Caught off guard, Tok and Knight were hurled underground by the immense pressure radiating from above.
"Who?!"
"Who is it?!"
Panicked shouts echoed throughout the city as Lore Cardians scrambled to investigate the sudden disturbance. They froze mid-preparation when they witnessed a colossal nine-tailed fox and a towering purple-armored giant materialize above them.
The assembled Lore Cardians swallowed nervously, their fighting spirit evaporating as they sensed the overwhelming aura emanating from the two entities. The raw power on display far exceeded anything their Master-tier leaders could produce.
However, Azrael hadn't come to slaughter. After confirming their hostile intent had dissipated, he refrained from attacking further. After all, if everything proceeded according to plan, the Indo-American Federation would soon become Empire of Aetherlight property, and one should always protect valuable assets.
By then, Tok and Knight had recovered from their unceremonious burial and burst from the underground crater, their faces twisted with barely suppressed fury as they glared at the figure hovering in mid-air.
"You dare act within the Indo-American Federation?!" Tok snarled, the words practically tearing from his throat. "Aren't you afraid of Lord Edley's consequences?!"
Beside him, Knight's expression remained grim, his thoughts unreadable behind calculating eyes.
Upon hearing Tok invoke Edley's name, Azrael couldn't help but laugh. The sound carried across the assembled Lore Cardians like a death knell. "I already told you, Edley is dead."
His voice dropped to a dangerous register. "Are you deaf?"
Azrael couldn't possibly admit he'd sealed the White Crown rather than killed him. Such knowledge would inevitably inspire some ambitious faction within the Federation to attempt Edley's release, a scenario he preferred to avoid until achieving Sovereign-tier himself.
Though he seriously doubted the Indo-American Federation possessed the means to break his seal.
It was only then that Tok and Knight finally got a clear view of Azrael's face. Recognition struck them like a physical blow. They knew exactly why Lord Edley had left the Federation, to hunt down this very individual.
But now the hunter had appeared in the Federation's heart, while Lord Edley remained conspicuously absent.
He couldn't truly be dead... could he?
Seeing their continued skepticism, Azrael decided words were unnecessary. In situations like these, a thorough beating proved far more persuasive than lengthy explanations.
The next moment, Tornado's terrifying psychic power seized both Masters, ragdolling them across the ground like children's toys. They desperately summoned their strongest cards to resist, but the manifestations proved utterly powerless against Azrael's overwhelming forces.
After all, if they couldn't defeat Edley, how could they possibly challenge someone who had defeated him?
Within minutes, the battered and bloodied Tok and Knight raised metaphorical white flags.
"Stop, stop, stop! We surrender!"
The cards immediately halted their assault and returned to their summoner, awaiting Azrael's decision.
Azrael had no intention of killing them. The Indo-American Federation needed administrators, and these two weaklings suited the role adequately. While they might harbor treacherous thoughts, a good beating would keep them compliant, at least for now.
"Take me to your material storage facility."
Before discussing the Federation's future vassalage to the Empire of Aetherlight, Azrael intended to collect appropriate compensation for his military expenses. After all, wasn't it perfectly normal for defeated nations to pay the victor's costs?
Upon hearing this demand, Tok and Knight exchanged glances before reluctantly leading Azrael toward the Federation's material vaults, their expressions bitter.
They understood the implications. Lord Edley's continued absence suggested the man's claim might be genuine, their Master-tier expert could actually be dead. In a world where strength determined everything, they had no choice but to bend the knee and await opportunities.
Soon, Azrael arrived at the Indo-American Federation's material storage, a massive facility constructed through specialized card-based architecture.
Initially wary of potential traps or ambushes, Azrael quickly realized Tok and Knight had completely capitulated, devoid of any schemes.
What he didn't know was that during their beating, the two Masters had reached a pragmatic conclusion: The Federation was simply switching from Edley's control to Empire of Aetherlight's control. The fundamental power structure remained unchanged, and they might even benefit from the transition.
After all, the Empire lay thousands of miles away across the ocean. They couldn't constantly monitor Federation affairs. Wouldn't Tok and Knight still hold ultimate authority over daily operations? They might enjoy even greater freedom than under Edley's direct supervision.
As long as the benefits remained sufficient, betraying the Federation seemed an acceptable trade.
