After what felt like an eternity, Azrael finally made his way back to the entrance of the secret realm. His steps were heavy, weighed down by more than just exhaustion.
Marvin and Lewis emerged from the shadows behind him, their faces grim and haunted. The three survivors stood in an uncomfortable silence, each lost in their thoughts about what had just transpired.
None of them had expected their routine exploration to end in tragedy. Grey and Carl were supposed to return with them, not become casualties in this cursed place.
Lewis broke the oppressive quiet first, forcing steel into his voice despite the tremor underneath. "I'll speak with the association's representative immediately."
His composure cracked as anger bubbled to the surface. "Counterattack Earth? Those monsters will pay dearly for what they've done to Lao Zhou and the others!"
Azrael and Marvin nodded grimly, sharing his fury. After learning such critical information about the demons' plans, the association had to act. They couldn't afford to ignore this threat.
The trio wasted no time leaving the secret realm behind. Lewis immediately set course for the Black Flag base administrator, his determination driving each purposeful step. Azrael and Marvin exchanged a meaningful glance before following him.
They reached the administrator's office within minutes, but Lewis's patience had already worn thin.
"Bang!"
The door slammed against the wall as Lewis burst through, startling the administrator from his paperwork. The man looked up with wide eyes and took in the three disheveled figures before him.
"You just arrived half a day ago," he said, confusion evident in his voice. "How are you back already?"
His gaze swept behind them, searching for familiar faces that weren't there. The realization hit him like a physical blow. "Where are Grey and Carl? Are they still inside the realm?"
Lewis's jaw tightened and his hands clenched into fists. "The demons are planning a full-scale counterattack against Earth!"
His voice carried the weight of devastating news. "They discovered our surveillance operation. Grey and Carl stayed behind to cover our escape."
The administrator slowly rose from his chair as the gravity of the situation settled over him like a shroud. For a long moment, he said nothing, processing the implications of what he had just heard.
Finally, he found his voice. "You understand the association's current situation. With our resources stretched thin, all I can do is increase base security and submit a formal report."
The recent Demon's Nest riots had decimated their ranks. Most of the remaining Lore Cardians were stationed around the volatile area, leaving other operations critically understaffed.
Fury exploded through Lewis's carefully maintained control. His fist crashed against the desk with enough force to make the papers jump. "Did Lao Zhou and the others die for nothing?!"
The bitter irony wasn't lost on him. Grey's ultimate sacrifice had bought them this intelligence, only for it to be met with bureaucratic limitations.
The administrator weathered Lewis's outburst in stoic silence, understanding the grief behind the anger. After several tense moments, Lewis's shoulders sagged as reality reasserted itself.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "That was inappropriate."
He knew the administrator wasn't their enemy. The man was trapped by circumstances beyond his control and was just as powerless as they were in the face of institutional constraints.
"While I can't authorize immediate action," the administrator said carefully, "I can offer compensation for the intelligence you've brought us."
He reached for a leather-bound catalog on his bookshelf and placed it deliberately on the desk between them. The gesture felt hollow compared to their losses, but protocol demanded recognition of their service.
Marvin's voice cut through the air like a blade, sharp with exhaustion and grief. "No amount of compensation will bring the captain and the others back."
He kept his head down, unwilling to let anyone see the raw emotion threatening to spill over. If he could trade every possible reward for Grey and Carl to walk through that door again, he would do it without hesitation.
Azrael stepped forward with mechanical precision, his expression unreadable, and began examining the catalog's contents. His clinical detachment stood in stark contrast to his companions' obvious distress.
The pages revealed an array of bronze-level materials:
Biological Materials: [Ghoul King] (Gold), [Ninja] (Gold), and [Flesh Demon·Speed Specialized Type] (Gold).
Item Materials: [Universal Rubber] (gold), [Nameless Demon Sword] (gold), and [Type 2 Biological Colonization Suit] (gold).
Each entry was accompanied by detailed specifications and procurement information.
Marvin watched Azrael's methodical review with growing disappointment. The young man's apparent indifference to their fallen teammates felt like salt on an open wound.
