Kairo, after a few hours of wandering, arrived in front of a huge cathedral. Towering above the buildings, it spanned several acres of land. The cathedral had a massive circular dome, shining like a rainbow with several jewels embedded into it.
Kairo and Harid went deep into the building, passing through a secured door. The cathedral had three levels, and Kairo and Harid went down to the fourth level.
Here, it felt a little darker and gray. Bustling with individuals working on all sorts of things. It was like some sort of ultra-secret basement with tons of gadgets Kairo had never seen. 'It must cost a fortune to finance all of this.' he thought.
Kairo and Harid arrived in a lab where a figure was currently working with a patient on the table. But unlike the horror movies he had seen, there was no blood or any sharp objects. Just a few syringes and a bottle.
Even more strange were the people kneeling just to the side of the operation table. Unlike the patient, who seemed calm, they had panicked expressions as if they knew what awaited them. Still, Kairo felt nothing. As if he was just a blank piece of paper.
"You are about to witness something wonderful, Kairo. I hope you'll love it. This is the future of everything. A world where everyone will be able to use card magic. The epitome of freedom, Kairo," Harid said, his voice so firm it felt like it was the natural course of things. What should have been.
Kairo held his temple, still not knowing why he was here. He felt a strange pain in his brain, as if something was about to be torn. Like something was about to escape his mind. Still, he felt no urgency to act, and was just observing.
The figure, still with his back to Kairo, went into action. Taking the card lying on the golden box at the side, he gently grazed it on the patient's forehead with so much care it felt like it was a family member.
"Rise… your destiny is to be free. Release the… Wolf in your body… Promised Result," he murmured.
The circuitry of the void was summoned like a wave. Kairo felt a chilling cold embrace his body so deeply that even his breathing became cold.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Harid smiled.
Then, above the surgeon, a female-like figure appeared. To be more precise, the ghost of a woman.
Wearing a white robe, she floated around them, her hands tied to white little strings that circulated around the kneeling captives. With a snap of his fingers, the people fell like lifeless dolls. Something escaped their bodies before being devoured by the woman.
Then, the white strings danced in the air like venomous snakes—hissing and diving into the patient's body.
The next thing Kairo knew, the patient's body started morphing, like it was being modified by invisible hands. And in a flash, a wolf-like cry echoed in the hall.
"Test number 505 failed," his voice echoed. With a flip of his finger, the woman disappeared, and Promised Result returned into his hand. Taking off his white blouse, the figure finally turned to face Kairo and the others.
"How come it failed? Aren't you able to see the future, damn it?" Harid cursed.
"I can. However, what happens in the present is not entirely under my control. So where is my patient… oh, here you are, Kairo Veyne." The surgeon approached and smiled.
"Gabriel Lovavo. Or simply, the Surgeon," he said.
Kairo observed the figure with curiosity until his gaze fell on those eyes. Then it was like being smashed back into reality.
"You… those eyes… bastard!" Kairo's fist whistled toward his jaw, so fast that no one could react in time.
The surgeon took the blow to the face, sending him stumbling backward.
"Hey, calm down, Kairo. Your memory has returned, it looks like. Mine too," Harid smirked.
With a single palm on Kairo's shoulder, he felt his world turn heavy, and his legs suddenly weakened.
Kairo glanced at Harid, confused. There was no way Kairo could leave this place. They were in total control of everything
Arraigning his vest, the surgeon wiped the blood off his face. "Nice greeting. Get him on the table—he's the next. And bring the children. I need new fuel," he said without a single ounce of disturbance.
Kairo's heart skipped a beat. He wanted to do something, but his body wasn't responding.
Although the effects of Obey were long gone, he was probably drugged or something. Kairo couldn't tell. All he knew was, the children were in danger. He had to act—and fast.
Promised Result, like he expected, needed some sort of energy or fuel to activate. That was the reason the surgeon captured innocents: first, to consume them this way he could likely hide the link between the victims , and second, to satisfy the card's condition.
Kairo saw his fists and legs tightly strapped to the table, with the surgeon standing above him. Harid soon arrived, pushing a crowd of little kids forward, all staring with scared expressions. His ugly face served as the driving force that made them move.
"Gabriel, stop this. You can't do that to these children. You can't deprive them of their lives. You advocate freedom, yet what are you doing here?" Kairo asked.
Gabriel shook his head with a disappointed smile, as if Kairo simply didn't understand anything. "What I like about you, Kairo, is your very strong and resilient spirit. When Selis came back from her little train adventure and talked to us about you, I knew you were the one I needed. You will be the first to mark a new era."
Kairo felt a chill run down his spine. Now, the smile she gave him that day took on its full meaning. She wasn't mocking him—she was marking him as prey. 'I don't understand... how can you not succeed with Promised Result? How does it work?'
"Trying to buy time, huh? Well, I'll be glad to explain how fantastic this little jewel is. But first—did you know that the cards we awaken have something to do with our unconscious self? The first Archmage, Donatello, was a very wise man to design such a system. He wanted the real us to be free, and that's how card magic was born."
The more Kairo listened, the more disturbed he felt. 'If the card one awakens is related to their unconscious self… does that mean that devilish woman is who the surgeon truly is deep inside? And the Sand Paladin... is that who I am? What about Sifa or Nyx, or even the bestial wolf of Jed?' So many thoughts collided in his mind like ricocheting balls.
"Promised Result allows me to see the future of every operation I carry out. Meaning—I know what creature you'll become, Kairo. The only problem is, I can't guarantee you won't lose your mind when you're set free. Your spirit, however... this time, it might be the key to something big, Kairo. Do you understand how important you are for the future?"
"You're a crazy madman. And believe me, when I get off this table, I'll hit you so hard you'll forget you ever dared to say those words," Kairo said, valiantly trying to free his ankles—but to no avail.
"They always call us madmen—until we prove them wrong." The surgeon smiled and pulled out Promised Result.
That was when the operation room began trembling, catching the surgeon off guard.
It was like a storm of sand was being cast in the middle of nowhere. The circuitry of the void drew familiar motifs onto the walls—and a humanoid figure appeared above them.
With a single sweep of his golden lance, the surgeon was sent flying backward, and Kairo was freed.
"Tsk… so predictable. You should've been more cautious with me, Harid. Didn't think I activated the Sand Paladin the moment I hit the surgeon?" Kairo smiled, activating Tactical Brilliance at once. Covered by a white light-like armor, Kairo went all out from the beginning.
"I get it. You delayed the activation of the Circuitry of the Void by keeping the card in contact with your body. But that means you have expended more aura than you should have to activate a single card. Do you really think you can face me and my army alone? Don't mistake me for a scientist, Kairo—I am a soldier."
The Surgeon snatched the little scalpel on the table, his eyes switching like he had turned into a completely new person, with instincts that should have been honed through centuries of practice appearing out of nowhere. Those eyes...
The Circuitry of the Void was activated once more. And behind the Surgeon was a sort of wooden marionette. But strangely, it wasn't the Surgeon that controlled the marionette—it was the marionette that controlled the Surgeon.
With a devil-like stare, he cannonballed toward Kairo.
"Let's see how you fare against the card Born Fighter."