Path of the Extra Chapter 425: What Little Time Remains

Azriel abruptly ceased speaking.

Celestina remained impassive, her gaze fixed on him with an almost vacant stare. After a few moments, it appeared she registered his silence.

She then inquired,

"...Huh?"

A smile touched Azriel's lips.

"Too much?"

"Not enough!"

"What part didn't you grasp?" Azriel questioned, a furrow in his brow.

"All of it!" Celestina exclaimed. "I comprehend nothing! What do you mean the gods intend to break you? To begin with, why would they even desire such a thing? And could you possibly elaborate on the girl's role in all of this, and why her life had to be extinguished!? Who was she, truly? What was the meaning behind her words that you defied the God of Time for my sake? And what about those gravestones? And the actual account of how you vanquished over thirty masters? How do you possess any knowledge of the scenarios, for that matter? And why, damn it all, has Jasmine not yet awakened!? What caused her to fall unconscious in the first place!? Do you have the faintest idea of my profound worry? I am utterly bewildered!"

With a sigh, Azriel responded plainly,

"Listen. I have no understanding as to why the gods seek to break me. All of this is novel territory for me as well, and I too am excessively overwhelmed. I doubt it has fully registered yet, with the constant stream of revelations. Or perhaps it has, and I am already shattered. Regarding the young girl... she was ensnared by a malevolent, formidable entity that could credibly be termed a god. His designation is Pollux. He subjected me to torment within the Forest of Eternity. The singular method for Jasmine's awakening was my slaying of the young girl, so rest assured. She ought to awaken shortly. It appears he was also the architect of her unconscious state. And I genuinely cannot account for how I eliminated thirty masters. That is the unvarnished truth. As I've stated, my sanity is fraying. As for my knowledge of these matters—the intricate details concerning Pollux, the gods, and everything else—you will need to direct your inquiries to Jasmine. She possesses considerable insight, and I am far too depleted to recount it all, especially when less than twenty-four hours have elapsed."

Like a goldfish, Celestina's mouth opened and closed several times.

Finally, she sealed her lips and said,

"F-fine..."

Her gaze shifted towards Jasmine, then she spat,

"The instant I am liberated from these restraints, I shall question her. But not before I personally behead that purple-haired vermin!"

Azriel offered a faint grin.

"Whatever you wish."

Celestina turned her attention back to him, her brow furrowed.

"Are you not angered? He endangered your sister solely because he desired my demise, Azriel."

"I am," Azriel affirmed. "However, he also undermined his own objective as a consequence. Furthermore, I once pledged not to interfere in the animosity between you, Jasmine, Anastasia, and Caleus."

"Even now?"

"Yes."

Azriel lowered his gaze.

"But..."

He leaned in slightly, his voice a low whisper,

"Considering the limited time I have remaining... and not out of adherence to my promise, but purely because you desire it... all you need to do is ask me to eliminate him, and I shall comply."

Celestina's eyes widened in astonishment.

"You would truly enact that? Not because he nearly cost both Jasmine and myself our lives, but... because I requested it?"

Azriel raised his eyes, meeting her silver gaze directly.

"Yes."

She held his gaze, unwavering.

Then, as if hesitant to hear the answer, she inquired,

"...What precisely do you mean by considering the time you have left?"

"..."

"...If this pertains to the scenario and those deities, then we can... we can discover a resolution, can't we? Our objective is merely to complete this scenario before they break you and claim your life, correct?"

"Correct," Azriel replied. "If you succeed, all participants will return home."

A faint smile graced his lips.

"Excluding myself, naturally. There is no possibility they will permit my escape from their grasp."

"...!"

"And even were I to escape, it would be futile. I am effectively deceased. Therefore, if you wish for me to eliminate Caleus, I shall do so. The least I can accomplish with my remaining moments is to rid you and Jasmine of bothersome individuals."

"Whatever is it you are implying...?"

Celestina's voice quivered.

"Cease this, Azriel. I find itdisquieting. You... you cannot speak in such a manner."

"Observe my wounds and the scars they've left."

Celestina complied.

"I am aware of your intense curiosity regarding the scar concealed beneath my bandaged arm."

"What...?"

She barely managed the word, sheer shock rendering her voice weak and devoid of strength.

"There may be few humans as knowledgeable as you in the art of healing scars and wounds."

Azriel's gaze fell upon the fissures marring his body.

"Look at this. Do you genuinely believe I can endure this state?"

"Unless..."

Celestina swallowed audibly.

"Unless you possess a time machine..."

Her voice faltered.

"No... but... but you proclaimed there was a cure. You were insistent. You convinced Jasmine herself that you were aware of one! She informed me! Did you deceive us!? Please tell me you did not lie, Azriel!"

