Victor, who had always considered Azrael his rival, had naturally studied the recordings of his previous battle with Crowley extensively.
Therefore, he was well aware that Artoria's combat effectiveness would be significantly reduced after unleashing the Holy Sword.
"Take one out first!"
The elders in the guest seats instantly understood Victor's intention.
"The right choice." A hint of approval flashed in Prime Minister Yuichi's eyes. While defeating Artoria wouldn't guarantee Victor's victory, it was still better than the current situation where he faced multiple opponents.
However, upon seeing Azrael's calm expression, a flicker of doubt crossed his mind. "Does he have any countermeasures?"
"What an interesting battle."
Master Finn, standing nearby, also watched the fierce battle with keen interest.
Honestly, this match was probably the highest-level one yet in this national competition.
Regardless of their allegiances, he was witnessing two exceptionally talented young men fighting for their lives on the field.
Well, probably only one was truly risking everything.
Or rather, given Victor's aggressive fighting style, every battle was a life-or-death struggle for him.
After all, he had signed a life-or-death contract before entering the ring.
On the field, Victor had already closed the distance to Artoria.
Watching her strategic retreat, his expression gradually shifted from wild excitement to focused calm. "Azrael, defeating you begins now!"
Unfortunately, the situation didn't unfold as he'd anticipated.
An invisible wind spear thrust forward with deadly precision, instantly tearing apart the fragile earth beneath.
Just as the spear's razor-sharp tip was about to make contact with Artoria's body, her right arm, adorned with the gleaming silver gauntlet, suddenly blazed with a dazzling light.
"[Hold the Sword Tightly, Silver Arm]!"
A magnificent holy sword, forged from concentrated golden energy, instantly materialized in Artoria's grasp.
Victor's pupils constricted sharply at the sight; changing his attack trajectory was now extremely difficult at this range.
Fortunately, the wind spear posed such a lethal threat that Artoria's battle-honed intuition told her that even if she chose to trade injury for injury, the outcome would be catastrophic.
She held the radiant golden holy sword horizontally before her, blocking the wind spear's deadly path.
The spear's tip clashed violently with the blade, sending a raging gust of wind that whipped through Artoria's long hair.
"Ha!" Victor planted his feet firmly, harnessing the power of his hips and core, and thrust his wind spear forward like a raging dragon. "Shatter it!"
He actually intended to pierce through both the holy sword and Artoria herself in one devastating strike!
Unfortunately, while the golden energy holy sword appeared deceptively fragile, it was actually [Excalibur - The Sword of Promised Victory]. Victor's ambitious idea was nothing short of wishful thinking.
Artoria felt a tremendous surge of immense power emanating from the legendary sword, a terrifying force beyond mortal imagination.
Her expression hardened with determination, and she, cleverly using Victor's own momentum against him, flew backwards gracefully, landing steadily on the ground outside the enemy's immediate attack range.
Seeing this tactical retreat, Victor performed an elaborate Spear flourish with his spear in one hand. "Azrael."
"As expected of you! You didn't disappoint me in the slightest!"
He closed his eyes briefly and glanced around the battlefield, noting that Artoria, Unohana Retsu, and Nel had formed a strategic triangle around him. "Since that's the case, I won't be picky about my targets."
"Let me show you my true form!"
"Tiger Demon Devour!"
Victor's frenzied voice echoed throughout the entire arena, accompanied by a bone-chilling tiger's roar.
The next moment, his tiger-head armor shattered completely, and a massive, invisible tiger seemed to swallow him whole.
"Boom!"
The deep, rhythmic sound of a supernatural heartbeat hammered against everyone's eardrums.
In the blink of an eye, Victor reappeared on the battlefield with his upper body completely exposed, revealing countless battle scars etched across his muscular torso.
The wind spear in his hand now swirled ominously with streams of dark black energy.
A collective gasp of amazement echoed from the packed stands.
"Wow, today's ticket was really worth every coin. It's worth it even if I don't watch the rest of the matches."
"Who says it isn't? This Victor is far too fierce. If I faced that kind of devastating attack just now, my legs would probably give out from sheer terror."
"Wake up from your delusions, if it were you, you'd probably be dead without even making a sound."
"By the way, didn't any of you notice the impressive new card Azrael used? Just how many hidden abilities has he been concealing?"
"I saw it clearly. I didn't expect Azrael to make up for that card's previous shortcomings so quickly." This comment came from an audience member who had watched the intense battle between Azrael and Crowley. "And that chain card combination is really impressive. If I had such a powerful card..."
"Get out of my way, I need to go to the bathroom and wake up from this impossible dream."
Azrael on the sidelines squinted analytically at Victor, whose entire aura was completely different from before the transformation. "Sure enough, I'm not the only one whose card has a devastating second stage."
He reflected on it, and the only cards that could activate a second stage so far, except for Crowley's fearsome Goddess of Vengeance, seemed to be Victor's formidable [Tiger Demon].
