Azrael glanced silently at the Yucheng University students, whose fighting spirit had inexplicably been rekindled. He was at a loss for words. "It seems the muscles have successfully seized control from the brain."
He stepped off the stage and approached Oliver and the others. "Let's go," he called out. "Now's a good time to check out the other schools' matches."
Oliver and the others nodded in agreement, ready to do so even without Azrael's suggestion.
With the Pixar University match concluded, the students who had gathered around Azrael's venue gradually began to disperse.
However, a few individuals caught Azrael's attention. They were several plainly dressed young men, their leader noticing Azrael's scrutinizing gaze and responding with a courteous nod and smile.
Azrael returned the acknowledgment with equal courtesy.
"What are you looking at?" Oliver, standing nearby, followed Azrael's gaze with growing curiosity. "They appear to be students from Northern University of Science and Technology."
"What did you observe?"
Hearing Oliver's inquiry, the other members of the Pixar University Battle Club stopped in their tracks and turned to look at Azrael expectantly.
Azrael averted his gaze thoughtfully. "That leader of theirs will be tough to deal with."
Although he hadn't yet witnessed the other party's cards in action, his enhanced senses had been transmitting a persistent premonition of danger.
With Azrael's current mental power capacity, he could sense that the other party had barely reached the Gold level threshold.
It's just that his mental capacity might not be quite as exaggerated as Azrael's own.
"He should be almost at that level."
Oliver and the other three were visibly stunned. As top students at Pixar University, they naturally understood the full weight of Azrael's words. "Why would someone of that caliber attend a school they'd never even heard of?"
"Maybe they want to play the one-man-army role," Azrael shrugged casually.
"?"
Unfortunately, Oliver and the other three didn't catch Azrael's cultural reference.
Watching the Northwest University of Science and Technology students walk away, Azrael stretched leisurely. "Let's go. We shouldn't run into them for quite a while."
With that declaration, he headed toward a nearby field with a large crowd of spectators.
Oliver and the other three followed him in contemplative silence.
However, because of the unusually dense crowd, Azrael and the others couldn't get a clear view of the ongoing field competition.
After a brief moment of tactical deliberation, Azrael allowed Pride to possess one of his Shadowkhan, then lifted himself up using the soldier's enhanced physical form.
"Much clearer view now," Azrael said, adjusting his elevated position while perched comfortably on Pride's shoulder. Soon, Pride extended several black and red tentacles from behind, providing additional stability and support.
Just as he was about to take a closer analytical look at his potential opponent's strength, a searing gaze practically stung his face.
Azrael turned to see a female Lore Cardian perched on the broad shoulders of a muscular man, gazing intently at him with obvious interest.
"From Kyoto University?" Azrael was initially startled, then offered a friendly, diplomatic smile.
However, the female Lore Cardian froze briefly upon seeing Azrael's decidedly masculine face, then gave both him and Pride a strangely appraising look.
Azrael was momentarily baffled by her peculiar attitude, but when he observed the female Lore Cardian's right hand unconsciously caressing the muscular man's well-defined torso, a distinct chill instantly ran through him.
Rolling his eyes dramatically at the other person, Azrael mouthed clearly, "I'm definitely not gay."
The female Lore Cardian smiled with apparent understanding and knowing amusement.
Azrael didn't bother explaining any further, turning his full attention to the center of the competitive field.
"Although her mind operates in a somewhat dirty manner, her summoned card is indeed quite powerful," Azrael thought, observing the two teams fiercely engaged in strategic battle on the field below.
"By the way, which two schools are these exactly?"
Azrael, having regained his analytical composure, asked Oliver, who was currently hanging nearby from one of Pride's supportive tentacles.
"In this particular case, they should be Coral University and Quidditch University," Oliver replied quickly, having already made thorough inquiries before their arrival.
