After the nuclear explosion of Inferno Fire Blast, Kevin's cleared Life Points signified the official conclusion of this duel.
Clearly just an ordinary practical combat test, the kind held every week, yet it produced an outcome that shook the entire Fusion Academy.
Aisha Yuna Carlos had won.
The last-place student of the first year, soon to be expelled, defeated the grade's NO.1, the super strong elite with a 100% practical combat test win rate, Kevin Set.
Even more exaggeratedly, with only 100 Life Points remaining, Aisha even used Kevin's Red-Eyes Black Dragon to complete a reversal.
A miraculous comeback victory, enough to be recorded in the history of Fusion Duel Academy.
"Teacher, did I win?" Even she herself couldn't quite believe the reality before her eyes; Aisha tried to confirm with Teacher Aileen.
The moment victory was secured in the duel, You Ling deeply hid his merit and fame, not lingering in Aisha's body, exchanging souls immediately and returning to the Millennium Puzzle.
Just as You Ling and Aisha had agreed before, he would only take action during duels.
Stunned for quite a while, but her professional teacher's bearing still allowed Aileen to be the first to recover from the surprise.
"Mm, you won, Aisha." Aileen announced: "The practical combat test of Kevin Set VS Aisha Yuna Carlos, the winner is, student Aisha Carlos!"
"..."
After the official result came out, the crowd first maintained a few seconds of silence, then at the curtain call, cheers like thunder erupted.
"Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!"
"This actually happened!"
"The invincible Kevin, he fell!"
"Aisha, she defeated Kevin with Red-Eyes Black Dragon, what kind of miraculous reversal is this?"
"Does this mean that cute girl doesn't have to be expelled? Looks like I still have a chance."
"No, you definitely don't have a chance." Among the spectating second-year students, Irena interrupted the bystander's wishful thinking ( lit. eat peach, internet slang for wishful thinking/daydreaming).
"Aisha Yuna Carlos will definitely become an amazing Duelist in the future; ordinary people like you should stop thinking about her. Don't you agree, Kyma?"
"Hmph, what does it have to do with me?"
His younger brother was defeated, yet the eldest son of the Set family expressed no dissatisfaction, still watching Aisha, who had secured victory on the field, expressionlessly.
"That's great, Xiao Ai doesn't have to be expelled."
As a childhood friend, Yilin naturally wanted Aisha to win this duel and stay at the academy more than anyone else.
But at this moment, Yilin felt a sense of incongruity.
The reason was none other than Aisha's bizarre performance during the duel.
Having grown up with Aisha since childhood, Yilin also understood Aisha the best among everyone present.
That kind of dueling style was definitely not something Aisha could display.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say it was like she had become a different person.
"I must be overthinking it, no matter how you look at it, that's Xiao Ai... Becoming a different person, such a fantastical thing shouldn't happen, right?"
Yilin forcefully shook her head, trying to dispel the strange thoughts in her mind.
After the practical combat test ended, Teacher Aileen began calculating the academic points obtained by each student.
Winning the test not only earned Aisha a precious 30 academic points, avoiding the expulsion crisis.
Most importantly, just as You Ling analyzed before the loan, Kevin, who had maintained a 100% win rate for half a semester, after defeating him, the accumulated academic point reward was truly like opening the treasure chest long guarded by the final boss.
A whole 350 points was the reward academic points obtained after defeating Kevin in the practical combat test.
Adding the basic 30 academic point reward, converting 1-to-1 into Spell Points resulted in 380 points.
The same day she received the academic points, Aisha jubilantly ran to the Fusion Academy library and repaid the borrowed Spell Points, totaling 110 points including principal and interest.
When returning the borrowed Spell Points, she also incidentally received librarian Senpai Irena's sweet smile of 'I knew you could do it'.
[Remaining Spell Points: 270]
"I'm so rich, oh, no, I have so many points! Which cards should we craft next, Mr. You Ling!"
Holding the library's "Spell Catalog", after this battle, Aisha already completely, 120% trusted You Ling.
And undoubtedly began to develop feelings of dependence.
Perhaps this Millennium Puzzle, and You Ling residing within the Millennium Puzzle, were truly sent by heaven to save her, to save the Carlos family.
Every time she thought of this, the corners of Aisha's mouth couldn't help but curve upwards, a sense of happiness born from 'peace of mind' welling up in her heart.
"270 points, huh..." You Ling thought for a moment, "With this much, being extravagant and crafting 1 B-rank card seems possible."
For example, Trap Cards like [Mirror Force], or [Magic Cylinder], which are heavy hitters against attacks, placed in Fusion Academy's first-year dueling environment, currently describable as axe kings hacking at each other, could indeed reverse the battle situation with one card.
But among B-rank Spell Cards, there are also many very practical ones, such as Magic Cards like [Monster Reborn].
Of course, there was another very attractive Magic Card, the one representing Fusion Academy——[Polymerization].
Through You Ling's observation, duels on the Elf Continent don't have a definite Extra Deck.
And the card [Polymerization], as long as you can talk your way through it, is almost like a card printing machine; anything can be fused.
However, for Aisha's current deck, none of these B-rank cards with very practical effects could truly increase the combat power of the trash monsters.
Thus, for the precious 100 Spell Points to craft a B-rank card, You Ling took a gamble and chose a card that absolutely no one else would choose.
"Then this card it is, I trust Mr. You Ling."
Aisha didn't express any doubt about You Ling's choice, unhesitatingly throwing out a whopping 100 Spell Points.
"Let's use this card to win even more duels, Mr. You Ling!"
On one side was Aisha Yuna Carlos riding high on success; on the other was Kevin Set's indescribably complex state of mind.
He lost the practical combat duel, along with his fallen-from-grace 100% win rate.
But these weren't the key points; what Kevin couldn't tolerate the most was the opponent who defeated him.
Aisha Carlos, the dead last of Fusion Academy's first year... even more detestable, she was a woman.
Consistent with the rumors in the academy, Kevin Set hated women the most.
Childhood trauma from the Set family made him deeply loathe strong women. And he swore that in the academy, he would absolutely not lose to any woman.
As a result, only half a semester had passed, and Kevin's vow was broken.
But what made Kevin's state of mind complex and difficult to express at this moment was another matter——
Even though defeated by Aisha Carlos, Kevin completely lacked the feeling he used to have when losing to women in his family.
Instead, it felt like finding a destined rival, making him excited.
"It's really too strange, especially during the duel, Aisha Carlos... the feeling she gives off is completely different from those bothersome women."
As the grade's NO.1, Kevin was confused.