According to Prince Zepha Soroya, at Emperor Quaedes' birthday banquet tomorrow, the renowned Duelist powerhouses of the Spirit Continent will all be invited to attend.
At that time, the entire flow of the banquet will revolve around battle.
The invited Duelists may freely choose opponents they wish to duel, using the opportunity to display their strength to everyone present, as well as to the Emperor of the Empire, and at the same time win glory for the national forces they represent.
As for the grand finale of the banquet, naturally, it will be Emperor Quaedes himself, the star of the evening, personally taking the stage.
From among all the Duelists present, the one who performs the most brilliantly throughout the banquet will be selected to receive the honor of dueling the Emperor.
And in Prince Zepha's plan, the duel against the Emperor is the most crucial link.
Basically, several duels will be held during the banquet. As for who is qualified to duel the Emperor, that decision is entirely in the hands of the great noble families of the Empire.
With the Prince's influence, Zepha had long since secretly secured the support of enough noble patriarchs.
When the time comes, it can be ensured that Aisha Carlos, as a Royal Knight, will ultimately be able to duel Emperor Quaedes.
As long as the duel can begin, as long as it can be won, there will be a chance to take advantage of the fatigue period after Spirit Eyes' defeat to prevent the Emperor's summoning.
Of course, all of this is premised on the banquet proceeding normally this year.
Emperor Quaedes intends to summon and control the world-destroying Numerounius tomorrow night. So no one can say for certain whether any unexpected situation will occur during the banquet.
Or worse, at tomorrow's banquet, Quaedes might abandon the usual format and not even give anyone the chance to duel.
"Anyways, before tomorrow night truly arrives, no matter how much we worry, it won't help at all."
Having finally returned to Aisha's body after a long absence, Miles looked out the window at the night that had unknowingly descended.
His weakened Soul State had almost fully recovered. Even while controlling Aisha's body, he could move freely. That should mean that even if Miles returned to his own body now, he would no longer be stuck in a state of immobility.
Inside the Millennium Puzzle's Soul Room, Aisha asked worriedly, "Mr. Miles, is it really okay to just leave your body in the Imperial Palace without caring about it at all?"
At her side, Dark Aisha pressed further, "You won't be subjected to torture, right?"
Miles hadn't dared tell them that he had been kidnapped onto the bed by Quaedes; So in Aisha's imagination, Miles was currently locked inside a dark and damp dungeon, his hands and feet bound with iron chains to seal away the power of his physical body.
…Sealed Miles. If all five parts are assembled, you win the duel instantly.
"It shouldn't go as far as torture, but I really should go back and take a look."
After all, even if Miles continued staying at the consulate, there was nothing more he could prepare. He could just wait for tomorrow's banquet to begin.
If he went back, with his body recovered to the point of being able to move, perhaps he could find a chance to escape from Quaedes' room.
What worried Miles most right now, however, was Dark Aisha, who had separated from the Soul Room of the Millennium Puzzle.
Because ever since Dark Aisha left the Soul Room, Miles' Spirit Eyes had directly lost the ability to switch to other Decks.
Why this situation had occurred, even Miles himself had no clue.
On top of that, Dark Aisha, who had grown used to staying by his side, was now in a state where she would fall into panic if she could not see him, which made it truly difficult for Miles to feel at ease.
"If I leave for a little while, can you endure it?" Using Aisha's hand, Miles reached out and gently patted the other Aisha's head.
"Mm…" After biting her lip, Dark Aisha nodded with difficulty, looking aggrieved. "I'll endure it."
"Good girl~"
"I'll take good care of the other me too, Mr. Miles! After all, I'm the older sister!"
It had only been one day since the split, yet the original Aisha had already begun referring to herself as the older sister.
"Mhm, I'm counting on you. I'll step away for a while."
The Millennium Puzzle on his chest shone with light as Soul Traversal activated.
