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The world had gone silent in Ms. Xie's living room, as if someone had pressed the mute button on reality itself.
Ms. Xie's mouth opened but produced no sound. She stood frozen, a marionette whose strings had been cut. Russell—no longer disguised as Lux—watched impassively as the contract's compulsion took hold.
Black and red tentacles of shadow slithered into the kitchen. They returned with a gleaming knife that clattered at Ms. Xie's feet.
"Yes," her voice said mechanically, not her own anymore.
She picked up the blade with steady hands and drew it across her wrist in one practiced motion. Blood began its steady drip onto the hardwood floor.
Russell watched without expression. If he'd initially considered keeping her as a tool, those cards she'd shown him had sealed her fate. A woman who enslaved minds for pleasure, who took joy in destroying lives—as Kumoko said, hopelessly evil.
If I couldn't escape this contract myself, Russell thought, watching her life drain away, this could easily be my fate someday.
The thought crystallized his resolve. "I need to grow stronger. Leave the Society sooner."
Eventually he could create [Ten Thousand Responses Break the Precept]—that betrayal dagger from Medea's myth that could shatter Hermes' contracts. Greek mythology loved its inevitable betrayals, after all.
Finally, Ms. Xie's chest stilled. Russell waited another full minute to be certain.
"Let's go," he said to Kumoko.
"Wait!" The spider scurried to the light switch, plunging the room back into darkness. "Perfect! First person to find this will absolutely piss themselves!"
She had a point—a corpse in a dark living room, blood pooling beneath. Like something from a horror movie.
With a flash of Kumoko's spatial magic, they vanished. The townhouse fell silent except for the steady drip... drip... drip of blood onto hardwood.
Three Days Later - Secret Realm Defense Fortifications
The fortifications around the spatial crack had taken shape over the past three days—layers of reinforced barriers, weapon emplacements, and defensive positions. Construction crews had worked around the clock, their earth-type cards shaping stone and metal with practiced efficiency.
"I'll head back for some rest then, Vice President," Luther said, exhaustion clear in every line of his face.
"Get some sleep, Director Luther," Russell replied. "I'll handle the watch."
Luther nodded gratefully. "The fortifications are nearly complete. Just need the final demon-warding enchantments. Then we can think about storming the realm to secure the entrance."
"Agreed. Rest well."
After Luther departed, Russell settled into the command post with his book—"108 Squid Writing Techniques v3.04 Revised Edition"—though his mind kept wandering to recent events.
Three days of suspicious quiet. The Spirit Begging Society was keeping their heads down under his control. The Unification Sect had gone completely dark—no attacks, no sightings, nothing.
They're planning something massive, Russell knew. Just waiting for the perfect moment.
Also noteworthy: Ms. Xie hadn't appeared to "retrieve her lunch boxes" or continue her seduction attempts. Luther had mentioned his son seemed less interested in her lately, though he didn't know why.
"Still no one's found the body, apparently," Russell murmured to himself.
What really bothered him was President Simon's continued absence. Not ONE appearance in three days of crisis.
"President Russell?" A Silver-rank cardmaker entered the command post, bowing respectfully. "The fortifications are complete. Would you like to inspect them?"
Russell closed his book. "Lead the way."
The atmosphere in the ornate chamber was thick with tension and smoke from ceremonial braziers.
"The situation has changed dramatically," the Grand Speaker announced, his aged voice heavy with authority. "Our casualties from the probe were catastrophic."
"Only one in ten survived?" Speaker Klaus couldn't hide his shock. "From a supposedly primitive world?"
"The intelligence was either wrong or outdated," Speaker Pyrro said bitterly, nursing wounds from the failed assault. "They have weapons we don't understand. Beams of light that vaporize our soldiers, giants made of sand and lightning..."
"Irrelevant," the Grand Speaker cut through the debate. "The Supreme One's directive stands. We take their world or die trying."
"But why accelerate the timeline?" Speaker Saville pressed. "The convergence isn't for months—"
"You dare question the Supreme One?" The temperature plummeted as the Grand Speaker's power leaked through his control.
"No, Grand Speaker," Saville quickly backpedaled. "I merely seek understanding."
