Path of the Extra

Perhaps it was because Jasmine was sleeping so peacefully on him that Azriel didn't outwardly react. Inwardly, however, he felt as though he'd just been jumpscared—his soul nearly leaving his body.

He wondered if he'd come dangerously close to triggering [Redo].

Stopping his hand from caressing Jasmine's hair, Azriel smiled awkwardly at Nol, who was staring at him with a blunt expression.

"...H-how long was I asleep?" Azriel asked, his voice betraying his unease.

Nol, his head propped on one hand while his arm rested casually on the armrest, tapped the white marble table repeatedly. His crimson eyes, devoid of their usual gleam of crazy loyalty, bore into Azriel.

"Today's the deadline, Master. The one mother gave us," Nol said flatly. "If you hadn't woken up by the end of today... well, everything would've become more troublesome. After two more days of waiting, we decided to bring your body here, where the perception of time is much slower. Thought you might wake up here."

He paused, his expression unreadable.

"Her Highness and I have been waiting ever since."

Relief washed over Azriel like a wave. At least he hadn't wasted an absurd amount of time trapped in the vision with his future self.

He had been terrified of that possibility.

"What about Father?" he asked hesitantly.

Nol shrugged, his casual demeanor doing little to ease Azriel's growing unease.

"No idea. His Majesty and that Grandmaster—Malcolm or whatever his name is—left suddenly. They went to another island, leaving Master Amaya in charge of everyone. And by 'everyone,' I mean those who are still alive, of course."

Azriel felt a sinking sensation in his chest. Something about Nol's tone set off alarm bells in his head.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked sharply.

Nol tilted his head, a faint, crooked smile tugging at his lips.

"While you were asleep, Master, the void creatures in the Sunken Islands finally became active again. They've started attacking. Right now, it's like a game of 'Defend the Castle.' Soldiers holding the line, desperately waiting for their great king to return."

For a few seconds, silence stretched between them. Azriel and Nol simply looked at each other, the only sound being the gentle breathing of Jasmine, punctuated by her soft, incomprehensible sleep-talking.

Yes.

The future queen was a sleep-talker.

Azriel sighed, his fingers resuming their gentle caress through Jasmine's hair.

"...I see. Well, if Dad left us all here, it must be for a good reason... probably," he murmured, glancing at Jasmine's peaceful face.

A small smile tugged at his lips.

'I should let her rest some more. She must have been restless this entire time...'

Being asleep—no, in a coma, Azriel was already grateful just to be awake. Back in the void realm.

Again.

It was impossible to understand what went on in the minds of the great kings. Any responsible father would have brought him back to Earth immediately.

But Joaquin hadn't.

"Master... what happened?" Nol's voice cut through Azriel's thoughts. "After you left with His Majesty, you never woke up again. Was it... an attack?"

Azriel glanced at Nol, noting the tension in his expression. The final words had carried a subtle edge of killing intent, sharp and brief before disappearing.

He contemplated for a moment, then spoke in a steady voice.

"...I remember, Nol. I remember everything that happened in those two years. My memories... they've returned."

Instantly, Nol's face shifted to shock, his eyes trembling as he shot to his feet.

"Master, are you—"

"I am."

Azriel cut him off with a small smile, warmth radiating from his eyes. Nol's mind seemed to go blank as he stared.

"I remember the time we spent together," Azriel continued.

"..."

"Remembering all those memories... that's why I was asleep for so long."

Those words—words Nol had been waiting to hear ever since they reunited, ever since finally escaping White Haven—hit him harder than Azriel could have imagined. Nol clenched his fists, his composure wavering, before staggering slightly and sitting back down.

Resting his arms on the table, he buried his head in them, hiding his face.

"I... I'm glad you finally remember, Master... Really... I'm really, really glad..."

Azriel's eyes softened as he heard Nol's trembling voice.

"Nol..."

Azriel was at a loss for words. He wanted to go to him, to offer some form of comfort, but Jasmine was still resting on him.

Even so, his chest felt heavy.

Before his memories returned, Azriel hadn't understood how much this bond meant. He hadn't realized what he meant to Nol.

If not for their meeting, for the lessons Azriel had taught him, for the time they had shared...

Nol might still have been in White Haven. Alone.

Unknowing.

Unfeeling.

Unalive.

Sadness. Joy. Anger. Love. Hate.

The things Azriel had taught Nol—how to live.

