As a commander of the Demon Army, Yale had slaughtered at least eighty Lore Cardians with his own hands.
When he first began hunting Lore Cardians, he would foolishly engage their summoned cards in lengthy battles, fighting for what felt like hours before finally claiming victory over his prey.
However, through blood and experience, he had discovered a far more efficient method of ending these confrontations: eliminate the summoner directly.
Even when Lore Cardians enhanced themselves with strengthening cards, they remained woefully inadequate against elite beings of equivalent power levels. Their human frailty was their greatest weakness.
Yale had long since perfected his hunting strategy through countless kills.
When engaging a Lore Cardian, he never rushed immediately toward the summoner with a direct assault. Such crude tactics would merely alert his target, proving counterproductive. A failed assassination attempt would leave him surrounded by multiple cards and facing a prepared enemy.
Instead, he employed a three-stage approach: first, engage the summoned cards to lower the Lore Cardian's guard and demonstrate apparent weakness; second, spread his blood throughout the battlefield to locate the hidden summoner; and finally, deliver a single, decisive killing blow.
Of course, when facing combat-oriented Lore Cardians like Tempest, who personally entered battle alongside their cards, Yale could skip these preliminary steps entirely.
This refined hunting method had proven devastatingly effective, and most Lore Cardians fell victim to his deception before they even realized their true peril.
This time would be no different from all the others.
"What?" Yale watched with growing confusion as his blood arrow struck its target, sending crimson droplets scattering across the pristine snow.
However, instead of the agonized screams he had grown accustomed to hearing from his victims, powerful music suddenly erupted from the impact site.
"Rekka Battou! When the Brave Dragon and Kaenken Rekka unite, crimson flames will pierce through evil! Wonder Rider! Dragon! Saber Brave Dragon! The dual attributes sharpen the blade!"
In the next heartbeat, a blazing sword swept away the surrounding snow in a magnificent arc of fire.
A figure clad in black and red armor appeared before Yale's widening eyes, the distinctive dragon shoulder guard gleaming menacingly on his right pauldron.
Behind Azrael, Wen Jea-Min's mouth fell open as she stared in complete bewilderment at the armored young man who had shielded her from certain death.
She barely comprehended what had transpired until Azrael's belt, which had remained silent throughout their mission, suddenly began playing that stirring music.
Then, in an instant that defied comprehension, he had transformed into this magnificent warrior.
"Wendy, prioritize your safety above all else." Hearing the clear, confident voice from the armored figure, Wen Jea-Min immediately snapped back to her senses.
"Understood," she replied without hesitation.
Sensing the overwhelming aura of power radiating from Azrael's transformed state, she realized her role had shifted from active participant to strategic observer. Her responsibility now was to remain hidden and avoid becoming a liability in the coming battle.
With practiced stealth, she vanished completely from sight.
Observing the armored warrior casually testing his blade's weight in the distance, Yale's expression twisted into a grimace of rage and disbelief. Through gritted teeth, he snarled, "I never expected to encounter such a monster in this remote location."
He drew a deep, steadying breath and glanced toward his two fellow commanders engaged in their own stalemate with Wen Jea-Min's defensive cards. With a dismissive shake of his head, he cast aside any thoughts of retreat or tactical coordination.
The ground trembled beneath his feet as Yale suddenly exploded forward, crossing the distance between himself and Azrael with supernatural speed.
He understood with crystal clarity that his only path to victory lay in swiftly eliminating this transformed Lore Cardian before the situation deteriorated further.
In a single explosive burst, he crossed several kilometers and materialized directly before Azrael, his blood-red blade already in motion.
"Die!"
The whistling crimson weapon revealed its razor-sharp edge as it descended with lethal precision.
Behind Azrael, the ground split cleanly in two, leaving a long, thin scarlet gash that spoke to the blade's supernatural sharpness.
However, Yale watched the aftermath with mounting tension and growing dread.
His blood-forged weapon had collided with Azrael's armor, producing a shower of brilliant sparks, yet it had achieved nothing more than a superficial scratch on the transformed warrior's protection.
