My Deck Is Made Up Of OP Anime Characters

The referee's whistle broke the tension in the arena, and instantly, the corpse herder's talisman shot forward like a guided missile, slamming into the hairy zombie's torso with a wet thud.

Unlike the rigid paralysis depicted in old horror movies, the hairy zombie's entire frame began to expand the moment the talisman made contact. Muscles bulged beneath the matted fur, bones cracked and elongated, and what had been merely intimidating became truly monstrous.

"ROAAAAAR!"

The thunderous roar that erupted from the creature's throat caused several spectators to instinctively step back from the arena barriers. The sound carried a raw, primal fury that spoke of ancient hunger and supernatural rage.

Azrael's eyes narrowed as he analyzed the dynamic unfolding before him. "One main attacker, one support," he murmured, his tactical mind already calculating probabilities. "But using only two cards, one of which is purely a support? That's dangerous as hell."

The basic rule of card combat was simple: Support cards needed protection. They were glass cannons in reverse, offering tremendous utility but crumbling under direct attack. Either Vali didn't have enough cards to properly protect his corpse-holder, or he was hiding additional trump cards that Azrael couldn't see.

On the battlefield, Yoriichi and Luffy exchanged a single glance, a moment of perfect understanding that needed no words. In that split second, they divided their responsibilities with the efficiency of seasoned veterans.

Yoriichi's hand moved to the hilt of his zanpakutō in a motion so smooth, it seemed choreographed. The blade sang as it cleared the scabbard, and then he simply disappeared.

When he reappeared, he was standing right next to the hairy zombie, having covered twenty meters in what seemed like a single heartbeat. As Yoriichi inhaled, the air around him shimmered with heat distortion, and for a moment, phantom flames danced along the edge of his blade.

The Zanpakutō whipped out in a perfect horizontal arc, aiming for the zombie's thick neck.

But the talisman-enhanced creature wasn't helpless. The moment Yoriichi materialized within striking distance, the hairy zombie's massive right fist was already in motion, driving toward the Soul Reaper's torso with bone-shattering force.

Hiss.

The acrid smell of burning hair filled the arena as Yoriichi's blade connected first. Where steel met flesh, the zombie's matted fur curled and blackened, smoking like a bonfire. The creature's fist still connected, but with considerably less force than intended, the burn damage clearly disrupting its coordination.

"First blood for the Soul Reaper," Azrael observed with satisfaction. "Not just mental damage, the Sun Breathing techniques still retain their effectiveness against undead flesh."

In fact, even though Yoriichi's Sun Breathing had evolved into the more refined Sun Breathing style after he reached Bronze level, the basic characteristics remained unchanged. Evil spirits, undead creatures, and demons still found his attacks particularly devastating.

Meanwhile, the Corpse Herder naturally moved to support his enhanced zombie, but Luffy intercepted him with the casual confidence of someone stopping a charging bull.

"Little Thunder Talisman!" the Corpse Herder snarled, producing a piece of yellow paper covered in crimson symbols.

Brilliant white lightning erupted from the talisman, crackling through the air with enough voltage to stop a charging elephant. The bolt hit Luffy right in the chest with a sound like breaking glass.

And then... absolutely nothing happened.

The entire arena fell silent. Students leaned forward in their seats, professors adjusted their glasses and even the referee blinked in confusion. Luffy stood exactly where he'd been, completely unaffected, the residual electrical discharge dissipating harmlessly around his rubber body.

"What the hell?" someone in the crowd whispered, saying what everyone was thinking.

Only Azrael understood the magnificent irony that was unfolding before them. The corpse-holder had unwittingly chosen the worst possible attack type against Luffy's Gum-Gum Fruit powers. While Azrael's Luffy couldn't match his source material's complete immunity to Enel's God-level lightning attacks, Bronze-level electrical attacks might as well have been a gentle breeze.

Luffy didn't waste the golden opportunity. His skin turned pink as steam began to rise from his body, activating the second gear.

"Gum-Gum Jet Pistol!"

The enhanced punch sliced through the air with a sound like tearing silk, Luffy's fist leaving afterimages as it flew towards the stunned Corpse Herder's face.

GONG!

