Chapter 16: This woman is different

After the nuclear explosion of the Black Flame Bullet, Kevin's life points were completely wiped out, marking the official end of the duel.

What was supposed to be an ordinary weekly practical test had turned into an outcome that shook the entire Fusion Academy to its core.

Aisha Yuna Carlos had won.

The first-year student who was on the verge of expulsion, the lowest-ranked in her grade, had defeated the top-ranked elite, Kevin Seto, who had maintained a 100% win rate in practical tests.

Even more astonishing was the fact that Aisha, with only 100 life points remaining, had used Kevin's own Red-Eyes Black Dragon to pull off a stunning comeback.

This miraculous reversal was nothing short of legendary, enough to be recorded in the annals of Fusion Duel Academy's history.

"Teacher, did I win?" Aisha, barely able to believe what had just happened, tentatively asked Teacher Erin for confirmation.

The moment the duel was won, You Ling, having fulfilled his role, didn't linger in Aisha's body. He immediately swapped souls and returned to the Millennium Puzzle.

Just as he had agreed with Aisha earlier, he would only intervene during duels.

Stunned for a moment, Teacher Erin's professionalism as an educator allowed her to recover from the shock faster than anyone else.

"Yes, you won, Aisha," Erin announced. "In the practical test between Kevin Seto and Aisha Yuna Carlos, the winner is... Aisha Carlos!"

"..."

After the official result was announced, the crowd remained silent for a few seconds. Then, as if the curtain had fallen, thunderous cheers erupted.

"Ooooooh!"

"Is this really happening?!"

"The invincible Kevin has fallen!"

"Aisha used Kevin's own Red-Eyes Black Dragon to defeat him? What kind of miracle is this?!"

"Does this mean that cute girl won't be expelled? Looks like I still have a chance."

"No, you definitely don't have a chance," Irena, a second-year student who had been observing, interrupted the delusional fantasies of a bystander.

"Aisha Yuna Carlos will undoubtedly become an extraordinary duelist in the future. Ordinary people like you should stop dreaming about her. Don't you agree, Kema?"

"Hmph, what does that have to do with me?"

Despite his younger brother's defeat, Kema Seto, the eldest son of the Seto family, showed no signs of dissatisfaction. He remained expressionless as he watched Aisha, who had just secured her victory.

"That's great! Little Ai won't be expelled!"

As Aisha's childhood friend, Ilin was naturally more eager than anyone else for Aisha to win this duel and stay at the academy.

However, Ilin couldn't shake off a strange feeling.

The reason was simple: Aisha's performance during the duel was just too unusual.

Having grown up with Aisha, Ilin knew her better than anyone else present.

That kind of dueling style was definitely not something Aisha could have pulled off.

To put it bluntly, it was as if she had become a completely different person.

"Maybe I'm overthinking it. That was clearly Little Ai... It can't be something as magical as her being replaced by someone else, right?"

Ilin shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the strange thoughts swirling in her mind.

After the practical test concluded, Teacher Erin began calculating the credits each student had earned.

Winning the test not only earned Aisha the precious 30 credits she needed to avoid expulsion but, more importantly, just as You Ling had predicted before borrowing the spell points, defeating Kevin, who had maintained a 100% win rate for half a semester, was like opening a treasure chest guarded by a final boss.

The reward for defeating Kevin in the practical test was a staggering 350 credits.

In addition to the basic 30-credit reward, converting at a 1:1 ratio into spell points would amount to 380 points. 

On the day she received the credits, Aisha excitedly rushed to the Fusion Academy library to repay the borrowed spell points, totaling 110 points including interest. 

While returning the borrowed spell points, she also received a sweet smile from Senior Irena, the librarian, who said, "I knew you could do it." 

**[Remaining Spell Points: 270]** 

"I'm so rich—oh, no, I mean, I have so many points! What cards should we craft next, Mr. You Ling?" 

Holding the library's **Spell Catalog**, Aisha had now completely, 120% trusted You Ling after this victory. 

And without a doubt, she had begun to develop a sense of dependence. 

Perhaps this Millennium Puzzle and You Ling, who resided within it, were truly sent by the heavens to save her and the Carlos family. 

Every time she thought about this, Aisha couldn't help but smile, feeling a sense of happiness and security welling up in her heart. 

"270 points, huh..." You Ling pondered for a moment. "With this much, it might not be a bad idea to splurge on crafting a B-rank card." 

For example, cards like **[Mirror Force]** or **[Magic Cylinder]**, which are heavy-hitting trap cards, could indeed turn the tide of a duel in the current "axe-wielding" duel environment of Fusion Academy's first year. 

However, among the B-rank spell cards, there were also some very practical options, such as **[Monster Reborn]**. 

Of course, another highly attractive magic card was **[Polymerization]**, which represented Fusion Academy. 

From You Ling's observations, duels in the Elven Continent didn't have a strict Extra Deck. 

As for the **[Polymerization]** card, as long as you could convincingly argue your case, it was almost like a card-printing machine—anything could be fused. 

However, for Aisha's current deck, these highly practical B-rank cards couldn't truly enhance the combat power of her weak monsters. 

Thus, with the precious 100 spell points required to craft a B-rank card, You Ling took a bold risk and chose a card that absolutely no one would ever consider. 

"Then it's this card. I believe in you, Mr. You Ling." 

Aisha didn't question You Ling's choice at all and, without hesitation, spent the hefty 100 spell points. 

"Let's use this card to win more duels, Mr. You Ling!" 

While Aisha Yuna Carlos was basking in her triumph, Kevin Seto was grappling with an indescribably complex state of mind. 

He had lost the practical duel, and along with it, his perfect 100% win rate. 

But that wasn't the main issue. What Kevin couldn't stand the most was the opponent who had defeated him. 

Aisha Carlos, the bottom-feeder of Fusion Academy's first year... and, to make matters worse, she was a woman. 

As the rumors in the academy suggested, Kevin Seto hated women. 

Due to childhood trauma from the Seto family, he harbored a deep aversion to strong women and had vowed never to lose to any woman in the academy. 

Yet, just halfway through the semester, Kevin's vow had been broken. 

However, the real reason Kevin's current state of mind was so complicated and hard to express was something else entirely— 

Even though he had lost to Aisha Carlos, Kevin didn't feel the same way he had when he lost to women in his family before. 

Instead, it felt like he had found a fated rival, which excited him immensely. 

"It's so strange. Especially during the duel, Aisha Carlos... felt completely different from those troublesome women." 

As the top student of the year, Kevin was now lost in confusion.