The cross-dressing contest turned out to be unexpectedly competitive. It seemed only the first participant had set a low bar, for after Asuka, the quality of the contestants noticeably improved.
"Contestant number eight is a fourth-year from the magic department, Kiss! And remember, that's a stage name!"
Amidst cheers, the participant named Kiss blew kisses left and right.
With a pink wig and a bizarre dress adorned with stars and various ornaments, he looked like an actress performing on stage.
Magic intended to alter one's appearance to look more feminine was forbidden in the contest, as it would give an unfair advantage to those from the magic department, even though they did have an edge in crafting disguise items.
While Kiss, like Asuka, didn't fully transform into a girl, the combination of prosthetics, decorations, and makeup presented a convincing facade.
Above all, he actively posed and exuded a playful charm, enjoying the competition immensely. Though no one could match Asuka in terms of transforming prowess, Kiss' ability to engage the audience with his antics garnered much applause.
"Wow, amazing! You're the best!"
"Kiss, I love you!"
Alea, who had been watching, grew increasingly incredulous.
'These guys are putting more effort into a cross-dressing contest than their exams. And the crowd loves it.'
The earlier puppet show had also been of high quality, a fact that Alea, perennially top of her class, couldn't fathom.
Yet, she found herself captivated by the performances. Helmut, sitting next to her, noticed her engrossment but she remained oblivious to his gaze.
With twelve contestants in total, the participation of upperclassmen was relatively low, and it wasn't long before it was Sian's turn.
"Next up, second-year from the magic department, Sian!"
As he walked out to a chorus of whistles and cheers, Asuka's expression hardened, a clear sign of his competitive spirit.
Sian chose a look that was unexpectedly seductive over cute. With a red rose in his hair and his lips painted a bold red, he was almost unrecognizable.
Gone was his gentle and soft demeanor, replaced by a provocative and alluring presence on stage.
Wielding a whip, his entrance sent the audience into a frenzy as he cracked it against the floor.
"This is incredible!"
"Please, whip me!"
Sian winked seductively at the frenzied audience, his tight black dress perfectly accentuating his figure, demonstrating a commitment to the competition that was perhaps even stronger than Asuka's.
Alea muttered under her breath.
"He must have sold his soul for the prize money."
"It's more like he's enjoying himself," Helmut countered, silencing her with his observation.
Following a few more participants, none managed to leave as strong an impression as Sian. The initial momentum built by Asuka had somewhat dissipated due to the overly enthusiastic performances that followed.
After all contestants had their turn, the host raised his hand for one last chance at charm.
"Contestants! This is your last opportunity to dazzle! Anyone who feels they haven't shown their all, raise your hand! This is your last chance!"
A few hands shot up, their eyes full of a burning desire to win. After showcasing their talents, the host asked once more.
"Anyone else? Then let's proceed to the vote..."
"Wait."
Asuka gestured.
"I'll go."
"Oh, indeed! Let's see what the second-year ice princess from the swordsmanship department, Asuka, has in store! Please, take the stage!"
As she passed by him, Asuka whispered.
"I don't know which department you're from, but we'll talk after the contest."
The host laughed nervously, well aware of Asuka's fearsome reputation, and started sweating.
Asuka lifted her skirt to reveal a sword she had concealed within.
Those who knew Asuka widened their eyes in shock.
'Is she planning a murder here?'
'Even if the host is annoying!'
Before anyone could decide whether to intervene, Asuka drew her sword, its blade glinting coldly.
"Bring me something to cut."
She wasn't about to dance or sing; true to her department, she would showcase her skill with the sword.
Her act was unconventional for a cross-dressing contest, causing a stir among the audience.
Even in drag, Asuka exuded a dominating presence, the juxtaposition of her demure appearance and the lethal weapon in her hand striking a compelling image.
The host procured an apple from the audience.
"When cutting, it's always an apple!"
"Put it on your head."
Asuka's gesture made the host balk in fear.
"Ha, maybe not! How about I throw it in the air?"
"If you throw it poorly, you'll be cut too."
"Let's use magic, then."
The host, apparently from the magic department, levitated the apple with a spell.
Asuka's sword flashed, cutting the apple into precisely twelve even slices, which fell neatly to the ground.
The audience erupted in applause, amazed by the precision and beauty of the cut.
The host presented the slices to the crowd.
"Look at these evenly cut, smooth apple slices! Truly, the craftsmanship of the swordsmanship department's second-year runner-up is astounding."
"Is that second-year runner-up from the swordsmanship department?"
"Could it be that he's the rumored…"
Realization dawned on the audience, connecting the fierce competitor on stage with the gentle girl before them, translating their shock into votes.
Feeling threatened, Sian whispered to the host.
"Can I do a spirit show?"
"No magic allowed in any form! It would give an unfair advantage."
"But that's too biased against the magic department!"
"We must follow the rules of the contest."
The host then proceeded with the voting.
"Now, after seeing everything, let's vote! There are twelve contestants. Who will be our grand winner?"
Alea asked Helmut who he would vote for.
"Asuka."
"Why?"
"If Asuka wins, everyone in the swordsmanship department gets 3,000 marks."
Both had impressive transformations, but personal interests were at play.
"Then, I'll vote for Sian."
Alea's casual choice made her flinch.
Unbeknownst to Helmut, Alea was actually a girl and had no reason to favor Sian, revealing her own bias.
"I'm a mage... I'm choosing the best from the magic department."
Regret followed her words.
'This could have been a chance to confess naturally.'
Used to hiding, she missed her opportunity, possibly her last.
With a sigh, Alea resigned herself to secrecy, believing there would be another time to speak up.
The vote was quickly tallied, and the result was unexpected.
"For the first time in this contest's history, we have a tie for first place! Asuka and Sian, each with 182 votes!"
The equitable distribution of votes showed that most had voted with both passion and pragmatism in mind.
"How will we decide the winner? A re-vote?"
The audience questioned, but the host clarified.
"No, in such cases, we declare joint winners. The prize money will be split equally, with each winner's department receiving 1,500 marks."
Cheers and applause broke out among the second-year students of both the swordsmanship and magic departments.
Asuka stepped forward to speak, her fellow department members' cheers quieting down as her voice echoed through the magical amplifier.
"Hey, second years! If you have any conscience, you'll collect 500 marks each and give it to me! Without me, the swordsmanship department wouldn't have dreamed of winning."
The reality that without Asuka (and excluding Helmut for being unqualified), the department would have likely faced the same fate as the first years was undeniable.
The host, sweating profusely, attempted to redirect.
"Please, your victory speech."
"I was bound to win! Don't you have eyes? If just one of you had voted properly, I would have won outright."
Sian looked on disapprovingly, his arms crossed.
"To think we're letting him speak. He's not going to say anything worthwhile. Move on to me."
As the microphone was handed to Sian, he greeted the audience cheekily.
"Hello? I'm Sian from the magic department, the certified pretty boy! Are you watching, Alea? Thanks for your vote. I'll gladly take the prize money! To celebrate, anyone who wants can get whipped by me!"
His provocative offer attracted a surprising number of volunteers to the stage front. Alea, internally scoffing, reflected on the pettiness of their rivalry.
'Regardless of your fame as a pretty boy, Alea, winning this contest in drag puts me ahead. I'm superior.'
Sian's confidence stemmed from the diminished fanaticism towards Alea as she learned to control her magic better.
Alea found the whole situation absurd, wishing instead they'd focus their competitive energy on academics.
The contest's end also marked the close of their shared experience, leading Alea to ponder the future, particularly regarding the spell cast by Hecate.
She believed she knew how to break it, realizing the full 24 hours might not be necessary after all.