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

　Eva was taken aback.

　Meanwhile, Julia had already taken to the stage and was being interviewed by host Judy.

　Judy showered Julia with praise for her performance in the duel, but Julia remained unmoved.

　As Judy launched into her questions, she offered only formulaic answers. However, when Judy asked if she was confident about the next duel, she inevitably hesitated for a moment.

　Because she genuinely lacked confidence.

　"Have."

　After answering Judy's last question with a single word, Julia returned to the contestants' platform and quickly began a discussion with them.

　Next comes the post-match analysis, followed by the time to develop countermeasures.

　There wasn't much time available for discussion, but for the Elf Magic Academy, every minute and every second had to be utilized.

　Regardless of what changes Eva Hearst might undergo after gaining the favor of "Heroic Spirit".

　The most pressing issue to discuss now is who should be sent out for the upcoming sixth duel.

　Of the six junior competitors, only Johnny Gascoyle, ranked fifth and nicknamed "Mountain Elf," remains. There shouldn't have been any discussion about him.

　o

　However, the orcs from War Totem Academy were surprisingly strong, and Julia seriously suspected that their remaining orc contestant was a "superior horse".

　The Elf Magic Academy, however, only had one "inferior horse" left. If they were to fight an "inferior horse" against a "superior horse," unless luck was completely on the Elf Magic Academy's side, victory would be virtually impossible.

　And this extremely low probability is what makes Julia anxious.

　The reason for this concern. "What should we do?" one of the elves asked instinctively.

　Johnny Gascoigne, the "mountain spirit," sat right next to him, but remained silent.

　Now all the pressure is on him, and he really can't handle it.

　His skill level is only so-so among the lower grade group's main competitors. Like another Pokémon ranked sixth, he belongs to the type that can be quickly defeated.

　Even against substitute players, he cannot guarantee a win.

　He was fine at the beginning of the competition, but now that he sees his teammates, who are better than him, being defeated one by one, it's impossible for him not to panic.

　The orcs' totem power is exceptionally domineering, especially among lower grades where it's practically a bug.

　Although he had also mastered the secret magical combat techniques of the elves, his progress in cultivation was not high, and it was far inferior to the fusion of totem power and the innate power of orcs.

　Even at the level of a mage, he wouldn't be much better than an elite opponent. Therefore, considering all these factors, he naturally falls short.

　Simply put, the three consecutive losses at the Elf Warlock Academy caused him to lose confidence.

　Even though Julia, as the team captain, barely won, it didn't help him recover. On the contrary, he saw an even bigger gap!

　Johnny Gascoigne's performance made it even harder for Julia to place her last hopes on him.

　But if she didn't send him out, who else could she send out for the next duel? Julia subconsciously started searching among the remaining third-year students in the team.

　But after looking around, her gaze finally settled on a second-year student.

　On the stage of the War Totem Academy contestants.

　Having already noticed the changes in herself, Eva Hearst, a member of the "Eagle-Man Royal Family," finally snapped out of her ecstasy.

　Among the five "Heroic Souls" of the War Totem Academy, one is from the "Cloud Eagle" clan.

　Although they were not of royal blood, they were the fastest and highest-flying race among the eagle-folk.

　That cloud eagle orc was the true "sky overlord" of the orc kingdom at that time.

　After gaining the favor of the "Sky Overlord", Evahurst's flight speed and control over the wind element finally broke through her own limits.

　In addition, the hero's soul of the "Sky Overlord" will selectively possess the flying-type magical spirits she summons.

　Although you can only possess one spirit in a single battle, it can grant that spirit a percentage increase in its three main attributes and temporarily endow it with higher intelligence.

　If she can gain further recognition from the "Sky Overlord," Evahurst may even inherit the "Sky Overlord's" special ultimate move.

　The War Totem Academy refers to it as a "Hero Skill"!

　Of course, Eva Hearst has only recently gained recognition and hasn't even reached the threshold of "Heroic Skills".

　However, her strength was already roughly equal to Julia and Amelia's. Now, with the heroic spirit of the "Sky Overlord" possessing her, her chances of winning have greatly increased!

