The first thought that struck most spectators watching the battle was undeniable: Azrael's defensive capabilities are absolutely incredible.
The audience members invited to witness this high-profile duel weren't amateurs, they could recognize quality when they saw it. Meng Po commanded household-name recognition throughout the Empire of Aetherlight, her reputation built on countless victories and devastating attacks that had claimed lesser opponents.
Yet here she stood, her signature blood-yellow torrents crashing uselessly against Azrael's protective barriers like waves against an immovable cliff.
"Is Azrael actually going to win this?" whispered voices began circulating through the crowd, though many observers quickly tempered their excitement upon seeing Crowley's continued composure.
"Young Master Crowley must have a plan," others reasoned aloud. "This level of defense can't possibly be maintained forever."
Unfortunately for those placing their faith in conventional wisdom, they couldn't have been more wrong. Azrael's mental energy reserves far exceeded normal parameters for his level. If Crowley couldn't breach Fubuki's defenses within a reasonable timeframe, attrition warfare would inevitably grind him down to nothing.
"Tsk." Crowley's irritation became visible as he processed the tactical reality confronting him. His lips curled in frustrated disdain as he muttered, "Stop struggling and just lose to me honorably. Wouldn't that be easier for everyone?"
"Coward, hiding behind your turtle shell like that."
Just as the audience's thoughts began turning toward the possibility of an upset victory, the battlefield dynamics shifted dramatically.
A massive circular shadow materialized behind Unohana Retsu, the imposing architecture of Soul Society casting its influence across the arena. The next moment, devastatingly hot lightning erupted from the gentle woman's palms, rushing toward her opponents with unparalleled destructive force.
However, the blood-yellow river seemed endless in its flow, firmly blocking even Unohana's venue-enhanced assault through sheer volume and mystical resilience.
When the spectators first glimpsed that circular building's shadow, stunned silence fell over the arena before erupting into shocked exclamations, "A venue card?!"
While venue cards weren't exactly rare among established practitioners, witnessing one deployed by a teenager who'd only recently achieved Silver-level status was genuinely shocking. Such artifacts typically required years of careful accumulation to obtain.
But as the enhanced attack was successfully repelled, disappointment colored many voices, "Azrael's card seems to be of inferior quality. Even with venue blessing, it can't break through Meng Po's defenses."
Observing this exchange from his position at the battlefield's edge, Azrael felt his heart sink slightly. His victory over Meng Po during their previous encounter had largely depended on Crowley's ignorance of Artoria's devastating beam attack.
Unfortunately, the same tactic would prove far less effective in a rematch. Even if Artoria still needed to deploy Caliburn to eliminate Meng Po permanently, finding the right opportunity would require careful maneuvering.
Thousands of tactical calculations flashed through Azrael's mind in mere moments before he reached his decision.
On the battlefield, no one noticed Unohana Retsu's gradually changing expression. The gentle warmth in her eyes was slowly being replaced by something far more dangerous.
The next instant, she used Shunpo to close the distance, instantly appearing among Crowley's four cards with supernatural speed.
Everyone present was baffled by what appeared to be a suicidal tactical choice.
"What? This is..." voices stammered in confusion.
"I want to report someone for feeding the enemy kills!" others called out with dark humor.
"Seriously, who sends a ranged support character to engage in melee combat? Do you even know how to play? Let me take over!"
Only Kevaugn, watching the broadcast from his living room, understood the deeper strategy behind Azrael's seemingly reckless decision. His previous experiences with Azrael's unconventional tactics had taught him to expect the unexpected.
Seeing Unohana's approach, Crowley felt elation surge through his chest. "Did I finally break his composure?"
The golden-headed hammer descended toward Unohana Retsu's skull with vicious wind howling around its trajectory. Several spectators closed their eyes despite knowing this was merely card combat, the anticipated violence proved too graphic to watch directly.
"Ding!"
A tooth-grinding metallic sound echoed across the arena.
The explosive head trauma that audiences expected never materialized. More shockingly, the gentle big sister with braided pigtails had seemingly vanished entirely.
Standing in her place was a cold-faced berserker whose expression revealed neither sadness nor joy, only lethal calculation.
Long black hair draped across the captain's haori behind her as Unohana Retsu casually blocked the golden hammer with her bare right hand. Massive spiritual pressure, visible to even untrained observers, erupted from the ground beneath her feet, exuding terrifying momentum that pressed heavily upon every watching heart.
"???"
"Wasn't this supposed to be a long-range support card?"
Everyone sat stunned, their expectations shattered completely. According to all reasonable tactical assumptions, wouldn't Unohana Retsu's instant defeat at close range represent the logical outcome?
In the observation stands, Master Lucian finally understood why Unohana had given him such contradictory impressions during his evaluation at Azrael's residence. Her true nature had been carefully concealed beneath that deceptively gentle exterior.
"So that's her secret," Master Lucian chuckled with genuine amusement.
Zidaine couldn't suppress his own laughter. "Haha, Master Lucian, your disciple's card is truly fascinating."
His comment referred not only to Unohana Retsu's transformation, but also to the subtle maneuvers Azrael was quietly orchestrating while everyone's attention focused on the dramatic confrontation.
