Shiraori examined the identification information with serious concentration. "This uncle is quite troublesome."
But she immediately smiled. "However, Shiraori now has teammates."
[Crazy Sword·Flame Silence]
Rank: Gold
Quality: Red
Category: Creature
Skills:
[Crazy Sword Style] [Flame Dance] [Avalokitesvara]
Features:
[Ice and Fire Divine Sword] [Remnant Soul Guarding the Heart] [Sword Madness]
Description: Practicing with two swords, the power of ghosts and gods.
Advancement: ???
Bond:
When appearing with characters from the [Flame Snow] series, the [Flame Bloodline] effect is activated.
When appearing with characters from the [Hebi] series, the [Water Moon Sword Sect] effect is activated.
[Soul-Holding Venerable·Tiger Slayer]
Rank: Gold
Quality: Gold
Category: Creature
Skills:
[Breaking Fist] [Force Like a Madman]
Features:
[Unwavering] [Majestic Momentum] [Muscles and Bone Marrow]
Description: With blood and qi by your side, you can break through magic with force.
Advanced: ???
Bond:
When playing with characters from the [Ye Fangsheng] series, [Forging the Gods and Opening the Sea] effect is activated.
When playing with characters from the [Liu Ming] series, [Body Profound School] effect is activated.
[Five Elements Generation and Restoration - Nangong Ce]
Rank: Gold
Quality: Gold
Category: Creature
Skills:
[Five Elements Magic] [Burning Sky Flame]
Features:
[Five Spirits Flow] [Flame Soul Return] [Reverse Five Elements]
Description: Innate Divine Fire, reverse the Five Elements.
Advanced: ???
Bond:
When playing with characters from the [Du Qinrui] series, [Magic Alliance] effect is activated.
Judging from the information Shiraori identified, Kavach definitely harbored ambitions.
After all, every card possessed relevant bonds, indicating a carefully constructed deck strategy.
However, the others present couldn't interpret a spider's expressions. When they heard her hissing, they mistook it for the signal to begin battle.
Fortunately, with Shiraori's identification complete, Azrael's cards were prepared for combat.
The specific card information, combined with their physical appearances, allowed the team to identify each summoned creature.
The figure wielding red and blue longswords in each hand was naturally [Crazy Sword·Flame Silence], while [Venerable Master·Tiger Slayer] stood bare-chested, wearing protective wrist guards on both hands.
As for [Five Elements·Nangong Ce], he was distinguished by the magic ring swirling behind him.
Nangong Ce struck first. The magic ring behind him rotated slightly, and golden flames erupted, rapidly expanding into a sea of fire that surged toward Magnus and Godfrey.
Before they could react, Frieren, positioned beside them, tapped the ground with the tip of her ruby staff.
"Boom!"
A massive crack split the ground before them, and a giant hand formed from earth instantly emerged from the fissure, blocking the incoming flames.
Immediately afterward, an earth giant rose from the ground.
However, Godfrey, observing this exchange, secretly sensed something amiss.
Having worked in Donglai for years, even without Shiraori's identification abilities, he possessed a rough understanding of President Kavach's card capabilities.
The so-called Five Elements generation and restraint cycle wasn't as simple as merely casting five-element spells.
Fire generates earth, earth generates metal, metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, a continuous cycle.
As a millennium-old elf magician, Frieren certainly lacked knowledge of the Chinese Five Elements theory.
Nangong Ce smiled subtly, and the magic ring behind him rotated again.
The earth giant currently resisting the raging flames instantly disintegrated along with the golden fire, transforming into dust drifting through the air.
Seeing this, Frieren expressed genuine interest. "Fascinating magic!"
In her thousand-year existence, she had never encountered such a method before.
However, before the white-haired elf could analyze it further, a dangerous glint flashed in Nangong Ce's eyes.
The next moment, the dust drifting in the air coalesced, forming a massive golden beam.
"Golden Shuttle," the flamboyant man whispered, and the golden beam vanished into thin air.
When it reappeared, it materialized before Frieren, accompanied by a piercing whistle.
"Bang!"
Honeycomb-like defensive magic instantly formed, blocking the attack completely.
Feeling the sharp force transmitted through her defensive barriers, Frieren remained expressionless, merely deflecting the protective magic slightly.
"Swish!"
Without the opposing defensive magic to resist it, the golden light was redirected, piercing through nearby houses before flying away into the distance.
Fortunately, most ordinary people had already fled the area; otherwise, some unfortunate soul would have perished from this inexplicable attack.
