Attention readers, I've noticed a pattern with my translation that I don't really like, and that is, sometimes the book makes sense, and other times it doesn't. Like you see a person named Gion, and then a few paragraphs later the name is Mo Xuan, this is a mistake on my part, as sometimes a character in the MTL can have 3 to 5 different names due to the conversion from Chinese to English. And sometimes the AI misses this kind of thing, from chapter 154, I will be proofreading chapters before posting, it will take more time, so the update schedule will be changed accordingly. and don't worry, 2 chapters a day will be maintained.
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Upon hearing Keith's words, Azrael and Hisham's faces turned grave. They exchanged glances, both recognizing that their greatest challenge as Lore Cardians had finally arrived.
Sensing their tension, Keith leaned closer and whispered urgently, "Stay close to me on the battlefield. Don't break formation or wander off."
Though both were battlefield newcomers, neither Azrael nor Hisham lacked intelligence. They nodded silently, understanding the gravity of their situation.
The entire force advanced swiftly through the terrain. Despite the varied mounts used by different Lore Cardians, the formation remained remarkably cohesive.
In the oppressive silence, Azrael's unit finally reached the true front lines. As he surveyed the battlefield, he was surprised by what he found. Rather than the chaotic melee he'd expected, the area seemed eerily quiet, filled only with scattered demon corpses.
"Hurry up," Keith urged from beside him. "We need to reach our assigned defensive position."
Snapping out of their observation, Azrael and Hisham followed their squad to a fortified line on the right flank.
As Keith watched his gold-level Lore Cardian take command of the position, he muttered to the others, "I estimate the next wave of demons isn't far off."
The moment he finished speaking, a piercing alarm shrieked across the defensive lines.
"Attention all combat units! Attention!"
"Demon assault incoming! Demon assault incoming!"
Along with the warning, Azrael felt vibrations rippling through the ground beneath his feet.
Keith's expression darkened as he spat through gritted teeth, "Damn it! They really aren't giving us any breathing room!"
Azrael shook his head grimly. "Those demons probably struck the moment they sensed an opportunity."
While Keith understood these tactical realities, he couldn't help venting his frustration with several choice curses.
Through his extended mental perception, Azrael had already detected small demon advance units approaching their position. Keith's senses confirmed the same threat.
"Stay tight," Keith commanded as he led them to fill a gap in the defensive line.
Due to the versatility of Lore Cardians, each team was responsible for defending considerable stretches of territory.
An seemingly endless tide of demons materialized in Azrael's vision, stretching beyond the horizon.
"This looks like humanity versus the Zerg," he couldn't help thinking, even at such a critical moment.
Through his perception, Azrael noted that most of the approaching demons were bronze-level threats, with a smaller number of silver-level creatures mixed among them. Fortunately, he detected no gold-level presences.
Because of the battlefield's chaotic nature, materials harvested from defeated demons would be collected by the Association. However, the Association compensated with extremely generous point rewards. Most Lore Cardians considered this arrangement fair, since the majority of casualties were bronze-level demons whose materials held little value for silver-level fighters.
Moreover, battlefield-harvested materials weren't necessarily what individual Lore Cardians needed, so direct point exchange was often preferable.
At this moment, Azrael and his companions released their cards into battle.
A massive golden tower shield materialized in front of their position, providing cover for the team. Hisham's Taoist card began silently forming hand seals, a sight that didn't surprise Azrael, since their previous battle had shown that Hisham's abilities required atmospheric preparation to pose serious threats.
Fubuki cast her Wind King's Barrier on Keith's two cards before using her telekinesis to stir powerful air currents. With her assistance, the gathering storm clouds condensed noticeably faster.
"Brother Keith," Azrael called out after completing his preparations, "if your cards get injured, have them fall back. I can heal them."
Keith nodded his acknowledgment. "Understood."
Turning to his own cards, Azrael spoke firmly, "Don't hold back today."
