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Chapter 536: Scum, *Tsk!*
Under Hayato's gaze, a pair of spread-open palms slowly rose from the bush.
"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous, I don't have any malice~"
A frivolous male voice came from the bush. Accompanying it, a head topped with a hood emerged, his hair full of broken branches and crushed leaves.
The moment Hayato saw the man dressed as a mage before him, raising his hands to signal he was no threat, he felt a strong sense of familiarity. Although the opponent said he had no malice, Hayato still maintained necessary vigilance.
"Whether or not there's malice, simple words can't prove anything."
"Mm, that's true." The Hooded Mage kept his distance from Hayato, fully emerging from the bush. He held his robes with one hand and shook them, while his other hand remained raised above his head. "But I really don't have any malice, though I also have no way to prove it."
"Originally, I was just fine riding my Summoned Monster to travel, but then a strange wave emerged from who knows where, forcibly scattering the Summoned Monster I had summoned and returning it to its original form, causing me to fall from the air and land in this Forest."
"I simply wanted to find the source of that wave and take a look, I have no malice towards you, young man."
While saying this, the Hooded Mage even forced out a smile on his face that was as gentle as possible, seemingly genuinely wanting to prove to Hayato that he had no malice whatsoever.
Hearing this, Hayato also seemed to believe the opponent's words, his shoulder relaxing as if he had lowered his vigilance.
"Is that so? It looks like you should be no threat." He paused for a moment, then Hayato's tone changed. "Did you think I would say that?"
*Clang!* *Thud!*
Behind Hayato, as he just lowered his hand, the **Dragon Knight Gaia** he had secretly placed on his Duel Disk thrust out its lance, precisely striking down a dark shadow that was silently attacking Hayato in mid-air, sending it smashing onto the ground. Only then could he see clearly that the dark shadow was actually a peculiar staff with one end like a javelin.
Seeing that his sneak attack had failed, the Hooded Mage couldn't help but show an annoyed expression. "*Tsk*, I was discovered, you're quite cautious."
Following the first one to attack, **Dragon Knight Gaia**, the tall and imposing three-headed mechanical dragon **Cyber End Dragon** and the perfectly elegant maid butler **Dragonmaid Sheou** also appeared by Hayato's side. **Cyber End Dragon** stood in front of Hayato with a ferocious aura, baring its fangs and claws menacingly at the Hooded Mage, while **Dragonmaid Sheou** concernedly asked Hayato if he was injured.
Regarding **Dragonmaid Sheou**'s attentiveness, **Rainbow Kuriboh** cried out excitedly, "Kurikuri!", seemingly feeling that a "dragon" was actually threatening its own status. Meanwhile, Hayato nodded, signaling that he was fine, and looked towards the calm-faced Hooded Mage.
"Although I always feel like I've seen you somewhere before, I think I shouldn't have provoked you, unknown guy."
The Hooded Mage looked at the Spirits Hayato had summoned gradually surrounding him, yet still remained calm and composed. With a helpless expression, he shrugged. "In this World, do conflict and confrontation need a reason?"
"I really didn't lie to you before, there was indeed a strange wave that interfered with my Spell Formula, and in my perception, the source of that wave seems like it's you. Although I was going to a slightly farther place to look at something, compared to that, researching that wave on your body to perfect my Spell Formula is definitely more important."
Hayato's lips curled slightly upwards. "That's truly a shame, I have no interest in cooperating with others to research my body."
While saying this, Hayato raised his Duel Disk. Golden radiance began to emerge from the Millennium Ring on his chest, and a surge of dark magic power instantly unfolded.
"Hmm? This is, Ceremony of the Duel?" The instant the Millennium Ring on Hayato's chest glowed, the Hooded Mage immediately wanted to break free and escape, but his movement was slightly too slow. The domain constructed by mystical power was already completed, surrounding him and Hayato within it.
Looking at the device constructed out of thin air on his wrist, which was the same as the Duel Disk on Hayato's wrist, the Hooded Mage said with great interest, "This is truly a bit interesting. Clearly before you could manipulate your Spirits and possessed a huge advantage, why suddenly initiate a Ceremony of the Duel against me?"
