Aurora knew that the events Jiang You spoke of would undoubtedly be reflected in her Deck. As the mastermind behind such a pivotal moment in history, it was impossible for her not to have a corresponding card.
A Deck contained forty or more cards, and some even revealed the future. Aurora thought that with a bit of luck, she might be able to avoid drawing that specific card before the Duel ended. But on second thought, she realized that almost nothing she had done could be openly revealed to everyone. Just like how she would later incite Woodworth to attack Morgan, nearly every one of her actions could be used to incriminate her.
Yet, refusing the Duel was not an option. It would be a clear admission of guilt. Her only choice now was to stall for as long as possible until the loyal Melusine arrived to rescue her.
Aurora accepted the envelope with feigned nonchalance. "Why would I be afraid?"
The Duel Space materialized once more, and Fairy Tristan activated a Shadow Game.
"If you lose," Jiang You declared, "you'll confess every single one of your filthy deeds, down to the last detail!"
The moment Aurora gripped her Deck, she discovered she possessed a complete Lancelot Deck. A smile instantly spread across her face. It was common knowledge that the Fairy Knights varied greatly in strength, with Tristan being the weakest. Lancelot's power, however, was undeniable. She might actually have a chance to win.
"A fair game, you say? Then bring it on."
Aurora LP: 4000
Fairy Tristan LP: 4000
"Since you are the esteemed Child of Prophecy, surely you wouldn't stoop to bullying a defenseless Wind Fairy like me, would you?"
Aurora refused to let anyone go before her, so she seized the first turn.
"The purpose of this Duel is to prove your innocence. Are you trying to pull some trick?" Fairy Tristan saw through Aurora's attempt to avoid revealing her Spell Cards and spoke up to remind everyone.
"This is a sacred Salvation Ritual, and it must be conducted with utmost sincerity," Aurora retorted, wrapping herself in the banner of righteousness. To prevent Fairy Tristan from saying more, she immediately began her turn.
"First, I Normal Summon [Aurora, Clan Leader of the Wind Clan]!"
[Aurora]Level 1 / Assassin / ATK 1000
"An Assassin? May I ask, Lady Aurora, who did you assassinate to earn that Class? It was King Uther, wasn't it?" Fairy Tristan's voice cut through the air as she pointed at Aurora's revealed Class.
"Isn't our Class determined by the Command Spells Morgan placed on us to drain our magical power?" Aurora retorted without even lifting her gaze, spinning a casual lie. "Perhaps she assigned me this Class back then. What does it prove?"
"Now, I activate my own effect! When this card is Normal Summoned, I can add one card related to [Fairy Knight Lancelot] from my Deck to my Hand! I choose the Quick-Play Spell Card, [Farewell to the Beloved]!"
Aurora felt a surge of gratitude toward Melusine. Thanks to Melusine's existence and her adoration for Lancelot, a large portion of Aurora's Deck was related to her, significantly reducing the risk of exposing her true nature.
But her smile quickly vanished. The card art depicted the very moment Melusine had killed her.
"Lancelot, you were my knight, yet you raised your blade against me... Morgan, you ordered her to do it, didn't you?"
Aurora desperately wanted to call Melusine "that pile of rotten flesh," but in public, especially when she might need Melusine's strength later, she forced herself to swallow her rage. Instead, she pinned the blame on Morgan, hoping to tarnish the Queen's reputation in the process. "How truly wicked! You must enjoy watching kin turn against kin, don't you?"
Morgan actually paused to consider it. She did have the authority to command Melusine, but would Melusine truly have obeyed an order to kill Aurora at that point?
"Kin against kin?" Jiang You shot back immediately. "You'd need to have kin for that to happen. Why don't you show us that little trick of yours—the one where you turn your own right and left hands into insects and crush them just because you think they talk too much? That card must be in your Deck, right? Pull it out and let everyone see. Have you ever treated anyone as kin, Aurora? Stop trying to glorify yourself!"
Aurora's face turned pale—that very card was in her hand.
Coral really did talk too much. Aurora had been entertaining the thought of getting rid of her for years. If Morgan hadn't been around to keep her in check, she wouldn't have cared one bit whether Coral was her right-hand woman or not.
But this was something from the future, an event she herself didn't know when would happen. How could this human see the future? Was he one of those damned survivors from the Mirror Clan?
"Don't go silent on us now," Jiang You taunted. "Show us your resolve. Disposing of your own right and left hands without a second thought—you're even more ruthless than Morgan."
That jab hit two targets at once, but Jiang You meant it sincerely. The whole situation was utterly absurd. Humans might do similar things, but at least they'd usually bother to make up an excuse... Well, on second thought, maybe humans weren't much better.
"Are you really using wild speculation as factual accusations?" Aurora retorted, refusing to admit anything. "Morgan, are all the Scribes you choose this delusional?"
As long as she didn't reveal the card, her opponent could never be certain of its contents; it was like viewing something through a veil. Besides, duelists were immune to all outside interference (except for words), which was why she'd dared to accept the Duel in the first place. As long as she hadn't lost, her safety was guaranteed.
Aurora ignored the topic and continued her turn. "Next, I play this card: [Selection of the Child of Prophecy]! Send up to five cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard. For each Servant Card sent this way, I Special Summon one [Child of Prophecy Token] to my field!"
This card was based on an orphanage she'd started on a whim. She'd gathered the children, milked the good publicity, and then, once her interest faded, abandoned them in a forgotten corner.
"Three Servant Cards... Looks like my luck is decent."
Aurora glanced at the [Round Table Knight Percival] card in her Graveyard and sighed. That boy had looked every bit the Child of Prophecy, only to fail by pulling the Spear of Selection, losing his eligibility. Just like the Kappa card now in her Graveyard, he had become worthless.
[Child of Prophecy Token] (1-Star, 0 ATK) x3
"With a total of four cards on my field, I activate [Farewell to the Beloved]! Destroy all cards on my side of the field. For each card destroyed, I draw one card from my Deck! That's four cards, so I draw four!"
Such a brutal hand-replenishing tactic made even Fairy Tristan feel the pressure.
"You think that's all?"
Aurora shook her head. "This is just the beginning. If the destroyed card was [Aurora], I can Special Summon one [Flame Calamity Melusine] from my Deck, hand, or Graveyard!"
[Flame Calamity Melusine] ATK 3800!