Chapter 54. Leviathana of Envy #2

What remained after the savage feast of kin-devouring jealousy was a single slime.

But its presence was overwhelming.

Unlike the palm-sized [Dark Pudding], its bulk now rivaled my [Apache] in size. Its ceaselessly flowing gelatinous body was the black of an endless abyss, admitting not a single ray of light.

Here and there on its form, human limbs or other creature parts would briefly form, only to dissolve away repeatedly.

A fusion creature, [Darkness Pudding]. A summoning method I'd never seen in this world.

Magic & Creature evolved day by day.

Given its foundation in human psyche, Origin Cards held infinite possibilities. And the Magic & Creature decks built around such Origin Cards had development potential beyond measure.

You never knew when or where someone might pull out some outlandish card.

Yet at seventeen—still green and unripe—I felt fear first and foremost before this unknown.

"W-What's that?"

"Fusion summon?"

"Some Seven's Finger sorcery?"

The kids buzzed in confusion. Leviathana savored ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it with a pleased expression, but when she glanced at me, she arched one eyebrow in surprise. The flesh around it jiggled.

"Araa~? You're not surprised at all~? But earlier~ you definitely were~?"

That was just the act of slimes devouring each other that creeped me out.

From my perspective, having dabbled in card games in my past life, fusion summons were just "about time" territory.

If anything, this was an opportunity for me. Origin Cards grew by feeding on their player's experiences.

"Hmmm~. No cuteness to it after all~. No fun~."

I kept my expression blank and impassive, and Leviathana muttered with a deflated, drooping face.

"Let's see~. For now~. Should I attack~?"

It doesn't seem fit to become my child~.

Her voice chilled, dropping low. A glint of killing intent flashed within, putting my body even more on edge.

My eyes narrowed instinctively. Killing intent? From one human to another? My left arm, struck by the Battle Arc, throbbed with recalled pain.

This woman was no ordinary one. No—then how had she endured the Siren Tower's magic without losing form?

"[Darkness Pudding] will attack the Cursed Marionette~!"

Human limbs sprouted chaotically from the side of [Darkness Pudding]'s body. Like a centipede. The girls screamed.

With those limbs granting swift mobility, it charged my field with wet slaps.

"Magic circle deploy! Successive Deployment!"

I swiftly flipped the Support Card I'd set face-down last turn.

"Can only deploy when the total stats of creatures on my field are lower than the opponent's!"

Can't deploy on a turn I've already summoned a creature, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠now it's fine.

"Select and summon a Rank 2 or lower Machine or Warrior creature from the deck! I'm summoning Terraforming Drone!"

Weeeeng—.

A battered [Drone] flew unsteadily but urgently over my field.

Before entering the field, it dropped the green capsule dangling from its underside onto my zone.

"Terraforming Drone successfully summoned—special ability activates! Fetch a Zone Card from the deck and deploy it! Lost World, deploy!"

Kurrrrumble....

The capsule's contents spread across the ground, turning ashen and catalyzing the rise of a dead ancient world from below.

"Lost World deployed—fetch Rusty Factory from deck and deploy without Mana Crystals!"

Kurrrrumble!

An object naturally materialized amid the old world's ruins. A rusty factory district creaked with ominous groans.

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠[Terraforming Drone] flew over it, blocking [Darkness Pudding]'s charge toward the Cursed Marionette.

But successive deployment was generally discouraged in tactics—and so the risk of [Successive Deployment] triggered.

"Creatures summoned via Successive Deployment have halved stats and are forced into battle with the declared attacker."

Put-put-put-put...

The unprepared [Drone]'s combat power was laughable.

Ratta-tat-tat!

Its crude armament's gunfire was futile. The slime barreled through and swallowed the [Drone] whole.

Krunch! Crunch-crunch!

All that remained was the sound of metal being chewed.

"...If a successively deployed creature is destroyed in battle, instead of normal battle damage, I take damage equal to twice its original stats."

[Terraforming Drone]'s original stats were 400. Twice that—800 damage—gnawed at my Soul Points.

"Then I'll~ activate my Darkness Pudding's special ability~? When Darkness Pudding destroys an opponent in battle~, it equips it and grows stronger~."

Kik. Kik. Kik. Kik. Kik.

[Darkness Pudding]'s maw split sideways, mimicking human laughter. Utterly repulsive.

Kak. Kak. Kak. Kak. Kak!

As if taunting me, [Darkness Pudding] laughed louder. Soon, a metallic drone tail protruded from its bloated side. It shuddered as if ticklish, dragging it forward and wagging it.

You little shit. Veins bulged in my clenched fist.

Anger surged, but so did puzzlement. A creature that grew by devouring... and Envy wielded it? If Seven's Finger executives took names from the Seven Deadly Sins, there had to be Gluttony too. This ability fit that better than envy.

