Azrael was firm in his decision to enter the Black Flag secret realm again to avenge Grey. The weight of his resolve settled in his chest like iron.
Everything that had transpired felt overwhelming, yet it had all unfolded within a single day. The encounters, the revelations, the promises made—ti seed to compress under the pressure of these life-altering monts.
"As for the quota for higher education institutions, I'll claim it through Greenridge Province's unified examination!" Azrael declared, his voice carrying unwavering confidence.
Dareth fell silent at Azrael's proclamation. Having witnessed Azrael's harrowing experience in the secret realm firsthand, Dareth understood the deeper aning behind those words. The boy's determination wasn't born from arrogance; it was forged in the crucible of loss and loyalty.
"It's rare to find soone who still values friendship and loyalty so deeply," Dareth mused, studying the young man before him. Even Master Lucian had recognized Azrael's potential, and Dareth saw an opportunity to invest in it.
"That won't be necessary," Dareth said, his tone asured but generous. "The original reward stands, but I can arrange for you to enter the Black Flag secret realm again after the Elite Cup, regardless of your placent."
Azrael's gratitude was imdiate and genuine. "Thank you, President Yan. I won't forget this kindness."
Dareth waved dismissively, though his expression remained thoughtful. "There's more. For the Talent Cup, I'll arrange for your entire key class from Silverbrook High School to participate as a group. It's better if you don't stand out by competing alone."
What Dareth didn't ntion was how Azrael's background had influenced their decision. Orphaned and driven by the need for power, Azrael embodied the qualities the Crimson Oath Society sought to cultivate. Following today's incident, they had already sanitized Azrael's records, ensuring the Crimson Oath Society would find no suspicious traces.
This calculated preparation was also why Gustav had allowed Koga to walk away unhard.
Azrael's curiosity got the better of him. "President Yan, what exactly will I need to do after winning first place?"
A knowing smile crossed Dareth's features. "Nothing extraordinary, Azrael. The Crimson Oath Society undoubtedly has grand designs, specifically targeting senior high school students. The first-place winner clearly holds special significance in their plans."
His expression grew more serious. "But don't worry. Master Lucian will have his people shadow you discreetly. Your safety is guaranteed."
Azrael exhaled slowly as the reality settled in. There truly was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Fortune favored the bold, though, and he had co too far to retreat now.
With Azrael's tacit agreent, the arrangent was finalized.
Later, standing beneath the starry night sky, Azrael reflected on how this single day had contained more pivotal monts than the previous month combined. His mind churned with complex thoughts as Pidgeot carried him ho through the darkness.
The next morning, Azrael arrived at school and imdiately noticed Gabi and Yurek's continued absence. Their delayed return was understandable; ergency missions rarely concluded quickly or conveniently.
The other students in the class seed poised to inquire about their missing classmates when Miss Victoria strode into the classroom, commanding attention.
"Students, focus here," she announced, tapping the podium with authority. "The school has decided that everyone will participate in the Talent Cup as a training exercise."
"Talent Cup?" The question rippled through the room in the form of confused murmurs.
Silverbrook High School's rigorous academic schedule left little ti for students to follow social news or external competitions.
Miss Victoria quickly provided context. "The Talent Cup is a citywide competition sponsored by Novex Financial for all Velkairos senior high school students. The grand prize is up to one million Empyrean dollars!"
One million Empyrean dollars!
The astronomical figure sent electric excitent through the classroom. Most of these students ca from middle-class families and had never encountered such staggering amounts of money in their young lives.
However, their enthusiasm dimd almost imdiately as their gazes inevitably drifted to Azrael, who sat lost in thought by the window. Reality crashed down like cold water.
They all knew about the joint examination between the four schools in the Nirvale District. More importantly, they knew that Azrael possessed a black iron-level card of at least gold quality, a power far beyond their reach.
"Forget about first place," many students told themselves. "As long as Brother Azrael takes first, second place is still worth celebrating."
Two days passed swiftly, bringing them to the opening day of the Talent Cup. During this ti, Principal Kang's promised reward materialized: 500,000 Empyrean dollars in cash.
Combined with the association's paynt, Azrael now had an impressive 2.72 million Empyrean dollars. He had never felt so financially secure before, though even this substantial sum fell short of commissioning a high-quality bronze card.
The Talent Cup's structure was thodical. Preliminary rounds would span several days, gradually narrowing Velkairos's vast pool of senior high school competitors down to the final sixty-four. Advancent would be determined by a points-based system, and Novex Financial had arranged for expert card-makers to provide live comntary during broadcasts.
"A-grade Qinglong venue," Azrael read from his phone, confirming the location of his first match.
Upon arrival, he was surprised by the substantial crowd. The staggered match schedule allowed spectators to gather intelligence on potential opponents, a strategic opportunity too valuable to ignore.
Azrael's opening opponent was an acne-scarred boy whose nervous energy was palpable even from across the arena.
The referee's whistle pierced the air.
"Co out, Spirit Dog!" the boy shouted with passionate intensity.
Azrael blinked, certain he had misheard, until a large golden retriever materialized in the center of the arena, its tongue lolling happily from its mouth.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi appeared before Azrael and turned with an expression of professional bewildernt that sohow conveyed, "Are you certain about this?"
Azrael nodded, his eye twitching with suppressed disbelief. "Yes, that's your opponent. Handle it quickly, Yoriichi."
The golden retriever vanished from the field in a flash of precise movent.
Azrael had initially assud the Spirit Dog was a scouting summon designed to gather intelligence rather than engage in serious combat. However, seeing his opponent collapse in despair, his face ashen with defeat, confird that the cheerful canine was the boy's only card.
Spectator discussions erupted around the arena.
"Xiaoxi, did you see that? Soone actually brought a white-grade card to this competition!"
"Man, I wish I could draw opponents like that."
Did anyone else notice that humanoid creature card? It looks incredibly powerful."
"Please! It only fought the Spirit Dog. I could beat that dog with my bare hands!"
"Yeah, right."
Ignoring the crowd's comntary, Azrael hadn't expected such an effortless victory. With today's match concluded, he decided to return ho to ditate.
anwhile, in a surveillance room filled with monitoring screens, several figures engaged in a tactical discussion.
One observer pointed to a screen displaying a blonde boy laughing triumphantly with his hands on his hips. "This student's card demonstrates exceptional strength, with a minimum black iron, gold-grade quality. Mark him as a seeded player."
The staff mbers dutifully recorded the information.
"I'm uncertain about this one's capabilities," comnted another analyst, stroking his chin while studying a different screen.
His colleagues gathered around to witness the mont Tsugikuni Yoriichi eliminated the golden retriever in a single strike. However, facing the "Spirit Dog" left them unimpressed.
"What aningful assessnt can you make from a Spirit Dog matchup?" soone scoffed. "I can't believe students are entering white-grade cards in this competition. We'll observe his future matches for better data."
"Agreed."
As the first day concluded, intelligence reports were compiled and landed on the desk of Novex Financial's chairman.
"Levi..." he murmured, scanning the nas and profiles. "Velkairos has produced exceptional talent this year."
His voice dropped to a whisper, tinged with sothing darker.
"What a pity."
An ambiguous laugh echoed through the shadowed office, carrying implications that would soon reshape the fate of every participant.
...
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