They were irreplaceable to Nol, etched into his very being.

And for the one who had given him all that to forget...

It must have been silently crushing him this entire time.

Azriel exhaled slowly, guilt and understanding intertwining in his heart.

"...I'm sorry, Nol," he said finally. "I'm sorry for not trying harder to get my memories back sooner."

It had always been on his list of things to do. To recover those missing fragments of himself.

But he had never realized their value until now.

They were priceless.

Nol lifted his head, his eyes red, and shook it.

"I'm just glad you finally remember me, Master..."

Then he smiled.

It was, perhaps, the brightest smile Azriel had ever seen from him.

And it made Azriel smile in return.

"Me too."

A sudden groan broke the silence, snapping their attention toward Jasmine. She furrowed her brows and slowly blinked her eyes open. Still groggy, she half-leaned against Azriel, her gaze unfocused as she tried to clear the sleep from her eyes.

Then, her frown deepened. Gradually, her face paled, and her eyes began to shake.

Suddenly, Jasmine jolted upright, her eyes wide with shock as she looked at Azriel.

Amusement tugged at Azriel's lips as he watched her reaction.

"Jasm—"

But he didn't get the chance to finish before she shot toward him like a rocket.

"Oof!"

She buried her face in his chest, squeezing him tightly. Azriel's bones groaned in protest from the force, but he held her gently.

"Y-You're awake...!" Jasmine sobbed, her voice breaking as she clung to him.

Azriel smiled softly at her, his hand gently patting her head.

"Yeah... I'm awake."

"I... I...ukh..!"

For a full minute, she cried, her tears soaking into his shirt, while Azriel kept smiling—a smile that hid the pain her tight embrace caused him.

'Seriously, what kind of strength is she hiding in that delicate body...?'

She was an advanced rank, so it made sense that her body would be stronger than his.

Finally, she looked up, struggling to hold back more tears from streaking down her cheeks.

When Azriel met her gaze, it felt like an arrow pierced his heart.

His big sister... she was beyond adorable right now.

'As I thought... there's no need for a Crimson King when she becomes the Crimson Queen.'

He wasn't giving Jasmine to anyone—she was his!

Keeping his thoughts hidden, Azriel continued smiling warmly as he gently wiped the tears from her face with his fingers.

"You... you k-know how worried I was! You were asleep, and something was so wrong with you that not even Father knew how to help you. He refused to go back for some reason! And—"

And like a dam breaking, she unleashed all her grief and frustration from the past few days. Azriel simply watched her, his smile never wavering as he listened to it all.

After a few minutes, she finally stopped, breathing heavily from her outburst. She'd talked non-stop for four minutes and 48 seconds—endlessly, without a single break.

Some of her words didn't make sense, and some weren't even related to what was happening now. But...

Azriel listened patiently to his big sister's troubles.

"I'm sorry for making you worry, Jasmine."

Finally, he spoke, his voice soft.

Jasmine glanced up at him, her gaze hardening for a moment before a small pout formed on her lips. She leaned back into his chest, content to stay there.

Azriel didn't move, letting her do as she wished, remaining silent. Nol, too, observed them with a smile, enjoying Jasmine's behavior.

Azriel furrowed his brows for a moment, realizing something.

'My soul armor is dismissed, huh...'

It was natural—after a certain amount of time, if a soul weapon or armor wasn't given mana, it would automatically fade away.

But why was he wearing simple joggers and a grey t-shirt? What happened to his crimson military uniform? And who had washed him? Was it Jasmine, or Nol?

He hoped it was Nol.

With a slight shake of his head, Azriel looked down at Jasmine.

'She's not going to ask what happened...'

Maybe she was holding back. Or maybe, unlike Nol, who had already come to his own conclusions about Azriel's coma, Jasmine simply believed he didn't know. Or perhaps she'd figured out a different, false answer on her own.

But she didn't ask. Instead, she kept leaning against him, content.

"Ugh..!"

Suddenly, a piercing headache struck him, and a groan escaped his lips as he pressed his hands to his head.

"Master!?"

"Azriel..!?"

But Azriel didn't look at Jasmine and Nol, who called out to him with concern. Instead, his gaze fixed on the only thing he could see before him.

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Status Update!

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Second form acquired!

[Sword Arts]: Dance of Death -> 10% mastery [2/?]

-> [Second Form]: Thorned Heart

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"...!"

