Jin's mocking words from moments ago echoed like a boomerang, piercing through his heart.
Upon hearing these very words turned back upon him, the old man's eyes widened, his wrinkled face flushing crimson with rage and humiliation.
"You, "
"Ahhhh!"
Ignoring the frantic Jin, Azrael turned toward the distant coastline and addressed the empty air. "You've been watching long enough. Isn't it time you showed yourself?"
Lucian and the other two survivors started at his words. They had completely failed to detect anyone else's presence.
An eerie silence followed, stretching for several heartbeats. Then applause erupted from thin air itself, and a figure materialized before their astonished eyes.
It was Edley.
Edley, the White-Crowned Sovereign-level Lore Cardian of the Indo-American Federation.
He clapped his hands lightly, regarding Azrael with genuine admiration. "Mr. Azrael, you've truly opened my eyes today."
Upon seeing him, Jin and the Skinner's eyes lit up with desperate hope for survival. In stark contrast, Lucian and the other two Empire representatives darkened visibly.
However, Edley ignored both groups' divergent reactions entirely. He simply studied the Soul King beside Azrael with unconcealed curiosity.
The middle-aged man in the dark blue suit was seeing this greatest of Shinigami for the first time, yet he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
He quickly identified where this recognition originated.
The cards of those Lore Cardians at the pinnacle of the European Church seemed to possess this same divine aura. Edley remembered them calling it "the Lord of Omniscience and Omnipotence."
At this moment, he mused with genuine interest, 'Fascinating. I wonder what those old men would think of this card.'
In Edley's perception, the extraordinary being before him approached the so-called "omniscience and omnipotence" even more closely than the cards of those European Church elders.
Of course, it was only an approach. He didn't truly believe such absolute power existed, after all, if omniscience and omnipotence were truly possible, demons wouldn't plague the world.
Meanwhile, seeing the Indo-American Federation's Sovereign-level Lore Cardian hesitate, Azrael spoke coldly. "Sir, what brings you here? Speak plainly."
He had actually known of Edley's presence since the first time he'd summoned the Soul King. After all, a being who didn't deliberately conceal their presence couldn't escape the Soul King's detection.
This was precisely why he'd chosen to summon the Soul King again after activating [Reincarnation Art].
If it had simply been to deal with Jin and the others, already grievously wounded from Lord Lioren's devastating attack, Azrael wouldn't have needed the Soul King at all.
A flicker of theatrical distress crossed Edley's face at the direct question, as if he genuinely struggled with how to phrase his request.
Seeing the middle-aged man's transparent performance, Azrael couldn't help the slight curl of his lips.
Then he cut through the pretense entirely. "Mr. Edley, you're here for her, aren't you?" He gestured toward the Skinner, who remained under the Soul King's absolute control.
This wasn't difficult to infer, after all, Azrael had learned of the connection between the Skinner and Edley during the rebellion against the Crimson Oath Society.
Edley nodded sheepishly, then scratched his cheek with feigned embarrassment. "Indeed."
"So, Mr. Azrael, would you be willing to release Sakaga?"
"If you agree, I would be extraordinarily grateful."
Sakaga was the Skinner's true name.
Hearing this brazen request, Lucian and the other two survivors behind Azrael exchanged grim glances.
Everyone present remembered that in the recent catastrophe that had nearly toppled the Empire of Aetherlight, the Skinner's crimes, while perhaps not quite as severe as Jin's, were nonetheless heinous beyond measure.
For a war criminal of her caliber, even the cruelest execution would be justified.
And now this man was trying to convince the Empire's representatives to release her with such casual, frivolous words. The audacity was staggering.
But...
Who could argue with a Sovereign-level Lore Cardian?
Unable to suppress internal sighs, Lucian and the other two looked toward Azrael's back.
They placed the choice entirely in his hands.
Whether to accept or reject, they were prepared to follow his decision to the end.
For a long moment, an oppressive silence descended. Everyone waited for Azrael to make his choice.
One minute. Two minutes. Three minutes.
Azrael didn't move.
Just when everyone assumed he would swallow his pride for now, something unexpected occurred.
Jin and the others, still held by the Soul King's power, suddenly began making muffled sounds and struggling violently.
Jin had never expected Azrael would dare attack right in front of Edley. Didn't this fool know the Skinner was connected to the Federation's Sovereign?!
The hook-nosed old man stared at Azrael in disbelief with bloodshot eyes, but saw only an expressionless face in return.
Seeing this, Edley's cordial smile faded entirely, replaced by a slight frown.
