The Grand Speaker's wrinkled face darkened ominously, as if storm clouds were gathering beneath his ancient features. "Will this allow them to escape unscathed?"
The other Speakers surrounding him shared his visible displeasure.
Moments earlier, a burly, white-faced man had brazenly entered their secret realm and fallen directly into their carefully prepared trap.
Understanding there would be no negotiation with these outside invaders, the Speakers had immediately ordered a devastating full-scale assault.
However, despite the overwhelming barrage of attacks, the enemy had absorbed most of their concentrated firepower with only the strikes of a few Speakers managing to inflict actual injuries.
But that had been the extent of their success. Recognizing the dire situation, the intruder had immediately withdrawn from the secret realm.
For the Speakers, allowing their enemy to escape was utterly unacceptable, especially since they could observe his wounds healing at an alarming rate.
"We cannot delay any longer," the Grand Speaker declared without hesitation, his decision crystallizing instantly.
"Otherwise, those outside creatures might attempt a counterattack and invade our homeland."
His age-clouded eyes swept across the assembled Speakers with calculating precision. "Who will spearhead the offensive?"
Silence descended upon the gathered leaders like a suffocating shroud.
No one volunteered to be the first to step forward, after all, they remained completely ignorant about conditions beyond their realm.
Although they had been dispatched here by a supreme being, no one desired to be the first to shed blood in this endeavor.
What would be the purpose of successfully capturing the outside city if they perished in the process?
The Grand Speaker wasn't surprised by their reluctance. He simply called out specific names with authoritative finality, "Pierro, Xavier, Klaus, each of you will command a legion. You shall lead the vanguard."
The three named Speakers exchanged meaningful glances before grudgingly muttering their acknowledgment, "Yes."
None dared object, as they represented different political factions within their hierarchy.
The Grand Speaker's strategic selection ensured proper balance among the competing power groups.
Each legion consisted of five hundred seasoned spellcasters.
Under the commanding authority of the three designated Speakers, the assembled force of fifteen hundred soldiers quickly formed their battle formations.
Gazing at the swirling dimensional entrance before him, Pierro drew a deep, steadying breath and strode purposefully inside.
Outside the secret realm, under Director Diesel's expert command, the assembled Lore Cardians swiftly entered their predetermined defensive positions.
Despite his overwhelming ambition for power, the square-faced middle-aged man had served as director of the Coastal Secret Realm Office for many years.
He possessed extensive experience with standard protocols for repelling secret realm invasions.
Azrael observed everything from a strategic vantage point while a formation of summoned cards, led by Misaka, stood in disciplined silence beside him.
Suddenly, the brown-haired electromaster frowned and called out urgently, "Azrael."
But before she could complete her warning, Azrael had already registered the change.
He could sense the secret realm entrance pulsating with intensifying energy fluctuations.
"All units, maximum alert! Secret realm demons are launching their invasion!"
A cold, authoritative voice instantly echoed through everyone's communication devices as both Diesel and Godfrey materialized beside Azrael.
In the next moment, a multicolored protective barrier unfolded at the secret realm's entrance.
A middle-aged blonde man emerged at the dimensional threshold.
It was Pierro who had deployed these defensive measures.
However, the assembled Lore Cardians weren't passive targets, immediately unleashing coordinated attacks against his barrier.
"An ambush, just as anticipated," the blonde Speaker muttered softly as more figures continued materializing behind him.
Meanwhile, the protective barrier grew substantially stronger.
The newly emerged figures chanted in low, resonant voices, and as their incantations concluded, concentrated beams of light shot toward the barrier, reinforcing its protective properties.
Witnessing this organized display, Azrael's expression grew increasingly grave. "This is a demon army."
"Are all the demons facing the Northern territories of this caliber?"
This marked his first encounter with such disciplined and systematically organized demonic forces. Their collective strength undoubtedly far exceeded the chaotic demons from previous secret realms he had confronted.
The demon army in the North, numbering in the hundreds of thousands or even millions, would be exponentially more terrifying.
One could easily imagine the daily struggles endured by the Lore Cardians under Master Tempest's leadership.
However, this didn't mean the coastal regions faced lesser challenges than the North.
