Early morning light filtered through the windows of the Velkairos Cardian Master Association headquarters.
"Have you heard? We have a new vice president."
"Obviously! How could anyone miss news this important?"
"I bet it's connected to that court incident. And they say he's Master Lucian's disciple."
"Makes sense. Otherwise, why would we suddenly get a new vice president out of nowhere?"
Gustav stepped into the Association building, listening to the whispered conversations with a quiet sigh.
As Director of the Secret Realm Office for the Velkairos Cardian Master Association, he'd naturally been informed about the sudden appointment of a new vice president.
He was even acquainted with the person in question.
No, acquaintance wasn't quite the right word. It would be better to say...
"Uncle Gustav."
A bright, familiar voice cut through his thoughts, snapping him back to the present.
Gustav turned to find the young man before him had matured considerably since their last meeting, though that confident smile remained unchanged. A genuine grin spread across the middle-aged man's face. "Azrael."
He paused, then added with theatrical solemnity, "Wait, shouldn't I call you President Azrael now?"
Hearing the teasing tone, Azrael replied helplessly, "Uncle Gustav, please don't. If Gabi finds out you're calling me that, she'll never let me hear the end of it."
He still held tremendous respect for this middle-aged man who had looked after him so carefully during his student days.
"Just kidding." Gustav couldn't help but laugh at Azrael's expression. "But seriously, why did you choose to return to Velkairos?"
"Isn't the entire Empire desperately short on manpower right now?"
At this question, the young man certainly couldn't admit the truth, that the Crimson Oath Society was preparing a major operation in Velkairos, and he'd volunteered to return to his hometown specifically to gather intelligence.
After all, despite having been a double agent before his transmigration, he was now officially a loyal member of the Association.
Azrael simply laughed it off. "Compared to unfamiliar places, Velkairos suits me better."
"Besides, if anything goes wrong, don't I have you and President Dareth to rely on, Uncle Gustav?"
Gustav smiled and shook his head. He knew the young man was being deliberately vague about his true intentions, but as adults, it was sometimes better not to press for details.
Since Master Lucian had no objections, he certainly wouldn't pry as an ordinary elder.
"You're putting quite a bit of faith in me, then. I'm counting on you to protect me, Azrael."
"Of course."
They continued their conversation as they took the elevator to the rooftop.
The office space proved impressively grand, Velkairos was a major city, after all, and its Association headquarters far exceeded Donglai's facilities in scale and prestige.
However, this wasn't Azrael's first visit, so the sight didn't particularly move him.
The office was already quite crowded when they arrived.
President Dareth studied the remarkably youthful Azrael with a complex expression, momentarily at a loss for words.
The President of the Velkairos Cardian Master Association still vividly remembered their first meeting, when Azrael had been a rather inexperienced high school senior.
Afterward, the young man had displayed formidable talent, even successfully becoming an apprentice to his old friend, Lucian.
Dareth had always assumed that Azrael might eventually return to Velkairos, but he hadn't imagined that day would arrive so quickly.
How long had it been since the boy left for Pixar to study?
A year? Two years?
For a moment, Dareth found himself in a daze.
Fortunately, his experience as President had honed his composure, and he quickly recovered.
A faint smile crossed his features as he sighed, "Azrael, you've certainly given me quite a surprise."
More than a surprise, nearly a shock, in fact.
He paused before continuing, "But let's set that aside for now. Allow me to introduce you to the Association members."
"You already know Gustav, so I won't elaborate there."
"This is Vice President Carmen," Dareth said, gesturing toward the elderly woman standing beside him.
Indeed, the Velkairos Cardian Master Association already had one vice president. Azrael represented a bonus addition.
The elderly woman gave him a brief nod of acknowledgment.
"That's just how President Che is. Don't take it personally, Azrael," Gustav whispered in his ear.
Azrael nodded slightly, indicating his understanding.
Having partnered with Carmen for so many years, Dareth was naturally accustomed to the old woman's reserved demeanor. If even he rarely heard her speak, Azrael certainly couldn't expect different treatment.
Shaking his head, Dareth continued his introductions. "This is Bonney, Director of the Public Security Office."
"And this is Patrick, Director of the Human Resources Department."
The positions within all regional associations remained standardized. Perhaps the fall of the Imperial Court would eventually change things, but for now, the structure persisted.
The man and woman Dareth had named smiled warmly at Azrael.
