During city defense operations, most Lore Cardians would retain several cards in reserve, ensuring they could mount a counterattack even if their deployed cards were destroyed or dissipated, except for Lore Cardians like Azrael, who currently possessed only one card suitable for his current rank.
However, this limitation revealed one of the crucial advantages card-based combat held over traditional warfare. As long as the Lore Cardian survived, any dissipated cards would resurrect to full health after twenty-four hours.
In contrast, the death of a demon at the same level was permanent, and even injuries could impair their future combat effectiveness.
This fundamental difference explained how the Empire of Aetherlight had managed to hold the northern border against the demon army for so long.
As the defenders, the Imperial Lore Cardians naturally wanted to prevent the distant demons from approaching Gaza Town. The cards stationed on the city walls employed various tactical formations to engage the advancing demon army at maximum range.
Of course, the Northern Defense Army's Lore Cardians weren't limited to a single strategy. While they wouldn't deploy their reserve cards against the enemy, this didn't mean they couldn't participate in long-range combat from the walls themselves.
Azrael naturally followed suit. Misaka and Aizen handled long-range engagements, while Luffy activated Gear Fourth and charged directly into the demon army.
This battle differed from previous encounters, it wasn't just Emerald and Diamond-rank demons. A significant number of Gold-rank and lower-tier demons filled their ranks as well.
Azrael shifted his attention from Luffy to focus on Ulquiorra in the distance, his expression growing concerned.
Ulquiorra had barely entered the battlefield when several Emerald-rank demons surrounded him, coordinating their assault with tactical precision.
Seeing this development, Quiet, standing beside Azrael, chuckled softly. "It seems our harassment tactics over the past few days have earned us some resentment. Ulquiorra is being specifically targeted."
"But don't worry, I'll provide support."
As she spoke, the Emerald-rank demons surrounding Ulquiorra felt a sharp, deadly presence at their throats.
"Who dares?!"
Several demons' expressions changed drastically as they immediately attempted to withdraw.
But how could Ulquiorra miss such an opportunity?
With a whistling sound, the emerald spirit lance instantly reached the chest of an Emerald-level demon. His pitch-black tail transformed into a venomous whip lurking in the shadows, slashing fiercely toward another target's abdomen.
"Tch!"
Choosing the lesser evil, the demon targeted by Ulquiorra's lance grasped the spirit weapon firmly in his chest, leaving his unprotected abdomen exposed.
The seemingly slender tail whip instantly tore a bloody gash through his flesh.
However, for an Emerald-level demon, such an injury wouldn't prove fatal, and his companions were still present.
Sensing the harsh wind approaching from his flank, Ulquiorra remained expressionless. He released his grip with his right hand and used a spinning motion to evade the incoming attack.
This maneuver caused tremendous collateral damage to the lower-level demons and creatures nearby. The wind pressure from the Emerald-level demon's missed punch carved a long, bloody trail across the battlefield.
Thanks to Quiet's intervention, only one Emerald-level demon was currently pressuring Ulquiorra directly; the others had been slowed by her cards' interference.
"Two against one?" Ulquiorra casually materialized a new spirit lance in his right hand. "Your numerical advantage seems to have given you considerable confidence."
"How unfortunate for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, a jet-black energy beam suddenly emerged from the tip of his pale index finger, striking down the lower-level demons rushing to provide assistance.
"Boom!"
With a single Cero, the cannon fodder attempting to overwhelm Ulquiorra was reduced to ash.
Those experienced in group combat understand that when facing multiple opponents, the optimal strategy is to identify the weakest target and eliminate them systematically.
Ulquiorra naturally understood this principle perfectly.
Furthermore, the demon he'd wounded earlier was already compromised.
In the next moment, he had already teleported in front of his previously chosen target.
The wounded demon, now truly understanding his role as prey, had his pupils contract as he focused entirely on Ulquiorra's approach.
The spirit lance sliced through the air, producing a shrill whistling sound.
Seeing this, the demon attempted to repeat his previous defensive tactic, but such wishful thinking would prove futile.
"Are you already struggling to keep up?"
