"I'm going in, Class Rep!"
"He… he really charged in."
Reflected in the girl's round lenses was Miles' reckless figure as he dashed toward Class D's position without a second thought.
Was this really reckless bravery? Perhaps calling it feeding himself to the enemy would be more accurate.
"What kind of genius kid is he supposed to be? He's even dumber than a NEET!"
Miles earned, from Class Rep August, the title of being even more foolish than the idiots of Class 3-E.
No matter how dumb the students of Class E were, they still knew that charging alone into a position defended by twenty people was no different from walking in to get yourself killed.
"Wait for me, Miles!"
Unable to bear watching the transfer student be swarmed and brutally beaten by twenty people from Class E alone, August instinctively rushed out from the bushes she had been hiding in and followed after him.
Well, now she was just as much of an idiot as Miles.
Roz Dik: "…"
Class D students: "…"
Within Class D's formation, the twenty duelists standing ready all stared in confusion at the 'surprise attack' force charging out from the side, coming from Class 3-E.
"Yo, isn't this the most useless class rep, August? This time, you're not the commander, so I thought you had a stomachache and ran away before the battle. Didn't expect…"
Roz glanced at Miles, then shifted his gaze back to August.
"Didn't expect your brain got damaged instead. Bringing along a lost little brat and charging into our Class D all by yourself."
"Who are you calling a brat?" Miles pointed at himself with his thumb. "Remember this. I'm Miles, a transfer student of Class E, and the one who will shatter your shallow arrogance!"
A mere Class D, barely better than Class E, yet they were acting so arrogant.
In Miles' eyes, it was nothing but the empty arrogance of frogs at the bottom of a well.
"A transfer student? I see. You're the one who transferred into Class E today.
"Hahahahaha! Of course, ending up in Class E proves you're a total idiot."
After throwing his head back in laughter, Roz waved his hand forward, commanding the students in Class D's formation.
"Let this idiot learn how vast the world is. Take the two of them down for me!"
At the command, the five students at the very front of Class D activated the Spirit Eyes on their arms, ready to initiate a duel at any moment.
To replicate a real battlefield, in a Duel War, the side with more people holds an absolute advantage.
Under the rules of a melee battle, each person's Life Points are calculated separately, and turns do not alternate.
In other words, if five people from Class D were to duel Miles at the same time, Miles would only get to act after all five had finished their turns.
And even then, Miles, who only gets to act once after waiting through five actions, must find a way to break through all five opponents' 4000 Life Points each to claim victory.
Under melee rules, once the difference in numbers reaches a certain level, it becomes an almost insurmountable disadvantage.
That was why August believed that Miles, this idiot, charging out alone was practically seeking death.
There was also another possibility… that Miles, fighting in a Duel War for the first time, did not understand just how disadvantageous these melee rules were.
"I'll help stall them. You run, Miles."
"Class Rep… what's the point of running?"
"Huh?" August froze.
Thinking Miles didn't understand the melee rules, and wanting him to retreat temporarily was just August's wishful thinking.
Or rather, it was a habit she had developed over a long time.
If you really can't win, then run.
If you really can't do it, then run.
Despite running seeming to have any use at all.
"I won't run."
Miles said firmly, as the Spirit Eyes on his arm lit up.
"Running now won't change anything. And besides, there's no need to run at all!"
Roz said, "It's obvious Class E really did get a straightforward idiot as a transfer student."
Miles said, "Five against one, huh? That's a bit troublesome."
"Oh? If you think it's troublesome, you can beg us. Maybe our Class D will show mercy and very honorably duel you one-on-one."
Even in a one-on-one duel, Class Rep Roz Dik had absolute confidence that Class D would never lose to the trash of Class E.
"Five against one is too troublesome. I'd have to fight round after round."
Miles raised his hand, his fingertip sweeping across everyone in Class D's formation.
"All of you. Come at me together. I'll take on twenty!"
"Huh?"
Everyone's eyes, including August's, widened as they stared in stunned silence at Miles after he declared such a bold statement.
"Miles, so you really have gone crazy." August held her forehead.
In a 20-versus-1 melee, it meant the other side would take twenty turns before it was even Miles' turn once.
There was no chance of winning.
"What? Scared?" Miles' provocation escalated to full force.
"Class D is nothing special after all. In the end, you're just the second-largest group of trash in the academy. A single step better than Class E."
"What did you say?!"
Miles' words struck directly at Class D's sore spot, instantly igniting everyone's anger and making each of them want to beat him up personally.
Roz gritted his teeth. "Since you're so eager to die, then we'll crush you together!"
"Hook, line, and sinker." Miles rejoiced inwardly.
To put it bluntly, Class D was just a little better group of idiots than Class E. With just a bit of provocation, they fell right into the trap.
Compared to the trouble of fighting multiple rounds, what Miles was more concerned about was how long Class E's formation could hold out.
