SWNOVELXO Chapter 45: DSMW [45]
"AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!"
Scorched by the flames of justice, Megan's screams grew weaker and weaker as the fire consumed her.
When her Life Points hit zero—signaling her defeat in the Shadow Game—the Deck stored in her Elves' Eyes was forcibly ejected. Forty cards were scattered into the air like falling leaves.
Inside Irene's body, Miles noticed something remarkable—This girl had insanely high dynamic vision.
So high that even cards spinning chaotically midair were perfectly legible.
No wonder both the Duel Club and most sports clubs tried to recruit her.
"Is this... a buffet?"
With her dynamic vision clearly reading every card... and with the Shadow Game rule allowing the winner to take one card… It really did feel like Megan had laid out her whole Deck and told him, "Take your pick."
"This one."
It sounded long, but from decision to action, Miles needed less than a second.
No hesitation.
What's the point of playing HERO if you don't grab [Polymerization]?
Snapping the Fusion Spell from midair, Miles added it to the Deck. The rest of Megan's cards fell to the ground, then faded into the void—banished.
Just as the rules of the Elves' Continent dictated—even in a Shadow Game, you could only take one card from the loser.
Want more than one? Easy. The opponent has to die.
With that in mind, Miles glanced at Megan.
"Tch... Still alive."
She was... but barely. Not completely, not really.
As Aisha had explained earlier—losing a card in a Shadow Game meant losing part of your soul. The Elves' Eyes backlash could threaten your life.
But Megan, as a Barrier Mage—a magic user—had stronger soul and mental defenses than the average Duelist.
So while she didn't collapse like Mizuki or the previous robed Duelist, the toll was still heavy.
Her black cloak, now singed and smoking, failed to hide her battered form. Her once-alluring face was stripped of its glamour, replaced by sheer ruin.
"Damn... How could I lose... to this little brat... Unforgivable... UNFORGIVABLE..."
Even after losing a Shadow Game, she still had the gall to throw threats. A first for Miles.
Well... second, technically. This was only his second Shadow Game.
["That's enough, Megan. You lost."]
A voice echoed from the fake Millennium Ring on her chest—childlike, but carrying terrifying weight.
Megan, hearing it, froze. Pure, unmasked terror filled her eyes.
"M-Master... No, it was... it was an accident! Please, give me another chance!!"
"There it is again... 'Master.'"
Irene's brows furrowed—same pattern as with the robed man before.
Lose the duel. Start mumbling about 'Master.'
Then... well, that guy's head spun 180 degrees right after.
["Unlike Dekul, your Barrier magic still has some use. I won't kill you."]
Like a death sentence being lifted, Megan's entire body sagged with relief.
"T-Thank you, Master. Thank you for your mercy."
["However... as punishment for losing the Shadow Game... Let's say... I'll take one of your eyes."]
"Wha—!!"
Before she could protest, a surge of pure darkness enveloped her left eye.
"UGGHHHAAAAAAAHHH!!"
What followed was pure gore. Blood sprayed. Her screams pierced the night.
Megan's left eye was ripped clean from her skull—devoured by the void.
Blood streamed down her flawless face, dripping onto her robe, pooling at her feet.
"Thank you, Master... Thank you for your mercy... Thank you... for sparing my worthless life..."
Even after that, holding her bleeding socket, she dared not voice a single complaint. Only endless, trembling gratitude.
Aisha and Irene—watching this unfold—both instinctively recoiled, bile rising in their throats.
"Wh-What... What even is this?!"
Irene, especially, seeing such horror for the first time, had zero mental preparation.
"Is this... the price of walking in darkness? What kind of belief makes someone accept this risk... willingly?"
Aisha, having seen the robed man's death earlier, was a bit calmer... but not by much.
["Get lost, Megan. You're useless now."]
"Y-Yes, yes, right away... right away..."
Megan—the Barrier Mage, a Duelist once praised for her prodigious talent—now crawled like a beaten dog.
She conjured a teleportation barrier under her feet and, with blood still pouring from her ruined face, vanished into a ripple of space.
Meanwhile... far from Fusion Academy, deep within the Empire of Saint Varyan, at a mysterious altar on the outskirts—
A pair of pale, barefoot legs kicked idly, dangling in the air.
Perched on the edge of the altar... was a girl with an angelic, doll-like face. Humming an ancient nursery rhyme from the Elves' Continent.
From a distance, she looked like a picture of innocence—a delicate little angel.
...Until you noticed the blood-smeared eyeball she was playing with in her hands.
"Mmm... That'll do."
The girl stopped humming. With a firm squeeze, the eye popped—white fluid splattering across her fingers.
"Today's soul hunt for the Sacred Beasts didn't go quite as planned... but this little bonus isn't bad."
"Fusion Academy... has some very interesting things hidden away. I think... It's time Daddy enrolled me there."
Her angelic smile didn't match the nightmare behind her.
For towering over the altar... were three massive statues—grotesque, monstrous forms of legendary Duel Monsters.
[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames]
[Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder]
[Raviel, Lord of Phantasms]
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going!
[Patreon.com/RedZTL]