[Ding! Emotion Points from Titan +600!]
Hearing the system prompt, Jiang He looked over in surprise at the figure in the black trench coat lying in the distance.
Good grief, the guy is giving me Emotion Points even while he's unconscious? Jiang He nodded with deep satisfaction. It seems the 'joy and warmth' I've spread has truly reached the depths of Titan's heart!
Noticing that the Shadow Duel ritual space had not yet dissipated, Jiang He took his turn and drew a card. To be safe, he activated the effect of his Stealth Bird.
With a Flip Summon, the bird unleashed another blast of razor-sharp wind, Supplemental the final blow that reduced the unconscious Titan's remaining 600 LP to zero.
Rumble!!
The moment Titan's Life Points hit zero, the Shadow Duel ritual space began to tremble violently! The Pandemonium fieldthe Archfiend's Nestbegan to collapse and cave in.
Then, a swarm of familiar pitch-black shadow tokens emerged from the surroundings. They swirled around the unconscious Titan, pouring into his mouth and devouring him!
"Oh my god!" Jaden and Syrus felt their skin crawl at the sight.
Is this what happens when you lose a Shadow Duel?! Forget about whether his life was in danger; just the sight of being submerged by a sea of mud-like shadow tokens was terrifying enough.
Jiang He looked on with an expression of pure disgust. If he were being submerged by a crowd of beauties like Dark Magician Girl, he might be able to accept it. But being buried under a pile of shadowy sludge was way too hardcore for his tastes...
"We don't have time to stand around! Jiang He, this place is about to collapse!" Alexis shouted, her voice urgent. "We have to get out of here, fast!"
"Kuri kuri!"
Sphere Kuriboh appeared on Jiang He's shoulder, chirping a warning.
Jaden and the other two finally realized the danger and began looking around frantically for an exit.
"Don't bother looking. That glowing crack over there should be the way out," Jiang He said calmly. He didn't seem worried at all as he followed the direction Sphere Kuriboh was pointing.
He snapped his fingers, and the two blue Stealth Birdswhich had not yet fully de-materializedflew over. One scooped up Jiang He and Alexis, while the other carried Jaden, Chumley, and Syrus toward the crack of light.
"These Stealth Birds actually have physical bodies for now...!" Alexis whispered in surprise. However, the birds were quite ugly, so she had no desire to pet them like she had with the little Sphere Kuriboh earlier.
Even Jiang He, their owner, didn't have the slightest urge to touch them...
"This is the first time I've ever touched a Duel Spirit's physical form!"
On the other bird, the hot-blooded idiot Jaden was having a completely different experience. He was enthusiastically stroking the blue feathers on the Stealth Bird's head, nearly cutting his hand on the sharp plumage.
"Wait, isn't this bird a little too small? I feel like it can barely carry all three of us!" the chubby Chumley said nervously. He felt like they were going to fall off before they even reached the crack!
Fortunately, the Stealth Bird held out until the very last second.
Bam! Bam! Bam!!
The moment they flew out of the Shadow Duel ritual space, the Stealth Birds vanished into thin air. Jaden, Chumley, and Syrus fell to the ground in a tangled heap of limbs! Poor Syrus was at the bottom of the pile, his eyes bulging as the weight of the other two crushed the air out of him.
Nearby, Jiang He had anticipated the disappearance. He hopped down lightly before the bird vanished, landing gracefully on the grass. As he landed, he reached out and caught Alexis by the waist just as she was about to fall.
"Ah...!"
The sudden disappearance of the bird had startled Alexis. When she realized she was being held in Jiang He's arms, her face instantly flushed bright red! She quickly scrambled to her feet, clutching her own arm and looking away awkwardly, unable to meet his eyes.
Jiang He cleared his throat and rubbed his nose. He would describe Alexis's reaction as a textbook example of "Onee-san" shyness. If he actually said that out loud, though, he had a feeling he'd be on the receiving end of her Women's Self-Defense techniques.
The atmosphere between them grew a bit subtle.
"Boss! Chumley! Get off! I'm being crushed to death!" Syrus's weak voice called out from the pile nearby.
His struggle successfully broke the awkward silence and shifted the topic. Jaden and Chumley, who was on top, quickly scrambled off and helped the gasping Syrus to his feet.
"We should leave the Abandoned Dorm and get back to our rooms before everyone else wakes up. It looks like it's almost dawn!" Alexis suggested, having noticed something strange. "It'll be a lot of trouble if we're caught here."
"Huh?" Jiang He looked at the sky. He was surprised to see that the horizon was indeed beginning to turn gray. It felt like they had only been inside the Abandoned Dorm and the ritual space for a short time.
"Does time flow differently inside that Shadow Duel space?" Jiang He muttered to himself.
No wonder he remembered that in the original timeline, that hot-blooded idiot Jaden seemed to spend entire nights "playing cards." So, this was the reason... Syrus.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).