To be blunt, winning Melusine's heart this way was clearly impossible. Even if Jiang You had agreed, Melusine would merely shift from resentfully obeying his commands to pretending to obey them. The difference was as trivial as swapping one character sprite for another. He'd rather savor Aurora's despair; dying at Melusine's hands was far too merciful a fate for her.
As for whether Melusine would break down and transform into a dragon upon witnessing that scene, Jiang You wasn't worried at all. First, Morgan was still present, meaning the anchor for Melusine's current form hadn't completely vanished. Second, there was the wager of the Shadow Game.
The "absolute obedience" clause wasn't as simple as just "being obedient." Even if Melusine transformed into a Calamity, Jiang You could command her back into her white-haired loli(?) form with a single word.
"Now, enter the Battle Phase!"
Since the game's stakes had been raised and Melusine had lost all ability to resist, Jiang You no longer needed to wait for Aurora's turn to end the duel.
"Tiamat, attack Melusine!"
"I... I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, Now Unknown, Innocent Light of the Lake!"
Melusine made her final stand. "Destroy all cards on your opponent's field and inflict 1000 direct damage to their Life Points! For the rest of this turn, all copies of 'Fairy Knight Lancelot' on the field gain the ability to inflict piercing battle damage!"
"I'm sorry, this card remains unaffected by other card effects."
Melusine's counterattack was doomed to fail. Although Anti-Genesis was destroyed once again, Tiamat's 6000 Attack Power was far too much for Melusine's remaining 2000 Life Points to withstand.
A torrent of magical power, illuminating the entire sky, tore through the heavens and completely engulfed Melusine.
Melusine LP 2000 → LP 0!
As the smoke and dust cleared, the Duel Space dissipated along with it. Jiang You approached Melusine, who lay kneeling on the ground.
"You've lost. My first command is for you to follow me back to the scene and quietly observe Fairy Tristan's ritual. You are forbidden from sending any warnings to Aurora."
Perhaps letting Melusine avoid Aurora's fate would have been the best outcome, but Jiang You, in a moment of cruel whimsy, chose to shatter what remained of Melusine's white moonlight. Though truth be told, this moonlight was never truly pure to begin with.
"I..." Melusine began, wanting to refuse, but the price of the Shadow Game had already taken effect. The words caught in her throat transformed into, "I understand."
Though her mind still rebelled, her body and will could not defy the command.
Jiang You had initially considered having Melusine disguise herself, but considering how distinctive her features and imposing stature were among the Fairies present, he opted for a simpler approach. He grabbed a cloak, hoisted Melusine by the waist, and concealed her within it.
Jiang You returned silently to Morgan and Barghest's side. Fairy Tristan's speech was nearing its end, but the scene remained orderly, with no incidents.
"Is it already over?"
Though Barghest knew Jiang You's strength, she had still been worried for him. She was well aware that Melusine was far stronger than she was.
Morgan, however, had already learned from Fairy Tristan what had transpired in the Seventh Singularity: Jiang You had secured Tiamat's assistance. Possessing the knowledge of her Pan-Human History counterpart, Morgan understood what Tiamat represented. Tiamat's power was nearly on par with that of the Great Cernunnos, the origin of this Lostbelt. Even weakened as a Servant, she was far beyond Melusine's league. Morgan's estimation of Jiang You had risen considerably, so she had already anticipated this outcome.
"Has your sense of smell dulled? He even brought Lancelot back with him. It seems he won quite thoroughly."
Jiang You threw back his cloak, revealing the petite Knight dangling from his grasp.
"She actually cried... Is this still the 'Cold-Blooded Dragon Fairy'?"
The tear stains on Melusine's face surprised Barghest.
"It's clear she wasn't beaten into tears."
Morgan glanced at Melusine. Her condition suggested coercion rather than defeat in battle. She didn't know the specifics, but Jiang You had explicitly told her he was interested in Melusine and Fairy Gawain—though Morgan suspected it was more akin to a collector's obsession.
Morgan didn't care what Jiang You had done to Melusine. She had already decided how to reward him after dealing with Aurora.
"It seems Aurora still hasn't made her move."
The Savior's proclamation ceremony was nearly over. If Aurora didn't act, Fairy Tristan could still expose her true nature using her Deck and a Shadow Game. However, it would lack a certain flair, and Fairy Tristan's ability to cure the Mors Curse would lose some of its epic, fated quality.
Beneath Jiang You's cloak, Melusine smiled faintly. While Aurora was an impatient Fairy, she had managed to hide her true nature for so long by being exceptionally cautious. She would never expose herself to danger until chaos erupted.
As if sensing Melusine's thoughts, Jiang You decided to add fuel to the fire.
"Then let's give her a reason to make her move. I've already arranged for some actors. You Fairies love seeking amusement, don't you?"
Jiang You had devised a plan when he first proposed this to Fairy Tristan. At the time, he hadn't considered setting a trap for Aurora, which was precisely why he was now so certain she would take the bait. In short, an unintentional move had paid off.
Jiang You pulled out his phone and sent a message to the Fairies he'd arranged, outlining the script. No special training was needed; Fairies would throw themselves into any chance for amusement.
"What is that...?"
Morgan stared, mesmerized, at the phone in Jiang You's hand.
"A phone. The knowledge you have should tell you what this is, right?"
Jiang You did intend to introduce these devices to Morgan's realm—at the very least, those he needed to contact should have one. It would save him the trouble of switching worlds or starting a Duel just to send a message.
"I know. May I have one to study?"
What intrigued Morgan was that this device transmitted information in a way completely different from Spells. While Spells could be analyzed, they were almost entirely undetectable to a Magus who hadn't seen the physical object itself.
"Of course, no problem."
Jiang You saw that he had triggered a side quest. The reward was minimal, but the item itself was cheap in the game (thanks to the whales and Goldie). He had plenty in his inventory, so he tossed one to Morgan without a second thought.
After casually unlocking a tech tree for Morgan, Jiang You glanced toward the entrance. Under his cloak, he patted Melusine's head.
"Now, it's time for Aurora to make her entrance."