"Huff, huff."
Koga's breath came in ragged gasps as he stumbled through the darkened streets, his legs burning with exhaustion. Sweat dripped down his face as he felt the familiar chill in his mind—the vampire card had entered its cooldown state.
His face turned ashen. "How could it die so quickly?!"
Disbelief hit him like a physical blow. Vampires were standard bronze-level cards of the Crimson Oath, and while each person's version had slight variations, they were excellent among bronze-level blue cards. For one to be destroyed so effortlessly!
"That kid! That damn kid!" His voice cracked with panic. "He's definitely not an ordinary bronze-level Lore Cardian!"
Desperation clawed at Koga's chest. All he had been doing was lending money to orphans, widows, and desperate black iron-level Lore Cardians who needed quick cash. Sure, he'd forced a few ordinary people to their breaking point and made some single mothers repay their debts with their bodies. But that didn't warrant sending a genius Lore Cardian after him!
High above the city streets, Azrael sat astride his Pidgeot, the whistling night wind rushing past his ears. A familiar longing stirred in his chest as he gazed down at the sprawling cityscape below.
"I really want the golden Vimana," he thought, practically drooling at the mental image.
The mythological atlas contained a Vimana, but the version depicted there resembled a UFO, nowhere near as magnificent as the golden one he'd seen in other stories.
His wandering thoughts snapped to attention as his eyes locked onto a familiar figure below:
Tiger.
"There," Azrael whispered, and Pidgeot responded instantly. The great bird dove with breathtaking speed, cutting through the air like an arrow, and positioned itself directly in Tiger's path.
At the same moment, Luffy appeared on the street ahead, blocking the loan shark's escape route.
Koga skidded to a halt, his eyes darting between the rubber man and Azrael, who was hovering overhead. Fear and desperation warred across his features before settling into an ugly, pleading smile.
"I'm willing to be a tainted witness!" he called out, his voice cracking. "Can you let me go?"
Azrael studied Tiger's panicked expression, confirming his suspicion that the man was likely operating alone within the Crimson Oath Society. But something else caught his attention.
"Tainted witness?" Azrael's brow furrowed. "What's he talking about?"
Pushing down his confusion, Azrael maintained his calm façade. "Did Qiling order you to kill me?"
It was the only logical explanation. Tiger wouldn't have attacked him without reason.
Koga's shoulders sagged as he answered honestly. "You must already know that something is wrong with the Talent Cup that Novex Financial is planning to host." His words tumbled out in a rush. "After I transferred all my assets to Novex Financial, the Qilinghui asked me to tie up loose ends and find them."
Azrael felt a question mark practically appear above his head. "Novex Financial?" Talent Cup? I have no idea what he's talking about!"
Despite his confusion, Azrael's expression remained unchanged. He let out a disdainful sneer. "How could the Association possibly overlook Qilinghui's petty schemes?"
The words hit Koga like a sledgehammer. His face crumpled as regret flooded through him. "Damn Qilinghui! What kind of 'surefire plan' was this? I thought your organization was bulletproof, but the Cardian Master Association saw right through you. I can't believe I fell for your lies!"
Oblivious to Tiger's internal meltdown, Azrael pulled out his phone. "Just wait there. I'm calling someone to handle this."
He dialed Gustav's number without hesitation. After all, Gustav was the only person he knew well enough to trust with this situation.
As Azrael explained the situation over the phone, a dangerous glint flickered in Koga's small eyes. For a brief moment, he considered making one last desperate move.
Then his gaze fell on Luffy, who was casually picking his nose while watching Koga with deceptively innocent eyes. The reality of his situation hit Tiger like ice water.
It was better to play the cooperative witness and hope for mercy.
"Uncle Gustav, here's what happened," Azrael explained, recounting the evening's events in detail.
Gustav's voice immediately turned serious. "Azrael, keep that man under watch. Don't let him escape. I'll be there shortly."
Within minutes, the roar of a high-performance engine announced Gustav's arrival. His sleek, black sports car pulled up with practiced precision.
