The next morning, Victoria stood before Azrael and his two teammates, her voice carrying a mix of encouragement and genuine concern. "Don't be nervous, guys. Even if things don't go perfectly today, it's not the end of the world."
Her words came from the heart. The path of a Lore Cardian was long and filled with obstacles that no one sailed through without facing setbacks. Unfortunately, she had no idea about the brutal reputation of the unified examination in Greenridge Province, otherwise her optimism might have been tempered with more caution.
The three students nodded silently, their faces set with determination as they boarded the transport to the examination venue.
Their destination was the impressive Nirvale District Lore Cardian Showdown Field, a facility funded and constructed by the Lore Cardian Association. While it typically hosted Lore Cardian competitions and tournaments, today it would temporarily house the four-school joint examination.
Azrael led Gabi and Yurek through the entrance gates. Inside the spacious venue, they spotted another school's delegation that had already arrived. Their distinctive uniforms marked them as students from Ardenne High School, who were traditionally close rivals with Silverbrook High School in past competitions.
However, the three representatives from Ning'an No. 1 showed no interest in friendly exchanges. They merely glanced at Azrael's group before looking away pointedly, their body language screaming dismissal.
Azrael and his teammates had no intention of forcing awkward pleasantries on unwelcoming people. They found a quiet corner to wait for the other two schools to arrive.
The venue's stands were already filled with district leaders and officials. Fortunately, since this was merely a four-school district examination rather than a major tournament, no crowds of spectators had gathered. The absence of external pressure provided some relief for the high school students about to face their first major competition.
In the stands, Principal Halbert of Ardenne High School spotted Principal Kang from Silverbrook High and couldn't resist teasing him. "Mr. Kang, how's your school looking this year? Feeling confident about your chances?"
Principal Kang's expression darkened at the question. "If you'd asked me that last year, I could have bragged about the two promising students we developed. But this year?" He shook his head grimly. "With that monster from Velkairos University in the mix, first place is already decided."
The reality stung. In previous years, students like Azrael and Gabi would have been strong contenders for the top spot in the four-school joint exam. This year, however, a Velkairos University prodigy had crafted a gold-tier card, a feat that essentially guaranteed victory.
Principal Kang had arranged for his top students to enter a secret realm early to strengthen them, but that plan backfired spectacularly.
"Hey, now, don't inflate Levi's ego before the competition starts," said an elderly man with gray hair, joining the conversation. Principal Kev of Velkairos University wore a barely concealed smirk of pride.
Both Principal Kang and Principal Halbert rolled their eyes at the man's obvious gloating.
Down on the venue floor, Azrael and his teammates finally laid eyes on the Velkairos University delegation. The leader had bleached blonde hair, which would have violated dress codes at any other institution. He was flanked by two students who carried themselves like devoted followers.
Azrael's eye twitched as he whispered to Gabi, "Are the regulations at Velkairos University really that lax?"
Gabi suppressed a laugh. "That's the guy I mentioned, the one who created the gold card. Schools tend to give their star students quite a bit of leeway." She paused, then added with amusement, "Honestly, I think if you dyed your hair bright red, Miss Victoria would probably just sigh and let it slide."
Azrael tried to imagine himself with crimson hair and immediately shuddered. Some things were better left unattempted.
At that moment, the blonde student dramatically swept his hair back and struck what he clearly considered a heroic pose. His voice carried across the venue as he addressed everyone present: "Don't feel bad about losing to me. It's not your fault. I'm simply operating on a different level."
He let out an exaggerated, melancholy sigh. "Ah, the loneliness of being invincible."
His two companions immediately burst into synchronized applause.
"Levi is incredible!"
"Levi is unbeatable!"
An uncomfortable silence settled over the venue like a cold wind.
After several awkward seconds, Azrael exchanged glances with Gabi and Yurek. "Is there something wrong with his head?"
Yurek scratched his scalp thoughtfully. "Maybe that's just how geniuses act?"
During their whispered conversation, Ardenne High School, the final school, arrived, completing the roster of four schools for the joint examination.
Lian, Azrael's acquaintance and president of the Nirvale District Cardian Master Association, stepped forward with a microphone.
"I'm sure all the students participating understand the format of this joint exam, so I'll skip the lengthy explanations," he announced. "With only four schools competing, we'll finish everything in two days. Now, let me draw the schools for our opening match."
A staff member approached with a black box. Lian reached inside and withdrew two folded slips of paper. After unfolding them and reading silently, he raised his voice to announce, "First battle: Velkairos University versus Ardenne High School!"
Levi flicked his golden hair with theatrical flair, then waved dismissively at his two followers. "You two can sit this one out. I'll handle this myself."
His companions barely concealed their delight—who wouldn't want to win without lifting a finger?
The faces of the Ning'an No. 1 students darkened with indignation. Levi's casual dismissal made it clear that he didn't consider them to be worthy opponents.
When the battle commenced, Azrael finally understood the source of Levi's confidence.
A terrifying humanoid creature materialized before the blonde student: a monstrous figure with a green face, prominent fangs, and a steel trident gripped in its clawed hands. As the being took form, wisps of water vapor began to gather around the arena.
"A Yaksha," Azrael breathed.
Levi crossed his arms with supreme satisfaction. "Consider it an honor to be defeated by my Patrol Sea Warrior Yaksha."
Azrael's mind raced through his knowledge of Yaksha variants. They generally fell into two categories: the Dragon series, which Levi had apparently chosen and utilized materials ranging from black iron to bronze tier, and the higher-level Eight Guardians series, which was rooted in Buddhist mythology.
Azrael had learned this information from his earlier studies of the "World Mythology Atlas, Revised Edition 4.8." While the compendium covered common monsters and mythological figures, the final quality of any card depended entirely on the stories and materials that each creator brought to the crafting process.
A stray thought crossed Azrael's mind as he glanced at Levi's followers. "I bet those two made shrimp soldiers and crab generals to complete the set."
The three Ning'an No. 1 students faced the Yaksha with visible dread. Unlike Azrael's team, they had no advance intelligence about their opponent's capabilities. Only now did they grasp the terrifying reality of Levi's card.
The battle ended almost before it began. The opposing team's cards offered no meaningful resistance before being systematically destroyed.
Gabi watched the one-sided slaughter with a grave expression. "It finished too quickly. I couldn't gather any useful information about its abilities."
"It obviously has water manipulation powers," Azrael observed calmly. "The question is how extensive those abilities are."
Between Levi's dramatic card name reveal and the water vapor surrounding the Yaksha, the creature's aquatic nature was clear. Unfortunately, Ardenne High School's historically weak performance meant they couldn't force Levi to reveal any significant tactical information before their swift defeat.
In the stands, Principal Kev couldn't resist taking another jab at his colleague. He patted Principal Halbert on the back with mock sympathy. "Hey there, Halbert, Levi got a bit carried away. Don't take it personally."
Principal Halbert's jaw clenched at the backhanded consolation. Not only had this old fool won decisively, but he was also rubbing salt in the wound. "I don't hold grudges against children," he replied stiffly.
Privately, Principal Halbert consoled himself with familiar rationalizations. Ning'an No. 1 had been at the bottom of the rankings for years. Losing to anyone was just losing, but at least losing to Levi meant they could claim their opponent was simply too powerful.
Finding comfort in shared misery, Principal Halbert looked toward Principal Kang. At least he wasn't suffering alone in this humiliation.
As for those "promising seedlings" Principal Kang had mentioned earlier, Principal Halbert dismissed them as desperate bravado. After witnessing Levi's overwhelming display, such claims seemed like nothing more than wishful thinking.