Chapter 712: Dark Demon’s Pink Fluffy Rabbit (5k)
Apart from Diana, today Dark most wanted to see was Wit Gold’s duel.
Although Professor Kazel didn’t catch his tail, Dark still had suspicions about him, albeit for reasons he couldn’t explain to others.
Now that it was time for Wit’s duel, Dark observed more closely, trying to find some clues.
However, everything was very normal.
Wit’s opponent this round was Heidi.
Heidi was indeed one of the top students among the second-year students this year, but her overall strength wasn’t much higher than usual.
In comparison, Wit possessed strength far beyond the normal level of a second-year student, and even his deck was stronger than Heidi’s.
Their duel, although somewhat monotonous compared to the matches in the winners’ bracket, still had its ups and downs.
Finally, Heidi was defeated with regret.
And Wit managed to secure another victory in adversity!
At the moment of his victory, he raised his arms on the competitors’ platform, finally showing the bravery befitting a student of Knight Academy, with an imposing aura.
Dark pondered carefully and found Wit’s growth curve relatively smooth, with no abrupt changes, leading him to fall into deep thought.
In the next round of duels, Diana, who had spent two hours thinking, went back on stage and faced Vanessa Bolt of the Fool’s Academy again in the “Silver Cup.”
“I remember, didn’t Diana defeat Bolt and send her to the losers’ bracket?”
Dark casually asked, and Rose nodded like a pecking chicken, though she still gripped her sign tightly, feeling slightly nervous.
Because Diana hadn’t won decisively against Vanessa Bolt twice.
As the sole representative of the Fool’s Academy, Vanessa Bolt indeed had something special.
And Diana was now the sole representative of the Noble Academy.
In this elimination match in the losers’ bracket, either the Fool’s Academy or the Noble Academy would have to drop out.
Therefore, the second-year students from both sub-academies became increasingly emotional when cheering each other on.
Originally, these two sub-academies seldom faced off, but now there was a tense atmosphere.
On the field, Diana and Vanessa felt the encouragement from their classmates and also sensed equal pressure.
Their eyes suddenly focused, and the burning fighting spirit collided in the air, creating invisible sparks.
The battle began!
…
At the end of the duel, Diana, who had used her mind, crushed Vanessa’s lineup with overwhelming force and finally won.
The dissatisfaction of the second-year students from the Fool’s Academy contrasted sharply with the excitement of those from the Noble Academy.
Diana finally had her day, sweeping away the gloom from losing to Sarah, and proudly approached Dark, puffing up her chest, waiting for praise.
Dark reluctantly praised her for her strategic thinking and then left the Dueling Arena with the two girls to eat in the cafeteria.
This week’s Silver Cup hadn’t ended yet; there was still an elimination match for the losers’ bracket tonight.
And the participants in this elimination match were naturally Diana and Wit!
The duels between the Noble Academy and the Knight Academy always attracted particular attention.
The second-year students entering the cafeteria vied to discuss the upcoming match, and despite the duel not starting yet, they were already arguing fiercely.
Meanwhile, Tudor, seeing the girl he cared about eliminated by Wit, added new grievances to old ones and led the second-year students from the Noble Academy in a verbal war with those from the Knight Academy.
As the center of attention, Diana and Wit reacted differently.
Diana and Rose sat on one side, while across from them were Dark and Eudora, who had brought her plate over.
They chose a quieter corner table, maintaining a distance from the second-year students of the Noble Academy.
Rose and Eudora whispered to each other, while Dark listened with interest to the verbal sparring among his classmates.
Diana, naturally, was battling her mountain of food.
According to her, she needed to build up strength for the night’s duel…
Only with both brains and brawn could one remain invincible.
Rose intended to advise her against overeating, but noticed that her nutrition was always properly distributed, so she gave up.
On the other side,
Wit, due to his victory in the afternoon, was surrounded by the second-year students of the Knight Academy.
Since being sent to the losers’ bracket by Emma in the first match, he had been on a winning streak and successfully advanced to the semifinals, naturally earning support.
As the first semester of the second year drew to a close, Wit’s relationship with his classmates gradually improved.
In fact, this year’s second-year students had a strong academic atmosphere, and even first-year students who were initially reluctant to study became diligent under its influence.
Wit was not an exception; his innate talent, coupled with occasional guidance from the Blood Princess, made his growth particularly noticeable.
Moreover, his deck had incredibly high potential!
Frankly speaking, he had the potential to win the championship.
Compared to Diana, whose mana spirit card was actually weaker in pure strength, she had a magical card capable of creating miracles.
It was uncertain who would win tonight’s duel.
…
The dinner concluded amidst the second-year students’ heated arguments.
Then, a group rushed to the Outdoor Duel Arena, eagerly awaiting the start of tonight’s duel.
As Dark walked with Rose into the ring, he suddenly noticed that Professors Shylph and Kazel were also there.
