Sasuke pressed his hand against his face, revealing only his left eye through the gaps between his fingers. His crimson six-tomoe pupils locked onto Hercules across the battlefield, tears of blood silently streaking down his cheek.
In the next instant, pitch-black flames materialized soundlessly throughout the arena, burning with an eerie, otherworldly intensity that seemed to devour light itself.
A small tendril of flame touched Hercules' massive frame, then rapidly spread across his entire body like living shadow, clinging to every surface with unnatural persistence.
"How predictable," Eina sneered inwardly. She had expected something more impressive from Azrael's supposedly hidden ace, but this seemed like nothing more than elaborate pyrotechnics designed to intimidate rather than harm.
Although this was her first encounter with these particular black flames, the seasoned spectators in the elevated guest area found themselves genuinely intrigued by the unusual display.
"Those flames possess highly unusual properties," Finn murmured, stroking his pale beard thoughtfully as his experienced eyes analyzed the phenomenon. "And the casting medium appears to be purely ocular in nature. Fascinating technique."
As a Diamond-level Lore Cardian with decades of experience, he could naturally sense the potent supernatural energy radiating from Sasuke's distinctive Mangekyō Sharingan.
Prime Minister Yuichi frowned deeply as he studied the dark-haired youth positioned strategically on the field. "This particular card hasn't appeared in any of his previous tournament matches, has it?"
The astute observation sent ripples of realization through the assembled high-ranking officials. Azrael had either deliberately concealed this powerful summon during his earlier battle with Crowley, or he had somehow crafted an entirely new card between tournament rounds.
Either possibility demonstrated the young Lore Cardian's exceptional talent and remarkable strategic depth, traits that clearly set him apart from his contemporaries in the competition.
Finn couldn't resist a moment of scholarly vindication. "Prime Minister, I'm curious about your current thoughts on this development?"
He felt precisely like someone who had discovered an incredible new series and desperately wanted to share the experience with a skeptical friend.
Yuichi sighed helplessly, finding the elderly man's obvious enthusiasm rather tiresome in such circumstances. "I understand your close relationship with Master Lucian naturally influences your judgment, but such blatant favoritism doesn't particularly suit the esteemed president of the Vaelcrest National Taoist Academy."
Finn's expression stiffened noticeably at this pointed reminder of protocol. The Vaelcrest National Taoist Academy had indeed been eliminated in the previous tournament round, securing what most considered a respectable top-32 placement given the competition level.
After a moment's thoughtful pause, he defended his students with characteristic stubbornness. "How can you honestly call losing to Master Tempest's exceptional disciples a true defeat? That was merely an extraordinarily close match that could have gone either way!"
The old man's persistent protests brought a wave of good-natured laughter to the guest section, lightening the previously tense atmosphere.
However, several senior elders exchanged meaningful glances, their expressions considerably more serious than the jovial atmosphere around them suggested.
Meanwhile, down on the battlefield, the spreading pitch-black flames had already completely engulfed Hercules' imposing form and were steadily spreading outward across the entire arena floor.
Although Eina seriously doubted these theatrical flames could truly threaten Hercules, who had been significantly enhanced by her carefully chosen venue card, she couldn't simply allow them to consume her painstakingly invested mental energy without response.
The feminine figure grotesquely stitched to Hercules' muscular back observed the relentlessly spreading black flames with growing unease, droplets of crimson blood beginning to spatter steadily onto the ground below.
Seeing this concerning development, Eina called out to Azrael with a deliberately mocking tone. "I should actually thank your teammate for thoughtfully gathering those convenient storm clouds. Without them providing moisture, the Blood God wouldn't have been able to extinguish your little light show so effortlessly."
"What a terrible shame for you."
On the Pixar University bench, Oliver stared blankly at the ominous crimson storm clouds swirling menacingly above the arena.
"Am I actually holding Azrael back with my contribution?" he wondered quietly, self-doubt creeping into his thoughts.
Choi-Gyu's sudden excited exclamation snapped him back to attention. "Brother Oliver, look at what's happening now!"
Azrael's measured response to Eina's taunting was delivered with perfect, almost unsettling composure.
"You're absolutely right about that."
"What a shame indeed."
Eina felt her confidence begin to waver as she studied Azrael's unnaturally calm expression with growing concern. "What's with that insufferable attitude of yours?!"
She whipped her head toward the battlefield with mounting alarm.
Just as mysteriously as they had first appeared, the black flames were now silently consuming absolutely everything within Sasuke's direct line of sight.
Hercules, the grotesque Blood God, the stone arena floor, and even the blood rain the Blood God had desperately summoned to extinguish the encroaching flames—all burned with the same inextinguishable darkness.
Ironically, the only liquid on the entire field that remained completely untouched was the blood flowing freely from Sasuke's own left eye.
Without any concern for the tremendous strain on his precious ocular powers, Sasuke unleashed Amaterasu with absolutely reckless abandon, even more desperately than he had in the original timeline.
In the source material, precious little time had passed between Sasuke's initial awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan and his near-complete blindness from dangerous overuse.
