I Refused To Be Reincarnated

"You've given me a scare, but this is the end. Even if you draw your ace monster on the next turn, you won't have any sacrifice to summon it."

Lena's voice cut through the field, renewed confidence filling her voice.

He saw how she held her head high in pride and her trembling fists as she drew her card.

However, he remained silent, the only difference being the blaze in his eyes turning into an inferno of unchained defiance.

Everyone cheered as she summoned another plant monster and commanded Lala to destroy the shadow ghost, Adam's last defence.

Shepard paled as the attack that would signify his student's loss rocketed through the field.

The solar beam, hot enough to vaporise anything upon contact, collided with the castle's shadows in an explosion of soil and melting rocks.

Surprisingly, Adam's forceful tone reverberated at this precise moment, shattering the crowd's expectations.

"Shadow Ghost's effect. Once per duel, it can't be destroyed by an attack!"

The shadows parted, then gathered together into a faceless, dark humanoid.

Shadow blades protruded from its elbows, shoulders, wrists, and kneecaps, sending a wave of terror to shake the audience's hearts.

Then, he spoke again, purple electric arcs wafting from his eyes as he drew his ultimate card without looking at it. After all, he already had what he needed.

"I sacrifice my monster."

Without wasting a second, he removed the shadow ghost from its slot and slammed another card in its place.

The crowd's eyes enlarged, and Shepard's heart raced, its beating a drumming war song reverberating in his ears.

A tense silence engulfed the venue for a second, everyone expecting to see the simian knight appear.

However, he shattered their expectation again.

He pierced the silence with a guttural roar, asserting his determination to win against all odds.

"Step forward, Dullahan!"

NEIGH

A soul-chilling neigh reverberated in the crowd's ears as their eyes trembled.

Fortunately, they were all seated, or their weak legs would have brought them to the ground, reeling in terror at the appearing monster.

Mounted on the horrible dead black stallion, the Dullahan's body towered like a spear of dark metal.

The invisible pressure he exerted with his soft movements sent the air into disarray as he manipulated his great sword with his right hand.

Meanwhile, two ominous red beams pierced the field as he moved his left hand, revealing the helmet it carried.

Terrorised screams resounded from everywhere at the horrible spectacle. It wasn't just a helmet. Even a fool would understand it after noticing his empty neck. Instead, he carried his own head!

Before the students could recover, Shepard clenched his fist and every fiber in his body tensed as he heard his disciple's commanding voice.

"Destroy that stupid plant!"

Like an imperial edict, his words reached the headless monstrosity with utmost authority. The dullahan's attack value appeared in the air, sending another wave of shock crashing into everyone.

ATK 2800

Lena's body heat increased, her eyes trembled, and her legs clattered as she took support on her desk. Glacial sweat dripped from her forehead as her mind blanked. She had lost. She knew it. With her ace monster already destroyed, only Lala could help secure the win. Yet, the Dullahan's strength was overwhelming, even among tier-four creatures.

Yet, the sound of hooves and the clang of armor brought her mind back, forcing her watery eyes to witness her ancestor's card destruction.

In a dark blur, the stallion charged towards Lala, shrugging the solar beam she counter-attacked with like a furious gale.

Meanwhile, the Dullahan drew his unnaturally large blade behind his back. In a swift motion, invisible to the onlookers' eyes, he cleaved the air, Lala and everything behind her in two perfect halves.

The ground shook and rose. Dust billowed as the flower that had once dominated the duelling field collapsed and exploded into a rain of glistening sparks.

"N-No," Lena stuttered, tears rolling down her cheeks. Yet, sparks of determination still remained in her eyes. "I-I won't give up!"

Like he did, she'll hold on and hope to draw a game-changing card to turn the table. After all, her three castles still stood intact!

However, Adam's words cut through her hopeful thinking like a lightning blade, leaving her emotions in chaos.

"Activate your first effect! If the Dullahan is summoned using an evil ghost as a sacrifice, he can destroy a castle after battle, ignoring its position on the field!"

At his command, ancient magic, too dreadful to be remembered, reverberated on the plain. A barrage of cursed spears appeared, obscuring the sky in a show of lethal horror.

BOOM

Like a dark meteor rain, they collided with the construct, laying carnage on it until only a smoking ruin remained.
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But he wasn't done with so little.

Fuelled by a potent rush of defiance, he would secure his win thoroughly, leaving no place for any comeback!

"Dullahan's second effect. Upon destroying a castle, he can bring back a destroyed evil ghost on the field!"

The dullahan's hand blurred in a downward strike. Piercing the ground, it phased through the existence planes, reaching for the graveyard. It grabbed onto something, then pulled at maximum strength, raising a cloud of dust and the chilling fog of death.

When his hand reappeared in the public's eyes, he held onto the Doppelgänger and threw it onto the plain with a scornful glance.

As everyone thought Lena's situation went from bad to worse, Adam's voice reverberated again.

"The Doppelgänger can copy any creature's form and effects!"

The swirling energy forming the evil ghost's body churned, taking the Dullahan's shape as Lena's terrorised yelp echoed.

But he continued, ignoring the despair dancing in her eyes.

"The Doppelgänger ignores effects activation conditions. Destroy the second castle and revive the Shadow Ghost."

Another castle exploded into rumbles, followed by the reappearance of the shadow-bladed menace.

Finally, the three evil ghosts gathered on the plain, eying her last castle, ready to destroy it on the next turn.

At this moment, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, his tense shoulders relaxing. Contrary to his expectations, Lena proved a formidable duelist.

'I almost lost.'

He closed his eyes, pondering his deck composition.

Meanwhile, Lena opened and closed her mouth, unable to speak. Her deck seemed to move further and further away from her trembling hand, making it unreachable.

After a moment of struggling, her weak voice echoed, raising a wave of cheering and chanting from the crowd.

"I give up."

No matter what she did, she'd lose. Summoning a monster to defend her castle? The Dullahan would obliterate them both. She had no way to turn the tables.

Hot tears streaming down her cheeks, she collapsed, letting her frustration and sadness out.

Simultaneously, he moved to her and extended his palm.

"You're a skilled player. I enjoyed our duel, even if you almost crushed me."

She raised her head, her green eyes peering into his for a moment. With a soft smile, she grabbed his hand and rose to her feet.

"You were stronger in this duel. But I'll beat you in the next tournament!

She grabbed her deck, retrieved the Carnivorous Carnation and handed it to him, a pang of unwillingness spreading in her chest. But it was the rule, and she had to follow it.

However, he shook his head, noticing the surprise in her raised brows.