As Azrael finished speaking, two immense spiritual pressures, one pink, one green, instantly entangled and soared skyward, dispersing the surrounding clouds.
"Enclose, Murciélago."
"Declare, Gamuza."
As the male and female voices overlapped, a far more terrifying aura than before suddenly pressed down on everyone present.
The next moment, Ulquiorra and Nel completed their Resurrección.
Although intell had already revealed his cards' transformation ability, only after confronting Ulquiorra and Nel in their released forms did the attackers truly comprehend the nature of the monsters they faced.
Not just in appearance, but also in overwhelming power.
Though he knew today's mission was likely to fail, the leader instructed his two subordinates through gritted teeth. "Number Two, contain the other Lore Cardian present. As for Number One, "
"Work with me to eliminate the target. We must kill him right here."
"Understood!"
He pulled out his communication device, ready to transmit Azrael's latest intelligence back to command.
On the battlefield, after Ulquiorra and Nel performed their Resurrección, the battle officially began.
However, because Retsu had previously consumed all the souls accumulated in [Seireitei] during the secret realm operation, she was currently unable to activate [Soul King's Revival].
Even so, her strength remained formidable.
Considering Azrael's upcoming plans, Artoria and Ulquiorra had no intention of using wide-area destructive abilities. Ulquiorra didn't even utilize his Segunda Etapa form.
Clang!
The piercing sound of weapons clashing rang out instantly.
From the moment combat was joined, the unknown attackers' cards were at an immediate disadvantage.
Azrael wasn't surprised. His cards already outclassed his opponents in quality, and the bond effect of [Las Noches] compensated for his numerical disadvantage. Naturally, he had no reason to lose.
If he wanted to, he could even imitate the Holy Lord and declare, "I lack nothing."
Of course, Azrael didn't possess the Holy Lord's arrogance. He understood that while he might crush most of his peers, his chances of victory against a Diamond-level Lore Cardian remained low.
Whether from the Onefold Doctrine or some other faction, these newcomers had undoubtedly done their homework.
The young man didn't believe this was the full extent of their opponent's strength.
A faint crackling sound gradually filled the air, accompanied by the formation of ice crystals.
Azrael felt his body gradually stiffen, though it remained barely noticeable under the protection of his Sacred Blade Armor.
In contrast, Pierre was in far worse condition. Trembling, he stammered, "Brother, "
"How about we retreat?"
The large man was freezing, and it suddenly occurred to him that since they'd been ambushed, there was no honor in fighting to the death.
Azrael observed Pierre's worsening condition and made an immediate decision. "Brother Pierre, you go first. I'll cover your retreat."
"Ah, this, "
Pierre was stunned. He'd genuinely meant to flee together, but now it sounded like he was abandoning Azrael out of cowardice.
After a quick glance at the battlefield, however, he made his decision.
"Alright, hold on, brother. Remember to run when you get a chance."
"I'll bring reinforcements as soon as I return."
He said this because Azrael's cards were bearing most of the pressure on the field. Plus, the young man still had hidden cards he hadn't deployed yet. Even after Pierre's departure, Azrael would likely hold out until reinforcements arrived.
Hesitation would backfire. Pierre understood this principle well.
With that thought, the large man vanished from the scene using his spatial card.
However, after Pierre left, Azrael noticed something peculiar.
The opponents didn't pursue Pierre. Instead, all their cards adjusted to match his own forces one-to-one.
"So you're specifically targeting me?"
If the attackers truly belonged to Gaza's Onefold Doctrine, they shouldn't have let Pierre escape so easily.
Could it be that the Onefold Doctrine wanted to eliminate him at all costs because of his past conflicts with the Demon Army?
Actually, that was plausible.
After all, the Demon Army certainly wouldn't sit idly by and watch a Lore Cardian with at least Master-level potential rise to prominence unopposed.
Thinking of this, Azrael couldn't help but sigh. "Forget it. I'll have Shiraori identify them after I capture one."
Having already prepared for a confrontation with his teacher Alice, he wasn't going to conceal the card associated with Bruce's identity as he had before.
His original plan had been to find an excuse to use Shiraori's identification ability behind Pierre's back after capturing an attacker, but the large man's departure provided the perfect opportunity.
It would save him the trouble of concocting elaborate excuses.
Whoosh!
Blazing flames instantly dispelled the chill pervading the battlefield.
Because Azrael rarely participated in combat personally, many opponents tended to underestimate the strength of his Sacred Blade Armor.
But they shouldn't forget, [Flame Sword Driver] also possessed the potential of a top-tier card.
Although being surrounded by three opponents doubled the pressure on Azrael, that was the extent of it.
Thud!
The uneven ground suddenly compressed, becoming firmer and more stable.
