As the black mist surged upward, a thick, long cobra shot out abruptly—its body was even a size larger than the yellow-haired Yero's earth-yellow great snake!
Dark observed carefully and was startled to see that pale-white bone seemed to show through the cobra's head, while the patterns on the skin folds of its neck resembled the face of a heavily made-up, alluring woman—seductive yet at the same time exuding an extremely unnerving sense of horror.
As it bored out from the black mist, that sense of horror suddenly surged.
This was because three inches below the skin folds of its neck there was not a shred of flesh—pale-white bone emerged from amid the flesh and blood, extending all the way to its tail.
A decaying stench mingled with the smell of blood rushed straight at the face.
...
This terrifying "Skeletal Beauty Snake," the moment it appeared, shot out without the slightest pause.
It was extremely fast; its skeletal hind half had only just slipped free of the black mist, violently lashing at the ground.
When it neared the earth-yellow great snake, the heavily made-up alluring woman on its neck folds suddenly revealed a sinister smile—and then she actually crawled out from within those skin folds!
As if shedding her shell from the skeletal snake's corpse, the alluring woman let out a soundless shrill laugh and charged like a ghost toward the body of the earth-yellow great snake; with a single dive she pierced through its body and passed clean out the other side.
The earth-yellow great snake, which moments ago had been spraying mud toward the sky, stiffened in place for an instant.
Immediately after, it began to tremble.
The alluring woman's soul passed through its body again, and after several times it became as if frozen stiff, standing dumbly in place.
Seeing this.
The yellow-haired Yero's expression shifted slightly, and with a flick of his finger he summoned a second Magic Guide Spirit.
Because, by the rules, the one-star Magic Guide Spirit summoned as an opening move could not serve as the offering for Sacrificial Summoning, in order to use Sacrificial Summoning to call forth a second-tier Magic Guide Spirit he had to have yet another Magic Guide Spirit.
Although a Silent Duel emphasized a short, fast, direct rhythm, once that rhythm failed to take off, finding a way to summon a high-star Magic Guide Spirit was also an option.
The yellow-haired Yero pointed his Magic Guide Card toward the field, and the Magic Guide Spirit within the card surfaced as light—upon landing, it too turned out to be a long snake!
Yero seemed to favor snakes greatly; both Magic Guide Spirits he had summoned in succession were long snakes, only this latter-summoned one was a bit smaller, and its level was merely two-star.
But its form was very unusual: its scales were smooth as mirrors, its body slender and beguiling, and at its neck hung a leather pouch resembling a sachet.
From that leather pouch wafted a cloyingly sweet fragrance.
After only a slight pause, this two-star long snake opened its mouth in a long cry.
Although no sound came out, the leather pouch beneath its neck split open a slit, and a faint smoke seeped out, spreading in all directions.
If sound could have been made.
Sara would surely have reminded her own Magic Guide Spirit not to breathe in.
But at this moment that was obviously impossible.
After the "Skeletal Beauty Snake" absorbed the smoke, it actually abandoned the earth-yellow great snake, turned around, and lunged at this side's two-star long snake.
However, although the Skeletal Beauty Snake's serpentine body had been lured over, the alluring woman's soul that had crawled out from its neck folds still coiled around the earth-yellow great snake, like a "Ghost Possession," leaving it unable to move.
In this way the Skeletal Beauty Snake split into two, its main body fiercely slamming toward the two-star long snake.
But the smooth scales of that two-star long snake refracted into a light mirror two meters on each side, forcibly blocking the Skeletal Beauty Snake's charge!
Although the light mirror shattered as a result, the Skeletal Beauty Snake's main body was struck dizzy in place by the rebounding force.
For a moment.
The Magic Guide Spirits of both sides came to a halt.
...
The outcome of a duel often turns on this single flash of thought.
In the current situation, although Sara was down one Magic Guide Spirit, she clearly held the advantage.
On the contrary, the yellow-haired Yero, who had summoned one extra Magic Guide Spirit, was at a disadvantage.
But once Yero managed to summon his second-tier Magic Guide Spirit, he would most likely turn the tide in an instant.
Unfortunately, his intent was far too obvious.
So much so that Sara perceived it with ease, and immediately afterward began to summon the "Sphinx Cat"!
As that familiar black cat was summoned, Dark—an onlooker who had unlocked a god's-eye view—had already formed his judgment about the outcome of this duel.
And sure enough.
The Sphinx Cat dashed swiftly before the earth-yellow great snake afflicted by "Ghost Possession" and planted a paw upon its shadow.