Passing through the soul tunnel enveloped in white radiance, transcending the concepts of space and distance, Miles' soul returned to his own body.
Since night had already fallen, the room had grown even dimmer.
In the dark and silent environment, through the moonlight shining in from the frost-covered window, Miles noticed that there was an extra person on the bed.
And at some unknown time, his originally bare upper body had been dressed in dry clothes and covered with a thin blanket carrying the faint fragrance of lavender.
Quaedes' voice slowly sounded, "Oh, you're finally awake? This is the first time I've seen someone sleep so deeply. No matter how I called, it was useless."
"Quaedes?"
Through the moonlight outside the window, Miles could barely make out the blue-haired girl beside him, bathed in silver light.
No longer wearing the imposing imperial attire from the daytime, Quaedes had changed into a white nightgown. The fair skin of her exposed shoulders reflected the moonlight, making her appear especially alluring.
"Why are you here?"
In the middle of the night, with a lone man and a lone woman sitting on the bed in such an ambiguous atmosphere, it was hard for Miles to imagine that nothing would happen.
Hadn't she said she would give him a day to prepare himself mentally? Had the dignified Emperor already gone back on her word?
Quaedes' pale blue brows lifted a bit as she looked at Miles in puzzlement.
"This is my bedchamber. Why shouldn't I appear here?"
That was perfectly reasonable. Who doesn't return to their bedroom at night to sleep?
Only, since this was her room, shouldn't she have arranged another room for her 'guest'?
"What?" A trace of displeasure crossed Quaedes' brows. "Are you saying you're unwilling to sleep together with me?"
"With you like this, do I even dare say I'm unwilling?" Miles muttered softly.
"Tonight, the moonlight is very beautiful."
Propping up her body with her slender, fair arms braced behind her, Quaedes sat on the bed and gazed up at the night outside the window, allowing the moonlight to spill across her delicate features.
"I said I would give you a day to prepare. But if during that time I don't give you the chance to understand me better, how could you possibly change your view of me?"
His view of the Emperor of the Empire?
In the moonlit room, Miles seemed to fall into a dazed illusion.
The one sitting beside him was not the legendary strongest Emperor of the Varian Empire… Just a girl next door who had slipped over on a night when the moon was beautiful to chat with him.
"A chance to understand you better? Then can I ask anything?"
"As long as it's something I can answer."
Questions Quaedes could answer. In this situation, Miles also knew it was impossible to ask anything too sensitive.
For example, asking Quaedes: How are you going to summon the world-destroying Numerounius tomorrow?
A question like that would not only yield no answer, it might even alert her and make Quaedes more guarded, affecting tomorrow's plan.
If he couldn't ask the key sensitive questions, Miles could only try to circle around them.
"Quaedes, do you find being Emperor exhausting?"
"Not at all. Basically, whatever needs to be handled, someone under me takes care of it."
Just as Miles had thought. Judging from Quaedes' personality, she was the type who would not enjoy the tedious matters of politics. In that regard, she actually matched Miles quite well.
Fortunately, the Emperor of the Empire did not require much in other abilities. The only hard requirement was strength. Strength so overwhelming that no one dared rebel… that was the most solid method of rule.
"Then do you know why you're so strong?"
"My strength is something I was born with. There is no 'why.'"
An answer every bit as self-absorbed as that of a certain trashy witch.
Anyhow, since it was Quaedes who said it, looking across the entire Spirit Continent, probably no one would dare refute her.
"Since you're already this strong, why are you still so obsessed with the God Cards? Forgive my bluntness, but even if you obtained a God Card, it might not necessarily make you stronger."
After circling around for two questions, Miles finally reached the core.
Since he couldn't directly ask why Quaedes wanted to summon Numerounius, he might as well find out why this young Empress of the Empire was so infatuated with the God Cards.
To the point that she was willing to force him into bed just to obtain the qualification to wield a God Card.
"That question." Under the moonlight, a mysterious smile curved across Quaedes' lips. "I've never told anyone before."