"Understanding is not required. Only obedience." The ancient leader's power receded. "We attack at dawn with everything we have."
"ALL forces?" someone gasped. "That's fifty thousand spellcasters!"
"All forces," the Grand Speaker confirmed. "This ends tomorrow, one way or another."
Russell examined the materials he'd accumulated over the past few days:
[Cold-blooded Deceiver] (Gold/Red) - from the Society
[Spellcaster Priest] (Gold/Green) - from the demon battle
[Soul of Full Spirit] (Gold/Red) - purchased with points
"All three pieces ready," he murmured, spreading them on his desk. "Time to create my second Gold card."
The doorbell rang unexpectedly.
"Already?" Russell was confused—the material delivery shouldn't arrive for hours.
He opened the door to find—
"Senior Sister?!"
Hazel stood there, her expression unreadable as always.
"That was fast!" Russell exclaimed.
"Not far," she said simply, her eyes scanning him for injuries. Finding none, subtle relief crossed her features. "What happened?"
"Come in, I'll explain," Russell said, leading her inside. "A Gold-level secret realm appeared in a residential area. It's... complicated."
"Location?" Hazel's tone suggested she'd handle it personally.
"Wait, Senior Sister," Russell said quickly. "I'm about to create a new card. If that doesn't work, then you can intervene."
"Now?"
"Soon. Please, have some tea first."
Russell felt guilty constantly relying on Hazel. He'd given her nothing but emotional support in return for her endless assistance.
I'll take better care of Senior Sister in the future, he promised himself silently.
They drank tea in comfortable silence—well, Russell talked while Hazel listened. His practice with Kumoko's comedy routines kept him going until the materials finally arrived.
After signing for the final component, Russell stood. "Senior Sister, I'm going to create the card now. Could you watch things for me?"
Hazel set down her teacup with a simple "Mm."
In his study, Russell spread out the three materials:
[Cold-blooded Deceiver] representing hypnosis
[Spellcaster Priest] representing magical mastery
[Soul of Full Spirit] representing overwhelming spiritual pressure
"Two Red quality," he murmured. "This better work."
He began sketching on the blank card—brown hair, gentle smile, black-rimmed glasses. But heavy shadows beneath suggested something sinister lurked behind that helpful facade.
[Please begin your story compilation]
Russell wrote carefully, crafting Aizen's history. His disappointment with mediocrity. The experiments seeking power beyond death. Creating incomplete Hogyoku. Manipulating Central 46. The hollowfication incident.
When he reached the part about Hueco Mundo, the card resisted. The space itself rejected further writing.
"Already at the limit," Russell pulled back. "Fair enough."
The card pulsed once—no dramatic light show, perfectly subtle. Very Aizen.
Russell absorbed it and checked the statistics:
[Vice Captain of Fifth Division • Sosuke Aizen] Level: Gold
Quality: Red (Iridescent)
The iridescent quality indicator caught his attention—not quite Colored, but beyond normal Red.
"It's the Palace potential," Russell realized. "Cards that can explicitly reach Palace rank manifest differently."
"Director Zayne, think President Russell's sister will really come?" Luther paced anxiously in the makeshift office.
Zayne's perpetual stone face somehow conveyed exasperation. "President Russell's senior sister already agreed. We wait."
Before Luther could respond, two figures materialized in the command post.
"President Russell—" Luther began, then froze.
A young woman stood beside Russell. Tall, intimidating, with an aura that screamed danger.
"This is my senior sister, Hazel," Russell said. "Diamond-rank cardmaker."
Luther's jaw dropped. "Diamond rank?! Master Hazel, we're honored—"
Hazel nodded minimally, already pulling out a book to read.
"So Master Hazel will handle the realm?" Luther asked hopefully.
"My new card will attempt it first," Russell interjected. "Senior Sister is our insurance."
The directors examined the ordinary-looking man with glasses who'd appeared beside Russell. Brown hair, gentle smile, helpful demeanor—he looked like a middle manager, not a warrior.
"This is your solution?" Luther couldn't hide his doubt.
"Appearances deceive," Russell said simply. "Shall we begin?"
(End of Chapter 216 - Revised)