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

　However, a comprehensive analysis suggests that the Ocean Magic Academy, like the Holy Mystic Academy, likely has two core institutions.

　Besides "Naga" Tim Doris, their captain "Mermaid" Carola Marjorie is definitely not just a mascot.

　Teams with two core players like this have a significant advantage in player selection.

　However, to outsiders, St. Marian Academy's team seems to have two core members: Dark and Witt.

　As for whether the "Son of Heroes" is strong enough to be called the "core," that's a matter of opinion.

　After two consecutive days of competition, Aurora, who is only a second-year student, is considered by some viewers to be even more important than the "Son of the Hero" and is regarded as the second best student at St. Marian Academy.

　Such remarks were not uncommon, and they only subsided slightly after Witte defeated "The Holy Son" Elpison.

　Comparing the two academies' publicly stated strengths, St. Marian Academy doesn't seem to be much inferior.

　However, the true strength of the Ocean Magic Academy is still shrouded in a mysterious aura, which makes the Ocean Magic Academy seem even more unfathomable.

　Under these circumstances, St. Mary's Rain Academy is at a natural disadvantage in information warfare.

　To make up for this disadvantage, more strength is needed.

　After the morning session, all the athletes and spectators went to the restaurant and canteen for lunch.

　The players from St. Mary's Academy arrived at the cafeteria, quickly finished the meals prepared by the halfling chefs, and immediately returned to the players' lounge to devise tactics.

　The initial tactical planning was mainly based on the prediction of the Ocean Magic Academy's strength.

　Of the six main competitors from St. Marian Academy, each one possesses remarkably strong mental resistance. They are largely immune to illusion-based attacks.

　If external forces are used, it is even possible to achieve complete immunity—but that is a choice that can only be made under extraordinary circumstances.

　However, unlike Ersshaker, they will not easily fall into the illusionary trap of Ryanjerimaya, the "Shark".

　At this level, they have a relative advantage.

　However, this only applies to illusions. Even without using this ability, "Shark" Raianjerimaya should be a formidable opponent.

　However, after careful analysis, the St. Marian Academy contestants still ranked his threat level after "Electric Shell" Lyrella Elekney.

　Nothing else matters, instant lightning is just too much!

　Among the contestants from St. Marian Academy, duelists like Sarah and Emma simply cannot withstand the initial electrotherapy.

　If the two of them were to face "Electric Shell" Lyrella, they could basically just surrender.

　Therefore, when arranging the troops, Dark needs to make sure that the two of them avoid Lairella as much as possible.

　If it's truly unavoidable, even if Vivian were to take the field, she would still have an advantage over the two of them.

　Then comes the third opponent, "Naga Boy" Tim Doris. While Witt volunteered, he didn't inspire confidence. If Dark is excluded, Aurora clearly has a better chance. However, if Tim's playing order is confirmed, they will prioritize whether to "trade" him.

　Players who are at a disadvantage in the duel against the Ocean Magic Academy can consider being "sacrificed" to try and eliminate the opponent's key pieces.

　"In conclusion, if we are only facing these three opponents, it would be best if either Sara or I were to take down Timdoris."

　Emma made no attempt to hide it and spoke directly about it.

　"While 'Electric Shell' Lyrella possesses only electrical abilities, her overall strength is relatively weak. If the Ocean Magic Academy doesn't choose to replace her, everyone except Sarah and I actually has a chance of winning."

　"Also, there's 'Shark' Ryan... I don't have a good feeling about this player. I suspect he has mastered 'Abyss Summoning,' so we shouldn't underestimate him just because he's not afraid of illusions!"

　“‘Abyss Summoning’? That’s something to be careful about,” Witt couldn’t help but say.

　"What exactly is the [Abyss Summoning] summoning spell?" a second-year student couldn't help but ask.

　Emma glanced at her and said, "Simply put, it involves using two or more Magical Spirits of the same level as materials to Special Summon a Magical Spirit of the same level with the 'Abyss' attribute. Like 'Accel Summon,' it uses an unconventional sacrifice method to Special Summon a Magical Spirit that doesn't exist in Magical Cards."

　Another second-year student said, "Wait, doesn't that mean that if you use two or more three-star Magical Spirits as materials for an Abyss Summon, the Magical Spirit you summon will still be a three-star?"

　Emma nodded and said, "That's true. But there are differences between three-star magical spirits as well."

　Anna exclaimed in surprise, "But it can't be stronger than a six-star, can it?"

　Angie clapped her hand and quickly explained, "But they don't need a six-star magic spirit card to summon it!"

