"ROAR!"
A deafening roar echoed across the land, reverberating through Donglai's shattered streets and broken buildings.
The colossal red dragon, launched backward by the black and white figure hovering in mid-air, materialized once more before everyone's eyes, completely unharmed and radiating murderous intent.
"Azrael!"
Li Gang's voice boomed with unmistakable recognition, his draconic form trembling with unbridled fury.
"Always you! Always you standing in my way!"
From his position atop the devastated earth, Azrael remained composed despite the distant, rage-filled bellow. His expression was calm, almost contemplative. "Has he finally lost his mind?"
Based on Shiraori's previous identification, he could confirm that the massive red dragon dominating the sky was indeed Li Gang. The transformation was complete, but it seemed to have come at the cost of the man's sanity.
"Enough games."
"Ulquiorra, take him away from the city first."
The young president had no intention of allowing his card to engage in an unrestricted battle with the opposing red dragon within Donglai's borders. A clash between two Emerald-level entities would reduce the entire city to rubble, leaving nothing but crater where a thriving metropolis once stood.
"Yes, Master Azrael!"
Receiving his master's command, Ulquiorra appeared before the enormous red dragon in the next instant, moving with such speed that his form barely registered as more than a black and white blur.
"BANG!"
The dull, thunderous impact echoed across the cityscape as the giant red dragon was launched toward the coastline like a crimson meteor. However, Ulquiorra didn't pause for even a moment. Using Sonído to pursue the dragon's trajectory, he continued his relentless bombardment, each strike sending shockwaves that scattered the clouds above.
By the time the dragon reached the ocean, Diesel and his two colleagues had finally caught up to Azrael's position.
Staring at the aerial battle unfolding over the churning waters, all three men swallowed hard, their faces pale with awe and disbelief.
Then, as if suddenly realizing the implications, Diesel turned to look at Azrael with eyes wide as saucers. "President?!"
"You're... you're Emerald rank?!"
Azrael nodded slightly, acknowledging Diesel's stunned assessment without elaboration.
After Ulquiorra evolved into his Emerald-rank [World of Nothingness (Incomplete) - Ulquiorra (Hōgyoku Fusion)] form, Azrael himself had been elevated from Gold rank to Emerald rank. Although he had gradually approached the threshold of Emerald rank through his previous battles and experiences, he had still been some distance away from truly breaking through on his own.
He hadn't expected to be directly elevated this time through bonding with an Emerald-rank card.
The three exchanged bewildered glances, their minds struggling to process what they were witnessing. The young man beside them had only recently achieved Gold rank, and his current advancement speed was even more meteoric than that of the legendary Sovereign-level Lore Cardian Lioren.
More importantly, he wasn't just a blank Emerald rank with raw power but no substance. The black and white figure battling in the distant sky was undoubtedly a genuine Emerald-rank card with devastating combat capabilities.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to completely dominate Li Gang's Emerald-rank red dragon transformation.
"Director Diesel, arrange for your people to evacuate the civilian population as quickly as possible," Azrael ordered casually, preparing to relocate to the coast where the real battle would unfold.
But Diesel's words stopped him in his tracks. "President, headquarters..."
"It's been completely destroyed by that monster."
"Director Godrick is seriously injured, and I'm afraid we can't spare many personnel from the city right now."
Azrael, who had been unaware of the full extent of the damage to their headquarters, had gone directly to confront Li Gang after having Ulquiorra shatter Cliff's binding barrier.
"Redeploy people from other districts."
"This battle will be over soon," he stated with quiet confidence before vanishing in an instant.
Godfrey, though maintaining his expressionless facade, was experiencing internal turmoil that threatened to overwhelm his composure.
As a covert member of the Crimson Oath Society, he naturally hoped for the organization to become as powerful as possible. But Azrael's sudden display of overwhelming strength had shattered all his previous assumptions and calculations.
We must inform the Master immediately!
The thought dominated his mind so completely that he didn't even register Diesel calling his name. Only when the Vice President physically tapped his shoulder did he snap back to awareness.
"Ah? Sorry, Vice President Diesel. I was... momentarily distracted."
