"Yo!" Luffy materialized in front of Azrael with his signature grin, one hand casually resting on his straw hat. His cheerful presence lifted some of the sadness weighing on Azrael's heart and drew a genuine smile from him.
Azrael nodded in greeting, though he barely registered Luffy's curious glances around the room. His mind was racing ahead to more pressing concerns. Exploration of secret realms for Lore Cardians was typically organized through the Lore Cardians Association, which meant one troubling reality:
"I won't be able to enter the Black Flag secret realm again anytime soon," Azrael thought grimly. The bureaucratic wheels turned slowly, and he had exhausted his allocated access for now.
But who else could he turn to? Principal Kang came to mind first, but Azrael dismissed the idea almost immediately. If Principal Kang had that kind of influence with the Association, Silverbrook High School students would already be receiving bronze-level secret realm training as part of their curriculum.
What about Lian? Azrael's jaw tightened. Honestly, what connection did they really have? Lian had no obligation to help someone he barely knew. The man had his own priorities and responsibilities.
Then there was Gustav. Azrael almost laughed bitterly at the thought. If Gustav had that much influence with the association, his precious daughter, Gabi, would be living in secret realms by now, gaining farming experience and resources.
Azrael sighed deeply; the weight of his situation settled on his shoulders. Brother Zhou's death still burned in his chest, demanding justice. However, revenge would have to be a long-term plan. He couldn't rush into anything reckless.
"But if I can properly demonstrate my potential, the Association might be willing to make exceptions," Azrael mused, a spark of hope flickering in his mind. After all, becoming a bronze-level Lore Cardian in just over a month was virtually unheard of. And what about his first successful creation being red quality? That had to count for something with the higher-ups. Talent like that didn't go unnoticed in their world.
Meanwhile, in the house next door, Koga sat casually trimming his nails with a small clipper. The metallic snipping echoed in the quiet room.
"Kernel, you've been working for me for quite a while now, haven't you?" Koga's voice carried a deceptively casual tone as he focused on his manicure.
Kernel shifted nervously in the doorway; confusion was written across his gaunt features. Being summoned in the middle of the night was never a good sign in their line of work, but he managed to put on his usual flattering smile. "It's been a full year now, Koga."
The thought brought him a twisted sense of pride. Most of Koga's previous assistants had been turned into raw materials within a few months of starting. Kernel had lasted longer than any of them, which he took as proof of his value. Of course, if Koga hadn't been so generous with the payments, Kernel would have disappeared long ago. Self-preservation always won out over loyalty.
Koga set down his nail clippers with deliberate precision, fixing Kernel with an unreadable stare. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "You know, Kernel, I was actually planning to bring you with me. Such a shame, really."
"A shame?" The words had barely left Kernel's mouth when something cold and sharp punched through his chest from behind.
His eyes went wide with shock as he looked down at the pale hand protruding from his chest, clutching his own heart in its bloodied fingers. His gaze snapped back to Koga, disbelief and betrayal warring in his expression. "Why, Tiger?"
He never got to finish the question. Life fled his eyes as his body crumpled to the floor.
Koga approached the corpse with practiced indifference, his voice dropping to a cold whisper. "Why? Why?" He shook his head mockingly. "I've told you a thousand times to stop asking so many damn questions."
If the Crimson Oath Society hadn't ordered him to tie up loose ends, he wouldn't have bothered with this tedious cleanup. Kernel had been useful enough in his limited way.
Koga's expression darkened as he considered the bigger picture. The Crimson Oath Society's plan was finally moving into its active phase, and he had successfully transferred all his assets to secure locations. Under normal circumstances, he would never have risked exposure by eliminating his own people. But orders were orders, and disobedience wasn't an option with the Society.
Unfortunately, one more loose end remained.
Koga's predatory gaze shifted toward Azrael's house through the window.
"Dong dong dong."
The sharp knocking cut through the night's silence like a blade. Azrael frowned and immediately went on guard. Who would be visiting at this hour? More importantly, why hadn't they called first? In their world, unexpected late-night visitors rarely brought good news.
His instincts screamed danger; every nerve in his body tensed for trouble.
Luffy, however, seemed completely oblivious to the threat. With his characteristic carefree attitude, he bounced toward the door, chuckling softly. "I'll get it!" he announced cheerfully.
If something went wrong, at least Luffy was probably the safest person present to handle the situation.
"Who is it?" Luffy called out as he swung the door open wide.
