Path of the Extra

Chapter 217: Of Fangs and Tails

Celestinaʼs [unique skill] was never revealed this early in the book. And there was a reason for that.

A reason that led to her almost dying multiple times in the story.

Even with the term ”revealed,” it didnʼt mean Azriel truly understood what her [unique skill] was—not even its name.

He only had theories.

Why was Celestina so reluctant to reveal her [unique skill] in the book?

The answer was simple: trauma.

When she was just a child, a void creature attacked in public, forcing her to use her [unique skill].

She killed the void creature.

Only to be branded as one herself.

Though Ragnar somehow managed to erase the memories of the humans who witnessed it, word still spread to the clans.

And the clans began to theorize.

Almost everyone had forgotten by now. Time erases most things.

Except Azriel.

She had been a child back then, but since that incident, she had become afraid to reveal her [unique skill] and face hatred again.

At least... thatʼs what Azriel had thought.

Until now.

Something had changed. She no longer seemed afraid to reveal her [unique skill]—at least, not to him. Perhaps because it was for a means to an end.

But whatever this was, it shattered every hypothesis Azriel had ever formed about her.

There had never been a ”fox version” of Celestina in the book.

In the story, her form was described as a hybrid—a mix of human and void creature.

So naturally, Azriel had expected to see that version of her—the form that had made so many people fear her.

But this?

...Azriel was left speechless.

There was absolutely no way anyone would look at her now and think she was a void creature.

At least, not in Azrielʼs eyes. He couldnʼt even comprehend the thought.

All notions of fighting her vanished from his mind as he continued staring, awestruck.

”Beautiful…”

The word slipped out before he could stop himself, so soft it barely existed. No one would have heard it—except for the way the ears atop Celestinaʼs head twitched ever so slightly.

Azriel clenched his jaw shut, swallowing hard. He forced himself to look into her eyes.

Celestina, who had been nervously twisting her fingers, seemed frozen in place. She should have attacked him—they were still in the middle of a duel, after all. Neither of them had declared it over.

Yet she didnʼt.

She stopped the moment Azriel stopped, sensing the shift in him—the unwillingness to continue.

And Azriel noticed that.

He especially noticed her silver eyes, trying and failing to hide the traces of anxiety flickering within them.

”Are we still going to duel?” she asked hesitantly.

Azriel slowly shook his head, his gaze unreadable.

The ambiguity of his expression made Celestina more anxious, though she forced herself not to fidget.

”…Are you afraid of me?”

”Huh?”

Azriel blinked, snapping out of his daze.

He quickly shook his head, this time much faster.

”Only a fool would look at you and feel something so preposterous.”

”Oh…”

Celestinaʼs face shifted into an expression of uncertainty, as though she didnʼt know how to respond. Yet the anxious light in her eyes seemed to dim, just a little.

And perhaps, seeing the lack of fear in Azrielʼs gaze—something she couldnʼt quite understand—she decided to ask another question.

”But… donʼt you see me as a void creature?”

Her eyes practically screamed the words she didnʼt say aloud:

You should be afraid.

You should be repulsed.

Azrielʼs brow creased slightly.

ʼShe really needs more confidence in herself,ʼ he thought.

ʼWith it, she could become unstoppable.ʼ

He exhaled softly and began walking toward her—slowly, cautiously.

As he moved closer, he held her gaze and gave her a sad smile.

”When I was in the Void Realm, there wasnʼt a single day I didnʼt have to fight void creatures. Some were beautiful yet deadly, others hideous and revolting. But they all had one thing in common—their souls were dark, unholy, and repulsive.”

”....”

”You, Celestina… your soul is perhaps one of the purest Iʼve ever seen.”

He hesitated, turning his head away as if avoiding her gaze suddenly became too much to bear.

”And… you certainly donʼt look hideous or revolting.”

Hearing his words, Celestina blinked a few times, caught off guard. Then, as if by instinct, she turned her head to the side, avoiding looking at Azrielʼs face.

”I-I see.”

Her voice was soft, and she could feel the heat creeping up her face.

An awkward silence hung between them, stretching for a moment too long. Celestina closed her eyes and took a few steady breaths, calming herself. The nervousness and anxiety that had gripped her earlier seemed to fade away.