"Tsk, really tough!" Nangong Ce clicked his tongue at the ineffectiveness of his assault.
Shiraori, meanwhile, regarded the white-haired elf beside her with some envy.
Although she could utilize earth, water, wind, and fire magic through [Ruler: Wisdom], her proficiency clearly didn't match that of Abyssal magic.
Therefore, for efficiency's sake, she primarily relied on Abyssal magic in combat.
However, Frieren and Nangong Ce weren't the only combatants present.
The moment Frieren blocked the golden light, Zoro had drawn his weapons and crouched low, targeting Nangong Ce.
Then, Shiraori charged forward like a cannonball, harassing the enemy with dark abyssal magic.
Just as the swordsman and spider were about to reach Nangong Ce, the flamboyant man retreated, and Tucci and Yagi stepped forward to intercept them.
"Breaking Fist - Double Point Hand!"
The shirtless man roared, his right fist leaving two afterimages in the air before colliding heavily with Shiraori's razor-sharp forelegs.
"Kyaa!"
Shiraori cried out, spinning backward before landing gracefully on the ground in a puff of smoke.
Tucci didn't pursue, instead frowning at his right hand, which was now stained with purple liquid and emitting white vapor.
Meanwhile, Yagi examined the green-haired young man before him with surprise. The swordsman held two blades in his hands while gripping a third sword between his teeth, a fighting style remarkably similar to his own dual-sword approach.
"What's this?" Yagi muttered. "Dual sword styles like mine are rare in the Sword Sect."
Without giving him time to contemplate further, Zoro charged forward.
"Three Sword Style - Extreme - Tiger Hunt!"
An azure tiger manifestation pounced fiercely at Yagi.
The dual-sword wielder wasn't certain if it was his imagination, but the green-haired man seemed to gain even more momentum after shouting the technique's name.
Speaking of which, how could someone shout clearly with a blade clenched between their teeth?
"Ding!"
The crisp sound of clashing swords suddenly echoed throughout the battlefield.
A massive slashing wave tore through the ground beneath Yagi's feet.
The man with twin swords, however, remained expressionless, firmly holding Zoro in check.
"This feeling..." Yagi assessed during their confrontation. "What inferior weapons."
During the blade lock, Yagi noticed the fragility of his opponent's swords.
"I can shatter them!"
His eyes turned cold as he exerted force with his hands, attempting to sever the green-haired man's weapons.
He sensed that the man before him was a pure swordsman. Without their weapons, someone like him would lose at least ninety percent of their combat effectiveness.
Moreover, the Ice and Fire Divine Sword in his hands was a rare and famous blade.
Recognizing the other party's intention, Zoro retreated strategically.
Just as Yagi prepared to pursue, a figure appeared beside Kavach, halting his advance.
"President Kavach, I didn't expect you to be targeted for assassination as well."
It was Azrael.
He had calculated his arrival to coincide perfectly with receiving the emergency notification.
Kavach breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Azrael.
Despite his earlier bravado, he recognized the deteriorating situation the moment combat began. He hadn't anticipated when this strange creature had infiltrated the Crimson Oath Society, and his three cards were only managing an even match.
His political acumen was the reason he had maintained his position as Donglai's president for so long.
It was certainly not his combat prowess.
However, the brief exchange had already given him an ominous premonition.
"Where did this monster originate?!"
Combined with the fact that an illegal Lore Cardian was lurking nearby, if it weren't for Azrael's arrival, he might have faced annihilation.
Fortunately, the vice president had apparently set aside their grudges temporarily and ultimately came to his aid.
"He's young after all," Kavach couldn't help but reflect inwardly. If the roles were reversed and Azrael were the one under attack, he would definitely hide in the shadows, waiting for the young man to perish, or at least suffer serious injuries, before emerging.
Meanwhile, Godfrey in the distance felt uneasy upon seeing Azrael. After a moment's hesitation, he whispered to Magnus, "Sir, perhaps we should retreat first."
"That Azrael is a formidable opponent. We may not be able to capture him."
He was still understating the situation significantly.
Magnus, however, simply replied calmly, "It's fine. Leave it to me."
Despite his seemingly nonchalant demeanor, he was practically laughing internally.
Azrael had assigned him this assassination mission; how could he simply flee?
Godfrey felt a pang of bitterness, believing he might die today.
Just as the middle-aged man with the expressionless face decided to give everything he had, another person arrived.
It was Diesel.
"President Kavach, you were also targeted?"
