Within Class E's formation, even though most of their combat strength remained, they had still been beaten to the brink of collapse by Class D's twenty-man assault force.
Even Tyles, the commander of the main formation, was already on the verge of death.
Looking at his remaining 200 Life Points and the countdown timer with barely any time left in the turn, Tyles knew he would be hard-pressed to survive the next turn.
And at such a tense moment, a pink-haired loli who had been knocked flying suddenly fell from above.
His sturdy arms quickly caught Nite, who had been defeated in no time as cannon fodder.
"Looks like we're going to lose after all," Nite complained.
"No, it's not over yet." Tyles set Nite back on the ground and said firmly, "My brother is still fighting. I think I can hold on a bit longer."
"What 'brother'? You two just met today!" Nite retorted. "And why are you trusting a transfer student so unconditionally? And the class rep too!"
"Maybe it's because… his eyes are different."
"His eyes?"
"In Miles' eyes, there's something Class E has long since lost… hope! I think the class rep saw that too, which is why she chose to believe in him!"
"What 'hope'… sounds stupid," Nite muttered, pouting.
"Yeah, it is stupid! Class E is a group made up of countless stupids! And precisely because we're idiots, we were able to bet everything on this foolish plan and hold out until now!"
With only ten seconds left in the turn countdown, Tyles knew he couldn't delay any longer.
"This is the final Xyz Summon of an idiot! Transform! Rank 4—Evilswarm Exciton Knight!"
In the final second, the light of Xyz burst forth. The masked, Kamen Rider-like monster was the commander of Class E's last struggle.
"Is that all? Then you can just wait to die!"
The Class D assault team had already seen victory before them. They could tell Class E was stalling for time, but they had no idea why.
There was no way they would lose to Class E. Every student of Class D firmly believed this.
Until the violent trembling of the battlefield, and the massive azure figure descending from the roiling thunderclouds.
"What is that?!"
The pressure of the god was far too immense; so immense that it instantly drew the attention of everyone in both Class D and Class E.
After struggling to stall until now, the turning point had finally arrived.
Something that looked utterly extraordinary had descended into Class D's formation.
"Hahahahahaha, you want us to wait to die?"
Although Tyles didn't understand what had happened, the scene before him—so different from every defeat over the past three years—made him laugh uncontrollably.
That was probably hope.
"The ones waiting to die are you!"
"—God Hand Impact!!"
The god's punch at Soul MAX blasted across the battlefield. Even from different formations, everyone could witness this moment.
With just one strike, the God of Destruction—Obelisk the Tormentor—switched the overwhelming disadvantage in numbers.
"Uwaaaaaaaah!" ×20
The twenty people on Class D's side were wiped out by Obelisk's single blow.
"..."
With their commander, Roz Dik defeated, Class E's victory was declared.
Though this declaration of victory came a bit late.
Because even the Xyz Academy instructor overseeing the battle from outside the field was stunned.
The sudden overturn of the situation, seen from outside, was like Class E had dropped a nuclear bomb into Class D.
"Was that… a legendary God Card?"
Even as an academy instructor, the rarity of God Cards meant he had never seen one with his own eyes.
Before this, he had only known that the transfer student in Class E today was anything but ordinary.
After all, he was a student personally recommended by the strongest emperor of the empire, Quaedes. His status was unprecedentedly special.
So special that, in the past three years, aside from the supervising teachers, no one paid attention to the Duel War between Class D and Class E.
Yet this time, Vice Principal Wolf of Xyz Academy had actually come in person to watch.
"The real thing… that's Obelisk the Tormentor," Wolf said.
Unlike Fusion Academy and Synchron Academy, where the vice principals were all elderly men with white hair and beards, Wolf of Xyz Academy appeared much younger.
Of course, only relatively younger compared to men well past fifty; he was still a middle-aged man with a thick beard.
"Obelisk the Tormentor? I heard that God Card was obtained by that Royal Knight, Aisha Carlos, wasn't it?"
"The secrets contained within the God Cards are far too many. Not something we mortals can easily speculate on.
"Then, Principal, there's another matter. A student personally recommended by His Majesty the Emperor, who can also use a God Card, placing him in Class E… isn't that a bit inappropriate…"
"That's not something we can decide either."
"Huh? Wasn't it you, Principal Wolf, who assigned that transfer student named Miles to Class E?"
