Game's Extra: Azhriel Odyssey

In a dimly lit room, shrouded in shadows, only the sound of shallow and uneven breathing filled the air. The atmosphere was heavy. Filled with tension and fear.

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, a figure materialized in the center of the room. Their speed so incomprehensibly fast, that none of the individuals present here could even track their movement.

The moment the man came, an overwhelming pressure filled upon the room, like a blanket.

It was suffocating and oppressive. It bore down on everyone present in the room. They felt as if their clothes were made of weights, forcing their knees to buckle under its sheer power.

Nathan and the others, whose bodies were battered in the aftermath of the explosion stood trembling under the pressure, as it took all their spirit to remain standing.

Their heads hung low in the shame of their failure. They breathed unevenly, the crushing aura emanating from the man felt, as if robbing their will to stand upright.

In the face of overwhelming strength their pride, as an elite warrior didn't matter a bit. They knew they were nothing but a speck of dust in front of the figure. He could kill them in seconds.

The figure's presence was like absolute being, commanding the space around him with an authority that was both terrifying and undeniable.

His crimson eyes glowed like feint ambers in the darkness. The air around him seemed to hum with restrained power, as if the atmosphere itself feared to disturb his authority.

Nathan's jaw clenched, as sweat dripped down his face, he didn't dared to glance up at the figure.

"My Lord..." he managed to utter, his voice weak, barely audible under this suffocating pressure. He couldn't complete his sentence, as the words were caught in his throat.

The figure tilted his head slightly, as he looked at Nathan with a piercing and cold gaze. The silence stretched on, each second felt like as if Nathan was awaiting the judgment for his failure.

Finally, the figures deep, and resonant voice broke through the tension in the air like a blade.

"Do you understand the consequences of failure?" The cold and sharp voice cut through the silence, sending a shiver down the spines of everyone that was gathered in the room.

The figure stepped forward, his presence so overwhelming, as though the very air was being sucked from the room. Each step forward he took reverberated with a chilling sound, suffocating those who now knelt before him under his command.

"W-We are extremely s-sorry, my lord," Nathan and the others managed to utter these words as they stammered, their voices trembled under the oppressive weight of the man's gaze.

The figure stood still for a moment, looking at them, as his eyes glowed with an unsettling intensity.

"Tell me Nathan, why do you think we took such a massive risk, of coordinating attacks on multiple fronts today?" His voice was calm, but to Nathan it was like a sword was on his neck.

"B-Because the new generation of every race is extremely dangerous," Nathan replied hesitantly, as his voice quivered. "They're highly talented, and as the prophecy foretold, they will only grow stronger if given time."

A pause. The figure's eyes glinted, his lips curling into a barely perceptible smirk. "And why do you think I gave you forces more powerful than any other?" His tone was almost casual, but there was an undeniable edge to it, as if daring them to answer incorrectly.

Nathan swallowed hard, his throat dry. "B-Because the child of the witch was one of the most dangerous ones."

The figure's gaze intensified, as if piercing straight through Nathan. "Correct," he said, his voice a chilling whisper.

"The child of the Celestial Witch... One born with powers that could rival even the gods themselves. And yet, despite all that power at your disposal, you failed to bring him down."

His words hung in the air, heavy with implication, as the room seemed to grow colder still.

"My lord..." Lia spoke, her voice trembling with both fear and hope. She dared not meet his gaze, but she pressed on, knowing the weight of the situation. "There's a ninety percent chance that the boy will die."

The figure's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze cold as ice, but he simply hummed in acknowledgment, his finger tapping lightly on the armrest of his throne. "Hmm," he murmured, signaling for her to continue.

Lia took a deep breath before speaking again, her words slow and deliberate, as if weighing each one.

"At the last moment, when he was escaping, I managed to poison him. It's one of the most powerful poisons known. Even the most resilient would struggle to survive it."

It was true. Lia had used one of the most potent poisons she had, one that could fell even the mightiest of warriors, a poison so vile that even grandmasters would struggle against it.

However what Lia had failed to anticipate was the incredible resilience of Azhrael's constitution. His body, a rare and exceptional vessel, was far more powerful than she had ever imagined.

She had known the child was special, but not to this extent. Even the most normal poisons she could concoct would be able to kill those with resistable constitutions. But Azhrael was different; his power ran so deep, it could resist the worst of poisons and curses.

Yet, his constitution could only do so much. After being sealed, the immense power that had once flowed through him had been suppressed to a mere trickle.

The poison, which should have been fatal, had taken a toll on his weakened state. His body was battered, his reserves of energy drained. It would take years for him to recover from this.

A moment of silence followed her words, thick with tension. The figure remained still, his expression unreadable, but the air around him seemed to grow even colder.

Finally, after a long pause, he spoke again, his voice low and menacing. "You better be right, Lia. Because If that calamity survives..."

His words trailed off, but the threat in his voice was clear.

Lia swallowed, her heart racing. "He will die, my lord. I'm sure of it."

The figure stared at her for a long moment, his presence overwhelming as he weighed her words. Finally, he nodded, but his eyes burned with an intensity that promised consequences if she was wrong. "I see."

"Wait for your next task and stay hidden. There will be chaos out there after what we've done," the figure's voice echoed, cold and emotionless. "Also, some demons have appeared, so the empire will be on high alert."

With that, the figure vanished as swiftly as it had arrived, leaving nothing but a lingering, oppressive silence.