It took a lot of self-control for Celestina to hold herself back and not leap the moment the Shardling Giant came into view.
Luckily, she managed to stay composed, her feet rooted to the ground. She even forced herself to take a few steps back, attempting to reassure the scared trio behind her.
It was natural to be afraid. The sudden anomaly of being surrounded by void creatures they were supposed to hunt was unnerving.
To go from the hunter to the hunted was not a pleasant experience.
The cold, murderous instinct that crept through every inch of her body begged her to cut down the void creatures on sight. Controlling it was nearly impossible, but somehow, Celestina managed. She hid it well.
And she was glad she did.
The way the Shardling Giant behaved—standing in front of her, glaring with pure hatred—was already strange. Hearing that it, along with the others, was being controlled by the Ebonclimber only made her more grateful she hadn’t acted recklessly.
Still, her trust in the mana collar on the Ebonclimber was shaky at best.
Sure, the collar might suppress its mana core, preventing it from fighting at the level of a Grade 3 demon. But even then, it still had the body, mind, and instincts of one.
That was why, even with the collar restricting it, the Ebonclimber remained a threat.
Her real concern, though, wasn’t the creature itself—it was the trio behind her. How could she protect Isolde, Lyra, and Curtis while dealing with the void creatures closing in on them?
Azriel might be able to hold off the Ebonclimber and, if necessary, the Nightstrider Hawk long enough. He might even defeat one of the two.
That’s what she would have thought… if not for what Azriel had done during history class.
Celestina wasn’t a fool. She understood the sheer, earth-shattering nature of the feat he’d pulled off back then. He had used his own aura to envelop her, shielding her entirely from Instructor Cedric’s overwhelming pressure.
How he’d done it was a mystery she still hadn’t found the chance to unravel.
But the mere fact that Azriel could wield aura—something utterly inexplicable—was enough to convince her of one thing:
Find exclusive stories on empire
If he wanted to, Azriel could handle both creatures on his own.
Hell, even if the mana collar on the Grade 3 demon was removed, he might still have a slim chance of victory.
That said, Celestina wasn’t sure if Azriel would actually use his aura during this test. Perhaps it wasn’t at a level where he could wield it freely in combat. Or maybe he had his own reasons for holding back.
Either way, she was just relieved he was actively participating this time. It was a stark contrast to how he’d acted in the void dungeon.
The trio behind her, however, was another matter entirely.
They were already trembling at the sight of the void scorpions—creatures with grotesque, segmented bodies that clicked their pincers in an eerie rhythm. The sound was enough to make anyone shudder.
Celestina sighed, disappointed.
Isolde, the heiress to her clan, was cowering before two beast-ranked void creatures. It was pathetic. Perhaps she was nothing more than a pampered princess, untrained for real combat.
Celestina didn’t have time to dwell on it. She needed to decide—quickly—how to help them muster the courage to fight or at least survive long enough for her to finish the Shardling Giant and step in.
Her worries proved unfounded.
Before she could act, her body began to glow—along with Isolde, Lyra, and Curtis.
A white flame enveloped them, continuous and unyielding. The world seemed to brighten, colors growing more vibrant.
It felt like a warm blanket wrapping around her, comforting and pleasant. Her body felt impossibly light, and her mind… serene.
The cold, murderous instinct that had gripped her moments ago vanished entirely.
It was as if all her negative emotions had been erased in an instant.
Celestina stared at her own hands, now wrapped in the ethereal white flame, dumbfounded.
‘…A buff skill?’
Blinking, she turned toward the source of the skill that had washed over them—and froze.
Azriel stood there, his back to them. Even so, she could see the left side of his face perfectly.
His already pale skin looked translucent, beads of sweat tracing down his sharp jawline.
He was clad in soul armor, a seamless black shell that hugged him from neck to toe. Its smooth, polished surface absorbed the faintest glimmers of light, its design sleek and menacing. His right gauntlet ended in tapered claws, gripping Void Eater—a weapon so dark it seemed to devour the light around it, blending perfectly with his armor.
He didn’t look human.
He looked like a god of war—no, a specter of vengeance given form. His presence was overwhelming. Terrifying.
Yet, impossibly reassuring.
But the thing that truly froze everyone—left them incapable of speech or even breath—were his eyes.
Nothing could compare to those eyes.
When Azriel turned fully, his crimson gaze locked on them.
And everything else ceased to matter.
Those eyes burned like molten rubies, their glow so vivid it felt as though his very soul was bleeding through. They shimmered with crystalline depth, each facet catching invisible light. It was as if they’d been carved from the purest, most brilliant glass.