"Very simple. I just need a guide, and you are the suitable candidate. As for why I didn't use the already appeared **Dragon Knight Gaia** and the others to force you..." Hayato chuckled. "I didn't see the slightest bit of apprehension towards **Dragon Knight Gaia** and them from your face, hooded guy."
"'Hooded guy' or something, that's so unpleasant to hear. I actually have a proper mage title and full name, but I also don't want to just tell you who I am." The Hooded Mage's lips curled up. "You can just call me 'Handsome, elegant, and powerful Mage Crowley-sama'."
"Alright, 'Scum Crowley'."
"It's 'Handsome, elegant, and powerful Mage Crowley-sama'."
"'Pervert Crowley'-san."
"I'm not a pervert!"
"So, you completely didn't deny being scum..." Hayato remarked. "Then Crowley, are you prepared to be defeated by me in this Duelist and become my guide?"
"Hmph hmph, you're really quite confident. But I'm used to being free and never had any plan to become anyone else's servant, so I'll treat this Ceremony of the Duel a bit more serious."
Crowley was a bit dissatisfied that Hayato didn't call him "Handsome, elegant, and powerful Mage Crowley-sama", but "Crowley" is still better than "Scum Crowley".
"However, since it's a Ceremony of the Duel, the stakes for both players must be equal, right? This is the basic rules of this game." Crowley smiled cunningly. "If you want me to become your servant, as equal stakes, I'll take your soul and body as material for perfecting my Spell Formula."
Crowley said this, submitting his own conditions to the fair but also rigid Dark Game. But unexpectedly, the result of the final judgment was completely different from what he expected.
"You, what kind of person are you!?" Crowley looked at Hayato with a strange expression. "Clearly just a guy who looks exactly the same as those mortals, why is it that just the value of one of your arms can equal my entire life up to now?"
"If you lose, you just need to lose me one arm! Why if I lose, must I become your card!"
"I don't know~"
Hayato replied casually, which made Crowley somewhat annoyed. "Forget it, I just need to defeat you. One hand is fine, anyway, with my intelligence, one hand is also enough to research and figure out what exactly are the secrets on your body."
"Duel!"
Under Hayato's gaze, a pair of spread-open palms slowly rose from the bush.
"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous, I don't have any malice~"
A frivolous male voice came from the bush. Accompanying it, a head topped with a hood emerged, his hair full of broken branches and crushed leaves.
The moment Hayato saw the man dressed as a mage before him, raising his hands to signal he was no threat, he felt a strong sense of familiarity. Although the opponent said he had no malice, Hayato still maintained necessary vigilance.
"Whether or not there's malice, simple words can't prove anything."
"Mm, that's true." The Hooded Mage kept his distance from Hayato, fully emerging from the bush. He held his robes with one hand and shook them, while his other hand remained raised above his head. "But I really don't have any malice, though I also have no way to prove it."
"Originally, I was just fine riding my Summoned Monster to travel, but then a strange wave emerged from who knows where, forcibly scattering the Summoned Monster I had summoned and returning it to its original form, causing me to fall from the air and land in this Forest."
"I simply wanted to find the source of that wave and take a look, I have no malice towards you, young man."
While saying this, the Hooded Mage even forced out a smile on his face that was as gentle as possible, seemingly genuinely wanting to prove to Hayato that he had no malice whatsoever.
Hearing this, Hayato also seemed to believe the opponent's words, his shoulder relaxing as if he had lowered his vigilance.
"Is that so? It looks like you should be no threat." He paused for a moment, then Hayato's tone changed. "Did you think I would say that?"
*Clang!* *Thud!*
Behind Hayato, as he just lowered his hand, the **Dragon Knight Gaia** he had secretly placed on his Duel Disk thrust out its lance, precisely striking down a dark shadow that was silently attacking Hayato in mid-air, sending it smashing onto the ground. Only then could he see clearly that the dark shadow was actually a peculiar staff with one end like a javelin.
Seeing that his sneak attack had failed, the Hooded Mage couldn't help but show an annoyed expression. "*Tsk*, I was discovered, you're quite cautious."
