Li Gang's heart shattered completely. Never in his wildest nightmares had he imagined things would spiral so catastrophically out of control.
Before the operation began, the demons had given him absolute assurances, their plan was flawless, bulletproof, impossible to fail.
He had believed them wholeheartedly.
After all, Li Gang understood the situation within the secret realm better than anyone. He'd studied every variable, mapped every contingency.
The initial developments had unfolded exactly as predicted. Everything proceeded so smoothly that Li Gang nearly laughed with triumph, thinking, "I've never had such a perfect opening."
But now, staring at the young man standing not far away with only slightly soiled clothes, Li Gang's mind reeled in disbelief. How could anyone explain Azrael's survival, let alone his apparent massacre of so many demons?
Taking a shuddering breath, Li Gang forced himself toward composure. He squeezed his eyes shut, desperately hoping the scene before him was merely an elaborate illusion crafted by the Association's operatives.
When he reopened them, the reality remained unchanged.
No illusion. No trick. Just devastating, undeniable truth.
"How is this possible?!" Confusion consumed him entirely. "Could methods to kill Emerald-level demons actually exist?"
Moments earlier, he'd dismissed Azrael's claims as empty bluffing, convinced the real credit belonged to whatever Diamond-level Lore Cardian had appeared afterward.
After all, if Azrael could truly slay Emerald-level demons, why hadn't he used such power when Kavach was assassinated?
That victory could have been far more decisive, potentially annihilating both the Onefold Doctrine and the Crimson Oath Society in one fell swoop.
What the middle-aged man couldn't know was that Shiraori's special abilities had mysterious activation conditions, and more importantly, Kavach had been killed by Azrael himself. How could he possibly save his own victim?
A tangle of thoughts churned through Li Gang's mind, and he released a frustrated sigh.
Surveying the battlefield, Li Gang's psyche, momentarily shaken by Azrael's unexpected survival and Dick's group's annihilation, gradually steadied.
He sneered coldly. "Even if you survived, so what?"
"The die is cast."
Although the fighting had temporarily ceased due to Azrael's arrival, the Onefold Doctrine still maintained tactical superiority.
Recognizing this advantage, Li Gang's voice rose with renewed confidence, though he subconsciously avoided the troubling question: if Azrael had eliminated so many demons in the secret realm, what prevented him from doing the same to the Onefold Doctrine members present?
Meanwhile, Diesel and his two companions had recovered from their initial euphoria. Oliver looked at Azrael with concern. "President, are you alright?"
Azrael waved dismissively. "Fine."
Despite his calm exterior, as if nothing significant had occurred, he understood his true condition. Completely eliminating the demons at the secret realm's entrance had required considerable effort, leaving his cards somewhat damaged. Even Unohana Retsu's preliminary treatment provided only partial recovery.
Some injuries couldn't heal quickly, regardless of intervention.
Furthermore, his mental energy had been severely taxed during the prolonged battle, and after such an arduous journey, his current state was far from optimal.
But how could Azrael display weakness in such circumstances?
That's when Diesel and Godfrey noticed an unfamiliar card beside Azrael, a young man wearing a distinctive straw hat.
Godfrey's eyes narrowed. "When was that one created?"
The expressionless middle-aged man felt increasingly unsettled. Every time he thought he'd gauged his master's limits, something new surprised him.
The disconnect between his assumptions and reality left him with complex emotions.
"Could this card be the key?"
Godfrey deduced from Li Gang's earlier comments that the young man had undoubtedly been transported somewhere extremely dangerous.
Earth offered limited options for such perilous locations these days, either secret realms or demon-occupied territories.
Both served as enemy strongholds.
Normally, a single Lore Cardian without overwhelming level advantages would face certain doom.
Overall, Godfrey's relief outweighed his concerns. Regardless of whether the Association might intensify crackdowns on illegal organizations and potentially affect him, at least his life was secure for now.
Unlike Godfrey's mixed feelings, Diesel experienced pure relief.
If Azrael had truly died, the square-faced middle-aged man wondered whether Donglai's feng shui was cursed, having claimed two successive presidents.
Diesel analyzed the situation and whispered to Azrael, "President, we should consider retreating for now."
But Azrael simply shook his head, dismissing the suggestion.
Seeing this response, Diesel couldn't resist further persuasion.
After all, the Association wasn't in an advantageous position, it would be wiser to withdraw and consolidate their forces before planning their next move.
But in the next moment, every being present, Lore Cardians, demons, even the summoned cards themselves, felt a crushing weight descend upon them like a physical force.
Purple spiritual pressure, intertwined with black and red lightning, instantly flooded the entire battlefield.
A powerful aura, swirling like a tempest, swept through the bodies of all present.