If the North was renowned for quality, the coastal areas were notorious for sheer quantity.
The extensive coastline signified countless secret realms scattered along its length.
Furthermore, regarding high-tier combat capabilities, there was no significant difference between coastal and northern regions. The quality of coastal demons continued improving steadily.
This evolution was evident from Master Lucian's current lack of communication.
His teacher hunted various demons daily, and as his disciple, Azrael understood some of the insider details.
Fortunately, no Sovereign-level demons had yet appeared along the coast, the few roaming the seas remained at Master-level strength at most.
"Together, we break this defensive shell as quickly as possible," Azrael declared in a resolute tone, suppressing his wandering thoughts.
Without his prompting, the assembled cards had already launched their coordinated assault.
A small arcade coin, engulfed in brilliant orange-yellow electromagnetic energy, accelerated through the vacuum created by swirling snowstorms until it collided with the multicolored barrier at speeds imperceptible to naked observation.
Pale red spiritual pressure surged skyward but was instantly contained. In the next moment, a double-headed lance wrapped in spiraling spiritual energy pressed against the barrier's surface.
A purple half-giant wielded a massive sword, and with its tremendous swing, terrifying wind pressure carved deep gouges through the ground.
Both Diesel and Godfrey sprang into action.
The burly, pale-faced man's powerful kick fractured the newly polished ground beneath his feet.
Dark blue water swirled rapidly in devastating spirals, continuously cutting through the barrier radiating multicolored luminescence.
Pierro observed the deteriorating barrier with a cold expression, repeatedly chanting protective spells to strengthen the defenses before him.
The legion of spellcasters behind him mirrored these same maneuvers.
But Azrael and his three fellow Lore Cardians weren't the only combatants present.
Each summoned card, displaying unique appearances and abilities, unleashed their most devastating attacks.
A magnificent cacophony of intersecting light filled the air, and finally, after an intense moment, the world fell unnaturally silent.
But then, an incredibly powerful shockwave erupted outward.
The barrier shattered completely.
Pierro's face turned ashen with grim realization. "Retreat immediately! Something is fundamentally wrong with these outsiders."
"My energy reserves are nearly depleted," the other two Speakers agreed unanimously.
However, faced with such a golden opportunity, Azrael and his summoned cards couldn't allow this chance to slip away.
The dark storm clouds filling the sky suddenly unleashed two massive electromagnetic bolts.
Brilliant white pillars of energy, towering from heaven to earth, engulfed everything surrounding the secret realm's entrance.
Several moments later, countless charred corpses littered the scorched battlefield.
The number of demons still breathing was precisely zero.
Witnessing this devastating result, both Diesel and Godfrey felt overwhelming relief. "We've finally driven them back."
They turned to observe Azrael, but noticed no trace of celebration on the young man's composed features.
After thoughtful consideration, Diesel tentatively inquired, "President Azrael, should you contact Master Lucian?"
Although they had successfully repelled today's invading demons, all three present understood this represented merely the beginning.
As long as they failed to seize control of the secret realm's entrance, they wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.
Furthermore, prolonging this conflict wasn't viable.
They could hold their ground against the demons within this particular secret realm, but what if another secret realm manifested elsewhere in Donglai? What if the Onefold Doctrine or the Crimson Oath Society instigated trouble during their preoccupation?
The Donglai Cardian Master Association was currently stretched dangerously thin.
The most logical option at this moment was naturally for Azrael to request assistance from Sovereign-level Lore Cardians.
Normally, this should have been reported through Kavach, who as Association President would have formally requested such aid.
But all three had already attempted this approach.
Kavach had simply stated that he'd filed the report, then fallen silent.
Just as Azrael was preparing to respond, a Silver-level Lore Cardian hurried toward their group. "President," he announced, "here are the materials we've collected from this engagement."
Azrael calmly accepted the gathered materials. The first one was Gold-level quality:
[Speed Spellcaster] (Gold)
However, this was the only Gold-level material obtained, meaning only one of the three Gold-level demons had actually perished.
Both Diesel and Godfrey grimaced upon this realization, they had originally assumed all three Gold-level demons were eliminated.
"I have a strategy," Azrael stated calmly while collecting the materials. "Let's attempt one final approach."