This desperate young man was burning everything he possessed to exact terrible vengeance upon a world he had grown to despise.
The black flames, fueled by the abundant blood coating the arena, spread rapidly in all directions until they reached the protective barrier at the field's perimeter.
From that crucial moment forward, the interior of the arena became completely obscured from all outside observation.
The horrifying spectacle left every single spectator in stunned silence.
Watching the arena transform into what resembled a hellish cage slowly draining Hercules' life force, Azrael spoke quietly. "Your Venue Card does considerably more than simply enhance recovery rates."
"Doesn't it?"
Eina felt cold sweat instantly coat her back, her carefully maintained composure finally cracking under pressure.
Despite her prestigious status as a star player from Kyoto University, she struggled desperately to maintain her usual confident demeanor. "You're talking complete nonsense..."
Azrael smoothly cut her off before she could finish her denial. "Let me hazard an educated guess about this."
"The true ability of your supposedly simple Venue Card..."
"It allows Hercules to draw tremendous strength from being observed by others. The larger the audience, the exponentially greater his power becomes."
"Am I correct in this assessment?"
Eina's face went deathly pale with shock and genuine fear. "How could you possibly know that specific detail?!"
She frantically searched her memory, desperately wondering if someone from the Battle Club had somehow leaked her card's classified information.
"[Bloody Arena], what an appropriately theatrical name," Azrael said with a mixture of genuine admiration and slight regret.
Eina stared at him in complete disbelief. Could someone really deduce a card's complex abilities from its name alone?
If that were actually possible, who among his peers could realistically hope to compete against Azrael in serious dueling? His cards were already devastatingly powerful; adding tactical omniscience would make him virtually unbeatable.
Azrael's lips curved into a knowing, enigmatic smile.
Naturally, he had no intention of explaining his actual reasoning process. After all, Eina hadn't exactly been courteous during their earlier exchanges.
In truth, Azrael hadn't deduced the Venue Card's intricate mechanics from its name alone. His growing suspicions had crystallized when Hercules had shouted, "Look at me! Just like that!"
The sudden, dramatic surge in the hero's aura immediately following that revealing declaration had been impossible to miss for someone paying attention.
Unfortunately, success and failure both stem from the same source. While Hercules' grandstanding had indeed drawn considerably more attention, it had also completely exposed his fundamental weakness to Azrael's analytical mind.
Combining this crucial observation with the inherent symbolism of a gladiatorial arena, Azrael had instructed Sasuke to obscure the entire battlefield with Amaterasu.
His hypothesis proved completely correct.
While the confused audience remained baffled by the impenetrable wall of flames, Azrael could clearly sense Hercules' power level dropping steadily back to where it had been when Eina first activated her Venue Card.
"It seems my deduction was entirely accurate," Azrael said casually, delivering what felt like a devastating critical hit to Eina's rapidly crumbling confidence.
The sudden, dramatic reversal of fortune in the arena only deepened her growing panic and desperation.
Taking several deep, steadying breaths, she forced herself to ignore Azrael's calculated psychological warfare and focused entirely on the battle itself.
In the elevated guest section, the high-ranking Lore Cardians remained completely unaffected by the visual obstruction. To their spiritually enhanced perception, everything occurring within the barrier was as clear as if they were standing directly beside the combatants.
Prime Minister Yuichi let out a resigned, weary sigh. "The final outcome has been decided. Azrael wins this match."
Only now did he fully understand the specific mechanics of Eina's Venue Card. It was equally obvious that Azrael had possessed at least partial knowledge of these abilities from the very beginning of the match.
Finn had already moved past his academy's earlier disappointing defeat. Hearing Yuichi's professional assessment, he laughed with completely undisguised excitement. "I knew Azrael would ultimately prevail!"
"But those black flames from his card—are they truly inextinguishable? Quite fascinating indeed."
After witnessing the flames consume even liquid substances, the assembled elders quickly deduced Amaterasu's unique properties.
Observing the protective barrier rippling dangerously under the persistent assault of the black flames, Finn couldn't help but comment, "Thank goodness the tournament organizers use only the highest-grade barrier cards available."
"Otherwise, if this had continued much longer, the consequences could have been absolutely catastrophic for everyone present."
Prime Minister Yuichi nodded grimly at this sobering observation. "The first national tournament used only Gold-grade barriers, and a student actually managed to breach them during competition."
"If there hadn't been other high-level Lore Cardians present to immediately intervene, there would have been numerous casualties among the spectators."
Finn chuckled as he recalled that particular historical incident from the detailed tournament records.
Meanwhile, in the stands, the frustrated audience voiced their growing disappointment at being unable to see the action.
"I paid substantial money for tickets to watch the matches live, only to encounter this situation in the very first bout. Seriously disappointing experience."
"At least it's better than those tedious defensive matches we saw earlier. Two days ago, I had to sit through two turtle-strategy cards irritating each other for hours."
"True enough. But what about Azrael's flame technique earlier? Did anyone get a clear look at it before the obstruction?"
