The box Sannya opened held a strange coin — silver on one side, black on the other — marked Heaven and Hell.
Taarush's eyes widened. He could still feel John's presence lingering in that room. "It's… just a coin," he said weakly.
But Sannya's voice trembled. "It's not just a coin… it's the War Coin. The one that lets you duel anyone — and ask for anything if you win."
Back in the hidden library hall, Jeen stood across from Lord. The tension between them was thick enough to choke. Lord flicked the very same type of coin toward Jeen, and it rolled across the floor with a metallic echo.
Jeen caught it effortlessly. "You really want to use this, Lord?"
Lord smirked. "You said you were bored, didn't you? Let's play."
John leaned against the wall, his arms folded. "This will be heavy," he muttered. "A battle of minds… and Lord's not built for long fights."
Jeen descended the steps slowly, his calm eyes glowing behind the glass lenses. "I accept your duel," he said, his voice sharp.
The manager of Heaven Room brought a chessboard between them. "Let's make it fair," Jeen said.
Lord chuckled. "Fair? There's no such thing as fair in this place."
The game began. Every piece moved like a breath of tension. The clicking sound of chess pieces echoed through the room. Jeen's mind was sharp — every move planned, every counter ready. He was the school's chess champion after all. Lord, on the other hand, played carelessly, like someone testing fate.
After twenty minutes, it was clear — Lord was losing.
Jeen leaned forward, confident. "It's over," he said.
Lord leaned back, eyes half-open, smile widening. "Boring. Let's make it interesting."
He placed a knife on the table. "Loser cuts a finger."
Jeen froze. Even John opened his eyes and sighed. "Here we go again," he said, lying down near the corner. "Wake me up when it's done."
Jeen refocused on the board, but something about Lord's calmness was off. "How's your friend's hand these days?" Lord whispered suddenly.
The question hit like a shockwave. Jeen's mind flashed to the past — his friend screaming, blood, the smell of iron. His hand trembled. He moved his queen — the wrong move.
Lord's smirk widened. "Checkmate."
The game ended in silence. The crowd around them didn't breathe. Jeen clenched his fists, realizing how he'd fallen for the trick.
He called for his guards, the Heaven Room enforcers — but Lord spoke first. "The duel is one-on-one, Jeen. Don't forget the rules you live by."
Jeen closed his eyes, exhaling sharply. "You won," he admitted. "What do you want?"
Lord dropped a small pendrive on the table. "You've been looking for this. Proof of the culprit you've been hunting for months."
Jeen froze, then gave a small, bitter laugh. "You bastard. You knew I'd play this game."
"Now, about the deal," Lord said. "I want a loan. One hundred million."
Jeen's hand shook, but he nodded. "Fine. But one day, you'll pay for this."
As Lord turned to leave, he lit his lighter — and set a tiny flame on John's sleeve.
"You bastard!" John yelled, slapping the flame off. Lord just laughed and waved the pendrive.
"Want to know how I won?" Lord asked softly. "Because I knew what you desired the most — revenge."
John frowned. "Revenge? Against who?"
Lord's expression darkened. "The one who used the War Coin on Jeen's girlfriend. The Mask Guy."
Meanwhile, far away, Sam finally arrived at the school gates. He looked around the dark campus and sighed.
"So that sucker Taarush got dragged into this game, huh?" he muttered.
As night fell, the members gathered again. Lord stood at the center of the room, his shadow long against the wall.
"It's time for war," he said quietly. "Get ready, boys. We'll need allies."