The morning haze over Kumo's upper training fields carried the sharp scent of ozone. Rai stood alone beneath a clearing sky, cards floating like sigils around him—five visible in his peripheral field, the rest hidden in the slowly expanding reservoir the Reliquary provided.
He breathed deep and tapped the system prompt.
> Condensed Draw Ready. Combine three pending draws into one enhanced result?
—Yes—
The cards shimmered, data folding inward like origami folding into fire.
> Condensed Card Draw Result: Dragon's Rage – Equip Spell
Equip only to a Dragon-Type monster. That monster inflicts piercing damage when attacking a Defense Position enemy. Damage is calculated as the difference between ATK and DEF.
Rai blinked. Another dragon-affiliated card. That made three total now—Masked Dragon, Kidmodo Dragon, and now an Equip Spell that empowered them.
He could feel something flickering between them—like embers catching fire under wind.
Still, today wasn't about raw power.
It was about learning.
---
Kaida had agreed to a spar.
Not a full combat trial like the bell test she had promised in a few days—just a match to push Rai's monsters to their breaking point. Daiki and Reina sat cross-legged off to the side, watching with interest but holding back any commentary.
"Remember," Kaida said, tightening the wrappings over her forearms, "I won't go all-out. But I won't be pulling my strikes, either."
Rai nodded. "That's what I'm counting on."
He stepped back and drew the card from his internal reservoir.
> Masked Dragon – ATK 1400 / DEF 1100
When this card is destroyed by battle: Special Summon one Dragon-Type monster from your hand or Deck.
The card flashed into reality.
Crimson light arced across the field, and Masked Dragon surged forth—leaner than La Jinn, but with a serpentine sharpness in its movements. Its wings beat once, then folded with tension as it dropped into a ready crouch.
Rai felt it again—that flicker. The summoning cost had gone down.
He could feel it now. Masked Dragon had become more real. Its presence didn't drag on his chakra the way it had before.
"Begin," Kaida called.
She moved fast—lightning fast—her form vanishing in a blur of chakra-assisted footwork.
"Intercept!"
Masked Dragon reacted immediately. Its wings snapped open and it launched upward—not to strike but to collide.
The clash was brief, brilliant. Kaida's palm, wreathed in low-level Lightning Release, slammed into the dragon's flank as it struck her shoulder.
Both combatants skidded apart.
Masked Dragon hissed, stumbling, smoke rising from the impact. Cracks spiderwebbed across its scaled form.
Then—it shattered.
Shards of red chakra peeled away into the air, dissolving like embers.
> Masked Dragon has been destroyed. Activating effect—Special Summon one Dragon-Type monster from hand or reserve. Reduced chakra cost due to Special Summon status.
Rai blinked as the Reliquary pulsed.
He hadn't queued a new draw.
And yet—the system responded, pulling from somewhere else.
> Subpool access granted. Summoning—Kidmodo Dragon.
ATK 100 / DEF 200
If this card is destroyed: Special Summon one Dragon-Type monster from your hand. This effect can only be used once per turn.
The creature manifested—a tiny draconic shape no larger than a housecat, with mottled bronze scales and glowing amber eyes.
It floated above the field, wings gently fanning the air.
Rai felt the strain in his chest ease.
That had cost chakra—but not nearly as much as a normal summon. And—yes—there was a flicker of chakra returning to him. Masked Dragon's destruction had refunded a portion of what was spent.
A faint glow pulsed over his tenketsu. He narrowed his eyes.
So that's what it felt like.
Kuriboh had been the only monster destroyed before, and it cost so little chakra Rai had never noticed the refund. But now—with a mid-level monster like Masked Dragon—the feedback was unmistakable.
"Interesting," Kaida murmured across the field, now crouched on one knee. "Didn't expect that."
Rai frowned. "Neither did I. I didn't summon that dragon."
"You didn't?" She eyed the floating child-dragon carefully. "System effect?"
He nodded. "A subpool, maybe? I didn't draw it just now."
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "We'll need to test the source later."
She stood, brushing dust from her arms. "That's enough for today."
Kidmodo Dragon fluttered to Rai's side, curious but silent.
The match was over.
But the lesson wasn't.
---
That evening, Rai sat on the roof of the dormitory, his cards hovering around him in slow rotation.
He stared at Masked Dragon's faded form in his mental deck—a small indicator now reading:
> "Stabilizing – Chakra Cost Reduced (Stage I)"
And underneath it, a note in system font:
> Repeated use of a single monster increases its integration with the user's chakra signature. Stability reduces the cost of summoning.
The more he used them, the more real they became.
Not just constructs—but something else. Something halfway between tool and ally.
He watched Kidmodo curl up beside his sandals like a warm ember.
And he realized something else.
The Reliquary wasn't just a system.
It was a bond.