Upon hearing Ulquiorra's calm observation, the demon was momentarily stunned, then a flood of pale green spiritual energy engulfed him as a black flash struck him directly.
The spirit lance in Ulquiorra's hand had been merely a feint.
Ignoring the demon now consumed by pale green spiritual energy, Ulquiorra swung the spirit lance in his right hand toward another nearby demon.
"Boom!"
Massive cracks instantly spread across the earth where the demon had stood.
"Your companion is dead, and you still intend to resist?"
The voice spoke with perfect composure as Ulquiorra's expressionless face regarded the remaining demon in their stalemate.
"Shut up!"
The unnamed Emerald-level demon glared at the black and white figure, clearly frustrated.
He knew he'd encountered a truly dangerous opponent this time. The card before him was undoubtedly a high-threat target.
Having fought against the Lore Cardian system for so long, the demon army had developed comprehensive intelligence on such threats.
"Gold? Or Red quality?"
Only these two card rarities could potentially dominate entities of the same rank so completely.
"Another unknown high-risk card."
The demon army maintained detailed records of most North Defense high-threat cards. Normally, elite demons would be assigned to handle such dangerous targets, not rank-and-file creatures like himself.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Ulquiorra had already closed the distance between them again.
The demon had completely lost his will to fight, focusing entirely on escaping the card that seemed like a harbinger of death.
Unfortunately, the gap between their capabilities was like an insurmountable chasm. Within mere seconds, the demon found himself pierced through the chest by the emerald spirit lance and lifted into the air.
"How tedious."
Casually discarding the demon whose struggles had already ceased, Ulquiorra stood motionless and began selecting his next target.
He refrained from using more destructive techniques like Cero Oscuras, too many allied cards were present, and Ulquiorra had no intention of causing friendly fire incidents.
"Why did a monster like you suddenly appear in the North Defense?"
At this moment, a voice that sounded distinctly unpleasant came from behind him.
Ulquiorra turned to observe the newcomer.
It was another Emerald-level demon, but this one's aura was completely different from the previous fodder.
"Really, could you please stop causing me such trouble?"
"My name is Yale. Die knowing it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ulquiorra collided with the Emerald-level demon who called himself Yale.
The two figures exchanged devastating blows multiple times within mere seconds.
Several breaths later, they stood facing each other across the battlefield.
Yale examined the minor wounds on Ulquiorra's body, which were rapidly regenerating, and couldn't help but sigh with frustration. "This is exactly why you cards are such a nuisance. Even if I manage to kill you today, I'll see you again tomorrow."
"So, who is your master?"
He glanced toward the distant city walls, as if searching for Azrael, with an expression of complete dismissal toward Ulquiorra.
"Pointless provocation."
Ulquiorra naturally wouldn't fall for Yale's psychological manipulation. He simply extended his left hand without expression, preparing to demonstrate the power of Cero Oscuras.
At that moment, the ground began to shake violently.
Even Azrael, positioned far from the battlefield, could feel the tremors.
Quiet, standing beside him, remained completely calm. "It looks like Lord Kageyami has achieved victory on his front. We should be finished for today."
The short-haired woman then looked at Azrael with some surprise. "I didn't expect your card to demonstrate such formidable close-combat capabilities."
However, she shook her head with a hint of regret. "Even with just this single card, your overall strength still has significant room for improvement."
"If your card becomes entangled by superior numbers, you could find yourself in serious danger."
Azrael knew Quiet was speaking truthfully, so he showed no dissatisfaction with her assessment. "Yes, I understand completely."
"I already have preliminary ideas for my next card."
Hearing this, Quiet patted his shoulder with an encouraging smile. "That's the spirit."
In the distance, Yale, who had been facing off against Ulquiorra, frowned deeply and declared, "You're fortunate today."
"But next time, you won't have it so easy, unknown card."
With those words, he vanished from the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the remaining demons began their organized retreat.
But how could the assembled cards simply allow them to withdraw without consequence?
Under the coordinated assault from the Imperial cards, the demon army left countless corpses scattered across the battlefield, though most casualties were lower-tier demons.
Clearly, to the demon army command, these expendable creatures were merely disposable resources.