　But when they finally understood, Vitgold frowned and said, "Speaking of which, I've always had a question: the 'Abyss' that the Ocean Magic Academy speaks of shouldn't be the same as the 'Abyss' we understand, right?"

　Dark nodded and said, "The 'abyss' that the sea creatures speak of likely refers specifically to a place deep within the ocean."

　Witt breathed a slight sigh of relief and said, "Understood."

　“Alright,” Emma clapped her hands and said, “In short, ‘Abyss Summoning’ is just that kind of technique. As Professor Sylph said, ‘Abyss’ magical spirits are much stronger than magical spirits of the same star level. But since the students from the Ocean Magic Academy haven’t demonstrated it specifically, it’s hard to say exactly where they are stronger than ordinary magical spirits. But I personally think the difference is huge. However, if it’s just a low-star level, it should be fine. So the most important thing is to prevent them from having the opportunity to use high-star magical spirits as materials for Abyss Summoning.”

　"That concludes the explanation of 'Abyss Summoning.' This aspect can only be addressed through personal understanding."

　"There are still three spots available for the main competition at the Ocean Magic Academy."

　“But there are four contestants from the Ocean Magic Academy who haven’t even played yet.” Emma took out her notebook and sketched the images of those sea creature contestants with just a few strokes.

　"Among them, 'The Mermaid' Carola Maggiore is definitely a main draw competitor, taking up one of the spots."

　"The remaining three choices are two out of three. These three contestants are..."

　She selected the three remaining contestants from the Ocean Magic Academy and analyzed them from the limited information available to her.

　The remaining three contestants from the Ocean Magic Academy are the "Shark Clan" with triangular fins on their heads, the "Clam Clan" with two shells on their backs, and the "Sea Urchin Clan" with spikes on their heads.

　In addition, the "Squid Clan," "Sea Dragon Clan," and "Starfish Clan," which have a strong presence among the sea creatures, are all older members of these clans.

　"Judging from his words, actions, and demeanor, Rayleigh from the 'Sea Urchin Tribe' should be a swingman for both the main event and the reserve position, while the 'Shark Tribe' and the 'Sea Clam Tribe' are the main event players."

　"We need to pay special attention to Scarlett of the 'Sea Clam Tribe.' Her shell has built-in defense, and might even have reflective abilities. As for Leander of the 'Shark Tribe,' he should also be a warrior-type fighter."

　"Fortunately, none of them possess the instantaneous discharge ability of 'Electric Shell' Lyrella... except for Rayleigh of the 'Sea Urchin Clan.'"

　"I suspect that the spikes on its head can be launched like the back quills of a porcupine."

　"But from this perspective, its capabilities do overlap somewhat with 'Electric Shell' Lyrella. So, it's quite possible that it's a swingman."

　"In short, this is another very troublesome opponent for both Sarah and me."

　"If the Ocean Magic Academy has studied us carefully, there is a good chance they will send him out, so we have to be on guard."

　At this point, Emma slightly raised her head and looked at her companions.

　"Of course, their special abilities are only one aspect; they are still mages at heart. If we focus too much on their special abilities, we might overlook their magical strength, which would be falling into their trap. To win, we cannot afford to be careless anywhere."

Chapter 1242 A violent slash, ignoring poison (4k)

　Time flew by amidst the discussions. However, not all participants were involved throughout the entire event.

　Fighters who have exhausted themselves in the morning's duels need to use their lunch break to replenish their energy.

　Even a player like Emma, ​​who barely moved throughout the entire match, needs to replenish her energy.

　In addition, the mana replenishment of the magic cards must also be completed.

　With this slight allocation, you'll find that a lunch break of just over two hours isn't actually that long.

　In contrast, the contestants from the Ocean Magic Academy had a much easier time. This is the advantage brought by the competition schedule.

　The Ocean Magic Academy also gained a more thorough understanding of the information about the contestants from St. Marian Academy.

　Although the lower grade contestants don't actually have that many magic cards to change, they will still make some adjustments.

　Moreover, the most important aspect of intelligence gathering is the preparation of tactics in advance. Otherwise, once the duel begins, one's mind may go completely blank, and one may not be able to cope well with unexpected situations.

　In magical duels, duelists often make subconscious choices based on experience. In reality, very few people can actually think quickly in a race against time.

　However, the expressions of the Ocean Magic Academy contestants were not relaxed either. Sometimes, gathering too much information can have negative consequences. The Naga boy, Tim, was leaning against the corner of the wall, holding a cup and slowly sipping his tea.

　He did not participate in the midday discussion.