"What the hell is this?!" Yale roared in disbelief.
The Kaenken Rekka, as the foundation for the Sovereign-level Haouken Xross Saber - Ten Holy Blades, possessed the inherent potential and defensive capabilities of the most elite Emerald-tier equipment available.
Recognizing his attack's complete failure, Yale immediately attempted to disengage and create distance.
But his opportunity for retreat had already vanished.
The crimson blade swept across in a devastating arc, instantly vaporizing vast expanses of snow and sending clouds of superheated steam billowing into the frigid air.
Through the rising vapor, Yale grimaced at his charred chest and abdomen, the acrid smell of burned flesh filling his nostrils.
In that brief exchange, the transformed Lore Cardian had demonstrated combat pressure rivaling the most dangerous melee fighters Yale had ever faced.
However, Azrael was not alone on this battlefield. Ulquiorra had materialized silently behind Yale, his own weapons already moving to strike.
Yale roared in fury, pivoting desperately to slash at the approaching threat, "Get away from me!"
Yet if he committed to confronting Ulquiorra, his back would remain completely exposed to Azrael's devastating blade.
Sensing the icy kiss of steel approaching from behind, Yale unleashed a primal bellow and instantly exploded into a spray of blood, transforming his entire body into a churning sea of crimson liquid.
Caught off guard by this grotesque metamorphosis, Azrael found himself drenched in gore. However, he quickly grasped what had occurred and immediately retreated alongside Ulquiorra, creating distance from the expanding blood sea.
"How can any normal organism possess this much blood?" Azrael muttered, wiping crimson droplets from his visor. "Did every blood bank in the region donate to your cause?"
At that moment, a voice that seemed to echo from the depths of hell itself resonated from above the undulating crimson ocean, "You think this changes anything? You think you're going to win?"
The two Demon Army commanders observing from a distance exchanged glances of alarm and recognition. Unlike others who might witness this transformation, these veterans understood the true implications.
Once Yale assumed this liquid form, he would attack everything within range indiscriminately, and returning to human shape would require considerable time and energy.
This unpredictable nature made most Demon Army officers reluctant to cooperate with Yale on joint missions.
However, since his transformed state's destructive potential far exceeded that of conventional commanders, the Demon Army tolerated this liability for the sake of battlefield effectiveness.
After all, most battlefields provided ample blood to fuel his power.
Gazing at the surging crimson waves that engulfed everything in their path, Ulquiorra whispered respectfully, "Lord Azrael, shall I intervene?"
Azrael raised his hand, signaling him to stop.
Setting aside questions about Ulquiorra's ability to defeat this enemy with a single Thunder Spear technique, any valuable experimental materials would undoubtedly be destroyed in the process.
"Allow me to handle this," Azrael declared, his voice carrying newfound determination.
Ulquiorra nodded respectfully and withdrew to a safer position behind his lord.
A book depicting a tall, black-haired beauty with an elegant dress and confident bearing materialized in Azrael's gauntleted hand.
Azrael swept the tome across the tip of his blazing red sword, and stirring music began to play from his belt.
"[Fubuki Wonder Ride Book]!"
"Hell Blizzard Fantasy Control!"
Hearing the announcement from his transformation device, Azrael tightened his grip on his weapon, thinking to himself with satisfaction, "Perfect combination."
The next moment, as he raised his sword skyward, a massive tornado of flames materialized above the battlefield, its swirling inferno pressing down toward the sea of blood with overwhelming force and terrible purpose.
Several heartbeats later, the two forces collided with earth-shaking impact. The blood sea instantly began to vaporize under the intense heat, producing massive clouds of steam while Yale's anguished screams echoed from within the inferno.
Hidden in the darkness, Wen Jea-Min gasped at the spectacular display of power, then immediately began coughing as she inadvertently inhaled the cold air in her shock.
She distinctly remembered the mysterious background music that had accompanied Azrael's initial transformation.
Now, the same phenomenon had occurred with his finishing technique.