Unaware of their calculating thoughts, Azrael proceeded to claim half the materials. After dispatching Shadowkhan to transport the considerable haul, he turned to face the two men, whose faces now wore sickeningly obsequious smiles.
"Now we can discuss matters between the Empire and the Federation."
"Yes, yes, sir!" Tok nodded enthusiastically, resembling nothing so much as a loyal lapdog greeting its master.
Seeing their eager compliance, Azrael didn't hesitate to state his terms. As a vassal state of the Empire of Aetherlight, annual tribute represented only the most basic requirement. Due to the demon threat's escalation, additional obligations would arise, such as dispatching Lore Cardians to support the Empire during emergencies.
Of course, the specific details would be handled by Lucian and the other administrators. Azrael only needed to establish the general framework.
With Tok's enthusiastic cooperation, the Indo-American Federation officially became a vassal state of the Empire of Aetherlight.
In a world governed by extraordinary power, the opinions of subordinates carried little weight.
After seeing Azrael off, Tok wiped the sweat from his forehead with an audible sigh of relief.
Knight, standing beside him, suddenly asked, "Do you really think Lord Edley is dead?"
Tok shrugged. "Of course not. A Sovereign-tier Lore Cardian wouldn't die so easily. The situation likely isn't favorable for him, but dead? Doubtful."
"Aren't you afraid of Lord Edley's revenge when he returns?" Knight voiced the question that had troubled him since the Empire's representative first appeared.
Unexpectedly, Tok laughed aloud. "Now that all those barbaric fools are dead, only two Masters remain in the Federation. Even if Lord Edley returns, he won't kill us."
He paused meaningfully. "Just as that Empire man didn't kill us."
There was no doubt, Edley wouldn't want to rule a wasteland. While the two seemed powerless before Azrael's might, they remained Master-tier Lore Cardians. Remember, King George VII of Great Britain held only Master-tier strength himself.
Tok patted Knight's shoulder. "Rather than worrying about distant possibilities, why not help me retrieve certain 'useful' materials from storage?"
He emphasized the word "useful" with particular care.
Understanding dawned in Knight's eyes. While Edley remained absent, they could easily plunder valuable materials from the database and bury them in secure locations, blaming everything on those damned Empire invaders.
This was all Azrael's doing. None of their business whatsoever.
Thinking along these lines, Knight and Tok exchanged conspiratorial grins.
A beating for such tremendous benefits? Absolutely worth it.
If given the opportunity, they'd gladly take more beatings.
Meanwhile, Azrael remained blissfully unaware he was being treated as a convenient scapegoat. Even if he knew, he wouldn't have cared.
Sitting comfortably on Shiraori's back as she traversed space, he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Why does it feel like the Empire's territory keeps expanding?"
After this series of conquests, the Empire of Aetherlight's direct holdings had grown tremendously, and that didn't even include the vassal states. Adding Great Britain and the Indo-American Federation to the equation...
"I feel like I could cosplay as the founding emperor myself," Azrael mused with dark amusement.
But he was merely joking. He harbored absolutely no desire to become emperor. Being an emperor was a high-risk occupation, who knew when he might end up metaphorically trapped in a golden toilet, surrounded by sycophants and assassins?
While entertaining these irreverent thoughts, Azrael returned to the Empire. Lucian and the other two administrators looked startled when he suddenly materialized in their office, clearly not expecting such swift action.
"Azrael? Is it over already?" Lucian asked with evident surprise.
Azrael nodded. "The Indo-American Federation will be sending an envoy soon. I'll need your help handling the formalities, teachers."
He gestured, and the Shadowkhan began unloading materials into the office.
As mountains of resources piled up around them, Lucian quickly stopped him. "Did you completely loot the entire Federation?!"
"Only half."
Lucian, Tempest, and Fujimaru instinctively surveyed the massive accumulation surrounding them. The Indo-American Federation's wealth far exceeded their imagination, though perhaps it shouldn't have been surprising. A nation with a land area significantly larger than the former pre-expansion Empire, lacking any serious competitors, would naturally accumulate vast reserves.
After notifying the Lore Cardians responsible for inventory management to transport the materials, Lucian looked at Azrael with genuine concern. "You've been working non-stop lately. Go back and rest for a few days."
"We'll handle everything here."
Azrael had been the busiest person in the entire Empire recently, a few days' vacation was perfectly reasonable.
Hearing this, Azrael yawned expansively. "Thank you, teachers. I appreciate your hard work."
