"You mean take a first-year?"
The next day, when Aisha brought up this suggestion to Irena—
First came ( *￣︿￣)
Then (ー`'ー)
Finally (o゜▽゜)o☆
"I guess that's not impossible! You're a genius, Aisha!"
As for filling the last vacant slot with a first-year, Irena had indeed tested the strength of one such student herself.
That was when the Pyramid of Light was shattered, and she destroyed Arnold with the Magic Cylinder Gatling.
Of course, Arnold was defeated by her at the time, but Irena was the strongest third-year, after all. She had crushed plenty of people, so that wasn't saying much.
At least, Arnold's displayed ability was much more reliable than most so-called senpai who had just moved up to the second year.
And with the halo of being a first-year at Fusion Academy, the provocation factor would be far higher than a second-year.
They didn't actually need to beat other academies' third-years. Even if a first-year could unexpectedly hold out for a few turns, that would count as a mission well accomplished.
"The first-year would be that brat Arnold, right? I think it could work!"
Well, it seemed Irena misunderstood.
Aisha had indeed suggested bringing a first-year, but she hadn't meant Arnold.
"Senpai, please take me with you!"
She remembered yesterday in the dorm, when Lishia begged her through tears and snot to bring her along to Synchron Academy.
Her raw sincerity left Aisha, as her senpai, unable to refuse… otherwise the snot would have dripped right into her mouth.
"Lishia?" Hearing the name, Irena looked puzzled.
"I think she's your roommate, right, Aisha? Arnold's childhood friend? The little girl who sometimes speaks in dialect—she's pretty cute."
Irena had some understanding of Arnold's Duel strength, but with Lishia, she only knew her appearance.
"So, is she strong too?"
"Strong or not… that's not really for me to say."
Aisha had once seen Lishia's Familiar-Possessed Deck in her Duel against Nova. Even with Lan-Maid sabotaging her twice, she fought Dragonmaids to a standstill.
Despite that, the one most qualified to judge Lishia's strength was Miles, who had once borrowed Nova's body to Duel her directly.
That was why Aisha felt confident enough to bring this proposal to her senpai, Irena.
"These are Miles's exact words… Lishia's strength might just be Fusion Academy's secret weapon this time!"
"Miles's exact words?" Irena's expression immediately turned serious.
"Senpai, what do you think?"
"Accepted!"
Σ(?Д?)
"So fast!"
Aisha had planned to use Miles's words to persuade Irena, but hadn't expected it to work so well.
The moment she heard Miles's assessment of Lishia, Irena agreed without a second thought.
"After all, it's Miles. If he vouched for her strength, there's nothing to doubt."
Miles shouted then, "I did say that, but I never 'guaranteed' it! I only said 'might'!"
Of course, Irena couldn't hear Miles grumbling from within the Soul Room.
In truth, the hidden ace Miles referred to wasn't Lishia's Familiar-Possessed Deck.
While strong enough, it still wasn't at the level to challenge academy elites.
What Miles meant was the Saint, Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous, who possessed Lishia. And [Fallen of Albaz], representing the ultimate essence of Fusion, able to fuse away opposing monsters.
If the Saint herself stepped in at the right time, Vice Principal Raiden's conditions would be met. Whether Synchro or Xyz, she could just fuse them away.
"I'll go inform Vice Principal Raiden about the personnel change. Aisha, you should go let Lishia know."
"Great! That means the last slot's settled—Lishia can come with us!"
Aisha also breathed a sigh of relief. As a somewhat introverted girl, if she really had to go abroad for the exchange, she'd much rather fight side by side with a familiar friend.
Having Lishia replace Kevin's slot was the best result for her.
"Wait, I just thought of a critical problem."
Just as she was leaving, Irena stopped short, turning back to confirm with Aisha.
"The food expenses. Isn't Lishia an exceptional eater? I'll have to apply for more funds from Vice Principal Raiden."
Not just an exceptional eater… exceptionally beyond exceptional.
"If you can apply, that'd be great. Sorry to trouble you, Senpai, hehe."
Aisha couldn't help but smile bitterly. That box of radishes she'd brought was probably gone already.
Sure enough, when she returned, not even a trace of radishes remained. The crime scene was spotless… and ruthless.
When Aisha told Lishia the good news, the radish-scented girl once again burst into tears and hugged her.
"Wonderful… I'm so happy. Being your roommate is the greatest luck of my life."
"(￣ー￣) You mean because of the radishes?"
"Of course, I mean because you take such good care of me, Senpai!"
The final lineup for the Axet Republic exchange at Synchron Academy was set:
Led by third-year Irena, second-years Aisha Yuna Carlos and Ren Austin, plus first-year kouhai Lishia. A grand slam across all three years.
The week of preparation flew by, and three days later, it would be time to depart.
And today was their final Monster Summoning Class before departure.
Still, even though it was the last class before leaving, it was just an ordinary weekly summoning class, nothing like the midterm or final exams with full summoning arrays.
Yet for some reason, sitting in class, Aisha Yuna Carlos was unusually excited.
Ren couldn't help but ask: "Little Ai, why are you squirming in your seat? Is it itchy? Want me to scratch it for you?"
