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The battlefield had gone silent.
Both demons and cardmakers stood frozen, staring at Russell's team in stunned disbelief. Where there should have been a crater full of charred corpses, three figures stood completely untouched. Not injured. Not even singed. Just... standing there like the apocalyptic attack had been a gentle breeze.
Nolan's hands frantically patted down his own chest and arms, his face twisted in horrified confusion. "I'm... we're alive," he breathed, voice cracking. "Holy shit, we're actually alive."
Luke just stared at Fubuki, who stood calmly beside Russell like protecting people from instant death was no big deal. He'd known Russell had powerful cards, but until this moment, he hadn't understood that the woman in the green dress was the ultimate defensive wall. During their brief time working together, she'd demonstrated so many different abilities - telekinetic attacks, wind manipulation, tactical support - that he'd assumed she was a versatile offensive type.
His own knight's tower shield, the thing he'd built his entire fighting style around, had lasted maybe three seconds before shattering like cheap glass. Being completely outclassed in his specialty hurt on a level Luke wasn't ready to examine too closely. Pride stung, but overwhelming relief at not being dead drowned out everything else.
Russell didn't notice their existential crises. His attention was locked on the gold-level demon still circling overhead like a vulture deciding whether to risk another dive. Son of a bitch almost killed us, he thought with cold fury. Time to return the favor.
The problem was targeting. Even with his enhanced perception, the demon moved with incredible speed - darting, weaving, never staying in one position long enough for a clean shot. Artoria's light cannon needed a clear lock on living targets, and that bastard was too maneuverable.
Caliburn's weakness, Russell acknowledged with frustration. Can only hit living things, and even its upgraded form Excalibur has the same limitation. Useless against someone who won't sit still.
On the bright side, no other demons were stupid enough to approach their position now. Every monster in the area was giving them a wide berth, eyeing the massive crater where Russell's team should have been obliterated and clearly deciding they wanted no part of whatever had created that defensive barrier.
"Kid..." Nolan finally found his voice after taking several deep breaths. "You're something else." He wiped sweat from his forehead with a shaking hand. "I completely surrender to you. Like, full respect, no questions asked."
He really had thought he was dead. The memory of that attack descending was going to give him nightmares for years. But then Russell had said something to his card, and suddenly that woman was using some impossible ability to just... negate instant death.
"But seriously, bro," Nolan continued, urgency creeping into his tone, "we need to fall back. It's way too dangerous staying this close to the action." Without realizing it, he'd already started treating Russell as their team captain.
Russell nodded. The telekinetic shield had only protected their immediate area - they were basically an island in an ocean of violence. "Hold on," he said, gesturing to his feet.
Shadowkhan erupted from the shadows, their dark forms coalescing around the three cardmakers. In a heartbeat, they were transported to the edge of the massive crater, safely away from the center of devastation.
"Damn, brother," Nolan said, staring at the Shadowkhan with obvious amazement. "I don't remember seeing this card when we were traveling together."
"Wasn't convenient before," Russell replied simply.
Before anyone could say more, a deafening explosion rocked the battlefield. Russell spun around to see a geyser of blood-soaked earth erupting from ground zero, soil and gore rising in all directions like a crimson tsunami.
Hovering above the carnage was a figure Russell recognized - the gold-level cardmaker commanding their battle group. The man's expression was cold and calculating as he watched something in the blast center.
That's our commander getting hammered, Russell realized. Which means—
"Hey, ant!" Crazed laughter echoed across the battlefield, coming from the heart of the explosion. "You fell right into my trap!"
The gold-level cardmaker's face tightened with alarm. His cards unleashed devastating attacks downward without hesitation - Russell could see energy blasts and elemental strikes hammering into the explosion zone with enough force to level buildings.
But something was happening down there. The corpses of demons that had fallen during the battle were dissolving, flesh and blood flowing like rivers toward the center of the blast. The sight was nauseating - watching bodies melt and reform, merge and coalesce into something larger.
