The Glorious Evolution

As the viewers cheered on Levi, Gamemaster Gamble switched the main focus back to the Ruiner and the Dealer’s battle. Most viewers were tuned to Levi’s battle after nukes had started getting thrown here and there.

They were so captivated, they didn’t even remember that another battle was ongoing... however, the instant their eyes displayed the aftermath of these two’s battles, their cheers died out in no time.

-What the... what kind of battle did these two have.-

-It’s all ruined... the entire combat room is ruined.-

-It’s him! The Ruiner! I can see him inside the cloud of dust!-

The watchers couldn’t help but suck in a deep breath at the horrible condition of the combat room... the floor and the walls were reinforced, and yet... there were craters, holes, chasms, and shattered walls all over the place.

Gamemaster Gamble showed everyone the highlights of these two’s battle and everything made sense...

***

Five minutes before... in another combat room.

The Dealer and The Ruiner were standing face to face tens of meters away from each other... the duel had started two seconds ago, and yet, none of them made a move.

’The Dealer’s aspect is too tricky... I need to rely on hope that he draws weaker effect cards.’ The Ruiner thought inwardly as he loosened his shirt and released his red wrathful aura wildly.

A wave of overwhelming aggressive pressure rushed out from his body, mismatching with his gentle demeanor.

The Dealer didn’t flinch... he shuffled a deck of black tarot cards using countless skillful ways.

”You already know how this ends,” the Dealer smiled, ”But let’s play anyway.”

The Ruiner merely chuckled in response and then... there was no then, the Ruiner’s face was already a couple meters away from the Dealer, his fist covered in agitated red mist.

He skipped straight to the second threshold, wanting to end this battle as quickly as possible, not willing to give the Dealer the chance to draw his cards.

Alas... his thoughts were in the right spot, but the Dealer wasn’t an amateur. He had already pulled the first card and kept it in his pocket the instant he started his shuffle.

The Dealer instantly pulled it out and turned it in the Ruiner’s direction.

It was The Fool card!

The moment it spun, the Dealer’s feet were engulfed in golden light... sensing the change, the Dealer leaned back at a strange angle, almost falling... the Ruiner’s empowered fist skimmed over his nose and hit the ground behind him, blowing out a small crater!

Yet, the Dealer used the recoil of the dodge to push off with his heel... he slid to the side with a smooth movement like someone slipping through a tight gap.

His entire movement changed instantly, and everyone watching noticed... he wasn’t just faster, but completely unpredictable!

’Damned Arcana Tarot Arts... the Fool cards give him impossible but lucky movement, as if chance itself tilts his body into the one safe path of all the ones allowed.’

The Ruiner’s grimace kept changing to irritation as he watched the Dealer avoiding all of his attacks and projectiles like a slippery bar of soap... the Dealer’s movement matched the card’s description as he was indeed moving like a clown fooling around, his movements unserious and cartoony!

”Let’s see if luck is still favoring me or you.”

The Dealer chuckled as he floated above the Ruiner’s already swung fist, standing upside down on it with one hand and using the other for the tarot deck... he looked like he was made out of fortune as even when the Ruiner reflexively tried to twist his entire body on the Dealer, he found himself holding nothing but air.

The Dealer was already standing upside down above the Ruiner, using his head as a support... the Dealer ignored the Ruiner’s furious tirade and drew another card from the top of the deck.

Justice card!

”Sweet!” The Dealer laughed in amusement and jumped away from the Ruiner after the Fool’s effect died out... his Arcane Tarot Arts bestowed him with powers based on each card (Major Arcana and Minor Arcana).

However, he couldn’t stack two effects of two Major Arcana cards... but he could stack Major Arcana with Minor ones, allowing him to manipulate the main effect.

Knowing that this art was actually much more dangerous than simplified description, the Ruiner didn’t hesitate to crouch down a little as he charged his fist tightly near his waist.

’Fourth Threshold... Fifth Threshold...’

The Ruiner’s eyes and hair displayed five red lines as he gritted his teeth, already feeling the beast knocking to come out... If he kept breaking the seals, the instant he reached the ninth seal, his true self would come out to smell some fresh air.

