"Impressive aura. But nothing as crazy as that of Selis," Kairo said inwardly. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself. Kairo then lifted his left arm where his launcher was hooked and ejected the first card he had prepared.
"It's now called the Ember Sky Protector," Kairo said and summoned the card.
Ortega and the captains all stayed rooted on the spot when the storm was born around Kairo. Within the void, the circuitry of the void reacted strongly, causing the space to flicker with white waves edged into it like in an electric circuit.
"Many have tried to understand the circuitry of the void but have all failed. All we have to date is vague speculations. Such a strong reaction is unheard of," Ortega was explaining, actually lecturing as Kairo progressed. "It is not just about the aesthetic of the card magic; there is something more to this. And all of that relates to the mage awakening. Impressive," Ortega said, his lips curling in a smile.
Kairo was now encased in the imposing protector armor. Carved into dark blue ore, it shone mixing the ember sky and the old protector aura. The lightning jumped and danced around him like happy sparkles.
"Now let's see what this thing can do." Ortega activated the first card in his fingers. There was a loud and blinding explosion, mimicking the summoning of something out of this world.
"I can't see anything." Kairo squinted his eyes, shielding his face. Instinctively he took a step back and raised his arms. The protector armor was powerful but it didn't have a helmet, thus Kairo felt protecting his head was of utmost importance.
Around Ortega was something different. His eyes had changed, turning almost blank and void. Around him was a strange aura continuously leaking out in waves. The aura appeared almost sentient and began moving outwards towards Kairo, devouring everything in its path.
"It's trying to squeeze in between," Kairo said, his breathing caught in his throat. It was like the air was being pressed against his chest, trying to suffocate him.
Kairo had thought the protector armor was supposed to protect him from all sorts of attacks, but it was unable to stop Ortega's aura. "What kind of attack is this?" Kairo coughed loudly. His chest burned like he had been set on fire.
The protector body wavered and with a loud sound, one of his knees was slammed onto the ground.
"The Titan Aura… this is the first time I see it in action," Danzan said.
"Ortega was sent away for two reasons. One, because his abilities made him the most suitable candidate to lead the reapers, and secondly because of his card magic that functioned in sets. And this is just one card in the Titan set," Mirelle explained.
Kairo could hardly get what was being said around him; the aura was aggressive, trying to crush him from within. Kairo had the vague feeling of someone taller than the entire gymnasium looking at him, his foot falling down on him each time the aura cracked.
"I wasn't ready for this," Kairo's dry voice sounded. He moved the protector body, using his arms in a grabbing motion. The aura was both solid and ephemeral. Sealed into the protector's arms, he spread it outward. The abrupt movement caused the aura to part away.
However his respite was short as the aura regrouped around him once more like a dead miasma following after its victims.
"The Titan aura will force all its victims to kneel until they are crushed by the pressure. You have shown incredible capabilities against regular opponents, but regular is subjective. On the island of card fossils, you will see card magic like what you have never seen in your life, Kairo. If you can't adapt quick enough, you will not survive there," Ortega spoke, his voice detached from any form of emotion. The pain in Kairo's voice was a deaf melody to him.
"I can grab the aura but I can't make it disappear. How do I get out of this?" Kairo's mind was flooded with all sorts of thoughts. Ortega had not asked him to summon the protector without a reason. Beyond curiosity, Kairo guessed he was testing adaptability. This was the key trait of card fossils. And if Kairo could not react to it, then he wouldn't survive there.
"The switch effect," Kairo thought. The protector before its fusion was a switch card with which he could substitute between absorbing damage and releasing it with the protector sword, but could not use the two effects in parallel. Even after the fusion it had not lost this particularity. Even better, it now had three effects.
Kairo clasped his hands together before the protector crumbled completely. Channeling his energy into his arms. At first it was nothing but a spark that flickered. "Come on, you can do it," Kairo insisted. His nose already bleeding.
"Kairo…" Mirelle called out. Lips pursed, her words were stuck in her mouth, unable to ask him to stop. More than anyone she knew Kairo. After observing him from a distance for so many years, Mirelle didn't want to be the break that would slow him down. Thus she endured.
"You're going to kill him if this continues," Danzan frowned. But before he could act, Fabian's palm was locked onto his shoulder, a subtle but clear signal for him to stay out of this.
"Kairo needs to grow if he wants to reach his father's level. Your cards are unique, I must admit, but in front of real mastery of card magic it boils down to nothing. The rays of the ember sky Selis used was nothing more than a card that could let thunder fall from the sky. A single ray, Kairo, a very banal card, turned into a harbinger of doom in her hands. Your magic has potential but it is too untapped because of its uniqueness," Ortega continued his teaching. For him it was either Kairo grew now or he failed and died. This was the only way of teaching he knew. There was no more direct way to grow than pushing someone in front of the abyss.
Kairo's face turned pale, so void of life that a single breeze could blow him at any moment. The protector armor stumbled and his second knee fell on the ground. It was like something was pushing his head down, forcing his body to arch or break.
"Growth? Does that mean cards can evolve and grow?" Kairo's heartbeat accelerated. After the Fountain, Kairo was proud to say he knew more about card magic than most. But this was so far-fetched it had never crossed his mind.
"I have relied too much on the uniqueness of my cards. This is why even with the immense power the protector has, I can't use it."
"You're right, Captain Ortega. Growth is the only way out," Kairo said. Around him, sparkles of lightning began coalescing. Jumping back and forth in his field of vision as if waiting for his order to reveal its might.
Kairo pushed his knees upward, causing the protector armor to fissure slightly. With a clear sound, the sparkles condensed into his left arm.
Kairo himself gasped in shock. He had the vague feeling of holding lightning in his palm. The power contained within the lightning in his arm was burning the aura around him, forcing it to retreat on its own. This was the new ability the Protector had obtained after the fusion.
"Incredible… he has mastered a resonant card," Mirelle's mouth flashed with a prideful smile. As Magnus's second, she learned about card magic way faster than anyone. Having recently learned about card resonance, she also knew about how complex they were.
"Resonant cards require more control and aura mastery to be activated; otherwise they lie dormant if the mage's aura is unable to summon them. That's one of the reasons Magnus never mentioned it to most," Ortega nodded.
Kairo, encouraged by the others, used the lightning in his arm to send rays of lightning forward. Summoning its chaotic arcs that razed the areas from every angle. The aura was split into two, sent back into Ortega's body.
"Perfect," David smiled. His body completely unfazed by the storm that missed him by inches. On his left jaw there was a slight cut mark that turned red. After the lightning disappeared, Ortega used his thumb to wipe off the blood.
Kairo didn't know why but he had the impression Ortega was happy to have been wounded. As if only through this way could he be certain Kairo had what it took for the island. "How really scary are those card fossils?" Kairo couldn't help but ask himself.
David clapped his hands together, signaling Kairo it was finally over. "You're ready, Kairo. Strength, resilience, adaptability. You have what it takes to survive on the island. However, don't get too cocky. You still have two days to progress even more."
"Thank you, Captain Ortega," Kairo said. Acknowledgement coming from such a person was deeply personal. This was clear proof he had grown, and by a large margin. Kairo straightened his back, beaming with pride. "Island of card fossils, I am coming," he said.