"Killed by another Millennium Item holder?!" Miles and Aisha cried out in unison, echoing Camille's disturbingly dark revelation. Turns out,
"Killed by another Millennium Item holder?!"
Miles and Aisha cried out in unison, echoing Camille's disturbingly dark revelation.
Turns out, playing cards could be deadly—and battles between Millennium Item holders were on another level of danger.
"Can I ask… which Item's holder did it?"
If the answer was the Millennium Ring, then Miles and Aisha silently agreed they would not be going back to the dorm tonight.
Actually, forget tonight—permanent dorm reassignment, please.
"The Millennium Eye."
Sensing Miles's unease, Camille added, "No need to be so scared. It only happened because of an extremely rare and extreme situation."
Camille kept smiling.
"It was hard to accept at first, sure. But it's been years… even I've come to terms with it. Those who carry fate rarely understand the true weight of it themselves."
"Wait, what are you two even talking about? I don't understand a single word!" Nia cut in, confused, and turned to Kevin and Rovik. "You two get it, right? Don't tell me I'm the only one left out."
Kevin and Rovik both shook their heads.
Souls inhabiting Millennium Items? Fated encounters? Killed by another Item holder?
For those unfamiliar with the Millennium Items, Miles and Camille's conversation might as well have been ancient scripture.
It reminded them of Professor Field's lectures on the Outer Gods of Nordens, the long-lost overlords of the Spirit Continent.
In other words, they understood none of it.
"Well, I doubt it's a topic you'd be interested in anyway," Camille said tactfully, changing the subject.
"Since you're here, it must be because of [Dystopia the Despondent], right? So you're probably more concerned about the seal on the card. Who has it now?"
"I do."
Miles revealed the Dystopia card in his hand, still wrapped in two layers of sealing chains.
"As I thought, the first layer's already broken. It's only been ten years… I guess fate is spinning faster than the Headmaster and I anticipated."
It was the second time Camille had mentioned the Headmaster.
At Fusion Academy, describing the Headmaster as a dragon that shows its head but never its tail was no exaggeration.
Every time the Headmaster disappeared, they didn't reappear for years.
The last time anyone saw her was during the Academy's centennial festival—five years ago.
Meaning, none of the current students had ever seen the Headmaster in person.
Daily operations were handled entirely by Vice Principal Raiden.
"Wait a sec," Miles suddenly realized, "Camille, you said earlier that you asked the Headmaster to build this underground facility. So the two earlier trials... those were her doing too?"
First was the cup-size test. Then came the Duel that recreated the Paradox Brothers' labyrinth bluff.
And let's not forget those cutesy, meme-worthy message hints. It was hard to imagine the austere Headmaster of a centuries-old school as the culprit.
More importantly, anyone who knew about the Paradox Brothers had to be from another world entirely.
Camille laughed. "Haha, you probably guessed right. The Hea—cough—I mean, the Headmaster, that's just the kind of person she is."
Aisha promptly yelled, "Using cup size as a trial condition?! My image of the Headmaster is ruined! Totally out-of-touch administrator!"
"Camille, can you help us break the seal on Dystopia?" Nia asked seriously, as president of the High-Level Spirit Research Society. Her XP practically demanded it.
A 12-star card—just the thought made her knees weak.
"Of course. My agreement with the Headmaster—to be allowed to stay down here alone—was to wait for Dystopia's arrival."
Camille raised the Millennium Key before his eyes and peered at the four of them through the looped top.
"The Millennium Key unlocks the door to the heart. Despite that, it's also got handy side features—like letting me see someone's true nature and abilities."
First, he looked at Kevin.
"True nature: pride and self-esteem. Matches the exterior. Ability: creating possibility. Damn, that's cool. Are you the protagonist of a shounen manga or something?"
Next, he turned to Nia.
"True nature: desire. Well, yeah, that tracks. Ability is… 'Big'? I guess that refers to high-level monsters?"
Then Camille faced Rovik.
"True nature: money. Ability… also money? Dude, just how rich are you?"
The Braun family had gone from a powerhouse business family to a literal aristocracy. After monopolizing the replica card production business, no other family could compete.
Finally, Camille's gaze landed on Aisha's body—currently possessed by Miles.
He didn't speak immediately, silently observing for a moment before lowering the Millennium Key with a smile.
"I knew it. So you're the one who broke the first seal on Dystopia. What's your name?"
"Aisha Carlos."
"No, I mean your name."
Miles froze. He knew exactly what Camille meant.
But with Kevin and the others here, he paused to answer—To respond would be to reveal the truth of the soul exchange.
This wasn't like confessing to a childhood friend like Ren. Even if they seemed trustworthy, there was no guarantee Kevin or the other Spirit Club members would keep his secret.
"It's okay if you don't want to answer," Camille said gently. "That's your right."
"But to break Dystopia's second seal, one final trial is required. Only when a soul feels despair will Dystopia respond to you."
"Despair…"
Camille infused the Millennium Key with magic and gently tapped the Millennium Puzzle hanging from Aisha's chest.
"The Millennium Key opens the heart. It draws out the darkness within the soul. Everyone has one—even saints. The hidden darkness of human nature."
As the dark power between the two Millennium Items resonated, a shadowy figure took form within the chamber—an exact duplicate of Aisha Carlos.
Aisha was shocked, "That's… me?!"
Seeing another version of herself appear out of nowhere, Aisha's spirit inside the Puzzle felt as though something deep inside had been torn away.
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going!
[Patreon.com/RedZTL]