Chapter 26

"Fuck her!"

"Moze, give it your all! I've been wanting to get back at her for a long time!"

At first, Nariren was able to hold her own. But as Moze deepened the effects of the cards, her dodging became increasingly ineffective.

Within the small area where the two stood, the ground began to shake, as if they were standing on a swaying deck rather than solid ground. Moze's footwork became increasingly unrestrained, wild, and unpredictable. Several times, Nariren, attempting a counterattack, missed her target and was instead ambushed by Moze.

Movement, reaction speed, timing...

Moze may not be stronger than her, but with the card's enhancement...

Everything is different now, and nothing matters anymore.

Nariren's movements froze for a moment. Moze, suspecting a trap, dared not approach. So she seized the opportune moment and summoned her new summon.

【Sunflower that calls for the sun】.

The sunflower appeared abruptly, its golden color, fullness, and vitality clashing with the atmosphere of the arena.

Has it started?

A smile appeared on Moze's face as he slightly activated his card. A wave rose and crashed over the seemingly fragile plant. The sunflower swayed its stem but seemed unharmed.

He wasn't surprised. He pushed his uncanny footwork to its limit and rapidly approached the sunflower.

Nariren will definitely set a "trap" and take advantage of this opportunity to severely damage him, just like she is now.

A flaming arrow suddenly shot out from a corner that was difficult to see, striking Moze's chest with lightning speed.

"Still the same as always..."

Moze's shadow deepened as he swung his weapon at the sunflower, the resulting gusts of wind and waves spreading far beyond one spot. Nariren's seemingly clever attack was completely thwarted by the power of the cards. The offensive, undiminished after the counterattack, continued its relentless assault on Nariren.

"This is the power of a Card Master," Moze thought.

Defying common sense and breaking established conclusions, they accomplish the impossible with overwhelming power.

In the corner of the arena, Naliren appeared, her expression solemn. She was unharmed, but powerless to retaliate. Sunflower must have been eliminated, Moze thought smugly, and walked lightly toward Naliren.

"No, wait!"

what happened?

Moze, inside the arena, couldn't hear the audience's cheers very well, and the instructions his teammates gave were vague. What did it mean? Did Nariren still have the ability to resist? Or had someone set a trap?

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the two teams facing off, with nothing unusual about them.

Well, with their strength, they can't possibly cause any trouble.

Moze withdrew the waves and storm and attacked Nariren, but froze the moment his hand touched her.

Lightning.

A violent electric current spread rapidly, from the waves to his body. Moze's prized card ability became his death warrant. He showed a rare look of surprise, his strong body struggling to withstand the electric current. Nariren, this always honorable warrior, seemed to have anticipated this; flames coalesced into a long blade, attacking him with unstoppable force!

"No...who came up with this idea?"

"A hidden bomb in a sunflower? Don't you think that's a bit too sinister?"

"Everyone thought the sunflower was a spell-based summon, but I didn't expect it to have a powerful deathrattle... Moze's resistance was already average, so this is a serious injury."

"Tch, using this method only shows that Nariren is truly out of options."

As the audience buzzed with discussion, the members of the "Golden Compass" made their move.

Liu Yixi's face darkened as he cast a healing spell at Mo Ze to alleviate his paralysis. As expected, he saw the captain's angry expression: "You healed me?"

“Hey boss,” he said with a grin, “blame me if you want. It’s just that our courses are too demanding, and we don’t have time to play in the community tournament.”

"You agree, don't you, Luo Zhiqin?"

Luo Zhiqin was their newly recruited attacking player, intended to replace Naliren. His face was stern, bearing a resemblance to the former Naliren. Upon hearing his teammate's words, his voice was calm: "Let's leave community competitions, these kinds of training events, to the younger students who need the experience."

The next moment, a flash of silver light appeared, and Luo Zhiqin disappeared from the spot.

“I thought ‘Credit First’ would really succeed,” the sudden change ignited the discussion, and the excited students watched the competition. “But the ‘Golden Compass’ is serious now.”

"I don't quite understand, but doesn't this break Moze's promise?"

"It was Nariren who used underhanded tactics first, spreading the news that the sunflower was a large-scale magical creation, and then unexpectedly using it as lightning on the battlefield. How come I've never heard of her being so cunning?"

"So what if she's a little cunning? I think she was just too straightforward before! All's fair in war. Isn't the 'Guiguzi' from the Imperial Academy famous for his cunning?"

"That's called military strategy!"

The menacing "Golden Compass" had the audience, who were so excited they thought the battle was over, but they overlooked the gleam of excitement in Ning Xi's eyes.

It's time.

The powerful spiritual energy released, though it failed to cause any harm, firmly locked onto everyone present.

"Yu Xiangyin, turn the number of floors up to the maximum!"

