Out of the heat-hazed mirage of the desert, figures emerged. Three silhouettes against the stark backdrop of sand and sky. The most prominent among them was a lanky figure with platinum-blond hair, gleaming in the sunlight like a polished knife blade. His frosty gaze settled on Johan, a cruel smile pulling at his lips.
"'Bout time we crossed paths," he drawled, the grin never leaving his face. His entourage of accomplices flanked him, burly and menacing under the harsh desert sun.
'Ah, look who it is. Mister Bigshot and his goon squad,' Johan thought, his gaze cool as he observed the trio. He didn't need to see their predatory grins or the malicious glint in their eyes to know their intentions. It was written all over their faces.
"Ready to hand over your loots, runt?" the platinum-haired contestant sneered, arrogantly tossing a knife from hand to hand. The two accompanying him chuckled, their laughter echoing ominously in the quiet desert.
Johan's lips twitched upwards in a faint, almost mocking smile. 'They sure do like to talk big,' he mused, his fingers gently brushing against the card containing his giant. 'They have no idea what they're in for.'
"Is that supposed to scare me?" Johan retorted, his tone casual despite the tense atmosphere. "Because you're going to have to do better than that."
The arrogance in the platinum-haired contestant's eyes faltered for a moment, replaced by a flicker of surprise. It seemed he wasn't expecting Johan to be so composed. 'Good. Let them underestimate me,' Johan thought, his resolve unwavering. 'It'll make my victory all the sweeter.'
As the snide comments echoed around him, Johan took a deep breath, fingers closing around a card. The air shimmered as he summoned his giant. The towering figure appeared with a roar that made the desert sands vibrate beneath their feet.
"'Wh-what the...?' The platinum-haired contestant stuttered, his swagger faltering as he took in the sheer size of the summoned creature. The presence of the giant had a profound effect on the power dynamics, causing the arrogant grins on the antagonists' faces to wane.
'Oh, look at their faces. Priceless,' Johan thought with an inward chuckle. His heart pounded with the thrill of the upcoming fight, but his expression remained calm, unreadable.
"Meet my friend," he said, jerking a thumb towards the giant who was now hulking over the trio.
Not to be outdone, the platinum-haired contestant flashed a silver card, his aura flaring up around him, crackling with electricity. "Jormugant!" He shouted, the card dissolving into a flash of light. Bolts of lightning sparked in his hands, his eyes glittering with wild anticipation. The two accomplices transformed, one into a hulking wolf, the other into a grotesque goblin.
The air was electric as the battle commenced. Under Johan's command, the giant lumbered forward, its fists coming down like meteors on the transformed accomplices. Dust and sand billowed as they were sent skidding back, the ground cracking under the impact.
Despite the initial shock, the platinum-haired contestant proved to be a formidable opponent. Bolts of lightning shot from his hands, lashing out at the giant. Each hit seemed to weaken it, until finally, a particularly vicious bolt struck the giant, and it crumbled, the card in Johan's hand disintegrating along with it.
Johan watched the remnants of the card float away, a grim set to his mouth. 'Guess it's time to bring out the big guns,' he thought, his hand moving to a different card. 'Let's see how they handle my ghoul...' He summoned the ghoul, his rare quality Tier 9 beast appearing with a spine-chilling howl that seemed to suck the warmth out of the desert air.
The battle was far from over.
The ghoul sprang into action, its sharp Kagune lashing out with lethal precision. The sight of the ghoul had a paralyzing effect on the trio, their attacks slowing as they tried to comprehend the new threat. The ghoul exploited this, launching a ruthless assault that left the trio incapacitated, their proud auras snuffed out.
"Imperial...Imperial Card Master," the platinum-haired contestant stammered, disbelief etched on his face as he crumpled to the ground. It was a title bestowed upon those rare few, those capable of summoning creatures to do their bidding. Among tens of thousands, there might not be even one. But here was Johan, a living example of this rare breed of card masters.
The proclamation echoed in Johan's mind, turning over and over. 'Imperial Card Master, huh?' He mused, a smirk playing on his lips. He'd done it. Despite the odds, he had emerged victorious, proving his worth against those who dared to underestimate him.
As the ghoul disappeared, leaving him standing alone amidst the defeated trio, Johan couldn't help but reflect on the encounter. 'Won't be the last time I'll have to face folks like them,' He thought, dusting the sand off his clothes. 'Underhanded tactics, threats, brawls... it's all part of the game.'
