"5 points, 3 points, and 6 points?"
Dark thought for a moment and understood the judges' scoring criteria.
Professor Jones's score was a bit subjective, Professor Fox was stricter, and the sole student judge scored by the book, making his the most standard.
Emma's duel was indeed a loss, but her opponent was simply too strong; it wasn't her fault.
In those brief thirty seconds, she had done everything she possibly could.
Her composure before the match, her steady mindset when facing a third-year, and her summoning speed—already quite fast for a first-year—were all points in her favor.
So the student judge gave her a passing score of 6.
Generally, if the average score is above 6, passing the review is a sure thing.
Professor Jones's 5 points was borderline, but Professor Fox's 3 was not good.
If Emma wants to pass for sure, she'll have to perform well in the next two duels.
…
On the red player's platform.
Emma quietly noted down her scores, feeling a slight sense of relief.
The moment her defeat was confirmed, she had imagined the worst-case scenario, like getting a 0 or something…
Thankfully, that didn't happen.
"I didn't even last a single turn. This is so embarrassing."
Patting her flushed cheeks, the small, brown-haired girl held back the bitterness in her heart.
Failure was a common occurrence; she had experienced it several times already.
Every failure made her stronger.
She would also learn from her failures, making herself more and more perfect.
This time, of course, would be no different.
She closed her eyes.
Took a deep breath.
It's over in a flash!
"I'll definitely, absolutely do my best next match!"
Before she knew it, Emma had walked off the platform. Susan and Lucy immediately took her by the hand, one on each side.
Susan immediately cried out, "What's with this stupid competition? Putting a third-year up against you to bully people? Emma, don't mind it, just get them back in the next match!"
Lucy chimed in, "That's right, our Emma can definitely do it!"
Emma's eyes reddened slightly, but she held it in. "What are you worrying about? Do I look that fragile?"
Susan quickly replied, "Of course not, Emma is super strong."
Lucy: "As strong as a balloon, all hard and tough."
Emma: "Pfft! Is that any way to describe someone?"
Lucy: "Haha, let's go. We'll talk on the side so we don't disturb the next match."
Emma: "Okay."
As she walked away, she cautiously glanced at the bench over there, then quickly turned her head and hurried off.
But after just a few steps, two people appeared right in front of her.
"Little Emma."
Helena waved at Emma.
Emma was slightly stunned for a moment, then said a word to her two friends and walked towards Helena.
As she got closer, she noticed Winnie next to Helena. This upperclassman, who had danced with the great princess at the Halloween ball, had left a rather deep impression on her.
But before she could ask, Helena wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pumped her fist, and said nonchalantly, "Don't be sad. When I get back, I'll help you smash Angelia's little head in!"
"Angelia..." Emma came back to her senses. "Was that the upperclassman from just now?"
Helena nodded with a smile. "Angelia Hudson, a third-year from Fool's House and a member of our Literature Club."
Emma frowned slightly. "She's from Fool's House?"
Helena said, "Reserved, low-key, building up strength over time. That's just how Fool's House is."
She then introduced Winnie to Emma. "This is also a third-year upperclassman, but she's from Magic House. Winnie Skadi."
Emma nodded. "Yes, I know. Hello, senior."
Winnie extended her hand to shake, and with that, they were acquainted.
Helena then said, "We just watched your match. Your fundamentals are decent. If you perform well enough in the next two matches, we can clear a spot for you in the Literature Club."
"The Literature Club?" Emma was surprised. "Don't you have to be a second-year to join other clubs?"
Helena smiled brightly. "Think of it as pre-ordering a ticket. The first year is for building your foundation. A solid foundation is necessary before you can take flight, which is why the academy has this rule. After your second year, you'll understand just how important a good team is. And our Literature Club is absolutely second to none in the entire castle. You should know, we only have four new member slots each year!"
Emma's mind spun, and she asked, "The four houses, one from each?"
Helena: "Mostly."
