After a long discussion with Kexi and once both sides had agreed on their terms, Yuui returned control of the body to Alicia. Shortly afterward, Kexi left the library.
Alicia stared at the book in her hands, while her thoughts kept circling back to their conversation.
With a sigh, she found herself unable to read any further.
For the next two days, she attended classes as usual without any of the expected disturbances.
Still, she knew from Yuui-san's words that it wouldn't be long before members of the Prince's faction came to her.
The reason they hadn't acted immediately was twofold: first, because she was currently in the spotlight. If they moved against her now—especially for something as disreputable as trying to seize or trade for another's spirit—it would damage the Prince's faction's reputation. Nobles cared deeply about appearances, and they would never act rashly.
The second reason was likely strategic. If negotiations failed, they would have to decide who to send to confront her. Given her current strength, even most third-years might not be her match; to lose after failing to negotiate would be humiliating.
Thus, for those two days, Alicia went about her routine in anxious anticipation.
During that time, Ace sought her out again in class, hoping for a rematch.
Since the past few days had been frustrating, Alicia welcomed the challenge. After another fierce duel, Ace was once again defeated, and Alicia vented her pent-up irritation in the process.
Perhaps due to the repeated defeats of the first and second-years, the third-years among them finally lost patience.
On the third day, Alicia heard from her classmates that the captain of the Axel Republic's delegation—Arella Chris—had issued a challenge to none other than the academy's strongest duelist, the Student Council President, and Grand Princess of the Bredt Kingdom: Sera Bredt.
The news spread like wildfire, and the entire academy was thrown into an uproar.
Her Highness the Grand Princess—Sera Bredt—hadn't been challenged in ages. Not just because of her royal status, but because of her overwhelming strength.
After all, she possessed one of the kingdom's three Guardian Spirits: the Dark Magician.
Even though few had ever seen the Dark Magician's true power, the spirit's legendary history alone was enough to inspire awe.
As for Arella Chris, Vice President of Starlink Academy's Student Council, while few knew the full extent of her abilities, the fact that she held such a position in an academy rivaling Saint Fusion and Imperial Academy was proof of her formidable strength.
With the challenge announced, not only the students but also many instructors and professors became eager to watch.
Naturally, Her Highness the Princess had no reason to refuse.
In fact, she had been waiting for this—an official challenge from the leaders of Starlink and Imperial Academies.
The battles among the first- and second-year students were trivial. However, the third-years—those duels mattered to the higher-ups of all three academies. The strength of the third-years reflected the pride and capability of their institutions.
Thus, that very afternoon, after receiving the challenge, the Grand Princess's attendants sent a reply to Arella, setting the duel for the following morning at the academy's Duel Plaza. There, she would show Arella what the true might of Saint Fusion Academy's greatest duelist—of this generation and perhaps every generation—truly was.
Arella gladly accepted.
By the next day, even before the duel began, the Duel Plaza was already packed with students eager to witness the match. Teachers and professors had also gathered among the crowd.
Of course, the transfer students from Starlink Academy and Imperial Academy were there as well, waiting for the duel to begin.
Alicia was just as eager to watch. Not only her—Yuui was also curious to see the summit of this academy's power. This time, however, she hadn't come alone or with her classmates from Class 1-E. She had been dragged along by her friend: Alice Tutt.
Yet today, Alice's behavior was nothing like that of a noble duke's daughter. Instead, she acted more like what Yuui once called a typical onlooker eating popcorn.
And as any proper onlooker should, Alice came prepared with snacks. Watching her carry a mountain of treats while the academy vendors weaved through the crowd selling food and drinks, Alicia suddenly thought that maybe there was a business opportunity here.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, cheers erupted all around them.
"President!"
"Your Highness!"
"Princess Sera, you can do it!"
"Our Grand Princess! We'll always support you!!"
Following the crowd's gaze, Alicia looked toward the Duel Plaza and saw a tall, slender beauty with waist-length black hair and cool, violet eyes walk onto the field. Her every step radiated an icy, commanding presence.
One look and Alicia could tell this was not someone easy to approach. As she thought that, the Grand Princess's gaze suddenly turned directly toward her.
That gaze carried a pressure that could crush mountains—an invisible force of dominance that made Alicia instinctively shrink back.
Then she noticed Alice cheerfully waving at the Princess.
To Alicia's surprise, the Grand Princess gave a small nod in return before continuing toward the center of the field.
Realization dawned—Sera hadn't been looking at her, but at Alice.
Alicia quickly asked, "Alice, you know Her Highness the Grand Princess?"
At that, a mysterious gleam flickered in Alice's eyes, followed by a bright, mischievous smile. "Of course I do! Did you forget my family name already?"
"I'm Alice Tutt—the daughter of the Duke of Tutt, one of the kingdom's three great dukes. Our family supports the Grand Princess, so of course I know her!"
As Alice finished proudly stating her identity, Alicia froze in mild shock.
Only now did she fully realize who her friend truly was… or rather, she'd always known.
Alice Tutt. The Tutt family… one of the three great ducal houses of the Bredt Kingdom. Everyone in the kingdom knew that name. How could she not?