Then, it fractured into neat geometric sections.
Elsewhere, the leader of the attackers, concealed in the shadows, wore a grave expression. The situation had completely spiraled beyond his control.
"With this level of strength, I'm afraid it'll take a Master's personal intervention to eliminate him."
Diamond-level Lore Cardians were incredibly rare. If several unknown Diamond-level Lore Cardians appeared in Qilu and attacked those affiliated with the association, even Vladimir, president of the local Cardian Master Association, would have to intervene personally. It might even attract the attention of Master-level Lore Cardians.
The Masters had originally deployed them to act covertly and conceal their identities, but they hadn't anticipated the target's strength rising so dramatically in such a short period.
Of course, there was also the possibility that the Masters hadn't expected them to return alive at all.
Perhaps they were merely a vanguard, a death squad sent to gather intelligence through their assassination attempt.
Suddenly, the leader experienced a thought common to many villains: This young man cannot be allowed to live!
Unfortunately, with their current forces alone, eliminating this rising powerhouse seemed impossible.
After a moment's deliberation, he finally transmitted his assessment back to command.
Several breaths later, he stared at the response appearing on his communication device, astonishment flashing through his eyes.
Putting away the device, he said to his two companions, "Prepare yourselves."
Their expressions froze at this command, understanding exactly what their leader meant.
The battle was nearing its conclusion.
Azrael's two cards, whose capabilities exceeded the enemy's intelligence reports, combined with the subordinate officers Nel summoned through her bond, had turned the battle decisively one-sided.
As the final enemy card dissipated under Nel's lance thrust, combat drew to a close.
Azrael calmly scanned the silent surroundings, muttering to himself, "Did they flee?"
Strike once and flee a thousand miles, a fundamental principle for any assassin worth their salt.
Just as Azrael assumed the attackers had retreated after their defeat, a subtle presence caught his attention.
He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head in confusion. "They didn't flee?"
The attackers' sudden exposure gave him a flash of uncertainty.
At his signal, Pesche and Dondochakka slowly approached the target location.
In this situation, it was naturally best to send the two subordinate officers summoned by Nel's bond to investigate. After all, if something unexpected occurred, Azrael wouldn't suffer any real loss.
Before they could close the distance, three figures materialized before Azrael. The leader smiled and said, "You are indeed the highly dangerous target chosen by the military commander. You're truly formidable."
He then slowly approached Azrael.
Seeing this, Pesche and Dondochakka positioned themselves protectively in front of the trio.
Meanwhile, Shiraori appeared beside Azrael, her crimson compound eyes gleaming ominously.
The leader's eyes flickered as he stared at the massive white spider. "Another card I've never seen before."
"But why is it only Gold rank?"
Despite his confusion, he spoke up. "How about joining our Onefold Doctrine?"
He extended his right hand in invitation.
Hearing this, Azrael curled his lips into a cold smile. "Are you demons truly so magnanimous? I'm hardly unconnected to Ruth's death."
"Compared to you, Lord Azrael, that fox spirit was nothing."
The attacker smiled with apparent sincerity, then, as if suddenly remembering something, clapped his hands in mock frustration. "Oh, right."
"Thank you for not killing us immediately."
With those words, the three figures suddenly radiated dazzling light.
Unfortunately for them, in their final moments, the attackers saw no panic whatsoever on Azrael's face. Instead, he gazed at them coldly, uttering words that puzzled them.
"It was you, after all."
Before the leader could process this statement, a terrifying explosion erupted, engulfing all three before rapidly spreading outward.
By then, Azrael, guided by Shiraori, had already retreated from the previous battlefield.
Feeling the scorching wind battering against his Sacred Blade Armor, Azrael curled his lips disdainfully. "You're trying to deceive me with such crude tactics?"
He'd only engaged in conversation because Shiraori needed time to identify the Emerald-level existence.
Even though Shiraori hadn't completed the full identification before the self-destruction, she'd gathered enough information for Azrael's purposes.
[Name: Morty-Sun]
[Title: Imperial Death Soldier]
[Level: ???]
[Cards Held: ???]
The surname Sun, combined with the title, made the attackers' identity crystal clear.
"So it really is the Imperial Court."
To be honest, Azrael wasn't particularly surprised, the Imperial Court had been on his list of suspects from the beginning.
"I need to warn Senior Sister immediately, otherwise, "
He was now concerned that the Imperial Court would target not only him but Alice as well.
Even if they didn't, a warning would keep her vigilant and prepared.
As for his senior brothers and the others, Azrael wasn't worried, after all, they operated far beyond the Imperial Court's immediate reach.
"Another debt to settle with you later," Azrael muttered, his eyes hardening with resolve.