The Duel Test lasted an entire day and finally ended as the evening glow began to fade.
Out of the original 401 candidates, only 201 remained.
Among the 200 who were eliminated, several actually possessed greater talent and strength than those who stayed. Regardless, at Saint Fusion Academy, the rules were the rules; once you lose, no matter how strong or gifted you are, you're still expelled.
Of course, those eliminated weren't entirely without recourse.
Saint Fusion Academy had a special rule that applied to both candidates and students alike.
If a candidate or student violated Academy regulations or failed an examination and was about to be expelled, they could challenge an Instructor to a Duel. If they won, they could stay in the Academy, and any prior offenses would be forgiven.
When Alicia had rushed to save Slower Swallow during the Summoning Test, Yuui had already prepared himself to challenge one of the Academy's Instructors—his final option.
Whether he could defeat a Saint Fusion Academy Instructor was another matter entirely. After all, Yuui had no clear sense of how powerful those Instructors truly were.
However, after his match against Kexi Arce, Yuui estimated that, with his and Alicia's current level, they wouldn't stand a chance against one of the Academy's Instructors.
Fortunately, Instructor White had shown mercy.
And since even Yuui had no confidence in overcoming a teacher, the rest of the candidates certainly wouldn't dare challenge the authority of Saint Fusion Academy's Instructors.
Thus, by the time the Duel Test concluded, no additional students had been reinstated.
…
At seven o'clock that night, under the moon's silver light and the glow of magical lanterns, all the remaining candidates gathered once more in the Duel Plaza, awaiting another address from the Headmaster.
A blue magic circle appeared, and the Headmaster—a distinguished man with a finely kept beard—materialized upon the platform.
Snap!
With a flick of his fingers, ten Magic Mirrors reappeared in the air, projecting the Headmaster's handsome yet aged face into view for all to see.
He began speaking slowly and clearly. "Congratulations to all of you who remain. You have passed both rounds of examination and are now officially members of Saint Fusion Academy's 101st class.
Tomorrow, your class placements will be posted in the main hall of the Administration Building. You'll find out then who your classmates are.
"That said, before that, on behalf of all faculty and students of Saint Fusion Academy, I welcome you all to our family!"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
As his words ended, dozens of previously unseen Instructors appeared among the gathered crowd, along with more than ten upperclassmen wearing the Academy's noble purple uniforms.
They all applauded together, welcoming the new students into the Academy.
Hearing this, the candidates finally let out a breath of relief.
They had officially become members of Saint Fusion Academy. Many were so moved they nearly burst into tears, and some even felt like shouting to the heavens—even so, they held back, unwilling to disturb the solemn atmosphere.
Soon after, the roughly two hundred new students were led by the faculty and upperclassmen to their dormitories.
This year's freshmen dorms were located on the southern side of the campus. Though called the "freshmen dorms," they were simply the former dorms of graduated third-year students that had been cleaned and prepared for the newcomers.
The dormitory area was divided into two buildings—one for boys and one for girls—each with six floors. Saint Fusion Academy was nothing if not generous; every student was assigned a private dorm room.
Perhaps this was also because the Academy admitted relatively few students each year, allowing them to provide single rooms for all newcomers.
"302, 302, 302! Found it, this is the one!"
Alicia's eyes sparkled as she spotted the plaque marked "302" and cheerfully pushed open the door.
The room was brightly lit by a magical lamp. The roughly forty-square-meter dorm room had minimal furnishings: a single bed neatly made with a soft quilt, a desk and chair by the window, and little else.
Still, the fact that the small room came with its own bathroom and washroom pleasantly surprised both Yuui and Alicia.
Seeing what would be her home for the next three years—no, their home, as she corrected herself—Alicia squealed with joy and dove toward the invitingly soft-looking bed.
Yuui immediately caught her by the back of the neck.
"You're covered in dust—don't jump onto the bed like that. Go take a shower first! The Academy already gave you your uniform, right? After bathing, change into it and head to the banquet. You can rest after the dinner's over."