Yet, beneath their beauty lay a terrifying fragility, as though they might shatter at any moment under their own intensity.
No one could look away.
They were beautiful.
They were horrifying.
And they were utterly, utterly otherworldly.
Celestina was a curious human—she knew that about herself.
Most of the time, she couldn’t resist the urge to uncover the mysteries that surrounded her, to chase after the unknown like a cat pouncing on an elusive shadow. But as a princess, she had learned to restrain herself, to maintain the regal image expected of her.
Now, though…
She felt nothing like that.
No curiosity. No intrigue.
Only an overwhelming sense of stillness.
She could have stared into those eyes for an eternity.
Azriel tilted his head slightly, a subtle motion, as if confused by their reaction. The movement was almost imperceptible, but it broke the fragile spell for a fleeting moment.
It was Solomon’s voice crackling through their watches that finally snapped them back to reality.
Celestina’s eyes widened, and she quickly turned away, tearing her gaze from those crimson depths. Her heart was pounding, and she barely resisted the urge to let out a shaky breath.
‘W-what the hell…?!’
Those eyes were dangerous.
Looking into them felt like plunging into a pool of blood, letting it consume her entirely—drowning, yet somehow unwilling to fight against the pull.
‘It must be a side effect of the skill he’s using,’ she thought, forcing herself to breathe evenly.
‘He wouldn’t be stupid enough to use his [Unique Skill] during a test… right?’
Even as she reassured herself, she couldn’t deny how potent this skill was. It was so valuable that it could rival most [Unique Skills], even if it wasn’t technically classified as one.
On a battlefield, Azriel wouldn’t even need to raise a weapon. The mere activation of this ability would make him invaluable. Morale would surge, fear would melt away, and his allies would fight with renewed vigor—unstoppable, as if blessed by the heavens.
But those eyes…
They were dangerous in a different way.
For anyone with a weak mind, they could shatter what little resolve they had left. Under the influence of Azriel’s buff skill, those crimson eyes could be as much a weapon as any blade he wielded.
*****
Azriel frowned slightly at Solomon’s voice, watching as all the cadets turned their backs to him. Their eyes focused on the frozen void creatures.
Looking down at the watch hidden beneath his armor, Azriel spoke while turning toward the ebonclimber, still frozen in place.
“What do you mean?”
What was wrong with using his soul armor or soul weapon? Or was it for some entirely bizarre reason not allowed in this test?
The instructor was Solomon, after all. Who knew what was running through his mind?
Azriel was sure that as long as no cadets died, Solomon would gladly throw them into a volcano if it meant completing the test.
“Uhm… no, there’s nothing wrong. It’s just… you should look at yourself. Never mind, ignore me. I didn’t mean to speak. I guess I should’ve expected something like this.”
Azriel felt even more confused, hearing Solomon, who seemed incapable of explaining what was wrong.
Azriel hesitated for a moment before asking, “By the way, is it possible to remove the mana collar?”
“!!”
Azriel could feel the cadets’ surprised gazes on him, each of them holding their breath, but Azriel didn’t turn around. He waited for Solomon’s response, who was strangely quiet for several seconds.
“…It’s possible. But as much as I love breaking the rules, even I can’t allow a cadet to fight a grade 3 demon. Even if you were capable of fighting it, we’re also talking about the safety of your team members and the other cadets hunting void creatures.”
Azriel felt a wave of disappointment, but he nodded at Solomon.
“I understand.”
“Once again, good luck. I really need to stop talking to you all. No, seriously. Ranni’s going to scold me for how much I’m talking during a test… Woah, speak of the witch! See ya!”
With that, the speaker cut off, and Solomon was gone.
Azriel sighed, shaking his head before focusing back on the ebonclimber and the Nightstrider Hawk—both of them staring at him menacingly.
“I’ll take these two on my own. You guys handle the rest.”
There was no response, just the sound of each cadet turning their backs to face the void creatures in front of them.
Though all they needed was the ebonclimber to pass, it was clear that the only way to truly “survive” this test was to eliminate all the void creatures present.
It was truly unfair… if the team weren’t so unbalanced.
‘Solomon must have done this on purpose…’
Azriel doubted it was a coincidence. But it didn’t matter.
Azriel moved. In an instant, he was gone, leaving a trail of red lightning in his wake, scattering leaves and exploding dirt.
The giant bird was the first to act, flapping its wings and launching toward Azriel, releasing a cry that pierced his ears. Azriel gritted his teeth as the sound rattled through his bones, vibrating through his entire body.