[Please continue to write your story.]
[Thousands of years ago in Soul Society, there existed a great villain with terrifying mastery in the art of swordsmanship: Retsu Unohana.]
[Retsu Unohana boasted of mastering all the sword arts in the world, thus earning the name "Yachiru," meaning "Eight Thousand Styles."]
[But just when she thought herself unrivaled in the art of swordsmanship, the monster of monsters, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, approached her.]
[Unohana lost, and the result of this crushing defeat naturally led to her joining Yamamoto's army and becoming the captain of the 11th Division of the original Gotei 13, becoming the first Kenpachi.]
[As a group of assassins, the original Gotei 13 had a strong affinity with Unohana.]
[Their enemy was the Quincy empire founded by Yhwach. In the battle against this invisible threat, the first Gotei 13 ultimately achieved victory at an immense cost, including the lives of many captains.]
[However, Unohana didn't care. Instead, she thoroughly enjoyed the fighting. But after the empire's fall, she once again lost her purpose.]
[For amusement, she learned healing techniques and journeyed to Rukongai to defeat Ryukon warriors. Of course, this was just an excuse, Unohana simply sought worthy opponents.]
[Finally, one day, she heard of a warrior named Yoriichi Tsugikuni, possessing terrifying talent in swordsmanship.]
[She approached him and easily defeated him. However, Unohana understood that this was simply due to her longevity and experience with numerous sword techniques.]
[Seeking to cultivate a rival, she extended an invitation to Yoriichi. He ultimately became a Shinigami, and after experiencing enough battles, he even reached captain-level strength.]
[Seeing the fruit ripe for harvest, she challenged Yoriichi to a duel.]
[In her Bankai state, Minazuki, Unohana relished the battle with Yoriichi. In this form, she could fight relentlessly until one of them died. Unfortunately, Yoriichi saw through her intentions and used his own Bankai to pierce through her blood-soaked domain.]
[The outcome of this battle remains unknown, but afterward, Unohana was transferred from captain of the 11th Division to captain of the 4th Division, transforming from a battle-loving killer into a doctor who heals the wounded.]
Card creation complete. Azrael left the mysterious space.
Since he had already created many Shinigami-type cards, this card promotion didn't require much effort. However, seeing Unohana's card now depicting a cold, dark-haired beauty with barely concealed bloodlust, Azrael felt slightly intimidated.
He had a feeling that the intensity of his sparring sessions with the former first Kenpachi would increase significantly.
Shaking his head and temporarily suppressing his concerns, Azrael retracted the card floating before him into his consciousness.
[Unparalleled Great Villain · Yachiru Unohana]
Rank: Emerald
Quality: Red
Category: Creature
Skills:
• [Kidō Mastery]
• [Shunpo]
• [Zanpakutō · Shikai · Minazuki]
• [Zanpakutō · Bankai · Minazuki]: When Unohana unleashes her Bankai, she draws her opponent into a world of blood created by Minazuki. In this world, the fighting desire of both sides is infinitely amplified. Unohana not only gains a bonus to her own strength, but can also use the blood generated by Minazuki for healing.
Abilities:
• [Shinigami]
• [Miraculous Resurrection]
• [Yachiru]: Unohana boasts of mastering every style of swordsmanship, hence the name "Yachiru." When facing a foe who also employs swordsmanship, she quickly learns their moves, significantly boosting her own combat effectiveness.
• [Killer]: Although Unohana craves only equal combat, this has left her with a terrifying notoriety in Soul Society, leaving countless spirits terrified. Therefore, in battle, those less powerful than Unohana will be oppressed by her aura.
Description: Battle is everything.
Advancement: Silver Rank [4th Division Captain · Retsu Unohana] → Emerald Rank [Unparalleled Great Villain · Yachiru Unohana]
Bond: When played with cards from the same series as [Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni], the [First Gotei 13] effect is activated.
When played with cards from the same series as [Yoriichi Tsugikuni], the [Great Villain] effect is activated.
Activated Bond: [First Gotei 13] (2/13)
Bond Effect: Cards with the [First Gotei 13] bond gain increased attack power, scaling with the number of bonds.
[Great Villain] (2/2)
Bond Effect: Those bearing the title of Great Villain have all emerged from countless bloody battles. Therefore, cards with this bond will see their strength increase as their health decreases upon entering the field.
Unohana's power after promotion matched Azrael's expectations. While not as overwhelming as Artoria or Ulquiorra, that was simply because the former two were different from ordinary Emerald-tier units. Artoria used colorful materials and invested chain cards during her promotion, while Ulquiorra only became the Fourth Espada after undergoing Hōgyoku enhancement.
Of course, this didn't mean Unohana was weak. Not only was her strength formidable with the bonus of [Seireitei], but more importantly, she could control the damage range of her abilities, making her ideal for combat within cities, minimizing the risk of harming innocent people.
Furthermore, Unohana's promotion to Emerald-tier also triggered her bond with Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
"From this perspective, her strength shouldn't be underestimated." Azrael stroked his chin, anticipation flickering across his face. "But what should I do with the remaining 120,000 points?"
With this thought, he began to ponder his next Lore Cardian plan. Since he had obtained some scattered materials from the Crimson Oath Society, Azrael could use these 120,000 points to complete the material pool.
"It feels a bit wasteful," he muttered, because the Association's greatest strength was its comprehensive material resources, unlike the Crimson Oath Society's limited focus.