Miles had always believed that Quaedes had deliberately made things difficult for him by placing him in the worst Class 3-E.
Little did he know, Quaedes had never concerned herself with class assignments at all.
Aside from personally handling the transfer procedures, Quaedes, who hated troublesome matters, left everything else to Xyz Academy.
However, even under such circumstances, a student recommended by the emperor was still assigned to the worst Class E.
"It was an order from the Headmaster," Wolf said helplessly.
On the surface, he was the principal of Xyz Academy, but that "vice" prefix had never been removed. There was still a Headmaster above him.
"The Headmaster?" The supervising teacher's expression of shock was no less than when the God Card had descended.
"You mean the Headmaster who's been missing for several years?"
"Exactly."
The true Headmaster of Xyz Academy, who had vanished as if into thin air for years, had unexpectedly reappeared just to issue an order regarding a transfer student… and that order was to place him in Class E.
"Why would he do something like that, Principal Wolf?"
Faced with such a bizarre and unfathomable development, his less-than-thirty years of life experience couldn't make sense of it.
Still, a principal was still a principal, even if only a vice principal. Wolf's perspective was far more perceptive than that of an ordinary teacher.
"Perhaps the issue isn't with that transfer student named Miles, but with Class 3-E itself."
"Class 3-E itself? That group of idi—"
He was about to say "idiots," but remembering the principal was present, he corrected himself.
"That lowest-ranked class… would it really be worth the Headmaster personally intervening?"
"Perhaps the Headmaster saw that within Class 3-E, there exists a remarkable unpolished gem. And that gem needs a trigger to awaken."
And the transfer student Miles was precisely that "trigger" for Class 3-E's awakening.
---
"We won!"
Miles, surrounded by all of Class 3-E, was lifted high into the air, tossed upward, caught by the sturdy Tyles, then thrown up again and again.
Even so, it was still not enough to express the excitement and gratitude in the hearts of everyone in Class 3-E.
For three years, they had never won a single time as the lowest-ranked class. This victory was far more than just relief after a long drought; it was the creation of a miracle once thought impossible.
"This victory isn't mine alone. Without everyone's support, this surprise tactic would never have succeeded."
Though it was called a surprise tactic, before Miles truly revealed his strength, it was nothing more than a suicidal tactic.
Despite that, Class E just happened to trust Miles, supporting this utterly outrageous strategy.
"Because we're idiots!" Tyles laughed heartily. "When idiots do things, we never think too much! Just do it!"
Indeed, it was precisely because they were this group of idiots that they would support Miles without a second thought.
If they had transferred into any class other than Class E, even a class at the level of Class D, with that frog-in-the-well arrogance, they wouldn't have paid Miles any attention at all.
Thinking about it that way, Miles seemed to prefer getting along with this group of idiots even more.
Nite asked curiously, "By the way, Miles, what card did you use? It actually wiped out everyone in Class D instantly."
This was Class 3-E. Among them, very few people knew anything about the God Cards.
"You can think of it as a nuclear bomb.
"Especially in large-scale chaotic battles, once it successfully detonates, it's a nuclear bomb that guarantees victory!"
Nite's eyes sparkled. "(☆_☆) A nuclear bomb? That sounds insanely powerful! With a trump card like that, doesn't that mean you can just blast your way to victory all the way?"
On Monday afternoon's Duel War, Class E had claimed victory, and according to the ranking rules, tomorrow… Tuesday afternoon's Duel War would be Class E versus Class C.
"No. To be honest, if we use the same strategy again, it'll be very hard to win."
In spite of how today's Duel War looked, on the surface, like Miles had wiped out all of Class D with a single strike… thinking about it carefully, the victory had actually been quite dangerous.
First of all, even with all of Class E staying behind to defend their base, they had nearly been overrun by Class D's 20-person assault. The difference in strength was far too obvious.
If this were against Class C, which was a level stronger than Class D, it was very likely that before Miles could even throw that punch with Obelisk the Tormentor, Class E's base would already have fallen.
Secondly, the explosive news of Class E's comeback victory over Class D had spread through Xyz Academy at lightning speed.
With even a bit of caution, Class C surely wouldn't act like Class D, whose commander had been so easily provoked by Miles.