Kageyami soon returned to the city wall, his expression troubled.
"There's something unusual happening with the demon army. Please report to the main camp tomorrow for briefing."
"Rotation schedules remain unchanged. Dismissed."
With these terse instructions, the burly commander, clearly puzzled by recent developments, led his aide away from the city wall.
Seeing this, Quiet yawned and scratched her short hair absently. "I recall you haven't had rotation duty recently, Azrael. If you don't have other obligations, go back and rest."
Azrael nodded respectfully. "Understood. Thank you, Sister Quiet."
"Think nothing of it."
The woman waved dismissively and vanished from his sight.
A deputy commander like Azrael, when not on active duty, would typically return home to rest. However, ambitious individuals generally spent their downtime in meditation and training.
After all, in the Northern Defense Army, improving one's personal strength held far greater importance than accumulating political influence.
Besides, even if he genuinely possessed political power, could anyone bypass Master Tempest, the Northern Defense Army's master-level Lore Cardian?
Seeing that nothing remained for him to handle, Azrael immediately departed the city wall and returned to his residence.
In group battles of this scale, Emerald-level Lore Cardians and above weren't required to participate in battlefield cleanup; the Northern Defense Army would handle demon corpse collection and processing.
Diamond-level Lore Cardians like those stationed on the city wall had already tallied their specific achievements for the engagement.
Normally, the Northern Defense Army ensured at least one Diamond-level Lore Cardian accompanied major group battles for oversight and coordination.
However, smaller-scale encounters operated under different rules. Just like in Secret Realm exploration, whoever eliminated the demons claimed the materials they dropped.
Incidentally, after joining the Northern Defense Army, Azrael's monthly salary had increased to 30,000 Empyrean Dollars, and his accumulated earnings from Donglai had finally been processed.
He had received 15,000 Empyrean Dollars for his role as association president, 20,000 Empyrean Dollars for resolving the Li Gang incident, and 30,000 Empyrean Dollars for reporting Li Gang's demonization, totaling 65,000 Empyrean Dollars.
With such substantial funds available, Azrael was already contemplating his next card upon settling in Gaza Town.
While Ulquiorra wasn't technically his first Emerald-level card, the next one would truly claim that distinction.
Of course, Ulquiorra would definitely transform into [No.4 Ulquiorra Cifer]. After all, investing only a single ingredient would yield tremendous enhancement, only a fool would pass up such an exceptional opportunity.
"So, should the next card to be promoted be Nel?"
Upgrading Nel to Emerald rank [No.3 Nel] would undoubtedly create a powerful bond effect with Ulquiorra.
Even if Azrael eventually gained the opportunity to upgrade [Las Noches] to Emerald, two formidable effects would activate immediately.
[Sacrifice]: When [Las Noches] reaches Emerald rank, upon the death of Nel and Tier Harribel in battle, the cardholder inherits most of their accumulated power.
[Ethereum]: When [Las Noches] reaches Emerald rank, Ulquiorra Cifer in battle will gradually affect surrounding enemies, causing them to experience overwhelming despair.
Undoubtedly, [Las Noches] was a powerful venue card. Ulquiorra's previous impressive performance hadn't been solely due to his [Hōgyoku Fusion] ability, but also because of his enhancement from [Las Noches].
With Gold-level effects proving so potent, the Emerald-level versions would obviously be even more devastating.
However, Azrael immediately recognized a critical flaw, "This route will grant me immense offensive power, but my personal safety won't be adequately protected."
"Unless I remain in Gaza Town permanently, or partner exclusively with Lore Cardians like Sister Quiet."
Emerald-level battles were becoming far more perilous for him personally. Previously, at Gold-level, he could manage with the dual physical enhancements provided by Pride and Shinobu's power, combined with Prison Blue's protection, but that approach was no longer viable at Emerald rank.
With Azrael's current combat capabilities, even a glancing blow from an Emerald-level attack would result in serious injury, while a direct hit could prove fatal.
Li Gang hadn't been thinking clearly during their previous encounter, otherwise Ulquiorra wouldn't have achieved victory so effortlessly.