"What...? It grows stronger every time it takes down an opponent!?"

"Ugh, that's creepy..."

As the students recoiled, Leviathana giggled mockingly, drooping her brows in false pity.

"Aaaah~. Sorry~? My Darkness Pudding just wanted to show off its new toy~."

She didn't look sorry at all. Her drooping brows belied lips stretched ear-to-ear in slime.

This won't do. Gotta wipe that smug grin first.

I curled one lip in a sneer.

"Your parenting's a mess."

"What~?"

Leviathana's brow twitched. Hit a nerve, huh?

I kept poking.

"Makes sense, though."

"What are you getting at~?"

Her voice sank dangerously. Far more than when she'd called me boring.

"A monster aping humans can't raise kids right."

"...!!"

Her bloodshot eyes bulged. Her upturned maw gaped wide, like [Darkness Pudding] moments ago.

"You, you, YOUUUU!?"

"That's why it's so clumsy. Jealous of humans, right?"

Leviathana of Envy. She wasn't human. Thinking back, lots of red flags.

In this world, violence between humans was mostly purged—not "shouldn't," but "couldn't."

But Leviathana? She'd crossed lines.

Another clue: her speech. Mimicking humans, but with that drawn-out slur. Maybe a special case like Professor Beltum, surviving masterless—or birthed from some demon realm.

But.

"Still clumsy."

My past-life-honed instincts were sharp, sure—but I'd sniffed her out quick.

"Th-this, th-this, this—!"

"No wonder your parenting sucks. Who brags stolen goods to the owner?"

I twisted the knife.

She kept calling me "baby." Mid-duel, muttered I wasn't fit to be "her child."

Couldn't know details, but "parenting" was her reverse scale.

Time to exploit it. Agitated foes show gaps.

Anyone else, I wouldn't dig this deep verbally—but she'd gone too far.

Kidnapping and playing mommy? Laughable.

"YOUUUUUU—!!"

Leviathana raged, frothing. I tilted my chin up, looking down on her.

Image: corrupt noble. Diego was too amateur. That viscount from before—pretended classy, got wrecked pathetically.

"You, with your shit personality, playing parent? Ridiculous. No need to turn the world into a criminal den. Impossible for trash like you."

"I'll KILL YOUUUUU—!!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Eyes rolled back, she lunged—duel be damned. Come on, then.

But my fist never met her slimy face.

A turtle-shell magic circle blocked her path.

Clatter...

A familiar die dropped between us.

"Bardi!"

Professors Beltum and Georgia. Mana already surging.

"This—this—this—! What is it—!? Get rid of it NOW—!?"

"What happened? Explain!"

Leviathana writhed, blocked by their spells. I briefed Georgia—suppressing her with his mana—on what I'd gleaned.

"Understood. Step back, Bardi. I'll take this duel."

"No, Professor. Let me handle it."

"What?"

Georgia's bloodshot glare sharpened. But I stood firm.

"She's after my dragon card. Probably has a way to steal Origin Cards."

"You know that and still continue? You know what it means if your dragon falls to them?"

"I do. But Professor."

Dragons are temperamental bastards anyway.

I dropped that cryptic line and refocused. Leviathana, sensing duel was her only outlet with professors interfering, seemed to concede.

Black slime dripped from her body unchecked as she slammed a card from hand into her Battle Arc.

"Install one magic circle—and end turn—!"

"Then at this moment, Rusty Factory's effect triggers."

My field held four undead [Cursed Marionettes].

Ding—! Ding—! Ding—! Creak, creeeak...

They shuffled into the rusty factory depths, emitting foul noises.

The factory gauge shot to 12.

"Bardi..."

"Just— watch. Georgia— Professor."

"But Professor Beltum."

Georgia glanced at Beltum to argue, but shut his mouth under those deep eyes.

"Your— heart in treating— students is right. But— children must break the egg— and face the world someday."

Beltum gazed at me with sunken eyes.

"That child— is preparing— to hatch."

"Hatch, you say."

"Mmm. So— watch. Trusting one's disciple— is a teacher's virtue."

"...Hrm. Understood."

Georgia scratched his unkempt hair, eyes hardening with resolve despite complexity.

"If that's your will, leave it to him, Bardi."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Win. I'll handle your credits."

"Oh?"

Tempting offer.

"My turn!"

I calmly assessed, drawing one from deck.

Leviathana's field: one [Darkness Pudding], one magic circle. Simple, but no pushover.

Mine: four undead [Cursed Marionettes]. Factory gauge maxed at 12—could drop [Lost Soldier] straight to dragon.

Hmm... Eyeing [Atomic Core] already in hand. If only that card were here... could be fun.

Fine. If she's baiting my dragon, I'll bite.

According to my hunch, this game's real ace was elsewhere.

Probably—

in a direction she never imagined. And that would decide the duel.