Emma understood at once. "I see. In that case, I'll consider it when I'm a second-year."
Helena: "..."
Seeing her flustered, Winnie couldn't help but chuckle. "We're actually here to extend an olive branch. Helena recommended you. Regardless of how you perform from now on, this spot will be saved for you. Of course, that's provided you're willing. Helena was right about one thing: having a good team is very important, and our Literature Club is nothing to be ashamed of."
Helena said helplessly, "Anyway, I've delivered the message. You don't need to get distracted by this. You can give me an answer later."
Emma nodded.
She would, of course, consider it carefully.
She wouldn't make any promises before she truly understood what the Literature Club was about.
But thinking back now, she suddenly understood what Angelia meant by "let's talk next time."
"I see!"
This realization helped her let go of her recent failure quite a bit.
At the same time, she developed a genuine interest in the Literature Club.
…
"She seems to be in good spirits."
Dark glanced at the Literature Club sign Helena was casually carrying and turned his head back.
Diana pulled down the corners of her eyes with two fingers and mumbled, "If that were me, I'd probably be like this by now."
Rose mercilessly exposed her. "Who are you kidding? Stick a piece of toffee in your mouth, and you'll forget everything."
Diana giggled. "Well, who can blame me when toffee is so delicious?"
The three continued to watch the arena.
The second match quickly began, a duel between two second-year students.
The first-years now got to witness the average skill level of the second-years.
Their normal summon speed was roughly between 5 and 10 seconds.
Their sacrifice summon speed exceeded 10 seconds.
In terms of summoning speed alone, they were even slightly inferior to Dark.
But the foundation built from an extra year of study was evident in their Magic Guide Cards.
Their variety of Magic Guide Cards was clearly richer, both sides had their own unique styles, and each had at least one Tier 2 Magic Guide Spirit Card.
Why at least one?
Because during the duel, they each only summoned one.
Dark was more inclined to believe they had multiple Tier 2 Magic Guide Spirit Cards but the duel was decided before they had a chance to summon them.
Despite both showcasing Tier 2 Magic Guide Spirits, these two second-years didn't score very high.
Professor Jones and the upperclassman judge merely gave them passing scores.
Professor Fox's score was even lower.
"It's probably because their summoning speed still doesn't meet the standard for the second-year assessment. Plus, their other performances weren't particularly impressive."
Dark thought for a moment and roughly guessed the reason.
Beside him, Diana looked at the aged Professor Fox and whispered, "That white-haired grandpa seems super strict. Do you think he dislikes bears?"
It took Dark a moment to follow her train of thought. He couldn't help but say, "Don't worry, he won't give you a low score just because he dislikes bears."
"Okay then." Diana jumped to the ground and shook her hands. "It's my turn!"
Rose said, "I hope it's not a third-year."
Diana: "It's all the same. The score isn't based on winning or losing."
With that, she ran towards the red player's platform, brimming with confidence.
…
After the interval of one duel, the first-year audience had finally recovered. The students from Noble House perked up, ready to cheer at a moment's notice once Diana gained an advantage.
But as Diana took the stage, her opponent also emerged from the crowd—it was a second-year student!
First-year vs. second-year!
This wasn't uncommon in the recruitment competition.
Because the skill gap wasn't huge, both sides could usually have a decent back-and-forth.
Of course, the second-years' win rate was definitely much higher.
Having learned from the Knight House's previous example, the first-years from Noble House were much more restrained in their cheering.
In contrast, the second-year's friends were full-throated, their gazes towards the Noble House first-years filled with disdain.
Yes, they were clearly from Knight House!
The two houses had been at odds since long ago. Even those with decent personal relationships would instantly turn hostile when it came to inter-house competition.
All friendships would have to wait until after a winner was decided.
However, the situation was what it was. The Noble House first-years gritted their teeth, but with no confidence they could win, they could only hold back.
"Both contestants, please enter the field!"
Urged by the referee, the second-year from Knight House finally stepped onto the blue player's platform.
