Kyoto University's ace, Eina, had been thoroughly defeated, seemingly unable to force Azrael to reveal even a fraction of his true power.
The arena fell into a deathly silence, the crowd stunned by what they had witnessed. The pitch-black flames of Amaterasu, said to burn as hot as the sun itself, had completely dominated the battlefield. Eina, whom many considered one of the strongest competitors in the tournament, had been overwhelmed without forcing Azrael to show anything beyond what appeared to be merely his newest technique.
The remaining three opponents from Kyoto University stood no chance against Azrael's summoned cards, whose strength had barely diminished from the previous battle.
"Team Round of 16, Match 1: Pixar University wins!"
With the referee's announcement, Azrael's team secured their advancement to Day 3 of the main competition. The crowd slowly began to process what they had witnessed, a complete dismantling of one of the tournament's strongest favorites.
In the guest seats, observing Azrael's relaxed expression as he returned to his team, Master Finn released a deep sigh. "His cards reveal virtually no information about his true capabilities."
Prime Minister Yuichi nodded in agreement, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Indeed. And that black flame technique appears deceptively simple. As a Lore Cardian of his caliber, there must be far more hidden abilities we haven't yet witnessed."
The two high-ranking officials couldn't have imagined that Amaterasu was merely one ability among many within Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan. As Diamond-level Lore Cardians themselves, they recognized the sinister power radiating from those crimson eyes, sensing layers of untapped potential they had yet to witness.
Unfortunately, Kyoto University hadn't possessed the strength necessary to force Azrael into revealing his other tactics. They could only wait for a future opponent to push him to his true limits.
"Young people these days are truly formidable," Prime Minister Yuichi remarked, composing himself after the shocking display. "Pixar University should really express their gratitude to Master Lucian this year."
"If Azrael hadn't been born in Velkairos, giving Master Lucian the first opportunity to recruit him, who knows which prestigious academy would have claimed him after the Jiangsu Province Unified Examination."
The old saying held true: those closest to the water get to drink first. Without Lucian's early intervention, there was no telling which university Azrael might have chosen after dominating the provincial exams.
"Exactly." Master Finn's eyes gleamed as he watched Azrael below. "Do you know who he reminds me of when I observe him now?"
Prime Minister Yuichi's pupils contracted as he grasped the implication. "You're truly that optimistic about his potential?"
The weight of the comparison struck him immediately. "Yes, Lioren possessed equal confidence at that age."
"But you should remember the threshold between Diamond level and Master level, shouldn't you? Look at us, how many years have we remained stuck at Diamond rank?" (AN: Again, you have Emerald (it is confusing in the original) -> Diamond -> Master -> Sovereign -> I don't know yet)
Master Finn shook his head at this sobering reminder. "This is merely my personal assessment. I make no guarantees about the outcome."
He glanced at Prime Minister Yuichi with mild surprise. "Why such shock? Haven't I identified promising youngsters over the years before?"
Prime Minister Yuichi recalled the old man's habit of annually declaring "this student possesses the bearing of a Master," though Azrael's card performance had been genuinely exceptional, causing him to momentarily lose his composure.
"Enough talk! Every promising candidate you've praised has been eliminated from consideration."
Master Finn fell silent before responding somewhat defensively, "Are you holding me responsible for the increased frequency of secret realm invasions these past few years?"
Prime Minister Yuichi had made this comment because most of Master Finn's favored candidates from previous years had perished during demonic invasions from unstable dimensional rifts. However, his words were meant in jest. He smiled and patted his colleague's shoulder. "You know I'm only teasing you."
The comment clearly struck a nerve, as evidenced by Master Finn's flushed complexion.
The frustrated master tugged at his beard in irritation, rolling his eyes at the Prime Minister beside him before changing the subject. "I'm genuinely concerned about the increasing frequency of secret realm manifestations in recent years."
"Even Master-level dimensional rifts are appearing far more frequently than in previous decades."
While the Empire of Aetherlight possessed sufficient strength to eliminate Master-level secret realms, and the materials obtained could cultivate new Master-level Lore Cardians, given the choice, he would prefer that no secret realms appeared at all.