"But if you think the [Silver Arm] only has normal armament capabilities, you're seriously mistaken about its true power."
"I need to end this quickly. I can't sustain so many active cards for much longer without severe consequences."
He looked at the cards currently deployed on the field: Sasuke, constantly casting his black flames of Amaterasu; Fubuki maintaining her powerful telekinetic whirlwind; Nel, returned to her deadly release form; Unohana Retsu, activating [Yachiru: Dormant]; and Artoria, wielding the [Silver Arm] and unleashing her sacred divine power.
The fact that Victor had been able to hold out this long against such overwhelming odds made Azrael declare him the strongest Lore Cardian of his level he had yet encountered in combat.
In terms of pure physical combat skills, he'd call him the absolute undisputed best!
On the field, Artoria's right arm, along with the holy sword she gripped, continuously emanated brilliant golden particles of light.
With a determined breath, she tightened her grip on the weapon that felt reassuringly warm in her hand, and in the blink of an eye, she appeared directly before Victor.
It was the same scenario as before. Artoria's expression darkened with focus as she faced the battle-hardened warrior before her, his weapon held with unwavering confidence.
Even with the dual enhancements of her [Silver Arm] and the complete release of her magical energy, the formidable opponent was still able to easily withstand her most powerful attacks.
However, Azrael had more than just one card present at this crucial moment.
Almost immediately, Unohana Retsu appeared silently beside Victor and slashed at his exposed waist, while Nel's double-bladed lance was already aimed precisely at his head.
At this point, there was absolutely no room for holding back, and every single attack from Azrael's cards was filled with lethal intent.
Since the opponent had chosen this dangerous fighting method, he must be prepared to die in glorious battle against a powerful opponent.
Facing the coordinated siege of the three women, Victor remained remarkably calm. He first used his superior strength to deflect Artoria, then grabbed Unohana Retsu's razor-sharp blade with his left hand, wrapped in protective black energy, and swung the wind spear in his right hand toward Nel.
Though he successfully withstood the devastating attacks of all three, Sasuke and Fubuki were still present and active.
Fubuki, now focusing her considerable telekinetic abilities, was far from negligible. But it was Sasuke's piercing Chidori that truly threatened him, the lightning technique chirped ominously as a concentrated beam struck Victor's exposed body.
Lightning and black energy mingled chaotically, continuously bursting outward in all directions.
Even the mighty Victor was beginning to feel genuinely exhausted at this point in the prolonged battle.
The black energy flow only partially blocked the attack at his chest, and the Chidori beam pierced cleanly through his defenses.
Glancing down at the charred hole in his torso, Victor grinned widely, his teeth now stained with crimson blood. "Come on!"
He'd suffered this kind of grievous injury countless times before in his brutal training!
Wind spears, swirled with black energy currents, raged across the battlefield, and for a moment, Victor was evenly matched against Azrael's multiple powerful cards.
Unfortunately, two fists were no match for many hands, and as the battle dragged on relentlessly, more and more serious wounds appeared on his battered body.
However, Azrael was far from celebrating victory. He sensed that Victor's menacing aura was growing stronger in inverse proportion to his injuries. "Where did this berserker come from?"
"Lower HP equals higher attack power? What kind of ability is that?"
Artoria watched Victor's aura grow increasingly intense and dangerous, and she tightened her grip on the holy sword. "We can't keep dragging this out any longer."
In a flash, she finalized her decisive battle plan.
Taking a deep breath, Artoria launched her final attack.
Victor roared hoarsely, "Damn it! You're the one who's going to fall today!"
"I'll beat you until you kneel!"
Artoria ignored his desperate taunts, thrusting her holy sword straight at Victor with deadly precision.
A flicker of contempt crossed Victor's bloodied eyes. "Are you getting tired already? You're trying to finish me with such a straightforward attack!"
He gripped the holy sword firmly with his left hand, unconcerned even as the sacred energy scorched his palm severely.
Seeing that Artoria's holy sword seemed unable to escape his iron grasp, Victor chose to deal with the other two opponents first.
At that crucial moment, the young knight's resounding cry suddenly rang out across the arena.
"[Flash, Silver Arm]!"
A brilliant golden light instantly engulfed Victor, along with Unohana Retsu and Nel in its radiance.
Seeing this unexpected development, cries of surprise erupted from the stands.
"That devastating attack can be used a second time?!"
"No, it's probably just a weaker version. Didn't you notice how much quieter it was than before?"
"If we don't defeat Victor this time, we'll be in serious trouble. After all, it affected our own allies as well."
"Defeat? Why do I feel like Victor might actually die from this?"
This sobering statement instantly silenced the stands.
They realized then that Victor was actually fighting in person, a situation infinitely more dangerous than other Lore Cardians who used summons.
In the guest seats, Prime Minister Yuichi and Master Finn also stood up abruptly, frowning as they took in the scene.
Azrael had already surprised them by preparing a card that could enhance his summons' normal combat abilities significantly.