　If it weren't so inappropriate, she really wanted to get the next orc player to throw the match and surrender so that she could have another chance to fight Evahurst!

　but……

　There probably won't be another match.

　Eva turned to look at the contestants' stage of the Elf Magic Academy.

　You can tell who the last contestant from the Elf Magic Academy is just by looking at them.

　The "Mountain Elf" is skilled at using decks that combine Rock and Ground types, while the War Totem Academy is about to field the "Earthshaker Bull" clan, which possesses the power of "Earthshaker"!

　The "Earthshaking Divine Bull" clan holds a high position among the Minotaur orcs, being the branch with the strongest physical talent.

　The "Earth-Shaking Divine Ox" is rare, but each one is born with superhuman strength. In particular, its lower limb strength is terrifying; legend has it that its ancestor could shake the earth with a single kick, shattering rocks and stones.

　The orc's contestant is named Ersshaker, and is a duelist specializing in ground and fighting styles.

　In short, completely counter the "Mountain Spirit"!

　If the Elf Magic Academy doesn't make any adjustments, "Earthshaker" Ersshaker's win rate will definitely exceed 90%.

　The remaining 10% is up to fate. But with the current roster of the Elf Magic Academy, how can they adjust it, and who else can they field?

　Eva felt quite regretful when she thought about this.

　"It seems that revenge will have to wait until the all-grade level competition." She thought to herself, selecting the player card belonging to Ersshaker from her strategy cards.

　The debriefing is over; it's time for countermeasures.

　The two team captains placed their strategy cards into the slots on the strategy table. The projection in the arena clearly displayed this scene.

　The audience immediately erupted in heated discussion about which player each academy would send to the stage.

　Meanwhile, in the territories of the orcs and elves, the people of both races became increasingly radical, with shouts of encouragement for their respective teams echoing everywhere.

　Not to mention inside the stadium, the entire venue was practically shaken up by the noise. The long-absent "racial conflict" stirred up their sense of racial honor, which, fueled by a mix of emotions, became even more fervent.

　Even before the duel began, "God's Influence" was already active in the arena.

　It was as if they too could sense the impending storm of battle. But when the time for countermeasures ended and the two countermeasure cards appeared in everyone's view, the audience was extremely surprised to find that the one representing the Elf Magic Academy was actually a second-year student!

　promise

　Noatemis made an appearance at last week's exhibition match, attracting a lot of attention and becoming an instant celebrity.

　Although discussions about her have gradually decreased as the official competition approaches—after all, Nono Artemis is only a second-year student.

　But now, as soon as she appeared on stage, the audience began to reminisce.

　Immediately, everyone began to discuss the mysterious power possessed by Nonothemis.

　As for why the Elf Magic Academy would send a second-year student whose strength was clearly insufficient at the time...

　For the time being, nobody cares.

　Meanwhile, on the contestant stage of the War Totem Academy.

　Eva Hearst and the others wore expressions of astonishment. Nono Artemis was indeed somewhat mysterious, and they had their own guesses about the source of her power.

　But in last week's exhibition match, Nono Artemis lost to the thirty-third prince of the orcs, Spycraon.

　Speaking of Spikelon… he’s on this arena right now! Eva turned to look at him abruptly, and then all the orcs’ eyes were focused on Spikelon.

　Although the little lion was thin-skinned, he didn't flinch at this moment. Eva Hearst frowned and asked, "Spike, you fought that moon elf, how did it feel?"

　After a moment's thought, Spikelon said, "There is a terrifying power hidden within her. My advice is not to overstimulate her, especially not to use mental attacks, as that would awaken something within her."

　"Is it really that terrifying?" Ershaker, the "Earthshaker," frowned. "She's just a second-year student after all. Even if she has some mysterious power, her deck is only so-so. What kind of tricks can she pull off?"

　Spiceron took a breath and said, "Anyway, that's how I feel. Last time, she suddenly fainted for some reason, otherwise I would have been the one to lose. If you have the chance, you can experience it for yourself."

　Ersshaker was a robust, towering figure, over two meters tall. Surprisingly, he wasn't the reckless type, and with Spycreon speaking so solemnly, Ersshaker somewhat believed him.