"As expected from Doraemon," Azrael nodded in complete satisfaction. It was such a relief to have a genuinely smart teammate; he didn't even have to bother with gathering basic information himself. (A/N: He says this because it seems Oliver always has some sort of information ready at hand)
Oliver had grown thoroughly accustomed to Azrael's occasional cultural quirks. "I'll just take that as a sincere compliment."
Even as the members of the Pixar University Battle Club chatted casually, the tactical situation on the field had changed dramatically several times.
From Azrael's elevated observation point, the cards being played by the students at Coral University were predominantly related to aquatic themes.
This wasn't particularly surprising, as the university's name itself strongly suggested this institution specialized in this specific type of card deck strategy.
Furthermore, it was widely said that the founding president who established the school was a Diamond-level Lore Cardian, and their signature main deck consisted of a comprehensive systematic fleet deck.
Indeed, it wasn't the mythological Dragon system of legends, but rather a modernized fleet created entirely by human ingenuity.
However, in direct response to this particular claim, the Diamond-level Lore Cardian had famously declared, "Dragon King? How many military divisions does the Dragon King actually command? Bomb them into oblivion!"
The motherships in his personal fleet were almost the size of a small village, and the supporting vessels were practically countless in number.
And one shouldn't assume the fleet wasn't fully capable of effective land combat. According to multiple reliable sources, the motherships possessed flight capabilities, but their overall combat effectiveness decreased significantly when operating out of water.
Of course, he is a Diamond-level Lore Cardian, and these ordinary university students certainly didn't possess such outlandishly powerful cards.
Azrael hadn't even observed a single ship-related card so far in the match.
Most of the summoned entities were naval officers and soldiers, such as a heavily modified version of the historical Admiral Zheng He.
However, just as he was pondering these tactical observations, a cry of genuine surprise rang out across the arena.
The next moment, a massive destroyer appeared seemingly out of nowhere in the middle of the heated battle.
"Isn't anyone remotely curious about where this incredible power actually comes from?" Azrael couldn't help but grumble, observing the destroyer floating majestically in mid-air with Admiral Zheng He positioned on its imposing prow, looking majestic and thoroughly imposing.
God knows how utterly incongruous this entire scene appeared. If the Empire of Aetherlight of the past had possessed such extraordinary technology, there would have been absolutely no chance for the Spanish Armada to succeed.
For most of the students currently watching the intense battle, it was obviously their first time witnessing such an impressive card.
And regardless of whether they were male or female, they couldn't resist something so impressively large, thick, and hard.
Azrael was specifically referring to the naval guns, of course.
However, unlike the energy-based attack he had initially expected, the sturdy guns still fired traditional round shells, accompanied by a tremendous echoing roar.
"Although it can float effortlessly in the air, is the weapon system still purely kinetic?" Azrael scratched his head in puzzlement.
It wasn't that kinetic weapons weren't demonstrably effective. As long as the shells were sufficiently strong and well-crafted, they could still cause significant devastating damage.
Just like space-based weapons, if they managed to hit bedrock in Minecraft, Azrael couldn't even begin to imagine the resulting devastation.
Watching the pitch-black shell trace a strange parabolic trajectory before impacting the enemy target, Azrael smiled with genuine relief. "I wonder what Newton would think of this physics violation."
Indeed, violating the fundamental laws of physics was an integral part of the card game, so don't play if you're not happy with such fantastic elements.
The man-sized shell exploded violently upon direct impact, sending brilliant crimson flames shooting high into the sky.
Azrael was now absolutely certain this wasn't a normal conventional shell.
"This is truly eye-opening! Human imagination truly is completely limitless," he muttered appreciatively. "Too bad I don't have any naval cards in my collection, otherwise I could have experimented with them." (A/N: He has a Pirate theme card from One Piece, not a Navy card)
The most outrageous ship-themed game before his transmigration was probably Azur Lane. According to the established setting, some ships were theoretically supposed to be at the Master or even Sovereign tier level.