He casually activated the card table and said through the amplification device, "You're so small. Can you even compete?"
Diana, who had been cheerful, was suddenly taken aback by his question, completely bewildered. "What does being small have to do with competing?"
The second-year scratched his head and retorted, "How can you play cards if you can't even reach the table?"
Diana placed her hands on the card table, puzzled. "I can reach it, see?"
"Pfft."
Dark, watching from the sidelines, almost lost his composure.
Rose asked curiously, "Is this the trash talk Professor Jones mentioned?"
Dark shrugged. "Perhaps."
Rose had an epiphany. "The professor said that during the preparation phase, you can use verbal tactics to affect your opponent's mentality. It's a type of strategy. But this is the first time I've seen real trash talk. Isn't he afraid of being disliked?"
Dark: "Maybe he's already disliked enough as it is?"
Rose: "That makes sense!"
…
The second-year student was indeed somewhat restrained. With two professors watching, he didn't dare say too much.
But this level of trash talk was completely ineffective against Diana—she didn't take it seriously at all!
After placing her deck in the slot, Diana even took the initiative to ask, "By the way, what's your name?"
The second-year replied, "Marjorie Gresham. And you?"
Diana shook her head. "I'm not telling you."
Marjorie was stunned. "Then why did you ask for my name?"
Diana shook her head smugly. "I, Diana, do not strike down the nameless."
Marjorie was stumped for a moment, then suddenly realized—this girl's name was Diana!
"Tweet—"
The referee's whistle interrupted their sparking exchange.
The match entered the second half of the preparation phase.
…
[Preparation Phase][30s]
…
Full of energy, Diana drew five cards from the top of her shuffled deck.
Then, her eyes lit up as she spotted [Bear Spirit] in her hand!
As a Light-attribute Undead-type, a special Magic Guide Spirit Card with an attack power exceeding the three-star standard, this Bear Spirit was the ace of Diana's aces.
Without any hesitation, she pulled the corner of the [Bear Spirit] card forward.
"Tick-tock!"
The 30-second countdown quickly ended.
The duel entered the [Battle Phase].
Diana immediately began to summon [Bear Spirit].
Her normal summoning technique was just under ten seconds, not as fast as Dark's or Emma's, but her opponent, Marjorie, wasn't a particularly outstanding honor student either. The gap between them wouldn't be too large.
Sure enough, it took Marjorie a full eight seconds to summon his opening Magic Guide Spirit!
Both of their normal summons were completed at almost the same time.
"Come out, Long-necked Camel!"
"I choose you, Bear Spirit!"
Beams of light shot from the Magic Guide Cards, landing in the summoning zones on both sides.
Two large beasts materialized within the light.
Even on all fours, Diana's Bear Spirit stood three meters tall. It radiated a brilliant white light, and its eyes held a depth born of ages and the gentleness of its twilight years.
Marjorie's Long-necked Camel, on the other hand, looked like a camel without humps but with an exceptionally long neck—and a short elephant-like trunk!
Before the advent of magic technology, this ancient animal existed only in old texts and fossils.
But now, it was known to the world as a Magic Guide Spirit.
Among three-star Magic Guide Spirits, the Long-necked Camel was a powerful creature whose size and stats were in no way inferior to a [Troll].
If one had to point out a weakness, it would be its agility, which couldn't compare to a Troll's.
Marjorie was very confident in his Long-necked Camel. With an attack of 1500 and defense of 1400, it had few rivals among three-star Magic Guide Spirits.
"Armored Charge! Pulverize it!"
At Marjorie's command, the Long-necked Camel broke into a run, suddenly accelerating and charging towards the Bear Spirit like a heavy tank!
Its immense size made the ground tremble with every step.
"Roar!"
Facing the approaching behemoth, the gentleness in the Bear Spirit's eyes vanished. It charged forward to meet the beast head-on, completely without fear!
"BOOM!"
A massive explosion.
Marjorie's expression changed drastically!
________________________________________
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