"(???)? Hehehe!"
For once, Aisha laughed smugly in her weakest subject.
"I think I'll have good luck today, Ren-chan!"
"Good luck? Why so confident?"
"Because of this!"
Aisha drew out the card from her thigh card case. The blank card that had fallen from Alice's mailed letter.
Ren tilted her head, looking left and right repeatedly.
"But there's nothing on it."
"Precisely because it's blank, it represents infinite possibilities! …Why are you holding up toilet paper in front of me?"
"Adding to your possibilities~"
"This isn't just paper! My sister prayed for this at a shrine—it's a protective charm!"
But Aisha's confidence wasn't only from this charm card.
Last night, she'd dreamed of Alice for the first time in ages.
In the dream, Alice told her that if she summoned with this blank card as a charm, it would bring results unlike ever before.
Maybe the shrine card really was like a fortune slip, able to turn fate and break her curse of only summoning low-level monsters.
Even if it wasn't a midterm or final summoning, she wanted to summon something powerful!
It was just that small wish.
"Now, today's summoning class…"
Miss Erin, returning hungover, still carried her usual fatigue as she began the morning class.
"Same as always, whoever wants to go, hurry it up."
It was only thanks to the laid-back nature of weekly summoning classes that she could drink herself senseless on weeknights.
"Drunkard teacher," was how Miles had once seen her.
Albeit, now that he knew she was a strong user of the Shaddoll Deck, he felt she was someone with a story.
Maybe she drank to drown it… or maybe because, at thirty, she was still unmarried and unlucky in love.
"Me me me!"
Once class began, a lively, confident voice rang out.
All eyes turned in surprise to Aisha Yuna Carlos, raising her hand high.
What was this? Normally, she shrank back and only went last when forced. Yet, today, she was going first?
"Little Ai, are you serious?"
Watching her walk up confidently, Ren felt a strange illusion—that maybe her childhood friend, who could only summon low-level monsters in class, might finally succeed.
After all, Aisha Yuna Carlos was the one who had summoned [The Winged Dragon of Ra].
Anyone who could summon a God had already broken through the limits. Her only weakness was her low floor.
However, if, through life-or-death Duels, Aisha had raised that floor, then as a Duelist, she would level up entirely.
"Didn't expect you to be first, Aisha."
Seeing her approach, Miss Erin sobered up a little.
Would her proudest student finally break through the barrier and achieve transformative growth?
"Begin your summoning, Aisha Yuna Carlos!"
"Yes, Miss Erin!"
Nodding firmly, Aisha gathered her mana into the Spirit Eyes on her arm.
Just as Alice had said in her dream, a blazing new summoning energy surged through her.
"I can do this! Alice, Mr. Miles!"
Today, Aisha Yuna Carlos would break through destiny's limiter!
The card formed in the torrent of summoning mana.
First came the monster's type—
Fairy.
Then its level—
Level 1.
"So it's Mokey Mokey again…"
Everyone sighed in disappointment.
Not that Mokey Mokey was bad—after defeating the Wicked God, no one could look down on that tofu angel.
Despite that, for Aisha to summon Mokey Mokey again? Too normal. Nothing changed.
"No… wait!"
Miss Erin, sitting by the summoning platform, immediately sensed the anomaly.
Because the attribute appeared—
FIRE.
Mokey Mokey wasn't FIRE.
This time, Aisha's summoning had brought forth something entirely new.
In the blazing light, Aisha heard a deafening roar.
Like a colossal Kaiju, roaring to devour everything.
Then, from the summoning array, a dragon of flame emerged and dove into the card floating before her.
In that instant, power beyond most top monsters swept through the classroom.
"Is this really the power of a Level 1 monster?"
"I saw a dragon just now, but the card says Fairy?"
"What kind of summoning is this!?"
A Kaiju-like summoning that devours everything.
Without Aisha realizing, the blank card from Alice was resonating wildly with the one she summoned.
"Dragon incarnate, flame of purifying! Devour the alien flame, thunder of twenty trillion bolts!"
At the final moment of summoning, words appeared unbidden in Aisha's mind.
"Monster Summon—Kurikara Divincarnate!!"
[Kurikara Divincarnate] Level 1│FIRE│Fairy│1500 ATK / 1500 DEF
Aisha Yuna Carlos had completed a brand-new summoning: a Level 1 FIRE Fairy monster.
The dragon of flames had only been the background—The monster itself was a barefoot pink-haired little girl, walking through fire.
"Was this really your summoning, Aisha?" Even Miles was stunned.
Compared to other Level 1 monsters in her Deck, [Kurikara Divincarnate] was far too unusual.
Not only was it absurdly strong for Level 1, with 1500 Attack and Defense.
Most importantly, its effect… once its condition was met, it could devour monsters on both fields, doubling its Attack.
Beneath her cute angelic appearance was a destructive power akin to a Kaiju or Lava Golem.
"So you're the one who summoned me?"
Kurikara Divincarnate spoke softly, her small body and childish voice belying her maturity.
"Then you must take responsibility—and feed me. With the crimson of yourself and your enemies. Is that acceptable, my master?"
"Uh… huh?"
At that moment, Aisha realized she had summoned something incredible.
...
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