To everyone's perception, the two male cards beside Azrael radiated an overwhelming, captivating presence.
The sound of audible swallowing echoed across the arena.
Feeling the oppressive weight bearing down on him, Li Gang's pupils contracted. He finally understood why Dick and his demon coalition had failed so spectacularly.
A dull thud suddenly rang out, startling a nearby Association Lore Cardian.
He turned to see that the demon he'd been fighting had collapsed unconscious.
Before the Lore Cardian could react, the sounds of falling began echoing one after another.
He looked around to witness all the Association's lower-level Lore Cardians staring in blank amazement at the unfolding scene.
At that moment, every demon, limb-replacement monster, Lore Cardian, and card belonging to the Onefold Doctrine below Silver rank had lost consciousness completely.
Those at Silver rank gasped for breath as if carrying mountains on their backs.
Of the Onefold Doctrine members present, only those at Gold rank remained standing.
Li Gang watched the scene unfold with a grim expression, never having expected the situation to reverse so dramatically in a single instant.
"Azrael!"
A voice, almost a growl, emanated from his throat.
In response, two blazing bolts of lightning crashed down.
The Railgun, intertwined with thunder, reached Li Gang in a split second.
"Boom!"
Explosions echoed as Azrael initiated the second battle.
He didn't bother wasting words with Li Gang, the man was unworthy of conversation.
The smoke cleared, revealing Li Gang with a gloomy expression, his face dripping wet, and a card depicting a pious woman positioned defensively before him.
However, Misaka and Aizen hadn't expected their attacks to inflict serious harm on the middle-aged man.
Their purpose was merely to provide cover for Luffy's assault.
"Gum-Gum Ape King Gun!"
The giant rubber figure bounded in front of Li Gang, unleashing a devastating killing blow.
Li Gang's vision filled completely with Luffy's massive fist, shrouded in Armament Haki.
The technique that had defeated Doflamingo now appeared on this planet for the first time.
The wind arrived before the fist.
The raging gale ruffled Li Gang's hair.
Feeling the stinging pain across his face, he instinctively tried to dodge.
Unfortunately, as Aizen's voice rang out, "Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō."
Six beams of light suddenly materialized around the red-robed middle-aged man, binding him in place.
While the instantaneous binding technique couldn't kill him, Aizen only needed to hold him momentarily.
The next instant, a pitch-black right fist, nearly obscuring the sun and sky in Li Gang's sight, struck him with devastating force.
"Bang!"
In the blink of an eye, a terrifying crack spread from where Li Gang had stood, splitting the entire street in two.
The tremors, so violent they resembled an earthquake, sent all the lower-level Lore Cardians tumbling to the ground.
In the distance, Diesel and his two companions steadied themselves, their hearts trembling as they witnessed the overwhelming display of power.
They now understood why Li Gang's plan had failed so completely.
"President," Diesel said, feeling reassured. He doubted anyone could survive such a devastating blow.
However, Azrael raised a hand to silence him.
The young man stared solemnly at the deep crater created by the Gum-Gum Ape King Gun.
As Diesel watched in disbelief, a cough rang out from the crater.
"Cough cough."
"Azrael."
It was Li Gang, he wasn't dead.
The middle-aged man looked utterly miserable, his robes torn to shreds, his face covered in dust and blood.
"How is that possible?!" Diesel and his companions' expressions changed drastically.
Azrael, however, wasn't surprised. He clearly remembered how Shiraori's attacks had similarly failed to cause significant damage during their first encounter with Li Gang.
He carefully observed the cards beside Li Gang.
Sure enough, the card named [Dangun] had vanished.
"Damage absorption."
Undoubtedly, the damage inflicted by Luffy's ultimate technique on Li Gang had been absorbed by [Dangun], allowing the middle-aged man to survive.
The price, naturally, was that [Dangun] had entered cooldown.
"You win this round."
"But..."
"I didn't lose either!"
With those words, a sinister smile crossed Li Gang's face.
Before Azrael could launch another attack, he vanished from the spot.
"Did he escape?" Azrael breathed a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Luffy, having released Gear Fourth, stood with his hands on his knees, panting heavily.
The prolonged battle would have been taxing for anyone, let alone Azrael, a mere Gold-rank Lore Cardian.
Well, "mere" was hardly accurate.
Azrael's abilities were extraordinary, otherwise, any ordinary Lore Cardian would have burned out on the journey back to Donglai.
No, it was questionable whether any typical Lore Cardian could have even escaped that secret realm alive.
However, because Li Gang had fled so hastily, the remaining Onefold Doctrine members present suffered the consequences.
"Leave two alive, and eliminate the rest," Azrael commanded calmly.