The middle-aged man in the dark blue suit genuinely didn't want to fight Azrael. After all, in his current state, with his primary card suppressing the Antarctic secret realms, he wasn't entirely confident he could defeat the young man without sustaining damage.
Furthermore, he had no idea how many times Azrael could consecutively use that terrifying card cooldown reset technique, and he had no desire to test those limits.
However, just as Edley summoned his cards, he discovered something curious.
Jin and the two Master-level demons had gone completely still, permanently. Only the Skinner remained alive.
Though still living, the Soul King maintained his absolute hold over her.
After witnessing Jin's death mere moments ago, even the usually composed Skinner's face was now covered in cold sweat.
Despite her immense fear, she forced herself to remain utterly silent, terrified she might anger Azrael with even a breath.
"Mr. Edley, are you planning to take action?" Azrael glanced at the cards materializing beside Edley and spoke with complete indifference. "Where's your [Supreme Mechanic God Quetzalcoatl]?"
"Why don't you summon it?"
Lucian and the others tensed immediately, prepared to engage the Sovereign-level Lore Cardian at a moment's notice.
The tense atmosphere stretched for several heartbeats. Then Edley suddenly dismissed his cards entirely.
He shrugged his shoulders with apparent helplessness. "Very well. I understand your position, Mr. Azrael."
"But I never intended to request Jin's release. I can even assist in his execution if you require."
"As for Sakaga..."
The middle-aged man paused and pointed deliberately at the Skinner.
In the next instant, before everyone's shocked eyes, the feather-crowned woman's limbs simply vanished.
The dignified Master-level Lore Cardian was instantly reduced to a limbless torso.
This wasn't mere physical removal, based on the Soul King's feedback, Azrael understood that the Skinner's limbs had been conceptually erased from existence itself.
At that moment, Edley's voice rang out again. "So, are you satisfied with this, representatives of the Empire?"
While his words maintained politeness, everyone present understood this for the blatant threat it was.
After all, if Edley could reduce the Skinner to this state, he could certainly do the same to those present, especially those less powerful than the feather-crowned woman.
Such a simple truth was immediately clear.
Azrael certainly grasped the implication. However, he also understood that Edley's apparent ease stemmed from exploiting Lord Lioren's sacrifice, just as Azrael himself had. After all, while Jin and the Skinner had survived the Sovereign's devastating attack, they'd sustained catastrophic injuries in the process.
After a moment of contemplative silence, the Soul King released his grip on the Skinner. The unconscious woman immediately plummeted toward the sea below.
With practiced ease, Edley appeared beneath her like a ghost, accompanied by a grotesque set of blood-stained life-support equipment that immediately attached to her mutilated form.
After securing the Skinner, he nodded respectfully to Azrael, genuine apology coloring his features. "Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Azrael."
"Then I shall take my leave. I won't interfere further with your aftermath procedures."
With those words, the Indo-American Federation's Sovereign-level Lore Cardian vanished from sight entirely.
Only after receiving confirmation from the Soul King that Edley had truly departed did Azrael, who had maintained rigid tension throughout, finally allow himself to breathe normally again.
He understood perfectly why Edley had ultimately retreated.
The Sovereign's primary card, [Supreme Mechanic God Quetzalcoatl], was currently suppressing those catastrophic secret realms in Antarctica. With only the few lesser cards he'd brought along, even if Edley could defeat the Soul King, it would cost him dearly.
Of course, if pushed to the absolute limit, no one knew whether Edley would disregard the greater good entirely and recall [Supreme Mechanic God Quetzalcoatl] to his side for a true confrontation.
This uncertainty was precisely why Azrael had ultimately chosen to spare the Skinner.
If circumstances permitted, he would gladly have killed one of the primary architects of this catastrophe.
Unfortunately, that simply wasn't possible.
After losing Lord Lioren, the Empire of Aetherlight could not withstand further turmoil.
"So whose side are you truly on, Edley?" Azrael muttered, his expression shifting with conflicted thoughts.
The Sovereign's behavior was profoundly contradictory.
Judging by his willingness to suppress the Antarctic secret realms indefinitely, he undoubtedly sided with Earth's survival.
But if that were genuinely the case, Edley shouldn't have allowed the Skinner to collude with Jin, and he certainly shouldn't have stood by while the Four Evil Gods descended upon the world.
Could it be that the demons in those Antarctic secret realms were Sovereign-level threats, while the Four Evil Gods somehow weren't?
Just as Azrael pondered Edley's inscrutable motives, Lucian stepped forward and placed a weathered hand on his shoulder. "Azrael."
