When Azrael arrived at the Battle Club, the other four members were already present, their casual conversations falling silent as he approached.
"Sorry, I'm late," Azrael said, checking his watch with a slight frown. The guilt in his voice was genuine, punctuality mattered in team environments.
Oliver shook his head with a gentle smile gracing his features. "No need to apologize. We just arrived ourselves."
After delivering this reassurance, Oliver lapsed into pointed silence, his attention seemingly focused on adjusting his equipment rather than continuing the conversation.
Sun-Myun caught the subtle shift in atmosphere, and a flash of satisfaction gleamed in his red-haired head's eyes. The tension he'd been hoping to cultivate was taking root exactly as planned.
Observing this calculated behavior, Azrael found himself increasingly uncertain whether Oliver was directly responsible for the malicious rumors circulating through the Card Making Department. The other main member's smug expression suggested deeper involvement than mere observation.
But I have a solution for dealing with petty politics, Azrael mused with dark satisfaction.
His strategy was elegantly simple: demonstrate Artoria's devastating capabilities through actual combat. Once these amateur politicians witnessed her golden beam weapon in action, any reasonable person would wisely choose to keep their opinions to themselves.
"I'll handle this situation properly after today's practice match concludes," he decided privately. "Then I can focus on creating new cards without these distractions."
The [Oni Mask·Nijia] he'd completed recently proved remarkably convenient for transportation and storage purposes. In terms of practical utility, Azrael suspected many Emerald or Diamond-level cards couldn't match its versatility.
However, when it came to raw combat power...
The ghost soldiers weren't entirely useless in battle, but their effectiveness remained disappointingly limited. They could overwhelm Bronze-level opponents through superior numbers, and might pose challenges for weaker Silver-tier Lore Lore Cardians. Against genuinely powerful adversaries, however, they served better as support units than primary combatants.
"What should my next card project be?" Azrael wondered, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Several promising concepts had been percolating in his strategic mind. The [Soul Society] venue card contained explicit references to a "Three Realms" system that would unlock devastating ultimate techniques once completed. Creating characters from Hueco Mundo or the World of the Living would advance that long-term objective significantly.
Eventually, he'd need to acquire corresponding venue materials to fully realize that vision.
"But I could also explore characters from entirely different fictional universes," he reflected with growing interest.
The possibilities seemed endless, limited only by his imagination and access to appropriate materials.
His contemplation was interrupted by Chisaki's arrival at the Battle Club facilities. "Since everyone's here, let's depart," the instructor announced with characteristic efficiency.
"Today's battle venue is located at their campus," Chisaki added, his greasy features spreading into a sly grin that suggested ulterior motives. "So you don't need to hold back. If you break anything, they'll handle the repairs."
Azrael's lips twitched at this casual disregard for property damage. "Easy to be cavalier when it's not your responsibility, isn't it, Teacher?"
Chisaki adopted a mock-reproachful tone as he responded. "Now, now, that attitude shows proper respect for our opponents. Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting rabbits, you understand?"
Azrael suppressed his urge to roll his eyes and remained diplomatically silent.
"Alright, everyone load up," Chisaki commanded with renewed authority.
A shimmer of spiritual energy preceded the materialization of a remarkably shabby minivan directly in front of the Battle Club entrance. The vehicle's paint job had seen better decades, while rust spots decorated its frame like abstract art.
"I am the most powerful person in the world!"
Azrael glanced around in bewilderment as strange background music seemed to echo from somewhere nearby. The dramatic soundtrack felt completely out of place with their mundane transportation needs.
Oliver and the other three members showed no surprise at this development, simply opening the battered minivan's doors and climbing inside with practiced familiarity.
Suppressing his growing confusion about Chisaki's unconventional card choices, Azrael joined his teammates in the vehicle's surprisingly spacious interior.
"Something's jabbing into my back," he muttered, reaching around to investigate the source of discomfort. His fingers encountered what felt like a steel blade wrapped in newspaper. "Seriously? Are we filming a gang movie?"
The discovery of concealed weapons in their transportation raised uncomfortable questions about Chisaki's inspiration sources. Azrael carefully moved the mysterious blade to his feet while wondering what other surprises their instructor's cards might contain.
"What gang movie?" Chisaki asked with genuine curiosity as he fastened his seatbelt in the driver's position. "Everyone buckle up, safety first."
Azrael and his teammates obediently secured their restraints as the decrepit minivan began its journey toward Southeast University. Despite its unprepossessing appearance, the vehicle moved with surprising smoothness and speed.
However, Chisaki's unconventional card design sparked new creative possibilities in Azrael's mind. Characters from Hong Kong action films or martial arts epics represented untapped potential for future projects. The aesthetic alone would provide fascinating contrasts to his current roster.
When they reached Southeast University's main gates, the Pixar University delegation filed out of their unlikely transport with varying degrees of relief.
