The classroom and the hallway both grew much quieter.
Everyone seemed to be waiting for Flata's reaction.
Would he back down or stand his ground?
The young master needed to make the right call.
As for whether any third-year students present could face Dekan one-on-one without fear, the answer was definitely yes.
But nobody wanted to get on Dekan's bad side.
The students all knew that the terrifying thing about Dekan wasn't how strong he was in a head-on fight.
It was that when the guy resorted to underhanded tactics, he was impossible to predict or defend against!
Cross him, and even locking your doors at night wouldn't keep you safe.
As Flata hesitated, he instinctively glanced at Claire.
Her expression was still cool, but she didn't quite manage to hide the faint smile at the corner of her mouth.
It was as if she'd just watched a circus performance.
Flata's forehead throbbed with anger.
He abruptly turned to Croix.
Pointing at Croix, he shouted:
"Croix! Do you dare duel me? If you lose, face reality and promise to stop hurting people! And stay away from Claire and her sister!"
Flata's move left Croix wide-eyed, and even Dekan was a little surprised.
What a scumbag.
He didn't dare confront Dekan directly, but couldn't swallow his anger, so he put on a show of righteousness and challenged Croix to a duel.
That way, even if Croix was forced to stop going to the Shadow World after losing the wager, he would have lost in a fair duel. If Dekan came after Flata for revenge, it would only make Croix look like a sore loser.
And even if Croix chickened out and refused the duel, Flata could use the opportunity to step over him and save face.
"This is the first time