The villainous young master just wants to live a Buddhist-like life.

　Claire said, "That should be true. He didn't use this magic card on the Mountain of Gods."

　"That 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' is extraordinary," said Arvit. "Remember Blake's red dragon?"

　Claire said, "Of course. Speaking of which, who ended up taking Black's magic cards?"

　"I didn't pay attention at the time," said Arvit. "But after investigating, I found out that it had been taken by the Holy Church."

　Claire nodded and said, "Most likely it's the Holy Church." "The Holy Church isn't bad either," Alvitt said. "At least, on the day his son is crowned 'Hero' by the Holy Professor, the Holy Church should hand over his magic cards to his son."

　Claire said, "Even if we don't know how many of them will be useful, they are still his father's keepsakes, even if they are just for collection."

　"That's right," said Arvit. "Oops, look, the baby's interview is coming!"

　Senior Judy puffed out her cheeks and said, "Consider it an answer. There will be many more interview opportunities in the future, so let's just ask a few general questions now. Are you confident about the upcoming duel with your peers?"

　Dark said, "There should be."

　Senior Judy then continued, "So, regarding challenging someone above your level, do you have a specific goal in mind?"

　Dark nodded and said, "Yes, there is."

　Judy's eyes lit up immediately, and she exclaimed, "Is it Pandora? Doragon?"

　Dark asked, somewhat surprised, "Why would you think that?"

　A sly glint appeared in Judy's eyes, but she said, "Just guess, don't be nervous."

　Dark said, "I will determine the target for challenging students of a higher level based on the difference in points between the academies."

　Senior Judy nodded and said, "A very formulaic answer. But it also shows Dark Dimon's desire to win. This interview is temporarily over. Let's wish Dark Dimon continued success. Next, please watch the post-match analysis. Please welcome our analyst, who is also the commentator, a sixth-year Knight Academy student—Joe William!"

　Like Inya Knight, Joe William was a student at the Knights' Academy. But their explanations didn't favor the Knights' Academy... well, they didn't have time to.

　After Judy finished speaking, Joe William stood up from the commentary booth and began his post-match analysis.

　[Only two days left! If you don't vote with your monthly tickets now, the rankings will reset soon! Time to collect monthly tickets! We're not far from the top ten!]

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　[There will be further updates this afternoon.]

Chapter 1057 Knights' Academy VS Nobles' Academy (8k bonus chapter, please vote!)

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　While this was the first time that a "post-match analysis" segment had been included in a dueling competition at St. Marian Academy, similar segments had actually existed in professional dueling tournaments for some time.

　However, due to the fact that duelists did not want their dueling process to be analyzed in too much detail—especially in public—they resisted it and it gradually disappeared.

　After all, duelists don't want their secrets to be exposed too much, and "post-match analysis" is seen by the loser as a kind of "execution ritual," which is naturally disliked by duelists.

　However, similar industries all have a tendency to "admire the strong" and "follow the crowd."

　The main reason why the "post-match analysis" segment was abolished is that authoritative organizations such as the Duel Arena of St. Mary's Academy did not keep up.

　After all, the "post-match analysis" section is quite time-consuming. It's not beneficial for competitions where the academy focuses primarily on practice.

　The "post-match analysis" segment has been launched for the first time after much consideration, and it is still in the testing phase.

　Joe Williams, the "first analyst," was specifically requested for him by Inya Knight.

　Of course, as the former head of the Duel Club, he is qualified in all aspects.

　Once the "post-match analysis" segment officially began, the dueling arenas in various locations quieted down a bit.

　Then, a near-realistic projection appeared in the duel arena. Yes, this was not a replay like a "record".

　Instead, it is "recreated" directly on the duel arena.

　However, as an analyst, Joe William can use magical artifacts to slow down, speed up, or rewind the projection.

　The special wand he holds can also "mark," "circle," or draw "arrows" on the field to aid in analysis.

　Many viewers were seeing this "post-match analysis" for the first time and couldn't help but focus on it.

　After finishing his interview, Darko didn't leave but stayed on the players' platform to continue watching the post-match analysis.

　Similarly, Witt Gold was watching intently.

　Joe Williams, as expected of a sixth-grader, provided a very detailed analysis that even revealed Witt Gold's thoughts.

　He spent a full ten minutes analyzing a duel that lasted only one round, stretching the entire "viewing time" tenfold.