Diesel's tone carried a strange inflection. He hadn't expected that after yesterday's assassination attempt on Azrael, Kavach, the association president, would also become a target.
He had initially suspected that the Crimson Oath Society was merely a random scapegoat Kavach had chosen, but now it appeared to be genuine.
Kavach nodded grimly, then glared coldly at the two Crimson Oath Society members nearby. "Excellent timing. Don't let them escape tonight."
Although Godfrey's absence puzzled him, he now considered the three of them more than sufficient to handle these Crimson Oath Society bastards.
Not to mention that Azrael, standing beside him, possessed the means to eliminate Emerald-level demons.
The atmosphere grew tense once again.
Azrael broke the tension by first approaching Shiraori.
Although Shiraori had been sent flying by Tucci earlier, she wasn't actually injured; it had been a deceptive tactic.
She simply hadn't managed to draw the enemy into her trap.
Diesel then faced Godfrey in preparation for combat.
As for Kavach's three cards, they naturally confronted Frieren and Zoro.
Azrael glanced at Aizen and Misaka, who were already engaging in a staged battle with Shiraori, then turned his attention to the main battlefield.
Zoro, wearing a stern expression, stood alone against Kavach's three cards, each displaying different emotions.
As he tightened his grip on his weapons, both his hands and blades were stained with a jet-black hue.
Armament Haki.
He had naturally realized Yagi's intention to destroy his weapons.
Sensing Zoro's increasingly dangerous aura, Yagi and Tucci's expressions grew serious.
"What is this power?"
But before they could react, Zoro had already struck.
"Whoosh!"
The green-haired youth vanished instantaneously.
In the blink of an eye, the pitch-black blade reached Tucci's face.
"Fire Wall!"
Before Tucci could even move, Nangong Ce had already intervened.
A wall of earth, blazing with golden flames, instantly rose before the burly man.
Seeing this, Zoro remained expressionless.
With Armament Haki imbued in his weapons, even energy-based Logia fruit abilities could be touched, let alone the flames before him.
"Clang!"
The sound of shattering echoed as the flaming earthen wall crumbled in an instant.
Seeing this, Nangong Ce frowned slightly, then planned to coordinate with Tucci and Yagi to eliminate Zoro first.
But just then...
"Zoltraak."
A dark beam shot forth.
It was Frieren.
"Your opponent is me," came a cold voice. The white-haired elf's face remained impassive as she spoke calmly. "Your magic is quite interesting. Show me more."
The killing spell struck a villa, causing a violent explosion.
Nangong Ce stood before the ruined building and calmly glanced at Zoro and the other two, who were already engaged in fierce combat nearby.
"Yagi and the others should handle him adequately."
"Then I'll deal with this child first."
To the showy young man, the white-haired girl across from him appeared quite young.
Though to be fair, Frieren might indeed be considered a child among elves.
"But why aren't you using Five Elements magic?"
"Tsk!"
Nangong Ce felt a headache as he watched another dark beam attack him.
"Earth - Mountains."
As the young man finished chanting, a massive earthen mound materialized from thin air.
However, Zoltraak's characteristic feature was its penetrating properties.
The massive earthwork proved as fragile as tofu, offering minimal resistance.
The moment the two forces made contact, Nangong Ce realized his error.
His face darkened, and the magic ring behind him spun rapidly.
[Reverse Five Elements]. (Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, Fire overcomes Metal.)
"Wood - Patrol."
However, Zoltraak's speed was too great. Before Nangong Ce could escape, the piercing spell struck him directly.
"Boom!"
The tremendous explosion caused Yagi and Tucci to turn their heads in alarm.
Both cards, along with Kavach, displayed evident surprise.
"Distraction!?"
"Three Sword Style - Purgatory Demon Slash!"
A voice like thunder from hell instantly drew their attention back.
Yagi and Tucci quickly turned around and blocked Zoro's terrifying assault.
"Crack, crack, crack!"
The subtle sounds of weapons straining against each other continued persistently.
But just as the three were locked in another fierce battle, Frieren calmly unleashed another killing spell into the smoke.
In her perception, the human wasn't dead.
No, rather, he had died but been revived.
She recalled the identification message Shiraori had shared.
[Flame Soul Return].
"Cough!"
A cough echoed from within the smoke.
Golden flames shot skyward in an instant, tearing through the concealing cloud. Nangong Ce emerged in a state of panic, rubbing his chest with lingering fear.
Kavach in the distance looked so grim that water seemed ready to drip from his expression.
With the abilities of [Five Elements Genesis and Restraint - Nangong Ce], he had slain countless demons in the past, but he hadn't expected defeat in just a few rounds against the white-haired girl.