In the upcoming Duel Wars, relying solely on Miles alone would probably make it difficult to achieve victory through surprise attacks like today.
Right now, the most critical task was to improve Class E's overall strength.
If we were to talk about the simplest and most effective way to improve in a short time, it would naturally be upgrading the summoning amplification array.
This was also why Miles had worked so hard to secure this victory.
By defeating Class D, in today's final Duel Monsters summoning class, Class E could use Class D's summoning array.
It might look like only a small upgrade.
For Class D, who were accustomed to their own summoning array, even summoning every day might not make them feel any stronger.
Meanwhile, for Class E, a summoning array with enhanced effects—even if experienced for just a single summoning class—would still be a 100%, real, tangible improvement.
Because they were too weak, as long as they summoned, they would certainly become stronger.
Whether such a result was fortunate or tragic was hard to say.
Class leader August had gone, under the teacher's guidance, to exchange the summoning arrays of Class D and Class E.
As long as August returned, the Xyz Summon of Xyz Academy that Miles had been eagerly anticipating could officially begin.
However, with class rep August not in the classroom, even during class time, Class E was still as noisy as a boiling pot.
After a long-awaited victory, excitement was inevitable.
"Hey, hey, hey! heyyy, hey! hey! Hey, Miles!"
Like a dolphin's sonar activating, the pink-haired loli Nite swiftly stuck herself to him.
"Miles, you really are a genius boy. You transferred in as a first-year, yet your dueling strength is already this amazing, and you're also so handsome. Can I make a request?"
"A request?"
"I like strong people the most. Can I be your girlfriend?"
"Huh?"
Dark Aisha: "Huh? What's with this girl?"
People had seen direct approaches before, but never one this direct. Was she relying on her cuteness and acting recklessly as a mascot?
"Girlfriend?" Tyles interjected. "I remember you had a boyfriend from Class B before, didn't you?"
For someone from Class E to date someone from Class B, it really could only be Nite; Just based on her level of cuteness, she could ignore strength differences.
"I already dumped him. Even though he was from Class B, his personality was too weak. After dating for a while, I really didn't feel anything anymore."
Dark Aisha: "This brat!"
"What did you just say, Aisha?"
"Reject her hard, Miles!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Actually, even without Aisha reminding him, there was no way Miles would agree.
"Sorry, Nite. I can't date you."
"Eh! Did I just get dumped at light speed?"
While shocked, the pink-haired loli's eyes rolled, and she thought of another possibility.
"As expected, a guy as outstanding as you, Miles, has to have a girlfriend at Fusion Academy, right?!"
"Really?"
"Miles isn't single either?"
"Where is our FFF Inquisition¹?"
Drawn in by the topic of youth, everyone in Class E once again focused their attention on Miles, ignoring that it was still class time.
In the corridor, August, who had just left the teachers' office, stared at the summoning array card in her hand, still feeling a lack of reality.
This was Class D's summoning array. Class 3-E had actually defeated Class D.
All of this was thanks to Miles, who had transferred in… The boy had brought whole new possibilities.
Among everyone in Class E, only August had witnessed up close the heroic figure of Miles summoning a god.
It was a moment that would make any Duelist's heart race uncontrollably.
"It can work. With Miles here, Class E might really make it!"
Reigniting her hope, class leader August's heart turned cold again the moment she reached the door of Class E.
It was as noisy as a marketplace… was this really class time?
August angrily pushed the door open. "Have you all had enough! Out of the entire corridor, our class is the noisiest!!"
Like a homeroom teacher's scolding, her words successfully suppressed the noisy crowd of Class E.
"Ah, the class rep is back."
"Damn, we were just getting to the important part."
"We were just about to ask Miles if he has a girlfriend."
"Eh?" A blush flashed across August's cheeks behind her round glasses, her gaze shifting toward Miles, who was surrounded by the crowd.
"Class rep, thank goodness you're back to save me!" Pressured by questioning, Miles seemed to have grabbed onto a lifeline as he hid beside August. "Hurry and leash them!"
"Ahem." August coughed awkwardly, hiding her embarrassed blush. "Student Miles, you should answer the question first. I think everyone is quite curious."
….
¹ FFF Inquisition: a group of jealous anti-romance singles, from the Baka and Test anime.
---
If you want to support, please consider Patreon and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going! [Patreon.com/RedZTL]