The battle between Velkairos University and Ning'an No. 1 High School concluded swiftly, leaving the arena ready for the next match.
Now, Silverbrook High School was set to face Ning'an No. 2 High School.
"Let Yurek and me go first," Gabi whispered to Azrael, leaning closer so that the others wouldn't overhear. "If you take the stage right away, we won't have a chance to fight."
Azrael simply nodded his agreement. The strategy made sense.
In the stands above, Principal Kang watched as Yurek stepped onto the combat platform, his brow furrowing with concern. "Why isn't Azrael participating? Are they trying to hide their trump card?"
He thought this must be a deliberate tactic from their three-person team. If Azrael could conceal his true strength until tomorrow's match, he might still have a fighting chance against Levi.
The moment Yurek's minotaur materialized on the battlefield, his opponent responded by summoning a sleek tiger.
Don't underestimate tigers in card battles. Low-level tiger cards can evolve into demon tigers with spectral abilities, and higher-tier versions can produce mountain kings classified as [Mountain God]. However, from Azrael's vantage point off the court, this appeared to be just an ordinary, black, iron-level, blue card—nothing particularly special. Like Yurek, his opponent was probably laying the groundwork for future advancement.
The bull and tiger clashed in fierce combat, but Yurek's tactical advantage ultimately showed. Crafting a support prop card beforehand gave his Minotaur the edge it needed to claim victory.
Still, the battle left Yurek's Minotaur battered and bleeding from multiple wounds.
As expected, the weakened Minotaur couldn't withstand the assault from the next opponent's hellhound for long before collapsing under the relentless attacks.
Yurek approached Azrael and the others, his expression heavy with guilt. "Sorry, Brother Azrael, Sister Jiang. I lost."
"Don't worry about it. Your sister Jiang will get revenge for you," said Azrael, placing a reassuring hand on Yurek's shoulder.
In Azrael's opinion, Yurek and Cory were complete opposites as teammates. Whether it was their personalities or their willingness to support each other, the difference was like night and day. Working with someone like Yurek was much better than dealing with a clown like Cory.
Gabi walked onto the court with measured steps, her three-tailed fox materializing gracefully beside her. What immediately caught Azrael's attention was the small armor fitted around the fox's torso.
"So she's working to address the three-tailed fox's weaknesses, too," Azrael thought.
The three-tailed fox's low-level illusion abilities often failed against mindless monsters, and its direct attack power couldn't compete with that of other purple-tier cards. Gabi had clearly recognized this limitation and was working to compensate for it.
In truth, the three-tailed fox excelled in real battlefield conditions because its illusions could directly target enemy Lore Cardians. However, tournament duels strictly prohibited such tactics, necessitating a different approach.
Ideally, Gabi would craft a dedicated combat creature card for primary attacks, but the short preparation time didn't allow her to complete such an ambitious project. Instead, she had settled for a prop card to enhance her fox's offensive capabilities.
Fortunately, the hellhound fell victim to the three-tailed fox's illusions and was quickly dispatched by Gabi.
The final student from Ning'an No. 2 High School strode onto the stage confidently and activated his summoning card.
A powerfully built man with a bare chest and rippling muscles appeared.
Gabi's eyes narrowed as she assessed the opposing card. "This aura is also purple-tier."
While Gabi analyzed her opponent, the three-tailed fox launched its opening assault.
The illusion struck the muscular fighter, who stood motionless for a critical moment.
Seeing the successful attack, Gabi felt a surge of relief. "Finally, an opponent who can't resist the three-tailed fox's magic!"
The previous two defeats had shaken her confidence and made her question her card's effectiveness.
The three-tailed fox didn't waste the opportunity, charging forward on all fours toward the stunned fighter.
Swish!
Its razor-sharp claws, gleaming with cold light, slashed across the man's throat.
Blood sprayed through the air, droplets splattering the arena floor.
Just as Gabi thought the battle was over, she noticed that the opposing Lore Cardian remained completely calm. A chill of realization ran down her spine.
