Shortly after Azrael's devastating attack, the demon army abruptly ceased its assaults on both the Empire of Aetherlight and Tsarist Russia.
While others might have been puzzled by this sudden withdrawal, Azrael, the primary architect of their recent setback, could roughly guess the reason, the enemy had been thoroughly unnerved by Yamamoto Shigekuni's overwhelming flames.
After all, without understanding the exact mechanism behind such destructive power, the demon army couldn't risk allowing Azrael's attacks to continue unchecked. They had no choice but to temporarily abandon their offensive plans.
After Azrael and Petrovna returned to Hami, several Sovereign-level Lore Cardians learned the full story of what had transpired.
While Master Tempest and Master Fujimaru, who had a general understanding of Azrael's capabilities, took the news in stride, the Russian high-ranking officials were undoubtedly more shocked by the revelation.
Although they had previously inquired about Azrael's past achievements, they hadn't expected him to be capable of directly summoning a being comparable to a Sovereign-level Lore Cardian.
They didn't dismiss it as him simply borrowing the power of someone stronger. After all, since their own princess had vouched for his abilities, how could it be false?
At this moment, Catherine observed the composed young man from across the room. Turning to her daughter, she said quietly, "Petrovna, get closer to him from now on."
Upon hearing this, Petrovna's fair face flushed bright red, and she stammered, "M-Mother! What are you talking about!?"
Seeing her flustered expression, Catherine realized her daughter had probably misunderstood her intentions.
She had said this simply to encourage the girl to forge a closer alliance with Azrael. After all, judging by the strength and talent he had displayed, reaching the Sovereign level wasn't out of the question for someone like him.
Catherine sighed but didn't speak out to correct Petrovna's misunderstanding. She silently thought, 'If we can really bring him to the Empire, that wouldn't be unacceptable.'
Of course, she couldn't force Petrovna's will, but judging by her daughter's current behavior, she at least didn't dislike the young man.
After a moment's silence, Catherine added, "If that day ever comes, remember to tell him that the Empire only accepts sons-in-law who marry into the family."
This was Tsarist Russia's bottom line. After all, they didn't want to end up like the Empire of Aetherlight's Grand Admiral Zimba, who lost both his wife and his military power in one fell swoop.
Leaving the girl, whose brain had completely short-circuited, Catherine approached Master Tempest and began to discuss strategy.
Over the past two days, the border defenses between the Empire of Aetherlight and Tsarist Russia had been nearly completed. It was time to strike at the demon army's leaders.
"Master Tempest, Master Fujimaru, President Azrael."
Catherine acknowledged the three Lore Cardians from the Empire with a slight nod.
Her words made it clear that the Empress now considered Azrael to be on the same level as Master Tempest and Master Fujimaru.
"According to the intelligence we've gathered, the demon army's leaders have been operating out of the Thousand Peaks City recently."
A glint of deep-seated fury flashed in Catherine's eyes at this point, naturally due to the mention of Thousand Peaks City as the Empire's former capital.
The pain of losing one's homeland was simply unbearable.
Seeing her expression, Azrael and the others weren't surprised. After all, similar tragedies had occurred during the fall of the former Song Dynasty.
Master Tempest pondered for a moment, then tentatively suggested, "Your Majesty, how about launching an all-out offensive over the next two days? Then, when the border troops are fully deployed, we'll launch a surprise attack on Thousand Peaks City and execute a decapitation operation. To be on the safe side, we'll have Lord Lioren provide backup support in case things go wrong."
Although Lord Lioren's current physical condition didn't allow him to launch a full-scale assault, providing emergency support wouldn't be too great a burden.
Catherine had, of course, vaguely sensed that the Empire's Sovereign-level Lore Cardian wasn't in the best shape these days, but she hadn't bothered to inquire further, suppressing her curiosity.
After hearing Master Tempest's proposal, she nodded slightly. "Then we'll proceed as you suggest."
Before she could finish her words, a figure hurriedly approached her.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. The Fallen Cult has launched attacks within the Empire."
Upon hearing this, Catherine's expression immediately darkened. "What is the extent of the damage?"
The messenger glanced at the Lore Cardians from the Empire with some embarrassment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, the situation is dire. I'm afraid either you or Grand Duke Nicholas will need to return for support."
Grand Duke Nicholas was the Sovereign-level Lore Cardian who had accompanied Catherine to Hami. He was also Petrovna's uncle.