　However, confident in his own strength, he remained somewhat reserved, simply nodding and saying, "Understood, I will be more cautious."

　After saying that, he stood up and strode towards the elevator platform.

　On the other side, Nono Artemis, encouraged by Julia and the other elves, also stepped onto the elevator platform.

　She was extremely nervous, her right hand gripping the hem of her clothes tightly, her face full of tension, not at all like a powerful person who had a chance to defeat the "Earthshaking Divine Bull".

　Projections of the two contestants quickly appeared in the air above the arena. Host Judy seized the opportunity of the rising platform's movement to begin introducing each contestant. Seeing Nono's timid demeanor, the audience couldn't help but wonder if the Elf Magic Academy had made a mistake in choosing their final contestant.

　The score is currently 2-3. If they lose this round, Elf Magic Academy will be eliminated.

　But if they knew this, how could the students from the Elf Magic Academy not know it?

　Many viewers couldn't help but think this way and began to look forward to Nonothemis's miracle.

　"A change has occurred."

　Upon seeing Nono's appearance, the lower-grade contestants from St. Mary's Academy couldn't help but sigh.

　“I never thought it would really come to this,” Dark said, arms crossed.

　Diana asked curiously, "She's gone, but how is she going to defeat the Bull from the War Totem Academy?"

　Dark shook his head slightly and said, "I'm not a prophet, but since she's willing to get involved, she must have something to rely on."

　“Interesting.” Sarah looked at the field and couldn’t help but curl the corners of her mouth.

　The crowd discussed among themselves, but their eyes remained fixed on Nonothemis.

　In the circular area, the fairy princess Lucia Artemis was eating sunflower seeds, her face full of interest.

　Clearly, she had already anticipated Nonothemis's performance. And Nonothemis, as the most watched figure at this moment, had already entered the arena.

　She tripped slightly as she came down from the lift, which made the audience's hearts clench.

　Even her rival, "Earthshaker" Ersshaker, couldn't bear to look at her.

　But Ersshaker was indeed prudent and did not let his guard down even in this situation.

　After all, Nono Artemis did indeed exhibit unusual behavior during his duel with Spycraon.

　After a while, both duelists were standing in their respective summoning areas. Nono Artemis glanced nervously at the Minotaur Orc directly opposite him. This time, instead of moving to a corner, he stood directly in the center and began channeling magic into his left wristband.

　As magic was infused, the two wings of the Duel Disk unfolded.

　She took a deep breath, inserted the prepared deck into the slot, and then timidly raised her head, waiting for the referee to blow the whistle.

　But the referee did not blow the whistle, and Ersshaker opened the duel field, which she quickly followed.

　"Preparation Phase 1" Both players shuffle their cards.

　Ersshaker pondered for a moment before speaking, "Moon Elf, use whatever you have on hand as soon as possible. Don't wait until the duel begins to drag things out; your opponent won't wait for you."

　"Ah, oh, uh." Nono wanted to respond, but didn't know how, so she stammered.

　Ersshaker sighed deeply, highly suspicious that the Elven Magic Academy was...

　It's not that I want to surrender directly.

　"Or is it a deliberate feigned weakness to deceive the enemy?"

　Ersshaker paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "Now that you're ready, let's begin."

　Nono Artemis then responded with a clear, "Hmm."

　The referee blew the whistle, and the duel immediately entered "Preparation Phase 2." A countdown of "30 seconds" appeared in the sky above the arena. Ershaker instantly entered his state, drawing a card and pondering.

　Nono Artemis, on the other hand, draws cards automatically and views them through projection. The former is naturally slower than the latter, but this largely depends on habit. Thirty seconds of tactical thinking time requires magic to accelerate the thought process.

　Both players were highly focused at that moment.

　Therefore, Ersshaker did not immediately notice that Nonoatemis's expression had changed!

　The saying goes, "Your appearance reflects your heart."

　A person's appearance can change so much that people can intuitively feel that they are two completely different people simply because of a change in their mind.

　While Nonothemis's appearance remained unchanged, everything else about her changed.

　Human hearts have two sides; when she looked up again, she was a completely different person.