On the outskirts of Beijing, within a concealed underground facility, pale golden liquid rippled through the surrounding void like liquid light.
At the center of this mysterious space rested a massive conference table of dark marble, encircled by mahogany chairs. Some were covered in dust and cobwebs, silent monuments to absent members, while others gleamed with recent use.
Seated in the pristine chairs were a dozen elderly men, their faces etched with varying degrees of concern and calculation.
Despite the considerable gathering, an oppressive silence hung in the air. No one dared break it.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, someone spoke. "I've dispatched investigators to Shudoria. The reports are accurate."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "Lioren should soon succeed in slaying that Sovereign-level demon."
Silence descended once more, heavier than before.
After a prolonged moment, someone murmured in disbelief, "How is this possible? It's only been a few years."
No one acknowledged his complaint. They sat motionless, each man wrestling privately with this shocking development.
"Can we replicate the process?" The question cut through the tension like a blade.
Everyone understood the implication immediately. The elder who had first spoken, a white-haired man with sharp, calculating eyes, shook his head slowly. "No. Ottarl's previous outburst in Pixar has already made the Cardian Master Association suspicious."
He let the sentence hang unfinished, but his meaning was crystal clear. Another incident would draw unwanted scrutiny they couldn't afford.
After another stretch of uncomfortable silence, someone spoke with barely concealed resentment. "We shouldn't have authorized Ottarl's enhancement in the first place. Now look at the position we're in."
A feminine-looking elder rolled his eyes dismissively. "How convenient your memory is. You agreed enthusiastically back then, so why complain now?" His tone dripped with mockery. "Besides, who could have possibly predicted that Lioren would slay a Sovereign-level demon in just a few years?"
The first man's face darkened dangerously. "Watch your tongue, descendant of a castrated dog!"
As for how eunuchs have descendants, through adoption, or children born before their castration, naturally.
Before the argument could escalate further, the white-haired elder slammed his palm against the table with enough force to make the wood shudder. "Enough! Everyone calm yourselves."
His authoritative voice cut through the rising tension. "We all agreed to that decision. Assigning blame now serves no purpose."
He fixed both men with a stern glare. "No one could have anticipated this outcome."
The two combatants snorted in mutual disdain but returned to their seats.
The white-haired elder continued, his voice troubled. "Furthermore, the technology remains unstable. We haven't been able to contact our... associates for some time now."
A frown creased his weathered features. Previously, communication had flowed smoothly. But recently, something had severed the connection entirely, as if an invisible barrier blocked all signals. They'd received no information whatsoever.
The atmosphere grew colder as each man considered the implications.
Eventually, someone observed quietly, "No wonder Fujimaru returned to the Northern Defense Army so quickly. Lioren must have taken action by now."
Normally, even a Master-level Lore Cardian would require considerable time to clear a Master-level secret realm. But the one that had appeared in Shudoria Province had been suppressed with remarkable speed. The conclusion was inescapable, Lioren had definitely been involved.
I should have realized this sooner, each man thought privately.
Another uncomfortable silence stretched between them.
Finally, someone seemed to recall something and turned toward another elder. "Master Sun, you're overseeing the follow-up on the Azrael situation, correct? Did it succeed?"
Master Sun's expression soured immediately. "Don't even mention it. That whole affair in Donglai was catastrophically unlucky."
He proceeded to recount in meticulous detail everything that had transpired in Donglai, the failed ambush, the unexpected variables, the complete disaster it had become.
After hearing the full account, every elder present wore expressions of profound bewilderment.
"This..."
They exchanged uncertain glances, unsure how to respond to such a spectacular failure.
Eventually, the white-haired elder broke the awkward silence. "We'll address that particular issue later. Right now, our most pressing concern is Lioren. If we don't handle this situation properly, none of us, myself included, will sleep soundly again."
Everyone nodded in solemn agreement.
Someone ventured hesitantly, "Master Sheng is absolutely right. But since that method proved ineffective, what other options do we have to contain Lioren?"
Master Sheng, the white-haired elder who had spoken first, shook his head slowly, clearly exhausted of alternatives. "At this stage, we can only contact the Crimson Oath Society again and hope they have additional strategies."
He paused, then offered what little consolation he could. "However, don't panic entirely. Lioren's suppression of that Sovereign-level demon came at tremendous personal cost. You all saw during the National Competition that he wasn't in optimal condition. From what I understand, his situation has only deteriorated since then. He won't be around much longer. We simply need to... outlast him."
