The Extra Who Shouldn’t Exist

[ 24 hours ago ]

Far away from the northern borders of the Elven Empire, in the middle of a barren, wind-swept wasteland, stood a colossal obsidian castle. Its spires pierced the gray sky like jagged blades, and the faint hum of mana circuits pulsed through its black walls.

The air around the castle shimmered faintly, rippling with the pressure of concentrated spiritual and demonic energy.

Inside one of the castle's deep chambers—an enormous laboratory filled with glowing tubes, floating mana cores, and holographic displays—Kyle Celestian stood in front of a containment platform.

Seven crystalline cores hovered above it, spinning slowly, each radiating an oppressive killing intent so dense that even a Grandmaster-ranked warrior would have fallen to his knees just from being in the same room.

A majestic crow rested calmly on Kyle's shoulder, its feathers reflecting streaks of midnight blue. Kyle, however, looked utterly bored as streams of dark mana flowed from his hand into the cores. His black hair shimmered faintly under the cold light of the lab.

"Hey, Doc," Kyle muttered, glancing toward a man in a white coat typing furiously on a glowing holographic screen. "I'm getting bored out of my mind. How long do I have to keep doing this?"

Dr. Killian didn't even look up. His eyes were fixed on the screens that displayed fluctuating mana levels and core stability graphs. "My lord, patience. If we want to retrieve those seven Abyssal Sovereigns from the ancient era—something that has been impossible for centuries—then this process must be done precisely."

Kyle groaned. "Yeah, yeah, spare me the lecture."

Killian finally looked up, adjusting his glasses. "You're the only one who possesses the affinities and power to awaken their fragmented souls. Without your interference, these cores would have detonated long ago."

Clicking his tongue, Kyle leaned back in his chair. "Tch. You make it sound like I'm some savior."

"To them, you might as well be," Killian replied flatly.

The crow on Kyle's shoulder cawed, spreading its wings slightly. Kyle smirked, glancing at it. "Even Silas agrees you talk too much, Doc."

But before Killian could retort, both Kyle and Silas suddenly froze. Their eyes turned in the same direction—northeast.

Silas tilted his head. "My lord, have you also felt it?"

Kyle's lips curved into a slow, excited grin. "Yeah... I felt it. That surge of demonic energy—it's massive. And that presence... it's unlike anything I've sensed in this world. Except..." His eyes glimmered with curiosity. "Except for the Tower of Ascension."

Silas frowned. "Strange. I feel like I've encountered this presence before."

Kyle's gaze snapped toward him. "Where?"

"In the Demon Realm," Silas replied. "When I went to gather supporters to fight against my sister in the past. I met someone there whose aura... matched this one perfectly. But that can't be possible. He should be dead."

Kyle chuckled, the excitement in his tone growing. "Now you're making me even more curious. Let's go and see who it is."

Before he could stand, Dr. Killian's voice cut through the air. "My lord, we still have active synchronization in process. If you move now, the cores could destabilize."

Kyle sighed dramatically. "Ugh, fine. You're no fun." Then a mischievous spark appeared in his eyes as he turned toward Silas. "You go check it out. Keep an eye on the source of that demonic presence and tell me everything."

Silas bowed deeply. "As you wish, my lord."

In the next instant, his form dissolved into black mist, transforming into a massive crow that shot through the skylight like a streak of shadow.

For the next day, Silas observed everything in silence — Alex, Azrael, and their battles. He remained far enough to avoid detection but close enough to sense their mana fluctuations. Each report he sent back to Kyle only made his master's grin widen. The more he heard of Alex summoning a demon and defying the Holy Empire, the more intrigued Kyle became.

---

[ Present ]

Perched in the skies above Avaloria's outskirts, Silas watched as Azrael and Selena Vega exited ty royal palace and entered a sleek, black hovercar. The crow's sharp eyes followed them as the vehicle lifted off, gliding toward the horizon.

Inside the hovercar, Selena leaned back in the driver's seat, her fingers flying over the console as coordinates appeared on the dashboard. She handed a small holo-card to Azrael. "Here, go to this address after we're done. I've got a mountain of paperwork waiting for me, thanks to that silver-haired brat."

Azrael raised an eyebrow. "Hey, what kind of guy is Alex anyway? After spending some time with him, I can tell he acts like an idiot... but he's definitely not one."

Selena burst out laughing, barely keeping the car steady. "Wow. You've nailed his personality after just one day. I've known him for some time now, and I still can't figure out what goes on in that head."

Azrael smirked faintly. "That so?"

"Yeah," she said, glancing at him. "But one thing's certain—he might be reckless, but he's not a bad guy. No matter how bad things get, if everyone abandons you, he's the one who'll still have your back."

Azrael looked out the window, his expression unreadable. "I've heard words like that before... from people who later stabbed me in the back. That's how I ended up here."

Selena sighed. "Well, I can't fix your trust issues... but you know, that's one thing you and Alex have in common."

Azrael turned to her with a half-smirk. "Do you like him or something?"

The sudden question hit her like a blast. Selena's hands jerked, and the hovercar swerved violently, barely missing a mana lamppost before she regained control, her face flushed crimson. "W-What kind of question is that!?" she snapped, eyes wide.

Azrael chuckled, clearly amused. But before Selena could respond further, a massive fireball streaked through the air, slamming directly into their vehicle.

The explosion ripped the car apart in a deafening roar. Both Azrael and Selena barely leapt out in time, rolling across the ground as flaming debris rained around them.

Azrael coughed, standing up quickly. "What the hell is happening!?"

But before Selena could answer, the air around them twisted unnaturally. The shattered landscape warped, colors bleeding into one another until they were surrounded by an endless forest of glowing azure trees.

The sky turned deep violet, and faint whispers echoed from the mist. Every breath they took was thick with dense spiritual energy.

Selena clicked her tongue, scanning the area. "Damn it. We've been pulled into a constructed dimension. A domain."

"A domain?" Azrael frowned.

A mocking voice interrupted him. "What's the rush? You should stay a while. I made this place with my own hands, using pure spiritual energy. Beautiful, isn't it?"

Both of them turned toward the voice. From between the trees stepped a man with dark blue hair and piercing gray eyes, his aura radiating overwhelming pressure. His body seemed to blur at the edges, as if reality itself struggled to contain him.

Selena immediately took a defensive stance, her mana flaring. "Who the hell are you!?"

The man smiled, his tone mocking yet composed. "Well, well, you're quite cautious. As you should be." His gaze drifted toward Azrael, and the smile darkened. "Though I do feel bad for you, miss as you're just collateral damage. You just happened to get caught up in this because..."

He turned fully toward Azrael, his expression twisting into one of cruel satisfaction. "Because my suspicion was correct. It really is you, Azrael."

The air around them grew heavy, the forest trembling as Silas Lan Varadis—Kyle Celestian's familiar—let his killing intent pour out like a tidal wave.

----

A/N:

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