"So I still need to devise a method for personal survival. Ulquiorra only requires one ingredient for advancement, and with today's battle contributions, that should be sufficient."
"Oh, and I can still claim another set of Emerald-level ingredients from the Crimson Oath Society."
At this moment, Azrael suddenly remembered the reward Jin had promised him and began considering whether to redeem it.
However, he quickly dismissed the idea. Deploying two new cards simultaneously would be quite conspicuous, and he couldn't easily explain where he'd obtained materials to craft so many high-quality cards.
While outsiders might assume Lucian had provided Azrael with abundant materials after his recent advancement to Emerald rank, his senior brother Jacob certainly wouldn't accept such an explanation.
After all, they both knew their teacher had been out of contact for an extended period and couldn't possibly have supplied Azrael with any materials.
"Better to err on the side of caution. The Northern Defense Army doesn't necessarily need another combatant like me, so let's focus on finding ways to ensure my survival first."
"Should I continue strengthening Pride, or explore alternatives?"
Azrael hesitated momentarily, but quickly dismissed the idea of upgrading Pride further.
While the [Gene Replication] ability seemed intriguing in theory, due to Silver rank restrictions, Azrael hadn't actually utilized it extensively.
Honestly, he wasn't even certain he could successfully upgrade Pride to higher ranks.
Emerald rank might be manageable for now, but what about Diamond, Master, or even Sovereign levels?
Furthermore, the higher a Lore Cardian's level, the more serious the threats they faced became.
High-level Lore Cardians possessed at least one card dedicated to self-enhancement.
Specialists like [Fighting God] Master Tempest represented even more extreme cases, with virtually all their cards devoted to personal augmentation, whether creature or equipment types.
Therefore, Azrael would eventually need to replace his life-preservation cards when the time came.
Of course, [Pride] already represented a rare and powerful option for typical Lore Cardians, but Azrael simply wasn't satisfied with "typical."
He already had several potential options in mind, such as transformation devices from various tokusatsu series, like Ultraman Transformation Items or Kamen Rider Belts.
The advantage was their exceptionally high upper limits, but the disadvantage was remaining vulnerable while untransformed.
Then there were powerful bloodline abilities, like Kryptonian or Saiyan heritage.
However, Azrael hadn't encountered any such cards during his time in this world.
The key issue was that the Mysterious Dimension clearly wouldn't allow him to exploit such obvious loopholes. Even if he managed to create a bloodline item card, it would undoubtedly have capped upper limits, just like [Hōgyoku Fusion].
It resembled the infinite flow novels he'd read before his transmigration, where bloodlines were deliberately restricted and then enhanced in stages.
The problem was that those infinite flow novels included genetic lock mechanisms, but Azrael possessed no such options.
Essentially, there was no meaningful difference between the approaches.
At this moment, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck Azrael's mind, and he conceived a potentially revolutionary idea. His expression couldn't help but become peculiar, "No way."
But soon his face gradually brightened with excitement, "If this can actually be accomplished, then wouldn't it be..."
Contemplating this possibility, Azrael began analyzing the concept carefully.
If his idea could be realized, it might produce entirely unexpected results.
The following morning, Azrael appeared in the command tent looking somewhat listless.
Quiet, standing nearby, noticed his condition and asked with curious concern, "What did you do, Azrael? You look like you've overexerted yourself."
Azrael couldn't help but smile wryly at her observation, "No, I spent all night thinking about new card construction possibilities and didn't get adequate rest."
Quiet patted the young man's shoulder with understanding, speaking with the voice of experience, "I understand completely, we Lore Cardians are like this. Demons merely need to improve their raw strength, unlike us who must constantly consider card design and construction strategies."
Azrael nodded in agreement. While he could still reference his pre-transmigration knowledge, any normal Lore Cardian in this world faced even greater challenges.
Meanwhile, seeing everyone present, Kageyami declared solemnly, "What I'm about to discuss today is extremely important. Everyone, please maintain strict confidentiality."
As he finished speaking, all the assembled Lore Cardians' expressions became serious and attentive.
Kageyami nodded with satisfaction. "Actually, I didn't succeed in eliminating the Diamond-level demon from the Demon Army yesterday. They retreated of their own accord."