With those words, he vanished from the office.
Watching his departure, Tempest chuckled and said jokingly to Lucian, "Master Lucian, I should have competed harder for him during the Greenridge Province Unified Examination."
"Perhaps Azrael would be my disciple now." He was referring to the competition for Azrael's placement after his examination performance. Due to compatibility considerations, Tempest had ultimately conceded to Lucian.
The gap between them now seemed almost incomprehensible, even calling it worlds apart felt like an understatement.
Of course, Tempest wouldn't resent his own disciples over such matters.
Hearing the teasing, Lucian chuckled. "Even if I could turn back time, I wouldn't let you have him."
"I'd just convince Dalton to allocate every possible resource to Azrael from the very beginning."
If given the chance to do everything over, the old master would dedicate his entire being to ensuring Azrael received maximum support from the Cardian Master Association.
Nearby, Fujimaru, the Empire of Aetherlight's only female Master-tier Lore Cardian, sat observing the two men's bickering with a faint smile.
In the vast domed palace of the Mughal Empire, Motian reclined in heated pool waters, receiving a massage from attendants while his attention focused elsewhere.
Before him, a hollow-eyed middle-aged man knelt respectfully at the pool's edge, reporting on domestic affairs. "Your Majesty, the situation has stabilized considerably. Only that Sovereign-tier secret realm remains to be addressed."
At the mention of 'Sovereign-tier secret realm,' Motian's eye twitched involuntarily.
The Golden Emperor had never imagined the Mughal Empire would be fortunate, or unfortunate, enough to host one. Sovereign-tier secret realms were extraordinarily rare phenomena.
Unlike the neighboring Empire of Aetherlight, which seemed cursed with high-risk secret realms appearing with alarming regularity.
"Tsk." Motian clicked his tongue. "I see. Anything else?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. The Indo-American Federation has dispatched an envoy. We're uncertain of their purpose."
With a splash of water, the fair-skinned young man rose from the pool and approached his kneeling subordinate.
He stared down at the man, who barely dared breathe, and asked, "What specific intelligence do you have?"
"N-nothing, Your Majesty." The middle-aged man gulped audibly, not daring to raise his head as he replied with a trembling voice.
"Useless!" Motian kicked him viciously. "Then go find out!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Seeing his lord's wrath, the middle-aged man broke out in cold sweat. Keeping his head lowered, he turned and walked out as quickly as dignity allowed, suppressing his fear.
Motian paid no attention to his subordinate's thoughts. He gazed up at the looming satellite in the sky, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Planning to help Edley escape, are you?"
After a moment's consideration, he curled his lips in frustration. "Forget it. I don't know how long breaking that seal would take, and I can't afford to leave right now."
It wasn't that Motian feared offending Azrael, he simply wasn't confident he could successfully break the seal. After all, a containment capable of imprisoning a Sovereign-tier being couldn't be weak. What if that Empire man came looking for him while his cards were deployed elsewhere? The risk seemed unacceptable.
"But still..."
"Azrael must be dealt with as soon as possible."
With this thought crystallizing, Motian's eyes flickered with calculation as a plan began forming.
Several days had passed since the battle with Edley. While no further major incidents had occurred within the Empire of Aetherlight, Azrael had finally managed to rest properly.
Unfortunately, Earth's current situation wouldn't allow him such leisure indefinitely.
One day, while Azrael meditated in his residence, he suddenly received an invitation from the long-absent Earth's World Consciousness.
"Finally," Azrael muttered with relief upon receiving the mental summons. The silence had worried him, this communication suggested Earth could probably endure for a while longer.
Without hesitation, he accepted.
The next moment, Azrael found himself in the pure white space he'd visited before. However, besides the Earth's World Consciousness, who enjoyed cosplaying as Truth from Fullmetal Alchemist, another figure stood present.
The woman had gray hair and an exhausted expression. Adele.
After exchanging brief greetings with her, Azrael turned toward the pure white figure nearby. His expression grew serious, and his tone carried urgency. "Why couldn't I contact you recently?"
"What's the current situation?"
Upon hearing this, the Earth's World Consciousness released a silent, weary sigh before speaking. "The final wave of secret realms should arrive soon."
The consciousness paused, lowering its head slightly.
"Most of them will be Sovereign-tier secret realms."
Another pause, heavier this time.
"I'm sorry. I've tried my best."