Deyo was destined to lose; that much was certain now.
Big Ivan's whereabouts were elusive and mysterious, and to this day, it was impossible to confirm whether Big Ivan was dead or alive. Thus, the Big Ivan Group could be considered headless, yet even under these circumstances, Deyo failed to take the opportunity to eliminate and absorb Big Ivan's power.
Deyo's loss came because he neither took to the battlefield himself nor was willing to fully delegate his authority to a subordinate. After wasting great opportunities, Deyo was faced with a life-or-death situation and had to make the most reluctant choice.
Deploying Nicholas to deal with Big Ivan, whether Nicholas won or lost, Deyo had already lost at least.
But just because Deyo was certain to lose, it didn't mean that Nicholas was bound to lose too, even if his opponent was Big Ivan.