In moments, a monstrosity stood where there had been empty ground. A flesh-and-blood giant, twenty or thirty meters tall, constructed from hundreds of demon corpses all fused together. It looked like something out of a nightmare designed by a sadistic god - too many limbs, too many mouths, all of them screaming or laughing or both.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" The giant's voice was a chorus of the dead. "Go to hell, you scum!"
Its right arm transformed, bones and muscle reshaping into something that looked like a dragon made of meat. The grotesque appendage lunged toward the gold-level cardmaker with shocking speed.
The commander's cards intercepted, blocking the strike with efficiency. But Russell could see the strain - this wasn't going to be a quick fight.
"Is that all you've got?" The commander's voice was bored, almost disappointed. "I thought you'd have some trick up your sleeve. How pathetic."
His cards coordinated an attack that looked like a small nuclear detonation. Light and force and heat converged on the flesh giant, blasting it apart in an explosion that made Russell's ears ring even from this distance.
Chunks of meat rained down across the battlefield. Victory seemed certain for exactly three seconds.
Then the pieces started flowing back together.
Flesh reconnected to flesh, bone to bone, and in almost no time at all the giant stood exactly as it had before. Not even damaged. Just... reset.
The gold-level cardmaker's expression finally showed emotion - a slight frown of concern.
"This is MY home turf, scum!" The giant's triumphant laughter made several nearby cardmakers clutch their weapons tighter. "As long as there are corpses left, I'll NEVER die!"
It was probably weaker than the gold-level commander in a straight fight, Russell analyzed. But on a battlefield littered with bodies? The thing was practically unkillable. Most gold-level fighters would struggle against regeneration that complete.
The commander took a quick survey of the battlefield. Demons were still hammering at the defensive lines, his allies were getting worn down, and now he had to deal with this regenerating nightmare. His gaze swept across the crater and landed on Russell's team.
Even he looked surprised to see them alive.
The flesh giant followed his gaze, and something like a smile crossed its malformed features. "Just wait until I beat you to death," it said, voice dripping with malice. "Then that little flea won't be able to escape either!"
Standing at the crater's edge, Russell felt his pulse quicken. This is it, he realized. This is the opening I need.
The giant was strong, sure. Regeneration was a nightmare to deal with. But Russell had been watching, analyzing, understanding the core of the demon's power. It wasn't truly immortal - it just kept rebuilding itself from available corpses.
Remove the corpses, remove the immortality.
"Captain Unohana," Russell said quietly, making his decision. "Use Bakudō #77: Heavenly Rickshaws in Silken Air to contact that senior. Tell him I have a way to deal with this demon."
Unohana's hands moved through the binding spell's gestures, her magical energy reaching out across the distance to touch the gold-level cardmaker's awareness.
In mid-air, the commander felt the strange communication establish itself. A mental voice spoke directly into his mind:
"Senior, I'm the cardmaker who was attacked just now. I have a large-scale killing ability that should wipe out most of the demon corpses nearby in one shot. I need you to pin down that giant."
The commander processed the message calmly, then looked across the battlefield at Russell. The young man nodded with obvious confidence.
Forget it, the commander thought. Let's see what this kid's got. Even if his method fails, I'm not losing anything by trying.
His cards moved with deadly precision, flames erupting from their forms to wrap around the flesh giant like blazing chains. The fire burned hot enough to char flesh, but the demon's regeneration fought back constantly.
"You think you can TRAP me?!" The giant's struggle was violent enough to shake the ground. "Dream on, you pathetic—"
The chains tightened, flames burning brighter. The giant's regeneration was still active, but the constant damage was at least slowing it down.
In the distance, Russell turned to Artoria with complete seriousness. His hand rested on her shoulder, and when he spoke, his voice carried the weight of absolute trust.
"I'll leave it to you, Lily. Just think of it as me, and use that move on it."
(End of this chapter)
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