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Status Update!

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Third form acquired!

[Sword Arts]: Dance of Death -> 15% mastery [3/?]

-> [Third Form]: Falling Petals

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Status Update!

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d̶̖͈̲͚̔̐̆e̷̥̲͖̎͛̈́̾͒̈̎̾̿͗̐͹̷ẗ̶̤̬̩̬̘́̅̏̈̅͒̓̆̆͜h̷͓̙̘͗͂̌̓̽̕͘ͅ.̸̸̛̖̒͛͗̓̎̾͛̓e̵̯̾͋̿̈́̅͝͝͝ͅh̶̡̡̛̬̝̤͓̘̮̠̻̋̿̏̿̍d̶͗͒̒̾̓̕ͅe̴̴̢͉̮͍̍͊̈́t̷͖̻͈̾͒̆̅̋̔̋̚ͅh̵̢̘͂̈̄̅͠ is interfering with user d̶̖͈̲͚̔̐̆e̷̥̲͖̎͛̈́̾͒̈̎̾̿͗̐͹̷ẗ̶̤̬̩̬̘́̅̏̈̅͒̓̆̆͜h̷͓̙̘͗͂̌̓̽̕͘ͅ.̸̸̛̖̒͛͗̓̎̾͛̓e̵̯̾͋̿̈́̅͝͝͝ͅh̶̡̡̛̬̝̤͓̘̮̠̻̋̿̏̿̍d̶͗͒̒̾̓̕ͅe̴̴̢͉̮͍̍͊̈́t̷͖̻͈̾͒̆̅̋̔̋̚ͅh̵̢̘͂̈̄̅͠ continues neutrality will be broken.

Neutrality has been broken.

d̶̖͈̲͚̔̐̆e̷̥̲͖̎͛̈́̾͒̈̎̾̿͗̐͹̷ẗ̶̤̬̩̬̘́̅̏̈̅͒̓̆̆͜h̷͓̙̘͗͂̌̓̽̕͘ͅ.̸̸̛̖̒͛͗̓̎̾͛̓e̵̯̾͋̿̈́̅͝͝͝ͅh̶̡̡̛̬̝̤͓̘̮̠̻̋̿̏̿̍d̶͗͒̒̾̓̕ͅe̴̴̢͉̮͍̍͊̈́t̷͖̻͈̾͒̆̅̋̔̋̚ͅh̵̢̘͂̈̄̅͠ has officially chosen a side.

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Current skill removed!

[Void Mind]

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Status Update!

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New Skill acquired!

[Soul's Crucible]: Passive + Active skill!

-> Active Effect:

[Empathic Healing]: When [Soul's Crucible] is activated, it can alleviate emotional and physical trauma in those nearby. It doesn't heal beings, but it soothes wounds, accelerates natural healing, and alleviates despair. The user can choose who the effect works on. Note: The more beings it is used on, the more mana it consumes. The greater the distance between the user and the being, the more mana it will consume.

-> Passive Effect:

[Ashen Heart]: Decreases the intensity of pain the user feels, making them less sensitive to injuries and exhaustion. It doesn't remove pain but dulls it. Under extreme pressure, [Ashen Heart] sharpens the user's mind. The more intense the situation, the clearer their thoughts become. This heightened clarity allows them to adapt rapidly, though it only lasts as long as the pressure remains.

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d̶̖͈̲͚̔̐̆e̷̥̲͖̎͛̈́̾͒̈̎̾̿͗̐͹̷ẗ̶̤̬̩̬̘́̅̏̈̅͒̓̆̆͜h̷͓̙̘͗͂̌̓̽̕͘ͅ.̸̸̛̖̒͛͗̓̎̾͛̓e̵̯̾͋̿̈́̅͝͝͝ͅh̶̡̡̛̬̝̤͓̘̮̠̻̋̿̏̿̍d̶͗͒̒̾̓̕ͅe̴̴̢͉̮͍̍͊̈́t̷͖̻͈̾͒̆̅̋̔̋̚ͅh̵̢̘͂̈̄̅͠ has been temporarily blocked from further interference.

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As Azriel looked at all of this, he felt his entire body freeze.

There was no time to process it; the sensation enveloped him, like countless hands caressing his body and heart.

And when it stopped, when the caresses faded away, when the status update finally left his vision...

Azriel's thoughts were consumed by one thing.

'Dammit...'