Master Lucian had noticed the secondary preparations as well, though he simply smiled without offering commentary.
Meanwhile, across the city in Velkairos, Gustav, normally the picture of composed dignity, found his calm facade cracking.
He'd just finished explaining to Gabi that Azrael was making a tactical error by sending his ranged card into melee combat. The subsequent reversal of expectations had thoroughly undermined his parental authority.
"Dad, are you really a Gold-level Lore Cardian Master?" Gabi's faint voice carried devastating skepticism through their living room.
Gustav felt deeply embarrassed but struggled to maintain his father's dignity through defensive explanations, "Azrael's cards are all original creations. It's perfectly natural for me to misjudge their capabilities."
"Besides, isn't this development actually positive for him?"
Indeed, with Unohana's explosive transformation, the battlefield situation had become genuinely unpredictable once again.
Her powerful slash proved difficult for the golden hammer wielder to resist, causing earth-shaking tremors that rippled across the arena floor.
"BOOM!"
Massive spider web-shaped cracks appeared instantly beneath the hammer wielder's feet, testament to the tremendous force behind Unohana's assault.
Crowley's remaining cards naturally couldn't stand idle while their companion was being systematically dismantled. Blood-yellow river water and malevolent winds converged simultaneously on Unohana's position.
Unohana Retsu merely glanced coldly at the incoming attacks, slightly adjusting her stance to avoid what could be dodged. As for the unavoidable strikes...
"Swish!"
Deep wounds that penetrated to bone appeared across Unohana's body, injuries that would have killed ordinary beings instantly. However, with gentle light flickering from her palms, even the most grievous damage began healing at supernatural speed.
So this Retsu Unohana isn't just a berserker, she's also a combat medic!
A berserker with regenerative abilities was a nightmare scenario that no opponent wanted to face. Sustained combat only favored someone who could outlast any amount of punishment.
The spectators in the stands had become completely numb to further surprises.
"Why does she also possess healing abilities?"
"Medics should stay in the back and heal teammates, damn it!"
The contrast was stark and darkly humorous. Conventional medics conscientiously provided support from protected positions behind their allies.
The real medic had personally charged to the front lines, healing herself whenever injured. After all, if she eliminated all enemies, her teammates would never need medical attention.
By this point, Crowley was beginning to sense something fundamentally wrong with the battle's development. "Where did that melee card go? And why isn't his defensive specialist providing protection?"
He attempted to extend his mental perception for battlefield awareness, but Azrael's own spiritual pressure pushed back against the intrusion.
"Tsk, forget it. Let's deal with this card first."
Crowley made his decision with characteristic decisiveness.
Observing Unohana Retsu standing with sword ready, Crowley couldn't suppress his growing irritation. The irony wasn't lost on him that his opponent's venue card enhancement had been provided by his own tactical choices. Without the Soul Society's enhancement, Unohana definitely couldn't have maintained such prolonged resistance.
Under the coordinated assault of Crowley's four cards, even though the arena floor gradually collapsed under Unohana's devastating counterattacks, she remained outnumbered and outmaneuvered. Two hands couldn't match four, no matter how skilled.
Although her regenerative abilities kept her functional, the accumulated damage was inexorably mounting. Eventually, she stood there with sword in hand while blood gathered beneath her feet like a crimson stream, staining the cracked stone with testament to her sacrifice.
Her cold gaze surveyed Crowley's four cards with clinical assessment, even in her clearly deteriorating condition.
Azrael felt genuine regret at this necessary development. He desperately wanted Retsu to shout "Bankai!" and obliterate all four opposing cards in spectacular fashion, but his broader strategy required her apparent defeat at this moment.
I'll make it up to you during our private time later, he promised silently, already planning extensive compensation for this tactical sacrifice.
Meng Po and her three companions maintained high alert despite their obvious advantage. The monstrous woman before them had already caused considerable trouble, caution remained essential even with victory seemingly assured.
The blood-yellow river water surged forward one final time, submerging Unohana Retsu's position in corrosive torrents.
Angry voices erupted from the spectator stands.
"What kind of strategy is this? He's got several other cards just standing around watching!"
"The cards are powerful, but the Lore Cardian Master is clearly incompetent."
"Honestly, I could do better myself."
However, Azrael simply stood at the battlefield's edge with perfectly calm composure, as if the dramatic combat unfolding before him held no personal relevance whatsoever.
The higher-level practitioners present naturally understood the reason behind Azrael's apparent indifference, including Ottarl, Crowley's father. The older man felt desperate urgency to warn his son about the trap being laid, but discovered he couldn't produce any sound.
With so many master-level observers present, external interference with the battle proceedings would never be tolerated.
Crowley's frown deepened as he began mentally reviewing the engagement for overlooked details. Something felt wrong about the overall tactical picture, but he couldn't identify the specific threat.
The next moment, his expression transformed into horrified realization.
Because he suddenly understood that Artoria hadn't retreated to the rear formation, she had completely vanished from the battlefield entirely.
The invisible sword was already at his throat, and he'd never seen it coming.