　At the center of the group stood "Mermaid" Carola Marjorie. Of course, as the team leader, it was understandable that Carola occupied the center position. However, Tim couldn't help but laugh when he heard her occasionally utter some outrageous remarks during the discussion.

　He wasn't particularly concerned about the outcome of the competition. After all, his only reason for coming was to act as Carola's bodyguard. He had been quite worried a while ago when the students of the Elf Magic Academy were suddenly attacked.

　However, it now seems to be merely a problem between elves and orcs. Saint Marian Academy, overall, is relatively safe. Unlike their sea-folk academy, which often encounters inexplicable events.

　Tim continued sipping his health-preserving tea, savoring the passing of time.

　It's exactly 2 o'clock.

　The stands in the open-air arena are now full again.

　The St. Mary's College recital section performed during the intermission, playing a soaring and powerful symphony.

　The two academy teams, who are about to compete for the championship in this round, walked out from the player passages on both sides.

　Cheers gradually rose from the audience. Host Judy, a senior student, took to the stage and began to manage the flow of the event. Everything proceeded smoothly.

　Judy gave a brief introduction to the two teams before starting to play clips from both teams.

　The home advantage was once again demonstrated.

　Support for St. Mary's Academy far outweighed that for Ocean Magic Academy. However, despite being playing away, the Ocean Magic Academy players showed no fear and went straight to the red team's platform.

　According to the schedule, St. Marian Academy, which is ranked after Ocean Magic Academy, will take the stage as the blue team's contestant.

　"coming!"

　As Dark and others took the stage, the applause and cheers from the audience became noticeably louder.

　Audiences from all over are speculating about the final outcome of the competition, wondering who will win the first round of the Academy Championship.

　The leaders of the Ocean Magic Academy, "Mermaid" Helen Marjorie and "Naga" Beatrice Doris, had already taken their seats on the circular belt.

　The two were seated right next to the professors at St. Mary's College, and couldn't help but start arguing about the odds of winning.

　Ocean Magic Academy has been unstoppable in the competition over the past two days, and is indeed a strong contender for the championship.

　But every duel at St. Marian Academy is also exceptionally exciting, with almost no weaknesses in the team members... The key is that the professors at St. Marian Academy, of course, support their own academy.

　Meanwhile, in a hidden box inside the Royal Capital Duel Hall, Alvitt and the others were also discussing the matter.

　However, the atmosphere of the discussion here was unexpectedly somewhat serious.

　Given racial differences, even the Pope and the King would not be able to openly support the Ocean Magic Academy at this time.

　Moreover, the outcome of this duel has already been imbued with additional significance, completely different from that of other academies on the continent, including the Sky Magic Academy.

　The Ocean Magic Academy is an academy originating from the ocean, and all of its contestants are sea creatures.

　In the era when the demon race still existed, the relationship between humans and sea creatures could be one of aiding and being aided.

　But in the era when the demon race was wiped out, the sea race was seen by many as the "new demon race"!

　Don't say that marine life cannot adapt to the terrestrial environment.

　Now even the gods are reviving.

　If it's just an environmental problem, there's always a solution.

　If the will of the deep sea desires to invade the land, war could break out at any moment.

　All of this behavior is based on the logic of the sea creatures themselves, and it is certainly related to the humans on the continent as well.

　Every war requires calculating costs and benefits. Although there's no sign of that happening yet.

　However, if the students of the Ocean Magic Academy easily crush their opponents and win the championship, it will inevitably cause the sea creatures to have some other thoughts.

　This is certainly not a good thing for humanity, which has only recently recovered from its shock.

　"Trust St. Marian Academy."

　For the first time, the three people in the private room stood on the same side.

　Even though St. Maryan Academy had just defeated the Holy Mystic Academy that morning.

　But this is His Holiness the Pope's "grand vision".

　"The Ocean Magic Academy's contestants haven't shown their true strength yet; we can only blame the beastmen for their lack of ambition," His Holiness the Pope suddenly said.

　His Majesty the King chuckled but did not reply.

　What happened to the united front? What are you doing here and there?

　Who doesn't know that the Ocean Magic Academy's first opponent is the Royal Academy of the Kingdom?

　If War Totem Academy is considered disappointing, then what about the Royal Academy? Is it unable to breathe?

　"We'll meet force with force and water with earth. There's no war where you can completely understand the opponent's strength. Besides, even the Ocean Magic Academy might not be able to fully understand the contestants from St. Marian Academy," said Alvitt.

　"I hope so," Pope Sith said. "I wonder who St. Marian Academy will send out first in this duel."

　While the support from the audience is encouraging, once you're on the contestant's platform, you must stay focused.