NOVEL WEB Chapter 39: DSMW [39]
After returning [Monster Reborn], Miles assumed—given how stingy the Spirit Continent was about card trading rules—that they wouldn't get a reward card at all.
But deep in the quiet forest behind the academy, with the breeze rustling the trees, something unexpected happened.
Ding-ling-ling—!
Like a summer wind chime caught in the breeze, a crisp metallic jingle rang out.
The sound came from the fake Millennium Ring hanging around the black-robed man's neck.
"Huh? Why? The Shadow Game is over... Why is the Millennium Ring still reacting?"
Then, as if it were a soulless zombie, the black-robed man—who'd been unconscious since losing the Shadow Game—suddenly trembled and got back up.
"Help! Miles! He's... he's still moving!"
Aisha couldn't help but scream. The man's current state was somehow even scarier than when he was conscious.
—Soul Exchange!
Miles swiftly swapped back into Aisha's body.
'Good grief, her legs went soft again.'
Even with how fast he reacted, Miles still couldn't beat how quickly his timid host collapsed.
Anyway, first priority: hold stance. If things go south, bolt immediately.
But... what happened next wasn't what Miles expected at all.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry..."
The black-robed man showed no hostility toward Aisha. Instead, he kept mumbling apologies over and over, as if begging someone for forgiveness.
"Forgive me, Master... Please... Please give me another chance... I don't... I don't want to die! Aaaaahhhhhh!"
Accompanied by the eerie jingle of the Millennium Ring, the man's joints twisted into inhuman positions.
"I'm so sorry, Master!"
With one final agonized scream, his head twisted 180 degrees.
Dead.
The fake Millennium Ring on his chest crumbled into black ash, blowing away in the wind.
The entire horrifying scene unfolded in less than a minute, leaving even Miles—who was controlling the body—too tense to breathe.
"Damn... This time, dueling really did kill someone."
Squinting, Miles glanced away from the headless corpse lying on the ground. Not because he was scared—but to avoid frightening Aisha.
"What was that about... 'Master'? And why did the Millennium Ring break?"
Of course, Miles didn't know the Ring was a counterfeit.
Everything that had happened tonight felt overwhelmingly bizarre.
A suffocating sense of unease surged in his chest.
"Miles! The cards—the cards!"
Aisha's frantic voice jolted him.
"What cards?"
"The Dark Duelist's cards—they're burning!"
"Huh?!"
Lost in thought over tonight's events, Miles hadn't noticed that the Duelist's Deck inside his Spirit Eyes was spontaneously combusting.
In the Spirit Continent, when a Duelist dies, their Deck and Spirit Eyes are destroyed.
But... if the Duelist was strong enough, one card would stay behind. And that card becomes a Tradable Card—a different kind from those won through Shadow Games.
[Summoned Skull]
A fittingly ironic ending.
Aisha hadn't taken the card through the Shadow Game, but because the Duelist died... it still became a Tradable Card.
"Welp, a win's a win."
Stepping over the disturbing corpse, Miles reached into the ashes of the burned Deck and pulled out the lone surviving card.
The familiar image of the bone-armored demon stared back, radiating overwhelming Elven energy. For someone used to handling nothing but junk cards, Miles was finally feeling what it meant to own a real power card.
Compared to this, stuff like [Exchange] was just plain NTR.
Aisha grinned. "Wow! What a strong card, Miles! I can't believe we got it after all! Ehehe~"
'...This girl.'
She'd sounded so pure and kind when it came to Mizuki's card, but now she was talking like a proper villain.
'Are you... chaotic good?'
Examining [Summoned Skull] carefully, Miles's expression grew serious.
"It's strong... but not strong enough."
"Not enough?!"
That depends on what you compare it to.
Miles had originally assumed the oppressive aura he'd felt when stepping into the forest was coming from [Summoned Skull].
That said, holding it now... he realized that the pressure was on an entirely different level.
Not even the so-called King of Single Tribute Summons could compare—The gap was enormous.
"Looks like we haven't uncovered the real secret of this forest yet."
The moment Miles thought that—acknowledging that this hidden beast lurking in the night held deeper mysteries—the Millennium Puzzle activated again.
"The darkness of the enemy still lingers here. Heir of the partner... For the sake of your friends, drive that malice away."
An unfamiliar voice echoed in Miles's mind—without warning.
"Aisha... was that you?"
"No, not me."
Definitely not. The voice was totally unfamiliar yet resonated deep within his soul.
"The enemy's darkness..."
The message was vague, leaving Miles puzzled.
But right after—almost like answering that very question—
A golden beam shot out from the eye of the Millennium Puzzle, pointing toward the place where Aisha had previously split up with Irene.
"The enemy's darkness still lingers..."
His mind raced.
Then it hit him.
"Wait... don't tell me there's more than one Dark Duelist! Crap—Ren's still alone! She's in danger!"
No time to swap bodies back.
Following the path illuminated by the golden light, Miles sprinted toward the place where they'd parted ways with Irene. After they disappeared into the forest, a translucent figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
Watching the distant girl and the wobbling Millennium Puzzle, the figure smiled meaningfully.
"How nostalgic... Once upon a time, I too fought side by side with my partner like this. 'Things visible but unseen'... Protect that invisible bond of friendship and kindness, successor."
Had Miles turned back for even a second... he would've recognized it.
That hair—shining brilliantly like the stars.
...
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