When Akira first arrived in this world, he was merely an ordinary Diamond-level fox spirit, though that description only held true when compared to monsters above the Master level.
For this world, devoid of any supernatural power before the secret realms emerged, the fox spirit represented a dimensional superiority that nothing could withstand.
With minimal effort, he annihilated an entire nation.
Just when Akira believed this world would soon perish like all the others he'd ravaged, a strange new power known as Lore Cardians suddenly manifested across the planet.
Having experienced countless worlds in his long existence, the fox spirit understood this phenomenon immediately. The world's consciousness was fighting back, attempting to save itself.
However, Akira dismissed this threat. After all, every world he'd previously invaded had attempted similar desperate measures, and all had ultimately fallen to destruction.
He assumed this world would be no different.
However, Akira soon realized how catastrophically wrong he was.
With the full support of the world's consciousness, several Master-level Lore Cardians emerged from among the humans in remarkably short time.
Thanks to the inherent versatility of the Lore Cardian profession, a single Master-level Lore Cardian could essentially function as two beings of equivalent power.
Furthermore, due to the intense resistance from the world consciousness during his initial arrival, it had proven impossible for high-level demons to descend into this realm in large numbers.
Akira had made the prudent choice.
He chose to hide in the ruins of the small nation he'd annihilated, quietly cultivating his strength. Fortunately, the Master-level Lore Cardians were preoccupied eliminating high-level demons throughout their homeland and had no time to hunt him down.
What the fox demon hadn't anticipated was how swiftly his opportunity for advancement would arrive. He reached the Master level almost without realizing the threshold had been crossed.
Regardless, it was a fortunate development. Attaining Master level finally granted him some measure of self-preservation capability.
At least, that's what Akira had believed. After all, a Master wasn't considered weak by the standards of that being who had recruited him.
It was precisely for this reason that Akira had accepted the olive branch extended by the Flesh King.
However...
"What's wrong with these bastards!?"
Akira opened his enormous maw and expelled a concentrated sphere of demonic fire. Nine terrifying tails, each large enough to blot out the sky, danced continuously between heaven and earth.
The cards arrayed against him, dwarfed by the sheer scale of his attacks, struggled desperately to fend him off.
BOOM!
With a resounding impact, a figure was instantly sent hurtling backward.
It was Ichigo Kurosaki.
The yellow-haired Shinigami forcibly halted his momentum mid-air, glancing at his right hand, which trembled slightly from the immense force of the collision.
'This won't work much longer,' the boy thought grimly.
It had been quite some time since he'd entered his Mugetsu State, and he could feel the technique nearing its inevitable end.
Just then, a burst of familiar laughter interrupted his thoughts.
Kurosaki saw two impossibly long arms stretch from the distance, wrapping tightly around the fox demon's massive form.
The next moment, a white-haired boy wearing a straw hat delivered a devastating kick directly to the fox's head.
It was Luffy. After delivering Barrett's body to Azrael, he'd rushed immediately to support the Shinigami cards.
But Akira was, after all, a Master-level demon. Even with the support of an entire phalanx of Diamond-level cards, the Straw Hat boy couldn't easily restrain him.
A flicker of pure bloodlust flashed through the fox demon's enormous pupils.
"You're courting death!"
Endless purple demonic flames erupted from Akira's throat, instantly engulfing Luffy's extended arms.
"Ah, it hurts! It hurts!"
Realizing the danger, Luffy quickly released his grip and frantically waved his arms, attempting to extinguish the flames.
But a Master-level attack wasn't so easily dismissed. The flames spread rapidly with the wind, transforming the boy into a human torch within seconds.
Kurosaki Ichigo's expression darkened as he watched Luffy become completely engulfed in fire.
He took a deep breath and instantly appeared at Akira's flank using Shunpo.
Compared to the fox demon's mountainous size, the yellow-haired boy appeared as insignificant as an ant.
But true combat wasn't determined by size alone. Despite Kurosaki Ichigo's diminutive stature, the pressure he exerted on Akira was far from negligible.
The fox demon kept his awareness focused on this dangerous opponent.
Facing the numerous tails swooping down upon him like collapsing pillars of heaven, the yellow-haired youth remained composed, wielding Tensa Zangetsu in a desperate dance of evasion.
Unfortunately, even when he managed to inflict damage on Akira, the wounds amounted to little more than superficial scratches on the massive fox demon's hide.
As the battle dragged on, Azrael's cards rapidly began to fall.
First came Nel's two subordinates, summoned through the [Apex of Hueco Mundo] bond.
Without any enhancement, they remained merely ordinary Emerald-tier cards.