"Ahhh (｡•ˇ‸ˇ•｡), Yuui-san, do we have to go? I... ow!"
Yuui lightly tapped her forehead. "No excuses. Tonight's banquet is attended by everyone in the Academy. And after how spectacularly you performed today, if you don't show up, it'll leave a bad impression on a lot of people.
"I'm not afraid of Duels, but if someone tries to make things difficult for us from behind the scenes, it'll be troublesome since we're on our own here. We need to use this banquet to see if we can make a few useful friends."
"Useful friends..." Alicia rubbed her forehead and thought that the word "friend" didn't sound quite right in this context.
Nonetheless, Yuui didn't care. After checking the bathroom and washroom to make sure everything was in order, he took a clean set of undergarments from Alicia's backpack and handed them to her. "Go on. I've already checked the facilities; there's no problem. I'll inspect the room while you bathe.
"Also, I'll put your uniform on the bed for you—just change into it when you're done. Come to think of it, I've never seen you in a school uniform before. I'm kind of looking forward to it."
"Ehh!! R-really?"
Yuui's last remark made Alicia's face turn crimson. Looking at the plain underwear in Yuui's hand—something she normally wouldn't think twice about—she suddenly felt flustered.
Snatching it from him, she dashed into the bathroom and hurriedly shut the door.
"What's she getting all nervous for?"
Yuui frowned slightly, puzzled, but when he heard the sound of running water, he stopped thinking about it and began inspecting the room.
He checked every corner carefully, and after confirming there were no problems, he took out the folded uniform from Alicia's bag and neatly placed it on the pure white bed.
Then he closed the window, drew the curtains, dimmed the magical lamp, and stepped out into the hallway.
About half an hour later, Alicia cautiously cracked open the door and peeked out, her face flushed. "Yuui-san, I'm done changing."
"Mhm." Yuui nodded and stepped back into the room.
It was still dim inside, but Yuui's eyes—those of a spirit—saw clearly even in the dark. He could see Alicia's appearance perfectly.
"So, Yuui-san... how do I look?" Alicia asked nervously, hands clasped behind her back.
Yuui examined her for a moment, then gave a thumbs-up. "It suits you. You look adorable."
He wasn't just being polite. The elegant purple uniform fit Alicia's slender frame perfectly, and even under the low light, her golden hair gleamed like sunlight. She truly looked like a young noble lady just entering the Academy.
What made her even more captivating was the shy expression coloring her already rosy cheeks—it gave her an innocence that was all the more charming.
Someone with... certain preferences would probably lose their mind seeing her like this.
Albeit Yuui wasn't that type. Despite being a self-proclaimed card geek, he preferred mature women, and his feelings toward Alicia were entirely brotherly—a mix of an older brother's affection and a father's protectiveness.
"Really? Yay~!"
Alicia's joy at the compliment made all the effort of dressing up feel worthwhile.
Yuui smiled and gently ran his hand over her damp short hair, evaporating the remaining moisture with a touch of his power as he said softly, "Alright, it's almost time. Just follow my lead during the banquet.
"Eat and drink as you like, but mind your manners."
"Got it!" Alicia nodded energetically—though her thoughts had already drifted to imagining all the delicious food awaiting her.
After drying her hair completely, Yuui even braided it into a neat style before continuing, "Let's go. Don't forget your Duel Bracelet; Just in case."
"Mm-hmm! I know, Yuui-san!"
As Alicia passed the washroom, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror—her reflection a perfect blend of cuteness and elegance, with eyes sparkling like pearls.
She fastened the Duel Bracelet onto her wrist and left the room, with Yuui following right behind her as usual.
As Alicia rushed out energetically, a girl stepped out from the dorm room next door.
Her violet eyes blinked as she noticed Alicia's golden hair fluttering in the breeze, then curved into a knowing smile.
"To think I'd have her as my neighbor... Looks like life here is about to get interesting, huh, Chidi?"
"Mm, perhaps."
...
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