Death Heir’s Devouring System

The Chosen looked at Azrael, unsure how to react.

"There is no point in defending anymore? Isn't what you did against the rules?" One dared to ask.

Azrael arched an eyebrow behind the featureless veil.

"Rules? We are 7 Chosen against two teams consisting of 100. Even if it was against the rules, I don't think anybody would blame us for using everything we can to win."

While the others were hesitant, Chunk shook his head and stepped forward.

"I am coming."

The eyes of the others widened.

"Silkflow is agreeing to the plan?"

Chunk, being relatively famous, was recognized by two of the Chosen, slightly swaying their options.

"Listen here." Azrael spoke, giving them one last chance before he went on the offensive.

"Despite being at a severe disadvantage, we are the first ones to steal an enemy's flag. Expect many Proven, maybe even Champions, to come here looking for our flag. They will not find it, of course, but they will find those that stay in the area."

His implications were more than clear. Everyone that stayed here now would just become a target.

This finally managed to convince the Chosen to follow his lead.

They moved like shadows behind Azrael's footsteps, mimicking his movements and managing to traverse the rocks with staggering speed.

"Are we going towards the Crimson Accord? Since you went there, you must know the safest way to get there."

Azrael shook his head. "The Iron Howl's flag was stolen, remember? It wasn't by members of our faction, so the Crimson Accord must have done it. Their assault squad must be moving towards their base to deliver it, while the Iron Howl's defense and offense squads must have left their posts in order to pursue them."

It was important to know which enemy had fewer Chosen assigned to defense in order to determine the easiest target to strike. There was also the matter of whether the offense squad would return just as they were about to steal their flag.

Chunk's eyes widened briefly.

"I didn't think about this at all… How could he read people he had never seen so perfectly?" The man muttered, gazing at Azrael's silent figure.

'He did say that Seyra is his teacher. Is that the result of her training regimen, or has he always been like this from the start?'

Usually, no matter how powerful a person was, they would always have weak points. Things that could put them at a great disadvantage…

Yet the more Chunk observed Azrael, the more he was sure of one fact.

'A monster with no flaws in sight. If he is so terrifying now, what will happen when he becomes a Champion? A Sentinel? Even beyond that?'

A chill ran down the man's spine.

'Truly, I'm glad I trusted my instincts and befriended him… or at the very least, avoided making him my enemy.'

Of course, Azrael did have weaknesses; he needed to be careful not to devour too much Corruption should he wish to remain sane. Thankfully, when fighting against people, that weakness wasn't something that hindered him at all.

"Enemies!"

Chunk's mental assessment was cut short as members of the Iron Howl appeared before their path.

Instinctively the Proven shifted their gazes to Azrael like they were looking at a Champion awaiting orders.

"What do we do?" Chunk, being the closest to him, asked.

The veins over Azrael's body bulged under his skin, lips parting, saying a single word.

"Kill."

In a flash he accelerated, reaching the closest enemy.

'Ten Proven, we are outnumbered and tight for time. The more the fight prolongs, the higher the chances reinforcements will arrive.'

Azrael analyzed, attacking.

"No, you don't!"

Managing to react in time, the Proven intercepted the attack with his short axe, aiming with the other for Azrael's head.

That wasn't the only attack that Azrael would have to be careful about. The other nine Proven in the area attacked in harmony, trying to neutralize him.

Abandoning offense, he focused on defense; some of the attacks managed to land. But nothing too major.

The next second his team reached the enemy, jumping into the melee.

From the sheer shockwave, the rock they were on tilted to the side, struggling to hold the battle between so many Chosen at the same time.

Screams of pain and roars of vengeance resounded.

Azrael moved like death itself, carving through the enemy's lines.

Chunk didn't miss his movement. Wanting to improve, he began to copy Azrael's mindset.

'So what if I got hurt? It's just pain; there's nothing special about it. As long as I can move, I can fight.'

Several moments later the Ashen Vow were down three players… The Iron Howl ten.

[The Iron Howl's flag has been claimed!]

Just as expected, they had lost their flag, and now it must have teleported back to its initial point. Crimson Accord now too had one point, rivaling the Ashen Vow.

The Iron Howl, meanwhile, hadn't gained a single point and was severely lacking in Chosen. Victory for them was already impossible.

Several more Chosen appeared before Azrael and his team, only to be dealt with at a horrifying pace.

Soon after, they reached the Iron Howl's flag. The little guards it had were dispatched, leaving it for the taking.

Azrael moved towards it and extended a hand only to halt a second later.

There were ten more minutes until the end of the game.

He could take it and deliver it to their base, earning them another point… however, doing so would return the flag to its initial point. If a Champion of the Crimson Accord were to take it, they could also deliver it to their base in the few minutes that were left, rivaling their score.

Should that happen, there would be overtime for deciding the winner, and the Ashen Vow would be overwhelmed; that was certain.

'I can try to delay claiming the flag until the last moment… but since I will be carrying it, I will be too easy to spot…'

What he needed to do was clear: either capture Iron Howl's flag two more times… or prevent Crimson Accord from doing so.

"Troublesome." He cursed bitterly, gaze moving towards Chunk.

"Silkflow," he spoke, using the name Chunk used in the VR simulation.

"Take the flag and bring it to our base. Follow the path we just used—you should be able to stay undetected. Once there, the team will cover you. Your only task is to secure the flag in our base and earn us another point."

The Chosen frowned at the words.

"You mean that you want us to risk our lives? There is a 24-hour delay for respawning, you know? Why should we do that?" One asked.

Azrael observed them silently, tension in the air slowly rising.

"Because I'm giving you a chance to win, something you know would be impossible without me." He stated simply.

Chunk trusted Azrael without hesitation; stepping forward, he took the flag.

[The Iron Howl's flag has been stolen!]

"Then what are you going to do?" One questioned Azrael.

While they carried out the dangerous task of returning to base and capturing the flag, what was he going to do in the meantime?

Azrael remained unfazed; calmly, he sat before the pedestal of the now stolen flag in a cross-legged position.

"I will meet anyone that tries to steal the flag after us."

He cracked his neck.

"And stop them."