The Sphinx Cat's golden eyes abruptly lit up.
Ultimate Move · Shadow Tag!
...
After the three-star great snake's shadow was pinned, the outline of its body was completely nailed fast as well.
It had already been stiff all over due to "Ghost Possession," and now it was utterly unable to move.
But at this moment the yellow-haired Yero still had not realized where the crux of the problem lay.
He watched his Magic Guide Spirit locked in place, his expression still relaxed, and the "Sacrificial Summoning" he was casting showed not the slightest hitch.
Perhaps in his logic, even if the three-star great snake was controlled by an Ultimate Move, that did not prevent it from being offered up as a sacrifice.
Sara's Sphinx Cat, when used by surprise, truly had a remarkable effect.
When Yero successfully activated "Sacrificial Summoning" and prepared to offer both the three-star great snake and the two-star long snake as sacrifices, he discovered that the three-star great snake, midway through dissolving into light to be sacrificed, was forcibly suppressed by the power of the Sphinx Cat!
The Sacrificial Summoning thus failed.
Sara, pressing her advantage without mercy, immediately channeled mana into the "Skeletal Beauty Snake" Magic Guide Card in her hand.
By this means she stimulated the Skeletal Beauty Snake, reminding it: it was time to move!
The Skeletal Beauty Snake's main body, dazed in place, jerked its head twice and finally remembered it still had a task to fulfill.
Its eyes gradually grew sharp, and in the very moment Yero was stunned by the failure of his Sacrificial Summoning, it used its gaunt skeletal tail to fiercely whip away the two-star long snake blocking its path, then with a sudden burst of speed lunged at the Yellow Imp hiding underground.
How does one deal with a Magic Guide Spirit hiding underground?
There were many answers.
But the Skeletal Beauty Snake adopted the clumsiest method: it craned its head, tucked in its neck folds, contracted its bones, and actually plunged headfirst into that cave!
Although the Yellow Imp possessed a divine skill like "Dig," its mana was not enough to support digging too deep.
Thus, just a few seconds later, it was bitten to death by the Skeletal Beauty Snake inside the hole.
...
At this point in the duel, the outcome was decided.
The red-haired Fernandi, who had been watching tensely from over there, suddenly went limp.
If his own defeat could be called "an anticipated sacrifice," then the yellow-haired Yero's defeat was entirely outside his calculations.
But a loss was a loss.
As third-year students, they could not go back on their word.
"Let's leave it at that."
Fernandi took out the "Silence Card" and turned to look at his last companion—Grien.
Whether Grien won or not could no longer affect the overall situation.
If there were no issues, he intended to lift the silence directly and then leave quickly.
—Having lost to first-year students, he could hardly remain here shamelessly.
But the moment he turned his head, he saw his green-haired companion wearing a sorrowful expression.
Looking again at the field.
That old bear, condensed of light, had actually hoisted Diana's [Magic Beast (Polar Bear)] onto its shoulder!
The "[Bear Spirit]," which stood taller than two stories when upright, was leisurely strolling about the field.
It looked utterly at ease, like a farm owner inspecting his farm.
But on closer inspection, one would find that every step it took came down right on the Green Imp's head.
The Green Imp ran and leapt, utterly toyed with in the palm of its hand.
As for that Green Wind Mantis...
It had already been swatted dead by the [Bear Spirit] with a single paw!
...
"Hooray!"
The instant Fernandi lifted the "Silence Card," Diana's cheer rang out.
The [Bear Spirit]'s performance had greatly surprised her.
Without its master's command, that aged [Bear Spirit] had relied on its own spiritual instinct to hoist up the "[Little Bear]" it saw, then used it as bait to lure out the Green Wind Mantis.
Seizing the moment when the Green Wind Mantis was powerless to turn in midair, the millstone-sized bear paw came sweeping down and smashed it hard to the ground!
Diana had buffed it with "[Bear's Power]" in time, causing its attack to surge by nine hundred points, so that this single swat flattened the Green Wind Mantis into a mantis pancake.
The rest of the duel then became the [Bear Spirit]'s playtime.
...
The suddenly restored sound drowned out Devimon's curses.
The first-year students all crowded around excitedly.
The result of all three of them winning was unexpected.
But all the more thrilling.
Diana came bouncing and skipping up to Dark, and once her steps halted she looked up at him.
Dark couldn't help reaching out to pinch her cheek, and Diana giggled.
Sara beckoned with a hand, recalling her Magic Guide Spirit into its card, and walked briskly over as well.