The response came in the form of a pale fist aimed directly at his face with supernatural speed and force.
Unfortunately for the attacker, they had clearly underestimated their target. Luffy's face twisted into a comically exaggerated expression as the punch connected, stretching and distorting like rubber before snapping back to normal with a satisfying pop.
"What the hell?!" The voice from outside carried pure shock and disbelief.
Azrael's blood ran cold. He recognized that voice immediately—it was Koga. But why was he here? What had changed?
Before Azrael could process this, Luffy launched his counterattack. He drew back his right fist like a loaded spring before rocketing it forward with devastating force.
"BOOM!"
The impact sent their mystery attacker flying across the street and crashing into the opposite building with enough force to rattle the windows. Dust and debris erupted from the point of impact. Azrael was grateful for the late hour and isolated location. The last thing they needed was a crowd of witnesses.
Azrael and Luffy stepped outside to survey the damage. In the pale moonlight, Koga's rotund figure struggled to pull himself upright; his expensive clothes were torn and dirty from the impact.
But it was the creature beside him that made Azrael's eyes narrow with recognition and understanding.
"A vampire," Azrael breathed, as pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.
The pale, gaunt figure instantly reminded him of the cockscomb-haired youth Cory had brought around weeks ago. While the specific details were different, the fundamental nature of both creatures was unmistakably similar. Koga's vampire appeared to be of a higher quality, though under the influence of the moonlight, Azrael could already see the damage from Luffy's attack beginning to heal.
Perhaps it was simply the nighttime environment providing additional power. Vampires were notorious for their enhanced abilities after dark.
"So this brat really was bait from the association!" Koga snarled, his face twisted with fury and vindication. Everything made sense now: the timing, the convenient loan requests, and the perfectly positioned young Lore Cardian.
When had the surveillance begun? Had the first loan been orchestrated by the Association? Koga refused to believe that anyone could produce high-quality, bronze-level cards in just one month. It was impossible. The whole thing reeked of an elaborate setup.
Little did he know how far his paranoid assumptions had taken him from the truth.
Azrael's clear voice cut through the night air like a blade. "You're with the Crimson Oath Society, aren't you?"
Koga's laugh was harsh and bitter. The pretense was finally over. "Don't act surprised; you've known all along!"
Azrael blinked in genuine confusion. "Known what? What are you talking about?"
But Koga was already turning to flee, his bulky frame moving with surprising speed. "I'm not stupid enough to stick around for whatever trap you've set!"
He was convinced that Azrael's backup would appear at any moment. There was no way the association would send just one agent, no matter how talented, to handle something this dangerous.
Watching Koga's retreating form, Azrael's expression hardened with determination. "Luffy, take care of this quickly."
Azrael knew better than to give chase himself. All of his other abilities were on cooldown, leaving him essentially defenseless in direct combat. If Koga had additional cards or backup of his own, pursuing him alone would be suicide.
"Got it!" Luffy responded enthusiastically as he grabbed his right shoulder with his left hand and wound his arm like a spring.
Meanwhile, the vampire had turned to face this new threat, its pale features twisted with inhuman hunger and rage.
"Gum-Gum Gatling!"
Luffy's attack erupted in a devastating barrage. His fists became a blur of motion, each punch multiplying into dozens of impacts that hammered the vampire from every angle. The overwhelming assault filled the street with the sound of rapid-fire impacts and the vampire's increasingly desperate shrieks.
"AHHHHHHH!"
The creature's piercing scream was designed to induce fear and paralysis in its enemies; the sound waves carried a supernatural terror that could freeze opponents in place. Azrael felt its effect immediately, an unnatural dread creeping into his mind and making his hands shake.
But Luffy was completely unaffected. His optimistic nature formed a natural barrier against emotional manipulation, allowing him to continue his relentless attack without pausing.
The vampire's resistance crumbled under the sustained barrage. Smoke and dust filled the air as Luffy's fists repeatedly struck the creature, driving it further into the ground with each impact.
When the smoke finally cleared, nothing remained of Koga's vampire except scattered debris and dark stains on the pavement.
Azrael's eye twitched as he surveyed the destruction. "I really hope the association covers property damage."
Setting aside his concerns about paperwork and explanations, Azrael turned his attention toward the direction in which Koga had fled. Whatever was happening here, whatever the Crimson Oath Society was planning, this was clearly just the beginning.
Azrael intended to get answers.