Duelists Never Surrender!

"Isn't that obvious?"

Inside the Dean's Office, the Head Teacher adjusted his black-rimmed glasses. "If you defeat the regular members, you'll take their place in the National Higher Academy Tournament."

"And if we win by a score of 4-1 or 3-2, will the two who lost also get a spot on the regular team?"

"Yes," the Head Teacher nodded.

"Will the academy offer any rewards if we represent them in the National Higher Academy Tournament?" Hara Shichi continued to ask.

"...Hmm?"

The Head Teacher seemed not to have heard clearly and asked after a pause, "What did you just say?"

"I asked if there are any rewards for representing the academy in the National Higher Academy Tournament," Hara Shichi repeated mechanically.

The Head Teacher's forehead darkened. He wanted to say something but felt choked up.

This was the first time he'd encountered such a student.

If you represent the academy, don't you feel honored?

The academy is sending you to the biggest dueling stage for students nationwide so you can showcase yourself. Shouldn't you be grateful?

Why are you thinking about rewards?

"Aren't we competing to win honor for the academy?" Hara Shichi pressed.

"You could say that," the Head Teacher nodded after a moment of thought.

"Then, since we're striving and fighting for the academy, shouldn't the academy give us corresponding rewards?"

"Can't deny that..." the Head Teacher said ambiguously.

"So what are the rewards?" Hara Shichi continued.

"How about the fact that your heroic duels will be broadcast on screens all over the country?" After racking his brain, the Head Teacher offered this.

"Are you serious?" Hara Shichi was shocked.

"..."

The Head Teacher fell silent.

He suddenly remembered something.

When he represented the academy in the National Higher Academy Tournament, the academy hadn't given him any rewards. They didn't even reimburse his meal expenses. After winning the championship, they just took a photo of him for the Hall of Honor and that was it.

"If you achieve good results, we'll issue you a certificate of honor?"

"Anything more substantial?" Hara Shichi rubbed his fingers together.

"Then some extra academic credits?"

"Anything else?"

"At most, we can help you apply for a scholarship. If you win the championship, I'll personally give you a reward," the Head Teacher said calmly. "That's all. Besides, you're not even a regular member yet, so what right do you have to negotiate terms with me?"

"Just asking about the benefits beforehand," Hara Shichi explained. "Honestly, I'm still short one teammate and was planning to recruit someone by offering a regular spot."

"I see," the Head Teacher nodded thoughtfully. "In that case, you don't really need to worry."

"No student can refuse this temptation," the Head Teacher said calmly. "The National Higher Academy Tournament is a grand event that the entire nation will be watching. Even the King will attend. What young person wouldn't want to stand on that stage and showcase themselves?"

"Moreover, the rewards prepared by the Royal Family this time are quite generous."

"How so?" Hara Shichi asked curiously.

"The top eight teams' regular members will each receive two million gold coins.

The top four teams' regular members will each receive one 'Effect Veiler'.

The third-place team's regular members will each receive a letter of application to the Professional Duelist League.

The runner-up team's regular members can choose one card from the Level 2 Vault.

The champion team's regular members can choose one card from the Level 1 Vault.

The rewards for the top eight and top four are cumulative."

"Now, do you understand why the academy doesn't give any compensation to the regular members?" the Head Teacher said calmly.

"Letting you step onto that stage is the greatest reward."

Chapter 84: Let Me See What New Tricks Everyone Has Come Up With!

Unlike other higher academies, Duelist Academy doesn't have many students.

The reason for this is that as the oldest academy on the Duel Continent, Duelist Academy has its own pride and principles: it absolutely refuses to lower the difficulty of its entrance exams. Fewer students simply means the overall quality of the younger generation is too low to pass the exams.

It's definitely not because the location is remote, the facilities are outdated, or the results in the Higher Academy Tournament have been declining year after year.

"Sigh," the young girl couldn't help but sigh. "Why did I even come to this school?"

Five days of closed-door study a week was one thing, but the cafeteria didn't even have cake. The shops only sold dueling supplies and more dueling supplies. If you wanted snacks, you had to go to the snack stalls run by the underclassmen. Daily necessities had to be purchased outside on Saturdays and Sundays...

Especially since she had joined the student council and become a time-wasting announcer. On this leisurely afternoon, she couldn't even eat a hot bowl of rice and had to gnaw on the bread prepared in the morning.

"Senior Shirano, it's time for the broadcast," the short-haired girl beside her reminded, seeing her senior still leisurely eating.

"Tamako, just play some music first. If it's not enough, play more. No one really cares what the broadcast is about anyway," Shirano Rin said, bread in her mouth, a hint of melancholy flashing in her dark eyes. "If it weren't for the student council's attendance policy, I wouldn't even bother coming to the broadcast room today. Do you know I've been eating red bean paste bread for almost a month? If this keeps up, I'll turn into a red bean paste alien."

"Senior, I have a few more pork floss buns here," the girl named Tamako said, pulling out a few palm-sized pork floss buns from her pocket.

"Do you want me to turn into a pork floss alien?" Shirano Rin asked with a pained expression. "Rice, I want rice! Or noodles would be fine too. Anything but bread. I'm going to puke if I have to eat bread for lunch every day."

