Path of the Extra

”Huh?”

Azriel looked at Jasmine, Celestina, and even Lioren, all three of whom had declined the proposal outright, and found himself met with equally confused expressions in return.

”Do not tell me you were actually considering that foolish deal.” Jasmine said it to Azriel with such coldness that he was certain she was no longer bothering to maintain any mask at all.

Azriel swallowed hard and chose not to answer, averting his gaze toward Lioren instead.

’Celestina and Jasmine, I understand. But... Lioren?’

Reading the question in his eyes, Lioren answered.

”In the same manner as before. If I were to give you up and she found out, I might as well consider myself dead too.”

”She?” Jasmine muttered, confused, and Celestina leaned in to whisper an explanation, a faint sulk coloring her tone.

”There is apparently some mysterious woman they both know, and are close to, and are absolutely terrified of angering.”

Jasmine was thoroughly confused now herself, though she did not let it show.

’Now he decides to be sensible?’

Azriel dragged a hand through his hair and sighed.

”Fine, you all win. Go ahead and fight over me like I am some prized possession, and risk your lives doing it,” Azriel said, sulking now himself.

”What a foolish and immature decision. I expected more from you, at the very least, Your Highness,” Corven said, sounding genuinely disappointed as he looked toward Jasmine.

”I am not particularly interested in the opinion of a senile old man who has already been beaten senseless by my little brother.”

Corven’s lips twitched this time as well.

”I told you, this bitch has a tongue made of foul, filthy garbage.”

’I will kill him first,’ Azriel thought.

”What did you just say?” Celestina asked, her voice cold and biting, catching both Azriel and everyone else off guard.

”Are you deaf, silver slut? Do I need to repeat myself for someone as lowborn as you?”

”Oh, you are dead!” Celestina’s face twisted with fury, and Azriel glanced nervously around the room, feeling the fuse burning down toward an explosion, all hell on the verge of breaking loose.

’Not like this,’ he then thought.

So, before anything could happen, he moved quickly to defuse it.

”If you hate these two so much, and are so confident, then fight them,” Azriel said, addressing Pierre directly.

Every eye in the room turned to him.

”Hah? Is that not obvious? Do not worry, I will humble both of them and bring their crying heads to your feet before you die, if that is what you are worr-”

”I am saying you fight them on your own.”

Pierre looked at him in confusion, and Azriel pressed on.

”You must be feeling rather superior right now. Confident you can defeat the both of them, especially my sister, given how much hatred you clearly hold for her. But if you are truly as skilled as you claim, you will not need anyone’s help to defeat them. Correct?”

”Azriel?” Jasmine looked at him, a question in her eyes, as Azriel smiled coldly and Pierre scoffed.

”Of course. I do not need the help of these two fossils to defeat a pair of lowborn women.”

”Then wonderful!” Azriel clapped his hands together. ”Go and fight them properly, somewhere the three of you can be alone. Unless, of course, you are too much of a coward to face them without backup.”

Pierre’s teeth ground together at once.

”I am no coward!”

”Really?” Azriel tilted his head. ”I found Pollux to be quite the coward himself, so naturally, you must-”

”Fine! I will fight them wherever they choose! I am no coward, and I am far superior to either of them! And when I am finished, I will relish watching you weep in front of their severed heads!”

’Good. Isolating Pierre with Celestina and Jasmine was all I needed. Those two are the only ones here whose affinities counter a space affinity so precisely. They may currently be weaker than Pierre individually, but together they also hold real advantages, particularly if they fight as one. There is no duo better suited for this than these two.’

Azriel was relieved Pierre had taken the bait.

But he was not finished yet. His eyes moved to the Plague, then to Yelena and Lumine.

”How about a rematch?”

Azriel said nothing further. He did not need to. His words had already said plenty.

Yelena and Lumine turned toward the Plague, their expressions darkening in unison, and Yelena answered on Lumine’s behalf.

”Gladly.”

The Plague scratched at his mask and shrugged.

”Oh dear. I suppose I could finish what I started.”

Azriel then turned to Corven.

”Well, I suppose I need not say much when it comes to you, Corven.”

Corven smiled and glanced toward Lioren.

”Well, this is a family matter, after all.”

”You do not share my blood, Master Corven.”

”And yet you feel very much like a distant grandson to me,” he jested, chuckling, before turning his gaze back to Azriel, his smile growing colder still.

”Setting us all up so perfectly, Your Highness. But how can we be certain you will not simply run away? Or attempt something else entirely?”

It was a valid question. It would all be for nothing if Azriel used this opportunity to escape while the rest of them fought somewhere else entirely.

”It is not as though I can offer you any guarantee, despite how close to my last leg I appear to be, but... I hope this might help put you more at ease.”

Azriel walked toward Lumine while Jasmine watched him with a cold and cautious stare, the others doing the same, in case anyone attempted anything untoward.

’Hmm?’

Lumine looked back at him, unable to speak, and for some reason Azriel could not quite decipher the look in his eyes.

’For some reason, I do not like it.’

He let it go, for now.

[Core Synchronization Activated: Please choose a target.]

One of the skills Azriel had acquired after killing Lady Mio.

Azriel touched Lumine’s shoulder and channeled a portion of his mana into him.

[Target accepted. Host has chosen to synchronize the soul weapon: Void Eater.]