Suddenly, she giggled.

Raising a hand to cover her mouth, she turned her head back toward Azriel, smiling. He was staring at the plain sparring room, his eyes scanning the flickering lights with a seriousness that made it seem as though the room held some profound mystery.

Azriel eventually noticed her laugh and looked at her, a bit confused. Celestina kept smiling.

”For someone who spent his childhood avoiding people, except for his family, you sure have a surprisingly smooth way of talking sometimes.”

Azrielʼs eyes darted away again as he rubbed the back of his neck.

”Well, when you have a sister whoʼll physically abuse you for saying the wrong thing, you learn a thing or two.”

Celestina chuckled again, shaking her head slightly.

Azriel let out a long, audible sigh, running a hand through his hair.

”Well, Iʼve seen what I wanted to see. Letʼs call it a day. Iʼll see you tomorrow—and I guess Iʼll tag along for that faction meeting thing youʼre all having.”

With that, he turned and started walking toward the door, not bothering to look back.

Celestina watched his retreating figure in silence, her smile fading into something more thoughtful. Then, an idea struck her—a mischievous glint flashing in her silver eyes.

Before Azriel could take another step, she moved.

In an instant, she was in front of him, blocking his path.

Azriel flinched back slightly, his eyes widening at the sudden appearance of Fox-Celestina in front of him.

”I-Is something wrong?”

Azriel didnʼt know why, but for some reason, he couldnʼt bring himself to look Celestina straight in the eye anymore. His gaze kept darting elsewhere, and he suddenly felt incredibly on edge, hyper-aware of her presence.

Celestina, standing with her hands behind her back, tilted her body forward, a mysterious smile on her face as she revealed her sharp, small fangs. The way she was looking at him only intensified his discomfort.

ʼUgh, I tried to boost her confidence, and now Iʼm the one feeling embarrassed!ʼ

Maybe heʼd gone too far.

He definitely felt that now, seeing the way she was acting.

...Words could indeed be sharper than blades.

”You seem to be in a hurry, Azriel. Whyʼs that? I thought you wanted to have a proper look at my [unique skill]. Are you really satisfied with just a glance?”

Azriel forced himself to meet her silver eyes, giving a small, soft smile.

”Of course. Besides, itʼs not like youʼll reveal too much to me, right? This is enough to satisfy my curiosity for now.”

”Huh, is that so?”

Celestina tilted her head, placing a finger on her chin in a way that was almost too adorable. Then, suddenly, she squinted her eyes—an expression that made him feel uneasy—and smiled teasingly.

Before Azriel could react, he felt something incredibly soft and ticklish brush against his left abdomen.

”Huh!?”

A high-pitched scream escaped his throat as he jumped back from the sensation.

Azriel immediately placed a hand over his abdomen and glared at Celestina.

”W-What do you think youʼre doing?”

”P-pffft! Hahaha! You seemed so tense, I thought one of my tails could help you relax.”

Celestina turned her head away, holding a hand against her mouth to stifle her laughter, clearly failing. Her effort to keep it in only made Azrielʼs eyes narrow further.

ʼT-this...! Hasnʼt she become too confident!?ʼ

Was she trying to provoke him?

Azriel gritted his teeth.

The scream was going to haunt him in his dreams!

ʼThis is her revenge for bringing up that engagement, isnʼt it...!?ʼ

Or was it for trying to make her mad earlier?

Groaning internally, Azriel shook his head, ignoring the sound of Celestinaʼs failed attempts to hold back her laughter.

He hurried out of the sparring room, hoping to leave his shame behind.

With a soft click, he closed the door behind him.

...But the shame didnʼt vanish.

*****

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Celestina glanced at the closed door.

”Ah, he left…”

She chuckled softly, her smile widening.

She had noticed how he tried to hide his embarrassment after complimenting her, and it made her want to tease him.

How did she know he was embarrassed? It was hard not to notice with his ears turning bright red. Despite the room being dark and flickering on and off, Celestina could see perfectly in the dark in this form, along with a multitude of other things.

She hadnʼt expected her teasing to be so effective.

Her tails swayed behind her, and she brought one in front of her, gently stroking it.

”...Cute.”