His eyes swept over the unconscious bodies of his assailants. He knew he'd need to be prepared for more encounters like this one, for more opponents underestimating him because of his quiet demeanor or plain clothes. This realization only hardened his resolve. 'Bring it on,' He thought defiantly, staring out at the vast expanse of desert ahead. 'I'm not going anywhere.'
Fear seeped into the eyes of the platinum-haired contestant and his accomplices, their bravado replaced by sheer terror as they comprehended the gravity of their situation. Hands trembling, they glanced at each other, the cold hand of realization clenching their hearts.
"We...we messed up," stuttered one of the accomplices, a burly man who had just moments ago boasted about his ability to transform into a wolf. His voice was shaky, a stark contrast to the confident tone he had used earlier.
'Beggars, now? How quickly the tables turn,' Johan thought, his gaze cold and unyielding as he watched them squirm. He didn't feel a smidgen of sympathy for them, not after their earlier arrogance.
"I-I'm... I'm the third son of the Qilin Clan," the platinum-haired contestant stammered, sweat trickling down his pale face. "Spare me... and my clan will reward you."
The name of the renowned Qilin Clan echoed in Johan's mind, but he remained unimpressed. 'The Qilin Clan, huh? You sure played a pretty poor hand for someone so well-connected.' His lips curled into a thin smile, devoid of any warmth.
"Spare your pathetic lives? For what? So you can stab me in the back later?" Johan's voice was icy, his words hanging heavily in the silence that followed. His decision was clear. Despite their pleas, he would not allow them to escape the consequences of their actions.
The opponents seemed to latch onto Johan's disinterest in their family connections, a flicker of hope igniting in their desperate eyes. One by one, they rummaged through their possessions, hurriedly presenting an assortment of items that gleamed with a bronze hue under the relentless desert sun.
"Look, look!" the platinum-haired contestant begged, his voice high and panicky. "These are Bronze treasures! Rare in the market and priceless to the right buyer. Please... take them and let us go!"
The sight of their desperation only deepened Johan's disdain. 'Bronze treasures? You think you can buy your lives with such trinkets?' he thought, staring blankly at the items laid out in front of him. The treasures might have been valuable in some contexts, but at that moment, they seemed pathetically inadequate.
"I... I apologize for my behavior earlier," the platinum-haired contestant stuttered out, his eyes pleading for mercy. He even went so far as to kowtow, his forehead pressing against the rough sand of the desert. "I promise... I promise I won't cross your path again."
His desperate pleas were punctuated by a spreading dark patch on his trousers, a sign of his utter humiliation and defeat. Johan merely watched, a cold smirk playing on his lips. 'You should have thought of the consequences before acting so brashly.' His eyes were not filled with contempt, but rather a chilling indifference.
Johan's eyes flitted over the trembling contestants and then to the assortment of bronze treasures laid out in front of him. A moment of contemplation, and he reached out, scooping up the treasures and stowing them in his bag. The sighs of relief that followed were almost comical.
'Just a bunch of cowardly wolves,' Johan mused, the corner of his mouth twitching upward in a half-smirk. 'Baring their teeth one moment, tucking tail and running the next. Pathetic.'
Letting them go, Johan watched as they scurried away like frightened rats, not once looking back. As they disappeared into the horizon, he felt a certain satisfaction. Not only had he emerged victorious, but he had also sent out a clear message. He was not to be trifled with.
No sooner had the dust settled, whispers started to echo among the dunes. Word of the protagonist's formidable fight spread like wildfire, travelling from one contestant to another. Murmurs of his ruthlessness and power echoed under the scorching desert sun, painting a fearsome image of him.
"Did you hear? The newcomer took down Argo and his group single-handedly."
"He didn't even bat an eye when they mentioned their families. He's ice-cold."
"The guy is a true Imperial Card Master, summoning creatures of rare-type that is only equivalent to human silver quality card! He can not only summon rare ghoul, but also giant! Though its type was just common."
Every whisper, every rumor, further cemented Johan's reputation among the contestants. They now knew not to cross him, a lesson learned from the humiliating defeat of the platinum-haired contestant. As the sun began to set on the horizon, one thing became abundantly clear - Johan wasn't someone to messed with!