let’s get to know the two finalists in the low-grade category of this Easter Duel Festival…”
Judy introduced Dark and Tom to the center of the stage again.
Perhaps due to the exciting duels they had previously, the audience responded enthusiastically.
Taking advantage of the lively atmosphere, Judy pulled Tom Nixon closer and loudly asked, “Classmate Nixon, how do you feel? Don’t you want to respond to your fans? Tell me loudly, do you have confidence in winning?”
Tom was taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm and held the microphone helplessly, forcing out a response, “Of course I do.”
It was rather awkward.
Seeing Tom enjoying himself, Dark noticed Judy turning her head. His expression turned serious, feeling the pressure.
Indeed, after receiving Tom’s answer, Judy immediately pulled Dark over and loudly asked, “Then what about you, Classmate Demon?”
Dark coughed dryly, looking at the sea of heads in the audience, and replied with difficulty, “To the best of my ability.”
Dark wasn’t someone who liked to boast, rarely making bold statements.
But his meaning was clear.
The direct responses of the two finalists excited the audiences supporting them.
Seeing the positive reaction, Judy quickly turned around and said, “Classmate Dark Demon’s ability to advance through the preliminaries as a first-year student is already impressive. Furthermore, facing two third-year students and winning consecutively to reach the finals, his strength is undeniable!
Similarly, Classmate Tom Nixon, having defeated the favorite Vini Scarlet, undoubtedly has a level of skill surpassing most third-year students.
In the upcoming final, will Classmate Tom Nixon stand firm and maintain the dignity of third-year students, or will Classmate Dark Demon rise up and become the biggest dark horse of this Easter Duel Festival? Let’s wait and see!”
…
In the midst of the spectators’ excited cheers.
Dark and Tom descended from the stage, heading to the red and blue competitors’ platforms respectively.
Dark won first, so he went to the red platform.
Tom won later, so he went to the blue platform.
Entering the main event, Dark competed on the blue platform twice in a row. Finally being able to change scenery made him feel quite good.
As he ascended the platform, the cheers from outside grew louder.
However, the noise was too chaotic, and he couldn’t tell if the audience was cheering for him or for Tom. Or perhaps… just causing a commotion.
Yes, the latter was probably more likely.
After all, he was new and didn’t have much popularity.
Tom Nixon’s popularity also didn’t seem very high.
People were so enthusiastic, perhaps only because they expected an exciting final, rather than supporting these two participants.
But that was just the current situation.
In the future…
What should happen will happen.
Dark scanned the audience once, then turned back, placing his hand on the Spellboard and injecting mana.
“Activate.”
…
On the blue platform, Tom Nixon faced the unexpectedly enthusiastic audience, somewhat silent.
He hadn’t had many opportunities to stand on such a stage.
This Easter Duel Festival, because of its entertainment-oriented nature and shorter schedule divided into high and low grades, gave him this chance.
Of course, his own strong abilities were also a significant factor.
In his third year’s second semester, he had indeed made great progress.
But now, facing such a large audience, something unclear stirred in his heart.
Turning around.
Tom Nixon raised his hands, pushing his thick bangs back forcefully, revealing his smooth forehead.
Then, he focused his gaze and pressed his fingers on the Spellboard, injecting mana.
“The hunt begins!”
…
“Is it finally starting?”
In the VIP box of the Saint Maryan Duel Branch in the Free City.
Montiel Farley took a sip of tea, leaning lazily against the chair back.
Since morning, Montiel Farley had no doubt about Dark Demon’s excellence.
Only, his Mana Guidance Ball had surprised her, leading to concerns beyond his talent.
She also noticed that her daughter’s emotions seemed unstable.
However, Aurora was thinking of something else.
Dark Demon’s excellence made this girl, who had prepared for “waste cultivation,” lose her target.
On the other side, Principal Altair, enjoying pastries, found the changes in mother and daughter intriguing.
…
“Eliza, do you think Dark will win?”
In the capital city, at the Saint Maryan Duel Branch spectator area.
Alvaraite temporarily put aside her worries and felt nervous again.
