With just one card, she managed to consecutively summon three monsters, even reducing her opponent's Life Points. Arella, the Vice President of Starlink Academy, immediately displayed her strength.
Albeit this was only the tip of the iceberg. After all, Starlink Academy was best known for its Synchro Summons—yet Arella hadn't even begun to Synchro Summon!
She drew another card and said, "Next, I activate the effect of the Tuner monster in my hand, Windwitch - Snow Bell. If I control two or more WIND monsters and no non-WIND monsters, I can Special Summon this card from my hand."
A clear chime rang out. A silver-white bell adorned with golden patterns, angelic wing-like decorations, and crystal eyes appeared gracefully on the field.
[Windwitch - Snow Bell, DEF 100]
"Next, I activate Windwitch - Freeze Bell's second effect. Once per turn, during my Main Phase, I can increase this card's Level by 1."
[Windwitch - Freeze Bell, DEF: 1200, Level: 3 → 4]
Arella then drew another card and declared, "Then I activate the Continuous Spell Card Synchronized Realm."
A turquoise light spread across the field, forming a vast web of spiritual energy. The Grand Princess, Sera, raised an eyebrow as Arella continued explaining the card's effect.
"The effect of the Continuous Spell Card Synchronized Realm: each time I successfully Synchro Summon a Synchro Monster, it inflicts 500 damage to my opponent!"
"Next, I activate the Spell Card Windwitch Chimes! By targeting one Windwitch monster I control, I can Special Summon one monster with a different name from my Deck in Defense Position. I target Windwitch - Ice Bell and Special Summon a second Windwitch - Freeze Bell from my Deck!"
As she spoke, another elegant gray-haired witch riding a crystal bell broom appeared.
[Windwitch - Freeze Bell (No.2), DEF 1200]
"Five monsters, all Special Summoned—and she hasn't even used her Normal Summon yet! This Windwitch series is amazing!"
"And now she has two Tuners on the field! That means she can perform at least two Synchro Summons! Plus, with that Continuous Spell, she can deal an additional 1000 damage to Her Highness!"
"So this is the power of the Starlink Academy Vice President!"
"Hmph, to Her Highness the Grand Princess, this is child's play. No matter how many monsters she summons, Her Highness will easily crush her!"
The five consecutive Special Summons drew gasps from the watching students. Yet, many still sneered, believing firmly that Grand Princess Sera would win.
Regardless, the Duel had only just begun—summoning many monsters at once didn't necessarily guarantee victory!
"Everything's ready, Princess Sera. Now, let me show you the strength of my Wind Deck!"
On the field, Arella smiled confidently at Sera and raised her right hand. "First, I tune the Level 4 Tuner monster Windwitch - Glass Bell with the Level 3 Windwitch - Freeze Bell!"
As her words fell, the green-haired witch flew skyward, transforming into four emerald rings. The gray-haired witch followed, becoming three shining stars.
Starlight burst forth, illuminating the entire field as a chilling wind filled with shards of ice swept across.
[4 + 3 = 7]
"The Synchro Materials are one Tuner monster and one or more non-Tuner WIND monsters! O fierce winter wind, snow, and ice—become my power and sweep away all before me! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 7, Windwitch - Winter Bell!"
A freezing storm erupted. From within, a violet blade of wind flashed forth. A spirit with the upper body of a swallow, the lower half a blade of purple ice, and a shattered bell at its core appeared.
Windwitch - Winter Bell, descended!
[Windwitch - Winter Bell] Level 7│WIND│Spellcaster│2000 DEF
"At this moment, the effect of the Continuous Spell Card Synchronized Realm activates! Each time I successfully Synchro Summon a Synchro Monster, I inflict 500 damage to my opponent!"
Arella waved her hand. The turquoise web across the field flared brightly, and Grand Princess Sera flinched slightly as if struck by a force.
[Sera, LP: 3500 → 3000]
"I'm not done yet! Next, I activate Windwitch - Winter Bell's effect! Once per turn, I can target one Windwitch monster in my Graveyard and inflict damage equal to that monster's Level × 200. I target the Level 4 Windwitch - Glass Bell in my Graveyard to inflict 800 damage—Bell of the Blizzard!"
Clang, clang! Clang, clang!
As Winter Bell swayed, a deep, resonant chime echoed from her shattered core. A storm mixed with shards of ice rushed toward Grand Princess Sera.
[Sera, LP: 3000 → 2200]
Sera slid back half a meter, her cold gaze locked on Arella—utterly unmoved by the damage.
Seeing this, Arella frowned and raised her right hand again. "It's not over! Now I tune the Level 1 Tuner monster Windwitch - Snow Bell with the Level 3 Windwitch - Ice Bell and the Level 4 Windwitch - Freeze Bell!"
The beautiful bell rose into the air, turning into a single green ring. The two witches flew into it, transforming into seven gleaming stars.
Brilliant starlight flared once more, brighter and fiercer than before, as a raging blizzard enveloped the field.
[1 + 3 + 4 = 8]
"The Synchro Materials are one Tuner monster and one or more non-Tuner WIND monsters! O snow and ice of midwinter, let your resounding chime summon a storm that shatters the enemy's will! Synchro Summon! Appear—Level 8, shining Diamond Bell of brilliance, Windwitch - Diamond Bell!"
A massive blue crystal of ice rose slowly from the ground. Within its depths, a faint silhouette could be seen.