She looked as though she hadn't had her fill, seeming rather dissatisfied with the third-year she had been matched against.
"So this is what third-years are like? How utterly laughable."
Though her voice was low, it still carried.
The yellow-haired Yero abruptly clenched his teeth, but Fernandi pressed a hand on his shoulder in time, restoring his composure.
"Let's go," Fernandi said in a low voice.
The green-haired Grien came over too and said helplessly, "A loss is a loss. They're strong."
Yero said indignantly, "If it had been a formal duel!"
Fernandi said, "There'll always be a chance to run into them again—and when that time comes, we mustn't underestimate them."
Yero lowered his head. "When that time comes..."
...
Meanwhile, on the other side, after exchanging a few words with those beside him, Dark walked toward the Red-Green-Yellow Trio.
Maintaining appropriate courtesy, he said to Fernandi, of whom he had the best impression, "Senior, since the duel's result is in, then the second floor's Floor BOSS belongs to us?"
Fernandi sighed; he truly couldn't bring himself to be angry at this junior so full of noble bearing, and said, "The BOSS inside should be a Two-Headed Ogre with a bull's head and a lion's head. The bull's head has boundless strength, and the lion's head can roar to drive back enemies—be careful."
Dark was momentarily startled, not having expected this senior to be so kind-hearted.
He couldn't help saying again, "Thank you for telling us. May I ask your honorable surname, Senior?"
Fernandi waved his hand. "Just call me Fernandi."
Then he took his leave directly, departing briskly together with his two companions.
Crisp and clean, at that.
...
Once all three had left, Doron sidled over and said, "They don't really seem like bad people."
Dark shook his head. "There aren't that many bad people around."
Then he turned to address all the students present: "That Senior Fernandi just told me a few things. The Floor BOSS behind this iron gate is a type of Two-Headed Ogre.
"It has two heads. One is a bull's head, governing strength, and it should have an Ultimate Move that boosts power.
"But if that were all, there'd be no need to worry. What we need to watch out for is its other head—the lion's head.
"The lion's head can roar to drive back enemies—most likely an area-of-effect crowd-control skill. After you go in, take care to protect yourselves. It's best to stay away from the BOSS."
He explained it in great detail.
So much so that some even wondered just how many words Fernandi had actually exchanged with him...
"Everyone got that?"
Seeing some people getting distracted, Dark immediately hardened his tone.
Although he was a latecomer, at this moment he had clearly become the core of the team.
The two distracted girls hurriedly composed their expressions.
Dark gave them a cool glance and said, "Since we've decided to challenge the Floor BOSS, we must be resolved to treat it with caution. Professor Nini has said more than once that the level of a Floor BOSS and that of the monsters on the same floor are two entirely different tiers.
"If you don't want to trigger the 'Dungeon Escape Device' and end up keeping those two company in the infirmary, you'd best all stay sharp."
"Those two... which two?" Sarah Swati suddenly asked.
Dark realized he had let something slip, but his expression didn't change. "That's none of your concern—get ready to open the gate."
Devimon's evolution had only about ten minutes of duration left; if he wanted to rely on its power while subjugating the Floor BOSS, there could be no more delay.
His skill at changing the subject, however, clearly didn't pass muster.
The members of Sara's group and Doron's group only had to glance at Emma, who had turned up here alone, to suddenly catch on.
But after some hushed discussion, it also made them genuinely cautious.
Professor Nini's way of leading the group was truly deceptive, always making people feel the dungeon was nothing much.
Those dangerous monsters that had appeared in class had never shown up either.
It almost made one think this was a genuine spring outing.
...
One minute later.
All ten people across the three groups each summoned at least one Magic Guide Spirit and came before that iron gate.
Dark had Gatomon set the backpack against the wall, then stepped forward.
After that, with a slight wave of his hand, he sent Devimon and the [Bear Spirit] forward together to push the gate.
This treasure vault's iron gate had no key; to enter, one had to push the heavy iron gate open.
Devimon went up first to give it a try, but sure enough, its strength alone could not budge it.
"Roar—"
The [Bear Spirit] patted its chest and strode forward.
The [Bear Spirit]'s base attack power was 1,700; under the buff of "[Bear's Power]," it was forcibly raised to 2,600 points, already surpassing a five-star Magic Guide Spirit and reaching the level of a six-star Magic Guide Spirit.
With both Magic Guide Spirits exerting force together, the heavy iron gate finally moved.
As one side of the iron gate was pushed open a crack, light shone into the chamber within.
The Two-Headed Ogre seated upright upon the throne abruptly opened its eyes.
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