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Jin now wore an expression of triumph. After all, in his view, Azrael, a mere Diamond-tier Lore Cardian, clearly couldn't prevent what was about to unfold.
Even if that strange trick had delayed the secret realm's arrival by a few seconds, he wasn't the only one present. Most of the others shared his assessment.
But Azrael simply glanced at Jin, then silently looked up at the crack tearing through the sky.
Seeing this, Jin prepared to taunt him again. But before he could speak, he noticed a faint stain of ink spreading across his body.
Not only him, the other three Master-tier beings from City Within a City had developed the same faint stains.
In a split second, they realized this was an attack from the card beside Azrael.
The next moment, Jin and the others went limp, feeling their strength being drained significantly.
Besides the newly appeared Master-tier demon, the other three had already been severely injured by Lord Lioren's attack. Combined with the fact that a small portion of their power had vanished into thin air, they were not far from death.
"What kind of bizarre ability is this?!" Jin was utterly shocked. He couldn't understand how the monk card on the other side could achieve such a feat.
Meanwhile, Ichibē Hyōsube, standing beside Azrael, certainly couldn't explain his ability the way he had during his battle with Yhwach.
Without him explaining it, the other men would never guess that he could use his brush-like Zanpakutō to erase the names of things, thereby depriving them of their original power.
Just like now, he had erased Jin and the Skinner's names as "Lore Cardians."
Unfortunately, Earth wasn't like the Bleach world, where names held strange powers. Therefore, while the setting supposedly erased all power, the two men and two demons only lost a portion.
Of course, it could also be because they were all Master-tier beings.
Even so, it was enough to send chills down their spines. They had never seen such a bizarre ability.
CRACK!
At that moment, accompanied by a crisp shattering sound, the cracks widened slightly.
Seeing this, Jin's face flashed with ecstasy. A contract ignited in his hand, and he immediately vanished.
The old man, now only a step away from success, certainly wouldn't remain standing and confront Azrael head-on. If only he could successfully descend, he would have plenty of time to settle accounts with this traitor.
"Azrael!"
"If I were you, I would have fled long ago!"
"Is it necessary? Doing this for these weaklings!"
Hoarse voices echoed across the battlefield. Jin, hiding in the shadows, began to unleash psychological pressure, attempting to shake Azrael's mind.
He realized that even after hiding, the ink stains on his body continued to spread.
Like him, the Skinners also employed various methods to conceal their tracks, observing the unfolding situation from the shadows. The plan had reached its end, and no one wanted to fight Azrael head-on.
At this moment, three Master-tier Lore Cardians from the Empire of Aetherlight also appeared beside Azrael.
Looking at the silent young man, Lucian hesitated for a moment before speaking dryly, "Azrael, you've done very well."
"But at this point, I'm afraid the Empire is powerless to recover."
Judging from the aura emanating from the crack in the sky, the rift held at least a Sovereign-tier demon, undoubtedly one of the so-called Four Evil Gods.
And after losing Lord Lioren, the Empire clearly lacked the power to resist, unless the Sovereign-tier Lore Cardians of other nations on Earth were willing to intervene. But if that were the case, they wouldn't have allowed Jin and his men to carry out their plans with impunity in the first place.
Ultimately, everyone's situation was dire, and all they could do was clean up their own mess.
Sighing, Lucian continued, "Azrael, we've drawn up a list. You and Fujimaru should return to the Empire now, take the people on the list, and then go find Her Majesty Catherine. She should be willing to accept you. Also, most of the Empire's resources are in Beijing. You can just go and get them."
The Empire had always had contingency plans. The fugitive list wasn't drawn up just now, but had long been compiled based on the Lore Cardians' personalities, qualities, and talents.
Azrael had previously demonstrated the ability to transport others to another dimension, which clearly would be very convenient for implementing the contingency plan. Fujimaru naturally followed the same logic.
As for why they sought Catherine's protection, it was naturally because, based on their previous joint operations, Lucian and the others had already discerned that Tsarist Russia was intent on winning over Azrael.
What a joke, a thousand-year-old fox.
And while Azrael could survive if he followed Lucian's advice, the price he would likely pay would be future allegiance to Tsarist Russia. Of course, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Yet, everyone present understood the simple truth that "if the people survive but the land is lost, both the people and the land survive; if the land survives but the people are lost, both the people and the land are lost."
Given the talent displayed by the young man before them, revenge was not beyond their reach.
At this moment, Azrael suddenly dismissed his summons of Ichibē Hyōsube.
Lucian felt relieved upon seeing this, believing his disciple had obeyed.
But then, he heard Azrael, who had remained silent since his appearance, say, "Teacher, don't worry. The Empire will be fine today."