The words came reluctantly, tinged with uncertainty.
Master Sheng sighed internally. For now, their only hope lay with the Crimson Oath Society finding some viable solution.
There was one silver lining, at least, Jin would undoubtedly oppose Lioren escaping their influence as well. She would probably assist them.
"Here's what we'll do," Master Sheng declared with forced confidence. "During this period, everyone must restrain their family members and subordinates. We cannot afford to give Lioren any excuse to make examples of us."
Like slaughtering chickens to frighten monkeys, went unsaid.
Having temporarily concluded the discussion about Lioren, Master Sheng shifted topics. "Now, regarding Lucian's disciple, is he truly as troublesome as reported?"
As he spoke, he retrieved his phone and sent a message. The reply arrived within moments.
After quickly scanning the intelligence, Master Sheng's expression transformed into one of grave concern. He drew a deep breath, his pale eyebrows knitting together.
"I've forwarded all the information to everyone. It appears Lucian's disciple is far more problematic than we initially assessed."
The unspoken comparison hung in the air, he saw echoes of Lioren in this young man. No, if he was being honest, Lioren at the same age hadn't been nearly this formidable.
After reviewing Master Sheng's intelligence report, the other elders' faces reflected similar alarm.
"This... isn't this somewhat exaggerated?"
While they knew exceptional Emerald-level warriors existed who could challenge Diamond-level opponents, even occasionally defeat them, those individuals were typically older, more experienced, and their victories usually resulted from perfect combinations of favorable timing, terrain, and circumstances.
Unlike the young man described in this report, who, despite being ambushed, had severely injured a Diamond-level warrior in direct combat.
More critically, that Diamond-level warrior wasn't some fodder-level demon cobbled together with makeshift parts. He was a powerhouse with an extensive combat record within the Northern Defense Army itself.
Facing their skepticism, Master Sheng simply stated, "The intelligence is accurate. I've verified it personally."
His voice hardened. "Moreover, it's better to believe it than dismiss it. Do any of you want to see another Lioren emerge?"
He let that sink in before continuing, "Furthermore, Lucian is currently too preoccupied to properly supervise his disciple. This represents a golden opportunity we cannot afford to waste."
The room fell silent as each elder absorbed the implications.
Indeed, one Lioren already kept them awake at night with anxiety. A second would be intolerable.
After a moment, Master Sun spoke calmly. "My Sun family alone cannot handle this... challenge. The young man has fully matured now, he's no longer the minor Lore Cardian we could easily manipulate."
Some present couldn't help but mentally correct Master Sun. Even when Azrael was a minor Lore Cardian, they hadn't exactly accomplished anything against him. They'd even sacrificed the Mizuno family in the attempt.
Thinking of this, several elders glanced sympathetically at a dust-covered chair at the conference table, a silent memorial to their absent colleague.
Master Sun continued grimly, "Moreover, his Diamond-level senior brothers and sisters will undoubtedly protect him."
Before he could elaborate further, Master Sheng raised a hand, cutting him off. "Everyone must contribute this time. No one gets to remain uninvolved."
He paused for emphasis. "Naturally."
Seeing the day's discussion drawing to a close, Master Sheng offered one final warning. "Remember, act cleanly. If you're caught, you're on your own. No one here will help you."
"Master Sheng speaks wisdom," the others murmured in agreement.
Ande City
After seeing Blonski off, Azrael desperately wanted to use his communication device to question Godfrey about the relationship between the Crimson Oath Society and the imperial court. However, considering how crowded and public the area was, he reluctantly restrained himself.
Several days passed, and finally the day arrived for Azrael and his companions to enter the secret realm.
Due to the unique nature of the Ande City secret realm, Azrael and his group would need to enter personally rather than sending cards ahead. The young man remained unfazed by this requirement. After all, with his Holy Blade Armor's protection, as long as no Diamond-level demons lurked within, he should emerge unscathed from most encounters.
Their primary objective was straightforward, enter the secret realm and eliminate any demons that might be positioned near the two entrance points.
"I hope we enter the same realm," Pierre remarked casually before they departed.
Azrael wanted to throttle him. Such blatant flag-raising before battle rarely ended well. He just hoped Pierre wouldn't follow up with something catastrophic like, "After this mission, I'm going home to get married."
