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He collapsed onto the cold, hard ground.

And in the end…

All Azriel felt was the euphoric rush from [Core Reaper].

But then, he felt it.

He had advanced a grade.

Yet, even as he sensed the shift in power, there was no joy.

How could there be?

The weight of killing two humans gnawed at him.

And worse, [Core Reaper] had made it feel... good.

Which only made it a thousand times worse.

"You\'re getting used to it. No vomiting this time like with your first kill. You adapt quickly," Leo said, his voice casual as he stood beside Azriel, a satisfied smile curling on his lips.

He glanced at the bodies.

"Piercing their throats... how gruesome."

Azriel sighed, lowering himself to the cold floor. He needed to recover.

This was only the beginning.

The two men he had killed were insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

Mere specks of dust.

Suddenly, a deafening crash reverberated through the cave, shaking the bridge.

Azriel\'s eyes widened as he squinted through the dust.

What he saw made him question reality.

There, in the center of the bridge, stood Instructor Benson.

He towered over the Cradler, who now knelt, both arms severed, black blood pouring from its wounds.

A lance—obsidian, its surface matte and sharp—pierced the Cradler\'s chest, its vicious point protruding from its back.

Azriel\'s breath hitched.

But that wasn\'t the most shocking part.

Benson was clad in armor.

Soul armor.

The blackened metal clung to him, sleek and without unnecessary embellishments.

Its edges looked as though they could cut as easily as they protected.

Every movement in the armor was fluid, Benson wearing it as though it was part of him—an embodiment of menace.

Not a single scratch marked its surface.

"You really miscalculated this one..."

Azriel couldn\'t disagree.

Benson had never fought in the book.

He didn\'t know his real power.

He was just a Grade 3 Advanced, or so Azriel had thought.

Everything about Benson—his black hair, his black eyes, his cold demeanor—was unsettling.

And as Benson stared down at the Cradler, who smiled even in defeat, Azriel felt his skin crawl.

The Cradler\'s empty eyes locked onto him.

Even on death\'s doorstep, the creature only had eyes for him.

Why?

Benson ripped the lance from its chest and, without hesitation, tore the mana core from its body.

The Cradler slumped forward.

Dead.

This time, there was no coming back.

Even for something like the Cradler, without a heart and a core, death was final.

Azriel hoped.

Benson sighed, then turned his gaze to Azriel.

His eyes briefly flickered to the two corpses at his feet before settling back on him.

"As expected, those two weren\'t enough to get rid of you... my prince."

Azriel\'s eyes narrowed as he forced himself to stand.

His body ached, but not enough to waste a health potion.

"Nice armor."

Benson hummed, taking slow, deliberate steps forward. His footsteps echoed ominously.

"I find it strange that you don\'t have one yourself. After all, you spent two years in the Void Realm, and you\'re a prince."

"I didn\'t think armor suited me, but... I might need to rethink that."

Benson continued his slow advance.

"Let\'s not waste any more time. Only one of us leaves here today, my prince."

Azriel gripped Void Eater tighter, his mind racing.

\'How much longer…?\'

Fighting Benson seemed inevitable now. It wasn\'t a surprise. Too many things had gone wrong.

But killing someone who just took down a Grade 3 demon single-handedly?

That was going to be a challenge.

\'I can\'t hold back this time.\'

If he did, it would be his end.

A crooked smile spread across Azriel\'s face as he began walking toward Benson.

"I\'ll gladly be your executioner today, Instructor."

Then…

His face turned blank.

*****

Instructor Ranni narrowed her eyes as she saw a figure dressed in full black approach her.

His skin was pale white, but she could not discern anything else.

The presence of the man made her skin crawl.

\'So it\'s finally time, huh...?\'

As the man approached and got closer, Instructor Ranni saw something that left her stunned.

The man in black... his eyes were covered with a black cloth.

\'He is blind...?\'

Once he got close enough, he stopped in front of her.

Instructor Ranni unconsciously tensed up.

"Sir, you cannot enter the void dungeon for the next few weeks; the Hero Academy has it booked for that time."

The man in black smiled—a kind smile.

"...."

"You certainly are diligent, not taking any breaks even after days have passed. Not even when the second group entered the void dungeon. You are admirable, to say the least, Instructor Ranni."

Ranni furrowed her brows slightly.

\'He knows who I am... Is he really blind?\'

The man in black shook his head.

"Well, no matter. It\'s not like I\'m entering the void dungeon; those who wanted to have already..."

"...what?"

Instructor Ranni felt the hairs on her nape stand on end.

There was something fundamentally wrong with this man, but she couldn\'t place what it was.

Suddenly, her eyes widened as the ground shook violently, and the sound of explosions resounded through the sacred capital.

People screamed and began running in every direction—some tripping over one another, others crying, not knowing where to go.

It all happened so suddenly.

\'Bombs...?\'

"... Are you sure you want to chit-chat with me, or would you rather go save the pitiful children who are going to be buried under rubble?"

Instructor Ranni glared at the man in black.

She was about to attack him but held back. It wouldn\'t help her now.

She calmed as a thought passed through her mind.

\'Right, Solomon is here. He must have already prevented anyone from dying...\'

A sigh escaped her lips as she gazed at the man in black more calmly. Though he wore a cloth covering his eyes, she felt them piercing her.