"Three-tailed fox, watch out!" she shouted.
Her warning came a heartbeat too late.
ROAR!
The wounded man's battle cry shook the arena as his body began to transform before Gabi's shocked eyes. Muscles expanded, and fur sprouted as he shifted into a massive werewolf.
BANG!
The werewolf's powerful claws caught the three-tailed fox mid-leap and slammed it brutally into the ground.
Fortunately, the armor absorbed the potentially fatal impact, though spiderweb cracks now spread across its surface. It wouldn't survive many more attacks.
The werewolf had no intention of letting this advantage slip away.
Its claws raked frantically at the three-tailed fox.
Screech!
Sharp talons scraped against the armor, throwing brilliant sparks into the air.
Under such relentless assault, the armor couldn't hold. It gradually dissolved into motes of light. But before vanishing completely, it bought the three-tailed fox precious seconds to counterattack, leaving several deep gashes across the werewolf's hide.
Unfortunately, without its armor, the three-tailed fox couldn't turn the tide. The werewolf's savage claws tore through its defenses, ending the battle decisively.
Gabi sighed internally, disappointed that she couldn't save a trump card for Azrael. She walked off the court with a grim expression and approached Azrael. "Sorry, I—"
"It's fine. Just leave the rest to me," Azrael interrupted, his voice steady and confident.
Gabi had assumed that Tsugikuni Yoriichi was Azrael's trump card. She had no idea that Kaneki was his true ace in the hole.
Currently, only Gustav knew about Azrael's hidden strength. Apparently, he hadn't even shared that information with his own daughter.
Stepping up to the arena's edge, Azrael summoned Tsugikuni Yoriichi and whispered, "Go all out."
The referee's whistle pierced the air, and Yoriichi's demon slayer marks blazed to life as he exploded forward with devastating speed.
"So fast!" The Ning'an No. 2 Lore Cardian's pupils contracted in shock.
In the split second it took for that thought to register, Yoriichi had already closed the distance to the werewolf.
The lycanthrope was still panting heavily, blood flowing steadily from the wounds inflicted by the three-tailed fox.
Yoriichi's flame-wreathed blade swept toward his target in a perfect arc.
The werewolf drew a sharp breath and twisted his body, barely avoiding the deadly slash while simultaneously swiping viciously at Yoriichi's head.
The Ning'an Lore Cardian felt a surge of hope. Initially terrified by his opponent's incredible speed, he now believed he could still claim victory.
The werewolf's claws reached Yoriichi's face, but
Nothing happened.
The Three Treasures technique activated. Before entering the arena, Azrael had imbued Yoriichi with a protective charm.
As one of the golden beads around Yoriichi's neck dimmed and went dark, he seamlessly transitioned from a slash to a horizontal cut, decapitating the werewolf with a single fluid motion.
"What?!" The Ning'an Lore Cardian stared in disbelief. Just moments ago, the situation had been completely in his favor. How had everything changed so suddenly?
As the werewolf card dissolved into sparkles of light, the referee counted to three. When the Ning'an student made no move to summon another card, the official result was announced:
"Silverbrook High School wins!"
In the stands, Principal Halbert's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He'd originally thought his old friend was boasting when he claimed to have found two promising students, but reality exceeded even those claims. Fighting back his envy, Principal Halbert said with forced casualness, "Mr. Kang, your luck has really turned around. You've struck gold this time."
The saying goes: "I'm not afraid of my friends suffering, but I am afraid of them driving luxury cars while I'm still walking."
However, when Principal Halbert turned and saw Principal Kang's troubled expression, his mood brightened considerably. "Too bad for you, though. In previous years, you really could have dominated. This year, you're unlucky enough to face Levi from Velkairos University."
Seeing Principal Halbert's barely concealed satisfaction, Principal Kang rolled his eyes. Still, he sighed deeply to himself.
"If I had kept Azrael's cards hidden, we might have had a real chance against Levi tomorrow. Now it's going to be much more difficult."