The soft clang of metal on metal echoed through the Academy training yard as wooden kunai collided midair. Rai stood just off the central sparring circle, arms crossed and mind far from the match before him. His thoughts swirled around the Reliquary, the cards, and what came next.
Today marked his second draw.
He'd waited until sunrise, heart pounding like it had the first day. He felt the gentle nudge from the system the moment the light crept over the mountain peaks.
Condensed Draw Available.
But he'd waited, holding back the urge to activate it. He wanted to talk to someone. Someone who could understand what it might mean.
---
His instructor, Seta-sensei, was a chūnin with spiky silver hair and sharp eyes. Known for his expertise in Lightning Release and speed techniques, he was one of the more active shinobi assigned to temporary Academy rotations.
Seta didn't waste time on niceties. "Your chakra twists unnaturally when you use those cards, Rai. Like it's being filtered through something... old. Where did they come from?"
Rai didn't flinch. "They appeared when I turned six. The system's called the Reliquary. It lets me summon monsters, spells, and traps using chakra."
Seta grunted. "Not a kekkei genkai. Not a scroll technique. Something else."
He studied Rai for a moment longer. Then said, "Show me."
---
Rai took a breath and nodded.
Condensed Draw Initiated.
Light flared in his mind's eye. Three cards emerged from the unseen deck—merged, fused, transformed into something single and refined. When it resolved, a single card floated before him, glowing faintly with crimson energy.
[Shrink]
Spell Card – Quick-Play
"Select 1 face-up monster on the field; its ATK is halved until the end of this turn."
Rai's eyebrows lifted slightly. A utility spell. Not flashy, but potentially powerful.
Seta raised a brow. "And?"
Rai summoned the card with a flick of thought. It shimmered into existence, floating just above his hand.
"It costs chakra," Rai explained. "And its strength depends on how much I use."
He pumped a small surge of energy into it.
The card shone, and a faint aura flared around one of the wooden training dummies. Its size seemed to compress slightly, joints locking in place, motion slowed. Not a full transformation, but enough to illustrate the effect.
Seta blinked. "That wasn't a genjutsu. That was real. And no hand signs."
Rai let the card fade. "That's the Reliquary."
The shimmer vanished as he pulled his chakra back, the effect snapping away like a dropped technique.
He frowned thoughtfully. Spells like Shrink seemed to hit hard and fast, then disappear. He wondered if all spells worked that way, or if some could linger longer... it was something to keep an eye on during future draws.
---
The next hour was spent sparring with Seta. It wasn't a full battle, but it was close. Rai summoned Kuriboh defensively—the tiny creature absorbing a strike meant for his ribs. Seta was fast—faster than any student Rai had faced—but not invincible. The cards gave Rai reach and versatility. Call of the Haunted let him bring back Kuriboh once destroyed, though it cost more chakra than he'd expected.
Seta finally ended the match with a flash step and a chop to Rai's shoulder that sent him sprawling.
"Not bad," the chūnin muttered. "You're not built for taijutsu."
"I know," Rai said, breathing heavily. "That's why I build my deck."
He tested Mystical Space Typhoon against a basic sealing tag Seta had attached to one of the wooden practice dummies, watching as the cyclone shredded the tag's chakra signature, dispelling the seal cleanly.
---
That evening, as reports flowed up the chain of command, Rai's name was mentioned more than once. From chūnin instructors to jōnin evaluators to the Raikage himself, word of the boy with the cards reached the top.
It was decided: a mock genin evaluation would be arranged.
Not for rank.
For insight.
The Reliquary wasn't just a technique. It was a force—one Kumo could not afford to ignore.