Chapter 274: Rewards of the Tournament
Chapter 274: Rewards of the Tournament
In the frigid arctic, the sky wore a somber hue, heavy clouds looming over the vast academy buildings. Tumbling thunderheads churned like immense waves in an endless abyss. This was the setting for the Northern Campus of the Duel Academy.
"Lightning! Lightning! Lightning!"
Below the grandstand, students gathered, pumping their fists and chanting the name of the new King who had risen through the ranks of the main campus in just one day.
Lightning split the sky, its silvery flash cleaving through the dense clouds. Manjome stood beneath the rumbling clouds, his black cloak billowing like a cape in the electric glow.
He raised his fist and led the chant, "Manjome Lightning!"
The students echoed his enthusiasm, waving their fists and shouting in unison, "Manjome Lightning—"
Not a single person seemed embarrassed by the display.
"Excellent."
The principal of the Northern Campus adjusted his glasses and approached Manjome, offering him a deck of cards.
"Principal, what is this?" Manjome inquired.
"This is the most precious and rare deck of cards under our care. I believe you will be able to unleash the full power of these cards." The principal handed the deck to Manjome. "Take this deck and fight with all your might, new King Manjome! No, I should say, Manjome Lightning!"
Even the principal seemed to intentionally raise his voice at the end, eliciting another round of cheers from the crowd.
"Lightning! Lightning! Manjome Lightning!"
Manjome accepted the deck, quickly scanning through it before looking up in surprise. "This deck isn't..."
"Hehe, indeed." The principal adjusted his glasses, the reflection on the lenses hiding his eyes and giving him a somewhat sinister air.
"What I mean is, we must do whatever it takes to emerge victorious. Listen carefully, Manjome. Our annual friendship duel with the main campus has resulted in consecutive losses for several years now.
This time, no matter what happens, I am determined to claim victory, even if it's for the sake of Tomoe-chan... Oops, I mean, for the glory of our campus!"
Manjome interjected, "Wait, did something strange slip into your speech just now?"
But the principal didn't give him a chance to question further. "So, this time, we must win at all costs!"
He raised his fist again, and the students' orderly chant once more drowned out the venue, silencing Manjome's doubts.
Manjome pondered for a moment before glancing at the cards in his hand. He then reached into the card box behind him and pulled out another deck, staring at it in a daze.
These were the extraordinary cards he had encountered during his journey from the main campus to the Northern Campus. Their power was beyond anything he could have imagined.
As if in response to his thoughts, the deck seemed to release a soft white light as he gazed at it, converging towards the thunderous sky.
Manjome looked up, transfixed by the thunderclouds. The intense light coalesced into a gigantic silhouette, outlining the form of a dragon.
In the interplay of light and shadow, the dragon's body appeared divided by an invisible boundary. One half bathed in radiant splendor, the other engulfed in endless darkness.
Light and darkness coexisted curiously within the same creature.
Manjome stared at the dragon's silhouette, lost in thought.
"Hey, Lightning, what are you spacing out for?"
The principal's question snapped him back to reality.
"Principal," Manjome replied, a bit bemused. "Can't you see this, Principal?" He asked, gesturing towards the sky.
The principal followed his gaze, confusion furrowing his brow. "See what? What do you see?"
The principal scratched his bald head, his eyes scanning the empty sky. ".Nothing."
Manjome lowered his gaze, his mind still swirling with thoughts.
The crowd erupted into another round of cheers, shouting his name, but Manjome remained distracted.
"So this is a sprite, huh? Will you also lend me your power and give me the strength to defeat that guy and return to the top?" he muttered to himself.
Just then, another semi-transparent shadow appeared. A chubby yellow figure, miniaturized to the size of a keychain, complete with its exaggerated red underwear, bounced onto Manjome's shoulder.
"Big bro~ I'm a sprite too, ya know. Won't you take a look at me too?"
The Annoying Yellow Sprite covered its reddening face, its butt twisting back and forth in its red underwear.
Manjome's forehead instantly formed a "" shape, similar to the symbol for a grid or a sharp, mesh pattern.
"Scram."
A day later, a massive submarine fortress surfaced near the shore of the Academy's main island campus. Principal Samejima led a group of students from the student council to greet the large number of students gathered on the shore.
"Principal Samejima!"
"Principal Ichinosuke!"
The two principals, both bald, shook hands warmly, creating a friendly atmosphere.
At least that's how it seemed on the surface.
Samejima: "You're looking well."
Ichinosuke: "You too, haha, you're looking younger every time I see you."
"I'll have to trouble Principal Ichinosuke for his guidance once again."
"Not at all, it's my pleasure."
". . ."
After exchanging pleasantries, Principal Ichinosuke adjusted his glasses, and his eyes sharpened, "By the way, how has Tomoe been doing lately?"
Principal Samejima's smile faded as he narrowed his eyes warily, "Hmph, of course. Tomoe is indispensable for this duel."
Some of the new students were puzzled.
Tomoe? The well-endowed Ms. Tomoe from the snack bar?
However, all the students in the academy knew that while Ms. Tomoe was kind and had excellent cooking skills, she knew nothing about dueling. What could she have to do with the duel? But Yu Xuan understood that, to the principals, Ms. Tomoe was the key person for the duel.
The reason both principals of the main and branch campuses kept mentioning that they "must win at all costs" was that the winner of the duel would receive a kiss from Ms. Tomoe.
So, Yu Xuan thought that Ms. Tomoe must have been a great beauty in her youth and probably had a colorful history with Principals Samejima and Ichinosuke.
However, the exact details of what happened back then were now unknown. But from the outcome, Ms. Tomoe stayed with Principal Samejima at the main campus, and there was even a secret passage from the snack bar directly to under the principal's desk. Meanwhile, the unlucky Principal Ichinosuke was exiled to the barren land of the Northern School.
It was unclear who won back then, but it was evident who had occupied the high ground.
"Yu↑Xuan↓!"
Before he saw the person, he heard the voice. From a distance, Manjome appeared, his face cold as he looked at him.
"Manjome," Yu Xuan smiled and nodded, "It's been a while, and you seem to have become more weathered."
Manjome's forehead formed another "well" character.
Who do you think is responsible for this?
However, just as he was about to lash out, a piercing roar interrupted him. A hurricane suddenly picked up, blowing so hard that those along the coast could barely keep their eyes open.
The roar shook the air by the sea, forming a transparent hurricane. Everyone narrowed their eyes and looked towards the sky, where a black iron bird reflected in the sunlight was slowly descending.
It was a helicopter.
The bottom of the helicopter's cabin clearly displayed the character "Myriad".
Manjome was stunned, "My brothers!?!"
(End of Chapter)
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