Hey, what's up guys. I had no electricity for the past 5 days, so I wasn't able to respond to some of y'all's comments so I'll do so over a period of time. 'IF' you are wondering how chapters a still being released, I auto-scheduled the chapters.
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Azrael understood all too well that villains often met their end through excessive talking, so Hanzu's desperate pleas for mercy didn't stir even a flicker of sympathy in his heart.
After all, no one could be certain the assassin didn't have a hidden trump card waiting to be deployed. What if this display of weakness was merely an elaborate act?
Azrael had no interest in gambling with his life. He'd already extracted everything worth knowing, and he doubted Hanzu could reveal anything more useful at this point.
Watching the emerald double-headed lance pierce toward him without mercy, a sinister glint flashed through the eerie-faced man's eyes.
Snap,
The next moment, accompanied by a crisp snap of fingers, an invisible wave instantly swept over Nel, freezing the green-haired Arrancar knight mid-thrust.
Seeing this, Azrael remained utterly calm, as though he'd anticipated exactly this outcome. "Sure enough, he still had some tricks up his sleeve."
After all, his opponent had defeated Unohana Retsu in one-on-one combat. Even if his combat prowess wasn't quite on par with those four Slavic mythology cards, it certainly wasn't weak either.
Although the cards had vanished, Hanzu's true form undoubtedly retained considerable fighting capability.
But watching the man flee in panic after immobilizing Nel, Azrael couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt creeping into his mind.
So far, the assassin across from him had given off a strange impression, completely unlike what one would expect from a normal Diamond-level Lore Cardian in combat.
His cards had been ineffective from the start, and the man himself seemed incredibly arrogant, lacking the caution one would expect from a professional assassin.
What kind of assassin engaged in such lengthy conversation with their target, even going so far as to willingly reveal their employer?
While Hanzu had acted this way because he believed victory was assured, dead men couldn't speak, after all, something about it felt off.
Honestly, Azrael felt Hanzu's performance resembled someone experiencing their first real battle.
The thought jolted him. "First battle?"
"No way."
Combined with the imperial court officials' reluctance to reveal their identities and the opponent's extremely niche card system, Azrael felt as if he'd grasped a crucial truth.
Unfortunately, dwelling on speculation was pointless right now.
Watching Hanzu flee, Azrael stayed close behind, occasionally harassing him with ranged attacks from Ulquiorra and the others.
While Azrael suspected his theory was likely correct, he still exercised extreme caution. After all, even a cornered rat would bite.
Hanzu could only run frantically across the charred landscape, unable to find shelter among the incinerated trees.
Excalibur, now fully unleashed with its restraints removed, had even shattered several mountaintops in the distance.
Barely dodging a pale green spiritual spear, Hanzu stumbled and crashed to the ground.
Ignoring the burning pain from his bruises, he crawled forward on his hands and knees, muttering through ragged breaths, "I don't want to die. I don't want to die."
Just then, he noticed the light and shadow before him being obliterated by a long, looming figure.
The utterly desperate man raised his head, only to find the demonic-looking card staring blankly down at him.
Hanzu quickly raised his hand, preparing to snap his fingers again.
"Ahhh!"
A terrified scream suddenly echoed across the charred earth.
The Diamond-level Lore Cardian had been pinned to the ground by an emerald spear piercing clean through his right hand.
Hanzu, always pampered and privileged, had never experienced such excruciating pain before. Until today, he'd only ever played the role of hunter.
Trembling and swallowing against the agony, he turned his head. Sunlight obscured Azrael's face, leaving only a cold, merciless gaze visible.
"Please spare me," he begged incoherently, tears and snot mingling on his contorted face. "I'll do anything."
"Please spare me."
Looking at the assassin groveling pitifully before him from a distance, Azrael sighed helplessly. "At this point, you're not seriously joking, are you?"
"Remember to keep your eyes open in your next life," he said, waving casually to Ulquiorra.
"Shhh!"
Hearing those faintly familiar words, the same ones he'd mockingly spoken to countless targets before, Hanzu looked down at his chest, where a gaping hole had been torn open, and began vomiting blood. "Ah, hah."
Then, with a look of deep resentment twisting his features, he turned toward Azrael one final time.
"Guh, they won't..."
Plop,
Before he could finish his dying curse, Ulquiorra launched another Thunder Spear, this time aimed directly at his head.
Looking at the completely silent, headless corpse sprawled before him, Azrael breathed a cautious sigh of relief. "There really was no backup plan after all."
However, to be absolutely safe, he had Yoriichi methodically chop Hanzu's body into fine pieces, ensuring no resurrection techniques could possibly work.
After this gruesome task was complete, Azrael stroked his chin thoughtfully and muttered, "It's been quite a while. The Association should arrive soon, right?"
"Should I stay and wait for them?"
After a moment's deliberation, he decided to leave immediately.
While the imperial court was unlikely to launch a second assassination attempt so soon, caution was still warranted. He had no desire to be repeatedly targeted for elimination.
Furthermore, his cards weren't in optimal condition. Unohana Retsu was already on cooldown, and Artoria wouldn't be able to unleash her holy sword again anytime soon.
