[Arceid]
After thanking every staff member and Junia for taking care of Azrael, we finally headed home. The facility itself was located in Sector 1, while our house was situated in Sector 4 — a good hour’s drive, but it gave us time to talk.
“Did you enjoy your stay there?” I asked casually.
Azrael paused for a second, glancing out of the window. “…I guess it was profitable.”
I raised a brow. “Profitable?”
“Junia,” he muttered almost immediately, catching me off guard. “I mean— her intelligence. She was helpful in refining my ascension theory.”
I smirked knowingly. “Ohhh… her intelligence, huh?”
He shot me a glare. “Don’t start.”
Suppressing a chuckle, I leaned back. “Alright, alright. But you still haven’t told me about this ‘ascension theory’ of yours.”
“It’s not groundbreaking or anything. You know about the concept of chakras, right? Energy centers mentioned in ancient mythology…”
And so, he laid it out. His theory about nourishing the body through cosmic energy, condensing it into core-like formations, and accelerating his growth.
It was brilliant. Insane, but brilliant.
“You were playing with fire there,” I finally said, my tone darkening. “A single mistake, and you’d have died.”
The air itself seemed to fluctuate as my words carried a cold, suffocating weight. But Azrael merely shrugged. “I had Junia there to protect me. You’re worrying too much.”
“…You don’t get it,” I muttered.
He didn’t respond.
I exhaled sharply, trying to rein in my temper. “Anyway. You were lucky no Planetary level creatures showed up.”
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“Actually, I was disappointed,” he admitted shamelessly. “I wanted to witness a fight between two Planetary figures.”
I nearly hit the brakes. “…You what?”
“Come on, brother. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t be curious.”
I snapped my gaze toward him, my tone like ice. “Junia is barely at instinctual level in Planetary Rank. If a mastered level Planetary creature had emerged, she would have been helpless. Do you realize that?”
“Ah… your level, huh.”
“That’s not the point!” I barked, my anger slipping. “This isn’t a game, Azrael. I’ve seen abominations capable of creating temporal domes. Places separated from conventional space — prisons where weaker beings are tormented endlessly. The despair you experience in such a place—”
“—is fascinating,” he cut in, grinning like a lunatic.
I froze. “You—”
“Think about it. A space separated from reality, entirely controlled by the dominant force. Imagine harnessing something like that.”
My blood ran cold. “…You’re getting on my nerves now.”
He laughed. “Come on, brother. Can’t I have some fun?”
“You having fun is a lie,” I muttered coldly.
Silence descended between us. It was… suffocating. The truth was, I wasn’t angry at him for his recklessness — I was terrified. He was accelerating too fast, too dangerously. Ever since he came back from the grave, it was like something had shifted inside him.
“…He’s always been like this, uncaring about his well being,” I thought bitterly. “Ever since that day.”
The tension was broken by my phone ringing. I immediately answered, and a small holographic image of Junia materialized. Her expression was tense — borderline panic.
“Arc! We’ve got breaches!”
My grip tightened. “Where?”
“Sector 88 training center. Portal readings just spiked to catastrophic levels. Energy influx suggests a Planetary Rank creature — trained level.”
My pulse quickened. “I’m on my way. Any casualties?”
“None yet, but it’s bad. Real bad.”
“Understood. I’ll—”
“Wait!” she cut me off, her voice more distressed. “There’s another breach. Near the college where your niece studies.”
My blood ran cold. “…What’s the threat level?”
“It’s horde type. Mortal creatures swarming like locusts. Possibly some Planetoid too.”
I froze. A horde type? That meant there’d be dozens — possibly hundreds — of creatures at Mortal Rank. Even if the students were trained, they’d get overwhelmed eventually.
Azrael, who was listening quietly, suddenly spoke. “I’ll go get her.”
I snapped toward him. “Absolutely not! You’re a seven-day-old Planetoid. You wouldn’t last—”
“With all due respect, shut up.” His voice was cold, firm. “She’s my niece. I’ll get her out.”
I clenched my teeth. “You don’t understand what you’re walking into. A trained Planetoid creature is leagues beyond what you’ve faced.”
“Which is why you should handle Sector 88. I’ll handle the college.”
I opened my mouth to protest—
“Arc,” Junia interrupted, her voice deadpan. “Trust me, as much as I hate his insufferable guts — he’s strong. If you waste time arguing, your niece will die.”
I snapped my gaze toward the hologram. “Junia, do you realize what you’re suggesting—”
“I do,” she deadpanned. “And it’s glorious. Either he saves your niece and I can gloat forever — or he dies and I get my revenge. Win-win.”
Azrael barked a laugh. “I like her.”
I exhaled sharply. “…Fine.”
“Good.”
“But how’s he getting there in time?”
“Leave that to me.” The space around Azrael’s feet began to glow with pulsating azure light, the same technique Junia had demonstrated before. The space cracked beneath him, swirling as if the void itself were devouring him.
“Wait—” I began.
“Don’t worry, Arc.” Junia smirked. “If he dies, I’ll write a lovely eulogy.”
“Asshole,” Azrael muttered.
And then — he was gone.
“…You could’ve gone yourself,” I muttered bitterly.
“Oh, I could’ve. But laws, my dear Arc. The government’s strict on us Planetary Rankers interfering. Unless you have a direct family member in danger, you’re not allowed to intervene.”
“…Bullshit policy.”
“Agreed. Which is why I had no qualms hurling your reckless brother into the fray. Trust me — he’ll live. Unfortunately.”
I exhaled sharply. “…Can you send me the same way?”
“Don’t mind if I do.”
And like that — space cracked around me, and I was gone.