Patrick appeared to be an unremarkable, balding middle-aged office worker, but compared to Donglai's perpetually unwell Human Resources Director, Godrick, he seemed refreshingly normal.
He certainly wasn't a slacker like Godrick had been, and Azrael could immediately recognize the telltale signs of overwork etched into the man's features.
As for Bonney, she was a stern-looking woman with a prominent scar marring her face.
Azrael suppressed his impulse to comment on the dramatic appearance and politely greeted them both.
Of course, Velkairos was a major city with far more personnel than just these few individuals. There were also numerous branch presidents scattered throughout the districts, like Lian, the President of the Nirvale District Cardian Master Association, who had been corrupted by the Crimson Oath Society.
Patrick and Bonney harbored no resentment toward Azrael's sudden arrival. After all, the young man was a genuine Diamond-level Lore Cardian, a full rank above their own positions.
Even if he currently lacked Diamond-level cards, that didn't diminish his potential threat.
They also understood Master Lucian's reasoning perfectly. While nurturing his disciple's growth, temporarily placing the young man in familiar Velkairos under the supervision of an old friend made far more sense than simply abandoning him to an unfamiliar location and hoping for the best.
At least, that's what they believed to be true.
Satisfied that the day's primary objective had been accomplished, Dareth concluded the meeting. "That's settled, then. Azrael, please stay for a moment."
Hearing this, Gustav patted Azrael's shoulder reassuringly before departing with Carmen and the other two directors.
Once only the two of them remained in the office, Azrael asked with some confusion, "President Dareth, is there something else?"
Dareth didn't mind the familiar form of address. He simply settled back into his office chair and gestured for Azrael to relax.
And who was Azrael?
He'd faced Master-level threats like Demon Scale, the Skinner, and the Inverted Cross before, naturally, he felt no nervousness now.
He dropped comfortably onto the reception sofa, quietly waiting for Dareth to speak.
Seeing this casual confidence, the middle-aged man with the distinctive goatee let out a long sigh. "Azrael, Master Lucian has already briefed me about the Crimson Oath Society situation."
"Don't worry, I'll cooperate fully with you."
Azrael felt momentarily taken aback. His teacher hadn't mentioned this arrangement. "I understand, President Dareth."
"But what are my actual responsibilities moving forward?"
The young man asked because he certainly couldn't just sit idle in Velkairos waiting for events to unfold, even though he was essentially an auxiliary presence.
Besides, he wouldn't be able to explain such inaction to Jin.
Hearing this question, Dareth's expression remained composed, clearly, he'd already prepared arrangements for this contingency. "You've seen President Che's advanced age. If anyone asks about your presence, simply explain that you came here early to familiarize yourself with administrative affairs and prepare to eventually succeed President Che as her replacement."
He added, "By the way, President Che knows about the Crimson Oath Society situation. You don't need to hide anything from her."
The "anyone" here naturally referred to Crimson Oath Society members.
Azrael had no objections to this arrangement and simply nodded silently.
After a moment's pause, the middle-aged man's tone grew heavier. "It's difficult for you, facing this kind of situation at such a young age."
Before Azrael could respond, Dareth shifted topics. "Your office is one floor down. I've had it specially renovated and isolated with defensive card barriers."
"If you need to contact the Crimson Oath Society, you can communicate directly from there. I don't believe anyone in Velkairos possesses the capability to breach those security measures."
Azrael hadn't expected Dareth to consider such thorough details.
This arrangement saved him from needing to find alternative secure locations.
"I understand. Thank you, President Dareth."
Seeing the middle-aged man fall silent, Azrael gently closed the office door behind him and made his way downstairs.
Since the Velkairos Cardian Master Association headquarters had previously maintained only one vice president, accommodating two in the same space was clearly impossible.
The office awaiting Azrael had been recently renovated for his arrival.
However, thanks to specialized cards, Vice President's Office II didn't feel out of place in the slightest.
Pushing open the door, he was greeted by massive floor-to-ceiling windows identical to those in the President's office, offering a commanding view of the surrounding cityscape.
It was vastly superior to his Donglai accommodations.
Settling into the office chair, Azrael began contemplating his next tasks.
His immediate priority remained finding the Crimson Oath Society's traitor hiding somewhere in Velkairos.
However, he currently lacked any clear approach to accomplish this.
I can't just wander around acting as a human radar, can I?
