Duel in a Sword & Magic World: Elf Girls Spirit Duelist

In the few days after the practical test ended, Aisha, now free from the threat of expulsion, returned to her peaceful daily life.

It was the usual routine: going to class, finishing homework, then studying all sorts of topics with upperclassman Irena at the library.

Simple as it was, this was what student life was supposed to be.

And Aisha enjoyed it—especially now that she had Miles to keep her company. Returning alone to her dorm no longer felt lonely.

At night, when she couldn't sleep, Aisha had gotten used to chatting with Miles.

Of course, most of the time, it was just her chattering nonstop while Miles would occasionally reply with a "Mm" to show he was listening.

Even so, Aisha never tired of it. She told him all about her childhood, the Carlos family, and her older sister.

It was the story of her sister that resonated most with Miles.

As the eldest daughter of the Carlos family, Aisha's sister was exceptional in every way, and Aisha adored her.

But simply because she lacked the Elves' Eyes and couldn't become a Duelist, no matter how talented she was, she couldn't revive the Carlos family.

So Aisha had taken up that burden as their final hope.

"I had a wonderful sister too... though that was in my previous life."

That night, unusually, Miles didn't just answer with a monotone "Mm."

Emboldened, Aisha chirped on enthusiastically, talking about her sister until morning.

Which resulted in sleep-deprived Aisha dozing off during Duel class for the first time.

When Miss Erin asked her when a Quick-Play Spell could be used, Aisha answered, "During a Duel."

"Not entirely wrong. Although technically, you could also throw a Quick-Play Spell as a weapon outside of a Duel. Now write the correct answer fifty times, Aisha Yuna."

With a harmless smile, Miss Erin delivered divine punishment without hesitation.

[Quick-Play Spells can be activated at any time during your own turn. Alternatively, they can be set on the field and activated at any time during the opponent's turn, just like Trap Cards.]

—Aisha began copying...

Despite minor setbacks, Aisha couldn't deny she enjoyed life far more with Miles around.

Albeit, one thing made her vaguely uneasy: lately, she often felt like someone was secretly following her.

And it didn't feel like just one person.

—And Aisha's intuition wasn't wrong.

It was Tuesday afternoon after school. Aisha was on her way to the Fusion Academy library.

Behind her, hiding near the stone pedestal on the left, was Kevin—who had been stalking Aisha for three days.

'Aisha Yuna Carlos... she looks like a completely average girl. There's none of that destined-rival feeling from the Duel. Could it really have been just my imagination... No! I'm the top of my year—there's no way I'd lose to someone ordinary!'

Kevin remained lost in thought, unsure how to make sense of Aisha.

Had Miles known, he might've explained: this was just a classic case of "fought and bonded"—Kevin was ready to treat him like a bro.

But Kevin didn't know about Miles. He only knew Aisha, the girl.

And Miles didn't know Kevin's thoughts, only that he'd been trailing Aisha for days.

Meanwhile, on the right side of the stone pedestal, was the second tail:

Aisha's childhood friend, Irene Austin, doing her best to make her conspicuous red hair less eye-catching.

"Ah, Irene! There you are. We were looking for you."

No matter how well she hid, the red-haired Irene was easily spotted by a first-year girl in thick black glasses.

"We're having a match in the Magic Club today. Could you help us out?"

Irene's popularity came from her impressive versatility—while not elite, she excelled at sports, studies, and Dueling, making her a favorite across clubs.

She never officially joined any of them, yet helped whenever needed, earning the reputation of a social butterfly.

But this time, she didn't respond with her usual charm.

'Lately, Aisha's been acting way too weird. Her Duel style changed completely, and now she's even falling asleep in class. That's so not like her!'

Even though she tried to dismiss the thought after the Duel, in the end, she couldn't convince herself.

After all, she knew Aisha better than anyone.

From how Aisha moved each day, Irene could even guess what color panties she was wearing.

At that level of intimacy, there was no way she wouldn't notice something was off.

But she had no evidence. Every time she tried to casually probe, Aisha would deflect with painfully bad acting.

So... Irene had resorted to secretly tailing her.

She and Kevin had both started stalking Aisha three days ago.

And both were equally fruitless.

Aisha's routine hadn't changed: class, cafeteria, library, then back to the dorm after the library closed.

"Damn it. Not a single crack." Irene chewed her thumb, expression growing serious.

The more perfect Aisha's cover seemed, the more suspicious it felt.

"Irene?" the Magic Club girl said, noticing Irene muttering to herself.

"Has Aisha... been replaced by someone else?" Irene mused aloud, then looked at the girl next to her. "Hey, do you believe in magic in this world?"

"Um... magic? Of course I do. I'm in the Magic Club..."

The girl was baffled by Irene's sudden, bizarre question.

"I mean like sorcery—more eerie stuff. The kind that can change a person's mind."

"That's not really my field. Maybe ask the Curse Club instead."

"Tch. No helping it."

After so many fruitless days, Irene realized the only blind spot left was what happened after Aisha returned to her dorm each night.

And this gave her an edge over Kevin.

"Tonight, I'll go sleep over with Aisha."

...

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