　The duel, which was originally too fast for many people to react to, suddenly became much more substantial.

　The viewers who were enthusiastically discussing the duel could also verify each other's claims by watching the slow-motion duel.

　Both sides in the duel can actually benefit from it.

　Through this review, Witt Gold saw clearly all of Dark's actions within that half-minute.

　Whether he gained anything from it is only known to him. In any case, after watching the recap, Dark keenly noticed a crack in Witt's "Holy Sword Curse".

　Those were details he hadn't noticed during the duel. "The power of that sword strike was actually unleashed by overdrawing a magic card?"

　Dark was surprised, gaining a new understanding of Witt's decisiveness. He had originally thought that the "Holy Court Judgment" was simply the normal performance of the "Greatsword of Light - Zoffy," but was the truth really like this?

　It is limited by the "Holy Sword Curse" itself.

　"It's still because his simulated [Holy Sword] isn't powerful enough," Dark couldn't help but ponder.

　The "Holy Sword" has varying strengths and weaknesses, and can be either explosive or functional.

　The "Holy Sword" that Dark first obtained was relatively weak.

　However, the "Emerald Holy Sword" he later acquired was a powerful, explosive type.

　Legend has it that the "Hero" Bright God possesses a "Holy Sword" powerful enough to cleave the Demon King in two.

　Unfortunately, even if the Demon King is cut in two, he will not die.

　The "post-match analysis" segment filled the gap between the two duels. Darke stepped down from the wrestler's platform after his analysis, then high-fived Elsie Kevin, who was about to take the stage, as a gesture of passing the baton.

　Elsie Kevin nodded slightly to him, then stepped onto the elevator platform and slowly rose upwards.

　Dark turned and walked towards another elevator, quickly returning to the side of the players' seats to sit with the senior students from the Academy of Nobles.

　He had barely sat down when the senior students began praising him, making him feel quite embarrassed.

　However, the senior students quickly changed the subject and shifted their attention to the next duel.

　On the other side, Ada Sawyer, a third-year student at the Knights Academy, had already taken to the red team's platform.

　Ada Sawyer is a spirited young man with red hair. He comes from a commoner background and has a clean family history. Although his personality is somewhat eccentric, he is not a bad person overall. He was among the first batch of students recruited into "The Hidden Serpent".

　Dark didn't examine his file too closely. But since he was a trainee of the "Hidden Serpent," he shouldn't be weak.

　Listening to the senior students' discussions, I also felt worried about the outcome of this duel. However, Dark knew a bit about Elsie Kevin's strength; if his "Mechanical Components" deck were further optimized, it could also have the strength to challenge opponents of higher levels.

　Once both players step onto the player's table, they place their decks into the card slots, and the table is shuffled.

　Immediately afterward, Ada Sawyer directly provoked him. However, Elsie Kevin ignored him. Ada Sawyer, receiving no response, looked bored.

　Both sides quickly entered the "preparation phase," and after a 30-second countdown, they transitioned to the "battle phase."

　Then came an extremely fierce duel!

　This is typical of magical duels: the closer the two fighters are to each other, the more intense the duel appears, and the more rounds are needed to determine a winner. Elsie Kevin and Ada Sawyer are clearly evenly matched, and the outcome cannot be determined until one of them runs out of magical orbs.

　However, this type of duel is actually a good thing for the two commentators.

　They finally felt a sense of participation.

　Host Judy was finally able to get some rest.

　Dark crossed his arms and watched intently. The two senior students beside him were having a heated discussion about Elsie Kevin's chances of winning, and occasionally they would shout a few words to cheer for Elsie Kevin.

　However, they were mindful of their public image, and even when they shouted, they restrained themselves somewhat.

　In contrast, the Knights Academy players on the adjacent stands were cheering loudly without any hesitation.

　Aside from Noah Sharp's rather aloof demeanor, even Victor Gold, who had just suffered a defeat, was offering his support.

　Mars Carey, the fourth-grader with a "battle spirit," is fired up. Shrek Holmes, the fifth-grader, roars deafeningly.

　However, the support of the audience does not actually affect the outcome of the match between the two players.

　When duelists are focused to their limit, they become oblivious to everything else and temporarily put aside all matters other than the duel.

　The duel between Ada Sawyer and Elsie Kevin intensified. Even among the third-year students, who were often considered "ordinary" by many, there were duelists as powerful as them.

