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As the two fighters took their positions on opposite sides of the battlefield, Russell finally got his first look at Lucian's third card. A heroic-looking man clad in black armor materialized with impressive presence—clearly another of Lucian's custom creations.
From the sidelines, Coach Pascal shook his head with obvious amusement. "Old Carter, it seems your Battle Club hasn't made any progress. Still using the same three cards as always?"
The comment stung with familiarity. As institutions in the same city, the two clubs had clashed numerous times over the years. Lucian's card information had long since been exposed through repeated encounters.
Coach Carter barely glanced at his counterpart. "As long as it works," he replied with calm indifference.
On the field, the dragon-snake hybrid took to the air with powerful wing beats while dark shadows from Lucian's other card spread across the ground like living oil. Russell turned his attention to Luke's opposing force—two cards that made him blink in confusion.
A knight gripping a massive shield stood beside a middle-aged man in traditional Taoist robes. What the hell is this combination? Russell thought. A knight and a Taoist priest? That's like mixing Lord of the Rings with Chinese fantasy.
Jean's voice carried from beside him: "Last time we fought Southeastern, he didn't have that Taoist card, did he?"
"Right," Sonny confirmed with a dismissive tone. "His knight card is tough as hell but has zero offense. Like fighting a turtle."
Russell stroked his chin thoughtfully. Pascal's confidence had to stem from something significant. This new Taoist card must pack more punch than its peaceful appearance suggested.
In the arena, the dragon-snake began its aerial dance, drawing thicker and thicker storm clouds overhead. The darkness grew heavy with electrical tension until finally—CRACK!—a massive blue lightning bolt struck the armored figure below.
Electric arcs crackled across the man's black armor, illuminating his noble features in stark detail. Under the fascinated gaze of both teams, a spear of pure lightning condensed in his gauntleted hand.
Odin? Thor? Russell recognized the mythological inspiration immediately. Some kind of Norse god knockoff. Has to be a watered-down version—no way you could summon the real deal at silver level.
The lightning warrior hurled his spear without hesitation. It crossed the battlefield in a heartbeat, aimed directly at the knight's center mass. But Luke's defender was ready—a tower shield blazing with golden light materialized, protecting both knight and Taoist.
The spear's impact sent shockwaves rippling through the barrier field. Electrical discharge carved deep trenches in the arena floor, filling the air with the sharp scent of ozone. Before the echoes faded, more lightning spears followed in rapid succession, hammering the golden shield relentlessly.
"Damn, look at that power output," someone from Southeastern's bench muttered nervously.
"Old Pascal, this won't work," Coach Carter said with obvious satisfaction. "Looks like Lucian doesn't feel any pressure at all."
Pascal just smiled that mysterious smile and remained silent, but Russell caught the way his fingers drummed against his clipboard—not nervous, but anticipatory.
"Lucian's still incredible," Yuna breathed, admiration clear in her voice.
But Russell was studying the Taoist's positioning more carefully. The robed figure hadn't moved an inch since the battle began, standing perfectly still with his hands clasped behind his back. His eyes were closed as if meditating, completely ignoring the chaos around him.
That's not fear or shock, Russell realized. He's concentrating on something.
Sonny's eyes flashed with something that might have been jealousy. "Well, he is our trump card," he said with forced lightness, shooting a meaningful glance at Russell. "Some of us actually earned our positions through consistent performance."
The dig was obvious, but Russell ignored it. Something about this whole setup felt wrong.
"What is it?" Jean asked, noticing his frown.
"Luke's Taoist card hasn't done anything since the fight started," Russell explained. "You don't bring a card just to stand around and watch."
"Maybe the priest is just overwhelmed," Sonny sneered. "Lucian's not giving him any room to act."
But as they watched, the Taoist's lips began moving soundlessly. Whatever he was doing, it required intense focus and careful timing.
On the field, Lucian pressed his advantage with calculated precision. The black mud surged forward in coordinated waves while lightning spears rained down from above. It was textbook combination tactics—deny mobility with area control while overwhelming defenses with sustained bombardment.