"You can't say it?"
"I can."
Her ice-blue eyes no longer gazed at the night sky. Quaedes' eyes shifted back toward Miles.
"If it's you, Miles, it doesn't matter. Sooner or later, you will belong to me anyway. And as a Duelist qualified to wield a God Card, perhaps once you know this, your thoughts might change."
"Quaedes…"
Thinking that he was the first person to know why the Emperor was so obsessed with the God Cards, Miles could not help but feel a little nervous.
"Because I've seen it before… the true planet-class deity."
"A planet-class deity?"
"That majestic figure… calling it capable of creating a planet would not be the slightest exaggeration. As long as you've seen it with your own eyes, that posture filled with holiness, greatness, and motherly presence will be engraved into your soul. The moment I laid eyes on the Creator God of Genesis, I knew it would be the strongest god, the final destination of all salvation."
"Creator God of Genesis?"
Not the Three Sacred Beasts, nor Numerounius. Miles had not expected to hear the name of yet another new god from Quaedes' mouth.
"Where did you see such a god, Quaedes?"
"The Spirit Sanctuary."
"Huh? The Spirit Sanctuary!"
Yusei Fudo had once told Miles that if he wanted to seek the truth of this world, he should set out for the Spirit Sanctuary.
And only third-year students of the Tri-Academy were allowed to enter the Spirit Sanctuary.
Although he did not know why such a restriction, almost on the level of the world's laws, would be placed upon students.
There was no doubt that the Spirit Sanctuary was the most mysterious place on the entire continent.
Regardless, right now, sitting before Miles was Quaedes: someone who had not only been to the Spirit Sanctuary, but was also answering every question he asked. Of course, Miles would not let this opportunity slip by.
"What exactly is inside the Spirit Sanctuary, Quaedes?"
A sanctuary where even the Creator God of Genesis existed? Miles could hardly imagine what kind of environment lay within.
It couldn't possibly just be a venue for the Tri-Academy to hold competitions, could it?
"There's no meaning in asking that, Miles. The Spirit Sanctuary has never had a fixed form. Its environment changes every year, and in the past hundred years, no one has ever figured out the pattern behind those changes. Because every year, the scenery seen is wholly different."
The Spirit Sanctuary, whose environment changes every year… even students of the Tri-Academy can only enter it for a single year.
And as for the teachers who lead the third-years each year, it seems they cannot actually enter the interior of the Sanctuary.
In other words, each person only has one chance in their lifetime to witness the environment within the Spirit Sanctuary, and that environment belongs exclusively to that year's transformation.
For example, the "Creator God of Genesis" that Quaedes saw was unique to the changes of her year within the Sanctuary. Those who entered later would likely never have another opportunity to witness the same Creator God of Genesis.
"In order to see that unique planetary miracle once more, I ascended to the throne I originally had no interest in, and I must obtain the power to control the gods."
"Quaedes, are you planning to use the Emperor's authority to enter the Spirit Sanctuary a second time?"
"I don't know whether it's possible to force my way in a second time. But once all preparations are complete, I will certainly attempt to make contact with the Creator God of Genesis again."
So Quaedes' ultimate goal was not Numerounius, but the Creator God of Genesis that existed within the Spirit Sanctuary.
Miles silently celebrated his clever method of questioning, having once again obtained crucial information.
Quaedes continued, "According to my investigation, from the few lines preserved in the epics, I have learned part of the truth about the Creator God of Genesis. Only by unifying all the summoning methods currently present on the Spirit Continent is there a chance to wield the Creator God's power."
"Unifying all current summoning methods? That would be… me?"
On this point, Miles was not being narcissistic; he was quite confident.
"That is also one of the reasons I changed my mind after our duel. On my path to seeking that planet-class supreme power, Miles, you are indispensable."
Even in the dim room illuminated only by moonlight, Miles could feel the fervor in Quaedes' ice-blue eyes as she looked at him.