Fortunately, Pierre didn't tempt fate that severely.
However, as they crossed the threshold into the secret realm, Azrael's worst fears materialized.
Of the four Emerald-level Lore Cardians leading the assault, only he had entered the secret realm they'd previously scouted. The other three had been diverted to a different location entirely.
Tsk.
Azrael curled his lips in displeasure. He didn't believe for a moment that the demons inside weren't orchestrating this separation. The question was whether they considered him the weakest link or the greatest threat requiring immediate elimination.
Even as these thoughts crossed his mind, Ulquiorra, Artoria, and Retsu Unohana had already materialized around him in defensive formation.
Azrael himself had transformed into his Kamen Rider form before even entering.
A massive pulse of mental energy erupted from him, sweeping across the surrounding area with supernatural perception. Almost immediately, he detected an anomaly.
His voice turned cold and sharp. "Come out. Are you still planning to hide?"
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Clear, mocking applause echoed from the distance.
"No wonder you managed to get Marve killed. You truly didn't disappoint me."
Accompanying the sardonic voice, three figures emerged, each dressed in wildly different attire that somehow emphasized their coordinated menace.
Azrael's expression shifted to one of bemused incredulity. "Let me guess, a scholar, a bald monk, and a tights enthusiast too ashamed to show his face."
The scholarly-looking young man ignored Azrael's taunts entirely, offering instead a polite bow. "I am Splint."
The other two introduced themselves in turn. "Nanami."
"Beru."
Azrael blinked, momentarily wondering if he'd misheard their names.
A few days ago, I thought this world was just a robot war disguised as martial arts cinema. Now I'm not so sure anymore. (TN: Their names were more like titles instead of actual names, and beleive me when I say, those names where full of brainrot)
He shook his head, dismissing the peculiar thought. "Forget it. Your names are meaningless, you'll all be dead soon anyway."
At this, Splint closed his folding fan with an audible snap and shrugged apologetically at his two companions. "Then I'll leave the rest to you gentlemen. Combat really isn't my specialty."
With those words, he dissolved into wisps of digital data and vanished completely.
Meanwhile, the bald monk slowly shed his outer robes, revealing a powerfully built physique beneath. He regarded Azrael with an expressionless face. "Donor, did you know that even Buddha can manifest wrathful expressions? Perhaps it would be wise not to display such arrogance."
As his words rang out, an endless cascade of golden light erupted from behind him like a blazing sun.
In the next instant, it surged toward Azrael with overwhelming force.
"What is this..."
Azrael frowned slightly as the powerful radiance approached. His mental scan revealed faint aberrations within the light itself, something wasn't quite right about its composition.
But before he could analyze it further, the luminous wave had already reached him.
Ding ding ding ding!
A sharp, metallic cacophony filled the air. Azrael swung his flaming sword in a wide arc. Crimson flames instantly burned a hole through the approaching light, but the gap sealed itself almost immediately afterward.
Seeing this rapid regeneration, understanding dawned.
"So this 'Buddha's light' is actually composed of nanoscale mechanical insects?"
He assessed the situation quickly. "Fortunately, the Holy Blade Armor provides complete coverage. They have no openings to exploit."
His voice dripped with contempt. "You dare attempt to kill me with such pathetic tricks?"
Azrael scoffed internally. Based on his current assessment, this bald fraud was vastly inferior to yesterday's mecha swordsman. He could already think of multiple strategies to defeat him.
Suddenly, a subtle sense of danger prickled at the back of his awareness.
Clang!
The sharp ring of metal striking metal echoed behind him. Beru's pupils contracted in shock as the black-haired woman who'd intercepted his assassination attempt appeared before him. Then a torrential barrage of sword strikes descended like a waterfall of steel.
The assassin scowled, desperately countering Retsu Unohana's relentless assault with his dagger.
Clang clang clang clang!
The staccato rhythm of their clash echoed across the battlefield. With Unohana's final, devastatingly powerful slash, the assassin in black tights vanished instantaneously.
When he reappeared moments later, he was already dozens of meters away.
Although Beru's face remained obscured by his black veil, making his expression impossible to read, only he knew the cold terror gripping his heart.
Gudong.
He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "This pressure..."
Before he could steady his nerves, Unohana, moving like an avatar of death itself, rushed toward him once more.