Chapter 61. Dekan Emphasizes Standardized Dueling

Soon, Cloix’s expression turned worried again. He looked at me and asked:

“Do you know there’s a third-rank spell card called 【Pain Shielding】?”

“Mmm.”

I smiled calmly.

“Then how are you going to beat him? You need to rely on your pain-based system to defeat enemies across ranks!”

“Hmph hmph, how about this? If I can defeat Frata fair and square in the duel, you won’t have any more hesitation and will honestly admit that you’re a member of our Beautiful Mind Squad. How about it?”

“…”

Cloix was silent for a while before finally nodding heavily, “Alright, I promise you. But you must win!”

“Don’t worry.”

I waved my hand, a proud smile on my face.

I turned my head to look at Cornelia beside me and asked:

“Cornelia, what do you want to eat for our welcoming party and celebration feast tonight?”

“Grill!”

“Barbecue, huh? No problem.”

Looking at my confident appearance, Cloix also smiled helplessly.

Co: “Treat!”

Me: “Cornelia says it’s her treat tonight.”

“Thank you… By the way, I’ve been wondering for a while, how on earth do you understand what Cornelia means?”

Cloix finally couldn’t help but ask.

Me: “It’s simple. Just look into her eyes, and you’ll naturally understand.”

Cloix: “???”

I thought you guys had a squad voice chat and just didn’t invite me.

At this point, many of the students who had been watching the commotion had already dispersed.

There were also students who were still witnessing the historic moment of the meeting of the Beautiful Mind’s big three.

Claire had already walked up to Cloix’s side without a sound.

“Are you a pig? Just letting Frata bully you like that?”

She glared at Cloix with some anger.

“What he said is indeed the truth… I’ve made an irreparable mistake. I’ve let your sister down, and I’ve let you down.”

As soon as Cloix saw her, he seemed to wilt again.

“You’ve let us down, but you haven’t let him down! I just can’t stand the way you act like a perpetrator and a victim at the same time, wallowing in self-pity! You deserve to be a coward for the rest of your life!”

Claire seemed unable to contain her anger and quickly walked out of the classroom.

Cloix seemed to have gotten used to her scolding. He didn’t talk back at all and just smiled awkwardly at Cornelia and me after Claire left.

“Sorry to make a fool of myself in front of you.”

“…What’s your relationship with her?”

I asked.

“It’s very bad. She didn’t hate me that much when she was a child, but ever since her sister was seriously injured, she has hated me to the bone.”

“…Is it possible that she both loves and hates you?”

“What kind of joke are you making??”

Cloix’s eyes widened, and his voice became a bit louder.

“Why don’t you try forcefully pinning her against a wall next time and see her reaction?”

“She’ll never forgive me for the rest of her life!”

“Forget it, forget it. Figure it out for yourself.”

I patted Cloix’s shoulder, not planning to say any more.

Some things are always confusing for those involved, but clear to onlookers.

Watching a game of chess without speaking is also a kind of pleasure.

...

The news of Frata’s duel with me quickly spread throughout the academy.

Before the appointed time of two o’clock, the Phantom Arena was already as lively as if a grand ceremony was about to be held.

The main structure of the arena was like a colosseum, sealed at the top by a transparent barrier.

The venue was divided into many different areas, but the most conspicuous was undoubtedly the “Artificial Shadow World Activator” placed in the center.

The walls of the circular outer periphery and the partitioned areas were filled with large projection screens, which could display the situation and data within the artificial shadow world.

The good seats in the spectator stands had all been taken by students who arrived early.

Whether they were haters, fans, or just looking for fun, everyone wanted to watch the excitement.

After all, many people had already guessed.

In this duel, I would be targeted by countermeasure cards.

And as a Card Maker, I didn't have enough time to create new cards to specifically counter Frata.

Theoretically, the fifth-rank elite mage Frata had a higher chance of winning.

But for some reason, everyone felt that I might have some new tricks up my sleeve.

And if I really did win, Frata would surely end up in a miserable state.

This was the risk one had to bear when making a bet with the devil.

Even many teachers had come.

Especially the teachers and medical staff from the Alchemy Faculty.

Normally, the artificial shadow world of Phantom Canyon was absolutely safe.

But last time, I had sent Professor Anno away on a stretcher.

This indicated that there were still some unknown safety hazards.

Cloix and Cornelia were sitting in the spectator stands.

Even the Cat Teacher had come to join the fun, sitting in the seat next to Cloix.

“By the way, this kid is only third-rank. Can he beat Frata, meow?”

“I don’t know either, but I bet on Frata to win.”

“…Shouldn’t you bet on Dekan to win, meow?”

“With my luck, I’ve almost never won a bet.”

“I suddenly realized you seem to be a curse-type too, meow. No wonder that kid took a liking to you!”

...

The artificial shadow world was now ready for duel mode, with the parameters set by the school staff in charge of the arena.

The default was unlimited time, and to ensure fairness, no information could be conveyed to the inside of the shadow world from the outside in any way during this period.

They were just waiting for me and Frata to enter through the void gate.

Both of us stood at the entrance, seemingly waiting for each other.

“What, scared?”

Frata sneered.

I didn't respond to him, but just found a school staff member and said a few words.

After a while, the staff member brought a document and a pen.

I quickly signed my name on it with a few strokes.

“Let’s sign a life-and-death waiver first.”

After I finished signing, I handed the “Disclaimer of Liability for Use of the Artificial Shadow World Activator - Risk Acknowledgment Form” to Frata.

“…Is that necessary?”

A strong sense of unease welled up in Frata’s heart.

Signing this thing was of no benefit to him at all.

“According to the rules of use for the Phantom Canyon duel mode, it is necessary. It’s just that many students skip this step, which is an irregular operation.”

I took out another book, the “Artificial Shadow World Activator Instruction Manual,” flipped to a certain page, and handed it to Frata.

The corner of Frata’s mouth twitched slightly.

Who the hell would be so bored as to read this book!

Although he was very reluctant to sign it, he asked the school staff member next to him, and the other party’s answer confirmed that I was not bluffing him.

It was just that because both sides usually held the idea of a friendly duel, this step was skipped.

Since one of the duelists had requested the signing, they had to follow the regulations.

“Hah, what a psychological tactic.”

Although Frata felt uneasy, he soon figured out that this was me trying to mess with his mentality before the match.

As long as he completely shielded his sense of pain, the artificial shadow world posed no danger at all.

Even if he really encountered danger, he could actively admit defeat and surrender to leave the shadow world.

Frata signed it decisively and handed it to the school staff member.

“Alright, can we start the duel now?”

Frata asked.

“Yare yare, let’s begin a pleasant duel.”

I looked at him, smiled, and walked into the void gate.

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