Date- 4 April 2321
Time- 00:23
Location- Sun Blossom City, Circle Headquarters
Mike scanned the card apprentice surrounding him one by one. To his surprise other than the damned ego elementals, quite a few of these card apprentices had platinum grimoire. He was noticing this detail now because these sly little fellows had disguised their grimoires as golden-grade grimoires. If he had not carefully scrutinized them then he might have missed this little detail that would have cost him later in the battle. Mike wanted to consider how these card apprentices from a third-class city were able to upgrade their grimoire to platinum grade grimoire but he had no time for it.
The discovery of his enemies having platinum-grade grimoires had alerted Mike, he began to scour his surroundings to check if had missed any other trap or something laid by the enemy. He had learned that he could underestimate this rag-tag group of card apprentices who got together in the name of revenge. To his dismay, he was right to do that, because he found a bunch of card lords suppressing their breath, and energy signature while hiding not so far away from the battlefield. They seemed to be laying dormant waiting for him to start fighting the card apprentices that were currently encircling him. Mike would like to hope that these card lords belonged to some kind of third force, but he knew better, these card lords were more likely to be of the same group as the card apprentice surrounding him. They must be some kind of assassin squad lying in wait to assassinate him when he gets sloppy while fighting the other squad.
Mike finally realized that he was trapped. Despite being careful and trying not to underestimate his enemies he still ended up underestimating them and had fallen into their meticulously planned tarp. The chances of him walking out of this trap alive were very low. Realizing that the enemies he was facing could not only harm him mortally but kill him before his rescue arrives Mike was distressed and turned to look at the boy wondering how a nobody like him managed to achieve a feat like this.
A bunch of loyal card lords, dozens of ego elemental cards, and platinum grimoires were not something that a force originating from a third-rate city should have. Yet Mike was witnessing it right in front of him. Mike was finally afraid for his life. The freaking branch manager of the Circle was afraid for his life. The more Mike understood about his current circumstance the more he felt awe for the boy who made it possible. He could not help but wonder, was this the wonder that thirst for revenge could achieve?
The Circle who only gained information on the boy from the Paw clan underestimated him and his achievements big time despite that his potential had managed to become an eyesore for them. The fact that the boy was able to survive and thrive despite the Circle’s past effort to destroy him and his life spoke for the boy. Now Mike finally began to comprehend why the source from the Paw clan emphasized so much on killing the boy when they had the chance to. The paw clan and their master because of their unique style of operating were elusive to the circle too so it was not clear how this boy was related to the paw clan to conjure so much hate from the matron. Considering the current stiff relationship between the Circle and the Paw clan, Circle would rather sit and watch the paw clan’s potential enemy grow but fortunately for the paw clan this enemy of theirs had cultivated a deep hatred for the Circle proving that given the chance to grow he wouldn’t just be trouble for Paw Clan but the Circle too.
Now Mike had three goals,
First being obvious to capture Ji Feng, as conclusive evidence of Yin-yang harmony’s betrayal or a possible unknown third force targeting the circle.
The second was to kill the boy. If they had found the potential of the boy a few days ago the circle would try to recruit him at all costs and have him forcefully undergo the initiation ceremony to make him loyal to the Circle and its cause. But now it was too late, the Circle appreciates talents but this one had grown fangs that were currently directed at them and had strong wings that would back him even in the toughest of the Storm.
The third was to survive the trap laid by the boy until his help arrived or escape. Upon witnessing the powerful lineup of card lords with platinum grade grimoire and ego elementals, Mike had given up on the idea to try and dominate his enemies head-on with his strength as it was starting to seem impossible so instead, he planned to make survival his priority in this fight along with completion of two other small priorities. With his strength, if gave it his all then these new priorities of his were no longer impossible. Trying to overpower all his enemies was impossible for him but playing it safe was within his strength that was how he planned to fight now. This kind of fighting style was new to Mike as ever since he found out about his relationship with the circle there hasn’t been a fight where he had not dominated his opponents. Maybe that was why he was in this situation, the old him would never have underestimated his enemy.
“Not all, we have one remaining,” the boy’s reply could not have been more obvious and provoking to Mike. Now that the boy had exterminated all his trusted and loyal subordinates, Mike was the only last piece of evidence left that could prove that the sun blossom city recently had a branch of Circle in it.
“Kid , if you want to come for my life then this is not enough,” Mike said glancing at the card lords that were hiding waiting for an opportunity to assassinate him when it presents itself. Making it clear to the boy that his trap has been seen through by him.
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