Instead of connecting with flesh, Luffy's attack struck what appeared to be a massive bronze bell. Golden light flared as a translucent bell-shaped barrier materialized around the corpse herder, absorbing the tremendous impact but holding firm.

Azrael's expression darkened. "Of course he's not that careless. Defensive measures have always been part of the plan." His mind raced through tactical adjustments. "The real question is what their bond effect actually does and if I have to reveal Luffy's third gear."

The situation remained favorable, but not overwhelming. In a life-or-death encounter in the wilderness, Azrael would have immediately ordered Yoriichi to release his Utakai and end the fight decisively. But this was an academic competition with observers from every major institution in the province. Revealing trump cards prematurely could lead to significant disadvantages in later rounds.

Inside his protective barrier, the corpse herder's frown deepened as he studied Luffy's impossible electrical immunity. "Some kind of special resistance ability," he muttered. "Fine. If subtlety won't work, overwhelming force will have to do."

The corpse-holder produced a new talisman, this one covered in intricate symbols that seemed to wriggle and shift when viewed directly. With a sharp gesture, he hurled it skyward.

The effect was immediate and terrifying. Dark clouds boiled over the arena, blocking out the afternoon sun and casting everything into an unnatural twilight. Lightning began to form within the roiling mass, not the quick flash of the previous attack, but something far more substantial.

"Heaven's Thunder Talisman!" the corpse-holder shouted, his voice barely audible over the growing thunderstorm.

A pillar of lightning descended from the artificial storm clouds, not a single bolt, but a continuous column of crackling energy that could have powered a small city. The attack was massive, indiscriminate, and utterly devastating.

At the last possible second, Yoriichi used Shunpo to retreat and reappeared next to Azrael just as the lightning struck. Luffy, lacking such mobility, had no choice but to face the attack head-on.

Azrael immediately activated the Three Treasures, layering their defensive properties over Luffy as best he could. "I can absorb some of the damage, but with such a large area of effect, isn't he worried about frying his own zombie? Unless..."

The lightning lasted almost ten seconds, an eternity in combat terms. When it finally dissipated, the arena floor was scorched black, and Luffy stood in the center, surrounded by smoke, his straw hat slightly singed, but his expression unchanged.

"Still not completely immune," Azrael noted clinically, observing the minor burns on Luffy's arms and chest. The rubber properties had absorbed most of the electrical damage, but an attack of this magnitude could not be completely negated.

More importantly, when Azrael looked at the hairy zombie, he found the creature not only unharmed, but visibly stronger. Electrical energy still crackled around its claws and fangs, and its movements had taken on a preternatural speed.

"Bond effect confirmed," Azrael noted. "Immunity to friendly fire plus electrical enhancement. Clever bastard."

Across the arena, Vali allowed himself a small smile as he studied the smoke-covered Luffy. "Not dead yet? Impressive longevity, but it can't last forever."

The enhanced hairy zombie had enough intelligence to recognize an opportunity when it saw one. With preternatural speed, it closed the distance to Luffy and wrapped a massive hand around the pirate's head, thick fingers beginning to squeeze with relentless pressure.

"Got him," Vali breathed, his smile widening as Luffy's form seemed to waver under the crushing grip. "Just a little more pressure and,"

But Azrael remained completely calm, even as several spectators gasped in apparent concern for his card. There was a crucial piece of information that his opponents lacked, information that would turn the entire battle on its head.

Luffy's eyes suddenly opened, glowing with new determination.

"What?!" Vali's triumphant expression turned to shock and disbelief.

In one fluid motion, Luffy grabbed the zombie's wrist with both hands and twisted, using his rubber flexibility to wrap around the creature's arm like a python. The hairy zombie was completely immobilized, unable to free itself or defend itself.

And Yoriichi was already moving.

The Soul Reaper materialized behind the trapped zombie, his Zanpakutō surrounded by golden-red flames that seemed to burn with the intensity of the sun itself. The blade sliced through the air in a perfect arc, and the hairy zombie's head separated from its shoulders so cleanly that it took a moment for the body to realize what had happened.

Both pieces dissolved into motes of light, returning to Vali's consciousness as the enhancement talismans fluttered to the ground like dying leaves.