The knight staggered under the relentless assault, his shield arm trembling from repeated impacts. Cracks began appearing in the golden barrier, spreading like spider webs across its surface.
"He's breaking through!" Yuna cheered from the sidelines.
"About time," Sonny added. "I was starting to think Luke had actually improved."
But Russell noticed something else—the storm clouds overhead were growing darker and more volatile with each lightning spear thrown. Instead of dissipating energy, the attacks seemed to be feeding something in the churning darkness above.
Energy accumulation, he realized with growing alarm. The Taoist isn't defending—he's harvesting.
The dragon-snake continued its aerial dance, drawing more electricity from the atmosphere with each wing beat. Thunder rumbled constantly now, a low bass note that vibrated through everyone's bones.
"This is getting intense," Jean murmured, her scientific mind trying to process the electrical buildup she was witnessing.
Luke's knight suddenly changed tactics. Instead of purely defensive posturing, he began deflecting lightning spears at precise angles, redirecting their energy toward specific points around the battlefield. The movements were too deliberate to be coincidental.
"What's he doing?" Yuna asked, confusion replacing her earlier confidence.
Russell was beginning to understand, but he kept quiet. Let them figure it out themselves—or learn the hard way.
Lucian sensed the shift in his opponent's strategy and decided to end things decisively. His lightning warrior began gathering power, electrical energy wrapping around the armored figure until he blazed too bright to look at directly.
"He's going for the finishing move," Jean observed.
"Finally," Sonny said. "All this buildup was getting boring."
The crowd held its breath as the lightning warrior prepared his ultimate attack. Even the Southeastern students seemed tense, leaning forward in their seats.
With a sound like tearing fabric, the man launched himself at the shield like a living thunderbolt. The ground split open beneath his charge, sending chunks of reinforced concrete flying in all directions. A sonic boom rattled windows across the campus as he struck the golden barrier with devastating force.
Lightning erupted in blinding sheets that forced spectators to shield their eyes. The protective field surrounding the arena flickered and sparked from the overflow energy, its generators straining to contain the massive discharge.
"Holy shit!" someone screamed from the crowd.
The tower shield, solid as a mountain wall moments before, began developing hairline cracks under the brutal assault. Golden light leaked through the fractures like blood from a wound.
"Would Lucian normally go all-out this fast?" Jean asked with growing doubt.
Yuna shrugged carelessly. "It's basically over anyway. He probably wants to finish quickly."
But Russell had noticed something that made his stomach drop. With each massive lightning discharge, the Taoist's robes had begun glowing with accumulated energy. Faint symbols were becoming visible along the fabric—not decorative patterns, but functional spell arrays designed to channel and redirect electrical force.
Oh no, Russell thought. Lucian just made a huge mistake.
The tower shield, solid as a mountain wall moments before, began developing hairline cracks under the assault.
"Would Lucian normally go all-out this fast?" Jean asked with growing doubt.
Yuna shrugged carelessly. "It's basically over anyway. He probably wants to finish quickly."
The damaged shield finally gave way, dissolving into sparks of fading golden light. Lucian allowed himself a satisfied smile. "That's the match."
Only a sword-wielding knight and the expressionless Taoist remained standing before his lightning-wreathed warrior. Victory seemed assured.
Then the lightning flickered and died.
High overhead, the dragon-snake's anguished cry echoed across the battlefield as it hit cooldown limitations and began fading from existence. Every member of the Northgate team showed surprise—except Russell.
Lucian felt his aerial support disappear and his expression darkened instantly. Something had gone very wrong, but he couldn't identify what. The strangest part was that while the dragon-snake had vanished, its storm clouds remained overhead, still crackling with residual electricity.
A terrible possibility began forming in Lucian's mind, and his face went pale with understanding.
On the sidelines, Russell watched the dragon-snake's energy signature dissipate while studying the persistent storm clouds above. "Lucian's going to lose," he said calmly.
Jean stayed quiet, but Yuna and Sonny rounded on him with identical expressions of disbelief.
"How is that possible?!" they demanded in unison.
(End of this chapter)
THROW POWERSTONES.