The kind of look that made him feel like he might be devoured at any moment.
"Rest assured. I will abide by the agreement between us. You still have tomorrow during the day."
Having said that, Quaedes, seemingly intending to end the Q&A session, tugged at the blanket covering Miles and pulled half of it over herself.
"It's late. Sleep."
"Wait, we're just going to sleep?"
"Huu… zzZZ…"
Before Miles could even react, Quaedes' head had barely touched the pillow when she fell asleep beside him at lightning speed.
Then right now… wouldn't this be the perfect chance to escape?
"Hello?"
He tentatively rubbed Quaedes' soft cheek and pinched the girl's delicate nose. Miles successfully confirmed that the Emperor was sleeping very deeply.
All he needed to do now was shatter the frost-sealed window, and he could escape.
"Sorry. I understand that you only wish to pursue the dream of finding the original Creator God of Genesis, Quaedes. But I still can't agree with summoning a world-destroying god. Don't blame me for being ruthless."
After apologizing in his heart, Miles rose, preparing to slip away directly.
Yet before he could leave the bedside, his wrist was tightly seized by an icy hand.
Quaedes' blue eyes, even colder in the night, fixed on Miles with restrained anger.
No matter how he had touched her just now, she hadn't woken—but the instant he tried to escape, she caught him.
Miles even suspected that he had been completely played by this calculating young Empress.
Quaedes' voice sounded colder than usual.
"If you intend to run, Miles, may I interpret that as our agreement being void, and that I no longer need to wait until tomorrow night?"
"No, I was just… Sorry. I won't dare do it again."
"There won't be a next time."
Releasing his wrist, Quaedes patted the space beside her on the bed, signaling for Miles to lie down obediently.
Fine. Who told you to be this dom?
Helpless, Miles lay back down beside Quaedes, feeling that the girl at his side once again fell asleep at lightning speed the moment he settled in.
Since the plan for his original body to escape could not be carried out, he would have to follow the original plan and use Aisha's body to fight tomorrow night.
"When the ship reaches the bridge, it will straighten itself. Worrying too much is useless. Sleep."
Besides, being able to sleep beside a beautiful Empress could be considered a benefit. Why ask for trouble?
Listening to the steady breathing of Quaedes sleeping beside him, Miles gradually drifted into slumber as well.
---
The next morning.
At the Diane household, Sylvia, her face filled with anxiety, rushed into her mother's study.
"Mother, I heard that yesterday you had Miles tied up and sent to His Majesty the Emperor's room. Is that true?"
Karina took a sip of black tea and replied unhurriedly, "Calm down, Sylvia. All of this was arranged by His Majesty."
"That's exactly because… because it was arranged by His Majesty! I just, I…"
Unable to finish her sentence, Sylvia's face reddened.
An Emperor obsessed with the power of the God Cards developing an interest in Miles? Sylvia should have anticipated it long ago.
What surprised her was that, as the eldest daughter of the Diane family, she had only learned of the family's actions last night after an entire night had already passed.
It was far too careless.
Just thinking about what the Emperor might have done after taking Miles away made Sylvia's cheeks grow hotter and hotter… so hot that Karina could probably warm the cold bread on her desk using her daughter's face.
And with Miles staying in the Emperor's room for a whole night, he had probably already been thoroughly toyed with.
"No, it's not necessarily too late!"
Sylvia immediately turned and rushed out of the room, heading toward the palace.
Miles had been forced to fight in her place and expose the God Card in his hand to save her and her younger sister's personal maid, Tali.
Since Miles had once risked himself to save her, by both emotion and reason, Sylvia could not stand by and watch him be ruined by His Majesty.
Fortunately, she was about the same age as His Majesty and had some acquaintance with her. Perhaps she could persuade her with a few words.
Of course, all of this was premised on nothing having happened last night.
If something had already happened last night… then the only thing Sylvia could do now would be to personally comfort Miles with her own hands.
---
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