Azrael allowed himself a small smile. "Information asymmetry wins again."

[Survival in a Desperate Situation] was one of Luffy's most valuable traits; when pushed to the brink of defeat, the pirate would experience a surge of power that could turn any battle around. Most opponents learned of this ability far too late to adjust their strategies.

With the Hairy Zombie destroyed, Luffy and Yoriichi turned their combined attention to the Corpse Herder's defensive barrier. Two Bronze-level cards concentrating their attacks on a single target was simply too much pressure for any barrier to withstand indefinitely.

Crack.

The golden bell-shaped barrier developed cobweb cracks under the relentless attack. Seconds later, it shattered completely, leaving the corpse-holder completely exposed.

The rest of the battle was mercifully brief. Alone and outmatched, the Corpse Herder card returned to Vali's mind without ceremony.

On the sidelines, Vali stared at the empty arena with hollow eyes. Before the tournament began, several people had predicted that he would be eliminated in round thirty-two. He had dismissed such pessimism as unfounded negativity.

Now he understood that some predictions were simply accurate assessments of reality.

After a long moment, Vali gave Azrael a respectful nod, one talented Lore Cardian acknowledging the superior skill of another, and walked away without looking back. The cheers and celebrations belonged to the victor, and he had no desire to witness what he could never claim.

Azrael watched his defeated opponent leave with a mixture of respect and analytical detachment. "Only three cards in all," he concluded. "The Hairy Zombie was probably his first creation from the Black Iron period, recently upgraded to Bronze."

The assessment was tactical rather than dismissive. Vali had clearly chosen a legion-based development path, with multiple weaker cards working together rather than individual powerhouses. Given enough resources and time, such strategies could prove incredibly effective. Unfortunately for Vali, Azrael's current advantages were simply overwhelming.

As Azrael felt the presence of his five Bronze level cards in his consciousness, three of which remained completely hidden from public knowledge, he couldn't help but appreciate the absurd disparity.

"Numbers alone won't be enough," he mused quietly. "Not when the quality gap is so great."

Still, the battle had revealed important information about his own strategic needs. Watching the effects of the bond between the corpse herder and the hairy zombie had been truly impressive, and it had highlighted a glaring weakness in Azrael's current roster.

"Luffy needs more support," Azrael decided. "Even if it's just Black Iron level cards, additional bonding effects could make a huge difference."

This battle had been won through favorable matchups and superior individual card quality. Against the Corpse Herder's lightning attacks, Luffy's rubber characteristics had provided near-perfect immunity, and the Three Treasures had absorbed the remaining damage. Against another opponent with different abilities, Azrael's margin for error might not be so comfortable.

Azrael also got a clearer picture of Vali's card quality ratings. "The Corpse Herder was definitely Gold quality, probably the result of a significant material investment. The hairy zombie was probably purple normally, but the bond effects pushed it to gold-level performance during combat."

"Any other Bronze-level Lore Cardian would have struggled considerably against this combination."

But Azrael was no other Bronze-level Lore Cardian, and his opponents were slowly learning that conventional wisdom did not apply to him.

In the elevated viewing area, the University representatives abandoned their previous casual discussions and leaned forward with intense concentration. The fight they'd just witnessed had displayed a tactical complexity, a variety of skills, and split-second decision-making that exceeded their expectations for student-level competition.

More importantly, Azrael had demonstrated the kind of adaptability and hidden depth that marked truly exceptional talent, the very kind of individuals that prestigious institutions competed fiercely to recruit.

As the arena staff prepared for the next match, Azrael made his way back to the Silverbrook High School section, already mentally preparing for whatever challenges the round of sixteen would bring. The competition was becoming increasingly dangerous, but so far nothing had pushed him out of his comfort zone.

The real test would come when he faced opponents who possessed not only powerful cards, but the experience and tactical sophistication to use them effectively. Until then, he would continue to advance through the bracket, gathering information on potential future opponents while revealing as little as possible about his own abilities.

After all, in a tournament where information could determine victory or defeat, keeping secrets was just as important as winning battles.

(TN - Chapter 80 is a speech by the OG author about how he will finish this book even if his back breaks, so chapter 80 is skipped and we go directly to chapter 81)