Prime Minister Yuichi remained silent for a moment before speaking with evident weariness. "Who can say for certain? We're all simply trying to maintain stability in these uncertain times."
His expression brightened slightly. "However, there are indeed many more talented individuals emerging recently."
"This year alone, we have Azrael, Victor, James, and several others. I'm confident the situation will improve from here."
The Empire of Aetherlight was experiencing a golden age of emerging talent!
Meanwhile, Azrael had returned to the preparation area, where he waved his hand in front of the still-dazed Oliver. "What's wrong? Are you completely stunned?"
Oliver was speechless. When he had witnessed Hercules preparing to use his condensed crimson aura to create trouble for Azrael, his mind had been thrown into complete turmoil.
He had originally taken the stage hoping to conceal some of Azrael's hidden abilities, but hadn't expected his well-meaning actions to become an obstacle instead.
Fortunately, Azrael had handled the situation with remarkable ease. Otherwise, Oliver wouldn't have known how to face his captain afterward.
But had that devastating black flame technique really not been considered a trump card?
What Oliver didn't realize was that without special circumstances, Azrael wouldn't have allowed Sasuke to deploy such a large-scale Amaterasu. While the flames looked impressive, covering such a vast area was actually inefficient and wasteful.
Azrael had deployed the technique on that scale partly to drain Hercules' vitality systematically, and partly to block the audience's view of the specific combat tactics being employed.
Barring any unforeseen developments in subsequent matches, Amaterasu would typically be used more precisely—burning specific opponents directly or coating his allies' weapons with the inextinguishable flames.
Azrael seemed to read Oliver's troubled thoughts perfectly. "Don't worry about it. That ability isn't a crucial trump card, it's essentially just for show."
Upon hearing this revelation, the remaining four members of the team were genuinely shocked. The black flames that had just covered the entire arena were merely for display purposes?
The three remaining Kyoto University players had suffered agonizing burns from those flames, writhing in visible pain as the fire consumed everything it touched indiscriminately.
Even Azrael's King Arthur's holy sword, when wreathed in those menacing black flames, had seen its attack power increase dramatically.
Since their captain had stated it so matter-of-factly, they accepted it without further question.
"Let's go! We still have several important matches to observe."
Seeing his teammates regain their composure, Azrael led them purposefully toward the spectator stands.
Their match was finished, but they still needed to scout Northwind University, Mingke University, and Northern University of Science and Technology, their potential future opponents in upcoming rounds.
To gather intelligence about upcoming adversaries, they naturally couldn't simply leave the venue.
Just as Azrael wouldn't have been able to defeat Eina so efficiently without first studying Kyoto University's capabilities in meticulous detail.
The second match pitted the defending champions, Mingke University, against Vaelcrest Buddhist Academy.
As the reigning champions, Mingke University was undoubtedly formidable, having essentially dominated their previous matches with overwhelming superiority.
Of course, this could also be attributed to fortunate bracket placement, having avoided any particularly challenging opponents thus far.
Last year's champion, Olek, was directing his signature card, [Nine Virtues Mountain God: Dragon Chariot], in battle against the opposing monk.
Since the Empire of Aetherlight didn't particularly revere Buddhism as a primary faith, Vaelcrest Buddhist Academy wasn't especially powerful compared to other prestigious institutions. However, this assessment was only relative to other elite universities within the Empire of Aetherlight; it remained significantly stronger than Buddhist institutions in its country of origin, India.
Sadly, despite being the historical birthplace of Buddhism, the nation known as the Mughal Empire did not worship Buddha as their primary deity.
As foreign Muslim conquerors, the Mughals had naturally embraced Islam, while the indigenous population steadfastly adhered to Hinduism, a faith that promised ascetic practices would be rewarded with divine blessings.
Unlike the relatively open-minded and diverse culture of the Empire of Aetherlight, after the invasion of dimensional rifts, ordinary people in the Mughal Empire discovered that their religious devotion could actually earn them the favor of Hindu deities, which only served to strengthen their existing faith.
Although the so-called divine blessings were simply the acquired ability to create cards based on Hindu mythology, the devoted believers didn't seem to care about the technicalities.
