The Otherworldly Gate × Vonk's Warning
Night.
Yorumi Sō stands alone on the roof of the Magic Club. The wind whispers through his cards. The queen still whispers.
"Are you afraid?"
"No," Yorumi murmurs, "I just... can't see the way anymore."
At that moment, Vonk appears silently. His black robe flutters in the wind, and the cube in his hand spins slowly.
"The queen is only part of the passage," he says in a low voice. "The real danger... is getting too close to 'The Gate.'"
Yorumi turns to look at him, confusion and curiosity in her eyes.
"What exactly is the Otherworldly Gate?"
Vonk looks at him.
"It's not a literal gate," he answers. "It's a resonance mechanism - when a person's consciousness and identity begin to drift from the reality coordinate, the Gate begins to sense them."
"And those who are pulled in... what do they become?"
Vonk pauses for a moment, then says, "Some become 'kings'... others lose themselves forever."
He hands Yorumi a burnt, tattered playing card - the King of Hearts, marred by burn marks.
"My former comrade once desperately sought the Gate. All that's left of him... is this."
Yorumi's fingers tremble as he takes the map.
"Where is this gate now?"
Vonk's voice is deep and calm.
"Inside you."
[Side Arc - Trial by Combat - The Three Generals of Aozora]
Meanwhile, on the rear battlefield of Tōun Academy, the elite trio of Aozora Academy split up to begin their probing attack.
[Shadowblade Duelist - Eleya] vs. [Kagurain Kureha]
A clash of speed and swordsmanship.
Eleya's movements flicker like ghosts, her blade style light and deceptive - an art of residual shadows. Kureha counters with Sixfold Sword Seal, each strike delivered with calculated precision.
Eleya scoffs:
"You're no Shirakawa... but you act like a gatekeeper."
Kureha replies calmly:
"I do not guard gates. I guard the sword club's creed."
The match ends in a draw, but Kureha forces Eleya to reveal a hidden trump - a spatial folding da.
②[Mecha Spear Engineer - Calanso] vs [Byakuran].
Perception vs. High Impact Attack.
Calanso wields multiple mechanical spears on his back and suppresses with intense long-range fire. Byakuran creates six phantom clones that slip through the barrage and appear directly behind him.
Calanso growls, "You're a pesky little nuisance."
Byakuran grins, "I am the 'Black Rabbit' of the Magic Club. Remember my face."
Before a decisive blow can land, a faculty member forcibly stops the match. But the strategic styles of both sides have been laid bare.
③[Phantom Bladesman - Altis] vs. [Mitō Karuma]
A pure battle between whipblade and double sword.
In the center of the Ryūga Arena, Altis disassembles his twin blades into shimmering projections, colliding fiercely with Karuma's whipblade technique.
"You're not Yorumi," Altis says coldly, "but that rage in your soul... it's the perfect bait for the Gate."
Karuma shouts:
"Don't treat me like a lab rat!"
He unleashes his ultimate move - Binding Flame Chain Slash, temporarily trapping Altis. But it's clear that Altis has yet to show his true strength.
After the match, Karuma smashes a Guardian Crystal, cursing under his breath:
"He's here looking for a key..."
[Final Scene].
Late that night, Yorumi returns to his room and stares silently at the burnt King of Hearts.
And in the depths of his dream, the blurry figure reappears - Jack of Hearts, smiling faintly:
"The gate is now open. The Queen was only the overture... The real story began the moment you first feared losing something."The World Beyond the Gate × The Arrival of the Three Generals