Hearing this, Lucian and the other two froze in their tracks, momentarily unable to comprehend Azrael's words. After all, they couldn't imagine any other means by which the young man could have prevented the situation from escalating further.
Hiding in the shadows, Jin, unable to hear the conversation between the Empire's representatives and the others, assumed that Azrael's decision to dismiss the card meant he had given up resistance and was about to flee.
Despite his deep reluctance, the hook-nosed elder had to admit that he was genuinely worried that Azrael would stubbornly refuse to flee and fight them to the death.
Thinking of this, Jin couldn't help but sneer, "Run away, the farther the better."
"As, "
"..."
"???"
Jin's taunting words were barely finished before he, like a duck strangled by the neck, could utter no more words. He stared blankly at the figure that had suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
Not only him, but also demons and Lore Cardians alike, all stared in astonishment at the man who had suddenly appeared beside Azrael.
Azrael sighed and said calmly, "The rest is up to you."
"Adnaeus."
Adnaeus was based on the Christian god Adonai, also known as "God" or "Lord."
Of all Azrael's cards, the only one that connected to this concept was the Soul King summoned by the [Three Realms] ability unlocked after all three venue cards were upgraded to the highest level.
Undoubtedly, the man named "Adnaeus" was the Soul King.
He nodded silently after hearing Azrael's words, then looked up at the now-stabilized giant crack in the sky and the half-horrifying giant hand that had emerged from it.
This was the hand of the Four Evil Gods. This Sovereign-tier demon, who had coveted Earth for centuries, had finally, with Jin's cooperation, managed to break through the world's barrier.
Though it was only half a hand, a Sovereign-tier demon in full force was no match for the Empire's Lore Cardians present.
The mere glimpse of its might caused the mid-air Lore Cardians to fall like dumplings into the re-accumulating seawater.
Seeing this scene before him, the Soul King flicked his finger, and the falling Lore Cardians instantly stopped in mid-air.
Meanwhile, Jin, hiding in the shadows, had regained his composure. He suppressed his senses and reassured himself, "No, a mere Diamond-tier Lore Cardian wouldn't be able to prevent the arrival of a Sovereign-tier demon. This guy is just using the power of a powerful card to bully others. That's right."
The old man couldn't believe, and wouldn't, that his long-planned scheme could fail.
Sadly, he was about to be disappointed.
At this moment, the Soul King closed his eyes slightly, his expression as calm as a well, revealing no emotion. Then, under everyone's dazed gaze, the giant arm that had been continuously extending outward in the sky suddenly stopped in its tracks.
At the same moment, the cracks, resembling scars, stopped expanding.
Seeing this, Jin's face was instantly filled with panic, and he subconsciously muttered, "No, no, no, no! How is this possible?!"
He hadn't expected Azrael's trump card to actually prevent the Four Evil Gods' arrival.
Meanwhile, Lucian and the others were in a completely different mood. The three Empire Master-tier Lore Cardians, upon witnessing this scene, felt a glimmer of hope.
It seemed there might be a chance.
CRACK!
But just as they were thinking this, the crisp sound of shattering sent their hearts plummeting to the abyss.
The Four Evil Gods were, after all, Sovereign-tier beings. Even if they were currently stuck, they were still far beyond the reach of ordinary Masters.
Seeing this, Azrael sighed softly. In this situation, preventing their arrival without sacrificing anything was clearly unrealistic.
Receiving his will, the Soul King no longer held back, and a pale blue spiritual pressure instantly swept in all directions.
The immense spiritual pressure unleashed a gust of wind that ruffled the hair of everyone present.
Feeling the suffocating aura, demons and Lore Cardians alike subconsciously held their breath. It was overwhelmingly powerful, so powerful it couldn't possibly belong to a card created by a Diamond-tier Lore Cardian.
At least in the minds of Lucian and the others, Azrael's newly summoned card, even if not at the Sovereign-tier, was certainly not weak.
But if it were merely this level, it wouldn't be enough to defeat the Four Evil Gods.
But Azrael wasn't prepared to confront this Sovereign-tier demon head-on. Remember, the Soul King, in the original setting of Bleach, had contributed to the division of Chaos into three realms.
What he was doing now was merely repeating what he had done before.
At that moment, the blood-red rift tearing through the sky gradually turned blue under the Soul King's spiritual pressure.
Sensing their arrival was hindered, the Four Evil Gods thrust their massive palm out from the rift and fiercely slapped toward the Soul King.
The roaring wind instantly pounded the seabed, forming a vast underwater canyon.
BOOM!
The spiritual pressure, materialized, firmly blocked the Four Evil Gods' palm, and pale blue spiritual energy continuously surged in all directions.
