The knight commander remained silent.
He just moved a bit closer to Alice.
If things took a turn for the worse, he would choose to protect Alice and then jump off the magical airship with her.
With magic and body enhancement, at this height, as a tier 7 knight, he could safely land with Alice.
But if it really came to that point.
He wouldn't be able to consider the safety of other passengers and students.
Most of them would die.
"Don't worry, don't worry, why so serious? Our target is not the princess. No one wants to be relentlessly pursued by His Majesty."
The man in the suit sneered, finally turning his gaze towards Dekan.
"Dekan, my friend, could you take a little trip with us? The fate of everyone on board is in your hands."
"..."
Dekan continued to look down at his book.
Seemingly listening but unwilling to engage.
"Oh dear, Dekan, you're in great shape. Your mental resilience is much better than the others. But don't worry, we won't harm you. After all, you will become our future companion."
The man in the suit observed Dekan with satisfaction.
In the capital, they couldn't make a move on Dekan, but once outside the capital, it was a different story.
Dekan closed the book, lifted his head, and gave the man in the suit a disdainful smile.
"Do you think I would sacrifice myself for these strangers?"
Dekan asked in a cold and indifferent tone, as if finding the man in the suit's question absurd and ridiculous.
"We've seen your performance in the Shadow Worlds. You would never harm innocent people and would even lend them a helping hand. However, that is also your greatest weakness. Of course, if you choose to abandon them to preserve yourself, you would align even more with our doctrine. Regardless of your choice, you will be embraced by us."
The man in the suit seemed to be performing a solo act, thoroughly enjoying the attention from the onlookers.
He opened his arms, leaned back gently, and his smile became even more audacious.
"Ah, you despicable scoundrels."
Dekan sighed, seeming genuinely tired. It was a feeling of resigning after falling one move short in a game of chess.
"Promise not to harm any innocent person and I'll go with you."
Though Dekan's tone remained flat, there was an underlying sense of helplessness in every word.
No killing, no controlling, and it seemed they prepared sensory deprivation as well. Even Dekan was powerless.
The preparation on the other side was too thorough.
"Dekan..."
Alice bit her lip, her eyes filled with unwillingness.
She felt a deep sense of despair. Although she was not in danger, she could only watch as her friend, the Norton Kingdom's supernova cardmaker, was taken hostage by the Resurgence Church.
Who could have anticipated an attack from the Resurgence Church at this time?
And the preparation was so meticulous, precisely exploiting Dekan's weakness.
Otherwise, with Dekan's abilities, he wouldn't have been forced to compromise!
"Don't worry."
Mielle gently grabbed Alice's trembling hand.
She felt that Dekan wouldn't just give in so easily.
Dekan wasn’t the obedient type to compromise with criminals.
One could always trust that actor's performance.
"Clap, clap."
The man in the suit clapped his hands with satisfaction.
Then, he slightly bowed to Dekan and extended his hand.
"Well then, Dekan, could you please hand over your cards to me for safekeeping?"
"..."
"Don't blame me for being petty, your methods make people have to be cautious."
"Heh, heh."
Dekan seemed to find it somewhat absurd, sneering twice.
Taking advantage of their threat to him, they intended to force him to hand over the cards and render him completely incapacitated in combat.
Indeed, it was a seamless kidnapping plan.
It could genuinely corner him, extracting all his fangs.
Being targeted felt uncomfortable.
"The choice is in yours; this is our greatest sincerity."
The man in the suit revealed a winner's smile.
It seemed he was already confident about what choice Dekan would make.
After all, if Dekan had any other way, he wouldn't have engaged in such a polite conversation with him.
"Well, then."
Dekan felt that enough time had passed.
He stood up without saying a word and slapped the man in the suit with a resounding smack. The crisp and loud sound echoed through the quiet cabin. Not only was the man in the suit stunned, but the other passengers were also taken aback.
"You?"
The man in the suit looked at Dekan with bewildered eyes. Due to the numbing of his senses, he couldn't feel the stinging sensation on his cheek. However, Dekan's forceful slap undoubtedly left a red handprint on his face. Even without looking in the mirror, he could imagine how ridiculous he must look now.
"What are you pretending to be here? Do you think hijacking is cool? Do you realize you look like a clown?"
Dekan looked at the man in the suit with disdain, as if he was looking at trash.
"Fufu..."
Mielle covered her mouth. Despite having prepared to witness a comedy, upon seeing the man in the suit in a dazed state, half of his face flushed, she couldn't hold back her laughter. His behavior was simply too authentic!
Mielle's light laughter seemed to break the last defense of the man in the suit.
"You bastard!"
The man in the suit roared. Suddenly losing his elegance, he angrily grabbed Dekan by the neck, lifted his leg, and fiercely kneed Dekan in the stomach.
"Oof..."
With a painful whimper, Dekan's body went limp, seemingly losing consciousness. For some reason, the man in the suit felt a slight pain in his knee. The previous kick didn't feel like hitting a person at all. He let go of Dekan, letting him collapse on the ground like throwing away garbage.
Dekan's condition was also abnormal. He lay on the ground like a lifeless puppet.
The man in the suit: "?"
He suddenly realized something was wrong.
This can't be!
Is this Dekan fake?!
If Dekan is fake, even if he has more hostages...
The person he threatened didn't show up at all. Isn't he threatening thin air?
Before he could lift Dekan from the ground to examine, he saw Dekan's body turning into a card.
[Substitute Puppet]
[Category: Summoning Card]
[Rarity: Purple Rare]
[Tier: 3]
[Effect: Can perfectly mimic the appearance of the user]
[Remarks: Do not use this card for illegal activities]
This card wasn’t rarely seen. Occasionally, high-level challengers raiding Shadow Worlds would choose to use this card to confuse enemies. However, this card has a significant weakness - the puppet's combat power was extremely weak and cannot use magic cards. Considering its expensive market price, the cost-effectiveness of this card was a matter of personal opinion.
"Ahhhhh!"
The man in the suit clutched his head and teared at his own hair with bloodshot eyes. Although the airship was still under his control, the plan to capture Dekan had gone down the drain. He didn’t know how he could possibly explain how he let a cooked duck escape when he returns to the Resurgence Church.
He had clearly confirmed that before boarding, Dekan was chatting and laughing with Mielle and Alice! He and his companions had been keeping a close eye on Dekan during boarding!
Where did things go wrong?
When did this jerk replace himself with a puppet?
There was no way he could have missed it!
Could it be...
This guy never intended to board with his real self from the beginning?!
What a lunatic!
Who the hell is so bored that they even guard against the air?
