"Don't worry, don't worry, how could I do something that wouldn't let you surrender voluntarily?" Dekan, with his hands behind his back, slightly bowed forward and looked at Flatta with a smug smile.
This smile appeared particularly eerie in Flatta's eyes.
"I'm doing this for your own good. To save you, y’know."
"If you had recklessly left the Phantom Valley just now, you might really be dead."
"Do you remember that I used a spell card at the beginning?"
While speaking, Dekan took out a spell card.
He showed it to Flatta.
It was the same spell card that Flatta couldn't identify at that time.
"Identify the effect of this card."
The moment Dekan's words fell, there was also an orange ripple on the card surface, making Flatta's heart race.
[Pain Proliferation]
[Category: Spell Card]
[Rarity: Orange Epic]
[Tier: 3]
[Effect: Inflicts the "Pain Proliferation" status ailment on the enemy. Status cannot be purified. The enemy will not feel any pain until this status is removed. When status is removed, all the pain accumulated during the status duration will erupt instantly.]
[Note: Old granny! I bet you can't see this card!]
"Wuuwuuwu!"
Flatta widened his eyes, filled with terror, desperately shaking his head and trying to speak but unable to make a sound.
"I know what you're thinking. You can evade this deadly pain by maintaining ‘Pain Nullification.’ But have you ever seriously read the manual for the Shadow World Activation Device?"
"At the moment when you leave the Artificial Shadow World, all your statuses will be cleared."
Including—Pain Proliferation and Pain Nullification.
In other words, when Flatta leaves the Shadow World, no matter what, he will endure this blow without Pain Nullification!
"I mean, hypothetically, what if there's a Ruined Poet waiting for you outside?"
"Wuwuuwu!" (Impossible!)
Although Flatta couldn't speak, Dekan understood the fear and struggle written on his face.
"Who said I only have one Ruined Poet? Look at the one I summoned now, doesn’t it look a bit different from my previous one?"
Dekan pointed to the Ruined Poet behind him.
Compared to its previous pitch-black attire, it now had a hint of blue aura.
"I already gave Croix a Ruined Poet, and he's standing outside waiting for you to come out."
Outside the arena.
Everyone turned their gaze to Croix, who was sitting in the audience seats.
Croix: "???"
Suddenly being the center of attention, sitting beside Croix, Cornelia was so shocked that she dropped the popcorn she was holding.
Croix also had a bewildered expression on his face.
At this moment, everyone understood.
Dekan was bluffing Flatta!
There was no second card!
Dekan simply used his card-making skills to change the appearance of the Ruined Poet!
Inside the Phantom Valley, Dekan paced slowly around Flatta.
"Hoho, let me test you. When I summoned the Ruined Poet earlier, I already subjected you to a 60 times pain increase attack. So, how many times greater will the pain attack be when you leave the dungeon?"
"Ugh!!!"
In the Phantom Valley, there was only 1/4 of the sensation, so the actual effect of the 60 times pain that Dekan had just applied was 15 times.
But, with the damage recorded with [Pain Proliferation], when Flatta triggered it upon leaving the Shadow World, it would be 150 times due to the influence of the Ruined Poet outside!
His heart might instantly shatter!
Even if he managed to survive, he would probably spend the rest of his life bedridden.
"Do you regret what you did to Croix now?"
Flatta was about to cry; he wanted to apologize to Croix outside through the screen, but he couldn't speak.
"Well, don't worry too much. I've always believed in returning kindness for grievances; I won't make things difficult for you."
"Now, the choice is yours. Do you want to surrender?"
Dekan asked with a light smile.
Flatta nodded vigorously.
Dekan turned around, spread his arms toward the sky, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, Flatta has surrendered. According to our bet, he can no longer trouble Croix in the future."
At this point, Dekan's words stopped, and then he turned back to look at Flatta, smiling without saying a word.
"Wuu!" (Quickly help me remove the Pain Proliferation status!)
Flatta's expression was now dominated by a mix of fear and anxiety.
"Sigh, when did I ever say I would help you remove it?"
Finally, Dekan couldn't contain the smile that was about to bloom on his face.
He looked like a successful prankster.
Now, Flatta finally understood Dekan's intention!
If Dekan left the Phantom Valley at this point.
Although the Artificial Shadow World would judge Dekan as the loser, Flatta had publicly acknowledged his surrender to Dekan in front of everyone!
The outcome of their duel was already decided!
Furthermore, it no longer mattered if Croix actually had a [Ruined Poet] waiting outside.
As long as Dekan left first and summoned the [Ruined Poet] outside, Flatta would definitely suffer a 150 times pain attack!
He had been deceived by Dekan.
He had rashly agreed to Dekan's surrender request.
Now, he was truly trapped!
"Wu, wuu, wuuu!" (No! You can't do this! You'll be expelled from the school!)
"Huh? What are you saying? I don't understand. We signed a life and death contract; what do I care about the risks of the Artificial Shadow World?"
"Wuu!"
"I'll be going now! Whenever you're ready, leave the Phantom Valley!"
"Wuuuu, wuuwuu!" (Don't go, please spare me!)
"Kind-hearted as I am, I never intended to harm you. So, what do you mean by 'spare you'..."
With these words, Dekan's figure disappeared in the Phantom Valley.
Leaving behind Flatta, who was in despair, lying on the ground, staring blankly ahead.
Once one side of a duel leaves the scene, the duel is considered over.
To give the duelists some time to prepare, they are not forcibly teleported away.
The duelists can choose to leave on their own when they are ready.
...
After leaving the Phantom Valley, Dekan stretched lazily.
As if he had just returned from a stroll.
Coming out of the Void Gate, Dekan immediately saw Croix.
He immediately ran up to Dekan, and anxiously said: "Dekan, don't be impulsive; Flatta will really die!"
Although Croix wasn't afraid of Flatta's family influence, he was worried that Dekan would get into endless trouble because of this.
"Don't worry; normal students don't kill their classmates."
Dekan smiled and handed the [Pain Proliferation] card to Croix.
The orange aura on the card instantly disappeared, turning into an ordinary card with a faint blue glow.
[Fake Card]
[Category: Equipment Card]
[Rarity: Blue Rare]
[Tier: 3]
[Effect: Can disguise as a magic card of tier 3 Epic rarity or below.]
[Note: Let me show you what real on-site card printing is.]
