Path of the Extra

He scowled at the mysterious glow.

'Just when I was finally having a rare moment with my son...'

Of course, something had to interrupt.

He and Azriel had never really had anything to talk about much before.

But now?

Joaquin felt like they could finally converse normally, perhaps even drink together and share stories of their battles.

'...How annoying.'

The white light was getting closer. It looked like a tiny star, its glow soft and subtle. Though small and seemingly insignificant, it carried an unsettling feeling.

He would have gone and stopped it by now, but perhaps because of all his battle experiences, something told him that if he tried to stop it, it wouldn't end well.

'It's an arrow... so an assassination attempt?'

It was quite bold for someone to try and kill the head of the Crimson clan with a single arrow.

Though as powerful as the tool may seem, it wouldn't be enough.

'The archer... isn't in the capital.'

That made him feel even more unsettled.

Whoever fired the arrow was powerful enough to shoot it from outside his range of detection.

'Well, whatever. I can't really let it land here now, can I?'

Stepping forward, he was about to take action until...

"Wait, Dad..."

Hearing Azriel's voice next to him, Joaquin stopped and looked towards his son.

Surprisingly, Azriel wasn't focused on the arrow getting closer by the second.

Instead, he was gazing straight ahead, as if seeing something else.

Following Azriel's line of sight, Joaquin couldn't find anything.

'What is he seeing?'

Instead of asking, Joaquin merely watched curiously, not even caring about the approaching arrow.

He noticed Azriel's eyes trailing the open air in front of him, as if reading something invisible.

'...He can see something that I can't, huh?'

Intrigued, Joaquin patiently waited.

'Does he have some sort of skill? But what is it?'

Why had Azriel told him to stop?

Finally, Azriel looked towards him.

For a few seconds, Azriel just stared at him.

Then, he turned his gaze towards the shining arrow, which was now starting to light up the estate with its blinding glow.

'Truly like a falling star,'

Joaquin thought, amused.

Finally, Azriel parted his lips.

"Don't do anything against it..."

'Don't do anything?'

"Why?"

Joaquin asked, incredulous.

Had Azriel gone crazy?

"Aren't you curious?" Azriel replied calmly.

Of course, Joaquin was curious as well.

'But is it really curiosity that is his motive...?'

The arrow was as mysterious as it could get.

Joaquin could barely sense any mana in it.

But the little he could sense...

'I doubt anyone who isn't on my level would survive a direct hit...'

"...Fine,"

In the end Joaquin agreed, watching as the entire estate was illuminated by the arrow's brilliance.

'Aeli is going to kill me for this,' he thought, imagining how his wife would berate him.

He glared at Azriel before touching his shoulder.

"Whoa!"

Azriel exclaimed, surprised as both of them were suddenly transported to the back end of the garden.

"Dammit, it's bright."

"It is..."

'I am definitely putting all the blame on him,'

Joaquin thought.

There was no way he was going to suffer because of his son's choices.

And so...

BOOOOMMM-!

The ground shook furiously upon the arrow's impact.

A cloud of dust formed in their vision.

'Now she is definitely going to kill me!'

Joaquin started to panic.

The impact was much wilder than he had calculated.

Gritting his teeth, he glared once again at Azriel, who was watching everything with an aloof expression.

'This boy! He has basically dragged me with him no matter what I do!'

The arrow wasn't the least bit scary compared to his wife!

"Tch..."

With a mere wave of his hand, the cloud of dust was gone.

The arrow was embedded in the ground perfectly, as if no damage was done to its surroundings.

It was still glowing white but dimmed down considerably.

"Huh...?"

It didn't make sense.

Joaquin was sure it would have at least left a huge crater or something.

'What about all that dust?'

Before he could think any further, Azriel was already walking towards it.

Joaquin didn't stop him; he merely watched from behind, curious.

It was rare for his own son to make such bold moves, but...

'I like it.'

Joaquin smiled.

The Void Realm had clearly changed Azriel for the better, which Joaquin liked very much.

But he was still angry.

'I will get my revenge... one day, when he least expects it.'

Arriving in front of the glowing arrow, Azriel easily picked it up from the ground.

When he did, the white light of the arrow started pulsing. Joaquin narrowed his eyes, seeing it.

'I don't sense anything happening, though...'

He was ready to intervene the moment he sensed Azriel's life in danger.

"What a weird form..."

Azriel mumbled to himself while calmly inspecting the arrow.

'Form?'

Joaquin was about to ask, but Azriel smiled, making him stop.

That smile... he recognized it.

It was the same smile Joaquin had when he relished in battle.

This was the first time Joaquin had seen Azriel smile like that, a smile of excitement.

It baffled him, though he didn't show it outwardly.

'Why...?'

Suddenly, Azriel spoke with the same smile on his face.

"Very well..."

Snap-!

The arrow in his hand broke like a twig.

"I accept"

'How did he do that...?'

Joaquin was sure the arrow belonged to at least a grandmaster, a powerful one at that.

Yet Azriel broke it easily.

'Was I wrong?'

Nothing was making sense.

Suddenly, a white light started enveloping Azriel.

Joaquin got on high alert, until Azriel turned towards him with the same smile.

"Don't worry. I should be back soon... probably."

Saying that, the white light shined even brighter, and then... he was gone.

"..."

"...Did I make a mistake?"

Joaquin didn't intervene the entire time since it seemed Azriel knew what he was doing.

"Was I wrong?"

He shook his head.

He was sure Azriel had an idea the moment he saw the arrow heading their way.

"But what just happened?"

He was gone, just like that.

"I can trust him, right? It's not like he would disappear again for two years..."

Right?

"I shouldn't think like that."

Everything that had just happened was Azriel's own choice, and it looked like he had it under control.

"But... that smile."

Joaquin was now even more curious about where Azriel had gone with such a smile.

Shaking his head once again, he walked forward.

"...!"

His eyes widened as he looked where Azriel had previously stood.

A beautiful black cross.

A mark.

"How...?"

The mark in front of him... Only a Grandmaster could leave something like that behind.

But it was normally a white mark.

Once one becomes a Grandmaster, they can open their own void rifts and anchor themselves with a mark on Earth and even one in the Void Realm.

"I see..."

It didn't take long for Joaquin to figure it out.

"That arrow... it is a Void artifact."

In fact, it was probably not even an arrow.

"For one who wanted to live a peaceful life, you sure have a knack for doing the opposite."

Joaquin was amused, not even worried in the slightest for Azriel.

Why?

Because Azriel was his son.

"I will be waiting."

Saying that, he suddenly heard the shouts of guards and footsteps approaching him.

The impact had clearly woken everyone up.

"Right..."

Joaquin clenched his fist behind his back.

"I will be waiting... but you better come back fast so I kill you myself."

[AN: Another chapter soon]