Chapter 159: Cards Duel (1/2)

As the crowd cheered, Arthur's mind was in turmoil. It should be a coincidence, he thought. After all, the association didn't belong to any of the families. There's no way anyone can interfere with the partners' selection process.

Even if they managed to do so, Yurirl wasn't a part of any family. He was one of the few geniuses that managed to rise from poverty to where he currently stands. That's why Arthur's apprehension of him was less, as they shared similar backgrounds.

Another announcement was issued and the partners walked into the arena from a different gate. They all wore distinct clothing with many of them being famous worldwide. At the end of the crowd, Arthur spotted his partner.

Yurirl of the Sword, the Divine Swordsman. His gait was confident, unhurried, and with measured steps. He had short hair with twin moles under his left eye. His face was chiseled and cold like a statue. His clothing was the simplest and far from his flamboyant peers. A simple sleeved black t-shirt that had the emblem of the strongest guild in the world, God's Blade, a simple blade with no handle.

The crowd cheered and many of them chanted the names of their beloved. Arthur didn't recognize many of the names the people cheered for, as the lives of celebrities weren't his interest. The partners stood to the side as the woman, who Arthur assumed to be Jumana, shouted again.

”QUIET.” The crowd's enthusiasm died down slowly and Jumana cleared her throat. ”Now, every partner should meet the participants. The tournament will begin in one hour. Make sure to get to know each other Once the tournament begins, every partner will use the cards inscribed during this one hour by the participants to fight against others. Every partner has been limited to the rei-rank. The hour shall commence once every participant is in the rooms provided.”

With that, the tournament began.

***

”Hello, Arthur Silvera.”

Yurirl extended his hand to Arthur, who looked at him for a moment before shaking it.

”Hello, Eh…” Arthur didn't know how to address the polite young man in front of him. As if reading his mind, Yurirl answered.

”Call me Yurirl.”

”Okay. Hello, Yurirl.” Arthur smiled and the two ended the handshake at the same time.

”You should get to work, I think,” Yurirl said with a somber expression. Arthur looked at him for a moment and nodded.

They were in a room, alone. They were being monitored to prevent cheating and their storage artifacts have been taken away. In front of Arthur was a table that had a stack of runic cards, liquified mana, and a brush.

Arthur pulled the chair and sat in front of the table and Yurirl took a seat behind him. It was pure awkwardness. Luckily, the screen in front of them issued the first announcement.

”The countdown will begin now. Make sure to discuss with your partners the best strategies to win. Your first opponent is this person.”

It was a name Arthur didn't know but didn't think that it mattered if he did or not. He would give it his all regardless. At the announcer's words, Arthur turned to Yurirl.

”What do you think is the best combination of cards?”

”Well,” Yurirl answered after thinking for a bit. ”We don't know the opponent's best forte, so how about we make a balanced combination?”

”Attack, defense, and support?” Arthur thought and nodded. He returned to the table and picked up the brush.

'What's the normal speed for inscribing?' Arthur thought to himself. 'Roy took half an hour to inscribe Stealth, but that's a tricky rune. Runic cards are easier to inscribe than artifacts, so it should be anything between 5-10 cards per hour.'

Arthur decided to go with fifteen. To be honest, he could inscribe much more. However, he decided against it.

”The first rune I'm inscribing is fire,” Arthur told Yurirl, informing him. ”Use this rune from a distance, unless you want to beat your opponent with flaming fists.” Yurirl chuckled slightly. Arthur began his work.

15 cards per hour, one every four minutes. It was to fake it until the four minutes pass. Arthur knew the rune like the back of his hand, so he could inscribe an artificial rune. However, the lines wouldn't be as perfect as using his ability. This was because of his lacking experience, which he didn't care about.

When the fourth minutes were done, Arthur has already finished the first card. It gave a faint red glow and Arthur placed it to the side while taking another card. He could feel the chair screech against the floor as Yurirl stood up. He continued.

”The second rune is for defense,” Arthur told Yurirl. ”It'll use a mana equivalent to 8 percent of your strength stat.”

”How much protection would it provide?” Yurirl asked from behind him with the same stoic voice.