Perhaps after becoming Lore Cardians, they gradually realized there were no actual deities intervening, but since they could effectively control mythological power, they decided to perpetuate the beneficial illusion. Mughal Lore Cardians had essentially become the very dragons they once sought to slay.
Thus, the legends of the Mughal Empire were constantly reinforced and validated, and now only those who worshipped the Hindu trinity could become Lore Cardians there.
At least, that's what the official Pixar University textbooks claimed, and Azrael had been genuinely surprised when he first read about it.
Looking at the powerful monk radiating brilliant golden Buddha-light below, Azrael suddenly thought of something important. He turned to his teammates and asked curiously, "Speaking of which, Kevaugn, your cards are also based on Buddhist mythology, aren't they? Why didn't you apply to Vaelcrest Buddhist Academy instead?"
Kevaugn was startled by the direct question, then became visibly speechless. "The Buddhist Academy requires all students to observe the Five Precepts strictly: no killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, or consuming alcohol."
"The lifestyle requirements are far too strict. I simply can't handle that level of restriction."
Azrael was momentarily confused by this response. "How can they possibly become effective Lore Cardians if they're forbidden to kill?"
"They justify it by claiming that killing demons actually protects life, and that eliminating accumulated negative karma doesn't technically count as taking a life."
Kevaugn understood his captain's obvious confusion completely. "According to their particular philosophy, secret realm demons aren't considered true living beings."
"That's quite a flexible interpretation," Azrael said, feeling utterly speechless at the logic.
How frustrating! When would secret realm demons finally be able to stand up for their rights?
Even as they conversed, Olek's [Nine Virtues Mountain God: Dragon Chariot] had already decisively defeated the opposing monk.
Azrael frowned as he observed the leopard-tailed, human-bodied mountain deity dominating the field, muttering thoughtfully, "Mingke University hasn't revealed anything genuinely new so far, have they?"
Indeed, despite multiple competitive appearances, spectators had yet to see last year's champions, Olek and Mikeala, deploy any previously unknown cards or techniques.
However, just as Azrael was contemplating this strategic observation, the final member of Vaelcrest Buddhist Academy unleashed his most powerful ace:
[Protector of the Sangha: Brahma Sound].
A serene monk with half-closed eyes materialized on the battlefield, radiating intense golden light as ethereal chanting filled the arena with resonant power.
Suddenly, nine-colored lights flashed across the entire field, and the mountain god with its leopard tail and human torso struggled visibly to maintain its composure.
"Tsk, these monks are always so troublesome to deal with," Olek muttered with visible annoyance.
The next moment, a mystical goat with nine tails and four ears appeared on the battlefield.
With the creature's sudden manifestation, the previously agitated [Nine Virtues Mountain God] instantly calmed and regained its focus.
The monk from Vaelcrest Buddhist Academy couldn't help but grimace in disappointment.
He hadn't expected his opponent to possess such a perfect counter to the [Protector of the Sangha]'s devastating mental assault.
Azrael, watching intently from the stands, shook his head knowingly. "The Buddhist Academy is definitely going to lose this one."
It was simply terrible luck for the academy. In Azrael's professional assessment, Olek's new card wasn't particularly powerful overall, but it happened to be perfectly suited to resist psychic attacks.
Vaelcrest Buddhist Academy had the supreme misfortune of facing Mingke University at exactly the wrong time.
As Azrael accurately predicted, the match concluded with Mingke University's decisive victory, though this contest had clearly been more challenging than their previous effortless performances.
After the civil engineering students efficiently repaired the damaged arena, teams assembled for the highly anticipated third match:
Northern University of Science and Technology versus Tiova University.
The first four individual battles were relatively unremarkable, with both schools essentially trading victories back and forth.
Finally, Northern University's captain, Adrian, faced Tiova University's ace, Anya, in what promised to be a decisive encounter.
Azrael's eyes narrowed with interest as he watched three sophisticated robotic figures emerge onto the field. "I sincerely hope Tiova University can force out some of Adrian's hidden capabilities today."
Even as he considered this possibility, the intense battle had already begun in earnest.
From the very opening moments, Azrael could clearly foresee the inevitable outcome. "Tiova University's performance isn't particularly impressive this year. They're highly likely to lose to Northern University."
