"Enough talk, Kevin, let's begin!"
Kyma drew her deck from the card box at her waist and loaded it into the Elven Eye.
"Eh, the card box isn't strapped to the thigh?"
Because of the recent trend among the girls at Fusion Academy, Ling Ling had gotten used to the fan-service scene of beautiful girls lifting their skirts to draw cards before dueling.
But clearly, Kyma Set didn't lump herself together with the other academy girls.
Or rather, she herself accepted the persona of the Set family's eldest son.
"Older brother . This time... this time!"
After struggling to gather courage for a long time, Kevin finally mustered the guts to face Kyma's cold gaze directly and utter those words.
"This time, I won't lose to you again. After coming to Fusion Academy, I gambled everything as a Duelist. Gaining the black dragon's recognition, maintaining a win rate surpassing yours, older brother, everything, was all to surpass you at this moment!"
"Hmph↑↓ Didn't expect that after half a year of enrollment, even my foolish little brother has gained some courage. Omoshiroi (Japanese loanword 'interesting'), bring it on!"
Kevin Set LP: 4000
VS
Kyma Set LP: 4000
"Duel——!" x2
Unlike the practical combat test, the rules for a formal duel are 4000 Life Points for both sides, and a minimum deck size of 40 cards.
Duel start, Kyma's Elven Eye lit up first, indicating she goes first.
"Let me see just what level of growth allows you to be arrogant enough to speak of defeating me. I summon in Attack Position——[Emerald Dragon]!" (Amethyst Jade Dragon)
[Emerald Dragon ★★★★ LIGHT][Dragon-Type ATK: 2000 DEF: 100]
"Roar!!!"
A rare and precious dragon whose body surface bloomed with amethyst jade scales roared, flapping its wings and flying in the sky above the duel field.
The very first summon of the first turn stunned the audience; Kyma tore open the name of the strongest with the dragon's wrath.
"A Level 4 monster, yet its attack power is 2000 points!"
Among those most astonished were the first-year students.
Without needing tribute monsters for an upgrade summon, a monster with 2000 attack points could be summoned.
Its attack power was 200 points higher than the strongest 4-star monster Kevin had previously used, [Mighty Valkyria].
"Is this second-year summoning? So strong!"
This was also the most important purpose of the grade challenge match: to let the first-year students witness the higher dimension of Duelist strength.
A summon Kyma Set casually completed in the first turn was already a level that most first-year students would find hard to reach even with all their effort.
"I set one card, turn end."
Having completed her play, Kyma put down her remaining 4 hand cards and ended her first turn.
If it were an ordinary first-year student, they might have already lost their fighting spirit in this situation.
But Kevin Set was, at least ostensibly, the elite NO.1 of the first year.
And he himself knew better than anyone else how much pressure he would face and endure when dueling Kyma.
"I'm different from before, betting everything I've worked for since coming to the academy. My turn, draw!"
The moment he drew the card, the black draconic aura roared out; the massive phantom appearing behind Kevin was even more imposing than the [Emerald Dragon] on Kyma's field.
A familiar scene, which also occurred during the duel with Aisha.
The legendary Red-Eyes Black Dragon was drawn into Kevin's hand.
Aisha hesitated: "Drawing Red-Eyes Black Dragon on the first turn, I don't know if it's good or bad."
The 7-star Red-Eyes Black Dragon, requiring two tributes for an upgrade summon, obviously couldn't be Normal Summoned on the first turn.
However, the current Kevin, if he didn't find a way to deal with the 2000 attack point [Emerald Dragon] on Kyma's field, would find it impossible to accumulate enough tributes for the upgrade summon.
"I summon in Attack Position——[Mighty Valkyria]!"
[Mighty Valkyria ★★★★ (4-Star) LIGHT][Warrior-Type ATK: 1800 DEF: 1050]
Also meeting the challenge with his strongest 4-star monster, the Valkyrie, materializing and unfurling her pure white angel wings, confronted Emerald Dragon in the sky.
Yilin said: "No good, even Mighty Valkyria isn't enough, Emerald Dragon's attack power is still higher."
"Is this what you call different? No wonder you were defeated by a dead-last student."
Kyma's merciless mockery spared her younger brother no face.
"Unable to even skillfully wield the power of your own black dragon, wanting to surpass me? That will forever exist only in your delusions, weakling!"
"Hiss, so harsh, first time seeing Kevin scolded like this."
Aisha couldn't help but shiver and started baseless associations.
"If my older sister were like this... unimaginable. Simply hell!"
"Since you say that, I'll show you how to wield it, the power of the legendary black dragon!"
Unwilling to be berated just like that, Kevin erupted with fighting spirit, drawing a card from his hand and flinging it with full force onto the duel field.
"——Activate Magic Card [Ancient Rules]!"
[Ancient Rules Magic Card Effect: Special Summon 1 Level 5 or higher Normal Monster from your hand.]
Not an upgrade Normal Summon, but a Special Summon. Level 5 or higher Normal Monsters naturally include the Level 7 Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
A magic scroll imprinted with a dragon's appearance slowly unfurled, releasing immense magic power, gradually materializing the semi-transparent virtual black dragon's pressure onto the field.
"Black flames burning between heaven and earth, guide the legendary black dragon's descent!——Ancient Rules - Special Summon [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]!"
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon ★★★★★★★ (7-Star) DARK][Dragon-Type ATK: 2400 DEF: 2000]
Fully unfurling its pitch-black dragon wings to obscure the sky, flying above Emerald Dragon and Mighty Valkyria, the massive Red-Eyes Black Dragon descended with a boom.
This time, finally, it wasn't someone else, but Kevin himself summoning his own Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
It was precisely through experiencing that battle with Aisha that Kevin realized his deck should lean towards ways to summon the black dragon more easily, which is why he included this B-rank Magic [Ancient Rules].
Also a dragon, the Level 7 Red-Eyes Black Dragon's attack power easily surpassed the top-tier 4-star Emerald Dragon.
"Break through the opponent's monster, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!——Inferno Fire Blast!"
The pitch-black flames erupted, burning away all enemies in sight; the 2000 attack point Emerald Dragon had no possibility of resistance and was directly pulverized into dust.
[Emerald Dragon] destroyed
Kyma Set LP: 4000→3600
"And then a direct attack from [Mighty Valkyria]!——Sacred Judgment Slash!"
Kevin roared, following up the breakthrough with a direct attack; the Valkyrie's sacred angel sword slashed across Kyma's chest, which looked several times more defensively endowed than Aisha's.
Kyma Set LP: 3600→1800