"I saw it perfectly clear. Wasn't it just Eina trying to extinguish fire with blood? But then the fire started burning the blood itself."
"Does it seem reasonable for fire to burn liquid like that?"
"Since when is it reasonable to argue physics with magical cards? Look, the fire is still burning the barrier itself. Why don't you go spit on it and test your theories?"
"Fair point there."
Within the arena, Hercules glared grimly at Sasuke, who remained safely protected by Fubuki's shimmering telekinetic barrier.
The excruciating agony of black flames consuming his flesh paled in comparison to the deep anguish of losing his audience's empowering gaze.
Although Hercules retained some of the legendary hero's essential characteristics, he wasn't the Berserker-class version from Type-Moon who had lost all capacity for rational thought.
He could still assess tactical situations and make strategic decisions under pressure.
A direct confrontation was clearly impossible. The white-armored girl alone posed a significant threat to him in combat.
That didn't even account for the braided woman beside her, or the emerald-haired girl sheltering safely behind their defensive formations.
His only viable option was to protect the Blood God while attempting to dispel the black flames from the barrier perimeter.
The entire arena, save for a few meters around his opponents, had been completely consumed by these unnatural flames.
If he were in their advantageous position, he would focus on wearing down his enemies rather than risking a close-quarters engagement amid the friendly fire.
With this tactical realization, he took a deep breath. "There's still a fighting chance!"
In the next moment, he planted his feet firmly and swiftly retreated from the opposing cards.
However, what happened next made his eyes widen in complete disbelief.
The pitch-black flames covering the ground instantly parted, creating a clear path that led directly to Hercules' position.
"They can control the flames?!"
This unexpected development completely shattered Hercules' tactical calculations.
He felt a surge of despair as he observed the young man in the distance, left eye bleeding freely, but expression remaining utterly resolute.
Just as Hercules struggled to formulate a new strategy, Lily appeared before him with her holy sword drawn.
The magnificent blade now blazed with the same black flames that covered the surrounding battlefield.
Sasuke's right eye technique, [Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi], granted him complete control over Amaterasu's shape and application.
He could attach these flames to his own Kusanagi sword, and by extension, to Lily's holy sword and Retsu's Zanpakutō.
[Sasuke Special Enhancement: Amaterasu Infusion]!
The holy sword, wreathed in inextinguishable black flames, swept toward Hercules with a piercing whistle.
Hercules abandoned his internal debate and retreated with a heavy heart.
Against an ordinary weapon, he might have attempted to block the strike with his bare hands. But the holy sword already emanated an aura of danger even without supernatural enhancement, and now it burned with flames that seemed to consume reality itself.
Only a fool would attempt to intercept such an attack directly.
Seeing Hercules evade her initial strike, Lily remained calm and transitioned seamlessly from a horizontal slash to a forward thrust.
Her right foot drove into the ground with tremendous force, sending spider-web cracks racing across the arena floor.
Hercules found no avenue of escape and was forced to accept the blow with his own body.
"Schwick!"
Like a heated blade through butter, Lily's holy sword pierced Hercules' abdomen as black flames immediately swarmed into the wound.
The excruciating pain caused Hercules to grimace momentarily, but the Blood God fused to his back refused to remain passive.
A stream of crimson blood transformed into a razor-sharp blade, slashing toward Lily with lethal intent.
Lily maintained her composure, withdrawing her holy sword and retreating smoothly.
"Bakudō #81: Dankū"
A transparent barrier materialized above Lily's position.
Unohana Retsu had cast the defensive Kidō. Although she hadn't activated her [Yachiru] technique, she could still provide effective ranged support.
As the captain of the Fourth Division, she was naturally suited for supportive roles.
A sharp cracking sound echoed through the arena. The hastily cast Severed Sky, performed without its full incantation, couldn't completely withstand the Blood God's assault, but it was sufficient.
By the time the barrier shattered, Lily had safely withdrawn, and Fubuki had erected a telekinetic shield around her.
Seeing that he couldn't inflict meaningful damage, the Blood God desperately swept his crimson blade across the barrier, attempting to dispel the burning black flames.
"Whoosh!"
The massive torrent of blood swept through part of the arena, temporarily extinguishing some of the black flames. However, under Sasuke's cold gaze, endless flames immediately refilled the cleared space.
By this point, both Hercules and the Blood God understood that defeat was inevitable. With their vision blocked, they couldn't even attempt a final, desperate assault.
"Forgive me, Eina," Hercules thought with resignation before launching his last charge.
Outside the arena, spectators waited restlessly for the match's conclusion. Although a small section of black flames had briefly vanished, they hadn't been able to glimpse the action before new flames replaced them.
"Who do you think will win?"
"I have no idea. Probably... Oh shit, we have results."
As everyone watched, the black flames that had engulfed the entire barrier gradually began to fade.
What appeared before their eyes was Azrael's team, completely intact.
Well, not entirely intact, the young man who had unleashed the black flames still bore traces of blood on his face.
But that detail hardly mattered now. The sight could only mean one thing
Azrael had won.