If things dragged on too long and their commander fell first, then all their efforts would be for nothing.
Most importantly, if they were defeated by Class D in Monday's duel, then for the rest of the week, Miles would no longer have the chance to participate in Duel Wars. He would be stuck using Class E's worst summoning amplification formation.
That was absolutely unacceptable!
"Miles, count me in."
After a long moment of silent hesitation, August, who had grown used to running away, resolutely chose to take this step.
"Oh? Not planning to run this time, Class Rep?"
August adjusted the round glasses on her high nose bridge. Her fingers were still trembling, but at least this time, she had mustered her courage.
"I'm the class rep of Class E. Even if this is a suicidal act, I can't just stand by and watch the new transfer student get beaten alone.
"If we're going to die, then we die together!"
"We won't die." Miles smiled. "We'll win~"
She couldn't understand it… couldn't understand it at all.
Through her lenses, looking at Miles' calm and composed smile, August truly didn't know where his confidence came from.
Confidence… what a distant word. In her three years in Class E, that word had long been buried along with hope.
"Duel!"
The extremely unfair large-scale melee of Class D versus Class E, 20 against 2, officially began.
The side that obtained the first turn in this melee was the twenty members of Class D.
That meant all twenty of Class D had to complete their turns before it would be Miles and August's turn.
Even though in the first turn, Class D's twenty members could not enter the Battle Phase, it did not affect the continuous bursts of summoning light as the duel officially began.
"Xyz Summon—Gem-Knight Pearl!"
[Gem-Knight Pearl] Rank 4│EARTH│Rock│2600 ATK
"Xyz Summon—Grenosaurus!"
[Grenosaurus] Rank 3│FIRE│Dinosaur│2000 ATK
"Xyz Summon—Kachi Kochi Dragon!"
[Kachi Kochi Dragon] Rank 4│EARTH│Dragon│2100 ATK
From the plain Xyz Monsters that filled the field from the very first turn, it wasn't hard to tell that Class D's overall strength wasn't particularly outstanding.
Though at the very least, they had all successfully completed their Xyz Summons on the opening turn.
With various forms, galloping across the sky, land, and sea, a full twenty Xyz Monsters appeared before Miles and August.
On top of that, there were countless Set cards in the back row.
"My turn ends!"
With Class Rep Roz Dik's declaration, all twenty had completed their actions, and it was finally Class E's turn.
Miles and August. August's Spirit Eyes lit up first as her turn began.
"Why am I going first?!"
In truth, by the time Class D's turn had reached halfway, August was already stunned. The 20-versus-2 situation was even more hopeless than she had imagined… there was no possibility of victory.
And now that it was her turn to act first, August was even more at a loss.
"Calm down, Class Rep. Just play however you want. I'll cover for you."
"C-cover for me…"
Even though she had no idea how Miles intended to handle the overwhelming swarm of monsters, August still made her move.
Because as she stood shoulder to shoulder with Miles before twenty monsters, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
Do you want to be a coward for the rest of your life, or be a hero… even if only for one minute?
"—Spell Card [Unexpected Dai] Activate!"
[If you control no monsters: Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from your Deck.]
"From my Deck, I Special Summon the Normal Monster [Melffy Rabby]!"
[Melffy Rabby] Level 2│EARTH│Beast│0 ATK
A cute little rabbit standing on a tree stump, yet with a Defense of up to 2100.
"I Normal Summon the Level 2 [Melffy Catty]! I use the two Level 2 monsters on my field to Xyz Summon!"
The incredibly adorable little animals gathered in August's hands.
Although their appearance was beloved by girls, the strength of her Deck was so weak that even August felt a headache coming on.
"—Xyz Summon [Joyous Melffys]!"
[Joyous Melffys] Rank 2│EARTH│Beast│2000 ATK
After the little animals assembled through Xyz, their Attack finally rose to 2000.
Despite that, even with 2000 Attack, it was difficult to break through any one of the Xyz Monsters on Class D's field.
"If I can't break through, then I won't! I activate the effect of [Joyous Melffys]!"
[Detach 1 material from this card; this turn, your "Melffy" monsters can attack directly.]
"I detach [Melffy Rabby] to activate the effect! This turn, my Melffys can attack directly!"
August pointed at Class Rep Roz Dik and declared the Battle Phase.
2000 points of direct damage; that was August's full strength. Facing countless monsters and overwhelming numbers, she truly had no idea how to win this duel.
Even if she precisely sniped and reduced Class D's commander Roz Dik's Life Points to 0 in the melee, unless their side ultimately won the melee, it still wouldn't count as defeating Class D's commander in the duel.
"Just a meaningless struggle." Without giving any chance, Roz Dik flipped a Set card.
"—Trap Card [Magic Cylinder] Activate! Reflect the 2000 points of direct damage back to you!"
"Aaaaah!"