"What is Azrael thinking?" Wen Jea-Min scratched her head in confusion, muttering under her breath. "Is he too embarrassed to call out his technique names himself?"
That seemed like the only logical explanation she could conceive.
However, setting aside this peculiar quirk, she felt it was almost wasteful to use Azrael's newly crafted survival card solely for defensive purposes.
Observing the devastating scene before her, she couldn't help but think that Azrael could handle most threats through pure melee combat alone.
"Azrael isn't Master Lucian's disciple, is he? Why does his fighting style remind me so much of Master Tempest?"
Wen Jea-Min remained thoroughly baffled. Most Lore Cardians typically prioritized only a few key factors when selecting survival cards: superior defense, rapid mobility, and exceptional recovery capabilities.
Offensive power was usually their lowest consideration.
She had never encountered Azrael's belt-style card among conventional Lore Cardians before; such combat-focused designs were typically reserved for warriors like Tempest who embraced direct confrontation.
Even as Wen Jea-Min wrestled with these thoughts, the flaming tornado dissipated into nothingness, leaving behind only scorched earth and melted snow that bore witness to the devastating power that had been unleashed.
Azrael's lips curved into a satisfied smile beneath his helmet.
He hadn't dared test his ultimate techniques within Gaza Town's limits, so he hadn't anticipated the sheer destructive force involved. Originally, he had prevented Ulquiorra from using his Thunder Spear to preserve potential experimental materials.
However, as Azrael watched the charred remains of vehicles being swept through the air by his flame tornado and scattered across the battlefield like broken toys, a haunting voice seemed to echo mockingly in his mind:
"What have you protected?"
At that moment, the two remaining Demon Army commanders exchanged glances of pure mortification.
They had never anticipated that Yale would fall so decisively, especially while utilizing his most powerful transformation.
Furthermore, he had been completely incinerated while in his supposedly invincible sea of blood form, leaving behind only a partially intact core.
Although they considered themselves no match for Yale's raw power, they chose the better part of valor and immediately began their retreat as Azrael and Ulquiorra advanced toward their positions.
Ultimately, both demons managed to escape with their lives, though each sacrificed an arm for their freedom.
Watching their retreat, Azrael chose not to pursue them further. His primary mission with Wen Jea-Min was to secure experimental materials, not to wage a war of extermination against the Demon Army.
At that moment, Wen Jea-Min materialized beside him once again. "No wonder you're so confident, Azrael. You've been concealing this incredible power all along."
"Though you developed it remarkably quickly," she added, referring to his unprecedented card-crafting speed.
Wen Jea-Min distinctly remembered that he hadn't possessed this transformation card during their previous reconnaissance mission against the demon stronghold.
Azrael smiled modestly, though his expression remained hidden behind his armor. "Just fortunate timing."
"You impossible kid." Wen Jea-Min couldn't resist playfully punching his armored shoulder, then immediately clutched her hand and hissed in pain from the impact with his hardened protection.
Uncertain whether the Demon Army might return with reinforcements, Azrael maintained his transformation for the time being.
"Wendy, let's sweep the battlefield quickly. We should withdraw before additional enemy forces arrive."
Upon hearing this practical suggestion, Wen Jea-Min immediately returned to her professional demeanor and joined Azrael in systematically searching the aftermath.
She found nothing objectionable about his tactical decision.
Experimental materials were their absolute priority.
Given the circumstances, Azrael's use of overwhelming force had been entirely justified.
After thoroughly searching the devastated area, they discovered a distinctly unusual truck among the wreckage.
Unlike the other vehicles, which appeared battered and torn as if mauled by some mechanical beast, this particular truck, despite being somewhat deformed by Azrael's devastating attack, remained relatively intact and structurally sound.
"This has to be it!" Both investigators exchanged meaningful glances before Azrael stepped forward and carefully pried open the warped cargo door.
As the reinforced barrier swung aside, a coffin was revealed within the truck's protected interior.
A transparent coffin, entangled with damaged data cables and mysterious monitoring equipment.