"Uncle Gustav." Azrael landed beside the vehicle, and his Pidgeot settled nearby with a soft chirp.
Gustav nodded in acknowledgment, but his expression shifted the moment his eyes fell on Luffy. The air around him grew heavier as he slowly turned to face Azrael.
"Are you bronze level?" The question carried weight beyond its simple words.
Azrael nodded, confirming what Gustav had already suspected.
The older man drew in a sharp breath. "I never expected Azrael to advance from Black Iron to Bronze level in just over a month. His potential is even more terrifying than I thought."
After a moment of stunned silence, Gustav summoned his own card. A magnificent, six-tailed white fox, standing nearly three meters tall, materialized beside him with ethereal grace.
An invisible wave of psychic energy rippled outward from the fox. Koga, who had been trembling with fear at the sight of the majestic creature, suddenly broke into a vacant smile. Drool began to trickle from the corners of his mouth, and his eyes took on a glassy, unfocused quality.
Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, Gustav approached the hypnotized loan shark. "What is the Crimson Oath Society's specific plan?"
Koga responded in a cheerful, sing-song voice that was deeply unsettling given the circumstances. "We don't know the complete plan. I only know that the Crimson Oath Society instructed Novex Financial to make the Talent Cup as large-scale as possible. Ideally, they want every talented individual in Velkairos City to participate."
Disappointment flickered across Gustav's features, though he quickly suppressed it. Still, obtaining even this much information was an unexpected windfall for what had started as a routine evening.
The hypnosis lifted as suddenly as it had begun. Koga blinked rapidly, his consciousness returning in a disorienting rush. The memories of what he'd just revealed flooded back, and his face turned white as a sheet.
Understanding crashed over him like a tidal wave. Azrael hadn't been bait; his own paranoia and suspicions had led him directly into this trap.
Regret twisted in his gut like a venomous snake as he glared at Azrael with bloodshot eyes. "You little bastard! Were you playing games with me this whole time?!
Before Azrael could respond, the six-tailed fox let out a soft, melodious cry. Koga's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, unconscious, onto the pavement.
Gustav's expression grew thunderous, his face darkening as if a storm were brewing. He turned to Azrael with grim appreciation.
"Thanks to you, Azrael, we've prevented what could have been a catastrophic success for the Crimson Oath Society." His voice carried the weight of barely controlled anger. "However, this information cannot be made public yet. We can't risk alerting them to our knowledge of their plans."
He paused, his expression softening slightly. "Don't worry. When this matter is resolved, the Association will ensure you receive proper compensation for your service."
Azrael nodded, understanding the delicate nature of their situation. Clearly, the Association had been completely unaware of the Crimson Oath Society's current operation. Without Azrael's accidental exposure of their conspiracy, Velkairos City might have suffered tremendous losses.
"I understand, Uncle Gustav," Azrael said. He then gestured toward the unconscious loan shark. "But what do we do with him now?"
Bringing Koga back to the Association headquarters openly would raise too many questions and potentially compromise their investigation.
Gustav considered this for a moment before pulling out his phone. "Let me make a call first."
He walked to a secluded corner and spoke in hushed, urgent tones. Several minutes later, he returned to Azrael's side.
"Let's go, Azrael." His expression was serious but determined. "Master Lucian and President Yan want to see us immediately."
He glanced back at the unconscious Tiger. "I'll have Lewis alter his memories and let him live a while longer. We need to avoid spooking our real targets."
Azrael felt a jolt of surprise at the mention of those names. He knew who they were; he had met them both before.
Lucian, also known as the Dread King, and Dareth, the president of the Velkairos City Cardian Master Association.
But why did they want to see him specifically? Gustav could easily relay all the necessary information about tonight's events. Azrael's presence seemed unnecessary for a simple debriefing.
Questions swirled in Azrael's mind as he climbed into Gustav's sleek black sports car, wondering what new complications awaited him at the Association headquarters.