Anime Card System

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President Marcus's final words hung in the air, cold and sharp. Principal Shepherd, his face etched with worry, turned away from the officials and looked at his victorious students. "An unexplored bronze-level realm is no joke," he said, his voice low and serious. "The dangers are very real. I need you all to think about this decision carefully."

Nancy and Liam looked toward Russell, their expressions uncertain. Russell remained silent for a long moment, the cheering and applause of the arena fading into a distant hum. He weighed the Principal's words against the burning ambition in his own heart. Fortune favors the bold. If he continued to play it safe, moving at a snail's pace, how would he ever gain the strength he needed to protect himself from the ever-present threat of the Spirit Begging Society? This was a risk, but it was a calculated one.

Besides, he reasoned, the Association wouldn't just throw them to the wolves. A bronze-level cardmaker would be leading the team.

"Thank you for your concern, Principal," Russell finally said, his voice firm. "I'm going."

His resolve solidified Nancy's and Liam's. They nodded in agreement.

Seeing their decision was made, Principal Shepherd could no longer interfere. A slow smile spread across his face, replacing the worry with a wave of immense pride. "You all performed brilliantly. When you return to school, there will be rewards waiting for you."

The Association had its prizes, and the school, of course, had its own. While New Metro First High couldn't provide high-quality bronze materials, Shepherd would not be stingy with what he could offer, be it cash or a wealth of iron-level resources.

"Thank you, Principal!" the three said in unison.

"Haha, good kids, good kids!" Shepherd's happiness was infectious. The performance of his team, especially Russell's shocking final gambit, had filled him with a pride he hadn't felt in years. "Come on! Tonight, I'm treating you all to a proper celebration at the New Metro Peace Hotel!"

Late that night, Russell flew home on Pidgeot, the cool air doing little to sober him up from the evening's festivities. At the hotel, Principal Shepherd had celebrated with reckless abandon, his face flushed red with alcohol as he drifted into a state of near-unconsciousness. He kept slurring a triumphant, rambling toast. "Thirty years in the gutter, thirty years on a throne!" he'd bellow, stunning Russell and the others into silence. "Don't you ever… ever look down on the little guy!" Thankfully, the other three principals and Marcus had remained sober enough to haul the triumphant but incapacitated man away.

After saying their goodbyes, Russell returned to his new house in Evergrove Hills. He unlocked the door and collapsed onto the sofa, the adrenaline from the day finally draining away, leaving a profound exhaustion in its wake. It would be a lie to say he hadn't been nervous. It was his first real competition, a high-stakes trial of everything he'd worked for. But he had won. Unlike others, he had no parents to lean on, no safety net. In this world, he could rely only on himself. Adrift in these scattered thoughts, Russell fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

From the shadows of the room, Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Kaneki Ken watched over him. They exchanged a silent, understanding glance before one of them moved to turn off the lights, shrouding the room in darkness. Then, they took up positions as silent sentinels by his side. They could both sense the immense strain their master was under. Ever since their creation, they had felt his mind stretched taut, a string pulled to its absolute limit. Today, that string had finally been allowed to loosen, just a little. They feared that one day, if he didn't get these moments of respite, it would snap entirely.

What Russell didn't know was that as he slept, a pair of eyes had been watching his house from the property next door.

This watcher was, of course, Brother Tiger.

Seeing the lights in Russell's home go out, he let the curtains fall back into place and sank into his large leather chair, his face a mask of grim frustration. For days, he had observed Russell, noting every departure, every arrival. He had found nothing. The kid acted like a perfectly ordinary, hardworking student.

But Brother Tiger knew better. In his line of work, the complete absence of abnormality was the biggest abnormality of all.

"But now is not a good time to make a move," he growled to himself. Thinking of the other tasks assigned by the Spirit Begging Society, a headache began to throb in his temples. For now, he decided, he would continue to watch and wait. He would see what game Russell was truly playing.

"Hmm~"

The next morning, Russell awoke with a deep, satisfying stretch. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so comfortably. Then, a sudden realization made him sit bolt upright. He had forgotten to meditate last night. He could feel it instantly—his spiritual threshold, which had been on the cusp of the bronze level, now felt shaky and unstable. It was a setback, but a minor one in the grand scheme of things. He didn't dwell on it.