The materials offered for exchange by the Association also included venue materials, a type rarely seen in the Crimson Oath Society's inventory.
"If I were to find venue materials on my own, it would take forever to advance [Las Noches]."
After all, even [Seireitei] only reached Emerald rank by chance. Azrael pondered for a moment, ultimately deciding to see if there were any venue materials suitable for him.
And not just [Las Noches], but also the final venue card required for the Shinigami class could be prepared.
"Hopefully, I'll find the right materials."
With this thought in mind, he immediately opened the points platform. The considerable sum of 120,000 Empyrean Dollars gave him confidence.
But then, upon seeing the price tag for the venue materials, his spirits instantly deflated.
"Why is the cheapest Emerald-grade material 130,000?"
After all, 130,000 Empyrean Dollars could buy five red-quality Emerald-grade materials, enough for a Lore Cardian to create a decent card. Of course, Azrael only needed three for most projects.
But he also understood that this was due to the shortage of venue materials. The production of these materials was already extremely scarce, and finding suitable ones was also difficult, which contributed to their high price.
Azrael could only console himself by thinking that even a British prince like Leon had to endure the hardships of entering secret realms to search for venue materials, and he had even managed to snatch them successfully.
Thinking of this, his mood brightened slightly.
"[Chaos Royal Court] (Red), 140,000 points." Azrael sighed as he looked at the material he had found. "That's too expensive."
"Looks like I'll have to keep grinding for points."
Since he had already left the Northern Defense Army, it was natural for him to return to the coastal cities and continue earning. Azrael already had some ideas about his next move.
Before he joined the Northern Defense Army, Vladimir, the president of the Qilu Cardian Master Association, had asked him if he was interested in joining the Association's mobile unit, the rapid response team.
However, at that time, due to a mission from Jin, he had no choice but to decline. But now that he had left the Northern Defense Army, he could reconsider this option.
Having made up his mind, Azrael immediately pulled out his phone. Of course, he hadn't rejected the other positions offered by the Association for the time being, so that if Vladimir's side was already fully staffed, he would have alternatives.
[Azrael: President Vladimir, does what you said before still count?]
At that moment, Vladimir, on the other end of the line, was completely bewildered upon seeing Azrael's message. For a moment, she couldn't recall what he was talking about.
But then she realized it was related to her earlier question about whether he was planning to join the Qilu Cardian Master Association. She only remembered that the young man had rejected her offer and joined the Northern Defense Army instead.
Vladimir directly asked what was on her mind.
[Vladimir: Azrael, didn't you join the Northern Defense Army? Why are you asking about this?]
[Vladimir: Why? Are there any good candidates you'd like to recommend?]
This was the most reasonable inference she could come up with. Indeed, as an Emerald-level Lore Cardian, Azrael was naturally qualified to recommend talent to the Association.
[Azrael: I've left the Northern Defense Army, so I wanted to ask President Vladimir if you're still short of personnel.]
Upon seeing this message, Vladimir resisted the urge to question him immediately. After all, judging by Azrael's performance in Donglai, he wasn't the type to desert. Besides, while the situation in Qilu wasn't as dire as the Northern Defense Army, it wasn't much better.
If the young man was truly planning to desert, he shouldn't have chosen their location. Vladimir decided to investigate what Azrael had done recently that had caused his departure from the Northern Defense Army.
She didn't know what to expect until she checked, but the investigation was shocking. She looked at the young man's impressive resume since joining the Northern Defense Army and was at a loss for words.
"..." Vladimir muttered to herself, her tone somewhat odd. "Should I say a genius is a genius?"
But since he had no disciplinary issues, she immediately agreed.
[Vladimir: Of course. When are you planning to take up your position, Azrael?]
[Azrael: Three days from now.]
[Vladimir: Okay.]
Seeing that Vladimir had agreed, Azrael declined several other offers. After sorting out his destination, he breathed a sigh of relief and headed to Alice's house.
"Senior Sister, I'll be reporting to the Qilu Cardian Master Association in three days," Azrael said quietly, looking at the intellectual beauty before him, who was flipping through a book.
Hearing this, Alice closed her book. She moved her lips, but only managed a few words, "Have you taken care of it?"
Azrael, knowing she was referring to the matter with the Crimson Oath Society, nodded. "Yes."
"Don't worry, Senior Sister. He'd never guess I'd betray him."
"But there's something I need your help with later."
Though she had no idea how her junior brother had circumvented the restrictions of Jin's contract, Alice didn't intend to inquire further. She simply tilted her head slightly, looking at the young man before her with some confusion, "What?"
"I'm going to talk to Teacher about this. I hope you can be there, Senior Sister."
Azrael was ready to confront Lucian when he returned to the Empire of Aetherlight. Although he doubted his teacher would kill him on the spot, he still felt it would be best to have someone present to intervene if necessary.
Alice was a good choice. After all, she was the only close person around Azrael who had seen through his true identity.
Alice was startled at first, then a rare smile broke across her face. "Okay."
She hadn't intended to reveal her junior's hidden identity to their teacher, but she trusted Azrael wouldn't do anything to harm Lucian. Now that he was willing to confess, it was naturally a happy ending for everyone.
Seeing Alice's agreement, Azrael expressed his sincere gratitude. "Thank you, Senior Sister."
To this, the tall beauty simply uttered two words.
"Idiot."