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BOOM!
The impact echoed across the mountaintop like thunder.
Where Russell had stood, a nightmare now crouched a black and red monstrosity that had caught the Yellow Turban Warrior's devastating punch in one clawed hand. The ground beneath them shattered, spider-web fractures racing outward from the point of impact.
The watching students recoiled, some stumbling backward, others frozen in shock. Even Heath and Keith, who'd witnessed the transformation at the school gate, felt their breath catch.
"What the hell is that thing?" "It looks like something out of a horror movie..." "Is that really a card? It seems almost alive..."
In the center of the impromptu arena, the symbiote-enhanced Russell tilted his head, studying the Yellow Turban Warrior whose fist remained trapped in his grip. The creature's face if that nightmare of teeth and tendrils could be called a face split into an impossibly wide grin.
"My turn now!" The words came in stereo, one voice calm and measured, the other gleefully unhinged.
The warrior's eyes widened the only warning before Russell moved.
A blade of living shadow carved through the air with a banshee's wail. Students screamed. The warrior twisted desperately, and for a heartbeat, it seemed it might escape.
Then an arm went spinning through the air, trailing golden mist.
The warrior had survived, but at a cost. Missing its right arm, it stumbled backward, trying to regroup. Russell didn't give it the chance.
Black and red tentacles erupted from his form, moving with predatory intelligence. They wrapped around the warrior's limbs, constricting like hungry serpents. The creature struggled, its remaining hand clawing at the appendages, but might as well have been fighting the tide.
Russell's monstrous hand engulfed the warrior's head. Students winced at the sound like crushing melon before the creature dissolved into smoke, leaving only a single bean rolling in the dust.
Silence blanketed the mountaintop.
Russell turned to Hazel, Arrogance's alien features somehow managing to convey polite inquiry. "Senior Sister, is there anything else?"
Hazel shook her head minutely. This exercise tested survival instincts, not combat prowess. The warrior she'd summoned was merely bronze-level with blue quality challenging for students forbidden from using independent creature cards, but clearly insufficient for her junior brother.
She tapped a perfect score into her phone with the ghost of a smile.
Around them, the spell broke, and excited chatter erupted.
"Holy shit! In six months, no one's ever beaten Ms. Hazel's warrior!" "We usually just try to survive the full minute..." "Did you see how fast he moved? That thing is insane!" "No wonder they made an exception for him. The guy's a monster literally!"
The students had spent half a year learning to dodge, block, and endure. They'd celebrated lasting thirty seconds as a victory. And here was Russell, dismantling their nemesis like it was made of paper.
As Arrogance retreated into his body, Russell addressed Hazel directly. "I didn't feel any pressure, Senior Sister. Was that intentional?"
Her response came whisper-soft. "First class. Couldn't gauge your level. Used class average as baseline."
That makes sense. The warrior hadn't been weak those ground fractures proved its strength. It simply hadn't expected to face something like Arrogance, with its combination of [Battle Master] enhancement and symbiotic unpredictability.
Noticing Hazel's discomfort with the growing crowd noise, Russell raised his voice. "Next!"
The students startled, then quickly organized themselves. The Taoist beside Hazel summoned another warrior, and the real class began.
What followed was... educational.
Russell watched his classmates take their turns, wincing sympathetically as they were systematically demolished. Some lasted longer than others a girl with impressive footwork managed nearly a full minute, while a boy with earth-based defensive skills turned himself into a walking bunker. But none came close to victory.
Holden could probably manage it, Russell mused, remembering their sparring sessions. Maybe a few others from New Metro's special class.
But these were regular students, talented enough to enter Northgate but not groomed for combat from childhood. They were learning the hard way that cardmakers needed personal defense skills, not just powerful summons.
When the class finally ended, bruised students limped down the mountain path, comparing injuries and swapping stories of their defeats.
"Russell, that was incredible!" Heath bounded over, eyes shining with hero worship. "I saw the transformation before, but watching you fight... Are you interested in joining the Battle Club?"
"Battle Club?" Russell blinked. "We have one of those?"
"Every school with a Cardmaking Department has one!" Heath's enthusiasm was infectious. "It's not just for fun either there's a massive competition every June. Universities from across the country send their best fighters."
"Let me guess," Russell said dryly, "the prizes are worth the effort?"
"Worth it?" Heath's eyes went dreamy. "Last year, the team winners got access to a welfare secret realm. The individual champion? A complete set of gold-level materials."
A full set. Russell's interest sharpened. That meant at least three perfectly matched components, probably high-quality ones given the competition's prestige. Gold-level materials of that caliber could produce something truly special.
"Any restrictions?" he asked, already suspecting the answer.
"Only freshmen and sophomores can compete," Heath confirmed. "Makes sense when you think about it juniors are off doing internships, and it keeps things balanced. No gold-level seniors crushing bronze freshmen."
Russell nodded. The age limit prevented the competition from becoming a one-sided slaughter while ensuring schools showcased their rising talent, not their established powerhouses. Silver versus bronze was manageable; gold versus bronze would be a massacre.
"So?" Heath practically vibrated with anticipation. "Will you join? With your strength, we could actually have a shot this year!"
Russell considered. The materials alone made it worthwhile, and he suspected the "welfare secret realm" held treasures beyond imagination. Plus, regular combat practice wouldn't hurt.
"When do you meet?" he asked.
Heath's grin could have powered a small city. "Every Tuesday and Thursday evening! Oh man, the others are going to flip when they see what you can do. We might actually make it past preliminaries this year!"
As they descended the mountain, Russell half-listened to Heath's excited planning. His mind was already calculating four months until June, time enough to prepare something special.
The national competition would be interesting indeed.
(End of Chapter 104)
PLZ THROW POWERSTONES.