"Don't overthink this. You've done extraordinarily well."
The old man spoke with complete sincerity.
At this moment, no surviving Empire representative could possibly criticize Azrael's recent decision.
More accurately, without Azrael's intervention, the Empire of Aetherlight would likely have ceased to exist entirely. Even if it had somehow survived, it would inevitably have been carved apart by other major powers on Earth.
Nations like Tsarist Russia. Or the Indo-American Federation.
"Teacher, I'm fine," Azrael replied calmly.
He certainly wouldn't allow such complications to burden him psychologically. He was simply exhausted.
After all, immediately after dealing with Fox and Zero in Korea, he'd rushed back to the Empire without stopping. He'd then summoned the Soul King to engage the Four Evil Gods in battle, and afterward had to navigate the sudden appearance of Edley.
Of course, there was significant good news as well.
Azrael's summoning of the Soul King had automatically elevated him to Master-level status.
Lucian and the other two had naturally noticed this development. Though initially surprised, they quickly accepted it as appropriate.
After all, Azrael's recent performance was already worthy of Master-level recognition, to say nothing of the Soul King trump card itself.
This was a devastating technique capable of defeating Sovereign-level opponents, even though the Four Evil Gods had only extended a single arm each into this dimension.
Unaware of the elders' thoughts, Azrael simply glanced at the Soul King, who nodded slightly before raising one hand.
As pale blue spiritual pressure swept across the battlefield once more, the surviving Empire Lore Cardians felt warmth surge through their bodies. Within moments, they discovered their injuries were rapidly healing.
However, the Soul King's primary purpose wasn't healing the present Lore Cardians, but rather mitigating the environmental impact of the previous Master-level and Sovereign-level clash.
This primarily addressed the torrential rain caused by Lord Lioren's fatal strike.
Left unchecked, most coastal cities of the Empire would face catastrophic flooding.
The torrential downpour seemed to pause mid-fall, frozen in the air itself. Then the previously dry seabed rapidly filled with returning water, while the storm clouds above thinned and dispersed.
Within minutes, the sea had returned to its normal state.
Golden sunlight broke through the dissipating clouds, shimmering across the water's surface, creating an almost peaceful scene, as if nothing catastrophic had occurred mere moments ago.
After completing this final act, the Soul King slowly dissipated beside Azrael. The young man extended his right hand, lost in contemplation as he gazed at the warm sunlight falling across his palm.
The dust had settled. The catastrophe had finally concluded with the virtual destruction of the City Within a City.
But after the loss of Lord Lioren, the Empire could only claim a pyrrhic victory at best.
Given any choice, no one would accept this outcome.
At that moment, Lucian stepped forward again, his arm settling around Azrael's shoulders with fatherly concern. "Azrael, go back and rest properly."
"Leave the cleanup to us."
Hearing this, Azrael withdrew from his thoughts. He turned to his teacher and shook his head slightly. "Don't worry, Teacher. I can manage."
"Just consider it a final farewell to Lord Lioren."
Lucian and the other two abandoned their persuasion. With deep, weary sighs, they vanished from the scene to begin processing the aftermath of recent events.
Lord Lioren's death could not be concealed, after all, everyone present had witnessed the truth.
Moreover, Lucian and the others had no intention of concealing it. Such deception would undoubtedly dishonor this Sovereign-level Lore Cardian who had dedicated everything to the Empire of Aetherlight.
However, the matter was of grave importance. Lord Lioren's funeral must be conducted on an auspicious date, a full state funeral befitting his sacrifice.
Most critically, his death would severely undermine the nation's hard-won confidence and morale.
Fortunately, there were remedies available.
Azrael, who had just turned the tide, was clearly the perfect successor.
Banishing the Four Evil Gods and forcing Edley to retreat. Could there possibly be better publicity?
However, Azrael remained blissfully unaware that he'd already been selected as Lord Lioren's replacement in the Empire's public consciousness.
He simply stood above the gently rolling sea, contemplating his next steps.
While the Soul King was indeed devastatingly powerful, it wasn't a permanent solution.
Even with the ingenious combination of [Reincarnation Art] enabling him to summon the Soul King twice consecutively, it remained an ultimate trump card, not a regular combat card he could deploy at battle's onset.
Ultimately, crafting a proper Master-level card for standard use was essential.
Fortunately, Azrael had already collected the necessary materials for his first Master-level card. He merely needed to restore his condition before beginning the creation process.
Thinking of this, he sighed softly and vanished from above the sea, followed immediately by Shiraori.
Only a whisper drifted away on the wind.
"Rest well, Lord Lioren."