Having played Pokémon extensively in his previous life, Azrael naturally understood the critical importance of weather control for certain team compositions. When the right conditions were established, entire strategies could either flourish or crumble based on environntal factors alone.
Unfortunately, Sun-Myun and the others lacked this fundantal understanding. While they recognized Oliver's cards as formidable, they remained ignorant about the specific chanics that made his combination so devastatingly effective.
Now, watching their teammate's carefully constructed weather advantage being stolen by their opponent, the situation had transford into a catastrophic opening gambit. The elaborate setup Oliver had invested precious ti and energy to establish was now working against him with cruel efficiency.
According to Azrael's tactical analysis, Oliver's entire combat system revolved around maintaining environntal control. Without that foundation, his remaining cards would struggle to achieve their intended synergy.
Oliver himself had obviously reached the sa grim conclusion.
Dark waves surged toward the Taoist priest like a malevolent tsunami, carrying the concentrated fury of soone whose strategy had been completely undermined. Although the heroic warrior no longer possessed lightning enhancent, his raw physical capabilities remained formidable enough to pose genuine threats.
Unfortunately, dense volleys of crackling electricity bombarded the space around the Taoist priest in rapid succession, each bolt intercepting Oliver's desperate counterattacks with supernatural precision. The coordinated defense created an impenetrable barrier of electrical discharge that rendered conventional assault utterly futile.
Under the Taoist priest's mystical influence, every lightning strike had acquired a distinctive golden radiance that spoke of divine blessing and enhanced power. The transformation elevated what should have been Oliver's advantage into his opponent's weapon.
The battlefield now presented a study in stark contrasts. On one side stood the Taoist priest, serene and unmoved despite the chaos surrounding him, his expression carrying the tranquil confidence of soone who commanded absolute mastery over the elents. On the other side, Oliver's heroic warrior fought with increasingly desperate fury, surrounded by the crackling aftermath of divine retribution.
Within monts, Oliver's remaining two cards began dissolving under the Taoist priest's coldly impassive gaze, their forms fragnting into dissipating spiritual energy as their connection to their summoner was severed through overwhelming force.
"It appears we've claid victory, Old Chai," Surge announced with undisguised smugness, his satisfaction evident as he observed the dust settling over the battlefield.
Although Chisaki understood this was rely training competition, he still responded with visible irritation darkening his features. "Winning a single match hardly warrants such arrogance."
Sun-Myun and Choi-Gyu exchanged pale looks of dismay before voicing their defeatist conclusions. "It's hopeless," Sun-Myun muttered with obvious despair. "If Brother Oliver can't defeat him, what chance do the rest of us have?"
Choi-Gyu nodded in grim agreent, her confidence visibly shattered by witnessing their strongest mber's decisive defeat.
Hearing such pathetic surrender from his own teammates, Azrael couldn't suppress his internal frustration. How can students from Pixar University possess such complete lack of fighting spirit?
Moreover, these two individuals held main mber positions within the Battle Club. If this represented their ntal fortitude during competition, they had no business participating in national tournants and should return ho imdiately rather than embarrass their institution.
Fortunately, not all five mbers had embraced such defeatist attitudes. In Azrael's assessnt, both Jea-Min and Oliver retained the competitive drive necessary for aningful victory.
Despite his loss, Oliver showed no signs of particular depression. He simply approached his teammates and offered a straightforward acknowledgnt. "I apologize for the defeat."
He made no excuses about opponent targeting or unfavorable matchups. A loss was a loss, requiring no elaborate justification or deflection of responsibility. Such basic awareness spoke well of his character, if not his tactical preparation.
Before the others could respond to his admission, Sun-Myun interjected with obvious complaint. "Brother Oliver, you were far too careless out there. How could you lose so decisively? What are the rest of us supposed to accomplish now?"
His tone carried accusation and bla rather than support or strategic analysis.
Before Oliver could formulate a response, Choi-Gyu's anger flared. "If you think you can do better, prove it!"
Sun-Myun imdiately fell silent, recognizing the challenge for what it was, an invitation to demonstrate capabilities he clearly lacked.
After directing a pointed glance toward Sun-Myun, Oliver dismissed him entirely and focused on his remaining teammates. "Who will compete next?"
Seeing Oliver's deliberate exclusion, Sun-Myun's face flushed with embarrassnt, though he was wise enough to maintain his silence.
When Oliver posed his question about the next participant, Sun-Myun imdiately adopted the defensive posture of soone hoping to avoid notice. The hypocrisy was staggering, despite his criticism of Oliver's performance, he possessed no desire to face the opponent who had defeated their strongest mber.
While he would eventually be forced to participate, he had no intention of volunteering as the second combatant.
After considering the tactical situation carefully, Azrael stepped forward. "I'll take the second match."
Oliver studied Azrael with obvious surprise, his expression shifting between concern and curiosity about his junior colleague's unexpected confidence.
After a mont of contemplative silence, Oliver addressed him directly. "You observed the previous battle, Junior Azrael. The optimal strategy now requires swift, decisive action."
His gaze shifted toward Hisham, who sat in ditation to restore his depleted ntal energy. "The problem is that opponent's knight card poses significant defensive challenges..."
Oliver's words trailed off with obvious hesitation, clearly doubting whether Azrael possessed the capability to penetrate such formidable protection quickly enough to matter.
When Jea-Min witnessed Azrael volunteering for the dangerous second position, she offered tactical counsel. "Focus on providing us with better intelligence about their capabilities. As long as our subsequent participants can eliminate the opposition, we'll maintain competitive viability."