"Oh? So the students are more precious? Well, it\'s an obvious choice. I\'m glad you aren\'t stupid."

"You Neo Genesis really know how to put on a show. I\'ll give you that. But... you\'ve already lost. I\'m giving you a choice."

She took a step forward.

"Let me take you in quietly, or I will kill you here on the spot for treason."

A curious smile appeared on his face.

"I\'ve already lost? Now I\'m certainly curious what made you think that. Perhaps I should go see what\'s happening down there after all..."

"As if I would—!"

She cut her words short as she heard another explosion and more people screaming.

Her face darkened.

\'What is that clown doing...?\'

Was he fighting someone who wouldn\'t let him end this quickly?

She shook her head inwardly as the man in black took a step forward.

"I\'ve changed my mind. Please step aside, Miss Ranni. You don\'t have to worry, though, as I will only be observing."

"The only place you\'ll be observing is the dirt seeping through your coffin."

"!?"

A sudden voice came from behind the man in black as both Instructor Ranni and he turned toward the source.

\'What is he doing here...?\'

She was stunned.

"Things are certainly getting more interesting by the second... So this is where you got your confidence from. The plans have been leaked."

Both looked at the new individual, and Ranni widened her eyes.

A man stood there, his blond hair catching the light, and his green eyes pierced back at the man in black.

"Grandmaster Thomas, what are you doing here!?"

Thomas\'s eyes traveled to Instructor Ranni.

"Instructor Ranni, it\'s good to see you again. Alas, I wish our reunion could have been under more fortunate circumstances. As for your question... you can blame the prince."

\'Prince? Does he mean prince Azriel? ...Why?\'

She was confused. There was no reason for Thomas to be here. The right-hand man of Ragnar should always stay by the Frost King\'s side.

Yet here he was, moving without his king, only acting on Azriel\'s words.

Why?

"Hm? It looks like your presence was for nothing after all, Grandmaster Thomas."

"...?"

Thomas looked at him, confused, his eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement.

The screams of the people grew more frantic, and the sounds of explosions and battles erupted against Neo Genesis and the heroes arriving at the scene.

It wasn\'t looking good.

But at least they could apprehend the man in front of them with Thomas here.

She wasn\'t sure how strong the man in black was; perhaps he was weak enough for Instructor Ranni to take him down without Thomas\'s help.

But she had an unsettling feeling about the man in black.

As Ranni met Thomas\'s gaze, they both stepped toward the man in black.

But not even a second later, a crushing gravity pressed down on them.

Neither were spared.

Both were brought to their knees.

\'Ugh...!\'

It was horrifying. Suffocating. Painful.

Barely, she managed to look up, and to her surprise, the man in black was kneeling.

Alarm bells rang in her head.

\'Run!\'

She had to run.

But she couldn\'t.

Something terrible was happening. The sound of people screaming and distant battles faded as the pressure locked both Thomas and Ranni in place.

Then, she felt someone approach.

"I greet the great Heptarch Zoran, Apostle of Ruin."

Her mind blanked.

Thomas\'s mind blanked.

Words escaped that they barely understood.

Both their faces were covered with sweat as it dripped onto the floor.

"Ah..."

A barely audible sound escaped her lips.

\'Heptarch... one of the seven rumored kings of Neo Genesis...?\'

She didn\'t want to believe it.

Why was someone like that here?

Her eyes traveled toward the figure—or whatever that thing was.

Her body shuddered and froze.

It didn\'t seem like a person.

It was like a humanoid living darkness stood in front of her, its wide white eyes gazing at her. There was no mouth visible, yet its voice made her blood run cold.

"Order everyone to retreat immediately. The plan has failed."

"What about the ones inside?"

"They are all dead by now."

The man in black didn\'t speak for a few seconds.

"…Very well."

Just like that, the man in black stood up and walked away.

Zoran suddenly turned toward Thomas, looking down at him. Thomas was sweating furiously as he looked at Zoran with fear in his eyes.

"Grandmaster Thomas. I\'d like you to answer one thing. Answer me truthfully, and I will spare the life of Princess Celestina Frost. Answer incorrectly, and she dies the most gruesome death possible."

Thomas\'s face went as pale as it could at Zoran\'s words.

"Now then, the one who called you here, does he go by the name of Prince Azriel Crimson?"

\'Huh...?\'

Ranni felt her heart thump as Zoran asked the question. His voice was emotionless the entire time, but the moment he mentioned Azriel\'s name, it filled with hatred.

\'Where is Solomon...? Don\'t tell me he lost!?\'

There was nothing she could do.

The only ones who stood a chance against Zoran at this point were Freya and Solomon. Maybe even Salvator.

"...Y-yes. He was the one who contacted me privately, telling me that the sacred capital was going to be attacked, and I couldn\'t tell anyone—not even my king."

Zoran nodded as Thomas didn\'t hesitate. His loyalty was never to Azriel. If he had to choose between Celestina and Azriel, he would pick Celestina instantly, as much as it hurt him.

"…So he really knew."

With that, Zoran suddenly walked toward the void dungeon.

Ranni did not turn her head as Zoran ignored her presence and walked into the black hole.

In an instant, it swallowed him whole.

The pressure instantly disappeared with his departure.

The man in black was gone.

The fighting and chaos continued, yet...

Ranni and Thomas did not move.