[August, LP: 4000 → 2000]
Struck back by her own little animals as if slapped across the face several times, August, who had finally mustered the courage to attack, ended up losing her own Life Points instead.
There was no way to win.
Not only did she have to face twenty Xyz Monsters, but she also had to be wary of the countless face-down traps in the opponent's back row.
Under such circumstances, she still had to defeat twenty Duelists. Even if a god descended, it would be impossible.
"I can't do this anymore, Miles."
August gave up instantly. The decisiveness of her surrender was as practiced as every time she had given up before.
"My turn ends."
"Nice play, Class Rep." Miles gave August a thumbs-up.
"Miles, you're not mocking me, are you?"
"No, I genuinely think you did well. After all, facing a battlefield filled with overwhelming monsters, just having the courage to fight is already something amazing~"
"Amazing? Me?"
Behind her round lenses, August's delicate eyes trembled.
Was she… being praised?
The boy before her was sincerely praising her.
August could no longer remember how long it had been since her ears had heard words of praise. It felt unfamiliar… yet also warm.
If someone was willing to praise her…
"I can try a little harder!"
Even though she had already declared the end of her turn, August drew out a card from her hand.
"I activate the effect of [Melffy Puppy] in my hand!"
[During your End Phase: You can Special Summon this card from your hand.]
[Melffy Puppy] Level 2│EARTH│Beast│300 ATK
August's final summon; at the End Phase, with the effect of the Melffys, the little puppy leapt out from her hand.
Miles' lips curled upward as he smiled. "I've received your effort!"
He began his turn and drew a card. At his fingertips, the roaring soul of the God of Destruction had yet to be summoned, yet its world-shattering aura had already swept across the battlefield.
"Let's end this duel in one move!—Quick-Play Spell Activate! [The Breaking Ruin God]!!"
[You can only use each of the following effects of this card's name once per turn. The activation and effects of this card cannot be negated.
[(1): Special Summon 1 "Obelisk the Tormentor" from your hand or GY. This turn, it is unaffected by your opponent's card effects.]
An exclusive Spell for the Egyptian God Cards—no, for Obelisk alone—that cannot be negated, calling forth the divine from his hand.
"When it descends, scorching winds will ravage the land, and the living shall become corpses! When light and darkness intertwine, the ritual of the obelisk begins! Descend, Obelisk the Tormentor!"
In the previous turn, August had thought that even if a god descended, there would be no way to deal with this situation.
After all, even if Miles was strong enough to defeat one person in a single turn, the remaining nineteen taking turns would be more than enough to crush them.
But what she didn't expect was that a god really did descend.
And it told her that a god could handle a situation like this.
"What is that thing?!" Roz shouted in shock.
How could a mere Class D have ever experienced the terrifying sight of a god descending?
Even though their side had an overwhelming numerical advantage in monsters, their momentum was overwhelmingly suppressed by Obelisk.
Commanding Obelisk in the academy battle, Miles raised his arm and declared, "Obelisk's effect activates! Soul Energy MAX!!"
Because of the [The Breaking Ruin God] Miles had activated, Obelisk gained full immunity. So even with countless Set cards on the opponent's field, [Obelisk the Tormentor] could not be stopped this turn!
[You can Tribute 2 other monsters you control; destroy all monsters your opponent controls with Attack less than or equal to this card's Attack, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to this card's Attack.]
"August, your effort will be carried on by me! And by the god! I Tribute [Melffy Puppy] and [Joyous Melffys] to activate Obelisk's effect!"
The azure, massive fists, drawing power from the seemingly fragile little animals, crashed down upon the battlefield in an instant, overturning the earth.
"Destroy all your monsters! And deal 4000 points of damage to every one of you!"
Roz staggered back in terror. "What kind of ridiculous effect is that, this monster?!"
"This isn't a monster! It's a god! God Hand Impact!!"
Obelisk the Tormentor smashed the battlefield with both fists. Miles' earth-shattering strike instantly wiped out all twenty Xyz Monsters of Class D and dealt 4000 points of damage to every one of them.
"Uwaaaaaaaah!!"
Twenty people, defeated in an instant.
As everyone in Class D, including their general Roz Dik, had their Life Points reduced to zero, the first victory of Class 3-E was declared in the name of the god.
Thud~
Someone collapsed to their knees.
And surprisingly, it was August: the class rep of Class E.
"We… we won?"
It felt like a dream.
No, this was even more unbeievable than any dream.
August wouldn't even dare dream of something like this… wiping out all twenty members of Class D in a single strike, leading Class 3-E to victory in the academy's Duel War.
Through her lenses and blurred by tears, August looked up at the mysterious boy bathed in divine light.
At first, when Miles proposed this crazy idea, August had gambled on that tiny possibility.
And in the end, that tiny possibility truly changed everything in the boy's hands.
---
If you want to support, please consider Patreon and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going! [Patreon.com/RedZTL]