In the stands, Principal Kev's eyes widened in shock. He stepped forward and gripped the railing with white knuckles. His gaze locked onto the white-haired young man standing in the arena below. Disbelief colored his voice as he turned to Principal Kang.
"Well played, Mr. Kang. You certainly kept this one under wraps."
But Principal Kang had no attention to spare for his colleague's tone of accusation. He stood frozen, equally stunned by the unexpected turn of events unfolding before them. The truth was that he genuinely had no idea that Azrael possessed a second biological card, and from what he could see, this wasn't just any ordinary card. Its quality appeared exceptional.
Observing from nearby, Principal Halbert muttered under his breath with barely concealed envy, "So this is the 'promising seedling' you've been bragging about, Mr. Kang."
The green-eyed monster had thoroughly possessed him.
Down on the sidelines, Gabi and Yurek watched the battlefield transformation with equal amazement. For Gabi, the puzzle pieces finally clicked into place; she now understood what had become of the golden material her father had given Azrael. He had crafted it into a biological card. Judging by the material's grade, Azrael's creation had to be at least gold quality.
Yurek stammered, "Sister Jiang, did you know Brother Azrael had another creature card?"
Gabi shook her head slowly. "He kept it well hidden from all of us."
Though, she couldn't blame him for keeping it secret. A Lore Cardian's deck represented their most closely guarded secrets. If today's opponent hadn't pushed Azrael to his limits, he never would have revealed such a powerful trump card.
Back on the battlefield, Levi's face flickered with surprise at Kaneki's appearance. However, his shock quickly transformed into delighted laughter.
"Hahaha! I clearly underestimated the heroes of this world!" His voice rang across the arena. "Azrael, you truly are exceptional!"
Azrael regarded Levi with a deadpan expression. The guy was really leaning into that dramatic villain persona.
Kaneki, however, remained unaffected by Levi's theatrical display. The white-haired ghoul was already in motion, his black and red tentacles writhing beside him as he charged toward Yaksha with predatory grace.
Closing the distance in several fluid strides, Kaneki launched himself skyward. The four kagune that had once belonged to Kamishiro Rize descended toward Yaksha like striking serpents.
BOOM!
Dust and debris erupted across the field, but Kaneki's expression remained impassive. His four tentacles had pierced the ground deeply, suspending him, spider-like, above the chaos. The centipede-shaped kagune whipped through the air with vicious intent, repeatedly hammering down at Yaksha's last known position within the smoke cloud.
Yurek, watching from the sidelines, gulped audibly. "Holy hell, Brother Azrael's card is terrifying."
Gabi nodded in agreement. This white-haired fighter was clearly superior to her three-tailed fox.
Just when everyone assumed Azrael had secured the victory, a dark blue, circular water blade came screaming out of the smoke. The projectile sliced cleanly through all four tentacles anchoring Kaneki to the ground.
Kaneki executed a perfect backflip, landing gracefully on his feet as his severed appendages dissolved.
Through the dissipating smoke, Yaksha emerged, battered but standing. Levi's voice carried a note of triumph as he declared, "Azrael, your card is undeniably powerful, but I'll be claiming this victory!"
From Levi's perspective, Yaksha had successfully disabled Kaneki's four primary offensive weapons. The advantage was clearly his.
But then, to the horror of every spectator present, four identical black-and-red tentacles burst forth from Kaneki's lower spine, completely restored and ready for battle.
In the original Tokyo Ghoul series, the kagune merely served as hunting tools for ghouls. However, their true strength lay in the RC cells produced through consumption, a grotesque requirement that Azrael had replaced with his own abundant mental energy when Kaneki became his card. Mental energy was something Azrael possessed in spades.
As Kaneki flexed his index finger once more, he launched into another devastating assault on Yaksha.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Kamishiro Rize's kagune rained down like artillery shells, and each impact sent shockwaves through the arena floor. Whenever Yaksha attempted to counterattack, the centipede kagune intercepted, forming an impenetrable defensive barrier around Kaneki.
Gradually, the sounds of resistance from within the smoke cloud faded to silence. Kaneki ceased his relentless bombardment and landed softly in front of Azrael.
As the dust settled, Levi's Yaksha was nowhere to be seen, having been completely eliminated from the field.
Levi had been decisively defeated without forcing Kaneki to reveal his half-kakuja transformation.
The next challengers were Levi's two followers. However, their cards proved to be ordinary monster-type creatures, not the elite units Azrael had anticipated. He dispatched both opponents with minimal effort.
"Silverbrook High School wins!"
The referee's announcement echoed through the arena, and Principal Kang felt as though he were trapped in an impossible dream. Had someone told him before the four-school joint examination that Silverbrook High School could emerge victorious, he would have laughed them out of the room.
This victory meant more than just Azrael and his teammates gaining access to the secret realm. Silverbrook High School would also receive additional resources from the Cardian Master Association for the next year.
The strong grow stronger, while the weak remain weak. This was the harsh reality that had kept Silverbrook and Ardenne High Schools as underdogs for so many years. Only the emergence of a true genius like Azrael could free them from their perpetual weakness.
Principal Kev stood nearby, looking as though he had been robbed personally. In his mind, a guaranteed victory had slipped through his fingers like water.
Principal Halbert was practically drowning in his own bitterness. It was like having your chronically broke brother suddenly announce, "I'm done pretending I've been a secret billionaire this whole time," without sharing any of his wealth.
He couldn't resist commenting, "Mr. Kang, you absolutely owe us a celebration dinner."
Principal Kang's face glowed with triumph and relief. He still didn't fully understand Azrael's capabilities, but victory was victory. "Of course! My treat entirely. You'd all better show up."
Down in the arena, Gabi approached Azrael with Yurek, her expression a mixture of admiration and bewilderment.
"Azrael, I never imagined you had a card like this hidden away."
Her gaze lingered on Kaneki with newfound respect. She'd been prepared for certain defeat, convinced that none of them would qualify for the secret realm. Instead, Azrael had produced what could only be described as a nuclear option.
From what she had witnessed, Kaneki had to be at least red quality, a tier that not even her father had ever successfully crafted, despite his expertise.
Yurek stood nearby in a daze, still processing the miraculous reversal of fortune. He'd never dreamed that he could enter a secret realm by riding someone else's coattails. After a long internal struggle, he voiced his thoughts in two words:
"Incredible."
Azrael chuckled at his friend's stunned simplicity.
While the three friends shared this moment of victory, Lian approached with several school principals in tow.
"Congratulations to our three students from Silverbrook High School on their well-deserved victory. I trust you're all aware that you've earned entry into a bronze-level secret realm." Lian's smile seemed genuine enough.
After the trio nodded in acknowledgment, Lian continued, "This particular bronze-level secret realm is unique in that it has recently manifested.
"However, there's no cause for concern. We'll assign you to a bronze-level Lore Cardian team to ensure your complete safety."
Bronze-level exploration teams typically consist of one bronze-tier Lore Cardian, supported by various numbers of black iron-level teammates. Such a formation was more than adequate for exploring bronze-level secret realms.
But Principal Kang's expression grew troubled as he processed Lian's words. After a moment of hesitation, he voiced his concerns. "President Lian, didn't you initially state that the association would handle the exploration and control of this bronze-level secret realm? How has this changed?"
Lian sighed with frustration, and a shadow passed across his features. "Time waits for no one."
Principal Kang's unease deepened. "President Lian, this remains far too dangerous for students, surely?"
Lian smiled, though it seemed somewhat strained. "They're free to decline. No one's forcing them to participate."