Hearing this, Diesel shook his head slightly, assuming the normally stoic middle-aged man had been momentarily overwhelmed by their president's incredible display of power.
But wasn't he experiencing the same shock?
Fortunately, this monstrous strength belonged to a Lore Cardian from their own association.
"BOOM!"
A massive draconic body plummeted from the sky, slamming into the ocean with tremendous force and sending towering sprays of seawater in all directions.
The previously calm surface instantly became a churning maelstrom of waves and foam.
Hovering in mid-air, Ulquiorra stared down at the disturbed waters with his characteristic emotionless expression before casually manifesting a crackling green spiritual lance.
"Whoosh, BOOM!"
The emerald spear, appearing no larger than a toothpick compared to the vast ocean, instantly pierced a terrifying chasm through the water itself.
Unfortunately, the strike missed its intended target. The dragon that should have been positioned there had vanished without a trace.
Azrael, who had already reached the shoreline, frowned slightly at the sight. Even with his Emerald-level mental scan actively probing the area, he could detect no trace of Li Gang's presence.
Beside him, Aizen gazed thoughtfully at the fractured Hōgyoku embedded within Ulquiorra's hollow chest cavity, his analytical mind already working to understand the implications.
The next moment, a blazing crimson beam suddenly erupted from the depths behind Ulquiorra's position.
Sensing the incoming attack through his enhanced spiritual awareness, Ulquiorra remained perfectly composed. Extending his right index finger with mechanical precision, he unleashed a pitch-black Cero.
"KRAAAAK!"
The two devastating attacks collided with explosive force, sending violent ripples of wind and energy across the surrounding ocean. Horrifying spiritual pressures gradually intertwined and clashed until a final, catastrophic explosion of intertwined black and red energies spread outward, engulfing everything in their path.
At that moment, Li Gang's massive red dragon form burst from the churning waters.
He first cast a wary glance at Ulquiorra hovering in mid-air, then fixed Azrael on the shore with a glare filled with unbridled hatred. "AZRAEL!!"
"You really have given me quite the surprise!"
Seeing that Li Gang appeared to have regained some measure of composure despite Ulquiorra's relentless assault, Azrael showed no desire whatsoever for negotiation or conversation.
Sensing the distant black and white figure preparing to resume his attack, the middle-aged man now trapped in draconic form quickly declared, "If you release me today, I swear I will repay this debt in the future!"
"There's no point in continuing this fight!"
Li Gang now seemed genuinely interested in seeking some form of reconciliation.
He understood that even if he managed to achieve victory, it would come at an enormous cost. More critically, if he became embroiled in a prolonged battle here, he would be unable to escape once the Association's reinforcements inevitably arrived.
Hearing this pathetic attempt at bargaining, Azrael let out a cold chuckle. He pointed deliberately at the flames still blazing throughout Donglai City behind him and spoke with deadly precision, "Do you honestly believe peace is possible at this point?"
"There's only one possible outcome today: you die here."
He spoke with absolute conviction.
After reaching Emerald rank, Ulquiorra had not only enhanced all his existing abilities and traits but had also gained access to a devastating new technique: [Lanza del Relámpago]. Additionally, he had acquired a remarkable new trait that promised even greater power.
[Lanza del Relámpago]: Ulquiorra generates a javelin-shaped spiritual particle weapon of immense destructive power. However, due to its overwhelming force and the difficulty of controlling such concentrated energy, the Lightning Lance is challenging to aim precisely against smaller or more agile opponents (though its massive area of effect often compensates for this limitation).
[Hōgyoku Fusion (Incomplete)]: An Espada fused with an imperfect Hōgyoku will gradually increase in power until reaching the absolute pinnacle of Emerald rank. Simultaneously, under the constant influence of Hōgyoku energy, the wielder may invest specific materials to transform Ulquiorra into the Emerald-level [Fourth Espada - Ulquiorra Cifer]. Upon successful transformation, this trait disappears, but all enhancement effects remain permanent.
It was only after witnessing this trait in action that Azrael finally understood why it was labeled as an [Incomplete Hōgyoku].
Unlike the perfect Hōgyoku that Aizen would later fuse with in the original timeline, the [Incomplete Hōgyoku] he had used imposed an immediate cap on growth potential.