Upon hearing the messenger's report, Catherine's face turned grim. She realized immediately that this was likely orchestrated by the demon army; otherwise, the timing wouldn't be such a coincidence.
The purpose, of course, was to reduce the Alliance's combat effectiveness.
The Russian empress quickly made her decision. "I understand. You may leave first."
After the messenger withdrew, she looked seriously at Azrael and the other two. "My lords, I wish to launch a surprise attack immediately."
At this point, Catherine turned to Master Tempest and said, "Please inform Lord Lioren."
She had chosen not to have Grand Duke Nicholas return to the Empire for support, as that would undoubtedly give the demon army an opportunity. She feared that the demon army's leaders would launch a surprise attack on Hami as soon as Nicholas departed.
In that case, a swift, decisive strike would be preferable.
Victory would naturally bring joy to all.
Defeat would mean a strategic retreat under Lord Lioren's protection, and new plans could be made after resolving the domestic crisis.
"I understand."
Master Tempest nodded immediately. He was no fool; he could grasp the underlying strategic considerations.
Fortunately, the Fallen Cult was only rampant in Europa. After all, the majority of its members were Caucasian, so causing significant trouble in the Empire of Aetherlight wouldn't be so easy.
At least, up to now, no one had informed them of any Fallen Cult activities in the Empire.
Seeing Master Tempest begin to contact Lord Lioren, Catherine took a deep breath, then turned and walked toward Petrovna, saying solemnly, "My daughter, the Empire needs you now. You must return."
She then explained the current situation to the girl in general terms.
Hearing this, Petrovna couldn't help but feel nervous and frightened.
It wasn't until the weight of responsibility settled heavily on her shoulders that she realized the growth she had dreamed of wasn't as glorious as she had imagined.
She pressed her lips together and looked at Catherine helplessly. "Mother..."
As if sensing the girl's fear, Catherine sighed with resignation and prepared to explain her reasoning.
After all, with the Empire in turmoil, the Empress's absence would undoubtedly be a significant blow to morale, yet she was truly unable to leave her current position.
Petrovna, as the crown princess, was crucial at this moment.
The girl's presence would not only boost morale and reassure the people but also enhance her own prestige, laying the foundation for her future rise to power.
Just as Catherine was about to speak, Petrovna took a deep breath and, with forced composure, said, "I understand, Mother. I will return. I swear on my name that the Empire will remain safe."
Hearing these words, Catherine swallowed her prepared speech, frozen in place, staring at Petrovna in stunned silence.
She could see the girl was still feeling uncertain, but after a long moment, Catherine let out a sigh, a smile breaking across her face as Petrovna's determined figure was reflected in her eyes. "You've grown up, my daughter."
The Thousand Peaks City.
Several leaders of the demon army stood silently amidst the blizzard, their figures shrouded in the pale white snow.
Then, a voice broke the dead silence.
"What do you think they will choose?"
The one who spoke was the dark-armored military commander.
Beside him, the white-armored female military commander waved her hand, blowing away the snow covering several kilometers. Then, expressionlessly, she said, "It seems they're preparing for a swift victory."
Hearing this, the other four military commanders nodded in agreement.
The attack by the Fallen Cult within Tsarist Russia had originally been orchestrated by Jin, so they had naturally anticipated the Empire's reaction.
If Catherine or Nicholas had left Hami, they would have launched a surprise attack immediately.
Otherwise, they would lay a tight net throughout Thousand Peaks City, as they were currently doing.
There was also the possibility that the enemy would remain inactive, but this would actually be the best scenario for the demon army.
After all, it was these outsiders who were most pressed for time, not them.
If the Alliance delayed their attack, and once Jin and the others had fully recovered, the demon army's crisis would be resolved.
Whoosh!
At that moment, accompanied by a shrill whistle, a golden meteor streaked across the sky, plummeting toward the center of Thousand Peaks City.
Upon witnessing this scene, the darkness-shrouded military commander snorted coldly, and the shadow that enveloped his body instantly expanded to cover the entire city.
"Master Tempest... no need for such petty tricks."
The attack was halted, and the golden meteor stopped in mid-air before descending slowly to land in front of the five military commanders.
The light faded, revealing Master Tempest's unsurprised expression. "You've been prepared, indeed."
Ignoring his words, the white-armored female demon spoke, her cold words echoing throughout the surroundings. "Don't hide when you come."
Just then, a massive mountain range materialized out of thin air.
It was Kunlun Mountain. Azrael and the others were currently within Master Fujimaru's Venue Card. After all, they weren't like Master Tempest, capable of close combat with a Sovereign-level demon.
