Just as Blanc was still shaken, a boom rang out-the Cathedral doors were kicked open.
Blanc's gaze sharpened as he looked over and saw [3] Laxus striding in with a swagger that acknowledged no one.
Blanc secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Though events had taken some strange turns, at least his original scenario of meeting Laxus at the Cathedral's summit had come to pass.
"Hey~ You're finally here, Laxus."
"But judging by that sorry state you're in, you must have been through quite a fight."
"Cut the crap, Blanc!"
"This boring competition has dragged on long enough! It's time to settle this, with the title of strongest on the line! With the position of Guild Master on the line!"
A burst of lightning erupted around Laxus, and he was about to charge straight at Blanc. Before he could take a step, however, a dense web of Jutsu Shiki markings suddenly lit up.
The entire Cathedral floor was instantly divided into a massive 5×5 Virtual Chessboard, though its third row contained only two squares.
The positions occupied by Laxus and Blanc were partitioned off into an enclosed Barrier space, and a screen displaying a miniature map of the field materialized in the air before them.
At the same time, a strange, futuristic-looking device with card slots abruptly appeared on each of their hands.
Laxus froze and looked down in astonishment, his brows tightly furrowed. "What is this thing?"
Blanc wore a light smile and an air of mystery. "This is the format of the competition on this field!"
"Here, physical combat is absolutely forbidden! We won't compete in magic. Instead, we'll test our courage, wisdom, and tenacity through a card game!"
"There's a button in the upper-right corner of the Virtual Screen in front of you. Tap it to open