Clang, clang, clang! Clang, clang, clang!
Suddenly, a crisp bell chime echoed from within the ice crystal. Cracks began to spread across its surface, and with the final ringing note, the massive ice crystal shattered. From within burst forth the spirit representing the natural wind of winter.
Her lower body was a grand diamond-shaped bell seemingly forged from pure crystal, woven with ornate golden lines and patterns. Her upper body resembled a goddess sculpted from azure ice, her arms formed from two rhombic crystal shields, and three sharp crystal pillars floated protectively behind her.
Among the four natural forces of "Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon," she was the spirit representing wind's ultimate form—Windwitch - Diamond Bell, descend!
[Windwitch - Diamond Bell] Level 8│WIND│Spellcaster│2800 ATK
Seeing the immense Diamond Bell, Sera's usually calm eyes wavered slightly. She murmured, "So she's finally summoned her ace."
Then Arella raised her hand sharply. "At this moment, the effect of the Continuous Spell Card Synchronized Realm activates again! Whenever I successfully Synchro Summon a Synchro Monster, I inflict 500 effect damage to my opponent!"
The turquoise light flashed once more, an unseen impact striking Grand Princess Sera.
[Sera, LP: 2200 → 1700]
"Next, Windwitch - Diamond Bell's effect activates! When this card is Synchro Summoned, I can target 1 Windwitch monster in my Graveyard to inflict damage equal to half that monster's Attack!" Arella pointed toward Sera. "I target the Tuner monster Windwitch - Glass Bell in my Graveyard to inflict 750 damage—Ringing of Midwinter!!"
Clang, clang, clang!!
The crystal-clear chimes rang again. With the sound of the winter bell, a frigid windstorm surged toward Grand Princess Sera.
[Sera, LP: 1700 → 950]
Sera slid back nearly a meter. A layer of frost covered her body, yet the calm in her eyes remained utterly unbroken.
Sensing Sera's unshaken resolve, Arella couldn't help but click her tongue softly. For most Duelists, this combo—stripping away over 3000 Life Points in a single turn—would have caused panic or despair.
After all, this was only the first turn, and she had already reduced her opponent's Life Points by more than three thousand. She could have inflicted even more damage, but without being able to finish the Duel in one blow, there was no real point.
Even so, for most Duelists, losing over 3000 Life Points on the first turn would have rattled their nerves and broken their focus.
But not Sera. She simply brushed the frost from her arms, returning to her position and saying coldly, "Are you finished? If not, keep going."
Such calm words and composure… such mental fortitude… made Arella feel a bit humbled. She admitted to herself:
'No wonder she's called the Black Witch of Saint Fusion Academy. Or perhaps it's the poise befitting the Grand Princess of the Bredt Kingdom… That kind of presence is something I can't compare to.'
With that thought, Arella waved her hand. "I Set one card and end my turn."
As Arella's turn ended, the first- and second-year students of Saint Fusion Academy let out a collective sigh of relief.
After all, watching Grand Princess Sera lose 3000 Life Points in one turn was nerve-wracking. Many couldn't help thinking that if they were in her place, they'd have already cracked under the pressure.
Nonetheless, the anxiety of the lowerclassmen didn't extend to the third-years. Especially the members of the Student Council—they believed in their President, the Black Witch, Sera Bredt. No matter who her opponent was, they had unwavering faith that she would prevail.
Their faith wasn't because of her Duel Spirit, the Dark Magician, but because of her countless victories over the past two years. Every Duel since her admission had proven that she was destined to win.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Alicia had completely forgotten her earlier insecurities as she watched the Duel unfold. When Sera's Life Points fell below 1000, she held her breath like the other lower-classmen. Yet beside her, Alice remained perfectly relaxed, happily eating snacks while watching the match.
Unable to hold back her curiosity, Alicia asked, "Alice, aren't you worried Her Highness the Grand Princess might lose?"
"Lose?"
Alice laughed brightly, as if Alicia had said something absurd, her face lit with a radiant smile as she looked down at the returning Princess.
"Alicia, do you know why the Tutt family supports Her Highness in becoming the next monarch of the Bredt Kingdom?"
"That…!"
"Hehe, it's fine if you don't."
Alice picked a white chocolate from her box and handed it to Alicia before explaining casually, "The Bredt Kingdom currently has three factions. The first is the King's Faction, led by His Majesty and backed by the Leo family, one of the Three Dukes. They don't compete for the throne—they simply support whoever becomes King. They respect the throne itself, not the person who sits upon it.
"The second is the Prince's Faction, led by His Highness Prince Zack and supported by the Babar family, another of the Three Dukes. Their ideology is pure aristocracy—noble blood and lineage above all else.
"And the third is the Princess's Faction, led by Her Highness the Grand Princess, with our Tutt family as its supporting house. Our belief is strength above all—might makes right. As long as you're strong enough, you can do whatever you wish.
"So, of course, we support Her Highness… because she's strong."
As if to prove Alice's words true, an overwhelming surge of magic suddenly erupted from the Duel Plaza below.
The power far exceeded Alicia's level, and even Yuui, standing nearby, was taken aback by its intensity.
Staring down at the girl whose long hair whipped in the storm of unleashed magic, Yuui murmured in astonishment, "No way… she's already at the peak of Archmagus at sixteen?!"
...
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