Upon taking in the mountain's form, the military commanders couldn't help but express a hint of disgust.
The military commander in charge of the experiments frowned, muttering, "Lore Cardians are truly disgusting creatures."
But after recalling the contingency plan he had laid out earlier, his brows relaxed.
At this moment, neither the Lore Cardians nor the demons had any desire to exchange pleasantries.
A battle was imminent.
Just then, the white-armored female demon whispered, "Begin!"
As her words fell, a massive blue-and-white magic circle enveloped everyone present.
Seeing this, Azrael and his companions immediately felt uneasy and sent out their own cards to disrupt the formation.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
The military commander in charge of the experiments grinned, his voice dripping with mockery. "Since we dared to lure you here, how could we not be on guard against your Venue Cards?"
Master Fujimaru's Kunlun Mountain had been recorded in their intelligence for many years, so the demon army naturally prepared countermeasures.
Just like now.
"Binding Barrier: Stripping Array!"
The next moment, Azrael felt his world spinning within Kunlun Mountain.
When he regained his bearings, Master Fujimaru and her cards had vanished, leaving only Azrael, Master Tempest, Catherine, and Nicholas.
Meanwhile, the five commanders of the demon army remained standing silently before them.
"Master Tempest. Catherine. Nicholas. And... a new Sovereign-level? Huh?"
The white-armored commander was about to declare their numerical advantage when she suddenly sensed something amiss.
"How come you're only Diamond-level?"
The five demons looked at Azrael with a mix of confusion and contempt.
Previously, due to the obstruction of Kunlun Mountain, they hadn't been able to detect the young man's spiritual energy clearly, so only now did they realize there was someone present who wasn't Sovereign-level.
Upon realizing this, the demon army commanders looked at Azrael with either surprise or mockery.
They knew, of course, that Azrael had previously injured the Nation-Destroying Fox Demon, but they were nothing like that cowardly fox.
The white-armored commander shook her head slightly and said calmly, "Blame yourself for stepping onto a battlefield you shouldn't have."
She assumed Azrael's presence was due to Master Fujimaru's misguided protection.
Azrael could sense the contempt of the five Sovereign-level demons, but he didn't bother to argue with his enemies.
With a flick of his mind, a vast array of cards instantly appeared before him.
Seeing Azrael's card collection, vastly superior to that of a typical Lore Cardian, the commanders raised their eyebrows.
The white-armored woman's eyes flickered, and she whispered, "Is that your confidence? How ridiculous!"
With that, she vanished in a flash.
Seeing this, Master Tempest and the other two immediately tried to intervene but were blocked by several other Sovereign-level demons.
Although Catherine lacked matching Sovereign-level cards, she could easily take on two Sovereign-level demons alone.
At the same time, numerous Diamond-level demons flew out of Thousand Peaks City, along with countless Emerald-level and lower demons, swarming toward Azrael and his four companions.
Faced with enemies before and behind, Azrael remained impassive.
Before him, Hashirama Senju, standing amidst the sea of cards, instantly entered Sage Mode, dark blue patterns appearing across his features.
He quickly formed hand seals and shouted, "Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
In the next moment, countless thick vines erupted from the frozen ground, their massive branches bursting into bloom in the blink of an eye.
Pale yellow pollen mingled with the wind and snow, drifting in all directions.
Within moments, Thousand Peaks City was blanketed in a dense forest.
Combined with the heavy snowfall, the scene was both beautiful and terrifying.
Beside Hashirama Senju, Yamamoto Shigekuni also entered his Bankai state.
The white-bearded elder plunged his scorched blade into the ground and slowly recited the technique's name, "Zanka no Tachi, Minami: Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin."
Just as Luffy and Ichigo Kurosaki shared a strange chemistry as co-protagonists, so too did these two legendary background characters, Hashirama Senju and Yamamoto Shigekuni.
Never underestimate the old guard!
As the charred skeletons crawled out of the frozen earth, the Flower Tree Realm suddenly became fraught with danger.
The demons in Thousand Peaks City now had to prevent themselves from losing consciousness due to the pollen while also remaining vigilant against the undead spirits that might be lurking in the shadows.
The white-armored female demon had already appeared before Azrael. Looking at him clad in his Sacred Blade Armor, she murmured softly, "A mere parlor trick."
She could certainly feel the pollen in the air affecting her mental state, but so what?
After all, it was just a Diamond-level card, wasn't it?