However, facing the earth-shattering scene around him, the Soul King simply stared at the crack in the sky.
After a long stalemate, as if realizing they could no longer descend, the Four Evil Gods retreated, their massive palm slowly withdrawing.
Everything seemed to be going well for the Empire's representatives present.
But the one who could least accept this outcome was undoubtedly Jin. He had invested so much effort, paid such a price, how could he let that traitor ruin it like this?
The old man, unable to contain his emotions any longer, appeared before Azrael and the others.
"Azrael! Stop!"
Before he could finish his words, Hermes raised the Caduceus and pointed it at the Soul King.
But now that the tide had turned, Lucian and the others couldn't stand by and watch Jin interfere with the Soul King.
Of course, Jin wasn't the only one who couldn't accept this outcome. The two Master-tier demons present couldn't accept it either. Only the Skinner remained hidden in the shadows, observing the situation.
However, Jin and the two demons subconsciously overlooked a key fact: even without Lucian and the others present, they clearly couldn't quickly break through the Soul King's defenses, which even the Four Evil Gods couldn't withstand.
Therefore, the Soul King merely glanced at them, freezing the already severely injured Jin and the Flesh King in place.
"Pfft!"
A gushing mouthful of blood instantly spurted from the mouths of the man and the demon. This attack also brought back some of Jin's sanity.
Even so, he couldn't accept that his long-planned plot had been aborted.
"This ending, this ending... Even if I die, I won't accept this!"
A roar of rage echoed across the battlefield.
Sadly, Jin wasn't the protagonist of a shonen manga. Even when furious, his fury was only that of impotent rage. As for bonds, they hadn't appeared since Jin created Hermes.
Ignoring the defeated dog's barking, Azrael silently stared at the crack in the sky. He could sense a cold gaze staring back at him from the other side.
"The Four Evil Gods... I'll remember this."
Azrael knew he would one day face off against the Four Evil Gods again.
As time passed, the wound in the sky that had torn the world apart was now completely stained a pale blue. Under the influence of the Soul King's spiritual pressure, the vast crack gradually closed.
A moment later, it completely closed and vanished into thin air.
The crisis that could have toppled the Empire of Aetherlight was resolved.
The price, of course, was the Soul King. All the Lore Cardians present watched in amazement as the card that had pulled the Empire out of the abyss dissipated into thin air.
"Win, win?!"
A whisper of disbelief echoed across the battlefield.
Hearing these words, Jin's ugly face was filled with resentment. "Azrael, you must have paid a heavy price for stopping the Four Evil Gods! I want you dead!"
Although anger clouded Jin's mind, his judgment was correct. Azrael had indeed paid a heavy price. Now, all three [Seireitei] venue cards were on a month-long cooldown.
Without the support of the venue cards, the power of the Shinigami cards had declined significantly.
Lucian and the others immediately tried to shield Azrael behind them. After what had just happened, the young man had become an indispensable pillar of the Empire, a pillar of white jade supporting the sky and a beam of purple gold bridging the sea.
However, Azrael waved his hand, calming them down, and then Uchiha Madara appeared beside him.
Master Tempest had seen the man with the cracked face before, so he naturally understood what Azrael was planning.
Just as he'd anticipated, Uchiha Madara formed the Si seal with his hands and whispered, "Outer Path: Samsara Rebirth Technique!"
Amidst a burst of green light, Azrael sensed that Uchiha Madara's card had gone on cooldown. In its place, the other cards had refreshed their cooldowns.
He took a deep breath and said calmly, "Come on, Adnaeus."
As Azrael finished speaking, the Soul King, who had just vanished in plain sight, reappeared beside him.
Indeed, while the Samsara Rebirth Technique, in the original story, only resurrected the dead, it could now also refresh the cooldown of Venue Cards.
Azrael attributed this to the card's ability.
"???"
Seeing this, both Jin and the Skinner hiding in the shadows were speechless. And then, escape! The farther the better.
Those hostile to the Empire did not believe they were a match for this card that could briefly resist the Four Evil Gods.
Unfortunately, they were doomed to disappointment. Although the Soul King could only be considered pseudo-omniscient and pseudo-omnipotent, even so, there was no chance that Jin and his companions could escape from his cross-shaped eyes that seemed to see through fate.
With a slight flash of his figure, Jin, the Skinner, and two Master-tier demons reappeared before Azrael.
Looking at the two men and two demons who could not break free from the Soul King's control, Azrael's expression was indifferent.
After a moment of silence, he came to Jin, stared at the old man with a hooked nose and a crazed face, and said softly, "You said one thing wrong."
"That is..."
"I can do anything."
...
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