The Ruiner didn’t want that... not until he tried to defeat the Dealer on his own.

”Begone!”

Following his roar, the Ruiner swung his fist in the direction of the Dealer even though more than tens of meters separated them... yet, a red devilish Minotaur manifested out of pure wrathful aura charging in his direction!

The Dealer felt the insane force this punch carried, understanding that it was powerful enough to erase him instantly.

But he wasn’t too worried... he pressed the Justice card between his palms and snapped it in half!

Instantly, a white, straight line of light appeared in front of him... like an invisible wall dividing the space. The Ruiner’s charging wrathful Minotaur construct was split perfectly into two symmetrical red shockwaves!

One wave shot left... The other shot right... Neither touched the Dealer. Both impacts exploded against the walls behind him, shaking the combat room for a moment.

”Justice forces attacks to divide evenly, canceling any uneven blow directed at me.” The Dealer smiled while chilling behind the white line.

The Ruiner’s expression hardened... he wasn’t used to having his attacks miss even when he was at the Fifth Threshold.

Seeing the Dealer reaching his hand to the deck, the Ruiner flinched in dread... he wasn’t scared of the first two effects or any similar ones. He could handle them... however, what he couldn’t handle was a single card in the Tarot deck.

A card that guaranteed the Dealer’s win of any battle he went through and managed to pull it.

The Death Card.

’If he pulled the Death tarot card, I am done for... our seed’s growth level is more or less similar.’

The Ruiner frowned deeply after noticing that the third card that was pulled was the Tower... he knew some effects of cards, but not all.

It was believed each Fortunari had different effects on their Tarot decks based on their life experiences... this meant each member of that race had a unique battle art even if it shared the same name and ’weapon’.

However, some cards had fixed effects... like the Death card.

Though, its dreadful effect could apply only against those of similar growth level or lower... it couldn’t be used against anyone with a stronger Shadowlife seed.

This applied to most powerful card effects since such powers were born out of the Probability Aspect that the Dealer wielded... this aspect was a lesser aspect of the Fate aspect tree, which gave it limited authority over the laws of Fate and Destiny.

Yet, its powers were still immense as it represented the ability to manipulate chance, likelihoods, and the potential outcomes of events. It allowed the Dealer to shift the odds in his favor, distort or stabilize random events, and make improbable things happen... or prevent likely things from occurring.

Essentially, it was the control over the mathematical ’what could happen’ of the world, but channeled through battle arts that relied on Tarot Cards!

As The Ruiner gazed at the Tower card, he had no clue what effect it would have if the Dealer used it offensively... and he didn’t leave him waiting for long.

”The moment your mind clings to the Death card, all you do is wait for fate to decide,” the Dealer said with a smile, whipping the Tower card like a spinning ninja star straight at the Ruiner.

The Ruiner swiftly retreated backward, but his expression turned grim after noticing that the spinning card was still chasing him!

He zigzagged, jumped, flew, he did everything... but the card refused to let him go.

”You can’t escape from fate... no one could.”

As the Dealer’s relaxed voice resounded across the combat room, he snapped his fingers once... and then, the Tower card turned bright and exploded a couple of meters away from the Ruiner’s back!

The explosion released any sort of destruction that was painted in the card...

The Ruiner found the ground beneath him rumble and split apart, forcing him to jump across the expanding chasm... however, a sudden lightning bolt struck him not once, twice, but nine times in a row until his toasted body was thrown tens of meters away.

Yet, it wasn’t over... the ground underneath him cracked open and raging flames engulfed him from every direction!

The remaining viewers watched with stunned expressions as the Ruiner kept rolling on the burning floor, covered in flames that refused to die out or let him go!

For they were no regular flames... they were guided by fate itself, and no one could escape their fated destiny!

With the Arcana Tarot Arts, the Dealer decided on his opponents’ fate based on the drawn cards!

As the Dealer watched the Ruiner getting burnt to a crisp, he shuffled the deck again and reached out with his hand to pick a new card.

But his mind wasn’t in this battle.

’I wonder what the Celestial is doing... is he losing?’ he murmured inwardly.