"I really got 100 points! Thank you, Senpai Irena! You're the best!"
To think she'd live to see the day she'd have this many Magic Points. Even if it was all borrowed, Aisha couldn't contain her excitement.
"Er..." Senior Irena felt her heart skip a beat.
'...This kid can say such lethal things without even realizing it.'
As she watched Aisha's slender back retreat toward the Magic Directory, Irena's joyful mood was tinged with reluctance.
Every day before closing the library, Irena, as the librarian, always watched Aisha leave.
But perhaps today would be the last time.
[Magic Points: 100]
"Mr. Miles, what should we craft now?"
The Spell/Trap Cards listed in the Magic Directory were divided into four tiers:
D-rank, C-rank, B-rank, and A-rank, from lowest to highest.
The card Aisha crafted earlier today, [Exchange], was a D-rank Spell.
These low-tier cards typically lacked powerful effects—at most, they provided basic stat boosts or came with high costs for decent effects.
D-rank cards required the least Magic Points—only 10 per card.
C-rank Spell/Trap Cards were stronger, but to use them effectively, the Duelist needed a clear strategy—They cost 30 Magic Points to craft.
That was quite expensive for Aisha, who only had 100 points.
Albeit, there was one Spell Card Miles had been eyeing for a while:
C-rank Spell Card [Tri-Wight]
Its effect: Special Summon three Level 2 or lower Normal Monsters from the Graveyard—perfect for Aisha's current deck.
As for B-rank cards, those were already out of reach.
Just crafting one required all 100 Magic Points.
For example, the signature Spell of Fusion Academy, [Polymerization], was a B-rank card.
So were some game-changing Traps, like [Mirror Force] and [Magic Cylinder].
Though tempting, these powerful cards were not in Miles's plans.
Spending the entire loan on just one card made no sense.
Not just for Miles—even average first-years, who earned 200–300 points per semester, rarely considered crafting B-rank cards.
Did Aisha need a single game-breaking card?
No. Adding one strong card to a weak deck of 40+ would barely change anything—chances were she'd never even draw it before losing.
What she needed was quantity—to balance out the monster-heavy deck by adding more Spells and Traps.
So Miles's plan was to focus on C- and D-rank cards, with most of the investment going into D-rank ones.
A-rank cards weren't even up for discussion.
They required 400 Magic Points to craft.
And by Miles's standards, A-rank cards weren't just strong—they were broken.
Most were cards banned in official Duel Monsters tournaments back in his world.
Cards like [Pot of Greed], [Graceful Charity], and [Painful Choice] were all A-rank.
They weren't banned here, even so, their cost was high enough to keep most Duelists away.
"First things first: let's craft that C-rank [Tri-Wight]."
"Got it, Mr. Miles."
[Tri-Wight Crafting Progress (30/30)]
[Magic Points: 70]
In one bold move, Aisha, who had hesitated even with D-rank cards, experienced the thrill of instantly crafting a C-rank card.
"It's really a C-rank card, Mr. Miles! We did it!"
Clutching the freshly materialized card, Aisha had just obtained her first C-rank card.
The card art of [Tri-Wight] looked eerie and grim, yet in Aisha's eyes, it sparkled like gold.
And to Irena, what sparkled even more were the stars practically spilling from Aisha's emerald eyes.
"So what next, Mr. Miles? What do we craft now?!"
"One C-rank is already a heavy investment. To maximize the deck's Spell/Trap count, we'll use the remaining points for D-rank cards."
With 70 Magic Points remaining, and including [Exchange], they could end up with eight D-rank cards.
That would make a big difference. Compared to the hopeless pure-monster deck Aisha had before, this one at least had a chance to win.
Still, crafting seven D-rank cards wasn't as easy as it sounded.
They had to be carefully chosen from the vast sea of options to ensure they synergized well for the fight against Kevin Seth.
"This next phase is a marathon. Get ready, Aisha."
"Leave it to me, Mr. Miles!"
All afternoon, Aisha obediently followed Miles' guidance like a card-picking robot, flipping through the D-rank listings and selecting cards one after another.
[D-rank Trap Card "Nitwit Outwit" Crafting Progress (10/10)]
[Magic Points: 0]
By the time the last D-rank Trap was crafted, the sun had long since set.
Aisha blinked, surprised at how late it had gotten.
Fusion Academy was a boarding school, but the library didn't stay open at night. It closed after club activities and sunset.
By now, the surrounding quiet and empty space made it clear all other students had left.
Only Aisha's table and the librarian's desk still had lights on.
The warm yellow glow highlighted Irena's delicate features.
"Senpai Irena, were you waiting for me?"
"You looked so focused, I didn't want to disturb you. Did everything go well?"
"Very well! But I feel bad for keeping you so late."
"Not at all. I had a book I wanted to finish. No bother."
Smiling, Irena gently closed her book.
"Still, it is quite late. Before heading back to the dorms, would you like to grab dinner together?"
"Dinner? With you, Senpai Irena?"
Receiving an invitation from the academy's famed Gray Witch left Aisha a bit overwhelmed.
"Don't want to?" Irena asked, blinking her watery blue eyes.
"Um..." Aisha scratched her cheek, hesitant. Her concern wasn't refusal, but Miles.
"I'm fine. Souls don't seem to need food. If you want to go, go ahead," Miles reassured her.
"I want to go!" Her stomach had been grumbling for ages. With Miles's blessing, Aisha eagerly nodded.
"Good. My treat tonight. Let's head to the most popular magical restaurant on campus."
Donning her wide-brimmed witch hat, Irena beamed as she opened the library doors.
***
TL: If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going!
[Patreon.com/RedZTL]