He meant they shouldn't reserve mental energy for him, they were free to unleash their most devastating techniques against the monstrous horde. The only exception was Artoria's ultimate attack, which he wanted held in reserve for emergencies.
Unohana Retsu began chanting an advanced, high-level Kidō technique. Protected by Hisham's card, she could finally complete the full incantation.
To enhance Unohana's power, Azrael also summoned Yoriichi to the battlefield. With the [First Gotei 13] bond activated and the [Soul Society] field card deployed, a terrifyingly powerful high-sequence Kidō began forming in Unohana's hands.
"Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!"
A brilliant pale blue beam roared across the battlefield, carving deep furrows in the earth wherever it passed. In an instant, the energy lance struck the demon vanguard.
Without pause, the beam pierced through dozens of demons before gradually dissipating, leaving only a blood-soaked corridor of destruction in its wake.
But within moments, endless demons surged forward to fill the gap.
However, they were met by the same devastating pale blue beam as before.
Enhanced by magical energy, Artoria plunged into the demon ranks and began her own devastating rampage. Her immense strength swept through enemy formations, cleaving demons in half with each mighty swing.
Witnessing this display, Azrael breathed a sigh of relief. "It looks like we can hold our position."
For the first time, Keith found himself fighting such a favorable battle. His previous teammates had barely managed desperate resistance at best.
But it was premature to celebrate, "The battle has just begun. We still need to stay alert."
Hisham finally completed his atmospheric manipulation. Lightning crackled overhead as thick golden thunderbolts began cascading from the dark clouds, forming an insurmountable electrical barrier in front of their defensive line.
As time passed, demon corpses piled higher and higher before their position. Even neighboring defensive sections seemed to experience reduced pressure thanks to their devastating efficiency.
Unfortunately, standing out too much on a battlefield was rarely a good thing.
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, the accumulated demon corpses before their position suddenly erupted in a shower of bloody fragments. In the next instant, those crimson droplets coalesced into a massive blood dragon in mid-air.
All three defenders' faces paled dramatically.
Keith lost his composure entirely, "Gold-level?!"
"Courting death! How dare you become distracted while fighting me!" An enraged roar echoed from the clouds above.
Azrael recognized the voice, it belonged to the gold-level Lore Cardian from their own squadron.
The blood dragon was already roaring toward their position, jaws gaping wide.
Cold sweat beaded on Hisham's forehead as he questioned whether he could withstand the full assault of a gold-level demon.
At that critical moment, Azrael spoke calmly to Fubuki, "This is your moment. Don't hold anything back."
The next instant, the blood dragon engulfed all three defenders and crashed into the ground with tremendous force. Terrifying tremors continued to shake the battlefield.
Other Lore Cardians who witnessed such devastating power found themselves wondering if they could survive a similar attack. Their conclusions were universally grim, they couldn't.
All they could do now was pray that their own gold-level Lore Cardians could handle the threat.
As the dust and smoke from the blood dragon's impact gradually cleared, a massive, seemingly bottomless crater appeared before the eyes of remaining Lore Cardians and demons alike.
"Gulp."
"Are they... dead?"
Uncertain voices broke the battlefield's ominous silence.
However, when the observers saw clearly what remained where the three defenders had been standing, their eyes widened in shock.
A towering pillar of earth stood prominently in the center of the enormous crater, with all three fighters standing safely on its peak. Swirling khaki dust and debris formed a protective vortex around them.
Azrael's face had gone pale from the mental energy expenditure. Blocking a gold-level attack had drained most of his reserves through Fubuki's desperate defense.
"Excellent work, Fubuki," Azrael said with a wan smile despite his pallor. "I'll reward you with some quality time tonight."
Fubuki's cheeks flushed before concern replaced her embarrassment. "Are you alright?"
Taking her hand in his, Azrael managed a reassuring smile before turning cold eyes toward the sky. "I'm fine. But someone else is about to have problems."
"Artoria!"