Originally, apart from Professor Pavar Jones, only Professor Lily occasionally appeared among the second-year students in the afternoon.
“Are they here to observe Wit as well?”
Dark felt a stirring in his heart and naturally sat down.
Next to him, Rose had appeared particularly nervous since entering the Dueling Arena.
Her furrowed brows made her look more tense than if she were participating in the competition herself.
“Come on, Diana!”
Suddenly, it seemed as if she saw Diana stepping out from the Competitors’ Passage, Rose abruptly raised her sign and waved it vigorously, completely losing her usually gentle demeanor.
Dark blinked and closed his book, joining in to cheer for Diana.
No matter what, he did not want to see Diana eliminated.
…
Then, both sides of the competitors ascended to the Competitors’ Platform.
“I have never been your opponent before,” said Wit Gold, who had activated his Spellboard on the Blue Side platform.
Diana looked up and responded with a soft “Oh.”
Wit Gold, not receiving the desired response, fell silent for a moment.
But unable to stop now, he continued: “But today, I am not the same person as yesterday!”
As the saying goes, fortunes change in thirty years.
Those who understand know this well.
Diana frowned in thought and asked, puzzled, “Did you shed your skin?”
Wit Gold: “…”
…
The battle began amid laughter.
Neither of the duelers were… perhaps Wit was somewhat affected…
In any case, their tactical systems didn’t change much.
Diana centered her strategy around “Bear” series Mana Spirit Cards, supplemented by Weapon and Equipment Cards.
The Mana Card — “Strength of the Bear” — was unique.
Wit Gold’s core was also “Underground Monster” series Mana Spirit Cards, similarly supported by Weapon and Equipment Cards.
His core Mana Card was a “Holy Sword Curse” that could be controlled by the duelist themselves!
Additionally, he possessed a third-tier Mana Spirit capable of overwhelming second-year students—his ace in the hole.
With Diana’s deck lineup, if Wit Gold could successfully summon a third-tier Mana Spirit and equip it with sufficient Item Cards, he would have a solid chance of winning.
However, without special summoning techniques, it wouldn’t be easy to summon a third-tier Mana Spirit.
Yet, Wit Gold had made significant changes in choosing lower-star Mana Spirits, reducing straightforward ones and adding some with unique Ultimate Skills, making them notably more challenging.
Despite this, the principle of “one force breaks myriad methods” still applied.
At the beginning of the duel, Diana actually had the upper hand, but Wit Gold’s resilience dragged the match into the later stages. Eventually… he successfully summoned a third-tier Mana Spirit.
Afterwards, Diana fell into a losing streak. Even when she finally managed to defeat the third-tier Mana Spirit at great cost, she was too exhausted to recover, ultimately losing.
“Victor: Wit Gold!”
The judge’s declaration mixed with thunderous applause lifted the corners of Wit Gold’s lips slightly.
He had never been someone to hold back.
He possessed many traits befitting the Knight Academy.
However, he had always been overshadowed by others in his grade, preventing him from fully displaying his abilities.
Now, with the top tiger away, he finally felt a surge of confidence to dominate.
Wit Gold’s gaze drifted, scanning the ring-shaped Spectator Area for signs of that tiger, hoping one day to touch its tail.
…
The sky cleared, the rain stopped, and Wit felt rejuvenated.
…
Even though he had anticipated the outcome, seeing Diana truly lose, Dark sighed slightly, wondering if he should take time to give her extra lessons.
But for a determined Magus, forced tutoring can sometimes backfire.
Every Magus has their own path.
The academy years are merely the beginning of a Magus’s journey.
What a Magus should truly learn in the academy is not how to become strong quickly, but rather… how to learn!
Only by mastering the method of learning can one continue to learn and progress after graduation, ultimately reaching their ideal state.
This was exactly what Diana lacked.
“You can teach for a while, but not forever.”
Dark shook his head, pondering how to help Diana understand.
But it was incredibly difficult.
…
When the applause died down, Dark replayed the duel in his mind, searching for any anomalies.
But he found none.
He turned his head towards where the professors were seated, noticing it was now empty.
Presumably, the professors had left after the duel ended.
“It seems I can only wait until next week.”
Dark retracted his gaze, pondering.
“If next Friday, the ‘Silver Cup’ enters its final day.”
“Wit must defeat Emma and Sarah consecutively if he wants to win.”
“Given his current level, it might be hard to achieve his goal.”
“At that point, he might reveal some weaknesses.”
With that, Dark ceased his thoughts.
Then he called on Rose, smiling, “Want to go to the night market?”
Rose, still upset over Diana’s loss, was startled by Dark’s invitation and instinctively replied, “Ask Diana…”
“Come on, of course we’re going!”
Once they met up, Diana’s cheeks puffed up like two buns, determined to eat everything in sight at the night market.
Might.
She was not the kind of person who would become disheartened by temporary successes or failures.
This time, being eliminated in the semi-finals of the “Silver Cup” might temporarily depress her, but ultimately, it would transform into motivation for even greater effort.