As for Ulquiorra's three-card combination, while they hadn't sustained significant damage, maintaining so many cards simultaneously for an extended period would place considerable burden on Azrael's spiritual reserves.
Without hesitation, he immediately recalled all his cards and departed from the scene.
Shortly after Azrael's departure, several figures materialized before Hanzu's mutilated remains.
Among them was someone Azrael knew well.
Vladimir, president of the Qilu Cardian Master Association, and her partner, Pierre.
"Two Diamond-level Lore Cardians," Vladimir muttered grimly upon surveying the devastated scene. "And they're both unregistered, illegal practitioners."
Such a catastrophic incident was unprecedented in her long tenure as president.
However, a hint of confusion and astonishment crossed Pierre's weathered face. Then, in a strange whisper, he said to Vladimir, "President."
"It seems one of the two combatants was Azrael."
Vladimir was visibly taken aback by this assessment, then frowned sharply. "Are you certain?"
If her memory served correctly, Master Lucian's disciple was only an Emerald-level Lore Cardian, wasn't he?
Pierre nodded hesitantly, then immediately shook his head.
While the atmospheric signature at the scene was certainly familiar, and the surrounding destruction bore striking resemblance to previous encounters, he couldn't be absolutely certain that one combatant was Azrael.
After all, Azrael was Emerald-level, while the two who'd fought here were undoubtedly Diamond-level.
Seeing his uncertainty, Vladimir took a deep breath. She could already detect something profoundly unusual about this situation. "Regardless of whether the other person was Azrael, at least one combatant isn't registered with any official association."
She pointed at Hanzu's pulverized remains on the ground.
"And..."
She was about to continue when a crucial realization suddenly struck her.
Assuming the other combatant was indeed Azrael, this marked his second assassination attempt.
The previous time, it had involved only three Emerald-level Lore Cardians.
With two assassination attempts in rapid succession, and this one involving Diamond-level assassins, she sensed there must be something far more sinister at play.
"The Onefold Doctrine?"
Vladimir's eyes flickered with cold calculation as she instructed the Lore Cardians around her, "Don't tell anyone about what happened here today."
"You understand what I mean."
Hearing this, everyone present lowered their heads in unison and replied, "Yes, President!"
Vladimir didn't believe this was merely a simple Onefold Doctrine assassination. But if it wasn't the cult, then who could be behind it?
"The Crimson Oath Society?"
"Or..."
As she pondered this troubling question, several powerful auras approached at rapid speed.
However, sensing these familiar spiritual signatures, Vladimir felt no panic whatsoever. Instead, she raised her head thoughtfully.
A few breaths later, a dignified elderly man arrived at the scene, accompanied by several Emerald-level Lore Cardians.
"President Vladimir," the man nodded respectfully at her, then immediately asked, "Do you know the identities of the two combatants involved?"
Vladimir shook her head slightly. "Neither of the two Diamond-level Lore Cardians is registered with any official association."
"Speaking of which, Lord Mortarion, do you have any information that might shed light on this incident?"
Since the battle had taken place at the border between Qilu and Shuntian Prefectures, it was naturally impossible for only the Qilu Cardian Master Association to investigate such a significant event. The Shuntian Prefecture government would certainly send someone as well.
The elderly man was none other than Lord Mortarion, the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture.
He glanced imperceptibly at the unrecognizable flesh scattered across the ground, then offered a weary smile. "How could we possibly have any information about unregistered combatants?"
"But I suspect it's those shady individuals from the Crimson Oath Society and the Onefold Doctrine causing trouble again."
Vladimir nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with Lord Mortarion's convenient explanation.
She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with visible frustration. "The situation in the Empire of Aetherlight is already dire enough without those Crimson Oath troublemakers stirring up more chaos."
"So, will you handle the aftermath, Lord Mortarion, or shall I?"
Vladimir calmly regarded the elderly man across from her.
Lord Mortarion replied without the slightest hesitation, "I'll take responsibility for it. There's no need to trouble President Vladimir."
"After all, the situation in Qilu Province isn't particularly stable right now either."
The old man's words were so perfectly reasonable that Vladimir couldn't find any grounds to refuse. She couldn't help but offer a knowing smile. "Then I'll leave it in your capable hands, Lord Mortarion."
"I have urgent matters requiring my attention. I'll take my leave now."
With that diplomatic farewell, she vanished along with the Qilu Cardian Master Association members.
However, by this point, Vladimir had developed a fairly accurate understanding of the two warring parties' true identities.
One was naturally Azrael. While she didn't fully comprehend how an Emerald-level practitioner could defeat a Diamond-level opponent, the evidence strongly suggested it was him.
The other was undoubtedly someone dispatched by the imperial court.
If she'd harbored any lingering uncertainty, then Lord Mortarion's behavior had effectively confirmed her suspicions.
The man's eagerness to deflect blame onto the Crimson Oath Society and the Onefold Doctrine was transparently suspicious.
Thinking of Azrael's astonishing talent and rapid advancement, Vladimir found the current situation disturbingly understandable.
A gifted young practitioner threatening the established order would naturally attract dangerous attention from those who feared change.
Reflecting on this grim reality, she sighed silently.
'I need to discuss this with Master Lucian and the others immediately.'