They'd survived this long only because they'd been conducting hit-and-run attacks from a distance with their Cero, carefully avoiding close combat. Therefore, Akira hadn't deliberately targeted them.
Following their deaths, Nel's waning spiritual pressure suddenly surged.
The two subordinates' [Sacrificial Resolve] activated, transferring their remaining strength to Nel.
Even so, the boost had minimal impact on the overall battle.
On the distant shore, Master Lucian released a weary breath before asking Azrael, "Can you still hold on?"
Hearing this, Azrael remained silent, simply nodding with grim determination.
He could certainly endure. The real question was for how much longer.
As for actually defeating the enemy, that remained pure fantasy. He simply didn't dare consider it possible.
However, Azrael didn't ask why Lord Lioren hadn't arrived to provide support yet.
It wasn't that he didn't want to ask. The young man had already sensed something fundamentally wrong with the entire situation.
The recent riot at the [Demon Nest] and this Master-level fox demon's coordinated attack both filled him with mounting unease.
Just then, Master Lucian continued, "The commanders of the northern demon army are also advancing on our position. Master Tempest, Master Fujimaru, and the others can't leave to reinforce us right now."
Hearing this confirmation, Azrael's heart sank.
Something was deeply wrong. Nine out of ten, this was orchestrated.
Everything that had transpired so far made the young man feel as though an invisible hand was manipulating events from behind the scenes, methodically testing the Empire of Aetherlight's defensive capabilities.
What Azrael could deduce, Master Lucian could naturally predict as well.
The old master snorted coldly, a dangerous glint flickering in his eyes. "I'm afraid someone orchestrated all of this."
"I just don't know who yet."
Though he spoke cautiously, he already harbored strong suspicions.
It could be either Edley or Jin.
However, considering the [Demon Nest]'s involvement, Master Lucian was more inclined to believe the old schemer Jin bore responsibility.
After all, the Flesh King and Jin had always maintained an alliance, and Master Lucian had always considered Edley someone capable of prioritizing the bigger picture.
Even as master and student conversed, Azrael's cards on the battlefield had dwindled to a critically small number.
Only Kurosaki Ichigo and the charred Luffy remained standing.
Well, there was also the functionally immortal Shiraori, but she stayed positioned beside Azrael as a final line of defense. After all, the young man never expected his cards to actually annihilate a Master-level demon, so he simply kept her in reserve.
Luffy hadn't dissipated only because of his [Rescue from Despair] ability.
It was also worth noting that Artoria had released her holy sword's full power before dissipating.
Facing the seemingly unstoppable fox demon, the holy sword Excalibur naturally released all thirteen restraints.
While the attack didn't cause catastrophic damage to Akira, it did burn away much of his flowing fur, transforming his once terrifying appearance into something almost comical as he became a partially bald fox.
In terms of psychological damage alone, if one considered the sheer humiliation factor, Artoria's single desperate strike had achieved more impact than all the previous attacks combined in this entire battle.
Though Akira didn't completely lose his composure, a surge of pure rage welled up within him regardless.
He roared furiously, then swung his razor-sharp claws at both Kurosaki Ichigo and Luffy simultaneously.
Feeling the harsh wind pressure against his face, Luffy's jaw literally dropped in shock.
Then, in a blur of motion, he vanished completely, leaving only a dark afterimage in his wake.
However, Kurosaki Ichigo didn't retreat. Instead, he deliberately charged forward to meet Akira's descending left claw.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Sparks erupted as the yellow-haired boy's Tensa Zangetsu repeatedly collided with the coldly gleaming claw.
Without the support of other cards to distract the enemy, even though Kurosaki Ichigo's power, amplified by layers upon layers of special abilities, had reached an incredible threshold, engaging in direct confrontation with a fox demon renowned for overwhelming physical strength remained extraordinarily difficult.
Fortunately, his true purpose was merely creating an opening for his companion.
"Gum-Gum..."
"Ape God Spear!"
With Luffy's battle cry, black and crimson lightning instantly tore through the sky itself.
A sudden surge of wind dispersed the raging gale that had been churning the sea surface, revealing the scene above for all observers.
It was a fist, a pitch-black right fist expanded to match the giant fox demon's massive size.
At this moment, Akira could no longer afford to focus on Kurosaki Ichigo. He looked skyward, releasing a roar filled with primal, animalistic fury.
"ROAR!"
The fox demon perceived the mortal threat posed by the descending giant fist with crystal clarity, a sensation he'd never experienced since entering this world.
WHOOSH!
Even before the Ape God Spear actually struck Akira, the violent wind pressure from the descending fist had already generated massive waves across the sea surface, with tremors rippling all the way to the distant shore.
