Lucien collapsed to his knees, eyes vacant, questioning reality—like the culprit unmasked at the end of a Conan episode.
He'd lost before; he was used to it. He'd sought the Reaper's power because he didn't win much, after all—well, not "used to," but this was his first loss since gaining that power.
Losing itself wasn't shocking. His opponent was the Duel King; Lucien wasn't arrogant enough to think the Reaper's boon made the King trivial. He might lose, and he didn't mind. He wanted to test this power—to prove his Deck.
As long as he could duel the King and test his limits with this strength, he'd already considered the possibility of defeat.
But even in defeat, he'd never dreamed he'd lose to his own beloved Slash Draw.
Isn't that supposed to be a showpiece entertainment Deck?
Wasn't it because this flashy Deck failed him again and again, drew ridicule, and finally drove him to darkness to trade his soul for the Reaper's power?
If you can do the "trick" without selling your soul, then what did he sell it for?
It was his first time being on the receiving end of Slash Draw. By the end, he was just numb.
The onlookers' question marks were no fewer than his.
Kira doing "showtime" duels—sure. But Slash Draw? Even Kira had never used it before.
Of all times, today, against this Reaper duelist—hard not to think he did it on purpose.
What was that? Using the enemy's way against them?
Jaden stepped forward, smiling, and patted Lucien's shoulder. The student finally came to, looking up dazedly.
"How do you feel?" Jaden asked with a grin.
"Feel? What feeling?"
Lucien sat limply, locking eyes with the hovering Reaper.
They'd said "trade your soul for victory." Now that he'd lost, the Reaper, a fair merchant, couldn't in good conscience take payment—so the two just stared at each other like exchanging secret signals.
Lucien: We had a deal—sell my life and I win. Well?
Reaper: I gave you guaranteed topdecks—what more do you want? If you still lost, isn't that on you?
"…"
Jaden cheerfully told Lucien, "I mean the insight into dueling. Not everyone gets to fight the Duel King, you know.
Also, didn't you notice?"
"Notice what?" Lucien asked.
"What Kira was trying to tell you through this duel," Jaden said. "You don't think he usually runs a Deck like that, do you?"
Lucien froze.
What the King told me… through this duel…
"Your Deck is awesome, especially 'Slash Draw.' There's no cooler way to win!"
Jaden's eyes lit up.
"When you struggle and finally create a miracle with a critical draw—that instant is thrilling, right?"
Lucien reflected.
It was true. He fell in love with the card for that rush when it hit—the adrenaline spike, blood boiling, as if that one draw created a whole world. It's addictive.
That's why he clung to Slash Draw.
"At the start, you didn't choose that Deck to win, did you?" Jaden said. "It was for the excitement of shocking your opponent when you drew that card—to show everyone, to make them recognize your best deck."
Lucien nodded.
Indeed. When he first built it, he didn't prioritize win-loss. As long as everyone witnessed his dream Deck, as long as they cheered for the Iai draw moment, nothing else mattered.
Even losing—he'd lose in style.
But reality is harsh. He couldn't always shrug off results, especially if he wanted to be a pro. Winning carries weight.
And he didn't always earn applause. As his academy results worsened—failing to draw his key card in big duels and losing—he became a joke, a topic of gossip, the school's poster child for failure.
Duel Academy is elitist; there's no place for "trash." Underperformers are shunned—let alone low-success-rate showmen.
So his mindset shifted.
He had to win—and win with his soul card. To silence the doubters and force everyone to acknowledge his Deck.
Yeah… when did it all change?
"That's what Kira showed you," Jaden guided. "If it isn't achieved by your own power, it's meaningless, right?
If you sacrifice your life for victory—did you win, or did the Reaper?
How many times have you pulled off Slash Draw now? Ten? Twenty?
Even if it's guaranteed now, how long has it been since you felt that original thrill when you drew it?"
Lucien: "!"
He looked up at Kira, stunned.
So that's what the King tried to tell me?
Indeed. If you win like this—was it you, or the Reaper?
Is a life's price worth such a hollow victory?
"I understand!"
He stood, excited.
"Even without relying on the Reaper, you can complete seemingly impossible setups—like Fujiki Kira just demonstrated.
Either believe in your Deck and cherish each draw, building up through thousands of reps—
Or develop more stable tactics—use your head and craft a true 100% line…"
He grew more moved as he spoke.
This is the Duel King.
Suddenly, he felt his Reaper-reliant, delusion-drenched self was laughable. He thought an external boon made him a "strong," but it had pulled him further from the true path.
"Right?"
Jaden smiled at Kira.
"Did I get it right? Anything to add?"
Kira smiled and shook his head.
What was there to add?
"I understand completely, Mr. Kira. From now on, I'll nurture my bond with my Deck and explore new possibilities for Slash Draw!"
Lucien declared firmly.
"I won't give up, and I won't borrow the Reaper's power again. From now on, I'll become a duelist who can stand on his own, like you, and bring my Deck to the world stage!"
"You can do it."
Kira encouraged him, then paused and added:
"In that case, you won't be needing that Reaper-powered card anymore, right?"
Lucien blinked. "Ah—yes, that's right…"
"That card's power is too dangerous. The water's too deep for you to handle."
Kira said camly,
"Leave it with me!"