“Just wait, once Diana also sheds her skin, we will definitely win back!”
It was something she muttered that almost made Dak choke with laughter.
…
Traveler’s Street was already decorated with lanterns and streamers, and many shops outside had already set up Christmas trees and hung signs saying “Christmas Specials.”
Many shops seemed to have drawn inspiration from model Easter eggs and simulated card promotions, setting up Christmas gift raffles where people could spend money to draw gift boxes hanging on the Christmas trees.
This type of “blind box” marketing strategy gradually spread, and students always found it endlessly entertaining.
At the entrance of the Public Dueling Society’s branch store, they somehow managed to get a gacha machine, which was also very popular.
Eve and others not only put rare simulated cards and small elemental models into the gacha machine, but also stuffed in the remaining “Flower Cards,” preparing for one last promotional push before Christmas.
Dak didn’t go to the store that night; instead, he went out with Diana and Rose, wandering through the night market and watching performances unique to the holiday season, eating foods they usually didn’t get to enjoy.
Diana was quickly lured by the food, thoroughly forgetting about the duel’s failure, and turned around to grab Dak’s hand, running around wildly at the snack stalls.
Dak took this opportunity to secretly think about what Christmas gifts he should prepare for them.
Last year, for Christmas, he prepared a “Big Christmas Candy Pack” and a “Button-Eyed Zombie Plush Bear” for Diana, and a signed copy of “Claire’s Travels” for Rose.
In return, Diana and Rose gave him full-sized bear-shaped cushions and a complete set of thermal underwear.
One gift seemed like it was for a child, while the other felt more like it was for a father.
Although these gifts were somewhat awkward, after a year, Diana and Rose should have grown more mature. Perhaps he could look forward to better gifts this year.
Suddenly, Dak paused, his gaze flickering across the street, where he saw an upperclassman still selling things at the end of the semester.
His eyes fell on the upperclassman’s stall, where he saw various unfinished mana cards, and finally decided on something.
He thought of a gift for Diana!
“Alright, next is Rose’s turn.”
Dak pondered, taking advantage of when Diana was queuing up to buy food, he directly asked, “Rose, do you want anything?”
“Eh?” Rose had been deep in thought, and now she couldn’t help but look up, puzzled.
Dak didn’t explain, simply saying, “Hmm, Christmas… No, I’ll just think about it myself.”
Rose then smiled slightly, understanding that Dak was preparing Christmas gifts.
So she chuckled softly, “Why are you thinking about it so late? We could have started preparing as early as December.”
“Oh,” Dak laughed, “Then can I look forward to something good?”
Rose blinked and said, “Just wait and see!”
“Mmm, what are you guys talking about?” Diana approached, holding a paper bag filled with skewered meat, and casually pulled out a few sticks, handing them to Dak and Rose.
The three of them continued chatting while eating until the night fell.
…
The next morning, Saturday.
Dak got up early to exercise, then after reading the newspaper, he walked out of the castle and arrived at Traveler’s Street.
When he passed by “Kitty Plant Shop” last night, Miss Cat gave him some great news — the Bunny Grass had arrived!
It was said that the factory behind “Kitty Plant Shop” had perfectly solved the defects of the Bunny Grass and already had mass production capabilities.
Considering how much girls had always loved bunnies, “Kitty Plant Shop” planned to supply a large amount of it during its first release, coinciding with the Christmas promotion.
Dak took the opportunity to ask why they hadn’t bundled it with reindeer?
Miss Cat looked blankly and said, “Reindeer didn’t pass the review.”
Dak was momentarily stunned.
…
Although there were few people on Traveler’s Street early in the morning, there were still some.
When Dak arrived at “Kitty Plant Shop,” he even saw two girls squatting inside, picking out Bunny Grass.
They must be regular customers of “Kitty Plant Shop” and had gotten the news from Miss Cat ahead of time.
Dak glanced and, after realizing he didn’t recognize them, walked over to take a closer look at the Bunny Grass.
Miss Cat seemed to be out on some business and hadn’t returned yet.
Nearly ten Bunny Grasses were displayed in the inner part of the shop, with slight differences in fur color and size.
But each Bunny Grass quietly sat by the edge of their little pots, neither running around nor making noise.
The two seniors seemed to be together; they were petting the bunnies while exchanging experiences on raising Kitty Grass.
One senior held a bunny that looked like a snowball.
The other senior had her eye on an orange, chubby rabbit.
“The bunnies in this world have such rich fur colors…”
Dak marveled inwardly, then squatted down in front of a pink-furred bunny.
For some reason, he immediately took a liking to this fluffy little creature.
This pink-furred bunny was about a foot long, with slightly longer fur, a very beautiful shade of pink.
Dak grabbed its front paws, lifting it halfway up to observe it closely.
He noticed that the bunny’s paws were also pink, and its eyes were like red rubies.
He stared into its eyes, and it stared back, unblinkingly.