If you counted the most ambitious interpretations, even Sovereign-tier ships were considered completely unstoppable.
Anyway, the remainder of the match wasn't particularly much to watch. The president of the Coral University Battle Club had even revealed his ultimate trump card. If they didn't achieve victory after this dramatic display, there was really no remaining hope.
As the thick smoke gradually dissipated, the faces of the students at Quidditch University turned visibly gloomy. Meanwhile, the students at Coral University cheered enthusiastically in victory.
Glancing around the arena, Azrael realized the various matches were mostly concluded. "Let's head back, there's nothing particularly much to see anymore."
Just then, out of the corner of his peripheral vision, he caught sight of the female Lore Cardian from Kyoto University riding her muscular summon directly towards his position.
Azrael's face darkened considerably, and he quickly commanded Pride to take him away from the area.
Only the female Lore Cardian remained behind, sighing wistfully amid the dispersing throng. "Why are you running so fast? I was genuinely hoping to exchange tactical ideas with him."
Azrael had absolutely no idea what she was actually thinking, or else he would have apologized profusely. "What can an Ice-type specialist possibly discuss with a Shadow-type specialist anyway?" (AN: Unless you were Roy from Custom Made Demon King, those who know, knows)
The second day arrived with new challenges.
For the first day of the main competition, the venue was completely different from the previous preliminary one.
First, the previously fragmented battle areas had been consolidated into a single, massive arena thanks to the diligent overtime work of the civil engineering seniors.
Second, the audience composition had changed dramatically.
While there had been some casual spectators at previous preliminary matches, their numbers were relatively small.
After all, ordinary people certainly couldn't effectively watch so many simultaneous matches at once.
Moreover, a large portion of these preliminary matches were simply fights between relatively weak competitors.
Therefore, the previous matches were merely appetizers for the main event.
It's worth noting that the National Championships would be broadcast live nationwide from the official start of the main competition.
Meanwhile, in the northern VIP section of the stadium, many prominent figures rarely seen in public were exchanging polite pleasantries.
If Azrael were present there, he would have immediately noticed that no one present was below the Emerald Rank.
"Prime Minister Yuichi, long time no see," a spirited elder in traditional Taoist robes greeted a stern-looking middle-aged man with obvious familiarity.
"It's been a full year, hasn't it, Master Finn?" the middle-aged man known as Prime Minister Yuichi replied with a diplomatic smile.
Master Finn smiled and nodded graciously, then asked a question that everyone present was genuinely concerned about. "Will His Majesty come to the games this year?"
A hint of calculated indifference flashed in Yuichi's eyes, and he replied nonchalantly, "I'm not personally aware of His Majesty's specific arrangements."
Master Finn wasn't particularly surprised by his cautious attitude.
Nowadays, it was increasingly difficult for the world to still harbor genuine awe for the imperial family.
After all, the theory of the harmony between heaven and man, originally used to govern effectively, was now essentially a dead letter.
You say you're the Son of Heaven?
Come, look at the god card in my hand and tell me again exactly what you are.
As for saying disasters are caused by unkindness and injustice, changing the celestial phenomena was surprisingly easy for powerful Lore Cardians.
The Empire of Aetherlight was now full of people who could legitimately call the shots.
The Gutenberg royal family still existed today thanks primarily to the Gutenbergs' exceptional talents in various diverse pursuits.
Cricket fighting (A type of gambling in China), military generalship, Taoist practices, carpentry, and even sophisticated card making.
While there hadn't been any Sovereign-level Lore Cardians, there had been many Diamond-level ones, and occasionally even Master-level ones.
This had effectively forced the court to tacitly accept their continued existence, but real political power was completely out of the question.
After all, with the emergence of powerful Lore Cardians, you need to have a genuinely strong hand to have any say, unless one day a Sovereign-level Lore Cardian emerged from the Gutenberg royal family and conquered the entire world.