This was only because he and his cards were unfamiliar with the properties of [Killing Magic]; otherwise, he wouldn't have attempted to block it with solid earth.
Of course, facing a Lore Cardian without any strategic advantages would be unusual.
It's just that some of these advantages were merely tactical, while others proved fatal.
Because Nangong Ce had previously demonstrated his ability to manipulate the five elements, Frieren now emphasized the use of neutral killing magic, supplemented by the abyssal magic she had learned from Shiraori. This approach didn't significantly reduce her combat effectiveness.
Honeycomb-shaped defensive magic continuously appeared, resisting the ever-shifting attacks of the five elements.
After suffering a setback and sacrificing his second life, Nangong Ce had become noticeably more cautious.
Facing the relentless onslaught of dark beams, he dodged whenever possible.
After all, failure to dodge meant death.
However, upon observing that each time Frieren deployed defensive magic, her barriers barely blocked his attacks, Nangong Ce's eyes flickered with understanding.
"I see."
Sensing the white-haired girl's seemingly modest aura, he formulated a counterstrategy.
"Fire - Blazing the Prairie!"
A vast expanse of golden flames suddenly erupted, obscuring Frieren's vision.
"Earth - Rhythm of Gold!"
Frieren's vigilance heightened, but the golden flames remained unchanged.
"Metal - Accumulate!"
Seeing the golden flames persist, Frieren unleashed a killing spell toward the aura she sensed.
However, the pitch-black beam, tearing through the sea of fire, missed its target.
"Water - Converge All Rivers!"
As Nangong Ce continuously cast Five Elements spells, the golden sea of fire posed an increasingly threatening presence to Frieren.
Clearly, these were enhancement spells.
Finally...
"Wood - Vangeanceow Flying."
The sea of fire instantly converged, transforming into a beam of emerald green light that shot toward Frieren.
The white-haired elf remained expressionless, as honeycomb-like defensive magic layered itself before her.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Yet the emerald green light instantly pierced through multiple defensive spells, stubbornly reaching Frieren.
However, even such a powerful attack, after penetrating so many weakening barriers, began to lose momentum.
Finally, after piercing countless defensive spells, it slowly came to a halt at Frieren's heart.
It seemed that even Nangong Ce's most powerful attack couldn't inflict the slightest damage upon her.
However, both the showy young man and his master beamed with triumph.
"Fire: Burning Sky Flame."
The emerald green light suddenly transformed into invisible flames, corrupting Frieren's defensive magic.
"Got you," Nangong Ce declared smugly, his previous embarrassment forgotten.
"My Five Elements spells become increasingly powerful through mutual generation. You probably thought Vangeanceow Flying was my ultimate technique, right?"
Azrael, observing from nearby, was startled. He wondered why Kavach's card had suddenly become so powerful, nearly injuring Frieren.
Nangong Ce continued, "Unfortunately, the final Burning Sky Flame is my true ultimate move."
Hearing this, Azrael raised an eyebrow and calmly asked Kavach, "President Kavach, what is the effect of your Burning Sky Flame?"
Seeing Azrael's willingness to intervene, Kavach thought it worth explaining. "I crafted this Burning Sky Flame specifically to counter ranged spellcasting cards."
"Sense that white-haired girl's aura carefully. Isn't it quite powerful?"
"I suspect the Crimson Oath Society sacrificed endurance when creating the card to achieve such devastating effects."
"Otherwise, Nangong Ce wouldn't have been so carelessly defeated initially."
After listening to Kavach's explanation, Azrael felt uncertain and returned his gaze to the battlefield.
Frieren stared blankly at the transparent flames gradually spreading over her, causing no damage whatsoever.
Nangong Ce sighed, "Child, my Burning Sky Flame can burn other people's mana for my own use."
"The lower the mana, the faster it burns."
"After Vangeanceow Flying weakened you just now, I'm afraid your mana reserves aren't substantial anymore, are they?"
He spoke while gazing confidently at Frieren.
What surprised him was that the white-haired figure across from him showed no fear whatsoever.
Instead, she looked at him as if he were already dead.
Frieren remained calm. "I can see you have great confidence in yourself."
"But..."
"Standing before you now is a magician who has lived for over a thousand years."
As if disturbed by the Burning Sky Flame, the white-haired elf's concealment magic, which she had maintained since learning magic, lost its effect at this moment.
Immense magical power constantly pressured Nangong Ce and Kavach.
"What...?!"