Who could have imagined that this same card could unleash another such powerful, concentrated attack?
"This card," Prime Minister Yuichi couldn't help but exclaim, looking at the holy sword in Artoria's hand radiating divine light. "It feels truly extraordinary."
"A chain card combination?"
As a Diamond-level Lore Cardian, he could naturally sense the perfect synergy between [Silver Arm] and Artoria.
He also recognized that Artoria was the legendary King Arthur.
"Then what was the weapon she used before this?"
"Caliburn perhaps?"
He thought of Artoria's previous blade. He had originally thought it belonged to the Sword in the Stone, but now it seemed the one the young knight was holding was something far more significant and powerful.
"So this isn't King Arthur's final form?"
He came to this conclusion almost instantly, considering that the [Silver Arm] was actually connected to Excalibur itself.
Prime Minister Yuichi was genuinely puzzled. "Is King Arthur's level really that extraordinarily high?"
Artoria was currently a Silver-level card, and future advancements would likely reach at least Gold rank. With the chain cards, Emerald wasn't out of the question entirely.
A King Arthur of this caliber had never appeared in Great Britain's history.
Prime Minister Yuichi couldn't have been aware of Artoria's true advancement path, including the Master-level [Lion King] form. Otherwise, he wondered what his expression would be.
Master Finn, standing nearby, didn't think much of it practically. "Should we go down and stop them now?"
He had high hopes for Azrael, but he hadn't anticipated his hidden cards appearing one after another. That unknown chain card was truly eye-opening.
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Yuichi gathered his thoughts. "No rush, let's wait and see how this plays out."
As the golden light gradually faded away, the scene on the field became clear again.
Azrael's other cards stood completely intact.
Artoria had clearly planned carefully for this attack.
Remember, when she was testing the power of [Silver Arm] in the Southern Capital, Fubuki at full strength had completely blocked [Flash, Silver Arm].
Now, it was Fubuki who, from a safe distance, had cast a protective telekinetic shield around the two women.
Victor, however, received no such protection. Hit directly by the concentrated beam, he fell heavily to his knees, his body charred and blackened, relying solely on the wind spear embedded in the ground before him to keep from collapsing completely.
Most of the flesh on his face had been burned away, leaving two eyes that still refused to close in his skull-like visage.
"Hehe."
"I... I can still fight."
"Come and fight me."
He was still conscious, still defiant against defeat.
At this moment, just like during the Greenridge Province Unified Examination, the same people, the same outcome, Victor had once again fallen to Azrael's superior strategy.
Facing a still-determined Victor, Azrael simply had Unohana Retsu use her healing techniques to restore his cards' condition.
He remained ready to continue the fight if necessary.
"Gulp."
The sound of nervous swallowing echoed from the stands.
"Is he going to continue fighting?"
The referee hesitated uncertainly. He knew Victor had signed a life-and-death contract before stepping onto the stage. Logically, since he was still conscious, the fight should continue. But continuing the battle was clearly tantamount to killing Victor outright.
Just as the referee gritted his teeth and prepared to declare the match over, an elegant middle-aged man with distinguished graying temples appeared on the field. "Azrael wins this match."
It was [Fighting God] Tempest himself.
Azrael instantly recognized the man as Master Tempest, who had once tried to recruit him.
He couldn't help but feel nervous at the thought of how he had defeated his opponent's disciple so decisively.
But Tempest simply nodded and gave Azrael an understanding smile before leaving the arena.
However, until he was carried away on a stretcher, Victor's bloodshot eyes remained fixed on Azrael.
The spectators in the stands, not accustomed to seeing a master Lore Cardian intervene, buzzed with animated discussion.
"Wasn't that Master Tempest just now? I didn't expect him to come watch the match personally."
"Speaking of which, Azrael will probably be remembered by Master Tempest now."
"You're overthinking it. I have a relative stationed up north, and I hear Master Tempest is very reasonable and wouldn't take such a matter to heart."
"Are you sure it's really a small matter?"
"Isn't it said that Master Tempest was often beaten half to death before his promotion? Perhaps such defeats are a necessary part of their training routine?"
Azrael scratched his head on the sidelines, carefully filing away Tempest's intervention. He and Victor had fought a fair and legitimate battle, and he figured there wouldn't be much reason for complaint.
If there really was a problem, Azrael would call for backup without hesitation.
He wasn't some unprotected protagonist from those fantasy cultivation novels. Azrael now had the backing of two master-level Lore Cardians: Lucian and Jin!
But Jin could be ignored, even if he was willing to intervene, Azrael wouldn't want that. He still wanted to stay in the Empire of Aetherlight.
Just glancing at Alice, who showed no reaction at the preparation table, Azrael felt confident that Master Tempest wouldn't bother with him.
Although Victor had been taken away, the competition had to continue.
At the referee's whistle, the second-place contestant from Northwind University trembled visibly as he stepped onto the battle platform.