Death Heir’s Devouring System

Cinder flew west as fast as possible. Azrael slowly passed over the eastern and central regions of the Golden Lands until finally reaching the western side.

He had to hurry; Raven's speed had greatly surprised him, to be able to move such a far distance in a single night. There was a possibility of being too late.

Just when he was beginning to get worried, Cinder screeched.

"I see," he muttered. "So she is near."

Before the battle began, he took a glance back. Unworthy Knights, Duskguards, and Nightfletch were topping one over the other in a desperate attempt to reach him.

This was a dangerous gamble, if Cinder flew too slowly and couldn't escape, Azrael would be doomed. Just because he could take on one or two at a time didn't mean he could defeat an entire tide of them.

Thankfully the Nightfletch weren't able to shoot him down since he was too far ahead of them. All they could do was to chase him until he stopped long enough to become a target.

'I feel like this will not be enough to get rid of Raven.'

Even if the knights were able to take down a Reaver Danger Level monster when working in sync, it didn't guarantee they could defeat her. Just like Seyra, his teacher, had told him, a person could hide countless aces up their sleeve, only revealing them in moments of desperation. Azrael wasn't taking any chances.

Going lower to the ground, he began breaking several branches and then used Frostflare Flint to light them up.

"A forest fire should complicate things for her."

Eventually he witnessed a figure sitting calmly at the far horizon.

Stunningly beautiful, her appearance shaped by the saturated Purity in her body and her high Ascension Level. Her purple hair danced in the wind as her tired eyes scanned the surroundings with unwavering focus.

Raven rested her back against a large boulder nonchalantly, watching east in anticipation.

When she spotted him, her gaze narrowed slightly. Then she stood.

"Azrael? Didn't know you had a Remembrance, it seems you are full of surprises."

A subtle smile tugged at her lips, her head tilted curiously.

"Where are the others? I would have expected Seraphina with the rest of the camp to show up."

Commanding Cinder to land on the ground, Azrael threw the burning branches to his sides, causing a fire to spread around the area.

"Don't worry, I am more than enough for you."

His gaze snapped left, to Isolde. Her legs and arms were tied harshly, not allowing her to move even in the slightest.

'Is she alone, or are there other Proven in the area?' He foresaw the worst outcome, expecting more enemies to show up.

"No need," Raven said, waving her hand dismissively. "Honestly, my orders were simple: take Isolde and return to base."

Slowly her voice dipped lower, eyes growing colder.

"But it didn't sit right with me, you know? Me, a Radiant Proven, running away from a bunch of Marked? That was something too pathetic to allow."

Taking measured steps forward, she neared. "So I decided to crush anyone that comes after me…"

Instantly her smile vanished. "But I expected an army, not a simple man… It seems you, Marked, have really grown overconfident."

Azrael slowly looked her up and down, only to sigh in relief.

'Lucky my enemy is so easily ruled by emotion,' he noted. Whether it was the result of too much time spent on this cursed planet or the arrogance bred from growing up in one of the three most powerful clans, he couldn't say.

But he was going to make use of that.

"Oh, I'm no simple man… The Heir of Death has come for your head."

The ground trembled. Trees broke. Heavy footsteps echoed behind him.

"It's about time."

Sensing the approach of the monster tide, he soared high in the sky once more.

With his figure gone, Raven's eyes enlarged briefly. Beyond the burning trees, engulfed in cooling blue flames, monsters were rushing toward them full force.

The horses of the Duskguards trampled the golden grass in their march, followed by the Unworthy Knights and the Nightfletch.

The wave of monsters could easily be counted as a small army, yet she didn't flinch. There was no trace of hesitation in her voice. "Do you think that a few monsters would make me falter?"

Her aura got several folds heavier; a black whip appeared in her firm grip. Lined with numerous white fangs that ensured maximum damage.

In the blink of an eye, her hand blurred and the thong of the whip grew longer. Tearing through the air, it headed towards Azrael.

With a curse, he flicked his finger. The moment Gravebloom appeared in his hands, he attempted to intercept the attack.

A shockwave passed over his body, yet he managed to hold. To his horror, however, the thong wasn't done extending. Once it hit his weapon, it changed direction, bending unnaturally around the scythe; it curved toward his head.

A dread washed over Azrael—being hit even once meant certain death.

Cinder's crimson eyes gleamed, abruptly changing the trajectory they were traveling, causing the whip to miss.

"That is one handy bird you got," Raven clicked her tongue. The moment her gaze shifted toward the approaching monster tide, she knew it was impossible not to go all out.

Using the whip to ensure that Isolde was wrapped around her back, the ground beneath her feet shattered. Shooting forward like an arrow, she met the knights unfazed.

Azrael watched with a frown. The way the woman was tearing through the monsters like they were made of paper.

'She's beyond my level… but this might still work.' He thought, trying to establish a mental connection with Isolde.

"Can you hear me?"

The moves of Raven's whip accelerated; with each lash the power seemed to increase. The ground broke, knights were flung to the side like ragdolls.

[Barely.]

After a few seconds of tense silence, Isolde answered,

"If I free you, I expect you to fight to the death. Can you do that?"

[…Yes.]

Azrael sighed, gaze moving toward the blizzard terrain. There was a reason why he had caused a forest fire with the cooling flames.

'The colder temperature coupled with the blood that knights left behind… Should lure a few of them here.'

Just as he expected, he saw a massive figure emerging from the west.

Blood Knotted, the monsters that were being hunted by the knights in groups. Baited by the blood, they came out of the trees, gazes snapping toward the massacre that Raven was in the middle of unraveling.

With a mighty roar, the Reaver monsters pounced on her.

The Proven were strong, but even they would have to be careful of monsters with Danger Level higher than their own.

Her attention was split, being assaulted by two sides of different types of monsters.

Azrael didn't miss the moment. Capitalizing on the opportunity he had created himself, he shot downwards like a star.

His scythe loomed overhead like a guillotine of death.

The mission was to ensure Isolde's safety, but in the name of power, he was willing to go a step beyond that.

He would kill Raven and advance his Purity Rank.