The "musician" nodded, as if greeting the audience, or perhaps lost in his own music. A warm glow emanated from him, dispersing the rippling waves beneath his feet. Ning Xi called out the locations through the headset, allowing him to use the power of his D-rank card to contend with the domain formed by the C-rank card.

Moze didn't take it seriously.

Although he was angry at his teammates for acting on their own initiative, once he took action, he wouldn't allow himself to fail.

He wanted Liu Yixi, who was working part-time as an assistant, to continue the treatment, but he saw Liu freeze, and a white glove fell to his feet. In front of him, Wang Rengui was already dressed in full protective gear, nervously awaiting the results.

【The Knight's White Gloves】, a new card Ning Xi created for him, is a one-time use item that forces someone to duel him alone.

Does it work? ...It does!

Liu Yixi activated the [Star Ring] with a contorted expression, and a powerful gravitational wave tried to crush him, but Wang Rengui didn't care. His outfit provided a lot of defensive capabilities and damage reduction.

Another spellcaster was affected by Yu Xiangyin's [Musician] and was currently unable to move, only able to activate their defensive cards to the maximum. Luo Zhiqin's silver light was attacking Ning Xi, who was standing at the edge of the field.

Moze was isolated and helpless.

Nariren's attack drew closer. He sneered, and the ship's hull gradually took shape. Even severely wounded, Nariren's flames couldn't possibly break his [Golden Compass]—

The flames were much larger than he had imagined.

The scorching heat, like the approaching breath of death, reduced Moze's prized card abilities and the waves and storms he had desperately summoned to nothing. Nariren's imposing presence in the fire reminded him of the first time he saw her.

"Excuse me, can we get to know each other? Your flames terrify me."

After becoming teammates with Nariren, he frequently used her low mental strength to suppress her. Over time, this strategy seemed to actually work; her flames dimmed and no longer instilled fear in him as they once did.

Today, Nariren seems to have returned to her original self.

...No, he's still a ways off from true C-rank. If he hadn't been so severely injured, he might have been able to withstand this attack. His card master's intuition told him that Nariren hadn't fully recovered her strength, but her card effects had undeniably improved. Because...

He suddenly understood. This was an amplification from another card, the Sunflower, which he thought Nariren had used as a discarded pawn. It was a D-rank card, but it had triggered power close to C-rank.

The card's origin is Ning Xi.

It was this card maker who gave her the power to challenge him.

Ning Xi...

Ning Xi is not in good condition.

Her mental power could detect all of Luo Zhiqin's movements, but her body, unenhanced by the cards, was unable to mount any effective countermeasures. After managing to dodge a few times, she was forced into a situation where she could not escape.

"Moze was eliminated by Naliren!"

“But Nariren’s mental energy seems to be depleted as well. Judging from her appearance, she probably won’t be able to support her teammates for the time being.”

"What should I do? I'm starting to like the 'Top Credit Team,' but why are they still losing?"

"The gap in strength is still too large."

Ning Xi raised her right hand, on which hung a card reader.

She's been called "Crippled S-Class" for so long that many people have forgotten that she can use cards, but she can cause a lot of damage to them.

A card shimmering with golden light was activated, and a familiar warmth spread from her side, combining with Yu Xiangyin's [Warm Jade] to enhance its effect.

This was her first time using a D-rank card, and she felt it worked quite well, but the card was destroyed faster than she expected.

Oh well, she's going to be eliminated anyway.

Luo Zhiqin flashed his blade, and Ning Xi left the scene without resistance. However, the effects of the cards she left behind continued.

But what's the use? Luo Zhiqin withdrew his blade, but met Naliren's eyes instead.

He suddenly realized something.

Nariren looked unwell just now, but she wasn't really seriously injured.

She only appeared relatively weak because she had used up all the card boosts left over from Sunflower.

Ning Xi's actions before being eliminated directly gave Naliren another boost.

Nariren looked at herself, her fighting spirit surging.

Luo Zhiqin gave a wry smile.

...

"The winning team this time is 'the team with the highest academic credits'."

The referee, who came from the Royal Card system, announced the results. His gaze swept across the battlefield: Nariren was the third to be eliminated, but she took Luo Zhiqin and another spellcaster with her. Immediately afterwards, Yu Xiangyin was affected by the [Star Ring] and was eliminated. The battle turned into a one-sided massacre of Wang Rengui by Liu Yixi.

Wang Rengui was powerless to fight back, but managed to hold on for a while thanks to her strong will.

Liu Yixi's mental energy began to deplete, and then Wang Rengui, whom he had used as a punching bag, immediately eliminated him, even though the opponent didn't have much strength left.

Wang Rengui knelt on the field, unable to believe it: they had actually won the final victory.

The referee's gaze fell on one of the contestants off the field. Ning Xi... She was from the card-making department, but judging from her reactions, she must have received training.

A card maker who has received training as a card master...?