Her approach was pragmatic, using Azrael as an information-gathering sacrifice to benefit later combatants.
Sun-Myun's cold voice cut through their strategic discussion. "I doubt he'll even manage to gather useful intelligence before being eliminated."
The callous dismissal triggered Oliver's stern response. "Shut up!" he commanded with sharp authority.
Azrael felt increasingly exasperated by his teammate's defeatist attitude. The situation was far from hopeless, yet certain individuals seed determined to surrender before attempting genuine resistance. Such behavior would have been embarrassing in any context, but among university students representing their institution, it bordered on pathetic.
Ignoring Sun-Myun's negativity, Azrael positioned himself at the battlefield's edge with calm determination.
Surge observed this newcor with obvious interest. "Old Chai, I just noticed your Battle Club has acquired new main mbers."
Chisaki nodded confirmation before adding crucial context. "He's Master Lucian's disciple."
Surge's expression registered genuine surprise. "Is this the Azrael who dominated the provincial examination in Greenridge Province?"
He had obviously heard reports about Azrael's exceptional performance during those assessnts.
However, Surge's initial surprise quickly transford into confident dismissal. "Even Master Lucian's disciple will taste the bitterness of defeat today."
His words carried complete pessimism about Azrael's chances. Perhaps the young prodigy could defeat one opponent, but could he possibly overco the remaining four mbers of Southeast University's team? With five opponents versus four defenders, and missing what Surge considered Pixar University's strongest combatant, the mathematical advantage clearly favored his institution.
Chisaki remained diplomatically silent rather than engaging with such premature declarations. Privately, he harbored serious doubts about Azrael's prospects against Hisham's enhanced capabilities.
After seizing weather control from Oliver, the Taoist priest card had achieved unprecedented empowernt that would be extrely difficult to overco through conventional tactics.
On the battlefield, Azrael had already summoned Unohana Retsu and Artoria with practiced efficiency. Simultaneously, the massive circular shadow of Soul Society began manifesting behind Unohana's position, its imposing architecture creating an aura of ancient authority.
"A venue card?!" Multiple surprised voices erupted from Southeast University's viewing platform.
Such powerful artifacts remained remarkably rare among freshman and sophomore students. Witnessing one deployed by soone so young challenged their assumptions about normal advancent patterns.
Surge glanced toward Chisaki with grudging acknowledgnt. "Old Chai has been hiding so impressive assets."
Despite this admission, he maintained confidence that Pixar University would ultimately fail to achieve victory today.
In the arena, having observed Oliver's previous tactical errors, Azrael refused to allow his cards to advance rashly without proper preparation. The lessons from that devastating defeat were clear, underestimating the opposition's capabilities led to swift elimination.
Studying the massive tower shield that had again materialized before both the knight and Taoist priest, Unohana Retsu and Artoria exchanged aningful glances. Their tactical coordination, honed through countless previous battles, allowed them to formulate counterasures with remarkable speed.
"The pride of heaven, the iron wall, the dragon walks, the lion roars, the tiger roars, the wolf runs, and cuts off the sky and earth before it collapses," Unohana began her rapid incantation, spiritual energy building around her position with visible intensity.
"Bakudō #81: Dankū!"
A massive transparent barrier instantly materialized above both Artoria and Unohana's positions, its crystalline surface gleaming with supernatural resilience. The defensive wall created imdiate protection against the aerial bombardnt that had devastated Oliver's forces.
Terrifying volleys of blue-gold lightning hamred the spiritual barrier in rapid succession, each impact sending visible tremors through the crystalline structure. Within monts, hairline cracks began spreading across the transparent surface.
What devastating attack power! Azrael thought with genuine concern. During his underground complex expedition, dozens of Silver-level demons attacking in coordination had failed to breach Dankū's defenses. Even when enhanced by Soul Society's empowernt, the barrier was showing structural failure under this assault.
The power differential was genuinely alarming.
From the sidelines, every mber of Pixar University's delegation watched with obvious dismay as their newest representative appeared trapped under overwhelming offensive pressure.
Oliver felt crushing guilt as he observed the situation. "If the storm weather hadn't been stolen by our opponent, Junior Azrael wouldn't face such impossible circumstances."
In the eyes of his teammates, Azrael's two cards resembled helpless targets with no aningful defensive options. The systematic bombardnt appeared to be rely a prelude to inevitable elimination.
Chisaki sighed with resigned acceptance. "Jea-Min, prepare for the third match."
Before his words fully concluded, his eyes widened with shock as he witnessed sothing that defied his expectations entirely.
Not only Chisaki, but every person present, including Hisham on the opposing sideline, displayed identical expressions of stunned amazent.
At that mont, in addition to the thunderous roar of electrical bombardnt filling the battlefield, a clear girl's voice rang out with crystalline authority.
"Caliburn!"
While Azrael's teammates perceived him as a helpless target facing inevitable defeat, his own tactical assessnt viewed Hisham's supposedly dominant cards as equally vulnerable sitting targets.
The golden radiance that erupted from Artoria's blade cut through the arena's oppressive atmosphere like divine judgnt made manifest. The brilliant pillar of concentrated energy pierced upward through the storm clouds with devastating force, instantly overwhelming every defensive asure their opponents had established.
What followed would reshape everyone's understanding of what Silver-level cards could accomplish when wielded by soone who truly comprehended their potential.
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