　The third-year students from both the Magic Academy and the Fool's Academy were carefully observing their duel, preparing for the upcoming match.

　But even the fiercest duel must eventually come to a conclusion. As both players were about to run out of cards, Elsie Kevin's Magical Spirit finally gained the upper hand, surviving by a very small margin during the game, and then instantly seizing the opportunity to shatter the remaining Life Barrier of the Red player's Magical Orb with a single punch!

　"Wow—"

　The moment the red team's magic ball reached zero, the referee's whistle blew suddenly.

　"The battle is over!"

　"The victor, Elsie Kevin, a third-year student at the Noble Academy!"

　On the commentary stage, Inya Knight solemnly announced the House of Nobles' latest victory.

　"By now, the Nobles' Academy has won two consecutive duels against the Knights' Academy. Elsie Kevin's victory was crucial, successfully stabilizing the morale of the Nobles' Academy. However, Ada Sawyer of the Knights' Academy was also very impressive. His defeat in this duel was less due to inferior strength and more due to a slight lack of luck. But some say that luck is also a part of strength. A victory is a victory, and a defeat is a defeat. I hope Ada Sawyer can continue to work hard in the upcoming matches. I also hope that Elsie Kevin can remain humble and continue to move forward."

　"Snapped!"

　The sound of Edwin Clarissa and Snake Harriman high-fiving echoed in Dark's ears.

　Dark couldn't help but smile.

　The victory in the Academy Cup wasn't achieved by one person alone. It's a team effort, requiring the dedication of everyone involved. As Inya Knight stated, Elsie Kevin's victory was crucial in boosting the morale of the Academy.

　After all, for them, Dark's victory was "a given," while Elsie Kevin's victory was the real "first win."

　Next, the Noble House only needs to maintain its pace and proceed cautiously to further widen the advantage gained in the dungeon battle.

　"The next duel will be my turn!"

　Snake Harriman clenched his fist and swung it forcefully; he was in high spirits.

　Edwin Clarissa patted him on the shoulder and said, "Your opponent is Mars Carey, who was also a dark horse who suddenly emerged in the Gold Cup. He's a classic example of someone who has been building up his strength for a long time. After the Gold Cup, his growth rate hasn't slowed down at all, and he should be even more difficult to deal with now."

　Snake Harriman's expression turned serious again: "I know. But it's not just him who will grow. Let me give him a bit of the pioneer's shock."

　After a short break, host Judy returned to the stage to interview Elsie Kevin.

　But during the interview, Elsie Kevin somehow turned the interview into a "memoir," recalling her final duel with Dark under Judy's guidance.

　"That defeat in the duel was a turning point in my life. You could even say it was a wake-up call that made me realize my shortcomings. I am still far from enough, and I will continue to strive to be like Darko Dimon in the future."

　As a third-year student, can you please stop targeting second-year students?

　Dark thought to himself, speechless for a moment.

　After Elsie Kevin's interview, the "post-match analysis" segment began.

　However, this duel, which lasted for nearly ten minutes, was only extended to fifteen minutes in the "post-match analysis".

　Joe William not only slows down the playback, but also speeds it up, skipping over certain moments to accelerate the analysis.

　Fifteen minutes later, the "post-match analysis" of this duel ended, and the match moved on to the third round.

　Elsie Kevin then returned to the players' bench.

　He appeared calm, but deep down he was extremely excited; his hands were trembling even after he sat down.

　At that time, he was unaware that his outstanding performance had earned him a ticket to the Twelve Heroes Competition.

　The atmosphere was cheerful on the Nobles' side, but grim on the Knights' side. While Witt God's defeat was expected, Ada Sawyer's loss was unexpected. They had thought that Ada Sawyer, with her undiscovered true strength, should have won.

　But in the end, Elsie Kevin proved to be the better strategist. "Leave it to me!"

　At a crucial moment, Mars Carey stood up and spoke to boost morale. After experiencing the "Golden Cup," Mars Carey underwent a transformation in both his skills and mentality.

　Shrek Holmes, as the president of the "Sports Club," also had a very high opinion of him.

　after awhile

　Mars Carey and Snake Harriman then appeared one after the other.

　Snake Harriman's original duelist title was "The Hidden Serpent," but after joining the Hidden Serpent organization, he simply changed his name to "The Concealed Serpent."

　While it wasn't a particularly powerful title, it did highlight his personality.