However, even as disappointment colored his thoughts, Marvin couldn't bring himself to resent Azrael entirely. The truth was that Azrael had been an outsider from the beginning, a temporary addition for practical training, not a true member of their unit.
In fact, they had dragged Azrael into danger that should never have been his burden to bear. He had every right to distance himself from their cause.
Moreover, without Azrael's intervention against Moji, none of them would have survived to deliver this intelligence. They owed him their lives, not their judgment.
"I'll take this one," Azrael announced, his finger resting on the Universal Rubber (Gold) entry. His tone remained professionally neutral as he addressed the administrator. "Thank you for the offer."
"Of course," the administrator replied with visible relief. "Please complete the registration process. We'll deliver the materials to your residence today."
Azrael was setting the right example, in his mind. Smart Lore Cardians knew when to cut their losses rather than pursue vendettas that could consume them entirely.
After all, death was an occupational hazard in their line of work. Even during the Demon Nest riots, diamond-level Lore Cardians had fallen. Why should the death of one bronze-level Lore Cardian demand special consideration?
Azrael efficiently completed his paperwork, then turned to address his former teammates. "I'll be heading home now. Today has been exhausting."
He moved toward the exit without waiting for their response, but Marvin's voice reached him before he crossed the threshold.
"Azrael," Marvin said quietly, using the nickname Grey had favored. "I hope you have a bright future ahead of you. Don't let the captain's sacrifice become meaningless."
Despite the circumstances, the words carried genuine sincerity. Marvin understood that expecting Azrael to seek revenge for someone he'd known less than a day was unreasonable.
Azrael paused mid-step, his expression remaining carefully neutral. The moment stretched on long enough to feel significant. Then, he resumed walking, his footsteps echoing in the sudden quiet.
Lewis's patience finally snapped. "Lao Zhou was really blind, wasn't he?" he said loudly, making sure Azrael could hear him.
In his opinion, Azrael should acknowledge their loss with more than cold professionalism. Taking his reward and walking away felt like the ultimate betrayal of Grey's memory.
Marvin grabbed Lewis's arm before he could continue and shot him a warning look. Lewis understood and swallowed whatever venom he'd prepared to spew, settling for a disgusted snort instead.
Azrael stopped at the doorway, his back still turned to the room. When he spoke, his voice was so quiet that it barely carried across the space.
"I will avenge Brother Zhou."
The words were spoken with such restraint that Marvin wasn't certain he'd heard correctly. "What did you say?"
This time, Azrael's voice rang clear and firm, carrying absolute conviction. "I said, 'Brother Zhou's revenge I will claim it!'"
The declaration hit both men like a physical force. Marvin felt his breath catch as he realized the full extent of Azrael's determination.
A slow smile spread across Marvin's weathered features. Whether Azrael would follow through on his promise remained to be seen, but in this moment, his sincerity was undeniable.
Without another word, Azrael strode through the doorway and into the corridor beyond, his footsteps echoing with newfound purpose.
As he walked, Azrael felt a familiar sensation: the subtle shift that marked a breakthrough in his mental power. He had finally crossed the threshold into bronze-level capabilities.
This meant he could now craft bronze-level cards, opening entirely new possibilities for his development.
Revenge wasn't just empty words anymore. He finally had the foundation to fulfill his promise.
Outside the base, Azrael tilted his face toward the darkening sky and let the weight of recent events settle in fully.
This was his first direct encounter with death—not just any death, but the loss of someone who had shown him genuine kindness and respect. Grey had sacrificed himself to ensure their escape, displaying the kind of selfless courage that demanded recognition.
Azrael could have blamed Grey for leading them into danger in the first place, but that would have been unfair and pointless. From the moment he agreed to enter the secret realm, he accepted the risks.
His academic studies had prepared him intellectually for the reality of casualties in their profession. He knew this day would eventually come.
He simply hadn't expected it to arrive so soon or to affect him so personally.
After taking several minutes to process his complicated emotions, Azrael summoned his Pidgeot with practiced efficiency. The familiar weight of his partner beneath him provided comfort as they took to the air.
His destination was home, where he would craft his first bronze-level card and prepare for the confrontation that lay ahead.
...
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