"Is there something unusual about your vehicle's spatial capacity, Teacher Chisaki?" Azrael inquired with professional curiosity, noting how the interior had seemed far more spacious than external dimensions suggested.
Chisaki nodded with obvious pride in his creation. "Haven't you heard the saying that you can never predict how many people can fit in a van? That was my primary inspiration."
Azrael acknowledged this explanation with genuine appreciation. Despite its comic appearance, the minivan represented an impressive fusion of transportation and spatial manipulation. If traffic regulations weren't a factor, he suspected Chisaki could achieve truly impressive velocities with this vehicle.
At Southeast University's entrance, a middle-aged man accompanied by five students waited patiently for their arrival. The opposing instructor's demeanor radiated confidence that bordered on smugness.
"Long time no see, Old Chai," the middle-aged man greeted with a broad smile, extending his hand in apparently friendly acknowledgment.
Chisaki scratched his gleaming bald head with obvious confusion. "What are you talking about, Surge? Didn't we just meet last week?"
Surge's expression froze momentarily at this deflation of his dramatic greeting. "Don't you understand basic social courtesy?"
However, his disappointment quickly transformed into barely contained anticipation. "Old Chai, do you know why I agreed to this practice match between our institutions?"
Chisaki shook his head with genuine bewilderment.
Surge's satisfaction became increasingly evident as he prepared to deliver his revelation. "This time, Southeast University's Battle Club will definitely achieve victory."
"Don't doubt my confidence, I understand the situation completely."
As longtime colleagues, Surge had endured years of his students being overshadowed by Chisaki's consistently superior Battle Club. When one of Southeast University's members achieved a significant breakthrough in recent weeks, he'd immediately accepted this opportunity for public redemption.
Chisaki had known Surge long enough to recognize that despite his tendency toward dramatic pronouncements, the man rarely made claims he couldn't support. If he was expressing such confidence now, it meant Southeast University genuinely believed they possessed advantages over Pixar University's team.
Where does this mysterious confidence come from? Azrael wondered privately, observing Surge's theatrical declarations with growing amusement.
During their conversation, the combined group proceeded toward Southeast University's dedicated battle facilities under Surge's enthusiastic guidance.
Unlike Pixar University's mountainous training environment, Southeast University had invested in purpose-built combat infrastructure. Dedicated maintenance staff ensured optimal conditions, while specialized barrier systems protected spectators and surrounding structures from Silver-level combat aftermath.
If Gold-level Lore Lore Cardians required battle space, additional protective measures could be deployed to contain even more devastating encounters.
Throughout their journey across campus, Azrael discretely observed Southeast University's five students. However, their carefully neutral expressions revealed nothing about their capabilities or tactical approaches.
The opposing team seemed determined to treat Pixar University's delegation as beneath their notice, a calculated psychological strategy that suggested considerable preparation for this encounter.
After completing registration procedures with Southeast University's battle facility managers, Surge retrieved a Gold-level barrier card from the administrative office. Its activation created a translucent dome of spiritual energy that encompassed the entire combat arena.
"Perfect," Azrael thought with satisfaction. "Now Artoria can demonstrate her full capabilities without concerns about collateral damage."
Originally, he'd worried that her golden beam attacks might exceed acceptable limits for inter-university practice matches. The Gold-level protective barriers eliminated such concerns entirely.
"Shall we begin?" Surge asked Chisaki once the venue preparations were complete. "Who will represent Pixar University first?"
Chisaki turned toward his students with obvious expectation that they would determine their own participation order.
After a moment of contemplative silence, Oliver stepped forward with quiet determination. "I'll lead off, Teacher."
Chisaki nodded with apparent indifference to the specific choice.
Azrael studied Oliver with growing puzzlement. Conventional tactical wisdom suggested deploying secondary members first to gather intelligence about enemy capabilities while preserving stronger assets for decisive engagements.
However, Oliver was also struggling with internal pressures that transcended pure tactical considerations.
As Azrael had correctly assessed, someone as proud as Oliver couldn't tolerate the implicit humiliation of widespread rumors questioning his abilities. The whispered suggestions that he'd backed down from a losing position demanded direct refutation through overwhelming demonstration.
On Southeast University's side, Surge addressed his team with confident authority. "Hisham, you'll handle their opening representative."
A student with a distinctive bowl cut and black-framed glasses nodded silently before stepping onto the battlefield with measured precision. His unremarkable appearance concealed whatever capabilities had inspired Surge's earlier confidence.
The stage was set for Southeast University to prove their mysterious advantages, while Pixar University's team prepared to demonstrate why their reputation remained formidable despite recent political tensions.
As the two representatives faced each other across the arena's center, anticipation crackled through the air like electricity before a thunderstorm. Whatever secrets Southeast University was concealing would soon be revealed through the ancient language of combat.