She hoped her son would win effortlessly, like in every previous duel.
But this time, Dark’s opponent was different from before. In her duel with Maly Bond, Tom Nixon had shown too much.
It made her worry.
Princess Eliza glanced at the reliable Valkyrie on the battlefield and frowned, saying to the Duke, “Actually, I think the Duke,
It wasn’t important…
Alvaraite immediately refuted, “No, this is very important.”
The Big Princess opened her mouth, knowing that no matter how much she argued, it wouldn’t change anything, so she simply gave up on reasoning.
Like the Prince Charles, she was not here for the Duel Festival; she just wanted to confirm what exactly a “Hero” and a “Holy Sword” were. This affected their future strategies.
…
“It’s called Tom Nixon, right? He seems like a promising talent.”
Prince Charles suddenly became interested in observing Tom.
He slightly turned his head and said to his trusted aide, “What do you think? Do you believe he can force out those two Mana Spirits with Hero Qualities?”
His aide sighed inwardly and replied earnestly, “Your Highness, I think it all depends on whether Dark Demon can draw… Even if he draws, there’s no way he wouldn’t use it, right?”
The Prince stroked his chin and said, “After careful consideration, according to your description, I might have seen that white cat a few months ago.”
Aide: “Huh?”
The Prince whispered, “If the one with Hero Qualities is him, then the situation could be even more serious than expected. Perhaps we should prepare in advance; we need to visit the Church tonight.”
…
Compared to the spectators with specific purposes, the first-year students were much more pure.
In the ring.
Not only did Diana and Rose cheer loudly, but the cheering squad led by Tudor had also been established.
Dark repeatedly defeated the third-year seniors, bringing honor to his own year, and everyone was quite excited.
But people have different hearts; there were certainly those who didn’t want Dark to keep winning.
For example, Angus Jeffrey, the president of the Noble History Research Society, gritted his teeth while cheering for Tom.
At this moment, he was just acting based on his likes and dislikes.
The atmosphere of the duel easily revealed people’s true nature.
…
After Dark Demon started the Spellboard on the Competitors’ Platform, he looked over at Tom Nixon across from him and suddenly spoke, “Do you really want to win?”
Tom Nixon couldn’t help narrowing his eyes when he heard this.
But he still responded, “What do you think?”
Dark carefully observed and confirmed, “It seems you really want to win.”
Tom shrugged, saying in a strange tone, “And then? Assuming I really want to win, will you admit defeat on the spot?”
Dark smiled slightly, “What do you think?”
Tom snorted softly, “If so, what’s the point of asking these questions?”
Dark shook his head, “I just want to know how determined you are.”
Tom suddenly laughed, “Since you’re so curious, let me tell you, my determination is one hundred percent!”
Dark nodded slightly, “How coincidental.”
“Please place your decks into the Card Slots and auto-shuffle!”
The referee’s voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.
Dark placed his adjusted deck into the Card Slot, waiting for the Spellboard to auto-shuffle.
Tom Nixon on the Blue Side did the same.
Then, the commentator Zack Wilson, who had previously given the speaking time to the two contestants, laughed into the microphone, “It seems the atmosphere between the duelists is excellent. We might witness the most exciting duel of the day. Anyway, as one of the audience members, I’m already eager, how about you?”
He directed the microphone towards the audience like a singer at a concert—though it seemed not many were paying attention.
Zack Wilson coughed awkwardly, quickly moving past this and continuing, “As we all know, the winners of this Easter Duel Festival will receive a huge Easter Egg prepared by the institution. Besides the few public rewards, there are many hidden surprises.
Just like the souvenirs sold at the venue, you never know what’s inside until you open them.
Have any of the gentlemen and ladies tried their luck?
I heard a model of the Sky White Dragon has been drawn. As if by fate, its owner was the first to draw it.”
Zack Wilson’s message finally stirred the audience’s reaction, albeit unexpectedly intense.
But this seemed somewhat unrelated to the current duel.
“Beep—”
The referee’s whistle finally redirected the audience’s attention back to the Dueling Arena.