Following the first one to attack, **Dragon Knight Gaia**, the tall and imposing three-headed mechanical dragon **Cyber End Dragon** and the perfectly elegant maid butler **Dragonmaid Sheou** also appeared by Hayato's side. **Cyber End Dragon** stood in front of Hayato with a ferocious aura, baring its fangs and claws menacingly at the Hooded Mage, while **Dragonmaid Sheou** concernedly asked Hayato if he was injured.
Regarding **Dragonmaid Sheou**'s attentiveness, **Rainbow Kuriboh** cried out excitedly, "Kurikuri!", seemingly feeling that a "dragon" was actually threatening its own status. Meanwhile, Hayato nodded, signaling that he was fine, and looked towards the calm-faced Hooded Mage.
"Although I always feel like I've seen you somewhere before, I think I shouldn't have provoked you, unknown guy."
The Hooded Mage looked at the Spirits Hayato had summoned gradually surrounding him, yet still remained calm and composed. With a helpless expression, he shrugged. "In this World, do conflict and confrontation need a reason?"
"I really didn't lie to you before, there was indeed a strange wave that interfered with my Spell Formula, and in my perception, the source of that wave seems like it's you. Although I was going to a slightly farther place to look at something, compared to that, researching that wave on your body to perfect my Spell Formula is definitely more important."
Hayato's lips curled slightly upwards. "That's truly a shame, I have no interest in cooperating with others to research my body."
While saying this, Hayato raised his Duel Disk. Golden radiance began to emerge from the Millennium Ring on his chest, and a surge of dark magic power instantly unfolded.
"Hmm? This is, Ceremony of the Duel?" The instant the Millennium Ring on Hayato's chest glowed, the Hooded Mage immediately wanted to break free and escape, but his movement was slightly too slow. The domain constructed by mystical power was already completed, surrounding him and Hayato within it.
Looking at the device constructed out of thin air on his wrist, which was the same as the Duel Disk on Hayato's wrist, the Hooded Mage said with great interest, "This is truly a bit interesting. Clearly before you could manipulate your Spirits and possessed a huge advantage, why suddenly initiate a Ceremony of the Duel against me?"
"Very simple. I just need a guide, and you are the suitable candidate. As for why I didn't use the already appeared **Dragon Knight Gaia** and the others to force you..." Hayato chuckled. "I didn't see the slightest bit of apprehension towards **Dragon Knight Gaia** and them from your face, hooded guy."
"'Hooded guy' or something, that's so unpleasant to hear. I actually have a proper mage title and full name, but I also don't want to just tell you who I am." The Hooded Mage's lips curled up. "You can just call me 'Handsome, elegant, and powerful Mage Crowley-sama'."
"Alright, 'Scum Crowley'."
"It's 'Handsome, elegant, and powerful Mage Crowley-sama'."
"'Pervert Crowley'-san."
"I'm not a pervert!"
"So, you completely didn't deny being scum..." Hayato remarked. "Then Crowley, are you prepared to be defeated by me in this Duelist and become my guide?"
"Hmph hmph, you're really quite confident. But I'm used to being free and never had any plan to become anyone else's servant, so I'll treat this Ceremony of the Duel a bit more serious."
Crowley was a bit dissatisfied that Hayato didn't call him "Handsome, elegant, and powerful Mage Crowley-sama", but "Crowley" is still better than "Scum Crowley".
"However, since it's a Ceremony of the Duel, the stakes for both players must be equal, right? This is the basic rules of this game." Crowley smiled cunningly. "If you want me to become your servant, as equal stakes, I'll take your soul and body as material for perfecting my Spell Formula."
Crowley said this, submitting his own conditions to the fair but also rigid Dark Game. But unexpectedly, the result of the final judgment was completely different from what he expected.
"You, what kind of person are you!?" Crowley looked at Hayato with a strange expression. "Clearly just a guy who looks exactly the same as those mortals, why is it that just the value of one of your arms can equal my entire life up to now?"
"If you lose, you just need to lose me one arm! Why if I lose, must I become your card!"
"I don't know~"
Hayato replied casually, which made Crowley somewhat annoyed. "Forget it, I just need to defeat you. One hand is fine, anyway, with my intelligence, one hand is also enough to research and figure out what exactly are the secrets on your body."
"Duel!"