Thanks to Jin's contract binding all Society members, Azrael could theoretically sense other operatives from a distance.
Ultimately, though, such a method would only provide temporary solutions. Setting aside how it would expose the problem's existence, even if he managed to apprehend every Crimson Oath Society member currently in Velkairos, Jin could easily recruit replacements from other regions.
"Tsk."
"I still need to figure out how Jin plans to descend upon the Four Evil Gods' secret realm."
With this thought, the young man immediately summoned his encrypted communicator.
[Six: President, I've been appointed Vice President of the Velkairos Cardian Master Association. What should we do next?]
[Jin: Understood. In a few days, a demon from a secret realm will go out of control. You must be present when this occurs.]
[Jin: Once there, you must ensure that the out-of-control demon dies slowly.]
After sending these two messages, Jin fell silent.
Azrael frowned at the device in his hand, unable to fathom the old man's true intentions for several long moments.
I'll just have to take this one step at a time, he thought, composing a brief reply.
[Six: Understood.]
The next few days passed uneventfully, leaving Azrael with the distinct impression that Jin's instructions had been nothing more than an illusion.
Gazing out through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows at the overcast weather, he couldn't help but stretch languidly.
Just as the young man was preparing to call it a day, his communication device began vibrating.
Azrael retrieved his phone, his expression immediately turning grave.
It was a message from Gustav, a group alert, in fact.
He instantly sank into the shadows beneath his feet and materialized in the President's office.
Gustav and Carmen were already waiting there when he arrived.
Seeing that everyone had assembled, Dareth spoke calmly, "According to Gustav's intelligence, which President Che and President Azrael should have both received, a Diamond-level demon has appeared in a Gold-level secret realm under our supervision, where such a creature shouldn't exist."
He glanced at the three gathered individuals before continuing, "President Che, you and Gustav should, "
Before he could complete his instructions, Azrael interrupted, "President, let me go."
Dareth studied the serious young man, clearly realizing this might be connected to the Crimson Oath Society situation.
Carmen's eyes flickered with understanding, she could certainly grasp the implications.
After a moment's contemplation, Dareth modified his directive. "Then the three of you will go together this time."
"Resolve it as quickly as possible."
The three nodded in acknowledgment.
Gustav, unaware of the full context, felt somewhat puzzled by Azrael's eagerness to volunteer.
However, since President Dareth had given his approval, he raised no objections.
After all, having an additional combatant would only improve their safety margins.
Having assigned their respective tasks, the three hurried toward the incident site.
Azrael soon spotted a heavily secured base under martial law.
After briefly consulting with the base commander regarding the situation, the three entered the secret realm.
"Logically speaking, a Gold-level secret realm shouldn't permit the appearance of Diamond-level demons," Gustav muttered to himself, clearly perplexed.
A secret realm earned its Gold-level designation because the strongest creatures within it were Gold-level at the time of its manifestation on Earth.
But now, a demon had somehow broken through that natural barrier and advanced two full levels, which was clearly absurd.
It wasn't that dragons couldn't emerge from shallow waters, but such occurrences were extraordinarily difficult, particularly for a secret realm now under Association control and monitoring.
Azrael possessed some insight into the situation. He remembered that during his first entry into a secret realm, Jin had employed specialized methods to transform Lore Cardians into demons.
These weren't demons like those in the Demon Army who retained both demonic and card-using abilities, they were monsters completely stripped of rationality and sanity.
Gustav released a long sigh and addressed Azrael and the others. "While I don't understand why this demon has remained within the secret realm, we should destroy it as quickly as possible."
"I'm counting on you two now."
Hearing this, Carmen immediately prepared to summon her cards.
But at that moment, Azrael interjected, "Leave it to me. President Che, please provide support."
The elderly woman paused her movements and stood there in silence.
Gustav couldn't help but frown slightly.
Having never witnessed Azrael in combat firsthand, he had no real sense of his junior colleague's current capabilities.
He'd originally envisioned President Che taking the primary offensive role, with Azrael providing tactical support from the periphery.
But since President Che raised no objections, he wouldn't voice his concerns either.
Besides, based on his understanding of Azrael's character, the young man wasn't the type to recklessly show off without substance to back it up.
While Gustav was processing these thoughts, Azrael's Shinigami cards materialized on the field.
Looking at the assembled captains and Hollows dressed in distinctly similar attire, both Carmen and Gustav's eyes widened in recognition.
"These are..."