"Could this monster be connected to the card Alice sent?"
Though Aisha, immersed in summoning, hadn't noticed, Miles did sense the resonating power flowing from that blank card during the summoning.
After all, Miles had already grasped some of this world's summoning techniques. He could at least recognize subtle differences in the process.
"Mr. Miles, you mean… the card my sister sent is Kurikara Divincarnate?"
"No, it shouldn't be."
Alice's blank card was still safely resting in Aisha's card case after the summoning.
Kurikara Divincarnate—the pink-haired loli—was indeed summoned directly by Aisha herself. It had simply drawn a portion of power from the card during the summoning.
"It's just my guess for now," Miles added. "Hard to say more at the moment. But Aisha, keep that card on you."
"Of course I will! I don't need you to tell me—I'd never let go of my sister's card!"
The final Monster Summoning Class before the exchange ended smoothly. Three days later, they would set off for Synchron Academy.
Yet even with only three days left, during lunch, as they gathered to plan their trip, Irena suddenly grew uncharacteristically anxious.
"We should leave now. Immediately!"
"What's wrong, Senpai?"
The underclassmen all looked at her in confusion.
Aisha said, "So, Senpai Irena was the most eager all along? You really didn't show it before."
Ren added, "It's only three days away. Just endure a little longer."
Lishia continued, "Would the Academy even allow us to leave early? Oh, Aisha-senpai, are you eating those fries? If not, I'll—"
"I'm eating them."
"(?oωo?) (disappointed)"
Her legs jittered under the table as Irena repeatedly checked her Beaconbug messages, her face unusually serious.
"As long as I tell Vice Principal Raiden that we're leaving early to prepare and adapt to the new Duel environment, he'll agree! We have to leave at once!"
It was obvious something was wrong with Irena. The group exchanged glances before asking together—
"Senpai, are you in some kind of trouble?"
"Ugh… is it that obvious?"
"It's practically written on your face." Ren tilted her head. "Let me guess: you borrowed money outside, and the debt collectors are about to show up?"
"How could a perfect, all-round beauty like me ever owe money? You don't understand! This is serious! We can't stay here any longer!"
"Can't stay at the Academy? What could possibly be that bad?"
If anywhere in Livorden was safest, it was Fusion Academy.
Even when the Wicked God's abyss had encroached upon the town, it circled around the Academy, likely out of fear of a certain presence there.
"Hey, did you hear?"
As they puzzled over why Irena wanted to leave, the conversation of some passing third-years carrying trays caught their ears.
"They say the graduates are coming back tomorrow."
"Really? Then the graduation ceremony will be the day after."
"Great, we'll get to see a graduation Duel again."
"This year's graduation Duel has to be Alester-senpai."
"And among current students? By rule, it should be a third-year."
"With Kaima Seth absent, the one with the highest credits in the third year would be Irena, right?"
Truth revealed!
When Aisha and the others looked back at Irena, her pretty face was now full of barely concealed panic.
"Running away isn't right, Senpai," Aisha lectured earnestly.
"The graduation Duel is one of youth's rarest memories. You should embrace it, Senpai Irena~"
Though equally serious-sounding, Ren's tone carried clear schadenfreude.
"So why do you want to escape so badly, Senpai?"
Chewing on Aisha's fries, Lishia blinked innocently. She didn't get it at all.
Of course, as a first-year, Lishia wouldn't. But Aisha and Ren already knew.
Kaima had personally told them of Irena's dark past—or rather, her Duel trauma.
Back in the first-year Class Challenge, Irena, gifted and arrogant, had been utterly crushed by Alester-senpai.
So thoroughly crushed, Kaima said, that it had smoothed away all her youthful edges.
Albeit being beaten that badly had left an indelible shadow—Alester.
"Please, I'm begging you—take me with you!"
In an instant, Irena had become like Lishia a week earlier, crying as she clung to Aisha.
"Is Alester-senpai really that terrifying?"
Aisha couldn't imagine what kind of opponent could scare someone of Irena's caliber into wanting to run.
So she turned on her angel mode, stroking Irena's head. "Maybe it's just the shadow in your heart making him seem scarier than he is. Maybe now, you'd win."
"You haven't seen him in a Duel… Alester is a total madman!"
Held in Aisha's arms, Irena shuddered.
Aisha had heard both sides: Alester, the once-in-a-century genius of Fusion Academy—and Alester, the madman.
After all, genius and madness are only a step apart. Many geniuses look like madmen to the world.
"If you won't leave early, then you'll have to grant me one request."
Irena's sudden change of tone made Aisha feel a strange sense of déjà vu.
Like what had happened with Princess Nova not long ago.
"W-what request?" Aisha swallowed nervously, realizing Irena's pitiful act of throwing herself into her arms was probably premeditated.
Miles had already noticed—ever since she first suggested leaving immediately, Aisha had been falling into the cunning witch's trap.
Her pale fingers brushed over the surface of the Millennium Puzzle at Aisha's chest as Irena whispered with a deep smile:
"To beat Alester, I can only rely on him. The Duelist who surpassed even the invincible [The Wicked Avatar]... clashing with Fusion Academy's once-in-a-century genius. That's our only chance."
…So all this acting from the sly witch was just to recruit a substitute?
...
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