After a quick wash, he summoned Pidgeot and flew to the Cardmaker Association building in Evergrove District. Marcus had told them to report there directly, where they would be met and taken to the new secret realm.

When he arrived, Nancy and Liam were already waiting. "Sorry, I'm late," he said, dismounting.

Before Nancy could reply, Liam just touched the back of his head and gave a good-natured, silly smile. "Not at all, we just got here too."

As they spoke, Marcus appeared, accompanied by three other cardmakers who radiated an aura of seasoned competence.

"These three will be your team for this expedition," Marcus introduced.

"Yes, President Marcus," the leader of the group replied, his voice a low baritone. "We'll be sure to take good care of the students."

These were the captains of the bronze-level teams. Russell and his friends would be joining one of them for the exploration. Russell was assigned to the team led by the strong-looking man named Zane. As they turned to leave, Russell caught a glimpse of Marcus's eyes, and for a fleeting moment, he saw an inscrutable look flash within them.

Zane led Russell to the parking lot, where a man and a woman stood leaning against a rugged, military-style jeep.

"Caleb, Yara," Zane said, gesturing to Russell. "This is the student, Russell, who will be accompanying us."

The two of them looked Russell up and down, and he caught the faintest, almost imperceptible sigh from them both. He understood immediately. To them, this was a chore. They had been tasked with babysitting a rookie. Not only was he an extra burden, but a portion of the mission's proceeds would now be allocated to him—even if the Association would compensate them for it later.

Caleb, a man with a gentle demeanor and smartly-rimmed glasses, pushed himself off the jeep and offered a polite smile. "Student Russell. It is an honor to have your guidance on this mission." The words were polite, but the tone was professionally sterile.

Yara was another story entirely. A jagged scar ran down the side of her face, giving her a perpetually vicious expression. She didn't bother with pleasantries. "Listen up, rookie," she snapped. "Once we're inside the realm, you stick to us like glue. Don't touch anything, don't wander off, and don't cause us any trouble. Got it?"

Russell wasn't offended. Her words were harsh, but her meaning was practical: she was ensuring his safety in her own abrasive way. "I understand, sir... ma'am," he replied honestly.

The four of them climbed into the jeep, and as they pulled out onto the road, Zane began the briefing.

"The secret realm we're headed to has been temporarily designated [Black Flag]. Our preliminary probes have confirmed its energy levels are consistent with a bronze-level realm. You should know all this already."

Russell nodded. Marcus had told them as much yesterday.

Zane continued, his hands steady on the wheel. "The terrain is an ocean-island type, which is one of the more difficult and unpredictable topographies."

"But don't worry," he added, glancing at Russell in the rearview mirror. "The Association has already prepared a vessel for us. Our mission this time is simply further reconnaissance. To gather more intelligence." With students participating, even as a reward, the Association wouldn't throw them into any overly dangerous tasks.

Then, Zane's face became hard, his voice dropping into a deep, serious tone. "Now, for the important part. The dominant life forms in [Black Flag] are humanoid demons. Pirates, to be exact."

He paused, letting the words sink in. "I don't know what they teach you in school these days, but I want you to burn one concept into your mind right now."

He met Russell's eyes in the mirror.

"Demons are not to be trusted. I don't care how much they act like us, how much they look like us. Do not sympathize with them. Ever."

The monsters Russell had faced before had been beasts or grotesque creatures. He'd never encountered a humanoid demon. He recalled his textbooks, which stated that while humanoid demons possessed high intelligence and mimicked human behavior perfectly, they would attack any human from their world—Blue Star—on sight. Sometimes, they would feign peace, but only to gain trust, to lower defenses, to kill more efficiently. There had once been voices in the Federation calling for peaceful coexistence, but those voices had been silenced long ago, drowned out by the painful lessons paid for with blood and tears.

Connecting the textbook warnings with the grim finality in Zane's voice, a chill ran down his spine. His own expression became serious. "I understand, Zane."