"Forget it, let's not talk about that sensitive topic." Master Finn smiled and diplomatically brushed off the subject. "Which university is Prime Minister Yuichi most optimistic about this year?"
Seeing him bring up something directly related to the national competition, Prime Minister Yuichi enthusiastically chimed in. "For the team competition, Northern University of Science and Technology, right? After all, they had two students who took first place last year."
"As for the individual competition, Azrael from Pixar University or Victor from Northwind University could realistically win."
Master Finn remained deliberately noncommittal. "Is Pixar University completely out of the question for the team competition? After all, Azrael's strength is truly formidable and well-documented."
Azrael was now Lucian's official disciple, and with his recent impressive match against Crowley, everyone in the upper echelons of the Empire of Aetherlight knew about his capabilities.
His abilities were generally recognized and respected.
"Well, the team competition is for five people, right? Master Finn, you're being somewhat biased," replied another distinguished elder, not Prime Minister Yuichi.
Prime Minister Yuichi nodded in complete agreement. "That's absolutely right. While Azrael's strength is undeniably formidable, it's still somewhat difficult to go one-on-five against a genuinely strong school."
Master Finn shook his head thoughtfully. Everyone had their own informed opinions on this matter, but he was considerably more optimistic about Pixar University. After all, the four remaining players weren't particularly bad either.
Replacing two or three opponents should still be entirely possible.
Seeing that Master Finn didn't choose to argue the point further, a look of obvious boredom crossed Prime Minister Yuichi's face.
He walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the contestants waiting for the draw below. "Lord Lioren said he'd come to watch the finals personally." (AN- The person mentioned here is the guy who is Sovereign-tier)
His voice was soft, but it resonated like thunder in everyone's hearts.
Many people, regardless of their usual impeccable manners, suddenly stood up in shock.
"Prime Minister Yuichi, is the information completely accurate?"
Prime Minister Yuichi didn't reply immediately, but simply glanced at him meaningfully.
Everyone present instantly realized that he couldn't possibly be joking about such a serious matter.
"Is the secret realm in Shu Province safe?" one of them asked with a grim expression.
Some people waited anxiously for Prime Minister Yuichi's definitive answer.
A moment later, upon hearing Prime Minister Yuichi's clear words, their hearts finally settled somewhat.
"Not yet completely."
"But..."
Their hearts, just barely settled, instantly rose again in concern.
"The demons in the secret realm couldn't harm Lord Lioren either way. Now, Lord Lioren can move around somewhat more freely."
After saying this, Prime Minister Yuichi looked at the people before him, their expressions notably varied, and shook his head inwardly. "A bunch of insignificant insects."
"Well, Lord Lioren knows how to handle such a major event appropriately. Now, let's see what promising new talents will emerge in the Empire of Aetherlight this year."
Having concluded the sensitive conversation, Prime Minister Yuichi turned his full attention to the competition arena below.
It was clear that many present were no longer focused on the upcoming national team competition.
Azrael, sitting comfortably in the audience, was completely unaware that he was being discussed by a group of highly influential figures, though even if he knew, it wouldn't have particularly bothered him.
He and his fellow Pixar University students were glued to the large screen in the center of the arena.
The upcoming draw would determine the crucial first-round matchups.
"Peking University vs. Velkairos University."
"Northwind University vs. Micellar National Taoist Academy."
"Northwest University of Science and Technology vs. Exelsior University."
Seeing this particular matchup, the people of Pixar University were visibly stunned. "Is Northwest University of Science and Technology really so unlucky? First they face Tsinghua University and then Exelsior University."
"Exelsior University is definitely no pushover whatsoever."
Just as the five people were about to say something more, the words "Pixar University" appeared prominently on the screen.
"Pixar University vs. Coral University..."
Seeing their opponents in this crucial round, several people's faces were somewhat strange and conflicted.
After all, they had just watched Coral University's match yesterday, and they didn't expect to face them today so soon.