Even so, Alicia had simply chosen not to think about it since Alice was the only friend who had ever treated her so warmly.
Now, recognizing the vast gap in their status, Alicia felt an unexpected pang of inferiority.
Humans are strange that way; When two people are strangers, even a huge difference in status means little. Albeit once they become friends, that difference starts to sting.
Alice seemed to notice Alicia's change in mood but said nothing. Instead, she casually tossed Alicia a bag of chips and began eating pudding herself.
Yuui, standing beside them, caught the subtle change in Alice's eyes and expression. His own eyes narrowed a bit, his fist tightening as he turned to glance at the quietly dejected Alicia, a flicker of sympathy passing through his gaze.
When it came to friendships, Yuui never made choices for Alicia.
He understood her feelings of inferiority, but the gap in status and position wasn't something that could be bridged overnight.
All he could do was stay by Alicia's side; accompany her as she grew stronger, until she reached a point where she would never again have to bow her head to anyone.
Or, if the day came when Alice bared her fangs, he would gladly deal with that sweet-faced but dark-hearted woman himself.
As for Alicia's current inferiority complex… truth be told, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Inferiority and pride, though opposite emotions, could both serve as fuel for growth if guided properly. As long as she didn't stray off course, either could make her stronger.
While Alicia, Yuui, and Alice each lost themselves in thought, below them, the Grand Princess—Sera Bredt and her challenger, Arella Chris—had stepped into the center of the Duel Plaza.
Just as the two were about to begin, a blue magic circle suddenly appeared between them.
Moments later, a handsome, white-haired, white-bearded old man materialized atop it.
"Headmaster!"
"Lord Aleister!"
Both Sera and Arella exclaimed in surprise. Neither had expected Aleister to appear in person.
"Heh-heh-heh, I heard there would be quite the duel today, so I hurried over!" Aleister stroked his beard and chuckled. "I'm not too late, am I?"
"Of course not. Our duel hasn't even begun yet," Sera said calmly.
"Excellent, excellent!" Aleister laughed heartily, radiating the warmth of a charming old gentleman. So much so that Arella's respect for the former Great Sage deepened further.
Then Aleister turned to the two duelists. "Since I arrived just in time, would you mind if I served as the referee?"
"Of course not!"
"No objection, Lord Aleister!"
Both girls answered in unison. Aleister nodded. "Good. Then I shall preside over this duel. And you, young lady from Starlink Academy—worry not. Though I may wish for my own kin to win, I am fair and will show no bias. Duel with all your strength."
"Yes, Lord Aleister!" Arella stood straight, her expression firm. She had no reason to doubt him. Someone of his stature had no need to deceive her.
Aleister then turned to Sera, his great-granddaughter, and smiled. "It's been a long time since I've seen you duel, Sera. I hope to witness something new this time."
"Please rest assured, Great-Grandfather. I'll show you how much I've grown," Sera answered with composure.
"Good." Aleister nodded slightly. "Then prepare yourselves. When I give the word—begin!"
"Yes, sir!" x2
The two girls took their positions, and Aleister raised his right hand sharply.
"Then let the duel—begin!!"
"Duel!!" x2
[Sera, LP: 4000]
[Arella, LP: 4000]
Glancing at the duel disk display, Arella declared, "I'll take the first turn! Draw!!"
After scanning her hand, Arella quickly spotted her winning path. A small smile crossed her lips as she drew a card. "I activate the effect of Windwitch – Ice Bell! If I control no monsters, I can Special Summon this card from my hand. Then, I can Special Summon one Windwitch monster from my Deck!"
Ding-ding!
"Hehe!"
A clear chime echoed alongside a cheerful laugh. Ripples shimmered through the air as a magical girl with wavy lavender hair appeared, riding a crystalline broom shaped like a bell.
[Windwitch – Ice Bell, DEF: 1000]
"And with Ice Bell's effect, I Special Summon the Tuner monster, Windwitch – Glass Bell, from my Deck!"
Once more, the sound of ringing bells filled the air as another cute young witch with short turquoise hair rode out of a crystalline ripple.
[Windwitch – Glass Bell] Level 4│WIND│Spellcaster / Tuner│1500 ATK / 1500 DEF
"And now, both Windwitches activate their effects!" Arella waved her hand. "First, Glass Bell's effect—when it's Summoned, I can add a 'Windwitch' monster other than itself from my Deck to my hand. After that, I can only Special Summon WIND monsters for the rest of the turn."
"Then, Ice Bell's effect! When it's Summoned, it inflicts 500 damage to my opponent!"
The lavender-haired witch smirked mischievously, twirling her crystal wand as a gust of icy wind shot toward Sera.
The Grand Princess didn't so much as flinch, taking the chilling blast head-on.
[Sera, LP: 4000 → 3500]
"Next, with Glass Bell's effect, I add Windwitch - Freeze Bell from my Deck to my hand!"
Arella drew the card and revealed it. "And now I activate the effect of Windwitch - Freeze Bell! Since I control only Windwitch monsters, I can Special Summon this card from my hand!"
Once again, ripples spread through the air, and a graceful gray-haired witch appeared, seated elegantly upon her crystal bell broom.
[Windwitch - Freeze Bell, DEF: 1200]
...
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