Though the Ape God Spear appeared to descend slowly, that impression existed only due to its immense scale.
Seeing the inevitable impact approaching, Akira roared again. His nine tails instantly wrapped around his body, forming a defensive sphere on the sea surface before surging upward to meet the descending attack.
The next moment, the pitch-black fist and the fox sphere collided with cataclysmic force.
CRACK!
Black and crimson lightning, embodying the overwhelming presence of Conqueror's Haki, exploded outward in all directions from the point of contact.
The churning sea was instantly carved with deep furrows.
Witnessing this exchange, Luffy's face split into a carefree grin. "Ichigo, I'm counting on you!"
Indeed, the Straw Hat boy had unleashed his ultimate technique specifically to create this opening for his companion, and Akira's defensive reaction had played perfectly into his strategy.
This was what it meant when two protagonists protected each other's backs!
And these were two protagonists from hot-blooded shonen manga at that!
If bonds, friendship, and dreams of the future could genuinely amplify combat strength, then Luffy and Kurosaki Ichigo were doubly blessed with such power.
Not to mention the terrifying accumulation of trait buffs both were currently receiving.
First, Luffy, already approaching his absolute limit under Akira's relentless assault, triggered [Desperate Survival], instantly restoring him to peak fighting condition.
Combined with the earlier deaths of Zoro and Nami, which had activated the [Straw Hat Pirates] bond's deathrattle effect, the Straw Hat boy had reached his maximum potential.
As for Kurosaki Ichigo, his situation was even more overwhelming.
[Seed of Hope] + [King of Perfection] + [Lord of Hueco Mundo] + [Gotei 13] + [Yellow Hair, You Are a Good Man] + [Heavy Spirit Land] + [No Mechanics, All Numbers] + [Bankai] + [Mugetsu] + [Resolved to Sacrifice].
This represented the absolute strongest configuration he could achieve at this moment.
The yellow-haired boy clearly had no intention of wasting such a precious opportunity.
The Tensa Zangetsu in his grip vanished without trace, replaced by an extremely unstable pitch-black longsword radiating ominous power.
The boy exhaled slowly and swung his blade. "Mugetsu."
The dark slash that had once severed worlds reappeared on the shores of Velkairos.
The world transformed into stark black and white, and all sound was silenced by the technique's overwhelming presence.
Without a trace of hesitation, Kurosaki Ichigo, expending every last fragment of his remaining strength, unleashed Mugetsu directly at Akira, who remained immobilized by the suppression of the Ape God Spear.
The fox demon froze momentarily, then a massive fox head emerged from within the protective cocoon of nine tails.
"KYUUU!"
As Mugetsu dissipated, Akira could no longer suppress the agony.
A deafening scream of pure torment instantly echoed across the entire battlefield.
But this wasn't the end yet.
Mugetsu had successfully shattered Akira's defenses, allowing Luffy's Ape God Spear to strike exactly as intended.
BOOM!
"AHHH!"
The massive beast collapsed. Akira plummeted powerlessly from the sky into the sea, bleeding profusely from countless wounds, his blood dyeing the surrounding waters crimson.
Most strikingly, the fox demon's once neatly arranged nine tails had been reduced to only eight.
One tail had been severed completely, cut clean through by Mugetsu.
As Akira crashed into the sea, a massive tidal wave formed, powerful enough to potentially submerge all of Velkairos as Azrael watched in alarm.
Fortunately, Dareth was present.
The middle-aged Diamond-level Lore Cardian quickly directed his water-manipulation cards to control and redirect the surging waves.
As the waves gradually subsided, Akira had vanished completely, leaving only a single massive severed tail floating in his place.
He had fled.
Azrael stood stunned when he witnessed this outcome. He'd never anticipated that a Master-level demon could retreat so decisively after being wounded.
After all, just moments ago, even under the combined assault of two protagonists, Luffy and Kurosaki Ichigo, the fox demon had only sustained moderate injuries and remained far from losing his combat effectiveness.
However, after reconsidering how the fox demon had successfully hidden within a small ruined country for hundreds of years, the young man concluded that this cautious retreat was entirely consistent with Akira's character.
At that moment, a voice filled with genuine surprise sounded beside Azrael. "He actually ran away?!"
It was Dareth.
The president of the Velkairos City Cardian Master Association stared blankly at the sea where the fox demon had disappeared. He'd never expected the battle would conclude in such an anticlimactic manner.
Master Lucian also remained stunned for a prolonged moment.
Diamond-level cards successfully repelling a Master-level demon.
This was the first time the old master had ever heard of such an achievement.