Let's play cards! In a fantasy world of swords and magic

"Aaaaaaah!" 

The agonized screams of the barrier master, Meigen, gradually weakened as the flames of justice scorched her. 

In the final moments, as her life points hit zero and the outcome of the Shadow Game was decided, the deck stored in Meigen's Spirit Eye was forcefully ejected, scattering 40 cards into the air like a flurry of leaves. 

With his soul now residing in Ilin's body, You Ling was surprised to discover that the girl's dynamic vision was exceptionally sharp. 

So sharp, in fact, that she could clearly distinguish the face of every card spinning and floating in the air. 

No wonder not only the card game club but also many sports clubs in the academy had been eager to recruit Ilin. 

"Is this… an all-you-can-eat buffet?" 

With her dynamic vision allowing her to clearly identify every card floating in the air, combined with the Shadow Game rule of taking one card after victory, the scene before You Ling felt like Meigen had laid out her entire deck for him to pick and choose from. 

"I'll take this one." 

Though it seemed like a long process, You Ling's decision-making—from considering which card to pick to actually grabbing one from the air—took less than a second. 

After all, there was no need to hesitate. 

If he didn't take **[Polymerization]**, could he even call himself a hero player? 

After slipping the **[Polymerization]** card into Ilin's deck with her fingertips, the rest of Meigen's cards fell to the ground and vanished into another dimension. 

This confirmed the rules of the Elven Continent: even after winning a Shadow Game, you could only take one card from your opponent. 

What, you want to take two cards? Unless your opponent dies, that's not happening. 

With this expectation in mind, You Ling turned his gaze to Meigen, who had just lost the duel. 

"Tch, she's still alive." 

Meigen's current state was… alive, but not entirely. 

As Aisha had explained to You Ling earlier, losing a card in a Shadow Game was equivalent to losing a part of one's soul, which would trigger a backlash from the Spirit Eye and endanger one's life. 

However, perhaps because Meigen, as a barrier master, was a mage with inherent magical power, her soul and mental resilience were stronger than an ordinary person's. 

Even after losing the Shadow Game, she didn't fall unconscious like the black-robed man or Mizuki Mu had. 

But after being scorched by the flames of justice, her once alluring appearance was now disheveled, her black robe emitting wisps of smoke, and her beautiful face devoid of its former charm. 

"Damn it… How could I lose to a little girl like this… Unforgivable, unforgivable…" 

You Ling had never seen someone who, even after losing a Shadow Game, still dared to talk tough. 

Of course, this was only the second Shadow Game of his life. 

*["That's enough, Meigen. You lost this time."]* 

A voice from the counterfeit Millennium Ring around Meigen's neck echoed in her mind. 

The voice sounded incredibly young, yet it filled Meigen, a barrier master and dark duelist, with unprecedented terror. 

"L-Lord Cult Leader… No, no, this was definitely an accident… Please, give me another chance!" 

"The Cult Leader again?" 

This time, You Ling, using Ilin's body, furrowed her brows. 

The situation was eerily similar to what had happened with the black-robed man earlier. 

After losing the duel, he had also started muttering to himself, shouting about the 'Cult Leader.' 

And then, his head had twisted 180 degrees, and he died on the spot. 

*["Unlike Decule, your barrier magic still has some use, Meigen. I won't kill you."]* 

As if granted a pardon, Meigen's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled a little. She bowed her head in gratitude. 

"Thank you, Lord Cult Leader… Thank you for your mercy." 

*["However, as punishment for losing the Shadow Game… Hmm, let's see. I'll take one of your eyes."]* 

"What?!" 

Before Meigen could even protest, a concentrated force of darkness enveloped her left eye. 

"Aaaaaaah!" 

The next moment, a gruesome scene unfolded as blood gushed from her eye socket, accompanied by screams no less agonizing than those from losing the Shadow Game. 

Meigen's left eyeball was ripped out by the dark energy and swallowed into the void. 

Crimson blood streamed from the empty socket, running down her beautiful face, staining her black robe, and dripping onto the ground. 

"Thank you, Lord Cult Leader… Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for sparing my worthless life." 

Even after such a brutal punishment, with her hand covering her now-missing left eye, Meigen didn't dare show a hint of resentment, continuing to express her gratitude. 

This bloody, grotesque scene left Aisha and Ilin, who were caught off guard, feeling nauseous and on the verge of vomiting. 

"What… What is going on?" 

Especially for Ilin, who was seeing something like this for the first time, she had no mental preparation whatsoever. 

"Is this the price of walking in the darkness? What kind of belief drives them to bear such risks?" 

Aisha, having witnessed the black-robed man's tragic end earlier, was slightly calmer but still couldn't comprehend it. 

*["Get out of here, Meigen. You're of no use there anymore."]* 

"Yes, yes, I'll leave right away…" 

Meigen, a barrier master and duelist with exceptional talent even by the standards of the Elven Continent, now obeyed like a dog. 

Using the last remnants of her magic, she activated a teleportation barrier beneath her feet. With blood still flowing from her wound, Meigen vanished into the transfer space, disappearing from the back mountain. 

Meanwhile, far from Fusion Academy, in the outskirts of the Empire's capital, **Saint Valian**, near a bizarre altar— 

A little girl with an angelic, pure, and adorable face sat on the edge of the altar, swinging her bare feet back and forth. 

The girl seemed to be humming an ancient nursery rhyme from the Elven Continent. 

At first glance, one might be moved to exclaim how lovable this angelic, fairy-like girl was. 

That is, if she weren't casually playing with a bloody eyeball in her hand. 

"That should do it." 

Stopping her humming, the girl crushed the eyeball in her hand, its white fluid oozing between her fingers. 

"Although today's plan to harvest souls for the Phantom Demons didn't go smoothly, there was still an unexpected gain. Fusion Academy… It seems there's something very interesting there. I'll have Daddy arrange for me to enroll soon." 

The girl's angelic, pure, and adorable face stood in stark contrast to the horrifying scene behind her. 

On the eerie altar behind her stood three massive stone statues representing Duel Monsters, each with a grotesque and terrifying appearance. 

**[The Wicked Eraser]** 

**[The Wicked Dreadroot]** 

**[The Wicked Avatar]** 

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**To be continued...**