"...I did not."

"Then—"

"But my illness has progressed too far. No miracle cure will help me now."

His body was wracked with constant agony.

From every single thing.

And it would only escalate, worsening and worsening until his demise or his body disintegrated like crumbling stone.

"You liar..."

Celestina’s furious glare met him, yet her voice held the tremor of a wounded child.

"You promised Jasmine you wouldn’t die! Do you comprehend the pain you inflicted upon her the last time you perished!? Are you going to abandon her again!? You cannot! You absolutely cannot forsake Jasmine once more, Azriel! It will shatter her completely this time! Ponder her! Your mother. Your father. Contemplate Iryndra! After all the immense effort you exerted to return to them, you cannot simply surrender now!"

"...Do you truly believe I desire to give up?"

Azriel’s words emerged slowly, each one a painful expulsion forced through his constricted throat.

"I have no wish to perish either, you understand."

"Then fight!"

"I have been fighting."

His voice diminished further.

"And I have been losing resoundingly."

"Then... then let us brainstorm a solution, shall we? You cannot permit this to be the conclusion. If your intellect, my intellect, and Jasmine's intellect are combined, we are bound to devise something adequate."

Azriel observed her wordlessly.

A delicate, faint smile graced his lips, acknowledging her desperate plea.

Then, he stated softly,

"This is, in fact, not my inaugural visit to this subterranean colosseum."

Celestina’s gaze fixated on him, her head inclining slightly. The desperate plea remained etched in her eyes.

Azriel’s eyes scanned the surroundings, though only desolate walls encompassed them.

"I should have met my end prior to even reaching the Void Realm, yet I defied death then. While dwelling in the Void Realm, I eventually navigated my way to this location. I cheated death once more. This very colosseum had been absorbed into a facility operated by Neo Genesis. The sole avenue of escape presented was through death."

A faint, sardonic chuckle escaped him.

"And even within that place, I defied mortality."

His gaze drifted downwards.

"In a manner of speaking, this is the exact spot where my true demise should have occurred. But I did not. I mean, I literally tore out my own damned heart."

Azriel closed his eyes, a subdued laugh bubbling forth.

"Now, finding myself back here... it evokes a sensation of being reminded of every coffin I've managed to escape."

His smile vanished.

"And now, I shall receive the consequence I justly deserve."

"...Azriel..."

Exhaling a trembling breath, Azriel's eyes fluttered open, meeting Celestina's gaze.

"I journeyed back to Earth, successfully reuniting with my family. To be candid, I take little pride in many of the decisions I enacted thereafter. So much is subject to remorse. I yearn for the opportunity to rectify so many actions..."

A gentle, warm expression then bloomed on his face as he looked towards Jasmine.

"But I suppose, despite my persistent failure to learn from my errors, despite being granted an infinitesimal chance, I remain profoundly thankful for the brief moments I shared with my family."

His tone softened considerably.

"My most profound regret is that I ought to have dedicated more duration to them. If only my naivety had not clouded my judgment."

With a groan, Azriel finally pushed himself upright and ambled towards his slumbering sister, subsequently kneeling before her.

Celestina followed his movement, her lip caught between her teeth as she tugged at her chains futilely, clinging to a sliver of hope that they might miraculously break.

With tender care, Azriel grasped Jasmine by her arms, lifting her sufficiently to gaze upon her face.

He yearned to utter certain words.

But the words would not materialize.

Thus, he opted for an alternative gesture.

His lips brushed lightly against her forehead.

Upon retracting, he whispered,

"...Fare thee well, my beloved sister."

"Azriel...!?"

He carefully lowered Jasmine back down before rising once more, directing his gaze towards the opening from which he had descended.

"There is no benefit to my continued presence here with you. A substantial bounty has been placed upon my head. Should I persist in this current state, the risk to everyone involved will escalate drastically."

His eyes found Celestina.

"I shall entrust my sister’s safety into your capable hands."

"Azriel! Do not depart! We are far from finished! Azriel!"

"Your words echo the sentiments from the first time we encountered each other—your intense anger was palpable then, too."

"W-what are you implying...!?"

"It is quite alright. You possess no recollection."

His knees bent.

A searing jolt of pain coursed through him.

Then, Azriel leaped.

He departed from Celestina's presence without offering even a simple farewell, even as her desperate cries and the violent clanking of her restraints pursued him from the depths below.

"Azriel! Azriel! Return, Azriel! Azriel!"

However, her entreaties met with absolute silence.

For Azriel had already vanished.

...Ultimately incapable of bidding either of them adieu.