This duel finally entered the Standby Phase.
“Standby Phase” [30s]
In the sky above the dueling arena, a countdown appeared, making the audience tense.
The two contestants on the platform remained calm.
On the Red Side platform.
Before the countdown appeared, Dark already had his hand on the shuffled deck.
When the whistle sounded and the countdown began, he instantly drew five cards and spread them out in his left hand.
His mind instantly shifted into duel mode.
[Solo Sword Sheath (Weapon Form)]
[Meow]
[Silence Potion]
[Bliss III]
[Garbage Slime]
“Starting hand with Solo Sword Sheath!”
Seeing the first Mana Card, Dark couldn’t help but smile.
Since Solo Sword Sheath was a Second-tier Mana Spirit, he would always convert it into weapon form before the match to make it easier to summon.
The weapon form of Solo Sword Sheath could revert to its physical body by “Elementalizing,” and the time consumed was negligible.
Most importantly, no sacrifice was needed.
Every Mana Spirit Dark had served a unique purpose, and sacrificing them prematurely always felt wasteful.
Regardless.
Getting Solo Sword Sheath in the starting hand symbolized securing the first piece of the victory puzzle.
Without hesitation, Dark pulled the card from his hand.
Tom Nixon was not an opponent who could “hold back.”
If he could crush him within the first few rounds, he wouldn’t hesitate!
As for the other four Mana Cards.
“Meow” could be summoned after Solo Sword Sheath.
Garbage Slime had no summoning environment.
The other two could be considered later.
…
Actually, there weren’t many decisions to be made within these thirty seconds, and Dark almost instantly made his decision.
After drawing Solo Sword Sheath, he even had time to look up and observe Tom Nixon.
Tom Nixon clearly sensed his gaze and immediately raised his head half a second later, then grinned at Dark, his lips curving wider.
…
[3s]
[2s]
[1s]
[0s]
“Battle Phase” [30s]
…
“In the name of Dark Demon, Mana Summoning!”
“In the name of Tom Nixon, Mana Summoning!”
Where their gazes collided, sparks seemed to flash.
At the instant the Battle Phase began, they both lifted their Mana Cards and instantly summoned them.
In an instant.
Two Mana Cards emitted intense light simultaneously.
Mana fluctuations followed.
The white light shot from the Mana Cards instantly illuminated the summoning zones of the Red and Blue sides.
Two Mana Spirits materialized quickly amidst the glow.
The audience’s attention immediately fell to the field.
Someone exclaimed in surprise, “Why is it this Mana Card?”
…
Dark Demon summoned a sword in his first round in his own summoning zone!
Although this sword had shown great power in previous duels, it was ultimately just a sword.
Many viewers still thought it was the white cat controlling it to pursue the Mana Guidance Ball.
A few viewers speculated it might be a magic sword controlled by Mana.
Only a few realized it was actually a Mana Spirit.
Even so, no one would have guessed it was not just a Mana Spirit, but a Second-tier “Golden” Mana Spirit!
The strength of Solo Sword Sheath had not been fully demonstrated in this duel festival.
However, with its appearance, the Prince’s aide immediately reported, “It’s this sword; our analysts have identified the traits of a Holy Sword from it!”
“Holy Sword? Has it finally come?” The Prince immediately focused all his attention on Solo Sword Sheath.
Then he questioned, “Even if it’s a Holy Sword, what’s the use of summoning one out of thin air?”
“This…” His aide was about to respond when the situation on the field changed instantly.
…
In the Blue Side summoning zone.
The Mana Spirit Tom Nixon summoned at the start finally appeared.
It was a Mana Spirit that had participated in the previous duel against Maly Bond.
So the audience was familiar with it.
Dark immediately recognized it.
But upon recognition, his heart sank.
Because this Mana Spirit was incredibly strong, comparable to a Gigant.
All types of top-tier three-star golems were completely different. This particular one should be unique to Tom Nixon.
Or perhaps it was extremely rare, so rare that there were few records about it in the资料缺失，请提供更多信息以完成翻译。