As compensation, however, he could use far fewer materials than would normally be required to advance Ulquiorra directly to [Fourth Espada - Ulquiorra Cifer].
Considering this development, I suspect that Ulquiorra's eventual advancement using Resurrección Segunda Etapa should be significantly more powerful than the standard Segunda Etapa transformation.
After all, a normal advancement wouldn't benefit from the permanent enhancements provided by Hōgyoku Fusion.
At least I don't have to worry about what to craft for my first card after advancing to Emerald rank.
While Azrael contemplated his future strategic plans, Li Gang, having overheard the young president's cold dismissal, realized that this confrontation would indeed end with one of their deaths.
But thinking of how Azrael had systematically obstructed his carefully laid plans at every critical juncture, and how he had nearly achieved ultimate victory only to have it snatched away at the final moment, his fury reached an unprecedented peak.
"AZRAEL!"
"I was prepared to show you mercy!"
"Since you're so eager to die, then DIE!"
With that final roar of rage, he exhaled a torrent of superheated draconic flames directly toward Azrael's position.
But even faster than the devastating breath attack was Ulquiorra's movement.
"THWACK!"
The massive dragon's head was violently knocked backward, redirecting his fiery breath toward the empty sky instead of the shoreline.
However, Li Gang, having partially regained his tactical awareness, was no longer a helpless target. With a powerful sweep of his enormous tail, he lashed out at Ulquiorra with crushing force.
The black and white figure was instantly sent flying, crashing into the ocean with a tremendous splash that sent water cascading in all directions.
But within moments, Ulquiorra burst from the churning waters and immediately re-engaged Li Gang in aerial combat.
Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows and unnoticed by the combatants, Cliff was carefully observing the battle raging above the ocean, recording crucial data on his specialized instruments.
"Why is he limited to only breath attacks and physical combat?"
"Could the loss of those wedges really have caused such a severe reduction in capabilities?"
He muttered to himself, his expression troubled by what he was witnessing.
Li Gang's current performance was completely inconsistent with his projected combat effectiveness based on their experimental calculations.
After silently recording these concerning observations, Cliff shifted his attention to the black and white figure locked in battle with the giant red dragon. "How did they accomplish such a transformation?"
The demon researcher clearly remembered the card that had threatened him earlier, it had obviously been Gold-level at that time. How could it have advanced to Emerald level in such a brief span?
"Could he have been prepared for this eventuality all along?"
Cliff glanced toward Azrael's distant figure, but quickly dismissed the theory. After all, it would have been impossible for a human to predict the exact timing required for such an advancement.
"Unless..."
His gaze focused intently on the fractured Hōgyoku embedded within Ulquiorra's hollow chest cavity.
"Cards can actually function in this manner?!"
Cliff could sense Ulquiorra's spiritual pressure continuing to rise even during the battle, and he realized that the source of this incredible transformation was the seemingly modest orb nestled within the hollow cavity.
He had been a member of the Demon Army's research division for years and had encountered countless exotic cards during his time in the northern territories, but this was absolutely the first time he had witnessed anything like this phenomenon.
Thank whatever dark powers that be that Azrael didn't deploy this card immediately. Otherwise, I'm afraid...
The thought made his entire body tremble with retrospective terror.
He forced himself to suppress his growing anxiety and continued recording the unprecedented information unfolding before his eyes.
At this point, the aerial battle had gradually reached a fever pitch of violence and destruction. The surging seawater continuously spread outward as the two Emerald-level warriors clashed, forming massive tsunamis that crashed onto the shore with earth-shaking force.
Li Gang was also beginning to notice something deeply troubling during their extended combat.
Why is this damned card's power still increasing?!
He exhaled another torrent of flames, temporarily forcing Ulquiorra to retreat, then fixed Azrael on the shore with a look of grudging acknowledgment. "Impressive. It seems I severely underestimated your capabilities."
"But if you think you can defeat me with just this..."
"You're dreaming!"
As his voice faded, dozens of smaller draconic figures instantly materialized around the giant dragon.
It was the special ability of [Dangun] finally being unleashed at full power.