While Azrael was somewhat puzzled by this revelation, he wasn't particularly surprised. After all, if Kageyami had truly eliminated the Diamond-level demon, the remaining Demon Army forces wouldn't have been capable of escaping alive.
Apparently, the other Lore Cardians present had reached similar conclusions.
Kageyami continued, "But the Diamond-level demon's behavior was somewhat unusual. He ordered the retreat only after receiving external communication, not on his own initiative."
No one questioned Kageyami's perception of this detail; Diamond-level entities naturally possessed their own methods of long-range communication.
"More significantly, I contacted other military settlements yesterday, and their demon armies exhibited similar behavioral patterns."
"Then I contacted Master Tempest directly."
Hearing Master Tempest's name, the assembled Lore Cardians became immediately alert.
However, Kageyami then glanced at Azrael in the corner, "Minister Azrael should understand the reason."
Azrael was momentarily startled, uncertain why the commander had suddenly directed attention toward him.
But feeling everyone's focused gaze, the young man quickly realized what the bald commander was referencing. Hesitantly, he inquired, "That plan?"
For security purposes, Azrael didn't mention specific details.
However, Kageyami smiled approvingly, "Since I've consulted you, Minister Azrael, Master Tempest has naturally granted me permission to discuss this matter."
"Yes, it concerns the demonization program the Demon Army has been developing."
"Demonization?"
The Emerald-level Lore Cardians present, excluding Azrael, were bewildered by the terminology, clearly unable to grasp its implications.
"The so-called demonization refers to the Demon Army's ability to use specialized techniques to completely transform Lore Cardians into demons, with their cards also being converted into intrinsic abilities."
"Note: these become actual demons, not merely demon-corrupted beings."
"This intelligence was personally gathered by Master Tempest during his recent reconnaissance mission to the Demon Army's core territory."
Upon hearing this revelation, the tent fell into complete silence as everyone quietly processed this shocking information.
At this time, Azrael also understood why Master Tempest had chosen to make this intelligence public. After all, if the Demon Army had achieved success, then the Empire of Aetherlight genuinely needed to maintain vigilance, otherwise demonized Lore Cardians could infiltrate and deceive them without warning.
"But is the Demon Army's technology really that advanced?"
Azrael hadn't forgotten that Li Gang had been planning extensively in Donglai before achieving even partial success.
After a prolonged pause, Kageyami broke the silence, "However, Master Tempest reports that the demonized Lore Cardians remain in experimental stages, the test subjects are imperfect, and their numbers are extremely limited."
"Therefore, there's no immediate cause for panic."
"The reason I'm sharing this intelligence is that Master Tempest has ordered military settlements throughout the region to investigate whether there are unusual demon army movements in their respective areas."
Hearing this, Azrael understood the implications and quietly sighed, "No wonder, but I'm afraid the coming days will prove challenging."
Sure enough, Kageyami issued his next order, "The exploration task force composition remains the same as last time, and I hope all colleagues will demonstrate their utmost capabilities."
Hearing their commander's directive, all assembled Lore Cardians responded loudly, "Yes, sir!"
After the meeting concluded, Quiet approached Azrael, "Azrael, we're partners again."
"What do you say we go give them another harassment session tonight?"
As she spoke, she began laughing mischievously, obviously relishing the prospect of their guerrilla tactics.
However, Azrael declined Quiet's suggestion. He responded somewhat helplessly, "Sister Quiet, we employed harassment tactics previously to lure them into vulnerable positions, but I'm afraid that approach won't be effective this time."
Hearing this, the short-haired woman instantly became dejected, "You're right, so what should we do?"
"With your current combat capabilities, I'm not confident I can escort you to eliminate Demon Army leadership."
Azrael's expression suddenly became determined. "No problem, I've already developed the framework for my next card."
"I'll take decisive action once it's complete."
With that, he patted Quiet's slumped shoulder, "Just give me a little time. I'll notify you when I've succeeded."
Following these words, the young man turned and departed, preparing to return to his residence to exchange materials and begin card construction.
Behind him, the short-haired woman slowly formed a question mark in her mind.
"?"