In reality, today's battle had demonstrated that the Donglai Lore Cardians possessed sufficient offensive capability, but their defensive capabilities remained inadequate.
Fortunately, Azrael and his companions' summoned cards had held their positions, sparing the remaining Silver-level Lore Cardians from casualties.
But forget about successfully penetrating the secret realm.
Unless Azrael was willing to sacrifice human lives.
Upon hearing this proposal, the two middle-aged men exchanged meaningful glances.
They suspected what Azrael intended to do next.
He was going to create a new card.
But could a single Gold-level card truly reverse their strategic situation?
Both remained skeptical.
Diesel wanted to offer further persuasion, but Azrael interrupted him, "If this approach fails, I will request external assistance."
After brief consideration, he retrieved his mobile phone and sent a message.
[Azrael: Senior sister? Are you available recently? You may need to come to Donglai.]
Unless absolutely necessary, Azrael genuinely preferred not to trouble his senior sister. He already owed her considerably.
If this pattern continued, he had no idea how to repay such accumulated favors. He couldn't simply offer emotional support, could he?
Azrael wasn't exactly a charming romantic lead.
However, recognizing this wasn't solely his personal concern but affected all of Donglai, he finally sent the message.
[Alice: I'll be there immediately.]
The response came almost instantly. Azrael could see his senior sister was genuinely free during summer vacation.
Pursing his lips slightly, Azrael displayed the smartphone conversation for the two men before him to review.
Witnessing this exchange, both Diesel and Godfrey breathed audible sighs of relief. "Thank you for your consideration, President Azrael," the square-faced man said with solemn gratitude.
Azrael nodded acknowledgment and vanished from the location.
Cough. Within the secret realm, Pierro couldn't stop his violent coughing. Beside him stood Klaus, whose body was thoroughly charred from the electromagnetic assault.
As for Xavier? He was dead. He had perished outside alongside the three entire legions of spellcasters.
The Grand Speaker approached the two survivors with a thunderous expression, "Have you gathered any useful intelligence?"
Pierro nodded weakly, "Grand Speaker, there is indeed an organized ambush outside, exactly as you anticipated."
"And it's obviously specifically designed to counter our forces."
This devastating attack had nearly claimed three Speakers' lives. Pierro refused to believe this was mere coincidence.
The Grand Speaker clearly shared this assessment, "You two should recover properly. Tomorrow I'll personally lead our entire army in a comprehensive offensive!"
With two Speakers critically injured and three legions completely annihilated, he needed time to address this strategic void.
After all, he remained completely ignorant about external conditions.
Was their enemy truly prepared for extended conflict, or merely engaging in desperate bluffing?
"Fortunately, last month's points have been distributed. Combined with the points earned from resisting this demonic invasion, I have sufficient resources to acquire a Gold-level red material."
Azrael examined the points balance displayed on his phone, feeling considerable relief.
With the 10,000 points from his Vice President salary and the 5,000 bonus points from repelling the demonic invasion several days ago, his current total had reached 15,420 points.
"[Cold-blooded Deceiver], representing Kyōka Suigetsu's illusory capabilities, [Speed Spellcaster], representing mastery of spiritual arts."
"All that remains is material representing immense spiritual pressure."
Entering search parameters like "energy" and "spiritual power" into the database, numerous materials quickly appeared on his screen.
Gold-grade [Fission Reactor] (Purple)
Gold-grade [Spell Overflow] (Gold)
Gold-grade [Full Spirit Soul] (Red)
There were indeed abundant relevant materials available. Azrael was momentarily surprised when he noticed the [Spell Overflow] (Gold).
This material clearly aligned with his plans for the [Cursed Heart Magic Academy Archmage] (Red) and [Heart of Longing] (Red).
Unfortunately, facing the immediate threat of the secret realm, he had to postpone those plans and utilize all available points to enhance Aizen's power.
Adding the [Spell Overflow] (Gold) to his collection, Azrael finally purchased the [Full Spirit Soul] (Red).
All three components of the formula were complete. Now he only needed the final delivery to arrive, and he could create his second publicly acknowledged Gold-level card.
Aizen Sosuke.