"I actually think bread is delicious. I never get tired of eating it every day," Tamako said blankly.

"You'll understand when you're a second-year like me," Shirano Rin said, swallowing the last piece of bread. She then extended her soft, pink tongue to lick the crumbs off her fingers. Immediately after, she picked up a bottle of drink from the table, unscrewed the cap, and gulped it down.

"Ah, refreshing!"

Shirano Rin exclaimed. It felt great to chug a drink after finishing a meal!

"Senior, we've been playing music for three minutes already," Tamako said, looking a bit troubled.

According to the student council's regulations, the campus broadcast required two people to cooperate. Therefore, they always prepared a script for two people to work together before each broadcast. If Senior Shirano Rin didn't plan to do the broadcast today, not only would the prepared script go to waste, but she also wouldn't gain any experience in improvising...

"So troublesome... cough." Shirano Rin cleared her throat, gently pressed a button, and leaned towards the microphone. "To all teachers and students, good noon. I am your host, Shirano Rin."

"And I am your host, Tamako."

"Today's broadcast topic is 'Youth and Dreams'..."

"..."

"Another boring topic," Aoshi said, picking up a piece of golden-fried chicken and putting it in his mouth.

"The broadcast themes haven't changed much this year," a boy beside him sighed. "It's always about struggle, effort, and striving. It's completely uninteresting."

"Anyone can shout slogans. It's not like I haven't tried. Yet, I'm still this mediocre," another boy complained.

"Are you guys still going to duel with Hara Shichi this afternoon?" Aoshi asked abruptly.

"Do you think Hara Shichi-kun will still agree to duel us?" another man wondered. "He's dueled quite a few students since transferring here. He's been more than accommodating."

"I challenged him again during practice class yesterday afternoon. He didn't seem to mind us bothering him," Aoshi said.

"Forget it," another boy said wistfully. "It's too much to keep bothering someone."

"If you had the talent, you would have sensed the Xyz Network long ago. If you can't sense it, it means you don't have the talent. In that case, it's better not to waste your time."

"Exactly. There was one time when Hara Shichi-kun could have won without using an Xyz Monster, but he specifically performed an Xyz Summon for me. I feel so ashamed just thinking about it," another person chimed in.

"Actually, I think I've sensed a tiny bit of the Xyz Network recently..." Aoshi said, stroking his chin suspiciously.

"About the size of a fingernail?" the boy beside him quipped, winking.

"No, about the size of a hair," Aoshi replied, covering his face.

"Pfft."

"Next up is the campus mail segment."

As the gentle voice sounded, the decibel level at the dining tables visibly decreased.

"Here it comes, the daily dose of fun."

"What new trick have you guys come up with this time?"

"I confessed my feelings to the Duel Practice Instructor of our class in the letter."

"Huh? Going that big?"

"I used your name."

"Damn it!"

As mentioned earlier, entertainment facilities are scarce at Duelist Academy, making the campus mail segment of the noon broadcast one of their few sources of joy.

They would write prank letters and put them in the broadcast station's mailbox, hoping their letter would be read aloud for the entire school to hear.

What? You think the hosts would pick out normal letters?

LOL, there are no normal letters at all.

"Are there any normal ones?" Shirano Rin ran a hand through her hair, sifting through a pile of black-and-white letters. She finally gave up and randomly picked one, handing it to Tamako. "This is from a first-year. It's your turn to practice. Read it."

"Huh?! Senior, this is workplace bullying!" Tamako protested, crossing her arms.

"Read it quickly."

"No!"

"Read it now!"

"Wuwuwu... X﹏X"

"Thank you for your letter, Onishi Tetsuya, from Class 1-3." Tamako first glanced at the sender's name before continuing to read the letter:

"To my beloved Teacher Alice.

The other day, I walked into the training room and saw a young woman. She had long, curly blonde hair and a tall figure. The moment she turned around, her face, as fair and pure as jade, made my heart stop beating.

That was you, Teacher Alice.

Today, I have written twenty identical letters and thrown them all into the broadcast station's mailbox. I was worried my letter might get buried among the others, preventing it from reaching the hosts."

Here, I want to use the power of the broadcast to express my feelings to you, which is that I..."

"I..." Tamako seemed to get stuck here, her small face turning as red as a boiled crab, her rosy lips trembling.

"Go on," Shirano Rin said excitedly.

"Go on, everyone's listening," students in the cafeteria muttered.

"Hurry up! Hurry up!"

"I didn't write this letter at all! This guy did! Don't be fooled, everyone!"

"Ugh! Onishi-kun, calm down, don't choke me!"

"Are you going to read it or not!"

"I... I..." Tamako closed her eyes, threw the letter aside, and shouted with all her might:

"I love you! Teacher Alice!"

"Ooooooh!"

"Yay!" Chapter Eighty-Five: If You Also Want to Stand on the Stage of the National Higher Academy Tournament

"It's over, I'm dead... I'll definitely be criticized, maybe even have to resign in disgrace and get a demerit..."

Tamako slumped onto the chair, her face ashen, muttering as if she had lost her soul.