This result wasn't particularly surprising to him. Tiova University's ace was only marginally superior to Oliver at best, still significantly inferior to Kyoto University's formidable Eina.
"Interesting. Has fortune finally shifted in our favor?"
Azrael found himself genuinely amused, thinking about the formidable opponents Northern University had faced in previous challenging rounds.
The result unfolded exactly as he had predicted. Although Anya held out for an extended period with admirable determination, she ultimately succumbed to the robots' relentless and coordinated assault.
"Unfortunately, we still don't know the specific name of Victor's card."
Like Azrael's custom creation, Victor's card was personally designed. Unless the creator voluntarily shared detailed information, outsiders had absolutely no way to determine the card's specific abilities or official designation.
This was precisely why, despite the increased difficulty and lower entry threshold of custom cards compared to mythological ones, many Lore Cardians still chose this challenging path. It was also why Eina had been so terrified when Azrael accurately deduced the hidden ability of [Bloody Arena].
Just as Azrael was feeling somewhat frustrated by the lack of useful intelligence, the fourth and final match began:
Northwind University versus Riverstone University.
Victor, Azrael's old rival from the Jiangsu Province Unified Entrance Exam, was Northwind University's undisputed ace player.
However, to everyone's genuine surprise, Northwind University chose to have Victor compete first rather than last.
No, it would be more accurate to say Victor personally chose to go first himself, regardless of team strategy.
Azrael glanced at the Northwind University students, who looked like wronged spouses bearing silent grievances, and shook his head knowingly. He vividly remembered a similar reaction from Victor's high school classmates during the provincial examination.
Just like during the provincial competition, Victor personally entered the battlefield rather than remaining safely in the rear position.
Naturally, no one questioned his unorthodox combat style at the national level. He still held the prestigious title of "Fighting God" Tempest's personal disciple.
But unlike during the provincial examination, Victor's cards were now far superior in every aspect.
As Azrael watched with keen interest, a familiar-looking tiger appeared beside Victor on the battlefield.
The next moment, with a deafening roar that shook the arena, the tiger pounced directly upon its own summoner.
As horrified spectators watched in stunned amazement, the tiger merged directly into Victor's physical body.
Just as the majestic creature completely vanished, heavy armor with a fierce tiger head emblazoned prominently on the chest instantly enveloped Victor's entire form.
"He's completely abandoned his previous ghost-type abilities," Azrael observed, remembering the Tiger Demon card Victor had possessed at Bronze level. It appeared to be the exact same card, only significantly evolved and enhanced. "But where's his primary weapon?"
Just as Azrael wondered about Victor's armament, a powerful wind filled the entire arena. In an instant, an invisible spear of compressed air materialized firmly in Victor's grasp.
"Come and fight me!"
With a thunderous battle cry, Victor thrust his spear forward with tremendous force.
The swirling wind gathered around the weapon, emitting a sharp whistle as it cut through the air with deadly precision.
Under Victor's terrifying and relentless assault, Riverstone University's top-ranked competitor barely withstood a single devastating strike before falling.
Then came the second, third, and fourth opponents in rapid succession.
Kevaugn, watching Victor laugh wildly in the arena like a berserker, couldn't help but swallow nervously. "Is this really Master Tempest's disciple? This behavior seems somewhat excessive."
Victor had made calculated strategic moves in previous rounds, but he had always relied primarily on his cards to systematically defeat opponents.
Unlike this shocking display, where he had activated what could only be described as berserker mode and engaged in direct personal combat.
Riverstone University's final player stared at Victor with a grim expression of dawning dread.
His summoned cards were now being chased and systematically battered by his opponent, unable to mount any effective resistance whatsoever.
The scattered gusts of wind tore apart the arena surface destructively, and Victor achieved a complete one-versus-five victory with minimal apparent effort.
After the referee officially announced the result, Victor didn't immediately leave the field as expected. Instead, he pointed his invisible spear directly at the spectator stands.
In the stands, Azrael watched as Victor glared at him with undisguised battle-lust, understanding his aggressive intentions perfectly.
Azrael stood deliberately and responded to the challenge.
"I will completely crush your martial arts dreams."