Let's play cards! In a fantasy world of swords and magic

After the nuclear explosion of the Black Flame Bullet, Kevin's life points were reduced to zero, marking the official end of this duel.

What was supposed to be an ordinary, weekly practical test, something so routine it could hardly be called special, ended up creating a conclusion that shook the entire Sacred Talisman Academy to its core.

Aisha Yuna Carlos had won.

The last-ranked first-year student, who was on the verge of expulsion, had defeated the grade's No. 1 elite, Kevin Seth, who had a 100% win rate in practical tests.

Even more astonishing was the fact that, with only 100 life points remaining, Aisha had used Kevin's own Red-Eyes Black Dragon to pull off a miraculous comeback.

This unbelievable reversal, a victory snatched from the jaws of defeat, was enough to be recorded in the annals of the Sacred Talisman Duel Academy's history.

"Teacher, did I win?" Aisha herself could hardly believe what had just happened and tentatively sought confirmation from Teacher Erin.

The moment victory was secured, You Ling, who had been hiding his achievements and fame, did not linger in Aisha's body. He immediately swapped souls and returned to the Millennium Puzzle.

Just as You Ling and Aisha had agreed beforehand, he would only intervene during duels.

Stunned for a moment, it was her professionalism as a teacher that allowed Erin to be the first to recover from the shock.

"Yes, you won, Aisha," Erin announced. "The practical test between Kevin Seth and Aisha Yuna Carlos concludes with the winner being Aisha Carlos!"

"..."

After the official result was announced, the crowd remained silent for a few seconds. Then, as if the curtains had fallen, thunderous applause erupted.

"OOOOOHHHHH!"

"Is this really happening?!"

"The invincible Kevin has fallen!"

"Aisha actually defeated Kevin using his own Red-Eyes Black Dragon? What kind of miraculous turnaround is this?!"

"Does this mean that cute girl won't have to drop out? Seems like I still have a chance."

"No, you definitely don't have a chance," interrupted Irene, a second-year student, crushing the delusions of a bystander.

"Aisha Yuna Carlos will undoubtedly become an extraordinary duelist in the future. Ordinary people like you should stop dreaming. Right, Kema?"

"Hmph, what does that have to do with me?"

Despite his younger brother's defeat, the eldest son of the Seth family showed no signs of dissatisfaction. He remained expressionless, his gaze fixed on Aisha, who had just secured victory in the arena.

"That's great! Little Aisha won't have to drop out now."

As Aisha's childhood friend, Irene was naturally more eager than anyone for Aisha to win this duel and stay at the academy.

However, Irene couldn't shake off a strange feeling.

The reason was none other than Aisha's unusual performance during the duel.

Having grown up with Aisha, Irene was the person in the crowd who knew her best.

That kind of dueling style was definitely not something Aisha could have pulled off.

To put it bluntly, it was as if she had become a completely different person.

"Maybe I'm overthinking it. That was clearly Aisha... It's not like someone else took over her body or something. That kind of magical thing wouldn't happen, right?"

Irene shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the strange thoughts swirling in her mind.

After the practical test concluded, Teacher Erin began calculating the academic points each student had earned.

Winning the test not only earned Aisha the precious 30 points she needed to avoid expulsion but, more importantly, just as You Ling had predicted before borrowing her body, defeating Kevin, who had maintained a 100% win rate throughout the semester, was like opening a treasure chest guarded by a final boss.

The reward was a staggering 350 points, the amount Aisha received for defeating Kevin in the practical test.

Including the basic reward of 30 academic points, if converted 1:1 into Spell Points, it would total 380 points.

On the very day she received the points, Aisha excitedly rushed to the Sacred Talisman Academy library to repay the 110 Spell Points she had borrowed, including interest.

While returning the borrowed Spell Points, she was also rewarded with a sweet smile from the librarian, Irene, who said, "I knew you could do it."

[Remaining Spell Points: 270]

"I'm so rich! Oh, wait, no—I mean, I have so many points! What cards should we craft next, Mr. You Ling?"

Holding the library's Spell Catalog in her hands, Aisha now completely and utterly trusted You Ling, 120%.

There was no doubt that she had started to develop a sense of dependence on him.

Perhaps this Millennium Puzzle and You Ling, who resided within it, were truly sent by the heavens to save her and the Carlos family.

Every time she thought about this, Aisha couldn't help but smile, feeling a sense of happiness and security welling up in her heart.

"270 points, huh..." You Ling pondered for a moment. "With this much, it might not be a bad idea to splurge on crafting a single B-grade card."

For example, cards like [Mirror Force] or [Magic Cylinder], which are trap cards designed to counter attacks, could easily turn the tide of a duel in the current first-year environment of the Sacred Talisman Academy, where duels often devolved into brute-force battles.

However, among the B-grade Spell Cards, there were also some highly practical options, such as [Monster Reborn], a spell card.

Of course, another spell card that was particularly appealing was the one that represented the Sacred Talisman Academy—[Polymerization].

Based on You Ling's observations, duels in the Spirit Continent did not have a definitive Extra Deck.

And with [Polymerization], as long as you could convincingly argue your case, it was almost like a card-printing machine—anything could be fused.

However, for Aisha's current deck, none of these highly practical B-grade cards could truly enhance the combat power of her weaker monsters.

Thus, You Ling took a bold risk and chose a card that absolutely no one would ever consider crafting with the precious 100 Spell Points.

"Then it's this card. I trust you, Mr. You Ling."

Aisha didn't question You Ling's choice at all and, without hesitation, spent the hefty 100 Spell Points.

"Let's use this card to win even more duels, Mr. You Ling!"

While Aisha Yuna Carlos was basking in her triumph, Kevin Seth was grappling with a complex mix of emotions.

He had lost the practical duel, and with it, his perfect 100% win rate had been shattered.

But that wasn't the main issue. What Kevin couldn't stand the most was the identity of the person who had defeated him.

Aisha Carlos, the bottom-ranked first-year student at the Sacred Talisman Academy... and, to make matters worse, she was a woman.

As the rumors in the academy suggested, Kevin Seth hated women.

Due to childhood trauma from the Seth family, he harbored a deep aversion to strong women and had vowed never to lose to any woman in the academy.

Yet, barely halfway through the semester, Kevin's vow had been broken.

However, the real reason Kevin's emotions were so tangled was something else entirely—

Even though he had been defeated by Aisha Carlos, Kevin didn't feel the same way he had when he lost to women in his family.

Instead, it felt as if he had found a fated rival, and it excited him.

"This is so strange. Especially during the duel, Aisha Carlos... she felt completely different from those annoying women."

As the top-ranked student in his year, Kevin was now lost in confusion.