Academy War God: Unrivalled Magic

[Before the Battle - Magic Club Meeting Room] In the Magic Club, a temporary strategy meeting was in progress.

Yorumi Sō sat at the head of the table, his wounds still unhealed. The echo of the card queen continued to whisper in his mind. In front of him lay a dossier on his next opponent:

[Aoblue Academy - Rank #4] Name: Hakufu Shinya Discipline: Psychic - Telekinetic Type × Archery Special Skills: Clairvoyance × Trajectory Lock-On × Telepathy Weapon: Mind-Fused Heavy Bow [Spiritual Arrow: Eternal Flow] "He can sense his opponent's next move... and even redirect his arrows mid-flight?" White Lan frowned.

"That's not just a normal long-range sniper..." Mutō Karuma gritted his teeth. "This is domain-level sniping. And of course, it's incompatible with our illusion-based magic."

"Don't forget - our illusions are especially vulnerable to 'telepathic perception + tracking' types."

"I'll take this one," Yorumi Sō said calmly.

"You're pushing yourself too far!" Sayo Hōdō slammed the table. "The Queen's mental interference hasn't worn off yet!"

Yorumi didn't argue. He just said quietly:

"You all heard what Funk said... This isn't just about club rankings anymore."

"This is about the fate of the academy."

Silence fell.

"White Lan. Karuma. Help me prepare the battlefield. I'll activate the Magic Club's strongest illusion barrier - the Mirror Domain."

[Battlefield: Dragon Fang Arena - Edge Sector - The Bow of Dusk] The edge of the Dragon Fang Arena had been transformed into a powerful illusion barrier by the combined efforts of the core members of the Magic Club.

Yorumi Sō stood at the center of a mirror-like terrain - walls of reflective surfaces surrounded him, bending perception and refracting both light and intent, creating a maze of sensory confusion.

Hundreds of meters away, Hakufu Shinya stood, cloaked in a long azure robe, his right hand resting on his heavy, spirit-fused bow, his gaze serene.

"An interesting battlefield... You want to challenge a telekinetic archer in a mirror maze?"

Yorumi did not answer. He simply drew a single card from his deck - ♧ Black Jack - Projection Card Across the field, Hakufu smiled slightly and pulled his bowstring. A psychic arrow materialized in the air, pulsating with tracking energy.

"Let's see how many times you can fool me."

The battle begins.

[Illusion × Sniping × Psychic Duel] As Yorumi threw his card, three identical images of him split off in all directions, reflecting endlessly on the reflective terrain.

Hakufu calmly closed his eyes. His arrow automatically locked onto a path.

-Tracking Arrow: Spirit Shot - Locked Trajectory The arrow was released, refracted nine times through the mirrors in a dizzying arc - then struck one of the mirrored images dead center.

Boom!

Not the real one. A clone.

But the next arrow was already in flight-heading straight for the real Yorumi, hiding behind a mirrored corner.

"He's not using his eyes to see..."

Gritting her teeth, Yorumi threw another Jack card, trying to disrupt Hakufu's mental lock.

But Hakufu wasn't fazed.

"Mental resonance acquired. Target's heartbeat frequency synchronized. Illusion interference rate: 78%."

"Your cards are clever..." Hakufu's voice was quiet as thunder, the arrow retreated. "But my arrows-they hesitate themselves."

Another shot - straight through Yorumi's chest.

He barely dodged. Blood ran down his shoulder. His map hit the ground.

The queen's voice returned, a whisper in his skull: "Accept me... Let me vanquish him."

"No... not yet. The Queen's power is still too unstable."

"But... I can answer him-with Jack."

His cards shifted - dual activation!

-Black Jack × Queen: Dimensional Sever Mode - Fivefold Projection Attack!

Five cards were launched in a spinning arc, weaving together clones, illusions, and spatial decoys - trapping Hakufu in a storm of hallucinations.

Hakufu's brow furrowed. A faint light flickered between his eyebrows.

-Mental Piercing Charm: Rewind Scan!

In an instant, Yorumi's vision darkened. The mirrored dimension seemed to be swallowed by an unseen eye.

The queen's power surged violently inside him - teetering on the brink of a rampage.

"AaaAAAGH-!"

Blood trickled from the corners of his eyes. The Queen card floated up, her silhouette briefly visible behind him.

-"Queen: Then let me take over."

"No... It's not time yet."

Yorumi forced the chaos down, punching his own mirror construct, shattering the entire illusion realm - reality snapping back into focus.

Hakufu stumbled back, obviously surprised for the first time.

Panting, Yorumi looked down at the shattered pieces of his map.

"I won't win with her..."

"I'll win... with my own play."

He raised his last card - his original creation:

"Black Ace.

[Hospital - The New Successor of the Swordsmanship Club] -Tōun Academy - 7th Floor Isolation Ward Kyōichi Tendō, the president of the Swordsmanship Club, lay unconscious. Around him, antipsychic barriers flickered faintly. His eyebrows remained furrowed, trapped in residual illusion shock.

Outside the room, a lone figure stood.

Kagurain Kurenjin - the newly appointed vice-captain of the Swordsmanship Club, a contemporary of Shirakawa's and personally chosen by him to succeed him before his death.

Dressed in a black and gold academy robe, twin swords crossed on his back, he carried the same quiet poise as Shirakawa... perhaps even sharper.

"Tendō's mental strain has reached its limit," the chief medic said worriedly. "He won't be returning to battle anytime soon. The honor of the swordsmanship club... falls to you."

"Understood."

Kagurain turned, unwavering, and stepped into the darkened training hall. His sword hummed softly, like thunder waiting to be unleashed.

"Shirakawa-senpai's will... I will inherit it."

His eyes were fixed on the battlefield, shining like drawn steel.

"The Swordsmanship Club will not surrender."

[Back at the Magic Club - Just Before the Climax] Yorumi looked up at the new report.

"Kagurain... You were Shirakawa's peer. His chosen successor?"

"And the one he left his 'unfinished trial' to," Kurenjin nodded. "Had you not defeated Kazeryū, I would have challenged you myself."

Yorumi smiled faintly.

"Now is your chance."

They locked eyes - just as Yorumi and Shirakawa had done months ago when they first met.

But this time-this time, it was a duel between successors.

The game begins.Hakufu Shinya × Magic Club Defensive Line